He seemed about to give up all hope, when he espied, anchored at the Battery, a cable's length off at most, a trading vessel, with a screw, well–shaped, whose funnel, puffing a cloud of smoke, indicated that she was getting ready for departure.

看来这位绅士的最后打算似乎要失败了。可是就在这时，他发现离他至多有十分之一海里的地方有一艘带有机轮装备的商船，停在炮台的前边。这条船样子很俐落，烟筒里正冒着大团的黑烟，说明它就要出海了。