The larboard one's tarry, and would spile them
gloves o' yourn."

The boat was directly at the foot of the starboard
side-ladder, and I jumped on board, just
in time to meet honest Daniel Coffin, who came
bustling aft to welcome me.

And, sure enough, Daniel Coffin did appear
glad to see me. His mahogany face was as
radiant as such a face could be, and the grip
he gave my hand was like the pressure of a
vice. He did the honours of the ship, at least
of all above decks, making me duly admire the
tapering of the masts, the squareness of the
yards, the trim neatness which regulated everything.
There was no visible morsel of metal,
whether ringbolt, pin, rail, or brass gun, that
was not scoured as brightly as the kettles
in a Dutch kitchen. There was an unusual
quantity of rackwork and windlass tackle about,
as well as pulleys, patent blocks, and other
mechanism for economising labour. As for the
crew, I saw three or four fine-looking seamen
on the forecastle, busy with serving mallets,
spunyarn, rattlins, and inch and a half rope,
preparing something or other for the ship's top
hamper, and a couple of wobegone persons
were wringing swabs near them, which latter
alone took some notice of us. One of these
men touched his hat, not to the mate, but to me,
and seemed disposed to speak, but Mr. Coffin
swore at him, and bade him "keep his distance,"
and he shuffled off in a broken-spirited fashion.

"Those are not sailors?" said I, with a jerk
of my thumb to point out the object of my query.

"No; they air not. They're what they call
'waisters' in the navy; but here we jest call
'em landlubbers;" answered Mr. Coffin. "Never
mind 'em. I wish I could show you the cabins,
but cap'en's busy writing. They're splendacious,
and that air a fact. Ah! here is cap' en
himself."

And, sure enough, up the cabin stair came the
commander, and the mate bustling to introduce
me, we exchanged bows and compliments. The
skipper was a little man, not puny, but a giant
cut down, with broad shoulders and "double
joints." He had a massive jaw, full of great
white teeth, bright chesnut hair, blue eyes, and
a very red and white complexion. Altogether
he was as little like an American as any man I
ever saw in any country. But he was very well
bred and polished, quite a gentleman in manner,
and I soon found that I was talking to one who
was at least my equal in education, and a man
of talent to boot. He showed me the cabins,
gave me a peep at two or three cabinets of
medallions, cameos, rare shells, and so forth, as well
as at some valuable pictures and curious arms,
and only regretted that he was too much occupied
on that day to submit to my inspection of all
his treasures. Would I come and dine with him
before he sailed? Meanwhile I must have some
lunch, and he tinkled a little silver handbell, which
brought in the coloured steward and a tray.
During lunch, we chatted on indifferent subjects;
the captain pleasing me greatly by the frank
shrewdness of his talk. Presently feats of
strength were mentioned. There were some
very heavy round-shot in the steerage, the
captain said he could hardly lift them, and he
wondered whether I could make a better job of
it than he. So, after lunch, we went into the
steerage, and there, by a great effort, I contrived
to heave up one of the shot to the level of my
head, to the great amusement and satisfaction of
my entertainer.

"Well, sir," said he, "you have done what
only six of us here aboard can manage. Myself—
that is—Dan Coffin, who is strong, for all that
he looks so loosely put together, and four of our
primest forecastle salts. I wish you were one
of us. But the next best thing will be to get
the advantage of your company while we can; so
excuse a sailor's rough invitation, and come and
dine with me aboard on Thursday, the 16th.
We are advertised to sail on Friday, and the
passengers come on board early on that day; but
on Thursday we can have a cozy evening, and
you shall look over my hoards of old rubbish.
May I expect you?"

I said "Yes, I would be sure to come," and
thanked him for his hospitality. We shook
hands. I stepped into my boat, and went off,
and the last things I saw on the deck of the
clipper were the heads of Captain Hodgson and
his mate Coffin, as they waved their hands in a
parting salute.

No obstacle having intervened, on Thursday
afternoon I found myself a guest at the
captain's hospitable board, in his pretty cabin, with
its trophies of weapons and its choice little
Flemish pictures hanging on the walls. There
was rather an ostentatious display of plate and
glass, and fruit and flowers, considering that
covers were laid for only four, Captain Malachi
Hodgson, his first officer, Mr. Dan Coffin, Dr.
Ellerman, the ship's surgeon, and myself. The
dinner proved a capital one, the champagne—
the royal Madeira—were worthy of the dinner,
and the conversation pleasant, for both the
captain and the doctor were well-informed rattles.
Captain Hodgson was very gay and amusing.
As for the surgeon, he was a dry, caustic talker,
with a good deal of ironical humour, and a talent
for quotation. In person he was a large bony
man, with inscrutable eyes like those ot an
elephant. We did not spare the wine, but were
all perfectly sober when we rose from table, and
proceeded to sip our coffee and smoke our cigars,
when I soon afterwards proposed to take my
leave. The skipper would not hear of it. Indeed,
as he reminded me, I had no shore boat
in attendance, having been pulled from the quay
in the ship's yawl, which, with Nathan the
second mate in it, had been fortunately lying off
the jetty just as I came down to the water. I
must trust to my entertainer's good offices for
the means of departure, and the captain
promised me his gig at eleven o'clock. "Not a
minute before," said he, gaily, "for till then
you are my prisoner." Then I remember that
the captain played a tune on the piano, very
nicely indeed, and the doctor sang a sentimental
Spanish air to the guitar, with an absurd gravity