and saw luggage, wrappers, waterproof clothing,
fisherman's long boots, bedding, rolls of
canvass, carpenters' tools, coils of rope, and
balls of twine, a sea-chest, a little chest of
drawers, with other cabin furniture, all
heaped together as if they had been shot out of
the tail of a cart, and left as they fell. Deuced
glad, however, to find he was there, and took
it for granted Waits was somewhere in
the ship.

May 25th. Messrs. Saltash and Pincher, of
Gracechurch Street, the ship-brokers who
had hired the Rodneyrig for the voyage to
Australia, were persons of considerable repute
in fitting out vessels for emigrants, and
other adventurous persons of respectability.
Arrived at the office in Gracechurch Street.
Man taking down shutters. Called again
in ten minutes; and waited in passage while
dusty tea-leaves were swept out of office,
and then went in and sat on a stool till
clerk after clerk arrived; each one knowing
less and less of the business I came upon,
but laughing and chattering about all sorts
of other things in rather an insolent way.
At ten o'clock Mr. Saltash arrived. Said to
Saltash that I wished to go in the Rodneyrig,
as I had two friends who had already engaged
passages in her. At this, another gentleman
with very small dark eyes, placed so close
together as to look like a lobster's, turned a
long snuffy nose towards me, and said, "If
you are so desirous to be with your friends,
and do not mind paying a trifle extra, we may
perhaps manage to slide you in somewhere."
This was Mr. Pincher, whom I had not
observed before, as I had never seen him enter,
and his desk was up in a corner. I consented
to this, and, taking him at his word, exclaimed
with promptitude, "By all means, sir."

"Very well," said Mr. Pincher; "our fare
for the chief cabins is fifty pounds, and twenty
pounds for the intermediate—free of wines,
spirits, &c."

"I was informed," said I, "that the
intermediate fare was seventeen pounds, and I
saw it myself upon some printed boards of
the Rodneyrig."

"Likely," said he, "likely enough—that
was an old board. There has been such a run
upon us this last week that we have been
actually compelled, in self-defence, to raise the
fares to prevent being suffocated in the office,
and the ship half sunk by the crowds going on
board—compelled to do it."

"I agree, then, to give twenty pounds
for my passage," said I, "and to be free of
wines and spirits. I wish particularly to be
placed in the same cabin with one of my
friends."

"Scarcely possible, with so late an application,"
said Mr. Pincher; "you can't expect it.
What are their names?"

"Mr. John Arrowsmith and Mr. Isaac
Waits."

"Mr. John Arrowsmith," said Mr. Pincher,
turning to the plan of the ship; "I recollect
him very well; yes, here he is, in the
intermediate deck, just abreast of the mainmast.
He was one of the very first who took a
cabin in the ship, and he expressly stipulated
that he should have it all to himself—paying
extra for it, of course."

"Mr. Isaac Waits, then," said I.

"Isaac Waits—Isaac Waits—Isaac oh,
here he is—in a cabin with three others. I
can't turn any one of them out, you know—
eh? Still," said Mr. Pincher, looking again
at the plan, "if you very much wish to
be placed with this gentleman, and have no
objection to pay a trifle additional, for the
trouble, I'll see if I can give you both
another cabin, a smaller one, where there
would be no one else."

"The very thing! " said I, "to be sure!
I suppose it will not be much extra, and Mr.
Waits will, no doubt, be as glad of this as
myself. I'll see him to-day on the subject.

"Do so," said Mr. Pincher, " good morning."

"Good morning, sir." I made my bow,
and away I went; no time for shilly-shallying
—congratulated myself on my decisive promptitude.

May 26th.—Punctually at Saltash and
Pincher's by twelve o'clock. Office crowded with
applicants, and others paying money hastily.
Never saw money so easily parted with—
like nothing—people scarcely counting it—
hardly looking at it—minds far absent. Not
so with those receiving it. Serious looks,
rigid counting, careful fingers of Mr. Saltash.
Nobody able to speak to me, and none of the
clerks would even so much as look at me. At
length I got a chance with Mr. Pincher.
"Found a cabin for you and Mr. Waits.
Twenty pounds, if you had applied when
others did, but twenty-five, being late; as we
had to work you in by re-arrangement of the
plan. Supposing you had taken a berth in a
cabin with three others. But you will now have
a cabin with only two—yourself and friend—
fifteen pounds additional, and cheap at that."

May 27th.—Sat at breakfast with a triumphant
air. Had secured a berth in the
Rodneyrig. Now for outfit. Issued forth at ten
o'clock, to visit outfitting houses of different
kinds. Went to Pickland's, wholesale ironmonger
and Colonial outfitter. Warehouse
crowded with purchasers and inquirers.
Looked at iron camp-bedsteads, spades, picks,
shovels, wheelbarrows, ploughs, brass sieves,
gold washing cradles, zinc basons, and carpenter's
tools. Ordered a screw wrench.
Directed it to be sent home to my lodging
—evidently a first-rate instrument. Took
printed list of articles for gold-diggers,
agriculturists, explorers, and other enterprising
persons. Visited Pettilane's, Bolt and Sons,
and finally Spankerly's, outfitting drapers,
hosiers, &c., and examined shirts, socks, duck
trousers, and flannel waistcoats, casting hasty
glance at the cabin furniture department.
Thence, hastened off to the City Road and
King's Cross, to see tents, and cots, and