HEOMEWARD BOUND;
OR,
THE CHASE.
A TALE OF THE SEA.
BY J. FENIMORE COOPER.
"Is't not strange. Canidius.
Thta from'larentum and ilrundusium
He could so qui.klpy elt the Ionian Sea,.i I tke in Toryne." -- SHAKSPEARE.
COMPLETE IN ONE VOLUMI.
NEW EDITION.
NEW YORK:
PUBLISHED BY HURD AND HOUGIHTON,




: O)MELWARD'BOUND.
Entered acelrrlng to tlne Act ot Corinress, in the wenr 1838, by.
C(AItEY, LEA, AND BLANCHARD
la the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States, in and Xm
tne Eastern District of Pennsylvania.




PREFACE.
Ix one respect, this book is a parallel to Franklin's
well-known apologue of the hatter and his sign. It
was commenced with a sole view to exhibit the present state of society in the United States, through the
agency, in part, of a set of characters with different
peculiarities, who had freshly arrived from Europe, and
to whom the distinctive features of the country would
be apt to present themselves with greater force, than
to those who had never lived beyond the influence of
the things portrayed. By the original plan, the work
was to open at the threshold of the country, or with
the arrival of the travellers at Sandy Hook, from
which point the tale was to have been carried regular;
ly forward to its conclusion. But a consultation with
others has left little more of this plan than the hatter's
friends left of his sign. As a vessel was introduced mn
the first chapter, the cry was for " more ship," until
the work has become "all ship;" it actually closing
at, or near, the spot where it was originally intended
it should commence. Owing to this diversion from the
author's design-a design that lay at the bottom of all
his projects-a necessity has been created of running
the tale through two separate works, or of making a




PREFACE.
hurried and insufficient conclusion. The former scheme
has, consequently, been adopted.
It is hopled that the interest of the narrative will not
be essentially diminished by this arrangement.
There will be, very likely, certain imaginative persons, who will feel disposed to deny that every minute
event mentioned in these volumes ever befell one and
the same ship, though ready enough to admit that they
may very well have occurred to -several different ships
a mode of commenting that is much in favour with
your small critic. To this objection, we shall make
but. a single answer. The caviller, if any there should
prove to be, is challenged to produce the log-book of
the Montauk, London packet, and if it should be found
to contain a single sentence to controvert any one of
our statements or facts, a frank recantation shall be
made. Captain Truck is quite as well known in New
York as in London or Portsmouth, and to him also we
refer with confidence, for a confirmation of all we have
said, with the exception, perhaps, of the little occasional touches of character that may allude directly to
himself. In relation to the latter, Mr. Leach, and particularly Mr. Saunders, are both invoked as unimpeachable witnesses.
Most of our readers will probably know that all
which appears in a New York journal is not necessarily as true as the Gospel. As some slight deviations
from the facts accidentally occur, though doubtless at
very long intervals, it should not be surprising that
they sometimes omit circumstances that are quite as
veracious as anything they do actually utter to the
world. No argument, therefore, can justly be urged
against the incidents of this story, on account of the




PREFACE.                    V
circumstance of their not being embodied in the regular marine news of the day.
Another serious objection on the part of the American reader to this work is foreseen. The author has
endeavoured to interest his readers in occurrences of a
date as antiquated as two years can make them, when
he is quite aware, that, in order to keep pace with a
state of society in which there was no yesterday, it
would have been much safer to anticipate things, by
laying his scene two years in advance. It is hoped,
however, that the public sentiment will not be out.
raged by this glimpse at antiquity, and this the more
so, as the sequel of the tale will bring down events
within a year of the present moment.
Previously to the appearance of that sequel, however, it may be well to say a few words concerning
the fortunes of some of our characters, as it might be
en attendant.
To commence with the most important: the Mon
tauk herself, once deemed so "splendid" and conven-.
eht, is already supplanted' in the public favour by a
new ship; the reign of a popular packet, -a popular
preacher, or a popular anything-else, in America, being
limited by a national esprit de corps, to a time materially shorter than that of a lustre. This, however, is
no more than just; rotation in favour being as evidently a matter of constitutional necessity, as rotation in
office.
Captain Truck, for a novelty, continues popular, a
circumstance that he himself ascribes to the fact oft
his being still a bachelor.
Toast is promoted, figuring at the head of a pantry
quite equal to that of his great master, who regards
I1*




Vi                  PREFACE.
his improvement with some such eyes as Charles the
Twelfth of Sweden regarded that of his great rival
Peter, after the affair of Pultowa.
Mr. Leach now smokes his own cigar, and issues his
own orders from a monkey rail, his place in the line
being supplied by his former "Dickey."  He already
speaks of his great model, as of one a little antiquated
it is true, but as a man who had merit in his time,
though it was not the particular merit that is in fashion
to-day.
Notwithstanding these little changes, which are perhaps inseparable from the events of a period so long
as two years in a country as energetic as America, and
in which nothing seems to be stationary but the ages
of Tontine nominees and three-life leases, a cordial
esteem was created among the principal actors in the
events of this book, which is likely to outlast the passage, and which will not fail to bring most of therx
together again in the sequel.
4.pril 1838.




HOMEWARD BOUND.
CHAPTER I.
An inner room I have,
Where thou shalt rest and some refreshment take,
And then we will more fully talk of this.
ORRA.
THE coast of England, though infinitely finer than our
own, is more remarkable for its verdure, and for a general
appearance of civilisation, than for its natural beauties.
The chalky cliffs may seem bold and noble to the Amrerican, though compared to the granite piles that buttress the
Mediterranean they are but mole-hills; and the travelled
eye seeks beauties instead, in the retiring vales, the leafy
hedges, and the clustering towns that dot the teeming island.
Neither is Portsmouth a very favourable specimen of a
British port, considered solely in reference to the picturesque. A town situated on a humble point, and fortified
after the manner of the Low Countries, with an excellent
haven, suggests more images of the useful than of the
pleasing; while a background of modest receding hills
offers little beyond the verdant swales of the country. In
this respect England itself has the fresh beauty of youth
rather than the mellowed hues of a more advanced period
of life; or it might be better to say, it has the young freshness and retiring sweetness that distinguish her females, as
compared with the warmer tints of Spain and Italy, and
which, women -and landscape alike, need the near view to
be appreciated.




8                 RHOMEWARD BOUND.
Some such thoughts as these passed through the mind
of the traveller who stood on the deck of the packet Mon.
tauk, resting an elbow on the quarter-deck rail, as he contemplated the view of the coast that stretched before him
east and west for leagues. The manner in which this gentleman, whose temples were sprinkled with grey hairs, regarded the scene, denoted more of the thoughtfulness of
experience, and of tastes improved by observation, than it
is usual to meet amid the bustling and common-place characters that compose the majori, min almost every situation
of life. The calmness of his exterior, an air removed equally from the admiration of the novice and the superciliousness of the tyro, had, indeed, so strongly distinguished him
from the moment he embarked in London to that in which
he was now seen in the position mentioned, that several of
the seamen swore he was a man-of-war's-man in disguise,
The fair-haired, lovely, blue-eyed girl at his side, too,
seemeL a softened reflection of all his sentiment, intelli
gence, knowledge, tastes, and cultivation, united to the art.
lessness and simplicity that became her sex and years.
"We have seen nobler coasts, Eve," said the gentleman,
pressing the arm that leaned on his own; " but, after all
England will always be fair to American eyes."
" More particularly so if those eyes first opened to the
light in the eighteenth century, father."
"You, at least, my child, have been educated beyond the
reach of national foibles, whatever may have been my own
evil fortune; and still, I think even you have seen a great
deal to admire in this country, as well as in this coast."
Eve Effingharn glanced a moment towards the eye oi' ner
father, and perceiving that he spoke in playfulness, without
suffering a cloud to shadow a countenance that usually
varied with her emotions, she continued the discourse,
which had, in fact, only been resumed by the remark first
mentioned.
" I have been educated, as it is termed, in so many different places and countries," returned Eve, smiling, "that I
sometimes fancy I was born a woman, like my great predecessor and namesake, the mother of Abel. If a congress
of nations, in the way of masters, can make one indepen.
dent of prejudice, I may claim to possess the advantage.




HOMEWARD BOUND.                   9
My greatest fear is, that in acquiring liberality, I have
acquired nothing else."
Mr. Effingham  turned a look of parental fondness, in
which parental pride, was clearly mingled; on the face of
his daughter, and said with his eyes, though his tongue did
not second the expression, "This is a fear, sweet one, that
none besides thyself would feel."
"A congress of nations, truly!" muttered another male
voice near the father and daughter.. "You have been
taught music in general, by seven masters of as many different states, besides the touch of the guitar by a Spaniard;
Greek by a German; the living tongues by the European
powers, and philosophy by seeing the world; and now
with a brain full of learning, fingers full of touches, eyes
1i:l of tints, and a person full of grace, your father is taking you back to America, to'waste your sweetness on the
desert air.' "
"Poetically expressed, if not justly imagined, cousin
Jack," returned the laughing Eve; " but you have forgot
to add, and a heart full of feeling for the land of my birth."
" We shall see, in the end."
" In the end, as in the beginning, now and for evermore."', All love is eternal in the commencement."
"Do you make no allowance for the constancy of woman? Think you that a girl of twenty can forget the country of her birth, the land of her forefathers-or, as you
call it yourself when in a good humour, the land of liberty,?"
4" A pretty specimen you will have of its liberty!" returned the cousin sarcastically. " After having passed a
girlhood of wholesome restraint in the rational society of
Europe, you are about to return home to the slavery of
American female life, just as you are about to be married!"
" Married! Mr. Effingham?"
" I suppose the catastrophe will arrive, sooner or later,
and it is more likely to occur to a girl of twenty than to a
girl of ten."
"Mr. John Effingham never lost an argument for the
want of a convenient fact, my love," the father observed
by way of bringing the brief discussion to a close.  " But
here are the boats approaching' let us withdraw a little,




10               HOAIEWARD BOUND.
and examine the chance medley of faces with which we are
to become familiar by the intercourse of a month."
" You will be much more likely to agree on a verdict ot
murder," muttered the kinsman.
Mr. Effingham led his daughter into the hurricane-house
-or, as the packet-men quaintly term it, the coach-house,
where they stood watching the movements on the quarter.
deck for the next half-hour; an interval of which we shall
take advantage to touch in a few of the stronger lights of
our picture, leaving the softer tints and the shadows to be
discovered by the manner in which the artist " tells the
story."
Edward and John Effingham were brothers' children;
were born on the same day; had passionately loved the
same woman, who had preferred the first-named, and died
soon after Eve was born; had, notwithstanding this collision in feeling, remained sincere friends, and this the more
so, probably, from a mutual and natural sympathy in their
common loss; had lived much together at home, and travelled much together abroad, and were now about to return
in company to the land of their birth, after what might be
termed an absence of twelve years; though both had visited America for short periods in the intervals,-John not
less than five times.
There was a strong family likeness between the cousins,
their persons and even features being almost identical;
though it was scarcely possible for two human beings to
leave more opposite impressions on mere casual spectators
when seen separately. Both were tall, of commanding
presence, and handsome; while one was winning in appearance,- and the other, if not positively forbidding, at least
distant and repulsive. The noble outline of face in Edward
Effingham had got to be cold severity in that of John; the
aquiline nose of the latter, seeming to possess an eagle-like
and hostile curvature,-his compressed lip, sarcastic and
cold expression, and the fine classical chin, a feature in
which so many of the Saxon race fail, a haughty scorn that
caused strangers usually to avoid him. Eve drew with
great facility and truth, and she had an eye, as her cousin
had rightly said, " full of tints." Often and often had she
sketched both of these loved faces, and never without won



HOMEWARD BOUND.                  1 l
dering wherein that strong difference existed in nature
which she had never been able to impart to her drawings.
The truth is, that the subtle character of John Effingham's
face would have puzzled the skill of one who had made thc
art his study for a life, and it utterly set -the graceful tut
scarcely profobund knowledge of the beautiful young painter
at defiance.  All the points of character that rendered her
father so amiable and so winning, and which were rather
felt than perceived, in his cousin were salient and bold, and
if it may be thus expressed, had become indurated by men
tal suffering and disappointment.
The cousins were both rich, though in ways as opposite
as their dispositions and habits of thought. Edward Effingham possessed a large hereditary property, that brought a
good income, and which attached him to this world of ours
by kindly feelings towards its land and water; while John,
much the wealthier of the two, having inherited a large
commercial fortune, did not own ground enough to bury
him.  As he sometimes deridingly said, he " kept his gold
in corporations, that were as soulless as himself."
Still, John Effingham was a man of cultivated mind, of
extensive intercourse with the world, and of manners that
varied with the occasion; or perhaps it were better to say,
with his humours.  In all these particulars but the latter
the cousins were alike; Edward Effingham's deportment
being as equal as his temper, thoigh also distinguished for
a knowledge of society.
These gentlemen had embarked at London, on their
fiftieth birthday, in the packet of the 1st of October, bound
to New York; the lands and family residence of the proprietor lying in the state of that name; of which all of the
parties were natives. It is not usual fbr the cabin passengers of the London packets to embark in the docks; but
Mr. Effingham,-as we shall call the father in general, to
distinguish him from the bachelor, John,-as an old and
experienced traveller, had determined to make his daughter
familiar with the peculiar odours of the vessel in smooth
water, as a protection against sea-sickness; a malady,
however, from which she proved to be singularly exempt in
the end. They had, accordingly, been on board three days,
when the ship came to an anchor off Portsmouth, the polrn




'12            - HOMEWARD BOUND
where the remrnainder of the passengers were to join her on
that particular day when the scene of' this tale commences.
At this precise moment, then, the Mortauk was lying at
a single anchor, not less than a league florn the land, in a
flat calm, with her three topsails loose, the courses in the
brails, and with all those signs of preparation about her that
are so bewildering to landsmen, but which seamen compre.
hend as clearly as words. The captain had no other busi.
ness there than to take on board the wayfarers, and to
renew his supply of fresh meat and vegetables; things of
so familiar import on shore as to be seldom thought of until
missed, but which swell into importance during a passage
of a month's duration. Eve had employed her three days
of probation quite usefully, having, with the exception of
the two gentlemen, the officers of the vessel, and one other
person, been in quiet possession of all the ample, not to say
luxurious cabins.  It is true, she had a female attendant;
but to her she had been accustomed fWrm  childhood, and
Nanny Sidley, as her quondamO nurse and actual lady'smaid was termed, appeared so much a part of herself, that,
while her absence would be missed almost as greatly as that.
of a limb, her presence was as much a Jmratter of course as
a hand or foot. Nor will a passing word concerning this
excellent and faithful domestic be thrown away, in the
brief preliminary explanations we are making.
Ann Sidley was one of those excellent creatures who, it
is the custom with the European travellers to say, do not
exi.st at all in America, and who, while they are certainly
less numerous than could be wished, have no superiors in
the world, in their way. She had been born a servant,
lived a servant, and was quite content to die a servant,and this, too, in one and the same family. We shall not
enter into a philosophical examination of the reasons that
had induced old Ann to feel certain she was in the precise
situation to render her more happy than any other that to
her was attainable; but feel it she did, as John Effingham
used to express it, " from the crown of her head to the sole
of her foot."  She had passed through infancy, childhood,
girlhood, up to womanhood, pari passu, with the mother of
Eva,, having been the daughter of a gardener, who died in
the service of the family, and had heart enough to fee' ~hp8




HOMEWARD BOUND.                  13
the mixed relations of civilised society, when properly
understood and appreciated, are more pregnant of happiness
than the vulgar scramble and heart-burnings, that, in the
mnlee of a migrating and unsettled population, are so injurious to the grace and principles of American life. At.the
death of Eve's mother, she had transferred her affections to
the child; and twenty years of assiduity and care had
brought her to feel as much tenderness for her lovely young
charge as if she had been her natural parent. But Nanny
Sidley was better fitted to care for the body than the mind
of Eve; and when, at the age of ten, the latter was placed
under the control of' an accomplished governess, the good
woman had meekly and quietly sunk the duties of the nurse
in those of the maid.
One.of the severest trials-or " crosses," as she herself
termed it-that poor Nanny had ever experienced, was
ecndured when Eve began to speak in a language she could
not herself comprehend; for, in despite of the best inten.tions in the world, and twelve years of use, the good woman
could never make anything of the foreign tongues her young
charge was so rapidly acquiring. One day, when Eve had
been maintaining an animated and laughing discourse in
Italian with her instructress, Nanny, unable to command
herself, had actually caught the child to her bosom, and,
bursting into tears, implored her not to estrange herself
entirely from her poor old nurse. The caresses and solicitations of Eve soon brought the good woman to a sense of
her weakness; but the natural feeling was so strong, that
it required years of close observation to reconcile her to the
thousand excellent qualities of Mademoiselle Viefville, the
lady to whose superintendence the education of Miss Effingham had been finally confided.
This Mademoiselle Viefville was also among the passengers, and was the one other person who now occupied the
cabins in common with Eve and her friends. She was the
daughter of a French officer who had fallen in Napoleon's
campaigns, had been educated at one of those admirable
establishments which form points of relief in the ruthless
history of' the conqueror, and had now lived long enough
to have educated two young persons, the last of whom was
Eve Effingham. Twelve years of close communion with
2




4                EHOMEWARD BOUND.
her elpve had created sufficient attachment to cause her to
yield to the solicitations of the father to accompany his
daughter to America, and to continue witn her during the
first year of her probation, in a state of society that the latter felt must be altogether novel to a young woman educated as his own-child had been.
So much has been written and said of French govern.
esses, that we shall not anticipate the subject, but leave this
lady to speak and act for herself in the course of' the narrative.  Neither is it our intention to be very minute ill
these introductory remarks concerning any of our characters; but having thus traced their outlines, we shall return
again to the incidents as they occurred,'trusting to make
the reader better acquainted with all the parties as we pro.
ceed.
CHAPTER II.
Lord Cram and Lord Vultur.
Sir Brandish O'Cultur,
With Marshal Carouzer,
And old Lady Mouser.
BATH GUIDE.
THE assembling of the passengers of a packet-ship is at
all times a matter of interest to the parties concerned.
During the western passage in particular, which call never
safely be set down at less than a month, there is the prospect of being shut up'or the whole of that period, within
the narrow compass of a ship, with those whom chance has
brought together, influenced by all the accidents and caprices of personal character, and a difference of nations,
conditions in life, and education. The quarter-deck, it is
true,' forms a sort of local distinction, and the poor creatures
in the steerage seem the rejected of Providence for the time
being; but all who know life will readily comprehend that
the pele-mdle of the cabins can seldom offer anything very
enticing to people of refinement and taste. Against this,




HOMEWARD BOUND.                  1 5
evil, however, there is one particular source of relief; most
persons feeling a disposition to yield to the circumstances in
which they are placed, with the laudable and convenient desire to render others comfortable, in order that they may be
made comfortable themselves.
A man of the world and a gentleman, Mr. Effingham had
looked forward to this passage with a good deal of concern,
on account of tis daughter, while he shrank with the sensitiveness of his habits from the necessity of exposing one
of her delicacy and plastic simplicity to the intercourse of
a' ship. Accompanied by Mademoiselle Viefville, watched
over by Nanny, and guarded by himself and his kinsman,
he had lost some of his apprehensions on the subject
diring the three probationary days, and now took his stand
in the centre of his own party to observe the new arrivals,
with something of the security of a man who is entrenched
in his own door-way.
The place they occupied, at a window of the hurricanehouse, did not admit of a view of the water; but it was
sufficiently evident from the preparations in the gangway
next the land, that boats were so near as to render that
unnecessary.
"' Genus, cockney; species, bagman,' muttered John
Effingharm, as the first arrival touched the deck.  "That
worthy has merely exchanged the basket of a coach for the
deck of a packet; we may now learn the price of buttons."
It did not require a naturalist to detect the species of the
stranger, in truth; though John Effingham had been a little
more minute in his description than was warranted by the
fact. The person in question was one of those mercantile
agents that England scatters so profusely over the world,
some of whom have all the most sterling qualities of their
nation, though a majority, perhaps, are a little disposed to
mistake the value of other people as well as their own.
This was the gene*, as John Effingham  had expressed it;
but the species will best appear on dissection. The master
of the ship saluted this person cordially, and as an old ac
quaintance, by the name of Monday.
" A mousquetaire resuscitated," said Mademoiselle Vief
ville, in her broken English, as one who had come in the.




1 6              HOMEWARD BOUND.
same boat as tTfe first-named, thrust his whiskered and nmus
iachoed visage above the rail of the gangway.
"More probably a barber, who has converted his own
head into a wig-block," growled John Effingham.
"It cannot, surely, be Wellington in disguise!" added
Mr. Effingham, with a sarcasm of manner that was quite
unusual for him.
" Or a peer of the realm in his robes!" whispered Eve,
who was much amused with the elaborate toilet of the subject of their remarks, who descended the ladder supported
by a sailor, and, after speaking to the master, was formally
presented to his late boat-companion, as Sir Ge~crge Templemore. The two bustled together about the (quarter-deck
for a few minutes, using eye-glasses, which led them into
several scrapes, by causing them to hit their igds against
sundry objects they might otherwise have avoided, though
both were much too high-bred to betray feetilin;s-or fancied
they were, which answered the same purpose.
After these flourishes, the new corners descended to the
cabin in company, not without pausing to survey the party
in the hurricane-house, more especially Eve, who, to old
Ann's great scandal, was the subject of their manifest and
almost avowed admiration and observation.
" One is rather glad to have such a relief against the
tediousness of a sea-passage," said Sir George as they
went down the ladder. "No doubt vou are used to this
sort of thing, Mr. Monday; but with mle, it is voyage the
first,-that is, if I except the Channel and the seas one encounters in making the usual run on the Continent."
"Oh, dear me! I go and come as regularly as the equinoxes, Sir George, which you know is quite, in rule, once
a year. I call my passages the equinoxes, too, for I reli.
giously make it a practice to pass just twelve hours out of
the twenty-four in my berth."
This was the last the party on deck herd of the opinions
of the two worthies, for the time being; nor would they
have been favoured with all this, had not Mr. AMonday what
ne thought a rattling way with him, which caused hlm usu.
ally to speak in an octave above every one else. Although
theit voices were nearly mute, or rather lost to those above,
hey were heard knocking about in their state-rooms; and




HOMEWARD BOUND.                  1
Sir George, in particular, as frequently called out for the
steward, by the name of " Saunders,'? as Mr. Monday made
similar appeals to the steward's assistant for succour, by the'
appropriate appellation of " Toast."
"I think we may safely claim this person, at least, for a
countryman," said John Effingharn: " he is what I have
heard termed an American in a European mask."
"The character is more ambitiously conceived than skilfully maintained," replied Eve, who had need of all her
retenue of manner to abstain from laughing outright. " Were
I to hazard a conjecture, it would be to describe the gentleman as a collector of costumes, who had taken a fancy to
exhibit an assortment of his riches on- his own person.
Mademoiselle Viefville, you, who so well understand costumes, may tell us from what countries the separate parts
of that attire have been collected?"
" I can answer for the shop in Berlin where the travelling cap was purchased," returned the amused governess;' in no other part of the world can a parallel be found."
"- I should think, ma'am," put in Nanny, with the q.uiet
simplicity of her nature as well as of her habits, " that the
gentleman must have bought his boots in Paris, for they
seem to pinch his feet, and all the Paris boots and shoes
pinch one's feet,-at least, all mine did.'"
"The watch-guard. is stamped' Geneva,"' continued
Eve.
"The coat comes from Frankfort: c'est une equivoque."
"And the pipe from Dresden, Mademoiselle Viefville."
"The conchiglia savours of Rome, and the little chain
annexed bespeaks the Rialto; while the moustaches are
anything but indigtnes, and the tout ensemble the world:
he man is travelled, at least."
Eve's eyes sparkled with humour as she said this: while
the new passenger, who had been addressed as Mr. Dodge,
and as an old acquaintance also, by the captain, came so
near them as to admit of no further comments. A short
conversation between the two soon let the listeners into the
secret that the traveller had come from America in the
spring, whither, after having made the tour of Europe, he
was about to return in the autumn.
"Seen enough, ha!" added the captain, with a friendly
2*




18               HOMEWARD BOUND.
nod of' the head, when the other had finished a brief sunmmary of' his proceedings in the eastern hemisphere.  "All
eyes, and no leisure or inclination for more?"
"I've seen as much as I warnt to see," returned the traveller, with an emphasis on, and a pronunciation of, the
word we have italicised, that cannot be committed to paper,
but which were eloquence itself on the subject of self-satisfaction and self-knowledge.
"Well, that is the main point. When a man has got all
he wants of a thing, any addition is like over-ballast.
Whenever I can get fifteen knots out of the ship, I make it
a point to be satisfied, especially under close-reefbd topsails
and on a taut bow-line."
The traveller and the master nodded their heads at each
other, like men who understood more than they expressed;
when the former, after inquiring with marked interest if his
room-mate, Sir George Templemore, had arrived, went below. An intercourse of three days had established something like an acquaintance between the latter and the passengers she had brought from the River, and turning his
red quizzical face towards the ladies, he observed with inimitable gravity,
"There is nothing like understanding when one has
enough, even if it be of knowledge.  I never yet met with
the navigator who found two' noons' in the same day, that
he was not in danger of shipwreck.  Now I dare say, Mr.
Dodge there, who has just gone below, has, as he says,
seen all he warnts to see, and'it is quite likely he knows
more already than he can cleverly get along with.-Let the
people be getting the booms on the yards, Mr. Leach; we
shall be warnting to spread our wings before the end of the
passage."
As Captain Truck, though he often swore, seldom laugh.
ed, his mate gave the necessary order with a gravity equal
to that with which it had been delivered to him; and even
the sailors went aloft to execute it with greater alacrity for
an indulgence of humour that was peculiar to their trade,
and which, as few understood it so well, none enjoyed so
mnuch as themselves.  As the homeward-bound crew was
the same as the outward-bound, and Mr. Dodge had come
tbroad quite as green as he was now going home ripe, this




HOMEWARD BOUND.                  19
raveller of six months' finish did not escape divers conmmentaries that literally cut him up " from clew to ear-ring,"
and which flew about in the rigging much as active birds
flutter from branch to branch in a tree. The subject of all
this wit, however, remained profoundly, not to say happily,
ignorant of the sensation he had produced, being occupied
in disposing of the Dresden pipe, the Venetian chain, and
the Roman conchiglia in his state-room, and in " instituting
an acquaintance," as he expressed it, with his room-mate,
Sir George Templemore.
"We must surely have something better than this," observed Mr. Effingham, " for I observed that two of the state.
rooms in the main cabin are taken singly."
In order that the general reader may understand this, it
may be well to explain that the packet-ships have usually
two berths in each state-room, but they who can afford to
pay an extra charge are permitted to occupy the little apartment singly. It is scarcely necessary to add, that persons
of gentlemanly feeling, when circumstances will at all permit, prefer economising in other things in order to live by
themselves fbr the month usually consumed in the passage,
since in nothing is refinement more plainly exhibited than
in the reserve of personal habits.
4" There is no lack of vulgar fools stirring with full pockets," rejoined John Effingham; " the two rooms you mention may have been taken by some'yearling' travellers,
who are little better than the semi-annual savant who has
just passed us."
"It is at least something, cousin Jack, to have the wishes
of a gentleman."
"It is-something, Eve, though it end in wishes, or even
in caricature."
"What are the names?" pleasantly asked Mademoiselle
Viefville; c" the names may be a clue to the characters."
"The papers pinned to the bed-curtains bear the antithetical titles of Mr. Sharp and Mr. Blunt; though it is quite
probable the first is wanting of a letter or two by accident,
and the last is merely a synonyme of the old nom de guerre
Cash.'"
"Do persons, then, actually travel with borrowed names,




20               HOMEWARL BOUND.
in our days?" asked Eve, with a little of the curiosity or
the common mother whose name she bore.
" That -do they, and with borrowed money too, as well
as in other days. I dare say, however, these two co-voyagers of ours will come just as they are, in truth, Shalp
enough, and Blunt enough."
"Are they Americans, think you?"'They ought to be; both the qualities being thoroughly
indigenes, as Mademoiselle Viefville would say."
"Nay, cousin John, I will bandy words with you no
longer; for the last twelve months you have done little else
than try to lessen the joyful anticipations with which I re.
turn to the home of my childhood."
"Sweet one, I would not willingly lessen one of thy
young and generous pleasures by any of the alloy of my
own bitterness; but what wilt thou? A little preparation
for that which is as certain to follow as that the sun succeeds the dawn, will rather soften the disappointment thou
art doomed to feel."
Eve had only time to cast a look of affectionate gratitude
towards him,-for whilst he spoke tauntingly, he spoke
with a feeling that her experience from childhood had taught
her to appreciate,-ere the arrival of another boat drew
the common attention to the gangway.  A call from the
officer in attendance had brought the captain to the rail;
and his order " to pass in the luggage of Mr. Sharp and
Mr. Blunt," was heard by all near.' Now for les indigenes," whispered Mademoiselle Viefville, with the nervous excitement that is a little apt to betray a lively expectation in the gentler sex.
Eve smiled, for there are situations in which trifles help
to awaken interest, and the little that had just passed served
to excite curiosity in the whole party. Mr. Effingham
thought it a favourable symptom that the master, who haa
had interviews with all his passengers in London, walked
to the gangway to receive the new-comers; for a boat-load
of the quarter-deck oi polloi had come on board a moment
before without any other notice on his part than a general
bow, with the usual order to receive their effects.
"The delay denotes Englishmen," the caustic John had




HOMEWARD BOUND.o                  21
time to throw in, before the silent arrangement at the gang.
way was interrupted by the appearance of the passengers.
The quiet smile of Mademoiselle Viefville, as the two
travellers appeared on deck, denoted approbation, for her
practised eye detected at a glance, that both were certainly
gentlemen.  Women are more purely creatures of convention in their way than men, their education inculcating
nicer distinctions and discriminations than that of' the other
sex; and Eve, who would have studied Sir George'Templemore and Mr. Dodge as she would have studied the ani
mals of a caravan, or as creatures with whom she had no
affinities, after casting a sly look of curiosity at the two
who now appeared on deck, unconsciously averted her eyes
like a well-bred young person mir a drawing-room.
"They are indeed English:' quietly remarked Mr. Effingham; " but, out of question English gentlemen."
" The one nearest appears to me to be Continental," answered Mademoiselle Viefvillo who had not felt the same
impulse to avert her looi as Elgve; "he is jamais Anglais!'
Eve stole a glance in spite of herself, and, with the intuitive penetration of a worm an, intimated that she had come
to the same conclusion. The two strangers were both tall,
and decidedly getentleminm-like young men, whose personal
appearance would cause either to be remarked.  The one
whom the cartaair addressed as Mr. Sharp had the most
youthful look, hi. complexion being florid, and his hair
light; thouglh thb other was altogether superior in outline
of features as well as in expression; indeed, Mademoiselle
Viefville fancied she never saw a sweeter smile than that
he gave on returning the salute of the deck; there was
more that the common expression of suavity and of the
usual pray of features in it, for it struck her as being,houghtful and as almost melancholy. His companion was
gracious in his manner, and perfectly well toned; but his
demeanour had less of the soul of the man about it, partaking
more of the training of the social caste to which it belonged.
These may seem to be nice distinctions for the circum.
stances; but Mademoiselle Viefville had passed her life in
good company, and under responsibilities that had rendered
observation and judgment highly necessary, and particularly observations of the other sex.




22               HOMEWARD BOUND.
Each of tue strangers had a servant; and while their
luggage was passed up from the boat, they walked aft
nearer to the hurricane-house, accompanied by the captain
Every American, who is not very familiar with the world
appears to possess the mania of introducing.  Captain
Truck was no exception to the rule; for, while he was
perfectly acquainted with a ship, and knew the etiquette of
the quarter-deck to a hair, he got into blue water the mo.
ment he approached the finesse of deportment.  He was
exactly of that school of l:egants who fancy drinking a
glass of wine with another, and introducing, are touches of
breeding; it being altogether beyond his comprehension
that both have especial uses, and are only to be resorted to
on especial occasions.  Still, the worthy master, who had
begun life on the forecastle, without any previous knowledge of usages, and who had imbibed the notion that
"L manners make the man," taken in the narrow sense o
the axiom, was a devotee of what he fancied-to be good
breeding, and one of his especial duties, as he imagined, in
order to put his passengers at their ease, was to introduce
them to each other; a proceed;ng which, it is hardly necessary to say, had just a contrary effect with the bette,
class of them.
" You are acquainted, gentlemen?" he said, as the three
approached the party in the hurricane-house.
The two travellers endeavoured to look interested, while
Mr. Sharp carelessly observed that they had met for the
first time in the boat. This was delightful intelligence to
Captain Truck, who did not lose a moment in turning it to
account. Stopping short, Le faced his companions, and
with a solemn wave of the hand, he went through the ceremonial in which he most delighted, and in which he piqued
himself at being an adept.
"Mr. Sharp, permit me to introduce you to Mr. Blunt
-Mr. Blunt, let me make you acquainted with Mr. Sharp."
The gentlemen, though taken a little by surprise at the
dignity and formality of the captain, touched their hats
civilly tc each other, and smiled. Eve, not a little amused
at the scene, watched the whole procedure; and then she
too detected the sweet melancholy of the one expression
and the marble-like irony of the other.  It may have been




HOMEWARD BOUND.                  23
this that caused her to start, though almost imperceptibly,
and to colour.
" Our turn will come next," muttered John Effingham:
"get the grimaces ready."
His conjecture was right; for, hearing his voice without
understanding the words, the captain followed up his advantage to his own infinite gratification.
"Gentlemen,-Mr. Effingham, Mr. John Effingham"every one soon came to make this distinction in addressing
the cousins) -" Miss Effingham, Mademoiselle Viefville:
-Mr. Sharp, Mr. Blunt, ladies;-gentlernen, Mr. Blunt,
Mr. Sharp."
The dignified bow of Mr. Effingham, as well as the faint
and distant smile of Eve, would have repelled any undue
familiarity in men of less tone than either of the strangers,
both of whom received the unexpected honour like those
who felt themselves to be intruders.  As Mr. Sharp raised
his hat to Eve, however, he held it suspended a moment
above his head, and then dropping his arm to its full length,
he bowed with profound respect, though distantly. Mr.
Blunt was less elaborate in his salute, but as pointed as the
circumstances at all required. Both gentlemen woere a little
struck with the distant hauteur of John Effingham, whose
bow, while it fulfilled all the outward forms, was what Eve
ased laughingly to term " imperial."  The bustle of preparation, and the certainty that there would be no want
of opportunities to renew the intercourse, prevented more
than the general salutations, and the new-comers descended
to their state-rooms.
" Did you remark the manner in which those people took
my introduction?" asked Captain Truck of his chief mate,
whom he was training up in the ways of packet-politeness,
as one in the road of preferment. "Now, to my notion,
they might have shook hands at least. That's what I call
Vattel."
" One sometimes falls in with what are rum chaps," returned the other, who, from following the London trade, had
caught a few cockneyisms. " If a man chooses to keep his
hands in the beckets, why let him, say I; but I take it as
a slight to the company to sheer out of the usual track ir
such matters."




24                HOMEWARD BOUND.
" I was thinking as much myself; but after all, what can
packet-masters du in such a case? We can set luncheon
and dinner before the passengers, but we can't make them
eat. Now, my rule is, when a gentleman introduces me, to
do the thing handsomely, and to return shake for shake, if it
is three times three; but as for a touch of the beaver, it is like
setting a top-gallant sail in passing a ship at sea, and means
just nothing at all. Who would know a vessel because he
has let run his halyards and swayed the yard up again'!
One would do as much to a Turk for manners' sake. No,
no! there is something in this, and, d —  me, just to make
sure of it, the first good opportunity that offers, I'll - ay,
I'll just introduce them all over again!-Let the people ship
their handspikes, Mr. Leach, and heave in the slack of the
chain. —Ay, ay! I'll take an opportunity when all hands
are on deck, and introduce them, ship-shape, one by one, as
your greenhorns go through a lubber's-hole, or we shall
have no friendship during the passage."
The mate nodded approbation, as if the othei had hit
upon the right expedient, and then he proceeded to obey the
orders, while the cares of his vessel soon drove the subject
temporarily from the mind of.his commander.
CHAPTER III.
By all description, this should be the place.
Who's here? —Speak, ho!-No answer!-What is this I
TrMON OF ATHrENs
A SHIP with her sails loosened and her ensign abroad is
always a beautiful object; and the Montauk, a noble NewYork-built vessel of seven hundred tons burthen, was a
first-class specimen of the " kettle-bottom" school of naval
architecture, wanting in nothing that the taste and experience of the day can supply. The scene that was now
actin>g before their eyes therefore soon diverted the thoughts
of Mademoiselle Viefville and Eve from the introductions




HOMEWARD BOUND.                  25
of the captain, both watching with intense interest the various movements of the crew and passengers as they passed
in review.
A crowd of well-dressed, but of an evidently humbler
class of persons than those farther aft, were thronging the
gangways, little dreaming of the physical suffering they
were to endure before they reached the land of promise, —
that distant America, towards which the poor and oppressed
of nearly all nations turn longing eyes in quest of a shelter. Eve saw with wonder aged men arld women among
them; beings who were about to sever most of the ties of
the world in order to obtain relief from the physical pains
and privations that had borne hard on them for more than
threescore years. A few had made sacrifices of themselves
In obedience to that mysterious instinct which man feels in
his offspring; while others, again, went rejoicing, flushed
with the hope of their vlgour and youth.  Some, the victims of their vices, had embarked in the idle expectation
that a change of scene, with increased means of indulgence,
could produce a healthful change of character.  All had
views that the truth would have dimmed, and, perhaps, no
single adventurer among the emigrants collected in that ship
entertained either sound or reasonable notions of the mode
in which his step was to be rewarded, though many may
meet with a success that will surpass their brightest picture
of the future. More, no doubt, were to be disappointed.
Reflections something like these passed through the mind
of Eve Effingham, as she examined the mixed crowd, in
which some were busy in receiving stores from boats; others
in holding party conferences with friends, in which a few
were weeping; here and there a group was drowning reflection in the parting cup; while wondering children looked up with anxiety into the well-known faces, as if fearful
they might lose the countenances they loved, and the charities on which they habitually relied, in such a mele.
Although the stern discipline which separates the cabirl
and steerage passengers into castes as distinct as those of
the Hindoos had not yet been established, Captain Truck
had too profound a sense of his duty to permit the quarterdeck to be unceremoniously invaded.  This part of the
ship, then, had partia!'y escaped the confusion of the nlm
3




2 G.I10,EOM WAtRD BOUN'D.
meont; though trunks,  boxes, hampers, and other similav
appliances of travelling, were scattered about in tolerable
affluence. Profiting by the space, of which there was still,
sufficient for the purpose, most of the party left the burricale-house to enjoy the short walk that a ship affords.  At
that instant, another boat fromi the land reached the vessel's
side, and a grave-looking personage, who was n1t disposed
to lessen his dignity by levity or an omission of forms, appeared on deck, where he demanded to be shown the master.  An introduction was unnecessary in this instance; for
Captain Truck no sooner saw his visiter than he recognized
the well-known features and solemn pomposity of a civil
officer of Portsmouth, who was often employed to search
the American packets, in pursuit of delinquents of all deglees of crime and folly.
"I  had just come to the- opinion I was not to have the
pleasure of seeing you this passage, Ar. Grab," said the
captain, shaking hands familiarly with the myrmidon of the
law; "but the turn of the tide is not mnore regular than
you gentlemen Who come in the name of the king.' —Mr.
Grab, Mr. Dodge; Mr. Dodge, Mr. Grab.  And now, to
what forgery, or bigamy, or elopement, or scanzdaltzn  ncaynituzm, do I owe the honor of your company this time?Sir George Templemore, Mr. Grab; Mr.. Grab, Sir George
Temnplemore."
Sir George bowed with the dignified aversion an honest
man might be supposed to feel for one of the other's emp.loynment; while Mr. Grab looked gravely and with a counter dignity at Sir George. The business of the officer,
however, was with none in the cabin; but he had come in
quest of a young, woman who had married a suitor rejected
by her uncle,-an arrangement that was likely to subject
thle latter to a settlement of accounts which he founnd inconvenient, and which he had thought it prudent to anticipate
by bringing an action of debt against the bridegroom for
advances, real or pretended, made to the wife during her
nonage.  A dozen eager ears caught an outline of this tale
as it was communicated to the captain, and in an incredibly
slort space of time it was known throughout the ship, with
not a few embellishments.
"I i do not know the person of the husband," continued




fOMX1 AR-D l>OUND.               27
the officer. "nor indeed does the attorney who is with me
in the boat; but his name is Robert Davis, and you can
have no ditficulty in pointing him out.  We know hinl tc
be in the ship."
"I never introduce any steerage passengers, my dear
sir; and there is no such person in the cabin, I give yvo
my honour,-and that is a pledge that must pass between
gentlemen like us. You are welcome to search, but the
duty of' the vessel must go on. Take your man-but do
not detain the ship. —Mr. Sharp, Mr. Grab; Mr. Grab, Mr.
Sharp.-Bear a hand there, Mr. Leach, and let us have the
slack of the chain as soon as possible."
There appeared to be what the philosophers call the
attraction of repulsion between the parties last introduced,
fbr the tall gentlemanly-looking Mr. Sharp eyed the officer
with a supercilious coldness, neither party.deeming much
ceremony on the occasion necessary.  Mr. Grab now summoned his assistant, the attorney, from the boat, and there
was a consultation between them as to their further proceedings.  Fifty heads were grouped around them, and
curious eyes watched their smallest movements, one of the
crowd occasionally disappearing to report proceedings.
Man is certainly a clannish animal; for without knowing
any thing of the merits of the case, without pausing to
inquire into the right or the wrong of the matter, in the
pure spirit of partisanship, every man, woman, and child
of the steerage, which contained fully a hundred souls, took
sides against the law, and enlisted in the cause of the defendant. All this was done quietly, however, for no one
menaced or dreamed of violence,. crew and passengers
usually taking their cues from the officers of the vessel on
such occasions, and those of the Montauk understood too
well the rights of the public agents to commit themselves in
the matter.
" Call Robert Davis," said the officer, resorting to a ruse,
by affecting an authority he had no right to assume. "' Robert Davis!" echoed twenty voices, among which was that
of the bridegroom himself,'who was nigh to discover his
secret by an excess of zeal. It was easy to call. but no
3ne answered.
"Can you tell me which is Robert Davis, my little fel.




'28               HOME WARD BOUND.
low?" the officer asked coaxingly, of a fine flaxen-headed
boy, whose age did not exceed ten, and who was a curious
spectator of what passed.  "Tell me which is Robert Da
vis, and I will give you a sixpence."
The child knew, but professed ignorance.
" C'est un esprit de corps admirable!" exclaimed Mademoiselle Viefville; for the interest of the scene had brought
nearly all on board, with the exception of those employed
in the duty of the vessel, near the gangway. " Ceci est
delicie'ux, and I could devour that boy-!"
fWhat rendered this more. odd, or indeed absolutely ludicrous, was the circumstance that, by a species of legerdemain, a whisper had passed among the spectators so stealthily, and yet so soon, that the attorney and his companion
were the only two on deck who remained ignorant of the
peiis.3n of the man they sought. Even the children caught
the clue, though they had the art to indulge their natural
curiosity by glances so sly as to escape detection.
Unfortunately, the al torney had sufficient knowledge
of the family of the bride to recognize her by a general
resemblance, rendered conspicuous as it was by a pallid face
and an almost ungovernable nervous excitement.  He
pointed her out to the officer, who ordered her to approach
him,-a command -that caused her to burst into tears. The
agitation and distress of his wife were near proving toe
much for the prudence of the young husband, who was
making an impetuous movement towards her, when the
strong grasp of a fellow-passenger checked him in time to
prevent discovery. It is singular how much is understood
by trifles when the mind has a clue to the subject, and how
often signs, that are palpable as day, are overlooked when
suspicion is not awakened, or when the thoughts have obtained a false direction.  The. attorney and the officer
were the only two present who had not seen the indiscre.
tion of the young man, and who did not believe him
betrayed.  His wife trembled to a degree that almost destroyed the ability to stand; but, casting an imploring look
%or self-command on her indiscreet partner, she controlled
her own distress, and advanced towards the officer, in obedience to his order, with a power of endurance that the




HOMEVN ARD BOUND.                 29
strong affections of a woman could alcne enable her tc
assume.
"If the husband will not deliver himself tip, I shall be
compelled to order the wife to be carried ashore in his
stead!" the attorney coldly remarked, while he applied a
pinch of snuff to a nose that was already saffron-coloured
from the constant use of the weed.
A  pause succeeded this ominous declaration, and the
crowd of passengers betrayed dismay, for all believed there
was now no hope for the pursued.  The wife bowed her
head to her knees, for she had sunk on a box as if to hide
the sight of her husband's arrest.  At this moment a voice
spoke from among the group on the quarter-deck.
"Is this an arrest for crime, or a demand for debt?"
asked the young man who has been announced as Mr.
Blunt.
There was a quiet authority in the speaker's manner that
reassured the failing hopes of the passengers, while it caused
the attorney and his companion to look round in surprise,
and perhaps a little in resentment.  A dozen eager voices
assured " the gentleman" there was no crime in the matter
at all-there was even no just debt, but it was a villanous,
scheme to compel a wronged ward to release a fraudulent
guardian from his liabilities. Though all this was not very
clearly explained, it was affirmed with so much zeal and
energy as to awaken suspicion, and to increase the interest
of the more intelligent portion of the spectators.  Th!
attorney surveyed the travelling dress, the appearance oi
fashion, and the youth of his interrogator, whose years
could not exceed five-and-twenty, and his answer was given
with an air of superiority.' "Debt or crime, it can matter nothing in the eye of the
law."
" It matters much in the view of an honest man," re.
turned the youth with spirit. "G One might hesitate about
interfering in behalf of a rogue, however ready to exert
himself in favour of one who is innocent, perhaps, of,very
thing but misfortune."
"6 This looks a little like an attempt at a rescue! I hope
we are still in England, and under the protection of English
laws?"




30                 IIOtEWVARD BOUND.
"No doubt at all of that, Mr. Seal," put in the captain,
who having kept an eye on the officer from  a distance, now
thought it time to interfere, in order to protect the interests
of his owners.  " Yonder is England, and that is the Isle
of Wight, and the Montauk has hold of an English bottom,
and good anchorage it is; no one means to dispute your
authority, Mr. Attorney, nor to call in question that of the
king.  Mr. Blunt merely throws out a suggestion, sir; or
rather, a distinction between rogues and honest men;
nothing more, depend on it, sir. Mr. Seal, Mr. Blunt; Mr.
Blunt, Mr. Seal.  And a thousand pities it is, that a distinction is not more colmmonlv  made."
The young man bowed slightly, and with a, face flushed,
partly with feeling, and partly at finding himself unexpec-t
edly conspicuous anmong so many strangers, he advanced a
little from the quarter-deck group, like one who feels he is
required to maintain the ground he has assumed.
"No one can be disposed to question the supremacy of
the English laws in this roadstead," he said, "and least of
all myself; but you will permit me to doubt the legality of
arresting, or in any manner detaining, a wife in virtue of a
process issued against the husband."
4" A briefless barrister! " muttered Seal to Grab. " I dare
say a timely guinea would have silenced the fellow.  What
is now to be done?"
" The lady must go ashore, and all these matters can be
arranged before a xnagistrate."
" Ay, ay i let her sue out a habeas corpus if she please,"
added the ready attorney, whom a second survey caused to
distrust his first inference.  " Justice is blind in England
as well as in other countries, and is liable to mistakes; but
still she is just.  If she does mistake sometimes, she is
always ready to repair the wrong."
"Cannot you do something here?" Eve involuntarily
half-whispered to Mr. Sharp, who stood at her elbow.
This person started on hearing her voice making this
sudden appeal, and glancing a look of intelligence at her,
he smiled and moved nearer to the principal parlties.
L'Really, Mr. Attorney," he commenced, " this appears
to be rather irregular, I must confess,-quite out of the
ordinary way, and it may lead to unpleasant consequences."




HOSMEW.ARD BOUND.                  31
[In what manner, sir?" interrupted Seal, measurng the
other's ignorance at a glance.
"Why, irregular in form, if not in principle.  1 am
aware that the habeas corpus is all-essential, and that the
law must have its way; but'really this does seem a little
irregular, not to describe it by any harsher term."
Mr. Seal treated this new appeal respectfululy, in appearance at least, for he saw it'was made by one greatly his
sup)eior, while he felt an utter contempt for it in essentials,
as he perceived intuitively that this new intercession was
made in a profound ignorance of the subject.  As respects
ilIr. Blunt, however, he had an unpleasant distrust of the:esult, the quiet manner of that gentleman denoting more
confidence in himself, and a greater practical knowledge of
the laws.  Still, to try the extent of the other's information,
and the strength of his nerves, he rejoined in a magisterial
and menacing tone"Yes, let the lady sue out a writ of habeas corpus if
wrongfully arrested; and I should be glad to discover the
foreigner who will dare to attempt a rescue in old England,
and in defiance of English laws."
It is probable Paul Blunt would have relinquished his interference, from  an apprehension that he might be igno
rantly aiding the evil-doer, but for this threat; and even the
threat might not have' overcome his prudence, had not he
caught the imploring look of the fine blue eyes of Eve.
"4 All are not necessarily foreigners wvio embark. on
board an American ship at an English port," he said
steadily, "c nor is justice denied those that are.  The habeas
corpus is as well understood in other countries as in this,
tor happily we live in an age when neither liberty nor.
knowledge is exclusive.  If an attorney, you must know
yourself that you cannot legally arrest a wife for a hus.
band,  anmd that what you say of the habeas corpus is little
v(worthy of attention."
" 1,Ve arrest, and whoever interferes with an officer in
charge of a prisoner is guilty of a rescue.  Mistakes must
se rectified by the magistrates."
"True, provided the officer has warranty for what he
does' "




32               MHOMEWARD BOUND.
" Writs and warrants may contain errors, but an i Rest
is an arrest," growled Grab.
6Not the arrest of a woman for a man.  In such & case
there is design, and not a mistake.  If this frightened wife
will take counsel from  me, she will refuse to accompany
you.'
"At her peril, let her dare do so!"
" At your peril do you dare to attempt forcing her from
the ship!"
6" Gentlemen, gentlemen! —let there be no misunderstltnding, I pray you," interposed the captain. "6 Mr.
Blunt, Mr. Grab; Mr. Grab, Mr. Blunt.  No warm words,
gentlemen, I beg of' you.  But the tide is beginning to
serve, Mr. Attorney, and' time and tide,' you know-   If
we stay here much longer, the MLontauk may be forced to
sail on the 2d, instead of the Ist, as has been advertised in
both hemispheres.  I should be sorry to carry you to seat
gentlemen, without your small stores; and as for the cabin,
it is as full as a lawyer's conscience.  No remedy but the
steerage in such a case.-Lay forward, men, and heave
away.  Some of you, man the fore-top-sail halyards.-We
are as regular as our chronometers; the 1st, 10th, and
20th, without fail."
There was some truth, blended with a little poetry, in
Captain Truck's account of the matter.  The tide had in.
deed made in his favour, but the little wind there was blew
directly into the roadstead, and had not his feelings become
warmed by the distress of a pretty and interesting young
wornan, it is more. than probable the line would have in"
curred the disgrace'of having a ship sail on a later day
than had been advertised.  As it was, however, he had
the matter up in elarnest, and he privately assured Six
George and Mr. Dodge, if the affair were not immediately
disposed of, he should carry both the attorney and officer
to sea with him, and that he did not feel himself bound to
furnish either with vwater. 6" They may catch a little rain,
b)y wrinrging their jackets," he added, with a wink; " though
Octobe-r is a dryish month in the American seas."
Thie decision of Paul Blunt would have induced the ate,orney and his companion  to relinquish their pursuit but
ior two circumstances.  They had both undertaken the




HOMEWARD BOUND.                   33
job as a speculation, or on the principle of "' no play, no
pay,"' and all their trouble would be lost withoutsuccess,
Then the very difficulty that occurred had been foreseen,
and while the officer proceeded to the shii, the uncle had
been busily searching for a son on shore, to send off to
ident'fy the husband,-a step that would have been earlier
resorted to could the young man have been found.  This
son was a rejected suitor, and he was now seen, by the aid
of a glass that Mr. Grab always carried, pulling towards
the Montauk, in a two-oared boat, with'as much zeal as
mnalignancy and disappointment could impart. His distaane from the ship was still considerable; but a peculiar
hat, with the aid of the glass, left no doubt of his identity.
Thei attorney pointed out the boat to the officer, and the
latter, after a look through the glass, gave a nod of approbati.,i  Exultation overcame the usual wariness of the attorne., for his pride, too, had got to be enlisted in the success of;:is speculation,-men being so strangely constituted
es oftca to feel as much joy in the accomplishment of
scheme~ Lthat are unjustifiable, a.s in the accomplishment of
those of,rich they may have reason to be proud.
On the other hand, the passengers and people of the
Jacket sei'e&u something near the truth, with that sort of
instinctive ieeatiness which seems to characterize bodies of
ten in monmihts of excitement.  That the solitary boat
which was purfiira towards them in the dusk of the evening
conta.ined'some cle viwho might aid the attorney and his
tlyrmidon, all beneved, though in what manner none could
W.11
Between all seamen and the ministers of the law there is
A lonlg-standing antipathy, for the visits of the latter are usu-illy so timed as to leave nothing between the alternatives
of paying or of losing a voyage.  It was soon apparent,
then, that Mr. Seal had little to expect from the apathy of
the crew, for never did men work with better will to get a
ship loosened from the bottom.
All this feeling manifested itself in a silent and intelligen
activity rather than in noise or bustle, for every man on
board exerciseci his best faculties, as well as his best good
will and strength; the clock-work ticks of the palls of the
vwindlass resemnbliag those of a watch tha had got the start




34                HOMEWARD BOUND.
of tine  Wxhile the chain came in with surges of half a
fathom at each heave.
1" Lay hold of this rope, men," cried Mr. Leach, placing
the end of the mlain-topsail halyards in the hands of half-a.
dozen athletic steerage passengers, who had all the inclination in the world to be doing, though uncertain where to.ay their hands; " lay hold, and run away with it."
The second mate performed the same feat forward, and
as the sheets had never been started, the broad folds of the
Montauk's canvas began to open, even while the men were
heaving at the anchor.  These exertions quickened the
blood in the veins of those who were not employed, until
even the quarter-deck passengers began to experience the
excitement of a chase, in addition to the feelings of compassion.  Captain Truck was silent, but very active in
preparations.  Springing to the wheel, he made its spokes
fly until he had forced the helm hard up, when he unceremoniously gave it to John Effingham  to keep there.  His
next leap was to the foot of the mizen-mast, where, after a
few energetic efforts alone, he looked over his shoulder and
beckoned for aid.
"S' ir George Templemore, mizen-topsail-halyards; mizen-topsail-halyards, Sir George Templemore," muttered
the eager master, scarce knowing what he said.  "Mr.
Dodge, now is the time to show that your name and nature
are not identical."
In short, nearly all on board were busy, and, thanks to
the hearty good will of the officers, stewards, cooks, and a
few of the hands that could be spared from  the windlass,
busy in a way to spread sail after sail with a rapidity little
short of that seen on board of a vessel of war.  The rat.
tling of the clew-garnet blocks, as twenty lusty fellows ran
forward with the tack of the mlainsail, and the hauling forward of braces, was the signal that the ship was clear of
the ground, and coming under command.
A cross current had superseded the necessity of casting
the vessel, but her sails took the light air nearly abeam;
the captain understanding that motion was of much more
importance just then than direction. No sooner did he
oerceive by the bubbles that floated past, or rather appeared
to fit at past, that his ship was dividing the water forward,




HOMEWARD BOUND                    35,han lhe called a trusty man to the wheel, relieving John
Effilnghamn from his watch.  The next instant, Mr. Leach
reported the anchor catted and fished.
": Pilot, you will be responsible for this if my prisoners
escape," said Mr. Grab menacingly.  "You know my errand, and it is your duty to aid the ministers of the law."
" Harkee, Mr. Grab," put in the master, who had wartmed
hlimself with the exercise; 6 "we all know, and we all do our
duties, on board the Montauk.  It is your duty to take
Robert Davis on shore if you can find him; and it is my
duty to take the Montauk to America: now, if you will
receive counsel from a well-wisher, I would advise you to
see that you do not go in her. No one offers any inlpediment to your performing your office, and I'911 thank' you to
offer me none in performing mine.-Brace the yards further
forward, boys, and let the ship come up to the wind."
As there were logic, useful information, law, and sealranship united in this reply, the attorney began to betray uneasiness; for by this time the ship had gathered so much
way as to render it exceedingly doubtful whether a twooared boat would be able to come up with her, without the
consent of those on board.  It is probable, as evening had
aiready closed, and the rays of the moon were beginning
to quiver on the ripple of the water, that lie would have
abandoned his object, though with infinite reluctance, had
not Sir George Templemore pointed out to the captain a
six-oared boat, that was pulling towards them from a quarter that permitted it to be seen in the moonlight.
"'That appears to be a man-of-war's cutter," observed
the baronet uneasily, for by this time all on board felt a
sort of personal interest in their escape.
6" It does indeed, Captain Truck," added the pilot; "' and
if she make a signal, it will become my duty to heave-to
the Montauk."'" Then bundle out of her, my fine fellow, as fast as you
c:ana  for not a brace or a bowline shall be touched here,
with my consent, for any such purpose.  The ship is
cleared-my hour is come-my passengers are on boardand America is my haven.-Let them that want me, catch
me.  That is what I call Vattel."
The pi ot and the master of the, Monta.uk were excellent




36                 HOME' VARD BOUND.
friends. and  inderstood each other perfectly, even while the
former was making the most serious professions of duty.
The bsat was hauled up, and, first whispering a few cautions about the shoals and the currents, the worthy marine
guide leaped into it, and was soon seen floating astern —a
cheering proof that the ship had got fairly in motion.  As
he fell out of hearing in the wake of the vessel, the honest
fellow kept calling out s" to tack in season."
"If you wish to try the speed of your boat against that
of the pilot, Mr. Grab," called out the captain,,"  you will
never have a better opportunity.  It is a fine night for a
regatta, and I will stand you a pound on Mr.. Handlead's
heels.  For that matter, I would as soon trust his head, or
his hands, in the bargain."
Thie officer continued obstinately on board, for he saw
that the six-oared boat was coming up with the ship, and,
as he well knew the importance to his client of cormpelling
a settlement of the accounts, he fancied some succour might
be expected in that quarter.  In the mean time, this new
movement on the part of their pursuers attracted general
attention, and, as might be expected, the interest of this
little incident increased the excitement that usually accompanies a departure for a long sa-voyage, fourfold.  Men
and women forgot their griefs and leave-takings in anxiety,
and in that pleasure which usually attends agitation of the
mind that does not proceed from actual misery of our own.
CHAPTER  IV.
Whither away so fast?
0 God save you!
Even to the hall to hear w hat shall become
Of the great Duke of Buckingham.
HtENRY VIII.
THIvE assembling of the passengers of the large packetship is necessarily an affair of coldness and distrust, espe.'nialy with those who know the world, and more particu.




HOMEXWARD BOUNDo                  37
arly still when the passage is from  Europe to America,
The greater sophistication of the old than of the new hem.
isphere, with its consequent shifts and vices, the knowledge
that the tide of emigration sets westward, and that felw
abandon the home of their youth unless impelled by misfortune at least, with other obvious causes, unite to produce
this distinction.  Then come the fastidiousness of habits, the
sentiments of social castes, the refinements of breeding. and
the reserves of dignity of character, to be put in close collision with bustling egotism, ignorance of usages, an absence of training, and downright vulgarity of thought and
practices.  Although necessity soon brings these chaotic
elements into something like order, the first week commonly
passes in reconnoitring, cool civilities, and cautious concessions, to yield at length to the never-dying charities; unless, indeed, the latter may happen to be kept in abeyance
by a downright quarrel, about midnight carousals, a squeaking fiddle, or some incorrigible snorer.
Happily, the party collected in the Montauk had the good
fortune to abridge the usual probation in courtesies, by the
stirring events of the night on which they sailed. Two
hours had scarcely elapsed since the last passenger crossed
the gangway, and yet the respective circles of the quarterdeck and steerage felt more sympathy with each other than
the boasted human charities ordinarily quicken in days of
common-place intercourse. They had already found out
each other's names, thanks to the assiduity of Captain
Truck, who had stolen time, in the midst of all his activity,
to make halfza-dozen more introductions, and the Americans of the less trained class were already using them  as
freely as if they were old acquaintances.  We say Ameri.cans, for the cabins of these ships usually contain a congress of nations, though the people of England, and of her
ci-devant colonies, of course predominate in those, of the
London lines.  On1 the present occasion, the last two were
nearly balanced in numbers, so far as national character
could be made out; opinion (vwhich, as might be expecte 1,
had been busy the while,) being suspended in reference to
Mr. Blunt; and one or two others whom the captain calleo'foreigners," to distinguish them  from  the A.rnglo-Saxon
stock.
4




IIOMEWARD BOUND).
This equal distribution of forces might, under other cir.
cumstances, have led to a division in feeling; fbr the con
flicts between American and British opinions, coupled with
a difference in habits, are a prolific source of discontent in
the cabins of packets.  The American is apt to ftncy himself at home, under the flag of his country' while his
Transatlantic kinsman is strongly addicted to fancying that
when he has fairly paid his money, he has a right to embark all his prejudices with his other luggage.
The affair of the attorney and the newly-married couple,
however, was kept quite distinct from all feelings of nationality; the English apparently entertaining   quite as
liveyiv a wish that the latter might escape fiom the fangs
of the law, as any other portion of the passengers.  The
parties themselves were British, and although the authority
evaded was of the same origin, right or wrong, all on board
had taken up the impression that it was improperly exercised.  Sir George Templemore, the Englishman of highest
rank, was decidedly of this way of thinking,-an opinion
he was rather warm in expressing,-and the example of a
baronet had its weight, not only with most of his own
countrymen, but with not a few of the Americans also.
The Effingham party, together with Mr. Sharp and Mr.
Blunt, were, indeed, all who seemed to be entirely indifferent to Sir George's sentiments; and, as men are intuitively quick in discovering who do and who do not defer
to their suggestions, their accidental independence might
hlave been favoured by this fact, for the discourse of' this
gentleman was addressed in the main to those who lent the,
most willing ears.  Mr. Dodge, in ptrticular, was his constant and respectful listener, and profound admirer:-But
then lie was his room-mate, and a democrat of a water so
pure, that he was disposed to maintain no man had a right
to any one of his senses, unless by popular sufferance.
In the mean while, the night advanced, and the soft light
of the moon was playing on the waters, adding a semimysterious obscurity to the excitement of the scene.  The
two-oared boat had evidently been overtaken by that carrying six oars, and, after a short conference, the first had
returned reluctantly towards the land, while the latter
profiting by its position, had set two lug-sails, and was




HOMEWARD BOUND.                   39
standing oult into the offing, on a course that would compel
the Montaubl to come under its lee, when the shoals, as
would soon be the case, should force the ship to tack.
"6 England is most inconveniently placed," Captain Truck
dryly remarked as he witnessed this manleuvre.  "' Were
this island only out of' the way, now, we might stand on as
we head, and leave those man-of-war's men to amuse them.
selves all night with backing and filling in the roads of
Portsmouth."
I hope there is no danger of that little boat's overtak: ng
this large ship!" exclaimed Sir George, with a vivacity
that did great credit to his philanthropy, according to the
opinion of Mr. Dodge at least; the latter having imbibed a
singula.r bias in favour of persons of condition, from having
travelled in an eilwagen with a German baron, f'orn whom he
had taken a model of the pipe he carried but never smoked,
and from having been thrown for two days and nights into
the society of a'" Polish countess," as he uniformly termed
her, in the gondole of a diligence, between Lyons and Marseilles. In addition, Mr. Dodge, as has just been hinted,,vas an ultra-freemnan at hbme-a circumstance that seems
always to react, when the subject of the feeling gets into
foreign countries.
"6 A feather running before a lady's sigh would outsail
either of us in this air, which breathes on us in some such
fashion as a whale snores, Sir George, by sudden puffs. I
would give the price of a steerage passage, if Great Britain
lay off the Cape of Good Hope for a week or ten days."
" Or Cape Hatteras!" rejoined the mate.
" Not I; I wish the old island no harm, nor a worse cli.
mate than it has got already; though it lies as much in
our way just at this moment, as the moon in an eclipse of
the sun.  I bear the old creature a great-grandson's loveo)r a step or two farther off; if yca will,-and come and go
too often to forget the relationship. But, much as I love
her, the affection is not strong enough to go ashore on her
shoals, and so we will go about, Mr. Leach; at the same
time, I wish from my heart that two-lugged rascal would
go about his business."
The ship tacked slovwly but gracefully, for she was im,
hat her master termed'"racing trim;" and as her b. He




40                HOMEWARD BOUND.
fell off to he eastward, it became pretty evident to all who
understood the subject, that the two little lug-sails that
were "6eating into the wind," as the sailors express it,
would weather upon her track ere she could stretch over to
the other shoal.  Even the lantismen had some feverish
suspicions of the truth, and the steerage passengers were
already holding a secret conference on the possibility of
hiding the pursued in some of the recesses of the ship.
"Such things were often done," one whispered to another,
"and it was as easy to perform it now as at any other time."
But Captain Truck viewed the matter differently: his
vocation called him three times a year into the roads at
Portsmouth, and he felt little disposition to embarrass his
future intercourse with the place by setting its authorities
at a too open defiance.  -Ie deliberated a good deal on the
propriety of throwing his ship up into -the wind, as she
slowly advanced towards the boat, and of inviting those in
the latter to board him. Opposed to this was the pride of'
profession, aind Jack Truck was not a man to overlook or
to forget the "' yarns" that were spun among his fellows at
the New England Coffee-house, or among those farming
harrmlets on the banks of the Connecticut, whence all the
packet-men are derived, and whither they repair for a shel.
ter when their careers are run, as regularly as the fruit de
cays where it failleth, or the grass that has not been harvested or cropped withers on its native stalk.
" There is no question, Sir George, that this fellow is a
man-of-war's man," said the master to the baronet, who
stuck close to his side.  "Take a peep at the creeping
rogue through this night-glass, and you will see his crew
seated at their thwarts with their arms folded, like men who
eat the kingr's beef.  None but your regular public servant
ever gets that impudent air of idleness about hinm, either in
England or America.  In this respect, human nature is the
same in both hemispheres, a man never fillling in with luck,
but he fancies it is no more than his deserts."
"There seems to be a great many of them! Can it be
their intention to carry the vessel by boarding?"
" If it is, they must take the will for the deed," returned
Mr. Truck a little coldly.  6 I very much question if' the
Montauk, with three cabin officers, as many stewards, tlwei




HOMEWVARD BOUND.                 41
aooks, and eighteen foremast-men, would exactly ilae the
notion of being'carried,' as you style it, Sir, George, by a
six-oared cutter's crew. We are not as heavy as the plane
Tupiter, but have somewhat too much gravity to be' carried'
as lightly as all that, too."
"You intend, then, to resist?" asked Sir George, whose
generous zeal in behalf of the pursued apparently led him
to take a stronger interest in their escape than any other
person on board.
Captain Truck, who had never an objection to sport,
pondered with himself a little, smiled, and then loudly expressed a wish that he had a member of congress or a
member of parliament on board.
"Your desire is a little extraordinarjr for the circumstances," observed Mr. Sharp; will you have the goodness
to explain why?"
" This matter touches on international law, gentlemen,'.
continued the master, rubbing his hands; for, in addition
to having caught the art of introduction, the honest mariner
had taken it into his head he had become an adept in the
principles of Vattel, of whom he possessed a well-thumbed
copy, and for whose dogmas he entertained the deferenco
that they who begin to learn late usually feel for the particular master into whose hands they have accidentalvl
fallen. " Under what circumstances, or in what category,
can a public armed ship compel a neutral to submit to
being boarded-not' carried,' Sir George, you will please
to remark; for d   - me, if any man' carries' the Mon.
tauk that is not strong enough to' carry' her crew and
cargo along with her!-but in what category, now, is a
packet like this I have the honour to command obliged, in
comity, to heave-to and to submit to an examination at all 1
The ship is a-weigh, and has handsomely tacked under her
canvas; and, gentlemen, I should be pleased to have your
sentiments on the occasion.  Just have the condescension
to point out tha category."'
Mr. Dodge came from a part of the country in which
men were accustomed to think, act, almost to eat and drink..nd sleep, in common; or, in other words, from one of
hose regions in America, in which there was so much'zomniunity, that few had the moral courage, even when
4t-*




42                HOMEWARD BOUND.
they possessed the knowledge, and all the other necessary
means, to cause their individuality to be respected.  When
the usual process of conventions, sub-conventions, cau.
cusses, and public meetings did not supply the means of
a concentrated action," he and his neighbours had long been
in the habit of having recourse to societies, by way of obtaining " energetic means," as it was termed; and from
his tenth year up to his twenty-fifth, this gentleman had
been either a president, vice-president, manager, or cominittee-man, of some philosophical, political, or religious expedient to fortify human wisdom, make men better, and re.
sist error and despotism.  His experience had rendered
him expert in what may well enough be termed the language of association.  JNo man of his years, in the twentysix states, could more readily apply the terms of " taking up"'
-" excitement"-" unqualified hostility"-', public opinion"-" spreading before the public," or any other of
those generic phrases that imply the privileges of all, and
the rights of none.  Unfortunately, the pronunciation of
this person was not as pure as his motives, and he misunderstood the captain when he spoke of comity, as meaning
a "committee;" and although it was not quite obvious
what the worthy mariner could intend by " obliged in committee (comity) to heave-to," yet, as he had known these
bodies to do so many "energetic things," he did not see
why they might not perform this evolution as well as another.
" It really does appear, Captain Truck," he remarked
accordingly, " that our situation approaches a crisis, and
the suggestion of a comity (committee) strikes me as being
peculiarly proper and suitable to the circumstances, and in
strict conformity with republican usages.  In order to save
time, and that the gentlemen who shall be appointed te,
serve may have opportunity to report, therefire, I will at
once nominate Sir George Templemore as chairman, leav.
ing it for any other gentleman present to suggest the name
of any candidate he may deem proper.I will only add,
that in my poor judgment this comity (committee) ought to
consist of at least three and that it have power to send fovo
persons and papers."' "I would propose five, Captain Truck, by way of' amend




HOMEWARD BOUND.                  4i'!
ment," added another passenger of the sa'ne kidney as the
last speaker, gentlemen of their school making it a point to
differ a little from every proposition by way of showing
their independence.
It was fortunate-for both the mover of the original motion, and for the proposer of the amendment, that the master was acquainted with the character of Mr. Dodge, or a
proposition that his ship was to be worked by a committee,
(or indeed by comity,) would have been very likely to meet
with but an indifferent reception; but, catching a glimpse
of the laughing eyes of Eve, as well as of the amused faces
of Mr. Sharp and Mr. Blunt, by the light of the moon, he
very gravely signified his entire approbation of the chairman named, and his perfect readiness to listen to the report
of the aforesaid committee as soon as it might be prepared
to make it.
"6 And if your committee, or comity, gentlemen," he
added, " can tell me what Vattel would say about the obligation to heave-to in a time of profound peace, and when
the ship, or boat, in chase, can have no belligerent rights,
I shall be grateful to my dying day;' for I have looked him
through as closely as old women usually examine almanacks to tell which way the wvind is about to blow, and I
fear he has overlooked the subject altogether."
Mr. Dodge, and three or four rmore of the same community-propensity as himself, soon settled the names of the
rest of the committee, when the nominees retired to another
part of the deck to consult together; Sir George Templemore, to the surprise of all the Effingham party, consenting
to serve with a willingness that rather disregarded forms.
"It might be convenient to refer other matters to this
committee, captain," said Mr. Sharp, who had tact enough
to see that nothing but her habitual retenue of deportment
kept Eve, whose bright eyes were dancing with humour
from downright laughter: " these are the important points
of reefing and fui'ling, the courses to be steered, the sail to
be carried, the times and seasons of calling all hands toge
ther, w'xvh sundry other customary duties, that no doubt
wou d be well treated on in this forthcoming report."
"; No doubt, sir; I perceive you have been at sea before.
snj I am sorry you were overlooked in nanling the merl




1'4.              HOMEWARD BOUND.
bers of the comity: take my word for it, all that you have
mentionemd can be done on board the Montauk by a comity,
as well as settling the question of heaving-to, or not, for
yonder boat.-By the way, Mr. Leach, the fellows have
tacked, and are standing in this direction, thinking to cross
our bows and speak us.-Mr. Attorney, the tide is setting
us off the land, and you may make it morning before you
get into your nests, if you hold on much longer.  I fear
Mrs. Seal and Mrs. Grab will be unhappy women."
The bloodhounds of the law heard this warning with
indifference, for they expected succour of some sort, though
they hardly knew of what sort, firom the man-of-war's boat
which, it was now plain enough, must weather on the ship.
After putting their heads together, Mr. Seal offered his companion a pinch of snuff, helping himself afterwards, like a
man indifferent to the result, and one patient in time of
duty. The sun-burnt face of the captain, whose standing
colour was that which cooks get when the-fire burns the
brightest, but whose hues no fire or cold ever varied, was
turned fully on the two, and it is probable they would have
received some decided manifestation of his will, had not
Sir George Templemore, with the four other committeemen, approached to give in the result of their conference.
" We are of opinion, Captain Truck," said the baronet,
"that as the ship is under way, and your voyage may be
fairly said to have cornmmenced, it is quite inexpedient and
altogether unnecessary for you to anchor again; but that
it is your duty."'6 I have no occasion for advice as to my duty, gentlemen.
If you can let me know what Vattel says, or ought to have
said, on the subject, or touching the category of the right
of search, except as a belligerent right, I will thank you;
if not, we must e'en guess at it.  I have not sailed a ship
in this trade these ten years to need any jogging of the
memory about port-jurisdiction either, for these are matters
in which one gets to be expert by dint of use, as my old
master used to say when he called us from table with half
a dinner. Now, there was the case of the blacks in
Charleston, in which our government showed clearly it had
not studied Vattel, or it never would have given the answer
t did. Perhaps you never heard that-case, Sir George, and




HOMEWARD BOUND.                   l~
s it touches a delicate principle, I will just run over the
iategory lightly; for it has its points, as well as a coast."
"Does not this matter press,-may not the boat-"
"'The boat will do nothing, gentlemen, without the pernission of lack Truck.  You must know, the Carolinians
iave a law that all niggers brought into their state by ships,
rmust be caged until the -vessel sails again. This is to prerent emancipation, as they call it, or abolition, I know not
Ahich. An Englishman comes in from the islands with a
crew of blacks, and, according to law, tl.e authorities of
Charleston house them all before night.  John Bull com.
plains to his minister, andhis minister sends a note to our
secretary, and our secretary writes to the Governor of
Carolina, calling on him to respect the treaty, and so on.
Gentlemen, I need not tell you what a treaty is-it is a
thing in itself to be obeyed; but it is all important to know
what it commands. Well, what was this said treaty? That
John should come in and out of the ports, on the footing of'
the most favoured.nation; on the statu quo ante bellurn
principle, as Vattel has it. Now, the Carolinians treated
John just as they treated Jonathan, and there was no more
to be said.  All parties were bound to enter the port, subject to the municipals, as is set forth in Vattel. That was
a case soon settled, you perceive, though depending on a
nicety."
Sir George had listened with extreme impatience, but,
fearful of offending, he listened to the end; then, seizing
the first pause in the captain's discourse, he resumed his
remonstrances with an interest that did infinite credit to his
humanity, at the same time that he overlooked none of the
obligations of politeness.
"An exceedingly clear case, I protest," he answered,
"and capitally put-I question if Lord Stowell could do it
better-and exceedingly apt, that about the ante bellum;
but I confess my feelings have not been so much roused for
a long time as they have been on account of these poor people. There is something inexpressibly painful in being dis.
appointed as one is setting out in the morning of life, as it
were, in this cruel manner; and rather than see this state
of things protracted, I would prefer paying a trifle out of
nmy own pocket.  If this wretched attorney will consent,




6                1101IE'AIOM W'IV D B[OUI ND.
now to take a hundred pounds and quit us, and carry back
with him that annoying cutter with the lug-sails, I will give
him the money most cheerfully,-most cheerfully, I protest."
There is something so essentially respectable in practical
generosity, that, though Eve and all the curious auditors of'
what was passing Felt an inclination to laugh at the whole
procedure up to this declaration, eye met eye in commendation of the liberality of the baronet.  He had shown he
had a heart, in the opinion of most of those who heard him,
though his previous conversation had led several of the observers to distrist his having the usual quantum of head.
" Give yourself no trouble about the attorney, Sir
G(eorge," returned the captain, shaking the other cordially
by the hand: "he shall not touch a pound of your money,
nor do I think he is likely to touch Robert Davis. We have
caught the tide on our lee bow, and the current is wheeling
us up to windward, like an opposition coach flying over
Blackheath.  In a few minutes we shall be in blue water;
and then I'll give the rascal a'touch of Vattel that will
throw him all aback, if it don't throw him overboard."
"But the cutter?"
"Why, if we drive the attorney and Grab out of the
ship, there will be no process in the hands of the others,
by which they can carry off the man, even admitting the
jurisdiction.  I know the scoundrels, and not a shilling
shall either of the knaves take from  this vessel with my
consent  Harkee, Sir George, a word in your ear: two
of as d —d cockroaches as ever rummaged a ship's breadroom; I'll see that they soon heave about, or I'll heave
them both into their boat, with my own fair hands."
The captain was about to turn away to examine the position of' the cutter, when Mr. Dodge asked permission to
make a short report in behalf of the minority of the comity
(comrnmittee), the amount of which was, that they agreed in
all things with the majority, except on the point that, as it
might become expedient for the ship to anchor again in
some of the ports lower down the Channel, it would be wise'o keep that material circumstance in view, in making up a
final decision in the affair.  This report, on the part of the
minority, which, Mr. Dodge explained to the baronet, par.




HOMEVWARD BOUND.                  4
took rather of the character of a caution than of a protest,
had quite as little influence on Captain Truck as the opinion
of the majority, for he was just one of those persons who
seldom took advice that did not conform with -his own previous decision; but he coolly continued to examine the
cutter, which by this time was standing on the same course
as the ship, a short distance to windward of her, and edging
a little off the wind, so as to bring the two nearer to each
other, every yard they advanced.
The wind had freshened to a little breeze, and the captain nodded his head with satisfaction when he heard
even where he stood on the quarter-deck, the slapping of
the sluggish swell, as the huge bows of the ship parted the
water.  At this moment those in the cutter saw the bubbles
glide qw ftly past them, while to those in the Montauk the
motion was still slow and heavy; and yet, of the two, the
actual velocity was rather in favour of the latter, both having about what is technically termed " four-knot way" on
them. The officer of the boat was quick to detect the
change that was acting against him, and by easing the
sheets of his lug-sails, and keeping the cutter as much off
the wind as he could, he was soon within a hundred feet of
the ship, running along on her weather-beam.  The bright
soft moonlight permitted the face of a young man in a man.
of-war cap, who wore the undress uniform of a sea lieutenant, to be distinctly seen, as he rose in the stern-sheets,
which contained also two other persons.
"I will thank you to heave-to the Montaukl," said the
lieutenant civilly, Nwhile he raised his cap, aapparently in
compliment to the passengers who crowded the rail to see
and hear what passed. "I am sent on the duty of the king,
sir.9'
"I know your errand, sir," returned Captain Truck,
whose resolution to refuse to comply was a good deal shalien by the gentleman-like manner in which the request was
made; " and I wish you to bear witness, that if I do consent to your request, it is voluntarily; for, on the principles.aid down by Vattel and the other writers on international
law, the riglit of search is a belligerent right, and England
Jeing at peace, no ship belonging to one nation can have a
right to stop a vessel belonging to another."




4 8               HOMEWARD BOU NI).
"I cannot enter into these niceties, sir," returned tl.e
lieutenant, sharply: "' I have my orders, and you will excuse me if I say, I intend to execute them."
"Execute them, with all my heart, sir: if you are or
dered to heave-to my ship, all-you have to do is to get on
board if you can, and -let us see the style, in which you
handle yards. As to the people now stationed at the braces,
the trumpet that will make them stir'is not to be spokenr
through at the Admiralty.  The fellow has spirit in him,
and I like his principles as an officer, but I cannot admit
his conclusions as a jurist. If he flatters himself with
being able to frighten us into a new category, now, that is
likely to impair national rights, the lad has just got himself
into a problem that will need all his logic, and a good deal
of' his spirit, to get out of again."
1" You will scarcely think of resisting a king's officer in
British waters!" said the young man with that haughtiness
that the meekest tempers soon learn to acquire under a
pennant. 
" Resisting, my dear sir! I resist nothing.  The misconception is in supposing that you sail this ship instead of
John Truck. That is my name, sir; John Truck. Do
your errand in welcome, but do not ask me to help you.
Come aboard, with all my heart; nothing would give me
more pleasure than to take wine with you; but I see no
necessity of stopping a packet, that is busy on a long road,
without an object, as we say on the other side of the big
waters.')
There was a pause, and then the lieutenant, with the sort
of hesitation that a gentleman is apt to feel when he makes
a proposal that he knows ought not to be accepted, called
out that those in the boat with him would pay for the detention of the ship.  A more unfortunate proposition could
not be made to Captain Truck, who would have hove-to his
n;hip in a moment had the lieutenant proposed to discuss
Vattel with him on the quarter-deck, and who was only holding out-as a sort of salvo to his rights, with that disposition to
resist aggression that the experience of the last forty years
has so deeply implanted in the bosom of every American
sailor, in cases connected with English naval officers, and
vwho had just made up his mind to let Robert Davis take




HOMEWARD BOUND.                   492
his chance, and to crack a bottle with the handsome young
man who was still standing up in the boat. But Mr. Truck
had been too often to London not to understand exactly the
manner in which Englishmen appreciate American character; and, tamong other things, he knew it was the general
opinion in the island that money could do any thing with
Jonathan, or, as Christophe is said once to have sententiously expressed the same sentiment, " if there were a bag
of coffee in h-, a Yankee could be found to.go and bring
it out."
The master of the Montauk had a proper relish for his
lawful gains as well as another, but he was vain-glorious
on the subject of his countrymen, principally because he
found that the packets outsailed all other merchant-ships,
and fiercely proud of any quality that' others were disposed
to deny them.
At hearing this proposal, or intimation, therefore, instead
of accepting it, Captain Truck raised his hat with formal
civility, and coolly wished the other " good night."  This
was bringing the affair to a crisis at once; for the helm ol
the cutter was borne up, and an attempt was made to run
the boat alongside of the ship.  But the breeze had been
steadily increasing, the air had grown heavier as the night
advanced, and the dampness of evening was thickening the
canvas of the coarser sails in a way sensibly to increase
the speed of the ship. When the conversation commenced,
the boat was abreast of the fore-rigging; and by the time
it ended, it was barely up with the mizzen.  The lieutenant
was quick to see the disadvantage he laboured under, and
he called out "  Heave!" as he found the cutter was falling
close under the counter of the ship, and would be in her
wake in another minute.  The bowman of the boat cast a
light grapnel with so much precision that it hooked in the
rnizzen rigging, and the line instantly tightened so as to tow
the cutter. A seaman was passing along the outer edge of
the hurricane-house at the moment, coming from the wheel
and with the decision of an old salt, he quietly passed his
knife across the stretched cordage, and it snapped like pack.
thread. The grapnel fell into the sea, and the boat was
lossing in the wake of the ship, all as it might be while
one could draw a breath.  To furl the sails and ship the
5




Jo               HlHOME WARD BOUND.
oars consurmed but an instant, and then the cutter was
ploughing the water under the vigorous strokes of her
crew.
"Spirited! spirited  and nimble!" observed  Captain
Truck, who stood coolly leaning against a shroud, in a
position where he could command a view of all that was
passing, improving the opportunity to shake the ashes from
his cigar while he spoke; "' a fine young fellow, and one
who will make an admiral, or something better, I dare say,
if he live;-perhaps a cherub, in time. Now, if he pull
much longer in the back-water of our wake, I shall have to
give him up, Leach, as a little marin-ish: ah! there he
sheers out of it, like a sensible youth as he is!  Well,
there is something pleasant in the conceit of a six-oared
boat's carrying a London liner by boarding, even admitting
the lad could have got alongside."
So, it would seem, thought Mr. Leach and the crew of
the Montauk; for they were clearing the decks with as
much philosophy as men ever discover when employed in
an unthankful office. This sang-froid of seamen is always
matter of surprise to landsmen; but adventurers who have
been rocked in the tempest for years, whose utmost security
is a great hazard, and whose safety constantly depends on
the command of the faculties, come in time to experience
an apathy on the subject of all the minor terrors and excitements of life, that none can acquire unless by habit and
similar risks. There was a low laugh among the people,
and now and then a curious glance of the eye over the
quarter to ascertain the position of the struggling boat; but
there the effect of the little incident ceased, so far as the
seamen were concerned.
Not so with the passengers.  The Americans exulted at
the failure of the man-of-war's man, and the English
doubted.  To them, deference to the crown was habitual,
amnd they were displeased at seeing a stranger play a king's
boat such a trick, in what they justly enough thought to be
British waters. Although the law may not give a man anmore right than another to the road before his own doom,
ae comes in time to fancy it, in a certain degree, his par
eicular road. Strictly speaking, the Montauk was perhaps
still under the dominion of the English laws, though she




HOM0EWARD BOUND.                  51
had been a. league from the land when laying at her anchor,
and by this time the tide and her own velocity had swept hei
broad off into the offing quite as far again; indeed she had
now got to such a distance from  the land, that Captain
Truck thought it his " duty" to bring matters to a conclusion with the attorney.
"' Well, Mr. Seal," he said, " I am grateful for the pleasure of your company thus far; but you will excuse me if
I decline taking you and Mr. Grab quite to America. Half
an hour hence you will hardly be able to find the island;
for as soon as we have got to a proper distance from the
cutter, I shall tack to the south-west, and you ought, moreover, to remember the anxiety of' the ladies at home."
" This may turn out a serious matter, Captain Truck, on
your return passage! The laws of England are not to be
trifled with.  Will you oblige me by ordering the steward
to hand me a glass of water? Waiting for justice is dry
duty, I find."
" Extremely sorry I cannot comply, gentlemen.  Vattel
has nothing on the subject of watering belligerents, or neutrals, and the laws of Congress compel me to carry so many
gallons to the man. If you will take it in the way of a
nightcap, however, and drink success to our run to Ame.
rica, and your own to the shore, it shall be in champagne,
if you happen to like that agreeable fluid."
The attorney was about to express his readiness to com.
promise on these terms, when a glass of the beverage for
which he had first asked was put into his hand by the wife
of Robert Davis.  He took the water, drank it, and turned
from the woman with the obduracy of one who never suffered feeling to divert him from the pursuit of gain. The
wine was brought, and the captain filled the glasses with a
seaman's heartiness.
" I drink to your safe return to Mrs. Seal, and the little
gods and goddesses of justice,-Pan or Mercury, which is
it?  And as for you, Grab, look out for sharks as you pull
in. If they hear of your being afloat, the souls of perse.
cuted sailors will set them on you, as the devil chases male
coquettes.  Well, gentlemen, you are balked this time; but
what matters it?  It is but another man got safe out of a
country that has too many in it; and I trust we shall meet




5 2               HOM EWARD BOUND.
good friends again this day four months.  Even man au.,
wife must part, when the hour arrives."
" That will depend on how my client views your conduvt
on this occasion, Captain Truck; for he is not a man that
it is always safe to thwart."
" That for your client, Mr. Seal!" returned the captain;
snapping his fingers.  " I am not to be frightened with an
attoiney's growl, or a bailiff's nod. You come off with a
writ or a warrant, I care not which; I offer no resistance;
you hunt for your man, like a terrier looking for a rat, and
ean't find him; I see the fine fellow, at this moment, on
deck,-but I feel no obligation to tell you who or where he
is; my ship is cleared and I sail, and you have no power
to stop me; we are outside of all the head-lands, good two
leagues and a half off, and some writers say that a gunshot is the extent of your jurisdiction, once out of which
your authority is not worth half as much as that of my
chief cook, who has power to make his mate clean the coppers.  Well, sir, you stay here ten minutes longer and we
shall be fully three leagues from your nearest land, and
then you are in America, according to law, and a quick
passage you will have made of it. Now, that is what I call
a category."
As the captain made this last remark, his quick eye saw
that the wind had hauled so far round to the westxward, as
to supersede the necessity of tacking, and that they were
actually going eight knots in a direct line from Portsmouth.
Casting an eye behind him, he perceived that the cutter had
given up the chase, and was returning towards the distant
roads. Under circumstances so discouraging, the attorney,
who began to be alarmed for his boat, which was flying
along on the water, towed by the ship, prepared to take his
leave; for he was fully aware that he had no power to compel the other to heave-to his ship, to enable him to get out
of her. Luckily the water was still tolerably smooth, and
with fear and trembling, Mr. Seal succeeded in blundering
into the boat; not, however, until the watermen had warned
him of their intention to hold on no longer. Mr. Grab followed, with a good deal of difficulty, and just as a hand
was about to let go the painter, the captain appeared at the




HO'MEWAIRD BOUND.                  D5 
gangway with the man they were in quest of, and said inr
his most winning manner"Mr. Grab, Mr. Davis; Mr. Davis, Mr Grab; I seldom introduce steerage passengers, but to obiige two old
friends I breakl the rule.  That's what I call a category.
My compliments,o Mrs. Grab.  Let go the painter"
The words were no sooner uttered.,han the boat was
tossing and whirling in the caldron left, by the passing
ship.
CHIAPTER V.
What country, fiiends, is this?
Illyria, lady.
TWXELFTH NIGI-IT.
CAPTAIN TRuCR cast an eye aloft to see if everything
drew, as coolly as if nothing out of the usual coulse had
happened; he and his crew having, seemingly, regarded
the attempt to board them as men regard the natur-dl )phe-.
nomena of' the planets, or in other words, as if the ship, of
which they -were merely parts, 1had escaped by her own instinct or volition.  This habit of' consideringo the machine
as the governing principle is rather general among seamen,
who, while they ease a brace, or drag a bowline, as the
coachman checks a rein, appear to think it' is only pernit.
ting the creature to work her own will a little more fre(1ly.
It is true all know better, but none talk, or indeed woutd
seem to feel, as if they thought otherwise
"Did you observe how the old barlky jumped out of the
way of those rovers in the cutterU'" said the captain comolacently to the quarter-deck group, when his survey alort
had taken sufficient heed that his own nautical skill should
correct tile instinct of the ship.  " A skittish horse, or a
whale with the irons in him, or, for that matter, one of the'ulnmiest of' your theatricals, would not have given a pLetl'ier aside than this poor old hullk, which is certainly just




654              IHOMEWARD BOUND.
the clumsiest craft that sails the ocean.  I wish King Williamr would take it into his royal head, now, to send one of
his light-heeled cruisers out to prove it, by way of resent.
ing the cantaverous trick the Montauk played his boat!"
The dull report of a gun, as the sound came short and
deadened up against the breeze, checked the raillery of' Mr.
Truck. On looking to leeward, there was sufficient light toi
see the symmetrical sails of the corvette they had left at
anchor, trimmed close by the wind, and the vessel itself
standing out under a press of canvas, apparently in chase.
The gun had evidently been fired as a signal of recall to the
cutter, blue lights being burnt on board of both the ship and
its boat, in proof that they were communicating.
The passengers now looked gravely at each other, fox
the matter, in their eyes, began to be serious. Some suggested the possibility that the offence of Davis might be
other than debt, but this was disproved by the process and
the account of the bailiff himself; while most concluded
that a determination to resent the slight done the authorities
had caused the cruiser to follow them out, with the intention of carrying them back again. The English passengers in particular began now to reason in favour of the authority of the crown, while those who weIe known to be
Americans grew warm  in maintaining the rights of their
flag. Both the Effinghams, however, were moderate in
the expression of their opinions; for education, years, and
experience, had taught them to discriminate justly.
"' As respects the course of Captain Truck, in refusing tc
permit the cutter to board him, he is probably a better judge
than any of us," Mr. Effingham observed with gentlemanly
reserve-'" for he must better ur'derstand the precise position
of his ship at the time; but concerning the want of right in
a foreign vessel of war to carry this ship into port in a time
of profound peace, when -sailing on the high seas, as will
soon be the case with the Montauk,-admitting that she is
not there at present,-I should think there can. be no reasonable doubt.  The dispute, if there is to be any, has now,o become matter of negotiation; or redress must be sough-t
through the general agents of the two nations, and not
taken by the inferior officers of either party. The instant
Ve Montauk reaches the public highway of nations, she is




}IOJl 2ZWARiD  3OUTl)ND,           5
within the exclusive jurisdiction of the country undei whose
flag she legally sails."
" Vattel, to the back-bone!" said the captain, giving a
nod of approbation, again clearing the end of his cigar.
Now, John Effingham  was a man of' strong feelings,
which is often but another word for a man of strcng  preinjudices; and he had been educated between thirty or borty
years before, which is saying virtually, that he was educated under the influence of the British opinions, that'then
weighed (and many of which still weigh) like an incubus
on the national interests of America.  It is true, Mr. Effineoham was in all senses the contemporary, as he had been
the school-fellow, of his cousin; that they loved each other
as brothers, had the utmost reliance on each other's principies in the main, thought alike in a thousand things, and
vet, in the particular of English domination, it was c'eareekl
possible for one man to resemble another less than the
vidowed kinsman resembled the bachelor.
Edward Effingham  was a singularly just-minded man,
and having succeeded at an early age to his estate, he had
lived many years in that intellectual retirement which, by
withdrawing him  from the strifes of the world, had left a
cultivated sagacity to act freely on a natural disposition.
At the period when the entire republic was, in substance,
exhibiting the disgraceful picture of a nation torn by adverse
factions, that had their origin in interest:s alien to its own;
when most were either Englishmen or Frenchmen, he had
remnained what nature, the laws and reason intended him to
be, an American.  Enjoying the otium  curn dignitate on
his hereditary estate, and in his hereditary abode, Edwar d
Effingham, with little pretensions to greatness, and with
nany claims to goodness, had hit the line of truth which
so many of the "god-likes" of the republic, under the influence of their passions, and stimfilated by the transient
and fluctuating interests of the day, entirely overlooked, or
which, if seeing, they recklessly disregarded.  A less imp —racticable subject for excitement,-the p)rimnum  mobile of
all American patriotism and activity, if we are to believe
the theories of the times,-could not. be folund, than this
rgenrtleman.  Independence of situation had induced infiependence of thought; study and investigatio,  rendered




I5                P~)HOMEWARD BOUN D.
him orLginal and just, by simply exempting him!'ome the
influence of' the passions; and while hundreds were keener,
auler in the exposition of subtleties, or more imposing with
the mass, few were as often right, and none of' less selfishness, than this simple-minded and upright gentleman.  He
loved his native land, while he saw and regretted its weaknesses; was its firm and consistent advocate abroad, without
bec6ming its interested or mawkish flatterer at home, and
at all times, and in all situations,  manifested that his heart,
was where it ought to be.
In many essentials, John Effingham was the converse of
all this.  Of an intellect much more acute and vigorcus
than that of his cousin, he also possessed passions less
under control, a will more stubborn, and prejudices that
often neutralized his reason. His father had inherited most
of the personal property of the family, and with this he had
plunged into the vortex of monled speculation that succeeded the adoption of the new constitution, and verifying the
truth of the sacred saying, that " where treasure is, there
will the heart be also," he had entered warmly and blindly
into all the factious and irreconcilable principles of party,
if' such a word can properly be applied to rules of conduct
that yary with t'he interests of the day, and had adopted the
current e;rors with which faction unavoidably poisons the
mind.
America was then much too young in her independence,
and too insignificant in all eyes but her own, to reason and
act for herself, except on points that pliessed too obviously
on her immediate concerns to be overlooked; but the great
social principles,-or it might be better to say, the great
social interests, —that then distracted Europe, produced
quite as much sensation in that distant country, as at all
comnported with a state of things that had so little practical
con!nexion with the result.  The Effingham  family had
started Federalists, in the true meaning of the tern m; fr
their education, native sense and principles, had a leaning
to order, good government, and the dignity of the country;
-.)ut as factions became fiercer, and names got to be contounded and contradictory, the landed branch settled down
into what they thought were American, and the commercial
branch into what might properly be termed English Fede.




HOMW.VAR D B1O1UND.              57
raists. We do not meaon that the father of John intended
to be untrue to his native land; but by following up the
d!o0gma:s of party he had reasoned himself into a set of
maxsims which, if they meant anything, meant everything
butt that which had been solemnly adopted as the governing
principles of his own country, and many of which were
diamnetrically opposed to both its interests and its honour.
John Effingham had insensibly imbibed the sentiments of
tlis particular sect, though the large fortune inherited front
hiis father had lelft him too independent to pursue the sinuous
policy of trade.  He had permitted temperament to act on
prejudice to such an extent that ie vindicated the right of
England to force men firom under the American flag, a doctrine that his cousin was too simple-minded and clear-headed ever to entertain for an instant: and he was singularly
inlgenious in discovering blunders in all the acts of the republic, when they conflicted with the policy of Great Britain.  In short, his talents were necessary, perhaps, to reconcile so much sophistry, or to render that reasonably
plausible that was so fundamentally false.  After the peace
of 1815, John Effingham went abroad for the second time,
and he hurried through England with the eagerness of strong
affection; an affection that owed its existence even more to
opposition than to settled notions of truth, or to natural ties.
The result was disappointment, as happens nineteen times
in twenty, and this solely because, in the zeal of a partisan
he had fancied theories, and imagined results.  Like the
English radical, who rushes into America with a mind unsettled by impracticable dogmas, he experienced a reaction.
and this chiefly because he found that men were not superior to nature, and discovered so late in the day, what he
might have known at starting, that particular causes must
produce particular effects. From this time, Joln Effingham
became a wiser and a more moderate man; though, as the
shock had not been sufficiently violent to throw hinm  back.
ward on truth, or rather upon the opposing prejudices of
another sect, the remains of the old notions were still to be
discovered lingering in his opinions, and throwing a species
of twilight shading over his mind; as, in nature, the hues
of evening and the shadows of tle morning follow, or pr-.
cede, the light of the sun,




8  HOMEWARD BOUN]X
Under the influence of' th!ese latent prejudices, then, J.ohl:
Effingham  replied to the remarks of his cousin, and the
discourse soon partook of the discursive character of all
arguments, in which the'parties are not singularly clearheaded, and free from  any other bias than that of truth.
Nearly all joined in it, and half an hour was soon passed
in settling the'aw of nations, and the particular merits or
demerits of the instance before them.
It'was a lovely night, and Mademoiselle Viefville and
Eve walked the deck for exercise, the smoothness of the
vwater rendering the moment every way favourable.  As
has been already said, the common feeling in the escape
of the new-married couple had broken the ice, and less
restraint existed between the passengers, at the momlent
when Mr. Grab left the ship, than would have been the case
at the end of a week, under ordinary circumstances.  Eve
Effingham had passed her time since her eleventh year
principally on the continent of Europe, and in the mixed
intercourse that is common to strangerls in that'part of the
world; or, in other words, equally without the severe
restraint that is usually imposed there on the young of her
own sex, or without the extreme license that is granted to
them at home.  She came of a fiamilv too well toned to run
into the extravagant freedoms that sometimes pass for easy
manners in America, had she never quitted her father's
house even: but her associations abroad had unavoidably
imparted greater reserve to her ordinary deportment than
the simplicity of cis-Atlantic usages wvould have rendered
indispensable in the most fastidious circles.  With the usua.
womanly reserves, she was natural and unelbarrassed in
her intercourse with the world, and she had been allowed
to see so many different nations, that she had obtained a
self-confidence that did her no injuly, under the influence
of an exemplary education, and great natural dignity of
mind.  Still, Mademoiselle Vieiville, notwithstanding she
hlad lost some of her owvn peculiar  notions on the subject, by
having passed so many years in an American family, was
a little surprised at observing that Eve received the respectful advances of Mr. Sharp and Mr. Blunt with less reserve
Shah it was usual to her to manifest to entire strangers.
nstead of remaining a mere listener, she answered several




HOMEWARD BOUND.                   59
renmarlks of the first, and once or twice she even laughed
with him openly at some absurdity of the committee of five.
The cautious governess wondered, but half disposed to fancy
that there was no more than the necessary freedom of a
ship in it all, —fr, like a true Frenchwoman:i Mademoiselle
Vief'ville had very vague notions of the secrets of the mighty
deep —she permitted it to pass, confiding in the long-tried
taste and discretion of her charge.  While_ Mr. Sharp dis.
coursed with Eve, who held her arm the while, she herself
had fallen into an animated conversation with Mr. Blunt,
who walked at her side, and who spoke her own language
so well, that she at first set him down as a countryman,
travelling under an English appellation, as a nom de guzer-re.
While this dialogue was at its height of interest-for Paul
Blunt discoursed with his companion of Paris and its excel.
lencies with a skill that soon absorbed all her attention,
"Paris, ce magnifique Paris," having almost as much influence on the happiness of the governess, as it was said to
have had on that of Madame de Stael, Eve's companion
dropped his voice to a tone that was rather confidential for
a stranger, although it was perfectly respectful, and said,f" i have flattered myself, perhaps through the influence
of self love alone, that Miss Effingham  has not so far forgotten all whom she has met in her travels, as to think me
an utter stranger.'
"' Certainly not," returned Eve, with perfect simplicity
and composure; "else would one of my faculties, that of
memory, be perfectly useless. I knew you at a glance, and
consider the worthy captain's introduction as so much
finesse of breeding utterly thrown away."
"I am equally gratified and vexed at all this; gratified
fand infinitely flattered to find that I have not passed before
your eyes like the common herd, who leave no traces of
even their features behind them.; and vexed at finding my.
self in a situation that, I fear, you fancy excessively ridiculous?"
"' Oh, one hardly dare to attach such consequences to
acts of young men, or young women either, in an age as
original as our own. I saw nothing particularly absurd
but the introduction; —an(d so many absurder have sinew
a'ssed, that this is almost forgotten."




00)'PI~HOMEWARD BOUNfD.'~ And the namre-?"
-— Is certainly a keen one. if I am n At mistaken, whet;
we were in Italy you were content to let your servant be.a
it; but, venturing among a people so noted for sagacity as
the Yankees, I suppose you have fancied it was necessary
to go armed cap-d-pie."
Both laughed lightly, as if they equally enjoyed the
pleasantry, and then he resun.ed:
"But I sincerely hope you do not impute improper mo.
tives to the incognito?"5'
"I impute it to that which makes many young men run
from Rome to Vienna, or fiom Vienna to Paris; which
causes you to sell the vis-a-vis to buy a dormeuse; to know
your fiiends to-day, and to forget them to-morrow; or, in
short, to do a hundred other things that can be accounted
for on no other motive."
" And this motive -?"
-Is simply caprice."' I wish I could persuade you to ascribe some better reason to all my conduct.  Can you think of nothing, in the
present instance, less discreditable?"
" Perhaps I can," Eve answered, after a moment of
thought; then laughing lightly again, she added, quickly,
"But I fear, in exonerating you fiom the charge of unmitigated caprice, I shall ascribe a reason that does little less
credit to your knowledge."
"'This will appear in the end.  Does Mademoiselle
Viefville remember me, do you fancy?"
"' It is impossible; she was ill, you will remember, the
three months we saw so much of you."'"And your father, Miss Effingham; —am  I really for.
gotten by him?"' I am quite certain you are not.  He never forgets a
Ihce, whatever in this instance may have befallen the
name."'
"T He received me so coldly, and so much like a total
stranger!"
" He is too well-bred to recognise a man who wishes tc
be unknown, or to indulge in exclamations of surprise, ot
ii dramatic starts. He is more stable than a girl, more.
over, and may feel less indulgence to caprice."




HOMEWARD BOUND.                  61
"61 feel obliged to his reserve; for exposure would be ri
diculious, and so long as you and he alone know me, I shall
feel less awkward in the ship. I am certain neither will
betray me."
"Betray!"
" Betray, discover, annihilate me if you will. Anything
is preferable to ridicule."
"This touches a little on the caprice; but you flattei
yourself with too much security; you are known to one
more besides my father, myself, and the honest man whom
you have robbed of all his astuteness, which I believe was
in his name."
"For pity's sake, who can it be?"
"The worthy Nanny,Sidley, my whilom nurse, and actual femme de chambre.  No ogre was ever more vigilan
on his ward than the faithful Nanny, and it is vain to suppose she does not recall your features."
"' But ogres sometimes sleep; recollect how many have
been overcome in that situation."
Eve smiled, but shook her head. She was about to assure Mr. Sharp of the vanity of his belief, when an exclamation from her governess diverted the attention of both,
and before either had time to speak again, Mademoiselle
turned to them, andcsaid rapidly in French" I assure you, ma chere, I should have mistaken monsieur for a compatriote by his language, were it not for a
single heinous fault that he has just committed."'
"Which fault you will suffer me to inquire into, that I
may hasten to correct it?" asked Mr. Blunt.
6 Mais, monsieur, you speak too perfectly, too grammati.
cally, for a native.  You do not take the liberties with tihe
language that one who feels he owns it thinks he has a right
to do. It is the fault of too much correctness."
"And a fault it easily becomes.  I thank you for the
fhint, mademoiselle; but as I am now going where little
French will be heard, it is probable it will soon be lost in
greater mistakes."
The two then turned away again, and continued the diaogue that had been interrupted by this trifling.
"There may also be one more to whom you are known,"
6




HOMEWARD BOUND.
continued Eve, as soon as the vivacity of the discourse of
the others satisfied her the remark would not be heard.
" Surely, you cannot mean himn?"
"Surely, I do mean him. Are you quite certain that'Mr. Sharp, Mr. Blunt; Mr. Blunt, Mr. Sharp,' never saw
each other before?"
"I think not until the moment we entered the boat in comn.
pany.  He is a gentlemanly young man; he seems even
to be more, and one would not be apt to forget him. He is
altogether superior to the rest of the set: do you not agree
with me?"
Eve niade no answer, probably because she thought her
companion was not sufficiently intimate to interrogate her
on the subject of her opinions of others.  Mr. Sharp had
too mucb knowledge of the world not to perceive the little
mistake he had made, and after begging the young lady,
with a ludicrous deprecation of her mercy, not to betray
him, he changed the conversation with the tact of a man
who saw that the discourse could not be continued without
assuming a confidential chnaracter that Eve was indisposed
to permit. Luckily, a pause in the discourse between the
governess and her colloquist permitted a happy turn to the
conversation.
" I believe y.vu are an American, Mr. Blunt," he remarked; "and as I am an Englishman, we may be fairly pitted
against each other on this important question of international law, and about which I hear our worthy captair
flourishing extracts from Vattel as familiarly as household
terms.  I hope, at least, you agree with me in thinking that
when the stoop-of-war comes up with us, it will be very
silly on our part to make any objections to being boarded
by her?"
" I do not know that it is at all necessary I should be an
American to give an opinion on such a point," returned the
young man he addressed, courteously, though he smiled to
himself as he answered —" For what is right, is right, quite
ildependent of nationality.  It really does appear to me
that a public-armed vessel ought, in war or peace, to have
a right to ascertain the character of all merchant-ships, at
cast on the coast of the country to which the cruisers
belong. Without this power, it is not easy to see in what




IOMEWARD BOUND.                   6a
manner they can seize smugglers, capture pirates, or other:
wise enforce the objects for which such vessels are usually
sent to sea, in the absence of positive hostilities."
"I am happy to find you agreeing with me, then, in tho
legality of the doctrine of the right of search."
Paul Blunt again smiled, and Eve, as she caught a
glimpse of his fine countenance in turning in their short
walk, fancied there was a concealed pride of' reason in the
expression. Still he answered as mildly and quietly as
before.
"' The right of search, certainly, to attain these ends, but
to attain no more. If nations denounce piracy, for instance,
and employ especial agents to detect and overcome the freebooters, there is reason in according to these agents all the
rights that are requisite to the discharge of the duties: but,
in conceding this much, I do not see that any authority is
acquired beyond that which immediately belongs to the particular service to be performed.  If we give a man permission to enter our house to look for thieves, it does not fbllow that, because so admitted, he has a right to exercise
any other function.  I do believe that the ship in chase of
us, as a public cruiser, ought to be allowed to board this
v7essel; but finding nothing contrary to the laws of nations
about her, that she will have no power to detain or other-.
wise molest her.  Even the right I concede ought to be
exercised in good faith, and without vexatious abuses."
"But, surely, you must think that in carrying off a refiigee from justice we have placed ourselves in the wrong,
and cannot object, as a principle, to the poor man's being
taken back again into the country from  which he has
escaped, however much we may pity the hardships of the
particular case?"
6' I much question if Captain Truck will be disposed to
reason so vaguely.  In the first place, he will be apt to say
that his ship was regularly cleared, and that he had authority to sail; that in permlitting the officer to search his vesset, while in British waters, he did all that could be'required
of him, the law not compelling him to be either a bailiff or
an informer; that the process issued was to take Davis, and
not to detain the Montauk; that, once out of British waters,
American law governs, and the English functionary became




64                HOMEWARD BOUND.
an intruder of whom he had every right to rid himself, and
that the process by which he got his power to act at all
becamle impotent the instant it was without the jurisdiction
under which it was granted."
" I think you will find the captain of yonder cruiser indisposed to admit this doctrine."' That is not impossible; men often preferring abuses to
being thwarted in their wishes. But the captain of yonder
cruiser might as well go on board a foreign vessel of war,
and pretend to a right to command her, in virtue of the
commission by which he commands his own ship, as to
pretend to find reason or law in doing what you seem to
predict."
" I rejoice to hear that the poor man cannot now be torn
from his wife!" exclaimed Eve.
" You then incline to the doctrine of Mr. Blunt, Miss
Effingham?" observed the other controversialist a little reproachfully.  " I fear you make it a national question."
"Perhaps I have done what all seem to have done, permitted sympathy to get the better of reason. And vet it
would require strong proof to persuade me that villanous.
looking attorney was engaged in a good cause, and that
meek and warm-hearted wife in a bad one!"
Both the gentlemen smiled, and both turned to the fair
speaker, as if inviting her to proceed. But Eve checked
herself, having already said more than became her, in her
own opinion.
" I had hoped to find an ally in you, Mr. Blunt, to sustain the claim of England to seize her own seamen when
fbund on board of vessels of another nation," resumed Mir.
Sharp, when a respectful pause had shown both the young
men that they need expect nothing more firom their fair
companion; " but I fear I must set you down as belonging
to those who wish to see the power of England reduced,
coyfte qui coute."
This was received as it was meant, or as a real opinion
veiled under pleasantry.
" I certainly do not wish to see her power maintained,
corete qui coitte," returned the other, laughing; " and in
this opinion, I believe, i may claim  both these ladies as
alies."




HOMFNWARD BOUND.                  65'C Certainement!" exclaimed Mademoiselle Viefville, who
was a living proof that the feelings created by centuries of
animosity are not to be subdued by a few flourishes of
the pen.
"As for me, Mr. Sharp," added Eve, "you may suppose, being an American girl, I cannot subscribe to the
right of any country to do us injustice; but I beg you will
not include me among those who wish to see the _and of
my ancestors wronged, in aught that she may rightfully
claim as her due."
"This is powerful support, and I shall rally to the rescue. Seriously, then, will you allow me to inquire, sir, if
you think the right of England to the services of her seamen can be denied?"'" Seriously, then, Mr. Sharp, you must permit me to ask
f you mean by force, or by reason?
"- By the latter, certainly."
"I think you have taken the weak side of the English
argument; the nature of the service that the subject, or
the citizen, as it is now the fashion to say at Paris, mademoiselle-"
"' -Tant pis," muttered the governess.
" —Owes his government," continued the young man
slightly glancing at Eve, at the interruption, " is purely a
point of internal regulation. In England there is compulsory service for seamen without restriction, or what is
much the same, without an equal protection; in France, it
is compulsory service on a general plan; in America, as
respects seamen, the'service is still voluntary."
" Your pardon;-will the institutions of America permit
impressment at all?"
" I should think, not indiscriminate impressment; though
1 do not see why laws might not be enacted to compel drafts
for the ships of war, as well as for the army: but this is a
point that some of the professional gentlemen on board, if
here be any such, might better answer than myself."
" The skill with which you have touched on these sub
lpects to-night, had made me hope to have found such a one
in you; for to a traveller, it is always desirable to enter a
country with a little preparation, and a shtip might offer as
much temptation to teach as to learn."
6*




f 6               HOMEWARD BOUND.
1" If you suppose me an American lawyer, you give me
credit for more than I can lay claim to."
As he hesitated, Eve wondered whether the slight emphasis he had laid on the two words we have italicised, was
heaviest on that which denoted the country, or on that
which denoted the profession.
" I have been much in America, and have paid a little
attention to the institutions, but should be sorry to mislead
you into the belief that I am at'all infallible on such points,"
Mr. Blunt continued.
"s You were about to touch on impressment."
"' Simply to say that it is a municipal national power,
one in no degree dependent on general principles, and that
it can properly be exercised in no situation in which the
exercise of municipal or national powers is forbidden. I
can believe that this power may be exercised on board American ships in British waters-or at least, that it is a more
plausible right in such situations; but I cannot think it can
be rightfully exercised anywhere else. I do not think England would submit to such a practice an hour, reversing the
case, and admitting her present strength: and an appeal of
this sort is a pretty good test of a principle."
"' Ay, ay, what is sauce for the goose is sauce for the
gander, as Vattel says," interrupted Captain Truck, who
had overheard the last speech or two: " not that he says
this in so many words, but then, he has the sentiment at
large scattered throughout his writings.  For that matter,
there is little that can be said on a subject that he does not
put before his readers, as plainly as Beachy Head lies
before the navigator of the British Channel.  With Bowditch and Vattel, a man might sail round the globe, and
little fear of a bad landfall, or a mistake in principles.  My
present object is to tell you, ladies, that the steward has
repoited the, supper in waiting for the honour of your presence."
Before quitting the deck, the party inquired into the state
of the chase, and the probable intentions of the sloop-of
war.
C" We are now on the great highway of nations," returned Mr. Truck, " and it is my intention to travel i!
without jostling, or being jostled.  As for the sloop, she




HoMENWVARD BOUND.                  67
is standing out under a press of canvas, and we are
standing from her, in nearly a straight line, in like cir.
cumstances. She is some eight or ten miles astern of us,
and there is an old saying among seamen that'a stern
chase is a long chase.' I do not think our case is about to
make an exception to the rule. I shall not pretend to say
what will be the upshot of the matter; but there is not the
ship in the British navy that can gain ten miles on the
Montauk, in her present trim, and with this breeze, in as
many hours; so we are quit of her for the present."
The last words were uttered just as Eve put her foot on
the step to descend into the cabin.
CHAPTER VI.
Trin. Stephano,Steph. Doth thy other mouth call me? Mercy! Mercy!
TEMPEST.
THE life of a packet steward is one of incessant mixing
and washing, of interrogations and compoundings, all in a
space of about twelve feet square. These functionaries,
usually clever mulattoes who have caught the civilisation
of the kitchen, are busy from morning till night in their
cabins, preparing dishes, issuing orders, regulating courses,
starting corks, and answering questions. Apathy is the
great requisite for the station; for wo betide the wretch who
fancies any modicum of zeal, or good nature, can alone fit
him for the occupation. From the moment the ship sails
unti. that in which a range of' the cable is overhauled, or
the chain is rowseo cip in readiness to anchor, no smile
illumines his face, no tone issues from his voice while on
duty, but that of dogged routine-of submission to those
above, or of snarling authority to those beneath him. As
the hour for the "drink gelt," or "buona mana," approaches, however, he becomes gracious and smiling.  On
his first appearance in the pantry of a morning, he has a




t68               HOMEWARD BOUND.
regula  series of questions to answer, and for which, lke
the dutiful Zeluco,' who wrote all his letters to his mother
on the same day, varying the dates to suit the progress
of time, he not unfrequently has a regular set of answers
cut and dried, in his gastronomical mind.  " How's the
wind?"  " How's the weather?"  " How's her head?" all
addressed to this standing almanack, are mere matters
of course, for which he is quite prepared, though it is by no
means unusual to hear him ordering a subordinate to go on
deck, after the answer is given, with a view to ascertain the
facts.  It is only when the voice of the captain is heara
from his state-room, that he conceives himself bound to be
very particular, though such is the tact of all connected
with ships, that they instinctively detect the " know nothings," who are uniformly treated with an indifference
suited to their culpable ignorance.  Even the'6 oid salt" on
the forecastle has an instinct -for a brother tar, though a
passenger, and a due respect is paid to Neptune in answering his inquiries, while half the time the maiden
traveller meets with a grave equivoque, a marvel, or a
downright mystification.
On the first morning out, the steward of the Montauk
commenced the dispensation of his news; for no sooner
was he heard rattling the glasses, and shuffling plates in
the pantry, than the attack was begun by Mr. Dodge, in
whom " a laudable thirst after. knowledge," as exemplified
in putting questions, was rather a besetting principle. This
gentleman had come out in the ship, as has been mentioned,
and unfortunately for the interest of his propensity, not
only the steward, but all on board, had, as it is expressed
in slang language, early taken the measure of his foot.
The result of his present application was the following
brief dialogue.
"Steward," called out Mr. Dodge, through the blinds
9f his state-room; " whereabouts ai'e we?"
" In the British Channel, sir."
" I might have guessed that, myself."' So I s'pose, sir; nobody is better at guessing and diwining than Mr. Dodge."
" But in what part of the Channel are we, Saunders?"
4'" About the middle, sir.'-'




HOMEWARD BOUN';,4                69
" How far have we come to niaht"P
"6 From Portsmouth Roads to this place, sir."
Mr. Dodge was satisfied, and the steward, who wou d
not have dared to be so explicit with any other cabin-passenger, continued coolly to mix an omelette.  The next attack was made from the same room, by Sir George Templemore.
"Steward, my good fellow, do you happen to know
whereabouts we are?"
"Certainly, sir; the land is still werry obwious."' Are we getting on cleverly?"
"Nicely, sir;" with a mincing emphasis on the first
word, that betrayed there was a little waggery about the
grave-looking mulatto.
"And the sloop-of-war, steward?"' Nicely too, sir."
There was a shuffling in the state-room, followed by a
silence. The door of Mr. Sharp's room was now opened
an inch or two, and the following questions issued through
the crevice:
" Is the wind favourable, steward?"
" Just her character, sir."
"Do you mean that the wind is favourable?"
"For the Montauk, sir; she's a persuader in this
breeze."
"But is she going in the direction we wish?"
"If the gentleman wishes to perambulate America, it is
probable he will get there with a little patience."
Mr. Sharp pulled-to his door, and ten minutes passed
without further questions; the steward beginning to hope
the morning catechism was over, though he grumbled a
wish that gentlemen would " turn out" and take a look for
themselves. Now; up to this moment, Saunders knew no
more, than those who had just been questioning him of the
particular situation of the ship, in which he floaled as indifferent totthe whereabouts and the winds, as men sail in the
earth along its orbit, without bethinking them of parallaxes
nodes, ecliptics, and solstices. Aware that it was about
tinme tbr the captain to be heard, he sent a subordinate on
deck, with a view to be ready to meet the usual questions
from his commandei. A couple of minutes were sufficient




l70               HOME rWARDo BOUND.
to put him au co'lrzLnt of the real state of things. The ntexi
door that opened was that of Paul Blunt, however, whc
thrust his head into the cabin, with all his dark curls in the
confusion of a night scene.
"Steward!"
" Sir."
"How's the wind?"
"Quite exhilarating, sir."
"' From what quarter?"
6F About south, sir."
" Is there much of it?"
" A prewailing breeze, sir."
"And the sloop?"
" She's to leeward, sir, operating along as fast as she
can."
6 Steward!"'6 Sir," stepping hurriedly out of his pantry, in order to
hear more distinctly.
"6 Under what sail are we?"
" Topgallant sails, sir."
"l How's her head?"
V WVest-south-west, sir."
"Delicious! Any news of the rover?"
"Hull down to leeward, sir, and on our quarter."
" Staggering along, eh?"
" Quite like a disguised person, sir."
" Better still.  Hurry along that breakfast of yours, sir;
1 am as hungry as a Troglodyte."
The honest captain had caught this word from a recent
treatise against agrarianism, and having an acquired taste
for orders in one sense, at least, he flattered himself with
being what is called a Conservative j in other words, he had
a strong relish for that maxim  of the Scotch fieebooter.
which is rendered into English by the comely aphorism ot
keep what you've got, and get what you can."
A cessation of the interrogatories took place, and soon
after the passengers began to appear in the cabin, one by
one. As the first step is almost invariably to go on deck,
especially in good weather, in a few minutes nearly all of
the last night's party were again assembled in the open air,
a balm that none can appreciate but thcse who have expel




HOMEWARD BOJND                    71
rienced the pent atmosphere of a crowded vessei. The
steward had rendered a faithful account of the state of the
weather to the captain, who was now seen standing in the
main-riggill, looking at the clouds to windward, and at the
sloop-ot:war to leeward, in the knowing manner of one who
was making comparisons materially to the disadvantage of
the latter.
The day was fine, and the Montauk, bearing her canvas
nobly, was, to use the steward's language, also staggering
a!ong, under everything that would draw, from her topgallant-sails down, with the wind near two points forward of
the beam, or on an easy bowline.  As there was but little
sea, her rate was quite nine knots, though varying with the
force of the wind. The cruiser had certainly followed them
thus far, though doubts began to be entertained whether she
was in chase, or merely bound like themselves to the westward; a course common to all vessels that wish to clear
the Channel, even when it is intended to go south, as the
rocks and tides of the French coast are inconvenient neighbours in long nights.'" Who knows, after all, that the cutter which tried to
board us," asked the captain aloud, " belongs to the ship to
leeward?"
" I know the boat, sir," answered the second mate; "and
the ship is the Foam."
".Let her foam away, then, if she wishes to speak us.
Has any one tried her bearings since daylight?"
"We set her by the compass at six o'clock, sir, and she
has not varied her bearing, as far as from one belaying pin
to another, in three hours; but her hull rises fast: you can
now make out her ports, and at daylight the bottom of her
courses dipped."
" Ay, ay, she is a light-going Foam, then! If that is
the case, she will be alongside of us by night."
" In which event, captain, you will be obliged to give him
a broadside of Vattel," threw in John Effingham, in his
cool manner.
" If that will answer his errand, he is welcome to as
much as he can carry. I begin to doubt, gentlemen, whe.
ther this fellow be not in earnest: in which case you may
nave an opportunity of witnessing how ships are handled.




72                HONMEWARD BO)UND.:vi'en seamen have their management. I have no objectiol,
to setting the experience of a poor come-and-go sort of a
thllow, like myself, in opposition to the geometry and
Hamilton Moore of a young man-of-war's-man. I dai'e
say, now, yonder chap is a lord, or a lord's progeny, while
poor Jack Truck is just as you see him.'
"Do you not think half-an-hour of compliance on oui
part might bring the matter to an amicable conclusion a
once?" said Paul Blunt.  " Were we to run down to- him,
the object of his pursuit could be determined in a few
minutes."
"6 What! and abandon poor Davis to the rapacity of that
rascally attorney?" generously exclaimed Sir George Templemore.  "I would prefer paying the port-charges myself,
run into the handiest French port, and let the honest fellow
escape!"'" There is no probability that a cruiser would attempt to
trake a mere debtor from a foreign vessel on the open sea."
1" If there were no tobacco in the world, -Mr. Blunt, I
might feel disposed to waive the categories, and show the
gentleman that courtesy," returned the captain, who was
preparing another cigar.  " But while the cruiser might not
feel authorised to take an absconding debtor from this vessel, he might feel otherwise on the subject of tobacco, provided there has been an information for smuggling."
Captain Truck then explained, that the subordinates of
the packets fi:equently got their ships into trouble, by taking
adventures of the forbidden weed clandestinely into European ports, and that his ship, in such circumstances, would
lose her place in the line, and derange.all the plans of-the
company to which she belonged.  He did the English
government the justice to say, that it had always manifested a liberal disposition not to punish the innocent for the
guilty; but were any such complaints actually in the wind,
he thought he could settle it with much less loss to himself
on his return, than on the day of sailing.  While this explanation was delivered, a group had clustered round the
speaker, leaving Eve and her party on the opposite side of
the deck.
" This last speech of Mr. Blunt's quite unsettles my opin
iou of his national character, as Vattel and our worthy




HOMEWTARD BOUND.                 73
captain would say," remarked Mr. Sharp.  "Last night, I
set him down as a right loyal American; but I think it
would not be natural for a thorough-going countryman of
yours, Miss Effingham, to propose this act of courtesy to a
cruiser of King William."
" I-low far any countrymen of mine, thorough-going or
not, have reason to manifest extreme courtesy to any of
your cruisers," Eve laughingly replied, " I shall leave Captain Truck to say. But, with you, I have long been at a
loss to determine whether Mr. Blunt is an Englishman or
atn American, or indeed, whether he be either."
"Long, Miss Effingham! He then has the honour of
being well known to you?"
Eve answered steadily, though the colour mounted to her!brow; but whether from the impetuous exclamation of her
companion, or from any feeling connected with the subject
of their conversation, the. young man'was at a loss to discover.
"Long, as girls. of twenty count time-some four or five
years; but you may judge how well, when I tell you I am
ignorant of his country even."
-" And may I venture to ask which do you, yourself, give
him credit for being, an American or an Englishman?"
Eve's bright eyes laughed, as she answered, " You have
put the question with so much finesse, and with a politeness
so well managed, that I should indeed be churlish to-refuse
an answer:-Nay, do not interrupt me, and spoil all the
good you have done by unnecessary protestations of sincerity."
" All I wish to say is, to ask an explanation of a finesse,
of which I am quite as innocent as of any wish to draw
down upon myself the visitations of your displeasure."
"Do you, then, really conceive it a credit to be an
American?"
"Nobody of less modesty than yourself, Miss Effingham, under all the circumstances, would dream of asking
the question."
"I thank you for the civility, which must be taken as it
is offered, I presume, quite as a thing en r~gle; but to leave
our fine opinions of each' other, as well as our prejudices,
out of the question-"
7




74                HOMEWARD BOUND.
"' You will excuse me if I object to this, for I feel'my
good sense implicated.  You can hardly attribute to me
opinions so utterly unreasonable, so unworthy of a gentleman-so unolunded, in short.!  Am I not incurring all the
risks and hardships of a long sea-voyage, expressly to visit
your great country, and, I trust, to improve by its example
and society?"
" Since you appear to wish it, Mr. Sharp —" Eve glanced
her playful eye up at him as she pronounced the name —" I
will be as credulous as a believer in animal magnetism: and
that, I fancy, is pushing credulity to the verge of reason.
It is now settled between us, that you do conceive it an
honour to be an American, born, educated, and'by extraction."
"All of which being the case with Miss Effingham."
"All but the second; indeed, they write me fearful things
concerning this European education of mine;. some even
go so far as to assure me I shall be quite unfitted to live in
the society to which I properly belong!"
"' Europe will be rejoiced to receive you back again, in
that case; and no European more so than myself."
The beautiful colour deepened a little on the cheek of
Eve, but she made no immediate reply.
"1 To return to our subject," she at length said;'" Were
I required to say, I should not be able to decide on the country of Mr. Blunt; nor have I ever met with any one who
appeared to know. I saw him first in Germany, where he
circulated in the best company; though no one seemed
acquainted with his history, even theze.  He made a good
figure; was quite at his ease; speaks several languages
almost as well as the natives of the different countries them.
selves; and, altogether, was a subject of curiosity with
those who had leisure to think of any thing but their own
dissipation and folly;."
Mr. Sharp listened with obvious gravity to the fair speaker,
and had not her own eyes been fastened on the deck, she
might have detected the lively interest betrayed in his.
Perhaps the feeling which was at the bottom of all this to
C slight degree, influenced his answer.
"Quite an Admirable Crichton!"
"I do not say that, though certainly expert in. tongues,




HOMEWARD BOUND.                  75
My own rambling life has made me acquainted with a few
languages, and I do assure you, this gentleman speaks three
or four with almost equal readiness, and with no perceptible
accent. I remember, at Vienna, many even believed him
to be a German."
"What! with the name of Blunt?"
Eve smiled, and her companion, who silently watched
every expression of her varying countenance, as if to'read
her thoughts, noted it.
" Names signify little in these migratory times," returned
the young lady.  "You have but to imagine a von before
it, and it would pass at Dresden, or at Berlin. Von Blunt,
der Edelgeborne Graf -Von Blunt, Hofrath-or if you like
it better, Geheimer Rath mit Excellenz und cure Gnaden."
" Or, Baw-Berg. Veg-Inspector-Substitut i" added Mr.
Sharp, laughing.  "No, no! this will hardly pass. Blunt
is a good old English name; but it has not finesse enough
for Italian, German, Spanish, or anything else but John
Bull and his family."
"I see no necessity, for my part, for all this Bluntishness;
the gentleman may think frankness a good travelling
quality."
" Surely, he has not concealed his real name!"
" Mr. Sharp, Mr. Blunt; Mr. Blunt, Mr. Sharp;" re.
joined Eve, laughing until her bright eyes danced with pleasure. "There would be something ridiculous, indeed, in
seeing so much of the finesse of a master of ceremonies
subjected to so profound a mystification! I have been told
that passing introductions amount to little among you men,
and this would be a case in point."
"I would I dared ask if it be really so."
"Were I to be guilty of indiscretion in another's case,
you would not fail to distrust me in your own. I am, moreover, a protestant, and abjure auricular confessions."
c" You will not frown if I inquire whether the rest of your
party remember him?"
"My father, Mademoiselle Viefville, and the excellent
Nanny Sidley, again; but, I think, none other of the serVants, as he never visited us. Mr. John Effingham  was
travelling in Egypt at the time, and did not see him at all,
end we only met in general society; Nanny's acquaintance




7 6              HOMEWARD BOUND.
wa, merely that of seeing him check his horse in the Pra
ter, to speak to us of a morning."' Poor fellow, I pity him; he has, at least, never had the
happiness of strolling on the shores of Como and the
islands of Laggo Maggiore in your company, or of studying time wonders of the Pitti and the Vatican."
"if I must confess all, he journeyed with us on foot and
in boats an entire month, among the wonders of the Oberland, and across the Wallenstadt.  This was at a time
when we had no one with us but the regular guides and the
German courier, who was discharged in London."
" Were it not for the impropriety of tampering with a
servant, I would cross the deck and question your good
Nanny, this moment!" said Mr. Sharp with  playful
menace. 6 "Of all torture, that of suspense is the hardest
to be borne."
"tI grant you full permission, and acquit you of all sins,
whether of disrespect, meanness, impertinence, ungentlemanlike practices, or any other vice that may be thought
to attend and characterize the act."
This formidable array of qualities would check the
curiosity of a village gossip!"
It has an effect I did not intend, then; I wish you to put
your threat in execution."
Not seriously, surely?"
XNever more so. Take a favourable moment to speak
to tne good soul, as an old acquaintance; she remembers
you well, and by a little of that interrogating management
you possess, a favourable opportunity may occur to bring
in the other subject. In the mean time, I will glance over
the pages of this book."
As Eve began to read, Mr. Sharp perceived she was in
earnest, and hesitating a moment, in doubt of the propriety
of the act, he yielded to her expressed desire, and strolled
carelessly.towards the faithful old domestic. He addressed
her Indifferently at first, until believing he might go further,
he smilingly observed that he believed he had seen her in
Italy. To this Nanny quietly assented, and when he indi.
rectly added that it was under another name, she smiled,
but merely intimated her consciousness of the fact, by a
quick glance of the eye.




HOMEIWARD BOUND.                 77
"You know that travellers assume names for the sake
of avoiding curiosity," he added, "and I hope you will not
betray me."' You need not fear me, sir; I meddle with little besides
tny own duty, and so long as Miss Eve appears to think
there is no harm in it, I will venture to say it is no more
than a gentleman's caprice."
"Why, that is the very word she applied to it herself!
You have caught the term from Miss Effingham."
"Well, sir, and if I have, it is caught from one who deals
little harm to any."
" I believe I am not the only one on board who travels
under a false name, if the truth were known?"
Nanny looked first at the deck, then at her interrogator's
face, next towards Mr. Blunt, withdrawing her eye again,
as if guilty of an indiscretion, and finally at the sails. Per.
ceiving her embarrassment, respecting her discretion, and
ashamed of the task he had undertaken, Mr. Sharp said a
few civil things suited to the condition of the woman, and
sauntering about the deck for a short time, to avoid suspicion, soon found himself once more alongside of Eve. The
latter inquired with her eyes, a little exultingly perhaps,
concerning his success.
" I have failed," he said;',ut something must be
ascribed to my own awkward diffidence; for there is so
much meanness in tampering with a servant, that I had not
the heart to push my questions, even while I am devoured
by curiosity."'" Your fastidiousness is not a disease with which all on
board are afflicted, for there is at least one grand inquisitor
among us, by what I can learn; so take heed to your sins,
and above all, be very guarded of old letters, marks, and
other tell-tales, that usually expose impostors."
"rTo all that, I believe, sufficient care has already been
had, by that other Dromio, my own man."
1" And in what way do you share the name between you?
Is it Dromio of Syracuse, and Dromio of Ephesus? or does
John  call himself Fitz-Edward, or Mortimer, or De
C/ourcy?"
" He has complaisance enough to make the passage with
nothing but a Christian name, I believe. In truth, it was
7 




78                HOMEWABD BOUND.
oy a mere accident that I turned usurper in this way.  He
took the state-room for me, and being required to give a
name, he gave his own, as usual.  When I went to the
docks to look at the ship, I was saluted as Mr. Sharp, and
then the conceit took me of trying how it would wear for
a month or six weeks. I would give the world to know if
the Geheimer Rath got his cognomen in the same honest
manner."
"I think not, as his man goes by the pungent title of
Pepper.  Unless poor John should have occasion for two
names during the passage, you are reasonably safe. And
still, I think," continued Eve, biting her lips, like one who
deliberated, " if it were any longer polite to bet, Mr. John
Eftingham would hazard all the French gloves in his trunks,
against all the English finery in yours, that the inquisitor
just hinted at gets at your secret before we arrive. Perhaps
I ought rather to say, ascertains that you are not Mr. Sharp,
and that Mr. Blunt is."
Her companion entreated her to point out the person to
whom she had given the sobriquet she mentioned.
" Accuse me of giving nicknames to no one. The man
has this title from Mademoiselle Viefville, and his own great
deeds.  It is a certain Mr. Steadfast Dodge, who, it seems,
knows something of us, from the circumstance of living in.he same county, and who, from knowing a little in this
comprehensive manner, is desirous of knowing a great deal
more."'
" The natural result of all useful knowledge."
"Mr. John Effingham, who is apt to fling sarcasms at
all lands, his native country included, affirms that this gen.
tleman is but a fair specimen of many more it will be our
fortune to meet in America. If so, we shall not long be
strangers; for according to Mademoiselle Viefville and my
good Nanny, he has already communicated to them a thousand interesting particulars of himself.'n exchange for
which he asks no more than the reasonable compensation
of having all his questions concerning us truly answered."
" This is certainly alarming intelligence, and I shall take
heed accordingly." -
"' If he discover that John is without a surname, I am fal
from certain he will not prepare to have him arraigned for




HOME~wARD BfOUND.                    79
somer high crime or misdemeanour; for Mr John Effinghant
maintains that the besetting propensity of all this class is
to divine the worst the moment their imaginations cease to
be fed with'hcts.  All is false with them, and it is flattery
or accusaticn.."
The approach of iMr. Blunt caused a cessation of the discourse, Eve betraying a slight degree of sensitiveness about
admitting him to share in these little asides, a circumstance
that her companion observed, not without satisfaction.  The
discourse now became general, the person who joined them,amusing the others with an account of several proposals
already made by Mr. Dodge% which, as he expressed it, in
making tile relation, manifested the strong communitycharacteristics of an American.  The first proposition was
to take a vote to ascertain whether Mr. Van Buren or Mr.
Hiarrison was the greatest favourite of the passengers; and,
on this being defeated, owing to the total ignorance of so
many on board of both the parties he blad named, he had
suggested the expediency of establishing a society to ascertain daily the precise position of the ship.  Captain Truck
had thrown cold water on the last proposal, however, by
adding to it what, among legislators, is called a "" rider;"
he having drily suggested that one of the duties of the said
society should be to ascertain also the practicability of
wdinmg across the Atlantic.
CHAPTER  VII.
When clouds are seen, wise men put on their cloaks,
When great leaves fall, then winter is at hand'
When the sun -sets, who doth not look for night?
Untimely storms make men espect a dearth:
All may be well; but if God sort'it so,'T is more than we deserve, or I expect.
RICHARD Ill.
TeasE conversations, however, were  mere episodes of
the great business of the passage.  Throughout the morn
ing, the master was busy in rating his mates, giving sharp




Si3              PHOMEWARD BOUND.
repricmands to the stewards and cooks, overhauling the tog
tine, introducing the passengers, seeing to the stowage of
the anchors, in getting down the signal-pole, throwing in
touches of Vattel, and otherwise'superintending duty, and
dispensing opinions. All this time, the cat in the grass does
not watch the bird that hops along the ground with keener
vigilance than he kept his eye on the Foam.  To an ordinary observer, the two ships presented the familiar spectacle of vessels sailing in the same direction, with a very
equal rate of speed; and as the course was that necessary
to clear the Channel, most of the passengers, and, indeed,
the greater part of the crew, began to think the cruiser,
like themselves, was merely bound to the westward.  Mr.
truck, on the contrary, judging by signs and movements
that more naturally suggested themselves to one accustomed
to direct the evolutions of a ship, and to reason on their
objects, than to the mere subjects of his will, thought differently. To him, the motive of the smallest change on board
the sloop-of-war was as intelligible as if it had been explained in words, and he even foresaw many that were
about to take place. Before noon, the Foam had got fairly
abeam, and Mr. Leach, pointing out the circumstance, observed, that if her wish was to overhaul them, she ought
then to tack; it being a rule among seamen, that the pursuing vessel should turn to windward as often as she found
herself nearest to her chase.  But the experience of Captain Truck taught him better; the tide was setting into the
Channel on the flood, and the wind enabled both ships to
take the current on their lee-bows, a power that forced them
up to windward; whereas, by tacking, the Foam  would
receive the force of the stream on her weather broadside,
or so nearly so, as to sweep her farther astern -than her
difference in speed could easily repair.
"She has the heels of us, and she weathers on us, as it
is," grumbled the master; "' and that might satisfy a man
less nmodest. I have led the gentleman such a tramp already
that he will be in none of the best humours when he comes
alongside, and we may make up our minds on seeing Ports.
mouth again before we see New-York, unless a slant of
wind, or the night, serve us a good turn. I trust, Leach,




HOMEWAiLD BOUND.                  81
you have not been destroying your prospects in!'fe by
looking too wistfully at a tobacco-field?"
"Not 1, sir; and if' you will give me leave to say it,
Captain Truck, I do not think a plug has been landed from
the ship, which did not g) ashore in a bona-fide tobaccobox, that might appear irn any court in England. The
people will swear, to a man, that this is true."
"Ay, ay! and the Barons of the Exchequer would be
the greatest fools in England not to believe them.  If there
has been no defrauding the revenue, why does a cruiser
follow this ship, a regular packet, to sea?"
"' This affair of the steerage passenger, Davis, sir, is
probably the cause. The man may be heavily in debt, or
possibly a defaulter; foi these rogues, when they break
down, often fall lower than the'twixt decks of a ship like
this."
"'This will do to put the quarter-deck and cabin in good
humour at sailing, and give them something to open an ac.
quaintance with; but it is sawdust to none but your new
beginners. I have known that Seal this many a year, and
the rogue never yet had a case that touched the quarterdeck. It is as the man and his wife say, and I911 not give
them up, out here in blue water, for as much foam as lies
on Jersey beach after an easterly blow.  It will not be any
of the family of Davis that will satisfy yonder wind-eater;
but he will lay his hand on the whole family of the Montauk, leaving them the agreeable alternative of going back
to Portsmouth in his pleasant society, or getting out here in
mid-channel, and wading ashore as best they can.  Dmxle! if I believe, Leach, that Vattel will bear the fellow out
in it, even if there has been a whole hogshead of the leaves
trundledi into his island without a permit!"
To this Mr. Leach had no encouraging answer to make,
for, like most of his class, he held practical force in much
greater respect than the abstractions of books.  He deemed
it prudent, therefore, to be silent, though greatly doubting
the efficacy of a quotation from any authority on board,
when fairly put in opposition to a written order from the
admiral at Portsmouth, or even to a signal sent down from
the Admiralty at London.
The day wore away, making a gradual chRange in the




HOMEWARD BOUND.
relative positions of the- two ships, though so sl( wly, as to
give Captain Truck strong hopes of being able to dodge
his pursuer in the coming night, which promised to be dark
and squally.  To return to Portsmouth was his full intention, but not until he had first delivered his freight and passengers in New-Yorlk; for, like all men bound up body and
soul in the performance of an especial duty, he looked on
a firustration of his immediate object as a much greater
calamity than even a double amount of more remote evil.
Besides, he felt a strong reliance on the liberality of the
English authorities in the end, and had little doubt of being
able to extricate himself and his ship from any penalties to
which the indiscretion or cupidity of his subordinates might
have rendered him liable.
Just as the sun dipped into the watery track of the MoRntaunk, most of the cabin passengers again appeared on deck,
to take a look at the situation of the two vessels, and to
form their own conjectures as to the probable result of the
adventure.  By this time the Foam had tacked twice, once
to weather upon the wake of her chase, and again to resume her line of pursuit. The packet was too good a ship
to be easily overtaken, and the cruiser was now nearly hulldown astern, but evidently coming up at a rate that would
bring her alongside before morning. The wind blew ir.
squalls, a circumstance that always aids a vessel of war,
as the greater number of her hands enables them to make
and shorten sail with ease and rapidity.
" This unsettled weather is as much as a mile an hour
against us," observed Captain Truck, who was far from
pleased at the fact of his being outsailed by anything that
floated; " and, if truth must be said, I think that fellow has
somewhere about half a knot the best of it, in the way of'
foot, on a bowline and with this breeze.  But he has no
cargo in, and they trim their boats like steel-yards. Give
us more wind, or a freer, and I would leave him to digest
his orders, as a shark digests a marling-spike, or a ringbolt, notwithstanding all his advantages; for little good
would it then do him to be trvinog to run into the wind's
eye, like a steam-tug.  As it is, we must submit.  We are
sertainly in a category, and be d —d to it!"
It was one of those wild-looking sunsets that are so fre.




HtOM EWARD BOUND.                 83
quiert in the autumn, in which appearances are worse,
perhaps, than the reality. The ships were now so near tho
Chops of the ChaInnel that no land was visible, and the
entire hori-zotl presented that chill and wintry aspect tlat
ielolngs to gloomy and driving clouds, to which streaks of
lull light serve more to give an appearance of infinite space
than any of the relief of brightness.  It was a dreary
night-fall to a landsman's eye; though they who better understood tie signs of the heavens, as they are exhibited on
the ocean, saw little  nore than the promise of obscurity,
ald the -usual hazards of darkness in a much-friequented sea.
"' This will be a dirty night," observed John ErTingham,' and awe may have occasion to bring in some of the flaunta;>gg vanity of the ship, ere another morning returns."
"The vessel appears to be in good hands," returned Mr.
Effingham: "I have watched them narrowly; for, I know
not why, I have felt more anxsity on the occasion of this
passage than on any of the nine I have already made."
As he spoke, the tender father unconsc:ousiy bent his eyer
on Eve, who leaned affectionately on his arm, steadying
her light forin against the pitching of the vessel.  She understood his feelings better than he did himself, possibly,
since, accustomed to his fondest care firom childhood, she
well knew that he seldom  thought of others, or even of
himnself, while her own wants or safety appealed to his unwearying love.
4' Father," she said, smiling in his wistful face,'" we
have seen more troubled waters than these, far, and in a
much frailer vessel.  Do you not remember the Wallenstadt and its miserable skiff? where I have heard you say
there was really danger, though we escaped from it all with
a little fright."
"Perfectly well do I recollect it, love, nor have I forgot.
ten our brave companion, and his good service, at thacritical moment.  But for his stout arm and timely succout
we might not, as you say, haive been quit for the fright."
Although Mr. Effingham  looked only at his daughter,
while speaking, Mr. Sharp, who listened with interest, saw
the qtlick, retreating, glance of Eve at Paul Blunt, and felt
something like a chill in his blood as he perceived that her
Vwn clheeks seemed to reflect the glow which appeared on




64               BHOMEWARD BOUND.
that of the young mnar. He alone observed this secrn. ev~dence of common interest in some event in which both had
evidently been actors, those around thenm being too muchi
occupied in the arrangements of the ship, and too little sus.
picious, to heed the trifling circumstance.  Captain Truck
had ordered all hands called, to mnake sail, to the surprise
of even the crew. The vessel, at the moment, was staog
gering along under as much canvas as she could apparently,ear, anid the mates looked aloft with inquiring eyes, as if
to ask what more could be done.
The master soon removed all doubts.  With a rapidity
that is not common in merchant ships, but which is usual
enough in the packets, the lower studding-sails, and two topmast-studding-sails were prepared, and made ready for
hoisting.  As soon as the words'6 all ready" were uttered,
the helm was put up, the sails were set, and the Montauk
was running with a free wind towards the narrow  passag03
between the Scilly Islands and the Land's End.  Captain
Trtiuck Was an expert channel pilot, from long practice, and
keeping the run of the tides In his head, he had loosely calculated that his vessel had so much offing as, with a free
wind, and the great progress she had made in the last
twenty-four hours, would enable him to lay through the
pass.
"' Tis a ticklish hole to run into in a dirty night, with a
staggering breeze,"- he said, rubbing his hands as if the
hazard increased his satisfaction, s' and we will now see if
this Foam has mettle enough to follow."
"The chap has a quick eye and good glasses, even
though he should want nerve for the Scilly rocks," cried
the mate, who was looking out from  the mizzen rigging.
"There go his stun'-sails already, and a plenty of them!"
Sure enough the cruiser threw out her studding-sails, had
them  full and drawing in five minutes, and altered her
course so as to follow the Montauk. There was now no
longer any doubt concerning her object; for it was hardly
cossible two vessels should adopt so bold a step as this, just
at dark, and on such a night, unless the movements of one
were regulated by the movements of the other.
In the mean time, anxious faces began to appear on the
quarter-deck,,ned  Mr. Dodge was soon  seen  moving




HOMEWARD BOUND.                  85
stealthily about anmong the passengers, whispering here,
cornering there, and seemingly much occupied in canvass.
ing opinions on the subject of' the propriety of' the step that
the master had just taken; though, if the truth must be,
told, he rather stimulated opposition than found others prepared to meet his wishes.  When he thought, however, he
had collected a sufficient number of suffrages to venture on
an experiment, that nothing but an inherent aversion to
shipwreck and a watery grave could embolden him to
make, he politely invited the captain to a private conference
in the state-room occupied by himself and Sir George Templemore.  Changing the venue, as the lawyers term  it, to
his own little apartment,-no master of a packet willingly
consenting to transact business in any other place-Captain
Truck, who was out of cigars at the moment, very willingly assented.
When the two were seated, and the door of the room was
closed, Mr. Dodge careftllly snuflfd the candle, looked about
him to make sure there was no eave's-dropper in a room
eight feet by seven, and then commenced his- subject, with
what he conceived to be a commendable delicacy and dis.
cretion.
": Captain Truck," he said, in the sort of low confidential
tone that denotes equally concern and mystery, "6 I think
by this time you must have set me down as one of your
warm and true friends and supporters. I came out in your
ship, and, please' God we escape the perils of the sea, it is
my hope and intention to return home in her."
" If not, friend Dodge," returned the master, observing
that the other paused to note the effect of his peroration, and
using a familiarity in his address that the acquaintance of
the former passage had taught him was not misapplied; "' if
not, friend Dodge, you have made a capital mistake in getting on board of her, as it is by no means probable an occasion will offer to get out of her, until we fall in with a
news-boat, or a pilot-boat, at least somewhere in the latitilde and longitude of Sandy Hook. You smoke, I believe
sir?"
"; I ask no better," returned Steadfast, declining the offir;
"I have told every one on the Continent," —Mr. Dodge
had been to Paris, Geneva, along the Rhine, and thrcugh




S%6               HOMEWARD BOUND.
Belgium and Holland, and in his eyes, this rvas the Conti,
nest, —' that no better ship or captain sails the ocean; and
you know captain, I have a way with me, when I please,
that causes what 1 say to be remembered.  Why, mny dear
sir, I had an article extolling the whole line in the most appropriate terms, and this ship in particular, put into the
journal at Rotterdam.  Ift was so well done, that not a soul
suspected it came from a personal friend of yours."
The captain was rolling the small end of a cigar in his
mouth to prepare it for smoking, the regulations of the ship
forbidding any further indulgence below; but when he received this assurance, he withdrew the tobacco with the
sort of mystifying simplicity that gets to be a second nature
with a regular votary of Neptune, and answered with a
coolness of manner that was in ridiculous contrast to the
affected astonishment of the words:" The devil you did! —Was it in good Dutch?"
" I do not understand much of the language," said Mr.
Dodge, hesitatingly; for all he knew, in truth, was yaw and
nein, and neither of these particularly well;-" but it looked to
be uncommonly well expressed.  I could do no more than
pay a man to translate it. But to return to this affair of
running in among the Scilly Islands such a night as this."
"' Return, my good fellow! this is the first syllable you
have said about the matter!"
" Concern on your account has caused me to forget my.
self.  To be frank with you, Captain'Truck, and if I
wer'n't your very best friend I should be silent, there is'
considerable excitement getting up about this matter,"
"Excitement! what is that like?-a sort of moral head.
sea, do you mean?"
"Precisely: and I must tell you the truth, though I ha d
rather a thousand times not; but this change in the ship's
course is monstrous unpopular!"
" That is bad news, with a vengeance, Mr. Dodge; I
shall rely on you, as an old friend, to get up an opposition."
"My dear captain, I have done all I could in that way
tlready; but I cnever met with people so bent on a thing as
most of the passengers.  The Effinghams are very decided,
though so purse-proud and grand; Sir George Temnplemore




HOMENWARD BOUND.                 87
leclares it is quite extraordinary, and even the French lady
is furious.  To be as sincere as the crisis demands, public
opinion is setting so strong against you, that I expect all
explosion."
"Well, so long as the tide sets in my favour, I must
endeavour to bear it.  Stemming a current, in or out of
water, is up-hill work; but with a good bottom, clean cop.
per, and plenty of wind, it may be done.'
"a It would not surprise me were the gentlemen to appeal
to the general~ sentiment against you when we arrive, and
make a handle of it against your line!"
"It may be so indeed; but what can be done?  If we
return, the Englishman will certainly catch us, and, in that
case, my own opinion would be dead against me!"
"Well, well, captain; I thought as a friend I would
speak my mind. If this thing should really get into the
papers in America, it would spread like fire in the prairies.
You know what the papers are, I trust, Captain Truck'!"
"I rather think I do, Mr. Dodge, with many thanks for
your hints, and 1 believe I know what the Scilly Islands
ares too. The elections will be nearly or quite over by the
time we get in, and, thank God, they'll not'be apt to make
a party question of it, this fall at least.  In the mean time
rely on my keeping a good look-out for the shoals of popularity, and the quicksands of excitement.  You smoke
sometimes, I know, and I can recommend this cigar as fit
to regale the nose of that chap of Strasbourg- you read
your Bible, I know, Mr. Dodge, and need not be told whom
I mean. The steward will be happy to give you a light on
deck, sir."
In this manner, Captain Truck, with the sang froid of
an old tar, and the tact of a packet-master, got rid of his
troublesome visiter, who departed, half suspecting that he
had been quizzed, but still ruminating on the expediency of
getting up a committee, or at least a public meeting in the
cabin, to follow up the blow. By the aid of the latter,
could he but persuade Mr. Effingham to take the chair, and
Sir George Templemore to act as secretary, he thought he
might escape a sleepless night, and, what was of quite as
munch importance, make a figure in e paragraph on reach.
ing home.




148              I-IHOMEWARD BOUND.
Mr. Dodge, whose Christian name, thanks to a pious an.
cestry, was Steadfast, partook of the qualities that his two
appellations not inaptly expressed.  There was a singular
arofession of steadiness of purpose, and of high principle
about him, all of which vanished in Dodge at the close. A
great stickler for the rights of the people, he never considered that this people was composed of many integral parts,
blt he viewed all things as gravitating towards the great
aggregation.  Majorities were his hobbies, and though sin.
gularly timid as an individual, or when irt the minority, put
him on the strongest side and he was ready to face the
devil.  In short, Mr. Dodge was a people's man, because
his strongest desire, his "' ambition and his pride," as he
often expressed it, was to be a man of the people. In his
particular neighbourhood, at home, sentiment ran in veins,
like gold in the mines, or in streaks of public opinion; and
though there might be three or four of' these public sentiments, so long as each had its party, no one was afraid to
avow it; but as for maintaining a notion that was not thus
upheld,, there was a savour of aristocracy about it that
would damn even a mathematical proposition, though reguiarly solved and proved. So much and so long had Mr.
Dodge respired -a moral atmosphere of this communitycharacter, and gregarious propensity, that he had, in many
things, lost all sense of his individuality; as much so, in
fact, as if he breathed with a pair of county lungs, ate with
a common mouth, drank from the town-pump, and slept in
the open air.
Such a man was not very likely to make an impression
on Captain Truck, one accustomed to rely on himself alone,
in the face of warring elenents, and who knew that a ship
could not safely have more than a single will, and that the
will of her master.
The accidents of life could scarcely form extremes of
character more remote than that of Steadfast Dodge and
that of John Truck. The first never did anything beyond
acts of the most ordinary kind, without first weighing its
probable effect in the neighbourhood; its popularity or unpopularity; how it might tally with the different public
opinions that were whiffling through the county; in what
mtanner it would influence the next election, and whether ii




HOMEWARD BOUND.                  89
would be likely to elevate him or depress him in the public
mind.  No Asiatic slave stood more in terror of a vindictive master than Mr. Dodge stood in fear and trembling befobre the reproofs, comments, censures, frowns, cavillings and
remarks of every man in his county, who happened to be
long to the political party that just at that moment was in
power. As to the minority, he was as brave as a lion,
could snap his fingers at them, and was foremost in deriding
and scoffing at all they said and did.  This, however, was
in connexion with politics only; for, the instant party-drill
ceased to be of value, Steadfast's valour oozed out of his
composition, and in all other things he dutifully consulted
every public opinion of the neighbourhood. This estimable
man had his'weak points as well as another, and what is
more, he was quite sensible of them, as was proved by a
most jealous watchfulness of his besetting sins, in the way
of exposure if not of indulgence.  In a word, Steadfast
Dodge was a man that wished to meddle with and control all things, without possessing precisely the spirit that
was necessary to leave him master of himself; he had a
rabid desire for the good opinion of every thing human,
without always taking the means necessary to preserve his
own; was a stout declaimer for the rights of the community, while forgetting that the community itself is but a
neans set up for the accomplishment of a given end; and
felt an inward and profound respect for everything that was
beyond his reach, which manifested itself, not in manly
efforts to attain the forbidden fruit, but rather'in a spirit of
opposition and detraction, that only betrayed, through its
jealousy, the existence of the feeling, which jealousy, however, he affected to conceal under an intense regard fox
popular rights, since he was apt to aver it was quite intolerable that any man should possess anything, even to qualities, in which his neighbours might not properly participate
All these, moreover, and many similar traits, Mr. Dodge
encouraged in the spirit of liberty!
On the other hand, John Truck sailed his own ship; was
civil to his passengers from habit as well as policy; knew
-hat every vessel must have a captain; believed mankind to
be little better than asses; took his own observattons. ald
cared not a straw for those of his mates; was never ri ohe
8 *




DO                HOMEWARD BOUND.
bent on following his own views than Tkhen all hands grurn
bled and opposed him; was daring by nature, decided from
use and long self-reliance, and was every way a man fitted
to steer his bark through the trackless ways of life, as well
as those of the ocean.  It was fdrtunate for one in his particular position, that nature had made the possessor of so
much self-will and temporary authority, cool and sarcastic
rather than hot-headed and violent; and for this circumstance Mr. Dodge in particular had frequent occasions for
felicitation.
CHAPTER VII.
But then we are in order, when we are
Moat out of order.
JACK CADE.
DISAPPOINTED in his private appeal to the captain's dread
of popular disapprobation, Mr. Dodge returned to his secret
work on deck; for like a true freeman of the exclusive
school, this person never presumed to work openly, unless
sustained by a clear majority; canvassing all around him,
and striving hard to create a public opinion, as he termed
it, on his side of the question, by persuading his hearers
that every one was of his particular way of' thinking already; a method of exciting a feeling much practised by
partisans of his school.  In the interval, Captain Truck
was working up his day's reckoning by himself, in his own
state-room, thinking little, and caring less, about any thing
but the results of his figures, which soon convinced him,
that by standing a fewx hours longer on his present course,
he should "plump his ship ashore" somewhere between
Falmouth and the Lizard.
This. discovery annoyed the worthy master so much the
more, on account of' the suggestions.of' his late visiter; for
aothing could be less to his taste than to have the appearance of altering his determination under a menace.  Still
something must be done before midnight, for he plainly per.
eeived that thirty ar forty miles, at the farthest, would




HOMEWARD BOUND.                  91
fetch up the Montauk on her present course.  The passengers had left the deck to escape the night air, and he
heard the Effinghams inviting Mr. Sharp and Mr. Blunt
into the Ladies' cabin, which had been taken expressly fol
their party, while the others were calling upon the stewards
for the usual alfowance of hot drinks, at the dining-table
without.  The talking and noise disturbed him; his own
state-room became too confined, and he went on deck to
come to his decision, in view of the angry-looking skies
and the watery waste, over which he was called to prevail.
Here we shall leave him, pacing the quarter-deck, in moody
silence alone, too much disturbed to smoke even, while the
mate of the watch sat in the mizzen-rigging, like a monkey,
keeping a look-out to windward and ahead. In the mean
time, we will return to the cabin of the Effinghams.
The Montauk was one of the noblest of those surpassingly beautiful and yacht-like ships that now ply between
the two hemispheres in such numbers, and which in luxury
and the fitting conveniences seem to vie with each other for
the mastery. The cabins were lined with satin-wood and
bird's-eye maple; small marble columns separated the
glittering panels of polished wood, and rich carpets covered
the floors. The main cabin had the great table, as a fixture, in the centre, but that of Eve, somewhat shorter, but
of equal width, was free from all encumbrance of the sort.
It had its sofas, cushions, mirrors, stools, tables, and an
upright piano. The doors of the state-rooms, and other
conveniences, opened on its sides and ends.  in short, it
presented, at that hour, the resemblance of a tasteful boudoir, rather than that of an apartment in a cramped and
vulgar ship.
Here, then, all who properly belonged to the place were
assembled, with Mr. Sharp and Mr. Blunt as guests, when
a tap at the door announced another visiter.  It was Mr.
Dodge,-begging to be admitted on a matter oC business.
Eve smiled, as she bowed assent tc old Nanny, who acted
as her groom of the chambers, and hastily expressed a be.
lief that her guest must have come with a proposal to fbrm
a Dorcas society.
Although Mr. Dodge was as bold as Ccesar in expressing
his corfempt of anything but popular sway, he never came




92                HOMEWARD BOUND.
into the presence of the quiet and well-bred without a feel.
ing of distrust and uneasiness, that had its rise in the simpie circumstance of his not being used to their company.
Indeed, there is nothing more appalling, in general, to tho
vulgar and pretending, than the simplicity and natural ease
of the refined.  Their own notions of elegance lie so much
on the surface, that they seem at first to suspect an ambush,
and it is probable that, finding so much repose where,
agreeably to their preconceived opinions, all ought to be
fuss and pretension, they imagine themselves to be regarded
as intruders.
Mr. Effingham  gave their visiter a polite reception, and
one that was marked with a little more than the usual formality, by way of letting it be understood that the apartment
was private; a precaution that fhe knew was very necessary
in associating with tempers like those of Steadfast. All this
was thrown away on Mr. Dodge, notwithstanding every
other person present admired the tact with which the host
kept his guest at a distance, by extreme attention, for the
latter fancied so much ceremony was but a homage to his
claims. It had the effect to put him on his own good behaviour, however, and of suspending the brusque manner in
which he had intended to broach his subject. As every
body waited in calm silence, as if expecting an explanation
of the cause of his visit, Mr. Dodge soon felt himself constrained to say something, though it might not be quite as
clearly as he could wish.
~" We have had a considerable pleasant time, Miss Erffingham, since we sailed fiom Portsmouth," he observed familiarly.
Eve bowed her assent, determined not to take to herself
a visit that did violence to all her habits and notions of propriety   But Mr. Dodge was too obtuse to feel the hint conveyed in mere reserve of manner.
"It would have been more agreeable, I allow, had not
this man-of-war taken it into her head to follow us in this
unprecedented manner."  Mr. Dodge was as fond of his
dictionary as the steward, though he belonged to the politi.
c-al, while Saunders merely adorned the polite school of,alkers.  "Sir George calls it a most' uncomfortable pro




HOMEWARD BOUND.                  93
r, ure.'  You know  Sir George Templemore, without
doubt, Miss Effingham?"
"I am aware there is a person of that name on board..sir," returned Eve, who recoiled fromn this familiarity with
the sensitiveness with which a well-educated female distingpishes between one who appreciates her character and one
who does not;" " but have never had the honour of his ac.
quaintance."
Mr. Dodge thought all this extraordinary, for he had
witnessed Captain Truck's introduction, and did not understand how people who had sailed twenty-four hours in the
same ship, and had been fairly introduced, should not be
intimate.  As for himself, he fancied he was, what he
termed, " well acquainted" with the Effinghams, from having talked of them a great deal ignorantly, and not a little
maliciously; a liberty he felt himself fully entitled to take
from the circumstance of residing in the same county, al
though he had never spoken to one of the family, until accident placed him  in their company on board the same
vessel.
" Sir George is a gentleman of great accomplishments,
Miss Effingham, I assure you; a man of unqualified merit.
We have the same state-room, for I like company, and prefer chatting a little in my berth to being always asleep. He
is a baronet, I suppose you know,-not that I care anything for titles, all men being equal in truth, thoughthough   "'
" -Unequal in reality, sir, you probably meant to add,"
observed John Effingham, who was lolling on Eve's werkstand, his eagle-shaped face fairly curling with the contempt he felt, and which he hardly cared to conceal.
"Surely not, sir!" exclaimed the terrified Steadfast,
looking furtively about, lest some active enemy might be
at hand to quote this unhappy remark to his prejudice.
" Surely not! men are every way equal, and no one can
pretend to be better than' another. No, no, —it is nothing
to me that Sir George is a baronet; though one would prefer having a gentleman in the same state-room to having a
coarse fellow. Sir George thinks, sir, that the ship is run.
ning into great danger by steering for the land in so dark
a night, and in such dirty weather.  He has many out-of.




4  OMEWARD BOUND.
thle-way expressions, Sir George, I must admit, for one of
his rank; he calls the weather dirty, and the pi'oceedings
uncomfortable; modes of expression, gentlemen, to which
t give an unqualified disapprobation."
"' Probably Sir George would attach more importance to
a qualified disapprobation," retorted John Effingham.
"G Quite likely," returned Mr. Dodge innocently, though the
two other visiters, Eve and Mademoiselle Viefville, permitted
slight muscular movements about the lips to be seen: "Sir
George is quite an original in his way.  We have few originals in our part of the country, you know, Mr. John
Effingham; for to say the truth, it is rather unpopular to
differ from the neighbourhood, in this or any other respect.
Yes, sir, the people will rule, and ought, to rule. Still, I
think Sir George may get along well enough as a stranger,
for it is not quite as unpopular in a stranger to be original,
as in a native. I think you will agree with me, sir, in believing it excessively presuming in an American to pretend
to be different from his fellow-citizens."
" No one, sir, could entertain such presumption, I am
persuaded, in your case."
1" No, sir, I do not speak from personal motives; but op
the great general principles, that are to be maintained for
the got d of mankind. I do not know that any man has a
right to be peculiar in a free country.  It is aristocratic
and has an air of thinking one man is better than another
I am sure Mr. Effingham cannot approve of it?"
" Perhaps not.' Freedom has many arbitrary laws that
it u111 not do to violate."
" Certainly, sir, or where would be its supremacy? If
the people cannot control and look down peculiarity, or anything they dislike, one might as well live in despotism at
once."
"' As I have resided much abroad, of late years, Mr.
Dodge," inquired Eve, who was fearful her kinsman would
give some cut that would prove to be past bearing, as she
saw his eye was menacing, and who felt a disposition to be
amused ot the other's philosophy, that overcame the attraction of repulsion she had at first experienced towards himwill you favour me with some of those great principles




nOMYEWARD BOUND.                  95
of liberty of which I hear so much, but which, I feae, nave
been overlooked by my European instructers?"
* Mademoiselle Vieifville looked grave; Messrs. Sharp and
Blunt delighted; Mr. Dodge, himself, mystified. 
"I should feel myself little able to instruct Miss Effing'
ham on such a subject," the latter modestly replied, "' as no
doubt she has seen too much misery in the nations she has
visited, not to appreciate justly all the advantages of that
happy country which has the honour of claiming her for
one of its fair daughters."
Eve was terrified at her own temerity, for she was far
from anticipating so high a flight of eloquence in return for
her own simple request, but it was too late to retreat.
" None of the many illustrious and god-like men that
our own beloved land has produced can pretend to more
zeal in its behalf than myself, but I fear my abilities to do
it justice will fall far short of the subject," he continued.
" Liberty, as you know, Miss Effingham, as you well know,
gentlemen, is a boon that merits our unqualified gratitude,
and which calls for our daily and hourly thanks to the gallant spirits who, in the days that tried men's souls, were
foremost in the tented field, and in the councils of the nation."
John Effingham turned a glance at Eve, that seemed to
tell her how unequal she was to the task she had under.
taken, and which promised a rescue, with her consent; a
condition that the young lady most gladly complied with in
the same silent but expressive manner.
"Of all this my young kinswoman is properly sensible,
Mr. Dodge," he said by way of diversion; " but she, and I
confess myself, have some little perplexity on the subject
of what this liberty is, about which so much has been said
and written in our time. Permit me to inquire, if you un.
derstand by it a perfect independence of thought, action,
and rights?"
"Equal, laws, equal rights, equality in all respects, and
pure, abstract, unqualified liberty, beyond all question, sir."
" What, a power in the strong man to beat the little man,
and to take away his dinner?"
"By no means, sir; Heaven forbid that I should maintarn any such doctrine! It means entire liberty: no kings,




E9 8              HOMEW ARD BOUND.
no aristocrats, no exclusive privileges; but one man as good
as another!"
~' Do you understand, then, that one man is as good as
another, under our system, Mr. Dodge?"'" Unqualifiedly so, sir; I am amazed that such a question
should be put by a gentleman of your information, in an
age like this!"
"If one man is as good as another," said Mr. Blunt, who
perceived that John Effingham was biting his lips, a sign
that something more biting would follow,-" will you do
me the favour to inform me, why the country puts itself to
the trouble and expense of the annual elections?"
" Elections, sir! In what manner could free institutions
flourish or be maintained, without constantly appealing to
the people, the only true sources of power?"
" To this I make no objections, Mr. Dodge," returned the
young man, smiling; " but why an election; if one man
is as good as another, a lottery would be cheaper, easier,
and sooner settled.  Why an election, or even a lottery at
all? why not choose the President as the Persians chose
heir king, by the neighing of a horse?
"This would be indeed an extraordinary mode of proceeding for an intelligent and virtuous people, Mr. Blunt;
and I must take the liberty of saying that I suspect you of
pleasantry. If you wish an answer, I will say, at once
by such a process we might get a knave, or a fool, or a
traitor."
"How, Mr. Dodge! I did not expect this character of
the country from you! Are the Americans, then, all fools,
or knaves, or traitors?"
" If you intend to travel much in our country, sir, I would
advise great caution in throwing out such an insinuation,
for it would be apt to meet with a very general and unqualified disapprobation. Americans are enlightened and free,
and as far from deserving these epithets as any people on
earth."
"And yet the fact follows from your own theory. If one
man is as good as another, and any one of them is a fool,
or a knave, or a traitor,-all are knaves, or fools, or trai.
tors! The insinuation is not mine, but it follows, I think.
inevitably, as a consequence of your own proposition."




HOMEWARD BOUND.                  97
in the pause that succeeded, Mr. Sharp said in a low
voice to Eve, "6 He is an Englishman, after all!"
"Mr. Dodge does not mean that one man is as good as
another in that particular sense," Mr. Effingham kindly
interposed, in his quality of host; " his views are less gene.
ral, I fancy, than his words would give us, at first, reason
to suppose."
"Very true, Mr. Effingham, very true, sir; one man is
not as good as another in that particular sense, or in the
sense of elections, but in all other senses. Yes, sir," turn.
ing towards Mr. Blunt again, as one reviews the attack on
an antagonist, who has given a fall, after taking breath;
"in all other senses, one man is unqualifiedly as good as
another. One man has the same rights as another."' The slave as the freeman?"
"The slaves are exceptions, sir.  But in the free states
except in the case of elections, one man is as good as another in all things. That is our meaning, and any other
principle would be unqualifiedly unpopular."
" Can one man make a shoe as well as another?"
"Of rights, sir,-J stick to the rights, you will remem.
ber."
" Has the minor the same rights as the man of full age;
the apprentice as the master; the vagabond as the resident;
the man who cannot pay as the man who can?"
" No, sir, not in that sense either. You do not understand me, sir, I fear.  All that I mean is, that in particular
things, one man is as good as another in America. This
is American doctrine, though it may not happen to be
English, and I flatter myself it will stand the test of the
strictest investigation."
"" And you will allow me to inquire where this is not the
case, in particular things.  If you mean to say that there
are fewer privileges accorded to the accidents of birth, or to
fortune and station in America, than is usual in other countries, we shall agree; but I think it will hardly do to say
there are none!"
"Privileges accorded to birth in America, sir! The idea
would be odious to her people!"
" Does not the child inherit the property of the father 7"
9




O9 8              HOMEkWARD BOUND.
"Most assuredly; but this can hardly be termed a privi,
iege."
"That may depend a good deal on taste. I should ac.
count it a greater privilege than to inherit a title without the
fortune."
"I perceive, gentlemen, that we do not perfectly under.
stand each other, and I must postpone the discussion to a
more favourable opportunity; for I confess great uneasiness
at this decision of the captain's, about steering in among
the rocks of Sylla." (Mr. Dodge was not as clear-headed
as common, in consequence of the controversy that had just
occurred.) "1I challenge you to renew the subject another
time, gentlemen.  I only happened in" (another peculiarity
of' diction in this gentleman) "to make a first call, for I
suppose there is no exclusion in ann American ship?"
"' None whatever, sir," Mr. John Effingham coldly answered.'" All the state-rooms are in common, and I propose to seize an early occasion to return this compliment, by
making myself at hom& in the apartment which has the
honour to lodge Mr. Dodge and Sir George Templemore."
Here Mr. Dodge beat a retreat, without touching at all
on his real errand. Instead of even following up the matter with the other passengers, he got into a corner, with
one or two congenial spirits, who had taken great offence
that the Effinghams should presume to retire into their
cabin, and particularly that they should have the extreme
aristocratical audacity to shut the door, where he continued
pouring into the greedy ears of his companions his own
history of the recent dialogue, in which, according to his
own account of the matter, he had completely gotten the
better of that " young upstart, Blunt," a man of whom he
knew positively nothing, divers anecdotes of the Effingham
family, that came of the lowest and most idle gossip of rustic malignancy, and his own vague and confused notions
of the rights of persons and of things. Very different was
the conversation that ensued in the ladies' cabin, after the
welcome disappearance of the uninvited guest.  Not a remark of any sort was made on his intrusion, or on his folly;
even John Effingham, little addicted in common to forbeaiance, being too proud to waste his breath on so low game,
and too Swell taught to open upon a man the moment his




HO1EW'ARD ROUND.                  99
back was turned. But the subject was continued, and in a
manner better suited to the education, intelligence, and
views of the several speakers.
Eve said but little, though she ventured to ask a question
now and then; Mr. Sharp and Mr. Blunt being the principal supporters of the discourse, with an occasional quiet
discreet remark from the young lady's father, and a sarcasm, now and then, from  John Effingham.  Mr. Blunt,
though'advancing his opinions with diflidence, and with a
proper deference for the greater experience of the two elder
gentlemen, soon made his superiority apparent, the subject
proving to be one on which he had evidently thought a
great deal, and that too with a discrimination and originality
that are far from common.
He pointed out the errors that are usually made on the
subject of the institutions of the American Union, by confounding the effects of the general government with those
of the separate states; and lie clearly demonstrated that
the Confederation itself had, in reality, no distinctive cha.
racter of its own, even for or against liberty.  It was a
confederation, and got its character from the characters of
its several parts, which of themselves were independent in
all things, on the important point of distinctive principles,
with the exception of the vague general provision that they
must be republics; a provision that meant anything, or
nothing, so far as true liberty was concerned, as each state
might decide for itself.
6" The character of the American government is to be
sought in the characters of the state governments," he concluded, "which vary with their respective policies.  It is in
this way that communities that hold one half of their numbers in domestic bondage are found tied up in the same
political fasces with other communities of the most democratic institutions. The general government assures neither
liberty of speech, liberty of conscience, action, nor of any.
thing else, except as against itself; a provision that is quite
unnecessary, as it is purely a government of delegated
powers, and has no authority to act at all on those particular interests."
"This is very Jifferent from the general impression in
Europe," observed Mr. Sharp; "and as I perceive I have




100              HOME WARD BOUND.
the good fortune to be thrown into the society of an Anmei
ican, if not an American lawyer, able to enlighten my
ignorance on these interesting topics, I hope to be permitted,
during some of the idle moments, of which we are likely to
have many, to profit by it."
The other coloured, bowed to the compliment, but ap.
peared to hesitate before he answered.
"'T is not absolutely necessary to be an American by
birth," he said, " as I have already had occasion to observe,
in order to understand the institutions of the country, and
I might possibly mislead you were you to fancy that a native was your instructer. I have often been in the country,
however, if not born in it, and few young men, on this side
of the Atlantic, have had their attention pointed, with so
much earnestness, to all that affects it as myself."
" I was in hopes we had the honour of including you
among our countrymen," observed John Effingham, with
evident disappointment.  "So many young men come
abroad disposed to quarrel with foreign excellences, of
which they know nothing, or to concede so many of our
own, in the true spirit of serviles, that I was flattering myself I had'at last found an exception."
Eve also felt regret, though she hardly avowed to herself
the reason.
" He is then, an Englishman, after all!" said Mr. Sharp,
in another aside.
" Why not a German-or a Swiss-or even a Russian?"'" His English is perfect; no continental could speak so
fluently, with such a choice of words, so totally without an
accent, without an effort. As Mademoiselle Viefville says,
he does not speak well enough for a foreigner."
Eve was silent, for she was thinking of the singular
manner in which a conversation so oddly commenced, had
brought about an explanation on a point that had often given
her many doubts. Twenty times had she decided in her
own mind that this young man, whom she could properly
call neither stranger nor acquaintance, was a countryman,
and as often had she been led to change her opinion. He
had now been explicit, she thought, and she felt compelled
to set him down as a European, though not disposed, still,.o believe he was an Englishman. For this latter notion




HOMEX~WARD BOUND.               10
she lhad reasons it might not have done to give to a native
of the island they had just left, as she knew to be the fact
with Mr. Sharp.
Music succeeded this conversation, Eve having taken the
precaution to have the piano tuned before quitting port, an
expedient we would recommend to all who have a regard
for the instrument that extends beyond its outside, or even
for their own ears. John Effingham executed brilliantly on
the violin; and, as it appeared on inquiry, the two younger
gentlemen performed respectably on the flute, flageolet, and
one or two other wind instruments.  We shall leave them
doing great justice to Beethoven, Rossini, and -Mayerbeer,
whose compositions Mr. Dodge did not fail to sneer at in
the outer cabin, as affected and altogether unworthy of
attention, and return on deck to the company of the anxious
master.
Captain Truck had continued to pace the deck moodily
and alone, during the whole evening, and he only seemed
to come to a recollection of himself when the relief passed
him on his way to the wheel, at eight bells. Inquiring the
hour, he got into the Vnizzen rigging, with a night-glass, and
swept the horizon in search of the Foam. Nothing could
be made out, the darkness having settled upon the water in
a way to circumscribe the visible horizon to very narrow
limits.
" This may do," he muttered to himself, as lie swung off
by a rope, and alighted again on the planks of the deck.
Mr. Leach was summoned, and an order was passed foI
the relieved watch to remain on deck for duty.
When all was ready, the first mate went through the
ship, seeing that all the candles were extinguished, or that
the hoods were drawn over the sky-lights, in such a way
as to conceal any rays that might gleam upwards from the
cabin. At the same time attention was paid to the binnacle
lamp. This precaution observed, the people went to work
to reduce the sail, and in the course of twenty minutes they!ad got in the studding-sails, and all the standing canvas
to the to)sails, the fore-course, and a forward staysail.
Phe three topsails were then reefed, with sundry urgent
rommands to the crew to be active, for, " The Englishlaan
was coming up like a horse, all this time, no doubt."
9*




102               lOS E WARD BOU ND.
This much effected, the hands returned on deck, as much
amazed at the several arrangements as if the order had
been to cut away the masts.
" If' we had a few guns, and were a little stronger-handed,"
growled an old salt to the second-mate, as he hitched tiup
his trousers and rolled over his quid, " I should think the
hard one, aft, had been stripping for a fight; but as it is
we have nothing to carry on the war with, unless we throw
sea-biscuits into the enemy!"
" Stand by to veer i" called out the captain from the
quarter-deck; or, as he pronounced it, " ware."
The mein  sprang to the braces, and the bows of the ship
fell off gradually, as the yards yielded slowly to the drag.
in a minute the Montauk was rolling dead before it, and her
broadside came sweeping up to the wind with the ship's
head to the eastward.  This new direction in the course
had the double effect of hauling off the land, and of diverging at more than right angles from the line of' sailing of the
Foam, if that ship still continued in pursuit. The seamen
nodded their heads at each other in approbation, for all now
as well understood the meaning of the change as if it had
been explained to them verbally.
The revolution on deck produced as sudden a revolution
below.  The ship was no longer running easily on an even
keel, but was pitching violently into a head-beating sea, and
the wind, which a few minutes before, was scarcely felt to
blow, was now whistling its hundred strains among the
cordage. Some sought their berths, among whom were
Mr. Sharp and Mr. Dodge; some hurried up the stairs to
learn the reason, and all broke up their avocations for the
night.
Captain Truck had the usual number of questions to an.
swer, which he did in the following succinct and graphic
manner, a reply that we hope will prove as satisfactory to
the reader, as it was made to be, perforce, satisfactory to
the curious on board.
" Had we stood on an hour longer, gentlemen, we should
have been lost on the coast of Cornwall!" he said, pithily:
" had we stopped where we were, the sloop-of-war would
nave been down upon us in twenty minutes: by changing
the course, in the way you have seen, he may get to lee.




HOMEWARD BOUND.                  I ()3
ward of us; if he find it out, he may change his own
course, in the dark, being as likely to go wrong as to go
right; or he may stand in, and set up the ribs ofi his' majesty's ship Foam to dry among the rocks of the Lizard,
where I hope all her people will get safely ashore, dry shod."
After waiIting the result anxiously for an hour, the passengers retired to their rooms one by one; but Captain
Truck did not quit the deck until the middle watch was set.
Paul Blunt heard him enter his state-room, which was next
to his own, and putting out his head, he inquired the news
above. The worthy master had discovered something about
this young man Which created a respect for his nautical in-.formation, for he never misapplied a term, and he invariably
answered all his questions promptly, and with respect.
"Dirtier, and dirtier," he said, in defiance of Mr. Dodge's
opinion of the phrase, pulling off his pee-jacket, and laying
aside his sow-wester; " a cap-full of wind, with just enough
drizzle to take the comfort out of a man, and lacker him
down like a boot."
"The ship has gone about?"
6" Like a dancing-master with two toes. We have got
her head to the southward and westward again; another
reef in the topsails," (which word Mr. Truck pronounced
tawsails, with great unction,) " England wvell under our lee,
and the Atlantic ocean right before us. oSi, hours on this.,ourse, and we make a. fair wind of it."
"And the sloop?"




104               HOMEWARD BOUND.
CHAPTER IX.
The moon was now
Rising full orbed, but broken by a cloud.
The wind was hushed, and the sea mirror-like
ITALm.
Most of the passengers appeared on dek soon after
Saunders was again heard rattling among his glasses. The
day was sufficiently advanced to allow a distinct view of
all that was passing, and the wind had shifted. The change
had not occurred more than tenr minutes, and as most of the
inmates of the cabin poured up the cabin-stairs nearly in a
beody, Mr. Leach had just got through with the necessary
operation of bracing the yards about, for the breeze, whic}
was coming stiff, now blew from the northeast.  No land
was visible, aend the nmate was just giving  his opinion that
they were up with Scilly, as Captain Truck appeared in
the group.
One glance aloft, and another at the heavens, sufficed to
let the experienced master into all the secrets of his present
situation.  His next step was to jump into the rigging, and
to take a look at the sea, in the direction of the Lizard.
There, to his extreme disappointment, appeared a ship with
everything set that would draw, and with a studding-sail
/lapping, before it could be drawn down, which he knew in
an instant to be the Foam. At this'spectacle Mri.'Trurck
~ompressed his lips, and made an inward imprecation, that
It would ill comport with our notions of propriety to repealt
" Tutrn the handcs up and sh-ake out the reefs, sir," he
said co-olly to his mate, for it was a standing rule of the
captain's to seem calmest when he was in the greatest rage.' Turn them  up, sir, and show every rag that will draw,
from the truclk to the lower studding-sail boom, and be d-dto them!"
On this hint Mr. Leach bestirred hlmself, and the men
were quickly on the yards, casting loose gaskets and ree~




HOMSEWARD BOUND.                105
points.  Sail opened after sail, and as the steerage passengers, who could show a force of -thirty or forty men, aidid
with their strength, the Montauk was soon running dead
before the wind, under every thing that would draw, and
with studding-sails on both sides. The mates looked surprised, the seamen cast inquiring glances aft, but Mr. Truck
lighted a cigar.
"Gentlemen," said the captain, after a few philosophical
whifis, "6 to go to America with yonder fellow on my weather beam is quite out of the question: he would be up with
me, and in possession, before ten o'clock, and my only play
is to bring the wind right over the taffrail, where, luckily,
we have got it. I think we can bother him at this sport,
for your sharp bottoms are not as good as your kettle-bottoms in ploughing a full furrow.  As for bearing her can.
vas, the Montauk will stand it as long as any ship in King
William's navy, before the gale.  And on one thing you
may rely; I'll carry you all into Lisbon, before that tobacco-hating rover shall carry you back to Portsmouth.
This is a category to which I will stick."
This characteristic explanation served to let the passengers understand the real state of the case.  No one remonstrated, for all preferred a race to being taken; and even
the Englishmen on board began again to take sides with
the vessel they were in, and this the more readily, as Captain Truck freely admitted that their cruiser was too much
for him on every tack but the one he was about to try.
Mr. Sharp hoped that they might now escape, and as for
Sir George Templemore,-he generously repeated his offer
to pay, out of his own pocket, all the port-charges in any
French, Spanish, or Portuguese harbour, the master would
enter, rather than see such an outrage done a foreign vessel
in a time of profound peace.
The expedient of Captain Truck proved his judgment,
and his knowledge of his profession.  Within an hour it
was apparent that, if there was any essential difference ii.
the sailing of the two ships under the present circumstances,
it was slightl) in favour of the Montauk.  The Foam now
set her ensign fbr the first time, a signal that she wished te
speak the ship in sight.  At this Captain Truck chuckled,




1 o0              IOME\WAIhRD BOUND.
flr he pronounced it a sign that she was conscious she
could not get them within range of her guns.
"1 Show him the gridiron," cried the captain, briskly; " i
will not do to be beaten in civility by a man who has beaten
us already on so many other tacks; but keep all fast as a
church-door on a week-day."
This latter comparison was probably owing to the cir.
cumstance of the master's having come from a part of the
country where all the religion is compressed into the twentyfour hours that commence on a Saturday-night at sunset,
and end at sunset the next day: at least, this was his own
explanation of the matter. The effect of success was
always to make Mr. Truck loquacious, and he now began
to tell many excellent anecdotes, of which he had stores, all
of events that had happened to him in person, or of which
lie had been an eye-witness; and on which his hearers, as
SaXncho said, might so certainly depend as true, that, if they
chose, they might safely swear they had seen them themselves.
"Speaking of churches and doors, Sir George," he sale,
between the puffs of the cigar, " were you ever in Rhod,
Island?",
"Never, as this is my first visit to America, captain."
" True; well, you will be likely to go there, if yo'l go to
Boston, as it is the best way; unless you would prefer to
run over Nantucket shoals, and a hundred miles of'ditto
as Mr. Dodge calls it."
"' Ditter, captain, if you please-ditter: it is the conti-.
nental word for round-about."
" The d —— l it is! it is worth knowing, however. And
what may be the French for pee-jacket!"
" You mistake me, sir,-ditter, a circuit, or the longer
way."
s" That is the road we are now travelling, by George'I say, Leach, do you happen to know that we are making
a ditter to America?"; "You were speaking of a church, Captain Truck," po.
5itely interposed Sir George, who had become rather intimate with his ibllo*-occupant of the state-room.
" I was travelling through that state, a few years since,
f,n my way from Providence to New London, at a time




OOMlrl.iU\..J-X) iOUNDT5.     107
whimen a new road had just been opened.  It was on a Sun.
day, and the stage-a four-horse power, you must knowhad never yet run through on the Lord's-day.  Well, we
might be, as it were, off here at right angles to our course,
and there was a short turn in the road, as one would say,
out yonder. As we hove in sight of the turn, I saw a
chap at the mast-head of a tree; down he slid, and away
he wernt right before it, towards a meeting-house two -w
three cables length down the roadV We followed at a smalrt
jog, and just before we got the church abeam, out poured
the whole congregation, horse and foot, parson and idlers,
sinners and hypocrites, to see the four-horse power go past
Now this is what I call keeping the church-door open on a
Sunidaya"
We might have hesitated about recording this anecdote
of the captain's, had we not received an account of the
same occurrence from a quarter that left no doubt that his
version of the affair was substantially correct. This and
a few similar adventures, some of which he invented, and all
of which he swore were literal, enabled the worthy master.o keep the quarter-deck in good hlumour, while the ship
was running at the rate of ten knots the hour in a line so
far diverging from her true course.. But the relief to lands.
men is so great, in general, in meeting with a fail wind at
sea, that few are disposed to quarrel with its consequences.
A bright day, a steady ship, the pleasure of motion as they
raced with the combing seas, and the interest of the chase,
set every one at ease; and even Steadfast Dodge was less
devoured with envy, a jealousy of his own deservings, and
the desire of management, than usual. Not an introduction
occurred, and yet the little world of the ship got to be better acquainted with each other in the course of that day,
than would have happened in months of the usual collision
on land.
The Montauk continued to gain on her pursuer until the
sun set, when Captain Truck began once more to cast about
him for the chances of the night. lHe knew that the ship
was running into the mouth of the Bay of Biscay, or at
least was fast approaching it, and lie bethought him of the
means of getting to the westward.  The night p)romised to
he anything but dark, for though a good many wild-looking




108               HOMEW\ARID BtOUND.
clouds were by this time scudding athwart the heavens, the
moon diffused a sort of twilight gleam in the air. WVaiting
patiently, however, until the niddle-watch was again called,
he reduced sail, and hauled the ship off to a south-west
course, hoping by this slight change insensibly to gain an
offing before the Foam was aware of it; a scheme that he
thought more likely to be successful, as by dint of sheer
driving throughout the day, he had actually caused the.
courses of that vessel to dip before the night shut in.
Even. the most vigitant become weary of watching, and
Captain Truck was unpleasantly disturbed next morning by
arn alarm that the Foam was just out of gun-s-hot, coming
up with them fast.  On gaining the deck, he found the fact
indisputable. Favoured by the change in the course, the
cruiser had been gradually gaining on the Montauk ever
since the first watch was relieved, and had indeed lessened
the distance between the respective ships by two-thirds.
No remedy remained but to try the old expedient of getting
the wind over the taffrail once more, and of showing all the
canvas that could be spread. As like causes are known to
produce like effects, the expedient brought about the old results.  The packet had the best of it, and the sloop-of-war
slowly fell astern. Mr. Truck now declalred he would make
a: regular business of it," and accordingly he drove his
ship in that direction throughout the day, the following
night, and until near noon of the day which succeeded>
varying his course slightly to suit the wind, which he studiously kept so near aft as to allow the studding-sails to
draw on both sides.  At meridian, on the fourth day out,
the captain got a good observation, and ascertained that the
ship was in the latitude of Oporto, with an offing  of less
than a degree.  At this time the top-gallant sails of thet
Foam might be discovered from the deck, resembling a boat
clinging to the watery horizon.  As he had fully made up
his mind to run into port in preference to being overhauled,
hile master had kept so' near the land, with an intention of
profiling by his position, in the event of any change fak
vouring his pursuers; but he now believed that at sunset he
should be safe in finally shaping his course for America.
"' There must be double-fortified eyes aboard that fellow
to see what we. are about at this distance, when the night is




HOMEWARD BOUND.                  109
once skit it:," he said to Mr. Leach, who seconded all his
orders wi-h obedient zeal, "' and we will watch our moment
to slip out fihrly into the great prairie, and then we shall
discover who best knows the trail!  You'll be *for trotting
off to the prairies, Sir George, as soon as we get in, and
for trying your hand at the buffaloes, like all the rest of
them.  Ten years since, if an Englishman came to look at
us, he was afraid of being scalped in Broadway And now
he is never satisfied unless he is astraddle of the Rocky
Mountains in the first fortnight.. I take over lots of cock,
ney-hunters every summer, who just get a shot at a grizzly
bear or two, or at an antelope, and come back in time for
the opening of Drury Lane."
"6 Should we not be more certain of accomplishing your
plans, by seeking refuge in Lisbon for a day or two! I
confess now I should like to see Lisbon, and as for the portcharges, I would rather pay them twice, than that this poor
man should be torn from his wife. On this point I hope,
Captain Truck, I have made myself sufficiently explicit."
Captain Truck shook the baronet heartily by the hand,
as he always did when this offer was renewed, declaring
that his feelings did him honour.
" Never fear for Davis," he said.  "Old Grab shall not
have him this tack, nor the Foam neither.  I'll throw'him
overboard before such a disgrace befall us or him.  Well,
this leech has driven us from the old road, and nothing now
remains but to make the southern passage, unless the wind
prevail at south."
The Montauk, in truth, had not much varied from a
course that was once greatly in favour with the London
ships, Lisbon and New York being nearly in the same
parallel of latitude, and the currents, if properly improved,
often favouring the run.  It is true, the Montauk had.kept
closer in with the continent by a long distance than was
usual, even for the passage he had named; but the peculiar
circumstances of the chase had left no alternative, as the
master explained to his listeners.
"6 It was a coasting voyage, or a tow back to Portsmouth, Sir George," he said, "and of the two, I knoie
you 1.ke the Montauk too well to wish to be quit of her so
$oon."
10




. ()            IIOMtWARD BOUND.
To this the baronet gave a willing assent, protesting that
his feelings had got so much enlisted on the side of the vessel he was in, that he would cheerfully forfeit a thousand
pounds ralher than be overtaken. The master assured him
that was just what he liked, and swore that he was the sort
of passenger he most delighted in.
" When a man puts his foot on the deck of a ship, Sir
George, he should look upon her as his home, his church,
his wife and children, his uncles and aunts, and all the
other lumber ashore. This is the sentiment to make seamen. Now, I entertain a greater regard for the shortest
ropeyarn aboard this ship, than for the topsail-sheets or best
bower of any other vessel.  It is like a man's loving his
own finger, or toe, before another person's. I have heard
it said that one should love his neighbour as well as himself; but for my part I love my ship better than my neighbour's, or my neighbour himself; and I fancy, if the truth
were known, my neighbour pays me back in the same coin!
For my part, I like a thing because it is mine."
A little before dark the head of the Montauk was inclined
towards Iisbon, as if her intention was to run in, but the
moment the dark spot that pointed out the position of the
Foam was lost in the haze of the horizon, Captain Truck
gave the order to " wae," and sail was made to the west.
south-west.
Mlost of the passengers felt an intense curiosity to know
the state of things on the following morning, and all the
men among them were dressed and on deck just as the day
began to break. The wind had been fresh and steady all
night, and as the ship had been kept with, her yards a little
checked, and topmast studding-sails set, the officers reported
her to be at least a hundred miles to the westward of the
spotL where she veered.  The reader will imagine the disappointment the latter experienced, then, when they beheld
the.Foam a little on their weather-quarter, edging away for
them as assiduously as she had been hauling up for them
the night they sailed from Portsmouth, distant little more
than a league!
TlHis is indeed extraordinary perseverance," said Paul
3Blunt to Eve, at whose side he was standing at'he mornent




HOMEVARD BOUND.                  11l
the fact was ascertained, " and I think our captain might
do well to heave-to and ascertain its cause."
"'I hope not," cried his companion with vivacity.    I
confess to an esprit de corps, and a gallant determination
to'see it out,' as Mr. Leach styles his own -resolution.
One does not like to be followed about the ocean in this
manner, unless it be for the interest it gives the voyage.
After all, how much better is this than dull solitude, and
what a zest it gives to the monotony of the ocean!"
"Do you then find the ocean a scene of monotony?"
"Such it has oftener appeared to me than anything else,
and I give it a fair trial, having never le mal de mer.  Plut
I acquit it of this sin now; for the interest of a chase, in
reasonably good weather, is quite equal to that of a horserace, which is a thing I delight in. Even Mr. John Effingham can look radiant under its excitement."
" And when this is the case, he is singularly handsome;
a nobler outline of face is seldom  seen than that of Mr.
John Effingham."'" He has a noble outline of soul, if he did but know it
himself," returned Eve, warmly:" I love no one as much
as he, with the exception of my father, and as Mademoiselle
Viefville would say, pour caXuse."
The young man could have listened all day, but Eve
smiled, bowed graciously, though with a glistening eye, and
hastily left the deck, conscious of having betrayed some
of her most cherished feelings to one who had no claim to
share them.
Captain Truck, while vexed to his heart's core, or, as he
expressed it himself, " struck aback, like an old lady shot
off a hand-sled in sliding down hill," was prompt in applying the old remedy to the evil. The Montauk was again
put before the wind, sail v as made, and the fortunes of thec
chase were o6nce more cast. on the " play of the ship."
The commander of the Foam certainly deprecated this
change, for it was hardly made before he set his ensign, and
qired a gun. But of these signals no other notice was taken
than to show a flag in return, when the captain and his
mates proceeded to get the bearings of the sloop-of-war.
Ten minutes showed they were gaining; twenty did better 
and in an hour she was well on the quarter.




1 12              HOMEWARD BOUND
Another dJay of strife succeeded, or rather of pule sailing, for not a rope was started on board the Montauk, the
wind still standing firesh and steady. The sloop made
many signals, all indicating a desire to speak the Montauk,
but Captain Truck declared himself too experienced a navigator to be caught by bunting, and in too great a hurry to
stop and chat by the way.
"Vattel had laid down no law for such a piece of complaisance, in a time of profound peace. I am not to be
caught by that category."
The result may be anticipated from what has been already
related. The two ships kept before the wind until the Foam
was again far astern, and the observations of Captain Truck
told him, he was as far south as the Azores. In one of
these islands he was determined to take refiuge, provided he
was not favoured by accident, for going firther south was
out of the question, unless absolutely driven to it. Calculating his distance, on the evening of the sixth day out, he
fbund that he might reach an anchorage at Pico, before the
sloop-of-war could close with him, even allowing the necessity of hauling up again by the wind.
But Providence had ordered differently.  Towards midnight, the breeze almost failed and became baffling, and
when the day dawned the officer of the watch reported that
it was ahead. The pursuing ship, though still in sight, was
luckily so far astern and to leeward as to prevent any dan
ger from a visit by boats, and there was leisure to make the
preparations that might become necessary on the springiang
up of a new breeze.  Of the speedy occurrence of such a
change there was now every symptom, the heavens lighting
up at the northwest, a quarter from which the genius of the
storms mostly delights in making a display of his power.




HOMEWARD BOUND.                   113
CHAPTER X
I come with mightier things;
Whlo calls me silent? I have many tonesThe dark sky thrills with low mysterious moans,
Borne on my sweeping winds.
MRS. HIEMiNs.
THE awaking of the winds on the ocean is frcquent-.,
attended with signs and portents as sublime as any the fancy
can conceive. On the present occasion, the breeze that lhad
prevailed so steadily for a week was succeeded by light baft
fling puffs, as if, conscious of the mighty powers of the air
that were assembling in their strength, these inferior blasts
were hurrying to and fro for a refuge.  The clouds, too,
were whirling about in uncertain eddies, many of the heaviest and darkest descending so low along the horizon, that
they had an appearance of settling on the waters in quest
of repose.  But the waters themselves were unnaturally
agitated. The billows, no longer following each other in
long regular waves, were careering upwards, like fiery
coursers suddenly checked in their mad career. The usual
order of the eternally unquiet ocean was lost in a species
of chaotic tossings of the element, the seas heaving themselves upward, without order, and frequently without visible
cause.  This was the reaction oT the currents, and of the
influence of breezes still older than the last.  Not the ieast
fearful symptom of the hour was the terrific calmness of
the air amid such a scene of menacing wildness. Even the
ship came into the picture to aid the impression of intense
expectation; for with her canvas reduced, she, too, seemed
to have lost that instinct which had so lately guided her
along the trackless waste, and was  "wallowing," nearly
nelpless, among the confused waters. Still she was a beau.
tiful and a grand object, perhaps more so at that moment
than at any other; for her vast and nalked spars, her weiisupported masts, and all the ingenious and comp:fiatrc
hamper of the machine, gave her a resemblance to some
lot.




114               HOMEWARD BOUND.
sinewy and gigantic gladiator, pacing the arena, in waiting
for the conflict that was at hand.
"This is an extraordinary scene," said Eve, who clung
to her father's arm, as she gazed around her equally in admiration and in awe; "a dreadful exhibition of' the sublimitv of nature!"
" Although accustomed to the sea," returned Mr. Blunt,' I have witnessed these ominous changes buat twice before,
and I think this the grandest of them all."
" Were the others followed by tempests?" inquired the
anxious parent.
" One brought a tremendous gale, while the other passed
away like a misfortune of which we get a near view, but
are permitted to escape the effects."
" I do not know that I wish such to be entirely our present
fortune," rejoined Eve, " for there is so much sublimity in
this view of the ocean unaroused, that I feel desirous of
seeing it when aroused."
"We are not in the hurricane latitudes, or hurricane
months," resumed the young man, " and it is not probable
that there is anything more in reserve for us than a hearty
gale of wind, which may, at least, help us to get rid of
yonder troublesome follower."
"' Even that I do not wish, provided he will let us continue
the race on our proper route. A chase across the Atlantic
would be something to enjoy at the moment, gentlemen, and
something to talk of in after life."
"I wonder if such a thing be possible!" exclaimed Mr,
Sharp; "it would indedd be an incident to recount to
another generation!"
" There is little probability of our witnessing such an
exploit," Mr. Blunt remarked, " for gales of wind on the
ocean have the same separating influence on consorts of
the sea, that domestic gales have on consorts of the land.
Nothing is more difficult than to keep ships and fleets in
sight of each other in very heavy weather, unless, indeed.
those of the best qualities are disposed to humour those of
the worst."
" I know not which may be called the best, or which the
worst, in this instance, for our tormentor appears to be as
much better than ourselves in some particulars, as we are




HOUM E-,VARD BOUNCD.            115
better than he in others.  If the humouring is to come from
our honest captain, it will be some such humouring as the
spoiled child gets from a capricious parent in moments o
anger."
Mr. Truck passed the group at that instant, and heard
his name coupled with the. word honest, in the mouth of
Eve, though he lost the rest of the sentence.
"Thank you for the compliment, my dear young lady,"
he said;'" and I wish I could persuade Captain Somebody,
of his Britannic Majesty's ship Foam, to be of the same
way of thinking. It is all because he will not fancy me
honest in the article of tobacco, that he has got the Montauk
down here, on the Spanish coast, where the man who built
her would not know her; so unnatural and unseemly is it
to catch a London liner so far out of her track.  I shall
have to use double care to get the good craft home again."
" And why this particular difficulty, captain?" Eve, who
awas amused with Mr. Truck's modes of speech, pleasantly
inquired. " Is it not equally easy to go from one part of
the ocean, as from another?"
Equally easy! Bless you, my. dear young lady, you
never made a more capital mistake in your life. Do you
imagine it is as easy to go from L6ndon to New York, now,
as to go from New York to London?"
" I am so ignorant as to have made this ridiculous mistake, if mistake it be; nor do I now see why it should be
otherwise."
"Simply because it is up-hill, ma'am.  As for our position here to the eastward of the Azores; the difficulty is
soon explained. By dint of coaxing I had got the good old
ship so as to know every inch of the road on the northern
passage, and now I shall be obliged to wheedle her along
on a new route, like a shy horse getting through a new
stable-door.  One might as well think of driving a pig
from his sty, as to get a ship out of her track."
"W Ve trust to you to do all this and much more at need.
But to what will these grand omens lead? Shall we have a
gale, or is so much magnificent menacing to be taken as an
empty threat of Nature's?"
"That we shall know in the course of the day, Miss
Effingham, thoughl Nature is no bully, and seldom threatens




116              HOMEWARD BOUND.
in vain.  There is nothing more curious to study, or whicI,
needs a nicer eye to detect, than your winds."
" Of the latter I am fully persuaded, captain, for they
are called the'viewless winds,' you will remember, and the
greatest authority we possess, speaks of them as being quite
beyond the knowledge of man:' That we may hear the
sound of the wind, but cannot tell whence it cometh, or
whither it goeth."'
" I do not remember the writer you mean, my dear young
lady," returned Mr. Truck, quite innocently; i' but he wa
a sensible fellow,. for I believe Vattel has never yet dared
to grapple with the winds. There are people who fancy
the weather is foretold in the almanack; but, according to
my opinion, it is safer to trust a rheumatis' of two or three
years' standing. A good, well-established, old-fashioned
rheumatis'-I say nothing of your new-fangled diseases,
like the cholera, and varioloid, and animal magnitudesbut a good old-fashioned rheumatis', such as people used to
have when I was a boy, is as certain a barometer as that
which is at this moment hanging up in the coach-house
here, within two fathoms of the very spot where we are
standing.  I once had a rheumatis' that I set much store
by, for it would let me know when to look out for easterly
weather, quite as infallibly as any instrulment I ever sailed
with.  I never told you the story of the old Connecticut
horse-jockey, and the typhoon, I believe; and as we are
doing nothing but waiting for the weather to make up its
mind -"
"The weather to make up its mind.!" exclaimed Eve,
looking around her in awe at the sublime and terrific grandeur of the ocean, of the heavens, and of the pent and
moody air; " is there an uncertainty in this?";" Lord bless you! my dear young lady, the weather is
often as uncertain, and as undecided, and as hard to please,
too, as an old girl who gets sudden offers on the same day
from a widower Nwith ten children, an.attorney with one leg,
and the parson of the parish. Uncertain, indeed! Why I
have known the weather in this grandiloquent condition for
a whole day. Mr. Dodge, there, will tell' you it is making
up its mind which way it ought to blow, to be popular; so;
as we have nothing better to do, Mr. Effingham, I will tell




HOME WARD BOUiTN D.             117
you the story about my neighbour, the horse-jockey. Hauling yards when there is no wind, is like playing on a Jew's.
harp, at a concert of trombones."
Mr. Effiugham made a complaisant sign of assent, and
pressed the arm of the excited Eve for patience.
" You must know, gentlemen," the captain commenced,
looking round to collect as many listeners as possible,-for
he excessively disliked lecturing to small audiences, when
he had anything to say that he thought particularly clever,
-" you must know that we had formerly many craft that
wvent between the river and the islands-"
-" The river?" interrupted the amused Mr. Sharp.
"Certain; the-Connecticut, I mean; we all call it the
river down our way-between the river and the West Indies,
with horses, cattle, and other knick-knacks of that description. Among others was old Joe Bunk, who had followed
the trade in a high-decked brig for some twenty-three years,
he and the brig having grown old in company, like man
and wife. About forty years since, our river ladies began
to be tired of their bohea, and as there was a good deal said
in favour of souchong in those days, an excitement was
got up on the subject, as Mr. Dodge calls it, and it was determnined to make an experiment in the new quality, before
they dipped fairly into the trade.  Well, what do you suppose was done in the premises, as Vattel says, my dear
young lady?"
Eve's eyes were still on the grand and portentous aspect
of the heavens, but she civilly answered,
"No doubt they sent to a shop and purchased a samplei."'
"Not they; they knew too much for that, since any
rogue of a grocer might cheat them. When the excitement
had got a little headway on it, they formed a tea siciety,
with the parson's wife for presidentess, and her oldest daughter for secretary. In this way they went to work, until the
men got into the fever too, and a project was set a-foot to
send a craft to China for a sample of what they wanted."
" China!" exclaimed Eve, this time looking the captain
ftirly in the face.
"China, certain; it lies off hereaway, you know, round
on the other side of the earth.  Well, whom should they
ihoowe to go on the errand but old Joe Bunk. The old nman




18               HOIMEWARD BOUND.
had been so often to the islands and back, without knowing
anything of navigation, they thought he was just their man,
as there was no such thing as losing him."
" One would think lhe was the very man to get lost," observed Mr. Effingham, while the captain fitted a fresh cigar;
for smoke he would, and did, in any company, that was out
)f the cabin, although he always professed a readiness to:ease, if any person disliked the fragrance of tobacco.
"Not he, sir; he was just as well off in the Indian Ocean
as he would be here, for he knew nothing about either.
Well, Joe fitted up the brig; the Seven Dollies was her
name; for you must know we had seven ladies in the town,
who were cally Dolly, and they each of them used to send
a colt, Or a steer, or some other delicate article to the islands
by Joe, whenever he went; so he fitted up the Seven Dollies, hoisted in his dollars, and made sail. The last that
was seen or heard of the old man for eight months, was ofl
Montauk, where he was fallen in with, two days out, steering south-easterly, by compass."
"I should think," observed John Effingham, who began
to arouse himself as the story proceeded, " that Mrs. Bunk
must have been very uneasy all this time?"
"' Not she; she stuck to the bohea in hopes the souchong
would arrive before the restoration of the Jews.  Arrive it
did, sure enough, at the end of eight months, and a capital
adventure it proved for all concerned. Old Joe got a great
name in the river for the exploit, though how he got to
China no one could say, or how he got back again; or, for
a long time, how he got the huge heavy silver tea-pot, he
brought home with him."
"A silver tea-pot?"
"Exactly that article.  At last the truth came to be
known; for it is not an easy matter to hide anything of
that nature down our way; it is aristocratic, as Mr. Dodge
says, to keep a secret.  At first they tried Joe with all sorts
of questions, but he gave them' guess' for' guess.' Then
peop e began to talk, and finally it was fairly whispered
that the old man had stolen the tea-pot. This brought him
before the meeting.-Law was out of the question, you will
inderstand, as there was no evidence; but the meeting




HOIMEWARD BOUND.                119
don't stick much at particulars, provided people talk a good
deal."
"And the result?" asked John Effingham, "I suppose
the parish took the tea-pot and left Joe the grounds."
"Yot are as far out of the way as we are here, down on
the coast of' Spain! The truth is just this.  The Seven
Dollies was lying among the rest of them, at anchor, below
Canton, with the weather as fine as young girls love to see
it in May, when Joe began to get down his yards, to house
his masts, and to send out all his spare anchors.  He even
went so far as to get two hawsers fastened to a junk that
ehad grounded a little a-head of him. This made a talk
among the captains of the vessels, and some came on board
to ask the reason.  Joe told them he was getting ready for
the typhoon; but when they inquired his reasons for believing there was to be a typhoon at all, Joe looked solemn,
shook his head, and said he had reasons enough, but they
were his own. Had he been explicit, he would have been
laughed at, but the sight of an old grey-headed man, who
had been at sea forty years, getting ready in this serious
nanner, set the others at work too; for ships follow each
other's movements, like sheep running through a breach in
the fence. Well, that night the typhoon came in earnest,
and it blew so hard, that Joe Bunk said he could see the
houses in the moon, all the air having blown out of the atmosphere."
" But what has this to do with the teapot, Captain
Truck?"
"' It is the life and soul of it. The captains in port were
so delighted with Joe's foreknowledge, that they clubbed,
and presented him this pot as a testimony of their gratitude
anrd esteem.  He'd got to be popular among them, Mr.
Dodge, and that was the way they proved it."
" But, pray, how did he know the storm was approaching?" asked Eve, whose curiosity had been awakened in
spite of herself.  " It could not have been that his' foreknowledge' was supernatural."
" That no one can say, for Joe was presbyterian-built, as
we say, kettle-bottomed, and stowed well. The truth was
not discovered until ten years afterwards, when the old fellow got to be a regular cripple, what between rheumatis',




120             IHOMEWARD BOUND.
old age, and steaming. One day he had an attack of the
first complaint, and in one of its most severe paroxysms,
when nature is apt to wince, he roared three times,'a
typhoon! a typhoon! a typhoon 1' and the murder was out.
Sure enough, the next day we had a regular north-easter;
but old Joe got no sign of popularity that time. And now,
when you get to America, gentlemen and ladies, you will
be able to say you have heard the story of Joe Bunk and
his tea-pot."
Thereupon Captain Truck took two or three hearty whiffs
of the cigar, turned his face upwards, and permitted the
smoke to issue forth in a continued stream until it was exhausted, but still keeping his head raised in the inconveni.
ent position it had taken. The eye of the master, fastened
in this manner on something aloft, was certain to draw
other eyes in the same direction, and in a few seconds all
around him were gazing in the same way, though none but
himself could tell why.
"Turn up the watch below, Mr. Leach," Captain Truck.
at length called'out, and Eve observed that he threw away
the cigar, although a fresh one; a proof, as she fancied,
that he was preparing for duty.
The people were soon at their places, and an effort was
made to get the ship's head round to the southward.
Although the frightful stillness of the atmosphere rendered
the manceuvre difficult, it succeeded in the end, by profiting
by the passing and fitful currents, that resembled so many
sighings of the air. The men were then sent on the yards,
to furl all the canvas, with the exception of the three topsails and the fore-course, most of it having been merely
hauled up to await the result. All those who had ever been
at sea before, saw in these preparations proof that Captain
Truck expected the change would be sudden and severe:
still, as he betrayed no uneasiness, they hoped his measures
were merely those of prudence. Mr. Effingham could not
refrain from inquiring, however, if there existed any immediate motives for the preparations that were so actively,
though not hurriedly, making.
"This is no affair for the rheumatis'," returned the face.
tlous master, " for, look you here, my worthy sir, and you'
my dear young lady,"-this was a sort of parental farnill



HOMIEWARD BOUND.                121
arity the honest Jack- fancied he had a right to take with all
his unmarried female passengers, in virtue of his office,
and of his being a bachelor drawing hard upon sixty; —
" look you here, my dear young lady, and you, too, ma'amselle, for you can understand the clouds, I take it, if they
are not French clouds; do you not see the manner in which
those black-looking rascals are putting their heads together?'They are plotting something quite in their own way, I'll
warrant you."'" The clouds are huddling, and rolling over each other,
certainly," returned Eve, who had been struck with the wild
beauty of their evolutions, " and a noble, though fearful picture they present; but I do not understand the particular
meaning of it, if there be any hidden omen in their airy
flights."
"' No rheumatis' about you, young lady," said the captain, jocularly; "too young, and handsome, and too mo
dern, too, I dare say, for that old-fashioned complaint. But
on one category you may rely, and that is, that nothing in
nature conspires without an object."
"But I do not think vapour whirling in a current of air
is a conspiracy," answered Eve, laughing, " though it may
be a category."
" Perhaps not,-who knows, however; for it is as easy
to suppose that objects understand each other, as that horses
and dogs understand each other. We know nothing about
it, and, therefore, it behooves us to say nothing. If man.
Kind conversed only of the things they understood, half the
words might be struck out of the dictionaries. But, as 1
was remarking, those clouds, you can see, are getting together, and are making ready for a start, since here they
will not be able to stay much longer."
"And what will compel them to disappear?"'Do me the favour to turn' your eyes here, to the nor'west. You see an opening there that looks like a crouching lion; is it not so?"
" There is certainly a bright clear streak of sky along
the margin of the ocean, that has quite lately made its ap.
pearance; does it prove that the wind will blow from that
quarter?"
4' Quite as much, my dear young lady, as when you open
1!




122               HOMEWARD BOUND.
your window it proves that you mean to put your head oul
-f it."
"An act a well-bred young woman very seldom per~
forms," observed Mademoiselle Viefville; "and never in a
town."
"'No?  Well, in our town on the river, the women's
heads are half the time out of the windows. But I do not
pretend, ma'amselle, to be expert in proprieties of this sort,
though I can venture to say that I am somewhat of a judge
of what the winds would be about when they open their
shutters. This opening to the nor'-west, then, is a sure
sign of something coming out of the window, well-bred or
not."
1" But," added Eve, 1" the clouds above us, and those farther south, appear to be hurrying towards your bright open.
ing, captain, instead of from it."
"Quite in nature, gentlemen; quite in nature, ladies.
When a man has fully made up his mind to retreat, he
blusters the most; and one step forward often promises two
backward. You often see the stormy petterel sailing at a
ship as if he meant to come aboard, but he takes good care
to put his helm down before he is fairly in the rigging. So
it is with clouds, and all other things in nature. Vattel
says you may make a show of fight when your necessities
require it, but that a neutral cannot fire a gun, unless
against pirates. Now, these clouds are putting the best face
on the matter, but in a few minutes you will see them
wheeling as St. Paul did before them."
" St. Paul, Captain Truck!"
"' Yes, my dear young lady; to the right about."
Eve frowvned, for she disliked some of these nautical
images, though it was impossible not to smile in secret at
the queer associations that so often led the well-meaning
master's discursive discourse.  His mind was a strange
jumble of an early religious education, —religious as to
externals and professions, at least,-with subsequent loose
observation and much worldly experience, and he drew on
his strck of information, according to his own account of
the matter, " as Saunders, the steward, cut the butter firom
the firkins, or as it came first."
His prediction concerning the clouds proved to be true,




HOMEWARD BOUND.                 12'3
for half' an hour did not pass before they were seen " scarmpering out of the way of the nor'-wester," to use the cap
tain's figure, " like sheep giving play to the dogs."  The
horizon brightened with a rapidity almost supernatural, and,
in a surprisingly short space of time, the whole of that
frowning vault that had been shadowed by murky and menacing vapour, sporting its gambols in ominous wildness,
was cleared of everything like a cloud, with the exception
of a few white, rich, fleecy piles, that were grouped in the
north, like a battery discharging its artillery on some devoted field.
The ship betrayed the arrival of the wind by a cracking
of the spars, as they settled into their places, and then the
huge hull began to push aside the waters, and to come
under control. The first shock was far from severe, though,
as the captain determined to bring his vessel up as near his
course as the direction of the breeze would permit, he soon
found he had as much canvas spread as she could bear.
Twenty minutes brought him to a single reef, and half an
hour to a second.
By this time attention was drawn to the Foam. The old
superiority of that cruiser was now apparent again, and
calculations were made concerning the possibility of avoiding her, if.they continued to stand on much longer on the
present course. The captain had hoped the Montauk would
have the advantage from her greater bulk, when the two
vessels should be brought down to close-reefed topsails, as
he foresaw would be the case; but he was soon compelled
to abandon even that hope. Further to the southward he
was resolved he would not go, as it would be leading him
too far astray, and, at last, he came to the determination to
stand towards the islands, which were as near as might be
in his track, and to anchor in a neutral road-stead, if too
hard pressed.
" He cannot get up with us before midnight, Leach," he
concluded the conference held with the mate by saying;
"' and by that time the gale will be at its height, if we are
to have a gale, and then the gentleman will not be desirous
of lowering his boats. In the mean time, we shall be driving in towards the Azores, and it will be nothing out of the
course of nature, should I find an occasion to play him a,




It24              HOMEWARD BOUND.
trick.  As for offering up the Montauk a sacrifice on tht
altar of tobacco, as old Deacon Hourglass used to say in
his prayers, it is a category to be averted by any catastrophe short of condemnation."
CHAPTER XI.
I, that shower dewy light
Through slumbering leaves, bring storms!-the tempest birth
Of memory, thought, remorse.-Be holy, Earth!
I am the solemn Night!
MRS. HEMANs.
IN this instance, it is not our task to record any of the
phenomena of the ocean, but a regular, though fierce gale
of wind. One of the first signs of its severity was the disappearance of the passengers from the deck, one shutting
himself in his room after another, until none remained visible but John Effingham  and Paul Blunt.  Both these gentlemen, as it appeared, had made so many passages, and
had got to be so familiar with ships, that sea-sickness and
alarms were equally impotent as respects their constitutions
and temperaments.
The poor steerage-passengers were no exception, but they
stole for refuge into their dens, heartily repentant, for the
time being, at having braved the dangers and discomforts
of the sea.  The gentle wife of Davis would now willingly
have returned to meet the resentment of her uncle; and as
fobr the bridegroom himself, as Mr. Leach, svho passed
through this scene of abominations to see that all was
right, described him,-" Mr. Grab would not wring him
for a dish-cloth, if he could see him in his present pickle."
Captain Truck chuckled a good deal at this account, for
he had much the same sympathy for ordinary cases of seasickness, as a kitten feels in the agony of the first mouse it
has caught, and which it is its sovereign pleasure to play
with, instead of eating.
"It serves him  right, Mr. Leach, for getting married;




HOMEWARD BOUND.                 125
and mind you don't fall into the same abuse of your opporlunities." he said, with an air of self-satisfaction, while
comparing three or four cigars ii the palm of his hand
doubtful which of the fragrant plump rolls to put into his
mouth. "Getting married, Mr. Blunt, commonly makes a
man a fit subject for nausea, and nothing is easier than to
set the stomach-pump in motion in one of your bridegrooms; is not this true as the gospel, Mr. John Effingham?"
Mr. John Effingham made no reply,-but the young man
who at the moment was admiring his fine form, and the
noble outline of his features, was sinigularly struck with the
bitterness, not to say anguish, of the smile with which he
bowed a cold assent. All this was lost on Captain Truck,
who proceeded con amore.
" One of the first things that I ask concerning my pas.
sengers is, is he married? when the answer is'no,' I set
him down as a good companion in a gale like this, oi
as one who can smoke, or crack a joke when a topsail is
flying out of a bolt-rope,-a companion for a category.
Now, if either of you gentlemen had a wife, she would have
you under hatches to-day, lest you should slip through a
scupperhole,-or be washed overboard with the spray,-or
have your eye-brows blown away in such a gale, and then
I should lose the honour of your company. Comfort is too
precious to be thrown away in matrimony. A man may
gain foreknowledge by a wife, but he loses free agency.
As for you, Mr. John Effingham, you must have coiled
away about half a century of life, and there is not much
to fear on your account; but Mr. Blunt is still young
enough to be in danger of a mishap. I wish Neptune
would come aboard of us, hereaway, and swear you to be
true and constant to yourself, young gentleman."
Paul laughed, coloured slightly, and then rallying, he
replied in the same voice,
"At the risk of losing your-good opinion, captain, and
even in the face of this gale, I shall avow myself an advo.
cate of matrimony."
" If you will answer me one question, my dear sir, I
will tell you whether the case is or is not hopeless."
11 *




120(              HOMEWARD BOUND.
"I n order to assent to this, you will of course cee the
necessity of letting me know what the question is."
"Hlave you made up your mind who the young woman
shall be?  If that point is settled, I can only recommend
to you some of Joe Bunk's souchong, and advise you to
submit, for there is no resisting one's fate. The reason
your Turks yield so easily to predestination and fate, is the
number of their wives. Many a book is written to show
the cause of their submitting their necks so easily to the
sword and the bow-string.  I've been in Turkey, gentlemen, and know something of their ways.  The reason of
their submitting so quietly to be beheaded is, that they are
always ready to hang themselves. How is the fact, sir?
have you settled upon the young lady in your own mind or
not?"
Although there was nothing in all this but the permitted
trifling of boon companions on ship-board, Paul Blunt re.
ceived it with an awkwardness one would hardly have ex.
pected in a young man of his knowledge of the world. He
reddened, laughed, made an effort to throw the captain to
a greater distance by reserve, and in the end fairly gave up
the matter by walking to another part of the deck. Luckily, the attention of the honest master was drawn to the
ship, at that instant, and Paul flattered himself he was unperceived; but the shadow of a figure at his elbow startled
him, and turning quickly, he found Mr. John Effingham at
his side.
"Her mother was an angel," said the latter huskily. " I
too love her; but it is as a father."
-  Sir! —Mr. Effingham! —These are sudden and unexpected remarks, and such as I am not prepared for."
"6 Do you think one as jealous of that fair creature as I,
could have overlooked your passion?-She is loved by
both of you, and she merits the warmest affection of a thousand. Persevere, for while I have no voice, and, I fear,
little influence on her decision, some strange sympathy
causes me to wish you success.  My own man told me that
you have met before, and with her father's knowledge, and
this is all I ask, for my kinsman is discreet.  He probably
knows you, though I do not."
The face of Paul glowed like fire, and he almost gasped




HOMEWARD'BOUND.                 127
6br breath.  Pitying his distress, Effingham smiled kinily,
and was about to quit him, w7hen he felt his hand convulsively grasped by those of the young man.
Do not quit mne, Mr. Etlingham, I entre at you," lhe said
rapidly; s "it is so unusual fbr me to hear words of confi.
dence, or even of' kindness, that they are most precious to
me! 1 have permitted myself to be disturbed bv the random remarks of that well-meaning, but unreflecting man;
but in a imooment I shall be nmore composed —more manlyless unworthy of your attention and pity."'" Pity is a word I shoruld never have thought of applying
to the person, character, attainments, or, as I hoped, fortunes of Mr. Blunt; and I sincerely trust that you will acquit me of impertinence.  I have felt an interest in you,
young man, that I have long ceased to feel in most of my
species, and I trust this will be some apology for the liberty
i have taken.  Perhaps the suspicion that you were anxious
to stand well in the good opinion of my little cousin was at
the bottom of it all."
" Indeed you have not misconceived my anxiety, sir; for
who is there that coul-d -be indifferent to the good opinion of
one so simple and yet so cultivated; with a mind in which
nature and knowledge seem to struggle for the possession.
One, Mr. Effingbarn, so little like tie cold sophistication
and heartlessness of Europe on the one hand, and the unformed girlishness of America, on the other; one, in short,
so every way what the fondest father or the most sensitive
brother.ould wish."
John Effingham smiled, for to smile at any weakness was
with him a habit; but his eye glistened.  After a mornent
of doubt, lhe turned to his young companion, and Nwith a
delicacy of expression and a dignity of mranner that none
co1uld excel him in, when he chose, he put a question that
fbr several days had been uppermost in his thoughts, though
no fitting occasion had ever before offered, on which' lie
chought he might venture.
"Thris frank confidence emboidens me-one who ought
to be ashamed to boast of his greater experience, when
every day shows him to how little profit it has been turned,
to presu-me to render our' acquaintance less foirmal. by allu-,ing to interests more personal than strangers have a right




. ~2              HlYHOMEWARD B'OUND.
to touch on. You speak of the two parts of the world jusi
mentioned, in a way to show mne you are equally acquainted
with both."
"6 I have often crossed the ocean, and, for so young a
man, have seen a full share of their societies. Perhaps it
increases lmy interest in your lovely kinswoman, that, like
myself; she properly belongs to neither."
"' Be cautious how you whisper that in her ear, my youth
ful fiiend; ior Eve Efinghan  fancies herself as much
American in character as in birth. Single-minded,and
totally without management,-devoted to her duties, —religious without cant,-a warm friend of liberal institutions,
without the slightest approach to the impracticable, in heart
and soul a woman, you will find it hard to persuade her,
that with all her practice in the world, and all her extensive attainments, she is more than a humble copy of her
own great beau ideal."
Paul smilcd, and his eyes met those of John Effingham
-the expression of both satisfied the parties that they
thought alike in more things than in their common  admiration of the subject of their discourse.
" I feel I have not been as explicit as I ought to be with
you, Mr. Effingham," the young, man resumed, after a
pause;   but on a more fitting occasion, I shall presume on
your kindness to be less reserved.  My lot has thrown me
on the world, almost without friends, quite without relatives,
so far as intercourse with them is concerned; and I have
known little of the language or the acts of the affections."
John Effingham pressed his hand, and from that time he
cautiously abstained from any allusion to his personal concerns; for a suspicion crossed his mind that the subject was
painful to the young man. He knew that thousands of
well-educated and frequently of affluent people, of both
sexes, were to be found in Europe, to whom, from the circumstance of having been born out of wedlock, througi
divorces, or other family misfortunes, their private histories
were painful, and he at once inferred that some such event,
quite probably the first, lay at the bottom of Paul Blunt's
peculiar situation.  Notwithstanding his warm attachment
to Eve, he had too much confidence in her own as well as
in her father's judgment, to suppose an acquaintance of any




HOME.WARD 1BOUND.               129
intimnacy woulld be lightly permitted; and is to the mere
prejudices connected with such subjects, he was quite free
from them.  Perhaps his masculine independence of character caused him, on all such points, to lean to the side of
the ultra in liberality.
In this short dialogue, with the exception of the slight
hlough unequivocal allusion of John Effinghaml, both atad
avoided any farther allusions to Mr. Sharp, or to his supposed attachment to Eve. Both were confident of its existence, and this perhaps was one reason why neither felt any
necessity to advert to it: for it was a delicate subject, and
one, under the circumstances, that they would mutually
wish to forget in their cooler moments.  The conversation
then took a more general character, and for several hours
that day, while the rest of the passengers were kept below
by the state of the weather, these two were together, laying, what perhaps it was now too late to term, the foundation of a generous and sincere friendship. Hitherto Paul
had regarded John Effingham with distrust and awe, but
he found him a man so different from what report and his
own fancy had pictured, that the reaction in his feelings
served to heighten them, and to aid in increasing his respect.
On the other hand, the young man exhibited so much
modest good sense, a fund of information so much beyond
his years, such integrity and justice of sentiment, that when
they separated for the night, the old bachelor was full of
regret that nature had not made him the parent of such a
son.
All this time the business of the ship had gone on.  The
wind increased steadily, until, as the sun went down, Captain
Truck announced it, in the cabin, to be a "' regular-built
gale of wind."  Sail after sail had been reduced or furled
until the Montauk was lying-to under her fore-sail, a close.
reefed main-top-sail, a fore-top-mast stay-sail, and a mizzen
stay-sail. Doubts were even entertained whether the second
of these sails would not have to be handed soon, and the
fore-sail itself reefed.
The ship's head was to the south-southwest, her drift
considerable, and her way of course barely sufficient to
cause her to feel her helm. The Foam had gained on hei
several miles during the time sail could be carried; but she




1 30             HOMEWARD BOUND.
also, had been obliged to heave-to, at the same increase of
the sea and wind as teat which had forced Mr. Truck to
lash his wheel down. This state of things made a considerable change in the relative positions of the two vessels
again; the next morning showing the sloop-of-war hull
down, and wsell on the weather-beam of the packet.  Her
sharper mould and more weatherly qualities had done her
this service, as became a ship intended for war and the chase.
At all this, however, Captain Truck laughed.  He could
not be boarded in such weather, and it was matter of indifference where his pursuer might be, so long as he had
time to escape, when the gale ceased.  On the whole, he
was rather glad than otherwise of the present state of things,
for it offered a chance to slip away to leeward as soon as
the Weather would permit, if, indeed, his tormentor did not
altogether disappear in the northern board, or to windward.
The hopes and fears of the worthy master, however,
were poured principally into the ears of his two mates; for
few of the passengers were visible until the afternoon of the
second day of the gale; then, indeed, a general relief to
their physical suffering occurred, though it was accompanied
by apprehensions that scarcely permitted the change to be
enjoyed. About noon, -on that day, the wind came with
such power, and the seas poured down against the bows of
the ship with a violence so tremendous, that it got to be
questionable whether she could any longer remain with
safety in her present condition. Several times in the course
of the morning, the waves had forced her bows off, and
before the ship could recover her position, the succeeding
billow would break against her broadside, and throw a flood
of water on her decks.* This is a danger peculiar to lyingto in a gale; for if the vessel get into the trough of the sea,
and is met in that situation by a wave of unusual magnitude,
she runs the double risk of being thrown on her beam-ends,
and of having her decks cleared of everything, by the
cataract of water that washes athwart them. Landsmen
entertain little notion of the power of the waters, when
driven before a tempest, and are often surprised, in reading
of' naval catastrophes, at the description of the injuries done
But experience shows that boats, hurricane-houses, guns
anchors of enormou~ weight, bulwarks and planks, are even




HiOMEWARD BOUND.                   131
swept off into the ocean, in this manner, or are ripped up
from their fitstenings.'The process of' lying-to has a double ad-vantage, so long
aS it can 1be maintained, since it ofTers the strongest portion
of thle  erTsscI to the shock of the seas, and has the merit of
keeping hier as near as possible to the desired direction..
But it is a tmiddle course, bein  often adopted as an expe.
dient of safety when a ship cannot scud; and then, againm
it is abandoned for scuddinu when the gale is so intensely severe that it becomes in itself dangerous.  In nothiiil
tle thae high  quatities of ships so thoroughly tried as in
their man-ei oft behlaving, as it is termned, in these moimentts
of difficulty; nor is the seamanship of the accomplished
officer so triumphantly established in any other part of his
professional knowledge, as when le has had an opportunity
of showvinrl  that he knows how to dispose of tilhe vast weight
his vessel is to carry, so as to enable her mould to exhibit
its perfec-tion, and on occasion to turn both to the best ac.
count.
Nothing will seem easier to a landsman than for a vessel
to run before the wind, let the force of the gale be what it
may.  But his ignorance overlooks most of the difficultiesK
nor shall we anticipate their dangers, but let them take their
places in the regular thread of' the narrative.
Long before noon, or the hour mentioned, Captain Truck
foresaw that, in consequence of the seas that were constantly coming on board of her, he should be compelled tc
put his ship before the wind.  He delayed the manamuvre
to the last moment, however, for what he deemed to be sulf'ficient reasons.  The longer lie kept the ship lying-to, the
less he deviated froom  his proper course to New York, and
the greater-was the probability of his escaping, stealthily
and without observation froml the Foam, since the latter, by
maintaining her position better, allowed the Montauk to
drift gradually to leeward, and, of course, to a greater distance.
But the crisis would no longer admit of delay. All hands
were called; the imaintop-sail was hauled up, not without
mnuch difficulty, and ther Captain Truck reluctantly gave
the order to haul down thn  mizzen-staysail, to put the helm
hard up, and to help the ship round with the yards.  This




i32              HOMEWARD BOUND.
is at all times a critical change, as has just been'mentioned
obr the vessel is exposed to the ravages of any sea, larger
than common, that may happen to strike her as she lies
nearly motionless, with her broadside exposed to its force.
To accomplish it, therefore, Captain Truck went up a few
ratlines in the fore-rigging, (he was too nice a calculator to
offer even a surface as small as his own body to the wind,
in the after shrouds,) whence he looked out to windward
for a lull, and a moment when the ocean had fewer billows
than common of the larger and more dangerous kind.  At
the desired instant he signed with his hand, and the wheel
was shifted from hard-down to hard-up.
This is always a breathless moment in a ship, fobr as none
can foresee the result, it resembles the entrance of a hostile
battery.  A dozen men may be swept away in an instant,
or the ship herself hove over on her side. John Efingharm
and Paul, who of all the passengers were alone on deck,
understood the hazards, and they watched the slightest
change with the interest of imen who had so much at stake.
At first the movement of the ship was sluggish, and such
as ill.suited the eagerness of the crew. Then' her pitching
iceased, and she settled into the enormous trough bodily, or
the whole fabric sunk, as it were, never to rise again.  So
low did she fail, that the fore-sail gave a tremendous flap;
one that shook the hull and spars fromw stem to stern.  As
she rose on the next surge, happily its foaming crest slli
beneath her, and the tall masts rolled heavily to windward.
Recovering her equilibrium, the ship started through the
brine, and as the succeeding roller came on, she was urging ahead fast.  Still, the sea struck her abeam, forcing
her bodily to leeward, and heaving the tower yard-arms
into the ocean.  Tons of water fell on her decks, with the
dull sound of the clod on the coffin. At this grand moment,
old Jack Truck, who was standing in the rigging, dripping
wvith he spray, that had washed over him, with a naked
heaa, and his grey hair glistening, shouted like a StentorHaul in your fibre-braces, boys! away with the yard, like
a fiddlestick!"  Every nerve was strained; the unwilling
yards, pressed upon by an almost irresistible column of air,
yielded slowly, and as the sail met the gale more perpendicularly, or at right angles to its surface, it dragged the




HOMEWARD BOUND.                  1S3
vast hull through the sea with a power equal to that of a
steam-engine.  Ere another sea could follow, the Montauk
was glancing through the ocean at a furious rate, and
though offering her quarter to the billows, their force was
now so much diminished by her own velocity, as to deprive
them of their principal danger.
The motion of the ship immediately became easy, though
her situation was still far from being without risk.  No
longer compelled to buffet the waves, but sliding along in
their company, the motion ceased to, disturb the systems
of the passengers, and ten minutes had not elapsed before
most of them were again on deck, seeking the relief of the
open air.  Among the others was Eve, leaning on the arlm
of her father.
It was a terrific scene, though one might now contemplate it without personal inconvenience.  The gentlemen
gathered around the beautiful and appalled spectatress of
this grand sight, anxious to know the effect it might pro.
duce on one of her delicate frame and habits.  She expressed herself as awed, but not alarmed; for the habits
of' dependence usually leave females less affected by fear,
in such cases, than those who, by their sex, are supposed
to be responsible.
" Mademoiselle Viefville has promised to follow me," she
said, " and as I have a national claim to be a sailor, you
are not to expect hysterics or even ecstasies from me; but
reserve yourselves, gentlemen,- for the Parisienne."
The Parisienne, sure enough, soon came out of the hurt
ricane-house, with elevated hands, and eyes eloquent of
admiration, wonder and fear.  Her first exclamations were
those of terror, and then turning a wistful look on Eve, she
burst into tears.  " Ah, ceci est decisif!"  she, exclaimed.
"When we part, we shall be separated for life."
"Then we will not part at all, my dear mademoiselle 
you have only to remain in America, to escape all future
inconveniences of the ocean.  But forget the danger, and
admire the sublimity of this terrific panorama."
Well might Eve thus term the scene.  The hazards now
to be avoided were those of' the ship's broaching-to, and of
being pooped.  Nothing- may seem  easier. as has been
said, than to "sail before the wind," the words having
12




134               HOMEOWARD BOUND.
passed into a proverb; but there are times when even v,
favouring gale becomes prolific of dangers, that we shall
now briefly explain.
The velocity of the water, urged as it is before a ternpest, is often as great as that of the ship, and at such moments the rudder is useless, its whole power being derived
from its action as a moving body against the element in
comparative repose.  When ship and water move together,
at an equal rate, in the same direction, of course this power
of the helm is neutralized, and then the hull is driven much
at the mercy of the winds and waves.  Nor is this all; the
rapidity of the billows often exceeds that- of a ship, and
then the action of the rudder becomes momentarily reversed,
producing an effect exactly opposite to that which is desired.
It is true, this last difficulty is never of more than a few
moments' continuance, else indeed would the condition of
the mariner be hopeless; but it is of constant occurrence,
and so irregular as to defy calculations and defeat caution.
In the present instance, the Montauk would seem  to fly
through the water, so swift was her progress; and then, as
a furious surge overtook her in the chase, she settled heavily
into the element, like a wounded animal, that, despairing
of escape, sinks helplessly in the grass, resigned to fate.
At such times the crests of the waves swept past her, like
vapour in the atmosphere, and one unpractised would be
apt to think the ship stationary, though in truth whirling
along in company with a frightful momentum.
It is scarcely necessary to say, that the process of scudding requires the nicest attention to the helm, in order that
the hull may be brought speedily back to the right direction, when thrown aside by the power of the billows; for,
besides losing her way in the caldron of water-an imminent danger of Itself-if left exposed to the attack of the
succeeding wave, her decks, at least, would be swept, even
snould she escape a still more serious calamity.
Pooping is a hazard of another nature, and is also pecau
liar to the process of scudding.  It merely means the ship's
being overtaken by the waters while running from them,
when the crest of a sea, broken by the resistance. Is thrown
inboard, over the taffrail or quarter.  The term is derived
from the name of that particular portion of the ship.  In




HOMEWARD BOUND.                  135
3rder to avoid this risk, sail is carried on the vessel as long.s possible, it being deemed one of the greatest securities
of scuddilng, to force the hull through the water at the
greatest attainable rate.  In consequence of these comrplicated Risks, ships that sail the fastest and steer the easiest,
scud the best. There is, however, a species of velocity that
becomes of itself a source of new danger; thus, exceedingly sharp vessels have been known to force themselves
so far into the watery mounds in their front, and to receive
so much of the element on decks, as never to rise again.
This is a fate to which those who attempt to sail the American clipper, without understanding its properties, are peculiarly liable. On account of this risk, however, there was
now no cause of apprehension, the fill-bowed, kettle-bottomed Montauk being exempt from  the danger; though
Captain Truck intimated his doubts whether the corvette
would like to brave the course he'had himself adopted.
In this opinion, the fact would seem to sustain the master
of the packet; for when the night shut in, the spars of the
Foam were faintly discernible, drawn like spiders' webs on
the bright streak of the evening sky.  In a few more minutes, even this tracery, which resembled that of a magic.
lantern, vanished from the eyes of those aloft; for it had
not been seen by any on deck for more than an hour.
The magnificent horrors of the scene increased with the
darkness. Eve and her companions stood supported by the
hurricane-house, watching it for hours, the supernaturallooking light, emitted by the foaming sea, rendering the
spectacle one of attractive terror.  Even the consciousness
of the hazards heightened the pleasure; for there was a
solemn and grand enjoyment mingled with it all, and the
first watch had been set an hour, before the party had reso.
lution enough to tear themselves from the sublime sight of
a raging sea.




136                HOMEWARD BOUND.
tL-HAPTER XII.
Touch. Wast ever in court, shepherd?
Cor NVo, truly
Touch.'I'Fien thou art damn'd.
Cor Nay, I hopeToucn. T'ruly, thou art damn'd, like an ill-roasted egg, all son one side.
As You LIKE IT.
No one thought of seeking his berth when all the pas,
sengers were below. Some conversed in broken, half' intelligible dialogues, a few  tried unavailingly to read, and
more sat looking at each other in silent misg;ivingcs, as the
gale howled through the cordage and spars, or arono  the
angles and bulwarks of the ship.  Eve was seated on a
sofa in her own apartment, leaning on the breast of her
father, gazing silently through the open doors into the for.
ward cabin; for all idea of retiring within oneself, unless
it might be to secret prayer, was banished from the mind.
Even Mr. Dodge had forgotten the gnawings of envy, his
philanthropical and exclusive democracy, and, what was
perhaps more convincing still of his passing views of this
sublunary world, his profound deference foi rank, as betrayed in his strong desire to cultivate an intimacy with Sir
George Templemore. As for the baronet himself, he sat
by the cabin-table with his face buried in his hands, and
once he had been heard to express a regret that he had
ever embarked.
Saunders broke the moody stillness of this characteristic
party, with preparations for a supper.. He took but one
end of the table for his cloth, and a single cover showed
that Captain Truck was about to dine, a thing he had not
yet done that day.  The attentive steward had an eye to
his commander's tastes; for it is not often one sees a better
garnished board than was spread on this occasion, so far at
least as quantitt  was concerned.  Besides the usual solids
of l ham, corned-beef, and roasted shoat, there were carcasses
of ducks, pickled oysters-a delicacy almost peculiar to




HOMEWARD BOuND.                  137
America-and all the minor condiments of olives, anchovies,
dates, figs, almonds, raisins, cold potatoes, and puddings,
displayed in a single course, and arranged on the table
solely with regard to the reach of' Captain Truck's arm.
Although Saunders was not quite without taste, he too well
knew the propensities of his superior to neglect any of these
important essentials, and great care was had, in particular,
so to dispose of everything as to render the whole so many
radii diverging from a common centre, which centre was
the stationary arm-chair that the master of the packet loved
to fill in his hours of ease.
" You will make many voyages, Mr. Toast,"-the steward affectedly gave his subordinate, or as he was sometimes
facetiously called, the steward's mate, reason to understand,
when they had retired to the pantry to await the captain's
appearance —" before you accumulate all the niceties of a
gentleman's dinner.  Every plat," (Saunders had been in
the Havre line, where he had caught a few words of this
nature,) "every plat should be within reach of the convive's
arm, and particularly if it happen to be Captain Truck, who
has a great awersion to delays at his diet.  As for the
entremets, they may be scattered miscellaneously with the
salt and the mustard, so that they can come with facility in
their proper places."
" I don't know what an entremet is," returned the subordinate, " and I exceedingly desire, sir, to receive my orders
in such English as a gentleman can diwine."
"An entremet, Mr. Toast, is a mouthful thrown in pro.
miscuously between the reliefs of the solids.  Now, suppose a gentleman begins on pig; when he has eaten enough
of this, he likes a little brandy and water, or a glass of
porter, before he cuts into the beef; and while I'm nmixing
the first, or starting the cork, he refreshes himself with an
entremet, such as a wing of a duck, or perhaps a plate of
pickled oysters. You must know that there is great odds
in passengers; one set eating and jollifying, from the hour
we sail till the hour we get in, while another takes the ocean
as it might be sentimentally."
"Sentimentally, sir r I s'pose those be they as uses the
basins uncommon?"
" That depends on the weather. I've known a party
12*




138              HOMEWARD BOUND.
not eat as much as would set one handsome table in a week,
and then, when they conwalesced, it was intimidating how
they dewoured. It makes a great difference, too, whether
tile passengers acquiesce well together or not, for agreeable
feelings give a fine appetite.  Lovers make cheap passengers always."
"That is extr'or'nary, for I thought such as they was
always hard to please, with every thing but one another."
"' You never were more mistaken. I've seen a lover
who couldn't tell a sweet potato from an onion, or a canvasback from an old wife. But of all mortals in the way of
passengers, the bag-man or go-between is my greatest animosity. These fellows will sit up all night, if the captain
consents, and lie abed next day, and do nothing but drink
in their berths: Now,. this time we have a compliable set,
and on the whole, it is quite a condescension and pleasure
to wait on them."' Well, I think, Mr. Saunders, they isn't alike as much
as they might be nother."
"Not more so than wenison and pig.  Perfectly correct,
sir; for this cabin is a lobskous as regards deportment and
character.  I set all the Efinghams down as tip-tops, or,
A No. 1, as Mr. Leach calls the ship; and then Mr. Sharp
and Mr. Blunt are quite the gentlemen.  Nothing is easier,
Mr. Toast, than to tell a gentleman; and as you have set
up a new profession,-in which I hope, for the credit of the
colour, you will be prosperous,-it is well worth your while
to know how this is done, especially as you need never
expect much from a passenger, that is not a true gentleman,
but trouble.  There is Mr. John Effingham, in particular;
his man says he never anticipates change, and if a coat
confines his arm, he repudiates it on the spot."
"' Well, it must be a satisfaction to serve such a companion. I think Mr. Dodge, sir, quite a feller."
"Your taste, Toast, is getting to be observable, and by
cultivating it, you will soon be remarkable for a knowledge
of miankind.  Mr. Dodge, as you werry justly insinuate, is
not werry refined, or particularly well suited to figure in
genteel society."
"And yet he seems attached to it Mr. Saunders, for he




HOMEWARD BOUND.                 139
nas purposed tc establish five or six societies since we
sailed."
"Werry true, sir; but then every society is not genteel.
When we get back to New York, Toast, I must see and
get you into a better set than the one you occupied when
we sailed. You will not do yet for our circle, which is altogether conclusive; but you might be elevated.  Mr. Dodge
has been electioneering with me, to see if we cannot inwent
a society among the steerage-passengers for the abstinence
of liquors, and'another for the perpetration of the morals
and religious principles of our forefathers. As for the first,
Toast, I told him it was sufficiently indurable to be confined
in a hole like the steerage, without being percluded from the
consolation of a little drink; and as for the last, it appeared
to me that such a preposition inwolwed an attack on liberty
of conscience."
"' There you give'd him, sir, quite as good as he sent,"
returned the steward's mate, chuckling, or perhaps snig.
gering would be a word better suited to his habits of cachinnation, "and I should have been glad to witness his confusion.  It seems to me, Mr. Saunders, that Mr. Dodge
loves to get up his societies if support of liberty and religion, that he may predominate over both by his own
inwentions."
Saunders laid his long yellow finger on the broad flat
nose of his mate, with an air of approbation, as he replied,
"' Toast, you have hit his character as pat as I touch
your Roman. He is a man fit to make proselytes among
the wulgar and Irish,"-the Hibernian peasant and the
American negro are sworn enemies —" but quite unfit for
anything respectable or decent. Were it not for Sir George,
I would scarcely descend to clean his state-room."
4 "What is your sentiments, Mr. Saunders, respecting Sir
George?"'"Why, Sir George is a titled gentleman, and of course
is not to be strictured too freely. He has comp'imented me
already with a sovereign, and apprised me of his intention
to be more particular when we get in."
" I feel astonished such a gentleman should neglect to
insure a state-room to his own convenience."




140              HOMEWARD BOUND.
" Sir (eorge has elucidated all that in a conversation we
had in his room, soon after our acquaintance commenced.
He is going to Canada on public business, and sailed at an
hour's interv.al. He was too late for a single room, and his
owvn man is to follow with most of his effects by the next
ship. Oh! Sir George may be safely put down as respectable and liberalized, though thrown into disparagement pert
haps by forty circumstances."
Mr. Saunders, who had run his vocabulary hard in this
conversation, meant to say " fortuitous;" and Toast thought
that so many circumstances might well reduce a better man
to a dilemma. After a moment of thought, or what-in his
orbicular shining features he fancied passed for thought, he
said,"I seem  to diwine, Mr. Saunders, that the Effinghams
do not much intimate Sir George."
Saunders looked out of the pantry-door to reconnoitre,
and finding the sober quiet already described reigning, he
opened a drawer, and drew forth a London newspaper.
"To treat you with the confidence of a gentleman in a
situation as respectable and responsible as the one you occupy, Mr. Toast," he said, ">a little ewent has transpired in
my presence yesterday, that I thought sufficiently particular
to be designated by retaining this paper.  Mr. Sharp and
Sir George happened to be in the cabin together, alone, and
the last, as it suggested to me, Toast, was desirous of removing some of the haughter of the first, for you may have
observed that there has been no conversation between any
of the Effinghams, or Mr. Blunt, or Mr. Sharp, and the
baronet; and so to break the ice of his haughter, as it might
be, Sir George says,' Really, Mr. Sharp, the papers have
got to be so personally particular, that one cannot run into
the country for a mouthful of fresh air that they don't
record it. Now, I thought not a soul knew of my departure
for America, and yet here you see they have mentioned it,
with more particulars than are agreeable.' On concluding,
Sir George gave Mr. Sharp this paper, and indicated this here
parag'raph. Mr. Sharp perused it, laid down the paper, and
retorted coldly,' It is indeed quite surprising, sir; but impudence is a general fault of the age.' And then he left




HOMEWARD BOUND.                 141
the cabin solus. Sir George was so wexed, he went into
his state-room  and forgot the paper, which fell to. the
steward, you know, on a principle laid down in Wattel,
Toast"
Here the two worthies indulged in a smothered merriment of their own at the expense of their commander; for
though a dignified man in general, Mr. Saunders could
laugh on occasion, and according to his own opinion of
himself he danced particularly well.
"Would you like to read the paragraph, Mr. Toast?"
"Quite unnecessary, sir; your account will be perfectly
legible and satisfactory."
By this touch of politeness, Mr. Toast, who knew as
much of the art of reading as a monkey commonly knows
of mathematics, got rid of the awkwardness of acknowledging the careless manner in which he had trifled with his
early opportunities. Luckily, Mr. Saunders, who had been
educated as a servant in a gentleman's family, was better
off, and as he was vain of all his advantages, he was particularly. pleased to hlave an opportunity of exhibiting them.
Turning to the paragraph he read the following lines, in
that sort of didactic tone and elaborate style with which
gentlemen who commence the graces after thirty are a lit.
tle apt to make bows:
"We understand Sir George Templemore, Bart., the
member for Boodleigh, is about to visit our American colonies, with a view to make himself intimately acquainted
with the merits of the unpleasant questions by which they
are just now agitated, and with the intention of entering
into the debates in the house on that interesting subject on
his return. We believe that Sir George will sail in the
packet of the first from Liverpool, and will return in time
to be in his seat after the Easter holidays. His people and
effects left town yesterday by the Liverpool coach. During
the baronet's absence, his country will be hunted by Sir
G:ervaise de Brush, though the establishment at Templemore Hall' will be kept up."
"flow came Sif George here, then?" Mr. Toast very
naturally inquired.
"Having been kept too late in London, he was obliged




142             HOMEWARD BOUND.
to come this way or to be left.  It is sometimes as close
work to get the passengers on board, Mr. Toast, as to get
the people. I have often admired how gentlemen and ladies
love procrastinating, when dishes that ought to be taken
hot, are getting to be quite insipid and uneatable."' Saunders!" cried the hearty voice of Captain Truck,
who had taken possession of what he called his throne in
the cabin. All the steward's elegant diction and finish of
demeanour vanished at the well-known sound, and thrusting his head out of the pantry-door, he gave the prompt
ship-answer to a call,
" Ay, ay, sir!"
" Come, none of your dictionary in the pantry there, but
show your physiognomy in my presence. What the devil
do you think Vattel would say to such a supper as this?"
" I think, sir, he would call it a werry.good supper, for
a ship in a hard gale of wind. That's my honest opinion.
Captain Truck, and I never deceive any gentleman in a
matter of food. I think, Mr. Wattel would approve of that
there supper, sir."
" Perhaps he might, for he has made blunders as well as
another man.  Go, mix me a glass of jus4 what I love,
when I've not had a drop all day. Gentlemen, will any of'
you honour me, by sharing in a cut?  This beef is not indigestible, and here is a real Marylander, in the way of a
ham. No want of oakum to fill up the chinks with, either."
Most of the gentlemen were too full of the gale to wish
o eat; besides they had not fasted like Captain Truck
since morning.  But Mr. Monday, the bagman, as John
Effingham had termed him, and who had been often enough
at sea to know something of its varieties, consented to take
a glass of brandy and water, as a corrective of the Madeira he had been swallowing. The appetite of Captain Truck
was little affected by the state of the weather, however; for
though too attentive to his duties to quit the deck until he
had ascertained how matters were going on, now that he
ha.d fairly made up his mind to eat, he set about it with a
heartiness and simplicity that proved his total disregard ot'
appearances when his hunger was sharp. For some time:me was too much occupied to talk, making regular attacks




HOMEWARD BOUND.                 143
upon the different plats, as Mr. Saunders called them,
without much regard to the cookery or the material.  The
only pauses were to drink, and this was always done with
a steadiness that never left a drop in the glass. Still Mr.
Truck was a temperate man; for he never consumed more
than his physical wants appeared to require, or his physi.
cal energies knew how to dispose of. At length, however,
he came to the steward's entremets, or he began to stuff
what he, himself, had called " oakum," into the chinks of
his dinner.
Mr. Sharp had watched the w hole process from the ladies'
cabin, as indeed had Eve, and thinking this a favourable
occasion to ascertain the state of things on deck, the former
came into the main-cabin, commissioned by the latter, to
mnake the inquiry.
"' The ladies are desirous of knowing where we are, and
what is the state of the gale, Captain Truck," said the gentleman, when he had seated himself near the throne.
" My dear young lady," called out the captain, by way
of cutting short the diplomacy of employing ambassadors
oetween them, "I  wish in my heart I could persuade you
and Mademoiselle V. A. V., (for so he called the governess,
in imitation of Eve's pronunciation of her name,) to try a
few of these pickled oysters; they are as delicate as yourselves, and worthy to be set before a mermaid, if there
were.any such thing."
"' I thank you fbr the compliment, Captain Truck, and
while I ask leave to decline it, I beg leave to refer you to
the plenipotentiary Mademoiselle Viefville" (Eve would not
say herself) "-has intrusted with her wishes."
"Thus you perceive, sir," interposed Mr. Sharp again,
"you will have to treat with me, by all the principles laid
down by Vattel."
"And treat you, too, my good sir. Let me persuade
you to try a slice of this anti-abolitionist," laying his knife
on the ham, which he still continued to regard himself with
a sort of melancholy interest.  "No? well, I hold overpersuasion as the next thing to neglect.  I am satisfied, sir,
alter all, as Saunders says, that Vattel himself, unless more
Tnreasonable at his grub than in matters of state, would be




1 * —             HOMEWARD BOUND.
a happier man after he had been at his table twenty minutes,
than before he sat down."
Mr. Sharp perceiving that it was idle to pursue his inquiry while the other was in one of his discursive humours.
determined to let things take their course, and fell into the
captain's own vein.
" If Vattel would approve of the repast, few men ough
to repine at their fortune in being so well provided."
"  flatter myself, sir, that I understand a supper, espepecially in a gale of wind, as well as Mr. Vattel, or any
other man could do."
"And yet Vattel was one of the most celebrated cooks
of his day."
Captain Truck stared, looked his grave companion
steadily in the eye, for he was too ruch addicted to mystifying, not to distrust others, and picked his teeth vith
redoubled vigilance.
"Vattel a cook! This is the first I ever heard of it."
"There was a Vattel, in a former age, who stood at the
head of' his art as a cook; this I can assure you, on my
honour: he may not have been your Vattel, however."
" Sir, there never were two Vattels. This is extraordinary news to me, and I scarcely know how to receive it."
"If you doubt my information, you may ask any of the
other passengers. Either of the Mr. Effinghams, or Mr.
Blunt, or Miss EIfingham, or Mademoiselle Viefville will
confirm what I tell you, I think; especially the lattei, for
he was her countryman."
Hereupon Captain Truck began to stuff in the oakum'again, for the calm countenance of Mr. Sharp produced an
effect; and as he was pondering on the consequences of his
oracle's turning out to be a cook, he thought it not amiss to
be eating, as it were, incidentally. After swallowing a
dozen olives, six or eight anchovies, as many pickled oysters, and raisins and almonds, as the advertisements say d
volonte, he suddenly struck his fist on the table, and announced his intention of putting the question to both the
ladies.
" My dear young lady," he called out, " will you do me
the honour to say whether you ever heard of a cook of the
name of Vattel?"




HOMEWARD BOUND.                 1 45
Eve laughed, and her sweet tones were infectious amid
the dull howling of the gale, which was constantly heard in
the cabins, like a bass accompanlment, or the distant roar
of a cataract among the singing of birds.
"' Certainly, captain," she answered; "Mr. Vattel was
not only a cook, but perhaps the most celebrated on record,
for sentiment at least, if not for skill."
"I make no doubt the man did. his work well, let him be
set about what he might; and, mademoiselle, he was a
countryman oqf yours, they tell me?"
"6 Assurement, Monsieur Vattel has left more distinguished
souvenirs than any other cook in France."
Captain Truck turned quickly to the elated and admiring
Saunders, who felt his own glory enhanced by this important discovery, and said in that short-hand way he had of
expressing himself to the chief of the pantry,
"' Do you hear that, sir; see and find out what they are,
and dress me a dish of these souvenirs as soon as we get
in. I dare say they are to be had at the Fulton market,
and mind while there to look out for some tongues and
sounds. I've not made half a supper to-night, for the want
of them. I dare say these souvenirs are capital eating, if
Monsieur Vattel thought so highly of them. Pray, mademoiselle, is the gentleman dead?"
"i Hlas, oui! How could he live with a sword run through
his body?"
" Ha!  killed in a duel, I declare; died fighting for his
principles, if the truth were known!  I shall have a double
respect for his opinion, for this is the touchstone of a man's
honesty. Mr. Sharp, let us take a glass of Geissenheimer
to his memory; we might honour a less worthy man."
As the captain poured out the liquor, a fall of several
tons of water on the deck shook the entire ship, and one of
the passengers in the hurricane-house, opening a door to
ascertain the cause, the sound of the hissing waters and of
the roaring winds came fresher and more distinct into the
cabin. Mr. Truck cast an eye at the tell-tale over his head
to ascertain the course of the ship, and paused just an instant, and then tossed off his wine.
46 This hint reminds me of my mission," Mr. Sharp ro.
13




1 4t(            HUOMEWARD BOUN D.i!oined.  "The ladies desire to know your opinion of the
state of the weather?"
"I owe them an answer, if it were only in gratitude for
the hint about Vattel. Who the devil would have supposed
the man ever was a cook! But these Frenchmen are not
like the rest of mankind, and half the nation are cooks, or
live by food, in some way or other."
" And very good cooks, too, Monsieur le Capitaine," said
Mademoiselle Viefville. " Monsieur Vattel did die for the
honour of his art. iHe fell on his own sword, because the
fish did not arrive in season for the dinner of the king."'Captain Truck looked more astonished than ever. Then
turning short round to the steward, he shook his head and
exclaimed,
"' Do you hear that, sir? How often would you have
died, if a sword had been run through you every time the
fish was forgotten, or was too late'!  Once, to a dead certainty, about these very tongues and sounds."
"But the weather?" interrupted Mr. Sharp.
" The weather, my dear sir; the weather, my dear ladies, is very good weather, with the exception of winds and
waves, of which unfortunately there are, just now, more of
both than we want. The ship must scud, and as we go
like a race-horse, without stopping to take breath, we may
see the Canary Islands before the voyage is over.  Of danger there is none in this ship, as long as we can keep clear
of the land, and in order that this may be done, I will just
step into my state-room, and find out exactly where we are."
On receiving this information, the passengers retired for
the night, Captain Truck setting about his task in good earnest. The result of his calculations showed that they would
run westward of Madeira, which was all he cared about!mmnediately, intending always to haul up to his course on
nhe first good occasion.




HO:MEWARD BOUND.                 147
CHAPTER XIII.
There are yet two things in my destinyA world to roam o'er, and a home with thee.
BYRON.
Et;' EFFINGHAM slept little: although the motion of the
ship had been much mord severe and uncomfortable while
contending with head-winds, on no other occasion were
there so many signs of a fierce contention. of the elements
as in this gale. As she lay in her berth, her ear was with.
in a foot of the roaring waters without, and her frame
trembled as she heard them  gurgling so distinctly, that it
seemed as if they had already forced their way through the
seams of the planks, and were filling the ship. Sleep she
could not, for a long time, therefore, and during two hours
she remained with closed eyes an entranced and yet startled listener of'the fearful strife that was raging over the
ocean. Night had no stillness, for the roar of the winds
and waters was incessant, though deadened by the intervening decks and sides; but now and then an open door
admitted, as it might be, the whole scene into the cabins.
At such moments every sound was fresh, and frightfully
grand,-even the shout of the officer coming to the ear like
a warning cry from the deep.
At length Eve, wearied by her apprehensions even, fell
into a troubled sleep, in which her frightened faculties, how.
ever, kept so much on the alert, that at no time was the
roar of the tempest entirely lost to her sense of hearing.
About midnight the glare of a candle crossed her eyes, and
she was broad awake in an instant. On rising in her berth
she found Nanny Sidley, who had so often and so long
watched over her infant and childish slumbers, standing at
her side, and gazing wistfully in her face.
"'Tis a dread night, Miss Eve," half whispered the
appalled domestic.  "I have not been able to sleep for




148.             HOMEWARD BOUND.
thinking of you, and of what might happen on these wide
waters!"
"And why of me particularly, my good Nanny?" returned Eve, smiling in the face of her old nurse as sweetly
as the infant smiles in its moments of tenderness and recollection. "' Why so much of me, my excellent Ann?-are
there not others too, worthy of your care? my beloved
father - your own good self- Mademoiselle Viefville -
cousin Jack-and —" the warm colour deepened on thae
cheek of the beautiful girl, she scarcely knew why herself"and many others in the vessel, that one, kind as you,
might think of, I should hope, when your thoughts become
apprehensions, and your wishes prayers."
" There are many precious souls in the ship, ma'am, out
of all question; and I'm sure no one wishes them all safe
on land again more than myself; but it seems to me, no one
among them all is so much loved as you."
Eve leaned forward playfully, and drawing her old nurse
towards her, kissed her cheek, while her own eyes glistened,
and then she laid her flushed cheek on that bosom which
had so frequently been its'pillow before. After remaining
a minute in this affectionate attitude, she rdse and inquired
if her nurse had been on deck.
"  go every half-hour, Miss Eve; for I feel it as much
my duty to watch over you here, as when I had you all to
myself in the cradle.  I do not think your father sleeps a
great deal to-night, and several of the gentlemen in the
other cabins remain dressed; they ask me how you spend
the time in this tempest,'whenever I pass their state-room
doors."
Eve's colour deepened, and Ann Sidley thought she had
never seen her child more beautiful, as the bright luxuriant
golden hair, which had strayed from the confinement of the
cap, fell on the warm cheek, and rendered eyes that were
always full of feeling, softer and more brilliant even than
common.
"They conceal their uneasiness for themselves under an
affected concern for me, my good Nanny," she said hur-;iedly; "and your own affection makes you an easy dupe
to the artifice.'




HOMEWARD BOUND.                 149
"It may be so, ma'am, for I know but littLe of the ways
of the world.  It is fearful, is it not, Miss Eve, to think
that. we are in a ship, so far from any land, whirling along
over the bottom as fast as a horse codd plunge?"
"The danger is not exactly of that nature, perhaps,
Nanny."
"There is a bottom to the ocean, is there not?  I have
heard some maintain there is no bottom to the sea-and
that would make the danger so much greater.  I think, if
I felt certain that the bottom was not very deep, and there
was only' a rock to be seen now and then, I should not find
it so very dreadful."
Eve laughed like a child, and the contrast between the
sweet simplicity of her looks, her manners, and her more
cultivated intellect, and the matronly appearance of the less
instructed Ann, made one-of those pictures in which the
superiority of mind over all other things becomes most ap.
parent.
" Your notions of safety, my dear Nanny," she said,
" are not precisely those of a seaman; for I believe there
is nothing of which they stand more in dread than of rocks
and the bottom."
"I fear I'm but a poor sailor, ma'am, for in my judgment
we could have no greater consolation in such a tempest than
to see them all around us. Do you think, Miss Eve, that
the bottom of the ocean, if there is truly a bottom, is
whitened with the bones of ship-wrecked mariners, as people say?"
" I doubt not, my excellent Nanny, that the great deep
might give up many awful secrets; but you ought to think
less of these things, and more of that merciful Providence
which has protected us through so many dangers since we
have been wanderers. You are in much less danger now
than I have known you to be, and escape unharmed."'< I Miss Eve!-Do you suppose that I fear for myself'!
What matters it if a poor old woman like me die a few
years sooner or later or where her frail old body is laid?
t have never been of so muoh account when living as to
make it of consequence where the little which will remain
to decay when dead moulders into dust. Do not, I implore
13 -




. 15t            HOMEWARD BOUND.
you, Miss Effingham, suppose me so selfish as to reel any
uneasiness to-night on my own account."
" Is it then, as usual, all for me, my dear, my worthy old
nurse, that you feel,his anxiety? Put your heart at ease,
for they who know best betray no alarm; and you may
observe that the captain sleeps as tranquilly this night as
on any other."
"But he is a rude man, and accustomed to danger. He
has neither wife nor children, and I'll engage has nevei
given a thought to the horrors of having a form precious as
this floating in the caverns of the ocean, amidst ravenous
fish and sea-monsters."
Here her imagination overcame poor.Nanny Sidley, and
she folded her arms about the beautiful person of Eve, and
sobbed violently.  Her young mistress, accustomed to similar exhibitions of affection, soothed her with blandishments
and assurances that soon restored her self-command, when
the dialogue was resumed with a greater appearance of
tranquillity on the part of the nurse. They conversed a.
few minutes on the subject of their reliance on God, Eve
returning fourfold, or with the advantages of a cultivated
intellect, many of those simple lessons of faith and humility
that she had received from her companion when a child;
the latter listening, as she always did, to these exhortations,
which sounded in her ears, like the echoes of all her own
better thoughts, with a love and reverence no other could
awaken.  Eve passed her small white hand over the wrinkled cheek of Nanny in kind fondling, as it had been passed
a thousand times when a child, an act she well knew her
nurse delighted in, and continued, —
"And now, my good old Nanny, you will set your heart
at ease, I know; for though a little too apt to trouble yourself about one who does not deserve half your care, you
are much too sensible and too humble to feel distrust out of
reason. We will talk of something else a few minutes, and
then you will lie down and rest your weary body."
" Weary! I should never feel weary in watching, when
I thought there was a cause for it."
Although Nanny made no allusion to herself, Eve under.
stood in whose behalf this watchfulness was meant. She




HOMEWARD BOUND.                  151
drew the face of the old woman towards her, and left a kiss
on each cheek ere she continued:61"These ships have other things to talk about, besides
their dangers," she said. "6 Do you not find it odd, at least,
that a vessel of war should be sent to follow us about the
ocean in this extraordinary way?"
" Quite so, ma'am, and I did intend to speak to you about
it, some time when I saw you had nothing better to think
of. At first I fancied, but I believe it was a silly thought,
that some of the great English lords and- admirals that usei
to be so much about us at Paris, and Rome, and Vienna,
had sent this ship to see you safe to America, Miss Eve;
for I never supposed they would make so much fuss con.
cerning a poor runaway couple, like these steerage-passengets.."
Eve did not refrain from laughing again, at this conceit
of Nanny's, for her temperament was gay as childhood.,
though well restrained  by cultivation and manner, and
once more she patted the cheek of her nurse kindly.
" Those great lords and admirals are not great enough
for that, dear Nanny, even had they the inclination to do
so silly a thing. But has no other reason suggested it.self to you, among the many curious circumstances you
may have had occasion to observe in the ship?"
Nanny looked at Eve, and turned her eyes aside, glanced
furtively at the young lady again, and at last felt compelled
to answer.
" I endeavour, ma'am, to think well of everybody, though
strange thoughts will sometimes arise without our wishing
it. I suppose I know to what you allude; but I don't feel
qluite certain it becomes me to speak."
"- With me at least, Nanny, you need have no reserves,
and I confess a desire to learn if we have thought alike
about some of our fellow-passengers.  Speak fireely, then;
lor you can have no more apprehension in communicating
all your thoughts to me, than in communicating them to
your own child."
" Not as much, ma'am, not half as much; for you are
both child and mistress to me, and I look quite as much to
-eceiving advice as to giving it. It is odd, Miss Eve, that




152              HOMEVWARD BOUND.
gentlemen should not pass under their proper names, and I
have had unpleasant feelings about it, though I did not thinij
it became me to be the first to speak, while your father was
with you, and rrlamerzelle," for so Nanny always styled
the governess, "and Mr. John, all of —whom love you almost as much as I do, and all of whom are so much better
judges of what is right. But now you encourage me to
speak my mind, Miss Eve, I will say I should like that no
one came near you who does not carry his heart in his open
hand,,that the youngest child might know his character and
understand his motives."
Eve smiled as her nurse grew warm, but she blushed in
spite of an effort to seem indifferent.
" This would be truly a vain wish, dear Nanny, in the
mixed company of a ship," she said. 6" It is too much to
expect that strangers will throw aside all their reserves, on
first finding themselves in close communion. The wellbred and prudent will only stand more on their guard under such circumstances."
Strangers, ma'am!"
" I perceive that you recollect the face of one of our ship.
mates.  Why do you shake your head?"   The tell-tale
blood of Eve again mantled over her lovely countenance.
"I suppose I ought to have said two of our shipmates,
though I had doubted whether you retained any recollection
of one of them."
"No gentleman ever speaks to you twice, Miss Eve,
that I do not remember him."
"' Thank you, dearest Nanny, for this and a thousand
other proofs of your never-ceasing interest in my welfare;
but I had not believed you so vigilant as to take heed of
every face that happens to approach me."
Ahb, Miss Eve t neither of these gentlemen would like
to be mentioned by you in this careless manner, I'm sure.
They both did a great deal more than' happen to approach
you;' for as to-"' EHist! dear Nanny; we are in a crowded place, and
you may be overheard. You will use no names, therefore,
as I believe we understand each other without going into,1 these particulars.  Now, my dca nPurse, would I give




HOMEWARD BOUND.                 153
something to know which of these young men has made
the most favourable impression on your upright and conscientious mind?"
"Nay, Miss Eve, what is my judgment in comparison
with your own, and that of Mr. John Effingham, and-"
" -My cousin Jack! In the name of wonder, Nanny,
what has he to do with the matter?"
" Nothing, ma'am; only I can see he has his favourites
ais well as another, and I'll venture to say Mr. Dodge is not
the greatest he has in this ship."
" I think you might add Sir George Templemore, too,"
returned Eve, laughing.
Ann Sidley looked hard at her young mistress, and
smiled before she answered; and then she continued the
discourse naturally, as if' there had been no interruption.
" Quite likely, ma'am; and Mr. Monday, and all the rest
of that set. But you see how soon he discovers a real gentleman; for he is quite easy and friendly with Mr. Sharp
and Mr. Blunt, particularly the last."
Eve was silent, fobr she did not like the open introduction
of these names, though she scarce knew why herself.
" My cousin is a man of the world," she resumed, on
perceiving that Nanny watched her countenance with soli.
citude, as if fearful of having gone too far; " and there is
nothing surprising in his discovering men of his own class.
We know both these persons to be not exactly what they
seem, though I think we know no harm of either, unless it
be the silly change of names. It would have been better
had they come on board, bearing their proper appellations;
to us, at least, it would have been more respectful, though
both affirm they were ignorant that my father had taken
passage in the Montauk,-a circumstance that may very
well be true, as you know we got the cabin that was first
mngaged by another party."
"I should be sorry, ma'am, if either failed in respect."
"It is not quite adulatory to make a young woman the
involuntary keeper of the secrets of two unreflecting young
men; that is all, my good Nanny. We cannot well betray
hem, and we are consequently their confidants par force.
The most amulsing part of the thing is, that they are mas.




154t             HOMEWARD HOUND.
ters of each other's secrets, in part at least, and feel a de.
lightCot a wkwardness in a hundred instances.  For my
own part I pity neither, but think each is fairly enough pun.
shed.  T''hey will be fortunate if their servants do not
betray them before we reach New York."
" No fear of that, ma'am, for they are discreet, cautious
men, and if disposed to blab, Mr. Dodge has given both
good opportunities already,.as I believe he has put to them
as many questions as there are speeches in the catechism."'Mr. Dodge is a vulgar man."
" So we all say, ma'am, in the servants' cabin, and everybody is so set against him there, that there is little chance
of his learning much.  I hope, Miss Eve, mamerzelle does
not distrust either of the gentlemen?"
"Surely you cannot suspect Mademoiselle Viefville of
indiscretion, Nanny; a better spirit, or a better tone than
hers, does not exist."
" No, ma'am,'t is not that: but I should like to have one
more secret with you, all to myself. I honour and respect
mamerzelle, who has done a thousand times more for you
than a poor ignorant woman like me could have done, with
all my zeal; but I do believe, Miss Eve, I love your shoe
tie better than she loves your pure and beautiful spirit."
"Mademoiselle Viefville is an excellent woman, and I
believe is sincerely attached to me."
" She would be a wretch else.  I do not deny her attachment, but I only say it is nothing, it ought to be nothing, it
can be nothing, it shall be nothing, compared to that of the
one who first held you in her arms, and who has always
held you in her heart. Mamerzelle can sleep such a night
as this, which I'rl sure she could not do were she as much
concerned for you as I am."
Eve knew that jealousy of' Mademoiselle Viefville was
Nanny's greatest weakness, and drawing the old woman to
her, she entwined her arms around her neck and complained
of drowsiness. Accustomed to watching, and really unable
to sleep, the -nurse now passed a perfectly happy hour in
holding her child, who literally dropped asleep on her
bosom; after which Nanny slid into the berth beneath, in
nier clothes, and finally lost the sense of her apprehensions
in perturbed slumbers.




HOMEWARtD BOUrND.               155
A cry on deck awoke all in the cabins early on the suc.
a.eeding morning. It was scarcely light, but a common excitement seized every passenger, and ten minutes had not
elapsed when Eve and her governess appeared in the hurricane-hoi lse, the last of those who came from below. Few
questions had been asked, but all hurried on deck with their
apprehensions awakened by the gale, increased to the sense
of some positive and impending danger.
Nothing, however, was immediately apparent to justify
all this sudden clamouro The gale continued, if anything
with increased power; the ocean was rolling over its cataracts of combing seas, with which the ship was still racing,
driven under the strain of a reefed forecourse, the only
canvas that was set. Even with this little sail the hull was
glancing through the raging seas, or rather in their conmpany, at a rate a little short of ten miles in the hour.
Captain Truck was in the mizzen-rigging, bare-headed,
every lock of hair he had blowing out like a pennant.  Occasiorially he signed to the man at the wheel which way to
put the helm; for instead of sleeping, as many had supposeld, he had been conning the ship for hours in the same
situation. As Eve appeared, he was directing the attention
of several of the gentlemen to some object astern, but a
very tew moments put all on deck in possession of the facts.
About a cable's length, on one of the quarters of the
Montauk, was a ship careering before the gale like themselves, though carrying more canvas, and consequently
driving faster through the water.  The sudden appearance
of this vessel in the sombre light of the morning, when
objects were seen distinctly but without the glare of day;
the dark hull, relieved by a single narrow line of white
paint, dotted with ports; the glossy hammock-cloths, and
all those other coverings of dark glistening canvas which
give to a cruiser an air of finish and comfort, like that of a
travelling carriage; the symmetry of the spars, and the
gracefulness of all the lines, whether of the hull or hamper,
told all who knew anything of such subjects, that the
stranger was a vessel of war. To this information Captain
T'ruck added that it was their old pursuer the Foam.
"She is corn ette-built," said the master of the Montauk,




156               HOMEWARD BOUND,
" and is obliged to carry more canvas than we, in order to
keep out of the way of the seas; fbr, if' one of' these big
fellows should overtake her, and throw its crest into her
waist, she would becorme like a man who has taken too
much Saturday-night, and with whom a second dose might
settle the purser's books forever."
Such in fact was the history of the sudden appearance
of this ship.  She had lain-to as lon-g as possible, and on
being driven to scud, carried a close-ree(ed maintop-sail, a
show of canvas that urged her through the water about
two knots to the hour faster than the rate of the packet.
Necessarily Ibllowing the same course, she overtook the
iatter just as the day began to dawn. Tihe cry had arisen
on her st.dden discovery, and the moment had now arrived
when she was about to come up, quite abreast of her late
chase. The p~assage of the Foam, under such circumstances, was a grand but thrilling thing.  Her captain, too,
was seen in the mizzen-rigging of his ship, rocked by the
gigantic billows over which the fabric wa s careering.  He
held a speaking-trumpet in his hand, as if still bent on his
duty, in the midst of' that awful warring  of the elements.
Captain Truck called for a trumpet in his turn, and fearfi}
of consequences he waved it to the other to keep more
aloof.  The injunction was either misunderstood, the manof-war's man was too much bent on his object, or the ocean
was too uncontrollable for such a purpose, the corvette
driving up on a sea quite abeam of the packet, and in fear.
ful proximity.  The Englishman applied the trumpet, and
words were heard amid the roaring of the winds. At that
time the white field of old Albion, with the St. George's
c'ross, rose over the bulwarks, and by the time it had
reached the gaff-end, the bunting was whipping in ribbons.
Show'em  the gridiron F"  growled Captain  Truck
brough his trumpet, with its mouth turned in board.
As everything was ready this order was instantly obeyed,
and the stripes of America were soon seen fluttering nearly
in separate pieces. The two ships now ran a short distance
in parallel lines, rolling from each other so heavily that the
bright copper of the corvette was seen nearly to her keel.
The Englishman, who seemed a portion of his ship, again




UQOMEWARD BOUND.                157
tried }:is trumpet; the detached words of "lie-by,".9-'orders,"-" communicate," were caught by one or two, but
the howling of the gale rendered all connexion in the meaning impossible. The Englishman ceased his efforts to make
himself heard, for the two ships were now rolling-to, and
it appeared as if their spars would interlock.'I here was
an instant when Mr. Leach had his hand on the main-brace
to let it go; but the Foam started away oil a sea, like a
horse that feels the spur, and disobeying her helm, shot
forward, as if about to ctoss the Montauk's forefoot.
A breathless instant followed, for all on board the two
ships thought they must now inevitably come foul of each
other, and this the more so, because the Montaulk took the
impulse of the sea just as it was lost to the Foam, and
seemed on the point ofplunging directly into the stern of'
the latter.  Even the seamen clenched the ropes around
them convulsively, and the boldest held their breaths for a
time.  The "p-o-r-t, hard a port, and be d —d to you!"
of Captain Truck; and the' S-t-a r-b-o-a-r-d, starboard
hard 1" of the Englishman, were both distinctly audible to
all in the two ships; for this was a moment in which seamen can speak.louder than the tempest.  The affrighted
vessels seemed to recede together, and they shot asunder in
diverging lines, the Foam leading.  All further attempts at
a communication were instantly useless; the corvette being
half a mile ahead in a quarter of an hour, rolling her yardarms nearly to the water.
Captain Truck said little to his passengers concerning
this adventure; but when he had lighted a cigar, and was
discussing the matter with his chief-mate, he told the latter
there was "just one minute when he would not have given
a ship's biscuit for both vessels, nor much more for their
cargoes. A man must have a small regard for human
souls, when he puts them, and their bodies too, in so much
ieopardy for a little tobacco."
Throughout the day it blew furiously, for the shipwas
running into the gale, a phenomenon that we shall expia:n,
ris most of our readers may not comprehend it. All gales
of wind commence to leeward; or, in other words, the wind
s first felt at some particular point, and later, as we recede
14




158              IHOIOMEWARD BOUND.
from that point, proceeding in the direction from whi, h the
wind blows.  It is always severest near the point where ii.
commences, appearing to diminish in violence as it recedes.
This, therefore, is an additional motive for mariners to lieto, instead of scudding, since the latter not only carries
them far from their true course, but it carries them also
nearer to the scene of the greatest fury of the elements.
CHAPTER XIV.
Good boatswain, have care.
TEMPr_.
AT sunset, the speck presented by the reefed top-sail of
the corvette had sunk beneath the horizon, in the southern
board, and that ship was seen no longer. Several islands
had been passed, looking tranquil and smiling amid the fury
of the tempest; but it was impossible to haul up for any
one among them. The most that could be done was to
keep the ship dead before it, to prevent her broaching-to,
and to have a care that she kept clear of those rocks and
of that bottom, for which Nanny Sidley had so much pined.
Familiarity with the scene began to lessen the apprehensions of the passengers, and as scudding is an easy process
for those who are liable to sea-sickness, ere another night
Shut in, the principal concern was connected with the course
the ship was compelled to steer.  The wind had so'far
hauled to the westward as to render it certain that the coast
of Africa would lie in their way, if obliged to scud many
hours longer; for Captain Truck's observations actually
placed him to the southward and eastward of the Canary
Islands.  This was a long distance out of his course, but
the rate of sailing rendered the fact sufficiently clear.
This, too. was the precise time when the Montauk felt
the weight of the tempest, or rather, when she experience&




HOMEWARD BOUND.                  1 59
the heaviest portion of' that which it was her fate to feel.
Lucky was it fobr the good ship that she had not been in this
latitude a few hours earlicr,.when it had blown something
very like a hurricane.  The responsibility and danger of
his situation now began seriously to disturb Captain Truck,
although he kept his apprehensions to himself; like a prudent oficer.  All his calculations were gone over again
with the utmost care, the rate of sailing was cautiously
estimated. and the result showed, that ten or fifteen hours
more would inevitably produce shipwreck of another sort,
unless the wind moderated.
Fortunately, the gale began to break about midnight.
The wind still blew tremendously, but it was less steadily,
and there were intervals of half-arl-hour at a time wvhen the
ship might have carried much more canvas, even on a bow.
line: of course her speed abated in proportion, and, aftert
the day had dawned, a long and anxious survey fi'lom aloft
showed no land to the eastward.  When perfectly assured
of this important fact, Captain Truck rubbed his hands with
delight, ordered a coal for his cigar, and began to abuse
Saunders about the quality of the coffee during the blow.'Let there be something creditable, this morning, sit',"
added the captain, after a sharp rebuke; "and remember
wve are down here in the neighbourhood of the country of
your forefaithers, where a man ought, in reason, to be on
his good behaviour.. If I hear any more Orf your washy
compounds, I'll put you ashore, and let you run naked a
summer or two with the monkeys and ouran-outangs."
"I endeavour, on all proper occasions, to render myself
agreeable to you, Captain Truck, and to all those with
whom I have the happiness to sail," returned the steward;
"but the coffee, sir, cannot be very good, sir, in such weater, sir.  I do diwine that the wind must blow away its flavour, for T am ready to confess it has not been as odorou;
as it usually is, when I have had the honour to prepare it
As for Africa, sir, 1 flatter myself, Captain Truck, that you
gsteem me too highly to believe I am suited to consort or
esort with the ill-formed and inedicated men who inhabit
i at wild country.  I misremember whether my ancestors
wame from this part of the world or not; but if they did




1 0               HOMEWARD BOUND,
sir,. my habits and profession entirely unqualify me for theni
company, I hope. I know I am only a poor steward, sir,
but you'll please to recollect that your great Mr. Vattel was
nothing but a cook."
"D-n the fellowv Leach; I believe it is this conceit that
has spoiled the coffee the last day or two! Do you suppose it can be true that a great writer like this man could
really be no better than a cook, or was that Englishman
roasting me, by way of showing how cooking is done
ashore?  If it were not for the testimony of the ladies, I
might believe it; but they would not share in such an indecent trick. What are you lying-by for, sir? go to your pantry and remember that the gale is broken, and we shall all
sit down to table this morning, as keen-set as a party of
your brethren ashore here, who had a broiled baby for
breakfast."
Saunders, who ex-offcio might be said to be trained in
similar lectures, went pouting to his work, taking care to
expend a proper part of his spleen on Mr. Toast, who, quite
as a matter of course, sufibred in proportion as his superior
was made to feel, in his own person, the weight of Captain
Truck's authority.  It is perhaps fortunate that nature
points out this easy and self-evident mode of relief, else
would the rude habits of a ship sometimes render the relations between him who orders and him whose duty it is to
obey, too nearly approaching to the intolerable.
The captain's squalls, however, were of short duration
and on the present occasion he was soon in even a better
humour than common, as every minute gave the cheering
assurance, that the tempest was fast drawing to a close.
-le had finished his third cigar, and was actually issuing
his orders to turn the reef out of the foresail, and to set the
maill-top-sail close-reefed, when most of the passengers appeared on deck, for the first time that morning.
"Here we are, gentlemen!" cried Captain Truck, in the
way of salutation, " nearer to Guinea than I could wish,
with every prospect, now, of soon working our way across
the Atlantic, and possibly of making a thirty or thirty-five
days' passage of it yet. We have this sea to quiet; and
then I hope to show you what the Montauk has in her, be.




H(. MEWARD BOUND.                161
sides her passengers and cargo. I think we have now got
rid of the Foam, as well as of the gale. I did believe, at
one time, her people might be walking and wading on the
coast of Cornwall; but I now believe they are more likely
to try the sands of the great Desert of Sahara."
" It is to be hoped they have escaped the latter calamityZ
as fordtunately as they escaped the first!" observed Mr.
Effingham.
"It may be so; but the wind has got round to nor -west,
and has not been sighing these last twelve hours.  Cape
Blanco is not a hundred leagues from us, and, at tihe rate
he was travelling, that gentleman with the speaking-trumr
pet may now be philosophizing over the fragments of his
ship, unless he had the good sense to haul off more to the
westward than he was steering when last seen.  His ship
should have been christened the' Scud,' instead  - the' Foam.'"
Every one expressed the hope that the ship, to vhich
their own situation was fairly enough to be ascribed, might
escape this calamity; and all faces regained their cheerfulness as they saw the canvas fall, in sign that their own
danger was past. So rapidly, indeed, did the gale now
ibate, that the topsails were hardly hoisted before tale ordei
was given to shake out another reef, and within ah hour all
the heavier canvas that was proper to carry betbre the
wind was set, solely with a view to keep the ship steady.
The sea was still fearful, and Captain Truck found himself
obliged to keep off from his course, in order to avoid the
danger of having his decks swept.
The racing with the crest of the waves, however, was
quite done, for the seas soon cease to comb and break, after
the force of the wind is expended.
At no time is the motion of the vessel more unpleasant,
or, indeed, more dangerous, than in the interval that occurs
between the ceasing of a violent gale, and the springing up
of a new wind. The ship is unmanageable, and falling
into the troughs of the sea, the waves break in upon her
decks, oflen doing serious injury, while the spars and rigging are put to tlU severest trial by the sudden and violent
surges which they have to withstand.  Of all this Captain
14*




162~ HOMEWARD BOUND.
Truck was filly aware, and when he was summoned to
breakfast he gave many cautions to Mr. Leach before
quitting the deck.
"I do not like the new shrouds we got up in London,"
he said, " for the rope has stretched in this gale in a way
to throw too much strain on the old rigging; so see all
ready for taking a fresh drag on them, as soon as the people
have breakfasted. Mind and keep her out of the trough,
sir, and watch every roller that you find comes tumbling
upon us."
After repealing these injunctions in different ways, look.
ing to windward some time, and aloft five or six minutes,
Captain Truck finally went below, to pass judgment on
Mr. Saunders' coffee. Once in his throne, at the head of'
the long table, the worthy master, after a proper attention
to his passengers, set about the duty of restoration, as the
steward affectedly called eating, with a zeal that never
failed him on such occasions.  He had just swallowed a
cup of the coffee, about which he had lectured Saunders,
when a heavy flap of the sails announced the sudden failure
of the'wind.
" That is bad news," said Captain Truck, listening to the
fluttering blows of the canvas against the masts. " I never
like to hear a ship shaking its wings while there is a heavy
sea on; but this is better than the Desert of Sahara, and
so, my dear young lady, let me recommend to you a ceup
of this coffee, which is flavoured this morning by a dread
of ouran-outangs, as Mr. Saunders will have the honoui
to inform you-"
A jerk of the whole ship was followed by a report like
that made by a musket. Captain Truck rose, and stood
leaning on one hand in a bent attitude, expectation and
iistrust intensely portrayed in every feature. Another
helpless roll of the ship succeeded, and three or four similar reports were immediately heard, as if large ropes had
parted in quick succession. A rending of wood followed,
and then came a chaotic crash, in which the impending
heavens seemed to fall on the devoted ship. Most of the
passengers shut their eyes, and when they were opened
ugain, or a moment afterwards, Mr. TIruck had vanished




HOMEWARD BOUND.                 163
It is scarcely necessary to describe the confusion that
followed. Eve was frightened, but she behaved well, though
Mademoiselle Viefville trembled so much as to require the
assistance of Mr. Effingham.
" We have lost our masts," John Effingham coolly remarked; "an accident that will not be likely to be very
dangerous, though by prolonging the passage a month or
two, it may have the merit of making this good company
more intimately acquainted with each other, a pleasure for
which we cannot express too much gratitude."
Eve implored his forbearance by a glance, for she saw
his eye was unconsciously directed towards Mr. Monday
and Mr. Dodge, for both of whom she knew her kinsman
entertained an incurable dislike. His words, however, explained the catastrophe, and most of the men hastened on
deck to assure themselves of the fact.
John Effingham was right. The new rigging which had
stretched so much during the gale, had permitted too much
of the strain, in the tremendous rolls of the ship, to fall
upon the other ropes.  The shroud most exposed had
parted first; three or four more followed in succession, and
before there was time to secure anything, the remainder
had gone together, and the mainmast had broken at a place
where a defect was now seen in its heart. Falling over the
side, the latter had brought down. with it the mizzen-mast
and all its hamper, and as much of the fore-mast as stood
above the top.  In short, of all the complicated tracery of
ropes, the proud display of spars, and the broad folds of
canvas that had so lately overshadowed the deck of the
Montauk, the mutilated fore-mast, the fore-yard and sail,
and the fallen, head-gear alone remained. All the rest
either cumbered the deck, or was beating against the side
of the ship, in the water.
The hard, red, weather-beaten face of Captain Truck
was expressive of mortification and concern, for a single
instant, when his eye glanced over the ruin we have just
described. His mind then seemed made up to the calamity,
and he ordered Toast to bring him a coal of' fire, with
which he quietly lighted a cigar.
"' Here is a category, and be d-d to it, Mr. Leach," he




164              HOMEWARD BOU ND.
said, after taking a single whiff. "1 You are doing quite
right, sir; cut away the iwreck and force the ship free of it,
or we shall have some of those sticks poking themselves
through the planks. I always thought the chandler in
London, into whose hands the agent has fallen, was a —rogue, and now I know it well enough to swear to it.  Cut
away, carpenter, and get us rid of all this thumping as socn
as possible.  A very capital vessel, Mr. Monday, or she
would have rolled the pumps out of her, and capsized the
galley."
No attempt being made to save anything, the wreck was
floating astern in five minutes, and the ship was fortunately
extricated from this new hazard.  Mr. Truck, in spite of
his acquired coolness, looked piteously at all that gallant
hamper, in which he had so lately rejoiced, as yard-arm,
cross-trees, tressel-trees, and tops rose on the summits of
swells or settled in the troughs, like whales playing their
gambols. But habit is a seaman's philosophy, and in no
one feature is his character more respectable than in that
manliness which disinclines him to mourn over a misfortune
that is inevitable.
The Montauk now resembled a tree stripped of its
branches, or a courser crippled in his sinews; her glory
had, in a great degree, departed. The foremast alone
remained, and of this even the head was gone, a circumstance of which Captain Truck complained more than of
any other, as, to use his own expressions, " it destroyed the
symmetry of the spar, which had proved itself to be a good
stick." What, however, was of more real importance, it
rendered it difficult, if not impossible, to get up a spare top.
mast forward. As both the main and mizzen-mast had
gone quite near the deck, this was almost the only tolerably
easy expedient that remained; and, within an hour of the
accident, Mr. Truck announced his intentions to stand as
far south as he could to strike the trades, and then to make
a fair wind of it across the Atlantic, unless, indeed, he
might be.able to fetch into the Cape de Verde Islands,
where it would be possible, perhaps, to get something like
at new outfit.
"All I now ask, my dear young lady," he said to Eve,




HOMEWARD BOUND.                 165
who ventured on deck to look at the desolation, as soon as
the wreck was cilt adrift, " all I now ask, my dear young
lady, is an end to westerly winds for two or three weeks,
and I will promise to place you all in America yet, in time
to eat your Christmas dinner. I do not think Sir George
will shoot many white bears among the Rocky Mountains
this year, but then there will be so many more left for another season. The ship is in a category, and he will be an
impudent scoundrel who denies it; but worse categories
than this have been reasoned out of countenance. All headsail is not a convenient show of cloth to claw off a leeshore with; but I still hope to escape the misfortune of laying eyes on the coast of Africa."
"Are we far from it?" asked Eve, who sufficiently un
derstood the danger of being on an uninhabitable shore ii
their present situation; one in which it was vain to seek foi
a port. "I would rather be in the neighbourhood of any
other land, I think, than that of Africa."
"' l,;pecially Africa between the Canaries and Cape
Blanr;co.  returned Captain Truck, with  an  expressive
shrug.' More hospitable regions exist, certainly; for, if
accounts are to be credited, the honest people along-shore
never get a Christian that they do not mount him on a
camel, and trot him through the sands a thousand miles or
so, under a hot sun, with a sort of haggis for food, that
would go nigh to take away even a Scotchman's appetite."
"' And you do not tell us how far we are from this frightful land, Mons. le Capitaine?" inquired Mademoiselle Viefville.
" In ten minutes you shall know, ladies, for I am about
to observe fur the longitude.  It is a little late, but it may
yet be done."
"And we may rely on the fidelity of your information?"
"On the honour of a sailor and a man."
The ladies were silent, while Mr. Truck proceeded to get
the sun and the time. As soon as he had run through his
calculations, he came to them with a face in which the
eye was roving, though it was still good-humoured and
smiling.
"And the result?" said Eve.




LIOMEWARD BOUND.
"Is no. quite as flattering as I could wish.  We are ma.
terially within a degree of' the coast; but, as the wind is
gone, or nearly so, we may hope to find a shift that will
shove us farther from the land. - And now I have dealt
frankly with you, let me beg you will keep the secret, for
my people will be dreaming of'Turks, instead of working,
if they knew the fact."
It required no great observation to discover that Captain
Truck was far from satisfied with the position of his ship.
Without any after-sail, and almost without the means of
making any, it was idle to think of hauling off from the
land, more especially against the heavy sea that was still
rolling in from the north-west; and his present object was
to make the Cape de Verdes, before -eaching which he
would be certain to meet the trades, and where, of course,
there would be some chance of repairing damages. His apprehensions would have been much less were the ship a
degree further west, as the prevailing winds in this part of
the ocean are from the northward and eastward; but it was
no easy matter to force a ship that distance under a foresail, the only regular sail that now remained in its place.
It is true, he had some of the usual expedients of seamen at
his command, and the people were immediately set about
them; but, in consequence of the principal spars having
gone so near the decks, it became exceedingly difficult to
rig jury-masts.
Something must be attempted, however, and the spare
spars were got out, and all the necessary preparations were
commenced, in order that they might be put into their
places and rigged, as wel as circumstances would allow. As
soon as the sea went down, and the steadiness of the ship
would permit, Mr. Leach succeeded in getting up an awkward lower studding-sail, and a sort of a stay-sail forward,
and with these additions to their canvas, the ship was
brought to head south, with the wind light at the westward.
TFhe sea was greatly diminished about noon; but a mile an
hour, for those who had so long a road before them, and
who were so near a coast that was known to be fearfully
inhospitable, was a cheerless progress, and the cry of
" sail, ho!" earl) in the afternoon, diffused a general joy
in the Montauk.




HOMEWARD BOUV D.                167
The stranger was made to the southward and eastward,
and was standing on a course that must bring her quite near
to their own track, as the Montauk then headed. The wind
was so light, however, that Captain Truck gave it as his
opinion they could not speak until night had set in.
"Unless the coast has brought him up, yonder flaunting
gentleman, who seems to have had better luck with his light
canvas than ourselves, must be the Foam," he said.'1"Tobacco, or no tobacco, bride or bridegroom, the fellow has
us at last, and all the consolation that is left is, that we shall
be much obliged to him, now, if he will carry us to Portsmouth, or into any other Christian haven. We have shown
him what a kettle-bottom can do before the wind, and now
let him give us a tow to windward like a generous antagonist. That is what I call Vattel, my dear young lady."
I' If he do this, he will indeed prove himself a generous
adversary," said Eve, "and we shall be certain to speak
well of his humanity, whatever we may think of his obstinacy."' Are you quite sure the ship in sight is the corvette?"
asked Paul Blunt.
1" Who else can it be?-Two vessels are quite sufficient
to be jammed down here on the coast of Africa, and we
know that the Englishman must be somewhere to leeward
of us; though, I will confess, I had believed him much
farther, if not plump up among the Mohammedans, beginning to reduce to a feather-weight, like Captain Riley, who
came out with just his skin and bones, after a journey across
the desert."
"I do not think-those top-gallant-sails have the symmetry
of the canvas of a ship-of-war."
Captain Truck looked steadily at the young man an instant, as one regards a sound criticism, and then he turned
his eye towards the object of which they were speaking.
" You are right, sir," he rejoined, after a noment of ex.
amination; "and I have had a lesson in my own trade
from one young enough to be my son. The stranger is
clearly no cruiser, and as there is no port in-shore of us
anywhere near this latitude, he is probably some trader whe
has been driven down here, like ourselves."




168              HOMEWARD BOUND.' "And I'm very sure, captain," put in Sir George Temn
plemore, "we ought to rejoice sincerely that, like ourselves
lie has escaped shipwreck. For my part, I pity the poor
wretches on board the Foam most sincerely, and could almost wish myself a Catholic, that one might yet offer up
sacrifices in their behalf."
"You have shown yourself a Christian throughout al
that affair, Sir George, and I shall not forget your hand
some offers to befriend the ship, rather than let us fall int
the jaws of the Philistines. We were in a category more
than once, with that nimble-footed racer in our wake, an
you were the man, Sir George, who manifested the most
hearty desire to get us out."
" I ever feel an interest in the ship in which I embark,"
returned tne gratified baronet, who was not displeased at
hearing his liberality so openly commended; " and I would
cheerfully have given a thousand pounds in preference to'
being taken. I rather think, now, that is the true spirit for
a sportsman 1"
" Or'f6r an admiral, my good sir. To be frank with you,
Sir George, when I first had the honour of your acquaintance, I did not think you had so much in you. There was
a sort of English attention to small wares, a species of
knee-buckleism about your debutt, as Mr. Dodge calls it,
that made me distrust your being the whole-souled and oneidea'd man I find you really are."
" Oh! I do like my comforts," said Sir George, laughing.
" That you do, and I am only surprised you don't smoke.
Now, Mr. Dodge, your room-mate, there, tells me you have
six-and-thirty pair of breeches!"
"' I have-yes, indeed, I have. One would wish to go
abroad decently clad."
" Well! if it should be our luck to travel in the deserts,
your wardrobe would rig out a whole harem."
" I wish, captain, you would do me the favour to step into
our state-room, some morning; I have many curious things
I should like to show you. A set of razors, in particular,
-and a dressing-case-and a pair of patent pistols-and
that life-preserver that you admire so much, Mr. Dodge.
Mr. Dodge has seen most of my curiosities, Lbelieve,-and




HOMeWARD BOUND.                 169
will tell you some of them are really worth a moment's
examination."
"Yes, captain, I must say," observed Mr. Dodge,-for
this conversation was held apart between the three, the
mate keeping an eye the while on the duty of the ship, for
habit had given Mr. Truck the faculty of driving his people
while lie entertained his passengers —" Yes, captain, I must
say I have nlet no gentleman who is better supplied with
r.:,cessaries, than my friend, Sir George. But English gentlemen are curious in such things, and I admit that I admire
their ingenuity."
"Particularly in breeches, Mr. Dodge. Have you coats
to match, Sir George?"
"Certainly, sir. One would be a little absurd in his
shirt sleeves. I wish, captain, we could make Mr. Dodge
a little less of a republican. I find him a most agreeable,
room-mate, but rather annoying on the subject of kings and
princes."
"You stick up for the people, Mr. Dodge, or to the old
category -?
" On that subject, Sir George and I shall: never agree,
obr he is obstinately monarchial; but I tell him we shall
treat him none the worse for that, when he gets among us.
He has promised me a visit in our part of the country, and
I have pledged myself to his being unqualifiedly well
received; and I think I know the whole meaning of a
pledge."' I understand Mr. Dodge," pursued the baronet, " that
he is the editor of a public journal, in which he entertains
his readers with an account of his adventures and observations during his travels.'The Active Inquirer,' is it not,
Mr. Dodge?"
"That is the name, Sir George.' The Active Inquirer'
is the present name, though when we supported Mr. Adams
it was called' The Active Enquirer,' with an E."
" A distinction without a difference; I like that," inter
rupted Captain Truck.  " This is the second time I have
had the honour t> sail with Mr. Dodge, and a more active
inquirer never put foot in a ship, though I did not know the
use he put his information to before. It is all in the way
of trade, I find."
15




170              HOMEWARD BOUND.
s" Mr. Dodge claims to belong to a profession, captain,
and is quite above trade. He tells me many things have
occurred on board this ship, since we sailed, that will make
very eligible paragraphs."
"The d —-- he does!-I should like particularly well
Mr. Dodge, to know what you will find to say concerning
this category in which the Montauk is placed.
"Oh! captain, no fear of me, when you are concerned.
You know I am a friend, and you have no cause to apprehend any thing; though I'll not answer for everybody else
on board; for there are passengers in this ship to whom I
have decided antipathies, and whose deportment meets with
my unqualified disapprobation."
" And you intend to paragraph them?"
Mr. Dodge was now swelling with the conceit of a vulgar
and inflated man, who not only fancies himself in possession
of a power that others dread, but who was so far blinded
to his own qualities as to think his opinion of importance
to those whom he felt, in the minutest fibre of his envious
and malignant system, to be in every essential his superiors.
He did not dare express all his rancour, -while he was unequal to suppressing it entirely.
"These Effinghams, and this Mr. Sharp, and that Mr.
Blunt," he muttered, "think themselves everybody's betters;
but we shall see! America is not a country in which people
can shut themselves. up in rooms, and fancy they are lords
and ladies."
*' Bless my soul!" said Captain Truck, with his affected'
simplicity of manner; "how did you find this out, Mr.
Dodge? What a thing it is, Sir George, to be an active inquirer!"
" Oh! I know when a man is blown up with notions of
his own importance.  As for Mr. John Eflingham, hle has
been so long abroad that he has forgotten that he is a going
home to a country of equal rights!"
"Very true, Mr. Dodge; a country in which a man cannot shut himself up in his room, whenever the notion seizes
him. This is the spirit, Sir George, to make a great nation,
and you see that the daughter is likely to prove worthy of
the old ladyI But, my dear sir, are you quite suie that Mr.




HOMEWARD BOUND.                 17 1
Mohn Effixlgham has absolutely to high a sentiment in his
own favour. It would be awkward business to make a
blunder in such a serious matter, and murder a paragraph
for nothing.  You should remember the mistake of the
Irishman i"
"' What was that?" asked the baronet, who was comnpletely mystified by the indomitable gravity of Captain
Truck, whose character might be said to be actually formed
by the long habit of treating the weaknesses of his fellowcreatures with cool contempt. " We hear many good things
at our club; but I do not remember the mistake of the
Irishman?"
"i He merely mistook the drumming in his own ear, for
some unaccountable noise that disturbed his companions."
Mr. Dodge felt uncomfortable; but there is no one in
whom a vulgar-minded man stands so much in ave as an
immovable quiz, who has no scruple in using his p wer.
He shook his head, therefore, in a menacing mannler, and
affecting to have something to do he went below, leaving
the baronet and captain by themselves.
"Mr. Dodge is a stubborn friend of liberty," said the
former, when his room-mate was out of hearing.
1" That is he, and you have his own word for it. He has
no notion of letting a man do as he has a mind to! We are
full of such active inquirers in America, and I don't care
how many you shoot before you begin upon the white bears,
Sir George."
" But it would be more gracious in the Effinghams, you
must allow, captain, if they shut themselves up in their
cabin less, and admitted us to their society a little oftener.
I am quite of Mr. Dodge's way of thinking, that exclIsion
is excessively odious."
" There is a poor fellow in the steerage, Sir George, to
whom I have given a piece of canvas to repair a damage to
his mainsail, who would say the same thing, did he know
of your six-and-thirtys.  Take a cigar, my dear sir, and
smoke away sorrow."
"Thankee, captain: I never smoke  We never smoke
at our club, though some of us go, at times, to the divan to
try a chibouk."




172              HOMEWARD BOUND.
" We can't all have cabins to ourselves, or no one would.ive forward.  If the Effinghams like their own apartment,
I do honestly believe it is for a reason as simple as that it
[s the best in the'ship.  I'll warrant you, if there were a
better, that they would be ready enough to change. I suppose when we get in, Mr. Dodge will honour you with an
article in' The Active Inquirer?'"
"To own the truth, he has intimated some such thing."
"And why not? A very instructive paragraph might
be made atbout the six-and-thirty pair of breeches, and the
patent razors, and the dressing-case, to say nothing of the
Rocky Mountains, and the white bears."
Sir George now began to feel uncomfortable, and making
a few unmeaning remarks about the late accident, he dis.
appeared.
Captain Truck, who never smiled except at the corner of
his left eye, turned away, and began rattling off his people, and
throwing in a hint or two to Saunders, with as much indifference as if he were a firm believer in the unfailing orthodoxy of a newspaper, and entertained a profound respect
for the editor of the' Active Inquirer,' in particular.
The prognostic of the master concerning the strange ship
proved true, for about nine at. night she came within hail,
and backed her maintop-sail.  This vessel proved to be an
American in ballast, bound from Gibraltar to New York;
a return store-ship from the squadron kept in the Mediterranean. She had met the gale to the westward of Madeira,
and after holding on as long as possible, had also been compelled to scud.  According to the report of her officers, the
Foam had run in much closer to the coast than herself, and
it was their opinion she was lost. Their own escape was
owing entirely to the wind's abating, for they had actually
been within sight ofthe land, though having received no injury, they had been able to haul off in season.
Luckily, this ship was ballastea with fresh water, and
Captain Truck passed the night in negotiating a transfer of
his steerage passengers, under an apprehension that, in the
crippled, state of his own vessel, his supplies might be ex
hausted before he could reach America.  In the morning,
the offer of being put on board the store-ship was made to




HOMEWVARD BOUND,                173
those who chose to accept it, and all in the steerage, with
most from the cabin, profited by the occasion to exchange
a dismasted vessel for one that was, at least, full rigged.
Provisions were transferred accordingly, and by noon next
day the stranger made sail on a wind, the sea being tolerably smooth, and the breeze still ahead. In three hours
she was out of sight to the northward and westward, the
Montauk holding her own dull course to the southward,
with the double view of striking the trades, or of reaching
one of the Cape de Verdes.
CHAPTER XV*
Steph.-His forward voice now is to speak well- of his friend; his backward voice is to utter foul speeches, and to detract.
TEMPEST
THE situation of the Montauk appeared more desolate
than ever, after the departure of so many of her passengers.
So long as her decks were thronged there was an air of life
about her, that served to lessen disquietude, but now that
she was left by all in the steerage, and by so many in the
cabins, those who remained began to entertain livelier apprehensions of the future. When the upper sails of the
store-ship sunk as a speck in the ocean, Mr. Effingham  regretted that he, too, had not overcome his reluctance to a
crowded and. inconvenient cabin, and gone on board her,
with his own party. Thirty years before he would have
thought himself fortunate in finding so good a ship, and
accommodations so comfortable; but habit and indulgence
change all our opinions, and he had now thought it next to
impossible to place Eve and Mademoiselle Viefville in a
situation that was so common to those wh travelled b3' sea
at the commencement of the century.
Most of the cabin passengers, as has just been stated, deaided differently, none remaining but the Effinghams and
*15




1 74             HOMEWARD BOUND.
their party, Mr. Sharp, Mr. Blunt, Sir George Ternplemore
Mr. Dodge, and Mr. Monday. Mr. Effingham  had been
influenced by the superior comforts of the packet, and his
hopes that a speedy arrival at the islands would enable the
ship tc refit, in time to reach America almost as soon as the
dull-sailing vessel which had just left them. Mr. Sharp
and Mr. Blunt had both expressed a determination to share
his fortunes, which was indirectly saying that they would
share the fortunes of his daughter. John Effingham remained, as a matter of course, though he had made a proposition to the stranger to tow them into port, an arrangement that failed in consequence of the two captains disagreeing as to the course proper to be steered, as well as to
a more serious obstacle in the way of compensation, the
stranger throwing oi some pretty plain hints about salvage;
and Mr. Monday staying from an inveterate attachment to
the steward's stores, more of which, lie rightly judged,
would now fall to his share than formerly.
Sir George Templemore had gone on board the storeship, and had given some very clear demonstrations of an
intention to transfer himself and the thirty-six pair of
breeches to that vessel; but on examining her comforts,
and particularly the:confined place in which he, should be
compelled to stow himself and his numerous curiosities, he
was unequal to the sacrifice. On the other hand, he knew
an entire state-room would now fall to his share, and this
self-indulged and feeble-minded young man preferred his
immediate comfort, and the gratification of his besetting
weakness, to his safety.
As for Mr. Dodge, he had the American mania of hurry,
and was one of the first to propose a general swarming, as
soon as it was known the stranger could receive them.
During the night, he had been actively employed in fomenting a party to " resolve," that prudence required the Montauk should be altogether abandoned, and even after this
scheme failed, he had dwelt eloquently in corners (Mr.
Dodge was too Seek, and too purely democratic, ever to
speak aloud, unless under the shadow of public opinion,) on
the propriety of Captain Truck's yielding his own judgment
to that of the majority. He might as well have scolaed




HOMEWARD BOUND.                 175
against the late gale, in the expectation of out-railing the
tempest, as to make. such an attempt on the firm-set notions
of the old seaman concerning his duty; for no sooner was
the thing intimatedt to him than he growled a denial in a
tone that he was little accustomed to use to his passeng-ers,
and one that effectually silenced remonstrance.  When.these two plans had failed, Mr. Dodge endeavoured strenuously to show Sir George that his interests and safety were
on the side of a removal; but with all his eloquence, and,with the hold that incessant adulation had actually given
him on the mind of the other, he was unable to overcome
his love of ease, and chiefly the passion for the enjoyment
of the hundred articles of comfort and curiosity in which
the baronet so much delighted.  The breeches might have
been packed in a trunk, it is true, and so might the razors,
and the dressing-case, and the pistols, and most of the other
things; but Sir George loved to look at them daily, and as.many as possible were constantly paraded before his eyes.
To the surprise of every one, Mr. Dodge, on finding it
impossible to prevail on Sir George Templemore to leave
the packet, sulddenly announced his own intention to remain
also.' Few stopped to inDquire into his motives in the hurry
of such a moment.  To his room-mate he affirmeed that the
strong friendship he had formed for him, could alone induce
him to relinquish the hope of reaching home previously to
the autumns elections.
Nor did Mr. Dodge greatly colour the truth in making
this statement.  He was an American demagogue precisely
in obedience to those feelings and inclinations which would
hlave made him a courtier anywhere else.  It is true, he had
travelled, or thohght he had travelled, in a diligence with
a countess or two, but. from these he had been obliged to
separate early on account of the force of things; while
here he had got a bond-fide English baronet all to himself,
in a co;ifined state-room, and his imagination revelled in
the glory and gratification of such an acquaintance. What
were the proud and distant Effinghams to Sir George Templemore! He even ascribed their reserve with the barone'
to envy, a passion of whose existence he had very lively
nerceptions, and he found a secret charm in being shut up




176               HJMEWARD BOUND.
in so small an apartment with a man who could excite envy
in an Effingham.  Rather than abandon his aristocratica,
prize, therefore, whom he intended to exhibit to all his de.
mocratic friends in his own neighbourhood, Mr. Dodge de.
terminel to abandon his beloved hurry, looking for his
reward in the future pleasure of talking of Sir George
Templemore and his curiosities, and of his sayings and his
iokes, in the circle at home. Odd, moreover, as it may
seem, Mr, Dodge had an itchina desire to remain with the
Effinghams; for while he was permitting jealousy and a
consciousness of inferiority to beget hatred, he was willing
at any moment to make peace, provided it could be done
by a frank admission into their intimacy.  As to the innocent family that was rendered of so much account to the
happiness of Mr. Dodge, it seldom  thought of that individual at all, little dreaming of its own importance in his
estimation, and merely acted in obedience to its own cultivated tastes and high principles in disliking his company.
It fancied itself, in this particular, the master of its own
acts, and this so much the more, that with the reserve of
good-breeding its members seldom indulged in censorious
personal remarks, and never in gossip.
As a consequence of these contradictory feelings of Mr.
Dodge, and of the fastidiousness of Sir George Templemore, the interest her two admirers took in Eve, the devotion of Mr. Monday. to sherry and ceampaigne, and the
decision of Mr. Effingham, these persons therefore remained
the sole occupants of the cabins of the Montauk.  Of the
oi polloi who had left them, we have hitherto said nothing,
because this separation was to remove them entirely from
the interest of* our incidents.
If' we were to say that Captain Truck did not feel melancholy as the store-ship sunk beneath the horizon, we should
yepresent that stout-hearted mariner as more stoical than
he actually was. In the course of a long and adventurous
professional life, 1ie had encountered calamities before, but
he had never before been compelled to call in assistance to:eliyer his passengers at the stipulated port, since he had
commanded a packet. He felt the necessity, in the present:nstance, as a sort of stain ulpon his character as a seamran,




HOMEWARD BOUND.                 177
though in fact the accident which had occurred was chiefly
to be attributed to a concealed defect in the mainmast. The
honest master sighed often, smoked nearly double the usual
number of cigars in the course of the afternoon, and when
the sun went down gloriously in the distant west, he stood
gazing at the sky in melancholy silence, as long as any of
the magnificent glory that accompanies the decline of day
lingered among the vapours of the horizon. He then sum.
moned Saunders to the quarter-deck, where the following
dialogue took place between them:
" This is a devil of a category to be in, Master Steward!"
" Well, he might be better, sir. I only wish the good
butter may endure until we get in."
I" If it fail, I shall go nigh to see you clapt into the State's
prison, or at least into that Gothic cottage on Blackwell's
Island."
" There is an end to all things, Captain Truck, if you
please, sir, even to butter. I presume, sir, Mr. Vattel, if
he know anything of cookery, will admit that."
"Harkee, Saunders, if you ever insinuate again that
Vattel belonged to the coppers, in my presence, I'll take
he liberty to land you on the coast here, where you may
amuse yourself in stewing young monkeys for your own
dinner. I saw you aboard the other ship, sir, overhauling
her arrangements; what sort of a time will the gentlemen
be likely to have in her?"
"Atrocious, sir! I give you my honour, as a real gentle.
man, sir. Why, would you believe it, Captain Truck, the
steward is a downright nigger, and he wears ear-rings, and
a red flannel shirt, without the least edication.  As for the
cook, sir, he would'nt pass an examination for Jemmy Ducks
aboard here, and there is but one camboose, and one set of
coppers."
"Well, the steerage-passengers, in that case, will fare as
wvell as the cabin."
Yes, sir, and the cabin as bad as the steerage; and for
my 7art, I abomelnate liberty and equality."' You should converse with Mr. Dodge on that subject,
Master Saunders, and let the hardest fend off in the argument. Ma.y I inquire, sir, if you happen to remember the
lay of tho week?"




178               HOMEWARD BOUND.
"Beyond controversy, sir; to-morrow will be Sunday.
Captain Tr ick, and I think it a thousand pities we have
not an opportunity to solicit the prayers and praises of the
church, sir, in our behalf, sir."
" If to-morrow will be Sunday, to-day must be Saturday,
Mr. Saunders, unless this last gale has deranged the calen.
dar."
" Quite naturally, sir, and werry justly remarked. Every
body admits there is no better navigator than Captain
Truck, sir."
"This may be true, my honest fellow," returned the
captain moodily, after making three or four heavy puffs ai
the cigar; "but I am  sadly out of my road down here in
the country of your amiable family, just ilow.  If this be
Saturday, there will be a Saturday night before long, and
look to it, that we have our' sweethearts and wives.'
Though I have neither myself, I feel the necessity of some.
thing cheerful, to raise my thoughts to the future."
" Depend on my discretion, sir, and I rejoice to hear you
say it; for I think, sir, a ship is never so respectable and
genteel as when she celebrates all the anniwersaries. You
will be quite a select and agreeable party to-night, sir."
With this remark Mr. Saunders withdrew, to confer with
Toast on the subject, and Captain Truck proceeded to givo
his orders for the night to Mr. Leach.  The proud ship did
indeed present a sight to make a seaman melancholy; for
to the only regular sail that stood, the foresail, by this'time:
was added a lower studding-sail, imperfectly rigged, and
which would not resist a fresh puff, while a very inartificial
jury-topmast supported a topgallant-sail, thatcould only be
carried in a free wind.  Aft, preparations were making of
a more permanent nature, it is true.  The upper part of the
mainmast had been cut away, as low as the steerage-deck
where an arrangement had been made to step a spare top.
mast. The spar itself was lying on the deck rigged, and a
pair of sheers were in readiness to be hoisted, in order to
sway it up; but night approaching, the men had been broken
off, to rig the yards, bend the sails, and to fit the other spars
It was intended to use, postponing the last act, that of send.
ing all up, until morning.




MT1E~WA.RD BOUND.                179
W" We asre likely to have a quiet night of it," said the cap-:ain, glanc'ing his eyes round at the heavens; " and at eight.'clock to-aiorrow let all hands be called, when we will
turn-to with a will, and make a brig of the old hussey
This top)mast will do to bear the strain of the spare mainyard, unless there come another gale, and by reefing the
new mainsail we shall be able to make something out of it,
The topgallant-mast will fit of course above, and we may
make out, by keeping a little free, to carry the sail: at need,
wve may possibly deax the contrivance into carrying a studding-sail also.  We have sticks for no more, though we'll
endeavour to get up something aft, out of the spare spars
obtained from the store-ship.  You may knock off at four
bells, Mr. Leach, and let the poor fellows have their Saturday's night in peace. It is a misfortune enough to be dismasted, without having one's grog stopped."
The mate of course obeyed, and the evening shut in beautifully and placid, with all the glory of a mild night, in a
latitude as low as that they were in. They who have never
seen the ocean under such circumstances, know little of its
charms in its moments of rest.  The term of sleeping is
well applied to its impressive stillness, for the long sluggish
swells on whicli the ship rose and fell, hardly disturbed its
surface.' The moon did not rise until midnight, and Eve,
accompanied by Mademoiselle Viefville and most of her
male companions, walked the deck by the bright'starlight,
until fatigued with pacing their narrow bounds.
The song and the laugh rose frequently from the forecastle, where the crew were occupied with their Saturday
night; and occasionally a rude sentiment in the way of a
toast was heard. But weariness soon got the better:of merriment forward, and the hard-worked mariners, who had
the watch below, soon went down to their berths, leaving
those whose duty it was to remain to doze away the long
hours in such places as they could find on deck.
s" A white squall," said Captain Truck, looking up at the
Uncouth sails that hardly impelle4 the vessel a mile in the
hour through the water, " would soon furl all our canvas
for us, and we are in the very place [or such an interlude.'"
1" And what would then become of us?" asked Mademoiqjelle Viefville qutickly.




180              HOMEWARD BOUND.
"You had better ask what would become of that apology
ror a topsail, mamn'selle, and yonder stun'sait, which looks
like an American in London without straps to his pantaloons.
The canvas would plaly kite, and we should be left to renew
our inventions.  A ship could scarcely be in better plight
than we are at this moment, to meet with one of these African flurries."
"In which case, captain," observed Mr. Monday, who
stood by the skylight watching the preparations below, "' we
can go to our Saturday-night without fear; for I see the
steward has everything ready, and the punch looks very
inviting, to say nothing of the chalrpaigne."
"' Gentlemen, we will not forget our duty," returned the
captain; "we are but a small family, and so much the.
greater need that we should prove a jolly one. Mr. Mr. ffing
ham, I hope we are to have the honour of your company
at' sweethearts and wives."'
Mr. Effingham had no wife, and the invitation coming
under such peculiar circumstances, produced a pang that
Eve, who felt his arm tremble, well unlderstood. She mildly
intimated her intention to go below however; the whole
party followed, and lucky it was for the captain's entertainment that she quitted the deck, as few would otherwise have
been present at, it. By pressing the passengers to favour
him with their company, he succeeded in the course of a
few minutes in getting all the gentlemen seated at the cabin.
table, with a glass of delicious punch before each man.
" Mr. Saunders may not be a conjuror or a mathematiciani gentlemen," cried Captain Truck, as lie ladled out
the beverage; 1" but he understands the philosophy of sweet
and sour, strong and weak; and I will venture t6 praise his'quor without tasting it. Well, gentlemen, there are bettertigged ships on the ocean than this of ours; but there are
few with more comfortable cabins, or stouter hulls, or better
company. Please God we can get a few sticks aloft again,
now that we are quit of our troublesome shadow, I think I
may flatter myself with a reasonable hope of landing you,
th}at do me the honour to stand by me. in New York, in less
time than a common drogger would make the passage, with
all his legs and arms. Let our first toast be, if you please'




HOMEWARD BOUND.                 181
A happy end to that which has had a disastrous begin.
ning.' "
Captain Truck's hard face twitched a little while he was
making this address, and as he swallowed the punch, his
eyes glistened in spite of himself. Mr. Dodge, Sir George,
and Mr. Monday repeated the sentiment sonorously, word
for word, while the other gentlemen bowed, and drank it in
silence.
The commencement of aregular scene of merriment is
usually dull and formal, and it was some time before Captain
Truck could bring any of his companions up to the point
where he wished to see them; for though a perfectly sober
man, he loved a social glass, and particularly at those times
and seasons which conformed to the practice of his calling..
Although Eve and her governess had declined taking their
seats at the table, they consented to place themselves where
they might be seen, and where they might share occasionally
in the conversation.
" Here have I been drinking sweethearts and wives of a
Saturday-night, my dear young lady, these forty years and
more," said Captain Truck, after the party had sipped their
liquor for a minute or two, " without ever falling into luck's
latitude, or furnishing myself with either; but, though so
negligent of my own interests and happiness, I make it an
invariable rule to advise all my young friends to get spliced
before they are thirty.  Many is the man who has come
aboard my ship a determined bachelor in his notions, who
has left it at the end of the passage ready to marry the first
pretty young woman he fell in with."
As Eve had too much of the self-respect of a lady, and
of the true dignity of her sex, to permit jokes concerning
mnatrimony, or a treatise on love, to make a part of her
conversation, and all the gentlemen of her party understood
her character too well, to say nothing of their own habits,
to second this attempt of the captain's, after a vapid remark
or two from the others, this rally of the honest mariner produced no suites.'" Are we not unusually low, Captain Truck-," inquired
Paul Blunt, with a view to change the discourse, "- not to
have fallen in with the trades?  I have commonly met with
16




GH.MEWARD BOUND.
those winds on this coast as high as twenty-six or twenty
seven, and I believe you observed to-day, in twenty-four."
Captain Truck looked hard at the speaker, and when he
had done, he nodded his head in approbation.
" You have travelled this road before, Mr. Blunt, I per.
ceive. I have suspected you of being a brother chip, from
the moment I saw you first put your foot on the side-cleets
in getting out of the boat. You did not come aboard par.
rot-toed, like a country-girl waltzing; but set the ball of'
the foot firmly on the wood, and swung off the length of
your arms, like a man who knows how to humour the muscles.  Your present remark, too, shows you understand
where a ship ought to be, in order to be in her right place.
As for the trades, they are a little uncertain, like a lady's
mind when she has more than one good offer; for I've
known them to blow as high as thirty, and then again, to
fail a vessel as low as twenty-three, or even lower.  It is
my private opinion, gentlemen, and I gladly take this opportunity to make it public, that we are on the edge of the
trades, or in those light baffling winds which prevail along
their margin, as eddies play near the track of: strong steady
currents in the ocean. If we can force the ship fairly out
of this trimming region-that is the word, I believe, Mr.
Dodge-we shall do well enough; for a north-east, or an
east wind, would soon send us up with the islands, even
under the rags we carry. We are very near the coast,
certainly-much nearer than I could wish; but when we
do get the good breeze, it will be all the better for us, as it
will find us well to windward."' But these trades, Captain Truck?" asked Eve: " if they
always blow in the same direction, how is it possible that
the late gale should drive a ship into the quarter of the
ocean where they prevail?"
"Always, means sometimes, my dear young lady. Although light winds prevail near the edge of the trades, gales.
and tremendous fellows too, sometimes blow there also, as
we have just seen. I think we shall now have settled wea1her, and that our chance of a safe arrival, more particu
larly in some southern American port, is almost certain,
though our chance for a speedy arrival be not quite as good




HOMEW\ARD BOUND.                 18:
I hope before twenty-four hours are passed, to see our decks
white with sand.'".Is that a phenomenon seen here?" asked the father.
"Often, Mr. Eflingham, when ships are close in with
Africa, and are fairly in the steady winds.  To say the
truth, the country abreast of us, some twenty or thirty
miles distant, is not the most inviting; and though it may
not be easy to say. where the garden of Eden is, it is no
hazardous to say it is not therei"
" If we are so very near the coast, why do we not see
it?"
"Perhaps we might from aloft, if we had any aloft just
now.  We are to the southward of the mountains, however,
and off a part of the country'Where the Great Desert makes
from the coast.  And now, gentlemen, I perceive Mr. Monday finds all this sand arid, and I ask permission to give
you, one and all,' Sweethearts and wives.'"
Most of the company drank the usual toast with spirit.
though both the Effinghams scarce wetted their lips.  Eve
stole a timid glance at her father, and her own eyes were
filled with tears as she withdrew them; for she knew that
every allusion of this nature revived in him mournful recollections. As for her cousin Jack, he was so confirmed
a bachelor that she thought nothing of his want of sympathy with such a sentiment.
" You must have a care for your heart, in America, Sir
George Templemore," cried Mr. Dodge, whose tongue
loosened with the liquor he drank.  "Our ladies are celebrated for their beauty, and are immensely popular, I can
assure you."
Sir George looked pleased, and it is quite probable
his thoughts ran on the one particular vestment of the sixand.thirty, in which he ought to make his first appearance
in such a society.
" I allow the American ladies to be handsome," said Mr.
Monday;"but I think no Englishman need be in any particular danger of his heart from such a cause, after having
been accustomed to the beauty of his own island.  Captain
Truck, I have the honorur to drink your health."
"Fairly said," cried the captain, bowing to the (omph.




184              HOMEWARD BOUND.
ment; "and I ascribe my own hard fortune to th{s fact that
I have been kept sailing between two countries so much fa.
voured in this particular, that I have never been able to
make up my mind which to prefer. I have wished a thou.
sand times there was but one handsome woman in the
world, when a man would have nothing to do but fall in
love with her; and make up his mind to get married at
once, or to hang himself."
" That is a cruel wish to us men," returned Sir George,
"as we should be certain to quarrel for the beauty."
"In such a case," resumed Mr. Monday, " we common
men would have to give way to the claims of the nobility
and gentry, and satisfy ourselves with plainer companions;
though an Englishman loves his independence, and might
rebel. I have the honour to drink your health and happiness, Sir George."'"I protest against your principle, Mr. Monday," said
Mr. Dodge, " which is an invasion on human rights. Perfect
freedom of action is to be maintained in this matter as in
all others. I acknowledge that the English ladies are extremely beautiful, but I shall always maintain the supremacy of the American fair."
"' We will drink their healths, sir. I am far from denying
their beauty, Mr. Dodge, but I think you must admit that
they fade earlier than our British ladies. God bless them
both, however, and I empty this glass to the two entire nations, with all my heart and soul."
" Perfectly polite, Mr. Monday; but as to the fading of
the ladies, I am not certain that I can yield an unqualified
approbation to your sentiment."
" Nay, sir, your climate, you will allow, is none of the
best, and it wears out constitutions almost as fast as your
states make them."
"1  hope there is no real danger to be apprehended from
the climate," said Sir George: " I particularly detest bad
climates; and for that reason have always made it a rule
never to go into Lincolnshire."
" In that case, Sir George, you had better have stayed
at home. In the way of climate, a man seldom betters
nimself by leaving old England. Now this is the tenth




HOMEWARD BOUND.                 185
timp I've been in America, allowing that I ever reach there,
and although I entertain a profound respect for the country,
I find myself growing older every time I quit it.  Mr.
Eflingham, I do myself' the favour to drink to your health
and happiness."'" You live too well when amongst us, Mar. Monday,"
said the captain; "there are too many soft crabs, hard
clams, and canvas-backs; too much old Madeira, and ge.
nerous Sherry, for a man of your well-known taste to resist them. Sit less time at table, and go oftener to church
this trip, and let us hear your report of the consequences a
twelvemonth hence."
" You quite mistake my habits, Captain Truck, I give
you my honour. Although a judicious eater, I seldom take
anything that is compounded, being a plain roast and boiled
man; a true old-fashioned Englishman in this respect, satisfying my appetite with solid beef and mutton, and turkey4
and pork, and puddings and potatoes, and turnips and carrots, and similar simple food; and then I never drink.Ladies, I ask the honour to be permitted to wish you a happy return to your native countries. —I ascribe all the difficulty, sir, to the climate, which will not permit a man tc
digest properly."
"Well, Mr. Mo nay, I subscribe to most of your opin,
ions, and I believe Sew men cross the ocean together that
are more harmonious in sentiment, in general, than has
proved to be the case between you and Sir George, and myself," observed Mr. Dodge, glancing obliquely and pointedly at the rest of the party, as if he thought they were in
a decided minority; " but in this instance, I feel constrained to record my vote in the negative, I believe America
has as good a climate, and as good general digestion as
commonly falls to the lot of mortals: more than this I do
naot claim for the country, and less than this I should be reluctant to maintain. I have travelled a little, gentlemen,
not as n uch, perhaps, as the Messrs. Effinghams; but then
a man can see no more than is to be seen, and I do affirm,
Captain Truck, that in my poor judgment, which I know is
good for nothing-"
"Why do you use it, then?" abruptly asked the straight.
forward captain; "why not rely on a better?"
16*.




s18;             HOMEWARD BOUND.
"c We must use such as we have, or go without, sir; and
I suspect, in my very poor judgment, which is probably
poorer than that of most others on board, that America is a
very good sort of a country. At all events, after having
seen something of other countries, and governments, and
people, I am of opinion that America, as a country, is quite
good enough for me."
" You never said truer words, Mr. Dodge, and I beg you
will join Mr. Monday and myself in a fresh glass of punch,
just to help on the digestion.  You have seen more of human nature than your modesty allows you to proclaim, an
I dare say this company would be gratified if you would
overcome all scruples, and let us know your private opinions of the different people you have visited. Tell us something of that dittur you made on the Rhine."
"' Mr. Dodge intends to publish, it is to be hoped!" obkerved Mr. Sh4,r,  "and it may not be fair to anticipate
his matter."
"I beg, gentlemen, you will have no scruples on that
score, for my work will-be rather philosophical and general, than of the particular nature of private anecdotes.
Saunders, hand me the manuscript journal you will find on
the shelf of our state-room, next to Sir George's patent
tooth-pick case.  This is the book; and now, gentlemen
and ladies, I beg you to remember that these are merely
the ideas as they arose,. and not my more mature reflections."
"Take a little punch, sir," interrupted the captain, again,
whose hard nor'-west face was set in the most demure attention.  "There is nothing like punch to clear the voice,
Mr. Dodge; the acid removes the huskiness, the sugar
softens the tones, the water mellows the tongue, and the Ja.
maica braces the muscles.  With a plenty of' punch, a man
soon gets to be another-I forget the name of that great
orator of antiquity,-it wasn't Vattel, however."' You mean Demosthenes, sir; and, gentlemen, I beg
you to remark that this orator was a republican: but there
can be no question that liberty is favourable to the encour.
agement of all the higher qualities.  Would you prefer a
few notes on Paris, ladies; or shall I commence with some
extracts about the Rhine?"




HOMEWARD BOUvND).               187
"Oh! de grace, Monsieur, be so very kind as not to
overlook Paris.t" said Mademoiselle Viefville.
Mr. Dodge bowed gracioulsly, and turning over the leaves
of his private journal, he alighted in the heart of the great
city named. After some preliminary hemming, he commenced reading in a grave didactic tone, that sllfficiently
showed the value he had attached to his own'observations.
"' Dejauned at ten, as usual, an hour, that I find exceedingly unreasonable and improper, and one that would meet
with general disapprobation in America. I do not wonder
that a people gets to be immoral and depraved in their practices, who keep such improper hours. The mind acquires
habits of impurity, and all the sensibilities become blunted,
by taking the meals out of the natural seasons.  I impute
much of the corruption of France to the periods of the day
in which the food is taken-'"
"V oild Mune drole d'idee!" ejaculated Mademoiselle Vief.
ville.
"' In which food is taken," repeated Mr. Dodge, who
fancied the involuntary exclamation was in approbation of
the justice of his sentiments.' Indeed the custom of taking
wine at this meal, together with the immorality of the hour,
must be chief reasons why the French ladies are so much
in the practice of drinking to excess"'
" Mais, monsieur!'"
" You perceive, mademoiselle calls in question the accuracy of your facts," observed Mr. Blunt, who, in common
with all the listeners, Sir George and Mr. Monday excepted,
began to enjoy a scene which at first had promised nothing
but ennui and disgust.
" I have it on the best authority, I give you my honour,
or I would not introduce so grave a charge in a work of
his contemplated importance. I obtained my information
fiom an English gentleman who has resided twelve years
in Paris; and he informs me that a very large portion of
he women of fashion in that capital., let them belong to
what country they will, are dissipated."
"A la bonne h etzu, monsieur!-mnais, to drink, it is very
different."
"Not so much so, mademoiselle. as you imagine,"




1883             HOMEWARD BOUND.
rejoined- John Efflingham. "Mr. Dodge is a purist in Ian
guage as well as in morals, and he uses terms differently
Irom us less-instructed prattlers. By dissipated, he under.
stands a drunkard."
Comment!"
"Certainly; Mr. John Effingham, I presume, will at
ieast give us the credit in America in speaking our language
better than any other known people.'After dejjunying,
took a phyacre and rode to the palace, to see the king and
royal family leave for Nully. —'; Pour oit?"'; Pour Neuilly, mademoiselle," Eve quietly answered.
"' — For Nully.  His majesty went on horseback, preceding his illustrious family and all the rest of the noble
party, dressed in a red coat, laced with white on the seams,
wearing blue breeches and a cocked hat.'"
Ciel!"
I"'  made the king a suitable republican reverence as he
passed, which he answered with a gracious smile, and a
benignant glance- of his royal eye. The Hon. Louis Philippe Orleans, the present sovereign of the French, is a
gentleman of portly and commanding appearance, and in
his state attire, whic!:, he wore on this occasion, looks' every
inch a king.' He rides with grace and dignity, and sets an
example of' decorum and gravity to his subjects, by the
solemnity of his air, that it is to be hoped will produce a
beneficial and benign influence during this reign, on the
manners of the nation. His dignity was altogether worthy
of the schoolmaster of Haddonfield.'
~" Par exemple!"
" Yes, maln'selle, in the way of example, it is that I mean.
Although a pure democrat, and every way opposed to exclusion, I was particularly struck with the royalty of his majesty's demeanour, and the great simplicity of his whole
deportment. I stood in the crowd next to a very accomplished countess, who spoke English, and she did me the
honour to invite me to payher a visit at her hotel, in the
vicinity of the Bourse."
" Aor  Dieu-mon Dieu- mon Dieu!"
-. After promising my fair companion to be punctual, I
walked as far as Notter Dam-"




HOMEWARD BOUND.'189
-I 1 wish Mr. Dodge would be a little more distinct in his
names," said Mademoiselle Viefville, who had begun to take
an interest in the subject, that even valueless opinions excite
In us concerning things that touch the affections.
" Mr. Dodge is a little profane, mademoiselle," observed
the captain; "but his journal probably was not intended
for the ladies, and you must overlook it. Well, sir, you
went to that naughty place-"
" To Notter Darn, Captain Truck, if you please, and 1
flatter myself that is pretty good French."
I think, ladies and gentlemen, we have a right to insist
on a translation; for plain roast and boiled men, like Mr.
Monday and myself, are sometimes weeping when we ought
to laugh, so long as the discourse is in anything but oldfashioned English.  Help yourself,, Mr. Monday, and remember, you never drink."
" Notter Dam, I believe, mam'selle, means our Mother,
the Church of our Mother.-Notter, or Noster, our,-Danm,
Mother: Notter Dam.'Here I was painfully impressed
with the irreligion of the structure, and the general absence
of piety in the architecture. Idolatry abounded, and so did
holy water. How often have I occasion to bless Providence
for having made me one of' the descendants of those pious
ancestors who cast their fortunes in the wilderness in preference to giving up their hold on faith and charity! The
building is much inferior in comfort and true taste to the
commoner American churches, and met with my unqualified disapprobation."'
"Est il possible que cela soqt vrai, ma c~hre!"
"Je l'espere, bien, mademoiselle."
"You may despair bien, cousin Eve," said John Effingham, whose fine curvilinear face curled even more than
usual with contempt.
C The ladies whispered a few explanations, and Mr. Dodge,
who fancied it was only necessary to resolve to be perfect
to achieve his end, went on with his comments, with all the
self-satisfaction of a provincial critic.'." From Notter D)anl I proceeded in a cabrioly to the
great national burying-ground, Pere la Chaise, so termed
from the circumstance that its distance frozm the capital renders chaises necessary' for the convoys —"




1oO)             HIOMEWARL BOUND.
b Ilow's this, how's this!" interrupted Mr. Trulck;  is
one obliged to sail under a convoy about the streets oi
Paris 1!"
"Monsieur Dodge veut dire, convoi.  Mr. Dodge mean
to say, convoi," kindly interposed Mademoiselle Viefville.'Mr. Dodge is a profound republican, and is an advocate
for rotation in language, as well as in office: I must accuse
you of inconstancy, my dear friend, if I die for it. You
certainly do not pronounce your words always in the same
way, and when I had the honour of carrying you out this
time six months, when you were practising the continentals,
as you call them, you gave very different sounds to many
of the words I then had the pleasure and gratification of
hearing you use."
"We all improve by travelling, sir, and I make no ques.
tion that my knowledge of foreign language is considerably
enlarged by practice in the countries in which they are
spoken."
Here the reading of the journal was interrupted by a
digression on language, in which Messrs. Dodge, Monday,
Templemore, and Truck were the principal interlocutors,
and during which the pitcher of punch was twice renewed
We shall not record much of this learned discussion, which
was singularly common-place, though a few of the remarks
may be given as a specimen of the whole.
" I must be permitted to say," replied Mr. Monday to
one of Mr. Dodge's sweeping claims to superiority in favour
of' his own nation, " that I think it quite extraordinary an
Englishman should be obliged to go out of his own country
in order to hear his own language spoken in purity; and as
one who has seen your people, Mr. Dodge, I will venture
to affirm that nowhere is English better spoken than in Lancashire.  Sir George, I drink your health!"
" More patriotic than just, Mr. Monday; every body allows that the American of the eastern states speaks the best
English in the world, and I think either of these gentlemen
will concede that."
"Under the penalty of being nobody," cried Captain
Truck; " for my own part, I think, if a man wishes to
hear the language in perfection, he ought to pass a week
or ten days in the river. I must say, Mr. Dodge, I object




HOMEWARD BOUN D.                191
to many of your sounds, particularly that of inyon, ivhich
I myself heard you call onion, no later than yesterday."
" Mr. Monday is a little peculiar in fancying.that the best
English is to be met with in Lancashire," observed. Sir
George Templemore; " for I do assure you that, in town,
we have difficulty in understanding gentlemen from your
part of the kingdom."
This was a hard cut from one in whom Mr. Monday ex.
pected to find an ally, and that gentleman was driven to
washing down the discontent it excited, in punch.
" But all this time we have interrupted the convoi, or
convoy, captain," said Mr. Sharp; " and Mr. Dodge, to say
nothing of the mourners, has every right to complain. I
beg that gentleman will proceed with his entertaining extracts."
Mr. Dodge hemmed, sipped a little more liquor, blew his
nose, and continued:
"' The celebrated cemetery is, indeed, worthy of its high
reputation. The utmost republican simplicity prevails in
the interments, ditches being dug in which the bodies are
laid, side by side, without distinction of rank, and with re.
gard only to the order in which the convoys arrive.' 1
think this sentence, gentlemen, will have great success in
America, where the idea of any exclusivencss is quite
odious to the majority."
" Well, for my part," said the captain, "I should have
no particular objection to being excluded from such a grave:
one would be afraid of catching the cholera in so promis,
cuous a company."
Mr. Dodge turned over a few leaves, and gave other
extracts..
"'The last six hours have been devoted to a profound
investigation of the fine arts. My first visit was to the gullyteen; after which I passed an instructii e hour or two in
the galleries of the Musy.'-"
"Oui, done?"
"Le Musde, mademoiselle."
" —' Where I discovered several very extraordinary
things, in the way of sculpture and painting. I was particularly struck with the manner in which a plate was portrayed in the celebrated marriage of Cana, which might




192             HOMEWARD BOUND.
very well have been taken for real Delft, and there was one
tinger on the hand of a lady that seemed actually fitted to
receive and to retain the hymeneal ring.'"
"Did you inquire if she were engaged?-Mr. Monday,
we will drink her health."
"' Saint Michael and the Dragon is a shefdowvry.' -"
"Un quoi?"
"UJn chef-d'ceuvre, mademoiselle."
"-' The manner in which the angel holds the dragon
with his feet, looking exactly like a worm trodden on by
the foot of a child, is exquisitely plaintive and interesting.
Indeed these touches of nature abound in the works, of the
old masters, and I saw several fruit-pieces that I could have
eaten. One really gets an appetite by looking at many
things here, and I no longer wonder that a Raphael, a Titian, a Correggio, a Guide-o.' —"
"Un qui?"
"Un Guido, mademoiselle."
"Or a Cooley."
"And pray who may he be?" asked Mr. Monday.
"A young genius in Dodgetown, who promises one day
to render the name of an American illustrious. He has
painted a new sign for the store, that in its way is quite
equal to the marriage of Cana.'I have stood with tears
over the despair of a Niobe,' " continuing to read, "' and
witnessed the contortions of the snakes in the Laocoon with
a convulsive eagerness to clutch them, that has made me
fancy I could: hear them hiss." That sentence, I think,
will be likely to be noticed even in the New-Old-NewYorker, one of the very best reviews of our days, gentlemen."
"Take a little more punch, Mr. Dodge," put in the attentive captain; "this grows affecting, and needs alleviation, as
Saunders would say. Mr. Monday, you will get a bad
name for being too sober, if you never empty your glass.
Proceed, in the name of Heaven! Mr. Dodge."
"'In the evening I went to the Grand Opery.'-"
"Ouf, donec?"
"Au grand Hoppery, mademoiselle," replied John Ef
*ingham.
"-' To the Grand Opery,'" resumed Mr. Dodge, with




HIOMEWARD BOUND.                193
emphasis, his eyes beginning to glisten by this time, for he
had often applied to the punch fobr inspiration, "'where I
listened to music that is altogether inferior to that which
we enjoy in America, especially at the general trainings,
and on the Sabbath. The want of science was conspicuous;
and if this be music, then do I know nothing about it!'"
"A judicious remark!"' exclaimed the captain.-" Mr.
Dodge has great merit as a writer, for he loses no occasion
to illustrate his opinions by the most unanswerable facts.
He has acquired a taste for Zip Coon and Long Tail Blue,
and it is no wonder he feels a contempt for your inferior
artists."
"  As for the dancing,'" continued the editor of the Active Inquirer, "'it is my decided impression that nothing
can be worse. The movement was more suited to a funeral
than the ball-room, and I affirm, without fear of contradiction, that there is not an assembly in all America in which
a cotillion would not be danced in. one-half the time that
one was danced in the bally to-night.'"
"Dans le quoi?"
I believe I have not given the real Parisian pronunciation to this word, which the French call bal-lay," continued the reader, with great candour.
"Belays, or make all fast, as we say on ship-board. Mr.
Dodge, as master. of this vessel, I beg to return you the
united, or as Saunders would say, the condensed thanks of
the passengers, for this information; and next Saturday we
look for a' renewal of the pleasure. The ladies are getting
to be sleepy, I perceive, and as Mr. Monday never drinks
and the other gentlemen have finished their punch, we may
as well retire, to get ready for a hard day's work to-morrowv."
Captain Truck made this proposal, because he saw that
one or two of the party were plenum punch, and that Eve
and her companion were becoming aware of the propriety
of retiring. It was also true that he foresaw the necessity
of rest, in order to be ready for the exertions of the morning.
After the party had broken up, which it did very contrary to the wishes of Messrs. Dodge and Monday, Made.
moiselle Viefville passed an hour in the state-room of Miss
17




194               HOMEWARD BOUND.
Etfingham, during which time she made several supere'togalory complaints of the manner in which the editor ot the
Active Inquirer had viewed things in Paris, besides asking
a good many questions concerning his occupation and character.
"I am not quite certain, my dear mademoiselle, that {
can give you a very learned description of the animal you
think worthy of all these questions, but, by the aid of Nlr.
John Effingham's information, and a few words that have
fallen from Mr. Blunt, I believe it ought to be something as
follows:-America once produced a very distinguished phi.
losopher, named Franklin-"
"Comment, ma chore! Tout le monde Ie connait!"
-This Monsieur Franklin commenced life as a printer; but living to a great age, and rising to high employments, he became a philosopher in morals, as his studies
had made him one in physics.  Now, America is full of
printers, and most of them fancy themselves Franklins, until time and failures teach them discretion."
"lJ3ais the world has not seen but un seut Franklin I"
"' Nor is it likely to see another very soon.  In America.he young men are taught, justly enough, that by merit
they may rise to the highest situations; and, always according to Mr. John Effingham, too many of them fancy
that because they are at liberty to turn any high qualities
they may happen to have to account, they are actually
fit for anything. Even he allows this peculiarity of the
country does much good, but he maintains that it also does
much harm, by causing pretenders to start up in all directions.  Of this class he describes Mr. Dodge to be. This
person, instead of working at the mechanical part of a
press, to which he was educated, has the ambition to control
its intellectual, and thus edits the Active Inquirer."
"It must be a very useful journal?'
"It answers his purposes, mnost probably.  lHe is full of
provincial ignorance, and provincial prejudices, you perceive; and, I dare say, he makes his paper the circulator
of all these, in addition to the personal rancour, envy, ano
uncharitableness, that usually distinguish a pretension that
mistakes itself for ambition.  My cousin Jack affirns that
America is filled with such as he."'




HOMEWARD BOUND.                195
"And, Monsieur Effingham?"
~ "Oh! my dear father is all mildness and charity, you
nllow, mademoiselle, and he only looks at the bright side
of the picture, for he maintains that a great deal of good
results from the activity and elasticity of such a state of
things. While he confesses to a great deal of downright
ignorance that is paraded as knowledge; to much narrow
intolerance that is offensively prominent in the disguise of
principle, and a love of liberty; and- to vulgarity and personalities that wound all taste, and every sentiment of right,
he insists on it that the main result is good."
"c In such a case there is need of an umpire. You
mentioned the opinion of Mr. Blunt. Commne ce jeune homme
parle bien Frangais!"
Eve hesitated, and she changed colour slightly, before
she answered.
" I am not certain that the opinion of Mr. Blunt ought to
be mentioned in opposition to those of my father and cousin
Jack, on such a subject," she said. " He is very young, and
it is, now, quite questionable whether he is even an American
at all."
"'Tant mieux, ma chere. He has been much in the
country, and it is not the native that make the best judge,
when the stranger has many opportunities of seeing."
"On this principle, mademoiselle, you are, then, to give
up your own judgment about France, on all those points in
which I have the misfortune to differ from you," said Eve,
laughing.
" Pas tout dfait," returned the governess goodhumouredly. " Age and experience must pass pour quelque chose..Et Monsieur Blunt? —"' Monsieur Blunt leans nearer to the side of cousin Jack,
I fear, than to that of my dear, dear father. He says men
of Mr. Dodge's character, propensities, malignancy, intole.
rance, ignorance, vulgarity, and peculiar vices abound in
and about the American press. He even insists that they
do an incalculable amount of harm, by influencing those
who have no better sources of information; by setting up
low jealousies and envy in the place of principles and the
right; by substituting —I use his own words, mademoiselle,"
aid Eve, blushing with the consciousness of the fidelity of




196               HO0MEWARD BOUND.
her mremory-r" by substituting uninstructed provincial n)tions for true taste and liberality; by confounding the real
principles of liberty with personal envies, and the jealousies
of station; and by losing sight entirely of their duties to
the public, in the effort to advance their own interests. Itle
says that the government is in truth a press-ocracy, and a
press-ocracy, too, that has not the redeeming merit of either
principles, tastes, talents or knowledge."
" Ce Monsieur Blunt has been very explicit, and s//isamment eloquent," returned Mademoiselle Viefville, gravely;
for the prudent governess did not fail to observe that Eve
used language so very different from that which was habitual
to her, as to make her suspect she quoted literally. For the
first time the suspicion was painfully awakened, that it was
her duty to be more vigilant in relation to the intercourse
between her charge and the two agreeable young men whom
accident had given them as fellow passengers. After a short
but musing pause, she again adverted to the subject of their
previous conversation.
"Ce Monsieur Dodge, est il ridicule!"
"On that point at least, my dear mademoiselle, there can
be no mistake.  And yet cousin Jack insists that this stuff
will be given to his readers, as views of Europe worthy of
their attention."
"Ce conte du roi!-mais, c'est trop fort!"
" With the coat laced at the seams, and the cocked hat!"' Et l'honorable Louis Philippe d'Orleans!"
"Orleans, mademoiselle; d'Orleans would be anti-republican."
Then the two ladies sat looking at each other a few moments iil silence, when both, although of a proper retenue
of manner in general, burst into a hearty and long-continued
fit of laughter. Indeed, so long did Eve, in the buoyancy
of her young spirits, and her keen perception of the  ludicrous, indulge herself, that her fair hair fell about her rosy
cheeks, and her bright eyes fairly danced with delight,




HOWEw'ARDIv oUt'N.                 193N
CHAPTER XVI.
And there he went ashore without de'ay,
Having nio custom-house or quarantine,To ask him awkward questions on the way
About the time and place where he had been.
BYOLN.
CAPTArN TRucK was in a sound sleep as soon as his
head touched the pillow.  With the exception of the ladies,
the others soon followed his example; and as the people
were excessively wearied, and the night was so tranquil,
2re long only a single pair of eyes were open on deck: those
of the man at the wheel. The wind died away, and even
this worthy was not innocent of nodding at his post.
Under such circumrnstances, it will occasion no great slrprise that the cabin was aroused next morning with the
sudden and startling information that the land was close
aboard the ship.  Every one hurried on deck, where, sure
enough, the dreaded coast of Africa was seen, with a palpahle distinctness, within two miles of the vessel.  It presented a long broken line of sand-hills, unrelieved by a tree,
or by so few as almost to merit this description, and with a
hazy back-ground of remote mountains to the north-east.
The margin of the actua! coast nearest to the ship was in.
dented with bays; and even rocks appeared in places; but
the general character of' the scene was that of a fierce and
burning sterility.  On this picture of desolation all stood
gazing in awe and admiration obr some minutes, as the day
gradually brightened, until a cry arose from forward, of" a.~hip!"
"WMhereaway?" sternly demanded Captain Truck; fear
tlie sudden and unexpected appearance of this. dangerous
coast had awakened all that was forbidding and severe ire
the temperament of the old master; " whereaway,      sir?"
O()n tile Ilarboard quarter, sir, and at atchor."
She is ashore!" exclaimed half-a-doztn voices at the




1 98             HOMEWARD BOUND.
same instant, just as the words came from the last speaker.
The glass soon settled this important point. At the distance
of about a league astern of them were, indeed, to be seen
the spars of a ship, with the hull looming on the sands, in
a way to leave no doubt of her being a wreck.  It was the.
first impression of all, that this, at last, was the Foam; but
Captain Truck soon announced the contrary.
" It is a Swede, or a Dane," he said, " by his rig and his
model. A stout, solid, compact sea-boat, that is high and
dry on the sands, looking as if he had bben built there,
He does not appear even to have bilged, and most of his
sails, and all of his yards, are in their places. Not a living
soul is to be seen about her! Ha! there are signs of tents
made of sails on shore, and broken bales of goods! Her
Deople have been seized and carried into the desert, as usual,
and this is a fearful hint that we must keep the Montauk off
the bottom. Turn-to the people, Mr. Leach, and get up
your sheers that we may step our jury-masts at once; the
smallest breeze on the land would drive us ashore, without
any after-sail."
While the mates and the crew set about completing the
work they had prepared the previous day, Captain Truck
and his passengers passed the time in ascertaining all they
could concerning the wreck, and the reasons of their being
themselves in a position so very different from what they
had previously believed.
As respects the first, little more could be ascertained;
she lay absolutely high and dry on a hard sandy beach,
where she had probably been cast during the late gale, and
sufficient signs were made out by the captain, to prove to
him that she had been partly plundered. More than this
could not be discovered at that distance, and the work of the
Montauk was too urgent to send a boat manned with her
own people to examine.  Mr. Blunt, Mr. Sharp, Mr. Monday, and the servants of the two former, however, volun-.
teering to pull the cutter, it was finally decided to look more
closely into the facts, Captain Truck himself taking charge
of the expedition.-While the latter is getting ready, a word
of explanation will suffice to tell the reader the reason why
the Montauk had fallen so much to leeward.
The ship being so near the coast, it became now very




HOMEWARD BOUND.                  ] 99
5'bvious she was driven by a current that set along the land,
but which, it was probable, had set towards it more in. the
offing. The imperceptible drift between. the observation of'
the previous day and the discovery of the cast., had sufficed to carry the vessel a great distance; and to tthis sinmple cause, coupled perhaps with some neglect in the steerage during the past night, was  ier present situation to be
solely attributed.  Just at this moment, the little air there
was came from the land, and by keeping her head offfshore,
Captain Truckl entertained no doubt of his being able to
escape the calamity that had befallen the other ship in the
fury of the gale.  A wreck is always a; matter of so much
interest with mariners, therefore, that taking all these things
into view, he had come to the determination we have mentioned, of examining into the history of the one in sight, so
far as Eircumstances permitted.
The Montauk carried three boats; the.launch, a large,
safe, and -well-coustructed craft, which stood in the usual
chuckg between the foremast and mainmast; a jolly-boat,
and a cutter.  It was next to impossible to get the first into
the water, deprived as the ship was of its mainmast; but
the other hanging at davits. one on each quarter, were easily lowered.  The packets seldom  carry any arms beyond
a light gun to fire signals with, the pistols of the master,
and perhaps a fowling-piece or two.  Luckily the passengers were better provided: all the gentlemen had pistols,
Mr. Monday and Mr. Dodge excepted, if indeed they properly belonged to this category, as Captain Truck would say,
and most of them had also fowling-pieces. Although a careful examination of the coast with the glasses offered no signs
of the presence of any danger from enemies, these arms
were carefully collected, loaded, and deposited in the boats,
in order to be prepared for the worst. Provisions and water
were also provided, and the party were about to proceed.
Captain Truck and one or two of the adventure:s were
still on the deck, when Eve, with that strange love, of excitement and adventure that often visits the most delicate
spirits, expressed an idle re.gret that she could not make one
is the expedition.
6" There is something so strange and wild in landing or,




200               HOMhVEWARD BOUND.
an African desert," she said; "and I think a near view
of' the -Nwreck would repay us, Mademoiselle, for the hazard.''The young men hesitated between their desire to have,:,uch a companion;, and their doubts of the prudence of the
step); but Captain Truck declared there could be no risk,
and Mr. Effingham consenting, the whole plan was altered
so as to include the ladies; for there was so m uch pleasure
in varyintr the monotony of a calm, and escaping the con
finement of ship, that everybody entered into the new ar
rangement with zeal and spirit.
A single whip was rigged on the fore-yard, a chair was
slung, and in ten minutes both ladies were floating on the
ocean in the cutter. This boat pulled six oars, which were
manned by the servants of the two Messrs. Effinghams
Mr. Blunt, and Mr. Sharp, together with the two latter gen.
tlemen in person. Mr. Effingham steered. Captain Truck
had the jolly-boat, of which he pulled an oar himself, aided
by Saunders, Mr. Monday, and Sir George Templermore;
the mates and the regular crew being actively engaged in
rigging their jury-mast.  Mr. Dodge declined being of the
party, feeding himself with the hope that the present would
be a favourable occasion to peep into the state-rooms, to run
his eye over forgotten letters and papers, and otherwise to
increase the general stock of information of the editor oi
the Active Inquirer.' "Look to your chains, and see all clear for a run of the
anchors, Mr. Leach, should you set within a mile of the:
shore," called out the captain, as they pulled off from' the
vessel's side. " The ship is drifting along the land, but the
wind you have will hardly do more thani meet the send ot
the sea, which is on shore: should any thing go wrong
how an ensign at the head of the jury-stick forwari."'
The mate waved his hand, and the adventurers pasuer
without the sound of the voice. It was a strange sensat;o4
to most of those in the boats, to find themselves in t.heul
present situation.  Eve and Mademoiselle Viefville, in par.:icular, could scarcely credit their senses, when they found
the egg-shells that held them heaving and setting like bub.
ties on those long sluggish swells, which had seemed of so
little consequence while in the ship, but which now resembled the heavy respirations of a Ieviath-ln. The botats,




HOMEWARDi  BOUND.               201'ndeed, thoagh always gliding onward, impelled by the oars,
appeared at moments to be sent helplessly back and forth,
like playthings of the mighty deep, and it was some minutes before either obtained a sufficient sense of security
to enjoy her situation. As they receded fast from the Mon.
tank, too, their situation seemed still more critical; and with
all her sex's love of excitement, Eve heartily repented of
her undertaking before they had gone a mile.'Phe gentlemen, however, were all in good spirits, and as the boats
kept near each other, Captain Truck enlivening their way
with his peculiar wit, and Mr. Effingham, who was influ.
enced by a motive of' humanity in consenting to come, being
earnest and interested, Eve soon began to entertain other
ideas.
As they drew near the end of their little expedition, entirely new feelings got the mastery of the whole party. The
solitary and gloomy grandeur of the coasts, the sublime
sterility,-for even naked sands may become sublime by
their vastness,-the heavy moanings of the ocean on the
beach, and the entire spectacle of the solitude, blended as
it was with the associations of Africa, time, and the changes
of history, united to produce sensations of a pleasing melancholy. The spectacle of the ship, bringing with it the
images of European civilization, as it lay helpless and deserted on the sands, too, heightened all.
This vessel, beyond a question, had been driven up on a
sea during the late gale, at a point'where the water was of
sufficient depth to float her, until within a few yards of the
very spot where she now lay; Captain Truck giving the
following probable history of the affaii:
" On all sandy coasts," he said," "the return waves that
are cast on the beach form a bar, by washing back with
tlem a portion of the particles. This bar is usually within
thirty or forty fathoms of the shore, and there is frequently
sufficient water within it to float a ship. As this bar, how.
ever, prevents the return of all the water, on what is called
the under-tow, narrow channels make from point to point,
through which this excess of the element escapes.  These
channels are known by the appearance of the water over
them, the seas breaking less at those particular places than
in the spots where the bottom lies nearer to the surface, and




202               HOMEWARD BOUND.
all experienced mariners are aware of the fact. No doublt,
the unfortunate master of this ship, finding himself red.leced
to the necessity of running ashore to save the lives of his
crew, has chosen such a place, and has consequently fbrced
his vessel up to a spot where she has remained dry as soon
as the sea fell. So worthy a fellow deserved a better fate;
tor this wreck is not three days old, and yet no signs are
to be seen of any who were in that stout ship."
These remarks were made as the crew of' the two boats
lav on their oars, at a short distance without the line on the
water, where the breaking of the sea pointed out the position of the bar.  The channel, also, was plainly visible directly astern of the ship, the sea merely rising and falling
in it without combing. A short distance to the southward, a
few.bold black rocks thrust themselves forward, and formed
a sort of bay, in which it was practicable to land without
risk; for they had come on the coast in a region where the
monotony of the sands, as it appeared when close in, was
little relieved by the presence of anything else.
"If you will keep the cutter just without the breakers,
Mr. Effingham," Captain Truck continued, after standing
up a while and examining the shore, " I will pull into the
channel, and land in yonder bay. If you feel disposed to
follow, you may do so by giving the tiller to Mr. Blunt, on
receiving a signal to that effect from me. Be steady, gentlemen, at your oars, and look well to the arms on landing,
for we are in a knavish part of the world.  Should any of
the monkeys or ouran-outangs claim  kindred with Mr.
Saunders, we may find it no easy matter to persuade them
to leave us the pleasure of his society."
The captain made a sign, and the jolly-boat entered the
channel. Inclining south, it was seen rising and falling just
within the breakers, and then it was hid by the rocks. In
another minute, Mr. Truck, followed by all but Mr. Monday, who stood sentinel at the boat, was on the rocks, making his way towards the wreck.  On reaching the latler, he
ascended swiftly even to the main cross-trees. Here a long
examination of the plain, beyond the bank that hid it fiorm
the view of all beneath, succeeded, and then the signal tr
some on wvas made to those who were still in the boat.




nEoEWARD BOUND.                 20,3' Shall we venture?" cried Paul Blunt, soliciting an.assent by the very manner in which he put the question.
" What say you, dear father?'"
6 "I hope we may not yet be too  -te to succoui sonime
Christian in distress, my child. Take the tiller, Mr. Blunt.
und in Heaven's good name, and for humanity's sake, let
us proceed l"
The boat advanced, Paul Blunt standing erect to steer,
his ardour to proceed corrected by apprehensions on account c~of her precious freight. There was an instant when
the ladies trembled, for it seemed as if the light boat was
about to be cast upon the shore, like the froth of the sea
that shot past them; but the steady hand of him who steer.
ed averted the danger, and in another minute they were
floating at the side of the jolly-boat. The ladies got ashore
without much difficulty, and stood on the summit of the
rocks.
"Nous voici donc, en Afrique," exclaimed Mademoiselle
Viefville, with that sensation of singularity that comes over
all when they first find themselves in situations of extraordinary novelty.
"The  wreck-the wreck," murmured Eve; " let us go
to the wreck. There may be yet a hope of saving some
wretched sufferer."
Toward the wreck they all- proceeded, after leaving two
of the servants to relieve Mr. Monday on his watch.
It was an impressive thing to stand at the side of a ship
on the sands of Africa, a scene in which the desolation of
an abandoned vessel was heightened by the desolation of a
desert.  The position of the vessel, which stood neariy
erect, imbedded in the sands, rendered it less difficult than
might be supposed for the ladies to ascend to, and to walk
her decks, a rude staging having been made already to facilitate the passage.  HIere the scene became thrice exciting,
for it was the very type of a hastily deserted and cherished
dwelling.
Before Eve and Mademoiselle Viefviile gained the deck,
the other party had ascertained that no living soul remained.
he'trunks, chests, furniture, and other appliances of' the
cabin, had been rummaged, and many boxes hadl been
raised from the bolds and plundered, a part ef the'r contents



'2404             HOMEWARD BOUND.
still lying scattered on the decks.  The ship, howevei, hta'!
been lightly freighted, and the bulk of.er cargo, vwhich
was salt, was apparently untouched.  A Danish ensign was
found bent to the halyards, a proof that Captain Truck's
original conjecture concerning the character of the vessel
was accurate.  Her name, too, was ascertained to be the
Carrier, as translated into English, and she belonged to Copenhagen.  More than this it was not easy to ascertain.
No papers were found, and her cargo, or as much of it as
remained, was so mixed, and miscellaneous, as Saunders
called it, that no plausible guess could be given as to the
port where it had been taken in, if indeed it had all been
received on board at the same place.
Several of the light sails had evidently been carried off,
but all the heavy canvas was left on the, yards wh:ch remained in their places. The vessel was large, exceedingly
strong, as was proved by the fact that she had not bilged in
beaching, and apparently well found. Nothing was wanting to launch her into the ocean but machinery and force,
and a crew to sail her,. when she might have proceeded on
her voyage as if nothing unusual had occurred. But such
a restoration was hopeless, and this admirable machine, like
a man cut off in his youth and vigour, had been cast upon
the shores of this inhospitable region, to moulder where it
iay, unless broken up for the wood and iron by the wanderers of the desert.
There was no object more likely to awaken melancholy
ideas in a mind resembling that of Captain Truck's, than a
spectacle of this nature. A fine ship, complete in nearly
all her parts, virtually uninjured, and yet beyond the chance
of further usefulness, in his eyes was a picture of the most
cruel loss.  He cared less for the money it had cost than
for the qualities and properties that were thus destroyed.
He examined the bottom, which he pronounced capital
ibr stowing, and excellent as that of a sea-boat; he admired
the fastenings; applied his knife to try the quality of the
wood, and pronounced the Norway pine of. the spars to be
almost equal to anything that could be Found in our own
southern we.dls.  The rigging, too, he regarded as one
loves to linger over the regretted qualities of a deceased
friend.




HiIOMEWARD BOUND.               205
The tracks of camels and horses were abundant on the
sand, around the ship, and especially at the bottom of the
rude staging by which the party had ascended, and which
had evidently been hastily made in order to carry articles
from the vessel to the backs of the animals that were to
bear them into the desert. The foot-prints of men were'
also to be seen, and there was a startling and mournful
certainty in distinguishing the marks of shoes, as well as
those of the naked foot.
Judging from all these signs, Captain Truck was of opi.
nion the wreck must have taken place but two or three days
before, and that the plunderers had not left the spot many
hours.
" They probably went off with what they could carry at
sunset last evening, and there can be no doubt that before
many days, they, or others in their places, will be back
again.  God protect the poor fellows who have fallen into
this miserable bomndage!'  What an occasion would there
now be to rescue one of them, shou'd lie happen to be hid
near this spot!"
The idea seized the whole party at once, and all eagerly
turned to examine the high bank, which rose nearly to the
summit of the masts, in the hope of discovering some concealed fugitive. The gentlemen went below again, and Mr.
Sharp and Mr. Blunt called out in German, and English, and
French, to invite any one who might be secreted to come
forth.  No sound answered these friendly calls.  Again
Captain Truck went aloft to look into the interior, but he
beheld nothing more than the broad and unpeopled desert.
A place where the camels had descended to the beach
was at no great distance, and thither most of the party proceeded, mounting to the level of the plain beyond.  In this
little expedition, Paul Blunt led the advance, and as lie rose.
over the brow of the bank, he cocked both bhrrels of his
fowling-piece, un,-ertain what might be encountered. They
found, however, a silent waste, almost without vegetation,
and nearly as trackless as the ocean that lay behind them.
At the distance of a hundred rods, an object was just discernible, lying on the plain half-buried in sand, and thither
the young men expressed a wish to go, first calling to those
in the ship to send a man aloft to give the alarm, in the
18




206               HOMEWARD BOUND
event of any party of the Mussulmans being seen.  MrEffingham, too, on being told their intention, had the pre.
caution to cause Eve and Mademoiselle Viefville to get into
the cutter, which he manned, and caused to pull out over
the bar, where she lay waiting the issue.
A camel's path, of which the tracks were near.y oblite.
rated by the sandsj led to the object; and after toiling along
it, the adventurers soon reached the desired spot. It proved
to be the body of a man who had died by violence. His
dress and person denoted that of a passenger rather than
that of a seaman, and he had evidently been dead but a
very few hours, probably not twelve. The cut of a sabre
had cleft his skull.  Agreeing not to acquaint the ladies
with this horrible discovery, the body was hastily covered
with the sand, the pockets of the dead man having been
first examined; for, contrary to usage, his person had not
been stripped. A letter was found, written by a wife to her
husband, and nothing more. It was in German, and its
expressions and contents, though simple, were endearing
and natural. It spoke of the traveller's return; for she whe
wrote it little thought of the miserable fate that awaited hei
beloved in this remote desert.
As nothing else was visible, the party returned hastily to
the beach, where they found that Captain Truck had ended
his investigation, and was impatient to return. In the iinterest of the scene the Montauk had disappeared behind a
headland, towards which she had been drifting when they
left her. Her absence created a general sense of loneliness,
and the, whole party hastened into the jolly-boat, as if fearful of being left.  WThen without the bar again, the cutter
took in her proper crew, and the boats pulled away, leaving
the Dane standing on the beach in his solitary desolationa monument of his own disaster.
As they got further from the land the Montauk came in
sight again, and Captain Truck announced the agreeable
intelligence that the jury mainmast was up, and that the
ship had after-sail set, diminutive and defective as it might
be. Instead of heading to the southward, however, as
heretofore, Mr. Leach was apparently endeavouring to get
back again to the northward of the headland that had shuli
in the ship, or was trying to retrace his steps.  Mr. Truck




HOMEWARD BOUND.                  2(C
rightly judged that this was prm of his mate disliked the ap.
pearance of the coast astern of' him, and that he was anxious
to get an offing. The captain in consequence urged his
men to row, and in little more than an hour the whole
party were on the deck of the Montauk again, and the boats
were hanging at the davits.
CHAPTER XVII.
boarded the king's ship; now on the beak,
Now in the waist, the deck, in every cabin,
I flam'd amazement.
T.EMPEST.
IF Captain Truck distrusted the situation of his own ship
when he saw that the miate had changed her course, he liked
it still less after he was on board, and had an opportunity
to form a more correct judgment. The current had set the
vessel not only to the southward, but in-shore, and the send
of the ground-swell was gradually, but inevitably, heaving
her in towards the land. At this point the coast was more
broken than at the spot where the Dane had been wrecked,
some signs of trees appearing, and rocks running off in
irregular reefs into the sea. More to the south, these rocks
were seen without the ship, while directly astern they were
not half a mile distant.  Still the wind was favourable,
though light and baffling, and Mr. Leach had got up every
stitch of canvas that circumstances would at all allow; the
lead, too, had been tried, and the bottom was found to be a
hard sand mixed with rocks, and the depth of the water
such as to admit of anchoring. It was a sign that Captain
Truck did not absolutely despair after ascertaining all these
facts, that he caused Mr. Saunders to be summoned; for
as vet, none of those who had been in the boats had breakfasted.
" Step this way, Mr. Steward," said the captain; "and
report the state of the coppers.  You were r immaging, as




208               HOMEIWARD BOUND.
usual, among the lockers of yonder unhappy Dane, and I
desire to know what discoveries you have made! You will
please to recollect, that on all public expeditions of this na.
ture, there must be no peculation or private journal kept.
Did you see any stock-fish?"
" Sir, I should deem this ship disgraced by the admission
Into her pantry of such an article, sir. We have tongues
and sounds in plenty, Captain Truck, and no gentleman
that has such diet, need ambition a stock-fish!"
"I am not quite of your way of thinking; but the earth
is not made of stock-fish. Did you happen to fall in with
any butter?"
" Some, sir, that is scarcely fit to slush a mast with, and
I do think, one of the most atrocious cheeses, sir, it was
ever my bad fortune to meet with. I do not wonder the
Africans left the wreck."
"You followed their example, of course, Mr. Saunders,
and left the cheese."
" I followed my own judgment, sir, for I would not stay
in a ship with such a cheese, Captain Truck, sir, even to
have the honour of serving under so great a commander as
yourself. I think it no wonder that vessel was wrecked!
Even the sharks would abandon her. The very thoughts
of her impurities, sir, make me feel unsettled in the stomach."
The captain nodded his head in approbation of this sentiment, called for a coal, and then ordered breakfast. The
meal was silent, thoughtful, and even sad; every one was
thinking of the poor Danes and their sad fate, while they
who had been on the plain had the additional subject of the
murdered man for their contemplation.
"Is it possible to do nothing to redeem  these poor peo.
ple, father, from captivity?" Eve at length demanded.
"I have been thinking of this, my child; but I see no
other method than to acquaint their government of their
situation."
"Might we not contribute something from our own means
to that effect'? Money, I fancy, is the chief thing necessary."
The gentlemen looked at each other in approbation,




HOM1E<WARD BOUND.              209
thiugh a reluctance to be the first to speak kept most of
them silent.
"If a hundred pounds, Miss Effingham, will be useful."
Sir George Templemore said, after the pause had continued
an awkward minute, laying a banknote of that amount on
the table, " and you will honour us by becoming the keeper
of the redemption money, I have great pleasure in making
the offer."
This was handsomely said, and as Captain Truck after.
wards declared, handsomely done too, though it was a little
abrupt, and caused Eve to hesitate and redden.
" I shall accept your gift, sir," she said; "' and with your
permission will transfer it to Mr. Eflingham, who will better
know what use to put it to, in order to effect our benevolent
purpose.  I think I can answer for as much more from
himself."
" You may, with certainty, my dear-and twice as much,
if necessary. John, this is a proper occasion for your in.
terference."
" Put me down at what you please," said John Effingham, whose charities in a pecuniary sense were as unlimi
ted, as in feeling they were apparently restrained.  "One
hundred or one thousand, to rescue that poor crew!"
"1 I believe, sir, we must all follow so good an example,"
Mr. Sharp observed; " and I sincerely hope that this scherme
will not prove useless. I think it may be effected by means
of some of the public agents at Mogadore."
Mr. Dodge raised many objections; for it really exceeded
his means to give so largely, and his character was formed
in a school too envious and jealous to confess an inferiority
on a point even as worthless as that of money. Indeed, he
had so long been accustomed to maintain that "one man
w;as as good as another," in opposition to his senses, that,
like most of those who belong to this impracticable school,
he had tacitly admitted in his own mind, the general and
vulgar ascendency of mere wealth; and, quite as a matter
of course, he was averse to confessing his own infernority
in a point that he had made to be all in all, while loudest
in declaiming against any inferiority whatever. Hle walked
out of the cabin, therefore, with strong heart-burnings and
18*




210               HOMEWARD BOUND.
jealousies, because others had presumed to give that wh;ich
it was not really in his power to bestow.
On the other hand, both Mademoiselle Viefville and Mr.
Monday manifested the superiority of the opinions in whicll
thley had been trained. The first quietly handed a Napoleon to Mr. Effingham, who took it with as much attention
and politeness as he received any of the larger contributions; while the latter produced a five-pound note, with a
hearty good-will that redeemed the sin of many a glass of
punch in the eyes of his companions.
Eve did not dare to look towards Paul Blunt, while this
collection was making; but she felt regret that he did not
join in it. He was silent anrid thoughtful, and even seemed
pained, and she wondered if it were possible that one, who
ceitainly lived in a style to prove that his income was large,
could be so thoughtless as to have deprived himself of the
means of doing that which he so evidently desired to do.
But most of the.company was too well-bred to permit the
matter to become the subject of conversation, and they soon
rose from table in a body. The mind of Eve, however.
was greatly relieved when her father told her that the young
man had put a hundred sovereigns in gold into his hands as
soon as possible, and that he had seconded this offering with
another, of embarking for Mogadore in person, should they
get into the Cape de Verds, or the Canaries, with a view
of carrying out the charitable plan with the least delay.
"He is a noble-hearted young man," said the pleased
father, as he communicated this fact to his daughter and
cousin; "and I shall not object to the plan."
" If he offer to quit this ship one minute sooner than is
necessary, he does, indeed, deserve a statue of gold," said
John Effingham; "for it has all that can attract a young
man like him, and all too that can awaken his jealousy."
"Cousin Jack!" exclaimed Eve  reproachfully, quite
thrown off her guard by the abruptness and plainness of
this language.
The quiet smile of Mr. Effingham proved that he understood both, but he made no remark. Eve instantly recovered her spirits, and angry at herself for the girlish excla.
mation that had escaped her, she turned on her assailant.
i do not know that I ought to be seen in an aside with




HOMEWARD BOUND.                 211
Mr. John Effingham," she said, "even when it is sanc.
tioned with the presence of my own father."
"And may I ask why so much sudden reserve, my
offended beauty?"
A' Merely that the report is already active, concerning the
delicate relation in which we stand towards each other.';
John Eflingham looked surprised, but he suppressed his
curiosity from a long habit of affecting an indifference he
did not always feel. The father was less dignified, for he
quietly demanded an explanation.
" It would seem," returned Eve, assuming a solemnity
suited to a matter of interest, "that our secret is discovered.
While we were indulging our curiosity about this unfortunate ship, Mr. Dodge was gratifying the laudable industry
of the Active Inquirer, by prying into our state-rooms."
"This meanness is impossible!" exclaimed Mr. Effingham.
"Nay," said John, "no meanness is impossible to a
tlemagogue,-a pretender to things of which he has even
no just conception,-a man who lives to envy and traduce;
in a word, a quasi gentleman. Let us hear what Eve has
to say."
" My information is from Ann Sidley, who saw him in
the act. Now the kind letter you wrote my father, cousin
Jack, just.before we left London, and which you wrote because you would not trust that honest tongue of yours to
speak the feelings of that honest heart, is the subject of my
daily study; not on account of its promises, you will believe me, but on account of the strong affection it displays
to a girl who is not worthy of one half you feel and do for
her."
"Pshaw!"
"Well, let it then be pshaw! I had read that letter this
very morning, and carelessly left it on my table. This letter Mr. Dodge, in his undying desire to lay everything before the public, as becomes his high vocation, and as in
duty bound, has read; and misconstruing some of the
phrases, as will sometimes happen to a zealous circulator
of news, he has drawn the conclusion that I am to be
mbde a happy woman as soon as we reach America, by




212               HOMEWARD BOUND.
being converted from Miss Eve Effinghanl into Mrs. Johr.
Effingham."
"Impossible! No man can be such a fool, or quite so
great a miscreant!"
"I should rather think, my child," added the milder
father, " that injustice has been done Mr. Dodge.  No per
son, in the least approximating to the station of a gentleman, could even think of an act so base as this you men.
tion."
" Oh! if this be all your objection to the tale," observed
the cousin, " I am ready to swear to its truth. But Eve has
caught a little of Captain Truck's spirit of mystifying, and
is determined to make a character by a bold stroke in the
beginning.  She is clever, and in time may rise to be a
quiz."'Thank you for the compliment; cousin Jack, which,
however, I am forced to disclaim, as I never was more serious in my life. That the letter was read, Nanny, who is
truth itself, affirms she saw. That Mr. Dodge has since
been industriously circulating the report of my great' good
fortune, she has heard from the mate, who had it from the
highest source of information direct, and that such a man
would be likely to come to such a conclusion, you have
only to recall the terms of the letter yourself, to believe."
" There is nothing in my letter to justify any notion so
silly."
"An Active inquirer might make discoveries you little
dream of, dear cousin Jack. You speak of its being time
to cease roving, of settling yourself at last, of never parting, and, prodigal as you are, of making Eve the future
mistress of your fortune. Now to all this, recreant, con.
fess, or I shall never again put faith in man."
John Effingham made no answer, but the father warmly
expressed his indignation, that any man of the smallest pre.
tensions to be admitted among gentlemen, should be guilty
of an act so base.
" We can hardly tolerate his presence. John, and it is
almost a matter of conscience to send him to Coventry."
"If you entertain such notions of decorum, your wisest
way, Edward, will be to return to the place whence you




HOMEWARD BOUND.                 213
have come; for, trust me, you will find scores of such gen
tlemen wher'e you are going!"
" I shall not allow you to persuade me I know my own
country so little.  Conduct like this will stamp a man with
disgrace in America as well as elsewhere."
" Conduct like this would, but it will no longer. The
pell-mell that rages has brought honourable men into a sad
minority, and even Mr. Dodge will tell you the majority
must rule. Were he to publish my letter, a large portion
of his readers would fancy he was merely asserting the
liberty of the press. Heavens save us! You have been
dreaming abroad, Ned Effingham, while your country has
retrograded, in all that is respectable and good, a century
in a dozen years!"
As this was the usual language of John Effingham, neither
of his listeners thought much of it, though Mr. Effingharn
more decidedly expressed an intention to cut off even the
slight communication with the offender, he had permitted
himself to keep up, since they had been on board.
" Think better of it, dear father," said Eve; "for such
a man is scarcely worthy of even your resentment.  He is
too much your inferior in principles, manners, character,
station, and everything else, to render him of so much
account; and then, were we to clear up this masquerade
into which the chances of a ship have thrown us, we might
have our scruples concerning others, as well as concerning
this wolf in sheep's clothing."
" Say rather an ass, shaved and painted to resemble a
zebra," muttered John. " The fellow has no property as
respectable as the basest virtue of a wolf."
"He has at least rapacity."
"And can howl in a pack. This much, then, I will
concede to you: but I agree with Eve, we must either punish
him affirmatively, by pulling his ears, or treat him with
contempt, which is always negative or silent. I wish he
had entered the state-room of that fine young fellow, Paul
Blunt, who is iof an age and a spirit to give him a lesson,lat might make a paragraph for his Active Inquirer, if not
to scissors' extract of himself."
Elve knew that the offender had been there too, but she
had too mucE prudence to betray- him.




I' t             HOMEWARD BOUND.' This will only so much the more oblige himn," she said,!augllingly; " for Mr. Blunt, in speaking of the editor of
the Active Inquirer, said that he had the failing to believe
that this earth, and all it contained, was created merely to
furnish materials for newspaper paragraphs."
The gentlemen laughed with the amused Eve, and Mr.
Effinghamt remarked, that 1" there did seem to be men so
perfectly selfish, so much devoted to their own interests,
and so little sensible of the rights and feelings of others, as
to manifest a desire to render the press superior to all other
power; not," he concluded, " in the way of argument, or
as an agent of reason, but as a master, coarse, corrupt,
tyrannical and vile; the instrument of selfishness, instead
of the right, and when not employed as the promoter of
personal interests, to be employed as the tool of personal
passions."
" Your father will become a convert to my opinions, Miss
Effingham," said John, " and he will not be home a twelvemonth before he will make the discovery that the government
is a press-ocracy, and its ministers, self-chosen and usurpers,
composed of those who have the least at stake, even as to
character."
Mr. Effingham shook his head in dissent, but the conversation changed in consequence of a stir in the ship.
The air from the land had freshened, and even the heavy
canvas on which the Montauk was now compelled principally to rely, had been asleep, as mariners term it, or had
blown out from the mast, where it stood inflated and steady,
a proof at sea, where the water is always in motion, that
the breeze is getting to be fresh. Aided by this power, the
ship had overcome the united action of the heavy groundswell and of the current, and was stealing out from under
the land, when the air murmured for an instant, as if about
to blow still fresher, and then all the sails flapped. The
wind had passed away like a bird, and a dark line to seaward, denoted the approach of the breeze from the ocean.
Phe stir in the vessel was occasioned by the preparations to
meet this change.
The new wind brought little with it beyond the general
langer of blowing on. shore.  The breeze was light, and
nlot more than sufficient to force the vessel through the wa




HOMEWARD BOUND.                 215
ter, in her present condition, a mile and a half in the hour,
and this too in a line nearly parallel with the coast.  Captain Truck saw therefore at a glance, that he should be
compelled to anchor.  Previously, however, to doing this,
he had a long talk with his mates, and a boat was lowered.
The lead was cast, and the bottom was found to be still
good, though a hard sand, which is not the best holding
ground.
" A heavy sea would cause the ship to drag," Captain
Truck remarked, " should it come on to blow, and the lines
of dark rocks astern of them would make chips of the
Pennrsylvania in an hour, were that great ship to lie on it."
He entered the boat, and pulled along the reefs to examine an inlet that Mr. Leach reported to have been seen, before he got the ship's head to the northward. Could an entrance be found at this point, the vessel might possibly be
carried within the reef, and a favourite scheme of the captain's could be put in force, one to which he now attached
the highest importance. A mile brought the boat up to the
inlet, where Mr. Truck found the following appearances:
The general formation of the coast in sight was that of a
slight curvature, within which the ship had so far drifted
as to be materially inside a line drawn from headland to
headland. There was, consequently, little hope of urging
a vessel, crippled like the Montauk, against wind, sea and
current, out again into the ocean. For about a league
abreast of the ship the coast was rocky, though low, the
rocks running off from the shore quite a mile in places, and
every where fully half that distance. The formation was
irregular, but it had the general character'of a reef, the
position of which was marked by breakers, as well as by
he black heads of rocks that here and there showed themelves above the water.  The inlet was narrow, crooked,
and so far environed by rocks as to render it questionable-whether there was a passage at all, though the smoothness of. the water had raised hopes to that effect in Mr.
Leach.
As coon as captain Truck arrived at the mouth of this
passage, he felt so much encouraged by the appearance of
things that he gave the concerted signal for the ship to veer
rLund and to stand to the southward. This was losing




216               HOMEWARD BOUND.
ground in the way of offing, but tack the Montauk could
not with so little wind, and the captain saw by the drift she
had made since he left her, that promptitude was necessary
The ship might anchor off the inlet, as well as anywhere
else, if reduced to anchoring outside at all, and then there
was always the chance of entering.
As soon as the ship's head was again to the southward,
and Captain Truck felt certain that she was lying along the
reef at a reasonably safe distance, and in as good a direction as he could hope for, he commenced his examination.
Like a discreet seaman he pulled off from the rocks to a
suitable distance, for should an obstacle occur outside, he
well knew any depth of water further in would be useless.
Ihe day was so fine, and in the absence of rivers, the ocean
so limpid in that low latitude, that it was easy to see the bottom at a considerable depth. But to this sense, of course,
the captain did not trust, for he kept the lead going constantly, although all eyes were also employed in searching
for rocks.
The first cast of the lead was in five fathoms, and these
soundings were held nearly up to the inlet, where the lead
struck a rock in three fathoms and a half. At this point,
then, a more careful examination was made, but three and
a half was the shallowest cast. As the Montauk drew
nearly a fathom less than this, the cautious old master proceeded closer in. Directly in the mouth of the inlet was a
large flat rock, that rose nearly to the surface of the sea,
and which, when the tide was low, was probably bare.
This rock Captain Truck at first believed would defeat his
hopes of success, which by this time were strong; but a
closer examination showed him that on one side of it was a
narrow passage, just wide enough to admit a ship.
From this spot the channel became crooked, but it was
sufficiently marked by the ripple on the reef; and after a
careful investigation, he found it was possible to carry three
fathoms quite within the reef, where a large space existed
that was gradually filling up with sand, but which was
nearly all covered with water when the tide was in, as was
now the case, and which had channels, as usual, between
the banks.  Following one of these channels a quarter of;I mile, he found a basin of four fathoms of water, large




HOMlEWARD BOUND.                 217
enough to take a ship in, and, fortunately, it was in close
proximity to a portion of the reef that was always bares
when a heavy sea was not beating over it. Here he dropped a buoy, for he had come provided with several fragments of spars for this purpose; and, on his return, the
channel was similarly marked off, at all the critical points.
On the flat rock, in the inlet, one of the men was left, standing up to his waist in -the water, it being certain that the
tide was falling.
The boat now'returned to the ship, which it met at the
distance of half a mile from the inlet. The current setting
southwardly, her progress had been more rapid than when
heading north, and her drift had been less towards the land.
Still there was so little wind, so steady a ground-swell, and
it was possible to carry so little after-sail, that great doubts
were entertained of being able to weather the rocks sufficiently to turn into the inlet. Twenty times in the next
half' hour was the order to let go the anchor, on the poin.
of being given, as the wind baffled, and as often was it
countermanded, to take advantage of its reviving. These
were feverish moments, for the ship was now so near the
reef as to render her situation very insecure in the event of
the wind's rising, or of a sea's getting up, the sand of the
bottom being too hard to make good holding-ground. Still,
as there was a possibility, in the present state of'the weather, of kedging the ship off a mile into the offing, if necessary, Captain Truck stood on with a boldness he might
not otherwise have felt. The anchor hung suspended by a
single turn of the stopper, ready to drop at a signal, and
Mr. Truck stood between the knight-heads, watching the
slow progress of the vessel, and accurately noticing every
foot of leeward set she made,.as compared with the rocks.
All this time the poor fellow stood in the water, awaiting
the arrival of his fiiends, who, in their turn, were anxiously
watching his features, as they gradually grew more distinct.
"I see his eyes," cried the captain cheerily; "take a
drag at the bowlines, and let her head up as much as she
will, Mr. Leach, and never mind those sham topsails
Take them in at once, sir; they do us, now, more harmr
than good."
The clewline blocks rattled, and the top-gallant sails,
19




218               HOMEWARD BOUNDwhich were made to do the duty of top-sails, but whicl
would hardly spread to the lower yards, so as to set on a
wind, came rapidly in. Five minutes of intense doubt fe
lowed, when the captain gave the animating order to" Man the main-clew  garnets, boys, and stand by t'
makc a run of it!"
This was understood to be a sign that the ship was ikr
enough to windward, and the command to " in main-sail,')
which soon succeeded, was received with a shout.
" Hlard up with the helm, and stand by to lay the fore.
yard square," cried Captain Truck, rubbing his hands.
"Look that both bowers are clear for a run; and you,
Toast, bring me the brightest coal in the galley."
The movements of the Montauk were necessarily slow 
but she obeyed her helm, and fell off until her bows pointed
in towards the sailor in the water. This fine fellow, the
moment he saw the ship approaching, waded to the verge
of the rock, where it went off perpendicularly to the bot.
tom, and waved to them to come on without fear.
" Come within ten feet of me," he shouted. "There is
nothing to spare on the other side."
As the captain was prepared for this, the ship was steered
accordingly, and as she hove slowly past on the rising and
falling water, a rope was thrown to the man, who was
hauled on board.
"Port t" cried the captain, as soon as the rock was
passed; " port your. helm, sir, and stand for the first buoy."
In this manner the Montauk drove slowly but steadily
an, until she had reached the basin, where one anchor was
let go almost as soon as she entered. The chain was paia
out until the vessel was forced over to some distance, ar4
then the other bower was dropped. The fore-sail was
hauled up and handed, and chain was given the ship, which
was pronounced to be securely moored.
" Now," cried the captain, all his anxiety ceasing with
the responsibility, " I expect to be made a member of the
New-York Philosophical Society at least, which Is learned
company for a man who has never been at college, for discovering a port on the coast of Africa, which harbour, ladies and gentlemen, without too much vanity, I hope to be




HOMEWARD BOUND.                 219
permitted to call Port Truck. If Mr. Dodge, however
should think this too anti-republican, we will compromise
the matter by calling it Port Truck and Dodge; or the
town that no doubt will sooner or later arise on its banks,
may be called Dodgeborough, and I will keep the harbour
to myself."
1" Should Mr. Dodge consent to this arrangement, he will
render himself liable to the charge of aristocracy," said
Mr. Sharp; for as all felt relieved by finding themselves in a
place of security, so all felt disposed to join in the pleasantry.
" I dare say his modesty would prevent his consenting to
the plan."
"' Why, gentlemen," returned the subject of these re.
marks, " I do not know that we are to refuse honours that
are fairly imposed on us by the popular voice; and the
practice of naming towns and counties after distinguishec.
citizens, is by no means uncommon with us. A few of my
own neighbours have been disposed to honour me in this
way already, and my paper is issued from a hamlet that
certainly does bear my own unworthy name. So you per.
ceive there will be no novelty in the appellation."
" I would have made oath to it," cried the captain,," from
your well-established humility. Is the place as large as
London?"
" It can boast of little more than my own office, a tavern,
a store, and a blacksmith's shop, captain, as yet; but Rome
was not built in a day."
"Your neighbours, sir, must be people of extraordinary
disce-'nment; but the name?":" That is not absolutely decided. At first it was called
Dodgetown, but this did not last long, being thought vulgar
and common-place. Six or eight weeks afterwards, we —"
"W VVe, Mr. Dodge!"
"1I mean the people, sir,-I am so much accustomed to
connect myself with the people, that whatever they do, I
think I had a hand in."
" And very properly, sir," observed John Effingham
(" as probably without you, theie would have been no people
at all."
"What may be the population of Dodgetown, sir'"
asked the persevering captain, on this hint.




2 2O             HOMEWARD BOUND.
"At the census of January, it was seventeen; but by the
census of March, there were eighteen.  I have made a cal
culation that shows, if we go on at this rate, or by arithmetical progression, it will be a hundred in about ten years,
which will be a very respectable population for a country
place.  I beg pardon, sir, the people six or eight weeks
afterwards, altered the name to Dodgeborough; but a new
family coming in that summer, a party was got up to change
it to Dodge-ville, a name that was immensely popular, as
ville means city in Latin; but it must be owned the people
like change, or rotation in names, as well as in office, and
they called the place Butterfield Hollow, for a whole month,
after the new inhabitant, whose name is Butterfield.  He
moved away in the fall; and so, after trying Belindy,
(Anglice Belinda,) Nineveh, Grand Cairo, and Pumpkin
Valley, they made me the offer to restore the ancient name,
provided some addendum more noble and proper could be
found than town, or ville, or borough; it is not yet determined what it shall be, but I believe we shall finally settle
down in Dodgeople, or Dodgeopolis."' For the season; and a very good name it will prove
for a short cruise, I make no question. The Butterfield
Hollow was a little like rotation in office, in truth, sir."
" I did n't like it, captain, so I gave Squlre Butterfield to
understand, privately; for as he had a majority with him,
[ didn't approve of speaking too strongly on the subject.
As soon as I got him out of the tavern, however, the current set the other way."
" You fairly uncorked him!"
"That I did, and no one ever heard of him, or of his
hollow, after his retreat. There are a few discontented and
arrogant innovators, who affect to call the place by its old
name of Morton; but these are the mere vassals of a man
who once owned the patent, and who has now been dead
these forty years. We are not the people to keep his old
musty name, or to honour dry bones."
" Served him right, sir, and like men of spirit! If he
wants a place called after himself, let him live, like other
people. A dead man has no occasion for a, name, and
there should be a law passed, that when a man slips his




HOMEWARD BOUND.                 221
cables, he should bequeath his name to some honest fellow
who has a worse one. It might be well to compel all great
men in particular, to leave their renown to those who cannot get any for themselves."
"' I will venture to suggest an improvement on the name,
if Mr. Dodge will permit me," said Mr. Sharp, who had
been an amused listener to the short dialogue. " Dodgeople
is a little short, and may be offensive by its brusquerie. By
inserting a single letter, it will become Dodge-people; or,
there is the alternative of Dodge-adrianople, which will be
a truly sonorous and republican title. Adrian was an emperor, and even Mr. Dodge might not disdain the conjunction."
By this time, the editor of the Active Inquirer began to
be extremely elevated-for this was assailing him on his
weakest side-and he laughed and rubbed his hands as if
he thought the joke particularly pleasant. This person had
also a peculiarity of judgment that was singularly in opposition to all his open professions, a peculiarity, however,
that belongs rather to his class than to the individual member of it. Ultra as a democrat and an American, Mr. Dodge
had a sneaking predilection in favour of foreign opinions.
Although practice had made him intimately acquainted with
all the frauds, deceptions, and vileness of the ordinary arts
of paragraph-making, he never failed to believe religiously
in the veracity, judgment, good'faith, honesty and talents
of anything that was imported in the form of types. He
had been weekly, for years, accusing his nearest brother of
the craft, of lying, and he could not be altogether ignorant
of his own propensity in the same way; hut, notwithstanding all this experience in the secrets of the trade, whatever
reached him from a European journal. he implicitely swallowed whole. One, who knew little of the man, might have
supposed he feigned credulity to answer his own purposes;
but this would be doing injustice to his faith, which was
perfect, being based on that provincial admiration, and pro.
vincial ignorance, that caused the countryman, who went to
London for the first time, to express his astonishment at
finding the king a man. As Was due to his colonial origin.
his secret awe and re -erence for an Englishman was exaclty
J9*




222              HOMEWARD BOUND.
in proportion to his protestations of love for the people, and
his deference for rank was graduated on a scale suited to
the heart-burning and jealousies he entertained for all whom
he felt to be his superiors. Indeed, one was the cause of
the other; for they who really are indifferent to their own
social position, are usually equally indifferent to that of'
others, so long as they are not made to feel the difference
by direct assumptions of superiority.
When Mr. Sharp, whom even Mr. Dodge had discovered
to be a gentleman,-and an English gentleman of course,entered into the trifling of the moment, therefore, so far
from detecting the mystification, the latter was disposed to
believe himself a subject of interest with this person, against
whose exclusiveness and haughty reserve, notwithstanding,
he had been making side-hits ever since the ship had sailed.
But the avidity with which the Americans of Mr. Dodge's
temperament are apt to swallow the crumbs of flattery that
fall from the Englishman's table, is matter of history, and
the editor himself was never so happy as when he could lay
hold of a paragraph to republish, in which a few words of
comfort were doled out by the condescending mother to the
never-dying faith of the daughter. So far, therefore, from
taking umbrage at what had been said, he continued the
subject long after the captain had gone to his duty, and with
so much perseverance that Paul Blunt, as soon as Mr. Sharp
escaped, took an occasion to compliment that gentleman on
his growing intimacy with the refined and single-minded
champion of the people. The other admitted his indiscretion; and if the affair had no other consequences, it afforded these two fine young mef a moment's merriment, at a
time when anxiety had been fast getting the ascendency
over their more cheerful feelings. When they endeavoured
to make Miss Effingham share in the amusement, however,
that young lady heard them with gravity; for the meanness
of the act discovered by Nanny Sidley, had indisposed her
to treat the subject of their comments with the familiarity
of evenjridicule. Perceiving this, though unable to account
for it, the gentlemen changed the discourse, and soon be.
came sufficiently grave by -ontemplating their own comedii
tion.




HOMEWARD BOUND.                 223
The situation of the Montauk was now certainly one to
excite uneasiness in those who were little acquainted with.he sela, as well as in those who were. It was very much
like that for which Miss Effingham's nurse lhad pjned, having many rocks and sands in sight, with the land at no
great distance.  In order that the reader mlay understand it
more clearly, we shall describe it with greater minuteness.
To the westward of the ship lay the ocean, broad, smooth,
glittering, but, heaving and setting, with its eternal breath
ings, which always resemble the respiration of some huge
mnonster.  Between the vessel and this waste of water, and
within three hundred feet of the first, stretched an irregular
line of ripple, dotted here and there with the heads of low
naked rocks, marking the presence and direction of the reef.
This was all that would interpose between the basin and
the raling billows, should another storm occur; but Captain Truck thought this would suffice so far to break the
waves as to render the an6horage sufficiently secure.
Astern of the ship, however, a rounded ridge of sand began
to appear as the tide fell, within forty fathoms of the vessel,
and as the bottom was hard, and diffciult to get an anchor
into it, there was the risk of dragging on this bank. We
say that the bottom was hard, for the reader should know
that it is not the weight of the anchor that secures the ship,
but the hold its pointed fluke and broad palm  get of the
ground.. The coast itself was distant less than a mile, and
the entire basin within the reef was fast presenting spits of
sand, as the water fell on. the ebb. Still there were many
channels, and it would have been possible, for one who
knew their windings, to have sailed a ship several leagues
among them, without passing tie inlet; these channels
forming a sort of intricate net-work, in every direction from
the vessel.
When Captain Truck had coolly studied all the peculiarities of his position, he set about the duty of securing his
shipl, in good earnest. The two light boats were brought
under the bows, and the stream anchor was lowered, and
fastened to a spar that lay across both.  This anchor was
carried to the bank astern, and, by dint of sheer strength,
was laid over its summit with a fluke buried to the shank




224               HOMEWARD BOUND.
in the hard sand. By means of a hawser, and a purchase
applied to its end, the men on the banks next roused the
chain out, and shackled it to the ring.  The bight was hovein, and the ship secured astern, so as to prevent a shift of
wind, off the land, from fborcing her on the reef.;  As no
sea could come from this quarter, the single anchor and
chain were deemed suflicient for this purpose. As soon as
the boats were at liberty, and before the chain had been got
ashore, two kedges were carried to the reef, and laid among
the rocks, in such a way that their flukes and stocks equally
got hold of the projections.  To these kedges lighter chains
were secured; and when all the bights were hove-in, to as
equal a strain as possible, Captain Truck pronounced his
ship in readiness to ride out any gale that would be likely.to blow. So far as the winds and Waves might aftect her,
the Montauk was, in truth, reasonably safe; for on the side
where danger was most to be apprehended, she had two
bowers down, and four parts of smaller chain were attached
to the two kedges. Nor had Captain Ti'uck fallen into the
common error of supposing he had so much additional
strength in his fastenings, by simply running the chains
through the rings, but he had caused each to be separately
fastened, both in-board and to the kedges, by which means
each length of the chain formed a distinct and independent
fastening of itself.
So absolute is the sovereignty of a ship, that no one had
presumed to question the master as to his motives for all
this extraordinary precaution, though it was the common
impression that he intended to remain where they were until
the wind became favourable, or at least, until all danger of
being thrown upon the coast, from the currents and the
ground-swell, should have ceased.  Paul Blunt observed,
that he fancied it was the intention to take advantage of the
smooth swater within the reef, to get up a better and a more
efficient set of jury-masts.  But Captain Truck soon re.
moved all doubts by letting the truth be known. While on
board the Danish wreck, he had critically examined her
spars, sails, and rigging, and, though adapted for a ship two
hundred tons smaller than the Montauk, he was of opinion
they might be fitted to the latter vessel, and made to answer




A IGM:'N:rXAD BOUTND. 2ND5
all tht necessary purposes for crossing the ocean, provided
the NMuisulrnans and the weather would permit the transfer.
"We have smooth water and light airs," he said, when
%:onciuding his explanation, "and the current sets southwardly along this coast; by means of all our force, haro
working, a kind Providence, and our own enterprise, I hopes
yet to see the Montauk enter the port of New York, with
royals set, and ready to carry sail on a wind. The seaman who cannot rig his ship with sticks and ropes and
blocks enough, might as well stay ashore, Mr. Dodge, and
publish an hebdomadal. And so, my dear young lady, by
looking alonrg the land, the day after to-morrow, in the
northern board here, you may expect to see a raft booming
down upon you that will cheer your heart, and once more
raise the hope of a Christmas dinner in New York, in all
Ruvers of good fare."




226               HOMEWARD BOUND.
CHAPTER XVIIL
Here, in the sands..hee 1'11 rake upHrs mind made up, his intentions announced, and his snmlp
in readiness, Captain Truck gave his orders to proceed with
promptitude and clearness. The ladies remaining behind,
he observed that the two Messrs. Effingham, as a matter of
course, would stay with them as protectors, though little
could harm them where they were.
" I propose to leave the ship in the care of Mr. Blunt," he
said, " for I perceive something about that gentleman which
denotes a nautical instinct.  If Mr. Sharp choose to remain
also, your society will be the more agreeable, and in ex
change, gentlemen, I ask the favour of the strong arms of all
your servants.  Mr. Monday is my man in fair or foul, and
so, I flatter myself, will be Sir George Templemore; and as
for Mr. Dodge, if he stay behind, why the Active Inquirer
will miss a notable paragraph, for there shall be no historian
to the expedition, but one of my own appointing. Mr. Saun
dlers shall have the honour of cooking for you in the mean
while, and I propose taking every one else to the Dane."
As no serious objections could be made to this arrangement, within an hour of the time when the ship was fastened.
the cutter and jolly-boat departed, it being the intention of
Captain Truck to reach the wreck that evening, in season to
lave his sheers ready to raise by daylight in the morning;




IlOM EWiARD BOUND 2D. 
or he hoped to be back again in the course of the succeed.
ing day. No time was to be lost, he knew, the return of the
Arabs being hourly expected, and the tranquillity of the open
sea being at all times a matter of the greatest uncertainty.
With the declared view of making quick work, and with the
secret apprehension of a struggle with the owners of the
country, the captain took with him every officer and man in
his ship that could possibly be spared, and as many of the
passengers as he thought might be useful. As numbers might
be important in the way of intimidation, he cared almost as
much for appearances as for any thing else, or certainly he
would not have deemed the presence of Mr. Dodge of any
great moment; for to own the truth, he expected the editor
of the Active Inquirer would prove the quality implied by
the first word of the title of his journal, as much in any
other way as in fighting.
Neither provisions nor water, beyond what might be
necessary in pulling to the wreck, nor ropes, nor blocks, nor
any thing but arms and ammunition, were taken in the
boats; for the examination of the morning had shown the
captain, that, notwithstanding so much had been plundered,
a sufficiency still remained in the stranded vessel.  Indeed,
the fact that so much had been left was one of his reasons
for hastening off himself, as he deemed it certain that they
who had taken away what was gone, would soon return fbr
the remainder. The fowling-pieces and pistols, with all the
powder and ball in the ship, were taken: a light gun that
was on board, for the purpose of awaking sleepy pilots, being
left loaded, with the intention of serving, for a signal of
alarm, should any material change occur in the situation of
the ship.
The party included thirty men, and as most had fire-arms
of one sort or another, they pulled out of the inlet with spiril
and great confidence in their eventual success. The boats
were crowded, it is true, but there was room to row, and the
launch had been left in its place on deck, because it was
known that two boats were to be found in the wreck, one of
which was large: in short, as Captain Truck had meditated
this expedient fiom the moment he ascertained the situation.,f the Dane, he now set about carrying it into effect with
method and discrimination.  We shall first accompany him




2I28             n40-.1CHOMEWARD BOUNDo
on his way, leaving the small party in the Montauk for oua
future attention in another chapter.
The distance between the two vessels was about four
leagues, and a headland intelvening, those in the boats in
less than an hour lost sight of their own ship, as she lay
shorn of her pride anchored within the reef. At almost the
same moment, the wreck came into view, and Captain Truck
applied his glass with great interest, in order to ascertain the
state of things in that direction. All was tranquil-no signs
of any >ne having visited the spot since morning being visible:  This intelligence was given to the people, who pulled
at their oars the more willingly under the stimulus of pro.
bable success, driving the boats ahead with increasing velocity.
The sun was still some distance above the horizon, when
the cutter and jolly-boat rowed through the narrow channel
astern of the wreck, and brought up, as before, by the side
of the rocks.  Leaping ashore, Captain Truck led the way
to the vessel, and, in five minutes, he was seen in the forward
cross-trees, examining the plain with his glass. All was as
solitary and deserted as when before seen, and the order was
Immediately given to commence operations without delay.
A gang of the best seamen got out the spare topmast and
lower-yard of the Dane, and set about fitting a pair of sheers,
a job that would be likely to occupy them several hours.
Mr. Leach led a party up forward, and the second mate went
up with another further aft, each proceeding to send down
its respective top-gallant-mast, top-sail-yard, and top-mast;
while Captain'rruck, from the deck, superintended the same
work on the mizen-mast. As the men worked with spirit,
and a strong party remained below to give the drags, and to
come up the lanyards, spar came down after spar with
rapidity, and just as the sun dipped into the ocean to the
westward, everything but the lower-masts was lying on the
sands, alongside of the ship; nothing having been permitted
to tout:h the decks in descending.  Previously, however, to
sending down the lower-yards, the launch had been lifted
from its bed and landed also by the side of the vessel.
All hands were now mustered on the sands, and the boat
was launched, an operation of some delicacy, as heavy
rollers were occasionally coming in. As soon as it floated,,his powerful auxiliary was swept up to the rocks. and then




HOMEWARD BOUND.                  229
the men began to load it with the standing rigging and thei
sails, the latter having been unbent, as last as each sptu
carne down. Two kedges were found, and a hawser was
bent to one, when the launch was carried outside of the bar
and anchored. Lines being brought in, the yards were
hauled out to the same place, and strongly lashed togethltcr
cor the night. A great deal of running rigging, manly
blocks, and divers other small articles, were' put into the
boats of the Montauk, and the jolly-boat of the wreck,
which was still hanging at her stern, was also lowered and
got into the water.  With these acquisitions, the party had
now four boats, one of which was heavy and capable of
carrying a considerable freight.
By this time it was so late and so dark, that Captain
Truck determined to suspend his labours until morning. In
the course of a few hours of active toil, he had secured all
the yards, the sails, the standing and running rigging, the
boats, and manv of the minor articles of the Dane; and
nothing of essential importance remained, but the three
lower masts.  These, it is true, were all in all to him, foi
without them he would be but little better off than he was
before, since his own ship had spare canvas and spare
yards enough to make a respectable show above the foundation. This foundation, however, was the great requisite, and
his principal motive in taking the other things, was to have
a better fit than could be obtained by using spars and sails
that were not intended to go together.
At eight o'clock, the people got their suppers, and prepared to turn in for the night. Some conversation passed
between Captain Truck and his mates, concerning the manner of disposing of the men while they slept, which resulted
in the fbrmer's keeping a well-armed party of ten with him
in the ship, while the remainder were put in the boats, all
of which were fastened to the launch, as she lay anchored
off the bar. Helcre they made beds of the sails, and, setting
a watch, the greater portion of both gangs were soon as
quietly asleep as if lying in their own berths on board the
Miontauk. Not so with Captain Truck and his mates. They
walked the deck of the Dane fully an hour after the men
were silent,-and for some time after Mr. Monday had finished
the bottle of wine he had taken the precaution to bring with
20




230              HOMEWARD BOUND.
him from the packet, and had bestowed his person among
some old sails in the cabin.  The night was a bright starlight, but the moon was not to be expected until near morning. The wind came off the sands of the interior in hot
puffs, but so lightly as to sound, that it breathed past them
like the sighings of the desert.
"It is lucky, Mr. Leach," said the Captain, continuing
the discourse he had been holding with his mate in a low
voice, under the sense of the insecurity of their situation;
" it is lucky, Mr. Leach, that we got out the stream anchor
astern, else we should have had the ship rubbing her copper
against the corners of the rocks. This air seems light, but
under all her canvas, the Montauk would soon flap her way
out from this coast, if all were ready."
" Ay, ay, sir, if all were ready!" repeated Mr. Leach, as
if he knew how much honest labour was to be expended before that happy moment could arrive.
" If all were ready. I think we may be able to whip these
three sticks out of this fellow by breakfast-time in the morning, and then a couple of hours will answer for the raft;
after which, a pull of six or eight more will take us back to
our own craft." ~
" If all goes well, it may be done, sir."'" Well or ill, it must be done.  We are not in a situation
to play at jack-straws!"
"I hope it may be done, sir."
"Mr. Leach!"
"Captain Truck!"
"We are in a d —le category, sir, if' the truth must be
spoken."
" That is a word I am not much acquainted with, but we
have an awkward berth of it here, if that be what you
mcan!"
A long pause, during which these two seamen, one of
whom was old, the other young, paced the deck diligently.
"Mr. Leach!"
" Captain Truck!"
"I)o you ever pray?"
"I have done such a thing in my time, sil; but, since I
have sailed with you, I have been taught to work first and
inlay afterwards; and when the difficulty has been gotten




HOMEWARD BOUND.                 231
aver by the work, the prayers have commonly seemed surplusage."
" You should take to, your thanksgivings. I think your
grandfather was a parson Leach."
"Yes, he was, sir, and I have been told your father followed the same trade."
"You have been told the truth, Mr. Leach. My father
was as meek, and pious, and humble a Christian as ever
thumped a pulpit. A poor man, and, if truth must be spoken,
a poor preacher too; but a zealous one, and thoroughly devout. I ran away from him at twelve, and never passed a
week at a time under his roof afterwards.  He could not do
much for me, for he had little education and no money, and,
I believe, carried on the business pretty much by faith. He
was a good man, Leach, notwithstanding there might be a
little of a take-in for such a person to set up as a teacher;
and, as for my mother, if there ever was a pure spirit on
earth it was in her body!"'" Ay, that is the way commonly with the mothers, sir."
"She taught me to pray," added the captain, speaking a
little thick, "but since I've been in this London line, to own
the truth, I find but little time fobr any thing but hard work,
until, for want of practice, praying has got to be among the
hardest things I can turn my hand to."
" That is the way with all of us; it is my opinion, Cap.
tain Truck, these London and Liverpool liners will have a
good many lost souls to answer for."
"Ay, ay, if we could put it on them, it would do well
enough; but my honest old father always maintained, that
every man must stand in the gap left by his own sins;
though he did assert, also, that we were all fore-ordained to
shape our courses starboard or port, even before we were
launched."
" That doctrine makes an easy tide's-way of life; for 1
see no great use in a man's carrying sail and jamming
himself up in the wind, to claw off immoralities, when he
knows he is to fetch up upon them after all his pains."
"I have worked all sorts of traverses to get hold of this
matter, and never could make any thing of it. It is harder
than logarithms. If my father had been the only one to
Leach it, I should have thought less about it, for he was no




232              HOMEWARD BOUND.
scholar, and might have been paying it out just in the way
of business; but then my mother believed it, body and soul,
and she was too good a woman to stick long to a course that
had not truth to back it."
"Why not believe it heartily, sir, and let the wheel fly?
One gets to the end of the v'y'ge on this tack as well as on
another."
"'There is no great difficulty in working up to or even
through the passage of death, Leach, but the great point is
to know the port we are to moor in finally. My mother
taught me to pray, and when I was ten I had underrun all
the Commandments, knew the Lord's Creed, and the Aposties' Prayer, and had made a handsome slant into the Catechism; but, dear me, dear me, it has all oozed out of me,
tike the warmth fiom a Greenlander."
"Folks were better educated in your -time, Captain Truck,
than they are now-a-days, by all I can learn."
"No doubt of that in the world. In my time,'younkers
were taught respect for their betters, and for age, and their
Catechism, and piety, and the Apostles' Prayer, and all
those sort of things. But America has fallen astern sadly
in manners within the last fifty years. I do not flatter
myself with being as good as I was when under my excellent dear mother's command, but there are worse men in the
world, and out of Newgate, too, than John Truck. Now,
in the way of vices, Leach, I never swear."
"Not you, sir i; and Mr. Monday never drinks."
As the protestation of sobriety on the part of their passenger had got to be a joke with the officers and men of the
ship, Captain Truck had no difficulty in understanding his
mate, and though nettled at a retort that was like usurping
his own right to the exclusive quizzing of the vessel, he was
in a mood much too sentimental and reflecting to be angry.
After a moment's pause) he resumed the dialogue, as if no.
thing had been said to disturb its harmony.
"No, I never swear; or, if I do, it is in a small gentlemanly way, and with none of your foul-mouthed oaths, such
as are used by the horse-jockeys that formerly sailed out of
the river."
W' ere they hard swearers?"
"Is a nor'-wester a hard wind? Those fellows, afte~




HOMEWARD BOUND.                 233
they have been choked off and jammed by; the religion
ashore for a month or two, would break out like a hurricane
when they had made an offing, and were once fairly out of
hearing of the parsons and deacons. It is said that old Joe
Bunk began an oath on the bar that he did not get to the end
of until his brig was off Montauk. I have my doubts. Leach,
if any thing be gained by screwing down religion and morals, like a cotton bale, as is practised in and about the
river!"
"' A good many begin to be of the same way Of thinking;
for when our people do break out, it is like the small-pox!"
"' I am an advocate for education; nor do I think I was
taught in my own case more than was reasonable. I think
even a prayer is of more use to a ghip-master than Latin,
and I often have, even now, recourse to one, though it may
not be exactly in Scripture language. I seldom want a wind
without praying for it,- mentally, as it might be; and as for
the rheumatis', I am always praying to be rid of it, when
l'm not cursing it starboard and larboard.  Has it never
struck you that the world is. less moral since steamboats
were introduced than formerly?"
"The boats date from before my birth, sir."
"Very true-you are but a boy.  Mankind appear to be
hurried, and no one likes to stop to.pray, or to foot up his
sins, as used to be the case. Life is like a passage at sea.
We feel our way cautiously until off soundings on our own
coast, and then we have an easy time of it in the deep water; but when we get near the shoals again; we take out the
lead, and mind a little how we steer. It is the going off and
coming on the coast, that gives us all the trouble."
" You had some object in view, Captain Truck, when you
asked me if I ever prayed!"
"Certain.  If I were to set to work to pray myself just
now, it would be for smooth water to-morrow, that we may
have a good time in towing the raft to the ship —hist! Leach
did you hear nothing?"
"There was a sound different from what is common in
the air from the land! It is probably some savage beast,
%or Africa is full of them."
"I think we might manage a lion from this fortress. UTn.'ess the fellow found the stage, he could hardly board us,
20 d




'234             HOMEWARD BOUND.
Mnd a plank or two thrown from that, would make a draw.
bridge of it, at once.  Look yonder! there is something
moving on the bank, or my eyes are two jewel-blocks."
Mr. Leach looked in the required direction, and he, too,
fancied be saw something in motion on the margin of the
batnk. At the point where the wreck lay, the beach was far
from wide, and her flying jib-boom, which was still out, projected so near the low acclivity, where the coast rose to the
level of the desert, as to come within ten feet of the bushes
by which the latter w;as fringed.  Although the spar had
drooped a little in consequence of havihg lost the support of
the stays, its end was still sufficiently high to rise above the
leaves, and to permit one seated on it to overlook the plain
as well as the starlight would allow. Believing the duty to
be important, Captain Truck, first giving his orders to Mr
Leach, as to the mode of alarming the men, should it be.
come necessary, went cautiously out on the bowsprit, and
thence by the foot-ropes, to the farther extremity of the
booms. As this was done with the steadiness of a seaman
and with the utmost care to prevent discovery, he was soon
stretched on the spar, balancing his body by his legs beneath, and casting eager glances about, though prevented by
the obscurity from seeing either far or very distinctly.
After lying in this position a minute, Captain Truck discovered an object on the plains, at the distance of a hundred
yards from the bushes, that was evidently in motion. He
was now all watchfulness, for, had he not seen the proofs
that the Arabs or Moors had already been at the wreck, he
"knew that parties of them were constantly hovering along
the coast, especially after every heavy gale that blew from
the westward, in the'hope of booty. As all his own people
were asleep, the mates excepted, and the boats could just be
discovered by himself, who knew their position, he was in
hopes that, should any of the barbarians be near, the presence of his own party could hardly be known. It is true,.
the alteration in the appearance of the wreck, by the removal of the spars, must strike any one who had seen it
before, but this change might have been made by another
party of marauders, or those who had now come, if any.'here were, might see the vessel for the first time.
WVhile such thoughts were rapidly glancing through his




HOMEWARD BOUND.                 235
mind, the reader will readily imagine that the worthy master was not altogether at his ease. Still he was cool, and,
as he was resolved to fight his way off, even against an
army, he clung to the spar with a species of physical resolution that would have done credit to a tiger. The object ol,
the plain moved once more, and the clouds opening beycad
he plainly made out the head and neck of a dromedary.
There was but one, however; nor could the most scrupulous examination show him a human being. After remaining a quarter of an hour on the boom, during all which time
the only sounds that were heard were the sighings of the
night-air, and the sullen and steady wash of the surf, Captain Truck came on deck again, where he found his mate
waiting his report with intense anxiety. The former was
fully aware of' the importance of his discovery, but, being a
cool man, he had not magnified the danger to himself.
"' The Moors are down on the coast," he said, in an under
tone; " but I do not think there can be more than two or
three of them at the most; probably spies or scouts; and,
could we seize them, we may gain a few hours on their comrades, which will be all we want; after which they shall be
welcome to the salt and the other dunnage of the poor Dane.
Leach, are you the man to stand by me in this affair?"
" Have I ever failed you, Captain Truck, that you put the
question?"
" "That you have never, my fine fellow; give me a squeeze
of your honest hand, and let there be a pledge of life or
death in it."
T'he mate met the iron grasp of his commander, and
each knew that he received an assurance on which he might
iely.
" Shall I awake the men, sir?" asked Mr. Leach.
" Not one of them. Every hour of sleep the people get
will be a lower mast saved. These sticks that still remain
are our foundation, and even one of them is of more account
to us, just now, than a fleet of ships might be at another
time. Take your arms and follow me; but first we will
give a hint to the second-mate of what we are about."
This officer was asleep on the deck, for he had been so
much wearied with his great exertions that afternoon as to
catch a little rest as the sweetest of all gifts. It had been




236              HOMEWARD BOUND.
the intention of Captain Truck to dismiss him to the boats:
but, observing him to be overcome with drowsiness, he had
permitted him to catch a nap where he lay. The look-out,
too, was also slumbering under the same indulgence; buz
both were now awakened, and made acquainted with the
state of things on shore.
"Keep your eyes open, but keep a dead silence," con.
eluded Captain Truck; c" for it is my wish to deceive these
scouts, and to keep them ignorant of our presence. When
I cry out' Alarm!' you will muster all hands, and clear
away for a brush, but not before.  God bless you, my lads!
mind and keep your eyes open. Leach, I am ready."
The captain and his companion  cautiously descended to
the sands, and passing astern of the ship, they first took
their way to the jolly-boat, which lay at the rocks in readiness to carry off the two officers to the launch. Here they
found the two men in charge so soundly asleep, that nothing
would have been easier than to bind them without giving the
alarm. After a little hesitation, it was determined to let
them dream away their sorrows, and to proceed to the spot
where the bank was ascended.
At this place it became necessary to use the greatest precaution, for it was literally entering the enemy's country.
The steepness of the short ascent requiring them to mount
nearly on their hands and feet, this part of their progress
was made without much hazard, and the two adventurers
stood on the plain, sheltered by some bushes.
"_Yonder is the camel," whispered the captain: " you see
his crooked neck, with the head tossing at moments. The
fellow is not fifty yards from the body of the poor German!
Now let us follow along this line of bushes, and keep a sharp
look-out for the rider."
They proceeded in the manner mentioned, until they came
to a point where the bushes ceased, and there was an opening
that overlooked the beach quite near the wreck.
"Do you see the boats, Leach, here away, in a line with
the starboard davit of the Dane?  They look like dark spots
on the water, and an ignorant Arab might be excused for
taking them for rocks."
"Except that they rise and fall with the rollers; he must
be doubly t. Turk who could make such a blunder!"




HOMEBWAR n BOUND.               237
"Your wanderers of the desert are not so particular,
The wreck has certainly undergone some changes aince
yesterday, and I should not wonder if even a Mussulman
found them out, but  -"
The gripe of Mr. Leach, whose fingers almost entered the
flesh of his arm, and a hand pointed towards the bushes on
the other side of the opening, silenced the captain's whisper.
A human form was seen standing on the fringe of the bank,
directly opposite the jib-boom. It was swaddled in a sort of
cloak, and the long musket that was borne in a hollow of an
arm, was just discernible, diverging from the line of the
figure.'IPhe Arab, for such it could only be, was evidently
gazing on the wreck, and presently he ventured out more
boldly, and stood on the spot that was clear of bushes. The
death-like stillness on the beach deceived him, and he advanced with less caution towards the spot where the two
officers were in ambush, still keeping his own eye on the
ship. A few steps brought him within reach of Captain
Truck, who drew back his arm until the elbow reached his
own hip, when he darted it forward, and dealt the incautious
barbarian a severe blow between the eyes. The Arab fell
like a slaughtered ox, and before his senses were fairly recovered, he was bound hands and feet, and rolled over the
bank down upon the beach, with little ceremony, his firearms remaining with his captors.
"That lad is in a category," whispered the captain; "ii
now remains to be seen if there is another."
A long search was not rewarded With success, and it was
determined to lead the camel down the path, with a view
to prevent his being seen by any wanderer in the morning.
"If we get the lower masts out betimes," continued the
captain, " these land pirates will have no beacons in sight to
steer by, and, in a country in which one grain of sand is so
much like another, they might hunt a week before they made
a happy land-fall."
- he:approach of the two towards the camel was made
with less caution than usual, the success of their enterprise
throwing them off their guard, and exciting their spirits.
They believed in short, that their captive was either a solitary wanderer, or that he had been sent ahead as a scout,




A 233            HOMEWARD BOUND.
by some paty that would be likely to follow in the morn,
ing.
"We must be up and at work before the sun, Mr. Leach,'
said the captain,.speaking clearly, but in a low tone, as they
approached the camel. The head of the animal was tossed;
then it seemed to snuff the air, and it gave a shriek. In the
twinkling of an eye an Arab sprang from the sand, on
which he had been sleeping, and was on the creature's back.
He was seen to look around him, and before the startled
mariners had time to decide on their course, the beast,
which was a dromedary trained to speed, was out of sight
in the darkness. Captain Truck had thrown forward his
fowling-piece, but he did not fire.
"We have no right to shoot the fellow," he said, " and
our hope is now in the distance he will have to ride to join
his comrades. If we have got a chief, as I suspect, we will
make a hostage of him, and turn him to as much account
as he can possibly turn one of his own camels. Depend
on it we shall see no more of them for several hours, and
we will seize the opportunity to get a little sleep. A man
must have his watch below, or he gets to be as dull and as
obstinate as a top-maul."
The captain having made up his mind to this plan was
not slow in putting it in execution.  Returning to the beach
they liberated the legs of their prisoner, whom they found
lying like a log on the sands, and made him mount the
staging to the deck of the ship. Leading the way into the
cabin, Mr. Truck examined the fellow by a light, turning
him round and commenting on his points very much as he
might have done had the captive been any other animal of
the desert.
The Arab was a swarthy, sinewy man of forty, with all
his fibres indurated and worked down to the whip-cord mea
greness and rigidity of a racer, his frame presenting a perfbect picture of the sort of being one would fancy suited to
the exhausting motion of a dromedary, and to the fare of
a desert. He carried a formidable knife, in addition to the
long musket of which he had been deprived, and his principal garment was the coarse mantle of camel's hair, that
served equally for cap, coat and robe. His wild dark eyes
gleamed, as Captain Truck passed the lamp before his face,




HOMEWARD BOUND.                 239
and it was sufficiently apparent that he fancied a very
serious misfortune had befallen him. As any verbal com.
munication was out of the question, some abortive attempts
were essayed by the two mariners to make themselves understood by signs, which, like some men's reasoning, produced results exactly contrary to what had been expected.
"Perhaps the poor fellow fancies we mean to eat him,
Leach," observed the captain, after trying his skill in pantomime for some time without success; " and he has some
grounds for the idea, as he was felled like an ox that is
bound to the kitchen. Try and let the miserable wretch
understand, at least, that we are not cannibals."
Hereupon the mate commenced an expressive pantomime,
which described, with sufficient clearness, the process of
skinning, cutting up, cooking, and eating the carcass of the
Arab, with the humane intention of throwing a negative
over the whole proceeding, by a strong sign of dissent at
the close; but there are no proper substitutes for the little
monosyllables of " yes" and " no," and the meaning of the
interpreter got to be so confounded that the captain himself
was mystified.' D-n it, Leach," he interrupted, " the man fancies that
he is not good eating, you make so many wry and out-ofthe.way contortions. A sign is a jury-mast for the tongue,
and every seaman ought to know how to practise them, in
case he should be wrecked on a savage and unknown coast.
Old Joe Bunk had a dictionary of them, and in calm
weather he used to go among his horses and horned cattle,
and talk with them by the hour. He made a diagram of
the language, and had it taught to all us younkers who
were exposed to the accidents of the bea. Now, I will try
my hand on this Arab, for I could never go to sleep while
the honest black imagined we intended to breakfast on
him."
The captain now recommenced his own explanations in
the language of nature. He too described the process of
cooking and eating the prisoner-for this he admitted was
indispensable by way of preface —and then, to show his
horror of such an act, he gave a very good representation
of a process he had often witnessed among his sea-sick pas.
senlgers, by wayj of showing his loathing of cannibalism in




:g40             HOMEWARD BOUND.
general, and of eating this Arab in particular. By this time
the man was thoroughly alarmed, and by way of commen
tary on the captain's eloquence, he began to utter wailings
in his own language, and groans that were not to be mistaken. To own the truth, Mr. Truck was a.good deal mortified with this failure, which, like all other unsuccessful'
persons, he was ready to ascribe to anybody but himself.
"I begin to think, Mr. Leach," he said, " that this fellow
is too stupid for a spy or a scout, and that, after' all, he is no
more than a driveller who has strayed from his tribe, from
a want of sense to keep the road in a desert. A man of the
smallest information must have understood me, and yet you
perceive by his lamentations and outcries that he knows no
more what I said than if he were in another parallel of latitude. The chap has quite mistaken my character; for if 1
really did intend to make a beast of myself, and devour my
species, no one of the smallest knowledge of human nature
would-think I'd begin on a nigger! What is your opinion
of the man's mistake, Mr. Leach?"
" It is very plain, sir, that he supposes you mean to broil
him, and then to eat so much of his steaks, that you will be
compelled to heave up like a marine two hours out; and, if
1 must say the truth, I think most people would have inferred
the same thing from your signs, which are as plainly cannibal as any thing of the sort I ever witnessed."
"And what the devil did he make of yours, Master
Cookery-Book?" cried the.captain with some heat. " Did
he fancy you meant to mortify the flesh with a fortnight's
fast? No, no, sir; you are a very respectable first officer,
but are no more acquainted with Joe Bunk's principles of
signs, than this editor here knows of truth and propriety.
It is your blundering manner of soliloquizing that has set
the lad on a wrong traverse. He has just grafted your own
idea on my communication, and has got himself into a cate.
gory that a book itself would not reason him out of, until
his fright is passed. Logic is thrown away on all'skeary
animals," said old Joe Bunk. Hearkee, Leach, I've a mind
to set the rascal adrift, condemning the gun and the knife
for the benefit of the captors. I think I should sleep better
for the certainty that he was trudging along the sand, satisflied he was not to be barbecued in the morning."




HOMEWARD BOUND.                 241
There is no use in detaining him, sir, for his messmate.
who went off on the dromedary, will sail a hundred feet to
his one, and if an alarm is really to be given to their party,
it will not come from this chap. He will be unarmed, and
by taking away his pouch we shall get some ammunition for
this gun of his, which will throw a shot as far as Queen
Anne's pocket-piece.  For my part, sir, I think there is no
great use in keeping him, for I do not think he would understand us, if he stayed a month, and went to school the whole
itle."
"You are quite right, and as long as he is among us, we
rllall be liable to unpleasant misconceptions; so cut his lashings, and set him adrift, and be d   d to him."
The mate, who by this time was drowsy, did as desired,
and in a moment the Arab was at liberty. At first the poor
creature did not know what to make of his freedom, but a
smart application, d posteriori, from the foot of Captain
Truck, whose humanity was of the rough quality of the seas,
soon set him in motion up the cabin-ladder. When the
two mariners reached the deck, their prisoner was already
leaping down the staging, and in another minute his active
form was obscurely seen clambering up the bank, on gaining which he plunged into the desert, and was seen no
more.
None but men indurated in their feelings by long exposure would be likely to sleep under the circumstances in
which these two seamen were placed; but they were both
too cool, and too much accustomed to arouse themselves on
sudden alarms, to lose the precious moments in womanish
apprehensions, when they knew that all their physical energies would be needed on the morrow, whether the Arabs
arrived or not. They accordingly regulated the look-outs,
gave strong admonitions of caution to be passed from one
to another, and then the captain stretched himself in the
berth of the poor Dane who was now a captive in the
desert, while Mr. Leach got into the jolly-boat, and was
pulled off to the launch. Both were sound asleep in less
than five minutes after their heads touched their temporary
pillows.
21




i}212            PIHOMEWARD BOUND.
CHAPTER XIX.
Ay, he does well enough, if he be disposed,
And so do I too; he does it with a bette grace, but
I do it more natural.
TWELFTH NefwH,
TaE sleep of the weary is sweet.  Of all the party thai,ay thus buried in sleep, on the verge of the Great Desert,
exposed at any moment to an assault from its ruthless and
predatory occupants, but one bethought him of the danger;
though he was, in truth, so little exposed as to have rendered
it of less moment to himself than to most of the others, had
he not been the possessor of a fancy that served oftener to
lead him astray than for any purposes that were useful or
pleasing.  This person was in one of the boats, and as they
lay at a reasonable distance from the land, and the barbarians would not probably have known how to use any craft
had they even possessed one, he was consequently safe from
everything but a discharge from their long muskets. But
this remote risk sufficed to keep him awake, it being very
different things to foster malice, circulate gossip, write scurrilous paragraphs, and cant about the people, and to face a
volley of fire-arms. For the one employment, nature, tradition, education, and habit, had expressly fitted Mr. Dodge;
while for the (ther, he had not the smallest vocation.  Although Mr. Leach, in setting his look-outs on board the
boats, had entirely overlooked the editor of the Active
Inquirer, never before had that vigilant person's inquiries
been more active than they were throughout the whole of'
that long night, and twenty times would he have aroused the
party on false alarms, but for the cool indifference of the
phlegynatic seamen, to whom the duty more properly belonged. These brave fellows knew too well the precious
qualities of sleep to allow that of their shipmates to be causelessly disturbed by the nervous apprehensions of one who
carried with him anr everlasting stimulant to fear in the conx




HOMEWARD BOUND.                 243
sot1,ustless of demerit. The night passed away undisturbed.
therefore, nor was the order of the regular watch broken
until the look-outs in the wreck, agreeably to their orders,
awoke Captain Truck and his mates.
It was now precisely at the moment when the first, and
as it might be the,- fugitive, rays of the sun glide into the
atmosphere, and, to use a quaint expression, " dilute its
darkness." One no longer saw by starlight, or by moonlight,
though a little of both were still left; but objects, though
indistinct and dusky, had their true outlines, while every
moment rendered their surfaces more obvious.
When Captain Truck appeared on deck, his first glance
was at the ocean; for, were its tranquillity seriously disturbed, it would be a death-blow to all his hopes.  Fortunately, in this particular, there was no change.
"The winds seem to have put themselves out of breath
in the last gale, Mr. Leach," he said, " and we are likely
to get the spars round as quietly as if they were so many
saw-logs floating in a mill-pond. Even the ground-swell
has lessened, and the breakers on the bar look like the
ripple of a wash-tub. Turn the people up, sir, and let us
have a drag at these sticks before breakfast, or we may.have to broil an Arab yet."
Mr. Leach hailed the boats, and ordered them to send
their gang of labourers on shore. He then gave the accustomed raps on the deck, and called " all hands" in the ship.
In a minute the men began to appear, yawning and stretching their arms-for no one had thrown aside his clothesmost of them launching their sea-jokes right and left, with
as much indifference as if they lay quietly in the port to
which they were bound. After some eight or ten minutes
Uo shake themselves, and to get "aired," as Mr. Leach
expressed it, the whole party was again mustered on the
deck of the Dane, with the exception of a hand or two in
the launch, and Mr. Dodge. The latter had assumed the
office of sentinel over the jolly-boat, which, as usual, lay at
the rocks, to carry such articles off as might be wanted
" Send a hand up into the foretop, Mr. Leach," said Ine
captain, gaping like a greyhound; "a fellow with sharp
eyes; none of your chaps who read with their noses down




244              HOMEWARD BOUND.
In the cloudy weather of an almanack; and let iiim take a
look at the desert, in search of Arabs."
Although the lowei rigging was down and safe in the
launch, a girt-line, or as Captain Truck in the true Doric of
his profession pronounced it, a "gunt-line," was rove at
each mast, and a man was accordingly'hauled up forward
as soon as possible. As it was still too dusky to distinguish
far with accuracy, the captain hailed him, and bade him
stay where he was until ordered down, and to keep a sharp
look-out.
" We had a visit from one chap in the night," he added,
"a and as he was a hungry-looking rascal, he is a greater
fool than I think him, or he will be back before long, after
some of the beef and stock-fish of the wreck. Keep a bright
look-out."
The men, though accustomed to their commander's manhler, looked at each other more seriously, glanced around at
their arms, and then the information produced precisely the
effect that had been intended, that of inducing them to apply
to their work with threefold vigour.
"Let the boys chew upon that, instead of their tobacco,"
observed the captain to Mr. Leach, as he hunted for a good
coal in the galley to light his cigar with. "I'll warrant you
the sheers go up none the slower for the information, desperate philosophers as some of these gentry are!"
This prognostic was true enough, for instead of gaping
and stretching themselves about the deck, as had been the
case with most of them a minute before, the men now commenced their duty in good earnest, calling to each other to
come to the falls and the capstan-bars, and to stand by the
heels of the sheers.
"Heave away!" cried the mate, smiling to see how
quick the captain's hint had been taken; " heave round
with a will, men, and let us set these legs on end, that they
may walk."
As the order was obeyed to the letter, the day had not
fairly opened when the sheers were in their places and
secured. Every man was all activity, and as their.work
was directed by those whose knowledge was never at fault,
a landsman would have been surprised at the readiness
with which the crem next raised a spar as heavy as the




HOMEWARD BOUND.                 245
mainmast, and had it suspended, top and all, in the air,
high enough to be borne over the side. The lowering was
a trifling affair, and the massive stick was soon lying at its
length on the sants. Captain Truck well knew the great
importance of this particular spar, for he might make out
with the part of the foremast that remained in the packet,
whereas, without this mast he could not possibly rig any
thing of much available use aft. Hecalled out to the men
therefore, as he sprang upon the staging, to follow him anS
to launch the spar into the water before they breakfasted.
" Tet us make sure of this fellow, men," he added, " fi,
t is our mainstay.  With this stick fairly in our raft, we
may yet make a passage; no one must think of his teeti
till it is out of all risk. This stick we must have, if we.
make war on the Emperor of Morocco for its possession.
The people knew the necessity for exertion, and they
worked accordingly. The top was knocked off, and cai.
ried down to the water; the spar was then cut round, and
rolled after it, not without trouble, however, as the trestle
trees were left on; but the descent of the sands favoured
the labour.  When on the margin of the sea, by the aid of
hand-spikes, the head was got afloat, or so nearly so, as to
require but little force to move it, when a line from the
boats was fastened to the outer end, and the top was
secured alongside..
" Now, clap your hand.spikes under it, boys, and heave
away!" cried the captain.  " Heave together anld keep the
stick straight —heave, and his head is afloat!-Haul, haul
away in the boat!-heave all at once, and as if you were
giants!-you gained three feet that tug, my hearties-try
him again, gentlemen, as you are-and move together, like
girls in a cotillion-Away with it!-What the devil are
you staring at, in the fore-top there?  Have you nothing
better to do than to amuse yourself in seeing us heave our
insides out?"
The intense interest attached to the securing of this spar
had extended to the look-out in the top, and instead of
keeping his eye on the desert, as ordered, he was looking
down at the party on the beach, and betraying his sympa.
thy in their efforts by bending his body, and appearing tr
heave in common with his messmates. Admonished of
21,




246              HOMEWARD BOU'ND.
his neglect by this sharp rebuke, he turned round quickky
towards the desert, and gave the fearful alarm of "The
Arabs!"
Every man ceased his work, and the whole were on the
point of-rushing in a body towards their arms, when the
greater steadiness of Captain Truck prevented it.
"Whereaway?" he demanded sternly.
"On the most distant hillock of sand, may be a mile and
a half inland."
"How do they head?"
" Dead down upon us, sir."
" How do they travel?"
"They have camels, and horses: all are mounted, sir."
"- What is their number?"
The man paused, as if to count, and then he called out,
" They are strong-handed, sir; quite a hundred I1 think.
They have brought up, sir, and seem to be sounding about
them for an ainchorage."
Captain Truck hesitated, and he looked wistfully at, the
mast.
"' Boys!" said he, shaking his hand over the bit of massive wood, with energy, " this spar is of more importance to
us than our mother's milk in infancy. It is our victuals and
drink, life and hopes. Let us swear we will have it in spite
of a thousand Arabs. Stoop to your hand-spikes, and heave
at the word-heave as if you had a world to move, —heave,
men, heave!"
The people obeyed, and the mast advanced more than
half the necessary distance into the water. But the man
now called out that the Arabs were advancing swiftly towards the ship.
"One rlore effort, men," said Captain Truck. reddening
ill the face with anxiety, and throwing down his hat to set
the example in person,-" heave!"
The men hove, and the spar floated.
- "Now to your arms, boys, and you, sir, in the top, keep
yourself hid behind the head of the mast.  We must be
ready to show these gentry we are not afraid of them." A
sign. of the hand told the men in the launch to haul away,
and \the all-important spar floated slowly across the bar, to
ioin the raft.




HOMEWARD BOUND.                 247
The men now hurried up to the ship, a post that Captain
Truck declared he could maintain against a whole tribe,
while Mr. Dodge began incontinently to scull the jolly-boat,
in the best manner he could, off to the launch.  All remonstrance was useless, as he had got as far as the bar before he was perceived.  Both Sir George Templemore and
Mr. Monday loudly denounced him for deserting the party
on the shore in this scandalous manner, but quite without
effect.  Mr. Dodge's skill, unfortunately for his success, did
not quite equal his zeal; and finding, when he got on the
bar, that he was unable to keep the boat's head to the sea,
or indeed to manage it at all, he fairly jumped into the
water and swam lustily towards the launch. As herwas expert at this exercise lhe arrived safely, cursing in his heart
all travelling, the desert, the Arabs, and mankind in general,
wishing himself quietly back in Dodgeopolis again, among
his beloved people.  The boat drove upon the sands, of
course, and was eventually taken care of by two of the
Montauk's crew.
As soon as Captain Truck found himself on the deck of
the Dane, the arms were distributed among the people. It
was clearly his policy not to commence the war, for he had
nothing, in an affirmative sense, to gain by it, though, without making any professions, his mind was fully made up
not to be taken alive, as long as there was a possibility of
averting such a disaster. The mnan aloft gave constant noLice of the movements of the Arabs, and he soon announced
that they had halted at a pistol's shot from the bank, where
they were securing their camels, and that his first estimate
of their force was true.
In the mean time, Captain Trpuck was far from satisfied
with his position.'rhe bank was higher than the deck of
the ship, and so near it as to render the bulwarks of little
use, had those of the Dane been of any available thickness,
which they were not.  Then, the position of the ship, lying
a little on one side, with her bows towards the land, exposed
her to being swept by a raking fire; a cunning enelmy
having it in h's power, by making a cover of the bank, to
pick off hrs men, with little or no exposure to himself.  The
odds were tot) great to sally upon the plain, and although




2,'1             HOMEWARD BOT ND.
the rocks offered a tolerable cover towards the lanct, they
had none towards the ship. Divide his force he dared not
do,-and by abandoning the ship, he would allow the Arabs
to seize her, thus commanding the other position, besides the
remainder of the stores, which he was desirous of securing.'Men think fast in trying circumstances, and although the
captain was in a situation so perfectly novel, his practical
knowledge and great coolness rendered him an invaluable
commander to those under his orders.
6"I do not know, gentlemen," he said, addressing his passengers and mates, " that Vattel has laid down any rule to
govern this case.'These Arabs, no doubt, are the lawful
owners of the country, in one sense; but it is a desert-and
a desert, like a sea, is common property for the time being,
to all who find themselves in it. There are no wreckmasters in Africa, and probably no law concerning wrecks,
but the law of the strongest. We have been driven in here,
moreover, by stress of weather-and this is a category on
which Vattel has been very explicit. We have a right to
the hospitality of these Arabs, and if it be not freely
accorded, d-n  me, gentlemen, but I feel disposed to take
just as much of it as I find I shall have occasion for! Mr.
Monday, I should like to hear your sentiments on this
subject."
6" Why, sir," returned Mr. Monday, "s I have the greatest
confidence in your knowledge, Captain Truck, and am
equally ready for peace or war, although my calling is fox
the first. I should try negotiation to begin with, sir, if it be
practicable, and you will allow me to express an opinion,
after which I would offer war."'
"I'  am quite of the same mind, sir; but in what way are
we to negotiate with a people we cannot make understand a
word we say? It is true, if they were versed in the science
of signs, one might do something with them; but I have
reason to know that they are as stupid as boobies on all such
subjects. We shall get ourselves into a category at the first
protocol, as the writers say."
Now, Mr. Monday thought there was a language that any
man might understand, and he was strongly disposed to
profit by it. In rummagincg the wreck, he had discovered a




HOMEWARD BOUND.                  2,19
case of liquor, besides a cask of Hollands, and he thought
an offering of these might have the effect to put the Arabs
in good humour at least.
"I have known men, who, treated with dry, in matters
of trade, were as obstinate as mules, become reasonable and
pliable, sir, over a bottle," he said, after explaining where
the liquor was to be found; " and I think, if we offer the
Arabs this, after they have been in possession a short time,
we shall find them better disposed towards us. If it should
not prove so, I confess, for one, I should feel less reluctance
in shooting them than before."
"I  have somewhere heard that the Mussulmans never
drink," observed Sir George; "in which case we shall find
our offering, despised. Then there is the difficulty of a first
possession; for, if these people are the same as those that
were here before, they may not thank us for giving them so
small a part of that, of which they may lay claim to all.
I'm very sure, were any one to offer me my patent pistols,
as a motive for letting him carry away my patent razors, or
the East India dressing-case, or any thing else I own, I
should not feel particularly obliged to him."
" Capitally put, Sir George, and I should be quite of your
way of thinking, if I did not believe these Arabs might really
be mollified by a little drink. If I had -a proper ambassador
to send with the offering, I would resort to the plan at once."
Mr. Monday, after a moment's hesitation, spiritedly offered
to be one of two, to go to the Arabs with the proposal, for
he had sufficient penetration to perceive that there was little
danger of his being seized, while an armed party of so
much strength remained to be overcome-and he had sufficient nerve to encounter the risk. All he asked was a companion, and Captain Truck was so much struck with the
spirit of the volunteer, that he made up his mind to accompany him'himself. To this plan, however, both the mates
and all the crew, stoutly but respectfully objected.  They.
felt his importance too much to consent to this exposure, and
neither of the mates, even, would be allowed to go on an
expedition of so much hazard, without a sufficient motive.
they might fight, if they pleased, but they should not run
tnto the mouth of the lion unarmed and unresisting.
"It is of no moment," said Mr. Monday; "I could have




250              HOMEWARD BOUND.
liked a gentlemen for my companion; but no one of the
brave fellows will have any objection to passing an hour in
company with an Arab Sheik over a bottle. What say you
my lads, will any one of you volunteer?"'"Ay, ay, sir 1" cried a dozen in a breath.
"This will never do," interrupted the captain; "6I have
need of the men, for my heart is still set on these two sticks
that remain, and we have a head-sea and a stiff breeze to
struggle with in getting back to the ship. By George,- I
have it! What do you say to Mr. Dodge for a companion,
Mr. Monday? He is used to committees, and likes tile service: and then he has need of some stimulant, after the
ducking he has received. Mr. Leach, take a couple of hands,
and go off in the jolly-boat and bring Mr. Dodge on shore.
My compliments to him, and tell him he has been unanimously chosen to a most honourable and lucrative-ay, and
a popular employment."
As this was an order, the mate did not scruple about
obeying it. He was soon afloat, and on his way towards
the launch. Captain Truck now hailed the top, and inquired what the Arabs were about. The answer was satisfactory, as they were still busy with their camels and in
pitching their tents. This did not look much like an immediate war, and bidding the man aloft to give timely notice
of their approach, Mr. Trutck fancied he might still have
time to shift his sheers, and to whip out the mizzen-mast, and
he accordingly set about it without further delay.
As every one worked, as it might be for life, in fifteen
minutes this light spar was suspended in the falls. In ten
more its heel was clear of the bulwarks, and it was lowered
on the sands almost by the run. To knock off the top and
roll it down to the water took but a few minutes longer, and
then the people were called to their breakfast; the sentinel
aloft reporting that the Arabs were employed in the same
nlanner, and- in milking their camels. This was a fortunate
relief, and every body ate in peace, and in the full assurance
that those whom they so much distrusted were equally engaged in the same pacific manner.
Neither the Arabs nor the seamen, however, lost any
unnecessary time at the meal. The former were soon reported to hbe coming and going in parties of fifteen or twenty;




HOMEWARD BOUND.                 251
arriving and departing in an eastern directo.).  Occasion
ally a single runner went or came alone, on a fleet dromedary, as if communications were held with other bodies
which lay deeper in the desert. All this intelligence ren.
dered Captain Truck very uneasy, and he thought it time
seriously to take some decided measures to bring this
matter to an issue. Still, as time gained was all in his
favour if improved, he first ordered the men to begin to
shift the sheers forward, in hopes of being yet able to
carry off the foremast; a spar that would be exceedingly
useful, as it would save the necessity of fishing a new head
to the one which still stood in the packet. He then went
aside with his two.ambassadors, with a view to give his instructions.
Mr. Dodge had no sooner found himself safe in the launch
thanl he felt his courage revive, and with his courage, his
ingenuity, self-love and assurance.  While in the water, a
meeker man there was not on earth; he had even some
doubts as to the truth of all his favourite notions of liberty
and equality, for mnen think fast in danger, and there was
an instant when he might have been easily persuaded to acknowledge himself a demagogue and a hypocrite in his ordinary practices; one whose chief motive was self, and whose
besetting passions were envy, distrust and malice; or, in
other words, very much the creature he was. Shame came
next, and he eagerly sought an excuse for the want of manliness he had.-betrayed; but, passing over the language he
had held in the launch, and the means Mr. Leach found to
persuade him to land again, we shall give his apology in his
own words, as he now somewhat hurriedly delivered it, to
Captain Truck, in his own person.
"I must have misunderstood your arrangement, captain,"
he said; " for somehow, though how I do not exactly know
-but somehow the alarm of the Arabs was no sooner given
than I felt as if I ought to be in the launch to be at my post;
but I suppose it was because I knew that the sails and spars
that brought us here are mostly there, and that this was the
spat to be most resolutely defended. I do think, if they
had waded off to us, I should have fought like a tiger!"
"No doubt you would, my dear sir, and like a wild cae
o!t    e -.1 mal make  ristakles in judgment, in war, and in




252              HOMEVWAlDI) BOUND..
politics, and no fact is better known than that the best sol
diers in the end are they who give a little ground at the
first attack.  But Mr. Leach has explained to you the plan
of Mr. Monday, and I rely on your spirit and zeal, which
there is now an excellent opportunity to prove, as before it
was only demonstrated."
"If it were only an opportunity of meeting the Arabs
sword in hand, captain."
"Pooh! pooh! my deal friend, take two swords if' you
choose.  One who is full of fight can never get the n)attle
on his own terms. Fill the Arabs with the schnaps of the
poor Dane, and if they should make the smallest symptoom
of moving down towards us, I rely on you to give the
alarm, in order that we may be ready for them. Trust to
us for the overture of the piece, as I trust to you for the
overtures of peace."
"' In what way can we possibly do this, Mr. Monday?
How can we give the alarm in season?
-  Why," interposed the unmoved captain, "you ma)
just shoot the sheik, and that will be killing two birds with
ione stone; you will take your pistols, of course, and blaze
away upon them, starboard and larboard; rely on it, we
shall hear you."
" Of that I make no doubt, but I rather distrust the prudence of the step. That is, I declare, Mr. Monday, it looks
awfully like tempting Providence! I begin to have conscientious scruples.  I hope you are quite certain, captain,
there is nothing in all this against the laws of Africa? Good
moral and religious influences are not to be overlooked. My
mind is quite exercised. in the premises!"
6" You are much too conscientious for a diliomatic man,"
said Mr. Truck, between the puffs at a fresh cigar.  "You
need not shoot any of the women, and what more does a
man want? Come, no more words, but to the duty heartily.
E1 ary one expects it of you, since no one can do it half
so well; and if you ever get back to Dodgeopolis, there
will be matter for a paragraph every day of the year for
the next six months.  If any thing serious happen to you,
trust to me to do your memory justice."
"Captain, captain, this trifling with the future is blas..
olhemous!- Men seldom talk of death with impunity, and




HC MEWARD BOUND.                253
it really hurts my feelings to touch on such awful subjects
so lightly.  I will go, for I do not well see how the matter
is to be helped; but let us go amicably, and with such presents as will secure a good reception and a safe seturn."
"Mr. Monday takes the liquor-case of the Dane, and you
are welcome to any thing that is left, but the foremast.
That I shall fight for, even if lions come out of the desert
to help the Arabs."
Mr. Dodge had many more objections, some of which he
urged openly, and more of which he felt in his inmost spirit.
But for the unfortunate dive into the water, he certainly
would have pleaded his immunities as a passenger, and
plumply refused to be put forward on such an occasion; but
he felt that he was a disgraced man, and that some decided
act of spirit was necessary to redeem his character. The
neutrality observed by the Arabs, moreover, greatly encouraged him; for he leaned to an opinion Captain Truck
had expressed, that so long as a strong-armed party remained in the wreck, the sheik, if a man of any moderation
and policy, would not proceed to violence.
" You may tell him, gentlemen," continued Mr. Truck,
*6 that as soon as I have whipped the foremast out of the
Dane, I will evacuate, and leave him the wreck, and all it
contains. The stick can do him no good, and I want it in
my heart's core. Put this matter before him plainly, and
there is no doubt we shall part the best friends in the world.
Remember one thing, however, we shall set about lifting the
spar the moment you quit us, and should there be any signs
of an attack, give us notice in season, that we may take to
our arms."
By this reasoning Mr. Dodge suffered himself to be per.
suaded to go on the mission, though his ingenuity and fears
supplied an additional motive that he took very good care
not to betray.  Should there be a battle, he knew he would
be expected to fight, if he remained with his own party, and
if with the other, he mighlt plausibly secrete himself until the
affair was over; for, with a man of his temperament,
eventual slavery had less horrors than immediate death.
When Mr. Monday and his co-commissioner ascended the
bank, bearing the case of liquors and a few light offerings,
ehat the latter had found in the wreck, it was just as the
22




254              HOMEWARD BOUND.
crew, assured that the Arabs still remained tranquil, had
seriously set about pursuing their great object.  On the
margin of the plain, Captain Truck took his leave of tne
ambassadors, though he remained some time to reconnoitre
the appearance of things in the wild-looking camp, which
was placed within two hundred yards of the spot on which
he stood. The number of the Arabs had not certainly been
exaggerated, and what gave him the most uneasiness was
the fact that parties appeared to be constantly communicating with more, who probably lay behind a ridge of sand
that bounded the view less than a mile distant inland, as
they all went and came in that direction. After waiting to
see his two envoyds in the very camp, he stationed a look.
out on the bank, and returned to the wreck, to hurry on the
all-important work.
Mr. Monday was the efficient man of the two commissioners, so soon as they were fairly embarked in their enterprise.  He was strong of nerves, and without imagination to
fancy dangers where they were rnot very obvious, and had a
great faith in the pacific virtues of the liquor-case.  An
Arab advanced to meet them, when near the tents; and
although conversation was quite out of the question, by pure
force of gesticulations, aided by the single word "sheik,"
they succeeded in obtaining an introduction to that personage.
The inhabitants of the desert have been so often described
that we shall assume they are known to our readers, and
proceed with our narrative the same as if we had to do with
Christians. Much of what has been written of the hospitality of the Arabs, if true of any portion of them, is hardly
true of those tribes which frequent the Atlantic coast, where
the practice of wrecking would seem to have produced the
same effect on their habits and morals that it is known to
produce elsewhere. But a ship protected by a few weather.
worn and stranded mariners, and a ship defended by a strong
and an armed party, like that headed by Captain Truck,
presented very different objects to the cupidity of these bar.
harians.  They knew the great advantage they possessed
by being on their own ground, and were content to await
evwnts, in preference to risking a doubtful contest.  Several
of the party had been at Meogadore, and other parts, and had
acquired tolerably accurate ideas of the power of vessels;




HOMEWARD BOUNb,-                 255
and as they were confident the men now at work at the
wreck had not the means of carrying away the cargo, their
own principal object, curiosity and caution, connected with
certain plans that were already laid among their leaders,
kept them quiet, for the moment at least.
These people were not so ignorant as to require to be
told that some other vessel was at no great distance, and
their scouts had been out in all directions to ascertain the
fact, previously to taking their ultimate measures; for the
sheik himself had some pretty just notions of the force of a
vessel of war, and of the danger of contending with one.
The result of his policy, therefore, will better appear in the
course of the narrative.
The reception of the two envoys of Captain Truck was
masked by that smiling and courteous politeness which
seems to diminish as one travels west, and to increase as
he goes eastward; though it was certainly less elaborate
than would have been found in the palace of an Indian
rajah. The sheikwas not properly a sheik, nor was the
party composed of genuine Arabs, though we have thus
styled them from usage.  The first, however, was a man in
authority, and he and his followers possessed enough of the.,rigin and characteristics of the tribes east of the Red Sea,
to be sufficiently described by the appellation we have
adopted.
Mr. Monday and AMr. Dodge were invited by signs to be
seated, and refreshments were offered.  As the last were
not particularly inviting, Mr. Monday was not slow in producing his own offering, and in recommending its quality,
by setting an example of the way in which it ought to be
treated.  Although Mussulmans, the hosts did not scruple
about tasting the cup, and ten minutes of pantomime, potations, and grimaces, brought about a species of intimacy
between the parties.
The man who had been so unceremoniously captured
the previous night by Captain Truck, was now introduced,
and much curiosity was manifested to know whether his
account of the disposition in the strangers to eat their fellow.
-reatures was true.  The inhabitants of the desert, in tlhe
course of ages, had gleaned certain accounts of mariners
eating their shipmates, from their different captives, and




2HOMEWARD BOUND.
vague traditions to that effect existed among them, whi-1ch
the tale of this man had revived.  Had Lie sheik kept a
journal, like Mr. Dodge, the result of these inquiries would
probably have been some entries concerr.ing the customs
and characters of the Americans, that were quite as ori.
ginal as those of the editor of the Active Inquirer concern
ing the different nations he had visited.
Mr. Monday paid great attention to the pantomime of
the Arab, in which that worthy endeavoured to explain the
disposition of Captain Truck'to make a barbecue of him:
when it was ended, he gravely informed his companions
that the sheik had invited them to stay for dinner,-a proposition that he was disposed to accept; but the sensitiveness of Mr. Dodge viewed the matter otherwise, for, with a
conformity of opinion that really said something in favour
of the science of signs, he arrived at the same conclusion
as the poor Arab himself-with the material difference,
that he fancied that the Arabs were disposed to make a
meal of himself.  Mr. Monday, who wag a hearty beef and
brandy Personage, scouted the idea, and thought the matter
settled, by pointing to two or three young camels and asking the editor if he thought any man, Turk or Christian,
would think of eating one so lank, meagre, and uninviting,
as himself, when they had so much capital food of another
sort at their elbow. " Take your share of the liquor while
it is passing, man, and set your heart at ease as to the
dinner, which I make no doubt will be substantial and
decent. EIad I known of the favour intended us, I should
have brought out the sheik a service of knives and forks
from Birmingham; for he really seems a well-disposed and
gentlernan-like man.  A very capital fellow, I dare say,
we shall find him, after he has had a few camel's steaks,
and a proper allowance of schnaps. Mr. Sheik, I drink
your health with all my heart."
The accidents of life could scarcely have brought to.
gether, in circumstances so peculiar, men whose characters
vere more completely the converse of each other than Mr.
Monday and Mr. Dodge. They were. perfect epitomes of
two large classes in their respective nations, and so diametrically opposed to each other, that one could hardly recognise
in them scions from a common stock. The first was dull,




- HOMEWARD!BOUND.? j 7
obstinate, straight-forward,' hearty in his manners, and not
without sincerity, though wily in a bargain, with all his
seeming frankness; the last, distrustful, cunning rather Lhan
quick of comprehension, insincere, fawning when he thcught
his interests concerned, and jealous and detracting at all
other times, with a coldness of exterior that had at least the
merit of appearing to avoid deception. Both were violently
Prejudiced, though in Mr. Monday, it was the prejudice of
old dogmas, in religion, politics, and morals; and in the
other, it was the vice of provincialism, and an education that
was not entirely free from the fanaticism of the seventeenth
century.  One consequence of this discrepancy of character
was a perfectly opposite manner of viewing matters in this
interview. While Mr. Monday was disposed to take things
amicably, Mr. Dodge was all suspicion; and had they then
returned to the wreck, the last would have called to arms,
while the first would have advised Captain Truck to go out
and visit the sheik, in the manner one would visit a respectable and agreeable neighbour.
CHAPTER XX.'Tis of more worth than kingdoms! far more precious'Than all the crimson treasures of life's fountain!
Oh let it not elude thy grasp!
Cotton
THINGS were in this state, the sheik and his guests comnmunicating by signs, in such a way as completely to
mystify each other; Mr. Monday drinking, Mr. Dodge conjecturing, and parties quitting the camp and arriving every
ten minutes, when an Arab pointed eagerly with his finger
in the direction of the wreck. The head of the foremast
was slowly rising, 6nd the look-out in the top was clinging
to the spar, which began to cant, in order to keep himself
from falling.  The sheik affected to smile; but he was evi.
dently disturbed, and two or three messengers were sent ouit
22 "




258               HOMEWARD BOUND,
into the camp. In the meanwhile, the spar began to lower,
and was soon entirely concealed beneath the bank.
It was now apparent that the Arabs thought the moment
had arrived when it wtas their policy to interfere. The sheik,
therefore, left his guests to be entertained by two or three
others who had joined in the potations, and making the best
assurances he could by means of signs, of his continued
amiity, he left the tent.  Laying aside all his arms, attended
by two or three old men like himself, he went boldly to the
plank, and descended quietly to the sands, where he found
Captain Truck busied in endeavouring to get the spar into
the water.  The top was already afloat, and the stick itself
was cut round. in the right position for rolling, when the foul
but grave-looking barbarians appeared among the workmen.
As the latter had been apprised of their approach, and of
the fact of their being unarmed, no one left his employment
to receive them, with the exception of Captain Truck himself.
"' Bear a hand with the spar, Mr. Leach," he said, " while
I entertain these gentlemen. It is a good sign that they
come to us without arms, and it shall never be said that we
are behind them  in civility.  Half an hour will settle our
affairs, when these gentry are welcome to what will be left
of the Dane.-Your servant, gentlemen; I'm glad to see
you, and beg the honour to shake hands with all of you,
from the oldest to the youngest."
Although the Arabs understood nothing that was said,
they permitted Captain Truck to give each of them a hearty
shake of the hand, smiling and muttering their own compliments with as much apparent good will as was manifested
by the old seaman himself.
" God help the Danes, if they have fallen into servitude
among these blackguards!" said the captain, aloud, while he
was shaking the sheik a second time most cordially by the
hand, " for a fouler set of thieves I never -laid eyes on,
Leach.  Mr. Monday has tried the virtue of the schnaps on
them, notwithstanding, for the odour of gin is mingled with
that of grease, about the old scoundrel.-Roll away at the
spar, boys! half-a-dozen more such heaves, and you will
have Ilim in hi.> native element, as the newspa[pers call it.I'm  glad to see you, gentlemen; we are badly cq as to




HOMEWAtRD BOUND.                259
chairs, on this beach, but to such as we have you are hear.
tily welcome.-Mr. Leach, the Arab sheik;-Arab sheik,
M:r. Leach. —On the bank there!"
" Sir."
"Any movement among the Arabs?'"
" About thirty have just ridden back into the desert,
mounted on camels, sir; nothing more."
"No signs of our passengers?"
"Ay, ay, sir. Here comes Mr. Dodge under full sail,
heading for the bank, as straight as he can lay his course!'
"Ha!-Is he pursued?"
The men ceased their work, and glanced aside at their
arms.." Not at all, sir. Mr. Monday is calling after him, and
the Arabs seem to be laughing.' Mr. Monday is just splicing the main-brace with one of the rascals."
", Let the Atlantic ocean, then, look out for itself, for Mr.
Dodge will be certain to run over it. Heave away, my
hearties, and the stick will be afloat yet before that gentleman is fairly docked."
The men worked with good will, but their zeal was far
less efficient than that of the editor of the Active Inquirer,
who now broke through the bushes, and plunged down the
bank with a velocity which, if continued, would have carried him to Dodgeopolis itself within the month. The Arabs
started at this sudden apparition, but perceiving that those
around them laughed, they were disposed to take the interruption in good part. The look-out now announced the approach of Mr. Monday, followed by fifty Arabs; the latter,
however, being without arms, and the former without his
hat. The moment was critical, but the steadiness of Captain Truck did not desert him. Issuing a rapid order to the
second mate, with a small party previously selected for that
duty, to stand by the arms, he urged the rest of the people
to renewed exertions. Just as this was done, Mr. Monday
appeared on the bank, with a bottle in one hand and a glass
in the other, calling aloud to Mr. Dodge to return and drink
with the Arabs.
" Do not disgrace Christianity in this unmannerly way,"
he said; "but show these gentlemen of the desert that we
inow what propriety is. Captain Truck, I beg of you to




260              HOMEWARD BOUND.
urge Mr. IDodge to return.  I was about to sing the Arabs' God save the King,' and in a few more minutes we should
have had' Rule Britannia,' when we should have been the
best friends and companions in the world.  Captain Truck,
I've the honour to drink your health."
But Captain Truck viewed the matter differently.  Both
his ambassadors were now safely back, for Mr. Monday
came down upon the beach, followed, it is true, by all the
Arabs, and the mast was afloat.  He thought it better,
therefore, that Mr. Dodge should remain, and that the tw(
parties should be as quietly, but as speedily as possible, separated.  He ordered the hauling line to be fastened to the
mast, and as the stick was slowly going out through the surf,
he issued the order for the men to collect their implements,
take their arms, and to assemble in a body at the rocks,
where the jolly-boat still lay.
" Be quick, men, but be steady; for there are a hundred
of these rascals on the beach already, and all the last-comers
are armed. We might pick up a few more useful things
from the wreck, but the wind is coming in from the west.
ward, and our principal concern now will be to save what
we have got. Lead Mr. Monday along with you, Leach, foi
he is so full of diplomacy and schnaps just now that he forgets his safety.  As for Mr. Dodge, I see he is stowed away
in the boat already, as snug as the ground-tier in a ship
loaded with molasses. Count the men off, sir, and see thaf
no one is missing."
By this time, the state of things on the beach had undergone material changes. The wreck was full of Arabs, some
of whom were armed and some not; while mauls, crows
hand-spikes, purchases, coils of rigging, and marling-spikes
were scattered about on the sands, just where they had been
dropped by the seamen. A party of fifty Arabs had collected
around the rocks, where, by this time, all the *mariners
were assembled, intermingling with the' latter, and apparently endeavouring to maintain the friendly relations which
had been established by Mr. Monday. As a portion of
these men were also armed, Captain Truck disliked their
proceedings; but the inferiority of his numbers, and the
disadvantage under which he was placed, compelled him to




HOMIEWAXD BOUND.                261,esort to management rather than force, in order to extricate
himself.
The Arabs now crowded around and intermingled with
the seamen, thronged the ship, and lined the bank, to the
number of more than two hundred. It became evident that
their true force had been underrated, and that additions
were constantly making to it, from those who lay behind
the ridges of sand. All those who appeared last, had arms
of one kind or another, and several brought fire-arms,
which they gave to the sheik, and to those who had first
descended to the beach. Still, every face seemed amicable,
and the men were scarcely permitted to execute their orders,
from the frequent interruptions to exchange tokens of friendship.
But Captain Truck fully believed that hostilities were in.
tended, and although he had suffered himself in some measure to be surprised, he set about repairing his error with
great judgment and admirable steadiness.  His first step
was to extricate his own people from those who pressed
upon them, a thing that was effected by causing a few to
take a position, that might be defended, higher among the
rocks, as they afforded a good deal of cover, and which
communicated directly with the place where they had
landed; and then ordering the remainder of the men to fall
back singly. To prevent an alarm, each man was called
off'by name, and in this manner the whole party had got
within the prescribed limits, before the Arabs, who were vociferating and talking altogether, seemed to be aware of the
movement. When some of the latter attempted to follow,
they were gently repulsed by the sentinels. All this time
Captain Truck maintained the utmost cordiality towards the
sheik, keeping near him, and amongst the Arabs himself.
The work of plunder, in the meantime, had begun in earnest
in the wreck, and this he thought a favourable symptom, as
men thus employed would be less likely to make a hostile
attack. Still he knew that prisoners were of great account
among these barbarians, arid thai an attempt to tow the raft
off from the land, in open boats, where his people would be
exposed to every shot from the wreck, would subject them to
he greatest danger of defeat, were the former disposed to
prevent it.




'3f;             HOMEWARD BOUND.
[Having reflected a few minutes on his situation, CapLain
Fruck issued his final orders.  The jolly-boat might carry
a dozen men at need, though they would be crowded and
much exposed to fire; and he, therefore, caused eight to get;nto her, and to pull out to the launch.  Mr. Leach went
with this party, for the double purpose of directing, its move.
ments, and of' being separated from his commander, in
order that one of those who were of so much importance
to the packet, might at least stand a chance of being saved.'rlhis separation also was effected without alarming the
Arabs, though Captain Truck observed that the sheik
watched the proceeding narrowly.
As soon as Mr. Leach had reached the launch, he caused
a light kedge to be put into the jolly-boat, and coils of the.lightest rigging he had were laid on the top of it, or were
made on the bows of the launch. As soon as this was
done, the boat was pulled a long distance off from the land,
paying out the ropes first from the launch, and then from
the boat itself, until no more of the latter remained.  The
kedge wis then dropped, and the men in the launch began
to haul in upon the' ropes that were attached to it.  As the
jolly-boat returned immediately, and her crew joined in
the work, the line of boats, the kedge by which they had
previously ridden having been first raised, began slowly to
recede from the shore.
X Captain Truck had rightly conjectured the effect of this
movement. It was so unusual and so gradual, that the
launch and the raft were warped up to the kedge, before
the Arabs fully comprehended its nature. The boats were
now more than a quarter of a mile from the wreck, for Mr.
Leach had run out quite two hundred fathoms of small
rope, and of course, so distant as greatly to diminish the
danger from the muskets of the Arabs, though still within
reach of their range.  Near an hour was. passed in effecting this point, which, as the sea and wind were both rising,
could not probably have been effected in any other manner,
half as soon, if at all.
The' state of the weather, and the increasing turbulence
of the barbarians, now rendered it extremely desirable to
all on the rocks to be in their boats again. A very moderate blow would compel them to abandon their hard-eaI ned




HOMEWARD BOUND.                 263
advantages, and it began to be pretty evident, from  the
manners of those around them, that amity could not lnuch
longer be maintained.  Even the old sheik retired, and, instead of going to the wreck, he joined the party on the
beach, where he was seen in earnest conversation with
several other old men, all of whom gesticulated vehemently,
as they pointed towards the boats and to the party on the
rocks.
Mr. Leach now pulled in towards the bar, with both the
jolly-boats and the cutter, having only two oars each, half
his men being left in the launch. This was done that the
people might not be crowded at the critical moment, and
that, at need, there might be room to fight as well as to row;
all these precautions having been taken in consequence of
Captain Truck's previous orders. When the boats reached
the rocks, the people did not hurry into them; but a quarter'
of an hour was passed in preparations, as if they were indifferent about proceeding, and even then the jolly-boat
alone took in a portion, and pulled leisurely without the
bar. Here she lay on her oars, in order to cover the passage of the other boats, if necessary, with her fire.  The
cutter imitated this manceuvre, and the boat of the wreck
went last. Captain Truck quitted the rock after all the
others, though his embarkation was made rapidly by a
prompt and sudden movement.
Not a shot was fired, however, and, contrary to his own
most ardent hopes, the captain found himself at the launch,
with all his people unhurt, and with all the spars he had so
much desired to obtain. The forbearance of the Arabs
was a mystery to him, for he had fully expected hostilities
would commence, every, moment, for the last two hours.
Nor was he yet absolutely out of danger, though there was
time to pause and look about him, and to take his succeeding measures more deliberately. The first report was a
scarcity of both food and water. For both these essentials
the men had depended on the wreck, and, in the eagerness
to secure the foremast, and subsequently to take care of
themselves, these important requisites had been overlooked,
quite probably, too, as much from a knowledge that the
IMontauk was so near, as from hurry.  Still both were ex.
(senmely desirable, if not indispensable, to men who had the




264              HOMEWARLD BOUND.
prospect of many hours' hard work before them; and Cap.
tain Truck's first impulse was to despatch a boat to the
ship for supplies. This intention was reluctantly abandoned, however, on account of the threatening appearance
of the weather.
There was no danger of a gale, but a smart sea breeze
was beginning to set in, and the surface of the ocean was,
as usual, getting to be agitated.  Changing all his plans
therefore, the Captain turned his immediate attention to th
safety of the all-important spars.
" We can eat to-morrow, men," he said; "but if we
lose these sticks, our chance for getting any more will
indeed be small. Take a gang on the raft, Mr. Leach,
and double all the lashings, while I see that we get an
offing. If the wind rises any more, we shall need it, and
even then be worse off than we could wish."
The mate, passed upon the raft, and set about securing
all the spars by additional fastenings; for the working,
occasioned by the sea, already rendered them loose, and
liable to separate. While this was in train, the two jollyboats took in lines and kedges, of which, luckily, they had
one that was brought from the packet, besides two found in
the wreck, and pulled off into the ocean. As soon as one
kedge was dropped, that by which the launch rode was
tripped, and the boats were hauled up to it, the other jolly.
boat proceeding on to renew the process. In this manner,
in the course of two more hours, the whole, raft and all,
were warped broad off from the land, and to windward,
quite two miles, when the water became so deep that Captain Truck reluctantly gave the order to cease.
" I would gladly work our way into the offing in this
mode, three or four leagues," he said, " by which meanm
we might make a fair wind of it. As it is, we must get all
clear, and do as well as we can.  Rig the masts in the
launch, Mr. Leach, and we will see what can be done with
this dull craft we have in tow."
While this order was in course of execution, the glass
was used to ascertain the manner in which the Arabs were
xccupied. To the surprise of all in the boats, every soul
a' them had disappeared. The closest scrutiny could not




HOMEWmARD BOUND.                265
Jetect one near the wreck, on the beac'i, nor even at the.
spot where the tents had so lately stood.
" They are all off, by George!" cried Captain Truck,
when fully satisfied of the fact. 1" Camels, tents, and Arabs!
The rascals have loaded their beasts already, and most
probably have gone to hide their plunder, that they may be
back and make sure of a second haul, before any of their
precious brother vultures, up in the sands, get a scent
of' the carrion.  D-n the rogues; I thought at one
time they had. me in a category! Well, joy be with them! 
Mr. Monday, I return you my hearty thanks for the manly,
firank, and diplomatic manner in which you have dischariged
the duties of your mission.  Without you, we might not
have succeeded. in getting the foremast. Mr. Dodge, you
hlave the high consolation of knowing that, throughout this
trying occasion, you have conducted yourself in a -way no
other man of the party could have done."
Mr. Monday was sleeping off the fumes of the schnaps,
but Mr. Dodge bowed to the compliment, and foresaw many
capital things for the journal, and for the columns of the
Active Inquirer. He even began to meditate a book.
Now commenced much the most laborious and critical
part of the service that Captain Truck had undertaken, if
we except the collision with the Arabs-that of towing all
the heavy spars of a large ship, in one raft, in the open sea,
near a coast, and with the wind blowing on shore. It is true
he was strong-handed, being able to put ten oars in the
launch, and four in all the other boats; but, after making
sail, and pulling steadily for an hour, it was discovered that
a.ll their exertions would not enable them to reach the ship,
if the wind stood, before the succeeding day. The drift to
leeward, or towards the beach, was seriously great, every
heave of the sea setting them bodily down before it; and by
the time they were half a mile to the southward, they were
obliged to anchor, in order to keep clear of the breakers,
which by this time extended fully a mile from shore.
Decision was fortunately Captain Truck's leading quality.
le foresaw the length and se-erity of the struggle that was
before them, and the men had not been pulling ten minutes,
before he ordered Mr. Leach, who was in the cutter, to cast
off his line and to come alongside the launch.
23




~266             HOMEWARD BOUIND.
i "Pull back to the wreck, sir," he said, " and bring off all
you can lay hands on, in the way of bread, water, and
other comforts. We shall make a night of it, I see. We
will keep a look-out for you, and if any Arabs heave in
sight on the plain, a musket will be fired; if so many as to
render a hint to abscond necessary, two muskets will }c
fired, and the mainsail of the launch will be furled for two
minutes; more time than that we cannot spare you."
Mr. Leach obeyed this order, and with great success.
Luckily the cook had left the coppers full of food, enough
Lo last twenty-four hours, and this had escaped the Arabs,
who were ignorant where to look for it. In addition, there
was plenty of bread and water, and "' a bull of Jamaica"
had been discovered, by the instinct of one of the hands,
which served admirably to keep the people in good humour.
This timely supply had arrived, just as the launch anchored,
and Mr. Truck welcomed it with all his heart; for without
it, he foresaw he should soon be obliged to abandon his
precious prize.
M hen the people were refreshed, the long and laborious
process of warping off the land was resumed, and, in the
course of two hours more, the raft was got fully a league
into the offing, a shoal permitting the kedges to be used
farther out this time than before. Then sail was again
made, and the oars were once more plied. But the sea still
proved their enemy, though they had. struck the current
which began to set them south. Had there been no wind
and sea, the progress of the boats would now have been
comparatively easy.and quick; but these two adverse
powers drove them in towards the beach so fast, that they
had scarcely made two miles from the wreck when they
were compelled a second time to anchor.
No alternative remained but to keep warping off in this
manner, and then to profit -by the offing they had made as
well as they could, the result bringing them at sunset nearly
up with the headland that shut out the view of their own
vessel, from which Captain Truck now calculated that he
was'distant a little less than two leagues. The wind had
freshened, and though it was not by i-ny means so strong as
to render the sea dangerous, it increased the toil of the men
to such a degree, that he reluctantly determined to seek out




HOMEWVARD BOUND                 267
a prop)t anchorage, and to give his wearied people some
-rest.
It was not in the power of the seamen to carry their raft
hnto any haven, for to the northward of the head-land, or on
the side on which they were, there was no reef, nor any bay'to affoM them shelter.  The coast was one continued waving line of sand-banks, and in most places, when there was
a wind, the water broke at the distance of a mile from the
beach; the precise spot where the Dane had stranded his
vessel, having most probably been chosen for that purpose,
with a view to save the lives of the people. Under these
circumstances nothing remained but to warp off again to a
safe distance,-and to secure the boats as well as they could
for the night. This was effected by eight o'clock, and Captain Truck gave the order to let go two additional kedges,
being determined not to strike adrift in the darkness, if it
was in his power to prevent it. When this was done, the
people had their suppers, a watch was set, and the remainder went to sleep.
As the three passengers had been exempted from the toil,
they volunteered to look out for the safety of the boats until
midnight, in order that the men might obtain as much rest
as possible; and half an hour after the crew were lost in the
deep slumber of seamen, Captain Truck and these gentlemen
were seated in the launch, holding a dialogue on the events
of the day.
" You found the Arabs conversable and ready at the cup,
Mr. Monday?" observed the captain, lighting a cigar, which
with him was a never-failing sign for a gossip. " Men that,
if they had been sent to school young, taught to dance, and
were otherwise civilized, might make reasonably good ship
mates, in this roving world of ours?"
"Upon my word, sir, I look upon the sheik as uncommon
gentlemanlike, and altogether as a good fellow. He took
his glass without any grimaces, smiled whenever he said any
thing, though I could not understand a word he said, and
answered all my remarks quite as civilly as if he spoke
English. I must say, I think Mr. Dodge manifested a want
of considerationin quitting his company with so little cere.
mony. The gentleman was hurt, I'll answer for it, and he
would say as much if he could only make out to explain




68  HOMEWARD BOUND.
himself on the subject.  Sir George, I regret we had nlot the
honour of your company on the occasion, for I have been.
told these Arabs have a proper respect for the nobility and
gentry. Mr. Dodge and myself were but poor substitutes
for a gentleman like yourself."
The trained humility of Mr. Monday was little to tlh liking
of Mr. Dodge, who by the sheer force of the workings of
envy had so long been endeavouring to persuade others that
he was the equal of any and every other man-a delusion,
however,;in which he could not succeed in persuading himself to fall into-and he was not slow in exhibiting the feeling it awakened.
"Sir George Templemore has too just a sense of the rights
of nations to make this distinction, Mr. Monday," he said.
"If I left the Arab sheik a little abruptly, it was because 1
disliked his ways; for I take it Africa is a free country, ana
that no man is obliged to remain longer in a tent than it suits
his own convenience. Captain Truck knows that I was
merely running down the beach to inform him that the sheik
intended to follow, and he no doubt appreciates my motive."
"If not, Mr. Dodge," put in the captain," like other patriots,
you must trust to posterity to do you justice. The joints and
sinews are so differently constructed in different men, that
one never knows exactly how to calculate on speed; but this
much I will make affidavit to, if you wish it, on reaching
home, and that is, that a better messenger could not be found
than Mr. Steadfast Dodge, for a man in a hurry. Sir
3eorge Templemore, we have had but a few  of your:pinions since you came out on this expedition, and I should
be gratified to hear your sentiments concerning the Arabs,
and any thing else that may suggest itself at the moment."
"Oh, captain! I think the wretches odiously dirty, and
judging from appearances, I should say sadly defi(ient in
comforts."
"In the way of breeches in particular; fbr 1 am inclined
to think, Sir George, you are master of more than are to
be found in their whole nation. Well, gentlemen, one must
certainly travel who wishes to see the world; but for this
sheer down here upon the coast of Africa, neither of us
might have ever known how an Arab lives, and what a nimale wrecker he makes. For my own part, if the choice lay




HOD ME WA RD BOUND.              265
between filling the office of Jemnmy Ducks, on board the
Montauk, and that of sheik in this tribe, I should, as we say
mn America, Mr. Dodge, leave it to the people, and do all in
my power to obtain the first situation. Sir George, I'm afraid
all these county tongues, as Mr. Dodge calls them, in the
way of wind and weather, will quite knock the buffalo hunt
on the Prairies in the head, fbr this fall at least."
"I beg, Captz in Truck, you will not discredit my French
in this way.  I do not call a disappointment' county tongues,'
but' contra torms;' the phrase probably coming from some
person of the name of tom, who was contra, or opposed to
every one else."
"4 Perfectly explained, and as clear as bilge-water. Sir
George, has Mr. Dodge mentioned to you the manner in
which these Arabs enjoy life? The gentlemen, by way of
saving dish-water, eat half-a-dozen at a time out of the same
plate. Quite republican, and altogether without pride, Mr.
Dodge, in their notions!"
"Why, sir, many of their habits struck me as being simple and praiseworthy, during the short time I remained in
their country; and I dare say, one who had leisure to study
them might find materials for admiration. I can readily
imagine situations in which a man has no right to appro.
priate a whole dish to himself."
" No doubt, and he who wishes a thing so unreasonable
must be a great hog! What a thing is sleep! Here are
these fine fellows as much lost to their dangers and toils as
if at home, and tucked in by their careful and pious mothers
Little did the good souls who nursed them, and sung pious
songs over their cradles, fancy the hardships they were
bringing them up to! But we never know aur fhtes, or miserable dogse most of us would be.  Is it not so, Sir George?"
The baronet started at this appeal, which crossed the
quaint -tnind of the capt tin as a cloud darkens a sunny view,
and he muttered a hasty expression of hope that there was
now no particular reason to expect any more serious obstacles to their reaching the ship.
"It is not an easy thing to tow a heavy raft in light boats
like these, exactly in the direction you wish it to go," reurned the captain, gaping. " He who trusts to the winds and
waves, trusts an uncertain friend, and one whe may fail him
23 *




~27 0            HOMEWARD BOUND.
at the very moment when there is most need of their services,
Fair as things now seem, I would give a thousand dollars
of a small stock, in which no single dollar has been lightly
earned, to see these spars safely on board the Montauk, and
snugly fitted to their proper places. Sticks, gentlemen, are
to a ship what limbs are to a man.  Without them she rolls
and tumbles about as winds, currents, and seas will; while
with them she walks, and dances, and jumps Jim Crow; ay,
almost talks.  The standing rigging are the bones and
gristle; the running gear the veins in which her life circulates; and the blocks the joints.";; And which is the heart?" asked Sir Georgc.' Her heart is the master. With a sufficient commander
no stout ship is ever lost, so long as she has a foot of water
beneath her false keel, or a ropeyarn left to turn to account."
" And yet the Dane had all these."
"' All but the water. The best craft that was ever launch.
ed, is of less use than a single camel, if laid high and dry
on the sands of Africa. These poor wretches truly! And
yet their fate might have been ours, though I thought little
of the risk while we were in the midst of the Arabs.  It is
still a mystery to me why they let us escape, especially as
they so soon deserted the wreck. They were strong-handed,
too;. counting all who came and went, I think not less than
several hundreds."
The captain now became silent and thoughtful, and, as
the wind continued to rise, he began to feel uneasiness about
his ship. Once or twice he expressed a half-formed determination to pull to her in one of the light boats, in order to
look after her safety in person, and then he abandoned it, as
he witnessed the rising of the sea, and the manner in which
the massive raft caused the cordage by which it was held to
strain. At length he too fell asleep, and we shall leave him
an(l his party for awhile, and return to the Montauk,,to give
ain account of what o ecurred on board that ship.




HOMEWARD BOUND.                   271
CHAPTER XXI.
Nothing beside remains! Round the decay
Of that colossal wreck, boundless anal bare.
Trhe lone and level sands stretch far away.
SHELLEY
As Captailn Truck was so fully aware of the importance
of rapid movements to the success of his enterprise, it will
ibe remembered that he left in the ship no seaman, no ser.
sant, except Saunders the steward, and, in short, no men but
the two Messrs. Effingham, Mr. Sharp, Mr. Blunt, and the
other person just mentioned.  If to these be added, Eve
Effingham, Mademoiselle Viefville, Ann Sidley, and a French
femme de chambre, the whole party will be enumerated. At
first, it had been the intention. of the inaster to leave one of
his mates behind him, but, encouragged by the secure berth
he had found for his vessel, the great strength of his moorings, the little hold the winds and waves could get of spars
so robbed of their proportions, and of a hull so protected by
the reef, and feeling a certain confidence in the knowvledgof Mr. Blunt, who, several times during the passage, had
betrayed a great fatmiliarity with ships, he came to the decision namned, and had formally placed the last named gentleman in full charge, ad interim, of the Montauk.
There was a solemn and exciting interest in the situation
of those who remained in the vessel, after the party of bust
ling seamen had left them.  The night came in bland andi
tranquil, and although there was no moon, they walked the
deck for hours with strange sensations of enjoyment, mingled
with those of loneliness and desertion.  Mr. Effingham  and
his co'isin retired to their rooms long before the others, who
oontimnued their exercise with a freedom and an absence of
restraint, that they had not before felt, since subjected to the
confinement of the ship.
" Our situation is at least novel," Eve observed, "for a
partv of Parisians, Viennois, Romans, or by whatever name
we may be properly styled."




272              HOMEWARD BOUND.
"Say Swiss, then," returned Mr. Blunt; " for I believe
that even the cosmopolite has a claim to choose his favourite
residence."
Eve understood the allusion, which carried her back to
the weeks they had passed in company, among the grand
scenery of the Alps; but she would not betray the consciousness, for, whatever may be the ingenuousness of a
female, she seldom loses her sensitiveness on the subject of
her more cherished feelings.
"And do you prefer Switzerland to all the other countries of your acquaintance?" asked Mr. Sharp;' England
I leave out of the question, for, though we, who belong to
the island, see so many charms in it, it must be conceded
that strangers seldom join us very heartily in its praises.
I think most travellers would give the palm to Italy."
"I am quite of the same opinion," returned the other;
"' and were I to be confined to a choice of a residence for
life, Italy should be my home. Still, I think, that we like
clhlage in our residence, as well as in the seasons. Italy
is summer, and one, I fear, would weary of even an eternal
June."
", is not Italy rather autumn, a country in which the
harvest is gathered,. and where one begins already to see
the fall of the leaf?"
" To me," said Eve, "' it would be an eternal summer; as
things are eternal with young ladies.  My ignorance would
be always receiving instruction, and my tastes improvement.  But, if Italy be summer, or autumn, what is poor
America?"
": Spring of course," civilly answered Mr. Sharp.
6And, do you, Mr. Blunt, who seem to know all parts
of the world equally well, agree in giving our country, my:ountry at least, this encouraging title?"'"It is merited in many respects, though there are others
in which the term winter would, perhaps, be better applied.
America is a country not easily understood; for, in some
particulars, like Minerva, it has been born fill-grown;
while, in others, it is certainly still an infant."
"' In what particulars do you especially class it with the
latter?" inquired Mr. Sharp.
"In strength, to commence," answered the other, slig.tly




Ha MEWARD BOUND.                273
smiling; "in opinions, too, and in tastes, and perhaps in
knowledge.  As to the latter essential, however, and practical things as well as in the commoner comforts, America
may well claim to be in midsummer, when compared with
other nations. I do not think you Americans, Miss Effingham, at the head of civilisation, certainly, as so many of
your own people fancy; nor yet at the bottom, as so many
of those of Mademoiselle Viefville and Mr. Sharp so piously
believe."
"And what are the notions of the countrymen of Mr.
Blunt, on the subject?"
"As far from the truth, perhaps, as any other.  I per.
ceive there exist some doubts as to the place of my nativity," he added, after a pause that denoted a hesitation,
which all hoped was to end in his setting the matter at rest,
by a simple statement of the fact; "6 and I believe I shall
profit by the circumstance, to praise and condemn at plea.
sure, since no one can impeach my candour, or imputL
either to partialities or prejudices."
" That must depend on the justice of your judgments.
In one thing, however, you will have me on your side, and
that is in giving the pas to delicious, dreamy Italy! Though
Mademoiselle Viefville will set this down _as lese majestd
against cher Paris; and I fear, Mr. Sharp will think even
London injured."
" Do you really hold London so cheap?" inquired the
latter gentleman, with more interest than he himself was
quite aware of betraying.
" Indeed, no. This would be to discredit my own tastes
and knowledge.  In a hundred things, I think London quite
the finest town of Christendom.  It is not Rome, certainly,
and were it in. ruins fifteen centuries, I question if people
would floc.: i~o the banks of the Thames to dream away existence among its crumbling walls; but, in conveniences,
beauty of verdure, a mixture of park-like scenery and architecture, and in magnificence of a certain sort, one would
hardly know where to go to find the equal of London."
" You say nothing of its society, Miss Effingham?"
" It would be presuming, In a girl of my limited experience
to speak of this.  I hear so much of the good sense of the
uation, that I dare not say aught against its society, and it




274             THOMEWARD BOUN D.
would be affetation for me to pretend to commend it; but
as for your females, judging by my own poor means, they
strike me as being singularly well cultivated and accom.
plished; and yet —-"
"Go on, I entreat you. Recollect we have solemnly decided in a general congress of states to be cosmopolites, until
safe within Sandy Hook, and that la franchise is the mot
d'ordre."
"Well, then, I should not certainly describe you English
as a talking people," continued Eve, laughing.  " In the
way of society, you are quite as agreeable as a people, who
never laugh and seldom speak, can possibly make themselves."
" Et les jeunes Americaines?" said Mademoiselle Viefville, laconically.
" My dear mademoiselle, your question is terrific! Mr.
Blunt has informed me that they actually giggle!"
" Quelle horreur!"
"It is bad enough, certainly; but I ascribe the report to
calumny. No; if I must speak, let me have Paris for its
society, and Naples for its nature. As respects New Yolk,
Mr. Blunt, I suspend my judgment."
" Whatever may be the particular merit which shall most
attract your admiration in favour of the great emporium, as
the grandiloquent writers term the capital of your own state,
I think I can venture to predict it will be neither of those
just mentioned. Of society, indeed, New York has positively none: like London, it has plenty of company, which
is disciplined something like a regiment of militia composed
of drafts from different brigades, and which sometimes mistakes the drum-major for the colonel."
" I had fancied you a New Yorker, until now," observed
Mr. Sharp.
" And why not now?  Is a man to be blind to facts as
evident as the noon-day sun, because he was born here or
there? If 1 have told you an unpleasant truth, Miss Effing.
ham, you inust accuse lafranchise of the offense. I believe
you are not a A[anhattanese?"
" I am a mountaineer; having been born at my father's
country residence.':'




HOMEWARD BOUND.                  275
"- This gives me courage then, for no one here will have his
filial piety shocked."
" Not even yourself?"
"As for myself," returned Paul Blunt, " it is settled I
am a cosmnopolite in fact, while you are only a cosmopc]ite
by convention.  Indeed, I question if I might talke the sarme
liberties with either Paris or London, that I am about to take
with palmy Manhattan.  I should have little confidence in
the forbearance 3f my auditors: Mademoiselle Viefville
would hardly forgive me: were I to atterhpt a criticism on
the first, for instance."
" Cest impossible / yotl could not, Monsieur Blunt; 0.ousz
parlez trop bien Francais not to love Paris."
"' I do love Paris, mademoiselle; and, what is more, I love
Londres, or even la Nouvelle Yorck.  As a cosmopolite, I
claim this. privilege., at least, though I can see defects in all.
If you will recollect, Miss Effingham, that New York is a
social bivouac, a place in which families encamp instead of
troops, you will see the impossibility of its possessing a
graceful, well-ordered, and cultivated society. Then the
town is commercial; and no place of mere commerce can
well have a reputation for its society.  Such an anomaly, I
believe, never existed.  Whatever may be the usefulness of
trade, I fiancy few will contend that it is very graceful."
"Florence of old?" said Eve.
" Florence and her commerce were peculiar, and the
relations of things change with circumstances. When
Florence was great, trade was a monopoly, in a few hands,
and so conducted as to remove the principals from immediate contact with its affairs. The Medici traded in spices and
silks, as men-traded in politics, through agents. They probably never saw their ships, or had any farther connexion
with their commerce, than to direct its spirit.  They were
more like the legislator who enacts laws to regulate trade,
than the dealer who fingers a sample, smells at a wine, oi
nibbles a grain. The Medici were merchants, a class of
men altogether different from the mere factors, who buy of
one to sell to another, at a stated advance in price, and all
of whose enterprise consists in extending the list of saf,'ustomers, and of doing what is called a' regular business.'
Mlonopolies do harm on the whole, but they certainly elevate




HOMEWARD BOUND.
the favoured few. The Medici and the Strozzi wer(e both
princes and merchants, while those around them were aprincipally dependants.  Competition, in our day, has let in
thousands to share in the benefits; and the pursuit, while it
is enlarged as a whole, has suffered in its parts by division."
"You surely do not complain that a thousand are comfortable and respectable to-day, for one that was il magnifico three hundred years since X9"
"Certainly not. I rejoice in the change; but we must
not confound naihes with things.  If we have a thousand
mere factors for one merchant, society, in the general signification of the word, is clearly a gainer; but if' we had one
Medici for a thousand factors, society, in its particular signification, might also be a gainer.  All I mean is, that, in
lowering the pursuit, we have necessarily lowered its qualifications; in other words, every man in trade in New York,
is no more a Lorenzo, than every printer's devil is a
Franklin."
"' Mr. Blunt cannot be an American!" cried Mr. Sharp:
" for these opinions would be heresy."
"Jamais, jamais," joined the governess.
"' You constantly forget the treaty of cosmopolitism. But
a capital error is abroad concerning America on this very
subject of commerce. In the way of merchandise alone,
there is not a Christian mari-time nation of any extent, that
has a smaller portion of its population engaged in trade of
this sort than the United States of America. The nation, as
a nation, is agricultural, though the state of transition, in
which a country in the course of rapid settlement must
always exist, causes more buying and selling of real property than is usual. Apart from this peculiarity, the Americans, as a whole people, have not the common European
proportions of ordinary dealers."
"This is not the prevalent opinion," said Mr. Sharp.
" It is not, and the reason is, that all American towns, oi
lnearly all that are at all known in other countries, are
purely commercial towns. The trading portion of a corn.
munity is always the concentrated portion, too, and of
course, in the absence of a court, of a political, or of a
social capital, it has the greatest power to make itself heard
and felt, until there is a direct appeal to the other classes




HOMEWARD BOUND.                  277
The elections commonly show  quite as little sympathy
between the majority and the commercial class as is consistent with the public welfare. In point of fact, America
has but a very small class of real merchants, mel who are
the cause and not a consequence of commerce, though she
has exceeding activity in the way of ordinary traffic. The
portion of her people who are engaged as factors,-for this
is the true calling of the man who is a regular agent
between the common producer and the common consumer, —
are of a high class as factors, but not of the high class of
merchants.  The man who orders a piece of silk to be
manufactured at Lyons, at three francs a yard, to sell it in
the regular course of the season to the retailer at three
francs and a half, is no more a true merchant, than the
attorney, who goes through the prescribed forms of the
court in his pleadings, is a barrister."' I do not think these sentiments will be very popular at
home, as Mr. Dodge says," Eve laughingly remarked;
" but when shall we reach that home!  While we are
talking of these things, here are we, in an almost deserted
ship, within a mile of the great Desert of Sahara! How
beautiful are the stars, mademoiselle! we have never before
seen a vault so studded with brilliants."
"i That must be owing to the latitude," Mr. Sharp observed.
"Certainly.  Can any one say in what latitude we are
precisely?" As Eve asked this question, she unconscious!v
turned towards Mr. Blunt; for the whole party had silently
come to the conclusion that he knew more of ships and
navigation than all of them united.
"I believe we are not far from twenty-four, which is
bringing us near the tropics, and places us quite sixteen
degrees to the southward of our port.  These two affairs
of the chase and of the gale have driven us fully twelve
hundred miles from  the course we ought to have taken."
"' Fortunately, mademoiselle, there are none to feel apprehens;ons on our account, or, none whose interest will be
so keen as to create a very lively distress.  I hope, gentlemen, you are equally at ease on'this score?"
This was the first time Eve had ever trusted herself to
nut an interrogatory that might draw from Paul Blunt any
24




278              HOMEWARD BOUND.
communication that would directly touch upon his connex
Ions. She repented of the speech as soon as made, but
causelessly, as it drew from the young man no answer.
Mr. Sharp observed that his friends in England could
scarcely know of their situation, until his own letters would
arrive to relieve their minds. As for Mademoiselle Viefville, the hard fortune which reduced her to the office of a
governess, had almost left her without natural ties.
"I believe we are to have watch and ward to-night,"
resumed Eve, after the general pause had continued some
little time.' Is it not possible for the elements to put us
in the same predicament as that in which we found the
poor Dane?"
", Possible, certainly, but scarcely probable," returned
Mr. Blunt.  "The ship is well moored, and this narrow
ledge of rocks, between us and the ocean, serves admirably
for a break-water. One would not like to be stranded,
helpless as we are, at this moment, on a coast like this!"
"; Why so particularly helpless? You allude to the
absence of our crew?"
" To that, and to the fact that, I believe, we could not
muster as much as a pocket-pistol to defend ourselves
with, everything in the shape of fire-arms having been
sent with the party in the boats."
" Might we not lie on the beach, here, for days, even
weeks," inquired Mr. Sharp, " without being discovered by
the Arabs?"
"i  fear not.  Mariners have told me that the barbarians
hover along the shores, especially after gales, in the hope
of meeting with wrecks, and that it is surprising how soon
they gain intelligence of any disaster.  It is seldom there is
ven an opportunity to escape in a boat."
" I hope here, at least, we are safe?" cried Eve, in a
little terror, and shuddering, as much in playfulness as in
real alarm.
" I see no grounds of concern where we are, so long as
we can keep the ship off the shore. The Arabs have no
boats, and if they had, they would not dare to attack a ves.
sel that floated, in one, unless aware of her being as truly
helpless as we'happen at this moment to be."
"This is a chilling consolation, but I shall trust in yomn




HOMEWARD BOUND.                279
good care, gentlemen. Mademoiselle, it is drawing near
midnight, I believe."
Eve and her companion then courteously wished the two
young men good night, and retired to their state-roomls; Mr.
Sharp remained an hour longer with Mr. Blunt, who had undertaken to watch the first few hours, conversing with a light
heart, and gaily; for, though there was a secret consciousness of rivalry between these two young men on the subject
of Eve's favour, it was a generous and manly competition,
in which each did the other ample justice. They talked of
their travels, their views of customs and nations, their ad.
ventures in different countries, and of the pleasure each had
telt in visiting spots renowned by association or the arts;
but, not a word was hazarded by either concerning the young
creature who had just left them, and whom each still saw
in his mind's eye, long after her light and graceful form had
disappeared. At length Mr. Sharp went below, his companion insisting on being left alone, under the penalty of remaining up himself during the second watch. From this
time, for several hours, there was no other noise in the ship
than the tread of the solitary watchman. At the appointed
period of the night, a change took place, and he who had
watched, slept; while he who had slept, watched. Just as
day dawned, however, Paul Blunt, who was in a deep sleep,
felt a shake at his shoulder.
" Pardon me," cautiously whispered Mr. Sharp: "I fear
we are about to have a most unpleasant interruption to our
solitude."
"Heavenly powers!-Not the Arabs?"
"I fear no less: but it is still too dark to be certain of the
fact.  If you will rise, we can consult on the' situation in
which we are placed. I beg you to be quick."
Paul Blunt had hastily risen on an arm, and he now
passed a hand over his brow, as if to make certain that h4
was awake. He had not undressed himself, and in another moment he stood on his feet in the middle of the state.
room.
" This is too serious to allow of mistake.  We will not
ilarm her, then; we will not give any alarm, sir, until certain of the calamity."
"In that I entirely agree with you," returned Mr. Sharp




280              HOMEWARD BOUND.
who was perfectly ca.m, though evidentl3 distressed. "61
may be mistaken, and wish your opinion. All on board hut
us two are in a profound sleep."
The other drew on his coat, and in a minute both were
on deck. The day had not yet dawned, and the light was
scarce sufficient to distinguish objects even near as those on
the reef, particularly when they were stationary. The-rocks,
themselves, however, were visible in places, for the tide was
out, and most of the upper portion of the ledge was bare.
The two gentlemen moved cautiously to the bows of the
vessel, and, concealed by the bulwarks, Mr. Sharp pointed
out to his companion the objects that had given him the
alarm.
" Do you see the pointed rock a little to the right of the
spot where the kedge is placed?" he said, pointing in the
direction that he meant.  " It is now naked, and I am quite
certain there was an object on it, when I went below, that
has since moved away."
"It may have been a sea-bird; for we are so neai
the day, some of them are probably in motion.  Was it
large?'
" Of the size of a man's head, apparently; but this is by
no means all. Here, farther to the north, I distinguished
three objects in motion, wading in the water, near the point
where the rocks are never bare."
" They may have been herons; the bird is often found in
these low latitudes, I believe. I can discover nothing."
"I would to God, I may have been mistaken, though I do
not think I could be so much deceived."
Paul Blunt caught his arm, and held it like one who listened intently.
"Heard you that?" he whispered hurriedly.
" It sounded like the clanking of iron."
Looking around, the other found a handspike, and passing
swiftly up the heel of the bowsprit, he stood between the
knight-heads. Here he bent forward, and looked intently
towards the lines of chains which lay over the bulwarks, as
bow-fasts.  Of these chains the parts led quite near each
other, in parallel lines, and as the ship's moorings were taut,
they were hanging in merely a slight curve. From the rocks,
nr the place where the kedges were laid to a point< within




HOMEWARD BOUND.                  2S 1
thirty feet of the ship, these chains were dotted with livinrt
beings crawling cautiously upward. It was even easy, at a
second look, to perceive that they were men stealthily advancing on their hands and feet.
Raising the handspike, Mr. Blunt struck the chains several violent -blows.  The effect was to cause the whole of the
Brabs-f-or it could be no others-suddenly to cease advancmg, and to seat themselves astride the chains.
"' This is fearful," said Mr. Sharp; " but we must die,
rather than permit them to reach the ship."
" We must.  Stand you here, and if they advance, strike
the chains. There is not an instant to lose."
Paul Blunt spoke hurriedly, and, giving the other the
handspike, he ran down to the bitts, and commenced loosening the chains from their fastenings.  The Arabs heard the
clanking of the iron-rings, as he threw coil after coil on the
deck, and they did not advance. Presently two parts yielded
together beneath them, and then two more. These were the
signals for a common retreat, and Mr. Sharp now plainly
counted fifteen human forms as they scrambled back towards
the reef, some hanging by th6ir arms, some half in the water, and others lying along the chains, as best they might.
Mr. Blunt having loosened the chains, so as to let their bights
fall into the sea, the ship slowly drifted astern, and rode by
her cables. When this was done, the two young men stood
together in silence on the forecastle, as if each felt that all
which had just occurred was some illusion.
"This is indeed terrible," exclaimed Paul Blunt.  "We
have not even a pistol left! No means of' defence-nothing
but this narrow belt of water between us and these barbarians! No doubt, too, they have fire-arms; and, as soon as
t is light, they will render it unsafe to remain on deck."
Mr. Sharp took the hand of his companion and pressed it
fervently.  "God bless you!" he said in a stifled voice.'"God bless you, for even this brief delay.  But for this
happy thought of yours, Miss Elfingham —the others-we
should all have been, by this time, at the mercy of these
remorseless wretches.  This is-not a momlent for false pride
or pitifill deceptions.  I think either of us would willingly
die to rescue that beautiful and innocent creature from a fate:ike this which threatens her in common with. ourselves I"
24; *




282              HOMEWARD BOUND.
c Cheerfully would I lay down my life to be assured that
she was, at this instant, safe in a civilized and Christian
country."
These generous young men squeezed each other's hands,
and at that moment no feeling of rivalry, or of competition
even, entered the heart of either. Both were influenced by
a pure and ardent desire to serve the woman they loved, and
it would be true to say, that scarce a thought of any but Eve
was uppermost in their minds.  Indeed so engrossing was
their common care in her behalf, so much more terrible than
that of any other person did her fate appear on being captured, that they forgot, for the moment, there were others in
the ship, and others, too, who might be serviceable in arresting the very calamity they dreaded.
"They may not be a strong party," said Paul Blunt,
after a little thought, " in which case, failing of a surprise,
they may not be able to muster a force sufficient to hazard
an open attack until the return of' the boats.  We have,
God be praised! escaped being seized in our sleep, and
made unconscious victims of so cruel a fate.  Fifteen or
twenty will scarcely dare attempt a ship of this size, without a perfect knowledge of our feebleness, and particularly
of our want of arms. There is a light gun on board, and
It is loaded; with this, too, we may hold them at bay, by
not betraying our weakness. Let us awake the others, for
this is not a moment for sleep. We are safe, at least, for
an hour or two; since, without boats, they cannot possibly
find the means to board us in less than that time."
The two young men went below, unconsciously treading
lightly, like those who moved about in the presence of an
impending -danger.  Paul Blunt was in advance, and to his
great surprise he met Eve at the door of the ladies' cabin,
apparently awaiting their approach. She was dressed, for
apprehension, and the novelty of their situation, had caused
her to sleep in most of her clothes, and a few moments had
sufficed for a hasty adjustment of the toilet. Miss Effing.
ham was pale, but a concentration of all her energies
seemed to prevent the exhibition of any womanly terror.'t Something is wrong!" she said, trembling in spite of
herself, and laying her hand unwittingly on the arm of
Paul Blunt: c" I heard the heavy fall of iron on the deck."




HOMEWARD BOUND.                 283
"Compose yourself, dearest Miss Effinghamn, compose
yourself, I entreat you. I mean, that we have come to
iawaken the gentlemen."
" Tell me the worst, Powis, I implore you. I am equal,I think I am equal, to hearing it."
"I fear your imagination has exaggerated the danger."
"The coast?'
"Of that there is no cause for apprehension.  The sea
is calm, and our fasts are perfectly good."'The boats?"
"Will doubtless be back in good time."
" Surely-surely," said Eve, recoiling a step, as if she
saw a monster, " not the Arabs?"
"' They cannot enter the ship, though a few of them are
hovering about us. But for the vigilance of Mr. Sharp,
indeed, we might have all been captured in our sleep. As
it is, we have warning, and there is now little doubt of our
being able to intimidate the few barbarians who have shown
themselves, until Captain Truck shall return."
" Then from my soul, I thank you, Sir George Templemore, and for this good office will you receive the thanks
of a father, and the prayers of all whom you have so signally served."
"Nay, Miss Effingham, although I find this interest i,
me so grateful that I have hardly the heart to lessen your
gratitude, truth compels me to give it a juster direction.
But for the promptitude of Mr. Blunt-or as I now find I
ought to address him, Mr. Powis-we should truly have~all
been lost."' We will not dispute about your merits, gentlemen.
You have both deserved our most heartfelt thanks, and if
you will awaken my father and Mr. John Effingham, I will
arouse Mademoiselle Viefville and my own women. Surely,
surely, this is no time to sleep!"
The summons was given at the state-room doors, and
the two young men returned to the deck, for they felt it was
not safe to leave it long at such a moment. All was quite
tranquil above, however, nor could the utmost scrutiny now
dletect the presence of any person on the reef.
" The rocks are cut off from the shore, farther to the
southward by deeper water," said Paul Blunt-for we shall




284              HOMEWARD BOUND.
continue to call both gentlemen, except on particular occasions, by their noms de guerre-"' and when the tide is up
the place cannot be forded. Of this the Arabs are probably aware; and having failed in their first attempt, they
will probably retire to the beach as the water is rising, for
they might not like to be left on the. riband of rock that
will remain in face of the force that would be likely to be
found in such a vessel."
"May they not be acquainted with the absence of most
of our people, and be bent upon seizing the vessel before
they can return?"
", That indeed is the gloomy side of the conjecture, and
it may possibly be too true; but as the day is beginning to
break, we shall soon learn the worst, and anything is
better than vague distrust."
For some time the two gentlemen paced the quarter-deck
together in silence.  Mr. Sharp was the first to speak.
" The emotions natural to such an alarm," he said,
"have caused Miss Effingham  to betray an incognito of
mine, that I fear you find sufficiently absurd.  It was quite
accidental, I do assure you; as much so, perhaps, as it
was motiveless."
"Except as you might distrust American democracy,"
returned Paul, smiling, " and feel disposed to propitiate it
by a temporary sacrifice of rank and title."
" I declare you do me injustice.  My man, whose name
is Sharp, had taken the state-room, and, finding myself
addressed by his appellation, I had the wealiness to adopt
it, under the impression it might be convenient in a packet.
Had I anticipated, in the least, meeting with the Effinghams, I should not have been guilty of the folly, for Mr
and Miss Effingham are old acquaintances."
"While you are thus apologising for a venial offence,
you forget it is to a man guilty of the same error.  I knew
your person, from having seen you on the Continent; and
finding you disposed to go by the homely name of Sharp,
in a moment of thoughtlessness, I took its counterpart,
Blunt.  A travelling name is sometimes convenient, though
sooner or later I fancy all deceptions bring with them their
own punishments."
"6 It is certain that falsehood requires to be supported by




HOMEWARD BOUND.                 285
falsehood.  Having commenced in untruth, would it not be
expedient to persevere until we reach America? I, at least,
cannot now assert a right to my proper name, without
deposing an usurper!"
" It will be expedient for you, certainly, if it be only to
escape the homage of that double-distilled democrat, Mr.
Dodge  As for myself, few care enough about me to
render it a matter of moment how I am styled; though, on
the whole, I should prefer to let things stand as they are,
for reasons I cannot well explain."
No more was said on the subject, though both under
stood that the old appellations were to be temporarily
continued.  Just as this brief dialogue ended, the rest of
the party appeared on deck. All preserved a forced calm.
ness, though the paleness of the ladies betrayed the intense
anxiety they felt.  Eve struggled with her fears on account
of her father, who had trembled so violently, when the
truth was first told him, as to be quite unmanned, but who
now comported himself with dignity, though oppressed with
apprehension almost to anguish.  John Effingham  was
stern, and in the bitterness of his first sensations he had
muttered a few imprecations on his own folly, in suffering
himself to be thus caught without arms. Once the terrible idea of the necessity of sacrificing Eve, in the last
resort, as an expedient preferable to captivity, had flashed
across his mind; but the real tenderness he felt for her,
and his better nature, soon banished the unnatural thought.
Still, when he joined the party on deck, it was with a
general but vague impression, that the moment was at
hand when circumstances had required that they were all
t'o die together.  No one was more seemingly collected
than Mademoiselle Viefville. Her life had been one of
sacrifices, and she had now made up her mind that it was
to pass away in a scene of violence; and, with a species of
heroism that is national, her feelings had been aroused to
a sort of Roman firmness, and she was prepared to meet
her fate with a composure equal to that of the men.
These were the first feelings and impressions of those who
had been awakened from. the security of the night, to hear
the tale of their danger; but they lessened as the party col-.
ected in the open air, and began to examine into their situa



286              HOMEWARD BOUND.
tion by means of the steadily increasing light. As the day
advanced, Paul Blunt, in particular, carefully examined the
locks near the ship, evten ascending to the foretop, from
which elevation he ovei looked the whole line of the reef; and
something like hope revived in every bosom, when he proclaimed the joyful intelligence that nothing having life was
visible in that direction.
"God be praised 1!" he said with fervour, as his foot
touched the deck again on descending; "we have at least a
respite from the attacks of these barbarians. The tide has
risen so high that they dare not stay on the rocks, lest they
might be cut off; for they probably think us stronger than
we are, and armed. The light gun on the forecastle is
loaded, gentlemen, though not shotted; for there are no shot
in the vessel, Saunders tells me; and I would suggest the
propriety of firing it, both to alarm the Arabs, and as a
signal to our friends. The distance from the wreck is not
so great but it might be heard, and I think they would at
least send a boat to our relief. Sound flies fast, and a short
time may bring us succour. The water will not be low
enough for our enemies to venture on the reef again, under
six or eight hours, and all may yet be well."
This proposal was discussed, and it proving, on inquiry,
that all the powder in the ship, after loading the gun for this
very purpose of firing a signal, had been taken in the boats,
and that no second discharge could be made, it was decided
to lose no more time, but to let their danger be known to
their friends at once, if it were possible to send the sound so
far. When this decision was come to, Mr. Blunt, aided by
Mr. Sharp, made the necessary preparations without delay.
The latter, though doing all he could to assist, envied the
readiness, practical skill and intelligence, with which his
companion, a man of cultivated and polished mind in higher
things, performed every requisite act that was necessary to
effect their purpose. Instead of hastily discharging the piece,
an iron four-pound gun, Mr. Blunt first doubled the wad,
which he drove home with all his force, and then he greased
the muzzle, as he said, to increase the report
"I shall not attempt to explain the philosoply of this,"
he added with a mournful smile, " but all lovers of salutes..nd salvos will maintain that it is useful; and be it so or




HOMEWARD BOUND.                 28 i
not, too much depends on our making ourselves heard, to
neglect any thing that has even a chance of aiding that one
great object. If you will now assist me, Sir George, we
will run the gun over to starboard, in order that it may be
fired on the side next the wreck."
"Judging from the readiness you have shown on several
occasions, as well as your familiarity with the terms, I should
think you had served," returned the real baronet, as he
helped his companion to place the gun at a port on the
northern side of the vessel.
" You have not mistaken my trade. I was certainly bred,
almost born, a seaman; and though as a traveller I have
now been many years severed from my early habits, little
of what I knew has been lost. Were there five others here,
who had as much familiarity as myself with vessels, I think
we could carry the ship outside the reef, crippled as she is,
and set the Arabs at defiance. Would to God our worthy
captain had never brought her inside."
"He did all for the best, no doubt?"
"Beyond a question; and no more than a commendable
prudence required. Still he has left us in a most critical position. This priming is a little damp, and I distrust it. The
coal, if you please."
"Why do you not fire?"
"At the last moment, I almost repent of my own expedient. Is it quite certain no pistols remain among any of
our efiects?"
" I fear not. Saunders reports that all, even to those of
the smallest size, were put in requisition for the boats."
" The charge in this gun might serve for many pistols, or
for several fowling-pieces. I might even sweep the reef, on
an emergency, by using old iron for shot! It appears like
parting with a last friend, to part with this single precious
charge of gunpowder."
"Nay, you certainly know best; though I rather think
he Messrs. Effingham are of your first opinion."
"It is puerile to waver on such a subject, and I will
hesitate no longer. There are moments when the air seems
to float in the direction of our friends; on the first return of
one of those currents, I will fire."
A minute brought the opportunity, and Paul Blunt, or Paul




-288             HOMEWARD BOUND.
Powis, as his real name would now appear to be, applied the
coal. The report was sharp and lively; but as the smoke
floated away, he again expressed his doubts of the wisdom
of what had just been done. Had he then known that the
struggling sounds had diffused themselves in their radii,
without reaching the wreck, his regrets would have been
increased fourfold.  This was a fact, however, that could
not be then ascertained, and those in the packet were corn
pelled to wait two or three hours before they even got the
certainty of their failure.
As the light increased a view was obtained of the shore,
which seemed as silent and deserted as the reef. For half
an hour the whole party experienced the revulsion of feeling
that accompanies all great changes of emotion, and the con.
versation had even got to be again cheerful, and to turn into
its former channels, when suddenly a cry from Saunders renewed the alarm.  The steward was preparing the breakfast
in the galley, from which he gave occasional glances towards the land, and his quick eye had been the first to detect
a new and still more serious danger that now menaced them.
A long train of camels was visible, travelling across the
desert, and holding its way towards the part of the reef
which touched the shore. At this point, too, were now to
be seen some twenty Arabs, waiting the arrival of their
friends; among whom it was fair to conclude were those
who had attempted to carry the ship by surprise.  As the
events which next followed were closely connected with the
policy and forbearance of the party of barbarians near the
wreck, this will be a suitable occasion to explain the motives
of the latter, in not assailing Captain Truck, and the real
state of things among these children of the desert.'rhe Dane had been driven ashore, as conjectured, in the
last gale, and the crew had immediately been captured by a
small wandering party of the Arabs, with whom the coast
was then lined; as is usually the case immediately after
tempestuous weather. Unable to carry off much of the
cargo, this party had secured the prisoners, and hurried in.
land to an oasis, to give the important intelligence to their
friends; leaving scouts on the shore, however, that they
might be early apprised of any similar disaster, or of any
change in the situation of their present prize, These scouts




HOMEWA..RD ROUND.               289
iad,iijsove'rctl the Montauk, drifting along the coast, dismnasted and crippled, and they had watched her to her an,
chorage within the reef. Tihe departure of her boats had
ieen witnessed, and though unable to foresee the whole object
of this expedition, the direction taken pointed out the wreck
is the point of destination. All this, of course, had been
omm.,municated to the chief' men of the different parties on'he coast, of which there were several, who had agreed to
mnite their forces to secure the second ship, and then to
livide the spoils.
When the Arabs reached the coast near the wreck, that
morning, the elders among them were not slow in comprenending the motives of the expedition; and having gained a
pretty accurate idea of the number of men employed about
the Dane, they had come to the just conclusion that few
were left in the vessel at anchor. They had carried off the
spy-glass of their prize too, and several among them knew
its use, from having seen similar things in other stranded
ships. By means of this glass, they discovered the number
and quality of those on board the Montauk, as soon as there
was sufficient light, and directed their own operations accordingly. The parties that had appeared and disappeared
behind the sandy ridges of the desert, about the time at
which we have now arrived in the narrative, and those who
have been already mentioned in a previous chapter, were
those who came from the interior, and those who went in
the direction of the reef; the first of the latter of which
Saunders had just discovered.  Owing to the rounded
formation of the coast, and to the intervention of a head-land,
the distance by water between the two ships was quite
double that by land between the two encampments, and
those who now arrived abreast of the packet, deliberately
pitched their tents, as if they depended more on a display
of their numbers for success than on concealment.nd as if
they felt no apprehension of the return of the crew
When the gentlemen had taken a survey of this strong
party, which numbered more than a hundred, they held a
consultation of the course it would be necessary to pursue.
To Paul Blunt, as an avowed seaman, and as one who had
already shown the prompt;tude and efficiency of his resources, all eyes were turned in expectation of'an opinion.
25




290              HOMEWARD BOUND.
"' So long as the tide keeps in," this gentleman observed,'I see no cause for apprehensions.  We are beyond the
reach of musketry, or at all events, any fire of the Arabs,
at this distance, must be uncertain and harmless; and we
have always the hope of the arrival of the boats. Should
this fail us, and the tide fall this afternoon as low as it Nil
in the morning, our situation will indeed become critical
The water around the ship may possibly serve as a temporary protection, but the distance to the reef is so small that
it might be passed by swimming."
"Surely we could make good the vessel against men raising themselves out of the water, and clambering up a vessel's
side?" said Mr. Sharp.
" It is probable we might, if unmolested from the shore.
But, imagine twenty or thirty resolute swimmers to put off
together for different parts of the vessel, protected by the
long muskets these Arabs carry, and you will easily conceive the hopelessness of any defence. The first man
among us, who should show his person to meet the boarders,
would be shot down like a dog."
"It was a cruel oversight to expose us to this horrible
fate!" exclaimed the appalled father.
"This is easier seen now than when the mistake was
committed," observed John Eflingham. 4 "As a seaman, and
with his important object in view, Captain Truck acted for
the best, and we should acquit him of all blame, let the result be what it may. Regrets are useless, and it remains
for us to devise some means to arrest the danger by which
we are menaced, before it be too late.  Mr. Blunt, you mus.
be our leader and counsellor: is it not possible for us to carry
the ship outside of the reef, and to anchor her beyond the
danger of our being boarded?"
"I have thought of' this expedient, and if we had a boat
it might possibly be done, in this mild weather; without a
boat, it is impossible."
"But we have a boat," glancing his eye towards the
launch that stood in the chocks or chucks.
"One that would be too unwieldy for our purposes, could
it be got into the water; a thing in itself that would be
almost impracticable for us.o achieve."
A long silence succeeded, during which the gentlemen




HOMsEWARD SOU N.                  291
were occupied in the bootless effort of endeavouring to
devise expedients to escape the Arabs; bootless, because on,such occasions, the successful measure is commonly the
result of a sort of sudden inspiration, rather than of con.
tinued and laborious thought.
CHAPTER XXII.
With religious awe
Grief heard the voice of Virtue. No complaint
The solemn silence broke. Tears ceased to flow.
GLOVER.
HoePE is the most treacherous of all human fancies. So
long as there is a plausible ground to expect relief from any
particular quarter, men will relax their exertions in the face
of the most imminent danger, and they cling to their
expectations long after reason has begun to place the chances
of success on the adverse side of the scale. Thus it was
with the party in the Montauk. Two or three precious hours
were lost in the idle belief that the gun would be heard by
Captain Truck, and that they might momentarily look for
the appearance of, at least, one of the boats.
Paul Blunt was the first to relinquish this delusion. He
knew that, if it reached their friends at all, the report must
have been heard in a few seconds, and he knew, also, that
it peculiarly belonged to the profession of a seaman to come
to quick decisions.  An hour of smart rowing would bring
the cutter from the wreck to the, headland, where it would
be visible, by means of a glass, from the foretop. Two
hours had now passed away and no signs of any boat were
to be discovered, and the young man felt reluctantly compelled to yield all the strong hopes of timely aid that he had
anticipated from this quarter. John Effingham, who had
muclh more energy of character than his kinsman, though
not more personal fortitude and firmness, was watching the
movements of their young:leader, and he read the severe
disappointment in his face, as he descended the last time




292              HoMPE WARD BOUND.
from the top, where he had often been since the consultation,
to look out for the expected succour.
" I see it in your countenance," said that gentleman,
-we have nothing to look for from the boats.  Our signal
has not been heard."
"There is no hope, and we are now thrown altogether on
our own exertions, aided by the kind providence of God."
"'This calamity is so sudden and so dire, that I can
scarcely credit it! Are we then truly in danger of becoming prisoners to barbarians? Is Eve Effingham, the beautiful, innocent, good, angelic daughter of my cousin, to be
their victim!-perhaps the inmate of a seraglio!"
" There is the pang! Had I a thousand bodies, a thousand lives, I could give all of the first to unmitigated suffering, lay down all the last to avert so shocking a calamity.
Do you think the ladies are sensible of their real situation?"
"' They are uneasy rather than terrified. In common
with us all, they have strong hopes from the boats, though
the continued arrival of the barbarians, who are constantly
coming into their camp, has helped to render them a little
more conscious of the true nature of the danger."
Here Mr. Sharp, who stood on the hurricane-house, called
out for the glass, in order to ascertain what a party of the
Arabs, who were collected near the in-shore end of the
reef, were about.  Paul Blunt went up to him, and made
the examination.  His countenance fell as'he gazed, and
an expression like that of hopelessness was again apparent
on his fine features, when he lowered the glass.
" Here is some new cause of uneasiness!"
"The wretches have got a number of spars, and are
lashing them together to form'a raft. They are bent on
our capture, and I see no means of preventing it."
" Were we alone, men only, we might have the bitter
consolation of selling our lives dearly; but it is terrible to
have those with us whom we can neither save nor yet devote to a common destruction with our enemies!"
" It is indeed terrible, and the helplessness of our situation adds to its misery."
"Can we not offer terms?-Might not a promise of ran.
sorn, with hostages, do something? I would cheerfully re




HOMEWARD BOUND.                 293
main in the hands of the barbarians,-in order to effect the
release of the rest of the party."
Mr. Blunt grasped his hand, and for a moment he einv ied
the other the generous thought. But smiling bitterly, he
shook his head, as if conscious of the futility of even this
desperate self-devotion.
" Gladly would I be your companion; but the project is,
in every sense, impracticable. Ransom they might consent
to receive with us all in their power, but. not on the condition of our being permitted to depart.  Indeed, no mneans
of quitting them would be left; for, once in possession of
the ship, as in a few hours they must be, Captain Truck,
though having. the boats, will be obliged to surrender for
want of food, or to run the frightful hazard of attempting
to reach the islands, on an allowance scarcely sufficient to
sustain life under the most favourable circumstances. These
flint-hearted monsters are surrounded by the desolation of'
their desert, and they are aware of all their appalling advantages."
"The real state of things ought to be communicated to
our friends, in order that they may be prepared for the
worst."
To this Mr. Blunt agreed, and they went together to inform John Effingham of the new discovery. This sternminded man was, in a manner, prepared for the worst, and
he now agreed on the melancholy propriety of letting his
kinsman know the actual nature of the new danger that
threatened them.
"6 I will undertake this unpleasant office," he said, "though
I could, in my inmost soul, pray that the necessity for it
might pass away. Should the worst arrive, I have still
hopes of effecting something by means of a ransom; but
what will have been the fate of the youthful, and delicate,
and lovely, ere we can make ourselves even comprehended
by the barbarians? A journey in the desert, as these journeys have been described to me, would be almost certain
death to all but the strongest of our party, and even gold
may fail of its usual power, when weighed against the evil
nature of savages."
"Is there no hope, then, really left us?" demanded Mr.
Sharp, when the last speaker had left them to descend to
25'




294              HO:EWARD BOUND.
the cabins. "Is it no' possible to get "he boat into the
water, and to make our escape in that?"
"That is an expedient of which I have thought, but it is
next to impracticable.  As anything is better than capture,
however, I will make one more close examination of the
proceedings of the demons, and look nearer into our own
mearns."
Paul Blunt now got a lead and dropped it over the side o1
the ship, in the almost forlorn hope that possibly she might
lie over some hole on the bottom. The soundings proved to
be, as indeed he expected, but a little more than three
fathoms.
" I had no reason to expect otherwise," he said, as he
drew in the line, though he spoke like a disappointed man.
"Had there been sufficient water the ship might have been
scuttled, and the launch would have floated off the deck;
but as it is, we should lose the vessel without a sufficient
object. It would appear heroic were you and I to contrive
to get on the reef, and to proceed to the shore with a view to
make terms with the Arabs; but there could be no real use
in it, as the treachery of their character is too well established to look for any benefit from such a step."
"Might they not be kept in play, until our friends re
turned? Providence may befriend us in some unexpected
manner in our uttermost peril."; V"We will examine them once more with the glass. By a
movement among the Arabs, there has probably been a new
accession to their numbers."
The two gentlemen now ascended to the top of the hurricane-house again, in feverish haste, and once more they applied the instrument.  A minute of close study induced Mr.
Blunt to drop the glass, with an expression that denoted
increased concern.
" Can any thing- possibly make our prospects worse?"
eagerly inquired his companion.
"Do you not remember a flag that was on board the
Dane-that by which we identified his nation?"
" Certainly: it was attached to the halyards, and lay on the
quarter-deck."
"That flag is now flying in the camp of these barbari




HOMEWARD BOUND.                   29) 9i
ans! You may see it, here, among the tents last pitched by
the party that arrived while we were conversing forward."
"And from this, you infer — "
"That our people are captives! That flag was ill the
ship when we left it; had the Arabs returned before our
party got there, the captain would have been back long ere
this; and in ordelr to obtain this ensign they must have obtained possession of the wreck, after the arrival of the boats;
an event that could scarcely occur without a struggle: I
fear the flag is a proof on which side the victory has fallen.'
T' This then would seem to consummate our misfortunes!'
" It does indeed; for the faint hope that existed, of being
relieved by the boats, must now be entirely abandoned."
"In the name of God, look again, and see in what condition the wretches have got their raft?"
A long examination followed, for on this point did the fate
of all in the ship now truly seem to depend.
" They work with spirit," said Mr. Blunt, when his examination had continued a long time; " but it seems less
like a raft than before-they are lashing spars together
lengthwise-here is -a dawning of hope, or what would be
hope, rather, if the boats had escaped their fangs!"
"God bless you for the words!-what is there encouraging?"
"It is not much," returned Paul Blunt, with a mournful
smile; "but trifles become of account in moments of extreme jeopardy.  They are making a floating stage, doubtless with the intention to pass from the reef to the ship, and
by veering on the chains we may possibly drop astern sufficiently to disappoint them in the length of their bridge.  If
I saw a hope of the final return of the boats, this expedient
would not be without its use, particularly if delayed to the
last moment, as it might cause the Arabs to lose another
tide, and a reprieve of eight or ten hours is an age to men
in our situation."
Mr. Sharp caught eagerly at this suggestion and the
young men walked the deck together for half an hour, discussing its chances, and suggesting various means of turning it t) the best account.  Still, both felt convinced that
the trifling delay which might thus be obtained, woiuld, in
ne end, be perfectly useless, should Captain Truck and




HOMEWARD BOUND.
his party have really fallen into the hands of the con non
enemy.  They were thus engaged, sometimes in  leep
despondency, and sometimes buoyant with revived e pee.,ations, when Saunders, on the part of Mr. EffinE sam
sumimoned them below.
On reaching the cabin, whither both immediatelyr hastened, the two gentlemen found the family party in the
distress that the circumstances would naturally create.
Mr. Efingham was seated, his daughter's head resting on
a knee, for she had thrown herself on the- carpet, by his
side.  Mademoiselle Viefville paced the cabin, occasionally
stopping to utter a few words of consolation to her young
charge, and then again reverting in her mind to the true
dangers of their situation, with a force that completely
undid all she had said, by betraying the extent of' her own
apprehensions. Ann Sidley knelt near her young mistress, sometimes praying fervently, though ii. silence, and
at other moments folding her beloved in her;rms, as if to
protect her from the ruffian grasp of' the ba. oarians.  The
femme de chaambre was sobbing in a state-room, while John
Effingham leaned, with his arms folded against a bulk.
head, a picture of stern submission rather than of despair.
The whole party was now assembled, with the exception of
the steward, whose lamentations throughout the morning
had not been noiseless, but who was left on deck to watch
the movements of the Arabs.
The moment was not one of idle forms, and Eve Effingham, who would have recoiled, under other circumstances,
at being seen by her fellow travellers in her present situa.
tion, scarce raised her head, in acknowledgement of their
melancholy salute, as they entered. She had been weep.
ing, and her hair had fallen in profusion around her
shoulders.  The tears fell no longer, but a warm  flushed
look, one which denoted that a struggle of the mind had
gotten the better of womanly emotions, had succeeded to
deadly paleness, and rendered her loveliness of feature and
expression bright and angelic.  Both of the young men
thought she had never seemed so beautiful, and both felt a
secret pang, as the conviction forced itself on them, at the
same instant, that this surpassing beauty was now likely to
prove her most dangerous enemy




HOMiEWARD BOUND.                 29?
" Gentlemen," said Mr. Effingham, with apparent ca;ln.
ness, and a dignity that no uneasiness could disturb, "4 my
kinsman has acquainted us with the hopeless nature of our
condition, and I have begged the favour of this visit on
your own account.  We cannot separate; the ties (Cf
blood and affection unite us, and our fate must be comrnmn;
but, on you there is no such obligation. Young, bold, and
active, some plan may suggest itself, by which you may
possibly escape the barbarians, and at least save yourselves,
I'know that generous temperaments like yours will not be
disposed to listen, at first, to such a suggestion: but reflection will tell you that it is for the interest of us all.  You
may let our fate be known, earlier than it otherwise would
be, to those who will take immediate measures to procure
(our rI ISOlms."
" This is impossible!" Mr. Sharp said firmly.  " We
->an never quit you; could never enjoy a moment's peace
under the consciousness of having been guilty of an act so
selfish!"
" Mr. Blunt is silent," continued Mr. Effingham, after a
short pause, in which he looked from one of the young nien
to the other. "l He thinks better of my proposition, and
will listen to his own best interests."
Eve raised her head quickly, but without being conscious
of the anxiety she betrayed, and gazed with melancholy intentness at the subject of this remark.
" I do credit to the generous feelings of Mr. Sharp, " Paul
Blunt now hurriedly answered, " and should be sorry to ad.
mit that my own first impulses were less disinterested; but
I confess I have already thought of this, and have reflected
on all the chances of success or failure.  It might be practicable for one who can swim easily to reach the reef; thence
to cross the inlet, and possibly to gain the shore under cover
of the opposite range of rocks, which are higher than those
near us; after which, by following the coast, one might
communicate with the boats by signal, or even go quite to
the wreck if necessary. All of this I have deliberated on,
and once I had determined to propose it; hut-"
"But what?" demanded Eve quickly.  "Why not execute this plan, and save yourself?  Is it a reason, because'ur case is hopeless, that you should perish?  Go, then, at




298               HOMEWARD BOUND.
Dnce, for the moments are precious; an hour hence, it may
be too late."
1 "Were it merely to save myself, Miss Effingham, do you
really think me capable of this baseness?"
"I do not (-all it baseness.  Why should we draw you
down with us in our misery? You have already served us,
Powis, in a situation of terrible trial, and it is not just
that you should always devote yourself in behalf of those
who seem fated never to do you good. My father will
lell you he thinks it your duty now to save yourself if possible."
" I think it the duty of every man," mildly resumed Mr.
Effingham, "when no imperious obligation requires otherwise, to save the life and liberty which God has bestowed.
These gentlemen have doubtless ties and claims on them
that are independent of us, and why should they inflict a
pang on those who love them, in order to share in our disaster?"
"This is placing useless speculations before a miserable
certainty," observed John Effingham. " As there can be no
hope of reaching the boats, it is vain to discuss the propriety
of the step."
" Is this true, Powis? Is there truly no chance of' your
escaping.  You will not deceive us-deceive yourself-on a
vain point of empty pride!"
" I can say with truth, almost with joy, for I thank God
I am spared the conflict of judging between my duty and
my feelings, that there can no longer be any chance of find-.lg the wreck in the possession of our friends," returned
Paul fervently.  "There were moments when I thought the
attempt should be made; and it would perhaps have properly fallen to my lot to be the adventurer; but we have
now proof that the Arabs are masters, and if Captain
Truck has escaped at all, it is under circumstances that
scarcely admit the possibility of his being near the land.
Tile whole coast must be watched and in possession of theb
barbarians, and one passing along it could hardly escape
being seen."
1" Might you not escape into the interior, notwithstanding?" asked Eve, impetuously.
"WM!ith what motive?  To separate myself from  tho><;




HOMEWARD BOUND.                  299
who have been my fellows in misfortune, only to die of
want, or to fall into the hands of another set of masters? It
is every way our interest to keep together, and to let those
already on the coast become our captors, as the booty of
two ships may dispose them to be less exacting wth their
prisoners."
" Slaves!" muttered John Effingham.
His cousin bowed his head over the delicate form of Eve,
which he folded with his arms, as If to shield it from the
blasts and evils of the desert.
" As we may be separated immediately on being taken,"
resumed Paul Blunt, " it will be well to adopt some common
mode of acting, and a uniform account of ourselves, in orde. r
that iwe may impress the barbarians with the policy of carrying us, as soon as possible, into the vicinity of Mogadore,
with a view to obtaining a speedy ransom."
" Can any thing be better than the hory truth?"?' exclaimed
Eve.  " No, no, no! Let us not deform this chastening act
of God by colouring any thought or word with deception."
" Deception in our case will hardly be needed; but by
understanding those facts whic.h will most probably influence
the Arabs, we may dwell the most on them. We cannot do
better than by impressing on the minds of our captors the
Circumstance that this is no common ship, a fact their own
eyes will corroborate, and that we are not mere mariners,
but passengers, who will be likely to rewar I their forbearance and moderation."
"I think, sir," interrupted Ann Sidley, looking up with
tearful eyes from the spot where she still knelt, "that if
these people knew  how  much Miss Eve is sought and
beloved, they might be led to respect her as she deserves,
and this at least would'temper the wind to the shorn
lamb!'"
"Poor Nanny!" murmured Eve, stretching forth a hand
towards her old nurse, though her face was still buried in
her own hail " thou wilt soon learn that there is another
leveller beside the grave!"
"Ma'am!"'Thou wilt find that Eve, in the hands of barbarians, is
not thy Eve. It will now become my turn to become a
handmaiden. and to perform  for others offices a thousand




300              HOMEWARD BOUND.
times more humiliating than any thou hast ever perforineo
for me."
Such a consummation of their misery had never struck
the imagination of the simple-minded Ann, and she gazed at
her child with tender concern, as if she distrusted her senses.
" This is too improbable, dear Miss Eve," she said, i" and
you will distress your flather by talking so wildly. The
Arabs are human beings though they are barbarians, and
they will never dream of' anything so wicked as this."
Mademoiselle Viefville made a rapid and fervent ejaculaJion in her own language, that was keenly expressive of her
own sense of misery, and Ann Sidley, who always felt
uneasiness when anything was said affecting Eve that she
could not understand, looked from one to the other, as if
she demanded an explanation.
"' I'm sure Mamerzelle cannot think any such thing likely
to take place," she" continued more positively; "and, sir,
you at least will not permit Miss Eve to torment herself with
any notions as unreasonable, as monstrous as this i"
" We are in the hands of God, my worthy Ann, and you
may live to see all your fixed ideas of propriety violated,"
returned Mr. Eflingham.  6 "Let us pray that we may not
be separated, for there will at least be a tender consolation
in being permitted to share our misery in company. Should
we be torn asunder, then indeed will the infliction be one of
insupportable agony!"
"'And who will think of such a cruelty, sir?  Me they
cannot separate from Miss Eve, for I am her servant, her
own long-tried, faithful attendant, who first held her in arms,
and nursed her when a helpless infant; and you too, sir,
you are her father, her own beloved revered parent; and
Mr. John, is he not her kinsman, of her blood and name?
And even Mamerzelle also has claims to remain with Miss
Eve, for she has taught her many things, I dare say, that it
is good to know.  Oh! no, no, no! no one has a right to
tear us asunder, and no one will have the heart to do it."
"Nanny, Nanny," murmured Eve, " you do not, cannot'snow the c'ruel Arabs!"
"They cannot be crueller and more unforgiving than our
own savages, ma'am, and they keep the mother with the




HIOMEWARD BOUNvD.                 30 I
Thild; and when they spare life, they take the prisoners into
-heir huts, and treat them as they treat their own. God has
caused so many of the wicked to perish for their sins, in
these eastern lands, that I do not think a man can be lefi
that is wretch enough to harm  onle like Miss Eve.  Take
courage then, sir, and put your trust in his Holy Providence.
I know the trial is hard to a tender father's heart, but should
their customs require them  to keep the men and women
asunder, and to separate you from  your daughter, for a
short time, remember that I shall be with her, as I was in
hier childhood, when, by the mercy of God, we carried her
through so many mortal diseases in safety, and have got
her, in the pride of her youth, without a blemish or a defect,
the perfect creature she is."
" If the world had no other tenants but such as you, devoted and simple-hearted woman, there would indeed be
little cause for apprehension; for you are equally unable to
imagine wrong yourself, or to conceive it in others. It
would remove a mountain from my heart, could I indeed believe that even you will be permitted to remain near this dependent and fragile girl during the months of' suffering and
anguish that are likely to occur.".
"Father," said Eve, hurriedly drying her eyes, and ris.
ing to her feet with a motion so easy, and an effbrt so slight,
that it appeared like the power of mere volition,-the superiority of the spirit over her light frame,-" father, do not
let a thought of me distress you at this awful moment. You
have known me only in happiness and prosperity,-an indulged and indolent girl; but I feel a fbrce which is capable
of sustaining me, even in this blank desert. The Arabs can
have no other motive than to preserve us all, as captives
likely to repay their care;with a rich ransom. I know that
a journey, according to their habits, will be painful and arduous, but it may be borne.'Trust, then, more to my spirit
than to my feeble body, and you will find that I am  not as
warthless as I fear you fancy."'
Mr. Effingham passed his arm round the slender waist of
his child, and folded her almost frantically to his bosom. But
Eve was aroused, and gently extricating herself, with bright
utt tearless eyes, she looked round at her companions, as if
26




30I              HOMEW\ARD BOUND.
she would reverse the order of their sympathies, and d
them to their own wants and hazards.
"I know you think me the most exposed by this dreadlhf
disaster," she said; "that I may not be able to bear up
against the probable suffering, and that I shall sink first, because I am the feeblest and fiailest in frame; but God per.
mits the reed to bend, when the oak is destroyed. I am
stronger, able to bear more than you imagine, and we shall
all live to meet again, in happier scenes, should it be our
present hard fortune to be separated."
As Eve spoke, she cast affectionate looks on those dear tc
her by habit, and blood, and services; nor did she permit an
unnecessary reserve at such a moment to prevent glances of
friendly interest towards the two young men, whose very
s!),uls seemed wr apped in her movements.  Words of en.(couragement from such a source, however, only served to
set the frilghtful truth more vividly before the minds of her
auditors, and not one of them  heard what she said who did
not feel an awful presentiment that a few weeks of the suffering of which she made so light, did she even escape a
crueller fate, would consign that form, now so winning and
lovely, to the sands.  Mr. Effingham now rose, and for the
first time the flood of sensations that had been so long
gathering in his bosom, seemed ready to burst through the
restraints of manhood. Struggling to command himself, he
turned to his two young male companions, and spoke with
an impressiveness and dignity that carried with them a double force, from the fact of his ordinary manners being so
tempered and calm.
" Gentlemen," he said, "we may serve each other, by
coming to an understanding in time; or at least you may
(confer on me a favour that a life of gratitude would not repay. You are young and vigorous, bold and intelligent,
qualities that will command the respect of even savages.
The chances that one of you will survive to reach a Christian land acre much greater than those of a man of my
years, borne down as I shall be with the never-dying anxie
ties of a parent."
"Father! father!"
"Hush! darling: let me entreat these gentlemen to bear




HOMEWARD BOUND.                  03
us in rin n, should they reach a place of safety; for, after
nill, youth may do that in your behalf, which time will deny
to John and myself.  Money will be of no account, you
know, to rescue my child from a fate far worse than death,
and it may be some consolation to you, young men, to recollect, at the close of your own careers, which I trust will
yet be long and happy, that a parent, in his last moments,
found a consolation in the justifiable hopes he had placed on
your generous exertions."
"Father, I cannot bear this! For you to be the victim
of these barbarians is too much; and I would prefer trusting
all to a raft on the terrible ocean, to incurring the smallest
chance of such a calamity.  Mademoiselle, you will join me
in the entreaty to the gentlemen to prepare a few planks to
receive us, where we can perish together, and at least have
the consolation of knowving that our eyes will be closed by
friends. The longest survivor will be surrounded and supported by the spirits of those who have gone before, into a
world devoid of care."
"I have thought this fiom the first," returned Mademoiselle Viefville in French, with an energy of manner that
betokened a high and resolved character: "I would not expose gentlewomen to the insults and outrages of barbarians;
but did not wish to make a proposition that the feelings of
others might reject."
It is a thousand times preferable to capture, if indeed it
be practicable," said John Effingham, looking inquiringly
towards Paul.  The latter, however, shook his head in the
negative, for, the wind blowing on shore, he knew'it would
be merely meeting captivity without the appearance of a selfreliance and dignity, that might serve to impress their cap
tors favourably.
"It is impossiblk," said Eve, reading the meaning of the
glances, and dropping on her knees before Mr. Effingham;
"well, then, may our trust be in God! We have yet a few
minutes of liberty, and let them not be wasted idly, in vain
regrets.  Father, kiss me, and give me once more that holy
and cherished blessing, with which you used to consign me
to sleep, in those days when we scarce dreamed of, never
realized, misfortune."




304             EHOMEWARtD BOUND.
"'Bless you, bless you, my babe; my beloved, my
3herished Eve!" said the father solemnly, but with a qui /ering lip. "May that dread Being whose ways, though nlys.
terious, are perfect wisdom and mercy, sustain you in this
trial, and bring you at last, spotless in spirit and person, to
his own mansions of peace.  God took from me early thy
sainted mother, and I had impiously trusted in the hope that
thou wert lefl to be my solace in age. Bless you, my Eve;
I shall pray God, without ceasing, that thou mayest pass
away as pure and as worthy of His love, as her to whom
thou owest thy being."
John Effingham groaned; the effort he made to repress
his feelings causing the out-breaking of his soul to be deep
though smothered.
" Father, let us tpray together.  Ann, my good Ann, thou
who first taught me to lisp a thanksgiving and a request,
kneel here by my side-and you, too, mademoiselle; though
of a different creed, we have a common God! Cousin John,
you pray often, I know, though so little apt to show your
emotions; there is a place for you, too, with those of your
blood. I know not whether these gentlemen are too proud
to pray."
Both the young men knelt with the others, and there was
a long pause in which the. whole party~ put up their supplications, each according to his or her habits of thought.
"' Father!" resumed Eve, looking up as she still knelt between the knees of Mr. Effingham, and smiling fondly in
the face of him she so piously loved; " there is one precious
hope of which even the barbarians cannot rob us: we may
be separated here, but our final meeting rests only with
God!"
Mademoiselle Viefville passed an arm round the waist of
her sweet pupil, and pressed her against her heart.
"There is but one abode for the blessed, my dear mademoiselle, and one expiation for us all."  Then rising from
her knees, Eve said with the grace and dignity of a gentle.
woman, "Cousin Jack, kiss me; we know not when another
icc.asion may offer to manifest to each other our mutual regard.  You have been a dear and an indulgent kinsman to
me, and should I live these twenty years a slave, I shall not:ease to think of you with kifdness and regret."




HOME.WARD ROUND.                 305
John Effingham fblded the beautifiul and ardent girl in his
arms, with the fieedom and fondness of a parent.
"Gentlemen," continued Eve, with a deepening colour,
but eyes that were kind and grateful, " I thankl you, too, for
lending your supplications to ours.  I know that young men
in the pride of their security, seldom fancy such a dependence on God necessary; but the strongest are overturned,
and pride is a poor substitute for the hope of the meek.  I
believe you have thought better of me than I merit, and I
should never cease to reproach myself with a want of consideration, did I believe that any thing more than accident
has brought you into this ill-fated vessel.  Will you permit
me to add one more obligation to the many I feel to you
both?" advancing nearer to them, and speaking lower; " you
are young, and likely to endure bodily exposure better than
my father-that we shall be separated I feel persuaded —and
it might be in your power to solace a heart-broken parent.I see, I know, I may depend on your good offices."
"Eve - my blessed daughter - my only, my beloved
child!" exclaimed Mr. Eflingham, who overheard her lowest
syllable, so death-lilke was the stillness of the cabin-" come
to me, dearest; no power on earth shall ever tear us
asunder!"
Eve turned quickly, and beheld the arms of her parent
extended. She threw herself into them, when the pent and
irresistible emotions broke loose in both, for they wept to.
gether, as she lay on his bosom, with a violence that in a
man it was awfully painful to witness.
Mr. Sharp had advanced to take the offered hand of Eve
when she suddenly left him for the purpose just mentioned,
and he now felt the grasp of Paul's fingers on his arm, as if
they were about to penetrate the bone. Fearful of betraying
the extent of their feelings, the two young men rushed on
deck'together, where they paced backward and forward fbor
many minutes, quite unable to exchange a word, or even a'nok.
26 *




306               UOMEWARD BOUNLJ
CHAPTER XXIII.
O Domine Deus! speravi in te,
O care mi Jesu, nunc libera froe —t
In dura catenA,
In miserd pcena,
Desidero teLanguendo, gemendo
Et genuflectendo,
Adora, imploreo, ut liberes me.
Queen Mlary.'TEr sublime consolations of religion were little felt by
either of the two generous-minded and ardent young men
who were pacing the deck of the Montauk.  The gentle and
the plastic admit the most readily of the divine influence;
and of all on board the devoted vessel at that moment, they
who were the most resigned to their fate were those who by
their physical force were the least able to endure it.
" This heavenly resignation," said Mr. Sharp, half whispering, " is even more heart-rending than the out-breakings
of despair."
"It is frightful!" returned his companion.  "Any thing
is better than passive submission in such circumstances. 1
see but little, indeed no hope of escape; but idleness is
torture. If I endeavour to raise this boat, will you aid
mre?"
" Command me like your slave.  Would to Heaven there
were the-faintest prospects of success!"
"There is but little; and should we even succeed, there
are no means of getting far from the ship in the launch, as
all the oars have been carried off by the captain, and I can
hear of neither masts nor sails.  Had we the latter, with
this wind which is beginning to blow, we might indeed protong the uncertainty, by getting on some of those more
distant spits of sand."
"Then, in the name of the blessed Maria!" exclaimed
one behind them in French," delay not n i.stant, and all
on board will join in the labour!"




HOMEWARD BOUNDs                 na.
The gentlemen turned in surprise, and beheld Mademoi.
selle Viefville standing so near them as to have overheard
their conversation.  Accustomed to depend on herseil;
coming of a people among whom woman is more energetic
and useful, perhaps, than in any other Christian nation, and
resolute of spirit naturally, this cultivated and generous fimale had come on deck purposely to see if indeed there re.
mained no means by which they might yet escaper the
Arabs. Had her knowledge of a vessel at all equalled her
resolution, it is probable that many fruitless expedients
would already have been adopted; but finding herself in
a situation so completely novel as that of a ship, until now
she had found no occasion to suggest any thing to which her
companions would be likely to lend themselves. But, seizing the hint of Paul, she pressed it on him with ardour, and,
after a few minutes of urging, by her zeal and persuasion
she prevailed on the two gentlemen to commence the ne.
cessary preparations without further delay. John Effingham
and Saunders were immediately summoned by Mademoiselle Viefville herself, who, once engaged in the undertaking,
pursued it fervently, while she went in person into the
cabins to make the necessary preparations connected with
their subsistence and comforts, should they actually succeed in quitting the vessel.
No experienced mariner could set about the work with
more discretion, or with a better knowledge of what was
necessary to be done, than Mr. Blunt now showed. Saunders was directed to clear the launch, which had a roof on
it, and still contained a respectable provision of poultry,
sheep and pigs. The roof he was told not to disturb, sinlce
it might answer as a substitute for a deck; but everything
was passed rapidly from the inside of the boat, which the
steward commenced scrubbing and cleaning with an assiduity that he seldom manifested in his cabins. Fortunately,
the tackles with which Mr. Leach had raised the sheers anl
stepped the jury-mast the previous morning were still lying
on the deck, and Paul was spared the labour of reeving new
ones.  HEe went to work, therefore, to get up two on the
substitute for a main-stay; a job that he had completed,
through the aid of the two gentlemen on deck, by the time




308              HOMEWARD BOUND.
Saunders pronounced the boat to be in a fit condition to receive its cargo. The gripes were now loosened, and the
fall of one of the tackles was led to the capstan.
By this time Mademoiselle Viefville, by her energy and
decision, had so far aroused Eve and her woman, that Mr.
Effingham  had left his daughter, and appeared on deck
among those who were assisting Paul. So intense was the
interest, however, which all took in the result, that the
ladies, and even Ann Sidley, with the femme de chambre,
suspended their own efforts, and stood clustering around
the capstan as the gentlemen began to heave, almost breathless between their doubts and hopes; for it was a matter of
serious question whether there wvas sufficient force to lift so
heavy a body at all. Turn after turn was made, the fall
gradually tightening, until those at the bars felt the full
strain of their utmost force.
"Heave together, gentlemen," said Paul Blunt, who directed every thing, besides doing so much with his own
hands.' We have its weight now, and all we gain is so
much towards lifting the boat."
A steady effort was continued for two or three minutes,
with but little sensible advantage, when all stopped fot
breath.; I fear it will surpass our strength," observed Mr. Sharp.
"The boat seems not to have moved, and the rope- are,
stretched in a way to menace parting."
" We want but the force of a boy added to our own,
said Paul, looking doubtingly towards the females; " in
such cases, a pound counts for a ton.";4"Allons!" cried Mademoiselle Viefville, motioning to the
femme de chambre to follow; "we will not be defeated for
the want of such a trifle."
These two resolute women applied their strength to the
bars, and the power, which had been so equally balanced,
preponderated in favour of the machine.  The capstan,
which a moment before was scarcely seen to turn, and that
only by short and violent efforts, now moved steadily but
slowly round, and the end of the launch rose. Eve was
only prevented from joining the labourers by Nanny, who
held her folded in her arms, fearful that some accident might
occur to injure her.




HOME:WARD BOUNDt,     -  09)
Paul Blunt now cheerfully announced the certainly thai
they had a force sufficient to raise the boat, though the ope.
ration would still be long and laborious. W\e say, cheer.
fully; for while this almost unhoped-for success pronised
little relief in the end, there is always something buoyant
and encouraging in success of any sort.
W e are masters of the boat." he said, "s provided the
Arabs do not molest us; and we may drift away, by means
of some contrivance of a sail, to such a distance as will
keep us out of their plower, until all chance of seeing our
friends again is finally lost."
" This, then, is a blessed relief!" exclaimed Mr. Eflingham; " and God may yet avert from us the bitterest portion
of this calamity!"
The pent emotions again flowed, and Eve once more wept
in her father's arms, a species of' holy joy mingling with her
tears.  In the mean time, Paul, having secured the fall by
which they had just been heaving, brought the other to the
capstan, when the operation was renewed with the same success.  In this manner in the course of half an hour the
launch hung suspended from the stay, at a' sufficient height
to apply the yard-tackles.  As the latter, however, were not
aloft, Paul having deemed it wise to ascertain their ability to
lift the boat at all, before he threw away so much toil, the
females renewed their preparations in the cabins, while the
gentlemen assisted the young sailor in getting up the purt
chases.  During this pause in the heaving, Saunders was
sent below to search for sails and masts, both of which Paul
thought must be somewhere in the ship, as he found the
launch was fitted to receive them.
It was apparent, in the mean time, that the Arabs watched
their proceedings narrowly; for the moment Paul appeared
on the yard a great movement took place among them, and
several muskets were discharged in the direction of the ship,
though the distance rendered the fire harmless. The gentlemen observed with concern, however, that the balls passed
thlie vessel, a fearfill proof of the extraordinary power of the
arms used by these barbarians. Luckily the reef, which by
this time was nearly bare ahead of the ship, was still covered
mn a few places nearer to the shore to a depth that forbade a




1D                HO-I0MEWARD B~OUND.
passage, except by swimming.  John Effingham, however,
who wvas examining the proceedings of the Arabs with a
glass, announced that a party appeared disposed to get on
the naked rocks nearest the ship, as they had left the shore,
dragging some light spars after them, with which they
seemed to be about to bridge the different spots of deep
water, most of which were sufficiently narrow to admit of
being passed in this manner.
Although the operation commenced by the Arabs would
necessarily consume a good deal of time, this intelligence
quickened the movements of all in the ship.  Saunders, in
particular, who had returned to report his want of success,
worked with redoubled zeal; for, as is usual with those
who are the least fortified by reason, he felt the greatest
horror of falling into the hands of barbarians.  It was a
slow and laborious thing, notwithstanding, to get upon the
yards the heavy blocks and falls; and had not Paul Blunt
been quite as conspicuous for personal strength as he was
ready and expert in a knowledge of his profession, he would
not have succeeded in the unaided effort;-unaided aloft,
though the others, of course, relieved him much by working at the whips on deck.  At length this important
arrangement was effected, the young man descended, and
the capstan was again manned.
This time the females were not required, it being in the
power of the gentlemen to heave the launch out to the side
of the ship, Paul managing the different falls so adroitly,
that the heavy boat was brought so neat and yet so much
above the rail, as to promise to clear it. John Effingham
now stood at one of the stay-tackle falls, and Paul at the
other, when the latter made a signal to ease away. The
launch settled slowly towards the side of the vessel until it
reached the rail, against which it lodged. Catching a turn
with his fall, Mr. Blunt sprang forward, and bending beneath the boat, he saw that its keel had hit a belaying-pin.
One blow from a capstan-bar cleared away this obstruction
and the boat swung off. The stay-tackle falls were let go
entirely, and all on board saw, with an exultation that
words can scarcely describe, the important craft suspended
directly over the sea. No music ever sounded more




HOMEWARD BOUND.                  311
sweetly to the listeners than the first plash of the massive
boat as it fell heavily upon the surface of the water.  Its
size, its roof, and its great strength gave it an appearance
of security, that for the moment deceived them all; for, in
contemplating the advantage they had so ulnexpectedly
gained, they forgot the many obstacles that existed to their
avlailing themselves of it.
It was not many minutes before Paul was on the roof of
the launch, had loosened.the tackles, and had breasted the
boat to, at the side of the ship, in readiness to receive the
stores that the females had collected.  In order that the
reader may better understand the nature of the ark that
was about to receive those who remained in the Montauk,
however, it may be well to describe it.
The boat itself was large, strong, and capable of resisting a heavy sea when well managed, and, of course,
unwieldy in proportion. To pull it, at a moderate rate,
eight or ten large oars were necessary; whereas, all the
search of the gentlemen could not find one.  They succeeded, however, in discovering a rudder and tiller, appliances not always used in launches, and Paul Blunt shipped
them instantly. Around the gunwales of the boat, stanchions, which sustained a slightly-rounded roof, were fitted,
a provision that it is usual to make in the packets, in order
to protect the stock they carry against the weather.  This
stock having been turned loose on the deck, and the inte.
rior cleaned, the latter now presented a snug and respecta.
ble cabin; one coarse and cramped, compared with those
of the ship certainly, but on the other hand, one that might
be well deemed a palace by shipwrecked mariners. As it
would be possible to retain this roof until compelled by bad
weat4er to throw it away, Paul, who had never before seen
a boat afloat with such a canopy, regarded it with delight;
for it promised a protection to that delicate form he so
much cherished in his inmost heart, that he had not even
dared to hope for. Between the roof and the gunwale of
the boat, shutters buttoned in, so as to fill the entire space
and when these were in their places, the whole of the
interior formed an enclosed apartment, of a height sufficient to allow even a man to stand erect without his hat




312              HOMEWARD BOUND.
It is true, this arrangement rendered the boat clumsy, and,
to a certain extent, top-heavy and unmanageable; but so
long as it could be retained, it also rendered it infinitely
more comfortable than it could possibly be without it.
The roof, moreover, might be cut away in five minutes, at
any time, should circumstances require it.
Paul had just completed a hasty survey of his treasure,
for such he now began to consider the launch, when casting
his eye upward, with the intention to mount the ship's side,
he saw Eve looking down at him, as if to read their fate in
the expression of his own countenance.
4 The Arabs," she hurriedly remarked, "are moving
along the reef, as my father says, faster than he could wish,
and all our hopes are centred in you and the boat. The first,
I know, will not fail us, so long as means allow; but can
we do anything with the launch?"
" For the first time, dearest Miss Effingham, I see a little
chance of rescuing ourselves from the grasp of these barbarians. There is no time to lose, but everything must be
passed into the boat with as little delay as possible."
"Bless you, bless you, Powis, for this gleam of hope!
Your words are cordials, and our lives can scarcely serve
to prove the gratitude we owe you."
This was said naturally, and as one expresses a strong
feeling, without reflection, or much weighing of words; but
even at that fearful moment, it thrilled on every pulse of the
young man.- The ardent look that he gave the beautifuthl
girl caused her to redden to the temples, and she hastily
withdrew.. The gentlemen now began to pass into the boat the dif.
ferent things that had been provided, principally by the
foresight of Mademoiselle Viefville, where they were received
by Paul who thrust them beneath the roof without stopping
to lose the precious moments in stowage. They included
mattresses, the trunks that contained their ordinary sea-attire, or those that were not stowed in the baggage-room,
blankets, counterpanes, potted meats, bread, wine, various
condiments and prepared food, from the stores of Saunders,
and generally such things as had presented themselves in
the hurry of the moment. Nearly half of the articles were




HOMEWARD BOUND.                  31/
rejectesd by Paul, as unnecessary, though he received ma)y
in consideration of the delicacy of his feebler companions,
which would otherwise have been cast aside.  When he
found, however, that food enough had been passed into the
boat to supply the wants of the whole party for several
weeks, he solicited a truce, declaring it indiscreet to render
themselves uselessly uncomfortable in this manner, to say
nothing of the effect on the boat. The great requisite,
water, was still wanting, and he now desired that the two
domestics might get into the boat to arrange the different
articles, while he endeavoured to find something that might
serve as a substitute for sails, and obtain the all-important
supply.
His attention was first given to the water, without which
all the other preparations would be rendered totally useless.
Before setting about this, however, he stole a moment to
look into the state of things among the Arabs.  It was indeed time, for the tide had now fallen so low as to leave the
rocks nearly bare, and several hundreds of the barbarians,
were advancing along the reef, towing their bridge, the
slow progress of which alone prevented them  from coming
up at once to the point opposite the ship. Paul saw there
was not a moment to lose, and, calling Saunders, he hurried
below.
Three or four small casks were soon found, when the
steward brought them to the tank to be filled.  Luckily the
water had not to be pumped off, but it ran in a stream into
the vessel that was placed to receive it. As soon as one
cask was ready, it was carried on deck by the gentlemen,
and was struck into the boat with as little delay as possible.
The shouts of the Arabs now became audible, even to those
who were below, and it required great steadiness of nerve to
continue the all-important preparation.  At length the last
of the casks was filled, when Paul rushed on deck, for, by
this time, the cries of the barbarians proclaimed their presence near the ship. When he reached the rail, he found
the reef covered with them, some hail'ig the vessel, others
menacing, hundreds still busied with thir floating bridge.,
while a few endeavoured to frighten those on board by discharging their muskets over theivrheads. Happily, aim was
27




314               HOMEWARD BOUND.
impossible, so long as care was taken not to expose the body
above the bulwarks.
"We have not a moment to lose!" cried Mr. Effingham,
on whose bosom Eve lay, nearly incapable of motion.
1" The food and water are in the boat, and in the name of a
merciful God, let us escape from this scene of frightful barbarity?"
"The danger is not yet so inevitable," returned Pa!il,
steadily.  "Frightful and pressing as it truly seems, we have
a few minutes to think in. Let me entreat that Miss Effing.
ham and Mademoiselle Viefville will receive a drop of this
cordial."
Fle poured into a glass a restorative from a bottle that had
teen left on the capstan as superfluous, in the confusion of
providing stores, and held it to the pallid lips of Eve. As
she swallowed a mouthful, nearly as helpless as the infant
that receives nourishment from the hand of its nurse, the
blood returned, and raising herself from her father's arms,
she smiled, though with an effort, and thanked him for his
care.
6" It was a dread moment," she said, passing a hand over
her brow; "but it is past, and I am better.  Mademoiselle
Vlefville will be obliged to you, also, for a little of this."
The firm-1minded and spirited Frenchwoman, though pale
as death, and evidently suffering under extreme apprehension, put aside the glass courteously, declining its contents.'" W\e are sixty fathoms firom the rocks," said Paul calmly,'4 and they must cross this ditch yet, to reac.h lus. None of
them  seem disposed to attempt it by swimming, and their
bridge,'though ingeniously put together, may not prove long
enough~"
"Would it be safe for the ladies to get into the boat where
she lies, exposed as they would be to the muskets of the
Arabs?" inquired Mr. Sharp.
All that shall be remedied," returned Paul.' I cannot
quit the deck; would you," slightrly bowing to Mr. Sharp,'go below again, with Saunders, anId look for some light
sail? without one, we cannot move away from the ship, oven
when in the boat.  I see a suitable spar and necessary rig.
ging on deck; but the canvas must.be looked for in the




L1OMNaEWARU IBOUND.'n i 
sail-room   It is a nervous thing, I confess, to be below at
such a moment; but you have too much faith in us to dread
being deserted."
Mr. Sharp grasped the hand as a pledge of a perfect re.
lance odn the other's faith, but he could not speak.  Calling
Saunders, the steward received his instructions, when the
two went hastily below.
" I could wish the ladies were in the boat with their
women," said Paul, for Ann Sidley and the femme de
chambre were still in the launch, busied in disposing of its
mixed cargo of stores, though concealed from the Arabs by
the roof and shutters; " but it would be hazardous to
attempt it while exposed to the fire from the reef. We shall
have to change the position of the ship in the end, and it
may as well be done at once."
Beckoning to John EfPingham to follow, he went forward
to examine into the movements of the Arabs, once more,
before he took any decided step. The two gentlemen placed
themselves behind the high defences of the forecastle, where
they had a fair opportunity of reconnoitring their assail.
ants, the greater height of the ship's deck completely concealing all that had passed on it from the sight of those on
the rocks.
The barbarians, *who seemed to be, and who in truth
were, fully apprised of the defenceless and feeble condition
of the party on board, were at work without the smallest
apprehension of receiving any injury from that quarter.
Their great object was to get possession of the ship, before
the returning water should again drive them from the rockls.
In order to effect this, they had placed all who were willing
and sufficiently subordinate on the bridge, though a hundred
were idle, shouting, clapping their hands, menacing, and
occasionally discharging a musket, of which there were
probably fifty in their possession.
"They work with judgment at their pontoon," said Paul,
after he had examined the proceedings of those on the reef
for a few minutes.  "You may perceive that they have
dragged the outer end of the bridge up to windward, and
have just shoved it from the rocks, with the intention to per.
mit it to drift round, until it shall bring up against the bows




316              HOMEWARD BOUND.
of thle ship, when they will pour on board like so many
tigers. It is a. disjointed and loose contrivance, that the
least sea would derange; but in this perfectly smooth water
it will answer their purpose. It moves slowly, but will
surely drift round upon us in the course of fifteen or twenty
minutes more; and of this they appear to be quite certain
themselves, for they seem as well satisfied with their work
as if already assured of its complete success."
"It is, then, important to us to be prompt, since our time
will be so brief."
"C  We will be prompt, but in another mode. If you will
assist me a little, I think this effort, at least, may be easily
defeated, after which it will be time enough to think of
escape."'
Paul, aided by John Effingham, now loosened the chains
altogether from the bitts, and suffered the ship to drop astern.
As this was done silently and stealthily, it occupied several
minutes; but the wind being by this time fresh, tle huge
mass yielded to its power with certainty; and when the
bridge had floated round in a direct line from the reef, or
dead to leeward, there was a space of water between its end
and the ship of more than a hundred feet. The Arabs had
rushed on it in readiness to board; but they set up a yell of
disappointment as- soon as the truth was discovered. A
tumult followed; several fell from the wet and slippery
spars; but, after a short time wasted in confusion and
clamour, the directions of their chiefs were obeyed, and they
set to work with energy to break up their bridge, in order to
convert its materials into a raft.
By this time Mr. Sharp and Saunders had returned, bringing with them several light sails, such as spare royals and
top-gallant studding-sails. Paul next ordered a spare mizzentop-gallant mast, with a top-gallant studding-sail boom, and
a quantity of light rope to be laid in the gangway, after
which he set about the final step.  As time now pressed in
earnest, the Arabs working rapidly and with increasing
shouts, he called upon all the gentlemen for assistance,
giving such directions as should enable them to work with
intelligence.
"Beal a hand, Saunders," he said, having taken the stew




HOME~WARD BOUND.:1 17
ard forward with him, as one more accustomed to ships thlan
the others; "6 bear a hand my fine fellow, and light up this
zhain. Ten minutes just now are of more value than a year
at another time."
"'Tis awful, Mr. Blunt, sir - werry awful, I do confirm," returned the steward, blubbering and wiping his eyes
between the drags at the chains.  "Such a fate to befall
such cabins, sir! —And the crockery of the werry best
quality out of' London or New York! Had I diwined such
an issue for the Montauk, sir, I never would have counselled
Captain Truck to lay in half the stores we did, and most
essentially not the new lots of vines. Oh! sir, it is truly
awful to have such a calamity wisit so much elegant preparation!"
"Forget it all, my fine fellow, and light up the chain.
Ha!-she touches abaft!  Ten or fifteen fathoms more will
answer."
" I've paid great dewotion to the silver, Mr. Blunt, sir, for
it's all in the launch, even to the broken mustard-spoon;
and I do hope, if Captain Truck's soul is permitted to superintend the pantry any longer, it will be quite beatified and
encouraged with my prudence and oversight. I left all the
rest of the table furniture, sir; though I suppose these
muscle-men will not have much use for any but the oysterknives, as I am informed they eat with their fingers. I declare it is quite oppressive and unhuman to have such wagabonds rummaging one's lockers!"
"Rouse away, my man, and light up! the ship has caught
the breeze on her larboard bow, and begins to take the chain
more freely. Remember that precious beings depend on us
for safety!"
" Ay, ay, sir; light up, it is. I feel quite a concern for
the ladies, sir, and more especially for the stores we abandon
to the underwriters. A better-found ship never came out of
St. Catherine's Docks or the East River, particularly in the
pantry department; and I wonder what these wretches will
do with her.  They will be quite abashed with her convenienccs, sir, and unable to enjoy them. Poor Toast, toro!
be  will have a monstrous unpleasant time with the muscle.
men; for he never eats fish; and has quite a genteel mid
27 ~




318              HOMEWVARD BOUND.
ameliorated way with him.  I shouldn't wonder if he forgot
all I have taken so much pains to teach him, sir, unless he's
dead; in which case it will be of no use to him in another
world."
"That will do," interrupted Paul, casing his laboui
"the ship is aground from forward aft.  We will now hurry
the spars and sails into the boat, and let the ladies get into
her."
In order that the reader may better understand the present
situation of the ship, it may be necessary to explain what
Mr. Powis and the steward had been doing all this time.
By paying out the chains, the ship had fallen farther astern,
until she took the ground abaft on the edge of the sand-bank
so often mentioned; and, once fast at that end, her bows
had fallen off, pressed by the wind, as long as the depth of
the water would allow. She now lay aground forward and
aft, with her starboard side to the reef, and the launch be
tween the vessel and the naked sands was completely covered from the observations and assaults of the barbarians
by the former.
Eve, Mademoiselle Viefville, and Mr. Elfngham now got
into the launch, while the others still remained in the ship to
complete the preparations.
"'rhey get on fast with their raft," said Paul, while he
both worked himself and directed the labour of the others,
"though we shall be safe here until they actually quit the
rocks. Their spars will be certain to float down upon the
ship; but the movement will necessarily be slow, as the
water is too deep to admit of setting, even if they had poles,
of which I see none. Throw these spare sails on the roof
of the launch, Saunders.  They may be wanted before we
reach a port, should God protect us long enough to effect so
much.  Pass two compasses also into the boat, with all the
carpenter's tools that have been collected."
While giving these orders, Paul was busied in sawing off
the larger end of the pole-mizzen-top-gallant-mast, to convert:t into a spar for the launch. This was done by the time
he ceased speaking; a step was made, and, jumping down
on the roo? of the boat, he cut out a hole to receive it, at a
rpot he hat  previously marked for that purpose.  By the




HOMEWARD BOUND.                  319
time he had done, the spar was ready to be entered, and in
another minute they had the satisfaction of seeing a very
sufficient mast in its place.  A royal was also stretched to
its yard, and halyards, tack and sheet, being bent, everything uwas ready to run up a sail at a moment's warning. As
this supplied the means of motion, the gentlemen began to
breathe more freely, and to bethink them of those minor
comforts and essentials that in the hurry of such a scene
would be likely to be overlooked.  After a few more busy
mitnutes, all was pronounced to be ready, and John Effingham began seriously to urge the party to quit the ship; but
Paul still hesitated. He strained his eyes in the direction of
the wreck, in the vain hope of yet receiving succour from
that qlutrlter; but, of course, uselessly, as it was about the
tithe when Captain Truck was warping off with his raft, in
onder to obtain an offing.  Just at this moment a party of
twenty Atrabs got uplon the spars, which they had brought
together into a single body, and began to drift down slowly
upon the ship.
Paul cast a look about him to see if anything else that
was usefull could be fbund, and his eyes ill1 upon the gun.
It struck him that it might be made serviceable as a scarecrow in forcing their way through the inlet, and he determined to lodge it on the roof of the launch, for the present,
at least, and to throw it overboard as soon as they got into
rough water, if indeed they should be so fortunate as to get
outside of the reef at all.  The stay and yard tackles
offered the necessary facilities, and he instantly slung the
piece.  A few rounds of the capstan lifted it from the deck.
a few more bore it clear of the side, and then it was easily
lowered on the roof, Saunders being sent into the boat to set
up a stanchion beneath, in order that its weight might do no
injury.
The gentlemen at last got into the launch, with the ex.
aeption of Paul, who still lingered in the ship watching the
orogress of the Arabs, and making his calculations fur the
future.
It required great steadiness of nerve, perfect self-reliance,
and an entire confidence in his resources and knowledge,
for one to remain a passive spectator of the slow drift of the




320              HOM EWARD BOUND.
raft, while it gradually settled down on the ship. As It
approached, Paul was seen by those on it, and, with the
usual duplicity of barbarians, they made signs of amity ynd
encouragement. These signs did not deceive the young than,
however, who only remained to be a close observer of their
conduct, thinking some useful hint might thus be obtained,
though his calmness so far imposed on the Arabs that they
even made signs to him to throw them a rope.  Believing it
now time to depart, he answered the signal favourably, and
disappeared from their sight.
Even in descending to the boat, this trained and cool
young seaman betrayed no haste.  His movements were
quick, and everything was done with readiness and knowledge certainly, but no confusion or trepidation occasioned
the loss of a moment.  He hoisted the sail, brought down
the tack, and then descended beneath the roof, having first
hauled inl the painter, and given the boat a long aind vigorous shove, to force it from the side of the vessel. By this
last expedient he at once placed thirty feet of water between
the boat and the Montauk, a space that the Arabs had no
means of overcoming. As soon as he was beneath the roof
the sheet was hauled in, and Paul seized the tiller; which
had been made, by means of a narrow cut in the boards, to
play in one of the shutters.  Mr. Sharp took a position in
the bows, where he could see the sands and channels through
the crevices, directing the other how to steer; and just as a
shout announced the arrival of the raft at the other side of
the ship, the flap of their sail gave those in the boat the wel.
gome intelligence that they had got so far from her c.vei
us to feel the force of the wind.




HOMiE\'AaRD BOUND.                321
CHAPTER XXI V.
spked, gallant bark! iclier cargo is thlne,
Th anBrazilian gem, or Peruvian mine;
Anri tle treasures thou bearest thy destiny wait,
Flor they, if thou perish, must share in thy fate.
PARK
T'lEE departure of the boat was excellently timed.  HIad
it left the side of the ship while the Arabs on the raft weie
unoccupied, and at a little distance, it would have been exposed to their fire; for at least a dozen of those who boarded
had muskets; whereas the boat now glided away to leeward, while they were busy in getting up her side, or were
so near the ship as not to be able to see the launch at all.
When Paul Powis, who was looking astern through a
crevice, saw the first Arab on the deck of the.Montauk, the
launlch was already near a cable's length from her, running
with a fresh and free wind into one of the numerous little
channels that intersected the naked banks of sand. The unusual construction of the boat, with its enclosed roof, and
the circumstance that no one was visible on board her, had
the effect to keep the barbarians passive, until distance put
her beyond the reach of danger. A few muskets were dis.
charged, but they were fired at random, and in the bravado
of a semi-savage state of feeling.
Paul kept the launch running off firee, until he was near
a mile fiom the ship, when, finding he was approaching the
reef to tile northward and eastward, and that a favourable
sandbank lay a short distance ahead, he put down the helm.
let the sheet fly, and the boat's forefoot shot upon the sands.
By a little management, the launch was got broadside to the
bank, the water being sufficiently deep, and, when it was
secured, the females were enabled to land through the open.
ing of a shutter.
The change from the apparent hopelessness of their situation, was so great, as to render the whole party comparatively happy. Paul and John Effingham united in affirming




322              HOMEWARD BOUND.
it would be quite possible to reach one of the islands to lee.
ward in so good a boat, and that they ought to deem themselves fortunate, under. the' circumstances, in being the
masters of a little bark so well found in every essential.
Eve and Mademoiselle Viefville, who had fervently returned
their thanks to the Great Ruler of events, while in the boat,
walked about the hard sand with even a sense of enjoyment, and smiles began again to brighten the beautiful fea.
tures of the first.  Mr. Effingham declared, with a grateful
heart, that in no park, or garden, had he ever before met
with a promenade that seemed so delightful as this spot of
naked and moistened sand, on the sterile coast of the Great
Desert.  Its charm  was its security, for its distance from
every point that could be approached by the Arabs, rendered
it, in their eyes, a paradise.
Paul Powis, however, though he maintained a cheerful
air, and the knowledge that he had been so instrumental in
saving the party lightened his heart of a load, and disposed
him even to gaiety, was not without some lingering remains
of uneasiness. He remembered the boats of the Dane, and,
as he thought it more than probable Captain Truck had
fallen into the hands of the barbarians, he feared that the
latter might yet find the means to lay hands on themselves.
While he was at work fitting the rigging, and preparing a
jigger, with a view to render the launch more manageable,
he cast frequent uneasy glances to the northward, with a
feverish apprehension that one of the so-long-wished-for
boats might at length appear. Their friends he no longer
expected, but his fears were all directed towards the premature arrival of enemies from that quarter.  None appeared,
however, and Saunders actually lighted a fire on the bank,
and prepared the grateful refreshment of tea for the whole
party; none of which had tasted food since morning, though
it was now drawing near night.
"Our caterers," said Paul, smiling, as he cast his eyes
over the repast which Ann Sidley had spread on the roof of
the boat, where they were all seated on stools, boxes, and
trunks, " our caterers have been of the gentler sex, as any
one may see, for we have delicacies that are fitter for a banquet than a desert."




HOMEWARD BOUND.                  3'23.
"I thought Miss Eve would relish them, sir,' Nanny
meekly excused herself by saying; " she is not mnuch ac.
customied to a coarse diet; and mnamerzelle, too, likes nice.
ties, as I believe is the case with all of' French extraction."
Eve's eyes glistened, though she felt it necessary to say
something by way of apology.
"Poor Ann has been so long accustomed to -humour the
caprices of a petted girl," she said, 6 that I fear those who
will have -occasion for all their strength may be the sufferers.
I should regret it for ever, Mr. Powis, if you, who are every
way of'so much importance to us, should not find the food
you required."'" I have very inadvertently and unwittingly drawn down
upon myself the suspicion of being one of Mr. Monday's
gourmets, a plain roast and boiled person," the young man
answered laughingly, 6"when it was merely my desire to
express the pleasure I had in perceiving that those whose
comfort and ease are of more account than any thing else,
have been so well cared for. I could almost starve with
satisfaction, Miss Effingham, if I saw you free from surfering under the extraordinary circumstances in which we are
placed."
Eve ltoked grateful, and the emotion excited by this
qp'eech restored all that beauty which had so lately been
chilled by fear.
"' Did I not hear a dialogue between you and Mr. Saunders touching the merits of sundry stores that had been left,n the ship?" asked John Effingham, turning to Paul by way
of relieving his cousin's distress.
- Indeed you might; he relieved the time we were rousing
at the chains with a beautiful Jeremiad on the calamities of
he lockers.  I fancy, steward, that you consider the misibrtunes of the pantry as the heaviest disaster that has be.
fallen the Montauk!"
Saunders seldom smiled.  In this particular he resembled
Captain Truck; the one subduing all light emotions from an
inveterate habit of serious comicality, and the responsibility
of command; and the other having lost most of his disposition to merriment, as the cart-horse loses his propensity to.
kick, from being overworked.  The steward, moreover, had




3 24             HOM LEBWARD BOUND.
taken up the conceit that it was indicative of a'" nigger" to
be merry.; and, between dignity, a prcper regard to his
colour-which was about half-way between that of a Gold
Coast importation, and a rice-plantation overseer, down with
the fever in his third season-and dogged submission to un.
mitigated calls on his time, the prevailing character of the
poor fellow's physiognomy was that of a dolprous sentimentalitv   He believed himself to be materially refined by having had so much intimate communication with gentlemen
and ladies, suffering under sea-sickness, and he knew that
no man in the ship could use language like that he had
always at his finger's ends.  While so strongly addicted to
melancholy, therefore, he was fbnd of hearing himself talk;
and, palpably encouraged as he had now been by John
Eflingham and Paul, and a little emboldened by the fami-.iarity of a shipwreek, he did not hesitate about mingling in
the discourse, though holding the Effinghams habitually in
awe.
"I esteem it a great privilege, ladies and gentlemen," he
observed, as soon as Paul ceased, "to have the honour of
being wracked (for so the steward, in conformity with the
Doric of the forecastle, pronounced the word,) in such company.  I should deem it a disgrace to be cast away in some
society I could name, although I will predicate, as we say in
America, nothing on their absence. As to what inwolves
the stores, it surgested itself to me that the ladies would like
delicate diet, and I intermated as much to Mrs. Sidley anG
t'other French waiting-woman.  Do you imagine, gentle
men, that the souls of the dead are permitted to look back
at such ewents of this life as touches their own private con
cerns and feelings?"
"That would depend, I should think, steward, on th6
nature of the employment of the souls themselves," returned
John Effingham. "There must be certain souls to which any
occupation would be more agreeable than that of looking
)ehind them.  But, may I ask why you inquire?"
"Because, Mr. John Effingham, sir, I do not believe Captail Truck can ever be happy in heaven, as long as the ship
is in the hands of the Arabs! If she had been honourably,1 fairly wracked, and the captain suffercated by drowa-i



HIOMEWARD BOUND.                 3e25
Ing, lie could go to sleep like another Christianl; but, I do
think, sir, if there be any special perdition for seamen, it
must be to see their vessel rummaged by Arabs.  I'll war.
rant, now, those blackguards have had their fingers in every
thing already; sugar, chocolate, raisins, coffee, cakes, and
all!  I wvonder who they think would like to use articles
they have handled! And there is poor Toast, gentlemen,
an aspiring and improvingr young man; one who had the
materials of a good steward in him, though I can hardly say
they were completely deweloped.  I did look forward to the
day when I could consign him to Mr. Leach as my own
predecessor, when Captain Truck and I should retire, as I
hiave no doubt we should have done on the same day, but
for this distressing accident.  I dewoutly pray that Toast is
deceased, for I would rather any misobrtune should befal him
in the other world than that hie should be compelled to associate with Arab niggers in this.  Dead or alive, ladies, I am
an advocate for a man's keeping himself respectable, and in
proper company."
So elastic had the spirits of the whole become by their
unlooked-fbr escape, that Saunders was indulged to the top
of his humour, and while he served the meal, passing
between his fire on the sands and the roof of the launch, he
enjoyed a heartier gossip than any he had had since they
left the dock; not even excepting those sniggering scenes
with Mr. Toast in the pantry, in which he used to unbend
himself a little, forgetting his dignity as steward ia, the
na-ive propensities of the black.
Paul Powis entered but a moment into the trifling', for oi
him  rested the safety of all.  He alone could navigate, o,
even manage the boat in rough water; and, while the other,
confided so implicitly in his steadiness and skill, he felt the
usual burthen of responsibility. VWhen the supper was
ended, and the party were walking up and down the little
islet of sand, he took his station on the roof therefobie, ann(
examined the proceedings of the Arabs with the glass; Mr.
Sharp, with a species of chivalrous self-denial that was not
lost on his companion, foregoing the happiness of walking
at the side of Eve, to remain near him.
"The wretches have laid waste the cabins alre;idy!" ob
28




3 26            EHOMEWARD BOUND.
served Mr. Sharp, when Paul had been looking at the ship
some little time.  "Tlat which it took months to produce
they will destroy in an hour."
" I do not see that," returned Paul; "there are but about
fifty in the ship, and their efforts seem to be directed to hauling her over against the rocks. They have no means of
landina their plunder where she lies; and I suspect there is
a sort of convention that all are to start fair.  One or two,
who appear to be chiefs, go in and out of the cabins; but
the rest are actively engaged in endeavouring to move the
ship."
" And with what success?"
" None, apparently.  It exceeds their knowledge of mechanics to force so heavy a mass fiom its position.  The
wind has driven the ship firmly on the bank, and nothing
short of the windlass, or capstan, can remove her.  These
ignorant creatures have got two or three small ropes between
the vessel and the reef, and are pulling fruitlessly at both
ends! But our chief concern will be to find an outlet into
the ocean, when we will make the best of our way towards
the Cape de Verds."
Paul now commenced a long and close examination of the
reef, to ascertain by what openings he might get the launch
on the outside. To the northward of the great inlet'there
was a continued line of rocks, on which he was sorry to
perceive armed Arabs beginning to show themselves; a sign
that the barbarians still entertained the hope of capturipg the
party.  Southward of the inlet there were many places tm
which a boat might pass at half-tide, and he trusted to getting
through one of them as soon as it became dark. As the escape in the boat could not have been foreseen, the Arabs had
not yet brought down upon them the boats of the wreck;
but should morning dawn and find them still within the reef,
he saw no hope of final escape against boats that would pos.
sess the advantage of oars, ignorant as the barbarians might
be of their proper use.
Every thing was now ready. The interior of the launch
was divided into two apartments by counterpanes, trunks,
and boxes; the females spreading their mattresses in the for.
w trd room, and the males in the other. Some of those pro.




HIOMEWWARD BOUND.                327
found interpreters.of the law, who illustrate legislation by
the devices of trade, had shipped in the Montauk several
hindred rude leaden busts of Napoleon, with a view to save
the distinction in duties between the metal manufactured and
the nmetal unmanufactured. Four or five of these busts had
been struck into the launch as ballast.  They were now
snugly stowed, together with the water, and all the heavier
articles, in the bottom of the boat.  The jigger had been
made and bent, and a suitable mast was stepped by means
of' the roof. In short, every provision for comfort or safety
that Paul could think of had been attended to; and every
thing was in readiness to re-embark as soon as the proper
hour should arrive.
The gentler portion of the party were seated on the edge
of the roof, watching the setting sun, and engaged in a discourse with feelings more attempered to their actual condi.
tion than had been the case immediately after their escape.
The evening had a little of that wild and watery aspect
which, about the same. hour, had given Captain Truck so
much concern, but the sun dipped gorgeously into the liquid
world of the West, and the whole scene, including the endless desert, the black reef, the stranded ship, and the movements of the bustling Arabs, was one of gloomy grandeur.
" Could we foretell the events of a month," said John
Effingham, " with what different feelings from the present
would life be chequered! When we left London, the twenty
days since-, our eyes and minds were filled with the move-,ments, cares, refinements, and interest of a great and po.
lished capital, and here we sit, houseless wanderers, gazing
at an eventide on the coast of Africa! In this way, young
men, and young ladies too, will you find, as life glides away
that the future will disappoint the expectations of the present
moment!"
"All futures are not gloomy, cousin Jack," said Eve;
"nor is all hope doomed to meet with disappointment. A
merciful God cares for us when we are reduced to despair
on our own account, and throws a ray of unexpected light
on our darkest hours. Certainly we, of all his creatures,
ought not to deny this!"
"I do not deny it. We have been rescued in a manner




3'2-) 8          LHOMEWARD BOUND.
so80 simple as to seem unavoidable, and yet so unexpected
as to be almost miraculous.  Had not Mr. Blunt, or Mr.
Powis, as you call him-although 1 am not in the secret
of the masquerade-but, had not this gentleman been a
seaman, it would have surpassed all our means to get this
boat into the water, or even to use. her properly were she
even launched.  I look upon his profession as being the
first great providential interference, or provision, in our behalf; and his superior skill and readiness in that profession as a circumstance of no less importance to us."
Eve was silent; but the glow in the western sky was
scarcely more radiant and bright than the look she cast on
the subject of the remark.
"' It is no great merit to be a seaman, for the trade is
like another, a mere matter of practice and education,"
observed Paul, after a moment of awkward hesitation.
" It, as you say, I have been instrumental in serving you,
I shall never regret the accidents-cruel accidents of my
early life I had almost called them —that cast my fortunes
so early on the ocean."
A falling pin would have been heard, and all hoped the
young man would proceed; but he chose to be silent.
Saunders happened to overhear the remark, for he was
aiding Ann Sidley in the boat, and he took up the subject
where it was left by the other, in a little aside with his
companion.
" It is a misfortune that Mr. Dodge is not here to question the gentleman," said the steward to his assistant,
" and then we might hear more of his adwentures, which, I
make no doubt, have been werry pathetic and romantical.
Mr. Dodge is a genuine inquisitor, Mistress Ann; not such
an inquisitor as burns people and flays them  in Spain,
where I have been, but such an inquisitor as torments people, and of whom we have lots in America."
"Let the poor man rest in peace," said Nanny, sighing
"He's gone to his great account, steward; and I feal
we shall none of us make as good a figure as we might al
the final settling. Besides Miss Eve, I never knew a mortal that wasn't more or less a sinner."'
"' So they all say; and I must allow that my experience




HOMEWARD BOUND.                  329
leans to the wicked side of the question.  Captain Truck,
now, was a worthy man; but he had his faults, as well as
Toast. In the first place he would swear when things
took him aback; and th'en, he had no prewarication about
speaking his mind of a fellow-creature, if the cofiee happened to be thick, or the poultry didn't take fat kindly.
I've known him box the compass with oaths if the ship
was got in irons."
" It's very sinful; and it is to be feared that the poor
muan was made to think of all this in his latter moments."'
" If the Arabs undertook to cannibalize himi I think ihe
must have given it to them right and left," continued Saunders, wiping an eye, for between him and the captain there
had existed some such affection as the prisoner comes to
feel for the handcuffs with which he amuses his ennui,
" some of his oaths would choke a dog."
"W' ell, let him rest-let him rest.  Providence is kind,
and the poor man may have repented in season."
"' And Toast, too! I'm sure, Mrs. Ann, I Forgive Toasi
all the little mistakes he made, from the bottom of my heart,
and particularly that affair of the beefsteak that he let, fall
into the'coffee the morning that Captain Truck took me so
filat aback about it; and I pray -most dewoutly that the captain, now he has dropped this mortal coil, and that there is
nothing left of him but soul, may not find it out, lest it should
breed ill-blood between them in heaven."
" Steward, you scarcely know what you say," interrupted
Ann, shocked at his ignorance, " and I will speak of it no
more."
Mr. Saunders was compelled to acquiesce, and he amused
himself by listening to what was said by those on the roof.
As Paul did not choose to explain farther, however, the con.
versation was resumed as if he had said nothing.'hey
talked of their escape, their hopes, and of the supposed fate
of the rest of the party; the discourse leaving a feeling of
sadness on all, that harmonized with the melancholy, but not
unpicturesque, scene in which they were placed.  At length
the night set in; and as it threatened to be dark and damp,
the ladies early made their arrangements to retire.  The
gentlemen remained on the sands much later; and it was
28 ~




330               HOMEWARD BOUND.
ten o clock before Paul Powis and Mr. Sharp, who had as.
sumed the watch, were left alone.
This was about an hour later than the period already described as the moment when Captain Truck disposed himself to sleep in the launch of the Dane.  The weather had
sensibly altered in the brief interval, and there were signs
that, to the understanding of our young seaman, denoted a
change. The darkness was intense. So, deep and pitchy
black, indeed, had the night become, that even the land was
no longer to be distinguished, and the only clues the two
gentlemen had to its position were the mouldering watchfires of the Arab camp, and the direction of the wind.
" We will now make an attempt," said Paul, stopping in
his short walk on the sand, and examining the murky vault
over head.  "Midnight is near; and by two o'clock the tide
will be entirely up. It is a dark night to thread these narrow channels in, and to go out upon the ocean, too, in so
frail a bark! But the alternative is worse."
1 "Would it not be better to allow the water to rise still
higher? I see by these sands that it has not yet done coming
in."
"There is not much tide in these low latitudes, and the
little rise that is left may help us off a bank, should we strike
onle.  If you will get upon the roof, I will bring in the grap.
nels and force the boat off."
Mr. Sharp -complied, and in a few minutes the launch was
floating slowly away from the hospitable bank of sand. Paul
hauled out the jigger, a small sprit-sail, that kept itself closehauled i'om being fastened to a stationary boom, and a little
mast stepped quite aft, the effect of which was to press the
boat against the wind. This brought the launch's head up,
and it was just possible to see, by close Attention, that they
had a slighit motion through the water.
"I quit that bank of sand as one quits a tried friend,'
said Paul, all the conversation now  being in little more
than whispers: " When near it, I know  where we are;
but presently we shall be absolutely lost in this intense
da,-kness."
*" We have the fires of the Arabs for lighthouses still."
"They may give us some faint notions of our positiom




HOMEWARD BOUND.                  331
but light like that is a very treacherous guide in so dark u
night.  We have little else to do but to keep an eye on the
water, and to endeavour to get to windward."
Paul set the lug-sail, into which he had converted the
royal, and seated himself directly in the eyes of the boat,
with a leg hanging down on each side of the cutwater.  I-He
had rigged lines to the tiller, and with one in each hand he
steered, as if managing a boat with yoke-lines. Mr. Sharp
was seated at hand, holding the sheet of the mainsail; a boathook and a light spar lying on the roof near by, in readiness
to be used should they ground.
While on the bank, Paul had observed that, by keeping
the boat near the wind, he might stretch through one of the
widest of the channels for near two miles unless disturbed
by currents, and that, when at its southern end, he should
be far enough to windward to fetch the inlet, but for the
banks of sand that might lie in his way. The distance had
prevented his discerning any passage through the reef at the
farther end of this channel; but, the boat drawing only two
Feet of water, he was not without hopes of being able to find
one. A chasm, that was deep enough to prevent the pas.
sage of the Arabs when the tide was in, would, he thought,
certainly suffice for their purpose. The progress of the boat
was steady, and reasonably fast; but it was like moving in
a mass of obscurity. The gentleman watched the watel
ahead intently, with a view to avoid the banks, but with little success; for, as they advanced, it was merely one pile
of gloom succeeding another. Fortunately the previous observation of Paul availed them, and for more than half an
hour their progress was uninterrupted.
" They sleep in security beneath us," said Paul, " while
we are steering almost at random. This is a strange and
hazardous situatien in which we are placed. The obscurity
renders all the risks double."
"By the watch-fires, we must have nearly crossed the
bay, and I should think we are now quite near the southern
reef."'
"I think the same; but I like not this baffling of the
wind. It comes fresher at moments, but it is in puffs, and
iear there will be a shift  It is now my best pilot."




332               HOMEWARD BOUND.'; That and the fires."
T46'he fires are treacherous always.  It looks darker than
ever ahead!"
The wind ceased blowing altogether, and the sail fell in
heavily.. Almost at the same moment the launch lost its
way, and Paul had time to thrust the boot-hook forward just
in season to prevent its striking a rock.
"f This is a part of the reef, then, that is never covered,"
said he. " If you will get on the rocks and hold the boat, I
will endeavour to examine the place for a passage.  Were
we one hundred feet to the southward and westward, we
should be in the open ocean, and comparatively:afe."
Mr. Sharp complied, and Paul descended carefully on the
reef, feeling his way in the intense darkness by means of the
boat-hook. He was absent ten minutes, moving with great
caution, as there was the danger of his falling into the sea
at every step. His friend began to be uneasy, and the whole
of the jeopardy of their situation presented itself vividly to
his mind in that brief space of time, should accident befall
their only guide. He was looking anxiously in the direction
in which Paul had disappeared, when he felt a gripe of his
arm.
" Breathe even with care!" whispered Paul hurriedly.
" These rocks are covered with Arabs, who have chosen to
remain on the dry parts of the reef, in readiness for their
plunder in the morning.  Thank Heaven! I have found you
again; for I was beginning to despair.  To have called to
you would have been certain capture, as eight or ten of tile
barbarians are sleeping within fifty feet of us. Get on the
roof with the least possible noise, and leave the rest to me.'
As soon as Mr. Sharp was in the boat, Paul gave it a
violent shove from the rocks, and sprang on the roof at the
same moment. This forced the launch astern, and procured
a momentary safety. But the wind had shifted. It now
came baffling, and in puffs, from the Desert, a circumstance
that brought them again to leeward.
" This is the commencement of the trades," said Paul
" they have been interrupted by the late gale, but are.return
ing.  Were we outside the reef, our prayers could not bf
more kindly answered than by giving us this very wind




HOMEWARD BOUND.                 e, 3 3
but here, where we are, it comes unseasonably. Ha! —this,
at least, helps her!"
A puff from the land filled the sails, and the ripple of the
water at the stern was just audible. The helm was attended to, and the boat drew slowly from the reef and ahead.
"We have all reason for gratitude!  That danger, at
least, is avoided. Ha! the boat is aground!"
Sure enough the launch was on the sands. They were
still so near the rocks, as to require the utmost caution
in their proceedings.  Using the spar with great care, the
gentlemen discovered that the boat hung astern, and there
remained no choice but patience.
" It is fortunate the Arabs have no dogs with them on
the rocks: you hear them howling incessantly in their
camIps."      -
"' It is, truly. Think you we can ever find the inlet in
this deep obscurity?"
" It is our only course.  By following the rocks we
should be certain to discover it; but you perceive they are
already out of sight, though they cannot be thirty fathoms
from us. The helm is free, and the boat must be clear of
the bottom again. This last puff has helped us."
Another Silence succeeded, during which the launch
moved slowly onward, though whither, neither of the gentlemen could tell. But a single fire remained in sight, and
that glimmered like a dying blaze.  At times the wind
came hot and arid, savouring of the Desert, and then intervals of death-like calm would follow. Paul watched the
boat narrowly for half an hour, turning every breath of air'o the best account, though he was absolutely ignorant of
his position. The reef had not been seen again, and three;everal times they grounded, the tide as often floating them
Tff. The course, too, had been repeatedly varied. The remult was that painful and profound sensation of helpless
less that overcomes us all when the chain of association is
)roken, and reason becomes an agent less useful than intlinct.
" The last fire is out," whispered Paul.  "I fear that the
lay will dawn and find us still within tie reef."




e)EW 1  oEWARD BOUND.
6 i see an object near us. Can it be a high bank?"
The wind had entirely ceased, and the boat was almost
without motion. Paul saw a darkness more intense even
than common ahead of him, and he leaned forward, natu.
rally raising a hand before him in precaution. Something
he touched, he knew not what; but feeling a hard smooth
surface, that he at first mistook for a rock, he raised his
eyes slowly, and discerned, by the little light that lingered
in the vault of heaven, a dim tracery that he recognized.
His hand was on the quarter of the ship!
"'Tis the Montauk!" he whispered breathlessly, "and
her decks must be covered with Arabs. Hist! —do you
hear nothing?"
They listened, and smothered voices, those of the watch,
mingled with low laughter, were quite audible. This was
a crisis to disturb the coolness of one less trained and
steady than Paul; but he preserved his self-possession.
"There is good as well as evil in this," he whispered.
"I now know our precise position; and, God be praised!
the inlet is near, could we but reach it.-By a strong shove
we can always force the launch from the vessel's side, and
prevent their boarding us; and I think, with extreme caution, we may even haul the boat past the ship undetected."
This delicate task was undertaken. It was necessary to
avoid even a tread heavier than common, a fall of the boathook, or a collision with the vessel, as the slightest noise became distinctly audible in the profound stillness of deep night.
Once enlightened as to his real position, however, Paul saw
with his mind's eye obstructions that another might not have
avoided. He knew exactly where to lay his hand, when to
bear off, and when to approach nearer to the side of the ship,
as he warily drew the boat along the massive hull.-The
yard of the launch luckily leaned towards the reef, and
offered no impediment. In this manner, then, the two gentlemen hauled their boat as far as the bows of the ship, and
Paul was on the point of giving a last push, with a view to
shove it to as great a distance possible ahead of the packet,
when its movement was suddenly and violently arrested.




HOMEWARD BOUND                   335
CIHAPTER XXV.
And when the hours of rest
Come, like a calm upon the mid-sea brine
Hushing its billowy breast —
The quiet of that moment, too, is thine;
It breathes of him who keeps
The vast and helpless city while it sleeps.
BRYANT.
IT was chilling to meet with this unexpected and sudden
check at so critical a moment.  The first impression was,
that some one of the hundreds of Arabs, who were known
to be near, had laid a hand on the launch; but thi~ fear
vanished on examination. No one was visible, and the side
of the boat was untouched. The boat-hook could find no
impediment in the water, and it was not possible that they
could again be aground. Raising the boat-hook over his
head, Paul soon detected the obstacle.  The line used by the
barbarians in their efforts to move the ship was stretched
from the forecastle to the reef, and it lay against the boat's
mast. It was severed with caution; but the short end slipped from the hand of Mr. Sharp, who cut the rope, and fell
into the water. The noise was heard, and the watch on the
deck of the ship made a rush towards her side.
*3 No time was to be lost; but Paul, who still held the outer
end of the line, pulled on it vigorously, hauling the boat
swiftly from the ship, and, at the same time, a little in ad-,ance. As soon as this was done, he dropped the line and
seized the tiller-ropes, in order to keep the launch's head in
a direction between the two dangers-the ship and the reef:
This was not done without some little noise; the footfall on
Fhe roof, and the plash of the water when it received the
line, were audible; and even-the element washing under the
bows of the boat was heard. The Arabs of the ship called:o those on the reef, and the latter answered. They took
he alarm, and awoke their comrades, for, knowing as they
lid, that the party of Captain Truck was still at liberty, they
tpprehended an attack.




.336             HOMEWVARD BOUND.
The clamour and uproar that succeeded were terrific.
tMuskets were discharged at random, and the noises from
the camp echoed the cries and tumult from the vessel and
the rocks. Those who had been sleeping in the boat were
rudely awaked, and Saunders joined in the cries through
sheer fright. But the two gentlemen on deck soon caused
their companions to understand their situation, and to ob
serve a profound silence.
"They do not appear to see us," whispered Paul to Eve
as he bent over, so as to put his head at an open window;
" and a return of the breeze may still save us. There is a
great alarm among them and no doubt they know we are
not distant; but so long as they cannot tell precisely where,
we are comparatively safe.-Their cries do us good service
as land-mrarks, and you may be certain I shall not approach
the spots were they are heard. Pray Heaven for a wind,
dearest Miss Effingham, pray Heaven for a wind!"
Eve silently, but fervently did pray, while the young
man gave all his attention again to the boat.-As soon as
they were clear of the lee of the ship, the baffling puffs
returned, and there were several minutes of a steady
little breeze, during which the boat sensibly moved away
from  the noises of the ship.  On the reef, however, the
clamour still continued, and the gentlemen were soon satisfied that the -Arabs had stationed themselves along the
whole line of rocks, wherever the latter were bare at high
water, as was now nearly the case, to the northward as
well as to the southward of the opening.'" The tide is still entering by the inlet," said Paul, " and
we have its current to contend with.  It is not strong, but
a trifle is important at a moment like this!"
" Would it not be possible to reach the bank inside of
us, and to shobve the boat ahead by means of these light
spars?" asked Mr. Sharp.
The suggestion was a good one; but Paul was afraid
the noise in the water might reach the Arabs, and expose
the party to their fire, as the utmost distance between the
reef and the inner bank at that particular spot did not
exceed a hundred fathoms. At length another puff of air
from the land pressed upon their sails, and the water once




HIOMEWARD BOUND.                 337,iure rippled beneath the bows of the boat.  Paul's heart
htat hard, and as he managed the tiller-lines, he strained'tis eyes uselessly in order to penetrate the massive-looking
dlarkness.
"' Surely," he said to Mr. Sharp, who stood constantly
it his elbow, " these cries are directly ahead of us t We
tre steering for the Arabs!"
"' We have got wrong in the dark then.  Lose not a
foment to keep the boat away, for here to leeward there
ire noises."
As all this was self-evident, though confused in his
reckoning, Paul put up the helm, and the boat fell off
nearly dead before the wind. Her motion being now comparatively rapid, a few minutes produced an obvious change
in the direction of the different groups of clamorous Arabs,
though they also brought a material ldssening in the force
of the air.:" I have it!" said Paul, grasping his companion almost
convulsively by the arm.  " We are at the inlet, and
heading, I trust, directly through it!  You hear the cries
on our right; they come from the end of the northern reef,
while these on our left are from the end of the southern.
The sounds from the ship, the direction of the land breeze,
our distance-all confirm it, and Providence again befriends us!"
"It will be a fearful error should we be mistaken!"
"- We cannot be deceive  since nothing else will explain
the circumstances.  There! —the boat feels the groundswell-a blessed and certain sign that we are at the inlet!
Would that this tide were done, or that we had more
wind!"
Fifteen feverish minutes succeeded. At moments the
puffs of night-air would force the boat ahead, and then
again it was evident by the cries that she fell astern under
the influence of an. adverse current.  Neither was it easy
to keep her on the true course, for the slightest variation
from the direct line in a tide's way causes a vessel to sheer.
To remedy the latter danger*, Paul was obliged to watch his
helm closely, having no other guide than the noisy and.ontinued vociferations of the Arabs.
29




338.HOMEWARD BOUND.
"These liftings of the boat are full of hope," resumed
Paul; "I think, too, that they increase."
"I perceive but little difference, though I would gladly
see all you wish."
"I am certain the swell increases, and that the boat
rises and falls more frequently. You will allow there is a
swell?"
"Quite obviously: I perceived it before we kept the boa
away. This variable air is cruelly tantalizing!"
"' Sir George Templemore-Mr. Powis," said a soft voice
at a window beneath them.
" Miss Effingham!" said Paul, so eager that he suffered
the tiller-line to escape him.'"These are frightful cries! —Shall we never be rid of
them!"
" If it depended on me —on either of us-they should distress you no more. The boat is slowly entering the inlet,
but has to struggle with a head-tide. The wind baffles, and
is light, or in ten minutes we should be out of danger."
"Out of this danger, but only to encounter another!"
"Nay, I do not think much of the risk of the ocean in
so stout a boat. At the most, we may be compelled to cut
away the roof, which makes our little bark somewhat clumsy
in appearance, though it adds infinitely to its comfort. I
think we shall soon get the trades, before which our launch,
with its house even, will be able to make good weather."
" We are certainly nearer those cries than before "'
Paul felt his cheek glow, and his hand hurriedly sought
the tiller-line, for the boat had sensibly sheered towards the
northern reef. A puff of air helped to repair his oversight,
and all in the launch soon perceived that the cries were
gradually but distinctly drawing more aft.
"'The current lessens," said Paul, "and it is full time;
for it must be near high water. We shall soon feel it in our
favour, when all will be safe!"
"This is indeed blessed tidings! and no gratitude can
ever repay the debt we owe you, Mr. Powis!"
The puffs of air now required all the attention of Paul,
for they again became variable, and at last the wind irew
lirectly ahead in a continued current for half an hourn  As




HOMEWVARD BOUND.                  339
soon as this change was felt, the sails were trimmed to it,
and the boat began to stir the water under her bows.
"' The shift was so sudden, that we cannot be mistaken in
its direction," Paul remarked; " besides, those cries still
serve as pilots.  Never was uproar more agreeable."' I feel the bottom with this spar!" said Mr. Sharp sud.
denly.
"Merciful Providence protect and shield the weak and
lovely    "
"Nay, I feel it no longer: we are already in deeper
water."
"It was the rock on which the seamen stood when we
entered!" Paul exclaimed, breathing more freely. " I like
those voices settling more under our lee, too. We will keep
this tack" (the boat's head was to the northward) " until we
hit the reef, unless warned off again by the cries."
The boat now moved at the rate of five miles in the hour,
or faster than a man walks, eveiPwhen in quick motion. Its
rising and falling denoted the long heavy swell of the ocean,
and the wash of water began to be more and more audible,
as she settled into the sluggish swells.." That sounds like the surf on the reef," continued Paul;'every thing denotes the outside of the rocks."
"God send it prove so!"
"That is clearly a sea breaking on a rock! It is awkwardly near, and to leeward, and yet it is sweet to the ear
as music."'
The boat stood steadily on, making narrow escapes from
jutting rocks, as was evinced by the sounds, and once or
twice by the sight even; but the cries shifted gradually, and
were soon quite astern. Paul knew that the reef trended
east soon after passing the inlet, and he felt the hope that
they were fast leaving its western extremity, or the part that
ran the farthest into the ocean; after effecting which, there
would be more water to leeward, his own course being
oearly north, as he supposed.
The cries drew still farther aft, and more distant, a:- d the
sullen wash of the surf' was no longer so near as to seem
5resh and tangible.
"Hand me the lead and line, that lie at the foot of the




A0              HOMEWARD BOUND.
mast, it you please," said Paul. "Our water seems sensir
bly to deepen, and the seas have become more regular."
He hove a cast, and found six fathoms of water; a proof.
he thought, that they were quite clear of the reef.," Now, dear Mr. Effingham, Miss Effingham, Mademoiselle," he cried cheerfully, "' now I believe we may indeed
deem ourselves beyond the reach of the Arabs, unless a gale
force us again on their inhospitable shores."
"Is it permitted to speak?" asked Mr. Effingham, who
had maintained a steady but almost breathless silence.
"' Freely: we are quite beyond the reach of the voice;
and this wind, though blowing from a quarter I do not like,
is carrying us away from the wretches rapidly."
It was not safe in the darkness, and under the occasional
heaves of the boat, for the others to come on the roof; but
they opened the shutters, and looked out upon the gloomy
water with a sense of security. they could not have deemed
possible for people in theirsituation. The worst was over
for the moment, and there is a relief in present escape that
temporarily conceals future dangers. They could converse
without the fear of alarming their enemies, and Paul spoke
encouragingly of their prospects. It was his intention to
stand to the northward until he reached the wreck, when,
failing to get any tidings of their friends, they might make
the best of their way to the nearest island to leeward.
With this cheering news the party below again disposed
themselves to sleep, while the two young men maintained
their posts on the roof.
"We must resemble an ark," said Paul laughing, as he
seated himself on a box near the stem of the boat, " and I
should think would frighten the Arabs from an attack, had
they even the opportunity to make one. This house we
carry will prove a troublesome companion, should we encounter a heavy and a head sea."
"You say it may easily be gotten rid of."
"Nothing would be easier, the whole apparatus being
made to ship and unship. Before the wind we might carry
it a long time, and it would even hell) us along; but on a
wind it makes us a little top-heavy, besides giving us a leeward set.  In the evt nt of rain, or of bad weather of any




HOMEWARD BOUND.                  341
Bort, it would be a treasure to us all, more especially to the
females, and I think we had better keep it as long as possible."
The half hour of breeze already mentioned sufficed to
Carry the boat some' distance to the northward, when it
failed, and the puffs from the land returned.  Paul supposed
they were quite two miles from the inlet. and, trying the
lead, he found ten fathoms of' water, a proof that they had
also gradually receded from the shore. Still nothing but a
dense darkness surrounded them, though there could no
longer be the smallest doubt of their being in the open ocean.
For near an hour the light baffling air came in puffs, as
before, during which time the launch's head was kept, as
near as the two gentlemen could judge, to the northward,
making but little progress; and then the breeze drew gradually round into one quarter, and commenced blowing with
a steadiness that they had not experienced before that night.
Paul suspected this change, though he had no certain means
of knowing it;. for as soon as the wind baffled, his course
had got to be conjectural again. As the breeze freshened,
the speed of the boat necessarily augmented,-though she was
kept always on a wind; and after half an hour's progress,
the gentlemen became once more uneasy as to the direction.
" It would be a cruel and awkward fate to hit the reef
again," said Paul; " and yet I cannot be sure that we are
not running directly for it."
"We have compasses: let us strike a light and look into
the matter."
"It were better had we done this more early, for a light
might now prove dangerous, should we really have altered
the course in this intense darkness. There is no remedy,
however, and the risk must be taken.  I will first try the
lead again."
A cast was made, and the result was two and a half
fathoms of water.
"Put the helm down!" cried Paul, springing to the sheet:'lose not a moment, but down with the helm!"
The boat did not work freely under her imperfect sail
and with the roof she carried, and a moment of painful
anxiety succeeded. Paul managed, however, to get a par'
f' the sail aback, and he felt more secure.
29 *




:.~ {:2         HOMEWARD BOUNi'D
"The boat has stern-way: shift the helm, Mr. Sharp."
This was done, the yard was dipped, and the two young
men felt a relief almost equal to that they had experienced
on clearing the inlet, when they found the launch again
drawing ahead, obedient to her rudder.
" We are near something, reef or shore," said Paul,
standing with the lead-line in his hand, in readiness to
heave.  "I think it can hardly be the first, as we hear no
Arabs."
Waiting a few minutes, he hove the lead, and, to his infinite joy, got three fathoms fairly.
" That is good news. We are hauling off the danger,
whatever it may be," he said, as he felt the mark: "and
now for the compass."
Saunders was called, a light was struck, and the compasses were both examined. These faithful but mysterious
guides, which have so long served man while they have
baffled all his ingenuity to discover the sources of their
power, were, as usual, true to their governing principle.
The boat was heading north-north-west; the wind was at
north-east, and before they tacked they had doubtless been
standing directly for the beach, from which they could not
have been distant a half quarter of a mile, if so much. A
few more minutes would have carried them into the breakers, capsized the boat, and most probably drowned all be.
low the roof, if not those on it.
Paul shuddered as these facts forced themselves on his
attention, and he determined to stand on his present course
Cor two hours, when daylight would render his return towards the land without danger.
" This is the trade," he said, " and it will probably stand.
We have a current to contend with, as well as a head-wind;
but I think we can weather the cape by morning, when we
can get a survey of the wreck by means of the glass.  If
we discover nothing, I shall bear up at once for the Cape de
Verds."
The two gentlemen now took the helm in turns, he who
slept fastening himself to the mast, as a precaution against
being rolled into the sea by the motion of the boat.  In fif-'een fathoms water they tacked again, and stood to the east



HOMEWARD BOUND.                  343
south-east, having made certain, by a fresh examinatior ol
Ji}e compass, that the wind stood In the same quarter as bhe
fore.  The moon rose soon after, and, although the morning
was clouded and lowering, Ithere was then sufficient light to
remove all dan er firom the darkness.  At length this long
and anxious night terminated in the usual streak of day,
which gleamed across the de.sert.
Paul was at the helm, steering more by instinct than any
thing else, and occasionally nodding at his post; for two
successive nights of watching and a day of severe toil had
overcorne his sense of danger, and his care for others.
Strange fancies beset men at such moments; and his busy
imagination was running over some of the scenes of his
early youth, when either his sense or his wandering faculties made him hear the usual brief, spirited hail of,
"Boat ahov!"
Paul opened his eyes, felt that the tiller was in his hand,
and was about to close the first again, when the words were
more sternly repeated,
"Boat ahoy!-what craft's that?  Answer, or expect a
shot!"
This was plain English, and Paul was wide awake in an
instant. Rubbing his eyes, he saw a line of boats anchored
directly on his weather bow, with a raft of spars riding
astern.
" Hurrah!" shouted the young man. 6 This is Heaven's
own tidings!  Are these the Montauk's?"
" Ay, ay.  Who the devil are you?"
The truth is, Captain Truck did not recognize his own
launch in the royal, roof, and jigger.  He had never before
seen a boat afloat in such a guise; and in the obscurity of
the hour, and firesh awakened from a profound sleep, like
Paull, his faculties were a little confused.  But the latter
soon comprehended the whole matter.  He clapped his
helm down, let fly the sheet, and in a minute the launch of
the packet was riding alongside of the launch of the Dane.
Heads were out of the shutters, and every boat gave up
its sleepers, for the cry was general throughout the little
flotilla.
The party just arrived alone felt joy.  They found those




-34A             HOMEWARD BOUND.
whom they htad believed dead, or captives, alive and I
whereas the others alow learned the extent of the misfortune
that had befallen them. For a few minutes this contrast in
ieeling produced an awkward meeting; but the truth soon
brought all down to the same sober level.  Captain'ruck
received the congratulations of his friends like one in a stupor;'roast looked amazed as his friend Saunders shook his
hand; and the gentlemen who had been to the wreck met the
cheerftil greetings of those who had just escaped the Arabs
like men who fancied the others mad.
We pass over the explanations that followed, as every
one will readily understand them.  Captain Truck listened
to Paul like one in a trance, and it was some time after the
young man had done before he spoke.  With a wish to
cheer him, he was told of the ample provision of stores that
had been brought off in the launch, of the trade winds that
had now apparently set in, and of the great probability of
their all reaching the islands in safety.  Still the old man
made no reply; he got on the roof of his own launch, and
paced backwards and forwards rapidly, heeding nothing.
Even Eve spoke to him unnoticed, and the consolations
offered by her father were not attended to. At length he
stopped suddenly, and called for his mate.
"Mr. Leach?"
" Sir."
"Here is a category for you!"
"Ay, ay, sir; it's bad enough in its way; still we are
better off than the Danes."
"You tell me, sir," turning to Paul, "that these foul
blackguards were actually on the deck of the ship?"
c" Certainly, Captain Truck.  They took complete posses.
sion; for we had no means of keeping them off."
" And the ship is ashore?"
" Beyond a question."
"Bilged?"
" I think not. There is no swell within the reef, and she
lies on sand."
"We might have spared ourselves the trouble, Leach, of
ulling these cursed spars, as if they had been so man)
oothpicks."




HOMEWARD BOUND.                 345
6" That we might, sir; for they will not now serve as
oven-wood, for want of the oven."' A damnable category, Mr. Effingham! I'm  glad 3 ou
are safe, sir; and you, too, my dear young lady-God bless
you! — God bless you!-It were better the whole line should
be in their power than one like you!"
The old seaman's eyes filled as he shook Eve by the hand,
and for a moment he forgot the ship.
"Mr. Leach?"
"Sir."
"Let the people have their breakfasts, and bear a hand
about it. We are likely to have a busy morning, sir.  Lift
the kedge, too, and let us drift down towards these gentry,
and talke a look at them. We have both wind and current
wvith us now, and shall make quick work of it."
The kedge was raised, the sails were all set, and, with
the two launches lashed together, the whole line of boats
and spars began to set to the southward at a rate that would
bring them up with the inlet in about two. hours.
"This is the course for the Cape de Verds, gentlemen,"
said the captain bitterly.  " We shall have to pass before
our own door to go and ask hospitality of strangers. But
let the people get their breakfasts, Mr. Leach; just let the
boys have one comfortable meal before they take to their
oars."
Eat himself, however, Mr. Truck would not. He chewed
the end of a cigar, and continued walking up and down the
roof.
In half an hour the people had ended their meal, the day
had fairly opened, and the boats and raft had made good
progress.
"Splice the main-brace, Mr. Leach," said the captains
"for we are a littled jammed.  And you, gentlemen, do me
the favour to step this way for a consultation. This much
is due to your situation."
Captain Truck assembled his male passengers in the stern
of the Dane's launch, where he commenced the following
address:
"Gentlemen," he said, "every thing in this world has
Lts nature and its principles.  This truth I hold you all to be




346              HOM EWARD BOUND.
too well informed and well educated to deny.  The nature
of a traveller is to travel, and see curiosities; the nature of,)ld men is to think on the past, of a young man to hope fox
the future.  The nature of a seaman is to stick by his ship,
and of a ship to be treated like a vessel, and not to be ransacked like a town taken by storm, or a nunnery that is
rifled,-You are but passengers, and doubtless have your
own wishes and occupations, as I have mine. Your wishes
are, beyond question, to be safe in New York among youi
friends; and mine are to get the Montauk there too, in as
little time and with as little injury as possible. You have a
good navigator among you; and I now propose that you
take the Montauk's launch, with such stores as are neces-.sary, and fill away at, once for the islands, where, I pray
God, you may all arrive in safety, and that when you reach
America you may find all your relations in good health, and
in no manner uneasy at this little delay.  Your effects shall
be safely delivered to your respective orders, should it please
God to put it in the power of the line to honour your drafts."
" You intend to attempt recapturing the ship!" exclaimed
Paul.
"' I do, sir," returned Mr. Truck, who, having thus far
opened his mind, for the first time that morning gave a
vigorous hem! and set about lighting a cigar.-" We may
do it, gentlemen, or we may not do it. If we do it, you will
hear farther from me; if we fail, why, tell them at home
that we carried sail as long as a stitch would draw."
The gentlemen looked at each other, the young waiting
in respect for the counsel of the old, the old hesitating in
deference to the pride and feelings of the young.
" We must join you in this enterprise, captain," said Mr.
Sharp quietly, but with the manner of a man of spirit and
nerve.
" Certainly, certainly," cried Mr. Monday; " we ought tc
make a common affair of it; as I dare say Sir George Temn
plemore will agree with me in maintaining; the nobility and
gentry are not often backward when their persons are to be
risked."
The spurious baronet acquiesced in the proposal as readil3
as it had been made by him whom he had temporarily de




HOMEWARD BOUND.                  347
posed; for, though a weak and a vain young man, lie waq
far.fromn being a dastard.
"'This is a serious business," observed Paul, " and it
ouAght to be ordered with method and intelligence. If we
have a ship to care for, we have those also who are infinitely
nore precious."
"Very true, Mr. Blunt, very true," interrupted Mr. Dodge,
a little eagerly. " It is my maxim to let well alone; and I
arn certain shipwrecked people can hardly be better off and
more comfortable than we are at this very moment. 1 dlare
say these gallant sailors, if the question was fairly put to
them, would give it by a handsome majority in favour of
things as they are. I am a conservative, c`aptain - and [
think an appeal ought to be made to the ballot-boxes before
we decide on a measure of so much magnitude."
The occasion was too grave for the ordinary pleasantry,
and this singular proposition was heard in silence, to Mr.
Dodge's great disgust.
"C I think it the duty of Captain Truck to endeavour to retake his vessel," continued Paul; "but the affair will be
serious, and success is far from certain.  The Montauk's
laulnch ought to be left at a safe distance with all the females,
and in prudent keeping; for any disaster to the boarding
party would probably throw the rest of the boats into the
hands of the barbarians, and endanger the safety of those
left in the launch.- Mr. Effingham and Mr. John Effingham
will of course remain with the ladies."
The father assented with the simplicity of one who dia'
not distrust his own motives, but the eagle-shaped features
of his kinsman curled with a cool and sarcastic smile.
"Will you remain in the launch?" the latter asked point
edly, turning towards Paul.
"' Certainly it would be greatly out of character were
to think of it.  My trade is war; and I trust that Captain
Truclk means to honour me with the command of one of the
boats."
"I thought as much, by Jove!" exclaimed the captain,
seizing a hand which he shook with the utmost cordiality.'I sho:ild as soon expect to see the sheet-anchor wink, or.he best hrbower give a mourn fill smlile. as to see you duck'




"oII@ oMEnVARD BOUND.
Still, gentlemen, I am well aware of' the difference in out
situations.  I ask no man to forget his duties to those orn
shore on my account; -and I fancy that my regular people,
aided by Mr. Blunt, who can really serve me by his know-?edge, will be as likely to do all that can be done as all of
us united. It is not numbers that carry ships as much as
spirit, promptitude, and resolution."
"But the question has not yet been put to the people,"
said Mr. Dodge, who was a little mystified by the word last
used, which he had yet to learn was strictly technical as ap.
plied to a, vessel's crew.
4" It shall, sir," returned Captain Truck,'" and I beg you
to note the majority.  My lads," he continued, rising on a
thwart, and speaking aloud, " you know the history of the
ship. As to the Arabs, now they have got her, they do noi
know how to sail her, and it is no more than a kindness to
iake her out of their hands.  For this business I want volunteers; those who are for the reef, and an attack, will rise up
and cheer; while they who like'an offing have only to sit
still and stay where they are."
The wvAords were no sooner spoken than Mr. Leach jumped
ip on the gunwale and waved his hat. The people rose as
one man, and taking the signal from the mate, they gave
three as hearty cheers as ever rung over the bottle.
Dead against you, sir!'9 observed the captain, nodding
to the editor; "' and I hope you are now satisfied."
6 The ballot might have given it the other way," mut.
tered Mr. Dodge; 1" there can be no freedom of election
without the ballot."
No one, however, thought any longer of Mr. Dodge oi
his scruples; but the whole disposition for the attack was
made with promptitude and caution.  It was decided that
Mr. Effinugham and his own servant should remain in the
launch; while the captain compelled his two mates to
draw lots which of them should stay behind also, a navigator being indispensable. The chance fell on the second
mate, who submitted to his luck with an ill grace.
A bust of Napoleon was cut up, and the pieces of lead
were beaten as nearly round as possible, so as to form a
dozen leaden balls, andt a quantity of slugs, or laIngrage,




HOMEWAPnD BOUND.                 349
The latter were put in canvas bags; while the keg oi pow.
der was opened, a flannel shirt or two'were torn, and cart
ridges were filled.  Ammunition was also distributed to
the people, and Mr. Sharp examined their arms.  The gun
was got off the roof of the Montauk's launch, and placed
on a grating forward in that of the Dane. The sails and
rigging were cleared out of the boat and secured on the
raft when she was properly manned, and the command of
her was given to Paul.
The three other boats received their crews, with John
Effingham at the head of one, the captain and his mate
commanding the others. Mr. Dodge felt compelled to
volunteer to go in the launch of the Dane, where Paul had
now taken his station, though he did it with a reluctance
that escaped the observation of no one who took the pains
to observe him.  Mr. Sharp and Mr. Monday were with
the captain, and the false Sir George Templemore went
with Mr. Leach. These arrangements completed, the
whole party waited impatiently for the wind and current to
set them down towards the reef, the rocks of which by this
time were plainly visible, even from the thwarts of the
several boats.
CHAPTER XXVI.
Hark! was it not the trumpet's voice I heard?
The soul of battle is awake within me.
The fate of ages and of empires hangs
On this dread hour.
Massinger
TEr two launches were still sailing side by side, and
Eve now appeared at the open window next the seat of
Paul.  Her face was pale as when the scene of the cabin
occurred, and her lip trembled.'" I do not understand these warlike proceedings," she
30




350              HOMEWARD BOUI D.
said, "' but I trust, Mr. Blunt, we have no concern with
the) present movement."
"Put your mind at ease on this head, dearest Miss
Eflingham, for what we now do we do in compliance with a
general law of manhood.  Were your interests and the
interests of those with you alone consulted, we might come
to a very different decision: but I think you are in safe
hands should our adventure prove unfortunate."
" Unfortunate!  It is fearful to be so near a scene like
this! I cannot ask you to do any thing unworthy of yourself; but, all that we owe you impels me to say, 1 trust
you have too much wisdom, too much true courage, to
incur unnecessary risks."
The young man looked volumes of gratitude; but the
presence of the others kept its expression within due
bounds.
" We old sea dogs," he answered, smiling, " are rather
noted for taking care of ourselves.  They who are trained
to a business like this usually set about it too much in a
business-like manner to hazard anything for mere show."
" And very wisely; Mr. Sharp, too,"-Eve's colour deep.
ened with a consciousness that Paul would have given worlds
to understand-" he has a claim on us we shall never forge
My father can say all this better than I."
Mr. Effingham now expressed his thanks for all that had
passed, and earnestly enjoined prudence on the young men.
After which Eve withdrew her head, and was seen no more.
Most of the next hour was passed in prayer by those in the
launch.
By this time the boats and raft were within half a mile
of the inlet; and Captain Truck ordered the kedge, which
had been transferred to the launch of the Montauk, to be lel
go. As soon as this was done, the old seaman threw down
his hat, and stood on a thwart in his grey hair.
"Gentlemen, you have your orders," he said with dignity; for from that moment his manner rose with the occasion, and had something of the grandeur of the warrior.' You see the enemy. The reef must first be cleared, and
then the ship shall be carried.  God knows who will live to
Fee the end; but that end must be success, oi the boles of




IHOMEWARD BOUND.                 351
John Truck shall bleach on these sands! ( Our cry is'Tl1,Montauk and our own!' which is a principle Vattel will sustain us in.  Give way, men! a long pull, a strong pull, and
a pull altogethei'; each boat in its station!"
He waved his hand, and the oars fell into the water at th3
same instant.  The heavy launch was the last, for she had
double-fasts to the other boat. While loosening that ferward
the second mate deserted his post, stepping nimbly on board
the departing boat, and concealing himself behind the firemost of the two lug-sails she carried. Almost at thle same
instant Mr. Dodge reversed this manmeuvre by pretending to
be left clinging to the boat of the Montauk, in his zeal to
shove off. As the sails were drawing  hard, and the oars
dashed the spray aside, it was too late to rectify either of
thes;e mistakes, had it been desirable.
A few minutes of a stern calm succeeded, each boat keeping its place with beautiful precision.  The Arabs had left
the northern reef with the light; but, the tide being out,
hundreds were strung along the southern range of rocks,
especially near the ship.  The wind carried the laurtch
ahead, as had been intended, and she soon drew near the
inlet.
"Take in the sails," said Mr. Blunt.  "See your srun
clear forward."
A fine, tall, straight, athletic young seaman stood near
the grating, with a heated iron lying in a vessel of live coals
before him, in lieu of a loggerhead, the fire being covered
with a tarpaulin. As Paul spoke, this young mariner turned
towards him with the peculiar grace of a man-of-war's-man,
and touched his hat.
"Ay, ay, sir.  All ready, Mr.APowis."
Paul started, while the other smiled proudly, like one who
knew more than his companions.
"We have met before,'" said the first.
" That have we sir, and in boat-duty, too. You were the
first on board the pirate on the coast of Cuba, and I was
second."
A look of recognition and a wave of the hand passed
between them, the men cheering involuntarily. It was too
late for more, the launch being fairly in the in7 at, where sh,,




352              HOMEWARD BOUND.
received a general but harmless fire from the Arabs.  An
order had been given to fire the first shot over the heads of
the barbarians; but this assault changed the plan.
" Depress the piece, Brooks," said Paul, " and throw in a
bag of slugs."
"All ready, sir," was uttered in another minute.'" Hold water, men —-the boat is steady-let them have it."'Men fell at that discharge; but how many was never
known, as the bodies were hurried off the reef by those who
fled. A few concealed themselves along the rocks, but most
scampered towards the shore.
c" Bravely done!" cried Captain Truck, as his boat swept
past.  " Now ibr the ship, sir!"
The people cheered again, and dashed their oars into the
water.  To clear the reef was nothing; but to carry the
ship was a serious aftlir.  She was defbnded by fbur times
the number of those in the boats, and there was no retreat.
The Arabs. as has already been seen, had suspended their
labour during the night, having fruitlessly endeavoured to
haul the vessel over to the reef before the tide rose.  More
by accident than by calculation, they had made such arrangements by getting a line to the rocks as would probably
have set the ship off' thle sands, when she floated at high.water; but this line had been cut by Paul in passing, and the
wind coming on shore again, during the confusion and cinmour of the barbarians, or at a moment when they thought
they were to be attacked, no attention was paid to the cir.
cuimstance, and the Montauk was suffered to drive up still
higher on the sands, where she effectually grounded at the
very top of the tide.  As it was, now dead low water, the
ship had sewed materially,-and was now lying on her bilge
partly sustained by the water, and partly by the bottom.
During the short pause that succeeded, Saunders, who was
seated in the captain's boat as a small-arms-man, addressed
his subordinate in a low voice.
" Now, Toast," he said, " you are about to contend n,}
battle for the first'time; and I diwine, from experience, that
the ewent gives you some sentiments that are werry original.
My a-dwice to you is, to shut both eyes until the word is
given to fire, and then to open them  suddenly, as if just




HOMEW-AR D BO0UND.               353
awaking from sleep; after which you may present and pull
the trigger.  Above all, Toast, take care not to kill any of
our own friends, most especially not Captain Truck, just at
this werry moment."
"1 shall do my endeavours, Mr. Saunders," muttered
Toast, with the apathy and submissive dependence on others
with which the American black usually goes into action. "6 If
I do any harm, I hope it will be overlooked, on account of
my want of experience."'6 Imitate me, Toast, in coolness and propriety, and you'll
be certain not to offend. I do not mean that you too are to
kill the werry same IJuscle-men that I kill, but that when I
kill one you are to kill another.  And be werry careful not
to hurt Captain Truck, who'll be certain to run right afore
the muzzle of our guns, if he sees any thing to be done
there."
Toast growled an assent, and then there was no other
noise in the boat than that which was produced by the steady
and vigorous falling of the oars. An attempt had been made
to lighten the vessel by unloading her, and the bank of sand
was already covered with bales and boxes, which had been
brought up from the hold by means of a stage, and by sheer
animal force. The raft had been extended in size, and
brought round to the bank by the stern of the vessel, with
the intention to load it, and to transfer the articles already
landed to the rocks.
Such was the state of things about the Montauk when the
boats came into the channel that ran directly up to the bank.
The launch led again, her sails having been set as soon as
the reef was swept, and she now made another discharge on
the deck of the ship, which, inclining towards the gun, offered no shelter. The effect was to bring every Arab, in the
twinkling of an eye, down upon the bank.
" Hurrah!" shouted Captain Truck; " that grist has punri
fied the old bark! And now to see who is to own her!' The
thieves are out of the temple,' as my good father would have
3aid."
The four boats were in a line abreast, the launch under
one sail only. A good deal of confusion existed on the bank
but the Arabs sought the cover of the bales and boxes, and;30 




354              HOMEWARD BOUND.
opened a sharp though irregular fire. Three times, as they
advanced, the second mate and that gallant-looking young
seaman called Brooks discharged the gun, and at each discharge the Arabs were dislodged and driven to the raft. The
cheers of the seamen became animated, though they still
plied the oars.
"Steadily, men," said Captain Truck, "' and prepare tc
board."
At this moment the launch grounded, though still twenty
yards from the bank, the other boats passing her with loud
cheers.'" We are all ready, sir," cried Brooks.
4" Let'em have it. Take in the sail, boys."
The gun was fired, and the tall young seaman sprang
upon the grating and cheered.  As he looked backward,
with a smile of triumph, Paul saw his eyes roll. He leaped
into the air, and fell at his length dead upon the water; fbr
such is the passage of a man in battle, from one state of existence to another.
"Where do we hang?" asked Paul steadily; "forward
or aft?"
It was forward, and deeper water lay ahead of them. The
sail was set again, and the people were called aft. The boat
tipped, and shot ahead towards the sands, like a courser released from a sudden pull.
All this time the others were not idle. Not a musket was
fired from either boat until the whole three struck the bank,
almost at the same instant, though at as many different
points. Then all leaped ashore, and threw in a fire so close,
that the boxes served as much for a cover to the assailants
as to the assailed. It was at this critical moment, when the
seamen paused to load, that Paul, just clear of the bottom,
with his own hand applying the loggerhead, swept the rear
of the bank with a most opportune discharge.
"Yard-arm  anid yard-arm!" shouted Captain Truck'' Lay'em aboard, boys, and give'em Jack's play!"
The whole party sprang forward, and from that moment
all order ceased. Fists, handspikes, of which many were
on the bank, and the butts of muskets, were freely usIdl,,rnd in a wavy that set the spears and w apons of the A ral,:




HOMENVARD BOUND.                 3 5 
at defiance.  The Captain, Mr. Sharp, John Effinharn, Mr
Monday, the soi-disant Sir George Templemore, and. the
chief mate, formed a sort of Macedonian phalarnx, whici
penetrated the centre of the barbarians, and which kep,
close to the enemy, following up its advantages with a spiri,
that admitted of no rallying. On their right and left pressec
the men, an athletic, hearty, well-fed gang. The superiority
of the Arabs was in their powers of endurance; for, trainee
to the whip-cord rigidity of racers, force was less their pe
culiar merit than bottom. Had they acted in concert. how
ever, or had they been on their own desert, mounted, and
with room for their subtle evolutions, the result might have
been very different; but, unused to contend with an enemy
who brought them within reach of the arm, their tactics
vere deranged, and all their habits violated.  Still, their
numbers were formidable, and it is probable that the acci.
dent to the launch, after all, decided the matter.  From the
moment the mlele began not a shot was fired, but the assailants pressed upon the assailed, until a large body of the
latter had collected near!the raft.  This was just as the
launch reached the shore, and Paul perceived there was
great danger that the tide might rIll backward from sheer
necessity. The gun was loaded, and filled nearly to the
muzzle with slugs.  He caused the men to raise it on their
oars, and to carry it to a large box, a little apart from the
confusion of the fight. All this was done in a moment,
for three minutes had not yet passed since the captain
landed.
Instead of firing, Paul called aloud to his fiiends to cease
fighting. Though chafing like a vexed lion, Captain Truck
complied, surprise effecting quite as much as obedience.
The Arabs, hardest pressed upon, profited by the pause to
fall back on the main body of their friends, near the raft.
This was all Paul could ask, and he ordered the gun to be
pointed at the centre of the group, while he advanced himself towards the enemy, making a sign of peace.
"Damn'em, lay'em aboard!" cried the captain: "no
quarter to the blackguards!"
"I rather think we had b6tter charge again," added Mr.
Sharp, who was thoroughly warmed with his late emplcvmnelt.




356              HOMEWARD BOUND.
"Hold, gentlemen; you risk all needlessly. I will show
these poor wretches what they have to expect, and they
will probably retire.  We want the ship, not their blood."
", Well, well," returned the impatient captain, " give'em
plenty of Vattel, for we have'ema now in a category."
The men of the wilderness and of the desert seem to act
as much by instinct as by reason.  An old sheik advanced,
smiling, towards Paul, when the latter was a few yards in
advance of his friends, offering his hand with as much corl
diality as if they met merely to exchange courtesies. Paul
led him quietly to the gun, put his hand in, and drew out a
bag of slugs, replaced it, and pointed significantly at the
dense crowd of exposed Arabs, and at the heated iron that
was ready to discharge the piece.  At all this the old Arab
smiled, and seemed to express his admiration.  He was
then showed the strong and well-armed party, all of whom
by this time had a musket or a pistol ready to use.  Paul
then signed to the raft and to the reef, as much as to tell the
other to withdraw his party.
The sheik exhibited great coolness and sagacity, and,
unused to frays so desperate, he signified his disposition to
comply. Truces, Paul knew, were common in the African
combats, which are seldom bloody, and he hoped the best
from the manner of the sheik, who was now permitted to
return to his friends. A short conference succeeded among
the Arabs, when several of them smilingly waved their
hands, and most of the party crowded on the raft.  Others
advanced, and asked permission to bear away their wounded, and the bodies of the dead, in both of which offices they
were assisted by the seamen, as far as was prudelit; for it
was all-important to be on the guard against treachery.
In this extraordinary manner the combatants separated,
the' Arabs hauling themselves over to the reef by a line,
their old men smiling, and making signs of amity, until
they were fairly on the rocks. Here they remained but a
very few minutes, for the camels and dromedaries were seen
trotting off' towards the,Dane on the shore; a sign that the
compact between the different parties of the barbarians was
dissolved, and that each man was about to plunder on his
9wn account.  This movement producer great agitation




HO MEWARD BOUND.                357
among the old sheiks -and their followers on the reef, and
set them in motion with great activity towards the land. So
great was their hurry, indeed, that the bodies of all the
dead, and of several of the wounded, were fairly abandoned
on the rocks, at some distance from the shore.
The first step of the victors, as a matter of course, was
to inquire into their own loss.  This was much less than
would have otherwise been, on account of their good conduct.  Every man, without a solitary exception, had ostensibly behaved well; one of the most infallible means of
lessening danger.  Several' of the party had received slight
hurts, and divers bullets had passed through hats and jackets.
Mr. Sharp, alone, had two through the former, besides one
through his coat.  Paul had blood drawn on an arm, and
Captain Truck, to use his own language, resembled 1" a
horse in fly-time," his skin having been rased in no less
than five places.  But all these trifling hurts and hairbreadth escapes counted for nothing, as no one was seriously
injured by them, or felt sufficient inconvenience even to report himself wounded.
The felicitations were warm and general;* even the seamen asking leave to shake their sturdy old commander by
the hand. Paul and Mr. Sharp fairly embraced, each
expressing his sincere pleasure that the other had escaped
unharmed. The latter even shook hands cordially with his
counterfeit, who had acted with spirit from the first to the
last. John Effingham alone maintained the same cool indifference after the affair that he had shown in it, when it was
seen that he had played his part with singular coolness and
discretion, dropping two Arabs with his fowling-piece on
landing, with a sort of sportsman-like coolness with which
he was in the habit of dropping woodcocks at home.
1"I fear Mr. Monday is seriously hurt," this gentleman
said to the captain, in the midst of his congratulations: " h
sits aloof on the box yonder, and looks exhausted."
" Mr. Monday! I hope not, with all my heart and soul
He is a capital diplomate, and a stout boarder.  And Mr
Dedge, too! I miss Mr. Dodge."
"Mr. Dodge must have remained behind to console the
ladies," returned Paul," finding that your second mate had
abandoned them, like a recreant that he is."




858             IHOMEWARD P[OUND.
TN. captain shook his disobedient mate by the hand a
second  elme, and swore he was a mutineer for violating his
orders, and ended by declaring that the day was not distant
when he and Mr. Leach should command two as good liners
as ever sailed out of America.
"I'll have nothing to do with either of you as soon as we
reach home," he concluded.  "There was Leach a foot or
two ahead of me the whole time; and, as for the second
officer, I should be justified in logging him as having run.
Well, well; young men will be young men; and so would
old men too, Mr. John Effingham, if they knew how.- But
Mr. Monday does look doleful; and I am afraid we shall be
obliged to overhaul the medicine-chest for him."
Mr. Monday, however, was beyond the aid of' medicine.
A ball had passed through his shoulder-blade in landing,
notwithstanding which he had pressed into the melee, where,
unable to parry it, a spear had been thrust into his chest.
The last wound appeared grave, and Captain Truck immediately ordered the sufferer to be carried into the ship: John
Effingham, with a tenderness and humanity that were singularly in contrast to his ordinary sarcastic manner, volun
teering to take charge of him.
"We have need of all our forces," said Captain Truck,
as Mr. Monday was borne away; " and yet it is due to our
friends in the launch to let them know the result.  Set the
ensign, Leach; that will tell them our success, though a
verbal communication can alone acquaint them with the particulars."
"If," interrupted Paul, eagerly, "you will lend me the
launch of the Dane, Mr. Sharp and myself will beat her up
to the raft, let our friends know the result, and bring the
spars down to the inlet. This will save the necessity of any
of the men's being absent.  We claim the privilege, too, as
belonging properly to the party that is now absent.".
"Gentlemen, take any privilege you please. You have
stood by me like heroes; and I owe you all more than the
heel of a worthless old life will ever permit me to pay."
T'he two young men did not wait for a second ilnvitation.
but in five minutes the boat was stretching through one of
the channels that led landward; and in five more it was
laying out of the inlet with a steady breeze.




HOMEWARD BfOUJND.               3 59
The instant Captain Truck retrod the deck of his ship
was one of uncontrollable feeling with the weather-beaten
old seaman.'The ship had sewed too much to admit of
walking with ease, and he sat down on the coamings of the
main hatch, and fairly wept like an infant. So high had
his feelings been wrought that this outbreaking was violent,
and, the men wondered to see their grey-headed, stern, old
commander, so completely unmanned. He seemed at length
ashamed of the weakness himself, for, rising like a worried
tiger, he began to issue his: orders as sternly and promptly
as wyas his wont.
" What the devil -are you gaping at, men!" he growled;
" did you never see a ship on her bilge before? God knows,
and for that matter you all know, there is enough to do, that
you stand like so many marines, with their'eyes right!'
and' pipe-clay.'"
"'Fake it more kindly, Captain Truck," returned an oldsea-dog, thrusting out a hand that was all knobs, a fellow
whose tobacco had not been displaced even by the fray;
1" take it kindly, and look upon all these boxes and bales as
so much cargo that is to be struck in, in dock.  We'll soon
stow it, and, barring a few slugs, and one four-pounder, that
has cut up a crate of crockery as if it had beern a cat in a
cupboard, no great harm is done. I look upon this matter
as no more than a sudden' squall, that has comtnelled us to
bear tup for a little while, but which will answer for a winch
to spin yarns on all the rest of our days. I have fit the
French, and the English, and the'urks, in my time; and
now I can say I have had a brush with the niggers."
c" D —n me, but you are right, old Tom! and I'll make
no more account of the matter.  Mr. Leach, give the people
a little encouragement. There is enough left in the jug that
you'll find in the stern-sheets of the pinnace; and then turnto, and strike in all this dunnage, that the Arabs have been
scattering on the sands. We'll stow it when we get the
ship into an easier bed than the one in which she is now
lying."
This was the signal for commencing work; and these
straight-forward tars, who had just been in the confusion and
hazards of a fight; first took their grog, and then commence I




360              HOMEWARD BOUNTD.
thAeir labour in earnest. As they had only:, with their know.
edge and readiness, to repair the damage done by the igno.
rant and hurried Arabs, in a short time every thing was oni
board the ship again, when their attention was directed to
the situation of the vessel itself. Not to anticipate events,
however, we will now return to the party in the launch.
The reader will readily imagine the feelings with which
Mr. Effingham and his party listened to the report of the
first gun. As they all remained below, they were ignorant
who the individual really was that kept pacing the roof
over their heads, though it was believed to be the second
mate, agreeabtly to the arrangement made by Captain Truck
4 "My eyes grow dim,' said Mr. Effingham, who was
looking through a glass; " will you try to see what is passing, Eve?"
" Father, I cannot look," returned the pallid girl.  " It is
misery enough to hear these frightful guns."
"It is awfil!" said Nanny, folding her arms about her
child, " and I wonder that such gentlemen as Mr. John and
Mr. Powis should go on an enterprise so wicked!"
"' Voulez.vous avoir la complaisance, monsieur?" said
Mademoiselle Viefville, taking the glass from the unresisting
hand of Mr. Effingham.  "Ha! le combat commence en
ejet i"
" Is, it the Arabs who now fire?" demanded Eve, unable,
in spite of terror, to repress her interest.
" Non, c'est cet admirable jeune homme, Monsieur Blunt,
qui devance tous les autres!"
"And now, mademoiselle, that must surely be the bar
barians?"
" Du tout.  Les sauvages fuient.  C'est encore du ba
teau de Monsieur Blunt qu'on tire.  Quel beau courage!
son bateau est toujours des premiers!"
"That shout is frightful! Do they close?"
"On crie des deux parts, je crois. Le vieux capitaine
est en avant d present, et Monsieur Blunt s'arrete!"
"May Heaven avert the danger!  Do you see the gentlemen. at all, Mademoiselle?"
"La fumee est trop  paisse.  Ah! les viold l  On tire
encore de son bateau."




HOMEWAkD BOU ND.                361
" JEl  bien, mademoiselle?" said Eve tremulously, after
a lonrc pause.
"C'est dejd fni.  Les Arabes se retirent et nos amis se
sont empares du bdtiment.  Cela a ete l'ajfaire d'un mo.
ment, et que le combat a ete glorieux!  Ces jeunes gens
sont vraiment dignes d'ktre Francais, et le vieux capitaine,
aussi.'
Are there no tidings for us, mademoiselle?" asked
Eve, after another long pause, during which she had
poured out her gratitude in trembling, but secret thanksgivings.
"Non, pas encore.  Ils sefflicitent, je crois."
" It's time, I'm sure, ma'am," said the meek-minded Ann,
"to send forth the dove, that it may find the olive branch.
War and strife are too sinful to be long indulged in."
"There is a boat making sail in this direction," said
Mr. Effingham, who had left the glass with the governess,
in complaisance to her wish.
"L Oui, c'est le bateau de Monsieur Blunt."
" And who is in it?" demanded the father, for the meed
of a world could not have enabled Eve to speak.
Je vois Monsieur Sharp —oui, c'est bien lui."
" Is he alone?"
" Non, il y en a deux - mais - oui - c'est Monszeur
Blunt,-notre jeune heros!"
Eve bowed her face, and even while her soul melted in
gratitude to God, the feelings of her sex caused the tell.
tale blood to suffuse her features to the brightness of
crimson.
Mr. Effingham  now took the glass from the spirited
Frenchwoman, whose admiration of brilliant qualities had
overcome her fears, and he gave a more detailed and connected account of the situation of things near the ship, as
they presented themselves to a spectator at that distance.
Notwithstanding they already knew so much, it was a
painful and feverish half hour to those in the launch, the
time that intervened between this dialogue and the moment
when the boat of the Dane came alongside of their own.
Every face was at the windows, and the young men were
received like deliverers, in whose safety all felt a deep
concern.
31




362'             HOMEWARD BOUND.
" But,:ousin Jack," said Eve, across whose speaking
2ountenance apprehension and joy cast their shadows and
gleams like April clouds driving athwart a brilliant sky,
"my father has not been able to discover his form among
those who move about on the bank."
The gentlemen explained the misfortune of Mr. Mondan,
and related the manner in which John Effingham  had
assumed the office of nurse. A  few  delicious minutes
passed; for nothing is more grateful than the happiness
that first succeeds a victory, and the young men proceeded
to lift the kedge, assisted by the servant of Mr. Effingham.
The sails were set; and in fifteen minutes the raft-the
lo.ng-desired and nluch-coveted raft-approached the inlet.
Paul steered the larger boat, and gave to Mr. Sharp
directions how to steer the other. The tide was flowing
into the passage; and, by keeping his weatherly position,
the young man carried his long train of spars with so much
precision into its opening, that, favoured by the current, it
was drawn through without touching a rock, and brought
in triumph to the very margin of the bank.  Here it was
secured, the sails and cordage were brought ashore, and
the whole party landed.
The last twenty hours seemed like a dream to all the females, as they again walked the solid sand in security and
hope. They had now assembled every material of safety,
and all that remained was to get the ship off the shore, and
to rig her; Mr. Leach having already reported that she was
as tight as the day she left London.
CHAPTER XXVII.
Would I were in an ale-house in London!
I would give all my fame for a pot of ale and safety
HENRY VTH.
MADEMOISELLE VIEFVILLE, with a decision and intelh
genee that rendered her of great use in moments of need




XouXEWARD BOUND-.               363
hastened so offer her services to the wounded man:, while
Eve, attended by Ann Sidley, ascended the ship arid made
her way into the cabins, in the best manner the leaning position of the vessel allowed. Here they found less confusion
tnan might have been expected, the scene.being ludicrous,
rather than painful, for Mr. Monday was in his state-room
excluded from sight.
In the first place, the soi-disant Sir George Templemore
was counting over his effects, among which he had discovered a sad deficiency in coats and pantaloons. The Arabs
had respected the plunder, by compact, with the intention of
making a fair distribution on the reef; but, with a view to
throw a sop to the more rapacious of their associates, one
room had been sacked by the permission of the sheiks. This
unfortunate room happened to be that of Sir George Templemore, and the patent razors, the East Indian dressing
case, the divers toys, to say nothing of innumerable vestments which the young man had left paraded in his room,
for the mere pleasure of feasting his eyes on them, had dis.
appeared.
" Do me the favour, Miss Effingham," he said, appealing
to Eve, of whom he stood habitually in awe, from the pure
necessity of addressing her in his distress., or of addressing
no one, " do me the favour to look into my room, and see
the unprincipled manner in which I have been treated. Not
a comb nor a razor left; not a garment to make myself decent in! I'm sure such conduct is quite a disgrace to the ci.
vilization of barbarians even, and I shall make it a point, to
have the affair duly represented to his majesty's minister the
moment I arrive in New York. I sincerely hope you have
been better treated, though I think, after this specimen of
their principles, there is little hope for.any one: I'm sure we
ought to be grateful they did not strip the ship. I trust we
shall all make common cause against them the moment we.c
arrive."?
"We ought, indeed, sir," returned Eve, who, -while she
had known from the beginning of-his being an impostor, was
willing to ascribe his fraud to vanity, and who now felt cha
ritable towards him on account of the spirit- he had shown in
the combat; " though I trust we shall have escaped better




364             lHOMEWARD BOUND.
Our effects were principally in the baggage-room, and thal:
I understand from Captain Truck, has not been touched."
"Indeed you are very fortunate, and I can only wish that
the same good luck had happened to myself. But then, you
know, Miss Effingham, that one has need of his little comforts, and, as for myself, I confess to rather a weakness in
that way."' "Monstrous prodigality and wastefulness!" cried Saunders, as Eve passed on towards her own cabin, willing to
escape any more of Sir George's complaints.  "Just be so
kind, Miss Effingham, ma'am, to look into this here pantry,
once! Them niggers, I do believe, have had their fingers
in every thing, and it will take Toast and me a week to
get things decorous and orderly again.  Some of' the
shrieks" (for so the steward styled the chiefs) " have been
yelling well in this place, I'll engage, as you may see, by the
manner in which they have spilt the mustard and mangled
that cold duck. I've a most mortal awersion to a man that
cuts up poultry against the fibers; and, would you think it,
Miss Effingham, ma'arm, that the last gun Mr. Blunt fired,
dislocated, or otherwise diwerted, about half a dozen of the
fowls that happened to be in the way; for I let all the poor
wretches out of the coops, that they might make their own
livings should we never come back. I should think that as
polite and experienced a gentleman as Mr. Blunt might have
shot the Arabs instead of-my poultry!"
"So it is,'.' thought Eve, as she glanced into the pantry
and proceeded. " What is considered happiness to-day gets
to be misery to-morrow, and the rebukes of adversity are
forgotten the instant prosperity resumes its influence. Either
of these men, a few hours since, would have been most happy to have been in this vessel, as a home, or a covering for
their heads, and now they quarrel with their good fortune
because it is wanting in some accustomed superfluity or pampered indulgence."
We shall leave her with this wholesome reflection uppermost, to examine into the condition of her own room, and
return to the deck.
As the hour was still early, Captain Truck having once
quieted his feelings, went to work with zeal, to turn the late




HOMEWARD BOUND.                 365;success to the best account.  The cargo that had been dis,
charged was soon stowed again, and the next great object
wvas to get the ship afloat previously to hoisting in the new
spars. As the kedges still lay on the reef, and all the anchors remained in the places where they had originally been
placed, there was little to do but to get ready to heave upon
the chains as soon as the tide rose. Previously to commencing this task, however, the intervening time was well
employed in sending. downi the imperfect hamper that was
aloft, and in getting up shears to hoist out the remains of the
foremast, as well as the jury mainmast, the latter of which,
it will be remembered, was only fitted two days before. All
the appliances used on that occasion being still on deck, and
every body lending a willing hand, this task was completed
by noon. ~ The jury-mast gave little trouble, but was soon
lying on the bank; and then Captain Truck, the shears
having been previously shifted, commenced lifting the broken
foremast, and just as the cooks announced that the dinner
was ready for the people, the latter safely deposited the spar
en the sands.
"'Here, a sheer hulk, lies poor Tom Bowline,'" said
Captain Truck to Mr. Blunt, as the crew came up the sta.
ging in their way to the galley, in quest of their meal.  " I
have not beheld the Montauk without a mast since the day
she lay a new-born child at the ship-yards. I see some half
a dozen of these mummified scoundrels dodging about on the
shore yet, though the great majority, as Mr. Dodge would
say, have manifested a decided disposition to amuse them
selves with a further acquaintance with the Dane.  In my
humble opinion, sir, that poor deserted ship will have nc
more inside of her by night, than one of Saunders' ducks
that have been dead an hour. That hearty fellow, Mr.
Monday, is hit, I fear, between wind and water, Leach?"
"He is in a bad way, indeed, as I understand from Mr
John Effingham, who very properly allows no one to dis.
turb him, keeping the state-room door closed on all but himsell and his own man."
I Ay, ay, that is merciful; a man likes a little quiet when
he is killed. As soon as the ship is more fit to be seen
lowever, it will become my duty to wait on him in,,rdrt to
31''




HOMEWARD BOUND.
see that nothing is wanting. We must offer the poor man
the consolations of religion, Mr. Blunt."
"They would certainly be desirable had we one qualified
for the task."
"I can't say as much in that way for myself, perhaps, as
I might, seeing that my father was a priest.. But then, we
masters of packets have occasion to turn our hands to a
good many odd jobs. As soon as the ship is snug, I shall
certainly take a look at the honest fellow. Pray, sir, what
became of Mr. Dodge in the skirmish?"
Paul smiled, but he prudently answered, " I believe he
occupied himself in taking notes of the combat, and I make
no doubt will do you full justice in the Active Inquirer, as
soon as he gets its columns again at his command."'
" Too much learning, as my good father used to say, ha,
made him a little mad. But I have a grateful heart to-day,
Mr. Blunt, and will not be critical.  I did not perceive
Mr. Dodge in the conflict, as Saunders calls it, but there
were so many of those rascally Arabs, that one had not an
opportunity of seeing much else. We must get the ship
outside of this reef with as little delay as possible, for to tell
you a secret"-here the captain dropped his voice to a
whisper —"there are but two rounds a-piece left for the
small arms, and only one cartridge for the four-pounder. I
own to you a strong desire to be in the offing."
"'They will hardly attempt to board us, after the specimen they have had of what we can do."
" No one knows, sir; no one knows. They keep pouring
down upon the coast like crows on the scent of a carrion,
and once done with the Dane, we shall see them in hundreds
prowling around us like wolves. How much do we want
of high water?"
" An hour, possibly. I do not think there is much time
to lose before the people get to work at the windlass."
Captain Truck nodded,' and proceeded to look into the
condition of his ground-tackle. It was a joyous but an anxous moment when the handspikes were first handled, and
m                                              De slack of one of the chains began to come in. The shil)
had been upright several hours, and no one could tell how
hard she would hang on the bottom.  As the Chain tight



HOMEWARD BOUND.                  367
ened, the gentlemen, the officers included, got uponl the bows
and looked anxiously at the eftlct of each heave; for it was
a nervous thing to be stranded on such a coast, even after
all that had occurred.'" She winls, by George!" cried the captain; " heave
together, men, and you will stir the sand!'
The men did heave, gaining inch by inch, until no efTrt
could cause the ponderous machine to turn. The mates,
and then the captain, applied their strength in succession,
and but half a turn more was gained.  Everybody was now
summoned, even to the passengers, and the enormous strain
seemed to threaten to tear the fabric asunder; and still the
ship was immoveable.
" She hangs hardest forward, sir," said Mr. Leach:'suppose wre run up the stern-boat?"
This expedient was adopted, and so nearly were the
counteracting powers balanced, that it prevailed.  A strong
heave caused the ship to start, an inch more of tide aided
the effort, and then the vast hull slowly yielded to the purchase, gradually turning towards the anchor, until the quick
blows of the pall announced that the vessel was fairly afloat
again.
"Thank God for that, as for all his mercies!" said Captain Truck.  "Heave the hussy up to her anchor, Mr.
Leach, when -we will cast an eye to her moorings."
All this was done, the ship being effectually secured, with
due attention to a change in the wind, that now promised to
be permanent.  Not a moment was lost; but, the sheers
being still standing, the foremast of the Dane was floated
alongside, fastened to, and hove into its new berth, with as
much rapidity as comported with care.  When the mast was
fairly stepped, Captain Truck rubbed his hands with delight,
and immediately commanded his subordinate to rig it,
although by this time the turn of the day had considerably
passed.
"' This is tne way with us seamen, Mr. Effingham," he
observed; "from the fall to the fight, and then again from)
the fight to the fall.  Our work, like women's, is never
done; whereas you landsmen knock off with the sun, and
sleep while the corn grows. I have always owed my pa.
rents a grudge for bringing me up to a dog's life."




368              HOMEWVARD BOJND.
"'I had understood it was a choice of your own, cap.
tain."
"Ay-so far as running away and shipping without their
knowledge was concerned, perhaps it was; but then it was
their business to begin at the bottom, and to train me up in
such a manner that I would not run away. The Lord fbrgive me, too, for thinking amiss of the two dear old people; for, to be candid wvifh you, they were much too good
to have such a son; and -I honestly believe they loved me
more than I loved myself. Well, I've the consolation of
knowing I comforted the old lady with many a pound of
capital tea after I got into the China trade, ma'amselle."
"She was fond of it?" observed the governess politely.
"She relished it very much, as a horse takes to oats, or a
child to custard.  That, and snuff and grace, composed
her principal consolations."
" Quoi?" demanded the governess, looking towards Paul
for an explanation.' Grace, mademoiselle; la grace de Dieu."
"Bien!"
"It's a sad misfortune, after all, to lose a mother, ma'am.
selle.  It is like cutting all the headfasts, and riding altogether by the stern; for it is letting go the hold of what
has gone before to grapple with the future.  It is true that
I ran away from my mother when a youngster, and thought
little of it! but when she took her turn and ran away from
me, I began to feel that I had made a wrong use of my legs.
What are the tidings from poor Mr. Monday?"
1"I understand he does not suffer greatly, but that he
grows weaker fast," returned Paul.  "I fear there is little
hope of his surviving sulch a hurt."
The captain had got out a cigar, and had beckoned to
roast for a coal; but changing his mind suddenly, he broke
the tobacco into snuff, and scattered it about the deck.
W" Why the devil is not that rigging going up, Mr. Leach?"
he cried, fiercely.  "It is not my.ntention to pass the winter at these moorings, and I solicit a little more expedi.
[ton."
"' Ay, ay, sir," returned the mate, one of a ~lass habitu
ally patient and obedient; " bear a hand; my'adc', and get
the strings into their places."




HOMEWARD BOUND.                 3~9
"C Leach," continued the captain, more kindly, and still
working his fingers unconsciously, "come this way, my
good friend. I have not expressed to you, Mr. Leach, all I
wish to say of your good conduct in this late affair. You
have stood by me like a gallant fellow throughout the whole
business, and I shall not hesitate about saying as much
when we get in.  It is my intention to write a letter to the
owners, which no doubt they'll publishl; for, whatever they
have got to say against America, no one will deny it is easy
to get any thing published.  Publishing is victuals and
drink to the nation. You may depend on having justice
done you."
"I never doubted it, Captain Truck."
"No, sir; and you never winked.  The mainmast does
not stand' up in a gale firmer than you stood up to the
niggers."
" Mr. Effingham, sir-and Mr. Sharp-and particularl)
Mir. Blunt-"
" Let me alone to deal with them. Even Toast acted like
a man. Well, Leach, they tell me poor Monday must slip,
after all."
" I am very sorry to hear it, sir; Mr. Monday laid about
him like a soldier!"
"l Ie did, indeed; but Bonaparte himself has been obliged
to give up the ghost, and Wellington must follow him some
day; even old Putnam is dead. Either you or I, or both of
us, Leach, will have to throw in some of the consolations
of religion on this mournful occasion."
"There is Mr. Effingham, sir, or Mr. John. Effingham,
elderly gentlemen with more scholarship."
"That will never do. All they can offer, no doubt, will
be acceptable, but we owe a duty to the ship. The officers
of a packet are not graceless. horse-jockeys, but sober, discreet men, and it becomes them to show that they have some
education, ahd the right sort of stuff in them on an
enmergency. I expect you will stand by me, Leach, on this
melancholy occasion, as stoutly as you stood by me this
morning."
"' I humbly hope, sir, not to disgrace the vessel, but it is
likely Mr. Monday is a Church-of-England-man, and we
both belong to the Saybrook Platform!"




370              HOMEWARD BOUN'D.
"Ah! the devil! —  forgot that! But religion is religion;
old line or new line; and I question if a man so near
unmooring will be very particular. The great thing is Consolation, and that we must contrive to give him, by hook or
by crook, when the proper moment comes; and now, Mr.
Leach, let the people push matters, and we shall have every.
thing up forward, and that mainmast stepped yet by' sunset;'
or it would be more literal to say' szn-down;'" Captain
Truck, like a true New-England-man, invariably using a
provincialism that has got to be so general in America.
The work proceeded with spirit, for every one was anxious
to get the ship out of a berth that was so critical, as well
from the constant vicinity of the Arabs as from the dangers
of the weather. The wind baffled too, as it is usual on the
margin of the trades, and at times it blew from the sea,
though it continued light, and the changes were of short
continuance. As Captain Truck hoped, when the people
ceased work  at night, the fore and fore-top-sail-yards were
in their places, the top-gallant-mast was fitted, and, with the
exception of the sails, the ship was what is called a-tanto,
forward. Aft, less had been done, though by the assistance
of the supernumeraries, who continued to lend their aid, the
two lower masts were stepped, though no rigging could be
got over them. The men volunteered to work by watches
through. the night, but to this Captain Truck would not
listen, affirming that they had earned their suppers and a
good rest, both of which they should have.
The gentlemen, who merely volunteered an occasional
drag, cheerfully took the look-outs, and as there were plenty
of fire-arms, though not much powder, little apprehension
was entertained of the Arabs. As was expected, the night
passed away tranquilly, and every one arose with the dawn
refreshed and strengthened.
The return of day, however, brought the Arabs down
upon the shore in crowds; for the last gale, which had been
unusually severe, and the tidings of-the wreaks, which had
been spread by means of the dromedaries far and wide, had
collected a force on the coast that began to be formidable
through sheer numbers. The Dane had been effectually
emptied, and plunder had the same effect on these rapacious




HOMEWARD POUND.                  371
bararians that blood is known to produce on the tiger. The
taste had begotten an appetite, and fiom the first appearance
of the light, those in the ship saw signs of a disposition to
renew the attempt on their liberty.
Happily, the heaviest portion of the work was done, and
Captain Truck determined, rather than risk another conflict
with a force that was so much augmented, to get the spars
on board, and to take the ship outside of the.ref, without
waiting to complete her equipment.  His first orders, there.
fore, when all hands were mustered, were for the boats to
get in the kedges and the stream anchor, and otherwise to
prepare to move the vessel. In the mean time other gangs
were busy in getting the rigging over the mast-heads, and in
setting it up. As the lifting of the anchors with boats was
heavy work, by the time they were got on board and stowed
it was noon, and all the yards were aloft, though not a sail
was bent in the vessel.
Captain Truck, while the people were eating, passed
through the ship examining every stay and shroud: there
were some make-shifts it is true, but on the whole he
was satisfied, though he plainly saw that the presence of the
Arabs had hurried matters a little, and that a good many
drags would have to be given as soon as they got beyond
danger, and that some attention must be paid to seizings'
still, what had been done would answer very well for moderate weather, and it was too late to stop to change.
The trade wind had returned, and blew steadily as if
finally lilkely to stand; and the water outside of the reef was
smooth enough to permit the required alterations, now that
the heavier spars were in their places.
The appearance of the Montauk certainly was not as
stately and commanding as before the wreck, but there was
an air of completeness about it that augured well. It was
that of a ship of seven hundred tons, fitted with spars intended for a ship of five hundred. The packet a little resemnbled a man of six feet, in the coat of a man of five feet
nine, and yet the discrepancy would not be apt to be noticed
by any but the initiated. Every thing essential was in its,lace, and reasonably well secured, and, as the Dane had
been rigged for a stormy sea, Captain Truck felt satisfied hi:




3I72             HOMEWARD BOUND.
might, in his present plight, venture on the American colas~
even in winter, without incurring unusual hazard.
As soon as the hour of work arrived, therefore, a boat
was sent to drop a kedge as near the inlet as it would be
safe to venture, and a little to windward of it. By making
a calculation, and inspecting his buoys, which still remained
where he had placed them, Captain Truck found that he
could get a narrow channel of sufficient directness to permit
the ship to be warped as far as this point in a straight line.
Every thing but the boats was now got on board, the anchor
by which they rode was hove up, and the warp was brought
to the capstan, when the vessel slowly began to advance
towards the inlet.
This movement was a signal to the Arabs, who poured
down on both reefs in hundreds, screaming and gesticulating
like maniacs. It required good nerves and some self-reliance
to advance in the face of such a danger, and this so much
the more, as the barbarians showed themselves in the greatest
force on the northern range of rocks, which offered a good
shelter for their persons, completely raked the channel, and,
moreover, lay so near the spot where the kedge had been
dropped, that one might have jerked a stone from the one to
the other. To add to the awkwardness of the affair, the
Arabs began to fire with those muskets that are of so little
service in close encounters, but which are notorious for
sending their shot with great precision' from a distance. The
bullets came thick upon the ship, though the stoutness of the
bulwarks forward, and their height, as yet protected the men.
In this dilernma, Captain Truck hesitated about continuing
to haul ahead, and he sent for Mr. Blunt and Mr. Leach fbr
a consultation. Both these gentlemen advised perseverance,
and as the counsel of the former will succinctly show the
state of things, it shall be given in his own words.
" Indecision is always discouraging to one's friends, and
encouraging to one's enemies,' he said,'" and I recommend
perseverance.  The nearer we haul to the rocks, the greater
will be our command of them, while the more the chances
of the Arabs' throwing their bullets on our decks will be diminished. Indeed, so long as we ride head to wind, they
aannot fire low enough to effect their object from the northl




HOMEWARD BOUND.                 373
ern reef, and on the southern they will not venture very near,
for want of cover. It is true it will be impossible for us to
bend our sails or to send out a boat in the face of so heavy
a fire, while our assailants are so effectually covered; but
we may possibly dislodge them with the gun, or with our
small-arms, from the decks. If not, I will head a party into
the tops, from which I will undertake to drive them out of
the reach of our muskets in five minutes."
" Such a step would be very hazardous to those who ven..ured aloft."
" It would not be without danger, and some loss must be
expected; but they who fight must expect risks."
" In which case it will be the business of Mr. Leach and
myself to head the parties aloft. If we are obliged to consle the dying, damn me, but we are entitled to the privilege
of fighting  the living."
" Ay, ay, sir," put in the mate; "that stands to reason.'9
"' There are three tops, gentlemen," returned Paul, mildly,
"and I respect your rights too much to wish to interfere
with them.  We can each take one, and the effect will be in
proportion to the greater means we employ,-one vigorous
assault being worth a dozen feints."
Captain Truck shook Paul heartily by the hand, and
adopted his advice.  When the young man had retired, he
turned to the mate, and said"' After all, these men-of-war's men are a little beyond
us in the science of attack and defence, though I think I
could give him a hint in the science of signs. I have had
two or three touches at privateering in my time, but no regular occupation in your broadside work. Did you see how
Mr. Blunt handled his boat yesterday?  As much like two
double blocks and a steady drag, as one belaying-pin is like
another, and as coolly as a great lady in London looks at
one of us in a state of nature. For my part, Leach, I was
as hot as mustard, and ready to cut the throat of the best
fiiend I had on earth; whereas he, was smiling as I rowed
past him, though I could hardly see his face for the smoke!f his own gun."
"Yen, sir, that's the way with your regular builts.  I'll
32




374              HOE14EWARD BOUND.
warrant you he began young, and had kicked all the passion
out of himself on old salts, by the time he was eighteen. He
doesn't seem, neither, like one of the true d-n-my-eye breed;
but it's a great privilege to a man in a passion to be allowed
to kick when and whom he likes."
" Not he. I say Leach, perhaps he might lend us a hand
when it comes to the pinch with poor Monday. I have a
great desire that the worthy fellow should take his departure
decently."
"Well, sir, I think you had better propose it. For my
part, I'm quite willing to go into all three of the tops alone,
rather than disappoint a dying man."
The captain promised to look to the matter, and then
they turned their attention to the ship, which in a few more
minutes was up as near the kedge as it was prudent to haul
her.
CIHAPTER XXVIII.
Speed, gallant bark, the tornado is past;
Staunch and secure thou hast weather'd the blast;
Now spread thy full sails to the wings of the morn,
And soon the glad haven shall greet thy return.
Park.
TrHE Montauk now lay close to the inlet, and even a little
to windward of its entrance; but the channel was crooked,
not a sail was bent, nor was it possible to bend one properly
without exposing the men to the muskets of the Arabs, who,
from firing loosely, had got to be more wary and deliberate,
aiming at the places where a head or an arm was occasionally seen. To prolong this state of things was merely ts
increase the evil, and Captain Truck determined to make an
effbrt at once to dislodge his enemies.
With this view the gun was loaded in-board, filled nearly
to the muzzle with slugs, and then it was raised with care to
the top-gallant-forecastle, and cautiously pushed forward near
the gunwale.  Had the barbarians understood the construe




HOMEWARD BOUND.                 3 7 5
lion of a vessel, they might have destroyed half the packet's
crew while they were thus engaged about tne forecastle by
~firing through the planks; but, ignorant of the weakness ol
the defences, they aimed altogether at the openings, or over
the rails.
By lowering the gaff the spanker was imperfectly bent;
that is to say, it was bent on the upper leach. The boom
was got in under cover of the hurricane-house, and of the
bundle of the sail; the out-hauler was bent, the boom replaced,
the sail being hoisted with a little and a hurried lacing to the
luff. This was not effected without a good deal of hazard,
though the nearness of the bows of the vessel to the rocks prevented most of the Arabs from perceiving what passed so far
aft.  Still, others nearer to the shore caught glimpses of the
actors, and several narrow escapes were the consequence.
The second mate, in particular, had a shot through his hat
within an inch of' his head. By a little management, notwithstanding, the luff of the spanker was made to stand
tolerably well; and the ship had at least the benefit of this
one sail.
The Dane had been a seaman of the old school; and, instead of the more modern spenser, his ship had been fitted
with old-fashioned stay-sails.  Of these it was possible to
bend the main and mizzen stay-sails in tolerable security, provided the ends of the halyards could be got down. As this,
however, would be nearly all aftersail, the captain deter.
mined to make an effort to overhaul the buntlines and
leachlines of the foresail, at the same time that men were
sent aloft after the ends of the halyards. He also thought
it possible to set a iore-topmast staysail flying.
No one was deceived in this matter.  The danger and the
mode of operating were explained clearly, and then Captain
Truck asked for volunteers. These were instantly found;
Mr. Leach and the second mate setting the example by stepping forward as the first two. In order that the whole procedure may be understood, however, it shall be explained
more fully.
Two men were prepared to run up on the foreyard at tile
word.  Both of these, one of whom was Mr. Leacd, carried
three small balls of marline, to the end of each of which




376              HOMEWARD BOUND.
was attached a cod-hook, the barb being fi ed off in order
to prevent its being caught. By means of these hooks the
balls were fastened to the jackets of the adventurers.  Two
others stood ready at the foot of the main and mizzen riggings. By the gun lay Paul and three men; while several
of the passengers, and a few of the best shots among the
crew, were stationed on the forecastle, armed with muskets
and fowling-pieces.
"Is everybody ready?" called out the captain from the
quarter-deck.
"All ready!" and "6 Ay! ay, sir!" were answered from
the different points of the ship.
"' Haul out the spanker!"
As soon as this sail was set, the stern of the ship swung
round towards the inlet, so as to turn the bow on which the
gun was placed towards the part of the reef where the Arabs
were in greatest numbers.
"Be steady, men! and do not hurry yourselves, though
active as wild-cats! Up, and away!"
The two fore-yard men, and the two by the after-masts,
sprang into the rigging like squirrels, and were running aloft
before the captain had done speaking. —At the same instant
one of the three by the gun leaped on the bowsprit, and ran
out towards the stay. Paul, and the other two, rose and
shoved the gun to its berth; and the small-arms men showed
themselves at the rails.
So many, all in swift motion, appearing at the same nloment in the rigging, distracted the attention of the Arabs for
an instant, though scattering shots were fired. Paul knew
that the danger would be greatest when the men aloft were
stationary, and he was in no haste. Perhaps for half a
minute he was busy in choosing his-object, and in levelling
the gun, and then it was fired. He had chosen the moment
well; for Mr. Leach and his fellow adventurers were already
on the fore-yard, and the Arabs had arisen from their covers
in the eagerness of taking aim.  The small-arms men poured
in their volley, and then little more could be done in the way
of the offensive, nearly all the powder in the ship having
been expended.
It remains to tell the result of this experiment.-AmoIng




HOMEWARD BOUND.                  37?.
he Arabs a few fell, and those most exposed to the fire from
the ship were staggered, losing near a minute in their confusion; but those more remote maintained hot discha:rges
after the first surprise. The whole time occuDied in what
we are going to relate was about three minutes; the action
of the several parts going on simultaneously.
The adventurer forward, though nearest to the enemy,
was least exposed. Partly covered by the bowsprit, he ran
nimbly out on that spar till he reached the stay.  Here he
cut the stop of the fore-topmast halyards, overhauled the
running part, and let the block swing in. He then hooked
a block that he had carried out with him, and in which the
bight of a rope had been rove through the thimble, and ran
in as fast as possible.  This duty, which had appeared the
most hazardous of all the different adventures, on account
bof the proximity of the bowsprit to the reef, was the first
done, and with the least real risk; the man being partly
concealed by the smoke of the gun, as well as by the bowsprit. He escaped uninjured.
As the two men aft pursued exactly the same course, the
movements of one will explain those of the other. On reaching the yard, the adventurer sprang on it, caught the hook
of the halyard-block, and threw himself off without an in
stant's hesitation, overhauling the halyards by his weight
Men stood in readiness below to check the fall by easing ofl
the other end of the rope, and the hardy fellow reached the
deck in safety. This seemed a nervous undertaking to the
landsmen; but the seamen who so well understood the machinery of their vessel, made light of it.
On the fore-yard, Mr. Leach passed out on one yard-arm,
and his co-adventurer, a common seaman, on the other.
Each left a hook in the knot of the inner buntline, as he
went out, and dropped the ball of marline on deck. The
same was done at the outer buntlines, and at the leachlines.
Here the mate returned, according to his orders, leaped upon
"he rigging, and thence upon a backstay, when he. slid on
deck with a velocity that set aim  at defiance. Notwithstanding the quickness of his motions, Mr. Leach received a
trifling lit on the shoulder, and several bullets whizzed neat
u1.~m.
00. 




3713              HOMEWARD BOUND.
The seaman on the other yard-arm  succeeded equallv
well, escaping the smallest injury, until he had secured the
leachline, when, knowing the usefulness of, obtaining it,
for he was on the weather side of the ship, he determined
to bring in the end of the reef-tackle with him.  Calling,
out to let go the rope on the deck, he ran out to the lift,
bent over and secured the desired end, and raised himself'
erect, with the intention to make a run in, on the top of
the yard. Captain Truck and the second mate had both
commanded him to desist in vain, for impunity from harm
had rendered him fool-hardy. In this perilous position he
even paused to give a cheer.  The cry was scarcely ended
when he sprang off the yard several feet upwards and fell
perpendicularly towards the sea, carrying the rope in his
hand.  At first, most on board believed the man had jumped
into the water as the least hazardous means of getting
down, depending( on the rope, and on swimming, for his
security; but Paul pointed out the spot of blood that
stained the surface of the sea, at the point where he had
fallen.  The reef-tackle was rounded cautiously in, and its
end rose to the surface without the hand that had so lately
grasped it. The man himself never re-appeared.
Captain Truck had now the means of setting three staysails, the spanker, and the fore-course; sails sufficient, he
thought, to answer his present purposes.-The end of the
reel'tackle, that had been so dearly bought, was got in, by
means of a light line, which was thrown around it.
The order was now given to brail the spanker, and to
clap on and weigh the kedge, which was done by the run.
As soon as the ship was free of the bottom, the foretopmast-staysail was set flying, like a jib-top-sail, by hauling out the tack, and swaying upon the halyards. The
sheet was hauled to windward, and the helm put down; of
course the bows of the ship began to fall off. and, as soon
as her head was sufficiently near her course, the sheet was
drawn, and the wheel shifted.
Captain T'ruck now ordered the foresail, which, by this
time was ready, to be set.  This important sail was got on
he vessel, by bending the buntlines and leachlines to its!ead, and by hauling out the weather-head-cringle by




HOMEWARD BOUND.                 379
means of the reef tackle.  As soon as this broad spread of
canvas was on the ship, her motion was accelerated, and
she began to move away friom the spot,:' followed by the
furious cries and menaces of the Arabs.  To the latter no
one paid any heed, but they were audible until drowned in
distance. Although aided by all her spars, and the force
of the wind on her hull, a body as large as the Montauk
required some little time to overcome the vis inertia, and
several anxious minutes passed before she was so far from
the cover of the Arabs as to prevent their clamour from
seeming to be in the very ears of those on board.  When
this did occur, it brought inexpressible relief, though it perhaps increased the danger, by increasing the chances of
the bullets hitting objects on deck.
The course at first was nearly before the wind, when
the flat rock, so often named, being reached, the ship was
compelled to haul up on an easy bowline, in order to pass
to windward of it.  Here the staysails aft and the spanker
were set, which aided in bringing the vessel to the wind,
and the fore-tack was brought down. By laying straight
out of the pass, a distance of only a hundred yards, the
vessel would be again clear of every thing, and beyond all
the dangers of the coast, so long as the present breeze
stood. But the tide set the vessel bodily towards the rock,
and her condition did not admit of pressing hard upon a
bowline.  Captain Truck was getting to be uneasy, for he
soon perceived that they were nearing the danger, though
very gradually, and he began to tremble for his copper.
Still the vessel drew steadily ahead, and he had hopes of
passing the outer edge of the rocks in safety.  This outer
edge was a broken, ragged, and pointed fragment, that
would break in the planks should the vessel rest upon it
an instant, while falling in that constant heaving and setting of the ocean, which now began to be very sensibly
felt. After all his jeopardy, the old mariner saw that
his safety was at a serious hazard, by one of those unforeseen but common risks that environ the. seaman's life.
".Luff! luff! you can," cried Captain Truck, glancing
his eye from the rock to the sails, and from the sails to the'ock.  "Luff, sir-you are at the pinch!"




380              HOMEWARD BOUND.
"Luff it is sir!" answered the man at the wheel, whlw
stood abaft the hurricane-house, covered by its roof, over
which he was compelled to look, to get a view of the sails.
" Luff I may, and luff it is, sir."
Paul stood at tile captain's side, the crew being ordered
to keep themselves as much covered as possible, on account
of the bullets of the Arabs, which were at this time pattering against the vessel, like hail at the close of a storm.' We shall not weather that point of ragged rock," ex.
claimed the young man, quickly; " and if we touch it the
ship will be lost."
" Let her claw off," returned the old man sternly. "Her
cutwater is up with it already.  Let her claw off."
The bows of the ship were certainly up with the danger, and the vessel was slowly drawing ahead; but every
moment its broadside was set nearer to the rock, which
was now within fifty feet of them. The fore-chains were
past the point, though little hope remained of clearing it
abaft. A ship turns on her centre of gravity as on a pivot,
the two ends inclining in opposite directions; and Captain
Truck hoped that as the bows were past the danger, it
might be possible to throw the after-part of the vessel up
to the wind, by keeping away, and thus clear the spot entirely.,' Hard up with your helm!" he shouted; "hard up!Haul down the mizzen-staysail, and give her sheet!"
The sails were attended to, but no answer came from the
wheel, nor did the vessel change her course.
"1 Hard up, I tell you, sir-hard up-hard up, and be
d-d to you!"
The usual reply was not made. Paul sprang through the
narrow gangway that led to the wheel. All that passed
took but a minute, and yet it was the most critical minute
that had yet befallen the Montauk; for had she touched
that rock but for an -instant, human art could hardly have
kept her above water an hour.
(' Hard up, and be d —d to you!" repeated Captain
Truck, in a voice of thunler, as Paul darted round the
corner of the hurricane-house.
The seaman stood at the wheel, grasping its spokes




HOMEWARD BOUND.                 38 1
firmly, his eyes aloft as usual, but the turns of the tiller
rope showed that the order was not obeyed.
"Hard up, man, hard up! are you mad?"  Paul utter.
ed these words as he sprang to the wheel, which he made
whirl with his own hands in the required direction. As for
the seaman, he yielded his hold without resistance, and fell
like a log, as the wheel flew round. A ball had entered his
back, and passed through his heart, and yet he had stood
steadily to the spokes, as the true mariner always clings
to the helm while life lasts.
The bows of the ship fell heavily off, and her stern pressed up towards the wind; but the trifling delay so much augmented the risk, that nothing saved the vessel but the formation of the run and counter, which, by receding as usual,
allowed room to escape the dangerous point, as the Montauk
hove by on a swell.
Paul could not see the nearness of the escape, but the purity of the water permitted Captain Truck and his mates
to observe it with a distinctness that almost rendered them
breathless. Indeed there was an instant when the sharp
rock was hid beneath the counter, and each momentarily
expected to hear the grating of the fragment, as it penetrated the vessel's bottom.
"Relieve that man at the wheel, and send him hither
this moment," said Captain Truck, in a calm stern voice,
that was more ominous than an oath.
The mate called a seaman, and passed aft himself to execute the order.  In a minute he and Paul returned, bearing
the body of the dead mariner, when all was explained.
"Lord, thy ways are unsearchable!" muttered the old
master, uncovering himself, as the corpse was carried past,
" and we are but as grains of seed, and as the vain butterflies in thy hand!"
The rock once cleared, an open ocean lay to leeward
of the packet, and bringing the wind a little abaft the beam,
she moved steadily away from those rocks that had been
the witnesses of all her recent dangers. It was not long
before she was so distant that all danger from the Arabs
ceased.  The barbarians, notwithstanding, continued a
Iropping fire and furious gesticulations, long after their




HOMEWARD BOUND.
hullets and menaces became matters of indifference to those
on board.
The body of the dead man was laid between the masts,
and the order was passed to bend the sails. As all was
ready, in half an hour the Montauk was standing off the
land under her three topsails, the reef now distant nearly a
league.  The courses came next, when the top-gallant
yards were crossed and the sails set; the lighter canvas
followed, and some time before the sun disappeared, the
ship was under studding-sails, standing to the westward,
before the trades.
For the first time since he received the intelligence that
the Arabs were the masters of the ship, Captain Truck now
Celt real relief. He was momentarily happy after the combat, but new cares had pressed upon him so soon, that he
could scarcely be said to be tranquil. Matters were now
changed.  His vessel was in good order, if not equipped for
racing, and, as he was in a low latitude, had the trade winds
to befriend him, and no longer entertained any apprehension
of his old enemy the Foam, he felt as if a mountain had
been removed from his breast.
" Thank God," he observed to Paul, " I shall sleep tonight without dreaming of Arabs or rocks, or scowling
faces at New York. They may. say that another man
might have shown more skill in keeping clear of such a
scrape, but they will hardly say that another man could
have got out of it better. - All this handsome outfit, too,
will cost the owners nothing-literally nothing; and I
question if the poor Dane will ever appear to claim the
sails and spars. I do not know that we are in possession
of them exactly according: to the law of Africa, for of that
code I know little; -or according to the law of nations, for
Vattel, I believe, has nothing on the subject; but we are in
possession so effectually, that, barring the nor'-westers on
the American coast, I feel pretty certain of keeping them
until we make the East River."
" It might be better to bury the dead," said Paul; foi
he knew Eve would scarcely appear on deck as long as the
body remained in sight.  "Seamen, you know, are super
stitious on the subject of corpses."




HOMEWARD BOUND.                 383':  have thought of this' but hoped to cheat those two
rascals of sharks that are following in our wake, as if they
scented their food. It is an extraordinary thing, Mr. Blunt,
that these fislh should know when there is a body in a
ship, and that they will follow it a hundred leagues to make
sure of their prey."
"It would be extraordinary, if true; but in what manner
has the fact been ascertained?"
" You see the two rascally pirates astern?" observed Mr.
Leach.'" Very true; but we might also see them were there no
dead body about the ship. Sharks aboun'd in this latitude,
and I have seen several about the reef since we went in.
"' They'll be disappointed as to poor Tom Smith," said
the mate,'" unless they dive deep for him. I have lashed
one of Napoleon's busts to the fine fellow's feet, and he'll
not fetch up until he's snugly anchored on the bottom."
" This is a fitting hour for solemn feelings," said the
captain, gazing about him at the heavens and the gathering
gloom of twilight. " Call all- hands to bury the dead, Mr.
Leach.  I confess I should feel easier myself as to the
weather, were the body fairly out of the ship."
While the mate went forward to muster the people, the
captain took Paul aside with a request that he would perform
the last offices for the deceased.
"' I will read a chapter in the Bible myself," he said;
"for I should not like the people to see one of the crew go
overboard, and the officers have no word to say in the ceremonies; it might beget disrespect, and throw a slur on our
knowledge; but you: man-of-war's-men are generally more
regularly brought up to prayers than us liners, and if you
have a proper book by you, I should feel infinitely obliged
if you would give us a lift on this melancholy occasion."'
Paul proposed that Mr.- Effinaham should be asked to
officiate, as he knew that gentleman read prayers in his
cabin, to his own party, night and morning.
"Does he?" said the captain; "then he is my man, for
he must have his hand in, and there will be no stammering
or boggling. Ay, ay; he'will fetch through on one tack.
Toast, go below, and present my compliments to Mr. Effing




384              HOMEWARD BOUND
ham, and say I should like to speak to him; and, harkee.
Toast, desire him to put a prayer-book in his pocket, anl.
then step into my state-room, and bring up the Bible you
will find under the pillow. The Arabs had a full chance at
the plunder; but there is something about the book that
always takes care of it. Few rogues, I've often remaifked,
care about a Bible. They would sooner steal ten novels
than one copy of the sacred writ. This of mine was my
mother's, Mr. Blunt, and I should have been a better man
had I overhauled it oftener."
We pass over most of the arrangements, and come at
once to the service, and to the state of the ship, just as her
inmate were assembled on an occasion which no want of
formality can render any thing but solemn and admonitory.
The courses were hauled up, and the main-topsail had been
laid to the mast, a position in which a ship has always an
air of stately repose. The body was stretched on a plank
that lay across a rail, the leaden bust being enclosed in the
hammock that enveloped it. A spot of blood on the cloth
alone betrayed the nature of the death. Around the body
were grouped the crew, while Captain Truck and his mates
stood at the gangway. The passengers were collected on
the quarter-deck, with Mr. Effingham, holding a prayerbook, a little in advance.
The sun had just dipped into the ocean, and the whole
western horizon was glorious with those soft, pearly, rainbow hues that adorn the evening and the morning of a low
latitude, during the soft weather of the autumnal months.
To the eastward, the low line of coast was just discernible
by the hillocks of sand, leaving the imagination to portray
its solitude and wastes. The sea in all other directions was
dark and gloomy, and the entire character of the sunset was
that of a grand picture of ocean magnificence and extent,
relieved by a sky in which the tints came and went like the
well-known colours of the dolphin; to this must be added
the gathering gloom of twilight.
Eve pressed the arm of John Effingham, and gazed with
admiration and awe at the imposing scene.
"This is the seaman's grave!" she whispered.' And worthy it i: to be the tomb of so gallant a fellow




I OMEVi ARD  BOUsD.               385
Tile moan died clinging to his post; and P]ow.is tells min that
his hanlld was loosened from the wheel with dcifficlty."
They were silent, for Captain Truck uncovered himself,
as did all around him, placed his spectacles, and opened the
sacred volume.  The old mariner was far firom critical in his
selections of readings, and he usually chose some subject
that he thought would most interest his hearers, which were
ordinarily those that most interested himself. To him Bible
wa, Bible, qnd he now turned to the passage in the Acts of
the Apostles in which the voyag.e of St. Paul from Judclea to
Rome is related.  This he read with steadiness, some quaintness of pronunciation, and with a sort of breathing elast.city, whenever he came to those verses that touched particlalarll on the navigation.
Paul maintained his perfect self-command during this extraordinary exhibition, but an unbidden smile lingered around
the handsome and chiseled mouth of Mr. Sharp.  John
Efinglham's curved face was sedate and composed, while the
females were too much impressed to exhibit avy levity.  As
to the crew, they listened in profound attention, occasionally
exchanging glances whenever any of the nautical expedients
struck them as being out of rule.
As soon as this edifying chapter was ended, Mr. Effingham commenced the solemn rites for the dead. At. the first
sound of his voice, a calm fell on the vessel as if the spirit
of God had alighted from  the clouds, and a thrill passed
through the frames of the listeners.  Those solemn words
of the Apostle commencing with "I am the resurrection and
the life, saith the Lord, he that believeth in me, though he
were dead, yet he shall live: and whosoever liveth and believeth in me, he shall never die," could not have been better
delivered.  The voice, intonation, utterance, and manner, of
Mr. Effingham, were eminently those of a gentleman; without pretension,.quiet, simple, and mellow, while, on the other
hand, they were feeling, dignified, distinct, and measured.
When he pronounced'the words "I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon
the earth. and though, after my skin, worms destroy lmy
body, yet in my flesh shall I see God," &c. &c. the men
stared about them as if a real voice from heaven hadl made
33




386                HIOMEWARD BJUND).
the declarationl, antid Captain Truck look,;d caloft like one expeo tillo a trumpet-blast.  The tears of Eve beolan to flow an
she listened to the much-loved toiles'; and the stoutest heart
in that mnch tried ship quailed.  John Effingham made the
res;ponses of the psalm  steadily, and Mr. Sharp and Ppual
soon joined him.  But the profoundest effect was produce,  I
wlh.en the office reached those consoling but startling words
from the Revelations, commencing with, "I heard a voice
from>l Heaven saying unto me write, from henceforth blessed
are the dead who die in the Lord," &c.  Captain Truck atteotwards confessed that he thought he heard the very voice,
and the men actually pressed together in their alarm.  The
plunge of the body was also a solemn instant.  It went off
the end of the plank feet foremost, and, carried rapidly down
by the great weight of the lead, the water closed above it,
obliterating every trace of the seaman's grave. Eve thought
that its exit resembled the few brief hours that draw the veil
of oblivion around the mass of mortals when they disappear
from earth.
Instead of asking for the benediction at the close of the
ceremony, Mr. Effingham  devoutly and calmly commenced
the psalm of thanksgiving for victory, "If the Lord had not
been on our side, now may we say, if the'Lord himself had
not been on our side, when men rose up against us, they
would have swallowed us up quick, when they were so
wrathfully displeased with us."  Most of the gentlnelmen
joined in the responses, and the silvery voice of Eve sounded
sweet and holy amid the breathings of the ocean. Te Deunn
Laudagmus, "We praise thee, O God! we acknowledge thee
to be the Lord!" "'All the earth doth worship thee, the
Father everlasting;" closed the offices, when Mr. Effinghamrn
dismissed his congregation with the usual layman's request
for the benediction.
Captain Truck had never before been so deeply impressed
with any religious ceremony, and when it ceased he looked
wistfully over the side at the spot where the body had
fallen, or where it might be supposed to have fallen —fot
the ship had drifted some distance-as one takes a lasi
look at the grave of a friend.
"Shall we fill the  main-topsail, sir "  demanded MN




HOMEWARD BOUND.                  387
Leach, after waiting' a minute or two in deference to his
commander's feelings; "or shall we h,ok on the yardtackles, and stow the launch V"
"Not yet, Leach; not yet. It will be unkind to poor
Jack to huairy away firom his grave so indecently.  I have
~observed that the people about the river always keep in
sight till the last sod is stowed, and the rubbish is cleared
away. The fine fellow stood to those spokes as a closereefed topsail in a gale stands the surges of the wind, and
we owe him this little respect."
"The boats, sir?"
"i'et them  tow awhile longer.  It will seem like deserting lhim to be rattling the yard-tackles and stowing boats
directly over his head. Your gran'ther was a priest, Leach,
and I wonder you don't see the impropriety of hurrying
away from a grave. A little reflection will hurt none or
s.'."
The mate admired at a mood so novel for his commander, but he was fain to submit. The day was fast closing notwithstanding, and the skies were losing their brilliancy in
hues that were still softer and more melancholy, as if nature delighted, too, in sympathizing with the feelings of these
lone mariners!
CHAPTER XXIX.
Sir,'tis my occupation to be plain.
LEAR..TIIE barbarians had done much less injury to the ship
and her contents than under the circumstances could have
been reasonably hoped. The fact that nothing could be
effectually landed where she lay was probably the cause,
the bales that had actually been got out of the ship, having
been put upon the bank with a view to lighten her, more
than for any other reason. The compact, too, between the




8388              LHOMEWARD BOUNt).
chiefs had its influence probably, though it could not have
lasted long with so strong temptations to violate it con4tantly before the eyes of men habitually rapacious.
Of course, one of the first things after each individlllal
had ascertained his own losses, was to inquire into those of
his neighbours, and the usual party in the ladies' cabin was
seated around the sofa of Eve, about nine in the evening,
conversing on this topic, after having held a short but
serious discourse on their recent escape.
" You tell me, John, that Mr. Monday has a desire to
sleep?" observed Mr. Effingham, in the manner in which
one puts an interrogation.
"ie is easier, and dozes.  I have left my man with him,
with orders to summon me the instant he awakes."
A melancholy pause succeeded, and then the discourse
took the channel from which it had been diverted.
"Is the extent of our losses in effects known?" asked
Mr. Sharp.  "My man reports some trifling deficit, but
nothing of any value."
"Your counterfeit," returned Eve, smiling, "has been
the principal sufferer. One would think by his plaints, that
not a toy is left in Christendom."
"So long as they have not stolen from  him  his good
nanme, I shall not complain, as I may have some use tor it
when we reach America, of which now, God be praised!
there are some flattering prospects."
"'I understand from my conrlexions that the person who
is known in the main cabin as Sir George Templemore, is
not the person who is known as such in this," observed
John Effingham, bowing to Mr. Sharp, who returned his
salute as one acknowledges an informal introduction.
"There are certainly weak men to be found in high stations all over the world, but you will probably think I am
doing honour to my own sagacity, when I say, that I suspected from the first that he was not the true Amphitryon.
I had heard of Sir George Templemore, and had been
taught to expect more in him than even a man of fashiona man of the world-while this poor substitute can scarcely
lay claim to be either."
John Effingham  so seldom  complimented that his kinl




HOMEWARD BOUND.                    389
wolrdls usually told, and Mr. Sharp acknowledged the politeness, mnore gratified than he was probably willing to acknowledge to himself.  The other could have heard of him
only from  Eve and her father, and it was doubly grateful
to be spoken of favourably in such a quarter: he thought
there was a consciousness in the slight suffusion that appeared on the face of the daughter, which led him to hope
that even the latter had not considered him unworthy of
recollection; for he cared but little for the remembrances
tof Mr. Effingham, if they could all be transferred to his
2hild.
"'This person, who does me the honour to relieve me
from  the trouble of bearing my own name," he resumed,
" cannot be of very lofty pretensions, or he would have aspired higher. I suspect him of being merely one of those
silly young countrymen of mine, of whom so many crowd
stage-coaches and packets, to swagger over their less ambitious fellow-mortals with the strut and exactions of the
hour."
"And yet, apart from  his folly in'sailing under false
colours,' as our worthy captain would call it, the man seems
well enough."
" A  folly, cousin Jack," said Eve with laughing eyes
though she maintained a perfect demureness with her beautiful features-" that he shares in common with so many
others!"
" Very true, though I suspect he has climbed to commit
it, while others have been content to descend. The man
himself behaved well yesterday, showing steadiness as well
as spi'rit in the fray."
"I forgive him his usurpation for his conduct on that occasion," returned Mr. Sharp, " and wish with all my heart
the Arabs had discovered less affection for his curiosities. I
should think that they must find themselves embarrassed to
ascertain the uses of some of their prizes; such for instance,
as the button-hooks, the shoe-horn, knives with twenty
blades, and other objects that denote a profound civilization."
"You have not spoken of your luck, Mr. Powis," added
Mr. Effingham; "I trust you have fared as well as most
of us, though had they visited their enemies according to
33 *




39t3)              HOMEWARD BOI'ND.
tile injury received from them, you would be among the
heaviest of the sufferers."
"My loss," replied Paul, mournfully,." is not much in
pecuniary value, though irreparable to me."
A look of concern betrayed the general interest, for as
he really seemed sad, there was a secret apprehension that
his loss even exceeded that which his words would give
thenl reason to suppose. Perceiving the curiosity that was
awakened, and which was only suppressed by politeness,
the young man added,
" I mniss a Ininiature that, to me, is of inestimable value."
Eve's heart throbbed, while her eyes sunk to the carpet.
The others seemed amazed, and after a brief pause, Mr.
Sharp observed" A painting on its own account would hardly possess
much value with such barbarians.  Was the setting valnable?"
" It was of gold, of course, and had some merit in the
way of workmanship.  It has probably been taken as curious rather than for its specific value; though tc me, as I
have just said, the ship itself could scarcely be of more account-certainly not as much prized."
"Many light articles have been merely mislaid; taker
away through curiosity or idleness, and left where the individual happened to be at the moment of changing his mind,"
said John Effingham: "several things of mine have been
scattered through the cabins in this manner, and I understand that divers vestments of the ladies have found their
way into the state-rooms of the other cabin; particularly a
night-cap of Mademoiselle Viefville's, that has been discovered in Captain Truck's room, and which that gallant
seaman has forthwith condemned as a lawful waif. As he
never uses. such a device on his head, he will be compelled
to wear it next his heart.  He will be compelled to convert
it into a liberty-cap."
" Ciel! if the excellent captain will carry us safe to New
York," coolly returned the governess, "he shall have the
prize, de tout mon cour; c'cst un hommne brave, et c'est azussi
un brave homme, d sa faon."
"lHere are two hearts concerned in the affair already,




HOMEWARLD BOUND.                  8391
and no one can foresee the consequences; but," turning to
Paul, "describe, this miniature, if you please, for there are
many in the vessel, and yours is not the only one that has
been mislaid."
"It was a miniature of a fenmale, and one, too, I think,
that would be remarked for her beauty."
Eve felt a chill at her heart.
"I;f, sir, it is the miniature of an elderly lady," said Ann
Sidley, "perhaps it is this which I found in Miss Eve's
room, and which I intended to give to Captain Truck in order that it might reach the hands of its right owner."
Paul took the miniature, which he regarded coldly for a
moment, and then returned to the nurse.
" Mine is the miniature of a female under twenty," he
said, colouring as he spoke; "and is every way different
from this."
This was the painful and humiliating moment when Eve
Effingham was made to feel the extent and the nature of
the interest she took in Paul Powis. On all the previous
occasions in which her feelings had been strongly awakened
on his account, she had succeeded in deceiving herself as
to the motive, but now the truth was felt in that overwhelming form that no sensitive heart can distrust.
No one had seen the miniature, though all observed the
emotion with which Paul spoke of it, and all secretly wondered of whom it could be.
"The Arabs appear to have some such taste for the fine
arts as distinguishes the population of a mushroom Amerlcan city," said John Effingham; "or one that runs to portraits, which are admired while the novelty lasts, and then
are consigned to the first spot that offers to receive them:."
"Are your miniatures all safe, Eve?" Mr. Effingham
inquired with interest; for among them was one of her motller that he had yielded to her only through strong parental affection, but which it would have given him deep
pain to discover was lost, though John Effingham, unknown
to him, possessed a copy.
"It is with the jewellery in the baggage-room, dearest
father, and untouched of course.  We are fortunate that
rur passing wants did not extend beyond our comforts,




392                 HOMEW.ARD BOUND,
and luckily they are not of a nature to be much prized by
barbarians  Coquetry and a ship have little in common,
and AMademloiselle Viefville and myself had not much olt
to tempt the marauders."
As Eve uttered this, both the young men involuntarily
turned their eyes towards her, each thinking that a being
so fair stood less in need than common of the factitious aid
of ornme-rnts.  She was dressed in a dark French chintz,
that her maid had fitted to her person in a manner that it
would scene none but a French assistant can accomplish,
netting off her falling shoulders, finely moulded bust, and
slender-rounded waist, in a way to present a modest ouitline
of their perfection.  The dress had that polished medium
between fashion and its exaggeration, that always denotes.
a high association, and perhaps a cultivated mind —certainly
a cultivated taste-offending neither usage on the one ha-nd,
nor self-respect and a chaste appreciation of beauty on the
other.  Indeed Eve was distinguished for that important
acquisition to a gentlewoman, an intellectual or refined
toilette; not intellect and refinement in extravagance and
caricature, but as they are displayed in fitness, sirnplicity,
elegance, and the proportions. This much, perlhaps, she
owed to native taste, as the slight air of fashion, and the
high air of a gentlewoman, that were thrown about her
person and attire, were the fruits of an intimate connexion
with the best society of half the capitals of the European
continent.  As an unmarried female, modesty, the habits
of tile part of the world in which she had so'long dwelt,
and her own sense of propriety, caused her to respect simplicity of appearance; but through this, as it might be in
spite of herself, shone qualities of a superior order.  The
little hand and foot, so beautiful and delicate, the latter just
peeping from  the dress under which it was usually concealed, appeared as if formed expressly to adorn a taste
that was every way feminine and alluring.
6It is one of the mysteries of the grand designs of Providence, that men should exist in, conditions so widely distant
frollm each other," said John Effingham abruptly, "with a
comlnmon nature that can be so mLuch varied by circumstances.  It is almost humiliatingo to find one's-self a man, N'hen
beingls like these Arabs are to be classed as fellows."




HOMEWARD BOUND.                   393
"The most instructed and refined, cousin Jack, may get
a useful lesson, notwithstanding your disrelish for the consanguinity, from  this very identity of nature," said Eve,
who made a rally to overcome feelings that she deemed
girlish and weak.  " By showing us what we might be ourselves, we get an admonition of humility; or by reflecting
on the difference that is imade by education, does it not
strike you that there is an encouragement to persevere until better things are attained?"
"'This globe is but a ball, and a ball, too, insignificant,
even when compared with the powers of man," continued
the other.  " How many navigators now circle it! even you,
sir, may have done this, young as you still are," turning
to Paul, who made a bow of assent; "and yet, within these
narrow limits, what wonderful varieties of physical appearance, civilization, laws, and even of colour, do we find, all
mixed up with points of startling affinity."
"So far as a limited experience has enabled me to judge,"
observed Paul; "I have every where found, not only the
same nature, but a common innate sentiment of justice that
seems universal; for even amidst the wildest scenes of violence,, or of the most ungovernable outrages, this sentiment
glimmers through the more brutal features of the being.
The rights of property, for instance, are every where acknowledged; the very wretch who steals whenever he can,
appearing conscious or his crime, by doing it clandestinely,
and as a deed that shuns observation.  All seem to have
the same general notions of natural justice, and they are
forgotten only through the policy of systems, irresistible
temptation, the pressure of want, or the result of contention."
"Yet, as a rule, man every where oppresses his weaker
fellow."
" True; but he betrays consciousness of his error, di.
rectly or indirectly. One can show his sense of the magnitude of his crime even by the manner of defending it. As
respects our late enemies, I cannot say I felt any emotion
of animosity while the hottest engaged against them, for
their usages have rendered their proceedings lawful."
"They tell me," interrupted Mr. Effingham  "tllhat it is




394                 OIMEWVARD BOUND.
owing to your presence of mind and steadiness that mnore
blood was not shed unnecessarily."
"It may be questioned," continued Paul, noticing this
compliment merely by an inclination of the head," it' civilized people have not reasoned themselves, under the influence of interest, into the commission of deeds quite as much
opposed to natural justice as anything done by these barbarians. Perhaps no nation is perfectly free from the just
imputation of having adopted some policy quite as unjustifiable in itself as the system 6f plunder maintained among
the Arabs."
D" Do you count the rights of hospitality as nothing?"
"Look at France, a nation distinguished for refinement,
among its rulers, at least. It was but the other day that the
effects of the stranger who died in her territory were appropriated to the use of a monarch wallowing in luxury.
Compare this law with the treaties that invited strangers to
repair to the country, and the wants of the monarch who
exhibited the rapacity, to the situation of'the barbarians
from whom we have escaped, and the magnitude of the
temptation we offered, and it does not appear that the advantage is much with Christians.  But the fate of, shipwrecked mariners all over the world is notorious.  In countries the most advanced in civilization they are plundered,
if there is an opportunity, and, at need, frequently murdered."
" This is a frightful picture of humanity," said Eve
shuddering.  " I do not think that this charge can be justly
brought against America."
"'That is far from certain. America has many advantages to weaken the temptation to crime, but she is Very
far from perfect. The people on some of her coasts have
been accused of resorting to the old English practice of
showing false lights, with a view to mislead vessels, and of
committing cruel depredations on the wrecked.  In all
things I believe there is a disposition in man to make imisfortune weigh heaviest on the unfortunate.  Even the coffin
in which we inter a friend costs more than any other piece
of work of the same amount of labour and materials,."
"This is a gloomy picture of humanity, to be drawn by
o;.e so young," Mr. Effinghaml mildly rejoined.




HOME WAiD BOUND.                  295
" I think it true. All men do not exhibit their sulfishn,ss
and ferocity in the same way; but there are few who,o
not exhibit both.  As for America, Miss Effinglam, she is
fast getting vices peculiar to herself and her system, a,,d,
I think, vices which bid fair to bring her down, ere long. to
the common level, although I do not go quite so far in cni
scribing her demerits as some of the countrymen of Mado
imoiselle Viefville have gone."
" And what may that have been?" asked the governess
eagerly, in English.
"'Po(urrie avant d'etre musre. MfiV'e, Amnerica is certainly
far frolml being; but I ami not disposed to accuse her yet of
being quite pou?krie."
" AWe had flattered ourselves," said Eve, a little reproaehfully, "with having at last found a countryman in Mr.
Powis."
" And how would that change the question?  Or. do you
admit that an American can be no American, unleis blind
to the faults of the country, however great?"
" VWould it be generous for a child to turn upon a Darent
that all others assail?"
" You put the case ingeniously, but scarcely with tairness.
It is the duty of the parent to educate and correct the child,
but it is the duty of the citizen to reform and improve the
character of his country.  How can the latter be done, if
nothing but eulogies are dealt in? With foreigners, one
should not deal too freely with the faults of his country,
though even with the liberal among them one would wish
to be liberal, for foreigners cannot repair the evil; but with
one's countrymen I see little use and much danger, in observing a silence as to faults.  The American, of all others,
it appears to me, should be the boldest in denouncing the
common and national vices, since he is one of those who,
by the institutions themselves, has the power to apply the
remedy."
"But America is an exception, I think, or perhaps it
would be better to say Ifeel, since all other people deride
at, mock her, and dislike her. You will admit this yourself,
Sir George Templemore?"
" B- no means: in England, now, I consider America to
he particularly well esteemed."




396                HOMEWARD BOUN'D.
Eve held up her pretty hands, and even Made-nmoiselle
Viefville, usually so well-toned and self-restrained, gave a
visible shrug.
" Sir George means in his country," dryly observed John
Effingham.
"Perhaps the parties would better understand each other,"
said Paul, coolly, " were Sir George Templemore to descend
to particulars. He belongs himself to the liberal school, and
may be considered a safe witness."
"I shall be compelled to protest against a cross-examination on such a subject," returned the baronet, laughing.
" You will be satisfied, I am certain, with my simple declaration.  Perhaps we still regard the Americans as tant soil
peu rebels; but that is a feeling that will soon cease."
"-That is precisely the point on which I think liberal
Englishman usually do great justice to America, while it is
on other points that they betray a national dislike."
"England believes America hostile to herself; and if love
creates love, dislike creates dislike."
" This is at least something like admitting the truth of the
charge, Miss Effingham," said John Effingham, smiling,
"and we may dismiss the accused.  It is odd enough that
England should consider America as rebellious, as is the
case with many Englishmen, I acknowledge, while, in truth,
England herself was the rebel, and this, too, in connexion
with the very questions that produced the American revolution."
"'This is quite new,' said Sir George, "and I confess
some curiosity to see how it can be made out."
John Effilnham did not hesitate about stating his case.'In the first place you are to forget professino-s and
namlres," he said, "and to look only at facts and things,
W~hen America was settled, a compact was made, either in
the way of charters or of organic laws, by which all the
colonies had distinct rights, while, on the other hand, they
confessed allegiance to the king. But in that age the English
monarch was a king.  Hie used his veto on the laws, for instance, and otherwise exercised lhis prerogatives. Of the two,
he influenced parliament more than parliament influenced
him.  In such a state of things, countries separated by an,




HOMEWARD BOUND.                   807
ocean might be supposed to be governed equitably, the commoll monarch feeling a common parental regard for all his
subjects.  Perhaps distance might render him even more
tender of the interest of those who were, not present to protect themlselves."
"This is putting the case loyally, at least," said Sir
George, as the other paused for a imomnent.
" It is precisely in that light that I wish to present it. The
degree of power that parliament possessed over the colonies
was a disputed point; but I am willing to allow that parliament hlad all power."
"In doing which, I fear, you will concede all the merits,"
said Mr. Effilgham.
" I think not.  Parliamenit then ruled the colonies absolutely and legally, if yout1 please, under the Stuarts; but tile
English rebelled against these Stuarts, dethroned them, and
gave the crown to an entirely new fainily —one with only
a remote alliance with the reigning branch.  Not satisfied
with this, the king was curtailed in his authority; the prince,
who might with justice be supposed to feel'a common interest in all his subjects, became a mere machine in the hands
of a body who represented little more than themselves, in
fact, or a mere fragment of the empire, even in theory;
transferring the control of the colonial interest from  the
sovereign himself to a portion of his people, and that, too,
a small portion.  This was no longer a. government of a
prince who felt a parental concern for all his subjects; but a
government of a clique of his subjects, who felt a selfish
concern only for their own interests."
" And did the Americans urge this reason for the revolt?"
asked Sir George.  "It sounds new to me."
"They quarreled with the results, rather than with the
cause.  When they found that legislation was to be chiefly
in the interests of England, they took the alarm, and seized
their arms, without stopping to analyse causes.  They probably were mystified too much with names and professions
to see the real truth, though they got some noble glimpses
of it."
"I have never before heard this case put so strongly,"
cried Paul Powis, " and yet I think it contains the whole
merit of the controversy as a principle."
84




3 93               110 MIE WARlD BOUND.
"It is extraoPdinary how nationality blinds us," observed
Sir George, laughing.  "I confess, Powis,"-the late events
had produced a close intimacy and a sincere regard between
these two fine young men,-" that I stand in need of an
explanation."
"You can conceive of a monarch," continued John Effingham, "who possesses an extensive and efficient power?"
" Beyond doubt; nothing can be plainer than that."
"Fancy this monarch to fall into the hands of a flagmnent of his subjects, who reduce his authority to a mere
profession, and begin to wield it for their own especial benefit, no longer leaving, him  a fi'ree agent, though always
using the authority in his name."
"Even that is easily imagined."
"History is full of such instances.  A part of the subjects, unwilling' to be the dupes of such a fiaud, revolt
against the mionarch in name, against the cabal in fact.
Now who are the real rebels?  Profession is nothing.  Ilyder Ally never seated himself in the presence of the prince
he had deposed, though he held him captive during life."
" But did not America acquiesce in the dethronement of
the Stuatts?" asked Eve, in whom the love of the right was
stronger even than the love of country.
"Beyond a doubt, though America neither foresaw nor
acquiesced in all the results.  The English themselves,
probably, did not foresee the consequences of their own
revolution; for we now find England almost in arms ag'ainst
the consequences of the very subversion  of the kiilnly
power of which I have spoken. In England it placed a
portion of the higher classes in possession of authlority, at
the expense of all the rest. of the nation; whereas, as respects America, it set a remote people to rule over her,
instead of a prince, who had the same connexion with his
colonies as with all the rest of his subjects. The late English reform is a peaceable revolution; and America would
very gladly have done the same thing, could she have extricated herself from the consequences, by mere acts of congress. The whole difference is, that America, pressed upon
by peculiar circumstances, preceded England in the revolt
about sixty years, and that this revolt was against an




HO.MEWARD BOUND.                  3)9
usuirper, and not against the legitimate monarch, or against
the sovereign himself."
"I confess all this is novel to me," exclaimed Sir George.
"I have told you, Sir George Templernore, that, if you
stay long enough in America, many novel ideas will suggest
themselves.  You have too much sense to travel through the
country seeking for petty exceptions that may sustain your
aristocratical prejudices, or opinions, if you like that better;
but will be disposed to judge a nation, not according to preconceived notions, but according to visible facts."
"They tell me there is a strong bias to aristocracy in
America; at least such is the report of most European travellers."
"The report of men who do not reflect closely on the
meaning of words. That there are real aristocrats in opinion
in America is very true; there are also a few monarchists,
or those who fancy themselves monarchists."
"Can a man be deceived on such a point?"
"Nothing is more easy.  He who would set up a king
merely in name, for instance, is not a monarchist, but a visionary, who confounds names with things."
"I see you will not admit of a balance in the state."
"I shall contend that there must be a preponderating
authority in every government, from  which it derives its
character; and if this be not the king, that government is
not a real monarchy, let the laws be administered in whose
name they may.  Calling an idol Jupiter does not convert it
into a god. I question if there be a real monarchist left in
the English empire at this very moment.  They who make
the loudest professions that way strike ine as being the
rankest aristocrats, and a real political aristocrat is, and
always has been, the most efficient enemy of kings."
"But we consider loyalty to the prince as attachment to
the system."
"That is another matter; for in that you may be right
enough, though it is ambiguous as to terms."
"Sir-gentlemen-Mr. John Effingham, sir," interrupted
Saunders, "Mr. Monday is awake, and so werry conwalescent-I fear he will not live long. The ship herself is not
so much conwerted by these new spars ias poor Mr. Monday
is conwerted since he went to sleep:'




400                HOME1WARD BOTUND.
"I feared this," observed John Effingham, risilng.  "Acqnaint Captain Truck with the fact, steward: he desired to
be sent for at any crisis."
lie then quitted the cabin, leaving the rest of the party
wolndering that they could have been already so lost to the
situation of one of their late companions, however different
firomn themselves he might be in opinions and character. But
in this they merely showed their common connexion with
all the rest of the great family of man, who uniformly for.
e(et sorrows that do not press too hard on self, in the racaction of their feelings.
CHAPTER X XX.
Watchman, what of the night? Watchman, what of the night?
ISAIAH.
THE principal hurt of Mr. Monday was one of those
wounds that usually produce death within eig'ht-and-forty
hours.  He had borne the pain with resolution; anSd, as yet,
had discovered no consciousness of the inmminent danger
that was so apparent to all around him.  But a film had
suddenly past from  before his senses; and, a man of merel
habits, prejudices, and animal enjoyments, he had awakened,t the very termination of his brief existence to something
like a consciousness of his true position in the moral world,
as well as of his real physical condition.  -Under the first
impulse of such an alarm, John Effingham  had been sent
for; and he, as has been seen, ordered Captain Truck to be
summoned. In consequence of the previous understamnding
these two gentlemen and Mr. Leach appeared at the stateroom door at the same instant.  The apartment being small
it was arranged between them that the former should enter
first, having been expressly sent for; and that the otlhers;hould be introduced at the pleasure of the wounded( man.




HOMEWARD BOUND.                   40 i
I have brought my Bible, Mr. Leach," said the captain
whln he and the mate were left alone, "for a chapter is
the very least we can give a cabin-passenger, though I am
a little at a loss to know what particular passage will be the
most suitable for the occasion.  Something from the book
of Kings would be likely to suit Mr. Monday, as he is a
thorough-going king's mnan.'
"It is so long since I read that particular book, sir,"
returned tbe mate, diligently thumbing his watch-key, "6that
I should be diffident about expressing an opinion.  I think,
however, a little Bible mi-ight do him good."
" It is not an easy matter to hit a conscience exactly between wind and. water.  I once thought of producing an
impression on the ship's company by reading the account
of Jonah and the whale as a subject likely to attract their
attention, and to show them  the hazards we seamen run'
but, in the end, I discovered that the narration struck them
all aback as a thing not likely to be true.  Jack can stand
any thing but a fish story, you know, Leach."' It is always better to keep clear of miracles at sea, I
believe, sir, when the people are to be spoken to: I saw
some of the men this evening wince about that ship of St.
Paul's carrying out anchors in a gale."
"'l'he graceless rascals ought to be thankful they are not
at this very moment trotting through the great desert lashed
to dromedaries' tails! Had I known that, Leach, I would
have read the verse twice! But Mr. Monday is altogether
a different man, and will listen to reason. There is the
story of Absalom, which is quite interesting; and perhaps
the account of the battle might be suitable for one who dies
in consequence of a battle; but, on the whole, I remember
my worthly old father used to say that a sinner ought to be
well shaken up at such a moment."
"I fancy, sir, Mr. Monday has been a reasonably steady
man as the world goes. Seeing that he is a passenger, I
should try and ease himn off handsomely, and without any
of'these'Methodist surges."
"You may be right, Leach, you may be right; do as
you would be done by is the golden rule after all.  But,
here comes Mr. John Effingblam; so I fancy we may enter"
R3 tL




402               HEOMEWAIRD BOUND.
The captain was not mistaken, for Mr. Monday had just
taken a restorative, and had expressed a desire to see the
two officers. The state-room was a small, neat, and even
beautifully finished apartment, about seven feet square.  It
had originally been fitted with two berths; but, previously
to taking possession of the place, John Effingham  had
caused the carpenter to remove the upper, and Mr. Monday
now lay in what had been the lower bed.  This situation
placed him below his attendant, and in a position where he
might be the more easily assisted.  A shaded lamp lighted
the room, by means of which the captain caught the anxious
expression of the dying man's eye, as he took a seat himrself.'I am  grieved to see you in this state, Mr. Monday."
said the master, "and this all the more since it has hlap-'pened in consequence of your bravery in fighting to regain
my ship.  By rights this accident ought to have befallen
one of the Montauk's people, or Mr. Leach, here, or even
myself, before it befel you."
Mr. Monday looked at the speaker as if the intended consolation had failed of its effect, and the captain began to suspect that he should find a difficult subject for his new
ministrations. By way of gaining time, he thrust an elbow
into the mate's side as a hint that it was now his turn to offer something.'It nmight have been worse, Mr. Monday," observed Leach,
shifting his attitude like a man whose moral and physical
action moved pari passu: "it might have been much worse,
I once saw a man shot in the under jaw, and he lived a fortnight without any sort of nourishment!"
Still Mr. Monday gazed at the mate as if he thought matters could not be much worse.
"That was a hard case," put in the captain; "why, the
poor fellow had no opportunity to recover without victuals.
"No, sir, nor any drink.  He never swallowed a mouthful of liquor of any sort from the time he was hit, until he
took the plunge when we threw him overboard.'"
Perhaps there is truth in the saying that "misery loves
-ompany," for the eye of Mr. Monday turned towards the
table on which the bottle of cordial still stood, and from
which John Effingohaln. had just before helped hin to swal



HOMEWARD BOUND.                   403
low, uiLdeil the impression that it was of no moment wliat he
took. The captain understood the appeal, and influenced by
the same opinion concerning the hopelessness of the patient's
condition, besides being kindly anxious to console him, he
poured out a small glass, all of which he permitted the otlher
to drink.  The effect was instantaneous, for it would seem
this treacherous friend is ever to produce a momentary pleasure as a poor compensation for its lasting pains.
"I don't feel so bad, gentleman," returned the wounded
man with a force of voice that startled his visitors.  "I feel
bettern-much better, and am very glad to see you. Captain
Truck, I have the honor to drink your health."
The captain looked at the mate as if he thought their visit
was twenty-four hours too soon, for live, all felt sure, SMir.
Monday could not. But Leach, better placed to observe the
countenance of the patient, whispered his commander that
it was merely " a catspaw, anll will not stand."
" I am very glad to see you both, gentlemen," continued
Mr. Monday, " and beg you to help yourselves."
The captain changed his tactics.  Finding his patient so
strong and cheerful, he thought consolation would be more
easily received just at that moment, than it might be even
half an hour later.
"We are all mortal, Mr. Monday —"
"Yes, sir; all very mortal."
"And even the strongest and boldest ought occasionally
to think of their end." 
" Quite true, sir; quite true.  The strongest and boldest.
When do you think we shall get in, gentlemen?"
Captain Truck afterwards affirmed that he was "never
before taken so flat aback by a question as by this." Still
he extricated himself from the dilemma with dexterity, the
spirit of proselytism apparently arising within him in proportion as the other manifested indifference to his offices.
" There is a port to which we are all steering, my deai
sir," he said; "and of which we ought always to bear in
mind the landmarks and beacons, and that port is heaven."
"Yes,"' answered Mr Leach, "a port that, sooner or later.
will fetch uls all up."
Mr. MondaI y gazed from one to the other, atld something




404                HOMEWARD'BOUND.
like the state of feeling, from which he had been'aroused by
the cordial, began to return.
" Do you think me so bad, gentlemen?" he inquired, with
a little of the eagerness of a startled man.
" As bad as one bound direct to so good a place as I hope
and trust is the case with you, can be," returned the captain, determined to'follow up the advantage he had gained.
"Your wound, we fear, is mnortal, and people seldom remain
long in this wicked world with such sort of hurts."
" If he stands that," thought the captain, " I shall turn
}lim over, at once, to Mr. Effingham."
Mr. Monday did not stand it. The illusion produced by
the liquor, although the latter still sustained his pulses, had
begun to evaporate, and the melancholy truth resumed its
power.
" I believe, indeed, that I am near my end, gentlemen,'
he said faintly; and am thankful-for-for this conso!ation."
"Now will be a good time to throw in the chapter,"
whispered Leach; "he seems quite conscious, and very
contrite."
Captain Truck, in pure despair, and conscious of his owr
want of judgment, had determined to leave the question o
the selection of this chapter to be decided by chance. Per,
haps a little of that mysterious dependence on Providence
which renders all men more or less superstitious, influence(
him; and that he hoped a wisdom surpassing his own tnigh'
direct him to a choice. Fortunately, the book of Psalms i!
near the middle of the sacred volume, and a better disposi
tion of this sublime repository of pious praise and spiritua
wisdom could not have been made; for the chance-directe{
peruser of the Bible will perhaps oftener open among it
pages than at any other place.
If we should say that Mr. Monday felt any very profoun(
spiritual relief from the reading of Captain Truck, we shoul(
both overrate the manner of the honest sailor, and the intel
ligence of the dying man. Still the solemn language o'
praise and admiration had an effect, and, for the first tim
since childhood, the soul of the latter was moved.  God ant
Judgment passed before his imagination, and he gasped fo




HOMEWARD BOUND.                 405
brealth in a way that induced the two seamen to suppose the
f'atal moment had come, even sooner than they expected.
The cold sweat stood upon the forehead of the patient, and
his eyes glared wildly from one to the other.  The paroxysm, however, was transient, and he soon settled (down
into a state of comparative calmness, pushing away the glass
that Captain Truck offered, in mistaken kindness, with a
manner of loathing.
"We must comfort him, Leach," whispered the captain;
"for I see he is fetching up in the old way, as was duly
laid down by our ancestors in the platform. First, groanings and views of the devil, and then consolation and hope.
We have got him into the first category, and we ought now,
in justice, to bring to, and heave a strain to help him
through it."
"They generally give'em  prayer, in the river, in this
stage of the attack," said Leach. "If you can remember a
short prayer, sir, it might ease him off."
Captain Truck and his mate, notwithstanding the quaintness of their thoughts and language, were themselves solemnly impressed with the scene, and actuated by the kindMst motives.  Nothing of levity mingled with their notions,
5ut they felt the responsibility 9f officers of a packet, besides
tntertaining a generous interest in the fate of a stranger who
lad fallen, fighting manfully at their side. The old man
ooked awkwardly about him, turned the key of the door,
viped his eyes, gazed wistfully at the patient, gave his mate
t nudge with his elbow to follow his example, and knelt
lown with a heart momentarily as devout as is often the.ase with those who minister at the altar. He retained the
vords of the Lord's prayer, and these he repeated aloud,
Distinctly, and with fervour, though not with a literal conDrmity to the text. Once Mr. Leach had to help him to
he word. When he rose, the perspiration stood on his foreiead, as if he had been engaged in severe toil.
Perhaps nothing could have occurred more likely to
trike the imagination of Mr. Monday than to see one, of
ae known character and habits of Captain Truck, thus,restling with the Lord in his own behalf. Always obtuse
cl dull of thought, the first impression was that of won



4(O;               I OMEV A KRD BOUND.
deir; awe and contrition followed.  Even the mate was
tochled, and he afterwards told his companion on deck,
that "the hardest day's work he had ever done, was lending
a hand to rouse the captain through that prayer."
"I thank you, sir," gasped Mr. Monday, " I thank you —Mr. John Effingham-now, let me see Mr. John Effingham.
I have no time to lose, and wish to see him."
The captain rose to comply, with the feelings of a man
who had done his duty, and, from that moment, he had a
secret satisfaction at having so manftillly acquitted himself.
Indeed, it has been remarked by those who have listened
to his whole narrative of the passage, that he invariabl\
lays mnore stress on the scene in the state-toom, than or
the readiness and skill with which he repaired the damnage'
sustained by his own ship, through the means obtained
from the Dane, or the spirit with which he retook her firoir
the Arabs.
John Effingham  appeared in the state-room, where the
captain and Mr. Leach left him alone with the patient
Like all strong-minded  men, who are conscious of their
superiority over the rest of their fellow creatures, this gen
tlernan felt disposed to concede most to those who welr
the least able to contend with him. Habitually sarcasti(
and stern, and sometimes forbidding, he was now mildl an
discreet.  lie saw, at a glance, that Mr. Monday's rmin(
was alive to novel feelings, and aware that the approacl-h o
death firequently removes moral clouds that have conceal,(
the powers of the spirit while the animal part of the being
was in full vigour, he was surprised at observing the suddem
change that was so apparent in the countenance of the
dying man.
"I believe, sir, I have been a great sinner," commence(
Mr. Monday, who spoke more feebly as the influence of the
cordial evaporated, and in short and broken sentences.
"In that you share the lot of all," returned John Effing
ham.  "We are taught that no man of himself, no unaide(
soul, is competent to its own salvation.  Christians look t(
the Redeemer for succour."
" I believe I understand you, but I am a business man, sir
and have been talght that reparation is the best atonemen
for a wrong."




hOMEW ARD BOUND.                  401
"it certainly should be the first."
"Yes, indeed it should, sir.  I am but the son of poor
parents, and may have been tempted to some things that;
are improper.  My mother, too, I was her only support.
Well, the Lord will pardon it, if it were, wrong, as I dare
say it might have been. I think I should have drunk less
and thought more, but for this affitir-perhaps it is not yet
too late."
John Effingharn listened with sui:prise, but with the coolness and sagacity that marked his character.  He saw the
necessity, or at least the prudence, of there being another
witncss present.  Taking advantage of the exhaustion of
tihe speaker, he stepped to the d:)or of Eve's cabin, and
signed Paul to follow him.  They entered the state-rooim
together, when John Effingham took Mr. Monday soothingly by the hand, offering him a nourishment less exciting than
the cordial, but which had the effect to revive him.'"I understand yot, sir," continued Mr. Monday, looking
at Paul; " it is all very proper; but I have little to saythe papers will explain it all.  Those keys, sir' the upper
drawer of the bureau, and the red morocco case-take it a:ll
-this is the key. I have kept everything together, from a
misgiving that an hour would come. In New York you will
have time-it is not yet too late."
As the wounded man spoke at intervals, and with difficulty, John Effingham  had complied with his directions
before he ceased.  He found the red morocco case, took the
key from the ring, and showed both to Mr. Monday, who
smiled and nodded approbation. The bureau contained
paper, wax, and all the other. appliances of writing.  John
Effingham inclosed the case in a strong envelope, and affixed
to it three seals, which he impressed with his own arms;
)he then asked Paul for his watch, that the same might be
done with the seal of his companion. After this precaution,
he wrote a brief declaration that the contents had been delivered to the two, for the purpose of examination, and for
the benefit of the parties concerned, whoever they might be,
and signed it. Paul did the same, and the paper was handed to Mr. Monday, who had still strength to add his own
signature.




4 0 8              HOMEWARD BOUND.
"Men do not usually trifle at such moments," said Jolii
Effginham, "and this case inay contain matter of moment
to wronged and innocent persons.  The world little knows
the extent of the enormities that are thus committed. Take
the case, Mr. Powis, and lock it up with your effects, until
the moment for the examination shall come."
Mr. Monday was certainly much relieved after this consignment of the case into safe hands, trifles satisfying the
compunctions of the obtuse. For more than an hour he
slumbered. During this interval of rest, Captain Truck
appeared at the door of the state-room to inquire into the
condition of the patient, and, hearing a report so favourable,
in common with all whose duty did not require themn to
-watch, he retired to rest. Paul had also returned, and
offered his services, as indeed did most of the gentlemen;
but John Effingham  dismissed his own servant even, and
declared it was his intention not to quit the place that night.
Mr. Monday had reposed confidence in him, appeared to be
gratified by his attentions and presence, and he felt it to be
a sort of duty, under such circumstances, not to desert a
fellow-creature in his extremity. Any thing beyond soine
slight alleviation of the sufferer's pains was hopeless; but.this, he rightly believed, he was as capable of administering
as another.
Death is appalling to those of the most iron nerves, when
it comes quietly and in the stillness and solitude of night.
John Effingham was such a man; but he felt all the peculiarity of his situation as he sat alone in the state-room by
the side of Mr. Monday, listening to the washing of the
waters that the ship shoved aside, and to the unquiet breath
ing of his patient. Several times he felt a disposition to
steal away for a few minutes, and to refresh himself by
exercise in the pure air of the ocean; but as often was the
inclination checked by jealous glances from the glazed eye
of the dying man, who appeared to cherish his presence as
his own last hope of life. When John'Effingham wetted
the feverish lips, the look he received spoke of gratitude
and thanks, and once or twice these feelings were audible
in whispers.  He could not desert a being so helpless, so
dependent; and, although conscious that he was of no ma



HOMEWARD BOUND.                 409
terial service beyond sustaining his patient by his presence,
he felt that this was sufficient to exact much heavier sacrifices.
During one of the troubled slumbers of the dying man,
his attendant sat watching the struggles of his countenance,
which seemed to betray the workings of the soul that was
about to quit its tenement, and he mused on the character
and fate of the being whose departure for the world of
spirits he himself was so singularly called on to witness!
"Of his origin I know nothing," thought John Effingham,
Cexcept by his own passing declarations, and the evident
fact that, as regards station, it can scarcely have reached
mediocrity. He is one of those who appear to live for the
most vulgar motives that are admissible among men of any
culture, and whose refinement, such as it is, is purely of the
conventional class of habits. Ignorant, beyond the current
opinions of a set; prejudiced in all that relates to nations,
religions, and characters; wily, with an air of blustering
honesty; credulous and intolerant; bold in denunciations
and critical remarks, without a spark of discrimination, or
any knowledge but that which has been acquired under a
designing dictation; as incapable of generalizing as he is
obstinate in trifles; good-humoured by nature, and yet
querulous from imitation: —for what purposes was such a
creature brought into existence to be hurried out of it in
this eventful manner?" The conversation of the evening
recurred to John Effingham, and he inwardly said, " If
there exist such varieties of the human race among nations,
there are certainly as many species, in a moral sense, in
civilized life itself. This man has his counterpart in a
particular feature in the every-day American absorbed in
the pursuit of gain; and yet how widely different are the
two in the minor points of character! While the other
allows himself no rest, no relaxation, no'mitigation of the
eternal gnawing-of the vulture rapacity, this man has made
self-indulgence the constant companion of his toil; while
the other has centered all his pleasures in gain, this Englishman, with the same object in view, but obedient to national
usages, has fancied he has been alleviating his labours by
sensual enjoyments. In what will their ends differ 7 From
35




410              HOMEWARD BOUND.
the eyes of the American the veil will be torn aside when
it is too late, perhaps, and the object of his earthly pursuit
will be made the instrument of his punishment, as he sees
himself compelled to quit it all for the dark uncertainty of
the grave; while the blusterer and the bottle-companion
sinks into a forced and appalled repentance, as the animeal
that has hitherto upheld him loses its ascendency."
A groan from Mr. Monday, who now opened his glassy
eyes, interrupted these musings. The patient signed for the
nourishment, and he revived a little.
"What is the day of the week?" he asked, with an
anxiety that surprised his kind attendant.
" It is, or rather it was, Monday; for we are now past
midnight."
"I am glad of it, sir-very glad of it."
"Why should the day of the week be of consequence to
you now?"
"There is a saying, sir-I have faith in sayings-they
told me I was born of a Monday, and should die of a Mon.
day."
The other was shocked at this evidence of a lingering
and abject superstition in one who could not probably survive many hours, and he spoke to him of the Saviour, and
of his mediation for man. All this could John Effingham
do at need; and he could do it well, too, for few had clearer
perceptions of this state of probation than himself. His
weak point was in the pride and strength of his character;
qualities that indisposed him in his own practice to rely on
any but himself, under the very circumstances which would
impress on others the necessity of relying solely on God.
The dying man heard him attentively, and the words made
a momentary impression.
" I do not wish to die, sir," Mr. Monday said suddenly,
after a long pause.
"It is the general fate; when the moment arrives, we
ought to prepare ourselves to meet it."
"I am no coward, Mr. Effingham."
" In one sense I know you are not, for I have seen you
proved. I hope you will not be one in any sense. You
are now in a situation in which manhood will avail you no.




HOMEWARD BOUND.                 411.hing: your dependence should be- placed altogether oWI
God."
"I knqw it, sir-I try to feel thus; but I do not wish to
die."
"The love of Christ is illimitable," said John Effingham,
powerfully affected by the other's hopeless misery.
" I know it-I hope it-I wish to believe it. Have you a
mother, Mr. Effingham?"
"She has been dead many years."
"A wife?"
John Effingham gasped for breath, and one might have
mistaken him, at the moment, for the sufferer.
"None: I am without parent, brother, sister, wife, or
child.  My nearest relatives are in this ship."
" I am of little value; but, such as I am, my mother will
miss me. We can have but one mother, sir."
"This is very true. If you have any commission or
message for your mother, Mr. Monday, I shall have great
satisfaction in attending to your wishes."
", I thank you, sir; I know of none. She has her notions
on religion, and-I think it would lessen her sorrow to hear
that I had a Christian burial."
" Set your heart at rest on that subject: all that our situation will allow, shall be done."
"6 Of what account will it all be, Mr. Effingham? I wish
I had drunk less, and thought more."
John Effingham could say nothing to a compunction that
was so necessary, though so tardy.
" I fear we think too little of this moment in our health
and strength, sir."
" The greater the necessity, Mr. Monday, of turning our
thoughts towards that divine mediation which alone can avail
us, while there is yet opportunity."
But Mr. Monday was startled by the near approach of
death, rather than repentant. He had indurated his feelings
by-the longS and continued practice of a deadening self-in.
dulgence, and he was now like a man who unexpectedly
finds himself in the presence of an imminent and overwhelming danger, without any visible means of mitigation or escape. He groaned and looked around him, as if he sought




412              HOMEWARD BOUND.
something to cling to, the spirit he had shown in the pride
of his strength availing nothing. All these, however, were
but passing emotions, and the natural obtusity of the man
returned.
"I do not think, sir," he said, gazing intently at John
Effingham, " that I have been a very great sinner."
" I hope not, my good friend; yet none of us are so free
from spot as not to require the aid of God to fit us for his
holy presence."
"Very true, sir-very true, sir. I was duly baptized and
properly confirmed."
"Offices which are but pledges that we are expected to
redeem."
"By a regular priest and bishop, sir; —orthodox and dignified clergymen!"
"No doubt: England wants none of the forms of religion.
But the contrite heart, Mr. Monday, will be sure to meet
with mercy."
s" I feel contrite, sir; very contrite."
A pause of half an hour succeeded, and John Effingham
thought at first that his patient had again slumbered; but,
looking more closely at his situation, he perceived that his
eyes often opened and wandered over objects near him. Unwilling to disturb this apparent tranquillity, the minutes weie
permitted to pass away uninterrupted, until Mr. Monday
spoke again of his own accord.
"Mr. Effingham-sir-Mr. Effingham," said the dying
man.
"I am near you, Mr. Monday, and will not leave the
room."
"Bless you, bless you, do not you desert me!"
"I shall remain: set your heart at rest, and let me know
your wants."
" I want life, sir!"
"That is the gift of God, and its possession depends
solely on his pleasure. Ask pardon for your sins, and remember the mercy and love of the blessed Redeemer."
" I try, sir. I do not think I have been a very great sinner."
"I hope not: but God can pardon the penitent, however
great their offences."




HOMEWARD BOUND.                 413
"Yes, sir, I know it —I know it. This affair has been
so unexpected. I have even been at the communion-table,
sir: yes, my mnother made me commune. Nothing was aeglected, sir."
John EQingham was often proud and self-willed in his
communications with men, the inferiority of most of his fellow-creatures to himself, in principles as well as mind, being
too plainly apparent not to influence the opinions of one who
did not not too closely study his own failings; but, as respects God, he was habitually reverent and meek. Spiritual
pride formed no part of his character, for he felt his own
deficiency in the Christian qualities, the main defect arising
more from a habit of regarding the infirmities of others than
from dwelling too much on his own merits. In comparing
himself with perfection, no one could be more humble; but
in limiting the comparison to those around him, few were
prouder, or few more justly so, were it permitted to make
such a comparison at all. Prayer with him was not habitual,
or always well ordered, but he was not ashamed to pray;
and when he did bow down his spirit in this manner, it was
with the force, comprehensiveness, and energy of his character. He was now moved by the feeble and commonplace consolations that Mr. Monday endeavoured to extract
from his situation.  He saw the peculiarly deluding and
cruel substitution of forms for the substance of piety that
distinguishes the policy of all established churches, though,
unlike many of his own countrymen, his mind was superior
to those narrow exaggerations that, on the other hand, too
often convert innocence into sin, and puff up the votary with
the conceit of a sectarian and his self-righteousness.
" I will pray with you, Mr. Monday," he said, kneeling at
the side of the dying man's bed: " we will ask mercy of God
together, and he may lessen these doubts."
Mr. Monday made a sign of eager assent, and Jolln Ef.
fingham prayed in a voice that was distinctly audible to the
other.  The petition was short, beautiful, and even lofty
in language, without a particle of Scripture jargon, or of
the cant of professed devotees; but it was a fervent, direct,
comprehensive, and humble appeal to the Deity for mercy
on the being who now found himself in extremity. A child
35 *




4 1 4            HOMEWARD BOUND).
might have understood it, while the heart of a man would
have melted with its affecting and meek sincerity.  It is to
be hoped that the Great Being, whose Spirit pervades the
universe, and whose clemency is commensurate with his
power, also admitted the force of the petition, for Mr. Mon.
day smiled with pleasure when John Effingham arose.
"Thank you, sir-a thousand thanks," muttered the dy.
ing man, pressing the hand of the other.  "This is better
than all."
After this Mr. Monday was easier, and hours passed away
in nearly a continued silence. John Effingham was now
corn inced that his patient slumbered, and he allowed himself
to fall into a doze. It was after the morning watch was
called, that he was aroused by a movement in the berth. Believing his patient required nourishment, or some fluid to
moisten his lips, John Effingham offered both, but they wei'e
declined. Mr. Monday had clasped his hands on his breast,
with the fingers uppermost, as painters and sculptors are apt
to delineate them when they represent saints in the act of
addressing the Deity, and his lips moved, though the words
-were whispered. John Effingham kneeled, and placed his
ear so close as to catch the sounds. His patient was uttering
the simple but beautiful petition transmitted by Christ himself to man, as the model of all prayer.
As soon as the other had done, John Effingham repeated
the same prayer fervently and aloud himself, and when he
opened his eyes, after this solemn homage to God, Mr. Monday was dead.
CHAPTER XXXI.
Let me alone:-dost thou use to write
Thysname? or hast thou a mark to thyself, like an
Tlonest, plain-dealing man?
JACK CADE.
Ar a later hour, the body of the deceased was consigned
tu the ocean with the forms that had been observed the pre.




HOMEWARD BOUND.                 41 5
vious night at the burial of the seaman. These two cere.
monies were sad remembrancers of the scene the travellers
had passed through; and, for many days, the melancholy
that they naturally excited pervaded the ship.  But, as no
one connected by blood with any of the living had fallen,
and it is not the disposition of men to mourn always, this
feeling gradually subsided, and at the end of' three weeks
She deaths had lost most of their influence, or were recalled
only at moments by those who thought it wise to dwell on
such solemn subjects.
Captain Truck had regained his spirits; for, if he felt
mortified at the extraordinary difficulties and dangers that
nad befallen his ship, he also felt proud of the manner in
which he had extricated himself from them.  As for the
mates and crew, thev had already returned to their ordinary habits of toil and fun, the accidents of life making but
brief and superficial impressions on natures accustomed to
vicissitudes and losses.
Mr. Dodge appeared to be nearly forgotten during the
first week after the ship succeeded in effecting her escape;
for he had the sagacity to keep himself in the back-ground,
in the hope that all connected with himself might be overlooked in the hurry and excitement of events. At the end
of that period, however, he resumed his intrigues, and was
soon actively engaged in endeavouring to get up a " public
opinion," by means of which he proposed to himself to obt.ain some reputation for spirit and courage. With what
success this deeply-laid scheme was likely to meet, as well
as the more familiar condition of the cabins, may be gathered by a conversation that took place in the pantry, where
Saunders and Toast were preparing the hot punch for the
last of the Saturday nights that Captain Truck expected to
be at sea. This discourse was held while the few who
chose to join in jollification that peculiarly recalled the recollection of Mr. Monday, were slowly assembling round
the great table at the urgent request of the master.
1" Well, I must say, Mr. Toast," the steward commenced,
as he kept stirring the punch, " that I am werry much rejoiced Captain' Truck has resuscertated his old nature, and
remembers the festivals and fasts, as is becoming the mnns




16   -  HOMEWARD BOUND.
ter of a liner.  I can see no good reason because a ship is
under jury-masts, that the passengers should forego their
natural rest and diet.  Mr. Monday made a good enid, they
say, and he had as handsome a burial as I ever laid eyes
on at sea.  I don't think his own friends could have interred him more efficaciously, or more piously, had he been
on shore." ~
It is something, Mr. Saunders, to be able to reflect beforehand on the respectable funeral that your friends have
just given you. There is a great gratification to contemplate on such an ewent."
"You improve in language, Toast, that I will allow; but
you sometimes get the words a little wrong. We suspect
before a thing recurs, and reflect on it after it has ewentuated. You might have suspected the. death of poor Mr.
Monday after he was wounded, and reflected on it after he
was interred in the water.  I agree with you that it is consoling to know we have our funeral rights properly delineated. Talking of the battle, Mr. Toast, I shall take this
occasion to express to you the high opinion I entertain of
your own good conduct.. I was a little afraid you might
injure Captain Truck in the conflict; but, so far as 1 have
ascertained, on close inwestigation, you hurt nobody. We
coloured people have some prejudices against us, and I al.
ways rejoice when I meet with one who assists to put theni
down by his conduck."
" They say Mr. Dodge didn't do much harm, either," returned Toast. " For my part I saw nothing of him after I
opened my eyes; though I don't think I ever stared about
me so much in my life."
Saunders laid a finger on his nose, and shook iis head
significantly.
"You may speak to me with confidence and mistrust,
Toast," he said, "for we are friends of the same colour,
besides being officers in the same pantry. Has Mr. Dodge
conwersed with you concerning the ewents of those two or
three werry ewentful days?"
"He has insinevated considerable, Mr. Saunders; though
I do not think Mr. Dodge is ever a werry free talker."'" Has he surgested the propriety of having an account ot




HOMEWARD BOUND.                 417
he whole affair made out by the people, and sustained by
afildavits?"
"Well, sir, I imagine he has. At all ewents, he has been
much on the forecastle lately, endeavouring to persuade the
people that they retook the ship, and that the passengers
were so many encumbrancers in the affair."
" And, are the people such non cmpnposses as to believe
him, Toast?"
"Why, sir, it is agreeable to humanity to think well of
ourselves.  I do not say that anybody actually believes
this; but, in my poor judgment, Mr. Saunders, there are
men in the ship that would find it pleasant to believe it, if
they could."
"6 Werry true; for that is natural. Your hint, Toast, has
enlightened my mind on a little obscurity that has lately
prewailed over my conceptions. There are Johnson, and
Briggs, and Hewson, three of the greatest skulks in the ship,
the only men who prewaricated in the least, so much as by
a cold look, in the fight; and these three men have told me
that Mr. Dodge was the person who had the gun put on the
box; and that he druv the Arabs upon the raft. Now, I
say, no men with their eyes open could have made such a
mistake, except they made it on purpose.' Do you corroborate or contrawerse this statement, Toast?"
" I contrawerse it, sir; for in my poor judgment it was
Mr. Blunt."
"I am glad we are of the same opinion. I shall say
nothing till the proper moment arrives, and then I shall exhibit my sentiments, Mr. Toast, without recrimination or
anxiety, for truth is truth."
" I am happy to observe that the ladies are quite relaxed
from their melancholy, and that they now seem to enjoy
themselves ostensibly."
Saunders threw a look of envy at his subordinate, whose
progress in refinement really alarmed his own sense of superiority; but suppressing the jealous feeling, he replied
with dignity,
" The remark is quite just, Mr. Toast, and denotes pene,ration. I am always rejoiced when I perceive you elewating
your thoughts to superior objects, for the honour of the
colour."




1 13           HOMEWARD BOUND.' Mister Saunders," called out the captain from his seat
in the arm-chair, at the head of the table.' Captain Truck, sir."
"Let us taste your liquors."
This was the signal that the Saturday-night was about tc
commence, and the officers of the pantry presented their
compounds in good earnest. On this occasion the ladies
had quietly, but firmly declined being present, but the earnest appeals of the well-meaning captain had overcome the
scruples of the gentlemen, all of whom, to avoid the appearance of disrespect to his wishes, had consented to appear.
"This is the last Saturday night, gentlemen, that I shall
probably ever have the honour of passing in your good
company," said Captain Truck, as he disposed of the
pitchers and glasses before him, so that he had a perfect
command of the appliances of the occasion, " and I feel it
to be a gratification with which I would not willingly dispense. We are now to the westward of the Gulf, and, according to my observations and calculations, within a hundred miles of Sandy Hook, which, with this mild southwest wind, and our weatherly position, I hope to be able to
show you some time about eight o'clock to-morrow morning. Quicker passages have been made certainly, but forty
days, after all, is no great matter for the westerly run, considering that we have had a look at Africa, and are walking
on crutches."
" We owe a great deal to the trades," observed Mr. Effingham; "which have treated us as kindly towards the
end of the passage, as they seemed reluctant to join us in
the commencement. It has been a momentous month, and
I hope we shall all retain healthful recollections of it as
long as we live."
" No one will retain as grateful recollections of it as myself, gentlemen," resumed the captain.  "You had no
agency in getting us into the scrape, but the greatest possible agency in getting us out of it.  Without the knowledge,
prudence, and courage that you have all displayed, God
knows what would have become of the poor Montauk, and
from the bottom of my heart I thank you, each and all
while I have the heartfelt satisfaction of seeing you around




HOLMEWV&RD BOUND.               419
me, and of drinking to your future health, happiess and
prosperity."
The passengers acknowledged their thanks in return, by
bows, arnong which, that of Mr. Dodge was the most elabo
rate and conspicuous.  The honest captain was too mlcIIh
touched, to observe this little piece qf audacity, but, at that
moment, he could have taken even Mr. Dodge in his arms
and pressed him to his heart.
" Come, gentlemen,". he continued; let us fill and do
bonour to the night. God has us all in his holy keeping,
and we drift about in the squalls of life, pretty much as he
orders the wind to blow.  6 Sweethearts and wives!' and.
NMr. Effingham, we will not forget beautiful, spirited, sensible, and charming daughters."
After this piece of nautical gallantry, the glass began to
circulate.  The captain, Sir George Templemore -as the
false baronet was still called in the cabin, and believed to
be by all but those who belonged to the coterie of Eveand Mr. Dodge, indulged freely, though the first was too
careful of the reputation of his ship, to forget that he wa,
on the American coast in November.  The others partook
more sparingly, though even they submitted in a slight degree to the influence of good cheer, and for the first time
since their escape, the laugh was heard in the cabin as was
wont before to be the case. An hour of such indulgence
produced again some of the freedom and ease whi6h mark
the associations of a ship, after the ice is fairly broken, and
even Mr. Dodge began to be tolerated. This person, notwithstanding his conduct on the occasion of the battle, had
contrived to maintain his ground with the spurious baronet,
by dint of assiduity and flattery, while the others had rather
felt pity than aversion, on account of his abject cowardice.
The gentlemen did not mention his desertion at the critical
moment, (though Mr. Dodge never forgave those who witnessed it,) fo r they looked upon his conduct as the result of
a natural and unconquerable infirmity, that rendered him
as much the subject of compassion as of reproach. En.
couraged by this forbearance, and mistaking its motives, he
had begun to hope his absence had not been detected in the
confusion of the fight, and he had even carried his audacith!




o420    -HOMEWARD BOUND.
so far, as to make an attempt to persuade Mr. Sharp that
he had actually been one of those who went in the launch
of the Dane, to bring down the other boat and raft to the
reef, after the ship had been recaptured.  It is true, in this
attempt, he had met with a cold repulse, but it was so gentlemarlike and distant, that he had still hopes of succeeding in persuading the other to believe what he affirmed; by
way of doing which, he endeavoured all he could to believe
it himself.  So much confusion existed in his own faculties
during the fray, that Mr. Dodge was fain to fancy others
also might not have been able to distinguish things very accurately.
Under the influence of these feelings, Captain Truck,
when the glass had circulated a little freely, called on the
Editor of the Active Inquirer, to favour the company with
some more extracts from  his journal.  Little persuasion
was necessary, and Mr. Dodge went into his state-room to
bring forth the valuable records of his observations and
opinions, with a conviction that all was forgotten, and that
he was once more about to resume his proper place in the
social relations of the ship. As for the four gentlemen who
had been over the ground the other pretended to describe,
they prepared to listen, as men of the world would be apt
to listen to the superficial and valueless comments of a tyro,
though not without some expectations of amusement.
"I propose that we shift the scene to London;'" said
Captain Truck,'" in order that a plain seaman, like myself,
may judge of the merits of the writer —which, I make no
doubt, are very great; though I cannot now swear to it
with as free a conscience as I could wish."
"If I knew the pleasure of the majority," returned Mi.
Dodge, dropping the journal, and looking about him inquiringly, "I would cheerfully comply with it; for I think the
majority should always rule. Paris, or London, or the Rhine,
are the same to me; I have seen them all, and am just as
well qualified to describe the one as to describe the other."
"No one doubts it, my dear sir; but I am not as well
qualified to understand one of your descriptions as I am to
understand another.  Perhaps, even you, sir, may express
yourself more readily, and have better understood what was
said to you, in English, than in a foreign tongue."




HOMEWARD BO-JND.                  421
As for that, I do not think the value of my remarks is
lessened by the one circumstance, or enhanced by the other,
sir.  I make it a rule always to be right, if possible; and
that, I fancy, is as much as the natives of the countries
themselves can very well effect. You have only to decide.
gentlemen, whether it shall be England, or France, or the
Continent."
"I confess an inclination to the Continent," said John
Effingham; "for one could scarcely wish to limit a comprehensiveness like that of Mr. Dodge's to an. island, or
even to France."
"I see how it is," exclaimed the captain; "we must
put the traveller through all his paces, and have a little of
both; so Mr. Dodge will have the kindness to touch on all
things in heaven and earth, London and Paris inclusive."
On this hint the journalist turned over a few pages carelessly, and then commenced:
"' Reached Bruxelles (Mr. Dodge pronounced this word
Br1cksills) at seven in the evening, and put up at the best
house in the place, called the Silver Lamb, which is quite
near the celebrated town-house, and, of course in the very
celltre of the beau. quarter.  As we did not leave until after.
breakfast next morning, the reader may expect a description
of this ancient capital.  It lies altogether on a bit of low,
level land -—'"
" Nay, Mr. Dodge," interrupted the soi-disant Sir George,
" I think that must be an error.  I have been at Brussels,
and I declare, now, it struck me as lying a good deal on
the side of a very steep hill!"
"All a mistake, sir, I do assure you.  There is no more
hill at Brztcksills than on the deck of this ship.  You have
been in too great a hurry, my dear Sir George; that is the
way with most travellers; they do not give themselves time
to note particulars.  You English especially, my dear Sir
George, are a little apt to be precipitate; and I dare say,
you travelled post, with four horses, a mode of getting on
by which a man may very well transfer a hill, in his imagination, from  one town to another.  I travelled chiefly in
a voitury, which afforded leisure for remarks."
Hecre Mr. Dodge laughed; for he felt that he had got the
best of it.
36




422                HOMEWARD BOUND.
"I think you are bound to submit, Sir George Teqmplemore," said John Effingham, with an emphasis on the name
that raised a smile among his friends; " Brussels certainly
lies on a flat; and' the hill you saw has, doubtless, been
brought up with you from  Holland in your baste.  Mr.
Dodge enjoyed a great advantage in his mode of travelling;
for, by entering a town in the evening, and quitting it only
n the morning, he had the whole night to look about him."
" That was just my mode of proceeding, Mr. John Effingham; I made it a rule to pass an entire night in every large
town I came to."'.' A circumstance' that will give a double value to youm
opinions with our countrymen, Mr. Dodge, since they very
seldom give themselves half that leisure when once in 1motion.  I trust you have not passed over the institutions of
Belgium, sir; and most particularly the state of society in
the capital, of which you saw so much?"'" By no means; here are my remarks on these subjects:
-' Belgium, or The Belges, as the country is now called,
is one of the upstart kingdoms that have arisen in our
times; and which, from  signs that cannot be mistaken, is
fated soon to be overturned by the glorious principles of
freedom.  The people are ground down, as usual, by the
oppression of hard task-masters, and bloody-minded priests.
The monarch, who is a bigoted Catholic of the House of
Saxony, being the son of the king of that country, and'a
presumptive heir to the throne of Great Britain, in right of
his first wife, devoting all his thoughts to minracles and
saints.  The nobles form  a class by themselves, indulging
in all sorts of vices.'-I beg pardon, Sir George, but the
truth must be told in our country, or one had better never
speak. —' All sorts of vices, and otherwise betraying the
monstrous tendencies of the system.'"
"Pray, Mr. Dodge," interrupted John Effingham, "' have
you said nothing as to the manner in which the inhabitants
relieve the eternal ennui of always walking on a level surface?"
"I am afraid not, sir. My attention was chiefly given
to the institutions, and to the state of society, although I
can readily imagine they must get to be heartily tired of -
dead flat"




10MEAIWARD BOUND.               423
"Why, sir, they have contrived to run a street up and
down the roof of the cathedral; and up and down this
street they trot all hours of the day."
Mr. Dodge looked distrustful; but John Effingham maintained his gravity. After a pause the former continued:"' The usages of Brucksills are a mixture of Low Dutch
and High Dutch habits, as is the language. The king beinou
a Polander, and a grandson of Augustus, king of Poland, is
anxious to introduce the customs of the Russians into his
court; while his amiable young queen, who was born in
New Jersey when her illustrious father kept the school at
Haddonfield, early imbibed those notions of republicanisum
which so eminently distinguish his Grace the Honourable
Louis Philippe Orleans, the present King of the French.' 
"Nay, Mr. Dodge," said Mr. Sharp, "you will have all
the historians ready to cut your throat with envy!"
"Why, sir, I feel it a duty not to throw away the great
opportunities I have enjoyed; and America is a country in
which an editor may never hope to mystify his readers.
We deal with them in facts, Mr. Sharp; and although this
may not be your English practice, we think that truth is
powerful and will prevail. To continue,-'The kingdom
of the Belges is about as large as the north-east corner of
Connecticut, including one town in Rhode Island; and the
whole population may be about equal to that of our tribe of
Creek Indianis, who dwell in the wilder parts of our state
of Georgia.' "
"This particularity is very convincing," observed Paul,
"and then it has the merit, too, of coming from  an eyewitness."
" I will now, gentlemen, return with you to Paris, where
I stayed all of three weeks, and of the society of which my
knowledge of the language will, of course, enable me to
give a still more valuable account."' You mean to publish these hints, I trust, sir?" inquired
the captain.
"I shall probably collect them, and enlarge them in the
way of a book; but they have already been laid before the
American public in the columns of the Active Inquirer, I
can assure you, gentlemen, that my colleagues of the press




124                HOMEWARD BOUND.
have spoken quite favourably of the letters as they appeared.
Perhaps you would like to hear some of -their opinions?"
Hereupon Mr. Dodge opened a pocket-boolr, out of which
he took six or eight slips of printed paper, that had been
preserved with care, though obviously well thumbed. Opening one, he read as follows:
"' Our friend Dodge, of the Active Inquirer, is instructing
his readers, and edifying mankind in general, with some
very excellent and pungent remarks on the state of Europe,
which part of the world he is now exploring with some such
enterprise and perseverance as Columbus discovered when
he entered on the unknown waste of the Atlantic. His
opinions meet with our unqualified approbation, being sound,
American, and discriminating.  We fancy these Europeans
will begin to think in time that Jonathan has some pretty
shrewd notions concerning themselves, the critturs!' This
was extracted from the People's Advocate, a journal edited
with great ability, by Peleg Pond, esquire, a thoroughgoing
republican, and a profound observer of mankind."'"In his own parish in particular,"' quaintly added John
Effingham.  "Pray, sir, have you any more of these critical
morceaux?' 
"' At least a dozen," beginning to read again.-"'Steadfast Dodge, esquire, the editor of the Active Inquirer, is now
travelling in Europe, and is illuminating the public mind at
home by letters that are Johnsonian in style, Chesterfieldian
in taste and in knowledge of the world, with the redeeming
qual;iies of nationality, and republicanism, and truth.  We
rejoice to perceive by these valuable contributions to American literature, that Steadfast Dodge, esquire, finds no reason
to envy the inhabitants of the Old World any of their
boasted civilization; but that, on the contrary, he is impressed with the superiority of our condition over all countries, every post that he progresses.  America has produced
but few men like Dodge; and even Walter Scott might not
be ashamed to own some of his descriptions. We hope he
may long continue to travel.'"
" Volituzy," added John Effingham gravely.  "You perceive, gentlemen, how modestly these editors set forth their
intimlacy with the traveller-' our friend Dodge, of the
Active Inquirer,' and'Steadfast )odge, esquire!'-a mode




HOMEWARD  BOUND.                  425
of express;ion that speaks volumes for their own taste, and
their profound deference for their readers!"
"We always speak of each other in this manner, Mr.
John Effingharn-that is our esprit du corps."
"And I should think that there would be an esprit de
cops in the public to resist it," observed Paul Blunt.
The distinction was lost on Mr. Dodge, who turned over
to one of his most elaborate strictures on the state of society
in France, with all the self-coinplacency of besotted ignorance and provincial superciliousness.   Searching out a
place to his mind, this profound observer of men and manners, who had studied a foreign people, whose language
whlen spoken was gibberish to him, by travelling five clays
in a public coach, and living four weeks in taverns and
eating-houses, besides visiting three theatres, in which he
did not understand a single word that was uttered, proceeded to lay before his auditors the results of his observations.
"'The state of female society in France is truly awful,'
he resumed,'the French Revolution, as is universally
known, having left neither decorum, modesty, nor beauty
in the nation.  I walk nightly in the galleries of the Palais
Royal, where I locate mlyself, and get every opportunity of
hbservin g the peculiarities of ladies of the first taste and
shilion in the metropolis of Europe.  There is one duchess
n particular, whose grace and embonpoint have, I confess,
attracted  my admiration.  This lady, as my lacquais de
qlace informs me, is sometimes termed la tnere dit peumle,
Yore   her popularity and affability.  The young ladies of?ranc3, judging from  the specimens I have seen here —
vhich must be of the highest class in the capital, as the
ipot is under the windows of one of the royal palaces —are
)y no means observable for that quiet reserve and- modest
liffidence that distinguish the fair among our own young;ountrywomen; but it must be admitted they are remarka)le for the manner in which. they walk alone, in my judgnent a most masculine and unbecoming practice.  Woman
vas not made to live alone, and I shall contend that she
vas not made to walk alone.  At the saine tine, I confess
here is a certain charm in the manner in which these aldiec
36*




426                HOME WARD BOUND.
place a hand in each pocket of their aprons, and balance
the'r bodies, as they move like duchesses through the galle
ries.  If I might humbly suggest, the American fair migh
do worse than imitate this Parisian step; for, as a traveller
I feel it a duty to exhibit any superior quality that othe:
nations possess. I would also remark on the general suna
vity of manners that the ladies of quality' (this word Mr
Dodge pronounced qua-a-lity,)'observe in their promenades
in and about this genteel quarter of Paris.>'
" The French ladies ought to be much flattered with this
notice of them," cried the captain, filling Mr. Dodge's glass
"' In the name of truth and penetration, sir, proceed."
"' I have lately been invited to attend a ball in one of
the first families of France, which resides in the Rue St,
Jaques, or the St. James' of Paris.   The company wam
select, and composed of many of thle first persons in th(
kingdom  of des Frcanpais.  The best possible manner,.Were to be seen here, and the dancing was remarkable foi
its grace and beauty. The air with which the ladies turnec
their heads on one side, and inclined their bodies in advan
cing and retiring, was in the first style of the court of
Terpsichore.  They were all of the very first families of
France.  I heard one excuse herself for going away s(
early, as Madame la Duchesse expected her; and another
observed that she was to leave town in the morning witl
cadame la Vicomtesse.  The gentlemen, with few excep
tions, were in fancy dresses, appearing in coats, some of
sky-blue, some green, some scarlet, and some navy-blue, a'
fancy dilated, and all more or less laced on the seams
nmuch in the manner as was the case with the Honourabl
the King the morning I saw him leave for Nully. This en
tertainment was altogether the best conducted of any I evei
attended, fhe gentlemen being condescending, and without
the least pride, and the ladies all grace.' "
" Graces would be more expressive, if you will excuse mn
saggesting a word, sir," observed John Effingham, as th{
Ather paused to take breath.
"' I have observed that the people in most monarcliie
are abject and low-minded in their deportment.  Thus thi
men take off their hats when they enter churches, altl],:A




HOMEWARD BOUND.                   427
the minister be not present; and even the boys take off
their hats when they enter private houses. This is comrn
mencing servility young.  I have even seen rmen kneeling
on the cold pavements of the churches in the most abject
manner, and  otherwise  betraying  the feeling naturally
created by slavish institutions."
"Lord  help'em!" exclaimed  the  captain, "if they
begin so young, what a bowing and kneeling set of blackguards they will get to be in time,"
" It is to be presumed that Mr. Dodge has pointed out
the consequences in the instance of the abject old men
nentioned, who probably commenced their servility by
entering houses with their hats off," said John Effingham.
"Just so, sir," rejoined the editor.  "I throw  in these
little popular traits because I think they show the differences between nations."
"From  which I infer," said Mr. Sharp, "that in your
part of America boys do not take off their hats when theyenter houses, nor men kneel in churches?'
" Certainly not, sir. Our people get their ideas of manliness early; and as for kneeling in churches, we have
some superstitious sects-I do not mention them; but, on
the whole, no nation can treat the house of God more rationally than we do in America."
"That I will vouch for," rejoined -John  Effingham;
"for the last time I was at home I attended a concert in
one of them, where an artiste of singular nasal merit
favoured the company with that admirable piece of conjoined sentiment and music entitled'Four-and-twenty fiddlers all in a row!' "
"I'll engage for It," cried' Mr. Dodge, swelling with national pride; "and felt all the time as independent and
easy as if he was in a tavern. Oh! superstition is quite
extinct in Ameriky! But I have a few remarks on the
church in my notes upon England: perhaps you would
like to hear them?"
"Let me entreat you, to read them," said the true Sir
George Templemore, a little eagerly.
" Now, I proltest against any liberality," added the false
Sir George, shaking his finger.




428                IUEOMXWARX D BOUND.
Mr. Dodge disregarded both; but, turning -to the place.
he read aloud with his usual self-ecomplacency and unction.
"'To-day, I attended public worship in St. --  church,
Minories.  The congregation was composed of many of
the first people of England, among whom  were present Sir
Solomon Snore, formerly HIGH sheriff of London, a gentleman of the first consideration in the empire, and the
celebrated Mr. Shilling, of the firm of Pound, Shilling, arnd
Pence. There was certainly a fine air of polite life in the
congregation, but a little too much idolatry.  Sir Solomon
and Mr. Shilling were both received with distinction, which
was very proper, when we remember their elevated rank;
but the gennufexions and chaunting met with my very un-.
qualified disapprobation.' "
"Sir Solomon and the other personage you mention
were a little pursy, perhaps," observed Mr. Sharp, " which
destroyed their grace."
"I disapprove of all kneeling, on general principles,
sir. If we kneel to one, we shall get to kneel to another,
and no one can tell where it will end.'The exclusive
manner in which the congregation were seated in pews,
with sides so high that it was difficult to see your nearest
neighbour; and these pews' (Mr. Dodge pronounced this
word poohs,)'have often curtains that completely enclose
their owners, a system of selfishness that would not be long
tolerated in Arneriky.' 
"Do individuals own their pews in America?" inquired
Mr. Sharp.
"Often," returned John Effingham; always, " except in
those particular portions of the country where it is deemed
invidious, and contrary to the public rights, to be better off
than one's neighboar, by owning any thing that all the communnitv has not a better clailn to than its proprietor."
"And canot the owner of a pew curtain it, with a view
to withdrawn into it himself at public worship.?"
" America and England are the antipodes of each other
in all these things.  I dare say, now, that you have come
among us with an-idea that our liberty is so very licentious,
that a man may read a newspaper by himself?"
"I  confess, certainly, to that much," returned Mr. Sharp,
smiling.




HOMEWARD BOUND.                 429
" We shall teach him better than this, MrI. Dodge, before
we let hilm depart.  No, sir, you have very contracted ideas
of liberty, I perceive. With us every thing is settled by
majorities. We eat when the majority eats; drink, when the
majority drinks; sleep, when the majority sleeps; pray,
when the majority prays. So far from burying ourselves in
deep wells of pews, with curtains round their edges, we have
raised the floors, amphitheatre fashion, so that every body
can see every body; have taken away the sides of the pews,
which we have converted into free and equal seats, and have
cut down the side of the pulpit so that we can look at the
clergyman; but I understand there is actually a project on
foot to put the congregation into the pulpit, and the parson
into the aisle, by way of letting the latter see that he is no
better than he should be. This would be a capital arrangement, Mr. Dodge, for the'Four-and-twenty fiddlers all in a
row.' 
The editor of the Active Inquirer was a little distrustful of
John Effingham, and he was not sorry to continue his extracts, although he was obliged to bring himself still further
under the fire of his assailant.
"'This morning,' Mr. Dodge resumed, I stepped into the
coffee-room of the' Shovel and Tongs,' public-house, to read
the morning paper, and, taking a seat by the side of a
gentleman who was reading the'Times,' and drawing to
ne the leaves of the journal, so that it would be more convt.nient to peruse, the man insolently and arrogantly demanded of me,' What the devil I meant?' This intolerance
in the English character is owing to the narrowness of the
institutions, under which men come to fancy liberty applies
to persons instead of majorities.'"
"You perceive, Mr. Sharp," said John Effingham, "how
much more able a stranger is to point out the defects of national character than a native. I dare say that in indulging
your individuality, hitherto, you have imagined you were. enjoying liberty."
"I fear I have committed some such weakness-but Mr
Dodge will have the goodness to proceed."
The editor complied as follows:-"' Nothing has surprised me more than the grovelling propensities of the En



438}              HOMEWARD BOUND.
glish on the subject of names. Thus this very inn, which
in America would be styled the' Eagle Tavern,' or the' Oriental or Occidental Hotel,' or the' Anglo-Saxon Democratical Coffee-house,' or some other equally noble or dignified appellation, is called the' Shovel and Tongs.' One
tavern, which might very appropriately be termed'The
Saloon of Peace,' is very vulgarly called'Dolly's Chophouse.' "
All the gentlemen, not excepting Mr. Sharp, murmured.heir disgust at so coarse a taste. But most of the party began now to tire of this pretending ignorance and provincial
vulgarity, and, one by one, most of them soon after left the
table  Captain Truck, however, sent for Mr. Leach, and
these two worthies, with Mr. Dodge and the spurious baronet,
sat an hour longer, when all retired to their berths.
CHAPTER XXXII.
I'll meet thee at Philippi.
SHAXSPEARE.
HIAPPY is the man who arrives on the coast of New York,
with the wind at the southward, in the month of November.
There are two particular conditions of the weather, in which
the stranger receives the most unfavourable impressions of
the- climate that has been much and unjustly abused, but
which two particular conditions warrant all the evil that has
been said of it.  One is a sweltering day in summer, and
the other an autumnal day, in which the dry north wind
scarce seems to leave any marrow in the bones.
The passengers of the Montauk escaped b th these evils,
and now approached the coast with a bland southwest breeze,
and a soft sky. The ship had been busy in the night, and
when the party assembled on deck in the morning, Captain
Truck told them, that in an hour they should have a sight
of the long-desired western continent. As the packet was




HOMEWARD BOUND.                   431
Inning in at the rate of nine knots, under topmast and topallant stnudding-sails, being to windward of her port, this'as a promise that the gallant vessel seemed likely enough
redeem.
" Toast!" called out the captain, who had dropped into
is old habits as naturally as if nothing had occurred, "bring
te a coal; and you, master steward, look well to the breakSat this morning.  If the wind stands six hours longel; I
iall have the grief of parting with this good company, and
ou the grief of knowing you will never set another meal
efore them.  These are moments to awaken sentiment, and
et I never knew an officer of the pantry that did not begin
grin as he drew near his port."
"It is usually a cheerful moment with every one, I beeve, Captain Truck," said Eve, "and most of all, should it
e one of heartfelt gratitude with us."
"Ay, ay, my dear young lady; and yet I fancy Mr.
aunders will explain it rather differently.  Has no one sung
it'land,' yet, from aloft, Mr. Leach? The sands of New,rsey ought to be visible before this."
" We have seen the haze of the land since daylight, but
At land itself."
"' Then, like old Columbus, the flowered doublet is minend, ho!"
The mates and the people laughed, and looking ahead,
ley nodded to each other, and the word " land" passed from
outh to mouth, with the indifference with which mari-,rs first see it in short passages.  Not so with the rest.
hey crowded together, and endeavoured to catch a glimpse
the coveted shore, though, with the exception of Paul,
dither could perceive it.
"We must call on you for assistance," said Eve, who
)w seldom addressed the handsome young seaman without
flush oh her own beautiful face; "for we are all so lub..rly that none of us can see that which we so earnestly,sire.
"Have the kindness to look over the stock of that anchor,"
id Paul, glad of an excuse to place himself nearer to Eve:.
mnd you will discover an object on the water."
" I do," said Eve, "but is it not a vessel?"




4:2               IIOMEWARD BOUND.
"It is; but a little to the right of that vessel, do yc u no
perceive a hazy object at some elevation above the sea?"
"The cloud, you mean-a dim, ill-defined, dark body o:
vapour?"
"So it may seem to you, but to me it appears to be th
land. That is the bluff-like termination of the celebrate(
high lands of Navesink.  By watching it for half an hom
you will perceive its form and surface grow gradually mor
distinct."
Eve eagerly pointed out the place to Mademoiselle Vief
ville and her father, and from  that moment, for near a
hour, most of the passengers kept it steadily in view. A
Paul had said, the blue of this hazy object deepened; the
its base became connected with the water, and it ceased t
resemble a cloud at all.  In twenty more minutes, the filce
and angles of the hills became visible, and trees starte
out of their sides. In the end a pair of twin lights wer
seen perched on the summit.
But the Montauk edged away from these highlands, an
shaped her course towards a long low spit of sand, thei
lay several miles to the northward of them.  In this dire(
tion, fifty small -sail were gathering into, or diverging froo
the pass, their high, gaunt-looking canvas resembling s
many church towers on the plains of Lombardy.  Thes
were coasters, steering towards their several havens.  To
or three outward-bound ships were among them, holdin
their way in the direction of China, the Pacific Ocean, c
Europe.
About nine, the Montauk met a large ship standing on
bowline, with every thing set that would draw, and heapin
the water under her bows. A few minutes after, Captai
Truck, whose attention had been much diverted from tf
surrounding objects by the care of his ship, came near tl
group of passengers, and once more entered into convers.
tion.
"' Here we are, my dear young, lady," he cried, "with.
five leagues of Sandy Hook, which lies hereaway, und.
our lee bow; as pretty a position as heart could wish. Th
tank, hungry-looking schooner in-shore of us, is a new
vessel, and, as soon as she is done with the brig near he




HOMEWARD BOUND.                 433
we shall have her in chase, when there will be a good op
portunity to get rid of all our spare lies. This little fellow
to leeward, who is clawing up towards us, is the pilot; after
whose arrival, my functions cease, and I shall have little to
do but to rattle off Saunders and Toast, and to feed the
pigs."
" And who is this gentleman ahead of us, with his maintopsail to the mast, his courses in the brails, and his helm
a-lee?" asked Paul.
" Some chap who has forgotten his knee-buckles, and has
been obliged to send a boat up to town to hunt for them,"
coolly rejoined the captain, while he sought the focus of the
glass, and levelled it at the vessel in question. The look
was long and steady, and twice Captain Truck lowered the,instrument to wipe the moisture from his own eye.  At
length, he called out, to the amazement of every body,
"Stand by to in all studding-sails, and to ware to the
eastward. Be lively, men, be lively! The eternal Foam, as
I am a miserable sinner!"
Paul laid a hand on the arm of Captain Truck, and
stopped him, as the other was about to spring towards the
forecastle, with a view to aid and encourage his people.' You forget that we have neither spars nor sails suited
to a chase," said the young man. " If we haul off to seaward on any tack we can try, the corvette will be too much
for us now, and excuse me if I say that a different course
will be advisable."
The captain had learned to respect the opinion of Paul,
and he took the interference kindly.
"What choice remains, but to run down into the very
jaws of the lion," he asked, " or to wear round, and stand
to the eastward?"
" WTe have two alternatives.  We may pass unnoticed,
the ship being so much altered; or we may haul up on the
tack we are on, and get into shallow water."
"He draws as little as this ship, sir, and would follow.
There is no port short of Egg Harbour, and into that I
should be bashful about entering with a vessel of this size;
whereas, by running to the eastward, and doubling Mon.
tauk, which would owe us shelter on account of our name,
37




'434             HOMEWARD BOUND.
1 might get into the Sound, or New London, at need, and
tllen claim the sweepstakes, as having won the race."
1" This would be impossible, Captain Truck, allow mne to
say. Dead before the wind, we cannot escape, for the land
would fetch us up in a couple of hours; to enter by Sandy
HLook, if known, is impossible, on account of the corvette,
and, in a chase of a hundred and twenty miles, we should
be certain to be overtaken."'" I fear you are right, my dear sir, I fear you are right.
The studding-sails are now in, and I will haul up for the
highlands, and anchor under them, should it be necessary.
~We can then give this fellow Vattel in large quantities, for
I hardly think he;ill venture to seize us while we have an
anchor fast to good American ground."
"How near dare you stand to the shore?"
"Within a mile ahead of us; but to enter the Hook, the
bar must be crossed a league or two off."
"The latter is unlucky; but, by all means, get the vessel in with the land; so near as to leave no doubt as to our
being in American waters."
" We'll try him, sir, we'll try him. After having escaped
the Arabs, the deuce is in it, if we cannot weather upon
John Bull! I beg your pardon, Mr. Sharp; but this is a
question that must be settled by some of the niceties of the
great authorities."
The yards were now braced forward, and the ship was
brought to the wind, so as to head in a little to the northward of the bathing-houses at Long Branch. But for this
sudden change of course, the Montauk would have run
down dead upon the corvette, and possibly might hav
passed her undetected, owing to the change made in her
appearance by the spars of the Dane. So long as she con.
tinucd "bows on," standing towards them, not a soul on
board the Foam suspected her real character, though, now
that she acted so strangely, and offered her. broadside to
view, the truth became known in an instant. The mainyard of the corvette was swung, and her'sails were filled
on the same course as that on -which the packet was steer:ng. The two vessels were about ten miles from the land,
he Foam  a little ahead, but fully a league to leeward




HOMEWARD BOUND.                  435
The, latter, however, soon tacked and stood in-shore.  This
brought the vessels nearly abreast of each other, the corvette a mile or wiore, dead to leeward, and distant'now some
six miles from the coast. The great superiority of the corvette's sailing was soon apparent to all on board both vessels, for she apparently went two feet to the packet's one.
The history of this meeting, so unexpected to Captain
Truck, was very simple. When the gale had abated, the
corvette, which had received no damage, hauled up along
the African coast, keeping as near as possible to the sup.
posed track of the packet, and failing to fall in with hei
chase, she had filled away for New York. On making the
Hook she took a pilot, and inquired if the Montauk had
arrived.  From  the pilot she learned that the vessel of
which she was in quest had not yet made its appearance,
and she sent an officer up to the town to communicate with
the British Consul.  On the return of this officer, the cor.vette stood away from the land, and commenced cruising
in the offing. For a week she had now been thus occupied,
it being her practice to run close in, in the morning, and to
remain hovering about the bar until near night, when she
made sail for an offing. When first seen from the Montauk,
she had been lying-to, to take in stores sent from the town,
and to communicate with a news-boat.
The passengers of the Montauk had just finished their
breakfast, when the mate reported that the ship was fast
shoaling her water, and that it would be necessary to alter
the course in a few minutes, or to anchor. On repairing to
the deck, Captain Truck and his companions perceived the
[and less than a mile ahead of them, and the corvette about
nalf that distance to the leeward, and nearly abeam.
" That is a bold fellow," exclaimed the captain, " or he
Fas got a Sandy Hook pilot on board him."
" Most probably the latter," said Paul: " he would scarcely
be here on this duty, and neglect so simple a precaution."
"1 think this would satisfy Mr. Vattel, sir," returned Capain Truck, as the man in the'chains sung out,'and a half
hree l' "Hard up with the helm, and lay the yards square-,
4lr. Leach."
"Now we shall soon know the virtue of Vattel," said




436              HOMEWARD BOUND..Johh Effingham, "as ten minutes will suffice to raise the
question very fairly."
The Foam put her helm down, and tacked beautifully to
the south-east. As soon as the Montauk, which vessel was
now running along shore, keeping in about four fathoms
water, the sea being as smooth as a pond, was a-beam, the
corvette wore round, and began to close with her chase,
keeping on her eastern, or outer board.
" Were we an enemy, and. a match for that s&oop," said
Paul, "' this smooth water and yard-arm attitude would make
quick work."
"' Her captain is in the gangway, taking our measure,"
observed Mr. Truck: "here is the glass; I wish you to
examine his face, and tell me if you think him a man with
whom the law of nations will avail anything. See the
anchor clear, Mr. Leach, fior I'm determined to bring up all
standing, if the gentleman intends to renew the old tricks of
John Bull on our coast. What do you make of him, Mr.
Blunt?"
Paul did not answer, but laying down the glass, he paced
the deck rapidly with the manner of one much disturbed.
All observed this sudden change, though no one presumed
to comment on it. In the mean time the sloop-of-war came
up fast, and in a few minutes her larboard fore-yard-arm
was within twenty feet of the starboard main-yard-arm of
the Montauk, the two vessels running on parallel lines. The
corvette now hauled up her fore-course, and let her topgallant sails settle on the caps, though a dead silence reigned
In her.
5 Give me the trumpet," said Captain Truck, stepping to
the rail; "the gentleman is about to give us a piece of his
mind."
The English captain, who was easily known by his two
epaulettes, also held a trumpet; but neither of the two conmmanders used his instrument, the distance being sufficiently
near for the natural voice.
"I believe, sir," commenced the man-of-war's-man, " that
i have the pleasure to see Captain Truck, of the Montauk,
London packet?"
" Ay, ay; I'll warrant you he has my name alongside of




HOMEWARD BOUND.                437
Joaln Doe and Richard Roe," muttered Mr. Truck, "spel
as carefully as it could be in a primer. —I am Captain
Truck, and this is the Montauk. May I ask the name of
your vessel, and your own, sir?"
"This is his Britannic Majesty's ship, the Foam, Captain
Ducie."
" The Honourable Captain Ducie!" exclaimed Mr. Sharp.
"I thought I recognised the voice: I know him intimately
well."
"Will he stand Vattel?" anxiously demanded Mr. Truck.'Nay, as for that, I must refer you to himself."' You appear to have suffered in the gale," resumed
Captain Ducie, whose smile was very visible, as he thus
addressed them like an old acquaintance. " We fared better
ourselves, for I believe we did not part a rope-yarn."
"The ship pitched every stick out of her," returned
Captain Truck, " and has given us the trouble of a new
outfit.",
" In which you appear to have succeeded admirably.
Your spars and sails are a size or two too small; but every
thing stands like a church."
"' Ay, ay, now we have got on our new clothes, we are
not ashamed to be seen."
"' May I ask if you have been in port to do all this?"
6" No, sir; picked them up along-shore."
The Honourable Captain Ducie thought he was quizzed,
and his manner became a little more cold, though it still
retained its gentlemanlike tone.
"' I wish much to see you in private, sir, on an affair of
some magnitude, and I greatly regret it was not in my power
to speak you the night you left Portsmouth. I am quite
aware you are in your own waters, and I feel a strong reluctance to retain your passengers when so near their port;
but I shall feel it as a particular favour if you will permit
me to repair on board for a few minutes."
"' With all my heart," cried Captain Truck: A" if you will
give nle room, I will back my main-topsail, but I wish to
lay my head off shore. This gentleman understands Vattel,
and we shall have no trouble with him. Keep the anchor
clear Mr. ILeach, for' fair words butter no parsnips.' Still.
37 *




438              HOMEWARD 30UND.
he is a gentleman;-and, Saunders, put a bottle of the old
Madoira oil the cabin table."
Captain Ducie now left the rigging in which he had stood,
and the corvette luffed off to the eastward, to give room to
the packet, where she hove-to with her fore-topsail aback.
The Montauk followed, taking a position under her lee. A
quarter-boat was lowered, and in five minutes its oars were
tossed at the packet's lee-gangway, when the commander of
the corvette ascended the ship's side, followed by a middleaged man in the dress of a civilian, and a chubby-faced
midshipman.
No one could mistake Captain Ducie for anything but a
gentleman. He was handsome, well-formed, and about fiveand-twenty. The bow he made to Eve, with whose beauty
and air he seemed instantly struck, would have become a
drawing-room; but he was too much of an officer to permit
any further attention to escape him until he had paid his
respects to, and received the compliments of, Captain Truck.
He then turned to the ladies and Mr. Effingham, and repeated his salutations.
" I fear," he said, " my duty has made me the unwilling
instrument of prolonging your passage, for I believe few
ladies love the ocean sufficiently, easily to forgive hose who
lengthen its disagreeables."
" We are old travellers, and know how to allow for the
obligations of duty," Mr. Effingham civilly answered.
" That they do, sir," put in Captain Truck; "and it was
never my good fortune to have a more agreeable set of passengers.  Mr. Effingham, the Honourable Captain Ducie;the Honourable Captain Ducie, Mr. Effingham;-Mr. John
Effingham, Mam'selle V. A. V." endeavouring always to
imitate Eve's pronunciation of the name;-" Mr. Dodge,
the Honourable Captain Ducie; the Honoui'able Captain
T)lucie, Mr. Dodge."
The Honourable Captain Ducie and all the others, the
editor of the Active Inquirer excepted, smiled slightly,
though they respectively bowed and curtseyed; but MI.
Dodge, who conceived himself entitled to be formally introduced to every one he met, and to know all he saw,
whether introduced or not, stepped forward promptly, and
shook Mr. Ducie very cordially by the hand.




HOMEWARD BOUND~                 439
Captain Truck now turned in quest of some one else to
Introduce; Mr. Sharp stood near the capstan, and Paul had
retired as far aft as the hurricane-house.
6 "I am happy to see you in the Montauk," added Captain
Truck, insensibly leading the other towards the capstan,
"' and am sorry I had not the satisfaction of meeting ycu
in England.  The Honourable Captain Ducie, Mr. Sharp,
Mr. Sharp, the Honourable Captain —"
1" George Templemore!" exclaimed the ccmmander of the
corvette, looking from one to the other.
" Charles Ducie!" exclaimed the soi-disant Mr. Sharp.
"Here then is an end of part of my hopes, and we have
been on a wrong scent the whole time."
"Perhaps not, Ducie: explain yourself."
" You must have perceived my endeavours to speak you,
from the moment you sailed?"
" To speak us!" cried Captain Truck.  "Yes, sir, we
did observe your endeavours to speak us."
" It was because I was given to understand that one calling himself Sir George Templemore, an impostor, however,
had taken passage in this ship; and here I find that we
have been misled, by the real Sir George Templemore's
having chosen to come this way instead of coming by the
Liverpool ship. So much for your confounded fashionable
caprices, Templemore, which never lets you know in the
morning whether you are to shoot yourself or to get married before night."
"And is this gentleman Sir George Templemore?" pithily demanded Captain Truck.'" For that I can vouch, on the knowledge of my whole
life."
" And we know this to be true, and have known it since
he day we sailed," observed Mr. Effingham.
Captain Truck was accustomed to passengers under false
Inames, but never before had he been so completely mystified.
", And pray, sir," he inquired of the baronet, " are you a
rmember of Parliament?"
6 I have that honour."
"And Templemore Hall is your residence, and you have
-ome out to look at the Canadas?"




1440             HOMEWARD BOUND.
4"I am the owner of Templemore Hall, and hope to look
at the Canadas before I return."
"And," turning to daptain Ducie, " you sailed in quest
of another Sir George Templemore-a false one?"
" That is a part of my errand," returned Captain Ducie,
smiling."
"Nothing else? —you are certain, sir, that this is the
whole of your errand?"
c" I confess to another motive," rejoined the other, scarce
knowing how to take Captain Truck's question; " but this
one will suffice for the present, I hope."
" This business requires frankness.  I mean nothing dis.
respectful; but I am in American waters, and should be
sorry, after all, to be obliged to throw myself on Vattel."
" Let me act as mediator," interrupted Sir George Templemore.  "Some one has been a defaulter, Ducie; is it
not so?"
"' This is the simple truth; an unfortunate, but silly
young man, of the name of Sandon. He was intrusted
with a large sum of the public money, and has absconded
with quite forty thousand pounds."
"' And this person, you fancy, did me the honour to travel
under my name?"
" Of that we are certain. Mr. Green here," motioning
to the civilian, " comes from the same office, and traced the
delinquent, under your name, some distance on the Ports.
mouth road.  When we heard that a Sir George Templemore had actually embarked in the Aontauk, the admiral
made no scruple in sending me after the packet.  This has
been an unlucky mistake for me, as it would have been a
feather in the cap of so young a commander to catch the
rogue."
" You may choose your feather, sir," returned Captain
Truck, " for you will have a right to wear it. The unfortunate young man you seek is, out of question, in this
ship."
Captain Truck now explained that there was a person
below who had been known to him as Sir George Templemore, and who, doubtless, was the unhappy delinquent
sought.  But Captain Ducie did not betray the attention or




HOMEWARD BOUND.                 441
sanisltction that one would have expected from this infor.
ination, his eye being riveted on Paul, who stood beneath
the hurricane-house. When the latter saw that he attracted
attention he advanced slowly, even reluctantly, upon the
quarter-deck. The meeting between these two gentlemen
was embarrassed, though each maintained his self'possession.
"' Mr. Powis, I believe?" said the officer bowing haughtily
"Captain Ducie, if I am not mistaken?" returned the
other, lifting his hat steadily, though his face became
flushed.
The manner of the two, however, was but little noticed
at the moment, though all heard the words. Captain Truck
drew a long "whe-e-e-w!" for this was rather more
than even he was accustomed to, in the way of masquerades.
His eye was on the two gentlemen as they walked aft to.
gether, and alone, when he felt a touch upon his arm. It
was the little hand of Eve, between whom and the old seamall there existed a good deal of trifling, blended with the
most entire good-will. The young lady laughed with her
sweet eyes, shook her fair curls, and said mockingly,
" Mr. Sharp, Mr. Blunt; Mr. Blunt, Mr. Sharp!"
" And were you in the secret. all this time, my dear' young
lady?"
" Every minute of it; from the buoys of Portsmouth to
this very spot."
" I shall be obliged to introduce my passengers all over
again i"
" Certainly; and I would recommend that each should
show a certificate of baptism, or a passport, before you
announce his or her name."
" You are, at least, the beautiful Miss Effingham, my dear
voung lady?"
" I'll not vouch for that, even," said Eve, blushing and
laughing.
"That is Mr. John Effingham, I hope!"
"6 For that I can vouch. There are not two cousin Jacks
on earth."
"I wi,;h I knew whdt the other business of this gentle.
man is! He seems amicably disposed, except as regards




442              HOMEWARD BOUND.
Mr. Blunlt. They looked coldly and suspiciously at each
other."
Eve thought so too, and she lost all her desire for
pleasantry. Just at this moment Captain Ducie quitted his
companion, both touching their hats distantly, and returned
to the group he had so unceremoniously left a few minutes
before.
"I believe, Captain Truck, you now know my errand,"
he said, " and can say whether you will consent to my
examining the person whom you have mentioned?"
" t know one of your errands, sir; you spoke of having
two."'
64 Both will find their completion in this ship, with your
permission."
"Permission! That sounds well, at least, my dear young
lady. Permit me to inquire, Captain Ducie, has either of
your errands the flavour of tobacco about it?"
The young man looked surprised, and he began to suspect another mystification.
" The question is so singular that it is not very intelligible."
" I wish to know, Captain Ducie, if you have anything
to say to this ship in the way of smuggling?"
" Certainly not. I am not a custom-house officer, sir,
nor on the revenue duty; and I had supposed this vessel a
regular packet, whose interest is too plain to enter into
such a pursuit."
"You have supposed nothing but the truth, sir; though
we cannot always answer for the honesty or discretion of
our people. A single pound of tobacco might forfeit this
noble ship; and, observing the perseverance with which
you have chased me, I was afraid all was not right with
the excise."
"You have had a needless alarm  then, for my two
objects in coming to America are completely answered by
meeting with Mr. Powis and the Mr. Sandon, who, I have
been given to understand, is in his state-room below."
The party looked at each other, but nothing was said.
" Such being the facts, Captain Ducie, I beg to offer you
every facility so far as the hospitality of my ship is concerned."




HOMEWARD BOUND.'43
C" Yo;  will permit us to have an interview  with Mr.
Sandon?"
"Beyond a doubt.; I see, sir, you have read Vattel, and
understand the rights of neutrals, or of independent nations.
As this interview most probably will be interesting, you
mnay desire to have it held in private, and a state-room will
be too small for the purpose. My dear young lady, will
you have the complaisance to lend us your cabin for half
an hour?"
Eve bowed assent, and Captain Truck then invited the
two Englishmlen below.'" My presence at this interview is of little moment,'
observed, Captain Ducie; "Mr. Green is master of the
whole affair, and I have a matter of importance to arrange
with Mr. Powis. If one or two of you gentlemen will have
the kindess to be present, and witnesses of what passes between Mr. Sandon and Mr. Green, it would be a great
favour. Templemore, I may claim this of you?"
"With all my heart, though it is an unpleasant office to
see guilt exposed. Should I presume too much by asking
Mr. John Effingham to be of our party?"
" I was about to make the same request," put in the
captain.  "W We shall then be two Englishmen and two
Yankees,-if Mr. John Effingham will allow me so to style
him?"
"' Until we get within the Hook, Captain Truck, I am a
Yankee; once in the country, I belong to the Middle
States, if you will allow me the favour to choose."
The last speaker was stopped by a nudge from Captain
Truck, who seized an opportunity to whisper,
"Make no such distinction between outside and inside, I
beg of you, my dear sir.  I hold that the ship is, at this
identical moment, in the United States of America in a
positive sense, as well as by a legal fiction; and I think
Vattel will bear me out in it."
" Let it pass for that, then. I will be present at your
interview with the fugitive.  If the case is not clear against
him, he shall be protected."
Things were now soon arranged; it being decided that
Mr. Green, who belonged to one of the English offices, accompanied by the gentlemen just named, should descend to




444              HOMEWARD BOUND.
J.ie cabin of Miss Effingham, in order to receive the delinquent; while Captain Ducie should have his interview with
Paul Powis in the state-room of the latter.
~The  first party went below immediately; but Captain
Ducie remained on deck a minute or two to give an order
to the midshipman of his boat, who immediately quitted the
Montauk, and pulled to the corvette.  During this bric.
delay Paul approached the ladies, to whom he spoke with a
forced indifference, though it was not possible to avoid
seeing his concern.
His servant, too, was observed watching his movements
with great interest; and when the two gentlemen went
below in company, the man shrugged his shoulders, and
actually held up his hands, as one is wont to do at the occurrence of any surprising or distressing circumstance.
CHAPTER XXXIII,
Norfolk, for thee remains a heavy doom,
Which I with some unwillingness pronounce.
SIIAKSPEARE.
THE history of the unfortunate young man, who, after
escaping all the hazards and adventures of the passage,
was now so unexpectedly overtaken as he was about to
reach what he fancied an asylum, was no more than one
of those common-place tissue of events that lead, through
vanity and weakness, to crime. His father had held an
o:ffice uander the British government.  Marrying late, and
leaving a son and daughter just issuing into life at the time
Of his decease, the situation he had himself filled had been
given to the first, out of respect to the unwearied toil of a
faithful servant.
The young man was one of those who, without princi.
pies or high motives, live only for vanity. Of prominent
vices he had none, for there were no salient points in hi —




HOMEWARD BOUND.                 445
Character on which to hang any quality of sufficient bold.
ness to encourage crime of that nature.  Perhaps he owed
his ruin to the circumstance that he had a tolerable person, and was six feet high, as much as to any one other
thing. His father had been a short, solid, square-built
little man, whose ambition never towered above his stature,
and who, having entered fairly on the path of industry and
integrity early in life, had sedulously persevered in it to the
end. Not so with the son. He read so much about aris.
tocratic stature, aristocratic ears, aristocratic hands, aris.
tocratic feet, and aristocratic air, that he was delighted to
find that in all these high qualities he was not easily to be
distinguished from most of the young men of' rank he occasionally saw riding in the parks, or met in the streets,
and, though he very well knew he was not a lord, he began
to fancy it a happiness to be thought one by strangers, for
an hour or two in a week.
His passion for trifles and toys was inherent, and it had
been increased by reading two or three caricatures of fashionable men in the novels of the day, until his happiness
was chiefly centered in its indulgence. This was an expensive foible; and its gratification ere long exhausted his
legitimate means. One or two trifling and undetected
peculations favoured his folly, until a large sum happening
to lie at his sole mercy for a week or two, he made such
an inroad on it as compelled a flight. Having made up his
mind to quit England, he thought it. would be as easy to
escape with forty thousand pounds as with the few hundreds he had already appropriated to himself. This capital
mistake was the cause of his destruction; for the magnitude
of the sum induced the government to take unusual steps
to recover it, and was the true cause of its having despatched the cruiser in chase of the Montauk.
The Mr. Green who had been sent to identify the fugi
tive, was a cold, methodical man, every way resembling
the delinquent's father, whose office-companion he had
been, and in whose track of undeviating attention to business and negative honesty he had faithfully followed.  He
felt the peculation, or robbery, for it scarce deserved a
milder term, to be a reproach on the corps to which he be.
38




44t6             HOMEWARD BOUND.
longed, besides leaving a stigma on the name of one to
whom he had himself looked up as to a model for his own
imitation and government. It will readily be supposed,
therefore, that this person was not prepared to meet the
delinquent in a very forgiving mood.
" Saunders," said Captain Truck in the stern tone with
which he often hailed a-top, and which implied that instant
obedience was a condition of his forbearance, " go to the
state-room of the person who has called himself Sir George
Templemore-give him my compliments-be very particular, Mr. Saunders-and say Captain Truck's compliments,
and then tell him I expect the honour of his company in
this cabin-the honour of his company, remember, in this
cabin.  If that don't bring him out of his state-room, I'll
contrive something that shall." 
The steward turned up the white of his eyes, shrugged
his shoulders, and proceeded forthwith on the errand. He
found time, however, to stop in the pantry, and to inform
T.oast that their suspicions were at least in part true.
"This elucidates the circumstance of his having no attendant with him, like other gentlemen on board, and a wariety of other incidents, that much needed dewelopement.
_Mr. Blunt, I do collect from a few hints on deck, turns out
to be a Mr. Powis, a much genteeler name; and as they
spoke to some one in the ladies' cabin as' Sir George,' I
should not be overcome with astonishment should Mr. Sharp
actually eventuate as the real baronite."
There was time for no more, and Saunders proceeded to
summon the delinquent.
" This is the most unpleasant part of the duty of a packetmaster between England and America," continued Captain
Truck, as soon as Saunders was out of sight. " Scarce a
ship sails that it has not some runaway or other, either in
the steerage or in the cabins, and we are often called on to
aid the civil authorities on both sides of the water."'; America seems to be a favourite country with our English rogues," observed the office-man, drily.  "This is the
third that has gone from our own department within as
many years."
"Your department appears to be Nfuitful of such charac




HOMEWARD BOUND.                 447
ters, sir," returned Captain Truck, pretty rluch in the spirit
in which the first remark had been given.
Mr. Green was as thorough-going an Englishman as any
of his class in the island.  Methodical, plodding, indus.
trious, and regular in all his habits, he was honest by rule,
and had no leisure or inclination for any other opinions than
those which were obtained with the smallest effort. In consequence of the limited sphere in which he dwelt, in a
moral sense at least, he was a mass of the prejudices that
were most prevalent at the period when he first obtained his
notions.  His hatred of France was unconquerable, for he
had early learned to consider her as the fast enemy of
England; and as to America, he deemed her to be the
general asylum of all the rogues of his own country-the
possession of a people who had rebelled against their king
because the restraints of law were inherently disagreeable
to them. This opinion he had no more wish to proclaim
than he felt a desire to go up and down declaring that Satan
was the father of sin; but the fact in the one case was just
as well established in his mind as in the other. If he occasionally betrayed the existence of these sentiments, it was
as a man coughs; not because he particularly wishes to
cough, but because he cannot help it. Finding the subject
so naturally introduced, therefore, it is no wonder if some
cf his peculiar notions escaped him in the short dialogue
that followed.
" We have our share of bad men, I presume, sir,", he
rejoined to the thrust of Captain Truck; " but the thing
that has most attracted comment with us, is the fact that
they all go to America."'And we receive our share of rogues, I presume, sir;
and it is the subject of animadversion with us that they all
come from England."
Mr. Green did not feel the force of this retort; but he
viped his spectacles as he quietly composed his features into
look of dignified gravity.
"Some of your most considerable men in America, I
believe, sir," he continued, " have been Englishmen, who
preferred a residence in the colonies to a residence at home."
"I never heard of them," returned the captain; "will
you have the goodness to name just cne?"




448              HOMEWARD BOUND.
"Why, to begin, there was your Washington. I have
often heard my father say that he went td school with him
in Warwickshire, and that he was thought anything but
very clever, too, while he lived in England."
"You perceive, then, that we made something of him
when we got him over on this side; for he turned out in
the end to be a very decent and respectable sort of person.
Judging from the language of some of your prints, sir, I
should suppose that King William enjoyed the reputation
of being a respectable man in your country?"
Although startled to hear his sovereign spoken of in this
irreverent manner, Mr. Green answered promptly,H e is a king, sir, and comports himself as a king."
" And all the better, I dare say, for the thrashing he got
when a youngster, from the Vermont tailor."
Now  Captain Truck quite as religiously believed in
this vulgar tale concerning the prince in question, as Mr.
Green believed that Washington had commenced his career
as one no better than he should be, or as implicitly as Mr.
Steadfast Dodge gave credit to the ridiculous history of the
schoolmaster of Iladdonfield; all three of the legends belonging to the same high class of historical truths.
Sir George Templemore looked with surprise at John
Effingham, who gravely remarked,"Elegant extracts, sir, from the vulgar rumours of two
great nations.  We deal largely in these legends, and you:are not quite guiltless of them. I dare say, now, if you
would be frank, that you yourself have not always been
deaf to the reports against America."' You surely do not imagine that I am so ignorant of the
sareer of Washington?"
"Of that I fully acquit you; nor do I exactly suppose
that your present monarch was flogged by a tailor in Vermont, or that Louis Phillipe kept school in New-Jersey.
Dur position in the world raises us beyond these elegancies;
but do you not fancy some hard things of America, more
especially concerning her disposition to harbour rogues, if
they come with full pockets."
The baronet laughed, but he coloured. He wished to be
liberal, for he well knew that liberality distinguishes the




HOMEWARD BOUND.                  449
man of the world, and was an indispensable requisite for a
gentleman; but it is very hard for an Englishman to manifest true liberality towards the ci-devant colonies, and this
he felt in the whole of his moral system, notwithstanding
every effort to the contrary.
"' I will confess that case of Stephenson made an unlkvourable impression in England," he said with some re..
luctance.
" You mean the absconding member of Parliament," returned John Effingham, with emphasis on the four las
words.  "You canriot mean to reproach us with his selec.
tion of a place of refuge; for he was picked up at sea by
a foreign ship that was accidentally bound to Amnerica."
" Certainly not with that circumstance, which, as you
say, was purely an accident. But was there not something
extraordinary in his liberation from arrest!"
" Sir George Templemore, there are few Englishmen with
whom.I would dwell an instant on this subject," said John
Effingham  gravely; "but you are one of those who have
taught me to respect you, and I feel a strong regret whenev6r I trace any of these mistaken notions in a man of your
really generous disposition. A moment's reflection will show
you that no civilized society could exist with the disposition
you hint at; and as for the particular case you have men.
tioned, the man did not bring money of any moment with
him, and was liberated from arrest on a principle common
to all law, where law is stronger than political power, and
which principle we derive directly from  Great Britain
Depend on it, so far from there being a desire to receive rich
rogues in America from other countries, there is a growing
indisposition to receive emigrants at all; for their number is
getting to be inconvenient to the native population."'"Why does not America pass reciprocal laws with us
then, for the mutual delivery of criminals."
"One insuperable objection to such a reciprocity arises
from the nature of our government, as a confederation, since
there is no identity in our own criminal jurisprudence: but
a chief reason is the exceedingly artificial condition of your
society, which is the very opposite of our own, and indis
px0ses the American to visit trifling crimes with so heave
38 *




450              HOMEWARD BOUNTD
punishments. The American, who has a voice in this mat
ter, you will remember, is not prepared to hang a hal'.
starved wretch fbr a theft, or to send a man to Botany Bay
for poaching. The facility with which men obtain a liveli
hood in America has hitherto converted most rogues into
comparatively honest men when they get there; though I
think the day is near, now your own police is so much improved, when we shall find it necessary in self-defence to
change our policy.'The common language, as I am told,
induces many knaves, who now find England too hot to hold
them, to migrate to America."
"' Captain Ducie is anxious to know whether Mr. Truck
will quietly permit this criminal to be transferred to the
Foam."'
" I do not think he will permit it at all without being
overpowered, if the request be urged in any manner as a
right.- In that case, he will very properly think that the
maintenance of his national character is of more importance than the escape of a dozen rogues.  You may put a
harsh construction on his course; but I shall think him right
in resisting an unjust and an illegal invasion of his rights.
I had thought Captain Ducie, however, more peaceably disposed fiom what has passed."
" Perhaps I have expressed myself too strongly. I know
he would wish to take back the criminal; but I scarce think
that he meditates more than persuasion. Ducie is a fine
fellow, and every way a gentleman."
" He appears to have found an acquaintance in our young
friend, Powis."
"'The meeting between these two gentlemen has surprised
me, for it can scarcely be termed amicable: and yet it
seems to occupy more of Ducie's thoughts just now than
the affair of the runaway."
Both now became silent and thoughtful, for John Effing.
ham had too many unpleasant suspicions to wish to speak,
and the baronet was too generous to suggest a doubt concerning one whom he felt to be his rival, and whom, in
truth, he had begun sincerely to respect, as well as to like.
In the mean time, a discussion, which had gradually been
growir g more dogged and sullen on the part of Mr. Greene




HOMEWARD BOUND.                 45
and more biting and caustic on that of Captain Truck, was
suddenly terminated by the reluctant and tardy appearance
of Mr. Sandon.
Guilt, that powerful vindicator of the justice of Providence, as it proves the existence of the inward monitor, con.
science, was painfully impressed on a countenance that, in
general, expressed little beyond a vacant vanity. Althoughk
of a tall and athletic person, his limbs trembled in a way t0.
refuse to support him, and when he saw the well-known face
of Mr. Green, the unhappy young man sank into a seat
from a real inability to stand. The other regarded him
sternly through his spectacles, for more than a minute.
"This is a melancholy picture, Henry Sandon!" he at
length said. "I am, at least, glad that you do not affect to
brazen out your crime, but that you show a proper sense of
its enormity.  What would your upright and pains-taking
father have said, had he lived to see his only son in this
situation?"
"' He is dead!" returned the young man, hoarsely.  "He
is dead, and never can know any thing about it."
The unhappy delinquent experienced a sense of frightful
pleasure as he uttered these words.
"' It is true, he is dead; but there are others to suffer by
your misconduct. Your innocent sister is living, and feels
all your disgrace."
" She will marry Jones, and forget it all. I gave her a
thousand pounds, and she is married before this."
"In that you are mistaken. She has returned the money,
for she is, indeed, John Sandon's daughter, and Mr. Jones
refuses to marry the sister of a thief."
The delinquent was vain and unreflecting, rather than
selfish, and he had a natural attachment- to his sister, the
only other child of his parents. The blow, therefore, fell on
his conscience with double force, coming from this quarter.
"Julia can compel him to marry her," said the startled
brother; " he is bound by a solemn engagement, and the law
will protect her."
i" No law can make a man marry against his will, and
your poor unfortunate sister is too tender of your feelings
wvhatever you may h,'-e been of hers, to wish to give Mi




152              HOMEWARD BOUND.
Jones an opportunity of defending himself by exposing oVoul
crime. But this is wasting words, Mr. Sandon, for I am
wanted in the office, where I have left things in the hands of
an inexperienced substitute. Of course you are not preparmc
to defend an act, that your conscience must tell you is ine2
-usable."
" I am afraid, Mr. Green, I have been a little thoughtless
or, perhaps, it would be better to say, unlucky."
Mr. Sandon had fallen into the general and delusive mis
take of those who err, in supposing himself unfortunat(
rather than criminal.  With an ingenuity, that, exercised lr
a better cause, would have made him a respectable man, ho
had been endeavouring to excuse his crime to himself, on va
rious pleas of necessity, and he had even got at last to justify
his act, by fancying that some trifling wrong he had received,
or which he fancied he had received in the settlement of his
own private account, in some measure excused his fraud, al.
though his own denied claim amounted merely to the sum of
twenty pounds, and that which he hadl taken was so large.
It was under the influence of such feelings that he made the
answer just given.
"'A little thoughtless! unlucky! And is this the way
Henry Sandon, that you name a crime that might almost
raise your upright father from his grave? But I will speak
no more of feelings that you do not seem to understand.
You confess to have taken forty thousand pounds of the pub.
lie money, to which you have no right or claim?"
"I certainly have in my hands some money, which I do
not deny belongs to government."
" It is well; and here is my authority to receive it from
you. Gentlemen, will you have the kindness to see that my
powers are regular and authentic?"
John Effingham and others cast their eyes over the pa
pers, which seemed to be in rule, and they said as much.
"Now, sir," resumed Mr. Green, " in the first place, I de
emand the bills you received in London for this money, and
your regular endorsement in my favour."
The culprit appeared to have made up his mind to this
demand, and, with the same recklessness with which he had
appropriated the money to his own use, he was now realdy




HOMEWARD BOUND.                 4 5s
to restore it, without proposing a condition for his own safety
The bills were in his pocket, and seating himself at a table,
tie made the required endorsement, and handed them to Mr
Green.
"Here are bills for thirty-eight thousand pounds," said
that methodical person, after he had examined the drafts,
one by one, and counted their amount; "and you are
known to have taken forty thousand. I demand the re.
mainder."
"Would you leave me in a strange country penniless'"
exclaimed the culprit, in a tone of reproach.
"' Strange country! penniless!" repeated Mr. Green, looking over his spectacles, first at Mr. Truck, and then at Mr.
Sandon.  "That to which you have no claim must be re.
stored, though it strip you to the skin. Every pound you
have belongs to the public, and to no one else."
" Your pardon, Mr. Green, and green enough you are, if
you- lay down that doctrine," interrupted Captain Truck, " in
which neither Vattel, nor the revised statutes will bear you
out. A passenger cannot remove his effects from a ship,
until his passage be first paid."' That, sir, I dispute, in a question affecting the king's
revenues. The claims of government precede all others,
and the money that has once belonged to the crown, and
which has not been regularly paid away by the crown, is the
crown's still."
" Crowns and coronations!  Perhaps, Master Green,
you think you are in Somerset House at this present speak.
ing?"
Now Mr. Green was so completely'a star of a confined
orbit, that his ideas seldom described a tangent to their ordinary revolutions. He was so much accustomed to hear
of England ruling colonies, the East and the West, Canada,
the Cape, and New South Wales, that it was not an easy
matter for him to conceive himself to be without the influence of the British laws.  Had he quitted home with the
intention to emigrate, or even to travel, it is probable that his
mind would have kept a more equal pace with his body, but
summoned in haste from his desk, and with the office spec.
tacles on his nose, it is not so much a matter of wonder




4541             HOMEWARD BOUND.
that he hardly realized the truths of his present situation. The
man-of-war, in which everything was His -Majesty's, sustained this feieling, and it was too sudden a change to expect
such a man to abandon all his most cherished notions at a
moment's warning. The irreverent exclamation of Captain
Truck shocked him, and he did not fail to show as much by
the disgust pictured in his countenance.
" I am in one of His Majesty's packets, sir, I presume,
where, you will permit me to say, a greater deference for
the high ceremonies of the kingdom ought to be found."
" This would make even old Joe Bunk laugh. You are
in a New York liner, sir, over which no majesty has any
control, but their majesties John Griswold and Co. Why,
my good sir, the sea has unsettled your brain!"
Now, Mr. Green did know that the United States of
America had obtained their independence, but the whole
proceeding was so mixed up with rebellion, and a French
alliance, in his mind, that he always doubted whether the
new republic had a legal existence at all, and he had been
heard to express his surprise that the twelve judges had not
long since decided this state of things to be unconstitutional,
and overturned the American government by mandamus.
His disgust increased, accordingly, as Captain Truck's irreverence manifested itself in stronger terms, and there was
great danger that the harmony, which had hitherto prevailed
between the parties, would be brought to a violent termi.
nation.
" The respect for the crown in a truly loyal* subject, sir,"
Mr. Green returned sharply, " is not to be unsettled by the
sea; not in my case, at least, whatever it might have been
in your own."
"My own! why, the devil, sir, do you take me for a
Vubject?"
" A truant one, I fear, though you may have been born
in London itself."
1" Why, my dear sir," said Captain Truck, taking the
other by a button, as if he pitied his hallucination, " you
Jon't breed such men in London. I came from the river,
which never had a subject in it, or any other majesty, than
that of the Saybrook Platform. I begin to understand you,




HOMEWARD BOUND.                 45a
at last: you are one of those well-meaning men who fancy
the earth but a casing to the island of Great Britain. Well,
1 suppose it is more the fault of your education than of your
nature, and one must overlook the mistake.  May I ask
what is your farther wish, in reference to this unhappy young
nman?"
" He must refund every pound of the public money that
remains in his possession."
" That is just, and I say yea."
"And all who have received from him any portion of this
money, under whatever pretences, must restore it to the
crown."' My good sir, you can have no notion of the quantity of
champaigne and other good things this unfortunate young
man has consumed in this ship. Although but a sham baronet, he has fared like a real lord; and you cannot have
the heart to exact from the owners the keeping of your
rogues."
" Government makes no distinction, sir, and  always
claims its own."
" Nay, Mr. Green," interrupted Sir George'Templemore,
" I much question if government would assert a right to
money that a peculator or a defaulter fairly -spends, even in
England; much less does it seem to me it can pretend to
the few pounds that Captain Truck has lawfully earned."
C" The money has not been lawfully earned, sir. It is
contrary to law to assist a felon to quit the kingdom, and I
am not certain there are no penalties for that act alone; and
as for the public money, it can never legally quit the Treasury without the proper office forms."' "My dear Sir George," put in the captain,' leave me to
settle this with Mr. Green, who, no doubt, is authorized to
give a receipt in full. What is to be done with the de.
linquent, sir, now that you are in possession of his money?"
"Of course he will be carried back in the Foam, and, I
mourn to be compelled to say, that he must be left in the
hands of the law."
" What, with or without my permission?"
Mr. Green stared, for his mind was precisely one of those
which would conceive it to be a high act of audacity in a




150i             HOMEWARD BOUND.
ci-devant colonist to claim the rights of anll old country, even
did he really understand the legality and completeness of the
separation.
" He has committed forgery, sir, to conceal his peculation.
It is an awful crime; but they that commit it cannot hope
to escape the consequences."
"Miserable impostor! is this true?'' Captain Truck sternly
demanded of the trembling culprit.
"He calls an oversight forgery, sir," returned the lat
ter huskily.  "1 have done nothing to affect my life or
liberty."
At this moment Captain Ducie, accompanied by Paul
Powis, entered the cabin, their faces flushed, and their manner to each other a little disturbed, though it was formally
courteous. At the same instant, Mr. Dodge, who had been
dying to be present at the secret conference, watched his
opportunity to slip in also.
" I am glad you have come, sir," said Mr. Green, " for
here may be occasion for the services of his Majesty's officers.  Mr. Sandon has given up these bills, but two thousand pounds remain unaccounted for, and I have traced
thirty-five, quite clearly, to the master of this ship, who
has received it in the way of passage-money."
" Yes, sir, the fact is as plain as the high-lands of Navesink from the deck," drily added Captain Truck.
" One thousand of this money has been returned by the
defaulter's sister," observed Captain Ducie.
" Very true, sir; I had forgotten to give him credit for
that.".
"' The remainder has probably been wasted in those silly
trifles of which you have told me the unhappy man was so
fond, and for which he has bartered respectability and peace
of mind. - As for the money paid this ship for the passage,
it has been fairly earned, nor do I know that government
has any power to reclaim it."
Mr. Green heard this opinion with still greater disgust
than he had felt towards the language of Captain Truck;
nor could he very well prevent his feelings escaping. him
in words.
" We truly live in perilous times," he muttered, speaking




HOMEWARD BOUND.                  45
more particularly to John Effingham, out of respect to his
appearance, " when the scions of the nobility entertain no
tions so lobse.  We have vainly fancied in England tla
the enormities of the French revolution were neutralizec
by Billy Pitt; but, sir, we still -live in perilous times, fbr
the disease has fairly reached the higher classes.  I hear
that designs are seriously entertained against the wigs of
the judges and bishops, and the next thing will be the
throne! All our venerable institutions are in danger."
" I should think the throne might indeed be in danger,
sir," returned John Effingham, gravely, " if it reposes on
wigs."
" It is my duty, Captain Truck," continued Captain Ducie,
wno was a man so very different from his associate that he
-scarcely seemed to belong to the same species, " to request
you will deliver to us the person of the culprit, with his
effects, when we can relieve you and your passengers from
the pain of witnessing any more of this unpleasant scene."
At the sound of the delivery of his person, all the danger
of his situation rushed forcibly before the imagination of
the culprit. His face flushed and became pale, and his
legs refused to support him, though he made a desperate
effort to rise.
After an instant of silence, he turned to the commander
of the corvette, and, in piteous accents, appealed fo him for
mercy.
1" I have been punished severely already," he continued,
as his voice returned, " for the savage Arabs robbed me of
everything I had of any value.  These gentlemen know
that they took my dressing-case, several other curious and
valuable articles for the toilet, and nearly all my clothes."
" This man is scarcely a responsible being," said John
Effingham, " for a childish vanity supplies the place of
principles, self-respect, and duty. With a sister scorned on
account of his crimes, conviction beyond denial, and a dread
punishment staring him in the face, his thoughts still run
on trifles."
Captain Ducie gave a look of pity at the miserable young
man, and, by his countenance, it was plain to see that he
felt no relish for his duty. Still he felt himself bound to
39




4 58             HOMEWARD BOUND.
urge on Captain Truck a compliance with his request. The
master of the packet was a good deal divided by an inherent dislike of seeming to yield anything to a British naval
ofticer, a class of men whom he learned in early life most
hlertily to dislike; his kind feelings towards this plarticular
specimen of the class; a reluctance to give a man up to a
probable death, or some other severe punishment; and a
distaste to being thought desirous of harbouring a rogue.
In this dilemma, therefore, he addressed himself to John
Effingham for counsel.
"I should be pleased to hear your opinion, sir, on this
*matter," he said, looking at the gentleman just namned, "for
I own mryself to be ins a category. Ought we, or not, to
deliver up the culprit?"
"Fiat justitia rtuat cwzlum," answered John Effingham,
who never fancied any one could be ignorant of the meaning
of these familiar words.
" That I believe indeed to be Vattel," said Captain Truck;
"but exceptions alter rules. This young man has some
claims on us on account of his conduct when in firont of the
Arabs."
" He fought for himself, sir, and has the merit of pre.
ferring liberty in a ship to slavery in the desert."' I think with Mr. John Effingham," observed Mr. Dodge,
"and can see no redeeming quality in his conduct on that
occasion.  He did what we all did, or, as Mr. John Effingham has so pithily expressed it, he preferred liberty in our
company to being an Arab's slave."
"You will not deliver me up, Captain Truck!" exclaimed
the delinquent. " They will hang me, if once in their power.
Oh! vou will not have the heart to let them hang me!"
Captain Truck was startled at this appeal, but he sternly
reminded the culprit that it was too late to remember the
punishment, when the crime was committed.
"Never fear, Mr. Sandon," said the office-man with a
sneer; " these gentlemen will take you to New York, for
the sake of the thousand pounds, if they can. A rogue is
pretty certain of a kind reception in America, I hear."
" Then, sir," exclaimed Captain Truck, "you had bettei
go in with us."




HOMEWARD BOUND.                  45
"Mr Green, Mr. Green, this is indiscreet, to call it by
uo worse a term," interposed Captain Ducie, who, while he
was not free from a good deal of the prejudices of his corn
panion, was infinitely better bred, and more in the habit of
commanding2 himself.
"Mr. John Effingham, you have heard this wanton insult," continued Captain Truck, suppressing his wrath as
well as he could: " in what manner ought it to be resented?"'" Command the offender to quit your ship instantly," said
John Effingham firmlv.
Captain Ducie started, and his face flushed; but disregarding him altogether, Captain Truck walked deliberately up to
Mr. Green, and ordered him to go into the corvette's boat.
" I shall allow of neither parley nor delay," added the
exasperated old seaman, struggling to appear cool and dig.
nified, though his vocation was little for the latter.  "Do
me the favour, sir, to permit me to see you into your boat,
sir.  Saunders, go on deck, and tell Mr. Leach to have the
side manned-with three side boys, Saunders; —and now I
ask it as the greatest possible favour, that you will walik on
deck with me, or-or-damn me, but I'll drag you there,
neck and heels!"
It was too much for Captain Truck to seem calm when
he was in a towering passion, and the outbreak at the close
of this speech was accompanied by a gesture with a hand
which was open, it is true, but from which none of the arts
of his more polite days could erase the knobs and hue that
had been acquired in early life.
" This is strong language, sir, to use to a British officer,
under the guns of' a British cruiser," exclaimed the com;
mander of the corvette.' And his was strong language to use to a man in hin
own country and in his own ship. To you, Captain Ducie
I have nothing to say, unless it be to say you aro welcome.
But your companion has indulged in a coarse insult on my
country, and damn me if I submit to it, if I never see St.
Catherine's Docks again. I had too much of this when a
young man, to wish to find it repeated while an old one."
Captain Ducie bit his lip, and he looked exceedingly
vexed. A [though he ha l himself blindly imbibed the notion




460              HOMEWARD BOUND.
that America would gladly receive the devil himself if he
came with a full pocket, he was shocked with the coarse.
ness that would throw such an innuendo into the very faces
of the people of the country. On the other hand, his pride
as an officer was hurt at the menace of Captain Truck, and
all the former harmony of the scene was threatened with a
sudden termination. Captain Ducie had been struck with
the gentlemanlike appearance of both the Effinghams, to
say nothing of Eve, the instant his foot touched the deck
of the Montauk, and he now turned with a manner of
reproach to John EfTingham, and said,
"Surely, sir, you cannot sustain Mr. Truck in his extraordinary conduct!"
" You will pardon me if I say I do. The man has been
permitted to remain longer in the ship than I would have
suffered."
" And, Mr. Powis, what is your opinion?"
"I fear," said Paul, smiling coldly, "that I should have
knocked him down on the spot."
"Templemore, are you, too, of this way of thinking?"
"' I fear the speech of Mr. Green has been without suffi.
cient thought. On reflection he will recall it."
But Mr. Green would sooner part with life than part with
a prejudice, and he shook his head in the negative in a way
to show that his mind was made up.
"This is trifling," added Captain Truck.  "Saunders,
go on deck, and tell Mr. Leach to send down through the
skylight a single whip, that we may whip this polite per.
sonage on deck; and, harkee, Saunders, let there be another
on the yard, that we may send him into his boat like an
anker of gin!"
" This is proceeding too far," said Captain Ducie. " Mr
Green, you will oblige me by retiring; there can be no suspicion cast on a vessel of war for conceding a little to an
unarmed ship."
" A vessel of war should not insult an unarmed ship,
sir!" rejoined Captain Truck, pithily.
Captain Ducie again coloured; but as he had decided on
his course, he had the, prudence to remain silent.  In the
mean time Mr. Green sullenly took his hat and papers, and




HOMEIWARD BOUND.               461
withdrew into the boat; though, on his return to London
he did not fail to give such a version of the afihir as went
altogether to corroborate all his own, and his friends' previous notions of America; and, what is equally singular,
he religiously believed all he had said on the occasion.
"What ii now to be done with this unhappy man?" inquired Captain Ducie when order was a little restored.
The misunderstanding was an unfortunate affair for the
culprit. Captain Truck felt a strong reluctance to deliver
him up to justice after all they had gone through together,
but the gentlemanlike conduct of the English commander,
the consciousness of having triumphed in the late conflict,
and a deep regard for the law, united on the other hand to
urge him to yield the unfortunate and weak-minded offender
to his own authorities.
" You do not claim a right to take him out of an Ameri.
can ship by violence, if I understand you, Captain Ducie'!"
" I do not. My instructions are merely to demand* him."
"That is according to Vattel. By demand you mean, to
request, to ask for him?"
" I mean to request, to ask for him," returned the Eng
lishman, smiling.
" Then take him, of God's name; and may your laws
be more merciful to the wretch than he has been to himself,
or to his kin."
Mr. Sandon shrieked, and he threw himself abjectly on
his knees between the two captains, grasping the legs of
both.
" Oh! hear me! hear me 1" he exclaimed in a tone of
anguish. "I have given up the money, I will give it all
up! all to the last shilling, if you will let me go! You,
Captain Truck, by whose side I have fought and toiled,
you will not have the heart to abandon me to these murderers!"
" It's d —d hard!" muttered the captain, actually wiping
~his eyes; "but it is what you have drawn upon yourself,
I fear. Get a good lawyer, my poor fellow, as soon as
you arrive; and it's an even chance, after all, that you go
wree!"
"Miserable wretch I" said Mr. Dodge,: confronting the
39*




462              HOMEWARD BOUND.
still kneeling and agonized delinquent, " Wretch! these are
the penalties of guilt. You have forged and stolen, acts
that meet with my most unqualified disapprobation, and you
are unfit for respectable society.-I saw from the very first
what you truly were, and permitted myself to associate with
you, merely to detect and expose you, in order that you
might not bring disgrace on our beloved country. An impostor has no chance in America; and you are fortunate in
being taken back to your own hemisphere."
Mr. Dodge belonged to a tolerably numerous class, that
is quaintly described as being " law honest;" that is to say,
he neither committed murder nor petty larceny. When he
was guilty of moral slander, he took great care that it should
not be legal slander; and, although his whole life was a
tissue of mean and baneful vices, he was quite innocent of
all those enormities that usually occupy the attention of a
panel of twelve men. This, in his eyes, raised him so far
above.less prudent sinners as to give him a right to address
his quondam associate as has been just related. But the
agony of the culprit was past receiving an increase from
this brutal attack; he merely motioned the coarse-minded
sycophant and demagogue away, and continued his appeals
to the two captains for mercy. At this moment Paul Powis
stepped up to the editor, and in a low but firm voice ordered
him to quit the cabin.
" I will pray for you —be your slave-do all you ask, it
you will not give me up!" continued the culprit, fairly
writhing in his agony. " Oh! Captain Ducie, as an English nobleman, have mercy on me."
" I must transfer the duty to subordinates," said the
English commander, a tear actually standing in his eye.
" Will you permit a party of armed marines to take this
unhappy being from your ship, sir."
"Perhaps this will be the best course, as he will yield
only to a show of force. I see no objection to this, Mr
John Effingham?"
"None in the world, sir. It is your object to clear your
ship of a delinquent, and let those among whom he committed the fault be the agents."
" Ay-ay! this is' what Vattel calls the comity of na
tions  Captain Ducie, I beg you will issue your orders.'




HOMEWARD BOUND.                 463
The English commander had foreseen some difficulty,
and, in sending away his boat when he came below, he had
sent for a corporal's guard.. These men were now in a
cutter, near the ship, lying off on their oars, in a rigid respect to the rights- of a stranger, however,-as Captain
Truck was glad to see, the whole party having gone on
deck as soon as the arrangement was settled. At an order
from their commander the marines boarded the Montauk,
and proceeded below in quest of their prisoner.
Mr. SaLdon had been left alone in Eve's cabin; but as
sOon as he found himself at liberty, he hurried into his own
state-room. Captain Truck went below, while the marines
were entering the ship; and, having passed a minute in
his own room, he stepped across the cabin, to that of the
culprit. Opening the door without knocking, he found the
unhappy man in the very act of applying a pistol to his
head, his own hand being just in time to prevent the catastrophe. The despair portrayed in the face of the criminal
prevented reproach or remonstrance, for Captain Truck
was a man of few words when it was necessary to act.
Disarming the intended suicide, he coolly counted out to
him thirty-five pounds, the money paid for his passage,
and told him to pocket it.
"' I received this on condition of delivering you safe in
New York," he said; " and as I shall fail in the bargain,
I think it no more than just to return you the money.  It
may help you on the trial."
"Will they hang me?" asked Mr. Sandon hoarsely,
and with an imbecility like that of an infant.
The appearance of the marines prevented reply, the pri.
soner was secured, his effects were pointed out, and his
person was transferred to the boat with the usual military
promptitude. As soon as this was done the cutter pulled
away from the packet, and was soon hoisted in again on
the corvette's deck. That day month the unfortunate victim of a passion for trifles committed suicide in London,
just as they were about to transfer him to Newgate; and
ix months later his unhappy sister died of a broken heart.




W64             HOMEWARD BOUND.
CHAPTER XXXIV.
We'll attend you there:
Where, if you bring not Marcils, we'll proceed
In our first way.
Coriolacnus
EYvE and Mademoiselle Viefville had been unwilling
spectators of a portion of the foregoing scene, and Captaini
I[ucie felt a desire to apologise for the part he had been
obliged to act in it. For this purpose he had-begged his
friend the baronet to solicit a more regular introduction
than that received through Captain Truck.
"My friend Ducie is solicitous to be introduced, Miss
Effinrham, that he may urge something in his own behalf
concerning the commotion he has raised among us."
A graceful assent brought the young commander for.
ward, and as soon as he was named he made a very suita.
ble expression of his regret to the ladies, who received it
as a matter of course, favourably.' This is a new duty to me, the arrest of criminals,'
added Captain Ducie.
The word criminals sounded harsh to the ear of Eve,
and she felt her cheek becoming pale.
"Much as we regret the cause," observed the father
6' we can spare the person you are about to take from us
without much pain; for we have known him for an impos.
tor from the moment he appeared.-Is there not some mistake? That is the third trunk that I have seen passed
into the boat marked P. P."
Captain Ducie smiled, and answered," You will call it a bad pun if I say P. P. see,"' pointing
to Paul, who was coming from the cabin attended by Captain
Truck.  The latter was conversing warmly, gesticulating
towards the corvette, and squeezing his companion's hand.
"Am I to understand," said Mr. Effingham earnestly,'that Mr. Powis, too, is to quit us?"
"He does me the favour, also,"-Captain Ducie's lip
curled a little at the word favour,-" to accompany me to
England."




HOMEWARD B3OUND.                465
Good breeding and intense,eeling caused a profound si
ence, until the young man himself approached the party
Paul endeavoured to be calm, and he even forced a smile as
he addressed his friends.
" Although I escape the honours of a marine guard," he
said,-and Eve thought he said it bitterly, "I am also to be
taken out of the ship.. Chance has several times thrown me
into your society, Mr. Effingham-Miss Effingham —and,
should the same good fortune ever again occur, I hope I
may be permitted to address you at once as an old acquaintance.
" We shall always entertain a most grateful recollection
of your important services, Mr. Powis," returned the father,
" and I shall not cease to wish that the day may soon ar.
rive when I can have the pleasure of receiving you under
my own roof."
Paul now offered to take the hand of Mademoiselle Vief.
ville, which he kissed gallantly.  He did the same with
Eve's, though she felt him tremble in the attempt. As these
ladies had lived much in countries in which this graceful
mode of salutation prevails among intimates, the act passed
as a matter of course.
With Sir George Templemore, Paul parted with every
sign of good-will. The people, to whom he had caused a
liberal donation to be made, gave him three cheers, for they
understood his professional merits at least; and Saunders,
who had not been forgotten, attended him assiduously to
the side of the ship. Here Mr. Leach called, " the Foam's
away!" and Captain Ducie's gig was manned. At the
gangway Captain Truck again shook Paul cordially by the
hand, and whispered something in his ear.
Every thing being now ready, the two gentlemen prepared to go into the boat.  As Eve watched all that passed
with an almost breathless anxiety, a little ceremonial that
now took place caused her much pain. Hitherto the manner of Captain Ducie, as respected his companion, had
struck her as equivocal. At times it was haughty and distant, while at others it had appeared more conciliatory and
kind  All these little changes she had noted with a jealous
interest, and the slightest appearance of respect or of disrespect was remarkea, as if it could furnish a clew to the
mystery of the whole procedure.




tO6             HOMEWARD BOUND.
" Your boat is ready, sir," said Mr. Leach, stepping out
of the gangway to give way to Paul, who stood nearest to
the ladder.
The latter was about to proceed, when he was touched
lightly on the shoulder by Captain Ducie, who smiled, Eve
thought haughtily, and intimated a desire to precede him.
Paul coloured, bowed, and falling back, permitted the English officer to enter his own boat first.
" Apparemment ce captaine Anglais est un peu sans faFon —Voild qui est poli!" whispered Mademoiselle Vief:
ville.
" These commanders of vessels of war are little kings,"
quietly observed Mr. Effingham, who had unavoidably no.
ticed the whole procedure.
The gig was soon clear of the ship, and both the gentlemen repeated their adieus to those on deck. To reach the
corvette, to enter her, and to have the gig swinging on her
quarter occupied but five minutes.
Both ships now filled away, and the corvette began to
throw out one sheet of cloth after another until she was
under a cloud of canvas, again standing to the eastward with studding-sails alow and aloft.  On the other
hand, the Montauk laid her yards square, and ran down to
the Hook. The pilot from  the corvette had been sent on
board the packet, and, the wind standing, by eleven o'clock
the latter had crossed the bar. At this moment the low
dark stern of the Foam  resembled a small black spot on
the sea sustaining a pyramid of cloud.
" You were not on deck, John, to take leave of our young
friend Powis," said Mr. Effingham, reproachfully.
" I do not wish to witness a ceremony of this extraordi.
nary nature. And yet it might have been better if I had."
"Better, cousin Jack!"
"Better. Poor Monday committed to *my care certain
papers that, I fancy, are of moment to some one, and these
I intrusted to Mr. Powis, with a view to examine them
together when we should get in. In the hurry of parting, he
has carried them off."
"They may bQ reclaimed by writing to London," said
1I Effingham quietly. "Have you his address?"




HOMEWARD BOUND.                  467
"I asked him for it; but the question appeared to em.
barrass him."
"Embarrass, cousin Jack!"
"Embarrass, Miss Effingham."
The subject was now dropped by common consent. A
few moments of awkward silence succeeded, when the interest inseparable from a return home, after an absence of
years, began to resume its influence, and objects on the land
were noticed. The sudden departure of Paul was not. forgotten, however; for it continued the subject of wonder with
all for weeks, though little more was said on the subject.
The ship was soon abreast of the Hook, which Eve compared, to the disadvantage of the celebrated American haven
with the rocky promontories and picturesque towers of the
Mediterranean.
"'This portion of our bay, at least, is not very admirable," she said, "though there is a promise of something
better above."
" Some New-York cockney, who has wandered from the
crackling heat of his Nott stove, has taken it into his poetical imagination to liken this bay to that of Naples," said
John Effingham; "and his fellow-citizens greedily swallow
the absurdity, although there is scarcely a single feature in
common to give the foolish opinion value."
"But the bay above is beautiful!"
"Barely pretty: when one has seen it alone, for many
years, and has forgotten the features of other bays, it does
not appear amiss; but you, fresh from the bolder landscapes
of Southern Europe, will be disappointed."
Eve, an ardent admirer of nature, heard this with regret,
for she had as much confidence in the taste of her kinsman
as in his love of truth. She knew he was superior to the
vulgar vanity of giving an undue merit to a thing because
he had a right of property in it; was a man of the world,
and knew what he uttered on all such matters; had not a
particle of provincial admiration or of provincial weakness
in his composition; and, although as ready as another, and
tar more able than most, to defend his country and her insti.
tutions from the rude assault of her revilers, that he seldom
made the capital mistake of attempting to defend a weak
point.




468              HOMEWARD BOUND.
The scenery greatly improved, in fact, however, as the
ship advanced; and while she went through the pass called
the Narrows, Eve expressed her delight. Mademoiselle Vief
ville was in ecstasies, not so much with the beauties of the
place as with the change from the monotony of. the ocean to
the movement and liveliness of the shore.
" You think this noble scenery?" said John Effingham.
"As far from it as possible, cousin Jack. I see much
meanness and poverty in the view, but at the same time it
has fine parts. The islands are not Italian, certainly; nor
these hills, nor yet that line of distant rocks; but, together,
they form a pretty bay, and a noble one in extent and uses
at least."
"' All this is true. Perhaps the earth does not contain
another port with so many advantages for commerce. In
this respect I think it positively unequalled; but I know a
hundred bays that surpass it in beauty. Indeed in the
Mediterranean it is not easy to find a natural haven that
does not."
Eve was too fresh from the gorgeous coast of Italy to be
in ecstasies with the meagre villages and villas that, more
or less, lined the bay of New-York; but when they reach.
ed a point where the view of the two rivers, separated by
the town, came before them, with the heights of Brooklyn
heights comparatively if not positively, on one side, and the
receding wall of the palisadoes on the other, Eve insisted
that the scene was positively fine.
" You have well chosen your spot," said John Effingham;
"but even this is barely good. There is nothing surpassing
about it."
"But it is home, cousin Jack."
"It is home, Miss Effingham," he answered, gaping,
" and as you have no cargo to sell, I fear you will find it
an exceedingly dull one."
" We shall see-we shall see," returned Eve, laughing.
Then, looking about her for a few minutes, she added with
a manner in which real and affected vexation were prettily
blended, " In one thing I do conf6ss myself disappointed."
"You will be happy, my dear, if it be in only one."
"These smaller vessels are less picturesque than those
I have been accustomed to see."




HOMEWARD BOUN D.                469
"You have hit upon a very sound criticism, and, by go.
ing a little deeper into the subject, you will discover a sin.
gular deficiency in this part of an American landscape.
The great height of the spars of all the smaller vessels of
these waters, when compared with, the tame and level coast,
river banks, and the formation of the country in general,
has the effect to diminish still more the outlines of any par.
ticular scene. Beautiful as it is, beyond all competition, the
Hudson would seem still more so, were it not for these high
and ungainly spars."
The pilot now began to shorten sail, and the ship drew
into that arm of the sea which, by a misnomer peculiarly
American, it is the fashion to call the East River. Here
our heroine candidly expressed her disappointment, the
town seeming mean and insignificant. The Battery, of
which she remembered a little, and had heard so much, al.
though beautifully placed, disappointed her, for it had neither
the extent and magnificence of a park, nor the embellishments and luxurious shades of a garden. As she had been
told that her countrymen were almost ignorant of the art
of landscape gardening, she was not so much disappointed
with this spot, however, as with the air of the town, and
the extreme filth and poverty of the quays. Unwilling to
encourage John Effingham in his diposition to censure, she
concealed her opinions for a time.
"There is less improvement here than even 1 expected,"
said Mr. Effingham, as they got into a coach on the wharf.
" They had taught me, John, to expect great improvements."
"And great, very great improvements have been made
in your absence. If you could see this place as you knew
it in youth, the alterations would seem marvellous."
" I cannot admit this. With Eve, I think the place mean
in appearance, rather than imposing, and so decidedly pro.
vincial as not to possess a single feature of a capital."
" The two things are not irreconcilable, Ned, if you will
take the trouble to tax your memory.  The place is mean
and provincial; but thirty years since it was still meansr
and more provincial than it is to-day. A century hence it
wvill begin-to resemble a large European town."
" What odious objects these posts are!" cried Eve.
40




'o 0U            HOMEWARD BOUND.
"They give the streets the air of a village, and I do not
see their uses."
"These* posts are for awnings, and of themselves they
prove the peculiar country character of the place. If you
will reflect, however, you. will see it could nct well be otherwise. Tnis town to-day contains near three-hundred thousand souls, two-thirds of whom are in truth emigrants from
the interior of our own, or of some foreign country; and
such a collection of people cannot in a day give a town any
other character than that which belongs to themselves. It is
not a crime to be provincial and rustic; it is only ridiculous
to fancy yourselves otherwise, when the fact is apparent."
" The streets seem deserted. I had thought New York a
crowded town."
" And yet this is Broadway, a street that every American
will tell you is so crowded as to render respiration impossible."
" John Effingham excepted," said Mr. Effingham smiling.
Is this Broadway?" cried Eve, fairly appalled.
" Beyond a question. Are you not smothered?"
Eve continued silent until the carriage reached the door of
her father's house. On the other hand, Mademoiselle Vief.
ville expressed herself delighted with all she saw, a circumstance that might have deceived a native of the country,
who did not know how to explain her raptures. In the first
place she was a Frenchwoman, and accustomed to say pleasant things; then she was just relieved from an element she
detested, and the land was pleasant in her eyes. But the
principal reason is still in reserve: Mademoiselle Viefville,
like most Europeans, had regarded America not merely as
a provincial country, and this without a high standard of civilization fbr a province, as the truth would have shown, but
as a semi-barbarous quarter of the world; and the things
she saw so much surpassed her expectations, that she was
delighted, as it might be, by contrast.
As we shall have a future occasion to speak of the dwell.;ng of Mr. Effingham, and to accompany the reader much
further in the histories of our several characters, we shaP
pass over the feelings of Eve when fairly established that
night under her own roof. The next morning, however,
when she descended to breakfast, she was met by John




HOMEWARD BOUND.                 471
Effingham, who gravely pointed to the following paragraph
in one of the daily journals.
"The Montauk, London packet, which has been a little
out of time, arrived yesterday, as reported in our marine
news. This ship has met with various interesting adven
tures, that,-we are happy to hear, will shortly be laid before
the world by one of her.passengers, a gentleman every way
qualified for the task. Among the distinguished persons ar.
rived in this ship is our contemporary, Steadfast Dodge, Es
quire, whose amusing and instructing letters from Europe
are already before the world. —We are glad to hear that Mr
Dodge returns home better satisfied than ever with his own
country, which he declares to be quite good enough for him
It is whispered that our literary.friend has played a conspicuous part in some recent events on the coast of Africa.
though his extreme and well known modesty renders him indisposed to.speak of the affair; but we forbear ourselves
out of respect to a sensibility that we know how to esteem
" His Britannic Majesty's ship, Foam, whose arrival we
noticed a day or two since, boarded the Montauk off the
Hook. and took out of her two criminals, one of whom, we
are told, was a defauIter for one hundred and forty thousand
pounds, and the other a deserter from the king's service,
though a scion of a noble house. More of this to-morrow."
The morrow never came, for some new incident took the
place of the promised narration. A people who do not give
themselves time to eat, and with whom  "go ahead" has
got to be the substitute of even religion, little troubling
themselves to go back twenty-four hours in search of a
fact.
"This must be a base falsehood, cousin Jack," said Eve,
as she laid down the paper, her brow flushed with an indignation that, for the moment, proved too strong for even ap.
prehension.
" I hope it may turn out to be so, and yet I consider the
affair sufficiently singular to render suspicion at least natural."
How Eve both thought and acted in the matter, will ap
pear hereafter.
THE END.