igation?"

"To all others, especially in the sealing business, which is my raal
occupation. It's the very best way in the world to discover islands; and
everybody knows that we sealers are always on the lookout for su'thin'
of that sort."

"Will you suffer me to inquire, Captain Poke, how many times you have
doubled Cape Horn?"

My navigator threw a quick, jealous glance at me, as if he distrusted
the nature of the question.

"Why, that is neither here nor there; perhaps I don't double either of
the capes, perhaps I do. I get into the South Sea with my craft, and
it's of no great moment how it's done. A skin is worth just as much in
the market, though the furrier may not happen to have a glossary of the
road it has travelled."

"A glossary?"

"What matters a signification, commodore, when people understand
each other? This overland journey has put me to my wits, for you will
understand that I've had to travel among natives that cannot speak a
syllable of the homespun; so I brought the schooner's dictionary with
me as a sort of terrestrial almanac, and I fancied that, as they spoke
gibberish to me, the best way was to give it to them back again as near
as might be in their own coin, hoping I might hit on su'thin' to
their liking. By this means I've come to be rather more voluble than
formerly."

"The idea was happy."

"No doubt it was, as is just evinced. But having given you a pretty
clear insight into my natur' and occupation, it is time that I ask a few
questions of you. This is a business, you must know, at which we do
a good deal at Stunin'tun, and at which we are commonly thought to be
handy,"

"Put your questions, Captain Poke; I hope the answers will be
satisfactory."

"Your name?"

"John Goldencalf--by the favor of his majesty, Sir John Goldencalf,
Baronet."

"Sir John Goldencalf--by the favor of his majesty, a baronet! Is baronet
a calling? or what sort of a crittur or thing is it?"

"It is my rank in the kingdom to which I belong."

"I begin to understand what you mean. Among your nation mankind is what
we call stationed, like a ship's people that are called to go about; you
have a certain berth in that kingdom of yours, much as I should have in
a sealing schooner."

"Exactly so; and I presume you will allow that order, and propriety, and
safety result from this method among mariners?"

"No doubt--no doubt, we station anew, however, each v'yage, according to
experience; I'm not so sure