se acquaintance with navigation
consists solely in the blind knowledge that certain calculations if
correctly performed will afford certain information; Captain Staunton
had studied nautical astronomy intelligently and thoroughly, he knew the
_raison d'etre_ of every calculation in the various astronomical
problems connected with the science of navigation, and was therefore in
a position to explain clearly and intelligently to his pupil every step
which was necessary, as well in the simple as in the more abstruse and
difficult calculations.

Thus admirably circumstanced in the matter of instructors, and aided by
his own anxiety to improve, Bob made such steady and rapid progress that
by the time the ship rounded the Cape he could "work a lunar," solve a
quadratic equation or any problem in the first two books of Euclid, and
write an intelligently expressed, correctly spelt, and grammatical
letter, in addition to possessing a large store of knowledge on everyday
subjects. Nor was this all. The majority of the passengers, moved by
Captain Staunton's frequent references to Bob's exploit on the Gunfleet,
had taken quite a fancy to the lad, and conversed so frequently and so
freely with him that his _mauvais honte_ gradually disappeared, and he
found himself able to mingle with them with an ease and absence of self-
consciousness which was as pleasing as it was novel to him.

Meanwhile the _Galatea_ sped rapidly and prosperously on her way. The
breeze with which she had started lasted long enough to run her fairly
into the north-east trades, and once in them the journey to the Line was
a short and pleasant one. Here a delay of three days occurred, during
which the ship had to contend with light baffling winds and calms,
interspersed with violent thunder and rain squalls, the latter of which
were taken advantage of to fill up the water-tanks. Then on again to
the southward, braced sharp up on the larboard tack, with the south-east
trade-wind blowing fresh enough to keep the royals stowed for the
greater part of the time; and then, light easterly breezes, just at the
time when they fully expected to fall in with strong westerly winds
before which to run down their easting.

Here occurred their first check, and instead of being thankful that they
had been so greatly favoured thus far, everybody of course began
forthwith to grumble. The passengers, perhaps, chafed under the delay
quite as much as Captain Staunton, but th