as always ready to give me instruction and express his
opinion how a vessel ought to be handled under all possible
circumstances, but a large amount of presence of mind, and what may be
called invention, has to be exercised on numerous occasions, for which
no rules can be laid down.

"Now, Harry, you see wits is what a sailor wants. You've got learning,
and with learning you can pick up navigation pretty smartly. I haven't
got the learning, and so I can't get a mate's certificate; but I've got
the wits and have been many a long year at sea, and so I am fit for a
boatswain, and can take charge of a watch with any man," he remarked.

The wind favouring us after we left the chops of the channel, we ran
into the north-east trades, which took us to within two or three degrees
of the equator; and after that we had the calms and heavy rains which
are invariably met with, and were sometimes wet to the skin, at others
roasted in the hot sun. No one suffered, however, and after getting out
of them, we picked up a fine south-east trade wind. This carried us
down to twenty-six degrees south. The meridian of the Cape was passed
about the fiftieth day after leaving the Lizard. We ran down our
easting on parallel forty south. The brig was going about eight knots
before the wind, when one morning there was a cry of "Man overboard!"

Uncle Jack, who had been below, sprang up the companion-ladder, and,
looking over the side, saw that it was little Jem, who had fallen from
the fore yardarm. Ordering all hands to brace up the yards and the man
at the wheel to put down the helm, while he threw off his jacket, he
leaped overboard and struck out for the boy.

"Heave a grating here!" he shouted. "Harry, don't come," and I, who was
on the point of following, did as he directed.

The captain was on deck a moment afterwards and made ready to lower the
lee quarter boat. Every one on board, as may be supposed, was busy
pulling and hauling and bracing up the yards and backing the main
topsail, so that there was no time to see what had become of the first
mate and boy, but the captain had his eye upon them. It was sharp work,
for we knew the lives of our fellow-creatures depended upon our
exertions. I wished that I had possessed the strength of two men. As
soon as the brig was hove to, I took one glance to windward. I thought
I saw Uncle Jack and the boy, but I also saw what filled me with alarm,
a huge albatross flying above, appar