g over. Immediately after breakfast the next morning Jimmy
and I went aft and called for the captain. We requested permission to
see the English consul, but received an evasive answer. It was to be a
game of bluff beyond all doubt, so my recently acquired knowledge of
marine law was to be tested. I stated plainly to the captain that seamen
were allowed by law to see the consul "if they had any complaints to
make." We demanded to be at once taken to the consul's office, as we
were not satisfied with our food and treatment, and wished for an
investigation. We said that he would have trouble if he refused to
comply with the law. Very reluctantly, he told us to get into the ship's
boat, and we rowed over to the city. On landing, he gave directions to
the consul's office, where, on arriving, we found that the captain had
taken a short cut and got there ahead of us. Consequently the consul
gave us a very cool reception and asked us what we wanted of him. He got
a brief synopsis of the trip around the Cape to commence with, then a
description of the food, next of the short allowance of water; and last,
we charged the captain with ignoring the law in regard to giving each
man the legal allowance of lime-juice a day.[C]

[C] Years ago canned vegetables and fruit were unknown at sea; for
that reason lime-juice was served to the men daily, as a
preventive of scurvy. English vessels were nicknamed
"lime-juicers" on that account.

The captain had considerable to say, himself. At last the consul refused
to discharge us. We were informed that we should have better food for
the future. The captain smiled with satisfaction, for a short time only.
All was not over yet. My last card was to be played and it won. "Well,
Consul, this man and I do not propose to go back to the captain's old
tub. We volunteer for Her Majesty's service!"

The consul laughed, and informed the captain that he would be expected
at the office at two o'clock in the afternoon with our discharges and
the money which was due us.

What clothing we had was badly rotted by the effect of salt water and
guano; therefore we had no reason to return to the Grenfalls for our old
rags. Out of the office we went in high glee. The first sailor I met on
the street gave us directions to a sailors' boarding-house. Portuguese
Joe was the landlord's title. No time was lost in making his
acquaintance. The mere fact that we were two sailors to be paid off t