in delicate health,
and unfit for laborious work.) that in a short time I became deeply
interested concerning him, and I determined as soon as I had
recovered from sea-sickness, to watch for an opportunity of
inquiring into the particulars of his earlier history.

"I must first tell you, before proceeding with the story of my hero,
that the captain of the 'Neptune' was a very harsh, cruel man, and
made every one on board his vessel as uncomfortable as he could by
his violent temper, and ungentlemanly conduct. I was the only
lady-passenger; and had it not been for the kindness of my
fellow-travellers, I scarcely think I could have survived all the
terrors of that dreadful voyage. The sailors, without one
dissentient voice, declared they had never sailed with such a
master, and wished they had known a trifle of the rough side of his
character before they engaged with him, and then he would have had
to seek long enough to make up a crew, for not one of them would
have shipped with him.' They even went so far as to say, that if at
any time they could escape from the vessel, they would not hesitate
a moment, but would get away, and leave the captain to work the ship
by himself. I could not take part with the captain, because I saw
too much of his tyranny to entertain a particle of respect for him,
and I confess I was not in the least surprised at the language of
the ill-used sailors. He had no good feature in his character that I
could discover; for he was mean, vulgar, discontented, and brutal.
He never encouraged the men in the performance of their duty, by
kind expressions; on the contrary, he never addressed them on the
most simple matter without oaths and imprecations, and oftentimes
enforced his commands with a rope's end or his fist.

"We had yet other causes of discomfort besides these continual
uproars. Contrary winds, constant gales, and violent storms, made
our hearts fail from fear. We knew the captain could not expect
_His_ blessing, whose laws he openly set at defiance; indeed, by his
life and conversation, he proved that he 'cared for none of these
things.'

"I believe he was a clever seaman: he had certainly had much
experience, having been upwards of fifty times across the Atlantic:
so that we felt at ease with regard to the _management_ of the ship.
But we did not put our trust in the skill of the captain alone; for
of what avail would that be if the Lord withheld his hand, and left
us to perish? No! m