tance. Just ask them, and hear what they'll say.
The curious part of it was, that though so tame with me, he would attack
anybody else, and not a seaman from any of the ships dared to attempt
swimming on shore as they had frequently before done. In fact he did
swallow one or two; and I believe that he was voted a perfect nuisance,
so that everyone was glad when we and our pet left the harbour to
prosecute our voyage. Of course he followed us; and I used every
morning to heave him a piece of pork for his breakfast, a few casks of
which I bought cheap of a Jew on purpose. It was measly, but he didn't
mind that. And now I'm coming to the melancholy part of the history
connected with my pet shark. But I have talked a good deal, and in this
warm weather it's an exertion even to use one's jaws; so, young
gentlemen, you must excuse me from continuing my veracious narrative for
the present."

"Oh, do go on, Mr Johnson--do go on," we all exclaimed; but the
boatswain was inexorable, and, as it happened, it was some time before
we heard the sequel to his history of the shark.

The next day, Grey, and I, and Spellman were ordered to join the
schooner with twenty hands. Perigal still kept command, and at the last
moment McAllister came on board to act as his first-lieutenant, with the
assistant-surgeon Macquoid, and a clerk, Bobus, as purser. Of course
the schooner did not require so many officers and men to navigate her,
but we hoped to take many prizes, and hands of course would be wanted to
bring them home. We invited the old colonel to accompany us. With a
most amusing grimace, and an inimitable shake of the head and shrugs of
the shoulders, he answered,--"Ah, mes jeunes gentlemens, I do love vous
va-a mosh; but de mer--de terrible mer. I do vish de verld ver von big
earth and no vater." So we had to leave the colonel and our French
lessons behind; but we assured him that we would study hard during our
absence. Good as were our intentions, it was not very likely that we
could adhere to them, and, by the expression of his countenance, the
colonel showed that he was strongly of that opinion.

We sailed at daybreak, and had the land breeze to take us out of the
harbour. Our course was to the southward, towards the well-known
Spanish Main. Our schooner was the Espoir. She sailed well, and
carried two eighteen-pounders and six long eights, so that we had every
reason to hope that we should pick up some prizes, if we