tant and prove yourself one," he added, turning
fiercely to me. "You young slips of gentility must be kept in order."

Of course I made no other reply than, "Ay, ay, sir," and went below to
get my sextant. I kept it, I should have observed, in Mr Henley's
cabin. The door was locked, so I had to return to him for the key, and
some little time had thus elapsed before I got back on deck. I found
the first mate and captain in high dispute. The origin of the quarrel I
could not comprehend. They had differed, I found, as to their readings
on their instruments which is not surprising, for, horrible to relate,
as I watched them attentively the conviction forced itself on my mind
that they had both deprived themselves of the right use of their
intellects--they were both drunk, verging towards the condition of brute
beasts. Presently Mr Grimes said something which still more offended
the captain, who, lifting up his sextant--a valuable instrument
belonging to Captain Seaford--threw it with all his force at the mate's
head, and it was dashed to pieces on the deck. The latter, whose ear
had been struck, with the same thoughtless impulse, and furious at the
insult, rushed towards the captain, and striking him with his sextant in
return on the face, knocked him over, when, falling forward with the
impetus, it also was rendered hopelessly useless. There they both lay,
grovelling, kicking, and swearing, and abusing each other in a manner
truly terrible; while the cabin passengers who were on the poop,
witnesses of the scene, looked on with dismay, not knowing what might
next happen.

"I have seen something like this occur before," said Mr Henley to me.
"Call Mr Waller and the boatswain, we must carry them to their cabins."

I hurried to obey the order. Some of the men had observed the
occurrence, and I feared that the officers would scarcely be able to
maintain any authority over them after it. The master and first mate
were carried to their cabins; but they both contrived to get more
spirits brought to them, I afterwards found, by the steward, and for
several days they remained almost in a state of insensibility. During
this time three or four more of the second-class passengers had died;
the first, or, as some of the people forward called them, the
aristocrats, had hitherto escaped, as their cabins were better
ventilated and dryer, and they had better food, and, more than all,
generally knew better how to take care of t