und South Sea whaler. As the ocean was calm, and the wind
light, her captain came on board and politely offered to convey any
message or letters home. "Now," I thought, "will be an excellent
opportunity of returning home. I'm sick of this life, and shall be glad
to go back to Mr Butterfield's office and the high stool, and listen to
Aunt Deb's lectures." How to accomplish my purpose was the difficulty.
I went up to the captain of the whaler.

"I'm a gentleman's son," I said; "I came off to sea unintentionally, and
I want to go home again."

He gave a loud "Whew!" as I said this.

"I can't take you, my lad, without your captain's leave," he answered.
"If he gives it, I shall be happy to do so."

Captain Longfleet just then came out of the cabin.

"I don't know how he came on board, but here he is and here he'll
remain," he said, as the captain of the whaler spoke to him. "Go
forward," he said to me, "and think yourself fortunate to escape a
flogging for your impudence."

However, I persevered, and turning to Mr McTavish, asked him kindly to
say a word for me. Captain Longfleet in reply told him that he had no
business to interfere.

"I've lost one boy through you gentlemen, and I'm not going to lose
another," he answered.

In vain Mr McDonald and the other gentlemen spoke to him; he replied in
his usual rough way.

"I'm sorry, my lad, that I can't take you out of the ship without your
captain's permission," said the whaling captain; "but if you'll get a
letter scribbled off, I'll undertake to post it."

I had neither paper, pens, nor ink, but Mr McTavish, hearing what was
said, instantly brought me some, and I ran off into the berth to write
it, hoping that I should be there undisturbed. I had great difficulty
in penning the letter; and while I was kneeling down at the chest, old
Growles came in and mocked at me, and another fellow asked me whether I
was sending a love-letter to my dearie, and a third gave me a knock on
the elbow, which spattered the ink over the paper and nearly upset the
ink-bottle. Still I wrote on.

"Ship `Emu,' somewhere off Cape Horn.

"My dear Father,--I didn't intend to run away, but tumbled down into the
hold and was carried off. When I came to myself I found that I was at
sea, and could not get out of my prison. I lived there for I don't know
how many days, till, when almost dead, I was released. I have been
treated worse than a dog ever since by the captain, officers,