nine
dollars: in all, two hundred and seventy-seven dollars. We had thus to
pay out at the start over eleven hundred dollars. Capt. Mazard, too,
was kept as busy as ourselves superintending the work, putting the
vessel in ballast, &c. Indeed, it's no small job to get ready for such
a cruise. We had no idea of it when we began.

CHAPTER II.

Up Anchor, and away.--What the Old Folks thought of it--The
Narrator's Preface.--"Squeamish."--A
North-easter.--Foggy.--The Schooner "Catfish."--Catching
Cod-Fish on the Grand Bank.--The First Ice.--The Polar
Current.--The Lengthening Day.--Cape Farewell.--We bear away
for Cape Resolution.--Hudson's Straits.--Its Ice and Tides.

[In Wash's manuscript, the voyage as far as Cape Resolution
occupies four chapters. We have been obliged to condense it
into one, as indicated by periods.--ED.]

On the afternoon of the 9th of June, Capt. Mazard telegraphed, "Can
sail to-morrow morning if the wind serves."

We had been ready several days, waiting for the last
job,--strengthening the schooner.

Good-by was said; and, going out to Gloucester, we went on board to
pass the night.

As some of our readers may perhaps feel inclined to ask what our
"folks" said to this somewhat adventurous departure, it may as well be
stated that we were obliged to go considerably in opposition to their
wishes, advice, counsel; in short, everything that could be said save
a down-right veto. It was unavoidable on our part. They could not be
brought to look upon our (or rather Raed's) project of self-education
as we did; they saw only the danger of the sea. Had we done as they
advised, we should have stayed at home. I shall not take it upon me
to say what we _ought_ to have done. As a matter of fact, we went, or
this narrative would never have been written. Nor can I say
conscientiously, by way of moral, that we were ever, for any great
length of time, sorry that we went: on the contrary, I now believe it
far the best way we could have spent our money; though the experience
was a rough one. It may also be added, that we did not publicly state
our intention of going so far north as Labrador; one reason for this
being, that we were in no wise certain we should go farther than St.
John's, Newfoundland.

Our "saloon" was arranged with a sort of _divan_, or wide seat, along
the starboard-side, at about chair-height. On this we laid our
mattresses and blankets. Each had h