igators say, from Lundy Island; and both the skipper
and I made it out, after working the reckoning, that we were as far down
as the twenty-fifth parallel, although a good deal to the eastward of
what our true position should be--the leeway we had made while lying-to,
and our subsequent scudding for nearly twelve hours before the north-
wester, having taken us much too close in towards the African continent,
thus causing us to lose all that westing we had secured on our first
start from the Bristol Channel, and which we had afterwards so carefully
preserved, even amidst the baffling winds of the middle latitudes.

Still, this mortifying conclusion had a redeeming feature.

If we were too far to the eastwards, we were as assuredly beyond the
region specially designated by Jorrocks as the "Horse Latitudes," where
the calms of Cancer hold sway; for, now, setting all plain sail before a
steady breeze from off the land, we soon managed to run into the regular
north-east Trades, picking them up in the next degree or two we ran down
to the southward.

From this point, keeping on the starboard tack again, with the wind well
on our beam, we ran for the Line; but before crossing the equator, Mr
Macdougall and I, between whom relations had been somewhat strained
almost from our first introduction, came to an open rupture, the "little
unpleasantness" happening in this wise.

Mr Ohlsen, the second mate--"Old son of a gun," as the crew called him,
from his taciturn manner of going about his work--was still on the sick
list; and Captain Billings, who had expressed himself much pleased with
my behaviour since I was on board, especially during the storm, had
assigned the performance of this gentleman's duties to me.

At this Mr Macdougall was extremely indignant, remonstrating with the
skipper for putting so young a lad as myself in such an important post
as that of second mate.

"What are your reasons for objecting to him?" asked Captain Billings.

"Why, the loon's but a bairn," said Mr Macdougall, at a nonplus for
some objection to my promotion.

"If he's young," answered the skipper, "he's got a man's courage and a
seaman's aptitude, which is more than I can say for some aboard here!"

"Hoot, mon, d'ye mean to eenseenuate?"

"I insinuate nothing," interrupted Captain Billings, hotly. "If the cap
fits you, why, you can wear it! Leigh is a strong, sturdy fellow, worth
any two hands on a yard; and, as for navigating, he can