ceal his
state and save him from the anger of the captain. Something of this
sort had occurred the very day we made the land. While the captain was
on deck, he had gone into the cabin, where, in an open locker, he had
discovered two bottle of rum. It was too tempting a prize not to be
seized, and he carried off both the bottles to his own cabin, carefully
closing the locker. The captain did not discover his loss. The old man
went on deck, but soon making an excuse to go below, broached one of the
bottles. He had made some progress through it before he wag recalled on
deck, and the condition on which he was verging did not then appear.
The brig was kept beating away across the seas, the wind shifting about
and every now and then giving us a slant which enabled us to creep up
closer to the land. We continued gaining inch by inch, showing the
advantage of perseverance, till just about nightfall we got fairly into
Mount's Bay. We thought ourselves very fortunate in so doing, for just
then a strong breeze which had before been blowing grew into a downright
heavy gale, against which we could not possibly have contended. It
seemed, however, to be veering round more to the northward, and the
captain, hoping that it would come round sufficiently to the westward of
north to enable us to stand up Channel, instead of running in and
bringing the ship to an anchor, determined to keep her standing off and
on the land during the night, that he might be enabled to take immediate
advantage of any change which might occur.

As he had been on deck for many hours, he went at last below, leaving
the brig in charge of the mate. Now the old man found the weather cold,
and bethought him of his bottles of rum. He knew the importance of
keeping sober on such an occasion especially, but he thought that a
little more rum would do him no harm, and would make him comfortable, at
all events. He did not like to send for a bottle, so he went below
himself to fetch it. It was his business to keep a constant watch on
the compass, so as to observe any change of wind. He was not long gone
below, that I remember. When he came on deck, he brought a glass and a
bottle, but he had brought the full bottle instead of the half-emptied
one. He asked Charley to bring him a can of hot water. Of course the
fire had long been out, and there was none at that hour of the night.
He stowed his glass and bottle away in a pigeon-hole under the
companion-hatc