was found that there were fewer accidents both in life
and property by the use of the latter. Occasionally the patents,
which have been long out of use, went wrong, and the sail could
neither be got up nor down, but this never happens when proper
care is used with the double topsail yarders. With these a vessel
may be put under close-reefed topsails in a few seconds.

In due course the cargo of the little brig was discharged and the
ballast was brought alongside. The side ports were knocked out, and the
crew commenced to throw the ballast into the hold, as it frequently
happened that only one side was available. A couple of hands were
placed in the hold to shovel it over to the opposite side in order to
keep the vessel upright. While this was being done the captain
proceeded to collect and pay his accounts. Cheques or bills of exchange
were dispensed with as a rule, and the freight was paid over the
counter in sovereigns, and scooped into a leather bag. This was taken
aboard and concealed in the master's room. It was a rare thing for the
freight to be wrongly settled, or go astray after it was settled. Men
like Captain Bourne had a mysterious way common to themselves of
counting and calculating, and any breakdown in their system (for each
had his own) would have made a deep wound in their pride. The day after
the ballast was all in and trimmed, orders were given to unmoor, and
the little craft sailed out of the harbour with a fine southerly wind
and all sail set. The breeze carried her as far north as Flamborough
Head, when it gradually veered into the west and kept steady, but blew
so hard that the topsails had to be double-reefed.

It was the morning watch from four to eight. The cabin-boy was called
at seven o'clock to prepare breakfast and polish the brass stove and
ashpan. The captain heard the little fellow doing his morning work, and
called out to him, "Boy!"

"Yes sir," said the boy.

"How is the wind?"

"I will go and ask," said he.

He came down and conveyed the pleasing intelligence that it was still
west and they were close in by Whitby Lights.

"Come into my berth and get yourself a glass of gin, my canny lad,"
said the indulgent skipper, "and see that I am not disturbed for
breakfast. Don't call me until she is abreast of Sunderland."

"All right, sir," said the boy, and availed himself of his master's
kindness by taking a second mate's nip out of the gin jar which w