the ship and her venture. He was
a tall, well-formed, fine-looking young man, with delicate and well-cut
features, and black hair. He was also a fine scholar and a perfect
master of the theory of navigation, and a voyage or two to Europe had
given him a slight knowledge of the practical part of it. Yet he was
more an ornamental than a practical sailor; and it was this that made
Captain Bottom, the whale-killer, hold him in no very high respect.
Indeed, he had several times said, in the presence of Mr. Higgins, that
it was all very well for a young gentleman to be a scholar; but a sailor
what had his head full of books never made a fortune for his owners.

"Eight and forty hours more, Mr. Higgins! Yes, sir, eight and forty
hours more--keepin' her as she's going--and we have the land off Bahia."
Captain Bottom gave his head a significant shake as he spoke. "Using
judgment, you see; not books, Mr. Higgins. Captain Price Bottom has
sailed seventeen years, and never was deceived by that chart. Don't make
charts now as they used to make 'em, Mr. Higgins," he concluded,
shrugging his shoulders.

The wind now came over the sea roaring like a fierce lion, indicating
the rapid approach of the gale.

"If we make land off Bahia in forty-eight hours, then I'm mistaken,"
rejoined the first officer, satirically. "There's something coming that
will give us enough to do before morning."

The words had hardly escaped his lips when the full force of the gale
struck the ship, roaring and shrieking through her shrouds, and nearly
throwing her on her beam ends. The sea was soon lashed into a tempest,
and made a clean sweep over her decks. The canvas was carried clean from
the bolt-ropes, the sheets were let go, and the lighter sails clewed up,
and an attempt made to get the ship's head to the wind and lay her to.
But the mizzen-sails were all gone, and she fell off, and refused to
obey her helm. The lashings had given way, and the larboard, waist, and
quarter boats were all swept from the davits, the frames sprung, and
every timber in the good ship's hull worked, and strained, and
complained, like a frail thing that must soon go to pieces. Every order,
however, was obeyed promptly and cheerfully, for both officers and crew
felt that their lives, as well as the saving of the ship, depended on
the way in which each man performed his duty.

Just before the gale came up five young men, including Tite, might have
been seen grouped together