nots of colored leather in it,
and the knots were just far enough apart so that the number of knots
that ran out in half a minute would show the number of sea miles that
the ship was sailing in an hour. And when the sand in the glass had all
run out, the mate gave the word again, and the sailor stopped the rope
from running out. So Captain Solomon knew about how many miles the
_Industry_ had sailed on each course, and he could put it down in his
book.

That wasn't a very good way to tell where the ship was, by adding up all
the courses she had sailed and getting her speed on each course, and
adding all these to the last place that they knew about, but, when
Captain Solomon couldn't get an observation with his sextant, it was the
only way there was. That isn't the way they tell, now-a-days, how many
miles a ship has sailed, for there is a better way that gives, more
exactly than the old-fashioned "log," the number of miles. But they
still have to add up all the courses and the miles sailed on each course
to find a ship's place, when they can't take an observation. That is
what is called "dead reckoning," and it isn't a very good way at its
best.

[Illustration: "LITTLE JACOB LIKED TO WATCH CAPTAIN SOLOMON"]

Little Jacob liked to watch Captain Solomon writing up the log for the
day. He always wrote it just after dinner. And when he had finished
dinner, he would get out the book and clear a place on the table to put
it; and then he took a quill pen in his great fist and wrote, very
slowly, and with flourishes. And when he had it done he always passed
the book over to little Jacob.

"There, Jacob," he said, with a smile. "That please you?"

"Oh, yes, sir," answered little Jacob. "Thank you, sir." And he began to
read.

One day, when they had been out of Boston about three weeks, little
Jacob watched Captain Solomon write up the log, and, when he got it, he
thought he would turn back to some days that he knew about and read what
Captain Solomon had said about them. And so he did.

October 2, 1796. 8 days out. Comes in fresh gales & Flying clouds.
Middle & latter part much the same, with all proper sail spread.
Imploy'd varnishing Deck and scraping Foreyard. Saw a Brig and two
Ships standing to the N. & W. A school of porpoises about the ship
a good part of the Morning, of which the Crew harpooned a good
number and got them on deck. I fear they are too many for us to
acct. for befo