Such a pretty
young squeaker. Bless you, it'll do your heart good. He's quite a
hangel."

Similar remarks were made, one to the other, by the men; and one by one,
or sometimes a dozen of them together, would come into the women's cabin
to have a look at the baby, and then they would stand in a circle round
him, with their hands on their hips or behind them, afraid to touch it,
their pigtails stuck out as they bent down, their huge beards, and
whiskers, and pendent lovelocks forming a strong contrast to the
diminutive, delicate features of the infant, who might, notwithstanding,
one day be expected to grow up similar in all respects to one of them.

After the gale, the _Terrible_ encountered head winds, and light winds,
and calms, and baffling winds of every description, so that her passage
to the station was long delayed. It gave time, however, for the baby to
grow, and for the discussion of several knotty points connected with
him. The most knotty of them was the matter of his christening. Now,
the crew held very much the same opinion with regard to their Captain
that a certain captain held of himself, when one day he took it into his
head to make his chaplain a bishop, that of his own sovereign will he
could do all things. They knew that when there was no chaplain on
board, he could bury a grownup person, and so they thought that he
surely could christen a little infant. They accordingly, after due
deliberation, resolved to send a deputation to him, requesting him to
perform the ceremony.

After some discussion, it was agreed that it would be advisable to carry
the baby itself with them, to strengthen the force of their appeal. It
was thought better that the women should not appear; and Paul Pringle
was selected unanimously to be the bearer of the child. Now honest Paul
was a bachelor, and had literally never handled a baby in his life. He,
therefore, felt an uncommon awe and trepidation, as half unwillingly and
half proudly he undertook the office. However, at last, when coyly led
forward, with his head all on one side and a beaming smile on his honest
countenance, he found that his big paws, stretched out, made a
first-rate cradle; though, not being aware of the excessive lightness of
the little creature, he very nearly chucked it over his shoulders.
Betty and Nancy, after arranging the child's clothes, bestowing sundry
kisses, and giving several important cautions, let the party of honest
Jacks proc