d. I
expected that he would touch at the Cape, but to my disgust he ran to
the south'ard, in order to fall in with the westerly trades, and I found
that he intended to touch nowhere until he reached Batavia.

"This was anything but consolatory, besides which I had no one to talk
to, and not a book on board I could read. I tried hard to make out the
few Dutch books he had on board, and used to ask him or the mates, or
indeed any of the men I found at hand, to pronounce the words, when I
tried to discover their meaning. I believe, had the voyage lasted
longer, I should have learned to speak and read Dutch fluently; but, as
the skipper was drunk half his time, and the mates the other two
quarters, I could not get much out of them. The only fellow who really
was of use was young Rip Van Winkle. He took a liking to me, as I did
to him, from the first, and I often saved him from many a cuff and kick
which he was wont to receive from the crew. He was, I confess, a sort
of `dirty Dick' on board, and so he would have continued had I not
taught him to clean himself; and now he is as fond of washing as any
one, except when the weather is cold, then he rather objects to it, and
falls back into his bad habits. My only companion besides Rip was a
large dog--no great beauty--whom I called Snarleyow, from being unable
to pronounce his Dutch name, and he took to it, as he did to me,
immediately, and always came when so called. I treated him as a friend,
whereas, from the skipper downwards, he was accustomed to receive more
kicks than ha'pence, except from poor Rip, and consequently had no great
affection for his masters.

"Besides my anxiety about you, and my disappointment at not being able
to take advantage of the new position into which, through Counsellor
McMahon, I was placed--not that that weighed very much with me--I could
not help feeling anxious about the way in which the ship was navigated.
Being unable to understand the Dutch books, I could not myself work out
the reckonings, though frequently I took an observation, to keep my hand
in.

"I once only had a chance of communicating with England. We sighted a
British ship, and as by that time I had picked up enough Dutch to use
the signal-book, I hoisted the signals `British officer on board; heave
to for him.' I thought when the skipper saw the other ship heave to
that he would do the same, but it was blowing hard, and he obstinately
refused to lift tack or sheet or