paltry wind off a lee shore. Fond of his profession, and proud of his ship, cool as a cucumber in any mess, in fact the best man of his class I ever met.

We carried eight men before the mast; most of them had sailed with me before, some more than once; as when I have proved a man, I always try to pick him up again. Below we mustered threesteward, steward's mate, and cook; the latter I cannot pass over unnoticed. No matter where, a cook is an important personage, and if the office is filled by an ordinary individual, the tribute of notice is due to the position. In this instance old Neddy could not be called an ordinary individual: he was as tall and lean a specimen of a generally fat class, as one could well see. I can remember my surprise when first I saw him. I was sitting on deck, aft on the poop, and he was emerging from the fore-hatch; up, up he came, and still more of him was left; I wondered would he ever stop, or where he could have coiled away his great length below. There is a tradition of his having fallen over board in the Bay of Biscay, but being able to touch the bottom he was not drowned. His cadaverous leanness was a standing joke on board. One who professed to be conversant with his early history, said, that the night before old Neddy (he was always old Neddy) first appeared, there was a terrible row about the church

yard being robbed. A brick-layer, gardener, lamp-lighter, and marine cook by trade, old Neddy was indifferent to all jeers. He took a sort of savage pleasure in baking bread during a gale of wind, and cooking intricate sorts of pudding when we were under a try-sail; his soul delighted in twisting chickens' necks-a spiteful ill-natured party said he plucked them when alive- he was faithful in providing me with cups of coffee at an early hour when I had the morning watch, for which he earned my everlasting gratitude; a dead hand at sea-pies and Irish stew: but for real delicacies we depended on our chief steward, who was a regular chef-a first class cordon bleu.

:

Our canine companions claim next attention. They were five in number-I take them according to their size the first, "Vido," (called after the island in Corfu roads, the place of his nativity, though reared on board the ship,) was a large black halfbred Labrador dog, whom I had trained diligently to hunt every pig we met, and had perfected him so thoroughly in this accomplishment, that he was the terror of all the unfortunate porkers in the neighbourhood, and more efficient in clearing the roads than a regiment of policemen. From the evident leaning he had for the pursuit of pigs in their tame state, I had great hopes of his usefulness in

an Albanian jungle. Next in order came "Trap,' a clumber spaniel, surnamed "Jeremiah," from his lachrymose cast of countenance; then "Carlo," another spaniel known as "Snuffles," from a peculiarity of manner, evincing his delight by blowing his nose; "Dash" followed in routine, famous for nought but being the dirtiest brute in creation ;

66

lastly "Bob" or Robert" as we generally called

him, a small black cocker.

These were all accommodated on deck, in dog houses: Vido had a house to himself, where if he liked to invite another dog to keep him warm he could; the other habitation was a box about six feet long by two feet broad, and thirteen inches high, the back of the box being an inch or two higher than the front, to give the roof a slope to throw the water and rain off. This roof had a division in it lengthways, joined with hinges so that half of it could be lifted up like a lid, a very necessary provision in a box of the sort, as well for ventilation in hot weather, as to facilitate cleaning and drying; two or three augur holes in each end, with a door in the middle, completed the structure. These boxes we carried when at anchor on the main deck, and at sea lashed to the after booby hatch on quarter deck. Two hen coops full of live chickens, at sea lashed along each side of the

66

THE DRAMATIS PERSONE."

7

main companion, and at anchor sent to the main deck with the dog boxes, these complete my list of living beings, so far at least as we knew.

Dogs are by no means either lively or pleasant companions at sea. The task of keeping them in health in a state of existence so totally different from either their nature or habits is far from an easy one; in rough wet weather they are of all animals most miserable, terribly frightened, and wretchedly sick. The salt water being very likely to produce mange, the great thing is to keep them dry if it can be managed.

Bad and disagreeable company as dogs are at sea, still, if shooting be the object, one must put up with them; as finding game in the Albanian jungles without their help is out of the question.

And now to get away from Cheek Point. I think the start, slow though it was, is worth another chapter.

CHAPTER II.

We start-We put back-We're off again-Fall in with a wreck-Latitude and Longitude-Collisions.

CLICK, click-click—heave, my boys--click—

h-e-a-v-e-click, click-then a rush of clicks. "Is the anchor away?"

"Bear your head sheets out! Up main tack!" Great orders when there was hardly wind enough to blow a candle out! Not a ripple on the water big enough to drown a fly. Astern she goes with the tide, as if she wanted to satisfy herself as to the geological structure of the submarine portion of Cheek Point.

"Four hands in the cutter; smart, my lads, and give her head a cant off!"

This device having happily succeeded in dissuading her from her scientific intentions, and it being after nine o'clock, we went to breakfast.

At one