I learned, was fitted like a lifeboat, and the crew
were crowding round him.)

"Steady, lads! Stand back. Come as you're called. Thunder and lightning,
we want to man the boat, not sink her. Mr. Johnson!"

"Aye, aye, sir!"

"A! B! C! D!" &c.

"Here, sir!" "Here, sir!" "Here, sir!"

"Fall back there! Thank you all, my lads, but she's manned."

A loud cheer drowned every other sound, and I saw men busy with the
boat, and Alister coming back with a dejected air, and the captain
jumping up and down, and roaring louder than the wind: "Steward! rum,
and a couple of blankets. Look sharp. Stand back; in you go; steady!
Now, mind what I say; I shall bear up towards the boat. Hi, there!
Stand by the lowering-tackle, and when I say 'Now!' lower away
handsomely and steadily. Are you ready, Mr. Johnson? Keep steady, all,
and fend her off well when you touch the water. Mr. Waters! let her go
off a point or two to the north'ard. Half speed; port a little--steady!
All ready in the boat?"

"Aye, aye, sir!"

"GOD bless you. Steady--ready--Now!"

I hardly know which more roused my amazement and admiration--the
behaviour of the men or the behaviour of the whaleboat. Were these alert
and silent seamen, sitting side by side, each with his oar held upright
in his hand, and his eyes upon his captain, the rowdy roughs of the
forecastle? And were those their like companions who crowded the
bulwarks, and bent over to cheer, and bless, and _envy_ them?

As to boats--the only one I had been accustomed to used to be launched
on the canal with scraping and shoving, and struggling and balancing,
and we did occasionally upset her--but when the captain gave the word,
the ship's whaleboat and its crew were smoothly lowered by a patent
apparatus till it all but touched the big black waves that ran and
roared at it. Then came a few moments of intense anxiety till the boat
was fairly clear of the ship; but even when it was quite free, and the
men bending to their oars, I thought more than once that it had gone
down for ever on the other side of the hills and dales of water which
kept hiding it completely from all except those who were high up upon
the masts. It was a relief when we could see it, miserable speck as it
looked, and we all strained our eyes after it, through many difficulties
from the spiteful ways of the winds and waves and clouds, which blinded
and buffeted and drenched us when we tried to look, and sent black veils
of shadow to