ere from my late employers."

"Well, you can see the captain, if you like," the mate said. "You
will find him at Mr. Thompson's office, in Tower Street, Number
51."

Reuben at once made his way to the office. The captain refused, at
first, to entertain the application on the ground of his youth; but
ship's carpenters were scarce, the time was short, and there was a
difficulty in obtaining men for convict ships. Therefore, after
reading the very warm testimonial as to character and ability which
Mr. Penfold had given Reuben, he agreed to take him, on the terms
of his working his passage.

Reuben went back at once, to the inn where he had stopped, and had
his chest taken down to the docks; and went on board the Paramatta
which, at high water, warped out of dock into the stream.

Chapter 6: On The Voyage.

The next day the Paramatta weighed anchor and proceeded down the
river. Reuben had no time to look at the passing ships, for he was
fully occupied with the many odd jobs which are sure to present
themselves, when a ship gets under weigh. The wind was favourable,
and the Paramatta ran down to the mouth of the Medway before the
tide had ceased to ebb. She anchored for three hours, and then made
her way up to Chatham, where she brought up close to the government
yard.

It was not till late in the evening that Reuben had finished his
work, and was at liberty to look round, and to take an interest in
what was going on on deck.

"This is your first voyage, my lad, I reckon," an old sailor, who
was standing leaning against the bulwark, smoking his pipe,
remarked.

"Yes," Reuben said cheerfully, "this is my first voyage. I have
shipped as carpenter, you know, to work my way out to Sydney."

"You could not have chosen a better ship than this 'ere barkee,"
the sailor said; "though I wish she hadn't got them convicts on
board. She will sail all the faster, 'cause, you see, instead of
being choked up with cargo, the deck below there has been set aside
for them. That will make easy sailing and quick sailing; but I
don't like them, for all that. They are a lot of trouble, and they
has to be watched, night and day. There's never no saying what they
might be up to; there's mostly trouble on board, with them. Then
one can't help being sorry for the poor chaps, though they does
look such a villainous bad lot. They are treated mostly like dogs,
and I have been on board ships where the rations was not what a
decent dog w