he people of our village soon learned how
well I could manage a boat; and small as I was, they held me in
respect--at all events, they no longer jeered at me. Often they would
call me the "little waterman," or the "young sailor," or still oftener
was I known by the name of the "Boy Tar." It was my father's design
that, like himself, I should follow the sea as a calling; and had he
lived to make another voyage, it was his intention to have taken me away
with him. I was encouraged, therefore, in these ideas; and moreover, my
mother always dressed me in sailor costume of the most approved
pattern--blue cloth jacket and trousers, with black silk handkerchief
and folding collar. Of all this I was very proud, and it was my costume
as much as aught else, that led to my receiving the _soubriquet_ of the
"Boy Tar." This title pleased me best of any, for it was Harry Blew
that first bestowed it on me, and from the day that he saved me from
drowning, I regarded him as my true friend and protector.

He was at this time rather a prosperous young fellow, himself owner of
his boat--nay, better still, he had two boats. One was much bigger than
the other--the yawl, as he styled her--and this was the one he mostly
used, especially when three or four persons wanted a sail. The lesser
boat was a little "dinghy" he had just purchased, and which for
convenience he took with him when his fare was only a single passenger,
since the labour of rowing it was much less. In the watering season,
however, the larger boat was more often required; since parties of
pleasure were out every day in it, and at such times the little one lay
idle at its moorings. I was then welcome to the use of it for my own
pleasure, and could take it when I liked, either by myself or with a
companion, if I chose to have one. It became my custom, therefore,
after school hours, or indeed whenever I had any spare time, to be off
to the dinghy, and rowing it all about the harbour. I was rarely
without a companion--for more than one of my schoolfellows relished this
sort of thing--and many of them even envied me the fine privilege I had
in being almost absolute master of a boat. Of course, whenever I
desired company, I had no need to go alone; it was not often that I was
so. Some one or other of the boys was my companion on every excursion
that was made, and these were almost daily--at least, every day on which
the weather was calm enough to allow of it. With such