f course, was anxious to know the
qualities of his vessel.

Harry, we may remark in passing, having lost his situation, and finding
that his mother's health was failing, had made up his mind to stay on
shore for a year or two, and seek employment in his native town. Being
a well-educated man, he obtained this in the office of a mercantile
house, one of the partners of which was related to his mother.

The rowing powers of the new boat were soon tested. Then Harry steered
to the pier, where a tackle had been prepared for the purpose of
upsetting her. This was an interesting point in the proceedings,
because few there had seen a self-righting boat, and, as usual, there
was a large sprinkling in the crowd of that class of human beings who
maintain the plausible, but false, doctrine, that "seeing is believing!"

Considerable difficulty was experienced in getting the boat to overturn.
The operation was slowly accomplished; and all through there appeared
to be an unwillingness on the part of the boat to upset!--a symptom
which gave much satisfaction to her future crew, who stood ready on her
gunwale to leap away from her. At last she was raised completely on one
side, then she balanced for a moment, and fell forward, keel up, with a
tremendous splash, while the men, not a moment too soon, sprang into the
sea, and a wild cheer, mingled with laughter, arose from the spectators.

If the upsetting was slow and difficult, the self-righting was magically
quick and easy. The boat went right round, and, almost before one could
realise what had occurred, she was again on an even keel. Of course she
was nearly full of water at the moment of rising; but, in a few seconds,
the discharging holes in her bottom had cleared the water completely
away. The whole operation of self-righting and self-emptying, from
first to last, occupied only _seventeen seconds_! If there was laughter
mingled with the shouts when she overturned and threw her crew into the
sea, there was nothing but deep-toned enthusiasm in the prolonged cheer
which hailed her on righting, for then it was fully realised, especially
by seafaring men, what genuine and valuable qualities the boat
possessed, and the cheers became doubly enthusiastic when the crew,
grasping the lifelines which were festooned round her sides, clambered
on board again, and were reseated at the oars in less than two minutes
thereafter.

This done, the boat was hauled up on her carriage, and c