mattress that I would sell him. I told him I had one, but
needed it to sleep on. Finally a bargain was made--he wanted the cotton
only to sell. I was to receive a half-crown--sixty cents--and get the
tick back. I went to the dock gate with him and told the custom-house
officer that I was sending my bed to a boarding-house. The next day the
bed was sold again, and I continued the operation as long as there was
any loose cotton lying about the vessel. A half-crown in England was
considered quite a big pile of money. For two crowns a coat, pantaloons,
and vest could be purchased in those days. Our ship was chartered by the
French Government to take a cargo of coal from Cardiff, Wales, and
deliver it at Algiers, Africa. A few English navvies were hired to
assist working the ship. Then a powerful tug-boat took us out of the
dock and towed us around to Cardiff. After getting in the dock, the
navvies were sent back on the tug. There was only one dock, very wide
and long, without any walls around it. It was the private property of
the Marquis of Bute, a kid about five years old then. He owned nearly
the whole city--it was "Bute" road, "Bute" dock, "Bute" Castle, and
"Bute" everything else. We had to wait a number of days for our turn to
go under the chutes. At last we commenced loading. The lower hold was
about two thirds filled, the balance of the load going on "between
decks," so as to leave part of the weight above the water-line. A full
complement of men was shipped and we were off for the Mediterranean
Sea.

CHAPTER XI

A GLIMPSE OF THE MEDITERRANEAN

Sailing south, we arrived at the Straits of Gibraltar. The wind was dead
ahead. A strong current was running in from the Atlantic Ocean and we
managed to beat in past the Rock after tacking ship many times. All
hands were well tired out from bracing around the yards so often. On one
tack we would be headed for Spain, on the other it would be for Morocco.
During the night the wind died away. At daylight we found our ship was
rapidly drifting on to the rocky coast of Morocco. There was not a bit
of air stirring and the sea was as smooth as glass. Captain Otis was
very much discouraged, as the loss of so fine a vessel meant ruined
prospects for the future. He was quite a young man for such a
responsible position. The Moors on the shore had seen our danger and
spread the news to one another. Soon quite a number of small boats were
seen at the place where the ship would