r _it_ came all
within our range. We told our names and those of our ports by a long
charge of four; we could cross our _t's_ and dot our _i's_ by beckon of
a single square. We lowered slowly and rehoisted ('knuckles to the
staff, you young fool!') our National Ensign, as we would raise our hat
ashore. It was all an easy, courteous and graceful mode of converse,
linguistically and grammatically correct, for we had no concern with
accent or composition, taking our polished phrases from the book. It
suited well the great family of the sea, for, were we a Turk of Galatz
and you an Iceland brigantine, we could pass the time of day or tell one
another, simply and intelligibly, the details of our ports and ladings.
Distance, within broad limits, was small hindrance to our gossip; there
were few eyes on the round of the sea, to read into our confidences. We
could put a hail ashore, too. Passing within sight of San Miguel, we
could have a message on the home doorsteps on the morrow, by hoisting
our 'numbers'; the naked lightkeeper on the Daedalus could tell us of the
northern winds by a string of colours thrown out from the upper gallery.

Good news, bad news, reports, ice, weather, our food-supply, the wages
of our seamen, the whereabouts of pirates and cannibals, the bank rate,
high politics (we had S.L.R. for Nuncio)--we had them all grouped and
classed and ready for instant reference. Medicine, stocks, the law
(G.F.H., King's Bench; these sharps who never will take a plain seaman's
clear word on salvage or the weather, or the way the fog-whistle was
duly and properly sounded!) Figures! We could measure and weigh and
divide and subtract; we could turn your Greek _Daktylas_ into a Japanese
_Cho_ or _Tcho_, or Turkish _Parmaks_ into the _Draas_ of Tripoli! Some
few world measures had to be appendixed; a _Doppelzentner_ was Z.N.L.
What is a _Doppelzentner_?

As evidence of our brotherly regard, our peaceful intent, we had few
warlike phrases. True, we had hoists to warn of pirates, and we could
beg a loan, by signal, of powder and cannon-balls--to supplement our
four rusty Snyders, with which we could defend our property, but there
was no group in our international vocabulary that could read, "I am
torpedoing you without warning!" Seamanlike and simple, we saw only one
form of warfare at sea, and based our signals on that. "Keep courage! I
am coming to your assistance at utmost speed!". . . "I shall stand by
during the night!"