a year or two; and unless the men are well fed they will
assuredly lose their health, and likely enough become mutinous. If
we come upon a Spanish ship when three parts of the crew are weak
with scurvy, we shall make but a poor fight of it. Therefore, I
want to keep my men in good strength and in good heart, and to do
this they must be well fed. Such a voyage as this no English ship
has ever made before and, cooped up as we shall be in the Swan--for
we must carry a great crew--everything depends upon there being no
fair ground for grumbling. Many a ship has been lost from the crew
being weakened by scurvy, and if you are to bring this enterprise
to a good end, I say that there must be no stint in the matter of
provisions, and that all must be the very best of their kind.

"I trust that, once out there, we shall be able to obtain an
abundance of fruit and vegetables from the natives; for these are
things, above all, necessary to keep men's blood sweet on
shipboard.

"Then, as to arms. I think we should carry twelve pieces, six of a
side; of which four should be of good size, and yet not too large
to be quickly handled. In the matter of weight, the Spaniards are
sure to have the advantage of us; but if we can shoot much more
quickly than they can, it will equalize matters. Then, of course,
there will be bows and arrows. I do not hold greatly to the new
musketoons--a man can shoot six arrows while he can fire one of
them, and that with a straighter and truer aim, though it is true
they can carry somewhat farther. Then, of course, there will be
pikes, and boarding axes, and a good stock of powder and balls for
the cannon. These are the complete lists I have made out.

"Now I hold that we should carry from eighty to a hundred men.
These I should pay only the ordinary rate of wage, but each should
have an interest in the venture, according to his rank. As to the
profits, I would leave it to you, my masters, to reckon; but seeing
that in fair trade one can get gold, to say nothing of silver,
weight for weight for iron; and other things in proportion; you can
judge for yourselves what it will amount to--to say nothing of the
chance of our falling in with a Spanish treasure ship, which may be
rash enough, regarding us an easy prize, to fall foul of us."

"There is no doubt that the profits will be great, if you return
safely home, Master Hawkshaw," Nicholas Turnbull said; "but the
chances of that seem but small."

"I thi