"Nothing, but from report. A brother captain of mine (with whom he has
sailed) told me that he is most fearful of the dangers of the sea, and
much taken up with his own importance."

"I wish he would come," replied Philip; "I am most anxious that we
should sail."

"You must be of a wandering disposition, my son: I hear that you leave
a comfortable home, and a pretty wife to boot."

"I am most anxious to see the world," replied Philip; "and I must
learn to sail a ship before I purchase one, and try to make the
fortune that I covet." (Alas! how different from my real wishes,
thought Philip, as he made this reply.)

"Fortunes are made, and fortunes are swallowed up too, by the ocean,"
replied the captain. "If I could turn this good ship into a good
house, with plenty of guilders to keep the house warm, you would not
find me standing on this poop. I have doubled the Cape twice, which is
often enough for any man; the third time may not be so lucky."

"Is it so dangerous, then?" said Philip.

"As dangerous as tides and currents, rocks and sand-banks, hard gales
and heavy seas, can make it,--no more! Even when you anchor in the
bay, on this side of the Cape, you ride in fear and trembling, for you
may be blown away from your anchor to sea, or be driven on shore among
the savages, before the men can well put on their clothing. But when
once you're well on the other side of the Cape, then the water dances
to the beams of the sun as if it were merry, and you may sail for
weeks with a cloudless sky and a flowing breeze, without starting tack
or sheet, or having to take your pipe out of your mouth."

"What port shall we go into, Mynheer?"

"Of that I can say but little. Gambroon, in the Gulf of Persia, will
probably be the first rendezvous of the whole fleet. Then we shall
separate: some will sail direct for Bantam, in the island of Java;
others will have orders to trade down the Straits for camphor, gum,
benzoin, and wax; they have also gold and the teeth of the elephant to
barter with us: there (should we be sent thither) you must be
careful with the natives, Mynheer Vanderdecken. They are fierce and
treacherous, and their curved knives (or creeses, as they, call them)
are sharp and deadly poisoned. I have had hard fighting in those
Straits both with Portuguese and English."

"But we are all at peace now."

"True, my son; but when round the Cape, we must not trust to papers
signed at home: and the English press us