s, and various other articles, besides
provisions for two or three months for one person, and, as soon as it
was dark, the men pulled on shore with the boat, found the Commodore
on the beach waiting for them, and supplied him with all these
necessaries. They then rejoined their ship, without the Admiral's
having the least suspicion of what had been done, and shortly after
the fleet made sail on a wind, with their heads off shore. The next
morning, the three smaller vessels parted company, and by sunset had
gained many miles to windward, after which they were not again seen.

The Admiral had sent for Philip to give him his instructions, which
were very severe, and evidently framed so as to be able to afford him
hereafter some excuse for depriving him of his command. Among others,
his orders were, as the _Dort_ drew much less water than the Admiral's
ship, to sail ahead of him during the night, that, if they approached
too near the land as they beat across the Channel, timely notice might
be given to the Admiral, if in too shallow water. This responsibility
was the occasion of Philip's being always on deck when they approached
the land of either side of the Straits. It was the second night after
the fleet had separated that Philip had been summoned on deck as they
were nearing the land of Terra del Fuego; he was watching the man in
the chains heaving the lead, when the officer of the watch reported
to him that the Admiral's ship was ahead of them instead of astern.
Philip made enquiry as to when he passed, but could not discover; he
went forward, and saw the Admiral's ship with her poop-light, which,
when the Admiral was astern, was not visible. "What can be the
Admiral's reason for this?" thought Philip; "has he run ahead on
purpose to make a charge against me of neglect of duty? it must be so.
Well, let him do as he pleases; he must wait now till we arrive
in India, for I shall not allow him to _desert_ me; and, with the
Company, I have as much, and I rather think, as a large proprietor,
more interest than he has. Well, as he has thought proper to go ahead,
I have nothing to do but follow. 'You may come out of the chains
there.'"

Philip went forward: they were now, as he imagined, very near to the
land, but the night was dark and they could not distinguish it. For
half an hour they continued their course, much to Philip's surprise,
for he now thought he could make out the loom of the land, dark as it
was. His eyes we