lement, we old sea-dogs are, after all, a polite race of men. We asked
the pilot where he had come from--and he asked us. We asked the pilot
where he was bound to, to-morrow morning--and he asked us. We asked the
pilot whether he would like a drop of rum--and the pilot, to encourage
us, said Yes. After that, there was a little pause; and then the pilot
asked us, whether we would come on board his boat--and we, to encourage
the pilot, said Yes, and did go, and came back, and asked the pilot
whether he would come on board our boat--and he said Yes, and did come
on board, and drank another drop of rum. Thus in the practice of the
social virtues did we while away the hours--six jolly tars in a
twelve-foot cabin--till it was past eleven o'clock, and time, as we say
at sea, to tumble in, or tumble out, as the case may be, when a jolly
tar wants practice in the art of getting into his hammock.

So began and ended our first day afloat.

II.

The wind blew itself out in the night. As the morning got on, it fell
almost to a calm; and the merchantmen about us began weighing anchor, to
drop down Channel with the tide. The Tomtit, it is unnecessary to say,
scorned to be left behind, and hoisted her sails with the best of them.
Favoured by the lightness of the wind, we sailed past every vessel
proceeding in our direction. Barques, brigs, and schooners, French
luggers and Dutch galliots, we showed our stern to all of them; and when
the weather cleared, and the breeze freshened towards the afternoon, the
little Tomtit was heading the whole fleet.

In the evening we brought up close to the high coast of Somersetshire,
to wait for the tide. Weighed again, at ten at night, and sailed for
Ilfracombe. Got becalmed towards morning, but managed to reach our port
at ten, with the help of the sweeps, or long oars. Went ashore for more
bread, beer, and fresh water; feeling so nautical by this time, that the
earth was difficult to walk upon; and all the people we had dealings
with presented themselves to us in the guise of unmitigated land-sharks.
O, my dear eyes! what a relief it was to Mr. Migott and myself to find
ourselves in our floating castle, boxing the compass, dancing the
hornpipe, and splicing the mainbrace freely in our ocean-home.

About noon we sailed for Clovelly. Our smooth passage across the
magnificent Bay of Bideford is the recollection of our happy voyage
which I find myself looking back on most admiringly while I