"'Bout!" echoed the helmsman.

"Put the helm hard up," continued the pilot excitedly, in a louder
voice; "she mustn't shoot."

"Ay, ay, sir," again replied the helmsman, and in obedience to the reply
the cutter spun round, like a top. The noise of the sails and blocks,
while the vessel was in stays, roused the fishermen, their wives, and
children, who dwelt in the two cottages to which I have cursorily
alluded, and they gathered about the doors to look on. I heard those
hardy fishermen make some observation, for at intervals, we were not
many yards from their houses, either in derision of the cutter being
imagined competent to work through the channel, or in laudation of the
seaman-like skill with which she was managed. They called aloud each to
the other across the water, and spoke in praise or admiration; but being
in a dialect of the Norwegian language I could not tell what they said,
and how they thought. We had made a fair reach, and it was no longer
audacity to hope, that, the cutter was a match for the current. To get a
better view of the feat, some of the Dutchmen and Norwegians had mounted
the shrouds of their vessels, and appeared to take as much interest in
the trial as we did.

"'Bout!" a second time exclaimed the pilot, and turning towards the
helmsman, made a rotary motion with his hand to bring the cutter right
round at once.

"'Bout!" reiterated the helmsman, and lashed the tiller close up under
the weather quarter bulwarks. With equal adroitness, as at first, the
sails were let go and drawn aft, and our gallant vessel appeared not to
feel the resistance of the rapid tide. The wind, although foul as any
wind could be, blew steadily as any wind could blow, and the Iris, under
its favour, reluctantly though it seemed given, was in another and third
tack again in still water. The Dutch and Norwegian crews could not
resist expressing their admiration; and flourishing their caps over
their heads while standing in their rigging, they gave us three rounds
of lusty cheers. The soaring, sombre mountains took up the echoes, and
returned not cheer for cheer, but bellowed a ten-fold multiplication of
huzzas.

Since we had taken leave, we had seen no vessel to remind us of England;
and although, wherever we went, the natives would tell us some of our
countrymen were in the immediate neighbourhood, we never had the good
fortune to fall in with them. We had received no tidings, good or bad,
from home; and Europ