ess of a trader among the
East Indian islands. It is not every one to whom such a business could be
safely intrusted; but I have great confidence in Captain Pinder. He is a
good man of business, thoroughly conscientious, and accustomed to the ways
of the treacherous natives of those islands. The _Tiger_ is more heavily
armed than usual, and has more than once beaten off the attacks of their
piratical craft, and there is no fear of Pinder's being caught napping.

"She will in the first place take a cargo to Calcutta, reserving a portion
of her hold for my goods for trading among the islands. When she has
landed her freight at Calcutta she will cruise in the Archipelago for some
months, as long, in fact, as Pinder finds that he can carry on a really
good business with the natives. Then she will return to Calcutta and fill
up with freight for her return voyage. Thus, you see, your boy will gain a
good deal of varied experience, and will see, perhaps, as much adventure
and excitement as he would meet with in a score of ordinary voyages, and
will have the advantage of being under a kind commander, who will instruct
him in the rudiments of navigation."

"Nothing could be better," Mr. Embleton said warmly. "It is the voyage of
all others that would be to the boy's taste, and I shall be satisfied
indeed at his being in such good hands. As to navigation, it is practice
only that he wants. I have taught him all that I know myself, and he can
take a lunar, or work his reckoning out from a star observation, as
accurately as I could do it myself."

"Is that so, Mr. Embleton? I am glad indeed to hear it. Then there is no
doubt about the future of your boy, if he is steady and industrious. I am
pleased to hear it for my own sake, if for nothing else; for although
Pinder's mates are capital sailors, and in all other respects able
officers, they are not men of Pinder's type. They can take, of course, a
rough observation at noon, and work it out by rule of thumb and the aid of
tables, but beyond that they can do nothing. They have not received the
education to enable them to grapple with mathematical problems, even of
the simplest kind; and although, in case of Pinder falling sick, they
might manage under favourable circumstances to bring the ship home, they
would fare very badly if they had a long spell of bad weather and could
not get an observation at noon for days or even weeks together. It will be
a satisfaction to me to know that