lness at the least
gale, his utter ignorance of anything nautical was very great, when we
thought of his courage, strength, and skill on shore, in his own
vocation. Under his care he had two large dogs, half blood hounds half
St. Bernard, their names were Bernard and Cwmro. But I must describe our
vessel:--La Luna had been built expressly for her present purpose, in
the river Clyde; she was of nearly 200 tons burden, three-masted,
beautiful and elegant in her appearance, and nothing could exceed the
convenience and comfort, combined with strength, with which she was
fitted up; we had a deck house, surrounded with windows, so that we were
shaded from sun and sheltered from breeze, and could see in every
direction each pursuing his or her favourite occupation, and yet losing
none of the beauties and wonders of the ocean; near the deck house were
two berths, one for Captain MacNab, the other for Mr. Austin; down
stairs we had a saloon, the length of which was the width of the vessel,
and about twelve feet across; on the upper end a smaller saloon, or
drawing room, the sofas of which made up four berths; the three girls
used this room, and it opened into the stern cabin, where Jenny and the
three younger girls slept, and through which the rudder came; at the
other end was a double cabin, which served for my cousin and me, opening
into the bath room, beyond that was the boys' cabin, and on the left
hand side of the stern cabin was Mrs. Tollair's cabin; in the other part
of the vessel were four other cabins, a steward's or servant's room,
besides the seamen's berths, here also were two very excellent deck
cabins for our two gentlemen whenever they joined us. We had fitted up
the whole of the saloon with bookcases, of which one was devoted to the
children's school books, drawing materials, and everything of that sort
they might require. Our travels were at present not only indefinite as
to time, but equally so as to place. We had a piano and a small hand
organ, which could be carried on deck.

It would be impossible to convey any idea of the bustle, the noise, the
confusion, the pleasure, the novelty that possessed everybody and
everything the few days before we sailed. The leave-takings were the
most painful, for having the care of so many who left the nearest and
dearest ties behind them, on a voyage, the singularity of which invested
it with a certain degree of mysterious danger, the nature of which no
one could define, and