avigator; for although
I can fudge a day's work pretty well, latterly I have been out of
practice."

Every one was now busy. Jack and Mesty at Portsmouth, fitting out the
vessel, and offering three guineas a head to the crimps for every good
able seaman--Mr Hanson obtaining the English register, and the letters
of licence, and Dr Middleton in search of a good naval dry-nurse. Jack
found time to write to Don Philip and Agnes, apprising them of the death
of his father, and his intentions.

In about six weeks all was ready, and the brigantine, which had taken
out her British register and licence under the name of the _Rebiera_,
went out of harbour, and anchored at Spithead. Dr Middleton had
procured, as he thought, a very fit person to sail with Jack, and our
hero and Mesty embarked, wishing the doctor and solicitor good-bye, and
leaving them nothing to do but to pay the bills.

The person selected by Dr Middleton, by the advice of an old friend of
his, a purser in the navy who lived at Southsea, was a Lieutenant
Oxbelly, who, with the ship's company, which had been collected,
received our hero as their captain and owner upon his arrival on board.
There certainly was no small contrast between our hero's active slight
figure and handsome person, set-off with a blue coat, something like the
present yacht-club uniform, and that of his second in command, who
waddled to the side to receive him. He was a very short man, with an
uncommon protuberance of stomach, with shoulders and arms too short for
his body, and hands much too large, more like the paws of a Polar bear
than anything else. He wore trousers, shoes, and buckles. On his head
was a foraging cap, which, when he took it off, showed that he was quite
bald. His age might be about fifty-five or sixty; his complexion
florid, no whiskers and little beard, nose straight, lips thin, teeth
black with chewing, and always a little brown dribble from the left
corner of his mouth (there was a leak there, he said). Altogether his
countenance was prepossessing, for it was honest and manly, but his
waist was preposterous.

"Steady enough," thought Jack, as he returned Mr Oxbelly's salute.

"How do you do, sir?" said Jack, "I trust we shall be good shipmates,"
for Jack had not seen him before.

"Mr Easy," replied the lieutenant, "I never quarrel with any one,
except (I won't tell a story) with my wife."

"I am sorry that you have ever domestic dissensions, Mr Oxbelly."