ient in the calling. Yet, in one
matter, I availed myself of my former position; for I chose to live aft,
and by this was abled to see much of my sweetheart, Mistress Madison.

Now after dinner upon the day on which we left the island, the bo'sun and
the second mate picked the watches, and thus I found myself chosen to be
in the bo'sun's, at which I was mightly pleased. And when the watches had
been picked, they had all hands to 'bout ship, the which, to the pleasure
of all, she accomplished; for under such gear and with so much growth
upon her bottom, they had feared that we should have to veer, and by this
we should have lost much distance to leeward, whereas we desired to edge
so much to windward as we could, being anxious to put space between us
and the weed-continent. And twice more that day we put the ship about,
though the second time it was to avoid a great bank of weed that lay
floating athwart our bows; for all the sea to windward of the island, so
far as we had been able to see from the top of the higher hill, was
studded with floating masses of the weed, like unto thousands of islets,
and in places like to far-spreading reefs. And, because of these, the sea
all about the island remained very quiet and unbroken, so that there was
never any surf, no, nor scarce a broken wave upon its shore, and this,
for all that the wind had been fresh for many days.

When the evening came, we were again upon the larboard tack, making,
perhaps, some four knots in the hour; though, had we been in proper rig,
and with a clean bottom, we had been making eight or nine, with so good a
breeze and so calm a sea. Yet, so far, our progress had been very
reasonable; for the island lay, maybe, some five miles to leeward, and
about fifteen astern. And so we prepared for the night. Yet, a little
before dark, we discovered that the weed-continent trended out towards
us; so that we should pass it, maybe, at a distance of something like
half a mile, and, at that, there was talk between the second mate and the
bo'sun as to whether it was better to put the ship about, and gain a
greater sea-room before attempting to pass this promontory of weed; but
at last they decided that we had naught to fear; for we had fair way
through the water, and further, it did not seem reasonable to suppose
that we should have aught to fear from the habitants of the
weed-continent, at so great a distance as the half of a mile. And so we
stood on; for, once past the