apital fellows in their way, came from the
main; the last, it was said, from as far east as Kennebunk. No matter;
they were all reasonably young, hale, active fellows, with a promise of
excellent service about every man of them. Livingston and Floyd were
coloured persons, who bore the names of the two respectable families in
which they or their progenitors had formerly been slaves. Weeks was
accustomed to the sea, and might have been rated indifferently as a
carpenter or as a mariner. Mount and Mott, though shipped as landsmen,
were a good deal accustomed to the water also, having passed each two
seasons in coasters, though neither had ever yet been really _outside_, or
seen blue water.

It would not have been easy to give to the Sea Lion a more efficient crew;
yet there was scarce a real seaman belonging to her--a man who could have
been made a captain of the forecastle on board a frigate or a ship of the
line. Even Gardiner, the best man in his little craft in nearly every
respect, was deficient in many attainments that mark the thorough sea-dog.
He would have been remarkable anywhere for personal activity, for courage,
readiness, hardihood, and all those qualities which render a man useful in
the business to which he properly belonged; but he could hardly be termed
a skilful leadsman, knew little of the finesse of his calling, and was
wanting in that in-and-in breeding which converts habit into an instinct,
and causes the thorough seaman to do the right thing, blow high or blow
low, in the right way, and at the right moment. In all these respects,
however, he was much the best man on board; and he was so superior to the
rest as fully to command all their respect. Stimson was probably the next
best seaman, after the master.

The day succeeding that on which the Sea Lion received the remainder of
her people, Roswell Gardiner went up to the Harbour, where he met Deacon
Pratt, by appointment. The object was to clear the schooner out, which
could be done only at that place. Mary accompanied her uncle, to transact
some of her own little domestic business; and it was then arranged between
the parties, that the deacon should make his last visit to his vessel in
the return-boat of her master, while Roswell Gardiner should take Mary
back to Oyster Pond, in the whale-boat that had brought her and her uncle
over. As Baiting Joe, as usual, had acted as ferryman, it was necessary to
get rid of him, the young sailor desiring to be