e _Boadicea_
estimated his craft to be one of the finest of her class afloat, he
made a counter-bid which startled the Grecian modesty of his
interesting visitors. The negotiations were animated, and before the
day closed the vessel was chartered at a rate that would pay back her
original cost in less than twelve months. Over and above this it was
agreed that the captain should receive legitimate gratuities that
amounted to more than double his wage per month. The director of
transports ordered the vessel to be taken to Malta to load stores
immediately she had finished discharging, and gave instructions that
overtime should be worked in order to get the cargo of much needed
supplies to the seat of war. It was a stirring time for the captain and
his crew. In four days the holds were emptied and she sailed from the
Piraeus on the fifth with 180 tons of sand ballast aboard. In five days
from leaving Athens she arrived in the beautiful harbour of Valetta,
and four days after left again with a full cargo of foods, stores and
other supplies for Constantinople for orders. Every stitch of canvas
was set after getting clear of the harbour; studding sails lower and
aloft were spread to the kiss of the singing wind, and the officers
were made to understand that there was to be hard cracking on; nothing
was to be taken in until the maximum amount of endurance of spars,
ropes and rigging had been reached. The breeze freshened and the sea
curled its white tops into angry combers Captain Macvie walked the
starboard quarterdeck with an air of dignity and luxury of dress that
would have called forth the supreme contempt of his associates of
earlier days. They would have stigmatized him as a fine-weather dandy,
and not a true British sailor. The captain had never been past
Gibraltar until he got command of his present vessel. As a matter of
fact, he had rarely been off the coast, and never at any time as far
south as Cape Finisterre. He had acquired large ideas of the
magnificence that should be observed by a captain aboard a vessel of
the _Boadicea's_ size and class. He had heard also that the men
liked to see monarchical display, and that is why he adopted it so
naturally. The third day after leaving Malta the forecastle hands were
congregated on the topgallant forecastle during the dogwatch from six
to eight. The discussion was of an animated character. The second
officer, who was an old hand in these waters, stood amongst them, and
t