what brought him so far from the "big smoke," and
on board a whaler of all places in the world. He told me he had been a
Pickford's van-driver, but had emigrated to New Zealand, finding that
he did not at all like himself in the new country. Trying to pick and
choose instead of manfully choosing a pick and shovel for a beginning,
he got hard up. During one of Captain Gilroy's visits to the Bluff,
he came across my ex-drayman, looking hungry and woebegone. Invited on
board to have a feed, he begged to be allowed to remain; nor, although
his assistance was not needed, was he refused. "An nar," he said, his
face glowing with conscious pride, "y'ort ter see me in a bloomin'
bowt. I ain't a-goain' ter say as I kin fling wun o' them 'ere bloomin'
'arpoones like ar bowt-steerers kin; but I kin do my bit o' grawft wiv
enny on 'em--don'tchu make no bloomin' herror." The glorious incongruity
of the thing tickled me immensely; but I laughed more heartily still
when on going below I was hailed as "Wot cher, chummy; 'ow yer hoppin'
up?" by another barbarian from the wilds of Spitalfields, who, from the
secure shelter of his cats'-meat round in 'Oxton, had got adrift, and,
after being severely buffeted by tempestuous ill-fortune, had finally
found himself in the comfortable old CHANCE, a haven of rest in the
midst of storms. There were sixteen white men on board the CHANCE,
including the skipper, drawn as usual from various European and American
sources, the rest of her large crew of over forty all told being made up
of Maories and half-breeds. One common interest united them, making them
the jolliest crowd I ever saw--their devotion to their commander. There
was here to be found no jealousy of the Maories being officers and
harpooners, no black looks or discontented murmuring; all hands seemed
particularly well satisfied with their lot in all its bearings; so that,
although the old tub was malodorous enough to turn even a pretty strong
stomach, it was a pleasure to visit her cheerful crowd for the sake of
their enlivening society.

Of course, under our present circumstances, with the debris of our
late enormous catch filling every available space and loudly demanding
attention, we had little time to spare for ship visiting. Some boat or
other from the two ships was continually alongside of us, though, for
until the gale abated they could not get out to the grounds again, and
time hung heavy on their hands. The TAMERLANE's captain avo