swells of the ocean, that now
began to make themselves felt, past the light and the low point of the
Hook within a few minutes after we had squared away, and, once more, the
open ocean lay before us. I could not avoid smiling at Neb, just as we
opened the broad waste of waters, and got an unbroken view of the rolling
ocean to the southward. The fellow was on the main-top-sail yard, having
just run out, and lashed the heel of a top-gallant-studding-sail boom, in
order to set the sail. Before he lay in to the mast, he raised his
Herculean frame, and took a look to windward. His eyes opened, his
nostrils dilated, and I fancied he resembled a hound that scented game in
the gale, as he snuffed the sea-air which came fanning his glistening
face, filled with the salts and peculiar flavours of the ocean. I question
if Neb thought at all of Chloe, for the next hour or two!

As soon as we got over the bar, I gave the pilot my package, and he got
into his boat. It was not necessary to shorten sail in order to do this,
for the vessel's way did not exceed five knots.

"Do you see the sail, hereaway in the south-eastern board," said the
pilot, as he went over the side, pointing towards a white speck on the
ocean; "take care of that fellow, and give him as wide a berth as
possible, or he may give you a look at Halifax, or Bermuda."

"Halifax, or Bermuda! I have nothing to do with either and shall not go
there. Why should I fear that sail?"

"On account of your cargo, and on account of your men. That is His
Majesty's ship Leander; she has been off here, now, more than a week. The
inward-bound craft say she is acting under some new orders, and they name
several vessels that have been seen heading north-east after she had
boarded them. This new war is likely to lead to new troubles on the coast,
and it is well for all outward-bound ships to be on the look-out."

"_His Majesty's_ ship" was a singular expression for an American to use,
towards any sovereign, twenty years after the independence of the country
was acknowledged. But, it was common then, nor has it ceased entirely even
among the newspapers of the present hour; so much harder is it to
substitute a new language than to produce a revolution. Notwithstanding
this proof of bad taste in the pilot, I did not disregard his caution.
There had been certain unpleasant rumours, up in town for more than a
month, that the two great belligerents would be apt to push each other
into the