as if he were speaking
to a female. "How do you do? I'm glad to see you again--you have been
quite well, I hope? You do not like being laid up in this way. Never
mind, my dear creature! you shall soon be handsome again."

The name of this personage who thus made love to his vessel was Wilhelm
Barentz. He was a young man, apparently not thirty years of age, of
diminutive stature and delicate proportions. His face was handsome, but
womanish. His movements were rapid and restless, and there was that
appearance in his eye which would have warranted the supposition that he
was a little flighty, even if his conduct had not fully proved the fact.

No sooner were the ecstasies of the captain over, than Philip introduced
himself to him, and informed him of his appointment. "Oh! you are the
first mate of the Vrow Katerina Sir, you are a very fortunate man. Next
to being captain of her, first mate is the most enviable situation in
the world."

"Certainly not on account of her beauty," observed Philip; "she may have
many other good qualities."

"Not on account of her beauty! Why, sir, I say (as my father has said
before me, and it was his Vrow before it was mine) that she is the
handsomest vessel in the world. At present you cannot judge; and
besides being the handsomest vessel, she has every good quality under
the sun."

"I am glad to hear it, sir," replied Philip; "it proves that one should
never judge by appearances. But is she not very old?"

"Old! not more than twenty-eight years--just in her prime. Stop, my
dear sir, till you see her dancing on the waters, and then you will do
nothing all day but discourse with me upon her excellence, and I have no
doubt that we shall have a very happy time together."

"Provided the subject be not exhausted," replied Philip.

"That it never will be on my part: and allow me to observe, Mr
Vanderdecken, that any officer who finds fault with the Vrow Katerina
quarrels with me. I am her knight, and I have already fought three men
in her defence,--I trust I shall not have to fight a fourth."

Philip smiled: he thought that she was not worth fighting for; but he
acted upon the suggestion, and, from that time forward, he never
ventured to express an opinion against the beautiful Vrow Katerina.

The crew were soon complete, the vessel rigged, her sails bent, and she
was anchored in the stream, surrounded by the other ships composing the
fleet about to be despatched. The car