ocks. In his own vessel, the Lion which was manned with two
hundred and fifty men when she sailed from Amsterdam, there were not
more than seventy capable of doing duty; and the other ships had
suffered in proportion.

The first captain of the Lion was dead, the second captain in his
hammock, and the admiral had no one to assist him but the mates of the
vessel, some of whom crawled up to their duty more dead than alive. The
ship of the second in command, the Dort, was even in a more deplorable
plight. The commodore was dead; the first captain was still doing his
duty; but he had but one more officer capable of remaining on deck.

The admiral sent for Philip into his cabin, and having heard his
narrative of the loss of the Vrow Katerina, he ordered him to go on
board the commodore's ship as captain, giving the rank of commodore to
the captain at present on board of her; Krantz was retained on board his
own vessel, as second captain; for by Philip's narrative, the admiral
perceived at once that they were both good officers and brave men.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN.

The fleet under Admiral Rymelandt's command was ordered to proceed to
the East Indies by the western route, through the Straits of Magellan
into the Pacific Ocean--it being still imagined, notwithstanding
previous failures, that this route offered facilities which might
shorten the passage to the Spice Islands.

The vessels composing the fleet were the Lion of forty-four guns,
bearing the admiral's flag; the Dort of thirty-six guns, with the
commodore's pendant--to which Philip was appointed; the Zuyder Zee of
twenty; the Young Frau of twelve, and a ketch of four guns, called the
Schevelling.

The crew of the Vrow Katerina were divided between the two larger
vessels; the others, being smaller, were easier worked with fewer hands.
Every arrangement having been made, the boats were hoisted up, and the
ships made sail. For ten days they were baffled by light winds, and the
victims to the scurvy increased considerably on board of Philip's
vessel. Many died and were thrown overboard, and others were carried
down to their hammocks.

The newly-appointed commodore, whose name was Avenhorn, went on board of
the admiral, to report the state of the vessel and to suggest, as Philip
had proposed to him, that they should make the coast of South America,
and endeavour by bribery or by force to obtain supplies either from the
Spanish inhabitants or the natives. But t