r, midway in the stream, which at that point is about a mile
wide, with Gravesend on our left or "port" hand, and the frowning fort
of Tilbury guarding the entrance to the river on our right.

All seemed very quiet, as if old Father Thames and those who went to and
fro on his broad bosom were thinking of going to sleep; and thus, the
shades of night slowly descended on the scene, hushing the spirit of the
waters to rest, the ebbing tide lapping its lullaby.

Two other vessels, large merchantmen both, were moored close to ours,
and a tug far-away down the stream astern was toiling up wearily against
the current with a long string of heavily-laden coal barges in tow, and
making but poor headway judging from the long time she took to get
abreast of us; while our own gallant little Arrow, which had pulled us
along so merrily to our anchorage, was lying-to, about a cable's length
off, waiting to see whether we would require her services any further,
blowing off her superfluous steam in the meantime, with a turn of her
paddles every now and then to show that she was quite ready for more
work.

These were all the signs of life afloat in our immediate vicinity on the
whilom teeming, busy tideway; and the shore on either side was equally
still, only an occasional light, twinkling here and there like a Will o'
the Wisp, bearing evidence that some people were stirring, or beginning
to wake up as the darkness grew, with that topsy-turvy habit which those
who live on land have sometimes of turning day into night!

We aboard ship, though, preserved the regular ways of sea-folk; and
beyond myself and Tim Rooney, who remained behind on the forecastle, to
keep me company more than to act as look-out, I believe, not a soul was
to be seen on the upper deck of the Silver Queen during this last half-
hour of the first dog-watch, now just expiring.

No, not a soul. For Mr Saunders, the second mate, with Matthews and
the other apprentices had started aft to their quarters the moment the
anchor had been dropped and all things made snug forwards; Mr Mackay
had disappeared from the poop, having taken our river pilot down into
the cuddy for a glass of grog prior to his departure for the shore to
make his way back by land to the docks he had started from, unless he
could pick up a job of another vessel going up, and so "combine business
with pleasure," as Sam Weeks remarked to Matthews with a snigger, as if
he had said something extremely fun