eing kept
at night to give them due notice should a change of weather threaten and
make it advisable for them to quit the ship.

Fortunately the weather continued fine and the wind mostly blew off the
land, so that the boats were able to ply backwards and forwards all day
long. One of the assistant-surgeons, who had only lately come to sea,
declared that he should not have believed it possible that the ship
could have contained the multitudinous articles he saw landed; he had no
idea where they could all have been stowed away. In that latitude the
winter was likely to prove severe, and as it was approaching, it was
important not only to land stores and provisions, but to house the party
comfortably.

For the latter purpose, Adair went on shore for the first time and laid
down the plan of their town. It formed one long street, with blocks on
either side, while a cross road ran at right angles with the main one.
One block formed the barracks of the marines, another a hospital. The
captain's own house was at the top of the street, and opposite to it one
for the lieutenants, another for the rest of the ward-room officers, and
a third on their side of the way for the midshipmen. Then came rows of
huts, eight on each side, for the seamen. Another was put up for the
petty officers, the stokers had one for themselves, and the officers'
servants one. At the top of the street, so that it could be seen from
the very bottom, was the officers' mess tent, with flags flying over it,
and a very tasty-looking affair it was. The walls were partly composed
of stone, partly of turf, roofed over with canvas. The roof of Captain
Adair's house was also lined with canvas, as were the walls, and divided
by partitions.

Some of the midshipmen expressed their regret that there were no ladies
among them.

"The ladies are very much obliged to you," observed Charley Roy, who had
joined the _Empress_, and was now senior mate on board. "I suspect that
they would rather remain comfortably on shore. Perhaps you'd like a
grand piano, a ball-room, and a croquet lawn?"

One building there was called the grand hotel, and it was frequented by
all ranks, from the warrant officers and sergeant of marines down to the
stokers and ship's boys. Liquor in very small quantities and well
watered could be obtained there, as could tea and coffee, and various
beverages, such as ginger beer, which the doctor continued to
manufacture with certain ingredi