bullets, and bundling them on deck, prepared to
visit the other end of the vessel. Previous to so doing, however, I
loaded a musket, and belted a cutlass to my side. But my Viking
preferred his harpoon.

In the forecastle reigned similar confusion. But there was a snug
little lair, cleared away in one corner, and furnished with a grass
mat and bolster, like those used among the Islanders of these seas.
This little lair looked to us as if some leopard had crouched there.
And as it turned out, we were not far from right. Forming one
side of this retreat, was a sailor's chest, stoutly secured by a
lock, and monstrous heavy withal. Regardless of Jarl's entreaties, I
managed to burst the lid; thereby revealing a motley assemblage of
millinery, and outlandish knick-knacks of all sorts; together with
sundry rude Calico contrivances, which though of unaccountable cut,
nevertheless possessed a certain petticoatish air, and latitude of
skirt, betokening them the habiliments of some feminine creature;
most probably of the human species.

In this strong box, also, was a canvas bag, jingling with rusty old
bell-buttons, gangrened copper bolts, and sheathing nails; damp,
greenish Carolus dollars (true coin all), besides divers iron screws,
and battered, chisels, and belaying-pins. Sounded on the chest lid,
the dollars rang clear as convent bells. These were put aside by Jarl
the sight of substantial dollars doing away, for the nonce, with his
superstitious Misgivings. True to his kingship, he loved true coin;
though abroad on the sea, and no land but dollarless dominions
ground, all this silver was worthless as charcoal or diamonds. Nearly
one and the same thing, say the chemists; but tell that to the
marines, say the illiterate Jews and the jewelers. Go, buy a house,
or a ship, if you can, with your charcoal! Yea, all the woods in
Canada charred down to cinders would not be worth the one famed
Brazilian diamond, though no bigger than the egg of a carrier pigeon.
Ah! but these chemists are liars, and Sir Humphrey Davy a cheat.
Many's the poor devil they've deluded into the charcoal business, who
otherwise might have made his fortune with a mattock.

Groping again into the chest, we brought to light a queer little hair
trunk, very bald and rickety. At every corner was a mighty clamp, the
weight of which had no doubt debilitated the box. It was jealously
secured with a padlock, almost as big as itself; so that it was
almost a quest