ed itself above water.

The captain and master undertook the survey; but any officers, who
volunteered their assistance, or midshipmen, who wished to profit by the
opportunity of gaining a practical knowledge of maritime surveying, were
permitted to join the party, another boat having been lowered down for
their accommodation. Hector, the captain's Newfoundland dog, was flying
about the decks, mad with delight, as he always was when a boat was
lowered down, as he anticipated the pleasure of a swim. Captain M---,
who had breakfasted, and whose boat was manned alongside, came on deck;
when the dog fawning on him, he desired that his broad leather collar,
with the ship's name in large brass letters riveted round it, should be
taken off; that it might not be injured by the salt water. Jerry, who
was on deck, and received the order, asked the captain for the key of
the padlock which secured it, and Captain M--- handed him his bunch of
keys, to which it had been affixed, and desiring him to take the collar
off and return the keys to him, descended again to his cabin.

Jerry soon dispossessed the dog of his collar, and, ripe for mischief,
went down to the midshipmen's berth, where he found Prose alone, the
rest being all on deck, or scattered about the ship. Prose was the
person that he wanted, being the only one upon whom he could venture a
practical joke, without incurring more risk than was agreeable. Jerry
commenced by fixing the collar round his own neck, and said, "I wish I
could get _promotion_. Now, if the situation of _captain's dog_ was
only vacant, I should like the rating amazingly. I should soon get fat
then, and I think I should look well up in this collar."

"Why, Jerry, that collar certainly does look as if it was made for you;
it's rather ornamental, I do declare."

"I wish I had a glass, to see how it looks. I would try it on you,
Prose, but you've such a bull neck, that it wouldn't go half round it."

"Bull neck, Jerry--why, I'll lay you sixpence that my neck's almost as
small as yours; and I'll lay you a shilling that the collar will go
round my neck."

"Done; now let's see--recollect the staple must go into the hole, or you
lose," said Jerry, fixing the collar round Prose's neck, and pretending
that the staple was not into the hole of the collar until he had
inserted the padlock, turned and taken out the key.

"Well, I do declare I've lost, Prose. I must go and get you the
shilling," contin