PREPARINQ TO LEAVE THE SHIP. 405 



the gratifjang consciousness that we should have no 

 more of it to do for this voyage at least, ^yhatever 

 the future may have in store for us. 



Whilst aloft on the maintopsail yard, from which 

 I had a good view of the bay and the ocean beyond, 

 I asked myself whether I should be content ashore, 

 or whether it was decreed that I should form one of 

 that great body of uneasy spirits who gain their live- 

 lihood by toil upon the ocean. All my chequered 

 life for the previous four years passed in array before 

 me, with its ills and its pleasantries; and, although 

 the former overbalanced the latter, I could not, 

 without a sigh of regret, bid farewell to old ocean. 



On getting on deck, all hands were busily em- 

 ployed packing and securing chests, donning their 

 best suits, and making all necessary preparations for 

 leaving the ship. This leaving the ship was by no 

 means a pleasant operation. Her sturdy sides had 

 so long aflbrded us protection from the storm and 

 wave, that she was endeared to us by a thousand 

 ties. Every spar and rope in her were as familiar 

 to us as household words, and each object begat 

 Bome pleasant reminiscence ; but we were too busy 

 reflecting on dearer objects to allow the old barque's 

 memory to make us sad — so we continued our pre- 

 parations in silence, scarce a word being spoken, 

 each heart being too full for utterance. 



Fifteen minutes after a boat came alongside, which 

 is technically known as the shark's boat. In it were 

 the proprietors and agents of all the outfitting firms 

 of the city, black and white, Portuguese, Germans, 

 Irish, French, &c., each intent on getting a customer 



