TJic Home of the Wolverene and Beaver. 123 



for many a long day; but when the ship was reached 

 the hour had been exceeded and the captain was in 

 a fury, threatening the man's hfe, and maltreating 

 those who had found him. 



" At the beginning of December the Tonqnin 

 anchored at Egmont Bay, and both watered and 

 refitted. Here the passengers lived ashore in a 

 tent, and amused themselves by shooting the wild 

 fowl with which the place abounded. And now a 

 circumstance occurred, laughable in itself, but nearly 

 followed by serious consequences. The water- 

 casks were all filled up, but Captain Thorn had 

 announced that the vessel would not move for two 

 days, and accordingly the passengers continued in 

 their camp. Now, one of the clerks had captured 

 a goose, which he wished to keep alive, and so tied 

 it to a stone about midway between the tent and 

 the landing-place, and on the skipper landing he 

 saw the bird, and instantly fired at it. The wretched 

 goose flapped its wings, whereupon the captain 

 saluted it with another charge, and running up to 

 secure his victim, was hailed by a roar of laughter 

 from the passengers, who had been hidden witnesses 

 of the whole scene. In a great pet Thorn walked 

 to his boat, and returned to the vessel, while the 

 landsmen made merry over the skipper's blunder, 

 and then dispersed in search of game, little sus- 



