804 WHALING AND FISHINO. 



Oar brig was furnished with new ground tackle 

 and patent anchors. We were tolerably secure 

 also, in the berth our captain an old visitor here 

 had chosen. But as the little craft tugged at 

 her anchors, head to the swell which tossed her 

 about as though but a feather's weight, every few 

 minutes a sea would board her over the bows and 

 sweep spare cable, buckets, men, and every thing 

 movable, aft. We were obliged to batten down the 

 hatches and to close the forecastle and companion 

 hatches with the utmost care, to prevent some 

 chance wave from swamping us. 



The breeze freshened toward evening, and the 

 mate, examining his barometer, foretold a hard 

 gale before midnight. 



"Mr. McDonald thinks the Earl of Harwood 

 will drag before two hours," said the cook, as he 

 gave us our tea. 



" Let her drag," answered Scotch Jack, " she 

 wont fall foul of us. And that will be another 

 Scotch vessel gone to the dogs. I wish they were 

 all at the bottom, and their masters with them." 



Scotch Jack could not bear those of his country- 

 men who chiefly command vessels from the Mau- 

 ritius. He was from Glasgow. Our captain and 

 mate, in common with most of their countrymen 

 in this part of India, owned Aberdeen (they pro- 

 nounced it A-bur-din) or its immediate neighbor- 

 hood, as their home. Between these two sections 

 of country there has long been much jealousy. 

 Sailors from the western coast of Scotland can 



