THE VOYAGE 109 



ment at starting. Having been second mate on 

 the last voyage, when the first mate was dis- 

 charged, he took charge of the Elba all the time 

 she was in port, and of course looked forward 

 to being chief mate this trip. Liddell promised 

 him the post. He had not authority to do this ; 

 and, when Newall heard of it, he appointed another 



man. Fancy poor H having told all the men 



and, most of all, his sweetheart ! But more remains 

 behind ; for when it came to signing articles, it 



turned out that O , the new first mate, had not 



a certificate which allowed him to have a second 

 mate. Then came rather an affecting scene. For 



H proposed to sign as chief (he having the 



necessary higher certificate) but to act as second 



for the lower wages. At first O would not give 



in but offered to go as second. But our brave little 



H said, no : " The owners wished Mr. O 



to be chief mate, and chief mate he should be." 

 So he carried the day, signed as chief and acts as 

 second. Shakespeare and Byron are his favourite 

 books. I walked into Byron a little, but can well 

 understand his stirring up a rough, young sailor's 

 romance. I lent him Westward Ho ! from the cabin ; 

 but to my astonishment he did not care much for 

 it ; he said it smelt of the shilling railway library ; 

 perhaps I had praised it too highly. Scott is his 

 standard for novels. I am very happy to find good 

 taste by no means confined to gentlemen, H ■ 



