A NIGHT'S PEEIL. 121 



hauled I would beat her ; but which after all was 

 the better boat was a question we could never settle. 

 However, it was for no want of trying. As surely as 

 it blew at all fresh, so surely would the little Wave 

 be seen cruising about among the shipping, and pass- 

 ing under the stern of the Bucephalus ; and so surely 

 also would the launchers be piped away on board the 

 big craft. Many was the prophecy uttered that the 

 little barkey would be my coffin, and so once she 

 certainly would have been, had we not had water 

 ballast aboard, when she capsized in a heavy squall, 

 to which I would not shorten sail 



I liked mightily the idea of a farewell cruise in my 

 poor little boat in such pleasant company. Objec- 

 tions touching her unprovisioned state were met at 

 once by Hamilton, who had laid in abundance, and 

 was carrying about him some of the odd trifles for- 

 gotten in the first instance. He had fully bargained 

 to go in my boat, and as my companion. Boating 

 was no usual fancy of his ; but somehow he had a 

 great idea of my nautical skill, and a high opinion of 

 the craft herself, that made him sometimes willing to 

 enlist as my companion. He was a very good fellow, 

 but, I am bound to say, more useful and agreeable on 

 shore than at sea. He would sit down in the little 

 hatch and smoke his pipe rationally enough when all 

 was smooth. But directly we felt the wind, and 

 began to lie over the least bit in the world, you 

 might see him eyeing the dingy's sculls, or any stray 



