332 TEE CRUISE OF THE " CACHALOT.'' 



Characteristically, the Chance was away first, before day- 

 light had quite asserted itself, and while the bases of 

 the cliffs and tops of the rocks were as yet hidden in 

 dense wreaths of white haze. Paddy lolled on the taff- 

 rail near the wheel, which was held by an immense 

 half-breed, who leant back and carried on a desultory, 

 familiar conversation with his skipper ; the rest of the 

 crew were scattered about the decks, apparently doing 

 what they liked in any manner they chose. The 

 anchor was being catted, sails going up, and yards 

 being trimmed; but, to observers like us, no guiding 

 spirit was noticeable. It seemed to work all right, and 

 the old ark herself looked as if she was as intelligent 

 as any of them ; but the sight was not an agreeable 

 one to men accustomed to discipline. The contrast 

 when the Tamerlane came along an hour or so after 

 was emphatic. Every man at his post ; every order 

 carried out with the precision of clockwork ; the captain 

 pacing the quarter-deck as if she were a line-of-battle 

 ship — here the airs put on were almost ludicrous in 

 the other direction. Although she was only " a good 

 jump" long, as we say, whenever an order was given, 

 it was thundered out as if the men were a mile away, 

 each officer appearing to vie with the others as to who 

 could bellow the loudest. That was carrying things to 

 the opposite extreme, and almost equally objectionable 

 to merchant seamen. 



We were thus left alone to finish our trying-out, 

 except for such company as was afforded by the only 

 resident's little schooner, in which he went oyster- 

 dredging. It was exceedingly comfortable in the small 

 harbour, and the fishing something to remember all 

 one's life. That part of New Zealand is famous for a 

 fish something like a bream, but with a longer snout, 



