18 Mustering the Crew. 



secured, by lialf-past eight our pilot was discharged, 

 and, shaping our course to the northward, we 

 steamed along the red sandstone cliffs of Forfar- 

 shire. Passing Arbroath and Montrose, the shore 

 assumed a more rugged and sterile appearance ; the 

 wind, which was adverse, had considerably fresh- 

 ened, and our progress was in consequence neces- 

 sarily slow. In order to avoid a wasteful expendi- 

 ture of fuel, the captain very wisely determined 

 upon anchoring off Aberdeen ; but being unable to 

 obtain the services of a pilot, and darkness having 

 set in, we continued our course to the northward. 

 At 3 a.m. the following morning we brought up off 

 Peterhead, to await more favourable weather. 

 Shortly after leaving Dundee, the ship's company 

 was mustered on the quarter-deck by the captain, 

 and those who were able to answer to their names 

 were divided into three watches, under the first and 

 second mates and speksioneer respectively. A few 

 words were addressed to them, and, after giving 

 three cheers for the captain, they were dismissed. 



Monday, May 5th. — We are now fairly away. 

 We left Peterhead at noon yesterday, the wind 

 having subsided, and with a light S. E. wind and 

 a beautiful clear moonlit night, passed through the 

 Pentland Firth. This being accomplished, by way 

 of supper I was initiated into the mysteries of 

 " whelks/' and having by the skipper's advice 

 smothered them well with vinegar, mushroom- 



