flOUiSTD CAPE HOEN— VALPAEAISO— 

 SANTIAGO. 



'*' Going round Cape Horn in a sailing vessel ! why, you 

 must be mad!^' said all my sisters, brothers, mother, 

 and relations. 



" You go ; you^ll have a first-rate time of it — splendid 

 air, good digestion. Pick out a jolly captain, and, take 

 my word for it, you^ll enjoy yourself,^^ said Jack Stubbs, 

 who had travelled over half the world, and hadn't 

 finished yet. 



As I saved about oOl. by the transaction, I went in a 

 sailing vessel, picked out a very jolly captain, and in 

 four days found myself and effects sailing down Chan- 

 nel, all so gaily oh ! or rather I should say not so gaily 

 oh ! Another thing determined me to take this route. 

 I had an idea — shared in common with many others, I 

 believe — that the life of the " jolly tar '^ was something 

 nearly perfection ; that all he had to do was to sing songs 

 to lovely Nancy or saucy Nell, and sit on the deck while 

 the breeze blew merrily. A confused notion of splicing 

 the main brace, yams from the forecastle, the manly 

 tar, the brave sailor lad in a blue tie and tight inexpres- 

 sibles, the warm affectionate heart beating beneath the 

 rough jacket, grog, songs, and all that, had got mixed 

 up in my head. 



I may as well say at once that I never was so deceived 

 in my life. Never shall I forget our first night in 

 Channel ; more than half the crew drunk ; the ship 



