386 
LETTERS FROM HIGH LATITUDES. 
a mountain,—which took from the comparative flatness 
of daily life on board. 
Perhaps the queerest incident was a visit paid us at 
Ghristiansand. As I was walking the deck I saw a boat 
coming off, with a gentleman on board; she was soon 
alongside the schooner, and as I was gazing down on 
this individual, and wondering what he wanted, I saw 
him suddenly lift his feet lightly over the gunwale 
and plunge them into the water, boots and all. After 
cooling his heels in this way for a minute or so, 
he laid hold of the side ropes and gracefully swung 
himself on deck. Upon this, Sigurdr, who always 
acted interpreter on such occasions, advanced towards 
him, and a colloquy followed, which terminated rather 
abruptly in Sigurdr walking aft, and the web-footed 
stranger ducking down into his boat again. It was 
not till some hours later that the indignant Sigurdr 
explained the meaning of the visit. Although not a 
naval character, this gentleman certainly came into the 
category of men “who do business in great waters,” his 
business being to negotiate a loan; in short, to ask me 
to lend him 100?. There must have been something 
very innocent and confiding in “ the cut of our jib ” to 
