speech, were delightful to listen to. Such had been my experiences,
that, though five days comprised them, it seemed as if I had been six
months from home. The talk mainly concerned this daring, extraordinary
voyage to Australia, in what was truly no more than an open boat. The
excitement of delight over our rescue was in a measure spent. I could
think calmly, and attend with interest to other considerations than our
preservation, our sufferings, and, in short, ourselves. And what could
interest me more than this singular undertaking on the part of three
boatmen?

I inquired what food they carried.

'Whoy,' says Abraham, 'we've got beef and pork and ship's bread and
other wittles arter that sort.'

'Shall you touch at any ports?'

'Oy, if the need arises, master.'

'Need arises! You are bound to run short of food and water!'

'There's a plenty of ships to fall in with at sea, master, to help us
along.'

'How long do you reckon on taking to make the run?'

'Fower or foive month,' answered Abraham.

'Oy, an' perhaps six,' said Jacob.

'Who is skipper?' said I.

'There aren't no degrees here,' answered Abraham; 'leastways, now that
the boy's gone sick and's left behoind.'

'But which of you is navigator, then?'

'Oy am,' said Abraham; 'that's to say, I've got a quadrant along with
me, and know how to tell at noon what o'clock it is. That's what's
tarmed hascertaining the latitude. As to what's called longitude, she's

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