"HURRAH, MY LADS! WE'RE OUTWARD-BOUND!"
Bob returned to Brightlingsea just in the nick of time; for on the day
following his arrival home, a letter reached him from Captain Staunton
announcing that gentleman's presence once more in England, and not only
so, but that his ship had already discharged her inward cargo, and was
loading again for Australia. He repeated his former offer, and added
that he thought it would be a good plan for Bob to join at once, as he
might prove of some assistance to the chief mate in receiving and taking
account of their very miscellaneous cargo. Bob and old Bill consulted
together, and finally came to the conclusion that there was nothing to
delay the departure of the former, as his entire outfit could easily be
procured in London. Bob accordingly replied to Captain Staunton's note,
naming the day but one following as that on which he would join; and on
that day he duly put in an appearance.
Bill, as on the occasion when Bob joined the _Betsy Jane_, accompanied
the lad to London. The ship was lying in the London Dock; and the first
business of our two friends was to secure quarters for themselves, which
they did in a comfortable enough boarding-house close to the dock-gates.
They dined, and then sallied forth to take a look at the _Galatea_,
which they found about half-way down the dock. She was a noble craft of
sixteen hundred tons register, built of iron, with iron masts and yards,
wire rigging, and all the most recent appliances for economising work
and ensuring the safety of her passengers and crew. She was a beautiful
model, and looked a regular racer all over. Her crew were comfortably
berthed in a roomy house on deck forward, the fore part of which was
devoted to the seamen, while the after part was occupied by the inferior
officers. Captain Staunton and the chief mate had their quarters in
light, spacious, nicely fitted cabins, one on each side of the foot of
the saloon staircase; while the apprentices were berthed in a small
deck-house just abaft the main-mast. The saloon was a splendid
apartment, very elaborately fitted up in ornamental woods of several
kinds, and with a great deal of carving and gilding about it. The
upholstering of the saloon was of a kind seldom seen afloat except in
yachts or the finest Atlantic liners; the stern-windows even being
fitted with delicate lace curtains, draped over silken hangings. Eight
berths, four on each side of the ship, afforded accommodation for
sixteen passengers. These were located just outside the saloon, and the
space between them formed a passage leading from the foot of the
staircase to the saloon doors.
Bill and Bob had to find out all these things for themselves, the mate,
at the moment of their arrival on board, being the only person present
belonging to the ship, and he was so busy receiving cargo that he could
scarcely find time to speak to them. On being told who they were, he
simply said to Bob--
"All right, young 'un; Captain Staunton has told me all about you, and
I'm very glad to see you. But I haven't time even to be civil just now,
so just take a look round the ship by yourselves, will you? I expect
the skipper aboard before long, and _he'll_ do the honours."
In about half an hour afterwards Captain Staunton made his appearance,
and, hearing that Bill and Bob were down below aft somewhere, at once
joined them in the saloon. He shook them both most heartily by the
hand, and, in a few well-chosen words, expressed the gratification he
felt at renewing his acquaintance with them, and at the prospect of
having Bob with him.
"I have spoken to my owners concerning you," he said to Bob, "and have
obtained their permission to receive you on board as an apprentice. You
will dress in uniform, and berth with the other apprentices in the after
house; your duties will be light, and it will be my pride as well as my
pleasure to do everything in my power to make a gentleman as well as a
thorough seaman of you, and so fit you in due time to occupy such a
position as the one I now hold, if not a still better one." He
suggested that Bob should sign his indentures on the following day, and
then proposed that they should go at once, in a body, to see about our
hero's uniform and outfit, the whole of which, in spite of all
protestation, he insisted on himself presenting to the lad.
On the following day Bob signed his indentures as proposed, and joined
the ship, assisting the chief mate to receive and take account of the
cargo. Four days of this work completed the loading of the vessel and
the taking in of her stores; and a week from the day on which Bob first
saw her, the _Galatea_ hauled out of dock and proceeded in charge of the
chief mate down the river as far as Gravesend, where her captain and
passengers joined her.
It is now time to say a descriptive word or two concerning the various
persons with whom our friend Bob was for some time to be so intimately
associated.
Captain Staunton, as the head and chief of the little community, is
entitled to the first place on the list.
He was a tall, handsome man, in the very prime of life, being about
thirty-five or forty years of age. His features were finely moulded,
the lines about the firmly closed mouth indicating great decision and
fixity of purpose, while the clear steadfast grey eyes beamed forth an
assurance of the kindly and genial disposition of their owner. Light
auburn hair, in short-cut but thickly clustering curls, crowned his
shapely head, and a closely cut beard and moustache shaded the lower
part of his deeply bronzed face. For the rest, his broad massive
shoulders indicated unmistakably the possession of great strength;
whilst his waist, slim almost as that of a woman, his lean muscular
lower limbs, and his quick springy step, told of great bodily activity.
His disposition was exactly what one would, from a study of his
externals, judge it to be--frank, generous, genial, kindly, and
sympathetic to his friends, but a fearless and formidable foe to any who
might be so ill-advised as to constitute themselves his enemies.
Mr Bowles, the first mate--or "chief officer" as he preferred rather to
be termed, thinking this title sounded more dignified than the other--
was a big, burly, loud-voiced individual; a thorough seaman, a strict
disciplinarian, and possessed of a general disposition to "stand no
nonsense" from _anybody_, but particularly from the seamen, who, as a
class, were regarded by him with an eye of great suspicion. He was,
however, scrupulously just and straightforward in his dealings with all
men, and, if a seaman proved himself to be capable and willing, he had
nothing to fear from "Bill Bowles," as this individual was in his more
genial moods wont to style himself; if, however, on the other hand, a
man proved lazy, or incapable of executing the duties he had undertaken
to perform, let him "look out for squalls."
The second mate was in every way a marked contrast to the "chief." He
was a tall thin sallow-complexioned man, with straight black hair, thick
eyebrows, and thin feeble-looking whiskers, the latter very lank and
ragged, as he seemed never to trim them. His eyes were believed to be
black, but no one seemed to be at all certain about this, as he would
never look any man long enough in the face to allow the question to be
decided. His glances were of a shifting stealthy description, and his
face habitually wore a morose dissatisfied expression, with a dash of
malice thrown in, which made those who were brought into contact with
him eager to get away from him again as speedily as might be. It need
scarcely be said that, with these characteristics, he soon made himself
universally unpopular. This was his first voyage under Captain
Staunton. His name was Carter, and it was understood that he was
distantly related to one of the members of the firm owning the
_Galatea_.
The third mate was a young fellow named Dashwood, formerly an
apprentice. He had been out of his time rather more than a year, and
the present was his second voyage with Captain Staunton. He was a smart
young fellow, anxious to get on in his profession, and very good-
natured.
There were three other apprentices, or "midshipmen" as they called
themselves--Ralph Neville, John Keene, and little Ned Edwards, the
latter being Bob's junior by a year, while the others were his elders
respectively by three years and one year. It is not necessary to
minutely describe these youths, as they are destined to perform only a
very unimportant part in this narrative.
Then there were the passengers, of whom the ship took out her full
complement.
First among these must be placed Mrs Staunton, the captain's wife;
though she could scarcely be called a passenger since she paid no fare,
the owners allowing their captains the privilege of taking their wives
to sea with them. That the captain should have his wife with him was
regarded indeed by the owners as a decided advantage, for, in the first
place, she could conveniently act the part of chaperone to young and
unprotected lady-passengers when there were any; and, in the next, they
were justly of opinion that the captain would take extra care of the
ship if she held a being so dear to him as his wife.
Mrs Staunton was considerably younger than her husband, being (if one
may venture to disclose such a secret) about twenty-eight years of age.
She was a very beautiful woman, rather above medium height, of a very
amiable and affectionate disposition, and in all respects a worthy mate
to her noble-hearted husband. She always went to sea with Captain
Staunton, and made his private cabin a very palace of elegance and
comfort for him. Their little daughter May, now three years old, the
same little creature who had been so happily saved by Bob from a watery
grave on the night of the wreck on the Gunfleet, was also on board.
There were three other lady-passengers, all unmarried, on board on the
present occasion. The elder of the three, a Miss Butler, was a lady "of
a certain age," with a quiet subdued manner, and nothing remarkable
about her, either in character or appearance.
The two others were cousins, both of them being young and very pretty.
The younger of the twain, Blanche Lascelles, was making the voyage on
the recommendation of her physician, her health having been somewhat
delicate of late. "There are no very alarming symptoms at present, my
dear madam," was the doctor's assurance to Blanche's mother; "and a good
long sea-voyage, say out to Australia and back, will be more beneficial
than a whole pharmacopoeia of drugs." In accordance with which opinion
Blanche's passage had been taken out and home on board the _Galatea_;
and her fair self especially confided to the care and protection of
Captain and Mrs Staunton. This young lady was eighteen years of age,
fair-haired, blue-eyed, _petite_, very merry and light-hearted, and
altogether exceedingly attractive and lovable.
Her cousin, Violet Dudley, aged twenty-two, was a tall and stately
brunette, with a wealth of dark sheeny chestnut hair, almost black in
the shade, magnificent dark eyes, which flashed scornfully or melted
into tenderness according to the mood of that imperious beauty, their
owner, and a figure the ideal perfection and grace of which are rarely
to be met with out of the sculptor's marble. The rich healthy colour of
her cheeks and full ripe lips, and the brilliant sparkle of her glorious
eyes showed that it was not for health's sake she had undertaken the
voyage. She was on board the _Galatea_ in order that her cousin Blanche
might have the benefit of her companionship, and also because a
favourable occasion now presented itself for her to visit some friends
in Sydney, whither the _Galatea_ was bound.
The rest of the passengers, thirteen in number, were gentlemen. Of
these it will be necessary to describe three only, namely, Mr Forester
Dale, Mr Fortescue, and Mr Brook. Messrs. Dale and Fortescue were
partners, being contractors in a rather large way; and Mr Brook was
their general manager and right-hand man. The trio were now going out
to Australia on business connected with a large job about to be
undertaken in that colony, for which they were anxious to secure the
contract.
Mr Dale, or Mr Forester Dale as he preferred to be styled, was a
somewhat querulous individual, with an unhappy knack of looking at the
dark side of everything. Add to this the fact that he entertained a
very exalted idea of his own (imaginary) excellences, and believed
himself to be almost, if not quite, infallible, and it will be seen that
he was not likely to prove a very desirable travelling companion.
Rex Fortescue, on the other hand, was so thoroughly good-tempered that
it had grown to be a tradition among the employes of the firm that it
was impossible to "put him out." He was never known to lose his temper,
even under the most exasperating circumstances; he took the worries of
life easily, and would seriously inconvenience himself to help others.
He was as energetic and industrious as he was good-natured; work was his
recreation, and it was notorious that to his energy it was chiefly due
that the firm of which he was a member had attained its eminence. His
senior partner characteristically took all the credit to himself, and
had gradually brought himself to believe that in establishing the
business he had seriously impaired his own health; but everybody else
who knew anything about them knew also that the junior partner was the
life and soul of the business. Rex was not what would be termed a
handsome man by any means, but his frank pleasant good-tempered face
proved far more permanently attractive than mere physical beauty without
these embellishments could ever hope to be.
Mr Brook differed from both his employers--where indeed will you meet
with two men exactly alike? Of the two, however, he most nearly
approximated to the senior partner, inasmuch as that, like that
gentleman, he entertained a very high opinion of his own abilities,
stood greatly upon his dignity, and was childishly jealous of any
preference shown for others before himself. Unlike Mr Dale, however,
he was a man of limited education; he had read much, but his reading had
been almost wholly superficial; he possessed, upon an infinite variety
of subjects, that little knowledge which is a dangerous thing. There
was consequently no topic of conversation upon which he had not
something oracular to say; he was wont to maintain his own opinion with
a very considerable amount of heat, and so obstinate was he that it was
quite impossible to convince him that he was ever in the wrong. He was
essentially a vulgar man; but, as might naturally be supposed from what
has already been said, he regarded himself as a polished gentleman, and
in his efforts to act up to his ideal of this character he often used
words of whose meaning he had but a very imperfect idea, and always in
the wrong place. His chief redeeming points were that he was thoroughly
master of his business, honest as the day, and did not object to "rough
it" when occasion required.
The characteristics of this trio came prominently into view when they,
with the rest of the passengers, boarded the ship at Gravesend and
proceeded to take possession of their cabins.
The bulk of the passengers' luggage had been shipped in dock, and passed
down into the after-hold upon the top of the cargo, in order that it
might be out of the way but easily come-at-able if required during the
voyage; each one, however, as he or she came up the ship's side and
stepped in on deck, bore in his or her hand one or more bundles of
wraps, deck-chairs, and other _impedimenta_.
The first to make his appearance was Mr Forester Dale; he was not
ashamed to take precedence even of the ladies. He walked straight aft,
glancing neither to the right nor to the left, ascended the half-dozen
steps leading up to the top of the monkey-poop, and at once dived down
the saloon-companion. Arrived at the bottom of the staircase he stood
there, blocking up the way, and began to call discontentedly for the
steward to show him his cabin, which that official hastened to do.
Mr Fortescue was among the last to leave the boat which had brought the
passengers alongside, and he was closely followed on board by Mr Brook.
On reaching the deck they both paused to glance round them and aloft at
the towering symmetrical masts and spars, with their mazy network of
rigging.
"Jolly craft this, isn't she, Brook?" remarked Rex Fortescue genially;
"plenty of room, and clean as a new pin, although they're only just out
of dock. I think we shall be comfortable here."
"Oh, yes," assented Brook, "we shall be comfortable enough, I don't
misdoubt; and as to `roomy,' iron ships always is, that's what they
builds 'em of iron for."
They then proceeded below, and, like the rest, sought their cabins in
order to stow away their luggage.
Rex Fortescue shared a cabin with his senior partner, each cabin
containing two sleeping berths. As he entered the one which from the
number on its door he knew to be his, he found Mr Forester Dale
struggling viciously with a drawer which, in his impatience to open, he
had twisted out of position and hopelessly jammed.
"Oh, I say!" exclaimed Rex as he opened the door and noticed how lofty
and roomy and how beautifully fitted up was the place, "what jolly
cabins!"
"Jolly!" retorted Dale, "I don't see anything jolly about them. I think
they're _beastly_ holes; there's not room to swing a cat in 'em."
"Well, you don't want to swing a cat in them, do you?" inquired Rex
gravely, firing off the venerable joke at his senior half unconsciously.
"I think they are first-rate cabins, considering that they're on board
ship; you can't expect to have such rooms here as you have at `The
Blackthorns.' Space is limited afloat, you know."
"Eight you are, Mr Fortescue," shouted Brook through the bulkhead, his
cabin adjoining that of the partners, and conversation, unless pitched
in a low tone, being quite audible from one to the other; "I call these
cabins _splendid_; moreover than that, look how light and atmospheric
they are; why, you wouldn't find lighter or more luxuriant cabins in the
_Great Eastern_ herself."
"I wish, Brook, you'd shut up and mind your own business," snarled Mr
Dale as in his irritation he wrenched off a drawer-knob; "you're a good
deal too ready with your opinions, and I'll thank you to keep 'em to
yourself until you're asked for 'em for the future."
Here Rex Fortescue interposed, pouring by his tact and good-humour oil
upon the troubled waters, and bringing harmony out of discord once more;
so that, by the time everything had been packed away in its proper place
and the dinner-bell had rung out its welcome peal, peace reigned
undisturbed in the handsome saloon of the _Galatea_.
Meanwhile, the passengers having all embarked, the ship at once
proceeded down the river in tow, and when the occupants of the saloon
rose from the dinner-table and went on deck to enjoy the beauty of the
evening they found themselves off Sheerness, in the midst of a fleet of
ships and steamers of all builds and all nationalities, some outward-
bound like themselves, and others entering the river, either under
steam, in tow, or under canvas, as the case might be. Here came a
magnificent steamship, towering high out of the water, at the close of
her voyage from India, with sallow-complexioned passengers scattered
about her decks fore and aft, muffled up in thick overcoats, and pacing
briskly to and fro to stimulate the circulation of the thin blood in
their veins, and looking the picture of chilly misery, though the
evening was almost oppressively warm. There, on the other side, moved
sluggishly along under her old, patched, and coal-grimed canvas a
collier brig, with bluff bows, long bowsprit, and short stumpy masts and
yards, the counterpart of the _Betsy Jane_ of glorious memory. Abreast
of her, and sailing two feet to the collier's one, was a river-barge,
loaded down to her gunwale with long gaily painted spreet and tanned
canvas which gleamed a rich ruddy brown in the rays of the setting sun.
Here, again, came a swift excursion steamer, her decks crowded with
jovial pleasure-seekers, and a good brass band on the bridge playing "A
Life on the Ocean Wave," whilst behind her again appeared a clumsy but
picturesque-looking "billy-boy" or galliot from the Humber--the _Saucy
Sue_ of Goole--with a big brown dog on board, who, excited by the
unwonted animation of the scene, rushed madly fore and aft the deck,
rearing up on his hind-legs incessantly to look over the bulwarks and
bark at all and sundry. Then came a large full-rigged ship in tow, her
hull painted a dead-black down to the gleaming copper, the upper edge of
which showed just above the water-line, with the high flaring bow, short
counter, and lofty tapering spars, which needed not the "stars and
stripes" fluttering far aloft to proclaim her an American. And behind
her, again, came a great five-masted ironclad, gliding with slow and
stately motion up the river on her way to Chatham.
"Oh, what a monster of a ship!" exclaimed little Blanche Lascelles as
the ironclad approached near enough to the _Galatea_ to enable those on
board to realise her vast proportions.
"Yes," said Brook, who was standing close by, evidently anxious for an
opportunity to ingratiate himself with the ladies. "Yes, that's the
_Black Prince_; I know her well. Fine ship, ain't she?"
"I think you are mistaken, sir, as to the name of that ironclad,"
remarked Captain Staunton, who was on the poop within ear-shot. "The
_Black Prince_ has only _three_ masts, and she has a raking stem, not a
ram."
"Oh, no; I'm not mistaken," said the individual addressed. "Wait 'til
we see her name; you'll find I'm right."
Another minute or so and the great ship swept close past them, her white
ensign drooping from the peak and her pennant streaming out from her
main-royal mast-head like a fiery gleam in the sunset glow, the look-out
men on her forecastle and the officers on her bridge dwarfed to pigmies
by comparison with the huge structure which bore them. As soon as she
was fairly past the word _Agincourt_ flashed from her stern in golden
letters so large that they could be easily read without the aid of a
telescope.
Captain Staunton glanced, with an amused twinkle in his eye, at his
over-confident passenger, as much as to say, "What do you think of
that?"
Brook looked just a trifle confused for a moment; then his brow cleared,
and he replied to the captain's look by remarking in his usual easy
confident tone--
"Oh, ah, yes; it's all right. She's been altered, and had her name
changed; I remember reading about it somewhere."
"Good heavens!" exclaimed the skipper _sotto voce_ to the chief mate who
was standing next him; "why, before the voyage is over the man will be
telling us that the _Galatea_ is her own longboat lengthened and raised
upon."
At 7:30 p.m. the hands were mustered, when the chief and second officers
proceeded to pick the watches. Bob, to his great satisfaction, found
himself included in the chief officer's watch, with Ralph Neville for a
companion. They were told off, with two able and two ordinary seamen,
for duty on the mizzen-mast; the two lads being also required to keep
the time and strike the bell, in spells of two hours each.
By seven bells in the first watch (11:30 p.m.) the _Galatea_ was off the
North Foreland, with a nice little breeze blowing from E.N.E.
All hands were then called, the canvas was loosed and set, the tow-rope
cast off by the tug and hauled inboard, and the voyage, which was to
prove of so eventful a character to those entering upon it, may be said
to have fairly commenced. The ship was soon under every stitch of sail
that would draw, gliding down through the Downs at the rate of about
seven knots, and the passengers, most of whom had remained on deck to
witness the operation of making sail, then retired to their several
berths, where, the night being fine and the water smooth, it is
reasonable to suppose they enjoyed a good night's rest.