"Tight as a bottle, sir. Why, she don't make enough water to keep her
sweet! And strong!--just look at her copper--not a wrinkle in it; and
yet I tell you, sir, that I have habitually driven this little ship so
hard that she has made faster passages than any other ship in the trade.
Why, we made the run from these same docks to Natal in fifty-five days,
on one trip; and we have never taken longer than seventy days to do it.
And a prettier sea-boat you never set eyes on. And weatherly--why,
she'll weather on craft twice her size. As to speed, I have never yet
seen anything beat her. The fact is, sir, she is much too good to be a
cargo-carrier; she is good enough in every way to be used as a yacht;
and a fine, wholesome, comfortable yacht she would make, too."
This was all exceedingly satisfactory; and so, too, was everything I saw
down below. The saloon was beautifully fitted up in white and gold,
with a rich carpet on the floor; a handsome mahogany table laid
athwartships; revolving chairs; sofa lockers; a beautiful swinging-lamp,
aneroid, and tell-tale compass hung in the skylight; pictures were let
into the panelling; there was a noble sideboard; and a piano! The
berths, too, were lofty and roomy, especially the family cabins abaft,
which were lighted not only from above by a skylight, but also by
stern-windows. In the hold, too, everything was as I should have wished
it; the timbers all perfectly sound; no sign of dry-rot anywhere; in
short, and for a wonder, the ship was everything that the advertisement
said of her, and more. So thoroughly satisfied was I with her that I
did not hesitate to tell the skipper, before I left him, that I should
certainly buy her, if the owners and I could come to terms.
"I suppose, sir, you intend to sail her yourself?" he remarked, as I
stood on the wharf taking a final look at the little beauty before
returning to my lodgings.