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.As for the position, never having been there, myself, I can tell you nothing about it, nor do I think its position of any particular consequence, provided we find the spot.Perhaps one of the hands on deck can tell us the way.«»Hold on, Serjeant – hold on, a moment, if you please, Serjeant Dunham.If I am to command this craft, it must be done, if you please, without holding any councils of war with the cook and cabin boy.A ship-master is a ship-master, and he must have an opinion of his own, even if it be a wrong one.I suppose you know service well enough to understand that it is better in a commander to go wrong, than to go nowhere.At all events, the Lord High Admiral could'n't command a yawl with dignity, if he consulted the cockswain every time he wished to go ashore.No – no – if I sink, I sink; but d––e, I'll go down ship-shape and with dignity.«»But, Brother Cap, I have no wish to go down any where, unless it be to the station among the Thousand Islands, whither we are bound.«»Well, well, serjeant, rather than ask advice, that is direct, bare-faced advice, of a foremast hand, or any other than a quarter-deck officer, I would go round to the whole thousand, and examine them one by one, until we got the right haven.But, there is such a thing, as coming at an opinion, without manifesting ignorance, and I will manage to rowse all there is, out of these hands, and make them think, all the while, that I am cramming them, with my own experience.We are sometimes obliged to use the glass at sea, when there is nothing in sight, or to heave the lead, long before we strike soundings.I suppose you know in the army, serjeant, that the next thing to knowing that which is desirable, is to seem to know all about it.When a youngster, I sailed two v'y'ges with a man who navigated his ship pretty much by the latter sort of information, which sometimes answers.«»I know we are steering in the right direction, at present,« returned the serjeant; »but in the course of a few hours we shall be up with a head-land, where we must feel our way, with more caution.«»Leave me to pump the man at the wheel, brother, and you shall see that I will make him suck, in a very few minutes.«Cap and the serjeant now walked aft, until they stood by the sailor who was at the helm, Cap maintaining an air of security and tranquillity, like one who was entirely confident of his own powers.»This is a wholesome air, my lad,« Cap observed, as it might be incidentally, and in the manner that a superior on board a vessel sometimes condescends to use to a favored inferior.»Of course, you have it, in this fashion, off the land, every night?«»At this season of the year, sir,« the man returned, touching his hat, out of respect to his new commander and Serjeant Dunham's connection.»The same thing, I take it, among the Thousand Islands? – The wind will stand of course, though we shall then have land on every side of us.«»When we get further east, sir, the wind will probably shift, for there can then be no particular land breeze.«»Ay, ay – so much for your fresh water! It has always some trick that is opposed to nature.Now, down among the West-India islands, one is just as certain of having a land breeze, as he is of having a sea breeze.In that respect there is no difference, though it's quite in rule, it should be different up here, on this bit of fresh water.Of course, my lad, you know all about these said Thousand Islands?«»Lord bless you, Master Cap, nobody knows all about them, or any thing about them.They are a puzzle to the oldest sailor on the lake, and we don't pretend to know even their names.For that matter, most of them have no more names than a child that dies before it is christened.«»Are you a Roman Catholic? –« demanded the serjeant, sharply.»No sir, nor any thing else.I'm a generalizer about religion, never troubling that which don't trouble me.«»Hum! a generalizer; that is, no doubt, one of the new sects that afflict the country!« muttered Mr.Dunham, whose grandfather had been a New-Jersey quaker, his father a presbyterian, and who had joined the church of England, himself, after he entered the army.»I take it, John,« resumed Cap – »Your name is Jack, I believe?«»No sir; I am called Robert.«»Ay, Robert – it's very much the same thing – Jack, or Bob – we use the two indifferently.I say, Bob, it's good holding ground, is it, down at this same station for which we are bound?«»Bless you sir, I know no more about it, than one of the Mohawks, or a soldier of the 55th.«»Did you never anchor there?«»Never, sir.Master Eau douce always makes fast to the shore.«»But in running in for the town, you kept the lead going, out of question, and must have tallowed as usual?«»Tallow! and town, too! Bless you heart, Master Cap, there is no more town, than there is on your chin, and not half as much tallow.«The serjeant smiled grimly, but his brother-in-law did not detect this proof of facetiousness.»No church tower, nor light, nor fort, ha! There is a garrison, as you call it hereaway, at least.«»Ask Serjeant Dunham, sir, if you wish to know that! All the garrison is on board the Scud.«»But, in running in, Bob, which of the channels do you think the best, the one you went last, or – or – or – ay, or the other?«»I can't say, sir.I know nothing of either.«»You did'n't go to sleep, fellow, at the wheel did you?«»Not at the wheel, sir, but down in the fore peak, in my berth.Eau douce sent us below, so'gers and all, with the exception of the pilot, and we know no more of the road than if we had never been over it.This he has always done, in going in and coming out, and, for the life of me, I could tell you nothing of the channel, or of the course, after we are once fairly up with the islands.No one knows any thing of either, but Jasper and the pilot.«»Here's a circumstance for you, serjeant,« said Cap, leading his brother-in-law, a little aside.»There is no one on board to pump, for they all suck from ignorance, at the first stroke of the brake.How the devil am I to find the way to this station.«»Sure enough, Brother Cap; your question is more easily put than answered.Is there no such thing as figuring it out, by navigation? I thought you salt-water mariners were able to do as small a thing as that! I have often read of their discovering islands, surely
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