He wrote to
Amsterdam and purchased several shares in the Company's stock. The
diamonds and his own money he still left in the hands of Amine. In
making these arrangements the two months passed rapidly away, and
everything was complete when Philip again received his summons, by
letter, to desire that he would join his vessel. Amine would have
wished Philip to go out as a passenger instead of going as an officer,
but Philip preferred the latter, as otherwise he could give no reason
for his voyage to India. "I know not why," observed Philip, the evening before his departure,
"but I do not feel as I did when I last went away; I have no
foreboding of evil this time." "Nor have I," replied Amine; "but I feel as if you would be long away
from me, Philip; and is not that an evil to a fond and anxious wife?" "Yes, love, it is; but--"

"O yes, I know it is your duty, and you must go," replied Amine,
burying her face in his bosom. The next day Philip parted from his wife, who behaved with more
fortitude than on their first separation. "_All_ were lost, but _he_
was saved," thought Amine. "I feel that he will return to me. God of
Heaven, thy will be done!" Philip soon arrived at Amsterdam; and having purchased many things
which he thought might be advantageous to him in case of accident, to
which he now looked forward as almost certain, he embarked on board
the _Batavia_, which was lying at single anchor, and ready for sea. Chapter XII


Philip had not been long on board, ere he found that they were not
likely to have a very comfortable passage; for the _Batavia_ was
chartered to convey a large detachment of troops to Ceylon and Java,
for the purpose of recruiting and strengthening the Company's forces
at those places. She was to quit the fleet off Madagascar, and run
direct for the Island of Java; the number of soldiers on board being
presumed sufficient to insure the ship against any attack or accidents
from pirates or enemies' cruisers. The _Batavia_, moreover, mounted
thirty guns, and had a crew of seventy-five men. Besides military
stores, which formed the principal part of her cargo, she had on board
a large quantity of specie for the Indian market. The detachment of
soldiers was embarking when Philip went on board, and in a few minutes
the decks were so crowded that it was hardly possible to move. Philip,
who had not yet spoken to the captain, found out the first mate,
and immediately entered upon his duty, with which, from his close
application to it during his former voyage and passage home, he was
much better acquainted than might have been imagined. In a short time all traces of hurry and confusion began to disappear,
the baggage of the troops was stowed away, and the soldiers having
been told off in parties, and stationed with their messing utensils
between the guns of the main deck, room was thus afforded for working
the ship. Philip showed great activity as well as method in the
arrangements proposed, and the captain, during a pause in his own
arduous duties, said to him--

"I thought you were taking it very easy, Mr Vanderdecken, in not
joining the ship before, but, now you are on board, you are making up
for lost time. You have done more during the forenoon than I could
have expected. I am glad that you are come, though very sorry you were
not here when we were stowing the hold, which, I am afraid, is not
arranged quite so well as it might be. Mynheer Struys, the first mate,
has had more to do than he could well give attention to." "I am sorry that I should not have been here, sir," replied Philip;
"but I came as soon as the Company sent me word." "Yes, and as they know that you are a married man, and do not forget
that you are a great shareholder, they would not trouble you too soon. I presume you will have the command of a vessel next voyage. In fact,
you are certain of it, with the capital you have invested in their
funds. I had a conversation with one of the senior accountants on the
subject this very morning." Philip was not very sorry that his money had been put out to such
good interest, as to be the captain of a ship was what he earnestly
desired. He replied, that, "he certainly did hope to command a ship
after the next voyage, when he trusted that he should feel himself
quite competent to the charge." "No doubt, no doubt, Mr Vanderdecken. I can see that clearly. You must
be very fond of the sea." "I am," replied Philip; "I doubt whether I shall ever give it up." "_Never_ give it up! You think so now. You are young, active, and full
of hope: but you will tire of it by-and-bye, and be glad to lay by for
the rest of your days." "How many troops do we embark?" inquired Philip. "Two hundred and forty-five rank and file, and six officers. Poor
fellows! there are but few of them will ever return: nay, more than
one-half will not see another birthday. It is a dreadful climate. I
have landed three hundred men at that horrid hole, and in six months,
even before I had sailed, there were not one hundred left alive." "It is almost murder to send them there," observed Philip. "Psha! they must die somewhere, and if they die a little sooner, what
matter? Life is a commodity to be bought and sold like any other. We
send so much manufactured goods and so much money to barter for Indian
commodities. We also send out so much life, and it gives a good return
to the Company." "But not to the poor soldiers, I am afraid." "No; the Company buy it cheap and sell it dear," replied the captain,
who walked forward. True, thought Philip, they do purchase human life cheap, and make a
rare profit of it, for without these poor fellows how could they hold
their possessions in spite of native and foreign enemies? For what a
paltry and cheap annuity do these men sell their lives? For what a
miserable pittance do they dare all the horrors of a most deadly
climate, without a chance, a hope of return to their native land,
where they might haply repair their exhausted energies, and take a
new lease of life! Good God! if these men may be thus heartlessly
sacrificed to Mammon, why should I feel remorse if, in the fulfilment
of a sacred duty imposed on me by Him who deals with us as He thinks
meet, a few mortals perish? Not a sparrow falls to the ground without
His knowledge, and it is for Him to sacrifice or save. I am but the
creature of His will, and I but follow my duty,--but obey the commands
of One whose ways are inscrutable. Still, if for my sake this ship
be also doomed, I cannot but wish that I had been appointed to some
other, in which the waste of human life might have been less. It was not until a week after Philip arrived on board that the
_Batavia_ and the remainder of the fleet were ready for sea. It would be difficult to analyse the feelings of Philip Vanderdecken
on this his second embarkation. His mind was so continually directed
to the object of his voyage, that although he attended to his
religious duty, yet the business of life passed before him as a dream.