"Had you not better go below?" said a mild voice, which made Philip
start from his reverie. It was that of the first mate, whose name was Hillebrant, a short,
well-set man of about thirty years of age. His hair was flaxen, and
fell in long flakes upon his shoulders, his complexion fair, and his
eyes of a soft blue; although there was little of the sailor in his
appearance, few knew or did their duty better. "I thank you," replied Philip; "I had, indeed, forgotten myself, and
where I was: my thoughts were far away. Good-night, and many thanks." The _Ter Schilling_, like most of the vessels of that period, was very
different in her build and fitting from those of the present day. She
was ship-rigged, and of about four hundred tons burden. Her bottom was
nearly flat, and her sides fell in (as she rose above the water), so
that her upper decks were not half the width of the hold. All the vessels employed by the Company being armed, she had her main
deck clear of goods, and carried six nine-pounders on each broadside;
her ports were small and oval. There was a great spring in all her
decks,--that is to say, she ran with a curve forward and aft. On her
forecastle another small deck ran from the knight-heads, which was
called the top-gallant forecastle. Her quarter-deck was broken with a
poop, which rose high out of the water. The bowsprit staved very much,
and was to appearance almost as a fourth mast: the more so, as she
carried a square spritsail and sprit-topsail. On her quarter-deck and
poop-bulwarks were fixed in sockets implements of warfare now long
in disuse, but what were then known by the names of cohorns and
patteraroes; they turned round on a swivel, and were pointed by
an iron handle fixed to the breech. The sail abaft the mizen-mast
(corresponding to the driver or spanker of the present day) was
fixed upon a lateen-yard. It is hardly necessary to add (after this
description) that the dangers of a long voyage were not a little
increased by the peculiar structure of the vessels, which (although
with such top hamper, and so much wood above water, they could make
good way before a favourable breeze) could hold no wind, and had but
little chance if caught upon a lee-shore. The crew of the _Ter Schilling_ were composed of the captain, two
mates, two pilots, and forty-five men. The supercargo had not yet
come on board. The cabin (under the poop) was appropriated to the
supercargo; but the main-deck cabin to the captain and mates, who
composed the whole of the cabin mess. When Philip awoke the next morning he found that the topsails were
hoisted, and the anchor short-stay apeak. Some of the other vessels of
the fleet were under weigh and standing out. The weather was fine
and the water smooth, and the bustle and novelty of the scene were
cheering to his spirits. The captain, Mynheer Kloots, was standing
on the poop with a small telescope, made of pasteboard, to his eye,
anxiously looking towards the town. Mynheer Kloots, as usual, had his
pipe in his mouth, and the smoke which he puffed from it for a time
obscured the lenses of his telescope. Philip went up the poop ladder
and saluted him. Mynheer Kloots was a person of no moderate dimensions, and the
quantity of garments which he wore added no little to his apparent
bulk. The outer garments exposed to view were, a rough fox-skin cap
upon his head, from under which appeared the edge of a red worsted
nightcap; a red plush waistcoat, with large metal buttons; a jacket of
green cloth, over which he wore another of larger dimensions of coarse
blue cloth, which came down as low as what would be called a spencer. Below he had black plush breeches, light blue worsted stockings,
shoes, and broad silver buckles; round his waist was girded, with a
broad belt, a canvas apron which descended in thick folds nearly to
his knee. In his belt was a large broad-bladed knife in a sheath of
shark's skin. Such was the attire of Mynheer Kloots, captain of the
_Ter Schilling_. He was as tall as he was corpulent. His face was oval, and his
features small in proportion to the size of his frame. His grizzly
hair fluttered in the breeze, and his nose (although quite straight)
was, at the tip, fiery red from frequent application to his bottle of
schnapps, and the heat of a small pipe which seldom left his lips,
except for _him_ to give an order, or for _it_ to be replenished. "Good morning, my son," said the captain, taking his pipe out of his
mouth for a moment. "We are detained by the supercargo, who appears
not over-willing to come on board; the boat has been on shore this
hour waiting for him, and we shall be last of the fleet under weigh. I
wish the Company would let us sail without these _gentlemen_, who
are (_in my opinion)_ a great hindrance to business; but they think
otherwise on shore." "What is their duty on board?" replied Philip. "Their duty is to look after the cargo and the traffic, and if
they kept to that, it would not be so bad; but they interfere with
everything else and everybody, studying little except their own
comforts; in fact, they play the king on board, knowing that we dare
not affront them, as a word from them would prejudice the vessel when
again to be chartered. The Company insist upon their being received
with all honours. We salute them with five guns on their arrival on
board." "Do you know anything of this one whom you expect?" "Nothing, but from report. A brother captain of mine (with whom he has
sailed) told me that he is most fearful of the dangers of the sea, and
much taken up with his own importance." "I wish he would come," replied Philip; "I am most anxious that we
should sail." "You must be of a wandering disposition, my son: I hear that you leave
a comfortable home, and a pretty wife to boot." "I am most anxious to see the world," replied Philip; "and I must
learn to sail a ship before I purchase one, and try to make the
fortune that I covet." (Alas! how different from my real wishes,
thought Philip, as he made this reply.) "Fortunes are made, and fortunes are swallowed up too, by the ocean,"
replied the captain. "If I could turn this good ship into a good
house, with plenty of guilders to keep the house warm, you would not
find me standing on this poop. I have doubled the Cape twice, which is
often enough for any man; the third time may not be so lucky." "Is it so dangerous, then?" said Philip. "As dangerous as tides and currents, rocks and sand-banks, hard gales
and heavy seas, can make it,--no more! Even when you anchor in the
bay, on this side of the Cape, you ride in fear and trembling, for you
may be blown away from your anchor to sea, or be driven on shore among
the savages, before the men can well put on their clothing. But when
once you're well on the other side of the Cape, then the water dances
to the beams of the sun as if it were merry, and you may sail for
weeks with a cloudless sky and a flowing breeze, without starting tack
or sheet, or having to take your pipe out of your mouth."