The boatswain saluted him, and was about to speak, when old Sealskin, as he afterwards called him, said, "Have you passed quarantine!" "Quarantine? No, sir!" "Take your boat round into the South Cove, and see the health officer, and bring me his permit." The boatswain, from habit of obedience, obeyed,--took the boat round in half an hour's pulling. Health officer! There were some stupid seals who jumped off the rocks; and that was all. The captain of the store-ship, meanwhile, had seen this manoeuvre with amazement, and sent a second boat ashore. With this boat, he sent his second officer. He also met the lonely Robinson, and saluted. "Have you passed quarantine?" "All right, my man," said the friendly sailor; and Sealskin turned, and walked with him to his hut. A moment more, and the boatswain followed. He could find no health officer, he said. "It must be past his office hours," said Mr. Sapp gravely. "They close at eleven there. You shall be examined to-morrow." The boatswain stared at this postponement of quarantine; but then, on a word from his superior officer, he produced a bag of papers and letters for Mr. Sapp, which he had been afraid to offer him before. "They will be respectfully fumigated and respectfully referred," said Mr. Sapp. And he hung them to the crane in the chimney. Then he lifted off a pot of bean-soup, and filled a bowl for each of the wondering men. He produced hard-tack from a closet, and whiskey and water. And then, still asking no question, he took down the smoky letters, and opened them slowly. But, to the men's amazement, he did not read one. He folded the first with a steel letter file, two inches and a quarter wide, and docketed it,--"Received June 11. Respectfully referred to Next Friday, Esq., P.M." When the boatswain heard of Mr. Friday, he thought it was surely Robinson Crusoe. But the next letter, unread, was filed and docketed--"Respectfully referred to Next Saturday, Esq., A.M." "P.M. and A.M.," cried the boatswain; "they have masters of arts here as well as postmasters." "Not at all," said the governor severely; "A.M.--Ante-Meridiem; P.M.,--Post-Meridiem"; and without reading the next letter, he filed it, and indorsed it,--"Respectfully referred to Next Sunday, Esq., M." "Young man," said he, "I shall examine and file this letter on Friday afternoon; this one on Saturday morning; this on Sunday noon. Let all things be done regularly and in order." The mate and boatswain were alarmed. They hastily finished their bean-soup and fled to the boat, returning with six men, who rolled a barrel of junk up the well-kept gravel walk. "Invoice?" said the governor. There was no invoice. "Prepare an invoice." And the meek boatswain obeyed. "My man, take this to the inspector," said Mr. Sapp to one of the crew, after he had indorsed it,--"Respectfully referred to the Inspector-General." The sailor was a Portuguese,--understood no English; bobbed his head, and waited for light.