"One young fellow had taken a particular fancy to have an earthworm, with earth enough to feed it all the rest of the voyage, otherwise he couldn't stand it; and little Tommy's mother almost went into hysterics again when she said, if she could just eat a lettuce salad once more, she'd die contented; the missionary looking up through his spectacles, in surprise that she wasn't _more_ interested about the slave-trade, whereof he'd been talking to her. As for Westwood, he joined quietly in the fun, with a glance now and then across to me; however, I pretended to be too busy with the salt beef, and was merely looking up again for a moment, when my eye chanced to catch on the swinging barometer that hung in the raised skylight, right over the midst of our noise. By George! ma'am, what was my horror when I saw the quicksilver had sunk so far below the mark, probably fixed there that morning, as to be almost shrunk in the ball! Whatever the merchant service might know about the instrument in those days, the African coast was the place to teach its right use to us in the old _Iris_. I laid down my knife and fork as carelessly as I could, and went straight on deck. "Here I sought out the mate, who was forward, watching the land--and at once took him aside to tell him the fact. 'Well, sir,' said he coolly, 'and what of that? A sign of wind, certainly, before very long; but in the meantime we're _sure_ to have it off the land.' 'That's one of the very reasons,' said I, 'for thinking _this_ will be from seaward--since towards evening the land'll have plenty of air without it! But more than that, sir,' said I, 'I tell you, Mr Finch, I know the west coast of Africa pretty well--and so far south as this, the glass falling so low as _twenty-seven_, is always the sign of a nor'-westerly blow! If you're a wise man, sir, you'll not only get your upper spars down on deck, but you'll see your anchors clear!' Finch had plainly got furious at my meddling again, and said he, 'Instead of that, sir, I shall hold on _everything_ aloft, to stand out when I get the breeze!' 'D' ye really think, then,' said I, pointing to the farthest-off streak of land, trending away by this time astern of us, faint as it was, '_do_ you think you could ever weather that point, with anything like a strong nor'-wester, besides a current heading you in, as you got fair hold of it again?' 'Perhaps not,' said he, wincing a little as he glanced at it; 'but you happen always to suppose what there's a thousand to one against, sir. Why, sir, you might as well take the command at once. But, sir, if it _did_ come to that, I'd rather--I'd rather see the ship _lost_--I'd rather go to the bottom with all in her, after handling her as I know well how, than I'd see the chance given to _you_!' The young fellow fairly shouted this last word into my very ear--he was in a regular furious passion. 'You'd _better_ let me alone, that's all I've