It was a curious mixture. Some letters were well written, others mere scrawl; but the general tone of the whole batch was a willingness to undergo any hardship rather than starve in England. "Here are a likely dozen," said my father, after perusing nearly a hundred letters. "Tell Johnston to come here and see if he knows any of them." Johnston, who was making rapid strides towards recovery, had so impressed us with his quiet and orderly demeanour that we had decided to take him with us, placing him on light duties till capable of doing a regular day's work. In response to the summons he came and read down the list of names my father had jotted down. "No, sir, I don't think I 'know any of them." "But do you think any of them might know you? It might be awkward, you know." "I suppose I must take the risk, sir," he replied. "Besides, I shouldn't like my misfortunes to do another man out of a job." "Very well, then. Here, Herbert, make yourself useful, and write these twelve names on envelopes." "But, I say----" "What?" "Why, with Johnston these twelve will make thirteen--horribly unlucky, you know." "But we also form part of the crew." "Not as part of a paid crew." "Well, to be on the safe side, cut down one," he said with a merry laugh. So that evening notice that their services were accepted were posted to the men, and the crew of the "Fortuna" was as follows:-- _Captain_: HOWARD TREVENA, R.N.R. _Mate_: HERBERT TREVENA, R.N.R. _Second Mate_: REGINALD TREVENA. _Boatswain_: PETER WILKINS, late bos'n's mate, R.N. _Quartermaster_: TRESCO LORD, late master-at-arms. _Deck hands_:-- ROBERT DALLEY, late armourer, R.N. WM. STAINER, late armourer, R.N. EDWARD HINKS, late gunner's mate, R.N. FREDK MONEY, late gunner's mate, R.N. WM. LEWIS, A.B., late seaman diver, R.N. GEORGE BURBIDGE, A.B., late seaman diver, R.N. JOSEPH DIRHAM, A.B. JOHN MILLS, A.B. FREDK. BARNES, A.B. ALEC JOHNSTON, A.B. (to act as officers' steward). In spite of the greatest secrecy on our part, rumours of the object of the voyage began to get about, older people naturally and correctly associating the almost forgotten "San Philipo" treasure with the expedition, greatly to my father's anger. However, we managed to get the arms and ammunition on board, lowering the gun by means of tackle from our garden into a boat which we brought alongside at high water, working as silently as we could in the dead of night. By Saturday the last of the stores was aboard, including two diving suits from Siebe, Gorman & Co., and all that remained was to fill up the tanks with fresh water and ship the crew.