"I paced the deck with H----, the second mate, and in the quiet night drew a confession that he was engaged to be married, and gave him a world of good advice. He is a very nice, active, little fellow, with a broad Scotch tongue and 'dirty, little rascal' appearance. He had a sad disappointment at starting. Having been second mate on the last voyage, when the first mate was discharged, he took charge of the _Elba_ all the time she was in port, and of course looked forward to being chief mate this trip. Liddell promised him the post. He had not authority to do this; and when Newall heard of it, he appointed another man. Fancy poor H---- having told all the men and, most of all, his sweetheart! But more remains behind; for when it came to signing articles, it turned out that O----, the new first mate, had not a certificate which allowed him to have a second mate. Then came rather an affecting scene. For H---- proposed to sign as chief (he having the necessary higher certificate) but to act as second for the lower wages. At first O---- would not give in, but offered to go as second. But our brave little H---- said, no: 'The owners wished Mr. O---- to be chief mate, and chief mate he should be.' So he carried the day, signed as chief and acts as second. Shakespeare and Byron are his favourite books. I walked into Byron a little, but can well understand his stirring up a rough, young sailor's romance. I lent him 'Westward Ho!' from the cabin; but to my astonishment he did not care much for it; he said it smelt of the shilling railway library; perhaps I had praised it too highly. Scott is his standard for novels. I am very happy to find good taste by no means confined to gentlemen, H---- having no pretensions to that title. He is a man after my own heart. "Then I came down to the cabin and heard young A----'s schemes for the future. His highest picture is a commission in the Prince of Vizianagram's irregular horse. His eldest brother is tutor to his Highness's children, and grand vizier, and magistrate, and on his Highness's household staff, and seems to be one of those Scotch adventurers one meets with and hears of in queer berths--raising cavalry, building palaces, and using some petty Eastern king's long purse with their long Scotch heads. "_Off Bona, June 4._