I was more and more mystified; I thought of Ledyard and Mungo Park, and pursued my African researches by inquiring: "What part of the world is this where you live--Nubia or Abyssinia?" "Neither," answered the young lady, now fairly screaming with laughter. "Why this is _Newtown_." "Indeed!" said I. "And have you an 'Oldtown,' too?" "Not in Nantucket," she replied; "that's on the Vineyard." I did not learn, till long afterwards, that the name was universally used among the Nantucketers for Edgartown. But our stay in this quaint old town was short, indeed, for the next afternoon we all reported ourselves on board, under the fatherly care and escort of Messrs. Brooks and Richards; and the Arethusa, with only topmasts aloft, and topsail yards crossed, dropped out from the wharf, in tow of the "Telegraph" steamer, for her station outside of the bar, there to complete rigging and loading for sea. She was at this time in charge of a pilot, and a superannuated whaling captain, who, having outlived active service, now found employment as chief stevedore and temporary captain, in cases where the regular officers preferred to pay for "lay days," and remain with their friends till the ship was quite ready for sea. Directly on getting clear of the wharf, we poor bewildered green hands, whose senses had gone wool-gathering amid the confusion of unintelligible orders connected with "hooking on," were set to work to heel the ship by rousing the chain cables and other ponderous articles all on one side, in order to lessen her draught of water; and this being accomplished, the ship, after rubbing for a few minutes on the flats, went over clear, and about dark came to, with both anchors ahead, in the berth vacated by the Pandora which had gone to sea the day before. CHAPTER III. FROM THE BAR ROUND GREAT POINT.