A Voyage Round the World | Page 6

broad streets, and its churches, and its Sailors' Home, which I visited, where sailors have a large smoking-hall, and dining-rooms, and a lecture-room, and a chapel, and where some hundreds may each have a little separate cabin to himself. I wish every port in the world, much frequented by shipping, had a place of a similar character. Most of all, I was struck with the docks, crowded with ships of great size, and, indeed, craft of every description and nation; as also with its wide quays and wharfs, and floating landing-stages, and steamers dashing in and out, and running up and down the river in such a hurry, that they looked as if they were conscious that they had to struggle for their existence among the struggling human multitude of the place. We inquired for the Triton.
"There she is, with the blue Peter flying at the fore! She sails to-night, don't she, Tom?" said a waterman whom we addressed. "Do you want a boat, gintlemen?"
My father said, "Yes;" and agreed with the man as to his fare.
We stepped into his boat, and away we pulled towards my future home--the good ship Triton. I had never seen a ship before, it must be remembered. I had looked at pictures of them, so I was acquainted with their shape; but I had formed no adequate idea of the size of a large ship; and as the boat lay alongside of the Triton, and I looked up and saw one of the officers standing at the gangway to receive us, it appeared something like scaling the walls of a castle to climb up to the deck. What should I have thought had the Triton been a hundred and twenty gun-ship, instead of a merchantman of 500 tons, for such was her size! However, I then thought her a magnificent ship; she was indeed a very fine one for her size. Side ropes being rigged, we soon gained her deck. The captain was still on shore, but my father at once made out Silas Brand. He was a shortish, rather thick-set, fair man, with a roundish face and a somewhat florid complexion. He had light hair, with largish whiskers, and he shaved his chin in harbour. I had to look at him frequently, and to talk to him more than once, before I discovered that his countenance showed much firmness and decision, and that his smile betokened more than a good-natured, easy disposition. My father had a good deal of talk with him, while Jack and I went round to see the ship. In the course of our peregrinations, we entered what I found was the captain's cabin. A lad of about my own age was sitting at a table, with a book and slate before him. He turned round when the door opened, and eyed me narrowly before he got up from his chair. Then, apparently recollecting himself, he advanced towards us.
"Are you the new youngster who is to sail with us?" said he, putting out his hand. "My name is Gerard Frankland, though it is seldom people take the trouble of calling me more than Jerry. My father told me to expect you. I'm to look after you, and see you don't get into mischief, I suppose. I'll be very strict with you, mind that!"
Amused with his free and easy way, I told him that he was not mistaken as to my identity.
"That's all right then," he answered. "This gentleman is your brother. Take a seat, sir, and make yourself at home. You'll have something? When my father is on shore, I reign here supreme, though on deck, to be sure, I can't boast much of my authority. Steward, bring glasses, and biscuits, and anything else! You're not going with us, sir? I wish you were. We'll have rare fun before we come back, I'll warrant."
"No," answered Jack, laughing, and highly diverted with Master Jerry's volubility and perfect self-possession. "I should much like to take the trip though. However, my brother Harry will, I hope, on your return, give us a full account of all you see and do."
"He'll have plenty to tell then of what we do, and not a little of what we see," answered Jerry, with a sort of a half wink at me, which was as much as to say, "We'll be up to all sorts of things." He added aloud, "My father is not the man to let the grass grow under the ship's bottom; but here come the glasses! What will you have--hot or cold?"
"Thank you," said Jack; "our father is here, and we must not stop. We came to see Harry on board, and have soon to return on shore." While he was speaking, our father appeared at the door, accompanied by Silas Brand.
Gerard's whole