My First Voyage to Southern Seas | Page 7

I had been several times with my father, to try
and find a ship bound for the Cape of Good Hope or the Mauritius, at
one of which places I proposed commencing my search. I was ready to
enter on board in any capacity in which I was not called upon to pay a
premium; but as I had never been at sea, and knew nothing practical

about the sea, it may be supposed that, although I had heard of several
ships at the point of sailing to the very places I wished most to visit, I
could not succeed in obtaining a berth on board any of them. We
walked home again somewhat dispirited with our want of success; but,
nevertheless, I was still as resolved as before to go by some means or
other.
We had arranged the next day to visit our school, that I might take
leave of our excellent master and school-fellows. I could not bear to go
away without seeing them, though I fancied that I should find it a
painful ceremony, I shall never forget how warmly and kindly I was
greeted by every one; and still more gratified was I when one boy after
another brought me up some present, which he asked me to accept as a
keepsake. Some were trifles, but everything was of a character likely to
prove useful to me. One gave me a knife with a hole in the handle,
through which I might pass a lanyard to wear it round my neck; another
a small writing-case; a third, a drawing-case; others, such things as
sketch-hooks, pencils, some useful tools; and one of my greater friends,
who was well off, gave me a first-rate spy-glass; while my kind master
called me into his study, and showed me a serviceable sextant. "There,
Ralph, I hope that, as you are going to sea, you will endeavour to
acquire all the information in your power respecting nautical matters,
even though you may not ultimately follow a sea life as your profession.
Of course, you will fit yourself to become an officer by the study of
navigation, which, you will find, is a distinct branch of a sailor's
profession from seamanship. The possession of the sextant you will, I
hope, find a considerable advantage to you, as it will enable you to gain
experience in taking observations of the celestial bodies as you traverse
the ocean. I offer you this gift on the condition that you accept another
one. It consists of these two stout volumes of blank paper, and I shall
expect you to do your best to fill them with the result of the
observations you make during your voyages and travels. I want you to
keep not merely an ordinary sea-log, remember, but a complete journal,
as diffuse as you can. Never trust to your memory. Points which at the
time you fancy you will never forget are often completely obliterated in
a few months. I have frequently myself found this to be the case. So put
down everything worth noting as soon after it has occurred, or you have

seen it, as possible; and especially understand that no point connected
with natural history, or science generally, is too trivial to be noted.
Great and important truths are often discovered by what at first might
have appeared a collection of trivialities."
I repeat these remarks of my master's, because I think that they may be
of use to my readers, as I certainly found a very great advantage in
following his advice. He gave me also a number of pocket-books with
pencils, for producing indelible writing, which I also found very useful.
Other friends gave me books to form a complete sea-library; indeed, I
strongly suspected, from their character, that my master had assisted in
their selection. I need not say that I was very grateful for all these
numerous marks of kindness, and it made me very happy and proud to
feel that I was so much esteemed by my companions; at the same time,
I daresay I owed some of the kindness I received to the commiseration
my friends felt for me in consequence of the misfortunes which had
overtaken my family. Nearly everybody had given me something,
except my friend, Henry Raymond. I knew that his means were not
large; but still, I felt sure that he would wish to make me some trifling
present or other. After all my treasures had been collected, I found him
standing by my side.
"Come along, Ralph," he said, with the pleasant smile which constantly
lighted up his countenance; "I want to give you something which you
will like and value." He was leading me towards the courtyard at the
back of the house. "I wish that I could go