The Log of a Privateersman | Page 2

he continued, "I have come to the conclusion that the
Weymouth must be laid up, for the present at all events. Her capture the
other night has opened my eyes more completely than they have ever
been opened before, to the risk of working an unarmed ship during war-
time. Were I to continue to do so, and the ship should happen to be
captured, it would go far toward ruining me; and I am too old to endure
such a loss; so I have made up my mind to lay up the Weymouth while
the war lasts. But there is good money to be made, even in war-time, if
a man goes the right way to work. Privateering is a very profitable
business when it can be carried on successfully; and success depends as
much as anything upon the kind of men employed. I have been having
a chat with Captain Winter upon the subject, with the result that I have
purchased the schooner that they are now finishing off in Martin's
building-yard; and I intend to fit her out as a privateer; that being the
kind of work, in fact, that she has been especially built for. Captain
Winter will have the command of her, of course, with Mr Lovell as
chief mate; and, George, upon the captain's very strong
recommendation, I have determined to offer you the berth of second
mate. It will take more than a month to complete the schooner and fit
her for sea; and by that time your indentures will have expired. Captain
Winter gives you a most excellent character, and has recommended you
for the berth; and from what I have seen of you, my lad, I have come to
the conclusion that I shall not go very far wrong in giving it to you.
Nay, you owe me no thanks, boy; you have earned the refusal of the
offer by your steadiness and industry, so it is yours, freely, if you like
to have it. I do not want you to make up your mind and answer me yea
or nay upon the spur of the moment; take a little time to consider the
matter if you like, and let me know by the end of the week."
I needed no time for consideration, however; the offer was altogether
too good and advantageous in every way to be left hanging in the
balance, as it were. I therefore thankfully accepted it on the spot, and

the question of pay and prize-money then being gone into and settled
upon a very satisfactory basis, so far as I was concerned, I took my
leave, and hurried off home to acquaint my relatives with my good
fortune.
Now the reader will have gathered from the foregoing that at the period
of the opening of my story I was a sailor, and quite a young man; and
probably I need say but little more to complete the acquaintance thus
begun.
My name is George Bowen, and I was the only son of my father,
Captain Bowen, who was believed to have been drowned at sea--his
ship never having been heard of after leaving England for the South
Seas--when I was a little chap of only six years old. My sister Dora was
born just about the time that it was supposed my father must have
perished, and a year later my poor mother died, broken-hearted at the
loss of a husband that she positively idolised. Thus, we two--Dora and
I--were left orphans at a very early age, and were forthwith taken into
the motherly care of Aunt Sophie, who had no children of her own.
Poor Aunt Sophie! I am afraid I led her a terrible life; for I was, almost
from my birth, a big, strong, high-spirited boy, impatient of control,
and resolute to have my own way. But Dora--ah! Dora, with her sweet,
docile disposition, made ample amends for all my shortcomings, and in
the end, by her gentle persuasiveness, did much to subdue my
rebellious spirit and render me amenable to domestic discipline.
We were both exceptionally well educated, as education went then; for
Uncle Jack--Aunt Sophie's husband--was a clever, long-headed fellow,
who believed that it was not possible for a man to know too much; so
Dora, in addition to receiving a sound English education, was taught
French, music, and, in fact, the general run of what was then known as
"accomplishments", while I, in addition also to a good sound English
education, was taught French, Latin, and mathematics, including
geometry, algebra, and trigonometry. I was allowed to continue at
school until my fourteenth birthday, when, in consequence of my
strong predilection for the sea as a profession, I was apprenticed by
Uncle Jack to Mr White for a period of seven