to everything the captain said, every few minutes keeping an eye aloft
at the sails.

"Man what gets his navigation aboard ship knows his business. Got mine
there; yes, sir! Did'nt know a Bowditch from a Bible when I went aboard
ship. Can do my amplitude and variations now without looking at a
nautical almanac. Can, sir, by Jove!"

The ship bounded gallantly over the sea, leaving in her wake a long
silvery train of phosphoric light. Drawing no response from Mr. Higgins,
the captain raised his night-glass and scanned along the heavens to the
west. "We'll get somethin' out o' that quarter, butt end foremost," said
the captain, lowering his glass.

Mr. Higgins was first officer of the ship, a position secured to him,
not because he had worked his way up to it, but through the influence of
a rich father, who was a large owner in the ship and her venture. He was
a tall, well-formed, fine-looking young man, with delicate and well-cut
features, and black hair. He was also a fine scholar and a perfect
master of the theory of navigation, and a voyage or two to Europe had
given him a slight knowledge of the practical part of it. Yet he was
more an ornamental than a practical sailor; and it was this that made
Captain Bottom, the whale-killer, hold him in no very high respect.
Indeed, he had several times said, in the presence of Mr. Higgins, that
it was all very well for a young gentleman to be a scholar; but a sailor
what had his head full of books never made a fortune for his owners.

"Eight and forty hours more, Mr. Higgins! Yes, sir, eight and forty
hours more--keepin' her as she's going--and we have the land off Bahia."
Captain Bottom gave his head a significant shake as he spoke. "Using