Chapter 11

I now stayed ashore two months. I had determined to study navigation, and
to try to get off the forecastle, in which wise course I was encouraged by
several discreet friends. I had fallen in with a young woman of
respectable character and agreeable person, and, to own the truth, was
completely in irons with her. I believe a mother is a good deal more on
the look-out than a father, in such matters; for I was overhauled by the
old woman, and questioned as to my intentions about Sarah, whereas the old
man was somewhat more moderate. I confessed my wish to marry her daughter;
but the old woman thought I was too wild, which was not Sarah's opinion, I
believe. Had we been left to ourselves, we should have got married; though
I was really desirous of going out once as an officer, before I took so
important a step. I have sometimes suspected that Sarah's parents had a
hand in getting me shipped, again, as they were intimate with the captain
who now proposed to take me with him as his second-mate. I consented to
go, with some reluctance; but, on the whole, thought it was the best thing
I could do. My reluctance proceeded from desire to remain with Sarah,
when the time came; though the berth was exactly the thing I wanted,
whenever I reasoned coolly on the subject.

I shipped, accordingly, in a vessel of the Costers', called the William
and Jane, bound to Holland and Canton, as her second-mate. My leave-taking
with Sarah was very tender; and I believe we both felt much grieved at the
necessity of parting. Nothing occurred on the passage out worth
mentioning. I got along with my duty well enough, for I had been broken-in
on, board the Sterling, and one or two other vessels. We went to the
Texel, but found some difficulty in procuring dollars, which caused us to
return to New York, after getting only twenty thousand. We had no other
return cargo, with the exception of a little gin. We were absent five
months; and I found Sarah as pretty, and as true, as ever. I did not quit
the vessel, however; but, finding my knowledge of the lunars too limited,
I was obliged to go backward a little--becoming third-mate. We were a
month in New York, and it was pretty hard work to keep from eloping with
Sarah; but I clawed off the breakers as well as I could. I gave her a
silver thimble, and told her to take it to a smith, and get our joint
names cut on it, which she did. The consequences of this act will be seen
in the end.

We had a little breeze on board the ship before we could get off; the
people refusing to sail with a new first-mate that had joined her. It
ended by getting another mate, when we went to sea. I believe that no
other vessel ever went out with such articles as our crew insisted on. The
men stipulated for three quarts