"
I complied, of course, and in a few minutes the launch was
clear. While busy, however, Mr. Kite came past, and desired to know
"what are you at there?" I told him 'twas Mr. Marble's orders, and the
latter gave his own explanation of the matter.
"The launch may be wanted," he said, "for I've no notion that
jolly-boat will do to go out as far as we shall find it necessary to
sound. So I am about to ballast the launch, and get her sails ready;
there's no use in mincing matters in such a berth as this."
Kite approved of the idea, and even went so far as to suggest that it
might be well enough to get the launch into the water at once, by way
of saving time. The proposition was too agreeable to be rejected, and,
to own the truth, all hands went to work to get up the tackles with a
will, as it is called. In half an hour the boat was floating
alongside the ship. Some said she would certainly be wanted to carry
out the stream-anchor, if for nothing else; others observed that half
a dozen boats would not be enough to find all the channel we wanted;
while Marble kept his eye, though always in an underhand way, on his
main object. The breakers we got in and stowed, filled with
_fresh_ water, by way of ballast. The masts were stepped, the
oars were put on board, and a spare compass was passed dawn, lest the
ship might be lost in the thick weather, of which there was so much,
just in that quarter of the world.
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