There she was,
however, with land virtually all round her, a good bottom, plenty of
water, and well moored. As I have said already, she could not be
better secured in an artificial dock. In the midst of the Pacific,
away from all custom-house officers, in a recently discovered and
uninhabited island, there was nothing to fear. Men sleep soundly in
such circumstances, and I should have been in a deep slumber in a
minute after I was in my berth, had not Marble's conversation kept me
awake, quite unwillingly on my part, for five minutes. His state-room
door was open, and, through it, the following discourse was held.
"I think, on the whole," commenced the captain, "it will be better to
_generalize_ a little more,"--this was a favourite expression of
the ex-mate's, and one he often used without exactly knowing its
application himself.--"Yes, to generalize a little more; it shall be
Marble Land, Wallingford Bay, Yawl, Reef, _Talcott_ Inlet,
Miles's Anchorage--and a d----d bad anchorage it was, Miles; but,
never mind, we must take the good with the bad, in this wicked world."
"Very true, sir; but as for taking that anchorage, you must excuse me,
as I shall never take it again."
"Perhaps not. Well, this is what I call comfort--ha! Talcott?--Is
Talcott asleep, Miles?"
"He and the second-mate are hard at it, sir--full and by, and going
ten knots," I muttered, wishing my tormentor in Japan, at the moment.
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