On board
he had three treasures: a canary bird, a concertina,
and a blinding copy of the works of Shakespeare. He
had a gift, peculiarly Scandinavian, of making friends
at sight: an elemental innocence commended him; he was
without fear, without reproach, and without money or
the hope of making it.
Holdorsen was second mate, and berthed aft, but messed
usually with the hands.
Of one more of the crew some image lives. This was a
foremast hand out of the Clyde, of the name of Brown.
A small, dark, thickset creature, with dog's eyes, of a
disposition incomparably mild and harmless, he knocked
about seas and cities, the uncomplaining whiptop of one
vice. "The drink is my trouble, ye see," he said to
Carthew shyly; "and it's the more shame to me because
I'm come of very good people at Bowling, down the
wa'er." The letter that so much affected Nares, in case
the reader should remember it, was addressed to this
man Brown.
Such was the ship that now carried joy into the bosoms
of the castaways. After the fatigue and the bestial
emotions of their night of play, the approach of
salvation shook them from all self-control.
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