Having got through the ship's duty, and washed and shaved, we went
below, and had a fine time overhauling our chests, laying aside the
clothes we meant to go ashore in and throwing overboard all that were
worn out and good for nothing. Away went the woollen caps in which
we had carried hides upon our heads, for sixteen months, on the
coast of California; the duck frocks, for tarring down rigging;
and the worn-out and darned mittens and patched woollen trowsers
which had stood the tug of Cape Horn.
We hove them overboard with a good will; for there is nothing
like being quit of the very last appendages and remnants of
our evil fortune. We got our chests all ready for going ashore,
ate the last "duff" we expected to have on board the ship Alert;
and talked as confidently about matters on shore as though our
anchor were on the bottom.
"Who'll go to church with me a week from to-day?"
"I will," says Jack; who said aye to everything.
"Go away, salt water!" says Tom. "As soon as I get both legs
ashore, I'm going to shoe my heels, and button my ears behind me,
and start off into the bush, a straight course, and not stop till
I'm out of the sight of salt water!"
"Oh!
