The merchant vessel : a sailor boy's voyages around the world . Eagerlygrasping the end of a piece of the coir rigging lying upondeck, he formed upon his hand, and on the standing rigging,several of the knots with which the seamen of all nations arefamiliar. At this spectacle a light seemed to dawn upon the captainsface, and he looked inquiringly at him a few moments. Thesuspense was too great, and Jim, bursting into tears, mutteredbeseechinglv, Me English, captain, take me to Singapore. The curiositv of the crew was now thoroughlv aroused, andthey crowded about him, and examined him more narr
The merchant vessel : a sailor boy's voyages around the world . Eagerlygrasping the end of a piece of the coir rigging lying upondeck, he formed upon his hand, and on the standing rigging,several of the knots with which the seamen of all nations arefamiliar. At this spectacle a light seemed to dawn upon the captainsface, and he looked inquiringly at him a few moments. Thesuspense was too great, and Jim, bursting into tears, mutteredbeseechinglv, Me English, captain, take me to Singapore. The curiositv of the crew was now thoroughlv aroused, andthey crowded about him, and examined him more narrowly thanthey had before done. Lifting up his arms, Jim showed themwhere two white spots were vet left on him, and they were nowspeedily satisfied that he was trulv an English sailor. In a few broken words of English, the captain asked himhow he came there, and Jim, part in his native tongue, and partby lively pantomime, explained his history to them, and askedthem to take him along with them. This was, after consulta- 50Ken 3w Hw O *1 > >?< Q O a. 7 7/ E MA LAY TRADER. 217 tion, agreed to, if Jim could get a load of sandal-wood for them. Although reluctant to set foot on shore again, heobliged to acceed to the captains proposal, and taking someold iron, beads, and looking-glasses asjiore, in return for whathe had brought on board, he proceeded to the rather arduoustask of getting the natives there assembled, several tribes, togather immediately a quantity of the required wood. The fact of his having come back to them, apparentlyvoluntarily, lulled to rest any suspicions of his fidelity to them,which they might previously have entertained, and this renewedconfidence gave the greater force to his commands. The sightof the articles he had brought ofT, especially the iron, stirredup also their avarice, and seeing what appeared to them vastriches, within their grasp, they set to heartily, and in two dayshad sufficient wood gathered to load the proa. Meantime the crew of th
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