their grog and cigars better with the smell and sight of blood; they were robust and dirty-fisted rufiians, those pioneer pirates.
These modern pirates were of a different order; they did not drink rum, nor did they smoke strong tobacco. Many of them drank only sugar and water to their mild cigarettes, others imbibed gently of absinthe and claret. They were cold-blooded, clean-handed ruffians who liked the decks cleaned and white cloths on their tables, yet they were none the better for that.
The Rockhampton was going well—indeed, recklessly fast, but she was not being worked in a seaman-like manner. The new engineers were scientific men, who knew how to work machines and how to right them if they went wrong, but they were like cold-blooded hirers of horses, they only thought about how much they could get out of their machines.
The sailors were trained men, but they were not Englishmen, and therefore they cared nothing for the ship. The new captain could use the sextant and take an observation, but he was not methodical, and trusted to his compass, chronometer and charts, and as yet had taken no observations. He liked his ease, and trusted a great deal to his eyes.
There are many islands in the Southern Ocean which are not inhabited and not very well known, and, better still, lie out of the ordinary line of traffic. Captain Nelson, who understood Spanish, had heard enough of Dr Fernandez's plans on that night to form his own. He knew what these foreign seamen were capable of, and took his measures accordingly. Captain Anatole was steering with that blind faith in his own cleverness and knowledge so characteristic of his countrymen. He took his daily observations, it is true, and consulted the
