Two　hours　after　receipt　of　this　order　the　ship　swung　to　the　ebb。　Instantly　Mr。　Sharpe　unmoored；　and　the　_Agra_　began　her　famous　voyage；　with　her　head　at　right　angles　to　her　course；　for　the　wind　being　foul；　all　Sharpe　could　do　was　to　set　his　topsails；　driver；　and　jib；　and　keep　her　in　the　tide　way；　and　clear　of　the　numerous　craft；　by　backing　or　filling　as　the　case　required；　which　he　did　with　considerable　dexterity；　making　the　sails　steer　the　helm　for　the　nonce：　he　crossed　the　Bar　at　sunset；　and　brought　to　with　the　best　bower　anchor　in　five　fathoms　and　a　half。　Here　they　began　to　take　in　their　water；　and　on　the　fifth　day　the　six…oared　gig　was　ordered　up　to　Canton　for　the　captain。　The　next　afternoon　he　passed　the　ship　in　her；　going　down　the　river　to　Lin…Tin；　to　board　the　Chinese　admiral　for　his　chop；　or　permission　to　leave　China。　All　night　the　_Agra_　showed　three　lights　at　her　mizen　peak　for　him；　and　kept　a　sharp　look　out。　But　he　did　not　come：　he　was　having　a　very　serious　talk　with　the　Chinese　admiral；　at　daybreak；　however；　the　gig　was　reported　in　sight：　Sharpe　told　one　of　the　midshipmen　to　call　the　boatswain　and　man　the　side。　Soon　the　gig　ran　alongside；　two　of　the　ship's　boys　jumped　like　monkeys　over　the　bulwarks；　lighting；　one　on　the　main　channels；　the　other　on　the　midship　port；　and　put　the　side　ropes　assiduously　in　the　captain's　hands；　he　bestowed　a　slight　paternal　smile　on　them；　the　first　the　imps　had　ever　received　from　an　officer；　and　went　lightly　up　the　sides。　The　moment　his　foot　touched　the　deck；　the　boatswain　gave　a　frightful　shrill　whistle；　the　men　at　the　sides　uncovered；　the　captain　saluted　the　quarter…deck；　and　all　the　officers　saluted　him；　which　he　returned；　and　stepping　for　a　moment　to　the　weather　side　of　his　deck；　gave　the　loud　command；　〃All　hands　heave　anchor。〃　He　then　directed　Mr。　Sharpe　to　get　what　sail　he　could　on　the　ship；　the　wind　being　now　westerly；　and　dived　into　his　cabin。
  The　boatswain　piped　three　shrill　pipes；　and　〃All　hands　up　anchor；〃　was　thrice　repeated　forward；　followed　by　private　admonitions；　〃Rouse　and　bitt！〃　〃Show　a　leg！〃　&c。；　and　up　tumbled　the　crew　with　homeward　bound　written　on　their　tanned　faces。
  （Pipe。）　〃Up　all　hammocks。〃
  In　ten　minutes　the　ninety　and　odd　hammocks　were　all　stowed　neatly　in　the　netting；　and　covered　with　a　snowy　hammock…cloth；　and　the　hands　were　active；　unbitting　the　cable；　shipping　the　capstan　bars；　&c。
  〃All　ready　below；　sir；〃　cried　a　voice。
  〃Man　the　bars；〃　returned　Mr。　Sharpe　from　the　quarter…deck。　〃Play　up；　fifer。　Heave　away。〃
  Out　broke　the　merry　fife；　with　a　rhythmical　tune；　and　tramp；　tramp；　tramp　went　a　hundred　and　twenty　feet　round　and　round；　and；　with　brawny　chests　pressed　tight　against　the　capstan　bars；　sixty　fine　fellows　walked　the　ship　up　to　her　anchor；　drowning　the　fife　at　intervals　with　their　sturdy　song；　as　pat　to　their　feet　as　an　echo：
  Heave　with　a　will；　ye　jolly　boys；　　　　　　Heave　around：　　　　　　We're　off　from　Chainee；　jolly　boys；　　　　　　Homeward　bound。
  〃Short　stay　apeak；　sir；〃　roars　the　boatswain　from　forward。
  〃Unship　the　bars。　Way　aloft。　Loose　sails。　Let　fall。〃
  The　ship　being　now　over　her　anchor；　and　the　top…sails　set；　the　capstan　bars　were　shipped　again；　the　men　all　heaved　with　a　will；　the　messenger　grinned；　the　anchor　was　torn　out　of　China　with　a　mighty　heave；　and　then　ran　up　with　a　luff　tackle　and　secured；　the　ship's　head　cast　to　port。
  〃Up　with　the　jibman　the　taupsle　halliardsall　hands　make　sail。〃　Round　she　came　slow　and　majestically；　the　sails　filled；　and　the　good　ship　bore　away　for　England。
  She　made　the　Bogue　forts　in　three　or　four　tacks；　and　there　she　had　to　come　to　again　for　another　chop；　China　being　a　place　as　hard　to　get　into　as　Heaven；　and　to　get　out　of　as　Chancery。　At　three　P。M。　she　was　at　Macao；　and　hove　to　four　miles　from　the　land　to　take　in　her　passengers。
  A　gun　was　fired　from　the　forecastle。　No　boats　came　off。　Sharpe　began　to　fret；　for　the　wind；　though　light；　had　now　got　to　the　N。W。；　and　they　were　wasting　it。　After　a　while　the　captain　came　on　deck；　and　ordered　all　the　carronades　to　be　scaled。　The　eight　heavy　reports　bellowed　the　great　ship's　impatience　across　the　water　and　out　pulled　two　boats　with　the　passengers。　While　they　were　coming；　Dodd　sent　and　ordered　the　gunner　to　load　the　carronades　with　shot；　and　secure　and　apron　them。　The　first　boat　brought　Colonel　Kenealy；　Mr。　Fullalove；　and　a　prodigious　negro；　who　all　mounted　by　the　side…ropes。　But　the　whip　was　rigged　for　the　next　boat；　and　the　Honourable　Mrs。　Beresford　and　poodle　hoisted　on　board；　item　her　white　maid；　item　her　black　nurse；　item　her　little　boy　and　male　Oriental　in　charge　thereof；　the　strangest　compound　of　dignity　and　servility；　and　of　black　and　white；　being　clad　in　snowy　cotton　and　japanned　to　the　nine。
  Mrs。　Beresford　was　the　wife　of　a　member　of　council　in　India。　She　had　been　to　Macao　for　her　boy's　health；　intending　to　return　to　Calcutta：　but　meantime　her　husband　was　made　a　director；　and　went　home：　so　she　was　going　to　join　him。　A　tall；　handsome　lady；　with　too　curved　a　nose。
  Like　most　aquiline　women；　she　was　born　to　domineer　a　bit；　and；　for　the　last　ten　years；　Orientals　clinging　at　her　knee　and　Europeans　flattering　at　her　ear　had　nursed　this　quality　highs　and　spoiled　her　with　all　their　might。　A　similar　process　had　been　applied　to　her　boy　Frederick　from　infancy；　he　was　now　nearly　six。　Arrogance　and　caprice　shone　so　in　both　their　sallow　faces；　and　spoke　so　in　every　gesture；　that　as　they　came　on　board；　Sharpe；　a　reader　of　passengers；　whispered　the　second　mate：　〃Bayliss；　we　have　shipped　the　devil。〃
  〃And　a　cargo　of　his　imps；〃　grunted　Mr。　Bayliss。
  Mr。　Fullalove　was　a　Methodist　parsonto　the　naked　eye：　grave；　sober；　lean；　lank…haired。　But　some　men　are　hidden　fires。　Fullalove　was　one　of　the　extraordinary　products　of　an　extraordinary　nation；　the　United　States　of　America。　He　was　an　engineer　for　one　thing；　and　an　inventive　and　practical　mechanician；　held　two　patents　of　his　own　creating；　which　yielded　him　a　good　income　both　at　home　and　in　Great　Britain。　Such　results　are　seldom　achieved　without　deep　study　and　seclusion；　and；　accordingly；　Joshua　Fullalove；　when　the　inventive　fit　was　on；　would　be　buried　deep　as　Archimedes　for　a　twelvemonth；　burning　the　midnight　oil：　then；　his　active　element　predominating；　the　pale　student　would　dash　into　the　forest　or　the　prairie；　with　a　rifle　and　an　Indian；　and　come　out　bronzed；　and　more　or　less　be…panthered　or　be…buffaloed；　thence　invariably　to　sea　for　a　year　or　two。　There；　Anglo…Saxon　to　the　backbone；　his　romance　had　ever　an　eye　to　business；　he　was　always　after　foreign　mechanical　inventionshe　was　now　importing　a　excellent　one　from　Japanand　ready　to　do　lucrative　feats　of　knowledge：　thus　he　bought　a　Turkish　ship　at　the　bottom　of　the　Dardanelles　for　twelve　hundred　dollars；　raised　her　cargo　（hardware）；　and　sold　it　for　six　thousand　dollars；　then　weighed　the　empty　ship；　pumped　her；　repaired　he；　and　navigated　her　himself　into　Boston　harbour；　Massachusetts。　On　the　way　he　rescued；　with　his　late　drowned　ship；　a　Swedish　vessel；　and　received　salvage。　He　once　fished　eighty　elephants'　tusks　out　of　a　craft　foundered　in　the　Firth　of　Forth；　to　the　disgust　of　elder　Anglo…Saxons　looking　on　from　the　shore。　These　unusual　pursuits　were　varied　by　a　singular　recreation：　he　played　at　elevating　the　African　character　to　European　levels。　With　this　view　he　had　bought　Vespasian　for　eighteen　hundred　dollars；　whereof　anon。　America　is　fertile　in　mixtures：　what　do　we　not　owe　her？　Sherry　cobbler；　gin　sling；　cocktail；　mint　julep；　brandy　smash；　sudden　death；　eye　openers。　Well；　one　day　she　outdid　herself；　and　mixed　Fullalove：　Quaker；　Nimrod；　Archimedes；　Philanthropist；　decorous　Red　Rover；　and　What　Not
  The　passenger　boats　cast　loose。
  〃All　hands　make　sail。〃
  The　boatswain　piped；　the　light…heeled　topsmen　sped　up　the　rathines　and　lay　out　the　yards；　while　all　on　deck　looked　up　as　usual　to　see　them　work。　Out　bellied　sail　after　sail　aloft；　the　ship　came　curtseying　round　to　the　southward；　spread　her　snowy　pinions　high　and　wide；　and　went　like　a　bird　over　the　wrinkled　seahomeward　bound。
  It　was　an　exhilarating　start；　and　all　faces　were　brightbut　one。　The　captain　looked　somewhat　grave　and　thoughtful；　and　often　scanned　the　horizon　with　his　glass；　he　gave　polite　but　very　short　answers　to　his　friend　Colonel　Kenealy；　who　was　firing　nothings　in　his　ear；　and　sent　for　the　gunner。
  While　that　personage；　a　crusty　old　Niler　called　Monk；　is　cleaning　himself　to　go　on　the　quarter…deck；　peep　we　into　captain　Dodd's　troubled　mind；　and　into　the　circumstances　which　connect　him　with　the　heart　of　this　story；　despite　the　twelve　thousand　miles　of　water　between　him　and　the　lovers　at　Barkington。
  It　had　always　been　his　pride　to　lay　by　money　for　his　wife　and　children；　and；　under　advice　of　an　Indian　friend；　he　had；　during　the　last　few　years；　placed　considerable　sums；　at　intervals；　in　a　great　Calcutta　house；　which　gave　eight　per　cent　for　deposits：　swelled　by　fresh　capital　and　such　high　interest；　the　hoard　grew　fast。　When　his　old　ship；　sore　battered　off　the　Cape；　was　condemned　by　the　company's　agents　at　Canton；　he　sailed　to　Calcutta；　intending　to　return　thence　to　England　as　a　passenger。　But　while　he　was　at　Calcutta；　the　greatest　firm　there　suspended　payment　carrying　astonishment　and　dism