An’ the new one was bronze—­nine hundred pounds ut cost, an’ then wantun’ their returns out o’ ut, an’ me wuth a bod passage an’ lossin’ time every day.  ’We regret tull note your long passage from Voloparaiso tull Sydney wuth an average daily run o’ only one hundred an’ suxty-seven.  We hod expected better results wuth the new propeller.  You should a-made an average daily run o’ two hundred and suxteen.’

“An’ me on a wunter passage, blowin’ a luvin’ gale half the time, wuth hurricane force in atweenwhiles, an’ hove to sux days, wuth engines stopped an’ bunker coal runnun’ short, an’ me wuth a mate thot stupid he could no pass a shup’s light ot night wi’out callun’ me tull the brudge.  I wrut an’ told ’em so.  An’ then:  ’Our nautical adviser suggests you kept too far south,’ an’ ’We are lookun’ for better results from thot propeller.’  Nautical adviser!—­shore pilot!  Ut was the regular latitude for a wunter passage from Voloparaiso tull Sydney.

“An’ when I come un tull Auckland short o’ coal, after lettun’ her druft sux days wuth the fires out tull save the coal, an’ wuth only twenty tons in my bunkers, I was thunkun’ o’ the lossin’ o’ time an’ the expense, an’ tull save the owners I took her un an’ out wi’out pilotage.  Pilotage was no compulsory.  An’ un Yokohama, who should I meet but Captun Robinson o’ the Dyapsic.  We got a-talkun’ about ports an’ places down Australia-way, an’ first thing he says:  ‘Speakun’ o’ Auckland—­of course, Captun, you was never un Auckland?’ ‘Yus,’ I says, ‘I was un there very recent.’  ‘Oh, ho,’ he says, very angry-like, ’so you was the smart Aleck thot fetched me thot letter from the owners:  “We note item of fufteen pounds for pilotage ot Auckland.  A shup o’ ours was un tull Auckland recently an’ uncurred no such charge.  We beg tull advise you thot we conseeder thus pilotage an onnecessary expense which should no be uncurred un the future.’”

“But dud they say a word tull me for the fufteen pounds I saved tull them?  No a word.  They send a letter tull Captun Robinson for no savun’ them the fufteen pounds, an’ tull me:  ’We note item of two guineas doctor’s fee at Auckland for crew.  Please explain thus onusual expunditure.’  Ut was two o’ the Chinks.  I was thunkun’ they hod beri-beri, an’ thot was the why o’ sendun’ for the doctor.  I buried the two of them ot sea not a week after.  But ut was:  ‘Please explain thus onusual expunditure,’ an’ tull Captun Robinson, ’We beg tull advise you thot we conseeder thus pilotage an onnecessary expense.’

“Dudna I cable them from Newcastle, tellun’ them the old tank was thot foul she needed dry-dock?  Seven months out o’ drydock, an’ the West Coast the quickest place for foulun’ un the world.  But freights was up, an’ they hod a charter o’ coals for Portland.  The Arrata, one o’ the Woor Line, left port the same day uz us, bound for Portland, an’ the old Tryapsic makun’ sux knots, seven ot the best.  An’