Mynheer Kloots was a person of no moderate dimensions, and the quantity of garments which he wore added no little to his apparent bulk.  The outer garments exposed to view were, a rough fox-skin cap upon his head, from under which appeared the edge of a red worsted nightcap; a red plush waistcoat, with large metal buttons; a jacket of green cloth, over which he wore another of larger dimensions of coarse blue cloth, which came down as low as what would be called a spencer.  Below he had black plush breeches, light blue worsted stockings, shoes, and broad silver buckles; round his waist was girded, with a broad belt, a canvas apron which descended in thick folds nearly to his knee.  In his belt was a large broad-bladed knife in a sheath of shark’s skin.  Such was the attire of Mynheer Kloots, captain of the Ter Schilling.

He was as tall as he was corpulent.  His face was oval, and his features small in proportion to the size of his frame.  His grizzly hair fluttered in the breeze, and his nose (although quite straight) was, at the tip, fiery red from frequent application to his bottle of schnapps, and the heat of a small pipe which seldom left his lips, except for him to give an order, or for it to be replenished.

“Good morning, my son,” said the captain, taking his pipe out of his mouth for a moment.  “We are detained by the supercargo, who appears not over-willing to come on board; the boat has been on shore this hour waiting for him, and we shall be last of the fleet under weigh.  I wish the Company would let us sail without these gentlemen, who are (in my opinion) a great hindrance to business; but they think otherwise on shore.”

“What is their duty on board?” replied Philip.

“Their duty is to look after the cargo and the traffic, and if they kept to that, it would not be so bad; but they interfere with everything else and everybody, studying little except their own comforts; in fact, they play the king on board, knowing that we dare not affront them, as a word from them would prejudice the vessel when again to be chartered.  The Company insist upon their being received with all honours.  We salute them with five guns on their arrival on board.”

“Do you know anything of this one whom you expect?”

“Nothing, but from report.  A brother captain of mine (with whom he has sailed) told me that he is most fearful of the dangers of the sea, and much taken up with his own importance.”

“I wish he would come,” replied Philip; “I am most anxious that we should sail.”

“You must be of a wandering disposition, my son:  I hear that you leave a comfortable home, and a pretty wife to boot.”

“I am most anxious to see the world,” replied Philip; “and I must learn to sail a ship before I purchase one, and try to make the fortune that I covet.” (Alas! how different from my real wishes, thought Philip, as he made this reply.)