“May it please your highness, at the ending of my second voyage, in which——­”

“I remember—­when the Frankish woman god, stopped the leak.  You may proceed.”

The renegade bowed, and commenced his third voyage, as follows:—­

“I believe that I stated to your highness, at the end of my second voyage, I determined to go to Toulon, and make some inquiry after my dear Cerise.”

“I recollect you did,” interrupted the pacha, “but I tell you again, as I told you before, that I want to know nothing about her.  Have the goodness to skip all that part, or it will be five sequins out of your girdle.”

“Your highness shall be obeyed,” replied the renegade, who, after musing a short time, continued.

THIRD VOYAGE OF HUCKABACK.

I was so affected at the intelligence of Cerise having destroyed herself, that I found it impossible to remain on shore.  Having met with the captain of a whaler, who expatiated on the fortune which might be realised by embarking in the speculation, I purchased a large ship, and fitted it out for a voyage to Baffin’s Bay.  This consumed all the money I had left, but as I expected to return with ten times the sum, I made no scruple of parting with it.

My crew consisted of about thirty men, all strong fellows; ten of them Englishmen, and the remainder from my own country.  We stood to the northward, until we reached the ice, which floated high as mountains, and steering in between it, we at last came to a fine open water, where a large quantity of whales were blowing in every direction.  Our boats were soon hoisted out, and we were extremely fortunate, having twenty-three fish on board, and boiled down before the season was over.

I now considered my fortune made; and the ship being full up to the beams, we made all sail to return home.  But a heavy gale came on from the southward, which drove all the ice together, and our ship with it, and we were in great danger of being squeezed to atoms.  Fortunately, we made fast in a bight, on the lee side of a great iceberg, which preserved us, and we anxiously awaited for the termination of the gale, to enable us to proceed.  But when the gale subsided, a hard frost came on, and we were completely frozen up, where we lay—­the ice formed round to the depth of several feet, and lifted the ship, laden as she was, out of the water.

The English, who were experienced fishermen, told us, that we had no chance of being released until next spring.  I ascended to the mast-head, and perceived that for miles, as far as the eye could scan the horizon, there was nothing but one continued succession of icebergs and floes inseparably united.  Despairing, therefore, of any release, until the cold weather should break up, I made all arrangements for remaining during the winter.  Our provisions were very short, and we were obliged to make use of the whale oil, but it soon produced such dysenteries, that it was no longer resorted to.