When we were more composed, Pauline and I and young Peter went together to look at the presents I had brought back with me.  Pauline was delighted with the pearls and the fox-skins, but she at once decided that the skins would make a warm winter coat for baby, and a splendid rug for his little carriage.  I believe she would have given Master Peter the pearls to play with had he shown a fancy for them, but fortunately he did not notice them, so taken up was he in burying his face in the thick fur of the silver fox-skins.

What a home-coming this was for me after so much tossing upon the ocean, and so many wanderings into unknown lands, and how I trembled when I thought on the dangers I had passed, and how easily I might have lost my life, and thus forfeited the happiness that I knew was in store for me!

Well, my voyages were over now.  Never again would I leave my wife and child for the hazards of the sea.

When I told Hartog of my great good fortune he was warm in his congratulations.  I took my boy on board the “Golden Seahorse”, and presented him to Hartog.

“We must make a sailor of him,” said Hartog, when he had sat Master Peter upon the table between us in the cabin.  “He is a sturdy lad, and has the look in his eyes that seeks for space—­the look of the sailor, whose natural home is the sea.”

Could it be?  Who can tell?  Little Peter had a steadfast, far-off look in his eyes.  I had not noticed it until Hartog directed my attention to it.  Was it the call of the ocean?  The call to the Dutch, and the English—­seeking for space?

***End of the project gutenberg EBOOK adventures in southern seas***

******* This file should be named 16704.txt or 16704.zip *******

This and all associated files of various formats will be found in:  http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/1/6/7/0/16704

Updated editions will replace the previous one—­the old editions will be renamed.

Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without permission and without paying copyright royalties.  Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to protect the project gutenberg-tm concept and trademark.  Project Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you charge for the eBooks, unless you receive specific permission.  If you do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the rules is very easy.  You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and research.  They may be modified and printed and given away—­you may do practically anything with public domain eBooks.  Redistribution is subject to the trademark license, especially commercial redistribution.