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Updated: June 26, 2025
Both Tammy and I were tremendously keen to have another look; but when at last we got a chance, the sky reflected so much on the water, we could see nothing below. We had just finished sweeping up when four bells went, and we cleared below for tea. Some of the men got chatting while they were grubbing. "I 'ave 'eard," remarked Quoin, "as we're goin' ter shorten 'er down afore dark."
"Why didn't you bloomin' well harsk him if he weren't doin' ther imaginin' trick when he sent us chasin' hup ther main, hafter that bogyman of his?" "I never thought of it," I told him. "Well, yer ought ter have." He paused, and sat up in his bunk, and asked for a match. As I passed him my box, Quoin looked up from his game. "It might 'ave been a stowaway, yer know.
To the South-West, and distant thirteen miles, were two large islands, which from the remarkable shape of two patches of trees on their northern ends, we named Quoin and Clump Islands. A small patch of low land was discovered beyond them, between which and Quoin Island appeared the proper channel. That, however, lying between the islands seemed sufficiently large for the ship.
Once, with an inconsolable countenance, he came to me, saying that his casket was nowhere to be found; he had sought for it in his hiding-place, and it was not there. I asked him where he had hidden it? "Among the guns," he replied. "Then depend upon it, Lemsford, that Quoin has been the death of it." Straight to Quoin went the poet. But Quoin knew nothing about it.
For ten mortal days the poet was not to be comforted; dividing his leisure time between cursing Quoin and lamenting his loss. The world is undone, he must have thought: no such calamity has befallen it since the Deluge; my verses are perished.
The Second Mate held his light above his head, and looked round at the hesitating men. "Now, men!" he sung out. "You're not going to let Jessop and me go up alone. Come along, another one or two of you! Don't act like a damned lot of cowards!" Quoin stood out, and spoke for the crowd.
As we stepped out on deck, I heard the Second Mate shouting out, away aft, to know the whereabouts of the light. "By Jove! Stubbins," I said. "I believe the blessed thing's gone again." We ran to the starboard side, in a body, and looked over; but there was no sign of a light in the darkness astern. "I carn't say as I see any light," said Quoin. Plummer said nothing.
A quoin is a solid which differs from a wedge in having its sharp end formed by the steep inclination of one side, instead of the mutual tapering of both sides. The lower subdivided part, called the junk, is one immense honeycomb of oil, formed by the crossing and recrossing, into ten thousand infiltrated cells, of tough elastic white fibres throughout its whole extent.
I screwed my head round, and looked along the yards above us. Yet, still I could see nothing; nothing except shadows and patches of light. Down on deck, I caught the Second Mate's voice. "Have you got him?" he was shouting. "Not yet, Zur," sung out the lowest man on the lee side. "We sees 'im, Sir," added Quoin. "I don't!" I said. "There 'e is agen," he said.
From the direction of the wind being at south-east, all vessels going to the north-west harbour, must luff close round the gunner's quoin, and haul over for the island, taking care to avoid the reefs with which the shore is lined, and on which the surf breaks with great violence.
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