North we raced from the Bonin Islands to pick up the seal-herd, and north we hunted it for a hundred days into frosty, mitten weather and into and through vast fogs which hid the sun from us for a week at a time.

It was wild and heavy work, without a drink or thought of drink.

Then we sailed south to Yokohama, with a big catch of skins in our salt and a heavy pay-day coming.
I was eager to be ashore and see Japan, but the first day was devoted to ship's work, and not until evening did we sailors land.

And here, by the very system of things, by the way life was organised and men transacted affairs, John Barleycorn reached out and tucked my arm in his.

The captain had given money for us to the hunters, and the hunters were waiting in a certain Japanese public house for us to come and get it.