When we arrived at Hong-Kong there was a letter in the ship's mail for me.

I was in the boat with the captain some hours while he had it.

But do you suppose he could hand a letter to a seaman?
No, indeed; not even to an ordinary seaman.

When we got to the ship he gave it to the first mate; the first mate gave it to the second mate, and he laid it, michingly, on the capstan-head, where I could get it..