I owe it further to the officers of all the ships I ever sailed in as boy and man to say that not one ever lifted so much as a finger to me.

I did not live among angels, but among men who could be roused.

My wish was, though, to please the officers of my ship wherever I was, and so I got on.

Dangers there are, to be sure, on the sea as well as on the land, but the intelligence and skill God gives to man reduce these to a minimum.

And here comes in again the skilfully modeled ship worthy to sail the seas.
To face the elements is, to be sure, no light matter when the sea is in its grandest mood.