"This ship is going nine or ten knots an hour, and any man who has snuffed salt water for six months could guess nearer than you make it.

Now try it once again, and if you don't hit nearer than that next time, you may as well throw the reel overboard, and hire a Yankee to guess the rate of sailing." "I thought we knew all about it," added Smith.
"I think you do, young gentlemen; but you were star-gazing when you ought to have been all attention.

The line ran out two or three knots before you turned the glass." Gordon took the chip again.

It was a thin piece of board, in the form of a quarter circle.

The round side was loaded with just lead enough to make it float upright in the water.