There appeared to be a great deal of confusion going on in front of the jetty to which she was moored; but Uncle Jack took him on board and introduced him to Mr Capstan, the second officer, as a future messmate, who showed him the cabins and everything, telling him to “make himself at home!”
The Greenock was a fine barque-rigged vessel of some two thousand tons, with auxiliary steam-power; and she gained her living or earned her freight, whichever way of putting it may please best, by sailing to and fro in the passenger trade between the ports of London and Melbourne, but doing more in the goods line on the return journey, because colonials bent on visiting the mother country generally prefer the mail steamers as a speedier route. Emigrants, however, are not so squeamish, contenting themselves in getting out to Australia, that land of promise to so many hard-up and despairing people at home, by whatever means they can—so long only as they may hope to arrive there at some time or other!
Teddy was surprised at the gorgeousness of the Greenock’s saloons and cabins, and the height of her masts, and the multitude of ropes about running in every conceivable direction, crossing and recrossing each other with the bewildering ingenuity of a spider’s web; but Uncle Jack took all these wonders as a matter of course, and rather pooh-poohed them.
“Wait till you see her at Gravesend,” he said. “She’s all dismantled now with these shore lumpers and lubbers aboard, and won’t be herself till she’s down the river and feels herself in sailors’ hands again. Why, you won’t know her! But come along, laddie, we’ve got to buy a sea-chest and a lot of things to complete your kit; and then, we’ll go to granny’s and try to see something of the sights of London.”
So, back they trudged again to the Poplar station and were wafted once more to Fenchurch Street, where Uncle Jack dived within the shop of a friendly outfitter, who had a mackintosh and sextant swinging in front of his establishment to show his marine leanings and dealings.
Here, a white sea-chest, whose top was made like a washing-stand, and several other useful articles, were purchased by Uncle Jack without wasting any time, as he had made up his mind what he wanted before going in and knew what he was about; and these things being ordered to be forwarded to the cloak-room at the London Bridge station, to be placed with Teddy’s other luggage, Uncle Jack rubbed his hands gleefully.
“Now that business is all settled,” he said, “we can enjoy ourselves a bit, as the ship won’t be ready for us till next Monday. Come along, my hearty! Let us bear up for granny’s—you haven’t been to her place before, have you, eh?”
No, Teddy explained. Granny had often been down to Endleigh to see him, but he had never been up to town to see her; that first attempt of his, which had been frustrated by Mary’s pursuit and the machinations of Jupp, having deterred him, somehow or other, from essaying the journey a second time. Indeed, he had never been to London at all.
“My!” exclaimed Uncle Jack. “What a lot there’ll be for you to see, my hearty, eh?”
What is more, he showed him, too, all that was to be seen, taking Teddy to monuments and exhibitions, to galleries and even to the theatre.