A quantity of ice was obtained at the town; and Pitts carefully packed the rest of the fish, which were still hard and in nice condition. The captain desired to present a couple of them to Rajah Brooke, and some of the others to officers who had been very kind to them, and had assisted them in many ways. In the early morning they bade a grateful adieu to the agent, and departed on the trip to Kuching.
The tide was going out, and they made a quick passage to the sea. On their arrival there they found a stiff south-west wind blowing, and the bay covered with white-caps. They had not tried the Blanchita in anything like a heavy sea, though the rajah had declared that she was a very able and weatherly sea-boat. Captain Scott was very glad of the opportunity to test her behavior in rough weather. He went to the helm himself as the boat came out of the Sadong. The very first wave that broke on her bow scattered the spray from stem to stern.
The boat rose gracefully on the billows.
Scott ordered the men to batten down the curtains on the weather side. But the boat rose gracefully on the billows, and did not scoop up any water in doing so. Boxes, barrels, and other movable articles were secured, and the captain was delighted with the working of the boat.
"I don't want any better sea-boat than the Blanchita," said he with great enthusiasm. "I doubt if we get it any rougher than this on the voyage to Cambodia Point."
"Unless we run into a typhoon," said Morris, who was observing the conduct of the boat with quite as much interest as his superior officer.
"We won't run into a typhoon," replied the captain.
"How can you help yourself? As sailors we must take things as they come."