The captain's stateroom, wherein Gascoigne and I took up our quarters, was an exceedingly comfortable apartment--a perfect palace, indeed, compared with the midshipmen's berth aboard the _Europa_.  It was situated abaft the main cabin; was, like the latter, the full width of the ship, and measured about twelve feet fore and aft.  It was lighted by windows reaching right athwart the stern, as well as by a small skylight in the deck above, the combination of the two affording admirable facilities for ventilation.  It was very neatly and comfortably, though not extravagantly, furnished--a standing bedplace, with a commodious chest of drawers beneath it, on the starboard side, being balanced by a book-case with drawers for charts on the port side, together with a sort of cabinet in which the ship's chronometers and the captain's sextant were kept.  A set of cushioned lockers ran athwart the after-end of the cabin, between the bedplace and the book-case; there was a wash-stand and toilet-table at the foot of the bunk, and a table occupied the centre of the apartment immediately beneath a handsome shaded lamp which hung, suspended by brass chains, from the skylight. The deck was comfortably carpeted; the chest of drawers was well-stocked with clothing; and a few garments, together with an oilskin coat, leggings, and sou'wester, hung from brass hooks screwed to the fore bulkhead.