Thatsameweekwebeganourpreparationsforthevoyage. Joe,themussel-man,hadtheCurlewmoveddowntheriverandtieditupalongtheriver-wall,soitwouldbemorehandyforloading. Andforthreewholedayswecarriedprovisionsdowntoourbeautifulnewboatandstowedthemaway. Iwassurprisedtofindhowroomyandbigshewasinside. Therewerethreelittlecabins,asaloon(ordining-room)andunderneathallthis,abigplacecalledtheholdwherethefoodandextrasailsandotherthingswerekept. IthinkJoemusthavetoldeverybodyinthetownaboutourcomingvoyage,becausetherewasalwaysaregularcrowdwatchinguswhenwebroughtthethingsdowntoputaboard. AndofcoursesoonerorlateroldMatthewMuggwasboundtoturnup. "MyGoodness,Tommy,"saidhe,ashewatchedmecarryingonsomesacksofflour,"butthat'saprettyboat!WheremighttheDoctorbegoingtothisvoyage?" "We'regoingtoSpidermonkeyIsland,"Isaidproudly. "AndbeyoutheonlyonetheDoctor'stakingalong?" "Well,hehasspokenofwantingtotakeanotherman,"Isaid;"butsofarhehasn'tmadeuphismind." Matthewgrunted;thensquintedupatthegracefulmastsoftheCurlew. "Youknow,Tommy,"saidhe,"ifitwasn'tformyrheumatismI'vehalfamindtocomewiththeDoctormyself. There'ssomethingaboutaboatstandingreadytosailthatalwaysdidmakemefeelventuresomeandtravelish-like. What'sthatstuffinthecansyou'retakingon?" "Thisistreacle,"Isaid—"twentypoundsoftreacle." "MyGoodness,"hesighed,turningawaysadly."Thatmakesmefeelmorelikegoingwithyouthanever—ButmyrheumatismisthatbadIcan'thardly—" Ididn'thearanymoreforMatthewhadmovedoff,stillmumbling,intothecrowdthatstoodaboutthewharf. TheclockinPuddlebyChurchstrucknoonandIturnedback,feelingverybusyandimportant,tothetaskofloading. Butitwasn'tverylongbeforesomeoneelsecamealongandinterruptedmywork. Thiswasahuge,big,burlymanwitharedbeardandtattoo-marksalloverhisarms. Hewipedhismouthwiththebackofhishand,spattwiceontotheriver-wallandsaid, "TheSKIPPER!—Whodoyoumean?"Iasked. "Thecaptain—Where'sthecaptain,ofthiscraft?"hesaid,pointingtotheCurlew. "Oh,youmeantheDoctor,"saidI."Well,heisn'thereatpresent." AtthatmomenttheDoctorarrivedwithhisarmsfullofnote-booksandbutterfly-netsandglasscasesandothernaturalhistorythings.Thebigmanwentuptohim,respectfullytouchinghiscap. "Goodmorning,Captain,"saidhe."Iheardyouwasinneedofhandsforavoyage.Myname'sBenButcher,ableseaman." "Iamverygladtoknowyou,"saidtheDoctor."ButI'mafraidIshan'tbeabletotakeonanymorecrew." "Why,butCaptain,"saidtheableseaman,"yousurelyain'tgoingtofacedeep-seaweatherwithnothingmorethanthisbitofaladtohelpyou—andwithacutterthatbig!" TheDoctorassuredhimthathewas;butthemandidn'tgoaway.Hehungaroundandargued. Hetoldushehadknownofmanyshipsbeingsunkthrough"undermanning." Hegotoutwhathecalledhisstiffikit—apaperwhichsaidwhatagoodsailorhewas—andimploredus,ifwevaluedourlives,totakehim. ButtheDoctorwasquitefirm-politebutdetermined—andfinallythemanwalkedsorrowfullyaway,tellingusheneverexpectedtoseeusaliveagain. Callersofonesortandanotherkeptusquitebusythatmorning. TheDoctorhadnosoonergonebelowtostowawayhisnote-booksthananothervisitorappeareduponthegang-plank. Thiswasamostextraordinary-lookingblackman. TheonlyothernegroesIhadseenhadbeenincircuses,wheretheyworefeathersandbonenecklacesandthingslikethat. Butthisonewasdressedinafashionablefrockcoatwithanenormousbrightredcravat. Onhisheadwasastrawhatwithagayband;andoverthisheheldalargegreenumbrella. Hewasverysmartineveryrespectexcepthisfeet.Heworenoshoesorsocks. "Pardonme,"saidhe,bowingelegantly,"butisthistheshipofthephysicianDolittle?" "Yes,"Isaid,"didyouwishtoseehim?" "Idid—ifitwillnotbediscommodious,"heanswered. "IamBumpoKahbooboo,CrownPrinceofJolliginki." IrandownstairsatonceandtoldtheDoctor. "Howfortunate!"criedJohnDolittle."MyoldfriendBumpo!Well,well!—He'sstudyingatOxford,youknow. Howgoodofhimtocomeallthiswaytocallonme!" Andhetumbleduptheladdertogreethisvisitor. ThestrangeblackmanseemedtobeovercomewithjoywhentheDoctorappearedandshookhimwarmlybythehand. "Newsreachedme,"hesaid,"thatyouwereabouttosailuponavoyage.Ihastenedtoseeyoubeforeyourdeparture.IamsublimelyecstasiedthatIdidnotmissyou." "Youverynearlydidmissus,"saidtheDoctor. "Asithappened,weweredelayedsomewhatingettingthenecessarynumberofmentosailourboat. Ifithadn'tbeenforthat,wewouldhavebeengonethreedaysago." "Howmanymendoesyourship'scompanyyetrequire?"askedBumpo. "Onlyone,"saidtheDoctor—"Butitissohardtofindtherightone." "MethinksIdetectsomethingofthefingerofDestinationinthis,"saidBumpo."HowwouldIdo?" "Splendidly,"saidtheDoctor."Butwhataboutyourstudies?Youcan'tverywelljustgooffandleaveyouruniversitycareertotakecareofitself,youknow." "Ineedaholiday,"saidBumpo."EvenhadInotgonewithyou,Iintendedattheendofthistermtotakeathree-months'absconsion—Butbesides,IshallnotbeneglectingmyedificationifIaccompanyyou. BeforeIleftJolliginkimyaugustfather,theKing,toldmetobesureandtravelplenty.Youareamanofgreatstudiosity. Toseetheworldinyourcompanyisanopportunitynottobesneezedupon.No,no,indeed." "HowdidyoulikethelifeatOxford?"askedtheDoctor. "Oh,passably,passably,"saidBumpo."Ilikeditallexceptthealgebraandtheshoes. Thealgebrahurtmyheadandtheshoeshurtmyfeet. IthrewtheshoesoverawallassoonasIgotoutofthecollegequadrilateralthismorning;andthealgebraIamhappilyforgettingveryfast—IlikedCicero—Yes,IthinkCicero'sfine—sosimultaneous. Bytheway,theytellmehissonisrowingforourcollegenextyear—charmingfellow." TheDoctorlookeddownattheblackman'shugebarefeetthoughtfullyamoment. "Well,"hesaidslowly,"thereissomethinginwhatyousay,Bumpo,aboutgettingeducationfromtheworldaswellasfromthecollege. Andifyouarereallysurethatyouwanttocome,weshallbedelightedtohaveyou. Because,totellyouthetruth,Ithinkyouareexactlythemanweneed." 
