It was fortunate that Jack would argue in this instance: had he believed all the confused assertions of the gunner, he would have been as puzzled as the gunner himself.

They never met without an argument and a reference, and as Jack was put right in the end, he only learnt the faster.

By the time that he did know something about navigation, he discovered that his antagonist knew nothing.

Before they arrived at Malta, Jack could fudge a day's work.
But at Malta Jack got into another scrape.

Although Mr Smallsole could not injure him, he was still Jack's enemy; the more so as Jack had become very popular: Vigors also submitted, planning revenge; but the parties in this instance were the boatswain and purser's steward.