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diff --git a/old/63559-0.txt b/old/63559-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 4975f64..0000000 --- a/old/63559-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,10012 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of A Sack of Shakings, by Frank Thomas Bullen - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - -Title: A Sack of Shakings - -Author: Frank Thomas Bullen - -Release Date: October 26, 2020 [EBook #63559] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK A SACK OF SHAKINGS *** - - - - -Produced by MWS, Susan Carr and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images generously made available by The -Internet Archive/Canadian Libraries) - - - - - - - - - - A Sack of Shakings - - - - - NEW AND RECENT FICTION - - Crown 8vo, 6s. - - - WILLOWDENE WILL - By HALLIWELL SUTCLIFFE - - CINDERS - By HELEN MATHERS - - THE MASTER PASSION - By BESSIE HATTON - - THE TAPU OF BANDERAH - By LOUIS BECKE and WALTER JEFFERY - - A HONEYMOON IN SPACE - By GEORGE GRIFFITH - - ’TWIXT DEVIL AND DEEP SEA - By Mrs. C. N. WILLIAMSON - - THE STRANGE WOOING OF MARY BOWLER - By RICHARD MARSH - - THE INVADERS - By LOUIS TRACY - - SENTENCE OF THE COURT - By HEADON HILL - - A VARSITY MAN - By INGLIS ALLEN - - AMONG THE RED WOODS - By BRET HARTE - - WITH THE BLACK FLAG - By WILLIAM WESTALL - - A PATCHED-UP AFFAIR - By FLORENCE WARDEN - - - Second Edition - - THE CONSCIENCE OF CORALIE - By F. FRANKFORT MOORE - - JOAN BROTHERHOOD - By BERNARD CAPES - - THE BRAND OF THE BROAD ARROW - By MAJOR ARTHUR GRIFFITHS - - THE WHITE BATTALIONS - By F. M. WHITE - - GOD’S LAD - By PAUL CUSHING - - - Fourth Edition - - NELL GWYN - By F. FRANKFORT MOORE - - THE PLUNDER SHIP - By HEADON HILL - - - Second Edition - - THE WOMAN OF DEATH - By GUY BOOTHBY - - THE SPELL OF THE SNOW - By G. GUISE MITFORD - - - C. ARTHUR PEARSON, LTD. - - - - - A Sack of Shakings - - - By - - Frank T. Bullen, F.R.G.S. - - Author of - “The Cruise of the Cachalot,” “With Christ at Sea,” - “The Men of the Merchant Service,” etc. - - - London - C. Arthur Pearson, Ltd. - Henrietta Street - 1901 - - - - - Preface - - -Most of the Essays brought together in the present volume have been -published in the _Spectator_, and are here reproduced by the kind -permission of the proprietors of that journal, for which I offer them -my hearty thanks. It may perhaps not be out of place to mention, for -the benefit of any who may wish to know why these Articles have been -published in book form, that the action has been taken in deference -to the wishes of a very large number of friends who, having read the -sketches in the _Spectator_, desired to have them collected in a -permanent and handy shape. - - - - - Contents - - - PAGE - - THE ORPHAN 1 - - A PORPOISE MYTH 21 - - CATS ON BOARD SHIP 28 - - THE OLD EAST INDIAMAN 38 - - THE FLOOR OF THE SEA 45 - - SHAKESPEARE AND THE SEA 52 - - THE SKIPPER OF THE “AMULET” 60 - - AMONG THE ENCHANTED ISLES 71 - - SOCIABLE FISH 79 - - ALLIGATORS AND MAHOGANY 101 - - COUNTRY LIFE ON BOARD SHIP 110 - - “THE WAY OF A SHIP” 169 - - SEA ETIQUETTE 184 - - WAVES 191 - - A BATTLESHIP OF TO-DAY 199 - - NAT’S MONKEY 206 - - BIG GAME AT SEA 218 - - A SEA CHANGE 230 - - LAST VOYAGE OF THE “SARAH JANE” 242 - - SEA-SUPERSTITIONS 254 - - OCEAN WINDS 260 - - THE SEA IN THE NEW TESTAMENT 268 - - THE POLITY OF A BATTLESHIP 276 - - THE PRIVACY OF THE SEA 284 - - THE VOICES OF THE SEA 292 - - THE CALLING OF CAPTAIN RAMIREZ 302 - - MARATHON OF THE SEALS 313 - - OCEAN CURRENTS 319 - - THE UNDYING ROMANCE OF THE SEA 327 - - SAILORS’ PETS 334 - - THE SURVIVORS 341 - - BENEATH THE SURFACE 351 - - BY WAY OF AMENDS 361 - - THE MYSTERY OF THE “SOLANDER” 371 - - OUR AMPHIBIOUS ARMY 381 - - - - - A Sack of Shakings - - - - - THE ORPHAN - - -Shining serenely as some immeasurable mirror beneath the smiling -face of heaven, the solitary ocean lay in unrippled silence. It was -in those placid latitudes south of the line in the Pacific, where -weeks, aye months, often pass without the marginless blue level being -ruffled by any wandering keel. Here, in almost perfect security from -molestation by man, the innumerable denizens of the deep pursue their -never-ending warfare, doubtless enjoying to the full the brimming cup -of life, without a weary moment, and with no dreary anticipations of -an unwanted old age. - -Now it fell on a day that the calm surface of that bright sea was -broken by the sudden upheaval of a compact troop of sperm whales from -the inscrutable depths wherein they had been roaming and recruiting -their gigantic energies upon the abundant molluscs, hideous of mien -and insatiable of maw, that, like creations of a diseased mind, -lurked far below the sunshine. The school consisted of seven cows and -one mighty bull, who was unique in appearance, for instead of being -in colour the unrelieved sepia common to his kind he was curiously -mottled with creamy white, making the immense oblong cube of his -head look like a weather-worn monolith of Siena marble. Easeful -as any Arabian khalif, he lolled supine upon the glittering folds -of his couch, the welcoming wavelets caressing his vast form with -gentlest touch, and murmuring softly as by their united efforts they -rocked him in rhythm with their melodic lullaby. Around him glided -his faithful harem--gentle timid creatures, no one of them a third -of their lord’s huge bulk, but still majestic in their proportions, -being each some forty-five feet in length by thirty in girth. -Unquestionably the monarch of the flood, their great chief accepted -in complacent dignity their unremitting attentions, nor did their -playful gambols stir him in the least from his attitude of complete -repose. - -But while the busy seven were thus disporting themselves in happy -security there suddenly appeared among them a delightful companion -in the shape of a newly-born calf, elegantly dappled like his sire, -the first-born son of the youngest mother in the group. It is -not the habit of the cachalot to show that intense self-effacing -devotion to its young which is evinced by other mammals, especially -whales of the mysticetæ. Nevertheless, as the expectation of this -latest addition to the family had been the reason of their visit -to these quiet latitudes, his coming made a pleasant little ripple -of satisfaction vibrate throughout the group. Even the apparently -impenetrable stolidity of the head of the school was aroused into -some faint tokens of interest in the new-comer, who clung leech-like -to his mother’s side, vigorously draining the enormous convexity -of her bosom of its bounteous flood of milk. So well did he thrive, -that at the end of a week the youngster was able to hold his own -with the school in a race, and competent also to remain under water -quite as long as his mother. Then the stately leader signified to his -dependants that the time was now at hand when they must change their -pleasant quarters. Food was less plentiful than it had been, which -was but natural, remembering the ravages necessarily made by such a -company of monsters. Moreover, a life of continual ease and slothful -luxury such as of late had been theirs was not only favourable to the -growth of a hampering investiture of parasites--barnacles, limpets, -and weed--all over their bodies, but it completely unfitted them for -the stern struggle awaiting them, when in their periodical progress -round the world they should arrive on the borders of the fierce -Antarctic Zone. And besides all these, had they forgotten that they -were liable to meet with man! A sympathetic shudder ran through every -member of the school at that dreaded name, under the influence of -which they all drew closer around their chief, sweeping their broad -flukes restlessly from side to side and breathing inaudibly. - -The outcome of the conference, decided, as human meetings of the kind -are apt to be, by the commanding influence of one master will, was -that on the next day they would depart for the south by easy stages -through the teeming “off-shore” waters of South America. All through -that quiet night the mighty creatures lay almost motionless on the -surface, each the opaque centre of a halo of dazzling emerald light, -an occasional drowsy spout from their capacious lungs sliding through -the primeval stillness like the sigh of some weary Titan. When at -last the steel-blue dome above, with its myriad diamond spangles, -began to throb and glow with tremulous waves of lovely vari-coloured -light flowing before the conquering squadrons of the sun, the -whole troop, in open order about their guide, turned their heads -steadfastly to the south-west, steering an absolutely undeviating -course for their destination by their innate sense of direction -alone. Up sprang the flaming sun, a vast globe of fervent fire that -even at the horizon’s edge seemed to glow with meridian strength. And -right in the centre of his blazing disc appeared three tiny lines, -recognisable even at that distance by the human eye as the masts of -a ship whose hull was as yet below the apparent meeting-place of sea -and sky. This apparition lay fairly in the path of the advancing -whales, who, unhappily for them, possessed but feeble vision, and -that only at its best straight behind them. So on they went in -leisurely fashion, occasionally pausing for a dignified descent in -search of food, followed by an equally stately reappearance and -resumption of their journey. Nearer and nearer they drew to the fatal -area wherein they would become visible to the keen-eyed watchers at -the mast-head of that lonely ship, still in perfect ignorance of any -possible danger being at hand. Suddenly that mysterious sense owned -by them, which is more than hearing, gave warning of approaching -peril. All lay still, though quivering through every sinew of their -huge bodies with the apprehension of unknown enemies, their heads -half raised from the sparkling sea-surface and their fins and flukes -testing the vibrations of the mobile element like the diaphragm of a -phonograph. Even the youngling clung to his mother’s side as if glued -thereto under the influence of a terror that, while it effectually -stilled his sportiveness, gave him no hint of what was coming. At the -instance of the Head all sank silently and stone-like without any -of those preliminary tail-flourishings and arching of the back that -always distinguish the unworried whale from one that has received -alarming news in the curious manner already spoken of. They remained -below so long and went to so great a depth, that all except the huge -leader were quite exhausted when they returned again to the necessary -air, not only from privation of breath, but from the incalculable -pressure of the superincumbent sea. So for a brief space they lay -almost motionless, the valves of their spiracles deeply depressed as -they drew in great volumes of revivifying breath, and their great -frames limply yielding to the heave of the gliding swell. They had -scarcely recovered their normal energy when into their midst rushed -the destroyers, bringing with them the realisation of all those -paralysing fears. First to be attacked was the noble bull, and -once the first bewildering shock and smart had passed he gallantly -maintained the reputation of his giant race. Every device that -sagacity could conceive or fearlessness execute was tried by him, -until the troubled ocean around the combatants was all a-boil, and -its so recently unsullied surface was littered with tangled wreaths -of blood-streaked foam. Whether from affection or for protection -is uncertain, but the rest of the family did not attempt to flee. -All seven of the cows kept close to their lord, often appearing as -if they would shield him with their own bodies from the invisible -death-darts that continually pierced him to the very seat of his vast -vitality. And this attachment proved their own destruction, for their -assailants, hovering around them with the easy mobility of birds, -slew them at their leisure, not even needing to hamper themselves -by harpooning another individual. Instead, they wielded their long -lances upon the unresisting females, leaving the ocean monarch to his -imminent death. So successful were these tactics that before an hour -had flown, while yet the violet tint of departing night lingered on -the western edge of the sea, the last one of those mighty mammals -had groaned out the dregs of her life. Flushed with conquest and -breathless from their great exertions, the victors lolled restfully -back in their boats, while all around them upon the incarnadined -waters the massy bodies of their prey lay gently swaying to the -slumberous roll of the silent swell. - -Meanwhile, throughout that stark battle, what of the youngling’s -fate? By almost a miracle, he had passed without scathe. What manner -of dread convulsion of Nature was in progress he could not know--he -was blind and deaf and almost lifeless with terror. With all that -wide ocean around him he knew not whither to flee from this day of -wrath. Of all those who had been to him so brief a space ago the -living embodiment of invincible might, not one remained to help or -shield him, none but were involved in this cataclysm of blood. His -kindred were cut off from him, he was overlooked by his enemies, and -when he came to himself he was alone. A sudden frantic impulse seized -him, and under its influence he fled, fled as the bee flies, but -without the homing instinct to guide him, southward through the calm -blue silences of that sleeping ocean. On, on, he fled untiring, until -behind him the emerald sheen of his passage through the now starlit -waters broadened into a wide blaze of softest light. Before him lay -the dark, its profound depths just manifested by the occasional -transient gleam of a palpitating medusa or the swift flight of a -terrified shark. When compelled to break the glassy surface for -breath there was a sudden splash, and amid the deep sigh from his -labouring lungs came the musical fall of the sparkling spray. When -morning dawned again on his long objectless flight, unfailing -instinct warned him of his approach to shallower waters, and with -slackening speed he went on, through the tender diffused sunlight of -those dreamy depths, until he came to an enormous submarine forest, -where the trees were fantastic abutments of living coral, the leaves -and fronds of dull-hued fucus or algæ, the blossoms of orchid-like -sea-anemones or zoophytes, and the birds were darting, gliding fish, -whose myriad splendid tints blazed like illuminated jewels. - -Here, surely, he might be at peace and find some solace for his -loneliness, some suitable food to replace that which he had hitherto -always found awaiting him, and now would find nevermore. Moving -gently through the interminably intricate avenues of this submarine -world of stillness and beauty, his small lower jaw hanging down as -usual, he found abundant store of sapid molluscs that glided down -his gaping gullet with a pleasant tickling, and were soon followed -by a soothing sense of hunger satisfied. When he rose to spout he -was in the midst of a weltering turmoil of broken water, where the -majestic swell fretted and roared in wrath around the hindering -peaks of a great reef--a group of islands in the making. Here, at -any rate, he was safe, for no land was in sight whence might come -a band of his hereditary foes, while into that network of jagged -rocks no vessel would ever dare to venture. After a few days of -placid enjoyment of this secure existence he began to feel courage -and independence, although still pining for the companionship -of his kind. Thus he might have gone on for long, but that an -adventure befell him which raised him at once to his rightful -position among the sea-folk. During his rambles through the mazes -and glades of this subaqueous paradise he had once or twice noticed -between two stupendous columns of coral a black space where the -water was apparently of fathomless depth. Curiosity, one of the -strongest influences actuating the animate creation, impelled him to -investigate this chasm, but something, he knew not what, probably -inherited caution, had hitherto held him back. At last, having met -with no creature nearly his own size, and grown bold by reason of -plenteous food, he became venturesome, and made for that gloomy -abyss, bent upon searching its recesses thoroughly. Boldly he swept -between the immense bastions that guarded it, and with a swift upward -thrust of his broad horizontal tail went headlong down, down, down. -Presently he saw amidst the outer darkness a web of palely gleaming -lines incessantly changing their patterns and extending over an area -of a thousand square yards. They centred upon a dull ghastly glare -that was motionless, formless, indescribable. In its midst there -was a blackness deeper, if possible, than that of the surrounding -pit. Suddenly all that writhing entanglement wrapped him round, each -clutching snare fastening upon him with innumerable gnawing mouths -as if to devour him all over at once. With a new and even pleasant -sensation thrilling along his spine the young leviathan hurled -himself forward at that midmost gap, his powerful jaws clashing and -his whole lithe frame upstrung with nervous energy. Right through the -glutinous musky mass of that unthinkable chimæra he hewed his way, -heeding not in the least the wrenching, sucking coils winding about -him, and covering every inch of his body. Absolute silence reigned -as the great fight went on. Its inequality was curiously abnormal. -For while the vast amorphous bulk of the mollusc completely dwarfed -the comparatively puny size of the young cachalot, there was on the -side of the latter all the innate superiority of the vertebrate -carnivorous mammal with warrior instincts transmitted unimpaired -through a thousand generations of ocean royalty. Gradually the -grip of those clinging tentacles relaxed as he felt the succulent -gelatinousness divide, and with a bound he ascended from that -befouled abysmal gloom into the light and loveliness of the upper -air. Behind him trailed sundry long fragments, _disjecta membra_ of -his late antagonist, and upon these, after filling his lungs again -and again with the keen pure air of heaven, he feasted grandly. - -But in spite of the new inspiring sense of conscious might and -ability to do even as his forefathers had done, his loneliness -was heavy upon him. For, like all mammals, the cachalot loves the -fellowship of his kin during the days of his strength; and only when -advancing age renders him unable to hold his own against jealous -rivals, or makes him a laggard in the united chase, does he forsake -the school and wander solitary and morose about the infinite solitude -of his limitless abode. And so, surrounded by the abundant evidences -of his prowess, the young giant meditated, while a hungry host of -sharks, like jackals at the lion’s kill, came prowling up out of the -surrounding silence, and with shrill cries of delight the hovering -bird-folk gathered in myriads to take tithe of his enormous spoil. -Unheeding the accumulating multitudes, who gave _him_ ample room -and verge enough, and full of flesh, he lay almost motionless, when -suddenly that subtle sense which, attuned to the faintest vibrations -of the mobile sea, kept him warned, informed him that some more than -ordinary commotion was in progress not many miles away. Instantly -every sinew set taut, every nerve tingled with receptivity, while, -quivering like some fucus frond in a tide rip, his broad tail swayed -silently to and fro, but so easily as not to stir his body from -its attitude of intense expectation. A gannet swept over him close -down, startling him so that with one fierce lunge of his flukes he -sprang forward twenty yards; but recovering himself he paused again, -though the impetus still bore him noiselessly ahead, the soothing -wash of the waves eddying gently around his blunt bow. Shortly -after, to his unbounded joy, a noble company of his own folk hove -in sight, two score of them in goodliest array. They glided around -him in graceful curves, wonderingly saluting him by touching his -small body with fin, nose, and tail, and puzzled beyond measure as -to how so young a fellow-citizen came to be inhabiting these vast -wastes alone. His tale was soon told, for the whale-people waste no -interchange of ideas, and the company solemnly received him into -their midst as a comrade who had well earned the right to be one of -their band by providing for them so great a feast. Swiftly the spoil -of that gigantic mollusc was rescued from the marauding sharks, -and devoured; and thorough was the subsequent search among those -deep-lying darknesses for any other monsters of the same breed that -might lie brooding in their depths. None were to be found, although -for two days and nights the questing leviathans pursued their keen -investigations. When there remained no longer a cave unfathomed or -a maze unexplored, the leader of the school, a huge black bull of -unrivalled fame, gave the signal for departure, and away they went in -double columns, line ahead, due south, their splendid chief about -a cable’s length in advance. The happy youngster, no longer astray -from his kind, gambolled about the school in unrestrained delight -at the rising tide of life that surged tumultuously through his -vigorous frame. Ah; it was so good to be alive, glorious to speed, -with body bending bow-wise, and broad fan-like flukes spurning the -brilliant waves behind him, ecstasy to exert all the power he felt -in one mad upward rush until out into the sunlight high through the -warm air he sprang, a living embodiment of irresistible force, and -fell with a joyous crash back into the welcoming bosom of his native -deep. The sedate patriarch of the school looked on these youthful -freaks indulgently, until, fired by the sight of his young follower’s -energy, he too put forth all his incredible strength, launching his -hundred tons or so of solid weight clear of the embracing sea, and -returning to it again with a shock as of some Polyphemus-hurled -mountain. - -Thus our orphan grew and waxed great. Together, without mishap of -any kind, these lords of the flood skirted the southern slopes of -the globe. In serene security they ranged the stormy seas from -Kerguelen to Cape Horn, from the Falklands to Table Bay. Up through -the scent-laden straits between Madagascar and Mozambique, loitering -along the burning shores of Zanzibar and Pemba, dallying with the -eddies around the lonely Seychelles and idling away the pleasant -north-east monsoon in the Arabian Sea. By the Bab-el-Mandeb they -entered the Red Sea, their majestic array scaring the nomad fishermen -at their lonely labour along the reef-besprinkled margins thereof, -remote from the straight-ruled track down its centre along which the -unwearied slaves of the West, the great steamships, steadily thrust -their undeviating way. Here, in richest abundance, they found their -favourite food, cuttlefish of many kinds, although none so large as -those haunting the middle depths of the outer ocean. And threading -the deep channels between the reefs great shoals of delicately -flavoured fish, beguiled by the pearly whitenesses of those gaping -throats, rushed fearlessly down them to oblivion. So quiet were -these haunts, so free from even the remotest chance of interference -by man, their only enemy, that they remained for many months, even -penetrating well up the Gulf of Akaba, that sea of sleep whose waters -even now retain the same primitive seclusion they enjoyed when their -shores were the cradle of mankind. - -But now a time was fast approaching when our hero must needs meet -his compeers in battle, if haply he might justify his claim to be -a leader in his turn. For such is the custom of the cachalot. The -young bulls each seek to form a harem among the younger cows of the -school, and having done so, they break off from the main band and -pursue their own independent way. This crisis in the career of the -orphan had been imminent for some time, but now, in these untroubled -seas, it could no longer be delayed. Already several preliminary -skirmishes had taken place with no definite results, and at last, -one morning when the sea was like oil for smoothness, and blazing -like burnished gold under the fervent glare of the sun, two out -of the four young bulls attacked the orphan at once. All around -lay the expectant brides ready to welcome the conqueror, while in -solitary state the mighty leader held aloof, doubtless meditating on -the coming time when a mightier than he should arise and drive him -from his proud position into lifelong exile. Straight for our hero’s -massive head came his rivals, charging along the foaming surface like -bluff-bowed torpedo rams. But as they converged upon him he also -charged to meet them, settling slightly at the same time. Whether by -accident or design I know not, but certainly the consequence of this -move was that instead of their striking him they met one another over -his back, the shock of their impact throwing their great heads out -of the sea with a dull boom that might have been heard for a mile. -Swiftly and gracefully the orphan turned head over flukes, rising on -his back and clutching the nearest of his opponents by his pendulous -under-jaw. The fury of that assault was so great that the attacked -one’s jaw was wrenched sideways, until it remained at right angles -to his body, leaving him for the rest of his life sorely hampered -in even the getting of food, but utterly incapable of ever again -giving battle to one of his own species. Then rushing towards the -other aggressor the victorious warrior inverted his body in the sea, -and brandishing his lethal flukes smote so doughtily upon his foe -that the noise of those tremendous blows reverberated for leagues -over the calm sea, while around the combatants the troubled waters -were lashed into ridges and islets of snowy foam. Very soon was the -battle over. Disheartened, sick, and exhausted, the disabled rival -essayed to escape, settling stone-like until he lay like some sunken -wreck on the boulder-bestrewn sea-bed a hundred fathoms down. Slowly, -but full of triumph, the conqueror returned to the waiting school -and, selecting six of the submissive cows, led them away without any -attempt at hindrance on the part of the other two young bulls who had -not joined in the fray. - -In stately march the new family travelled southward out of the Red -Sea, along the Somali Coast, past the frowning cliffs of Sokotra, -and crossing the Arabian Sea, skirted at their ease the pleasant -Malabar littoral. Unerring instinct guided them across the Indian -Ocean and through the Sunda Straits, until amid the intricacies of -Celebes they ended their journey for a season. Here, with richest -food in overflowing abundance, among undisturbed reef-beds swept by -constantly changing currents, where they might chafe their irritated -skins clean from the many parasites they had accumulated during -their long Red Sea sojourn, they remained for several seasons. Then, -suddenly, as calamities usually come, they were attacked by a whaler -as they were calmly coasting along Timor. But never till their dying -day did those whale-fishers forget that fight. True, they secured -two half-grown cows, but at what a cost to themselves! For the young -leader, now in the full flush of vigorous life, seemed not only to -have inherited the fighting instincts of his ancestors, but also to -possess a fund of wily ferocity that made him a truly terrible foe. -No sooner did he feel the first keen thrust of the harpoon than, -instead of expending his strength for naught by a series of aimless -flounderings, he rolled his huge bulk swiftly towards his aggressors, -who were busily engaged in clearing their boat of the hampering sail, -and perforce helpless for a time. Right down upon them came the -writhing mass of living flesh, overwhelming them as completely as -if they had suddenly fallen under Niagara. From out of that roaring -vortex only two of the six men forming the boat’s crew emerged alive, -poor fragments of humanity tossing like chips upon the tormented sea. -Then changing his tactics, the triumphant cachalot glided stealthily -about just beneath the surface, feeling with his sensitive flukes for -anything still remaining afloat upon which to wreak his newly aroused -thirst for vengeance. As often as he touched a floating portion of -the shattered boat, up flew his mighty flukes in a moment, and, with -a reflex blow that would have stove in the side of a ship, he smote -it into still smaller splinters. This attention to his first set of -enemies saved the other boats from destruction, for they, using all -expedition, managed to despatch the two cows they had harpooned, -and when they returned to the scene of disaster, the bull, unable -to find anything more to destroy, had departed with the remnant of -his family, and they saw him no more. Gloomily they traversed the -battle-field until they found the two exhausted survivors just feebly -clinging to a couple of oars, and with them mournfully regained their -ship. - -Meanwhile the triumphant bull was slowly making his way eastward, -sorely irritated by the galling harpoon which was buried deep -in his shoulders, and wondering what the hundreds of fathoms of -trailing rope behind him could be. At last coming to a well-known -reef he managed to get the line entangled around some of its coral -pillars, and a strenuous effort on his part tore out the barbed -weapon, leaving in its place a ragged rent in his blubber four feet -long. Such a trifle as that, a mere superficial scratch, gave him -little trouble, and with the wonderful recuperative power possessed -by all the sea-folk the ugly tear was completely healed in a few -days. Henceforth he was to be reckoned among the most dangerous of -all enemies to any of mankind daring to attack him, for he knew his -power. This the whalemen found to their cost. Within the next few -years his fame had spread from Cape Cod to Chelyushkin, and wherever -two whaleships met for a spell of “gamming,” his prowess was sure to -be an absorbing topic of conversation. In fact, he became the terror -of the tortuous passages of Malaysia, and though often attacked -always managed to make good his escape, as well as to leave behind -him some direful testimony to his ferocious cunning. At last he -fell in with a ship off Palawan, whose crew were justly reputed to -be the smartest whale-fishers from “Down East.” Two of her boats -attacked him one lovely evening just before sunset, but the iron -drew. Immediately he felt the wound he dived perpendicularly, but -describing a complete vertical circle beneath the boat he rose again, -striking her almost amidships with the front of his head. This, of -course, hurled the crew everywhere, besides shattering the boat. But -reversing himself again on the instant, he brandished those awful -flukes in the air, bringing them down upon the helpless men and -crushing three of them into dead pieces. Apparently satisfied, he -disappeared in the gathering darkness. - -When the extent of the disaster became known on board the ship, the -skipper was speechless with rage and grief, for the mate who had been -killed was his brother, and very dear to him. And he swore that if -it cost him a season’s work and the loss of his ship, he would slay -that man-killing whale. From that day he cruised about those narrow -seas offering large rewards to any of his men who should first sight -his enemy again. Several weeks went by, during which not a solitary -spout was seen, until one morning in Banda Strait the skipper himself -“raised” a whale close in to the western verge of the island. -Instantly all hands were alert, hoping against hope that this might -prove to be their long-sought foe at last. Soon the welcome news came -from aloft that it _was_ a sperm whale, and an hour later two boats -left the ship, the foremost of them commanded by the skipper. With -him he took four small barrels tightly bunged, and an extra supply of -bomb-lances, in the use of which he was an acknowledged expert. As -they drew near the unconscious leviathan they scarcely dared breathe, -and, their oars carefully peaked, they propelled the boats by paddles -as silently as the gliding approach of a shark. Hurrah! fast; first -iron. “Starn all, men! it’s him, d--n him, ’n I’ll slaughter him ’r -he shall me.” Backward flew the boat, not a second too soon, for -with that superhuman cunning expected of him, the terrible monster -had spun round and was rushing straight for them. The men pulled for -dear life, the steersman swinging the boat round as if she were on -a pivot, while the skipper pitched over the first of his barrels. -Out flashed the sinewy flukes, and before that tremendous blow the -buoyant barrico spun through the air like a football. The skipper’s -eyes flashed with delight at the success of his stratagem, and over -went another decoy. This seemed to puzzle the whale, but it did not -hinder him, and he seemed to keep instinctively heading towards the -boat, thus exposing only his invulnerable head. The skipper, however, -had no idea of rashly risking himself, so heaving over his remaining -barrel he kept well clear of the furious animal’s rushes, knowing -well that the waiting game was the best. All through that bright -day the great battle raged. Many were the hair-breadth escapes of -the men, but the skipper never lost his cool, calculating attitude. -Finally the now exhausted leviathan “sounded” in reality, remaining -down for half-an-hour. When he reappeared, he was so sluggish in -his movements that the exultant skipper shouted, “Naow, boys, in on -him! he’s our whale.” Forward darted the beautiful craft under the -practised sweep of the six oars, and as soon as she was within range -the skipper fired his first bomb. It reached the whale, but, buried -in the flesh, its explosion was not disabling. Still it did not spur -the huge creature into activity, for at last his strength had failed -him. Another rush in and another bomb, this time taking effect just -abaft the starboard fin. There was a momentary accession of energy -as the frightful wound caused by the bursting iron tube among the -monster’s viscera set all his masses of muscle a-quiver. But this -spurt was short-lived. And as a third bomb was fired a torrent of -blood foamed from the whale’s distended spiracle, a few fierce -convulsions distorted his enormous frame, and that puissant ocean -monarch passed peacefully into the passiveness of death. - -When they got the great carcass alongside, they found embedded in the -blubber no fewer than fourteen harpoons, besides sundry fragments -of exploded bombs, each bearing mute but eloquent testimony to the -warlike career of the vanquished Titan who began his career as an -orphan. - - - - - A PORPOISE MYTH - - -Far away to the horizon on three sides of us stretched the sea, its -wavelets all sparkling in the sun-glade, and dancing under the touch -of the sedate trade-wind. Above hung a pale-blue dome quivering with -heat and light from the sun, that, halfway up his road to the zenith, -seemed to be in the act of breaking his globular limit and flooding -space with flame. Ah! it was indeed pleasant to lie on that little -patch of pure sand, firm and smooth as a boarded floor, with the -rocks fringed by greenery of many kinds overshadowing us, and the -ocean murmuring at our feet. - -The place was a little promontory on the eastern shore of Hapai, in -the Friendly Islands, and my companion, who lay on the sand near -me, was by birth a chief, a splendid figure of a man, with a grave, -intellectual face, and deep, solemn voice that refused to allow the -mangled English in which he spoke to seem laughable. I knew him to -be the senior deacon of the local chapel, a devotionalist of the -most rigid kind, yet by common consent a righteous man, well-beloved -by all who knew him. He was my “flem” or friend, who, of his own -initiative, kept me supplied with all such luxuries as the village -afforded, and so great was my admiration for him as a man that it was -with no ordinary delight I succeeded in persuading him to accompany -me on a holiday ramble. He had led me through forest paths beset by a -thousand wonders of beauty in vegetation and insect life, showing me -as we went how the untilled ground produced on every hand abundance -of delicious food for man, up over hills from whence glimpses of -land and sea scape incessantly flashed upon the sight till my eyes -grew weary of enjoying, over skirting reefs just creaming with the -indolent wash of the sea, every square yard of which held matter for -a life’s study, but all beautiful beyond superlatives. And at last, -weary with wondering no less than with the journey, we had reached -this sheltered nook and laid down to rest, lulled into dreamy peace -by the murmurs of the Pacific rippling beneath us. - -For some time we lay silent in great content. Every thought, every -feeling, as far as I was concerned, was just merged in complete -satisfaction of all the senses, although at times I glanced at my -grave companion, wondering dreamily if he too, though accustomed to -these delights all his life long, could feel that deep enjoyment -of them that I, a wanderer from the bleak and unsettled North, -was saturated with. But while this and kindred ideas lazily ebbed -and flowed through my satisfied brain, the bright expanse of sea -immediately beneath us suddenly started into life. A school of -porpoises, numbering several hundreds, broke the surface, new -risen from unknown depths, and began their merry gambols as if the -superabundant life animating them must find a vent. They formed into -three divisions, marched in undulating yet evenly spaced lines, -amalgamated, separated, reformed. At one moment all clustered in -one central mass, making the placid sea boil; the next, as if by a -pivotal explosion, they were rushing at headlong speed in radiating -lines towards a circumference. As if at preconcerted signal, they -reached it and disappeared. Perfect quiet ensued for perhaps two -minutes. Then, in solemn measure, solitary individuals, scattered -over a vast area, rose into the air ten, fifteen, twenty feet, turned -and fell, but, at our distance from them, in perfect silence. This -pretty play continued for some time, the leaps growing gradually less -vigorous until they ceased altogether, and we saw the whole company -massing themselves in close order far out to sea. A few minutes, for -breathing space I suppose, and then in one magnificent charge, every -individual leaping twenty feet at each bound, they came thundering -shoreward. It was an inspiring sight, that host of lithe black bodies -in maddest rush along the sea-surface, lashing it into dazzling foam, -and sending across to our ears a deep melodious roar like the voice -of many waters. Within a hundred yards of the shore they disappeared -abruptly, as if an invisible line had there been drawn, and presently -we saw them leisurely departing eastward, as though, playtime over, -they had now resumed the normal flow of everyday duties. - -While I lay quietly wondering over the amazing display I had just -witnessed, I was almost startled to hear my companion speak, for he -seldom did so unless spoken to first. (I translate.) “The great game -of the sea-pigs that we have just seen brings back to my memory -an old story which is still told among our people, but one which -we are trying hard to forget with all the others, because they are -of the evil days, and stir up in our children those feelings that -we have fought so long to bury beyond resurrection. This story, -however, is harmless enough, although I should neither tell it to, -or listen to it from, one of mine own people. Long ago when we -worshipped the old cruel gods, and my ancestors were chief priests -of that worship, holding all the people under their rule in utter -terror and subjection, our chief, yes, our only, business besides -religion was war. Our women were slaves who were only born for our -service, and it is not easy now to understand what our feelings then -were toward the sex to whom we are now so tender. Our only talk was -of the service of the gods and of war, which indeed was generally -undertaken for some religious reason, more often than not to provide -human victims for sacrifice. In one of these constantly recurring -wars the men of Tonga-tabu--of course each group of these islands was -then independent of the others--made a grand raid upon Hapai. They -were helped by some strangers, who had been washed ashore from some -other islands to the northward, to build bigger and better war-canoes -than had ever before been seen, for our people were never famous for -canoe-building. They kept their plans so secret that when at daybreak -one morning the news ran round Hapai that a whole fleet of war-canoes -were nearing the shore, our people were like a school of flying-fish -into the midst of which some dolphin has suddenly burst. One of my -ancestors, called ‘The Bone-Breaker’ from his great strength and -courage, met the invaders with a mere handful of his followers and -delayed their landing for hours until he and all his warriors were -killed. By this time fresh bands were continually arriving, so that -the warriors from Tonga must needs fight every inch of their way -through the islands. And as they destroyed band after band their -war-hunger became greater, their rage rose, and they determined to -leave none of us living except such as they kept for sacrifice on -their altars at home. Day after day the slaughter went on, ever more -feeble grew the defence, until warriors who had never refused the -battle hid themselves like the pêca in holes of the rocks. Behind -us, about two miles inland, there is a high hill with a flat top -and steep sides. To this as a shelter fled all the unmarried girls -of our people, fearing to be carried away as slaves to Tonga, but -never dreaming of being slain if their hiding-place was found. Here -they remained unseen for seven days, until, ravenous with hunger, -they were forced to leave their hiding-place and come down. But they -hoped that, although no tidings had reached them from outside, their -enemies had departed. Four hundred of them reached the plain over -which we passed just now, weak with fasting, with no man to lead -them, trembling at every rustling branch in the forest around. All -appeared as it does to-day, the islands seemed slumbering in serene -peace, although they knew that every spot where their people had -lived was now defiled by the recent dead. - -“While they paused, huddling together irresolutely, there suddenly -burst upon their ears a tempest of exultant yells, and from -both sides of the hill they had lately left the whole force of -Tongans rushed after them. They fled as flies the booby before -the frigate-bird, and with as little hope of escape. Before them -spread this same bright sea smiling up at them as if in welcome. -You know how our people love the sea, love to cradle ourselves on -its caressing waves from the day when, newly born, our mothers lay -us in its refreshing waters, until even its life-giving touch can -no longer reanimate our withered bodies. So who can wonder that the -maidens fled to it for refuge. Over this shining sand they rushed, -plunging in ranks from yonder reef-edge into the quiet blue beyond. -Hard behind them came the hunters, sure of their prey. They reached -the reef and stared with utter dread and amazement upon the pretty -play of a great school of porpoises that, in just such graceful -evolutions as we have now seen, manifested their full enjoyment of -life. Terror seized upon those blood-lusting Tongans, their muscles -shrank and their weapons fell. Had there been one hundred Hapaian -warriors left alive they might have destroyed the whole Tongan host, -for it was become as a band of lost and terrified children dreading -at every step to meet the vengeance of the gods. But there were none -to hinder them, so they fled in safety to their own shores, never to -invade Hapai again. And when, after many years, the few survivors -of that week of death had repeopled Hapai, the story of the four -hundred maidens befriended by the sea-gods in their time of need was -the most frequently told among us. And to this day is the porpoise -‘taboo,’ although we know now that this legend, as well as all the -others which have been so carefully preserved among us, is only the -imagination of our forefathers’ hearts. Yet I often wish that we knew -some of them were true.” - - - - - CATS ON BOARD SHIP - - -Many stories are current about the peculiar aptitude possessed by -sailors of taming all sorts of wild creatures that chance to come -under their care, most of them having a much firmer basis of fact -than sea-yarns are usually given credit for. But of all the pets -made by Jack none ever attains so intimate an acquaintance with him, -so firm a hold upon his affections, as the cat, about whom so many -libellous things are said ashore. All things considered, a ship’s -forecastle is about the last place in the world that one would -expect to find favoured by a cat for its permanent abiding place. -Subject as it is at all times to sudden invasion by an encroaching -wave, always at the extremes of stuffiness or draughtiness, never -by any chance cheered by the glow of a fire, or boasting even an -apology for a hearthrug,--warmth-loving, luxurious pussy cannot -hope to find any of those comforts that her long acquaintance with -civilisation has certainly given her an innate hankering after. No -cat’s-meat man purveying regular rations of savoury horse-flesh, so -much beloved by even the daintiest aristocrats of the cat family, -ever gladdens her ears with the dulcet cry of “Meeeet, cassmeet,” -nor, saddest lack of all, is there ever to be found a saucer of milk -for her delicate cleanly lapping. And yet, strange as it may appear, -despite the superior attractions offered by the friendly steward at -the after-end of the ship, irresponsive to the blandishments of the -captain and officers, I have many times been shipmate with cats who -remained steadily faithful to the fo’c’s’le throughout the length -of an East Indian or Colonial voyage. They could hardly be said -to have any preferences for individual members of the crew, being -content with the universal attention paid them by all, although as -a rule they found a snug berth in some man’s bunk which they came -to look upon as theirs by prescriptive right, their shelter in time -of storm, and their refuge, when in harbour the scanty floor place -of the fo’c’s’le afforded no safe promenade for anything bearing -a tail. Only once or twice in all my experience have I seen any -cruelty offered to a cat on board ship, and then the miscreant who -thus offended against the unwritten law had but a sorry time of it -thereafter. - -Personally, I have been honoured by the enduring fellowship of many -cats whose attachment to me for myself alone (for I had nothing to -give them to eat but a little chewed biscuit) effectually settled for -me the question of what some people are pleased to call the natural -selfishness of cats. My first experience was on my second voyage when -I was nearly thirteen years old. On my first voyage we had no cat, -strange to say, in either of the three ships I belonged to before I -got back to England. But when I joined the _Brinkburn_ in London for -the West Indies as boy, I happened to be the first on board to take -up my quarters in the fo’c’s’le. I crept into my lonely bunk that -night feeling very small and forgotten, and huddled myself into my -ragged blanket trying to get warm and go to sleep. It was quite dark, -and the sudden apparition of two glaring green eyes over the edge of -my bunk sent a spasm of fear through me for a moment, until I felt -soft feet walking over me and heard the pretty little crooning sound -usually made by a complacent mother-cat over her kittens. I put up -my hands and felt the warm fur, quite a thrill of pleasure trickling -over me as pussy pleasantly responded with a loud satisfied purr. We -were quite glad of each other I know, for as I cuddled her closely -to me, the vibrations of her purring comforted me so that in a short -time I was sound asleep. Thenceforward puss and I were the firmest of -friends. In fact she was the only friend I had on board that hateful -ship. For the crew were a hard-hearted lot, whose treatment of me was -consistently barbarous, and even the other boy, being much bigger and -stronger than I was, used to treat me as badly as any of them. But -when night came and the faithful cat nestled in by my side during -my watch below, I would actually forget my misery for a short time -in the pleasant consciousness that _something_ was fond of me. It -was to my bunk she invariably fled for refuge from the ill-natured -little terrier who lived aft, and never missed an opportunity of -flying at her when he saw her on deck. Several times during the -passage she found flying-fish that dropped on deck at night, and, -by some instinct I do not pretend to explain, brought them to where -I crouched by the cabin-door. Then she would munch the sweet morsel -contentedly, looking up at me between mouthfuls as if to tell me -how much she was enjoying her unwonted meal, or actually leaving -it for a minute or two to rub herself against me and arch her back -under my fondling hand. Two days before we left Falmouth, Jamaica, on -the homeward passage, she had kittens, five tiny slug-like things, -that lived in my bunk in their mother’s old nest. The voyage ended -abruptly on the first day out of harbour by the vessel running upon -an outlying spur of coral only a few miles from the port. After a day -and night of great exertion and exposure the ship slid off the sharp -pinnacles of the reef into deep water, giving us scant time to escape -on board one of the small craft that clustered alongside salving the -cargo. The few rags I owned were hardly worth saving, but indeed I -did not think of them. All my care was for an old slouch hat in which -lay the five kittens snug and warm, while the anxious mother clung -to me so closely that I had no difficulty in taking her along too. -When we got ashore, although it cost me a bitter pang, I handed the -rescued family over to the hotel-keeper’s daughter, a comely mulatto -girl, who promised me that my old shipmate should from that time live -in luxury. - -From that time forward I was never fortunate enough to have a cat for -my very own for a long time. Nearly every ship I was in had a cat, or -even two, but they were common property, and their attentions were -severely impartial. Then it came to pass that I joined a very large -and splendid ship in Adelaide as second mate. Going on board for the -first time, a tiny black kitten followed me persistently along the -wharf. It had evidently strayed a long way and would not be put off, -although I made several attempts to escape from it, feeling that -perhaps I might be taking it away from a better home than I could -possibly give it. It succeeded in following me on board, and when I -took possession of the handsome cabin provided for me in the after -end of the after deckhouse facing the saloon, it installed itself -therein, purring complete approval of its surroundings. Now, in spite -of the splendour of the ship and the natural pride I felt in being an -officer on board of her, it must be confessed that I was exceedingly -lonely. The chief officer was an elderly man of about fifty-five who -had long commanded ships, and he considered it beneath his dignity to -associate with such a mere lad as he considered me. Besides, he lived -in the grand cabin. I could not forgather with the saloon passengers, -who rarely came on the main-deck at all where I lived, and I was -forbidden to go forward and visit those in the second saloon. -Therefore during my watch below I was doomed to solitary state, cut -off from the companionship of my kind with the sole exception of the -urbane and gentlemanly chief steward, who did occasionally (about -once a week) spend a fraction of his scanty leisure in conversation -with me. Thus it came about that the company of “Pasht,” as I called -my little cat, was a perfect godsend. He slept on my pillow when I -was in my bunk, when I sat at my table writing or reading he sat -close to my hand. And if I wrote long, paying no attention to him, -he would reach out a velvety paw and touch the handle of my pen, -ever so gently, looking up at my face immediately to see if my -attention had been diverted. Often I took no notice but kept on with -my work, quietly putting back the intruding paw when it became too -troublesome. At last, as if unable to endure my neglect any longer, -he would get up and walk on to the paper, sitting down in the centre -of the sheet with a calm assurance that now I must notice him that -was very funny. Then we would sit looking into the depths of each -other’s eyes as if trying mutual mesmerism. It generally ended by -his climbing up on to my shoulder and settling into the hollow of -my neck, purring softly in my ear, while I wrote or read on until -I was quite stiff with the constrained position I kept for fear of -disturbing him. Whenever I went on deck at night to keep my watch he -invariably came with me, keeping me company throughout my four hours’ -vigil on the poop. Always accustomed to going barefoot, from which -I was precluded during the day owing to my position, I invariably -enjoyed the absence of any covering for my feet in the night watches. -My little companion evidently thought my bare feet were specially -put on for his amusement, for after a few sedate turns fore and aft -by my side, he would hide behind the skylights and leap out upon -them as I passed, darting off instantly in high glee at the feat he -had performed. Occasionally I would turn the tables on him by going -a few feet up the rigging, when he would sit and cry, baby-like, -until I returned and comforted him. I believe he knew every stroke of -the bell as well as I did. One of the apprentices always struck the -small bell at the break of the poop every half-hour, being answered -by the look-out man on the big bell forward. “Pasht” never took the -slightest notice of any of the strokes until the four pairs announced -the close of the watch. Then I always missed him suddenly. But when, -after mustering the mate’s watch and handing over my charge to my -superior, I went to my berth, a little black head invariably peeped -over the edge of my bunk, as if saying, “Come along; I’m so sleepy!” -So our pleasant companionship went on until one day, when about the -Line in the Atlantic, I found my pretty pet lying on the grating in -my berth. He had been seized with a fit, and under its influence -had rushed into the fo’c’s’le, where some unspeakable wretch had -shamefully maltreated him under the plea that he was mad! I could not -bear to see him suffer--I cannot say what had been done to him--so -I got an old marline-spike, looped the lanyard about his neck, and -dropped him overboard. And an old lady among the passengers berated -me the next day for my “heartless brutality”! - -As a bereaved parent often dreads the thought of having another -little one to lose, so, although many opportunities presented -themselves, I refused to own another cat, until I became an -unconsenting foster-parent again to a whole family. I joined a -brig in the St. Katharine Docks as mate, finding when I took up -my berth that there was both a cat and a dog on board, inmates -of the cabin. They occupied different quarters during the night, -but it was a never-waning pleasure to me to see them meet in the -morning. The dog, a large brown retriever, would stand perfectly -still, except for his heavy tail, which swayed sedately from side -to side, while “Jane” would walk round and round him, arching her -back and rubbing her sides against him, purring all the time a -gentle note of welcome. Presently their noses would meet, as if in -a kiss, and he would bestow a slavering lick or two upon her white -fur. This always ended the greeting, sending “Jane” off primly to -commence her morning toilet. But alas! a blighting shadow fell -upon this loving intercourse. One of the dock cats, a creature -of truculent appearance, her fur more like the nap of a door-mat -than anything else, blind of one eye, minus half her tail, with a -hare-lip (acquired, not hereditary), and her ears vandyked in curious -patterns, stalked on board one afternoon, and took up her abode in -the cabin without any preliminaries whatever. Both the original -tenants were much disturbed at this graceless intrusion, but neither -of them felt disposed to tackle the formidable task of turning her -out. So “Jane” departed to the galley, and “Jack,” with many a loud -and long sniff at the door of the berth wherein the visitor lay, -oscillated disconsolately between the galley and the cabin, his duty -and his inclination. The new-comer gave no trouble, always going -ashore for everything she required, and only once, the morning her -family arrived, deigning to accept a saucer of milk from me. As soon -as she dared she carried the new-comers ashore one by one, being -much vexed when I followed and brought them back again. However, her -patience was greater than mine, for she succeeded in getting them -all away except one which I hid away and she apparently forgot. -Then we saw her no more; she returned to her duty of rat-catching -in the warehouses, and never came near us again. Meanwhile “Jane” -would scarcely leave my side during the day, asking as plainly as -a cat could, why, oh why, didn’t I turn that shameless hussy out? -Couldn’t I see how things were? or was I like the rest of the men? -Her importunity was so great that I was heartily glad when the old -“docker” was gone, and I lost no time in reinstalling “Jane” in her -rightful realm. It was none too soon. For the next morning when I -turned out, a sight as strange as any I have ever seen greeted me. -There, in the corner of my room, lay “Jack” on his side, looking -with undisguised amazement and an occasional low whine of sympathy -at his friend, who, nestling close up to his curls in the space -between his fore and hind legs, was busily attending to the wants -of two new arrivals. The dog’s bewilderment and interest were so -great, that the scene would have been utterly ludicrous had it not -been so genuinely pathetic and pretty. How he managed to restrain -himself I do not know, but there he lay perfectly quiet until pussy -herself released him from his awkward position by getting up and -taking possession of a cosy box I prepared for her. Even then his -attentions were constant, for many times a day he would walk gravely -in and sniff at the kittens, bestow a lick on the mother, and depart -with an almost dejected air, as of a dog that had met with a problem -utterly beyond his wisdom to solve. A visitor claiming one of the -new kittens, I filled its place with the one I had kept belonging to -the old “docker,” and “Jane” accepted the stranger without demur. -While we were in dock I gave them plenty of such luxuries as milk and -cat’s-meat, so that the little family prospered apace. As the kittens -grew and waxed frolicsome, their attachment to me was great,--quite -embarrassing at times, for while standing on deck giving orders, -they would swarm up my legs and cling like bats to my coat, so that -I moved with difficulty for fear of shaking them off. “Jane” was -a perfect “ratter,” and I was curious to see whether her prowess -was hereditary in her offspring. A trap was set and a rat speedily -caught, for we were infested with them. Then “Jane” and her own -kitten were called, the latter being at the time barely two months -old. As soon as the kitten smelt the rat she growled, set up her -fur, and walked round the trap (a large wire cage) seeking a way in. -“Jane” sat down a little apart, an apparently uninterested spectator. -We opened the door of the trap, the kitten darted in, and there in -that confined space slew the rat, which was almost her equal in -size, with the greatest ease. She then dragged it out, growling like -a miniature tiger. Her mother came to have a look, but the kitten, -never loosing her bite, shot out one bristling paw and smote poor -“Jane” on the nose so felly that she retired shaking her head and -sneezing entire disapproval. The other kitten, a “tom,” could never -be induced to interfere with a rat at all. My space is gone, much to -my disappointment, for the subject is a fascinating one to me. But -I hope enough has been said to show what a large amount of interest -clusters around cats on board ship. - - - - - THE OLD EAST INDIAMAN - - -An enthusiastic crowd of workmen and seafarers gathered one day long -ago at Blackwall to witness the launching of the _Lion_. Every man -among them felt a personal interest in the majestic fabric that, -under the proud labours of those skilful shipwrights, had gradually -grown up out of the trim piles of oak, greenheart, and teak, and -taken on the splendid shape of an East Indiaman, in the days when -those grand vessels were queens of the wide sea. Green’s renowned -draughtsmen had lavished all their skill upon her design, every -device known to men whose calling was their pride, and to whom the -Blackwall Yard was the centre of the shipbuilding world, had been -employed to make the _Lion_ the finest of all the great fleet that -had been brought into being there. Decked with flags from stem to -stern, the sun glinting brightly on the rampant crimson lion that -towered proudly on high from her stem, she glided gracefully from the -ways amid the thunder of cannon and the deafening shouts of exultant -thousands. And when, two months later, she sailed for Madras with -eighty prime seamen forrard and a hundred passengers in her spacious -cuddy, who so proud as her stately commander? His eye flashed as -he watched the nimble evolutions of his bonny bluejackets leaping -from spar to spar, and he felt that, given fitting opportunity, he -would have no overwhelming task to tackle a French line-of-battle -ship, even though he _was_ but a peaceful merchantman. For ranged -on either side of her roomy decks were ten 18-pounders, under the -charge of a smart gunner, whose pride in his new post was a pleasant -thing to see. And besides these bulldogs there were many rifles -and boarding-pikes neatly stowed in a small armoury in the waist. -But above and beyond all these weapons were the men who would use -them,--sturdy, square-set British sea-dogs, such as you may now see -any day swarming upon the deck of a British man-o’-war, but may look -for almost in vain on board the swarming thousands of vessels that -compose our merchant fleet. - -The _Lion_ soon justified all the high hopes of her builders and -owners. In spite of her (then) great size and the taut spread of her -spars, she was far handier than any “Billy-boy” that ever turned up -the Thames estuary against a head wind, and by at least a knot and -a half the fastest ship in the East India trade. Her fame grew and -waxed exceedingly great. There was as much intriguing to secure a -berth in the _Lion_ for the outward or homeward passage as there was -in those days for positions in the golden land she traded to. Almost -all the hierarchy of India spoke of her affectionately as one speaks -of the old home, and the newly-arrived in her knew no lack of topics -for conversation if they only mentioned her name in any company. For -had she not borne safely and pleasantly over the long, long sea-road -from home hundreds and hundreds of those pale-faced rulers of dusky -millions, bringing them in their callow boyhood to leap at a bound -to posts of trust and responsibility such as the proud old Romans -never dreamed of? She was so tenderly cared for, her every want so -immediately supplied, that this solicitude, added to the staunchness -and honesty of her build, seemed to render her insusceptible of -decay. Men whose work in India was done spoke of her in their -peaceful retirement on leafy English countrysides, and recalled with -cronies “our first passage out in the grand old _Lion_.” A new type -of ship, a new method of propulsion, was springing up all around her. -But whenever any of the most modern fliers forgathered with her upon -the ocean highway, their crews felt their spirits rise in passionate -admiration for the stately and beautiful old craft whose graceful -curves and perfect ease seemed to be of the sea _sui generis_, -moulded and caressed by the noble element into something of its own -mobility and tenacious power. - -It appeared almost a loss of dignity when the Company took her off -the India route and held her on the Australian berth. But very soon -she had taken the place that always appeared to be hers of right, -and she was _the_ ship of all others wherein to sail for the new -world beneath us. And in due course the sturdy Empire-builders -scattered all over the vast new country were speaking of her as -the Anglo-Indians had done a generation ago, and the “new chum” -who had “come out in the _Lion_” found himself welcome in far-away -bush homes, from Adelaide to Brisbane, as one of the same family, -a protégé of the benevolent old ship. She held her own well, too, -in point of speed with the new steel and iron clippers, in spite -of what foolish youngsters sneeringly said about her extended -quarter-galleries, her far-reaching head, and immense many-windowed -stern. But gradually the fierce stress of modern competition told -upon her, and it needed no great stretch of the imagination to -suppose that the magnificent old craft felt her dignity outraged as -voyage after voyage saw her crew lists dwindle until instead of the -eighty able _seamen_ of her young days she carried but twenty-two. -The goodly company of officers, midshipmen, and artificers were -cut down also to a third of their old array, and as a necessary -consequence much of her ancient smartness of appearance went with -them. Then she should have closed her splendid career in some great -battle with the elements, and found a fitting glory of defeat without -disgrace before the all-conquering, enduring sea. That solace was -not to be hers, but as a final effort she made the round voyage from -Melbourne to London and back, including the handling of two cargoes, -in five months and twenty days, beating anything of the kind ever -recorded of a sailing-vessel. - -Then, oh woeful fall! she was sold to the Norwegians, those thrifty -mariners who are ever on the look-out for bargains in the way of -ships who have seen their best days, and manage to succeed, in ways -undreamed of by more lavish nations, in making fortunes out of such -poor old battered phantoms of bygone prosperity. Tenacious as the -seaman’s memory is for the appearance of any ship in which he has -once sailed, it would have been no easy task for any of her former -shipmates to recognise the splendid old _Lion_ under her Scandinavian -name of the _Ganger Rolf_, metamorphosed as she was too by the -shortening of her tapering spars, the stripping of the yards from -the mizen-mast, and the rigging up of what British sailors call the -“Norwegian house-flag,” a windmill pump between the main and mizen -masts. Thus transformed she began her degraded existence under -new masters, crawling to and fro across the Atlantic to Quebec in -summer, Pensacola or Doboy in winter, uneasily and spiritless as some -gallant hunter dragging a timber waggon in his old age. Unpainted, -weather-bleached, and with sails so patched and clouted that they -looked like slum washing hung out to dry, she became, like the rest -of the “wood-scows,” a thing for the elements to scoff at, and, seen -creeping eastward with a deck-load of deals piled six feet high fore -and aft above her top-gallant rail, was as pathetic as a pauper -funeral. Eight seamen now were all that the thrift of her owners -allowed to navigate her, who with the captain, two mates, carpenter, -and cook, made up the whole of her crew, exactly the number of the -officers she used to carry in her palmy days. - -One day when she was discharging in London there came alongside an -old seaman, weather-worn and hungry-looking. Something in the build -of the old ship caught his eye, and with quivering lips and twitching -hands he climbed on board. Round about the deck he quested until, -half hidden by a huge pile of lumber, he found the bell and read on -it, “Lion, London, 1842.” Then he sat down and covered his face with -his hands. Presently he arose and sought the grimy mate purposefully. -At an incredibly low wage he obtained the berth of cook,--it was -either that or starve, although now he had found his old ship, he -felt that he would go for nothing rather than miss another voyage in -her. Soon after they sailed for the “fall voyage” to Quebec, making -a successful run over, much to the delight of the ancient cook, who -was never weary of telling any one who would listen of the feats of -sailing performed by the _Lion_ when he was quartermaster of her -“way back in the fifties.” Urged by greed, for he was part-owner, -and under no fear of the law, the skipper piled upon her such a -deck-load of deals that she no longer resembled a ship, she was only -comparable to a vast timber stack with three masts. She was hardly -clear of Newfoundland on her homeward passage, when one of the most -terrible gales of all that terrible winter set in. Snow and sleet -and frost-fog, a blinding white whirl of withering cold, assailed -her, paralysing the hapless handful of men who vainly strove on -their lofty platform to do their duty, exposed fully to all the -wrath of that icy tempest. One after one the worn-out sails, like -autumn leaves, were stripped from yard and stay; day after day saw -the perishing mariners die. The sea froze upon her where it fell, -so that now she resembled an iceberg; and though the remnant of the -crew tried many times to get at the fastenings of the chains that -secured the deck-load so as to send it adrift, they could not. At -last only one man was left alive, and he, strangely enough, was the -old cook. And while still the gale was at its height, he suddenly -seemed to renew all his lost strength. Buckling tight his belt with -firm fingers, a new light gleaming in his eyes, he strode aft and -seized the long-disused wheel. Standing erect and alert he conned -her gravely, getting her well before the wind. Onward she fled, as -if knowing the touch of an old friend. Gradually the lean fingers -stiffened, the fire died out of the eyes, until, just as the last -feeble drops in that brave old heart froze solid, the _Lion_ dashed -into a mountainous berg and all her shattered timbers fell apart. -Lovely and pleasant had she been in her life, and in her death she -was no danger to her wandering sisters. - - - - - THE FLOOR OF THE SEA - - -Who is there among us that has ever seen a lake, a pond, or a -river-bed laid dry that has not felt an almost childish interest and -curiosity in the aspect of a portion of earth’s surface hitherto -concealed from our gaze? The feeling is probably universal, arising -from the natural desire to penetrate the unknown, and also from a -primitive anxiety to know what sort of an abode the inhabitants of -the water possess, since we almost always consider the water-folk -to live as do the birds, really on land with the water for an -atmosphere. But if this curiosity be so general with regard to the -petty depths mentioned above, how greatly is it increased in respect -of the recesses of the sea. For there is truly the great unknown, the -undiscoverable country of which, in spite of the constant efforts of -deep-sea expeditions, we know next to nothing. Here imagination may -(and does) run riot, attempting the impossible task of reproducing to -our minds the state of things in the lightless, silent depths where -life, according to our ideas of it, is impossible,--the true valley -of the shadow of death. - -Suppose that it were possible for some convulsion of Nature to -lay bare, let us say, the entire bed of the North Atlantic Ocean. -With one bound the fancy leaps at the prospect of a rediscovery of -the lost continent, the fabled Atlantis whose wonders have had so -powerful an effect upon the imaginations of mankind. Should we be -able to roam through those stupendous halls, climb those towering -temple heights reared by the giants of an elder world, or gaze with -stupefied wonder upon the majestic ruins of cities to which Babylon -or Palmyra with all their mountainous edifices were but as a suburban -townlet! Who knows? Yet maybe the natural wonders apparent in the -foundations of such soaring masses as the Azores, the Cape Verde -Islands, or the Canaries; or, greater still, the altitude of such -remote and lonely pinnacles as those of the St. Paul’s Rocks, would -strike us as more marvellous yet. To thread the cool intricacies -of the “still vext Bermoothes” at their basements and seek out the -caves where the sea-monsters dwell who never saw the light of day, -to wander at will among the windings of that strange maze of reefs -that cramp up the outpouring of the beneficent Gulf Stream and make -it issue from its source with that turbulent energy that carries it, -laden with blessings, to our shores; what a pilgrimage that would -be! Imagine the vision of that great chain of islands which we call -the West Indies soaring up from the vast plain 6000 feet below, with -all the diversity of form and colour belonging to the lovely homes -of the coral insects, who build ceaselessly for themselves, yet all -unconsciously rear stable abodes for mankind. - -It would be an awful country to view, this suddenly exposed floor -of the sea. A barren land of weird outline, of almost unimaginable -complexity of contour, but without any beauty such as is bestowed -upon the dry earth by the kindly sun. For its beauty depends upon -the sea, whose prolific waters are peopled with life so abundantly -that even the teeming earth is barren as compared with the ocean. -But at its greatest depths all the researches that man has been able -to prosecute go to prove that there is little life. The most that -goes on there is a steady accumulation of the dead husks of once -living organisms settling slowly down to form who knows what new -granites, marbles, porphyries, against the time when another race on -a reorganised earth shall need them. Here there is nothing fanciful, -for if we know anything at all of prehistoric times, it is that what -is now high land, not to say merely dry land, was once lying cold -and dormant at the bottom of the sea being prepared throughout who -can say what unrealisable periods of time for the use and enjoyment -of its present lords. Not until we leave the rayless gloom, the -incalculable pressures and universal cold of those tremendous -depths, do we find the sea-floor beginning to abound with life. It -may even be doubted whether anything of man’s handiwork, such as -there is about a ship foundering in mid-ocean, would ever reach in -a recognisable form the bottom of the sea at a depth of more than -2000 fathoms. There is an idea, popularly current among seafarers, -that sunken ships in the deep sea only go down a certain distance, no -matter what their build or how ponderous their cargo. Having reached -a certain stratum, they then drift about, slowly disintegrating, -derelicts of the depths, swarming with strange denizens, the shadowy -fleets of the lost and loved and mourned. In time, of course, as -the great solvent gets in its work they disappear, becoming part of -their surroundings, but not for hundreds of years, during which they -pass and repass at the will of the under-currents that everywhere -keep the whole body of water in the ocean from becoming stagnant and -death-dealing to adjacent shores. A weird fancy truly, but surely not -more strange than the silent depths about which it is formulated. - -In his marvellously penetrative way, Kipling has touched this theme -while singing the “Song of the English”:-- - - “The wrecks dissolve above us; their dust drops down from afar-- - Down to the dark, the utter dark, where the blind white sea-snakes - are. - There is no sound, no echo of sound, in the deserts of the deep, - On the great grey level plains of ooze where the shell-burred cables - creep. - - Here in the womb of the world--here on the tie-ribs of earth, - Words, and the words of men, flicker and flutter and beat-- - Warning, sorrow and gain, salutation and mirth-- - For a Power troubles the Still that has neither voice nor feet.” - -Surely the imagination must be dead indeed that does not throb -responsive to the thought of that latter-day workmanship of wire -and rubber descending at the will of man into the vast void, and -running its direct course over mountain ranges, across sudden abysses -of lower depth, through the turbulence of up-bursting submarine -torrents where long-pent-up rivers compel the superincumbent ocean -to admit their saltless waters; until from continent to continent -the connection is made, and man holds converse with man at his -ease as though distance were not. Recent investigations go to prove -that chief among the causes that make for destruction of those -communicating cables are the upheavals of lost rivers. In spite -of the protection that scientific invention has provided for the -central core of conducting wire, these irresistible outbursts of -undersea torrents rend and destroy it, causing endless labour of -replacement by the never-resting cable-ships. But this is only one -of the many deeply interesting features of oceanography, a science -of comparatively recent growth, but full of gigantic possibilities -for the future knowledge of this planet. The researches of the -_Challenger_ expedition, embodied in fifty portly volumes, afford -a vast mass of material for discussion, and yet it is evident that -what they reveal is but the merest tentative dipping into the great -mysterious land that lies hidden far below the level surface of the -inscrutable sea. - -That veteran man of science, Sir John Murray, has in a recent paper -(_Royal Geographical Society’s Journal_, October 1899) published -his presidential address to the geographical section of the British -Association at Dover, and even to the ordinary non-scientific reader -his wonderful _résumé_ of what has been done in the way of exploring -the ocean’s depths must be as entrancing as a fairy tale. The mere -mention of such a chasm as that existing in the South Pacific -between the Kermadecs and the Friendly Islands, where a depth of -5155 fathoms, or 530 feet more than five geographical miles, has -been found, strikes the lay mind with awe. Mount Everest, that -stupendous Himalayan peak whose summit soars far above the utmost -efforts of even the most devoted mountaineers, a virgin fastness -mocking man’s soaring ambition, if sunk in the ocean at the spot -just mentioned would disappear until its highest point was 2000 feet -below the surface. Yet out of that abyss rises the volcanic mass of -Sunday Island in the Kermadecs, whose crater is probably 2000 feet -above the sea-level. But in no less than forty-three areas visited by -the _Challenger_, depths of over 3000 fathoms have been found, and -their total area is estimated at 7,152,000 square miles, or about -7 per cent. of the total water-surface of the globe. Within these -deeps are found many lower deeps, strangely enough generally in -comparatively close proximity to land, such as the Tuscarora Deep, -near Japan, one in the Banda Sea, that is to say, in the heart of the -East India Archipelago, &c. Down, down into these mysterious waters -the ingenious sounding-machine runs, taking out its four miles and -upwards of pianoforte wire until the sudden stoppage of the swift -descent marks the dial on deck with the exact number of fathoms -reached. And yet so vast is the ocean bed that none can say with any -certainty that far greater depths may not yet be found than any that -have hitherto been recorded, amazing as they are. - -The character of the ocean floor at all these vast depths as -revealed by the sounding-tube bringing specimens to the surface -is identical--red clay--which strikes the fancy queerly as being -according to most ancient legends the substance out of which our -first ancestor was builded, and from whence he derived his name. -Mingled with this primordial ooze is found the débris of once living -forms, many of them of extinct species, or species at any rate that -have never come under modern man’s observation except as fossils. -The whole story, however, demands far more space than can here be -allowed, but one more instance must be given of the wonders of the -sea-bed in conclusion. Let a violent storm displace any considerable -body of warm surface water, and lo! to take its place up rises an -equal volume of cold under layers that have been resting far below -the influence of the sun. Like a pestilential miasma these chill -waves seize upon the myriads of the sea-folk and they die. The tale -of death is incalculable, but one example is mentioned by Sir John -Murray of a case of this kind off the eastern coast of North America -in the spring of 1882, when a layer of dead fish and other marine -animals six feet in thickness was believed to cover the ocean floor -for many miles. - - - - - SHAKESPEARE AND THE SEA - - -Quite recently it was suggested by the writer of an article in the -_Spectator_ that Shakespeare was now but little read,--that while -his works were quoted from as much as ever, the quotations were -obtained at second hand, and that it would be hard to find to-day -any reader who had waded through all that wonderful collection of -plays and poems. This is surely not a carefully made statement. If -there were any amount of truth in it, we might well regard such a -state of things as only one degree less deplorable than that people -should have ceased to read the Bible. For next to the Bible there -can be no such collection of writings available wherein may be -found food for every mind. Even the sailor, critical as he always -is of allusions to the technicalities of his calling that appear in -literature, is arrested by the truth of Shakespeare’s references -to the sea and seafaring, while he cannot but wonder at their -copiousness in the work of a thorough landsman. Of course, in this -respect it is necessary to remember that Elizabethan England spoke a -language which was far more frequently studded with sea-terms than -that which we speak ashore to-day. With all our vast commerce and our -utter dependence upon the sea for our very life; its romance, its -expressions take little hold of the immense majority of the people. -Therein we differ widely from Americans. In every walk of life, from -Maine to Mexico, from Philadelphia to San Francisco, the American -people salt their speech with terms borrowed from the sailor, as they -do also with other terms used by Shakespeare, and often considered -by Shakespeare’s countrymen of the present day, quite wrongly, to be -slang. - -In what is perhaps the most splendidly picturesque effort of -Shakespeare’s genius, “The Tempest,” he hurls us at the outset into -the hurly-burly of a storm at sea with all the terror-striking -details attendant upon the embaying of a ship in such weather. She is -a passenger ship, too, and the passengers behave as landsmen might -be expected to do in such a situation. The Master (not Captain be -it noted, for there are no Captains in the merchant-service) calls -the boatswain. Here arises a difficulty for a modern sailor. Where -was the mate? We cannot say that the office was not known, although -Shakespeare nowhere alludes to such an officer; but this much is -certain, that for one person who would understand who was meant -by the mate ten would appreciate the mention of the boatswain’s -name, and that alone would justify its use in poetry. In this short -colloquy between the Master and boatswain we have the very spirit of -sea service. An immediate reply to the Master’s hail, and an inquiry -in a phrase now only used by the vulgar, bring the assurance “Good”; -but it is at once followed by “Speak to the mariners, fall to’t -yarely, or we run ourselves aground; bestir, bestir.” Having given -his orders the Master goes--he has other matters to attend to--and -the boatswain heartens up his crew in true nautical fashion, his -language being almost identical with that used to-day. His “aside” -is true sailor,--“Blow till thou burst thy wind, if [we have] room -enough.” This essentially nautical feeling, that given a good ship -and plenty of sea-room there is nothing to fear, is alluded to again -and again in Shakespeare. He has the very spirit of it. Then come -the meddlesome passengers, hampering the hard-pressed officer with -their questioning and advice!--until, exasperated beyond courtesy, he -bursts out: “You mar our labour. Keep your cabins. You do assist the -storm.” Bidden to remember whom he has on board, he gives them more -of his mind, winding up by again addressing his crew with “cheerly -good hearts,” and as a parting shot to his hinderers, “Out of our -way, I say.” - -But the weather grows worse; they must needs strike the topmast and -heave-to under the main-course (mainsail), a manœuvre which, usual -enough with Elizabethan ships, would never be attempted now. Under -the same circumstances the lower main-topsail would be used, the -mainsail having been furled long before because of its unwieldy -size. Still the passengers annoy, now with abuse, which is answered -by an appeal to their reason and an invitation to them to take hold -and work. For the need presses. She is on a lee shore, and in spite -of the fury of the gale sail must be made. “Set her two courses -[mainsail and foresail], off to sea again, lay her off.” And now the -sailors despair and speak of prayer, their cries met scornfully by -the valiant boatswain with “What, must our mouths be cold?” Then -follows that wonderful sea-picture beginning Scene 2, which remains -unapproachable for vigour and truth. A little further on comes the -old sea-superstition of the rats quitting a foredoomed ship, and in -Ariel’s report a spirited account of what must have been suggested -to Shakespeare by stories of the appearance of “corposants” or St. -Elmo’s fire, usually accompanying a storm of this kind. And in -answer to Prospero’s question, “Who was so firm?” &c., Ariel bears -incidental tribute to the mariners,--“All, but mariners, plunged in -the foaming brine and quit the vessel,” those same mariners who are -afterwards found, their vessel safely anchored, asleep under hatches, -their dangerous toil at an end. - -In the “Twelfth Night” there are many salt-water allusions no less -happy, beginning with the bright picture of Antonio presented by the -Captain (of a war-ship?) breasting the sea upon a floating mast. -Again in Act I., Scene 6, Viola answers Malvolio’s uncalled-for -rudeness, “Will you hoist sail, sir?” with the ready idiom, “No, good -_swabber_, I am to hull [to heave-to] here a little longer.” In Act -V., Scene 1, the Duke speaks of Antonio as Captain of a “bawbling -vessel--for shallow draught, and bulk, unprizable”; in modern terms, -a small privateer that played such havoc with the enemy’s fleet that -“very envy and the tongue of loss cried fame and honour on him.” -Surely Shakespeare must have had Drake in his mind when he wrote this. - -Who does not remember Shylock’s contemptuous summing-up of Antonio’s -means and their probable loss?--“Ships are but boards, sailors but -men, there be land rats and water rats, water thieves and land -thieves--I mean, pirates; and then there is the peril of waters, -winds, and rocks” (Act I., Scene 3). In this same play, too, we -have those terrible quicksands, the Goodwins, sketched for us in -half-a-dozen lines: “Where the carcases of many a tall ship lie -buried” (Act III., Scene 1); and in the last scene of the last act -Antonio says his “ships are safely come to _road_,” an expression -briny as the sea itself. - -In the “Comedy of Errors,” Act I., Scene 1, we have a phrase that -should have been coined by an ancient Greek sailor-poet: “The -always-wind-obeying deep”; and a little lower down the page a touch -of sea-lore that would of itself suffice to stamp the writer as a man -of intimate knowledge of nautical ways: “A small spare mast, such as -seafaring men provide for storms.” Who told Shakespeare of the custom -of sailors to carry spare spars for jury-masts? - -In “Macbeth,” the first witch sings of the winds and the compass -card, and promises that her enemy’s husband shall suffer all the -torments of the tempest-tossed sailor without actual shipwreck. She -also shows a pilot’s thumb “wrack’d, as homeward he did come.” Who in -these days of universal reading needs reminding of the allusion to -the ship-boy’s sleep in Act III., Scene 1, of “Henry IV.,” a contrast -of the most powerful and convincing kind, powerful alike in its -poetry and its truth to the facts of Nature? Especially noticeable -is the line where Shakespeare speaks of the spindrift: “And in the -visitation of the winds who take the ruffian billows by the top, -curling their monstrous heads, and hanging them with deaf’ning -clamours in the slippery clouds.” - -“King Henry VI.,” Act V., Scene 1, has this line full of knowledge -of sea usage: “Than bear so low a sail, to strike to thee.” Here -is a plain allusion to the ancient custom whereby all ships of any -other nation, as well as all merchant ships, were compelled to lower -their sails in courtesy to British ships of war. The picture given in -“Richard III.,” Act I., Scene 4, of the sea-bed does not call for so -much wonder, for the condition of that secret place of the sea must -have had peculiar fascination for such a mind as Shakespeare’s. Set -in those few lines he has given us a vision of the deeps of the sea -that is final. - -A wonderful passage is to be found in “Cymbeline,” Act III., Scene 1, -that seems to have been strangely neglected, where the Queen tells -Cymbeline to remember-- - - “The natural bravery of your isle; which stands - As Neptune’s park, ribbed and palèd in - With rocks unscaleable and roaring waters; - With sands that will not bear your enemies’ boats, - But suck them up to the top-mast.” - -And again, in the same scene, Cloten speaks of the Romans finding us -in our “salt-water girdle.” - -But no play of Shakespeare’s, except “The Tempest,” smacks so smartly -of the brine as “Pericles,” the story of that much enduring Prince -of Tyre whose nautical mishaps are made to have such a miraculously -happy ending. In Act II., Scene 1, enter Pericles, wet, invoking -Heaven that the sea having manifested its sovereignty over man, -may grant him one last boon,--a peaceful death. To him appear three -fishermen characteristically engaged in handling their nets, bullying -one another, and discussing the latest wreck. And here we get a bit -of sea-lore that all sailors deeply appreciate. “_3rd Fish._ Nay, -master, said not I as much, when I saw the porpus how he bounced and -tumbled? they say, they are half fish, half flesh; a plague on them! -they ne’er come but I look to be wash’d.” Few indeed are the sailors -even in these steamship days who have not heard that the excited -leaping of porpoises presages a storm. The whole scene well deserves -quotation, especially the true description of the whale (rorqual) -“driving the poor fry before him and at last devours them all at -a mouthful.” Space presses, however, and it will be much better -for those interested to read for themselves. Act III., Scene 1, -brings before us a companion picture to that in the opening of “The -Tempest,” perhaps even more vivid; where the terrible travail of the -elements is agonisingly contrasted with the birth-wail of an infant, -and the passing of the hapless Princess. Beautiful indeed is the -rough but honest heartening offered by the labouring sailors, broken -off by the sea-command to-- - - “_1st Sailor._ Slack the bolins there; thou wilt not, wilt thou? - Blow and split thyself. - - _2nd Sailor._ But sea-room, an’ the brine and cloudy billow kiss - the moon, I care not.” - -Bolins, modern “bowlines,” were anciently used much more than now. -At present they are slight ropes which lead from forward to keep -the weather edges (leaches) of the courses rigid in light winds -when steering full and bye. But in olden days even topgallant sails -had their bolins, and they were among the most important ropes in -the ship. Then we have the sea-superstition creating the deepest -prejudice against carrying a corpse. And, sympathetic as the mariners -are, the dead woman must “overboard straight.” Reluctantly we must -leave this all too brief sketch of Shakespeare’s true British -sea-sympathies, in the hope that it may lead to a deeper appreciation -of the sea-lore of our mightiest poet. - - - - - THE SKIPPER OF THE “AMULET” - - -It has been my lot, in the course of a fairly comprehensive -experience of sea-life in most capacities between lamp-trimmer and -chief officer, to serve under some queer commanders, but of all -that I ever endured, the worthy of whom I am about to tell was, -without doubt, the most amazing specimen. I have been told, on good -authority, that the tag about fact being stranger than fiction is all -bosh, but for once I am going to disregard that statement. No fiction -that I have ever read has told me anything half so strange, in my -poor judgment, as the career of Captain Jones during the time that I -was unfortunate enough to be his mate, and therefore I shall stick -to fact, at least as much of it as I can tell that will be fit for -publication. - -In order to launch my story fairly it is necessary to go back a -little. On my return to London from my last voyage, with a pay-day -of some £20, I had done two important things, though with the easy -confidence of youth, and especially seafaring youth, their gravity -had not impressed me. I got married and “passed” for chief mate. -Neither my wife nor myself had a friend in the world, any certain -employment or a stick of “plenishing.” And after a honeymoon of -a day or two the tiny group of sovereigns nestling at the bottom -of my right-hand trousers pocket dwindled so that I could hardly -jingle them. There were plenty of ships in London at the time, but -although I walked the soles fairly off my boots around the dreary -docks never a one could I find where a second mate even was wanted. -I found a good many where the officers were foreigners; Germans -or Scandinavians; still more “where they didn’t keep the officers -by the ship in dock,” and one day I was offered a _chance_ to go -first mate of a 1500 ton tramp to the Baltic at £5 a month! In -spite of the shameful inadequacy of the salary I rushed off to the -Surrey Commercial Docks after the berth, and arrived on board of -her breathless, only to find that another man had got to windward -of me, having earlier information. Sadly I trudged back again -and recommenced my search, my funds all but gone and no credit -obtainable. But now I couldn’t even get a ship before the mast! Gangs -of ruffianly dock-wallopers fought like tigers at the “chain-locker,” -whenever a skipper seeking a hand or two poked his head out of -one of the doors, flourishing their discharges (?) in the air as -they surged around the half-scared man. Anxious and indeed almost -despairing as I was, I could not compete with that crowd, and I don’t -believe I should ever have got a ship, but that one day a stalwart, -pleasant-faced man opened the door. When the gang began to mob him -he roared, “I don’ want navvies--I want a sailor-man: git t’ hell -out o’ that, and let one o’ them behind ye come here.” Instantly I -flung myself into the crowd and thrust my way up to him. He took my -proffered discharge, but handed it back at once saying, “I don’t -want no steamboat sailors.” He didn’t understand the thing, being a -Nova Scotiaman. I screamed back the truth at him, and pushed my way -past him into the office, my heart fairly thumping with excitement -at the prospect of £3 a month to go to Nova Scotia in the middle -of winter. I winced a little when I found that she was only a -brigantine, but the advance note for £3 was such a godsend that I -could only be thankful. - -Of the passage across in the _Wanderer_ I need say nothing here -except that the sea kindliness of the little craft (the smallest I -had ever sailed in) amazed me, while, except for a disaster in the -shape of a cook, the general conditions of life on board were most -comfortable. After twenty days we arrived at Sydney, Cape Breton, -and upon entering the harbour noticed a vessel lying disconsolately -apart from the little fleet at anchor there. She was a brig belonging -to Workington, exactly like an exaggerated barge as to her hull, -and bearing all over unmistakable evidences of utter neglect. In -fact her general appearance suggested nothing so much to me as the -nondescript craft common on the Indian coast, and called by sailors -“country-wallahs.” She provided us with plenty of material for our -evening chat, but in the morning other matters claimed our attention -and we soon forgot all about her. As we had come over in ballast -our stay was to be short, and on the second day after our arrival -news came that we were to proceed to Lingan, a small port down the -coast, in the morning, and there load soft coal for St. John, New -Brunswick. But, much to my surprise, just after supper, as I was -leaning over the rail enjoying my pipe, the mate approached me -mysteriously and beckoned me aft. As soon as we were out of hearing -of the other men, he told me that if I liked to put my dunnage over -into the boat, he would pull me ashore, the skipper having intimated -his willingness to let me go, although unable to discharge me in the -regular way. He had heard that there was a vessel in the harbour in -want of a mate, and hoped that thus I might be able to better myself. -Being quite accustomed to all vicissitudes of fortune I at once -closed with the offer, and presently found myself on the beach of -this strange place without one cent in my pocket, in utter darkness -and a loneliness like that of some desert island. - -I sat quite still for some little time, trying to sum up the -situation, but the night being very cold, I had to move or get -benumbed. Leaving my bag and bed where it was I groped my way into -the town, and after about a quarter of an hour’s stumbling along -what I afterwards found was the main street, I saw a feeble light. -Making for it at once I discovered a man standing at the door of a -lowly shanty smoking, the light I had seen proceeding from a tallow -candle flickering in the interior. Receiving my salutation with gruff -heartiness the man bade me welcome to such shelter as he had, so -I lugged my dunnage up and entered. He showed me an ancient squab -whereon I might lie, and closing the street door bade me good night, -disappearing into some mysterious recess in a far corner. I composed -myself for sleep, but the place was simply alive with fleas, which, -tasting fresh stranger, gave me a lively time. Before morning I was -bitterly envious of the other occupant of the room, who lay on the -bare floor in a drunken stupor, impervious to either cold or vermin. -At the first gleam of dawn I left, taking a brisk walk until somebody -was astir in the place, when I soon got quarters in a boarding-house. -Then as early as possible I made for the shipping office, finding to -my surprise that the vessel in want of a mate was the ancient relic -that had so much amused us as we entered the harbour. After a good -deal of searching, the commander of her was found--a bluff, red-faced -man with a watery, wandering eye, whose first words betrayed him -for a Welshman. He was as anxious to get a mate as I was to get a -ship, so we were not long coming to terms--£6 per month. Her name I -found was the _Amulet_, last from Santos, and now awaiting a cargo -of coal for St. John, New Brunswick. No sooner had I signed articles -than the skipper invited me to drink with him, and instantly became -confidential. But as he had already been drinking pretty freely, -and even his sober English was no great things, I was not much the -wiser for our conference. However, bidding him good day, I went on -board and took charge, finding the old rattletrap in a most miserable -condition, the second mate in a state of mutiny, and the crew doing -just whatever they pleased. I had not been on board an hour before I -was in possession of the history of their adventures since leaving -England eighteen months before. I found too that I was the fourth -mate that voyage, and judging from appearances I thought it unlikely -that I should be the last. As soon as he had finished unburdening -himself to me, the second mate, who seemed a decent fellow enough, -started to pack up, swearing in both Welsh and English that he was -finished with her. Of course I had no means of preventing him from -going even if I had wished to do so, and away he went. Then I turned -my attention to the ship, finding the small crew (seven all told) -desperately sullen, but still willing to obey my orders. Oh, but -she was a wreck, and so dirty that I hardly knew whether it was -worth while attempting to cleanse her. There was abundance of good -fresh food though, and one of the men helped the grimy muttering -Welsh lad who was supposed to be the cook, so that the meals were -at least eatable. According to my orders I was to report progress -to the skipper every morning at his hotel, and next morning I paid -him a visit. I found him in bed, although it was eleven o’clock, -with a bottle of brandy sticking out from under his pillow and -quite comfortably drunk. He received my remarks with great gravity, -graciously approving of what I had done, and assuring me that he -was very ill indeed. I left him so, thinking deeply over my queer -position, and returned on board to find the second mate back again -in a furious rage at not being able to get at the “old man,” but -resigned to going with us to St. John as a passenger. Well, as time -went on I managed to get her in some sort of trim, received the cargo -on board, bent the sails, and made all ready for sea, the second mate -lolling at his ease all day long or in his bunk asleep. Every morning -I saw the skipper, always in bed and always drunk. Thus three weeks -passed away. When the vessel had been a week ready for sea, during -most of which time a steady fair wind for our departure had been -blowing, I had a visitor. After a few civil questions he told me he -was the agent, and proposed giving the captain one day longer in -which to clear out, failing which he would on his own responsibility -send the vessel to sea without him. I of course raised no objection, -but seized the opportunity to get a few pounds advance of wages -which I at once despatched home to my wife. The agent’s threat was -effectual, for at noon the next day my commander came on board -accompanied by a tugboat which towed us out to sea, although a fair -wind was blowing. No sooner had the pilot left us to our own devices -than Captain Jones retired to his bunk, and there he remained, -his cabin no bad representation of a miniature Malebolge. Details -impossible. - -Unfortunately I had so severely injured my left hand that I could -not use it at all, and the second mate, though perfectly friendly -with me, would do nothing but just keep a look-out while I got some -sleep; he wouldn’t even trim sail. The first day out I took sights -for longitude by the chronometer, which I had kept regularly wound -since I had been on board, but I found to my horror that it had been -tampered with, and was utterly useless. It was now the latter end of -November, fogs and gales were of everyday occurrence, the currents -were very strong and variable, and I was on an utterly strange coast -in command for the first time in my life. When I saw the sun, which -was seldom, I thought myself lucky to get the latitude, and Sable -Island under my lee with its diabolical death-traps haunted me -waking and sleeping. My only hope of escaping disaster was in the -cod-schooners, which, as much at home in those gloomy, stormy waters -as a cabman in London streets, could always be relied on to give one -a fairly accurate position. Then the rotten gear aloft kept giving -out, and there was nothing to repair it with, while the half-frozen -men could hardly be kept out of their little dog-hole at all. Only -one man in the ship was having a good time, and that was the skipper. -Hugging a huge jar of “chain lightning” brandy he never wanted -anything else, and no one ever went near him except the poor little -scalawag of a cook, who used to rate him in Welsh until the discord -was almost deafening. But if I were to tell fairly the story of that -trip round Nova Scotia it would take a hundred pages. So I must hurry -on to say that we _did_ reach St. John by God’s especial mercy, and -laid her alongside the wharf. - -I am afraid I shall hardly be believed when I say that Captain Jones -reappeared on deck at once and went ashore, promising to return by -six o’clock. Now the tide rises and falls in St. John’s over thirty -feet, so when night came the _Amulet_ was resting on the mud, and -the edge of the wharf was very nearly level with our main-top. I had -prepared a secure gangway with a bright lantern for my superior’s -return, but about eleven o’clock that night he strolled down and -walked calmly over the edge of the wharf where the gangway was not. -All hands were aroused by his frantic cries of “Misser Bewlon, -Misser Bewlon, for Gaw’ sake safe my lyve!” After much search we -found him and hoisted him on board out of the mud in which he was -embedded to the armpits. No bones were broken, and next day he was -well enough to climb ashore and get into a conveyance which took -him up town to another “hotel.” A repetition of the tactics of -Sydney now set in, except that I did not visit him so frequently. -The second mate and one of the men got their discharge out of him -and left us, in great glee at their escape. Then I think some one -must have remonstrated with him whose words were not to be made -light of, for one day he came on board and tried to get all hands -to sign a paper that he had got drawn up, certifying that he was a -strictly sober man! He was _so_ hurt at their refusal. Finally he -re-embarked, bringing a tugboat and pilot with him as before, and the -startling news that we were to tow right across the Bay of Fundy and -up the Basin of Minas to Parrsboro’, but no sooner were we abreast -of Partridge Island than again my commander disappeared below. All -through the night the panting tug toiled onward with us, the pilot -remaining at his post till dawn. Fortunately for my peace of mind -I knew little about the perilous navigation of this great bay, the -home of the fiercest tides in the world. But when, drawing near Cape -Blomidon, I saw the rate at which we were being hurled along by the -fury of the inrushing flood, I felt profoundly thankful that the -responsibility for our safety was not upon me. However, we arrived -intact that afternoon and proceeded up the river, which was as -crooked as a ram’s horn, and only began to have any water in its bed -when it was half flood outside. As we neared the village the pilot -asked me to what wharf we were going, as we could not lay in the dry -river bed. I knew no more than he did, and neither of us could shake -any sense into the unconscious skipper. So we tied her up to the -first jetty we came to, and pilot and tugboat took their departure. -There was a fine to-do when the wharfinger heard of our arrival, and -I had to go up to the village and ask all round for information as -to where we were to lie. I got instructions at last, and shifted to -a berth where we were allowed to remain. Next day the old man went -ashore again, saying nothing to me, and I remained in ignorance of -his whereabouts for ten days. Meanwhile lumber began to arrive for -us, and a scoundrelly stevedore came on board with the skipper’s -authority to stow the cargo. He and I quickly came to loggerheads, -for I did not at all fancy the way he was “blowing her up,” and the -dread of our winter passage to Europe lay heavy upon me. But I found -that all power to interfere with him was taken out of my hands, and I -just had to stand by and see potential murder being done. - -At last one day at dinner-time the old man paid us a visit, -characteristically announcing himself by falling between the -vessel and the wharf into the ice-laden water. Of course he wasn’t -hurt--didn’t even get a chill, but he was taken back to his “hotel,” -and came no more to see us. With the completion of our deck-load my -patience was exhausted, and as soon as she was ready for sea, I -hunted him up and demanded my discharge. I felt prepared to take all -reasonable risks, but to cross the Atlantic in December with a vessel -like a top-heavy bladder under me, and myself the sole officer, was -hardly good enough. Of course he wouldn’t release me, and the upshot -was, to cut my yarn short, that I remained ashore penniless, while he -towed back to St. John, engaged another unfortunate mate, and after -a week’s final spree, sailed for home. As I had expected, she got no -farther than the mouth of the Bay of Fundy. There her old bones were -finally broken up in a howling snowstorm, in which several of the -crew were frozen to death, but he escaped to worry better men again. - -Two years after in the Court of Queen’s Bench we met again, when I -arose, the one essential witness to his misdoings, and made him feel -as if my turn had come at last. - - - - - AMONG THE ENCHANTED ISLES - - -Enchained by the innumerable complexities of modern city existence, -how strangely, how sweetly, do the dreams of roaming amid isles of -perpetual summer come to the pale slave of civilisation. Leaning -back in his office chair, the pen drops idly from his relaxed -fingers, while the remorseless hum from the human hive without loses -its distinctive note and becomes by some strange transmutation the -slumberous murmur of snowy surf upon far-off coral shores. The dim -ceiling, that so often has seemed to press upon his brain like the -load of Atlas, melts upward into a celestial canopy of a blue so deep -and pure that it is the last expression of the Infinite. - - * * * * * - -On the wings of fancy, swifter and more easeful than those of the -albatross, he is wafted to those fairy shores where Nature smiles -in changeless youth and winterless glow. Through every weary sinew -thrills the bright message of life, the unconscious outcome of -perfect health absorbed from perfect surroundings. He is back again -in the days of the world’s infancy, feeling his mid-millennial -vigour bounding in every pulse, flooding every artery. In -cunningly-fashioned canoe, with grass-woven sails, he floats upon the -radiant sea, so like to the heaven above that his gliding shallop -seems to swing through the boundless ether, a sprite, a fay of the -fruitful brain. - -Then as the flood-tide of living bubbles over the brim of restraint -he lifts a mighty voice, a full-throated cry of joy wherein is no -speech nor language, only exultant music welling up from deeps of -fathomless satisfaction. He springs erect, with flashing eyes, and -rolling muscles heaving under his shining skin, such a figure as, -made in His own glorious image, the Master gazed upon--and, behold, -it was very good. Far below him swim the gorgeous sea-folk, each -ablaze with colour, living jewels enhanced by their setting. In mazy -evolutions full of grace they woo him to join in their play, to -explore with them the splendours of the coral groves, to wreath about -his majestic form the tender festoons of sea-flowers and deck himself -with glowing shells. - -Like a dolphin he dives, deeper and deeper as with grasping hands -he overcomes the resisting waters. Deeper and deeper yet until the -fervent sunshine is suffused into a milder, tenderer light, and -everything around is enwrapped in a beauty-mist, a glamorous illusion -that melts all angles into curves of loveliness. He enters into the -palaces of the deep, and all the skill of Titanic builders on earth -becomes to his mind a thing of naught. Interminable rows of columns, -all symmetrical, each perfect in beauty, yet none alike, are arrayed -before him; massy architraves, domes light-springing from their -piers as bubbles, yet in circumference so vast that their limits -are lost in shadow, slender spires of pearl, soaring upward like -vapour-wreaths: and all interwoven with the wondrous design a fairy -tracery of stone, appearing light and luminous as sea foam. The happy -living things troop forth to meet him and sweep in many a delicate -whirl around until, recalled by the need of upper air, he waves them -farewell and ascends. - -Oh! the fierce delight of that swift upward rush, the culminating -ecstasy as he bounds into the palpitating air above and lies, so -softly cradled, upon the limpid wave! There for a season he floats, -drinking deep of the brine-laden air, every touch of the sea a -caress, every heart-beat a well-spring of pleasure. Then with a -shout he hurls himself forward as if he too were a free citizen of -the ocean, emulating with almost equal grace the sinuous spring of -the porpoise and the marvellous succession of curves presented by -the overwhelming whale. He claims kindred with them all, embraces -them; clinging lovingly to their smooth sides he frolics with them, -rejoicing in the plenitude of their untainted strength. - -Before him rise the islands, mounds of emerald cresting bases -of silver sand. Willowy palm-trees dip their roots in the warm -wavelets and rear their tufted coronets on high. Darker-leaved, the -orange-trees droop their branches shot with golden gleams where -the fruit hangs heavily, filling the gentle air with fragrance. -Bright-plumaged birds flash amongst the verdure; along the -glittering shores rest placidly the sea-fowl returned from their -harvesting and comforting their fluffy broods. With huge steps -he strides shorewards, and springing lightly from the sand, he -reaches in a dozen bounds the crown of the loftiest palm, whose -thickly-clustering fruit bids him drink and drink again. - -The island folk dread him not; fear has not yet visited those sunny -shores. And as he was with the sea-people so is he with their -compeers on land, a trusted playfellow, a creature perfect in glory -and beauty, able to vie with them in their superb activities, their -amazing play of vigour, their abounding joy in the plentiful gifts of -Nature. - -After those sunny gambols, how sweet the rest on yielding couch of -leaves, fanned by sweet zephyrs laden with the subtle scents of -luxuriant flowers, and lulled by the slumber-song of the friendly -sea. Around him, with drooping wing, nestle the birds; the bejewelled -insects hush their busy songs into tenderest murmurs, the green -leaves hang in unrustling shade, noiselessly waving over him a cool -breath. There is peace and sleep. - -“Awake, O laggard!” cry the birds; “awake and live! Joy comes anew. -Love and life and strength are calling us, and every sense answers -triumphantly. Sweet is the dawn when the splendid sun springs skyward -and the quiet night steals away; sweet is the strength of noonday, -when downward he sends his shafts of life-giving flame, and we lie -in the shade renewing from his exhaustless stores of energy our -well-spent strength. But sweetest of all the time when, his majestic -ascension accomplished, our sun sweeps westward to his ocean-bed, -and all his children hasten to revel in his tempered beams until he -hides his glorious face for a season, and night brings her solemn -pleasures.” - -Swift upspringing the man answers gladly to the call. And forth -to meet him come a joyous band of his fellows, their dancing feet -scarce touching the earth. Not a weakling among them. Men and women -and children alike clean-limbed and strong, with sparkling eyes and -perfect gestures. Their nude shapes shine like burnished bronze with -natural unguents, their white and well-set teeth glitter as they -laugh whole-heartedly, their black, abundant hair is entwined with -scarlet hibiscus, and their voices ring musical and full. They do not -walk--they bound, they spring, and toss their arms in wildest glee. - -Surrounding him, they bear him away to where a crystal river rushes -headlong down through a valley of velvet green to cast itself -tumultuously over a cliff-lip forty feet into the sea. As it -approaches its leap the translucent waters whirl faster and faster -in rising wreaths and ridges of dazzling white, until in one snowy -mass, crowned with a pearly mist, it hurls itself into the smooth -blue depths below. With one accord the wildly gambolling band hurl -themselves into those limpid waters some hundreds of yards above -the fall. As on softest couch they glide swiftly along, their peals -of laughter echoing multitudinously from the green bosoms of the -adjacent hills. - -Faster and faster still they are borne onward until, singly and in -groups, they flash out into the sunshine and plunge into the awaiting -ocean. So swiftly do they pass that it seems but a breathing space -since, far inland, they sprang from the banks into the river, and -they now lie in blissful content upon the quiet sea, every nerve -tingling from that frantic, headlong flight. Then, like the care-free -children of Nature that they are, they abandon themselves to their -wild sea-sports, outdoing the fabled Nereids. Around them gather in -sympathy the gorgeous dolphins, the leisurely sharks, the fun-loving -porpoises, while over their heads dart incessantly in arrowy flight -glittering squadrons of flying-fish. - -So they frolic untiringly until, by one impulse moved, they all dash -off to where, outside the enormous headland of black rock which -shelters the little bay, the vast and solemn ocean swell comes -rolling shoreward, towering higher as it comes, until, meeting the -bright beach, it raises itself superbly in one magnificent curve of -white, and dashes against the firm-set earth with a deep note as of -far-off thunder. - -The merry players range themselves in line and swim seaward to meet -the next wave as it comes. Diving beneath it they reappear upon its -creaming shoulders, and by sheer skill balance there, elated almost -beyond bearing by the pace of their mighty steed. Higher and higher -they rise, clothed by the hissing foam, until from its summit they -spring to land and race to the woods. - -Only a breathing space passes, and again they come rushing shoreward -to where a mimic fleet of light canoes lies covered with boughs to -shield them from the sun. As if time were all important, they fling -the leaves aside and rush the frail craft into the water, springing -in as they glide afloat. Two by two they sail away, an occasional -persuasive touch of the paddles sufficing to guide and propel them -whithersoever they will. - -The sun is nearing the western edge of their world, and his slanting -beams are spreading lavishly over the silken waters broad bands of -rich and swiftly changing colour. A hush that is holy is stealing -over all things, a stillness so profound that the light splash of -a flying-fish tinkles clear as a tiny bell. The happy people float -along in a delicious languor, feasting their eyes upon the doubled -beauty of the landscape near the shore, where the line dividing the -reality from its reflection cannot be discerned. - -Beneath them are constantly changing pictures no less lovely, the -marvellous surfaces of the living coral with all its wealth of tinted -anemones and brilliantly-decked fish of all shapes and all hues. -Carried by the imperceptible current, they pass swiftly, silently, -from scene to scene, over depths so profound that the waters are -almost blue-black, and as suddenly coming upon a submarine grove of -rigid coral trees, whose topmost branches nearly break through the -placid surface. - -Presently the sun is gone, and the tender veil of night comes -creeping up from the East. Already the Evening Star, like a -minute moon, is sending a long thread of silver over the purpling -sea. Beneath the waters the sea-folk have begun their nightly -illumination, and overhead are peeping out, one by one, the vedettes -of the night. Bird and beast and fish have ceased their play, and a -gentle wind arises. The canoes glide shoreward noiselessly, and the -voyagers seek through scented pathways their leafy homes. - - * * * * * - -“Poor fellow, you look a bit stale and overworked! You ought to run -down to the seaside for a week!” - -And the suddenly-awakened clerk starts up, muttering a -half-intelligible apology to his employer, who stands regarding him -with a look of pity. But for a few fleeting moments he has been -perfectly happy. - - - - - SOCIABLE FISH - - -In one of the most charming chapters of that truly charming book, -Gilbert White’s “Natural History of Selborne,” the gentle author -tells of some strange instances of sociability among the denizens of -the farmyard, a craving for companionship that brought into intimate -acquaintanceship such widely differing animals as a horse and a -hen, a doe and some cattle. This, as a proof that loneliness is an -abnormal condition of life even among the lesser intelligences of -creation, “gives to think,” as our neighbours say; but probably few -people would imagine that the same desire for society obtains even -among the inhabitants of the deep and wide sea. - -I do not now speak of such gregarious fish as compose the great -shoals that beneficently visit the shallower waters washing populous -countries, from whose innumerable multitudes whole nations may be -fed without making any appreciable diminution in their apparently -infinite numbers; but of those more varied and widely scattered -species that are to be found near the sea-surface all over the ocean. -In the ordinary routine of modern passenger traffic no observation -of these truly deep-sea fish is possible, for, in the first place, -the breathless panting of the propeller fills them with dread of -the swiftly-gliding monster whose approach it heralds; and in the -next, the would-be observer has no time to catch even a glimpse of -the inhabitants of that teeming world beneath him with, perhaps, the -exception of a rapidly-passing school of porpoises or the hurried -vision of a sea-shouldering whale. - -No, for the deliberate observation necessary in order to know -something of the sea-people a sailing-ship must be chosen, the -slower the better, one wherein may be felt to its fullest extent -by the mindless, sightless passenger the “intolerable tedium of a -long voyage.” In such a ship as this the student of marine natural -history, provided he be not responsible to stern owners for the -length of his passage, will welcome with great delight the solemn -hush of the calm, when the windless dome above him is filled with -perfect peace, and the shining circle upon which he floats is like -the pupil of God’s eye. Then, leaning over the taffrail, looking -earnestly down into the crystalline blue, you may see the bottom of -the ship without visible support as if poised in a sky of deeper -blue and more limpid atmosphere. The parasitic life that has already -attached itself to the vessel is all busy living. Barnacles with -their long, glutinous feet-stalks waving in imperceptible motion, are -expanding from between their shells delicate fringes of brown, that, -all eyes to see and hands to hold, allow nothing that can feed them -to pass them by. And as they flex themselves inward with the supplies -they have drawn from the apparently barren water, you can fancy that -the pearly whiteness of the shells gleams with a brighter lustre as -of satisfaction. The dull-hued limpets, like pustules breaking out -upon the ship’s sheathing, may also be discerned, but less easily, -because they have such a neutral tint, and love to nestle amongst a -tangle of dank, deep-green sea-moss, that, except where the light -from above breaks obliquely down upon it, looks almost black. - -But a little patient watching will reveal a set of tiny arms -forth-darting from the irregular opening in the apex of each -limpet-cone. They, too, are busy continually, arresting every morsel, -invisible to feeble human sight, that comes within their reach, and -passing it within for the up-keep of the compact, self-contained -residence. And there, can it be possible, at all this distance from -land? It is not only possible but undeniable that there is a _crab_, -an impudent, inquisitive little tangle of prying claws surrounding -a disc about the size of a shilling. He strolls about in leisurely -fashion, but making a track at all sorts of angles, among the living -fixtures, skirting each barnacle or limpet with a ludicrous air of -contempt, as it seems. You can almost imagine him saying: “I never -saw such a lot of dead-an’-alive ornaments in my life. Say! how -d’you like stoppin’ in the same old spot for ever an’ ever?” But, -impervious to his rudeness, the busy creatures never cease their one -set of movements, utterly ignoring his very existence. You cannot -help but wonder what becomes of that little crab when the ship begins -to move, for you know that he can’t possibly hold on against the -tremendous brushing past of the water. He isn’t built for that. - -The other parasites, whether animal or vegetable, have, you notice, -been busy for who shall say how long adapting themselves to every -condition of their dependent life, so that now, whatever motion -be made by the ship, they present to the onrush of the water just -the right angle of surface that will allow it to slip over them -easily, while at the same time they are always in a position to -levy contributions. There is a puzzling lead-coloured streak along -the copper near the keel to which your eye returns again and again, -for although it will persist in looking like a place whence a strip -of sheathing has been torn, there is yet a suggestion of quivering -life about it which is certainly not the tremulous outline given to -every inanimate object under water. Suddenly your doubts are set at -rest--the mystery is solved. The steward has cast over the side some -fragments of food that settle slowly downwards, turning over and -over as they sink and catching the diffused light at every point, -so that they sparkle like gems. As they pass the almost motionless -keel the leaden-looking streak suddenly detaches itself, and, almost -startlingly revealed as a graceful fish, intercepts and swallows -those morsels one after the other. You fetch a few more fragments, -and, dropping them one by one, entice your new acquaintance nearer -the surface, so that you may admire the easy grace of every movement, -and study at your leisure the result of this creature’s development -along certain lines of inventiveness. - -It is a _Remora_, or “sucker,” a species of shark that never exceed -a dozen pounds in weight. Having all the shark’s usual qualities -of slothfulness, voracity, and timorousness, it is prevented from -becoming ferocious also by its limitations of size and the feebleness -of its teeth. And as it would be hopeless for it to attempt to prey -upon other fish while they are alive, from its lack of the requisite -speed as well as from the scarcity of fish of sufficiently small size -in the deep waters which are its abiding-place, it has developed a -parasitic habit, which saves it a whole world of trouble by insuring -its protection, economising exertion, and keeping it in the midst -of a plentiful food-supply. All these objects are attained in the -simplest manner possible, aided by an unfailing instinct guiding the -creature in its selection of an involuntary host. - -On the top of its head, which is perfectly flat, it has developed -an arrangement which has, perhaps, the most artificial appearance -of anything found in animated Nature. It is in plan an oblong oval, -with a line running along its middle, to which other diagonal lines, -perfectly parallel to each other, extend from the outer edge. The -whole thing is curiously like the non-slipping tread moulded upon the -soles of many lawn-tennis shoes. This strangely patterned contrivance -is really an adhesive attachment of such strength that, when by its -means the fish is holding on to any plane surface, it is impossible -to drag the body away, except by almost tearing the fish in half. Yet -by the flexing of some simple muscles the fish can release its body -instantly, or as instantly re-attach itself. Of course, it always -adheres to its host with its head pointing in the same direction as -the host usually travels, because in that manner the pressure of -the water assists the grip of the sucker and keeps the whole body -lying flatly close to whatever is carrying it along. In this position -it can perform all the natural functions. Its wide mouth gapes; -its eyes, set one on either side of its flattened head, take in a -most comprehensive view of the prospect, so that nothing having the -appearance of edibility can pass that way without being seen and, -if the speed of its host admits, immediately investigated. Thus its -sociability is obviously of the most selfish kind. It sticketh closer -than a brother, but affection for its protecting companion forms no -part of its programme. Its number is, emphatically, One. - -I have used the word “host” intentionally, because the remora does -not by any means limit its company to ships. It is exceedingly fond -of attaching itself to the body of a whale, and also to some of the -larger sharks. Indeed, it goes a step further than mere outward -attachment in the latter case, because well-authenticated instances -are recorded where several suckers have been found clinging to a -huge shark’s palate. This is another stage on the way to perfect -parasitism, because under such circumstances these daring lodgers -needed not to detach themselves any more. They had only to intercept -sufficient food for their wants on its way from the front door to -the interior departments. I have also seen them clinging to the jaw -of a sperm whale, but that jaw was not in working order. It was bent -outwards at right angles to the body, and afforded harbourage to a -most comprehensive collection of parasites, barnacles especially, -giving the front elevation of that whale an appearance utterly unlike -anything with life. - -But John Chinaman has outwitted the superlatively lazy remora. By -what one must regard as a triumph of ingenuity he has succeeded -in converting the very means whereby this born-tired fish usually -escapes all necessity for energy into an instrument for obtaining -gain for other people. The mode is as follows: First catch your -remora. No difficulty here. A hook and line of the simplest, a bait -of almost anything that looks eatable lowered by the side of a ship, -and if there be a sucker hidden there he will be after the lure -instantly. The only skill necessary is to haul him up swiftly when he -bites, because if he be allowed to get hold of the ship again you may -pull the hook out of his jaws, but you will not succeed in detaching -him. Having caught a remora, the fisherman fastens a brass ring -closely round its body, just at its smallest part before the spread -of the tail. To this he attaches a long, fine, and strong line. He -then departs for the turtle grounds with his prisoner. Arriving there -he confines himself to keeping the remora away from the bottom of his -boat by means of a bamboo. Of course the captive gets very tired, and -no turtle can pass within range of him without his hanging on to that -turtle for a rest. The moment he does so the turtle’s fate is sealed. -Struggle how he may, he cannot shake loose the tenacious grip of the -sucker, and the stolid yellow man in the sampan has only to haul in -upon the line to bring that unwilling turtle within range of his -hands and lift him into the boat. And this ingenious utilisation of -the sucker’s well-known peculiarity has also commended itself to the -semi-barbarous fishermen of the East African littoral, who are not -otherwise notable for either ingenuity or enterprise. - -Before we dismiss the remora to his beloved rest again it is worthy -of notice that he himself gives unwilling hospitality to another -sociable creature. It is a little crustacean, rather like an -exaggerated woodlouse, but without the same power of curling itself -into a ball. It is of a pearly white colour, very sluggish in its -movements, but with tenacious hooks upon its many legs it holds on -securely to the inside of the sucker’s mouth near the gill-slits, -being there provided with all the needs of its existence, without -the slightest effort of its own. Its chief interest to naturalists -lies in its strange likeness to the fossil trilobites so plentifully -scattered among various geological strata. - -But while you have been watching the remora a visitor from the vast -openness around has arrived, as if glad of the society afforded by -the ship. Yet in this case the idea seems a fond conceit, because -the new-comer is only a “jelly-fish,” or “Medusa.” It is really an -abuse of language to use the word “fish” in connection with such an -almost impalpable entity as the Medusa, because while a fish is an -animal high up the scale of the vertebrata, a Medusa is almost at -the bottom of the list of created things. When floating in the sea -it is an exceedingly pretty object, with its clear, mushroom-shaped -disc uppermost, and long fringe of feathery filaments, sometimes -delicately coloured, waving gracefully beneath with each pulsation of -the whole mass. It has no power of independent locomotion, no--but, -there, it is not easy to say what it _has_ got, since if you haul one -up in a bucket and lay it on deck in the sun, it will melt entirely -away, leaving not a trace behind except two or three tiny morsels of -foreign matter which did not belong to its organism at all. Yet if -one of these masses of jelly comes into contact with your bare skin -it stings like a nettle, for it secretes, in some mysterious way, -an acrid fluid that serves it instead of many organs possessed by -further advanced creatures. As the present subject passes beneath -your gaze you notice quite a little cluster of tiny fish smaller even -than full-grown tittlebats, perhaps a dozen or so, who look strangely -forlorn in the middle of the ocean. It may be that this sense of -loneliness leads them to seek the shelter of something larger than -themselves, something which will be a sort of rallying-point in such -a wide world of waters. - -Perhaps the lovely streamers dangling have aroused their curiosity, -but, whatever the motive, you see the little group, huddled round the -Medusa, popping in and out from the edge of the disc, through which -you can plainly see them as they pass beneath. It is quite pretty to -watch those innocent games of the sportive little fish, but presently -you notice that one of them doesn’t play any more. He is entangled -among those elegant fringes and hangs like a little silver streak, -brightening and fading as it is turned by the pulsatory movement of -the Medusa. And if you could watch it long enough you would see it -gradually disappear, absorbed into the jelly-like substance by the -solvent secreted by the Medusa for that purpose. Still unconscious of -their companion’s fate, the other little victims continue to play in -that treacherous neighbourhood, voluntarily supplying the needs of -an organism immeasurably beneath them in the sum-total of all those -details that go to make up conscious life. - -Closely gathered about the rudder and stern-post is another group -of larger fish, the several individuals being from 4 in. to 8 in. -long, and most elegant in shape and colour. They evidently seek the -ship for protection, for they scarcely ever leave her vicinity for -more than 2 ft. or 3 ft. If one of them does dart away that distance -after some, to you, imperceptible morsel of food, it is back again -in a flash, sidling up to her sheathing closer than ever, as if -dreadfully alarmed at its own temerity. A small hook baited with a -fragment of meat will enable you to catch one if only you can get -it to fall close enough to the rudder--no easy matter, because of -the great overhang of the stern. In the old-fashioned ships, where -the rudder-head moved in a huge cavity called the rudder-trunk, I -have often caught them by dropping my hook down there, and very -sweet-eating little fish they were. Sailors call them “rudder-fish,” -a trivial name derived from their well-known habit, but they are -really a species of “caranx,” and akin to the mackerel tribe, which -has so many representatives among deep-water fish. They are, perhaps, -the most sociable of all the fish that visit a ship far out at sea; -but they present the same problem that the crab did a little while -ago: What becomes of them when a breeze springs up and the vessel -puts on speed? - -I have often watched them at the beginning of a breeze, swimming -steadily along by the side of the stern-post, so as to be clear of -the eddies raised by the rudder; but it was always evident that a -rate of over three knots would leave them astern very soon. Not less -curious is the speculation as to whence they come so opportunely. -There seems to be very few of them, yet an hour or two’s calm nearly -always shows a little company of them cowering in their accustomed -place. As you watch them wonderingly, a broad blaze of reflected -light draws your attention to the splendid shape of a dolphin gliding -past and exposing the silver shield of his side to the sun’s rays, -which radiate from it with an almost unbearable glare. At that -instant every one of the little fish beneath you gather into one -compact bunch, so close to the stern-post that they look as if part -of it. When they can no longer keep up with the ship’s protecting -bulk how do they escape the jaws of such beautiful ravenous monsters -as that which has just passed? The swift flying-fish cannot do so, -even with the swallow-like speed that he possesses and the power -of skimming through the air for a thousand yards at a flight. What -chance, then, can our shrinking little companions possibly have, -or how do they survive amidst so many enemies? It is an unsolvable -mystery. - -What is this cold grey shadow stealing along through the bright -blue water by the keel? A shark, and a big one too. No one doubts -the reason for _his_ sociability; in fact, he (or she) is credited -by most sailors with a most uncanny knowledge of what is going on -aboard any ship he chooses to honour with his company. We need not be -so foolish as to believe any of these childish stories, especially -when the obvious explanation lies so closely on the surface. Heredity -accounts for a great many things that have long been credited with -supernatural origins, and the shark’s attachment to the society of -ships is so plainly hereditary that the slightest thought upon the -subject will convince any unbiased person of the reasonableness of -the explanation. For many generations the shark, born scavenger that -he is, has learned to associate the huge shadow cast by a ship with -food, not perhaps in such mountainous abundance as that provided by -the carcass of a dead whale, but still scattering savoury morsels at -fairly regular intervals. From its earliest days--when, darting in -and out of its mother’s capacious jaws, it has shared in the spoil -descending from passing ships--to the end of what is often a very -long life, ships and food are inseparably associated in whatever -answers to its mind in the shark. Man, alive or dead, always makes -a welcome change of diet to a fish that, by reason of his build, is -unable to prey upon other fish as do the rest of his neighbours. - -As I have said elsewhere, the shark eats man because man is easy to -catch, not because he likes man’s flesh better than any other form -of food, as many landsmen and even sailors believe. But the shark -is only able to gratify his sociable instincts in calms or very -light airs. He is far too slothful, too constitutionally averse to -exertion, to expend his energies in the endeavour to keep up with -a ship going at even a moderate rate of speed. Let the wind drop, -however, and in few parts of the sea will you be without a visit from -a shark for many hours. In one vessel that I sailed in the skipper -had such a delicate nose that he could not bear the stench of the -water in which the day’s allowance of salt meat had been steeped to -get some of the pickle out of it. So he ordered a strong net to be -made of small rope, and into this the meat was put, the net secured -to a stout line, and hung over the stern just low enough to dip every -time the vessel curtsied. The plan answered admirably for some time, -until one night the wind fell to a calm, and presently the man at the -wheel heard a great splash behind him. He rushed to the taffrail and -looked over, just in time to see the darkness beneath all aglow with -phosphorescence, showing that some unusual agitation had recently -taken place. He ran to the net-lanyard, and, taking a good pull, fell -backward on deck, for there was nothing fast to it. Net and meat were -gone. The skipper was much vexed, of course, that the net hadn’t -been hauled up a little higher when it fell calm, for, as he told -the mate, anybody ought to know that 30 lbs. of salt pork dangling -overboard in a calm was enough to call a shark up from a hundred -miles away. - -As this particular shark, now sliding stealthily along the keel -towards the stern, becomes more clearly visible, you notice what -looks at first like a bright blue patch on top of his head. But, -strange to say, it is not fixed; it shifts from side to side, -backwards and forwards, until, as the big fish rises higher, you make -it out to be the pretty little caranx that shares with the crocodile -and buffalo birds the reputation of being the closest possible -companion and chum of so strangely diverse an animal to himself. And -now we are on debatable ground, for this question of the sociability -of the pilot-fish with the shark has been most hotly argued. And -perhaps, like the cognate question of the flight of flying-fish, it -is too much to hope that any amount of first-hand testimony will -avail to settle it now. Still, if a man will but honestly state -what he has _seen_, not once, but many times repeated, his evidence -ought to have some weight in the settlement of even the most vexed -questions. Does the pilot-fish love the shark? Does it even know -that the shark _is_ a shark, a slow, short-sighted, undiscriminating -creature whose chief characteristic is that of never-satisfied -hunger? In short, does the pilot-fish attach itself to the shark as -a pilot, with a definite object in view, or is the attachment merely -the result of accident? Let us see. - -Here is a big shark-hook, upon which we stick a mass of fat pork two -or three pounds in weight. Fastening a stout rope to it, we drop it -over the stern with a splash. The eddies have no sooner smoothed away -than we see the brilliant little blue and gold pilot-fish coming -towards our bait at such speed that we can hardly detect the lateral -vibrations of his tail. Round and round the bait he goes, evidently -in a high state of excitement, and next moment he has darted off -again as rapidly as he came. He reaches the shark, touches him with -his head on the nose, and comes whizzing back again to the bait, -followed sedately by the dull-coloured monster. As if impatient of -his huge companion’s slowness he keeps oscillating between him and -the bait until the shark has reached it and, without hesitation, -has turned upon his back to seize it, if such a verb can be used to -denote the deliberate way in which that gaping crescent of a mouth -enfolds the lump of pork. Nothing, you think, can increase the -excitement of the little attendant now. He seems ubiquitous, flashing -all round the shark’s jaws as if there were twenty of him at least. -But when half-a-dozen men, “tailing on” to the rope, drag the shark -slowly upward out of the sea, the faithful little pilot seems to go -frantic with--what shall we call it?--dread of losing his protector, -affection, anger, who can tell? - -The fact remains that during the whole time occupied in hauling the -huge writhing carcass of the shark up out of the water the pilot-fish -never ceases its distracted upward leaping against the body of its -departing companion. And after the shark has been hauled quite clear -of the water the bereaved pilot darts disconsolately to and fro about -the rudder as if in utter bewilderment at its great loss. For as -long as the calm continues, or until another shark makes his or her -appearance, that faithful little fish will still hover around, every -splash made in the water bringing it at top speed to the spot as if -it thought that its friend had just returned. - -No doubt there is a mutual benefit in the undoubted alliance between -pilot-fish and shark, for I have seen a pilot-fish take refuge, along -with a female shark’s tiny brood, within the parent’s mouth at the -approach of a school of predatory fish, while it is only reasonable -to suppose, what has often been proved to be the fact, that in -guiding the shark to food the pilot also has its modest share of the -feast. It is quite true that the pilot-fish will for a time attach -itself to a boat when its companion has been killed. Again and again -I have noticed this on a whaling voyage, where more sharks are killed -in one day while cutting in a whale than many sailors see during -their whole lives. - -Hitherto we have only considered those inhabitants of the deep sea -that forgather with a ship during a calm. Not that the enumeration -of them is exhausted, by any means, for during long-persisting -calms, as I have often recorded elsewhere, many queer denizens of -the middle depths of ocean are tempted by the general stagnation -to come gradually to the surface and visit the unfamiliar light. -Considerations of space preclude my dealing with many of these -infrequent visitors to the upper strata of the sea, but I cannot -refrain from mention of one or two that have come under my notice at -different times. One especially I tried for two days to inveigle by -various means, for I thought (and still think) that a stranger fish -was never bottled in any museum than he was. He was sociable enough, -too. I dare say his peculiar appearance was dead against his scraping -an acquaintance with any ordinary-looking fish, who, in spite of -their well-known curiosity, might well be excused from chumming up -with any such “sport” as he undoubtedly was. He was about 18 in. -long, with a head much like a gurnard and a tapering body resembling -closely in its contour that of a cod. So that as far as his shape -went there was nothing particularly _outré_ in his appearance. But he -was bright green in colour--at least, the ground of his colour-scheme -was bright green. He was dotted profusely with glaring crimson spots -about the size of a sixpence. And from the centre of each of these -spots sprang a brilliant blue tassel upon a yellow stalk about an -inch long. All his fins--and he had certainly double the usual -allowance--were also fringed extensively with blue filaments, which -kept fluttering and waving continually, even when he lay perfectly -motionless, as if they were all nerves. His tail was a wonderful -organ more than twice as large as his size warranted, and fringed, of -course, as all his other fins were, only more so. His eyes were very -large and inexpressive, dead-looking in fact, reminding me of eyes -that had been boiled. But over each of them protruded a sort of horn -of bright yellow colour for about two inches, at the end of which -dangled a copious tassel of blue that seemed to obscure the uncanny -creature’s vision completely. - -To crown all, a dorsal ridge of crimson rose quite two inches, the -whole length of his back being finished off by a long spike that -stuck out over his nose like a jibboom, and had the largest tassel -of all depending from it. So curiously decorated a fish surely -never greeted man’s eye before, and when he moved, which he did -with dignified slowness, the effect of all those waving fringes and -tassels was dazzling beyond expression. I think he must have been -some distant relation of the angler-fish that frequents certain tidal -rivers, but he had utilised his leisure for personal decoration upon -original lines. This was in the Indian Ocean, near the Line; but some -years after, in hauling up a mass of Gulf weed in the North Atlantic, -I caught, quite by accident, a tiny fish, not two inches long, that -strongly reminded me of my tasselled friend, and may have been one of -the same species. I tried to preserve the little fellow in a bottle, -but had no spirit, and he didn’t keep in salt water. - -By far the most numerous class of sociable deep-sea fish, however, -are those that delight to accompany a ship that is making good way -through the water. They do not like a steamer--the propeller with -its tremendous churning scares them effectually away--but the silent -gliding motion of the sailing-ship seems just to their taste. As -soon as the wind falls and the vessel stops they keep at a distance, -only occasionally passing discontentedly, as if they wondered why -their big companion was thus idling away the bright day. Foremost -among these, both in numbers and the closeness with which they -accompany a ship, is the “bonito,” a species of mackerel so named by -the Spaniards from their beautiful appearance. They are a “chubby” -fish, much more bulky in body in proportion to their length than our -mackerel, for one 18 in. long will often tip the scale at 30 lbs. -Their vigour is tremendous; there is no other word for it. A school -of them numbering several hundreds will attach themselves to a ship -travelling at the rate of six to eight knots an hour, and keep her -company for a couple of days, swimming steadily with her, either -alongside, ahead, or astern; but during the daytime continually -making short excursions away after flying-fish or leaping-squid -scared up or “flushed” by the approach of the ship. Not only so, -but as if to work off their surplus energy they will occasionally -take vertical leaps into the air to a height that, considering their -stumpy proportions, is amazing. - -The probable reason for their sociability is, I think, that they -know how the passing of the ship’s deep keel through the silence -immediately underlying the sea-surface startles upward their natural -prey, the flying-fish and loligo (small cuttle-fish), and affords -them ample opportunities for dashing among them unobserved. In any -case, to the hungry sailor, this neighbourly habit of theirs is -quite providential. For by such simple means as a piece of white rag -attached to a hook, and let down from the jibboom end to flutter -over the dancing wavelets like a flying-fish, a fine bonito is -easily secured, although holding a twenty-pounder just out of the -water in one’s arms is calculated to give the captor a profound -respect for the energy of his prize. Unlike most other fish, they -are warm-blooded. Their flesh is dark and coarse, but if it were ten -times darker and coarser than it is it would be welcome as a change -from the everlasting salt beef and pork. - -The dolphin, about which so much confusion arises from the difference -in nomenclature between the naturalist and the seaman, has long been -celebrated by poetic writers for its dazzling beauty. But between the -sailor’s dolphin, _Coryphœna Hippuris_ (forgive me for the jargon), -which is a fish, and the naturalist’s dolphin, _Delphinus deductor_, -which is a mammal, there is far more difference than there is between -a greyhound and a pig. Sailors call the latter a porpoise, and won’t -recognise any distinction between the _Delphinus_ and any other -small sea mammal (except a seal), calling them all porpoises. But -no sailor ever meant anything else by “dolphin” than the beautiful -fish of which I must say a few words in the small remaining space at -my disposal. For some reason best known to themselves the dolphin -do not care to accompany a ship so closely as the bonito. They are -by no means so constant in their attention, for when the ship is -going at a moderate speed they cannot curb their impatience and -swim soberly along with her, and when she goes faster they seem to -dislike the noise she makes, and soon leave her. But, although they -do not stick closely to a ship, they like her company, and in light -winds will hang about her all day, showing off their glories to the -best advantage, and often contributing a welcome mess to the short -commons of the fo’c’s’le. Their average weight is about 15 lbs., but -from their elegant shape they are a far more imposing fish than the -bonito. They are deepest at the head, which has a rounded forehead -with a sharp front, and they taper gradually to the tail, which is of -great size. A splendid dorsal fin runs the whole length of the back, -which, when it is erected, adds greatly to their appearance of size. - -No pen could possibly do justice to the magnificence of their -colouring, for, like “shot” silk or the glowing tints of the -humming-bird, it changes with every turn. And when the fish is -disporting under a blazing sun its glories are almost too brilliant -for the unshaded eye; one feels the need of smoked glass through -which to view them. These wonderful tints begin to fade as soon -as the fish is caught; and although there is a series of waves of -colour that ebb and flow about the dying creature, the beauty of the -living body is never even remotely approached again, in spite of what -numberless writers have said to the contrary. To see the dolphin in -full chase after a flying-fish, leaping like a glorious arrow forty -feet at each lateral bound through the sunshine, is a vision worth -remembering. I know of nothing more gorgeous under heaven. - -The giant albacore, biggest mackerel of them all, reaching a weight -of a quarter of a ton, does seek the society of a ship sometimes, -but not nearly so often as bonito and dolphin. And although I have -caught these monsters in the West Indies from boats, I never saw -one hauled on board ship. It would not be treating the monarch of -the finny tribe respectfully to attempt a description of him at -the bare end of my article, so I must leave him, as well as the -“skipjack,” yellow-tail, and barracouta, for some other occasion. -Perhaps enough has now been said to show that sociability is not by -any means confined to land animals, although the great subject of the -sociability of sea-mammals has not even been touched upon. - - - - - ALLIGATORS AND MAHOGANY - - -Merchant seamen as a rule have very little acquaintance with the -appalling alligator, whose unappeasable ferocity and diabolical -cunning make him so terrible a neighbour. Had the alligator been a -seafarer, it is in my mind that mankind would have heard little of -the savagery of the shark, who, to tell the truth fairly, is a much -maligned monster; incapable of seven-tenths of the crimes attributed -to him, innocent of another two-tenths, and in the small balance of -iniquity left, a criminal rather from accident than from design. -But all the atrocities attributed by ignorance to the shark may -truthfully be predicated of the alligator, and many more also, seeing -that the great lizard is equally at home on land or in the water. - -I speak feelingly, having had painful experience of the ways of the -terrible saurian during my visits to one of the few places where -sailors are brought into contact with him. Tonala River, which -empties itself into the Gulf of Mexico, has a sinister notoriety, -owing to the number of alligators with which it is infested; and -through the proverbial carelessness of seamen and their ignorance -of the language spoken by the people ashore, many an unrecorded -tragedy has occurred there to members of the crews of vessels -loading mahogany in the river. Like all the streams which debouch -into that Western Mediterranean, Tonala River has a bar across its -mouth, but, unlike most of them, there is occasionally water upon -the bar deep enough to permit vessels of twelve or thirteen feet -draught to enter with safety. And as the embarkation of mahogany in -the open roadstead is a series of hair-breadth escapes from death -on the part of the crew and attended by much damage to the ship, it -is easy to understand why the navigability of Tonala Bar is highly -valued by shipmasters fortunate enough to be chartered thither, -since it permits them to take in a goodly portion of their cargo in -comparative comfort. Against this benefit, however, is to be set off -a long list of disadvantages, not the least of which are the swarms -of winged vermin that joyfully pass the short space between ship and -river-bank, scenting fresh blood. The idea of there being any danger -in the river itself, however, rarely occurs to a seaman until he -sees, some day, as he listlessly gazes overside at the turbid current -silently sweeping seaward, a dead log floating deep, just awash in -fact. And as he watches it with unspeculating eyes, one end of it -will slowly be upreared just a little and the hideous head of an -alligator, with its cold, dead-looking eyes, sleepily half unclosed, -is revealed. Just a ripple and the thing has gone, sunk stone-like, -but with every faculty alert, that rugged ironclad exterior giving no -hint to the uninitiated of the potentialities for mischief, swift and -supple, therein contained. - -In spite of having read much about these creatures and their habits, -I confess to having been very sceptical as to their agility until I -was enlightened in such a startling manner that the memory of that -scene is branded upon my mind. I was strolling along the smooth sandy -bank of the river opposite the straggling rows of huts we called -the town one lovely Sunday morning, all eyes and ears for anything -interesting. After about an hour’s walk my legs, unaccustomed to such -exercise, begged off for a little, and seeing a stranded tree-trunk -lying on the beach some little distance ahead, I made towards it for -a seat. As I neared it a young bullock came leisurely down towards -the water from the bush, between me and the log. I, of course, took -no notice of him, but held on my way until within, I should say, -fifty yards of the log. Suddenly that dead tree sprang into life and -spun round with a movement like the sweep of a scythe. It struck -the bullock from his feet, throwing him upon his side in the water. -What ensued was so rapid that the eye could not follow it, or make -out anything definitely except a stirring up of the sand and a few -ripples in the water. The big animal was carried off as noiselessly -and easily as if he had been a lamb, nor, although I watched long, -did I ever catch sight of him again. Notwithstanding the heat of -the sun I felt a cold chill as I thought how easily the fate of the -bullock might have been mine. And from thenceforth, until familiarity -with the hateful reptiles bred a sort of contempt for their powers, -I kept a very sharp look-out in every direction for stranded -tree-trunks. This care on my part nearly proved fatal, because I -forgot that the alligators might possibly be lying hid in the jungly -vegetation that flourished thickly just above high-water mark. So -that it happened when I neared the spot where I was to hail the boat, -as I nervously scanned the beach for any sign of a scaly log, I heard -a rustling of dry leaves on my right, and down towards me glided one -of the infernal things with a motion almost like that of a launching -ship. I turned and tried to run--I suppose I did run--but to my -fancy it seemed as if I had a 56-lb. weight upon each foot. Hardly -necessary to say, perhaps, that I escaped, but my walk had lost all -its charms for me, and I vowed never to come ashore again there alone. - -But as if the performances of these ugly beasts were to be fully -manifested before our eyes, on the very next day, a Greek trader came -off to the ship accompanied by his son, a boy of about ten years old. -Leaving the youngster in the canoe, the father came on board and -tried to sell some fruit he had brought. We had a raft of mahogany -alongside, about twenty huge logs, upon which a half-breed Spaniard -was standing, ready to sling such as were pointed out to him by the -stevedores. The boy must needs get out of the canoe and amuse himself -by stepping from log to log, delighted hugely by the way they bobbed -and tumbled about beneath him. Presently a yell from the slingsman -brought all hands to the rail on the jump, and there, about fifty -yards from the raft, was to be seen the white arm of the boy limply -waving to and fro, while a greasy ripple beneath it showed only too -plainly what horror had overtaken him. The distracted father sprang -into his canoe, four men from our ship manned our own boat, and -away they went in chase, hopelessly enough to be sure. Yet, strange -to say, the monster did not attempt to go down with his prey. He -kept steadily breasting the strong current, easily keeping ahead of -his pursuers, that pitiful arm still waving as if beckoning them -onward to the rescue of its owner. Boat after boat from ships and -shore joined in the pursuit, every man toiling as if possessed by -an overmastering energy and impervious to broiling sun or deadening -fatigue. For five miles the chase continued; one by one the boats and -canoes gave up as their occupants lost their last ounce of energy, -until only one canoe still held on, one man still plied his paddle -with an arm that rose and fell like the piston-rod of a steam-engine. -It was the bereaved father. At last the encouraging arm disappeared, -as the alligator, having reached his lair, disappeared beneath the -surface, leaving the river face unruffled above him. Quick as a wild -duck the solitary pursuer swerved and made for the bank, where a -score of his acquaintances met him tendering gourds of aguadiente, -cigaritos, and such comfort as they could put into words. He took -the nearest gourd and drank deeply of the fiery spirit, accepted a -cigarette and lit it mechanically, but never spoke a word. All the -while his eyes were roving restlessly around in search of something. -At last they lit upon a coil of line hanging upon a low branch to -dry. He rushed toward it, snatched it from its place, and taking his -cuchillo from his belt felt its edge. Then roughly brushing aside -all who attempted to hinder him, he boarded his canoe again, taking -no notice of one of his friends who got in after him. Under the -pressure of the two paddles they rapidly neared the spot where the -beast had sunk. As soon as they reached the place the silent avenger -laid aside his paddle, took one end of the coil in his hand and -flinging the other to his companion, slipped overside and vanished. -In about two minutes he returned to the surface, ghastly, his eyes -glaring, and taking a long, long breath disappeared again. This time -he did not return. When the watcher above felt that all hope was gone -he hauled upon the line as much as he dared, but could not move what -it was secured to. Soon, however, boats came to his assistance, and -presently extra help raised to the surface the huge armoured body of -the man-eater, the line being fast round his hind legs. The bereaved -father was clinging to the monster’s throat, one arm thrust between -his horrid jaws and the other hand still clutching the haft of the -bowie-knife, whose blade was buried deep in the leathery folds of the -great neck. With bared heads and solemn faces the helpers towed the -group ashore, and reverently removing the poor remains of father and -son, buried them deep under a wide-spreading tree. - -In the intervals (frequently occurring) between the shipment of -one consignment of logs and the arrival of another, it was part of -our duties to hunt along the river banks for ownerless log-ends -or even logs of mahogany or cedar which we might saw and split up -into convenient pieces for broken stowage or filling up the many -interstices between the logs in the hold. Naturally this led us into -some queer places and not a few scrapes, but incidentally we were -able to do some good service to the inhabitants by destroying many -hundreds of embryo alligators. For wherever, in the course of our -journeyings, we came across a swelling in the sand along the river -bank, there we would delve, and we never failed of finding a deposit -of ball-like stony-shelled eggs, which each contained a little devil -of an alligator almost ready to begin his career of crime. Needless -perhaps to say that none of those found by us in this manner ever -did any harm. But while busy on one occasion destroying a clutch of -these eggs, a huge specimen some sixteen feet long appeared from no -one knew where, and actually succeeded in reaching with the horny tip -of his tail, as it swept round, the legs of a West countryman, one -of our finest seamen. Fortunately for him the bo’sun was carrying a -loaded Snider rifle, and without stopping to think whether anybody -else might be in the way he banged her “aloose.” The alligator was -at the moment in a half circle, swinging himself round to reach -the fallen man with his awful jaws wide spread and displaying all -their jagged yellow fangs. The heavy bullet plunged right down that -stinking throat and ploughed its way out through the creature’s -belly into the sand. With a writhe like a snake the monster recoiled -upon himself, snapping his jaws horribly and loading the air with a -faint, sickening smell of musk. After two or three twists and turns -he managed to slip into the water, but not before the bo’sun had -fired twice more at him and missed him by yards. Poor Harry, the -man knocked down, was so badly scared that he sat on a log end and -vomited, looking livid as a corpse and shaking like a man of ninety. -We could do nothing for him, but watched him sympathetically, hoping -for his recovery, when suddenly with a wild yell he sprang to his -feet and began to tear his clothes off as if he were mad. Lord, how -he did swear too! We were all scared, thinking the fright had turned -his brain, but when he presently danced before us in his bare buff, -picking frantically at his skin, our dismay was changed into shrieks -of laughter. A colony of red ants, each about half an inch long, -had been concealed in that log. They had walked up his trouser legs -quietly enough and fastened upon his body, their nippers meeting -through the soft skin. Hence his endeavours to get disrobed in haste. -He said it was nothing to laugh at, but I don’t believe the man was -yet born that could have seen him and not laughed. Happily it cured -him of his fright. - -Whether by good luck or good management I don’t presume to say, but -in all our explorations we met with no accident either from snake or -saurian, while the crew of a Norwegian brig lying close by us lost -one of their number the second day after their arrival. They had been -very short of water, and in consequence sent a boat up the river to -one of the creeks for a supply. Four hands went on this errand, and, -tempted by the refreshing coolness of the water, one of them waded -out into the river until the water was up to his waist, and stood -there baling it up with the dipper he carried and pouring it over -his head. The others were in the boat laughing at his antics, when -suddenly, as they described it, a dark sickle-like shadow swept round -him, and with one marrow-freezing shriek he fell. All the signs of -a fearful struggle beneath the water were evident, but never again -did they see their shipmate, nor was it until some time afterwards -that they learned what the manner of his going really was. And when -they did find out, nothing would tempt any of them to leave the ship -again while she lay there. One of them told me that his shipmate’s -last cry would be with him, reverberating through his mind, until his -dying day. I am not naturally cruel, but I confess that when one day -I caught one of these monsters with a hook and line while fishing -for something else, I felt a real pleasure in taking the awful thing -alongside, hoisting it on board, and ripping it lengthways from end -to end. From its stomach we took quite a bushel basket-full of eggs, -nearly all of them with shells, ready for laying, and we felt truly -thankful that so vile a brood had been caught before they had begun -their life of evil. - - - - - COUNTRY LIFE ON BOARD SHIP - - - I - -At first sight, any two things more difficult to bring into -intimate relations than bucolic and nautical life would appear -impossible to find. Those unfortunate people who, having followed -the calm, well-ordered round of pastoral progress through the -steadily-succeeding seasons of many years, suddenly find themselves, -by some freakish twist of fortune’s wheel, transferred to the -unstable bosom of the mutable deep, become terribly conscious of -their helplessness in the face of conditions so utterly at variance -with all their previous experience of settled, orderly life. The old -order has changed with a vengeance, giving place to a bewildering -seasonal disarrangement which seems to their shaken senses like a -foretaste of some topsy-turvy world. Like sorrowful strangers in a -strange land are they, wherein there is no sure foothold, and where, -in place of the old familiar landmarks known and cherished so long, -is a new element constant to nothing but change and--upon which -they seem to be precariously poised--the centre of a marginless -circle of invariable variability. This subversion of all precedent -is of course no less disconcerting to the humbler denizens of the -farmyard and meadow than it is to those who are ordinarily the -august arbiters of their destinies. And a sudden change from the -placid environment of the homestead, with all its large liberty -and peaceful delights, to the cramped, comfortless quarters which, -as a rule, are all that shipboard arrangements allow them, at once -brings them to a state of disconsolate wretchedness wherein all their -self-assertive individuality is reduced to a meek, voiceless protest -against their hard and unmerited fate. Sea-sickness, too, that truly -democratic leveller, does not spare animals, but inserts another set -of totally new and unpleasant sensations into the already complicated -disorganisation of their unfortunate position. - -In spite of these admittedly difficult factors, I have the temerity -to attempt the setting forth of certain phases of nautical life -experienced by myself which have always appeared to me to bring into -close contact two such widely differing spheres of existence as -country life and sea life, principally in the management of farmyard -animals at sea. Sailors are proverbially handy at most things, if -their methods _are_ unconventional, and I venture to hope that -country readers will at least be amused by Jack’s antics when dealing -with the familiar creatures of the countryside. - -With that wonderful adaptability to circumstances which, while -pre-eminently characteristic of mankind, is also a notable quality -of domesticated animals, they soon recover from their stupor and -malaise, arrange their locomotive powers to suit the mutations -of their unsteady home, and learn (perhaps soonest of all) to -distinguish the very number of strokes upon the ship’s bell which -announces the arrival of feeding-time. No doubt the attentions of -the sailors have much to do with the rapidity of acclimatisation -(if the term may be so employed) manifested by most of the animals, -since sailors have justly earned a high reputation for taming and -educating creatures of even the most ferocious and intractable -dispositions. Nevertheless, this result is attained by some of the -queerest and most ludicrous means (to a countryman) imaginable. But -what does that matter, since the conditions of their existence then -become, for the seaworthy animals, not only pleasant but undoubtedly -profitable to their owners. And where they are presently allowed the -run of the ship much fun ensues, fun, moreover, that has no parallel -in country life as ordinarily understood. Perhaps my experiences -have been more favourably enlarged than falls to the lot of most -seafarers, for I have been in several ships where the live-stock were -allowed free warren; and although the system had many inconveniences -and entailed a great deal of extra labour upon the crew, there were -also many compensations. But, like all things pertaining to the -sea, the practice of carrying live-stock has been replaced by more -modern methods. The custom of carrying fresh meat in refrigerators is -rapidly gaining ground, and, in consequence, latter-day seamen find -fewer and fewer opportunities for educating in seafaring behaviour -the usual farmyard animals that supply us with food. By few seamen -will this be regarded as a misfortune, since they find their labour -quite sufficiently onerous without the inevitable and disagreeable -concomitants of carrying live-stock. - -By far the largest portion of my experience of farmyard operations -on board ship has been connected with pigs. These profitable animals -have always been noted for their adaptability to sea life, and I -fully believe, what I have often heard asserted, that no pork is so -delicious as that which has been reared on board ship. Be that as it -may, pigs of every nation under heaven where swine are to be found -have been shipmates with me, and a complete study of all their varied -characteristics and their behaviour under all sea circumstances -would occupy a far greater number of pages than I am ever likely -to be able or willing to give. Already I have endeavoured to set -forth, in a former article, a sketch of the brilliant, if erratic, -career of one piggy shipmate whose life was full of interest and -his death a blaze of lurid glory. But he was in nowise the most -important member of our large and assorted collection of grunters -in that ship. Our Scotch skipper was an enthusiastic farmer during -the brief periods he spent at Cellardyke between his voyages to the -East Indies, and consequently it was not strange that he should -devote a portion of his ample leisure to pig-breeding when at sea. -For some reason, probably economical, we carried no fowls or other -animals destined for our meat, with the exception of the pigs, two -large retriever dogs and two cats making up the total of our animal -passengers, unless a large and active colony of rats that inhabited -the recesses of the hold be taken into account. The day before -sailing from Liverpool a handsome young pair of porkers, boar and -sow, were borne on board in one sack by the seller, making the welkin -ring with their shrill protests. We already possessed a middle-aged -black sow of Madras origin, whose temper was perfectly savage and -unappeasable; in fact, she was the only animal I ever saw on board -ship that could not be tamed. The first few days of our passage -being stormy, the two young pigs suffered greatly from sea-sickness, -and in their helpless, enfeebled state endured many things from the -wrathful, long-snouted old Madrassee, who seemed to regard them -both with peculiar aversion. She ate all their grub as well as her -own, although, like the lean kine of Scripture, she was nothing -benefited thereby. But the sailors, finding the youngsters amicably -disposed, began to pet them, and in all possible ways to protect -them from ill-usage not only by the savage Indian but by the black -retriever Sailor, who had taken up his quarters in the fo’c’s’le -and became furiously jealous of any attention shown to the pigs by -his many masters. It should be noted that, contrary to the usual -practice, those pigs had no settled abiding-place. At night they -slept in some darksome corner beneath the top-gallant forecastle, -wherever they could find a dry spot, but by day they roamed the deck -whithersoever they listed, often getting as far aft as the sacred -precincts of the quarter-deck, until Neptune, the brown retriever -that guarded the after-end of the ship, espied them, and, leaping -upon them, towed them forrard at full gallop by the ears, amid a -hurly-burly of eldritch shrieks and rattling hoofs. I am not at all -sure that the frolicsome young things did not enjoy these squally -interludes in their otherwise peaceful lives. Certainly they often -seemed to court rather than to avoid the dog’s onslaught, and would -dodge him round the after-hatch for all the world like London Arabs -guying a policeman. The only bitter drop in their brimming cup of -delights came with distressing regularity each morning. As soon as -the wash-deck tub was hauled forrard and the fore part of the ship -was invaded by the barefooted scrubbers and water-slingers, two -hands would grope beneath the fo’c’s’le, where, squeezed into the -smallest imaginable space, Denis and Jenny were, or pretended to be, -sleeping the dreamless slumbers of youthful innocence. Ruthlessly -they were seized and hauled on deck, their frantic lamentations -lacerating the bright air, and evoking fragments of the commination -service from the disturbed watch below. While one man held each of -them down, others scrubbed them vigorously, pouring a whole flood -of sparkling brine over them meanwhile, until they were as rosy and -sweet as any cherub of the nursery after its bath. This treatment, -so mournfully and regularly resented by them, was doubtless one -reason why they throve so amazingly, although the liberal rations -of sea-biscuit and peasoup supplied to them probably suited them as -well as any highly-advertised and costly provender would have done. -Their tameness was wonderful and withal somewhat embarrassing, for it -was no uncommon thing for them to slip into the men’s house unseen -during the absence of the crew, and, climbing into a lower bunk, -nestle cosily down into the unfortunate owner’s blankets and snore -peacefully until forcibly ejected by the wrathful lessee. - -Our passage was long, very long, so that the old black sow littered -off the Cape of Good Hope, choosing, with her usual saturnine -perversity, a night when a howling gale was blowing, and destroying -all her hapless offspring but one in her furious resentment at the -whole thing. Jenny, like the amiable creature she always was, delayed -_her_ offering until we were lying peaceably in Bombay Harbour. There -she placidly produced thirteen chubby little sucklings and reared -every one of them. They were a never-failing source of amusement to -the men, who, in the dog-watches, would sit for hours with pipes -aglow sedately enjoying the screamingly-funny antics of the merry -band. There is much controversy as to which of all tame animals are -the most genuinely frolicsome in their youth, kittens, lambs, calves, -pups, and colts all having their adherents; but I unhesitatingly give -my vote for piglings, especially when they are systematically petted -and encouraged in all their antics as were that happy family of ours. -Generally, the fat and lazy parents passed the time of these evening -gambols in poking about among the men, begging for stray midshipmen’s -nuts (broken biscuit), or asking in well-understood pig-talk to -be scratched behind their ears or along their bristly spines, but -occasionally, as if unable to restrain themselves any longer, they -would suddenly join their gyrating family, their elephantine gambols -among the frisky youngsters causing roars of laughter. Usually they -wound up the revels by a grand _galop furieux_ aft of the whole troop -squealing and grunting fortissimo, and returning accompanied by the -two dogs in a hideous uproar of barks, growls, and squeals. - -Our stay on the coast was sufficiently prolonged to admit of another -litter being produced in Bimlia-patam, twelve more piglets being -added to our already sizeable herd of seventeen. So far, these -farming matters had met with the unqualified approval of all hands -except the unfortunate boys who had to do the scavenging, but upon -quitting the Coromandel coast for the homeward passage, the exceeding -cheapness of live-stock tempted our prudent skipper to invest in a -large number of fowls and ducks. Besides these, he bought a couple -of milch goats, with some wild idea of milking them, while various -members of the crew had gotten monkeys, musk-deer, and parrots. It -needed no special gift of prescience to foresee serious trouble -presently, for there was not a single coop or house of any kind on -board for any of the motley crowd. As each crate of cackling birds -was lowered on deck it was turned out, and by the time the last of -the new-comers were free, never did a ship’s decks look more like a -“barton” than ours. Forty or fifty cockfights were proceeding in as -many corners, aided and abetted, I grieve to say, by the sailors, -who did all they could to encourage the pugnacity of the fowls, -although they were already as quarrelsome a lot as you would easily -get together. The goats were right at home at once; in fact goats -are, I believe, the single exception to the general rule of the -discomfort of animals when first they are brought on shipboard. The -newcomers quietly browsed around, sampling everything they could -get a purchase on with their teeth, and apparently finding all good -alike. Especially did they favour the ends of the running gear. -Now if there is one thing more than another that is sharply looked -after at sea, it is the “whipping” or securing of ropes-ends to -prevent them fraying out. But it was suddenly discovered that our -ropes-ends needed continual attention, some of them being always -found with disreputable tassels hanging to them. And when the mates -realised that the goats apparently preferred a bit of tarry rope -before anything else, their wrath was too great for words, and -they meditated a terrible revenge. Another peculiarity of these -strange-eyed animals was that they liked tobacco, and would eat a -great deal of it, especially in the form of used-up quids. This -peculiar taste in feeding had unexpected results. As before said, the -_raison d’être_ of the goats was milk, and after sundry ineffectual -struggles the steward managed to extract a cupful from the unworthy -pair. It was placed upon the cabin table with an air of triumph, -and the eyes of the captain’s wife positively beamed when she saw -it. Solemnly it was handed round, and poured into the coffee as -if it had been a libation to a tutelary deity, but somebody soon -raised a complaint that the coffee was not up to concert pitch by a -considerable majority. A process of exhaustive reasoning led to the -milk being tasted by the captain, who immediately spat it out with -much violence, ejaculating, “Why, the dam’ stuff’s pwushioned!” The -steward, all pale and agitated, looked on dumbly, until in answer to -the old man’s furious questions he falteringly denied all knowledge -of any felonious addition to the milk. The storm that was raised by -the affair was a serious one, and for a while things looked really -awkward for the steward. Fortunately the mate had the common-sense -to suggest that the malignant goat should be tapped once more, and -the immediate result tasted. This was done, and the poor steward -triumphantly vindicated. Then it was unanimously admitted that tarry -hemp, painted canvas, and plug tobacco were not calculated to produce -milk of a flavour that would be fancied by ordinary people. - - - II - -For the first time that voyage an attempt was made to confine a -portion of our farm-stock within a pen, instead of allowing them to -roam at their own sweet will about the decks. For the skipper still -cherished the idea that milk for tea and coffee might be obtained -from the two goats that would be palatable, if only their habit of -promiscuous grazing could be stopped. So the carpenter rigged up a -tiny corral beneath the fo’c’s’le deck, and there, in penitential -gloom, the goats were confined and fed, like all the rest of the -animals, on last voyage’s biscuit and weevily pease. Under these -depressing conditions there was, of course, only one thing left for -self-respecting goats to do--refuse to secrete any more milk. They -promptly did so; so promptly, in fact, that on the second morning the -utmost energies of the steward only sufficed to squeeze out from the -sardonic pair about half-a-dozen teaspoonfuls of doubtful-looking -fluid. This sealed their fate, for we had far too much stock on board -to waste any portion of our provender upon non-producers, and the -fiat went forth--the drones must die. Some suggestion was made by -a member of the after guard as to the possibility of the crew not -objecting to goat as a change of diet; but with all the skipper’s -boldness, he did not venture to make the attempt. The goats were -slain, their hides were saved for chafing gear, sheaths for knives, -&c., but, with the exception of a portion that was boiled down with -much disgust by the cook and given to the fowls, most of the flesh -was flung overboard. Then general complaints arose that while musk -was a pleasant perfume taken in moderation, a little of it went a -very long way, and that two musk deer might be relied upon to provide -as much scent in one day as would suffice all hands for a year. I -do not know how it was done, but two days after the demise of the -goats the deer also vanished. Still we could not be said to enjoy -much room to move about on deck yet. We had 200 fowls and forty ducks -roaming at large, and although many of the former idiotic birds tried -their wings, with the result of finding the outside of the ship a -brief and uncertain abiding-place, the state of the ship’s decks -was still utterly abominable. A week of uninterrupted fine weather -under the blazing sun of the Bay of Bengal had made every one but the -skipper heartily sick of sea-farming, and consequently it was with -many pleasurable anticipations that we noted the first increase in -the wind that necessitated a reduction of sail. It made the fellows -quite gay to think of the clearance that would presently take place. -The breeze freshened steadily all night, and in the morning it was -blowing a moderate gale, with an ugly cross sea, which, with the -_Belle’s_ well-known clumsiness, she was allowing to break aboard in -all directions. By four bells there were many gaps in our company -of fowls. Such a state of affairs robbed them of the tiny modicum -of gumption they had ever possessed, and every little breaking sea -that lolloped inboard drove some of them, with strident outcry, to -seek refuge overboard. Presently came what we had been expecting -all the morning--one huge mass of water extending from the break -of the poop to the forecastle, which filled the decks rail high, -fore and aft. Proceedings were exceedingly animated for a time. The -ducks took very kindly to the new arrangement at first, sailing -joyously about, and tasting the bitter brine as if they rather liked -the flavour. But they were vastly puzzled by the incomprehensible -motions of the whole mass of water under them; it was a phenomenon -transcending all their previous aquatic experiences. The fowls gave -the whole thing up, floating languidly about like worn-out feather -brooms upon the seething flood of water, and hardly retaining enough -energy to struggle when the men, splashing about like a crack team -in a water-polo match, snatched at them and conveyed them in heaps -to a place of security under the forecastle. That day’s breeze got -rid of quite two-thirds of our feathered friends for us, what -with the number that had flown or been washed overboard and those -unfortunates who had died in wet heaps under the forecastle. The old -man was much annoyed, and could by no means understand the unwonted -cheerfulness of everybody else. But, economical to the last, he -ordered the steward to slay as many of the survivors each day as -would give every man one body apiece for dinner, in lieu of the usual -rations of salt beef or pork. This royal command gave all hands -great satisfaction, for it is a superstition on board ship that to -feed upon chicken is the height of epicurean luxury. Dinner-time, -therefore, was awaited with considerable impatience; in fact, a -good deal of sleep was lost by the watch below over the prospect -of such an unusual luxury. I went to the galley as usual, my mouth -watering like the rest, but when I saw the dirty little Maltese cook -harpooning the carcasses out of the coppers, my appetite began to -fail me. He carefully counted into my kid one corpse to each man, and -I silently bore them into the forecastle to the midst of the gaping -crowd. Ah me! how was their joy turned into sorrow, their sorrow -into rage, by the rapidest of transitions. She was a hungry ship at -the best of times, but when things had been at their worst they had -never quite reached the present sad level. It is hardly possible to -imagine what that feast looked like. An East Indian jungle fowl is by -no means a fleshy bird when at its best, but these poor wretches had -been living upon what little flesh they wore when they came on board -for about ten days, the scanty ration of paddy and broken biscuit -having been insufficient to keep them alive. And then they had been -scalded wholesale, the feathers roughly wiped off them, and plunged -into a copper of furiously bubbling seawater, where they had remained -until the wooden-headed Maltese judged it time to fish them out and -send them to be eaten. They were just like ladies’ bustles covered -with old parchment, and I have serious doubts whether more than half -of them were drawn. I dare not attempt to reproduce the comments of -my starving shipmates, unless I gave a row of dashes which would be -suggestive but not enlightening. Old Nat the Yankee, who was the -doyen of the forecastle, was the first to recover sufficiently from -the shock to formulate a definite plan of action. “In my ’pinion,” he -said, “thishyer’s ’bout reached th’ bottom notch. I kin stan’ bein’ -starved; in these yer limejuicers a feller’s got ter stan’ that, but -I be ’tarnally dod-gasted ef I kin see bein’ starved ’n’ insulted -at the same time by the notion ov bein’ bloated with lugsury. I’m -goin’ ter take thishyer kid full o’ bramley-kites aft an’ ask th’ -ole man ef he don’t think it’s ’bout time somethin’ wuz said _an’_ -done by th’ croo ov this hooker.” There was no dissentient voice -heard, and solemnly as a funeral procession, Nat leading the way -with the corpuses delicti, the whole watch tramped aft. I need not -dwell upon the interview. Sufficient that there was a good deal of -animated conversation, and much jeering on the skipper’s part at -the well-known cussedness of sailors, who, as everybody knows (or -think they know), will growl if fed on all the delicacies of the -season served up on 18-carat plate. But we got no more poultry, -thank Heaven. And I do not think the officers regretted the fact -that before we got clear of the bay the last of that sad crowd of -feathered bipeds had ceased to worry any of us, but had wisely given -up the attempt to struggle against such a combination of trying -circumstances. - -The herd of swine, however, throve apace. To the manner born, nothing -came amiss to them, and I believe they even enjoyed the many quaint -tricks played upon them by the monkeys, and the ceaseless antagonism -of the dogs. But the father of the family was a sore trial to our -energetic carpenter. Chips had a sneaking regard for pigs, and knew -more than anybody on board about them; but that big boar, he said, -made him commit more sin with his tongue in one day than all the -other trying details of his life put together. For Denis’s tusks -grew amazingly, and his chief amusement consisted in rooting about -until he found a splinter in the decks underneath which he could -insert a tusk. Then he would lie down or crouch on his knees, and -fidget away at that sliver of pine until he had succeeded in ripping -a long streak up; and if left undisturbed for a few minutes, he -would gouge quite a large hollow out of the deck. No ship’s decks -that ever I saw were so full of patches as ours were, and despite -all our watchfulness they were continually increasing. It became a -regular part of the carpenter’s duties to capture Denis periodically -by lassoing him, lash him up to the pin-rail by his snout, and with -a huge pair of pincers snap off those fast-growing tusks as close -down to the jaw as possible. In spite of this heroic treatment, Denis -always seemed to find enough of tusk left to rip up a sliver of deck -if ever he could find a quiet corner; and the carpenter was often -heard to declare that the cunning beast was a lineal descendant of a -survivor of the demon-possessed herd of Gadara. - -In the case of the pigs, though, there were compensations. By the -time we arrived off Mauritius, a rumour went round that on Friday -a pig was to be killed, and great was the excitement. The steward -swelled with importance as, armed with the cabin carving-knife, he -strode forward and selected _two_ of the first litter of piglets, -the Bombay born, for sacrifice. He had plenty of voluntary helpers -from the watch below, who had no fears for the quality of this -meat, and only trembled at the thought that perchance the old man -might bear malice in the matter of the fowls and refuse to send any -pork in our direction. Great was the uproar as the chosen ones were -seized by violent hands, their legs tied with spun-yarn, and their -throats exposed to the stern purpose of the steward. Unaware that -the critical eye of Chips was upon him, he made a huge gash across -the victim’s throat, and then plunged the knife in diagonally until -the whole length of the blade disappeared. “Man alive,” said Chips, -“ye’re sewerly daft. Thon’s nay wye to stick a pig. If ye haena -shouldert the puir beastie A’am a hog mysel’.” “You mind your own -business, Carpenter,” replied the steward, with dignity; “I don’t -want anybody to show me how to do _my_ work.” “Gie _me_ nane o’ yer -impidence, ye feckless loon,” shouted Chips. “A’am tellin’ ye thon’s -spilin’ guide meat for want o’ juist a wee bit o’ knowin’ how. Hae! -lat me show ye if ye’re thick heid’s able to tak’ onythin’ in ava.” -And so speaking, he brushed the indignant steward aside, at the same -time drawing his pocket-knife. The second pig was laid out, and -Chips, as delicately as if performing tracheotomy, slit his weasand. -The black puddings were not forgotten, but I got such a distaste for -that particular delicacy from learning how they were made (I hadn’t -the slightest idea before) that I have never been able to touch one -since. - -Chips now took upon himself the whole direction of affairs, and truly -he was a past-master in the art and mystery of the pork-butcher. He -knew just the temperature of the water, the happy medium between -scalding the hair on and not scalding it off; knew, too, how to -manipulate chitterlings and truss the carcass up till it looked just -as if hanging in a first-class pork shop. But the steward was sore -displeased. For it is a prime canon of sea etiquette not to interfere -with another man’s work, and in the known incapacity of the cook, -whose duty the pigkilling should ordinarily have been, the steward -came next by prescriptive right. However, Chips, having undertaken -the job, was not the man to give it up until it was finished, and by -universal consent he had a right to be proud of his handiwork. That -Sunday’s dinner was a landmark, a date to reckon from, although the -smell from the galley at suppertime on Saturday and breakfast-time -on Sunday made us all quite faint and weak from desire, as well as -fiercely resentful of the chaffy biscuit and filthy fragments of beef -that were a miserable substitute for a meal with us. - -But thenceforward the joy of good living was ours every Sunday until -we reached home. Ten golden epochs, to be looked forward to with -feverish longing over the six hungry days between each. And when -off the Western Islands, Chips tackled the wicked old Madrassee sow -single-handed, in the pride of his prowess allowing no one to help -him although she was nearly as large as himself--ah! that was the -culminating point. Such a feast was never known to any of us before, -for in spite of her age she was succulent and sapid, and, as the -Irish say, there was “lashins and lavins.” When we arrived in the -East India Docks, we still had, besides the two progenitors of our -stock, eight fine young porkers, such a company as would have been -considered a most liberal allowance on leaving home for any ship I -have ever sailed in before or since. As for Denis and Jenny, I am -afraid to estimate their giant proportions. They were not grossly -fat, but enormously large--quite the largest pigs I have ever -seen--and when they were lifted ashore by the hydraulic crane, and -landed in the railway truck for conveyance to Cellardyke, to taste -the joys of country life on Captain Smith’s farm, there was a rush -of spectators from all parts of the dock to gaze open-mouthed upon -these splendid specimens of ship-bred swine. But few could be got -to believe that, eleven months before, the pair of them had been -carried on board in one sack by an undersized man, and that their -sole sustenance had been “hard-tack” and pea-soup. - - - III - -Such an extensive collection of farm-stock as we carried in the -_Belle_ was, like the method of dealing with it, probably unique. -Certainly so in my experience, and in that of all the shipmates with -whom I have ever discussed the matter. For this reason, a _dirty_ -ship upon the high seas is an anomaly, something not to be imagined; -that is, in the sense of loose dirt, of course, because sailors will -call a ship dirty whose paint and varnish have been scrubbed or -weathered off, and, through poverty or meanness, left unrenewed. The -_Belle_ would no doubt have looked clean to the average landsman, -but to a sailor she was offensively filthy, and the language used at -night when handling the running gear (_i.e._ the ropes which regulate -the sails, &c., aloft, and are, when disused, coiled on pins or on -deck) was very wicked and plentiful. In fact, as Old Nat remarked -casually one Sunday afternoon, when the watch had been roused to tack -ship, and all the inhabitants of the farmery, disturbed from their -roosting places or lairs, were unmusically seeking fresh quarters, -“Ef thishyer---- old mud-scow’s out much longer we sh’ll hev’ ’nother -cargo aboard when we du arrive. People ’ll think we cum fr’m the -Chinchees with gooanner.” - -But, as I have said, the _Belle_ was certainly an exception. I joined -a magnificent steel clipper called the _Harbinger_ in Adelaide as -second mate, and, on taking my first walk round her, discovered that -she too was well provided in the matter of farm-stock, besides, to -my amazement, for I had thought the day for such things long past, -carrying a cow. But all the arrangements for the housing, feeding, -and general comfort of the live-stock on board were on a most -elaborate scale, as, indeed, was the ship’s equipment generally. -The cow-house, for instance, was a massive erection of solid teak -with brass fittings and fastenings, large enough to take two cows -comfortably, and varnished outside till it looked like a huge -cabinet. Its place when at sea was on the main hatch, where it was -nearly two feet off the deck, and by means of ring-bolts was lashed -so firmly that only a perfectly disastrous sea breaking on board -could possibly move it. Its solidly-built doors opened in halves, of -which the lower half only was kept fastened by day, so that Poley -stood at her window gazing meditatively out at the blue expanse of -the sea with a mild, abstracted air, which immediately vanished if -any one inadvertently came too near her premises. She had a way -of suddenly dabbing her big soapy muzzle into the back of one’s -neck while the victim’s attention was taken up elsewhere that was -disconcerting. And one night, in the middle watch, she created a -veritable sensation by walking into the forecastle unseen by anybody -on deck. The watch below were all sound asleep, of course, but the -unusual footsteps, and long inquisitive breaths, like escaping steam, -emitted by the visitor, soon roused them by their unfamiliarity. -Voice called unto voice across the darkness (and a ship’s forecastle -at night is a shade or so darker than a coal-cellar), “What is it? -Light the lamp, somebody”; but with that vast mysterious monster -floundering around, no one dared venture out of the present security -of his bunk. It was really most alarming--waking up to such an -invisible horror as that, and, as one of the fellows said to me -afterwards, “All the creepy yarns I’d ever read in books come -inter me head at once, until I was almost dotty with ’fraid.” This -situation was relieved by one of the other watch, who, coming in to -get something out of a chum’s chest, struck a match, and by its pale -glimmer revealed the huge bulk of poor Poley, who, scared almost to -drying up her milk, was endeavouring to bore her way through the -bows in order to get out. The butcher was hurriedly roused from his -quarters farther aft, and, muttering maledictions upon ships and all -sailors, the sea and all cattle, slouched to the spot. His voice -immediately reassured the wanderer, who turned round at its first -angry words and deliberately marched out of the forecastle, leaving a -lavish contribution in her wake as a memento of her visit. - -Between the butcher and Poley a charming affection existed. She loved -him most fondly, and the Cardigan jacket he wore was a proof thereof. -For while engaged in grooming her, which he did most conscientiously -every morning, she would reach round whenever possible and lick him -wherever she could touch him. In consequence of this affectionate -habit of hers his Cardigan was an object of derision to all on board -until upon our arrival in Cape Town one of our departing passengers -divided a case of extra special Scotch whisky among the crew. The -butcher being of an absorbent turn, shifted a goodly quantity of -the seductive fluid, and presently, feeling very tired, left the -revellers and disappeared. Next morning he was nowhere to be found. A -prolonged search was made, and at last the missing man was discovered -peacefully slumbering by the side of the cow, all unconscious of the -fact that she had licked away at him until nothing remained of his -Cardigan but the sleeves, and in addition a great deal of his shirt -was missing. It is only fair to suppose that, given time enough, -she would have removed all his clothing. It was a depraved appetite -certainly, but as I have before noticed, _that_ is not uncommon -among animals at sea. It was her only lapse, however, from virtue -in that direction. Truly her opportunities were small, being such -a close prisoner, but the marvel to me was how, in the absence of -what I should say was proper food, she kept up her supply of milk -for practically the whole voyage. She never once set foot on shore -from the time the vessel left London until she returned, and as green -food was most difficult to obtain in Adelaide, she got a taste of it -only about four times during our stay. Australian hay, too, is not -what a dainty English cow would be likely to hanker after; yet with -all these drawbacks it was not until we had crossed the Line on the -homeward passage that her milk began to dwindle seriously in amount. -Thenceforward it decreased, until in the Channel the butcher handed -in to the steward one morning a contribution of about a gill, saying, -“If you want any more, sir, you’ll have to put the suction hose on -to her. I sh’d say her milkin’ days was done.” But for long previous -to this the ingenious butcher had been raiding the cargo (of wheat) -for his pet, and each day would present her with two bucketfuls of -boiled wheat, which she seemed to relish amazingly. Partly because -of this splendid feeding, and partly owing to the regular washing -and groomings she received, I imagine she was such a picture of an -animal when she stepped out of the ship in London as I have only seen -at cattle shows or on advertisement cards. You could not see a bone; -her sides were like a wall of meat, and her skin had a sheen on it -like satin. As she was led away, I said to the butcher, who had been -assisting at her debarkation, “I suppose you’ll have her again next -voyage, won’t you, butcher?” “No fear,” he answered sagely. “She’s -gone to be butchered. She’ll be prime beef in a day or two.” I looked -at him with something like consternation. He seemed to think it was a -grand idea, although even now the mournful call of his old favourite -was ringing in his ears. At last I said, “I wonder you can bear to -part with her; you’ve been such chums all the voyage.” “I don’t know -what you mean, sir,” he replied. “I looked after her ’cause it’s my -bisness, but I’d jest as leave slaughter her myself as not.” With -that he left me to resume his duty. - -But in the fervour of my recollections of Poley, I have quite -neglected another most important branch of the _Harbinger’s_ family -of animals, the sheep. Being such a large ship, she had an immense -house on deck between the main hatch and the fore mast, in which -were a donkey-engine and condenser, a second cabin to accommodate -thirty passengers, petty officers’ quarters, carpenters’ shop, and -galley. And still there was room between the fore end and the fore -mast to admit of two massive pens, built of teak, with galvanised -bars in front, being secured there one on top of the other. When I -joined the ship these were empty, and their interiors scrubbed as -clean as a kitchen table. That morning, looking up the quay, I saw a -curious procession. First a tall man, with an air of quiet want of -interest about him; by his side sedately marched a ram, a splendid -fellow, who looked fully conscious that he was called upon to play -an important part in the scheme of things. Behind this solemn pair -came a small flock of some thirty sheep, and a wise old dog, keeping -a good distance astern of the mob, fittingly brought up the rear. -They were expected, for I saw some of the men, under the bo’sun’s -directions, carefully laying a series of gangways for them. And, -without noise, haste, or fuss, the man marched on board closely -followed by the ram. He led the way to where a long plank was laid -from the deck to the wide-open door of the upper pen. Then, stepping -to the side of it, without a word or even a gesture, he stood quite -still while the stately ram walked calmly up that narrow way, -followed by the sheep in single file. The leader walked into the pen -and right round it, reaching the door just as the fifteenth sheep -had entered. The others had been restrained from following as soon -as fifteen had passed. Outside he stepped upon the plank with the -same grave air of importance, and the moment he had done so the door -was slid to in the face of the others who were still following his -lead. Then the other pen was filled in the same easy manner, the ram -quitting the second pen with the bearing of one whose sublime height -of perfection is far above such paltry considerations as praise or -blame, while the dog stood aloof somewhat dejectedly, as if conscious -that his shining abilities were for the time completely overshadowed -by the performances of a mere woolly thing, one of the creatures he -had always regarded as being utterly destitute of a single gleam -of reasonableness. The ram received a carrot from his master’s -pocket with a gracious air, as of one who confers a favour, and -together the trio left the ship. The embarkation had been effected -in the quietest, most humane manner possible, and to my mind was an -object-lesson in ingenuity. - -We had no swine, but on top of this same house there was a fine range -of teak-built coops of spacious capacity, and these were presently -filled with quite a respectable company of fowls, ducks, and geese, -all, of course, under the charge of the butcher. Happy are the -animals who have no history on board ship, whose lives move steadily -on in one well-fed procession unto their ordained end. Here in this -grand ship, had it not been for the geese, no one would have realised -the presence of poultry at all, so little were they in evidence until -they graced the glittering table in the saloon at 6 P.M. But the -geese, as if bent upon anticipating the fate that was in store for -them, waited with sardonic humour until deepest silence fell upon -the night-watches. Then, as if by preconcerted signal, they raised -their unmelodious voices, awaking sleepers fore and aft from deepest -slumbers, and evoking the fiercest maledictions upon their raucous -throats. Occasionally the shadowy form of some member of the crew, -exasperated beyond endurance, would be dimly seen clambering up -the end of the house, his heart filled with thoughts of vengeance. -Armed with a wooden belaying-pin, he would poke and rattle among the -noisy creatures, with much the same result as one finds who, having -a slightly aching tooth, fiddles about with it until its anguish is -really maddening. These angry men never succeeded in doing anything -but augmenting the row tenfold, and they found their only solace in -gloating over the last struggles of one of their enemies when the -butcher was doing his part towards verifying the statement on the -menu for the forthcoming dinner of “roast goose.” - -But the chief interest of our farmyard, after all, lay in the sheep. -How it came about that such a wasteful thing was done I do not know, -but it very soon became manifest that some at least of our sheep -were in an interesting condition, and one morning, at wash-deck -time, when I was prowling around forrard to see that everything was -as it should be, I was considerably amused to see one of the sheep -occupying a corner of the pen with a fine young lamb by her side. -While I watched the pretty creature, the butcher came along to begin -his day’s work. When he caught sight of the new-comer he looked -silly. It appeared that he alone had been sufficiently unobservant of -his charges to be unprepared for this _dénouement_, and it was some -time before his sluggish wits worked up to the occasion. Suddenly -he roused himself and made for the pen. “What are you going to do, -butcher?” I asked. “Goin’ to do! W’y I’m agoin’ ter chuck that there -thing overboard, a’course, afore any of them haristocrats aft gets -wind of it. They won’t touch a bit o’ the mutton if they hear tell -o’ this. I never see such a thing aboard ship afore.” But he got no -further with his fell intent, for some of the sailors intervened on -behalf of the lamb, vowing all sorts of vengeance upon the butcher -if he dared to touch a lock of its wool; so he was obliged to beat -a retreat, grumblingly, to await the chief steward’s appearance and -lay the case before him. When that gentleman appeared, he was by no -means unwilling to add a little to his popularity by effecting a -compromise. It was agreed that the sailors should keep the new-comer -as a pet, but all subsequent arrivals were to be dealt with by the -butcher instanter, without any interference on their part. This, the -steward explained, was not only fair, but merciful, as in the absence -of green food there could only be a day or two’s milk forthcoming, -and the poor little things would be starved. Of course, he couldn’t -spare any of Poley’s precious yield for nursing lambs, besides -wishing to avoid the natural repugnance the passengers would have -to eating mutton in such a condition. So the matter was amicably -arranged. - -Thereafter, whenever a lamb was dropped, and every one of those -thirty ewes presented one or two, the butcher laid violent hands upon -it, and dropped it overboard as soon as it was discovered. Owing -to the promise of sundry tots of grog from the sailors, he always -informed them of the fact, and pointed out the bereaved mother. Then -she would be pounced upon, lifted out of the coop, and while one -fellow held her another brought the favoured lamb. After the first -time or two, that pampered young rascal needed no showing. As soon as -he saw the sheep being held he would make a rush, and in a minute or -two would completely drain her udder. Sometimes there were as many as -three at a time for him to operate upon, but there never seemed to be -too many for his voracious appetite. What wonder that like Jeshurun -he waxed fat and kicked. He grew apace, and he profited amazingly by -the tuition of his many masters. Anything less sheep-like, much less -lamb-like, than his behaviour could hardly be imagined. A regimental -goat might have matched him in iniquity, but I am strongly inclined -to doubt it. One of the most successful tricks taught this pampered -animal was on the lines of his natural tendency to butt at anything -and everything. It was a joyful experience to see him engaged in -mimic conflict with a burly sailor, who, pitted against this immature -ram, usually came to grief at an unexpected roll of the ship; for -Billy, as our lamb was named by general consent, very early in his -career gat unto himself sea-legs of a stability unattainable by any -two-legged creature. I often laughed myself sore at these encounters, -the funniest exhibitions I had seen for many a long day, until one -night in my watch on deck, during a gale of wind, I descended from -the poop on to the main deck to hunt for a flying-fish that I heard -come on board. I was stooping down, the water on deck over my ankles, -to feel under the spare spars lashed alongside the scuppers, when -I heard a slight noise behind me. Before I had time to straighten -myself, a concussion like a well-aimed, hearty kick smote me behind, -and I fell flat in the water like a plaice. When I had scrambled to -my feet, black rage in my heart against things in general, I heard -a fiendish cackle of laughter which was suddenly suppressed; and -there, with head lowered in readiness for another charge, stood -Billy, only too anxious to renew his attentions as soon as he could -see an opening. For one brief moment I contemplated a wild revenge, -but I suddenly remembered that my place was on the poop, and I -went that way, not perhaps with the dignified step of an officer, -because that demoniacal sheep (no, lamb) was behind me manœuvring for -another assault. I lost all interest in him after that. A lamb is all -very well, but when he grows up he is apt to become an unmitigated -calamity, especially if sailors have any hand in his education. So -that it was with a chastened regret that I heard the order go forth -for his conversion into dinner. We were able to regale the pilot -with roast lamb and mint sauce (made from the dried article), and the -memory of my wrongs added quite a piquant flavour to my portion. - - - IV - -It has always been a matter of profound thankfulness with me that -my evil genius never led me on board a cattle-boat. For I do think -that to a man who has any feeling for the lower animals these vessels -present scenes of suffering enough to turn his brain. And it does not -in the least matter what provision is made for the safe conveyance -of cattle in such numbers across the ocean. As long as the weather -is fairly reasonable, the boxed-up animals have only to endure ten -days or so of close confinement, with inability to lie down, and -the nausea that attacks animals as well as human beings. The better -the ship and the greater care bestowed upon the cattle-fittings the -less will be the sufferings of the poor beasts; but the irreducible -minimum is soon reached, and that means much more cruelty to animals -than any merciful man would like to witness. But when a gale is -encountered and the huge steamer wallows heavily in the mountainous -irregularities of the Atlantic, flooding herself fore and aft at -every roll, and making the cattlemen’s task of attending to their -miserable charges one surcharged with peril to life or limbs, then -the condition of a cattle-ship is such as to require the coinage of -special adjectives for its description. Of course it will be said -that human beings used to be carried across the ocean for sale in -much the same way, and men calling themselves humane were not ashamed -to grow rich on the receipts from such traffic; but surely that will -never be advanced as an excuse for, or a palliative of, the horrors -of the live cattle trade. I have passed through an area of sea -bestrewn with the bodies of cattle that have been washed overboard -in a gale--hurled out of the pens wherein they have been battered -to death--when the return of fine weather has made it possible, and -I have wished with all my heart that it could be made an offence -against the laws to carry live cattle across the ocean at all. - -No, the nearest approach that ever I had to being shipmates with a -cargo of live stock was on one never-to-be-forgotten occasion, when, -after bringing a 24-ton schooner from a little village up the Bay -of Fundy to Antigua in the West Indies, I found myself, as you may -say, stranded in St. John, the principal port in that island. The -dry rot which seems to have unfortunately overtaken our West Indian -possessions was even then very marked in Antigua, for there was no -vessel there larger than a 100-ton schooner, and only two or three -of them, all Yankees with one exception, a Barbadian craft with the -queerest name imaginable, the _Migumoo-weesoo_. The shipping officer, -seeing that I was a certificated mate, very kindly interested himself -in me, going so far as to say that if I would take his advice and -assistance I would immediately leave St. John in the _Migum_, as he -called her, for that the skipper, being a friend of his, would gladly -give me a passage to Barbadoes. I hope good advice was never wasted -on me. At any rate this wasn’t, for I immediately went down to the -beach, jumped into a boat, and ordered the darky in charge to put me -on board the _Migum_. When we got alongside I was mightily interested -to see quite a little mob of horses calmly floating alongside with -their heads just sticking out of the water. The first thing that -suggested itself to me was that if those horses got on board with -their full complement of legs it would be little less than a miracle, -the harbour being notoriously infested with sharks. But presently I -reflected that there was really no danger, the darkies who were busy -with preparations for the embarkation of the poor beasts kicking up -such a deafening row that no shark would have dared venture within a -cable’s length of the spot. Everybody engaged in the business seemed -to be excited beyond measure, shouting, screeching with laughter, and -yelling orders at the top of their voices, so that I could not see -how anything was going to be done at all. The skipper was confined to -his cabin with an attack of dysentery, and lay fretting himself into -a fever at the riot going on overhead for want of his supervision. -As soon as I introduced myself he begged me to go and take charge, -but, although I humoured him to the extent of seeming to comply with -his request, I knew enough of the insubordinate ’Badian darkies to -make me very careful how I interfered with them. But going forward, I -found to my delight that they had made a start at last, and that two -of the trembling horses were already on deck. Four or five darkies -were in the water alongside, diving beneath the horses with slings -which were very carefully placed round their bodies, then hooked to -a tackle, by means of which they were hoisted on board, so subdued -by fear that they suffered themselves to be pushed and hauled about -the decks with the quiet submissiveness of sheep. There were twenty -of them altogether, and when they had all been landed on deck there -was not very much room left for working the schooner. However, as our -passage lay through the heart of the trade winds, and nothing was -less probable than bad weather, nobody minded that, not even when the -remaining deck space was lumbered up with some very queer-looking -forage. - -As soon as the horses were on board we weighed, and stood out of -harbour with a gentle, leading wind that, freshening as we got -farther off the land, coaxed the smart craft along at a fairly good -rate. This lasted until midnight, when, to the darkies’ dismay, -the wind suddenly failed us, leaving us lazily rocking to the -gently-gliding swell upon the wine-dark bosom of the glassy sea. -Overhead, the sky, being moonless, was hardly distinguishable from -the sea, and as every brilliant star was faithfully duplicated -beneath, it needed no great stretch of imagination to fancy that we -were suspended in the centre of a vast globe utterly cut off from the -rest of the world. But the poor skipper, enfeebled by his sad ailment -and anxious about his freight, had no transcendental fancies. Vainly -I tried to comfort him with the assurance that we should certainly -find a breeze at daybreak, and it would as certainly be fair for us. -He refused consolation, insisting that we were in for a long spell -of calm, and against his long experience of those waters I felt I -could not argue. So I ceased my efforts and went on deck to enjoy the -solemn beauty of the night once more, and listen to the quaint gabble -of the three darkies forming the watch on deck. - -Sure enough the skipper was right. Calms and baffling airs, -persisting for three days, kept us almost motionless until every -morsel of horse provender was eaten, and--what was still more -serious--very little water was left. All of us wore long faces now, -and the first return of steady wind was hailed by us with extravagant -delight. Continuing on our original course was out of the question -under the circumstances, so we headed directly for the nearest port, -which happened to be Prince Rupert, in the beautiful island of -Dominica. A few hours’ sail brought us into the picturesque harbour, -with its ruined fortresses, once grimly guarding the entrance, now -overgrown with dense tropical vegetation, huge trees growing out of -yawning gaps in the masonry, and cable-like vines enwreathing the -crumbling walls. Within the harbour there was a profound silence; the -lake-like expanse was unburdened by a single vessel, and although -the roofs of a few scattered houses could be seen embosomed among -the verdure, there was no other sign of human occupation. We lowered -the little boat hanging astern and hastened ashore. Hurrying toward -the houses, we found ourselves in a wide street which from lack of -traffic was all overgrown with weeds. Here we found a few listless -negroes, none of whom could speak a word of English, a barbarous -French patois being their only medium of communication. But by -signs we made them comprehend our needs--fodder for the horses, and -water. After some little palaver we found that for a few shillings -we might go into the nearest thicket of neglected sugar-cane and -cut down as many of the feathery blades that crowned the canes as -we wanted, but none of those sleepy-looking darkies volunteered -their assistance--they seemed to be utterly independent of work. Our -energy amazed them, and I don’t think I ever saw such utter contempt -as was expressed by our lively crew--true ’Badians born--towards -those lotus-eating Dominicans. We had a heavy morning’s work before -us, but by dint of vigorous pushing we managed to collect a couple -of boatloads of cane-tops, carry them on board, and return for two -casks of water which we had left one of our number ashore to fill. -Some deliberate fishermen were hauling a seine as we were about to -depart, and we lingered awhile until they had finished their unusual -industry, being rewarded by about a bushel of “bill-fish,” a sort -of garfish, but with the beak an extension of the lower jaw instead -of the upper. I offered to buy a few of the fish, but the fishermen -seemed mightily careless whether they sold any or not. After much -expenditure of energy in sign language, I managed to purchase three -dozen (about the size of herrings) for the equivalent of twopence, -and, very well satisfied, pushed off for the schooner, leaving the -fishermen standing on the beach contemplating their newly-acquired -wealth, as if quite unable to decide what to do with it. - -It was worth all the labour we had expended to see the delight with -which those patient horses munched the juicy green tops of the cane, -and drank, plunging their muzzles deep into the buckets, of the clear -water we had brought. And I felt quite pleased when, upon our arrival -in Barbadoes two days after, I watched the twenty of them walk -sedately up a broad gangway of planks on to the wharf, and indulge in -a playful prance and shake when they found their hoofs firmly planted -upon the unrocking earth once more. - -I hope I shall not be suspected of drawing a _longue beau_ when -I say that I was once in a big ship whose skipper was an ardent -agriculturist. On my first visit to the poop I saw with much surprise -a couple of cucumber frames lashed in secure positions, one on either -side of the rail at the break of the poop. When I fancied myself -unobserved, I lifted the top of one, and looked within, seeing that -they contained a full allowance of rich black mould. And presently, -peeping down the saloon skylight, I saw that carefully arranged along -its sides, on brackets, were many large pots of flowering plants, all -in first-rate condition and bloom. It was quite a novel experience -for me, but withal a most pleasant one, for although it did appear -somewhat strange and incongruous to find plant-life flourishing -upon the sea, it gave more of a familiar domestic atmosphere to -’board-ship life than anything I have ever known; much the same -feeling that strikes one when looking upon the round sterns of -the Dutch galliots, with their square windows embellished by snowy -beribboned muslin curtains. When we got to sea, and well clear of the -land, so that the skipper’s undivided attention could be given to his -beloved hobby, there were great developments of it. For not content -with growing lettuces, radishes, endive, and such “garden-sass,” -as the Yankees term it, in his cucumber frames, he enlarged his -borders and tried experiments in raising all sorts of queer seeds of -tropical fruits and vegetables. His garden took up so much room on -the poop that the officers fretted a good deal at the circumscribed -area of their domain, besides being considerably annoyed at having -to cover up the frames, boxes, &c., when bad weather caused salt -spray to break over them. But this was ungrateful of them, because -there never was a skipper who interfered less with his officers, or a -more peaceable, good-natured man. Nor was the frequent mess of salad -that graced the table in the saloon to be despised. In that humid -atmosphere and equable temperature everything grew apace; so that for -a couple of months at a time green crisp leaves were scarcely absent -from the table for a day. Mustard and cress were, of course, his main -crop, but lettuce, radishes, and spring onions did remarkably well. -That was on the utilitarian side. On the experimental side he raised -date-palms, coco-palms, banana-palms, mango trees, and orange trees, -dwarfing them after a fashion he had learned in China, so that in -the saloon he had quite a conservatory. But there were many others -of which none of us knew the names. And all around in the skylight, -beneath the brackets whereon the pots of geranium, fuchsia, &c., -stood, hung orchids collected by the skipper on previous voyages, -and most carefully tended, so that some lovely spikes of bloom were -always to be seen. That saloon was a perfect bower of beauty, and -although the ship herself was somewhat dwarfed by comparison with the -magnificent clippers we forgathered with in Calcutta, few vessels -had so many visitors. Her fame spread far, and nearly every day -the delighted skipper would be busy showing a string of wondering -shorefolk over his pleasaunce. - -We went thence to Hong-Kong, and there, as if in emulation of the -“old man’s” hobby for flowers, all hands went in for birds, mostly -canaries, which can be obtained in China more cheaply, I believe, -than in any part of the world. Sampans, loaded with cages so that -nothing can be seen of the hull, and making the whole harbour -melodious with the singing of their pretty freight, are always in -evidence. For the equivalent of 3s., if the purchaser be smart of -eye, he can always buy a fine cock canary in full song, although -the wily Chinee never fails to attempt the substitution of a hen, -no matter what price is paid. There arose a perfect mania on board -of us for canaries, and when we departed for New Zealand there were -at least 400 of the songsters on board. Truly for us the time of -singing of birds had come. All day long that chorus went on, almost -deafeningly, until we got used to it, for of course if one bird piped -up after a short spell of quiet all hands joined in at the full -pitch of their wonderful little lungs; so that, what with birds -and flowers and good feeling, life on board the _Lady Clare_ was as -nearly idyllic as any seafaring I have ever heard of. - - - V - -It might readily be supposed that in such leisurely ships as -the Southern-going whalers, calling, as they did, at so many -out-of-the-way islands in the South Pacific, there would have been -more inducement than usual to cultivate the bucolics, if only from -sheer desire for something to break the long monotony of the voyage. -And so, indeed, there was, but not to anything like the extent that -I should have expected. On board the _Cachalot_ we were handicapped -considerably in this direction by reason of several of the officers -having an unconquerable dislike to fresh pork, which was the more -remarkable because they never manifested the same aversion to the -rancid, foul-smelling article supplied to us every other day out of -the ship’s salt-meat stores. Whence, by the by, is ship salt pork -obtained? Under what conditions do they rear the animals that produce -those massy blocks of “scrunchy” fat, just tinged at one side with -a pale pink substance that was once undoubtedly flesh, but when it -reaches the sailor bears no resemblance to anything eatable? And how -does it acquire that peculiarly vile flavour all its own, which is -unlike the taste of any other provision known to caterers? I give -it up; I have long ago done so, in fact. Men do eat it, although I -never could, except by chopping it up fine with broken biscuit and -mixing it with pea-soup, so that I could swallow it without tasting -it. But the only other creatures able to do so are pigs and sharks. -Sailors have all kinds of theories respecting its origin, of which I -am restricted to saying that they are nearly all unprintable. But I -do wish most fervently that those who supply it for human food, both -dealers and ship-owners, were, as their victims are, compelled to eat -it three times a week or starve. Just for a month or two. Methinks it -would do them much good. But this is a digression. - -Most of us had our suspicions that our officers’ dislike was not -so much to fresh pork as to live pigs, and truly, with our limited -deck space, the objection was most reasonable. Moreover, the South -Sea Island pig is a questionable-looking beast at the best, not by -any means tempting to look at, and of uncertain dietary. They affect -startling colours, such as tortoise-shell and tabby, are woolly of -coat, lengthy of snout, and almost as speedy as dogs. When fed, which -is seldom, ripe cocoa-nut is given them, as it is to all live stock -in the islands. But they make many a hearty meal of fish as they -wander around the beaches and reef-borders, and this gives a flavour -to their produce which is, to say the least of it, unexpected. But -as if to make up for our lack of pigs we had the most elaborate -fowlery fitted up that I ever was shipmates with. Its dimensions were -about 8 ft. long, 6 ft. wide, and 5 ft. high. It was built of wood -entirely, and exactly on the principle of an oblong canary-cage that -is unenclosed on any side. Plenty of roosts and nests, plenty of -pounded coral and cocoa-nut, and--as the result--plenty of eggs. But -such queer eggs. The yolk was hardly distinguishable from the white, -and they had scarcely any taste at all. Occasionally we got a brood -hatched, but for some reason I don’t pretend to understand our fowls -didn’t “go much on feathers,” as the skipper said. Not to put too -fine a point on it, they never missed an opportunity of plucking one -another’s feathers out and eating them with much relish. So that they -all stalked about in native majesty unclad, doubtless rejoicing in -the coolth, and occasionally scanning their own bodies solicitously -for any sign of a sprouting feather, of which they themselves might -have the first taste. This operated queerly among the young broods, -who never got any chance of being fledged, and whose mothers were -always fighting about them; but I believe as much that they (the -mothers) might eat all the feathers themselves as to protect them -from any fancied danger. These naked birds certainly looked funny; -but the cook, who was an ingenious South Carolina negro, used to gaze -at them earnestly and say, “Foh de good Lawd, sah; ef I aint agwine -ter bring hout er plan ter raise chicken ’thout fedders altogedder. -W’y, jess look at it. All de strenf dat goes ter fedders ’ll go ter -meat--an’ aigs--kase dem chickens ez fatter den ever I see ’bord ship -befo’; an den only tink ob de weary trubble save in pluckin’ ob ’em. -Golly, sah, et’s a great skeem, ’n I’se right on de top ob it.” And, -really, there did seem to be something in it. - -Fowls were plentiful in Vau-Vau--fairly good ones, too; but it was -entirely a mystery to me how any individual property in them was at -all possible. For no native had any enclosure for them, or seemed to -take any care of them. They just ran wild in the jungly vegetation -around the villages and roosted on the trees; but as a result, I -suppose, of the persistence through their many generations of their -original fellowship with mankind, they never strayed far away from -the houses. Our friends brought them on board at our first arrival -in such numbers that no man was without a pair of fowls, and in sore -straits where to keep them. The difficulty was soon solved by the -skipper, who said that in his opinion it would soon be inconvenient -for the fore-mast hands to see any difference between their fowls and -his. Yes, and it was even possible that having eaten their own fowls -they might forget that trifling fact, and absent-mindedly mistake -some of the skipper’s poultry for their own. In order to prevent such -mistakes he issued an edict that no more fowls were to be entertained -by the crew or cooked for them by the “Doctor.” And although this -was undoubtedly the wisest solution of our puzzle, there was thereat -great discontent for a time, until the ingenious Kanakas took to -cooking the fowls for us ashore, and bringing them on board ready for -eating. Being plentiful, as I said, poultry was cheap, the standard -price being a fathom of calico of the value of 6d. for two, for -ship’s stock, while our private friends furnished them to us for -nothing. And there are also in the South Pacific many small islands -unpeopled upon which that most sensible and practical of navigators, -James Cook, had left both fowls and pigs to breed at their own sweet -will. These islets have always many cocoa-nut trees, the fruit from -which affords plentiful food for the pigs, who show great ingenuity -in getting at the contents of the fallen nuts, while the fowls -apparently find no difficulty in picking up a comfortable livelihood. -By tacit agreement these lonely ocean store-houses of good food are -allowed to remain undisturbed by both the natives of adjacent islands -and passing ships, except in cases of necessity. We once broke this -unwritten law, for although we had not long left Fiji, we landed upon -one of these oases in the blue waste, and had a day’s frolic there. -It was a veritable paradise, although not more than three acres in -area. Its only need seemed to be fresh water, for as it had grown to -be an island by the deposit of sand upon the summit of a coral reef, -there were of course no springs. And yet it was completely clothed -with vegetation, the cocoa-palms especially growing right down to -the edge of the sea, so that at high water the wavelets washed one -side of their spreading roots quite bare. Being no botanist, I cannot -describe the various kinds of plants that luxuriated there, having, -I suppose, become accustomed to the privation of fresh water, as the -fowls and pigs had also done. But I did notice that the undergrowth -seemed to consist principally of spreading bushes, rising to a height -of about 5 feet, and bearing, in the greatest abundance, those -tiny crimson and green cones known to most people as bird’s-eye -chillies. We all had cause to remember this, for thrusting our way -through these bushes under the burning rays of the sun, we got in -some mysterious way some of their pungent juices upon our faces and -arms. And the effect was much the same as the application of a strong -mustard plaster would have been. - -We did not commit any great depredations. The second mate shot (with -a bomb-gun) a couple of pigs, and we managed to catch half-a-dozen -fowls, but they were so wild and cunning here, that except at night -it was by no means easy to lay hands upon them. As so often happened -to us, we found our best catch upon the beach, where just after -sunset we waylaid two splendid turtle that had just crawled ashore to -deposit their eggs. The advantage of such a catch as this was in the -fact that turtle may be kept alive on board ship for several weeks, -if necessary, by putting them in a cask of sea-water, and though -unfed, they do not seem to be perceptibly impoverished. We also -collected a goodly store of fresh unripe cocoa-nuts, which are one of -the most delicious and refreshing of all tropical fruits. I do not -suppose it would be possible to bring them to England without their -essential freshness being entirely dissipated, for in order to enjoy -them thoroughly they should be eaten new from the tree. They would be -a revelation to people whose acquaintance with cocoa-nut is limited -to the fully ripe and desperately indigestible article beloved of -the Bank Holiday caterer, and disposed of at the favourite game of -“three shies a penny.” In that form no native of cocoa-nut-producing -countries ever dreams of eating them. For they are really only fit -for “copra,” the universal term applied throughout the tropics to -cocoa-nut prepared for conversion into oil. When the nuts are fully -ripe, a native will seat himself by a heap of them, a small block -of wood before him with a hollow in its centre, and an old axe in -his hand. Placing a nut on the block, unhusked, of course, he splits -it open by one blow of the axe and lays the two halves in the sun. -By the time he has split open the last of the heap, he may begin at -the first opened nuts and shake their contents into bags, for they -will be dried sufficiently for the meat to fall readily from the -shells. That is “copra.” But before the husk has hardened into fibre, -even before the shells have become brittle, when it is possible -to slice off the top of the nut as easily as you would that of a -turnip, the contents almost wholly consist of a bland liquor, not -cloyingly sweet, cool even under the most fervent blaze of the sun, -and refreshing to the last degree. Around the sides of the immature -shell there is, varying in thickness according to the age of the nut, -a jelly-like deposit, almost tasteless, but wonderfully sustaining. I -have heard it vaunted as a cure for all diseases of malnutrition, and -I should really be inclined to believe that there was some basis for -the claim. The juice or milk, if allowed to ferment, makes excellent -vinegar. - -A long spell of cruising without touching at any land having -exhausted all our stock of fowls, to say nothing of fruit and -vegetables, of which we had almost forgotten the taste, it was with -no ordinary delight that we sighted the Kermadec group of islands -right ahead one morning, and guessed, by the course remaining -unaltered, that our skipper was inclined to have a close look at -them, if not to land. As we drew nearer and nearer our hopes rose, -until, at the welcome order to “back the mainyard,” we were like a -school full of youngsters about to break up. Few preparations were -needed, for a whaler’s crew are always ready to leave the ship at any -hour of the day or night for an indefinite period. And in ten minutes -from the time of giving the first orders, two boats were pulling in -for the small semi-circular bay with general instructions to forage -for anything eatable. A less promising place at first sight for a -successful raid could hardly be imagined, for the whole island seemed -composed of one stupendous mountain whose precipitous sides rose -sheer from the sea excepting just before us. And even there the level -land only appeared like a ledge jutting out from the mountain-side, -and of very small extent. As we drew nearer, however, we saw that -even to our well-accustomed vision the distance had proved deceitful, -and that the threshold of the mountain was of far greater area -than we had supposed, being, indeed, of sufficient extent to have -afforded shelter and sustenance to quite a respectable village of -colonists had any chosen to set up their homes in such a lonely spot. -But to the instructed eye the steep beach, wholly composed of lava -fragments, gave a sufficient reason why such a sheltered nook might -be a far from secure abiding-place, even had not a steadfast stain -of dusty cloud poised above the island in the midst of the clear -blue sky added its witness to the volcanic conditions still ready -to burst forth. But these considerations did not trouble us. With -boisterous mirth we dodged the incoming rollers, and, leaping out -of the boats as their keels grated on the shore, we ran them rapidly -up out of the reach of the eager surf, delighted with the drenching -because of its coolness. Dividing into parties of three, we plunged -gaily into the jungly undergrowth, chasing, as boys do butterflies, -the brown birds, like overgrown partridges, that darted away before -us in all directions. We succeeded in catching a few, finding them to -be what we afterwards knew in New Zealand as “Maori hens,” something -between a domestic fowl and a partridge, but a dismal failure in the -eatable way, being tough and flavourless as any fowl that had died -of old age. Of swine, the great object of our quest, we saw not a -hoof-print; in fact, we assured ourselves that whatever number of -these useful animals the family that once resided in this desolate -spot had reared, they had left no descendants. It was a grievous -disappointment, for it threw us back upon the goats, and goat as -food is anathema to all sailors. But it was a fine day; we had come -out to kill something, and, as no other game appeared available, -we started after the goats. It was a big contract. We were all -barefooted, and, although on board the ship we had grown accustomed -to regard the soles of our feet as quite impervious to feeling as any -leather, we soon found that shore travelling over lava and through -the many tormenting plants of a tropical scrub was quite another -pair of shoes. We did capture a couple of goats, one a patriarch of -unguessable longevity with a beard as long as my arm, and the other -a Nanny heavy with kid. These we safely conveyed on board with us -at the close of the day. But _the_ result of our day’s foraging, -overshadowing even the boat-load of magnificent fish we caught out in -the little bay, was the discovery of a plant known in New Zealand as -“Maori cabbage.” It looks something like a lettuce run to seed, and -has a flavour like turnip-tops. I do not suppose any one on shore can -realise what those vegetables meant to us, that is, the white portion -of the crew. For it was well-nigh two years since we had tasted a bit -of anything resembling cabbage, and our craving for green vegetables -and potatoes was really terrible. It is one of the most serious -hardships the sailor has to endure, the more serious because quite -avoidable. Potatoes and Swede turnips are not dear food, and, if -taken up with plenty of mould adhering to them and left so, will keep -for six months in all climates. They make all the difference between -a good and a bad ship. I am sure no banquet that I have ever sat -down to since could possibly have given me a tithe of the epicurean -delight I felt over a plentiful plate of this nameless vegetable and -a bit of hard salt beef that evening. - -Although the addition to our stock of provisions, excepting the fish, -was but small, we had an ideal day’s enjoyment, and the fun we got -out of Ancient William, the patriarch, was great. We had him tame -in two days, and trying butting matches with the Kanakas; in spite -of his age I don’t know what we didn’t teach him that a goat could -learn. Nanny presented us with a charming little pet in the shape -of a kid two days after her arrival on board, but to the grief of -all hands her milk dried up almost immediately afterwards, so that -to save the little creature from starvation, as there was not even a -drop of condensed milk on board, we were compelled to kill it. The -Kanakas ate it, and pronounced it very good. Then William the Ripe, -in charging a Kanaka, who dodged him by leaping over the fo’c’s’le -scuttle, hurled himself headlong below, breaking both his fore legs. -We could have mended him up all right, but he seemed to resent -getting better, refused tobacco and all such little luxuries that we -tried to tempt him with, and died. _I_ think he was broken-hearted -at the idea that a mountaineer like himself, who for goodness knows -how many generations had scaled in safety the precipitous cliffs of -Sunday Island, should fall down a stuffy hole on board ship, only -about eight feet deep, and break himself all up. - - - VI - -Some delightfully interesting articles on the ancient sport of -“hawking,” or falconry, whichever is the correct term to use, in -_Country Life_ have vividly recalled to me a quaint and unusual -experience in that line, which fell to my lot while the vessel of -whose crew I was a very minor portion was slowly making her way -homewards from a port at the extreme western limit of the Gulf of -Mexico. We were absolutely without live stock of any kind on board -the _Investigator_, unless such small deer as rats and cockroaches -might be classed under that head. And, as so often happens at sea -when that is the case, the men were very discontented at the absence -of any dumb animals to make pets of, and often lamented what they -considered to be the lonely condition of a ship without even a cat. -But we had not been out of port many days when, to our delight as -well as amazement, we saw one sunny morning hopping contentedly about -the fo’c’s’le a sweet little blue and yellow bird about the bigness -(or littleness) of a robin. Being well out of sight of land, no one -could imagine whence he came, neither did anybody see him arrive. He -just materialised as it were in our midst, and made himself at home -forthwith, as though he had been born and bred among men and fear of -them was unknown to him. We had hardly got over the feeling of almost -childish delight this pretty, fearless wanderer gave us when another -appeared, much the same size, but totally different in colour. It -was quite as tame as the first arrival, and did not quarrel with -the first-comer. Together they explored most amicably the recesses -of the fo’c’s’le, apparently much delighted with the cockroaches, -which swarmed everywhere. And before long many others came and joined -them, all much about the same size, but of all the hues imaginable. -They were all alike in their tameness, and it really was one of the -most pleasant sights I ever witnessed to see those tiny, brilliant -birds fluttering about our dingy fo’c’s’le, or, tired out, roosting -on such queer perches as the edge of the bread-barge or the shelves -in our bunks. Their presence had a most elevating influence upon -the roughest of us--we went softly and spoke gently, for fear of -startling these delicate little visitors who were so unafraid of -the giants among whom they had voluntarily taken up their abode. At -meal-times they hopped about the fo’c’s’le deck picking up crumbs -and behaving generally as if they were in the beautiful glades and -aromatic forests whence they had undoubtedly come. For it is hardly -necessary to say that they were all land birds; and when during a -calm one day one of them, stooping too near the sea, got wet, and -was unable to rise again, August McManus, as tough a citizen as ever -painted the Highway red, leapt overboard after it, and, with a touch -as gentle as the enwrapping of lint, rescued it from its imminent -peril. - -This strange development of sea-life went on for a week, the weather -being exceedingly fine, with light winds and calms. And then we -became suddenly aware that some large birds had arrived and taken -up positions upon the upper yards, where they sat motionless, -occasionally giving vent to a shrill cry. What they were none of -us knew, until shortly after we had first noticed them one of our -little messmates flew out from the ship’s side into the sunshine. -There was a sudden swish of wings, like the lash of a cane through -the air, and downward like a brown shadow came one of the watchers -from aloft, snatching in a pair of cruel-looking talons the tiny -truant from our midst. Then the dullest of us realised that in some -mysterious way these rapacious birds, a species of falcon, had become -aware that around our ship might be found some of their natural food. -Now we were not less than 200 miles from the coast at the time, and -to my mind it was one of the strangest things conceivable how those -hawks should have known that around a solitary ship far out at sea -would be found a number of little birds suitable to their needs. -The presence of the small birds might easily be explained by their -having been blown off the land, as high winds had prevailed for some -little time previous to their appearance, but as the hawks did not -come till a week afterwards, during the whole of which time we had -never experienced even a four-knot breeze, I am convinced that the -same theory would not account for their arrival. It may have been a -coincidence, but if so it was a very remarkable one; and in any case -what were these essentially land birds of powerful flight doing of -their own free will so far from land? Unless, of course, they were a -little band migrating, and even then the coincidence of their meeting -our ship was a most strange one. - -We, however, troubled ourselves but little with these speculations. -The one thing patent to us was that our little pets were exposed to -the most deadly peril, that these ravenous birds were carrying them -off one by one, and we were apparently powerless to protect them. We -could not cage them, although the absence of cages would have been no -obstacle, as we should soon have manufactured efficient substitutes; -but they were so happy in their freedom that we felt we could not -deprive them of it. But we organised a raid among those bloodthirsty -pirates, as we called them, forgetting that they were merely obeying -the law of their being, and the first dark hour saw us silently -creeping aloft to where they had taken their roost. Two were caught, -but in both cases the captors had something to remember their -encounter by. Grasping at the shadowy birds in the darkness with -only one free hand, they were unable to prevent the fierce creatures -defending themselves with beak and talons, and one man came down -with his prize’s claws driven so far into his hand that the wounds -took many days to heal. When we had secured them we couldn’t bring -ourselves to kill them, they were such handsome, graceful birds, -but had they been given a choice in the matter I make no doubt they -would have preferred a speedy death rather than the lingering pain -of starvation which befell them. For they refused all food, and sat -moping on their perches, only rousing when any one came near, and -glaring unsubdued with their bold, fierce eyes, bright and fearless -until they glazed in death. We were never able to catch any more of -them, although they remained with us until our captain managed to -allow the vessel to run ashore upon one of the enormous coral reefs -that crop up here and there in the Gulf of Mexico. The tiny spot -of dry land that appeared at the summit of this great mountain of -coral was barren of all vegetation except a little creeping plant, a -kind of _arenaria_, so that it would have afforded no satisfactory -abiding-place for our little shipmates, even if any of them could -escape the watchful eyes of their enemies aloft. So that I suppose -after we abandoned the ship they remained on board until she broke -up altogether, and then fell an easy prey to the falcons. - -This was the only occasion upon which I have known a vessel at sea to -be visited by so varied a collection of small birds, and certainly -the only case I have ever heard of where land birds have flown on -board and made themselves at home. When I say at sea, of course I do -not mean in a narrow strait like the Channel, where passing vessels -must often be visited by migrants crossing to or from the Continent. -But when well out in the North Atlantic, certainly to the westward -of the Azores, and out of sight of them, I have several times known -a number of swallows to fly on board and cling almost like bats to -whatever projections they first happened to reach. Exhausted with -their long battle against the overmastering winds, faint with hunger -and thirst, they had at last reached a resting-place, only to find -it so unsuited to all their needs that nothing remained for them to -do but die. Earnest attempts were made to induce them to live, but -unsuccessfully; and as they never regained strength sufficient to -resume their weary journey, they provided a sumptuous meal for the -ship’s cat. Even had they been able to make a fresh start, it is hard -to imagine that the sense of direction which guides them in their -long flight from or to their winter haunts would have enabled them -to shape a course from such an utterly unknown base as a ship at sea -must necessarily be to them. - -While making a passage up the China Sea vessels are often boarded -by strange bird visitors, and some of them may be induced to live -upon such scanty fare as can be found for them on shipboard. I once -witnessed with intense interest a gallant attempt made by a crane to -find a rest for her weary wings on board of an old barque in which -I was an able seaman. We were two days out from Hong-Kong, bound to -Manila, through a strong south-west monsoon. The direction of the -wind almost enabled us to lay our course, and therefore the “old -man” was cracking on, all the sail being set that she would stagger -under close-hauled. Being in ballast, she lay over at an angle that -would have alarmed anybody but a yachtsman; but she was a staunch, -weatherly old ship, and hung well to windward. It was my wheel from -six to eight in the evening, and as I wrestled with it in the attempt -to keep the old barky up to her work, I suddenly caught sight of the -gaunt form of a crane flapping her heavy wings in dogged fashion -to come up with us from to leeward, we making at the time about -eight knots an hour. After a long fight the brave bird succeeded -in reaching us, and coasted along the lee side, turning her long -neck anxiously from side to side as if searching for a favourable -spot whereon to alight. Just as she seemed to have made up her mind -to come inboard abaft the foresail, a gust of back-draught caught -her wide pinions and whirled her away to leeward, about a hundred -fathoms at one sweep, while it was evident that she had the utmost -difficulty in maintaining her balance. Another long struggle ensued -as the gloom of the coming night deepened, and the steady, strenuous -wind pressed us onward through the turbulent sea. The weary pilgrim -at last succeeded in fetching up to us again, and with a feeling -of the keenest satisfaction I saw her work her way to windward, as -if instinct warned her that in that way alone she would succeed in -reaching a place of rest. Backward and forward along our weather -side she sailed twice, searching with anxious eye the whole of our -decks, but fearing to trust herself thereon, where so many men were -apparently awaiting to entrap her. No, she would not venture, and -quite a pang of disappointment and sympathy shot through me as I -saw her drift away astern and renew her hopeless efforts to board -us on the lee side. At last she came up so closely that I could see -the laboured heaving of her breast muscles, and I declare that the -expression in her full, dark eyes was almost human in its pathos of -despair. She poised herself almost above the rail, the vessel gave -a great lee lurch, and down the slopes of the mizen came pouring an -eddy of baffled wind. It caught the doomed bird, whirled her over and -over as she fought vainly to regain her balance, and at last bore her -down so closely to the seething tumult beneath her that a breaking -wave lapped her up and she disappeared. All hands had witnessed her -brave battle with fate, and quite a buzz of sympathy went up for her -in her sad defeat. - -That same evening one of the lads found a strange bird nestling -under one of the boats. None of us knew what it was, for none of us -ever remembered seeing so queer a creature before. Nor will this -be wondered at when I say that it was a goat-sucker, as I learned -long afterwards by seeing a plate of one in a Natural History I was -reading. But the curious speculations that its appearance gave rise -to in the fo’c’s’le were most amusing. The wide gape of its mouth, -so unexpected when it was shut, was a source of the greatest wonder, -while the downy fluff of its feathers made one man say it reminded -him of a “nowl” that a skipper of a ship he was in once caught and -kept alive for a long time as a pet. - -Of the few visitors that board a ship in mid-ocean none are more -difficult to account for than butterflies. I have seen the common -white butterfly fluttering about a ship in the North Atlantic when -she was certainly over 500 miles from the nearest land. And in -various parts of the world butterflies and moths will suddenly appear -as if out of space, although the nearest land be several hundreds -of miles distant. I have heard the theory advanced that their -chrysalides must have been on board the ship, and they have just -been hatched out when seen. It may be so, although I think unlikely; -but yet it is hard to imagine that so fragile a creature, associated -only in the mind with sunny gardens or scented hillsides, could brave -successfully the stern rigour of a flight extending over several -hundred miles of sea. All that is certain about the matter is that -they _do_ visit the ships at such distances from land, and disappear -as if disheartened at the unsuitability of their environment. Lying -in Sant’ Ana, Mexico, once, loading mahogany, I witnessed the labours -of an unbidden guest that made me incline somewhat to the chrysalis -theory about the butterflies. Our anchorage was some three miles off -shore in the open roadstead, where the rafts of great mahogany logs -tossed and tumbled about ceaselessly alongside. They had all been a -long time in the water before they reached us, and were consequently -well coated with slime, which made them an exceedingly precarious -footing for the unfortunate slingsman, who was as often in the water -as he was on the raft. One evening as I lay in my bunk reading by -the light of a smuggled candle, I was much worried by a persistent -buzz that sounded very near, and far too loud to be the voice of -any mosquito that I had ever been unfortunate enough to be attended -by. Several times I looked for this noisy insect without success, -and at last gave up the task and went on deck, feeling sure there -wasn’t room in the bunk for the possessor of that voice and myself. -Next day after dinner I was again lying in my bunk, resting during -the remainder of the dinner hour, when to my amazement I saw what I -took to be an overgrown wasp or hornet suddenly alight upon a beam -overhead, walk into a corner, and begin the music that had so worried -me overnight. I watched him keenly, but could hardly make out his -little game, until he suddenly flew away. Then getting a light, for -the corner was rather dark, I discovered a row of snug apartments -much like acorn-cups, only deeper, all neatly cemented together, and -as smooth inside as a thimble. Presently along came Mr. Wasp, or -Hornet, or whatever he was, again, and set to work, while I watched -him as closely as I dared without giving him offence, noticing that -he carried his material in a little blob on his chest between his -fore legs. It looked like mud; but where could he get mud from? I -could swear there was none on board under that fierce sun, and I -couldn’t imagine him going six miles in five minutes, which he must -needs have done had he gone ashore for it. So I watched his flight as -well as I could, but it was two days before I discovered my gentleman -on one of the logs alongside, scraping up a supply of slime, and -skipping nimbly into the air each time the sea washed over his -alighting-place. That mystery was solved at any rate. I kept careful -watch over that row of dwellings thereafter, determined to suppress -the whole block at the first sign of a brood of wasps making their -appearance. None ever did, and at last I took down the cells with -the greatest care, finding them perfectly empty. So I came to the -conclusion that my ingenious and industrious guest had been building -for the love of the thing, or for amusement, or to keep his hand in, -or perhaps something warned him in time that the site he had selected -for his eligible row of residences was liable to sudden serious -vicissitudes of climate. At any rate, he abandoned them, much to my -comfort. - - - - - “THE WAY OF A SHIP” - - -Solomon had, among the many mighty qualities of mind which have -secured his high eminence as the wisest man of the world, an -attribute which does not always accompany abundant knowledge. He was -prompt to admit his limitations, as far as he knew them, frankly -and fully. And among them he confesses an inability to understand -“the way of a ship in the midst of the sea.” It may be urged that -there was little to wonder at in this, since the exigencies of his -position must have precluded his gaining more than the slightest -actual experience of seafaring. Yet it is marvellous that he should -have mentioned this thing, seemingly simple to a shore-dweller, -which is to all mariners a mystery past finding out. No matter how -long a sailor may have sailed the seas in one ship, or how deeply -he may have studied the ways of that ship under apparently all -combinations of wind and sea, he will never be found to assert -thoughtfully that he _knows_ her altogether. Much more, then, are -the myriad idiosyncrasies of all ships unknowable. Kipling has done -more, perhaps, than any other living writer to point out how certain -fabrics of man’s construction become invested with individuality of -an unmistakable kind, and of course so acute an observer could not -fail to notice how pre-eminently is this the case with ships. - -Now, in what follows I seek as best I may to show, by a niggardly -handful of instances in my own experience, how the “personality” of -ships expresses itself, and how incomprehensible these manifestations -are to the men whose business it is to study them. Even before the -ship has quitted the place of her birth, yea, while she is yet -a-building, something of this may be noted. One man will study -deepest mathematical problems, will perfectly apply his formulæ, -and see them accurately embodied in steel or timber, so that by all -ordinary laws of cause and effect the resultant vessel should be a -marvel of speed, stability, and strength. And yet she is a failure. -She has all the vices that the sailor knows and dreads: crank, slow, -leewardly, hanging in stays, impossible to steer satisfactorily. -Every man who ever sails in her carries in his tenacious sea-memory, -to the day of his death, vengeful recollections of her perversities, -and often in the dog-watch holds forth to his shipmates in eloquent -denunciation of her manifold iniquities long after one would have -thought her very name would be forgotten. Another shipbuilder, -innocent of a scintilla of mathematics, impatient of diagrams, will -begin apparently without preparation, adding timber to timber, and -breast-hook to stem, until out of the dumb cavern of his mind a ship -is evolved, his inexpressible idea manifested in graceful yet massive -shape. And that ship will be all that the other is not. As if the -spirit of her builder had somehow been wrought into her frame, she -behaves with intelligence, and becomes the delight, the pride, of -those fortunate enough to sail in her. - -Such a vessel it was once my good fortune to join in London for a -winter passage across to Nova Scotia. Up to that time my experience -had been confined to large vessels and long voyages, and it was -not without the stern compulsion of want that I shipped in the -_Wanderer_. She was a brigantine of two hundred and forty tons -register, built in some little out-of-the-way harbour in Nova Scotia -by one of the amphibious sailor-farmers of that ungenerous coast, in -just such a rule-of-thumb manner as I have spoken of. When I got on -board I pitied myself greatly. I felt cramped for room; I dreaded -the colossal waves of the Atlantic at that stormy winter season, in -what I considered to be a weakly built craft fit only for creeping -closely along-shore. We worked down the river, also a new departure -to me, always accustomed hitherto to be towed down to Beachy Head -by a strenuous tug. The delicate way in which she responded to all -the calls we made on her astonished our pilot, who was loud in his -praises of her “handiness,” one of the most praiseworthy qualities -a ship can have in a seaman’s eyes. Nevertheless, I still looked -anxiously forward to our meeting with the Atlantic, although day by -day, as we zigzagged down Channel, I felt more and more amazed at -the sympathy she showed with her crew. At last we emerged upon the -wide, open ocean, clear of even the idea of shelter from any land; -and as if to show conclusively how groundless were my fears, it blew -a bitter north-west gale. Never have I known such keen delight in -watching a vessel’s behaviour as I knew then. As if she were one of -the sea-people, such as the foam-like gulls or wheeling petrels, -next of kin to the waves themselves, she sported with the tumultuous -elements, her motion as easy as the sway of the seaweed and as light -as a bubble. And even when the strength of the storm-wind forbade -us to show more than the tiniest square of canvas, she answered the -touch of her helm, as sensitive to its gentle suasion as Hiawatha’s -Cheemaun to the voice of her master. Never a wave broke on deck, -although she had so little free-board that a bucket of water could -almost be dipped without the aid of a lanyard. That gale taught me a -lesson I have never been able to forget. It was, never to judge of -the seaworthy qualities of a ship by her appearance at anchor, but to -wait until she had an opportunity of telling me in her own language -what she could do. - -Then came a spell of favourable weather--for the season, that -is--when we could carry plenty of sail and make good use of our time. -Another characteristic now revealed itself in her--her steerability. -Once steady on her course under all canvas, one turn of a spoke, or -at most of two spokes, of the wheel was sufficient to keep her so; -and for an hour I have walked back and forth before the wheel, with -both hands in my pockets, while she sped along at ten knots an hour, -as straight as an arrow in its flight. But when any sail was taken -off her, no matter which, she would no longer steer herself, as if -the just and perfect balance of her sail area had been disturbed; -but she was easier to steer then than any vessel I have ever known. -Lastly, a strong gale tested her powers of running before it, the -last touch of excellence in any ship being that she shall run safely -dead before a gale. During its height we _passed_ the Anchor liner -_California_, a huge steamship some twenty times our bulk. From end -to end of that mighty ship the frolicsome waves leaped and tumbled; -from every scupper and swinging-port spouted a briny flood. Every -sea, meeting her mass in its way, just climbed on board and spread -itself, so that she looked, as sailors say, like a half-tide rock. -From her towering hurricane-deck our little craft must have appeared -a forlorn little object--just a waif of the sea, existing only by a -succession of miracles. Yet even her muffled-up passengers, gazing -down upon the white dryness of our decks, looked as if they could -dimly understand that the comfort which was unmistakably absent from -their own wallowing monster was cosily present with us. - -Another vessel, built on the same coast, but three times the size -of the _Wanderer_, was the _Sea Gem_, in which I had an extended -experience. Under an old sea-dog of a captain who commanded her the -first part of the voyage, she played more pranks than a jibbing -mule with a new driver. None of the ordinary manœuvres necessary to -a sailing-ship would she perform without the strangest antics and -refusals. She seemed possessed of a stubborn demon of contrariness. -Sometimes at night, when, at the change of the watch, all hands -were kept on deck to tack ship, more than an hour would be wasted -in futile attempts to get her about in a seamanlike way. She would -prance up into the wind gaily enough, as if about to turn in her own -length, and then at the crucial moment fall off again against the -hard-down helm, while all hands cursed her vigorously for the most -obstinate, clumsy vessel ever calked. Or she would come up far enough -for the order of “mainsail haul,” and there she would stick, like -a wall-eyed sow in a muddy lane, hard and fast in irons. With her -mainyards braced a-port and her foreyards a-starboard, she reminded -all hands of nothing so much as the old sea-yarn of the Yankee -schooner-skipper who for the first time found himself in command of a -bark. Quite scared of those big square sails, he lay in port until, -by some lucky chance, he got hold of a mate who had long sailed in -square-rigged vessels. Then he boldly put to sea. But by some evil -hap the poor mate fell overboard and was drowned when they had been -several days out; and one morning a homeward-bounder spied a bark -in irons making rapid signals of distress, although the weather was -fine, and the vessel appeared staunch and seaworthy enough. Rounding -to under the sufferer’s stern, the homeward-bound skipper hailed, -“What’s the matter?” “Oh!” roared the almost frantic Yankee, “for -God’s sake send somebody aboard that knows somethin’ about this kind -er ship. I’ve lost my square-rigged mate overboard, an’ I cain’t git -a move on her nohow!” He’d been trying to sail her “winged out,” -schooner fashion. So disgusted was our skipper with the _Sea Gem_ -that he left her in Mobile, saying that he was going to retire from -the sea altogether. But we all believed he was scared to death that -she would run away with him some fine day. Another skipper took -command, a Yankee Welshman by the name of Jones. The first day out I -heard the second mate say to him deferentially, “She’s rather ugly -in stays, sir.” “_Is_ she?” queried the old man, with an astonished -air. “Wall, I should hev surmised she was ez nimble ez a kitten. Yew -don’t say!” Shortly after it became necessary to tack, and, to our -utter amazement, the _Sea Gem_ came about in almost her own length, -with never a suggestion that she had ever been otherwise than as -handy as a St. Ives smack. Nor did she ever after betray any signs of -unwillingness to behave with the same cheerful alacrity. Had her trim -been different we could have understood it, because some ships handy -in ballast are veritable cows when loaded, and _vice versâ_. But that -reasoning had here no weight, since her draft was essentially the -same. - -Not without a groan do I recall a passage in one of the handsomest -composite barks I ever saw. Her name I shall not give, as she was -owned in London, and may be running still, for all I know. My eye -lingered lovingly over her graceful lines as she lay in dock, and -I thought gleefully that a passage to New Zealand in her would be -like a yachting-trip. An additional satisfaction was some patent -steering-gear which I had always longed to handle, having been told -that it was a dream of delight to take a trick with it. I admit -that she was right down to her Plimsoll, and I will put it to her -credit that she was only some dozen miles to leeward of the ill-fated -_Eurydice_ when that terrible disaster occurred that extinguished -so many bright young lives. But the water was smooth, and we had no -long row of lower-deck ports open for the sea to rush in when the -vessel heeled to a sudden squall. It is only her Majesty’s ships -that are exposed to such dangers as that. In fact, for the first -fortnight out she was on her extra-special behaviour, although none -of us fellows for’ard liked a dirty habit she had of lifting heavy -sprays over fore and aft in a whole-sail breeze. Presently along came -a snifter from the south-west, and every man of us awoke to the fact -that we were aboard of a hooker saturated with every vicious habit -known to ships. There was no dryness in her. You never knew where or -when she would bow down to a harmless-looking sea and allow it to -lollop on board, or else, with a perversity almost incredible, fall -up against it so clumsily that it would send a blinding sheet of -spray as high as the clues of the upper topsails. Words fail me to -tell of the patent atrocity with which we were condemned to steer. -Men would stand at the wheel for their two hours’ trick, and imagine -tortures for the inventor thereof, coming for’ard at four or eight -bells, speechlessly congested with the volume of their imprecations -upon him. Yet I have no doubt he, poor man, considered himself a -benefactor to the genus seafarer. In any weather you could spin the -wheel round from hard up to hard down without feeling the slightest -pressure of the sea against the rudder. And as, to gain power, speed -must be lost, two turns of the wheel were equal to only one with the -old-fashioned gear. The result of these differences was to a sailor -simply maddening. For all seamen steer as much by the _feel_ of the -wheel as by anything else (I speak of sailing-ships throughout), -a gentle increase of pressure warning you when she wants a little -bit to meet her in her sidelong swing. Not only so, but there is a -subtle sympathy (to a good helmsman) conveyed in those alterations -of pressure which, while utterly unexplainable in words, make all -the difference between good and bad steering. Then, none of us could -get used to the doubling of the amount of helm necessary. We were -always giving her too much or too little. As she was by no means an -easy-steering ship, even had her gear been all right, the consequence -of this diabolical impediment to her guidance was that the man who -kept her within two points and a half, in anything like a breeze, -felt that he deserved high praise. - -Still, with all these unpleasantnesses, we worried along in fairly -comfortable style, for we had a fresh mess and railway-duff (a plum -at every station) every Sunday. Every upper bunk in the fo’c’s’le -was leaky, and always remained so; but we rigged up water-sheds that -kept us fairly dry during our slumbers. So we fared southward through -the fine weather, forgetting, with the lax memory of the sailor -for miserable weather, the sloppy days that had passed, and giving -no thought to the coming struggle. Gradually we stole out of the -trade area, until the paling blue of the sky and the accumulation -of torn and feathery cloud-fields warned us of our approach to that -stern region where the wild western wind reigns supreme. The trades -wavered, fell, and died away. Out from the west, with a rush and a -roar, came the cloud-compeller, and eastward we fled before it. An -end now to all comfort fore and aft. For she wallowed and grovelled, -allowing every sea, however kindly disposed, to leap on board, until -the incessant roar of the water from port to starboard dominated our -senses even in sleep. A massive breakwater of two-inch kauri planks -was fitted across the deck in front of the saloon for the protection -of the afterguard, who dwelt behind it as in a stockaded fort. As the -weather grew worse, and the sea got into its gigantic stride, our -condition became deplorable; for it was a task of great danger to -get from the fo’c’s’le to the wheel, impossible to perform without -a drenching, and always invested with the risk of being dashed to -pieces. We “carried on” recklessly in order to keep her at least -ahead of the sea; but at night, when no stars were to be seen, and -the compass swung madly through all its thirty-two points, steering -was mental and physical torture. In fact, it was only possible to -steer at all by the feel of the wind at one’s back, and even then the -best helmsman among us could not keep her within two points on each -side of her course. We lived in hourly expectation of a catastrophe, -and for weeks none of us forward ever left off oilskins and sea-boots -even to sleep in. At last, on Easter Sunday, three seas swept on -board simultaneously. One launched itself like a Niagara over the -stern, and one rose on each side in the waist, until the two black -hills of water towered above us for fully twenty feet. Then they -leaned toward each other and fell, their enormous weight threatening -to crush our decks in as if they had been paper. Nothing could be -seen of the hull for a smother of white, except the forecastle-head. -When, after what seemed an age, she slowly lifted out of that -boiling, yeasty whirl, the breakwater was gone, and so was all the -planking of the bulwarks on both sides from poop to forecastle break. -Nothing was left but to heave to, and I, for one, firmly believed -that we should never get her up into the wind. However, we were bound -to try; and watching the smooth (between two sets of seas), the helm -was put hard down and the mizen hauled out. Round she came swiftly -enough, but just as she presented her broadside to the sea, up rose -a monstrous wave. Over, over she went--over until the third ratline -of the lee rigging was under water; that is to say, the lee rail -was full six feet under the sea. One hideous tumult prevailed, one -dazzling glare of foaming water surrounded us; but I doubt whether -any of us thought of anything but how long we could hold our breath. -Had she been less deeply loaded she must have capsized. As it was, -she righted again, and came up into the wind still afloat. But never -before or since have I seen a vessel behave like that hove to. We -were black and blue with being banged about, our arms strained almost -to uselessness by holding on. Beast as she was, the strength of her -hull was amazing, or she would have been racked to splinters: for in -that awful sea she rolled clean to windward until she filled herself, -then canted back again until she lay nearly on her beam-ends; and -this she did continually for three days and nights. At the first -of the trouble the cabin had been gutted so that neither officers -nor passengers had a dry thread, and of course all cooking was -impossible. I saw the skipper chasing his sextant (in its box) around -the saloon-table, which was just level with the water which was -making havoc with everything. And not a man of us for’ard but had -some pity to spare for the one woman passenger (going out with her -little boy to join her husband), who, we knew, was crouching in the -corner of an upper bunk in her cabin, hugging her child to her bosom, -and watching with fascinated eyes the sullen wash of the dark water -that plunged back and forth across the sodden strip of carpet. - -In spite of all these defects in the ship, she reached Lyttelton in -safety at last; and I, with more thankfulness than I knew how to -express, was released from her, and took my place as an officer on -board a grand old ship three times her size. Unfortunately for me, -my sea experience of her extended only over one short passage to -Adelaide, where she was laid up for sale; and of my next ship I have -spoken at length elsewhere, so I may not enlarge upon her behaviour -here. After that I had the good fortune to get a berth as second -mate of the _Harbinger_, to my mind one of the noblest specimens of -modern shipbuilding that ever floated. She was lofty--210 feet from -water-line to skysail truck--and with all her white wings spread, -thirty-one mighty sails, she looked like a mountain of snow. She was -built of steel, and in every detail was as perfect as any sailor -could wish. For all her huge bulk she was as easy to handle as any -ten-ton yacht--far easier than some--and in any kind of weather her -docility was amazing. No love-sick youth was ever more enamoured of -his sweetheart than I of that splendid ship. For hours of my watch -below I have sat perched upon the martingale guys under the jib-boom, -watching with all a lover’s complacency the stately sheer of her stem -through the sparkling sea, and dreamily noting the delicate play of -rainbow tints through and through the long feather of spray that ran -unceasingly up the stem, and, curling outward, fell in a diamond -shower upon the blue surface below. She was so clean in the entrance -that you never saw a foaming spread of broken water ahead, driven in -front by the vast onset of the hull. She parted the waves before her -pleasantly, as an arrow the air; graciously, as if loath to disturb -their widespread solitude. - -But it needed a tempest to show her “way” in its perfection. Like -the _Wanderer_, but in a grand and gracious fashion, she seemed to -claim affinity with the waves, and they in their wildest tumult met -her as if they too knew and loved her. She was the only ship I ever -knew or heard of that would “stay” under storm-staysails, reefed -topsails, and a reefed foresail in a gale of wind. In fact, I never -saw anything that she would not do that a ship should do. She was so -truly a child of the ocean that even a bungler could hardly mishandle -her; she _would_ work well in spite of him. And, lastly, she would -_steer_ when you could hardly detect an air out of the heavens, with -a sea like a mirror, and the sails hanging apparently motionless. -The men used to say she would go a knot with only the quartermaster -whistling at the wheel for a wind. - -Then for my sins I shipped before the mast in an equally large iron -ship bound for Calcutta. She was everything that the _Harbinger_ -was not--an ugly abortion that the sea hated. When I first saw her -(after I had shipped), I asked the cook whether she wasn’t a razeed -steamboat--I had almost said an adapted loco-boiler. When he told -me that this was only her second voyage I had to get proof before -I could believe him. And as her hull was, so were her sails. They -looked like a job lot scared up at ship-chandlers’ sales, and hung -upon the yards like rags drying. Our contempt for her was too great -for words. Of course she was under water while there was any wind -to speak of, and her motions were as strange as those of a seasick -pig. A dredger would have beaten her at sailing; a Medway barge, with -her Plimsoll mark in the main-rigging, would have been ten times as -comfortable. Somehow we buttocked her out in 190 days with 2500 tons -of salt in her hold, and again my fortunate star intervened to get me -out of her and into a better ship as second mate. - -Of steamers I have no authority to speak, although they, too, have -their ways, quite as non-understandable as sailing-ships, and -complicated, too, by the additional entity of the engines within. -But everything that floats and is built by man, from the three-log -catamaran of the Malabar coast, or the balsa of Brazil, up to the -latest leviathan, has a way of its own, and that way is certainly, in -all its variations, past finding out. - - - - - SEA ETIQUETTE - - -Nothing is more loudly regretted by the praisers of old times than -the gradual disappearance of etiquette under the stress and burden -of these bustling days, and nowhere is the decay of etiquette more -pronounced than at sea. Romance persists because until machinery -can run itself humanity must do so, and where men and women live -romance cannot die. But were it not for the Royal Navy, with its -perfect discipline and unbroken traditions, etiquette at sea must -without doubt perish entirely, and that soon. Such fragments of it as -still survive in the Merchant Service are confined to sailing-ships, -those beautiful visions that are slowly disappearing one by one -from off the face of the deep. Take, for instance, the grand old -custom so full of meaning of “saluting the deck.” The poop or raised -after-deck of a ship over which floated the national flag was -considered to be always pervaded by the presence of the Sovereign, -and, as the worshipper of whatever rank removes his hat upon entering -a church, so from the Admiral to the powder-monkey every member -of the ship’s company as he set foot upon the poop “saluted the -deck”--the invisible presence. As the division between men-of-war -and merchantmen widened so the practice weakened in the latter, and -only now survives in the rigidly enforced practice of every person -below the rank of Captain or mate coming up on to the poop by the lee -side. And among the officers the practice is also observed according -to rank, for with the Captain on deck the chief mate takes the lee -side. But since in steamers there is often no lee side, the custom in -them has completely died out. To etiquette also belongs the strict -observance of the rule in all vessels of tacking “Sir” on to every -reply to an officer, or the accepted synonym for his position to a -tradesman who is a petty officer, as “Boss” for boatswain, “Chips” -for carpenter, “Sails” for sailmaker, and “Doctor” for cook. A -woeful breach of etiquette is committed by the Captain who, coming -on deck while one of his mates is carrying out some manœuvre, takes -upon himself to give orders direct to the men. It is seldom resented -by junior officers for obvious reasons, but the chief mate would -probably retire to another part of the vessel at once with the remark -that it was “only one man’s work.” - -In many cases etiquette and discipline are so closely interwoven that -it is hard to know where one leaves off and the other begins, but -in all such cases observance is strictly enforced as being one of -the few remaining means whereby even a simulacrum of discipline is -maintained in undermanned and oversparred sailing-ships--such as the -repetition of every order given by the hearer, the careful avoidance -of any interference by one man with another’s work in the presence of -an officer, and the preservation of each officer’s rightful attitude -toward those under his charge and his superiors. Thus during the -secular work of the day, work, that is, apart from handling the ship, -the mate gives his orders to the boatswain, who sees them carried -out. Serious friction always arises when during any operation the -mate comes between the boatswain and his gang, unless, as sometimes -happens, the boatswain be hopelessly incompetent. - -In the private life of the ship every officer’s berth is his house, -sacred, inviolable, wherein none may enter without his invitation. -And in a case of serious dereliction of duty or disqualification it -becomes his prison. “Go to your room, sir,” is a sentence generally -equivalent to professional ruin, since a young officer’s future lies -in the hollow of his Commander’s hand. The saloon is free to officers -only at meal-times, not a common parlour wherein they may meet for -chat and recreation, except in port with the Captain ashore. And -as it is “aft” so in its degree is it “forrard.” In some ships the -carpenter has a berth to himself and a workshop besides, into which -none may enter under pain of instant wrath--and “Chips” is not a man -to be lightly offended. But in most cases all the petty officers -berth together in an apartment called by courtesy the “half-deck,” -although it seldom resembles in a remote degree the dingy, fœtid -hole that originally bore that name. Very dignified are the petty -officers, gravely conscious of their dignity, and sternly set upon -the due maintenance of their rightful status as the backbone of -the ship’s company. Such a grave breach of etiquette as an “A.B.” -entering their quarters, with or without invitation, is seldom heard -of, and quite as infrequent are the occasions when an officer does -so. In large ships, where six or seven apprentices are carried, an -apartment in a house on deck is set apart for their sole occupation, -and the general characteristic of such an abode is chaos--unless, -indeed, there should be a senior apprentice of sufficient stability -to preserve order, which there seldom is. These “boys’ houses” are -bad places for a youngster fresh from school, unless a conscientious -Captain or chief mate should happen to be at the head of affairs and -make it his business to give an eye to the youngsters’ proceedings -when off duty. Of course etiquette may be looked for in vain here, -unless it be the etiquette of “fagging” in its worst sense. - -The men’s quarters, always called the forecastle, even when a more -humane shipowner than usual has relegated the forecastle proper to -its rightful use as lockers for non-perishable stores and housed -his men in a building on deck, is always divided longitudinally in -half. The port or mate’s watch live on the port side, the starboard -or second mate’s watch on the starboard side. To this rule there is -no exception. And here we have etiquette _in excelsis_. Although -the barrier between the two sides is usually of the flimsiest and -often quite imaginary in effect, it is a wall of separation with -gates guarded and barred. The visitor from one side to the other, -whatever his excuse, approaches humbly, feeling ill at ease until -made welcome. And from dock to dock it is an unheard-of thing for any -officer save the Captain to so much as _look_ into the forecastle. -Of course, exceptional circumstances do arise, such as a general -outbreak of recalcitrancy, but the occasion must be abnormal for -such a breach of etiquette to be made. Some Captains very wisely -make it their duty to go the round of the ship each morning, seeing -that everything is as it should be, and these enter the forecastle -as a part of their examination. But this is quite the exception -to the general rule, and is always felt to be more or less of an -infringement of immemorial right. - -In what must be called the social life of the forecastle, although -it is commonly marked by an utter absence of social observances, -there are several well-defined rules of etiquette which persist in -spite of all other changes. One must not lock his chest at sea. As -soon as the last landsman has left the ship, unlock the “donkey,” -throw the key ostentatiously into the till, and, letting the lid -fall, seat yourself upon it, and light your pipe. It is a Masonic -sign of good-fellowship, known and read of all men, that you are -a “Sou’ Spainer” indeed, at home again. The first time that the -newly assembled crew sit down gipsy fashion to a meal (for tables -are seldom supplied), there may be one, usually a boy, who fails -to remove his cap. Then does the nearest man’s hand seek the -“bread-barge” for a whole biscuit, generally of tile-like texture -and consistency. Grasping it by spreading his fingers all over its -circumference, the mentor brings it down crushingly upon the covered -head of the offender, who is thus initiated, as it were, to the fact -that he must “show respect to his grub,” as the term goes. But often -when the commons have been exceptionally short or bad an old seaman -will deliberately put on his cap again with the remark “’Tain’t wuth -it.” If a man wants to smoke while a meal is in progress let him -go outside, unless he desires deliberately to raise a storm. And -when on the first day of serving out stores a man has been induced -to undertake the onerous duty of dividing to each one his weekly -portion--“whacking out”--gross indeed must be his carelessness or -unfairness before any sufferer will raise a protest. It used to be -the practice to load the boys or ordinary seamen (a grade between -“A.B.” and boy) with all the menial service of the forecastle, such -as food-fetching, washing up utensils, scrubbing, &c. But a juster -and wiser plan has been borrowed from the Navy, whereby each man -takes in rotation a week as “cook of the mess.” He cooks nothing, the -“Doctor” will take care of that, but he is the servant of his house -for that week, responsible for its due order and cleanliness. The -boys are usually kept out of the forecastle altogether, and berthed -with the petty officers, a plan which has with some advantages grave -drawbacks. One curious old custom deserves passing notice. Upon a -vessel’s arrival in ports where it is necessary to anchor, it is -usual to set what is called an “anchor-watch” the first night. All -hands take part in this for one hour each, or should do so, but that -sometimes there are too few and sometimes too many. As soon as the -order is given to “pick for anchor-watch” an old hand draws a rude -circle on the deck, which he subdivides into as many sections as -there are men. Then one man retires while all the rest come forward -and make each man his private mark in a section. When all have -contributed, the excluded one (whose mark has been made for him by -deputy) is called in and solemnly rubs out mark after mark, the first -to be rubbed out giving its owner the first hour’s watch, and so on. - -Nothing has been said about etiquette in the Royal Navy, because -there it is hardly ever to be distinguished from disciplinary rule. -Nor has allusion been more than casually made to steamships, whose -routine excludes etiquette, having no more room for it than it has -for seamanship, except upon rare occasions. - - - - - WAVES - - -Beloved of the poet and the painter, appealing by the inimitable -grace of their curves and marvel of their motion to all mankind, the -waves of the sea take easily their high place with the stars and -the mountains as some of the chief glories attendant upon the round -world. Only an artist, perhaps, could do justice to the multiplicity -of lovely lines into which the ruffled surface of the ocean -enwreathes itself under the pressure of the storm. Yet any one with -an eye for the beautiful will find it hard to leave a sight so fair, -will watch unweariedly for hours the gliding, curling masses as they -rise, apparently in defiance of law, subside and rise again and yet -again. - -Sailors often speak of an “ugly” sea, but the adjective has quite -another meaning to that usually attached to it. They do not mean -that it is ugly in appearance, for they well know that the beauty -of a wave is as much a part of it as is the water--it cannot be -otherwise than beautiful, as it cannot cease to be wet. What they -mean is a dangerous sea. And by “sea” they always mean wave. A sailor -never speaks of a “high wave,” “cross waves,” “heavy waves”; in -fact, on board ship, except when passengers are getting information -from officers, you will not hear the word “wave” mentioned at all. -It is necessary to mention this purely nautical detail to save -constant explanation and digression. To return, then, to the sailor’s -“ugly” sea. Its ugliness may be due to many different causes, but -in the result the waves do not run truly with the wind; they rise -unexpectedly and confusedly, changing the natural motion of the -ship into a bewildered stagger, such as one will sometimes see in -a horse when a brutal, foolish driver is beating him over the head -and wrenching first at one rein and then the other without knowing -himself what he wants the poor brute to do. It is very pitiful, -too, to watch a gallant ship being pressed through an ugly, untrue -sea--such, for instance, as may be met with in the North Atlantic -with a south-west gale blowing, and the vessel in the midst of the -Gulf Stream. The conflict between wind and current, all the more -terrible for its invisibility, is deep-reaching, so deep that every -excuse must be found for those who have spoken of seas running -mountains high. As the steady, implacable thrust of the storm booms -forth, the black breadths of water rise rebellious; they would fain -flow in the face of the wind, but that cannot be. So they rise, -sullenly rise, peak-like, against their persecutor, until his might -compels them forward against the mighty stream beneath, and their -shattered crags and pinnacles tumble in ruinous heaps around. - -Even this, however, is less dangerous than that time--to be spoken -of by those who have seen it, and live, with bated breath--when, -rotating like some wheel of the gods, the tropical cyclone whirls -across the Indian seas. Round and round blow the incredibly furious -winds, having a centrifugal direction withal, and yet the whole -mighty system progresses in some given direction, until towards its -centre there is a Maelstrom indeed--a space where the wind hath left, -as it were, a funnel of calm in the world-tumult. And there the waves -hold high revel. Heap upon heap the waters rise, without direction, -without shape, save that of fortuitous blocks hurled skyward and -falling again in ruin. The fountains of the great deep appear to be -broken up, and woe to man’s handiwork found straying there in that -black hour. - -All those who have ever “run the Easting down” will remember, but -not all pleasurably, the great true sea of the roaring “forties” or -“fifties.” How, unhindered in its world-encircling sweep, the premier -wind of all comes joyously, unwaveringly, for many a day without a -pause, while the good ship flies before it with every wing bearing -its utmost strain. In keeping with the wind, the wave--the long, true -wave of the Southern Seas, spreading to infinity on either hand, a -gorgeous concave of blue, with its direction as straightly at right -angles to the ship’s track as if laid by line, and its ridge all -glistening like a wreath of new-fallen snow under silver moon or -golden sun. It pursues, it overtakes, rises astern with majestic -sound as of all the war-chariots of Neptune; then, easily passing -beneath the buoyant keel, it is gone on ahead, has joined its fellows -in their stately progress to the East. Adown its far-spreading -shoulders stream pennons of white; in the broad valley between -it and the next wave the same bright foam creams and hisses until -wherever the eye can rest is no longer blue but white--a wilderness -of curdling snow just bepatched with azure. - -The strong, exultant ship may rejoice in such a scene as this, but it -is far otherwise with the weakling. Caught up in this irresistible -march of wind and wave, she feels that her place is otherwhere; it -is not hers to strive with giants, but to abide by the stuff. Then -do the hapless mariners in charge watch carefully for a time when -they may lay her to, watch the waves’ sequence, knowing that every -third wave is greater, and leaves a broader valley of smooth behind -it than its fellows; while some say that with the third sequence of -three--the ninth wave--these differences are at their maximum. Why? -Who knows? Certain it is that some waves are heavier than others, and -equally certain it is that in the case of a truly running sea these -heavier seas appear at regularly recurrent intervals of three. And -that is all sailors know. Sufficient too, perhaps, as with their weak -and overladen ship they watch the smooth, to swing her up between two -rolling ranges of water, and without shipping more than thirty or -forty tons or so, heave her to, her head just quartering the oncoming -waves, and all danger of being overwhelmed by them removed. - -Curious indeed are the waves to be found over uneven bottoms with -strong undercurrents--as, for instance, on the coast of Nova -Scotia--and known as “overfalls.” Sufficiently annoying to vessels -of large size that get among them, they are most dangerous to small -craft. The water rises in masses perpendicularly, and falls a dead -weight without apparent forward motion--a puzzling, deadly sea to -meet when a howling gale is driving your small vessel across those -angry waters. But the overfall character is common to nearly all -waves raised in shallow seas and tidal streams. It adds to the -dangers of navigation immensely, and although the eye must be charmed -when from the lofty cliff we see the green-bosomed, hoary-shouldered -wave come thundering shoreward, we need not expect those to greet him -lovingly who must do so in weakness and undefended. - -What of the tidal wave; that mysterious indispensable swelling of the -waters that, following the “pull” of the moon, rolls round this globe -of ours twice in each twenty-four hours, stemming the outflow of -mighty rivers, penetrating far inland wherever access is available, -and doing within its short lease of life an amount of beneficent -work freely that would beggar the wealthiest Monarchy of the world -to undertake if it must needs be paid for? Mysterious it may well be -called, since, though its passage from zone to zone be so swift, it -is, like all other waves, but an undulatory movement of that portion -of the sea momentarily influenced by the suasion of the planet--not, -as is vulgarly supposed, the same mass of water vehemently carried -onward for thousands of miles. No; just as a tightly stretched -sheet of calico shows an undulation if the point of a stick be -passed along beneath its surface and pressed upward against it, an -undulation which leaves every fibre where it was originally, so does -the whole surface remain in its place while the long, long wave rolls -round the world carrying up to their moorings the homeward-bound -ships, sweetening mud-befouled tidal harbours, and giving to forlorn -breadths of deserted shallows all the glory and vitality of the -youthful sea. - -To meet a tidal wave at sea is in some parts of the watery world a -grim and unforgettable experience. Floating upon the shining blue -plain, with an indolent swelling of the surface just giving a cosy -roll to your ship now and then, you suddenly see in the distance a -ridge, a knoll of water that advances vast, silent, menacing. Nearer -and nearer it comes, rearing its apparently endless curve higher and -higher. There is no place to flee from before its face. Neither is -there much suspense. For its pace is swift, although it appears so -deliberate, from the illimitable grandeur of its extent. It is upon -the ship. She behaves in accordance with the way she has been caught -and her innate peculiarities. In any case, whatever her bulk, she is -hurled forward, upward, backward, downward, as if never again could -she regain an even keel, while her crew cling desperately to whatever -holding-place they may have reached, lest they should be dashed into -dead pieces. - -Some will have it that these marvellous upliftings of the sea-bosom -are not tidal waves at all--that they do not belong to that normal -ebb and flow of the ocean that owns the sway of the moon. If so, -they would be met with more frequently than they are at sea, and far -more disasters would be placed to their account. This contention -seems reasonable, because it is well known that lonely islets such as -St. Helena, Tristan d’Acunha, and Ascension are visited at irregular -intervals by a succession of appalling waves (rollers) that deal -havoc among the smaller shipping, and look as if they would overwhelm -the land. The suggestion is that these stupendous waves are due to -cosmic disturbance, to submarine earthquakes upheaving the ocean-bed -and causing so vast a displacement of the ocean that its undulations -extend for several thousands of miles. - -As to the speed of waves, judging from all experience, they would -seem never to exceed sixteen to eighteen knots an hour in their -hugest forms. And yet it is well known that they will often outstrip -the gale that gave them birth, let it rage never so furiously. Lying -peacefully rolling upon the smoothest of summer seas, you shall -presently find, without any alteration in the weather, the vessel’s -motion change from its soothing roll to a sharp, irritable, and -irritating movement. And, looking overside, there may be seen the -forerunners of the storm that is raging hundreds of miles away, the -hurrying waves that it has driven in its path. So likewise, long -hours after a gale is over, the waves it has raised roll on, still -reluctant to resume their levelled peace, and should a new gale arise -in some contrary direction, the “old” sea, as the sailor calls it, -will persist, making the striving ship’s progress full of weariness -and unease to those on board. Of the energy of waves, of the lessons -they teach, their immutable mutability, and other things concerning -them that leap to the mind, no word can now be spoken, for space is -spent. - - - - - A BATTLESHIP OF TO-DAY - - -Last year it was my pleasant privilege to lay before the readers of -the _Spectator_ a few details upon the polity of a battleship, and -from the amount of interest shown in that subject, it would seem -acceptable to supplement it by a few more details upon the mechanical -side. First, then, as to the ship herself. Complaints are often heard -of the loss of beauty and ship-like appearance consequent upon the -gain of combative strength in these floating monsters. And it cannot -be denied that up till a few years ago in our own Navy, and at the -present date among the _cuirassés_ of France, the appearance of the -vessels made such a complaint well founded--such ships as the _Hoche_ -and _Charlemagne_, for instance, from which it may truly be said that -all likeness to a ship has been removed. But in our own Navy there -has been witnessed of late years a decided return to the handsome -contour of vessels built, not for war, but for the peaceful pursuits -of the merchant service. And this has so far been attended by the -happiest results. These mighty ships of the _Majestic_ class, on -board of one of which I am now writing, have won the unstinted praise -of all connected with them. This means a great deal, for there are -no more severe critics of the efforts of naval architects than naval -officers, as would be naturally expected. In these ships the eye is -arrested at once by their beautiful lines, and the absence of any -appearance of top-heaviness so painfully evident in ships like the -_Thunderer_, the _Dreadnought_, and the _Admirals_. Their spacious -freeboard, or height from the water-line to the edge of the upper -deck, catches a seaman’s eye at once, for a good freeboard means -not only a fairly dry ship, but also plenty of fresh air below, as -well as a sense of security in heavy weather. It is not, however, -until their testing time comes, in a heavy gale of wind on the wide -Atlantic, that their other virtues appear. Then one is never weary -of wondering at their splendid stability and freedom from rolling, -which makes them unique fighting platforms under the worst weather -conditions. They steer perfectly, a range of over three and a half -degrees on either side of their course being sufficient to bring -down heavy censure upon the quartermaster. They have not Belleville -boilers, and so enjoy almost complete immunity from breakdowns, -maintaining their speed in a manner that is not approached by any -other men-of-war afloat. In addition to great economy of coal usage -they have, for a ship of war, very large coal bunkerage. In fact, in -this respect their qualifications are so high that there is danger of -being disbelieved in giving the plain facts. On a coal consumption of -50 tons per day for _all_ purposes a speed of eight knots per hour -can be maintained for forty days. Of course, with each extra knot of -speed the coal consumption increases enormously, reaching a maximum -of 220 tons a day for a speed of fifteen knots with forced draught. -It is necessary to italicise _all_ purposes, for it must always be -remembered that there is quite a host of auxiliary engines always at -work in these ships for the supply of electric light, ventilation, -steering, distilling, &c. And this brings me to a most important -detail of the economy of modern ships of war--their utter dependence -for efficient working upon modern inventions, all highly complicated, -and liable to get out of order. As, for instance, the lighting. It -is quite true that the work of the ship can be carried on without -electric light, but when one considers the bewildering ramifications -of utterly dark passages in the bowels of these huge ships, and -remembers how accustomed the workers become to the flood of light -given by a host of electric lamps, it needs no active exercise of -the imagination to picture the condition of things when that great -illumination is replaced by the feeble glimmer of candles or colomb -lights. Truly they only punctuate the darkness, they do not dispel -it, and work is carried on at great risk because of its necessary -haste. Then there is the steering. Under ordinary circumstances one -man stands at a baby wheel upon a lofty bridge, whence he has a view -from beam to beam of all that is going on, of the surrounding sea. -At a touch of his hand the obedient monster of 150 horse-power, far -down in the tiller-room aft, responds by exerting its great force -upon the rudder, and the ship is handled with ridiculous ease. Use -accustoms one to the marvel, and no wonder is ever evinced at the -way in which one man can keep that giant of 15,000 tons so steady -on her course. But of late we have had an object-lesson upon the -difference there is between steering by hand without the intervention -of machinery and steering with its aid. In the next water-tight -compartment forward of the tiller-room, there are four wheels, each -5 feet in diameter, and of great strength of construction. Some -distance in front of these there is an indicator--a brass pointer -moving along a horizontal scale marked in degrees. Forward of this -again, but about 2 feet to port of it, there is a compass, and -how any compass, however buttressed by compensators, can keep its -polarity in the midst of such an immense assemblage of iron and -steel furniture is almost miraculous. By the side of the compass is -a voice-tube communicating with the pilot-bridge forward. To each of -the wheels four men are allotted, sixteen in all. A quartermaster -watches, with eyes that never remove their gaze, the indicator, -which, actuated from the pilot-bridge 300 feet away, tells him -how many degrees of helm are needed, and he immediately gives his -orders accordingly. One man watches the compass, another attends the -voice-tube, listening intently for orders that may come in that way -from the officer responsible for the handling of the ship. Two men -also watch in the tiller-room for possible complications arising -there. Total, twenty-one men for the purpose of steering the ship -alone, or a crew equal to that of a sailing-ship of 2000 tons, or -the deck hands of a steamship of 6000 tons. Yet this steering crew -is only for one watch. Of course, this steering by hand is a last -resource. The engines which move the rudder are in duplicate, and -there are seven other stations from which they can be worked--viz., -one on the upper bridge, one in each of the conning-towers, one -at each steering-engine, and two others on different decks in the -lower fore-part of the ship. It is certainly true that some of these -wheels actuate the same connection, so that one break may disable -two, or even three, wheels; but even granting that, there still -remains a considerable margin of chances against the possibility -of ever being compelled to use the hand steering-gear. Those awful -weapons of war, the barbette guns, may also be handled by manual -labour, but it is instructive to compare the swift ease with which -they, their containing barbettes (each weighing complete 250 tons), -their huge cartridges of cordite and 850 lb. shells, are handled -by hydraulic power, and the same processes carried out by hand. -And so with all other serious operations, such as weighing anchor, -hoisting steamboats, &c. The masses of weight to be dealt with are -so great that the veriest novice may see at one glance that to be -compelled to use hand labour for their manipulation in actual warfare -would be equivalent to leaving the ship helpless, at the mercy of -another ship of any enemy’s not so situated. Yes, these ships are -good, so good that it is a pity they are not better. In the opinion -of those best qualified to know, they have still a great deal too -much useless top-hamper--nay, worse than useless, because in action -its destruction by shell-fire and consequent mass of débris would -not only mean the needless loss of many lives, but would pile up a -mountain of obstacles in the way of the ship’s efficient working. -Also, the amount of unnecessary woodwork with which these vessels -are cumbered is very great, constituting a danger so serious that -on going into action it would be imperative to put a tremendous -strain upon the crew in tearing it from its positions and flinging -it overboard. Upper works of course there must be, but they should -be reduced to their simplest and most easily removable expression, -and on no account should there be, as there now is, any battery -that in action would be unworkable, and consequently only so much -lumber in the way. Remembering the enormous cost of the flotilla of -boats carried by these ships, three of them being steamers of high -speed, it comes as somewhat of a shock to learn that upon going into -action one of the first things necessary would be to launch them -all overboard and let them go secured together so that they might -possibly be picked up again, although not easily by the ship to which -they belonged. It is only another lurid glimpse of the prospective -horror of modern naval warfare. There will be no means of escape -in case of defeat and sinking, for nothing will be left to float. -Finally, after all criticisms have been made it remains to be said -that it is much to be regretted that we have not double the number -of these splendid battleships furnished with boilers that can be -relied upon as the present boilers can. Other ships of their stamp -are being built, but with Belleville boilers, of which the best that -can be said is that our most dangerous prospective foe is using them -exclusively also. But she, again, is rushing blindly upon certain -disaster in the direction of accumulating enormous superstructures -which are certain to be destroyed early in any engagement, and being -destroyed will leave the ship a helpless wreck. We have shown our -wisdom by reducing these dreadfully disabling erections, and shall -yet reduce them more. Why not go a step farther, and refuse longer to -load our engineers with the horrible incubus of boilers that have not -a single workable virtue but that of raising steam quickly, and have -every vice that a vehicle for generating steam can possibly possess? - - - - - NAT’S MONKEY - - -When Nathaniel D. Troop (of Jersey City, U.S.A.), presently A.B. on -board the British ship _Belle_, solemnly announced his intention of -investing in a monkey the next time old Daddy the Bumboatman came -alongside, there was a breathless hush, something like consternation, -amongst his shipmates. It was in Bombay and eventide, and all we of -the foremast hands were quietly engaged upon our supper (tea is the -name for the corresponding meal ashore), with great content resting -upon us, for bananas, rooties, duck-eggs and similar bumboat-bought -luxuries abounded among us. So that the chunk of indurated buffalo -that had resisted all assaults upon it at dinner-time lay unmolested -at the bottom of the beef-kid, no one feeling sufficiently interested -to bestow a swear on it. - -For some time after Nat’s pronouncement nobody spoke. The cool breeze -whispered under the fo’c’s’le awning, the Bramley-kites wheeled -around whistling hungrily and casting their envious watchful eyes -upon our plates, and somewhere in the distance a dinghy-wallah -intoned an interminable legend to his fellow-sufferers that sounded -like the high-pitched drone of bees on a sultry afternoon among the -flowers. Then up and spake John de Baptiss: “Waffor, Nat? Wah we ben -dween t’yo. Foh de Lawd sake, sah, ef yew gwain bring Macaque ’bord -dis sheep you’se stockin trubble’ nough ter fill er mighty long -hole.” “’Sides,” argued Cockney Jem, “’taint ’sif we ain’t got a -monkey. ’Few wornt any monkey tricks played on us wot price th’ kid -’ere,” and he pointed to _me_. - -“Naow jess yew hole on half a minnit,” drawled Nat, “’relse yew’ll -lose your place. Djer ever know me ter make trubble sense I ben abord -thishyer limejuice dog-basket? Naw, I’ve a learnt manners, _I_ hev, -’n don’t never go stickin’ my gibbie in another man’s hash I don’t. -But in kase this kermunity sh’d feel anyways hurt at my perposal, -lemme ’splain. I s’pose I ain’t singler in bein’ ruther tired er -these blame hogs forrad here. Hogs is all right, ez hogs, but they -don’t make parler pets wuth a cent. N’wen I finds one biggern a -porpuss a wallerin’ round in my bunk ’n rootin’ ’mong the clean straw -my bed’s stuffed with, its kiender bore in erpon me that fresh pork -fer dinner’s wut I ben pinin’ fer a long time. Naow I know thet I kin -teach a monkey in about tew days ’nough ter make him scare the very -chidlins er them hogs inter sossidge meat if they kum investigatin’ -where he’s on dooty. ’N so I calkerlate to be a sorter bennyfactor -ter my shipmates, though it seems ’sif yew ain’t overnabove grateful.” - -By this time the faces of Nat’s audience had lost the look of -apprehension they had worn at first. Everybody had an account to -settle with those pigs, which swarmed homelessly about the fore -part of the deck, and never missed an opportunity of entering our -domicile during our absence, doing such acts and deeds there as pigs -are wont to perform. As they were a particular hobby of the skipper’s -we were loth to deal with them after their iniquities, the more so -as she was a particularly comfortable ship. And if Nat’s idea should -turn out to be a good one we should all be gainers. Consequently -when Daddy appeared in the morning Nat greeted him at once with the -question, “Yew got monkey?” Promptly came the stereotyped answer, -“No, Sahib. Eberyting got. Monkey no got. Melican war make monkey -bery dear.” However, as soon as Daddy was persuaded that a monkey -really was desired he undertook to supply one, and sure enough next -morning he brought one with him, a sinister-looking beast about as -large as a fox-terrier. He was secured by a leathern collar and a -dog-chain to the fife-rail of the foremast for the time, and one or -two of the men amused themselves by teasing him until he was almost -frantic. Presently I came round where he was lurking, forgetting for -the time all about his presence. Seeing his opportunity, he sprang -on to my shoulder and bit me so severely that I carry his marks now. -Smarting with the pain I picked up a small piece of coal and flung -it at him with all the strength I could muster. Unfortunately for me -it hit him on the head and made it bleed, for which crime I got well -rope’s-ended by Nat. And besides that I made an enemy of that monkey -for the rest of his time on board--many months--an enemy who never -lost a chance of doing me an ill turn. - -He took to his master at once, and was also on nodding terms with -one or two of the other men, but with the majority he was at open -war. Nat kept him chained up near his bunk, only taking him out for -an airing at intervals, and at once commenced to train him to go for -the pigs. But one day Nat laid in a stock of eggs and fruit, stowing -them as usual on the shelf in his bunk. We were very busy all the -morning on deck, so that I believe hardly a chance was obtained by -any one of getting below for a smoke. When dinner-time came Nat went -straight to his bunk to greet his pet, but he was nowhere to be seen. -The state of that bed though was something to remember. Jocko had -been amusing himself by trying to make an omelette, and the débris of -two dozen eggs was strewn and plastered over the bunk, intermingled -with crushed bananas, torn up books, feathers out of Nat’s swell -pillow, and several other things. While Nat was ransacking his memory -for some language appropriate to the occasion, a yell arose from the -other side of the forecastle where Paddy Finn, a Liverpool Irishman -of parts, had just discovered his week’s whack of sugar _and_ the -contents of a slush-pot pervading all the contents of his chest. -Other voices soon joined in the chorus as further atrocities were -discovered, until the fo’c’s’le was like Bedlam broken loose. - -“Pigs is it ye’d be afther complainin’ of, ye blatherin’ ould -omadhaun. The divil a pig that iver lived ud be afther makin’ sich a -hell’s delight ov a man’s dunnage as this. Not a blashted skirrick -have oi left to cover me nakidness wid troo yure blood relashin. -Only let me clap hands on him me jule, thet’s all, ye dhirty ould -orgin-grinder you.” - -High above all the riot rose the wail of Paddy Finn as above, until -the din grew so great that I fled dismayed, in mortal terror lest I -should be brought into the quarrel somehow. It was well that I did -so, for presently there was what sailors call a regular “plug-mush,” -a free fight wherein the guiding principle is “wherever you see a -head, hit it.” The battle was brief if fierce, and its results were -so far good that uproarious laughter soon took the place of the -pandemonium that had so recently reigned. Happily I had not brought -the dinner in when the riot began, so that still there was some -comfort left. Making haste I supplied the food, and soon they were -all busy with it, their dinner hour being nearly gone. The punishment -of the miscreant was unavoidably deferred for want of time to look -for him, for he had vanished like a dream. But while we ate a sudden -storm of bad language rose on deck. Hurrying out to see what fresh -calamity had befallen we found the nigger cook flinging himself about -in a frenzy of rage, while half-way up the main-stay, well out of -everybody’s reach, sat Jocko with a fowl that he had snatched out of -the galley while the cook’s back was turned, and was now carefully -tearing into fragments. Rushing to the stay, the men shook it till -the whole mainmast vibrated, but the motion didn’t appear to trouble -the monkey. Holding the fowl tightly in one hand he bounded up into -the main-top and thence to the mizen-topmast stay, where for the time -he had to be left in peace. - -As soon as knock-off time came a hunt was organised. It was a very -exciting affair while it lasted, but not only were the men tired, -but that monkey could spring across open spaces like a bird, and -catching him was an impossible task. The attempt was soon given -up, therefore, and the rest of the evening after supper devoted to -repairing damages. For the next three days she was a lively ship. -That imp of darkness was like the devil, he was everywhere. Like -a streak of grey lightning he would slide down a stay, snatch up -something just laid down, and away aloft again before the robbed one -had realised what had happened. All sorts of traps were laid for -him, but he was far too wise to be taken in any trap that ever was -devised. I went in terror of him night and day, for I feared that now -he was free he would certainly not omit to repay me for his broken -pate. And yet it was I who caught him. For the moment I had forgotten -all about him, when coming from aloft and dropping lightly with my -bare feet upon the bottom of one of the upturned boats on the roof of -our house, I saw something stirring in the folds of the main-topmast -staysail that was lying there loosely huddled together. Leaping -upon the heap of canvas I screamed for help, bringing half-a-dozen -men to the spot in a twinkling. Not without some severe bites, the -rascal was secured, and by means of a stout belt round his waist -effectually prevented from getting adrift again. I looked to see him -summarily put to death, but no one seemed to think his atrocious -behaviour merited any worse punishment than a sound thrashing except -the cook and steward, and they being our natural enemies were of -course unheeded. The fact is Jocko had, after his first performance, -confined his attentions to the cabin and galley, where he had done -desperate damage and made the two darkies lead a most miserable -life. This conduct of his I believe saved his life, as those two -functionaries were cordially detested by the men for many reasons. -At any rate he was spared, and for some time led a melancholy life -chained up on the forecastle head during the day, and underneath -it at night. Meantime we had sailed from Bombay and arrived at -Conconada, where the second mate bought a monkey, a pretty tame -little fellow that hadn’t a bit of vice in him. He was so docile that -when we got to sea again he was allowed to have the run of the ship. -Petted by everybody, he never got into any mischief, but often used -to come forward and sit at a safe distance from Jocko, making queer -grimaces and chatterings at him, but always mighty careful not to get -too near. Jocko never responded, but sat stolidly like a monkey of -wood until the little fellow strolled away, when he would spring up -and tear at his chain, making a guttural noise that sounded as much -like an Arab cursing as anything ever I heard. So little Tip went on -his pleasant way, only meeting with one small mishap for a long time. -He was sitting on deck one sunny afternoon with his back against -the coamings of the after-hatch, his little round head just visible -above its edge. One of the long-legged raw-boned roosters we had got -in Conconada was prowling near on the never-ending quest for grub. -Stalking over the hatch he suddenly caught sight of this queer little -grey knob sticking up. He stiffened himself, craned his neck forward, -and then drawing well back dealt it a peck like a miniature pick-axe -falling. Well, that little monkey was more astonished than ever I saw -an animal in my life. He fairly screamed with rage while the rooster -stood as if petrified with astonishment at the strange result of his -investigations. - -Owing to the close watch kept upon Jocko he led a blameless life for -months. Apparently reconciled to his captivity he gradually came to -be regarded as a changed animal who had repented and forsaken his -evil ways for life. But my opinion of him never changed. It was never -asked and I knew better than to offer it, but there was a lurking -devil in his sleepy eyes that assured me if ever he got loose again -his previous achievements would pale into insignificance before -the feats of diabolical ingenuity he would then perform. Still the -days and weeks rolled by uneventfully until we were well into the -fine weather to the north’ard of the Line in the Atlantic. We had -been exceptionally favoured by the absence of rain, and owing to -the exertions of the second mate, who was an enthusiast over his -paint-work, her bulwarks within and her houses were a perfectly -dazzling white, with a satiny sheen like enamel. In fact I heard him -remark with pardonable pride that he’d never seen the paint look so -well in all his seven voyages as second of the _Belle_. Tenderly, as -if it were his wife’s face, he would go over that paint-work even in -his watch below, with bits of soft rag and some clean fresh water, -wiping off every spot of defilement as soon as it appeared. Tarring -down was accomplished without a spot or a smear upon the paint, and -the decks having been holystoned and varnished, the second mate now -began to breathe freely. No more dirty work remained to be done, and -he would have a lot more time to devote to his beloved white paint. -We had been slipping along pretty fast to the north’ard, and one -afternoon the old man had all hands up to bend our winter suit of -sails. Every mother’s son of them were aloft except me, and I was -busy about the mainmast standing by to attend to the running gear, as -I was ordered from above. As they had hoisted all the sails up before -they had started aloft, they were there a long time, as busy as -bees trying to get the job finished. At last all was ready and down -they came. One of them went forrard for something, and immediately -raised an outcry that brought all hands rushing to the spot, thinking -that the ship was on fire or something. The sight they saw was a -paralysing one to a sailor. On both sides of the bulwarks and the -lower panels of the house were great smears and splashes of Stockholm -tar, while all along the nice blue covering-board the mess was -indescribable. With one accord everybody shouted “That---- monkey.” -Yes, as they spoke there was a dull thud and down from aloft fell -a huge oakum wad saturated with tar. They looked up and there he -sat, an infernal object, hardly distinguishable for a monkey, being -smothered from head to tail-end with the thick glutinous stuff. But -his white teeth gleamed and his wicked eye twinkled merrily as he -thought of the heavenly time he’d been having, a recompense for what -must have seemed years of waiting. Too late, the men now remembered -that the tar barrel, its head completely out, had been left up-ended -by the windlass where it had been placed for convenience during -tarring down. It was there still, but leading from it in all -directions were streams of tar where Jocko had dragged away the -dripping wads he had fished out of its black depths. I was never -revengeful, but if I had been I should have felt sorry for the second -mate, my old tyrant, now. He drooped and withered like a scarlet -runner under the first sharp frost. Not a word did he say, but he -looked as if all the curses in every tongue that ever were spoken -were pouring over his brain in a flood. Pursuit of the monkey was -out of the question. Clambering over the newly tarred rigging was -bad enough when done with all care, but in a chase, especially over -places where it had been freshly anointed by the fugitive, we should -have had all hands captured like flies on a gummed string. They all -stood and glared at the mess like men not knowing how to adjust their -minds to this new condition of things, nor, when the skipper and -mate came forrard to see what was the matter, did they contribute -any words good, bad, or indifferent. Apparently they would have -remained there till they dropped, fascinated by the horrible sight, -but suddenly piercing screams aft startled everybody. Jocko had -crept down the mizen rigging and pounced upon poor little Tip, who -was delicately combing himself (he was as daintily clean as a cat) -on the after hatch. And now Jocko was perched on the cro’jack yard -vigorously wiping his tar-drenched fur with Tip as if he had been a -dry wad. The second mate started from his lethargy and sprang aloft -to the rescue of his screaming pet with an agility scarcely inferior -to that of Jocko. Rage seemed to give him energy, for presently he -pressed Jocko so hard (he let poor little Tip go as soon as he saw -his pursuer) that he ran out along the mizen topsail brace, and, -balancing himself for a moment, covered his eyes with his hands and -sprang into the sea. Bobbing up like a cork, he struck out away from -the ship which was only just moving, but in less than five minutes -he repented his rashness and swam back. A line was flung to him, he -promptly seized it and was at once a captive again. The men were so -impressed by his prowess that they refused to allow the second mate -to touch him, nor did any of them even beat him lest they should have -bad luck. But they replaced the chafed-through ring he had broken -by a massive connecting-link, and when Jamrach’s man came aboard in -London Jocko was sold to him for five shillings. Tip went to the -Crystal Palace and met a worse fate. - - - - - BIG GAME AT SEA - - -Sportsmen of ample means and unlimited leisure often deplore the -shrinkage which goes on at an ever-accelerating rate of such free -hunting-grounds as still remain. Owing to the wonderful facilities -for travel allied to increased wealth, they foresee, not, perhaps, -the extinction of the great wild animals which alone they consider -worthy of their high prowess, but such close preservation of them -in the near future that the free delight of the hunter will surely -disappear. Therefore it may be considered opportune to point out -from the vantage ground of personal experience some aspects of -sport at sea which will certainly not suffer by comparison with any -hunting on land, no matter from what point we regard it. It will -readily be conceded that one of the chief drawbacks to the full -enjoyment of sport in wild lands is the large amount of personal -suffering entailed upon the hunters by evil climates and transport -difficulties. It is all very well to say that these things are part -of the programme, and that taking the rough with the smooth is of the -very essence of true sportsmanship. That need not be disputed while -denying that there is anything attractive in the idea of becoming -a permanent invalid from malaria or being harassed to the verge of -madness by the unceasing oversight of a gang of wily children of -nature saturated with the idea that the white maniac is delivered -over to them as a prey by “the gods of things as they are.” The -fascination of sport consists in the dangers of the chase, the -successful use of “shikar,” the elation of conscious superiority over -the lords of the brute creation, and not, as some dull souls would -assert, in the gratification of primitive instincts of blood-lust, -or the exercise of cruelty to animals for its own sake. Neither does -it consist in wading across fetid swamps, groping through steaming -forests, or toiling with leathern tongue and aching bones over -glowing sands, a prey to all the plagues of Egypt augmented by nearly -every other ill that flesh is heir to. No; few of us need persuading -that any of these horrors are the unavoidable necessary concomitants -of sport, they are endured because to all appearance any hunting -worthy the name is not to be obtained apart from them. - -From all such miseries sport at sea is free. A well-appointed yacht, -built not for speed but for comfort, need not be luxurious to afford -as satisfactory a “hunting-box” as any sportsman could reasonably -desire. And for the question of cost--it may be high enough to -satisfy the craving for squandering felt by the most wealthy -spendthrift, or so low as to become far cheaper than a hunting -expedition to Africa or the Rockies. For a successful sporting voyage -a sailing vessel, or at most an auxiliary screw-steamer of low power, -is best, for the great game of the ocean is full of alarms, and -must needs be approached with the utmost silence and circumspection. -As for the question of equipment, it seems hardly necessary to say -that everything should be of the very best, but not by any means -of the most expensive quality procurable. All such abominations as -harpoon-guns, bombs, &c., should be strictly barred, the object being -sport, not slaughter. Given sufficient outlay, with the resources -of science now at the purchaser’s disposal, it is quite possible to -reduce whaling, for instance, to as tame an affair as a hand-fed -pheasant battue or tame-rabbit coursing, neither of which can surely -by any stretch of courtesy be called sport. The old-fashioned hand -harpoons, the long, slender lances that, except for excellence -of workmanship and material, are essentially the same as used by -the first followers of the vast sea-mammals, these should be the -sportsman’s weapons still if he would taste in its integrity the -primitive delight of the noblest of created beings in the assertion -of his birthright, “Dominion over the fish of the sea and over the -fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth.” - -The best type of vessel for a sporting cruise at sea is what is known -to seamen as a “barquentine,” a vessel, that is to say, of some 250 -tons register, with three masts, square-rigged at the fore--after the -style of the well-known _Sunbeam_. In her davits she should carry -three whaleboats, such as the Americans of New Bedford or Rhode -Island know so well how to build, the handsomest and most sea-worthy -of all boats ever built. The whaleboats built in Scotland, though -strong and serviceable, are less elegant and handy, being more fitted -for rough handling among ice-floes, into which rough neighbourhoods -the sea-sportsman need never go--should not go, in fact, for the best -display of his powers. The whale-line, made in the old whaling ports -of New England--tow-line as it is locally termed--cannot be beaten. -It possesses all the virtues. Light, silky, and of amazing strength, -it is a perfect example of what rope should be, and is as much -superior to the unkind, harsh hemp-line of our own islands as could -well be imagined. From the same place should be obtained the services -of a few whaling experts, accustomed, as no other seafarers are, to -the chase of the sperm-whale, the noblest of all sea-monsters. Advice -as to fishing-tackle would be out of place, except the general remark -that, as in the deep seas the angler will meet with the doughtiest -opponent of his skill the ocean contains, he must needs lay in a -stock of tackle of the very strongest and best. Tarpon fishing is a -fairly good test of the trustworthiness of gear, but whoso meets the -giant albacore in mid-ocean, and overcomes him, will have vanquished -a fish to which the tarpon is but as a seven-pound trout to a lordly -salmon. All the appliances known to naturalists for the capture -and preservation of the smaller habitants of the deep sea ought to -be carried, for, although not strictly sport, this work is deeply -interesting and useful, besides affording a pleasant variety of -occupation. - -But, passing on to the actual conditions of conflict, let us suppose -the sportsman cruising in the North Atlantic between the Cape Verde -Islands and the West Indies--a wide range, truly, but no part of -it barren of the highest possibilities for pleasure. A school of -sperm whales is sighted, the vessel is carefully manœuvred for the -weather-gage of them, and this being obtained, the boats are softly -lowered, sail is set, and, with the fresh trade-wind, away they go -leaping to leeward. The utmost precaution against noise must be -taken, because the natural susceptibility of the whale to sound -is as delicate as the receiver of a telephone. No amount of oral -instruction would here be of any avail without long experience, -which, since it can be hired, there is no need to waste time and -patience in acquiring. Assuming, therefore, that the preliminary -difficulty of approach to the sensitive monsters has been overcome, -and there remains but a few fathoms of rapidly lessening distance -between the boat and the unconscious whale, who could satisfactorily -describe the sensations crowded into those few remaining moments -of absolute quiet, the tension of expectation, the uncertainty of -the result of the approaching conflict? The object of attack is the -mightiest of living animals, he is in his own element, to which the -assailant is but a visitor on sufferance, and he may retaliate in so -fierce and tremendous a fashion that no amount of skill, courage, -or energy shall suffice to protect the aggressor from his fury. But -there is no thought of drawing back, the swift-gliding boat rushes -high up on to the broad bank of flesh, and with a long-pent-up yell -the harpoon is hurled. It enters the black mass noiselessly, the -weight of its pole bends the soft iron shaft over as the attached -line stretches out, and as the boat slowly, so slowly, backs away, -the leviathan, amazed and infuriated, thrashes the quiet sea into -masses of hissing foam, while the thunder of his blows resounds like -the uproar of a distant cannonade. At this time certain necessary -rearrangements, such as furling and stowing sail, make it impossible, -even if it were wise, to approach the indignant whale, and as a -general thing by the time these preparations are complete he has -sought the shelter of the depths beneath, taking out flake after -flake of the neatly coiled line. With ordinary care, especially -where only one boat is engaged, it would seldom happen that all the -line would run out, and the game be lost. Usually, after an interval -of about twenty minutes, during which the line is slacked away as -slowly and grudgingly as possible, it is felt to give, and the slack -must be hauled in with the utmost smartness, a sharp look-out being -kept meanwhile upon the surrounding surface for a sudden white glare -beneath--the cavity of the whale’s throat, as he comes bounding to -the surface with his vast jaws gaping wider than a barn-door. It is -at this time that the true excitement, the joy of battle, begins. -For in most cases the huge animal has come to fight, and being in -his turn the aggressor, his enemies must exert all their skill in -boatsmanship, preserve all their coolness and watchfulness, since a -mistake in tactics or loss of presence of mind may mean the instant -destruction of the boat, if not the sudden and violent death of -some of her crew. As a general rule, however, after a few savage -rushes avoided by wary manœuvring on the part of the hunters, the -whale starts off to windward at his best speed (from twelve to -fourteen knots an hour), towing the boat or boats after him with -the greatest ease. This is a most exhilarating experience. For the -mighty steed, ploughing his strenuous way through the waves, seems -the living embodiment of force, and yet he is, as it were, harnessed -to his exulting foes, compelled to take them with him in spite of -his evident desire to shake himself free. While he goes at his best -speed a near approach to him is manifestly impossible; but, vast as -his energies are, the enormous mass of his own body carried along -so rapidly soon tires him, and he slows down to five or six knots. -Then all hands, except the one in charge and the helmsman, “tail -on” to the line, and do their best to haul up alongside the whale. -The steersman sheers the boat clear of his labouring flukes as she -comes close to him, and then allows her to point inward towards his -broad flank, while the lance-wielder seeks a vulnerable spot wherein -to plunge his long, slender weapon. It is of little use to dart the -lance as the harpoon is flung; such an action is far more likely -to goad the whale into a new exhibition of energy than to do him -any disabling injury. Being at such close quarters, it is far more -sportsmanlike, as well as effectual, to thrust the lance calmly and -steadily into the huge mass of flesh so near at hand. If the aim has -been well taken--say, just abaft and below the pectoral fin--more -than one home-thrust will hardly be needed, even in a whale of the -largest size, and a careful watch must be kept upon the spout-hole -for the first sign of blood discolouring the monster’s breath. For -that is evidence unmistakable of the beginning of the end. It shows -that some vital part has been pierced, and although the whale-fishers -always continue their “pumping” with the lance up to the very verge -of disaster, once the whale has begun to spout blood it is quite -unnecessary to continue the assault. Still, at this stage of the -proceedings the primitive instincts are usually fully aroused, and -nothing seems to satisfy them but persistent fury of attack, until -the actual commencement of the tremendous death-agony or “flurry” of -the noble beast gives even the most excited hunter warning that it -is time to draw off and endeavour to keep clear of the last Titanic -convulsions of the expiring monster. No other created being ever -furnishes such a display of energy. Involuntarily one compares it -with the awful manifestations of the earthquake, the volcano, or the -cyclone. And when at last the great creature yields up the dregs of -his once amazing vitality, no one possessing a spark of imagination -can fail to be conscious of an under-current of compunction mingling -with the swelling triumph of such a victory. - -But the seeker after big sea-game should attack the rorqual if he -would see sport indeed. For this agile monster has such a reputation -for almost supernatural cunning that even if he were as valuable -as he really is valueless commercially, it is highly doubtful if -he would ever be molested. As it is, all the tribe are chartered -libertines, since no whaleman is likely to risk the loss of a boat’s -gear for the barren honour of conquest. And not only so, but the -rorquals, whether “fin-back,” “sulphur-bottom,” or “blue-back,” as -well as the “hump-back” and grampus, make it a point of honour to -sink when dead, unlike the “cachalot” or “Bowhead,” who float awash -at first, but ever more buoyantly as the progress of decay within -the immense abdominal cavity generates an accumulating volume of -gas. Any old whaleman would evolve in the interests of sport no end -of dodges for dealing with the wily rorqual, such as a collection of -strongly attached bladders affixed to the line to stay his downward -rush, short but broad-barbed harpoons, to get a better hold upon the -thin coating of blubber, &c. In this kind of whaling there is quite -sufficient danger to make the sport exciting in the highest degree. -Not, however, from the attack of the animal hunted, but because his -evolutions in the effort to escape are so marvellously vivacious -that only the most expert and cool-headed boatsmanship can prevent a -sudden severance of the nexus between boat and crew. A splendid day’s -sport can be obtained with a school of blackfish. Although seldom -exceeding a ton and a half in weight, these small whales are quite -vigorous enough to make the chase of them as lively an episode as the -most enthusiastic hunter could wish, especially if two or even three -are harpooned one after the other on a single line, as the whalers’ -custom is. The sensation of being harnessed as it were to a trio of -monsters, each about 25 feet long, and 8 feet in girth, every one -anxious to flee in a different direction at the highest speed he can -muster, and in their united gambols making the sea boil like a pot, -is one that, once experienced, is never likely to be forgotten. The -mere memory of that mad frolic over the heaving bosom of the bright -sea makes the blood leap to the face, makes the nerves twitch, and -the heart long to be away from the placid round of everyday life upon -the bright free wave again. Even a school of porpoises, in default -of nobler game, can furnish a lively hour or two, especially if -they be of a fair size, say up to three or four hundredweight each. -But of a truth there need be no fear of a lack of game. The swift -passage from port to port made by passenger vessels is apt to leave -the voyager with the impression that the sea is a barren waste, but -such an idea is wholly false. Even the sailing-ships, bound though -they may be to make the shortest possible time between ports, are -compelled by failure of wind to see enough of the everyday life of -the sea-population to know better than that, and whoso gives himself -up to the glamour of sea-study, making no haste to rush from place to -place, but leisurely loitering along the wide plains of ocean, shall -find each day a new world unfolding itself before his astonished -eyes, a world of marvels, infinitely small, as well as wondrous -great--from the thousand and one miracles that go to make up the -“Plankton” to the antediluvian whale. - -Fishing in its more heroic phases is obtainable in deep-sea -cruising as nowhere else. The hungry sailor, perched upon the flying -jib-boom end, drops his line, baited with a fluttering fragment of -white rag, and watches it with eager eyes as it skips from crest to -crest of the foam-tipped wavelets, brushed aside by the advancing -hull of his ship. And although his ideas are wholly centred upon -dinner--something savoury, to replace the incessant round of salt -beef and rancid pork--he cannot help but feel the zest of sport when -upward to his clumsy lure come rushing eagerly dolphin, bonito, or -skipjack. But if--putting all lesser fish to flight--the mighty -albacore leaps majestically at his bait, prudence compels him to -withdraw from the unequal contest; he knows that he stands not the -remotest chance of hauling such a huge trophy up to his lofty perch, -or of holding him there, should he be able to get a grip of him. To -the scientific angler, however, equipped with the latest resources -of fishing-tackle experts, and able to devote all the manipulation -of his vessel to the capture of such a trophy, the fishing of the -albacore would be the acme of all angling experiences. Good sport can -be got out of a school of large dolphin or bonito, their vigorous -full-blooded strife being a revelation to those who only know the -lordly salmon or skittish trout, but the albacore is the supreme test -of the angler’s ability. Shark-fishing is very tame after it. For -the shark, though powerful, has none of the dash and energy which -characterise the albacore, and would soon be an object of scorn to a -fisherman who had succeeded in catching the monarch of the mackerel -tribe. But if the fisherman, cruising near the confines of the -Caribbean Sea, should come across one of those nightmares known as -alligator-guards or devil-fish, a species of ray often one hundred -and twenty feet in area, he would find a new sensation in its chase -and capture, besides being the possessor of such a marine specimen as -is at present lacking to any museum in the world. - -And this brings the reflection, which may fittingly draw this -article to a close, that not the least of the delights which such a -cruise must bring to one fortunate enough to enjoy it would be the -incalculable service rendered to marine natural history. This branch -of science offers an almost illimitable field to the student. It is -nearly a new world awaiting its Columbus, and it is not difficult to -foresee that before very long it will have found its votaries among -men of wealth, leisure, and energy, delighted to enter into the joy -of a happy hunting-ground of boundless extent and inexhaustible -fecundity. - - - - - A SEA CHANGE - - -Night was unfolding her wings over the quiet sea. Purple, dark and -smooth, the circling expanse of glassy stillness met the sky rim -all round in an unbroken line, like the edge of some cloud-towering -plateau, inaccessible to all the rest of the world. A few lingering -streaks of fading glory laced the western verge, reflecting splashes -of subdued colour half-way across the circle, and occasionally -catching with splendid but momentary effect the rounded shoulder -of an almost imperceptible swell. Their departure was being noted -with wistful eyes by a little company of men and one woman, who, -without haste and a hushed solemnity as of mourners at the burial -of a dear one, were leaving their vessel and bestowing themselves -in a small boat which lay almost motionless alongside. There was -no need for haste, for the situation had been long developing. -The brig was an old one, whose owner was poor and unable to spare -sufficient from her scanty earnings for her proper upkeep. So she -had been gradually going from bad to worse, not having been strongly -built of hard wood at first, but pinned together hastily by some -farmer-shipbuilder-fisherman up the Bay of Fundy, mortgaged strake by -strake, like a suburban villa, and finally sold by auction for the -price of the timber in her. Still, being a smart model and newly -painted, she looked rather attractive when Captain South first saw -her lying in lonely dignity at an otherwise deserted quay in the St. -Katharine’s Docks. Poor man, the command of her meant so much to him. -Long out of employment, friendless and poor, he had invested a tiny -legacy, just fallen to his wife, in the vessel as the only means -whereby he could obtain command of even such a poor specimen of a -vessel as the _Dorothea_. And the shrewd old man who owned her drove -a hard bargain. For the small privilege of the skipper carrying his -wife with him 50s. per month was deducted from the scanty wage at -first agreed upon. But in spite of these drawbacks the anxious master -felt a pleasant glow of satisfaction thrill him as he thought that -soon he would be once more afloat, the monarch of his tiny realm, and -free for several peaceful months from the harassing uncertainties of -shore-life. - -In order to avoid expense he lived on board while in dock, and made -himself happily busy rigging up all sorts of cunning additions to -the little cuddy, with an eye to the comfort of his wife. While -thus engaged came a thunderclap, the first piece of bad news. The -_Dorothea_ was chartered to carry a cargo of railway iron and -machinery to Buenos Ayres. Had he been going alone the thing would -have annoyed him, but he would have got over that with a good -old-fashioned British growl or so. But with Mary on board--the -thought was paralysing. For there is only one cargo that tries a ship -more than railway metal, copper ore badly stowed. Its effect upon a -staunch steel-built ship is to make her motion abominable--to take -all the sea-kindness out of her. A wooden vessel, even of the best -build, burdened with those rigid lengths of solid metal, is like a -living creature on the rack, in spite of the most careful stowage. -Every timber in her complains, every bend and strake is wrenched and -strained, so that, be her record for “tightness” never so good, one -ordinary gale will make frequent exercise at the pump an established -institution. And Captain South already knew that the _Dorothea_ -was far from being staunch and well-built, although, happily for -his small remaining peace of mind, he did not know how walty and -unseaworthy she really was. A few minutes’ bitter meditation, -over this latest crook in his lot, and the man in him rose to the -occasion, determined to make the best of it and hope steadily for -a fine run into the trades. He superintended her stowing himself, -much to the disgust of the stevedores, who are never over particular -unless closely watched, although so much depends upon the way their -work is done. At any rate, he had the satisfaction of knowing that -the ugly stuff was as handsomely bestowed as experience could -suggest, and, with a sigh of relief, he saw the main hatches put on -and battened down for a full due. - -In the selection of his crew he had been unusually careful. Five -A.B.’s were all that he was allowed, the vessel being only 500 tons -burden, two officers besides himself, and one man for the double -function of cook and steward. Therefore, he sought to secure the best -possible according to his judgment, and really succeeded in getting -together a sturdy little band. His chief comfort, however, was in his -second mate, who was a Finn--one of that phlegmatic race from the -eastern shore of the Baltic who seem to inherit not only a natural -aptitude for a sea life, but also the ability to build ships, make -sails and rigging, do blacksmithing, &c.--all, in fact, that there is -to a ship, as our cousins say. Slow, but reliable to the core, and a -perfect godsend in a small ship. In Olaf Svensen, then, the skipper -felt he had a tower of strength. The mate was a young Londoner, smart -and trustworthy--not too independent to thrust his arms into the -tarpot when necessary, and amiable withal. The other six members of -the crew--two Englishmen and three Scandinavians--were good seamen, -all sailors--there wasn’t a steamboat man among them--and, from the -first day when in the dock they all arrived sober and ready for work, -matters went smoothly and salt-water fashion. - -It was late in October when they sailed, and they had no sooner -been cast adrift by the grimy little “jackal” that towed them down -to the Nore than they were greeted by a bitter nor’-wester that -gave them a sorry time of it getting round the Foreland. The short, -vicious Channel sea made the loosely-knit frame of the brig sing a -mournful song as she jumped at it, braced sharp up, and many were -the ominous remarks exchanged in the close, wedge-shaped fo’c’s’le -on her behaviour in these comparatively smooth waters, coupled with -gloomy speculations as to what sort of a fist she would make of the -Western Ocean waves presently. Clinkety-clank, bang, bang went the -pumps for fifteen minutes out of every two hours, the water rising -clear, as though drawn from overside, and a deeper shade settled on -the skipper’s brow. For a merry fourteen days they fought their way -inch by inch down Channel, getting their first slant between Ushant -and Scilly in the shape of a hard nor’-easter, that drove them clear -of the land and 300 miles out into the Atlantic. Then it fell a calm, -with a golden haze all round the horizon by day, and a sweet, balmy -feel in the air--a touch of Indian summer on the sea. Three days it -lasted--days that brought no comfort to the skipper, who could hardly -hold his patience when his wife blessed the lovely weather, in her -happy ignorance of what might be expected as the price presently -to be paid for it. Then one evening there began to rise in the -west the familiar sign so dear to homeward-bounders, so dreaded by -outward-going ships--the dense dome of cloud uplifted to receive the -setting sun. The skipper watched its growth as if fascinated by the -sight, watched it until at midnight it had risen to be a vast convex -screen, hiding one-half of the deep blue sky. At the changing of -the watch he had her shortened down to the two lower topsails and -fore-topmast staysail, and having thus snugged her, went below to -snatch, fully dressed, a few minutes’ sleep. The first moaning breath -of the coming gale roused him almost as soon as it reached the ship, -and as the watchful Svensen gave his first order, “Lee fore brace!” -the skipper appeared at the companion hatch, peering anxiously to -windward, where the centre of that gloomy veil seemed to be worn -thin. The only light left was just a little segment of blue low down -on the eastern horizon, to which, in spite of themselves, the eyes -of the travailing watch turned wistfully. But whatever shape the -surging thoughts may take in the minds of seamen, the exertion of the -moment effectually prevents any development of them into despair in -the case of our own countrymen. So, in obedience to the hoarse cries -of Mr. Svensen, they strove to get the _Dorothea_ into that position -where she would be best able to stem the rising sea, and fore-reach -over the hissing sullenness of the long, creaming rollers, that as -they came surging past swept her, a mile at a blow, sideways to -leeward, leaving a whirling, broadside wake of curling eddies. Silent -and anxious, Captain South hung with one elbow over the edge of the -companion, his keen hearing taking note of every complaint made -by the trembling timbers beneath his feet, whose querulous voices -permeated the deeper note of the storm. - -All that his long experience could suggest for the safety of his -vessel was put into practice. One by one the scanty show of sail -was taken in and secured with extra gasket turns, lest any of them -should, showing a loose corner, be ripped adrift by the snarling -tempest. By eight bells (4 A.M.) the brig showed nothing to the -bleak darkness above but the two gaunt masts, with their ten bare -yards tightly braced up against the lee backstays, and the long -peaked forefinger of the jibboom reaching out over the pale foam. A -tiny weather-cloth of canvas only a yard square was stopped in the -weather main rigging, its small area amply sufficing to keep the -brig’s head up in the wind except when, momentarily becalmed by a -hill of black water rearing its head to windward, it relaxed its -steadfast thrust and suffered the vessel to fall off helplessly into -the trough between two huge waves. Now commenced the long unequal -struggle between a weakly-constructed hull, unfairly handicapped by -the wrench of a dead mass of iron within that met every natural scend -of her frame with unyielding brutality of resistance, and the wise -old sea, kindly indeed to ships whose construction and cargo enable -them to meet its masses with the easy grace of its own inhabitants, -but pitiless destroyer of all vessels that do not greet its curving -assault with yielding grace, its mighty stride with sinuous deference -of retreat. The useless wheel, held almost hard down, thumped slowly -under the hands of the listless helmsman with the regularity of a -nearly worn-out clock, while the oakum began to bulge upward from the -deck seams. As if weary even unto death, the brig cowered before the -untiring onslaught of the waves, allowing them to rise high above the -weather rail, and break apart with terrible uproar, filling the decks -rail-high from poop to forecastle. Pumping was incessant, yet Svensen -found each time he dropped the slender sounding-rod down the tube a -longer wetness upon it, until its two feet became insufficient, and -the mark of doom crept up the line. And besides the ever-increasing -inlet of the sea, men stayed by the pumps only at imminent risk -of being dashed to pieces, for they were, as always, situated in -the middle of the main deck, where the heaviest seas usually break -aboard. There was little said, and but few looks exchanged. The -skipper had, indeed, to meet the wan face of his wife, but she dared -not put her fear into words, or he bring himself to tell her that -except for a miracle their case was hopeless. He seldom left the -deck, as if the wide grey hopelessness around had an irresistible -fascination for him, and he watched with unspeculative eyes the -pretty gambols of those tiny elves of the sea, the Mother Carey’s -chickens, as they fluttered incessantly to and fro across the wake of -his groaning vessel. - -So passed a night and a day of such length that the ceaseless tumult -of wind and wave had become normal, and slighter sounds could be -easily distinguished because the ear had become attuned to the -elemental din. Unobtrusively the impassive Svensen had been preparing -their only serviceable boat by stocking her with food, water, &c. -The skipper had watched him with a dull eye, as if his proceedings -were devoid of interest, but felt a glimmer of satisfaction at the -evidence of his second mate’s forethought. For all hope of the -_Dorothea’s_ weathering the gale was now completely gone. Even the -blue patches breaking through the heavy cloud-pall to leeward could -not revive it. For she was now only wallowing, with a muffled roar -of turbid water within as it sullenly swept from side to side with -the sinking vessel’s heavy roll. The gale died away peacefully, the -sea smoothed its wrinkled plain, and the grave stars peered out one -by one, as if to reassure the anxious watchers. Midnight brought a -calm, as deep as if wind had not yet been made, but the old swell -still came marching on, making the doomed brig heave clumsily as it -passed her. The day broke in perfect splendour, cloudless and pure, -the wide heavens bared their solemn emptiness, and the glowing sun in -lonely glory showered such radiance on the sea that it blazed with a -myriad dazzling hues. But into that solitary circle, whereof the brig -was the pathetic centre, came no friendly glint of sails, no welcome -stain of trailing smoke across the clear blue. But the benevolent -calm gave opportunity for a careful launching of the boat, and as -she lay quietly alongside the few finishing touches were given to -her equipment. As the sun went down the vessel’s motion ceased--she -was now nearly level with the smooth surface of the ocean, which -impassively awaited her farewell to the light. Hardly a word was -spoken as the little company left her side and entered the boat. When -all were safely bestowed the skipper said, “Cut that painter forrard -there,” and his voice sounded hollowly across the burdening silence. -A few faint splashes were heard as the oars rose and fell, and the -boat glided away. At a cable’s length they ceased pulling, and with -every eye turned upon the brig they waited. In a painful, strained -hush, they saw her bow as if in stately adieu, and as if with an -embrace the placid sea enfolded her. Silently she disappeared, the -dim outlines of her spars lingering, as if loth to leave, against the -deepening violet of the night. - -With one arm around his wife, the skipper sat at the tiller, a small -compass before him, by the aid of which he kept her head toward -Madeira, but, anxious to husband energy, he warned his men not to -pull too strenuously. Very peacefully passed the night, no sound -invading the stillness except the regular plash of the oars and an -occasional querulous cry from a belated sea-bird aroused from its -sleep by the passage of the boat. At dawn rowing ceased for a time, -and those who were awake watched in a perfect silence, such as no -other situation upon this planet can afford, the entry of the new -day. Not one of them but felt like men strangely separated from -mundane things, and face to face with the inexpressible mysteries of -the timeless state. But it was Svensen who broke that sacred quiet by -a sonorous shout of “Sail-ho!” With a transition like a wrench from -death to life, all started into eager questioning; and all presently -saw, with the vigilant Finn, the unmistakable outlines of a vessel -branded upon the broad, bright semi-circle of the half-risen sun. -No order was given or needed. Double-banked, the oars gripped the -water, and with a steady rush the boat sped eastward towards that -beatific vision of salvation. Even the skipper’s face lost its dull -shade of hopelessness, in spite of his loss, as he saw the haggard -lines relax from Mary’s face. Quite a cheerful buzz of chat arose. -Unweariedly, hour after hour, the boat sped onward over the bright -smoothness, though the sun poured down his stores of heat and the -sweat ran in steady streams down the brick-red faces of the toiling -rowers. After four hours of unremitting labour they were near enough -to their goal to see that she was a steamer lying still, with no -trace of smoke from her funnel. As they drew nearer they saw that -she had a heavy list to port, and presently came the suggestion that -she was deserted. Hopes began to rise, visions of recompense for all -their labour beyond anything they could have ever dreamed possible. -The skipper’s nostrils dilated, and a faint blush rose to his cheeks. -Weariness was forgotten, and the oars rose and fell as if driven -by steam, until, panting and breathless, they rounded to under the -stern of a schooner-rigged steamer of about 2000 tons burden, without -a boat in her davits, and her lee rail nearly at the water’s edge. -Running alongside, a rope trailing overboard was caught, and the boat -made fast. In two minutes every man but the skipper was on board, and -a purchase was being rigged for the shipment of Mrs. South. No sooner -was she also in safety than investigation commenced. The discovery -was soon made that, although the decks had been swept and the cargo -evidently shifted, there was nothing wrong with the engines or -boilers except that there was a good deal of water in the stokehold. -She was evidently Italian by her name, without the addition of Genoa, -the _Luigi C._, being painted on the harness casks and buckets, and -her crew must have deserted her in a sudden panic. - -Like men intoxicated, they toiled to get things shipshape on board -their prize, hardly pausing for sleep or food. And when they found -the engines throbbing beneath their feet they were almost delirious -with joy. Opening the hatches, they found that the cargo of grain -had shifted, but not beyond their ability to trim, so they went at -it with the same savage vigour they had manifested ever since they -first flung themselves on board. And when, after five days of almost -incessant labour, they took the pilot off Dungeness, and steamed up -the Thames to London again, not one of them gave a second thought to -the hapless _Dorothea_. Twelve thousand pounds were divided among -them by the Judge’s orders, and Captain South found himself able to -command a magnificent cargo steamer of more than 3000 tons register -before he was a month older. - - - - - THE LAST VOYAGE OF THE “SARAH JANE” - - -There was no gainsaying the fact that the _Sarah Jane_ was a very -fine barge. Old Cheesy Morgan, whose _Prairie Flower_ she had -outreached in the annual barge regatta by half a mile, owned up -frankly that the _Sarah Jane_, if she _had_ been built out of the -wreckage of a sunken steamboat looted by the miserly old mudlark who -owned her, could lay over any of his fleet, and when _he_ gave in as -far as that you might look upon the discussion as closed. Her skipper -and mate, Trabby Goodjer and Skee Goss, were always ready (when in -company) to punch any single man’s head who said a word against her, -and many sore bones had been carried away from the “Long Reach House” -in consequence. Not that these two worthies were ever sparing of -their extensive vocabulary of abuse of their command when working -up or down the Thames, especially when she missed stays and hooked -herself up on a mudbank about the first of the ebb, making them lose -a whole day. - -Ever since her launching she had been regularly employed in the -Margate trade from London with general merchandise and returning -empty. Even this double expense for single freight paid the Margate -shopkeepers better than submission to the extortionate railway -charges, while their enterprise was a golden streak of luck for the -owner of the _Sarah Jane_, and her consorts. When she commenced -the memorable voyage of which this is the veracious log, she had -for crew, besides the two mariners already named, a youngster of -some fifteen years of age as near as he could guess, but so stunted -in growth from early hardships that he did not look more than -twelve. He answered to any name generally that sounded abusive or -threatening, from long habit, but his usual title was the generic -one for boys in north-country ships--Peedee. He had already seen a -couple of years’ service in deep-water vessels, getting far more than -his rightful share of adventurous mishaps, besides having done a -fairly comprehensive amount of vagabondage in the streets of London -and Liverpool. But being so diminutive for his years he found it -difficult to get a berth in a decent-sized ship, and in consequence -it was often no easy matter for him to fill even his small belly, for -all his precocious wits. Fate, supplemented by his own fears, had -hitherto been kind enough to keep him out of a Geordie collier or a -North Sea trawler, but on the day he met Trabby Goodjer outside the -“King’s Arms” in Thames Street, and asked him if he wanted a boy, -his evil genius must have been in the ascendant. He hadn’t tasted -food for two days with the exception of a fistful of gritty currants -he had raked out of a corner on Fresh Wharf, and as the keen spring -wind shrieking round the greasy bacon-reeking warehouses searched -his small body to the marrow he grew desperate. Thus it was that -he became the crew of the _Sarah Jane_. Properly, she should have -carried another man, but following the example of their betters in -the Mercantile Marine the skipper and mate trusted to luck, and found -under-manning pay. The owner lived at Rochester, and rarely saw his -vessel except through a pair of glasses at long intervals as she -passed the entrance to the Medway. So the payment of the crew was in -the skipper’s hands entirely, left to him by the London agent who -“managed” her. By sailing her a man short, and giving a boy 10s. a -month instead of a pound, Captain Goodjer and chief officer Goss were -able to enjoy many cheap drunks, and have thrown in, as it were, the -additional enjoyment of ill-using something that was quite unable to -turn the tables unpleasantly. - -Between this delightful pair therefore, whose luck in getting -backwards and forwards to Margate and London was phenomenal, Peedee -had a lively time. Especially so when, from some unforeseen delay or -extra thirst, the supply of liquor in the big stone jar kept at the -head of the skipper’s bunk ran short and they were perforce compelled -to exchange their usual swinish condition of uncertain good-humour -for an irritable restlessness that sought relief by exercising -ingenious forms of cruelty upon their hapless crew. Occasionally they -had a rough-and-tumble between themselves, once indeed they both -rolled over the side in a cat-like scrimmage, but there was nothing -like the solace to be got out of that amusement that there was in -beating Peedee. But he, preternaturally wise, was only biding his -time. The score against his persecutors was growing very long, but a -revenge that should be at once pleasant, enduring, and final, slowly -shaped itself in his mind. Accident rather than design matured his -plans prematurely, but still he showed real genius by rising to the -occasion that thus presented itself and utilising it in a truly -remarkable manner. - -One Friday evening in the middle of October the _Sarah Jane_ was -loosed from the wharf where she had received her miscellaneous -freight, and with the usual amount of river compliments and -collisions with the motley crowd of craft all in an apparently -hopeless tangle in the crowded Pool, began her voyage on the first -of the ebb. The skipper and the mate were both more than ordinarily -muzzy, but intuitively they succeeded in getting her away from the -ruck without receiving more than her fair share of hard knocks. Once -in the fairway the big sprit-sail and jib were hove up to what little -wind there was, and away she went at a fairly good pace. Peedee did -most of the steering as he did of everything else that was possible -to him, receiving as his due many pretty bargee-compliments from his -superiors as they sprawled at their ease by the bogie funnel. They -reached Greenhithe at slack water, where, the wind veering ahead, -they anchored for the night at no great distance from the reformatory -ship _Cornwall_. The sails were furled after a fashion, and with -many a blood-curdling threat to Peedee should he fail to keep a -good look-out, Trabby and his mate went below into their stuffy den -to sleep. Somewhere about midnight the shivering boy awoke with a -start, that nearly tumbled him off his perch on the windlass, to see -two white figures clambering on board out of the river. Wide awake -on the instant he saw they were boys like himself, and whispered, -“All right, mates, here y’are.” Noiselessly he showed them the -fo’c’s’le scuttle, where they might get below and hide. When they -had disappeared he crept to the side of the darksome hole and held -a whispered conversation with the visitors, finding that they were -runaways from the _Cornwall_, and immediately his active brain saw -splendid possibilities in this accession of strength if only he -could conceal their presence from his enemies aft. For the present, -however, there was nothing to be done but lie quietly and wait -events. Daring the risk of awakening the “officers” he made a raid -upon the grub-locker aft, securing half a loaf and a lump of Dutch -cheese, which he carried forward to the shivering stowaways. His -own wardrobe being on his back he could not lend them any clothes, -but they comforted themselves with the thought that they would -soon be dry. And assisted by Peedee they made a snug lair in the -gritty convolutions of a worn-out mainsail that was stowed in their -hiding-place, finding warmth and speedy oblivion in spite of their -terrors. - -The slack arrived some little time before the pale, cheerless dawn, -and with it a small breeze fair for their passage down. Unwillingly -enough Peedee aroused his masters from their fetid hole, getting -by way of reward for his vigilant obedience of orders a perfectly -tropical squall of curses. Nevertheless they were soon on deck, -having turned in like horses, “all standing.” Without speaking a word -to each other, they proceeded to get the anchor, but so out of humour -were they that Peedee had much more than his usual allowance of fresh -cuts and bruises before the barge was fairly aweigh. Gradually the -wind freshened as if assisted by the oncoming light, so that before -the red disc of the sun peeped over the edge of London’s great gloom -behind them, the _Sarah Jane_ was making grand progress. Again Peedee -took the wheel, while the skipper and mate retired to the cabin -for a drink. Suddenly sounds of woe arose therefrom. The agonising -discovery had been made that the precious jar was empty. It had been -capsized during the night, and the bung, being but loosely inserted, -had fallen out. Its contents now lay in a sticky pool behind the -stove, mixed with the accumulated filth of two or three days. It was -a sight too harrowing for ordinary speech. They glared at one another -for a few seconds in silence, until Trabby with a vicious set of his -ugly mouth growled, “Thet---- young mudlawk.” “Ar,” said the mate, -with an air of having found what he wanted, “I’ll---- well skin ’im -w’en I goo on deck.” But though the thought was pleasant and some -relief to their feelings, they remembered, being sober, that if they -were not a little less demonstrative in their attentions to the boy -they would certainly have to do his work themselves. That gave them -pause, and they discussed with much gravity how they might deal with -him without inconvenience to themselves, until breakfast time. When -they had in hoggish fashion satisfied their hunger (their thirst no -amount of coffee could quench) they lit their pipes and lay back -to get such solace as tobacco could afford, and ruminate also upon -the possibility of replenishing the stone jar. Peedee steered on -steadily, breakfastless, and likely to remain so. Swiftly the barge -sped down the reaches in company with a whole fleet of her fellows -“cluttering up the river,” as an angry Geordie skipper, who had just -shaved close by one of them, remarked, “like a school o’ fat swine -in a tatty field.” So they fared for the whole forenoon without -incident, until with a savage curse and a blow Trabby took the wheel -from the hungry lad, bidding him go and get their dinner ready. -While he was thus engaged a thick mist gradually closed in upon the -crowded river, reducing its vivid panorama to an unreal expanse of -white cloudiness through which phantom shapes slowly glided to an -accompaniment of unearthly sounds. Suddenly to Peedee’s amazement -the big sail overhead began to flap, the jib-sheet rattled on the -“traveller,” and Skee Goss, striding forward, let go the anchor. Then -the two men brailed in the mainsail, allowed the jib to run down, and -without saying a word to the wondering boy, shoved the boat over the -side, jumped into her, and were swallowed up in the fog. The instant -they disappeared Peedee stood motionless, his ears acutely strained -for the measured play of the oars as the skipper and mate pulled -lustily shorewards. When at last he could hear them no longer, he -rushed to the scuttle forward, and dropping on his knees by its side, -called down, “Below there! ’r y’ sleep? On deck with ye ’s quick ’s -the devil’ll let ye.” Up they came, looking scared to death. Without -wasting a word, under Peedee’s direction the three hove the anchor -up, although Peedee was artful enough to lift the solitary pawl so -that it could make no noise. By the time they got the anchor they -were all three streaming with sweat, but without a moment’s pause -Peedee dropped the pawl, and taking a turn with the chain round the -windlass end in case of accidents, cast off the brails, letting the -great brown sail belly out to the fresh breeze. Having got the sheet -aft with a tremendous struggle, he took the wheel, saying, “Now you -two fellers, git forrard ’n histe thet jib up, ’n look lively too -’less you want ter be dam well murdered.” In utter bewilderment as -to what was happening the two lads blundered forward, and guided by -the energetic directions of their self-appointed commander, soon got -the sail set. Fully under control at last, the _Sarah Jane_ sped away -seaward before a breeze that, freshening every minute, bade fair to -be blowing a gale before night. - -But Peedee, transformed into a man by his sudden resolve and its -successful execution, called his crew to him, and while he skilfully -guided the barge down the strangely quiet river, endeavoured to -explain to them what he had done and why; together with his plans -for the future. He was utterly contemptuous of their seafaring -abilities, telling them that “he’d teach ’em more in two days than -they’d learn aboard that ugly old hulk in a year,” and although they -were each quite a head and shoulders taller than himself, he treated -them as if they were mere infants and he was an old salt. And there -was a light in his eye, an elasticity in his movements that impressed -them more than all his words. Woe betide them had they dared to -cross him! For in that small body was bubbling and fermenting the -sweet must of satisfied revenge, strengthened by conscious power -and utterly unadulterated by any sense of future difficulty or -responsibility. Higher rose the wind, driving the mist before it and -revealing the broad mouth of the river all white with foam as the -conflicting forces of storm and tide battled over the labyrinth of -banks. Obviously the first thing to do was the instruction of his -crew in steering, for as soon as he found time to think of it he felt -faint with hunger. Fortunately one of the runaways had been coxswain -of a boat, and very little sufficed to show him the difference -between a tiller and a wheel. And all untroubled by the rising sea, -the deeply-laden barge ploughed on far steadier than many a vessel -ten times her size would have done. Relieved from the wheel, Peedee -hastened to the caboose and found some of the dinner he had been -preparing still eatable. Supplementing it by such provisions as he -could easily lay hands on in the cabin, the trio made a hearty meal, -winding up with a smoke all round in genuine sailor fashion. - -With hunger appeased and perfect freedom lapping them around, who -shall say that they were not happy? Occasionally a queer little -tremor, a premonition of a price by-and-by to be paid for their -present adventure, thrilled up the spine of each of the two runaways, -but when they stole a glance at the calm features of their commander -they were comforted. So onward they sailed, through the tortuous -channels of the Thames’ estuary, scudding before a stress of wind -under whole canvas at a rate that made Peedee rejoice exceedingly, -although every few minutes a green comber of a sea swept diagonally -across the whole of the low deck, but never invaded the cabin top. -Night fell, the side-lights were exhibited, and like any thousand-ton -ship the _Sarah Jane_ stood boldly out into mid-channel, Peedee -shaping a course which would carry them down well clear of all the -banks. Morning saw them off the Varne shoal, the objects of eager -curiosity to the gaping crew of a huge four-masted barque that -passed them within a cable’s length. And as the sun rose the weather -cleared, the sky smiled down upon them, the keen wind and bright sea -gave them a delicious sense of freedom, while the grand speed of -their ship stirred them to almost delirious delight. This ecstatic -condition lasted for two days until, no definite land being in sight, -and passing vessels becoming fewer, the two new hands began to feel -that dread of the unknown that might have been expected of them. -Timidly they appealed to Peedee to tell them what he was going to -do. But with bitter scorn of their fears, all the fiercer because -he didn’t in the least know what was going to happen, he railed upon -them for a pair of cowardly milksops, and suggested hauling up for -some West-country port and dumping them on the beach. Truth to tell -he was becoming somewhat anxious himself as to his whereabouts, for -the stock of water was getting very low, although there was enough -food in the hold to have lasted them round the world. Fate, however, -served them better than design. When night fell a heavy bank of -clouds which had been lowering in the west all day suddenly began to -rise, and soon after dark, in a sudden squall, the wind shifted to -that quarter with mist and rain. Under these new conditions Peedee -lost his bearings and allowed his command to run away with him into -the darkness to leeward. At about four o’clock in the morning he -heard a dreadful sound, well known to him from experience, the hungry -growl of breakers. But before he had time to get too frightened -there was a sudden turmoil of foaming sea around them in place of -the dark hollows and white summits of the deep water, and with a -tipsy lurch or so the _Sarah Jane_ came to a standstill. She lay -so quietly that Peedee actually called his crew to brail up the -mainsail and haul down the jib in sailor fashion. Daylight revealed -the fact that she was high and dry, having run in past all sorts -of dangers until she grounded under the lee of a beetling mass of -rock and there remained unscathed. While they were having a last -meal they were startled by seeing some uncouth-looking men coming at -top speed over the rugged shore. But they lowered themselves down -over the side and ran to meet them, finding them foreigners indeed. -Before long the whole scanty population was down and busy with the -spoil thus providentially provided, while the three boys were hailed -as benefactors to their species, and made welcome to the best that -the village contained. And two tides after the _Sarah Jane_ was as -though she had never been, while the wanderers, well provided with -necessaries, were off for an autumn tour on foot through Southern -Brittany. - - - - - SEA-SUPERSTITIONS - - -Not the least of the mighty changes wrought by the advent of steam -as a motive-power at sea is the alteration it has made in the -superstitious notions current among seamen from the earliest days -of sea-faring. In the hurry and stress of the steamboat-man’s life -there is little scope for the indulgence of any fancies whatever, -and the old sea-traditions have mostly died out for lack of suitable -environment. Indeed, a new genus of seafarers have arisen to whom the -name of sailors hardly applies; they themselves scornfully accept the -designation of “sea-navvies”; and many instances are on record where, -it having become necessary to make sail in heavy weather to aid the -lumbering tramp in her struggle to claw off a lee-shore, or keep -ahead of a following sea, the master has found to his dismay that he -had not a man in his crew capable of tackling such a job. - -Perhaps the first old belief to go was that sailing on a Friday was -to court certain disaster. All old sailors dwell with unholy gusto -upon the legend of the ship that was commenced on a Friday, finished -on a Friday, named the _Friday_, commanded by Captain Friday, sailed -on a Friday, and--foundered on the same luckless day with all hands, -as a warning to all reckless shipowners and skippers never again -to run counter to the eternal decrees ordaining that the day upon -which the Saviour of the world was crucified should be henceforth -accursed or kept holy, according to the bent of the considering mind. -But steam has changed all that. When a steamer’s time for loading or -discharging began to be reckoned not in days but in hours, the notion -of detaining her in port for a whole day in deference to an idea -became too ridiculous for entertainment, and it almost immediately -died a natural death. This, of course, had its effect upon the less -hastily worked sailing vessels, although there are still to be -found in British sailing ships masters who would use a good deal of -artifice to avoid sailing on that day. Among the Spanish, Italian, -Austrian, and Greek sailing vessels, however, Friday is still held in -most superstitious awe. And on Good Friday there is always a regular -carnival held on board these vessels, the yards being allowed to -hang at all sorts of angles, the gear flung dishevelled and loose, -while an effigy of Judas is subjected to all the abuse and indignity -that the lively imaginations of the seamen can devise. Finally, the -effigy is besmeared with tar, a rope attached to it which is then -rove through a block at the main yard-arm, it is set alight, and amid -the frantic yells and execrations of the seamen it is slowly swung -aloft to dangle and blaze, while the excited mariners use up their -remaining energies in a wild dance. - -Another superstition that still survives in sailing vessels -everywhere is, strangely enough, connected with the recalcitrant -prophet Jonah. It is, however, confined to his bringing misfortune -upon the ship in which he sailed, and seldom is any allusion made -to his miraculous engulphing by the specially prepared great fish. -It does not take a long series of misfortunes overtaking a ship to -convince her crew that a lineal descendant of Jonah and an inheritor -of his disagreeable disqualifications is a passenger. So deeply -rooted is this idea that when once it has been aroused with respect -to any member of a ship’s company, that person is in evil case, and, -given fitting opportunity, would actually be in danger of his life. -This tinge of religious fanaticism, cropping up among a class of men -who, to put it mildly, are not remarkable for their knowledge of -Scripture, also shows itself in connection with the paper upon which -“good words” are printed. It is an unheard-of misdemeanour on board -ship to destroy or put to common use such paper. The man guilty of -such an action would be looked upon with horror by his shipmates, -although their current speech is usually vile and blasphemous beyond -belief. And herein is to be found a curious distinction between -seamen of Teutonic and Latin race, excluding Frenchmen. Despite the -superstitious reverence the former pay to the written word, none of -them would in time of peril dream of rushing to the opposite extreme, -and after madly abusing their Bibles, throw them overboard. But the -excitable Latins, after beseeching their patron saint to aid them in -the most agonising tones, repeating with frenzied haste such prayers -as they can remember, and promising the most costly gifts in the -event of their safely reaching port again, often turn furiously -upon all they have previously been worshipping, and with the most -horrid blasphemies, vent their rage upon the whilom objects of their -adoration. Nothing is too sacred for insult, no name too reverend for -abuse, and should there be, as there often is, an image of a saint on -board, it will probably be cast into the sea. - -But one of the most incomprehensible forms of sea-superstition is -that which has for its object that most prosaic of all sea-going -people, the Finns. Russian Finns, seamen always call them, although -there is far more of the Swede than the Russian about them, and their -tongue is Swedish also. They are perhaps the most perfect specimens -of the ideal seafarer in the world, although the Canadian runs them -closely. All things that appertain to a ship seem to come easily to -their doing, from the time of first laying the vessel’s keel until, -with every spar, sail, and item of running gear in its place, she -trips her “kellick” and leaves the harbour behind her for the other -side of the world. And even then the Finn will be found to yield -to none in his knowledge of navigation. Although his hands may be -gnarled and split with toil, and his square, expressionless face look -as if “unskilled labourer” were imprinted upon it, much difficulty -would be found in the search for a keener or more correct hand at -trigonometrical problems, or a better keeper of that most useful -document, a ship’s log-book. - -Yet to these men, by common consent, a supernatural status has been -assigned. Whether among the Latins the same idea holds is somewhat -doubtful, but certainly in British, American, and Scandinavian -vessels Finns are always credited with characteristics which a -century ago would have involved them in many unpleasantnesses. -Chiefly harmless, no doubt, these weird powers, yet when your stolid -shipmate is firmly believed to control the winds so masterfully as to -supply his favoured friends with a quartering breeze while all the -rest of the surrounding vessels have a “dead muzzler,” any affection -you may have had for him is seriously liable to degenerate into fear. -It is perhaps hardly necessary to say that from whatever the original -idea of Finnish necromancy originally arose, a whole host of legends -have grown up, many of them too trivial for print, some delightfully -quaint, others not less original than lewd, but all evidently grafts -of fancy upon some parent stock. Thus, while there is a rat in the -ship no Finn was ever known to lose anything, because it is well -known that any rat in the full possession of his faculties would be -only too glad to wait upon the humblest Finn. And the reason why -Finns are always fat is because they have only to go and stick their -knives in the foremast to effect a total change in their meat to -whatever they fancy most keenly at the time. It is well that they are -mostly temperate men, since everybody knows that they can draw any -liquor they like from the water-breaker by turning their cap round, -and they never write letters home because the birds that hover round -the ship are proud to bear their messages whithersoever they list. -The catalogue of their privileges might be greatly extended were -it needful, but one thing always strikes an unbiassed observer--the -Finn is, almost without exception, one of the humblest, quietest of -seafarers, whose sole aim is to do what he is told as well as he -can, to give as little trouble as possible, and where any post of -responsibility is given him to show his appreciation of it by doing -two men’s work, filling up his leisure by devising schemes whereby he -can do more. - -Of the minor superstitions there is little to be said. Few indeed -are the old sailors now afloat who would cuff a youngster’s ears for -whistling, fearing that his merry note would raise a storm. Whistling -for wind, however, still persists, as much a habit as the hissing of -a groom while rubbing down a horse, but a very sceptical laugh would -meet any one who inquired whether the whistler believed that his -_sifflement_ would make any difference to the force or direction of -the wind. Fewer still are those who would now raise any objections to -the presence of a clergyman on board. But the belief that a death, -whether of a man or an animal, _must_ be followed by a gale of wind -is perhaps more firmly held than any other, unless it be the notion -that sharks follow any ship wherein is an ailing man or woman, with -horrible anticipation. - - - - - OCEAN WINDS - - -Whatever of beauty the sea possesses it owes primarily to the -winds--to the free breath of heaven which sweeps joyously over those -vast lonely breadths, ruffling them with tiniest ripples by its -zephyrs, and hurling them in headlong fury for thousands of miles by -its hurricanes. It may be said that the term “ocean” cannot rightly -be applied to winds at all, since they are common to the whole globe, -and are not, like waves and currents, confined to the sea. But a -little consideration will surely convince that it is just and right -to speak of distinctive ocean winds which by contact with the great, -pure plains of the sea acquire a character which a land wind never -has or can have. In fact, it may be said with perfect truth that but -for the health-bearing winds from the sea, landward folk would soon -sicken and die, for our land winds are laden with disease germs, or, -as in the mistral, the puña, the sirocco, and the simoom, to mention -only a few of these terrible enemies to life, are still more deadly -in their blasting effect upon mankind. From all these evil qualities -ocean winds are free, and he who lives remote from the land, inhaling -only their pure breath, knows truly what health is, feels the blood -dance joyously through his arteries, aerated indeed. - -As a factor in sea traffic ocean winds are popularly supposed to -have become negligible. Indeed, the remark is often heard (on shore) -that the steamship has made man independent of wind and tide. It -is just the kind of statement that would emanate from some of our -pseudo-authorities upon marine matters, and akin to the oft-quoted -opinion that the advent of the steamship has driven romance from -the sea. In the first place, seamen know how tremendously the wind -affects even the highest-powered steamship, and although some sailors -will talk about an ocean liner ploughing her way through the teeth -of an opposing gale at full speed, it is only from their love of the -marvellous and desire to make the landsman stare. They know that such -a statement is ridiculously untrue. Leaving the steamship out of the -question, however, there are still very large numbers of vessels at -sea which are entirely dependent upon the winds for their propulsion, -their transit between port and port. They grow fewer and fewer every -year, of course, as they are lost or broken up, because they are not -replaced, yet in certain trades they are so useful and economical -that it is difficult to see why they should be allowed to disappear. -Masters of such ships are considered to be smart or the reverse in -proportion to their knowledge of ocean winds, where to steer in -order to get the full benefit of their incidence, what latitudes to -avoid because there winds rarely blow, and how best to manœuvre -their huge-winged craft in the truly infernal whirl of an advancing -or receding cyclone. For such purposes ocean winds may roughly be -divided into two classes--the settled and the adventitious: those -winds that may fairly be depended upon for regularity both as to -force and direction, and those whose coming and going is so aptly -used in Scripture allegory. Taking as the former class the Trade -winds of the globe, it is found that they are also subject to much -mutability, especially those to the northward of the Equator known as -the “North-East Trades.” Old seamen speak of them as do farmers of -the weather ashore--complain that neither in steadiness of direction -nor in constancy of force are they to be depended upon as of old. Of -course they vary somewhat with the seasons, but that is not what is -complained of by the mariner; it is their capricious variation from -year to year, whereby you shall actually find a strong wind well to -the southward of east in what should be the heart of the North-East -Trades, or at another time fall upon a stark calm prevailing where -you had every right to expect a fresh favouring breeze. - -Still, with all their failure to maintain the reputation of former -times in the estimation of sailors (as distinguished from steamship -crews), even the much maligned North-East Trade winds are fairly -dependable. The South-East Trades, again, are almost as sure in their -operation as is the recurrence of day and night. The homeward-bound -sailing ship, once having been swept round the Cape of Good Hope in -spite of adverse winds by the irresistible Agulhas current, usually -finds awaiting her a southerly wind. Sailors refuse to call it the -first of the Trades, considering that any wind blowing without the -Tropics has no claim to be called a “Trade.” This fancy matters -little. The great thing is that these helpful breezes await the -homeward-bounder close down to the southern limit of his passage, -await him with arms outspread in welcome, and coincidently with the -pleasant turning of his ship’s head homeward, permit the yards to be -squared, and the course to be set as desired. And the ship--like a -docile horse who, after a long day’s journey, finds his head pointing -stablewards and settles steadily down to a clinking pace--gathers way -in stately fashion and glides northward at a uniform rate without -any further need of interference from her crew. Throughout the long -bright days, with the sea wearing one vast many-dimpled smile, and -the stainless blue above quivering in light uninterrupted by the -passage of a single cloud, the white-winged ship sweeps serenely on. -All around in the paling blue of the sky near the horizon float the -sleepy, fleecy cumuli peculiar to the “Trades,” without perceptible -motion or change of form. When day steps abruptly into night, and -the myriad glories of the sunless hours reveal themselves shyly to -an unheeding ocean, the silent ship still passes ghost-like upon her -placid way, the steadfast wind rounding her canvas into the softest -of curves, without a wrinkle or a shake. Before her stealthy approach -the glittering waters part, making no sound save a cool rippling -as of a fern-shadowed brooklet hurrying through some rocky dell in -Devon. The sweet night’s cool splendours reign supreme. The watch, -with the exception of the officer, the helmsman, and the look-out -man, coil themselves in corners and sleep, for they are not needed, -and during the day much work is adoing in making their ship smart for -home. And thus they will go without a break of any kind for over two -thousand miles. - -Next to the Trades in dependability, and fairly entitled to be -called sub-permanent, are the west winds of the regions north and -south of the Tropics, or about the parallels of 40° north or south. -Without the steadiness of these winds in the great Southern Sea, -the passage of sailing ships to Australasia or India would indeed -be a tedious business. But they can be reckoned upon so certainly -that in many cases the duration of passages of ships outward and -homeward can be predicted within a week, which speaks volumes for the -wonderful average steadiness of the great wind-currents. Although -these winds bear no resemblance to the beautiful Trades. Turbulent, -boisterous, and cruel, they try human endurance to its utmost limits, -and on board of a weak ship, fleeing for many days before their -furious onslaught, anxiety rises to a most painful pitch with the -never-ceasing strain upon the mind. They have also a way of winding -themselves up anew, as it were, at intervals. They grow stronger -and fiercer by successive blasts until the culminating blow compels -even the strongest ships to reduce canvas greatly unless they would -have it carried away like autumn leaves. Then the wind will begin to -shift round by the south gradually and with decreasing force until, -as if impatient, it will jump a couple of points at a time. Then, in -the “old” sea, the baffled, tormented ship staggers blindly, making -misery for her crew and testing severely her sturdy frame. Farther -and farther round swings the wind, necessitating much labour aloft -for the shipmen, until in the space of, say, twenty-four hours from -its first giving way, it has described a complete circle and is back -again in its old quarter, blowing fiercely as ever. Not that this -peculiar evolution is always made. There are times when to sailors’ -chagrin the brave west wind fails them in its proper latitudes, -being succeeded by baffling easterlies, dirty weather of all kinds, -and a general feeling of instability, since to expect fine weather -in the sense of light wind and blue sky for any length of time in -those stern regions is to reveal ignorance of their character. Yet -it is only in such occasional lapses from force and course of the -west wind of the south that the hapless seaman seeking to double Cape -Horn from the east can hope to slip round. So that while his fellows -farther east are fleeing to their goal at highest speed, he is being -remorselessly battered by the same gale, driven farther and farther -south, and ill-used generally, and only by taking advantage of the -brief respite can he effect his purpose. - -The monsoon winds of the Indian seas are most important and unique -in their seasonal changing. For six months of the year the wind in -the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea will be north-easterly and the -weather fine. Over the land, however, this fine wind is bearing no -moisture, and its longer persistence than usual means famine with -all its attendant horrors. “Fine weather” grows to be a term of -awful dread, and men’s eyes turn ever imploringly to the south-west, -hoping, with an intensity of eagerness that is only felt where life -is at stake, for the darkening of those skies of steely blue, until -one day a cloud no bigger than a man’s hand arises from the sharply -defined horizon. Swiftly it expands into ominous-looking masses, but -the omens are of blessing, of relief from drought and death. The -howling wind hurls before it those leaden water-bearers until, one -by one, they burst over the iron-bound earth, and from station to -station throughout the length and breadth of Hindostan is flashed -the glad message, “The monsoon has burst.” Out at sea the great -steamships emerging from the Gulf of Aden are met by the turbulent -south-wester, and have need of all their power to stem its force, -force which is quite equal to that of a severe Atlantic gale at -times. And all sailors dread the season, bringing as it does to their -sorely tried bodies the maximum of physical discomfort possible at -sea in warm climates. - -Of the varying forces of winds, from the zephyr to the hurricane, it -would be easy to write another page, but this subject is not strictly -within the scope of the present article, and must therefore be left -untouched. - - - - - THE SEA IN THE NEW TESTAMENT - - -Remembering gratefully, as all students should do, the immense -literary value of the Bible, it is not without a pang of regret that -we are obliged to confess that its pages are so meagre of allusions -to the grandest of all the Almighty’s works--the encircling sea. Of -course we cannot be surprised at this, seeing how scanty was the -acquaintance with the sea enjoyed by ancient civilised peoples, to -whom that exaggerated lake, the Mediterranean, was the “Great Sea,” -and for whom the River Oceanus was the margin of a boundless outer -darkness. Yet in spite of this drawback, Old Testament allusions -to the sea then known, few as they are, remain unsurpassable in -literature, needing not to withdraw their claims to pre-eminence -before such gems as “Ocean’s many-dimpled smile” or the “Wine-dark -main” of the pagan poets. In number, too, though sparsely sprinkled, -they far surpass those of the New Testament, which, were it not for -one splendid exception, might almost be neglected as non-existent. - -Our Lord’s connection with the sea and its toilers was confined to -those petty Syrian lakes which to-day excite the traveller’s wonder -as he recalls the historical accounts of hundreds of Roman galleys -floating thereupon; and all his childish dreams of the great sea -upon which the Lord was sailing and sleeping when that memorable -storm arose which He stilled with a word suffer much by being brought -face to face with the realities of little lake and tiny boat. St. -John and St. James show by their almost terror-stricken words about -the sea what they felt, and from want of a due consideration of -proportion their allusions have been much misunderstood. No man who -knew the sea could have written as one of the blissful conditions of -the renewed heaven and earth that there should “be no more sea,” any -more than he could have spoken of the limpid ocean wave as casting up -“mire and dirt.” - -But by one incomparable piece of writing Paul, the Apostle born out -of due time, has rescued the New Testament from this reproach of -neglect, and at the same time has placed himself easily in the front -rank of those who have essayed to depict the awful majesty of wind -and wave as well as the feebleness, allied to almost presumptuous -daring, of those who do business in great waters. Wonder and -admiration must also be greatly heightened if we do but remember the -circumstances under which this description was written. The writer -had, by the sheer force of his eloquence, by his daring to await -the precise moment in which to assert his citizenship, escaped what -might at any moment have become martyrdom. Weary with a terrible -journey, faint from many privations, he was hurried on board a ship -of Adramyttium bound to the coast of Asia (places not specified). -What sort of accommodation and treatment awaited him there under -even the most favourable circumstances we know very well. For on the -East African coast even to this day we find precisely the same kind -of vessels, the same primitive ideas of navigation, the same absence -of even the most elementary notions of comfort, the same touching -faith in its being always fine weather as evinced by the absence of -any precautions against a storm. - -Such a vessel as this carried one huge sail bent to a yard resembling -a gigantic fishing-rod whose butt when the sail was set came nearly -down to the deck, while the tapering end soared many feet above -the masthead. As it was the work of all hands to hoist it, and the -operation took a long time, when once it was hoisted it was kept so -if possible, and the nimble sailors with their almost prehensile toes -climbed up the scanty rigging, and clinging to the yard gave the -sail a bungling furl. The hull was just that of an exaggerated boat, -sometimes undecked altogether, and sometimes covered in with loose -planks, excepting a hut-like erection aft which was of a little more -permanent character. Large oars were used in weather that admitted of -this mode of propulsion, and the anchors were usually made of heavy -forked pieces of wood, whereto big stones were lashed. There was a -rudder, but no compass, so that the crossing of even so narrow a -piece of water as separated Syria from Cyprus was quite a hazardous -voyage. Tacking was unknown or almost so, and once the mariners got -hold of the land they were so reluctant to lose sight of it that -they heeded not how much time the voyage took or what distances they -travelled. - -The nameless ship of Adramyttium then at last ventured from Sidon and -fetched Cyprus, sailing under its lee. How salt that word tastes, -and what visions it opens up of these infant navigators creeping -cautiously from point to point along that rugged coast, heeding not -at all the unnecessary distance so long as they were sheltered from -the stormy autumn weather. Another perilous voyage across “the sea -which is off Cilicia and Pamphylia” (another purely maritime term) -and the harbour of Myra was gained. Great were the rejoicings of -the voyagers, but premature, for every day that passed brought them -nearer to the time of tempest, and consequently of utmost danger. In -fact the memorable voyage of St. Paul may be said to begin here. The -crossing of the Great Sea had been accomplished without incident, -although doubtless occupying so many days that the landsmen were by -this time somewhat accustomed to the misery of life at sea in those -days, when in coarse weather sea-sickness was one of the least of -their woes. - -The shipment by the centurion of his prisoners on board of the -Alexandrian wheat-ship marked the commencement of a series of -troubles. In the first place, for such a ship and such a voyage the -number of people on board was far too great, even if we accept the -lower estimate--seventy-six--which is placed on her complement by -some ancient authorities. If she carried two hundred and seventy-six -she must have been like an Arab dhow running a full cargo of slaves, -and it is difficult to see how, even taking into consideration the -way in which both mariners and passengers were inured to hardship, -she could have carried them all through the wild weather and weary -days following without some deaths. “And when we had sailed slowly -many days” (what a world of suffering can be read into those few -pathetic words), they fetched under the lee of Crete with all -the thankfulness that might be expected from men who had been so -pitilessly exposed to the fury of the open sea. With difficulty -they crept along the coast until they got into the Fair Havens and -refreshed their weary hearts. - -No wonder they were reluctant to put again to sea, even though they -knew that every day brought wilder weather, and their chance of -wintering in their present harbour safely was poor, from its exposed -position. And now we find St. Paul taking the risky step of advising -seafarers as to the proper conduct of their own business--risky -because while no man likes to be interfered with at his work by -one whom he considers an outsider, sailors are perhaps more touchy -upon this matter than most people. True, the science of navigation -and seamanship was in its infancy, and no such gulf of knowledge -separated landsmen from seamen in those days as existed afterwards, -but one can easily picture the indignation of the commander of the -ship (curiously enough here called the owner, the very same slang -title given to the Captain of a man-of-war by his officers and crew -to-day) when he heard this presumptuous passenger-prisoner thus -daring to give his unasked advice. Besides, Paul’s motive for -wishing to remain in port was one easily misconstrued. - -Therefore the centurion’s refusal to listen to Paul’s suggestion was -quite natural; nay, it was inevitable. Still, there was evidently no -intention of persevering with the voyage upon getting under way, only -of entering the nearest harbour that might afford sufficient shelter -against the fury of the winter gales. With a gentle southerly breeze -they left Fair Havens, and moved along the shore. But presently -down from the Cretan mountains Euraquilo came rushing, the furious -Levanter, which is not surpassed in the world for ferocity, hurling -their helpless cockle-shell off shore. Their fear of the storm was -far greater than their fear of the land, for unlike the sailors of -to-day, to whom the vicinity of land in a gale is far more dreaded -than the gale itself, they hugged the small island, Clauda, and -succeeded in their favourite manœuvre, that of getting under the lee -of the land once more. It was high time. The buffeting of the ship -had weakened her to such an extent that she must have threatened to -fall asunder, since they were driven actually to “frap” her together, -that is, bind their cable round and round her and heave it taut--a -parlous state of things, but one to which sailors have often been -brought with a crazy ship in a heavy gale. - -In this dangerous state they feared the proximity of hungry rocks, -but instead of reducing sail and endeavouring to get along in -some definite direction, they lowered down the big yard and let -the ship drive whithersoever she would. The storm continued, the -poor, bandaged hull was leaking at every seam, a portion of the -cargo, called by St. Paul by its true nautical name “freight,” was -jettisoned. But that did not satisfy them, and they proceeded to the -desperate extremity of casting overboard the “tackling,” the great -sail and yard, and all movable gear from the upper works except the -anchors. - -Then in misery, with death yawning before them, already half drowned, -foodless, and hopeless, they drifted for many days into the unknown -void under that heavy-laden sky before the insatiable gale. In the -midst of all this horror of great darkness, the dauntless prisoner -comforted them, even while unable to forbear reminding them that had -they listened to him, this misery would have been spared them. His -personality never shone brighter than on this occasion; the little -ascetic figure must have appeared Godlike to those poor, ignorant -sufferers. - -At the expiration of a fortnight, the sailors surmised that land was -near, although it was midnight. How characteristic is that flash of -insight into the sea-faring instinct, and how true! They sounded and -got twenty fathoms, and in a little while found the water had shoaled -to fifteen. Then they performed a piece of seamanship which may be -continually seen in execution on the East African coast to-day--they -let the anchors down to their full scope of cable and prayed for -daylight. The Arabs do it in fair weather or foul--lower the sail, -slack down the anchor, and go to sleep. She will bring up before she -hits anything. - -Unfortunately, space will not admit of further dealing with this -great story of the sea, so familiar and yet so little understood. The -sailors’ cowardly attempt at escape, the discipline of the soldiers -foiling it, the arrangements for beaching her by the aid of what is -here called a foresail, but was probably only a rag of sail rigged up -temporarily to get the ship before the wind, and the escape of all as -foretold by St. Paul, need much more space for dealing with than can -be spared. - -But the one thing which makes this story go to the heart of every -seaman is its absolute fidelity to the facts of sea-life; its -log-like accuracy of detail; its correct use of all nautical terms. -In fact, some old seamen go so far as to aver that St. Paul, having -kept an accurate record of the facts, got the captain of the ship to -edit them for him, as in no other way could a landsman such as Paul -was have obtained so seaman-like a grip of the story, both in detail -and language. - - _Note._--It will of course be noted that while the general opinion - is in favour of assigning to Luke the authorship of the narrative - commented upon above, I have credited Paul with it. I have my - reasons, but because of controversy I refrain from stating them. - - - - - THE POLITY OF A BATTLESHIP - - -Among the many interesting features of life at sea, few afford -studies more fruitful in valuable thought than the internal economy -of that latest development of human ingenuity--a modern battleship. -It is not by any means easy for a visitor from the shore, upon coming -alongside one of these gigantic vessels, to realise its bulk; the -first effect is one of disappointment. Everything on board is upon -a scale so massive, while the limpid space whereon she floats is so -capacious that the mind refuses to take in her majestic proportions. -And a hurried scamper around the various points of chief interest -on board leaves the mind like a palimpsest where one impression is -superimposed upon another so swiftly that the general effect is but -a blur and no detail is clear. Besides, in such a flying visit the -guide naturally makes the most of those wonders with which he himself -is associated in his official capacity, and thus the visitor is apt -to get a very one-sided view of things. Again, in the course of a -hurried visit in harbour the mind gets so clogged with wonders of -machinery and design, that the human side, always apt to keep itself -in the background, receives no portion of that attention which is -its due. From all of which causes it naturally follows that the only -way in which to obtain anything like a comprehensive notion of the -polity of a battleship is to spend at least a month on board, both -at sea and in harbour, and waste no opportunity of observation of -every part of the ship’s daily life that may be presented. Such -opportunities, naturally, fall to the lot of but few outside the -Service, and from the well-known modesty of sailors, it is next -to hopeless to expect them to enlighten the public upon the most -interesting details of their daily lives. - -The mere statement of the figures which belong to a modern battleship -like the _Mars_, for instance, is apt to have a benumbing effect -upon the mind. She displaces 14,900 tons at load draught, is 391 -ft. long, 75 ft. wide, and nearly 50 ft. deep from the upper deck -to the bottom. She is divided into 232 compartments by means of -water-tight bulkheads, is protected by 1802 tons of armour, is lit by -900 electric lights, steams 16½ knots, carries 82 independent sets -of engines, mounts 54 different cannon and 5 torpedo tubes, and is -manned by 759 men. - -Now it is only fair to say that such a hurried recapitulation of -statistics like these gives no real hint as to the magnitude of -the ship as she reveals herself to one after a few days’ intimate -acquaintance. And that being so, what is to be said of the men, the -population of this floating cosmos, the 759 British entities ruled -over by the Captain with a completeness of knowledge and a freedom -from difficulty that an Emperor might well envy? As in a town, we -have here men of all sorts and professions, we find all manner of -human interests cropping up here in times of leisure, and yet the -whole company have one feeling, one interest in common--their ship, -and through her their Navy. - -First of all, of course, comes the Captain, who, in spite of the -dignity and grandeur of his position, must at times feel very lonely. -He lives in awful state, a sentry (of Marines) continually guarding -his door, and although he does unbend at stated times as far as -inviting a few officers to dine with him, or accepting the officers’ -invitation to dine in the ward-room, this relaxation must not come -too often. The Commander, who is the chief executive officer, is -in a far better position as regards comfort. He comes between the -Captain and the actual direction of affairs, he has a spacious cabin -to himself, but he takes his meals at the ward-room table among all -the officers above the rank of Sub-Lieutenant, and shares their -merriment; the only subtle distinction made between him and everybody -else at such times being in the little word “Sir,” which is dropped -adroitly in when he is being addressed. For the rest, naval _nous_ is -so keen that amidst the wildest fun when off duty no officer can feel -that his dignity is tampered with, and they pass from sociability to -cast-iron discipline and back again with an ease that is amazing to a -landsman. The ward-room of a battleship is a pleasant place. It is a -spacious apartment, taking in the whole width of the ship, handsomely -decorated, and lit by electricity. There is usually a piano, a good -library, and some handsome plate for the table. It is available -not only for meals, but as a drawing-room, a common meeting-ground -for Lieutenants, Marine officers, surgeons, chaplain, and senior -engineers, where they may unbend and exchange views, as well as enjoy -one another’s society free from the grip of the collar. A little -lower down in the scale of authority, as well as actually in the hull -of the ship, comes the gun-room, the affix being a survival, and -having no actual significance now. In this respect both ward-room and -gun-room have the advantage over the Captain’s cabin, in which there -are a couple of quick-firing guns, causing those sacred precincts -to be invaded by a small host of men at “general quarters,” who -manipulate those guns as if they were on deck. The gun-room is the -ward-room over again, only more so--that is, more wildly hilarious, -more given to outbursts of melody and rough play. Here meet the -Sub-Lieutenants, the assistant-engineers and other junior officers, -_and_ the midshipmen. With these latter Admirals in embryo we find a -state of things existing that is of the highest service to them in -after life. Taking their meals as gentlemen, with a senior at the -head of the table, meeting round that same table at other times for -social enjoyment, once they are outside of the gun-room door they -have no more privacy than the humblest bluejacket. They sleep and -dress and bathe--live, in fact--_coram publico_, which is one of the -healthiest things, when you come to think of it, for a youngster of -any class. Although they are now officers in H.M. Navy, they are -still schoolboys, and their education goes steadily on at stated -hours in a well-appointed schoolroom, keeping pace with that sterner -training they are receiving on deck. The most grizzled old seaman on -board must “Sir” them, but there are plenty of correctives all around -to hinder the growth in them of any false pride. - -On the same deck is to be found the common room of the warrant -officers, such as bo’sun, carpenter, gunner; those sages who have -worked their difficult way up from the bottom of the sailor’s ladder -through all the grades, and are, with the petty officers, the -mainstay of the service. Each of them has a cabin of his own, as is -only fitting; but _here_ they meet as do their superiors overhead, -and air their opinions freely. But, like the ward-room officers, they -mostly talk “shop,” for they have only one great object in life, -the efficiency of their charge, and it leaves them little room for -any other topics. Around this, the after part of the ship, cluster -also another little body of men and lads, the domestics, as they are -termed, who do their duty of attendance upon officers and waiting -at table under all circumstances with that neatness and celerity -that is inseparable from all work performed in a ship-of-war. -Body-servants of officers are usually Marines, but the domestics -are a class apart, strictly non-combatant, yet under naval law and -discipline. Going “forrard,” the chief petty officers will be found -to make some attempt at shutting themselves apart from the general, -by arrangements of curtains, &c., all liable and ready to be flung -into oblivion at the first note of a bugle. For the rest, their -lives are absolutely public. No one has a corner that he may call -his own, unless perhaps it is his “ditty box,” that little case -of needles, thread, and etceteras that he needs so often, and is -therefore allowed to keep on a shelf near the spot where he eats. -Each man’s clothes are kept in a bag, which has its allotted place -in a rack, far away from the spot where his hammock and bed are -spirited off to every morning at 5 A.M., to lie concealed until the -pipe “down hammocks” at night. And yet by the arrangement of “messes” -each man has, in common with a few others, a settled spot where they -meet at a common table, even though it be not shut in, and is liable -to sudden disappearance during an evolution. So that a man’s mess -becomes his rallying-point; it is there that the young bluejacket or -Marine learns worldly wisdom, and many other things. The practice -of keeping all bedding on the move as it were, having no permanent -sleeping-places, requires getting used to, but it is a most healthy -one, and even if it were not it is difficult to see how, within the -limited space of a warship, any other arrangement would be possible. -Order among belongings is kept by a carefully graduated system of -fines payable in soap--any article found astray by the ever-watchful -naval police being immediately impounded and held to ransom. And as -every man’s kit is subject to a periodical overhaul by officers any -deficiency cannot escape notice. - -Every man’s time is at the disposal of the Service whenever it is -wanted, but in practice much leisure is allowed for rest, recreation, -and mental improvement. Physical development is fully looked after -by the rules of the Service, but all are encouraged to make the best -of themselves, and no efforts on the part of any man to better his -position are made in vain. Nowhere, perhaps, is vice punished or -virtue rewarded with greater promptitude, and since all punishments -and rewards are fully public, the lessons they convey are never lost. -But apart from the Service routine, the civil life of this little -world is a curious and most interesting study. The industrious man -who, having bought a sewing-machine, earns substantial addition to -his pay by making every item of his less energetic messmates’ clothes -(except boots) for a consideration, the far-seeing man who makes his -leisure fit him for the time when he shall have left the Navy, the -active temperance man who seeks to bring one after the other of his -shipmates into line with the ever-growing body of teetotalers that -are fast altering completely the moral condition of our sailors, the -religious man who gets permission to hold his prayer-meeting in some -torpedo-flat or casemate surrounded by lethal weapons--all these go -to make up the multifarious life of a big battleship. - -And not the least strange to an outsider is the way in which all -these various private pursuits and varied industries are carried on -in complete independence of each other, often in complete ignorance -of what is going on in other parts of the ship. News flies quickly, -of course, but since every man has his part in the ship’s economy -allotted to him, it naturally follows that he declines to bother his -head about what the other fellows are doing. Sufficient for him that -his particular item is to hand when required, and that he does it as -well and as swiftly as he is able. If he be slack or uninterested in -what concerns himself many influences are brought to bear upon him. -First his messmates, then his petty officer, and so on right up to -the Captain. And through all he is made to feel that his _laches_ -affects first the smartness of his ship, then the reputation of the -great British Navy. So the naval spirit is fostered, so the glorious -traditions are kept up, and it continues to be the fact that the -slackest mobilised ship we can send to sea is able to show any -foreign vessel-of-war a lesson in smartness that they none of them -are able to learn. And in the naval battle of the future it will be -the few minutes quicker that will win. - - - - - THE PRIVACY OF THE SEA - - -Whether expressed or implied, there is certainly a deep-rooted idea -in the minds of shore-dwellers that the vast fenceless fields of -ocean are in these latter days well, not to say thickly, populated -by ships; that, sail or steam whither you will, you cannot get away -from the white glint of a sailing ship or the black smear along the -clean sky of a steamship’s smoke. There is every excuse for such an -attitude of mind on the part of landward folk. Having no standard of -comparison against which to range the vast lonely breadths of water -which make up the universal highway, and being mightily impressed -by the statistics of shipping owned by maritime nations, they can -hardly be blamed for supposing that the privacy of the sea is a -thing of the past. One voyage in a sailing ship to the Australasian -Colonies or to India, if the opportunities it afforded were rightly -used, would do far more to convince them of the utterly wrong notion -possessing them than any quantity of writing upon the subject could -effect. But unhappily, few people to-day have the leisure or the -inclination to spend voluntarily three months upon a sea passage that -can be performed in little more than one. Even those, who by reason -of poverty or for their health’s sake do take such passages, almost -invariably show signs of utter weariness and boredom. As day after -day passes, and the beautiful fabric in which they live glides gently -and leisurely forward, their impatience grows until in some it almost -amounts to a disease. This condition of mind is not favourable, to -say the least, to a calm study of the characteristic features of -ocean itself. Few indeed are the passengers, and fewer still are the -sailors who will for the delight of the thing spend hour after hour -perched upon some commanding point in wide-eyed, sight-strengthening -gaze out upon the face of the sea. - -Upon those who do there grows steadily a sense of the most complete -privacy, a solemn aloofness belonging to the seas. The infrequent -vessel, gentle though her progress may be through the calm waters of -the tropics, still strikes them as an intruder upon this realm of -silence and loneliness. The voices of the crew grate harshly upon the -ear as with a sense of desecration such as one feels upon hearing -loud conversation in the sacred peace of some huge cathedral. And -when a vessel heaves in sight, a tiny mark against the skyline, she -but punctuates the loneliness, as it were--affords a point from which -the eye can faintly calculate the immensity of her surroundings. - -Quite differently, yet with its own distinctive privacy, do the -stormy regions of the ocean impress the beholder. In the fine zones -the wind’s presence is suggested rather than felt, so quiet and -placid are its manifestations. Its majestic voice is hushed into a -murmur undistinguishable from the musical rippling of the wavelets -into which it ruffles the shining sea-surface. But when beyond those -regions of perpetual summer the great giant Boreas asserts himself -and challenges his ancient colleague and competitor to a renewal of -the eternal conflict for supremacy, there is an overwhelming sense -of duality which is entirely absent in calmer seas. As the furious -tempest rages unappeasable, and the solemn ocean wakes in mighty -wrath, men must feel that to be present at such a quarrel is to be -like some puny mortal eavesdropping in full Sanhedrim of the High -Gods. Apart altogether from the imminent danger of annihilation, -there is that sense of intrusion which is almost sacrilege, of daring -thus to witness what should surely be hidden from the profane eyes -of the sons of men. All thoughtful minds are thus impressed by the -combat of gale and sea, although their impressions are for the most -part so elusive and shadowy that any definite fixing thereof is -hopeless. Especially is this form of the solemn privacy of the sea -noticeable in the Southern Ocean. Along the line, untraced by mortal -hand except upon a Mercator’s Chart, favoured by the swift sailing -ships between South America and Australasia, the vastest stretch of -ocean known is dotted only at enormous intervals by the fleets of -civilisation. Day succeeds day, lengthening into weeks, during which -the brave intruder is hurled upon her headlong way at the rate of -eight or nine degrees of longitude in the twenty-four hours without -a companion, with no visible environment but sea and sky. And do what -the intelligent novice will, he cannot divest himself of the notion, -when drawing near the confines of New Zealand, seeing how minute that -beautiful cluster of islands appears upon the chart, that it would be -so easy to miss them altogether, to rush past them under compulsion -of the mighty west wind, and waste long painful days struggling -against its power to get back again to the overrun port. - -Once in the writer’s own experience an incident occurred that seemed -almost to justify such a fear. Only sixty days had elapsed since -leaving Plymouth with four hundred emigrants on board, and during the -last fortnight the west wind had blown with terrific violence (to -a landsman). But the master, in calmest satisfaction, with fullest -confidence in the power of his ship, had steadfastly refused to -shorten sail. He seldom left the deck, the spectacle of his beautiful -command in her maddened rush to the east being to him apparently -sufficient recompense for loss of rest. At last we flew past the -Snares, those grim outliers of the Britain of the South, and it -became necessary to “haul up” for Port Lyttelton. To do this we must -needs bring that great wind full upon our broadside, and that, with -the canvas we were carrying, would have meant instant destruction. So -all hands were called, and the work of shortening her down commenced. -Several of the lighter sails, at the first slackening from their -previously rigid tension, gave one despairing flap and vanished to -join the clouds. But furious toil and careful skill through long -hours of that dense night succeeded in reducing the previously -great sail area down to three lower-topsails, reefed fore-sail, and -fore-topmast staysail. Then after much careful watching of the waves -that came fatefully thundering on astern until a lull momentarily -intervened, the helm was suddenly put down, and the gallant vessel -swung up into the wind. Nobly done, but as she wheeled there arose -out of the blackness ahead a mountainous shape with a voice that -made itself heard above the gale. Higher and higher it soared until -smiting the bluff of the bow it broke on board, a wave hundreds of -tons in solid weight. The stout steel ship trembled to her keelson, -but she rose a conqueror, while the avalanche of white-topped -water rushed aft dismantling the decks, and leaving them, when it -had subsided, in forlorn ruin. But she was safe. Justifying the -faithfulness and skill of her builders, she had survived where a -weaker ship would have disappeared, beaten out of the upper air -like a paper boat under a stone flung from the bank. Slowly and -laboriously we fore-reached to the northward, until under the lee of -the land the wind changed, and we entered port in triumph. - -This sense of solitude induced by contemplation of the ocean is -exceedingly marked even on the best frequented routes and the most -crowded (?) waters. To enter into it fully, however, it is necessary -to sail either in a cable ship, a whaler, or an old slow-going -merchant sailor that gets drifted out of the track of vessels. -Even in the English Channel one cannot but feel how much room there -is. In spite of our knowledge of the numbers of ships that pass and -repass without ceasing along what may truthfully be termed the most -frequented highway in the watery world, there is an undoubtedly -reasonable sense induced by its contemplation that however much -the dry land may become overcrowded the sea will always be equal -to whatever demands may be made upon it for space. There are many -harbours in the world, at any rate landlocked bays that may rightly -be called harbours, wherein the fleets of all the nations might lie -in comfort. And their disappearance from the open sea would leave no -sense of loss. So wide is Old Ocean’s bosom. Perhaps this is even -now more strongly marked than it was fifty years ago. The wonderful -exactitude with which the steam fleets of the world keep to certain -well-defined tracks leaves the intermediate breadths unvisited from -year to year. They are private places whither he who should desire -to hide himself from the eyes of men might hie and be certain that -but for the host of heaven, the viewless wind, and the silent myriads -beneath, he would indeed be alone. They are of the secret places of -the Almighty. - -Occasionally the great steamships that lay for us the connecting -nerves of civilisation penetrate these arcana, for their path must be -made on the shortest line between two continents, heedless of surface -tracks. And the wise men who handle these wonderful handmaids of -science know how private are the realms through which they steadily -steam, leaving behind them the thin black line along which shall -presently flash at lightning speed the thought-essence of mankind. -The whaler, alas! is gone; the old leisurely South Seaman to whom -time was a thing of no moment. Her ruler knew that his best prospect -of finding the prey he sought was where no keel disturbed the -sensitive natural vibrations of the wave. So these vessels saw more -of sea solitude than any others. Saw those weird spaces unvisited -even by wind, great areas of silky surface into whose peaceful glades -hardly rolled a gently undulating swell bearing silent evidence -of storms raging half a world away. So too upon occasion did, and -does, a belated sailing-ship, such as one we met in the Southern -Seas bound from the United Kingdom to Auckland, that had been then -nine months on her passage. Into what dread sea-solitudes she had -intruded. How many, many days had elapsed during which she was the -solitary point rising from the shining plain into the upper air. Her -crew had a wistful look upon their faces, as of men whose contact -with the world they dimly remembered had been effectually cut off. -And truly to many, news of her safety came in the nature of a message -of resurrection. Books of account concerning her had to be reopened, -mourning garments laid aside. She had returned from the silences, had -rejoined the world of men. - -All the tracks along which ships travel are but threads traversing -these private waters, just little spaces like a trail across an -illimitable desert. And even there the simile fails because the track -across the ocean plain is imaginary. It is traced by the passing keel -and immediately it is gone. And the tiny portion of the sea-surface -thus furrowed is but the minutest fraction of the immeasurable spaces -wherein is enthroned the privacy of the sea. - - - - - THE VOICES OF THE SEA - - -Not the least of the many charms exercised by the deep and wide sea -upon its bond-servants are the varied voices by which it makes known -its ever-changing moods. They are not for all ears to hear. Many a -sailor spends the greater part of a long life in closest intercourse -with the ocean, yet to its myriad beauties he is blind; no realised -sense of his intimacy with the immensity of the Universe ever makes -the hair of his flesh stand up, and to the majestic music of the -unresting deep his ears of appreciation are closely sealed. Not that -unto any one of the sons of men is it ever given to be conversant -with all the countless phases of delight belonging to the sea. For -some cannot endure the call of deep answering unto deep, the terrible -thundering of the untrammelled ocean in harmony with the uttermost -diapason of the storm-wind. All their finer perceptions are benumbed -by fear. And other some, who are yet unable to rejoice in the sombre -glory of the tempest-tones, are intolerant of the lightsome glee -born of zephyrs and sunlight when the sweet murmur of the radiant -breaths is like the contented cooing of care-free infancy, and every -dancing wavelet wears a many-dimpled smile. For them there must be -a breeze of strength with a strident, swaggering sea through which -the well-found ship ploughs her steady way at utmost speed with -every rounded sail distent like a cherub’s cheek, and every rope and -stay humming a merry tune. Least of all in number are those who can -enjoy a perfect calm. Indeed, in these bustling, strenuous days of -ours opportunities of so doing are daily becoming fewer. The panting -steamship tears up the silken veil of the slumbering sea like some -envious monster in a garden of sleep making havoc of its beauty. -She makes her own wind by her swift thrust through the restful -atmosphere, although there be in reality none astir even sufficient -to ruffle the shining surface before her. - -Still, the fact must not be overlooked that many sea-farers do -verily enjoy to the full all sea-sights and sea-sounds, but of their -pleasures they cannot speak. Deep silent content is theirs, a perfect -complacency of delight that length of acquaintanceship only makes -richer and more satisfying, until, as the very structure of the -Stradivarius is saturated with music, so the mariner’s whole being -absorbs, and becomes imbued with, the magic of wind and wave. This -incommunicable joy a monarch might well envy its possessor, for it is -independent of environment, so that although the seafarer may grow -old and feeble, be far away from his well-beloved sea, even blind -and deaf, yet within his soul will still vibrate those resounding -harmonies, and with inward eyes he can feast a farther-reaching -vision than ever over those glorious fenceless fields. - -The voices of the sea are many, but their speech is one. Naturally, -perhaps, the thought turns first to the tremendous chorus uplifted -in the hurricane, that swells and swells until even the tropical -thunder’s deafening cannonade is unheard, drowned deep beneath the -exultant flood of song poured forth by the rejoicing sea. Many -epithets have been chosen to characterise the storm-song of the -ocean. None of them can ever hope to satisfy completely, for all must -bear some definite reflex of the minds of their utterers, according -as they have been impressed by their experiences or imaginings. But -to my mind most of the terms used are out of place and misleading. -They generally endeavour to describe the tempestuous sea as a -ravenous monster, a howling destroyer of unthinking ferocity, and -the like. Alas, it is very natural so to do. For when this feeble -frame must needs confront the resounding main in the plenitude of -its power, our mortal part must perforce feel and acknowledge its -insignificance, must dwindle and shake with fear, although that part -of us which is akin to the Infinite may vainly desire to rejoice with -all seas and floods that praise Him and magnify Him for ever. Not -in the presence of ocean shouting his hymn of praise may we satisfy -our desire to join in the triumphant lay, although we know how full -of benefits to our race are the forces made vocal in that majestic -Lobgesang. As the all-conquering flood of sound, with a volume as -if God were smiting the sapphire globe of the universe, rolls on, -we may hear the cry, “Life and strength and joy do I bring. Before -my resistless march darkness, disease, and death must flee. When -beneath my reverberating chariot-wheels man is overwhelmed, not mine -the blame. I do but fulfil mine appointed way, scattering health, -refreshment, and well-being over every living thing.” - -But when as yet the sky is serene above and the surface of the -slumbering depths is just ruffled by a gentle air, there may often -be heard another voice, as if some gigantic orchestra in another -star was preparing for the signal to burst forth into such music -as belongs not to our little planet. Fitful wailing notes in many -keys, long sustained and all minor, encompass the voyager without -and within. Now high, now low, but ever tending to deepen and -become more massive in tone, this unearthly symphony is full of -warning. It bids the watchful seaman make ready against the advent -of the fast approaching storm, that, still some hundreds of leagues -distant, is sending its pursuivants before its face. Nor are these -spirit-stirring chords due to the harp-like obstruction offered by -the web of rigging spread about the masts of a ship to the rising -wind. It may be heard even more definitely in an open boat far from -any ship or shore, although there, perhaps because of the great -loneliness of the situation, it always seems to take a tone of -deeper melancholy, as if in sympathy with the helplessness of the -human creatures thus isolated from their fellows. It belongs, almost -exclusively, to the extra-tropical regions where storms are many. And -within a certain compass, its intimates find little variation of its -scale. Always beginning in the treble clef and by regular melodic -waves gradually descending until with the incidence of the storm it -blends into the grand triumphal march spoken of before. But when it -is heard within the tropics let the mariner beware. None can ever -mistake its weird lament, sharpening every little while into a shrill -scream as if impatient that its warning should be heeded without -delay. It searches the very marrow of the bones, and beasts as well -as men look up and are much afraid. For it is the precursor of the -hurricane, before which the bravest seaman blanches, when sea and sky -seem to meet and mingle, the waters that are above the firmament with -the waters that are under the firmament, as in the days before God -said “Let there be light.” - -Far different again is the cheerful voice of the Trade wind over the -laughing happy sea of those pleasant latitudes. No note of sadness -or melancholy is to be detected there. Brisk and bright, confident -and gay, it bids the sailor be glad in his life. Bids him mark anew -how beautiful is the bright blue sea, how snowy are the billowy -clouds piled peacefully around the horizon, while between them and -the glittering edge of the vast circle shows a tender band of greyish -green of a lucent clearness that lets the rising stars peep through -as soon as they are above the horizon. Overhead through all the -infinite fleckless dome eddy the friendly tones. Yet so diffused are -they, so vast in their area that if one listen for them he cannot -hear aright--they must be felt rather than heard. Well may their -song be of content and good cheer. For they course about their -ordained orbits as the healthful life tides through the human body, -keeping sweet all adjacent shores and preventing by their beneficent -agitation a baleful stagnation of the sea. By day the golden sun -soars on his splendid road from horizon to zenith until he casts no -shadow, and all the air quivers with living light, then in stately -grandeur sinks through the pure serenity of that perfect scene, the -guardian cumuli clustering round his goal melting apart so that, -visible to the last of his blazing verge, he may go as he came, -unshadowed by haze or cloud. Then, as the radiant train of lovely -rays fade reluctantly from the blue concave above, all the untellable -splendours of the night come forth in their changeless order, their -scintillating lustre undimmed by the filmiest veil of haze. One -incandescent constellation after another is revealed until, as the -last faint sheen of the departing day disappears from the western -horizon, the double girdle of the galaxy is flung across the darkling -dome in all its wondrous beauty. And unceasingly through all the -succeeding beauties of the day and night that flood of happy harmony -rolls on. - -How shall I speak of the voice of the calm? How describe that sound -which mortal ear cannot hear? The pen of the inspired writers alone -might successfully undertake such a task, so closely in touch as they -were with the Master Mind. “When the morning stars sang together, and -all the Sons of God shouted for joy.” Something akin to this sublime -daring of language is needed to convey a just idea of what floods -the soul when alone upon the face of the deep in a perfect calm. The -scale of that heavenly harmony is out of our range. We can only by -some subtle alchemy of the brain distil from that celestial silence -the voices of angels and archangels and all the glorious company of -heaven. Between us and them is but a step, but it is the threshold -of the timeless dimension. Again and again I have seen men, racked -through and through with a very agony of delight, dash aside the -thralls that held them, sometimes with passionate tears, more often -with raging words that grated harshly upon the velvet stillness. They -felt the burden of the flesh grievous, since it shut them out from -what they dimly felt must be bliss unutterable, not to be contained -in any earthen vessel. On land a thousand things, even in a desert, -distract the attention, loose the mind’s tension even when utterly -alone. But at sea, the centre of one vast glassy circle, shut in on -every hand by a perfect demi-globe as flawless as the mirror whereon -you float, with even the softest undulation imperceptible, and no -more motion of the atmosphere than there is in a perfect vacuum, -there is absolutely nothing to come between the Soul of Man and the -Infinite Silences of Creation. There and there only is it possible -to realise what underlies that mighty line, “There was silence in -Heaven for the space of half-an-hour.” Few indeed are the men, -however rough and unthinking, that are not quieted and impressed by -the marvel of a perfect calm. But the tension is too great to be -borne long with patience. Men feel that this majestic environment is -too redolent of the coming paradise to be supportable by flesh and -blood. They long with intense desire for a breeze, for motion, for a -change of any sort. So much so that long-continued calm is dreaded -by seamen more than any other phase of sea-experience. And yet it is -for a time lovely beyond description, soothing the jarring nerves and -solemnising every faculty as if one were to be shut in before the -Shekinah in the Holy of Holies. It is like the Peace of God. - -Thus far I have feebly attempted to deal with some of the sea-voices -untinctured by any contact with the land. But although the -interposition of rock and beach, cliff and sand-bank introduces -fresh changes with every variation of weather, new combinations of -sound that do not belong solely to the sea, any description of the -sea-music that should take no account of them would be manifestly -one-sided and incomplete. And yet the mutabilities are so many, the -gamut is so extended that it is impossible to do more than just take -a passing note of a few characteristic impressions. For every lonely -reef, every steep-to shore has an infinite variety of responses that -it gives back to the besieging waves. Some of them are terrible -beyond the power of words to convey. When the sailor in a crippled -craft, his reckoning unreliable, and his vigour almost gone by a -long-sustained struggle with the storm, hears to leeward the crashing -impact of mountainous waves against the towering buttresses of -granite protecting a sea-beset land, it is to him a veritable knell -of doom. Or when through the close-drawn curtains of fog comes the -hissing tumult of breaking seas over an invisible bank, interpolated -with the hoarse bellowing of the advancing flood checked in its free -onward sweep, bold and high indeed must be the courage that does not -fail. The lonely lighthouse-keeper on the Bishop Rock during the -utmost stress of an Atlantic gale notes with quickening pulse the -change of tone as the oncoming sea, rolling in from freedom, first -feels beneath it the outlying skirts of the solitary mountain. Nearer -and deeper and fiercer it roars until, with a shock that makes the -deep-rooted foundations of the rocks tremble, and the marvellous -fabric of dovetailed stone sway like a giant tree, it breaks, hurling -its crest high through the flying spindrift over the very finial of -the faithful tower. - -But on the other hand, on some golden afternoon among the sunny -islands of summer seas, hear the soft soothing murmur of the gliding -swell upon the slumbering shore. It fills the mind with rest. Sweeter -than lowest lullaby, it comforts and composes, and even in dreams it -laps the sleeper in Elysium. The charm of that music is chief among -all the influences that bind the memory to those Enchanted Isles. It -returns again and again under sterner skies, filling the heart with -almost passionate longing to hear it, to feel it in all its mystery -once again. Still when all has been said, every dweller on the -sea-shore knows the voice of his own coast best. For him it has its -special charm, whether it shriek around ice-laden rocks, roar against -iron-bound cliffs, thunder over jagged reefs, or babble among fairy -islets. And yet all these many voices are but one. - - - - - THE CALLING OF CAPTAIN RAMIREZ - - -When two whale-ships meet during a cruise, if there are no signs -of whales near, an exchange of visits always takes place. The two -captains foregather on board one ship, the two chief mates on board -the other. While the officers are thus enjoying themselves, it is -usual for the boats’ crews to go forrard and while away the time as -best they can, such visitors being always welcome. This practice -is called “gamming,” and is fruitful of some of the queerest yarns -imaginable, as these sea-wanderers ransack their memories for tales -wherewith to make the time pass pleasantly. - -On the occasion of which I am writing, our ship had met the _Coral_ -of Martha’s Vineyard off Nieuwe, and gamming had set in immediately. -One of the group among whom I sat was a sturdy little native of Guam, -in the Ladrone Islands, the picture of good-humour, but as ugly as -a Joss. Being called upon for a song, he laughingly excused himself -on the ground that his songs were calculated to give a white man -collywobbles; but if we didn’t mind he would spin a “cuffer” (yarn) -instead. Carried unanimously--and we lit fresh pipes as we composed -ourselves to hear of “The Calling of Captain Ramirez.” I reproduce -the story in a slightly more intelligible form than I heard it, -the mixture of Spanish, Kanaka, &c., being a gibberish not to be -understood by any but those who have lived among the polyglot crowd -in a whaler. - -“About fifteen years ago now, as near as I can reckon (for we don’t -keep much account of time except we’re on monthly wage), I was -cruising the Kingsmills in the old _Salem_, Captain Ramirez. They -told me her name meant ‘Peace,’ and that may be; but if so, all I can -say is that never was a ship worse named. Why, there wasn’t ever any -peace aboard of her. Quiet there was, when the old man was asleep, -for nobody wanted him wakened; but peace--well, I tell ye, boys, she -was jest hell afloat. I’ve been fishing now a good many years in -Yankee spouters, and there’s some blood-boats among ’em, but never -was I so unlucky as when I first set foot aboard the _Salem_. Skipper -was a Portugee from Flores, come over to the States as a nipper and -brung up in Rhode Island. Don’t know and don’t care how he got to be -skipper, but I guess Jemmy Squarefoot was his schoolmaster, for some -of his tricks wouldn’t, couldn’t, have been thought of anywheres else -but down below. I ain’t a-goin’ to make ye all miserable by telling -you how he hazed us round and starved us and tortured us, but you -can let your imagination loose if you want to, and then you won’t -overhaul the facts of his daily amusements. - -“Well, I’d been with him about a year when, as I said at first, we -was cruising the Kingsmills, never going too close in, because at -that time the natives were very savage, always fighting with each -other, but very glad of the chance to go for a ship and kill and eat -all hands. Then again we had some Kanakas aboard, and the skipper -knew that if they got half a chance they would be overboard and off -to the shore. - -“Sperm whales were very plentiful, in fact they had been so all -the cruise, which was another proof to all of us who the skipper -was in co. with, for in nearly every ship we gammed the crowd were -heart-broken at their bad luck. However, we’d only been a few days on -the ground when one morning we lowered for a thundering big school -of middling-size whales. We sailed in full butt, and all boats got -fast. But no sooner was a strain put on the lines than they all -parted like as if they was burnt. Nobody there ever seen or heard of -such a thing before. It fairly scared us all, for we thought it was -witchcraft, and some of ’em said the skipper’s time was up and his -boss was rounding on him. Well, we bent on again, second irons, as -the whales were all running anyhow, not trying to get away, and we -all got fast again. ’Twas no good at all; all parted just the same -as before. Well, we was about the worst gallied lot of men you ever -see. We was that close to the ship that we knew the old man could see -with his glasses everything that was going on. Every one of us knew -just about how he was bearing it, but what could we do? Well, boys, -we didn’t have much time to serlilerquise, for before you could say -‘knife’ here he comes, jumping, howling mad. Right in among us he -busted, and oh! he did look like his old father Satan on the rampage. -He was in the bow of his boat, and he let drive at the first whale -he ran up against. Down went the fish and pop went the line same as -before. Well, I’ve seen folks get mad more’n a little, but never in -all my fishing did ever I see anything like he showed us then. I -thought he’d a sploded all into little pieces. He snatched off his -hat and tore it into ribbons with his teeth; the rattle of Portugee -blasphemion was like our old mincing-machine going full kelter, and -the foam flew from between his teeth like soapsuds. - -“Suddenly he cooled down, all in a minute like, and said very quiet, -‘All aboard.’ We were all pretty well prepared for the worst by this -time, but I do think we liked him less now than we did when he was -ramping around--he looked a sight more dangerous. However, we obeyed -orders smart, as usual, but he was aboard first. My! how that boat of -his just flew. ’Twas like a race for life. - -“We were no sooner on board than we hoisted boats and made them fast. -Then the skipper yelled, ‘All hands lay aft.’ Aft we come prompt, -and ranged ourselves across the quarter-deck in front of where he -was prowling back and forth like a breeding tigress. As soon as we -were all aft he stopped, facing us, and spoke. ‘Somebody aboard this -ship’s been trying to work a jolt off on me by pisonin’ my lines. Now -I want that man, so’s I can kill him, slow; ’n I’m going to have him -too ’thout waiting too long. Now _I_ think this ship’s been too easy -a berth for all of you, but from this out until I have my rights on -the man I want she’s agoing to be a patent hell. Make up yer mines -quick, fer I tell yer no ship’s crew ever suffered what you’re agoin’ -to suffer till I get that man under my hands. Now go.’ - -“When we got forrard we found the fo’c’s’le scuttle screwed up so’s -we couldn’t get below. There was no shelter on deck from the blazing -sun, the hatches was battened so we couldn’t get into the fore-hold, -so we had to just bear it. One man went aft to the scuttle butt for -a drink of water, and found the spigot gone. The skipper saw him, -and says to him, ‘You’ll fine plenty to drink in the bar’l forrard,’ -and you know the sort of liquor _that’s_ full of. Some of us flung -ourselves down on deck, being dog tired as well as hungry and -thirsty, but he was forrard in a minute with both his shooting-irons -cocked. ‘Up, ye spawn, ’n git some exercise; ye’r gettin’ too fat ’n -lazy,’ says he. So we trudged about praying that he might drop dead, -but none of us willing as yet to face certain death by defying him. -The blessed night came at last, and we were able to get a little -rest, he having gone below, and the officers, though willing enough -to keep in with him at our expense, not being bad enough to drive -us all night unless he was around to see it done. Along about eight -bells came the steward, with a biscuit apiece for us and a bucket of -water--about half a pint each. We were so starved and thirsty that -the bite and sup was a godsend. What made things worse for us was -the suspicion we had one of the other. As I said, we was, as usual, a -mixed crowd and ready to sell one another for a trifle. He knew that, -curse him, and reckoned with considerable certainty on getting hold -of the victim he wanted. Well, the night passed somehow, and when -morning came he was around again making us work, scouring iron-work -bright, holy-stoning decks, scrubbing overside, as if our very lives -depended on the jobs being done full pelt. - -“We was drawing in pretty close to a small group of islands, closer -than we had been yet in those waters, and we all wondered what was in -the wind. Suddenly he gave orders to back the mainyard and have the -dinghy lowered. She was a tiny tub of a craft, such as I never saw -carried in a whaler before, only about big enough for three. A little -Scotchman and myself was ordered into her, then to our amazement the -old man got in, shoved off, and headed her for the opening through -the reef surrounding the biggest island of the group. It was fairly -well wooded with cocoa-nut trees and low bushes, while, unlike any -of the other islets, there were several big rocks showing up through -the vegetation in the middle of it. We weren’t long getting to the -beach, where we jumped out and ran her up a piece so’s he could step -out dry. We waited for a minute or two while he sat thinking, and -looking straight ahead of him at nothing. Presently he jumped out -and said to me, ‘Come,’ and to Sandy, ‘Stay here.’ Off he went up -the beach and straight into the little wood, just as if somebody -was calling him and he had to go. Apparently there wasn’t a living -soul on the whole island except just us three. We had only got a -few yards into the bush when we came to a little dip in the ground: -a sort of valley. Just as we got to the bottom, we suddenly found -ourselves in the grip of two Kanakas, the one that had hold of the -skipper being the biggest man I ever saw. I made one wriggle, but my -man, who was holding my two arms behind my back, gave them a twist -that nearly wrenched them out of their sockets and quieted me good. -As for the skipper, he was trying to call or speak, but although his -mouth worked no sound came, and he looked like death. The giant that -had him flung him on his face and lashed his wrists behind him with -a bit of native fish-line, then served his ankles the same. I was -tied next, but not so cruel as the skipper, indeed they didn’t seem -to want to hurt me. The two Kanakas now had a sort of a consultation -by signs, neither of them speaking a word. While they was at it I -noticed the big one was horribly scarred all over his back and loins -(they was both naked except for a bit of a grass belt) as well as -crippled in his gait. Presently they ceased their dumb motions and -came over to me. The big one opened his mouth and pointed to where -his tongue had been, also to his right eye-socket, which was empty. -Then he touched the big white scars on his body, and finally pointed -to the skipper. Whole books couldn’t have explained his meaning -better than I understood it then. But what was coming? I declare I -didn’t feel glad a bit at the thought that Captain Ramirez was going -to get his deserts at last. - -“Suddenly the giant histed the skipper on his shoulder as if he had -been a baby, and strode off across the valley towards the massive -heap of rocks, followed by his comrade and myself. We turned sharply -round a sort of gate, composed of three or four huge coral blocks -balanced upon each other, and entered a grotto or cave with a -descending floor. Over the pieces of rock with which the ground was -strewed we stumbled onward in the dim light until we entered water -and splashed on through it for some distance. Then, our eyes being -by this time used to the darkness, the general features of the place -could be made out. Communication with the sea was evident, for the -signs of high-water mark could be seen on the walls of the cave just -above our heads. For a minute or so we remained perfectly still in -the midst of that dead silence, so deep that I fancied I could hear -the shell-fish crawling on the bottom. Then I was brought a few paces -nearer the Captain, as he hung upon the great Kanaka’s shoulder. -Taking my eyes from his death-like face I cast them down, and there, -almost at my feet, was one of those enormous clams such as you see -the shells of thrown up on all these beaches, big as a child’s -bath. Hardly had the horrible truth dawned on me of what was going -to happen than it took place. Lifting the skipper into an upright -position, the giant dropped him feet first between the gaping shells -of the big clam, which, the moment it felt the touch, shut them with -a smash that must have broken the skipper’s legs. An awful wail burst -from him, the first sound he had yet made. I have said he was brave, -and he was, too, although such a cruel villain, but now he broke down -and begged hard for life. It may have been that the Kanakas were deaf -as well as dumb; at any rate, for all sign of hearing they showed, -they were. He appealed to me, but I was as helpless as he, and my -turn was apparently now to come. But evidently the Kanakas were only -carrying out what they considered to be payment of a due debt, for -after looking at him fixedly for awhile, during which I felt the -water rising round my knees, they turned their backs on him and led -me away. I was glad to go, for his shrieks and prayers were awful to -hear, and I couldn’t do anything. - -“They led me to where they had first caught us, made me fast to a -tree, and left me. Overcome with fatigue and hunger I must have -fainted, for when I come to I found myself loose, lying on the sand, -and two or three of my shipmates attending to me. As soon as I was -able to speak they asked me what had become of the skipper. Then it -all rushed back on me at once, and I told them the dreadful story. -They heard me in utter silence, the mate saying at last, ‘Wall, -sonny, it’s a good job fer yew the Kanakers made ye fast, or yew’d -have had a job ter clear yersef of murder.’ And so I thought now. -However, as soon as I was a bit rested and had something to eat, I -led them to the cave, keeping a bright look-out meanwhile for a -possible attack by the Kanakas. None appeared though, and the tide -having fallen again we had no difficulty in finding the skipper. All -that was left of him, that is, for the sea-scavengers had been busy -with him, so that he was a sight to remember with a crawling at your -stomach till your dying day. He was still fast in the grip of the -clam, so it was decided to leave him there and get on board again at -once. - -“We did so unmolested, getting sail on the ship as soon as we reached -her, so as to lose sight of that infernal spot. But it’s no use -denying the fact that we all felt glad the skipper was dead; some -rejoiced at the manner of his death, although none could understand -who called him ashore or why he obeyed. Those who had whispered the -theory of the finish of his contract with Jemmy Squarefoot chuckled -at their prescience, as fully justified by the sequel, declaring that -the big Kanaka whom I had seen was none other than Satan himself come -for his bargain. - -“Matters went on now in quite a different fashion. The relief was so -great that we hardly knew ourselves for the same men, and it affected -all hands alike, fore and aft. The secret of the breaking line was -discovered when Mr. Peck, the mate, took the skipper’s berth over. -In a locker beneath the bunk he found the pieces of a big bottle, -what they call a ‘carboy,’ I think, and in hunting up the why of -this a leakage through the deck was found into the store-room where -the cordage was kept. Only two other coils were affected by the -stuff that had run down, and of course they were useless, but the -rest of the stock was all right. Now, I don’t know what it was, nor -how it came there, nor any more about it, and if you ain’t tired of -listening I’m mighty tired of talking. Pass that ‘switchel’[1] this -way.” - - -[1] A drink of molasses, vinegar, and water. - - - - - MARATHON OF THE SEALS - - -Far beyond the roaring track of the homeward-bound merchantman, -lie in the South Pacific the grim clusters of salt-whitened isles -marked on the chart as the South Shetlands. Many years have come -and gone since their hungry shores were busy with the labours of -the sealers, that, disdainful of the terrors of snow-laden gale and -spindrift-burdened air, toiled amid the Antarctic weather to fill -their holds with the garments of the sea-folk. Then, after perils -incredible, the adventurers would return to port, and waste in a week -of debauch the fruit of their toil, utterly forgetful of crashing -floe or hissing sea, frozen limbs or wrenching hunger pains. When all -was spent they would return, resolutely forgetting their folly and -wreaking upon the innocent seal all the rage of regret that _would_ -rise within them. They spared none--bull, cow, and calf alike were -slain, as if in pure lust of slaughter, until the helplessness of -utter fatigue compelled them to desist and snatch an interval of -death-like sleep, oblivious of all the grinding bitterness of their -surroundings. Life was held cheap among them, a consequence, not to -be wondered at, of its hardness and the want of all those things that -make life desirable. And yet the stern existence had its own strong -fascination for those who had become inured to it. Few of them -ever gave it up voluntarily, ending their stormy life-struggle in -some sudden ghastly fashion and being almost immediately forgotten. -Occasionally some sorely-maimed man would survive the horrors of -his disablement, lying in the fetid forecastle in sullen endurance -until the vessel reached a port whence he could be transferred to -civilisation. But these unhappy men fretted grievously for the -vast openness of the Antarctic, the gnashing of the ice-fangs upon -the black rocks, the unsatisfied roar of the western gale, and the -ceaseless combat with the relentless sea. - -Many years came and went while the Southern sealer plied his trade, -until at last none of the reckless skippers could longer disguise -from themselves the fact that their harvest fields were rapidly -becoming completely barren. Few and far between were the islets -frequented by the seals, the majority of the old grounds being -quite abandoned. One by one the dejected fishermen gave up the -attempt, until in due time those gaunt fastnesses resumed their -primitive loneliness. The long, long tempest roared questioningly -over the deserted islands, as if calling for its vanished children, -and refusing to be comforted because they were not. Years passed -in solitude, but for the busy sea-fowl, who, because they had no -commercial value, were left unmolested to eat their fill of the -sea’s rich harvest, and rear among the bleak rock-crannies their -fluffy broods. At last, out of the midst of a blinding smother of -snow, there appeared one day off the most southerly outlier of the -South Shetlands a little group of round velvety heads staring with -wide, humid eyes at the surf-lashed fortresses of the shore. Long -and warily they reconnoitred, for although many generations had -passed since their kind had been driven from those seas, the memory -of those pitiless days had been so steadily transmitted through the -race that it had become a part of themselves, an instinct infallible -as any other they possessed. No enemy appearing, they gradually drew -nearer and nearer, until their leader, a fine bull seal of four -seasons, took his courage in both flippers and mounted the most -promising slope, emerging from the foaming breakers majestically, and -immediately becoming a hirpling heap of clumsiness that apparently -bore no likeness to the graceful, agile creature of a few moments -before. Obediently his flock followed him until they reached a -little patch of hard smooth sand sheltered by a semi-circle of great -wave-worn boulders, and admirably suited to their purpose. Here, with -sleepless vigilance of sentinels, they rested, rather brokenly at -first, as every incursion of the indignant sea-fowl startled them, -but presently subsiding into ungainly attitudes of slumber. - -Whence they had come was as great a mystery as all the deep-water -ways of the sea-people must ever be to man, or how many -halting-places they must have visited and rejected at the bidding -of their unerring instinct warning them that the arch-destroyers’ -visits were to be feared. However, they soon made themselves at home, -fattening marvellously upon the innumerable multitudes of fish that -swarmed around the bases of those barren islands, and between whiles -basking in the transient sun-gleams that occasionally touched the -desolate land with streaks of palest gold. And as time went on, being -unmolested in their domestic arrangements, the coming generation -tumbled about the rugged shore in those pretty gambols that all young -things love, learning steadily withal to take their appointed places -in the adult ranks as soon as they had proved their capability so -to do. Thus uneventfully and happily passed the seasons until the -little party of colonists had grown to be a goodly herd, with leaders -of mighty prowess, qualified to hold their own against any of their -kind, and inured to combat by their constantly recurring battles with -each other, their love affairs, in which they fought with a fury -astonishing to witness. - -But one bright spring morning, when after a full meal the females -were all dozing peacefully among the boulders, and the pups were -gleefully waddling and tumbling among them, there came a message from -the sea to the fighting males, who instantly suspended their family -battles to attend to the urgent call. How the news came they alone -knew, its exact significance was hidden even from them, but a sense -of imminent danger was upon them all. The females called up their -young and retreated farther inland among the labyrinth of rocky peaks -that made the place almost impossible for human travel. The males, -about forty of them, ranged uneasily along the shore, their wide -nostrils dilated and their whiskers bristling with apprehension. -Ever and anon they would pause in their watchful patrol and couch -silently as if carved in marble, staring seaward with unwinking eyes -at the turbulent expanse of broken sea. Presently, within a cable’s -length of the shore, up rose an awful head--the enemy had arrived. -Another and another appeared until a whole herd of several scores -of sea-elephants were massed along the land edge and beginning to -climb ponderously over the jagged pinnacles shoreward. Not only did -they outnumber the seals by about four to one, but each of them was -equal in bulk to half-a-dozen of the largest of the defenders. Huge -as the great land mammal from whom they take their trivial name, -ferocious in their aspect, as they inflated their short trunks and -bared their big gleaming teeth, they hardly deigned to notice the -gallant band of warriors who faced them. Straight upward they came as -if the outlying rocks had suddenly been endowed with life and were -shapelessly invading the dry land. But never an inch did the little -company of defenders give back. With every head turned to the foe -and every sinew tense with expectation they waited, waited until at -last the two forces met. Such was the shock of their impact that one -would have thought the solid earth trembled beneath them, and for -a while in that writhing, groaning, roaring mass nothing could be -clearly distinguished. Presently, however, it could be seen that the -lighter, warier seals were fighting upon a definite plan, and that -they carefully avoided the danger of being overwhelmed under the -unwieldy masses of their enemies. While the huge elephants hampered -each other sorely, and often set their terrible jaws into a comrade’s -neck, shearing through blubber and sinew and bone, the nimbler seals -hung on the outskirts of the heavy leviathans and wasted no bite. -But the odds were tremendous. One after another of the desperately -fighting seals fell crushed beneath a mammoth many times his size; -again and again a fiercely struggling defender, jammed between two -gigantic assailants, found his head between the jaws of one of them, -who would instantly crush it into pulp. Still they fought on wearily -but unflinchingly until only six remained alive. Then, as suddenly as -if by some instant agreement, hostilities ceased. The remnant of the -invaders crawled heavily seaward, leaving the rugged battle-ground -piled mountainously with their dead. The survivors sank exhausted -where they had fought such a memorable fight, and slept securely, -knowing well that their home was safe, the enemy would return no -more. And the rejoicing, ravenous birds came in their countless hosts -to feast upon the slain. - - - - - OCEAN CURRENTS - - -So mysterious are all the physical phenomena of the sea that it is, -perhaps, hardly possible to say of any particular one that it is -more wonderful than the rest. And yet one is sorely tempted thus -to distinguish when meditating upon the movements of the almost -inconceivable mass of water which goes to make up that major portion -of the external superficies of our planet which we call “the sea.” -In spite of all the labours of investigators, notwithstanding all -the care and patience which science has bestowed upon oceanography, -it is nevertheless true that, except in a few broad instances, the -direction, the rate, and the dependability of ocean currents still -remain a profound mystery. Nor should this excite any wonder. If we -remember how great is the influence over the sea possessed by the -winds, how slight an alteration in the specific gravity of water is -sufficient to disturb its equilibrium and cause masses hundreds of -square miles in area to exchange levels with the surrounding ocean, -we shall at once admit that, except in those few instances hinted -at which may be referred to constant causes, ocean currents must -of necessity be still among the phenomena whose operations cannot -be reckoned upon with any certainty, but must be watched for and -guarded against with the most jealous care by those who do business -in great waters. - -Perhaps one of the commonest of the many errors made in speaking of -marine things is that of confounding current with tide. Now tide, -though a variable feature of the circulation of the waters near land, -is fairly dependable. That is to say, the navigator may calculate by -means of the moon’s age and the latitude of the place not only the -time of high water, but knowing the mean height at full and change -of the moon, he may and does ascertain to what height the water will -rise, or how low it will fall at a certain place on a given date. -True, a heavy gale of wind blowing steadily in or against the same -direction of the ebbing or flowing tide will accelerate or retard, -raise or depress, that tide at the time; but these aberrations, -though most unpleasant oftentimes to riparian householders, are -rarely of much hindrance or danger to navigation. This cannot be said -of the currents of the sea. The tides have their limits assigned -to them both inland and off-shore, although in the latter case it -is almost impossible to tell exactly where their influence becomes -merged in the vaster sway of the ocean currents, with all their -unforeseen developments. The limits of tidal waters in rivers, on the -other hand, being well under observation at all times, may be and are -determined with the greatest exactitude. - -With regard to the few instances of dependability among ocean -currents, the first place will undoubtedly by common consent be given -to the Gulf Stream. Owing its existence primarily to the revolution -of the earth upon its axis, its outflow through the tortuous channel -connecting the Gulf of Florida with the North Atlantic is more -constant and steady in direction than any ebbing or flowing tide -in the world, inasmuch as its “set” is invariably upon one course. -Its rate is not so uniform, varying somewhat with the season, but -in the narrowest part of the channel remaining fairly constant at -about four knots an hour. Yet sail but a few score leagues into the -Florida Gulf whence this great river in the sea takes its apparent -rise, and its influence disappears! The mariner may seek there in -vain for that swift, silent flow which in the Straits of Florida -sweeps him north-eastward irresistibly in the teeth of the strongest -gale. What has happened? Does the mighty stream drain westward -into that great land-locked sea by hundreds of channels from the -Equatorial regions, but far below the surface, and, obeying some -all-compelling impulse, rise to the light upon reaching the Bahama -Banks, pouring out its beneficent flood as it comes at the rate of -a hundred miles per day? It sweeps into the broad Atlantic, and -immediately spreads out into a breadth to which the Amazon is but a -brooklet, losing its velocity meanwhile, until, having skirted the -North American coast as far as the Grand Banks, it rolls in sublime -grandeur eastward towards these “fortunate isles.” As it does so -the mystery attendant upon it deepens. Its balmy presence cannot be -mistaken, for the air on either side of it may be piercing in its -keenness, while immediately above it there is summer. A gale blowing -at right angles to its course will raise that terrible combination -of waves which gives alike to the “Western Ocean” and the “pitch of -the Cape” their evil reputation as the most dangerous in the world; -and yet who among navigators has ever been able to determine what, -if any, rate of speed it has in mid-Atlantic? Look through hundreds -of log-books kept on board ships that are, perhaps, more carefully -navigated than any others, the North Atlantic liners, and you shall -not find a trace of the Gulf Stream “set” mentioned. In order to make -this clear, it should be said that in all properly navigated ships -the course steered and the speed made are carefully noted throughout -the twenty-four hours; and this course, with distance run, calculated -from the position accurately fixed by observation of the celestial -bodies at the previous noon, gives the ship’s position by “dead -reckoning.” The ship’s position being also found by the celestial -bodies at the same time, the difference between the latter and the -“dead reckoning” position should give the “set” and direction of -the current for the twenty-four hours. And in vessels so carefully -steered, and whose speed is so accurately known, as the great liners -are, such current data are as trustworthy as any nautical data can -be. But according to the records kept by these able navigators, there -is no current setting eastward across the North Atlantic. Perhaps the -explanation is that it is so very sluggish as to be unnoticeable, for -those dreadful monuments of misfortune to themselves and others, the -derelict ships, have been known to drift completely backwards and -forwards across the Atlantic, finding not only a current to carry -them eastward, but its counter-current to carry them back again. - -But who among us with the slightest smattering of physiography is -there that is not assured that but for the genial warmth of this -mighty silent sea-river our islands would revert to their condition -at the glacial epoch; who is there but feels a shiver of dread pass -over his scalp when he contemplates the possibility of any diversion -of its life-giving waters from our shores? The bare suggestion of -such a calamity is most terrifying. - -As steady and reliable in its operations is the great Equatorial -current which, sweeping along the Line from east to westward, is -doubtless the fountain and origin of the Gulf Stream, although its -operations among that ring of islands guarding the entrance to the -Mexican Gulf are involved in such obscurity that none may trace -them out. And going farther south, we find the Agulhas current, -beloved of homeward-bound sailing-ships round the Cape of Good Hope, -pursuing its even, resistless course around the Southern Horn of -Africa changelessly throughout the years. How its stubborn flow -frets the stormy Southern Sea! No wonder that the early navigators -doubling the Cape outward-bound, and fearing to go south, believed -that some unthinkable demon held sway over those wild waves. The -passage of Cape Horn from east to west holds the bad eminence to-day -among seafarers of being the most difficult in the world, but what -the outward passage around the Cape of Storms must have been before -men learned that it was possible to avoid the stream of the Agulhas -current by going a few degrees south we of these later days can only -imagine. What becomes of the Agulhas current when once it has poured -its volume of Indian Ocean waters into the Atlantic? Does it sink -below the surface some hundreds of fathoms, and silently, smoothly, -glide south to the confines of the Antarctic ice barrier, or does it -wander northward into warmer regions? In any case, it fulfils the -one grand function of all currents, whether of air or water--the -avoidance of stagnation, the circulation of health among the nations -of the earth. - -Coming northward in the Pacific, let us note the counterpart of -the Gulf Stream, the Kuro Siwo, or Black River of Japan, with the -multitudinous isles of the East Indian Archipelago for its Caribbean -Sea, and Nippon for its British Isles. It is, however, but a poor -competitor in benevolence with our own Gulf Stream, as all those who -know their Japan in winter can testify. Others there are that might -be noted and classified if this aimed at being a scientific article, -but these will suffice. These are surely wide fields enough for the -imagination to rove in, wonderful depths of energy in plenty wherein -the reverent and thoughtful mind may find all-sufficient food for -its workings. Remembering that the known is but the fringe of the -unknown, and that the secrets of the ocean are so well kept that -man’s hand shall never fully tear aside the veil, we may patiently -ponder and wonder. That great sea of the ancients beyond whose -portals, according to their wisdom, lay Cimmerian darkness--what -keeps its almost tideless waters sweet? Unseen currents enter and -leave by the Pillars of Hercules at differing levels, and could we -but penetrate those dim regions we should doubtless find the ingress -and egress of that incalculable mass of water proceeding continually, -the one above the other, renewing from the exhaustless stores of the -Atlantic the staleness of the great midland lake, itself apparently -remaining in unchanging level. - -But when all these great well-known movements of the ocean have -been considered, there still remain an infinite number of minor -divagations influenced by who knows what hidden causes. The -submarine upheavals of central heat, when from out of her glowing -entrails the old earth casts incandescent stores of lava, raising -the superincumbent mass of water for many square miles almost to -boiling-point--who can estimate the effect that these throes have -upon the trend of great areas of ocean? The almost infernal energy -of those gyrating meteors of the tropics as they rage across the -seas--how can any mind, however acute, assess the drag upon the whole -body of surface water that is manifested thereby? To say nothing of -the displacement caused by the less violent but far more frequent -stress laid upon the much-enduring sea by extra-tropical gales, -whereby the baffled mariner’s calculations are all overset, and his -ship that should be careering safely in the wide offing is suddenly -dashed in ruins upon the iron-bound shore! - -Great efforts have been made to lay down for the benefit of seafarers -a comprehensive scheme of ocean currents all over the watery surface -of the globe, but in the great majority of cases the guidance -is delusive, the advice untrustworthy, through no fault of the -compilers. They have done their best, but mean results can never -help particular needs. And so the wary mariner, as far as may be, -trusts to the old-fashioned three “L’s,”--lead, log, and look-out; -knowing full well how little reliance is to be placed in the majority -of cases upon any advice soever concerning the mystery of ocean -currents. - - - - - THE UNDYING ROMANCE OF THE SEA - - -Some of the greatest among men have spoken and written regarding the -material progress of mankind as if every new invention for shortening -distance, for economising time or labour, and increasing production -were but another step in the direction of eliminating romance from -the weary world. - -Especially has this been said of sea traffic. We are asked to believe -that in the tiny vessels of Magalhaens, the pestilential hulls -of Anson’s squadron, or the cumbrous wooden walls of Trafalgar, -there dwelt a romance which is now non-existent at sea--that the -introduction of the steam-driven ship has been fatal to a quality -which in truth belongs not at all to material things, but holds -its splendid court in the minds of men. Do they, these mourners -over departed romance, hold, then, that misery is essential to -romance? Is it essential to romantic interest at sea that because -of the smallness of the ships, their lack of healthful food, their -clumsiness of build and snail-like progress, men should suffer -horribly and die miserably? Truly, if these things are necessary in -order that romance shall flourish, we may find them still amongst us -both at sea and on land, though happily in ever lessening proportion -to an improved order of things. - -But sober consideration will surely convince us that as far as true -romance is concerned the modern ironclad warship, for instance, -need abate no jot of her claim to the three-decker of last century -or the _Great Harry_ of our infant Navy. The sight of a 15,000-ton -battleship cleared for action and silently dividing the ancient sea -in her swift rush to meet the foe, not a man visible anywhere about -her, but all grim, adamantine, and awe-inspiring--in what is she -less romantic than the _Victory_ under all canvas breaking the line -at Trafalgar? As an incentive to the exercise of the imagination, -the ironclad certainly claims first place. Like some fire-breathing -dragon of ancient fable she comes, apparently by her own volition, -armed with powers of destruction overtopping all the efforts of -ancient story-tellers. Yet to the initiated she is more wonderful, -more terror-striking, than to the unknowing observer. For the former -pierce with the eye of knowledge her black walls of steel, and see -within them hundreds of quiet, self-possessed men standing calmly by -gun-breech, ammunition-hoist, fire-hose, and hospital. Deep under -the water-line are scores of fiercely toiling slaves to the gigantic -force that actuates the whole mass. Hardly recognisable as human, -sealed up in stokeholes under abnormal air pressure, the clang of -their weapons never ceases as they feed the long row of caverns -glowing white with fervent heat. All around them and beneath them -and above, clearly to be discerned through all the diabolical clamour -of engines and roaring of furnaces, is that sense of invisible -forces subdued by the hand of man, yet ferociously striving against -restraint, a sense that makes the head of the new-comer throb and -beat in sympathy until it seems as if the brain must burst its -containing bone. - -Just abaft these chambers of accumulating energy are the giants -being fed thereby. Unhappy the man who can see no romance in the -engine-room! Nothing exalting, soul-stirring, in the rhythmical race -of weariless pistons, no storm-song in their magnificent voices as -they dash round the shaft at ninety revolutions per minute. Standing -amid these modern genii, to which those of “The Thousand and One -Nights” are but puny weaklings, the sight, the senses are held -captive, fascinated by so splendid a manifestation of the combination -of skill and strength. And when unwillingly the gazer turns away, -there are the men; the grimy, greasy, sweat-stained men. Watchful, -patient, cat-like. Ready at the first hint, either from the racing -Titans themselves or from the soaring bridge away up yonder in the -night, to manipulate lever, throttle-valve, and auxiliaries as -swiftly, deftly, and certainly as the great surgeon handles his tools -in contact with the silent, living form under his hands. - -What a lesson on faith is here. Faith in the workmanship of the -complicated monsters they control, faith in one another to do -the right thing at the right moment when a mistake would mean -annihilation, faith in the watcher above who is guiding the whole -enormous mass amidst dangers seen and unseen. This, too, is no -blind faith, no mere credulity. It is born of knowledge, and the -consequences of its being misplaced must be constantly in mind in -order to insure effective service in time of disaster. It would -surely be a good thing if more poetry were written on the lines of -“McAndrew’s Hymn,” always supposing the poets could be found; greater -efforts made to acquaint us who lead comfortable lives ashore with -the everyday heroism of, the continual burnt-offering rendered by, -the engineer, fireman, and trimmer. Perhaps we might then begin to -discern dimly and faintly that so far from the romance of the sea -being destroyed by the marine engine, it has been strengthened and -added to until it is deeper and truer than ever. - -And as with the men in the bowels of the ship so with those above. -Commanding such a weapon of war as hinted at in the preceding -lines, see the central figure in his tower of steel, surrounded by -telephones, electric bells, and voice-tubes. Every portion of the -ship, with its groups of faithful, waiting men, is within reach of -his whisper. Behind him stands a man like a statue but for the brown -hands grasping the spokes of the tiny wheel which operates the 150 -horse-power engines far away in the run, which in their turn heave -the mighty steel rudder this way or that, and so guide the whole -fabric. This man in command wields a power that makes the mind reel -to consider. A scarcely perceptible touch upon a button at his side -and away speeds a torpedo; another touch, and two guns hurl 850 lbs. -of steel shell filled with high explosive to a distance of ten miles -if necessary. Obedience instant, perfect, yet intelligent is yielded -to his lightest touch, his faintest whisper. So too his subordinates, -each in their turn commanding as well as being commanded, and each -saturated with the idea that not merely obedience, but obedience -so swift as to be almost coincident with the order, is essential. -Yet above and beyond all this harmony of discipline is the man who -controls in the same perfect way the working, not only of one ship, -but of a whole fleet. He speaks, and immediately flags flutter if -by day, or electric lights scintillate if by night. Each obedient -monster replies by fulfilling his will, and the sea foams as they -swoop round each other in complicated evolutions, or scatter beyond -the horizon’s rim to seek the common enemy. It is the triumph of -discipline, organisation, and power under command. - -As it is in the Navy so it is in the Mercantile Marine. Here is a -vessel of a capacity greater than that costly experiment born out -of due time, the _Great Eastern_. Her lines are altogether lovely, -curves of beauty unexcelled by any yacht afloat. With such perfect -grace does she sit upon the sea that the mere mention of her size -conveys of it no conviction. Her decks are crowded with landward -folk, for whose benefit naval architects and engineers have been -busy devising ways and means of bridging the Atlantic. Every comfort -and convenience for the poor, every luxury for the rich, is there. -Majestically, at the stroke of the hour, she moves, commences her -journey. Amid all the hubbub of parting friends, the agony of -breaking up home bonds, the placid conductors of this floating city -attend to their work. Theirs it is to convey on scheduled time from -port to port across the trackless, unheeding ocean all this multitude -of units, each a volume of history in himself or herself of most -poignant interest could it be unfolded. And oh, the sinuous grace, -the persistent speed, the co-partnership of affinity held between -man’s newest and God’s oldest work. Its romance is beyond all power -of speech to describe. Silent, speechless marvel only can be tendered -unto it. The very regularity and order which prevails, the way in -which arrivals may be counted on, these are offences in the eyes of -some would-be defenders of romance. They are not apparently offended -at the unerring regularity of natural phenomena. How is it that -the same quality manifested by man’s handiwork in relation to the -mutable sea gives occasion of stumbling? A hard question. Not that -the mere regularity alone is worthy of admiration, but the triumph -of mind over matter, manifested as much in the grimiest little tug -crouching behind a storm-beaten headland watching, spider-like, for a -homeward-bound sailing-ship, or in the under-engined, swag-bellied -tramp creeping stolidly homeward, bearing her quota of provision for -a heedless people who would starve without her, is everywhere to be -held in admiration as fragrant with true romance, the undying romance -of the sea. - - - - - SAILORS’ PETS - - -Whether there be anything in their surroundings at sea that makes -animals more amenable to the taming process is, perhaps, not a -question to be easily answered. But one thing is certain: that -nowhere do animals become tame with greater rapidity than they do -on board ship. It does not seem to make a great deal of difference -what the animal is, whether bird or beast, carnivore or herbivore, -Jack takes it in hand with the most surprising results, evident in so -short a time that it is often difficult to believe that the subject -is not merely simulating tameness in order to exercise his powers -upon his master or masters in an unguarded moment. - -Of course, on board merchant ships the range of variety among pets -is somewhat restricted. Cats, dogs, monkeys, pigs, sheep, goats, -musk-deer, and birds (of sorts) almost exhaust the list; except among -the whale-ships, where the lack of ordinary subjects for taming lead -men to try their hand upon such queer pets as walruses, white bears, -and even seal-pups, with the usual success. Few pets on board ship -ever presented a more ungainly appearance than the walrus. Accustomed -to disport its massive bulk in the helpful wave, and only for very -brief intervals hooking itself up on to a passing ice-floe as if to -convince itself that it really is one of the amphibia, the change in -its environment to the smooth deck-planks of a ship is truly radical. -And yet it has often been known not only to survive such a change, -but to appear contented and happy therein. Its uncouth gambols with -the sailors are not to be described; but they are so funny that no -one could witness them without laughter, especially when the sage, -hoary appearance of even the most youthful walrus is remembered--and, -of course, only very young specimens could possibly be obtained -alive. But, after all, the morse has its limitations as a pet. Tamed -as it often has been, and affectionate as it undoubtedly becomes, -it never survives for a great while its privation of sea-bathing, -and to the grief of its friends generally abandons the attempt to -become permanently domesticated before the end of the season. The -white bear, on the other hand, when caught sufficiently young is -a great success as a pet, and develops a fund of quaint humour as -well as intelligence that one would certainly never suspect from the -appearance of the animal’s head. Bears are notably the humorists of -the animal kingdom, as any one may verify for himself who chooses to -watch them for a few days at the Zoological Gardens, but among them -all for pure fun commend us to _Ursa Polaris_. Perhaps to appreciate -the play of a pet white bear it is necessary to be a rough and tough -whaleman, since with the very best intentions his bearship is apt to -be a little heavy-pawed. And as when his claws grow a very slight -mistake on his part is apt to result in the permanent disfigurement -of his playmate, his days of pethood are always cut suddenly short -as he approaches full growth. Seal-pups have no such drawbacks. They -are pretty, affectionate, and domestic, while an occasional douche -of salt water from the wash-deck tub will suffice to keep them in -good health and spirits for a long time. Such favourites do they -become that it is hard to understand how the same men, who will -spend much of their scanty leisure playing with the gentle, amiable -creatures, can at a moment’s notice resume the crude barbarity of -seal-slaughtering with all its attendant horrors of detail. Apart -from his cumbrous movements on deck, the seal seems specially adapted -for a ship’s pet. He is so intelligent, so fully in touch with his -human playmates, that after a short acquaintance one ceases to be -surprised at his teachability; it is taken as a matter of course. - -Ordinary merchant ships are, as before noted, confined to a limited -range of pets. Chief among them is the harmless necessary cat, about -which the present writer has written at considerable length in a -recent number of the _Spectator_. But the cat’s quiet domesticity -never seems to take such a firm hold upon seamen’s affections as does -the livelier friendship of the dog. A dog on board ship is truly a -favoured animal. So much so that dogs will give themselves almost -as many airs and graces as the one unmarried young lady usually -does in the midst of a number of male passengers, and with much -the same results. Once, indeed, the presence of two dogs on board -of a large ship on an East Indian voyage nearly led to a mutiny. -They were both retrievers, the property of the master. But almost -from the commencement of the voyage one of them, a fine black dog, -“Sailor,” deliberately cast in his lot with the men “forrard,” where -he was petted and spoiled, if a dog can be spoiled by petting. The -other dog, a brown, dignified animal called “Neptune,” kept to the -officers’ quarters. And presently the two pets by some sort of -tacit understanding divided the deck between them, the main hatch -constituting a sort of neutral ground beyond which neither might -pass without a fight. Now, there were also some pets on board of a -totally different kind, to wit, three fine pigs, who, contrary to -the usual custom, were allowed to roam unpenned about the decks. -A fellow-feeling, perhaps, led “Sailor,” the forecastle dog, to -fraternise with the genial swine, and the antics of these queerly -assorted playmates gave many an hour’s uproarious amusement. But the -pigs loved to stray aft, far beyond their assigned limits. Whenever -they did so, but a short time would elapse before “Neptune” would -bound off the poop, and seizing the nearest offender by the ear, -gallop him “forrard” in the midst of a perfect tornado of squeals and -clatter of sliding hoofs. This summary ejectment of his friends was -deeply resented by “Sailor,” who, with rigid back and gleaming eyes, -looked on as if ready to interfere if “Neptune” should overstep the -boundaries of his domain. One day the foreseen happened. In the fury -of his gallop “forrard” Neptune reached the galley door before he -released the pig he had been dragging, then suddenly recollecting -himself, was trotting back with deprecatory demeanour, when he met -“Sailor” coming round the after end of the house. The two heroes eyed -one another for a moment, but only a moment. “Sailor” felt doubtless -that this sort of thing had gone far enough, and with a snarl full -of fury they joined battle. The skipper was “forrard” promptly, -armed with a belaying-pin, and seizing “Sailor” by the neck, began -to belabour him heavily. It was too much for the men, who by this -time had all gathered around. They rushed to the rescue of their -favourite, forgetting discipline, rights of ownership, everything but -the unfairness of the proceeding. The belaying-pin was wrested from -the captain’s grasp, the dogs torn apart, and with scowling faces -the men stood confronting the raging skipper, who for some moments -was hardly able to speak. When he was, he said many things, amongst -others that he would shoot “Sailor” on sight; but it is perfectly -certain that had he carried out his threat he would have had a -complete mutiny on his hands. The matter blew over, but it was a long -time before things had quite resumed their normal calm. A keen watch -was kept over “Sailor” by the men for the rest of the voyage, lest -evil should befall him. - -Monkeys are, as might be expected, popular as pets. Unfortunately, -they disturb the harmony of a ship more than any other animal that -could be obtained. For their weird powers of mischief come to -perfection where there are so many past masters in the art of animal -training, and nothing affords greater amusement to everybody but the -sufferer when “Jacko” takes it into his impish head to get loose -and ravage the contents of some fellow’s bunk or chest. So much is -this the case that many captains will not allow a monkey on board -their ship at all, feeling sure that, however peaceable a lot of -men he may have found his crew to be before, one monkey passenger -is almost sure to be the fountain and origin of many fights after -his advent. The things that monkeys will do on board ship are almost -beyond belief. One instance may be noted where a monkey in a ship -named the _Dartmouth_ gave signal proof of his reasoning powers. He -was a little black fellow from Sumatra, and from the time of his -coming on board had seemed homesick, playing but few tricks, and only -submitting passively to the petting he received. Passing through -Sunda Straits he sat upon the forecastle head looking wistfully at -the distant land with quite a dejected pose of body. As we drew near -the town of Anjer (it was before the awful convulsion of Krakatoa) -he suddenly seemed to make up his mind, and springing up he covered -his face with his hands and leapt shoreward. We were only going about -two knots an hour, happily for him. He struck out vigorously for the -shore, but suddenly realised the magnitude of his task apparently, -for he turned sharply round and swam back. One of the officers threw -him the end of the main-topsail brace, which he grasped and nimbly -climbed on board, a wiser monkey. Thenceforward his behaviour was -quite cheerful and tricky, until his lamented demise from a chill -caught off the Cape. Goats, again, are great favourites on board -ship, when they have been taught to let the running gear alone. -But their inveterate habit of gnawing everything largely discounts -their amiability. The pretty little mongoose, too, until he begins -to fraternise with his natural enemies, the rats, is a most pleasant -companion, full of play, and cleanly of habit. So is the musk-deer, -but it is so delicate that few indeed of them reach home that are -bought by sailors among the islands of the East Indian Archipelago. -The same fate overtakes most of the birds, except canaries, that -sailors buy abroad, and teach on the passage home no end of tricks. -Yet deeply as these exotic pets are loved by forecastle Jack, and -great as is the pleasure he undoubtedly derives from them, the -majority of them fall into the hands of Jamrach and Cross, or other -keen dealers in foreign birds and beasts, when the ship reaches home. -For it is seldom poor Jack has a home whereto he may bring his pets. - - - - - THE SURVIVORS - - -Evening was just closing in, heralded by that indescribable feeling -of refreshment in the torrid air always experienced at sea near the -Equator when the sun is about to disappear. The men in the “crow’s -nests” were anxiously watching the declining orb, whose disappearance -would be the signal for their release from their tedious watch. But -to the chagrin of every foremast hand, before the sun had quite -reached the horizon, the officer up at the mainmast head, taking a -final comprehensive sweep with his glasses all around, raised the -thrilling cry of “Blo--o--o--o--w.” And despite the lateness of the -hour, in less than ten minutes four boats were being strenuously -driven in the direction of the just-sighted whale. Forgetting for -awhile their discontent at the prospect before them, the crews toiled -vigorously to reach their objective, although not a man of them but -would have rejoiced to lose sight of him. It was not so to be. At -another time he would probably have been startled by the clang of -the oars as they turned in the rowlocks, but now he seemed to have -lost his powers of apprehension, allowing us to come up with him -and harpoon him with comparative ease. The moment that he felt the -prick of the keen iron, all his slothfulness seemed to vanish, and -without giving one of the other boats a chance to get fast also, -he milled round to windward, and exerting all his vast strength, -rushed off into the night that came up to meet us like the opening -of some dim portal into the unknown. Some little time was consumed -in our preparations for the next stage of our proceedings, during -which the darkness came down upon us and shut us in with our prey, -blotting out our ship and the other boats from the stinted horizon -left to us, as if they had never been. By some oversight no compass -was in our boat, and, a rare occurrence in those latitudes, the sky -was overcast so that we could not see the stars. Also there was but -little wind, our swift transit at the will of the whale alone being -responsible for the breeze we felt. On, on we went in silence except -for the roar of the parted waters on either hand, and unable to see -anything but the spectral gleam ahead whenever the great mammal -broke water to spout. Presently the headlong rush through the gloom -began to tell upon everybody’s nerves, and we hoped, almost prayed -for a slackening of the relentless speed kept up by the monster we -had fastened ourselves to. The only man who appeared unmoved was the -second mate, who was in charge. He stood in the bows as if carved -in stone, one hand grasping his long lance and the other resting on -his hip, a stern figure whose only sign of life was his unconscious -balancing to the lively motion of the boat. Always a mystery to us -of the crew, he seemed much more so now, his inscrutable figure -dimly blotched against the gloom ahead, and all our lives in his -hand. For a year we had been in daily intercourse with him, yet we -felt that we knew no more of the man himself than on the first day -of our meeting. A strong, silent man, who never cursed us as the -others did, because his lightest word carried more weight than their -torrents of blasphemy, and withal a man who came as near the seaman’s -ideal of courage, resourcefulness, and tenacity as we could conceive -possible. Again and again, as we sped onwards through the dark, each -of us after his own fashion analysed that man’s character in a weary -purposeless round of confused thought, through the haze of which shot -with dread persistence the lurid phrase, “a lost boat.” How long we -had thus been driving blindly on none of us could tell--no doubt the -time appeared enormously prolonged--but when at last the ease-up came -we were all stiff with our long constraint of position. All, that -is, but Mr. Neville our chief, who, as if in broad day within a mile -of the ship, gave all the necessary orders for the attack. Again we -were baffled, for in spite of his unprecedented run the whale began -to sound. Down, down he went in hasteless determined fashion, never -pausing for an instant, though we kept all the strain on the line -that was possible, until the last flake of our 300 fathoms left the -tub, slithered through the harpooner’s fingers round the loggerhead, -and disappeared. Up flew the boat’s head with a shock that sent us -all flying in different directions, then all was silent. Only for -a minute. The calm grave tones of Mr. Neville broke the spell by -saying, “Make yourselves as comfortable as you can, lads, we can do -nothing till daylight but watch for the ship.” We made an almost -whispered response, and began our watch. But it was like trying -to peer through the walls of an unlit cellar, so closely did the -darkness hem us in. Presently down came the rain, followed by much -wind, until, notwithstanding the latitude, our teeth chattered with -cold. Of course we were in no danger from the sea, for except in the -rare hurricanes there is seldom any wind in those regions rising -to the force of a gale. But the night was very long. Nor did our -miserable anticipations tend to make our hard lot any easier. - -So low did we feel that when at last the day dawned we could not -fully appreciate the significance of that heavenly sight. As the -darkness fled, however, hope revived, and eager eyes searched every -portion of the gradually lightening ring of blue of which we were -the tiny centre. Slowly, fatefully, the fact was driven home to -our hearts that what we had feared was come to pass; the ship was -nowhere to be seen. More than that, we all knew that in that most -unfrequented stretch of ocean months might pass without signs of -vessel of any kind. There were six pounds of biscuits in one keg and -three gallons of water in another, sufficient perhaps at utmost need -to keep the six of us alive for a week. We looked in one another’s -faces and saw the fear of death plainly inscribed; we looked at Mr. -Neville’s face and were strengthened. Speaking in his usual tones, -but with a curiously deeper inflexion in them, he gave orders for -the sail to be set, and making an approximate course by the sun, -we steered to the N.W. Even the consolation of movement was soon -denied us, for as the sun rose the wind sank, the sky overhead -cleared and the sea glazed. A biscuit each and half-a-pint of -water was served out to us and we made our first meal, not without -secretly endeavouring to calculate how many more still remained to -us. At Mr. Neville’s suggestion we sheltered ourselves as much as -possible from the fierce glare of the sun, and to keep off thirst -poured sea-water over one another at frequent intervals. Our worst -trial for the present was inaction, for a feverish desire to be -doing--something--no matter what, kept our nerves twitching and -tingling so that it was all we could do to keep still. - -After an hour or two of almost unbroken silence Mr. Neville spoke, -huskily at first, but as he went on his voice rang mellow and -vibrant. “My lads,” he said, “such a position as ours has been -occupied many times in the history of the sea, as you all well -know. Of the scenes that have taken place when men are brought by -circumstances like these down from their high position in the scale -of Creation to the level of unreasoning animals, we need not speak; -unhappily such tragedies are too clearly present in the thoughts -of every one of us. But in the course of my life I have many times -considered the possibilities of some day being thus situated, and -have earnestly endeavoured to prepare myself for whatever it had in -store for me. We are all alike here, for the artificial differences -that obtain in the ordinary affairs of life have dropped away from -us, leaving us on the original plane of fellow-men. And my one hope -is, that although we be of different nationalities, and still more -widely different temperaments, we may all remember that so long as we -wrestle manfully with the beast that is crouching in every one of us, -we may go, if we must go, without shame before our God. For consider -how many of those who are safe on shore this day are groaning under a -burden of life too heavy to be borne, how many are seeking a refuge -from themselves by the most painful byways to death. I am persuaded, -and so are all of you, if you give it a thought, that death itself -is no evil; the anticipation of pain accompanying death is a malady -of the mind harder to bear by many degrees than physical torture. -What I dread is not the fact of having to die, although I love the -warm light, the glorious beauty of this world as much as a man may, -but that I may forget what I am, and disgrace my manhood by letting -myself slip back into the slough from which it has taken so many ages -to raise me. Don’t let us lose hope, although we need not expect a -miracle, but let each of us help the other to be a man. The fight -will be fierce but not long, and when it is won, although we may all -live many days after we shall not suffer. Another thing, perhaps -some of you don’t believe in any God, others believe mistily in -they know not what. For my part I believe in a Father-God from whom -we came and to whom we go. And I so think of Him that I am sure He -will do even for an atom like me that which is not only best for me -but best for the whole race of mankind as represented in me. He will -neither be cruel nor forget. Only I must endeavour to use the powers -of mind and body He has given me to the best advantage now that their -testing-time has come.” - -With eyes that never left that calm strong face we all hung upon -his words as if we were absorbing in some mysterious way from them -courage to endure. Of the five of us, two were Scandinavians, a -Swede and a Dane, one, the harpooner, was an American negro, one was -a Scotchman, and myself, an Englishman. Mr. Neville himself was an -American of old Puritan stock. When he left speaking there was utter -silence, so that each could almost hear the beating of the other’s -heart. But in that silence every man of us felt the armour of a high -resolve encasing him, an exalting courage uplifting him, and making -his face to shine. - -Again the voice of our friend broke the stillness, this time in a -stately song that none of us had ever heard before, “O rest in the -Lord!” From thenceforward he sang almost continually, even when his -lips grew parched with drought, although each of us tendered him -some of our scanty measure of water so that he might still cheer us. -Insensibly we leant upon him as the time dragged on, for we felt that -he was a very tower of strength to us. Five days and nights crept -away without any sign of change. Patience had become a habit with -us, and the scanty allowance of food and drink had so reduced our -vitality that we scarcely felt any pain. Indeed the first two days -were the worst. And now the doles became crumbs and drops, yet still -no anger, or peevishness even, showed itself. We could still smile -sanely and look upon each other kindly. Then a heavy downpour of -rain filled our water-breaker for us, giving us in the meantime some -copious draughts, which, although they were exquisitely refreshing -at the time, racked us with excruciating pains afterwards. The last -crumb went, and did not worry us by its going, for we had arrived by -easy stages at a physical and mental condition of acquiescence in the -steady approach of death that almost amounted to indifference. With a -strange exception; hearing and sight were most acute, and thought was -busy about a multitude of things, some of them the pettiest and most -trivial that could be imagined, and others of the most tremendous -import. Speech was difficult, impossible to some, but on the whole -we must have felt somewhat akin to the Hindu devotees who withdraw -themselves from mankind and endeavour to reduce the gross hamperings -of the flesh until they can enter into the conception of the unseen -verities that are about us on every side. What the mental wrestlings -of the others may have been they only knew; but to outward seeming we -had all been gently gliding down into peace. - -The end drew near. Nothing occurred to stay its approach. No bird -or fish came near enough to be caught until we were all past making -an effort had one been needed. We had lost count of time, so that -I cannot say how long our solitude had lasted, when one brilliant -night as I lay in a state of semi-consciousness, looking up into the -glittering dome above, I felt a hand touch me. Slowly I turned my -head, and saw the face of the negro-harpooner, who lay by my side. -I dragged my heavy head close to his and heard him whisper, “I’m a -goin’ an I’m glad. What he said wuz true. It’s as easy as goin’ ter -sleep. So long.” And he went. What passed thereafter I do not know, -for as peacefully as a tired man settles himself down into the cosy -embrace of a comfortable bed, heaving a sigh of utter content as -the embracing rest relaxes the tension of muscles and brain, I too -slipped down into dreamless slumber. - -I awoke in bitter pain, gnawing aches that left no inch of my body -unwrung. And my first taste of life’s return gave me a fierce feeling -of resentment that it would all have to be gone through again. -I felt no gratitude for life spared. That very night of my last -consciousness the whaler that rescued us must have been within a few -miles, for when we were sighted from her crow’s-nest at daybreak we -were so near that they could distinguish the bodies without glasses. -There were only three of us still alive, the fortunate ones who -had gone to their rest being Mr. Neville, the harpooner, and the -Swede. The rescuers said that except for the emaciated condition -of our bodies we all looked like sleepers. There were no signs of -pain or struggle. It was nearly two months before we who had thus -been brought back to a life of care and toil were able to resume -it, owing to our long cramped position as much as to our lack of -strength. I believe, too, that we were very slow in regaining that -natural will-to-live which is part of the animal equipment, and so -necessary to keep off the constant advances of death. And, like me, -my companions both felt that they could not be grateful for being -dragged back to life again. - - - - - BENEATH THE SURFACE - - -While the whaler to which I belonged was lying at Honolulu I one -day went ashore for a long ramble out of sight and hearing of the -numerous questionable amusements of the town, and late in the -afternoon found myself several miles to the southward of it. Emerging -from the tangled pathway through which I had been struggling with the -luxuriant greenery, I struck the sand of a lovely little bight that -commanded an uninterrupted view to seaward. Less than a mile out a -reef of black rocks occasionally bared their ugly fangs for a brief -space amidst the sleek waters, until the sleepily advancing swell, -finding its progress thus hindered, rose high over their grim summits -in a league-long fleece of dazzling foam, whose spray glittered like -jewels in the diagonal rays of the declining sun. - -Upon a little knoll left by the receding tide sat a man staring -stolidly out to sea. As I drew near, my approach making no noise -upon the yielding sand, I saw that he was white. By his rig--a -shirt and trousers, big grass hat, and bare feet--I took him -for a beach-comber. These characters are not often desirable -companions--human weeds cast ashore in such places, and getting a -precarious living in dark and devious ways without work. But I felt -inclined for company and a rest after my long tramp, so I made for -him direct. He raised his head at my nearing him, showing a grizzled -beard framing a weather-beaten face as of a man some sixty years old. -There was a peculiar, _boiled_ look about his face, too, as if he had -once been drowned, by no means pleasant to see. - -He gave me “Good evening!” cheerfully enough as I sat down beside -him and offered my plug of tobacco. Cutting himself a liberal quid, -he returned it with the query, “B’long ter wun er the spouters, I -persoom?” “Yes,” I replied; “boat-header in the _Cachalot_.” “Ah,” -he replied instantly, “but yew’re no Yank, neow, air ye?” “No, I’m a -Cockney--little as you may think _that_ likely,” said I; “but it’s a -fact.” “Wall, I don’no,” he drawled, “I’ve a-met Cockneys good’s I -want ter know; ’n’ why not?” - -The conversation then drifted desultorily from topic to topic in -an aimless, time-killing fashion, till at last, feeling better -acquainted, I ventured to ask him what had given him that glazy, -soaked appearance, so strange and ghastly to see. “Look a-heah, -young feller,” said he abruptly, “heouw old je reckon I mout be?” -Without the slightest hesitation I replied, “Sixty, or thereabouts.” -He gave a quiet chuckle, and then said slowly, “Wall, I doan’ blame -ye, nuther; ’n’ as to feelin’--wall, sumtimes I feel ’s if I’d ben -a-livin’ right on frum the beginnin’ ov things. My age, which ’s -about the one solid fact I kin freeze onter now’days, is thutty-two. -Yew won’t b’lieve it, of course; but thet’s nothin’ ter what ye -_will_ hear, ef yew wait awhile. - -“What I’m goin’ ter tell ye happened--lemme see--wall, I -doan’no--mebbe two, mebbe four er five year sence. I wuz mate of a -pearlin’ schooner b’longin’ ter Levuka, lyin’ daouwn to Rotumah. -Ware we’d ben workin’ the reef wuz middlin’ deep--deep ’nuf ter make -eour b’ys fall on deck when they come up with a load, ’n’ lie there -like dead uns fer ’bout ten minnits befo’ they k’d move ag’in. ’Twuz -slaughterin’ divin’; but the shell wuz thick, ’n’ no mistake; ’n’ -eour ole man wuz a hustler--s’long’s he got shell he didn’t vally -a few dern Kanakers peggin’ eout neow ’n’ then. We’d alost three -with sharks, ’n’ ef ’twan’t thet th’ b’ys wuz more skeered of old -Hardhead than they wuz of anythin’ else I doan reckon we sh’d a-got -any more stuff thet trip ’t all. But ’z he warn’t the kind er blossom -to play any games on, they kep’ at it, ’n’ we ’uz fillin’ up fast. -The land was ’bout ten mile off, ’n’ they wuz ’bout fifty, er mebbe -sixty fathom water b’tween the reef we wuz fishin’ on ’n’ the neares’ -p’int. Wall, long ’bout eight bells in the afternoon I uz a-stannin’ -by the galley door watchin’ a Kanaker crawlin’ inboard very slow, -bein’ ’most done up. Five er six ov ’em uz hangin’ roun’ ’bout ter -start below agen, ’n’ th’ ole man uz a-blarsfemion gashly at ’em -fer bein’ so slow. Right in the middle of his sermont I seed ’im go -green in the face, ’n’ make a step back from the rail, with both -hans helt up in front ov ’im ’s if he uz skeered ’most ter de’th. -’N’ he wuz, too. There cum lickin’ inboard after him a long grey -slitherin’ thing like a snake ’ith no head but a lot uv saucers stuck -onto it bottom up. ’N’ befo’ I’d time ter move, bein’ ’most sort er -paralised, several more ov the dern things uz a-sneakin’ around all -over the deck. The fust one got the skipper good ’n’ tight ’ith a -round turn above his arms, ’n’ I saw him a-slidin’ away. The schooner -wuz a-rollin’ ’s if in a big swell--which there warn’t a sign of, ’s -I c’d see. But them snaky grey things went quicker ’n’ thinkin’ all -over her, ’n’ befo’ yew c’d say ‘knife’ every galoot, includin’ me, -wuz agoin’ ’long with ’em back to where they’d come from. - -“Say, d’yew ever wake up all alive, ’cep’ yew couldn’ move ner speak, -only know all wuts goin’ on, ’n’ do the pow’flest thinkin’ ’bout -things yew ever did in yer life? Yes, ’n’ that’s haow I wuz then. -When thet cold gristly sarpint cum cuddlin’ roun’ me, ’n’ the saucers -got onto me ’s if they’d suck out me very bow’ls, I’d a gi’n Mount -Morgan ter died; but I couldn’t ev’n go mad. I saw the head ov the -Thing them arms b’long’d ter, ’n’ ’twuz wuss ’n the horrors, ’cause -I wuz sane ’n’ cool ’n’ collected. The eyes wuz black, ’n’ a foot or -more across, ’n’ when I looked into ’em I see meself a-comin’.” - -He was silent for a minute, but shaking as if with palsy. I laid my -hand on his arm, not knowing what to say, and he looked up wistfully, -saying, “Thenks, shipmate; thet’s good.” Then he went on again. - -“The whole thing went back’ards, takin’ us along; ’n I remember -thinkin’ ez we went of the other Kanakers below thet hedn’t come -back. I he’rd the bubbles ’s each of us left the sunshine, but never -a cry, never another soun’. The las’ thing I remember seein’ ’bove -me wuz th’ end of the schooner’s mainboom, which wuz guyed out to -larberd some, ’n’ looked like a big arm struck stiff an’ helpless, -though wishful to save. Down I went, that clingin’ snaky coil round -me tighter ’n my skin. But wut wuz strangest ter me wuz the fact -that not only I didn’t drown, but I felt no sort er disconvenience -frum bein’ below the water. ’N’ at last when I reached the coral, -though I dessay I looked corpse enough, ’twuz only my looks, fur I -felt, lackin’ my not bein’ able ter move, breathe, er speak, ez peart -’n’ fresh ez I dew naow. The clutch thet hed ben squeezin’ me so -all-fired tight begun to slack, ’n’ I felt more comf’ble; ’n’ ef ’t -’adn’t ben fer the reck’lection uv them eyes ’n’ thet berryin’-groun’ -ov a mouth, I doan’no but wut I might ha’ been a’most happy. But -I lay thar, with the rest uv my late shipmates, sort er ready fer -consumpshun, like the flies in the corner of a spider’s web; ’n’ thet -guv me a pow’ful heap ov a bad time. - -“After a while the quiet of the place begun ter breed strange noshuns -in my hed--jest like ’s if I wuz dreamin’, though wide awake ’s ever -I wuz in all my life. I jest ’peared to be ’way back at the beginnin’ -uv things, befo’ they wuz anythin’ else but water, ’n’ wut life there -wuz in them early days hed ter dew ’ithout air er sun er light. I’d -read the Bible some--not ter say frequent, ’n’, bein’ but a poor -skollar, Jennersez wuz ’bout ’s fur ’s I got. But onct a Blue-nose -I uz shipmates with wuz pow’ful fond uv one er the Bible yarns he -called the Book of Jobe, ’n’ he use’ ter read thet off ter me ’twell -I nearly got it through my he’d solid. Anyway, much ov it kem back -ter me neow--bits ’beout the foundayshons ov the world, ’n’ the -boun’s ov the sea, ’n’ suchlike. - -“’N’ all the time overright me in the mouth ov a gret cave, with them -res’less thutty-foot feelers ever a-twistin’ ’n’ wrigglin’ aroun’, -wuz the Thing itself, them awful eyes jest a-showin’, like moons made -ov polished jet, in the dimness. Some ov my shipmates wuz gone, the -skipper among ’em; but some, like me, wuz layin’ quiet ’n’ straight; -while all about us the fish, ov every shape ’n’ size, wuz a-gliden’ -slow ’n’ stealthy, like as if ever on the watch ’gainst some enemy er -anuther. - -“It seemed so long I laid thar thet I felt able to remember every -bush ’n’ bough ov coral, every boulder, that in queerest shapes yew -ever see lay scattered aroun’. At last, never havin’ quite los’ sight -of thet horrible ungodly Thing in the cave yander, I see It kem eout. -I never knowed thar wuz a God till then. Sence thet time, whenever I -hear some mouthy critter _provin’_ ez he calls it, poor child! thet -ther ain’t, ’n’ cain’t be, any God, I feel thet sorry fer him I c’d -jest sail right in ’n’ lam the foggy blether out’n his fool-skull. -But ez I wuz a-sayin, eout kem the Thing till I see the hull gret -carcass ov It, bigger ’n the bigges’ sparm whale I ever see, jest a -haulin’ ’n’ a warpin’ along by them wanderin’ arms over the hills ’n’ -hallers ov the reef t’ords me. It floated between me ’n’ wut light -ther wuz, which wuz suthin’ ter be thankful fer, fer I’d a gi’n my -life ter be able to shet my eyes from it ’n’ wut wuz comin’. It hung -right over me, ’n’ I felt the clingin’ suckers closin’ all aroun’ -me, when all of a sudden they left me ag’in. The gret black shadder -moved ter one side ’n’ daown through that clear water cum a sparm -whale, graceful ’n’ easy’s an albacore. I never thought much of old -squar’head’s looks before, but I’m tellin’ ye, _then_ he looked like -a shore-nough angel ’longside thet frightful crawlin’ clammy bundle -of sea sarpients. - -“But I hedn’t much time ter reflec’, fer thet whale had come on -bizness, ’n’ ther wa’n’t any percrastinatin’ ’bout him. When he -got putty cluss up to the Thing that wuz backin’ oneasily away, he -sorter rounded to like a boat comin’ ’longside, only ’sted ov comin’ -roun’ he come over, clar he’d over flukes. His jaw wuz hangin’ daown -baout twenty foot with all the big teeth a shinin’, ’n’ next I -knew he’d got thet gol-durned Thing in his mouth with a grip right -behin’ them awful Eyes. Roun’ come the tangle of arms like the sails -of a windmill lacin’, clutchin’, tearin’ at the whale’s head. But -they might so well hev hugged the Solander Rock. It made no sorter -diffrunce ter him, ’n’ his jaw kep’ on workin’ fer all it wuz worth -a-sawin’ off the tremenjus he’d of the Thing. Then the light went -eout. My gosh! thet water wuz jest turned inter ink, ’n’ though yew -c’d feel the sway ’n’ swirl ov thet gret struggle like the screw race -ov some big liner ther wa’n’t nothin’ ter be seen. So I reckon the -Thing I’d been puzzlin’ ter fine a name fer wuz jest the Gret Mogul -ov all the cuttle-fish, ’n’ bein’ kinder hard prest wuz a-sheddin’ -the hull contents ov his ink-tank. - -“Wall, I wuz sorter int’rested in this mush ’n’ very much wanted ter -see it through, but thet satisfacshun wuz denied me. All the churnin’ -’n’ thrashin’ went on jest above me in pitch-dark ’n’ grave-quiet. -Bimeby the water ceased to bile aroun’ ’n’ got clearer, till after -a while I c’d see gret shadders above movin’ swiffly. The sea took -on anuther colour quite femiliar ter me, sorter yaller, a mixin’ ov -red ’n’ blue. Funniest thing wuz the carm way I wuz a takin’ ov it -all, jest like a man lookin’ out’n a b’loon at a big fight, er a -spectayter in a g’lanty show hevin’ no pusnal concern in the matter -’t all. Presently sneakin along comes a white streak cluss ter me. -Long befo’ it touched me I knew it fer wut it wuz, ’n’ then I wuz in -de’dly fear less the hope uv life after all sh’d rouse me eout uv -thish yer trance or whatever it wuz. ’Twuz a whale-line frum some -whaleship’s boat a-fishin’ overhe’d. It kem right to me. It teched -me ’n’ I felt ’s’if I must come to ’n’ die right there ’n’ then. But -it swep’ right under me, ’n’ then settled daown coil after coil till -I wuz fair snarled erp in it. By this time the water’d got so soupy -thet I could’n’ see nothin’, but ’twa’n’t long befo’ I felt myself -a-risin’--eout uv the belly uv Hell ez Jonah sez. - -“Up I kem at a good lick till all uv a sudden I sees God’s light, -smells His air, ’n’ hears voices uv men. Gosh, but wa’n’t they -gallied when they see me. Blame ef I did’n’ half think they’d lemme -go ag’in. The fust one ter git his brains ter work wuz the bow -oarsman, a nigger, who leaned over the gunnel, his face greeny-grey -with fright, ’n’ grabbed me by the hair. Thet roused the rest, ’n’ I -wuz hauled in like a whiz. Then their tongues got ter waggin’, ’n’ -yew never heard so many fool things said in five minutes outside er -Congress. - -“It didn’ seem ter strike any ov ’em thet I moutn’t be so very -dead after all, though fortnitly fer me they conclooded ter take -me aboard with ’em. So I laid thar in the bottom ov the boat while -they finished haulin’ line. Ther wuz a clumsy feller among ’em thet -made a slip, hittin’ me an ugly welt on the nose as he wuz fallin’. -Nobody took any notice till presently one ov ’em hollers, ‘Why dog my -cats ef thet corpse ain’t got a nosebleed.’ This startled ’em all, -fer I never met a galoot so loony ez ter think a de’d man c’d bleed. -Hows’ever they jest lit eout fer the ship like sixty ’n’ h’isted me -aboard. ’Twuz er long time befo’ they got my works a-tickin’ ag’in, -but they done it at last, ’n’ once more I wuz a livin’ man amon’ -livin’ men. - -“Naow ov course yew doan’ b’lieve my yarn--yew cain’t, tain’t in -nacher, but, young feller, thar’s an all-fired heap o’ things in the -world that cain’t be beleft in till yew’ve ’speriunced ’em yerself -thet ’s trew’s gospel fer all thet.” - -I politely deprecated his assumption of my disbelief in his yarn, but -my face belied me, I know; so, bidding him “S’long” with a parting -present of my plug of tobacco (it was all I had to give), I left him -and by the failing light made all speed I could back to my ship. - - - - - BY WAY OF AMENDS - - -Hans Neilsen was a big Dane, with a great wave of blond beard -blowing from just below his pale blue eyes, and a leonine head -covered with a straw-coloured mane. Although he was a giant in -stature he was not what you would call a fine figure of a man, for -he was round-shouldered and loosely jointed. And besides these -things he had a shambling, undecided gait and a furtive side-long -glance, ever apparently searching for a potential foe. Yet with all -his peculiarities I loved him, I never knew why. Perhaps it was -the unfailing instinct of a child--I was scarcely more--for people -whose hearts are kind. He was an A.B. on board of a lumbering old -American-built ship owned in Liverpool and presently bound thence -to Batavia. I was “the boy”--that is to say, any job that a man -could possibly growl himself out of or shirk in any way rapidly -filtered down to me, mine by sea-right. And in my leisure I had the -doubtful privilege of being body servant to eighteen men of mixed -nationalities and a never-satisfied budget of wants. Of course she -wasn’t as bad as a Geordie collier, the old _Tucson_. I didn’t -get booted about the head for every little thing, nor was I ever -aroused out of a dead sleep to hand a fellow a drink of water who -was sitting on the breaker. Nevertheless, being nobody’s especial -fancy and fully conscious of my inability to take my own part, I was -certainly no pampered menial. - -They were a queer lot, those fellows. Nothing strange in that, of -course, so far, remembering how ships’ crews are made up nowadays, -but these were queer beyond the average. In the first place no two -of them were countrymen. There were representatives of countries -I had till then been ignorant of. The “boss” of the fo’c’s’le was -a huge Montenegrin, who looked to my excited fancy like a bandit -chief, and used to talk in the worst-sounding lingo I ever heard -with Giuseppe from Trieste and Antone from Patras. Louis Didelot, -a nimble black-avised little _matelot_ from Nantes, was worst -off for communication with his shipmates, not one of whom could -speak French, but somehow he managed to rub along with a barbarous -compound of French, Spanish, and English. Neilsen chummed, as far -as an occasional chat went, with a swarthy little Norwegian from -Hammerfest (I believe he was a Lapp), whose language did not seem to -differ much from Danish. The rest of the crew were made up of negroes -from various far-sundered lands, South American hybrids including -one pure-blooded Mexican with a skin like copper, a Russian and -two Malays. That fo’c’s’le was Babel over again, although in some -strange manner all seemed to find some sufficient medium for making -themselves understood. On deck of course English (?) was spoken, -but such English as would puzzle the acutest linguist that ever -lived if he wasn’t a sailor-man too. Nothing could have borne more -conclusive testimony to the flexibility of our noble tongue than the -way in which the business of that ship was carried on without any -hitch by those British officers and their polyglot crew. And another -thing--there were no rows. I have said that Sam the Montenegrin -(Heaven only knows what his name really was) was the boss of the -fo’c’s’le, but he certainly took no advantage of his tacitly accorded -position, and except for the maddening mixture of languages our -quarters were as quiet as any well-regulated household. - -But as long as I live I shall always believe that most, if not all, -of our fellows were fugitives from justice, criminals of every stamp, -and owing to the accident of their being thus thrown together in an -easy-going English ship they were just enjoying a little off-season -of rest prior to resuming operations in their respective departments -when the voyage was over. I may be doing them an injustice, but as -I picked up fragments of the various languages I heard many strange -things, which, when I averaged them up, drove me to the conclusion I -have stated. From none of them, however, did I get anything definite -in the way of information about their past except Neilsen. He spoke -excellent English, or American, with hardly a trace of Scandinavian -accent, and often, when sitting alone in the dusk of the second -dog-watch on the spars lashed along by the bulwarks, I used to hear -him muttering to himself in that tongue, every now and then giving -vent to a short barking laugh of scorn. I was long getting into his -confidence, for he shrank from all society, preferring to squat with -his chin supported on both hands staring at vacancy and keeping up an -incessant muttering. But at last the many little attentions I managed -to show him thawed his attitude of reserve towards me a little, and -he permitted me to sit by his side and prattle to him of my Arab life -in London, and of my queer experiences in the various ways of getting -something to eat before I went to sea. Even then he would often scare -me just as I was in the middle of a yarn by throwing up his head and -uttering his bark of disdain, following it up immediately by leaving -me. Still I couldn’t be frightened of him, although I felt certain -he was a little mad, and I persevered, taking no notice of his -eccentricities. At last we became great friends, and he would talk -to me sanely by the hour, when during the stillness of the shining -night-watches all our shipmates, except the helmsman and look-out -man, were curled up in various corners asleep. - -So matters progressed until we were half-way up the Indian Ocean -from St. Paul’s. One night in the middle watch I happened to say -(in what connection I don’t know), “It’s my birthday to-day. I’m -thirteen.” “Why, what day is it den?” he said listlessly. “The 25th -of June,” I replied. “My God! my God!” he murmured softly, burying -his face in his hands and trembling violently. I was so badly scared -I could say nothing for a few minutes, but sat wondering whether the -moon, which was literally blazing down upon us out of the intense -clearness above, had affected his weak brain. Presently he seemed to -get steadier, and I ventured to touch his arm and say, “Ain’t you -well, Neilsen? Can I get you anythin’?” There was silence for another -short spell. Then he suddenly lifted his head, and said, not looking -at me, but straight before him, “Yes, I vill tell him. I must tell -him.” Then, still without looking at me, he went on--“Boy, I’m goin’ -t’ tell ye a yarn about myself, somethin’ happened to me long time -ago. Me an’ my chum, a little Scotch chap, was ’fore de mast aboard -of a Yank we’d shipped in in Liverpool. She wuz a reg’lar blood-boat. -You’ve herd o’ de kind, I ’spose, no watch an’ watch all day, -everythin’ polished ’n painted till you c’d see y’r face in it ’low -and aloft. Ole man ’n three mates alwas pradin’ roun’ ’ith one han’ -on their pistol pockets ’n never a ’norder give widout a ‘Gaw-dam-ye’ -to ram it down like. I tell ye wot ’tis; sailors offen tawk ’bout -hell erflote, but der ain’t menny off ’em knows wot it means, leest -not nowdays. I’ve sailed in de packets, the Westerun oshun boats I -mean, under some toughs, ’fore steam run ’em off, an’ I ’low dey wuz -hard--forrard’s well’s aft--but, boy, dey wuz church, dey wuz dat, -’longside the ’_Zekiel B. Peck_. W’y! dey tort nuttin’, nuttin ’tall, -ov scurfin’ ye way frum de wheel, you a doin’ yer damdest too, ter -pint her troo d’ eye ov a needle, ’n lammin’ th’ very Gawdfergotten -soul out ov yer jest ter keep der ’and in like. I wuz a dam site -biggern dose days den I am now, fur I wuz straight ez a spruce tree -’n limber too, I wuz; but I got my ’lowance reglar ’n took it lyin’ -down too like de rest. ’N so I s’pose ’twoud a gone on till we got -to ’Frisco an’ de blood-money men come and kicked us out ov her as -ushal. Only suthin’ happend. Seems ter me suthin’s alwus a happenin’ -wot ye ain’t recknd on, but sum things happen like ’s if de devil -jammed a crowbar inter ye somewheres ’n hove de bes’ part of ye inter -hell wile de rest ov ye goes a grubbin’ along everlastingly lookin’ -fer wot ye lost an’ never findin’ it. Well,’twuz like dis; we wuz -a creepin’ along up de coast ov Lower California, de weadder bein’ -beastly, nuttin’ but one heavy squall on top of anoder, ’n de wind -a flyin’ all round de compass. It wuz all han’s, all han’s night’n -day, wid boot ’n blayin’ pin ter cheer us up, till we wuz more like a -crowd o’ frightend long-shoremen dan a crew o’ good sailor-men. One -forenoon,’bout seven bells, we’d ben a shortenin’ down at de main ’n -wuz all a comin’ down helter-skelter, de mate n’ tird mate standin’ -by in the skuppers as ushal to belt each man as he touched de deck -fer not bein’ smarter. I come slidin’ down de topmast backstays ’n -dropped on to de deck jest be’ind de mate as Scotty, my chum, landed -in front ov him. De mate jest let out and fetched Scotty in the ear. -Pore ole chap, he flung up his arms, ’n spoutin’ blood like a whale, -dropped all ov a heap in his tracks. I don’t rightly know how ’twuz, -but next ting I’d got de mate (’n he wuz nearly as big as Sam) by de -two ankles, a swingin’ him roun’ my head ’sif he wuz a capsan-bar. He -hit sometin’, I spose it wuz de topsl-halliard block, ’n it sounded -like a bag ov eggs. De rest ov de purceedins wuz all foggy like to -me, ’cept dat I was feelin’ ’bout as big ’n strong as twenty men -rolled inter one ’n I seemed ter be a smashin’ all creation into -bloody pieces. I herd de poppin’ ov revolver shots in hunderds, but -I didn’t feel none ov ’em. Presently it all quieted down ’n dere -wuz me a settin’ on de deck in de wash ov de lee scuppers a nursin’ -Scotty like a baby ’n him a lookin’ up at me silly-like. The ship -was all aback an de rags ov most ov the canvas wuz slattin’ ’n -treshin’ like bullock whips, while long pennants of canvas clung to -de riggin’ all over her. I put Scotty down ’n gets up on my feet to -hev a look roun’. De deck was like a Saladero, dead bodies a lyin’ -about in all directions. Seein’ Scotty standin’ up holdin’ on ter de -pin-rail I sez to him, ‘Scotty, what in hell’s de matter, hev we ben -struck by lightnin’?’ He jest waggled his head ’sif he wuz drunk ’n -sez, ‘Yes, chum, I guess we hev. Ennyhow I’m glad ter see it’s hit -de right ones.’ ’N den he laughed. ‘Sounded like breakin’ dishes it -did.’ Well, I begun to git scared ’cause I couldn’t sort it out at -all, until some ov de other fellers come from somewhere, ’n we sot -down along de spars while dey told me, all de while keepin’ deir -eyes on me, ’n lookin’ ’s if dey wuz ready to git up and scoot if I -moved. It ’peared I’d simply sailed in ’sif I’d ben made of iron, -’n slaughtered dem officers right an’ left with nottin’ but me bare -hands ’n takin’ no more notice of deir six-shooters dan if dey’d -ben pea-guns. I wonderd wot made me feel so stiff an’ sore here and -dere, seems I’d got two or tree bullets plugged inter me while we -wuz playin’ de game. ’N right in de dick of it, down comes a reglar -hurrikin squall ketchin’ her flat aback ’n rippin de kites offn her -’sif dey wuz paper. Most o’ de fellers, seein’ de hand I had, chipped -in, ’n two ov em laid quiet ’longside ov de der corpses. It wuz a -reglar clean sweep. All tree mates, carpenter, and stooard, _an’_ de -ole man, blast him, wuz dead, ’n dey said I’d killed em all. Well, I -cou’dn’t conterdickt em, but somehow I didn’t feel s’if ’twas true, -I didn’t feel bothered a bit about it, ’n as ter feelin’ sorry--why -I wuz just as contented as a hog in a corn-bin. But sometin’ had ter -be done fer we none of us tought de late officers ov de ’_Zekiel B. -Peck_ wort hangin’ fur, so we made shift to run her in fur de land, -due East. When we got widin twenty mile ov it we pervisioned a couple -ov boats an’ set fire to her, waitin’ till she got well a goin’, -’n den lowerin ’n pullin’ fur de beach. We didn’t take nuttin’ but -some grub, dere warnt a pirut among us, an we ’ranged ter separate -soon’s we got ashore, after we’d smashed de boats up. It come off -all right, ’n me and Scotty wandered up country till we got steady -work on a ranch (sort o’ farm) an’ we ’lowed we wouldn’t never go to -sea no more. We wuz very happy for ’bout a year until Scotty begun -ter weaken on me. He’d picked up wid some gal at a place a few mile -off ’n I wuz out of it. He useter leave me alone night after night, -knowin’ he wuz all de world ter me, knowin’ too det I’d gin a good -many men’s blood fer his’n. Last we fell out, ’n after a many words -’d been slung between us, he upn and call me a bloody murderer. ’Twuz -all over in a second, ’n I wuz nussin’ him in my arms agen like I did -once before, but his head hung over limp, his neck wuz broke. ’N I -ben talkin’ to him ever sence ’n tellin’ him how I’d gin forty lives -ef I had’m ter see him chummy wit me agen, but I never get no answer.” - -He stopped, and almost immediately “eight bells” struck. I went below -and slept my allotted time, waking at the hoarse row of “Now then you -sleepers, seven bells,” to get the breakfast in. The morning passed -in humdrum fashion, the wind having dropped to almost a dead calm. -After dinner I was looking over the side at the lovely cool depths -smiling beneath, and the fancy suddenly seized me to have a dip, as -I had often done before, although never in that ship. I could swim, -but very little, so I made a bowline in the end of a rope, and making -it fast so that about a couple of fathoms would trail in the water, I -stripped in the chains, slipped the bowline over my head and under my -arms, and slid down into the sea. It was just heavenly. But I found -the ship was slipping along through the water just a little. So much -the better. Putting my left arm out like an oar I sheered away from -the side until the rope that held me was out straight, and there was -a wide gap of blue between me and the black hull of the ship. I was -enjoying myself in perfect fashion when suddenly I saw a huge black -shadow stealing upward from under the ship’s bottom towards me, and -immediately, my bowels boiling with fear, I lost all my strength, -my arms flew up and I slipped out of the loop. I heard a splash, -and close beside me an awful struggle began while I lay in full -possession of all my senses, just floating without motion. Neilsen -had sprung into the sea and seized the shark by the tail, being all -unarmed. Suddenly I felt the coils of a rope fall upon me, and with a -sense of returning life I clutched them, and was presently hauled on -board. I must have fainted, for when I again realised my surroundings -Neilsen was lying on deck near me, a wide red stream creeping slowly -down from him to the scuppers. Opening his eyes as I staggered to my -feet, he said feebly, “Dis’ll pay, won’t it, boy?” and died. - - - - - THE MYSTERY OF THE “SOLANDER” - - -Towering in lonely majesty for two thousand feet above the blue -waters of Foveaux Strait, the mighty mass of the Solander Rock seems -to dominate that stormy region like some eternal sentinel set to hail -the coming of the flying fleets of the northern hemisphere to the -brave new world of New Zealand. To all appearance it is perfectly -inaccessible, its bare weather-stained sides, buffeted by the -tempests of ages, rising sheer from a depth of hundreds of fathoms -without apparently a ledge or a crevice wherein even a goat could -find precarious foothold. Not that landing would be practicable even -were there any jutting shelves near the water’s edge; for exposed as -the rock is to the full range of the Southern Ocean, it must perforce -meet continually with the effects of all the storms that are raging -right round the southern slopes of this planet of ours, since there -is absolutely nothing to hinder their world-engirdling sweep in those -latitudes. Even when, as happens at rare intervals, the unwearying -west wind stays for a brief space its imperial march to meet the -rising sun, and the truce of storm and sea broods over the deep in -a hush like the peace of God, the glassy bosom of the ocean still -undulates as if with the throbbing of earth’s heart, a pulse only -to be timed by the horology of Creation. That almost imperceptible -upheaval of the sea-surface, meeting in its gliding sweep with the -Solander Rock, rises in wrathful protest, the thunders of its voice -being audible for many miles; while torn into a thousand whirling -eddies, its foaming crests chafe and grind around the steadfast -base of the solitary mountain, in a series of overfalls that would -immediately destroy any vessel of man’s building that became involved -therein. And this in a stark calm. But in a gale, especially one -that is howling from Antarctica to Kerguelen--from Tristan d’Acunha -to the Snares--over the most tremendous waste of waters this earth -can show, then is the time to see the Solander. Like a never-ending -succession of mountain ranges with snowy summits and gloomy -declivities streaked with white, the storm waves of the Southern Sea -come rushing on. Wide opens the funnel of Foveaux Strait before them, -fifty miles from shore to shore at its mouth, and in its centre, -confronting them alone, stands the great Rock. They hurl themselves -at its mass, their impact striking a deeper note than that of the -storm; as if the foundations of the earth were jarred and sent upward -through all her strata a reply to the impetuous ocean. Baffled, -dashed into a myriad hissing fragments, the sea recoils until the -very root-hold of the rock is revealed to the day, and its strange -inhabitants blink glassily at the bright glare of the sun. Then are -the broken masses of the beaten wave hurled aloft by the scourging -wind until the topmost crag streams with the salt spray and all -down the deeply-scored sides flows the foaming brine. So fierce and -continuous is the assault that the Rock is often invisible, despite -its huge mass, for hours together, or only dimly discernible through -the spindrift like a sombre spectre, the gigantic spirit of the -storm. Only the western face of the Solander is thus assaulted. For -to the eastward the Straits narrow rapidly until at their outlet -there is but two or three miles of open water. Therefore that side -of the Rock is always comparatively peaceful above high-water mark. -During the fiercest storm, the wind, meeting this solid obstruction, -recoils from itself, making an invisible cushion of air all around -the mountain, within the limits of which it is calm except on the -side remote from the wind, where a gentle return breeze may be felt. -But down below a different state of things prevails. The retreat of -the mighty waves before that immovable bastion drags after them all -the waters behind it, so that there is created a whirlpool that need -fear no comparison with the Maelström. Its indraught may be felt at a -great distance, and pieces of wreckage are collected by it until the -tormented waters are bestrewn with débris twirling in one mad dance -about those polished cliffs. - -It is therefore easy to understand why the Solander Rock is left -lonely. Passing merchantmen give it a wide berth, wisely judging the -vicinity none too safe. Fishermen in this region there are none. -Only the whalers, who knew the western end of Foveaux Straits as one -of the most favourite haunts of the sperm whale, cruised about and -about it for weeks and months at a stretch, like shadowy squadrons of -a bygone day irresistibly held in a certain orbit by the attraction -of the great Rock and doomed to weave sea-patterns around it for -ever. One by one they have disappeared until now there are none left, -and the Solander alone keeps the gate. - -Now at a certain period of a long voyage I once made as a seaman -on board a South Sea “Spouter,” it befell that we descended from -the balmy latitudes near the Line, where we had been cruising for -many months with little success, to see whether better luck might -await us on the stormy Solander “ground.” From the first day of our -arrival there the old grey mountain seemed to exercise a strange -fascination upon the usually prosaic mind of our elderly skipper. Of -romance or poetic instinct he did not seem to possess a shade, yet -for many an hour he would lean motionless over the weather rail, his -keen eyes steadily fixed upon the sphinx-like mass around which we -slowly cruised. He was usually silent as if dumb, but one morning -when we were about ten miles to the westward of the Rock, I happened -to be at the wheel as the sun was rising. The skipper was lolling -over the quarter, pipe in mouth, his chin supported upon his left -hand, apparently lost in thought. Suddenly the dark outlines of the -Rock became illuminated, the abrupt angles of its crags took on a -shimmering haze of tenderest glow, while from the jagged summits a -lovely coronal of radiant colour shot forth delicate streamers into -the clear morning sky. Towards us from the Rock’s black base crept -a mighty sombre shadow whose edges were so dazzling in brilliance -as to be painful to look upon. As this marvellous picture caught my -dull eyes I held my breath, while a strange tightening of the skin -over my head bore witness to the awe I felt. Then the skipper spoke, -unconscious I believe that he was uttering his thoughts aloud--“Great -God! haouw merv’llous air Thy works. The hull airth an’ the sea also -ez full o’ Thy glory.” There was utter silence again while the glow -deepened into blazing gold, crimson lances radiated from the central -dark into the deep blue around until they mellowed off into emerald -and violet, and then--the culminating point of the vision--the -vast fervent disc of the sun crowned the mountain with a blaze of -ineffable splendour. - -Meanwhile we were steadily nearing the Rock, and as the wind freed -a point or two we headed straight for its centre, the vessel being -close-hauled on the starboard tack. The bright day came full circle, -the ordinary everyday duties of the ship began, but still the skipper -moved not, still I steered directly for the mountain’s broad base. I -noted several curious glances cast by the two busy officers, first -at the Rock and then at the motionless skipper, but they offered no -remarks. Nearer and nearer we drew until a great black space opened -up in the centre of the huge cliffs, looking like some enormous cave -extending far into the heart of the mountain as we rapidly lessened -our distance from it, and what was at first only a supposition -became a certainty--that enormous mass of rock was hollow. At last -when we were within a mile of it the skipper ordered me to keep her -away a couple of points, and had the yards checked in a little. -Then, binocular in hand, he mounted to the main-top and gazed long -and earnestly into the gloom of that tremendous cavern, whose floor -was at least fifty feet above high-water mark. In and out of it -flew a busy company of sea-birds, their snow-white wings gleaming -brightly against the dark background. We were so close now that we -could hear the sullen murmur of the restless waters about the base of -those wall-like cliffs, and even with the unassisted eye could see -a considerable distance within. Much anxiety began to be manifested -by all except the skipper, for everybody knew well how strong an -inset is always experienced in such positions. And as we got dead to -leeward of the rock we lost the wind--it was shut off from us by that -immense barrier. All hands were now on deck, and as “eight bells” was -struck the crisp notes came back to us with startling distinctness -from the innermost recesses of the great cavern. It was undoubtedly -a trying moment for us all, for we did not know what was going to -happen. But the old man descended leisurely, saying to the mate as -his foot touched the deck, “I’d give five hundred dollars to be able -to look round that ther hole. Ef thar ain’t suthin’ on-common to it -I’m a hoss.” “Wall, Cap’n,” answered Mr. Peck, “I guess one o’ these -yer Kanakas ’d hev’n all-fired hard dig at it fur a darn sight less -’n that. But doan’ ye think we mout so well be gittin’ a bit ov’n -offin’? I’m er soshibul man m’self, ’n thet’s a fack, but I’ll be -gol durned ef I wouldn’t jest ’s lieve be a few mile further away ’s -not.” As he spoke the reflex eddy of the wind round the other side -of the rock filled our head sails and we paid off to leeward smartly -enough. A sensation of relief rippled through all hands as the -good old tub churned up the water again and slipped away from that -terribly dangerous vicinity. - -The old man’s words having been plainly heard by several of us, -there was much animated discussion of them during that forenoon -watch below to the exclusion of every other topic. As many different -surmises were set afloat as to what the mystery of that gloomy abyss -might be as there were men in our watch, but finally we all agreed -that whatever it was the old man would find a way to unravel it if -it was within the range of human possibility. A week passed away, -during which the weather remained wonderfully fine, a most unusual -occurrence in that place. A big whale was caught, and the subsequent -proceedings effectually banished all thoughts of the mystery from -our minds for the time; but when the ship had regained her normal -neatness and the last traces of our greasy occupation had been -cleared away, back with a swing came the enthralling interest in that -cave. Again we headed up for the rock with a failing air of wind -that finally left us when we were a scant two miles from it. Then -two sturdy little Kanakas, who had lately been holding interminable -consultations with each other, crept aft and somehow made the old -man understand that they were willing to attempt the scaling of that -grim ocean fortress. Their plan of campaign was simple. A boat was -to take them in as close as was prudent, carrying three whale lines, -or over 5000 feet. Each of them would have a “Black fish poke” or -bladder which is about as big as a four-gallon cask, and when fully -inflated is capable of floating three men easily. They would also -take with them a big coil of stout fishing-line which when they took -the water they would pay out behind them, one end being secured to -the boat. Thus equipped, they felt confident of being able to effect -a landing. Without hesitation, such was his burning desire to know -more about that strange place, he accepted the brave little men’s -offer. No time was lost. In less than a quarter of an hour all was -ready, and away went the boat, manned by five of our best men and -steered by the skipper himself. She was soon on the very margin -of safety, and without a moment’s hesitation away went the daring -darkies. Like seals they dodged the roaring eddies, as if amphibious, -they slacked off their bladders and dived beneath the ugly combers -that now and then threatened to hurl them against the frowning face -of the rock. Suddenly one of them disappeared entirely. We thought -he had been dashed to pieces and had sunk, but almost immediately -the other one vanished also. Hardly a breath was drawn among us, our -hearts stood still. The skipper’s face was a study in mental agony. -Silently he signed to us to pull a stroke or two although already we -were in a highly dangerous position. What we felt none of us could -describe when, sending all the blood rushing to our heads, we heard -an eldritch yell multiplied indefinitely by a whole series of echoes. -And there high above our heads on the brink of the cave stood the two -gallant fellows apparently frantic with delight. A big tear wandered -reluctantly down each of the skipper’s rugged cheeks as he muttered -“Starn all,” and in obedience to his order the boat shot seaward a -few lengths into safety. Thus we waited for fully an hour, while the -two Kanakas were invisible, apparently busy with their explorations. -At last they appeared again, holding up their hands as if to show -us something. Then they shouted some indistinct words which by the -gestures that accompanied them we took to mean that they would now -return. Again they disappeared, but in less than five minutes we saw -them battling with the seething surf once more. Now we could help -them, and by hauling steadily on the fishing-lines we soon had them -in the boat and were patting their smooth brown backs. They said that -they had found a sort of vertical tunnel whose opening was beneath -the water, which they had entered by diving. It led right up into the -cave, which was of tremendous extent, so large, in fact, that they -had not explored a tenth of it. But not far from its entrance they -had found the bones of a man! By his side lay a sheath-knife and a -brass belt buckle. Nothing more. And the mystery of the Solander was -deeper than ever. We never again attempted its solution. - - - - - OUR AMPHIBIOUS ARMY - - -Once more the logic of events is compelling the attention of all -and sundry to the fact, hardly realised by the great majority -of people, that in the personnel of the Navy we have a force of -warriors that on land as well as at sea have not their equals in the -world. The overwhelming preponderance of our naval power deprives -these magnificent men of the opportunity to show an astounded world -what they are capable of on their own element; how they can handle -the terrible engines of war with which modern engineering science -has equipped them; but in spite of the fact that as a nation we -know little of the doings of our new Navy upon the sea, there is -undoubtedly a solid simple faith in its absolute pre-eminence. Like -the deeds of all true heroes, the work of our sailors is done out -of sight; there are no applauding crowds to witness the incessant -striving after perfection that goes on in our ships of war. We rarely -see a company of bluejackets ashore unless we have the good fortune -to live at some of the ports favoured by men-o’-war. There, if we -feel interested, we may occasionally get a glimpse of a drill-party -landed, and watch the way in which Jack handles himself and his -weapons freed from the hampering environment of his ship’s decks. -And to those who enjoy the spectacle of a body of men at the highest -pitch of physical development, clothed in garments that permit the -utmost freedom of limb, and actuated every one by an intelligent -desire after perfection, the sight is worth any trouble to obtain. -Really, it is “heady” as strong wine. To the dash and enthusiasm of -public-school boys the men unite an intense pride in their profession -and an intellectual obedience that is amazing to the beholder. - -Yet it should be remembered that shore-drill is for them only a -small interlude, an occasional break in the constant stream of -duties that claims every unit on board of a man-o’-war throughout -each working day. There is so very much to do in the keeping up to -perfect fitness of the vast complication of a modern ship of war that -only the most careful organisation and apportionment of duties makes -the performance possible. But sandwiched in between such routine -work comes so great a variety of marine evolutions that the mind is -staggered to contemplate them. It would be well for all landsmen -reading of the doings of a Naval Brigade ashore to remember this--to -bear in mind that if Jack excels as a soldier, preparation for which -duty is made in the merest fag-ends and scraps of his time, he is -superexcellent in the performance of his main business, which he does -in the privacy of the sea, with only the approval of his superior -officers--and his pride in the British Navy--to encourage him. How -would it be possible to convey to the lay mind the significance of -even one of these complicated evolutions that are sprung upon Jack -at all sorts of times without a moment’s warning? How reveal the -significance of such a manifestation of readiness for all emergencies -as is shown by, say, the bugle-call “Prepare for action”? The ship -is in a state of normal peace. Every member of the crew is engaged -either upon such private matters as making or mending clothes, -school-room duties, or other domestic relaxations peculiar to a watch -below; or on the never-ending work of cleaning steel and brass, &c., -that must be done whatever goes undone. At the first note of alarm -every one springs to attention, before half the tune has vibrated -they are swarming like bees round an overturned hive, and by the -time that any ordinary individual would have realised the import of -the command the whole interior of the ship is transformed. Great -masses of iron that look immovable as if built into the hull have -disappeared, every aperture whereby water could gain access below -is hermetically sealed, each subdivision of the ship is isolated by -water-tight doors, and from hidden depths with ponderous clangour -is rising the food for the shining monsters above. The racks are -stripped of revolvers and cutlasses, the mess-traps and tables -have disappeared from the lower deck, and, showing all her teeth, -the mighty weapon of war is ready for the foe. If the watchful -head of affairs has noted with satisfaction the number of minutes -absorbed in this general upheaval of things, his word or two of -approval circulates with electric swiftness from fighting-top to -torpedo-flat; should he frown darkly upon a few seconds’ delay, there -is gloom on all faces and frantic searching of heart among those who -may be held responsible therefor. - -For be it noted that the perfunctory leisurely performance of -any duty is unthinkable in the Navy. The Scriptural injunction, -“Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might,” is -fully acted upon there, not only by command, but with the gleeful -co-operation of those commanded. And hence it is that whenever a -Naval Brigade is called upon for service ashore, their behaviour is -such as to call for wonder and admiration even from those who know -least about the difficulties they overcome. Their high spirits, -the frolicsome way in which they attack the most tremendous tasks, -compel even their bitterest enemies to bear witness in their favour, -while hardships that would disable or dishearten landsmen only seem -to heighten their enjoyment. It has often been said that during one -of our West African campaigns the conduct of the Naval Brigade in -one peculiar direction was unique. Orders had been given that in -consequence of the danger of lying on the ground every man should -collect a sufficient pile of brushwood upon which to raise his body -while he slept. To the rank-and-file of the Army this duty, coming at -the end of a fatiguing day’s march, was a terrible one, although it -was practically their only safeguard against disease. They wandered -wearily about in the darkness seeking sticks for their couch, and -trying all kinds of dodges to evade the salutary regulation. But -Johnny Haul-taut thought it fine fun. Not only was his pile of -sticks collected in double-quick time, but he was noways backward in -lending a helping hand to his less adaptable march-mates of the Army, -and after that he had still so much superfluous energy to spare that -he must needs dance a great deal before retiring to rest, flinging -himself about in uproarious merriment while tired soldiers were still -seeking material for their couches. - -Amid all the revenges that time affords the sons of men, could there -be anything more dramatic than that exemplified by the relative -positions of soldier and sailor to-day? Recall the infant days of -the Navy, when the sailor was looked upon as a base mechanic, one -degree perhaps better than the galley-slave who, chained to the oar, -enacted the part of machinery whereby the warship was brought into -action, and lived or died as it might happen without ever having -a say in the matter or an opportunity for self-defence. Picture -the proud mail-clad warriors striding on board the ships, hardly -deigning to notice the mariners who trimmed the sails and handled -the vessels--mere rope-haulers, coarse and uncouth, destitute of any -military virtues, and only fit, indeed, to be the humble attendants -upon the behests of warlike men. Think of the general taking command -of a fleet, fresh from leaguers and pitched battles ashore, and -giving his orders to the ships as to a troop of horse. And then -remember the great change in the relations of soldier and sailor -now. Not only is the sailor a man of war from his youth up, but all -his training tends to bring out resourcefulness, individuality, and -self-reliance, not only in the officer but in the humblest seaman. -Without in the least intending the very slightest disparagement -to our gallant and able Army officers--men who have proved their -ability as well as their courage on so many battlefields--it may be -permissible to quote the recent words of a first-class petty officer, -a bos’un’s mate on board of one of her Majesty’s ships, who said: -“There ain’t a General livin’ as can handle a fleet, but I’ll back -e’er a one of our Admirals to handle an army agenst the smartest -General we’ve got.” He probably meant an army of sailors, for the -behaviour of even the finest troops would hardly satisfy the ideas -of smartness held by an Admiral. He has been taught to expect his -men to combine the characteristics of cats, monkeys, game-cocks, -and bulldogs, with a high order of human intelligence to leaven the -whole. Remembering all this, it would be interesting to know, if the -knowledge were to be had, the history of the struggle that resulted -in the sailor throwing off the rule of the soldier at sea. That it -was long and bitter, admits of no doubt, for it has left its traces -even now, traces that it would, perhaps, be invidious to point -out. Foreign critics sneer at most things English, and institute -unfavourable comparisons, but it is gratifying to note that such -comparisons are never made between the British naval officer and any -other warriors soever. The task would, indeed, be an ungrateful one -for any critic attempting it in the hope of proving shortcomings on -the part of these splendid sailors--well, perhaps the word “sailors” -will hardly fit them now. The handling of ships still forms an -important part of their manifold duties, but when one realises what -their scientific attainments must be in order to discharge all those -duties, it becomes quite a mental problem how ever the naval officer -of to-day manages to know so much at such an age as he usually is -when he becomes a Lieutenant. That he does manage it we all know, -and not only so, but, instead of shrivelling up into a sapless, -spectacled student, he retains a sparkling boyishness of demeanour, a -readiness for fun and frolic of all kinds that is contagious, making -the most morbid visitor admitted to intimate acquaintanceship with -the life of a warship feel as if the weight of years had suddenly -been lifted from him. - -With that keen insight which always characterises him, Mr. Kipling -has noted in marvellous language what he terms the almost “infernal -mobility” of a battleship’s crew--how at a given signal there -suddenly bursts from her grim sides a fleet of boats, warships -in miniature, each self-contained and full of possibilities of -destruction. The sight of “Man and arm boats” simultaneously carried -out in less than a dozen minutes by every ship in a squadron, the -sudden mobilisation of an army numbering between two and three -thousand perfectly equipped sinewy men in whose vocabulary the word -“impossible” has no place, is one that should be witnessed by every -thoughtful citizen who would understand the composition of our -first line of defence. Better still, perhaps, that he should see -the operation performed of transhipping guns, such guns as those -landed by the tars of the _Powerful_ and used with such effect at -Ladysmith. One would like to know for certain whether it is true, -as reported, that her 6-inch rifles were landed as well as the 4.7 -guns. The latter were a handful, no doubt, but the former! They are -twenty feet long, they weigh seven tons, and have a range of 11,000 -yards;--penetration at 1000 yards, 11.6 inch of iron. Yet it is -reported that some of these pretty playthings were landed by the -bluejackets, mounted on carriages designed by one of their officers -and built by the ship’s artificers, and taken up country into action. -Truly a feat worthy of Titans. - -Is it any wonder that Jack is proud of his shore-fighting record? -Wherever and whenever he has been permitted to join in the work -of the Army he has made his mark so deeply that he has come to be -looked upon as indispensable, invincible. His effervescent humour -never seems to desert him, as the following anecdote, told the -writer recently, fairly well illustrates. It was at Gingihlovo, and -the Naval Brigade was face to face with an apparently overwhelming -force of Zulus, numbers of whom were armed with rifles. The sailors -were reserving their fire, only sending an occasional volley when a -favourable opportunity presented itself. Forth from the Zulu host -stepped a warrior laden with an ancient firearm, which he calmly -mounted upon a tripod in the open, while the sailors looked on -admiring his pluck, but wondering much what he was proposing to do. -At last one jovial tar suggested that their photographs were going to -be taken, and, by common consent, no shots were sent at the supposed -photographer. Having loaded his piece with great deliberation, the -Zulu primed it, sighted, and, leaning hard against its breech, he -fired. The recoil--for the thing was much overloaded--knocked him -head over heels backward, while a great roar of laughter went up from -the delighted sailors. He sat up looking hurt and dazed, and then, -the amusement over, he, along with a suddenly charging _impi_ of his -countrymen, were annihilated by a volley from the steadily aimed -pieces of the little cheerful band of bluejackets. - - - THE END - - - Printed by BALLANTYNE, HANSON & CO. - Edinburgh & London - - - - - NEW 6/- NOVELS, SPRING 1901 - - - WILLOWDENE WILL - By HALLIWELL SUTCLIFFE, Author of “Ricroft of Withens,” &c. &c. - With Illustrations. - - A PATCHED UP AFFAIR - By FLORENCE WARDEN, Author of “The House on the Marsh,” - “The Master Key,” &c. - - THE STRANGE WOOING OF MARY BOWLER - By RICHARD MARSH, Author of “The Beetle,” “The Seen and the - Unseen,” &c. - - THE MASTER PASSION - By BESSIE HATTON. - - A HONEYMOON IN SPACE - By GEORGE GRIFFITH, Author of “Valdar,” “Rose of Judah,” &c. - - THE INVADERS - By LOUIS TRACY, Author of “The Final War.” With Illustrations. - - THE SENTENCE OF THE COURT - By HEADON HILL, Author of “The Plunder Ship,” “The Zone of - Fire,” &c. - - THE TAPU OF BANDERAH - By LOUIS BECKE and WALTER JEFFERY. - - A ’VARSITY MAN - By INGLIS ALLEN. - - AMONG THE REDWOODS - By BRET HARTE, Author of “From Sandhill to Pine.” - - ’TWIXT DEVIL AND DEEP SEA - By Mrs. C. N. WILLIAMSON, Author of “Newspaper Girl,” “Fortune’s - Sport,” &c. - - WITH THE BLACK FLAG - By WILLIAM WESTALL, Author of “With the Red Eagle,” &c. - - CINDERS - By HELEN MATHERS, Author of “Comin’ Thro’ the Rye,” - “Becky,” &c. - - - C. ARTHUR PEARSON, LTD., HENRIETTA STREET, W.C. - - - - - USEFUL AND AMUSING BOOKS - - _Messrs. Pearson have pleasure in announcing that they will - publish in the early Spring Sixpenny Editions of the following - famous novels_:-- - - - 1. THE ADVENTURES OF 4. THE PHANTOM ARMY - CAPTAIN KETTLE By MAX PEMBERTON. - By CUTCLIFFE HYNE. - - 2. THE MASTER KEY 5. MY JAPANESE WIFE - By FLORENCE WARDEN. By CLIVE HOLLAND. - - 3. THE SKIPPER’S WOOING 6. THE FINAL WAR - By W. W. JACOBS. By LOUIS TRACY. - - - DOMESTIC DITTIES - With Words and Music by A. S. SCOTT-GATTY. Profusely Illustrated - by A. T. S. SCOTT-GATTY. Printed in Colours. Crown 4to. Price - 3s. 6d. - - SMALL GARDENS AND HOW TO MAKE THE MOST OF THEM - By VIOLET BIDDLE. Crown 8vo, cloth. Price 1s. - - TIPS FOR HOUSEKEEPERS - Including a section on the folding of Serviettes. Crown 8vo, - cloth. Price 1s. - - HEADS AND HOW TO READ THEM - By STACKPOOL E. O’DELL. A Popular Guide to Phrenology in - Everyday Life. Crown 8vo, cloth. Price 1s. - - THE NURSERY EMERGENCY AND ACCIDENT CARD - This invaluable list of accidents and emergency and how to treat - the hurt child until the doctor comes, has been carefully - revised by two medical men. Eyeletted and with a ribbon for - hanging. Price 1s. - - THE HOME ARTS SELF-TEACHER. How to teach yourself such Arts as - Drawing, Wood Carving, Miniature Painting, Textile Designing, - Etching, Fret Sawing, &c. &c. - With over 500 Designs and Illustrations. This Work will be issued - in 12 Fortnightly Parts. Price 7d. each. - - - C. ARTHUR PEARSON, LTD., HENRIETTA STREET, W.C. - - - - - Transcriber’s Notes - - Inconsistencies in hyphenation and spelling such as - “sea-worthy/seaworthy” and “Maelström/Maelstrom,” have been - maintained. - - Obsolete spellings such as “bolin” for “bowline” have been - maintained. - - Page 64: Changed “first words bewrayed” to “first words betrayed”. - - Page 101: Changed “very little acqaintance” to “very little - acquaintance”. - - Page 131: Changed “Next mornind” to “Next morning”. - - Page 164: Changed “able seamen” to “able seaman”. - - Page 177: Changed “fo’c’sle” to “fo’c’s’le”. - - Page 178: Changed “fo’c’sle” to “fo’c’s’le”. - - Page 186: Deleted duplicate “a” in “resembles in a a remote”. - - Page 334: Changed “dissport” to “disport”. - - - - - -End of Project Gutenberg's A Sack of Shakings, by Frank Thomas Bullen - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK A SACK OF SHAKINGS *** - -***** This file should be named 63559-0.txt or 63559-0.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/6/3/5/5/63559/ - -Produced by MWS, Susan Carr and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images generously made available by The -Internet Archive/Canadian Libraries) - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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