第10章 CHAPTER II(3)

Next day the wind moderated;but at 12we found that we were eighty miles north of the peninsula and some 3degrees east of it.So we set a little sail,and commenced forereaching slowly on our course.Little and little the wind died,and it soon fell dead calm.That evening (Wednesday),some twenty albatrosses being congregated like a flock of geese round the ship's stern,we succeeded in catching some of them,the first we had caught on the voyage.We would have let them go again,but the sailors think them good eating,and begged them of us,at the same time prophesying two days'foul wind for every albatross taken.It was then dead calm,but a light wind sprang up in the night,and on Thursday we sighted Banks Peninsula.Again the wind fell tantalisingly light,but we kept drawing slowly toward land.In the beautiful sunset sky,crimson and gold,blue,silver,and purple,exquisite and tranquillising,lay ridge behind ridge,outline behind outline,sunlight behind shadow,shadow behind sunlight,gully and serrated ravine.Hot puffs of wind kept coming from the land,and there were several fires burning.I got my arm-chair on deck,and smoked a quiet pipe with the intensest satisfaction.Little by little the night drew down,and then we rounded the headlands.Strangely did the waves sound breaking against the rocks of the harbour;strangely,too,looked the outlines of the mountains through the night.Presently we saw a light ahead from a ship:we drew slowly near,and as we passed you might have heard a pin drop."What ship's that?"said a strange voice.--The Roman Emperor,said the captain."Are you all well?"--"All well."Then the captain asked,"Has the Robert Small arrived?"--"No,"was the answer,"nor yet the Burmah."{2}You may imagine what I felt.Then a rocket was sent up,and the pilot came on board.He gave us a roaring republican speech on the subject of India,China,etc.I rather admired him,especially as he faithfully promised to send us some fresh beefsteaks and potatoes for breakfast.A north-wester sprung up as soon as we had dropped anchor:had it commenced a little sooner we should have had to put out again to sea.That night I packed a knapsack to go on shore,but the wind blew so hard that no boat could put off till one o'clock in the day,at which hour I and one or two others landed,and,proceeding to the post office,were told there were no letters for us.I afterwards found mine had gone hundreds of miles away to a namesake--a cruel disappointment.

A few words concerning the precautions advisable for anyone who is about to take a long sea-voyage may perhaps be useful.First and foremost,unless provided with a companion whom he well knows and can trust,he must have a cabin to himself.There are many men with whom one can be on excellent terms when not compelled to be perpetually with them,but whom the propinquity of the same cabin would render simply intolerable.

It would not even be particularly agreeable to be awakened during a hardly captured wink of sleep by the question "Is it not awful?"that,however,would be a minor inconvenience.No one,I am sure,will repent paying a few pounds more for a single cabin who has seen the inconvenience that others have suffered from having a drunken or disagreeable companion in so confined a space.It is not even like a large room.He should have books in plenty,both light and solid.Afolding arm-chair is a great comfort,and a very cheap one.In the hot weather I found mine invaluable,and,in the bush,it will still come in usefully.He should have a little table and common chair:these are real luxuries,as all who have tried to write,or seen others attempt it,from a low arm-chair at a washing-stand will readily acknowledge.

A small disinfecting charcoal filter is very desirable.Ship's water is often bad,and the ship's filter may be old and defective.Mine has secured me and others during the voyage pure and sweet-tasting water,when we could not drink that supplied us by the ship.A bottle or two of raspberry vinegar will be found a luxury when near the line.By the aid of these means and appliances I have succeeded in making myself exceedingly comfortable.A small chest of drawers would have been preferable to a couple of boxes for my clothes,and I should recommend another to get one.A ten-pound note will suffice for all these things.

The bunk should not be too wide:one rolls so in rough weather;of course it should not be athwartships,if avoidable.No one in his right mind will go second class if he can,by any hook or crook,raise money enough to go first.

On the whole,there are many advantageous results from a sea-voyage.

One's geography improves apace,and numberless incidents occur pregnant with interest to a landsman;moreover,there are sure to be many on board who have travelled far and wide,and one gains a great deal of information about all sorts of races and places.One effect is,perhaps,pernicious,but this will probably soon wear off on land.It awakens an adventurous spirit,and kindles a strong desire to visit almost every spot upon the face of the globe.The captain yarns about California and the China seas--the doctor about Valparaiso and the Andes--another raves about Hawaii and the islands of the Pacific--while a fourth will compare nothing with Japan.

The world begins to feel very small when one finds one can get half round it in three months;and one mentally determines to visit all these places before coming back again,not to mention a good many more.

I search my diary in vain to find some pretermitted adventure wherewith to give you a thrill,or,as good Mrs.B.calls it,"a feel";but I can find none.The mail is going;I will write again by the next.