e sunk under
the lee; and by the 8th of May the squadron was making slow progress
across the mouth of the Firth of Forth. Hitherto, "all had been
pleasant as a marriage bell;" the weather had been fine; and we already
calculated our days of arrival at different points, as if the calm was
to last for ever. The Cheviot Hills glittered in the west; it was the
kind good-bye of our own dear England. Hundreds of white sails dotted a
summer sea: all was joyous and sparkling. Scotland greeted us with a
rough "nor'wester,"--and away we went. "Not all the king's horses"
could have kept the expedition together.

[Headnote: _DEPARTURE._]

The "Resolute" and "Assistance," hauled dead on a wind, under
close-reefed topsails, performed a stationary movement, called
"pile-driving" by sailors, which, as the pilot suggested, would, if the
breeze lasted, carry them to the coast of Holland. The two steam
vessels, under fore-and-aft canvas, drew away rapidly to windward and
ahead, and in spite of all we could do, a few hours of darkness
effectually succeeded in dispersing us. Accident again brought the
"Pioneer" in sight of the vessels for a few hours; but the "Intrepid"
found herself in Stromness Harbour, with a degree of celerity which
gave rise to a racing disposition on the part of my gallant colleague,
"Intrepid," _versus_ "Pioneer," which it took a great many days of
competition to decide.

They who want excitement had better go and beat a vessel up the
Pentland Firth, against both wind and tide. I tried it, but shall not
repeat the experiment; and, after a thorough good shaking in the North
Sea, was not sorry to find myself at anchor in Stromness.

The very proper and triste Sabbath of the North was followed by a busy
Monday. The arrival of so many gold cap-bands, and profusion of gilt
buttons, interfered, I fear materially, with the proper delivery of the
morning milk and butter by sundry maidens with golden locks; and the
purser's wholesale order for beef threatened to create a famine in the
Orkneys. The cheapness of whiskey appeared likely to be the cause of
our going to sea with a crew in a lamentable state of drunkenness, and
rather prejudiced me against Stromness; but if it had no other
redeeming quality, all its faults would be forgotten in the astounding
fact that _there_ may be found a landlady with moderate prices and
really fresh eggs.

As a description of this part of the world is no part of my task, I
will pass ove