lay paws on to represent a
pocket-handkerchief.

At length that classic sea, whose shores have been the scene of the most
interesting events of the world's history--that sea which leads to
Italy, to Greece, to the Holy Land, to Egypt, with its wondrous Nile and
grand old mysterious ruins--the Mediterranean, was sighted; and the
frigate dropped her anchor below the high rock of Gibraltar, also
celebrated, somewhat in later times, for the way in which it was
captured by Sir George Rooke, and has been kept ever since by the
obstinate English. The midshipmen had just time to run through the
galleries perforated in the rock, to climb to its highest peak, and to
get a look at the frolicsome monkeys which dwell in undisturbed liberty
on its south-eastern side, before the ship again sailed. They heard
that the _Firefly_, the sloop of war to which Murray was appointed, had
gone to Greece, so they had the prospect of remaining some time longer
together. At Malta the _Racer_ remained only a few days, when she was
ordered off to the Ionian Islands.

The first place at which she brought up was in the harbour of Corfu. It
is a lovely spot. The picturesque hills of the island are seen on one
side, and the lofty mountains of Albania on the other, of the strait
which divides it from the mainland. Here Murray was separated from his
two old schoolfellows. The _Firefly_ came in, and he had to join her.
The three midshipmen had made good use of their time, and had picked up
a fair amount of seamanship. They had now some practice in boating, an
amusement which the captain always encouraged; for, as he observed,
almost as many lives were lost from ignorance of how to manage a boat
properly, as in any other way. This sort of work Jack and Adair
especially liked. The frigate had put to sea to visit some of the
neighbouring islands, and had more than once returned into port; when
one forenoon Captain Lascelles summoned Hemming into the cabin.

"I have a despatch to send to Janina, Mr Hemming," said he. "You will
take the cutter and two of the midshipmen with you--Adair and Rogers.
Send them back as soon as you land. You will take horses and travel
across the country, and the frigate will call for you in the course of a
few days."

"Ay, ay, sir!" answered Hemming, who never spoke a work more than was
necessary in the presence of his superiors.

Jack and Paddy were delighted when they found that they were to go on
the expedition