leave behind my much loved bananas.

At Barbadoes each watch was granted forty-eight hours' leave. In
company with others I landed to visit the sugar-cane plantations.
These canes were being cut down by the thousand, and carted to the
mill, where between two immense rollers the juice was extracted. Our
guide passed round to each of us a cup of this juice to taste. He
then instructed us as to the different processes by which sugar is
made, and gave us the opportunity to see the large tanks in which it
was stowed. In these huge tanks was to be found sugar from the
highest degree of refinement down to the lowest degree of
inferiority. But the sight which struck me most of all was the
treacle-pit. I might enlarge upon the last sentence, but I forbear.

In one harbour there was a sailing match, the competition being
between the boats of the fleet. The second cutter of our ship, of
which I was one of the crew, entered for the race. With the halyards,
the sail was hoisted to the uppermost point, and the sheets pulled
taut aft. With a fresh breeze away we scudded. The boat, was soon on
her beam ends, taking in large quantities of water, which we bailed
out with our caps; still, this did not matter, as she was bounding
through the water like a wild thing. Crash! Crash! Went the mast, and
the boat was nearly capsized. The midshipman who steered her had
endeavoured to weather a schooner lying at anchor, but failed,
colliding with her jib-boom. The mast was lashed in a temporary
manner, and we proceeded, but not far, when a sudden gust of wind
disabled us. We were signalled back to the ship and disqualified for
further racing.

The cruise being over, we returned to Bermuda with the fleet, and
after taking in stores, left for the Newfoundland fisheries. Two
other ships accompanied the 'Emerald' (V12)--the 'Pelican' and
'Buzzard.' On this cruise, our captain being senior to the other two,
we stood in the relationship of flagship to them, and flew the
Commodore's flag until such time as we should again meet the
Admiral's ship, when it would be struck.

Before making any observations upon some incidents of this cruise, I
will give the reader in barest outline a sketch of life on board a
naval sea-going ship. At sea each man gets four and six hours' rest
each alternate night--that is, if he keeps the first watch of the
night, 8 to 12 p.m., his resting hours are from 12 to 4. At 4 he has
to rise again and scrub decks, whereas if he