ordinary excitement was felt concerning it, as the prize was to be
a splendid silver cup, presented by the admiral, and which he
hoped--which we too hoped, nay, confidently expected--would be won by
his own boat. So beyond question it would had the breeze held. But it
didn't, it fell to a flat calm, with not a breath to ripple the
harbour's glassy surface. In some manner to wipe out their late defeat,
and by a persistency really most laudable, the "Comus'" men _rolled_
their pinnace all around the course, and ended by winning the cup. Some
idea of the labour entailed on her crew may be formed from the time at
which they were at it. At 10 a.m. the boats started, and it was not
until 5 p.m. the race finished; the crews being all this time without a
drop of water, and under a vertical sun.

October 9th.--We are now in Nagasaki and about to go in dry dock on the
morrow.

If we had previously made up our minds to any enjoyment in Japan's
westernmost port we were doomed to disappointment, for we had not been
an hour in the bay before alarming accounts reached us of the prevalence
of a most virulent cholera on shore. Leave is of course out of the
question--provoking, to say the least of it, in lovely Nagasaki. The
captain at once issued a memo., couched in terms which ought to have
appealed to each man's common sense, and containing the most accurate
information with regard to the epidemic. In the face of all this, and
notwithstanding the British consul's statistics, our men would not
believe in the urgency of the case at all; and several, despite all that
could be urged against it crossed over to the town.

The days in dock were not, however, allowed to pass altogether
unpleasantly or devoid of interest, for the officers--no whit better off
than we in the matter of leave--recognising the necessity of making an
effort to divert ennui, and to set an example of cheerfulness under
depressing circumstances, got up a series of athletic sports on the
limited space afforded by the dock. It will suffice to notice a few of
the leading items in our highly amusing programme, for amusing it really
was from beginning to end, exemplifying to the letter the committee's
motto, "fun, not dollars," though dollars were not lacking.

The sports commenced at 1 p.m. on the 13th, with a closely contested
flat race of 100 yards. A sack race which followed was, of course, rare
fun, though not to some who took the most active part in it, for I am
a