with me and playing my accompaniments
while I sang or fiddled. It was only the boy whom I seemed utterly
unable to placate; he had taken a violent dislike to me from the very
first, and not even the fact that I had undoubtedly saved his life
seemed to make any apparent difference in his attitude toward me.

Since leaving Singapore we had resumed our musical evenings after
dinner, temporarily interrupted by Kennedy's death, and we were enjoying
ourselves as usual on the evening of which I am now speaking when, while
I was playing a violin solo to Miss Anthea's accompaniment, we were all
startled by a sudden but very slight jarring sensation, as though the
ship had lightly touched the ground for a moment. I knew that we were
in the neighbourhood of the Vanguard, Prince Consort, and Prince of
Wales Banks, and although I also knew that, according to our position as
determined that afternoon, and the course and distance since run, we
ought to be far enough away from them to be perfectly safe, the thought
for a moment seized me that in some extraordinary and wholly
unaccountable manner we might have been mistaken. Flinging down my
violin, I rushed out on deck, closely followed by Mrs Vansittart and
Monroe.

On reaching the deck I found that the jar had already created quite a
small commotion, the boatswain's watch being all on the alert, while the
hands below, awakened by the unaccustomed sensation, were swarming up to
learn what had happened. Parker, the boatswain, was shouting for one
hand to bring along the hand lead, and to another to bring a lighted
lantern.

My first glance was over the side; but it was so dark that I could see
nothing save a faint gleam under the lighted ports. Then the men with
the lead line and lantern came along, and we took several casts of the
lead. "No bottom", was the report; but even while the line was being
coiled up after the last cast, the same sensation was again experienced,
this time a little stronger. And then, while we were debating what it
could possibly mean, one of the hands from forward came along and
reassured us.

"I know what it is, sir," he explained. "I've felt the very same thing
before, and not very far from here, too--while we was lyin' in Manila
harbour. We couldn't make out what the mischief it was at first; but
when the skipper went ashore shortly afterwards they told him that
there'd been a slight shock of earthquake."

The explanation seemed quite reason