hite alongside us, with dark speckling bubbles. Then it
was time to sound the whistle, and its doleful groan went out again and
again (the wind still varying its note from a drone to a howl) until the
fiercer sting of the rain was spent, and distance began to grow ahead of
the ship. This storm lacked thunder and lightning; and yet, when Sparks
invited me to listen to his "lovely X-s," there was a continuous and
furious rolling uproar in the phones. Then, as strange again, as if
at a nod that din came to a sudden stop, leaving in the phones a lucid
calm in which ship-signals rang out clear.

At sunset of a day which washed off the new paint as soon as (in the
intervals) it had been put on, a thin red fringe glowed along the horizon,
making me long for green hills and white spires; at night, the stars
from Southern Cross to Charles's Waggon were gleaming, but the sea
lay profoundly black, and upon it all round us came and went glory after
glory of water-fire. The next day, however, it rained in the same dismal
style, and the sun's eclipse and the passing of Fernando Noronha were
but little heeded. I was called a Jonah by every one.

A mollyhawk, that evening, created some excitement. He first spent some
time in flying on an oval course round the ship, for his recreation, it
looked. His beautiful curves must have pleased him as they did me, for he
persuaded (or so it appeared) another mollyhawk to make the circuit with
him. Meacock and myself heard one of these strike against the wireless
aerial, and thought that it would have scared them away; but no, a few
minutes later we heard a croaking and a flapping while we stood in the lee
of the wheel-house, and there was a mollyhawk. He had struck some low
rope or fixture. He was prevented by his webbed feet from rising again,
and I had fears for his future which were by no means necessary; for
Meacock followed him, an awkward but speedy walker, down to the lower
bridge deck, and, fearing the swift white stabbing bill, waiting his
chance, suddenly caught at his nearest wing and launched him into the
air. If his speed could show it, that bird was relieved.

This incident was a welcome verification of some of the saloon's bird
anecdotes; and though it was nearly dark and the bird was only aboard for
two or three minutes, his release was watched by a very good gathering,
representative of engineers, firemen, the galley, sailors, and apprentices.

XXV

_Whilst thou b