dence of his superior
understanding, which he seemed about to back up with physical argument.
The shade of Nelson was vindicated; and then, I was informed that the
second greatest man was Kitchener. I asked with innocent ignorance what
he had effected of particular significance to our own lives? A photograph
was produced of the earlier, more Achillean Kitchener, by way of
settling _that_ point.

Meeting Kelly in the galley one evening as I went along to make my
cocoa, I was detained to hear of the wonders of Hamburg; and to watch
Tich making a Cornish cake with ingredients mysteriously come by. Kelly
was also of opinion that Hamburg's high place among towns was due to a
dancing saloon, where birthday suits were the fashion. "Flash society,"
he said with admiration. I was sorry to hear that in the argument over
great men I had missed the sight of one whale. Thus it is with the
conversationally inclined: pursuing minnows of our opinion, we miss
the leviathans of fact.

Days of reviving fine weather and swaying sea in hills and hollows,
flinging proud manes of spray aloft for the sun to gild with rainbows
again and again, gave place to one of skies generally overcast. Cold
blues and greens came and went above us; the wind blew bleak over a steely
sea. Land came into view on the port beam. Above it the clouds hung in
dim phantasmagoria; a gleam of silver white below announced the coast,
and, now sparkling, now dull, the lie of the land presented itself to our
gaze. And this was Grand Canary. The mountain's sides seemed chequered
with forest; at its bases white villages glistened; and further on, a
conical peak and headlands grew on the eye.

The sea had lately been crowded with porpoises, acre upon acre; and here
another vast assembly crossed our track. To a credulous eye, as they
leapt along, they might have painted the image of several sea serpents
writhing through the waves. Above them wheeled a flock of gulls, intent I
supposed on fishing.

The cathedral of Las Palmas appeared in mirage; then the _Bonadventure_
rounded the coast until the town came clearly before us. It was to the
harbour just beyond the town that we were making. As we approached,
boats came rowing ferociously towards us. One crew threw hooks carrying
ropes over our bulwarks, and sent a man aboard. His skill would have
done a spider credit; but to no purpose did he exert it, for the hooks
were thrown back and the invader held prisoner on the bridge