riosity on board the other ships too, for no
less than four captains lowered their boats and pulled alongside to
learn where the pigmy cutter had sprung from.

The little craft was regarded with the greatest curiosity and
admiration, especially by the ladies (who are of course good judges of
the model of a vessel), some of them declaring that they would be
_delighted_ (with strong emphasis) to make a voyage in such a little
_darling_ of a yacht.

We mustered quite a strong party at the dinner-table, what with the
regular party, the four visiting captains (who were also pressed to
stay), and our two selves, and a very merry one withal. _We_
contributed to the dessert from our stock on the main-boom; and they
only who have enjoyed it can say what a luxury is fresh fruit on the
line, especially when one has been a long time on board a ship.

The skipper produced unlimited champagne (of which, for a wonder, he
still had a very fair stock) in honour of the occasion, and "a
prosperous voyage, and success to the _Water Lily_" was drunk over and
over again that evening. We kept it up until nearly midnight, the poop
being converted into a ball-room by merely hanging a few lamps in the
mizzen-rigging; the orchestra consisting of one of the seamen, who
played the concertina better than I ever heard it played before or
since.

The weather being as I have described it, without any signs of a change,
such a departure from the ordinary routine of the ship was permissible,
and I have no doubt everybody on board was glad enough of an occurrence
which gave such an excuse for breaking in upon the monotony of the
voyage.

Tedious enough they must have found it, for it appeared that they had
already been becalmed five days, and had not altered their position as
many miles; and there seemed every prospect of their being becalmed five
days more, for the glass was as steady as if the mercury had been solid.

At last we visitors made signs of moving. The captains of the other
vessels ordered their crews into their boats, and I was just about going
over the side on my way to our small cabin to write a hasty line to Ada
(our kind host having promised to post my letter for me immediately on
his arrival), when a seaman stepped up to me, and with the usual
nautical scrape of the foot and a respectful "Beg pardon, sir,"
intimated a desire to speak to me.

"There's a strange yarn going the rounds of this here craft's fo'c'sle,"
said he, "a