g away, and we continued to increase
our distance from the brig.

At seven-bells I called Bob, who set about the preparations for
breakfast, and great were our mutual congratulations over that meal at
the now thoroughly-established fact that, fast as the _Albatross_
undoubtedly was, she was no match for the little _Water Lily_ in
ordinary weather.

As soon as breakfast was over and the things cleared away, I got an
observation for the longitude, and then went below to have a nap,
desiring Bob to call me at seven-bells, that I might take a meridian
altitude.

He did so, and as soon as I came on deck with my sextant, he said, "Look
there, Harry, what d'ye think of that? I wouldn't call ye when I first
made 'em out, as it only wanted half an hour to seven-bells, and I
knowed you'd feel a bit tired after yesterday. But _ain't_ it a
wonderful sight?"

As he spoke he pointed away to a little on our starboard-bow, and
stooping down in order to see under the foot of the spinnaker, I there
beheld what was indeed to me a wonderful sight. Away nearly as far as
we could see, upon the verge of the horizon, appeared a vast herd or
"school" of whales, spouting in all directions and indulging in the most
extraordinary gambols, each apparently striving to outvie the others in
the feat of leaping entirely out of the water.

I am afraid to make anything like a positive statement as to the heights
achieved by some of the monsters, but it really appeared to me that a
few of them rose nearly, if not quite, five and twenty feet into the
air, descending again with a splash which reminded me of some of the
torpedo experiments I had witnessed when staying for a few days at
Portsmouth.

I was careful to get my observation, which I rapidly worked out, and
entered in the log; after which I relieved Bob at the tiller, whilst he
went below to see to the dinner.

As he descended the short companion-ladder he turned round and observed
with a comical look, "I say, Harry, I hope there ain't no stray sarpents
knocking about in this here neighbourhood; 'twould be uncommon awk'ard
for us to have one of they chaps waiting for us ahead and that infarnal
brig still in sight astarn."

Just as dinner made its appearance I descried a sail about two points on
our starboard-bow. It was a vessel under single-reefed topsails,
heading to the southward, and consequently standing across our bows.

She was too far off for us to make out anything but the h