e little French
boys and girls could speak no English, and though you would certainly
_love_ the _marrons glaces_, you think, after all, having heard about
it, we might just as well go the other way round, though, of course--the
_marrons glaces_----

Sensible boy! Forget about them! We'll go round. In the very next
chapter we'll be up and off in earnest.

[Illustration: OUR OWN POWERFUL AND UGLY IRONCLADS, LIKE BULLDOGS
GUARDING THE FORT.]

CHAPTER II

REALLY OFF!

It is exciting to start on any journey, even if it is only one we have
done before, but to go off round the world that is a real adventure!

There are many lines of steamers we could choose to go by, but we will
select for this first part of the journey the Orient Line. The choice
really lies between that and the P. & O., as we have already decided,
and for many reasons it is best to begin with the Orient and join the
other later. The main reason being that I want you to see a little of as
many European countries as possible, and the Orient ships stop at
Naples, in Italy, while those of the other line do not.

The ships in the Orient fleet all begin with an O; there are the
_Otranto_, _Otway_, and many more, but the boat which suits us and
happens to sail on the date we want to start--in the beginning of
November--is the _Orontes_. She is not the largest ship in the fleet,
having about half a dozen before her on the list, but she is a good ship
and very steady.

Our jumping-off place is London, whence a special train runs from the
station of St. Pancras down to the docks at Tilbury, where the _Orontes_
is waiting for us. The long platform beside the train is covered with
people when we arrive there, so that we have some difficulty in finding
seats. If all these people were coming with us we should have a full
ship indeed, but the one half of them is only seeing the other half off!

The line passes through dreary flat country, and at last we catch sight
of open water and funnels and feel as if we must be right down at the
Thames' mouth, but we are very far from that yet.

[Illustration: THE _ORONTES_.]

The heavy luggage has all been sent on ahead, and passengers are told
only to bring with them what can be carried in the hand; judging from
the piles of boxes that are tumbled out of the train many of them must
have tolerably large hands!

[Illustration: A STEWARD.]

We pass through a great shed, and coming out on the other side find ou