o watch over the safety of states. As the little
craft, laden with this immense pharmacopoeian depositary, hobbled over
the seas, it seemed almost to progress upright, and "walked the waters
like a thing of life;" for it had a shrewd likeness to a young monkey
learning to go upright, with its two long arms steadying its uncertain
gait, the oars making all this resemblance. Indeed, it was so
diminutive, that it often kept up the two boys that belonged to it from
the fresh as well as the salt water, they clapping it over their heads,
by way of an umbrella, whenever the clouds poured down a libation too
liberal. To those curious in philology I convey the information, that
in the word _dinghy_, the g was pronounced hard. This explanation is
also necessary to do justice to the pigmy floater, as it was always
painted in the gayest colours possible. It was quite a pet of the
first-lieutenant's. Indeed, he loved it so much, that he took care
never to oppress it with his own weight.

The Cove of Cork is a fine harbour, entered by the means of a somewhat
narrow straight. I have forgotten the names of all the headlands and
points, and I am so sick of Irish affairs that I do not choose to go
into the next room and get the map to refer to, for on it there is
scarcely a spot that could meet my eye, that would not give rise to
disagreeable associations. So I prefer writing from memory, magic
memory, that gives me now the picture of five-and-twenty years ago, all
green, and fresh, and beautiful.

On entering the Cove, there were on the left hand of the strait
fortifications and military barracks. Beyond these, to the seaward, and
just on the elbow of the land that formed the entrance to the strait,
our first-lieutenant discovered from the taffrail of the frigate, a
white patch of sand. The rest of the shore was rocky, iron-bound, and
unapproachable from the sea. Mr Farmer took me aft, pointed out to me
the just visible spot, told me to fetch off as much sand as the dinghy
could bear, and return with all expedition. Proud of the commission,
about four p.m., the tide running out furiously, I ordered the
_dinghies_ to be piped away, and walking down the side with due dignity,
with a bucket and a couple of spades, we pushed off, and soon reached
the spot. The boat was loaded, but in the meantime the tide had left,
and, light and small as she was, three little boys could not launch her
till almost all the sand had been returne