nd "Eating," while the
pantry is beside them, with teapot, cup (saucer discarded), and tumbler,
and a tray holding knife and fork, spoons, salt in a snuff-box (far the
best cellar after trials of many), pepper (coarse, or it is blown away),
mustard, corkscrew, and lever-knife for preserved meat tins, etc., etc.
{42}

The north coast of France from Boulogne to Havre is well lighted at
night, but the navigation is dangerous on account of the numerous shoals
and the tortuous currents and tides. For about the first half of the
distance the shores are low, and the water, even far out, is shallow.
Afterwards the land rises to huge red cliffs, rugged and steep sometimes
for miles, without any opening.

The real matter of importance, however, in coasting here is the direction
of the wind. Had it been unfavourable, that is S.W., and with the fogs
and sea which that wind brings, it would have been a serious delay to
me--perhaps, indeed, a stopper on my voyage--seeing that I must sometimes
enter a port at night so as to sleep in peace, for that could scarcely be
pleasantly done if anchored ten miles from land, and with no one awake to
keep a look-out. Fortunately, we had good weather on the worst parts of
the French coast, and my stormy days were yet to come.

CHAPTER III.

Russian lamp--Breakfast--Store rooms--Mast-light--Run down--Rule of the
road--Signal thoughts--Sinking sands--Pilot caution--French coast.

After a wash and morning prayers the crew are piped to breakfast, so we
must now turn to the kitchen, which after constant use some hundred times
I cannot but feel is the most successful "hit" in the whole equipment.

Much thought and many experiments were bestowed on this subject, because,
first, it was well known that the hard and uneven strain of bone, muscle,
and energy in a voyage of this sort needs to be maintained by generous
diet, that cold feeding is a delusion after a few days of it, and that
the whole affairs would fail, or at any rate, enjoyment of the trip would
cease, unless the Rob Roy had a caboose, easy to work, speedy in result,
and capable of being used in rain, wind, and rough weather, and by night
as well as by day.

Of course, all stoves with coal or coke, or similar fuel were out of the
question, being hard to light, dusty when lighted, and dirty to clean.
Various spirit lamps, Etnas, Magic stoves, Soyers, and others, were
examined and tried, and all were defective in grand points.