llage I found half lost in sand drifts, which are planted with
tufts of marram-grass in mathematical rows, to give stability and
prevent a catastrophe like that at Pompeii. A friendly grocer told me
all there is to know, which is little. The islands are what we
thought them--barren for the most part, with a small fishing
population, and a scanty accession of summer visitors for bathing.
The season is over now, and business slack for him. There is still,
however, a little trade with the mainland in galliots and lighters, a
few of which come from the "siels" on the mainland. "Had these
harbours?" I asked. "Mud-holes!" he replied, with a contemptuous
laugh. (He is a settler in these wilds, not a native.) Said he had
heard of schemes for improving them, so as to develop the islands as
health-resorts, but thought it was only a wild speculation.

'A heavy tramp back to the yacht, nearly crushed by impedimenta.
While Davies made yet another trip, I stalked some birds with a gun,
and obtained what resembled a specimen of the smallest variety of
jack-snipe, and small at that; but I made a great noise, which I hope
persuaded somebody of the purity of our motives.

'We weighed anchor at one o'clock, and in passing the anchored
galliot took a good look at her. 'Kormoran' was on her stern; otherwise
she was just like a hundred others. Nobody was on deck.

'We spent the whole afternoon till dark exploring the Harle, or gap
between Wangeroog and Spiekeroog; the sea breaking heavily on the
banks outside ... Fine as the day was, the scene from the offing was
desolate to the last degree. The naked spots of the two islands are
hideous in their sterility: melancholy bits of wreck-wood their only
relief, save for one or two grotesque beacons, and, most _bizarre_ of
all, a great church-tower, standing actually _in_ the water, on the
north side of Wangeroog, a striking witness to the encroachment of
the sea. On the mainland, which was barely visible, there was one
very prominent landmark, a spire, which from the chart we took to be
that of _Esens,_ a town four miles inland.

'The days are growing short. Sunset is soon after five, and an hour
later it is too dark to see booms and buoys distinctly. The tides
also are awkward just now.

(I exclude all the technicalities that I can, but the reader should
take note that the tide-table is very important henceforward.)

'High-water at morning and evening is between five and six--just at
twili