heard shouts from the shore, and saw a boat pursuing us in hot haste.
We stopped, and received on board a basket of beautiful ferns and
other parcels from different friends. A second boat was then seen
coming off to us, which contained a fine dish of delicious honey and
some flowers. The order to go ahead again was scarcely given, before a
third boat, in, if possible, hotter haste than the two previous ones,
put off after us, bringing some things the laundress had forgotten.

[Illustration: ZEUS CILIARIS]

Now we are fairly off; and now surely the last link that binds us to
the shore is broken. But no! there are farewell signals and hearty
cheers yet to come from the officers and men of the 'Fantome;' and,
still further out, on the top of the tiny lighthouse at the mouth of
the narrow passage through the reef, stand other friends, cheering and
waving their handkerchiefs. They had rowed out thither, being
determined to give us really _the_ parting cheer, and till the shades
of twilight fell we could see their white handkerchiefs fluttering,
and hear their voices borne on the evening breeze, as we meandered
slowly through the tortuous channels into deep water.

Once outside we found there was plenty of wind and a heavy roll, which
sent me quickly to bed.

CHAPTER XVIII.

HONOLULU TO YOKOHAMA.

_As slow our ship her foamy track_
_Against the wind was cleaving,_
_Her trembling pennant still look'd back_
_To that dear isle 'twas leaving._

_Thursday, January 4th_.--It was very rough, but fortunately the wind
came from a favourable quarter. Sorry as we all were to bid farewell
to these charming islands, I could not help rejoicing that we had
picked up a fresh fair wind so unexpectedly soon.

While we were at Honolulu a regular epidemic of influenza prevailed in
the place, affecting both man and beast. This is often the case during
the prevalence of the south wind, which blew, more or less, during the
whole of our stay. We none of us suffered from the malady at the time,
but now nearly everybody on board is affected, and some very severely.

_Friday, January 5th_.--The fresh fair breeze still continues. At noon
we had sailed 240 knots. The head-sea we could dispense with, as it
makes us all very uncomfortable. Muriel, Baby, the three maids, and
several of the crew, are ill to-day with influenza, and I have a
slight touch of it, so I suppose it will go right through the ship.
Towards the even