nly, on the top of a huge wave, she made a
heavy roll, capsized, and came up with her keel in the air. I am only
afraid that I did not do all that might have been done."

"I could have done no more if I had been there with all my ship's company,"
the commander declared; for the amateur captain of the Travancore was a
conscientious man, and desired to relieve his mind of all blame for his
conduct; and he had really done all that could be done, though the remedy
applied was a failure.

"My chief engineer was an experienced man, and I followed his counsels in
everything," added the viscount.

"His lordship did all that it was possible for any man to do in such a
case," interposed the chief engineer of the Travancore, who was seated on
the platform. "I can only thank God that we were all saved, and I am sure
that no one is to blame."

"I am told that our cabin waiter and four coolies were picked up by the
other steamer," said Lord Tremlyn, as he looked about him.

"That is true, sir," interposed Mr. Boulong, who stood on the deck by the
platform. "Sir Modava told me there were eleven persons on board of the
wreck. I saw that number saved myself."

The details of the wreck of the Travancore were fully explained, though
individuals continued to talk about it until lunch-time. At the mid-day
repast the commander gave up his plan of seating the party, and invited the
members of it to select their own places; and they all took those they had
occupied at breakfast. In the afternoon the rough sea had almost entirely
subsided under the influence of the north-east monsoon, and the motion of
the steamer was easy and pleasant.

The company assembled in the music-room after a walk on deck, and the
captain, with the three notable guests, joined them after they had finished
their cigars; for all of them smoked. The "Gospel Hymns" and other hymn and
tune books were distributed. It was the usual time for singing, and the
trio from the Travancore contributed largely to the volume of tone on the
occasion. The new third officer had been stationed in the watch with Mr.
Boulong, and Scott had the first part of the afternoon watch. The officers
and engineers not on duty, as well as the members of the party from the
wreck, gathered at the windows of the music-room, and the commander invited
them to take seats in the apartment, thus adding still more to the volume
of the harmony. The music was all sacred, and nothing purely secular was
perm