ds our little pier for the last time, and it was not
without deep regret and dim eyes that I bade farewell to the home in
which the past eighteen months of my life had been passed in perfect
peace, contentment, and happiness. I could not help a sigh as I thought
that this was the last tide I should see rise around Jethou. The last
time I should see

"The busy waters, multitudinous,
Lip the dry beach, and rippling every pool,
Embathe the limpets in their swirling cool,
And plash upon the rocks, returning thus
To their old haunts with pleasure tremulous."

I loved every rock and tree, and felt loath to part from them, for they
were all old friends to me.

I almost forgot to mention that after altering and painting our noble
craft, we re-christened her the "Happy Return," trusting that a good
name might give us a good voyage, and I am glad to say such proved to be
the case.

We calculated the distance from Jethou to Great Yarmouth to be about
three hundred and fifty miles, but before our voyage was finished we
found we had greatly under-estimated the actual course; but apart from
the wish of getting to the journey's end, we had a most enjoyable time
of it. We calculated the trip would take us about five days, if the
weather were at all favourable, and in this we were not far out. Perhaps
a few details of the trip may be of interest to my readers, for a voyage
across the channel is not often undertaken in such a small vessel.

As I have stated, we left Jethou about noon on the 3rd, and rounded the
southern end of hilly Herm, then we laid our course so as to pass
between Alderney and Cape La Hogue, but for fear of rocks gave the cape
a rather wide berth, so that about three o'clock we had Alderney a
couple of miles off on our weather beam. I was laughing at Alec about
his yarn of the "Dewdrop," when an idea occurred to me.

"What do you say to a glass of ale at the tavern you put up at in Braye
for those eleven days, eh, Alec?"

"Just the thing. I have not tasted a glass for months."

"Nor I," I replied. "Swing her round," and putting the helm over, we
made for Braye Harbour to get a glass of beer. The wind being south-west
was somewhat against us, but in an hour we were lying safely in the
little harbour, not far from the shore end of the great breakwater,
which is nearly a mile in length. We had two glasses of ale each and no
more, and having verified Alec's yarn of the "Dewdrop," which w