as
substantially correct, once more embarked, and with a fair wind cut
through the water at a smart race. Rounding Cape La Hogue we were
fortunate to get the tide in our favour, and by sunrise on the 4th could
just make out the entrance to Havre, from which we were some seven or
eight miles distant, and passing Fecamp, were abreast of Dieppe at three
p.m.

So far we had done remarkably well, and I proposed to Alec, that as I
had a little money, we should go ashore and have a civilized dinner and
a look round the town; but he took a different view of the matter, and
advocated keeping on as long as the wind favoured us, and to this I
readily assented, as the wind was now somewhat unsteady.

"Begum" seemed quite to enjoy the fun as well as ourselves, and made
himself quite at home, though I have no doubt he would have thoroughly
enjoyed a run ashore, and, as luck would have it, that night he had it.

Some twenty miles further along the coast, that is, beyond Dieppe, we
met with our first mishap. The sea hereabout was decidedly choppy, and
the wind very puffy, and during one of these puffs we sprung the
foremast, which could not have been very strong, as the wind was not at
all high. Consulting a chart of the French coast, which we had obtained
at Braye, we decided, as it seemed to be setting in for a dirty night,
to round in to the mouth of the river Somme and stay the night at St.
Valery, so that we could get a new mast stepped early next morning,
before proceeding across Channel.

It was lucky we did so, for the wind backed to the westward, raising a
lumpy sea, and down came the rain till past midnight, after which the
wind lulled and went to south-west again. About two a.m. out came the
moon, and quickly chased away the remaining black clouds, after which it
was fine again. It did not matter what the weather during the night was,
as we were safe in Port St. Valery, from seven p.m. of the 4th, till
eleven a.m. on the 5th.

Early in the morning we found a carpenter, who soon rigged us up a new
mast, and after a stroll through the busy town to replenish our little
stock of eatables, we again pursued our voyage.

From St. Valery to Boulogne is a distance of about forty-five miles, and
ere we reached it darkness was closing in, so we took in a reef, as was
our wont at night, and lowered the mizzen altogether. This gave us an
opportunity of moving along slowly, while one of us slept.

We took it in turns throughout th