t while licking big lumps of bay salt. Two
exceedingly impertinent goats lead the cook a perfect life of misery.
They steal round the galley and _will_ nibble the carrots or turnips
if his back is turned for one minute; and then he throws something at
them and misses them; and they scuttle off laughing impudently, and
flick one ear at him from a safe distance. This is the most impudent
gesture I ever saw. Winking is nothing to it. The ear normally hangs
down behind; the goat turns sideways to her enemy--by a little knowing
cock of the head flicks one ear over one eye, and squints from behind
it, for half a minute--tosses her head back, skips a pace or two
further off, and repeats the manoeuvre. The cook is very fat, and
cannot run after that goat much.

"_Pernambuco, Aug. 1._--We landed here yesterday, all well and cable
sound, after a good passage.... I am on familiar terms with
cocoa-nuts, mangoes, and bread-fruit trees, but I think I like the
negresses best of anything I have seen. In turbans and loose sea-green
robes, with beautiful black-brown complexions and a stately carriage,
they really are a satisfaction to my eye. The weather has been windy
and rainy; the _Hooper_ has to lie about a mile from the town, in an
open roadstead, with the whole swell of the Atlantic driving straight
on shore. The little steam-launch gives all who go in her a good
ducking, as she bobs about on the big rollers; and my old gymnastic
practice stands me in good stead on boarding and leaving her. We
clamber down a rope-ladder hanging from the high stern, and then,
taking a rope in one hand, swing into the launch at the moment when
she can contrive to steam up under us--bobbing about like an apple
thrown into a tub all the while. The President of the province and his
suite tried to come off to a State luncheon on board on Sunday; but
the launch, being rather heavily laden, behaved worse than usual, and
some green seas stove in the President's hat and made him wetter than
he had probably ever been in his life; so after one or two rollers, he
turned back; and indeed he was wise to do so, for I don't see how he
could have got on board.... Being fully convinced that the world will
not continue to go round unless I pay it personal attention, I must
run away to my work."

CHAPTER VI

1869-1885

Edinburgh--Colleagues--_Farrago vitae_--I. The family circle--Fleem