ing for upwards of four hours. At the end of
that time nature again resumed her wonted smiling appearance, the sun
chasing away such evidences of bad temper with the rapidity of thought.

Nothing of moment occurred on our voyage up the gulf of Tartary, except
that, during one middle watch, the ship narrowly escaped running on a
rock; but as she did not actually touch, we verify the adage that "a
miss is as good as a mile." The day following, the lifting of a fog
bank revealed to us the "Charybdis" close in shore, under small sail.
On signalling us that she had pitched her late unwelcome visitor
overboard, she was allowed to join company, and afterwards proceeded on
to Dui, to coal and order some for us.

August 13th.--Sad misfortune! direful calamity! Why? Read, and you will
be as wise as myself. In the middle watch of this night, our two
cats--have I told you that we brought two cats from England with us?--as
was their wont, were skylarking and cutting capers on the hammock
nettings and davits, when tabby the lesser, instead of jumping on
something palpable, made a leap on space with the natural result, for he
lighted on water and was rapidly whirled astern by the inky waters of
the Tartar gulf. Poor pussy, little did we dream, or you either, that
Siberian waters were to sing your requiem! We feel very sorry at the
loss of our pet, for he was a thorough sailor, thinking it nothing to
mount the rigging and seat himself on the crosstrees, whilst on his
rounds; and as to the item "rats," shew me the rodent that could ever
boast of weathering him, and I will shew you a clever beast.

At daybreak we made the harbour of Dui, in the island of Saghalien, a
Russian penal settlement and coaling depot, though coaling is under such
severe restrictions that the trouble to secure it is worth its cost. For
instance, only a certain number of tons can be had each day, and then
only for one ship at a time; and instead of using large lighters to
bring it off, small boats are employed, rendering it necessary to make a
multiplicity of visits to the shore. This island, until recently a part
of the Japanese empire, is rich in coal, and other minerals, a fact
Russia was careful to note when casting her covetous eyes over its broad
surface.

It may be remembered, perhaps, that in the year 1879, Russia sent her
first batch of Nihilists and other political offenders to Siberia, by
the more expeditious sea route, and that alarming reports had