uns continued to go off, until touching the shore, she
blew up with a tremendous explosion.

The ships at Spithead now are of a very different appearance from those
formerly seen there. Among them was the Minotaur, which, in consequence
of her great length, is fitted with five masts. Just as we were passing
her she got under weigh, papa said, in very good style; and certainly,
when all her canvas was set, she looked a fine powerful sea-going craft.

The Devastation came out of the harbour, and stood on towards Saint
Helen's. She certainly looked as unlike our notions of a man-of-war as
anything could be, though, as Paul Truck observed, "she would crumple up
the Minotaur in a few minutes with her four thirty-five ton guns,
powerful as the five-masted ship appears."

Though she looked only fit for harbour work, Paul said that she had been
out in heavy weather, and proved a fair sea-boat. The only place that
people live on, when not below, is the hurricane-deck. In this centre
structure are doorways which can be closed at sea. They lead down into
the cabins below, as well as to the hurricane-deck, out of which rise
the two funnels and an iron signal-mast. This is thick enough to enable
a person to ascend through its inside to a crow's-nest on the top, which
serves as a look-out place. From it also projects the davits for
hoisting up the boats. On the hurricane-deck stands the captain's
fighting-box, cased with iron. Here also is the steering apparatus and
wheel. When in action, all the officers and men would be sent below
except the helmsmen, who are also protected, with the captain and a
lieutenant, and the men inside the turrets working the guns. These are
so powerful that they can penetrate armour six inches thick at the
distance of nearly three miles.

We brought-up for a short time at the end of Ryde Pier, as papa wished
to go on shore to the club. The pier-head was crowded with people who
had come there to enjoy the sea-breeze without the inconvenience of
being tossed about in a vessel. The town rises on a steep hill from the
shore, with woods on both sides, and looks very picturesque. To the
west is the pretty village of Binstead, with its church peeping out
among the trees.

We were very glad, however, when papa came on board, and we got under
weigh to take a trip along the south coast of the island. The wind and
tide suiting, we ran along the edge of the sand-flats, which extend off
from the n