ained regular naval discipline, with a commander, and
officers who did duty as lieutenants. It was said that he offered to
build and fit out a frigate, and maintain her at his own expense, if the
government would make him a post-captain off-hand, but this they
declined to do.

Standing across the bay, we came off a very picturesque spot, called
Shanklin Chine, a deep cut or opening in the cliffs with trees on both
sides. Dunnose was passed, and the village of Bonchurch and Ventnor,
climbing up the cliffs from its sandy beach. We now sailed along what
is considered the most beautiful part of the Isle of Wight,--the
Undercliff. This is a belt of broken, nearly level ground, more or less
narrow, beyond which the cliffs rise to a considerable height, with
valleys intervening; the downs in some places appearing above them.
This belt, called the Undercliff, is covered with trees and numerous
villas.

At last we came off Rocken End Point, below Saint Catherine's Head.
This is the most southern point of the island. On it stands a handsome
stone tower, 105 feet high, with a brilliant fixed light upon it. The
village of Niton stands high up away from the shore.

It now came on to blow very fresh. There was not much sea in the
offing; but, owing to the way the tide ran and met the wind, the bottom
being rocky, the water nearer the shore was tossed about in a most
curious and somewhat dangerous fashion, for several "lumps of sea," as
Truck called them, came flop down on our deck; and it was easy to see
what might be the consequences if an open boat had attempted to pass
through the Race. Paul told us that good-sized vessels had been seen to
go down in similar places. One off Portland is far worse than this in
heavy weather.

Farther on is a curious landslip, where a large portion of the cliff
once came down, and beyond it is Blackgang Chine, a wild, savage-looking
break in the cliffs, formed by the giving way of the lower strata.
Farther to the west, towards Freshwater Gate, the cliffs are
perpendicular, and of a great height, the smooth downs coming to their
very edge.

Some years ago a picnic party, who had come over from Lymington, had
assembled on that part of the downs, having come by different
conveyances. Among them was a boy, like one of us--a merry fellow, I
dare say. After the picnic the party separated in various directions.
When the time to return had arrived, so many went off in one carriage,
and so m