f the ebb tide, and as smoothly and
as free from vibration as though we had been under sail.

We rounded the North Foreland just before midnight; and when at eight
bells Mr Briscoe came on deck to relieve Mr Kennedy I heard the latter
instruct him to get the ship under canvas, and, as soon as she was under
command, stop the engine and have the propeller feathered. Then I went
below, very tired, to snatch four hours' sleep before turning out to
keep the morning watch.

I tumbled into my bunk and instantly fell asleep, only to be awakened
the next moment, as it seemed to me, by a quartermaster, who informed
me, as he switched on the light, that it wanted ten minutes to eight
bells. Accordingly I hopped out of bed, washed and dressed, and was in
the act of ascending the poop ladder when eight bells struck.

I found the ship under all plain sail, heading south-west, with the
lights of Dover just abaft the starboard beam, some five miles distant;
and was informed by Mr Briscoe that the pilot had left us about half an
hour earlier, and that we were now "on our own". There was a fine fresh
breeze blowing from the north-east, and we were sweeping along in fine
style, with squared yards and the mainsail brailed up. After a good
look at the sky the first mate gave it as his opinion that the wind was
going to haul round more from the eastward, accordingly as soon as the
watches had been changed he gave the order to set fore, main, and mizen
royal, topgallant, and topmast studding sails on both sides, and lower
studding sails for'ard. Now came the advantage of our strong crew; for
although we were working with the port watch only, we had the whole of
those studding sails set in less than half an hour; whereas, had we been
manned after the rate of an ordinary merchantman of our tonnage, the job
would have kept us busy during the entire watch. As soon as we were
through with this work Mr Kennedy instructed me to ship and set the
patent log, which I did, taking the exact time when it started, and
noting what it registered fifteen minutes later. The result was that we
found we were doing just twelve knots, with the wind dead aft and our
head sails practically becalmed by our after canvas.

The first mate's prophecy concerning the easting of the wind proved a
true one, for when we hauled up a couple of points after rounding
Dungeness it followed us, keeping dead astern. At four bells (six
o'clock) we mustered holystones and s