r;" but, since
the strongest fabric of man's invention comes to grief sometimes in
conflict with the irresistible sea, some provision should be made
for having a sufficiency of seamen who could exercise their skill in
refitting a dismasted ship, or temporarily replacing broken blacksmith
work by old-fashioned rope and wood.

But, as the sailing ship is doomed inevitably to disappear before steam,
perhaps it does not matter much. The economic march of the world's
progress will never be stayed by sentimental considerations, nor will
all the romance and poetry in the world save the seaman from extinction,
if his place can be more profitably filled by the engineer. From all
appearances, it soon will be, for even now marine superintendents of
big lines are sometimes engineers, and in their hands lie the duty of
engaging the officers. It would really seem as if the ship of the near
future would be governed by the chief engineer, under whose direction a
pilot or sailing-master would do the necessary navigation, without power
to interfere in any matter of the ship's economy. Changes as great have
taken place in other professions; seafaring cannot hope to be the sole
exception.

So, edging comfortably along, we gradually neared the Sandwich Islands
without having seen a single spout worth watching since the tragedy.
At last the lofty summits of the island mountains hove in sight,
and presently we came to an anchor in that paradise of whalers,
missionaries, and amateur statesmen--Honolulu. As it is as well known
to most reading people as our own ports--better perhaps--I shall not
attempt to describe it, or pit myself against the able writers who have
made it so familiar. Yet to me it was a new world. All things were
so strange, so delightful, especially the lovable, lazy, fascinating
Kanakas, who could be so limply happy over a dish of poe, or a green
cocoa-nut, or even a lounge in the sun, that it seemed an outrage to
expect them to work. In their sports they could be energetic enough. I
do not know of any more delightful sight than to watch them bathing
in the tremendous surf, simply intoxicated with the joy of living,
as unconscious of danger as if swinging in a hammock while riding
triumphantly upon the foaming summit of an incoming breaker twenty feet
high, or plunging with a cataract over the dizzy edge of its cliff,
swallowed up in the hissing vortex below, only to reappear with a scream
of riotous laughter in the quiet