ny heavy
water, although sometimes hedged in on either side by gigantic waves
that seemed to tower as high as her lowermast heads. Again and again
we were caught up and passed by the splendid homeward-bound colonial
packets, some of them carrying an appalling press of canvas, under
which the long, snaky hulls, often overwhelmed by the foaming seas, were
hardly visible, so insignificant did they appear by comparison with the
snowy mountain of swelling sail above.

So we fared eastward and ever southward, until in due time up rose the
gloomy, storm-scarred crags of the Diego Ramirez rocks, grim outposts
of the New World. To us, though, they bore no terrific aspect; for were
they not the turning-point from which we could steer north, our head
pointed for home? Immediately upon rounding them we hauled up four
points, and, with daily improving weather climbed the southern slopes
towards the line.

Very humdrum and quiet the life appeared to all of us, and had it not
been for the saving routine of work by day, and watch by night, kept up
with all our old discipline, the tedium would have been insupportable
after the incessant excitement of expectation to which we had so long
been accustomed. Still, our passage was by no means a bad one for a slow
ship, being favoured by more than ordinarily steadfast winds until we
reached the zone of the south-east trades again, where the usual mild,
settled wind and lovely weather awaited us. On and on, unhasting but
unresting, we stolidly jogged, by great good fortune slipping across the
"doldrums"--that hateful belt of calms about the line so much detested
by all sailor-men--without losing the south-east wind.

Not one day of calm delayed us, the north-east trades meeting us like a
friend sent to extend a welcoming hand and lend us his assistance on our
homeward way. They hung so far to the eastward, too--sometimes actually
at east-by-north-that we were able to steer north on the starboard
tack--a slice of luck not usually met with. This "slant" put all hands
in the best of humours, and already the date of our arrival was settled
by the more sanguine ones, as well as excellent plans made for spending
the long voyage's earnings.

For my part, having been, in spite of my youth, accustomed to so many
cruel disappointments and slips between the cup and lip, I was afraid to
dwell too hopefully upon the pleasures (?) of getting ashore. And after
the incident which I have now to record occur