out wishing its
destruction. With this turkey and a bountiful plum duff, we made out a
dinner even on the _Liberdade_.

Of the many Christmas days that come crowding in my recollections now;
days spent on the sea and in foreign lands, as falls to the lot of
sailors--which was the merriest it would be hard to say. Of this,
however, I am certain, that the one on board the _Liberdade_ on the
Chesapeake was not the least happy of them all.

The day following Christmas found us on the Potomac, enjoying the same
fine weather and abundant good cheer of the day before. Fair winds
carried us through all the reaches of the river, and the same prosperity
which attended our little bark in the beginning of the voyage through
tempestuous weather followed her to the end of the voyage, which
terminated in mild days and pleasant sunshine.

On the 27th of December, 1888, a south wind bore us into harbour at
Washington, D.C., there we moored for the winter, furled our sails and
coiled up the ropes, after a voyage of joys and sorrows, crowned with
pleasures, however, which lessened the pain of past regrets.

Having moored the _Liberdade_ and weather-bitted her cables, it remains
only to be said that after bringing us safely through the dangers of a
tropical voyage, clearing reefs, shoals, breakers, and all storms
without a serious accident of any kind, we learned to love the little
canoe as well as anything could be loved that is made by hands.

To say that we had not a moment of ill-health on the voyage would not
tell the whole story.

My wife, brave enough to face the worst storms, as women are sometimes
known to do on sea and on land, enjoyed not only the best of health, but
had gained a richer complexion.

Victor, at the end of the voyage, found that he had grown an inch and
had not been frightened out of his boots.

Little Garfield--well he had grown some, too, and continued to be a
pretty good boy and had managed to hold his grip through many ups and
downs. He it was who stood by the bow line to make fast as quick as the
_Liberdade_ came to the pier at the end of the voyage.

And I, last, as it should be, lost a few pounds' weight, but like the
rest landed in perfect health; taking it altogether, therefore, only
pleasant recollections of the voyage remain with us who made it.

With all its vicissitudes I still love a life on the broad, free ocean,
never regretting the choice of my profession.

However, the time has come