leave
the harbour. Curiosity in their case was small. Every half-hour, launches
puffed along to take back their pilots. The purlieus of Monte Video with
their apparent but distant gaiety, even, were soon disregarded.

Bicker and Meacock exchanged humorous history by the engine bunkers,
in holiday mood. The steward, who had lost little time in putting out
a fishline, leaned over the rail in meditation, not knowing that his
misanthropic look was being almost to a line caught by Bicker behind him.
Bicker also illustrated in dumb show the action of heaving the poor old
man overboard. And, meanwhile, it was hot: no doubt of that! Presently the
doleful patience of the steward was rewarded with a foolish-looking
fish perhaps three pounds in weight, which was soon cut into sectors
and salted.

When towards seven in the evening the anchor was got up and the ship
began to move up the River Plate to Buenos Aires, the scene was one to be
remembered. Astern lay Monte Video with its lines of lights, and from
its hill one great light glowed out momently; ahead lay the buoys of the
channel, flashing first red and then white in reassuring alternation
along our course; and the moon overhead, pale with a stratum of thin
cloud, or lost at times behind echelons of stormier vapours, gave light
enough to hint at the look of the shores. At first the captain, the mate
and the anchor appeared the three forces acting on the ship, the anchor
especially, which was loath to come aboard. At last it came, and the
_Bonadventure_ went steadily up the river to the pipe of a rising wind.

Hosea, well satisfied, sat down in his room with his "purser" to theorize
in our wonted way. The beauty of the commonplace, it was; then we were
considering the simplicity of seafaring men. They must be simple, he
said, to have done what they had done, including Columbus. Seafaring
in sailing ships, he described in the powerful phrase "fighting against
your God"; a phrase which I suppose the early mariners in their piety
might have applied to steamers.

Those trim skiffs unknown of yore--

I condense Coleridge--

That fear no spite of wind or tide!

Phillips joined us. "We're discussing nautical history, chief." Being
assured that this really was so, Phillips said he was uncertain about the
true story of the _Golden Hind's_ boatswain, but he felt certain about our
not reaching Buenos Aires in the morning. If he were not a moral man,
he would "bet you, si