ad of a porpoise
down again into the onslaught of rolling waters. The hand on the lookout
paced up and down the foc'sle head in loneliness, the officer on the
bridge answered his call as ever, the seagulls followed the ship with
their unvarying calm and pride of wing. Presently the fine light of
Eddystone was our solace.

The last day of my pursership dawned, a day I welcomed and yet was sorry
to find come. How swiftly it stole by! At seven that morning we were
midway between the Longships lighthouse and that yet lonelier one the
Wolf, with Land's End white with snow to feast the eye. The sun was a
Jolly Bacchus, the waves dancing as green as the young leaves sacred to
that god, and the happy porpoises ambled among them. Yet still, as we
swung round the corner, in a veritable procession of funnels and smoke
trails, a squall came down, heralded by a half-seen rainbow, threw us
rudely off the poise and chilled the air to winter again. But round went
the _Bonadventure_ and coasted beneath moors and tors sullenly green
into the Bristol Channel.

The heavy rolling died away as we passed from the Cornish shore (where
they are said to eat strangers), and my Emden chilblains felt the weather
growing much warmer. Indeed, we had not had so mild a day since we left
Las Palmas. Towards three we came abreast of Lundy Island's bluff, and
Hartland opposite, a sturdy cliff likewise. The tide helped us well,
but the wind was veering. Urged by those officers and engineers whose
wives would be at Barry Docks this evening to greet them, and by his
own wishes, the chief had promised to bring the _Bonadventure_ to the
tier in Barry Docks by seven.

Ilfracombe nestling happily under the moors was quickly passed; the
_Bonadventure_ could move when she had a mind; the mellow green country
of Somerset parcelled in such English fashion with such straight
hedgerows, faded astern. The coast of Wales revealed the twin lighthouses
called the Nash Lights, and still the ship raced on. Then, as if before
the time, we were entering the locks at Barry, in a smoky twilight,
after an evening shower; were inside, and tied up to the tier.

Not much remains to add. The next day I scrambled down the rope ladder,
and bade farewell to the _Bonadventure_, that "dirty ship," not unbeloved;
and Mead came next. The boat below carried us to the quay, under the
red hulls of ships gleaming with the light from the dancing ripples; then
came paying off, a most unpunct