know the ship's
position at noon to-day almost to a foot; and I was anxious to make a
really good departure, for I have worked out a very elaborate and
complete system of Great Circle courses from the Lizard to the north-
west end of the Little Bahama Bank, which is a spot that must be hit off
very accurately if one would avoid disaster. Thence I shall run down
the Florida Strait to Key West, the course which I intend to steer being
the shortest possible distance to that spot. And we must not run a mile
farther than is necessary, Jack, for Macintyre tells me that it will
take him all his time to make his coal last out."

As it happened, there was no cause for apprehension as to the coal
lasting out, for when the _Thetis_ was two days out from the Lizard she
fell in with a fresh easterly wind which enabled her to use her sails to
such great advantage that she saved a full day in the run across,
steaming in through the East Channel and dropping her anchor in four
fathoms of water within half a mile of the town of Key West a few
minutes before six o'clock in the evening of her eleventh day out from
the Lizard. There were several American men-o'-war of various
descriptions, ranging from battleships to torpedo boats, lying at anchor
in the roadstead, as well as two cruisers, three gunboats, and a torpedo
boat flying the Spanish flag; and Singleton noticed, with mingled
concern and amusement, that, as the little _Thetis_ swept past the
Spanish vessels at close quarters, with the blue burgee and ensign of
the "Royal Thames" gaily fluttering from masthead and ensign staff, the
yacht was an object of the keenest interest to the officers who were
promenading the navigating bridges. A boat from the custom-house, with
the health officer of the port in her, came off to the yacht almost as
soon as her anchor was down: but as the _Thetis_ had a clean bill of
health there was no difficulty about getting pratique, and the party
might have landed forthwith had they so pleased; they deemed it wise,
however, to exercise a certain measure of restraint, by abstaining from
landing until the next morning. But although the port authorities were
perfectly polite, Singleton thought--or was it only a case of a guilty
conscience?--that the custom-house officer betrayed even more than
ordinary Yankee curiosity as to the reasons which had prompted Jack to
select West Indian waters as the spot in which to pursue his quest of
renewed health; and t