t his wife managed
to evade it. At last a breeze sprang up and the sharks took their
leave.

"One night it blew stiff and we shortened sail, but with little
advantage. The ship capered about till she had her topmast overboard
with the jib attached to it. This episode occasioned the composition
of the song 'On board the old _Equator_,' by Mrs. Stevenson and Mr.
Osbourne, I believe for Mr. Stevenson's birthday. I sang it on that
occasion for the first time, and later at Apia at a dinner given for
the ship. This was before Mr. Stevenson had given away his
birthday,[31] so he was allowed to enjoy it, as did we all. Speeches
were made and we drank his health, severally and all together. We felt
as happy as any crew on board of a 20,000 tonner."

[Footnote 31: See _The Letters of Robert Louis
Stevenson_, page 279.]

* * * * *

Of this jolly party, gathered together by the _camaraderie_ of the
sea, Lloyd Osbourne writes:

"The rousing chorus was sung in unison: 'Captain darling, where has
your topmast gone, I pray? Captain darling, where has your topmast
gone?' Such things sound foolish years afterwards, but at the time are
gay and funny. Now, looking back, it seems as though the incongruity
of the party was the funniest thing about it--Louis, my mother,
myself, the boyish young Scotch captain, the big Norwegian mate, the
Finnish second mate, Rick, a Russian ex-sea-captain, Paul Hoeflich, Joe
Strong the artist, all the very best of friends, who had lived a month
together crowded to suffocation, and yet were better friends than ever
when they left the ship."

* * * * *

To continue the story of Paul Hoeflich:

"On the twenty-sixth morning out Mrs. Stevenson called from the deck:
'Come up and see Samoa!' Proudly the vessel cut her way towards the
mountainous island covered with dark green forest from peak to beach.
We were all struck with its beauty and elated with expectations as to
its hidden shadowy secrets. Inside of an hour we dropped anchor in the
port of Apia, and a friend came off and took the party on shore. The
vessel's stay was five days, and then we up sails and pointed her head
for Maraki, to get rid of the last passenger, the Jonah of the
voyage. Before our departure Mr. Stevenson gave a dinner, where we
gathered for the last time around the hospitable board. Needless to
say, I was in love with the island and acquir