CHAPTER II 



AT SEA 



"Thou boundless, shining, glorious sea; 

 With ecstasy I gaze on thee." 



Friedrich Leopold, Graf Stolberg. 



PROMPTLY at half-past nine on the morning of 

 August 2Oth the cables of the ship Vasari were 

 slipped, and she made her way from her berth at Pier 8, 

 Brooklyn, to the lower harbor and cast anchor opposite 

 the Statue of Liberty. Large steamers docking in 

 Brooklyn are forced to quit their berths before the tide 

 begins to set toward Long Island Sound, as, otherwise, 

 they might be driven against the abutments of the 

 narrow channel before they could be pointed and 

 brought into position to use their full power against 

 the stream. An inspection revealed the fact that none 

 of the luggage belonging to the writer and his assistant 

 was on board. Appeal was made to the purser. 

 "Were your things on the dock?' he said. 'They 

 were. We brought them ourselves. Here is the 

 receipt of the baggage-master.' 'Well, make your- 

 selves comfortable! They will be found when we get 

 under way. I have often met people like you, who 

 raise a fuss because things are not in sight. Your 

 stuff is on board. Go and get your lunch and keep 

 cool. I will bet you ten dollars the things are on the 

 ship!' The prospect of making the voyage to Argen- 



16 



