THREE DAYS AND THREE NIGHTS ON BOARD A STEAMER. 109 



Stomach. After the soldier had retired from the contest, the travelling 

 clerk took up his argument, but instead of fighting for the Church of 

 England, ke fought for that of Scotland. The argument was, however, of 

 a more moderate nature. The arguer of the fine garments soon also felt 

 rather queerish, and declaring that such arguments were unfit for a ma- 

 rine company, as some gentleman was sure to have his feelings shocked, 

 laid his head down upon the hair pillow, and began likewise to groan. He 

 was soon followed by the defender of the Church of Scotland ; and as 

 the vessel was now pitching so dreadfully that there was little pleasure 

 below, we lighted a cigar, wrapped ourselves up in our cloaks, and went 

 upon deck, leaving the Papist and the unbelieving believer fiercely en- 

 gaged in the war of opinion. 



It was now about nine o'clock in the evening —the night was pitchy 

 dark, and nothing was to be observed but the light-houses and the un- 

 certain appearance of a mountainous coast on the starboard quarter, and 

 which, the mate assured us, was the island of Arran. We are not given 

 to sea-sickness, and never were afraid of the sea ; we were therefore in 

 a good mood to enjoy ourselves, and we certainly did so. The wind blew 

 right a-head, and the little steamer laboured much. We had rarely 

 seen a more superb sea, and as each wave broke over the vessel, we 

 clutched firmly the bulwark near which we were sitting on a chest made 

 fast to the deck, and as the water passed over, we felt a delight that can 

 only be felt by some mischief-loving spirit, — nay, so much did the imagi- 

 nation assist us, that we almost fancied ourselves the demon of the storm, 

 and as the little vessel rose over the wave, that but a moment before 

 seemed ready to swallow us up, we felt a buoyancy of spirits, that it is 

 rarely our lot to experience. After sitting for more than two hours 

 watching the sea sporting in its grandeur, we were astonished to hear 

 the Captain and Pilot in earnest conversation on the probability of her 

 being able to weather the channel. We could observe the high peak of 

 Ailsa indistinctly seen darkening the horizon at a little distance, and we 

 rejoiced at the prospect of soon being in what we knew to be the rough- 

 est part of the Irish Channel ; the Captain was not, however, apparently 

 so much at his ease, as he was pacing the deck with hurried steps, and 

 as he was not aware there was anv one within hearing, the Pilot and he 

 were talking earnestly what they thought. The Pilot was a bold fellow, 

 and counselled keeping her on her course, as to turn and run was more 

 dangerous, he said, in such darkness, than standing out to sea ; the Cap- 

 tain, however, was of a diflerent opinion — said the boat was not fit to 

 live unless the gale went down. As it drew near midnight, we began to 

 feel hungry and thirsty, so rising to descend for some refreshment, we 

 asked the Captain if he had never been in this boat in a gale before. He 

 said, he had never been in that steamer before, that this was his first 

 voyage ; that she was not fit for the ordinary gales of the channel, and 

 if he got safe back again, he would never more attempt to cross the 

 channel in her. During eight years that he had been in these channels, 

 he had never met with such a night, had never been in a finer sea-boat, 

 but at the same time, one that had not suflScient power for the work 

 assigned to her.-— It was with some difficulty that we managed to find 

 our way down to the cabin, where we found the disputants all engaged 

 in one argument, and that not of a pleasant kind — they were all sick. 



