" STRA Y." 29 



wonderful fireballs shooting as it were from 

 the vivid flashes of lightning, just as I had 

 seen them when anchored off Fernando Po 

 some years before. 



In the African I met with a dear dog, a 

 big black-and-white fellow, like a Newfoundland, 

 who was discovered looking very frightened 

 and unhappy in one of the cabins after we 

 had started ; evidently forgotten by his master 

 in the hurry and bustle of clearing the ship of 

 visitors. As he was homeless, and 1 wanted a 

 guardian and companion, I asked him what he 

 thought about the matter, and he immediately 

 sat up and gave me first one paw, and then 

 the other. From this I concluded that his 

 ideas agreed with mine, so I adopted him and 

 gave him the name of "Stray.;" and if I may 

 judge from his behaviour in general, I don't 

 think he has ever regretted the arrangement. 



Although, of course, I had written to say I 

 was coming, I arrived about a week before I 

 was expected, and when I landed was told 

 that I could not go up to my cottage, as 



