THE INLAND PASSAGE. 45 



fear. There are numerous and very practicable in- 

 lets, and the yachtsman should make sure of getting 

 into one of them at night. The same may be said 

 of the stretch beyond Cape Fear. Treat the mighty 

 ocean with the respect it deserves, and it will never 

 illtreat you. On the charts the northern or old inlet 

 of Cape Fear is laid down as closed by a bulkhead. 

 This it is no doubt intended to be, to the discomfort 

 of small sailing craft, but at the timo I speak of it 

 was open. Possibly it was only opened temporarily 

 by a storm, and may be shut again now. 



There were some birds in Bull's Bay, but not 

 enough to induce us to pause, as we were anxious to 

 get the yacht to Charleston as quickly as we could. 

 So we made the most of the wind and the tide, and 

 anchored over against Fort Moultrie early in Jan- 

 uary. Does any of my readers care to hear how we 

 enjoyed Christmas Day ! If so, I will in that con- 

 nection, and with the happy sacredness of that day 

 in my mind, make a confession. In one of the open- 

 ing paragraphs of this history I mentioned the fact 

 that we had a stove, a cooking as well as heating 

 stove, in the main saloon. I did not, however, 

 acknowledge what I am now about to make public, 

 that every one of the party, from the state-rooms to 

 the forecastle, was a cook, and in the opinion of him 

 or herself a most sweet and dainty chef de cuisine. 

 Aware of this divine afflatus, they were none of them 

 entirely content unless they were exhibiting their 

 skill, so both stoves were run to their utmost 

 capacity, and as the appetites of the party were good 



