148 FKAGMENTS OF SCIENCE. 



board, and he informed us that we were before the 

 mouth of the Guadalquivir, and that the lighthouse was 

 that of Cipiona. Cadiz was still some eighteen miles 

 distant. 



We steered towards the city, hoping to get into the 

 harbour before dark. But the pilot who would have 

 guided us had been snapped up by another vessel, and 

 we did not get in. We beat about during the night, 

 and in the morning found ourselves about fifteen miles 

 from Cadiz. The sun rose behind the city, and we 

 steered straight into the light. The three-towered 

 cathedral stood in the midst, round which swarmed 

 apparently a multiude of chimney-stacks. A nearer 

 approach showed the chimneys to be small turrets. A 

 pilot was taken on board; for there is a dangerous shoal 

 in the harbour. The appearance of the town as the 

 sun shone upon its white and lofty walls was singularly 

 beautiful. We cast anchor; some officials arrived and 

 demanded a clean bill of health. We had none. They 

 would have nothing to do with us; so the yellow quar- 

 antine flag was hoisted, and we waited for permission 

 to land the Cadiz party. After some hours' delay the 

 English consul and vice-consul came on board, and with 

 them a Spanish officer ablaze with gold lace and decora- 

 tions. Under slight pressure the requisite permission 

 had been granted. We landed our party, and in the 

 afternoon weighed anchor. Thanks to the kindness of 

 our excellent paymaster, I w"as here transferred to a 

 more roomy berth. 



Cadiz soon sank beneath the sea, and we sighted in 

 succession Cape Trafalgar, Tarifa, and the revolving 

 light of Ceuta. The water was very calm, and the 

 moon rose in a quiet heaven. She swung with her con- 

 vex surface downwards, the common boundary between 

 light and shadow being almost horizontal. A pillar of 



