146 FRAGMENTS OF SCIENCE. 



of the clouds was a fit accompaniment to the fury of the 

 ocean. The moon was almost full at times concealed, 

 at times revealed, as the scud flew wildly over it. These 

 things appealed to the eye, while the ear was filled by 

 the groaning of the screw and the whistle and boom of 

 the storm. 



Nor was the outward agitation the only object of 

 interest to me. I was at once subject and object to 

 myself, and watched with intense interest the workings 

 of my own mind. The 'Urgent' is an elderly ship. 

 She had been built, I was told, by a contracting firm 

 for some foreign Government, and had been diverted 

 from her first purpose when converted into a troop-ship. 

 She had been for some time out of work, and I had 

 heard that one of her boilers, at least, needed repair. 

 Our scanty but excellent crew, moreover, did not belong 

 to the 'Urgent,' but had been gathered from other 

 ships. Our three lieutenants were also volunteers. All 

 this passed' swiftly through my mind as the steamer 

 shook under the blows of the waves, and I thought that 

 probably no one on board could say how much of this 

 thumping and straining the ' Urgent ' would be able to 

 bear. This uncertainty caused me to look steadily at 

 the worst, and I tried to strengthen myself in the face 

 of it. 



But at length the helm laid hold of the water, and 

 the ship was got gradually round to face the waves. 

 The rolling diminished, a certain amount of pitching 

 taking its place. Our speed had fallen from eleven 

 knots to two. I went again to bed. After a space of 

 calm, when we seemed crossing the vortex of a storm, 

 heavy tossing recommenced. I was afraid to allow 

 myself to fall asleep, as my berth was high, and to be 

 pitched out of it might be attended with bruises, if not 

 with fractures. From Friday at noon to Saturday at 



