Homeward Bound 197 



westward and southward, for, although I did not know 

 it, my God-given instinct forbade me attempting the 

 passage of Cape Horn, where the cold would certainly 

 have stricken me dead. But these things being hidden 

 from me, I fared leisurely on my way, taking bright 

 sea and gem-like clusters of islets in my way as they 

 came, like a philosopher. Indeed, I felt myself one 

 now. I had seen almost the whole world, and none of 

 its wonders had any power to move me. Only, I did 

 feel an intense longing for, a mighty drawing to, the 

 waters of my birthplace, so very far away. I did not 

 in the least know where that birthplace was, but what 

 of that ? As the magnet draws the needle, so I was 

 being drawn, and though only dimly conscious of it, 

 as quite content to be guided. Time did not matter 

 — we do not reckon the hours in our beautiful home 

 beneath the sea. We are content to fulfil the law of 

 our being, without regard to how long or short a time 

 it takes — in fact, for us, time has no meaning. We 

 live in a timeless state, in what you call Eternity, 

 except that we are so frail, so continually passing from 

 one shape to another. 



So gradually I worked my way round the watery 

 world towards the Cape of Good Hope, quite unmolested 

 by anything or anybody, but forgathering on my way 

 with many of my congeners, all bound in the same 

 direction. And the strange thing about all our journey- 

 ings was that none of us knew why we were going — 

 we only felt that we must go, and also were sure that 

 we should arrive at our destination unless — but then 

 we never anticipated any cessation of being, we just 

 went on living our life with all our might. Gradually, 

 surely, I worked my way round the Cape, wondering 

 as much as we can wonder at the numbers of my fellows 

 I fell in with. Having led quite a solitary life for so 



