16 EAST PRUSSIA TO THE GOLDEN GATE 



mostly within speaking distance, it gave me quite an en- 

 tertainment. I counted two brigs, eleven schooners, two 

 sloops, four yachts, all under full sail, when we overtook 

 them, one by one. Though we were but three German 

 miles from Stela, we could recognize but very little, as 

 most points of that vicinity are very low. The coast does 

 not rise until one reaches Eieserhoft, the high tower of 

 which we passed about four o'clock in the afternoon at 

 a distance of nearly four miles and a half. Fortunately 

 the air cleared toward six o'clock, so that we were able 

 to distinguish houses, trees and shrubberies along the 

 coast of Eieserhoft with the naked eye. What a treat 

 for one unaccustomed to be on the open sea for any 

 length of time. We were now about a mile and a half 

 from the coast and did not widen the distance until sun- 

 set, when we went a few miles further from land without 

 losing sight of it entirely. During the evening we passed 

 five or six more vessels, all sea-bound. The sky was cov- 

 ered with broken clouds ; dark and silent was the sea, the 

 broad waves of which kept us swinging to and fro; the 

 air was mild and all the passengers were on deck, in 

 eluding a few who, for hours, had paid nature's tribute 

 to the sea. We remained up and passed the evening 

 joking, laughing, rejoicing and singing until long after 

 the red and green signal lanterns had been set out. To- 

 wards ten o'clock, one after the other retired. Capt. 

 Eybe turned the command over to his mate, with whom 

 I walked up and down the deck for quite a while, watch- 

 ing the coast of Pomerania, which we passed at a dis- 

 tance of perhaps two German miles. As the wind favored 

 us from the Northeast, Nebendahl, the mate, ordered all 

 available sails set, and when I retired, about eleven 

 o'clock, we had made such headway that the lonely light 

 of Eieserhoft looked like a speck on the farthest edge of 

 the horizon. Having reached my bunk, I soon fell sound 

 asleep in spite of the unaccustomed manner of lodging 

 and notwithstanding the steady groaning of the machine 

 and the noise of the immense wheels, now louder, now 

 less noticeable, according to the movements of the ves- 



