360 Notes on Sport and Travel iv 



heave and a creak and a groan, to swing away to 



windward and again to sweep swiftly across the sky 



overhead. The water, too, is lovely ; from its 



immense depth — here nearly sixteen thousand feet, 



deeper than Mont Blanc is high, — it is of the most 



beautiful dark beryl blue, and the down -driven 



bubbles in the ship's wake shift and change and 



wreathe like white silvery snakes. I stayed on deck 



till half-past twelve, and then was sorry to turn in. 



It was very fine to look down on the water when 



the ship gave one of her great lurches, and see the 



enormous rush she made, though one was obliged to 



hold on pretty tight in order to prevent one's going 



the dolphin down in the blue caverns, 



And deep Donidaniel caves 

 Under the roots of the ocean. 



My berth is partitioned off from the captain's 

 fore-cabin by a screen of chintz running on rings 

 above and below. It is divided into two apartmenis, 

 a snug cosy little dressing-room which is permanent, 

 and a bedroom which I share in company with two 

 mighty 32-pounders. My cot is slung just clear of 

 the deck, and when I became expert I could, by 

 tilting myself over, peer through the glazed porthole 

 into the rushing sea, which was pleasant. This fore- 

 cabin, through the captain's kindness, is used as a 

 school-room for the young gentlemen, and great 

 used to be my terror when tubbing in the morning 

 (oh for that bright, cold, fresh sea-water !), for fear 

 that I should fetch way, burst through my walls of 



