240 By Stream and Sea. 



In this manner one of the memories of bygone work arose 

 to haunt the dreams and harry the dozer. Then falling half 

 asleep, I became oblivious of storm and sea, and dreamt 

 I was jack-fishing at Luton Hoo, a privilege so rare that I 

 strove to make the most of it. It seemed to be an immense 

 float that was bobbing up and down ; but there are big fish 

 in those waters, and the bait, from the motion it imparted to 

 the float, must have been lusty and lively. By-and-by this 

 large round float began to sink lower and lower and lower ; 

 what a splendid run it was ! 



Ay. The circular porthole upon which I had fixed a 

 dreamy gaze had with the roll of the ship gone down as my 

 berth came up, and the water obscuring it for a while 

 accounted for its final disappearance. Altogether that was 

 a funny night in the Bay of Biscay, and the steward, I noticed, 

 had not many passengers to wait upon at the next breakfast 

 table. 



The sea-gulls, being the only living creatures to look at 

 for days together, obtained a lion's share of attention. You 

 cannot angle for gulls as you do for the wandering albatross; 

 that is to say, you may angle for them if you choose, but it 

 will be to no purpose. The gull is a sufficiently pretty bird, 

 but it is not what is called interesting. And what is the use 

 of shooting it ? Few commanders of a large steamer would 

 be willing to stop their ship in her proud career of twelve 

 knots an hour, and man and lower a boat, to pick up the 

 fowl which an idle passenger had shot. Else we might have 

 brought down several which, wheeling over the stern, pre- 

 sented that desirable under-view of the breast which is any- 

 thing but favourable to the bird under the observation of a 

 good marksman. We had gulls at all times around us in 

 the Bay of Biscay and the Mediterranean, and the pretty 

 black and white winged kittiwake was frequent as we n eared 

 the Spanish coast. 



