98 BRITANNY AND THE CHASE. 



naj "charmant," to comprise all in a word; he left to 

 others the poor pleasures of smooth water, and loved to be 

 rocked upon the wave like a child in its cradle. And so 

 in truth chorussed all, with all the more freedom inasmuch 

 as there was at the moment no wind and the sky was 

 without a cloud. I ventured to ask one if he had been 

 accustomed to sail much and could manage a boat. " Ah ! 

 mon cher," said he, " soyez tranquille ; je connais un ba- 

 teau, et tout ce qu'il en faut, comme ma poche." This re- 

 assured me ; and so, after various toasts, sentiments, songs, 

 &c. &c., all was arranged, and we parted for the night in 

 great good humour. At the appointed time I was at the 

 place fixed, and the boat being ready we started. We 

 had to pull quietly down a small river for two or three 

 miles before reaching the sea, and to it they went like 

 workmen. True that the work was clumsily done to my 

 eyes ; but there was no shirking. Occasionally some one 

 ■caught a crab, or missed his stroke, and no one thought 

 of feathering his oar ; but I fancied it might be an English 

 custom, and held my peace and the tiller ropes. " Ah ! 

 ah! mon ami, qu'en dites-vous?" said one; and "Don't 

 we go along ! " said another ; " Can you beat this in Angle- 

 terre?" and so on, to which I replied, *^ Capital !" " First 

 rate ! " " Keep it up ! " "^ Go along ! " having however a 

 very strong idea that steam would fail very speedily. 

 Meanwhile I noticed a few awkward-looking grey clouds 

 mounting from the sea, preceded by scudding catspaws. 

 The wind rose and fell, but rose again, and got steady. 

 Thinks I to myself, " Pull away my hearties ; we shall 

 try your mettle before long ; " but they, with their backs 



