CHAPTEK III. 



MY FELLOW-PASSENGERS. 



Oar Cuisine Reminiscences of Olden Days Plum Duff A Yarn An old 

 Acquaintance "The Plunger" Mr. Holly The Clergyman A. Pilau a 

 la Chinoise Mr. and Mrs. Crommy. 



FROM Dartmouth to Madeira is act the second. During 

 the five days' run I may hope to get some little insight 

 into the characters of my compagnons de voyage. 



With a smooth sea, gentle western wind, and 

 brilliant sun, we left the coast of England, all, without 

 dissenting voice, auguring, from such a successful start, 

 a prosperous passage. But what does it matter whether 

 it blows high or low, great guns or little ones, as long 

 as we have so fine a ship beneath us, free from deck- 

 hamper and such-like impedimenta too often placed on 

 board by illiberal and unscrupulous owners ? No ; she 

 is truly a splendid specimen of Clyde architecture, with 

 a crew and officers one can, without hesitation, feel con- 

 fidence in. The table has already given proof of its 

 excellence, and no abatement in this respect is antici- 

 pated by me, for I discover the chef de cuisine is an 

 acquaintance I knew in China to be master of his art, 

 and there are cows, sheep, and pigs on board in 

 abundance, and turkeys, geese, ducks, and fowls in- 

 numerable, for him to practise his skill upon. How 

 different is all this from twenty years ago, when the 

 c 



