136 THE CALL OF THE SEA 



roam its fathomless valleys ; of the shapeless 

 monsters that lurk among the very foundations 

 of the earth ; and of those wild phantasms that 

 swell the tales of fishermen and sailors. . . . 



We one day descried some shapeless object 

 drifting at a distance. At sea everything that 

 breaks the monotony of the surrounding expanse 

 attracts attention. It proved to be the mast of a 

 ship that must have been completely wrecked, for 

 there were remains of handkerchiefs by which 

 some of the crew had fastened themselves to this 

 spar, to prevent themselves being washed off by 

 the waves. There was no trace by which the 

 name of the ship could be ascertained. The 

 wreck had evidently drifted about for many 

 months ; clusters of shellfish had fastened about 

 it, and long seaweeds flaunted at its sides. 



Washington Irving. 



Life on Board Ship •<:>• '^o ^^ 



(From The Voyage of II. M.S. "Beagle") 



TV /r ANY of the losses which must be experienced 

 are obvious ; such as that of the society of 

 every old friend, and of the sight of those places 

 with which every dearest remembrance is so in- 

 timately connected. These losses, however, are at 

 the time partly relieved by the exhaustless delight 

 of anticipating the long wished-for day of return. 



