CHAP. xii. BLESSING THE STEAMER. 133 



was on deck at the time, one of a crowd waiting to witness 

 the ceremony of sprinkling the vessel with holy water ere it 

 set out on its summer voyage. The ship had arrived the 

 evening before, from its winter quarters in the bay behind 

 Habariki. The ceremony was effective. Flags were flying, 

 cannons firing, guests assembled ; a breakfast was prepared, 

 then came the procession of robed priests, candles burning 

 and censers swinging ; prayers were chanted, the crucifix was 

 kissed, and then the sprinkling began. Everybody and 

 everything was sprinkled with holy water from a rod, appa- 

 rently made of fine gilt wire. The paddle-boxes were 

 sprinkled, the deck was sprinkled fore and aft, the cabins 

 were sprinkled, the sailors were sprinkled ; the captain and 

 the engineer each received a whisk from the brush, which 

 made them wince, for at that moment a detachment of ice, 

 probably from the Ussa, was passing down the river, chilling 

 the water not a little. Then all was over except the break- 

 fast, when a practical joke was played upon the guests. A 

 course of bear-flesh was served up incognito, so deliciously 

 cooked that all ate of it with gusto, suspecting nothing. 

 Our amiable friend, the wife of the public prosecutor, alone 

 suspected, but wisely kept her counsel. 



After our dissipation we spent the evening packing skins, 

 and retired to our hammocks about midnight ; but whether 

 owing to Captain Arendt's hospitality or to the effect of the 

 arsenic in the skins, we could not sleep. At three o'clock, 

 finding the sun had been up some time, we bethought our- 

 selves that we could not do better than follow his example, 

 so we accordingly arose; then shouldering our guns, we 



