THE ELBA SAILS 105 



the plan. " Hurrah, round she goes stick to your 

 spar. All right, shut off steam." And the diffi- 

 culty is vanquished. 



' This or such as this (not always quite so bad) 

 occurs hour after hour, while five hundred tons of 

 coal are rattling down into the holds and bunkers, 

 riveters are making their infernal row all round, 

 and riggers bend the sails and fit the rigging : 

 a sort of Pandemonium, it appeared to young 

 Mrs. Newall, who was here on Monday and half- 

 choked with guano ; but it suits the likes o' me. 



'S.S. Elba, River Mersey, May 17. 



' We are delayed in the river by some of the 

 ship's papers not being ready. Such a scene at the 

 dock gates. Not a sailor will join till the last 

 moment ; and then, just as the ship forges ahead 

 through the narrow pass, beds and baggage fly on 

 board, the men half tipsy clutch at the rigging, 

 the captain swears, the women scream and sob, 

 the crowd cheer and laugh, while one or two pretty 

 little girls stand still and cry outright, regardless 

 of all eyes. 



' These two days of comparative peace have quite 

 set me on my legs again. I was getting worn and 

 weary with anxiety and work. As usual I have 

 been delighted with my shipwrights. I gave them 

 some beer on Saturday, making a short oration. 

 To-day when they went ashore and I came on 



