OUT OF SIGHT OF LAND 117 



small things to rights, and went to sleep. About 

 four in the afternoon, Mr. Liddell decided to proceed, 

 and we are now (at seven) grinding it in at the rate 

 of a mile and three-quarters per hour, which appears 

 a grand speed to us. If the paying-out only works 

 well ! I have just thought of a great improvement 

 in it ; I can't apply it this time however. The sea 

 is of an oily calm, and a perfect fleet of brigs and 

 ships surrounds us, their sails hardly filling in the 

 lazy breeze. The sun sets behind the dim coast 

 of the Isola San Pietro, the coast of Sardinia high 

 and rugged becomes softer and softer in the distance, 

 while to the westward still the isolated rock of Toro 

 springs from the horizon. It would amuse you to 

 see how cool (in head) and jolly everybody is. A 

 testy word now and then shows the wires are strained 

 a little, but every one laughs and makes his little 

 jokes as if it were all in fun : yet we are all as much 

 in earnest as the most earnest of the earnest bastard 

 German school or demonstrative of Frenchmen. I 

 enjoy it very much. 



' June 12. 



* 5.30 A.M. Out of sight of land : about thirty 

 nautical miles in the hold ; the wind rising a little ; 

 experiments being made for a fault, while the engine 

 slowly revolves to keep us hanging at the same 

 spot : depth supposed about a mile. The machin- 

 ery has behaved admirably. Oh ! that the paying- 

 out were over ! The new machinery there is but 



