OUT OF SIGHT OF LAND 119 



start to pick up these six miles, he comes and 

 says there must be a fault about thirty miles from 

 Bona ! By this time it was too late to begin paying 

 out to-day, and we must lie here moored in a 

 thousand fathoms till light to-morrow morning. 

 The ship pitches a good deal, but the wind is going 

 down. 



' June 13, Sunday. 



' The wind has not gone down however. It 

 now (at 10.30) blows a pretty stiff gale, the sea 

 has also risen ; and the Elba's bows rise and fall 

 about 9 feet. We make twelve pitches to the 

 minute, and the poor cable must feel very sea- 

 sick by this time. We are quite unable to do any- 

 thing, and continue riding at anchor in one thousand 

 fathoms, the engines going constantly so as to keep 

 the ship's bows up to the cable, which by this means 

 hangs nearly vertical and sustains no strain but 

 that caused by its own weight and the pitching of 

 the vessel. We were all up at four, but the weather 

 entirely forbade work for to-day, so some went to 

 bed and most lay down, making up our leeway as 

 we nautically term our loss of sleep. I must say 

 Liddell is a fine fellow and keeps his patience and 

 temper wonderfully; and yet how he does fret 

 and fume about trifles at home ! This wind has 

 blown now for 36 hours, and yet we have telegrams 

 from Bona to say the sea there is as calm as a 

 mirror. It makes one laugh to remember one is 



