WHALING AND BEAR-HUNTING 151 



lot of sardines in a fine bag-net which I bought here for the 

 ship ; it is spread from an iron ring and catches a few of the 

 more foolish fish ; we also caught a ray, or skate, yesterday, 

 about eight feet in width, in the trammel-net. Some people 

 would venture to eat it, we did not, it was so black and ugly. 



Our engineers and officers have worked very hard all week, 

 overhauling the engine, taking it all to pieces, reassembling 

 it, and working till one o'clock each night. So we promised 

 them a jaunt on shore to the Seven Cities, the wonder of 

 the island. 



So this Sunday morning I saw six of our crew off for 

 a drive over the island, the captain on the box, a burly 

 figure compared to the little Portuguese driver beside him, 

 two engineers, two mates, and the steward, all in neat 

 Sunday dress, inside an open antediluvian barouche held 

 together with string, the springs down on the axles, and a 

 huge heap of ragged maize tied behind to feed the scarecrow 

 horses. I was to have gone with them but there was not 

 room, and I found it impossible to get more than the one 

 machine on this Sabbath morn. All the rest were laid up 

 or had gone off with Sunday parties. To get the one, I'd 

 to run from pillar to post, and use soft, persuasive language, 

 and listen to infinite reasons for there being no possibility 

 of getting a trap at all. 



But it was worth the trouble of hunting for the carriage 

 to see my six good shipmates drive off in great form with a 

 crack of the whip, rumbling over the cobbles, and waving 

 hats to the writer, who suddenly felt somewhat lonely. 



But to-day, Monday, there's nothing to keep me on board, 

 I have done my painful duty ; I have drawn in best style 

 our registered number on our sails above reef points, accord- 

 ing to act, and on tin plates for stencils to paint the same 

 on St Ebba's side to port and starboard. 



On our fore quarter, there is now L H, which signifies 

 Leith, and 256, each letter the thickness number of inches 

 and fraction of an inch ordered by the Board of Trade, with 

 the distance between letters and figures all according to the 

 law of the Medes and Persians. 



It went decidedly against the grain to stamp our yacht- 



