THE ELBA SAILS Ixxvii 



with the steam ; and the belts slip away as if nothing held 

 them. Men begin to look queer ; the circle of quidnuncs make 

 sage remarks. Once more no use. I begin to know I ought 

 to feel sheepish and beat, but somehow I feel cocky instead. I 

 laugh and say " Well, I am bound to break something down " 

 and suddenly see. " Oho, there's the place ; get weight on 

 there, and the belt won't slip." With much labour, on go the 

 belts again. " Now then, a spar thro' there and six men's 

 weight on ; mind you're not carried away." " Ay, ay, sir." 

 But evidently no one believes in the plan. " Hurrah, round 

 she goes stick to your spar. All right, shut off steam." And 

 the difficulty is vanquished. 



1 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, regard- 

 less 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 board, they gave 

 three cheers, whether for me or the ship I hardly know, but I 

 had just bid them good-bye, and the ship was out of hail ; but 

 I was startled and hardly liked to claim the compliment by 



acknowledging it. 



e 2 



