BECKHAMPTON TO SOUTH AFRICA 65 



I was not in those days a champion sailor, nor, 

 indeed, am I now, and as we ran into bad weather 

 immediately after passing the Needles, and had 

 four successive days of it, I prefer not to dwell on 

 that experience. The following report, however, 

 of how we were faring on the evening of December 

 30, 1901, will satisfy most readers that up to that 

 time my lot was not a happy one. It was written 

 at the time. 



"It is about 8.30 p.m., and we are still labouring 



through the Bay, which we entered at 12.50 p.m. 



yesterday, and may emerge from about 

 In the Bay . 



12 mid-day to-morrow. It is well, I 



suppose, when you are about it to experience these 



things properly, and if you are ordered a thorough 



change to be sure and get it. From this point of 



view we have not been unfortunate, for after an 



easy run from London to Southampton, we began 



to come in for bad weather an hour or two after 



leaving the latter place, and this soon told its 



tale among the hitherto eager seafarers. Getting 



worse throughout the night and following morning, 



it was more than most had feared, even in their 



dreams, before the Bay itself was tackled, and 



then it simply went double on what it had been 



doing before without ever an easy. The good 



ship Gaika is as steady and stable a craft as can be, 



and our captain, who is a bit of a Job's comforter, 



5 



