92 SAM DARLING'S REMINISCENCES 



down for the past two days to avoid getting there 

 too soon. 



" Mr. Gubbins has to-day performed an act of 

 justice to Ireland by causing a Scotch member of 

 Parliament who is on board to drink some special 

 Irish whisky, and the Scotch member — away 

 from his constituents — has declared that he never 

 tasted such good whisky before." 



I make no apology for quoting from Mr. Allison's 

 record of our voyage, for it was written at the time, 

 and is necessarily more accurate than anything I 

 could now write from memory, though memory, 

 when refreshed, tells me it is exactly correct. 



"S.S. 'Oceana; 

 "January 13, 1903. 



*' Oh, how that naval chaplain sang overnight ! 

 Once wound up, he reeled off all the old favourites, 

 such as * There is a tavern in the town,' * Wrap 

 me up in my tarpaulin jacket,' etc., etc., and the 

 choruses were vociferously rendered by all present. 

 Mr. Gubbins, who had retired, was drawn from his 

 cabin two decks below, and every one was delighted, 

 though the erudite person smiled only feebly, and 

 later on explained in the saloon certain musical in- 

 accuracies — illustrating them with his own voice. 



