FROM MARSEILLES TO THE NILE 101 



But breasts there be so fierce and strong 

 Who hate both music and ping-pong : 

 For breasts like these we can but pray — 

 So wholly barbarous are they — 

 But, captain, you are stout and able, 

 So give us back our ping-pong table ! 



" Anon." 



This was sent to the captain's table that night 

 at dinner, and after he had read it one of the 

 ladies who sat at his table was highly amused at 

 these lines, and promptly wrote back : 



" Hark the herald angels sing 

 Do you pong or do you ping ? 

 If you do not ping or pong 

 You cannot join the heavenly throng." 



The captain afterwards gave us back our table. 



A great trouble to us on leaving Marseilles was 

 the news contained in last Thursday's papers as 

 to the illness of Richard Marsh, but no private 

 telegram on the subject came to hand, and we 

 left, after wiring to have the latest information 

 sent to Port Said. The Standard and Telegraph 

 apparently had later information than the Times, 

 and the two first-named papers did not suggest 

 any alarmist view, so we ended by being confident 

 that all would be well, and hoping confidence might 

 be justified. 



I had forgotten my own doings during the second 

 stage of the voyage, but the following extract from 



