10 3nttoEmctton 



to this day. I should be prouder still to feel that the 

 readers of this narrative of the North Sea's fury 

 endorsed Clark Russell's opinion. 



On my first writing the story of the wreck of the 

 French barque Frangais, here entitled "The Storm's 

 Triumph," I sent it to the late Frank T. Bullen, 

 whose nautical books are known the world over. 

 His reply was characteristic of his kindly nature, 

 for he wrote : "I felt I was reading my own stuff. 

 You may or may not take that as a compliment, 

 but it sums up the case as far as I am concerned. 

 It also fires my admiration, for (tell it not in Gath) 

 I do admire my own work after I see it in print, although 

 I hate it while I am writing it." 



At the close of the volume is a little sketch to which 

 there is given the title of " Nature at Best." This 

 was first published in The Newcastle Weekly Chronicle, 

 to whose able editor I am indebted for many kind- 



