THE EEL A. 311 



teased into oakum. One of the tilfers — loose flooring 

 of the boat — was confiscated and split up with our 

 pocket knives. Some of the stones which served as 

 ballast, were arranged so as to form a little hollow 

 stove. A blank shot of powder — for we had no 

 matches — set the oakum in a blaze, and very soon we 

 had a capital little fira The iron tholes did duty for a 

 brand iron. A pile of piltacks were gutted and laid over 

 the glowing embers, and in a very few minutes were 

 beautifully cooked. The number consumed, Slop of 

 course heartily assisting us, was something prodigious. 

 And never was a meal more thoroughly relished. It 

 was breakfast, dinner, and tea all rolled into one great 

 feast, after which we felt so refreshed and strengthened 

 that we did not seem to mind a bit though we should 

 have to spend the night rocking on the billows of the 

 German Ocean. We were not, however, reduced to the 

 necessity of passing through so severe an ordeal. As 

 we had anticipated the wind fell with the approach of 

 evening, and we reached land and home late at night 

 without any further misadventure, and to the great 

 joy of anxious hearts who had got seriously alarmed 

 at our non-appearance ; for although we sometimes 

 spent a whole day " from early morn to dewy eve " on 

 our sporting expeditions, our absence had never before 

 been so unconscionably prolonged. 



