184 SEA-SIDE STUDIES. 



the alacrity with which I sprang out of bed, the morning 

 when a sailor came up from tlie packet to say that anchor 

 was weighed, and we should start as soon as I could slip on 

 my things. This was at six in the morning, and, by half- 

 past, the Ariadne, formerly Lord Godolphin's yacht, but now 

 the property of Captain Tregarthen, who runs it between 

 Scilly and Penzance as the mail and sole communication, 

 left the harbour, and reached Scilly by one o'clock. This 

 was on Thursday, 26th March 1857. A century ago, on the 

 25th May 1752, Borlase, the admirable antiquarian, whose 

 Observations on the Ancient and Present State of the Scilly 

 Islands was among my books,* set sail in the sloop Godolphin 

 at seven in the morning, and about nine in the evening drew 

 near the islands — drew near, but dared not venture nearer ; 

 because, a "very thick fog ensuing, the sailors began to be 

 apprehensive whether they should fall in with the proper 

 passage into St Mary's Island or not : sometimes they 

 thought they could see the land, but were always uncertain 

 what part of the island it was. This determined us to con- 

 tinue turning off and on (in sea affairs give me leave to use 

 sea expressions), and wait for the morning. During this 

 interval we had a very uneasy time of it, and nothing to do 

 but to expect the daylight, which, you may be assured, was 

 with great impatience. The day came, but the fog continued 

 so thick that we had no benefit from it." In this fog they 

 continued beating about, in terror of getting entangled 



* Thanks to that most convenient, and to all students most valuable of in- 

 stitutions, The London Library, which manifold expcnence causes me to ui^c 

 every man of letters to join. 



