220 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT. 



The speed of the vessel increased gradually during 

 her course down the Channel from four to five, and 

 ultimately to six knots per hour, which latter rate she 

 steadily maintained throughout the run to Yalentia, 

 even with the extra weight she had to tug through 

 the waters during the latter half of the voyage. At 

 5.30 A.M. on Sunday we were off Beachy Head, and at 

 1 1 Captain Anderson read prayers in the dining saloon, 

 Avhich was by no means crowded, though more than 

 two hundred men attended service. Early on Monday 

 morning Plymouth was reached, and we made the 

 Lizard Point at noon, and there we noticed ahead of 

 us a screw-steamer labouring violently, and evidently 

 determined to overhaul us. She proved to be the 

 Caroline, which left the Thames several days before 

 us, bound for Yalentia, and having the shore-end of 

 the Cable on board. We had fully expected to find 

 her at her destination, but she was so heavily Aveighted 

 that the slightest breeze was too much for her ; so, 

 running for shelter into Falmouth, she there awaited 

 our coming up. A strong new line being sent astern, 

 we immediately took the helpless vessel in tow, and 

 had every reason to congratulate ourselves that we 

 were not on board of her. Her fearful rolling and 

 pitching, however annoying to her inmates, were to 

 us, sitting on the paddle-boxes of our motionless ark, 

 highly interesting, exciting, and even amusing. It 

 was like viewing a looming shipwreck from the com- 

 fortable boxes of a theatre, with the additional advan- 



