238 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT. 



bearer henceforth to the free and undisturbed use of 

 spar or rigging, and then I was speedily released from 

 my ludicrous and over-conspicuous position ; nor do 

 I intend to scratch out a word I have said, for, with 

 this trifling exception, nothing occurred during the 

 voyage to upset my theory of the utter valuelessness 

 of money when at sea. 



And now a word or two about our amusements, of 

 which, if I may judge by the alacrity shown in attend- 

 ing the summons of the various bells, those connected 

 with the culinary department are by no means of the 

 least importance. At 8 A.M. we sit down to a sub- 

 stantial breakfast, which would be perfect but for the 

 absence of milk. True, our cow is dead, but as she 

 never yielded a cupful of that beverage, the queer 

 quality of the article supplied must not be laid to the 

 charge of the poor beast. The pipe and cigar follow 

 immediately, and then till luncheon we either pass 

 our time in watching events above or in literary or 

 artistic occupations below the latter, however, at- 

 tended with some difficulty. The saloon of a vessel, 

 freighted with nearly five hundred human beings, is 

 ill adapted for serious pursuits, and there are defects 

 in that of the Great Eastern, as arranged for this voy- 

 age, which are not apparent in other ships, though I 

 acknowledge that in one point she beats every vessel 

 afloat, and that is her extreme steadiness of motion, 

 even in a stiff breeze. I have heard that great worker, 

 Anthony Trollope, declare that on board of the Cunard 



