210 TEE CBUISE OF THE "CACHALOT.'* 



utilized iron to such an extent in their rigging that 

 Bailor-work has become very largely a matter of black- 

 smithing. I make no complaint of this, not believing 

 that the " old was better ; " but, since the strongest fabric 

 of man's invention comes to grief sometimes in conflict 

 with the irresistible sea, some provision should be made 

 for having a sufficiency of seamen who could exercise 

 their skill in refitting a dismasted ship or temporarily 

 replacing broken blacksmith work by old-fashioned rope 

 and wood. 



But, as the sailing ship is doomed inevitably to dis- 

 appear before steam, perhaps it does not matter much. 

 The economic march of the world's progress will never 

 be stayed by sentimental considerations, nor will all the 

 romance and poetry in the world save the seaman from 

 extinction, if his place can be more profitably filled by 

 the engineer. From all appearances, it soon wil] be, 

 for even now marine superintendents of big lines are 

 sometimes engineers, and in their hands lie the duty 

 of engaging the officers. It would really seem as if the 

 ship of the near future would be governed by the chief 

 engineer, under whose direction a pilot or sailing-master 

 would do the necessary navigation, without power to 

 interfere in any matter of the ship's economy. Changes 

 as great have taken place in other professions ; seafaring 

 cannot hope to be the sole exception. 



So, edging comfortably along, we gradually neared 

 the Sandwich Islands without having seen a single spout 

 worth watching since the tragedy. At last the lofty 

 summits of the island mountains hove in sight, and 

 presently we came to an anchor in that paradise of 

 whalers, missionaries, and amateur statesmen — Honolulu. 

 As it is as well known to most reading people as our own 



