; ^S-1 ARRIVAL AT BOMBAY. Chap. XXVIII. 



watching. In going up the East Coast to take advantage of 

 the current of one hundred miles a day, we would fain have 

 gone into the Juba or Webbe Eiver, the mouth of which is 

 only 15' south of the line, but we were too shorthanded. We 

 passed up to about ten degrees north of the Equator, and then 

 steamed out from the coast. Here Maury's wind chart 

 showed that the calm-belt had long been passed, but we were 

 in it still ; and, instead of a current carrying us north, we had 

 a contrary current which bore us every day four miles to the 

 south. We steamed as long as we dared, knowing as we 

 did that we must use the engines on the coast of India. 



After losing many days tossing on the silent sea, with 

 innumerable dolphins, flying-fish, and sharks around us, we 

 had six days of strong breezes, then calms again tried our 

 patience ; and the near approach of that period, " the break 

 of the Monsoon," in which it was believed no boat could 

 live, made us sometimes think our epitaph would be "Left 

 Zanzibar on 30th April 1864, and never more heard of." At 

 last, in the beginning of June the chronometers showed that 

 wc were near the Indian coast. The black men believed it was 

 trus because we told them it was so, but only began to dance 

 with joy when they saw sea-weed and serpents floating past. 

 These serpents are peculiar to these parts, and are mentioned 

 as poisonous in the sailing directions. We ventured to pre- 

 dict that we should see land next morning, and at midday the 

 high coast hove in sight, wonderfully like Africa before the 

 rains begin. Then a haze covered all the land, and a heavy 

 swell beat towards it. A rock was seen, and a latitude showed 

 it to be the Choule rock. Making that a fresh starting-point, 

 we soon found the light-ship, and then the forest of masts 

 loomed through the haze in Bombay harbour. We had 

 sailed over 2500 miles. The vessel was so small, that no 

 one noticed our arrival. 



