330 



MY LIFE 



[Chap. 



cabin, which was a large one, and also provided me with a 

 small table in one corner where I could write or read quietly. 



The captain was a rather small, nervous man, but very- 

 kind and of rather scientific and literary tastes. He wished 

 to take some deep-sea soundings during the voyage, and to 

 bring up good samples of the bottom ; and we discussed an 

 apparatus he was having made for the purpose, in which I 

 suggested some improvements, which he adopted. Sailing 

 orders were expected every day, as the ship was quite ready, 

 with the stores she was taking out to the East all on board ; 

 but day after day and week after week passed, signals were 

 exchanged with the admiral, but we seemed no nearer 

 sailing than when I came on board. It was rather dull work, 

 but I consoled myself with getting acquainted with the ship 

 and its ways, the regular routine of which went on, and 

 everybody seemed as fully occupied as if we were at sea. 

 The captain had a nice little library in his cabin, among which 

 the only book I specially remember was a fine Spanish 

 edition of " Don Quixote." This I intended to read through 

 during the voyage, as my familiarity with Portuguese and the 

 small experience of Spanish conversation while in Venezuela 

 enabled me to understand a good deal of it. But this was 

 not to be. 



Having read almost all Marryat's novels, I was especially 

 interested in the characters and manners of the various 

 officers, in whom I found several of Marryat's types repro- 

 duced. The captain, as I have said, was nervous, and especially 

 on everything connected with official etiquette. One day 

 signals were being made from the admiral's ship, and there 

 seemed to be some doubt as to what ships it was intended 

 for. The first-lieutenant asked what they were to do about 

 it, and the captain was quite excited for fear of a reprimand, 

 and at last said, " We can only do what the others do. Watch 

 them and repeat the signals they make." Whether it was 

 right or not I don't remember. One officer, I think it was 

 the purser, was the great authority on naval history. His 

 small cabin had a complete set of the Navy List for fifty years 

 or more, and every matter in dispute as to what ship was at 



