FROM EDINBURGH TO THE ANTARCTIC 109 
time you draw a breath, and went surging past, a tower 
of ghostly grey canvas. There was not much time for 
talk between the two ships, just an angry shout or two : 
'Where the hell are you driving to?' — and 'What the 
blankety blank do you want to know for?' toning down 
into sea-chaff as we passed each other : ' Ahoy there, d ye 
stop out all night in that 'ere hooker ? ' ' Guess no, mister ; 
ties her up ^o a bloomin' tree. Where the wow-wow- 
wow 'and the voice was stopped off in the darkness. 
'Ships that pass in the night 
and speak each other in passing, 
Only a signal shown and a distant 
voice in the darkness ; 
So on the ocean of life we pass and 
speak one another : 
Only a look and a voice, then darkness 
again, and a silence. 3 
So Longfellow describes a similar incident. Which of 
the two is the least ' bmtal assault on the feelings ' ? 
Wednesday, 2nd Nov. — Lat. 12.42; long. 33.12. This 
morning a shoal of about fifty dolphins came racing up 
from leeward, and kept us company. They appeared to 
be travelling. They dashed in front of our bows for half 
an hour or so, leaping high out of the water and zig-zagging 
under it close to our sides ; possibly they were in pursuit 
of flying fish. Then off they went to the S.E. before we 
had time to get out the harpoon. Evidently our pace 
was too leisurely for them ; and no wonder. Here we are 
with this perfect sailing weather, a beautiful S.E. trade- 
wind, and a small sea, and we only make 5 J knots; one 
