FROM EDINBURGH TO THE ANTARCTIC 
139 
ately she was shoved clear. Out went five long black 
spidery oars, and away went the graceful white boat, sud- 
denly come to life, lifting over the long swell as lightly as 
a white sea-bird, leaking like a sieve, with two men bailing 
for all they were worth. Of all beautiful boats these 
Yankee carvel-built whale-boats are far away the most 
graceful that I have ever seen. I had often admired the 
exquisite flow of their lines as they hung on the davits at 
our quarters. Our native whale-boats forward on the 
skids are really pretty, but they won't compare with these 
American boats for grace. 
I made a jotting of the doctors visit. The Guy 
Mannering hove-to with mainyard aback, her white 
sails dark against a pearly grey sky. It is easy to draw 
something like the barque, but as impossible to catch the 
movement and lines of the whale-boat as to catch the 
expression of the Milo. 
Next to the difficulty of getting off a ship in a sea-way 
is the difficulty of getting on board one. This was 
managed all right, and we saw the doctor scramble up 
the Guy Mannering's chains and disappear under the 
poop, and then the boat backed off, and all hands set 
to work bailing her. We were disappointed with the 
doctor as our ambassador. When he came back he told 
us he had scarcely seen the blue dress, and had paid all 
his attention to its father, the master of the ship, who 
was unwell. 
We then wished each other a prosperous voyage in 
the language of the mercantile marine, dipped our en- 
signs very slowly, and went on our ways, the fair one 
