16 
Hushed in the Night 
tatoo, and found its echo in the peal of bells On 
the merchant ships and in the booming of the huge signal-shells of the 
coasters, until these also were hushed, and the glorious music ol the 
military in the barracks close to the garrison was wafted on the gentle 
breeze, soft and enlivening, over to us. The previous merry fun and 
frolic on the decks was now followed by the deepest silence, only to be 
broken by the waves splashing against the ship’s planks at high water, 
or by the isolated call of a captain for the boat which was to take him 
back to his ship. 
61. On an average, the current of the River amounts to 21 knots, 
while at the mouth, owing to the falling of the tide, it is often increased 
to 7 knots an hour, i.e., 11.9 feet per second. 
