58 
CBUISE OF E.M.S. CHALLENGEB. 
the prospect of the morrow, and other affairs which 
are sure to turn up, form a lively conversational 
hour. After dinner the assembly of smokers usually 
muster on the half-deck, where all sorts of yarns and 
topics engross the attention till bed-time. 
Sunday alone seems to break the monotony and 
routine of every-day life at sea, when, after divisions 
and prayers, the remainder of the day is usually 
spent in reading or sleeping. 
In this manner, and notwithstanding the continued 
sameness, days and months slip by, until we reach 
port and again anchor ; and only when we look 
back over the work accomplished can we realise the 
length of time passed at sea. 
On the 14th March, just a month after leaving 
Teneriffe, we reached the island of Sombrero; here 
we hove-to, and remained sounding and trawling in 
shallow water for a couple of days, with satisfactory 
results. 
On the morning of the 16th the island of St. 
Thomas (one of the Virgin group) was in sight ; 
and later in the day we anchored in the outer 
harbour. 
