tell-tale burgee disappearing in murky darkness, and may relieve his conscience by reporting that they ran down a schooner yacht, the tender-hearted owners being first satisfied that their cargo was safe; their speculation successful, they fold their hands over their newspapers in quiet resignation, and mutter "poor fellows," and yet are inwardly thankful, that no troublesome lives have been spared to lessen their credit sheet by bringing an action against their precious steamer. I would humbly offer a bit of advice to yachtsmen, who may be caught out in a gale in the Channel, “never, if you can help it, heave your vessel to. Sail her as long as you can possibly do so. Keep a blue light dry, and handy upon deck. It may serve your turn to rouse a sleepy coaster."

CHAPTER III.

Signalling at Sea-The Bay of Biscay--The Straits of Gibraltar-The Currents of the Mediterranean-Tides and Currents.

To go on with the voyage. About 8 P.M. the

wind flew in a squall into the N. W., and for the next three days we had variable, though, on the whole, fair winds, wet, cold, and squally; never twelve hours without reefs.

Friday the 7th found us in latitude both by observation and account (they agreed there) 39-47 N., longitude 9.58 W., Cape St. Vincent, bearing S. 6° E. by compass, distant about 166 miles; this was a lovely day, the first really fine one we had; we lost the heavy incessant N.W. swell, the decks got dry, the sick found their sea legs, for we had some sufferers among us, though not in the saloon; the dogs came out and scratched (I mentally promised them a washing) and asked for stirabout; and things in general looked bright; the twelve degrees difference of latitude had taken all the tipsy bleery look out of the old sun, and slaty-coloured misty

vapour out of the sky, letting us see that deep clear blue, that alas! is so seldom if ever seen in our own home latitude.

But I must not dawdle-this sort of daily journal will not do- although I wanted to give a sort of sketch of the daily work and progress of sea-going life, for the information of the ignorant who are about to try the experiment themselves, as well as for those who, like myself, really take an interest in such matters. I must remember that many so called yachtsmen hardly know one end of a ship from the other, and would naturally vote any such detail as too stupid to be borne; it is a mystery to me how such men can care for yachting, to them a long sea voyage must seem both tedious and monotonous to a degree. But to those who do take an interest in navigation, that science which teaches the mariner with certainty to find his way over the trackless deep, the case is far different; there is no lack of employment, no day which does not bring its own amount of interest, plenty to keep the mind at work. For the speed and comfort of the voyage, certainly, and the lives and safety of your crew, possibly, (under God, of course, for it is He who holds the mighty deep in the hollow of His hand, and it is at His word the stormy wind ariseth) depend upon your care, skill, and judgment.

SIGNALLING AT SEA.

25

A

Strongly though I would recommend all yacht owners to learn and interest themselves in the navigation and management of their vessels ; as strongly would I caution them against undertaking the sole direction of them, unless they are experienced sailors as well as clever navigators, and the two qualifications are distinct and different. well educated man with ordinary ability, may, in an extraordinarily short space of time, learn and thoroughly understand the science and theory of navigation, but he may know nothing of handling a vessel. Books and education will teach the former, but only long experience can give him a knowledge of the latter.

Our fair wind and fine weather lasted all that and the next day; being a tolerable distance off the land, as our longitude shows, we fell in with a good many large homeward-bound English vessels (these, when homeward-bound, generally give the Portuguese coast a good berth, to avoid the northeasterly winds), but they were going too fast for us to do more than "show our ensign," the "good morning" at sea. Whenever there is a possibility, I always make it a rule to show my number to a homeward bound vessel: when she reaches her destination she reports you as "spoken in such and such a latitude and longitude: all well;" this

is published in the Shipping Gazette and may reach your friend when no letter could. Whenever I come home I always enquire from some friend who takes the Shipping Gazette, whether I have been reported, and with very few exceptions find I have been.

Marryat's is the code used when communicating with a merchant vessel, and it is a very good plan, for yacht owners who go foreign (as it is called) to have their vessel's name entered in the merchant list and a number assigned to it; this list is furnished to either Lloyds' agent, or the custom-house officer at every sea-port in Great Britain and Ireland.

The evening of Saturday the 8th brought us off Cape St. Vincent; took the square canvass off her as a matter of precaution, as it often happens, coming down with the wind from the N. E., when you pass the Cape and open the bay, to the southward of it you find a fresh breeze from S. E. and even more southerly; in our case however the precaution was not needed, as we kept the same wind all night. One word, it shall not be more, on shaping a course from England to Gibraltar-I crave pardon for my conceit in presuming to give it as an advice:

In crossing the Bay of Biscay (that dreaded bug