The Argosy — page 66: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

56 On Board the *‘ Batavia.” were cloudless. It was the perfection of enjoyment. Even the very rolls were exhilarating. We saw very little life upon the waters ; much more indeed zz the waters than upon them. For every now and then we fell in with a shoal of porpoises, which seemed to enter themselves for a race with us, and had no difficulty in winning. They frisked and gambolled, and darted out of the water and darted in again according to their habit; sometimes plunging in on one side the vessel and coming up on the other, as if—like the lively porters at Liverpool Street—they were having a game at hide and seek. But how far were we from these London influences! In what a different state of existence! This was a new world; the old had passed away. We refused to dwell upon it. On revient a ses premiéres amours, and we must some day return to atmospheres that certainly were not rainbow-tinted; but for the present they were forgotten. We saw nothing of the Portuguese coast; nothing beyond every now and then a faint and distant outline. It had been very different once before, when cruising down with the majestic Squadron from Arosa Bay. Then we had sailed quite in-shore, and could note and admire all the separate objects upon the land. The entrance to Oporto; Cintra, with its romantic associations ; olive yards upon the slopes ; the white, glistening sand upon the sea-shore ; the wavy un- dulations which so clearly cut the deep blue sky behind them. On the present occasion we missed all this. The Sefavia kept on her straight course, steering direct for Gibraltar. We saw little or nothing of land, and it was only on rare occasions that we passed a homeward-bound vessel or a ship in full sail. Even the white- winged boats that we had seen in such numbers on the aforesaid cruise, flitting about the waters of the bay like birds of another world with huge wings spread, were now conspicuous by their absence. We saw none of them. On the Sunday night, when darkness had long fallen, we passed an immense steamer bound for England. She was a curious and picturesque object. In the darkness her form was very faintly outlined, and she looked like a small, floating town: whilst her innumerable lights—they really seemed countless—gave her the appearance of a great moving cathedral lighted up for evening service. We only wanted the strains of an organ and the song of a multitude to complete the illusion. - When the next day dawned, we felt it was to be more eventful than our days had lately been. The expression on everyone’s face had changed from placidity to mild excitement. Before six o'clock Gibraltar would be reached. We were once more in perfectly calm waters ; the rolls had disappeared. For some at Gibraltar the voyage would be over: and, alas, for two at our special table. We should henceforth be reduced to a quartette, but a very happy one, never- theless. conniclooolkks CO