The Argosy — page 65: what you’re looking at

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

52 The Cruse of the Reserve Squadron. some weeks to come I had said good-bye to England, and, virtually, to shore-life. ‘The anticipation of the approaching cruise, of broad seas, and glorious air, and blue skies, and pleasant companionship, was keenest enjoyment. Pleasures are greater, it is said, in anticipa- tion than in realisation. This instance was certainly an exception to the rule. But all men look at things from their own point of view. Life to one is death to another. One revels in the east wind, another would simply like to take to his bed when that kindly-cruel, cruelly-kind scourge is abroad on his rambles. No doubt many in the Fleet would be glad enough when at the appointed day and hour we once more dropped anchor within the Portland breakwater. The Wh a ARS UT | Pili: a UAH RU ane = — ph ‘AS * 5 ra & C =f 1} { ae De re ANN Wi : 1 = ( * — ae ‘ re] Bt j 4 Sg" ee Sage Oe * ee a copy ayy aygaye) pipe AT me toes 4‘ : ; 4 c>- >= Sir, | eS . -- - \ \\ ——s > = @ CONVICTS AT WORK. gobbies* for instance, to a man, one might be pretty well assured, were counting the hours when the ever-rolling stream of Time should restore them to the snug shelter of those little white homes that, at intervals encircle our island like a safety-belt. ‘They looked upon the cruise not as matter of pleasure, but rather as a sentence of Six Weeks’ Imprisonment with Hard Labour. For the Reserve Squadron was not going into the excitement ot action. We were not to proceed further than Gibraltar; not to see more of the blue waters of the Mediterranean than washed the base of the great rock; unless, mounting to the summit of that rock, we took a long, magnificent view of the tideless sea; where, on one side, across the Straits, stretched the faint outline of the shores of Morocco, and in fancy one saw uprising the mosque towers and minarets, the flat roofs and white walls of the ancient of Tangiers, the habits and customs of a thousand years ago still prevalent there to-day ; where at night you stumble over the Moors lying in the streets, curled up in their sacks, like dogs, sleeping as comfortably as the luxury-loving European on * Coastguardsmen, COMnmiclboook<s. Conn