The Argosy — page 232: what you’re looking at

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

213 THE CRUISE OF THE RESERVE SQUADRON. By CHARLES W. Woop, AuTHOR oF ‘* THROUGH HOLLAND,” “IN THE BLACK FOREST,” ETC. 7 hours had passed swiftly after leaving Malaga. The night was soft and warm, as only these southern nights can be. The moon, like a globe of liquid silver, rolled steadily through the dark blue sky, where the stars flashed like diamond points. The sea was calm and still, the boat comfortable and not crowded. We watched the lights of Malaga diminish and disappear, followed for a time the outlines of the coast, thrown into vivid relief by the moonlight, and presently went below. Sleep needed no wooing, and when the steamer anchored next morning in Gibraltar Bay, moments rather than hours seemed to have passed away. In the grey dawn the Rock towered silent and asleep, and we, in quarantine, waited for Pratique to set us free. This said pratique is often a great nuisance, the cause of much trouble and delay. Where a boat comes from an infected place or country, the regulation cannot be too much enforced ; but where this is not the case some discretion might surely be left to the captain of the vessel. I remember, for example, that last winter the steamer from Malta reached Syracuse hours before the morning train started for Catania. It was of the utmost consequence to two passengers, on business, not on pleasure, bent, to catch this train. The agents in Malta had assured them it could, would, and should be done. But the doctor, that morning, was not in a mood to hurry for anyone, and about half an hour after the train had started he sauntered on board, ran the gauntlet of the few passengers, and declared them free. The next train did not leave for eight hours. It was not so bad as this with us at Gibraltar; no train awaited us ; but we did wish to return to the Defence before proceeding on to Tangiers. Presently the boats of the Defence and the Lord Warden were seen approaching, pratique was declared, and away we went. To stand once more on the old deck was like returning to a large town, and for a moment we revelled in space. But there was little time to spare, and the Captain’s galley was.soon taking us back to the French steamer, now getting under weigh for the coast of Africa. Three only had found courage and perseverance to venture, including Mr. Edward Jago and Broadley. ‘The courier had done his duty so well that we felt it almost due to him that he shouid accompany us, and he did so. The journey across the Straits is rather more than thirty miles, and connicloookks (C(O)