Toil and Travel. Being a true story of roving, etc

Front matter

TOIL AND TRAVEL STARTING FROM THE DESERT OF GHARMSALA TO COMPLETE 'THE GIRDLE OF THE GLOBE. TOIL AND TRAVEL BEING A TRUE STORY OF ROVING AND RANGING WHEN ON A VOYAGE HOMEWARD BOUND ROUND THE WORLD BY john MacGregor, m.d.-(ralph) Surgeon-Major, Bombay Ay my Author of "The Girdle of the Globe: a Poem," &c. " I have seen them one by one, Every shore beneath the sun, And my voyage now is done. While I bid them all be blest, Britain is my home, my rest ; My own land, I love thee best." — Montgomery. gonbon T. FISHER UNWIN PATERNOSTER SQUARE MDCCCXCII HIS DeOicatton. TO THE MEMORY OF THE LATE MAJOR-GENERAL SIR CHARLES MacGREGOR, IN TOKEN OF SINCERE REGRET AT HIS EARLY DEATH, AND ON ACCOUNT OF LOVE OF TRAVEL, HIS BRAVERY, AND HIS LOVE OF COUNTRY THIS SIMPLE RECORD OF TOIL AND TRAVEL THROUGH MANY LANDS, IS RESPECTFULLY DEDICATED BY HIS FAITHFUL CLANSMAN, JOHN MacGREGOR.

Preface

. The preface to a book is the first thing read but the last thing written. When everything is said and done, then comes the painful reflection of how much better everything might have been said and done after all. And, indeed, it is with a full conviction of the shortcomings of the book that I write this preface, as the toils and travels in themselves deserved, perhaps, a more graphic recorder. It was not till I commenced to put the volume together, that I realized the difficulty of writing a continuous personal narrative in the first person singular, and the glorious liberty of the irresponsible We, which, however, is so jealously guarded for editors and monarchs only. Be this as it may, there is one virtue at any rate to which the narrative may fairly lay claim, and that is the inestimable virtue of Truth, to which all books of travel cannot lay equally well founded pretensions.

For it is what Othello would call a round, unvarnished tale, plainly told, with little in common with the stories of Baron Munchausen and the Ralphs and Rovers of former days ; but rather a fairly faithful record, from the moment of starting from the Desert of Gharmsala till that of standing by the grave of Rob Roy. PACE 25 CONTENTS.

Chapter I

The Desert of Gharmsala — Freedom at last — Towers of Silence — The Parsees — Farewell to Bombay — Ceylon — Kandy — Temple of the Sacred Tooth — The misfortune to be . . . . 17

Chapter II

, Crossing the Line — Darby and Joan — Passengers in general — Mount Clarence at midnight — The Great Australian Bight — Adelaide — Melbourne — Easter recess — Eight Hours Bill — Out for a holiday — Melbourne theatres — The Bijou in flames — Robbers crushed to death — "This animal spits " — Gordon's grave .

Chapter III

Away for Sydney — " A man overboard '' — Episode of Nellie Walker — Attempted suicide — A gallant quartermaster — Rescued and resuscitated — Nellie in the drama — The Sydney harbour — Clontarf and the Duke of Edinburgh — Paramatta and Botany Bay —West Highland cattle 41

Chapter IV

Hurrah for New Zealand ! — The Three Kings — Auckland — " Are you Mr. Hanlan?" — A globe-trotter of the period — The Land of Wonders — Mr. Froude's accuracy — Maori frying-pan — Wakarevvarewa — Black pool of Tikateri — Ascent of Tarawera — Bath of Hinemoa — Maori cannibalism and the right of the sword — Wairakei — The Devil's Blowhole — Rescue of a Dutch beauty — A plea for petticoats CONTENTS. 10 Ai. I' 69

Chapter V

" The box seat "—View of Tongariro— Napier drizzle — Mount Egmont in veil— Windy Wellington— Ascent of Mount Victoria — The pious Christchurch— A stricken cathedral — The gorgeous Otira Gorge .....-••••••

Chapter VI

Gold and gold-diggers — A boom for gold — Caloric of the East Indies — Resistance to cold — Box seat at a discount — The Maori lady and the whisky — Dunedin true to its name — International Exhibition — Scenery of the Southern Alps — Lake Wakatipu — Benlomond and Glenorchy — A canny Scottish rover — Stewart's Island — Sermons and sea-sickness — Invercargill and the Salvation Army — Farewell to New Zealand 79

Chapter VII

Not a "stickit minister" — West Coast Sounds — Stormy passage in the Roaring Forties — House of Assembly in Hobarton — Amusing debate — Melbourne again — The Forest of Fernshaw — Highest trees in the world — Down in a gold mine — " I'm a masher" — Benighted — The Gippsland Lakes — Presbyterian Jubilee of Victoria — The Cyclorama ........ 90

Chapter VIII

The Great Zig-zag — Blue Mountain scenery — Jenolan Caves and their many "mysteries" — Stalagmite and stalactite — Scientific comments — A pleasant chaperone — Underground stream, and tumble therein — Donald MacDonald of that ilk — The Highland Gael — His love to his country ....... 100

Chapter IX

Attempts to cross the Blue Mountains — MacKeown the robber- - Transported to Norfolk Island — An amusing Irishman — Unpleasant quarters — Parting with the party — The Devil's Blowhole of Kiama — Hold hard by the rocks — Emma and Vie with their little jealousies — Sundowners — The vagrant crew — Brisbane and precincts — Sir William. ...... I08 CONTENTS. 11 TAGE 129

Chapter X

The good ship Dacca — Imperial Federation — Gold mines again — Visit on board the Quetta — Both the Dacca and Quetta at the bottom of the sea — Breakdown of the launch — A boorish captain — Tugging at the oars — Picked up — Thursday Island and the shipwrecked crew — The Sea of Arafura — First glimpses of Java — Disembark at Batavia — Last night on board the Dacca, and farewell for ever . . .119

Chapter XI

Away for Samarang — A courteous ship's officer — Travels in interior — Dutch party — Milord breaks down — The sacred shrine of Boero-Boeder — Fable of construction — Swimming boys in pools — Obliging ostlers — "Are you there, Moriarity ? " — Letters of introduction — P. does not see the joke — Here is Tjillitjap .

Chapter XII

The Blue Beils of Scotland — A cranky canoe — Stuffy night with a stuffy crew — Benighted at last — " He gave him of his mountain cheer" — Break down again — Tigers or no tigers — Batavia once more with P. there before me . 141

Chapter XIII

Search for the lost and slain — No punkahs in Java — Didn't like my "Dutch wife" — No soap, no salt — Dress of Dutch ladies in Java — Sail in Prince Alexander — The thousand islands — Singapore with its salt, soap, and civilization — Raffles' Hotel — Visit to Johore — Prince Imperial of Brazil 15

Chapter XIV

Passage in a French ship — Saigon — P'rench priests and their snoring — Heavy night at sea — Picturesque Hong-Kong — Ascent of Victoria Peak — Part with P. to meet again — Hong-Kong and Aden — Boisterous weather and brilliant phosphorescence — Surrounded by a fog — An accurate pilot — John Chinaman and his "pigeon" CONTENTS. 12

Chapter XV. Page

Letters of introduction— Lost in Cheefoo— Murder of Mr. Jamieson —Gala day and man-o'-war bunting— Chinese junks and thenpainted, peering eyes— Description of hulls and rigging— Typhoon in the Gulf of Pichili— Breaking of the main cable- Drifting on the fatal lee shore— Engines to the rescue— Fog again — Arrive at Taku at last • • '71

Chapter XVI

Salt a luxury — Germans in Tientsin — Police sandwiches — Sikh police and "Home, Sweet Home"— The Chinese pigtails— Chinese women and their tiny feet — The deformity, and Darwin's theory — " Is not this great Babylon ? " — Chinese characters and learning — Physical efficiency — Start for Pekin — Company for the march — Chinese caravanserais — Cold beds of clay 1 80

Chapter XVII

Approach to Pekin — Filth of the same — Wung-Sung and his burden — Is this the Tartar city? — The Temple of Heaven — Fright of Mung Dho — The forbidden town — CatchingaTartar — Marriages and funerals in Pekin . . . . . . . . .192

Chapter XVIII

Start for the Great Wall of China — The Nankow Pass — First sight of the Great Wall — Down went the donkey — The Ming Tombs and difficulty of entrance — The Bell Temple and the fair Alheed — Funeral of a mighty Mandarin — Were they all wives? — Curiosity of the crowd — London and Pekin — A nation of gamblers ........... 201

Chapter XIX

Away for Corea — The Harbour of Chummulpo — Confession and apology — Stowaway for Vladivostok — Whales and their gambols — First dinners la Russc — "Black-eyed Susan" and Russian officers — Billiards and shirt-sleeves — The frozen harbour — Entertainments — Dinner on board ship — The fair strand of Farjapan CONTENTS. 13 •AGE. *47 72

Chapter XX

The galloping globe-trotter — The beautiful Inland Sea— Nagasaki and Kobe — Kioto, the ancient capital of Japan — A city of temples — " Namba, namba, namba, namba !" — Japanese not all Buddhists — Character of Nirvana — Sir Edwin Arnold as the New Light of Asia — Why has Buddhism left India and Java? — Visit to a crematory — "Oh, yesee, it was my grandmother-inlaw" 226-

Chapter XXI

The Rapids of Nippon — A polite Japanese maiden — Christmas Eve — The wedding party — "I'm a Scotchman" — Lake Beewa — The holy and hoary pine — Perils of a passport — The Order of the Primrose League — The Holy Mountain of Fujiyama — Yokohama and the blue Pacific — Circumlocution office, and my trip to Honolulu — The demon of fever — Japanese and their holidays — Beauties and their magic spell ..... 237

Chapter XXII

Topsy-turvy habits of the Japanese — No sorrow in their songs —A vision in tartans — Farewell to fair Japan — Reappearance — Fast passage — Curious course from Yokohama — Nationalities in passengers — Miss Nellie Bly, the American Champion Racer — Competition of Boanerges and the Blizzard — Adverse winds — An anxious tug — Nellie is flying — Ten days in a madhouse

Chapter XXIII

The Land of the Phillistines — American Anthem — "John Brown's body" — Snowblocks on the railways — "The Star-spangled Banner " — On his beam ends — " I guess, stranger " — A Yankee rover ............ 262

Chapter XXIV

The highways to Mexico — A part greater than the whole — The Land of the Aztecs — Divine Adelina — Fortress of Chapultepec — Church of Guadaloupe— Myth of the Floating Gardens— Bull fight in Mexico City — Picador disabled — A reeking spectacle . CONTENTS. PAGE 322

Chapter XXV

Ascent of Popocatepetl — Kenneth the Stockrider — Severe weather — View of the Sentinel — A sleepless night — Shall we ever reach the summit? — A crater in flames — A mockery of mountain dew — The world in mist — A lost revolver — A night of agony — Cold at the beginning of an inflammation — Take with you your goggles 28

Chapter XXVI

The town of San Antonio — Quarters in New Orleans — The Carnival and Sengcrfest — Origin of New Orleans population — Snow palaces of Canada — Levies of the Mississippi — Inundation and loss of life — Arrival and reception of " Rex," and also of Comus and his "mystic krewe *' — Night revelry — Headaches in the morning — Morris the morris dancer — Puts me in a fix — Final rescue — The Mammoth Caves of Kentucky versus the Jenolan Caves ............ 294

Chapter XXVII

The Senator at New York — Incorruptible and undefiled — The Texas Steer of Chicago — Cook and Sons, the tourist agents — The Falls of Niagara — The murder of Benwell — Narrow escape of Pelley — A beauty in the docks — Birchall hanged — Recession of Niagara — The mantle of frost and snow — Tragedy of two lovers — An impressive scene and lovely ...... 305

Chapter XXVIII

The fate of Captain Webb— Where was he drowned ?— Drop from Suspension Bridge — Government House, Ottawa — Quebec a French town — Wolfe's monument — Boston's fame in science and art ........ , j ,

Chapter XXIX

Leaving New York in the City of Paris -Fastest ship— Explosion and waterlogged—" Homeward Bound "—Rescue of my manuscripts—Baling the ship with hand buckets— Dimness at night —The fate of "missing" ships— Flooded out of my cabin— A sail in sight appears and disappears again— Rescued at last —Hurrah for the hardy North I— Climbing Benlomond— Rowing over Lake Katrine— Rob Roy's grave— Clan Alpine's Land LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. i Starting from the Desert of Gharmsala to complete "The Girdle ok the Globe" Frontispiece Otira Gorge, New Zealand Facing Page 78 2. Chinese Passport „ „ 186 j' 4. Bull-fight in Mexico .. „ „ 278 Popocatepetl, as seen from Tlamacas at 5' Midnight with a Full Moon „ ,, 289 6. The War in Heaven. (From the Carnival of New Orleans) „ „

Chapter I

Blow high, blow low, the shifting gales, And rest or roar the ocean swell, We'll hoist aloft our roving sails, And bid the distant shores farewell ; For homeward bound, I ween, are we, Homeward bound — homeward bound, Then what care me for wind or sea, So long as we are homeward bound. The Desert of Gharmsala — Freedom at last — Towers of Silence — The Parsees — Farewell to Bombay — Ceylon — Kandy — Temple of the Sacred Tooth — The misfortune to be. It might well be said of the Desert of Gharmsala that the best road in it was the road leading out of it, only there were no roads leading out of Gharmsala. It was an isolated oasis in the midst of an ocean of track less sand, and the only way out of it was on the ship of the desert. Ram Bux said something in Hindustani with which I shall not trouble the reader, the camel rose with an ominous growl, and Ram Bux and I found ourselves perched on the top of the long-legged creature.

Then " Moti " the camel calmed down and looked the picture of offended innocence, with his great quiet eyes and his head projecting forwards like the figure head of a ship. And so we were off at last, with a light heart if not a merry bound, for camels can scarcely be said to bound merrily over the sands, but rather with that eternal jog-jog that makes the riding of them a very wearisome business. " Moti's " huge flippers of feet spattered and spread over the loose sands, while his head and protruding lips swung up and down in a way that was anything but suggestive of fiery fierceness. Ram Bux had once been a sporting shikari, and talked volubly of the deeds of former days, when tigers were plentiful on the distant mountains, from which they had now almost entirely disappeared. Times had changed.

The very hills had changed according to Ram Bux ; and Ram Bux had consequently to abandon the life of fighting with wild beasts for his monotonous jog-trot on the top of a camel. Gharmsala had the unenviable reputation of being about the most sweltering station throughout the whole of Hindustan. But as for me, the sands glittered and danced joyously, as the flickering miraj beckoned me onwards to distant fields and pastures new. I was now free for some considerable time, and I intended to make the best use of my freedom, and complete my many previous wanderings with a long voyage homeward-bound round the world. But here was the small railway station, and soon came the sound and the rush of the Bombay train that was to hurry me off on my wayward journey. It was the exodus season of the year in India, and every one who could was running away out of it.

The train was consequently crammed full of passengers, and as the AT BOMBAY. 19 particular berth that fell to my lot was an upper one, stuffy and unendurable, I was forced to pass the night sitting on a box near the door of the carriage, the better to obtain a sufficient supply of fresh, if of even feverish night-air. Eiorit o'clock in the morning** saw us landed at Bombay, most of us looking washed out and wearied enough by the debilitating climate of the Tropics. It was a lovely morning, with the fragrant sea breeze blowing in gently from the Back Bay. For this is a country where almost every morning is lovely — wearily, monotonously lovely — and where the long, long Indian days are wofully so much alike. There are, in point of fact, only three sorts of days in India — the scorching hot, with "devils" whirling in the air; the moderately, very moderately cool ; and lastly, the deluge days of the monsoon.

When you are in for one of these you are in for a crowd in almost unbroken succession. But why should I dwell on the long, long Indian days ? For here is the Apollo Bunder, and there the broad main beyond, with the crimson sun sinking in the far-away west, which I hoped so fondly to see once again. To the left were the Elephanta Cave Islands, the Malabar range of mountains, as well as the capacious harbour of Bombay, with its forest of masts and numberless native luggers ; while in front was the great ocean on which two or three ships were plough ing their way homewards, and I was soon to follow. Few places, indeed, can be more striking to a stranger than the city and scenery of Bombay ; while on going ashore the assorted colouring of the human panorama will scarcely be less surprising. The Parsees will probably first claim the attention* of the strange visitor by virtue of his quaint headgear.

Though Surat may be called the Parsees' original' habitat, so far as India is concerned, yet Bombay contains more than half of the Parsees now living in the whole world. They are, in fact, one of Bombay's favoured specialities, which goes far to distinguish it from all the other cities of the East. For the tinpot hood of the Parsee marks him out as a distinguished individual wherever he goes. It knocks the turbans and puggaries of other natives into a cocked hat, or rather into a tinpot hood ; while the Parsees them selves, probably inspired by such a head-dress, will be found to be far and away the most enterprising people in India. They almost invariably speak English, and though they may not be quite so ferocious and martial as some of the more fire-eating races of India, they can make money where the canny Scot would starve, honestly no doubt when they can, but still make money.

And when the pile is made they are equally noted for their generosity and public spirit. But enough, as I must reserve the ethics and ethnology of the various races of India for a future volume of their own. " The Girdle of the Globe " had been commenced before I left the Desert of Gharmsala, and the dia logue between Mister Mucklemouth and Mr. Mer wanjee had been written when I was there on my way through Bombay. Some years back, a newspaper contest took place about the propriety of coverino* in the Malabar Tanks that supply Bombay with water, as the vultures were said occasionally to drop into them ribs of dead Parsees they had snatched from the THE TO WERS OF SILENCE. 21 Parsee Towers of Silence in the vicinity. In this discussion I had taken some little share, and so it was that the Tanks and the Towers of Silence were among the few places I went to visit when passing through this time.

The Towers of Silence remained as they were before, but to my surprise I found that the Tanks had been covered in during my absence. I shall not attempt to describe either the Towers or the Tanks here, as there ought to be plenty before me to describe. But as they are some of the most curious sights in Bombay, no traveller should pass through without visiting them. Enough here to say, then, that on certain eratiness in the Towers of Silence, the Parsee community place their dear departed and expose them there to be torn asunder by birds of prey. After the sundry preliminaries preparatory to a long voyage, I soon found myself on board the Peninsular and Oriental S.S. Clyde, and rapidly leaving the Bombay harbour. We were the last of four large ships that left Bombay that evening, and all of them full of passengers.

The others were all bound west ward, but the Clyde was bound for China, calling at ■Colombo to transfer her Australian passengers. The voyage to Ceylon was too short and uneventful to require any notice. We watched Cape Comorin as we passed it early one morning in a moderate swell, and that same evening found us approaching the Colombo breakwater. Here we Australian passengers intended to land and wait for the Parramatta from Aden. But the Clyde was not able to enter the breakwater, as no pilot came on board, and so we had to stay outside that night, to go inside the breakwater •early the next morning. One of my partners at table was a quiet but genial feliow-countryman, who was making a tour round the world like myself, though not on such an extensive scale. He and I went ashore together that morning.

The Parramatta was not expected till the morning after, but none could positively say. After sauntering about the town we fell in with the railway station, more by accident than by design. I found that the daily train was about starting for Kandy, the ancient capital of the Kings of Ceylon, and containing a temple famous above other temples for the unspeakable sanctity of possessing a tooth of the most holy Boodha. Not to see that holy tooth was infinitely worse than losing a tooth of one's own, even if it were screwed away with the dentist's pinchers and without a drop of laughing gas for comfort. So I must go and see this sacred palladium of the Boodha's tooth. Therefore arranging with Mr. H. to transfer my luggage along with his own if the Parramatta did come in, and to send it on shore in the event of my losing that ship, I got a return ticket and proceeded to Kandy.

I was anxious enough not to miss the Parramatta, as there were so many lands to see in front of me, and I had been in Ceylon before ; but if I did happen to miss her, the interval till another ship was due could be very pleasantly spent in this beautiful island. Kandy is only some seventy-five miles from Co lombo, but as it is nearly two thousand feet high, the ascent by train is steep and winding, and offering many points of resemblance with the railway line up the Ghauts between Bombay and Poona ; the ascent in the latter being two thousand feet in a hundred and TEMPLE OF THE SACRED TOOTH. 23 twenty miles. It was already dark, then, before we reached the city on the mountain side. The day was dull and cloudy, with plenty of thunder and lightning, which lent an additional interest to the climbing of the mountains, but by the time we reached our destina tion the scenery was all hidden in the darkness of night.

The return train back to Colombo was leaving Kandy early next morning, and so allowing but little time for sight-seeing. I had therefore to get up before daybreak, and as soon as it was light enough I was sallying with my guide to this famous temple of the sacred tooth. One of the bonzes was already there in the early dawn, wrapped up in the yellow garments of his order. After some little delay I was permitted to go in and see the particular portion of the shrine where the tooth was laid in garments shining with gems and jewels, but on no account could I prevail on the priest to let me have a glimpse of the sacred relic itself; for the tooth is never shown except on the most solemn and important occasions. The few Europeans who have been privileged to see the tooth scoff at the idea of its having ever belonged to a god or man, but rather to the jaw-bone of an ass ; but this, of course, is a mere matter of opinion.

And so, after a flying visit to the beautiful artificial lake and the palace of the old kings, I found that I had just enough time to overtake the train for Colombo on my return journey. It was a fine, balmy morning ; the clouds and the rain had vanished, and the scenery in descending the mountains looked its very best. When driving down hurriedly to the Colombo harbour I heard a shrill steam whistle. It was from the TOLL AND TRAVEL. 24 launch going out for the last time to the good ship Parramatta. It had already started by the time I reached the pier, but it turned back again to take me on board. The ship had come in during the night, and as I approached her several of the passengers transferred from the Clyde were looking over the side and cheering me on, as they said I had been keeping the ship in harbour for the last two hours.

It was then about noon, and I took no notice of this, as I thought it was but friendly banter. But when Mr. H. came forward to show me the cabin he had procured for us two, he also told me that it was quite true the ship had been waiting since ten o'clock, and was just going to start when I came on board. And so it was, for the ship was steaming out of the harbour in a few minutes, and I felt very thankful that I had been lucky enough to overtake her. I thought no more of the incident, but as I was going in to breakfast next morning, who met me but my new captain. He asked me if I was So-and-So, and I told him that I had the misfortune to be. He then asked me how I managed to go up to Kandy, and he looked as if he took the matter very seriously. But when I explained to him my intentions on this random voyage, he was satisfied, but said that he was bound to bring it to my notice, as he would be obliged to make a note in the ship's log-book about the cause of her detention.

And so I thanked the captain for his kindness, and the interview was ended. But I wonder to this day whether the gallant Captain M. did make mention of this episode in the ship's loo*.

Chapter II

Crossing the Line— Darby and Joan — Passengers in general — Mount Clarence at midnight — The Great Australian Bight — Adelaide — Melbourne — Easter Recess— Eight Hours Bill — Out for a holiday — Melbourne theatres — The Bijou in flames — Robbers crushed to death — " This animal spits" — Gordon's grave. Though I had been going about a good deal of late years, yet I had never crossed the Equator. Steam ships going at a uniform rate in smooth seas can almost calculate to a nicety the time they cross the line. This time the Parramatta was crossing-* it about midnight, and so I sat up till we had crossed it, and felt a little disappointed that I never saw Neptune or his trident, or anybody else tarred and feathered as they ought to be. The weather was very muggy for some days after leaving Colombo, but I had been accustomed to vapour baths of this kind, and knew that the only remedy for the evil was to grin and bear it.

But it became quite cool before we reached Australia, and the weather changed to be somewhat boisterous and unsettled. There was nothing worthy of note about the voyage itself. We had the usual variety and complement of characters, without which a passenger ship would be somewhat tedious. We had the newly-married couple, the quarrelling couple, the masher and the bore ; and we had lastly the good people in general who passed in the crowd, and were not distinguished enough to be marked either for their good or evil propensities. And so we had also our fair share of dancing, singing, and spooning, and when time hung heavy on my own hands, I amused myself lying on my back in my bunk and composing the " Girdle of the Globe," which, of course, is not always unvarnished truth. Among the most interesting portion of the pas sengers I must not omit to mention an old Darby and Joan from Edinboro' Toon, who were going to see the wide wide world at a somewhat advanced age.

They were on a long visit to see some of their chil dren in the colonies, and then proceeding to see others of them in China. On Sunday Rev. Dr. A., the husband, preached a very impressive and appropriate sermon from the text of " Out of the depths I called upon Thee, O Lord." And then there was Mr. F., the proprietor of the leading Colombo newspaper, and the oldest British colonist in Ceylon, but who was hale and hearty in spite of his years and his prolonged exile. He was quite familiar with the phylloxera, and the failure of the coffee plants of late years in Ceylon, for he himself had been nearly ruined, and was only saved by his literature and the gradual conversion of his coffee into tea plantations at a great expense of time and capital. We sighted but few ships on the way. Of these the Britannia passed us late one evening, homeward bound, and looming large enough on the very verge of the horizon.