Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

Stockholm, at another I thought of transporting myself to Antwerp, Brussels, Cologne, Berlin, Leipsic, Dresden, or St. Petersburg; Lisbon, Oporto, Gibraltar, Malta, Constantinople, and Varna, then took possession of my mind, and I determined to shape my course to the East. The Channel Channel Islands, Cherbourg, Havre, Dieppe, Boulogne and Calais, next presented themselves to me, and I saw their beauties in my mind's eye. Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Inverness, held out inducements for an excursion through the Highlands; as did the Lakes, the Wye, the Devonshire Coast, the Vale of Avoca, Killarney, Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Llangollen, Swansea, for a tour in England, Ireland, or Wales; in short, the handbooks for travellers pointed out so many delightful trips, that I found myself surrounded by an embarras de richesses. While ruminating over the subject, Skittowe dropped in, and suggested a yachting expedition, pointing out the delights of the sea, and quoting Byron's beautiful lines upon the subject, which head this chapter. Carried away

by the idea, I lost no time in inserting an

advertisement in the morning papers to the following effect:

“Wanted a Yacht, cutter rigged, from 25 to 30 tons, O. M. Apply to Y. Z. Limmer's Hotel, Conduit Street.”

No sooner had the above appeared, than I was inundated with applications from almost every small yacht holder and ship-builder. Many of the documents would furnish interesting matter for the curiosities of literature; one letter ran as follows:

"Sir,

"I have a cutter of 40 tons for sale, price £400, she has no sails, rigging, or ballast."

The writer might have added, "nor is she coppered." Upon a hasty calculation, I found I could turn out a new vessel for about the same sum the above would cost me. Another wrote to recommend a yawl of 30 tons, which merely required a new deck, upper works, and spars. In order to expedite the business, I got a printed form of questions struck off, and

by that means ascertained the particulars of some half dozen vessels, out of which I determined to make a selection. After due consideration, I made choice of a cutter of sixand-twenty tons, which was described not alone as a clipper, but as one of the finest sea boats afloat. The inventory of stores included everything a man who studied comfort could require; the price asked was £375. As the name was rather an old fashioned one, the Rover, I took the liberty of altering it to one that hit my fancy, the Sandfly, a small stinging specimen of the insect tribe, well known in the Tropics. Having laid in sea stock, and provided myself with nautical habiliments, consisting of sailor's jacket and trowsers, a pea jacket, glazed hat, and waterproof clothing, I left town, accompanied by Major Skittowe, who having assisted me in the purchase of the yacht, I felt bound to invite to take a cruise with me.

Never was there a more perfect specimen of a fresh water nautical Major Sturgeon than Skittowe, who dressed out in a checked shirt, duck trowsers, glazed hat, and rough pea-jacket,

à la T. P. Cooke, as William in 'Black Eyed Susan,' boasted of sailings, tackings, beatings,

and scuddings, from Greenwich to Blackwall, from Blackwall to Woolwich, from Woolwich to Erith, from Erith to Gravesend, from Gravesend to Southend, from Southend to the Nore, from the Nore to Margate, and who talked,

“Of caulking,

And quarter-deck walking,

C Fore and aft'

And 'abaft'

'Hookers' 'barkey's' and 'crafts',

Of 'binnacles', bilboes', the boom called the spanker,
The best bower cable, the jib, and sheet anchor;
Of lower deck guns, and of broadsides and chases,
Of taffrails and topsails, and 'splicing mainbraces.'"

Such was my companion who accompanied me to Portsmouth, where the 'Sandfly' lay.

I had previously written to my Captain-how grand that sounded!—to have my boat off the Point at four o'clock on the day of my arrival, and to look out for me at the " George." Upon reaching the hotel, I found, to my utter con

[ocr errors]

sternation, that no one was in waiting for me; so I desired the flyman to drive me to the Point.

"Want a boat, your honour?" shouted a dozen watermen. "Please to want a wherry to you off to any ship or yacht ?"

take

I curbed my rising passion, wishing my tormentors at the bottom of the Red Sea, and proceeded to the look-out station; but no yacht was within sight, nor (as I understood from the numerous boatmen), had any lately arrived in the harbour. I was, therefore, compelled to return to the "George," where I made up my mind to remain, until the craft made her appearance. To describe my annoyance would be impossible; for I had provided myself with a hamper containing cold fowls, ham, beef, lobsters, and salad, which I saw stowed away with every prospect of the contents participating in my mortification.

"Please to order dinner, gentlemen ?" said the waiter, addressing me.

"Yes," I faintly responded; "for two at seven o'clock.

« AnteriorContinuar »