Year: 1873

the coxswain to take me to the Mayors yessel
He said, Certainly, sirl-ease her, boysp
could not have been more astonished at anything
In the world. quickly gave my man his two shil-
lngs and he started to pull me to the boat. Then
there was a movement Of discontent among the
sailors, and they seemed about to move on. I
thought-wel, you are not such generous fellows
after all, as took you to be, or so polite either;
but just then the coxswain hailed and said:-


"The boys don't mind the pull, and they re per-
fectly willing to take you, sir, but they say they
amt willing to


TAKE THE FIsHERMAN's JOB AWAY FROM HIM.n


Now that was genuine manlness ana right con.
duct. shall always remember that hon orable act
told them the fisherman was already paid, and
was In their boat the next moment Then ensued
the real fun OF the day, as far as was personally
concerned. The boys glanced over their shoulders
to measure the distance, and then at the order To
Give wayI' they bent TO it and the boat sped
through the water like an arrow. We passed all
kind OF craft and steadily shortened the distance
that lay between us and the ship. Presently tho
c0xswain said -


mo use Her wheels have begun to turn over.
Lively now, nvelyr'


Then We new. We watched the ships move
ments with sharp interest and calculated our
chances.


'Can You steerf" said the coxswain.


'Can q duck swim 2' said l.


"Good-we'll make her yeti"


took the helm and he the stroke oar, and that
one oar did appear to add q deal to that boats
speed. The ship was turning around to go out 70
sea, and she did seem tn turn unnecessarily fast.
too; but just as she was pointed right and both
her wheels began to go ahead our boats bow
touched her cOmpanionway and was aboard. It
was handsome race, and very exciting. II could
have bad that dainty boat ar.s those eight white
shirted, bue-trousered sailors for the day would
not have gone in any ship, but would have gone
about in vast naval style and experienced the feel
ings OF an admiral.


OLD HISTORICAL MRN-OFwAK


Our ship sailed out through o narrow way, Dor.
dered by piers that swarmed with people, and like
wise by prodigiOus men-ol-war Of the fashion of o
hundred years ago. There were, perhaps, dozen
Of the stately veterans, these relics OF an historic
past; and not looking aged and seedy. either, buS
as bright and fresh as II they had been launchedi
and painted yesterday. They the noblest
creatures to look upon hulls Of huge proportions
and great ength four long tiers Of cannon grim
ming from their tall sides; vast sterns that lowered
into the air like the gable end OF church; grace
full bows and fgure-neads; masts as trim and lofty
as spires-surely no spectacle could be so imposing
as sea fight IN the old times, when such beautiful
and such lordly ships these ruled the seas. And
how it must have stirred the heart OF England
when feet OF them used to come sailing In from
victory, with ruined sides and tattered spars and
sails, while bells and cannon pealed q welcome


One of the grandest of these veterans was the
very one upon whose deck


NELSON HIMSELF FELL


in the moment of triumph. i suppose England
would rather part with ten colonies than with that
iilustrious old ship We passed along within thirty
steps of her. and was just trying to picture In my
mind the tremendous scenes that had transpired
upon her deck upon that day, the proudest In
England's naval history, when the venerable craft,
stirred by the boom OF saluting cannon, perhaps
woke up out OF her long sleep and began to vomit
smoke and thunder herself, and then she looked
natural self again, and no doubt the spirit
OF Nelson was near. Still 1t would have been
peasanter to be on her decks than in front Of her
guns; for, as the white volumes Of smoke burst in
our faces, one could not help feeling that ball
might by accident have got mixed up with blank
cartridge, and might chip just enough


OFF THE UPPER END OF MAN
to disfgure him for lifc and. BESIDES the powder
they use in cannon Is IN grains large as billiard
chalks, and 1t does not all explode-suppOse few
should enter ones systemf The crash and roar OF
these great guns was as unsettling o sound as
have ever heard at short range. Itook of my has
and


ACKNOWLEDGED THE SALUTE,
OF course, though 1t seemed to me that t would
have been better manners II they had sauted the
Lord Mayor inasmuch as he was on board.


THE WORLDS GREATEST NAVY ON VIEW.


We went out to the Spithead and sailed
up and down there for four hours through
four long ranks OF stately men-ofwar-
formidable iron-cads they were-the most
Insignificant OF which would make break
fast OF whole feet of Nelson's prodigious ships
and still be hungry. The show was very nne, for
there were forty nine Of the finest iron-clads the
world can show, and many guuboats besides.
Indeed, here in It's full strength was the fines
navy in the world and this the only time in history
that just such a spectacle has been seen. and none
who it that day is likely to live long enough to
its like again. The vessels all dressed out
with flags, ana all about them frocked bewilder-
ing host OF bannered yachts, steamers and every
imaginable sort of craft 1t would be hard to con.
trive a gayer scene. One Of the royal yachts
came flying along presently and put the Shah
on board one OF the iron-cads and then the yards
OF the whole fleet were manned simultaneously,
and such another booming and believing Of great
guns ensued as l cannot possibly describe. Within
TWO minutes the huge fleet was


SWALLOWED UP IN SMOKE,
with angry red tongues of fire darting through it
nere anu tHeTt. III WIS WoHucTlul 10 lOOk upon
Every time the Devastation let of one Of her
thirty guns it seemed as II an entire Lon.
don log issued from her side, and the report was
so long coming that If she were to shoot man he
would be dead before he heard it, and would proba-
bly, 60 around


WONDERING THROUGH ALL ETERNITY
what 1t was that happened to him. l returned to
London In great hurry by train that was in no
way excited by it, but failed in the end and object
had in view after all, which was to go to the


GRAND CONCERT AT ALBERT HALL
in honor of the shah. had q strong desire to see
that building filed with people once. Albert Hall
Is one Of the many monuments erected to the
memory Of the late Prince Albert. 1t is q huge
and costly edifce, but the architectural design is
old, not to say In some sense plagiarism; for
io bt.tl tio