A Voyage in the Sunbeam | Page 2

ANCIENT WAR MASKS AND COSTUMES FROM THE MUSEUM
AT HONOLULU
CHALCEDON IMPERATOR
FEATHERED CLOAK AND HELMETS
THE PALI-OAHU
ZEUS CILIARIS

AMATEUR NAVIGATION
LITTLE REDCAP
JAPANESE BOATS
FUJIYAMA, JAPAN
A DRAG ACROSS THE SAND IN A JINRIKISHA
INOSHIMA BY A JAPANESE ARTIST
JAPANESE BOATMAN
FACSIMILE OF OUR LUNCHEON BILL
A FAMILY GROUP
WAYSIDE TRAVELLERS
ARRIMA. THE VILLAGE OF BAMBOO BASKET WORK
YOKEN SAN OR SACRED MOUNTAIN, INLAND SEA
HURUSIMA, INLAND SEA
HOW WE WERE BOARDED BY CHINESE AND DISPERSED
THEM
CHINESE VISITING CARDS
PEARL RIVER
BOGUE FORTS
CHINESE PAGODA AND BOATS
THE FRENCH CONSULATE, CANTON
CHINESE FOOT AND BOOT

MAHARAJAH OF JOHORE'S HOUSE
THE PET MANIS
MALACCA
HOW THE JOURNAL WAS WRITTEN
PEACOCK MOUNTAIN, CEYLON
SOUMALI INDIAN, ADEN
STRAITS OF BAB-EL-MANDEB
BEATING UP THE RED SEA
HOMEWARD BOUND
FALDETTA, MALTA
ARMOURY IN THE GOVERNOR'S PALACE, VALETTA
TANGIER
VASCO DA GAMA
BELEM CLOISTER GARDENS
OUR WELCOME BACK OFF HASTINGS
HOME AT LAST

NOTE.
I have to thank Mr. W. Simpson, author of 'Meeting the Sun,' for the
passages given on pages 341 to 343 referring to the Japanese temples
and their priesthood.

The vessel which has carried us so rapidly and safely round the globe
claims a brief description. She was designed by Mr. St. Clare Byrne, of
Liverpool and may be technically defined as a screw composite
three-masted topsail-yard schooner. The engines, by Messrs. Laird, are
of 70 nominal or 350 indicated horse-power, and developed a speed of
10.13 knots at the measured mile. The bunkers contain 80 tons of coal.
The average daily consumption is 4 tons, and the speed 8 knots in fine
weather. The principal dimensions of the hull are--length for tonnage,
157 ft.; beam extreme, 27 ft. 6 in.; displacement tonnage, 531 tons; area
of midship section, 202 sq. ft.
A. B.
[Illustration: Sunset on Southampton Water.]

A VOYAGE IN THE 'SUNBEAM'.
CHAPTER I.
FAREWELL TO OLD ENGLAND.
Masts, spires, and strand receding on the right, The glorious main
expanding on the bow.
At noon on July 1st, 1876, we said good-bye to the friends who had
come to Chatham to see us off, and began the first stage of our voyage
by steaming down to Sheerness, saluting our old friend the 'Duncan,'
Admiral Chads's flagship, and passing through a perfect fleet of craft of
all kinds. There was a fresh contrary wind, and the Channel was as
disagreeable as usual under the circumstances. Next afternoon we were
off Hastings, where we had intended to stop and dine and meet some
friends; but, unfortunately the weather was not sufficiently favourable
for us to land; so we made a long tack out to sea, and, in the evening,
found ourselves once more near the land, off Beachy Head. While
becalmed off Brighton, we all--children included--availed ourselves of
the opportunity to go overboard and have our first swim, which we

thoroughly enjoyed. We had steam up before ten, and again proceeded
on our course. It was very hot, and sitting under the awning turned out
to be the pleasantest occupation. The contrast between the weather of
the two following days was very great, and afforded a forcible
illustration of the uncertainties, perhaps the fascinations, of yachting.
We steamed quietly on, past the 'Owers' lightship, and the crowds of
yachts at Ryde, and dropped anchor off Cowes at six o'clock.
On the morning of the 6th a light breeze sprang up, and enabled us to
go through the Needles with sails up and funnel down, a performance
of which all on board felt very proud, as many yachtsmen had
pronounced it to be an impossibility for our vessel to beat out in so
light a breeze.
We were forty-three on board, all told, as will be seen by reference to
the list I have given. We had with us, besides, two dogs, three birds,
and a charming Persian kitten belonging to the baby. The kitten soon
disappeared, and it was feared she must have gone overboard down the
hawse pipe. There was a faint hope, however, that she might have been
packed away with the new sails, which had been stowed in a great
hurry the day before. Unhappily she was never found again, and the
children were inconsolable until they discovered, at Torquay, an
effective substitute for 'Lily.'
The Channel was tolerably smooth outside the Isle of Wight, and
during the afternoon we were able to hold on our course direct for
Ushant. After midnight, however, the wind worked gradually round to
the W.S.W., and blew directly in our teeth. A terribly heavy sea got up;
and, as we were making little or no progress, it was decided to put in to
Torquay or Dartmouth, and there await a change. We anchored in
Torbay, about half a mile from the pier, at 8.30 a.m., and soon
afterwards went ashore to bathe.