BY J. J. SMITH, N. S. Devonport: Printed and Published by A. H. Swiss, 111 and 112 Fore Street. 1883....

To write something which shall please one's own friends is one thing; to undertake the task of pleasing anybody else is another; and, I take it, a far more difficult one. The writer of the following pages never sought to sail beyond the peaceful and well-marked area of the first, until induced—at the suggestions of his shipmates, though against his better judgment—to venture on the dark and tempest-swept ocean of the second. The only originality claimed for the narrative is that of introducing s

WE COMMISSION OUR SHIP.  VISIT PORTSMOUTH.  PREPARE TO SAIL. On one of those delicious semi-tropical afternoons, which geologists tell us once bathed the whole of our island, and which even now, as though loath to part from its one-time home, still dwells lovingly in Devonia's summer, I wended my way to Devonport Park to feast my eyes once again on the familiar scenes of early days. What I beheld was a fair picture—the Hamoaze, with its burden of shapely hulls, and its beautiful undulating shore

GOOD BYE TO ALBION!  SOUTHWARD HO! GIBRALTAR. Farewell, farewell! The last words have been said! How we would have put off that last hour; how we would have blotted it out, if, by so doing, we might have avoided that farewell. I never before realised how impressive a sailor's parting is. Was it really but a few hours since that loving, clinging hands rested within our own, that we heard the scarcely breathed words which still linger in our ears? How like a dream it all seems, and how like a drea

UP THE MEDITERRANEAN.​—​MALTA. With the dawn of August 15th we were rounding Europa Point, and leaving Gibraltar far away astern. On our starboard hand three or four luminous points in the atmosphere indicate the position of the snow peaks of Atlas, the range itself being lost in the distance. We chanced on a favoring breeze, so all sail was spread to help us against the strong five knot current always setting out from this sea. I cannot tell with what feelings you entered upon this, the greates

PORT SAID.​—​THE SUEZ CANAL.​—​VOYAGE DOWN THE RED SEA.​—​ADEN. The voyage from Malta to Port Said was accomplished without any notable event, except that the heat goes on steadily increasing. August 31st, to-day, we made the low-lying land in the neighbourhood of Port Said, and by noon had arrived and moored off that uninteresting town. Coaling at Port Said is effected with great rapidity, for ships have to be speedily pushed on through the Canal to prevent a block, thus, by the following after

ACROSS THE INDIAN OCEAN.​—​CEYLON.​—​SINGAPORE.​—​A CRUISE IN THE STRAITS OF MALACCA. September 21st.—Having, as it were, given the go-by to two continents, we commence on an extended acquaintance with a third. With sails spread to a S.W. monsoon we rapidly speed over that glorious expanse of luminous sea where it is ever summer, and in whose pearly depths living things innumerable revel in the very joy of existence. Though hot, this part of the voyage is not unpleasant, for a cooling breeze is

SARAWAK.​—​LABUAN.​—​MANILLA.​—​HEAVY WEATHER. December 5th.—At 4 p.m. the anchor was hove short for our voyage to Hong Kong, by way of Manilla. As we start some days sooner than we anticipated, we had made no provision for getting our washed clothes on board, and grave fears are entertained that we shall be compelled to sail without it, for as yet there is not so much as the ghost of a washerwoman in sight. Will they, can they by any fortuitous combination of circumstances, put in an appearance

HONG KONG.​—​SOME CHINESE MANNERS AND CUSTOMS. I suppose there are few amongst us, sailors though we are, who, as boys at school when reading of China, have never expressed a wish to see that land for themselves, to say nothing of making the acquaintance of its quaint old-world people in their very own homes. In my imagination I had covered its goodly soil with wondrous palaces, all sparkling with splendour and embellished with all that art could furnish or riches command. I had peopled its broa

PREPARATIONS FOR THE NORTH.​—​AMOY.​—​WUSUNG, AND WHAT BEFELL US THERE. Whatever pretensions to beauty our ship may have possessed on leaving England—and that she possessed some it is but fair to add—have been greatly marred by the late voyage, and especially by the washing down we encountered on the trip from Manilla. The effect has been to reduce our once fairy and glistening hull to a jaundiced mass of rust and stains. Therefore are we to go into "weeds." Black certainly gives an iron-clad a

ARRIVAL AT NAGASAKI.​—​SOMETHING ABOUT JAPAN.​—​A RUN THROUGH THE TOWN.​—​VISIT TO A SINTOR TEMPLE. I know not if the author of the above lines had ever been to Japan. I should think it very unlikely; and possibly the poet is but describing the scenery of his Cumberland home. In no disparagement of the beauteous country of the lake and mountain, yet we must confess that nothing there can compare with Japan's natural magnificence. All who have ever written of Japan, or who have ever visited its s

THE INLAND SEAS.​—​KOBE.​—​FUSI-YAMA.​—​YOKOHAMA. VISIT TO TOKIO. The arrival of the "Vigilant" from Shanghai, with the admiral on board, brought our stay at charming Nagasaki to a close. During the absence of our band with the "Vigilant," one of its members, Henry Harper, a feeble old man, and far advanced in consumption, died at Shanghai. June 11th.—Left Nagasaki en route for the eastward, via the Inland Seas. Our way to Simoneski lay through numerous islands of so beautiful an appearance that

NORTHWARD​—​HAKODADI​—​DUI​—​CASTRIES BAY​—​BARRACOUTA​—​VLADIVOSTOCK. Shortly after rounding Mela Head and shaping our course to the northward, the temperature underwent a marked change, in fact so suddenly were we ushered into a colder zone that everybody is on the search for pocket handkerchiefs, these articles being in very general demand. The eastern coast of Niphon, along which we are now cruising, has several admirable harbours and sheltered anchorages. Two days after leaving Yokohama we

CHEFOO​—​NAGASAKI EN ROUTE.​—​JAPAN REVISITED.​—​KOBE.​—​YOKOHAMA. August 31st.—At the early hour of four this morning the shrill sound of those ear-piercing instruments, the boatswains' pipes in combination, resounded clearly and distinctly in the pure raw air, as "all hands" summoned the sleepy crew to heave up anchor. In less than an hour, thanks to the modern sailors' help, the steam capstan, our white wings were spread for the expected breeze outside the harbour. As yet, however, the wind h

IN WHICH WE ATTEMPT AN OVERLAND ROUTE, WITH THE RESULT OF THE TRIAL. Hail, all hail, to the glad new year! What though there be no crisp seasonable snow, no exhilarating frost, no cosy chimney nooks, or no ladies muffs and comfortable ulsters? Let us joy at his birth all the same, for does he not mark another year nearer the end?—of the commission I mean. And now to work. At the annual inspection of our heavy guns it was found that three at least were so defective in the bore that it was necessa

THE NEW REGIME.​—​SOMETHING ABOUT SAIGON.​—​THE FIRST CRUISE OF THE CHINA SQUADRON.​—​AN ALARM OF FIRE!​—​ARRIVAL OF THE "FLYING" SQUADRON. Sunday, January 2nd.—For some time past we have been exercised to know how we could best signify to the admiral our appreciation of his many kindnesses to us during the time we have served under him. His approaching promotion gave us the desired opportunity, and it was decided that the most fitting present would be a silk flag of the largest size, to be hois

THE SECOND CRUISE OF THE CHINA SQUADRON.​—​PRINCIPALLY CONCERNING A VISIT TO THE LOO-CHOO ISLES AND COREA.​—​WELCOME NEWS FROM HOME.​—​CONCLUSION. Before starting for the north, suppose we just glance at a few of the leading events which transpired at the beginning of the year. The flying squadron has sailed after having awaited the return of the "Inconstant" from docking at Nagasaki. The arrival of the yacht "Wanderer" must also be noted; for Mr. Lambert, her princely owner, gave a magnificent

Deaths During the Commission.   Note A: Discharged to hospital, and died during our cruise to the north. Date of death not procurable in ship's office....

Table showing places visited and actual distance run, in miles, by H.M.S. "Iron Duke" during commission. Total number of miles made during the commission, 55,566; or a distance equal to 2¼ times around the earth....