There were not many incidents on the voyage worthy of note, but I will mention the most interesting of them which I can recollect.  The first was when we encountered a white squall about a week out from England.  It was a lovely evening, a slight breeze sending us along some four knots under full sail.  We were lounging on deck watching the sunset, and occupied with our thoughts, when suddenly there was a cry from the “look out” in the main fore-top which created an instantaneous and marvellous scene of activity on board.  It was then that we witnessed the first example of thorough seamanship and discipline; the shrill boatswain’s whistle, the captain shouting a few orders, passed on by the mates, a crowd of sailors appearing like magic in the rigging, and in another instant the ship riding under bare masts; a deathlike stillness for a few seconds, and then a snow white wall of foam, stretching as far as the eye could reach, came down upon us with a sweeping wind, striking the ship broadsides, and over she went on her beam ends.  Half a minute’s hesitation or bungling would in all probability have sent us over altogether.  There was a shout to us novices to look out—­away went deck chairs and tables.  The Misses Hunt—­poor old ladies—­who had been quietly knitting unconscious of any coming danger, were unceremoniously precipitated into the lee scuppers.  I seized the mizen-mast, while C——­ falling foul of a roving hen-coop, grasped it in a loving embrace, and accompanied it to some haven of safety, where he stretched himself upon it until permitted to walk upright again.  The officers and crew appeared like so many cats in the facility with which they moved about; so much so that deciding to have a try myself, I was instantly sent rolling over to the two old ladies, creating a shout of laughter from all hands.  The squall lasted about half an hour, and was succeeded by a fine night and a spanking breeze.

[Illustration:  Harpooning A shark.]

Another bit of excitement was the harpooning and capture of a shark which had been following the ship for days.  This is always an omen of ill-luck with sailors, who are very superstitious, believing that a shark under such circumstances is waiting for a body dead or alive, and will follow the ship until its desire is appeased.  They are always, therefore, keen to kill a shark when opportunity offers.  Fortunately, for our purpose, a calm came on while the shark was visiting us, and he kept moving about under the stern in a most friendly manner.  The plan of operations was as follows:—­A large junk of pork was made fast to a rope and suspended from the stern, letting it sink about a foot under the surface.  C——­, Smith, and I were in the captain’s boat, with three sailors, under the orders of Lapworth, who had taken his stand immediately above with a harpoon.  The shark came up, nibbling and smelling at the pork, so close to us in the boat that he almost rubbed along the side