. The excuse he pleaded, when asked how he managed to injure himself, was as droll as Paddy himself.
"You, see, sorr, it was like this. I was aslape on the floor as innocent as an unborn lamb, sorr, and when I awoke I found the stove had thrown itself down and the bars had burnt me face."
But he spoke as if the stove had been lying on his face for quite a long time.
Dr. Reikie forgave him.
The officers of the Gurnet managed to enjoy themselves very much at Constantinople, and were everywhere well received. There were other ships here too, and so the fun was pretty general.
After leaving the Turkish capital, the Gurnet returned to Alexandria and Malta and Gibraltar.
The reason was that there was then no Suez Canal, else the saucy craft would have steamed right away through into the Indian Ocean.
Round the Cape she must go therefore, but nobody minded this. The Cape of Good Hope is rather a pleasant station than otherwise; and, besides, time is of no object with a ship just newly commissioned, for throe or four years being a very long time to look forward to, no one thinks of looking.
The ship touched at Madeira, then stood straight away south—with not much easterly in it—for Ascension and St. Helena.