[110] The soldiers liked these so much that it was the fashion to place the “Emperor’s” picture over each man’s bed. On one occasion His Majesty happened to notice this when visiting a guard-room, and he had the whole story explained to him. The late Prince Imperial also came for a ‘British Workman,’ and probably it was pinned behind His Royal Highness’ four-poster. He was a member of the Royal Canoe Club, and one of his canoes was saved from the fire at the palace of St. Cloud.
[112] A friend of mine stated that a French, gentleman of good education called upon him one day, and happened to look at a French Testament which lay open on the chimney-piece. “Tiens!” he said, “Paternoster in the Bible?” when he saw the Lord’s Prayer in the printed page.
[117] A similar Society has begun operations in France by publishing translations of English papers on Sanitary and Domestic Management.
[119] In this one particular the canoeist has to trust to the boat-builder. In others, and in those relating to the rigging and sails especially, I regret to say that I do not find any builder fulfils those requirements of strength, lightness, neatness, and simplicity combined in due proportions, upon which so much of the safety of a canoe depends, as well as comfort and pleasure in using it during the many days’ constant work of a long voyage. The proper rigging of a canoe, so as to be neither fragile like a toy nor clumsy in its small details, is well attended to at the Model Dockyard in Fleet Street.
[121] This hankering after Egypt once more ripened into the cruise of the “Rob Roy on the Jordan,” of which the sixth edition appears in April, 1880.
[128] These four gentlemen, admitted to the amateur contests declined to row against four English watermen.
[142] I recollect that old Westminster Bridge was a very dangerous one for a boat to sail through, because the joints between the voussoirs, or lines of stones under the arch, were not horizontal as in most other bridges, but in an oblique direction, and several times when my mast has touched one of these it was borne downwards with all the power of a screw.
[150] I found that a common Scotch plaid, if it was in an inclined position, resisted wet longer than any other material permeable to air, and it could be readily dried by hanging it from the mast in the wind.
[151] There was another method of cooking under shelter, and we employed it on the only other occasion when this had to be done, namely, to shut up the cabin and to cook inside it, using the portable “canoe cuisine,” which is described in the Appendix. But as this is meant to be employed only on shore, it does not answer well on board, except in a calm; and, moreover, the heat generated by the lamp was too much in a small cabin. Even a single candle heats a small apartment, and it is well known that a man can get a very good vapour-bath by sitting over a rushlight, with blankets fastened all round.
[152] The best, according to my taste, were those of “Irish stew,” “Stewed steak,” “Mulligatawny,” “Oxtail,” and “Vegetable soup,” all in the order named. “Preserved peas” were not quite so good; but the other viands were all far better than can be had at any culinary hotel, and were entirely without that metallic or other “preserved” flavour so soon discovered in such eatables, and even by a palate not fastidious. This experience was fully confirmed afterwards in my Canoe Cruises in Holland, in the Orkneys and Shetland, and in the Red Sea, Jordan, Nile, Abana, Pharpar, and Lake of Galilee.