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as we could; but our friends in England in tbe early
part of tbe year 1876 may aa'cII remember tbe
continued nortb-east winds Avbidi lasted u n til far on
in tbe spring. Tbese winds were dead in our teetb,
and as our coal and fresb provisions began to get
low, Ave in onr Aveariness and impatience Avere driven
to tbe verge of despair. At lengtb, hopeless of any
relenting, Ave resolved to go in to Vigo and get some
coal and some fresb provisions, and a run on shore.
As Ave steamed up A^igo Bay on tbe 20th of Alay
the Cbannel Elect under the command of Captain
Beauchamp Seymour, one of tbe finest squadrons of
ironclads ever afloat, gradually resolved itself, ship
after ship, ont of tbe mist. They were ju s t gathering,
and tbeir tale Avas nearly complete, b u t before we left
next day tbe fleet consisted of Her Alajesty’s ships
‘ MinotaiAi’,’ ‘ Iron Duke,’ ‘ Alonarcb,’ ‘ Resistance,’
‘ Defence,’ ‘Black Prince,’ ‘ Hector,’ and tbe despatch-
boat ‘ Lively,’ in attendance. As Ave rounded the
stern of tbe ‘ Defence’ to onr anchorage, her band
struck up tbe air ‘ Home, sAveet Home,’ and tried
tbe nerves of some of us far more than they bad
CA'cr been tried among tbe savages or the icebergs.
A^igo seemed very charming, but Ave bad little time
to enjoy it. AA"e bad all many friends in the fleet,
and mucb to say and bear. AA'^bile Ave Avere lying in
A"igo Bay Ave Avere aAvare of a change of tbe Aveather,
the clouds hurrying np from the south-Avest; so, early
in the afternoon of the 21st, we Aveigbed and proceeded
to sea. Our anticipations were not disappointed;
outside tbe bay it Avas blowing half a gale from tbe
soutb-Avest, and the old ‘ Challenger ’ sped across
tbe Bay of Biscay and np Channel at a pace very
unusual to her. On the evening of the 23rd Ave passed
Hshant Light, and at 9.15 p.m. on the 2 ltb of May,
1876, after an absence of three years and a half, Ave
stopped and came to an anchor in seven fathoms’
Avater at Spithead.
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