great Hebrew Lawgiver was _when the candle went out_. And were these
passengers to be exempt from the action of Nature's ordinary laws!
Bah!--"_without a word of apology or explanation_." I _had_ winked,
but they were worse than blind horses, and more resembled the
inferior quadruped in obstinately refusing to move, or in subsequently
acknowledging this act of thoughtful kindness on my part.

As to my eating for breakfast a flying-fish, which somebody on board
had caught and given me, all I ask is, _why shouldn't I?_ I never had
eaten a flying-fish before, and I don't think I ever shall again. If
the gentleman who caught it didn't want me to eat it, he should have
said so: for there were three courses open to him; viz., _first_, to
refuse to give it me; _secondly_, to give it me on condition that I
kept it in memory of the occasion; _thirdly_, to throw it back into
the sea. But there was only one course open to _me_ when I got it,
and that was the first course at breakfast; the second course was
kidgeree. It was a small fish _just enough for one_, and now I rather
fancy I remember this _Black and White_ correspondent, for it must
have been he, coming to my table, eyeing the fish, smacking his lips,
and observing that _he_ "had never had the chance of tasting a fried
flying-fish." At that moment I was just finishing the tail (a sweet
morsel and not the worst part by any means), and there was nothing
left to offer him. So he went away disappointed, with a grudge against
yours truly. This, Sir, is the true tale of the flying-fish, and
if it isn't, let me hear the revised version from my aspersers and
caluminators. I can write no more to-day. I am boiling over, and must
go and kick somebody. Yours, &c.,

[Illustration: Grandolph the Explorer.]