"Excellent, Captain Ringgold!" exclaimed the viscount. "I can hardly better
that."
He made some suggestions; but this route was substantially adopted.
CHAPTER XVI
A MULTITUDE OF NATIVE SERVANTS
The barge was ready as soon as it was needed, and lay at the platform of
the gangway, with the crew in their white uniforms, quite as smart as
man-of-war's-men. The coolie boatmen who were seeking a job to put the
passengers on shore were disappointed. The clothing of the guests had been
taken in hand by Sparks and Sordy, the cabin stewards, dried, cleaned, and
pressed. They wore them now, and had returned the borrowed garments.
The party were impatient to see the strange sights on shore; and they were
ready at the gangway when the viscount, to whom the commander had abandoned
the direction of the company, gave the word. The ladies were assisted to
their places, and the "Big Four" went into the fore-sheets. Bargate, the
old man-of-war's-man, was the cockswain, and his lordship gave the word to
him to give way.
"Pull to the Apollo Bunder, if you please, my man," said he.
"Which, your honor?" asked Bargate blankly.
"I mean the bit of a basin you see nearly abreast of the ship," the new
leader explained, pointing out the locality.
The cockswain shoved off the stern of the boat, the oars dropped into the
water, and the men gave way.
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