[Illustration:  ZEUS CILIARIS]

Now we are fairly off; and now surely the last link that binds us to the shore is broken.  But no! there are farewell signals and hearty cheers yet to come from the officers and men of the ‘Fantome;’ and, still further out, on the top of the tiny lighthouse at the mouth of the narrow passage through the reef, stand other friends, cheering and waving their handkerchiefs.  They had rowed out thither, being determined to give us really the parting cheer, and till the shades of twilight fell we could see their white handkerchiefs fluttering, and hear their voices borne on the evening breeze, as we meandered slowly through the tortuous channels into deep water.

Once outside we found there was plenty of wind and a heavy roll, which sent me quickly to bed.

CHAPTER XVIII.

HONOLULU TO YOKOHAMA.

As slow our ship her foamy track Against the wind was cleaving, Her trembling pennant still look’d back To that dear isle ’twas leaving.

Thursday, January 4th.—­It was very rough, but fortunately the wind came from a favourable quarter.  Sorry as we all were to bid farewell to these charming islands, I could not help rejoicing that we had picked up a fresh fair wind so unexpectedly soon.

While we were at Honolulu a regular epidemic of influenza prevailed in the place, affecting both man and beast.  This is often the case during the prevalence of the south wind, which blew, more or less, during the whole of our stay.  We none of us suffered from the malady at the time, but now nearly everybody on board is affected, and some very severely.

Friday, January 5th.—­The fresh fair breeze still continues.  At noon we had sailed 240 knots.  The head-sea we could dispense with, as it makes us all very uncomfortable.  Muriel, Baby, the three maids, and several of the crew, are ill to-day with influenza, and I have a slight touch of it, so I suppose it will go right through the ship.  Towards the evening the breeze increased to a gale.

Saturday, January 6th.—­The gale increased during the night, and the head-sea became heavier.  There was a good deal of rain in the course of the day.  The wind dropped about sunset, and was succeeded by intervals of calm, with occasional sharp squalls.  Baby was very poorly all day, but seemed better at night.  We have now regularly settled down to our sea life again, and, if only the children recover, I hope to get through a good deal of reading and writing between this and Japan.  At present they occupy all my time and attention, but I think, like the weather, they have now taken a turn for the better.

Sunday, January 7th.—­A very rough and disagreeable day, with much rain.  All the morning we rolled about, becalmed, in a heavy swell.  Steam was ordered at half-past twelve, but before it was up the fair wind had returned, so the fires were put out.  We had the Litany at eleven, and a short service, without a sermon, at four.