Page:Small-boat sailing; an explanation of the management of small yachts, half-decked and open sailing-boats of various rigs; sailing on sea and on river; cruising, etc (IA smallboatsailing01knig).pdf/230

 sum of one shilling. So I availed myself of this very useful arrangement. I telegraphed in the afternoon, What weather Harwich to Rotterdam to-morrow?' in an hour's time I received the following reply: 'Light S.W. breezes, fine, sea nearly smooth.' I knew that the official opinion of the clerk of the weather was more to be relied on than the wisdom of all the ancient mariners put together; so despite the stormy-looking sky and the warnings of wise-*acres on shore, I weighed my anchor confidently at daybreak, crossed the North Sea, and found that the predictions of the weather prophet were entirely correct.

On the second occasion I was crossing the Cattegat on my way to the Sound and Copenhagen. I had been sailing for a day and a night before a light breeze, with no appearances of bad weather in the sky. But the glass had fallen a quarter of an inch