noon
Passing through the Little Minch , and continually steering an erratic course in order to baffle any unterseebooten , should they be operating off the West coast of Scotland , the _ Oxford _ rounded Cape Wrath . In spite of a rapidly falling glass the weather still remained fine , although the heavy swell encountered off the coast of Sutherland and Caithness betokened , in conjunction with the barometer , a gale at no distant date . `` This will be you fellows ' last night on board , '' remarked Farnworth , one of the Acting Sub-lieutenants , as Ross and Vernon prepared to turn into their hammocks after a strenuous sing-song in the gun-room mess . `` We 'll be at Rosyth before noon to-morrow . ` Fraid it 's been a bit tame after the _ Capella _ . Beyond that affair of the _ Tehuantepec Girl _ there has n't been much doing . The small fry get all the excitement , I 'm sorry to say .