“But surely,” he said, “dozens of ships go in and out of Portsmouth all the time. How could such a thing happen?”

Captain Gilbey shrugged. “I am afraid it is not so remarkable as you suppose. The master might not be familiar with the channels of Spithead, or he might be drunk.”

A large crowd was assembling. In Portsmouth every inhabitant has some connexion with the sea and ships, and some interest of his own to preserve. The daily talk about the place is of the ships going in and out of the harbour and the ships that lie at anchor at Spithead. An event such as this was of almost universal concern. It drew not only the regular loungers of the place (who were numerous enough), but also the steadier citizens and tradesmen, and of course every naval gentleman who had leisure to go and see. A vigorous argument was already taking place over what the master of the ship had done wrong, and what the port admiral must do to put it right. As soon as the crowd understood who Strange was and what he had come to do, it was glad to transfer the benefit of its many opinions to him. Unfortunately a great deal of nautical language was employed and Strange had at best an indistinct impression of his informants’ meaning. After one explanation he made the mistake of inquiring what “beating off” and “heaving to” meant, which led to such a very perplexing explanation of the principles of sailing that he understood a great deal less at the end of it than he had at the beginning.

“Well!” he said. “The chief problem is surely that she is on her side. Shall I simply turn her upright? That would be quite easy to accomplish.”

“Good Lord! No!” cried Captain Gilbey. “That will not do at all! Unless it is done in the most careful manner imaginable her keel would almost certainly snap in two. Everybody would drown.”

“Oh!” said Strange.

His next attempt to help fared even worse. Something somebody said about a fresher breeze blowing the ship off the sandbank at high water caused him to think that a strong wind might help. He raised his hands to begin conjuring one up.

“What are you doing?” asked Captain Gilbey.

Strange told him.

“No! No! No!” cried the Captain, appalled.

Several people seized Strange bodily. One man started shaking him vigorously, as though he thought that he might in this way dispel any magic before it took effect.

“The wind is the from south-west,” explained Captain Gilbey. “If it grows stronger, it will batter the ship against the sands and almost certainly break her up. Everybody will drown!”

Someone else was heard to remark that he could not for the life of him understand why the Admiralty thought so highly of this fellow whose ignorance was so astonishing.