The land itself was obscured by early morning banks of mist, yet
everything was so still that we actually faintly heard the whistle of a
train. I could hardly restrain from suggesting to Alten that we should
elevate the 10-cm. gun to fifteen degrees and fire a few rounds on to
"proud Albion's virgin shores," but I did not do so as I felt fairly
certain that he would not approve, and I do not wish to lay myself open
to rebuffs from him after his behaviour concerning the smoking
incident. I boil with rage at the thought, but again I digress.

The fact that the land was obscured was favourable from the point of
view that we were not worried by coast watchers, but unfavourable from
the standpoint that we were unable to take bearings of anything and so
ascertain our exact position.

The importance of this point in submarine mine-laying is obvious, for,
owing to our small cargo of eggs, it is quite possible that we may be
sent here again, to lay an adjacent field, in which case it is highly
desirable to know the exact position of one's previous effort.

[Illustration: "Steering north-westerly...; to lay a small minefield
off Newcastle."]

[Illustration: "He had suddenly seen the bow waves of a destroyer
approaching at full speed to ram."]

We were somewhat assisted in our efforts to locate ourselves by the
fact that a seven-fathom patch existed exactly where we had to lay. We
picked up the edge of this bank with our sounding machine, and steering
north half a mile, laid our mines in latitude--No! on second thoughts I
will omit the precise position, for, though I shall take every