III
ON THE HIGH SEAS
The skipper of the vessel was a bluff, hearty man of the old school of
seamen. At the same time he was a sincere Christian devoted to his
duties. At the beginning he made it plain that Grenfell was to have
quite enough to do to keep him occupied, not only in his capacity as
doctor, but in assisting to conduct afloat a work that in many
respects resembled that of our present Young Men's Christian
Association ashore.
The mission steamer was now to run across to Ostend, Belgium, where
supplies were to be taken aboard before joining the fishing fleets.
It was bitterly cold, and while they lay at Ostend taking on cargo the
harbor froze over, and they found themselves so firm and fast in the
ice that it became necessary to engage a steamer to go around them to
break them loose. At last, cargo loaded and ice smashed, they sailed
away from Ostend and pointed their bow towards the great fleets, not
again to see land for two full months, save Heligoland and
Terschelling in the far distant offing.
The little vessel upon which Grenfell sailed was the first sent to
the fisheries by the now famous Mission to Deep-Sea Fishermen; and the
young Doctor on her deck, hardly yet realizing all that was expected
of him, was destined to do no small part in the development of the
splendid service that the Mission has since rendered the fishermen.
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