It was but a short ride to the custom-house, and the party embarked in the Maud. The tourists were glad enough to get on board the Guardian-Mother again, for it was comparatively cool under the awning on deck. The passengers all said they had seen enough of Algiers; for none of them were artists, antiquarians, or archæologists, and it would have been a bore for them to stay there a week, though the student of art or history would have found enough to occupy his time for a much longer period. A lighter was alongside the ship, filling up her bunkers with coal, and another supplied those of the Maud in the afternoon. At lunch the commander consulted the party in regard to their wishes. Something was said about putting in at Tunis by the professor; but the captain shook his head. "It is more than thirty miles off our course, and then at the head of a shallow lake nine miles farther," said he. "But it is within three miles of the ruins of ancient Carthage," interposed the professor. "_Delenda est Carthago_," replied the commander, laughing. "I believe that means that Carthage must be destroyed, or, in other words, a war of extermination; and I fear we must make that of Carthage in this instance, for the navigation is difficult. I went there when I was a boy during the war in the Crimea, and I can assure you that Tunis is a dirty hole, though it has some fine mosques, well-supplied bazaars, and the palace of the Bey is magnificent; but it hardly pays to go there. The professor is a fine classical scholar, and he would enjoy it more than any of the others. But if you wish to go there, I will take the ship to Tunis with the greatest pleasure imaginable." "Don't go there on my account, Captain Ringgold," protested Professor Giroud. "I will put it to vote, and the majority shall decide," replied the commander, and he proceeded to do so. No one, not even the professor, voted in favor of the visit, and the question was decided in the negative. In the middle of the afternoon the captain went on shore in the first cutter to attend to the formality of clearing. On his return the order was given to heave up the anchor, and the ship's company of the Maud was sent on board of her. The officers took leave of the party that were to proceed in the ship. "I want to sail some day in the Maud, Captain Ringgold," interposed Miss Blanche. "Not now, I hope, for it will soon be night, and there are no accommodations on board of her for you," replied the captain. "No; I mean some day when the sea is not too rough," added the maiden. "There will be no difficulty at all about it, Miss Woolridge; and I thought of sending all my passengers on board of the Maud when we get to the Archipelago, for then we shall be in sight of land all the time among the islands. I can easily put you on board of her some morning when it is pleasant, and you say the word."