After twelve days in the Firth of Forth, the _Corsair_ was relieved by the _Chester_ and received orders to report at Portland, England. During the voyage north, Commander Porter had navigated through four hundred miles of swept war channels where the abundance of German mines was presumed to require the most ticklish care. The cleared passages were strewn with wrecks and most British merchantmen were anchoring at night. The _Corsair_ had picked her way, not in a reckless spirit, but because she was due to reach her destination at a specified time and it was the habit of the ship to arrive when she was expected. While returning south to Portland, a pilot was taken on at Yarmouth and casual reference was made to the fact that the yacht had chosen the north channel into the mouth of the Thames while coming over from France. “My word, but you are lucky beggars!” exclaimed the ruddy pilot. “You should have gone in by the south channel, you know. The other one is a bloomin’ muck o’ mines that ain’t been swept. You couldn’t wait a week for a bally pilot, eh? The sportin’ chance! I fancy it’s the proper spirit in a navy, what?” At Portland the _Corsair_ found the U.S.S. _Bushnell_ which had served as the mother ship of the American submarine flotilla in Bantry Bay. With her waited five mine-sweepers and five submarine chasers all ready and anxious to sail for home. The yachts _Harvard_ and _Aphrodite_ had come over from Brest and were attached to the North Sea patrol. Later in the winter they were sent to Germany. The _Aphrodite_ hit a mine en route, but luckily its action was delayed and, although damaged, she was able to make port. What aroused eager interest at Portland was a group of five German submarines, moored close to the _Bushnell_, which comprised an installment of the surrendered fleet of U-boats. Their frightfulness was done. Meekly they had crossed the North Sea, at the bidding of the victors, to be tied up all in a row as a rare show for the jeering comment of British and American bluejackets. To the sailors of the _Corsair_ it was fascinating to inspect and investigate these uncouth sea monsters which they had hunted and bombed with no more mercy than if they had been vermin. Instead of winning the war for Germany, they had turned the tide against her by arousing the United States to launch its armed forces in the cause of the Allies. And they had branded the German name with infamy and reddened German hands with the blood of thousands of slain seamen. [Illustration: WITH THE GRAND FLEET AT ROSYTH] [Illustration: SURRENDERED GERMAN SUBMARINES TIED UP AT PORTLAND TWO AMERICAN SUBMARINES ARE WITH THEM] Christmas Day of 1918 was spent in this English harbor of Portland and the occasion was not as joyous as might have been, although the _Corsair’s_ log of December 24th contained this entry: