They all came by sea; such of them as had sea-boards of their own having their fleets around them.

Such as had no fleets of their own were attended by at least one of the Blue Mountain ironclads.

And I am bound to say that I never in my life saw more dangerous craft than these little warships of King Rupert of the Blue Mountains.

As they entered the Blue Mouth each ship took her appointed station, those which carried the signatories being close together in an isolated group in a little bay almost surrounded by high cliffs in the farthest recesses of the mighty harbour.

King Rupert's armoured yacht all the time lay close inshore, hard by the mouth of the Great Tunnel which runs straight into the mountain from a wide plateau, partly natural rock, partly built up with mighty blocks of stone.