Turning to their left, they came, towards the centre of the town, upon a fair sheet of water, with avenues of pleasant trees planted along its northern brink, and behind these trees a public road faced with shops and cabarets, each shaded by a coloured awning.

It was the breakfast-hour, and beneath these awnings sat a crowd of soldiers of the guard, citizens and citizens' wives, eating, chattering, smoking, clinking their glasses and contemplating from their cool shelter the water that twinkled between the trees and the throng that moved up and down the promenade.

The two captains were hungry and thirsty.

They advanced, and, finding a small table unoccupied, ordered breakfast.
Their appearance, and more especially the bandage around Captain Barker's head, attracted some attention.

More than one group turned to stare as the little man began in execrable Dutch to explain his wants to the drawer.