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"Madam, in 1598 a tarred bottle, picked up by a man, conger-fishing on
the strand of Epidium Promontorium, was brought to Queen Elizabeth; and
a parchment drawn out of it gave information to England that Holland had
taken, without saying anything about it, an unknown country, Nova
Zembla; that the capture had taken place in June, 1596; that in that
country people were eaten by bears; and that the manner of passing the
winter was described on a paper enclosed in a musket-case hanging in the
chimney of the wooden house built in the island, and left by the
Dutchmen, who were all dead: and that the chimney was built of a barrel
with the end knocked out, sunk into the roof."
"I don't understand much of thy rigmarole."
"Be it so. Elizabeth understood. A country the more for Holland was a
country the less for England. The bottle which had given the information
was held to be of importance; and thenceforward an order was issued that
anybody who should find a sealed bottle on the sea-shore should take it
to the Lord High Admiral of England, under pain of the gallows. The
admiral entrusts the opening of such bottles to an officer, who presents
the contents to the queen, if there be reason for so doing."
"Are many such bottles brought to the Admiralty?"
"But few. But it's all the same. The appointment exists. There is for
the office a room and lodgings at the Admiralty."
"And for that way of doing nothing, how is one paid?"
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