BANIAN. 251 



covering unnecessary. They were allowed two 

 meals per day, the first at nine o'cicn k, consisting 

 of a mxiicum of boiled rice with a little wretched 

 cocoa ; the second at three o'clock, consisting of 

 another portion of rice, and a small piece of salt 

 beef. Neither bread njr any other preparation 

 of flour was known on board, not even in the 

 cabin. 



No one who has not experienced it, can know 

 how exceedingly difficult it is for one used to a 

 civilized diet, to make a satisfactory meal without 

 bread. It was a hard school for me, here. But 

 hunger makes a sauce for every food, and it was 

 not long before I could relish my dinner or break- 

 fast of boiled rice as well as any one of those who 

 were bred to it. Of course on such slight diet 

 men do not work very energetically. Our crew 

 were as lazy a set as ever lived, and their diurnal 

 task of feeding and watering the horses was spun 

 out to last nearly the entire day. 



For two days I took share in this labor. By 

 this time, however, the captain, who had seen 

 some sail-maker's tools in my little bundle, and 

 had ascertained that I could work with the needle, 

 found some sail-mending for me to do, and hence- 

 forth my work was under the quarter deck awn- 

 ing, patching up old royals and top-gallant- saila, 

 flying jibs and studding sails. I soon learned 

 sufficient of the mongrel French spoken on board 

 to make my wishes known, and understand or 

 dcrs, and wher my rebellio is stomach was onco 



