Painti?ig the Ship. 275 



ing a daub here and a patch there. This is what 

 the j call a priming coat, preparatory to painting. 

 The funnel is being scraped at the same time, the 

 dust from which, by sticking to the newly painted 

 spots, gives them a somewhat novel appearance, 

 resembling pepper and salt. 



Saturday, September VStk. — Yesterday evening 

 a fresh westerly wind sprang up, which has blown 

 us at least two hundred miles nearer our destination 

 during the last twenty-four hours. I much fear it 

 will not continue, as it is inclined to head round to 

 the southward and eastward, though at present we 

 are going along at the rate of ten knots. Being 

 fine, all hands were employed painting ship. The 

 paint was laid on thickly and over dirt, without any 

 regard to the blending of colour, of which there is 

 great variety ; red, blue, green, yellow, grey, black, 

 and white, were put on wherever there was a vacant 

 spot, the numerous shades, as the captain says, 

 affording a pleasing relief. (?) 



Sunday, September 14th. — We have lost our fine 

 fair wind, which has been succeeded by an easterly 

 one, dead ahead, leaving a heavy sea, in which we 

 are tossing about in a most uncomfortable manner. 

 Yesterday we were calculating upon getting into 

 Dundee on Thursday, and now the chances are 

 against our being there before this day week, un- 

 less the wind should shift or go down altogether,, 

 in which latter case I think we should have almost 



