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flew at his tormentor, and was with difficulty restrained 
from further violent measures by his fellow passengers. 
A curious and to us an unknown bird, settled on one of 
the ship's boats this afternoon, and the captain managed 
to secure it with a noose, saying it would do for the Zoo., 
it seemed very tame and much exhausted. The weather 
is now getting sensibly hotter, as we are well into the 
tropics, and any clothing seems superfluous. It is a hard 
matter to pass the time, but the day is got through some- 
how. We breakfast at 9 o'clock, and as I can luckily 
sleep like a top, I never get up till the last moment. Not 
having had anything since dinner at 5 o'clock the evening 
before, and what with the sea air, one appreciates this 
meal, and does justice to it. After breakfast an adjourn- 
ment to the deck with a book and a pipe, and E. settles 
down to her never-failing resource, needle or fancy work. 
Then one gets tired of reading and strolls forward to the 
smoking room, where I find two energetic fellows in their 
shirt sleeves, playing the lively game of cribbage for 
sixpences ; go on further forward to see Kemp and how 
he is getting on, and find out if he wants anything ; back 
to the smoking room, and find another fellow stretched on 
the cushions, and trying to get a nap at 1 1 a.m. Stroll off 
again, and perhaps meet one of the officers, who one talks 
to for five minutes, and expects almost prophetic answers 
to questions about the ship's run, the weather, probable 
date of arrival at this place and the other, and so forth. 
Then one watches the captain and his officers taking their 
sights on the quarter deck. Then the skipper makes it 
8 bells, and they return to work out the reckoning. At 
12-30 the luncheon bell rings ; one doesn't want it after a 
heavy breakfast at 9-0, but we go down for something to 
do. Then the ship's run is discussed, and we go on deck 
again. And much the same way the afternoon goes, except 
