FROM EDINBURGH TO THE ANTARCTIC 
overhead, and you have as dreary a scene as can well be 
pictured. 
In some ways this sea life is much against painting or 
drawing. The fresh air and the full light and the simple 
life are all favourable, but the want of exercise is a great 
drawback. If it was not for the pumping, which slightly 
resembles bar-bell exercise, I should get into a too en- 
feebled condition to draw a line. The doctor endeavours 
to keep in good form by systematically promenading up 
and down the poop ; but that is most awfully monotonous, 
and walking has such a bad effect in unsteadying the 
hand for drawing. Fencing or boxing are the exercises 
for a man who does fine work with his hands and head. 
They keep the nerves steady and the eye clear ; but of 
all exercises they are least suited for a ship's deck. 
One of the results of this lazy life is that my journal 
notes become reduced to the shortest, as : — * Jotting before 
breakfast, hands washing deck ; no go. Made pochade ; 
sky, calm sea; cumuli ; inferior oleograph. Slept; read; 
tried walking poop — poor sport. Attempted drawing 
' stowaways ' — no go. Made jotting sunset — one of Scien- 
tific Series (the third) — won't continue them. Played 
pipes.' — What a day of fruitless attempts and consequent 
misery ! No wonder the pipes were resorted to, and no 
doubt wailed out the most melancholy dirges. 
The moon rose in its utmost glory to-night right ahead 
of the ship : how grand our sails look, like great bat's 
wings ! Between the bend of the foot of the sails and the 
yards the dusky blue light shows. Some dark figures lie 
out noiselessly on the lower yard and clew up the main- 
