r motive power to
guide her. The Lota coals, though black and dirty beyond description,
burn up very quickly, and in about an hour we were steaming merrily
along, the Arabian horseshoe on our bowsprit's end being now pointed
direct for the island of Tahiti, instead of for wherever the wind
chose to blow us.

_Thursday, November 9th_.--A flat calm at 6 a.m.; a very light fair
wind at 9 a.m. In spite of my remonstrances, Tom determined, at
half-past nine, to cease steaming and try sailing again. About twelve
o'clock a puff came that sent us along at the rate of 10-1/2 knots for
a short time; but it soon dropped, and during the rest of the
afternoon and evening, our average speed was only three or four knots
an hour. This is very poor work for the trades, but I don't believe we
are really in them yet, in spite of the wind charts. It is possible
that they may vary in different years; besides which it is now the
height of summer, with the sun south of the line, which would
naturally make them lighter.

_Saturday, November 11th_.--At last we seem to be feeling the
influence of the trades, as the wind continues to blow from the same
direction, though it varies much in force. Sometimes we are going
along at the rate of 11-3/4 knots, sometimes barely five. In the
afternoon we had the usual Saturday singing practice.

_Sunday, November 12th_.--Another lovely day. We had the Litany and
hymns at eleven, evening service and sermon at four.

Just before morning church some one turned on the water in the nursery
bath, and forgot to turn it off again, so that when we came aft from
the saloon we had the pleasure of finding everything in the children's
cabins afloat, and that a good deal of water had got down into the
hold. It was rather annoying at the time, but, I dare say, like many
other present troubles, it was a good thing in the end. It obliged us,
at any rate, to have all the stores brought up on deck, and led to our
taking an inventory of our resources sooner than we should otherwise
have done. I am sorry to say we found that, owing to the departure of
our head steward and the illness of his successor, they have not been
husbanded as carefully as they should have been, especially those
provided for use forward. Sailors are more like children than grown-up
men, and require as much looking after. While there is water in the
tanks, for instance, they will use it in the most extravagant manner,
without thought for the morrow; a