and a little later we held an interview
with Capt. Morse, who was one of the best fellows that I ever sailed
with. The result was on the following morning half a dozen sailors were
set to work to roof over and wall in with canvas the rear end of the
quarter deck promenade, upon the larboard side of the ship, which being
done prevented the balls from going into the sea. This, when completed,
gave us an enclosed cricket alley of about forty feet long, eight feet
wide and ten feet high. The wickets were set in the extreme edge of this
alley, the bowler facing the opening of the tent, twenty feet beyond it,
so he had plenty of room to swing his arm and ample distance in which to
break the ball in spite of the smooth decks and the rolling of the ship.
A fifty-foot stretch of cocoa matting that Mr. Wright had thoughtfully
provided gave a surface upon which to bowl almost as goad as genuine
turf, and each day from that time on until the voyage was over several
hours were put in by the boys at practice, the exercise proving to be
just what was needed, the members of both teams, thanks to this,
reaching Australia in good playing condition. After our cricket alley
had been built the time did not hang as heavily on our hands as before,
and between practice at the English national game, cards, music,
conversation and reading, the days glided by both swiftly and
pleasantly. The weather became very warm soon after we left Honolulu and
many of the boys preferred sleeping, in the steamer chairs upon the deck
rather than in the close staterooms that had been allotted to them. The
decks at this time presented some queer sights, and the practical jokers
in the party managed to extract a lot of fun at the expense of the
sleepers. At 5:30 in the morning the slumberers were awakened by the
sailors who started in to wash down the decks, when they would retire to
their staterooms, doff their pajamas and return en natural to the
vicinity to the smoker, where there were two perforated nozzles, and get
their salt water baths. A sponge-off in fresh water followed and then a
cup of black coffee and a soda cracker that was provided by the steward,
and that stayed their stomachs until the welcome sound of the gong
called us to breakfast.

We crossed the Equator some time between 1 and 2 o'clock on the morning
of December 1st, and the occasion was celebrated by a musicale in the
cabin under the supervision of Frank Lincoln, during the progress of
whi