declared that he was absolutely unable to give us any
decent bread. So we had a lively two months to look forward to.
Personally I did not mind. Instead of getting better, as the weather got
warmer I became worse. I was taken every day from my bunk into one of the
ship's boats, which hung on the side, and made as comfortable as I could
be, and got as much fresh air as was available. Everyone was kind, and,
in the absence of any pain, I was not unhappy. But I did not look forward
with any degrees of pleasure to the time when, on crossing the line, we
should leave the warm climates, and, picking up the south-easterly trades
off the South American coast, enter the cold regions through which the
rest of the voyage had to be made. But one never knows. My friend, the
doctor, who had been most sanguine in promising me the full use of my
limbs as the weather became warmer, was more than puzzled, so much so
that I fancied he fully anticipated my final collapse as soon as the cold
weather came on; and I sometimes thought, too, that he did regret that
the medical comforts in his charge had been consumed so early in the
voyage.

Well, we reached the tropics, and for three days the Doldrums held us.
They had the usual festivities when crossing the Line, and Father Neptune
visited us. Our worthy captain pleased all the passengers by the hearty
way in which he entered into all their amusements. From my perch in my
boat I enjoyed what I then thought were the last few days I had to live.
Then came the day when a slight ripple appeared in the calm waters, which
presaged a light breeze. This breeze turned into a fairly strong
wind--and we had picked up the south-easterly trade. To my great relief,
and to the very considerable astonishment of the doctor, from that moment
I began to improve. As, each day, we made to the south, the cooler became
the wind and the rougher the sea. It was a fine trade wind, and we bowled
along with all sail set doing our eight or nine knots an hour day and
night. And each day I felt better. Before we doubled the Cape of Good
Hope and entered the long stretch which, tracking along the Southern
Seas, due east, was to land us in New Zealand, I was actually walking
with some slight help, and from that time onwards I improved to such an
extent that I was able to take my turn now and again with one of the
watches as an able seaman.

It was a long weary journey across those Southern Seas. The monotony of
it, day aft