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Thursday March 20. Noon. Therm 65°. Another
delightful trade-like day. Wind aft and on the
starboard quarter [1]. Have carried fore lower and fore
top mast [2] studin sails [3] most of this week. Best
days work, 180 miles, with another score lost by
bad steering, rail fence sailing instead of a
beeline. The vessel is loaded too deep to mind
her helm well. Mr. Whitmore in the first dog
watch, read me an account of the foundering of
the ship “Rotunda” Capt Percy [4] (W’s cousin) off
Nantucket shoals [5], with 973 tons of coal. Frank
Leslie [6] has it sketched by a “special artist”.
Capt J. is teaching me to splice. He says we
shall pass near Amsterdam Island [7] soon. probably
tomorrow night, so we may not see it. The sun
has a pleasant time for his vernal equinox.
Mr. Nelson has begun reading Maury. the 2d Mate
being so overhead and ears in Sea Physiology, [8] I
fear he will never emerge. The Mutual education
society deserves mention. It is composed of the
Chips, Harry, “Mithter Gold”. Meets daily in
the fore castle [9] astride of Jack’s donkeys. The two
Germans read and spell to me from Sargent’s