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times. Even the captains and sailors say it is very rough.
But there is a kind providence over us, who I feel sure will protect us. For myself I feel no danger. I know that the many earnest prayers offered on my behalf, by many dear friends, will be answered, and that come what may, it will all be for the best. Although alone, without a single being that I can hold any rational conversation with, yet I feel very happy and contented with my lot, and doubt not that when the weather improves I shall be as happy as a king; although I know there can be no more real pleasure and happiness for me till I return to old England, and get along with some of my warm-hearted relations and friends. I must now stop for today, as it is quite late.
Monday, March 25th
Since I wrote the last, things have gone on improving on the whole. On Friday night the wind changed, after a calm, and on Saturday morning we were right off with a fair wind, going at eleven knots an hour. On Saturday alone we made a good distance, and on Sunday nearly as much, although the wind has gone down a little and we are not today going so fast. This foul weather will have made a difference of nearly a fortnight in our passage, and ships leaving the Downs about twelve days after us will now only be a short distance behind. It is rather vexing, only it cannot be helped.
We are all now beginning to know each other on board. The only persons I think anything about are the chief mate, the captain's wife, and the Chinese boy, whose name is Fin. I only wish the captain were like his wife, for then it would be some pleasure to be in his society. Captain Moult is just such another, a worldly, thoughtless, swearing man. Neither of them have the least spark of religion in them, and in fact they ridicule everything in the shape of religion, and seem to take a delight in making all the fun of it that lies in their power. Mrs. Harper keeps in her cabin nearly all the day, so that it is but seldom that I can get a chance to exchange a word with her. Their son is a regular spoilt one, and deserves to be much pitied. He will turn out a radical some of these days, and no wonder, to see what an example he has before him continually.
The steward had a fine time of it. He did not, certainly, understand his duty, but he wanted a little patience and he would have soon