the most agreeable temperature. Do not think that in these moments of tranquil navigation the sailors are idle: the captain always takes care to keep their hands full. We never saw them strolling idly, or loafing, or even talking in a loud tone. The captain was constantly employed upon his observations, calculations or books. We too had our occupations. The sisters observed most strictly all the rules and holy practices in use in their houses, so far as was practicable at sea, and were never seen without a needle, a pen, a chaplet or a spiritual book in their hands: all their conduct during this long sea-voyage was very regular and edifying. Father Louis gave French lessons to the Italian brothers, who applied themselves without relaxation to the study of languages: and I gave lessons in English to them all.
The trade-winds left us finally, and soon we found ourselves in a variable region, where A_~olus blew from every direction and where squalls never let us alone, for a fortnight. Calms would come at intervals, and those are the most disagreeable periods of a long sea-voyage. Then an expression of discouragement and melancholy appears on the captain's face and on those of all the crew: it seems as if one were condemned to perish there: a blackened sea surrounds you: a somber sky covers you, and the clouds on the horizon, which appear impenetrable obstacles, changing form and physiognomy every instant, call to mind all kinds of phantoms: while the ship, like a weak toy upon a sea in torment, swelling and sinking unceasingly, rocks you and rocks you until your head and stomach both turn. In those times of disagreeable calm one is always on the lookout to observe every point of the compass, always trying to catch some gleam of hope from every little breath, though scarcely able to stir the sails, however little. At last light but favorable winds came, and drove us tranquilly toward the Tropic of Cancer. When we passed the overhead sun, in longitude 130°, we enjoyed a serene sky, and we noticed that our bodies cast no shadows. A good breeze from the northeast came to