o were both serious-minded men,
though not much enlightened, agreed heartily with Mr Martin; and Ben
learned many an important lesson from listening from time to time to
their conversation.

Their example had also a very good effect on the ship's company
generally; there was far less swearing and quarrelling and bad
conversation than in many ships; for even the best of men-of-war are
very far from what they should be. In course of time three or four of
the men met together regularly for prayer, reading the Scriptures, and
mutual instruction; and by degrees others joined them. As they were
very anxious to have a place where they could meet free from
interruption, Mr Martin allowed them the use of his storeroom, which,
though the spot was dark and close, they considered a great privilege.
He also occasionally united with them, and came oftener and oftener,
until he always was present unless prevented by his duty. Ben gladly
accompanied him, and he also took Tom with him; who, however, did not
appear to value the advantage, for he was generally found fast asleep in
a corner at the end of the meeting.

Altogether the Ajax was a happy ship. On one important point the
widow's prayers for her son were heard, and Ben was kept out of the
temptations and the influence of bad example to which poor sailor boys
are so often exposed.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Note 1. A blue flag so called; it gives notice that the ship is about
to sail.

CHAPTER SEVEN.

AMONG THE ICEBERGS.

Ben found the weather growing hotter and hotter as the ship approached
the line, which Mr Martin told him was not really a line, but only a
circle supposed to be drawn round the widest part of the globe, and
where the sun at noon appears directly overhead. Still no one was much
the worse for the heat; and gradually, as the ship sailed farther south,
the weather became cooler and cooler, till it was as cold as it is in
the winter in England; and Ben learned that the frigate was approaching
the southern pole. She was then to sail round--not the pole, but a vast
headland called Cape Horn; and on the other side, that is to say, to the
west of it, to enter the wide Pacific Ocean. Ben had shown so much
intelligence, and had made himself so generally useful, that Mr
Charlton had placed him in a watch, that he might learn to do his duty
by night as well as by day.

Scarcely had the ship's head been tu