n than on deck, where at all events we had
the advantage of the open air. The smell of the cooking going forward
in the caboose pervaded the ship; and we could easily guess how it would
be under such circumstances when a fever breaks out on board--how
impossible it must be to get rid of the infected atmosphere, unless
perhaps by powerful and general fumigation. The seams in the deck began
to splutter and hiss, and the pitch stuck to our feet as we walked
about; while any piece of iron we touched seemed almost as hot as if it
had been put in a furnace. We had a good supply of water on board; but
it seemed, at the rate we drank it, we should soon consume our stock if
this sort of weather continued.

The only person who seemed to enjoy himself thoroughly was Potto Jumbo.
He smiled complacently as he looked about him when he came out of his
sooty den, the hot sun striking down on his uncovered woolly pate,
without having power to injure him. The Lascars appeared to suffer even
more than the Englishmen from the heat. Merlin, wise dog, kept in the
shade; but when he had to change his position, he went about with his
mouth open, his tongue hanging out. A tub of water was placed for him
in a shady spot, where he could go to quench his thirst as he might
fancy--a wise arrangement for him, poor dog, and he did not fail to take
advantage of it. He was not like some human beings, who turn up their
noses when their friends take trouble to arrange matters for their
convenience.

The English seamen went listlessly about the decks, clothed only in
shirt and duck trousers. Though the human beings on board were
oppressed with the beat, their caricatures and imitators, the monkeys,
seemed thoroughly to enjoy themselves. Perhaps they were aware that
nobody would take the trouble to go after them; so they had the rigging
to themselves, and were now climbing and leaping about every part of it,
now and then descending to the end of a rope to try to carry off a
seaman's hat, swinging themselves close to his head. Now two or three
of them would make their way aft, and come and look down at Mr Hooker,
whom most of them seemed to recognise as their master and owner. Their
great pleasure, however, appeared to be to try and teaze Merlin. The
old fellow, whenever they approached, opened his eyes and watched them
with looks of astonishment, in no way offended at the tricks they tried
to play him. Now one would come down and endeavour to