which they loaded for home with
only sufficient stores to last half the time it would take to make the
passage with average success; and not having any good fortune at all,
our allowance was reduced before the passage was half covered. We swept
past the last port of call with the wind right aft. The captain and
steward knew that the provisions were getting low, but the former
decided to trust to Providence giving him a fair wind all the way, so
we romped along for several days, and then adverse winds came and
everybody realized the seriousness of the position. Orders were given
that all hands had to be put on half fare, and not many days elapsed
before every article of food was exhausted and we had to broach our
cargo of lentils and sustain ourselves on lentil soup. Even that had to
be sparingly used on account of the scarcity of water. On some days we
drifted under two close reefed topsails into the heart of the western
ocean and out of the regular track of vessels bound out and home.
Whenever the weather fined down, sail was set according to the force of
the wind which kept in the N.E., varying perhaps a couple of points
each way. A look-out man was kept on the maintopmast crosstrees from
dawn until sunset each day to watch for passing vessels, and long,
painful days rolled on without our sighting anything. Sometimes a sail
would be seen hull down or too far off to attract attention. This
naturally had a saddening effect, and we wished they had never been
seen; but in spite of privations, which increased day by day, there was
a gaiety kept up until the last sweeping up of the provision lockers
had taken place, and we were reduced to the exclusive diet of boiled
lentils, which I have heard is considered by some people to be a
luxury; but whether this be so or not, I never wish to realize its
taste again. May Providence protect me from ever again having to put it
to my lips.

Up to a certain point our impoverished crew had borne the strain on
their minds and stomachs very manfully, but the period of despair was
now come. They talked indeed of which one among their comrades should
draw the lot that by shortening his life would prolong theirs. Sickness
had smitten some of them so that they could barely crawl on deck. Each
day showed signs of a galloping atrophy. Letters were written to their
relatives conveying in a matter-of-fact way all they were enduring: no
flowery phrases; no attempt at effect; but merely a statement