my wife had laid in a
store of all sorts of things to make up. They also were not idle with
regard to their books; and they had several pleasant ones to read. I
found also that Charley White was very happy to help them forward in
their studies, and Susan took it into her head that she should very much
like to learn navigation. She, however, gave up that idea, and took to
singing, as Charley, who knew something about music, thought he could
help her, and it was likely to prove a more amusing study, and quite as
useful to her. I may safely say that no one was idle on board; and what
is more, that not a real quarrel, and scarcely a dispute of any sort
occurred among the inhabitants of our little world. If one differed in
opinion from another, it was always good naturedly, and all discussions
were finished amicably. People in families on shore would always be
able to do the same if they kept a watch over their tempers, and did not
allow envy, jealousy, and pride to spring up and hold dominion in their
hearts.

Our tempers were occasionally tried. When within a week's sail of the
western shores of Australia the wind fell to a dead calm. The sea was
smooth as glass, and the hot sun came down with fearful force on our
heads, while the reflection of his rays from the glittering sea almost
blinded our eyes. Long as I had ploughed the salt ocean, I had never
felt the heat greater. For two or three days it was endurable, but
after that every one began to complain; even Duchess looked out for a
shady place, under the sail or bulwarks, to lie down in, and poor
Steadfast went panting about the deck with his tongue out, the fowls
hung down their heads, and the merry robins and sparrows ceased to
chirp. If a chip or a feather was thrown overboard, it lay motionless
alongside, though the schooner herself kept moving round, with her head
towards all the points of the compass.

The heat created a violent thirst: everybody was thirsty--the men, my
children, my wife and I, and the poor animals; they required water more
than we did, for they got no moisture out of the packed hay. We gave
them as much as we dared, and, as soon as the sun was down, had them on
deck to give them fresh air.

We were not alone in our misfortunes, however, for when the sun rose, on
the first morning of the calm, his rays fell on the white canvas of a
ship, just rising out of the western horizon. After some time she
disappeared, either because her