A shade of homesickness came over me as I saw the North Star for the
last time but I was soon interested in the Southern Cross of which I
had heard so much. I wish I could describe some of the beautiful
colorings shown in the tropical sunsets. I missed the twilight
effects as seen at home, for as quickly as the sun goes down,
darkness closes in. As I was enjoying my evening walk with the
Captain at one time, a small boy who had been sent to sea apparently
with the idea of getting him out of the way, came to me and said,
"Wouldn't you like some Youth's Companions to read? I have lots of
them." At that time I had more of a juvenile than a matronly air and
I presume he thought they would furnish me with appreciative reading
matter. He had not then learned that he should not speak unless
spoken to. One day on being told to make a rope fast he replied,
"I did hitch it." An order to let go a brace was answered by the
question, "Which string do you mean?" At one time he was placed on
duty to open and close shutters during squally weather and the
officer told him to use a good application of soap and water before
coming aft. When the novelty of his new duty had worn off and he had
rather forgotten why he had been placed there the officer called to
him and said, "What did I tell you to do?" "Wash myself, sir," was
the reply. It was a long while before he could obey an order without
replying and at the same time to remember his "Sir" when a reply was
necessary.

As we approached the equator it could be seen that some special
interest in the voyage was being taken among the sailors and we
learned that three of them had never crossed the line before and
that an initiation of so doing was about to take place. The crew
assembled at the bow of the ship and at the blowing of a trumpet by
one of their number, Neptune appeared inquiring the name of the ship,