delightful to me. The characters in the Spanish conquest of Mexico
and America generally; the whole question of the treatment of
natives; and that nobleman, Las Casas--are more intelligible to me
than to most persons probably. The circumstances of my present life
enable me to realise it to a greater extent.

'Then I have been dipping into a little ethnology; yesterday a little
Plato; but it is almost too hot for anything that requires a working
head-piece. You know I take holiday time this voyage when we are in
open water and no land near, and it is great relaxation to me.'

A pretty severe gale of wind followed, a sharp test of Patteson's
seamanship.

'Then came one day of calm, when we all got our clothes dry, and the
deck and rigging looked like an old clothes' shop. Then we got a
fairish breeze; but we can get nothing in moderation. Very soon it
blew up into a strong breeze, and here we are lying to with a very
heavy sea. Landsmen would call it mountainous, I suppose. I am
tired, for I have had an anxious time; and we have had but one quiet
night for an age, and then I slept from 9.30 P.M. to 7.30 A.M.
continuously.
'It may be that this is very good training for me. Indeed it must
give me more coolness and confidence. I felt pleased as well as
thankful when we made the exact point of Nengone that I had
calculated upon, and at the exact time.'

On the 20th of June, Auckland harbour was safely attained; but the
coming back without scholars did not make much of holiday time for
their master, who was ready to give help to other clergymen whenever