An Englishman's Life in India; Or, Travel and Adventure in the East (Paperback)

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: 4: AMUSEMENT ON A LONG VOYAGE. character to deal with in the person of Captain W, and had thought it better to attend to his orders at once. As a punishment, he gave them all an extra hour's work; and the two ringleaders were set to holy-stone the decks until they begged his pardon. One condescended to do this the following morning, but the other rebel laboured at this hard and distasteful work for eight days, before his spirit was sufficiently broken to induce him to ask forgiveness for past offences. Thus were harmony and good order once more restored on board our vessel, and, I am happy to say, they were not interrupted again during the voyage. As we had a good library on board, my time was profitably passed in reading, and in noting down every event that had the slightest novelty to recommend it to notice; for the sea has a thousand charms to those who travel for instruction, or with a laudable desire to increase their acquaintance with the world which they inhabit; and, though a long voyage may eventually tire the most sanguine inquirer in the pursuit of knowledge, yet a large and marvellous page of nature is open to him whose business is in the great waters. Of such a man it may truly be said, that he shall see the wonders of the Lord. The change of temperature which begins to be very perceptible as you draw near the lovely group THINGS SEEN. O of the Madeiras when you first put on the cool white dress, and enjoy your walk upon the high poop, is a pleasing relief after the fogs, rains, and chilly nights, which have depressed your spirits and made you dissatisfied with everything. The young voyager is now delighted with the different colours of the sea. When viewed in hazy weather, a yellow tinge is spread over it; but as he enters the torrid zone, a...