One of the pleasant things about this voyage is, the frequent change
of seasons. Leaving New York late in October we were in a few days
in the warm region of the Gulf; then came spring and summer in the
tropics, then fall and winter with severe blasts round the Horn.
To-day, Jan. 6th, spring seems to have dawned. By Jan. 20th, we shall
have premonitions of summer heat. I took my old seat on the house under
the mizzenmast, a mild air about me yet strong enough to bear the ship
along at the rate of eight or nine knots, the sky clear, the water
smooth, the horizon distinct, everything indicating our approach to the
tropics.