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come soon enough for the North Atlantic is
not proverbial for sunny skies & smooth sea
but storm & cold We have thus far had
unusual weather & have been improving it in
preparing for heavy rough times. My opportunities
for knowing the position of the ship & what
pertains to navigation are not so good as on
my last voyage & I am glad there is not the
necessity for it as then but my knowledge of
seamanship is being improved greatly to my
satisfaction. When I sailed on this voyage
I hesitated about accepting an officers place
if it could be obtained, but now I feel
that I am better qualified than many, and
can do my duty faithfully. One year today
I was far away from here, and my thoughts
were of home & loved ones from whom I
had then been absent almost a full year
My surroundings were different then from
now. Every day of that long voyage was
filled with anxiety: with but few men
to care for a large ship, and the