Dec. 14. At eight and a half o’clock, P. M. it is light enough on deck to read small print. The day breaks at two, and there is a long morning twilight; the sun rises at four. We have to-day passed 50° S. This is the beginning of the Cape Horn region.
To-day we have been running seven knots with a fair wind, and going in toward the coast, for several nautical reasons. At four P. M. we saw a dense cloud forming and in half an hour there came a heavy rain and fresh breeze, the ship going twelve knots, so fast that we shortened sail lest we should get out of the line of the Straits of Lemaire and run too near the Falkland Islands. The captain’s plan of steering for the coast proved as he expected, for now the southwest wind would have set us too far east.
RESUMING THE MINISTRY, AT SEA.
Dec. 19. Had services in the evening at seven by day light. It was the anniversary of my first sermon as Colleague pastor of the First Church at Cambridge, forty years ago. It was my first attempt to preach since February 14th. On account of uneasy motion in the vessel, sat and conducted the exercises. Did not feel the least inconvenience from the effort but slept quietly all night.
II.
CAPE HORN.
All places that the eye of Heaven visits
Are to a wise man ports and happy havens.
Teach thy necessity to reason thus:
There is no virtue like necessity.
Shakspeare: Richard II.