So cocoa is the word and the snotty starts on an adventurous voyage over
the deck to the galley which is forrard; if he is unlucky he gets a sea
over him on the way. Here he finds the hands of the watch, smoking and
keeping warm, and he forages round for some hot water, which he gets
safely back to the pantry down in the wardroom. Here he mixes the cocoa
and collects sufficient clean mugs (if he can find them), spoons, sugar
and biscuits to go round. These he carefully "chocks off" while he goes
and calls Wilson and gives him his share--for Wilson gets up at 4.30
every morning to sketch the sunrise, work at his scientific paintings
and watch the sea-birds flying round the ship. Then back to the bridge,
and woe betide him if he falls on the way, for then it all has to be done
over again.

Pennell, who sleeps under the chart table on the bridge, is also fed and
inquires anxiously whether there are any stars showing. If there are he
is up immediately to get an observation, and then retires below to work
it out and to tabulate the endless masses of figures which go to make up
the results of his magnetic observations--dip, horizontal force and total
force of the magnetic needle.

A squall strikes the ship. Two blasts of the whistle fetches the watch
out, and "Stand by topsail halyards," "In inner jib," sends one hand to
one halyard, the midshipman of the watch to the other, and the rest on to
foc'stle and to the jib downhaul. Down comes the jib and the man standing
by the fore topsail halyard, which is on the weather side of the galley,
is drenched by the crests of two big seas which come over the rail.

But he has little time to worry about things like this, for the wind is
increasing and "Let go topsail halyards" comes through the megaphone from