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[[preprinted]] THURSDAY, MARCH 23, 1865. [[/preprinted]]
A continuation of previous heavy weather. They tell me that this is the heaviest weather they have had since the vessel was on the route. Pass large numbers of strings and bunches of Fucus natans or Gulfweed. Try to fish some of it up but don't succeed. Read the paper on Geology by Dr. Winslow which Uncle William sent me. Dr. W. simply asserts as his belief certain theories as old as the hills and long ago exploded. He does this with an amount of bombast and conceit rarely equalled; and carefully avoids any bringing of facts to bear on his opinion. 

[[preprinted]] FRIDAY 24 [[/preprinted]]
Still heavy rolling sea. Vessel pitches and rolls tremendously. However her machinery works very well and she does not seem to strain, notwithstanding she is almost on her beamends sometimes. At noon today off Charleston the accursed. I hear we are to go around the eastern end of Cuba. That we shall have the choice of riding on horseback or in a stage or going over on foot on the transit over the mountains. Mr. Prime wished me to look out particularly for the Cycladidae on crossing the Isthmus as the animal has never been examined and he thinks it a new genus.

[[preprinted]] SATURDAY 25 [[/preprinted]]
Fine morning. Sea a little calmer. Bannister better than he has been. The water we use to drink, is condensed by the steamer and to use Ks words "looks just like anyone elses." from the iron of the condenser I think. Somebody said at dinner table "tomorrow will be Sunday" "Yes" says a pig who I have named Swillpail; and who sits opposite me at table; "Yes, tomorrow we will have turkey for dinner". After this effort, he seizes the pie plate and appropriates four of the six segments of a circle which it contains. Spillpail is a philosopher, and only wants a tub to be a Diogenes. 

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[[preprinted]] SUNDAY, MARCH 26, 1865. [[/preprinted]]
A beautiful morning, sea calm and quiet, but the old steamer rolls like a tub. Charley Pease asked of the waiter at dinner "Wasn't this vessel in the dry dock last trip?" "Yes" "Did she roll much?" This brought down the house. Saw a number of flying fish in the morning. They were very small and of a dark color; looked a good deal like bats. They seemed to fly in schools. and skip from wave to wave, after turning in a broad curve. They don't seem to move their pectoral fins except while touching the water. Evening, we have some music. The ladies promenade the deck, and all enjoy the pleasant softness of the tropical evening air. 

[[preprinted]] MONDAY 27 [[/preprinted]]
Another beautiful day. During the night the course was reversed and we ran north to avoid the running the windward passage in the night without an observation. About 8 oclock in the morning see land on larboard quarter, Island of Maraquiana. 
[[image: pencil sketch of landscape]] See a grampus about 15 feet long and very active. Afternoon a school of porpoises came about the vessel some ten or fifteen of them swimming side by side and shooting six or eight feet out of the water. They are the sharpnosed species (Delphinus) and are less purely white on the belly and have narrower tails than those of Chesapeake Bay. 

[[preprinted]] TUESDAY 28 [[/preprinted]]
Off St. Domingo. High volcanic mountains to be seen but indistinctly on account of the mist. Deer Island and Nevassa on our Starboard quarter. Numbers of birds flying about. Passed the guano island of Nevassa which belongs to an American Company. Rounding the point there came into view the trim form of a black gunboat, pierced for 6 guns, lying in wait for us. Some of the passengers were badly scared, as the Shenandoah, rebel pirate is cruising about, and they knew that this was the place, where the Ariel was captured last fall. It turned out however to be the US gunboat Nereus wanting packers and a mail, which are furnished to her.