The sunsets were glorious, though all too short, and the sunrises, if less appreciated, just as fine.
At night the guns' crews of the "watch on deck" slept round their loaded guns, one man of each crew always standing guard.

The men of the powder divisions manned the lookout posts.
All hands were in good spirits, calmed somewhat, however, by the thought that soon we might be in the thick of battle, the outcome of which no man could tell.
It was during this voyage that friendships, begun on the Block Island-Barnegat cruise, were cemented.

The life aboard ship tended to "show up" a man as he really was.

His good and bad qualities appeared so that all might see.

Was he good-natured, even-tempered, thoughtful, his mates knew it at once and liked him.