I had now got over all the effects of sea-sickness, a hearty breakfast having restored my equilibrium, thus enabling me to enjoy all that was going on around.
The captain especially claimed my attention when he "took the sun" at noon, an operation which I watched with the most absorbed interest; and I found out afterwards the use of the sextant, and the way in which the difference between the ship's mean time and that of the chronometer below in the cabin--which showed what the hour was at Greenwich--enabled Captain Miles to tell almost to a mile on the chart what was our position with regard to our longitude, our latitude being "worked out" in a different fashion.
Then, there was the heaving of the log at stated intervals to ascertain the speed of the ship through the water, and the constant trimming of the sails; for more canvas was piled on as the breeze fell light during the afternoon, as we wanted everything spread that could draw in order to catch the slightest breath of wind there was.
Oh, yes, there was plenty to see for a novice like me! The _Josephine_ was fresh out of port, and there were lots of things that had to be done to make her ship-shape for the long voyage before her; and, besides, had there been nothing else for the hands to do beyond taking their trick at the wheel and attending to the braces--the ordinary routine of their duty with a fair wind such as we had--the captain and first mate would have felt bound to find them something to keep their minds from mischief.

Sailors are never allowed a minute to be idle on a vessel at sea save on Sundays, and then they find work for themselves, as a rule, in the way of mending their clothes and putting their chests in order.
I noticed this device on Captain Miles's part to provide employment for the men when he came on deck after luncheon; when, seeing some of the seamen lounging about in the waist, he immediately set them to pump out the bilge.

This, however, did not occupy them very long, the ship being pretty dry; for, after a thick dirty stream of ill-smelling water, mixed with a portion of molasses, leakage from the casks of sugar below, had poured into the scuppers for a few minutes, the pumps sucked, thus showing that the hold was clear down to the well bottom.
A second washing-down decks followed, to efface the traces of the nasty bilge-water; and then, Captain Miles looked about for another task to keep the hands busy.
"How is she going ?" he asked Mr Marline, who had just seen to the heaving of the log, the man assisting him having not quite yet reeled in the line.
"Six knots, sir," answered the chief mate.
"By Jingo! that'll never do with this breeze," said the captain.

"We must get the starboard stunsails on her." "All right, sir," responded Mr Marline; and thereupon a couple of men went aloft to reeve the studding-sail halliards through the jewel blocks at the end of the yard-arms, while others stood below preparing the tackle and getting the booms ready, with tacks rove for hoisting, sail after sail being speedily packed on in addition to the canvas we were already carrying.
The log was then hove again, and a couple more knots of way somewhat pleased the captain; but, a moment afterwards, seeing that the hands were out of work once more, he thought of a fresh task for them.
"Mr Marline," he sang out presently, as he paced up and down the poop, eyeing the spars aloft and then casting his eyes forward.
"Aye, aye, sir," was the prompt answer from the chief mate, who was standing by the taffrail behind the man at the wheel, looking aloft to see how the sails drew and then glancing round the ship occasionally, in a similar sailor-like way to the captain.
"What say you to getting the anchors aboard and unshackling the cables, eh?
I don't think we shall want to use them again now before we get into soundings, and she seems a little down by the head." "All right, sir," said the mate.

"I'll go forwards and see to the job at once.