From the Captain's Log Book...

   Now that the storm has passed and we are sailing on a more even keel, I finally have time to venture around my ship to check out the strange reports from my crew. I find some of the rumors beyond belief and yet, I am finding evidence that their stories are true.
   The condition of the ship is a disgrace! If we were not already nearly a fortnight from our homeport I would turn around and put the ship into drydock immediately. I've taken Lieutenants Sulivan, Wickham and Chaffers to task for letting the ship's condition deteriorate so much. Sulivan assures me that the holes found in one of the longboats will be patched immediately. I've warned him that if they are not, it may be he that takes the longboat out next.
   Worse yet, the ship is crawling with rats. I've tried to instill in my crew the understanding that such vermin are disease-ridden. No matter. I've asked two of the junior crew to dump all rats overboard and informed the cook that any rats that he comes across should be added to the stewpot. I, myself, will take my meals separately and never from the crew's stewpot.
   I've checked on the chronometer room, which, thankfully has remained intact—probably because only myself and my trusted officer carry the keys on our person.
   My passengers seem in good spirits, although I fear that my companion, Mr. Darwin—or "Philos" as I've come to call him—will never make a good sailor. He suffers terribly from the mal-de-mer. Augustus Earle, on the other hand, has been cheerily setting up his easel and paints on deck most days. Jemmy, Fuegia and York are also in understandably good spirits as they know that they are heading home.
   My two nephews seem to enjoy having the run of the ship. Matt runs about in a swashbuckling style to the amusement of the crew. His younger brother Bart similarly shows no fear and is happy to bunk with the crew. I am hopeful that my niece, Mary Tuna, will befriend Fuegia. The two girls are about the same age and should enjoy each other's companionship.
   (Note to myself: There is a rather large metal caravan on wheels in the storeroom. I must find some way to rid the ship of this unnecessary ballast and wonder how my sister thought her son culd bring it aboard. Perhaps when we dock at Tenerife, I can exchange it for some crates of limes and other citrus fruits.)
   There are many new faces aboard ship this time. I don't recall authorizing the hire of so many boys and suspect that it may be the overzealousness of Master Usborne. I must say that many of these boys look rather girlish, but at this point, I must overlook the fact that we may have females aboard serving as crew. The young lad who watchs after the animals and the young herbalist we have hired seem such able-bodied souls that they may other junior crewmembers. We also have some mysterious crew members who prefer to be known by the letter "X". I cannot tell whether they are simply foreigners (perhaps Americans?) or whether they are escaped convicts or perhaps even spies. I managed to do phreneological readings on them and know that I should be cautious of these two.
   There are other new crew members aboard. I ran into one young lad who was racing eagerly to my herbalist in search of garlic. Another who wears a most unusual black and yellow suit—clearly, a military uniform, but unlike any I had seen before. Junior crewmember R.H. Taylor asked to meet Mr. Darwin. I think I may assign this young crewperson to assist Philos, who needs someone to dump his vomit bucket each hour...