Dear Mother,
   We are not going to land on the Canary Islands as planned.
   Mr. X seemed not too happy, and started to rant about how hard it is to keep himself standing when he's seasick.
   Mr. Darwin started yelling at anyone who disrupted him, including me! I was just bringing his breakfast to him and he said that it was not as important as his work—it would lose him his job because he was very busy and might not get as much done as he would if he weren't disturbed for supper! He refused food and only took some water. I was very astonished when he slammed the door in my face, and I ran as fast as I could to Uncle, who was inspecting the sails. When I saw him, I told him what happened.
   That was yesterday, and we finally got some food in to him when I said he would die!
    You and Father may not approve of this, but I have a pet. A piglet. Yes, a piglet. She was the smallest of the batch which Fuegia and I helped Janis bring out of the womb. The mother pig just wouldn't feed the poor thing so I went and scooped it up and gave it some milk. Her name is Poena. Poe is short for Poseidon, the Greek god of the Sea. Oh, I loved the name. I wash her, and for a big surprise...she doesn't like mud, but loves water. She was happily splashing when Fuegia and I washed her. She is healthy now that she is being nourished and raised with care! Uncle says,"It may be a pig, but it is like a dog!" I am allowed to keep it!

Love,        
Mary