The reason, I believe, why sailors in a well-regulated ship are generally so happy, is, that they are never allowed to have an idle moment.  Mr Renshaw was always finding something for the people to do; and when that work was finished, there was something else of equal importance to be done.  The picture our deck presented on one day will serve for that seen on most days in fine weather: on one side the spun-yarn winches were going, manufacturing spun-yarn out of old junk--a never-ending source of employment; Mr Pincott and his mates were busily at work building a boat on the other; the sail-maker and his gang were repairing some of the sails, and making light ones for the gentle breezes of the Pacific; while Fleming and his crew were laying up rope, and the rest of the watch were knotting yarns, making sinnet, wad-bags, wads, chafing gear of all descriptions, such as worming, parcelling, roundings, spun-yarn, rope-yarn, marline, seizing, stuffs, and service of all kinds; the names of which things alone are, I suspect, sufficient to puzzle a landsman, so I will say no more about them.  Aft were Captain Frankland, with one of the mates and Gerard and I, taking observations of the sun,--an employment in which, as I began to understand it, I felt great interest.  It struck me that, as far as I saw, Captain Frankland took very little concern about the ship.  He seldom spoke a word to any of the crew, and only occasionally on points of duty while on deck, to the mates.  I soon found, however, that no man could more effectually exert himself, when his exertions were required. Hitherto there had been nothing to call forth his energies.  With light winds and calm seas, he had better employment in his cabin.  That very day a change came over the even tenor of our lives; scarcely were our sextants stowed away, when, as the captain was walking the deck, I saw him frequently turn his glance to the westward.  There, over the land, in a moment it seemed, arose a bank of clouds, which every instant grew denser and denser, and came rushing toward us across the sky.