Day Nine
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"At 2 am this morning was just contemplating a nice repose when the still night was broken by the loud cry of "Stand by the top gallant halyard" and then as the squall struck "Lower away". The spanker and outer jib were also taken in and my "repose" faded as if it had never been thought of.
I was in our famous dinghy this morning scraping the paint as it had been used for painting the ships side in port and was more red paint than white. It is in an exposed position and was a cold job but with plenty of clothes and working hard I kept warm.
The cat has disappeared. The sailmaker who prides himself on being a smart detective (hereditery I think. His father was a Sydney policeman or jail warder, his yarns vary somewhat) confidentially told me he suspected it had been helped over the side and if the suspected man were to tell the truth on being asked he would point him out. I suppose secrecy is one of a detective's great assets for he would not devulge the suspect's name and remain in blissful ignorance although I think he suspects the second mate of doing the deed.
During the evening we had various discussions on film actresses and actors. The humerous and other sides of Charlie Chaplin and other comic actors. Also on uncanny plays including the 13th Chair.
At 9.45 our watch had the job of taking in the mainsail. It was pitch dark there being no moon and an overcast sky. There were seas coming aboard which looked very nice from a distance. A wall of water, foaming white lit by millions of atoms of phospherous and as the water left the deck it was left shining with little points of bright phospheric radience. Nobody got drenched through but we all got somewhat damp with the spray but our sojourn on the yard while furling the sail dried our clothes."