X.

During the second winter, the privations of the brothers do not seem to have been great. They were getting accustomed to their mode of life, and had always sufficient food, such as it was[1]. They were remarkably well educated. Both could speak and read English fluently, and the elder had a good knowledge of French. Their library consisted of eight volumes: Schoedler’s Natural History, a German Atlas, Charles O’Malley, Captain Morrell’s Voyages, two old volumes of a monthly magazine[2], Hamlet and Coriolanus with French notes, and Schiller’s poems. These books they came to know almost by heart[3], but they had considerable resources in themselves, in the intelligent interest they took in the ever-changing appearances of nature.

When the “Challenger” arrived, they were preparing for another summer; but the peculiar food, and the want of variety in it, were beginning to tell upon them, for all their original stores were exhausted, with the exception of the Epsom salts, which were untouched, neither of them having had an hour’s illness during their sojourn; and they were heartily glad of a passage to the Cape.

Frederick came to the ship before we left for the South in December. He was then comfortably settled in a situation in a merchant’s office in Cape Town, and Gustav was on his way home to see his people[4] before resuming the thread of his roving sailor’s life.—W. J. J. SPRY, “THE CRUISE OF THE CHALLENGER.”

[1] and — was = and the food at their disposal (+und die ihnen zu Gebote stehende Nahrung+) was at least always sufficient (+ausreichend+).

[2] a monthly magazine, +eine Monatsschrift+.

[3] = they knew at last almost by heart.

[4] = friends or relations.

_Section 243._

HOW THE BANK OF ENGLAND WAS HUMBLED.