_November 4th._--I went to bed early last night, leaving my port open. Early this morning, when they were scrubbing decks, water came in on to the table and sprinkled me a little. I jumped up and closed the port. Last night they changed from one means of steering to another, for practice, in the _Suvaroff_. Something in her was not adjusted, and she very nearly rammed the _Orel_. Thank God all passed off successfully. 9 p.m.--The wardroom officers bought some birds at Dakar, but did not buy food for them. They fed them with anything they could find, and now they are beginning to die. Usually the band plays at lunch on holidays. To-day they suddenly began playing at dinner. At meals we drink more than we eat. We suffer from dreadful thirst and drink pure water, mineral waters, red and white wine, beer, and different kinds of lemon juices. The admiral suffers most of all from the heat. During the coaling, when all doors and ports were closed, the temperature in his cabin reached 45° R. There are now 27° in my cabin, with the port open and the fans going which drive in the fresh air. Some of the officers have bought themselves mats and sleep on them in the wardroom. The crew sleep on the upper deck. Last night something happened to the engines of the transport _Malay_. All the fleet stopped and waited for her. About 4 a.m. the _Donskoi_ signalled that sand had got into her Kingston valves. That means the ship had passed a shallow spot, although the fleet was steaming 90 versts (sixty miles) from land. After the mishap to the _Donskoi_ they went further out to sea. It will doubtless be very hot to-day. Do you know, the floor of my cabin is so hot that I can feel it through the soles of my boots. 7 p.m.--What awful heat! Again I have to keep the port closed, as the sea is splashing in. One of the _Borodino's_ engines is damaged. We stopped and waited for her. She is now steaming with one engine. Storms are visible passing away from us in three places. The clouds are black and lightning flashes. It is close. _November 7th._--Something is wrong with the _Borodino_. The other engine does not work now. She gets hot bearings from time to time. We all stopped and waited for her. We are losing time over all these mishaps, and are losing it needlessly. The cruise of our fleet round Africa has no precedent in history. Only by 8 a.m. did the _Borodino_ put right her engines. The fleet is now pursuing its customary way. 7 p.m.--I saw two whales for the first time yesterday. There is nothing to look at except sea and sky. Sometimes the men on watch collapse from the heat and have to be carried below. There are 61° R. at the top of the engine-room compartment, and we have not yet passed the hottest place. They are preparing to celebrate the crossing of the line. The ceremony usually takes the form of a play given by the crew, and the immersion of all those who are crossing the line for the first time.