I had now plenty of occupation in calming the fears of my companion, who, as may be imagined, became dreadfully alarmed; partly with this intention, and partly from necessity, I changed my mattress from the bench to the floor; for the former station was too much exposed to the cold wind and rain, to make it longer tenable. Our cabin was not a close room, but covered over with a tilted roof like a waggon, and had temporary canvas screens, at each end, to secure us from the weather. At length I had the pleasure of succeeding in my attempts to restore the lady’s confidence, and she afterward amply compensated me by her cheerful manners, and agreeable conversation. Sterne may dilate upon the delicacy of his situation by land, when shut up for eight hours in a room, half as large as our whole ship, and a third person in an adjoining closet, with a widow lady of thirty, who could coolly draw up articles to regulate their conduct; but what was his case compared with mine, enclosed, as I was, for two nights and a day in the cabin of a vessel, and scarcely within hearing of a living soul, with a young married female of five-and-twenty, and whom my imagination might lead me to suppose beautiful as an _Houri_. The whole of this time passed away like a night to me; for as it was cold, we shut ourselves up close, to keep out the wind and rain; like our sailors on the northern expedition, during this state of confinement, it made no difference, whether we dined in the night or day, for it was just as easy for me to serve out our provisions in the former, as in the latter; and with respect to sleep, I think I had the best of it in the day-time, as the lady’s fears were less on the _qui vive_, for whenever the sea at night struck us a little harder than usual, she would cry out in terror, “_Monsieur! Monsieur! nous sommes contre les rochers_,” and I must have had indeed a heart of rock, had I not poured in all possible consolation: I had the pleasure indeed of thinking that the assurances of my _animated tongue_, were not less serviceable to her, than the enjoyment of my _lingua mortua_, which no doubt contributed very efficaciously to support her strength and spirits, for I soon found by the lightness of the basket, that her own stores were insufficient for so prolonged a voyage, or as sailors would express it, that she was in danger of experiencing a southerly wind in the bread-bag.