The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle

During the next week, Charlotte gets her sea legs: “I grew so firm in my footing that I hardly noticed the pitch and roll of the ship, nor minded the ever-present damp” (66). The weather remains fair; the captain tells her the ship’s making good progress.

Her clothes soon become hopelessly soiled. She washes what she can with a bucket of seawater hauled up for her by the men. Each night and morning, she brushes her unruly hair for 20 minutes. Each day before breakfast, she searches herself for fleas.

Meals are served in the crew’s mess hall. The food is meager: Breakfast is coffee and hard bread with molasses; dinner includes boiled meat, rice, beans, and more coffee, with the occasional dessert of boiled flour with raisins. Charlotte has little to do, other than keep her journal, and she gets bored. At night, though, she stands on deck and gazes at the sky: “So many, many stars!” (67) The highlight of each day is tea with the captain, where she tells the captain of things she’s seen and heard.

Charlotte tries to remain aloof from the crew, but

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