very dirty ship now and expect to remain so for a long time to come. There is some talk of a Spanish Gun Boat or a Torpedo Boat in the Straights waiting for us. But I think that will be all right when the Marietta gets there to patrole the place for us. We expect to go out to night some time. 7 P.M. left Port. The Capt dont know wether to go round the Horn or not. But if we go, as the Dutchman says By the Horn around, we will get a shaking up. But every body seems to think we can take care of our selves where ever we go. Capt Clark is all right, we dont think he is afraid of the whole Spanish Navy. the wether is very fogy. Expect it to lift when we get a little ways.

April 9. Alls Well, every thing doing fine.

April 10. Just came on watch; have all four boilers on now and we are peging along at a 13.7 and a 14 knot gate. you dont know you are at sea in this ship if you would stop between Decks. guess there is not much doing to day, so I will steal forward for a while the old gent sleeps a little. I forgot to speak of having a little practis with the 6 pounders. They threw over Boxes and barrels and as we would get away from them we would fire on them for Torpedo Boats. we did some good shooting. All the Marines Man the seccondary Battry. The Capt got the chief engineer to fix the 8 inch turets to turn in Board 9 more degrees so as to shoot over the stern of the ship. So that would bring to bear on one point 2, 13 inch Guns 4, 8 inch Guns 2, 6 inch Guns and six 6 Pounders aft, and the same forward. We could shoot for a Broad side 4, 13 inch 4, 8 inch 2, 6 inch and about 12, 6 Pounders on either side.

Of corse this is Sunday and we all ought to be good. But we will be as good as we can By having a Gen feild day and clean up a little, as this is the first chance we have had to do any scrubing since we left San Francisco, Cal. I think we will meet the Marietta in the Straights of Magellan. we have found some grate Bars for her under the coal dust. We all think Capt Clark is going to be a ring tail snorter for fighting. I dont think it will be easy to whip him, he seems to be so quick to catch on to every little thing, he is all over the ship at once and he talks to every body, stops any one to ask them any thing he wants to know about the ship. he is very quick to take the advantage of every little thing.

April 11. Very heavy wether. Wind Blowing Great Guns and a head sea. But we are Bucking it and making 11.6 knots. the Capt dont think we will run up against any thing in the shape of a Torpedo Boat in the Straights. We had some more Practis today with the 6 Pounders and did some good work. I think we could make it very interesting for a Torpedo Boat. I dont see how they could get at us, unless it was in the night and then there would have to be somthing the matter with our search lights and all hands on Board would have to have the "Buck Feaver."

April 12. We lost a little today on account of the forward 13 inch Turet, somthing got Jamed. all going well once more, and still bucking a head sea and making 11.7 knots right along. 4 P.M. Heavy wind has turned into a gale, but she is like a Duck on a Mill Pond and still making 10 knots, Gale or no Gale. she has not roled over 10 degrees since we left Port Orchard, Wash.

April 15. Whooping her up for all she is worth, want to make all she can. Wether is fine but quite Cold. Making all the way from 14 to 15 knots.

April 16. Everything is still doing well, and still going a mill tail. Passed Smiths Straights the first part of this morning, early, and in the fog that has Just come on we are still going it. the fog raised for a while and showed us the Destination Island, and then we wer shure we had only 30 miles to go to get in the Straights. Just at Dark we droped our mud hook in just 45 fathoms of water in the entrence of the Straights of Magellan. 9.45 P.M. had the 8 to 12 watch and She more than blew. I thought the ship would drift. But she held on like grim Deth to a