January 6 Monday – The Clemens party was at sea on the Oceana en route to Colombo, Ceylon. Sam was still suffering from carbuncles, and a lingering cold. Lorch writes, “Twain spent most of his time reading, finding particular fascination in Sir John Lubbock’s books on ant life” [192]. A check of Sam’s NB 37 TS 38-44, however [supplied by Gribben, 428] reveals this reading to be on his Apr. 11-23 voyage, and, though Lorch may have found documentation of an earlier use, he does not offer it. From Sam’s notebook:

At midnight went to sleep with eight bells in my ear; slept; woke & heard 2 bells; slept, woke, heard 4 bells; slept, woke, heard 7 bells; slept, woke, heard 1 bell; slept, woke, heard 2 bells & the bugle-call to breakfast. Took my coffee in bed — kind of a fool of a night [NB 36 TS 18]