I have it.

I will lower my hammock underneath all these others; and then--upon that separate and independent level, at least--I shall have the whole berth-deck to myself.

Accordingly, I lowered away my pallet to the desired point--about three inches from the floor--and crawled into it again.
But, alas! this arrangement made such a sweeping semi-circle of my hammock, that, while my head and feet were at par, the small of my back was settling down indefinitely; I felt as if some gigantic archer had hold of me for a bow.
But there was another plan left.

I triced up my hammock with all my strength, so as to bring it wholly _above_ the tiers of pallets around me.

This done, by a last effort, I hoisted myself into it; but, alas! it was much worse than before.