My old gran'mother used to tell me, whin I refused to go to the school that was kip be an owld man as tuck his fees out in murphies and potheen,--says she, 'Ah! ye spalpeen, ye'll niver be cliverer nor the pig, ye won't.' 'Ah, then, I hope not,' says I, 'for sure she's far the cliverest in the house, an' ye wouldn't have me to be cliverer than me own gran'mother, would ye ?' says I.So I niver wint to school, and more be token, I can't sign me name, and if it was only to larn how to do that, I'll go and jine; indeed I will." So O'Riley joined, and before long every man in the ship was glad to join, in order to have something to do.
The doctor also, twice a-week, gave readings from Shakespeare, a copy of which he had fortunately brought with him.

He also read extracts from the few other books they happened to have on board; and after a time, finding unexpectedly that he had a talent that way, he began to draw upon his memory and his imagination, and told long stories (which were facetiously called _lectures_) to the men, who listened to them with great delight.

Then Fred started an illustrated newspaper once a-week, which was named the _Arctic Sun_, and which was in great favour during the whole course of its brief existence.

It is true, only one copy was issued each morning of publication, because, besides supplying the greater proportion of the material himself, and executing the illustrations in a style that would have made Mr.Leech of the present day envious, he had to transcribe the various contributions he received from the men and others in a neat, legible hand.

But this _one_ copy was perused and re-perused, as no single copy of any paper extant--not excepting _The Times_ or _Punch_--has ever yet been perused; and when it was returned to the editor, to be carefully placed in the archives of the _Dolphin_, it was emphatically the worse for wear.