it may seem strange that of all men sailors should be tinkering at their last wills and testaments, but there are no people in the world more fond of that diversion. this was the fourth time in my nautical life that i had done the same thing. after the ceremony was concluded upon the present occasion, i felt all the easier; a stone was rolled away from my heart. besides, all the days i should now live would be as good as the days that lazarus lived after his resurrection; a supplementary clean gain of so many months or weeks as the case might be. i survived myself; my death and burial were locked up in my chest.