Chapter 4 Summary

After a week at sea, the passengers start to become restless. There is no land in sight and no exotic places to visit yet, so they amuse themselves with whatever the ship allows — cards, shuffleboard, dominoes and journal writing.

This is where we meet Jack, the eager young man who sets out to write his best selling, thousand-dollar, travel journal of the trip. At first, he writes several pages a day, covering every detail of every moment. Then he slows his pace, gradually becoming bored. Still, Mark Twain encourages him, telling him that his account will be worth more than a thousand dollars if he ever finishes it. In the end, however, Jack gives up journal writing as a lost cause.

Other sources of amusement are mock trials, music, dancing and singing. George is introduced as the worst singer on the ship...