Poetry · Chapter
LXXII explained
Crafticant continues his diary entry, noting the time, weather, and coordinates.
What happens
Crafticant continues his diary entry, noting the time, weather, and coordinates. A flight of starlings is spotted heading toward Thibet, and the Princess is described as sulky and irritable, even biting her nurse.
Characters to notice
- Crafticant
Continues his diary, recording observations of the journey.
- Princess
Sulky and irritable, demands an extra shawl and bites her nurse.
Key passages
“Well, let us see— tenth book and chapter nine ,”— Thus Crafticant pursues his diary:— “ ’Twas twelve o’clock at night, the weather fine, Latitude thirty-six; our scouts descry A flight of starlings making rapidly Towards Thibet.”
Crafticant continues his diary, noting it is midnight with fine weather at latitude 36, and scouts spot starlings flying quickly toward Thibet.
Crafticant records the time, location, and a sighting of starlings.
“Mem. :—birds fly in the night; From twelve to half-past—wings not fit to fly For a thick fog—the Princess sulky quite: Call’d for an extra shawl, and gave her nurse a bite.”
He notes that birds fly at night, but from midnight to half past, fog makes flying difficult. The Princess is very sulky, demands an extra shawl, and bites her nurse.
Crafticant observes the Princess's bad mood and her aggressive behavior toward her nurse.