John Quincy Adams Digital Diary

11. Another very bad Night; in which I got no sleep, and was up half the night— The child and my wife both being sick— When I experience such excessive irritation upon the nervous system, reason should teach me to make allowances for the same upon others; especially upon nerves naturally more irritable— The Night was almost entirely calm— I employed much of it in reading Mrs: Grant’s letters, which I find more interesting than Plutarch— I return to them of choice; but Plutarch is a task, and a heavy one— I never could read him through— I find it especially hard to read him after a sleepless Night— After two, harder still— The calm continued through the day; with fine weather— A light breeze in the Evening, with the wind a-head— This day was the new Moon— Jupiter rose about nine this Evening.— We saw nothing the whole of this day— Latitude by observation 43:39.— Temperature of the Water in the Morning 67. at Noon 68. That of the atmosphere the same— Towards Evening the water being smoother I became more tranquil.