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DEEP-WATER VOYAGE

BY

PAUL EVE STEVENSON

PHILADELPHIA
J. B. LIPPINCOTT COMPANY
1897

COPYKIGHT, 1897,
BY
J. B. Lippincott Company.

Eel
8 34-S

TO

MY WIFE,

WHOSE KEEN ENJOYMENT OF THE VOYAGE ADDED
NOT A LITTLE TO MY OWN PLEASURE,
AND TO
WHOSE SUGGESTIONS IS DUE MUCH OF WHATEVER
INTEREST THE READER MAY FIND
IN THESE PAGES.

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE

For a number of years it had been my keen ambi
tion to make a deep-water voyage, and several times
I was on the point of starting to California via the
Horn ; but just as I had determined upon a vessel,
something deterred me each time. At length, after
my friends had professed the belief many times that
I never would go to sea, and that it was merely a
bluff on my part, I determined that, come what
would, to sea I should go, and after some little dif
ficulty persuaded my wife that it would be of incal
culable benefit to her health ; so that she finally de
cided to try not the Cape Horn voyage, but the
passage to the East round the Cape of Good Hope.
For many weeks I cast about me to find not only a
suitable vessel, but an agreeable and gentlemanly
skipper. For taking one's wife to sea is a vastly
different affair from going alone and putting up with
whatever may happen along. How disagreeable for
one's wife it would be to sail with a skipper who
proved to be an obdurate, bad-tempered man, who
resorted to blows for the men upon every occasion,
or who called down sea-blessings by the fathom upon
the head of the second mate because the mizzen-
royal-yard was braced in an eighth of an inch too
much ! Therefore, I took extraordinary pains to
find an agreeable man to sail with ; and after endless
5

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
delays a friend of mine in one of the great trans
atlantic companies advised me to call on a certain
Captain Kingdon, of the British ship " Mandalore,"
which was then discharging a cargo at Pier 40, East
River. Thither I went, and, upon stepping over the
side and asking for the skipper, a tall, gray-bearded
man came forward and introduced himself as Cap
tain Kingdon. Upon making known my errand, he
asked me to step below and talk the matter over.
It did not take me long to discover by his accent
that he was not an Englishman, so I took him for a
Nova Scotian; but, on asking him where he was
from, he answered, " From Rhode Island." I never
was more surprised in my life than to find an Ameri
can in charge of a British vessel ; later on I found
that he had been sailing under the English flag for
a little more than thirty years. However, we went
below to the cabin, where we finally agreed that,
should my wife fancy the accommodations, he would
take us to Calcutta, whither the " Mandalore" was
bound with a cargo of case oil. On the following
day my wife and I scanned very closely every part
of the ship ; and after some little time a bargain was
struck, the passage-money paid, and at last we
seemed upon the eve of departure on the long-
deferred deep-water voyage.
A short description of the " Mandalore" would, I
believe, interest those who are going to follow us
over thirteen thousand miles of blue water ; and so
for their benefit I will explain that she was an iron
ship of sixteen hundred and ninety-nine net tons,
two hundred and sixty-five feet from stem to taffrail,
6

A DEEP-VV^ATER VOYAGE
thirty-nine feet beam, and when loaded to the Plim
soU mark drew twenty-three feet of water. Her
spars were uncommonly straight and very lofty, and
she crossed three sky-sail-yards. In fact, so tall and
erect were her masts that, the hull being out of sight,
you would have called her an American, till her iron
sides and round stern proclaimed her a Britisher.
The accommodations aft were particularly engaging.
The cabin or saloon was the best ventilated, airiest
apartment I ever saw aboard a sailing-ship, — a for
tunate circumstance, as we afterward frequently ac
knowledged. There was only one spare room on
board, and it was small and stuffy ; so the skipper
said he would give us the mate's room, a fairly large
berth with two ports, — one in the ship's side and one
looking out forward on the main-deck. We fixed
the room up a little by the purchase of a rug for the
floor, a new mattress, etc.; and by the time the
" Mandalore" had loaded sixty-seven thousand five
hundred cases of oil at Bayonne, we were ready for
sea as well, having laid in a good supply of rubber
coats and boots, and clothing for the icy blasts of
forty degrees south as well as suitable attire for the
tropics. Many advised us to provide immense quan
tities of tinned meats and delicacies with which to
regale ourselves at sea. We disregarded this ; and
what we did take consisted of a barrel of bottled
beer, a couple of cases of wine, and two dozen tins
of preserved fruits. Indeed, had we taken our friends'
advice, one thousand dollars would not have sufficed
to purchase the incredible amount of canned pro
visions they would have us buy. " Without these
7

A DEEP-W^ATER VOYAGE
things, you will really starve at sea," said these wise
men. But I had overhauled the contents of the
store-room and paid little heed to all well-meant
suggestions. But this was not all ; nearly every one,
particularly my wife's friends, predicted, with dismal
groanings, harrowing episodes that would constantly
occur. "We would die of heat on the line;" or
" fire would annihilate the ship ; who ever heard of
going on such a voyage with a cargo of oil any
way ?" or " we would fall ill and perish for want of
a physician's care." This beautiful panorama was
unrolled before us ; and when we persisted, people
began to express pity for my wife, considering me a
heartless wretch.
A telegram from Captain Kingdon, however, an
nounced that the " Mandalore" was lying off Staple-
ton, Staten Island, with crew shipped, and that she
would go to sea next day.
June 29
I chartered a tug-boat this afternoon and took a
party of relatives and friends down to the ship to see
us off. They all admired the " Mandalore," and ex
pressed the belief that she must be the finest ship that
sails out of New York. Each had the countenance
of a grave-digger, though, and I feared a scene, till a
happy diversion arose that checked the impending
rush of tears. I had brought along a favorite pet, a
West African monkey that had already accompanied
me on various outings, while my wife consoled her
self with a fat Maltese cat. These two animals had
not seen each other as yet ; but Pete, taking a fancy
8

A DEEP-W^ATER VOYAGE
to the cat's looks, dropped artfully upon her from a
considerable height, producing such a disturbance
that every one roared with laughter, which continued
till the cat, freeing herself with a piercing cry, fled
below. Nor could we ever after, throughout the
voyage, persuade it on the poop again.
To my great annoyance, Captain Kingdon was not
aboard. I had wanted every one to see the com
mander of the vessel that was to be our abode for
perhaps as long as five months, and his absence was
a disappointment to all of us. Before we said fare
well I proposed the customary drinking of healths ;
so I summoned the steward and made the discovery
that he too had been concerned about the health of
several friends, as he was very voluble and inclined
to be sociable. This, I fear, made a very bad impres
sion on most of our guests, and I longed more than
ever for the skipper.
By this time darkness was closing in, and the time
was at hand for the lugubrious leave-takings. When
we emerged from the saloon, lo ! a thick fog had
enveloped the bay in an impenetrable cloud, and a
more wretched scene than that on deck can hardly
be conceived. Everything forward of the main-mast
was blotted out, while each yard and spar dripped
with moisture, and the air was filled with the harsh
voices of scores of steam-whistles sending forth their
raucous notes of danger. We were in the midst of
bidding each other a long farewell when the big
ship's bell, under the top-gallant-forecastle, com
menced to give its note of warning, sounding singu
larly hke a funeral dirge rung for our dismal parting.
9

A DEEP-V^ATER VOYAGE
Finally, every one but ourselves scrambled over the
gangway to the tug's deck-house, we heard the gong
sound in the engine-room, and the tug backed rapidly
away from us, disappearing completely in less than a
minute. We had scarcely time to collect our thoughts,
when the supper-bell rang, and we went below to
our first meal on board. The mate, Frederick Ryan,
from St. John, New Brunswick, presided at the table.
He could not stem the current of the steward's
ceaseless flow of language, and desisted after two or
three attempts. It was a dreary meal, and I was
glad to escape on deck, where the fog was thicker
than ever. Being very weary, we decided to turn in
at once, and down we went forthwith. My wife had
a spell of weeping, wbich was, perhaps, natural. We
had not been long below when we noticed several
small, red, movable spots on the walls and ceiling,
which turned out to be wee cockroaches, not so large
as croton-bugs. We slew all in sight, then reluc
tantly blew out the lamp, and in five minutes all
remembrance of the voyage had faded away.
June 30
This morning at nine Captain Kingdon came off
in a tug-boat, and with him the pilot. I got myself
up in my sea-rig, which was a jumper and trousers
made of stout, white canvas, such as yacht crews wear
before eight bells in the morning. There was but
little wind, and it was still thick ; but before long I
saw the men unship the capstan-bars from the rack
in the forward end of the midship deck-house, and
10

A DEEP-VS^ATER VOYAGE
shortly after the clanking of the windlass pawls told
us that the anchor was slowly coming in, and soon
the tug had taughtened the hawser that led over
the bows, and we were at last heading for the Hook.
Disappointment was in keeping for us, though, and
we had to let go the anchor in the Horseshoe ; for
the wind was up and down the mast, and nothing was
to be gained by towing to sea in this weather. A
heavy thunder-squall broke over us in the afternoon,
accompanied by a .strong nor'west wind. It passed
in half an hour, and a flat calm ensued.
The pilot was an agreeable individual, with numer
ous yarns to spin, which he told with some gusto.
He mentioned later an illustration of the stupendous
force exerted by a heavy sea. " There," said he, " do
you see those bitts ?" pointing to the quarter-bitts, at
least nine inches in diameter. " The last time I took
the ' Umbria' in, a sea carried away bitts the size of
those on the steamer's forecastle-head." It was truly
marvellous to think of The pilot seemed to think
that taking the monkey to sea was the most remark
able thing he ever heard of " I have seen hundreds
of monkeys brought into New York," he remarked,
" but, by Crimus, that's the first one that ever left it
on a sailing-ship."
July i
Another tug came down to the ship this morning
and passed us her hawser. Once more we hove up
the anchor, not to touch bottom again, we hope, till
we let go at Calcutta, in four months or so. Towing
out was very slow work, and it was two or three
II

A DEEP-W^ATER VOYAGE
hours before we were abreast of Sandy Hook light
ship, where the tug was to leave us. Meanwhile we
made all sail, including the three sky-sails ; so that
when the tow-boat blew several short blasts as a
signal to us to cast off, we were going ahead at five
knots or so. The pilot immediately went over the
side, shouting " Good luck to you ;" the little tug
sheered off, blew three whistles as a farewell, and we
were left alone to fight our way to the other side of
the world, with nothing but the faithless winds to
help us on our journey.
I think the first sensation on being thus deserted
is helplessness. You see the tug-boat steaming
whither she will of her own volition ; a shift of the
helm ever so little, and she turns to starboard or port,
or backs and goes ahead with no apparent effort.
Then you turn to the ship on whose deck you stand,
and watch how slowly she forges ahead, braced
sharp up on the starboard tack, and depending solely
upon the very light, southerly breeze for propulsion.
The feeling is but momentary, however, and gives
place to an appreciation of the stately beauty of the
vessel, as she creeps, leaning ever so slightly to the
southerly wind, straight out into the East. There is
no fierce pulsation of triple-expansion machinery
here; and no grimy stokers come up gasping and
blear-eyed to catch a breath or two of cool air.
There is no perceptible moveraent ; and were you to
close your eyes, it would be hard for you to believe
that you were at sea ; for the ocean is as level as a
floor, and not even the faintest courtesy has broken
the steady way of the ship. 12

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
July 2
To-day broke gloriously, with a perfect tempera
ture and a cloudless sky. The thermometer has
been in the neighborhood of 'j'j'^ in our cabin since
we left, and we are in high feather at so auspicious
a beginning. The ship's carpenter, a good-natured
Norwegian, made Pete a comfortable box out of a
packing-case, covering the front with laths. I could
not bring myself to leave Pete behind ; and as he is
hardy, I have little doubt but that he will finish the
voyage as he began it. Each of the men has a kind
word for him when relieving the wheel, which bears
out the well-known fondness all sailors have for pets.
I have made Pete fast to a ring in the flag-locker on
the poop, where he has abundance of room to jump
about without being in people's way. The large sky
Ught over the saloon is made almost wholly of frosted
glass, except a narrow, clear strip near the edges of
each pane. To this strip Pete fixes his eyes when
we go below to meals, nor does he for an instant
remove them while we are at the table. And should
you happen to glance upward, nothing is visible but
the monk's two bright little eyes fixed with yearning
gaze upon the dish of smoking potatoes.
As I said before, the course was about east and
the wind at south-southeast. About five in the
afternoon it freshened, and we slipped along at seven
or eight knots. The men appear to be a cheerful
lot, and there is plenty of singing out at the ropes
when the watch tail on to the braces. From what I
have so far observed, the starboard watch (the second
mate's) seem a better set of men than those in
13

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
the mate's. But I can form a better idea later on
when there is a sudden call of haul down and clew
up- .,
The nights are very damp and the decks wet with
dew, and they are surprisingly slippery in conse
quence. The wind during the evening backed a
little to the westward, so as to enable us to ease up
the weather braces, and we are sliding along a point
or so free. Course by standard compass is nearly
east by south, or southeast by east quarter east by
steering compass.
July 3
To-day broke with lowering clouds and light rain.
A faint breeze blew over the starboard beam, giving
us about six knots. After breakfast the rain in
creased considerably and began to show signs of
being an all-day affair, as, indeed, it turned out to be.
The sea increased in proportion to the wind, and by
noon had assumed a very respectable size. At that hour
we were two hundred and ninety-one miles by dead
reckoning east by south of Sandy Hook, on the edge
of the Gulf Stream. For this season of the year we
have made an uncommonly good offing, the south
west wind having stood by us splendidly. By the
first dog-watch there was a pretty strong wind blow
ing, and at six we furled the fore- and mizzen-sky-
sails. The rain was exceedingly disagreeable and
the motion violent ; so that my wife kept her bunk
all day, miserably sea-sick. At 6.30, the wind still
freshening, the main-sky-sail and all three royals
were stowed, as well as the outer jib. This left us
14

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
under 'pretty snug rig for the night, and away we
went reaching along over the head sea that was
running in a way that warmed your heart. Half an
hour later we carried away the lee maintop-gallant-
sheet ; so took in the sail and made it fast. Not
long after parted the lee upper maintop-sail-brace;
this is the second that has gone so far, the weather
mizzen-sky-sail-brace having parted yesterday. It
was a nasty evening up to 9.30, when the rain stopped
and the weather cleared up, showing us a steamer's
mast-head light close aboard. Some of the men lost
their heads and rushed aft, singing out, in a life-or-
death voice, " Light on the weather beam, captain ;
light on the weather beam !" " Shut up and go
for'rad," said the skipper, embellishing his order with
quite a selection of deep-sea blessings. It was rather
alarming to see the steamer so close aboard, though
I didn't think that the men would have lost their
heads as they did. She shifted her helm a little and
easily cleared us.
The excellence of the cooking and eating on
board are matters of considerable surprise to me;
but the ice still holds out and we have plenty of
fi-esh beef left, which we all devoutly wish would
last at least to the Cape. A peep in at the galley-
door disclosed a swarthy Philippine islander, bending
over the smoking coppers. As a sea-cook he is a
very good success, and his galley he keeps like a
drawing-room. The copper utensils are hung all
together in a row against the bulkhead, with the iron
and tin ones below, all shining brightly in quite a
dazzling phalanx ; while the tiled floor and even the
IS

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
stove itself were as spotless as the hardest kind of
scrubbing and rubbing could make them.
July 4
Independence Day! It broke rainy, with strong
winds and sea. At nine o'clock, the weather moder
ating, we set the three royals, and not long afterward
the main-sky-sail. I was fortunate enough to be able
to persuade my wife to come on deck shortly before
noon. She had been very ill for two days, in bed
continuously. One of the ports in our room leaked
miserably, and the water that percolated through
ran down inside the ceiling, making a large pool on
the floor. The latter is not varnished, as the cabin
floor is, but is holystoned; and, indeed, I think it
looks much nicer than if shellaced, except that the
water, as soon as it touches the bare wood, soaks
through ; so that, even when mopped up to the last
drop, the planks are still saturated. No one who has
not lived in a small room at sea can appreciate the
exceeding discomfort ensuing. I was, therefore, par
ticularly glad to get my wife out of the dingy cavern
into the strong, pure air on deck. By supper-time
she had altogether recovered health and spirits ; and
all of us drank to the day, the country, and the
voyage in fizzing glasses of Ruinart Brut. I dare
say that it is but seldom that this wine is drunk
under these conditions; nor can I say that warm
champagne (the ice has vanished) is as pleasing a
tipple as when it issues forth half congealed from the
mouth of the bottle.
We make an agreeable company at meals, entirely
16

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
free, as may be well imagined, from shore-going for
malities. The gray-whiskered skipper, dignified and
affable, graces the head of the table, and continu
ously regales us with narratives of his early adven
tures by land and sea. He is particularly prolific in
his accounts of his experiences in Madagascar and
on the north side of Java. On his right sits my
wife, much interested in the skipper's yarns. She
assails the rigid slab of cold salt beef that the cap
tain helps her to in so resolute a manner that I can
not but think that I did a wise thing in bringing her
to sea. Of course, I sit next to my wife ; while op
posite to me glows the merry, very boyish face of
the mate, Mr. Ryan. When I am alone with him,
helping him to pass away the four hours of his watch
on deck, he is remarkably loquacious; but in the
presence of the skipper no word does he utter unless
spoken to. In fact, Captain Kingdon does much to
extinguish what little conversation he started with ;
so that the discourse is limited to us three.
For the enlightenment of those whose misfortune
it is to make land-tacks all their lives, I must give
an idea of what we live on at sea, which will be a
surprise perhaps to those who have given no thought
to the subject. For dinner we have mutton- or beef-
broth (tinned, of course) and the best of all kinds of
preserved meats and vegetables : boned chicken and
pressed tongue and corned beef; haricots verts and
French pease ; capital juicy huckleberry-pie and rice-
pudding. Breakfast and supper generally consist of
broiled ham and rice- or batter-cakes, with preserves.
I must not forget the live-stock on board, which
2 17

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
affords the only fresh meat we can have. We took
six dozen fowls to sea with us, and they are in a
cage up forward of the main-hatch. We have a
roasted chicken every Sunday and Thursday. These
birds, though, like some people, have seen better
days. They are put in the oven at daylight, and at
noon taken out and served up nicely browned on the
outside. Therein hes the deceit. For within is con
cealed a fowl of such astonishing resistance as to
baffle all attempts at mastication. The flesh is like
sugar-cane chaff after the juice has been expressed.
When we came on board the steward observed that
they were a nice lot of spring chickens ; so they are,
— of the spring of 1875. We also have four little
pigs on board, confined in a strong, iron-barred cage,
near the forecastle-door. They are tiny little porkers,
weighing not ten pounds apiece ; and they assure us
plenty of succulent chops when we get down into
the cold weather of the South Atlantic. Our bill of
fare is nearly exhausted when mention has been
made of these edibles; but with skilful judgment in
the varying of the daily programme there is enough
to satisfy sea-going people.
The day ended finely, enabling the skipper to get
an afternoon sight, which put us about seven hundred
miles from Sandy Hook.
July 5
This morning was hot, sultry, and cloudy. It
cleared up a little before noon, and I thought that a
fine evening would follow. But the clouds that re
mained had a squally look, and I saw a number of
18

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
water-spouts waltz by a couple of miles away. A
little while after, the clouds assumed an extraor
dinary appearance, some moving quickly and others
more slowly in huge masses of white vapor, show
ing that very unsettled atmospheric conditions pre
vailed at no great altitude. Heavy puffs would now
and then rip across a small area of ocean, violently
disturbing the water in the vicinity, and then quickly
subside. Such conditions will be readily called to
mind by any one who has been to sea ; and when I
add that the sultriness increased to an oppressive
degree, it will be surmised that something unusual
was about to transpire.
It was close to the hour of five in the afternoon.
Seeing a rain-squall approaching, I had gone below,
and was in the act of pulling on my oil-skins when I
heard Captain Kingdon sing out in a loud voice,
" Let go the royal- and top-gallant-halliards, quick
now." Hardly were the words out of his mouth
when I heard the high-pitched shriek of a heavy
squall, and at the same instant the " Mandalore" lay
over to it till the carlings overhead seemed nearly
perpendicular. Of course, I fetched away and
brought up heavily on the lee side of the cabin, from
which position I removed myself as quickly as pos
sible (it is a very difficult feat to perform) and hauled
myself up the companion-way to the poop. On deck
an appalling sight greeted me. The ship was rail
under, and quite motionless from the very violence
of the wind, which came from the south, the ship's
head being east and the yards braced sharp up. We
had neither headway nor sternway, but remained
19

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
perfectly still, except that at every second we heeled
still farther. I have never seen it rain with such fury
before or since ; though the water did not seem to
descend, but was blown along in horizontal strata.
I crawled to where my wife was crouching on the
weather side of the wheel, under the lee, as much
as possible, of the weather cloths on the poop-rail.
She was very pale, but said nothing. Indeed, speech
was impossible, for the words seemed to be cut off
short and blown away.
Every eye went to Captain Kingdon. He stood,
self-possessed, at the forward end of the poop, hold
ing on to the weather mizzen-shrouds. One order
was given, and only one : " Keep your wheel amid
ships" was all the skipper said. Nothing more could
be done; the royal- and top-gallant-halliards had
been let go, but the yards would not run down owing
to the heel of the vessel. On a sudden I heard many
loud reports, and, glancing aloft, I saw all our upper
canvas blowing away and flying down to leeward
like patches of brown smoke. This reheved the
ship and she partly righted, only to be struck down
again by a second squall, worse, if possible, than the
first. Again we lay way over till it seemed as though
you could walk out on the masts, and looking across
the decks was like looking off the roof of a house.
I took a cool view of the vessel, and estimated at
the time that the water was more than a foot deep
over the lee rail and flush with the main-hatch
coaming. Deeming the present a time for deeds and
not words, the second mate stumbled aft, pulled
himself up on the fiferail, and cut the mizzen-top-
20

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
saill- halliards. This time the heavy yard came
crashing down with so hideous a din that I put my
face next to my wife's ear and shouted, " Some of
the spars have gone, I think." The relief afforded
by this act of the second mate, coupled with the
easing up of the squall, allowed the " Mandalore" to
right, which she did with the water fully two feet
deep all over the main-deck. I looked to see
the bulwarks in the waist and the hatch-covers
go, but no injury was done except some trifling
damage up forward. The amount of water could
not have been less than four hundred tons; and
as the large, square ports in the bulwarks were
not open, this immense volume had to run off
through half a dozen six-inch scuppers. We came
pretty near losing the mate. He went on to the top
gallant-forecastle just before the second squall to
try and save the inner jib, which was slatting furi
ously ; and when the ship lay over to the second
blast, a big sea, that came from heaven knows where,
washed him off the forecastle-head and almost over
board. He stuck in the lee fore-rigging, with as
close a call as ever a man had.
The total amount of damage consisted in the loss
of all the royals and the fore- and mizzen-top-
gallants, besides ripping the main-sail from head to
foot. However, after a little while the ship was
brought to her course again, and we proceeded under
the three lower top-sails, foresail, two jibs, and the
cross-jack with the weather clew hauled up. Had
we been dismasted in a hurricane the decks could
not have presented a more forlorn and desolate sight.
21

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
All the running-gear had been lifted off the pins on
both rails when the ship righted the first time ; and
when the second knock-down came, with four feet of
water in the scuppers when she rolled, such a mess
was never seen. I did not think that such a com
plicated tangle were possible; the whole presented
the most hopeless snarl of sheets, halliards, bunt-
hnes, braces, balls of spun-yarn, and coils of new
manila. The second mate and boatswain had their
business cut out for them when they tried to clear
up the decks ; and it was not till the end of the
second dog-watch that the main-deck assumed its
customary air of neatness and order. We found
that the mizzen-royal had been blown absolutely
to pieces, nothing but the bolt-rope being left. It
looked like a paper hoop at the circus after the bare
back riders have jumped through it half a dozen
times. Sailors are odd fish. They will fight like wild
beasts for life if they think that there is danger ;
but directly the peril is over, no one ever mentions
it again. Thus it was with the mate. At supper
the skipper asked him if he had not come pretty
close to going to Davy Jones. " Oh, I don't know,"
said Mr. Ryan ; " I stuck all right in the fore-rig
ging." The second mate, as grizzled an old seaman
as ever jockeyed a yard-arm, kept as cool through
out the disturbance as though nothing unusual was
going on. We had furled the sky-sails an hour
previous to the squalls, or all three would have
shared the fate of the mizzen-royal. Some of the
old sails, I think, can be repaired. 22

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
July 6
To-day broke with a strong wind and clear sky.
All the sails that we had on the ship were the upper
and lower top-sails and the foresail. Every man on
board capable of handhng a needle was put to work
helping the sail-makers, and gradually we got things
into shape up aloft. By noon a new mizzentop-gallant
had been bent, and at six in the evening we were
carrying the fore- and maintop-gallants and a brand-
new mizzen-royal. At breakfast-time, this morning,
sighted a barkentine steering east, being the only
vessel we have seen, bar the steamer's light a night
or two ago.
A word or two here about the second mate would
not be amiss, I believe, as he is a genuine character.
His name is Kelly, and his hailing port Thomaston,
Maine, — the home of so many of our deep-water
sailors. His age, I should think, is in the neighbor
hood of fifty years, and his face sufficient proof of the
assertion that he had, until this voyage, averaged one
round trip a year between New York and San Fran
cisco for thirty-two years, making sixty-four times that
he has doubled the Horn. His countenance, seared
by the sun of the equator and hardened into leather
by Cape Hom gales, would have long ago won him a
fortune as an artist's model. He has no eyelids, and
it is impossible to tell the color of his deep-set eyes
(little holes in his face they look Hke), continually
blood-shot from staring into sou'west gales in the
Southern Ocean, ably seconded by bad rum. His
face is further adorned with an enormous red mus
tache, extending down each side of his mouth, with
23

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
large, bushy ends. It is known ashore sometimes as
the "car-driver's mustache." But most curious of
all is the shape of his legs. He is the most bow-
legged man it is possible to conceive of; in fact, from
his waist down he is the shape of an egg, and a
stout, healthy pig could jump through his legs with
out touching either knee. I have often seen the men
put their hands before their mouths to smother a grin
when old Kelly rolls forward on the main-deck. His
deformity has its advantage, though, as during the
severest rolling he stands seemingly fixed to the
deck, and maintains his equilibrium with no apparent
effort; for, by placing his feet a few inches from
each other his knees will be more than a foot apart,
and he sways from side to side so comfortably that I
often envy him the perfection of his art.
The steward aboard a long-voyage ship is a man
whose friendship it is well to cultivate. He is the
autocrat of the storeroom, and lords it over the
cook. No one ever knows his name, for he always
answers to "steward." The one we shipped hails
from Calais, Maine, and is so ponderous and unman
ageable that I cannot understand how he keeps his
feet as he comes staggering along the main-deck
from the galley, with the dishes piled high in a bas
ket under his arm. He is very large as to his waist
and wears a mustache and imperial, after the man
ner of Napoleon III., and he is the personification
of idiotic dignity. At meal-hour, though, he insists
upon entering into the conversation, especially when
ever a question arises that no one, for the moment,
can answer. Even the skipper's glares are some-
24

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
times lost upon him, and I see now that his wonder
ful flow of conversation when we first came aboard
was not entirely due to bibulous propensities.
July 7
This was the most beautiful morning we have had
yet. The wind was south-southwest all day, enabling
us to lay our course braced sharp up. We are steer
ing southeast true, and will continue to do so for a
long time, crossing thirty degrees in forty degrees, as
the saying goes. I have had some little opportunity
of observing the men before the mast. Two of them
are very old ; so old that I am surprised they shipped
for so long a voyage. I should have thought that
Rio or the River Plate was as far as they would have
cared about going. The more ancient, but stronger
of the two, is the assistant sail-maker. He is broad-
chested, and still bears evidence of having once been
a splendid type of a by-gone race of sailors. But his
face is a mass of wrinkles, and a snow-white ruffle of
beard covers his chin and throat ; you can easily be
lieve that he speaks the truth when he says that his
age is seventy-two years, fifty of which have been
passed at sea. For some years he has been an inmate
of the Sailors' Snug Harbor, on Staten Island, hav
ing come on this voyage on furlough, as I believe an
absence from that institution is called. However,
this old man still goes aloft ; and after the squall, the
other day, did his share of work on the foretop-gal-
lant-yard. The other very old creature is in the mate's watch.
He is a great deal more feeble than the sail-maker,
25

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
and with difficulty can haul himself above the main
top. He doesn't look as though he'd last the passage
out ; and when he relieves the wheel, shambles along
the deck with a pitiful show of activity, as he sees
the officer on watch observing him out of the corner
of his eye. As to the rest of the foremast hands,
they seem to be an average lot ; certainly no better,
and probably no worse, than the rest of their
genus. In the second mate's watch is an American called
Carson, — the best seaman in the ship. He did the
work of three men aloft the other day ; and if Mr.
Kelly doesn't spoil him, he will undoubtedly prove a
jewel. But the second mate jokes with him and
flatters him. It is " Carson, do this ;" " Carson, do
that;" "Carson, jump aloft and overhaul the fore-
sky-sail-halliards." Any sailor knows what this sort
of thing leads to : in less than a fortnight Carson
will be bossing the second mate and, finally, the
whole watch. I looked upon a man who has made
more than thirty round voyages between New York
and California as second mate as being too well
seasoned to show friendliness and favoritism to any
particular man; I fancy that old Mr. Kelly wel
comes him as the only American sailor on board,
and unbends towards him for this reason.
Sunday, July 8
To-day broke warm and clear, with little or no
wind ; in fact, when I went on deck, just before eight
bells, we were all but becalmed. The sun was very
hot, and a canvas awning was stretched across the
26

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
poop, making the latter a very comfortable place for
dreaming or reading in one of the large, comfortable,
wicker chairs. We fanned along all day over an
almost motionless sea, making only seventy miles in
the twenty-four hours. Opened a bottle of Ruinart,
as is our custom on Sundays, and a discussion arose
concerning the buoyancy of a champagne-bottle, the
skipper and mate maintaining that it would float,
while I adhered to the belief that it would not only
sink, but sink quickly ; so I hove one overboard and
down it went. In the afternoon I slung a hammock
under the awning, making the clews fast to the
spanker-boom and the starboard mizzentop-mast-
backstay, and a more delightful place for dozing
would be hard to find ; for the ship has just roll
enough to swing the hammock, and, in spite of your
self, you must succumb to the motion and the air of
general somnolence around you.
The mate has many yarns of Nova Scotia and
New Brunswick to spin ; and as I have been twice
to the head of the Bay of Fundy in my own yacht,
our interest in the Provinces is mutual. Every other
night, when Mr. Ryan has the first watch on deck, I
wedge myself in between the weather mizzen-shrouds
and the poop-rail, and give and take yarns by the
hour with the mate, about the wonderful sixty- and
seventy-foot tides in the Bay of Fundy ; how vessels
of considerable size have foundered in the steep,
hollow sea that makes in the bay when the ebb-tide
runs out against a strong southwest wind ; and the
many difficulties that generally beset the mariner in
his efforts to make the harbor of St. John.
2;

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
Captain Kingdon is the most persevering pedes
trian I ever saw. He generally takes his morning
sight at 7.30 and immediately after breakfast works
it out. Then he begins to walk, and keeps it up,
striding the length of the poop and back with rapid
steps, for perhaps two hours. After dinner he re
sumes his exercise and doesn't stop till four, when
the afternoon sight claims his attention; while he
passes at least an hour in the same way before turn
ing in. Thus for five hours of every day does the
skipper pace the deck, doing from ten to twelve
miles in that time, and seldom pausing except now
and then, to cast his eye at the weather leech of the
mizzen-sky-sail, when the helmsman is told to " Look
out what you're doing."
At 9.15 this evening we put the ship about for
the first time on the port tack, the wind having
shifted dead ahead, — southeast. The man at the
wheel, a gigantic Finn, let the ship get in irons,
and a pleasant time he had for the next fifteen min
utes. Fortunately, the wind was very light, and the
ship was soon on her course again, heading south-
southwest.
July 9
This was another clear, warm morning, with a
little more wind than yesterday, although still dead
ahead. The best course that we have been able to
look up to since yesterday was south by west; so
that we are five points off our true course. At nine
this morning we sighted a steamer steering about
west-southwest, and bound evidently to some south-
2S

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
ern port of the United States. We made our num
ber, where from, where bound, and " all well" to the
steamer, which hoisted her answering pennant im
mediately ; she will probably report us in five days
or so. An hour later, exchanged signals with a
ship, also. She proved to be the " Canterbury," of
Glasgow, twelve hundred and sixty net tons, and was
steering a little to the northward of west, and per
haps was bound to New York.
This speaking of vessels makes quite a little
excitement on board a sailing-ship. Very likely,
while you are at breakfast, the mate will say, " There's
a ship's royals showing in the southeast, sir ; I think
she's bound to the west'ard. Are we going to make
our number ?" Then the skipper will say " Yes,"
and orders the helm shifted so as to bring the stranger
close aboard. After breakfast we hang over the
rail, discussing the nationality of the ship, which has
now risen to her upper top-sails perhaps, and bets are
laid in favor of her being an Englishman. By and
by her hull rises out of the water, and we see by the
look of it and the cut of her courses that she flies the
English flag, long before she hoists the red ensign.
Then the little mate assumes an air of great impor
tance, and proceeds to select from the locker the
flags K C B D, which in the international code lan
guage spell " Mandalore." While he is bending them
on to the signal-halliards, much agitated for fear of
putting D above B, Pete, the monkey, who, it will be
remembered, was secured to the flag-locker, has
stealthily possessed himself of the signal code-book,
and, before I could rescue it, has totally destroyed
2g

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
thirty or forty pages from the middle of the book.
Most captains would have either hove him over
board or exterminated him with a belaying-pin ; but
our good old skipper only gazed ruefully at the
ruined book, saying that he ought not to have left it
where Pete could reach it. I was much relieved to
know that he has another copy of this important
volume below. By this time the excitement incident
to the destruction of the signal-book has passed
away, the stranger is abreast of us, and we have run
up our number, the flags fluttering gayly out from
the end of the monkey-gaff, eighty feet from the
deck. Then, while the other vessel hoists the flags
that spell " Canterbury," we tell her in addition that
we are from New York for Calcutta, and ask them to
report us all well. They must have been short of
flags or else remarkably lazy on the " Canterbury,"
for they refused to talk any more, but dipped the
ensign three times, to which we responded by thrice
lowering our flag. When we had executed all these
manceuvres the two ships were so far apart that I
could not see the painted ports of the " Canterbury,"
and in another hour she had sunk to her top-gallants,
almost invisible.
Such an incident as the one just mentioned no
doubt seems trivial enough to shore-going people,
but to those at sea it is a matter of considerable
interest; for, apart from the pleasant break in the
day's monotony, you are reasonably sure of being
reported in a few days, which is always good news to
those at home. As the ships hauled abreast of each
other it is amusing to see the men run to the rail to
30

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
catch a momentary glimpse of the stranger ; while a
row of black dots just above her rail showed that
her crew were sizing up the " Mandalore," two or
three figures on her poop closely scanned us with
binoculars. How deep in the water a sailing-ship looks as you
pass her at sea ! It seems as though she must founder
in anything like bad weather ; and yet how few acci
dents of this sort happen !
At noon to-day we were clear of the Gulf Stream
entirely, having had about six days of it. From
now on till we take the northeast Trades light winds
are to be expected, and we cannot hope to average
more than one hundred miles a day. In the second
dog-watch a swell came rolling out of the west,
and a good breeze is looked for from the same
quarter.
July io
Another such day as yesterday, — warm and nearly
calm. Captain Kingdon considered the weather
favorable for cleaning the ship's bottom, as we are
very foul. So at about ten o'clock the mainyard
was backed and I became the spectator of a curious
proceeding. For some days previously I had noticed
the men at work on a strange-looking device, made
of half a dozen planks, about six feet long, lashed
together so as to make a platform about two yards
square. On this were secured twelve pieces of sheet-
iron bent to a right angle, one side of each fastened
to the wooden square, the other side or end standing
perpendicularly to the height of four or five inches.
31

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
On the reverse side of the platform eight galvanized-
iron, air-tight cylinders were lashed, the whole pre
senting a puzzling appearance. I was not long kept
in ignorance, however, for the machine was at once
lowered over the stern, and, by means of wire ropes
leading to the main-deck capstans, was hauled fore
and aft along the bilges. By looking over the side
you could see immense numbers of barnacles that,
having been detached, were drifting away below the
surface like a school of small fry. Then I under
stood the meaning of the contrivance; the bent
edges of the sheets of iron scraped off everything
with which they came in contact, while the air-tight
cylinders on the other side of the planks kept forc
ing the whole thing upward, pressing it tightly
against the ship's bottom.
At eleven this morning we sighted a fore-and-aft
schooner forward of the lee beam. For a long time
we could not make her out, the atmosphere being
unfavorable, but at length, when she had neared to a
mile, it was seen that she was a whaler. She passed
close under our stern, and, seeing us hove to, her
skipper hailed us and asked whether we wanted any
assistance. Captain Kingdon, after declining, asked
him to come aboard; and, after some deliberation,
they lowered away the starboard quarter-boat and
pulled aboard of us. The schooner proved to be the
" Pearl Nelson," of New Bedford, Captain Thompson,
of one hundred and seventeen tons. She had been
out fourteen months, cruising between the Cape de
Verdes and the West Indies, with fair success. Her
skipper was a very short individual, about fifty
32

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
years old; of excessive beam and quite a lordly
air, and he diffused a powerful, far-reaching frag
rance of whale-oil throughout the ship. I think he
took me for one of the officers of the " Mandalore ; "
for whenever I spoke to him in the presence of Cap
tain Kingdon, he answered in monosyllables or not
at all. I pitied him, though ; and, as he had an arid
look, I asked him to have a drink. Instead of melt
ing into a sunny smile, his countenance assumed a
severe cast, as he withered me with " I never drink
liquor." But something more was to come : think
ing that perhaps he would like to have some reading
matter, I rummaged about our state-room, trying to
find some novels that I thought he might like ; and
I found " Sappho," " Around the Worid in Eighty
Days," and a flesh-creeping tale called " Dynamite
Dick." When I presented these to him he looked
calmly at the names, scanned a few pages, and then
handed them back, saying, sternly, " I never read
anything but the Bible." Oh, ye gods ! think of that !
A whaler first refusing a drink, and then asserting
that his reading matter was contained between Gene
sis and Revelation ! He was too upright a man for
me, and he made me feel quite uncomfortable ; so I
left the two skippers and went on deck, where I
fell to studying the splendid whale-boat of Captain
Thompson that lay alongside. The " Pearl Nelson"
was manned, as is the custom with whalers in the
North Atlantic, by dark-skinned Western Islanders,
— a confused race consisting chiefly of a mixture of
Portuguese and negroes. This whale-boat's crew
that lay alongside were very powerful, fearless-look-
3 33

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
ing fellows, though with pleasant countenances. The
schooner herself was not a bad-looking vessel, very
seaworthy, and entirely fore-and-aft rigged, — a sur
prising circumstance to me, as one always hears of
whaling barks, that seeming to be an almost universal
rig for the business. I heard not long ago, as an
evidence of the continued prosperity of whalers, that
a Scotch bark, the "Active," of Dundee, last year
cleared thirty thousand dollars in one very short
voyage, having taken four tons of Greenland whale
bone, worth more than ten thousand dollars per ton,
the voyage paying three hundred and sixty per cent.
About four o'clock Captain Thompson appeared
on deck, paid no heed at all to the monkey as he
walked across the poop, although Pete missed the
calf of his right leg by only one link of his chain,
and disappeared gravely over the side. In ten min
utes he stood on his own quarter-deck, uncovered
his head in a stately bow, and then filled away, stand
ing to the northward. If righteousness and hu
manity count for aught, Captain Thompson ought to
reach St. Michaels with his vessel full of ambergris.
We continued our scraping till supper-time, when
we wore ship and headed away on the starboard
tack, steering northeast by east, showing that the
wind is still ahead.
July ii
Another just such superb day as yesterday, al
though the wind is still from southeast. After
breakfast we laid the mainyard aback and com
menced the tedious task again, this time scraping
34

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
the port side of the bottom. At eight o'clock the
" Pearl Nelson" was five miles or so away on the lee
beam, and at noon, the wind having freshened a
little, her trucks had vanished below the horizon.
Late this afternoon I saw the most beautiful display
of deep-sea fish that ever came to my notice, having
fallen in with a school of what sailors call dolphins.
Many times I had heard and read of the great beauty
of these inhabitants of the deep, but what I saw
astonished me beyond measure; and as they are
never met with on soundings, the water is always of
that marvellous, ultra-marine color only to be seen in
the deep solitudes of the ocean, and transparent as air ;
so that nothing interrupts the vision and the slightest
movement of a fish, far below the surface, is dis
tinctly visible. The colors of the dolphins were so
exceedingly brilliant that one could with difficulty
believe that they were living animals, especially as
all their rapid and graceful movements were made
without the slightest apparent motion. So fascinat
ing a picture did they make that my wife and I could
have watched them the whole afternoon, had they
not taken fright and darted away not to return.
Even the gorgeous coloring of the angel-fish of the
Bahamas cannot approach that of the dolphin. The
skipper rigged a harpoon and struck two of them,
but did not get fast. It seemed wicked to kill them ;
and we would not have tried to do so, except for the
sake of a mess of fresh fish, the flesh, so it is said,
being very delicious. It is curious, I think, that
sailors should call this fish a dolphin, for it certainly
is not. The true dolphin is generally about seven to
35

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
eight feet long, — that is, about the size of a porpoise,
— has a flattened kind of beak instead of a mouth, and
a blow-hole, and belongs to the cetaceans; while
the fish that we saw to-day, which sea-faring men call
the dolphin, looks something like a blue-fish, except
that the head — forehead, if you can call it that — is
very high and blunt. Sailors call the true dolphin
" bottle-nose." We came very near having a tragic termination to
the harpoon business. The incident, or accident,
happened while Captain Kingdon was trying to strike
the second dolphin. The manner in which he goes
to work on such occasions is this : After the harpoon
has been rigged, — that is, fitted with a wooden handle
and a long line, — the skipper steps outside the poop-
rail, and stands on what is called the " half-round"
(that makes the poops of English ships something
Hke a whale-back) in order to have better command
over the harpoon and a clearer view of the fish. To
aid him still further the skipper passes the bights of
a line around his waist, belaying the ends to the rail
or one of the pins, and leans far out over the water
so that h^ can see right under the counter. Captain
Kingdon was in this position, and just about to hurl
the iron, when the rope, which had been carelessly
belayed, slipped. Our hearts seemed to stop beating
as the skipper fell backward, but just as he was dis
appearing he caught the very bottom of one of the
rail-stanchions, and hung there until the steward and
I hauled him aboard. Only a moment before I no
ticed a number of pilot-fish hovering about, indicating
the presence of sharks, which would probably have
36

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
made it unpleasant for Captain Kingdon had he fallen
overboard. This certainly is the region for beautiful sunsets,
and as we go farther south I understand that they
increase in brilliancy. We had a superb one to
night, with wide bars of gold radiating from behind
a vast black cloud. We filled away at six and pro
ceeded, braced sharp up, and, as usual, five points off
our course.
July i2
Still the light weather holds on. This day was
even calmer than the previous ones, and it makes the
fifth day of head winds. Last voyage Captain King
don took a strong southwesterly wind after leaving
the Gulf Stream and held it to the thirtieth parallel,
almost until he took the northeast Trades. Late
in the afternoon a shark took the line that is always
towing astern, and instantly everything was excite
ment. This line is what is known as a cod-line and
is perhaps forty fathoms long, ending with two
strands of stout wire twisted together, giving a total
length of probably three hundred feet. The method
of ascertaining when a fish has taken the hook is simple
and infallible : a slender stick of wood is made fast
in a vertical position to the poop-rail, to the upper
end of which is secured the cod-line, which then
passes inboard and well secured to a stanchion. The
result of this arrangement is that when a fish has
been hooked the slightest effort is all that is required
to break the stick with a sharp snap. This the
helmsman hears and gives the alarm. Being nearest
37

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
to the stick when it broke this afternoon, I undertook
the job of hauling the shark in,— a matter requiring
judgment, as he could easily part the line if alarmed.
I was lucky in hauling him in up to the iron wire,
when I was glad to hand the line to two of the men,
who passed it up forward of the mizzen -rigging, bring
ing the beast under the counter ; the skipper stand
ing by with his ever-ready harpoon, waiting for the
fish to appear. At length, seeing his chance, he
hurled the iron and, by a dexterous stroke, fastened
the shark behind the gills. He made a short rush,
but was bleeding copiously from both gills ; and we
hauled him in again, this time with the stout harpoon-
line, and tried to pass a running bowline over his
tail while the skipper ran for his rifle. Before he re
turned, the boson, a most perfect example of the
English cockney, appeared upon the scene, said that
no one could teach him anything about handling
sharks, and laid hold of the wire part of the cod-line,
for the hook was still holding. Just at this moment
Mr. Shark began to thrash about as only a wounded
shark can, and at length worked the harpoon out of
his body, having twisted the stout iron rod into an
S, One more fierce rush, which parted the cod-line
like a cotton thread, and away he went. This was
where the boson showed his wonderful knowledge ;
for just as the big fish made his final rush, he man
aged to get a turn of the iron wire around the first
finger of his left hand, and in another second the
first joint of that finger fell to the deck, having been
as cleanly severed as if done with a meat-chopper.
This man will never boast again that he of all men
38

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
is best qualified for the capture of sharks. The fish
looked to be between ten and eleven feet long.
At four this afternoon we sighted a three-masted
schooner on the port-quarter, distant about twelve
miles, but she sailed so much faster and laid so much
closer to the wind than we that at dusk she was
abeam and only three miles to leeward. Our lati
tude at noon was 36° 30' north ; longitude, 49° 30'
west. July 13
Another day of very light airs, though, as what
wind there is is abaft the beam, we are making some
little progress. Last evening, however, there was
not a breath of wind, and when the skipper lit a
cigar, about ten o'clock, the match burned without a
flicker. During the last two days we made only fift/
miles to the good.
If a man has any musical attainments at all, he will
find the playing of whatever instrument on which he
can perform a very great pastime at sea. On the last
day before we embarked I thought of a small har
monium that has hitherto accompanied us wherever
we went, and so I had it sent down to the ship with
our luggage. It is very small, embracing only three
and one-half octaves, and is known as Mason and
HamHn's yacht-organ. It is always in tune, never
gets out of order, and can be packed away in a
wooden case for shipment. On such a voyage as
this I would not be without this little instrument for
a great deal, as it takes the place, for nearly all
purposes, of a large and cumbrous organ. Fortu-
39

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
nately, I brought some music along as well, having
filled one trunk-tray with it; so that I can enjoy
Haydn and Beethoven as well here as in civiliza
tion. Last evening I had the harmonium taken on
deck, the moonhght being so exceedingly brilliant
that I could easily see the notes without the aid of a
lamp. Latitude at noon, 36° 30' north; longitude,
48° 2' west.
July 14
The Hght weather still prevails and seems likely to
for an indefinite length of time. During the last week
we did not make quite one hundred and fifty miles, —
about an average of twenty miles a day. (Wherever
the word " mile" is met with in this journal the sea-
mile, or knot, is meant ; never the statute mile.) Now,
this speed would be a source of irritating annoyance
to most people, even to those who had made up
their minds when they went to sea to brave what
ever discomforts might arise on the voyage without
murmur. When you are in your house or club
ashore it is very easy to say to your relatives and
friends, "What do I care for a few days' calm
weather ?" or " Suppose it does come on to blow a
gale of wind, what of it ?" But it is a vastly differ
ent matter when you are actually at sea and ex
periencing a series of calm days, when a bottle hove
overboard sometimes will be in plain view for two
or three hours at a time. But I can't say that it
makes me unhappy, and, as far as I can judge, my
wife is no more inconvenienced by our sluggish pace
than I am. Our chief amusement is backgammon,
40

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
of which we often play as many as forty games be
tween eight in the morning and ten at night. Indeed,
if I were going to sea alone I would choose a skipper
who was fond of games, as they are really almost
necessary. The evening, particularly, would hang
very heavily on our hands were it not for back
gammon and cards. For when we tire of the former
Captain Kingdon joins us in a three-handed game
of euchre or cassino.
Before we sailed I had determined to study sea
manship and navigation seriously, the latter in all
its branches, and not as the majority of yachtsmen
do who make a great show of nautical instruments
on their boats without having a very clear idea of
what they are for. I know three or four yachtsmen
who exhibit with pride glittering sextants and ask
you with a sort of awe " if you won't come in and
see my chronometer." Now, there is not the least
chance of these men ever going out of sight of the
land, and most of them would contemplate with
terror a straight run from Cape Cod Light to Mt.
Desert Rock. They will tell you that they keep
these instruments on board " in case anything hap
pens." I have had for a long time a keen desire to pos
sess a navigator's certificate, and now is my chance
to become proficient in both navigation and seaman
ship. Two days ago I began study with the mate,
who gives me on alternate days, according as he has
the watch below or on deck, from one to two or
from four to five in the afternoon. Mr. Ryan is very
keen on figures, and holds an English master's cer-
41

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
tificate as well as an American license for mate of a
steam-vessel. With him as instructor I ought to
progress rapidly; and he tells me that if I work
hard, I will be able to pass an English Board of
Trade examination before we are up with the Cape.
Latitude at noon, 36° 4' north; longitude, 46°
west.July 15
Sunday, and two weeks at sea to-day, and one
cannot imagine a more tortoise-like progression.
But what do ten days more or less mean on a voyage
of eighteen weeks ? Of course, the skipper is im
patient at the delay ; but why is it that the rest of a
ship's company on all deep-water ships begin to
blackguard the weather as soon as the wind falls
light ? They shipped on the " Mandalore" knowing
that the voyage might easily run into one hundred and
fifty days, and knowing equally well that weeks of
calm weather are not uncommon ; yet both the mates
pass the watches cursing the weather, the ship, and
the voyage; but not the skipper, — that'll come by
and by.
Perhaps the pleasantest hour in the twenty-four
is five in the afternoon, when I have the skipper's
porcelain tub half-filled with sea-water and simply
revel in the cool brine. Shore-going people, as I
have said before, have no idea of the wonderful
clearness and bright sparkle of deep-sea water.
After the heat of such a day as this, nothing can
equal the recuperative qualities of a simple bucket
of sea-water, for the thermometer in our room
42

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
stands between 84° and 82° continuously, day and
night.
At eight yesterday morning, I forgot to say, we
sighted a bark of about eight hundred tons on our
port, or lee, bow. She was a point nearer the wind
than we were and moving a bit faster, so that at
dusk she was dead ahead, about four miles away.
But this morning we found that we had overhauled
and passed her, which was very creditable with our
foul bottom; for such scraping as we did has no
very great effect on the ship's speed, as only the
largest barnacles came offi We made our number
to the bark after breakfast, to which she replied by
simply hoisting the American flag.
Last night my wife ran a pair of sharp-pointed scis
sors far into one of her fingers. Visions of blood-
poisoning arose not pleasant to contemplate when
beyond the reach of a physician. Just now the
boson's finger is causing him a tremendous amount
of trouble ; at first, for twenty-four hours after the
accident happened, he says that he felt only a numb
pain, but now he can get no sleep during his watch
below, and the throbbing of the wound he describes
as fearful. The wire that took his finger off was very
rusty, and, if he escapes blood-poisoning entirely, it
will be miraculous. I never saw a man show more
evidence of acute pain than the boson did when,
just after he had hurt himself, the skipper dressed
the wound, pouring Friar's balsam on the raw flesh,
before bandaging. Friar's balsam is the universal
remedy at sea for apparently all bodily ailments.
But yet the captain of a long-voyage ship must be,
43

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
in a way, a physician as well as a surgeon, though
particularly the latter. Accidents happen at sea all
the time ; and it is necessary that he understand how
to set a limb passably well, how to reduce a disloca
tion, and how to apply bandages. On the starboard
side of the " Mandalore' s" companion-way is a wide,
shallow closet with glass doors, filled with all sorts
of medicines, salves, and liniments that might be
necessary at sea ; while a cupboard underneath con
tains splints, big rolls of adhesive plaster, and rubber
and cotton bandages of all sizes ; a number of simple
surgical instruments completing the outfit. The
most useful article seems to be a pair of dentists'
forceps, as the skipper has already drawn three or
four teeth. It is not necessary for the " old man" to
inquire what the sailor wants when he comes aft, as
a huge lump in his cheek tells more plainly than
words what ails him. Then the skipper grabs his
forceps, turns to the man who has been standing in
the cabin doorway fumbling his hat and staring at
the ceiling, seizes the offending tooth with remark
able dexterity, and with one good, strong wrench
plucks it out, the sailor backing out with mumbled
thanks. Thus is dentistry added to Captain King-
don's many accomplishments. Latitude, 35° 27'
north; longitude, 45° 50' west.
July 16
This day s history must be commenced with the
same old story of light winds, for during the twenty-
four hours we made only fourteen miles of southing.
Last night at nine we had a shift of wind to the east-
44

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
ward ; the braces were manned, and soon the " Man
dalore" was slipping along at two or three knots on
the port tack. At some time during the night,
though, we tacked ship again, and daylight saw us
crawling along with the wind once more coming in
faint breaths over the starboard side.
Last night we witnessed another exquisite sunset.
Just before he went down I went up to the mizzen-
top, and for fifteen minutes sat spell-bound at the
gorgeous picture. The ship was under all possible
canvas, with the great main-sail visible to me under
the foot of the lower mizzentop-sail, bellying out and
then collapsing as the vessel rolled about in the easy
swell. The deep Prussian blue of the water along
side, merging in this light into green two hundred
yards away, and the magnificence of the sunset made
a panorama that I will not soon forget. Two rain-
squalls, so numerous in this locaHty, were approach
ing each other, and seemed to meet just as the sun
had sunk into the sea. And who can describe the
glory ofthe clouds just as the sun dipped ? No one
that ever lived ; and the greatest of artists could not
have transferred the scene to canvas. Such a sunset
can never be forgotten. Latitude, 35° 13' north;
longitude, 45° 17' west.
July 17
For some days I have not been feeling up to the
mark, owing to overeating and lack of exercise.
Nearly every one who first goes to sea begins by
eating immense quantities of food, while all his cus
tomary exercise has been cut short, his appetite
45

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
being splendid owing to his new surroundings and
the strong, salty air. For a while he doesn't perceive
that anything is wrong with him, till, at the end of a
fortnight or so, he finds that he must cut down his
bill of fare in order to keep well. It is next to impos
sible to take enough exercise at sea unless one goes
aloft with the men and lends a hand at putting on
new chafing gear and doing other light jobs in the
rigging ; and while this occupation is very pleasant
and agreeable for a few days, the novelty of the thing
soon passes away, and one is reduced to walking the
poop as the only means of stretching one's muscles.
But as the poop is very short, only about forty feet
in length, it cannot be supposed that much exercise
is to be derived from stumping it. What surprised
me greatly was the small amount of food that sailors
eat. Captain Kingdon, for instance, is the lightest
eater I ever saw, his breakfast consisting generally
of a slice of cold ham and a little bread and butter.
The mate makes his breakfast on a strange com
pound. He always helps himself to a plateful of
oatmeal (burgoo in sea-lingo), scoops out a cavity in
the middle of it like the crater of a volcano, which
he fills with liquid ham-fat, and then smothers the
mass with half a pint of molasses ! I have tried to
bring myself to taste this curious mixture, but my
courage fails at the crucial moment. I understand the
Down East lumbermen and coasters depend during
the winter for food on burgoo, ham-fat, and molasses,
and a hardier set it would be difficult to find.
Yesterday after dinner we had a light air from the
westward of south, which enabled us for the first
46

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
time in many days to lay our course. The breeze
was as usual, short-lived though, and we were soon
heading away off again. This morning at eleven we
sighted a big English four-masted bark (according
to their nomenclature) with double top-gallant-yards,
homeward bound. We made our number at fifteen
minutes past noon, but they did not answer. She
was a splendid vessel, with immense freeboard for
ward ; and I counted thirty-six different sails set, in
cluding eleven stay-sails ; which surprised me, as the
majority of new ships no longer use them. She was
steering about north with the wind on her quarter,
and a finer-looking English ship I never clapped an
eye on ; for she had a grand sheer, so different from
most of the iron sailing-vessels turned out from the
English and Scotch yards. This vessel had the
living-quarters, etc., amidships, — the first sailing-ship
I ever saw built that way. The idea is that the
structure amidships breaks the seas as they come
aboard in heavy weather and prevents the water
from collecting in the waist, often carrying away bul
warks and hatch-covers.
The Clyde clipper seems to have vanished. Instead
one now sees ugly, flimsily constructed vessels made
of iron and steel, with bows like an apple and great
fat quarters, instead of the graceful, speedy, wooden
clippers of by-gone years. The British builders have
also ceased to rig their ships with an eye to the
beautiful ; although the EngHsh never did put such
spars into their ships as we did, and, indeed, still con
tinue to do. The " Mandalore" is the only English
ship really loftily rigged I ever saw, and she was
47

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
designed and sparred by Captain Kingdon. I think
it is a great pity that the United States and Eng
land cannot seem to agree in the nomenclature of
vessels. The English call a four-masted vessel
square-rigged on the fore, main, and mizzen and fore-
and-aft-rigged on the jigger a four-masted bark, claim
ing that as the vessel is fore-and-aft-rigged on the
after-mast she must be a bark, and also maintain
ing that the word " ship" ought to be applied only to
three- and four-masted vessels entirely square-rigged,
— in which latter case I think they are right. We
in America built the first four-masted sailing-ship
schooner-rigged on the jigger and called it a ship,
the builders contending that it was a ship with an
additional or auxiliary fourth mast. We still call
this rig a ship, though four-masted vessels square-
rigged all over are by no means uncommon, and,
strictly speaking, only these and full-rigged three-
masters are ships. That estimable paper, the New
York Marine Journal, has invented the word ship-
entine for those vessels carrying the fore-and-aft-
rigged jigger-masts, but the name does not seem to
be in use outside of New York. The true four-
masted bark is the vessel that is square-rigged on
the fore and main and fore-and-aft-rigged on the
mizzen and jigger, — a type of which we have
several representatives, chief among them being the
" Olympic," of New Bedford, a splendid vessel,
almost new, and in many respects the finest sailing
vessel I ever saw. That she sails well is attested by
the fact that she went from New York to Puget
Sound in one hundred and seven days.
48

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
I am getting on nicely in navigation ; unless one
goes into the trigonometrical part and proves the
work by mathematics, the science is a matter of
adding and subtracting columns of figures, for that
is really all it amounts to. Seamanship, though, is
a different matter. According to my way of looking
at the matter, a good seaman is born, not made;
and though any skipper or mate may become fairly
proficient in the art, they never will equal the man
in whom seamanship is inherent, and who can tell
exactly at what moment to put the helm up to wear
ship in a heavy sea or just when it becomes neces
sary to heave to in a gale. Latitude at noon, 33°
57' north; longitude, 45° 24' west.
July 18
The same conditions of wind and weather prevail
to-day as for many previous ones, the wind coming
still out of the south-southeast, forcing us to steer
southwest. Everything points to an indefinitely
protracted spell of light weather, and poor Captain
Kingdon is at his wits' end. Last voyage, instead
of being seventeen days getting where she is now,
the ship in eight days was in the same latitude and
two hundred and fifty miles farther to the eastward,
— a better position in less than half the time. I ven
ture to make the prediction that we shall be more
than forty-five days to the line.
It is remarkable how well my wife bears the heat
and the tedium of the calm weather. Most people
will say that 80° is not an excessively high tem
perature, but let them remember that the ther-
4 49

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
mometer stands at 80° every hour in the twenty-four,
rising 2° or 3° higher at midday. The " Manda
lore" being an iron ship, the top-sides become heated
to a surprising degree by the sun, and of course
the temperature in the cabin and state-rooms is cor
respondingly raised ; and not until six or seven hours
after sunset does the heat abate below, and even by
two in the morning the temperature has not fallen
more than 2°. Under the awning on the poop,
though, there is nearly always some breeze, how
ever light; and even when the wind is up and
down the mast there is motion enough in the rolHng
of the ship on the light swell to give us pleasant
draughts of air out of the sails ; so that at no time
has it been unpleasantly hot on deck. My wife does
more reading than every one else on board put to
gether ; and, speaking of books, it is wonderful how
cheaply and neatly they are bound in these days. We
brought to sea with us one hundred bound volumes,
costing only fifteen dollars. While the binding is, of
course, not very good, it is neat-looking and service
able, and a great improvement over the old-time
paper-covered novels. The books were packed in a
large wooden case, and in buying it was necessary to
take the whole box just as it stood ; but the selection
is excellent and embraces three or four of the works
of each of the great authors.
Games still continue to be the chief pastime ; my
wife and I occupy the whole of the forenoon with
backgammon, and from 7.30 to ten in the evening
dominoes take its place. In spite of the sameness
of the successive days, they fly by with astonishing
50

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
swiftness. Everything is running smoothly ; the
men know each other, work well together, and there
is much hilarity in the second dog-watch. Sparring
seems to be their chief amusement, and there are
many severe bouts always going on between six and
eight, bleeding noses and split lips generally ending
the contests. Latitude, 32° 26' north ; longitude,
46° 9' west.
July 19
The Evil One seems to have laid hold of the
southeast wind, for it still keeps on blowing a light
breeze from that quarter. When the course is
southeast by east, fancy having to steer south-south
west, as we did yesterday.
Thus far we have caught no edible fish, which is
rather surprising, as there are plenty of dolphins
about, which make fine steaks, I am told. But there
is so great a variety in the meals on board that we
do not as yet feel the absence of fresh meat. The
only thing we really miss is butter. There is, indeed,
plenty of tinned butter on board, but, as it is not
what can be called tempting, we do not touch it.
When a tin is opened the contents look like sweet-
oil, the heat having converted the butter into a yellow,
rancid fluid that the mate dips out of the tin with a
teaspoon and pours on slices of soft bread. Of milk,
of course, we have none, except the condensed va
riety ; but as it is easy for most people to get along
without milk, its absence doesn't bother us in the
least. I think the skipper was somewhat deceived
in the corned- and salt-beef. The former is some-
51

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
what aromatic when taken out of the cask, while
the salt meat served to the men is so far gone that
half a barrel at a time has to be hove over the side.
Fortunately, we have on board dozens of tins of
boned chicken, pressed tongue, and corned beef, and
there are always two varieties of vegetables on the
table at dinner, besides a special dish of rice cooked
for me and prepared with all the skill of an East
Indian. Sailors will not touch rice, calling it " strike
me blind ;" they profess to beHeve that the eating of it
will cause them to lose their sight. The true reason,
in my opinion, for their refusing it is to be found in
the fact that rice forms the staple article of diet of the
native sailors of the East, who come under the Cau
casian sailors' definition of " niggers ;" and because
these men live on it the other men will not touch it.
These are splendid nights. This evening the almost
full moon rose out of a cloudless sea-line, and seemed
so near that she had the appearance of having been
shoved right up out of the ocean. And later on, a
little before ten, she presented a magnificent spectacle
as she hung suspended for a few minutes over a huge
black cloud that had suddenly arisen out of the
southeast. A little rain fell a while afterward, and
a wee bit more wind came out of the cloud ; but at
10.30 we were again motionless on the surface of the
water. Latitude at noon, 31° 56' north ; longitude,
45° 32' west.
July 20
Not so much wind to-day, but we are laying our
course. It is shocking to hear the mates blackguard-
52

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
ing the weather, especially Mr. Kelly. He has the
most abundant flow of profane language ever heard ;
he must think up and add to his remarkable collection
of oaths whenever he is alone, for the variety of his
profanity is distinctly his own. Captain Kingdon
keeps his temper remarkably well, considering the
cussedness of the elements. Last voyage he was
making one hundred and seventy miles a day over
almost this same ground (or water) as against twenty-
five miles a day this passage. His average run to
the line from New York is about thirty days;
whereas we have been out nearly three weeks and
are not half-way to the equator.
I have made no mention of the two apprentices
on board, — boys, as they are always called at sea. One
is an English lad known as Dan; the other is a
Scandinavian called Mike. Dan is a fat, heavy, lazy
youth, of apoplectic temperament, evidenced by the
purple color of his face upon exertion. He deserted
from an English coaster a few months ago and came
to America in the steamer " Paris" as a lamp-trimmer.
He seems to be a shiftless kind of fellow, and I'll
wager that he'll never rise above able seaman.
Mike is Dan's antithesis. Two boys of eighteen
could not be more opposite in disposition and ap
pearance. The Norwegian is tall and very strong
and active, with broad shoulders and large, powerful
limbs. Like most Scandinavians, he is florid and
very good-looking. No exertion seems to discom
pose him ; I have known him to go hand over hand,
without using his feet, up the mizzen-royal-backstay
as far as the topmast-cross-trees, then sUde down
53

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
the mizzentop-mast-stay to the main-top, and then
on down the main-stay, dropping off onto the for
ward deck-house; and all this without show of
effort. Mike is the sort of fellow that passes for
a master's certificate and obtains a command at
twenty-five. I had a long talk with him this evening
just before eight bells went, and he told me that this
was his first voyage on blue water, all his sailing
heretofore having been done in the shallow, but
violent North Sea.
There is another man on board, an able seaman,
who has served three years on a United States
cruiser, who is a smart hand, though as lazy as a
well-fed duck. His name is Lowen and he has a
most villanous cast of countenance; but his looks
belie him, for he is good-natured and jolly as can
be. The dog-vane at the mizzen-truck had a tum
in it the other day and wouldn't blow out. The
mate standing by the galley-door noticed it and sung
out, " Who'll go up and clear that vane ?" Two or
three of the watch jumped into the mizzen-rigging,
but Lowen, owing to his training, was on the mizzen-
royal-yard ere the others were much higher than the
topmast-cap; then he grasped the slender sky-sail-
pole and, shinning up in true man-of-war style, cleared
the bit of bunting and slid down the backstays in
as seaman-like a manner as one could wish to see.
Latitude, 31° 46' north ; longitude, 44° west.
July 21
I am now a past-master in the science of dead-
reckoning. Mr. Ryan has proved to be a first-rate
54

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
teacher, and thus far I have worked very hard and
systematically. Most of the examples he takes from
Ainsley's " Guide to the Marine Board Examination
for Masters and Mates." The problems in this are
very difficult, and are the same as those used by the
British Board of Trade. I am proud to say that I
can do any day's work in Ainsley; although the
mate says he is going to make me work a traverse
every day till we arrive at Calcutta; he says that
more mistakes are made in dead-reckoning than in
any other branch of navigation, and that it is impos
sible to practise day's work problems too much. So
every aftemoon I have to work out the hardest kind
of a traverse-table, with seven or eight different
courses, and currents of various strength ; while the
ship is hove to half the time, coming up and falling
off in quite a dizzy manner.
At eight A.M. to-day we sighted an iron bark on the
weather bow, and at eleven we crossed her distant
about one mile. We made our number, to which
she replied that she was the " Fairmount," of Glas
gow, seven hundred and ninety tons, bound from
West Indian ports to the United Kingdom, forty-
seven days out ! We were much surprised to find
that she flew the English flag ; we took her for an
ItaHan, with bad-setting sails, carrying no foreroyal,
but a main-sky-sail; and she was the most dingy,
forbidding-looking iron pot that one's fancy could
picture; and I could imagine processions of cock
roaches waltzing over her cabin-deck-beams and
dropping off now and then into the cups and dishes
at table. Thank goodness the " Mandalore" is al-
55

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
most free from this loathsome vermin; to be sure
there are a few small roaches below, not as large as
croton-bugs ; but of the big, black, wicked, winged
variety I haven't seen one. Some time ago I slept
several nights on a vessel (a foreign man-of-war), in
a swinging cot where my head was within a foot of
the carlings, while scores of big roaches rustled over
my head throughout the night, visible by the light
of a very dim lantern. Strange to say, not one of
them fell on me, though I was afraid to breathe. As
I understand it, the females only have wings ; and it
was very alarming to see one of the vile creatures
come sailing toward you, and finally strike against a
beam close by with a curious metallic zip. I had to
endure the roaches for four nights, and each time I
shuddered as darkness came on.
I am certain that I shall always look back to the
first three weeks of this voyage with particularly
bright remembrances, for we are in splendid health
and spirits, and my wife has adjusted herself to the
enjoyments of a deep-sea voyage. It is, indeed,
always sailing over a calm summer-sea, with a daz
zling sun, deep-blue sky, and still bluer water ; and
the afternoon heat cooled by delicious breaths of soft
air that waft themselves in under the awning, where
I am generally to be found in the hammock, reading
or watching the glorious sunset as the blazing orb
sinks into his bed of purple and gold clouds. But
perfect as these days are to us, they are not regarded
in the same light by the skipper, who avers that thus
far it is the slowest passage he ever made. Soon,
though, we will take the northeast Trades, the sky
56

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
dappled with the fleece-like trade-cloud, and the
horizon mountainous with huge shapes of milk-white
vapor. Latitude at noon, 31° 33' north; longitude,
42° 30' west.
Sunday, July 22
To-day three weeks ago we sailed from New
York ; and at daylight this morning we sighted a
large American ship on the lee quarter a mile distant.
As the light increased, we made out with the aid of
signals that she was the " Wandering Jew," from New
York for Shanghai with oil. She sailed, we think,
on the afternoon of the day we left; and as she is
accounted one of our fastest ships, I marvelled that
we with our foul bottom could for so long hold our
own with her. But she gradually showed us that she
was moving faster than we were and sailing half a
point nearer the wind ; so that she would, perhaps,
have gone through our lee had she not at one in the
afternoon tacked ship and stood away south-south
west on the port tack, as the villanous southeast
wind still holds. The " Wandering Jew" is a splen
did vessel, and, as there is a difference of only forty-
nine tons between us, the two ships ought to make a
fine race. The " Jew" is the only completely flush-
decked sailing-vessel I ever saw, as a half-deck is
built over the main-deck, the space between the two
decks being only what the height of the bulwarks
would be on an ordinary ship. Thus her main-deck,
instead of being not more than five feet from the
water, is about ten ; and as there are no bulwarks,
but a monkey-rail, no water ever stops aboard, the
57

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
deck being built with a slight crown with that view.
Nothing whatever rises above the deck from the heel
of the bowsprit to the taffrail, except of course a
fore-scuttle and the hatchways, a small skylight and
low companion-sHde aft, and the usual wheel-house
seen on American ships. I should think that in
heavy weather, there being no bulwarks, the men
would be carried overboard ; but I am told that so
little solid water comes aboard that she has never
lost a man in that way, in spite of the fact that the
monkey-rail is only twenty inches high. The
" Wandering Jew" is the most handsomely sparred
ship I ever saw, crossing a main-sky-sail-yard. Her
commander is Captain Nicols.
On working out the ship's position to-day it was
found that we had made seventeen miles of northing
since yesterday, and that our position was : Latitude,
31° 50' north; longitude, 42° 30' west.
July 23
A little more wind to-day from east-southeast, and
it enables us to lay a southerly course. Last night
the skipper thought we were going to take the north
east Trades; but he was bitterly disappointed, for
the wind was nothing but a puff which blew itself
out in half an hour. At seven last evening sighted
a vessel bound to the northward on the starboard
tack, a little on the lee bow. It was nearly dark be
fore we came together, and when the stranger was
close aboard, for some reason best known to himself,
her skipper altered his course and showed us his red
hght ; we kept away a point, and when he had crossed
58

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
us, not more than a quarter of a mile away, we luffed
and hailed him, as Captain Kingdon wanted to get
some information about the Trades. So, thinking
his own voice not powerful enough, he told Mr.
Ryan, who had the second dog-watch, and who was
standing by the wheel, to sing out and ask him
where he lost the Trades. Now, though the mate
is a small young fellow, he can give cards and spades
to any one I ever saw whenever he wants to make
himself heard from the poop to the forecastle ; and
upon this occasion he expelled such a volume of
sound that his voice must have been heard two miles.
" What bark is that ?" After a few seconds a gigan
tic figure on the poop answered " The ' Ancorus,'
from Lobos for Hamburg; what ship is that?"
" The ' Mandalore,' from New York for Calcutta ;
where did you lose the Trades ?" Unfortunately, this
question disconcerted them on the "Ancorus" to
such an extent that when they answered, after a con
fab, we were too far off to hear what the man said.
The "Ancorus" was very brilliantly lighted up aft,
and a dozen bright ports sent as many broad bands
of light out into the surrounding darkness. They
must have been celebrating some event on board, —
the skipper's wife's birthday, perhaps, — and, as there
was a great deal of talking and skylarking going on
forward, I suspected that grog had just been served
out. Lobos, whence she had sailed, is an island off
the Peruvian coast in 7° south and 81° west, and is a
noted guano port. Latitude at noon, 30° 22' north;
longitude, 41° 14' west.

59

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
July 24
Calmer tlian ever; I don't think we're making
half a mile an hour as I am writing.
After breakfast, when deep in Lorna Doone, — the
finest book of its kind in the English language, — the
helmsman pointed to something over the weather
quarter, and looking over the side I saw a huge fish,
much larger than a porpoise, gambolling about on the
surface of the sea. My first idea was to sing out for
the skipper, as the fish was well within reach of a
harpoon ; but then I remembered that he was probably
working out the moming sight, and would be any
thing but happy at an interruption. So I sat where I
was and watched the great fish at play, paying not
the slightest attention to the proximity of the vessel.
He would sometimes throw himself entirely out of
the water so that I could see right under his body,
and then he would fall back again, striking on his
back with such a resonant thwack that I looked to
see him split open. I sung out for my wife, and
together we watched the antics of the big fish, inter
esting by reason of his being almost under the
counter. Then he would swim along on the surface
of the water, and with his tail, which was athwart-
ships like that of a porpoise, he would pat the waves,
sounding like the paddles of a steam-boat on a still
day. Suddenly he vanished for no apparent reason,
and we saw him no more.
There is a small bark astern of us, and, being light,
is overhauling us ; indeed, we are nearly motionless.
But far be it from me to grumble at the weather, for
we are in splendid health, and, as the cabin-table
60

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
maintains its standard of excellence, there is abso
lutely nothing for us to find fault with. Indeed, I
wish there was a prospect of our being two hundred
and twenty days at sea instead of one hundred and
twenty, for I like the voyage even better than I
thought I would. Being at sea is simply glorious.
If I were captain of a man-of-war the men would hate
me, for I should be at sea continually. Every one will
ask, " What on earth do you find to do on board ?"
The answer to that is, that if you lay out a plan
and divide the day into so many parts, and have cer
tain things — duties, one might call them — to do at
particular hours, the days really fly along too rapidly.
Of course, I am taking it for granted that the man or
woman goes to sea from choice, and not necessity.
It is a very different affair if one is ordered to make
a voyage for health's sake, and even before starting
looks forward with dread, and perhaps horror, to the
sixteen or seventeen weeks he is about to pass at sea.
I can imagine nothing more tedious or wearing on
one's nerves and good temper than a deep-water
voyage under these circumstances. And if he or
she starts out with the idea that there is nothing to
do on a sailing-vessel, it is likely that the idea will
be adhered to throughout the voyage. But, on the
other hand, if one is interested in the handling and
navigation of a vessel, and is observant of what is
going on about him, I can warrant that the time will
not drag heavily for him at sea. Studying the vari
ous characteristics of the foremast hands is an inter
esting pastime. There is a difference in the manner
of each man as he walks along the deck, goes aloft,
6i

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
or stands his trick at the wheel. Some of the men
shuffle along as if in despair at their lot; others are
shockingly lazy and take two hours to put a bit of
chafing gear on a backstay. There is only one man
forward who looks as if he actually enjoyed the sea ;
he is a young fellow to be an able seaman, and he
has such a twinkle in his eyes, and is always whist
ling such a merry air, that the thought comes to one,
" There is a man of a rare species ; one who actually
loves salt water and is really happy at sea." On
the other hand, there are two tough cases on board ;
one is a Finn, a very powerful fellow and a good sea
man ; but his face is one of the most forbidding and
treacherous I ever saw. He is a great pal of Carson,
the American, and I imagine that nothing beneficial
to the vessel will arise from their friendship. The
other evil genius is a young German who is always
swearing at everything, but he doesn't look to be as
bad a character as the Finn. In seamanship not a
man on board can compare with Carson, but he has
begun to show a bad disposition, and the men look
upon him as a leader, for he is intelligent compared
with the others, and looks like he could hatch out a
complicated scheme.
The poor skipper's patience is rapidly ebbing, and
soon there will be none left. All day long he scans
the horizon to the eastward for signs of hope for
the Trades; and while the eastern sky has been
hazy for two or three days, and there are now a good
many trade-clouds sailing slowly across the zenith,
not a bit of breeze comes from anywhere near north
east, and one day finds us in nearly the same position
62

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
as the one that preceded it. We are across the
thirtieth parallel, though, and at noon to-day we
were in latitude 29° 17' north; longitude, 40° 33'
west.
July 25
Very much the same sort of day. Last evening at
seven we tacked ship, putting our room on the wea
ther side again. I am glad of this ; for while we
always have plenty of air in our room on the lee
side, yet one always feels more comfortable on the
weather side of a ship. Already we have felt the
great advantage of having a port opening on to the
main-deck, as you are sure to have a breeze in the
forward port if there is any stirring. When our
room is on the weather side the breeze comes rush
ing in of itself, and when we are on the other tack
the breeze pours out of the lee side of the cross-jack
right through the port, with such force as to blow
things about when there is even a moderate wind
blowing. This morning at eight bells, though, we
tacked ship again and stood to the south-southwest
on the port tack. I took an observation of the Pole
Star last night and worked out the latitude, and at
noon to-day we found by observation that the lati
tude was almost exactly the same as it was at eleven
last night ; we had not made five miles of southing in
thirteen hours. Captain Kingdon exhibits a wonder
ful amount of patience, considering that southeast
winds are not to be expected here ; he never rants
and swears, but just paces the weather side of the
poop with appealing looks to windward.
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A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
The skipper wears curious garments made in
China. They are suits of clothes woven of coarse,
yellow silk, — sack-coat, waistcoat, and trousers ; the
stuff looks of the same coarseness as a gunny sack,
only the texture is very soft and pleasant, and is the
very thing to wear in hot weather at sea, or any
where else, instead of flannels. Several grades can
be had at any Chinese port, from finely-woven stuff
like pyjamas down to the coarse cloth that he wears,
and which he says lasts much longer than the finer
grades. A curious feature of this silk cloth is that
it doesn't seem to rumple much, as in the morning,
after hanging up eight or nine hours, the creases dis
appear and the whole suit looks quite nice, and all
that is necessary to do when it becomes soiled is to
heave it into the wash-tub.
This morning at breakfast-time sighted a bark
hull-down to windward bound north, and at nine a
barkentine in the same relative position and also
bound north. Latitude, 29° 5' north; longitude,
41° west.
July 26
This morning at 8.15 we sighted another bark.
She crossed us only a short distance away ; so we
made our number, to which she replied that she was
the "Westward Ho," of Liverpool, twelve hundred
and nineteen tons, from the west coast of South
America for the United Kingdom. We signalled,
" Where did you lose the Trades ?" She answered,
" Latitude 26°," which gives us nearly two hundred
more miles of southing to make before we get them !
64

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
The bark was a beautiful vessel as far as the hull
went, but her sails spoiled her. She had a fine rise
to the bows and a handsome stern, but the villanous
cut and set of her canvas ruined her otherwise fine
appearance. Her top-sails were nothing more than
narrow hempen bands.
Probably we will not take the Trades for six or
seven days yet, if they are not blowing north of the
twenty-sixth parallel and we do not make any more
headway than we have for the last forty-eight hours.
There is so much slatting and rolHng about that the
main-sail is hauled up most of the time to prevent its
chafing; it is almost completely worn out and has
been in use since the ship was put in commission, in
1887 ; so that it has seen seven years of service. In
fact, pretty near all the canvas is gone as well as the
running gear, and the " Mandalore" would look Hke
another ship with bright new gear and a suit of
American white-duck sails instead of the grimy-
looking EngHsh hempen ones. When a vessel's sails
rise above the horizon you can instantly tell whether
she is American or not; if she is, her canvas will
show up as white as a yacht's, whether the sun strikes
it or not.
I think the huUs of our saiHng-ships are better-
looking than the Englishman's except the sterns;
and why we should put such hideous, square, box
sterns and counters on our sailing-vessels, square-
riggers and schooners, is a question too abstruse for
me. The bow of an American ship is a thing of
beauty and a joy forever; and, indeed, the whole ship
is until you go aft, and the ugly, sawed-off stem
5 65

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
catches the eye. In point of model, though, the
" Mandalore" is as handsome a craft as ever floated ;
and though built at Stockton-on-Tees, the Yankee
idea of high bows and good sheer at once arrests
the attention and tells better than words that it
was an American that laid down her lines; while
her spars are so light and graceful that visions
of the erstwhile Bath clipper at once come to
mind. During the past seven days we made three hun
dred and thirty miles, really more than I thought
we made ; as an average of thirty miles a day in
stead of nearly forty-five would have seemed to me
more like it. Still, two miles an hour is pretty slow,
and at noon our position was: Latitude, 28° 30'
north; longitude, 40° 41' west.
July 27
No change in the weather conditions has hap
pened since yesterday, and we are wriggling along
in the same manner as for the last fortnight. This
calm weather gives us an opportunity for quoit-
throwing, and my wife and I have been practising
continually for two or three days. The poop is just
large enough for this amusement, in which we are
joined every now and then by Captain Kingdon,
who takes a really boyish interest in all such pas
times. When quoits was first suggested, we lamented
the fact that we had no hoops, having, before we
left, entirely overlooked this most popular of sea-
games. Mr. Ryan set to work, though, and in
twenty-four hours had fashioned half a dozen first-
66

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
rate hoops out of stout wire, twisting several strands
together so as to make them strong, and sewing the
whole neatly together with spun-yarn. Thus, we
are enabled to enjoy this excellent game ; and, as it
increases the amount of exercise one takes, it is as
beneficial as amusing.
I am reading " Peter Simple" for the fifth or sixth
time. I read it about once a year, and every fresh
perusal only serves to increase the interest that not
only I, but every one seems to feel when he has
scarcely finished the first chapter. My wife enjoys
Marryat as much as I do, which is remarkable, as he
is a writer that, as a rule, does not appeal to women
in the least. In none of Marryat's books has the
author allowed maudlin sentiment to ever enter, as
so many sea-novelists do ; there are many affecting
scenes in his stories, but the incidents are told in
such a straightforward way that the telling never
wearies one, and I think that it is to this that all of
his books owe that delightful freshness that perme
ates every one of them. He handles his ships so
well, too, in his stories that you can follow out an
action as well in mind as though you were actually
present; while the club-hauling of the "Ariadne"
off Finisterre in " Peter Simple" must ever remain
fixed in the mind of him who reads it. As for
Marryat's humor, it is irresistible and overwhelming.
He must have been as agreeable and witty a com
panion as he was a competent officer and thorough
seaman, while he immortalized his name in the
International Signal Code ; for he it was who for
mulated the system of talking at sea that is now
67

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
used by all maritime nations. Latitude, 27° 15'
north ; longitude, 40° 30' west.
July 28
Our old friend the southeast wind seems to die
hard, for he still shows no signs of abdicating in
favor of the northeast Trades. We seem to be sail
ing under an evil star like the " Flying Dutchman,"
WilHam Vanderdecken, who in Marryat's " Phantom
Ship" has been beating up against a westerly gale
off Cape Agulhas since the middle of the eighteenth
century, bound from Batavia to Amsterdam. There
is a considerable difference, however, between the
case of the " Amsterdammer" and that of ourselves ;
for Vanderdecken had a gale of wind in his teeth,
while with us, though just as much of a head wind, it is
so light that it doesn't fill even the jibs or the sky-sails.
We saw a large school of beautiful dolphins to-day,
but so shy that they would not approach nearer than
seventy-five or a hundred feet. It was in vain that
we tried to entice them within harpooning distance,
as we would have given much to have caught one of
their number for the sake of its white, tender flesh.
My wife has a flying-fish two or three times a week
for breakfast, for they sometimes come sailing over
the bulwarks at night. But a common flying-fish is
so small and bony that it is hardly worth eating.
My wife and myself are much interested to know
what luck has attended the yacht " Vigilant" in her
races in England. She was sold by the syndicate
who built her to defend the America cup, and she
has passed into the hands of two brothers, members
68

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
of the New York Yacht Club, who sent her across
the Atlantic, in the early part of the present summer,
to see what she could do against the " Britannia,"
"Satanita," and "Valkyrie II.," in their home
waters. Taken singly, " Vigilant" can probably beat
any one of the above-mentioned trio ; but in a quad
rangular race — that is, three boats against one — it is
so easy for them to " pocket" their opponent that I
fear " Vigilant," except in match races with individual
boats, will not come out particularly well.
Most deep-water sailors look down upon yachts
and yachtsmen. Why, it is hard to say. Probably
the principal reason is that seamen can get so much
higher wages yachting than they can coasting or
shipping on long voyages that the best and most
ambitious sailors desert merchant-vessels for the
better pay, lighter work, and infinitely better food on
yachts. In England there are hundreds, almost thou
sands of sailors who have been bred to yachting by
their fathers and grandfathers, and who have never
been aboard of any other class of vessel.
Yesterday we made three miles of northing and
ten miles of westing, which, at noon, put us in lati
tude 27° 18' north; longitude, 40° 43' west.
Sunday, July 29
Four weeks at sea to-day, and this is the twentieth
day of head winds and calms. I understand that it
was somewhere in this vicinity that a Dutch brig
was becalmed for sixty-seven days, sometime during
the seventeenth century; whether this is a true story
or not I cannot pretend to say, but it is said to
69

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
be authentic. At any rate, one could easily beHeve
it, judging from our own experience. The calm
this forenoon was almost absolute, only a few cat's
paws at intervals of two or three hours showing
where there were slight currents of air. But these
same little draughts are godsends, for they temper
the heat under the awning, the intensity of which
has been increasing in proportion to the southing we
have made ; and, as there is practically no motion to
the ship, we have no currents of air from the slatting
of the sails, I never thought the ocean was as calm
as it is now, for it is only at considerable intervals
that a slight heave comes out of the southward, and
for fifteen minutes at a time we are often absolutely
motionless. Every night now in this calm the surface of the
sea is shrouded in a mist that rises some seven or
eight degrees above the horizon, while the sky is
absolutely cloudless and the stars countless in num
ber and uncanny in their brilliancy and magnitude.
Last evening, at 9.30, happening to glance over to
the eastward, I saw what I made sure was a steamer's
mast-head light, not more than a mile and a half
away. There was no moon and it was almost per
fectly dark, in spite of the fact that the heavens were
literally dusted with brilliant stars. I called the at
tention of the second mate to the steamer's light,
and, old sailor that he is, it was some minutes be
fore he made out that what I took for a mast-head
light was in truth a rising planet, so magnified by
either the mist before mentioned or refraction as to
exactly resemble a large steamer's light. Mr, Kelly
70

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
said that he had often seen stars or planets through
a mist before, but never one so large.
I have not mentioned lately the skipper's Irish
setter, Bang, that some one gave him just before we
sailed. Poor fellow ; he doesn't seem to thrive on
board ; on the contrary, he has grown so thin that
he is quite a pitiful object. His appetite is very
large, and he eats as voraciously as a shark ; but he
evidently has inflammation of the stomach, or some
thing of that sort, — due, we think, to sea-sickness, —
and the poor brute cannot retain food enough in his
stomach to maintain life, for he is evidently dying
for want of nourishment. He can't be sea-sick now,
for we have been nearly motionless for a week.
Every one on board tells me that most of the dogs
die that are taken to sea; I was very much aston
ished at this, for I always imagined that a dog was
the best animal to take to sea. But it seems not;
indeed, there is a maxim among sailors that "a
woman and a dog are a bother aboard ship." The
saying seems to be true enough about the latter, but
that it is untrue of the former in some cases is
proved by my wife, who, so far as the trouble is
concerned, might as well be a male passenger as* a
woman. Indeed, tbe skipper volunteered the state
ment that he has been very agreeably surprised at
the manner in which my wife is standing this, the
most trying, part of the voyage. He confessed to
me a day or two ago that when she was so sea-sick
in the Gulf Stream he feared that the voyage would
prove too much for her, and that she would require
a lot of waiting on. Later, Captain Kingdon remarked
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A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
that my wife was one woman in ten thousand who
would be happy at sea, — a remark that I entirely
agreed with. For, how many women are there,
reared in luxury, who would consent to a four or five
months' voyage ? And not only consent to it, but be
absolutely happy, even when we are not doing twenty
miles in the twenty-four hours. Besides, there are
countless inconveniences to be suffered in a sailing-
ship that women ashore have no idea of; and when
we return home again, I am sure that my wife will
be hailed as a heroine, as valiant as those of Clarke
Russell. Latitude at noon, 27° north; longitude,
40° 50' west.
July 30
The northeast Trades ! I verily believe that we
have taken them at last. Everything points to it,
for at four yesterday afternoon a light breeze came
slowly and cautiously out of the northeast as though
not sure of itself, and we at once braced the yards
in and put the ship on her course, — south-southeast.
No one can imagine the change that took place as
that dark line on the water was approaching us ;
every man held his breath for fear the coming breeze
would prove naught but a cat's paw, and we have
been deceived so often before that it did not seem
possible that the long-expected Trades had come at
length. The old skipper's face fairly shone with joy
as he said, " Mr. Ryan, brace the yards in and let
her go south-southeast;" while Mr. Ryan himself
vaulted over the poop-rail down to the main-deck,
to lend a hand at the braces. The men put their
72

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
souls into their work, and the yards came in to a
hearty chorus of " Yah-hoo, come in with her, boys,"
in marked contrast to the last fortnight, when we
trimmed the yards two or three times each watch
to every cat's paw, and the men shuffled about the
decks with leaden feet. But now all that is changed ;
the water once more danced and sparkled under the
setting sun, while this cool trade-wind, so different
from the late stagnant southwest breezes, instilled
new life and vigor into every one.
The northeast Trades, it might be well to observe,
prevail between the parallels of 7° and 30° north;
these limits are not fixed, but follow the sun, being
farthest to the south in February and to the north
in August. In the latter month it is customary to
lose the Trades in 11° north, while in February
vessels occasionally carry them to within one degree
of the equator. The southeast Trades are confined
chiefly to the Southern Hemisphere, their limits
being 3° north and 25° south, varying as do the
others, according to the season. Between the two
winds there is an almost motionless zone of atmos
phere called the Belt of Equatorial Calms ; and, as
might be supposed, this is a very trying region, as
the heat is intense and the humidity generally very
great. The Atlantic Ocean from the twenty-sixth to the
thirty-sixth parallel of north latitude — that is, that
part we have just traversed — is called the Horse Lati
tudes on account of the number of horses that used
to die there of the heat during transportation by sail
ing-vessels. The name Sargasso Sea is given to that
73

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
part of the ocean between 20° and 30° north and
the thirtieth and sixtieth meridians of west longitude.
We are on the eastern edge of the Sargasso Sea, and
are constantly passing huge, thick beds of the so-
called Gulf weed that covers its surface, whose vivid
green forms a beautiful contrast to the deep blue of
the sea.
At 10.30 last evening we had a shower and a light
squall, and " Stand by your sky-sail-halliards" was
the order of the day, or, rather, night. How grate
fully this order " Stand by your halliards" sounded
to our ears ! It showed that there really was some
wind left. For three weeks the only orders given
by the skipper were " Keep her full there," to the
helmsman, whenever the baffling airs headed us off a
little ; or, " Mr, Kelly, if the wind heads us any more,
we'H put the ship about." Therefore, when the order
came to mind the halliards, the words carried with
them an inspiring enthusiasm. Latitude, 26° 8'
north ; longitude, 40° 37' west.
July 31
When I went on deck at half-past seven this
morning the wind was much stronger, but had
shifted to east by north. A couple of hours later,
though, it went back to northeast true, and we are
now sure of the Trades. The skipper has altered
the course to southeast by east, so that, even with
the wind at northeast, we are nearly close-hauled.
It is lovely sailing, though, and we slide through the
water without perceptible motion, and heeling just
enough to bring the lee scuppers every now and
74

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
then flush with the water. The sail-makers are
hard at work on a new upper maintop-sail, though
the little mate seems to know as much if not more
about the business than either of the sail-makers.
I cannot cease wondering at the immensely long
threads the men use ; for, after thrusting the great
three-cornered needle through the canvas, they haul
on the thread hand over hand till nine or ten yards
come through before it is taut. They manage to
keep it clear from fouling, though how they can
handle such a length of thread is a mystery.
I think the skipper has a very good opinion of
the mate, though he takes very good care not to
let him see it; and really Mr. Ryan is the busiest
and handiest chief-officer I ever saw. Whatever he
does, he does with his whole soul ; and when he
jumps down to lend a hand at the braces, which he
often does, he lifts his short, little, dumpy body clear
off the deck with every heave, so fiercely does he
throw his weight into his work. In this respect he
is the antithesis of the second mate, who never lays
hold of a brace if he can help it, and who passes his
time in growling at the men, the food, and the
weather. The men haven't much respect for him,
owing to his mixing more or less with them, though
not to such an extent as the boson, who is as af
fable and genial with the foremast hands as though
he were one of them. Last evening he amused him
self by heaving rice-cakes about in the midship-
house ; the mate has long had his eye on him, and
he thought this a capital chance to swoop down
on him. So Mr. Ryan slipped very quietly into the
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A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
cabin and told the skipper that the boson didn't
seem to fancy his evening repast, and was chucking
rice-cakes at the carpenter. Captain Kingdon at
once put down his sewing and passed out on the
main-deck ; but in some unaccountable manner the
boson got wind of what was going on, and when
the skipper walked by the door of the deck-house
and looked in everything was quite serene, the
boson in the act of lighting a clay pipe.
It is curious how handy most deep-water skippers
are with the needle and thread. Of course, the
reason is to be found in the fact that they are
thrown entirely on their own resources and are
compelled to do all their own mending, etc. But
it is astonishing what skill Captain Kingdon has
acquired in the seamstress's art, and he " herring
bones" and darns as well as any woman I ever saw.
My wife's black skirt, for instance, has been the
object of attack for Pete the monkey for some time,
the entire front being reduced to a mere net- work
of slits from the monk's teeth. But Captain King
don mended it so skilfully that at a distance it looks
all right. When you do not see him pacing the
deck in the day-time, step below and you will find
him shored up in a corner of the sofa in his room
with a pile of worn-out garments in front of him,
hard at work with needle and thread.
I have just been reading, in an old copy of the
Maritime Register, of a fast run made by the
American ship " John McDonald" on her last voy
age. She left New York for Frisco on March
9, and on April 9 she was spoken in 9° south
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A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
and 31° west. Not phenomenal, yet we have been
out the same length of time and have not yet crossed
the Tropic of Cancer. Latitude, 24° 31' north;
longitude, 36° 50' west.
August 1
The Trades are not as strong as they might be,
and we made only one hundred and thirty-four miles
yesterday ; but this seems to us fast going, and every
one wears a smile. Quite a little diversion took
place to-day; and if Captain Kingdon were not a
mild-tempered man, there would have been a lively
ten minutes this morning. There is on board an
English seaman who holds a master's certificate, and
this man is what is known as a sea-lawyer; and,
being well educated in comparison with the rest of the
men, his arguments are convincing to them, and he
invents all kinds of grievances and, of course, talks or
tries to talk the men into his way of thinking. He
looks to be a sour-tempered fellow, and this forenoon
he made the most extraordinary remark to the skip
per I ever heard. We had had a shower in the
middle watch, and tubs had been placed under the
poop-deck scuppers to catch the rain-water, which
was then carried over in buckets and thrown into the
big casks lashed on either side of the mizzen-hatch
coamings. The Englishman before alluded to was
ordered to do this job ; so he went to work in his
usual slouchy way, and each time that he lifted a
bucket of water from the tub he purposely spilled
about half of it on the deck before he reached the
cask. This hadn't been going on long before it
77

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
caught the skipper's eye, and, waiting till the man
made one more trip, spilling the precious water, he
went down on the main-deck and, catching hold of
the man's shoulder, said to him, " What do you mean
by that? don't you see you're wasting the water?"
The man's answer ought to go down to posterity:
" Take care, Cap'n ; you're not on an American ship
now." Oh, ye Gods ! Think of that ! But, for the
benefit of those who may not exactly understand
what he meant, I must explain that on many Ameri
can sailing-ships the skipper resorts to various ex
pedients such as capstan-bars, iron belaying-pins, and
other persuasives in dealing with refractory men,
with the result that the discipline and obedience on a
deep-water ship flying the stars and stripes is that
of a man-of-war. Now, this jewel who answered the
skipper in such remarkable language had probably
sailed under the stars and stripes and knew whereof
he spoke ; and was also aware that Captain Kingdon
is an American sailing under the EngHsh flag, which
is a very different thing. As for the laws governing
the merchant marines of England and the United
States, I believe that they are about the same in
both countries, and I cannot account for the differ
ence in the skippers of the two nations, except that
in America the laws are not enforced as rigidly as
they are on the other side. That is, our skippers
take the law into their own hands ; often necessary
when dealing with some of the devils that ship before
the mast,
I did not hear what Captain Kingdon said to the
man who answered him as above related ; I thought,
78

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
and very naturally too, that a disturbance of con
siderable magnitude was imminent, and, not wish
ing to be a witness in a court of law to any blood
shed that might follow, I walked around the other
side of the deck-house and fell to studying the ship's
wake. I subsequently heard from the mate, whose
watch it was, that discipline was maintained after the
most approved Down East style, and that the man
with the master's ticket has awakened to the fact that,
though mild-mannered generally, Captain Kingdon
can show his teeth on occasion when necessity re
quires it.
This sort of an encounter always gives rise to
reminiscences, and the second mate, who had the
afternoon watch, spun terrific yarns of his past life,
the accounts of his personal deeds of valor being
singularly impossible, though none the less enter
taining. At about eight this morning we entered the north
tropic zone, crossing the circle of Cancer at that
hour. At noon we were in latitude 23" north; lon
gitude, 36° 10' west.
August 2
The Trades are getting lighter and the poor skipper
is in despair, particularly when he recalls that last
voyage he was making two hundred and twenty
miles a day in this locality. When he has worked
up the sight and pricked the ship's position off in
the chart, and finds how little we made in the twenty-
four hours, he looks so disappointed that I really
feel very sorry for him. 79

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
Heretofore I had always supposed that when the
skipper and mate of a vessel were waiting to catch
the sun at noon, each compared his altitude with
the other's as the sun approached the zenith, for the
sake of accuracy. But from the time Captain King
don comes up the companion-way, at twenty minutes
or thereabouts before noon, until he gruffly calls out
"eight bells" to the helmsman, not a single word
does he exchange with Mr. Ryan. Often have I seen
the mate hold the sextant to his eye three or four
minutes after the skipper had gone below, and swear
that he got 66° 28' to the "old man's" 66° 18'.
My wife and I always go into the captain's room as
soon as eight bells have gone, where we find him
bending over his work, bringing the ship's position
up from where his morning sight put her at seven
o'clock to the noon position. Then down comes
the big chart of the North Atlantic that he has used
for sixteen consecutive voyages, and he marks our
position on it by a large dot, drawing a line in ink
from yesterday's position to that of to-day, to show
the course we have made. This work over, out
comes the bottle of " Square Face," and the skipper
and I indulge in a wineglassful of Holland schnapps,
to recuperate us after the dismal reflections inci
dent to the discovery that, during the past twenty-
four hours, we averaged only five knots, or whatever
the speed may have been. At dinner, which is ready
at 12.15, the captain often says, " Where'd you put
her at noon, Mr. Ryan?" Then the mate fetches
his pad and answers "26° 18', sir." The skipper
claims that that isn't right, and then they have an
80

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
argument about altitudes and various other things,
which often ends in the mate's being right, for Cap
tain Kingdon's eyes are not the best and sometimes
his threes look like fives.
After all, though, the navigation of a vessel is one
of the smallest duties that fall on the shoulders of the
blue-water skipper. His most arduous task, it seems
to me, is in so handling the men under him that
everything shall run smoothly. This is a far more
difficult task than the average unthinking person has
any idea of But if one will give the case only a
few minutes' thought, he will see at once how hard
it must be to maintain harmony and a certain amount
of peace among twenty-five or thirty men shut up
in a small space for months at a time. The long-
voyage skipper must possess self-restraint more than
anything else, and not a single day passes but that
he has to exercise forbearance in some degree. If he
is experienced, he treats the men like children, for
their whims are sometimes childish to the last degree.
The following example shows it: A certain ship
arrived in New York not long ago from Pisagua,
after a passage of one hundred and seventeen days.
The men were a pretty good lot from all accounts,
but the skipper was more or less of a brute ; and he
and his officers hammered the men about in a shock
ing manner, laying three or four of them up in the
ship's hospital. The men swore vengeance as soon
as they should get ashore. The captain saw plainly
that things would go against him in court ; and he
ordered, to pacify them, that good plum-duff and
soft bread should be served out to the men several
6 8i

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
times during the last fortnight of the voyage ; and so
pleased were they with what they got, that never a
word did one of them utter against skipper or mates,
though many went over the side with bandaged
heads. Thus it will be seen that foremast hands are
almost childlike ; and if the various masters of square-
riggers would occasionally humor the men, without,
of course, letting them know it, nearly all the trouble
on some ships would be avoided. In nearly every ves
sel, though, there are one or more sea-lawyers, who,
if they have no cause for complaint, invent one, and
talk their shipmates into making a row. Muzzle these
devils, and most crews will be as tractable as sheep.
One often hears it said that no one ever has a cold
at sea ; but I can contradict that statement from my
own experience. It is my custom to pass an hour or
more every evening at the harmonium. The cabin
becomes very hot indeed after the lamps have been
lit, and this, added to the work of pumping the organ
with the feet, soon makes the perspiration run in
streams down one's face. A couple of evenings ago,
after one of these seances, I went over to the lee side
of the poop, and sat down where there was a tre
mendous draught out of the cross-jack. I cooled
off almost instantly, with the natural result that I
have one of the worst colds on record. Latitude,
21° 6' north; longitude, 35° 30' west.
August 3
The wind was lighter to-day, but still fair, which
means that the Trades are nothing to the eastward
of northeast. 82

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
It is singular that there are scarcely any sea-birds
about ; I thought that Mother Carey's chickens were
to be seen in all parts of the world. It is true
that at very long intervals we occasionally see one
or two of these sprightly little birds, but, generally
speaking, not a feathered creature is in sight. As
for the gulls, they left us at the Gulf Stream. I
came across a theory the other day, in a book called
" On Blue Water," as to the name of Mother Carey's
chickens ; it was this : Sailors, many years ago, used
to believe, when they saw the stormy petrels skim
ming over the waves five hundred miles from land,
that they carried their eggs and young in the feathers
under their wings, and it was therefore said that the
mother carries chickens. How true this etymology
may be it is not for me to say, yet it sounds pos
sible. Just before we left New York a friend of the mate
gave him a Httle dog, a kind of water-spaniel he
seemed to be ; for a week or so he was as well and
strong as possible, and used to stand watch with Mr.
Ryan every night, and everybody seemed to like the
little creature. By and by, though, he began to pine
away for some unknown reason, and continued to
grow worse until it became apparent that the only
way to ease his sufferings was to shoot him or heave
him over the side. The mate hated to do it, but,
seeing that it was the best thing to do, he put him
into a gunny sack with a couple of links of old
chain, and just before breakfast this morning dropped
him gently over the lee side, the chain-links sinking
the bag at once out of sight. I am very much afraid
83

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
that the captain's setter will follow suit before we get
to the line, for he continues to waste away, and is so
thin as to be almost transparent. He and Pete are
the best sort of friends, and, weak as poor Bang is,
he always has strength enough for a five minutes'
riot with the monk. The latter keeps wonderfully
well, and is the Hfe of the whole ship. He hasn't
managed to slip his chain yet, but when he does get
adrift he'll show the men how to go aloft in the most
approved fashion. Latitude, 19° 17' north; longi
tude, 34° 10' west.
August 4
This was a cloudy, somewhat chilly day, and the
first one to be overcast since we left the Gulf Stream.
But this is the rainy season in the West Indies, and,
though we are fifteen hundred miles to the eastward
of those islands, yet I should think that the same
meteorological conditions hold good here. We have
been making fairly good progress, yet not so good
by half as we should have done.
After watching several men at the wheel upon
several occasions, I have come to the conclusion
that as soon as a man grasps the spokes to stand his
trick at the wheel he becomes at once a piece of
machinery. He never seems to pay the least atten
tion to what he is doing, from the time he takes the
course from the man he relieves, till he growls out
" Southeast by east" to him whose next turn it is to
grind water for two hours. I have seen Carson rest
his face (when the officer of the watch was busy on
the main-deck) on his hand that grasped one of the

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
spokes, and remain in that position for minutes at a
time, his mind apparently thousands of miles away.
Then he shifts his position slightly, glances into the
compass-bowl with the same vacant expression, and
then again relapses into unconsciousness. When this
had been going on upon one occasion for half an
hour, while Mr. Ryan was helping to cut out a patch
for the inner jib, I stepped to the standard compass
expecting to find the ship at least a point off her
course ; but I was astonished to see that she was no
more than a degree out, — in other words, practically
upon her course. If the man's face was an indication
of his mind, his thoughts were anywhere but on the
ship ; and yet during that time he had been steering
with almost perfect accuracy, never varying probably
more than two degrees. I have also watched the
men steering in light weather, when the ship was on
'the wind and a light swell running. Now', it is difficult
to tell whether the weather leeches are shaking from
being too close or from the send of the ship as she
goes into a sea. But a man like Carson, and one or
two of the others as well, will, if they can, doze through
their tricks, waking up every five minutes or so long
enough to glance at the mizzen-sky-sail and alter the
helm a spoke or two, and then return again to castle-
building. The mate often clatters noisily down the
forward companion-way on dark nights, and then in a
few minutes stealthily returns and looks at the stand
ard compass; but so far he has failed to catch one
of the men off his course. Our speed is not more
than six knots on the average, instead of eight or
nine, and perhaps ten, if the ship were clean. At
85

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
noon we were in latitude i8° north; longitude, 32°
44' west.
Sunday, August 5
Five weeks at sea to-day, and, from the present
prospects, our chances of being five months on the
voyage are exceptionally good. I am going to give
the " Mandalore" one hundred and forty days to Cal
cutta, and doubt not but that I will hit pretty near
the mark. Personally, I would just as soon be two
hundred and forty as one hundred and forty, but I
dare say I'm alone in that sentiment.
We were in the latitude of Dominica to-day, and
the heavens at night are beginning to show evidence
that we are approaching the low latitudes, Ursa
Major, the Pole Star, and other constellations and
stars of this hemisphere are sinking low in the
northern sky; while the Southern-Cross must be
visible, though we have not yet been able to see it,
owing to a heavy bank of clouds that at night shrouds
the southern-sea line. In Nassau, where I have
spent many winters, numbers of people at the Royal
Victoria Hotel rise at three in the morning and
climb up into the cupola, whence it is said that the
Cross is visible between three and four o'clock,
although the latitude of Nassau is 25° 5' north.
Sea-captains insist that the Cross is visible nowhere
north of the twenty-first parallel ; I never have seen
it from the hotel in Nassau, and I believe the mariners
are right.
A painful accident happened to the carpenter this
forenoon. He was doing some work in the store-
86

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
room, which is right in the stem abaft the com
panion-way, making some wooden bins for flour and
sugar, when a heavy chisel slipped off one of the
bins and fell with its razor-like edge on the ankle-
bone of Chips's left foot. As he was bare-footed, he
didn't have the protection of even thin shoes, and
the chisel cut right into the bone, chipping off a piece
about the size of one's finger-nail. Chips is a very
agreeable sort of fellow, and I was almost as sorry
for the accident as he was ; fortunately, we have at
least three weeks more of warm weather ahead of us,
so that there will be no necessity for his wearing
shoes until the wound has healed up; but it has
knocked him out, so to speak, and he is in his bunk.
Chips seems to be a cut above the other men who
bunk with him in the midship-house. His mates are
the cook, boson, and the two boys. He is a Nor
wegian, very taciturn, and somewhat pock-marked.
Wonderful to tell, he sleeps on good clean sheets ;
the only ones in the ship outside of the cabin. A
very comfortable steamer-chair that he put together
bears evidence of his ingenuity, and all day on Sun
day he may be found lying in it at full length, read
ing, of which pastime he seems immoderately
fond. We made but little yesterday, and at noon to-day
we were in latitude i6° 19' north ; longitude, 33° 28'
west.
August 6
This morning was a glorious one, with a fine breeze
and bright sunshine. Yesterday the sun was directly
S7

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
overhead, so that there was no shadow cast by any
thing at all at noon. Twice a year, about the twenty-
third of September and the twenty-first of March,
the sun crosses the line and commences his southerly
or northerly declination, inclining towards the north
from March to September, or during our summer
months. On these dates the sun on the equator at
noon is ninety degrees from the horizon, or at the
zenith, and there is then, of course, no shadow cast
from anything. Between the two dates above men
tioned the sun is advancing half of the time, till it
reaches an angle of 23° 28' (which it reaches on
June 21, making the longest day in the year, the
shortest being the corresponding date in December,
when the sun's declination is towards the south), and
then again recedes till it once more stands perpen
dicularly over the line, and farther until it is over
head at the Tropic of Capricorn. Our declination at
noon yesterday was approximately seventeen degrees,
and, as our latitude was about 16° 20', there was so
httle difference between the two that there was no
visible shadow thrown by anything at the noon hour.
If this were November 6 instead of A-ugust 6, we
would have the sun inclining towards the south
seventeen degrees instead of the 'iiorth, and it would
have been necessary for us to be on the seventeenth
parallel of south latitude in order to have the sun
overhead at mid-day.
At one this afternoon the wind freshened a bit and
blew from east-northeast, giving us about eight knots,
which would mean eleven if the ship were clean.
Latitude, 14° 15' north; longitude, 32° west.
88

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
August 7
This was another magnificent day, with a fine strong
breeze over the quarter from northeast. How grand
it is to rush over the water like this, with every sail
rounded out hard and motionless as though carved
out of stone, each one drawing to the utmost ! The
" Mandalore" is under all possible sail, and must
present a splendid appearance a third of a mile
away. Quite a little excitement arose this morning when,
with a loud crack, the stick of wood to which the
fishing-line is secured snapped in two. The skipper
thought it was an albicore or something that would
be edible, and at once visions of messes of fresh
boiled fish arose and appeared unto us. But, lo ! it
was a wretched shark, and not much of a one at that.
He was quite large enough, though, to severely cut
two of my fingers, as I endeavored to coax him along
with the cod-line. We got him up under the coun
ter by skilful manipulation, and then the skipper
made a gallant effort to fasten him with the harpoon ;
but the weapon either turned aside or bent double
against the hard, leathery hide. At length we per
suaded him up abreast of the mizzen-shrouds, and
the skipper, diving suddenly down the companion-
way, reappeared almost instantly with a thirty-eight-
calibre Winchester rifle, and put three big chunks of
lead into him, and the steward three more with an
old revolver. Then a running bow-Hne was passed
over his tail, and Mr. Shark was hoisted aboard with
many acclamations of joy from the men; for all
sailors exhibit the most insane delight at the capture
89

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
of one of these blood-hounds of the sea. Three
little suckers were sticking to the shark, but they let
go in a minute, and went wriggling about the deck,
giving us an excellent chance to examine them.
They are small, scaleless fish about a foot long, and
present no unusual appearance until you turn one
over on its back, when you will see that the ventral
fins are united into a corrugated, circular, concave
disc, which acts as a sucker and enables them to
cling with astonishing power to any object. I fancy
that a shark's skin, being rough like fine sand-paper,
affords an excellent holding-ground for suckers, as it
was necessary to use great strength to detach one
from the shark's side. We cut the latter's stomach
open to see what its contents were, and found it
absolutely empty, — a fact that accounted for the
shark's taking the hook while we were moving at so
smart a gait through the water ; for these beasts, as a
general rule, will not even smell a lump of pork-fat
if it is towing faster than a mile or so an hour.
Before we came to sea I made a business of read
ing up in the " Encyclopedia Britannica" all the in
formation I could get of the shark tribe, and was
astonished to find that one hundred and fifty different
species are recognized by ichthyologists ! The
family is divided, I suppose for convenience, into
littoral and pelagic sharks, meaning those that are
found close to the shore and those that inhabit the
deep solitudes of the open sea. The former, as
might be expected, are much smaller than their deep-
sea brethren, and are generally five or six feet long.
Perhaps the handsomest of the whole tribe is the
90

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
tiger-shark of the Indian Ocean ; it is from twelve
to fifteen feet in length and is a sort of yellowish
brown in color, with a number of dark-brown, well-
defined bands running around the body. The species
is easily distinguished by its long, pliable tail, which
is half the length of the whole animal. Everybody
who has been off soundings has seen the common
blue shark ; it is by far the commonest of the species,
and all those that we have caught have been of this
kind. They vary greatly in size, from six to twenty
feet in length, according to locality. The largest of
all the tribe is the great basking-shark of the Indo-
Pacific Ocean. It is positively known to attain a
length of fifty feet, and it is probable that they exceed
that figure. Very few specimens have ever been
taken ; in fact, there are only five basking-sharks
whose size has been accurately and authentically
determined. One was captured near the Cape of
Good Hope, two near the Seychelles, in the Indian
Ocean, one on the coast of California, and one on
the Peruvian coast. It is thought that sharks do
not descend farther than three hundred fathoms.
We made fine progress yesterday, and to-day we
were in latitude ll° 39' north; longitude, 31° 30'
west.
August 8
Last evening we had heavy rain for two hours and
filled two casks for washing purposes, as we never
drink the rain-water ; nor is it ever given to the crew
unless the tank-water shows signs of giving out.
We went to sea with six thousand gallons of excel-
91

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
lent water (croton-water, I fancy) in two large gal-
vanized-iron tanks built into the ship in an upright
position. This water is used entirely fore and aft,
each man's allowance being three quarts per day for
all purposes ; the water for the cabin is not restricted,
though of course no one would waste even a wine-
glassful. It is a curious fact that all sailors, from
'prentices to captains, never leave a morsel of food
on their plates when they have finished a meal, and
they always drink every drop of water they have
poured out. I am speaking now with reference to the
skipper and the two mates. They never put more on
their plates or in their tumblers than they can stow
away, and the former shine from the universal habit
sailors have of swabbing up whatever gravy and
juices may be left on their plates with pieces of bread.
At three this morning we had a squall from south
east and took in the sky-sails for it, and at six we
tacked ship with the wind at south. It is dreadful
to think of, but we fear we've lost the Trades. They
carried us through fifteen degrees of latitude and we
expected to lose them in about io° north. For the
ensuing week, though it may not be so long, we must
expect light southwesterly winds and calms until we
take the southeast Trades, three or four degrees north
of the equator. We are now on the northern edge of
the great Belt of Equatorial Calms, the most dis
agreeable region in the north or south Atlantic,
where tremendous thunder-storms and frequent
heavy rain-squalls are met with. When once a ship
has passed through the six or seven degrees of lati
tude that at this season separate the northeast and
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A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
southeast Trades, she has experienced the last light
weather she is likely to have till she loses the south
east Trades in the Indian Ocean if she is bound to the
East; for the southeast trade-wind in the Atlantic
is generally fairly strong and sometimes very strong,
so that a ship close hauled has as much canvas as
she can carry under a maintop-gallant.
It sometimes happens that during July, August,
or September a hurricane will descend upon this
part of the ocean, although as a general thing they
do not extend so far to the eastward. In August,
1878, however, a hurricane started near the thirty-
fifth meridian and the fifteenth parallel, and, sweeping
in a northwesterly direction with tremendous vio
lence, passed between Bermuda and Hatteras, and
then off to the northeast, expending itself on the
Newfoundland Banks. The time occupied in the
passage of this celebrated hurricane from a position
fifteen hundred miles to the eastward of Guadeloupe
to Cape Race was fourteen days, or from August
14 to 28. Latitude at noon, 10° 42' north ; longi
tude, 31° 7' west.
August 9
The weather has grown sultry and hot. We have
it 83° in our room at night now, which I ascertained
by the light of a match, so that the lamp could not
affect the thermometer. Many will say that they
have experienced a greater heat than this, but it is
the terrible humidity and suffocating closeness of
the air that are so overpowering. Besides, 83° in
one's bedroom ashore, where the dampness is not
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A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
comparatively great, would keep most people awake
nearly all night. Why we have no thunder-storms
is to me very odd, as this seems just the right
weather for them. For the heavens are covered
with thick, dark clouds, some of them very alarming
to look at ; while a gray, vapor-like, thin smoke
hangs over the sea-line. As it is growing hotter
every hour, I cannot but think it will end in a violent
thunder-squall. Several times lately I have heard the seaman with
the master's license, who made the disturbance with
the water the other day, whistling airs from grand
operas with considerable taste. So this evening,
when I noticed that he was standing abreast of the
galley with his arms on the rail, apparently studying
the sky to windward, I went up to him and asked
him if he were a musician. When he told me that
he was it did not surprise me, for no one but a mu
sician would whistle airs from " Aida" and " Tann
hauser." He told me, further, that when he was
a young man he used to spend all his spare money,
when he was in any great city, in going to hear the
best music in the place ; and in those days he was
considered a good violinist for a man who could not
devote much time to the art. This evening, while
he is doing his trick at the wheel, I am going to
play some of "Don Giovanni" and the "Magic
Flute" on the harmonium and ask him to-morrow
if he knows them.
What a pity it is to see an educated man like this
doing the work of a foremast hand ! It is, of course,
the old, gray-bearded yarn about rum. At least, I
94

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
suppose it is, for I can imagine nothing else that
could sink a man from master to seaman in the
British merchant service. What must his thoughts
be as he glances at the poop and thinks " I used to
be there pacing the weather side instead of tearing
my finger-nails off furling the sails for every squall,
— in absolute command of all I saw ; a monarch who
could do no wrong; powerful as a Russian czar!" I
often watch him as he dreams out his watch below,
generally sitting on deck with his legs stretched out
in front of him, his back against the forecastle-house,
gazing out over the side at the horizon, perhaps plot
ting some sinister scheme ; for, as I remarked before,
he is a sea-lawyer.
Dan, the English boy, got a taste of a rope's end
this afternoon, as he is addicted to stopping in his
work on the poop to skylark with Pete, the monkey.
Once a week all the brasswork on the poop is pol
ished, and when the work is done the " Mandalore"
has quite a yacht-like appearance, the binnacle-hoods,
ship's bell, cabin-door knobs, and the caps on the
wheel-spokes shining away like little suns. It was
while the unfortunate Dan was supposed to be pol
ishing the hood of the standard compass that the
hawk-eye of Mr. Ryan perceived the unsuspecting
youth teasing Pete with a bit of spun-yarn. The
mate said nothing, but passed through the forward
companion-way into the cabin, picking up as he went
an old, worn-out becket that lay near a water-cask.
He reappeared again via the after companion-way so
noiselessly that the first indication Dan had of his
presence was the swish of the short, hard piece of
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A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
rope just before it descended upon his jacket. Dan
ejected a yell of agony, cleared the big cabin-sky
light at a single leap, made a dive for the forward
companion-way, but missed his footing and bumped
in a sitting posture down the brass-bound steps lead
ing to the main- deck; and just as he reached the
bottom he was saluted on the side of his face with
a coil of cod-line that the mate had spied on the
wheel-grating. Although this sounds somewhat
bloodthirsty, the whole affair was most amusing;
particularly as Dan is an exceedingly fat and lazy
individual, and it was the only occasion on which I
ever saw him exhibit the least degree of vivacity in
his movements.
We made scarcely any southing yesterday ; indeed,
at noon to-day we found ourselves only forty-two
miles nearer the equator than we were yesterday.
Our position at noon was : Latitude, io° north ; longi
tude, 30° 15' west.
August 10
It rained all this afternoon in tremendous down
pours, with an almost total absence of wind. In con
sequence, the rain found its way again through our
closed port and once more transformed our floor into
a diminutive pond. The discomfort of this can only
be imagined by those who have themselves experi
enced it. If the floor were only varnished, the water
could be mopped up as fast as it ran in ; but as it is
of soft pine, it absorbs water like a sponge. I no
ticed the fact of our floor being unvarnished before
we left New York; but Captain Kingdon was so
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A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
kind to us in other ways that I did not hke to ask
him to have the floor of this, the mate's, room shel
lacked. The water might have continued to percolate
in for an indefinite length of time had I not hit upon
a plan to stop it. Underneath the rim of the port is
a wooden V, at the apex of which is a hole through
which the water that finds its way in is supposed to
run and escape through proper channels on to the
main-deck. But these channels were not in order ;
so I fitted a cork tightly in the hole, put a soft towel
in the V to absorb the moisture as it trickled in, and
lo ! thenceforward we had a dry floor. Of course,
if by chance we should neglect to wring the towel
out every two or three hours, the result would be
disastrous ; for the water, now that the proper vent
is plugged up, would overflow the V and run down
into our bunk, which is immediately under the port.
As a matter of fact, though, we have several times
ere this reposed on moist sheets, as it is almost im
possible to remember to jump below and close your
ports for every spit of rain.
The eating on board is still of the same standard
it was a month ago, and in that line, and indeed in
all others, there is nothing to complain of The four
little pigs are growing very rapidly, and are getting
along famously. Two or three times a week the
door of their pen — or cage, more properly — is opened
during the morning watch, and with the most blood
curdling shrieks and yells the little porkers tumble
out for a scramble on the main-deck. What with
the crowing and cackling of the fowls and the cries
of the pigs, one's mind goes back to the barn-yard,
7 97

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
and all that is needed in the way of farm-yard noises
is the lowing of cattle. The men have a merry run
when they undertake to capture the pigs after their
hour of recreation is passed. It takes all hands and
the cook to catch one, for they have the greatest
faculty for slipping out of narrow corners and through
one's legs at the critical moment. Once a week a
shovelful of soft coal is thrown to the pigs, in chunks
the size of potatoes, and the way they fight for it is
a caution. Landsmen will find it hard to beHeve, but
it is none the less true, that in three or four minutes
not a vestige of the coal remains in the pen. I fancy
that the pigs eat it for the same reason that fowls
ashore eat sand and gravel.
Our leathery chickens still continue to furnish us
with wholly indigestible food, and we all of us dread
Sundays and Thursdays. On these days the really
tempting-looking birds are placed on the table before
the captain at noon. He always looks sad when the
creature is brought in, for he knows he has ten or
fifteen minutes' hard work before him. It takes him
some time before he can insert the fork into the piti
less bosom, and at length, after ten minutes of stab
bing, hacking, and wrenching, the unyielding bird is
rent asunder, while the skipper sits down, breathing
hard and quite red in the face from the exercise.
The only edible part of the bird is a small piece on
each side of the breast-bone, the rest bearing more
resemblance to lignunt-vitce than chicken.
We still continue to make very little headway
through the water, and to-day's sights put us in lati
tude 9° 33' north; longitude, 29° west.
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A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
August ii
Rain ! rain ! ! rain ! ! ! The skipper says he never
saw so much in this part of the ocean. And truly
to be in a downpour like that of this forenoon was a
remarkable experience. It is also rather strange that
we have sighted no vessels lately, although this is
just the locality where so many are reported in the
New York Herald.
Last night in the middle watch, at about half-past
two, I heard a terrible din coming from the mate's
room. He exploded in several demoniacal yells that
split the air like a knife, and I thought he was in
mortal combat with one of the men. This belief was
for a time confirmed by blows descending with great
force upon various parts of the wood-work, and I
remembered the short, loaded club that Mr. Ryan
keeps behind his door for refractory seamen. The
combat seemed to deepen, and for five minutes there
was a perfect whirlwind of blows. Suddenly all was
still. I listened for some minutes, but, hearing nothing
further, I dropped off to sleep. At breakfast, as the
mate was helping himself to a double portion of
burgoo and molasses, he said to Captain Kingdon,
"Did you hear me killin' the rat last night, sir?"
The skipper looked at him with open mouth, so sur
prised that all he could say was, " Well, I'm damned."
" Yes, sir," continued the mate ; " one ran into me
room through the air-space over the door, and I
killed it with me club." " So I should think, from
the noise," quoth the skipper.
I am now far enough advanced to give my wife
lessons in the simpler branches of navigation, which I
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A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
do every morning about ten. She finds the different
sailings very hard to separate from each other, and
constantly confuses Mercator's with Middle Latitude
sailing. She can work a traverse table all right,
though, and work a noon sight, and when the horizon
is clear she can catch the sun and bring it down to
the horizon without any difficulty.
When I work up the ship's position every day I
always use " 89° 48' " in computing latitude instead
of laboriously figuring out the corrections for dip,
parallax, and refraction, the 12' generally subtracted
by merchant-skippers from 90° being so close to
what the absolute correction would be as to give
satisfactory results. Should a professor of nautical
astronomy happen upon the foregoing, I can fancy
how he throws up his hands in horror at such naviga
tion ; but, in my opinion, a simple method that one
can utilize without reference to an epitome or a book
of tables, that will put the ship nearly always within
one mile of her true position, is sufficiently accurate.
I have never known the error caused by using 89°
48' to be more than a mile and a half, and have often
found it to be less than half a mile out ; once the two
methods worked out exactly the same. On board a
man-of-war for the sake of discipline, or on a coast-
survey steamer looking for an uncharted ledge or
reef, it seems to me are the only cases where the
absolutely accurate and lengthy method would be of
much use. I have known people to say, " Why, how
can a man navigate inteUigently without knowing
what dip, parallax, and refraction mean ?" The
answer to that is very simple: they (the skippers)
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A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
generally don't navigate intelligently. By that I
mean that they don't know the mathematical reasons
for what they are doing ; and many of the men com
manding American long-voyage ships could not
define any one of the three words given above, and
probably never heard of a spherical triangle, though
they solve one every time they work out a longitude
sight, but not, it is scarcely necessary to say, by
trigonometry. In Great Britain the examination for master is a
very difficult one, and when a man takes command
of an English ship he understands navigation
thoroughly in a practical way, but not scientifically ;
and he is a man of many resources. For instance :
If he fails to get a noon observation, he finds his lati
tude by an ex-meridian or at night by the observa
tion of a planet. Or, if for some reason he misses
both his A.M. and p.m. sights, he computes his longi
tude by sunrise and sunset contacts or by equal
altitudes. Now, generally the American deep-water
skipper is ignorant of any one of these four methods ;
all that he uses is the day's work, latitude at noon,
and longitude by the ordinary sights and Sumner's
method ; the latter is a very useful process of finding
the ship's position, especially when the latitude by
dead-reckoning cannot be relied upon. It is an
American invention or discovery, and is gradually
being more and more used in England.
One does not have to look far to find the reason
why the average American skipper does not know
as much navigation as the Englishman. It lies in
the fact that, by some extraordinary means, no ex-
lOI

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
amination is necessary in the United States before a
man takes command of a sailing-vessel, whether she
is a clam-sloop or the finest square-rigger under the
flag ! In other words, anybody who had never even
seen the ocean can, if the owners and underwriters
are willing, command any sailing-vessel under the
Stars and Stripes ! In the case of steamers it is dif
ferent ; a rigid examination takes place before a man
can go in command of a steamer, big or little ; and
why the same law doesn't exist relative to sailing-
vessels is altogether beyond me. It will be seen,
then, that the American ship-master is not to blame
if he doesn't understand as many branches of navi
gation as the English skippers, for he has to scull
around and pick up what he can from time to time
before he finally is given a ship.
But that what he knows is really sufficient is shown
by the fact that for the last fifty years the fastest
long-voyage passages have been made by American
ships ; and in nearly every instance, of one of our
ships and an Englishman leaving a given port for
one on the other side of the world, the American
has arrived first. It is in seamanship and judgment
in carrying sail that the Yankee skipper has no equal.
In moments of real danger, the tighter he is squeezed,
the cooler he grows. As, for instance, if it is neces
sary to wear ship in a heavy gale, no one can judge
better than he just when to put the wheel up ; or, if
his vessel is dismasted, the Yankee can clear away
the wreck and send his new spars and yards aloft so
quickly that foreigners open their eyes in astonish
ment, simply because of his inborn knowledge of
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A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
seamanship. To this knowledge is ascribed the fast
passages made across the Western Ocean by the
American clippers years ago, before the days of the
California gold-fever. England did not at that time
own a single line of packet ships between Liverpool
and New York, and the trade of the Western Ocean,
and, indeed, of the world, was carried in American
ships. On one occasion, a large firm in Liverpool,
James Baines & Co., actually contracted for a number
of ships with Donald McKay, of Boston, for the Aus
tralian trade. Fancy England ordering ships in this
country now ! Our fast-sailing ships culminated, as
it were, in the " Dreadnought," of Newburyport,
commanded by the famous Samuel Samuels. She
was driven harder probably than any ship that ever
floated, especially at night, when, if any forcing was
to be done, Samuels never left the deck from dark
till daylight. To this he ascribed his fast passages,
carrying on to such an extent, yet judiciously withal,
that the " Dreadnought" was called by sailors the
" wild boat of the Atlantic." She was never passed in
anything over a four-knot breeze, and her record
from Sandy Hook to Daunt's Rock was nine days
fourteen hours ; another record of hers was ten hun
dred and eighty knots in 72 hours, — just fifteen knots
an hour for three days. Latitude at noon, 8° 46'
north ; longitude, 28° 30' west.
Sunday, August 12
Six weeks at sea to-day, and we are yet seven de
grees from the line. There is a fresh breeze from
south-southwest, though, and we are making good
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A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
southeast quarter east, going six knots by the wind.
Gracious, how it rained last night between eight and
9.30! It was squally, too, and the sky-sails were
stowed early in the evening. Still, through all the
rain my port invention stood the test, and I am cer
tain that from now on we will have a dry floor.
The second mate had as narrow an escape as most
men ever experience, late this afternoon. We had a
shift of wind very suddenly in a squall in the second
dog-watch, which set the canvas slatting about like
mad. Some time during the afternoon a watch-
tackle had been clapped on to the main-tack to haul
it taut, and, as some of the men (among whom was
the second mate) were running aft to lend a hand at
the after-braces, poor old Kelly was struck full in the
chest by the watch-tackle block, which was thrashing
about like a demon possessed. It laid the second
mate flat on his back before he knew what had struck
him ; and as he was quite insensible when picked up,
we thought that his breast-bone had been crushed,
and that the poor old man had stood his last watch.
Three of the hands carried him into his bunk, where,
after an examination by the captain, it was found
that no bones had been broken, but he had been so
completely knocked out that several minutes yet
elapsed before he came to. He won't be fit for duty
for three or four days at least, and he suffers great
pain, being able to get no rest ; had the block struck
him in the face or head, he would have been instantly
killed. On fore-and-aft schooners one often hears
of people being knocked down by one of the booms
flying across the deck, but it cannot be compared with
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A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
the foregoing accident ; for a large spar is not nearly
so deadly as a block flying about the decks at the
clew of a big square-sail, as the blocks generally in
use as purchases aboard ship would literally flatten a
man's head. In the mean time, until the second mate
recovers, the skipper will have to stand his watch, as
the boson is entirely unfit to do it.
The uninitiated will be surprised to hear that since
we left New York the log has not once been put
overboard; it seldom or never is on long-voyage
ships. The reason is that the skipper and officers
can, from long practice, estimate the speed very
closely. The mate is the best hand I ever saw at
the business, for he is so accurate in judging of the
ship's speed that the dead-reckoning never differs
more than two miles from the results obtained by
observation, unless there has been a current of the
existence of which he was ignorant. And so, strange
as it may appear to landsmen, who have all their
lives heard of " heaving the log," and what an im
portant event it used to be when the log-line in the
old days was paid out over the stern, one of the
officers standing by with the sand-glass in his hand, —
strange as it may seem, I say, neither that old-fash
ioned but accurate device for ascertaining the ship's
speed nor the comparatively new patent taffrail log
is ever put overboard from a vessel on a long voyage
unless on some special occasion. Coasters, of course,
use the taffrail log continuously, and so do most
steamers, — coasters as well as transatlantic.
This is the first unpleasant Sunday we have had
since leaving New York ; in the afternoon the rain
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A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
ceased, but we got no sight. So we gave her ninety
miles of southing and two degrees of easting, which
put us in latitude 7° 50' north; longitude, 26° 20'
west.
August 13
Not so much rain has fallen in the last twenty-four
hours, yet I cannot think the precipitation was less
than two and a half inches. We have a nice little
breeze that is shoving us through the water at six
knots, and we are heading southeast by east; but
even so, I think we will be fifty days to the line.
My wife dropped a letter overboard to-day in a
bottle, and we are wondering and estimating what
will be its drift and where it will be picked up, if it
ever is. Reference to the current-chart to-day
showed that we are in the great equatorial current
flowing northwest; so that our letter ought to be
washed up on one of the Windward Islands. This
equatorial current is a stupendous affair, and, accord
ing to our chart, seems to take origin in the Malacca
Straits, flows in a northwesterly direction, following
the coast-line of India ; then flows southwest, pass
ing between Madagascar and Africa and around
Cape Agulhas, receiving the name of the Agulhas
Current. Thence it flows northwest, crosses the
line in the Atlantic where we are now, and then
into the Caribbean Sea, and so into the Gulf of
Mexico, whence it issues forth between Florida and
Cuba under the weU-known name of Gulf Stream,
finally losing itself on the Norwegian coast. Thus,
it extends in an unbroken line half-way round the
106

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
globe, receiving different names in different local
ities. I shaved off my mustache yesterday, and when I
went on deck where the monkey was he chattered
away for some minutes, staring hard at me with a
very puzzled look, trying to make out what was the
matter with me. When I went close to him, though,
the intelligent imp immediately put his hands on my
upper lip, showing that he knew very well what the
trouble was. It was surprising to observe so great
a power of thinking in a little animal. I have not
given a description of Pete ; so I'll devote a few lines
to the little fellow forthwith. In the first place, he
is not one of the mangy, moth-eaten, pitiful-looking
animals with a prehensile tail that hail from South
America and are carried about by organ-grinders.
On the contrary, he is a very handsome beast of
rather large size, with a beautiful thick coat of hair
of a slightly greenish tinge, so that he is sometimes
called the Green Monkey. Senegal, in West Africa,
is his native land, and scientists call his breed Cerco-
pithecus callithrichus, the last word signifying " beau
tiful hair." The captain says he is the finest-looking
of all the monkeys he has ever seen, and the old
skipper is very fond of him. Mr. Kelly, the second
mate, seems utterly unable to resist teasing Pete;
whenever he has the watch on deck he is continually
making passes at him and trying to pinch the end
of his tail. Pete generally manages to sink his
teeth once in old Kelly's hand during a watch, and on
more than one occasion I have seen blood trickling
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Captain Kingdon seems determined not to be
jammed off Cape St. Roque, and for the past two
days we have made a great deal of easting. At noon
to-day we were in latitude 7° -20' north; longitude,
24° 10' west.
August 14
This is the first day on which we have had a sight
since Saturday the eleventh, and it put us a good
many miles to the northward of where we thought
we were. Instead of being south of the fifth parallel
as we supposed, our noon sight put us north of the
sixth. We must have had a very strong current
against us, and our error shows how deceptive and
unreliable dead-reckoning is. Alas ! the poor skip
per! When he found that he was more than a
degree north of where his dead-reckoning put him,
he was in a bad humor for several hours, and quite
inconsolable ; and, to add to his misery, the main-
sky-sail spHt, some time during the middle watch, in
a heavy south-southeast squall. At nine this morn
ing we wore ship, as she would not have come head
to wind with the southerly sea that is running ; it is
heavier than any we have had since we left the Gulf
Stream, and we are four points off our course, head
ing southwest. It seems strange to me that we are
so far to the eastward, as most of the ships spoken
in the Herald near the line are close to the thirtieth
meridian; perhaps the skipper expects the south
east Trades to be well to the southward, and, as I
said before, he wants to avoid all risk of getting
jammed off San Roque. If the Trades force a
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A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
vessel over on the Brazilian coast so that she has to
tack ship and stand away to the eastward, it often
delays the ship for weeks ; so that it pays to always
keep well to the eastward as long as you can. One
hundred and ninety miles northeast of San Roque is
the island or, more correctly, group of islands called
Fernando de Noronha. It is the penal settlement of
Brazil, and usually has about two thousand convicts
employed chiefly in cultivating the soil. The surface
of the islands is very rugged and abounds in hills
six hundred feet high, one peak rising to an altitude
of one thousand feet. Stores, mails, and convicts are
carried by steamer twice a month to and from Per
nambuco. Vessels bound to the southward often
make Ferdinand Noronha, as sailors always call it;
but skippers don't like to see it, as it means that they
are too far to the westward, the group lying in 32°
30' west.
We had an amusing diversion on the poop this
afternoon, when my wife brought Nails, the cat, on
deck for the first time since the voyage began, as it
will be remembered how affectionate Pete was with
it when we were lying off Staten Island. Well, this
afternoon we thought some fresh air would do the
cat good ; so my wife brought him up and put him
on the opposite side of the skylight from the monk.
By and by my wife went below, and, as she disap
peared down the companion-way. Bang, the dog,
stuck his head over the break of the poop and, sur
mising at once that the cat was his natural enemy,
proceeded to make things lively for it. He made a
rush at the cat, which the latter artfully avoided by
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A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
dodging round the companion-house ; but in doing
so projected himself head-on into the monkey, who
was coming at full speed around the corner to see
what the row was about. Pete recovered himself
first, being the heavier, and in a second had Nails
pinned to the deck, while the dog, seeing that Nails
was in good hands, hauled off and looked on. Then,
for the space of one minute, the air was rent with
piercing yells from the cat, while the two animals,
both as quick as lightning, literally buzzed around
the deck, clawing, biting, and spitting like a thousand
devils. So great was the noise of combat that, in the
thickest of the battle, those of the watch who were
on deck stood up on the main-hatch to view the
fight. As for the man at the wheel, his face grew
purple with laughter that he could not suppress, and
he fell off the grating that he was standing on, in
spite of the skipper, who was an interested spectator
too. At last we rescued the unhappy cat, who spent
the rest of the day smoothing out his ruffled fur and
temper. Latitude, 6° 40' north ; longitude, 22° 30'
west.
August 15
More rain than ever. It comes down in apparently
solid, slanting columns of water, and actually hisses
as it falls into the sea. All our casks, buckets, and
tubs are full, and the men now get no water from
the tanks at all, using the rain-water for all purposes,
the deck-houses, etc., having been so well washed
off that the water is perfectly clear as it runs into
the tubs. Yesterday afternoon the lee main-sky-
IIO

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
sail-sheet parted, and shortly afterward the fore- and
mizzen-sky-sails were stowed, the weather being
squally. The rain is absolutely incessant, and I
marvel that the proportion of salt in the ocean
doesn't change with all the rain that falls in the
Tropic Zone.
My wife is busy writing letters. Why, I cannot
imagine; perhaps she thinks there's a post-box at
the equator. At any rate, she passes a couple of
hours two or three times a week writing very long
epistles to various members of her family and her most
intimate friends, describing minutely nearly every
thing that has happened to us since we came to sea.
She makes everything very rosy in her letters, and so
indeed the voyage is to us ; but I am pretty certain
that her friends, to say nothing of her family, would
see it in a different light if they were here in our
place. I think my wife feels the absence of fresh
fruit and vegetables more than anything else; and
while we have a great variety of tinned vegetables
which to a certain extent take the place of fresh
ones, there is no substitute for fresh, juicy fruit. It
is fortunate for me that I generally live on bread and
meat and potatoes ashore, all of which I can get
here, except that, of course, the meat is tinned too.
A great addition to our larder will be our first pig,
which, of course, will not be killed till cold weather.
While the skipper was overhauling a locker the
other day, he came across a jar of the most deHcious
preserves I ever tasted. It is called chow-chow;
though it must not be supposed that, on account of
its name, it bears any resemblance to the chow-chow
III

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
of commerce. On the contrary, it seems to consist
of pieces of citron and small tropical fruits, preserved
in a very thick, sweet syrup similar to that of Canton
ginger ; and as the chow-chow is put up in exactly
the same sort of stone jars with wicker handles, it
might be very readily taken for ginger until you had
proved, by tasting, that it was very different. I have
never seen this chow-chow in America, and I should
think that it might be sold there at a large profit;
particularly as I am told that it is one of the cheap
est articles of food in China. I shall certainly take
home a dozen jars of it when we leave India. Lati
tude at noon, 6° .06' nprth ; longitude, 20° 35' west.
August 16
We have a fairly good breeze from the southward,
which commenced a little after noon. Made good
southing previously, and in my judgment will cross
the equator on Sunday. We expect the wind to
back into the southeast Trades before to-morrow, as
we ought to take them near the fifth parallel. There
is an immense amount of phosphorescence in the
water, and at night the ship's wake is like a path of
fire, and every little speck of foam is transformed
into a cluster of sparkling jewels. It is beautiful to
watch, and I never grow tired of looking at the
strange phenomenon caused by minute animals, and
wondering how many billions of them would be con
tained in a cubic foot of water. The only water I
have ever seen to equal this in phosphoric brilliancy
is a lake on the island of New Providence, two miles
from the city of Nassau. It is so extraordinarily
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A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
luminous that when people see it for the first time
they often refuse to believe that it is natural, but is
due to some chemical effect produced by the owners
of the lake as a catch-penny show.
The sunsets are superb here, and are all the finer
because for a week the orb of day has remained con
cealed behind thick clouds. I love to sit on the
poop-rail, wedged in between the mizzen-shrouds
and backstays, and watch the glorious colors of the
tropical sky at evening, and build the loftiest kind of
castles in the air. In fact, the chief amusement on
a voyage of this kind is dreaming away the hours ;
and, unless he who is about to begin a voyage is
pretty well satisfied with his own company, I would
very strongly recommend him to stay ashore. In
deed, I can imagine nothing so irksome as for one
who did not love the sea to be caged up within the
confines of the poop. I have no doubt that fifty or
sixty years ago, when the voyage to India was made
in wind-jammers only, and one hundred and fifty
first-class passengers went out in every ship, the
people were ready to slaughter one another before
the ship was up with the Cape. Fancy having to
meet face to face, twenty times a day, a man that you
detested, or with whom you had quarrelled, and also
just think of what a grand chance for gossiping for
the women, and how they must have hated each
other long before they reached Bombay or Madras,
or wherever they were going! Even in a week's
yachting cruise along the coast a yacht-owner will
soon learn to ask as guests only those with whom
he is on sufficiently intimate terms, that they can
8 113

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
sprawl about the cabin or deck without the necessity
of entertaining each other ; if there is any constraint,
the true enjoyment of the grandest sport in the
world is obliterated. How much more then must
this be the case on a long voyage ; and if any young
fellow that may peruse these lines is about to embark
on a four or five months' trip to sea, let him go
alone rather than ask his best friend to accompany
him, unless that friend has been weighed in the
balance and not found wanting. Before we sailed
I was told that ere we had been at sea long my
wife would be combing my hair with a marline-spike,
which painful operation, it is needless to say, has not
yet been performed, as my wife is enjoying the
voyage quite as much as I am.
We made considerable westing yesterday, as will
be observed by comparing yesterday's position with
that of to-day, which was: Latitude, 5° north; longi
tude, 22° 30' west.
August 17
This was a magnificent morning with a bright sun,
the ship slashing along close-hauled, and the glori
ous southeast Trades at last whistling through the
shrouds ; at least, we believe them to be the Trades,
though we are not laying a better course than south
west. But it is likely to back into southeast true on
the other side of the line, so that we can lay a south-
southwest course. We have had so much hard luck
with the winds on the voyage that we thought that a
much longer time would elapse between the Trades
than has actually proved to be the case,
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A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
To-day we are just abreast of the dismal and
pestilential west coast of Africa ; the deadly Bight
of Benin and Gold Coast, exhaling miasma and fever
and death to white men, lay just east of us, the
lovely island of Lagos lying in the heart of that
beautiful but uninhabitable land. " Beware, and take
care of the Bight of Benin; few ever come out,
though many go in," is an old saying the truth of
which has been but too often proved. In describing
the forests of equatorial Africa, Livingstone says that
into these primeval forests the sun, though vertical,
cannot penetrate excepting by sending down at mid
day thin pencils of rays into the gloom ; while the
rain-water stands for months in stagnant pools made
by the feet of elephants.
I stood on the poop before breakfast, and, looking
to the eastward, I thought of ourselves surging over
the sparkling ocean, and then of the Europeans
across in Sierra Leone dying of the terrible swamp-
fever in an atmosphere so hot and humid that when
one does not exert himself, but reclines at ease on a
broad verandah, the perspiration exudes from every
pore in his body, and this on a cloudy or even rainy
day. But in spite of this the west coast has a great
attraction for me, and I hope some day to visit it.
This is the first day for a long while that the term
" dancing" can be applied to the motion of the waves.
There is a swell coming out of the southeast, and the
strong wind, catching the tops of the seas, every now
and then sends the crest of one slopping over the
weather rail ; while the ship, under royals, is plung
ing along with her lee scuppers full and her sails like
"5

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
boards, except the weather leech of the mizzen-royal,
which shakes for a second or two when the " Man
dalore" mounts to the crest of the sea, showing that
the ship is just full and bye. It is just the sort of
morning that Clark Russell loves to write about.
Last night we caught a dolphin just as I had
turned in, and the skipper called me out to see the
beauty of the colors in the fish when dying. To be
sure, I viewed them by lamp-light, and that may
have been the cause of my disappointment ; for the
colors did not for a moment compare with the ex
quisite tints of the fish when swimming just under
the surface of the water.
We witnessed a most beautiful moon-rise last even
ing. My wife and I were leaning over the rail when
we saw her emerge from the edge of a great, black
cloud, making so sublime a spectacle that no artist
or writer could ever hope to delineate or describe.
It was the only occasion that I ever knew when the
word sublime could be applied to the rising moon,
and both of us enjoyed the picture to the utmost.
As the planet ascended, though, her pristine glory
faded, and presently we went below to our customary
game of three-handed euchre. Our position at noon
was : Latitude, 2° 54' north ; longitude, 24° 32' west.
August 18
At noon to-day we were less than one degree from
the equator; we have a fine breeze and, as every
thing is going nicely, we ought to enter the Southem
Hemisphere to-night.
Pete had a grand run on deck to-day, having
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A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
broken loose at noon and I did not catch him till
nearly five, and then only by chance. What a
splendid time he has when loose, galloping back and
forth from bowsprit-end to taffrail; remarkable to
tell, he won't go aloft higher than a dozen ratlines or
so, but confines his gymnastic exhibitions to the
forward and midship houses. As soon as he gets
adrift the men drop whatever they are at work on
and gaze in open-mouthed wonder at Pete's agility,
which nobody appreciates more than a sailor. When
he executed a prodigious leap to-day from the main
stay to the rail to avoid capture they all cheered,
bringing the skipper on deck to see what was the
matter. Pete had as narrow an escape, though, from
drowning as ever happened ; he was working his way
along through the mizzen-shrouds, and was in the
act of springing from one rope to another when he
in some way missed his distance and fell. Those
who saw him fall held their breath, and I certainly
thought that nothing could prevent his dropping out
board. As a matter of fact he fell on the pin-rail,
and six inches farther would have dropped him into
the water, from which rescue would have been im
possible, for we were going eight knots at the time.
I expected to see him break an arm or a leg, for he
fell like a sack of meal full twenty feet; but no
sooner had he struck than away he went again, and
in three seconds was astride of the spanker-boom.
Pete also gives us shocks by walking round the ship's
stern on what is called the half-round, — a narrow, con
vex strip of iron that rounds off the angle that would
btherwise be formed by the juncture of the poop-
117

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
deck and the ship's side. I captured the monk in a
manner as surprising to him as it was to me. Both
mates, the steward, cook, and myself had been chas
ing him for a full hour (and it was as hopeless as the
pursuit of a Jack-o'-lantern) when Pete jumped on
the spanker-boom, for the pace had been pretty
lively even for him. I sung out to Mr. Ryan to
crawl up on one side of the skylight, while I stopped
on the other side to grab him if he should come my
way. As soon as Pete saw the mate he grasped the
situation in a second and decided on one of his
wonderful leaps ; so he sprang from the boom to the
weather mizzen-royal-backstay, but as he came
flying through the air I made a wild clutch, and to
my utter amazement closed on his long tail, and for
some few minutes after the air was quite blue with
monkey cuss-words. Latitude, 52' north; longitude,
26° 32' west.
Sunday, August 19
At last we are over the line! We crossed last
night within a few minutes of ten o'clock in longi
tude 27° 30' west, havingbeen just seven weeks, or
forty-nine days, from New York, — a precious long
time, considering that it has been done many times
under twenty-one days, the usual time being about
four weeks. I was in hopes that we would witness
some of the old sea-larks so prevalent in crossing the
line in days gone by. Those who had never entered
the Southern Hemisphere were formally introduced
to Neptune in the following manner : The boson is
generally chosen to represent the sea-god, and he
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A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
adorns his chin with a long oakum beard, paints his
face, and then disappears over the rail forward. He
is generally followed by a young seaman wearing a
blanket for a skirt. Then after a few moments the
boson and the young sailor suddenly appear, repre
senting Neptune and Aphrodite his wife, the former
holding a wooden trident carved out by Chips ; Nep
tune then pursues the green hands about the decks,
and after their capture all hands parade about the
main-deck, blowing whistles and beating tin pans
after the manner of savages before a sacrifice. One
of the sailors, who impersonates Neptune's barber,
carries a bucket of what is known as " deep-sea
mystery," composed of tar and soft-soap, and an
immense wooden razor. The victims are then blind
folded and seated on boards placed over tubs of sea-
water. They are then lathered with the horrible
mess above mentioned and shaved with the wooden
razor ; after which the planks are pulled from under
them and down they go into the tubs of water. This
is called an introduction to Neptune and is produc
tive of a prodigious amount of hilarity ; for sailors
are like school-boys and a practical joke affords
them unlimited amusement.
What has become of the old sea-customs, and
why have most of them disappeared completely from
sight ? And why is it that the old superstitions no
longer hold good, that used to influence Jack's life
in so curious a manner ? Fifty years ago the skipper
who would sail on Friday was judged a madman,
if, indeed, he could find a crew to sail with him ; while
it was thought, when the corposant, otherwise known
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A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
as Jack-o'-lantern and St, Elmo's fire, appeared on
the yard-arms, that the ghostly lights were placed
there by long-departed spirits. Seamen in the old
days had an aversion to sailing with Finns, believing
that they understood and were versed in the black
arts, and a whole crew has more than once deserted
a ship in which there happened to be one of the
despised race. There is still another superstition, to
which I have alluded before, that once prevailed
generally throughout England and Holland, which
related to the " Flying Dutchman" that cruised off
the Cape ; any ship so unlucky as to fall in with her
was never afterwards heard from.
Those at home little suspect that we have just
crossed the equator, thinking, no doubt, that we're
somewhere near the Cape by this time ; and so we
would have been if such vile luck had not attended
us in the North Atlantic from the Gulf Stream to the
northeast Trades. At the present time we consider
a passage of less than one hundred and forty days
improbable. Latitude, i° ii' south; longitude, 28°
i' west.
August 20
The Trades are sending us along in splendid style,
and, if to-day is a sample of what the next ten will
be, September i will see us near the thirtieth parallel,
and we should be taking the strong westerly winds
that will blow us across the five thousand miles of
southern ocean. In a discussion that arose at dinner
to-day, as to the time that would probably elapse
between now and the day on which we'll cross the
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A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
line in the Indian Ocean, I was laughed at for saying
that, in my judgment, we would require sixty-two
days to cover the distance. But when I offered to
put money up, though, the skipper and mate found
something else to talk about.
I forgot to say yesterday that my wife was going
to explode a package of fire-crackers under my chair
on the poop when we crossed the line, but she for
got all about it. Fire-crackers are singular things
to find aboard ship, but the " Mandalore" came home
from Hong-Kong last voyage with a cargo of tea,
fire-crackers, silk, and Chinese paper fans, and several
packages of the crackers were left aboard or else be
longed to the skipper. Of all cargoes, tea is said to
be the best for fast passages and is least wearing on
the ship ; while nitrate of soda, that is carried in im
mense quantities from the Chilean and Peruvian
coasts to America and Great Britain, is by all odds
the worst ; settling down in a solid mass in the ship's
hold, without an atom of give to it ; indeed, wooden
ships do not last long in the nitrate trade, however
strongly they may be built.
Old sea-captains say that they would rather go to
sea in a wooden than in an iron ship, insisting that
in bad weather the former, by reason of the material
used in its construction, is naturally more buoyant,
and, as wooden ships of similar tonnage are much
more beamy than iron ones, their stability is very
much greater. In fact, this is in a measure proved ;
as a large number of British sailing-ships that round
the Horn emerge from the battle with that stormy
headland minus one or more boats and often with
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A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
the loss of their bulwarks, simply because these
iron ships, being long and narrow, with but little
natural buoyancy and scarcely any freeboard, will
not rise to the seas as wooden vessels will. Ameri
can ships, on the other hand, built chiefly of oak,
seldom suffer damage doubling the Horn. I re
member reading an interesting account of the first
round voyage of the great Bath four-master " Shen
andoah," and my attention was directed to an incident
that happened near Cape Horn. A good breeze
was blowing at this particular time, and the " Shen
andoah" was making good headway bound to the
westward, when she was overhauled and passed by
the British ship " Kensington," the latter's crew jump
ing into the rigging to cheer. The Yankee skipper
didn't say a word. The next day a heavy gale came
on and under its impetus the mammoth cHpper
swept grandly on, overhauling and passing the Eng
lishman, who was hove to with bulwarks smashed
and making very heavy weather of it, the " Shenan
doah" surging along as though over a summer sea.
Subsequently, the " Kensington" had to bear up for
the Falklands for repairs. Of course, satisfactory
comparisons cannot be drawn from any one case;
but still the above illustrates the buoyancy of wooden
ships and the ease with which they ride heavy seas
in comparison with iron ones.
We made fairly good southing yesterday, and
at noon our position was: Latitude, 3° 18' south;
29° 50' west.

122

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
August 21
Before breakfast this morning there was but little
wind, and heavy clouds hung over the eastern sky
line. By nine o'clock, though, the clouds had van
ished and a strong breeze was once more singing
through the shrouds, freshening later into the freshest
breeze we have had since we took the Trades. At
noon we were a trifle to the southward of San
Roque, going nine knots, steering south-southwest
under sky-sails with the lee scuppers awash.
Remarkable to relate, we have seen no sea-
serpent yet, that every one who goes to sea is sup
posed to fall in with sooner or later. Nearly
every one laughs at the idea of there being any
such animal in existence; although, whenever one
of the so-called serpents appears in Long Island
Sound the papers are full of it for days. I my
self have always believed more or less that large
serpents, or whatever they may be called, do dwell
in the sea, and my argument is this: The largest
terrestrial animal is the elephant ; the largest marine
animal, the whale. What is the difference in size
and weight? The largest elephant will not weigh
more than five tons, while whales attain a length of
eighty to eighty-five feet and a weight of at least
forty to fifty tons. If, then, the largest creature that
dwells in the sea exceeds ten times the bulk of the
greatest land animals, does it not seem probable and
reasonable that there should exist marine serpents
or gigantic eels that exceed greatly in length the
python and boa-constrictor ? Latitude, 5 ° 54' south ;
longitude, 29° 36' west. 123

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
August 22
This was a fine morning with a good, strong wind,
and the old ship is going nobly ; indeed, from noon
yesterday to noon to-day we logged a greater num
ber of miles than any day since we left the Gulf
Stream, doing one hundred and ninety miles. And
yet what a small run this is compared with what the
" Mandalore" would have done had she docked in
New York, particularly when it is remembered that
she is one of the smartest ships in the Eastern
trade !
My wife has not exhibited the least sign of sea
sickness since we left the Gulf Stream, which I con
sider remarkable ; inasmuch as six months ago she
could not cross New York Bay without feeling the
motion of the ferry-boat, and when yachting during
the summer, as soon as we cleared any harbor, my wife
would turn in and stay in her bunk until the anchor
was let go again. It is true that during this voyage
we have not had any bad weather since our knock
down in the first week ; still, for ten days there has
been a long, southerly sea running, and sometimes
we pitch into it at a very lively rate, and I consider
this motion a much more severe test than rolHng.
Most people will not agree with me in this, but I am
confident that those who do not have never been in
a really heavy head sea. Besides, I once had ocu
lar demonstration of it. It was during a passage
across the North Atlantic in February, on one of the
Cunarders. On the second day out we encountered
a heavy beam sea that set the big steamer rolling and
wallowing about in a startling fashion, yet three-
124

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
fourths of the passengers showed up for luncheon.
On the fourth day we ran into a high head sea on
the Grand Banks, into which the steamer was forced
at full speed, and only twenty-two people out of one
hundred and seventy first-class passengers sat down
to their mid-day repast. This clinched the opinion
in my mind.
Those whose misfortune it is to be liable to sea-sick
ness under moderate conditions are, in my way of
thinking, hopeless as far as a permanent cure is con
cerned. For instance, I believe that although my wife
is cured for the time being, if she stopped ashore for
a year and then went to sea again and had fairly bad
weather at the start, such as one would be likely to
meet in the Atlantic, she would have to endure the
same suffering that she went through a few weeks ago.
Latitude, 8° 24' south ; longitude, 30° 52' west.
August 23
There was not a superabundance of wind this
forenoon, but at eleven we had a severe rain-squall,
after which it cleared up and the wind came out
strong again, and once more we went bowling joy
fully along, the sea flecked with dancing white caps.
Before breakfast a school of porpoises showed them
selves alongside ; and then, moving ahead, took up a
position under the bows, where they held us fasci
nated by their graceful antics, as they leaped four or
five feet clear of the water in their gambols. Surely
they are the most elegant of all the deep-sea inhabi
tants ; perhaps elegant is not just the word I want,
but nothing can excel in grace and beauty the differ-
125

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
ent attitudes attained by porpoises at play. They
lack the marvellous coloring of the so-called dolphin,
but make up for it by their exceeding gracefulness.
I forgot to say that we had some fried dolphin the
other day for supper, and both my wife and I thought
it delicious. The flesh is perfectly white and firm,
something like the white meat of a turkey; and
while it might not taste as well to those who live on
pate de foie gras and truffled pheasant, it seemed
better to us than cod or haddock, and the cook had
prepared it very nicely by frying steaks of it in
bread-crumbs. Speaking of the cook, it reminds me that not once
have I heard him alluded to as " the doctor," — a term
that shore-going people always imagine is applied to
a ship's cook. There are many other expressions
too that landsmen think sailors use, when in fact one
never hears them. Whenever a sailor in a novel is
annoyed, he first hitches up his trousers, then shivers
his timbers, and finally damns his own or his mess
mate's eyes. Such expressions are, of course, never
heard at sea.
It is astonishing how badly and slovenly men can
dress ; I never thought that sailors rigged themselves
out as they do until I had seen the men on the
" Mandalore." I should think they would wear blue
dungaree suits such as steam-yachts' crews wear ; it
seems to me that clothes of this sort would be much
cheaper and more comfortable than the thread-bare
undershirts and thick, unyielding woollen trousers
that the men turn out in in hot weather, and the dun
garee would last much longer than the clothes sold
126

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
from the slop-chest on board. There is another
peculiarity about merchant sailors, though chiefly
confined to the officers, and that is their hatred for
uniforms. They seem to think that when they don
any sort of uniform whatever they are transformed
more or less into slaves, and that their freedom is
gone. It is a strange and unaccountable whim. For
example, I asked the mate the other day why he
didn't enter the navy, or, better still, try and get a
berth on some big yacht. His answer was short and
dry : " I wouldn't wear no uniform for all the money
you'd gimme." Latitude at noon, io° 13' south;
longitude, 31° 10' west.
August 24
This moming we discovered that the wind had
backed to the eastward more, enabling us to steer a
south by west course. There is a perceptible differ
ence in the temperature, especially at night, when it
is really quite chilly. I forgot to lower a thermom
eter over the side at the equator to get the temper
ature of the sea, but I think the inercury would
have registered between 81° and 82°. Just now we
are abreast of Bahia, and if we are going to continue to
eat up nearly three degrees of latitude a day another
week will take us to 30° south.
Pete parted his chain again this afternoon and had
a merry, but very short dance on the main-deck. I
caught him in five minutes by shutting the cabin-
door after he had gone in. The wretch fixed his
teeth in my wife's finger yesterday, proving the old
saying that a monkey will not recognize two masters,
127

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
We had a splendid view of the Southern-Cross last
evening, as we are now far enough south to see it to
advantage. My wife was much disappointed in it, as
her imagination had led her to picture a constellation
of stars of the first magnitude, and of the brilliancy
of Sirius, being misled probably by poets who sing
of the " flaming stars of the Southern-Cross." In
reality, the constellation, while perfectly well defined,
is not exactly a cross, the stars forming a figure like
* •
this * * the long diameter being canted a great
deal, though this was probably due to the hour at
which we saw it, the Cross in its transit seeming to
roll through the sky, as it were. Having seen the
constellation before from the south side of Cuba,
though dimly, I was not disappointed in its appear
ance; indeed, I was very favorably impressed with
it, and it seems to be by far the most conspicuous
figure in the southern sky.
Another curious phenomenon to be seen on this
side of the line are the Magellan Clouds, three neb
ulae, composed apparently of an inconceivable num
ber of stars ; they look like detached spots of the
Milky Way, though the star-dust seems to be much
finer and more minute than the latter. I had always
thought of the Magellan Clouds as vapor and similar
to other clouds ; it never occurred to me that they
were small nebulae or luminous spots. They are, of
course, in the southern sky and begin to be visible
from a point somewhat farther to the northward than
we are now. Latitude at noon, 12^ 55' south; lon
gitude, 32° 26' west. 128

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
August 25
Fresh Trades blew throughout the morning watch
and increased in the forenoon so that we had to hand
the sky-sails at ten. It is Captain Kingdon's inten
tion to make the island of Trinidad in 20° south
for the verification of chronometers, rather than run
the risk of missing Tristan d' Acunha, which is often
made by vessels for the same purpose.
The skipper appeared on deck very unexpectedly
last night in the middle watch, and found the ship a
point and a half off her course. He gave the helms
man a dressing down, and the man actually answered
him back. What happened then I do not know, as
Mr. Kelly had the watch from midnight to four, and
he is always very reticent as to any little disturbances
that occur. Captain Kingdon stayed on deck till
the watch was changed and then told both the mates
to take no " back talk" from the men whatever, but
to answer any show of bad temper with a belaying-
pin. The skipper has been very easy with the men,
and I fancy that the reason is to be found in my
wife's presence on board. A row with sailors is
always a nasty business, and of course it would
frighten my wife so that the rest of the voyage
would be a sort of reign of terror for her. The
good-hearted skipper bears that in mind, I'm sure,
and things have gone very smoothly as far as I can
see, though two of the men are beginning to get
ugly^ — Carson and the man with the master's ticket.
It is remarkable how fond sailors are of skylark
ing and playing practical jokes on one another, but
particularly in this case on the cook, who is made
9 129

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
the butt of most of their silly pranks. The latter is
very skilful with his pocket-knife in whittling out
various articles, particularly bamboo flutes ; these he
carves out exceedingly well and then discourses
lively tunes on them, to which the men dance with
much gusto. I was standing at the galley-door this
morning watching him prepare rice (which he does
with all the skill of an East Indian), and in the course
of the conversation he looked at me very hard and
asked me if my name wasn't Stevenson. On my
replying, he remarked : " I know a man by that name ;
he keeps a fish-stand in Fulton Market; are you
any relation to him ?" On my being obliged to con
fess that to the best of my belief no ties of kinship
existed between us, he told me that his friend was
rich and owned a sailors' boarding-house on South
Street !
Every evening, in the second dog-watch, after
everything has been coiled away and the decks wet
down to keep them from opening under the fierce
sun of the tropics, all the foremast hands form in
single file, and with each man's hands on the shoul
ders of the one ahead of him they march in lock-step
around the forward part of the ship, coming no far
ther aft than the main-hatch, between which and the
galley they pass. The one who is leading always
sings a sea-ditty of some sort, and at the end of
every verse they bang away like mad on tin pans
and nearly blow their hearts out on the cook's flutes.
What all this means I cannot imagine, but the men
seem to find a vast lot of amusement in it. Three or
four of them spar very weU, and last week they made
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A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
a pair of boxing-gloves out of canvas, stuffing them
with odd pieces of oakum and hemp. The Ameri
can, Carson, is by far the handiest man in the ship
with his fists, and can do up some of the others with
one hand secured behind his back. The only man
who takes no part in the fun is the musical genius
with the license ; he always selects the opposite side
of the deck from the rest of them, and paces moodily
up and down as though hatching out some nefarious
scheme. I saw a good illustration once of how utterly irre
sistible is the impulse of mischief-doing among most
sailors. I was making the round voyage through
the West Indies on a steamer three or four years
ago, and we had reached Cienfuegos, on the south
coast of Cuba, where we were to He three or four
days. We hauled into the wharf on the second day
to load sugar, which the big,, black stevedores rolled
into the hold in immense hogsheads. The second
mate, a young, dare-devil Nova Scotian, had been
given shore leave, and at ten o'clock I saw him,
rigged out in his finest, sauntering up the long,
wooden pier. Presently his eye caught a fruit-ven
dor's cart lying by the roadside, and the temptation
was too strong. The cart was a two-wheeled affair
with a stick supporting one end so that it should re
main level. As the second mate went by he kicked
the prop away, and down came the stand, scattering
oranges, bananas, and pineapples in the black, sticky
mud. I have never seen any one in so great a rage
as that Cuban ; for a full minute he couldn't say or
do anything at all ; then, ripping out the inevitable
131

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
knife, he darted after the unsuspecting joker. The
latter heard him just in time, and the last I saw of
them they were sailing up the wharf at full speed,
the enraged fruit-seller grabbing frantically at the
other's horizontal coat-tails. When the second mate
came back that afternoon, I told him I saw the whole
affair, and he showed me a long scratch on his elbow
from the Cuban's knife ; so that he really did have a
pretty close call. After seeing this little escapade, I
readily understood why so many sailors get shore
leave and never return to the ship : they can't all
run as fast as this one. Latitude, 15" 35' south;
longitude, 32° 56' west.
Sunday, August 26
Eight weeks at sea to-day, and eight delightful
weeks they have been ; I only hope that the next
two months will be as agreeable. But that is hardly
to be expected, for, when we take the westerly winds,
good-by to fine weather. Then ho ! for tall seas,
heavy gales, and flooded decks. Then it's a case of
oil-skins day and night for the men, though they
arn't much good with two feet of water on the
main-deck. When we are going to take these winds
it is, of course, extremely indefinite. The Trades
are light, and we are not doing more than four knots
an hour ; but, then, the wind is a point free, which
makes up for it. Last night it shifted and blew from
northeast for a while, and the ship's head was put
southeast by east three-quarters east by steering-
compass, or southeast one-half south true, so as to
fetch Trinidad. At noon that island lay two hundred
1.32

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
and twenty miles nearly southeast of us, and if ca
pricious Eurus doesn't alter his intentions we ought
to pass it some time within the ensuing thirty-six
hours. On the other hand, if the wind cants even
two points more to the southward we shan't fetch the
island at all, and the skipper won't waste any time
looking for it. There is one spot of land that I
should like to see, and that is Tristan d'Acunha.
There is no gorgeous scenery there, nothing but a
great mountain-peak and some water-falls ; but I
should Hke to say that I had seen this, one of the
most isolated points on the globe. I don't really
believe that we will sight any land, though, till we
make the low-lying coast at the mouth of the
Hoogly, called the Sunderbunds.
I have had some wonderful yarns from the old
second mate during the first watch every other night.
He tells them in an off-hand way and jerks his words
and sentences out in a startling and curious man
ner. He spun one very lurid yarn about a gale of
wind he was in in the " M. P. Grace," when she was
hove to under bare poles inside the Falklands. This
lying to under bare poles is hard for those who
have never been to sea to believe, as those who
know little about square-riggers always beHeve that
they heave to under a lower maintop-sail and miz-
zen-storm-stay-sail. And so they generally do.
What is to be done if the wind is too strong for a
rag to be set to heave to under ? The only thing
possible under those conditions is to heave her to
under bare poles, and Captain Kingdon thinks this
is the best thing to do anyway, and for three reasons :
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A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
Firstly, the vessel drifting broadside or nearly so to
leeward carries a wonderfully smooth wake to wind
ward, preventing the seas from breaking aboard that
can do much damage. Secondly, not. having any
canvas set, there is nothing to blow away and lose.
Thirdly, when hove to under canvas the ship is con
tinually running up into the wind and then falHng
off again, meeting the seas and suffering thereby
more damage than if always drifting away from
them. There are plenty of men who laugh at the
idea of lying to under bare poles simply because
they've never been forced to do it ; those who have
been compelled to furl everything, or whose canvas
has been blown away, acknowledge that they were
better off without it.
Then there is another mistake that the uninitiated
make in supposing that when a square-rigger is hove
to she rides continually head to wind (nearly) with
the sea on the bow. This is a mistake, for she is
constantly coming up and then falling off, with the
wind and sea often two or three points abaft the
beam, running up to within about five points of the
wind ; so that a ship hove to generally has the wind
and sea nearly abeam.
I can work the most difficult Sumner in Ainsley
now without the least difficulty, — an accomplishment
of which I am quite vain, as Ainsley had a genius
for elaborating the most intricate problems, particu
larly in Greenwich Date and rating the chronometer
which he introduces in all his time sights, laying inno
cent-looking but deadly pitfalls for the embryo navi
gator. I am almost through the book, but the mate
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A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
is going to make me go over it twice more if we
have time, and every day until we reach port I will
have to do a complicated day's work. I..,atitude at
noon, 17" 41' south; longitude, 32° 20' west.
August 27
We were treated to a calm last night by way of
variety. The wind was so Hght from the eastward
yesterday that every one expected a calm spell,
though this is pretty far north to fall in with one.
So we lay rolling about in a light swell all last night
and up to nine this morning, when we had a shift to
southwest with a squally look to windward. The
watch had just rigged the machine for scraping the
bilges, but as the wind freshened it was impossible
to use it; so operations were suspended and the
yards swung, putting us on the starboard tack for
the first time in a long while. I must say that the
southeast Trades haven't used us as well as they
might, for they have seemingly left us away up here
in 18° south instead of carrying us ten degrees
farther. We took them in about 4° north ; so that
they have wafted us through twenty-two degrees of
latitude, though at no time were they what could
have been called strong ; it was a lady's breeze all the
time. And now we fear they have left us, our only
hope lying in the fact that the southwest wind is
beginning to freshen, and the horizon in that direc
tion has a breezy look.
After dinner the wind grew quite cold, little Pete
feeling the change very quickly, and hereafter I will
have to keep him below except between ten and
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A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
four. He has broken loose three times in the last
two days, appearing very suddenly as I was reading
in the cabin after dinner. The chain I brought for
him is wearing out, and I shall have to make him fast
with marlin or something of that sort.
We did not make much yesterday, at noon being
in latitude i8° 30' south; longitude, 32° west.
August 28
A dart, cloudy day with a fresh breeze from south
by east were the meteorological conditions that
greeted us this morning. Just before dark yester
day the wind became very puffy-, and under the strain
the standing part of the foretop-gallant-halliards
parted ; and all the weight of the heavy yard coming
on the lifts, the lee one went a second after the hal-
Uards, and here was a hurrah's nest. Carson was
sent aloft to clear the wreck, and such swearing I
never heard as he indulged in. Every few minutes
he would get into a passion and rage and tear around
up aloft at a terrible rate. He is certainly a most
undesirable person to have on board, even if he is
the smartest seaman in the ship.
The halliards must have had a flaw in one of the
links (they are made of heavy chain), as they never
would have parted otherwise. How curious that
they should have carried away here, and not in the
Gulf Stream in that heavy squall !
During the morning watch to-day the puffs came
so strong that the royals were stowed, and at nine a
certain rent in the lee side of the mizzentop-gallant
was seen to be rapidly enlarging, and to save the sail
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A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
it was stowed at 9.30, leaving us under pretty snug
canvas. Sail was further reduced in the afternoon
watch by the hauling up of the cross-jack, necessi
tated by the ripping of one of the seams in the after-
leech. How naked the yards and spars looked in
comparison with their appearance when crowned with
the light, upper sails! I wonder how they'll look
when we're under lower top-sails off the Cape. And
this reminds me that my wife is beginning to express
fear of the Southern Ocean and the doubling of the
Capo del Bona Spes, as the early navigators called
it. Unfortunately, I told my wife the other day that
Admiral Fitzroy mentions a gale he was in off Good
Hope, during which he estimated the height of the
tallest seas, from crest to trough, at seventy feet, and
this has so alarmed her that she looks with dread and
apprehension towards the next month. I somewhat
smoothed it over by afterwards assuring my wife that
it was on the Agulhas Bank that Fitzroy encountered
these tremendous seas.
I believe it is the general impression that the Cape
of Good Hope is at the southernmost extremity of
the African continent, but Cape Agulhas extends
thirty miles farther south and really terminates that
dark, vast country.
Quite a sea made during the day, and the motion
is more severe than for many weeks. The worst of
these southerly winds is that they are surprisingly
raw and biting, though we are yet north of 20°
south ; I suppose that away down in 42° south the
winds have the true antarctic sting.
Poor Old John, as we call him, the oldest man in
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A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
the ship before the mast, is pitifully weak, and going
aloft is out of the question for him ; he tried yester
day and couldn't haul himself above the sheer pole.
The skipper is very kind to him and gives him
various draughts and compounds calculated to im
prove his condition, but apparently they are without
effect. Old Kelly, the second mate, and the ugliest man
I ever saw, is very anxious to have his photograph
taken with the kodak ; perhaps I will before we get in.
We are away off our course, heading east-southeast,
and making good east by south. If this keeps up,
we'll wear ship in the morning. We had no sights
at all to-day, and by dead-reckoning made only four
miles of southing, though a degree and a half of
easting. Latitude at noon, i8° 34' south; longitude,
30° 30' we.st.
August 29
Wore ship this morning at six and stood over on
the port tack, steering southwest by south. We are
going very slowly; indeed, we are making barely
four knots, although there is a fresh breeze blowing
and we ought to be doing eight. Yesterday after
noon at five, sighted a large bark bound north, under
royals ; she has a fine chance, and ought to be up
with the Hne in five days.
The weather is cold enough now for Hght flannels,
as the wind has quite a sharp edge, particularly when
it comes roaring out of the after-leech of one of the
courses ; although if you curl yourself up under the
lee of the companion-house, there is plenty of heat
138

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
left yet in the sun. We are all intensely interested
calculating whether we will see Trinidad to-morrow
or not ; we are very close to it, and my only fear is
in passing it after dark. Latitude, l8° 25' south;
longitude, 28° 40' west.
August 30
Shortly after daybreak this morning Mr. Ryan put
his face close to our forward port and yelled, " Land
ahead !" with the noise of a steam-calliope ; it was
very alarming, and I started up with such a rush that
I brought up with my head against the deck-beams,
not with a dull thud, but with a splitting crack ; so
that I fell back, consigning the mate, as well as Trin
idad, to everlasting punishment.
I did not turn out tiU just before breakfast; and
then, on looking out over the bows, a bluish cloud on
the horizon showed me that land was in sight. After
we had finished our matutinal repast, Trinidad showed
up much more plainly, but still not well enough de
fined to show anything but its rough and broken
outHne ; and it was not until eleven o'clock, when we
had approached to within ten miles or so, that we
saw or appreciated the rugged beauty of this soHtary
monoHth. Nothing that I ever saw could so com
pletely embody the picture of profound solitude and
desolate barrenness as the sharp, jagged peaks ; the
high, vertical cliffs of rock, and the almost total
absence of any particle of green that would relieve
the eye. But there is nothing to break its gray
monotony; and as one gazes spellbound at the
grandeur of the lonely, volcanic rock, the thought
139

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
occurs, " How dreadful to be cast away on this dreary
place, with a few wild goats and sea-birds for your
only companions !"
Looking upward towards the highest point of the
land, one sees, on approaching the westerly side of
Trinidad, a sort of undulating plateau, divided by
deep ravines and almost completely surrounded by
jutting, ragged masses of rock, having the appear
ance of elaborately carved church-steeples. It is
here that the scenery rises into sublimity, and one is
lost in admiration as he contemplates this gigantic
pile and marvels at the mighty forces that upheaved
the mass from the depths of the sea. A very curi
ous formation is to be noticed when approaching
from the northward and westward ; it is an isolated,
symmetrical column of basalt about one thousand
feet high, and looks exactly as though the Titans
had been at work there in by-gone ages. I do not
know when anything has impressed me as has this
island of Trinidad, a dot in the mighty South At
lantic. It was so much more solemn and grand
than I expected that I was the more affected by it.
When we came abreast of the land we saw large
numbers of gannets skimming along just above
the surface of the water ; they are white and about
the size of ducks; while numbers of great frigate-
birds sailed in stately circles over our mast-heads.
Altogether, it was a morning that I will not soon
forget; and though some of the islands in the
Southern Ocean — Tristan d'Acunha, for example —
may be loftier than Trinidad, I have many doubts
whether they can compare with it in fascinating
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A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
beauty and rugged grandeur. Inasmuch as we
passed to leeward of the island, and not more than
seven miles off, we lost nearly all the wind by reason
of the height of the land, the loftiest pinnacle tower
ing two thousand and twenty feet above the sea.
During the afternoon both wind and sea went down,
and in the first dog-watch we were going smoothly
and quietly along. At noon, being then immediately
abreast of Trinidad, our position was : Latitude, 20°
31' south; longitude, 29° 19' west.
August 31
We had very Hght winds this morning, and before
breakfast the scraping gear was rigged, the main
top-sail having been laid to the mast. The affair is
such a fussy thing that it puts every one in a bad
humor who has anything to do with it. The skip
per and the mate had a few words over it shortly
after breakfast, and again after dinner, when Mr.
Ryan averred that no one could teach him much
about his duties as mate, the skipper having re
course to the crushing inquiry as to who was in
command of the ship. If coming events cast their
shadows before, we may soon be treated to an ex
hibition of the power vested in the commander of a
ship, as Captain Kingdon didn't fancy the mate's
manner in the least.
Speaking about the power of a skipper, I had an
argument with a man not long ago, as to the relative
powers of a naval and merchant captain. My oppo
nent in the argument was an Englishman, who up-.
held the theory that the captain of a vessel in thq
141

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
royal navy was the most powerful man afloat, for
he could give a man under him sixty days in a cell.
This is, no doubt, very severe, but it is more than
equalled by the merchant skipper, who can put a
man in solitary confinement for the whole voyage if
he likes ; it matters not his rank, whether he be chief
mate or 'prentice. And how about the severe punish
ments meted out on some vessels to refractory sea
men on the west coasts of North and South America ?
Frequently, on the arrival of a ship from either of
these localities, we see in the newspapers harrowing
accounts of men strung up by the wrists and flogged,
and other equally severe punishments. Such actions
are, of course, not countenanced by the law, and yet
the skipper and mates often get off with a Hght fine.
We saw more frigate-birds to-day, and I never
weary of watching them as they sail about in wide
circles, their long, forked tails alternately opening and
shutting, and with never the slightest movement of
wing, as though those appendages were fixed and
immovable. Their buoyancy must be very great.
English sailors are said to have given them the name
of frigate-birds on account of their rapid flight when
pursuing their prey, and the fearlessness they exhibit
in attacking much larger birds. Although they
generally fly very high, often looking like dots in the
sky, they fly low, so it is said, just before a gale of
wind. Boobies are the frigate-bird's greatest prey,
swooping down with incredible speed when the un
fortunate booby has succeeded in catching a fish, and
compelling it to relinquish it.
I think the temperature was a little higher to-day,
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A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
which was very welcome. Latitude, 21° 46' south;
longitude, 29° 40' west.
September i
We have made but little southing in the past
twenty-four hours, for the wind has been very Hght ;
we looked up to within two points of our course,
though, most of the time steering about south. It is
really singular that we have not more wind; and
when we do manage to run across something more
than a gentle breeze, it is quite certain to come out
ahead. Equally strange is the fact that we sight no
vessels ; we ought to see two or three every day, for
we are in the great highway for vessels bound not
only to the east, but round the Horn as well. Perhaps
they run in shoals, as they do when they arrive at
New York. Frequently I have known a week to
pass by without the arrival of a single long-voyage
ship ; then seven or eight will come in in forty-eight
hours, to be followed by another week's cessation ;
and it may be the same here.
A very long though not a heavy swell is rolling
up out of the south, as it nearly always does this far
to the southward. Indeed, it is often felt at the
equator, showing how heavy the wind and how im
mense the seas must be in the Southern Ocean to
drive the swell through forty or forty-five degrees of
latitude, — fully two thousand five hundred miles.
Latitude, 23° south ; longitude, 30° west.
Sunday, September 2
A raw wind from the southward made the day
disagreeable on deck. We have been nine weeks at
143

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
sea to-day, and ought to be on the other side of the
Cape ; but fifty degrees of longitude have to be cut
first, to say nothing of more than ten degrees of
latitude. To-day we saw for the first time half a dozen Cape
pigeons ; joHy little birds, about twice the size of our
domestic pigeons, and very plump and sleek-looking.
I understand, though, that there is scarcely any meat
on them, their fat appearance being due to an im
mense amount of feathers and down, with which
their bodies are protected. These birds are seen in
great numbers all over the Southern Ocean from
South America to Australia, and belong, I believe, to
the great petrel family, whose representatives vary in
size from the tiny stormy petrel to the giant, wander
ing albatross. A great many varieties of petrels are
met with in this part of the world, including what
sailors call the " stink-pot," from the strong odor of
musk that they emit. I cannot elicit further informa
tion about the afflicted bird from any one on board; so
that my description of him must end with his oppro
brious title.
The Cape pigeon, as I said before, is a happy,
joyful Httle fellow, eternally on the lookout for bits
of food ; on account of which he is provided with
the most remarkably acute sight, and he will see and
instantly devour the smallest particles of slush or fat
that may be thrown overboard, no matter how fast
he may be skimming along. We tried to catch one
with a very small hook temptingly baited and towed
over the stern, but they were all too wary, and after
an hour's unsuccessful fishing we gave it up as a
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A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
bad job. Besides, as they are said to vomit up the
contents of the stomach on being hauled on board,
perhaps it was just as well that success did not
crown our efforts. It is very amusing to see them
squabble over bits of fat, hustHng one another out
of the way, and behaving just as a crowd of street-
urchins do ashore if a penny is thrown to them.
When a large quantity of fat or slush is hove over
board, the pigeons will settle down on the water, and
will not rise till every vestige of the fat has disap
peared ; and when they have finished they make a
curious, pattering noise by striking the water with
their broad, webbed feet, gaining an impetus sufficient
to raise them from the water. For this reason they
cannot fly away if placed on deck, unless they are
at the break of the poop, when they will fall off and
then catch themselves before striking the main-deck.
The derivation of the word "petrel" is odd and it
sounds very silly, but I am told it is true : it comes
from the belief or supposition that some of the family
have the power of walking on the water, and they
are called petrels after St. Peter, who essayed to
perform the same feat. Latitude at noon, 24° 47'
south ; longitude, 30° 30' west.
September 3
Last night the wind shifted to east-northeast, as it
ought to in this locality, and at the present moment
we are slipping along at eight knots, the course
having been altered to south-southeast. This is only
the second or third time since the voyage began that
we have gone so fast. Cape pigeons to the number
10 145

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
of a score or more are following us, and if one were
fond of shooting an exceUent opportunity is thus
offered, though the killing of such happy little
creatures would seem to me the height of cruelty.
The weather to-day is fine and bracing and my wife
feels the exhilaration of the keen air, though she has
been in splendid health since the fifth day out. In the
afternoon we asked the skipper to hoist out our trunks,
so that we could get at our heavy clothes. So
the mate and a couple of seamen lifted off the mizzen-
hatch covers and soon had our trunks on deck, they
having been stowed on top of some spare sails, which
in turn rested on the upper tier of oil-cases. One of
my trunks is of sole-leather and was the admiration
of the men, one of whom exclaimed, " I'll bet you
didn't get that for five dollars."
I had provided myself with heavy, woollen under
clothes and knitted socks so thick as to be almost in
flexible ; and though I had demurred in buying them.
Captain Kingdon advised me to get the heaviest of
everything, adding, " Unless you want to spend the
whole of every cold day below. Just wait till you feel
the southerly wind at the fortieth parallel !" There
fore, I went to Howard Place's, on South Street, and
bought an outfit of the thickest clothes I could find ;
but I never will bring white-canvas suits to sea any
more. I have them washed once a week, but the
steward hates to do it, and I regret every day that I
didn't bring brown canvas or holland instead. The
skipper has changed his suit of pongee silk to a
double-breasted frock-coat and trousers of some
thick stuff and his pith helmet for a soft-felt hat,
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A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
Another sign of the approach of cold weather was
that this morning the awning was unbent and stowed
under the mizzen-hatch with the spare canvas, and
we've seen the last of it for five or six weeks. Both
mates are overhauling the running and standing gear
and in other ways making ready for the southwest
gales, while the men are busy battening down the
hatches and tightening the ports in the forward and
midship houses. In old days the sky-sail and royal-
yards were generally struck for doubling the Horn,
and, indeed, the top-gallant-yards were often sent
down and secured on deck. But these precautions
are seldom observed nowadays, steel masts and
standing gear having rendered the practice obsolete,
except in the case of whalers, who still adhere to the
practice of sending down their upper spars when
bound to the westward around Cape Horn. We made
quite a good run yesterday, and at noon to-day our
position was: Latitude, 26° 32' south; longitude,
29° 30' west.
September 4
Another grand morning with the wind at north
east, having backed two points since yesterday, and
at nine o'clock I think we were going fully that num
ber of knots. It is glorious, and the ship with the
wind a little abaft the beam, under all possible can-;
vas, and a cascade of foam under her forefoot like a
steamer's cut-water, is a sight to quicken the blood
in one's veins and send one skipping along the decks
for very joy. We are heeled over till it is necessary
to rest the lee side of the soup-plate on one of the
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A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
racks on the table; but were it not for this, there
is nothing to indicate that we are under way, for
there is no motion at all from the sea, and, thank the
gods, no grinding of machinery. The spanker was
set to-day for almost the first time, though why it has
not been set all the time I cannot understand.
Chips has started work on a new foretop-gallant-
yard ; the old one is nearly gone and would certainly
carry away when we get into the bad weather. It is
very interesting to watch him working at the big spar
that has hitherto been lashed under the starboard
rail. First he makes profound calculations and
covers the big log with strange hieroglyphics in chalk,
but as I am ignorant of the rudiments of carpentry
I haven't the least idea what so many mysterious
figures mean. When he had passed the whole of
this morning in figuring, the adze was brought into
use and the spar soon began to assume the appear
ance of a ship's yard; though two or three days'
work will be needed before it is crossed. My wife is
also much interested in the metamorphosis ofthe spar;
and as the carpenter is much gratified at the interest
we take in his work, and is very affable, we often pass
away hours sitting on an empty oil-case, watching
the skill with which he manipulates chisel and gouge.
Captain Kingdon last evening told me the story of
what he considers his narrowest escape in all his
forty-two years' experience at sea. The incident,
which was so nearly an appalling accident, happened
about six years ago, when the " Mandalore" was on
a voyage from Cardiff to San Francisco with coal.
It was on the night of the i6th of April, 1888, that
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A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
the " Mandalore" was fighting her way round Cape
Horn in the face of a heavy southwesterly gale. It
was snowing hard and a tremendous sea was running,
— one of the worst that the skipper ever remem
bers. The passage had been a slow one, and Cap
tain Kingdon was trying to beat up against the gale
instead of lying-to, as he otherwise would have done.
The night was so bad that the skipper himself stood
the first watch with the second mate, all hands being
ordered to keep a good lookout. Everything was
going as nicely as possible under the circumstances,
when suddenly there was an awful shout from the
watch, " Ship on the weather beam ; my God, she's
into us !" At the same instant the skipper saw her
and ordered the helmsman to put the wheel up for
his life ; and the next instant a giant four-masted
ship rushed by so close that during an instant's lull
the skipper heard the officer of the watch on the
other vessel sing out, " Why the hell don't you keep
your lights burning?" This was a bluff; for the
" Mandalore's" lights were not only shining as
brightly as the furious snow-squalls would allow,
but they were and are nearly three times as power
ful as Lloyd calls for. When the ship had passed
(for she was bound to the eastward and swept by like
a ghost) Captain Kingdon says his legs actually gave
way beneath him, and it was many an hour before
his hand stopped shaking and he was himself again.
He thinks the other ship did not clear him by more
than twenty yards. A collision would have meant
death to all the men on both vessels; and what a
spectacle it would have been as the two big iron
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A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
ships came together on that night in the worst month
in the year, sixty miles off the Diego Ramirez, in a
Cape Horn gale and sea ! The incident reminds me
of the narrative of the "Wreck of the 'Golden
Mary,' " by Dickens. I can't imagine where he got
his knowledge from, for the story is told in quite a
seaman-like manner. Latitude, 29° 3' south ; longi
tude, 26° 10' west.
September 5
No fault could be found with the weather this
moming, for when I went on deck a glorious wind
was blowing out of the north, and the ship was
doing better than nine knots ; indeed, we averaged
nine and a half for the twenty-four hours, the distance
run being two hundred and twenty-four miles, — as
good as we have made since we left New York.
There came near being another row last night, the
helmsman steering a very bad course. I heard the
other day that it is hard to maintain good discipline
on a ship bound to Calcutta, owing to a parson who
comes aboard when the vessel reaches the moorings
in the river, and asks each man individually whether
he has any grievance against the master or mates ;
in fact, in Calcutta Jack's word is as good as the
skipper's. This, of course, is known by the foremast
hands all over the world, and gives them great as
surance of manner, so that they will behave on a
Calcutta-bound ship as they would on no other.
Captain Kingdon, of course, knows the port as well as
the men, and I think there would be some fighting
in spite of the parson, if my wife were not aboard,
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A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
Neither of the mates has ever been to Calcutta,
but the boson spins such yarns about a seaman's
rights in that port that they seem to hesitate about
speaking sharply to them, as that generally leads to
back-talk, and then blows ; and the old second mate
seems to have a horrible dread of an Indian jail.
The boson has also told him that the natives of India
are nothing less than a gigantic band of cutthroats,
and that it is as much as a man's life is worth to go
ashore there. To my surprise old Kelly takes it all
in and swears he won't set foot on Indian soil as long
as the ship is in port. The boson, cook, and two of
the seamen, besides the skipper, are the only ones on
board who have ever been to Calcutta.
The musician with the license is, I believe, to be
disrated when we reach port ; he signed as able sea
man, the definition of which is that he must be able
to reef, hand, and steer. He can do the first two all
right, but he can scarcely steer at all; for he's so
near-sighted that he must leave the wheel and shove
his head into the compass-bowl to see the card, and
even then he is often a point off his course. As a
lookout he's positively useless, for he couldn't see
a vessel's lights till she was aboard of us. I don't
know what the law is concerning disrated seamen,
but I fancy they don't get much of the pay due them
when they reach port. Latitude, 30° south ; longi
tude, 23° west.
September 6
To-day was raw and cold on deck ; indeed, below
it was not what could be called torrid. The old fore-
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top-gallant-yard was sent down this forenoon, and in
the afternoon the new one was crossed in its place.
The second mate — a splendid seaman, if nothing else
— had the handhng of the job, and, considering that
he had only seven men to help him, he sent the new
spar up very neatly and quickly, Carson being sta
tioned aloft to superintend matters up there. When
they were lowering away the old yard, it was so
rotten that several times I thought it would break in
two and hurt some one. At the slings it was so
decayed that I picked the wood to pieces with my
fingers. What held it together aloft is more than I
can see, for it seemed to me that a man's weight on
the foot-ropes ought to have broken it. The new
spar is a little larger than the old one, but it is very
full of sap, and will be a good bit smaller when it
dries out.
This forenoon the mate put his head into the com
panion-way and sung out, " Come up and see the
first albatross." So my wife and I ran up as quickly
as possible, and there, sure enough, was a large,
grayish-black bird, sailing in wide circles over the
sea, two or three hundred yards away. I was a little
disappointed, though, in his appearance ; and when
the skipper, who had been examining the new yard,
came aft, he asked us what we were looking at. I
told him that we were looking at an albatross.
" Where is he ?" he asked. " Right there, dead astern
of us," I answered. Then he asked us who said that
that was an albatross ; on my replying that the mate
had said so, he called him over and said, " Mr. Ryan,
haven't you ever been around the Cape ?" " Yes,
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sir," said the mate ; " I went out to Saigon in the
'Tamar E. Marshall' two years ago with a cargo
of oil." "And you call that bird an albatross?
Well, it isn't ; it's a guny." And when the second
mate came on deck he clinched the matter by re
marking, " That ain't no albatross ; it's a guny," I
was very glad that this was so ; for if it had been
an albatross my estimation of that bird would have
been rudely cut down. As a matter of fact, the
guny (I suppose that's the way to spell it) is a very
fine creature, but not half as large as the albatross,
nor so majestic-looking.
My wife is getting along nicely in navigation, and
has mastered the intricacies of a chronometer sight,
and can work up the ship's position by dead-reckon
ing. But, like all women, she has trouble with the
sextant, finding it difficult to bring the sun down
accurately to the horizon. It seems strange that
this should be a stumbling-block for all women
navigators. Our course has been gradually altered, and is now
about southeast, as may be seen by comparing our
position to-day with that of yesterday, which shows
that we made about as much departure as difference
of latitude. Latitude, 33° 15' south; longitude,
19° 38' west.
September 7
There is still a strong northerly wind blowing
over our quarter, and our course is now east-south
east true. As yet there has been no evidence of
the big seas that Fitzroy and other navigators tell
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us about in this locality, though weVare not far
enough south yet. Not only that, but^ we are still
seventeen hundred miles to the westward of Cape
Agulhas, though in the same latitude, and we have
five thousand miles of easting to run down before
turning the ship's head to the equator. So we have
a month yet in which to see some of those famous
waves. Fitzroy mentions seas on the Agulhas Bank
that he estimated were seventy feet from crest to
trough. This great height is not generally believed,
and is particularly disbelieved by sailors that I have
talked with ; but I must add that those men, when
questioned closely, admitted in every case that they
had never tried to estimate the height of waves in a
gale, saying that they had as much as they could do
to take care of the ship. This is very likely true,
but it is no reason for a sweeping denial by all of
them of Fitzroy's estimate, particularly when he, by
long observation and residence in the Southern
Ocean, one might say, was peculiarly well adapted
for expressing an opinion on the subject. I came
across a copy of a little paper on board not long
ago, called the Fisherman, of Gloucester, Massa
chusetts, and in it was an article on the height of
waves, the author of which employed a unique
method — and it seems to me a very accurate one
— of obtaining correct measurements of waves ; and,
as the subject is of almost universal interest, I am
going to set down what he wrote to the Liverpool
Mercury, a great shipping journal, in response to
that paper's editorial asking merchant skippers to
obtain accurate measurements, if possible, of the
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waves runnirj^ off Cape Horn in a gale. Mr. T.
A. H. Oxhali, who wrote the following letter, be
longed to the bark " Lurlie," on the Chilean coast,
when he read the Mercury's editorial, and he deter
mined to try and prove the height of waves himself
I will copy verbatim from his report : " On the 8th
of May last, in latitude 50° south, longitude 79°
west, when running before a heavy nor'west gale, I
went up into the main-rigging to get, if possible, the
top of the wave coming up astern, in a line of sight
from the mast to the horizon at the back. The rea
son I selected the main-mast was this : That, as a
rule, it is nearly amidships, and when the ship is
running the sea ahead and from aft lifts the two
ends, forming a hollow amidships (the actual foot of
the wave) below the mean draught, equal to the
slight elevation ; the observer is necessarily above the
true height. I found this to be a far more difficult
task than I had imagined, as I had not only to watch
the top of the wave, but also the perpendicular of the
mast. In fact, it required the agility of a monkey
and the eye of a hawk to catch the golden moment,
which lasted only a couple of seconds. However,
after many failures I succeeded in getting some very
good observations, leaving a mark in the mast for
each. On measuring the distance from these to the
mean draught, I found them to be as follows : fifty-
eight, sixty, sixty-three, and sixty-four feet respec
tively, varying in length from seven hundred and fifty
to eight hundred feet. These waves seldom broke ;
but there were others independent of the former,
rising suddenly without any warning to the height
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of from twelve to fifteen feet, playing havoc with
what we sailors call the gingerbread-work, leaving
the more solid parts to be dissected by the booming
artillery coming up behind." The writer continues
at greater length, but I have copied all that has any
bearing on the question of the altitude of the largest
waves ; and it would seem from the above that Fitz
roy is not far wrong in his estimate of the height of
seas, if, indeed, he is wrong at all. Latitude, 34°
57' south; longitude, 15° 58' west.
September 8
The glorious north wind is still driving us on at
an average of ten knots. The weather is dark and
disagreeable, a drizzling rain adding much to the
discomfort of the day ; and a more desolate spectacle
it would be hard to find than that which greeted me
when I put my head out of the companion-way be
fore breakfast this morning. Everything was gray :
the sea, the sky, the very air seemed to be of the
same sombre hue ; while a heavy westerly swell had
come rolling up, the great seas rushing under our
counter with such force as to nearly take the wheel
out of the helmsman's hands, for we are still under
royals, which makes the steering hard. A little way
astern hovered a flock of Cape pigeons, fighting over
bits of refuse thrown overboard from the galley;
while at a distance of a quarter of a mile two great
albatrosses — real ones this time — were sweeping
through the air in magnificent circles, giving one the
idea of absolute freedom and boundless space in
which to exercise it. 156

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
Sweeping is, I think, the best word to describe the
flight of these splendid birds. It has been the desire
of my life to see this, the largest and most powerful
of web-footed birds, in his native haunts ; and what
with tradition and the realization of my long-deferred
wish, it almost takes my breath away to watch the
tremendous swoops of these great creatures. The
younger birds are of a brownish black, while the old
ones are light-gray in color and easily distinguished
by their size.
But the wee Cape pigeon is not to be despised ; I
love to watch one as he soars up to windward and
then, turning, comes down the wind at a speed so
astonishing that I cannot estimate it at less than
seventy miles an hour; and being so light-hearted
and gay, they form a striking contrast to the gaunt,
grim albatross. Sailors generally divide the latter
genus into three species : the wandering, the yellow-
billed, and the sooty albatross. The first two are the
most common, the wanderer being the largest known
sea-bird, specimens having been taken measuring
seventeen feet in alar extent, and weighing twenty-
five pounds. It is found in all parts of the Southem
Ocean, and also on the coast of Asia south of Behring
Strait. The yellow-billed albatross is equally com
mon, those that we saw this morning being of this
species. Their favorite breeding-places are the Cro
zets, in the southern Indian Ocean, and the South
Shetlands, six hundred miles southeast of Cape
Hom. I am in possession, however, of two of their
eggs, brought to me from the Diego Ramirez, sixty
miles west-southwest of the Hom, by an old ac-
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quaintance, an ex-skipper of Stonington sealers, who
passed many years in the vicinity of Cape Horn,
wintering at Sandy Point, and in summer penetrating
far to the southward in quest of seals.
We killed our first pig to-day, and if tradition
holds good we'll have a gale of wind to-morrow.
They butchered the little porker up forward, and
after he had been cleaned and hung up under one of
the boat-skids he tipped the scales at thirty-four
pounds. All hope of sighting Tristan d'Acunha, has been
abandoned, as we are passing too far to the north
ward of it. I am very much disappointed in not see
ing Tristan, commonly spoken of as the most isolated
spot on the globe. But this is a mistake, as I found
land on the chart three hundred miles southeast of
it, called Gough Island, not to mention Nightingale
and Inaccessible Islands; but the latter two and
Tristan are so close together that they are generally
spoken of as one group. Tristan d'Acunha is only
seven miles in diameter, but it has a mountain seven
thousand feet high ; so that the island is a very con
spicuous place in the South Atlantic. The climate is
said to be very healthy, and the inhabitants number
one hundred.
From my own calculations on the chart, I should
say that the most isolated spot on the globe is
Dougherty Island, in 59° south and 1 19° west. The
nearest land shown is Cape Horn, away over in 67°
west, a tiny speck called Nimrod being the only land
between Dougherty and New Zealand, and that is as
far to the west as the Horn is to the east. As a
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A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
matter of fact, it is very difficult to find an island five
hundred miles from any other land, and there are not
more than one or two such places on the globe.
Amsterdam Island, in the southern Indian Ocean,
would be one were it not for St. Paul, only seventy
miles away ; and Kerguelen Island would be another,
in 50° south and 70° east, were it not for McDonald
Island, two hundred and fifty miles southeast of it.
The New York Journal of Commerce said, not long
ago, that probably the most isolated spot yet dis
covered is Treibos, but I have unfortunately forgotten
the location, and it is not down on any chart on
board. We got no sights to-day, and our dead-reckoning
put us in 35° 33' south; longitude, 11" 21' west.
We logged two hundred and forty miles.
Sunday, September 9
Ten weeks ago to-day the little tug-boat cast us
off abreast ofthe Sandy Hook light-ship, and they've
been the shortest ten weeks I ever remember; I'd
like to go back and start all over again. We are
doing splendidly, having averaged eleven knots and
a half for the twenty-four hours. The wind was
very strong in the middle watch and in the four hours
we logged just fifty miles, — pretty fair for a foul ship.
By observation to-day we made three hundred and
one miles since yesterday, which showed that our
dead-reckoning of yesterday was at fault, for during
only a short time in the twenty-four hours did we
log twelve knots. To-morrow at noon we ought to
be very close to the Greenwich meridian, and then
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only twenty degrees to the Cape. It was so cold this
morning that the skipper had a soft-coal fire started
in the grate, — a most welcome luxury, for we've been
shivering with cold for two days. As a result of
building too large a fire at first, some of the wood
work about the grate was scorched and the varnish
cracked and blistered. The steward soon made
everything all right, and then went forward to where
the wolly old second mate was standing and, with a
good show of alarm, announced that there was a fire
in the cabin. Instantly Mr. Kelly was all excitement
and sung out, " Lay aft both watches with buckets ;
the cabin's afire," at the same time waddling aft as
fast as his circular legs would let him. As soon as
he was in the entry-way he saw the joke that had
been played upon him, and, as he cordially detests
the steward, I look for a few minutes' fun some day
when he pays him back. Old Kelly says that on
American ships the steward is always ready to give
a piece of pie or cold sago-pudding, or whatever may
be left in the pantry, to the officers during the middle
and morning watches, putting it on the cabin-table
before turning in ; but that never a morsel can he get
out of our steward except a cup of coffee when he
turns out at four in the morning. I believe the
steward is very mean, and I have often looked down
through the skylight, when he and the second mate
are at dinner, and seen him appropriate the best of
everything that was left. Certain it is that the men are
beginning to grumble at the food, though they have
all the soft bread they can eat. And speaking of
eating reminds me of the pig we had to-day at
1 60

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
dinner. I had heard before we started on the
voyage about sea-fed pork, but what we had to-day
went away beyond my expectations. I never tasted
such pig-meat in my life. It was enough to tempt a
Jew. It fairly melted away in one's mouth, and the
flavor was the most delicate and the brown, crisp fat
the most succulent that Vitellius or LucuUus himself
ever dreamed of This is a pretty strong statement,
but I believe it's true, and I am at the same time
making allowance for the fact that we have not tasted
fresh meat for two months. Captain Kingdon did
not exaggerate when he told me that I would find
sea-fed pig the best eating in the world. The little
pig ought to last us three or four days, as the only
parts given to the men are the head and feet. I am
lying in wait for the pork-chops to-morrow for break
fast. Latitude at noon, 35° 43' south; longitude, 5°
west.
September 10
To-day came on with lowering sky and heavy sea,
that kept the decks full of water ; that is, there would
often be two feet of water in the scuppers when she
rolled. The big square ports in the bulwarks have
been opened and iron gratings lashed across them to
prevent the men from being sucked through as the
water runs off; these ports are about two feet square,
and there are three on each side, so that they will
free the decks in considerably less than a minute.
The wind shifted in the morning watch and at eight
bells was at north-northeast, so that we had to brace
the yards up a couple of points, bringing the wind
n 161

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abeam. A regular cloud of pigeons follows us all
the time, and the albatrosses, too, are becoming
much more numerous.
Fifty years ago a seafaring-man would no more
have thought of killing an albatross than he would
one of the crew, — a fact graphically set forth by
Coleridge in his " Rime of the Ancient Mariner."
But so completely has the superstition passed away
that some calamity will happen if an albatross is
harmed, that the skipper this morning sent a Win
chester bullet whizzing after one; but though the
aim was excellent, the ball apparently passing
through the wing, only a shower of feathers and
quills followed, the great bird keeping right on. I
noticed then for the first time the extreme narrow
ness of the wing in proportion to the length.
It affords my wife much pleasure to feed the
swarms of pigeons ; she has made quite a habit of
whistling in a peculiar way just before she begins
to throw them the fat, and the little fellows have
learned so quickly that as soon as they hear the
first notes of the whistle they collect in great num
bers close to the mizzen-shrouds, ready to fall upon
the tiniest particle of fat. It is really a very pretty
sight, and reminds one somewhat of pictures of a
girl feeding pigeons in a bam-yard, only in this case
the barn-yard is the angry surface of the South
Atlantic and these pigeons are more agreeable at a
distance than at close range.
If Captain Kingdon missed the albatross this fore
noon, he was more successful after dinner, as he was
lucky enough to catch one of the pigeons, and we had
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a good chance of examining one of these interesting
birds. Fortunately, his stomach was empty. He
was about the size of a gull, only not so slim, and to
look at him one would think he ought to be good
to eat ; but I never heard of any one who had the
temerity. After we had tired of looking at him we
placed him on the edge of the poop, off of which he
instantly flopped, and then, catching himself, he flew
away and was soon lost in the midst of his com
panions. About the middle of the forenoon watch the sea
began to make very rapidly, and, the wind freshening
considerably, the royals were stowed at ten, followed
by the top-gallants half an hour later, the wind being
very strong with savage squaUs ; at two in the after
noon the maintop-gallant was set, though there were
still strong puffs, and the sea increasing.
I wanted to go forward to the carpenter's shop
just after dinner; so I started out very bravely,
hugging the lee side of the mizzen-house, in spite of
the warning from the mate, who sung out from the
poop never to try to go forward on the lee side in
heavy weather. I had pretty lively work to dodge
one sea between the poop and midship-house ; but I
got along all right till I let go the hand-rail of the
deck-house and was about to traverse the worst part
just abreast of the main-hatch, when I heard a sea
coming. It was too late to save myself, and as I
looked up what seemed to me a mountain of water
appeared over the weather rail and came roaring and
tumbhng across the deck. I clutched madly at the
tarpaulin on the main-hatch, but I couldn't hold on ;
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then I grabbed a rope, but it wasn't belayed, and I
fetched away and slid over into the lee scuppers,
bringing to in a good deal more than two feet of ice-
cold water, but without suffering any damage, A
perfect hurricane of laughter, not only from the poop,
but from all sides, taxed my temper to the utmost. I
tried to laugh too, but I could do nothing but gasp
and sputter, and it was fully ten minutes before I got
my breath back and my teeth stopped cHcking
together after my cold plunge.
Our sights to-day were very poor; the horizon
was thick and the sky almost constantly overcast.
Latitude, 35° 43' south; longitude, 0°.
September 1 1
There was less wind this morning than yesterday,
and all sail was clapped on. Last night at ten the
fore and mizzentop-gallants were set, and at eleven
the main-royal. In this morning's watch the fore
and mizzen-royals were spread to the breeze, and at
ten o'clock all three sky-sails followed. Even though
the wind is lighter, we've crossed the Greenwich me
ridian and are still driving to the eastward at the
rate of four degrees a day. At least one hundred and
fifty Cape pigeons and a score of gunies are astern of
us, besides a dozen or so of slate-colored birds about
the size of the pigeons, but not nearly so plump, being
something like a gull, but much darker ; while some
distance astern of all four immense albatrosses are
wheeling through the air as if disdaining to mingle
with the 01 noXXot ahead of them. I watched them
closely for a long time this morning, and only once in
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fifteen minutes did any one of them flap his wings.
I think this is very remarkable ; as, unlike the frigate-
bird, the albatross often flies close to the surface of
the water, following the undulations, dipping down
in the hollow between the largest seas and rising
again just in time to escape the foaming crest of the
following wave, and all this without a single motion
of the wing.
The skipper, about nine o'clock this evening,
brought out a lot of pop-corn and then sent the
steward for an iron pot, which he half filled with
coarse salt. I couldn't imagine what he was going
to do with this till he explained that it was one of
the most successful ways of popping corn, as the
salt, as soon as it becomes very hot, pops the grains
much more uniformly than the familiar iron cage,
which generally burns them. Captain Kingdon en
joys everything of this sort as much as a school-boy,
and he often romps with Pete almost by the hour,
the cat coming in for his share of attention. We
have a jolly time every evening, particularly when
we are not rolHng too much for cards or dominoes.
The skipper is very fond of three-handed euchre,
and we have great tournaments when the weather
permits. There is an immense quantity of back-number
magazines on board, — Harper's, Scribner's, and the
Popular Science Monthly ; they make the most in
teresting reading on an occasion like this; and as
there are fully one hundred and fifty copies of these
magazines on board, not to mention several years of
Chambers's JoumalhanAsovai^y hoxyndi and presented
165

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some time ago to the skipper by the owners, there is
no fear of the supply running short.
At four this afternoon the wind had lightened to
a gentle breeze and backed to west by north, with
a swell setting from the westward. The sights were
very uncertain. Latitude, 36° 30' south ; longitude,
4° 50' east.
September 12
A gloriously clear morning, with the wind blowing
a whole-sail breeze from right aft, and not a cloud in
sight. It is most unusual weather to experience in
this part of the world, and it cannot last long.
Just after dinner we saw a whale blowing on the
weather quarter, and coming rapidly toward us. Be
fore long he was abreast of us and not more than a
hundred yards away, and I had hopes that he would
stop with us awhile, so that we could have a look at
him. The skipper, who is possessed of considerable
knowledge of whales, said that he was a right whale
and seemed to him a very large specimen. Just as
we were congratulating ourselves on having so good
an opportunity of examining the great beast, he sud
denly became alarmed at something, spouted vio
lently and, clapping on all sail, rushed forward at a
tremendous speed and vanished. It was very sur
prising to see so clumsy an animal propel itself at such
an astonishing speed ; he seemed to lift himself clear
out of the water with every motion of his tail ; and
as he swam close to the surface, his back was visible,
until we could no longer follow his progress.
Captain Kingdon told me to-day, in answer to an
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inquiry, that during his experience as master he has
been cast away in two ships, and that one foundered
with him four hundred miles east-southeast of Cape
Agulhas. The first vessel he lost on the coast of
Borneo during a typhoon in the China Sea; the
second was wrecked on the Great Barrier Reef that
extends for twelve hundred miles along the northeast
coast of Australia ; while, as I have said before, the
last vessel that he lost foundered in the Southern
Ocean, all hands having a providential escape. The
vessel, which was a very old one, had sprung a leak
in a heavy gale to the eastward of the Cape, and was
making a great deal of water ; so that the skipper,
when the gale was over, decided to bear up for Table
Bay. But a second gale coming on, he had to run be
fore it, deeming that his best chance. It was not long,
however, before all hands knew that the foundering of
the ship was a matter of but another day at the outside,
as it was impossible to keep the water down with the
pumps. Here was a terrible position to be in, the
chance of rescue being infinitesimal ; for, though they
were in the track of ships bound to the East, in so
vast a sea the chance of being picked up was not
worth mentioning, and the nearest civiHzed land was
now seven hundred miles away, dead to windward.
Toward the close of the afternoon, though, when
they had almost abandoned hope, a large vessel,
called by the English a four- masted bark, hove in
sight ; and though the gale was still very heavy, aU
hands were encouraged, and the skipper set the
signals " I am sinking," to which the stranger replied
by running down to the foundering vessel and
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heaving to. Captain Kingdon after hard work having
brought his ship to the wind on sighting the other
vessel. Then he launched a boat, which was instantly
stove against the ship's side, but was more fortunate
a second time, though the sea was so heavy that the
skipper's wife and daughter had to be lowered into
the boat by a whip from the mainyard-arm. Finally,
though, after a long struggle, all hands were trans
ferred and landed at Newcastle, New South Wales,
the ship foundering actually before their eyes.
We had fine observations to-day, which put us in
latitude 36° 58' south; longitude, 7° 39' east.
September 13
Last evening we were visited by a thunder-squall
of considerable violence ; so violent, indeed, that sail
had to be shortened in the quickest possible time.
We had not been doing so very well all day, the
wind shifting back and forth between west and north-
northwest, with a heavy swell setting from the west
ward. Nothing stronger than a fresh breeze had
blown since the morning watch, and all day we had
carried the three sky-sails without fear of splitting
them. While we were finishing supper the second
mate stuck his bewhiskered, crimson face in the
cabin doorway and said, " There's sharp Hghtning in
the nor'west, and it looks like a heavy squall, sir."
We went on deck at once and, looking over the
port quarter, we saw an immense black cloud, cover
ing the whole western sky and fairly writhing with
tremendous electrical discharges.
Captain Kingdon looked at it for a minute or two,
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A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
then walked to the break of the poop and sung out
to the mate, " Mr. Ryan, get the sky-sails, royals,
and fore and mizzentop-gallants stowed; haul up
the main-sail and cross-jack, and let the outer jib
run down." Both watches jumped into the rigging;
and though the men worked as hard and fast as they
could, it was a great many minutes before the canvas
was furled, so very short-handed do square-riggers
go to sea nowadays. Before the men came down
from aloft the skipper ordered in the maintop-
gallant, leaving us under very short sail and fit to
encounter anything short of a tornado, all the remain
ing canvas being the top-sails and foresail. I thought
we were going to be caught right in the centre of the
squaU, and so we took firm hold of the weather rail,
braced for the impending shock. But when the
squall had approached to within half a mile or so it
seemed to change its course, just grazing us; and
we could see the surface of the water to windward
seething and bubbling furiously. Our precautions,
therefore, while fully justified by the sinister appear
ance of the sky, were not necessary after all ; though
perhaps it was just as well that we had furled the
top-gallants, for, while we escaped the full force of
the squall, we experienced a heavy blast that made
the old " Mandalore" tremble beneath the shock, and
sent the wind-gods shrieking through the rigging.
We were the witnesses also of a magnificent elec
trical display, the dazzling flashes reaching from
horizon to zenith in a perfect net-work of fire;
though the thunder was muffled, probably by the
roar of the wind. For a few seconds after the most
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A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
vivid flashes the eye was quite blinded so that it
was impossible to distinguish anything, so very bril
liant were the discharges. The disturbance passed
in an hour or so, and at ten p.m. we had the fore- and
main-royals set, but nothing above the mizzentop-
sails, the wind coming from the westward as before,
and moderate.
The approach of a heavy squall at sea is a very
impressive sight. The skipper is on the poop rest
lessly pacing fore and aft, at every turn casting a
searching glance at the black cloud-bank rapidly
approaching. In a few minutes come the expected
orders to the officers, delivered in our case in a deep,
resounding voice that thrills one as he Hstens, The
mate repeats the commands to the men, who jump
into the rigging and swing themselves aloft and
work their way out on the yards like great monkeys,
each man striving for his life, for the squall may dis
mast the ship and no one knows what is behind it.
Before it strikes, though, the sails are all furled, the
gaskets secured, and the men are just laying down
from aloft, when, with a curious sort of scream, the
squall strikes the ship and she careens till her rail
nearly touches the water, only to recover and, quickly
gathering way, off she tears before the wind, through
the drenching rain that accompanies these squalls.
At 10.30 I went up forward to have a look around,
and as I passed the galley I heard voices raised as if
in dispute ; and creeping stealthily up I saw a group
of men standing close to the head-pump, though I
could not make them out till a cloud that obscured
the moon had passed by. Then I saw that the men
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A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
were old Kelly, the second mate ; Carson, the Ameri
can, and the Finn, — Carson's right-hand man. The
latter was "jawing" Kelly at a great rate, and before
long I heard him say, in a most sarcastic tone, his
words plentifully interspersed with sea-oaths, " You
ain't got no second mate's ticket." " Yes I have,"
answered old Kelly. " You lie !" said Carson ; " and
how are yer goin' to get away from Calcutta without
one? Yer'U find no American ships there." I
couldn't hear what Kelly answered, but by and by I
caught from Carson, " Ah, I'm sick er you and the
' M. P. Grace ;' yer couldn't get a second mate's
berth on the ' W. R. Grace,' and I know why, 'cause
they wouldn't have yer." I left them at this junct
ure, for I didn't want them to know I had overheard
them, wondering why the second mate allows a fore
mast hand to talk like that to him. A moment's
reflection, though, showed me that Mr. Kelly fears
Calcutta and the sailor-parson ; and as the second
mate and Carson have probably been shipmates in
American vessels in the Frisco trade before this, the
latter is doubtless getting in some fine work in retalia
tion for sundry thumps Kelly has very likely given
him in days gone by. But, Calcutta or not, I cannot
see how the second mate of a ship can allow a fore
mast hand to blackguard him. Carson is spoiling
for a fight, and the Finn thinks he's the finest thing
on earth, and to-night looked as though he wanted
only a word to jump on the second mate. Latitude
at noon, 37° 12' south; longitude, 11° east.

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A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
September 14
There is a sea running to-day that would, I think,
satisfy nearly every one, though the waves are not
so large as I expected. Still, I think that a great
many people wouldn't like to hear them come roaring
over the weather rail as they are doing now, or ex
perience the tremendous rolling. I sincerely trust,
though, to see some of the Fitzroy seas before we
show our stern to the Southem-Cross.
A very amusing incident happened last evening
after the squall that I forgot to note in yesterday's
log. The shortening of sail had been an all hands'
job, and, according to custom, every man on board
was entitled to a drink. So the skipper produced a
demijohn of very powerful rum, half-filled a bucket
with it, and then poured in water till the pail was
full. The grog was then served to the men, all
hands collecting aft to receive each man his tot.
When all had been served (except the Norwegian
'prentice, who refused it), the mate, who poured out
the grog, emptied the last drop into Mr. Kelly's
mug. "Arn't you going to have any?" I asked
him. Upon which he looked very knowing and
winked as he said, " Naw ; the old man's goin' to
give me a hot Scotch, I guess." And he kept on
guessing, for not even a smell of hot Scotch did he
get, the skipper having mentioned it and then for
gotten it. I don't believe the mate will ever hear
the end of it.
I asked Captain Kingdon this morning if he ever
felt the least nervous in very bad weather ; he an
swered, "No, not in the 'Mandalore,'" though he
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A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
had been through heavy gales off the Horn and the
Cape and in the North Atlantic. He said, however,
that he must honestly confess that he was very ner
vous in a severe thunder-storm and in a cyclone.
And, now that I remember, the skipper was very
restless last night in the thunder-squall, though we
were not in the worst of it. When I asked him further
whether a cyclone at sea was very much worse than
a violent gale, he said it was so much worse that the
two could no more be compared than could a strong
breeze and a gale ; and that the aspect of the sea
and sky, as well as the tremendous fury of the wind,
were appalling beyond words. And as the old skip
per has been in three typhoons in the China Sea
and one each in the Bay of Bengal and Indian
Ocean, it is fair to presume that he is qualified to
speak on the subject. To use his own words, " I
dread a cyclone." So do most skippers, but they
won't own to it.
The second mate to-day bet Mr. Ryan that we'd
have a gale of wind before we were in 30° east, ob
serving that, though he'd never doubled the Cape
before, he'd back his opinion with a silver dollar. It
is a curious fact that, though the second mate has
been to sea fully forty years and has weathered the
Horn sixty-four times, he has never doubled the
Cape before. Latitude, 37° 48' south; longitude,
13° S3' east.
September 15
This is my dear wife's birthday, and an incident
occurred to mark it: we caught three albatrosses
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A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
before dinner. The wind was light all day and the
weather favorable for the purpose ; so about ten this
morning, not having much way on, a moderate-sized
fish-hook was secured to a stout hemp line and
baited temptingly with pork-fat. As soon as we put
it over, a flock of pigeons darted for it and began
their usual fighting and squabbling for bits of the
meat. I was afraid that they would tear all the fat
off the hook before the albatrosses would see it, for
they were some distance astern. But at length, at
tracted probably by the actions and cries of the
pigeons, they gradually circled up to us, and, catch
ing sight of the tempting morsel, one of the boldest
dashed into the midst of the pigeons (who disap
peared as if they had melted away) and, seizing the
lump of fat, attempted to rise from the surface of the
water, where he had settled in order to take the bait.
We let him have time to swallow the hook or nearly
so, and then, giving the line a sharp tug after the
manner of anglers, we hooked him and hauled him
through the water, struggling and resisting with all
his great strength, and up on deck, where, after much
trouble, we disengaged the hook from his mouth.
It was astonishing to see the big bird extend his
webbed feet to the utmost and spread his wings to
hold back as we dragged him through the water, he
resisting and bracing his feet out in front of him as
though this were not the first time he had been
caught. I was never more surprised than I was on a close
examination of the great creature. Instead of having
a scraggy look such as vultures have, he presented
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A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
a really grand appearance. He had a fine head and
was possessed of an enormous, curved bill, at least
ten inches long, the upper side forming a kind of
hook. But his eyes were particularly attractive,
being not so fierce and wild as an eagle's, but larger,
perfectly black, and full of lustre and positive dignity.
They also showed an amount of intelligence sur
prising in a bird. The most startling thing about
him, though, was his size. I didn't suppose that his
wings would have been more than six feet across, but I
found by actual measurement that he was ten feet
and a half from tip to tip. What the big sixteen-
and seventeen-footers look like I cannot conceive.
It seemed a pity to keep such grand birds captive,
and indeed one was let go through a mistake of one
of the men, who misunderstood when the skipper
said to take him forward, and hove him overboard.
The two that were left were killed for their feathers
and down, and the red, beef-like flesh thrown to the
chickens, who greedily picked the carcasses perfectly
clean. The skipper told me that he has often hauled
an albatross on board quite dead, having been
drowned while being pulled through the water ; and
one of those we caught to-day sputtered and choked
for ten minutes. If one is placed on deck where
people are passing, it is necessary to tie his beak
with a piece of marline or something, as they have a
disagreeable way of snapping at one's fingers and
legs ; and, as their bills are very powerful, a bite from
one would be a very serious affair, for I dare say that
under the most favorable conditions they could break
the bones of a man's finger. 17s

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
Thus we celebrated my wife's birthday, with the
addition of a glass of Ruinart Brut at dinner. As
for the day, I said before that the wind was light and a
heavy roll prevented our sleeping last night, as it was
utterly impossible to stay in the bunk without hold
ing on. The wind shifted to the northward late in
the afternoon and blew a fresh breeze. Latitude at
noon, 37° 33' south; longitude, 16° 43' east.
Sunday, September 16
Eleven weeks at sea to-day, and at half-past ten
this morning we doubled Cape Agulhas ; that is, we
were on the same meridian as that headland ; and
when skippers say they have been so many days
from the line to the Cape, they always mean from
the equator to the longitude of Agulhas, even
though they may be seven or eight degrees south
of it. As the Cape is in about 34° 40' south, we
are, therefore, two hundred and forty miles to the
southward of it, and have been seventy-seven days
at sea and twenty-nine from the line. This is about
the average time from the equator, but what a tre
mendous muddle we made of the first part of the
voyage !
We have had a grand breeze from northwest all
day, the best possible quarter, as it is not so cold as
the biting southerly winds, and we have done better
than ten knots since daylight, which would be thir
teen if the ship were clean.
What surprises me more than anything else since
we took the strong winds is the ability of a ship to
carry sail with the wind aft. I have known the
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A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
" Mandalore" to lug a main-sky-sail when there was
a very strong wind blowing, and a heavy sea to boot,
so that close hauled we couldn't have shown any
thing above a maintop-gallant, and perhaps not that.
I recall one morning four or five days ago, when
Captain Kingdon hung on to his main-sky-sail when
the tops were blown off the seas, and I looked every
minute to see something go, for the royal-masts were
bending so that it seemed that a single pound more
pressure must carry them over the side. I should
like to see a schooner yacht in this sea ; for, while she
would take the big billows easier than we do, there
are plenty of seas from six to eight feet high, that
have no effect on us, that I should think would
sweep the decks of a yacht continuously ; and the
larger seas come rushing at you with four or five feet
of foam on their crests, which no small vessel with
low freeboard could get away from.
No matter how heavy the seas are or how flooded
the decks, the men still have to come aft at mid-day
for their lime-juice, and each man has to drink his tin
mugful before he goes forward again. This is what
is called fortified lime-juice, and comes in bottles
holding about two quarts. A certain proportion is
added to a bucket of water, and then each man, as I
said before, is compelled to drink one mugful. I
used to think that the men objected to taking it, but
they don't, realizing that it prevents nearly entirely
that terrible sailor's scourge, scurvy. It is in charge
of the steward, who personally doles it out. On
American ships I do not think that the drinking of
lime-juice is compulsory, but on all Englishmen on
la 177

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
long voyages it is, and hence the name " Lime-
juicers." The law must be a good one, though, for
one seldom hears nowadays of scurvy in comparison
to the tales one used to hear of half the crew of a
ship succumbing to the dread disease. Latitude at
noon, 38° 39' south; longitude, 20° 13' east.
September 17
Last night we were favored with some very heavy
rolling ; indeed, the motion was so violent that we,
hardened by eleven weeks at sea, could sleep but
little. The wind was nearly aft and a heavy sea
running from the westward, and, of course, under
these conditions the inevitable happened. With the
wind anywhere near abeam, the pressure of the
wind on the canvas prevents to a great degree the
more violent osciUations. But last night, the wind
being almost dead aft and the yards therefore laid
square, we were hustled about most abominably, the
ship taking large quantities of water on board over
both rails by sheer rolling. Let the yards be braced
up even a couple of points, and the violent motion is
arrested at once. This holds good in a calm as well.
This morning, about the middle of the forenoon
watch, we had a heavy squall ; took in the three sky-
sails and the fore- and mizzen-royals for it, and hauled
up the weather side of the main-sail and both clews
of the cross-jack. It was a nasty squall, but it passed
in half an hour, when it partially cleared up and
commenced to blow a strong breeze from west, cant
ing southerly.
As one continues to sail on for days and weeks in
•178

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
the same direction, the ship's head pointing to the
rising sun, one cannot help marvelling at the loneli
ness of the great Southern Ocean and at the immense
solitudes encompassed within its boundaries. Sailors
generally confine its limits to that part of the ocean
extending from the thirty-fifth parallel to the antarctic
circle, and extending almost completely around the
world. South of latitude 45° there is nothing to
break its continuity but the southernmost extremity
of the New World ; and it is between this and the
antarctic continent that the fierce westerly gales
sweep in all their wild freedom throughout the year,
and the tremendous seas roll on around the world
with nothing to break their majestic progress save
the narrow strip of Patagonia and one or two deso
late clusters of islands. In the Southern Ocean one
might encompass the globe without sighting a vessel
or anything fashioned by the hand of man. Indeed,
although we are so far to the northward we have
seen nothing for many days, which goes further to
show the immensity of this expanse of ocean, for the
trade to Australia and the far East around the Cape
is very great. As for the sea-birds being companions
and friends in this lonely ocean, I think they rather
serve to increase one's sense of desolation, particu
larly the grim albatross, which seems to me the very
embodiment of solitude.
We covered a good deal of ground or, I should say,
water in the last twenty-four hours, and at noon we
were in 38° 50' south ; longitude, 24° 45' east.

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A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
September i8
This morning came on with a fresh breeze. It
rapidly increased, and by ten o'clock there was a
strong wind and sea ; so we furled the fore- and mizzen-
sky-sails. The ship yawed and sheered about a good
deal all day, but did not take much water on board,
considering the sea that was running. Every ten
minutes or so a whooping big billow comes along,
but she rides them nicely. Notwithstanding, once in
awhile, with a roaring and rattling, a sea falls over
the weather side and washes waist-deep into the lee
scuppers. A heavy sea coming aboard sounds dif
ferently from what I supposed it would ; the noise is
very alarming until one grows accustomed to it, for
the seas crash and rattle against the iron deck-houses
like volleys of musketry, and when our first big sea
boarded us I thought it had smashed everything to
pieces. It is also very curious why, when running
before a heavy, quartering sea, the seas never fall in
board till they are abreast of the fore-rigging; that
is, a large wave will appear on the quarter, and you
think that if it doesn't break on the poop it will
certainly come aboard at the mizzen-rigging ; but it
doesn't, but seems to run along the outside edge of
the rail till it gets well forward, when the whole mass
breaks right against the forecastle. It must make it
pleasant for the men asleep on the weather side of it.
Nothing can be more exhilarating to watch than the
advance of one of these great seas, for it will often
be visible some hundreds of yards astern, and you
can follow its progress until at last it rushes over the
rail, completely burying everything in its way for the
1 80 -•¦¦

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
time being. We have as yet had no water on the
poop except once, when the wind blew the crest of a
very tall sea aboard, half of it flying over the helms
man. The " Mandalore," from the way in which she
takes a following sea, ought to be able to run out a
heavy gale of wind, which, indeed, the skipper says
is the case. In reality, the weatherly qualities of a
vessel do not depend upon her size, some of the
largest sailing-ships afloat being the worst sea-boats,
in addition to being almost unmanageable in a gale
of wind. One reason for this is to be found in the very
size of the vessel, as ships of over two thousand five
hundred tons are too large for one sea and not large
enough for two, with the natural consequence that
they make very bad weather of it in a gale, shipping
seas that a smaller ship would rise to without trouble.
I have in mind one of our large American ships, — a
wooden one, of course, — the skipper of which told me
himself that she was one of the wettest ships he ever
commanded. I have often wondered how " La France,"
the largest sailing-vessel in the world, behaves in bad
weather. Her registered tonnage is, I think, about
three thousand seven hundred, and she is the only five-
masted ship afloat, being square-rigged on all but the
fifth mast. She was built on the Clyde for a Bordeaux
firm, I believe, for the South American trade, and is
a fine carrier. Before we sailed I heard of another
five-master that is to be built in Hamburg, called
the " Potosi," whose net tonnage will be four thousand,
thus taking the feather out of the cap of " La France"
and giving the German ensign the honor of waving
over the largest sailing-ship in the world.
i8i

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
Some years ago there was another five-master,
called the " Marie Rickmers," built for the great firm
of Rickmers & Co., of Hamburg. I once heard a
skipper say that she carried double royal-yards, but,
as that was about the time that double top-gallants
were coming into more general use, I suspect that
that was what he meant. The " Marie Rickmers"
was built for the salt trade between Hamburg and
the Indian Ocean, sailed on her maiden voyage, and
was never seen again. It is thought that she foun
dered near Mauritius. Latitude, 39° 5' south; longi
tude, 29° 26' east.
September 19
The wind shifted last night and blew a moderate
breeze from west-northwest. A little after noon it
backed to southwest and blew hard for an hour;
had to stow the royals. At 2.30 they were set
again, but from the present indications we shan't
carry them long. We were ready for and expected
a gale this afternoon, but, though it is blowing pretty
hard, with a heavy sea, I don't think it will amount
to anything serious. Pete, whom I have not men
tioned for some time, has to be kept below nearly all
day on account of the cold, but the little fellow is
making fine weather of it. When there is no sun, of
course he has to be boxed up all day.
Last night we were boarded by a sea that took old
Kelly off his feet and washed him away into three
feet of water in the scuppers. He swore frightfully
in a steady stream of oaths for perhaps half a minute
after gaining the poop, and then sung out for Mike,
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A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
the boy, to get him a thick coat, for it was his watch
on deck and he couldn't go below. As a matter of
fact, though, he did leave the poop for a minute to
get a light for his pipe, and it was just as he was
coming out of the forward cabin-door and about to
mount the poop again that the sea caught him. He
not only got wet, but lost his pipe as well, while he
was washing about in the scuppers. He is also
afraid the skipper heard him below ; and, if it is so,
he'll get a dressing-down for leaving the poop in
squally weather.
Just after Mr. Kelly's unexpected bath, a sea fell
over the side that was really a big one. I was on
the poop at the time, and, as I have been watching
seas board us for some time, I could approximately
estimate the size of this one. The water was, I
should think, about eighteen inches deep all over the
main-deck on the level ; and, reckoning the area of
the deck at five thousand square feet after deducting
the space occupied by the hatches and deck-houses,
this would make the weight of water that came
aboard in that one sea about two hundred and
twenty-five tons. This immense volume of water
will be better appreciated when I say that, although
all the six big deck-ports in the bulwarks were open,
the water was flush with the pin-rail every time the
ship rolled, at the end of a minute ; the weight of
two hundred and twenty-five tons, too, is apt to be
lightly thought of by most people until reduced to
a smaller denomination, for it means five hundred
thousand pounds.
I thought the chicken-coops would go, but they
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A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
had been firmly lashed on top of the main-hatch, and
stuck there in spite of everything, though actually
half-buried in water. As for the pigs, they were
nearly drowned, for their cage was secured to ring
bolts in the deck and was subjected to a regular
Niagara at every roll. I did not think the bulwarks
themselves could stand such a bombardment as they
did for a couple of minutes. The entry-way into the
cabin was flooded, but, the inside door being closed,
no water penetrated within. This idea of a sort of
vestibule is a very good one, and its usefulness was
proved to-night. It is about three feet square, and
there is an outer and inner door leading into the
cabin, each with a sill a foot or more high, so that,
even if the outer door is carelessly left open, as it
was to-night, the inner one will prevent the entrance
of water. The entry-way serves also as an excellent
place to hang wet oil-skins and boots.
We had to go by dead-reckoning to-day, for we
got no sights. Our position, as near as we could
judge at noon, was: Latitude, 39° south; longitude,
34° east.
September 20
At one o'clock this moming we had a heavy squall
from the westward, during which we carried away
the starboard mizzentop-gallant clew-iron and ripped
the upper mizzentop-sail. It made a very nasty mess,
and the second mate, who had charge of the deck,
was afraid the top-gallant-sail would blow away, and,
as it was a brand-new one, the loss would be con
siderable. It was an exceedingly difficult job for the
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A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
men to secure the sail, as it was slatting at a terrible
rate, the broken clew-iron threatening death to any
one who approached ; and as the night was dark as
a pocket, and the rain during the squall fit to knock
the men off the yard, it really required a great deal
of skill to properly stow the sail. The upper mizzen
top-sail had to come in too, and there will be plenty
of work for " sails" to-day. It was fairly clear for
an hour or so after the squall, but the glass began
to fall, with lightning in the southwest, and the
squalls continued, gradually increasing in strength,
and when I went on deck this morning I found the
ship running before a strong southwest gale, under
lower top-sails and foresail, and a very heavy sea on.
It was a regular storm-rig, and we wanted it. Last
night in a savage squall the cross-jack split from
head to foot, and it was with difficulty that the sail
was saved, though it was not such hard work as the
men had with the mizzentop-gallant; and at the
change of the watch, at four this morning, the skipper
thought best to put the ship under lower top-sails.
Oh, it was a grand spectacle that greeted us as we
emerged from the companion-way after breakfast. I
never saw such magnificent seas as these that came
rolling up in splendid majesty out of the southwest,
the crest of each six feet deep with boiling foam, the
billows themselves as regular as the pendulum of a
clock. There were no confused pyramidal seas to
break the advance of the great rollers, and we could
watch each one as it came rushing on with resistless
force, holding our breath lest it should break on the
poop ; and then, as it marched grandly by and fell
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A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
aboard up forward with its deep, resonant roar, fol
lowed instantly by the rattle of the spray, an involun
tary " Ah !" escaped us, and we felt repaid for all the
inconveniences of the voyage just by this one ex
hibition of what we had so longed for.
At three o'clock the upper top-sails were set, and at
five the maintop-gallant, though the puffs were still
very heavy. After supper we had a succession of
hard squalls, with severe hail that pattered against
the binnacle-hoods and iron ventilators like small
shot. The ship took in large quantities of water
from the lee side all day, and life-lines were stretched
along the main-deck fqr the men. The weather is
very cold and it is impossible to stop on deck more
than a few minutes without being chilled, even
though wrapped in the heaviest clothes and oil-skins.
This southerly wind is the most piercing, stinging
blast I ever felt, and seems to bid defiance to every
thing. The sky was clear all day and we got good sights,
which put us in latitude 38° 28' south ; longitude,
38° 52' east.
September 21
I went on deck before breakfast, to find the ship
under royals again and a light breeze blowing from
southwest. During the past twelve hours we have
not made much, the wind being weak ; and we rolled
horribly all night. Generally the skipper will brace
the yards up a couple of points if possible, so as to
ease the rolling ; but last night, the wind being light,
he wanted to make the most of it, and he wouldn't
186

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
touch the braces ; of course, we never mention it
when he does not. The rolHng really was tremen
dous, but perfectly regular from the even run of the
tall southwest swell, giving one the idea of perpetual
motion. But, notwithstanding the discomforts, no one who
has not made a long voyage can understand the
cosiness and actually home-Hke interior of the saloon
after the Hghts have been lit and the supper-things
cleared away. A coal-fire glows with a comforting
cheer in the grate, and my wife is generally sitting
braced on the floor, engaged in the more or less diffi
cult operation, considering the savage rolling, of the
manufacture of candy. I am usually seated at the
organ, where by long practice I have learned to
balance myself in all but the most violent heaves.
The genial, good-tempered old skipper then claws
his way over to the side-board, extracts a bottle of
" Square Face," or Scotch whiskey, jams a kettle of
water on the coals so that it will not capsize, and
before many minutes has brewed a heart-warming
cordial for us, with a tumblerful of the steaming
mixture for the officer of the watch. Nothing adds
to the comfortable interior as does the riot and con
fusion without. Above all, the ear catches the roar
rising and falling of the wind in the rigging, then the
heavy dash of rain on the skylight over our head,
and the thunder of the seas boarding us and rushing
in cataracts across the deck. All this goes to make
up a night in the great Southern Ocean, and a feeling
of gratitude arises that it does not fall to our lot to
stand four hours in the storm and rain, trying to take
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advantage of what little shelter is afforded by the
ventilators on the poop.
The picture is completed when the young, boyish
face of the mate looks down the companion-way to
the stentorian " Mr. Ryan" from the skipper. Then
down he comes, the water streaming from his yellow
oil-skins in rivers as he takes the smoking tumbler
of grog, and, with a hearty " Thank you, sir," jumps
on deck again to finish the remaining two hours of
his dismal watch. On alternate nights the fierce
whiskers and red nose of the second mate's rugged
countenance take the place of young Mr. Ryan's ;
but he has bad manners and doesn't even say " Thank
you" when he has drained the steaming glass, though
he goes on deck muttering that " He's not a bad old
man, after all."
Well, well, these are pleasant evenings for us below,
to be sure; our relatives and friends at home are
doubtless pitying us and giving vent to such expres
sions as " I'll bet they wish they hadn't gone, now
that they're down in the bad weather ;" while our
immediate families are doubtless offering up prayers
that we may emerge in safety from the dangers that
beset the travellers who go down to the sea in ships
and double the stormy headland of Agulhas. But my
wife and I will always look back to these evenings in
the Southern Ocean with joyful recollections, and the
gray-bearded countenance of good old Captain King
don, as he bends over the fire to the grateful warmth,
will never fade from the memory. Latitude at noon,
38° 19' south; longitude, 42" 53' east.

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A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
September 22
This was a glorious morning, with the highest
temperature we have had since we lost the southeast
Trades. Pete had a good time on deck in the middle
of the day, and there really was a little heat in the
sun's rays. The wind, though, is still from the south
ward of west, but very Hght, and we have been roll
ing dismally without cessation. Things go flying
about at table despite the racks, which are six inches
high. It is very uncomfortable to eat with these
great partitions on the table, for one has to scoop up
his food from the plate as though his dinner was at
the bottom of a bucket. The easy motion of the
ship, though, even in the biggest seas, is remarkable.
When she begins rolling sometimes, as three extra-
large seas come marching up, after she is inclined to
a great angle you think, " Now, surely, this is as far as
she'll go." But no ; she keeps on heeling and you
keep on gripping tighter whatever you can reach,
until you are certain the masts will roll out of her.
Then, when you think she has about reached the
vanishing point, she slowly stops and very leisurely
begins to roll back again. The first twenty-four
hours of this sort of rolling you think is bad, though
you can stand it well; at the end of forty-eight
hours your patience has been so sorely tried, from
the necessity of constantly holding on, that you
begin to lose your temper and find fault with every
thing, and on the third day you lose more religion
than there is any hope of regaining. Then, all un
expectedly, you grow accustomed to the motion,
and by the fourth or fifth day you don't mind it at
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all. At least, this has been our experience, and I
expect it would be the same with nearly everybody.
For the enlightenment and erudition of those
whose misfortune it is to make land-tacks all their
lives, I will set forth, in as concise a manner as I can,
my daily programme, to which I strictly adhere. At
7.30, breakfast; 8.30 to ten, I work navigation prob
lems with the help of " Norie's Epitome ;" from ten
to 11.30 my wife and I struggle with the back
gammon-board. Then the noon sight claims a few
minutes, immediately after which comes dinner.
From 1.30 to 2.30, on alternate days, lesson in navi
gation with the mate; three to 5.30, reading (four to
five every other day, navigation lesson) ; 5.30, supper ;
6.30 to eight I usually spend at the harmonium, and
for the next two hours the skipper and ourselves
play dominoes or cards (when the rolling permits),
and after a chat with the officer on watch we turn in
about 10.30. Thus passes the day, and each one
flies. I never knew anything, though, so exasperating as
trying to play backgammon in a heavy sea. My wife
and I are just now playing a match of five hundred
points, and often when we are at the crucial point of
a game the ship will give a heavy lurch, and away
will go the men, sometimes overboard, as half a
dozen did the other day, when we were silly enough
to try and play on deck under the lee of the com
panion-house. Chips made us some new men out of
a block of teak ; and as all those that we lost were
black, we stained the new ones with ink, and now
we're all right again,
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We had very good sights to-day, and at noon were
in latitude 38° 17' south; longitude, 45° 42' east.
Sunday, September 23
At sea twelve weeks to-day ; and, as if in recog
nition of the fact, the sun crossed the equator, en
tered Libra, and commenced his southerly declina
tion. The morning broke very fine with a fresh
breeze, the ship at eight bells going nine knots, with
the wind at northwest. Our third pig was put to
death yesterday, and but one little porker remains.
I am afraid that we welcome the Sabbath more from
the fact that it brings us a change of diet than from
any religious feelings. What we will do on Sunday
when our last pig has been eaten is sad to contem
plate ; but I suppose we'll fall back on baked gutta
percha, disguised under the name of roast chicken.
One of the pleasantest places on board during
these cold days is the carpenter-shop. Situated just
forward of the galley, and separated from it only by
a thin iron bulkhead against which the range is built,
Chips's workshop is a very comfortable place to
lounge in, and, if you are on good terms with him,
an excellent place for drying out wet clothes and
boots. Indeed, the heat from the galley-range is so
great that if the lee door were kept closed the place
would be a good substitute for the hot room of a
Turkish bath. After dinner you will generally find
Chips, one of the sail-makers, an apprentice, one of
the mates, and occasionally a sailor or two seated on
the long work-bench listening to yarns that invariably
accompany these gatherings. Every now and then
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the speaker, generally Chips himself, is interrupted
with " That's a bloody lie," from one of his audience ;
but with simply a withering look he proceeds ; and
I must do him the justice to say that his yarns are
interesting and probably true.
The narrow room is soon so thick with rank
tobacco-smoke that some one opens a crack of the
weather door, when in rushes a blast that whirls
ashes and cinders out of half a dozen pipes, and there
is a rush and a scramble to put out any stray spark
that chanced to light among the shavings. And, in
voking a sea-blessing on the head of him that
opened the weather door, all hands troop out and
turn in, for of course it is only those whose watch it
is below that have been warming themselves in the
carpenter's snug retreat.
On one subject Chips refuses to talk, and that is
Norway, his native land. It is strange, but I can get
nothing out of him about the magnificent fjords,
Hammerfest (the northernmost town of Europe,) or
the midnight sun. At Hammerfest the sun for two
months in the year remains above the horizon.
Towards supper-time this evening quite a cross-sea
made, caused by the northwest wind meeting the
long southwest swell ; and in the event of its coming
on to blow hard, there'll be a nasty sea running that
will keep our decks full of water. Latitude at noon,
38° 8' south; longitude, 49° 15' east.
September 24
This morning was a bright and beautiful one,
though cold. Wind west-southwest,- Last night
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came on windy and between six and nine we had
half a dozen heavy squalls, with much rain. Furled
the sky-sails before supper, at 6.15 all the royals,
and at midnight stowed the mizzentop-gallant in a
hard squall, the wind being then dead aft. The
whole night was a dirty one, but when I went on
deck this moming all the muck and heavy clouds
had given place to a deep-blue sky and a fresh,
though biting wind, and we carried the main-sky-sail
all day. Since we have been running our easting
down, the wind has been very variable, never blow
ing more than eighteen hours from any one point,
and generally shifting at intervals of twelve hours or
so between northwest and southwest, the former
usually bringing rain, just as the southerly winds do
in the Northern Hemisphere.
Having brought a number of Marryat's novels
along, I am reading them with a degree of pleasure
I never experienced with any other books. Of
course, almost every boy or man has read " Peter
Simple" and " Midshipman Easy ;" but the majority
of people who like sea-stories are quite ignorant of
his other works, and know nothing of the delights
of "Frank MUdmay," "Jacob Faithful," "Newton
Forster" and " King's Own ;" while even the book
of short stories called " Olla Podrida" is interesting
from cover to cover. Where could a more charming
little story be found than " Southwest and by West
Three-Quarters West?" While I do not see how
a boy of fifteen who is fond of the sea could resist
joining the navy after reading " Frank Mildmay."
The great charm of Marryat's works lies in the fact
13 193

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
that his wit is acute, spontaneous, and usually un
expected, and the reader is kept in a constant state
of explosive mirth. Marryat, indeed, does have senti
mental moments, but he expresses his thoughts beau
tifully, and none of his books contains the morbid
apostrophes to the heavenly bodies that make up so
great a part of modern sea-novels.
At two in the afternoon the wind shifted from
west-southwest to south-southwest, and of course
we had a corresponding decrease in temperature.
Latitude, 38° 18' south; longitude, 54° 7' east.
September 25
Last night we experienced what was very nearly,
if not quite, a calm, reminding me of the Hght
weather in 30° north, except for the cold. The day
was as fine a one as yesterday, and little Pete appreci
ated it as much as we did. Indeed, I think that in a
week or ten days we can dispense with the cabin-fire.
It makes everything below dreadfully dirty, for we
use bituminous coal, and any one who has used this
cheerful but troublesome combustible knows to what
a condition things are reduced in a few days.
Having been three months at sea and listening
daily to the conversation of Captain Kingdon, I have
come to the conclusion that he is a remarkably well-
read and well-informed man, considering that about
nine months out of every twelve for forty years have
been passed at sea. The skipper is particularly fond
of the works of Herbert Spencer and Huxley, and
he talks well on questions involving eternity and the
future life. And I should think that scarcely any
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A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
other profession is so conducive to thoughts of this
kind than that of a mariner, provided he is a think
ing man. Week after week, for months at a time,
the deep-water skipper paces alone the weather side
of his poop, with no one to interrupt his flow of
ideas, and constantly surrounded by nature in all
her varying moods, from glassy calm to raging hurri
cane; and it seems to me that a man so situated
cannot but dwell on subjects of eternity and the uni
verse. I do not mean to say that sea-captains, as a
rule, are God-fearing men (though some are, such as
Captcun Samuels, of the " Dreadnought"), but I do
say that they are so close to nature, and often so
completely in her power, that their thoughts must
turn to the question of whether or not there is a
Ruler of the universe, no matter which side he may
take. Marryat is of the opinion that in the navy
the seamen have a deep-rooted reHgious feeling, born
in them by the very nature of their calling. He
argues that religion in a sailor (that is, a common
seaman) is not a passive, but an active feeling, and
does not consist in reflection and self-examination,
but it is in externals that his respect to the Deity is
evident. Marryat goes on : " Witness the Sunday on
board a man-of-war ; the care with which the decks
are washed, the hauling taut and neat coiling down
of the ropes, the studied cleanliness of person ; most
of which duties are performed on other days, but on
this day are executed with particular attention be
cause it is Sunday. Then the strict attention paid to
divine service, which would be a pattern to a congre
gation ashore; the little knots of men collected in
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A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
the afternoon between the guns, listening to one who
reads some serious book ; or the solitary quarter
master poring over his thumbed Testament, all prove
that sailors have a deep-rooted feehng of religion."
The same author says that he knew a first lieutenant
to receive a severe rebuke from a ship's company.
Seeing the men scattered about listlessly one Sunday
aftemoon, he ordered the fiddler up that they might
dance. The ship's company thanked him, but said
that they had not been accustomed to dance on that
day, and requested that the music might be sent
below. It is Marryat's opinion also that because
sailors carouse and drink ashore is no reason for
thinking that they have no reHgious feehng. He
compares them on shore-leave to a " mountain lake
whose waters are constantly increasing ; all is un
ruffled till their own weight has forced its boundaries
and the roaring cataract sweeps everything before
it." Latitude at noon, 38° 2' south ; longitude, 56°
45' east.
September 26
This was a bright, comparatively warm day, though
there was but little wind. Three or four very large
albatrosses have been with us for several days, and
are so fearless that they occasionally fly right over
our heads, one of them this morning striking the
monkey-gaff with his wing.
We have been doing some revolver shooting
during the last week, popping away at bottles sus
pended from the awning stanchions on the poop.
My wife is very expert with a pistol, and shoots
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A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
better with it than the skipper, the mate, or myself
This forenoon she thought she'd like to have a shot
at the albatrosses; so the skipper brought up his
Winchester rifle, put only two or three cartridges in
the magazine, so that it would not be too heavy, and
gave it to my wife. She watched her chance and
fired at the nearest albatross as he sailed by, and, to
our astonishment, down came the great bird, appar
ently instantly killed. At any rate, he floated off
with his head under water ; and it is safe to infer that
had his health been good he would not have chosen
this unusual attitude. It was a splendid shot, and it
is not given to many women to be able to say that
they have killed an albatross on the wing with a
rifle. Thus is old superstition done away with,
though I am not certain that there are not one or
two on board who look with disfavor at the slaughter
of the bird, and are not certain of reaching port
without disaster.
We are all agog with excitement over the coming
total solar eclipse, which interesting event will tran
spire next Friday or Saturday. I have not figured
it out, but I believe it will occur on Friday. Oh, for
a clear day with a perfectly transparent atmosphere !
If the wind-god will but be propitious, and send us
a breeze from anywhere between west and southwest,
the chances of a clear day will be good. Anything
but a northerly wind, for 'tis then almost certain to
rain. Last night the rolling was abominable, indeed, the
worst we've had yet ; and I observed that even old
Kelly with his bowed legs could not stand on deck
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without holding by the backstays or bracing against
the skylight. I wish I had a clinometer, so that
the angle of roll might be ascertained ; I know noth
ing about estimating the angle of inclination, so I
cannot approximate it. An idea may be obtained of
the rolling when I say that a tumbler not half filled
with water, and secured on the table so that it could
not capsize, overflowed at nearly every oscillation
while we were at supper last evening, and the rolling
was much more severe in the first and middle watches
than it was during supper. On such a night as the
last. Captain Kingdon does not turn into his bunk
at all, but lies down on his sofa, which is fitted with
a lee board and is just wide enough for his body;
that is, about the dimensions of a coffin ; and on or
rather in this sofa he can repose at ease in the
heaviest sea. Would to heaven we had some ar
rangement like this, for I did not sleep more than
three hours during the whole of the night. During
each lull I would doze, only to be nearly spilled out
of the bunk in five minutes ; and only the practice
of three weeks saved me from being projected to the
other end of the room. Latitude at noon, 37° 57'
south ; longitude, 60° 50' east.
September 27
Much colder this morning, with a strong wind from
south-southwest, and a fine rain blowing in hori
zontal lines across the decks. This is unusual, as
most of our southerly winds have brought us a clear
sky, though blowing a gale. As the day wore on
the wind shifted, and at noon it was at south, blowing
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up fresh, while at four in the afternoon the yards
were braced up, and the ship, close-hauled, was lying
over a good deal, with the wind at south-southeast.
I have often read of the careless handling of fire
arms during which the unexpected happens, but I
didn't think that I'd ever come as near being a mur
derer as I did to-day. It happened in the following
manner : About three this afternoon the rain ceased
and, the weather clearing up a bit, we brought some
empty bottles on deck and began popping away at
them with the Smith & Wesson ; but after half an
hour's amusement we concluded it was too cold on
deck and my wife went below, leaving me on the
poop with the mate. I took up the rag I used for
cleaning the pistol and was about to disconnect the
barrel from the stock, when I thought I might as
well snap the trigger a few times, just to make sure
there was not a stray cartridge in it. 'Twas simply a
case of " didn't know 'twas loaded." There was a
cartridge in the cylinder. And as I continued to
snap the hammer the revolver went off, and the ball,
whizzing by the helmsman, buried itself in the wheel-
box after passing through his oil-skins, which he had
just taken off and placed on the grating by the
wheel. The bullet did not miss him by more than a
foot, and had it hit him it would have most likely
killed him, there being no one on board fit to probe
for it. But yet, so little do sailors think of an escape,
however narrow, or a danger once past, that John Sim
mons, the man who was steering, allowed his face to
relax in a faint smile as he glanced at me, and then
glued his eyes to the compass-card again, without
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A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
ever changing color. Indeed, he didn't want to
accept the new oil-skins that I felt in duty bound to
present him with, saying that he could patch up the
holes the bullet made in its progress through the old
ones ; but as the coat had been chucked down in a
heap, the bullet had perforated it in half a dozen
places. Simmons is, next to Carson, the best seaman
in the ship ; indeed, in a tight place I beHeve Simmons
would be a better man and a much steadier one. He
shipped as boson in the ship " Lydgate" that sailed
from New York a week or two before we did, but with *
several other men he deserted her, refusing to go to
sea in a ship whose cargo was stowed as hers was ;
so they jumped overboard one night and swam
ashore at Staten Island, Simmons signing for Calcutta
in the " Mandalore" immediately afterward. Latitude
at noon, 37° 40' south ; longitude, 64° 48' east.
September 28
If the present indications amount to anything we
will not be favored with a glimpse of the solar eclipse
to-morrow. After a night of tremendous rolHng the
wind came strong out of the northwest this morning,
bringing with it a lot of flying scud that would
very effectually obliterate the celestial phenomenon.
By noon-time all the sky-sails and royals had been
stowed, and at one the fore and mizzentop-gallants
were furled, the skipper hanging on as usual to his
maintop-gallant, this sail, as the saying goes, marking
the difference between a strong breeze and a gale of
wind. That is, if the maintop-gallant can be lugged,
it is not a gale to a sailor, 200

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
A heavy sea ran all day and broke aboard at
intervals with a booming crash that sent shivers
through the " Mandalore's" stout iron sides. I pro
posed to my wife that we await our opportunity and
run up forward into the forecastle-head and watch the
great seas coming up astern. She wouldn't have it
at first ; but at last I persuaded her, and, watching our
chance in a smooth, we fled along the main-deck
and reached the short iron ladder that leads to the
forecastle-head none too soon, for my wife had just
put her foot on the third round, when a big fellow
came roaring over the rail, the fore-hatch and every
thing else on deck disappearing for fully half a minute.
My wife was very much inclined to cry with fear ;
but when I showed her that the forecastle-head was
perfectly dry and safe, she recovered ; and, going as
far forward as we could, we sat down, one on each
side of the heel of the great bowsprit, and made our
selves comfortable.
The spectacle, looking aft, was grand beyond
words. From where we were the seas looked gi
gantic, and when we sank into the hoUow between
two they seemed and probably were as high as the
cross-jack yard. Whenever a big one overhauled
us, it looked as though it were going to break on
the stem and sweep everything before it; but the
good old " Mandalore" rose to them with a buoyant
heave of her quarters, and down would go the bows
till it seemed as though we must be washed off the
forecastle-head ; then the stern would settle and the
whole forward part of the ship would rise clear out
of the water, the sea at that moment boiUng over
20 1

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
the weather rail. Yet nothing more than a dash of
spray ever reached us, and we sat there in perfect
safety for half an hour watching the magnificent
spectacle; and as there were no head-sails set, no
slatting of canvas prevented our thorough enjoyment
of the scene. The wind out of the foresail, though,
was enough to blow my wife over the side unless we
used every caution, and half an hour in our position
satisfied us ; and again choosing our time we got aft
without a drenching, though we had to jump on the
main-hatch to escape a spiteful Httle sea that very
unexpectedly fell on board. Latitude, 37° 33' south ;
longitude, 61° east.
September 29
When a man anticipates with joyful expectations a
certain event that is about to transpire, he is often
most miserably disappointed. This is the case with
us this afternoon. We have been looking forward to
what we supposed would be a total eclipse of the
sun for two weeks or more ; and, believing that we
were going to witness something startling, we were
filled with subdued excitement at breakfast-time and
awaited with ill-concealed impatience the unusual
phenomenon about to be disclosed to us. Even
the men exhibited some degree of interest, and indeed
it seems to me that the wildest savages could not
but be impressed when the light of day is suddenly
obliterated and darkness takes the place of the noon
day glare.
As I said before, we thought we were going to
witness a total eclipse, and as soon as we had finished
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A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
our matutinal repast each of us repaired to the poop
with sundry squares of colored glass ; the skipper
having removed the shade-glasses from an old sex
tant and distributed them among us, not forgetting a
piece for the mate, who had the watch. I asked the
second mate if he weren't going to stay up and see
the eclipse ; his answer was characteristic : " To
h  with it ; I've seen too many."
Sure enough, at 9.30 the shadow was observed
eating its way into the sun's disk, though very slowly.
I went forward to the forecastle-head so as to get a
better view, as the lee side of the mizzentop-gallant
obstructed the range of vision. So very slowly, how
ever, did the shadow encroach upon the orb that I
lost patience after sitting for three-quarters of an
hour with a piece of red glass glued to my eye, and
I noticed at the same time that if the shadow con
tinued on its present course it would not completely
obscure the sun's disk. So I went aft and finally
below, where I commenced my navigation work.
Becoming absorbed in it, to my utter amazement
when I went on deck again I found that the eclipse
was nearly over, and the dark shadow just visible on
the edge of the lower limb of the sun. We had
been deceived ; for, far from being a total eclipse, the
light was at no time reduced to half its intensity,
while the shadow was not more than an hour and a
half crossing the sun, instead of several hours, as we
understood from the almanacs. The reason was
very simple : the eclipse was to be central in 86° east
and 34° south ; and while I was aware of this, I was
ignorant enough of astronomy to believe that, as we
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A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
were within nine hundred miles of the centre, we
would see the eclipse in its totality. As for the
day, it was perfect, a light breeze blowing from
Wst-southwest. The few clouds visible were so
small and diaphanous that they in no way interfered
with the vision. Latitude at noon, 36° 16' south;
longitude, 71° 15' east.
Sunday, September 30
To-day thirteen weeks ago we started on our
voyage; so that we have been a Httle more than
three months out, and forty days more will hardly
take us in. We took the first true north wind that
we have had in these southern latitudes this morning,
and at noon there was every indication of a blow.
But the fickle wind backed before long to west-south
west, and blew a light breeze from that favorable
quarter. Dan, the English boy, met with a curious and
painful accident this forenoon. He was carrying the
kid of beef from the galley to the forecastle, for the
men's dinner, when in some manner he slipped and
fell. His first thought was for the beef, for he'd have
been beaten to a mummy if anything had happened
to the men's dinner. Therefore, instead of saving
himself, his chin struck the deck with a crack that
might have been heard on the poop, and his upper
teeth, which are very prominent, were driven through
his lower lip and actually protruded through the
flesh. He howled dismaUy and ran aft to the skip
per, who brought his surgical skill into play and put
four stitches in the wound. In spite of all, though,
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A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
his lip was swollen and inflamed to a shocking degree
in six hours, and for many days he will be deprived
of his favorite pastime of gorging himself with food.
The mate says that in all his sea-going experience
he never saw man or boy who could eat as much
as Dan. He often stows away an entire loaf of soft
bread and a very large tin pannikin of burgoo for
breakfast, besides as much coffee as he can lay his
hands on. Let it not be supposed that forecastle-
bread is similar to that so temptingly displayed in
our bakery windows. Far from it. Soft bread at
sea is of the substance and weight of white lead,
though not quite so digestible ; and as sour yeast is
used in its manufacture, it would be difficult to con
ceive of anything edible more forbidding and repel
lent. Mr. Ryan says that before he saw Dan he
never came across a sailor who could eat more than
two sHces of it an inch thick at one time ; and yet
this youth eats it actually by the loaf. He will cer
tainly die young of apoplexy ; for after each meal
his face seems to puff up, and he is then the flabbiest-
looking individual I ever saw. What a difference
there is in Mike, the other boy ! Always neat and
clean ; he is in splendid physical condition, as evi
denced by the sparring exhibitions between the two
nearly every evening. About six o'clock, the car
penter and cook, the sail-makers, boson, and one of
the mates form a ring around the two 'prentices, near
the main-hatch ; and, putting on some boxing-gloves
of rude but serviceable design, the boys go at it like
gladiators. In less than a minute the difference in
the methods of the two becomes apparent; Dan's
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A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
arms begin to revolve Hke a windmill-pump, he loses
his temper, butts with his head, and his face grows as
red as blood, while he pants and blows like a por
poise. Mike, on the other hand, is as cool at the end
as he was in the beginning, stops every one of Dan's
wild passes, hits him where he pleases, and at last,
with a tap on the nose, down goes the noble Briton
on his knees, swearing like a pirate and blind with
rage. Here the spectators step in and lay hold of
Dan, who sometimes so far loses his temper as to
catch up a belaying-pin and advance on the hardy
Norwegian with blood in his eye as well as on his
nose. In five minutes, though, he quiets down, and
then begins his eternal skylarking with the mate. In
my opinion Mr. Ryan is altogether too free with this
youth, for no good ever follows the joking of officers
and men aboard ship.
During the last twenty-four hours we made less
than seventy-five miles, a light breeze blowing from
west-southwest. Latitude at noon, 35" 30' south;
longitude 72° 30' east.
October 1
If the " Mandalore" were clean and free from the
mass of barnacles on her bottom, this would be our
last month at sea ; but I feel sure that the voyage
will last ten days or so into November, — rather to our
advantage than otherwise, as, the longer the voyage,
the cooler the weather will be in India, the so-caUed
cold season beginning about November i.
The harness-casks were cleaned out to-day for the
first time since we began running our easting down,
206

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
— an occasion always dreaded by us. The harness-
casks are large square boxes into which the salt meat
is dumped when a fresh barrel has been broken out of
the lazarette and broached. The harness-casks on
the " Mandalore" are made of teak, beautifully var
nished, and lined with big slabs of slate, one single
piece forming each a side and one on the bottom.
But if the casks are pleasing to the eye they are
most horribly offensive to the nose ; for, so vile an
odor is diffused throughout the ship when one is
opened even for a moment, that a bone-boiling es
tabHshment would have to take a back seat in the
presence of a ship's harness-cask.
A few minutes before the casks are opened warn
ing is given to us, and we close the ports and com
panion-way so as to exclude as much as we can of
the terrible smell. I never had sufficient strength of
will to witness the cleansing operation, but it is done
by removing the pieces of old, decayed meat, with
as much of the brine as can be conveniently baled
out ; then, when the process has been performed to
the satisfaction of the mate, the fresh barrel of meat
is rolled over to the cask, the head stove, and two
men with stout iron hooks lift the hideous, ragged
chunks of beef or pork, as the case may be, into the
cask, rejecting those pieces that are the most tainted.
Sometimes half a barrel of meat has to be thrown
over the side ; indeed, we had to heave seventy or
eighty pounds of pork overboard to-day. This
generally smells much worse than the beef; and as
the great, dripping, reeking hunks of fat are lifted
out of the barrel, I cannot but marvel how the men
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A DEEP-WATER V6YAGE
can bring themselves to eat it. No wonder lime-
juice plays so important a part in the life of the man
before the mast. This sort of food accounts, per
haps, for the small appetites of sailors as a class ; for,
contrary to general opinion, they eat but little.
Poor Bang, the skipper's setter, is the most pitiable
object I ever laid my eyes on. Poor fellow ; he was
sick enough in the calm weather, during the first part
of the voyage ; but ever since we ran into the heavy
seas of the South Atlantic, he has been able to drag
himself along the deck only a few feet at a time ; and
he is so wonderfully emaciated that we all wonder
how his bones hang together. The half-starved curs
ofthe East Side would seem comfortably off compared
with Bang, who has made no pretence of eating any
thing at all for several days. When he does try to
eat anything, even in the smallest quantity, he can
not keep it down. The good old skipper has often
showed what a kind heart he has by turning out at
night in heavy weather, when he heard Bang howling
in his kennel on the poop, and giving him something
that he thought would ease his pain. I do not see
how the dog can last twenty-four hours longer.
We have had a nice breeze from northwest all day,
and we have been slipping along at eight knots or so.
Latitude, 35° f south; longitude, 76° east,
October 2
To-day is decidedly milder. It is necessary yet to
wear the heaviest clothes, but the biting quality has
disappeared from the air, and it is now possible to
sit down on deck with some little degree of comfort.
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A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
A noteworthy fact is that we are no longer followed
by sea-birds, that a week ago hovered about us by
the score in four varieties : albatrosses, gunies. Cape
pigeons, and a slate-colored bird as big as a king
fisher. Another significant fact is that the long
swell that rolled incessantly out of the southwest
has been left astern, and now we are almost without
motion. At noon the lee braces were manned and
the skipper hauled the ship to, the course given to
the man who relieved the wheel being northeast by
north half north (north by east true), and we are
at length heading for the Bay of Bengal. The
cabin-fire died out this morning, and we are happy
to have seen the last of it. This is different from
putting the fires out in one's house in the spring,
for one cannot tell when it may be necessary to start
them up again for a cool snap. But when once the
ship's head has been turned to the equator, every
day is certain to bring a higher temperature. The
little grate full of glowing coals was a source of much
joy and comfort to us during the cold weather ; but
I fear that we are ungrateful enough to rejoice that
we can henceforth dispense with artificial heat.
I had hoped that we would have sighted Amster
dam Island, and perhaps called there for potatoes ;
our supply of which — horribile dictu — gave out two
days ago. But we passed to the northward of
Amsterdam and its neighbor, St. Paul, and our last
opportunity of replenishing our stock of fresh vege
tables has passed. The two islands are not sixty
miles apart, and yet are totally different in character,
St. Paul being as barren and rugged as Amsterdam
14 209

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
is fruitful and green. Immense numbers of sea-fowl
inhabit St. Paul, as might be supposed ; and a great
many seals used to be and probably still are taken
in the neighboring waters. The islands are sup
posed to have been discovered by Van Dieman in
the seventeenth century, and they lie almost in the
track of steamers bound from Cape Town to Ade
laide. Speaking of them reminds me of a strange account
I read of, about the Crozets, a group of islands lying
in 46° south and 50° east. A ship bound to Aus
tralia foundered near the Crozets, the crew reaching
those islands in the boats. The first day after leaving
the ship they caught an albatross, and, little dream
ing that any good would result from the action, they
scratched on a piece of copper words to the effect
that their ship had foundered, and that they were
steering for the Crozets. This they secured to the
bird's neck and turned him adrift.
In the course of two days the survivors reached
the islands and proceeded to make themselves as
comfortable as the circumstances would permit ; and
they were exceedingly surprised, two or three weeks
afterwards, to see an English man-of-war off the
islands, and in a short time they were transferred to
her and landed at Hobart Town, Tasmania. It ap
pears that the albatross, a very short time after the
men set it adrift, was found dead on the beach near
King George's Sound, West Austraha, by a man
who caught sight of the bit of copper, and, reading
the inscription on it, notified the government. A
war-vessel was at once ordered to the Crozets to
210

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
take the men off, and in a Httle while the ship
wrecked mariners found themselves transferred un
expectedly to civilization, instead of dragging out
their lives on a desert island in the Southern Ocean.
This account I am told is perfectly true, and can be
verified by appHcation to the Australian government.
Latitude at noon, 32° 58' south; longitude, 78° 35'
east.
October 3
A calm ! a flat calm ! ! So calm that the sea re
flects every spar and sail like a sheet of shining
metal. The sun, too, has grown very perceptibly
warmer. To-day the sea was almost without motion,
and it was only at intervals of fifteen minutes or so
that a slow, deep heave would roll up from the south
ward, followed by a rattling of blocks and slatting
of canvas. Then vyould ensue a period of absolute
rest, very grateful after the violent motions of the
past month. The ocean has returned to its old
Prussian-blue color, transparent as air, instead of the
greenish tint that prevailed farther south ; so that, if
we had not known to the contrary, we should have
supposed for three weeks, by the color of the water,
that we were on soundings. Last night, so still was
everything that the words spoken by one of the
watch in a low tone at the break of the forecastle
were plainly audible on the poop ; while heavy breath
ing at the forward side of the mizzen-hatch suggested
the possibility of Dan's having succumbed to the
somnolent influences ; investigation proved the truth
of the supposition, and the hapless youth was rudely
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A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
awakened by the shock resulting from the application
of the end of the starboard maintop-gallant-brace,
adroitly wielded by the lusty arm of the mate, who
foretold the horrible punishments that awaited Dan
should he ever be found guilty a second time of
sleeping on watch.
Old John, the poor, feeble foremast hand, has
tried of late to bear up and take part in the various
duties assigned to the men, and succeeded up to a
couple of days ago, when his strength failed and he
had to knock off work. Ever since he has been
growing worse, in spite of Captain Kingdon's efforts
to reHeve him, and he is now in the ship's hospital,
a spare room in the midship-house. He has the
appearance of a death's head, though he receives no
kind word or look from any one, proving that the
most miserable being in the world is a sick sailor.
What little food he can eat is shoved in to him
through a port-hole by the steward, who curses him
for not being quicker in taking the pannikin given
him. I feel very sorry for the old man, who is better
fitted for an inmate of a sailors' hospital than a sea
man on a blue waterman.
The skipper imparted to us to-day the cheerful in
formation that we will cross the Bay of Bengal at
one of the worst seasons of the year; that is, the
first part of November. At that period the mon
soon changes from southwest to northeast, and it is
then and also in May that the terrible cyclones sweep
across the northern part of the Indian Ocean and its
adjacent coasts, devastating the land and often blot
ting out of existence the largest and finest ships. In
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A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
May the worst hurricanes occur, showing that the
atmospheric disturbances are more severe at the end
ofthe northeast monsoon. Latitude at noon, 31° 58'
south ; longitude, 78° 43' east.
October 4
We were comforted this morning with a nice little
breeze that came dancing along out of the north ;
and though it jammed us on the wind and headed us
off toward Australia, no murmurs were heard fore or
aft about the weather, after yesterday's calm.
I am almost certain that we're going to have
trouble with the men before we get in. Carson in
particular is behaving in a very insolent manner,
swaggering about the decks and talking in a very
loud voice in the forecastle. He and his pal, the
Finn, are together constantly now, which bodes no
good. The rest of the men seem to be in pretty
fair shape, but how long they will remain so we can
not tell ; a sea-lawyer like Carson or the musician
with the master's ticket can brew trouble in a very
few days. As far as I can ascertain, the food will be
the cause of any row that we may have ; the steward,
a double-faced, sneaking rascal, who licks the skip
per's boots to keep in his good graces, serves out
the worst stuff he can lay his hands on to the cook,
in the hope that when we reach port the captain will
reward him for having saved the owners money.
The skipper, though, having made a voyage or two
before this, has seen quite through this little ruse, and
is only awaiting a fit opportunity to administer what
novelists call " a stinging rebuke."
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A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
To-day we sighted a vessel. That is, by the aid
of a pair of glasses we saw a vessel's topmasts above
the horizon in the southwest. One of the men at
work on the upper maintop-sail-yard saw her first ;
and, although barely visible from the deck with the
unaided eye, the glasses showed her to be a steamer
with four masts, square-rigged on the fore and main ;
she was probably thirty-five miles away. This was
the first vessel we have sighted for forty-seven days,
during which time we sailed more than six thousand
miles. We hope to take the southeast Trades to
morrow or the next day, from which I gather that
the Trades in the Indian Ocean blow farther south
than in the Atlantic, where we lost them near the
twenty-fifth parallel. Latitude at noon, 30° 36' south ;
longitude, 79° 22' east,
October 5
As yet there are no indications of the Trades.
We have a Hght northwesterly wind, and for the past
twenty-four hours we made good a north-northeast
course. The weather is charming and growing quite
warm again, making it pleasant to sit on deck once
more. I read to-day, in a nautical magazine on board, of
a strange and grewsome derelict discovered not long
ago off the island of Prince Edward, one thousand
miles southeast of the Cape of Good Hope. Various
pieces of wreckage, together with dead bodies most
shockingly mutilated, had drifted ashore there, the
fact being reported to a passing vessel. A couple of
days later the ship discovered the cause of the disas-
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A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
ter by falling in with a burning ship. Her lower
hold, it was discovered, was filled with coal and
petroleum, and her 'tween decks had contained emi
grants bound, it is thought, from Russia to Brazil.
The cargo had caught fire, generating gases which, it
is supposed, suffocated the unfortunate people ; and
when the conflagration had reached a certain limit,
explosions occurred, rending with terrible force the
bodies of the hapless victims. These ghastly remains
were then carried along by a current that sets by
Prince Edward Island, and, being cast up on the
shore, spread consternation among the handful of
people whose lot it is to dwell on this speck of land.
I thought, when I had finished the article, that it was
the most curious and out-of-the-ordinary disaster I
had ever heard of, and reminded me very forcibly of
Clark Russell ; indeed, were he to hear all the cir
cumstances, I am sure he could weave an exciting
romance about this remarkable case.
I wish I were well versed in the question of free
ships versus home-built ships, that has so long agi
tated the maritime population of the United States.
Captain Kingdon and I had a conversation on the
subject lEist night; but I found that I was so very
ignorant on the subject that I had to let him do the
talking. He argued rather on the free-ship side,
though he expressed no decided opinion. As the
law stands now in the States, no foreign vessel can ob
tain American registry unless, after having been pur
chased, two-thirds of her value have been expended
in making alterations or repairs. An example of the
law is the case of the splendid British steel shipen-
215

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
tine " Kenilworth." She was built a very few years
ago on the Clyde, if I mistake not, and her builders
were given carte-blanche to construct what was in
tended to be and what probably was the finest sailing-
vessel under the English flag. Not long after she
had been in commission she went to the northwest
coast of America, where she caught fire and was
partially destroyed before the fire could be extin
guished. She was subsequently bought by Arthur
Sewall & Co., of Bath, Maine, who spent the requisite
amount of money on her in repairs, obtained an
American registry for her, and now the " Kenilworth"
is one of the very best saiHng-ships under the Stars
and Stripes. She is handsomely finished below,
indeed remarkably so ; and actually has a white en-
amelled-iron bath-tub for the men under the fore
castle-head. The " Henry B. Hyde," one of the largest three-
masted sailing-vessels afloat (about two thousand
five hundred tons net), was formerly considered about
the smartest of our ships, until the "Kenilworth"
came along and was put in the same trade, to San
Francisco out of New York. The two ships have
met several times, but neither seems to have gained
a decided advantage, though either of the skippers
would probably tell you that he outsailed the other
two to one "whenever he had a breeze of wind."
This seems to be the favorite excuse among deep-
water sailors as well as yachtsmen. How often have
I heard friends of mine say, " Oh yes, so and so's
boat is a Httle faster in light airs, but just give me a
breeze of wind and you'll see !" I have never yet
216

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
met a yachtsman whose boat was not a flyer in a
strong breeze.
Another English vessel to change flags was the
steamer " Persian Monarch," that was bought by
Charles R. Flint & Co. and called the " May Flint."
She is a very large vessel, of some three thousand
net tons I beHeve, although, having been a steamer,
she is very narrow, and must, I should think, be very
wet in bad weather. To the best of my knowledge
she is the only straight-stemmed sailing-ship in
existence. Latitude at noon, 28° 40' south ; longi
tude, 81° 12' east.
October 6
And still no Trades. The weather is so superb,
though, that I never think about the speed of the
ship; indeed, throughout the voyage it has been a
matter of absolute indifference to me, except that I
should like to have covered three hundred or more
miles in one day, so that I could say that we in a
sailing-vessel had logged a greater number of miles
in one twenty-four hours than most of our coasting
steamers could. It is true that the Morgan boats to
New Orleans make a good deal better time than
thirteen knots an hour, and there are some of the
Plant steamers that make fast time; but the great
majority of first-class coasting steamers do not make
three hundred miles a day.
As I said before, the weather is perfect, and last
night was simply glorious in the transcendent beauty
of the heavens. Never a cloud was visible from
horizon to zenith, and it was just such a night as
217

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
poets love to sing of, about the " silver crescent of
the moon" and the " flaming stars of the Southem-
Cross." The first is all right, but the stars of the
Cross do not flame because they are not bright
enough, not being of so great magnitude as our
Great Bear, or anywhere near it. For all that,
though, it would be difficult to overestimate the
beauty of these evenings ; for the moon is not yet
old enough to dim the lustre of the stars, and she
adds immeasurably to the loveliness of the scene
when she sets, — a silver feather in the western sky.
Some of the stars glitter with a splendid effulgence,
Sirius, of course, taking precedence and Aldebaran
shining with his pecuHar red light.
Our wind has been light from west-northwest,
though it has allowed us to lay our course and we
have been making fairly good progress.
I think that one of the most remarkable circum
stances of the voyage is the absence of the smell of
kerosene-oil ; I expected that after we had been at
sea a month or so, during warm weather at least, a
slight odor would be present continually in the cabin.
But, on the contrary, not the least smell of petroleum
has been perceptible in any part of the ship. Even
when I put my head down one of the ventilators on
the poop, I could detect nothing but the clean, fresh
smell of the pine-wood cases that the tin cans of oil
are covered with ; and the same result was noticed
after an investigation of the uptakes near the main-
and mizzen-masts.
I fear that old John in the hospital is getting no
better ; he is dreadfully weak and cannot stand with-
218

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
out holding on to something. Indeed, he lies in his
bunk all day and only rouses himself when the stew
ard comes to pass in his bread and tea to him through
the port. When we are near the line, a fortnight
from now, I do not see how he'll be able to stand
the heat. Latitude, 27° 31' south; longitude, 81°
46' east.
Sunday, October 7
We have reason to believe that we have taken the
southeast Trades. Immediately after coming on
deck to-day after dinner, we noticed a dark-blue line
approaching us over the oil-like surface of the sea
from the southward, or right astern. So we braced
the yards in for it and had the satisfaction of seeing
the breeze increase instead of decrease, and soon it
was patent to every one that it was the trade-wind,
cmd not a mere cat's paw, as we feared it might prove
to be. How joyously the men sung out as they
braced the yards around, throwing their weight into
their work with a hearty heave pleasant to see ! The
little mate was as busy as the devil in a gale of wind,
taiHng on to the maintop-sail-braces one moment,
only to jump onto the poop the next and nearly pull
his heart out swaying up the mizzen-sky-sail-yard,
and all the while singing out, " Well, the fore-royal ;
well, the main-royal; weU, the mizzentop-gallant,"
and other similar orders to the men, the old skipper
pacing the poop with a happy smile, as he glanced
astern now and then at the fast-roughening water.
We have been fourteen weeks at sea to-day, and
I think I can truthfully say that there are but few
219

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
people who would have enjoyed every minute of the
voyage as my wife and I have. This morning was
really hot before the wind came, and it was out of
the question to sit on the poop without the awning.
During a calm spell such as we had this forenoon, it
is a never-ending source of amusement to me to
hang over the side and gaze down into the clear,
deep-blue ocean, following the sun's rays through
fathom after fathom of absolutely transparent water,
until it almost seems as though my sight could pene
trate to the bottom, two thousand five hundred
fathoms below, so tranquil and beautiful is this deep-
sea water. No wonder that sailors cast away in an
open boat often cannot resist drinking it, for a more
enticing-looking fluid I never saw.
The deepest part of the entire Indian Ocean lies
between Java and northwestern Australia, where
soundings of three thousand fathoms have been
made ; while all that part around the islands of St.
Paul and Amsterdam is much shoaler, being of a
depth of only one thousand fathoms ; indeed, similar
soundings have been taken all over that part of the
ocean lying south of the thirty-fifth parallel. The
water shoals to the depth of one thousand fathoms
also to the northwestward of Madagascar and south
west of the Indian Peninsula, around the Maldives
and Laccadives; but throughout the remainder of
the great Indian Ocean the sea is very deep, averag
ing two thousand five hundred fathoms right up to
the partially submerged Malayo-Australian continent.
The bottom of that part of the sea adjacent to the
islands of Borneo, Java, Celebes, the Moluccas, and
220

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
the Philippines is an elevated plateau rising abruptly
from the profound depths of the surrounding ocean,
the water over an immense area being not more than
fifty fathoms deep, and, of course, filled with shoals
and coral ledges; so that when ships are bound
around the Cape to China and Japan during the
northeast monsoon, they sail clear around Australia
rather than beat up through the Straits of Sunda and
China Sea, the latter to the northwestward of Borneo
presenting a perfect nest of shoals and reefs. Lati
tude at noon, 26° 47' south ; longitude, 82° 1 2' east.
October 8
A bright, fresh morning, with a little more wind
than we had last night, though the Trades are yet
very light, and we didn't make more than a degree
and a half of northing yesterday. It is reasonable
to suppose that when we get a little farther north we
will make one hundred and eighty miles a day, even
in our foul state.
Our bill of fare is somewhat reduced owing to the
potatoes and onions having given out; the former
particularly we miss tremendously, and people until
they go to sea have no idea how really good pota
toes are. We have plenty of tinned vegetables, and
the last barrel of beef we opened was particularly
good ; so that we have at least some sort of substi
tute for the fresh pork, which is, of course, all gone.
If we could only catch some large fish, it would
make an excellent addition to our larder ; flying-fish
are commencing to appear again, and my wife often
has a couple for breakfast, but as they don't come
221

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
aboard in any great number, and are no larger than
a smelt, I haven't tasted any yet. It is really aston
ishing, though, how little one feels the absence of
fresh food at sea, and it seems as though I could go
on in this manner indefinitely ; though my wife, I
think, would give a good deal for some fresh fruit
and vegetables.
In navigation I am now quite expert and can easily
and quickly work nearly any problem in Ainsley or
Norie, with the exception of lunars and longitude by
the stars. Mr. Ryan has also been teaching me
marline-spike seamanship and the masting and rig
ging of ships, and by the time we reach port I ought
to have a fairly thorough knowledge of the duties
of a sailor. It has made me very anxious to start
on a deep-water voyage in a fifty-ton yawl, ketch, or
schooner, handling and navigating the boat myself
Plenty of our yachtsmen are quite capable of doing
all their own sailing themselves ; but because they
have a sailing-master who knows more than they do,
they relegate the working of the vessel to him when
ever they enter a harbor, or there is any reefing to
be done, often because of lack of confidence in them
selves. It must be a delightful sensation to be at sea
in one's own boat and absolutely in command of her,
supreme in all matters of navigation, seamanship,
and the setting and stowing of canvas, without having
to say, " Mr. So and So, don't you think you'd better
turn in a reef in the main-sail?" and having the
sailing-master only half agree with you and end by
continuing to carry the whole main-sail. Latitude
at noon, 25° 34' south; longitude, 83° 40' east.
222

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
October 9
We have been just one hundred days at sea ; and
when I look back upon those many weeks, it does
not seem more than a month since Sandy Hook
light-ship sank into the sea and the highlands of
Navesink disappeared behind the horizon.
We had strong Trades all day, but the wind has
been east-southeast, about abeam, and with so foul a
ship we did not do more than seven knots at any
time. In the morning we crossed the Tropic of
Capricorn, and have therefore once more entered the
South Tropic Zone.
As a result of the mate's familiarity with Dan,
I witnessed a remarkable spectacle this forenoon.
Some of the men were doing odd jobs about the
deck, when Mr. Ryan ordered Dan aloft to do some
work on the lower mizzentop-sail-yard. Instead of
jumping into the rigging at once, he continued some
bit of skylarking with the steward near the cabin-
door. So the mate picked up a rope's end with
which to emphasize his order, when, to the amaze
ment of everybody who was looking on, Dan, who it
seems was not in a particularly gentle mood, skipped
over to the rail, whipped out an iron belaying-pin,
danced back in a rage to the astonished mate, and,
lifting the heavy pin above his head, he shook it at
Mr. Ryan, yelling at him in a voice quite thick with
passion, " Now, by G  , you come for me." I think
we were still more astonished when the mate, looking
Dan in the face for a few minutes, or moments, rather,
dropped the rope without a word, passed over to the
lee side, and strolled forward. It was a complete
223

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
victory for Dan. I don't know that I ever felt my
blood boil as it did then ; and if I had been the mate
I think I should have stepped over to the midship-
house, in the after end of which was a row of capstan-
bars, and I'd have taken the belaying-pin away from
that youth and cracked his head for him so that he'd
have jumped at the next order as though electrified.
No one knew better than Dan, though, how rigidly
the English law protects apprentices at sea ; but in
spite of it, and the fact that the mate himself was
partly to blame, before I would let the whole watch
have the laugh on me, I'd have beaten the dirty little
English Jew to a mummy, even though I were fined
three months' wages in Calcutta. What must the
men think of the discipline on board, when a boy
threatens the first officer with a heavy weapon, and
that officer, instead of making the most of this ex
cellent opportunity for an exhibition of his authority,
slinks away forward and allows the boy to swing
himself leisurely into the shrouds and crawl aloft,
conscious that he has gained an open victory over
the chief mate ? I wish Captain Kingdon had seen
the affair; law or no law, Dan would never have
forgotten the next ten minutes. Most of the watch
were in the mizzen-rigging at the time, putting chaf
ing gear on the backstays, and I can see their grin
ning faces now, as they leered down at the scene
below them, chuckling away at the defeat of the
mate, and mentally sizing up how far they can go
with Mr. Ryan and the skipper without laying them
selves open to mutiny. I have an idea that Carson
had something to do with the affair, and, as soon as
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he hears of Dan's victory, he is sure to be more
insolent and defiant than ever. Latitude, 23° l'
south ; longitude, 83° 24' east.
October 10
Had fresh to strong Trades during the past twenty-
four hours, but, being well to the eastward, we did
not slip along as we ought to have. We made
nearly three degrees of latitude, though, and at mid
day found ourselves close to the twentieth parallel.
A strong head-sea from northeast set in during
the night, and, of course, this stops her considerably.
I have always wanted to see the old " Mandalore"
with a head-sea and beam-wind, and I must say she
presents a splendid appearance as she rises to the
crest of some of the larger seas and poises for an
instant, with the weather leeches of the mizzen-royal
and sky-sail just Hfting, before she takes the down
ward plunge into the valley below. She would make
a fine subject for a marine artist, though I doubt if
any one could infuse into a painting the Hfe and
vitality of the scene. This is the first severe pitch
ing we have done since we left, as all the heavy seas
wehave hitherto experienced have come from astern;
so that this fore-and-aft motion is a novel change
from the rolling and heaving in the Southern Ocean.
There is only one reason that I have for wishing
to reach port, and that is to hear the result of the
racing of the cup-defender "Vigilant" against the
English cutters " Britannia," " Satanita," and " Val
kyrie II." in their home waters. In a fair race where
the tides and currents do not demand the presence
IS 225

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on board of a man born and bred in the place, and
if the other boats do not pocket her, " Vigilant" wiU,
I am certain, render a splendid account of herself I
hope she will keep out of the Thames matches, for
that river is a perfect nest of currents and eddies,
which make it bad enough for a native to successfully
handle a yacht in those waters ; whfle racing on the
Clyde is nearly as bad, for tremendous squalls come
tearing down from the hills, making good racing
there almost as impossible as in the tide-holes of the
Thames. It is difficult for merchant skippers to understand
what a large, well-found yacht is like, and they are
apt to sneer at them, and particularly at yacht-
owners ; nor can I blame them for the latter, when I
think of a man who has a splendid, big, sea-going
schooner yacht, who sends her to Southampton or
Cowes, while he follows in the " Majestic" or
" Lucania." What is more remarkable, though, is to hear mer
chant masters and mates sneer and deride navy men,
as I have heard on several occasions. One would
think that it would be just the other way, and that the
navy would look down on the merchant service. But
I have often heard skippers and mates too say: " Navy
men, what do they know about the sea ? What can
they be expected to know, when three-fourths of their
lives are passed in a safe harbor where they are sta
tioned, or that they run for when it blows a capful
of wind ? All they have to do is to walk the poop-
or quarter-deck rigged out in white duck or blue
serge and receive visitors; while we poor devils
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A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
have to take the ocean as it comes, calm or hurri
cane, heat or cold ; there is no escape from it ; while
those fellows in gold lace and brass buttons talk
about cyclones and great circles, when half of 'em
get sea-sick when their vessel's nose is outside the
bar." Thus reasons the worthy merchant skipper
whenever you introduce the subject of the navy, and
perhaps there is much truth in what he says.
There is a slight current setting to the westward.
Latitude, 20° 9' south ; longitude, 83° f east.
October h
Strong Trades, hard squalls, and rough sea. We
ought to have made two hundred and fifty miles yes
terday, but two hundred was our run. All last night
we had a grand breeze from southeast true, and, the
wind being well abaft the beam, we could carry on
well even through the squalls. The northeast swell
that is still running, when it meets the trade-swell
from southeast, makes a very dirty sea indeed ; and
though we do not take very much water on board,
we shipped a heavy sea up forward this forenoon
that completely buried everything nearly out of sight,
two hands that were at work near the carpenter's
shop saving themselves by monkey-like leaps into
the fore-rigging. At ten, just as I was about to go
below and thump on my wife's door, this being the
hour for her to turn out, I saw an immense, peaked
sea rise up alongside without the least warning, and,
after seemingly to hesitate which way it would go,
the whole mass fell aboard with a great crash just
forward of the mizzen-shrouds, a most unusual place,
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Thinking that my wife would be frightened, I lost no
time in getting below and found everything in our
room drenched by the sea, part of which came
hurtling in through the forward port. This port I
never dreamed of closing in the heaviest weather in
the Southern Ocean, and this was the first time a
drop of water had entered in that way. The seas,
while running our easting down, all coming from aft
and falling aboard forward, we could keep our for
ward port open even with three feet of solid water
on the main-deck without being in danger of a wet
ting. My wife, therefore, was greatly shocked when
she saw the water flying in through the port, and
ever since I have been unable to persuade her that
it was a chance sea, and that it was improbable that
another would follow.
We had to stow the sky-sails last night, and from
present indications the royals will soon follow suit.
At five yesterday afternoon, rigged preventer guys
on the lower mizzentop-sail- and cross-jack-yards.
Latitude at noon, 17° 8' south; longitude, 83° 44'
east. October 12
Strong Trades and rough sea continue to prevail.
As I surmised, all the royals had to come in last
night before dark, the sea being heavy and very
ugly. The " Mandalore," as she rose to the crests
of the big beam-seas, would heel over till the water
boiled over the lee bulwarks, while the squalls fairly
screamed as they tore through the shrouds and gear.
To our great surprise, the wind shifted in the mora-
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A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
ing watch from southeast to east-northeast, which, of
course, braced us sharp up with the yards touching
the lee backstays. And when I went on deck this
morning I found the ship plunging along in a con
fused sea, but not going ahead much. We are there
fore not doing well, in spite of the ripping breeze,
and are not making good better than north by west
on account of a fairly strong westerly current. We
experienced another change also : from a temperate
heat to a torrid humidity not only disagreeable, but
very enervating. The change was due, of course, to
the wind's having canted northerly and blowing right
off the steaming Malay Peninsula, where the wet
season is just drawing to a close. I was very much
surprised to find, while looking over some sailing
directions, what a difference exists in the direction of
the monsoon on and around the continent of Asia.
We are accustomed to hear only of the southwest
and northeast monsoons, and these, indeed, are the
winds that blow in the Bay of Bengal in their re
spective seasons. At Shanghai, though, they blow
from north to south-southeast ; northeast and south
west at Rangoon, this port being in the Bay of Ben
gal; and north and west-southwest at Bombay. I
am told that in the Arabian Sea the monsoon is
very strong, and, being well to the westward, the
immense fleet of steamers running between Bombay
or Colombo and Aden generaUy have a hard time
getting across, their decks being continually swept.
We are speculating how far north the Trades will
carry us, the skipper thinking they will leave us in
about io° south. If they do, we'll have a dismal
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time of it between there and Calcutta, as there is no
monsoon now to depend on, this being at the change
from southwest to northeast, and there will be no
settled wind for some time yet. If we had not been
humbugging so long in the North Atlantic, we might
have saved the southwest wind up the bay, which
is one explanation of the skipper's wishing to make
a fast passage this particular voyage. And, besides
saving the monsoon, we would reach Calcutta just
in time to escape the hurricane season.
There was a mistake in the observations yesterday
owing to bad sights, and we were much gratified to
find to-day that we were a whole degree farther
north than we supposed, which put us in latitude
13" 47' south; longitude, 83° 40' east.
October 13
Moderate winds and a smooth sea. The heavy
swell has entirely gone down, and we are now enjoy
ing weather similar to that in the southeast Trades
in the Atlantic. The wind has gone back to south-
southeast, the humidity has disappeared, every stitch
of canvas is spread, and we are slipping along toward
the equator at seven knots, with hardly a motion.
The breeze is so balmy and delicious that you can
almost apply to it the poet's name of intoxicating ;
and nothing can equal the pleasure of lying in your
bunk, reading by an open port, with the fresh trade-
wind gushing in over you, making joyful the very
fact of being alive, added to the unspeakable delight
of simply being at sea on a day like this, that every
one who truly loves the ocean must feel.
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The wind did not haul to southeast, though, till this
forenoon, and during nearly the whole of yesterday
we were forced to steer a north-northwest course;
but we made one hundred and fifty-eight miles, some
of which, unfortunately, was westing. When bound
up the Bay of Bengal in the winter months, when
the northeast winds are blowing, it is necessary to
steer well over toward the eastern side of the bay,
crossing the line at the 88th or 89th meridian, so as
not to be jammed on the Cuttack shore.
There is at sea a prevalent notion that the moon
exerts a baneful influence on those who sleep exposed
to its rays in the tropics, I have always regarded
this as moonshine, but an article in a nautical paper
on board has made me think much about the matter,
and from this account it would appear that the moon
has a deleterious effect on the eyes of those who
sleep under its rays without shelter. The article in
question concerns the American ship " El Capitan,"
that arrived at New York some months ago from
Hiogo. The moon-blink, as it is called, first struck
the men when the ship was forty-four days out from
Hiogo. The weather was very hot, and several of
the men, contrary to the advice of their shipmates,
slept exposed to the rays of the almost full moon.
At the end of nine days some of the men began to
complain that they could not see at night, and at
length it was discovered that from dark to dawn the
men were almost totally blind, could not go aloft,
and were perfectly useless, though their sight returned
in broad daylight. A short time afterward their eyes
became inflamed, necessitating constant applications
231

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
of water; and at length ulcers made their appearance,
together with a singular growth on the eyelids. Up
to this time the skipper of " El Capitan" had always
laughed at moon-blink, and several years before had
clapped a man in irons because he said he was
moon-blind and couldn't work; but on this occa
sion he acknowledged that there must be something
in it, as those who had slept in the forecastle were
perfectly well and in their normal condition, while
those who had reposed under the full influence of the
moon were totally unfit for duty.
I cannot pretend to say whether there is really
such a disease as moon-blink or not, but that it is a
wide-spread belief among sailors is proved by an ex
perience of my own. I was making a voyage from
Nassau to New York on a Norwegian tramp steamer,
the " Johannes Brun," on one occasion, having missed
the mail-boat. The first night at sea I deposited
myself upon an immense manila hawser coiled away
in the stern, and had just composed myself for a
dehghtful nap when I was awakened by some one
tugging me by the sleeve, and looking up I saw
Captain Wesenberg gazing at me with consternation
written on his face. " Git oop, git oop," said he ;
"don't you see you're sleeping in de moonlight?
She will make you blind ; you must not sleep here.
Come below." And I was actually not allowed to
stay where I was, but was forced to retire to my
cabin. I was reminded of this last night when I saw the
carpenter, who had been dozing on the main-hatch,
get up and rouse the cook, who had also been nod-
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ding away, as soon as the moon's rays appeared over
the rail. Both the men rose without a word and at
once went aft to the midship-house. Latitude at
noon, 11° 41' south; longitude, 82° 54' east.
Sunday, October 14
All to-day we had a delicious breeze from the
eastward that sent us along right merrily. It was
much fresher than we expected, and the skipper is
beaming with joy at having so strong a breeze so far
north. It was sizzling hot on deck, though, and for
the first time in many weeks the awning was spread.
We needed it several days ago, but the wind has
been too strong, as it has seen its best days, and a
good fresh breeze would doubtless whip it into
ribbons. Last night the most dreaded catastrophe that can
happen a vessel at sea befell us : fire broke out for
ward. As near as I can learn, it was the carpenter's
fault. We were going smoothly along with every
thing set, the night being fine and clear. The wheel
had just been relieved at four bells in the first-watch,
and Mr. Ryan and I were walking the poop, calcu
lating how much longer we would probably be at
sea, when one of the men came aft (the one who had
the wheel during the knock-down in the Gulf Stream)
and, mounting the poop-ladder, said very quietly,
without the least show of excitement, " Mr. Ryan,
the ship's afire forward." Not deeming it necessary
to awake the skipper, who had turned in, the mate
jumped off the poop and ran forward as hard as he
could go, I following immediately after; and a sight
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greeted me, when I had passed the galley, that I'll
never forget. Both watches stood grouped about
the fore-hatch, those who had turned out being
almost naked, gazing, with fear in their eyes, at the
port light-house, the interior of which was a mass
of flames, that cast a deep-red glow over the whole
forward part of the ship.
A fire at sea takes the heart right out of a fore
mast hand. He will witness without flinching the
approach of a tropical cyclone, or sleep peacefully
through a howling Cape Horn gale, surrounded by
a fleet of ice-bergs. But fire seems to sap his cour
age, and I actually saw a couple of hands blubbering
a little. When we had approached as close as we could we
saw that the great port light, almost three times as
large and powerful as Lloyd calls for, had exploded
from being filled too full, and the burning oil was
scattered over everything, not only in the light-house,
which was iron, but also over the paint-shop under
the light-house. Things looked very bad, and I own
to a dominant sense of uneasiness and dread until I
thought of the iron deck under the wooden one
between us and the oil below. After this I was
somewhat reassured and could survey the proceed
ings with calmness. We had not been forward more
than a minute or two before the wooden ladder by
which access to the light-house was obtained from the
paint-room caught fire, and the whole of that apart
ment was then a mass of flames. Mr. Ryan looked
around and, picking out two of the coolest hands
(Simmons and the one that gave the alarm), ordered
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A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
them to bring up some strips of canvas and wads of
oakum, wet them down under the head-pump, and
then together they would see what could be done in
the way of smothering the fire. The canvas, etc., was
brought up in a few moments, pending which it was
difficult to prevent the rest of the men from throwing
water on the flames, — a fatal proceeding, as it would
have splashed everything in the vicinity with the
blazing kerosene.
Then the mate and three seamen did some really
heroic work, entering right into the burning paint-
shop and fighting the fierce blaze with great, dripping
oakum wads. While this was going on a stream of
oil ran out through a Httle scupper-hole in the paint-
shop and into the iron water-ways, down which it
flowed, a tiny rivulet of flame. I looked to see the
running gear coiled over the pins catch fire, in which
case the top-hamper would have caught in an instant,
for nothing scarcely is so inflammable as dry manila
and hemp ; while the top-gallant-, royal-, and sky-sail-
yards being all of wood, we would have had a terri
ble fight of it if the halliards, etc., had caught. But
the men, with more sense than I credited them with,
ran along and lifted the big coils off the pins, placing
them lengthwise on the pin-rail, and the little rill of
oil burned itself out before any damage was done.
Meanwhile the mate had fought valiantly, scorching
himself badly, but extinguishing the flames so success
fully that in fifteen minutes nothing remained of the
fire save that here and there a charred ember glowed
in the darkness like a big fire-fly. When things had
cooled off sufficiently, I went into the paint-shop,
235

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
which I found a complete ruin, together with all its con
tents, paints, varnishes, and brushes all being totaUy
destroyed. A great deal of paint had been freshly
mixed for repainting the inside of the bulwarks, pre
paring for port, and this was in open kegs, which had
been overturned, thus wasting an immense quantity.
I can assure those who have never been similarly
placed that the sight I saw when I rounded the for
ward house would whiten the face of the sturdiest of
men, and no one on board dared breathe scarcely till
the last spark had been stamped out ; and after it was
all over I saw more than one brown fist tremble as
some of the men lit their pipes. Never shall I forget
the picture of the ship's company as they huddled in
a bunch about the fore-hatch, the crimson light out
lining with singular fierceness their rugged, bearded
faces. If the fault really lies with the carpenter, who has
charge of the lights, because he filled the lamp too
full, I wouldn't care to face the music he'll have to
dance to to-morrow, for a good deal. What the
damage will amount to I don't know ; but I do know
that such lights as we carry cost from twenty-five to
forty pounds, and every penny counts to the owners
of a ship that receive only twelve cents a case for oil
from New York to Calcutta. Latitude at noon, 9°
36' south ; longitude, 83° 10' east.
October 15
We are having our first stroke of luck since the
voyage began. I refer to our carrying the Trades
so far north. They have been quite fresh for twenty-
236

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
four hours, and we have averaged eight knots and
over. We are now in the same latitude as and about
midway between the Straits of Sunda and the Chagos
Archipelago, and we ought, I should think, to sight
sailing-ships bound from the straits to the Cape,
though I am not certain what route they take at this
season after passing Java Head.
I never think of the Straits of Sunda that my
mind does not revert to the fearful eruption of the
volcano on the island of Krakatoa, situated almost in
the middle of the strait, in August, 1883. It was
the most violent ever known, and it is probable that
the eruption of Vesuvius that buried Herculaneum,
or those of Mauna Loa that periodically devastate
part of Hawaii, in the Sandwich group, cannot at all
be compared to the dreadful catastrophe of Krakatoa.
The eruption destroyed half the island, leaving water
two hundred fathoms deep where the volcano had
stood, and frightful convulsions of the earth suc
ceeded the explosions from the mountains. Half
the town of Anjer was blotted off the earth, thirty
thousand persons being drowned on the neighboring
coasts by tidal waves, which then swept across the
oceans, registering their arrival on the tide-gauges in
various harbors all over the world. The concussions
of the atmosphere were so tremendous that windows
were broken one hundred miles away and the ex
plosions were heard all over the Malay Archipelago,
half of Australia, and half the Indian Ocean, as far
as three thousand miles from the scene of the dis-
£ister! Many will remember the remarkable red sunsets
237

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
in the latter part of 1883 ; they were caused by dust
and pumice-stone ejected from Krakatoa that were
held in suspension in the atmosphere for months and
imparted to it a wonderful crimson glow in all parts
of the world. The account of the eruption by an
eye-witness, published in one of our magazines, I
will never forget. He was one of a scientific party
on a Dutch man-of-war, and landed on the coast of
Java after the eruption, but prior to the earthquakes,
and was a spectator of the partial — indeed, nearly the
total — destruction of Anjer. His description was
terribly reaHstic, and he told how he and his party
had to run across a field of ashes so hot that their
foot-prints, when they raised their feet, glowed with
incandescent heat.
I asked Captain Kingdon where he was at the
time, and he said he was master of the ship " Stock
ton," off St. Helena, homeward bound from Ran
goon ; but that he saw the devastation wrought by
the earthquake on his next voyage, as he went out
to Anjer for orders and rode all over the surround
ing country, evidences of the convulsions being but
too frequent and terrible. Latitude, 6° 59' south;
longitude, S^'^ 50' east.
October 16
A hot, rainy, and most dismal day. Just such a
day as one's imagination pictures in West Africa,
except that we are minus the fever. I never thought
the atmosphere could be so oppressive, or so satu
rated with humidity. Everything on board reeks
with moisture. Soda-biscuit just brought from the
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A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
oven and laid on the table are actually limber in ten
minutes ; sheet-music is so Hmp that it will not stand
upright on the music-rack ; while the pages of my
journal are so moist that the ink spreads, and it is
with difficulty that I can make legible characters.
To the discomforts of the intense heat and over
powering humidity is added that of an almost per
fect calm, for we are not doing half a mile an hour
as I write. The end of the Trades has come, and
here we are practically under the line with scarcely
a breath of wind, while rain has fallen in torrents all
day. It might be supposed, by those who have never
been in the tropics, that this affords relief, but it
doesn't, for the temperature is 87° at mid-day and
86° at midnight. I don't think there are many
women who could withstand the discomforts of such
weather as this is as well as my wife does ; what a
week of it will do, of course, we cannot tell, but she
certainly bears it well so far. As for myself, I do not
suffer from heat at all. Perspiration streams from
me, even from the backs of my hands ; so that I do
not find this sort of weather at all unbearable ; it is
only the unfortunate individual who does not perspire
much that suffers in high temperatures. No relief is
to be obtained by going on deck, as it is necessary
to put on oil-skins ; and enveloped in these imper
vious garments was similar to the steam-room of a
Russian bath.
Two frigate-birds stayed with us a while this fore
noon, fascinating us with the stately circles in which
they sailed over our mast-heads, and the perfect ease
with which they maintained themselves at any given
239

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
altitude without movement of wing. The nearest
land is the Chagos Archipelago, fully five hundred
miles away ; so that the birds are a long way from
home ; I didn't know they flew such a distance from
land. They seemed to be smaller frigate-birds than
those we saw off Trinidad, — a fact that I mentioned
to Captain Kingdon, who told me that the breed
inhabiting the eastern seas from Madagascar to the
Moluccas is considerably smaller than the other,
specimens of which we saw in the South Atlantic.
As we got no sights at all to-day, and as the
Indian Ocean is full of currents, the position of the
ship by dead-reckoning is probably wrong, though
it is the best we can do. At noon we figured that
we were in latitude 5° i' south; longitude, 84°
30' east.
October 17
Another day of very great heat, with heavy down
pours forty-five minutes out of every hour. Some
times the sky to the southward has a terrific aspect ;
tremendous masses of blue-black cloud forming while
you look at them, and moving very fast, with a
ragged, writhing under edge, come rushing up, and
you think they're going to rip every stitch of canvas
off the ship. Instead of which they pass by scarcely
disturbing the surface of the water, showing that the
atmospheric agitation is all in the upper strata of air.
These accumulations of vapor are very alarming to
one who has never had any experience in eastern
waters, but the feeling of uneasiness soon passes
away, and they always prevail during the southwest
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A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
monsoon, which makes the skipper think that we will
still save that precious wind up the Bay of Bengal.
We had a nice Httle breeze last night and up to
eleven this morning ; but during the afternoon we
had only occasional cat's paws from southwest and
were practically becalmed.
The noise made by the deluges of rain is quite
alarming the first time you hear it. I thought I had
seen heavy rain in the Atlantic ; but, my goodness !
it wasn't much more than a shower compared with
what we have here. Between the downpours there
is not a sound to be heard, for there is no swell here,
and no motion of the sea sufficient to move the ship ;
when suddenly, not gradually, as we are accustomed
to, but unexpectedly and with full force, a perfect
water-fall of rain will tumble down, the drops at
times so large that if you are below they sound not
unlike shot falling on deck.
Three little land-birds flew aboard this afternoon ;
we think they belong to the swaUow family, and that
they probably followed some ship from Ceylon and
were blown so far off shore that they were unable to
make the land again. The poor little creatures were
very tired, and it was singular to see birds at sea
without webbed feet.
To-day I won the backgammon match that my
wife and I have been playing for some time. We
have kept a score of all the games we have played
since leaving New York, and a fortnight ago, being
about even, we agreed that if my wife won her two
thousandth game first she would win a guitar, and
if I were to finish first she should give me a zither.
i6 241

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
I was fortunate enough to win, the score standing
two thousand games to nineteen hundred and
seventy-eight, showing that there was a difference
of only twenty-two games in almost four thousand.
Poor old John, the ancient mariner, is growing
weaker day by day, and I don't see how he can last
to Calcutta. He is shockingly emaciated ; the only
notice taken of him, though, is when the boson swears
at him for occupying the hospital, necessitating the
removal of the rolls of duck and quantities of small
stuff, with which the place was filled, out on to the
floor of the midship-house, in which the hospital is
located. The steward also generally growls out an
oath at him at meal-times. I have never seen so
pitiful a creature.
As the sun didn't show himself at any time of the
day, we had to rely again on dead-reckoning, which
put us in latitude 3° south; longitude, 85° 46' east.
October 18
We had to take in the sky-sails last night for a
wicked-looking northeast squall. It passed, as most
of them do now, without much disturbance, though
a skipper cannot be too careful in the matter of
shortening sail at this season in the Indian Ocean ;
and I have noticed that Captain Kingdon consults
the aneroid four or five times a day, now that we are
approaching the Bay of Bengal, that hurricane hot
bed. What the mariner would do without the ba
rometer is painful to think of, for it is often the only
certain warning he has of the fearful cyclones that
rage in these seas at the change of the monsoons.
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A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
To-day we experienced some relief from the heat,
for we had a light air from the westward that sensibly
lowered the temperature, though we made but thirty-
four miles of latitude in the twenty-four hours. The
drinking-water has become very warm, though it is
StiU as clear and sweet as when first pumped into the
tanks ; my wife never drinks it, though, preferring
soda-water and Apollinaris. Both the latter are at a
temperature of 90°, and when we open a bottle of
soda two-thirds of it fly out with a loud report, in
spite of all care.
It is singular the readiness with which sailors can
instantly detect the nationality of a vessel by the
way she is rigged or sparred, though there are a
great many oddities in the ships of various nations
known only to him "who does business in great
waters." No matter how crowded a harbor may be,
one can always pick out an American ship from the
rest ; even a landsman can. This is by reason of her
cleanliness and being far better " groomed" and much
more handsomely sparred and rigged than the ships
of any other nation in the world. Never was this
fact more clearly disclosed to me than on a certain
morning just before we saUed, while I was taking my
favorite stroll along the East River front. About
half a mile below the bridge the big American ship
" Shenandoah" was loading a general cargo for San
Francisco, in which iron gas-pipe and steel-rails
seemed to predominate. Some of the merchandise
was very cumbersome and difficult to handle, yet
everything was done quietly, not a single article was
out of place, the decks were perfectly clear fore and aft,
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A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
and the yards absolutely square ; while a general air
of man-of-war discipline was to be perceived through
out the ship, and this although the skipper was not
on board.
On walking a few steps down the river, I saw a
big British ship loading case-oil for Melbourne.
What a contrast did she present to the "Shenan
doah !" She was stowing a much easier cargo to
handle, yet every one was yelling out at the top of
his lungs, the decks were littered with odd bits of
rope, tattered hemp sails, and old pairs of dungaree
trousers, while the immense and unnecessary amount
of brass-work was as dingy as old iron in a junk-
shop, in contrast to the Yankee's, which shone like a
yacht's. Aloft she was no better, for her trucks
were set just above the hounds of the royal-rigging,
giving her a squatty, dumpy look compared to the
" Shenandoah's" slender sky-sail-poles. This is not
an isolated case, but one that can be met with any
day. Scandinavian ships can always be told by their
windmill pumps, which all of their vessels of three
hundred tons and upward are compelled to carry, —
an excellent idea, as the Norwegians are constantly
buying up old ships of other nations that would
not float long were it not for this wise precaution.
Frenchmen have very long poles above their rigging,
and the Spaniard can be discerned by his fondness
for white paint and often by old-fashioned netting
under his bowsprit. German and Dutch ships can
be picked out by their very small ports and door
ways in their deck-houses, as though they were afraid
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A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
of fresh air, while Nova Scotians are proclaimed
such by their short spars.
There is an infaUible way of distinguishing an
English ship from a Yankee before her hull has
risen, and that is that the Englishman always has
a greater drop to his courses and correspondingly
narrower top-sails than our ships, which was still
more apparent when the old single top-sails were
used. Almost all European ships have standing
gaffs for their spankers, American ships never;
while the latter generally have square sterns and
wheel-houses and carry carvel-built boats. If a full-
rigged brig is seen nowadays, it is safe to assume
that she is a Greek, this being the only nation nowa
days that clings to this almost obsolete and clumsy
rig; while almost all the sailing-vessels under the
Italian, Austrian, and Norwegian flags are bark-
rigged; though the Italians lately have built a
number of ships for the Horn trade to Frisco, " Ac-
came" being part of the name of each one, whatever
that may be. Latitude at noon, 2° 26' south ; longi
tude, 86° east.
October 19
Hotter to-day, if anything. Many people will ridi
cule the idea that it is really and truly hot when the
temperature is not above 90°. I myself have experi
enced a temperature of 104° in the shade in central
New York, but that was nothing to this suffocating
humidity. If any one thinks it isn't hot here, I would
exhort that person to make an Indian voyage in an
iron ship and enter the Bay of Bengal during or at
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A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
the end of the southwest monsoon. The iron sides
of the ship become heated to an extraordinary de
gree, so that it is impossible to bear the hand for a
moment on the rail, while great waves of heat rise
up from the deck and are seen shimmering and un
dulating to the height of eight or ten feet. I wish I
could take the temperature in the sun up by the
main-hatch, but my thermometer reads only to 120°,
and, as it is the only one on board, I canAot. On
any other ship I fancy the temperature would be
95° day and night; but the "Mandalore's" saloon
was constructed just for this sort of weather. Her
skylight extends almost the whole length of the
cabin, while six doors leading into it from passage
ways afford every opportunity for draughts.
My wife continues to stand the weather wonder
fully well ; she never could have done it in the state
of health she was in before we left New York, and it
is very gratifying to see the change wrought in her by
four months of strong, life-giving salt air. I am sure
that the lives of many people would be saved if they
could be persuaded to start on a long ocean voyage,
leaving delicacies and gouty wines ashore, and rely
ing upon the health-giving properties of sea-air, vary
ing from the heat of the tropics to the icy blasts of
the Southern Ocean. It is the very changes them
selves that benefit those in search of health ; and I
can imagine nothing more conducive to the building
up of one's constitution than, after a few days close
to the line in the Atlantic under a broiling sun, to
have the southeast Trades begin to blow, — a wind as
soft as velvet, yet stimulating and revivifying to an
246

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
extraordinary degree. When you take the southeast
Trades in the Indian Ocean, bound north, you do not
notice it, of course, having just left a cold climate.
But when you take them in the Atlantic, after a
scorching week of light westerly winds, the effect is
simply electrical, and you feel as though you had
swallowed the elixir of life.
We made thirty-nine miles of latitude yesterday,
and I think most of it was due to currents, for the
only breeze we had was from the draughts of air out
of the sails when the ship wallowed about in the
light swell.
Pete is getting on famously in this sort of weather,
though his bill of fare, now that the potatoes and
onions are gone, is very much reduced. He is still
at war with the second mate, whose hands show
scores of marks from Pete's sharp little teeth. Lati
tude at noon, i° 47' south; longitude, 86° 20' east.
October 20
The great heat continues. It is quite impossible
for words to convey any meaning of what it is like.
StiU, for all that, I prefer this to the icy squalls of the
Cape, and I cannot truthfully say that it is too hot
for me. We have been compelled to knock off our
noon grog, for even a tablespoonful of any sort of
liquor produces a most disagreeable result.
Sail ho ! was the cry just as we finished breakfast,
and on looking over to the westward we perceived
the top-sails of a large ship ; in another half-hour
we could see her courses, and at ten the hull had
risen above the sea-Hne. We were in sight of each
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A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
other till dark, as throughout the entire afternoon we
experienced an absolute and perfect calm. I never
saw the ocean in this state before. During the pre
vious calms we have been in, small, dark blurs on the
surface of the water every fifteen minutes or so would
show us that currents of air, however light, were in
motion, and if a chip were thrown over the side it
would be out of sight in ten or fifteen minutes, our
upper canvas on these occasions doing the work ;
and I should say that we seldom made less than half
a mile an hour, not counting currents. But this
afternoon the ocean was as motionless as a sea of
ice ; not a breath of wind disturbed its surface even
for a moment, and not the smallest undulation rattled
the blocks or broke the death-like stillness. The
absence of sound was positively uncanny. Even the
rudder-head ceased to kick, and our own voices alone
broke the oppressive silence. I knew also for the
'first time what sailors mean by a " sky of brass and
a copper sun," and there was a curious phenomenon
to be observed in connection with the calm and heat.
It was this : Right alongside the water was still of
the same magnificent, royal color ; but at a distance
of perhaps scarcely a hundred yards the blue seemed
to merge into a whitish vapor that arose from the
sea like a thin steam, extending to the horizon, though
not far above the surface, giving the whole ocean a
curious appearance and dazzling the eyes with its
glare. The decks give off more heat-waves than ever,
and I marvel how the men can work under such a
sun, especially when painting. Every long-voyage
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A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
ship, before she reaches port, receives a thorough
overhauling alow and aloft, and the repainting of the
vessel is one of the principal parts of it ; that is, the
inside of the bulwarks, the deck-houses, bitts, chocks,
capstans, — in short, everything but the top-sides, as
the painting of that part of the ship would be but a
patched-up job at best ; though it is the part that
needs it most, for the black paint is streaked with
iron rust to such an extent that it seems as though
nothing could ever reclaim the hull from its present
dilapidated appearance.
When the men had finished their dinner at noon,
the whole of the port watch — mate as well as seamen
— turned to and knocked and scraped the old paint
off the iron-work, after which the new coat was ap
plied under a sun that fairly sizzled. Marryat spins
a facetious yarn about broiling steaks on the rocks in
Egypt ; but it seemed to me that you could have
roasted four ribs of beef on the main-deck at three
this afternoon. The fumes of the paint, too, clung to
the ship and penetrated everywhere, there being no
breath of air to carry them away. As there is not
too much ozone in the atmosphere anyhow, the
fumes of the white lead and turpentine were anything
but welcome.
Desiring to take the temperature of the surface
of the sea to-day, I lowered a thermometer over the
side and suspended it, as near as I could judge, one
foot below the surface ; and when I drew it up at the
end of fifteen minutes the mercury stood at 84^°,
— a pretty high temperature to find in the open sea,
but nothing compared to that often recorded in the
249

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
Persian Gulf and Red Sea, where 95° is not infre
quent ; while it is a fact that on four successive days
the temperature of the Red Sea was found to be 100°,
106°, 100°, and 96° ! Latitude at noon, 1° 20' south ;
longitude, 86° 32' east.
Sunday, October 21
Sixteen weeks at sea to-day. The weather has
changed a little, as we have been going ahead at
about two knots an hour, having made forty-six
miles of northing since yesterday. It was another
intensely hot day, but somewhat cloudy in the after
noon, and about five o'clock we saw several immense
water-spouts. I observed four of these strange phe
nomena depending from one black cloud ; and as we
were quite close to them I could distinctly see their
manner of formation. First, four small projections
were let down from the cloud toward the surface of
the sea, having somewhat the appearance of fingers.
They very rapidly increased in size and strength,
and immediately the ocean beneath each funnel was
agitated into foam, showing that the rotary motion
generated in the cloud reached the water before the
cloud-finger had touched the surface. As the latter
descended still farther, the water boiled and seethed
and seemed to smoke as the funnel dipped down and
appeared to touch the sea. I failed to see the hour
glass shape of the cloud, so often shown in pictures,
where both ends are greatly expanded and the mid
dle constricted. The upper ends of those we saw
flared out a good deal, but the rest of the funnel
reached to the sea in a straight line till it met the
250

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
seething water at the base of the column, which
looked exactly hke a cloud of steam escaping from
a vent in the ocean. It was a curious sight ; and,
although I had previously seen great numbers of
water-spouts in the Caribbean Sea, I never saw them
so close as we did to-day, when we were probably
not more than a mile away from them. It is known
that the water in these spouts is perfectly fresh,
though many who have given the matter no thought
imagine that all the water in them has been sucked
up from the sea, and is consequently salt.
My wife continues to bear up splendidly against
the heat. We are looking for a Hght westerly wind
that ought to blow from the line up to io° north at
this particular season ; and when we get it I think
it'll take some of the overpowering humidity out of
the air. Mr. Ryan told me to-day that- he never
before felt such hot, enervating weather. He has
made one eastern voyage before this to Saigon, but
the northeast monsoon was blowing then, and there
was not this great sultriness that renders the heat
nearly unendurable to most people during the south
west monsoon. Most of the mate's experience at
sea has been in the North Atlantic Ocean between
St. John and the United Kingdom, — taken as a whole,
one of the worst bodies of water on the globe. In
proof of which, sailing-vessels are not allowed to
load within five inches of the Plimsoll mark for a
voyage to the westward across the North Atlantic
in the winter months. The most tempestuous part
of the whole Atlantic is in the neighborhood of
45° north and 45° west, and is known to sailors as
251

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
the Devil's Blow-hole. An account of a violent gale
in that part ofthe ocean is well described by Captain
Samuels in his book, " From the Forecastle to the
Cabin," during which the old " Dreadnought" had a
terrible experience and Samuels himself was nearly
killed. Latitude at noon, 34' south ; longitude, 87°
2' east.
October 22
We rendered yesterday immortal by making just
nothing at all ! It is a fact. To-day's observations
put her in precisely the same latitude and longitude
that we were in yesterday. This very rarely happens,
as a vessel in twenty-four hours generally makes
some headway or sternway or drifts broadside, but
we remained perfectly stationary not thirty-five miles
from the equator. When I had worked up the
sights I thought I had made a mistake in figuring,
till I compared my work with the skipper's and found
that we exactly agreed.
Our kodak is out of order and has been for some
time, — an unfortunate circumstance, as I wanted to
take a picture of the second mate, for I don't beHeve
there's another human being on earth that looks
anything like him. Strange to say, he is very
anxious to have his photograph taken ; as I thought
this class of men were not particularly anxious to
have their features transferred to paper. Neither
have we a picture of Captain Kingdon, which I
regret deeply ; I have been intending to ask him to
let me photograph him, but kept putting it off; and
now I can't do it at all. 252

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
When we packed our trunks to come to sea I threw
into them a collection of yacht photographs, — some
of the " Vigilant," " Valkyrie II.," and " Volunteer,"
besides some pictures of our big racing schooners ;
and having an excellent opportunity this afternoon,
I took them into the mate's room and showed them
to him. Like all merchant sailors, he affected a dis
dain for such vessels ; but by and by, in spite of him
self, he grew interested, and presently I could see
that he would like to get command of a large cruis
ing yacht ; and, after he had become accustomed to
the discipline on board, he would make a first-rate
sailing-master ; for he is a fine navigator, a splendid
seaman, and if anything unusual occurs he never
loses his head, but keeps absolutely self-possessed.
Latitude, 34' south ; longitude, 87° 2' east.
October 23
All hail, Zephyr and Auster ! We are deeply be
holden to thee for thy bounty, and a libation has
been offered up as a reward for thy good deeds. In
plain language, by the combined efforts of the
westerly and southerly winds, though the very faint
est of breezes, we crossed the equator in the morn
ing watch, close to the eighty-seventh meridian, en
tering the Northern Hemisphere, as near as can be
figured, at quarter-past four, thirty-seven days from
the Cape. Thus we have now entered upon the last
quarter of our voyage; for a voyage like this is
divisible into quarters, — the first from New York to
the line, the second from the line to the Cape, the
third from the Cape to the Hne, and the fourth from
253

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
the line to Calcutta. Our luck has been good lately,
bar the last two days, when during forty-eight hours
we covered only forty-five miles of latitude and
eighteen of longitude.
An incident happened, though, to mar the day. At
ten o'clock this a.m., the starboard watch being on
deck, Carson was heard blaspheming in a terrible
voice forward and threatening the steward with a
hand-spike. The Finn was nearly as bad, and, as the
row seemed about to become general, the second
mate thought he'd better tell the " Old Man." So
aft he went, and when he had placed the facts before
the skipper he was ordered to tell Carson and the
Finn to step aft to the quarter-deck. They did so,
swaggering along with an insolent leer, though I
thought the Finn looked a little nervous. When
they had reached the mizzen-hatch. Captain King
don went down on the main-deck and, addressing
himself to the Finn, asked him what his grievance
was. In broken English and a trembling voice he
answered meekly enough, but with black scowls at
the galley, that the steward didn't give the men
enough to eat, that the tea and coffee wouldn't go
around, and, what was worse, they had no sugar nor
molasses. The skipper said he would look into it,
and the Finn was ordered forward to give Carson his
chance. It was a wily move on the skipper's part,
as he well knew that Carson was the one with whom
he had to deal. He began in a blustering way,
actuaUy swearing in the skipper's presence ; he was
told to belay his jaw, and Captain Kingdon then said :
" Now, Carson, I propose to talk to you like a man ;
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A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
you are a man, arn't you ?" To which he answered,
throwing out his chest and looking defiantly at the
skipper, " Yes, I am a man ; I am a man." " Then
tell me what the matter is," said the captain. But, in
stead of quietly spinning his yarn, Carson began his
loud talking again, saying he'd have the life of that
 steward when we got into port. Then the
skipper thought it was time to stop that sort of thing,
and, dropping his mild tone of voice, he thundered at
Carson, " I'm tired of this ; get forward, and don't let
me hear anything more from you, or I'll make you
suffer; and don't forget that we've got fire-arms
enough aft to go round, and that we know how to use
'em." Carson went forward, but when he reached
the main-hatch his passion got the better of him
again, and he fairly shrieked with rage ; if the stew
ard had been near he would certainly have hit him
with whatever he could reach. Probably the men
have a grievance against the steward, but, if I were
skipper, Carson would be in irons the rest of the
passage. We will probably have light weather from
now on, and could very well dispense with his
services; and he is so full of brag and insolence and
defiance, and is hunting so assiduously for trouble,
that putting him below for a couple of days anyhow
would have a most salutary effect on the men. If
my wife were not on board, I am sure Carson would
sing a very different tune; but good old Captain
Kingdon, with his customary forethought and con
sideration, hesitates about taking any extreme meas
ures ; for putting the irons on a powerful man is no
easy job, and would frighten my wife to death prob-
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A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
ably and spoil the latter part of the voyage for her.
Latitude, 1 1' north ; longitude, 87° 20' east.
October 24
Oh, happy day ! Oh, joyous hour ! Once more we
are forging ahead with streaming decks and gushing
scuppers. For the glorious west wind has come and
everything animate and inanimate is, as it were,imbued
with new life. We are able to lay our course and a
point to spare, which allows everything to draw
freely, and the wind is a fine sky-sail breeze. It
came last night in a heavy squall just before mid
night. I had remained up later than usual yarning
with Mr. Ryan, and had just turned in, when the
order came from the mate, unexpected, and breaking
the silence like a pistol-shot, " Let go all sky-sail-
and royal-halliards, quick now !" The tramping of
feet followed, and then came the roaring of the wind,
the clattering of the yards when the halliards had
been cast off, and the slatting and thrashing of the
canvas ; for the wind had struck us abeam with the
yards squared. But nothing parted ; the braces were
quickly manned, and in half an hour the royals and
sky-sails too were spread to the fresh breeze that
came singing out of the westward after the squall
had passed ; and ever since we have been bowHng
along as handsomely as you please. But the full
glory of the day was reached at three in the after
noon. The wind had freshened till we had all we
could swing to under the sky-sails, and had canted a
point or so southerly; and being a little abaft the
beam, the very best point of sailing, the brave old
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A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
ship did her ten knots within the hour as of old ;
while the flashing crests of the seas, the wonderful
Prussian blue of the Indian Ocean, the schools of
flying-fish breaking away in silvery flight from the
vessel's side, and the almost life-like motions of the
ship herself, with every sail doing its work so silently
and steadily that they really looked like what they
have been often compared to, — carvings of ivory. All
this was so entrancing and full of life and vigor that
it more than repaid us for the days of heat and calm.
And, by the way, it is marvellous how a breeze,
however Hght, cools the air and renders bearable and
even pleasant an atmosphere that but five minutes
before was oppressive with stifling heat.
One of the redeeming features of those hot days
was the extraordinary beauty of the twilights, which,
though all too short, were so exquisite with the
colors of sunset in the west and the rising stars in
the east, that they Hngered in my mind till the dusk
had passed into the blackness of night and the light
ing of the cabin-lamps reminded me that it was time
for the customary evening organ-playing.
There is a magic beauty in the rising of the dif
ferent planets and stars, some of them as they mount
higher in the heavens casting a wake on the sea,
like the young moon's. Then the Pleiades and the
splendid constellation of Orion begin to show above
the horizon, adding immeasurably to the fairness
of the picture. Just now, though, the horizon is
shrouded round about in dense masses of cumulus
cloud, while sharp squalls come ripping along at
intervals out of the westward, and the men are
17 257

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
constantly standing by the sky-sail- and even the
royal-haUiards. We have been making fine progress since midnight,
and at noon found ourselves in latitude i° 49' north ;
longitude, 88° 19' east.
October 25
Sad to tell, our grand breeze let go last night after
a severe squall, and since daylight we have been
fanning along at two or three miles per hour. The
heat and sultriness have returned, and are almost as
bad as they were two or three days ago, though the
sky is overcast, and a tremendous quantity of rain
fell this forenoon, — more than I ever saw in my life
in so short a time. In consequence, the men are
rubbing off the teak on the poop with pumice-stone,
preparatory to revarnishing. Rainy weather is the
best time to do this, as otherwise every man would
have to have a bucket of water by him. The ship
will soon don her holiday appearance and look like
she did the first day I saw her at Pier 49, East
River. Pete has to be kept below now, as when I take
him on deck he seems to think that the men's bare
feet were made for his own special gratification ; and
before he had been on deck ten minutes this morn
ing he had tried his teeth on more than one heel and
otherwise so interfered with the men that I had to
take him below again.
As we continue to advance farther and farther into
the region of cyclones my interest in them increases,
and I am reading assiduously Rosser's "Sailing
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A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
Directions for the Indian Ocean and Bay of Bengal"
and that vade mecum of navigators in eastern waters,
Piddington's " Sailors' Horn-Book." This is not, as
the name would imply, a reference-book for Cape
Horn, but an exhaustive digest of the laws of rotary
storms, and containing extracts from the logs of hun
dreds of vessels caught in cyclones in various parts
of the world, but chiefly in the Indian Ocean and
Bay of Bengal ; horn-book really meaning a primer.
Why Piddington should have called his book by that
name is rather a mystery, as he treats his subject
very minutely, particularly in the readings of the
glass at the different stages of each cyclone. Dread
ful as the thought may be, the idea of passing
through a cyclone is a fascinating one to me, and I
would like to experience one in the bay. Besides, it
is something to boast of to say that you have been
through a hurricane in the East Indies.
Among other notes in " Piddington" is one taken
from the log of the British ship " Futtle Rozack,"
Captain Rundle, that took a cyclone in the southern
Indian Ocean in 1843. The note relates to the
appearance of the sea in the hurricane, and the
description is so good that I am going to copy it
verbatim : " I find the barometer considerably fallen,
with an exceedingly long swell from the southward,
and at seven a.m. a high north-northwest sea, meeting
the southerly swell, created an exceedingly turbulent
sea. In the squalls the sea has a strange appearance,
the two seas, dashing their crests together, shoot up
to an amazing height, and, being caught by the west
wind, it is driven in dense foam as high as our tops,
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A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
The whole horizon has the appearance of ponderous
breakers." Later in the day, when involved in the cy
clone, Captain Rundle says : " p.m. wind northeast, tre
mendous squaUs blowing with inconceivable fury ; the
sea rising in huge pyramids, yet having no velocity,
but rising and falling Hke a boiling cauldron. I have
never seen the like before. I was in the height of
the terrible West Indian hurricane of 1834; I have
been in a typhoon in the China Sea, in gales off Cape
Horn, the Cape of Good Hope, and New Holland,
but never saw such a strange or confused sea."
Captain Sproule, of the ship " Magellan," thus de
scribes it from observation in the China Sea : " I
never saw anything equal to the sea. You could
not say it was running from any one point, but meet
ing from all quarters, impinging one against the
other and flying into the atmosphere in pyramids of
foam, falling again on the spot whence they rose,"
So much for the state of the sea in a hurricane.
Latitude at noon, 4° 9' north ; longitude, 90° 35' east,
October 26
This was another day of light winds, hot, sultry
atmosphere, and heavy downpours of rain. We
made but a little more than a degree of latitude, and
in addition were driven over to the eastward by a
northwest wind. We have reached the bay at the
worst season for a fast run up, and we may be see
sawing about in the same place for days, like we did
in the North Atlantic, except that we haven't the
delightful, balmy atmosphere of 30° north and 40°
west. 260

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
The mate continues to skylark with Dan, and this
afternoon treated him to a much-needed bath. It
had been raining in a perfect deluge for an hour or
so, but, as there wasn't much wind, the awning was
set, which kept off most of the rain ; so that we could
stay on the poop with some little degree of comfort.
The forward end of this awning extends some dis
tance beyond the poop, both corners being lashed to
the mizzen-shrouds ; and in this forward end an im
mense amount of water had collected, perhaps two
barrelfuls, causing the awning to sag down in a
great bulb. The idea occurred to the mate that this
would be an excellent opportunity to give Dan a
bath, of which he had long stood in need. So he
sung out from the poop, " Dan, lay aft here a minute."
The unsuspecting youth came shambling round the
corner of the deck-house, and stood awaiting orders
near the mizzen-hatch. " Nearer" said the mate. " I
want to tell you something." So Dan marched up
and finally stood just where Mr. Ryan wanted him,
right under the big water-bulb that projected over
the poop. Then, telling him to look forward at some
thing to distract his attention, the mate, with a quick
motion, leaned over the poop-rail and cut the lash
ing of the awning. The manoeuvre was a splendid
success. Down came the whole mass of water, some
seventy or eighty gallons, I should think, directly on
the head of the unfortunate youth, beating him to
the deck and for a moment blotting him out of sight ;
and when the water had run off, the most dismal
spectacle I ever saw gathered itself up shivering and
crawled forward under the bulwarks. Ten or a
261

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dozen of the men witnessed the affair, and each, un
able to control himself, exploded in a guffaw that
brought the skipper on deck, glaring about to know
why such a row was made. But as each man was
busily employed and wore the countenance of a
grave-digger, he couldn't say anything; and after
scowling at them for a few minutes, he went below
again. Later I heard Dan tell the cook that he
thought we had been boarded by a heavy sea, though
for the first few seconds he didn't know anything at
all ; for so great a volume of water falling plumb on
his head almost stretched him on the deck. Lati
tude at noon, 5° 25' north; longitude, 91° 15'
east.October 27
The heat and humidity have increased, and both
are just as bad as they were under the Hne. We
made no more than sixty-five miles of latitude and
scarcely any longitude; and on account of holy
stoning the poop, we had to keep below all day,
which was very disagreeable. The work of holy
stoning is no easy one, for, the poop-deck being
varnished, it has to be rubbed perfectly clear and
clean before another coat is applied ; and though six
men are hard at it, the work goes on slowly.
We are just abreast of the southern end of the
Nicobars, a small cluster of islands immediately
north of Sumatra, in longitude 93° 30' east. The
largest is only thirty miles by fourteen, the entire
population not exceeding three hundred and fifty
souls. Some of the islands are hilly, but most of
262

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
them are very flat and covered with cocoa-nut trees,
and are also noted for yams, which are produced in
great quantities and of fine quality. The people are
savage and have a bad reputation for piracy, trade
being carried on by bartering. Deeds of piracy
became so frequent that in 1870 the Indian govern
ment inquired into the matter and placed the islands
under the rule of the superintendent of the Anda-
mans, to the northward of the Nicobars.
The only man on board who seems thoroughly
satisfied with himself and everything else is the little
East Indian cook. Nothing seems to disturb him,
either the steward's temper or the length of the
voyage. He still keeps his pots and kettles just as
bright as he did months ago, and he is as blithe and
good-humored as ever, after he has cleaned up the
galley for the night, as he leans against the chicken-
coop, tooting his Httle bamboo-whistles.
That we do not sight vessels, I think, is very
strange, for we are right in the track of steamers
bound to and from Singapore and Colombo. I im
agined that we would have seen two or three a day,
to any one of which we would have made our
number, and to-morrow our relatives and friends
would know that we were in the Bay of Bengal,
within a fortnight probably of Calcutta. I fancy that
at home they're getting uneasy about us, for we
haven't spoken anything for many weeks, and we are
by no means certain that those who did speak us
reported us. In fact, I am of the opinion that the
only vessel who has done so was the steamer we
sighted on July 9, that hoisted an answering pen-
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nant in reply to our signals. Latitude, 6° 30' north ;
longitude, 91° 13' east.
Sunday, October 28
We had no wind at all to-day till four in the after
noon, when we were regaled with a fresh breeze from
north, which put us a matter of only seven points off
our course. But a breeze of any sort is such a
luxury to us that we grin and bear it with hearts so
hardened that any amount of head-winds wouldn't
make us flinch. At six o'clock we tacked ship and
stood to the westward, the wind shortly after veering
to north-northeast, so that finally we could look up
to within three points of our course, — north by west.
So our seventeenth week on board has not com
menced so well as it might, but we hope for a better
ending. On our beam to the westward is Ceylon, the
Earthly Paradise, as it has often been called, distant
a Uttle more than five hundred miles. It is the
country above all others in the world that I have
long wished to visit; its very name is a word to
conjure with, and I always think of it in connection
with cinnamon, cloves, and other Eastern spices. On
the ocean, or eastern, side of the island are bold,
rugged mountains and but little verdure ; while on
the other side the tropical vegetation attains a wild
luxuriance unequalled, probably, in any 'other coun
try in the world. The scenery about Kandy, sixty
miles from the sea, in the heart of the mountainous
interior, is said to be more beautiful than any
other region yet discovered. Colombo is the capital
264

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
and chief city, though Galle, at the southern ex
tremity of the islands, formerly enjoyed the position
Colombo now holds. Trincomalee, on the east coast,
possesses a magnificent basin, and is perhaps unsur
passed in beauty and security by any other harbor
in the world. Colombo only a few years ago could
boast of no other haven of refuge than an open road
stead ; but recently a huge breakwater, a mile and a
quarter long and wide enough for four carriages to
drive abreast over its smooth surface of dressed
stone, was built at a cost of seven hundred thousand
pounds, and at the present time the harbor is an
excellent one, though small. Ceylon as a name is
indelibly connected with pearls, probably the greatest
pearl-fisheries in the world being conducted on the
northwest coast, in the Gulf of Manaar.
Enormous quantities of rain fell again to-day, and
we had no sights at all, the dead-reckoning putting
us in latitude 7° north; longitude, 89° 58' east.
October 29
We continue to make but little progress, our
northing for the twenty-four hours amounting to
only six miles over a degree. We also continue to
have deluges of rain, so that one must stop below
with ports and companion-way closed or melt on
deck in oil-skins, — two evils between which there is
no choice. The rainfalls are so tremendous that
I cannot compare them to any that I ever saw
before. I actually beHeve that more rain fell in
thirty minutes about noon to-day than fell in any
twelve hours in the Atlantic. It is simply extraor-
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A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
dinary. In the heaviest downpours the rain falling
into the sea sounds like a small cataract, and a dense
spray so thick as to hide the surface of the water
covers the sea to the depth of about a foot. My
Httle scheme for preventing the entrance of water
through the port over our bunk continues to do good
work ; though I forgot to squeeze out the towel this
morning, and the water entered and ran down be
tween the mattress and the bottom of the bunk, and,
there being no sun to dry things out, we will be
uncomfortable till we get the northeast winds and
bright sunshine, for which we are so longingly
hoping. Captain Kingdon, too, is anxious for some
bright weather, so that he can do some varnishing.
The poop presents a very scraggy and dilapidated
appearance ; the deck, companion-house, wheel-box,
rail, and gratings, — every varnished object has been
scraped, holy-stoned, and sand-papered perfectly
clean, and the result is far from beautiful. In fact,
the poop gives to the whole vessel the appearance
of a weather-beaten ship laid up in the Erie Basin,
unable to get a charter. Give us two days of fine
weather, though, and all this will change, and the
whole after end of the ship will glisten and shine in
all the glory of fresh varnish and newly-polished
brass. Later in the day a nice little breeze came along
from northwest by west, and at the present moment,
eight P.M., we are making good north one-half east.
We ran into a long, heavy swell this afternoon set
ting from northwest, in consequence of which, and
the fact that the glass is in a very unsettled state,
266

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
Captain Kingdon is watching for other cyclonic in
dications, for the swell shows that a hurricane, prob
ably of a small size, is somewhere in the bay ; and
though the glass has not fallen enough to indicate
that it is in the immediate vicinity, the unsettled state
of the barometer is the cause of some uneasiness.
Latitude at noon, 8° 6' north ; longitude, 90° 30'
east.
October 30
Yesterday we completed our one hundred and
twentieth day at sea, four months in round numbers,
and present indications point to our sighting the
light-ship at the Sand Heads before another week
has passed. We are doing very well, and made
nearly two degrees of latitude in the twenty-four
hours. I have altogether forgotten to mention our list to
port. It is due to the squall and knock-down we
had in the Gulf Stream a few days out from New
York. It seems strange that a cargo of tightly-
packed wooden cases should shift ; but when a ship
has been at sea a week or so, and has had any roll
ing to speak of, the cases work constantly together
and apart, till there will be perhaps a half-inch of
space between each case, which means a good deal
in the full width of the vessel. Then, if she takes a
bad knock-down, as we did, away goes the cargo to
leeward, and there is no restowing it. Our list would
not be visible at a glance to any one but a sailor, but
it's none the less present, and we roll much deeper to
port than to starboard. 267

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
We are now approaching a group or chain of
islands called the Andamans, remarkable in that but
little of the inhabitants is known, though an immense
amount of commerce passes by their door, so to
speak. There are three principal islands, one almost
touching the other, each about fifty miles long. North
Andaman containing a mountain three thousand feet
high. The inhabitants are very remarkable, and are
considered to be as low in the human race as any
people on the earth. For a long time it was sup
posed that they were cannibals, and it is reasonable
to believe that not so very long ago they were ad
dicted to the practice of eating shipwrecked mari
ners, but it is positively denied that such a state of
affairs now exist, by the Europeans who live on the
islands. The people are called Oriental negroes, and
they do bear some resemblance to the African races,
though their hair is not kinky, nor are their lips so
blubber-like as the African's. They are very short,
— much under five feet in height, — and even at the
present time both sexes go about absolutely naked ;
and while the suspicion that they are stUl cannibals
has been disproved, they even up to the present time
continue to massacre shipwrecked crews whenever a
vessel is unfortunate enough to go ashore in a remote
locality. A strange fact connected with the Anda-
maners is, that they are a very unhealthy race,
individuals seldom reaching the fortieth year, as
fevers and lung diseases carry off the population in
early life.
During the latter part of this afternoon we wit
nessed a magnificent rainbow; and what is very
268

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
remarkable, we apparently sailed right under it. It
wals an exquisite arch of color, clearly defined and
very brilliant, and it actually extended right over
our mast-heads, each end seeming to rest on the
water a couple of hundred yards on either side of
the ship. It was very impressive, and one of the
most beautiful natural effects I ever saw. Even the
men, indifferent as they usually are to phenomena of
this sort, gazed in admiration at this gorgeous rain
bow, under whose arch we seemed to sail for fully
seven or eight minutes.
We have had a delightful southwest breeze all day,
though the long northwest swell continues to run,
and is, we are happy to say, the only indications of a
cyclonic disturbance we have been able to observe
since yesterday, as the glass has returned to its nor
mal condition. The ship has been pitching consider
ably all day. Latitude, lo° 4' north ; longitude, 90°
15' east.
October 31
If any one had predicted a week ago that we
would have had the splendid breeze that has followed
us lately, we would have hove him overboard for
a false prophet. We have had a fresh breeze
for twenty-four hours from southeast, and in that
time we made one hundred and eighty miles ! Most
people would have called it a hot wind ; but to us,
just up from the equator, it was comparatively cool,
considering the four days we spent under the line.
The sea here is wonderfully phosphorescent. Last
night the white caps on the crests of the seas were
269

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
beautifully spangled with tiny specks of silver, while
our wake could be followed in a trail of light for
fully a quarter of a mile. There is another kind
of phosphoric light, too, that appears in luminous
patches on the surface of the water, suddenly and in
the most unlooked-for places. Apparently no mo
tion of the water is necessary to render it visible, for
I have seen it when there wasn't a ripple on the
ocean. It has a most uncanny look, and is, I doubt
not, the phenomenon that Coleridge mentions in his
" Ancient Mariner," when he says, —
" The water, like a witch's oils,
Bums blue and green and white."
At noon Great Andaman bore east, distant sixty-
five miles, and we are now only five hundred miles
from the Sand Heads. This is the only land that we
have approached so closely since we left except
Trinidad, and the skipper thinks that the great rain
falls of yesterday and to-day and the immense masses
of cumulus cloud piled one on the other like bales of
cotton are due to the proximity of the Andamans
and Nicobars.
Speaking again of the Andamans reminds me of
Port Blair, their capital, and the penal settlement of
India, of which Captain Kingdon spun me a yarn to
day. The event that he narrated happened years
ago, when upon one occasion the skipper had his
brother with him as mate on a voyage from Dundee
to Calcutta. The steward they had was a man with
the temper of a demon, who had no more control
over himself when enraged than a gorilla, and who
270

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
would stop at nothing in the pursuit of vengeance.
He had given a great deal of trouble during the
passage, and a few weeks from Calcutta he was put
in irons and kept there for three days. He fancied
that the mate talked against him to the skipper (the
mate's brother), and one day, when Captain Kingdon
and his brother were leaning over the rail in earnest
discussion, the steward emerged silently from the
companion-way, tiptoed up to the mate, and in a
second had buried the steel used for sharpening
carving-knives up to the handle in his back, under the
left shoulder-blade. Then without a word the devil
turned and walked back into the cabin, where he
allowed himself to be taken without a struggle and
put in confinement for the rest of the voyage. The
third day after the stabbing the skipper's brother
died, and on the ship's arrival in Calcutta the man
was tried, convicted, and banished for life to Port
Blair. But of such a fearful temper was he possessed
that when the skipper again arrived in Calcutta, after
a trading voyage to the Celebes and Moluccas, he
heard that his former steward had broken out of con
finement, killed two keepers, and had been executed
before he had been three months in jail. A nice sort
of shipmate. Latitude at noon, 12° 47' north ; longi
tude, 91° 29' east.
November 1
Counting from to-day, the first of the month, we
have been four months at sea. We continue to
make very good headway, having made precisely
two degrees of latitude in the twenty-four hours. If
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A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
" Palmam qui meruit, feraf is to be observed, this day
certainly deserves first place in point of heat. It
totally eclipsed all previous ones. The worst of it
was that no awning was spread owing to the varnish
ing of the skylight and compass-stands, and, there
being nothing to intervene, the sun shot his rays so
fiercely down upon us that at noon the heat and
especially the humidity had nearly reached the limit
of endurance. There being no shade, the deck of the
poop was as hot as a griddle and acted in the capacity
of a steam-radiator in the cabin ; so that in the coolest,
airiest saloon ever built in a ship, and with every
thing wide-open, the heat smothered one like an in
creased atmospheric pressure, and this although a
fresh breeze was blowing from southwest. I do not
believe that it did much good, though, being satu
rated with moisture ; and whenever a gust came down
the companion-way, it felt more like a breath from
Tophet than a breeze off the blue, sparkhng ocean.
No wonder that Europeans die in great numbers in
the East during the rains when the southwest mon
soon blows. I can picture to myself the reeking
swamps, fetid atmosphere, and stagnant pools of rain
water in an Indian jungle during the wet months.
We are just at present abreast of Madras, the
largest city on the eastern side of the Indian Penin
sula and the third city of the empire in population
and importance. The situation is a very exposed one,
there being no natural harbor at all ; though some
defences against the inroads of the sea have been
constructed of masonry. They were nearly de
stroyed, however, in the terrific hurricane of i88l,
272

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
that raged over the bay with resistless violence.
Madras seems to be chosen by nature as the particu
lar point against which the fury of nearly every
hurricane in that part of the world is directed. The
city has probably been visited by more destructive
cyclones than any other in the East ; the wind during
the one of May, 1872, reaching a maximum pressure
of fifty-three pounds to the square foot, indicating a
velocity of about one hundred and fifteen miles an
hour. This is, of course, far less than the speed of
the wind during a tornado in some of our Westem
States, but the effect of a one hundred and fifteen
mile an hour wind on the ocean may be imagined ;
and as the roadstead was perfectly open at that time,
the ravages of the sea upon town and shipping were
frightful. We had heavy squalls all day. Latitude at noon,
14° 47' north; longitude, 91" 26' east.
November 2
I forgot to mention the sad death of poor Bang,
the skipper's Irish setter. Poor fellow ; he had been
on his last legs ever since we ran into the hot weather
again, and it is marvellous that he lasted as long as
he did ; he displayed more vitality than I thought
any of the lower animals were possessed of, having
been on the verge of death several times. For a
fortnight, though, he had been very low and unable
to stand ; yet none thought he would meet his end
so suddenly, as he had weathered so well his pre
vious bad spells. But at ten o'clock night before
last, after I had gone below to tum in, the skipper
i8 273

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
having already "doused his glim," and Mr. Ryan
having the watch on deck, I suddenly heard a most
dismal wailing, accompanied with a shuffling of feet
on the poop. I went on deck at once and saw that
poor old Bang was in one of his spasms, foaming at
the mouth and stumbling aimlessly about the deck,
evidently in the severest agony. My wife came up
at this moment, and both of us mounted to the top
of the flag-locker, out of harm's way, lest the dog
should go mad and bite one of us, the mate standing
on the other side of the skylight with his loaded
club in his hand. Bang was too far gone, though,
for hostilities, and, gathering himself together, he
began to stagger round the poop again, and it wasn't
long before he walked off onto the main-deck, a fall
of fully eight feet, but which didn't seem to have any
effect at all on him. Captain Kingdon appeared just
then and carried the poor beast up on the poop
again, where, after a few minutes' wandering about,
during which he would walk right into a stanchion
or anything else in his way, as though blind with
pain and suffering, the poor old dog walked calmly
overboard at the stern-chocks and vanished forever.
We all miss him ever so much, even if at times he
was a nuisance, and it is too bad to lose him in this
way after having nursed him to within a week of
port. Pete ought to put a crape band on his arm, for
the two were inseparable while on deck.
The companion-house, rails, and deck on the poop
have been varnished and are now dry, so that the
awning was spread again before noon to-day. After
dinner my wife insisted upon varnishing the gratings
274

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
that lie one on each side of the standard compass.
So she went to work with great gusto, only to desist
in half an hour with a tremendous headache, brought
on by exertion in the great heat, combined with the
odor of the varnish. We all told her it was a very
silly thing to do, but she would go ahead, and the
natural result ensued. A bad headache is not a joke
with the thermometer 89° in the coolest place, and
without even cold water to bathe the head and face,
for the coolest water is from the sea, and that is
fully 85".
We still continue to waft along at about four knots
over a motionless sea ; for the northwest swell has
gone down, and nothing but the light breeze now
disturbs the quiet surface of the bay. Latitude, 16°
26' north; longitude, 91° 30' east.
November 3
More or less of a calm this morning after a squally
night. In the early part of the evening there was
very sharp lightning in the northeast, and a large
number of " white heads" showed themselves, por
tending hard squalls. So we stowed the sky-sails
and the awning, but got more rain than wind, the
former coming down in cataracts.
At nine o'clock this morning we sighted a large
steamer bound north, and at ten another ; kept away
and spoke the second one and asked to be reported all
well. She was one of the British India Co.'s boats
bound probably from Rangoon to Calcutta, and to
us presented a beautiful appearance; the hull so
clean and bright in comparison to our streaked and
275

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
grimy sides. No one who never saw it can imagine
how disreputable, as to hull, a sailing-ship is after a
long voyage; that part of the vessel presenting a
strange contrast to the rest of the ship, which looks
as if she had just gone into commission for the first
time. It is rather annoying to be so near port and yet so
far, for we are not more than two hundred and fifty
miles from the light-ships ; but we are not doing
more than a mile and a half an hour, — a fact empha
sized by the steamers passing us at twelve knots and
seeming to fly along like an express train. I went on
deck about an hour and a half after the first steamer
passed us, and was much astonished that she was
not to be seen, a thin, brown smoke on the northern
sea-line showing where she was behind the horizon.
I had been so accustomed to look at sailing-ships for
hours after they had passed, and finding them still in
sight, that this sudden disappearance was quite start
ling. The steamer will take a pilot to-morrow mom
ing ; we, at any time next week. Yet I cannot say
that I'm tired of the sea ; on the contrary, I am more
in love with it than ever. This at the end of a long
voyage is the best proof of how fond I am of it, for
there are not many people who, at the end of a
passage, do not long to get ashore, though they may
go to sea again in a month. But I am just as con
tented and comfortable as I was when the voyage
began, and have not the least desire to go ashore,
even though I am fully aware of the glories of the
land we are about to visit. We did not undertake
this voyage for the purpose of seeing India, but
276

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
simply for the sake of the sea. Had the " Manda
lore" been bound to Valparaiso, Frisco, or Hiogo, it
would have made no difference to us, and neither of
us gave a single thought to the termination of the
voyage when we towed through the Narrows and
cast off the line that ran out over the bows to the
little tug ahead. However, now that the end of the
passage is close at hand, we are glad that it is to
India we are going, and not to San Francisco. I
have read much of the beauty and interest of this
great empire in various magazines on board, and my
desire to see the country has been considerably
augmented since reading an account last evening of
the Nizam of Hyderabad, an Indian prince who rules
over ten million people, and who has an actual in
come of thirty million rupees a year, — equal to seven
million five hundred thousand dollars, — a revenue
that but few other individuals in the world enjoy.
This evening we had a very sharp squall and the
heaviest rain yet ; I think an inch and a half of water
must have fallen in thirty minutes. Latitude at
noon, 17° 35' north; longitude, 90° 51' east.
Sunday, November 4
This is our nineteenth Sunday at sea, and, bar acci
dent, it will be our last. We sighted another steamer
last night bound to the southward. She presented
a splendid appearance with every port glowing with
Hght, and, to our eyes, was going very fast. She
was, the skipper thought, one of the Apgar boats,
bound to China, and calling at the chief ports en
route. 277

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
I think this was the finest night of the whole
voyage, the sea motionless and the temperature not
above 84°, while the heavens glittered with splendid
consteUations, some of which were almost unnatural
in their briUiancy. The moon rose at nine and we
remained on deck till midnight, thoroughly enjoying
the lovely tropical night. By thus stopping up we
saw a phenomenon that is given to but few people
to observe. From eleven to twelve several light
showers fell around us, though none occurred where
we were; and at 11.30 I saw what I took to be an
arch of gray vapor spanning the heavens in the
northeast. For some little time I couldn't imagine
what it was, and at length called the skipper's atten
tion to it, who immediately said, " Why that's a lunar
rainbow, and the first one I've seen for many a long
day." Of course, no colors were visible in it to us,
and it looked just like a band of vapor, though per
fectly well defined. It is a cause for great satisfac
tion to me that I have seen a lunar rainbow, for I
will probably never see one again ; and while it was
not so beautiful a spectacle as a solar rainbow, yet it
was so unusual and odd that I will never forget its
appearance. Latitude at noon, 18° 46' north; longi
tude, 90° 17' east.
November 5
We experienced very calm weather during the last
twenty-four hours, and the patience of skipper and
crew is almost exhausted. It is rather annoying to
be within eighty miles of the light-ships and not
move faster than a knot an hour. A little after noon
278

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
a slight ripple was seen on the surface of the oil-like
sea, but it died away in ten minutes and for the rest
of the day we were " as idle as a painted ship upon
a painted ocean." All hands forward are sick of the
voyage. They show it in their manner of lounging
about and in their way of going aloft. If we had a
decent boson that would give them the taste of a
rope's end every now and then just by way of variety,
they'd be a different set. But our bo^on still chums
in with the men and mixes with them in the fore
castle, instead of keeping to himself and answering
all attempts at familiarity with a gentle tap of a
belaying-pin. As we draw nearer port old Kelly's fear of the
natives has proportionately increased, until he repeats
his vow of never setting foot ashore as long as the
ship lies in the Hooghly. Carson is very ugly and
struts about the forward deck cock ofthe walk even
in the presence of the second mate, who I truly
believe is afraid of him.
A very significant change has taken place in the
color of the water, which has turned to a muddy
green from its old deep blue. This means, of course,
that we are on soundings, for the first time in more
than four months. How strange it seems, to be in
this dirty water, charged with the mud and slime of
the Ganges, after so many weeks of the ultramarine
of the open sea ! Really, I don't suppose this water
we are in at the present moment is nearly so muddy
and opaque as New York Bay or the Hudson River,
yet it looks a great deal worse to us. Latitude, 20'
4' north ; longitude, 89° 20' east.
279

,0

A DEEP-WATER VOYAGE
November 6
At last and alas ! our voyage is nearly over. At
seven o'clock this morning the seaman stationed for
the purpose on the upper foretop-sail-yard reported
a sail, and not long afterwards it was visible from the
deck, proving to be a pilot-boat, and in another half-
hour we raised the Eastern-Channel light-ship, about
sixteen miles off. In a few minutes smoke was
reported in the northwest, and in a little more than an
hour one of the magnificent Hooghly tow-boats
came alongside, and, after a little palavering between
her skipper and ours, she passed us two immense
twenty-two-inch hawsers and, going full speed ahead,
walked off with us at nine knots, — faster than we had
gone for many a day. We were still far out of sight
of land, and but for the discolored water might have
been in the bay for all we knew, the land being so
low that it is visible only a few miles. Presently I
caught a glimpse of a brig, which I saw at once was
not a merchantman, and I could not make her out
till Captain Kingdon told me she was a pilot-boat.
Here was the first of a regular string of surprises, —
a brig-rigged pilot-boat! Truly a novelty. I had
never even heard of one. Yet there she was. In
stead of the lean, handy, fore-and-aft, seventy-ton
schooners that I had been accustomed to at home,
here was not a brigantine, but a full-rigged brig,
heavily sparred like a man-of-war, with painted ports
and immensely high bulwarks. These little ships —
for one might call them two-masted ships — are moored
very securely and permanently, ships being towed
alongside of the brig instead of the latter working
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up to the ship. The only time they ever shift their
moorings is when the cyclone parts their cables, and
generally they are never seen again.
Moving across the broad sweep of poop on the
pilot-boat, I saw a number of figures clad in white
duck and blue cloth, and this, with the great quantity
of highly-polished brass, led me to the belief that our
skipper must be mistaken ; for surely this is a man-of-
war, with her heavy tops, painted ports, bright brass-
work, and uniformed officers. In a few minutes,
though, a large whale-boat shot from under her
stern, pulled by eight native oarsmen, in whose stem
was seated one of those handsomely-dressed officers.
This in reality was the pilot, and I was more aston
ished at him than I was at the pilot-boat. Instead
of a rough, seafaring man, such as one ordinarily
meets in such a calling, a gentleman stepped over the
side, followed by a native, whom I afterward found
was his servant, with his master's bags and traps.
The pilot was dressed in duck trousers, with blue-
serge coat with gold lace and brass buttons, and well
pipe-clayed canvas shoes. The captain introduced
him as Mr. Tucker, and it took us not more than a
minute to find out all about "Vigilant's" races in
England, for Tucker had just returned from a leave
of absence and had seen some of the matches. Poor
" Vigilant" won only five out of seventeen races ; there
must have been something radically wrong. I must
say it was delightful to have some one on board
with whom you could exchange ideas, and for the rest
of the afternoon my wife and Tucker and I were
engaged in an uninterrupted flow of conversation.
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It doesn't take long to get anyrvhere after a power
ful tug-boat has passed you her line, and two hours
had not gone by before we could make out the
feather-like tops of the taUest palm-trees, followed
shortly after by the lofty, white shaft of the light-house
at Saugar, where the Hooghly empties into the sea.
By and by, on approaching closely the shore, we saw
everywhere little else than thick jungle, conjuring up
visions of cobras and venomous insects ; and just as
the sun dipped we let go the starboard anchor in a
most beautiful Httle bight just inside the tall light
house. Thus for the first time in one hundred and
twenty-seven days the anchor touched the bottom,
during which we sailed almost precisely twelve thou
sand six hundred miles.
Before the anchor had touched bottom we were
the centre of a ring of native boats whose occupants
wished to sell fruit and, I dare say, rum to the sailors.
The natives came aboard in perfect swarms, — the
thinnest, hungriest, most beggarly crowd I ever gazed
upon. Their legs were like jointed ramrods and
their arms pitiful to behold ; while every one of them
wore such a cowed expression and almost grovelled
before you, that you were moved to throw the un
happy wretches all the coins you had.
That night we frequently heard the roaring of
tigers in the Sunderbunds, as the swampy region at
the delta of the Ganges is called, as well as the bark
ing of jackals. Indeed, it is said that the best tiger-
shooting in all India is to be found in the Sunder
bunds, but the density of the jungle and miasmatic
swamps prevent the intrusion of man. Here, then,
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the tiger dwells supreme, safe from the rifle of that
most indefatigable of created beings, the British
sportsman ; and here to-night I heard what I never
expected to hear, — the roaring of the royal beast in
his wild haunts.
November 7
We had to lie at our anchors till noon to-day to
wait for the tide. The captain of the tow-boat came
over to supper last night and invited me to breakfast
with him at nine. Of course, I went ; and besides
being regaled with a good square meal of broiled
fowl, fried potatoes, good coffee, and all manner of
fresh fruit, I saw in detail a specimen of the finest
tow-boats in existence. The river Hooghly is prob
ably the most treacherous navigable stream in the
world, and to its ever-shifting sand-bars is added a
powerful current, varying in speed from five knots
an hour in the dry season to nine during the rains.
The number of sailing-ships that enter and clear
annuaUy is very great, Calcutta, Sydney, and San
Francisco being the three great sailing-ship ports of
the world. Therefore, in order to handle the im
mense, heavy ships in the swift current with absolute
safety, or as near as man can get to it, the very best
and most powerful tow-boats are necessary, and they
must be able to go to sea in bad weather as well, the
Sand Heads rendering navigation very dangerous, if
not impossible, except in the channels, long before
land is sighted, ships being often picked up as much
as forty miles off shore. Hence, I was very keen on
seeing one of these boats, and I was very much
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gratified when Captain Arden asked me to breakfast
with him. The steamer was called the "Rescue;"
she was built of steel, with big double funnels and
very high amidships, after the manner of the great
White Star freighters. Forward she had fully fifteen
feet freeboard, with about eight feet aft, and was of
about six hundred gross tons. The " Rescue" was
handsomely furnished, her dining-room being at
least sixteen feet square, with beautifully tiled floor,
and everything was in first-rate order, particularly
the table-linen and glassware and plate. Unfortu
nately, I was not enough of a machinist to have
appreciated her engines, but the engine-room and
stoke-hole looked like bee-hives with the native
stokers and oilers, there being forty-seven men in
the crew all told, a large number of men being neces
sary to handle twenty-two-inch hawsers, as may be
well imagined. The captain, first and second officers,
and the chief engineer are always Englishmen ; the
rest natives.
At one P.M. we broke out our anchor and towed
up to Diamond Harbor, a little more than half-way
from Saugar to Calcutta, or about fifiy miles. The
passage up the river was charming. Extending
away on either hand as far as the eye could see
stretched thousands of acres of rice-fields, as green
as new turf, while numbers of strange-looking native
boats added a wonderful amount of novelty and
picturesqueness to the scene. At intervals of every
hour or so we would meet outward-bound steamers,
some large Hke the British India and P. and O.
boats ; others small and loaded to the Plimsoll mark
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with chattering, naked Hindoos journeying down the
coast to Akyab, Rangoon, or Moulmein.
While we were under way, from anchorage to
anchorage, the pilot never left the deck for a moment,
having his supper brought to him on the poop by his
servant, thus never losing sight of the river for an
instant. Landmarks are scattered along the river at
frequent intervals, and range-marks are visible at
short distances in the worst places, indicating the
exact situation of the channel ; though the river-bed
shifts so constantly that even these precautions can
not be relied upon, and boats are stationed at the
dangerous places, with telegraphic communication
with the city as well as Saugar ; so that, when by
sounding any alteration in the channel can be per
ceived, the change can be instantly wired in either
direction. One of the articles brought on board by
the pilot's servant was a blackboard about three feet
square, and a couple of chalk pencils ; we were at a
loss to know what these things were for till I saw
Tucker go forward on to the forecastle-head, write
some cabalistic signs on the board, and then hold it
high above his head so that those on the tow-boat
could see the signal and understand the instructions
he had written. The most experienced Hooghly
pilots are exceedingly well paid, being in receipt of
salaries varying from two thousand to two thousand
five hundred rupees a month, equal to more than six
thousand dollars per year, — a large sum in a country
where twenty-five cents will provide as much luxury
as a dollar will with us.
At sunset we let go the anchor at Diamond
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Harbor, an exquisite spot, particularly lovely now in
the mellow twilight of the tropics. Unfortunately,
the beautiful glow lasted but a few minutes, but
presently we had the moon riding high in the
heavens, showing us the windings of the river bathed
in her white, soft light. We sat on the poop till mid
night talking with Mr. Tucker, who gladly afforded
us information about the best place to stop at in Cal
cutta and the various customs of the strange land we
were about to visit. Just as eight bells were struck
we went below and were lulled to sleep by the yelp
ing of jackals and the snoring of the pilot's servant,
who lay asleep on deck just under our port.
November 8
We got our anchor at 4.30 this morning, and when
I went on deck at seven we were not more than ten
miles from Budge Budge, where we were to leave the
ship, that being the place for discharging the oil,
being about twelve miles from the city. The scenery
along the river-banks had changed somewhat, the
landscape being covered with clumps of bamboo and
the beautiful date-palm growing in the midst of the
never-ending rice-fields. In the broad reaches of
the river, unwieldy, old-fashioned Arab barks tacked
slowly across our bows or under the stern, giving a
decidedly quaint aspect to the now lively river ; for
scores of native boats and several small steamers
were skimming about, forerunners of the traffic and
bustle ten miles farther up.
We had yet to pack our trunks and valises, though,
and by the time we had finished this disagreeable job
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we were nearly at Budge Budge. I gave my duck
suits to the boys and a thick pilot-coat to the mate,
transfixing him with delight thereby; Mr. Kelly
coming in for a half a dozen pairs of immensely
thick socks. At eleven o'clock the heavy splash of
the anchor told us that our long voyage was over,
and we went about bidding a sorrowful good-by to
the old ship and her company, not forgetting Pete,
who is going back the same way he came out. My
wife and I were actually loath to leave the old " Man
dalore," in which we had passed so many happy,
happy weeks. As Captain Arden had offered to take
us up to the city in the " Rescue," though, we could
not delay, and, with a general good-by from the
crew and a hearty hand-clasp from Mr. Ryan, who
seemed loath to see us depart, we stepped over the
rail and on to the deck of the " Rescue," Captain
Kingdon accompanying us. Lying at their moorings
at Budge Budge, I noticed, as we passed, the big
saiHng-ships " Claverdon," " Clan Buchanan," and
" Dunfermline," the latter not far from three thousand
tons. Thus ended, all too soon for me, this voyage of the
good ship " Mandalore," that carried us so safely and
happily across nearly thirteen thousand miles of blue
water. May she always have a fair wind and a
smooth sea; and may good-luck follow her genial
skipper, whose good-nature and thoughtful considera
tion added so much to our enjoyment of the voyage.
THE END.
ELECTROTVPtD AND PRINTED BY J. B. LIPPINCOTT COMPANY, PHIUDELPHIA, U.S.A.
287