Religious Services--A Beautiful Bird--Departure of Cape Pigeons
and Albatrosses--Stormy Petrels--Amusements--Harmony among
the Passengers--Mrs. L----t and her Child--Violence of Captain
J.--Our Chaplain turns Poet--Captain J.'s rest disturbed by the
Passengers--He threatens to blow them through--Sugar--Petty
Annoyances--A Rag Baby--Our Chaplain and his Revolver--
Change of Weather--Uncomfortable Condition of the Main
Cabin--Theft of Raisins--Ship's Stores--Gross Negligence--Great
Waste of Scouse.
_July 18._ Mr. Johnson preached to a very small congregation to-day.
The prejudice against him still continues very strong. He continues
to justify his quarrel with Julia S., though he is opposed by the
unanimous opinion of the passengers, who think that in striking Julia
when she threw the stick of wood at him he violated that beautiful
precept of Christ, "But I say unto you that ye resist not evil; but
whosoever shall smite thee on the right cheek, turn to him the other
also." They consider such a quarrel at such a time to be a shameful
desecration of the Sabbath, and a disgrace to himself.
There was also a prayer-meeting in the afternoon. Among others, Captain
J. gave an exhortation, in the course of which he acknowledged that he
had not always performed his duty as a Christian during the voyage,
asked pardon of the passengers for any wrongs he had done them, and
promised to use his exertions to make them more comfortable during the
remainder of the voyage.
_July 20._ Crossed the Tropic of Capricorn in longitude 85° 1' west.
_July 25._ I have been watching a fine bird of a new species--I mean
new to me. As it flew round the ship, seeking for a place to alight, I
had a pretty good opportunity to examine it. It was about two-thirds
as large as the domestic goose, and had a straight, pointed bill.
Excepting the feathers of the wings and tail, which were of a dark gray
or slate color, every other part of the bird, including the head, neck,
back and breast, the upper and under wing coverts, and tail coverts
were of a pure glossy white. I have rarely seen so beautiful a bird.
Our very intimate friends, the Cape Pigeons, have suddenly taken leave.
There were a considerable number of them around the ship yesterday;
to-day not one is left. Will you smile, dear reader, if I tell you that
a slight shade of melancholy passes over me at the departure of these
pretty birds, which have been our constant and familiar companions
during two months, which have followed us from Brazil to Chili, round
the stormy Cape, feeding on the little scraps of food we have thrown
them, amusing us by their chattering and scrambling for the precious
morsels, which they seemed to expect from us.
The albatrosses left us soon after our departure from Talcahuana. My
attempts to secure some of them, have as you have seen, been defeated.
It has been a vexatious disappointment to me, and my fellow-passengers
often express their regret at it, and their contempt for the littleness
of Captain Jackson.
The place of the Cape Pigeons is occupied by a little unassuming
bird, in which I always feel much interest--a little thing of dull
plumage and no pretensions to beauty. I mean the Stormy Petrel. The
one we find here differs from those on the coast of the United States,
being smaller and of a lighter plumage. It follows us in considerable
numbers, and is quite gentle, coming close to the ship, and betraying
very little fear of us. It does not patter the water with its feet, as
our petrels do, but it has a singular habit of thrusting out one foot
as it flies along, dipping it into the water, and describing a line on
the surface sometimes two or three feet long.
_July 27._ Since leaving Talcahuana our men have found a new amusement
for the occupation of their minds, and the exercise of their ingenuity.
We took on board some wood from that port, resembling mahogany in
color. Out of this wood the passengers have employed themselves in
cutting out a variety of articles, such as seals for letters, hollow
spools for thread and needles, little boxes, knife handles, heads for
canes, and many other things. It is amusing to witness the spirit
with which all, young and old, with few exceptions, enter into this
business. The decks are covered every day with their whittlings,
and every stick of wood that can be used, is eagerly seized and
appropriated.
_July 28._ It is often said, that in long voyages, there commonly
grows up a feeling of disgust and ill-will among the passengers
towards each other, and that they become morose and quarrelsome,
the natural consequence of the tedious monotony of the voyage, and
the sameness and want of variety on board ship. I cannot say that
our voyage thus far verifies the assertion; for though we have had
innumerable quarrels, there has been generally a very good state of
feeling among the passengers. This may, perhaps, be accounted for by
the attitude of antagonism in which Captain J. placed himself towards
us at the commencement of the voyage, (and in which he has continued
ever since,) that may have rendered it necessary as a means of defence,
for the passengers to maintain harmony and union among themselves.
This necessity seems to increase as we approach the termination of
the voyage, in consequence of the outrageous outbursts of passion,
in which the captain indulges on every occasion, and which on every
fresh occasion becomes more and more ungovernable. I have spoken of
the ascendency which Mrs. L----t has obtained over him. Her influence
has continued to increase, until she has got him entirely under her
control. She has a noisy, ill-tempered, mischievous child, about four
years old, whom she keeps a great portion of the time in our room in
the after house, and who, as well as her mother is exceedingly annoying
to us. We have remonstrated with Captain J. against this intrusion,
but our remonstrance has only increased the evil, and now, from early
morning till bed-time, the two are constant occupants of our cabin.
Encouraged by the support she receives from Captain J. she has become
very supercilious and insulting. On one occasion I removed her child
from our door, where she was doing some mischief, when she began to
berate me in very passionate language. But I made no reply to her.
This only increased her rage; and she talked still more abusively.
Getting vexed myself, I began to whistle. Worse and worse. I remarked
that it was growing warm in this room, and she became furious. But
having exhausted herself and receiving no reply to her tirade, she soon
desisted. But now came the captain's turn. He had lain in his berth
and listened to Mrs. L----t's eloquence, and became highly exasperated
against me. So leaving his berth, he commenced a furious attack on me,
using the most abusive language, and uttering many threats of violence.
I replied in such language as I thought the occasion required, and I
believe the valorous captain received very little satisfaction.
_July 29._ Our chaplain has been courting the muses. Attacked with a
severe fit of inspiration, he has for some time past been engaged in
writing a poem. The subject, which is well calculated for the display
of his poetical genius, is "The Voyage of the James W. Paige." He
honored us with a public reading of a portion of the poem on deck this
afternoon. It did not receive that applause it merited in the opinion
of the author, for his audience were incapable of appreciating the rich
beauties of the poem, and could not distinguish Mr. Johnson's poetry
from ordinary prose. Much of the poem was made up of commendations of
Captain J. and of censures of the owners of the bark.
We had a clear, moonlight night, and several of the passengers, male
and female, were on deck till a late hour. There was much noise among
them, which disturbed the captain. He went out three times and ordered
them off the house. The last time he was in a great passion, and
swore that if God spared his life he would blow them through the next
time they disobeyed his orders. The noise was stopped, and order, but
not peace, restored. The passengers were much to blame, though their
disobedience arose from heedlessness rather than from any intentional
disrespect to the captain. But this threat to shoot them rankles in
their bosoms.
Sherman caught a large porpoise.
_July 31._ Being prohibited the use of butter, or fat of any sort, or
molasses, to eat with our bread, and having but a little apple-sauce
doled out to us once a week, I have occasionally dissolved a spoonful
of sugar to give a relish to my dry bread, and this morning the mate
ordered the steward to remove the sugar-bowl. This order getting to
the ears of the ladies, I have been bountifully supplied by them from
a cask of very nice sugar in their cabin. This sugar was bought at Rio
Janeiro by Captain J. for the special benefit of Mrs. L----t. I mention
this little fact as a specimen of the petty annoyances to which we are
constantly subjected by the captain and first mate, and of the friendly
favors of which I have been the constant recipient from all the ladies,
with one exception, during the voyage.
To-day we crossed the equator in about the 108th degree of west
longitude.
_August 4._ A little affair came off this morning, in which the dignity
and magnanimity of Captain J. were conspicuously displayed. Loud words
were heard in the ladies' cabin at breakfast time between the captain,
and Mrs. L----t and Miss Julia S. And what, reader, do you think was
the subject of the dispute? _A rag baby!_ It appears that Miss Julia
had made the baby for a little child of another passenger. It was seen
this morning floating astern, and Miss S. supposed that Mrs. L----t's
child had thrown it overboard. High words grew out of it. The captain,
ever ready, threw himself into the breach between his dear friend and
her opponent, and as we sat in our cabin we overheard the voice of this
magnanimous commander of the ship raised in loud and angry debate about
a rag baby!
Our chaplain, Mr. Johnson, has had the precaution to take one of
Colt's revolvers with him. He evidently is opposed to the doctrine of
non-resistance, and is not inclined to yield up his life or his purse
without a show, at least, of defence. His fellow-passengers, however,
have not a very exalted opinion of his personal courage; and the fact
that he has struck a woman in a quarrel, tends strongly to increase
their doubts. Some little excitement prevails among us in consequence
of a report that he has lent his revolver to Captain J., who wants it
for the purpose of carrying his threat against his noisy passengers
into execution. Mr. Johnson has been questioned about it, but he gives
an evasive answer. We have a natural repugnance to being blown up, and
cannot entertain a very friendly regard for the minister of peace, and
man of mercy, who shall allow himself to become accessory to such a
tragical termination of our adventures.
_August 6._ We have thus far had a fine run from Talcahuana. Soon after
leaving that port, we struck the south-east trade-winds, and for nearly
three weeks we have sailed before an easy breeze, with our studding
sails set, and have scarcely altered a sail during the whole time.
This has been a season of rest for the sailors, who have had some hard
work to perform in the course of the voyage, and whose labors have
borne harder on them in consequence of their ignorance of the duties
pertaining to a square-rigged vessel. They had all, I was told, with
one exception, shipped as ordinary seamen, though some of them had been
fraudulently entered as able seamen.
But now we are beginning to find a change of weather and variable
winds. The atmosphere has become very hot, and heavy showers of rain
are pouring down upon us. There is also considerable thunder, though we
have had but few heavy peals. The wind is light and continually veering
from point to point. We are apprehensive of being becalmed, and feel
not a little impatience and anxiety at every unfavorable change of the
weather.
Our ship is uncomfortable enough in any climate or weather with her
crowd of passengers; but it is peculiarly so in this Torrid Zone.
At the request of an old man, Mr. Carlow, I have been down to take
a look at the main cabin. I found the air very hot and oppressive,
and I was soon covered with perspiration. Some portions of the room
were dark, there being no means of lighting it, but by the hatches
and a few little dead-lights in the deck. They were now prohibited
the use of the lamps they had made for themselves, because the smoke
was found to annoy Mrs. L----t, into whose state-room a portion of
it escaped. The only ventilation which this cabin received, was also
through the hatches, and that was obstructed by the houses that were
built over them. The floor was damp and dirty, and I was told that it
had never been cleansed but by the passengers themselves. An offensive
odor filled the room, which was to be expected from the number of the
occupants, and the want of ventilation. There were twenty-eight berths
in this cabin, occupied by fifty-two passengers. It was impossible for
them all to pass the hot nights in such a stifling atmosphere, and the
poor old man's eyes moistened as he told me that he was obliged to
leave his berth, and pass his nights wherever he could find a place to
rest on deck.
_August 9._ Captain J. has just discovered that a cask and a half,
or one hundred and fifty pounds of raisins have been abstracted from
the store-room. He has made rigid inquiries, but has not elicited any
evidence against the purloiners; nor is there any probability that he
will. The excuse for this theft seems to have been, that a cask of
raisins had been previously opened for the use of the occupants of the
ladies' cabin, and it was thought that justice required a more equal
distribution of them among the whole ship's company.
There has been gross negligence in the care of the ship's stores, and
great waste and loss of many articles of provisions, which should have
been used. A few days since an examination was ordered, and three
casks of decayed potatoes, that had been shipped at Frankfort, were
discovered and thrown overboard. Many messes, which have been cooked up
for the passengers in the course of the voyage, and which they could
not eat, however hungry they may have been, have been disposed of in
the same manner. How many pans of the richest sort of scouse the
birds and the fishes are indebted to the bark James W. Paige for, it
is impossible to tell. Much of the oil has been carelessly wasted, and
many a long evening has been passed in the dark for want of it.
[Illustration]