GOOD-BYE TO ENGLAND
Mrs. Massey was in charge of the shipping office, and, showing her the
order and saying that I would ship, I walked out, and straightway back
to the dock I went. I found the vessel that I really wanted. It was the
packet-ship Rhine, bound for New York with emigrants. From the mate I
got an order to be shipped from a certain office. I went to Massey's for
my bag, and, as I picked it up and started for the door, Mrs. Massey
asked me if I had backed out, and I curtly told her that I had. Then she
showed her good breeding. Such language I never heard a woman use
before. "-- --, -- who enticed you from this office? -- -- --!" Two
young men happened to be standing in front of the door. "-- are these
the men?" she asked. "Yes," I answered, and what a tongue-lashing those
two fellows got! In the meantime I walked off. I found the right office
and shipped for New York. I received an advance note of two pounds ten.
A young man in the office offered to take me to a small boarding-house,
and arriving there, I was introduced to the landlord. He was an old
sailor, a native of Chile, and the fact of my having lived there made us
friends at once. I made a bargain for two days' lodging, a straw
mattress, sheath knife, tin pot, pan, and spoon. Besides, he was to have
five shillings extra for cashing my advance note. The difference he paid
me in cash. Then I went to the post-office and bought an order for every
cent I had, made payable to Jennie Bell, and, remaining in the house
until the sailing, I wrote a letter to Jennie, merely stating that I
would be in New York four weeks from that time. The money-order was
inclosed and the letter mailed just before the ship left the dock. We
sailed down the Thames River into the Channel, and at sundown the white
chalk cliffs of Dover were far astern. That was the last time I ever saw
the coast of England.
The Rhine had a large number of steerage passengers on board. Men,
women, and children were all huddled together between decks. They all
got sea-sick, and it is a wonder that none of them died. The filth and
stench were terrible. The crew were a tough lot, being mostly old
"packet rats," as they are termed. They would stay on shore until their
advance money was all spent, then they would have to ship. They would
steal all of their clothing from their more provident shipmates. My bag
had been searched, but it only set them wondering as to who I was, with
all the old rags and the two grape-shot. In just one month's time we
sighted Sandy Hook, New York. The passengers were all on deck, getting
their first glimpse of America, and were all glad that the voyage was so
nearly ended. The twin lighthouses of the Highlands of Navesink were in
plain view; below them was a famous summer resort for New Yorkers. As I
stood on that deck watching the beautiful scenery, a dirty, ragged suit
of sailor's clothes on my back, not a cent of money in my pockets, had a
fortune-teller then said to me--"See that hotel on the beach? One year
from now you will be staying there as a guest, and paying twenty-five
dollars a week for your accommodation. You will be the best-dressed
young man in the house and wearing diamond jewelry, with the waiters
eager to wait upon you, as you are very liberal in giving tips. And
Matilda, the proprietor's daughter, will be your betrothed wife"--I
should have laughed at the idea; but it all happened so in reality.
As we sailed through the Narrows it became my turn to steer the ship;
the captain and pilot standing close to me conversing, I heard the pilot
say that the docks were crowded with ships, and that the Rhine would
have to remain anchored in the bay a week before docking. The captain
replied that it would give them a good opportunity to have all the
rigging tarred. Now, hearing that conversation nearly cost me my life.
Tarring a ship's rigging is about the hardest work and the dirtiest job
imaginable, and, besides, the hands and finger-nails are dyed a
dark-brown colour which remains for weeks. None of that work for me
just then! As the anchor dropped, my duty at the wheel was ended. The
boarding-house keepers came alongside and were soon on deck looking for
victims. A hard-looking case asked me if I had ever been in New York
before.
"No, this is my first trip across the ocean."
"Well, come to my house. I have a nice place."
"All right," I answered, "I will go, on condition that you get my
clothes and take me from the ship right off."
He told his runner to take his row-boat under the port bow. Going to the
forecastle, I pointed out my bag. I was to go in the boat; then he was
to throw me my valuable wardrobe. The passengers were at the rail,
looking at Castle Garden. Crowding in between, I found there was a rope
hanging over the ship's side, and, in an instant, I was on the rail,
grabbing hold of the rope. I intended going down "hand over hand" with
my feet on the vessel's side, but the rope was not fastened as I
supposed, consequently I fell about twenty feet, striking the water back
first and just barely missing the row-boat. The runner helped me in,
then down came the bag, and we were off for dry land. My career on the
ocean as a sailor before the mast had terminated most unexpectedly to
me, and that proved to be my last voyage.
On landing, we walked to the worst locality in New York city. On the way
I was told that a brig bound for the West Indies needed a crew, and
would I ship on her? "Certainly," I replied. Now the intention was to
"shanghai" me (that is, steal my advance money), my landlord supposing
that I was a greenhorn. Finally, we entered a dirty old house on Cherry
Street, the worst street in the city at that time. I was invited to take
a drink, which I refused. The sleeping apartment was shown to me---a
filthy room with bunks around the sides, made out of rough boards. The
brig was to sail the next day.
"Well, I must have a new pair of shoes."
"All right, come with me."
He took me to a store and I selected a pair, which were charged to the
landlord.
"Now I want a hair-cut and a shave."
Into a barber-shop we went, and that was also charged up. Going back to
the house, I had my supper, and it was a holy terror for "shore food." I
loafed around the place until after dark, then I started for home, being
ashamed to have the neighbours see me in daylight in my ragged and still
wet clothing. As for the sailors' boarding-house, it was only a case of
"wolf eat wolf." They had simply caught the wrong man for a sucker.
I rang the door bell and a strange servant girl asked me whom I wished
to see. Without answering, I walked in and opened the sitting-room door.
My return was a complete surprise. One of my cousins, a young lady, cast
pitiful glances at my clothing, as much as to say, "Poor fellow, he must
have had a hard time!" Fortunately, on leaving home the last time, I had
left my best suit of clothes behind. It was only a short time before I
had a good bath and was dressed like a civilized being. We remained in
the sitting-room talking until after midnight. My travels and the war
were the topics of conversation. Next morning I went to the post-office
and got a letter from Jennie. The detectives had traced her home and all
kinds of questions were asked in regard to me. But she knew nothing.
They said it made no difference, as they would have me back in England
in a few weeks, for I had shipped on an English ship for St. Kitts and
orders had been sent to the admiral of the station to arrest and send me
back in irons at the first opportunity.
In the afternoon I went to the naval rendezvous, and passed examination
as an able seaman for the United States navy. The pay was eighteen
dollars a month, with chance of promotion. But there was a hitch in the
proceedings. The quota of able seamen was filled, and the best I could
do was to ship as an ordinary seaman at fourteen dollars a month. That I
refused to do, and I explained that I was fully capable of being a petty
officer, and that I would not throw away my chances for being rated as
such by shipping as an ordinary seaman. I was invited to come again in a
few weeks, as more men would be required, and they preferred young
Americans like myself in the navy. In a few days I had made up my mind
to go into the army. The companies and regiments throughout the Northern
States that were being organized had to be disbanded for lack of arms
and clothing, and also for the reason that the Government had no
expectation of needing their services, so my patriotism was squelched
for the time being. A number of my young friends had enlisted for three
months, under the first call for seventy-five thousand men. They nearly
all got back, and stayed home for the remainder of the war, having had
all the glory they wanted.