Polynesian., 1850-11-02
CLIPPINGS FROM sCOLTON,S
''DECK- AND PORT"

CLIPPINGS FROM sCoLToN.s.
. "DECK AND PORT"
CAPE HoRN.-Our southwest gale wen,
suddeply down last night, and this morning
fresh wind rose in the northwest. We are
now laying our course with fair prospect Of
getting clear of Cape Horn. have no de-
sire OF ever coming near this cape again.
would give It berth worldwide.
Here and there navigator, il is true, has
doubled the cape without encountering the
gales which we have experienced. But his
good fortune was an exception to the general
rule. A man may escape death under the
gallows by the breaking of rope;. but then
the nifty who come after him, will swing till
dead This cape has acquired its stormy
reputation by its acts. Had nautical theory
only invested it with difficulties, they would
long since have been dissipated by expert
ence. But what ~navigators found the cape
a century ago, their successors find it now
II is as true to its stormy character as lion
TO its savage instincts. You may as well
trife with the shaking name of the one as
with the awaking tempest Of the other
5 A distinguished naval commander the
late commodore Porter-who had cruised in
almost every sea, inserted in his journal the
following significant paragraph. "The pas
sage round cape Horn from the eastward
assert from my own experience, is the most
dangerous, most difficult, and attended with
more hardships than that of the same distance
in any other part of the world"
In rounding the cape from the Pacific the
summer months are the best. for then you
have short nights and westerly winds. In
rounding it from the Atlantic you have a
choice Of evils in the different seasons. IN
the winter you have long nights and icebergs,
but favorable winds. In the summer you
have head winds, but short nights and no ice
Captain King of the British navy, who has
spent several years in the vicinity Of the
cape, prefers the winter months. But Basil
Hall, as the result of his experience, re-
commends the summer season. My own
opinion is, that any man who has a log-hut
on land, with a corn-cake at the fire, and
who will consent to leave them to double
Cape Horn for any purpose whatever, is a
proper subject for lunatic asylum.
VALPARAIso.-Valparaiso a: first glance,
instead of justifying the name bears-the
vale Of Paradise-might rather be called
some outpost of purgatory. Its wild crags.
scorched hills, and dark glens might well be
supposed to lead to that intermediate abode
of condemned spirits. You are puzzled to
know why city should be there. Without
on the sea, there is hardly room
enough, between the base of the steep ac-
clivities and the surg to set up fisher
mans hut. The harbor is but little better
than an open roadstead. A norther is an
admonition to all vessels TO slip their cables
Yet Valparaiso is city, and one which,
having once seen, you. will never forget. 1t
will stand alone in your after dreams like
Jacobs ladder. Like the rounds n that airy
vision, its buildings ascend, roof over roof,
I'LL they seem to topple in the sky One
violent shock of an earthquake would precip-
tate the&hoIe into the sea. And yet these
terrible visitations are constantly throwing
out their premonitions. There is not build |
ing whose walls have not vibrated to their
orce.f There is not rock on which they |
rest but is of volcanic origin. The soaring /
peaks Of the Cordilleras, which overhang
hem,. rest on craters that may at any mo-
nent, throw them heaven-high. And yet
Who does not sleep sound in Valparaiso
Such is peril when it has become an old
md familiar acquaintance.
We landed from our boat on the jetty,
which has been thrown out from the beach
o prevent the necessity of debarking in the
'urf. The quay was alive with boatmen
tracking their jokes over their water-melons
Ind coarse bread. A fat friar was seen |
araying among them, willing to shrive the
most wayward for large melon. One fel-
ow, who looked as if he had obliquities
enough to justify some effacing process,
made light Of the proffered shriit. He
hought a green melon would pay.
Near by sat Chlano on stone, which
ose up from the pavement, tantalizing the
trings Of guitar, while a little cloud of to-
acco smoke curled up around the high cone
f his felt hat. The only accompaniment
vas the sharp creak of a file, with which a
nuleteer was sharpening the rowels Of his
purs, which resembled a circular saw, ex-
ept that the teeth were much longer.
Here beggar who had lost leg, hob
led up to US, wearing around his neck a
abel, showing that he had the permission Of
he police to solicit aims on Tuesdays and
Poor fellow if his limb was
,st in good cause, he ought to be allowed
|, solicit charity whenever he can get i:
md if it was lost even in scuf1ie, 1t would
ot be in my heart to deny him penny.
What a world is this in which we dwell
low is it filed with paupers, spurs, tobacco.
uitars, water-melons, and absolving monks;
II jangling and jargoning along together to
usty death! What an incongruous mass the
rave covers l.
Divine service on board; large attend
nee of Americans from the shore. Subject !!
+ discourse-cause and criminality Of inde- i
ision in matters of religion. The State
eligion of Chill is the Roman Catholic.
rotestant forms Of worship are tolerated but
j private way. The erection Of Churches
+ the purpose is not permitted. A hall
ay be used ifit has no symbols Of conse- I
ration. Think Of that my dear papal bro |e
'ers in the United States, kneeling in your l.
cathedrals, while your vesPer- i
els summon from their lofty steeples the In
~ c.1 Au1 vos, folL ~ Prn. In