Eastern times. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1846-1857, 1851-01-16

whose palhd cheeks revealed the fires that
burned within them, kinded by their expo
sure to the inhospitable influences Of the 18TH
mus, and which were fast consuming them
away, and there were those, too, to whose
countenances the demon of intoxication had
evidently given deeper color since they had
left their homes and gone beyond parental,
fraternal and connubial influence. Indeed, the
| have already said, must have presented sad
sight 10 rejecting, sane minds but such
minds, | fear, were present in exceedingly
small numbers. 1t would be vanity in me to
claim that my mind belonged to this select
number, and not vanity only, but falsfca-
tion of the fact as it was. True, had become
sensibly sobered down since leaving New York,
and, truth to tell, had seen enough to satisfy
me that the hopes of thousands who were bound
up the coast were doomed to disappointment,
and had cause to feel that it was no boys
play in which was engaged, and that would
sell out my prospects for slight advance upon
cost, vet, with the multitude around me, | was
more or less infatuated, and unprepared to see
things in their true light-in their Naked un-
vanished condition.
The reloicings on shore were echoed TO us by
the booming of cannon, mounted upon the bat
terry walls; and for an hour or more amused
myself in timing the sound as it came 10 us,
the flash being distinctly visible. By this
amusement | learned that we were fraction
less than two miles off, although it was stoutly
maintained by many that natural philosophy
was at fault, and that instead of tlco, we were
more than four miles from the guns-so little
reliance is to be placed upon mere uess-work
upon distances across the water.
But am making slow progress towards the
promised land and perhaps should occupy
the balance Of this paper in apologies for what
have already written; bat will do no such
thing So here goes for irip-a short pleas
ure-trlp Of 0niy Ghlyiy-fre Aandred mules on the
surface OF the great Pacific Ocean. Pacific,
indeed What a misnomer | have spent,
ia all, some six weeks upon this same ocean,
sailing IN the mean time not less than five
Thousand miles in all latitudes from SIX to forty
six deg. nineteen mia. north, ard In longitude
varying trom eighty to oac hundred and thirty
sevca west, and If the cummoilen OF waters,
the pitching and Stating Of the ship. the close
reefed sails and the violent winds betoken pa
c,fc ocean, | pray 10 be delivered from ever TAX
ing passage on that is not pacific. The no.
tiuns prevailing al home in relalion Ia the calm
state of the occaa on the west Of America, |
believe 10 be altogether tallacions. would
not venture this opinion, landsman as am, did
| not know that several old salts, in whom |
have entire confidence, have expressed To me
the same opinion. 1t was remark Of Mr.
Woodbne first officer of the Tennessee, that,
although he had spent many years upon the
North Atlantic, between New York and Eu-
rope, the most fearful storm he had ever expe-
CO. Capt. z. c. MORTON, one of your well
known and much esteemed Bath shp-masters,
who has been nearly thirty years upon the
North Atlantic, tells Us that year and a half 5
experience upon the Pacific has satisfied him
that there is very little difference in the two
oceans, so far as winds, and commotions in the
water are concerned. The brig Seguin, built
by Messrs. Rogers & Son, in your city, a
staunch and nearly new vessel, while cruising
from San Francisco to the Colombia river, on
her last trip, was kept nearly the whole time,
under double-reefed top-sails, and often have l
seen her main rail entirely under water, as the
| heavy seas would strike her on her bow. Can't.
/ Norton remarked to me that not one time in
! fifty would 4 vessel on West India VOYAGE,
be likely to have 50 severe time as we had on
the occasion referred to. Capt. DAVID Cur
TING, Of Phipsburg, well known to the COM
merclal men of your city, was on board at the
time, and his opinion was in unison with that
already expressed, SO much for the fitness of the
name-'' Pacific ocean"
But, as they say in the pulpit, to return
disasreeable time of il up the coast, crowded to
absolute repleton, many sick and several sick
unto death, with the most miserable fare, and
destitute of all comforts and the steerage pas
sengers, with whom my lot was unfortunately
cast had no reason to regret the approach o
the ship TO her port of destination. Like the
Irish ship-masier WIN rejoiced in heavy wind
because it could not change except for the bet
ter-the steerage passengers were ready te
welcome any change of condition, scarcely re-
garding the exchange of those who were sen
down in canvas to the deep recesses below, a:
at all unenviable. pass over this voyage
recolectons of the discomforts of which sent
; thrill all through my being, together with tn,
deaths on board, the burials at sea, the brutali'
~ of many Of the passengers on snch melan
choly occasions, the cold formality with which
the funeral service was read over, the suffer
ines of the sick, the arrival and stay at A ca
pulco, the cleanliness of that place, the fort tn
prison, the chain-gangs, the American Cousu
with his liquor-bar and his gaming tables, tn
beauty of its harbor, the sharks that fill Its wa
tiers, the departure for San Franeisco-l pas
over all these and remark simply that the tran
siiion from tropical heat to frigid GOODNESS ]
most sndden and dsagreeable. The ship ply
sician assured US of the sick list when at Aca
pulco, with the sun pouring down with fearfr
heat, that in a few days we should come into
cool, bracing atmosphere, where the sick woul