Columbia gazette., 1854-01-28

not of the spirit and tho man, but of tht
man and the ox,-took care of the un
fortunate victim for the sport he hat
made, and landed him at the first port
and are in hopes that he has not seer
his satanic majesty since.
Now ye young tipplcrs, look OUT
Keep snakes out of your boots, or you
too may catch the devil.
The SrEERAGE.--The refined and
intelligent people who pass from city te
city in floating palaces know nothing al
all Of the beauties of navigation as ex-
perienced by the people in the stceragt
Of packet ship. The stcerage, second
cabin, hole, or whatever else yon NAV
call it, is not Turkey carpeted, veneered
with rosewood, nor pcrfumed with rose
water. 1t is marine cellar, into which
you descend by trap-door and ladder
"a night with half a dozen dim stars in
the shape of dozen headlights in a
low heaven of the deck. Around the
sides are little pigsty-looking berths,
made Of rough boards, nailed up. The
mattresses are laid upon them, one a.
bove another, as thick as they can be
slowed, and admit sleepers On each. 1t
is incredible how many people may be
thus slowed away around the ribbed
sides of a thousand-ton ship. Suppose
we embark at Liverpool 1t r:ins. A
number of emigrant agents send down
the luggage-all manner of chests, box
es, kettles, and trumpery, with the pro-
visions of the people they have agreed
to transport at so much head. All
are turned in together into place which
bears not the slightest resemblance to
the nice, dry commodious cabin which
the printed bill and spoken lies of the
said agent had led the people to expect.
Such chasos no world was ever made
of. Here are Scotch, Irish, English,
Welch, Germans, and stray Yankee
or two, and it is really wonderful how
soon they harmonise. The goods and
chattcls are overhauled and accommo-
datingly piled and lashed to the stan
chions amidships. The mate and a
couple of hands have themselves lashed
a big bin, holding about ten tons of po-
tatoes, and We are getting to sea. Hun
cry people must eat, and around smo-
ky fire on deck, each family party ap-
pears, with saucepan, pot or skillet, and
boils. fries or bakcs, ad HJ;tum, and ac-
cording to opportunity. Burnt or raw,
it goes with good relish, for Neptune
has not yet asserted his ri.hts. After
supper and various devotional exercises,
according to various faiths, as the mo-
ton becomes somewhat alarming to
weak stomachs, there is general turn
ing into bed of women and children, eff
fected by means Of dim candles which
hardly illuminate far enough to make
state room doors or curtains Of any con-
There are all sorts of talk.
Some are jolly and some are sad. But
those who have never been at sea be-
fore. who are the great majority, are
quite serious. BY about midnight there
Is enough to make them so. The cap
tain, thinking things below may be left
too loose fer a storm, and feeling one
approaching, has sent down the mate
and hands to LASH all taut. Of all the
blasphemy that ever broke loose from
Pandemonium, that of the mate caps
the climax. He mathematics every
particular box, pot, and kettle, for he
has come rather too late, and things
get loose faster than he can fasten them.
In fact, about this time commences
regular see-saw-you 90 up, We 60
down. The whole ridge of boxes and
chests amidship tumbles in darkness,
and visits first this side, and then that.
All the pots, pans, pals, and nameless
vessels, no matter how indispensable,
which the careful woman had slowed a.
way under their beds, begin to enter in
to the grand melee, and 60 rafting,
laundering, and yelling across the ship,
like sounding brass and tinkling cymbals.
The very devil is to pay. Every thing
is upset and smashed. Kegs, boxes,
and barrels, filed with unmentionable
articles, are all smashed and their con-
tents spilled. The next visitor is a sea
to the amonnt Of few hogsheads which
comes pouring down the hatchway, fol-
lowed soon by another and another, till
you crawl out Of your berth at the peril
Of your head, and, if you can, seize your
valuable trunk or box, and put that into
it. When daylight comes, things are
pretty much at fsixes and sevens--the
storm raging, and you wishing yourself
back where you came from. Yet thou
sands of people who had comfortable
homes in the old countries seek new
ones in America through the streeage
Of our packet-ships.-EnglisA Paper.