The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-08-04

rocking We had experienced in the steamboat
But 10 the m9rping, the scene was changed
The sky was UFerclouded, the winds had dashed
the sea into fury, and we were tossed about al
the mercy of the waves Reich, reich, retcb
went the sckesed passengers in every part Of
steerage. few pots and kettles, which had
been left united, were ratified from side to side
TIL they were either secured or broken to pieces
AT last, young dEnglishman named Moses
Garner got up, and making his way to the
deck, got little tea made, and treated all who
wanted any, whether acquaintance or stranger
But Tor as, we had little notion of either eating
or drinking. In the afternoon the wind fell
and though the sea was still rough,-get most
OF us got up and attended to the important
business of eating. The evening came on
somewhat mild and we all retired early, not
because we were sleepy, but because we had
nothing to do, and it was the readiest way to
pass the time. Some were trying to sleep
some were conversing in low tones, and others
were beginning to snore, when all were startled
by terrific screaming on deck. NY father and
another man rushed up on deck in their draw
| ers. They soon returned, and told us the news
Some penniess wretch had concealed himself
IN the ship, to steal his passage TO the land OF
| the free. Two long DAYS and one night lie had
lam wedged up among the baggage, while the
ship was tossed about in the storm. Strange
to say he had not been sea sick. He had eaten
nothing during all that time, except cake and
a half of sea biscuit, and of water he had not
tasted drop. Overcome at last by thirst, he
had slipped out and asked Il drink of water,
hoping to be mistaken for passenger. His
tremulous voice betrayed him. The sailors and
second mate began to question him. Either
through fear or obstnacy, he was silent. They
threatened to hang him, and, tying a rope round
| sid nf md 1ar no 10
arln-pit suspended him, Then they proposed
to drown him, and, putting the rope round his
waist, they threw him over the bulwarks, and
| lowered him towards the water 1t was this
that made him YELL The sound brought up
the captain and first mate who took him down
into the cabin to examine him. What passed
there do not know, but the next morning he
was washing the deck, and after that he worked
his passage. His business was to black boots,
attend the fowls, &C., and always had to answer
to the name of Jimmy Ducks. His real name
was John Oxford.
Illuminating as this was, he experienced kind
treatment, compared with the fate of others
who tried the same trick. In the ship which
one of our neighbors came in, the year before,
two young men had secreted themselves. One
of them was a mere boy. He was ordered aloft
On one occasion, to pull certain rope. When
he ascended, he was dizzy with the height, and
puzzled to know which rope to pull, and came
down again without performing the duty. The
mate took strap and beat him up again. all
the way. The boy cried so pitifuy that many
could not refrain from tears.
Our passage proved long one. Sixty-six
stormy days we tossed on the Atlantic. This
time was all the longer, too, because we were
so eager to see the new country. Still, to us
children, the time was not SO tedious as might
be expected. To us, the world was yet new
and though we carried but a small part of it
with us in the ship yet that was enough to
entertain and instruct us nine weeks. When
ever the sailors had leisure, they would come
down and entertain US with their long yarns
about terrible storms, great fish, cross captains,
and fearful suferings when provisions and water
tailed. We had frkin of butter and a can
teen of whisky. The butter did not keep very
we'll but, when the sailors came down with
BILE, and the liquor never came amiss. They
paid for both in big stories, and, if the article
was poor, they gave good measure. One Of
them was from the Isle of Man, one from the
Isle of kale, one from Ireland, three from Eng
| land, the rest from America. Three of the
Americans were blacks. They were the first of
the negro type / had ever seen. | soon learned
that their ancestors had come from Africa, that
they were called negroes, and that many such
were slaves. The second cook presented the
full type of the Ethiopian, with large pouting
| lips, frizzled hair, and white rolling eye. The
first cook had as black a skin, with features
more approaching the Caucasian cast. The
steward was mulatto, with ali his characteristic
selfimportance. He used frequently 10 come
down and chat with us, and | was always de-
lighted to see him. The minute detail with
which be told his stories, his selfcomplacent
| giggle, and the confidence of his assertions, had
nothing to me disgusting. | was too much de-
| lighted with the matter to crticise the manner.
| Possessed of little more discernment would
have noticed his foibles. With great deal
more, | would have learned to excuse them. Ii
is thus that the fool and the philosopher some
| times arrive at the same conclusion, and verify
a saying, otherwise doubtful, that
a little learing dangerous Thing"
A servant girl had come with US, in hopes of
being able, by the liberal wages obtained in
America, to assist her parents i'll Ireland. She
belonged to the Covenanters, and, like the class
to which she belonged maintained dgnifed
reserve with regard to religion, manifesting less
impulse than she felt. To her, his strong pro-
tessions and weak practice seemed astonishing.
One time she was on deck cooking while he
:. offered her his services about her work, he took
occasion to expatiate on the enjoyment of relig-
ious experience. She improved the opportunity
with admirable tact to hint that, if we would
appropriate the promises of the Gospel, we
must observe It's precepts specifying profane
swearing as sin to be carefully watched
against. TO this he readily assented. At this
| juncture, sailor from "A mast took him with a
bone. He was up and after the aggressor i'm
mediately; nor did he wait till fairly out OF
| hearing to vent his passion in Oaths. The
second cook and he used to have some fist
a. i LII l. l., Il.
ing heartily, and, going to the galley door, !
saw the other two gentlemen punching away at
one another with good will. The passengers
soon began to gather round, and encourage
them by laughs and cheers. AT length they
came out and took it on the open deck One
man would run up and give his antagonist a
stroke, and then run back. The other would
follow, return the compliment, and then retreat
himself In this way they fought for perhaps
a quarter of an hour, till the mate came and
ordered them off to their duties. There was
more sweat lost than blood.
The sailor from the Isle of Kale, on the coast
| of Ireland, amused us with an account Of his
birthplace, where there was no fuel but wheat
straw, which they braided in large tcessocks to
burn. This fire could not be very steady, and
they often kept children warm in large pot.
The one from the Isle of Man told us that, in
his birthplace the cottagefoors were all of
stone Digging down about foot, they found
a soft red rock. On this they built their houses,
and polished it of for floor. The other Irish
sailor was from Cork. He and we were soon
like old friends At home we belonged to hos
tile races and would have regarded one another
as strangers but now we were both far from
the green island, and all who came from its
shores were friends. In the old country, | had
never heard the name of Irish" applied to any
| but the Celtic popnlation, and then it seemed a