Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1863-05-01

night before last was reading piece
in paper to-day about crossing the line, and
will tell you what saw once on board the
ship Hannibal. We were from Boston bound
to San Francisco with about 13O souls, pas.
sengers and crew. We had crossed tho line
in the Atlantic and were about to cross it in
the broad Pacific. Expected to cross by 10
p. NJ. Preparations had been made by filling
our deck tub (half hogsheaO with water
and placing buckets conveniently. In due
time the sport began. It was: "Fetch him
along, and I'll attend to himl" Then there
was scuflling and tugging. AT length dozen
or more succeeded in getting the subject to
the tub. Sousc, he was pitched in head first,
then buckets of water from dozen hands
were dashed upon him until he blowed like
porpoise, the crowd shouting and laughing.
Then began the hunt for another, as they had
slowed themselves in out-ofthe.way places
When found, strong arms hurried them up on
deck to be smothered, drowned, and hooted
at as the first had been. So with about thir-
ty or forty of the passengers and crew who
had never been across the line before. Then
the cry was Where's Peter ?" "Peter 4"
Peter was the steward and the crew did not
like him any too well. Soon it was reported
that he was in the mizzentop. Up went one
big fellow and tried to get him down. But
as he would not come they were about to get
tackle up and lower him down when he
gave in, seeing it was no use to contend any
longer. On reaching the deck, he was march.
ed forward to the tub. Now was the time
they were going to pay off old scores for re,
porting them to the Captain, &C., &C., for
he was talebearer. Three or four got hold
of him and soused his head into the tub
holding him under water till the breath was
almost out of him, then letting him up ia
blow and puff, and then another duck, the
chaps continually singing out: Give it tc
him Now is the timel Shove him in
again!" That they did repeatedly till they
thought he could stand no more, when hi
was released with parting salute of some
forty buckets Of water. Discipline for thu
time was suspended, the Capt. winking al
the tumult and evidently enjoying the sport
2Tth.--Important movements. 1t is 10 A. N
precisely and Jack Sims is playing check
ers. Laird is pounding iron on the anvil
Boatswain's mates are calling boats away
black listers, &c. Boy with Dbl of cakes
selling as fast as possible three for only fiv,
cents !" about three mouthfulls altogether
The Boatswain is blowing up boy Dorsey
for making so much noise. Threatens t.
send him up the mizzen rigging if he does
not make less noise. Dorsey will keep quie
and will not go up the mizzen rigging.
2sth.-Our big, tall lover G tt) darky
wardroom cook, White, is an oddity, Away.
full Of fun. Here are sayings of his when
handing out supplies to the walters of tn,
wardroom table: "Here's yer sassages
Here's yer ham fat, chicken fat, all kinds
Of fat Hurry up and git yer cakes come
along andsit yer tatcrs After four o'clock
come, bear hand I'll serve yer out. Tha,
yer ar clsr out that's ALL" One vii
speak to him, as" How are you, White ?
Fine, my boy, fnc!" And he always i.
fine, for nothing disturbs him as far as
could ever see. y = Drank coffee with Lairt
this morning said coffee being fine as al
coffee or anything else is that is made by
White. One Of our frelnen is taking
daguerreotypcs. We have the fine arts, 20,
see, as well as the rough arts. Is y A mar
was discovered to be lousy yesterday, va.
taken into the ships head, made to striI
stark naked, and darky with scrub brusf
and bucket of salt water scrubbed his lous,
skin well for an hour or more.
30th.-Our little steamers. two guns, hat
chase after secesh steamer with sloor
in tow. She let 90 the sloop and got away
up the Nansemond. One of our cutters i.
out every night at the mouth Of the Nanse
mond on picket duty to overhaul boats ant
sloops with articles contraband. We nal
one occasionally. '1'
April 1st.-All FOOLS Day. Some nea
operations. Take this: A chap leans agains
a gun, attempts to leave and fetches up al
standing, some one having made him fas:
~ Our men who 60 out on picket duty a
night sec nothing but women and dogs whel
ashore. They have no business ashore. Thei
place is the boat. Last night one of then
threw his cutlass at dog. expect to hea
of some of them getting popped off whicl
will put an end to their skylarking.
3d.-ss Pm. Two Of our tugs chasin
sloops. Probably amount to nothing, thougl
we have picked up few thousands from tn
innocent gentry. = One Of the tugs is re
turning with sloop in tow. Very good
The smallest favors acknowledged as 1t add
to the prize-money. y = The other tug ha
arrived with schooner in tow. The car
tured vessels are manned by negroes chiefly
about three darkies to one white. Old Brow
in allusion to these prizes says: "All prize
and no blanks