The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1866-12-05

down the coast, and for some time
nothing unusal occurred Macpher-
son and kept watch and watch alter
natelv. our new chief of course taking
none: indeed, he came very seldom
into the engine-room at ALL; and,
when he did, he interferred with mo-
body. He would just glance at the
guages, open fre-door and look in,
and feel the heat of the. condeRsers;
but he would make no remark, unless
there was little escape Of steam, or
anything of that sort which a child
might notice. He seldom found fault
with anybody; and very often, indeed
almost every night, he used to send
down grog to the stokers and trim
mers on watch, so that they began to
consider him sort Of sea-angel, and
to wish that they could always have
him for chief. Our captain, too,
appeared to think more Of his wife
than Of the ship, and also seemed
b. me to be drinking pretty much; and
Macpherson soon found that he might
take his little drop when he liked,
having nobody to find fault with him,
except myself, who was his subordi-
nate. So, altogether. discipline be-
came very, lax, and, except for the
mates, we were quite a happy family
at sea. | could not help fancying,
however, that it was all too good TO.
last; and so it turned out. +
We had got well down the coast.
and / know we were not far off the
land, when one night-a fine night it
was, but very dark-it was my watch
below from midnight to four in the
morning. When / say, my watch
below, you know, sir, ] do not mean
my watch below, in the engine-room,
but my turn to be off duty. Macpher-
son and / occupied as sleeping cab
in one of the deck houses abaft the
paddle-wheel, in which were two
hunks, one over the other, one his
and the other mine. At eight bells
twelve o'clock, you know-I called
him, and he turned out as usual, and
went to take charge of the engine
room; whilst / turned into my
bunk and tried to go to
sleep. Now, to sleep close behind
a paddle box, with the wheel but
foot or two from your head, is, for
those unaccustomed to it, and some
times even for those who are used to
it, rather difficult operation, espe-
eially when the ship is rolling. There
is a creak and a buzz, as your side
rises with the roll; and roar, and a
bang, and shock, and a splutter, as
your wheel is in its turn half buried
IN the sea; with a continual tremble
and shake, never ceasing for mo-
ment, which, altogether, render sleep
ing in such position an art only to
be acquired by long practice; and, as
L have said, not always to be depend
ed upon even then. / can sleep as
well az most people; and am not at all
a particular man in such matters; but
on the night in question, although
there was not much sea on, / soon,
found that any attempt to get sleep
in my bunk was hopeless. / could
not afford to throw away my four
hours in thinking about it;
So turning out again, without
much delay, I went below to the
engine-room, and crept into a snug
little spot between the starboard CYL
inder and the forward bulkhead of
the engine-room, which / had several
times before, on our outward voyage,
used for similar purpose. | must
describe the engine room to you. It
was very much like this one: the en-
gines were side-levers like these; and
the stoke-hole, with its fre-doors, was
adjoining the engine room, without
any separation between. The cylin-