Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1867-02-06

the ship at San Francisco, and not run awav
TO the gold-diggings.
We arrived GU. eafely, without any aG-
venture, Out We had to wait long time there
before we could sail on our homeward voyage.
Notwithstanding all precautions, a grea t many
of our crew run away, aud it was imp ssible
TO replace Them indeed, the har Dor was full
OF ships lying useless there for want of crew
to take them away. But We had also another
loss-and great One-in cur chief engineer.
tie had been ailing on the voyage out, ard he
died, poor fellow, whilst we were living ia The
harbor- Our second was not exactly the pei
son 10 take charge of the engines, being as
nave said, rather too fond of dunk and the
captain, We heard, was doing all he could do
9" get some one in our chiefs place. Mac
Pherson, the second, was, of course, very in
tigDans at this-but so 1T was
1" L should think we must have been quite
two months at San Francisco before We " ere
ready 10 sail again-for you must understand
that we were not a regular packet on the
station, but had been especially chartered for
the voyage out-and we thought that we
were going. alter all, without any new chiel
engineer. We, in the engine room, were
pleased a this, for Macpherson was a Good
sort OF fellow enough, except for that fault
which ! have mentioned, and trst-rate
workman but, On th9 very last day before
sailing, the captain, OF whom we had seen
but little for some time past, came on board
with a person whom he introduced to the
engIne-room hands as their rev chic.
lie was not the only new arrival on beard
There were few-very few-pas5eDgeTs, ana
lady, whom | beard to my as onishment,
vas the captains wife. WhoIn he bad married
since he had been st San Francisco. Now as
| have already told you, L bad seen his wife
and little daughter but q short time before 50
you may think how much was surprised at
seeing this other woman brought on board az
bis wife now. | was very much surprised at
our captain, whom l had taken for a different
sort of man: but 1t was si business oi
mine, so | held my tongue about it. This
new woman that he hid now was very hand
some, certainly, though of bold. masculine
style OF beauty, and with such an eye
thought should MT exactly ike her for a
wife myself, though she was really handsome
ard it was no wonder that any man should
be taken up with her.
Right or wrong, form my options a
people very quickly, and | did Mt like oul
new chiei. lie was quite mild in bis man.
ners, certainly Dly--wonderfully SO for that time
IN that part Of the world--but there was q
wild, dissipated, wicked look ii YOU under
stand me, IN his eye, which seemed TO tell me
that he could be very different if he chose
| could not hep remarking TO Macpherson
that | thought We had a rum one to ceal with
now, and be replied that he should like to
know his history, for he guessed il was
strange one.
- One thing was evident to me from tn,
first time be came into the eDgine-r00m-h
was not practical working engineer Tna
be knew something about cngines " as plain
and be gave his orders with decision, ans
without any apparent doubt Of himself; bu
there was a theoretical rather han . practi
cal t,gapg about them. as If his knowledge o
marine engines had been gained rather b'
study than experience. His hands were tx
white and delicate for { man who had uses
the hammer and chisel and file much (; and
coming into the engine-Toom suddenly on th,
evening before ve sailed, found btm doing
some Job at the wee which was 61ei there
something for himself, | fancy. and not iu
the engines-and, for the manner in whIci
he handled The t1o3s, 1t was plain that he u
no workman. | set hm down in nv OWL
mind for civil engineer who had come on
t. the dIgeings had got a bad iun OF luck
and was glad to work his way homo as bes
he could.
- At length we were ready for sea, havin;
taken on board a small cargo. and also som
gold on It's way 70 the states. we had beau
tiiul weather down the coast, and ior som
time nothing unusual occurred. AiacPDersol
and | kept watch and atch alternately. on
new chief, Of course, taking none; indeed. b
came veIv seldom into the eugIne-r0cm at =
and, " hen he did, he Interlered with n
body. He would jlst glance al the engines
open d fire door and look in, and feel the u
OF the condensers but he would make no re
mark. unless there was little pc OF steam
or anything Of that sort which child mIsh
"A ,. u
and very often-inceed, almost every nigh,-
he used TO send down grog to the keTs an
/ trimIneTs on watch. 80 that they began |
consider h,m a sort of sea-aueel, and to y lei
/ that they could always have him for a chic
| Our captain too, appeared 10 think more q
his wife than of the ship. and also seemed t
me to be drinking pretty much; ard MacPhel
son soon found that he mieh take his I5tl
drop when ne liked, having nobody to in
f.ult with him. except myself Who was hi
subordinate. 50, altogether, discipline 5'
came very lax, and except lor the IL .ees- y
Were quite happy family at sca. coui
not help iancyIng, however, that 1t was a
too good TO Iast-and 50 it turned cut.
. We had got we'll DOWN the coast, and
knew we were not lar off ste land when or
night-a fine night 1t was, bus very dark
was nv watch below from midnight t. t0u
in the morning When | say - nay waJc
below" you know, sir, | do not mean IL
watch below ia the engine-rO0m. bnt my tuT
to be eff duty. MacPnerson and occupe
as a sleeping cabin one of the Ieck-hous
abait the paddle wheel, in which were tN
banks. ore over the other, one his and u
other mine. At eight beiis-twelve o'cloc
YOU kuow-I called him, and he turned OF
as usual and went to take charge oil the e
gine-room, whilst | turned into my bunk ar
tried to go to sleep. Now, to sleep behind
paddlc-box, with the wheel but loot or ~
from YOUR head, ls, for those whoaare una
customed to it, and sometimes even for tho
who are used to IT, rather difficult operatio
especially when the ship Is rolling There
a creak and buzz, your side rises with 3
ROLAND roar and q bang and a shock 81
a splutter as your wheel IN It's turn halt burn
in the sea-with continual trembie al
shake, never ceasiDg for 8 moment, which. {
together, rendered sleeping in that pos''i
an art only to be acquired by long practic
and, as have said. not always to be depen
ed upon, even then. l can sleep as well
most people, and am not a. all particul
man in such matters; but on the night
question, although there was not much {
on, | soon found that any attempt TO Z
asleep Ia my bunk was hopeless. L could L
afford to throw away my four hours 10 thin
ing about it ; SO, turning ous again. wItho
much delay, went below to the engine-roo
and crept into aDug Iittie spot between
star board cylinder aud the forward bulkhe
of the engine-room, which had several TIN
before. CD our outward voyage, used tor
similar purpose. | must describe the engil
room to yoa. Il was very nuch Ike
one; the engines were slde-ievers like thes
and the stoke hole, with its fire doors, was Z
Joining the engine-room, without any sepa
tlon between. The cylinders were forwa
about four feet from the bulkhead, and
boilers and stoke hole were aft. There wa
platform lust ike this, at the level of the t