The New York herald., 1871-12-28


slO0p-of-war Plymouth Qhen named Kenosha)
steamed from the port or New York, bound for LIS.
bon. Since that date she has been attached TO the
Mediterranean squadron, and has been an exemplar
OF man-of-war service from the coast OF Africa to
she northern seas Three weeks ago to-day she
dropped anchor IN the Bay OF Naples; and here,
lying surrounded by so many objects OF conspicuous
interest-Pompeii, vesuvius, Herculaneum, and the
tomps and ruins OF the most celebrated characters
m Roman history-she is TO the American the most
interesting OF all. Her narrow, graceful hull; her
clean, distinctly strcaked exterior; her fine bows
and we'll adapted spars, together with her white
boats and taut rigging make her the most marked
vessel anchored by the Mole. -
As the cruise OF the Plymouth IN o manner Illus.
trates the character OF duty this station,
her
THIRTY MONTHS ABROAD
have mol been characterized by any OF the speciaies
which tmid imaginations assign to Clancy cruise"
shall try to describe briefly, what her recent his
tory has been; especially many people sat-
urated with the ialacy that those who live In the
cabin, wardroom OF steerage, and on duty IN
'the Mediterranean exist IN higher state OF bliss
than Mohammed's loItiest heaven. In conversing
with the PlymouJh's officers do not find that they
are very generally enamored or the station. nor
does 1t appear that other meSses elsewhere III the
Meet are possessed with any extreme degree Of
happiness from service In these waters 10 be sure
'the Mediterranean is pleasant station-one finds
Nice, Naples, Alexandria and Athens here; but the
naval officer, without he has too ndulgent
admiral and captain. not have an
opportunity to the outl yng countries more
than snin deep Ii is a great mistake on
The part OF enthusiastic people to imagine
that sightseeing Is the only pleasure To be found
abroad. Considerations travellers take a courier In
every town, visit every church, every object
made famous py some local historian In OF
bread; Dut such voyagers Ia a crowd be counted
on the fingers OF one hand. IL Is great mistake
Also TO suppose the highest JOY comes from viewing
some great mean Of stones to which assigned
bloody superstition. sightseeing pals; reveres by
the rolling surf or in dense antique thickets are
PLEASANT PAsTiMEs.
and do well enough on the stage; but the truth Is
they do not always compensate ior hunger or ale
vlate epicurean thirst
In fine, sightseeing Is after all, only painful use
Of ones eyes, and the who goes twice to visit
tabled solitude Is voted ass, and the woman as
ionder OF 'Chllde haroldn than common sense.
Such Is the food offered to the young offlcer at
Annapolis, who harbors the fond dream
that service In 1.-The Medterraneano is only a noil-
day three years long. he had better clear up his
faoric OF q vision and expose the truth. Here as
elsewhere, there are mii-watches, morning quar-
sers and regular duty; and the wardroom steer.
age omcer, mucn less the captain, cannot Indulge
all those pleasures which are the property or the
young gent VINO educated behind o counter
and earned his competency by going round a sud-
den corner In Wall street Oflcers out here assure
me tnat all come TO the squadron with hign ex-
pecratlons and that therefore ali disappointed.
At least one.half OF the wardroom mess must be
constantly ON board. and the rigor Of discipline Is
severer than in American waters, because Amer.
can oflcer is willing 10 allow his snip to gam the
reputation OF being sloveBly. The Plymouth, not.
outstanding. has had very
PLEASANT AND PROFITABLE CRUISE
having anchored IN almost every accessible Euro
pean port, and in many or them Two or three
times since the day she steamed out Of New York;
and ow, following the routine. she goes home in
February TO her place on some other station. When
che LEFT the Brooklyn yard her present captain Com
mander K. r. Breeze, did not command her; In
eed. many OF her present officers we're not on
TnK PLYMOUTH BEGAN HgR CRUISE
bark rugged, tonnage 1870, with thirty-four ma
rnes and 2l3 men, and a speed which sometimes
ran g. h igb 1Iteen knots. From unwise altcra
TINS made In her rig by the department she Is not
now As neet as when she bore the name Of Kenosha
Her armament consisted OF one ll-inch, SIX s-iDch
one 90 0pounder Parrot, Two 2J-pounders and II
FOUNDER Arriving at Lisbon IN twenty four days
from New York the Plymouth sailed from that port
Apn 9, where occurred one OF the most Interesting
events OF ine cruise over eignty Invitations were
issued 10
GRAND BALL
or board; repast was prepared; the arms were
stocked after tue best skill OF the ships armorer.
and cutlrsses, battle axes and revolvers were
INTO those strangely fantastic shapes which the
reader may sometimes have seen at the Annapolis
1easts. All Barcelona was In an uproar. livery
barcelona beauty desired an invitation, and vast.
Indeed, was tne sweetness which greeted the Ply
mouths people ashore. Ihey were the cnocest
morsels on EARTH and the Plynouth-thc gods
themselves had never conceived ner equal. SO
seldom does q man-oi-War go 10 barcelona tnat the
occasion became one ol historical Importance TO
town. Not TO be invited was deemed To be snubeed
the future society OF the town. the evening
came, ana, instead or eighty responding TO their
cards, two hundred anu more poured over the side.
music struck up 1t was like dancing in
the middle OF rock crystal-there sea way.
supper provided Ior eighty was not one to satisfy
the maws VI our Barcelona friends ana so, while
some we're toasted as became their beauty, many
had TO spend extra copDers on their next mornings
breakfast 1t was however Jolly. and out exem-
pihes the rage that there Is to BOARD
AN AMERICAN MAn-oF-wAE IN A FOREIGN PORT.
Every oficer Is credited with sucn an amount OF
savagery that IN some places the superstition ex
lists that man is considered a good oicer in the
United states Navy without he Kills "a blue jacket IN
every watch This sad deluson OF the Europeans
Is not confined to our warriors; they believe II rs
well OF civilians. was sitting in reading room
IN Rome, some days ago, talking with
iour aa lsnaaages and prlded herself on rI her
knowiedge oi European pollucs. ending her Ior
sale; why you gentlemen never take your Dreak-
fast before your morning duel: Pray now many
american nian-of.war, anu inspect the crew aud
of1cers Is the incentive winch draws SO many iair
ladies 10 our quarterback. There Is still another
hypothesis regning IN the European mlnd-tnat
every American can draw ms check for An indefinite
amount thousands At pleasure,
MILLIONS ON THE PINCH"
II was q spring OF action partak,ng very much OF
the golden ring. which, doubtless, recently induced
bewnchng Bourbon Princess " marry an Ameri
can adyenturer. Tne Plymouth now having visited
Gadiz, Malaga, Glbraiter and Cartnagena,
ARRIVED OFF SPEZziA
IN June, 1859. There her oficers were treated
20 royal least by King Amadeus, OF Spain, then
AdmiraA OF the Italian Navy, when Lieutenant ldc
delivered a stirring speech In spanish ana almost
every ofiicer spoke in tongue not his own, includ
pny a successful effort by CnieI Engineer Mulin In
nuent Italian. Inc then Admiral, irom sickness in
hIs family was not aole To present, but The liable
WAS brilliantly Dordered by the ele OF The station
THE NEXT ANCHORAGE