The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1872-04-27

tom house that all our baggage must be exam.
ined before We could proceed. 1t took till IL
o'clock to convince the collector that this yexa.
tious proceeding was unnecessary, as the same
thing would have to be again done on landing at
our several destinations. AT last We got Of and
took westerly course towards the North west
Pass. which afforded twelve feet of water at that
state OF the tide. while We drew but ten. The
day was very beautiful. A clordless sky aud
| bright sun might have made it vucomfortably
warm but for the apparent current of air occs-
stoned by the progress of the ship. We passed
along the channels among the coral reefs sur
rounding Ne on every side, but xaseen. as if up
on tho open ocean only away in the distance
On either hand low islands could be seen here
and there on the verge of the horizon. Buoys
marked our way till We had cleared the PASS and
were in the open waters of the guilt
After dinner q gentle breeze came up from
the south, jast enough to carry the smoke ahead
OF u, but still the sea was smooth, and We Gid.
cd along almost as quietly as il 10 canal, and
20 tho captain predicted We should have it all
the way. But he was mistaken. Although
the wind continued light from the south, the
waters Became troubled by four o'clock, and in
half Al hour more the ship was wsllowing in
the waves that cane rolling up from the west,
and these kept increasing moro and more in
magnitude. In the trough of these big seas the
ship acquired . rolling motion more trying to
tho ssnsitive stomach than the plunging in q
gale of wind. We were running rirht svsv
from what little wind there was, 90 no sail could
be set to steady her, and thus uubrided she
swung fssrfully. A rough sea in smooth wealth
er; al apparent storm, but without wind. The
captain said We were feeling the effects of a
storm from the west, which was raging far to
the west Ut US; and Is there was stretch of
water for seven hundred miles in that di.
rection, there was room enough to "kick
up big rumpus," but he had no fear that
the storm would actually reach US; still
1 Noticed our course was changed two points
more to tho west, evidently to secare more
sea-roo.n in case of trouble. The impulse of
landsmsn 10 to seek the land in case of danger.
while it is the greatest dread the sailor has iu
raging storm. Most Of the ladies, and many of
the gentlemen, went to their berths, and thence.
forth during that voyage made very little iuroads
upon the ships stores. But Mr.. and Mrs. Tur.
ner were perfectly proof, even against all this.
They would get to one extreme or the other eff
the vessel that they might get the full benefit of
tho heavy rolls, and seemed to enjoy it as child
would swing.
20 it ran all night long, and 80 it was in the
morning. Great rollers came marching on with
majesty and power almost appalling. They
would stoop under the port side of the ship, roll
her over, and lift her high up into the air, and
then slip out and drop her down till you would
think she would never stop until she reached the
very bottom, and preseatly another would glide
under her again and lift her away up high, again
to let her fall. and so on continually. Generally
| three big waves would come together, one right
behind the other, succeeded by an interval of
smaller ones, more broken and irregular, when
the ship would ride more easily. 1t was inter.
esting to watch the coming of these big seas and
observe the effect when they reached the ship.
So wore away the morning, the wind still very
light and soft.
Bishop Young. of Florida, had come on board
at Key West, aud we had hoped to attend his
service on board that day. But all the prayers
he said that day silent ones, and his preach.
ing was only by example. Indeed, no one SEEM
ed to remember that it was Sunday.
Towards noon the weather thickened rapidly
in the west and north, and the captain told me
quietly that we were bound to have q norther
that in few minutes the wind would come from
the west, but that it would Immediately como
in from the north, and might blow pretty strong,
but that everything was snug and ready. AL.
most while he was speaking, what he predicted
came to psss
We had already passed Tampa Bay and seen
the light house IN tn. outside island. But it was
perhaps eight miles off, and was only in sight for
short time. The coast of Florida is 80 low
that it can DO seen but a short distance at sea.
Had it been as high as almost any other sea coast
it would undoubtedly have been in sight the
whole way. As it WAS, the open waters we're IA
"nbrokeu to the view east as to the west, save
at this one point near Tampa Bay.
The north wind wss cold and chilly, sharply
contracting with the temperature of yesterday,
or even this morning, aud we severely felt tie
change. Shxwls and overcoats we're uupack.d
aud brought into acquisition, aud all who were
not lid up gathered around the steam pipes
with which the cabin was warmed The wind
WA. -'roas, but not gale. To one at sea for
III" first time it would have seemed u hurricane,
and he wonld have thought that nothing made