Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-04-14


CaIifOrnta-The Queen Is SerenadeC
and AeknO Wedges the Compliment
crossing the LIne-NeW Shawn,
COmpOundg etc.
UNITED STATES STEAMER CALIFORNIA
AT SEA, Sunday, Dec. 3, 1S71.-Here We
are, six days out from "'Frisco" (San Fran
CISCO, and we have been here rolling in &
dead calm for two or three days, vainly
hoping that some gentle breeze might JUS
take compassion on us and wait US on ON
way. The morning we sailed it was rain
ing, and very disagreeable, and to cap il
one Of the anchors came up so very fou
that just inside the gate we had to anchor
again until we could clear it. This tool
an hour or two, when we again got under
weigh, and this time got to sea. 1t was moi
very rough, so l did not get very sea-sicB
until next morning, when. we run into q
gale of wind. By the next morning it was
much pleasanter, and has been ever since
so that have entirely recovered. On the
whole | was less sick than ever before, and
my situation such vast improvement over
my experience on the practice cruises, that
did not mind it much.
THANKSGIVING ELL OF FARE AT SEA.
Thursday was Thanksgiving Day, but the
only recognition Of the fact with us was the
serving of the time-honOred turkey for din
ner. We brought out with us a good deal
of fresh meat, so we have had it three
times a day ever since. have just finished
my dinner, and l may as well give you the
bill of fare: Roast chickens, mutton,
sweet and Irish potatoes, cabbage, butter,
bread, coffee, nuts and jelly. You see we
are not apt to be hungry with all this before
us. l did not mention the pies.
THE ADMIRAL'S DAUGHTER.
Miss Winslow, the Admiral's daughter, is
his companion de rOYdge. She has been
desperately sea-sick, ever since We started,
and wishes she was back.
We expected to make this passage in
about twelve or fourteen days, but from
appearances we wont be less than twenty.
ROCKED IN THE CRADLE OF THE DEEP.
DEC. 6, At Sea, Long. 12S deg. 81 min.
W. and lat. % deg. 16 N.-We have had
battling winds, 'or / shOuld-say no winds at
all ever since l wrote the above, so we have
not made much progress. We are now
nearing a vessel bound to San Francisco
and We hope to send a mail. There is no
news with rs. We content ourselves with
our slow progress by knowing that we will
have all the more money due rs when we
make port.
We have lost the Narragansett which
was sailing in company with us. believe
this is the anniversary ofthe battle of Nash
vile.
EXPECTATION AND DISAPPOINTMENT.
SUNDAY, Dec. 10, At Sea, long. 1876 deg .,
Al min, west, lat. "a deg, 30min.-As you
see, we did not get our mail off. We were
much provoked, for the ship, whose name
was the 'Glory of the Seas" came near us,
and eyinced a willingness to speak, but af-
ter we had our boa all manned, and ready
to lower, the captain concluded not to send
it, and as q breeze came up just then, we
were soon far apart. She was a beautiful
clipper and ali American. The breeze
proved to be an offShOOt from the regular
northeast trades that blow here, and it is
cold. We soon got into the trades them
selves, and have been boiling along about
seven or eight knots an hour ever since.
We expect by next Sunday to be in port,
and to be feasting on bananas, breadfruit,
and all that sort Of thing. The climate is
such that these things are ripe all the yeal
round. I can't help but think what won
derful provision Of Providence it is that has
made these winds TO blow so steadily and
always in the same direction. The mariner
IS always sure Of a good wind when he gets
into them.
WHALES.
We had a sight of a school Of whales the
other day, and they came very near. You
could have struck them almost with a pole,
if you had had one. They would come up
to the surface and puff and blow in a fear
ful manner. There were some of them
from sixty to seventy feet long.
Ever since we struck the trade winds
there has been a terrific swell, causing US
TO roll in an ab0minably unpleasant way.
! Ou cannot do anything with satisfaction
on account Of it.
Each Of the officers is now engaged in
keeping bis journal, as a part Of his regular
business.
OFF HONOLULU.
AT SEA, Dec. Give are under steam
going into port. We expect to get in in the
evening. 1 give it up but this is the most
fearful passage 1 ever made. Here we are
twenty-three days out from Frisco, a pas
sage usually made in fourteen days. Since
/ last wrote We have had three separate and
distinct gales Of wind. The last one was
awful. We have been here in sight of land
for four or five days, but it has been such
terrible weather we have been unable to get
in. We laid to for almost eighteen hours
under a doube-reefed main-tOp-sail and
foTe-StOrm-tOp-sal. She behaved remark
ably well, only l got seasick. The Admiral
told me he had been here for very long
time but nerer had he known any such
weather in this ocean.
RESTRICTED MAIL FACILITIES.
There is only one mail leaves here in a
month, and by fOOling around here we are
afraid we have lost the steamer which sails,
by rights, on the goth, but we expect that
on account of the gale she has not put to
sea yet, and hope TO speak her coming out
tonight.
1t has cleared of, and it is an exquisite
moonlight night.
Wish you all a merry Christmas dayl
How l would like to be home then. But /
will try and make good meal Of it, as it is,
on bTeadfrUits, bananas and cocOa-nuts.
and see how it will compare with the
Christmas boxes that l received at the
academy.
THE SANDWICH ISLANDS.
HONOLULU, S. l., Dec. 23.-This seems
destined to be quite letter before it gets
off. You see that at last we got in and can
once more sit down quietly, without being
pitched and rolled all around. The next
morning after / wrote we found ourselves
off this port, but we saw nothing of the
steamer. We fired gun for pilot, who
came alongside and said we could go right
in without any difficulty, as the reef had wa
ter enough on it to pass Us. In about half
an hour we found ourselves inside and safe
ly resting in a well sheltered and perfectly
calm harbOr gazed upon by nearly ten
Thousand people, for the whole population
lined the shore. We learned that the steam
er which was due about a week ago had not
vet GOT in, and great fears for her safety
were felt on account Of the continued heavy
weather. Neither she nor our COnSOrt, the
Narrsgausett, have made their appearance
vet. We are naturally alarmed some for
the safety of the latter, for she is quite
small, and being, as was supposed, further
TO the northward than we, probably en-
countered the heavier part of the storm.
We keep a sharp lookout for her and hope
she will be IN soon. As far as we are per-
sonally concerned about the mail steamer,
(the Moses Taylor,) we cannot get any mail
until she arrives.
As we entered the harbor the sun was
inst above the horizon, and with its rays
u. fhnW rolled hack