The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1874-07-08
The YOyagers.
LONDON, June 18th, 1874.

Hoping that few iiems of our trip may
not be uninteresting to your readers, especi-
ally to our friends at home, 1 embrace the
first eisdre after arriving in this ''big city,
as Miss Peake calls it, TO briefly jot them
down as they happen to occur to me.
/ think wrote you a few lines from Fa-
ther Point on Saturday night. Up to that
time everything was lovely. Artemas Ward
was accustomed to announce on the pro-
gramme that ''the trouble begins at
O'clock So with us; on Monday the trouble
began in the region of Cape Ray. Fog,
worse than London, came on and lasted un-
til the following Sunday. 1t was an entire
strong southerly wind which kept our good
steamer in the trough of the sea all the time,
of course upsetting tables, chairs, glasses,
dishes of all kinds, to say nothing cf stom-
achs, and, in fact, everything that could by
any possibility be upset. The only fixtures
of the ship were the deck planks and the
smoke stack. All else went rolling around.
10 be sure no one was sea-sick, at least no
one was willing to acknowledge sea-sickness,
unless there was unmistakable evidence of it.
Once fairly down majority 'own up'' and
make the best of it, putting on as cheerful
face as possible and making sickly attempts
at a smile. There seem to be several classes
of sea-going people: 1st, those who are never
troubled even; I'd, those who have short
season Of discomfort, but are happy for the
Of fba pl Go,
miserably unhappy every time the sea is not
as calm as a mill-pond. Our party Jared
tolerably well, yet some fines should h.ve
been paid, if every one had paid every time
he or she did not ''come to table," Fortu
nately for myself was able to "come to
time" whenever the bell called, and may
fairly be cassed with No. fellows in that
respect. To be sure once or twice did not
have much appetite, and once in particular
when my uis a-uis mans soup came over
into my soup plate from sudden lurch Of
the steamer, felt strong desire to go and
see how my ''poor sea-sick friends" were.
have theory in regard to this "malady of
the sea- that has never before been broached.
Perhaps l can better explain my theory by
an illustration from my own case. leave
means of the rail l descend the stairway.
Entering the saloon L start for my seat,
which is Tor was) about midway Of. the table
on the opposite side of the saloon from which
1 enter. find myself brought up" nearly
at the farther end of said table, but in most
defiant manner. Yet, with the appearance
of man who had business there, straighten
myself up and by carelessly keeping my hand
on the back of the seat approach my seat
and unconcernedly look over the table lit
erature." 'Soup?' says the steward.
eyes" HeroicallyI begin to eat and with
every spoonful am bow'ng to and retreating
from my neighbor opposite. This con-
tinues a few minutes, when l discover
that the soup does not seem quite as
good as usual and mechanically stop and
reflect Suddenly it occurs to me how badly
my friends DR. and the J-e (who have not
put in an appearance) must be wishing to see
me, and not desiring to keep them waiting too
long 1 Immediately, in obedience to duty,
leave my seat to hasten to them.
stop on my way to 'just sit down you
know for minute and finally conclude to
lie down. A few minutes in horizontal po-
stion persuades me that my frienus are bet
ter, and that on the whole may as well fiE-
ish my dinner. So / return and call for the
next course but mouthful or two convinces
me that am the most unsympathetic crea-
ture on board-in fact perfectly heartless
wretch to be eating when my ''dear friends"
are suffering so-and again leave for the
deck. Now no one would for one moment
say that was sea-sick, unless perhaps some
may who have no sympathy in him. l am
satisfied there are many sympathetic people
who go to sea, and my advice to them is new
er take any friends with you, for you are al
together too gushing and regardful for them
to enjoy it yourself So much for my theory
will close the sea part of my letter by SIM
ply saying that the weeks weather was about
as nasty, disagreeable and rough as one often
encounters in June. So say all of us, and so
saws Capt. Brown, TO whom and all his off :
GERS we are much indebted for raany kind
nesses. We most heartily recommend him
and the Polynesian to our friends at home.
Of course we saw icebergs and the other
things incident to the voyage.