The star. (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1874-1875, 1875-02-06
IN DANGEROUS COMPANY

| We had been ten days at sea before
my mind misgave me, and l began u
dread all unfortunate termination to ou
voyage, for matters had gone wrong
from the very beginning. There hat
been trouble with the crew, who seemet
to have an idea that pei ennial drunken
ness was the proper STATE OF mans eX
istsnce; and vino, as long as q sixpence
lasted, obsLlnately refused to go or
board, in many cases having to be hauleC
from the wharf over the side like 81
much suspended animation. Then wher
we had been warped out into the river
and were awaiting the Captain, we
round that he had been taken suadeniy
and violently i'll, so tnat weeks delay
followed, ending IA a fresh appointment,
anu the coming uf u new caplaln-a man
OF quiet genial aspect, whose presence
seemed " augur Il termination Of Oul
troubles, and lie was welcomed accord.
ingly.
For merchant outward bound is by
no means the paradise existence Ill the
minds OF ardent scnool-buys, bitten Win
Il longing for lIle;lt sea. Twenty-i"ur
uOurs Of the llle on board ana its dlscom-
forts effeetually slckened me; but then 1
had chosen my vessel Iur reasons OF
economy, kAowing tDat every hve-pounu
note wouiu be, perhaps OF pflceiees val
ue in d new hoine; 50 made up Dil nina
not 10 be discUluenteu, but 10 bear ali
that fell to my lot. l nad taken my pas
sage to Buenos Ayres with the Iul, ill.,
tention of rvugning 1t for some years to
come, and therefore l argued lhat 1t
| would be cowarGiv to turn tail Ut the
| first trouble tuaL fell to my share. But
really IL WIS trying Work, IN spite Oh
the strongest determination. The sailors
! were soon i'll lhal pleasant STATE Of de-
81 ondent misery wnicn succeeds long
debaucA, ana, as If giving lhe uniofLu-
| nate passengers the credit OF BENG the
cause OF their Sutiefings, lost no oppor-
tunlly oi visiting the salu suner.lss
| uuon their heads. | said upon their
I heads, but the lGet as frequently suffer-
ed, buckels OF water beiu. uasheu upon
them-ul course aeridentally--if we VEN
! tured on deck during hOiy stonng times.
| We come to griei, too, over ropes, over
| the SLOWING OF cargo, and III variety Ui
ways during those nrst tlays-uur sea-
| going trends looked upon us as AN ME
| rior race OF beings. Wnom, us lubbers. 1t
was their duty to atil.ct. But by unt Of
| good temper, this ae ali pretty well got
over, i'll time iOr the rough weather we
encountered down cnunnel, anu hight
away across the Jay OF Biscay, sufiicienl-
w bad to contine us all, SICK ana we'll,
pitching and tossing, with he shil2s TIM
Ders groaning and crehIlnG 10 degree
that seemed 10 threaten lailing TO pieces.
Picture to yourself, you Who nave been
on ship"bUard, u g.oomy, .celled pris-
on, with stout beams crossing every
| here and tnere, The lignt stealing leeDly
| through the little windows, the air you
| breathe hot, toul aud sitting, the hatch
above you battcned down, SO that, save
| at special times, there is no coniilunica-
ton Win the deck; and nearly every
| fellow passenger either oemoanlny ms
hard tale or else groaning as he lies
| prone in the helpless misery of sea-sick-
ness, 1 think that il al! the niiserles OF
! Il rough voyage could be foreseen, those
who take trips to 1ar-otf lands Would be
greatly reduced in numbers.
A couple of days respite came at last
| in the shape OF line weather; and III the
| reaction produced by the bright sun
shine, and free, brisk airwe brealhed on
deck the troubles ol.lhe past were forgot
ten. The captain still seemed all thai
was very pleasant; but there was q
flushed and heavy look in his counte'
nance that did not like, ana before ion&
had another opinion upon the subject
for. in conyers .,tion, l found that the
second mate had been at the same schoo
as myself; and together we went ovel
the old days and compared notes, as ]
| walked the deck VITA HIM far into tnt
| watch.
The weather turned foul once more
but this time, through the mate, con
triyed to stay on deck, when, to my sur
prise, found that the greater part of the
duty was shifted on the chief mate, the
captain seldom showing on deck.
'No, don't think it's from CO wardice,'
said my friend to me, as we walked the
deck that night, when the gale had some
what moderated. 'Of course this is in
confidence"
| nodded.
"Weli," he continued. 81 don't know
what to make of him; sometimes think
he's ma 4, and sometimes that he is givei
to dria king. How he got appointed tt
this ship, can't tell. Mr.. Ray don't say
ANYTHING but he is one OF those men who
think all the more: and of course he'll
be particularly careful, lest the captain
should think that, as first mate, he is
Jealous because the command was not
placed in his hands,"
No more was then said; but before
many days had passed, we found thai
| the man who had been intrusted with a
| fine vessel, q valuable carge, and, more
than all, the lives of passengers and
| crew, WAS OuS VI IHOoc uLiOi tuDdJc Dc
| ings who, not content with the enjoy
ment Of the good things Of this life, are
| in the habit of having incorporate out
breaks, when the impulse to drink, COM
mencing, perhaps, with the stimulants
taken in some time of peril, grows per
fectly uncomfortable, and eliminates al
length in one of those horrible tits Of
mania known as deIirium tremens.
1t was enough 10 make any landsmar
nervous as to our fate, should the heavy
weather continue; but there was still
| the satisfaction OF knowing that the two
mates were thorough seamen, who would
no doubt, take upon themselves the man
agement of the ship, should there BE an y
real danger. These feelings did not
trouble me long, tor, the weather again
Frightening, hope rose, and day aftei
day glided pleasantly by. We saw bul
little of the Captain, and only learned
that he was confined by indispositoa to
| his cot, the cause of this indisposition
being only known to q few; but could
see that the first mate, Mr.. Ray, looked
more anxious than usual; and taking tue
opportunity of being on deck one night
I'nad long talk with my friend, to learn
that the captain only recovered from one
lit to seek means Of bringing on another
'spity we did not leave him behind al
| lnct