Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1875-10-27
From Cassel's Magazine.
MUITNY ON BOARD.
BIZ LEWIS HOUGH.

BIZ LEWIS HOUGH.
/ commenced my medical career with
exceptional disadvantages. My parents
were dead, and I had not a friend or
relative wiling or able to help me. I
was cast entirely on my own resources,
which were a diploma, respectable
wardrobe and twenty pounds in cash
the balance of the capital which had
sufficed for my education. Feeling
desperately the necessity of exertion
applied to all sorts of people, rushing
into the presence of bigwigs who ought
not to be approached without proper in
PRODUCTION, and outraging them with
demands for surgical employment. I
should say l sometimes received as
many as five snubs and rebuffs in a
morning. At last fairly broke down
in the presence of naughty young
admiralty clerk, who was perturbed and
melted by my distress, when on asking
him how I could get into the navy he
replied
Suppose you apply on a pwopper
form through the pwopper channel
Look here, he said, calling me back,
leave your name and your address.
Surgeons are wanted sometimes in a
hurry"
Two days afterwards I received a let
ter Informing me that surgeon was re-
CURED for the Alecto, which was to sail
for Sydney on the following Sunday
with cargo of convicts, and that if I
applied IN person at place and hour
named, and answered certain questions
satisfactorily, there was little doubt but
what should get the appointment.
There was no medical employment on
earth that { would not have jumped at
bhndfold just then, SO [ made my appli-
cation, was accepted without any diff
culty-w1th rather an ominous aIacrity
lndeed-and after such poor prepara-
tions in the way of outfit as my ignor-
ance suggested and my slender means
could afford, Invent on board the .AIecto,
which was lying of Greenwich, and
for, ed myself Id medical charge of a
.captafS. two mates, a lieutenant of the
royal navy, In some mysterious capac-
ity that [ neVsr rightly comprehended;
twenty sailors, ali officer of marines and
his men, and $50 convicts.
The naval lieutenant was the only man
on the quarter deck when I went up the
side.
81 am the surgeon" [ began, ad
vancing toward him; but before I could
say another word he asked abruptly -
stCan you play chess?"
"Yes-a little, replied.
tim thankful, vera thankful, for
that. Shake hands, sir. The marine
body, Mr.. Phipps, no one cares for the
game: and how should We surveeye SIGH
a protracted and tedious voyage with
out chess? My name is MacNab, and
I hope We, shall be friends, sir.
I said that [ hoped SO, too, and we
engaged in conversation which was
the reverse of inspiriting. [ gathered
from MacNab that the skipper had been
unfortunate in former voyages; that his
mates were rufians; that the crew were
very poor types indeed Of the British
sailor; that the ship herself was q rot
ten old hulk that ought to have been
broker up years before.
[ went down to my cabin, which
seemed absurdly small and low and
dark; got nv portmanteau there, and
tried to make arrangements for future
comfort Then I studied the printed
instructions had received as to how
often I was to inspect the convicts,
etc, and wondered what was to be done
if they were refractory, and who had
authority over me to prevent me shirk
ing my duties; for had sole command,
it seemed, In my particular depart
ment
When [ returned on deck I found
the captain and Mr.. Phipps there. The
former had red nose and watery eyes,
which explained, perhaps, why he had
been unfortunate with his ships; the
latter was gentlemanly fellow enough,
but responding and taciturn, his silence
being of the less importance that when
he did talk he generally grumbled,
which did not add to the cheerfuIness of
so small party. His only solace was
In making pen-and-ink sketches, at
which he was very clever; landscapes,
with clairoscuro effects, involving an
immense amount of time and labor,
being his principal forte. Both he and
McNab we're disappointed men; but the
Scotchman was the better philosopher
of the two
We four supped together, and in
due time T went to ny berth and found
how 10 get into It. felt like toy put
away on shelf In the cupboard, for it
VS. nay first experience of ship accom-
mediation. When you have learned to
lie on your back and not Want to move
all night-to take enough oxygen into
the lungs while on deck to last for the
time you are below, and to be indiffer-
emit to cockroaches running over you,
you get on great deal better.
On reaching deck next morning ]
found that We we're under sail and drop