Middletown transcript., 1876-03-18
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/ colcEuDED FROM LAST WEEK. /

sRuARYs<S' iosS
[coicIuDED FROM LAST wsrK.]
The table, at breakfast, lunch and
dinner groans with substautials and
delicacies. At the former. abundance
Of the best claret l ever taeted, is serv.
ed with the coffee. and at the other two
meals, cakes of almost endless variety,
nuts and oil kinds Of tropical fruits,
with whatever variety Of wine, and
spirituous and malt liquor you may call
for.
The passengers have become nearly
all acquainted with each other. and
conversation BY day an Bezique BY
lamp-light, with occasional reading and
writing, occupy the waking hours
An occasional sail, few white gulli
soaring 10 the air or quietly resting on
the sea as complacently as do any Of
their web-footed brethren, and stray
"diver" or bunch of sea birds, are the
only objects to be seen until we reach
the latitude opposite to Cape Henry.
Oh! how awfully sublime and majestic
is the sea. and bow little seems man,
who is, after all. in sense. its lord
and master. Away out here on its
heaving bosom, l feel just like one
would suppose the smallest and most
insignificant of insects to feel. if sta
toned in the centre Of an illimitable
plain, with bell-glass of Infinite height
impending over and circumscribing it..
Sharks here abound, and their ugly.
black dorsal fms are sticking up above
the water in every direction, one big
blue rascal is scudding away from the
side Of the ship, and l can hardly pre-
vail upon my senses to believe that his
fn, which creates quite commotion on
the surface of the water, is not wound
ed duck striving to rise but prevented
by some submarine tether.
Friday night, 25th, we go to bed at
our usual hour, and the weather per-
mits Us to lay of coat and vest.
At 8 o'clock next morning We are
reused up BY tempestuous sea. which
advises US Of our contiguity to Hatteras.
For 300 miles we are subjected to its
nauseating influence. The waves roll
house-top high and the ship pitches sud
rolls and lurches like drunken man
Most Of the passengers are sea-sick and
but few appear at table / asked the
second officer how far east this Chary-
bdis-Scylla extended its herrid pulsa-
tions. and be replied-"All the way
across We are giving its treacher-
Gus sands wide berth of 60 or 10
miles. What a marine-burial-grouud
is this, worse than .'Horn" Of our
Eastern sea-board How many brave
hearts and valuable csrgoes have sue
cumbed 10 its stormy vengeance. and
have been covered BY its soothing bill
lows and shifting sands
One terrible catastrophe, and me-
morable for it's wholesale destruction
during our late war, attests the popular
apprehension Of closer acquaintance
with this king Of the capes. and bis
watery dominions. Saturday 26th. the
weather much warmer and we shed our
overcoats We are sailing due south
with the Gulf Stream, IL miles to the
eastward. Nothing unusual to-day; ]
have been much entertained by observ-
ing the occasional casting Of the lead.
the examination Of the log and the TAX
ing of observations. The lead is a
cylinder of lead about 8 feet long and 2.
or u inches in thickness. and weighs
so lbs. The end to which The line is
attached. is a little smaller than the
other. the butt eDd being followed to
carry tallow or soap. SO that the char.
acter of the ground in soundings may
be known. The log is a hollow brass
cylinder, about IA or Is inches in
length and diameter of 2 or p in-
ches At about one-fourth of its length
from the end to which the line is at
tacbed. small strips Of thin brass plate.
10 shape Of the half Of the figure Of .
he,rt drawn on paper. are fastened by
the long edges to the outside Of the cy-
Under, to the number Of 4 or 5. The
momentum Of the ship and the resist
ance of the water cause this cylinder to
revolve and its revolutions move deli
cate watch machinery in the interior Of
the tube and which records the speed
on three little disls on the surface Of
the log, protected by glass.
Sunday 9th. the sun shone brightly,
and lovingly into our state-room win
dow, calling US up at 8 o'clock. There
has fallen since day break the softsst
and most gentle Of June showers. The
whole atmosphere is fresh and moist
with sea-fragrance. The sea is quiet
and still as an inland lake. excepting
always its deep, heavy pulmonic res
piration, and the long rolling heave Of
its aostic pulsation The morning is
lovely for one at sea. The
sun is. more direct and its rays are too
hot for comfort and safety. The whole
spacious quarter deck is to-day covered
by the sailors with awning, and seat
under it's grateful shade is dreamy and
suggestive Of luxurious and indolent
repose. ~ ~
Monday 28th. passed the latitude Of
Savannah yesterday at noon TODAY
we made Cape Florida light at 8 o'clock
P. NJ. From this point down the coast
Of Florida and the many keys below its
southern extremity. extends series Of
iron light houses built on the very edge
Of the coral reef. which uuderlies al
these waters. and which, indeed, is the
substructure of one-half of the State Of
Florida, the hundreds of keys or low
islands and many. if not all. of the
West India islands Some of these
lights are revolving and very bright.
especially that at Jupiter inlet. The
huge iron posts. four in number, seem
to rise up out Of the sea. and at dis
of Geton0 m .fcok f.oS, ~