, 1876-11-09
CAPT. SAM.
A Voyage from New York to Cali
fornia, in i848.
Life on Shipboard..-C Crossing the Limo
...Shaving and Keo1- Hauling.

Tie Coast Of Drazil--.Tho IIarbor and
Ctr At Rio do Jnnciro.--Dom
pclro II.
For TAa Tribune.
In November, 1873, white temporarily out Of
employ, was saantering down Vail street,
New York, when met Henry Conlllard, m old
ant esteemed friend, who hailed me md In.
CURED What was doing nnd whittier bound.
On receiving my answcr, ho told INC that ho had
Just been appointed to tho command Of tho
United Statcs propeller Edith, Which vessel WIS
to bo dispatched TO Monterey and San Francisco,
Cal, with Government passengers and stores.
And now, friend Sam" said my friend, "as
you have doubled tue Horn md been through
tho Strata, while am totally inexperienced In
That navigation, think y1u had bcttcr talsc tho
spafc state.roon, in tho EtlEths ca1'n, and llavo
a look ut tho paclllc coast again, where who
knows but something may turn up which Will
oycntuato to your lasting bcncff.aH
Notll1ng coull havo better ehintcd With my
inclinattons Rt TINT moment. for hail spcnt
many delightful day in Chilli and Peru inycars
gono by, mud I longed for change from tho
stormy European tratle, In which had last been
engaged.
My sca-kit was always III readiness. and, l,av"
ing n.ado n few last and tender ntllcux, behold
inc, on tho 9Th day Of November, 1913, whc o,,r
President Harrison was being elected, on board
tho Edith, flying scaward before strong and
fayorlng gale.
sntp-L1rE.
a few days sufl!e[cd to render nll tho passen-
gers familiar, as those vito had to depend upon
eac!i other for soclal enfoynicnts during long
ant1 tedious passage; after whlc), commenced
keeping "1og" Of our voyage, for Lieut..
;Ma!,ry, OF tho National Observatory at WASH
ington.
X sca-lifc Is ono Of diro monotony Mt bcst,
broken at times by tho occurrence Of a gale, Or
tho moro startling excitement Vi losing man
oysrboard;, Aside from these events, tiay suc-
actsvty. speak OF yassungcr-life now, for tho
poor sur cats no Idle breAd" and Inns no holi-
days nt sen.
The Sabbath brings tlay's respite from labor
no change iii the sailors llfe Ut incessunt toll.
No habbat-bcfl mny fill his cars with holy
music, calling him to thu worship Of tho ON
Impotence that rules Ills occan-llolnc us well ns
tho lofty palace and tho 1owiy cot.
Thcs0 opinions Of sni!or-ltu are my later con-
clustons; fGr, at the ttlno Uf which I write,
wa8 looked Upon by NIL my friends as q most
lrrcclal'nablc rover, whose solo delight was
To roana o'er tho white sea-foasn,
When tho shrtll Winds whlst1u FREQ.
CROSSING TIE LINE.
Wc crosscd tho Equator on the lat OF Dcccm-
hcr, whom tue novltlatcs among tho passengers
wcro duly presented to Futter Neptune, and,
having undergone tlle tonsorial preparation,
they Wero welcomed to Ills donlairst ufter taking
tho solclnn 3atA or obligation. part OF which
was, Mover to eat llard tack whcp they could
get soft; never to kiss tho maid when they could
Gss thu niistrcss (a clause often more agrccatly
lolorcf IN tic breacll than IT. tho obscrvaslvc);
and nany more pledges equally Important md
no less fAeetfuus. ..
For tlo information Of those who aro iYnor-
mt Of tho fact, wish to dcserlbo some Of thu
performances which used to talso place On
almost all stips crossing from Nottli to South
latitude, ni!d particularly IN tic British East
Indiamon, IN oldcn times, say forty years ago.
SHAVING AND KEEI~11AuLlN0.
When tho vessel approached thu Equator,
preparations ,Yczc nnde for good ttnc gcner-
afly to NIL but tho lucklcss noYiccs who for the
first t!lne were about to "eross tho lfnc.h The
exact tinlo to an hour could be told by solar
observation; and, Just as the Equator was be-
| Ing crossed, ono Of Tho most EtAlwart OF the
crew, perfectly dtsgulscl with hugo whfskcrs
| anl flowing, ]orka, Sou'poscd OF. oakun, aud
dripping with oeeail-brinc, came over the bows,
with trident on Ills shoulder mud spoa!1ing-trum-
| pet In his hand, demanding, With tho yoee Of q
| Stcntor, "tf any strangers wero entering hss
sacrctl domaine" Tho newcomers wcre forccs!
to the front; and Neptune, having addressed
and n,ulst,ng ticm il bottle of braudy; Or, IL
Of tho consser sex. By turning them over to tho
three rough subjects who followed IN l,is train.
tightly. Ono was armed with pot Ut tar,
| Hlush, and sometimes more 1,ausc0us COM
pounds, and rusty iron hoop; tho other With
| il hugo pnfnt-br1sll.
Neptune proceeded with lis cascyl,tsm. Tho
poor victim opened his mouth to reply. Dab!
went tho BRUSH Of tar Into Ii!s mouth and ever
his chccits; tlon, tho lathcr having been ap-
t1 r41or e rusty h9onl %s brought
| fully shaycd. he WIS thoroughly drenchcl with
| salt water and then rclcased, II h1 promptly
paid Ills tlno oi d bottle of brandy to Tho crew.
Thcsc ceremonies wcre at ono tIn.o most re-
liglonsly obscrycd on nearly a1i ghips, md OH
The British tn4fa.non thcy Wcro ended by keel
hauing thu nositiatc,-aproecss1 wlll ondcayor
to dcsertbe.
A ropc was rceycd through blocks or pullcys
OIL each fore-yard.arm, Under tho ships bottom,
and passcd around tho victim, to wlosc fcct Il
weight was attached, To sink iliu, bu1ow tho
keel. Ho was then aolst1t1-up to the yas'!-arll,
snnd, az stgnal let 50 ''by tue run" while ihe
swaycd him aloft to tlls other yartl-usln; when,
after short brcathIng-speIl, Au WIS douscd
again.
This proceeding, rs may we'll DO Imagined,
WIS fsaught with real DANGERS and. tn fact, scv-
cral Victims pcristed during tho 0rdtul, receiving
hcayy blows on Lilo hcad against tho ship'a
! keel; Willie MI instance is recorded where a
yoracious shark I'anglcd body tntul1y durint.
were brought To tue noticc Of tic Government,
and tho pructIea wus thereafter abolished by
! legal cnactsle1lt.
| THE BRAZILIAN COAST.
Cd tho 18th Of uecctahpr VIC ulau1 Cape FTlo,
few miles to tho uorthwQrd Ut tho BRAZILIAN
Cupital, aud, running close asung tic land, VIC
cuJoyed fine view Ut tlle coadt, whose scenery
Is Mncqnalcd.
| Friu arc La Gavin, or Lura lf0ol's NUsc," ID
called because It's outline Ut Il human flco bore