Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1878-07-18

Burke county, Ga, aged sixty-four years
The poor creatures were given the usual has
ty sea burial and scanty ceremonial, in place
of the peace and plenty and halcyon, days or
sunny shores for which they were journeying
respectively, to pass in comfortable tranquili
ty the remaining years of an old life, and in
bright prosperity the many promised ones Of
youth. Smallwood's death was attributed tc
measles, and Hadley's to the fever. The
people are very hard to manage in sickness
Just as they are, with infinite trouble, being
brought around, they gorge themselves with
fat pork, and down they 60 again. 1t is
subject for wonder that we haven't more
sickness Very few of the. steerage passen
gers have changed their clothing, and many
have not even washed their hands and faces
since leaving Charleston. They watch the
mate, the captain and I, taking salt water
shower-b baths, with awe, and avow that they
are afraid of it. Not one of them has imita
ted us. Two men are expected to die. =.
May 24-A ray of comfort came last l. ghi
in the shape of light and shifting breeze, in
which we managed to scuffle 63 miles. We
are 80 miles from Monrovia at noon to-day
TWO MORE DEATHS
this morning, making total Of fourteen 81
far. They we're Bermlle Clarke, aged Il
months, daughter of Ned Clarke, of Claren
don County, S. c., and Laura Williams, ageo
% years, wife of Brian Williams, of Burke
County, Ga The death of the former was
attributed to commissions, and that of tht
l.. h. Sovaro1 Ioofho q
expected. The captain is barely able to gel
about, being completely knocked up with
fatigue and anxiety. Still very hot. We
have probably gotten into the current setting
along the coast, which, will help US some.
Yesterday the people drank their half ra'
tions of water all at once, and there was much
suffering in consequence. In some instances
one portion of family would rob the Others
of what of the fluid was reserved. To-day
they seem to have learned more prudence. Ii
is curious fact that our efforts to catch fish
from the stern are defeated by the scraps and
other food continually being thrown over
board We can see the fish turn contemptu
ously from our bait and snap up the drift
ing provisions Everybody in the steerage
seems to have cold and coughing is eontin.
uous The emigrants have become so used
to seeing funerals that: they fail to attend
them, and the putting of body overheard
seems to create no excitement whatever.
May 25.-The prospect to-day is gloomy
enough. With all sails set we have only
made seven miles during the past twenty-four
hours; the wide circle Of sea surface Is smooth,
except when now and then a wide irregular
swell heaves restlessly up as if the water were
painting under the heat which beats down
6ercely from the blazing sun hung in cloud.
less sky the Azor rocks sleepily, her head
swinging aimlessly about, and her sails flap
ping lazily against the yards. The passengers
huddle about, crouching under the awnings,
conversing occasionally in subdued tones, per-
fectly idle and listless the vessel is becoming
overrun with vermin, and the smell about the
steerage is fearful. This morning we buried
THE FIFTEENTH AND SIXTEENTH CoRPsEs,
being those of persons who died during the
night. They were Matilda Williams, aged
20, wife of Simon Williams, of Burke County
Ga, and Mary Ella Robinson, aged IA
months, daughter of Fred. Robinson, of Edge
field County, S. G. The death of the former
is attributed to the fever, and that of the lat.
ter to measels. All amusement is denied.
Yesterday shot sea gull and one or two
bonitas, and this morning the oldest emigrant
aboard came, cap in hand, on the quarter
deck, and woke me from my hammock with
the petition that 1 would shoot no more, as
he felt convinced that it would bring US bad
luck. The mortal remains of the slaughtered
gull had, he said, been floating about the
bark all night. Two "mare-maids" had also
been seen to 60 by. Ancient colored indi-
vidual, said I,
"Where we lay
Were there 'lamentings heard i the air: strange
screams Of death;
And prophesying with accents terrible,
OF dire combuStionS, and confused events
New Matched to the woeful time! Did the
Obscure bird clamor the livelong night?"
He said that they were, and furthermore aver.
red that an ancient dame full we'll reputed
for veracity, had seen sceptre dire backed
like shark, but very like horse (probably
having some connection with the mare maid, !,
about the ship, which she supposed to be the
dsembodied and distorted spirit of the gull.
This is an actual occurrence, and bears out
what was said somewhere in the misty past OF
this letter about the negro's "ghost" anc
"Ku- -Klux" factories. The latter is not avail
able here, and they return to the former, re-
peating these horrible tales to each other.
l find on the sheets of my "copy" strange
thumb marks, which lead noe to believe that
somebody is surreptitiously engaged in read
ing this communication. sympathize hear
tily with whoever it is, as I've had that job
to do myself
May 26.-Last evening, just before dusk,
black clouds began to pile up above the west.
ern horizon. Before long the CLASSY surface
of the sea was ripping into wavelets, and just
as darkness was coming on, welcome and
body and soul refreshing gust of wind came
from the west, being Immediately followed by
a steady breeze, which filled the hanging
sails, and awoke the vessel from her lethargy,
and sent her gliding along ''like thing Of
life," leaving behind her in the phosphorescent
water long, shining trail extending into the
night. The clouds promised rain, and ar
rangements were made to secure as much
water as possible. Everybody seemed to be
taking in great draughts of the fresh air, which
went rushing down through the wind sails and
doors, scattering the close and fetid atmos.
phere tween decks, and filling every place
with the very elixir of life Cheerfulness and
activity replaced the apathy and languor en-
gendered by the weeks calm, and in a few
minutes all hands had gathered about the
decks, and the joyful noise of old.fashioned
hymns and choruses was heard from hun
dred voices The breeze held until about 3
o'clock this morning, when itsuddenly chang
ed to the east, filling the sails the wrong way,
('taking her aback.') The helm was imne-
mediately put hard down, the vessel brought
before the wind, and all hands put to work
Glowing up everything. In the twinkling of