Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1878-04-05


we are likely TO remain in the same blissiu
ignorance for month or more to come.
January 22nd.-We have to-day very fin'
wind, and are rapidly approaching the eq ua
tor Last night We passed Cape st. Rouque
and were so close to land that We could dim
ly see the light in the lighthouses on thai
Cape.
We had quite an excitement yesterday
About 10 a. m, little speck was discovered
on the water, at distance. by our lookout
As We neared it We saw that it was a small
boat, with three men in it. OF course, oui
first impression was that they were ship.
| wrecked sailors, but when we arrived close to
them we found out that they were three fish
ermen from the coast of Brazil. We were
/ somewhat surprised, as it is rather uncom-
mon to see fishermen nearly one hundred
| miles from land.
January 23rd-Last evening We crossed
the equator for the second time, and it seems
as though we were almost home. l think |
shall feel somewhat like Christopher Column
bus when feel my foot on land again. |
shall want to kiss the ground.
january 27th.-To-day ID Sunday. and /
will tell you what Sunday is on man of war
Saturday is the grand day for washing scrub
bing, painting. etc, and on Sunday morning
| everything on the ship is nice and clean.
| The men and officers all dress in their best
clothes. and at $50 a. IN. there is a sort of
'.dress parade" Immediately after this the
Captain inspects the ship. He looks into
every room. and every hole and corner in the
ship to see if everything is clean and in good
order. After this the bell is tolled for church,
and those who wish to attend go on the
quarter deck, where the Captain reads two
or three prayers from the Episcopal book of
Common Prayer. The whole service does
not occupy more than ten minutes. Only
flagships, like the Pensacola, are allowed
Chaplains. and on small vessels like this the
Captain always performs what little religious
services there are performed. After church,
all the rest of the day is a holiday, and no
work is done except what is strictly necessa-
ry.
February 10th.-Until last night we have
had very pleasant weather, and have been
making very good time. We are now about
two hundred miles southwark to eastward
from Cape Hatteras, and, if the winds had
continued good, We would have arrived at
Hampton Roads, Tuesday or Wednesday.
But apparently Providence has willed it other
wise For several days the weather has
looked threatening and gloomy. and last
night it eliminated in a gale of wind and
heavy rain, with thunder and Lightning.
One who has never experienced it, cannot
imagine how frightful gale of wind at sea
is, especially in the night. There is first, the
noise of the wind whistling through the hun
dreds of ropes of ships rigging Itsouads
like great dismal groan, or yell. Next,
there is the noise of the ship, whose every
plank seems to creak and groan, like some
monster in distress. Then there are the
shouts of the officers giving orders. and of
the men in answering. They have to use all
the strength of their lungs to be heard.
Then there is the Tapping OF the sails, the
beating of the waves against the side OF the
ship and over her decks, and the clatter of
ropes blocks. etc. All these, taken in con-
nection with the pouring rain, the thunder,
the lightning, and the intense darkness,
make bedlam which is almost inconceiva-
BILE. and all these We experienced last night.
1t is enough TO make any one sick OF the sea.
but sailors forget all about it when fair wealth
er comes again.
We are now in the Gulf stream. and have |
seen more fish. such as whales, sharks, por-
poises, black fish. etc. than We have seen
the whole passage before. The sea is also |
VITA great bodies of sea weed.
The only damage We sustained in the |
storm was, the galley smoke stack was blown |
off by the wind and went overheard.
February 12th.-we are now lying in q |
perfect calm although we are so near home. |
isn t it aggravating? We might easily be at
anchor in Chesapeake Bay tonight if We had
a little wind but must. instead. stay out at
sea tonight. and perhaps other nights. You
can hardly blame us, 1 think, for being i'm
patient to get i'll to port, after being III days
at sea. There are eight vessels in sight be-
calmed, like ourselves. A lighthouse on the
shore is also in plain sight. and is painfully
of fresh provisions. oysters. shad.
etc, that could be obtained in its vicinity
were we only there
Ae I r;t of Oh
deck, and a man who has just come below
tells me that we have just got fair wind.
fte' like cheering TOO.
February 18th, 1890 a. m.-Our fair wind
continued until this morning, and here We
lre ll2 days from San Francisco and at an
,hor in Chesapeake Bay, about opposite TO
Fortress Monroe. which is, however too dis
ant to be visible. We took our pilot at $3.50
l. H. and intended to run right up to Point
Lookout but the wind died away, and we
lad to come to anchor at about nine O'Clock.
We are now waiting for tug to come and
ow us. We now know something of what
has happened since We left San Francisco,
through the pilot. He has told us of the
Russian war. the death of the Pope, and the
iing of Italy, and the loss of he u. ). man
,f-war "Huron." This last WAS q very sad
flair. | have been shipmate with several OF
he officers and men who were lost in her.
We had our storm almost in the same place
s where she was lost
February l6th.-We have to-day arrived at
he Navy yard. at Washington. d. @. Until
esterday We lay in Chesapeake Bay. waiting
or steam tug to tow u.s. We could get no
resh provisions. except oysters, which We
btained from boats that were fishing for
hem in the Bay. and We have lived almost
ntirely on oysters for the past two days.
morning n tug came to us, and has |
owed us here. The ride up the. Potomac is
cry interesting We passed the house where
\ ashington was born. also Mount Vernon.
There he lived and is buried. In accordance
nth customs when we passed Mount Vernon
ur flag was lowered. our bell was tolled.
nd all ON Geek took of their hats, in token
f respect to the Father Of our country. We
lso passed Fort Washington. and many
ther points made interesting 10y our late
ivil war.
Our voyage is now ended. We are safely an
hored under the shadow of the Capitol. /
III once more in the land of my fathers and
must end this letter