The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1880-07-15
AN ENGLISH COLLIER.

An average collier schooner or brig is well
worthy visit. Let US say she carries from
200 to 800 tons and in that case her crew,
including the master and mate, consists of
six or seven hands. She is about 100 feet
in length, and about "a in breadth; or, in
nautical parlance, 600 feet over all and "a
feet beam" The mastor and mate dwell aft
in the cabin, and the sailors forward, in the
"fo'c'stle." On the deck, little in front
of the steering apparatus, which is situated
in the aftermost part of the ship, is square
box, about three feet in height. This is
.'the companion" Why it is called a COM
panion would be puzzle for etymologists.
It is one of the most unsociable structures
ever designed by man. The companion is
ct the head of the staircase leading to the
cabin, and a novice would find no small diff
fculty in wedging himself into the aperture
IN this box Eneas may have found the
descent to Avernus comparatively easy; but
Let him try the descent to a colliers cabin
A Cerberus, in the shape of an uncouth
mongrel, generally guards the entrance. If
this Cerberus has but one head, it does ex-
cellent duty for three, and you are lucky if
you escape with a slight flesh-wound. When
the nautical "dog of war " has been ordered
OF, you may commence the descent to the
cabin, and, having twisted your frame en-
tirely out of proportion, you reach the cabin
6oor. On q beam over the entrance is in
scribed the mystic legend, Certified to ac-
commodate four seamen," +" or whatever num-
ber the Board of Trade inspector may de-
eide upon This inspector must indeed be
. man of easy virtue. The cabin is usually
. room of horseshoe shape, and is capable of
seating half dozen people, much after the
fashion of ." the black hole of Calcutta" A
table occupies the centre, and permanent
seat winds its way round the table. There
Is . small stove in one corner, which fills
the place with q suffocating, sulphurous
smell but this smell is unable to destroy
the perfume of bilge-water and old junk
which permeates everything around you
The roof of the cabin is about seven feet
from the floor, and is adorned with a sky
light The latter admits a fair proportion
of the green seas when the weather is bad.
III tue c2sDiu Is u umBy mole, uSnlueu Win
the title of the " Captains stateroom." The
only light which finds entrance here filters
through the headlight" a piece of thick
glass inserted in the deck overhead. Two
men could find standing room in the estate
cabin" When your eyes gradually become
to the darkness, you discover a
rectangular box about three feet from the
floor. At first You fancy this is the drawer
of an old musty chest, but a closer inspection
proves it to be the ''s state bed" As soon as
you have been duly initiated into the mys-
teries of the cabin and its immediate sur
you can twist your body up the
and once more breathe mouthful |
of ozone. Cerberus very likely assaults you
again, and succeeds in leaving another tenn
porsay impression on your calf Consider
ing that the cabin is the best room in the !
ship, your bump of curiosity must be alb
developed should you feel any de-
sire to visit the 7" "fo'c'stle. Iinsleys |
AagasiHe.