The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1881-05-26
On a Cattle Ship.

By SEAFAKER
\ few weeks ago a cattle vessel arrived
IN the Thames, and her master reported
that he had been compelled in gale OF
wind to throw overheard several hun
dreds of the beasts which had composed
his live freight. This statement greatly
shocked the public mind. 1t seemed Il
dreadful thing to drop scores upon scores
of live animals oyerboard and leave them
to drown miserably in a heavy sea. one
remembered the dismal story books about
slaves, and how they used to be hoistcd
overheard to Tighten the vessel when a
daShing cruiser started in chase Of the
kidnapping pirates. There seemed to be
something akin to the Old Shaving bar
haritics in the way cattle are treated
aboard ships when gale Of wind makes
the beasts Il dangerous load. One hears,
indeed, all sort of rumors. The worst
reached me from a sailor who declared
that it was not unusual to smear the cat
tie with petroleum, and them make them
jump overheard by setting fire to it.
This, however, do not believe, nor have
been able to meet with any person en-
gagged in this trade who ever heard of
such a proceeding. OF thought it at all
probable. The invariable argument was
that it would be a mad thing to set fire
to great animal like bullock, as il was
extremely unlikely that his instincts
would drive him into the raging water
and then, again, it would be fifty to one
if the blazing oil dropping from his hide
did not fire the ship. SO tits pleasant to
believe that this rumor, at least, is un-
founded. In truth, the manner in which
a deck-lOad of cattle is got rid of in a
gale of wind is very simple, though the
necessity for the performance OF that
work never does, and never can diminish
the horror Of it. If the reader is disposed
to follow me. he shall witness the whole
operation in the subjoined narrative,
which had from the lips Of an intelligent
and quite trustworthy seaman-of what
grade matters not-Who had been an eye
witness of the scene described, and whose
language | have been at some pains to
preserve.
"Our ship was vessel of two thousand
five hundred tons, a tolerably handsome
and roomy boat, and not above four years
old. There were thirty of us to man her,
all told, counting the skipper, but not in
cludlng halt-a- dozen men and a head
butcher, who attended to the cattle
These men were Just proper specimens
of the gangs of rascals who are shipped
in American ports by our cattle vessels
to look after the live freight. You might
search the whole world over, sir, and not
come across an uglier, dirter and cru
eler set OF ScaramOuches. AS a rule they
are the sWeepings OF the American
streets. | don't know whether it is the
shippers or the owners of the cattle who
are responsible for them, but whoever
may be the answerable people, they seem
to believe that the lower and more de
graded and inhuman man is, the filter
he is to look after the cattle that's
brought across the Atlantic. The boss OF
our six men-the head butcher--was a
decent sort Of person, but the others
looked as if they had been undergoing a
whole lifetime of solitary confinement in
Jail. Their clothes made them seem like
beggars, soap hadn't been near their
faces for weeks. 1t made the blood hot
to see the way they knocked the cattle
about, and though | am no saint myself,
their language, when they lost their tenn
per with the beasts, is one of the things
! don't like to think about The moment
my eye fell on these men pitied the ami
mails. It's a shame that better class of
men aren't shipped for this duty but, as
have said | can't tell you who are re-
sponsibe. 1t was my first voyage in a
cattle ship, and it was not till We were
under weigh from New York, with our
decks chockablock with moaning beasts,
that | could tell whether / should relish
in helping in this sort of traffic or not
I'll Just describe the arrangement of the
vessel, sir. Forward was the top gallant
torecastle. From the break of this fore
castle, as far aft as the bridge, was hur-
ricane deck, consisting of number of
iron girders, supported by stanchions and
planks laid closely together along, but
not caulked, nor water-tight. This hur-
ricane deck was continued abatt the
bridge. The pens, as | may call them,
were lodged between the ron stanchions
or supporters, and there were four beasts
in every pen. They were tight fit, but
may talk of that presently. There was
a gangway amidships of these pens,
which gave us plenty of room to walk
fore and aft The cattle were slowed in
lines athwart ships, their tails against
the ships sides, and their heads looking
inboard. There We're two hundred of
them altogether, and it was like being at
cattle show to Wallt down the amdshiD
gangway and see the rows of horned
heads and the wondering eyes of the
beasts, and hear the short, impatient
believing here and there, and to smell
the fodder. The cattle made our deck
load i the tween decks were chokeful of
American produce-cheese, bacon, APP
pies, and such like. The hurricane deck
made us look tolerably high out of water,
however, and few persons would have
suspected the enormous weight of cargo
we carried from the eappearanceo of the ship.
1t was mighty cold at New York on the
day we left, but during the first three
days we had very good weather, the sea
curously smooth for the Atlantic, the sky
bright, and a pleasant sou'westerly breeze
to keep our canvas full. Our average