The National tribune., 1883-02-15
OUTWARD BOUND.
Life on an Ocean Steamer Companions du
Voyage.
Special correspondence National Tribune.

fifty thousand Americans go abroad every year
in search of pleasure and culture, your readers
may care to know some of the experiences of
that part of the great army which sets sail III
December. In the first place, it is chiefly old
travellers who do this-travclers who know that
the discomforts of III" sick and the delights of
the we'll are nearly E:.ifOrm throughout the
year. Accordingly, the vessel of whose COM
pany your correspondent was one, carried few
inexperienced travellers, and the proportion of
enjoyment OF the short, warm passage was
large. OF ten days passed between Sandy Hook
and Queenstown but two were such as forced
all hands below; and the strong northwest
wind that blew us out of New York harbor, in
all the glory of Il winter sunset, continued a
faithful friend well nigh to the end. Life on
deck was the rule, therefore, and q contented
colony appeared every morning tucked up in
countless rugs on steamer chairs lashed to the
woodwork that shields the funnel and gives
out pleasant degree of heat in the process. In
this colony conversation was like the reading
aloud of charming travels for an Englishman
discussed in a sensible way the advantages of
making preliminary bachelor-trip as he had
done in order to facilitate matters before TAX
ing his wedding trip with the pretty American
wife now accompanying him to the Madeira
Islands. 4 returned missionary from Japan
compared notes with the aged man, who, as
first white resident of the Sandwich Islands,
has recently published an account of that region
and its aborigines, the Maoris. Incidental to
this conversation were comments from Scotch
physician returning home for third visit, after
a residence of fifteen years In the Sandwich Is
lands. An American who was present, filled
with dread lest a certain loving little brother
left at home should fail victim to epidemic
diphtheria, might well listen with envy to the
quiet Scotchman's account of the quarantine
regulations of his distant Sandwich Islands
home, where precautions are taken so success
fully against the spread of disease that mea-
sles, scarlet fever, diphtheria and small pOx and
all the host of contagious which threaten the
American child, are well nigh unknown.
These precautions include stringent quarantine
of every family in which any case of any con-
tagiOps disease appears; and the anxious
American may perhaps be pardoned q Litter re-
flection that in the Sandwich Islands moro
than in any American city local self-gov-
ernment seems to mean local good govern
ment, and to assure protection from nnrder by
disease, while we are content with an INSULT
cicnt protection from murder by pistol or bowie
knife. and with discontented ineihciency permit
useless boards of health to let disease run riot.
4 LESSON IN FRENCH.
Three members of the deck-colony on every
sunny day were young collegians who passed
long hours IN absorbeGiy studying French, and
ntcrSpersed their conversation With French
phrases to the amusement Of their neighboTs,
until a long, lank, slOuchily- dressed man from
northern Michigan broke in with such a stream
of Canadian French patois as cured their affec-
tati0n and carried off the conversation TO the
lumber interests Of the United States and the
need of wise and stringent forestry legislation
This man was an lrishman, who had brought
his young wife 10 America fifteen years since,
and, having made a fortune, was now going 10
Italy to spend the winter A good example
this of the possibilities OF American life, This
for tIp ctJ Of
perfect health, with means assured looked for
ward ever the life that stretches before them
with cutie as cherry hearts as the new mar
ried couple on the wedding trip to the Ma
deiras. Two lads were of the little colony and
were so wel-bred, so happy with each other, SO
frank, yet unObtrusve, that the older members
of the company delighted in them. The
younger was making the voyage for his health.
The other, youth still under twenty-three
years of age, was the English purchaser for
New York firm of house decorators: for he
had cultivated tustes in these matters as in
dress and demeanor. These lads seemed to
carry pleasant promise of the good time COM
ing when our American homes, already the
most comfortable in the world shall be as
tasteful as those of the older countries.
There were also in the company physician
from western town. going to study his profess
sional speciality; and the typical American, as
the British writer quarter Of a century ago
delighted to describe hinl-rich, vulgar and in
temperate. These with group of commercial
travellers, q quiet little boy, who was crossing
alone under the care OF the captain, and two
pert little girls made up the cabin passengers. :
THE sTEERAGE.
Quite as interesting were the steerage passen-
gers, chieily.men going home to spend Christ
mas and perhaps TO bring out their families
with them afterward. They were all we'll
clad, comfortable looking men, with more or
less baggage; men whose air of self-respect and
prosperity spoke volumes for the opportunity
that the New World gives to the working man.
Most of these men left at Queenstown, and the
thoughtful American, who stood watching them
file over the gang-plank and on board the
tender, could not fail to feel proud of the con-
trast between their comfortable appearance
and the wretchedness of the emigrants who
swarm into Castle Garden. Even the cargo
was not without its interest; for the fact that
it consisted of hops going from America to make
up the deficit Of the English crops told once
more the story of the Old Worlds growing de-
pendence on the New, and brought up train
of sorrowful reflections concerning the evil to
the working population of England that these
same hops work every year when turned into
beer -4prOpos of American products going to
England, it gives one curious sensation to
have to wait half an hour, in q little pen ia
Liverpool while ones trunks are arranged for
the customs inspection before one can enter
free trade England. 1t is true that the list of
articles which one must affirm that one has
not, is short and simple, including chiefly to-
bacco perfumes and American reprints of Eng
lish books but tho fact that England main
tains custom-houses and the expense of reti-
nue. of customs officers is an interesting COM
ment upon the English onslaughts upon Ameri-
can protective regulations. In this half hours
waiting there is time for speculation concern
ing the people on the vessel, whom one learns to
think of with strong interest in ten days of being
shut up together on the ocean, in the same sus-
pense with the same eagerness to come safely
to land. What will befall them? viii they
reach America in safety again? Will they be
changed at all? And, if so, will they be changed
for the better or for the worse? Doubtless
every human being who has made that voyage
will return to America somewhat altered; and,
on the whole, the change will probably be for
the better.
THE USES OF TRAVEL.
If the pert little girls, who are on their
way to convent school in Paris, catch
the sweet low tones of voice of the nuns and
learn their gentle considerateness of the feel
ings of others, they will gain something pre-
cious; and there is small danger of their losing
their frank uprightness, for they are American
girls. If the well bred boy going home to Eng
land to get the latest best designs for his Ameri-
can decorations carries back an enthusiasm for
such fine training as the English art schools
provide, he and the land of his adoption will
be the better therefor. Ifthe Michigan lumber
man finds in Italy that money in itself and for
8 t,or h