The Arizona sentinel., 1886-11-20


 When Samuel Johnson said "A ship Is a prison with a chance of being drowned" he in that aphorism gave expression to the opinion generally en- tertained by landsmen in his day. In fact, the discomforts, and even priva- lions, which sea-traveling then involved were such that very few persons were willing to expose themselves to them, save when compelled by imperative cir cumstances to do so.
 When I crossed the Atlantic in 1841, for the first time, the condition of things had, in the three-quarterS of century which had elapsed since Johnson's time, measurably improved; but the diSGgre- mems to which passengers were even then subjected were numerous. No regular steam communication between Great Britain and the United States was in existence. The Sirius and the Great Western had indeed crossed the ocean in 1888, and the latter vessel had con- tinued her trips at irregular intervals. But for some little time subsequently,, no other steamer attempted to follow her example, the Cunard line not hay ing been established until 1S42.
 At the period of which I speak, the sailing packets running between Lon don and New York, and between Liver pool and that port, were ships of five to seven hundred tons burden. The state rooms-as the little cabins ranged on either side of the saloon were termed were below the sea-level They were incommodious, dark and ill-ventilated. In fact, the only light they enjoyed was that furnished by small pieces of ground glass inserted in the deck overhead, and from the fan-lights in the doors opening to the saloon, and this was so poor that the occupants of the staterooms could not even dress themselves without mak- ing use of a lamp. The soleventilation of them was that afforded by the remov- al of the saloon skylights, which, of course, could only be done in fine weather. The consequence was that the closeness of the atmosphere in the state rooms was at all times most unpleasant; whilst the smell of the bilge-water was so offensive as to create nausea, inde- pendent of that arising from the motion of the vessel. In winter, on the other hand, the cold was frequently severe There was, it is true, stove in the saloon, but the heat from it scarcely made itself appreciablY felt in the side cabins.
 In other matters there was the same absence of provision for the comfort of the passengers. The fresh water re- quired for drinking and cooking pur- poses was carried in casks; and when the ship had full cargo, many of these were placed on deck, with the result pregnated with salt water from the waves shipped in Leavy weather. At all times the water was most unpalata- ble, it being muddy, and filled with va- rious impurities from the old worm- eaten barrels in which it was kept. Not only was the water bad, but the supply occasionally proved inadequate; and when the voyage was an unusually long one, the necessity would arise of plac- ing the passengers upon short allow ance.
 There was always COW on board; but there was no other milk to be had than what she supplied. no way of pre- serving it having then been discovered. Canned fruit and vegetables were equally unknown. There was com monly fair provision of mutton and pork, live sheep and pigs being carried; but of other fresh meat and of fish, the stock was generally exhausted by the time the vessel had been a few days at sea. refrigerators at that period not having been invented.
 But the arrangements on board these ships were defective in much more inn portant matters than in not providing good table for the passengers. The boats-even when they were seaworthy, which frequently was not the case were so few in number that, in the event of shIpwreck, there was no possi- bility of their holding more than a third of the souls on board. The long-boat, indeed was practically useless in an emergency, as it was almost invariably filled up with sheds for the accommoda- tion of the COW, sheep and pigs; and it would have been several hours work to clear the boat and launch her.
 The law did not then render it com pulsory for every vessel crossing the Atlantic to carry surgeon, and the owners of the various lines of American packets would not incur the expense of providing one. The consequence was that, if an accident occurred or there was serious illness on board, no medical assistance was available. When l was returning to Europe in the Mediator in 1S42, a sailor fell from one of the yards, badly fracturing his right leg. The commander of the vessel was a Yankee that is, a native of one of the New En- gland States-and he had the ingenuity and readiness of resource which are characteristic of the people of that sec- ton of the Union. He so admirably set the injured limb with splints, that, when tbe ship arrived at London and the man