The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-05-30
Across the Atlantic to the Cape Verde
Islands.
UNITED STATES SHIP NIPsIC,

DEAR NEIGHBoR Our trip across
the Atlantic from New York to the
Cape Verde Islands was exceedingly
rough, but, owing to well behaved
stomach and a pair of stout "sea legs"
7 experienced no discomtorts during
the twenty-nine days occupied in max
ing the passage. For six days after
leaving New York we were driven be-
fore a Northwest gale, and suffered
considerable damage from the heavy
seas and winds We encountered. On
the third day out the severest of all
our misfortunes befell us in the loss OF
a life-boat. 1t was all in an instant ;
we were plunging along at a lively
speed, driving before the gale,-sud-
denly huge wave swept over the
ships side and tore away the boat
from its iron davits.
Quickly following this mishap we
"pooped" two heavy seas THAT is, TWO
immense waves washed over the ves-
seps stern) which flooded the entire
ship, causing considerable inconven-
ience for the time being.
During the rough weather we were
often visited by snow and rain storms,
or Squalls" as they are nautically
called. These squalls were quite Sc
we're while in progress,-the snow fall
ing 80 thickly on some occasions as TO
obscure the top-masts from the lookout
on deck. Another popularity OF them
were the. frequent alternations from
snow to rain, and VSee VerSG when
snow prevailed the masts and rigging
were speedily robed in white, giving to
the ship rather a spectral appearance
against the dark blue sea.
After awhile our dark days passed
away, the clouds dispersed, and the
"silvery lining" shone forth cheerily
and repaid US for the gloomy period
we had endured. Each day was more
balmy and beautiful than the one be-
fore, and it seemed as if we were in
perpetual Spring,-only, that the las
situde one usually experiences at that
season was replaced by delightful
sense of renewed life and vigor.
When about midway the ocean we
commenced picking up aquatic neigh
bors: now, q hideous shark following
in our wake, or a school of porpoises
sporting together at distance; or,
perhaps, whale floating lazily along
spouting up huge streams of water !;
yerv often we would sight "Portu-
guese man-of-war,"-a tiny inhabitant
of the sea, of the jelly-fish species, and
which resembles miniature ship un-
der sail. I could not help admiring
the pluck and endurance of "Mother
Cary's Chickens" (frail little sea birds
as they followed US day after day, pick
ing up their food as best they could
from the crumbs thrown overheard
from the ship.
The sight of another ship always oc,,
casioned considerable interest anu
speculation. Every one was anxious
to descry its colors and thus ascertain
its nationality. If it happened that
we were to pass our nsighbor at short
range the interest was increased ten
fold as we neared each other. How
pleasant it was to see some other faces
than our own in mid-ocean, and to dip
colors with a passing friend. The fel-
lowship of the sea is quick in its incep-
ton, and enthusiastic in irs manifesto
tion.
On the morning of February Is land
was sighted. At first it was scarcely
distinguishable from the hank of clouds
along the horizon, but as we drew
nearer, thin purple haze told unmis-
takably the outlines of the Cape Verde
Islands. Nearer still, and the veil was
lifted, and we beheld great brown, bar
rem masses of rock rising from the wa
ter and towering into mountains two
thousand feet above the level of the
sea. It was grand spectacle, those
islands of rock climbing from sea to
sky,-one extreme hidden In the water
and the other in the low hanging
clouds!
Porto Grande, on the Island of st.
Vincent, was our destination, and as
soon as anchor was dropped in the har-
bor went ashore to cable the Govern
ment at Washington of our arrival in
port. The wharf was thronged with a
miscellaneous gathering of the human
kind, and was at once besieged by
guides who volunteered in poor Ell
glish Ito show me to the town. l
think they were taken aback when
fired two or three sentences at them ia
their own tongue, telling them that l
had 10 desire to be exhibited, and re-
spectfully declining their services
relying, as I did, upon what Spanish l
had learned on the passage across to
carry me through 50 small a Portuguese
town. I was not little gratified at
my success in making myself under
stood so readily, and from that day to
this have experienced no difficulty in
getting along with my limited stock of
Spanish, which of course passes cur
rent with the Portuguese.
The Cape Verde Islands are OF vol
canic origin, and one Of them, Fogo
by name, is still occasionally eruptive.
EARTHQUAKES are also of frequent oc-
currence, though not usually very Sc
we're. Geographically, the Islands are
extremely interesting, and any one
who cares for specimens" can easily
pick up a fine collection in the course
of one hours stroll. Nor are they ut
terly devoid of vegetation, for, upon
visiting some of the interior valleys, l
found numerous fertile spots which
produce fruit and vegetables in abun-
dance. To give some idea of the
cheapness of the former, need only re-
late that one of our sailors exchanged
a plug of tobacco for which he had
paid twenty-three cents on the shlpJ
for three dozen oranges and one dozen
bananas. Similar bargains are readily
struck by others of the crew.; and sew
eral parrots have been obtained by a
more liberal outlay of the Tweed"
These Islands are a dependency OF
Portugal, and the Portuguese Ian
guage, customs and values prevail
throughout. Originally, they were
peopled by Portuguese, but for many
years the population has been a very
mongrel one, large numbers of Afrl-