The Somerset reporter., 1888-06-21
a PASSAGE N TIE sTeeRAGE.



Il nav serve as warning to all con
ce~red 10 publish the following extracts
frorn recent private letter giving an ac-
count Of ;he trs, part II voyage TO the
River Plate On board one Of tie finest
steamers aaoat. and belonging 70 one II
tie i-st known companies. lie writer IS
yoang nan who Las % face the world
- t,,.,i lie may. and by necessity toos
Storage passage BE says;
In The bay Il B>cay we have had very
lad weMher-high wind. rain and heavy
LAS Last night was dreadful The
horrors = a steerase Passage can only be
realized By experience The food is bad
and Is eaten ihe best way We can manage
There i 40 table We must eat-sitting
on wooden bench or standug-fr1m
greasy tin plates With greasy Tin spoons
and forks er greasy knives. and We drink
at q greasy lin mugs Al a. n We
nave c,Elpoand which cars faint re
,eu.8lan-e .o coffee. without mix and
I'D bread which : Tie only good thing
Xe tave There is also a Substance they
.el!a butter hut the sight and smell i
i are enough. A. : a Il. We have brean
sa>t. which consists Of kini u soupy
z.ew with potatoes. AID a coneoctlau
witch las 1T thu least resemblance %
- beiuz. III fact merely dirty water !
- nat drink +. 4, noon We have dinner
Which consists II beef cut in slices about
a. inch ti.ea and Which viii not yield 20
llasticatiou. potatoes and bread and water.
1t } p. II we have more soupy stew and
biscuit. which Will yield only 10 the ham
nlpr These are al the meats. and the
t-.l q fare has Only varied twice u four
G4ts-once on SUNDAY, when we Lad sal,
: - farq
sc hal sat pork. which was worse.
Tie sleeping arrangements are on
TAR with tie rest. our cabin has twenty.
e-lt births, which are all fun The
t.lhs are about two feet wide, and the
lis are composed Of straw mattress
al pillow. and two blankets The wash
H. Arrangements are simple-tin basins,
with about two inches Of water. Baths
t.,ra are none. Tie state IF dirt ~e
all De in when we reach NoHieyiieo
c-rnot conjecture Al night We lave
oily one iiEht-a dinCv oi. lamp Be.
:. p. worst : 70 come A. Bordeaux. Cor
ul.a and Virgo We TOOK On cargo Of
tie wre- tecest ractag and babtail Of the
French. spanish and Portuguese nations
--.ea women and children. | belieFe
~ Low have about eight Or nine hundred
= these o. bard. ana there are more 70
e9i-e at Lisbon. which We should reach
l.. morrow.
Tie scenes that have taken place IN
ok and below since these poor wretches
cane N board battle description Men.
women ard children are scattered about,
eating. drinking, chattering. singing and
ssL5.5rE Fortunate it Is that our cabin
j, FIJI 50 ina, these people are berthed in
cher cabins. but the noise at night and
the stencil are horrible Some II them
ar literally in rags. many without shoes
az stockings. but all with one accord are
very dirty Moreover, the ship itself Is
dirty There seems to be IL attempt Ia
sep !: clean The door Of our cabin IS
slippery with grease and dirt We have
rhree unkempt Portuguese stewards to
a'-ena on Is They are fairly civil The
MY English steerage passe Myers are the
.ayuiy-e GIT in our cabin. They are ali
- M fellows. Some ara engine drivers
r "a Tie Midland railway. some clerks
~. They share little Injuries free with
al.e another As the above mentioned rag
a. AL psbtaH are IL ;le lal.; Of stead
- cat I tie cabins aai even ripping
6a-s pen. We have a---at.izcj watch Of
haf al hour s7e.. each. - that tie
aaain : never ~, au,euaatel al day
II james i4az4t-a