Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1889-05-02
A FORECASTLE YARN.
Terrible Experience with Yellow
Fever Aboard Ship.


The long, hot day was over and with th
.. setting sun had come a breeze, befor,
which the good ship Bristol was steadily
| slipping through the oily-looking water
Six bells had just been struck; the saloor
= was almost deserted, and the poop was peo
pied with weary passengers, reveling in the
soft. cool wind and the departure of our
, enemy, the sun. The main deck was alive
. with tho midship passengers, andthe watch
on deck, who, mixing Unfortunately,
Iounged and chatted and smoked and slept
: as their inclination moved them.
, / had come up on the forecastle-head to
enjoy quiet cigar and to delight my soul
with the wondrous beauty of the night. Up
here, every thing was quiet, and was alone,
save for the man on the lookout, who leaned
on the opposite rail as motionless aS a statue,
aud evidently occupied with his own
thoughts. Looking aft, the ship was almost
in darkness, being shadoWed with the
mountains of canvas which rose dim
and mysterious toward the sky. The
murmur of voices was hushed into
! kind of lullaby, under whose drOwsy
music both ship and ocean seemed
TO be dreaming. Overhead, the tropical
stars hung out their white lamps against
the violet sky, and set long trails of light
glittering across the dark water until they
broke in crystal shivers on the hull The
light from the open ports of the saloon
looked hot and yellow, and only enticed a
dull reflection from the sea. Some one who
was playing on the PIANO in the music room
had drifted into the loved strain of Home,
Sweet Home" and was sending it stealing
out over the sea like benedction. Round
the sharp cutwater the spray was rising in
fairy fountain, whose drops rang like a
chime of tiny silver bells as they met the
waves again. Down in the cool depths
shoal of fish were playing round the ships
head, looking, as they moved through the
MISREPRESENTATION water, like tsh-shaped
fragments of solid rainbow gone mad.
Thus | rested and was at peace until my
revere was broken by the sound of foot
steps ascending the torecastlo ladder |
turned and was face to face with my cabin
Mr., Ralph Stevenson. "Gorious
night isn't it," he said
"Magnihcent," | answered. and then
added: "lts not only the present delight
that am thankful fer, but for the memory
1t VIII bo in days to come, for you know "a
thing of beauty is IA joy forever"
81 don't know about that he reioined;
ut depends wholly on the circumstances
under which enc has seen it. DO you know
ms lovely night has called to my mind one
u the most unpleasant incidents in my
Ifem
Indeed; what was thatp
Sit down here ON this coil OF rome. and |
I You care to hearit, l will tell you as we
smoke"
gladly accepted his offer, and Stevenson
,egau:
When was young fellow years ago in
LONDON, was IN the employ of an uncle of
nlne who was at the head of Il large firm of
mp owners, My health had broken down
wing TO hard work and severe season
md the doctor ordered me n long rest and n
ca voyage, The firm at once gave me the
equred leave, and shipped me off as sole
assehger IN one of their best trading elm
ers, We had n fine passage, and arrived
aiely In the magnificent harbor of Rio do
aneuro, The port was crowded. and we
al 10 anchor outside and wait our turn m
q berthed. We lay for some days. during
men the heat was intense, when, all mn
announced, there burst over the citv and :
'e snlPplhg one OF those terrible outbreaks /
yellow teNer so common there. The dis !
Use spread with fearful rapidtv, and soon |
II snip was one among the crowd living M
" quarantine anchorage and flying the
lteful yellow flag. '7 VIC
IL was terrible 10 lie day after dav nm tho
"SSy sea ana watch the doomed civ Y
rough the haze and the ships nearer AZ n
ma constantly the yellow flags wern
''t'TlhS down to half-mast as n signal
'"e shore boats To come of and tal,e i,
way lhe bodies for interment An oI. 81
CIV hau deserted al the first with the o
V'Puoh OF the captain, the carmen. Is
y tai, thln Scotchman from ihe L
'u'' ana black cook named Jacob St
's" win myself, formed the whole [,
" 'VhPSny' Suddenly the captain vns II
'u'kuown, ana by influence we manaca5
got hlm taken on to one OF the hosniials
iorS Next day Chips-as they aI,vnvs nj
l tue carpenter at sea-was Ioid In,, n
'oo came ana told me that Chips WAS In
DUNK, very bad, SO went ON tho m,in l,
TX and visited HIM found him rav,ns,i T., III
or We hew the signal for the doctor
T awhile he came or, said il was a haa
q prescribed, gave some directions as ~ lo
'lHhe ami dislufectants and denar,aS re
90 ana | took turns in WATCHING rno. ca
Ps' oh TIE evening Of the next dav dt
p'o'hg The poop, utterly weary ana sick ii,
cart Inc red'hot sun went down M 10y
, anu the stars came out Tho nirht yvas ca
'ah'.y 'alm and Stlll. The lights ON tb. W
Ahade of kso began 10 twinkle out in,o ha
darkness Far above them on the over. he
s'ns terraces, clusters OF lght-mark clt
,oe position OF countless villas-hut o. an les
ul~'Aness OF the steep background hkT on
,"nu' set m !et. The dim outlines M m.
nus' mountains which rise behind The SIR
,'F N'med through the darkness in ,hs te,
starlight The Corsovada ana ,Ss mo-
"a voS'd be seen head ana shou,osrs nj
= ,he rest Towards the open sea ,hs
= 'Nt.n oi the fao de Assacur. which fnr
sS me entrance Of the hArbor, stool cat
soleinn sentinel. Near il ooula hs ~
,.'. ,.sn 'he ghmmering of the hghthogses s'r
way al the heads. paced The 49,
y " 70 nget agains, feeling Of utter
'uae aud depression. Ihaa = ,s.-,,S.