The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1889-12-21


we're as far extended The other way and
the feet resting only against rope work
ing and wobblng and giving way here
and there from the weight of fifteen
hundred pounds of men unequally dis
t-ibuted over it, was task and seeming
risk too great for my courage. l dared
do nothing but hold on. The conduct of
the maintopsail was desperate and out
rageous. 1t seemed straining every
nerve-supposing, for the sake of forci-
Bile expression, that it had nerves-to
pull us off the yard and 'into the great
deep"
found myself between two old sail
ors, who lost no time in convincing me
of my complete and utter worthlessness
aloft concurred. They babe me clear
out and get down ON deck. was glad
TO do so. Reefing topsails in reality was
very different from reefing them in
books or in imagination. On reaching
the deck l concluded to lie down. All
through the evening had experienced
an uneasy sensation in the stomach. l
argued with myself it was not seasick"
ness--something did not agree with me.
But when | lay down in the scuppers
admitted being seasick. Then ] only
cared to lie there Life was too miser-
able even to hope ia. The tumult went
on as ever. The sailors tranipled over
me. Being in the way, they dragged me
aside. cared not. Finally some one
bawled in my ear, "Sick! so below" l
went. The five other boys, all similarly
affected, all caring naught for life or
living, lay in their hunks.
The boys house was about the ize of
a respect .ble pigpen-a single pigpen.
There was room in it for two boys to
turn at once, providing they turned
slowly and carefully. On going ON board
we had bestowed such of our outfit as
could be brought into this pen in the
manner in which boys of 10 bestow
things generally on first commencing to
"keep house." Everything was arranged
ON terra firma basis. We made no cal
culation for the ships deviating from an
even keel. When she did commence to
pitch everything fell down. Clothing fell
on the floor; plates. knives, forks, cups and
bottles rolled from shelf and bunk; bread,
meat, and the molasses kegs fell; plum
and sponge cake, pie and sweetmeats
fell; for each boy had a space in his sea
chest filed with these articles, placed
there by kind, dear relatives at home. 1t
was intended that we should not refer to
them until the ship was far advanced on
her voyage.
But we never had such large supplies
of cake and sweetmeats at hand before;
so we went for these things immediate
ly. The house abounded with them the
first night out. The roof leaked. W..
lett our sliding door carelessly open, anc
a few barrels of the ocean stopped over
the bulwarks into the apartment. AT
midnight our combined clothing plates,
mugs, knives, forks, bottles, water kegs,
combs, hair brushes, hats, pants, coats.
meat, bread, pie, cake, sweetmeats, mo-
lasses, salt water and an occasional sea-
sick and despairing boy, united to form
a wet. sodden mass on the floor two feet
in depth. Above, the storm howled ana
swept through the rigging, with little
sail to interrupt it. Six sick and
wretched boys in their berths lay ''heads
and pints," as they pack herring-that
is, the toe of one rested on the pillow of
the other, for it was not possible to lie
otherwise in those narrow receptacles
for the living. But the horrors of that
second night are not to be related.
No solicitous stewards with basins and
tenders of broth and champagne attend
ed us. We were not cabin passengers on
an ocean steamer. Barely had the next
mornings dawn appeared when our door
was flung open. In it stood that dread
full second mate of the greenish eyes,
hard, brick red complexion, horny fists
and raspy voice-a hard, rough, rude,
unfeeling man, who cried: "Come out of
that! Oh, you're young bears-your
troubles amt commenced YETI Then
his long, bony arm gripped us, one after
another, and tore us from our hunks.
Out this dreadful morning we tumbled,
in the wet clothes wherein we had lain
all night, weak, sick, staggering, giddy.
A long iron hook was put in my hand
and ! was desired to go forward and as
sist in hauling along length after length
of the cable, preparatory to slowing it
away. Sky and sea were al of dull,
monotonous gray; the ship was still
clambering one great wave after an
other with tiresome and laborious mo-
notony. All the canvas of the proceed
ing day had disappeared, save much
diminished foretopsail and storm stay
sail. The mates on duty were alert and
swearing. The men, not all fully re-
covered from their last shore debauch,
were grumblng and swearing also. The
cook, a dark hued tropical mongrel,
with glittering eyes, was swearing at
something amiss in his department. 1t
was miserable time. But cure was
quickly effected. In thirty-six hours all
seasickness had departed. With the del
icate petting process in vogue with
wealthy cabin passengers it would have
required a week. But we had no time
in which to be seasick.
Life for us on board this ship was com
menced on a new basis. We were
obliged to learn manners" Manners
a