Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-12-07

Cinnamon, African OF the modern
European Tongues, all, wi,h the exception.
believe. of the languages of 1us@ey and Fin
land. are spoken among the sailors. IL Sunday
morning is a pleasant one, and instead Of at
tending church. where few sailors are TO be
found. we roam about the upper deck of the
ship, We shall see men playing at cards, bask-
ing in the sunshine. talking. reading and
large number with small sewing machines
industriously making and mending various
articles OF clothing.
II THE NArNToP.
Early in the voyage it became my great am
bition TO climb to the top of the mainmast,
distance of l66 feet from the water. One quiet
afternoon I succeeded in satisfying my wish.
When ready TO descend, however. / discovered
that a number of sailors were climbing after
me. They seized me and without ceremony
roped Inc to the mast. Upon inquiriug the
meaning of all this / informed that
stranger is not allowed aloft on a man-of-war
until he has ''paid his footing" Ihis. | was
gwen TO understand. meant bottle of beer for
each OF my capturers. Prohibition principles
and indignation at this rough usage induced me
to resist. for while such imposition. But as
the sun disappeared behind the western waters
and my prospects seemed good for spending
the night lashed in spread-eagle fashion to the
mast OF the ship persuaded myself 10 yield 10
time-honored custom, so paid for the right to
climb, unmoiested, to the top of any mast in
the navy.
PROF. Able MEETS A VARIETY OF WEATHER.
Ii there is happy man among among us,
without question it is Prof. Able. BY his ell
thusiasm and untiring industry he has
awakened among tie officers of the ship deep
interest in meteorological observations His
little balloons almost daily floating in the
air. and on the high portions OF the ship his
thermometers are continually whirling. Nature
herself seems determined that his efforts shall
be richly rewarded, for during the seventeen
days of our voyarge from New York
to the Azores. almost every variety of weather
has been encountered. Scarcely had we
been at sea a week, when, from the borders of
black cloud lying to the south Of us, appeared
most magnificent display of waterspouts.
Within the space of an hour thirty were seen
to form, assume beautiful curves and shapes,
and vanish. Seven fully developed ones were
seen at one time. Some came very near, and
with the aid of glasses their whirling move
ments could be easily studied. Observations
on these were brought to a close by the terrific
storm which followed. To the members of the
expedition who were plucky enough TO stand
out in the wind and binding sheets of rain
this storm at sea was an experience not soon to
be forgotten.
NOT A WRECK AFTER ALL.
At $50 that evening an unusual commotion
on the spar deck drew a crowd from below
Surprising that some accident had happened
followed and reached the hatchway in time to
see the life boat lowered to the water. AT the
starboard quarter of the ship a large crowd was
anXiously peering through the darkness at a
long black object some three hundred yards
distant. The severe storm of the day left no
doubt in the minds of all that it a wrecked
ship. The life crew rowed swiftly TO The 1crecI,
and returned with the startling information
that 1t was only patch of gulf weed a bunch
OF which was brought to the naturalist of the
expedition. WM. HARVEY Brown.