The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1889-08-17

placid surface of the ocean, BLOWN
sprays of water high in air like the veri
table mammal the right whale. But al
though they looked it, they were decel
tious ocean sports. In truth they wer
what are known as black fish, specie
of exaggerated porpoise, which served a
passing sensation, and welcome relic
through the veil of impenetrable fol
which soon enveloped us on every side
AS night again closed around us, tn
careful Captain Braes, donned his water
proof, and took his place upon the steam
er's bridge. Constantly throughout thu
night the warning signal was given t,
other vessels, that lay in our course
About midnight the answering signal o
a passing steamer not more than half (
mile distant, showed the stern necessity
for the precaution We we're taking. Or
Sunday morning was on deck besimes
1t had rained in the night, and the &C
cumulated dampness dropped from thu
rigging on every hand. About ten O'CLOCK
| the forward watch announced steamer
| ahead. 1t proved to be another vessel o.
our line, and which soon passed US il
| fine style on our starboard bow. On tina,
day notice was given of public worship
TO be held in the saloon. The Rev. Geo
w. Milligan an eloquent Presbyterian
Clergyman of Toronto led the service. In
our complement of two hundred and
thirty cabin passenger, there were be.
sides the Rev. Gentleman, fourteen other
ministers of different denominations, all
of them on summer vacations. They we're
generally from the North, majority be.
ing from Canada. As rule they were
jolly ship companions. They were gen.
orally to be found in the smoking room
on the upper deck, chatting socially,
smoking, and taking merry hand at
whist or euchre. Sometimes casual re-
mark provoked a general discussion on
some public topic. Every body joined in
debate generally. One day the tariff
came up for extempore discussion. Two
or three jolly fellows and excellent free
traders from Virginia ventilated their
opinions on protection, backed generally
by the Canadians. One defender of the
protective idea, in the warmth OF discus
sion, used profane word. One of the
clergymen rebuked him for the vulgar
and objectionable habit. 1t seems that
the gentleman who used the offensive
word was not aware that any clergymen
were present. When rebuked, he replied
that since the gentlemen of the clerical
cards, smoked pipes, and were to all ap-
pearances sinners like the rest, he had
no means of distinguishing THEN cloth
from any other. That where he lived,
preachers were not as liberal as they in
their views as to amusements, and hence
the mistake. | mention this episode of
the trip, as indicating marked liberality
of opinion among tourist olergymen upon
the subject of innocent amusements,
which, as the days of voyage at sea in
crease, comes to be an important ques-
ton with the passengers.
Among those in our cabin probably
more conspicuous than any others by
name at least was DR.. $. M. Burnett of
Washington husband of Francis Hodson
Burnett, author of Little Lord Fontel-
row." Almost every nationality was rep
resented on board. noticed at the very
outset, the general tendency of passen-
gers ON ocean steamers to talk of their
private affairs. Tney seem to be held
together by bond of common sympathy.
The obligation to be at your best seems
to be recognized by every one. They all
share the common risk, their general
liability to disaster is the same and all
seem to feel the fact. People only ordi-
narily agreeable on shore, seem to try to
make themselves agreeable on shipboard.
Being sincere at least for the time being,
they generally succeed and become posi-
lively agreeable while the voyage lasts.
When the voyage is ended, they become
strangers again. it being generally the
case that steamship friendship ends when
the gang plank is laid to go ashore. With
six continuous days of fog, and mist we
had more than covered half our journey,
when old Sol began to break through the
dense veil and show once more his well
come face. By Saturday morning the
changing color of the ocean showed that
we we're nearing the Irish coast. Flocks
of welcoming gulls met US far out at sea,
and at noon on that day, the Captain an
nounced, that in twenty-four hours we
should be in the Clyde. That evening
about ten o'clock, the forward watch
made out Tory Light, off the Northwest
coast of Ireland. With the expectation
that the early dawn would disclose my
first glimpse of Ould Ireland, took my
berth for the last night on board. was
on deck early the next morning. To the
Eastward lay line of coast dlmly hid by
the misty morning vapor. 1t proved to
be the vague outline of the Giants Cause
way. Still northward the Island of Is
lay off tine Scottish coast, and as we came
closer into the channel Jura, and on the
south Rafin binding in grim outline
upon the Irish coast. AS we Rugged the
shore little closer for the first time the
deep green of the Emerald Isle came out
distinctly to the view, Then steering
due j sst, the bold outline of the Null of
Cantire came like a vision out of the
mist. 1t was a revelation to me in its
pictured beauty. Such color, and such
tone had never seen before in a land
scape. Not to be rhapsodic, it was SIM
ply enhancing to those beholding it for
the first time, our keenness of enjoyment
being heightened by the pleasing transit
ton from the depth of colorless fog to
the rich beauty of the Scottish Highland
scenery. Our passage up the Firth of
Clyde was simply a succession OF piano.
ramic pictures, the beauty of which I
shall not attempt to describe. Had some
colossal Titan painted those hills and
slopes of Arran with his magic brush, Of
brightest green's, and yellows, varying in
depth and shade, be could not have ex-
celled this landscape 10 beauty. On past
Butte, the eye meantime feasting on new
beauties of distant landscape, until
Greenook is reached. The sail up the
Clyde river from Greenock to Glasgow is
one never to be forgotten for its rare
beauty and attractiveness, and which
shall refer to more particularly in my