Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1889-02-15
A TERRIBLE VOYAGE
BY HELEN A. sTElNHAUER.

1t was little sailing vessel which Or
dinarily carried coal from Belfast, Ire
land, to Kingston, Jamaica; but on the
occasion of which L speak, Captain
Donegan's wife wanted to visit New
Orleans, and so, instead of his usual
cargoo Of black diamonds, he this time
took along few passengers to defray
the expenses of the trip.
There were only four of us-a Spanish
gentleman. and father, mother, and my
self, then little girl of six years.
Fathers health had broken down COM
pletely beneath the duties of his pro-
fession and the enervating climatic in
fuences and sedentary life incident to
the West Indies, while dear mother, al
ways an invalid, was SO frail that she
could not stand the double movement of
a steamship. And that was why we
embarked on the brig Erin's Isle.
1t was wretched little vessel, dirty
as only soft coal and all untidy crew
could make it, and father thought it an
utterly unfit place in which to bring his
lady-wife and little daughter. But the
necessity seemed imperative, as there
was no line Of sailing vessels then plying
between Jamaica and the United States
and each day told so fearfully on poor
fathers health that mother said it would
not do to let this opportunity slip, as
there was no telling when there would
be another, and then turning to me,
with her brave, sweet smile, she added
NWe can bear anything for dear
papas sake, for five days, too, can we
not, Helen?" and answered cheerily:
eyes, indeed, Mammal" and so it was
settled, and we took passage.
The Captain promised fairly. The
ship should be thoroughly cleansed and
If mother would make out list of the
eatables desired he would procure them
and make everything pleasant and COM
Portable. And father thought that as
Mrs. Donegan was to be on board maybe
things might prove endurable after all.
But, alas! when the day on which we
were to set sail arrived and we went on
the vessel we found it dirty as ever,
nothing had been done
When mother showed me the filthy
hatchway which led to the cabin, 1 cried
impetuously:
z 81, go down that black hole? No,
4oeU@'!"
But quickly stopping she said, softly
and tenderly:
"Not for dear papa's sake, Helen %
and meekly replied:
90. yes, mamma, 1 forgot" and con-
quering my fastidiousness, descended
without word.
But, oh! what sight met us there.
Seated on the wooden bench which ran
round the small om,-chairs, there
were none, the Captains wife. On
the table before her stood steaming
punch-bowl, which she was rapidly
emptying by means of green-glass
tumbler She had it raised to her lips,
half-drained, as we entered, and we saw
at a glance that she already was, in
sailor parlance, "half seas over"
Two much intoxicated to be able to
rise, and yet desiring to be courteous,
she refilled her glass and proposed
drinking to "the little leddy's health"
Shocked beyond measure, and.shudder
ing with horror, 1 turned away from
her and, hiding my face in the folds Of
my mothers dress, exclaimed:
90 mamma! drunken womanw
Again STOPPING, my mother gently
whispered:
"Hush, my child; for papa's sake
be still;' and again I subsidized.
The entire ships company drank
steadily until they had exhausted their
supply Of liquor. Then they We're
sober enough, for we had had high
winds which had blown us far
out to sea, scantily provisioned
and with but little water for
the number of souls on board. 1t then
also TRANSFERRED that neither Captain,
Mate, nor any Of the crew knew how to
take observations correctly. The Cap
cain went through the motions daily, and
as unfailingly ended by scratching his
bushy head and remarking, with a
puzzled air:
Faith an I get the latitude nicely,
but indade an indade it's the longitude
which bothers mel"
Fortunately for us, when our food
and water had nearly given out the first
time, q Yankee vessel came within hail
ing distance, andits Captain kindly sap