Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1892-08-09
ON THE OCEAN WAVE.
GaphIc Account Of the Voyage Of
the Dispatch Party.
vlRlEGATED And HlxED COMPANY.
The Ubiquitous nrifen and Ills coiored
Brother misunderstanding Idle-
pess-A Fog and Fire.
lstaa corresponaence Of the Dlspaton.l


Cunarder Aurania. and we have become
expert seamen enough to serve in the crew
of any Pinafore company that may hero
after DO organized IN Richmond. the mana
gers of which may be willing to accept
nautical skill in lieu Of vocal talent.
Our ship Is staunoh, leisurely in move
ment and quite plain in her appointments.
There is not steamer OF the Old Do
minioa Line that does not make more
SNOWY appearance than she does In every
thing except size. The builders Of the
Aurania abhorred style. but we can pardon
them, since they were particular about
strength and safety.
ESoLIsH FRoM ALL LANDS.
Our passengers are assembled here from
many quarters. though most of them are
Englishmen homeward bound from India,
Japan, Australia, the British West Indies.
Canada, and the United States. where they
have peen on business OF pleasure. Al
ready we realize that our mother tongue
has many forks TO it. In the speech Of the
English West Indian We observe the i'm
preston made by their contact with the
Spaniards and with negroes, while the Ca
madam shows the, effect Of contact with
the French population and with American
tourists and business men, and so IL goes
among the people from the almost innu-
merable possessions Of the British IN
foreign lands.
CoLoRED ENGLISH.
In the steerage we have nineteen negroes
from Nassau, all in the uniform OF the
British Navy.
These are part of the crew of the light
house tender Richmond. Because they
wear the British uniform aud because they
have Richmond" upon their caps we
were glad 10 talk with them.
The commander IS a white man, but all
the rest OF the crew are blacks, and the
Richmond's duty was 10 go from light
house 10 lighthouse in the British West
Indies and carry supplies Of coal, oil. pro.
visions, keepers, etc.. but she has been
condemned. and now the crew are going
20 London to take a new ship home with
them.
These men are all quite black and seem
TO be- of pure negro blood. Their skin looks
greasy. and many of them wear full
bGards; but in general appearance-noti In
speech--one might easily take them to be
citizens Of Jackson Ward.
MICRO KNIGHT.
From Barbados planter (an English
man aboard we learn that the Chief JUS
tiee of that island, Sir Conrad Reeves, is a
man whom we quote says chat Reeves goes
into the very best society and that he him
sell had on several occasions attended din
ner parties where Reeves and Reeves's wife
aud daughter were honored guests.
Reeves's knighthood and iudgeship came
from the Queen.
In Barbados the chief product of the
soil is sugar-cane. and the negroes till the
fields and arc paid therefor IL cents day,
and the sugar is sold for 2 cents a pound.
The negro laborers' dress consists of
straw hat and cotton shirt and trousers.
They seldom wear shoes. except when they
GO TO church--the Church of England
nearly always-and then our informant
says that they are so "unhandy" with
mighty clatter as they go marching down
the aisles.
THE DARBY AND TIKI BRIToN.
From none of the British West India
men-and there were on board men from
Nassau. ST. Vincent's. and Barbados
could we learn that the public opinion of
the islands approved marriages between the
whites and blacks but II was stated
that whites" of the lower classes and
'colored people (mulattoes) sometimes
inter-married.
Ii happens that there are no negroes
among the frst-cabin passengers OF the
Out II lEtIc Wttt IL ID lllf W sup
pose. from prevalent British opinion, that
the officers would make no discrimination
against them, but that the pas ,engers
would we doubt not. In che steerage the
black navy-men flock" by themselves.
THE sTEERAGE.
Life in the storage has vastly improved
no doubt in ten or twenty years. but il is
bad enough still. The Uunarders furnish
their passengers with no chairs or benches
except in the saloons. If you have mind
to sit on deck you must provide your own
chair. With the exception of one line this
Is the prevailing custom with the steam
ship companies, ana while il falls with no
great severity upon the tirst-cabin passen-
gers. who are generally persons of means,
or are willing TO pay TO be 50 considered,
II is q grievance to the poor folks In the
steeTage which all tender-hearted souls
would wish 10 see abated.
ION DxcK."
At sea one realizes the powerful signif-
canoe of this slang term.
III you are ION deck you are tolerably
well and are likely to continue so. Hence
IN the squeamish breast there is ever an
aspiration TO rush to the deck and face
the wind. and get fresh air for your lungs
and repose for your stomach.
There Il no idleness comparable in
charm to that which IS found In fine
weather ON an ocean steamers deck. Men
and women stretch out in reclining chairs
(Which they have brought aboard with
them and wrapped in their warm rugs
and shawls listen 20 the murmuring water
as it Is hurled from the steamers prov.
and dreamily gaze at the far-of line on
the horizon where the dome of heaven
seems TO encompass the earth.
liz IL the only place IN polite society," so
far rs we know. where It is perfectly per-
missible to fall asleep while your neighbor
is talking to you. Indeed, some of our
company have done more sleeping on deck
Than in their berths as the weather was
rooms were very ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
larry those located near the immense
boilers which furnish steam TO drive this
ship more than 400 miles a day, and which
also affords power to generate the elec-
tricity with which the saloons, state-rooms,
DC. are lighted.
Our experience is that while we can be
very comfortable on deck in our winter
clothes. in our state-rooms We could do
with only the most gossamery fabrics that
ever left the loom.
DISTINGUISHED COMPANY.
Among the passengers on board the |
ship are nine clergymen, baritone singer |
and his wife, who is prlna donna; three |
newspaper-men. two Georgia doctors, one |
spiritualist, Que Jap. and several hundred |
"plain people" including q goodly num- |
Der of students from English colleges who |
have been attending MIR. Moody's summer |
school up in Massachusetts,
THE INSURANCE WE CARRY.
We Riehmonders never fully realized |
our own importance until we commenced |
making our preparations TO 20 abroad, and |
then all OF sudden We had greatness |
thrust upon us and. what is worse, II as
sumed tho form OF visits from insurance
agents.
The honey-tongued policy-venders came
from far and near, and painted IN graphic
but horrible language the dangers which |
menaced us. Verify we thought that we
would never reach New York alive. |
They told as Of the risk we in
CURED IN getting on trains. IN getting OF |
trains, and in not getting on trains at all.
until we shivered in our boots and began |
TO prepare our souls for future world. |
But these same insurance agents were |
ktnd 20 us and OfIared sunh yrQat induce-