The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-10-07

cOastinR along TERRA del Fueuo. that SAINT
saloon BECOMES like the vault Of q cold storae'
compsny. The dir Is saturated with moisture
and the temperature barely above the freeztns
point The moisture gathered like dew on
tine walls Of the saloon M we'll AZ Of the
staterooms. and sometimes trickled down 10
form little pools In the hunks and on the hOoF
There was no device for heating or drying the
cabin. We were dressed continually In the
heaviest hennels, and wore heavy overcoats, bat
the chill air penetrated everything, even 10 the
marrow Of the bones.
I once passed two weeks in Greenland In the
month Of October. and exactly two years later
was digging away the snow in the Rocky Noun
tains. 5000 feet shove the sea. that might have
bare ground for my blankets at night. My home
is IL the Adirondack, where the snow lies four
feet deep and more all winter long. but have
never suffered from the cold as did during
four weeks Of this voyage.
And yet at times when the conditions were
such rs to make us all most uncom Portable, we
commonly enjoyed life rather better than at any
others Our greatest trouble when the weather
first became cold was to pess the evenings. 1t
was stupid turning into wet hunks at p. NJ,
and wretchcd work trying to play cards or spin
stories In raw, cold, recking saloon.
But happy inspiration struck one OF us while
standing by the hatch leading to the little store
room abaft the cabin. THIS storeroom was In
charge of the shortest and thickest man aboard
ship-a person who looked rs II he had once
been typical qusrtcrnaster on q Yankee man
o'-war q great tall, broad. shouldered, impas-
sive. administered man, but through some sc-
cident had been tecscoped down 10 stature Of
four feet nine. Tho first cold evening after
leaving the River Plate a pessenrer. while walk.
ing the deck for exercise. stoned by tho store
room hatch lust "A the Captsin's valet came
there CARRYING a plste with tnmbler ON n.
"storek eeper 7- said the laokey
yes" replied the thick. abort man.
Cocktail"
YES, sir. Quickly"
A few minutes later the storekeeper came IN
the ladder carrying a glass tube about ten inches
long and two wide. IL was closed at the bot
tom and had long handled silver munger In Il.
The tube had about two inches OF n light brown
fish liauor in the bottom over n layer Of sugar.
Standing the tube on the deck the storekeeper
pumped the plunger up and down vigorously.
The aroma of gin bitters lemon and sonetbine
else greeted the nostrils of the passenger Tho
storekeeper poured the mixture into the glass
until the glass was full Then he looked at the
tube. There was . quarter Of an inch of the
mixture left there. Backing carefully down
into the storeroom the stoorkeeper looked up al
the passenger. He saw that the passenger was
looking 1t the remnant in the tube. The store
keepers face was absolutely impassiyc a. q
whole. but when he caught the passenRer's eye
he looked down at the remnant. moistened MS
lips with his tongue. looked IN slowly At the
passenger again, and then his right eyelid trem-
bled expresstvely, a. he said:
1T Is a cold night IL It not, sir ~
The passenger went down into the saloon and
gathered about the table the French merchant
the German count, the miner. the doctor. tho
Argentine Lieutenant and several others. Then
the steward was called. Could he bring some
things from the store room3 He would be
pleased. What would the gentlemen hayef
The order ran something like this: Brandy.
sugar, lemons, claret and a plenty of hot tea 20
be brought after the other articles vero deliy.
cred. hot SOUP tureen WAS also included in
the order. Some sugar was placed In the tureen
and bottle of brandy poured over IL. Then thu
brandy vas fired and the blazing mixture was
stirred with n big spoon tin the sugar WAS dis
solved. After that bottle of claret was stirr.d
in and then a not of hot tea. equal I'm measure 70
the two bottles preyiously used was alfred IN
also. Last of all lemon was sliced in. peelipu