Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1894-12-06
BELOW THE EQUATOR
\ WISCONSIN WOMAN IN THE
SOlrl PACIFIC.
HOW \ DAY Is OCCASIONALLY
LOST
Features ot the Fiji Islanders \
Land OF loyrliurSs and Interest
Scaut Clothing Of the Natives sup.
plrmentcd by Il Srlcndid Growth Of
Hair Coming ot the Coolies.

There are not many CNrntS to break
the monotoity OF the vast ocean. Even
/ On the Atlantic, where steamers run
/ aS regularly MS the ears on the long
4 American lines and whcrn one would
expect to be constantly passing or at
i least seeing other ships, II is SurpriS
/ ing how seldom one secs II sail II is
/ still more the case ON the untraNersrd
/ Pacific. So II was quite the event OF
the day when n bark was sighted and
To watch II rs II gradually gained In
! size as we approached IL, till NJ last
We could look down over the bulwarkS
i on the deck. After all II seemed Il
4 mere cookie shell rs II SMayrd up and
down ON the waves far beneath us
/ 1t looked battered enough aud Its sails
were wet for 1t had been tossed about
and the captain had taken the uppor-
tunity Of the encounter with the steam
" to verify his rcckoniugs. \ great
/ deal Of signalling went on between
/ the great and small sea tarcrs for this,
rs well as all the conversation was
conducted through flags. Ii proved to
be II Norwegian bark and rs Its sailors
! were very not very dcNtcrous in their
management of the signals they had TO
so through the whole ceremony twice
to make sure that they had quite I'M.
acrStood. II was very strange watch
ing the dumb show and to look down
on the eager, anxious faces OF those
human beings whom we had run
across on those lonely waters; and
although rain began to fall and the
dressing bell for dinner rang In per-
"mptory style over and over again,
we could not tear ourselves away,
till the bark tackled of IN the fast
fading light.
Another curious sight for land lub-
hcrs is TO watch the sailors as they
dance aud sing in the forcCastlc. On
saturday night If the captain had no
serious fault TO find with their con
duct during the week, they
had grOg served ont after
which they seemed inclined
To be merry. one man had an accord
ion, another II violin; so there was 80
lack OF music for the dancers. Some
| OF the men danced beautifully horn
pipes and iigs and the sword dance.
Then Il In, ger place would he cleared
and the ladies In the stccrag" were
invited to round-dnncc, and, for
lack Of lady partners n stalwart
sailor would often dance with an
agile young stripping. Then songs
the long choruscs.
Ii was n picture after the heart Of
the old Dutch masters red glow on
lr Wcathcrn beaten faces, and re-
vcaling now II black man swathed In
white, now Il tar, with his strong
throat exposed above his Jersey, ana
now II pretty young woman CHANGING
VI with laughing eyes. Sometimes
II man got shy when he saw the
audience from aft leaning over tho
rails.
A bo'sun, the biggest man on board,
was called for eagerly by tho men,
as favoritc singer. He got up and
began but his shyness choked him.
/ again he tried manfully, but he could
not, and he tried to hide his bushes
| behind one of his men. TIL the captain
said: Poor fellow, he's as shy AZ he
Is big; we had better not put dampcr
! on their fun"
The heat became clammy and OPP
prcssiye as we ncared the equator, and
made US feel very languid. AS we
crossed tho line on Sunday, none OF
the rough frolcs that often mark the
occasion were INDUCED in but as we
gathered In the social hall for morning
service, some w0uld-bc wits could not
refrain from whispering "Did you feel
the keel grating az we crosscdT
Didn't you notice that bump when
we struck the liner
The service for use at sea Is an
abridged version Of the church Of Eng
land morning service, with some spe-
cially appropriate prayers The cap
/ tain acts ~ clergyman and the doc
tor as curate reads the lessons. The
passengers on the Warrinoo always
turned out In full force and most OF
the officers. 1t IL not compulsory for
the crew to attend and noticed that
II was always the same little band and
those the very pick OF the men who
came.
A week after leaving Honolulu we
sighted the light on the first island OF
the FIJI group, and when ! awoke the
following morning and looked out OF
my fort other islands were In view,
their sharp peaks lowering up grey
and hazy through the mists OF morn
ing All that morning we went sailing
on from island unto island at the
gate ways OF the day."-really and
truly gateways, for, although We had
gotten out Of bed on Thursday morn
Ing, we had passed the lSOth merldl-
an by the time breakfast was over
and we were 6ithin the domains OF
4 ue.v day. when the sun Is reckOncd
to begin his course. So We rose from
HE table On Friday morning. aud our
los. uiie ana MI bear the tragic note
opposite Thursday; "Ilost this day"
nI sense that tie old Roman emperor
upru. dreamed NJ when he made the