The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1895-01-05

fore reaching the big Trees" only seven
miles out of Santa Cruz. Bad presage
for one who was about to start on the
1890 mile voyage across the Pacific
Ocean from San Francisco via Honolulu
to Yokohama, japan. But only the other
day the Naval Reserve or MARINE
Militia" of which there are three COM
panies in San Francisco, we're taken
out for little ocean practice, but were
compelled to turn about and go back to
the city before they could get out of the
Golden Gate. most of them were so sick.
Perhaps in time these callow "sons OF
Neptune" may get their "sea-legs'
spliced on and be able to renSer their
country efficient service.
One thing that struck our attention
was the deep dark, beautiful blue color
of the water when we got fairly out to
sea. We had heard, to be sure, oft times
of
"My Willie's on the Dark Blue Sea-"
but we had sgarded it as strong expires
sion warranted, perhaps, by the poets
license. But we find there is no mere
license or fancy about it. The contents
of our grandmother's old-fashioned dye
pot was not more genuinely, deeply blue
than the great "wild waste of wallowing
waters all around us.
Passengers and Chinese.
Besides about 30 frst-class passengers,
"a very small number-we have three
or four in the steerage, and 300 China
men returning to their native land.
three of them as prisoners in irons, for
what offense we have not learned, and
three or four Chinese women and child
rem. We also have small company of
Japanese returning to their island home.
The two nationalities do not consort to-
gether and the Japanese that we meet
seem greatly superior to the Chinese,
though perhaps it is lower class OF
Chinese than of Japanese that we meet.
The Oceanic is British ship and flew
Japanese flag at the mast head and a
British flag at the stern when we left
San Francisco yet she carries the U. S.
mails. Does it not seem pity that a
great nation like America can not send
her mail and her citizens abroad from
her own ports in her own ships? The
officers are British and American, some
Of the latter whose relatives and friends
we find we know. They are all pleasant,
gentlemanly and obliging. No baughti-
ness or assumption of superiority. Ev-
erything is done for our comfort and
contentment. The table is that OF a
frst-class hotel, and the servants, Chin
ese and Japanese, are all that could be
asked for. The sailors are mostly Chin
ese, and we hear the reason given why
they are preferred to white men is that
they are reliable; can be depended upon
whether on ship-board or in port, where
they do not, like white men, wander off
and get drunk and get into rows. Too
bad. the poor heather, that they should
ruin us with Chinese cheap labor!
These qualities of industry, sobriety,
honesty, reliability, hardness, and
cheap living, are what constitute their
desirability as servants in California and
other parts of America, and yet in Cali
fornia | had strengthened the senti-
ments which l entertained before going
to California. l protest against any
abuse of the Chinaman. l acknowledge
that in certain respects, and for certain
purposes, he is the superior of the aver
age white man; but l do not regard it
American social industrial system, to al
low unrestricted Oriental immigration.
Neither let me say do l regard it as
any longer in American interest to per
NIT unrestricted European immigration;
and do regard all attempts at the i'm
provement of the conditions of Ameri-
can labor by means of protective tariffs
or otherwise, as delusive and vain so
long as it is permitted to continue. At
the same time there is cry ing need of in
culcating the homely virtues of industry,
reliability, honesty and sobriety among
all classes of the American peop 9.
Our cabin passengers. with whom we
are becoming acquainted as the sea-sick-
ness is gradually allowing them to
emerge into the common lounging-
places, are very agreeable set of peo-
ple Among them is General John G.
Smith, ex-Lieut. Gov. of Illinois, Grand
Scribe of the Illinois Grand Encamp-
ment of Odd Fellows 33 degree Mason
&c. &C., who. with his daughter, is on
his way round the world. He has al
ready visited Europe, Egypt and Pales-
tine and the Mediterranean Islands, and
this, with his service in the civil war and
his wide observation at home and abroad
make him very interesting travelling
companion. We soon find that we hive
many common acquaintances, which en-
ables us more easily to become ac-
quainted.
Missionaries Aboard,
Then we have our quota of mission
aries, some of whom are returning from
their vacations after many years SER