Birmingham state herald., 1895-10-27

curious and interesting things that are so entirely new to me that I am bound to tell somebody about them. I can't stay bottled up any longer, so you may as well make up your mind to submit to this infiiction.
 Life at sea, especially on the Gulf of Mexico, is delightful, simply grand and although it has been month since I left you the time has glided by so pleas antly and swiftly that it seems but few days. Time on ship board passes more rapidly than on land, there being so lit tie to mark the days by. It Is a lazy in- dolent life, with
 Nothing to do but sleep,
 Nothing to eat but food,
 Nowhere to go but out,
 And nothing to be but good
 One must be possessed of patience and have faculty of making occupation to thorough ly enjoy this life. I must be an adept in the business for not a minute has palled on my hands.
 I don't blame sailors for never leaving the sea. I am afraid that will become so fascinated with the life that too will never want to become a land lubber again.
 The first few days out from port was little homesick, mingled with sea- sickness 1 missed my morning paper and missed the hustle and noises of the city, and missed my meals, but l soon got used to the new life, and now that am free from the dust, the noise and all business cares with nothing in particu- :. lar to think about, except the girl left behind, I would not swap places with the president,
 The, first few days, must confess, were anything but pleasant, as l had to un- dergo the agonies of seasickness. It Is all right now to write about 1t, but If thought I would have to suffer another attack think would walk home and re- main there forever. I will tell you all about It. but 1t is necessary to go back and tell you all about how happened to make this voyage and describe the boat in which 1t Is being made.
 When reached Mobile I began making inquiries along the river front for vessel bound for the East Indies, I wasn't par ticular for what port. l was told that there was a schooner bound for the Windward islands loading lumber at one of the sawmills above the city. l didn't know where the Windward islands were and didn't care much, just so long as they were some where in the West Indies and in the balmy tropics.
 I wended my way along the river front until found the vessel was looking for She struck my fancy and I determined tc try and secure passage on her. She is a 240 ton three-masted schooner, with one of the jollest captains and best crew that ever sailed the briny deep.
 I called on her charterer, who proved to be a distant relative, and told him that I wanted to take a trip to the West h. dies. Imagine my surprise when he told me that the trip would cost me nothing if would act as supercargo, and if the trip proved profitable he would pay me for my services. I was just the fellow he was looking for. I didn't know what a supercargo was, but he explained that he was merely an agent of the charterer, who represented him in all matters per- tainng to the cargo, but had nothing to do with the management of the ship ex- cept in port At sea he Is but a passen- ger with nothing to do. He stated that the war in Cuba had crippled the trade with that island for the present, so he thought of making a shipment to the Windward islands and wanted me to go along and dispose of the cargo for him either at Martinique, Dominica, Trinidad, Barbadoes or St. Lucia. With the pro- ceeds I was to buy a return cargo of cocoanuts and bananas.
 You see didn't do thing but fall into an easy berth. Instead of paying for my passage am getting paid for it and am living like lord. will tell you present. ly how I live and eat and sleep. It Is so different from life ashore that 1t will in terest you.
 Everything was ready. I was comfor- tably uuartered in the captains cabin
 
 loose and down the bay we started in tow of tugboat, the dredged channel be- ing too narrow for a loaded vessel to at tempt to sail through it.
 This channel Is thirty miles long and 23 feet deep, having been dug at a cost of a few million dollars by the United States government. The largest vessels can now go up to the wharfs in Mobile. whereas but few years ago nothing but the very smallest vessels could go up.
 It took us five hours to make the trip to the lower bay, and it being too late to pass out over the dangerous outer bar the vessel was anchored for the night. At daylight next morning the anchors were weighed, the sails set, and with a fair breeze from the northwest we went out of the bay, passing Fort Morgan, Fort Gaines Sand Island lighthouse and the bell buoy at railroad speed.
 We took no pilot, the captain being thoroughly familiar with the channel. l stood on deck watching the land re- cede from view, and to tell you the truth I was wishing, I had never left home. The schooner was loaded to the waters edge with lumber, and what couldn't be put inside of her was piled feet high on deck. She was so low in the water that every wave looked like it was going to wash over her. I had never seen so much water before and l was a little uneasy.
 Twas still standing on deck, the land having faded away, when the captain came up the companionway wearing a worried look. He wore other things of course, but the worried look overshadow- cd the rest. He said that a nor'wester was coming and we would have some ugly weather. I thought he was bluffing and trying to scare me As I was al- ready badly scared his remarks had no weight with me- besides I didn't know what a nor'wester was. know now. It
 l.lsr le. tl,ota Birmingham occasionally, only when it strikes the gulf it amounts to two bliz- yards moulded into one.
 The captain ordered the topsails clewed up, the head sails taken in and the fore sail lowered. We were running dead before the wind. with the mizzen sail and spanker winged out. I expect all that Is Greek to you as 1t was to me at first.
 Fortify the system against attacks of rhelIua tism hy nurifVipg tho hlood vyitf