Birmingham state herald., 1895-12-15
4 TRIP ID THE TROPICS
A Description of Routine Life at
 Sea.
A PLEASANT, BUT LAZY, LIFE
Our Correspondent Eats Six Meals aDay and Yet He Is Always Hungry-He Is Be-
 coming an Expert Navigator

St. Pierre, Martinique, Oct. 13.-(Special Correspondenee)- )-When I left you last I believe I was comfortably percAed out on the bowsprit watching the antics of the flying fish, the nautilus and the bow of the schooner as it plowed through the sea- I was called from my fascinating position by the breakfast bell. l had been~up since daylight and had a raven ous appetite. In fact the fresh salt air gives everyone an appetite almost inn possible to satisfy. The ships fare is wholesome and good and there is plenty. of it; but no matter how much l eat get hungry again within half an hour af- ter each meal. We don't have but six meals day. Coffee and bread at a. m which 1 usually miss; breakfast at 7:30 dinner at noon; coffee, bread and cheese at D. nl.; supper at 7:30, and cold sup per again from to 10.
 As I said above, was called to break fast, and of course I went, but l lost a little time in getting there. The reason was I had lost my sea legs and had to grasp the rail to keep from being dashed about on the deck, which was jumping about so lively.
 Do you know what sea legs are? They come to you gradually at sea and enable you to stand or walk about on deck with out falling. I had just acquired mine
 
 ashore. I got out of the row boat on to the wharf and tried to walk, but the wharf and shore seemed to be moving np and down and whirling around and ] felt like drunken man. It sometimes takes a week before you get used to walking on shore after having been at sea for any length of time. I had lost my sea legs during my short stay in port and had to begin all over again; but thank Heaven Ididnt get seasick again,
 After breakfast I settled down to my regular lazy routine life, which is about as follows: I turn out (you mustn't say get out of bed at seal about bells, which is o'clock; then go on deck to have a look around at the weather and See what speed We are making. I am usually robbed very lightly, for the wealth CT permits of as few garments as one may choose to wear. After lounging awhile on deck the captain sticks his head out of the companonway and says never word, but holds up two fingers, which is a signal for me to join him in taking an appetizer. This is optional with me. but quite usual. There is no compulsion about it, but I must It is like the complaint of the British sailor when asked if attendance at prayer was compulsory in the navy "Oh. mo-" said of navigation very quickly. It isn't such a they stop your grog."
 After breakfast usually get my com fortable sea chair, hunt the shady side of the spanker and read until few min- utes before noon, when I help the cap tain take his observations and calculate his position at sea.
 My knowledge of trigonometry and mathematics enabled me to learn the art of navigation very quickly. It isn't such difficult thing to find your exact latitude and longitude when provided with a good Sextant and chronometer and book of bogarithmS.
 ] When the weather Is stormy and oh soured at noon, as is frequently the case, khe ships position at sea must be calcu- hated by dead reckoning, which is prin- cipally guess work. During our tlrst New days out from Mobile no observation rould be taken, so the schooner was worked by dead reckoning, but we made our way to Key West with almost as nnuch certainty as if the sun had been visible.
 The system of dead reckoning at sea is different from dead reckoning at the polls by the political parties.
 One must go to sea in order to realize the minute accuracy in keeping time. With the chronometer. two minutes out of the way it makes a mistake Of thirty miles in position One is apt to be care less on this point ashore. You might say My watch is two minutes slow" without reflecting that it puts you thirty miles from where you think you are. If. for instance, you should start for An nston and depended upon finding your way there by your watch, which should be six minutes wrong. you would land lin Tuskaloosa. That would make quite difference, wouldn't it?
 An error in the captains chronometer very frequently lands him and his ship on a rock or island. or if he should be hunting for a small island he might miss it entirely. Keep your time piece in or der or some night you might find your self unexpectedly in Bessemer.
 After dinner usually take short nap and then go to reading again. When 1t gets too dark to read I then wander around the deck talking to the captain or some member of the crew.
 It is usually after supper that we frolic and have jolly time. I get out my gui- tar and pipe and get up on the ito gal lant for casl'' with the sailors. one of whom has a, concertina which he plays