The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1895-04-19
ON THE HIGH SEAS
Another Graphic Description OF the Big
Pond hv Arthur Ssmpseii

son, Arthur;
livERroor. Eng and. March C. 1898
Dear Mother. We arrived Boz Europe
today Am very glad the time is mp
and I can go ashore once more We
have been at sea ll5 days, aud have
had enough OF course have yet 20
cross the Atlantic. but that is not like
the tfip have just finished.
During the whole voyage ] have
looked forward 90 thc time Vht".
after four months. ] could once more
get some news from home and old
friends
wrote you short letter al Cape
Horn and ] hope you Vu. get ooth
together. can't write much Tor some
reason or other because there IS so
much To saw and vet nothing more in-
tercstlnu than another such long
time at sea and just the same thing
dav after day and nothing unusual
cNcept iu suuaIIV weather, when OF
sourse there is more 90 be seen, ~uch as
large seas washing the decks, aud
slipping and rolling and sliding around
and getting washed oN my feet and
getting caught iu big wave AS DO
drops on deck. and going aloft % iurI
sail. etc
The Shenandoah has proved herself
good ship in every sense Of the word
aad have gotten along splendidly
with officers and steward HAD plenty
of cIothe, and only got two bars of
soap from the 'slop-chcst
wrote 20 Merrill and Gene at differ
ent times and in that way ] told them
nearly all that happened. and Frank
too. So that ] don't like 20 write the-
same thing So often.
The d,v yye sailed from San Fran
cisco, sunday, December . 1924, was
dark cloudy and wet, and plenty OF
wind, With only half OF the sails set
We were towed through the Golden
Gate by tow boat, and Just as soon
as our sails filled with a fair wind we
separated, and Zoo an hour we were
out Of sight Of land ON the Pacific
ocean.
The ship was rolling and tossing,
which soon showed its effect ON the
other boys who were soon very sick.
and they suffered with sea sickness
for three days, while ! was only sicA
ia the morning "a few hours on Mon
day I did not go aloft until the third
day out
We soon got into tine weather again,
and then we could enjoy the sea.
We looked forward 10 the time when
we would cross the equator and won
dered what the occasion would bring
forth. having heard that something
would occur 20 break the monotouy
something in connection with us
boys
Well we crossed the equator Christ
mas eve. and the event came OF ali
right
we. and the sailors who had never
crossed the equator before, were
initiated into the mysteries of Nep
tune.
will explain as well "a, can.
Father Neptue is o disguised sailor
aud the performance is shave under
his auspices
We were caught aud taken bcfor,
him The doctor stood ON my right
with a hand fuil of pills. and the bar
Der stood handy.
A sailor on each side held ms hands
and ! was stripped.
Father Neptune had a little boob
out OF which he pretended 90 read, ant
asked my name, age, object in going
TO sea. etc waiting for me TO oper
my mouth in reply m order 20 give M,
the pills. made Of some dirty stun
filled with red pepper. ] only gruutcd
but he did succeed 100 getting one 10
my eye
Then was well daubed with ,
lather made of TAR grease, soap fou
and oil. after which ! was shaved will
"a large wooden razor Next came
shower Of cold water from couple %
sailors standing hehind, auu 70 tool
an hour and a half 10 get clean
A. 20 the food we have had Do D" mo-
as bad as IL might bc.
Monday for breakfast mush o
stew or hash, hard bread and coffee.
For dinner there is either salt bee
or pork and pea soup. supper tre-
bread, tea and neat lucsdny W
always get BAKED beans, aud Nedne-
dav, boiled beans. For dinner oI
Thursday, Friday and Saturday th
bin OF faro Is almost the same. pc
SOUP and beans Sundays for dlnue
we have fresh meat and potatoes an
plum duff and prunes or dried apple
and marmalade OF oranges Breakias
and sdppcr is generally the sam
throughout the week. But nearl
every day we have things from th
cabin through the kindcss of the COO
or the steward and several times th
cook baked as pies. A couple OF time
he found meat thrown away an
nearly starved us for few day,
There was not much wind as W
crossed the equator, but in few day
breeze sprung up which blew u
about twenty degree, north.
After a few days of contrary am
shifting winds, we got ,tih, ta
wind which carried u~ right mp int
ST. George 5 channel The last wee
was the roughest part of Che passage
especially ON last sunday, the "a ou
OF the thirty-two sails wc carry on.
thfre were set An awful wind wa
blowing us eleven or twelve knots a
hour and the seas were rushing %
deck like water over "a dam and ruf
ming swiftly from side 90 side, 6ut
deep. and foam.ug.
/ often have Thought OF the contra-
ia our positions iu the last week. fl
instance, how many nights have go
aud the rest been warm loo bed, Will
was probably wating in rushing
foaming water knee deep, or again
perhaps I was aI0ft in the wind an
rain and darkness out ON the yarl
arm. swinging ou little rope, fur
ing sail, taking iu the main sail "a
reehug the TOP sails az midnight.
But there Is something strange am
novel and fascinating about 10 tha
makes one like 30 and ] ann neye
afraid no matter how AIgn or ho'
windy or how dark 10 i~.
Having just arrived iu England
cannot say much of the country.
Tell papa and the rest ! have oftc
thought of them AHecti0uatcly you
son AEIuIR SANu-TI-