The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1896-04-23

vailed day after day. The loss of another
spar and one or two good sails demanded
care and prudence to be maintained, some
what regardless of speed. Once along
correspondent home for season, and that
followed by many months of attendance in
a ship yard, made him landsman for an
unusual and rather unwelcome length of
time. Sailor-like he growled about every
thing: hated house cleanings, pillow shams
and night shirts. 1t took too long to pre-
pare for nap and too long to get on deck.
Among other pleasant things he declared
that he would be glad if he ever again got
where he could sleep in his trousers. By
the too good memory of a quizzing men,
Der of the household that genial remark
has never been allowed TO be forgotten
and is often mentioned to the confusion of
its author. When on the passage of which
we are writing, not only trousers but
much of the time jacket and boots had
been the forced companions of sleep for
weeks, he came to feel about it very much
as the boy did regarding his nauseous
medicines; thought he might for short
time easily bear the civilizing influences
considerable grace or even with satisfac
ton. He agreed with the soldier boy who,
when the battle was about to open, tear
fully wished that he was in his father s
barn ''Wen.' said his comrade, ''what
would you do there?' I'D 90 into the
house, said the boy. The master of a
ter trip, whiningly told how he twas out
all night and thought morning never
would come Our nights and days were
much the same-tiresome and dreary;
almost wondered if a clear day would
ever dawn. A tight and valiant ship,
with plenty to eat and no danger of any
kind, was all the comfort that the season
offered.
The first encouraging glim on our hori
ION was on the evening of the 18th day
out, when the sun set in passing showers
and rolling clouds, with Il wind veering
from southerly Gnstead Of ''backing'), a
slowly rising glass and other certain signs
OF better weather, not noticeable to a
stranger non to be overlooked by an inter-
ested acquaintance. The signs We're writ
ten by the hand OF truth: glad and wei
come change followed the tokens of hope.
The next day little white gull appeared
and kept us company. | remember lines
of sad war words of a wounded
and lonesome boy in hospitals: Gwen to
the birds that so sweetly did sing, silent
and swiftly have taken the wing And
we read that the sea gulls do not 60 out
when the weather is to be bad. That is
true. | once had a flock of them follow
the vessel in midwinter, from Boston har-
Dor to the coast of Spain. The weather
was fine throughout | fed them two or
three times each day, and no matter how
widely they We're scattered, whenever |
came on deck they closed in, wheeling
and fluttering close around the vessel
quarters. When we passed Corvo larger
kind, and more grey-colored lot, Joined
the small, white Boston birds, aud they
all following US along, fought, fed and
squawked together most socially. On our
late stormy trip no birds started with us,
and none joined us for long time except
the little white fellow before mentioned ::
he probably knew no better. He first APP
peared on the eighth day out, and whether
the same or not | cannot claim to know,
but he or another of the same build join
ed us again on the 18th day-the first fit
day for any we'll behaved man or bird to
be at sea. We fed him, of course. and
gull-li1e he much preferred bits of fat
meat to crumbs Of bread 1t is ALWAYS
pleasant to see birds at sea. and when
tired land birds get blown off and seek
for rest ON the vessel, | am always quite
ready to kin the cat OF the man that offers
to injure OF to annoy tt EN-. No one who
would abuse such harmless creatures
should ever hope for, OF be allowed, to
have wings Of his own-he would abuse
all the angels that happened to be smaller
than himself and spoil the enjoyment of
their home.
We saw only two sailing vessels on the
whole passage and, it so happened but
very few steamers. There has been a
great change in this since previous to
twenty years ago, when nearly all the
general trans Atlantic carrying was done
by sailing vessels. Before that the cotton,
grain, oil and tobacco mostly went by
sail, and the timber and deals by nothing
else. Now not a bale of Gotten, no grain
OF tobacco and but little oil goes across
under the matches of sailing vessel A
few foreign vessels still carry timber and
some oil, but it is only an odd cargo now
and then of any kind that American YES
sells take from our Atlantic ports to any
part of Europe Before the change the
sea was dotted all over with sails and the
path was not so lonesome. The greater
part of the fleet We're foreigners (after the
wary and they were SO much more than