The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1899-04-19

i "a
In letter to friend in this city
the last week, Mr.. T. Ely-Harden, OF
Boston, who left New York over six
months ago on merchant vessel
bound for Manila, gives vivid de-
scription Of the.trip round the Horn
on sailing vessel.
Mr.. Ely Harden has travelled in the
conventional manner to nearly every
quarter Of the globe, and thought the
novelty Of throwing in his lot with
! that Of sailors in the merchant service
would be novel and interesting ex-
]. perience. During the first few days
sout all was well, and the hard fare and
merry songs Of the, mariners were
pleasant things, but these soon lost
their skeeness, and when repeated three
times aday for q space Of six months,
/ became decidedly anger-rousing.
His letter was written several days
before reaching Manila Be-: and :.s.er .s.e
landing postscriipts were added. Fol
lowing are extracts from the epistle:
By the time this reaches you it
will probably be over six months since
you wished me bon voyage as our ship
! sdlriifted out Of New5 York harbor:
These months may have passed quick
II with you, but for me they have
seemed like as many years. 1t has
1 been So long since ! have had any
q communication with the world that
a an beginning to believe that there is
I no il, world beyond the confines Of our
lahip.
mot hsr ten days or SO will bring
Sus s. 1 to the chores Of Manila, if we meet
with no 5 aceid dentiin the meantime: and
s. &: VIII beia 4 glad day for this ships
company , when they can once more set
foot 3onS dry land. No one who has not
had the experience can realize what it
s. SIS. .tos be sin months on sailing ship.
One hundred and Eve days out Of
sight of land and ffty-6ye Of those
without eJensthe glimpse Of q passing
sssail, alone on. the boundless Pacific.
Our ship 5 company numbers TWEEN
y ty-nine souls all told. OF these the
captain and first mate are the only
ones 1 have any intercourse with, and
naturally we are sufficiently tired Of
each other faces. We have become
so bored with each Others society
that it affords amusement for us to
quarrel and fight For the last month
We We, 4 are seldom together for half an
hour at i time without exchanging
personalities and often cuffs: These
quarrels are, of course, not lasting,
and are made up as quickly as entered
into.
One day is like another Sundays
and hoidays-they are all the same.
The only way we keep track Of the
days Of: the week is by what We have
to eat. We know Monday is salt.beef
day, Tuesday salt Goldfish day. We'd
Snesday salt pork day, and 50 through
the week. / come on deck in the
morning 1T daylight. before dressing,
! take alock around atithe sea and sky
fora time and after watching the sun
rise, which is a sight in these waters
beautiful beyond description, gobelow
and take q salt bath. After this coffee
is ii order, after which, return to the
deck, remaining until 7:3O, when
breakfast is served. The rest Of the
morning is spent in walking around
! the deck watching the work and gaz-
ing. at the sea and sky. At 1890 we
eatsdinner, after which reading and a
nap are indulged in. at 5. 80 we take
supper, which is followed by walking
aor sitting on deck exchanging yarns
and, lately, sarcasms. Nine o'clock
6nds rs ip bed,
'sThe weather furnishes the only
variety to this life. We have had
storms and Gains, hurricanes and
earthquakes, tidal waves and water.
spouts and about everything else on
Ncptune's billof fare. A storm on
ocean liners il bad enough, but on a
sailing ship, when your sail are being
torn into ribbons and every other wave
sweeps che desk from stem TO stern.
when they have to bail your cabin out
with buckets, when you take your
meals standing up or sitting down, as
the case may be, when all the crew are
called aft and kept there to prevent
their bei..g washed overheard, when
you can't see the ships Lights in any
direction and the captains voice
sounds dim and far away above the