The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1899-09-15
Life on the Ocean Wave.

evening was an interesting story of Sc;
voyage from Liverpool, England, to tn
East Indies and return. A good auuIenc
was present and all followed the speak
ers remarks closely, learning new ant
interesting things concerning a sailor
life.
To the youth the sailors life seems full
of fun, pranks and frolics. HI thinks lit
tie of the perils, toll and hard life, for il
is, almost, the life of slave, government
on ship board often being tyrannical
The sea has always seemed to me a thing
of beauty. was born and reared on the
western coast of England, within the in.
fuence of the ocean waves. 1t is not
strange, then. that at an early age
should have become sailor. For three
years followed the life, living on salt
pork, pea soup and other luxuries OF
that kind that the sailor is allowed as ar
ticles of diet. We were allowed gallon
to the cook and so much for some other
purpose until there was but very little
left with which to quench our thirst.
The speaker then told the story of his
voyage as sailor from Liverpool to the
East Indies and back. Their bark left
men. When on deck in the day sailors
work is never done. His life is busy
one. When we reached point little
north of the equator the sea was smooth
as glass with long rolling waves. 1t was
splendid rocking these waves gave
them but it caused a most disagreeable
sensation. You take your dinner on the
roll, and you do everything on the roll
and you are being continually rolled to a
! place opposite the one you want to be-
! They were there nine or ten days when a
| breeze took them to the equator. Here
three young sailors were adopted into
Father Neptune's family. Some one had
told him that whatever he did when 60
ing through this ceremony to keep his
mouth shut. Being the youngest of the
three he was first led into Father Nep-
tunes present. He was asked several
questions but not word did he answer.
After each question his face was smeared
with mixture of tar and grease. After
the questions he was shaved with piece
of an iron hoop and most of the skin on
his face came off with the greeSe. Then
he was soaked in tub of water which
was capsized in such a way that he
came out feet first. The bandage now
came off and he was greeted from all
directions with pals of water and pro-
nOunced one of Neptune's sons. But the
speaker said he would rather remain an
orphan than to be adopted into such
family again. He had the pleasure of
seeing the other two boys go through the
process of adoption, and as they didn't
keep their mouths shut they Jared worse.
On ship board $50 p. m. is called sky
larking time. All are on deck singing,
dancing, playing leap frog and all man
ner of tricks, The cook would amuse
them with coniuring tricks. Finally
they would light their pipes and tell
stories, Sailors are very supersttious
and would tell ghost stories, tales of
haunted ships, that made ones hair stand
on end. Jews are continually fleeing
Jack Tar and nothing pleases him so
mnp1 a = n thp hpttpp Of of tbp
former. A certain Jack one cay had
splendid dinner at hotel and when he
came away paid the clerk for it and also
for two more, saying he would be in the
next day with a friend. If the clerk
failed to recognize Jack a certain twist
OF the hat would make it all right. The
sailor visited a saloon and other places,
making the same trade at them all. The
next day he aSkei Jew merchant to
take dinner with him and the Jew gladly |
went. Coming out of the hotel Jack |
says to the clerk, This bill is paid" gave
his hat a twist and walked on. When he |
had repeated this performance two or
three time the Jew wanted that hat and |
made an offer for it but Jack wasn't |
anxious to part with hat that paid all |
his bills, though he finally let it go for a |
large price. The Jew took several of his |
merchant friends to the hotel to show
them what a wonderful hat he had, but
the clerk didn't recognize the twist and
the bill wasn't paid till the Jew turned
over good hard cash A mortal fever
prevailed on ship one time. The negro
detailed to drop the dead overheard was
discovered attempting to put live man
over, much against his will. Look here,
you fool said the captain, cant you
see that this man is alive?" ''He says
so," replied the negro, but he lies so you
never can believe him."
The speaker went to sleep one night
while on watch. Waking up suddenly he
saw great black mass near the ship and
gave the alarm, All the thanks he got
for his trouble was the remark, You
silly fool its cloud" He determined
never to go to sleep on duty again and to
be sure of thing before he called atten-
ton to it.
Farther south the weather became
colder and rougher and going around the
Cape of Good Hope they encountered
he gales for which that place is famous.
They went up the eastern coast of Africa
nto the Indian ocean to the harbor of
Bombay. He told of their stay in the har-
DOR, OF the diving girl who didn't care any
more for alligatOrs than some Bradford
people do for church, and of the cook
who put his foot in the jaw of a shark be-
'ore it was quite dead and came near get
ng bad scratch.
In doubling the cape on the return trip
he ship sprung leak and for week all
hands took turns at the pump. Even
he Captains wife assisted at the wheel
md the speaker was kept there one time
5welve hours, ten hours longer than the
usual time. He was not a religious man
hen but he prayed earnestly, and there
ire times when the most reckless will
pray. The speaker sang one or two sail n
songs -one "Homeward Bound" which
le said sounded sweet on the water but
he didn't know how it sounded on the
platform.