Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1899-11-09
In SOUTHERN SEAS
HARRIS, THE IRREPRESsIBLE, A
LONE vOYAGEUR.

South America. Escapes the Usual
seasickness. Finds Monotony
Pleasant. "A Rest from Being
"Deweyed. "--within the Tropics
He Finds II Hot.
Longitude Cos Latitude 2O- d.
north. Approaching st. Thomas, Dan
ish West Indies.
MONDAY EVENING, Oct. l1th.
DEAR FRIENDS: We sailed from New
York at 80 last Wednesday after
noon. and will be about five and one
half DAYS out OF sight of land. we
saw a school of porpoises the second
day out and Thursday met-fve miles
TO the leeward-a barque bound north.
With this exception nothing contain
ing life has raised the horizon. Some
people talk of the fearful monotony OF
The sea but il contains nothing of mo-
notony for me. II is always changing
and is always in a different mood. In
fair weather the changing surface OF
the pillows and the cloud effects, and
i'm storm the awful majesty of the
great deep. In fact. the majesty and
awe are always there, whatever the
weather. The changing temper OF the
waters is ceaseless variety ana Is al
ways an object ofwonder and the most
profound and serious consideration.
Was Il not Longfellow who spoke Of
The beauty and the mystery OF the
ships
Aud the magic OF the sea-
have passed many hours. short 20
me. IN looking out over the waste Of
waters i'm sunlight and moonlight,
watching the passing changes OF Moth
81 Ocean and thinking OF what stories
and what tragedies the waters covered.
50 peaceful now. in a little time so
raying. wild. desolate, awful. some
body SAYS
None lives but shall suffer sen
change,
Into something new and strange
saw a sunset last night which In
surprising beauty tar exceeded any
thing ever saw or heard of or could
dream Of The ileecy clouds lay all
around the horizon, lust right for the
LIGHT effects, and for half hour such a
picture was seen In the west ~ even a
painter could not imagine. Added 10
the wondrous picture was the extra eff
/ feet OF great waves of every shade in
the rainbow streaming from the dying
day in fan shapes TO the zenith. The
sublimity OF il all can never be forgot
ten. No such sunset can be seen any
where except in or near the tropics,
and am told that they will be the rule
/ hereafter Capt Mckay of the FOnia-
/ belle and all the chief officers and the
engineer are Nova Scotians. and a
more genial and pleasant body Of men
cannot be found the wide world over.
They know their business thoroughly
and leave nothing undone Tor the COM
I fort and convenience Of passengers.
Capt Mckay is a comparatively young
man, thorough sailor and gentle
man and whose sails with him Is sure
/ " blessed. The Fontabelle is an iron
Clyde-built steamer OF $50 feet Ia
/ length and 2700 tons, stanch. well ap.
pointed and serviceable. IL is both a
freight and passenger boat, but the
cargo in no wise discommodes or IN
teferres with the passengers
/ Up forward are dozen or so beet cat
tie, securely penned In stalls and well
taken care of. yard Of sheep and
some horses aud mules. All look hap
/ Ply and chew their cuds in blissful con-
tentment, not knowing what a few
days may bring forth. The hold Is full
to the tops of the matches with a mis-
cellaneous cargo. such as the isLmd-
/ desire and when il was slowed ! noted
that much of IL consisted of barrels OF
wheat and rye flour and cases of Scotch
and other innumerable brands OF
whiskey. All the deck space forward
which is available and not taken by the
live stock is filled with piles OF son
pine lumber, mostly inch boards iol
building purposes on the islands.
There are only six iirst-class passcn-
gers. There are, beside myself, Mrs
Hunt, wife of the American minister
at Antigua, who has been up 10 New
} York on visit; r. &. Smith. a son OF
Hon. Chas. F. Smith, president OF the
Montreal board OF trade, going to Trim.
idad for his health Peterkin, a Nova
Scotian by birth but a Barbadian by
adoption; and two Barbadian ladies.
who have been TO American OH visit
In the Storage are several colOred Ia
dies who are going to the islands as
missionaries or something OF the sort
The crew-common sailors-are Ital-
ians, swarthy band OF beetle-browed
patriots who 90 barefoot and wear
sheathed knives at their belts. Re
gardless of their appearance. they are
a good-natured and inoffensive gang.
This morning at we crossed % l-2-
parallel of latitude and are in the trop-
les. II you remember your geography
You know that the sun runs % 1-25
north and south of the equator aud all
within those parallels is in the tropics.
The air has balmy and caressino
touch which is never felt north. but il
has become too hot to stand il in the
sun and the nights in ones stateroom
are something to dread all day.
This morning ! saw for the first time
schools of flying fish cavorting around
the ship and apparently trying to'keeI
up They are about six inches long
enough to clear the law~-of a beauti
full silvery color, and dart along ovel
and just clearing the waves as ii they
enjoyed il. When they have taken III,