The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-06-10

the same division Of the ship because 1t
was perishabie-
Each would have his own way. and. IS
neither would give way after an hours al
tercation. they, to the Amusement and hor-
ror OF the mate of the ship. came to a
compromise by ordering the stores OF both
departments TO be slowed in this one Ia
vorite position 1t is needless 20 state the
result I may just. however. say that on
the ships arrival IL was found that the
shot and shell had played havoc with the
medicine cases, and that the floor OF the
center compartment was strewn with frag-
ments OF fragile cases. demolished physic
bottles and countless numbers OF squashed
pill boxes"
1 do not think 1 shall ever forget my first
experience on board a troopship outward
bound from London 10 Madras. with about
go soldiers on board. chiefly Irishmen. We
were a ship Of nine hundred tons. a SQUAD
old bucket, with painted ports. a poop and
a topgallant forecastle. Ny memory seems
to begin at the back OF the Goodwin sands.
on stormy, black and bleak first watch.
We had made our way so far under can
vas from Gravesen6. but the wind at dusk
had drawn out hard from the southwest
and put US on a taut bovine. with fire.
quent bout ship.
The captain did not mean TO bring up in
the Downs, and so we washed through the
blackness. with it's CHASTITY throb OF foam.
sometimes heading off toward Girls Mex,
sometimes heading of from the south fore
land. was scarcely fifteen years old, felt
no respect for soldiers, and referred 10
them, as did most sailors OF those days.
as "Gufies." Now, why IL should have
happened cannot say: but IL is certain
that the troops were allowed to remain on
deck. though IL was long past eight bells
OF the first watch, and the sailors wanted
all the deck they could find 10 run about
on, when the order was given. Ready.
about"
DECK PERILS.
The soldiers occupied the decks in the
most literal sense; they lay upon the decks.
they rolled upon the decks. they vomited
upon the decks. Every time the ship went
about" a scarcely souirming shadow or
crowd of seasick men would slide helpless
to leeward OF the scuppers.. uttering exc
crations in Irish. shouting "Och. murther.'
and calling upon the Holy Virgin" No
body seems to have deemed IL necessary TO
order these men into the 'tweendecls.
where their hammocks were slung as close
as red herrings on a string. And / likewise
remember this incident: That. standing
just little forward Of the cuddy front on
the quarterback, L saw by the light OF the
cabin marlin spike sharp as bayonet
strike the plank and remain upright.
sprang for it. The thing had evidently
been left in the maintop. and by one Of
those occasions which one must so to sea
TO suspect, for they are quite irreconcilable
with human reasoning ashore. this pricker
or spike had tumbled over the rim Of the
top Fortunately, It fell 10 windward. or
rather it struck the deck amidships, and
the bulk Of the soldiers were seasick in the
lee scuppers. Had 1t struck man IL would
have pierced him perhaps TO his death. The
officers in charge of the troops were pos
sibly seasick in their cabins. and men
when half dead with the nausea OF the
sea-dandy men fresh from. clubs and good
living and the steadfast progress of the
body through the sleep of the night-cannot
be expected to greatly concern themselves
with such matters as discipline and order.
Let It be remembered that this was the
first night OF four months OF voyage.
Yes, in those days we reckoned four
Poocaot
land to the East Indies. with a halt Of a
fortnight or whereabouts at Table Bay or
Simons Town. In these scientific times we
gnash our teeth IL a cargo OF troops is not
punctually delivered at Cape Town, Dur
ban or East London within twenty days.
Twenty days. Let me assure the reader
that in this voyage 1 am writing about
we were becalmed right of at one long
spell In 30 degrees north latitude and p de-
grees west longitude for twenty-eight days.
and We thought nothing Of IT, 1t was a con-
dition of the old ambling life OF the tea
wagon and the South Spainer. The greasy
calm, blue as sword steel. hoated into the
brassy recess. and our ship. like something
sentient and eyeless, slowly revolved upon
her keel as though trying to find out which
was the way.
The bucket full of stun which the cook
had hove over the starboard side at noon
on the yesterday was at noon to-day close
aboard on the port side. The bowsprit and
jib booms went revolving like eorkscrew
into the heat. Aloft the stroke OF the
breathless canvas against the mast fioated
down hollow as the metallic sound OF
gong. Those were not times in which be-
sieged cities or towns expected immediate
relief from oversee troops. Food more
tragic than horses must have been con-
sumed had the battened down inhabitant
OF the beleaguered place waited for the
calm TO end or that satirical suspiration
Of the deep called the cats paw TO prove
constant.
SOME OF THE DISCOMFORTS.
Our 'tveendecks were converted into one
great bedroom. under the ceiling OF which
man might have stood up with a tall
hat on but not with two tail hats on. one
on top OF the other. bagman fashion. The
soldiers slept in hammocxs so closely slung
side by side that / never read "Roderick
Random without recalling the picture OF
my old ships 'tweendecks. Roderick. It
will be remembered. visiting the ships
sick in his capacity OF surgeons mate, i'm
itated Morgan by barring his head ard
driving it between two hammocks so as to
separate them. whereby his head was
jammed and furiously played upon by one
or the sufferers in the hammock who con-
sidered himself III used by Roderick's be-
havior.
Rows OF little tables went down the sides
of the shin for the rnescaQ In 49,.