The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-12-20
ON A TRAINING SHIP
LOVE TELLS or HIS
 EXPERIENCES.
Many Interesting Sights Seen by One of Uncle Sam's Jack Tars- Ice-Skating Enjoyed
 by Selmians.
Advertiser Bureau.

Selma, Dec. lS
 Your representative has received the following entertaining letter from Southal Love- who enlisted in the navy from Selma about a year ago. Southal Is well known to the military men all over the State and his letter will Dc enjoyed by them as we'll as those in Selma and vicin- ity who know him so we'll:
 U. S. s. Alliance,
 Hampton Roads, Dec. b.
 Dear Sir-I do not know whether this will be surprise to you or not. but I will. in a few words, give you an idea of the training cruise I have just finish ed on Uncle Sam's ship, Alliance.
 On the 18th of June, with fair wind and a clear sky. we pulled up the mud hook and with every enc of us rockies in high spirits. sailed out of Hampton Roads, and 1t was a pretty sight from the stern of the vessel, with everything bathed in sunlight. The historic old Rim Raff on our port side and the big hotels and Fortress Monroe on the starboard. By noon, away in the distance, could be seen the lighthouse of St. Charles, just about as big as a lead pencil, and in few minutes nothing could be- seen but water And, I will tell you, one does not realize how very much water there is until you come face to face with the big pond
 For five or six days we had splendid weather and I was thoroughly enjoying the trip, when one morning 1 awoke to find that we were rolling and pitching so that I could barely stand, and then dis covered that curious, indescribable, un- easy feeling around the region of the stomach. Sick, we'll guess I was. and so awfully sick that it did not make much difference to me whether the ship went to the bottom or not; in fact, think that death would have been a welcome relief. Anyway. we had struck pretty fair sized gale. and for three days and nights the storm ragged. The days were very nearly as dark as the nights, and of all the miserable creatures you ever heard of they were aboard this ship. Finally it cleared up and we found that we had beer. blown back to within two hundred miles of the States.
 Again saI was made and for three weeks we had good weather and got to within 190 miles of Horto Fayal, one of the Azore Islands when we struck rough weather, and. after the second storm had abated and the sun came out, the naviga- tor got his bearings and found We were quite a long distance off our course, so the skipper decided not to try to make Fayal again, so we headed for Ports mouth, England. After being out for L0lTty-LnTee Odys, LHe LOOu began tO run short and we were put on three-quarter rations On the thirty-ffth day rations were cut down to half, and later on the cut went down to a quarter, and we were only allowed a pint of fresh water a day.
 Just here will state that the Alliance is barque-rigged, and We had not steam, consequently when we start from port to port, we don't know whether We will ever reach our destination Or not. Finally. af- ter being forty-two days at sea, without a sight of land, and for each meal get ting two hard tacks and about two square inches of "corned willie" (corned beeO, we sighted the Eddystone Light. and in few hours we were again at anchor in Plymouth.
 I have often pictured in my mind Co., lumbus discovering America, but now when look back on the scene on the 23rd of July. Columbus Is laid in the shade, and at noon. when we sat down to roast beef and spuds and sure enough real punk tbread), it was a sight never to be forgotten.
 After cleaning up and overhauling the ship from stem to stern, we were allowed liberty and were paid one months pay in English money. For a couple of days I wrestled with those pence, shillings, fiorins and crowns, and by the time I had figured out the relative value of each my pounds had vanished. However in about a week we were again paid and given liberty and my money lasted much longer.
 On August 16, not having a wind that was favorable enough for us to navigate, we were lowed up the coast sixty miles to the port of Falmouth, one of the pret- tiest and by far the most picturesque places of any that 1t has been my pleas- ure to see. We arrived there the after noon of the same day and early the next morning a good stiff breeze sprang up and we started for the rock Gibraltar. Spain.
 We passed through the treacherous Bay of Biscay without the least trouble. and on the second day of September sighted the little town of Terriffa. on the Span- ish coast. It is a very historic old place, being famous for its old mountains. That evening about 9:3O we again dropped the hook and right there began the inter esting part of the trip.
 We were up bright and early the next morning and there looming up above us towering quite a distance in the air, we first saw Gibraltar. In a day or two we were paid again and placed on shore and in that place there is more to be seen than I can describe. I will venture the
  would not compare with it.
 While there I visited a real bull fight and there were four bulls slain by famous Matadors of the country. The Governor and his royal suit were present and the ring, with all of the gay colors of the dress, with the band playing and hand kerchiefs waving, was another sight that will long remain in my memory.
 Just a word about one of the curiosi- ties of the place and I must pass on: While going up into the city from the boat landing, I saw a Spanish fellow driving two nanny goats in front of him and bowling out some kind of a lingo that could not understand. However. we live to learn. Suddenly 6 womans head popped out of a window and began to jabber away. In a moment she came down to the door with a small tin pail. handed 1t to the driver of the goats. who squatted down at the side of one of them and amidst an interchange of jabber. he proceeded to milk. When the operation was over with. she handed him a copper coin and away he went with the portable | milk wagon in front of him, yelling at the top of his voice. Of course visited the old Moorish castle and was escorted through some of the lower tunnels of the fort. On the 18th we again set sail. this time | for Madeira, and on this trip the first ac- cident occurred. We had been out for thirteen days and had lovely weather, l officer of the deck noticed that the pen- mast had become entangled in the hal |