The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1901-09-19

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the shoulder of Brazil, Cape St. Rogue.
She thus makes entirely different and
considerably longer courses than a
steamer does when bound to similar
ports beyond st. Rogue. This time
there was no trouble in making east
ing-the north wind held for few days
and then backed to the west, taking us
south of 20 deg. with the wind on the
starboad side, which is unusual.
Nothing of note occurred until the
northeast trades were lost, in deg,
and then there we're days of doldrum-
Gains with hours of black torrential
rains. These are the most depressing
of all latitudes-the dark valleys in the
paths of life that may cause one to feel
that he has no friend-and wants none.
This time there was a good moon which
is help, for at other times the nights
are simply black. Quite lately 1 have
read that Gin the tropics moonlight
nights are as bright as day, and even by
starlight one may read fine print" 1t
is wonderful how much one may learn
that is not so. Nowhere in the sea-
tropics are the nights so light as they
are in the Temperate or Arctic zones.
In the Southern sea, however, the
weather is finer, the stars brighter, and
the milky way is often remarkable;
hence the nights are not so dark as in
the northern tropic. This time we
kept well clear of the coast and though
the winds were not at all good the
weather from the Line away down to
Uruguay was continuous sunshine and
starlight with every sunset a picture of
brilliancy such as we rarely if ever see
at home. But here the weather does
not always happen like this, by any
means.
Among other stores secured before
sailing was a bushel or more of COM
mon garden soil, and when we reached
beyond the Gulf Stream and into sum-
mer weather the spring gardening was
attended to. A collection of pots, shall
low boxes and grape basket formed
the farm. Various seeds were planted
some were flowers and vines and
others vegetables. l have never seen
any lands where plants will spring up
so quickly and grow so rapidly as they
do at sea in the tropics. AS they grew,
surprising measurements were taken
from day to day. There was one soil
tary and vigorous "hill'' of potatoes,
but from neglectful exposure to too
much rain they were slightly struck
with rust and were never afterward so
thrifty yet they produced their young
and one day there was the novelty OF
new potatoes on the table when land
had not been seen for two months or
more. aud there was abundance of let
tuce at various times. Raising vegeta-
bles, however, was of course more Tor
amusement than for profit; but there
was pleasure and interest in the flowers.
And yet some of them, too, like the po-
tatoes were neglected at critical mo-
ment-left in the open air when sud
den cold blast from Patagonia, and
from across the Pampas, swept over
the decks through long dark night.
and when day came the blossoms were
gone and even the stems lay low and
withered. Some years ago / had an
Easter lily which had bravely with
stood visit to New England ports and
when again in warmer cline became
very Notwithstanding nearly three feet
high, and just ready to blossom-when
we again reached up near the coast just
in time to meet 'sThe March Blizzard"
The cabins were not very cold but the
lilly, in half a night, lay down and died.
On the present voyage, when reach
ing down off Uruguay, the weather be-
came cold and. very raw with shivers
running all through it. After dallying
through both tropics ones blood is thin
and his flesh sensitive to even the
slightest GOODNESS. On the Fourth OF
July we were hove to in a pampero with
continued hail squalls, long nights and
the sea standing on end. The winter
wind continued rather unkind but we
finally worked into the estuary OF the
Plata and made Maldonado, the first
land seen since leaving Boston Bay.
At Point India Greek pilot was taken
that now being compulsory. He
could speak just enough English to I'M
successfully beg for a pair of rubber
boots. The next morning we arrived
in Buenos Ayres outer roads in com
pany with several other Americans.
After all had been visited by sworded
and gold laced otficials-and our con-
tributions to them of beacon, ham and
other small stores-we new arrivals
were together taken on small uncom-
Portable steamer, to be landed in the
city a dozen miles away, at ten dollars
head. Amongst the lot was Will
Hichborn, OF the ''R. w. Hopkins"
who was half frozen and hating the
climate as much as the country. He
introduced me to some of the others as
one who was first intended for the min
n