Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-08-04

we could say whatever we wished
about them without their understand
ing word, and they never saw what
| the joke was. From the one or two
| words L CLEANED from them | think
they were Austrians and Austria may
| be proud to welcome the return of her
| ten noble sons. My friend suggested
| that if there We're others left in
| America the government would do well
| to make them present of a ticket to
| Antwerp.
The second day we began to be sea-
sick. The sea ran high with heavy
head-wind. For two days we could eat
nothing and the work seemed a noun
tain to US. Every one of the cattle
stiffs' was sick at the same time. Down
in the forecastle it was fearful and the
Bushmen brought their dishes to the
hatct where the hay was stored and ate
and slept on the hay. We found it very
comfortable at the hatch where our
hay was stored and brought our blan-
ketS and slept there for the remainder
of the voyage. 1t was nearer the mid
die of the boat and the heave of the boat
was much less. With the open sky
above it was really very pleasant to lie
and watch the stars after our seasick-
ness had passed and we could enjoy it.
After two days of that fearful malady
we went to the cook-house and for a
few cents the cook made US some rice
which we ate with much relish. He
then offered for a small amount to serve
our food separate in the cook-house if
we would come there. This we did and
during the remainder of the voyage
Jared sumptuously without troubling
the "Bushmen" longer.
From that time on the voyage was
lovely. 1t seemed strange to sail all
day without seeing land or a ship Of
any kind l had always longed to be
out where the sea could roll at freedom
unhampered by the land, where / could
see it in all its beauty. Nothing could
be more grand. At times the waves ap-
peared like silver crested hills, ever
changing in appearance as the sun rose.
At times it was a smooth undulating
sheet. 1 never believed the sea could
be so smooth and CLASSY. Teh waves
rolled in but did not break. The sur
face was like vast cloth slightly
moved by the wind. Some days yes
sci or steamer would come into view
but all moved along their own courses
and none came near US.
Early on the morning of the third OF
July we obtained our first view Of Eng
land. 1t seemed very much like our
own Maine shore, islands and rocks,
but it was England that land of history
and romance and we We're enraptured.
All day and night we sailed along the
times so far away that no land was visi
BILE. Never before had 1 realized the
extent of England and the expance of
the English Channel.
About sunrise on the morning of the
Fourth of July we saw the chalk cliffs
of Dover, tall and white as snow banks
over which cinders had been blown.
While far away in the opposite direction
the outline of the French coast was
plainly visible. That was an eventful
day. We had forgotten to take any
| fire. crackers with us so my friend con-
| tented himself with drumming on an
old tin pail with some drum sticks he
had whitfield out early in the morning.
The F'renchman who had had enough
taste of America to relish the Fourth of
! July hurried up to ask the captain for
permission to so ashore for a few fire
crackers The captain who was sailing
! under the British flag evidently did not
understand how essential ire-crackers
are for a Fourth of July so he obSti-
natelv refused to stop the ship and al
| low him to go ashore for those so neces-
sary articles.
After entering the Strait of Dover,
ships of all kinds and sizes were to be
| seem Coming in nearer, the shore of
| France. the beach of OStund with its
| thousands of bathers running about and
sporting in the surf attracted the at
| tention-miles of long sand beaches
with hundreds of hotels adjoining. 1t
was Holland. however, that furnished
us the best landscapes All the pic
| lures of bikes, red tiled houses. wind
mills, and gardens below sea level were
verified as we sailed along the harbor
| 1t is the most beautiful country 1 have
| seen, excepting Maine, of course There
are no hills. no rocks, no forests grow
| ing wild: | saw no houses in ruin. For
| miles and miles the gardens and green
| fields stretch out level and beautiful.
All the trees have been planted for they
grow with a regularity not seen else
where. There are more trees about
| the fields than in America. In many
places, along the bikes are two
avenues of trees with road be-
| tween them often extending for
miles. There are no bushes and no
stone walls to detract from the beauty.
What seemed the queerest. but WHAT /
had exnected TO see, was the roofs of
buildings over the tops of the dikes.
! II seemed odd to know that the village
barond must be several feet below us.
boa M ida. of the extent of this place.
,rbere wore thousands of acres enclosed
by dikes where expected 10 see ohis
few and when saw huHureds Vi acres
extending out. which had not been used,
with the surface only a rev mches
above the water ana IN places oeioW