Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1904-07-25

BOY ON
THE SEA
Writes Of His Trip and Re-
lateS Many Interest
Ing Episodes

in this city from Newcastle, New South
Wales. He is on the sailing vessel
Reaper and is having considerable
experience. His letter is as follows:
Although the last trip didn't have
the novelty of the first one it did have
a novelty of its own
Our Jap cook deserted in Africa and
after considerable difficulty during the
Intervals Of which l was cook for the
whole sixteen we shipped a lean, long,
lank Dane that said he could cook and
make bread.
The next day we sailed and the
facts began to develop. His cooking
wasn't exactly up to the standard of
American ships and he could not make
bread, then ne became sick and | re-
sumed operations in conjunction with
one of the sailors, a Frenchman.
But stiH there was no bread so we
ate hard bread. AS the mate has only
one tooth and that is right in front
he cursed; the old man loosened his
crown work and it fell out so he
cursed, and as the crew was accustom-
ed to soft bread they cursed, in fact
we had a delightful time.
Then there was one day when I
was helping the poor Dane in the gal.
ley. We had been having fair wind
and very little rolling though we were
in ballast and things in the galley were
standing and laying around rath sr
carelesrily.
Then the wind changed and with the
change came a heavy swell.
But the wind was dead aft and the
swell was right abeam so that she be-
gan to ROLL rather fiercely and then
there was things doing.
The long way of the galley lies
across the vessel and when she began
to roll, things began to move.
First TO one side and down came a
bunch of pans; back with a jerk and
over goes a slop bucket or kettle of
soup.
Then picture If you can the sick
Dane sitting in the doorway (the siTls
are knee high) with his feet braced
against a locker and myself trying to
stand on the now thoroughly creased
hnoIeum floor and at the same time
to catch everything possible.
Down to one wall ker-bang-ln a
mess of pets, pans, anil kettles! ker-
swish back to the other wall (some Is
feet) with the same mess and a few
more.
But of course this rolling is in
spurts and we Don had everything
hung up on a hook where it could
swing or made fast so that it could
not.
ALI thinef5 have an end 20 now we
nave a real live cook, a genuine Uncle
cabin.
Newcastle is one of the greatest
depots in the world and Is
naturally rather grimy. Many of the
are sunk right here in the city
and some Of the levels extend al far
as thirteen miles out under the ear
The coal is loaded on special cars
holding about s or 8 toms each. The
are so built that the "a sets on
he truck.
The trucks run along Immediately
pack of the coal wharfs along which
ire large hydraulic cranes.
The cranes lift a car OFF its trucks,
ma swing 1t out over the ships hatch.
snda man there presses the button
Ind the bottom drops out of the car
The cranes lift a car OF it's truck,
he next one is shunted up and the pro
repeated.
But Sydney is the place. With the
Of Los Angeles and one Of the
ihest harbons in the world has been
combined a beautiful city and the re
suit certainly looks good TO me.
The harbOr, called Port Jackson. is
made up Of deep water bays and inlets
md is studded with islands, thus Civ
ng plenty Of good anchorage and shell.
from an wind.
And the points, islands and head
ands are either military reserves
'mstling with artillery Of public parks
ipecl1ed with statuary.
There are many lively suburbs,
many fine business ana public build
ngs, some magnificent c~athedrals and
iOlleges, excellent ferry and tram
street carr services and although the
seem &c have been thrown to
very much like some of our
cities the streets themselves are
veil paved and weA kept.