Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1904-08-10
LIFE
ON THE
OCEAN
Fine Description by Salem
Young Man Who Isin
Australia

letter was mailed from Newcastle
New South Wales and is as follows:
Dear mother, dad" and alive
were delayed so long waiting for Goa
that a second mail has arrived and
with II your letter OF the second OF
June. We expect to clear before the
a5th Of July and with an average pas
sage arrive in San Francisco sometime
near the middle of October.
still It is not uncommon at this
time Of the year for vessels to be out
over one hundred days which would
make MS some later.
III is like our first passage--a fair
weather one. In a few weeks after
we leave port we will be clear of the
nasty winter weather Of the Aus.
tralian coast and right unto fine
weather which will likely mean days
and probably weeks of "Paddy's hurri.
cane"--that Is the wind will be up
and down the mast--dead cain.
During this time the skipper will
oe impatiently pacing the poop, look.
Ang for a sign OF breeze and then
wAen a "doldrum' squall does come
along II will rain like the deluge and
possibly blow a little for about three
minutes and then its the same old
calm again while you watch the squall
cloud vanish in the opposite direction.
What does our menu consist Of?
Huh Guess we don't quite starve
Tor between salt beef and pork and
salmon, cod, mackerel. spuds. beans.
tinned meats. vegetables and fruits, !
curry and rice. dun" puddlngs. pies |
and caloes. cheese, SardInes. chow
chow, picalilli and drinks we manage
% have little "snack" occasionally
and In port we have fresh meat, fresh
vegetables and milk.
And nowers-wen the butler brings
a nice bouquet eyery week in port
aud bunch of the sailors on Saturday
night raided back yard and brought
away several pots of flowers.
Besides this the skipper has a
young garden over the door Of the
companionway.
Pancakes at sea twice a week-the
same days that we have fresh timed
meat and duff"
AS 10 Mrp DOnaldson's aunt. was |
IN Sydney several weeks ago but of
course at that time | knew nothing !
about anyone's relations there and {
now It's out OF The question to so and ,
too late TO inquire. q
Does the sea become monotonousY =
No, decidedly not. The appearance of 4
the sea is seldom the same for any I
length OF time, There Is always mo A
tion and It's not always the same mo, /
tion a
One day the wind will be on the a
quarter and the swell the same. Per G
haps the next day the swell win roll n
ON the beam, then she will roll more.
Another time the swell--a heavy one n
VIII be anead, then she will pitch. @
Hut the worst OF all Is to have the "A
wind dead att and heavy swell ON 4,
the beam for then as there is no side 81
pressure In the wind the vessel rolls n
both ways and heavily too. @
No | didn't go TO Cape Town for r
che distance by rail Is 300 miles from =
Hast London and besides the trains m
they ATE an owned by the govern. al
menI--are SO mlserahly slow that taey In,
take 4 y days each way Al
Since We have been In Newcastle M
have become acquainted with some n,
pi the details OF British civilization as AZ
Iar us sea.farlng goes. IN
"brlilania may rule the sea bnt ids
when you come to know some OF the Of
methods the distinction doesn't seem eo
q be so onviahle. ,I
only under extraordinary clrcum. IN
stances can sailor be paid on a h,
British ship In any port outside of I'm
England proper Then The feed" IA of
% miserable aud scant taat then are In
continually under the temptation Of ca
WV NAN tNANNNh NNNlN nNN Inl
lay behind y.
Furthermore while In port they can i'm,
ng draw money at the shippers on. ito
Ion and you may rest assured ina, nm
hey don't receive much. no
We were lying alongside a i.oudon "a,
aekes az the ballast wharf hopa aud de,
nile Ne at saturday nlsht went 10 m,
ar skipper and told him aow many abb
Ne wanted aud got Il too without of
ies'ion, their skipper told them how tr,
ANY shillipss they mtsht have aud ,hs
was three, lens
'Jnsi fancy a man starting out ON 1
SATURDAY nlght with three shlnines ia,
but as The old man says "A sailor w
a. fool' and certainly ao Is when acr
hnsers aouni ship lka that bo,s
hen he can 50 IN one Ike ours andItal,
eeiio aearly twice as much money l,f