The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1905-06-07
COASTWISE SAILORS.
HARDSHIPS ENDURED BY THEM
IN CHANGING CLIMATES.
From the Tropics to the Northern
Ports in Winter and from
Linen to Muffiers in
Few Days.

An attractive story is that told by Laf-
cadio Hearn of voyage from New York
to the Spanish Main in winter, leaving
the city in the midst of cold spell such
as has been experienced this week, wax
ing each successive morning to greet a
warmer air careSsing his cheek, the
water becoming greener and the sky
bluer, until one can feel the warm Ian
guor and luXuriousness of the tropics
creep into his very veins as he reads.
There are, however, says the New York
Post. many men in this city to-day to
whom the charms of travel between the
tropics and New York, do not appeal.
They are the crews of the many vessels
that ply regularly between this port and
the islands that lie off the coast of South
and Central America, and that coast
itself
Their calling makes them wanderers, a
week or ten days being a long time to
stay in port, and then they are off, al
ways for climate greatly changed from
the one they are leaving Changes Of
clothing are frequent, and the shivering,
muffied-up man dancing around the
deck of a steamer lying at a pier in the
East river, his teeth chattering from the
icy blasts across the water so that he can
scarcely hold pipe in his mouth will
in a few days develop into a graceful
lounger against the rail linen suited
and straw hated. idly rolling a cigarette
for occupation, and wondering how he
managed to live through his expert
ence in New York.
These coastwise sailors can stay in no
port long enough to become accustomed
to the temperature, be it warm or cold
let alone becoming acclimated. and it is
commentary on the ability of the hui
man animal to adapt himself to his en-
yironment to see these men, shivering
here under a singing northwest wind
and temperature of Is to 20 degrees,
knowing that within six or eight days
they will be sweltering in linen and
drinking cooling draughts at a temper
allure of 80 or 100 degrees and a moist
atmosphere that is most unhealthy, even
when a man lives in it the year round.
There is no nobility on board one of
these ships when it comes to suffering
from climatic changes, though the en-
gineers and fremen, naturally, have
the least changes to contend with. They
are used TO fierce heat at all times. and
their only problem is to take care of
their health when they go ashore. But
throughout the ship, with these excep-
lions, there is democracy in the suffer
ing of the crew. The captain on the
bridge and cargo on his hands, unable to
lessen his vigilance for an instant. suf-
fers even more, if possible than the poor
routabout on the forward deck, who has
no cares beyond trying to keep warm and
wondering how things are going down
in the cooks galley.
1t is truly hard life. that of a coast
wise sailor and the wages paid to men
sailing from this port TO South America
are much higher in proportion than
those paid TO other sailors going in and
out of New York harbor The discom-
forts of the life, no matter what time of
year, are the reasons for that high wage,
and the men certainly earn their
money.