Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-12-04

! made TO promise never to walk when
he could ride. never to kiss the maid
when he could kiss the mistress, and
when he opened his mouth to answer
Neptune would chuck swab with
slush (grease) into his mouth. A
string was drawn across the end of a
spy glass and the victim was told that
the line could be seen.
After a great deal of braeing up
and squaring of yards as ell ships
have to do in these attitudes, we
struck the southeast trade winds.
which is a favorable wind for ships
bound for South Americas This is the
finest climate in the world but as
there is no land in this part of the
world, except about four miles under
our keel, il is of no benefit except to
the crews of the ships who sail these |
seas. Life is very monotonous with !
everything just the same day after I
i day, SO that after getting out of the |
] trades a gale of wind caused us to
1 shorten sail, 1t was quite a relief to |
lay aloft and out on the yards to tie |
up some of the sails. After getting
into warm weather, some three or four
days sail from Newport, all hands ex-
cept the officers went barefooted,
J u
/ the voyage. One day the mate struck
a porpoise. large fish about five feet
long, and took him on board and some
of it WIS used for food.
| At The end Of 60 days after LEAVING
Newport we sighted the land at Bahia
which is mountainous. One at the en-
trance of the harbor is called Sugar
Loaf for its fancied resemblance to the
sugar loaves which were once on sale
| in s. res both in England and this
country. The Harbor of Bahia is a fine
one. it is called the Bay of All Saints
and is defended by large fort on the
starboard hand going in, and every ship
passing in out is hailed by the sentry
as to where from and what cargo. The
Sugar Loaf is on the port. or left hand
side, like hugs sentinel on guard. Az /
ter the health officers of the port have
come on board we were given posi-
tion to anchor. which We did and our
voyage to that port was up. This time
| the crew had 10 stay by as they signed
articles TO make the voyage and to re-
turn to some port OF discharge in the
| United States. One thing / noticed when
we had been there short time, was so
much ringing of bells. This is a Catho-
lie country and Saints days are very
numerous. Bahia is built at the foot
of and on the sides of mountain.
| Our cargo, which consisted of 1900 tons
of soft coal. was discharged by the
crew into lighters which sailed out to
us and laid alongside into which the
coal was hoisted out of the hold
by winch, a small windlass, turned
usually by four men, and others in the
! bold filled and hooked on the tubs and
the lighters crew trimmed II on the
! lighter. About three o'clock would find
the lighter loaded and then wash decks
and go in swimming. As the crew in
| the hold We're naked to the waist they
We're as black as the lighter men who
We're negroes.
! Swimming was about all the fun we
| had as we lay about two miles out in /
the Bay SO we improved every oppor-
/ tunity that presented itself. Besides
/ going into the water to wash after load |
ing the lighter we took Sunday morn
ings also. One Sunday while in swim
! ing alongside of the ship in company
| with two young fellows, Wilson and
/ Walker by name. one of US proposed that
we swim off to a bark which lay about
half mile from our ship. We all agreed
/ to do it and struck out, the mate call |
/
| to hear him. and kept right on After
resting ourselves by clinging to the |
chain cable of the bark we started for
another ship about half mile farther
| on. Arriving alongside the sailors let
down ropes and we went on board Some /
of the men kindly loaned us shirt and
pants for each and we enjoyed the visit |
very much AS it was then noon we
| 70, Jsr,t, aud
manned until late in the afternoon when
the tide was in our favor. when we
DOTTED our borrowed clothes and swan
back in time for supper and a calling
down from Mate Robinson
Sometime afterward, while in swim |
ming. someone called out SHARK Mr.
| Harvard and 4 were some way from the
ship and I will bet that we made the
fastest time of our lives swimming for
the ship but no one was troubled. | am
inclined to think it false alarm to see
us swim for the ship. Soon after that
time I was up ON the main top-saal
| yard I saw big fish some 100 yards
| from the ship and there was no more
swimming after that.
Part Of our coal was discharged by
filling bags in the hold and hosting
them by means of whip, or single pur-
chase, and then by means of another
whip was lowered over the side into
the lighter This was along towards the
last of it. | tended the whip to strike
them over the side into the lighter. One
day about II o'clock | began to feel
badly but held out until noon and then
crawled into my bunk and by time to
turn too" at one o'clock was suffering
more pain than l ever had in my life
before or since Well had a sick time
of it. The Captain sent "a doctor from
the city and he saved MY life, | always
thought Another man taken about the
same time and sent to the hospital soon
died At time of sailing l had some
what recovered but not able to do much,
when Mr.. Harvard snd Mr.. Wlhttr
were both taken sick and | was detailed
to care for them which | did as well as
could After getting out on blue wa
ter, however, / picked up rapidly. MI
Winter was not sick great while after