Year: 1878

re. q. Fultons Letter to the Baltimore Americana


After looking to see that our baggage
was all on board, and discovering that
baggage smashing is not exclusively an
American institution, we returned to
our post, and came to the conclusion
that crossing the channel with five ladies
in charge was not very enviable un-
dertaking. What if they should all get
sick at once, and should all be crying
for help in treble and tenor, with but
one pair of hands to aid them2- And
what if-well, perhaps it would be well
to 90 on and tell what did happen,
rather than detail our dread as to what
might happen.


Shortly after ten o'clock the man at
the wheel took his position, and we
found that we had just room enough
left to sit still. The Prince glided
swiftly from the pier, behind which it
was sheltered from the turbulent chan
mel, and we were soon on our way to
France. The motion of the vessel was
very easy for the first ten minutes, and
we were congratulating ourselves on a
quiet passage. The man at the wheel,
everhearing the remark, replied, "It is
always quiet here; wait a little" All
this time the Youngest of our party, who
had turned her back on the vessel and
had her eyes fixed on the waves over the
stern, was vigorously singing Nancy
Lee" oblivious of the fact that the half
sick passengers sitting around were


listening to her. Having had siege of


seasickness on the Bothnia, she dreaded


the passage more than any of the party,


but had formed the idea that if she


could keep her mind off the dread that


was on her by singing she might escape.


AS one after another of the passengers


began to use their basins, or run to the


side of the vessel, her humming Of


Nancy Lee" could be heard, but when


the strongest and most robust of her lady


companiops called for basin the voice


of the happy little songster changed to


hearty laugh, and Nancy Lee" was


resumed more persistently. Soon after


the nautical lady, who had crossed the
channel four times previously and the
ocean five times with immunity from


sickness, called for help, when the ring
ing laugh was again heard, finally trill
ing off to "Nancy Lee" again.


We of course now had our hands full
climbing among the coils of rope from
one of the sufferers to the other. A
this point we began to feel littlequalm
ish and unsettled, or, as one of ou
companions had announced her ap
preaching attack, felt little pecu
7 liar" No sooner had we disposed o
our nautical companion than we foun
5 that Neptune had us in his remorseles
: grip. We knew we were growing pale
t and we felt pale, but that we mus
a quietly submit, as any further resist
e ance was useless. Having reached tn
e stern of the vessel, we had hardly CON
!. menced to pay our reckoning whe
= Nancy was again suspended, and th


sweet, silvery laugh, with more heart


ring than it had before compasset
: sounded in our ears. We could not bu
# laugh in our misery, and were rigt
IS sorry when the little one discovered, te
It minutes later, that Nancy Lee coul
e not save her, and fell limp and desolat
n in our arms. Thus, four of our part


had suffered, but it was soon over wit


all of them. The two who escape
# were, of course, very proud of the
e triumph-so proud that they persi
/, that they must hereafter be spoken of
n the nauticals," Though they alf a.


NIT that they felt " little peculiar