Year: 1879




UNITED STATES ARCTIC STEAMER JEANETTE. J


ILLIoULIouK STATION. HARBoR OF OoNALAsKA}


ALEUTIAN ISLANDS. August 2. 1872


When the shadow of approaching night began to
veil the bold outline Of the hills of San Fran
cisco Bay steamed to the westward into the
Pacific realized that our journey had commenced
at last and that future lay before filled with
strange possibilities. No one made remark about
our voyage but it was easy enough to that each
of us thought great deal about 1t. and as we sat
down to dinner-the first meal at sea-we only dis
cussed the vands. Our departure was. by common
consent, subject more for reflection than CONVEX
sation. or course some hearts were still bound by
those invisible ties-hard to sunder-to the land we
were just leaving


The recent partings of friends and relatives and
the always sad leavetakings of husbands from wives
were enough to sober the most exhuberant
momber of our party. although he only
. locker when the touching separa-
tions occurred. There was feeling that
we would be two or three days out before fairly
settled down to sea life and surrender love Of
terra firma to the keeping Of memory. For my own
part felt desire to accept the situation and every
phase thereof presented, and would have
ceeded in doing so il certain phenomenal move
ments Of the ship due. of course. to corresponding
energies Of the water did not convince me that to
be strictly philosophical must stay ashore The
ancient but sensation of Sickness aggra-
waited in my case to an intensity never, rather
hardly ever. before experienced, caused me to grow
indifferent to the pleasures of the table for about
two days. and to prefer horizontally in my limited
quarters In the wardroom to upright position
with the whole poop deck to myself. Indeed. for
the greater part Of the time 1 was down
I don't believe nomination to the Pres
idency, so much sought for by eminent
statesmen. would have tempted me up the COM
panion ladder. No. not even to set foot on the
lowest rung OF the same. Although loaded down az
low % 1t prudent put her. the Jeannette mani
tested iveliness that produced swfully disturb
ing effect on landsman like myself. and confess
to have given utterance to language decidedly un-
complimentary to seafaring people in general and
the builder Of the Jeannette in particular.


was not alone in my misery. for j could hear
sounds suggestive of deep rooted discomfort at the
partments. showing that their occupants also
engaged in the pious duty of Offering to the god Of
the sea the customary tributes. 1 won't mention
any names. but the sick were many, and although
the efforts of some to conceal their misery SIM
ply too heroic for such unpoetc occasion. the eyi
dences were too plain that the remorse-
less tyrsnt Of the sexs had tie individuals
in his dread clutches Now. like q to.
admit honestly that he is "off." Some never will do
SO. Others too truthful to deny 1t. Our leo
pilot. Captain Dunbar. who has been at for
thirty-fve years as whaler. tells me he is always
affected whenever he begins voyage, after having
spent month or two ashore. When al old salt like
this is upset well may those whose avocations
pursued the high and dry part of the worlds
face feel the cups" and ''downs,-of the first few
days OF sea life However. tme makes all things
well. the time came when we all got accustomed to
the motion or the ship and to the of legs
and the ses got fattoned out considerably. Then.
indeed. our sensations became correspondingly
ageeeable. To be able to walk up and down and
ahout while the ship rolls and pitches is simply
mense. To be able to hold one breakfast down is
decidedly immenser. but the ability to sit down
TO q meal and to eat it with relish is be-
yond question. the immensest thing that can DO ex.
perienced on shipboard. In giving expression to
these opinions feel that the whole world is at my
back. and that will never have need to appeal for
evidence in support of my statements.


THE PAcIFIc's CLOUD PICTURES


Then our weather experience soon became ex-
tremely pleasant; mean pleasant from the trav-
ellers. not the Sailors point OF regard. Delightful
calms laid the surface of the at and gave
the aspect OF profound peace Only for the long
swell that caused rocking motion to our ship. the
ocean was as smooth as q pipond ut times. and
but rarely broken into waves that would seriously
incommode q small pleasure boat. Occasionally
putting breeze would ripple the immense area of
water bounded by our horizon and make the little
waves raised sparkle In the sunlight. The sea was
at the beginning and during the hrst twelve days of
our voyage in color perfect indigo blue-so blue.
indeed. that 1t with difficulty ono could
realize the actual transparency of its waters.
When undulating with tho swell the water looked
like slowly agitated blue mercury or oil, SO
dense and sluggish were its rollings. Great banks
OF cumulus clouds would occasionally form on the
horizon and slowly rise toward the zenith soon
overspreading the whole heavens. But these would
again roll away leaving the sky intense blue, or
dotted with the eecy forms that looked like
iceDergs floating In an ocean. Some of these cloud
structures assumed the most fantastic forms. Ono
combination in particular yelled grand sunset by
low bank Of cumulus. OF almost inky. blackness.
Behind this there glowed superb depth Of golden
pink. fading into yellow aud green at the edges OF
the picture. Upward from tho bank of cumulus rad
laced six great bands. broadening toward the zenith
of shadow cast by cloud masses concealed the
horizon and behind the cloud scum referred to. We
have often sunsets in which the gloros of
great light radiated against ba aground
Of deep shadowy cloud. but in this the effects
were the very reverse The shadows radiacd against
background OF superb light. making picture of
extraordinary spcndor. Too beautiful TO last moro
than few minutes. this glorious presented it,
self just long enough TO enable to catch in rough
penciiling on my sketch book the outlines and rca-
tions OF Its parts. and notes OF the tns dis
played These have transferred with some little
care TO regular drawing. which may assist our
artist in reproducing canvass the picture which
tho mighty hand Of the Creator painted for us on
the sky Day after day. aud particularly about tho
time OF sunset. these cloud scenes present them
solves in wonderful succession and beauty.
find study OF the cloud forms very in
tcresting. and particularly in relation TO the
weather that is probably approaching. Although
we are here isolated and dependent our local OBJ
scrvations. We have generally anticipated the
changes. such as they have been. that camc to us
during the first stage of our voyage north Al