Page:California Inter Pocula.djvu/140



carrying of  American  citizens;  the  vessels  were  small, ill-appointed, often  unseaworthy,  half-manned,  with- out order or  discipline,  and  with  little  attention  to comfort  or  safety. Exacting the  money  before  the passenger went  on  board,  all  they  could  get  out  of him,  shipowners  sometimes  performed  part,  some- times the whole  of  their  contract,  according  to  cir- cumstances. Indeed captains,  seamen,  pursers,  waiters, stewards, hotel-keepers,  boatmen,  and  railway  officials, often appear  to  regard  the  wayfarer  as  an  enemy, going from  place  to  place  to  disturb  honest  folk  like themselves, and  whom  to  answer  otherwise  than  in  a contemptuous,  surly  manner  were  a  disgrace  to  the profession. A mistake  had  been  committed,  the  em- ployes of the  California  steamship  companies  seemed to say,  in  not  having  had  the  passengers  all  put  in irons  before  starting. Ear-ringed islanders,  tattoed sailors, impudent  negroes,  and  improved  Irishmen, upon principle  snubbed  every  one  that  came  in  their way, rich  or  poor,  ignorant  or  learned,  as  infinitely beneath them. Jammed into  a  purgatorial  hole,  there to remain  in  durance  vile  until  the  heaven  of  Califor- nia was opened  to  them,  from  the  beginning  to  the end of  the  journey  travellers  were  at  the  mercy  of these  vile,  unprincipled  persons. The rooms  were often so  close  and  filthy  that  occupants  dreaded  to  go to  bed  at  night,  and  in  the  morning  dreaded  to  arise and encounter  the  social  and  atmospheric  impurities of the  day. Often the  floors  of  ill-ventilated  cabins were strewed  with  poor  women,  over  whose  faces  was spread a  deadly  pallor,  the  little  ones  crawling  round mothers too  weak  to  move ;  while  in  the  steerage  were sights so  sickening  as  would  put  to  blush  the  most inhuman land-monster  of  feudal  or  any  other  times. In selling  tickets  little  attention  was  paid  to  limita- tions hi numbers  by  law;  ships  with  a  capacity  for 500, would  crowd  in  1500,  and  often  he  who  paid  for a first  class  passage  was  thrust  into  the  second  cabin, and second  cabin-passengers  into  the  steerage. Every