Page:California Inter Pocula.djvu/152

 and every

body with  impotent  fury  in  the  intervals  between  his retching fits;  to  see  the  pale  despairing  women  strewed about the  cabin,  on  carpet,  chairs  and  sofas,  attended by the  stewardess  with  her  gruel  bowls,  and  fizzing powders, and  lemons,  and  toast  and  tea;  to  hear  all day the  groans  and  moans  and  gurgling  laments  in every  quarter,  to  have  the  night  made  hideous  by  the loud alarms  of  bowel-wrenchinss  and  belchinos  that might awaken  the  seven  sleepers;  and  then  to  see  the tables deserted  and  the  quandary  of  those  who  try  to determine  which  is  least  difhcult,  to  keep  in  bed,  to dress,  or  to  eat — all  this  is  very  amusing  to  those  happy souls who  pet  and  plume  themselves  because  they  are not subject  to  such  horrible  sensations,  or  compelled to assist  at  such  unpleasing  scenes.

This rocking  sensation  has  something  strange  in  it; it affects  different  persons  so  differently. Some it drives  well-nigh  mad,  with  sensations  akin  to  those  of the  novice  in  gambling  who  loses  his  last  half-dollar at monte,  giving  its  victim,  if  not  death,  resignation to it ;  others  it  sends  off  into  peaceful  and  long  con- tinued sleep bestowing  rest  and  contentment ;  others not only  are  not  sea-sick  but  are  made  hilarious  by  it. These latter,  as  they  pass  from  room  to  room  and  see the wan,  woe-begotten  faces  of  the  vomiters,  become extremely satisfied  with  themselves. " Oh  !  no,  I  am never  sick,"  says  Jenkins,  "I  like  it,  it  agrees  with me;  I  really  enjoy  it,  my  appetite  is  never  better  than when  it  is  a  little  breezy ;  only  one  other  beside  the captain  and  myself  at  the  table ;  roast  du"k,  tough  as ox-hide " — and  so  he  rattled  his  nauseous  boasts  to the  infinite  disgust  of  prostrate  listeners.

And as  in  the  sensitive  breast  there  is  usually  a  sense of weakness  and  shame  attending  this  evil,  so  it  is  held by a  certain  class  a  cardinal  virtue  to  escape  it. Noth- ing so inspires  a  man  with  a  good  opinion  of  himself and his  internal  belono-ino-s  as  to  be  able  to  smoke  and whistle and  carry  an  undaunted  front  when  the  heads of his  comrades  are  horizontally  inclined,  and  their