Page:California Inter Pocula.djvu/157



house, and  the  rooms  of  the  captain  and  first  officers. State-rooms had  usuall}^  three  narrow  berths,  though some had  but  two,  while  others  had  six. The pleas- antest rooms  were  those  on  the  upper  deck,  though the rooms  below  were  larger,  and  less  exposed  in stormy  weather. Over this  deck,  fore  and  aft,  awn- ings were spread  in  warm  weather,  under  which  pas- sengers spent most  of  their  time. Below the  main deck was  the  diningr  saloon,  used  also  for  flirtincr  and cards when  the  tables  were  not  set,  and  in  which  di- vine service was  held  on  Sunday. On either  side  of this  saloon  was  a  row  of  state-rooms. The purser's office  was  usually  on  this  deck,  midships,  as  also  were  ,,

the second  and  third  officers'  rooms,  the   engineer's  'j

room, the  barber-shop,  bar,  butcher's  shop,  and  cook's  1

galley. Below  this    deck,  aft,   the  port-holes  often  ;

below the  surface  of  the  water,  slept  the  second-class passengers, and  on  the  same  floor,  forward,  the  third class, or  steerage. Passengers were  divided  into  three classes: first  cabin,  who  enjoyed  state-rooms  and  sep- arate tables, second  cabin,  whose  deck  below  was  badly ventilated, and  the  floor  covered  with  standing  berths, or open  sleeping-shelves,  having  narrow  passages  be tween  them,  and  the  steerage  passengers  forward, above and  below. The second-cabin  passengers  had free access  to  all  parts  of  the  ship,  the  same  as  those of the  first  cabin ;  they  took  their  meals  in  the  saloon of the  first  cabin,  eating  before  or  after  the  first-cabin passengers. The steerage  passengers  were  confined to the  several  decks  of  the  forward  part  of  the  ship. The steamers  all  carried  a  surgeon  or  a  doctor,  but he was  usually  neither  competent  nor  attentive. Notice was  posted  forbidding  the  wearing  of  deadly weapons, and  the  discharge  of  fire-arms ;  nor  was  any to appear  at  table  without  his  coat. Notice of  lati- tude and longitude  and  distance  run  was  given  each day. A good  run  was  two  hundred  and  fifty  miles  in twenty-four  hours.

Chickens, turkeys,  geese,  ducks,  sheep,  swine,  and