Page:California Inter Pocula.djvu/159



furs and  overcoats  we  swelter  in  garments  of  thinnest texture. Sea-sick sleepers  crawl  from  their  cabins and stretch  themselves  about  the  deck. Northern energy with  northern  frosts  are  melted  out  of  the man ; mind  and  muscle  relax  their  tension ;  there  is  a general  letting  down  of  the  system,  lassitude  and ennui steal  over  the  senses ;  perspiration  oozes  from every pore  and  stands  in  great  beads  upon  the  sur- face, or flows  off"  in  rivulets.  Clothes  are  saturated, and  respiration  lengthens  and  becomes  more  difficult. Even  reading  and  card-playing  are  abandoned  as  re- quiring too  much  exertion.  Scandal-making  sets  in  ; women  of  easy  virtue  grow  bold,  and  pimpish  men throw  off"  reserve  and  flaunt  the  true  colors  of  their character.

In rough  weather  passengers  are  very  quiet ;  it  is useless  to  try  to  out-rant  the  ocean,  and  for  this  un- doubtedly the ship's  officers  are  thankful,  often  pre- ferring the unevenness  of  the  sea  to  the  ruffled  temp- ers of the  hundreds  on  board. But when  the  brist- ling waves subside,  the  voice  of  the  chronic  grumbler is heard  abusing  ship,  captain,  and  all  his  surround- ing's. His room  is  small,  there  are  too  few  hairs  in the  mattress,  and  too  many  cockroaches  between  the mildewed sheets;  some  restless  fellow  has  the  upper berth, or  some  squalling  children  the  under. At table, with  prominent  lower  jaw,  and  open  monkey mouth, and  sharp  teeth,  and  low  forehead  with  lateral scowl, he  keeps  up  an  incessant  growling,  except during the  time  required  to  sweep  the  food  from  the table into  his  capacious  mouth. The bread  is  sour, the butter  rank,  the  fowl  and  venison  insipid,  the  beef tough, and  so  on. When those  of  this  category  have cursed themselves  comfortable,  they  take  to  cracking jokes, singing,  and  gaming.

Here a  raw  countryman,  now  become  an  ambitious searcher for  knowledge,  earnestly  applies  himself to the  improvement  of  his  little  talent  by  studying certain phenomena  which  attract  his  atte