Page:California Inter Pocula.djvu/235



loudly of  bringing  a  suit  at  law  for  damages  sustained by skin  and  liver  during  the  voyage.

At last,  with  all  on  deck  in  a  flutter  of  excitement, the ship's  stern  turns  squarely  on  China,  the  bow seeks admission  to  the  split  shore,  and  rolling  over the chopping  bar  between  the  high  bluff-bound  por- tals of the  Golden  Gate  we  enter  San  Francisco  bay, glide along  in  its  smooth  waters  past  Angel  island  and Alcatraz, when — ^bang! goes the  gun;  the  startled ladies scream,  then  simper,  and  as  the  smoke  rolls  up and  t]ie  report  reverberates  round  North  point,  over the gashed  hills  and  through  the  streets  which  appear to rise  almost  perpendicularly  from  the  water's  edge, through scattering  brown  houses  and  yellov/  sand, now quiescent  under  a  pale  blue-gray  misty  veil  of torn  gauze,  cheers  from  the  crowd  upon  the  shore come to  us  over  the  water,  and  handkerchiefs  wave,  /

and   boats    come    alongside — then   we    move    slowly forward to  the  wharf,  and  our  journey  is  done.

Out of  the  piercing  chilly  air  into  the  soft  warm haze of  a  glowing  San  Francisco  morning,  off  from the never  quiet  decks  with  their  nauseating  smells, away from  the  tables  with  their  tasteless  food,  from cock reached  cabins,  and  the  din  and  clatter  of  gong and dishes,  on  to  the  firm  ground  again,  and  into  a Ijath  and  clean  linen,  and  invited  by  an  appetizing breakfast; away  from  the  horrible  faces  by  which  we have  so  long  been  haunted,  from  foul-mouthed  swearers, and coarse  jesters,  and  selfish,  craven,  well-nigh  soul- less men and  women,  from  surly  officers,  and  crying babies, and  whining  mothers,  and  cross  fathers ;  out and off,  and  away  from  them  all  forever !

But what  a  scattering  of  them  there  will  be  on  the morrow; to  the  north  and  to  the  south,  each  to  his cart-drivincr, or  bankino;,  or  disfo'ino',  or  begfo-in.r  a  sit- nation; what  variety  of  schemes  and  occupations  in those  so  lately  close-united  in  common  hopes  and  peril during their  thirty-days'  voyage ! Well, let  them scatter. The  bond    of     quasi-equality    accidentally