Page:Notes of the Mexican war 1846-47-48.djvu/60

54 Everybody seems to be cheerful. Some are trying to dance, while others again are singing sentimental songs tuned with the accordeon and with comic voices and accents in such a doleful and lugubrious style as to cause the soldiers to look like a funeral party. It was so comic that it made every one laugh and be in good humor.

Tuesday, February 9, 1847.—This morning I noticed some of our men did not get out of their bunks until after 10 o'clock, and their whole talk and laughing was about the comic proceedings of last night.

The wind is still ahead and is blowing hard. The sailors seemed to be very much alarmed. They are telling our men that we are now on one of the worst coasts on the gulf for storms.

This evening at a distance we saw a large fire on the Mexican shore, supposed to be put there by the Mexicans to get vessels on the breakers or beach.

To-night, in place of our men singing comic songs, they formed themselves into a debating society, and their whole discussion of subjects was on the Mexican War. The discussion was very interesting and exciting. Some of the soldiers were well posted in argument, in talent and gift of speech-making. Some prophesied that the war, after we landed, would only last one month, while others, again, argued that it would last over a year, and that a desperate and bloody struggle will have to take place before the city of Mexico is taken.

The debating was heartily applauded, and adjourned at 1 1 o'clock at night.

Wednesday, February 10, 1847.—This morning the sky had every appearance of a storm. At noon the prophecy became too true, the wind whistling through the rigging and making great mischief. In the evening the sea became very rough. Waves were dashing up in front of our ship as high as mountains. It blew a perfect hurricane. The tempest is raging high. Could not carry one foot of sail. It began to look gloomy, The sailors were obliged to take the main-top