I
Soon, However, Saw Too Much; For All Was Raggedness, Dirt, And
Disorder.
But I will describe matters in the order in which they
occurred to me; for, as I flatter myself
That many of my
countrywomen will in spirit make this journey with me, and as many
of them probably never had the opportunity of being in such a
vessel, I wish to describe it to them very accurately. All who are
accustomed to the sea will testify that I have adhered strictly to
the truth. But to return to the sloop. Its age emulated mine, she
being a relic of the last century. At that time little regard was
paid to the convenience of passengers, and the space was all made
available for freight; a fact which cannot surprise us, as the
seaman's life is passed on deck, and the ship was not built for
travellers. The entire length of the cabin from one berth to the
other was ten feet; the breadth was six feet. The latter space was
made still narrower by a box on one side, and by a little table and
two little seats on the other, so that only sufficient space
remained to pass through.
At dinner or supper, the ladies - the Danish girl and myself - sat on
the little benches, where we were so squeezed, that we could
scarcely move; the two cavaliers - the captain and the steersman -
were obliged to stand before the table, and eat their meals in that
position.
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