THE RESCUE.THE RESCUE.
This scene, however, exciting as it would have been under any other circumstances, produced very little impression upon the great crowd that was engaged about the steamer. A few boys ran that way to see how the affair would result. Some others, standing on the decks of the shipor on the pier, turned and looked in the direction of the child. Otherwise every thing went on the same. The carriages went and came, the people walked eagerly about among each other, exchanging farewells. The paddle wheels continued their motion, the steam pipe kept up its deafening roar, and the piles of trunks continued to rise into the air and swing over into the ship, without any interruption.
The time passed rapidly on, and Mr. George did not return. At length but few new carriages came, and the stream of people on the great plank seemed to flow all one way, and that was from the ship to the pier; while the crowd upon the pier had increased until it had become a mighty throng. At length the officer in command gave orders to rig the tackle to the great plank stair, with a view to heaving it back upon the pier. The last, lingering visitors to the ship, who had come to take leave of their friends, hastily bade them farewell and ran down the plank. The ship, in fact, was just on the point of casting off from the pier, when suddenly Mr. George's carriage appeared at the great gate. It came in among the crowd at a very rapid rate; but still it was so detained by the obstructions which were in the way, that before it reached its stopping-place the plank had begun slowly torise into the air, and the men on the pier had begun to throw off the fastenings.
"You are too late, sir," said a man to Mr. George. "You cannot get on board."
"Put the trunk on board," said Mr. George. "That's all."
The man took up the trunk, which was by no means heavy, and just succeeded in passing it through into a sort of porthole, near the engine, which happened to be open. Mr. George then looked up to the place where he had left the children, and shouted out to them,—
"Good by, children; don't be afraid. Your father will come to the ship for you at Liverpool. Good by, Jennie. Rollo will take excellent care of you. Don't be afraid."
By this time the ship was slowly and majestically moving away from the pier; and thus it happened that Rollo and Jennie set out on the voyage to Europe, without having any one to take them in charge.
Rollo and Jennie set out on the voyage
The moving away of the steamer from the pier had the effect of producing a striking illusion in Jane's mind.
"Why, Rollo!" she exclaimed, looking up to Rollo, quite alarmed. "The pier is sailing away from us, and all the people on it."
"O, no," said Rollo, "the pier is not sailing away. We are sailing away ourselves."
Jane gazed upon the receding shore with a look of bewildered astonishment. Then she added in a very sorrowful and desponding tone,—
"O Rollo! you told me that uncle George would certainly come back; and now he is not coming back at all."
"Well, I really thought he would come back," said Rollo. "But never mind, Jennie, we shall get along very well. We shall not have to get out of this ship at all till we get to Liverpool; and we shall find father at Liverpool. He will come on board for us at Liverpool, I am sure,before we land; and mother, too, I dare say. Just think of that, Jennie! Just think of that!"
This anticipation would doubtless have had considerable influence in calming Jennie's mind, if she had had any opportunity to dwell upon it; but her thoughts were immediately diverted to the spectacle which was exhibiting itself on the pier. The great throng of people which had assembled there seemed to be pressing on toward the end of the pier, accompanying the ship, as it were, in its motion, as it glided smoothly away. As they thus crowded forward, all those who had opportunity to do so climbed up upon boxes and bales of merchandise, or on heaps of wood or coal, or on posts or beams of wood, wherever they could find any position which would raise them above the general level of the crowd. This scene, of course, strongly attracted the attention both of Rollo and of Jane.
And here it must be remarked, that there are three distinct scenes of bidding farewell that an Atlantic steamer passes through in putting to sea. In the first place, the individual voyagers take leave of their several friends, by words of good by and other personal greetings, on the decks and in the cabins of the ship, before she leaves the pier. Then, secondly, the company of passengers, as a whole, give a good by to thewhole company of visitors, who have come to see the ship sail, and who remain standing on the pier as the vessel goes away. This second good by cannot be given by words, for the distance is too great to allow of words being used. So they give it by huzzas, and by the waving of hats and handkerchiefs.
This second farewell was now about to be given. The gentlemen on the pier took off their hats, and, waving them in the air, shouted hurrah in concert, three times, with great energy. The company of passengers on board the ship then responded, by shouting and waving their hats in return. The ladies, both on the pier and in the ship, performed their part in this ceremony by waving their handkerchiefs and clapping their hands. By this time the steamer, which had been rapidly increasing the speed of its motion all the while, was now getting quite out into the stream, and was turning rapidly down the river. This change in the direction in which the steamer was going carried the pier and all the people that were upon it entirely out of the children's view and they saw themselves gliding rapidly along the shore of the river, which was formed of a long line of piers, with forests of masts surmounting them, and long ranges of stores and warehouses beyond. Nearer to the steamer, onthe water of the river, and on either hand, were to be seen sloops, ships, ferry boats, scows, and every other species of water craft, gliding to and fro in all directions. While gazing with great interest on this scene, as the steamer moved along, Jane was suddenly startled and terrified at the sound of a heavy gun, which seemed to be fired close to her ear. It was soon evident that the gun had been fired from on board the steamer, for a great puff of smoke rose up into the air from the bows of the vessel, and slowly floated away. Immediately afterward another gun was fired, louder than the first.
I have said that there were three farewells. The first is that of the individual passengers to their individual friends. The second is that of the whole company of passengers to the company of spectators on the pier. The third is the ship's farewell to the city. Of course, for a ship to speak to a city, a very loud voice is required. So they provide her with a gun. In fact, a great steamer proceeding to sea may be considered as, in some respects, like a mighty animal. The engine is its heart; the paddle wheels are its limbs; the guns are its voice; the captain is its head; and, finally, there is a man always stationed on the lookout in the extreme forward part of the ship, who serves the monster for eyes.
Jane was quite terrified at the sound of the guns.
"O Rollo!" exclaimed she, "I wish they would not fire any more of those dreadful guns."
"I don't think they will fire any more," said Rollo. "In fact, I am sure they will not, for they have fired two now, and they never fire more than two."
Rollo was mistaken in this calculation, though he was right in the general principle that the number of guns usually discharged by a steamer going to sea, as its parting salute, is two. In this case, however, the steamer, in passing on down the river, came opposite to a place in Jersey City, where a steamer of another line was lying moored to her pier, waiting for her own sailing day. Now, as the Pacific passed by this other steamer, the men on board of the latter, having previously made every thing ready for the ceremony, fired two guns as a salute to her, by way of bidding her farewell and wishing her a good voyage. Of course, it was proper to respond to the compliment, and this called for two guns more. This made, in fact, a fourth farewell, which having been spoken, the firing was over. The Pacific, having thus taken leave of the city, and also of her sister steamer on the Jersey shore, had now nothing to do but to proceedas fast as possible down the harbor and out to sea.
The scenes which are presented to view on every hand in passing down New York Harbor and Bay are very magnificent and imposing. Ships, steamers, long ferry boats, tugs, sloops, sail boats, and every other species of water craft, from the little skiff that bobs up and down over the waves made by the steamboat swell to the man-of-war riding proudly at anchor in the stream, are seen on every hand. The shores, too, present enchanting pictures of rich and romantic beauty. There are villas and cottages, and smooth grassy lawns, and vast fortifications, and observatories, and lighthouses, and buoys, and a great many other objects, which strongly attract the attention and excite the curiosity of the voyager, especially if he has been previously accustomed only to travelling on land.
While the children were looking at these scenes with wonder and admiration, as the ship passed down the harbor, a young-looking man, who appeared to belong to the ship, came to them and told them that, if they wished to remain on deck, they had better go and sit upon the settees. So saying, he pointed to several large and heavy-looking settees, which were placed near the middle of the deck, around whatseemed to be a sort of skylight. These settees were all firmly secured to their places with strong cords, by means of which they were tied by the legs to some of the fixtures of the skylights. In obedience to this suggestion, the children went and took their places upon a settee. Jane carried the cage, containing Tiger, which she had kept carefully with her thus far, and put it down upon the settee by her side. The man who had directed the children to this place, and who was a sort ofmate, as they call such officers at sea, looked at the kitten with an expression of contempt upon his countenance, but said nothing. He took the camp stools which the children had left, and carried them away.
"I am sure I don't know what we are to do next," said Jane, mournfully, after sitting for a moment in silence.
"Nor I," rejoined Rollo, "and so I am going to follow uncle George's rules."
Mr. George had given Rollo this rule, as a sort of universal direction for young persons when travelling alone:—
1. Do as you see other people do.
2. When you cannot find out in this or in any other way what to do, do nothing.
In accordance with this advice, Rollo concluded to sit still upon the settee, where the ship'sofficer had placed him, and do nothing. In the mean time, however, he amused himself in watching the ships and steamers which he saw sailing to and fro about the harbor, and in pointing out to Jane all the remarkable objects which he observed from time to time along the shores.
THE PILOT ON THE PADDLE BOX.THE PILOT ON THE PADDLE BOX.
Among other things which attracted his attention, he noticed and watched the movements of a man who stood upon the top of one of the paddle boxes on the side of the ship, where hewalked to and fro very busily, holding a speaking trumpet all the time in his hand. Every now and then he would call out, in a loud voice, a certain word. Sometimes it wasport, sometimes it wasstarboard, and sometimes it wassteady. Rollo observed that it was always one or the other of those three words. And what was still more curious, Rollo observed that, whenever the man on the paddle box called out the word, the officer on the deck, who kept walking about there all the time to and fro, would immediately repeat it after him, in a loud but in a somewhat singular tone. While he was wondering what this could mean, a gentleman, who seemed to be one of the passengers, came and sat down on the settee close by his side. Rollo had a great mind to ask him who the man on the paddle box was.
"Well, my boy," said the gentleman, "you are rather young to go to sea. How do you like it?"
"Pretty well, sir," said Rollo.
"We are going out in fine style," said the gentleman. "We shall soon be done with the pilot."
"The pilot?" said Rollo, inquiringly.
"Yes," said the gentleman. "There he is, on the paddle box."
"Is that the pilot?" asked Rollo. "I thought the pilot was the man who steered."
"No," replied the gentleman, "he is the man who gives directions how to steer. He does not steer himself. The man who steers is called the helmsman. There he is."
So saying, the gentleman pointed toward the stern of the ship where there was a sort of platform raised a little above the deck, with a row of panes of glass, like a long narrow window, in front of it. Through this window Rollo could see the head of a man. The man was standing in a recess which contained the wheel by means of which the ship was steered.
"The pilot keeps a lookout on the paddle box," continued the gentleman, "watching the changes in the channel, and also the movements of the vessels which are coming and going. When he wishes the helm to be put to the right, he calls outStarboard! When he wishes it to be put to the left, he calls outPort! And when he wishes the ship to go straight forward as she is, he calls outSteady!"
Just then the pilot, from his lofty lookout on the paddle box, called out, "Port!"
The officer on the deck repeated the command, in order to pass it along to the helmsman, "Port!"
The helmsman then repeated it again, by way of making it sure to the officer that he had heard it and was obeying it, "Port!"
There were two or three dashing-looking young men walking together up and down the dock, and one of them, on hearing these commands, called out, not very loud, but still in such a manner as that all around him could hear, and imitating precisely the tones in which the pilot's order had been given, "Sherry!"
Whereupon there was a great laugh among all the passengers around. Even the stern and morose-looking countenance of the officer relaxed into a momentary smile.
"Now look forward at the bows of the ship," said the gentleman, "and you will see her change her course in obedience to the command of the pilot to port the helm."
Rollo did so, and observed the effect with great curiosity and pleasure.
"I thought the captain gave orders how to steer the ship," said Rollo.
"He does," said the gentleman, "after we get fairly clear of the land. It is the captain's business to navigate the ship across the ocean, but he has nothing to do with directing her when she is going in and out of the harbor." The gentleman then went on to explain that at theentrances of all rivers and harbors there were usually rocks, shoals, sand bars, and other obstructions, some of which were continually shifting their position and character, and making it necessary that they should be studied and known thoroughly by some one who is all the time upon the spot. The men who do this are called pilots. The pilots of each port form a company, and have established rules and regulations for governing all their proceedings. They go out to the mouth of the harbor in small vessels called pilot boats, where they wait, both in sunshine and storm, for ships to come in. When a ship approaches the coast and sees one of these pilot boats, it makes a signal for a pilot to come on board. The pilot boat then sails toward the ship, and when they get near enough they let down a small boat, and row one of the pilots on board the vessel, and he guides the ship in. In the same manner, in going out of port, the pilot guides the ship until they get out into deep water, and then a pilot boat comes up and takes him off the ship. The ship then proceeds to sea, while the pilot boat continues to sail to and fro about the mouth of the harbor, till another ship appears.
"And will this pilot get into a pilot boat and go back to New York?" asked Rollo.
"Yes," replied the gentleman, "and the passengers can send letters back by him, if they wish. They often do."
"And can I?" asked Rollo.
"Yes," replied the gentleman. "Write your letter, and I will give it to him."
Rollo had a small inkstand in his pocket, and also a pocket book with note papers folded up and envelopes in it. This was an apparatus that he always carried with him when he travelled. He took out one of his sheets of note paper, and wrote upon it the following letter:—
Dear Uncle George:This is to inform you that we have found a good seat, and are getting along very well.Your affectionate nephew,R. Holiday.
Dear Uncle George:
This is to inform you that we have found a good seat, and are getting along very well.
Your affectionate nephew,R. Holiday.
Rollo made his letter shorter than he otherwise would have done, on account of having been informed by the gentleman, when he had just written the first line, that the pilot boat was coming in sight. So he finished his writing, and then folded his note and put it in its envelope. He sealed the envelope with a wafer, which he took out of a compartment of his pocket book. He then addressed it to his uncle George in aproper manner, and it was all ready. The gentleman then took it and carried it to the pilot, who was just then coming down from the paddle box and putting on his coat.
By this time the pilot boat had come pretty near to the ship, and was lying there upon the water at rest, with her sails flapping in the wind. The engine of the ship was stopped. A small boat was then seen coming from the pilot boat toward the ship. The boat was tossed fearfully by the waves as the oarsmen rowed it along. When it came to the side of the ship a sailor threw a rope to it, and it was held fast by means of the rope until the pilot got on board. The rope was then cast off, and the boat moved away. The engine was now put in motion again, and the great paddle wheels of the ship began to revolve as before. Rollo watched the little boat as it went bounding over the waves, afraid all the time that it would be upset, in which case his letter would be lost. At length, however, he had the satisfaction of seeing the skiff safely reach the pilot boat, and all the men climb up safely on board.
"There!" exclaimed Rollo, in a tone of great satisfaction, "now he will go up to the city safe, and I amveryglad he has got that letter for uncle George."
In the mean time the captain mounted the paddle box where the pilot had stood, and, with his speaking trumpet in his hand, began to give the necessary orders for the vigorous prosecution of the voyage. The sails were spread, the engines were put into full operation, the helmsman was directed what course to steer, and the ship pressed gallantly forward out into the open sea.
the ship pressed gallantly forward
The gentleman who had so kindly explained the pilot system to Rollo did not return to the settee after having given the pilot the letter, but went away, and for a few minutes Rollo and Jane were left alone. They observed, too, that a great many of the passengers had disappeared, and now there were very few about the deck. Rollo wondered where they had gone. He soon received some light on the subject, by overhearing one gentleman say to another, as they passed the settee on their promenade,—
"Come, Charley, let us go down and get some lunch."
"They are going to lunch," said Rollo. "We will go too. I am beginning to be hungry."
"So am I hungry," said Jane. "I did not think of it before; but I am, and I have no doubt that Tiger is hungry too."
So Jane took up her cage, and then she and Rollo, walking along together, followed the gentlemen who had said that they were going down to lunch. They walked forward upon the promenade deck till they came to the short flight of stairs, with the green rope balustrade, which led down to the deck below. These stairs were so steep that the children were obliged to proceed with great caution in descending them, in order to get down in safety. They, however, at length succeeded; and then, passing along where they saw that the gentlemen went who preceded them, they entered into a long and narrow passage way, with doors leading to state rooms on either hand. Following this passage way, they came at length to a sort of entry or hall, which was lighted by a skylight above. In the middle of this hall, and under the skylight, was a pretty broad staircase, leading down to some lower portion of the ship. As the men whom they were following went down these stairs, the children went down too. When they got down, they found themselves in a perfect maze of cabins, state rooms, and passage ways, the openings into which were infinitely multiplied by the large and splendid mirrors with which the walls were every where adorned.
"Put Tiger down there," said Rollo, pointing to a place near the end of the sofa, "and wewill bring her something to eat when we come from lunch."
Jane was very anxious to take the kitten with her; but she knew that, under the circumstances in which she was placed, it was proper that she should follow implicitly all of Rollo's directions. So she put the cage down, and then she and Rollo went on together through a door where the gentlemen who had preceded them had gone.
They found themselves in another long and narrow passage way, which led toward the forward part of the ship. The passage way was so narrow that they could not walk together. So Rollo went first, and Jane came behind. The vessel was rocking gently from the motion of the waves, and Jane had to put her hands out once or twice, first to one side and then to the other of the passage way, in order to steady herself as she passed along. Presently they came to a place where they had to go up five or six steps, and then to go immediately down again. It was the place where the main shaft passed out from the engine to the paddle wheel. After getting over this obstruction, they went on a a little farther, and then came into a large dining saloon, where several long tables were spread, and a great many passengers were seated, eating their luncheons.
There were a number of waiters in different parts of the room, standing behind the guests at the tables; and one of these waiters, as soon as he saw Rollo and Jane come in, went to them, and said that he would show them where to sit. So they followed him, and he gave them a good seat at one of the tables. As soon as the children were seated, the waiter said, addressing Rollo,—
"Will you have soup?"
"Yes," said Rollo.
"And will the young lady take soup, too?" he asked again.
"Yes," said Rollo; "both of us."
While the waiter was gone to get the soup, Rollo and Jane had an opportunity of looking around the room and observing how very different it was in its fixtures and furniture from a dining room on land. Instead of windows, there were only round holes in the sides of the ship, about a foot in diameter. For a sash, there was only one round and exceedingly thick and strong pane of glass, set in an iron frame, and opening inwards, on massive hinges. On the side of this frame, opposite the hinges, was a strong clamp and screw, by means of which the frame could be screwed up very tight, in order to exclude the water in case of heavy seas. Thetables were fitted with a ledge all around the outside, to keep the dishes from sliding off. Above each table, and suspended from the ceiling, was a long shelf of beautiful wood, with racks and sockets in it of every kind, for containing wineglasses, tumblers, decanters, and such other things as would be wanted from time to time upon the table. Every one of these glasses was in a place upon the shelf expressly fitted to receive and retain it; so that it might be held securely, and not allowed to fall, however great might be the motion of the ship.
There were no chairs at the tables. The seats consisted of handsomely cushioned settees, with substantial backs to them. It was upon one of these settees, and near the end of it, that Rollo and Jane were seated.
When the soup was brought, the children ate it with great satisfaction. They found it excellent; and, besides that, they had excellent appetites. After the soup, the waiter brought them some roasted potatoes and butter, and also some slices of cold roast beef. When the roast beef came, Jane exclaimed to Rollo,—
"Ah! I am very glad to see that. It is just the thing for Tiger."
Then she turned round and said to the waiter,—
"Can I take a piece of this meat to give to my kitten?"
"Your kitten?" said the waiter. "Have you got a kitten on board?"
"Yes," said Jane.
"Where is she?" asked the waiter.
"I left her in the cabin," said Jane, "by the end of a sofa. She is in her cage."
The waiter smiled to hear this statement. Jane had been, in fact, a little afraid to ask for meat for her kitten, supposing it possible that the waiter might think that she ought not to have brought a kitten on board. But the truth was, the waiter was very glad to hear of it. He was glad for two reasons. In the first place, the monotony and dulness of sea life are so great, that those who live in ships are usually glad to have any thing occur that is extraordinary or novel. Then, besides, he knew that it was customary with passengers, when they gave the waiters any unusual trouble, to compensate them for it fully when they reached the end of the voyage; and he presumed, therefore, that if he had a kitten to take care of, as well as the children themselves, their father, whom he had no doubt was on board would remember it in his fee. So, when Jane told him where the kitten was, he said he would go and bring her out intothe dining saloon, and give her some of the meat there, as soon as the passengers had finished their luncheon, so that he could be spared from the table.
Accordingly, when the proper time arrived, the waiter went aft, to the cabin, and very soon returned, bringing the cage with him.
He seemed quite pleased with his charge; and several of the passengers, who met him as they were going out of the saloon, stopped a moment to see what he had got in the cage, and Jane was much gratified at hearing one of them say,—
"What a pretty kitten! Whose is it, waiter?"
The waiter put the cage down upon a side table, and then carried a plate of meat to the place, and put it in the cage. Jane and Rollo went to see. While the kitten was eating her meat, the waiter said that he would go and get some milk for her. He accordingly went away again; but he soon returned, bringing a little milk with him in a saucer. The kitten, having by this time finished eating her meat, set herself eagerly at the work of lapping up the milk, which she did with an air of great satisfaction.
"There!" said the waiter, "bring her out here whenever she is hungry, and I will always have something for her. When you come at meal times, you will see me at the table. If youcome at any other time, and you don't see me, ask for Alfred. My name is Alfred."
Jane and Rollo both said to Alfred that they were very much obliged to him, and then, observing that nearly all the passengers had left the dining saloon and had returned to the cabin, they determined to go too. So they went back through the same passage way by which they had come.
There were two principal cabins in the ship, the ladies' cabin and the gentlemen's cabin. The ladies' cabin was nearest to the dining saloon, the gentlemen's cabin being beyond. A number of ladies and gentlemen turned into the ladies' cabin, and so Rollo and Jane followed them. They found themselves, when they had entered, in quite a considerable apartment, with sofas and mirrors all around the sides of it, and a great deal of rich carving in the panels and ceiling. Several splendid lamps, too, were suspended in different places, so hung that they could move freely in every direction, when the ship was rolling from side to side in rough seas. Rollo and Jane took their seats upon one of the sofas.
"Well, Rollo," said Jane, "I don't know what we are going to do next."
"Nor I," said Rollo; "but we can sit here alittle while, and perhaps somebody will come and speak to us. It must be right for us to sit here, for other ladies and gentlemen are sitting in this cabin."
Jane looked about the cabin on the different sofas to see if there were any persons there that she had ever seen before. But there were none.
Among the persons in the cabin, there were two who particularly attracted Jane's attention. They were young ladies of, perhaps, eighteen or twenty years of age, but they were remarkably different from each other in appearance. One was very beautiful indeed. Her hair was elegantly arranged in curls upon her neck, and she was dressed quite fashionably. Her countenance, too, beamed with an expression of animation and happiness.
The other young lady, who sat upon the other end of the same sofa, was very plain in her appearance, and was plainly dressed. Her countenance, too, had a sober and thoughtful expression which was almost stern, and made Jane feel quite disposed to be afraid of her. The beautiful girl she liked very much.
While the children were sitting thus upon the sofa, waiting to see what was next going to happen to them, several persons passed along that way, taking a greater or less degree of noticeof them as they passed. Some merely stared at them, as if wondering how they came there, and what they were doing. One lady looked kindly at them, but did not speak. Another lady, apparently about forty years of age, walked by them with a haughty air, talking all the time with a gentleman who was with her. Jane heard her say to the gentleman, as soon as she had passed them,—
"What a quantity of children we have on board this ship! I hate children on board ship, they are so noisy and troublesome."
Jane did not say any thing in reply to this, but she thought that she and Rollo, at least, did not deserve such censures, for they had certainly not been noisy or troublesome.
Presently Jane saw the beautiful girl, who has been already spoken of, rise and come toward them. She was very glad to see this, for now, thought she, we have a friend coming. The young lady came walking along carelessly toward them, and when she came near she looked at them a moment, and then said, in a pert and forward manner,—
"What are you sitting here for, children, so long, all alone? Where is your father?"
"My father is in Liverpool, I suppose," said Rollo.
"Well, your mother, then," said the young lady, "or whoever has the care of you?"
"My mother is in Liverpool, too," said Rollo "and there is nobody who has the care of us on board this ship."
"Why, you are not going to cross the Atlantic all by yourselves, are you?" said the young lady, in a tone of great astonishment.
"Yes," said Rollo, "unless we find somebody to be kind enough to help us."
"La! how queer!" said the young lady. "I am sure I'm glad enough that I am not in your places."
So saying, the beautiful young lady walked on.
All the beauty, however, which she had before possessed in Jane's eyes was entirely dissipated by this heartless behavior. Both Jane and Rollo, for all the rest of the voyage, thought her one of the ugliest girls they had ever seen.
It was some minutes after this before any other person approached the children. Jane observed, however, that the other young lady—the one who had appeared to her so plain—looked frequently toward her and Rollo, with an expression of interest and kindness upon her countenance. At length she rose from her seat, and came across the cabin, and sat down by Jane's side.
"May I come and sit by you?" said she to Jane. "You seem to be all alone."
"Yes," said Jane; "we don't know any body in this ship."
"Not any body?" said the young lady. "Then you may know me. My name is Maria. But your father and mother are on board the ship, are they not?"
"No," said Rollo. "There is not any body on board this ship that belongs to us."
Maria seemed very much astonished at hearing this, and she asked the children how it happened that they were sent across the Atlantic alone. Upon which Rollo, in a very clear and lucid manner, explained all the circumstances of the case to her. He told her about his father being sick in England, and about his having sent for him and Jane to go to England and meet him there. He also explained what Mr. George's plan had been for providing them with a protector on the voyage, and how it had been defeated by the accident of the loss of the trunk. He also told her how narrowly they had escaped having the trunk itself left behind. He ended by saying that there were several of his father's friends on board, only he did not know of any way by which he could find out who they were.
"Never mind that," said Maria. "I will takecare of you. You need not be at all afraid; you will get along very well. Have you got any state room?"
"No," said Rollo.
"Well, I will go and find the chambermaid, and she will get you one. Then we will have your trunk sent to it, and you will feel quite at home there."
So Maria went away, and presently returned with one of the chambermaids.
When the chambermaid learned that there were two children on board without any one to take care of them, she was very much interested in their case. Rollo heard her say to Maria, as they came up together toward the sofa where the children were sitting,—
"O, yes, I will find them a state room, if they have not got one already. Children," she added, when she came near, "are you sure you have not got any state room?"
"Yes," said Rollo. "I did not know where the captain's office was."
"O, you don't go to the captain's office," said the chambermaid. "They pay for the passage and get the tickets in Wall Street."
"Perhaps this is it, then," said Rollo. And so saying, he took out his wallet, and there, from one of the inner compartments, where his uncleGeorge had placed it away very carefully, he produced a paper. The chambermaid opened it, saying, "Yes, this is all right. Berths sixteen and eighteen. Come with me, and I'll show you where they are."
So the two children, accompanied by Maria, followed the chambermaid, who led the way across the cabin, and there, entering a passage way, she opened a door, by means of a beautiful porcelain knob which was upon it. They all went in. They found themselves in a small room, no bigger than a large closet, but they saw at a glance that it was very beautifully finished and furnished. On the front side was a round window like those they had seen in the dining saloon. Under this window was a couch, with a pillow at the head of it. On the back side were two berths, one above the other, with very pretty curtains before them.
"There!" said the chambermaid, "sixteen. That lower berth is yours."
"And whose is the upper berth?" asked Maria.
"That is not taken, I think," said the chambermaid.
"Then I will take it," said Maria. "I will come into this state room, and then I can look after Jennie all the time. But where is Rollo's berth?"
"In the next state room," said the chambermaid.
So saying, she opened a door in the end of the room, and found another state room communicating with the first, where she pointed out Rollo's berth. There was another entrance to Rollo's state room from the passage leading into the cabin, on the farther side of it.
"There," said the chambermaid, "now you can settle yourselves here as soon as you please. Nobody can come in here to trouble you, for you have these little rooms all to yourselves. I'll go and find a porter, and get him to look up your trunk and send it in."
So Rollo went into his state room, and Jane sat down upon the couch in hers, by the side of Maria, looking very much pleased. She opened the door of the cage, and let the kitten out. The kitten walked all about the room, examining every thing with great attention. She jumped up upon the marble washstand, and from that she contrived to get into the round window, where she stood for a few minutes looking out very attentively over the wide sea. Not knowing, however, what to make of so extraordinary a prospect, she presently jumped down again, and, selecting a smooth place at the foot of the couch, she curled herself up into a ring upon the soft covering of it, and went to sleep.
As soon as Rollo and Jane found themselves thus established in their state rooms, they began to examine the furniture and fixtures around them with great curiosity. They were particularly interested in observing the precautions which had been taken in securing every thing which the state rooms contained, from the danger of being thrown about by the motion of the ship. The wash basin was made of marble, and was firmly set in its place, so as to be absolutely immovable. There was a hole in the bottom of it, with a plug in it, so that, by drawing out the plug, the water could be let off into a pipe which conveyed it away. There was a small chain attached to this plug, by means of which it could be drawn up when any one wished to let the water off. The pitcher was made broad and flat at the bottom, and very heavy, so that it could not be easily upset; and then there was a socket for it in the lower part of the washstand, which confined it effectually, and prevented its sliding about when the ship was rolling in a heavy sea.
The tumbler was secured in a more curious manner still. It was placed in a brass ring, which projected from the wall in a corner over the wash stand, and which was made just large enough to receive it. The soap dish and the brush tray were also placed in sockets cut to receive them in the marble slab, which formed the upper part of the wash stand. The looking glass was round, and was screwed to the wall by means of a stem and a ball or socket joint, in such a manner that it could be set in any position required, according to the height of the observer, and yet it could not by any possibility fall from its place. There were very few pegs or pins for hanging clothes upon, because, when clothes are thus hung, they are found to swing back and forth whenever the ship is rolling in a heavy sea, in a manner that is very tiresome and disagreeable for sick passengers to see. Nor were there many shelves about the state room; for if there had been, the passengers would be likely to put various articles upon them when the sea was smooth; and then, when the ship came to pitch and roll in gales of wind, the things would all slide off upon the floor. So instead of shelvesthere were pockets made of canvas or duck, several together, one above another. These pockets formed very convenient receptacles for such loose articles as the passengers might have in their state rooms, and were, of course, perfectly secure.
There weretwoshelves, it is true, in Jennie's state room,—one over each of the two wash stands,—but they were protected by a ledge about the edges of them, which would effectually prevent such things as might be placed upon them from sliding off.
By the time that Rollo and Jane had examined these things, a porter came into the state room, bringing their trunk upon his shoulder. Maria told the children that they had better open the trunk and take out all that they would be likely to require while on board, and then stow the trunk itself away under the lower berth, in one of the state rooms.
"Because," said she, "as soon as we get out upon the heavy seas we shall all be sick, and then we shall not wish to move to do the least thing."
"When will that be?" asked Jane.
"I don't know," replied Maria. "Sometimes we have it smooth for a good many days, and then there comes a head wind and makes itrough, and all the passengers get sick and very wretched."
"I don't think that I shall be sick," said Rollo.
"You can't tell," said Maria. "Nobody can tell any thing about it beforehand."
In obedience to Maria's directions, Rollo opened the trunk and took out from it all the clothing, both for day and night, which he thought that he and Jennie would require during the voyage. The night dresses he put under the pillows in the berths. The cloaks, and coats, and shawls which might be required on deck in the day he placed on the couches. Those which belonged to him he put in his state room, and those that belonged to Jennie in hers. While engaged in these operations, he pulled up from one of the lower corners of his trunk a small leather purse or bag full of money.
"What shall I do with this?" he asked, holding it up to Maria.
"What is it?" asked Maria.
"Money," said Rollo.
"How much is there?" said Maria.
"I don't know," replied Rollo. "Uncle George put it in here. He said I ought to havesomemoney to carry with me, in case of accidents. I don't suppose it is much."
"You had better count it, then," said Maria,"so as to ascertain how much it is. You and Jane may count it together."
So Rollo and Jane sat down upon the couch, and Rollo poured out the money into Jennie's lap. It was all gold. Maria said that the coins were sovereigns and half sovereigns. The large ones were sovereigns, and the small ones were half sovereigns. Rollo proposed that he should count the sovereigns, and that Jennie might count the half sovereigns. It proved, when the counting was completed, that there were thirty sovereigns and twenty half sovereigns.
"That makes forty sovereigns in all," said Maria. "That is a great deal of money."
"How much is it?" asked Rollo.
"Why, in American money," said Maria, "it makes about two hundred dollars."
"Two hundred dollars!" repeated Rollo, with astonishment. "What could uncle George think I could want of all this money?"
"It was in case of accidents," said Maria. "For example, suppose this ship should be cast away on the coast of Nova Scotia, and all the passengers and baggage be saved, what could you do there without any money."
"Why, I should think that somebody there would take care of us," replied Rollo.
"Yes," said Maria, "I suppose they would;but it is a great deal better to have money of your own. Besides, suppose that when you get to Liverpool, for some reason or other, your father should not be there. Then, having plenty of money, you could go to a hotel and stay there till your father comes. Or you could ask some one of the passengers who is going to London to let you go with him, and you could tell him that you had plenty of money to pay the expenses."
"Yes," said Rollo, "though I don't think there is any doubt that my father will be in Liverpool when we arrive."
"I hope he will be, I am sure," said Maria. "But now, put up the money again in the purse, tie it up securely, and replace it in the trunk. Then you must keep the trunk locked all the time, and keep the key in your pocket."
Rollo felt quite proud of being intrusted with so much money; so he replaced the bag in the trunk with great care, and locked it safely.
"Now," said Maria, "this is your home while you are on board this ship. When you choose, you can come here and be alone; and you can lie down and rest here whenever you are tired. At other times you can ramble about the ship, in all proper places."
"How shall I know what the proper places are?" asked Rollo.
"Why, you will see where the other passengers go," replied Maria; "and wherever you see them go, you can go yourself. That is as good a rule as you can have."
"Well," said Rollo. "And now, Jane, let us go up on deck and see what we can see."
Jane was pleased with this proposal; so she followed Rollo to the deck. Maria said that she would come by and by, but for the present she wished to go and see her brother. She said that she had a brother on board who was quite out of health. He was going to Europe in hopes that the voyage would restore him. At present, however, he was very unwell, and was confined to his berth, and she must go and see him.
So Rollo and Jane went to see if they could find their way up on deck alone. Rollo went before, and Jane followed. They ascended the steep stairs where they had gone up at first, and then walked aft upon the deck until they came to the settees where they had been sitting before the luncheon. They sat down upon one of these settees, where they had a fine view, not only of the wide expanse of sea on every hand, but also of the whole extent of the decks of the ship. They remained here nearly two hours, observing what was going on around them, and they sawa great many things that interested them very much indeed.
The first thing that attracted their attention was the sound of a bell, which struck four strokes very distinctly, and in a very peculiar manner, near where the helmsman stood in steering the ship. This bell has already been mentioned. It hung directly before the helmsman's window, and it had a short rope attached to the clapper of it. The helmsman, orthe man at the wheel, as he is sometimes called, from the fact that he steers the ship by means of a wheel, with handles all around the periphery of it, had opened his window just after Rollo and Jane had taken their seats, and had pulled this clapper so as to strike four strokes upon the bell, the strokes being in pairs, thus:—
Ding—ding! Ding—ding!
In a minute afterward, Rollo and Jane heard the sound repeated in precisely the same manner from another bell, that seemed to be far in the forward part of the ship.
Ding—ding! Ding—ding!
"I wonder what that means?" said Rollo.
"I expect it means that it is four o'clock," said Jane.
"I should not think it could be so late as four o'clock," said Rollo.
"I have a great mind to go and ask the helmsman what it means," he added, after a moment's pause.
"No," said Jane, "you must not go."
It is difficult to say precisely why Jane did not wish to have Rollo go and ask the helmsman about the bell, but she had an instinctive feeling that it was better not to do it. So Rollo sat still. His attention was very soon turned away from the bell by Jane's calling out to him to see some sailors go up the rigging. There were regularshrouds, as they are called, that is, ladders formed of ropes, which led up on each side of the masts part way to where the sailors seemed to wish to go. Above the top of the shrouds there were only single ropes, and Rollo wondered what the sailors would do when they came to these. They found no difficulty, however, for when they reached the top of the shrouds they continued to mount by the ropes with very little apparent effort. They would take hold of two of the ropes that were a little distance apart with their hands, and then, curling their legs round them in a peculiar manner below, they would mount up very easily. They thus reached theyard, as it is called, which is a long, round beam, extending along the upper edge of the sail, and, spreading themselves out upon it in a row, they proceeded to do the work requiredupon the sail, leaning over upon the yard above, and standing upon a rope, which was stretched for the purpose along the whole length of it below.
"I wonder ifIcould climb up there," said Rollo. "Do you suppose they would let me try?"
"No, indeed!" said Jane, very earnestly; "you must not try, by any means."
"I believe that Icouldclimb up there," said Rollo; "that is, if the vessel would stop rocking to and fro, and hold still."
Presently, however, a boy, who appeared to be about eighteen or nineteen years of age, and who was upon another mast, accomplished a feat which even Rollo himself admitted that he should not dare to undertake. It seemed that he had some operation to perform upon a part of the rigging down some fifteen feet from where he was; so, with a rope hung over his shoulder, he came down hand over hand, by a single rope or cable called astay, until he reached the place where the work was to be performed. Here he stopped, and, clinging to the rope that he had come down upon with his legs and one hand, he contrived with the other hand to fasten one end of the short rope which he had brought with him to the stay, and then, carrying the other end across, hefastened it to another cable which was near. He then seated himself upon this cross rope as upon a seat, and clinging to his place by his legs, he had his hands free for his work. When he had finished his work he untied the cross rope, and then went up the cable hand over hand a he had come down.