CHAPTER II. 



FROM BALTIMORE TO EGG ISLAND, BAHAMAS. 



It is doubtful if any skipper ever started on a three months' 

 cruise with a more inexperienced lot of •• land-lubbers '' than 

 Captain Charles Flowers had on board the •• Emilv E. John- 

 son." as she was towed out into the stream on the evening of 

 May 5th. 1893. Only a small percentage of those on board, 

 aside from the crew, had ever so much as seen salt water 

 before. Everything pertaining to the sea. the vessel, and 

 marine life, was novel, and the more experienced members of 

 the partv awaited developments with no little anxiet\'. 



It would be hard to suggest a more severe test of character 

 than was involved in the necessary close quarters and mutual 

 forbearance and concessions of a three months' cruise. From 

 the verv nature of the case, the true character of each person 

 was bound to ba manifest, and each viewed his companions as 

 thev really were, and not as they simply seemed. The educa- 

 tional and disciplinarv value of such a test, especially when, 

 as in this case, the results are creditable, can hardly be over- 

 estimated. 



The sail down the Chesapeake was a delight to every one 

 on board, and it would have been pleasant to indolently enjoy 

 the beauties and novelties of the tirst few days; but there was 

 much that it was necessary to accomplish before getting to 

 sea. and work was commenced at once. 



AccordinfT to a^jreement. the assignment of work was left 

 to the executive committee, and it is a pleasure to state at the 

 commencement that the entire party promptly and efficiently 

 attended to the work assigned, and that the amount of grumb- 

 ling over obnoxious tasks was surprisingly small. 



Some were put to work at unpacking and arranging the 



