8 WILD SPORTS IN THE FAR AVKST. 



lashed to the posts, to keep them from tumbling about 

 with the motion of the ship, leaving a space on each 

 side of about twenty-two feet long, and from twelve to 

 fourteen inches wide, for 118 passengers. At first I 

 could not believe that we were so many, but by de- 

 grees became convinced of it. After for a short time 

 viewing the scene with its forms climbing and crawl- 

 ing about through the gloom, I imagined to myself the 

 motion of the ship, the lashings giving way, the chests 

 and boxes flying from side to side, and the advent of 

 sea-sickness, which the number of tin basins kept in 

 readiness seemed mournfully to forebode; I hastily 

 mounted to the deck, which seemed spacious and well 

 arranged. 



Although lying at anchor, the "Constitution" ap- 

 peared to one so uninitiated as myself to roll con- 

 siderably. JJefore dark, I crept below again to take 

 another look at my sleeping-place. There were iive 

 of us, whom fate and our own volition had consigned 

 to a space six feet square, with the audacious idea 

 of resigning ourselves to the arms of JMorphcus ; 

 but we, were so squeezed together that the god could 

 not have clasped an individual ; so lie must either take 

 all live at once, or leave us to our fate. Our mat- 

 tresses wen; spread (each had a mattress and coverlet), 

 and we crept in one after the other. When lour had 

 taken their places, two of them being men of colossal 

 bulk, the space was filled, and the question arose 

 "What was to become of the fifth ? Lie across? That 

 would have been too uncomfortable for those In-low. 

 Tnder our heads? That would not have been agree- 

 able for II., who was the iifth man; besides he was so 



