MIDSHIP PASSENGERS. 25 



farmers, a number of Irish servants, male and female, and 

 several nondescript adventurers ; two Scotchmen only, 

 brothers, both returning from Cuba sugar plantations where 

 they have been employed as engineers. They tell us the 

 people there are all for annexation to the United States, but 

 as they cannot speak Spanish, their information on this point 

 cannot be very extensive. Besides ourselves, there is but 

 one American-born person among them. She is a young 

 woman of quite superior mind, fair and engaging, rather ill 

 in health, going to England in hopes to improve it, and to 

 visit some family friends there. The young men are all 

 hoping the ship will be wrecked, so they can have the pleasure 

 of saving her or dying in the attempt. One goes into the 

 main-chains and sits there for several hours, all alone, every 

 fine day, for no other reason that we can conceive, but to 

 drop himself easily into the water after her, in case she 

 should fall overboard. There are three or four other women, 

 and as many babies, and little boys and girls. They do not 

 cry very often, but are generally in high spirits, always in 

 the way, frolicking or eating, much fondled and scolded, and 

 very dirty. 



The most notable character in our part of the ship, is one 

 Dr. T., another returning emigrant physician. He appears 

 to have been well educated^ and is of a wealthy Irish family. 

 His diploma is signed by Sir Astley Cooper, whose autograph 

 we have thus seen. Though a young man, he is all broken 

 down in spirit and body from hard drinking. He makes 

 himself a buffoon for the amusement of the passengers, and 

 some of the young men of the first cabin are so foolish as to 

 reward him sometimes with liquor, which makes him down 

 right crazy. Even the pale-faced student, who kept his 

 neighbours awake with his midnight prayers while he was sea 

 sick, has participated in this cruel fun. Dr. T. has been 



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