LIFE AT PORT MAHON, MINORCA 



about a mile from the entrance. Here our ship was 

 lying for six days in quarantine. I presume you know 

 what it is to be in quarantine. You have read of the 

 smoking that is undergone both by persons in quarantine 

 and letters, etc., of the suffocating fumes of sulphur that 

 are applied. We suffered none of these inconveniences, 

 on account of our being a national vessel, and indeed 

 there was nothing in it which was in the least disagree- 

 able, except the seeing of the land so near without a 

 possibility of reaching it, for we were not allowed to 

 leave the ship, except it be to go to the Lazaretto, when 

 an officer would accompany us around. It was really 

 provoking after so long an absence from land (for we did 

 not stop at Gibraltar) to have the power to see it only. 

 Glad was I when the six days were over and the ship 

 moved farther up the harbor to the Navy Yard, where she 

 now lies. Mahon is opposite. 



" This is the usual winter quarters of our squadron. 

 Formerly the French and Dutch also wintered here. But 

 on account of some difficulties happening between the 

 crews of different nations, we now have the harbor to 

 ourselves, they having selected other places. We find it 

 a tolerably good place to live at, have plenty of fresh 

 grub (sailor term for fresh provisions), among which I 

 might enumerate several kinds of fish, partridges, shell- 

 fish in abundance (not the common oyster or clam of our 

 country, but what some prefer, although I cannot say 

 that I do, the datefish, found in holes in rocks beneath 

 water) ; also grapes, a most delicious fruit in these coun- 

 tries, much superior to ours; and oranges we have in 

 abundance from a neighboring island Majorca; also 

 figs, etc. Wine is another of the articles which is 

 here afforded in great abundance. So much was made 

 on this island for the past season that they had not bar- 

 rels to put it in. Our table is always furnished with a 

 couple or more bottles of it, and it is drank like cider. 

 For 12 cents you get a gallon, and I suppose it is as good 

 as that for which you would in the United States pay 

 $1.50 per bottle. Thus you see we can live luxuriously 

 here if we choose. The sports in Mahon are few. 



" Let me first give you some idea of the place. It con- 

 tains about 13,000 inhabitants, in houses well built for a 

 Spanish town. Its appearance is exceedingly neat, even 



27 



