THE OCEAN VOYAGE 87 



AVe generally arise before six o'clock, make toilet, 

 which consists of washing and combing, as there is little 

 dressing done. The necessary adroitness required in 

 washing is soon learned, as one profits by the mistakes 

 of others, who had towels and tin-pans blown overboard 

 or who suffered other tricks played on them by the wind. 

 I soon learned that short hair is a gre il blessing as it 

 facilitates combing and prevents the wind from playing 

 havoc on one's head. The wardrobe is unusually simple, 

 consisting in my case, as in that of most of the others, 

 of a woollen shirt, linen trousers, and slices without stock- 

 ings; a cap completed the outfit ordinarily. A coat is 

 only worn on cold days and I wore my stockings only at 

 the beginning of the vovage and later on woollen ones 

 near Cape Horn. About half-past six each one of us re- 

 ceived two quarts of coffee in his mug, which was given 

 us at the kitchen. The time till noon w T as spent in any 

 way the individual passenger would choose, for better 

 or worse. At twelve o'clock, dinner was served. Every 

 two bunks were entitled to one mess, which, one of the 

 two occupants had to fetch in large wooden bowl from 

 the cook. Though our bill of fare was exceedingly plain, 

 as is natural, it consisted of nutritious and very digesti- 

 ble food, the preparation of which was not to be com- 

 plained of, although one must bear in mind that we were 

 only steerage passengers. We had: Mondays, white peas 

 and pork; Tuesdays, rice-soup and beef; Wednesdays, 

 sauer-kraut and pork; Thursdays, rice-soup and beef; 

 Fridays, lentils with pork; Saturdays, peeled barley 

 with prunes and herring; Sunday, pudding with prune- 

 sauce and beef. Outside of that we were treated to pota- 

 toes every day until July. Sauer-kraut and lentils were 

 in time replaced by peas. By meat, of course, salted meat 

 is meant. We likewise received every week: Five 

 pounds of wheat-crackers, which satisfied the appetite of 

 the most greedy. Rye-crackers were considered a deli- 

 cacy, as only a small quantity had found its way on board. 

 Again- one-half pound of butter; a quarter of a pound of 

 yellow farina-sugar (so-called), mustard, salt and vine- 



