LIFE IN THE STEERAGE. 11 



In 1879 nearly 118,000 steerage passengers left the port of Liverpool for the United 

 States. It should be noted that this was from one port, undeniably the principal one 

 for emigration, biit still by no means the only British one used for that purpose. Observe 

 further that it was for America alone that these emigrants were bound. According to the 

 United States census of 1870, there were at that time 5,600,000 human beings in the country 

 who were foreign born, and this number has since gone on increasing to a very large 

 extent. Nine-tenths of them at the least crossed the Great Ferry in ships bearing the 

 Union Jack, and of these, three-fourths or more crossed as steerage passengers. Hence 

 the importance of the question. 



Latterly a considerable amount of attention has been given to the sub-division 

 of the steerage space, so that, when practicable, friends and families may remain 

 together. Married people and single women have now separate quarters. The sleeping 

 accommodations are the weak point. They are simply rough wooden berths, and the 

 passenger has to furnish his own bedding, as well as plate, mug, knife, fork, spoon, 

 and water-can. The provisions are now-a-days generally ample, and on some lines are 

 provided ad libitum. The bill of fare is pretty usually as follows. Breakfast : coffee, 

 fresh bread or biscuit, and butter, or oatmeal porridge and molasses ; Dinner : soup, 

 beef or pork, and potatoes fish may be substituted for the meat ; on Sunday pudding is 

 often added ; Tea : tea, biscuit and butter. Three quarts of fresh water are allowed daily. 

 A passenger who has a few shillings to spend can often obtain a few extras from the 

 steward, and many, of course, take a small stock of the minor luxuries of life on board 

 with him. 



To those of small means who are contemplating emigration, the " Intermediate " 

 (second-class) on board some of the Atlantic steamers to the States and Canada can be 

 commended. For a couple of guineas over the steerage rates, excellent state-rooms, generally 

 with four to six berths in each, furnished with bedding and lavatory arrangements, are 

 provided. The intermediate passenger has a separate general saloon, and the table is well 

 provided with good plain living. As the steerage passenger has to provide so many things 

 for himself, it is almost as cheap to travel second-class. 



Almost every reader will remember Martin Chuzzlewit and Mark Tapley on board the 

 wretched Screw. How, for example, " the latter awoke with a dim idea that he was 

 dreaming of having gone to sleep in a four-post bedstead which had turned bottom up- 

 wards in the course of the night/' for which there seemed some reason, as " the first objects 

 he recognised when he opened his eyes were his own heels looking down at him, as he after- 

 wards observed, from a nearly perpendicular elevation." " This is the first time as ever I 

 stood on my head all night/' observed Mark. 



The lesson taught by Dickens regarding the necessity of keeping up one's spirits on 

 board ship, and better, of helping to keep up those of others, as exemplified by poor Tapley, 

 is a very important one. If anything will test character, life on board a crowded ship will 

 do it. Who that has read can ever forget Mark, when he calls to the poor woman to 

 " hand over one of them young 'uns, according to custom." " 1 1 wish you'd get breakfast, 

 Mark, instead of worrying with people who don't belong to you/ observed Martin, petulantly. 

 " ( All right,' said Mark ; ' she'll do that. It's a fair division of labour, sir. I wash her 



