288 A CALIFORNIA TRAMP. 



peated, that it clogged the senses, and we were fain to proffer 

 them some of the coin of the reahii to stop. The merchants 

 seemed still more lively and persistent by torch-light, and pes- 

 tered us more than ever to buy their wares, while the women 

 paraded their viciousness with increased boldness. If one 

 town more than another needs to be swallowed up, it is this 

 modern Sodom ; but in that event the earth would be pitied 

 for surrounding such a sickening dose. 



Fearing that we might be left in this miserable town I 

 moved down to the sandy shore, and, after running the 

 gauntlet between rows of yelling boatmen, I jumped into one 

 of the numerous craft, and shooting out into the darkness, 

 the swarthy Charon, reversing the usual course of that mytho- 

 logical personage, took me from Death to Life. I may be 

 straining a point in the simile, but I will let it stand, as Aca- 

 pulco was certainly an abode of death, both morally and other- 

 wise, while on the " Orizaba " we had life on the ocean wave — 

 such as it was. 



We were nearly all night coaling the steamer. The coal 

 was all carried in sacks on the backs of the men from one 

 vessel to another, and the grimy procession of native carriers, 

 under the glare of torches, made an impressive scene. We 

 hoisted the anchor before sunrise, however, and put to sea, 

 glad that we were once more on our homeward way and leav- 

 ing such a den of badness behind. 



Time passed slowly on board our vessel. Some of us arose 

 by sunrise, although at that time we ran chances of being 

 swamped by the sailors while washing down the decks, as, by 

 accident, they often threw water on those who got in their 

 way. We drew water from the salt, salt sea and washed, a 

 group at a time ; until by turns all who cared to wash had 

 pickled themselves, and then been rasped off with a 

 common towel, which operation was in itself a species of dry 

 salting. Then, in season, we went to breakfast, and, standing 



