26 WILD SPORTS IN THE FAR WEST. 



day and night in their sleeping-places, without even 

 takmg the trouble to wash themselves ; perhaps they 

 w^ere afraid of taking too much water out of the sea, as 

 the ship was near sand-banks. "We tried all sorts of 

 amusements, such as reasonable grown-up men would 

 not be suspected of patronizing. Amongst others, we 

 played at soldiers ; working men, shopkeepers, apothe- 

 caries, Jews, Clu^istians, sailors, old and young, all took 

 part in it, with sticks, brooms, harpoons, fish-grains, 

 hunting knives, wind instruments (the ship's horn for 

 fog-signals), flags, &c., just like little boys. The whole 

 play was carried out — rebellion, desertion (one of the 

 Jews was the deserter), court-martial, execution, and 

 tocsin: the tocsin bell was a shirt stretched over a 

 hoop, and beaten with a broomstick. The best of all 

 Avas, that the doctor turned up his nose at us, and talked 

 about our being childish ! Was n't he hooted ? 



July 18th. — Running merrily with a fair wind, our 

 hearts swelling with fresh hopes. We collected the 

 Oldenburghers on deck to sing a song, the chorus of 

 which was, " Peasants ride in coaches in America." I 

 thought the good people might be in error as to coaches, 

 and that wheelbarrows would be nearer the mark. But 

 what should we be without hope ? We were near the 

 land. At early dawn I sprang out of a hammock I 

 had manufactured, for I could not sleep in the narrow 

 berth, and mounted aloft. Placid, just crisped by a 

 light south-east wind, lay the sea, deep, deep beneath me, 

 dandlmg the noble ship, playing with her, yielding 

 before her, and then following with a slight splash. I 

 gained the highest point, clasped the mast with my 

 left ai-m, and delightedly breathed the pure morning 



