THE ISTHMUS OF PANAMA. 131 



cmr anticipated pleasant accommodations for the re- 

 mainder of the voyage. 



On applying to the clerk, he gave us a discourse 

 upon the difficulties in supplying a greater number 

 of passengers with rooms, than there were berths' in 

 the ship. To have insisted on the ladies being eject- 

 ed, notwithstanding we had the prior claim, would 

 have been incompatible with our ideas of civil- 

 ity, and to sleep without a berth, would certainly be 

 very uncomfortable, ami therefore, in this state of 

 things, we were glad to accept a lease on a room, for 

 one night only, the claimants being ashore ; and as 

 we " turned in," I confess to the apprehension of 

 being soon " turned out;" but thanks to the baccha- 

 nalian propensities of its subsequent occupants, they 

 did not appear until the following morning. 



Early the next day we got to sea, and as I 

 moved about from place to place on the ship, I felt 

 truly like one houseless and homeless ; but towards 

 night I was finally shown a berth, the lower one of 

 three, in a room of the least possible dimensions, 

 where I was permitted to crawl in, and then in 

 straightening out, shove my head behind two trunks 

 and sleep if I could. The door opened upon the 

 gangway, and was of necessity left open during the 

 night to give us air to breathe, and as occasionally 

 spray came in with it, I felt truly that my lot was a 

 hard one, but it was only to be borne. During the 

 whole passage, I earnestly hoped for some sign or 

 word in acknowledgment of my courtesy, from the la- 

 dies, to mitigate my sufferings ; but not one word did 



