LETTEES FEOM ALABAMA. 7 
leaving just space enough to squeeze one’s body 
round on each side. A sort of chest running along 
one side, called a locker, serves the double purpose 
of a seat, and a box for holding musty sails, flags, 
balls of spun-yarn, and sundry other articles, the 
savour of whose presence becomes but too manifest, 
whenever the little cover of the single square hole 
is removed, to rummage the contents. On the 
opposite side to this are two cupboards, also bearing 
the same name of lockers, though generally inno- 
cent of anything like a lock, the doors of which, 
continually getting unfastened, slam to and fro in 
the rolling and lurching of the vessel with convul- 
sive violence, revealing, as they open, a jug or two, 
and some glass tumblers, inserted in round holes 
cut in the shelves, and perhaps a tea-pot and some 
cups and saucers similiarly secured ; but all in the 
most disgusting state of dirtiness. The remainder 
of this side is occupied by the door, giving entrance 
from the foot of the companion-ladder, on the one 
hand, and on the other by the skipper’s state- 
room.” 
The remaining two sides are formed into cells 
just large enough (and but barely) to allow an 
adult person to lay himself along, as if in a coflSn. 
Some eight inches of board are the sleeper’s pro- 
tection from rolling out into the cabin, while his 
ribs chafe against the side of the vessel at every 
lurch. Careful must he be that he start not up 
suddenly in the night; for, if he do, a stunning blow 
on the forehead will remind him that the ceiling is 
not more than fifteen inches from his face as he 
lies. Such are the sleeping-berths, one on each 
side — the cell below each being stowed with all 
sorts of rubbish, into which the miserable slave of 
