THREE-WEEKS' VOYAGE by Stephen N. Haskell

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Sep 30, 1889

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 15, No. 38.

THREE-WEEKS' VOYAGE.

By Stephen N. Haskell

SUNDAY, July 14, we arrived in London where we were glad to meet friends from America. Arrangements had previously been made and a passage secured for Brother Druillard, his wife and myself on the Norham Castle, of the Castle Line, which sailed on the Wednesday following. We remained, however, in London until Friday, when we were conveyed to Dartmouth by a special train run by the company, there joining the steamer which left London the previous Wednesday.

The first week of the passage the weather was everything we could have desired, and we had a smooth sea. On Sunday night at 1 P. M. the boat anchored at the mouth of the Tagus, waiting for the morning light, to go up the river to Lisbon.

This city is said to contain four hundred thousand inhabitants. It lies on the north side of the river, about nine miles from the sea. Opposite the city the river widens and forms a lake about nine miles wide. Here our boat lay until nearly night. The city lies along the shore of the river for a number of miles, extending back among the hills. We had an opportunity of visiting the place and seeing the ruins of the earthquake which occurred November, 1775, and on account of which sixty thousand people lost their lives. Certain portions of the old cathedral and other buildings still remain, in which hundreds perished. There are, however, certain portions which were not destroyed. Among these is the aqueduct, which is nine miles long, built in 1738. It still supplies the city with water, flowing in thirty-one fountains throughout the city, from which it is taken in barrels to the people.

The lofty granite range of Cintra, from which the water comes, lies back of the city. This aqueduct crosses the Alcantara Valley on thirty-five arches, one being 236 feet above its base, with a span of one hundred and ten feet. The carriers of barrels are not Portuguese. They are natives of Galicia, Spain, and are called Galigos. These also constitute the fire brigade, and do the general drudgery of the city. The native Portuguese have a strong prejudice against being porters. They have a saying that "God made first the Portuguese, then Galigos to wait on him." These Galigos go in pairs, and will carry very heavy weights between them by a rope suspended from a piece of wood resting on a horseshoe collar placed on their shoulders. They trudge along always out of step, to neutralize the oscillation of their bodies. It is said that two men will carry half a ton.

Here we saw oxen drawing vehicles of antediluvian appearance. The wheels had no spokes, but were made of plain disks of wood fixed on axles which revolved with them. They also have other styles of vehicles drawn by mules and horses. Vegetables are brought in on donkeys in baskets larger than the animals themselves. The load is balanced by hanging a basket on each side of the donkey. All kinds of eatables, except butchers' meat, are carried about on the heads of bare-footed women, who vie with each other in the loudness of their unintelligible and discordant cries.

The fish women are most picturesque, wearing a broad felt hat and a short, closely-plaited, indigo blue skirt, and loose jacket. Many of them are adorned with a profusion of gold and silver ornaments. In this lies their wealth, which they ever carry with them.

The religion is Roman Catholic; but the mildness of the climate and the beautiful situation of the city (said to be the third in all Europe, Constantinople and Naples only being superior), has attracted to its shores large numbers of Europeans, and especially many English Protestants, who make this city their residence. It is the capital of Portugal, the home of the king. There are Protestant places of worship included in the two hundred houses for this purpose.

The Portuguese are noted for their politeness. It is said that great liberty is granted to all to express their sentiments in political and religious matters in public, both by speech and in the press.

We spent most of the day in the city. By procuring a guide, we were able to visit many places of interest.

The following Wednesday morning we reached the island of Madeira. This is the principal island of the group by that name. It has a population of one hundred and thirty-two thousand. The capital of this island is Funchal, which has a population of twenty-one thousand. This island has been a place which physicians have recommended as a great health resort for consumptives, but a visit to the cemetery would lead one to think that this is not true, or many of the cases were hopeless when they came here.

The island is of volcanic origin, sixteen miles wide and thirty-eight long. As we rounded the point and came near Funchal, the white-fronted houses set in the hollow of the mountains presented a pretty panorama.

The natives flocked around the ship like so many sea birds, waiting for the passengers to throw over some money, when from one to half a dozen would dive for it, the most expert bringing it up. While the boat lay at anchor, its deck was turned into a bazaar, where chairs, baskets, embroidery, jewels and other articles of native manufacture could be purchased. The fruits of the island are oranges, apples, lemons, figs, pears, grapes, mangoes, pomegranates, mulberries, Cape gooseberries, loquats, guavas, custard-apples, alligator-pears, and pine-apples.

There are steamship services between Madeira, the Azores, the Canaries, Lisbon, and the West African ports. Nearly all of these are ports which are settled by more or less English people, who are hospitable and kind to the stranger who perchance may come among them. It would seem that avenues might be opened here through which the honest native might be reached.

On board of our ship were men of almost all classes, having in view almost every object. There were the priests and the sisters of mercy from the High Church of England. One party of nine men were Swedish missionaries, en route for the Zulu tribes in Africa. They expect to learn the native language after having arrived at their field of labor. These were all young people, one young man being only fourteen years old. We formed a pleasant acquaintance with them. There were also those who appeared to be wealthy farmers, mining speculators, professional fortune seekers, newspaper correspondents, health hunters, and many other sorts and conditions of men, bound for different points in South Africa. Many were going up to Johannesburg. This is about one thousand miles north of Cape Town and the gold there at present presents great attractions to the fortune seekers. Johannesburg contains forty thousand inhabitants, and every ship brings fresh recruits from England.

The last two weeks of the voyage we had heavy winds directly against us. The sea was quite rough, and many seats were vacant at the table. We were one day late at Cape Town. We have never been on a ship which rode the sea better in a storm than the Norham Castle.

It is one of a fleet of over twenty owned by the Castle Line Company, three of which are over four thousand two hundred and forty tons burden. These are described as being three hundred and eighty feet in length and forty-eight feet in width. In the saloon there is a library, and on the shelves are many useful books, some of which are of a strictly religious character, such as "Thoughts on Daniel and the Revelation," and "Spirit of Prophecy," etc., etc. These books are eagerly sought for and read by both first and second-class passengers.

The second-class accommodations are good to what they are on the steamers crossing between New York and Liverpool. They have a large, spacious saloon with sleeping cabins at the side, differing from those of the first-class only in the plainness of furniture and the variety of food on the tables. Yet the tables were amply supplied for all common mortals. All the cabins of the first, second and third class are situated on the same deck, and are well lighted with electricity and large port-holes. A special stewardess waits on the ladies in the second cabin. A piano is also in the dining-room for the use of the passengers. But the most marked feature of it all, and the one the "poor sailor" passengers appreciated as much as any one thing, is the attention paid to those who are so unfortunate as to be sea-sick. It is but justice to state that the chief officers, especially, sought every possible way to make it pleasant and comfortable for those thus afflicted. Nothing that could be done for their comfort was lacking. Special favors were not left altogether in the hands of a few table stewards, whose attention sometimes on some vessels depends upon the amount of feeing; but the chief steward, with the heads of the different departments, took a special interest in looking after those who were ill. The captain frequently visited each of the different class passengers himself, and suggested things that would be for the comfort of the passengers. Having traveled not less than forty thousand miles by sea, we have never seen more pains taken in this direction than on board of the Norham Castle. This we understand is not an exception on this steamer, but is characteristic of all the passenger boats which constitute their fleet. As far as our experience goes, and judging from what we saw in attention paid to others, there was no partiality shown, and we can recommend this line to our friends. This feature we also heard commented upon by those who had sailed on other lines, and in this respect we heard none spoken of more highly than this. And good care is what the passengers need more than almost anything else in case of rough sea and sea-sickness.

We arrived at Cape Town on Friday after a voyage of three full weeks, and were made happy at the sight of old friends and co-laborers waiting our arrival. On Sabbath and Sunday we had the privilege of meeting with about forty in this place, most of whom are observing the Sabbath or are especially interested in the truths we hold as sacred. S. N. H.