, ...: V".v; I gq V*. T.m — jt vyt x. *— f-t." »*- <^£mm^nfa?idiJ)/l0meid. I8J5- THE CRUISE OF THE BROOKLYN. : -: THE "BROOKLYN" AT ANCHOR IN TABLE BAY. T a tile Mountain in the Background. [Frontispiece.'] THE CRUISE OF THE BROOKLYN. A JOURNAL OF THE PRINCIPAL EVENTS OF A THREE YEARS' CRUISE IN THE U. S. FLAG-SHIP BROOKLYN, IN THE SOUTH ATLANTIC STATION, EXTENDING SOUTH OF THE EQUATOR FROM CAPE HORN EAST TO THE LIMITS IN THE INDIAN OCEAN ON THE SEVENTIETH MERIDIAN OF EAST LONGITUDE. DESCRIPTIONS OF PLACES IN SOUTH AMEKICA, AFKICA, AND MADAGASCAR, WITH DETAILS OP THE PECULIAR CUSTOMS AND INDUSTRIES OP THEIR INHABITANTS. THE CRUISES OF THE OTHER VESSELS OP THE AMERICAN SQUADRON, FROM NOVEMBER, 1881, TO NOVEMBER, 1884. BY W. H. BEEHLEK, Lieut. U. S. Navy. ILLUSTRATED. PRESS OF J. B. LIPPINCOTT & CO., PHILADELPHIA. 18 85. Copyright, 1884, by W. H. Bbehler. PEEFAOE. The interesting reception of Neptune on board the U. S. S. " Brooklyn," upon crossing the equator, created a demand for a periodica] on board. The author was selected to conduct the journal, and the officers cordially gave him their assistance, so that the BrooMyn Eagle became a regular feature of the ship. Captain A. W. Weaver gave his permission, and the sum of five cents per copy was charged, in order to defray expenses for paper, ink, and replenishing the type, and also to pay the printer, C. M. Cartwright, for his labor during his leisure hours. The writer of any article was also allowed as many copies of the paper as he might desire for his own gratification. The present volume is, with a few additions, taken from the Brooklyn Eagle, and, with the illustrations of the principal places visited during a cruise in comparatively unfrequented waters, may prove interesting to the general public. " The History of the River Plate Republics" was published in a continued series of the BrooMyn Eagle, and the author intends to complete that work and publish it in a separate volume. The author takes advantage of the opportunity to acknowledge his indebtedness to the officers of the " Brooklyn" for their sup port and co-operation. Lieutenant Gr. A. Calhoun contributed 6 PREFACE. the articles upon " La Fete National" and " The Carnival of '83 at Montevideo ;" Lieutenant J. J. Hunker that of " The Fazenda Santa Anna," and Lieutenant H. 0. Handy the article on " Base- Ball" and that of " The National Sport of Spain." Chap lain Royce furnished valuable information concerning Madagascar, and all the officers kindly revised and criticised the various arti cles as they appeared from time to time, so that this volume may be considered as having been thoroughly revised and in all respects reliable. My special thanks are due to Captain A. W. Weaver for his permission to continue the publication of the Brooklyn Eagle, and also to Rear-Admirals Crosby and Phelps, who gave me their friendly advice. W. H. Beehler, Lieutenant ZJ.S.N. U. S. S. "Brooklyn," October 8, 1884. CONTENTS. CHAPTEE I. PAGE The "Brooklyn" commissioned for the South Atlantic — Description of the Ship— List of Officers — The Official Inspection by the Inspecting Board — Departure from New York — The First Storm at Sea — Pleasant Voyage and Arrival at the Equator — The Grand Reception and Festival in Honor of His Majesty Neptune and the Queen — The Initiation Ceremony 13 CHAPTEE II. Arrival at Montevideo — Reception of the Commander-in-Chief, Rear-Ad- miral J. H. Spotts — The Organization of the Admiral's Staff — The De parture of the " Brooklyn" for the Straits of Magellan — Arrival at Elizabeth Island — Reception at Sandy Point by the Chilian Governor — -Arrival at Falkland Islands — Description of Port Stanley — Death and Burial of Admiral Spotts — The Naval Funeral Ceremonies . . 20 CHAPTEE III. Departure from Port Stanley — The Gale off the Mouth of the River Plate — The first " General Liberty" for the Ship's Company — The Stupid Arrest of " Perfectly Sober" Liberty-men — The Successful Cruise of the " Marion" — Search and Rescue of Shipwrecked Seamen on Heard Island in the Antarctic Ocean — The "Pamperos" — The "Brooklyn" run into by Steamer " Mozart" — Courtesy of Uruguayan Authorities and other Men-of-War at Montevideo — The Assistance rendered to the burning American Bark " Jonathan Chase" — The " Brooklyn" Base- Ball Nine 31 7 8 CONTENTS. CHAPTEE IV. PAGE The Arrival of the "Essex" and "Marion" at Montevideo— Closing the Breach made by the " Mozart"— Departure for Rio de Janeiro— The Death of Henry Jones, Boatswain's Mate— The Burial at Sea— Obitu ary Notices — Description of the Voyage and Arrival at Rio — Rear- Ad miral and Mrs. Crosby arrive at Rio, and the Admiral assumes Com mand of the South Atlantic Squadron— The Feast of Curpus Christi at Rio— Preparations for entering the Dry-dock— The Presentation of the Admiral and Officers to His Majesty Dom Pedro and the Empress- Lieutenant Beehler's Experiments with the Electric Lights — Brilliant Illumination of the Ship in the Dry-dock 44 CHAPTEE V. First Organization of the "Brooklyn" Minstrels on the Fourth of July — The French Fete of the Storming of the Bastile — Gallant Conduct of Robert Allen and Edward Kenny in Rescuing their Shipmates — The United States Naval Depot at Rio de Janeiro — The Hospitality of the People at Rio — The Grand Minstrel Entertainment — Programme of the Performance — Full Description of the Entertainment . . . .59 CHAPTEE VI. The Admiral's Ball — The Reception of the Princess Imperial and Comte d'Eu — The Special Performance by the Celebrated " Brooklyn" Minstrels — Subsequent Arrival of the Emperor Dom Pedro II. — The Fazenda Santa Anna — Description of a Brazilian Coffee Plantation — Detach ment of Officers — Departure from Rio — The Inspection of the Ship by Admiral Crosby — The Arrival of the "Galena" — The Cruise of the "Marion" and her Departure for Home . ...... 72 CHAPTEE VII. The Transit of Venus Expedition — Arrival of the Astronomical Party — ¦ — Departure and Passage to Patagonia — Arrival at Santa Cruz — Build ing the Observatory at Camp Brooklyn — Preparations for observing the Transit — Diversions of the Ship's Company while waiting for the Day of the Transit — The Object of observing the Transit of Venus — The Photographic Method used by American Observers and the Great Suc cess obtained — The Second Trip to Santa Cruz — Rating Chronometers — Return to Montevideo — Admiral Crosby relieved from the Command and transferred to the Asiatic Station — Poem by William Anderson, Seaman, upon the Transit of Venus . ..... 88 CONTENTS. 9 CHAPTEE VIII. PAGE Montevideo — The Carnival Festivities in 1883 — Full Accounts of the " Pomito" Warfare with the Montevidean Belles — The Masked Balls at the Clubs in Montevideo — Scientific Evolutions on Board the " Brook lyn" to determine Tactical Diameter — Departure of Naval Cadets for Examination at Annapolis — A Visit to a Saladero — Description of the Principal Industry of Uruguay — The Fire Department at Montevideo — Gallant Conduct of Several of the Crew of the "Brooklyn" — Sur prise of the Citizens at the Intrepid Bravery of the " Yankee" Sailors — A Bull-Fight at Montevideo — Description of the Actors and the Bull-Ring — Arrival of a Paraguayan Man-of-War at Montevideo — Brief Sketch of a Thrilling Incident in the Paraguayan War . . 109 CHAPTEE IX. Arrival of Commodore Phelps to take Command of South Atlantic Squad ron — Inspection of the "Brooklyn" — Highly Creditable Performance of the Ship's Company in the Examination by New Commander-in- Chief — Time made in Different Exercises — Efficiency of the Ship — Departure of the " Galena" for the United States — Revised List of the Officers of the "Brooklyn" — Ordered to Madagascar — Departure for the Cape of Good Hope — The Cruise across the South Atlantic — Catching Albatross — Arrival at Cape Town — Full Description of Cape Town and Cape Colony — History of Cape Colony — The Renowned Docks at Cape Town — General Liberty for the Ship's Company — The " Brook lyn" in the Dry-Dock — Description of a Dinner-Party given by the Officers' Mess of the famous Highland Regiment, Princess Louise's Own — The African Diamond-Fields — History of Diamond Mines in South Africa — Penalty for Illicit Diamond Buying — Departure of the " Brook lyn" for Madagascar — Events of the Voyage in the Indian Ocean . 133 CHAPTEE X. Arrival at Tamatave — The War prevents Communication with the Shore — Departure for Zanzibar — Events of the Trip — Christmas at Zanzibar — Description of Zanzibar and its History — Peculiar Customs and In dustries of the Arabs — The Commercial Wealth of Zanzibar — African Slavery — The Slave " Dhows" — The Hospitality of the Sultan of Zanzi bar — Remarkable Dinner-Party given by the Sultan to the American Officers — Visit to the Sultan's Harem — Labors of the English Uni versities Missions in behalf of African Slaves — Abolition of Slavery in Zanzibar 164 10 CONTENTS. CHAPTEE XI. PAGE Departure for the Comoro Islands— Arrival at Johanna— Description of the Comoro Islands— Arrival at Nossi Be— A Sugar Plantation at Nossi Be— Arrival at Mojanga, on the West Coast of Madagascar— Visit to a Sakalava Queen— Effects of the French Bombardment — Arrival at Mo zambique — Description and History of Mozambique — The African Ex plorations—Discovery of Makala Bay— The Great Importance of this Valuable Harbor — India-rubber Trees 180 CHAPTEE XII. Madagascar — The Peculiarities of its Animal and Vegetable Life— The Remarkable Inhabitants— The History as furnished by Missionary Writers— Private Settlements — The Ascendency of the Hovas — Conver sion to Christianity — Reaction in Favor of Idolatry in the Reign of Bloody Ranavalona — Christianity of the Present Queen — Peculiar Cus toms of the Malagasy — Succession to the Throne confined to Female Members of the Royal Family — Status of the Prime Minister — Hova Houses — Sakalava Grass Huts— Mode of Reckoning Time— Native Dress— Cultivation of Rice— Peculiar Implements used — Malagasy Names — Government Employment without Pay — The Blood Covenant — Sakalava Medicine-Men — Hova Marriage Ceremony — Hova Tombs — Description of Antananarivo — The War with France .... 196 CHAPTEE XIII. The Sakalava Outrage on American Gold-Hunters — The Investigation by the U. S. S. " Enterprise" — Arrival of the " Brooklyn" at Mourondava — Reception by Hova Officials — Peculiar Rites of Hospitality — Visit of Hovas to the " Brooklyn" — Arrival of the " Brooklyn" at Tullear — Effect of Target-Practice upon the Guilty Consciences of the Savage Sakalavas — The Lonely Missionary and his Labors among the Heathen — The Semi-Annual Inspection by the Commander-in-Chief — Departure for Port Elizabeth— Description of Port Elizabeth — The Proposed Docks— The Hottentot Clicks 229 CHAPTEE XIV. Voyage around Cape of Good Hope to Cape Town — Promotion of Rear- Admiral Phelps — Courtesy of the English at Cape Town — Reception by the Officers — Dr. Holub's Exploring Expedition — The Vineyard at High Constantia — The Beautiful Silver-Tree — General Description of CONTENTS. 11 PAGE South Africa — History of the African States — The Transvaal Boers — The Boer War and Inglorious Defeat of the British at Laing's Neck — The Zulu War — Cetewayo's Capture and Exile 243 CHAPTEE XV. Departure for St. Helena — Impressions upon sighting the Island— Inci dents of the " Brooklyn's" Stay in Port — Grand Ball given to the Offi cers by the Citizens of Jamestown — Description of St. Helena — History of the Island — Napoleon's Exile — Measures taken by the English to prevent his Escape — Failure of the Plans of Napoleon's Friends — The Remarkable Resemblance of the Chinese Servant to the Ex-Emperor — Napoleon's Pastimes — Last Sickness and Death — Curious Coincidences related by an Old Inhabitant — Burial at St. Helena — Neglect of Long- wood — Napoleon's Remains removed to France — Grand Funeral Pro cession — Restoration of Napoleon's Residence — Cession of the Tomb and Longwood Estate to Napoleon's Heirs by Great Britain — The Present Guardian of the Tomb — A Visit to Longwood and Description of its Present Condition 275 CHAPTEE XVI. The Return to Montevideo from St. Helena — Events of the Voyage — A Visit to Buenos Ayres — Full Description of the City — The Park at Palermo — The Zoologioal Garden — An Amusing Incident at the Races — The Street Railroads in Buenos Ayres — The Argentine Naval Aoad- emy — The " Nipsic's" Cruise in the South Atlantic .... 300 CHAPTEE XVII. Description of the Bay and City of Rio de Janeiro — A Brief Summary of the History of Brazil — The "Brooklyn's" Pets — The Homeward- Bound Voyage of the " Brooklyn" and Safe Arrival at New York — A Synopsis of the Cruise and Track Chart 319 APPENDIX. List of Officers and Crew on board the "Brooklyn," October 8, 1884 337 ILLUSTRATIONS. PAGE Title and Medallion with View of the "Brooklyn" — Fac simile of a " Silver Leaf" — A Leadsman in the Chains Heaving the Lead On the cover. The " Brooklyn" and Table Mountain Frontispiece. General View of Montevideo 21 Entrance to Rio de Janeiro 47 Camp Brooklyn — Transit of Venus Expedition 99 Government Buildings at Montevideo — Plaza Independencia . . 119 Street in Cape Town — Railroad Depot and Commercial Exchange . . 152 General View of Zanzibar — The Sultan's Harem 171 General View of Mozambique ......... 192 Madagascar — Sakalava Warrior and Boatman . . . 200 Malagasy Girls pounding Rice in a Mortar ...... 212 The Hova Officers of the Palace at Mourondava 234 The Sakalava Village of Tullear 236 Longwood Old House at St. Helena 286 Napoleon's Tomb 300 General View of Buenos Ayres ........ 309 The Avenue of Palms at Rio de Janeiro 320 Track Chart of the Cruise of the " Brooklyn" . . . 335 THE CRUISE OF THE BROOKLYN. CHAPTER I. The "Brooklyn" commissioned for the South Atlantic — Description of the Ship — List of Officers — The Official Inspection by the Inspecting Board — Departure from New York — The First Storm at Sea. — Pleasant Voyage and Arrival at the Equator — The Grand Reception and Festival in Honor of His Majesty Neptune and the Queen — The Initiation Ceremony. After a friendly consultation between His Majesty Neptune and the President of the United States, the " Brooklyn" was selected as flag-ship of the United States naval forces in the[South Atlantic. Owing to the unprecedented number of applications, it was some time before the Honorable Secretary of the Navy could decide who should have the privilege of serving in this ship. The subject gave him so much concern as to necessitate publishing a general order, calling especial attention to the officers finally selected. The good old ship had been thoroughly overhauled (excepting a few leaks) and virtually rebuilt, and had a great many modern appliances, — electric bells, Hotchkiss revolving cannon, magazine- rifles, and ventilating fan-blowers. Neptune had some hope of finding electric lights on board and was very much disappointed. The " Brooklyn" is a single-deck steam sloop-of-war, two hun dred and eighty-five feet long and forty-three feet beam ; tonnage, two thousand. Her armament consists of twelve 9-inch broadside guns, one 8-inch muzzle-loading rifle, one 60-pounder breech-load ing rifle, two 20-pounder breech-loading rifles, one 12-pounder light howitzer, one 3-inch breech-loading rifle, one long Gatling, and four Hotchkiss revolving cannon. She is fitted with four 2 13 14 THE CRUISE OF THE BROOKLYN. projecting platforms and two rail-posts for the Hotchkiss cannon, and has the regulation torpedo outfit. She was put in commission at the New York Navy-yard at 1.20 P.M., the 11th of November, 1881. At this time Captain A. W. Weaver formally received the ship from Rear-Admiral G. H. Cooper, United States Navy, commandant of the yard, and took command by reading his orders from the Honorable Secretary of the Navy in the presence of the officers and men assembled on the quarter-deck. The colors and pennants were hoisted while the band played " The Star-Spangled Banner." The following is a list of the officers : Aaron W. Weaver, captain commanding. Charles H. Pendleton, lieutenant-commander and executive. Charles M. Anthony, lieutenant-commander and navigator. C. B. Gill, Uriel Sebree, W. H. Beehler, H. 0. Handy, George A. Calhoun, and J. J. Hunker, lieutenants. John Hood, C. S. Ripley, James B. Cahoon, Thomas Snowden, and John A. Bell, midshipmen. A. C. Parsons and G. E. Perry, cadet-midshipmen. Henry M. Martin and John M. Steele, passed assistant surgeons. W. Goldsborough, paymaster. W. W. Dungan, chief engineer. B. C. Gowing, passed assistant engineer. S. H. Leonard, assistant engineer. W. S. Smith and R. J. Beach, cadet-engineers. A. L. Royce, chaplain. S. L. Jackson, second lieutenant of marines. H. Dickenson, boatswain. George L. Albro, gunner. J. S. Waltemeyer, carpenter. John T. Bailey, sailmaker. T. G. Dawson, pay-clerk. B. W. Goldsborough, fleet pay-clerk. The crew consists of three hundred and twenty men, including THE CRUISE OF THE BROOKLYN. 15 petty officers and marines. They are the finest set of men ever visited by Neptune. A great many of them have seen long and faithful service in the navy, and all reflect great credit upon the American people in the South Atlantic. Within three weeks the captain informed the Navy Department that the ship was ready for sea. The powder was received on board off the Battery on November 28, after which she anchored off West Twenty-third Street. The Board of Inspectors visited the ship on December 2, when she was found to be thoroughly equipped for a three years' cruise. At 10.30 a.m. the following Wednesday, December 7, she got under way and stood down the bay to Sandy Hook, where she an chored until 4.20 P.M., when she stood out to sea, bound for Mon tevideo. A fresh breeze from the northwest favored the ship, but it increased to a fresh gale during the night. The sea became very rough, and the ship rolled and pitched about uneasily. A great many were sea-sick, and all were subjected to a great deal of discomfort. The seas kept the decks wet constantly for two weeks, during which time there were only a few hours of good weather, and these were hailed with great delight. The band was ordered up once during this period, and the music revived the drooping spirits amazingly. Christmas-day was celebrated by divine service and a swell din ner in the wardroom to the captain and steerage officers. By this time the wind and sea had abated considerably, and the ship was in milder latitudes. The trade-winds were very uncertain at first, but we found fair weather in that region, and made a good run until we reached the equator. Steam was only used the first two days out and the last two days while in the " doldrums" just north of the equator. The '' Brooklyn" has side keelsons, and drags her screw when under sail ; but, notwithstanding these drawbacks, she made the run from Sandy Hook to the " line'7 at thirty degrees west longi tude in thirty days and fourteen hours. 16 THE CRUISE OF THE BROOKLYN. NEPTUNE'S RECEPTION. At seven P.M., January 6, the ship's company was startled by the sound of a conch-shell under the weather bow, immediately after which the ship was hailed in deep stentorian tones, " Ship ahoy !" The officer of the deck answered " Halloa !" The voice replied, " What ship is that?" "The United States steamer Brooklyn." "Wherefrom?" "New York." " Whither bound?" " Montevideo." " May I come on board ? I have a message for your captain." " Certainly." A quaint figure then emerged from out of the sea and ap peared at the mast, where he handed the officer of the deck a de spatch for the captain. This proved to be from His Majesty Nep tune, informing the captain that he would visit the ship with his suite the next morning. The captain came out and shook hands with the envoy, and said he would be very much pleased to receive His Majesty, and he would have everything ready for his reception, and the initia tion of those of his subjects who had never previously entered his dominions, and that he had reason to believe he had a num ber of such young men among the officers and crew under his command. The captain sent his compliments to Neptune and recalled his first meeting with His Majesty thirty-three years ago in nearly the same spot. The envoy remembered it very well, and said he had the honor of being His Majesty's viceroy at that time, and, after thanking the captain, he mysteriously disappeared. The next morning a huge tank was rigged up in the starboard gangway by means of a large boom-cover triced up to the rail on the bridge and topgallant forecastle, and preparations were made for the day's ceremony. At nine a.m. a bugle-call announced the arrival of His Majesty and suite on board ship. All hajids were called aft to muster, and formed line for the grand review. The band struck up " A Life on the Ocean Wave," and a squad of sea- THE CRUISE OF THE BROOKLYN. 17 urchins appeared with the state car of His Majesty Neptune and Queen Amphitrite. The car was a long shell with two wheels cov ered with sea-weed, the golden fleece, and other decorations. His Majesty looked rather aged, but his keen eye evinced all the vigor of perennial youth. He was attired in sea-weed, carried a trident, and wore a crown of pearls. Queen Amphitrite hid her blushes under a prodigious growth of hair covering her whole body. She wore a green dress tastefully embroidered with choice varieties of sea-weed. The overskirt was cut A la princess. She did not bring any of her mermaids with her, as there are no ladies allowed on board [this] ship. The suite consisted of the secretary with Neptune's log, the doctor, grand chamberlain, the barber with an immense razor, and a train of policemen. The procession marched aft and halted at the mainmast, where the captain and executive received His Majesty and gave him a hearty welcome. Two servants appeared with wine, and Neptune and his suite pledged the health of the captain and his crew. After the usual exchange of courtesies, Neptune ordered his secretary to call the roll of officers who had not crossed the " line." Sixteen young gentlemen then came forward in obedience to the summons. His Majesty then addressed them in a neat little speech, wherein he informed them that in consid eration of their positions and the record they would make in his log-book, he would allow them the privilege of choosing whether they would pay a tribute to Neptune and his train or submit to the initiatory shave. Those who preferred paying tribute were then requested to hold up their hands. As all the young gentle men decided to pay tribute, His Majesty then ordered the train to march forward and proceed with the crew. A throne had been prepared for them on the starboard side of the forecastle, about fifteen feet above the bottom of the tank. The doctor and barber were stationed on each side of the block, and the secretary called out the name of the victims. One of the barber's assistants had a pail of lather made of a horrible mix- 18 THE CRUISE OF THE BROOKLYN. ture of lime, flour, molasses, vinegar, and sea-water, diluted with a strong solution of Stockholm tar. The thirty apprentice-boys were the first victims. As each one was called out he was required to sit on the block and submit to an examination by the doctor, who generally found it necessary to administer a nasty pill. The barber then put on the lather, while the victim was required to give an account of himself, during which the brush frequently lathered his mouth with an unsavory mess. As soon as the name was duly recorded the victim was lifted bodily and thrown headlong into the tank, where a host of minions received him and gave him a thorough washing. The boys went through the performance most gracefully, but the ma rines were obstinate, and their vain resistance evoked the greatest merriment. When the secretary called for the master-at-arms, a general shout was raised by the boys. A full delegation of police was sent below, and " Jimmy Legs" was unceremoniously ushered into His Majesty's presence. In view of his position Neptune was somewhat undecided about requiring him to be shaved, but his ministers unanimously voted that he should be, as it might be taken as a precedent in future ceremonies. The barber was espe cially zealous, and used all his influence to have him shaved, and when His Majesty finally ordered him to be initiated, the assem bled court gave vent to their delight in loud applause. He was then allowed to prepare himself for the shave and bath, and was very neatly handled ; his graceful form was lifted up by four brawny arms and hurled into the tank to the tender mercies of the sea-urchins with the steam hose. The printer hoped to escape on account of some services, but the law was inexorable, and he submitted with very good grace. The firemen and coal-heavers were very indignant, and some of them intrenched themselves in the coal-bunkers and fire-room, laboring under the delusion that Neptune was not familiar with steam-engineering, and would not venture below among the intri- THE CRUISE OF THE BROOKLYN. 19 cate machinery. They soon found themselves mistaken, and after a short struggle the uninitiated were duly shaved and washed. The captain was very anxious that his cook should be washed, but in this he was sadly disappointed, for when summoned into the presence of His Majesty, he was found to be an old acquaint ance ; some infer that he was born on the coast of Africa, and is intimately acquainted with some of His Majesty's court. At all events, he was not subjected to either a shave or a wash. One young man from the " Woods" claimed to have crossed fifteen times, but had no certificate. He was cross-examined by the chief marshal, and as this proved unsatisfactory, he was duly submerged. At eleven A.M., after all the young men had been duly initi ated and the officers had paid their tribute of wine and cigars, His Majesty went aft and bade the captain adieu. He reported to the captain that he had washed the hay -seed out of the hair of the young men, and that they would now pass muster. He promised fair weather and steady southeast trade-winds during the voyage, and that he would watch the young men and boys and see that they did their duty with credit to themselves and country. He expressed himself very much gratified with his visit and mysteri ously disappeared with bis whole retinue, while the band played "Yankee Doodle." All hands then turned to and proceeded to their duties. A fair wind sprang up almost immediately after His Majesty left. The captain ordered sail to be made and the fires were allowed to burn out, while the old ship proceeded on her way with Neptune's blessing. 20 THE CRUISE OF THE BROOKLYN. CHAPTER II. Arrival at Montevideo — Reception of the Commander-in-Chief, Rear-Ad- miral J. H. Spotts — The Organization of the Admiral's Staff— The Departure of the " Brooklyn" for the Straits of Magellan — Arrival at Elizabeth Island — Reception at Sandy Point by the Chilian Governor — Arrival at Falkland Islands— Description of Port Stanley — Death and Burial of Admiral Spotts — The Naval Funeral Ceremonies. From the " line" to Montevideo very little of interest occurred. The sea was for the most part smooth, and sailing delightful. January 18 the officers appeared in white for the first time. January 20 orders were given to get up steam, the wind having died out ; but soon, a fair wind springing up, fires were banked. January 22, soon after eleven o'clock, the drum beat to general quarters, the first we had had at night. The men turned out with great promptness, much to the satisfaction of the officers in charge of divisions. The wind dying out the next morning, orders were given to spread fires. The deep-sea lead was kept going all night at inter vals. At four a.m., Wednesday, January 24, we made the light at the mouth of the river Plate. The pilot came on board at nine a.m., and we steamed up the river at a rapid rate under three- fourths power. The sky was overcast, but cleared towards evening. The city of Montevideo came in view about five o'clock, and a little after eight o'clock we came to anchor in the outer roadstead, signalling the " Shenandoah" by rockets. The long streets lit up by gas looked very beautiful to our weary eyes after forty-nine days at sea. The next morning we stood into the harbor, and came to anchor a short distance from the " Shenandoah." Three other' men-of-war were in the harbor, — an Italian, a Frenchman, and a Brazilian. MONTEVIDEO. THE CRUISE OF THE BROOKLYN. 21 Montevideo takes its name from a conical hill, which can be seen for a long distance, situated on the western side of the cir cular indenture in the river which forms the harbor. The town itself is on a point opposite, distant from it a mile or more in a direct line across the water. The hill is known as the " Cerro," or hill, par excellence. It is isolated, and rises gradually and regularly on all sides, at an angle of forty-five degrees, to a height of about four hundred and ninety feet. It is crowned by a small rectangular fortress, above which rises a tower some twenty or thirty feet, from which a flash light is shown. The fortress has been suffered to fall into a state of decay of late years, but the government, at the time of our visit, was making repairs and mount ing guns. Midway between the hill on the west and the town on the east, a small hill rises two or three miles inland, called the " Cerrito," or little hill. In the many revolutions in this country this hill has been often fortified ; usually one party holding the " Cerro" and the other the " Cerrito," and each in turn attempting to control the city. The town is situated on a peninsula of tufa rocks, a half-mile in length by a quarter in width, and then spreads out into beautiful suburbs of twice this extent. The peninsula itself rises gently from the water on three sides to an elevation of eighty or one hundred feet, much in the shape of a whale's back. From a dis tance it presents a mass of compactly-built, white, flat-topped houses, one and two stories high, with multitudes of small square turrets or miradors overtopping them. From the midst, in the central height, rise the lofty roofs, domes, and double towers of the cathedral. On Monday, January 30, at eleven a.m., Rear-Admiral James H. Spotts hoisted his flag on the " Brooklyn," being received on board by the officers and crew in battalion formation and a salute of thirteen guns, after which the admiral and staff inspected the ship. Medical Inspector C. H. Burbank and Captain E. P. Meeker joined this ship in company with the admiral. The admiral an nounced his staff in the following general order : 22 THE CRUISE OF THE BROOKLYN. Squadron Order 1 IT. S. F. S. " Brooklyn," Montevideo, TTecgt/at, No. 3. J January 30, 18S2. Having transferred my flag to the H. S. S. " Brooklyn," I announce to the squadron the following offioers as composing the personal and general staff: Personal Staff. Captain A. W. Weaver, chief of staff. Lieutenant W. H. Beehler, flag lieutenant. Lieutenant Jacob J. Hunker, secretary to commander-in-chief. Midshipman John Hood, aide to commander-in-chief. General Staff. Medical Inspector C. H. Burbank, fleet surgeon. Paymaster W. Goldsborough, fleet paymaster. Chief Engineer W. W. Dungan, fleet engineer. Captain E. P. Meeker, U. S. M. C, fleet marine officer. J. H. SPOTTS, Rear-Admiral Commanding, U. S. Naval Force, South Atlantic Station. From Monday afternoon until Thursday, February 2, we were unable to hold any communication with the shore on account of a severe gale. February 4 the " Shenandoah" put to sea, home ward bound. Both crews manned the rigging and cheered ship. Having coaled, the following day we also put to sea, bound for Sandy Point, in the Straits of Magellan. We had a most de lightful passage until near Cape Virgins. The Virgins, however, gave us a cold and stormy reception, and on Monday, February 13, we were obliged to heave to, not being able to enter the straits. The next day we made the entrance, and at night anchored in Possession Bay. Wednesday we anchored in Gregory Bay. Thursday, February 16, we came to anchor off Elizabeth Island at about eight a.m. The admiral, Captain Weaver, and quite a party went on shore on a shooting expedition, and came back after having fine sport. The next day the same party went ashore again, and in the two hunting expeditions of a few hours each they brought back about one hundred wild geese. February 18 we THE CRUISE OF THE BROOKLYN. 23 reached Sandy Point, where we expected to receive a large mail. In this, however, we were disappointed, and the admiral decided to remain till the arrival of the next mail steamer, due February 25. In the mean time the usual visits of ceremony were exchanged between the admiral and the Chilian governor, and the latter in vited the admiral and staff to join him in a horseback-ride about the settlement, but the admiral complained of a cold and did not accompany the party on this expedition. On February 28 we again put to sea, bound for Port Stanley, East Falkland, where we arrived without incident Saturday, March 4. Port Stanley is the seat of government of the Falkland Islands. It is a very pretty little harbor and perfectly land-locked on all sides. The entrance to the outer harbor is marked by a light house on a point running out towards a number of rocks known as the Seal Rocks. The outer harbor is known as Port William, and is connected with the inner harbor by a narrow strait about one hundred feet wide and four hundred feet long. When we passed in at dusk, Saturday, March 4, it seemed to be scarcely wide enough to admit us. The Falkland Islands are now English settlements, but they have been held by a number of governments. The islands were discovered by Cavendish in 1592, but they are not known to have been inhabited before the French took possession of them, the first part of this century. The Spanish, English, and the govern ment of Buenos Ayres held them at different times, but did not hold them permanently. While held by Buenos Ayres, some Americans were maltreated, in consequence of which the U. S. S. " Lexington" bombarded the place and seized the islands. Our government claimed these islands until Secretary Seward was Secretary of State, when this claim was finally yielded and the proprietorship of England recognized by us, as well as by the rest of the world, except the government of Buenos Ayres, which still claims them as part of their territory. 24 THE CRUISE OF THE BROOKLYN. The English have a number of settlements in the islands, twelve hundred people finding a home on them. The largest set tlement is that of Stanley, where there are about five hundred and fifty people, men, women, and children, the latter being unusually numerous. The soil is barren, trees are unknown, and very little vegetation is found except short grass and field flowers. The chief industry is that of sheep-raising. The wool from these sheep is very fine and is the main source of income. It requires an average of four acres of this land to maintain one sheep, while in the United States several sheep are amply supported on one acre of land. Every year, however, brings improvement in the soil, and in time it promises to be quite an important place. The wind blows nearly all the time with a velocity of from twenty to fifty miles per hour, often being accompanied with rain. Not a single day passes without rain, more or less copious. The climate is, however, a very healthy one ; the fresh wind keeps up a perfect ventilation, and doctors have very little to do. The town itself is like one of our own new settlements. The frame houses, with gable-windows in the roof and smoking chim ney-tops, gave the place a homelike aspect as seen from the ship. Peat is the principal fuel. It abounds on the hills close at hand, and is very generally used. Peat is a carbonized vegetable matter. It has a dark-brown color, and is dug out of the earth in cubical blocks, and then piled up to dry, two weeks' exposure to the sun and wind being requisite before it is fit for fuel. It makes a pretty grate-fire, but burns with a great deal of smoke, having a peculiar odor, which though not disagreeable yet permeates everything. There is very little commerce with the rest of the world. Some seal-fishers come in occasionally, and there is a line of steamers which call here once in about six weeks. Whalers come in once in a while, but the present compulsory pilot laws keep most of them out. The only other vessels that come in are those in dis- THE CRUISE OF THE BROOKLYN. 25 tress, several fine vessels being in the harbor unable to get away or have their masts and rigging repaired. The people of Stanley have strong hopes that the English government will establish a regular naval depot at Port Stanley, several of the most desirable parts of the harbor being reserved by the government. On Monday, March 6, we fired a national salute of twenty-one guns with the English flag at the fore, which was at once returned gun for gun. The next day the admiral and his entire staff made an official visit to the governor, being saluted with thirteen guns on landing. We commenced to coal ship at eight o'clock Thursday morning, March 9. Fires were started at noon, when the governor made his official visit. At this time the admiral was suddenly taken sick, and fires were banked again. THE DEATH OF REAR-ADMIRAL JAMES H. SPOTTS. It has pleased Almighty God in his infinite wisdom to remove our beloved commander-in-chief, Rear-Admiral James H. Spotts, from our midst. He was stricken with apoplexy while receiving an official visit from the governor of the Falkland Islands, at 12.30 p.m., March 9, 1882. It appears that he was seized with a fit of sneezing, and the effort produced a rush of blood to the head, which rendered him semi-unconscious ; he attempted to rise from his chair, but fell forward on his hands and knees. Captain Weaver, the governor, and his son raised him on to the transom, and Drs. Burbank, Martin, and Steele were at once summoned to attend him. They did all that human skill could possibly do, but to no avail. In fifteen minutes the admiral became entirely un conscious, and gradually sank, and died at 10.41 that night. It was at first intended to take his remains to Montevideo, but this was found to be inexpedient, as the body could not be properly embalmed for want of proper appliances, and if only im perfectly done, delay, or any accident of storm and weather to the ship en route, would have necessitated its burial at sea. Stanley, 26 THE CRUISE OF THE BROOKLYN. in being an English port, is more like our own country than any other place on the station, and as events proved, the people on shore paid his remains every possible mark of respect, and his grave will be honored for all time in the history of the islands. Lieutenant Beehler was placed in charge of the remains, and prepared them for burial, and a number of officers voluntarily kept watch by the body until the funeral, on Saturday, March 11. Rear-Admiral James H. Spotts was born in North Carolina, March 11, 1822, and was appointed a midshipman in the navy from Kentucky, August 2, 1837. He made a cruise around the world in the " John Adams," 1837 to 1840, and engaged in two battles on the island of Sumatra in 1839. From 1841 to 1842 he served on the Brazil Station in the "Delaware" and "Potomac." He was promoted to passed midshipman June 29, 1843, and cruised in the West Indies and coast of Africa in the " St. Lawrence," " Fal mouth," and " Southampton" in 1843, 1844, and 1845. Promoted to master April, 1850, and lieutenant November of the same year. He served in the Pacific in the " Lexington" from 1846 to 1849, and again in the " Portsmouth" from 1851 to 1855. During the Mexican war he was on the blockade on the west coast, and participated in the capture of San Bias, Mazatlan, La Paz, etc. He was in the " Michigan" on the lakes from 1856 to 1858, and the " Cyane" and " Saranac," Pacific coast, from 1858 to 1860. In 1861 he joined the " Santee" on the Gulf Squadron, and there took his first command, that of the " Wanderer," 1861 and 1862. He also commanded the " Magnolia" in the latter part of 1862. He was commissioned as commander in July of the same year, and commanded the " South Carolina" in 1863, and the " Pawtucket" in 1864 and 1865. From 1865 to 1867 he served as executive of the Mare Island Navy-yard. He was commissioned as captain July 25, 1866, and commanded the " Saranac" in 1870 and 1871, and also the "Pensacola," 1871 and 1872, in the Pacific, after which he was light-house inspector on that coast until 1874. He was commissioned as commodore September 25, 1873, and served THE CRUISE OF THE BROOKLYN. 27 as inspector of government vessels from 1877 to 1880. During the war of the Rebellion he served in the Gulf, North and South Atlan tic Blockading Squadrons. He was at both engagements with Fort Fisher, and those with the batteries on Cape Fear River, and sev eral minor engagements while on the blockade. He was up James River when Richmond was taken. He received orders to com mand the United States naval force, South Atlantic Station, on May 5, 1881, and was promoted to rear-admiral on the 28th of the same month. He relieved Rear-Admiral Bryson, on board the U. S. flag-ship " Shenandoah," at Rio de Janeiro, on July 25 following. He transferred his flag from the " Shenandoah" to the " Brooklyn" on January 30 of this year, and started on a cruise to visit the ports within the limits of the station. He was within two days of being sixty years old when he died, and his death was a painful shock to us all, and a great loss to our country, which he served with distinction and fidelity for forty-five years. The admiral was a very genial gentleman, and was much beloved by all who knew him. He made his home in California, where, as will be seen from his record, he passed the greater por tion of his life. Becoming identified with the people on the Pa cific slope, his death was a great blow to a host of friends. He left a widow, two sons, and one daughter. The remains of Admiral Spotts were laid in state in a semi- metallic casket on a catafalque on the quarter-deck the day of the funeral. His sword and cocked hat were placed on the casket, which also was covered with a number of beautiful floral tributes, kindly sent by the ladies on shore. Marines were posted at each angle, and the ship's company were given an opportunity to take a last look at the features of our late commander-in-chief. At 1.45 p.m. the assembly was sounded and the funeral escort formed. The marines were drawn up on the port side of the quarter-deck, while two companies of sailors formed in the port gangway. The band was posted abaft the mainmast, and the rest of the ship's company came aft in the starboard gangway. 28 THE CRUISE OF THE BROOKLYN. Governor Kerr, the United States consul, the Hon. Mr. Dean, vice-consul, and Mr. Kerr stood with the officers on the starboard side of the quarter-deck. The band then played " Nearer, my God, to Thee," after which Bishop Stirling, Colonial Chaplain Brandon, and Chaplain Royce came from the cabin and read the burial service of the Episcopal Church. After the bishop had read the lesson the following hymn was sung, accompanied by a .portion of the band : " My God, my Father, while I stray, Far from my home on life's rough way, Oh, teach me from my heart to say, ' Thy will be done.' " Though dark my path, and sad my lot, Let me be still and murmur not, And breathe the prayer divinely taught, ' Thy will be done.' " What though in lonely grief I sigh For friends beloved no longer nigh, Submissive still would I reply, * Thy will be done.' " If thou shouldst call me to resign What most I prize, — it ne'er was mine; I only yield thee what is thine, — ' Thy will be done.' " The marines, band, and two companies then went ashore in the boats in tow of the steam-launch. While they were on the way the casket was closed and hoisted out over the starboard gangway, being piped over the side and lowered into the barge, in which it was taken ashore with the pall-bearers and barge's crew composing the body-bearers. A salute of thirteen minute-guns was fired while on the way ashore, the steam-launch towing all the boats. As soon as they reached the shore Lieutenant-Commander Anthony took command of the escort, and drew them up in line, presenting arms as the remains passed by to take position in the line. THE CRUISE OF THE BROOKLYN. 29 The procession then started towards the cemetery, headed by the band, in charge of Midshipman Cahoon, then the full marine guard, under command of Captain Meeker. The bishop and two chaplains followed the marines, after which came the bier, borne by the twelve bargemen selected as body-bearers, in charge of Midshipman Ripley, the admiral's aide. The pall-bearers were Chief Engineer Dungan, Paymaster Goldsborough, Passed Assist ant Surgeon Martin, Lieutenants Beehler and Hunker, and Passed Assistant Surgeon Steele. The admiral's coxswain followed the bier with the admiral's flag wrapped with crape. Two companies of sailors, under command of Lieutenants Sebree and Handy, with Lieutenant Calhoun as adjutant, came next, followed by the rest of the officers in inverse order according to rank, Governor Kerr and his council walking with our officers. The whole population of Stanley joined in the funeral honors, and did their utmost to express their sympathy with us in our be reavement. While marching to the cemetery the band played a funeral march from Beethoven and " Flee as a Bird," and the battery on shore fired a salute of thirteen minute-guns. Reaching the cemetery, the marines formed in line on one side of the grave, with the sailors on the left, and the officers and citizens on the right, while the bishop read the sentences from the prayer-book. The casket was then removed from the bier and placed over the grave ; the sword, hat, and flowers having been removed, it was solemnly lowered into the grave, while the band played a dirge and the marines presented arms. Chaplain Royce then said the com mittal service, and the bishop read the concluding prayers and pronounced the benediction. The marine guard then fired three volleys of musketry over the grave, and the funeral procession marched to the landing, and returned to the ship in boats in tow of the steam-launch. The lot was kindly presented by His Excellency Governor T. Kerr, and is in the centre of the cemetery, on a hill overlooking 30 THE CRUISE OF THE BROOKLYN. the harbor, directly opposite the anchorage. The grave is a solid structure of stone and brick built in the earth, while the casket rests in an outer case of two-inch ash. The grave is marked by a handsome wooden cross covered with copper, and bears the inscription, — Rear-Admiral James H. Spotts, U.S.N. Died March 9, 1882. Aged 60 Years. At sunset the admiral's flag was hoisted and saluted with thirteen guns, and then hauled down, and the long pennant of Captain A. W. Weaver was broken at the main. A SQUADRON ORDER. In consequence of the death of Rear-Admiral Spotts, Captain A. W. Weaver assumed command of the South Atlantic Station in the following general order : Squadron Order 1 U. S. S. "Brooklyn," Stanley, Falkland Islands, No. 1. J March 13, 1882. It has become my sad duty to announce to the squadron that the commander- in-chief, Rear-Admiral James H. Spotts, died of apoplexy on board this ship at this port at 10.41 p.m. on the 9th instant. In accordance with United States Navy Regulations, page 32, paragraph 60, I have assumed command of the South Atlantic Station from that date, and shall exercise the power and authority of senior officer until officially notified of the arrival within the limits of the station of the officer duly appointed as commander-in-chief. All orders and regulations relating to the squadron established by my pre decessor will remain in force, excepting as they may hereafter be modified by me. The officers composing the personal staff of the late commander-in-chief will cease to exercise their duties in accordance with United States Navy Regulations, page 35, paragraph 12. A. W. WEAVER, Captain Commanding, U. S. Naval Force, South Atlantic Station. THE CRUISE OF THE BROOKLYN. 31 CHAPTER III. Departure from Port Stanley — The Gale off the Mouth of the River Plate — The first " General Liberty" for the Ship's Company — The Stupid Arrest of " Perfectly Sober" Liberty-men — The Successful Cruise of the " Marion" — Search and Rescue of Shipwrecked Seamen on Heard Island in the Antarctic Ocean — The " Pamperos" — The " Brooklyn" run into by Steamer "Mozart" — Courtesy of Uruguayan Authorities and other Men-of-War at Montevideo — The Assistance rendered to the burning American Bark " Jonathan Chase" — The " Brooklyn" Base-Ball Nine. On Monday, March 13, we fired a salute of seventeen guns, with the English flag at the fore, in honor of Governor T. Kerr's visit on March 9, the salute not having been fired at that time owing to the sudden illness of the admiral. The divisions went ashore for target-practice with the Hotchkiss magazine-rifles and the Remington navy-pistol. The range was laid out on the side of the hill on the naval reservation, one hun dred yards for the rifles and twenty-five yards for the Remington pistols at a single target. The practice is considered fair for the first time, the best score being made by John Winters, carpenter, belonging to the powder division, his score being perfect, three bull's-eyes. At 10.7 A.M. on Tuesday, March 14, we got under way under steam and stood out of the harbor, and then shaped our course around the eastern end of Falkland Islands direct for Monte video. We experienced very good weather from Stanley for the first four days, and the ship went along about nine knots per hour until the evening of the 18th, when we had a moderate gale from the southwest. The gale continued all that night and the next day, during which the ship lay to under fore storm-staysail, main trysail, and storm-mizzen on the starboard tack. The greatest roll 32 THE CRUISE OF THE BROOKLYN. during the gale was fourteen degrees to windward and twenty-five to leeward. The gale abated at sunrise on the 21st of March, and we then stood in for the anchorage off Montevideo. We anchored some distance below the city at 12.13 A.M. on the 22d, and then got under way again at 9 A.M. and proceeded up nearer the city, where we anchored at 9.45 A.M. The mail came off during the afternoon, and a despatch was sent to the Secretary of the Navy announcing the death of the admiral. The despatch contained but fifteen words and cost thirteen pounds sterling, or four dollars and seven cents per word in Uruguayan money, — four dollars and twenty-two cents in United States coin. The despatch read : Secretary Navy, Washington : Admiral Spotts died Stanley, Falkland Islands, March ninth. Apoplexy. Buried there. Weaver. On Saturday, March 25, we got. under way and stood down the river for target-practice, coming to anchor at 8.45 a.m. about nine miles below the city of Montevideo. The English flag-ship " Garnet" got under way about the same time, and also had target- practice during the day. A regulation target was then sent out and anchored abreast of the ship. At 11.30 a.m. we went to general quarters and com menced to fire at the target. An exercise torpedo was also rigged out on the starboard forward torpedo-boom and duly exploded. We anchored in the afternoon, and ceased to drill at 3.42 p.m. We then remained at anchor all the next day, it being Sunday, and resumed the target-practice Monday morning. Improvised targets were sent out on each beam early Monday morning, March 27, about eleven hundred yards distant, and six rounds were fired from each gun. The starboard target was carried away by a shell from No. 6 gun, fired by H. E. Collyer, ordinary seaman. THE CRUISE OF THE BROOKLYN. 33 The projectiles from the 8-inch rifle invariably struck very close to the target, and the accuracy of this gun inspired the greatest confidence. The 60-pounder breech-loading rifle was the most inaccurate of all. Five rounds were also fired from each of the four Hotchkiss revolving cannon. At 10.55 A.m. we got under way, and returned to the anchorage off the city of Montevideo. Visits of courtesy were then re ceived from H. B. M. S. " Garnet," the Brazilian steamer " Sete de Setembro," and the Italian flag-ship " Carracciolo." We found considerable excitement on shore owing to some mal-treatment of Italian subjects by the Uruguayan police. The Italians demanded redress, and, after considerable diplomatic cor respondence and a judicial investigation by the courts, the Uru guayan government agreed to pay twenty-five thousand francs to each of the two Italians — Volpi and Patroni — and to salute the Italian flag when the Italian legation was re-established. This salute of twenty-one guns was returned by the Italian flag-ship, gun for gun. On Wednesday, March 29, forty-eight hours' liberty was given to the starboard watch. As this was the first " general liberty" granted since the ship went into commission, it of course occa sioned considerable excitement among the men, and this excite ment became so intense soon after their arrival on shore that the Uruguayan authorities found it necessary to invite several of the most demonstrative to the cabildo, where they were permitted to remain until they cooled off. When the men finally got back to the ship, the events which had occurred during the " general liberty" were thoroughly dis cussed, and many wild and thrilling yarns were told. It was claimed that liberty-men had been assaulted in the streets by drunken citizens, robbed by hotel- keepers, insulted by policemen, and finally arrested and shoved in the "jug" without cause. Two marines had some trouble to find lodgings, and not being able to speak Spanish, tried to make their wants known by signs and ges- 34 THE CRUISE OF THE BROOKLYN. ticulations to a policeman. The stupid policeman fancied the men were going to strike him, and a row soon ensued, which culmi nated in the arrest of the marines by about six or eight policemen, who lodged them in the cabildo for several days. One sailor found a coat lying in the street, about two o'clock in the morning, and thought he had found a prize, but was soon afterwards arrested for stealing. When his case came up in court, he explained to the court that he was from Ohio, and the judge promptly released him, recognizing the well-known fact that people in Ohio generally " take things," political offices included. The remainder of the ship went on liberty in smaller detachments, until finally every one in the ship had made the acquaintance of Montevideo. OBITUARY. William Brown, captain of the after-guard, died at 4.20 A.M., on April 13, of pneumonia, in the fifty-eighth year of his age. The deceased was born at Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and served in the navy for twenty-four years previous to this enlistment. He was a faithful man, spoke Spanish fluently, and was often called upon to act as interpreter. He stood high in the estimation of his shipmates, who were very anxious to express their sense of his death by contributing generously for his funeral expenses, thus providing a handsome black cloth casket. The funeral took place the next day, with the usual naval honors. A Roman Cath olic priest conducted the services on board and also at the vault. The marine guard fired three volleys when the funeral escort left the ship under command of Lieutenant Handy. His remains were deposited in niche No. 39, second row, in the Central Ceme tery, Montevideo, this niche being the property of the crew of the " Brooklyn." THE CRUISE OF THE BROOKLYN. 35 THE RESCUE OF THE CREW OF THE AMERICAN BARK "TRINITY." The bark " Trinity" sailed from New London for Heard Island June 1, 1880, having a crew of sixteen men all told. On June 25 she reached Fogo, one of the Cape de Verde Islands, where she shipped nineteen colored natives in addition to her crew. She reached Heard Island October 2, 1880. On October 17, while at anchor off the island, she dragged during a heavy northeast gale and went on the beach bows on. The crew succeeded in get ting ashore without loss of life. The wind then shifted, and the bark was blown off the beach to seaward and never seen again. Some provisions had been thrown overboard before the ship went ashore, and the crew sustained themselves on these and sea-ele phants' meat and sea-fowl for about fifteen months, but starvation was imminent when the " Marion" came to their rescue. The " Marion" sailed from Monteviedo for Heard Island on November 14, 1881, via Cape Town, Africa. She left Cape Town December 24, and arrived off Heard Island January 12, 1882. The " Marion" discovered the crew of the " Trinity" about five P.M., January 12, at the foo]b of a mountain. Signals were made at once, and the crew kept up a bright bonfire during the night to prove that they were present. The next morning the " Marion" lowered her boats and brought off thirty of the crew. Three others were rescued the next day from the other end of the island, while two others — George Watson, carpenter, and Bernard Kelly, seaman — had died January 30, 1881, from exposure while hunt ing for food. The " Marion" arrived at Cape Town February 20, 1882, and delivered the rescued crew of the " Trinity" to the American consul at that place. Commander Silas Terry, commanding the " Marion," tele graphed his success to the Navy Department, and at New London, Connecticut, there was great rejoicing among the friends of the 36 THE CRUISE OF THE BROOKLYN. rescued crew, who gave the " Marion" a great deal of well-deserved praise. We saw a very interesting account in the Cape Times of Cape Town, Africa, of assistance rendered by the " Marion" in floating the English ship " Poonah," which was stranded in Table Bay. The sea was very high, and they had considerable difficulty in running the lines. The " Marion" parted her hawsers twice, but moved the ship about fifty feet in all, so that when the next tide rose the ship floated off and was saved from being a total wreck. During March and April, 1882, the "Brooklyn" lay at anchor in the roadstead off Montevideo, where she rode out a number of the celebrated, but none the less unpleasant, " pamperos." The starboard sheet-anchor was let go three times, April 21 and 29, and May 6, and the last time it blew so heavy that it was found necessary to get up steam for fear that we might drag, as did almost every other vessel in the harbor. The " pamperos" were certainly bad enough, but to crown our sum of misfortune the ship was rammed by the steamer " Mozart" at 7.10 P.M. on the 1st of May, and badly damaged. This col lision was totally inexcusable. The ship was lying at anchor with ample room on all sides for passing vessels, while the evening was partially moonlit and the sea smooth. The " Mozart," of the Lam port & Holt Steamship Company, in charge of Captain Pym, had been at anchor near us during the day, and was coming oat on her way to Buenos Ayres, when the officer of the deck, Lieutenant H. 0. Handy, saw that she. was coming dangerously near. He hailed the steamer and warned her to keep clear, and at the same time told them to back the engines. His warning was not heeded, and the steamer came on until she struck the " Brooklyn" on the starboard quarter, abreast of the air-port of the third state room in the wardroom, crushing through the spare jib-boom, which was lashed alongside, and cutting the ship down through twenty- THE CRUISE OF THE BROOKLYN. 37 two planks from the port-sill streak to about four feet below the water-line. The force of the blow was very violent, and the crash as heard below was as if she would be cut in two. The officers and crew promptly came on deck, — it is believed none delayed getting up there, — and prompt measures were at once taken for the safety of the ship and crew. The " Mozart" backed out very soon after colliding, and the ship was at once heeled over to bring the star board side out of water as far as possible. The starboard boats were all lowered, the starboard battery run in and shifted to port, and steam was ordered in the port boilers so as to be able to use the steam-pumps, if necessary, and also to still further increase the list to port. The " Mozart" had about two thousand tons of freight, and the force with which she struck would have sunk any less stanch a ship. The damages were carefully examined the next morning by a board of survey, consisting of Chief Engineer W. W. Dungan, Lieutenant-Commander C. M. Anthony, and Carpenter J. S. Wal- termeyer. From their examination it was found that the spare jib- boom saved the ship from total destruction. The ship was struck at an angle of forty-five degrees, and the shock was transmitted diagonally across from No. 3 state-room on the starboard side of the wardroom over to the forward part of the port steerage. This course was marked by broken and sprung timbers, while the open seams on the spar-deck and poop were further evidence of the severe strain to which the ship was subjected. The barge was badly stove in and its forward davits broken ; but the ship made no water, and the breach in the ship's side was promptly closed by the energetic measures taken by Carpenter J. S. Waltermeyer and his gang of shipwrights, whose work deserves our highest commendation. The captain of the " Mozart" acted very manly in acknowledg ing himself to blame and in asking if he could be of any assistance as soon as he collided, but this was not necessary ; he then came 38 THE CRUISE OF THE BROOKLYN. on board, but the only explanation he could give of his stupidity was that it was unintentional and that he thought he would pass clear astern. The "Mozart" did not sustain the least injury, having struck with her sharp straight stem. No persons were injured. Boats, tugs, and steamers swarmed around the ship, and offers of assistance were most generously made by the authorities on shore and the Italian and British men-of-war. The Uruguayan government sent off two tugs to lay by the ship all night and render any assistance which might be needed, and also a govern ment pilot in case it should be deemed practicable to go into the dry-dock. The dry-dock owned by Cibils & Co. is a magnificent structure, but, unfortunately, the channel leading to it is shallow, narrow, and rock-bound. Some parties claimed that seventeen feet of water could be carried into the dock, and on the strength of this Captain Weaver began to take measures to lighten the ship to that draught. The ship's company at once commenced to discharge provisions and coal into the lighters, working night and day by watches for that purpose. The provisions were stored in the cus tom-house, and coal was sent in lighters. It was very tedious work to get the coal out of the after-bunker, because it all had to come up through the ash-shute, after being carried around and through the engine-room in buckets of one hundred pounds each. Captain Weaver was not satisfied with the vague assertions con cerning the depth of the channel leading to the dry-dock, and on Wednesday morning following he made a personal examination with Chief Engineer Dungan and Lieutenant-Commander An thony as to the nature and depth of this channel, from which he found it to be impossible to take the ship into the dry-dock ; and he, therefore, decided to go to Rio de Janeiro as soon as he could make the ship sea-worthy, and dock the ship there. The carpenter and his gang closed the breach temporarily the THE CRUISE OF THE BROOKLYN. 39 same night by the following means : the side was covered with tarred canvas, planked over by two-inch planks, which were calked and again covered with tarred canvas, and the whole sheathed over with three-inch pine. Captain Amazega, of the Italian corvette " Carracciolo," was very courteous in offering his services, and when he heard that we would have to go to Rio he offered to convoy us there, and to be of any further assistance as might be necessary. The cap tain of H. B. M. S. " Rifleman" was also very courteous, and at the time of the collision he was about to get up steam and come out to our assistance, but found it was not necessary to do so. The Italian corvette " Carracciolo" left here at ten a.m., May 11, for the Pacific. When she got under way she exchanged compli mentary signals with us, and Captain Weaver signalled him a pleasant voyage. THE BURNING OF THE "JONATHAN CHASE." On the morning of May 9 the American bark " Jonathan Chase," Captain Costigan, lying off Montevideo, caught fire and was totally destroyed, notwithstanding the assistance rendered by the " Brooklyn." The fire was first discovered by those on board about midnight. At the time her captain was on shore and the vessel was in charge of the first mate. The mate and crew did everything in their power to save the ship, but were unable to get the fire under control. As the greater portion of the cargo was made up of pe troleum, glycerine, and kerosene, an explosion was feared, and con sequently, at one A.M., the " Jonathan Chase" was abandoned by all hands. The boats from the bark pulled in to the " Brooklyn" for refuge, and to ask if assistance could be rendered. This was the first that was known of the fire, the flames being invisible, as they were entirely confined below hatches. 40 THE CRUISE OF THE BROOKLYN. As soon as the facts were reported to Captain Weaver, two cutters were immediately called away, and Lieutenant Calhoun and Midshipman Ripley volunteered to go in charge of the boats, board the bark, and make an attempt to save her. The crew of the bark were very much afraid of an explosion, and some of them would not return in the cutter and assist our men. The boats' crews, however, were not afraid of anything, and boarded the bark in spite of many warnings. First the deck -load of glycerine was hove overboard. The bark was then examined, and it was found that the fire had gained such headway that it was beyond control. A second time the bark was abandoned, but not until the ship's papers had been obtained, together with all the personal effects of the captain and crew. Later, by request of Captain Costigan and by the consent of the port authorities, an attempt was made to sink the vessel and thereby save a portion of the cargo, which could easily be obtained after wards by raising the hull. A howitzer was lowered into one of the cutters, and Midshipman Ripley volunteered to take charge. The attempt failed. Although several holes were blown through her sides, they were not far enough below the water-line to allow the water to flow in with sufficient rapidity to sink the vessel in time. By eight a.m. it was blowing fresh ; a pampero had set in and the sea was beginning to rise. About nine o'clock the bark was given up and left to her fate, it being too rough for a boat to lay alongside. Soon after Midshipman Ripley left the vessel her masts went by the board with all the rigging. EXTRACT FROM THE "BUENOS AYRES HERALD." "FEOM OUK OWN CORRESPONDENT. " Montevideo, May 5, 1882. " To the Editor of the ' Herald.' " Sir, — In conversation with Captain Costigan, of the ' Jonathan Chase,' the other day, I was greatly pleased to hear him speak so THE CRUISE OF THE BROOKLYN. 41 highly of several of the officers of the U. S. S. ' Brooklyn,' who assisted him during the terrible destruction of his vessel. He particularly mentioned Lieutenants Calhoun and Jackson, and Midshipman Ripley, who aided him and his officers and crew in saving their personal effects on board at considerable risk and trouble, and afterwards tendered him and his crew every as sistance and condolence that lay in their power. This tribute, coming as it did from an experienced mariner, must be highly gratifying to those gentlemen who so nobly earned it, and I sin cerely hope that the copy of the Herald with this Montevidean letter in it will find its way on to the table of the Secretary of the Navy at Washington. Gallant conduct, such as shown by those gentlemen on the morning of the 9th instant, is deserving of all praise and publicity, and I hope that they will live to prosper in the noble profession they have chosen." The " Jonathan Chase" was from New York bound for Valpa raiso, and had put into Montevideo to repair her rudder and mizzen-mast. Part of the cargo had been landed for these repairs, which was thus fortunately saved. The ship and cargo were only partially insured. Captain Costigan lost nearly all his savings by this dreadful disaster. BASE-BALL. The "Brooklyn" base-ball nine, composed of the officers and apprentices of the " Brooklyn," was organized on April 1, and con siderable interest was taken in this sport. The manager of the Eng lish Cricket Club having kindly tendered the use of the grounds, a practice game was played there April 28, in which the boys came out second best. It was then decided to hold a match game May 1, and a number of ladies and gentlemen were invited, about fifty attending. The officers appeared in white caps, leggings, and shirts, and blue pants ; the boys in blue. Both sides played ten men. The game commenced at about 2.30 p.m. The boys won 42 THE CRUISE OF THE BROOKLYN. the toss and sent the officers to the bat. The boys had reorgan ized their nine and appeared to better advantage, and their new pitcher, McCabe, puzzled for a while the heavy batters among the officers, several of them striking and fouling out, and they found that they had to be very careful in running bases, McCabe kept such a sharp lookout on them. Nothing of particular interest occurred in the first three innings, in which the officers slightly led. In the fourth inning the game commenced to be interesting, as the boys made three runs and tied the score. In the sixth and seventh innings the officers got on to McCabe's pitching, several two- and three-baggers and single-base hits being made, which gave the fielders plenty of exercise. Eleven runs were the result of these two innings. This settled the game, as the boys seemed to be discouraged, and only added one run more to their score. At five p.m., owing to the lateness of the hour, game was called, the score standing twenty to nine in favor of the officers. Lieutenant Calhoun and Passed Assistant Surgeon Steele excelled at the bat, the former making a beautiful drive to centre field for three bases. Lieutenant Hunker also made a pretty three-bagger. The boys were weak at the bat, not being able to gauge Mr. Goldsborough's delivery. On the part of the officers, Lieutenants Calhoun and Hunker and Cadet-Engineer Beach excelled in the field, the former making two beautiful and difficult foul catches, one after a hard run and the other after falling on his back. Mr. Beach's play at first base was all that could be desired. Wright excelled in the field on the part of the boys, both as first baseman and afterwards as catcher, and caught McCabe's swift delivery manfully. Allen caught well in the first part of the game, but had to retire to short stop on account of injuring a finger. Lieutenant Beehler filled the position of umpire very satisfactorily, and pluckily received several hot balls on his feet and arms. THE CRUISE OF THE BROOKLYN. 43 OFFICERS. Names and Position. Lt. G. A. Calhoun, c. & s. s. Lt. J. J. Hunker, s. s. & c P. A. Surg. J. M. Steele, 1. f. 2d Lt. S. L. Jackson, r. s. s. A. Eng. S. H. Leonard, 2d b. Mid'n J. B. Cahoon, 3d b. Cadet-Mid'n G. E. Perry, c. f. Cadet-Eng. R. J. Beach, 1st b, Pay-Clerk Goldsborough, p. Lt. H. 0. Handy, r. f. APPKENTICE-BOYS. Names and Position. John McCabe, p. C. B. Allen, c. & s. s. R. M. Wright, 1st b. & o. . C. P. Gibbons, 2d b. & 1st b. G. A. Benezech, 8. o. & 2d b. W. H. Knoblesdorf, 3d b. J. F. Spolders, c. f. . B. H. Bryan, 1. f. P. Burkhard, r. f. P. A. Patti, r. o. s. . T. B. IB. B. 0. . 5 3 3 1 . 5 1 3 1 . 5 3 2 3 . 5 0 1 3 . 5 2 3 2 . 5 0 0 4 . 5 0 2 2 . 3 1 2 1 . 4 0 2 2 . 4 1 2 2 T. B. u it. 0. . 4 0 1 2 . 4 0 0 3 . 4 1 1 2 . 4 0 0 3 . 3 0 0 2 . 3 0 1 2 . 3 0 1 2 . 3 1 2 1 . 4 0 2 2 . 3 0 1 2 Officers . . Apprentice-boys SCORE BY INNINGS. 123456TT. .14 2 114 r— 20 .131300 1—9 Three-base hits, Lieutenants Calhoun and Hunker; two-base hits, Passed Assistant Surgeon Steele (2), Assistant Engineer Leonard, and Cadet-Engineer Beach. Umpire, Lieutenant Wm. H. Beehler. 44 THE CRUISE OF THE BROOKLYN. CHAPTER IV. The Arrival of the "Essex" and "Marion" at Montevideo — Closing the Breach made by the "Mozart" — Departure for Rio de Janeiro — The Death of Henry Jones, Boatswain's Mate — The Burial at Sea — Obituary Notices — Description of the Voyage and Arrival at Rio — Rear-Admiral and Mrs. Crosby arrive at Rio, and the Admiral assumes Command of the South At lantic Squadron — The Feast of Corpus Christi at Rio — Preparations for en tering the Dry-dock — The Presentation of the Admiral and Officers to His Majesty Dom Pedro and the Empress — Lieutenant Beehler's Experiments with the Electrio Lights — Brilliant Illumination of the Ship in the Dry- dock. The U. S. S." Essex" arrived from Cape Palmas, Africa, on May 16, and brought us a mail from the United States sent shortly after we left, last December. The " Essex" was boarded as soon as the health officer made his visit, and the first boat took her mail, which had been gradually accumulating at Monte video, and a supply of fresh provisions for the wardroom officers, thoughtfully sent by the wardroom officers of this ship. The " Essex" had been forty-one days at sea, and the officers hailed the sight of these fresh provisions with the greatest delight. She was en route to the Pacific via Magellan Straits, and intended to remain at Montevideo about four weeks. May 18 we had some practice with Very's night signals with the " Essex," which was highly satisfactory, and proved these signals to be very much superior to the Coston signals formerly in use in our service. The U. S. S. " Marion" arrived in port at 9.30 p.m. on May 22 from the Cape of Good Hope, having been highly successful in her mission to the rescue of the shipwrecked crew of the bark "Trinity." The "Marion" left the rescued crew at Cape of Good Hope, where they were sent home by the American consul. THE CRUISE OF THE BROOKLYN. 45 The carpenters completed on May 23 the temporary repairs of the damages caused by the " Mozart" on May 1, and the work reflects great credit on our carpenter, Mr. J. S. Waltemeyer, and his efficient gang of mates. The patch looked very well, and at a little distance it was difficult to discern the exact whereabouts of the breach. The barge's forward davit was not replaced, however, and we were thus obliged to hoist the barge and third cutter on deck in the gangways. The whale-boat was hoisted at the third cutter's davits so as to be available as a life-boat at sea. The breach itself was repaired by bolting heavy pieces of oak, six teen feet long, eight inches wide, and four inches thick, on both the frames on either side of the broken frame, and further strength ened by long straps of pine, thirty feet long by eight inches wide and three inches thick. The five straps ran up at regular inter vals between the port-sill streak and water-line. The spar-deck was also calked, and abutting pieces were placed in the third state-room in the wardroom to brace the weakened side from inboard. Lieutenant C. B. Gill received orders on May 17, by which he was detached from this ship with permission to proceed to his home at his own expense, with the understanding that his resignation would be accepted upon his arrival there. He was very homesick, and lost no time in leaving after receiving his orders. He left Montevideo in the French mail steamer " Dom Pedro" for Rio de Janeiro, and there took the Lamport & Holt steamer of May 25 for New York, where he probably arrived June 15. The following men were transferred to the " Marion" on the 23d ult., they having been detailed for the " Marion" prior to our sailing from New York: Valentine Blanchard, finisher; W. G. Caldwell and William Slavin, landsmen ; Thomas Russell, J. Innis, J. J. Dougherty, Dennis Feeney, A. S. Clawson, and Alphonse Veys, marines. We got under way at noon, May 24, and proceeded to Rio. In 4 46 THE CRUISE OF THE BROOKLYN. heaving up our starboard anchor, the chain cable was strained so much in breaking the anchor out of the mud that the third link from the club-link opened out, and parted just before it was high enough to hook the cat. An effort was made to hook the cat before the chain parted, but it gave way too soon, and the anchor dropped down into the mud beyond much hope of recovery. We proceeded on our course to Rio under steam, with clear and pleasant weather and light head-winds. Henry Jones, boatswain's mate, died of pneumonia at 10.45 A.m., May 25, after an illness of five days. All hands were called to " bury the dead" at 4.45 P.M., and assembled as for muster on the quarter-deck. Chaplain Royce conducted the service accord ing to the ritual of the Episcopal Church. The remains were carried aft in procession, headed by the chaplain, and followed by the band, six of the messmates of the deceased acting as pall bearers. The remains were laid out in a hammock, with a nine- inch shot at the foot, and were carried on a bier to the starboard side of the break of the poop-deck, where they were committed to the deep in the hope of the final resurrection when the sea shall give up its dead in the end of time. The marines fired three volleys over the sea, the engines were started ahead, and we went on our way. May 30 the wind changed and came out from the southwest, when we made sail and banked fires, but the next morning the wind came out ahead again, and we spread fires and took in sail. We then experienced quite a heavy sea, and it was evident that we had escaped a " pampero." At 7.35 P.M. the officer of the deck gave a false alarm of " man overboard," which completely sold the ship's company. The life-boat's crew of the watch rushed aft to lower the life-boat, and the whole exercise was carried out as if one of our number had really fallen overboard, and not a few excitedly asked, " Who is it ?" and, " Why don't they hurry up ?" every second of time seeming to be an age in -3 aa a >Si s g o THE CRUISE OF THE BROOKLYN. 47 the anxiety. Later on the same evening we went to general quar ters, and had a brush with an imaginary enemy. At 8.30 A.M., May 31, we sighted Raza Island light-house, and soon passed in among the beautiful islands outlying the bay of Rio de Janeiro. At ten a.m., while all hands were on deck drinking in the beautiful scenery, and endeavoring to decipher " Lord Hood's" nose and toes, said to be delineated by the top of the range of hills tending southward from the harbor's en trance, the revery was suddenly disturbed by the ominous rattling roar of chain running out from the starboard bow. The engines were stopped immediately, and the chain soon brought up by the compressors. It was subsequently ascertained that the starboard sheet-anchor was secured by a defective iron link, and endeavored to seek the company of its lost mate at the bottom of the sea. The chain was then taken to the capstan and the anchor duly recovered. At noon we passed the renowned Sugar-Loaf, and at 12.30 p.m. we came to anchor in the harbor of Rio de Janeiro. The ship was then visited by the health officers and given pratique. We also learnt that Rio has been exceptionally healthy for the past year, the last summer having been the most favorable season known for a whole decade. We then saluted the Brazilian flag with twenty-one guns, which were duly returned by the fort, and exchanged the usual visits of courtesy with the authorities. The following invalids were surveyed by the medical officers, and sent to the United States Naval Hospital at New York on the steamer " Biela," which left at nine a.m., Sunday, June 4 : Richard Burke, blacksmith ; W. H. Ingraham, seaman ; George Abbott, apprentice-boy ; James Sweeney and Murdick McKay, marine privates. Michael Craig, captain of the hold, was transferred to the hos pital on shore at his own request, being too ill to make the journey to New York. He died subsequently, Sunday morning, June 11, after very long and painful suffering with Bright's disease. 48 THE CRUISE OF THE BROOKLYN. At sunset, Thursday, June 8, the Pacific Steam Navigation Com pany's steamer " Araucania" arrived in port, with Rear-Admiral and Mrs. Pierce Crosby and Lieutenant Adolph Marix as passen gers. Captain Weaver called on the admiral the same evening, and the next day he formally assumed command of the United States naval force on the South Atlantic Station. At ten a.m., Friday, June 9, Rear-Admiral Pierce Crosby came on board, and was received with the crew at quarters on the port side of the spar-deck, and the officers in full-dress uniform on the quarterdeck. The usual ceremonies of introduction then took place, the marine guard presented arms, and a salute of thirteen guns was fired as the admiral's flag was hoisted at the mizzen, and the long pennant hauled down from the main. It was raining all day, and the customary inspection was therefore omitted. The admiral assumed command in the following squadron order : Squadron Order } U. S. F. S. " Brooklyn," Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, No. 1. j June 9, 1882. By direction of the Honorable Secretary of the Navy, I have this day as sumed command of the United States naval force on the South Atlantic Station. All Squadron Orders now in force will remain so until otherwise directed. PIERCE CROSBY, Rear-Admiral Commanding, U. S. Naval Force, on the South Atlantic Station. On June 14 he announced his staff in Squadron Order No. 2, as follows : Squadron Order 1 U. S. F. S. "Brooklyn," Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, No. 2. J June 14, 1882. The following officers will compose my staff : Captain A. W. Weaver, chief of staff. General Staff. Medical Inspector C. H. Burbank, fleet surgeon. Chief Engineer W. W. Dungan, fleet engineer. Paymaster W. Goldsborough, fleet paymaster. Captain E. P. Meeker, fleet marine officer. THE CRUISE OF THE BROOKLYN. 49 Personal Staff. Lieutenant A. Marix, senior aide and secretary. Midshipman ,C. S. Ripley, aide. Midshipman Thomas Snowden, aide. PIERCE CROSBY, Rear-Admiral Commanding, U. S. Naval Force, on the South Atlantio Station. Sunday, June 11, the officers were invited to a grand ball, given by the Chamber of Commerce of Rio to the distinguished Admiral Baron de Amazone, in commemoration of the Brazilian naval vic tory at Riachuelo in the Paraguayan war on June 11, 1865. Preparations were made for thoroughly repairing the ship. The captain inspected the various docks, and sealed proposals were re ceived from the principal firms in Rio for the work. The contract was awarded to Mr. Paul Taves, an American ship-builder, whose bid was several thousand dollars less than any of the others. The following order was issued as a sanitary precaution during the stay of the " Brooklyn" in this harbor : U. S. S. "Brooklyn," 2d rate, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, May 31, 1882. The officers and men of this ship are earnestly enjoined to use every possible sanitary precaution to prevent infection during the stay of the ship at this port. To this end all articles received on board will be carefully inspected by the officer of the deck. One of the medical officers will inspect the bumboats; and unripe fruit, pineapples, and whatever else may be deemed unfit or in jurious, will not be allowed on board. No stores will be permitted to be received in sealed boxes. The straw pack ings are especially prohibited. The market stores will only be allowed to be reoeived in baskets belonging to the ship, not in bags. Awnings will be housed daily at sunset, and no one will be allowed to sleep on deck exposed to the dew. The hot sun of the day and dews at night must be avoided by all. A. W. WEAVER, Captain Commanding. 50 THE CRUISE OF THE BROOKLYN. THE FEAST OF CORPUS CHRISTI. Wednesday, June 8, this festival of the Roman Catholic Church was celebrated with peculiar ceremony in Rio de Janeiro. The men-of-war dressed ship in honor of the day, in which we joined at the request of the Brazilian commodore, with the Brazilian flag at the main and the American flag at the other mast-heads. Cap tain Weaver and a number of officers went ashore to witness the pageant there. The streets were packed with crowds of people in holiday attire. A regiment of Brazilian infantry was drawn up in line on the plaza in front of the imperial cathedral, and it was with considerable difficulty that one could wedge through the crowd to some convenient point of view. The emperor went to the cathedral about ten a.m. and participated in the religious services. About noon groups of monks and clergy appeared in the vicinity of the cathedral, preparing to form procession, which was frequently done at false alarms of the emperor's coming. At two p.m., however, four volleys from the regiment of infantry an nounced the appearance of the emperor, when the bells commenced to ring, and salutes were fired from the forts and shipping. This remarkable procession consisted of several church societies bearing banners, silvered staves with flowers and crosses and candles in advance, then came a body of monks, about sixteen in all, bareheaded, and each bearing a candle, some of which were lighted, but it was very difficult to keep them burning in the open air. The monks were followed by a dozen or more priests in sacra mental robes, and these by bishops and higher dignitaries of the church in their official dress. Then came the canopy and the host carried by the archbishop, elevated as at the celebration of mass in church. This canopy was held over the host by the emperor, his son-in-law, Comte d'Eu, and the four ministers of state, war, marine*, and agriculture. This canopy was woven of gold and white silk, and supported on six ecclesiastically carved staves ten THE CRUISE OF THE BROOKLYN. 51 feet long, each one of the above distinguished men carrying a stave. The municipal officers followed the imperial party with the host, and then came the regimental band, and an immense corps of buglers immediately heading the regiment of infantry. The em peror, priests, and soldiers were all bareheaded, and walked through the streets at snail's pace, while the crowd surged in on all sides, and frequently blocked the procession, not the slightest effort being made to keep the streets clear. The emperor looked very well, and bore up under this ordeal very bravely. It took them about three hours to pass through about two miles of the principal streets in Rio. The imperial crown did not seem so attractive under these circumstances. The people in the streets were very respectful, and everybody un covered as the procession moved by. This regiment of infantry is composed almost entirely of Brazilian Indians from the interior ; but they did not evince a very high state of discipline in their march by half-company front. The " Brooklyn's" battalion would certainly appear to very much better advantage, even with their rare opportunities for marching. One of the principal features of the procession seemed to be in the noise. The band would frequently be obliged to stop for wind, but the extraordinary corps of buglers were equal to the emergency, and kept up the racket incessantly, relieving each other from time to time. OBITUARY. HENRY JONES. Henry Jones, boatswain's mate, died on board this ship, of pneumonia, after an illness of five days, as stated elsewhere. He was born in Belfast, Ireland, September, 1823, and served in the navy for about eighteen years. Jones enlisted in the Fifty-second Regiment, New York State Volunteers, August 24, 1863, as a private, and was transferred to the navy April 28, 1864, from the camp near Strasburg, Virginia. He was discharged from the 52 THE CRUISE OF THE BROOKLYN. U. S. S. "Chickopee," Commander W. F. Spicer, as quarter- gunner, April 26, 1866, after which he served three years more in the navy, and was discharged from the U. S. S. " Pensacola," Captain G. H. Preble, September 30, 1869. He continued his naval career, and served out another enlistment, for which he received an honorable discharge December 19, 1872, as quarter master from Captain Bancroft Gherrardi, U. S. R. S. " Independ ence," Mare Island, California. He received another discharge July 14, 1875, as quartermaster of the " Independence." His next cruise was in the " Tennessee" in China from 1875 to 1878, during which he received a continuous-service certificate and a good-conduct badge. From 1878 to 1881 he served in the U. S. R. S. " Colorado," " New Hampshire," and " Standish," during which he received a second good-conduct badge. He enlisted for the last time September 22, 1881, at New York, and served until his death. He leaves no relations, but his monument of honor able-discharge certificates and good-conduct badges have been for warded to the Navy Department, where they will be preserved with the memorials of the rest of our country's faithful servants. MICHAEL CKAIG. Michael Craig, captain of the hold, died in the hospital at this port June 11. While Craig's service in the navy does not cover so many years of continuous service as Jones's, yet his first entry dates back to an earlier period, — the Mexican war, when the brilliant exploits of the American navy were still fresh in the minds of the people from the war of 1812. He served on the U. S. S. " Congress" from 1845 to 1849, and the engagements that ship took part in during that period entitled Craig to be a member of the New York Associated Mexican War Veterans, a silver medal of which association he had in his possession at his death, the reverse side of which contains the name of deceased, ship, and years he served. The face of this medal has inscribed upon it the distinguished names of Scott, Perry, and Taylor, and THE CRUISE OF THE BROOKLYN. 53 the battles of that war. The deceased leaves nothing behind to show that he served in the navy again until 1877. September 17 of that year he was honorably discharged from the " Rich mond," Captain John J. Reed, as captain of the hold. He was in the service again as seaman on the " Saratoga," Commander R. D. Evans, and honorably discharged November 13, 1880. He was born in Donegal, Ireland, February 2, 1824, and consequently at the time of his death was in his fifty-ninth year. His last enlist ment was December 20, 1880, on the " Colorado," at New York, and was serving out the remainder of his time on this ship. The deceased made Brooklyn his home. The only relatives Craig had known to be living are a sister and two nieces in Ireland. The remains were interred in San Juan de Baptiste Cemetery, Rio de Janeiro. On the 22d the " Brooklyn" was towed up to the inner harbor off Finney, Kemp & Co.'s dry-dock, for convenience in making the repairs preliminary to docking. The ammunition was removed to the Brazilian arsenal just before our departure, and since then the ship has been defenceless, and will remain so for some weeks to come. Before this, however, we had the pleasure of a visit from our Minister Plenipotentiary, Ex-Governor Thomas A. Os borne, of Kansas, a typical American and one whom we all felt glad to honor ; when he left us we gave him a salute of seventeen guns. The workmen in charge of the contractor, Mr. Paul Taves, com menced work on the ship's side on Friday, June 23. They tore down the bulkheads in the starboard steerage and the first six rooms on the starboard side of the wardroom. All the line offi cers, excepting Lieutenants Calhoun and Hunker, were thus de prived of quarters. Three of our energetic lieutenants then occupied the admiral's cabin in lieu of other tenant, the admiral having kindly offered it to them as a dormitory. The transoms in the cabin are all about the same size, and owing to the great range in the length of the lieutenants it was a difficult matter to 54 THE CRUISE OF THE BROOKLYN. appropriate the space to suit, but they always had a "handy sebrees," which was some comfort. A great many of the discomforts were removed, however, by the kind consideration and gentlemanly courtesy of the more fortunate members of the mess, who then took in their homeless shipmates and allowed them the use of their state-rooms. This evinced such a happy state of affairs that all treated the inconveniences to which they had been subjected as a huge joke, and made the best of it in the most philosophical manner. The workmen surprised us very much by their peculiar hours. They commence work at seven and stop from nine to 9.30 for breakfast, after which they work steadily until four, when they go home to dinner. This gives eight and a half hours for a day's labor, and for a tropical clime the arrangement is much better than our system of mid-day dinners. They deserve a great deal of credit for their excellent work, which is far superior to what we had imagined it would be. The din of hammers was a great an noyance, and all wished for the time when we should be in proper shape once more ; but this seemed to be very remote owing to the frequent number of holidays and feast-days, during which they won't work, although they would not object to working on Sun days if we did not. The officers were invited to the athletic sports of the English Regatta Club on June 30. These sports consisted of running and walking races something on the style of the Olympian games. Their majesties the emperor and empress were present, and the races were very good. Cadet-Engineer W. S. Smith took part in one of the running races, but as he had had no opportunity to train he failed to get a prize. Monday, July 3, Admiral Crosby, Dr. Burbank, Chief Engineer Dungan, Paymaster Goldsborough, Lieutenant-Commander An thony, and Lieutenant Marix went on a leave of absence to visit Petropolis. This a town of six thousand inhabitants. It is chiefly a German settlement, and is noted for being the summer THE CRUISE OF THE BROOKLYN. 55 residence of the imperial family. It is about sixty miles from Rio and has a comparatively cool climate, being three thousand feet above the sea. Four large mountain streams run into the town through beautiful canals in every street. Nearly all the for eign ministers and diplomats make it their home. Our officers were entertained by our minister, Paymaster Wight (who has charge of the United States naval depot at Rio), the English representative, and Mr. Morton, the agent of the Lamport & Holt Steamship Company. There are a number of very handsome estates, beautilully laid out with all that wealth and tropical lux uriance can do. Such a place baffles description, and from all accounts must be a perfect fairy-land. Our party returned the latter part of the same week, and brought the most glowing ac counts of their visit and of their hospitable reception by the peo ple at Petropolis. Their enthusiastic description of the beautiful scenery, coupled with their praises of their hosts, make quite a refreshing feature in the cruise. On the Fourth of July we dressed ship with the American flag at each mast-head and the jack, while the Brazilian men-of-war, H. B. M. S. " Swiftsure," and nearly all the merchant vessels in the harbor followed our example. At noon the Brazilian fort at Bota Fogo and the " Swiftsure" fired a salute of twenty-one guns, which we were unable to return because we had no powder. This act was a very graceful one on the part of the English ironclad, since her commanding officer had been informed that we could not re turn any salutes. Visits of courtesy were also exchanged between the officers of this ship and the " Swiftsure." On Saturday, July 8, the following officers went with Rear- Admiral Crosby to be presented to the emperor at the imperial palace of Sao Christavoa: Captain A. W. Weaver, Medical In spector C. H. Burbank, Chief Engineer W. W. Dungan, Paymas ter W. Goldsborough, Passed Assistant Surgeon H. M. Martin, Lieutenants U. Sebree, A. Marix, W. H. Beehler, G. A. Cal houn, and J. J. Hunker, and Midshipmen Ripley and Snowden. 56 THE CRUISE OF THE BROOKLYN. The party left the ship in full-dress uniform, with four marines in full-dress with the new white helmet. At the landing they took carriages to the United States Legation, where they met His Ex cellency the United States Minister Plenipotentiary and Envoy Extraordinary, Ex-Governor Thomas A. Osborne, with his secre tary, H. J. White. They had to wait at the legation for some time, the hour for the reception having been changed to seven P.M. It was one hour's drive to the palace from the legation, and this gave the party an opportunity to judge of the size of Rio, as the route was from one end of the city to the other. The marines rode with the liveried drivers, and attracted a great deal of notice as the four carriages rapidly passed through the streets. The palace is a large white rectangular building with a central dome, and fronts the bay west of the city. The grounds in front did not appear to be kept as a park, though the road led through the two gates about five hundred feet apart. Several officers of the palace met the party at the entrance and ushered them into the diplomatic reception-room. This room is handsomely upholstered with red brocaded silk tapestry. A large life-size painting covers one wall, representing the present emperor when a young man in full court dress, which he wears on state occasions. The mantel ornaments were of beaten brass, massive and very handsome. The mirror candelabra and chandelier in the centre were in har mony with these ornaments, the room being illuminated by candles instead of gas. The chairs and sofas were elaborately carved and ornamented with the imperial coat of arms, the only exceptional article being a small Japanese table in the centre. The room ad joins the throne-room, and is where the foreign ministers usually wait before presenting their credentials to the emperor on his throne. The officers ranged themselves in line and waited for the em peror, who came in at 7.15 P.M. dressed in the uniform of a mar shal of the empire. The first lord chamberlain and two other court officers accompanied his majesty, but stood in the door-way THE CRUISE OF THE BROOKLYN. 57 during the reception. The emperor shook hands very cordially with Governor Osborne, and was then introduced to the admiral and the rest of the officers as his staff. The emperor expressed himself as delighted to see them, and regretted that he did not have the pleasure of holding the reception on the Fourth of July. He inquired about the ship, the health of the officers and crew, and incidentally mentioned the fact that he had once been enter tained on board the " Brooklyn" when Admiral Godon had com mand. He referred to his visit to the United States and praised the United States Naval Academy. He also inquired for Com modore Simpson, and spoke eulogistically of Rear-Admiral John Rodgers, of whose death he had just heard. He held quite a long conversation with the admiral and Captain Weaver, while the rest of the officers simply stood by and looked on. The em peror then turned to Governor Osborne, and shortly afterwards bowed and left the room. The first lord chamberlain then conducted them to the other wing of the palace, where they were presented to the empress, who stood in the centre of her reception-room and received by a general introduction. The first lady-in-waiting stood to the left and rear of her majesty during the reception. Her majesty spoke in French and asked a few general questions about the ship and the cruise. The officers then bowed and backed out of the room, returned to their carriages, and then rode back to the landing. The emperor afterwards said he was much pleased with this recep tion, and highly commended the fine appearance of the officers, and was especially glad to have had the pleasure of seeing so many of them. Tuesday morning, July 11, preparations were made to dock the ship, but a thick fog set in and delayed this until noon. A tug towed the ship to the dock, and lines were then run out by which she was hauled in and centred on the blocks. The caisson was then placed in position and the ship docked in the usual manner, and finally secured at 3.15 p.m. 58 THE CRUISE OF THE BROOKLYN. Lieutenant Beehler then commenced to rig the ship with the Weston system of electric lights. This consisted of ten lamps, one being suspended from the ends of each of the lower yard- arms, one at the end of the flying-jib-boom, one under the poop, one in the machine-shop by the generator, and one in the alley leading to the dock. It was dark, however, before the circuit could be tested, and, after one or two trials, the exhibition was postponed. The next evening, however, the effect of the light was exceed ingly beautiful. Each lamp gave a light of two thousand candle- power, and made a brilliant illumination in the dock-yard and vicinity. About 8.30 p.m., while hoisting the lamp on the star board cross-jack yard, the lamp-frame got loose and made contact with the fine wire in the feeding mechanism, which fused it and burnt a hole in the casing.. The machine was stopped at once and the circuit examined, but the fault was not discovered until the next day. The machine was started again, however, but the break disabled the machine, and further efforts had to be post poned until the next day. The admiral and Mrs. Crosby were present, and a great crowd of people thronged into the dock-yard. These people were very noisy, and their presence interfered so seriously with the discipline of the ship that the admiral directed the exhibition to be discontinued. The damages were repaired the next day, and at four a.m. the lights were started again and worked well. Midshipman Cahoon and the armorer, Charles Kelsey, rendered very valuable assistance with the electric light. While in the dock the copper on the ship's bottom was found in a dreadful condition, being worn through in one hundred and forty-three sheets, while a few worms were also found in the planking. The copper was patched up ; but it was probable that the ship would have to be docked again in a year or so, unless she should be ordered home. The ship came out of the dock at noon July 15, and was towed to the former anchorage. THE CRUISE OF THE BROOKLYN. 59 The health of the officers and crew has been exceptionally good, the sick list out of the whole ship's company of three hundred and fifty people only averaging five during July, 1882. CHAPTER V. First Organization of the " Brooklyn" Minstrels on the Fourth of July — The French F£te of the Storming of the Bastile — Gallant Conduct of Robert Allen and Edward Kenny in Rescuing their Shipmates — The United States Naval Depot at Rio de Janeiro — The Hospitality of the People at Rio — The Grand Minstrel Entertainment — Programme of the Performance — Full Description of the Entertainment. The Fourth of July was a disagreeable, rainy day, and it seemed as if there were not the slightest chance for any patriotic excitement to celebrate it. Visions of mass-meetings at a country picnic, the militia parade, stump-speeches, and extraordinary flow of beer aggravated our condition, and finally roused "all hands" to a final effort, which resulted in the permanent organization of the " Brooklyn" Minstrels. The apprentices started the ball by asking for boats for races, but the weather preventing made it necessary to try something more feasible. Lieutenant Beehler canvassed around among the boys to induce them to start a circus, a show, or something, but the boys all fought shy, and finally backed out altogether. He then appealed to the men, and with the assistance of Cadet- Engineer Beach organized an impromptu entertainment, which proved to be a great success. The following is the programme, neatly printed copies of which were distributed around among the ship's company just before the performance : 60 THE CRUISE OF THE BROOKLYN. Overture By the Orchestra Song, "Little Sister's Gone to Sleep" . . John Looby and Company Jig, " Footprints in the Sand" J- McCann Character Song, " The Don of the Club" .... Robert Allen Sketch, OBEYING ORDERS. General Ramrod J- Murphy Private Mulcahy K- Allen Sarah Bernheart J- Looby Clog Dance J. McCann Song, " The Boy from Munster" J. Kenny Sketch, THE COAL-HEAVERS' REVENGE. Doctor William Jarrard Pat Moriarity, Coal-Heaver John McCabe Mike McGinniss, Second Coal-Heaver J. Looby Song, " Hungry Army" J. Looby, R. Allen A stage was laid out on the berth-deck, just forward of the foremast and abaft the steam capstan. Candles with reflectors were arranged along the deck and served very well for foot lights, while a nicely-painted scene was hung up as a background for the performance. The entire ship's company with all the offi cers on board gathered on the berth-deck, the men sitting on cap stan-bars and deck-buckets, while the officers had their chairs and camp-stools in the rear. Promptly at eight p.m. the band struck up the march from " Boccaccio," and the hush of expectation went round through the audience. John Looby then came out and sang " Little Sister's Gone to Sleep," the chorus being behind the scenes, which made the piece very effective. McCann's dancing was very fine. His graceful tread realized in a striking sense the beauty of a true Irish jig and brought out the heartiest encores. McCann deserves the greatest credit not THE CRUISE OF THE BROOKLYN. 61 only for the real merit of his performance, but for his hearty co operation in getting up the entertainment, while others were rather indifferent. Robert Allen in his character song of " The Don of the Club" elicited loud applause and was obliged to repeat his soDg. Allen has a fair voice, but excels in his acting. He wore a long ulster and dandy cap, and made a very presentable swell. The sketch " Obeying Orders" was very fairly presented, and had there been time the piece could have been polished up some what, and what was simply pleasing would have been exceedingly good. The same criticism applies to the other sketch, " The Coal-Heavers' Revenge." The Doctor, William Jarrard, sustained his part admirably, and McCabe interpreted the Irish coal-heaver to perfection. The chief thing lacking being appropriate dresses and stage appointments, which could not be otherwise for a first performance gotten up at three hours' notice. J. Kenny did not appear on time for his song ; he was on post as a sentry and, unfortunately, had a tardy relief. A. B. Morton came to the rescue, and gave a capital substitute in a character song, " I'm so Awfully Clevah." The song was very good, a great deal being improvised for the occasion. A mere copy of the words would fail to convey any idea of the character. He was vociferously encored, and amused the audience immensely at his cool self-possession and perfect ease with which he enacted the part of the heavy swell. Looby and Allen sang the song of the " Hungry Army" fairly, but it lacked rehearsal, though it pleased the audience. It would be difficult to imagine a better-satisfied audience than this which cheered the performers. They seemed spell-bound, and when the programme was exhausted, about 9.15 p.m., they sat like the boy in " Oliver Twist" and wanted more. The band then struck up " Home, Sweet Home," and broke the spell by reminding all hands that it was late and high time to " pipe down hammocks." Great credit is due to the efficient service of the sheriff, — John Taylor, 5 62 THE CRUISE OF THE BROOKLYN. — who with his deputies preserved perfect order and added a great deal to the enjoyment of the evening. LA FETE NATIONAL. The 14th of July is the national fgte day of the French re public, and commemorates the taking of the Bastille. The French residents of Rio de Janeiro, numbering about three thou sand, gave the second celebration of " La F§te National" at the saloon and garden of the Guarda Belha on the evening of the 14th instant. The entrance was beautifully illuminated, the whole face of the building being covered with gas-jets ; over the entrance was erected an illuminated arch bearing the inscription in brilliant gas-jets " Republique Francaise, 1789-14 Juillet, 1882." The garden presented a fantastic appearance, the trees, shrubbery, walks, etc., being decorated with thousands of various-colored lights, Chinese lanterns, etc. The saloon was artistically deco rated with the French colors, and over the end of the stage was placed a large bust of the Republic draped with the tricolor. Between three and four thousand persons attended. The captain and officers of this vessel were invited, and every preparation was made to insure them having an enjoyable evening. Lieutenants Marix, Calhoun, and Hunker, Chaplain Ro}'ce, Assistant En gineer Leonard, Cadet-Engineers Smith and Beach, and Midship man Ripley attended in uniform, and were most hospitably enter tained by the officers and committees of the fSte. The f§te opened with a concert in the saloon, which lasted from 8.30 to 11. The " Marseillaise," sang by Mme. Rose Meryss, two songs by Mme. Alina Alhaiza, two poetical recitations by M. M. P. Alhaiza, and a selection called " Le Chant du Depart" by an orchestra composed of young boys, were parts of the programme most enthusiastically applauded. After the concert about a thousand persons assembled in a large saloon, in the centre of which was a platform for the distinguished guests, among whom were the French minister and consul-general, members of the diplomatic corps, officers of this THE CRUISE OF THE BROOKLYN. 63 vessel, etc. Tables ran the whole length of the room, which were bountifully supplied with champagne, etc. ; toasts were then proposed and responded to until midnight, the French minis ter responding to " The President of the Republic" and " His Majesty the Emperor," the consul to " France," and Lieuteuant Calhoun to " Our Sister Republic, the United States of North America." The ball was opened shortly after midnight and was prolonged until daybreak. With excellent music, many handsome women and beautiful toilets, etc., all who attended can con gratulate the Socie^ Francaise upon having had a most successful celebration of " La Fe"te National." A subscription paper for the " Brooklyn" Minstrels was handed around, and a committee, consisting of Lieutenant Beehler, Second Lieutenant Jackson, and Cadet-Engineer Beach, was authorized to expend the amount subscribed for stage properties, etc. GALLANT CONDUCT. On the morning of the 2d of June Ossian Carlson, seaman, in an effort to get from the poop into the gig fell overboard. A life-buoy was let go, a life-preserver thrown overboard, and a boat called away, but all were of no service owing to the aid rendered by Robert Allen, seaman, who jumped overboard and assisted Carlson in getting hold of a rope's end thrown over the side and then to the Jacob's ladder over the stern. The fact that Carlson was hurt in the fall, was very much frightened and scarcely able to swim, made the assistance rendered very timely, and Allen's gallantry deserves special recognition. We take special pleasure in recording a similar act of gallantry by Edwin Kenney, first-class fireman, on July 12. It appears that Guenaro Persico, first-class musician, while walking out on the d ck at 8.30 p.m. stepped overboard, and would have been drowned but for the timely rescue by Edwin Kenney. The night was dark, and the smooth granite sea-wall was such that Persico had but little chance of being saved, but Kenney jumped over- 64 THE CRUISE OF THE BROOKLYN. board and held him up until a boat came to their assistance. Per sico cannot swim, and he owes his life to the gallant conduct of his brave shipmate. CHANGES IN THE SQUADRON. Captain L. E. Fagan, U.S.M.C, arrived here on the 28th of June in the new steamer " Queen of the Pacific," of the Oregon Steamship Company, which was lately built at Philadelphia and stopped here on her way to the Pacific. Captain Fagan relieved Captain E. P. Meeker from the command of the marine guard and as fleet marine officer South Atlantic Station. Captain Meeker was then detached, and sailed July 5 in the Lamport & Holt steamer " Archimedes" for New York. The wardroom officers gave Captain Meeker a farewell dinner before he left, and many regrets were expressed at his departure. Five weeks after the ship was towed out of the dry-dock to the anchorage in the inner harbor, the work of repairing the ship progressed rapidly, and was completed considerably within the time allowed by the contract with Mr. Taves. The incessant pounding of the calkers for about two weeks made life a burden from seven A.M. until four p.m., and the final departure of this gang was a great relief. Calkers are not welcome, and we can only add oa-kum no more. The routine drills were resumed to a certain extent after leaving the dock, and the ship's company settled down to their regular duties. Tuesday, August 1, boards of officers visited the United States naval storehouse to survey articles in the various departments. This storehouse was simply a place to destroy government prop erty. A great many stores were found worthless, and what would pass inspection would not be received on board for fear that they might contain germs of yellow fever. A number of requisitions for stores were approved and furnished from the storehouse, but the doctor got hold of them, and upon his recommendation these THE CRUISE OF THE BROOKLYN. 65 stores were returned. The prospect of unlimited supply of old canvas, so handy for swabs, tarpaulins, and a thousand things on board ship, was very pleasing, but Yellow Jack is a bad shipmate, and no precaution was neglected to keep him out. The storehouse is a very fine, suitable building, and was built by Mr. Lage for the Navy Department, whose agent leased it from him about a year ago for the term of five years. This lease was about the only reason advanced for the continuance of the naval depot at this place. The officers who made the surveys found the stores going to ruin very rapidly owing to age and climatic influ ences, and recommended to sell the whole business and sublet the storehouse to some party who might use it to advantage. The search for some old powder was one of the strangest fea tures of this survey. No one knew where it was and how long it had been here. The party made four trips after it, and finally found it by taking a Brazilian ordnance employe" for a pilot, who conducted the board to a magazine clear up to the head of the bay, where it had been carefully stored, free of cost, by the Bra zilian government since 1874. This powder was sent to the sta tion in 1872, when Rear-Admiral W. R. Taylor had command, and was first stored in the magazine at Santa Cruz. Some of the buildings there were struck by lightning during a thunder-storm, which occasioned its subsequent removal to the storehouse on the Isla do Gobernado. Thursday, August 10, we got under way, and were towed to the man-of-war anchorage in the outer harbor. A requisition for coal had been approved, and some was received on board from the naval depot. The chief engineer, however, objected to it as being inferior, and finally the doctor stepped in and called it dangerous. This put a stop to further attempts at coaling, and left us free scope to go ahead and get the ship ready for inspection. The officers of the ship were entertained very nicely by a num ber of people on shore. They attended the Casino ball on the 24th of July, a grand wedding-party at Mr. McKimmel's on 66 THE CRUISE OF THE BROOKLYN. August 3, the ball at the club Regatta de Guarnabarense on the 12th inst., and were entertained twice by Mr. F. Sauwen, the Belgian consul-general, at his charming country-seat at Paradise. This place is in a valley about an hour's journey from Rio, over the ferry to Nitheroy. The park is magnificently laid out, every variety of tropical tree and plant being represented, the celebrated pond-lily Victoria Regia being among the most curious. Mr. Sauwen took special pains to explain the peculiarities of the various trees, and gave the officers a royal treat. It would be difficult to convey any adequate idea of the beauty of the place so artistically laid out. His house is a wonder for the coun try, being a perfect gem, with every modern convenience com bined with the beauty of an ancient Moorish dwelling. Those who availed themselves of his hospitality can never forget the delightful time spent at his home so appropriately called " Para dise." THE "BROOKLYN" MINSTRELS. The organization of the " Brooklyn" Minstrels proceeded with out interruption after the impromptu entertainment on the Fourth of July. Mr. Beach was indefatigable in his efforts to train the men who came forward to participate, and their frequent rehearsals in the fire-room resulted in giving us a delightful entertainment on the evening of the 28th of July. The subscription to the fund was generally responded to by all, and a full report of the finance committee was presented. The stage was rigged up on the quarter-deck, just abaft the mainmast, with its after-end resting on the forward part of the engine-room hatch, just leaving narrow gangways on each side. The stage was screened in on three sides by sails hung from a superstructure erected by the carpenter's gang, while a red baize drop-curtain, fitted with brails, closed in the front. All the guns on the quarter-deck were transported forward, and the awnings and sides were tastefully decorated with flags and bunting, the combined effect being very handsome. The stage was fitted with THE CRUISE OF THE BROOKLYN. 67 six wings, two of which formed a part of the front, while the other two, on each side, formed parts of the drop-scenes, repre senting a forest and a city street, respectively. This arrangement left passage-ways on the stage on both sides for the entrances and exits, both of which led to the green-room, formed by sails screen ing in the space around the mainmast and forward on the port side of the smoke-stack. The ship's company occupied the port side of the quarter-deck and the hammock-nettings, the latter serving as peanut-galleries, but we missed the enterprising merchant with his peanuts, opera- books, and photographs, notwithstanding the demands for the pic ture of " Dot nice leetle Irish gals." The officers sent out about two hundred and fifty invitations to the English-speaking com munity of Rio Janeiro, including a few to some Brazilians, nearly all of whom came, and were assigned to seats on the starboard side of the quarter-deck and poop. The following distinguished guests occupied the reserved seats on the forward part of the poop : Rear-Admiral and Mrs. Crosby, the United States minister, Thomas A. Osborne, and family, the British minister, Thomas Corbin, the British consul-general, A. Ricketts, and wife, the Russian charge' d'affaires, Mr. C. N. Lis- chine, and wife, the Italian charge d'affaires, Count Albert de For- esta, Count and Countess de Estrela, Mr. and Mrs. Peries, and a number of Brazilian officers in uniform, with a delegation from the Argentine corvette " Parana." A number of charming young ladies came with Mr. and Mrs. Hancock, Mr. Bailee, and others, who occupied seats on the quarter-deck with personal friends of the officers. Mr. Paul Taves, Mr. C. P. Mackie, and Mr. Lage kindly offered their steam-barges, which, with our steam-launch, were used to convey the guests to and from the ship. A com mittee of officers was appointed to receive the guests at the land ing on shore, and also at the gangway on board ship. The guests arrived at 7.15 p.m., and as soon as the admiral and his party were seated the curtain rose at the signal from an elec- 68 THE CRUISE OF THE BROOKLYN. trie bell, and disclosed the entire troupe of nine negroes with six of the ship's band in the rear. The appearance of the company produced a favorable impression, and as they took their seats the ease and sang-froid with which " tambo" enacted his part and created his little diversion heralded the perfect success of the en tertainment. The following programme was carried out in every particular. Copies were printed on fine note-paper at the Eagle office and distributed among the audience before the curtain rose : PART I. Overture Instrumental Still I Love Thee A. B. Morton Peter Simple R. Allen Blue-Eyed Nellie J. Looby Medley J. J. McCabe PART II. Clog Dance G. Ryan School-boy's Recitation, Bingen on the Rhine J. J. McCabe Sarah Walker J. W. Howourth THE TWO SUBJECTS. Dr. Toro Splints William Jarrard Patrick Duffy J. Looby Hans van Kinterlebth J. J. McCabe Bridget O'Lafferty R. Allen Old Grandfather Ben A. B. Morton Dear Old Wife and I Morton and Howourth Song and Dance (}. Ryan UNCLE EPH'S DREAM. Uncle Eph j. j. MoCabe Master George William Jarrard Aunt Chloe George Miller Young Eph William La Forge Plantation hands, etc. The company occupied the entire front of the stage and sat in THE CRUISE OF THE BROOKLYN. 69 a semicircle. The middle-man wore a plain evening dress, while Bones and Tambo were rigged up gorgeously with bright " Dolly Varden" waistcoats (swallow-tails), extravagant neck-ties and col lars, with immense buttonhole-bouquets. The rest of the troupe wore plain white shirts, and presented a neat and graceful picture. The men were very thoroughly blackened, and the wigs effected such a perfect disguise that some were not recognized by their own shipmates during the whole performance. The play opened with a rollicking selection by the band, with bones, tambourine, and guitar of the troupe. This selection was so appropriate to the character of the entertainment that the entire company went in with a free and easy manner, which insured the success of the whole evening. The jests exchanged between Bones and Tambo and the wise middle-man took well and served to introduce the several selections admirably. This was particularly true of the selection by R. Allen of " Peter Simple." Tambo asked Bones how Captain Weaver could get fresh eggs for breakfast when the ship was crossing the line. Bones could not tell, and the middle man had to give it up. Tambo replied that he only had to bring the ship by the wind and have her " lay to." The imitations that followed of the cackling hen by Allen were exceedingly good, and kept the audience in roars of laughter and brought out the heartiest encores, which necessitated the repetition of the song. Morton sang " Still I Love Thee" very well, this selection being the best musical effort of the troupe. The chorus did best in Looby's sentimental song " Blue-Eyed Nellie," which was very pretty, and served as a charming interlude between the absurdities of Tambo and Bones. In the most pathetic part of this song two of the lanterns fell down by the band, and the absurd aston ishment of Tambo in looking like a perfect idiot to see what was up proved him to be an adept as an end-man. The best hit was made in the comparison of an Irishman to a lobster. Bones found a resemblance in that both wore a green coat, but Tambo asked why an Irishman ain't like a lobster, and 70 THE CRUISE OF THE BROOKLYN. when neither Bones nor Mr. Jarrard could guess, he brought down the house by explaining that if you boiled a lobster his coat would turn red, but that you might bile an Irishman until he was bald-headed and he never would wear a red coat. The ship's company enjoyed the joke about preaching best of all. Tambo asked what a preacher ought to preach about. Mr. Jarrard said he thought a preacher should preach about integrity, virtue, sobriety, etc. Bones thought he should preach about fifteen min utes, but the roar that followed Tambo when he said a preacher should preach about liberty was just immense. Some of the jokes were lost to those in the rear seats because they did not speak loud enough, and the same criticism applies to some of the songs. A tableau was arranged as a finale to the first part, with the God dess of Liberty and the Army and Navy group. The group was very good in itself. Charles P. Gibbons looked well as " Goddess of Liberty," and H. E. Collyer as an American seaman, while Joseph M. Kenney made a very fair representative for the army. Ryan's clog-dancing astonished the Brazilians, and many after wards expressed their wonder how he could keep his feet going so constantly. He certainly did admirably, especially in the first dance, agreeably surprising every one who had supposed McCann indispensable to the troupe. The school-boy's recitation of " Bingen on the Rhine" was one of the very best imitations, and McCabe's real talent flashed upon the audience like a new discovery, which obliged him to give two other imitations, when he still further astonished the audience by his imitation of the school-girl's poetical recitation, the tone of voice, manner, and every detail, except his personal appearance, being a perfect representation of the smart girl at school. Howourth, as " Sarah Walker," was exceedingly good. He looked so much like a little tottering old woman that he was not recognized by any except those in the secret. He thoroughly identified himself with the character, and was vociferously encored. THE CRUISE OF THE BROOKLYN. 71 The sketch of the " Two Subjects" was excellent. McCabe, Allen, and Looby formed a trio which would do credit to the pro fession, the love scenes between Biddy and her two lovers being very entertaining. The appreciation of the audience was so mani fest that the trio fairly revelled in their parts, and the dialogue was interspersed with witticisms which no end of rehearsals could effect. Morton, as " Grandfather Ben," and with Howourth in the duet, was above criticism. He would form a troupe in himself, and he kept up the enthusiasm of the audience until the last piece, " Uncle Eph's Dream." This last piece was not so favor ably received as the others. The other parts of the programme were so extraordinarily good that this sketch is the only one on which the critic could rest, while the character of the sketch itself was not understood by the audience generally. The curtain fell on the last scene at 9.45 P.M., when the guests were conducted down into the wardroom for refreshments. The stage and its appurtenances were dismantled in about five minutes. Both sides of the quarter-deck were cleared, and the officers gave a hop as a sequel to the minstrels. This proved very pleasant, and our guests went home apparently delighted with their evening on board the " Brooklyn." We were favored with a bright moon light night, and everything passed off pleasantly for all. 72 THE CRUISE OF THE BROOKLYN. CHAPTER VI. The Admiral's Ball — The Reception of the Princess Imperial and Comte d'Eu — The Special Performance by the Celebrated "Brooklyn" Minstrels — Subse quent Arrival of the Emperor Dom Pedro II. — The Fazenda Santa Anna — Description of a Brazilian Coffee Plantation — Detachment of Officers — De parture from Rio — The Inspection of the Ship by Admiral Crosby — The Arrival of the " Galena" — The Cruise of the " Marion" and her Departure for Home. THE ADMIRAL'S BALL. The Emperor Dom Pedro II., the princess imperial with her husband, Comte d'Eu, and the aristocratic society of Rio, were magnificently entertained by Rear-Admiral and Mrs. Pierce Crosby on board this ship on the 26th' of August. This enter tainment afforded the admiral an opportunity to show his appreci ation of the kind hospitality shown him and our officers by the good people of Rio, while the whole character of the reception expressed better than words can convey the sympathy and cor diality existing between the United States and Brazil. The admiral personally invited the emperor to visit the " Brooklyn" whenever it might suit his majesty's pleasure, which he accepted by a letter stating that he and their imperial high nesses would visit the ship on Saturday, August 26, and that he would come between ten and eleven p.m., while their highnesses would come at an earlier hour. On a subsequent visit of the admiral to the princess the latter expressed a wish to see the "Brooklyn" Minstrels, the success of which had reached her ears. The admiral invited Captain Weaver and the officers of the ship to assist him and Mrs. Crosby in the entertainment of the distin guished guests, and by their united efforts under his direction the THE CRUISE OF THE BROOKLYN. 73 whole affair was eminently successful and was the event of the season in Rio. The ship was beautifully decorated, and presented an appear ance never to be forgotten by those who attended. The stage oc cupied the same place as in the last minstrels, and was appropri ately decorated with the Brazilian and American flags entwined over the top and gracefully falling in folds on both sides of the drop-curtain. The awnings were carried aloft about eight feet and were lined with national flags, disposed so that the Brazilian and American flags should be in juxtaposition with those of the other nations represented, notably the English, French, Italian, and Argentine, though from the manner in which these and all national flags were displayed, none had any undue prominence over the other, except that the Brazilian flag was most conspicuously placed with our own. The guns were all transported forward off the quarter-deck, which was waxed and illuminated with Chinese lanterns, chande liers, and candelabra arranged on stands, etc. One immense chan delier, designed by the chief engineer, was hung from below the centre of the quarter-deck awning. It carried about one hundred candles, and was so artistically decorated with bunting as to elicit general admiration. The poop-ladders were removed, and two broad staircases with an easy incline were substituted in their place. These were made on board ship, and were so tastefully decorated with bunting, canvas, narrow long pennants, and com bined with pots of tropical plants on the sides, that they looked very imposing. The poop was decorated in the same style, while the hatches and skylights were there built up with candelabra ar ranged around them so as to shed a beautiful light around and through the leaves of a great number of tropical plants. The sides were closed in with canvas curtains decorated with flags, and completed a magnificent scene ; when the distinguished guests arrived, representing the beauty and wealth of the metropolis of South America. 74 THE CRUISE OF THE BROOKLYN. Three steam-barges, kindly loaned by Messrs. Taves, Lage, and Mackie, were used to convey the guests to the ship. Chaplain Royce and Midshipman Snowden received the guests as they arrived at the landing and assigned them to the boats, all being invited so that they would be on board before the imperial party, in compliance with court etiquette. The night was dark, but the " Brooklyn" and the course of the boats between the ship and landing were beautifully illuminated by two revolving electric lights of twelve thousand candle-power each, run by a Siemens dynamo-electric machine on board the Brazilian monitor " Soli- moes." This illumination was continued all night, and clearly out lined the ship and her rigging. The guests were received by a committee of officers, consisting of Captain Weaver, Paymaster Goldsborough, Lieutenants Sebree, Calhoun, and Hunker, and Midshipman Ripley, who conducted them to the cloak-room, and afterwards escorted them to the poop- deck, where they were received by the Admiral and Mrs. Crosby, assisted by the United States Minister Osborne and wife and Mrs. Ricketts, the wife of the British consul-general. Admiral Baron Grivel, commanding the French naval forces, was received at the gangway by Admiral Crosby, and the commanding officers of the Brazilian, English, French, Italian, and Argentine men-of-war by Captain Weaver in accordance with the usual naval etiquette. The guests remained on the poop until after the arrival of the princess, who came at 9.15 in the imperial barge, pulling twenty- four oars, from the navy-yard, a stream of electric light constantly illuminating her course. When the barge hove in sight the bugle sounded the assembly, the marine guard formed in line on the port side of the quarter-deck and stood at attention. The officers of this ship and the Brazilian officers formed line on the starboard side of the deck, while Mrs. Crosby, Mrs. Osborne, Mrs. Ricketts, the Countess Estrela, and Baroness Tosti (the two latter being the most intimate friends of the princess) stood aft on the quarter deck to receive the distinguished party. THE CRUISE OF THE BROOKLYN. 75 Admiral Crosby, Baron Grivel, Captain Weaver, and Lieu tenant Marix received the imperial party at the gangway and con ducted them to the cabin, while the band played the Brazilian national air. The princess took Admiral Crosby's arm and bowed to the officers as she passed along. After being received by the ladies the party went into the admiral's cabin, reserved as a dressing-room for their use. In the mean time about two hundred chairs were, as if by magic, ranged on the quarter-deck in front of the stage, and the guests came down from the poop and were seated to see the min strel performance. The imperial party occupied the seats on the poop with the members of the cabinet, diplomatic corps, and their families, and Admiral and Mrs. Crosby. As soon as the princess was seated the curtain rose and disclosed the minstrel troupe in their places on the stage. The stage and general appearance of the company was similar to that of the previous entertainment, though the end-men were changed, James Murphy taking Mc Cabe's place as Bones, and William Jarrard acted as Tambo instead of Allen. The following programme was carried out, and served very well to give an idea of what the first regular minstrel per formance was : PART I. Overture Instrumental Dinah's Serenade A. B. Morton Hiyah Cumshaw J. Murphy Golden Slippers William Jarrard PART II. School-boy's Composition J. McCabe Awfully Clevah A. B. Morton Irish Pat J. Looby St. Patrick's Day Parade Company The company, however, did not do nearly so well as before. Some of their best songs had to be omitted because they were only allowed about twenty-five minutes to act, in order that the 76 THE CRUISE OF THE BROOKLYN. stage might be removed before the arrival of his majesty the em peror. About half of the crew came aft to see the show and stood up on the quarter-deck ; but their respect for the imperial party detracted so much from the interest in the exhibition, that the per formance, though very good, lacked spirit, and the guests failed to see the enthusiasm of Jack, which was one of the best features of the first entertainment. The guests quietly left their seats on the quarter-deck, as if from force of habit at the end of a theatrical exhibition, and re paired to the poop, while the crew cleared away the chairs and proceeded to dismantle the stage, which, when down, left a magnifi cent ball-room instead of a theatre. In the mean time the bugle announced the emperor, the officers ranged in line as before, while the marines stood on the port side of the deck at attention. The appearance of the guard in full-dress coats, white trousers, and white helmets, under the command of Captain Fagan, attracted general admiration and reflected great credit on the ship. His majesty, accompanied by Count d'Igassue, the first cham berlain, and a staff of distinguished officers, arrived in the imperial barge at 10.15 p.m., and was received by Rear-Admiral Crosby and Admiral Baron Grivel, whom Admiral Crosby had specially invited to assist him in receiving his majesty, and conducted aft through the line of officers as at the previous reception of his daughter. The emperor went directly aft to where the princess and Comte d'Eu were seated, both of whom rose and kissed his hand, after which a number of the distinguished guests came forward and paid their respects. During this time the band of the French flag-ship played a march, and then alternated with our band during the rest of the evening. The ball then opened with a quadrille, at the head being the princess with Admiral Crosby for her partner, and Councillor Doria with Mrs. Osborne as vis-a-vis, then Comte d'Eu and Mrs. Crosby, with the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Countess Macedon as their vis-a-vis. The dancing then became general, THE CRUISE OF THE BROOKLYN. 77 and the handsome toilets of the distinguished guests made a scene of surpassing beauty. Refreshments were served in the wardroom from this time on, the novel features being a delicious punch prepared by Dr. Bur bank and a large variety of American cakes, which, strange to say, are not to be had in Rio. Ices and the usual variety of substan tial also abounded, prepared under the auspices of Lieutenant Beehler. The emperor and their imperial highnesses made themselves at home, and seemed to have enjoyed the entertainment very much. At 1.30 a.m. they went into the admiral's cabin, where a special collation had been prepared for them, the following being also present at this repast : Governor and Mrs. Osborne, Count d'Igas sue, the chamberlain and lady-in-waiting of the princess, the Prime Minister and Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Marine, and Interior, Admiral Baron Grivel, Admiral and Mrs. Crosby. The dancing was kept up with great spirit during the entire night, though the guests began to leave shortly after the emperor went into the cabin. The imperial party left the ship at 2.45 a.m., the officers form ing line and the guard at attention as upon their arrival. As soon as the barge left we fired a salute of twenty-one rockets, and kept the ship illuminated with signals and blue-lights until she was well on her way home, while the electric light in charge of Captain Alencar lit up her course as before. The rest of the guests de parted in the course of an hour, all delighted with the elegant and novel entertainment. The following is a list of some of the principal guests not pre viously mentioned : Ex- President Avellaneda of the Argentine Republic, Duke del Drago, grand-nephew of the emperor, the ministers of France, Russia, Italy, Argentine Republic, Uruguay, and Sweden, with their families, Councillors and Madames de Pintos and Dantos, Senator Octaviano, Viscount and Viscountess Barbacena, Baron and Baroness de Mello, Admiral de la Marc 6 78 THE CRUISE OF THE BROOKLYN. and wife, Admiral Silvera de Motta and wife, Viscount and Vis countess de Garcia, Messrs. Hancox, Levison Gower, and F. Sauwen, with their wives, Baron and Baroness de Rio Bonito, and Count Florc-sta, besides many others of the most distinguished and aristocratic families of Rio. Every one on board the " Brooklyn" fully appreciated the great honor which his majesty and their imperial highnesses conferred by their visit to the " Brooklyn," a compliment not only to our ship and the naval service, but to the whole country. About daylight next morning the admiral's orderly, Edward Hurley, found a magnificent brooch containing about forty dia monds set in with rubies, which he immediately reported to the officer of the deck. Subsequently the brooch was found to be the property of one of the guests, who sent Hurley a handsome re ward of money in a polite note through the Countess Estrela. THE FAZENDA SANTA ANNA. On August 1 0 Rear-Admiral and Mrs. Crosby, accompanied by Mr. Jarbas Octaviano, Lieutenants Marix and Hunker, and Dr. Steele, left Rio to accept an invitation from the Baron de Rio Bonito to visit his coffee plantation. A ride of about seventy miles on the Dom Pedro II. Railroad through the most beautiful mountain scenery brought the party to Barra do Pirahy, and a half-hour's drive by carriage lauded them safely at the baron's residence on the plantation. It was with peculiar satisfaction they found themselves in cars built in the United States, drawn by locomotives from Philadelphia, and the whole under control of an air-brake manufactured in Pennsylvania. During their absence they were afforded every opportunity to see coffee in all its stages from the tree to the cup, and have been good enough to furnish us with the following : Coffee takes its name from a district in Ethiopia, Africa, called Kaffa, where the tree grows wild. The coffee-plant is an ever green and the foliage is always fresh. The harvests are two annu- THE CRUISE OF THE BROOKLYN. 79 ally. It requires warm situations, and does not thrive where the temperature is below fifty-five degrees, or at elevations of more than six thousand feet above the level of the sea. The principal coffee-producing countries are Brazil, Java, Ceylon, Sumatra, India, Arabia, the West Indies, Venezuela, and some of the Pacific islands. Of all produced Brazil furnishes more than half, the larger part of this being sent to the United States. The fazenda or plantation visited by the party is called Santa Anna, and is very large, covering an area of twelve square miles. It was found necessary to facilitate the work to connect the head quarters where the negro slaves reside by telephone line six miles in length. It was over this line the party heard distinctly a negro orchestra. This fazenda is said to be one of the most complete in Brazil, being furnished with the most approved machinery, of which there is considerable, — blacksmith- and carpenter-shops, a good hospital, with medical attendance for the four hundred slaves who reside there, a fine orchard and garden, and many substantial and well-kept buildings. In addition to the culture of coffee a great deal of labor is expended in raising sugar-cane, corn, beans, rice, mandioca, oranges, bananas, and vegetables. Everything raised, excepting coffee, is for consumption on the plantation. A generous mountain stream furnishes the power, through a huge overshot-wheel, which runs the machinery for grinding corn and mandioca, pressing the juice from the cane, etc. ; excellent sugar and rum are also made. The coffee-trees on this fazenda number one million four hun dred thousand, are planted on the hill-side, as it is essential when they thrive that the soil does not retain water. The trees are kept from five to eight feet in height, both for convenience in gathering and to increase their productiveness. The trunk is cov ered with a grayish bark, and its white blossoms grow in clusters around the branches. It is propagated by planting the seeds in nurseries, and, after a year, transplanting on the plantation in rows, when they present somewhat the appearance of a vineyard 80 THE CRUISE OF THE BROOKLYN. in their regularity. The full producing power is not reached until the fifth year, and they frequently reach thirty years of age, when generally the soil will be found to be exhausted. Between the rows of trees are planted orange-trees, Indian corn, and mandioca without any effort at regularity ; the fruit of the former and the corn-meal are highly prized by the negroes. The coffee when ripe is a deep red and resembles a cherry, though a trifle smaller. Each berry contains two seeds, arranged with the flat sides opposed ; the fleshy part that surrounds the seeds and separates them is sweet and quite palatable. The seeds are separated by a thin layer of the fleshy substance, and both are closely enveloped by a tough membrane. In speaking of the seeds the ordinary bean is meant that comes in the coffee-bag ready to roast. The berries being picked are carried to a trough of run ning water, into which they are thrown and carried along some distance with the stream to a drying-bed. The next step is to dry the berries in the sun by spreading them upon large concrete beds, about two hundred by three hundred feet, raised between two and three feet from the ground, with a slightly-inclined sur face to drain them in case of rain. The berries upon these beds will be several inches deep, and during the day, while the sun is pouring down upon them, the slaves run through them with large wooden hoes, so as to expose new surfaces and insure their being thoroughly dried. This drying process turns the berries black, the flesh part becomes hard and forms a shell or hull, which is removed by machinery. This accomplished the seeds become separated, and each with its tough membrane is again exposed to the sun for many days, until the membrane becomes brittle and is readily removed by machinery. During this second drying the coffee is not allowed to be exposed to any moisture, and to protect it from the dew and rain, should there be any, nightly, it is hoed into numerous heaps on the drying-beds where it was exposed during the day, and covered with tarpaulins. The seeds with the membrane removed are ready to be win- THE CRUISE OF THE BROOKLYN. 81 nowed, which not only removes the chaff, but the rapid motion imparted by the sieves rubs the seeds against each other, develops the oil and polishes them. The quantity of oil in coffee is made very apparent whenever the seeds are handled ; the boards of the bin and flooring become dark and highly polished, making walk ing difficult. The last process it undergoes before it is ready for the market is sorting. This is done exclusively by women, and requires that every seed be handled. Color and form are both consulted. The small round seeds that pass for Mocha generally grow at the tops of the trees. It might not be out of place to add here that what is known as " unwashed" coffee, and considered of inferior quality in Brazil, is the only kind that is marketable in the United States. If the coffee is intended for the European market it is generally deposited from the troughs of running water into a large semi- cylindrical masonry cistern, through which runs a horizontal axis with spokes at intervals ; the beans, if ripe, upon being struck by these spokes break, and the seeds are detached from the fleshy part ; the whole mass is then spread on the drying-bed, and the method of curing is essentially the same as for other coffee. Coffee treated in this way is known as " washed coffee." The last night at the fazenda the four hundred slaves were drawn up in line at eight p.m. and each given a gill of rum for some extra labor they had performed. At a command of the overseer, when all had received their liquor, they shouted " God bless us !" and were dismissed, the time until 10.30 being their own. This interval they employed in amusing the guests with songs and dances ; the words, a mixture of Portuguese and some African dia lect; the music, their voices, accompanied by rude drums and a large tin filled with beans, resembling a child's rattle. At 10.30 the bell used to arouse them, to call them to work, etc., was rung, when they retired to their sleeping quarters, and after a brief prayer, in which they all participated, were locked in for the night. These four hundred slaves and their one hundred children are under a 82 THE CRUISE OF THE BROOKLYN. rigid surveillance, and the work is regulated as by machinery. In order to prevent the mingling of the slaves from the two head quarters, the day for recreation of one will be Sunday, the other Thursday. The following morning the party left the fazenda with a great deal of regret, having enjoyed their visit exceedingly, both on ac count of its novelty and instructiveness and the unremitting atten tion and thoughtfulness of their generous host, Dr. Federico Darrigue Faro. On the evening of the 16th they returned to Rio, having also visited San Paulo, some three hundred miles distant from Rio by railway. After the admiral's ball on the 26th of August preparations were made for a short trip at sea for target-practice and evolutions to ascertain the tactical diameter. The admiral gave orders to go to sea on the 29th, but it was stormy, and Captain Weaver post poned the departure until the next day, when we got under way and steamed out to about six miles beyond Raza Island. The admiral and Lieutenant Marix remained on shore. Lieutenant Sebree, assisted by Midshipmen Hood and Cahoon, conducted the experiments to ascertain the space in which the ship would turn under different rates of steaming and amount of helm. In the afternoon we beat to general quarters and fired at a regu lation target at from one hundred to eighteen hundred yards. Six rounds were fired from each of the broadside and pivot guns. There was considerable sea on at the time, and the ship rolled about fifteen degrees each way. The practice was only tolerable, one or two shots being unqualifiedly bad, but everything in connec tion with the battery was found in good serviceable condition. The marines did some very good practice at small-arms, completely rid dling a box hung from the foreyard arm. The gun divisions followed the marines at similar targets after the great-gun practice was over. The practice did not give any results worth mentioning, but served to familiarize the crew with the Hotchkiss magazine-rifle, new model. THE CRUISE OF THE BROOKLYN. 83 During the night the ship lay off and on, and the next morn ing the experiments for ascertaining the tactical diameter were repeated. The results obtained show that the ship can turn in about three times her length at full speed with the helm hard over. This distance was obtained by observing the angular dis tances of a buoy by two observers at the extremities of a base line measured off on board ship from points on the poop to the topgallant forecastle. The patent log was used as a check on the work, and also indicated the amount of head-reach before the ship commenced to turn after the helm was put over. We com pleted the work assigned to us about ten a.m., and returned to our former anchorage off Rio. Lieutenant-Commander Anthony was ordered home on the 25th of August, he having been condemned by a medical survey. He had been ailing for some time, though his departure was a great surprise to all. We regretted his leaving exceedingly. He left a great many friends behind on board this ship, who would have been glad to been able to have expressed their love and friendship for him by a farewell dinner. The wardroom officers, however, sent him an elegant coin-silver cup for his son, born since we arrived on the station. The cup is engraved, " To young Mark Anthony, from the W. R. officers of the U. S. S. Brooklyn." Among the ship's company Mr. Anthony was well liked and esteemed. Lieutenant-Commander C. H. Pendleton was relieved by Lieu tenant-Commander G. E. Wingate on Friday, September 1. Lieutenant Sebree was detached on the 5th inst., with per mission to return to his home at his own expense. He recently received the sad news of the death of his father, which required his presence at home. He was the general favorite of the ship, and his departure was a great loss to the wardroom officers. The latter gave him a farewell dinner, at which were present our min ister, Ex- Governor Osborne and wife, Mr. C. P. Mackie, and the Misses Lane. The Misses Lane were left here last July by 84 THE CRUISE OF THE BROOKLYN. American steamer " San Jose," which put into Rio on her voyage from New York to Panama on account of the serious illness of one of the young ladies. Fortunately, she recovered, and during their detention in Rio the young ladies were entertained several times by the wardroom officers, and consequently became very well acquainted with them. They left for New York in the steamer " Copernicus," and Lieutenant U. Sebree congratulated himself in having them as passengers in the same steamer. Lieu tenant Beehler thus became navigator in the place of Lieutenant Sebree. We got under way at six p.m. on Saturday, September 9, but in heaving up the port anchor it was found to be so foul that we were delayed until long after dark before we could shape our course outside the harbor. While the forecastlemen were busy clearing the anchor, the ship was kept underway steaming around the harbor and describing all sorts of tactical and other diameters. The good old ship handled beautifully under these circumstances, and had it been daylight her manoeuvres would have been greatly admired by those who might have witnessed them, while as it was, the manner in which the ship answered her helm and steamed around among the shipping in that dark night served to inspire those in charge with every confidence in her steering qualities. We experienced good weather all of the next day, with a mod erate long swell from the southeast. At ten a.m. we made all plain sail and set the port studding-sails at eleven. At one p.m. we stopped steaming, and then continued under sail until 10.30 P.M., Monday, when the wind failed and we coupled the propeller and started ahead under steam alone. We experienced good weather although generally cloudy, and continued under steam and sail whenever the latter would draw to advantage, without any unusual incident. On the 13th, while we were going 7.5 knots under all plain sail and two-thirds steam-power, we found that by stopping the engines the speed was reduced to 2.5 knots, clearly showing the THE CRUISE OF THE BROOKLYN. 85 wisdom in using steam, since it would have taken us about three times as long to have made the trip had we relied upon sail alone, and, as events subsequently proved, we would have been exposed to one of the most violent storms of the season had we not have arrived at our anchorage as soon as we did. At three o'clock, Friday morning, September 15, we sighted Po- lonia light, and steamed up the Plate River with fair wind and smooth sea. At eleven A.M. the order was given to clear ship for action, and tbe afternoon was devoted to tbe regular inspection of the ship at quarters. After the inspection of the crew and ship at quarters, which was very thorough and complete, the engines were stopped, and " all boats armed and equipped" were called away, and inspected by the admiral to see if all their armament and equipments were complete. The inspection thus delayed our reaching the anchorage at Montevideo until after dark, but the sea being smooth and weather propitious we had no difficulty in steaming up to the outer an chorage, where we arrived at 8.30 p.m. Signals were exchanged with the " Marion" as we came in, — Very's night signals being used, which were plainly read by both vessels. The next morning the usual salutes were fired, and official visits received from the foreign men-of-war in the harbor. At 10.46 we got under way again, and steamed about six miles down the river in order to repeat the experiment for ascertaining the tactical diameter. These experiments were made under rather more favorable conditions and gave very satisfactory results. Upon completing these we returned to the city and anchored well in the harbor, very near the " Marion," which had been anxiously waiting for us for some time. During the next week we began to " enjoy" pamperos on a small scale ; the sea was very rough almost every day, so much so as to make it exceedingly unpleasant for boats. General liberty for forty-eight hours was given to the crew in quarter watches at a time until all had had that privilege. 86 THE CRUISE OF THE BROOKLYN. A naval general court-martial was convened on board the " Marion" by order of Admiral Crosby, and disposed of all the cases brought before it during that week. The " Galena" arrived at Montevideo on the 28th of September, twelve days from Rio de Janeiro, having experienced a very stormy passage. The " Galena" took the " Marion's" place on this station. Admiral Crosby and staff inspected the " Galena" on Thursday, October 4, after which Lieutenants C. A. Allibone and J. F. Moser and Ensign V. S. Nelson were detached from that ship and ordered to the " Brooklyn." Lieutenant Allibone was detailed as flag lieu tenant, while Lieutenant Moser relieved Lieutenant Beehler as navigator. On Monday, October 9, the wardroom officers gave an informal reception to a few friends in Montevideo. There were no elabo rate decorations, though the few flags on the quarter-deck and flowers in the wardroom had a very pleasing effect. The afternoon was exceedingly pleasant. Mrs. Crosby, who arrived there a week after we did, kindly received for the officers and contributed much to the success of the occasion. There were about fifty guests in all. The band played very well, and the dancing was kept up with good spirit. Some of the ladies present were great beauties. Indeed, Montevideo can boast of more beautiful women than any other place outside of the United States, and we must confess we know of very few cities that contain as many in proportion. THE CRUISE OF THE "MARION." The arrival of the " Galena" was hailed with great delight by the officers and crew of the " Marion," who had been anxiously waiting for orders home. It was generally understood that the " Marion" would only make a short cruise when she first arrived on this station, and every new delay only served to disappoint the more, until all hands on board began to feel themselves very much grieved. The " Marion's" cruise was not a very enviable one ; on the way here for the first time she stopped at Rio during a most THE CRUISE OF THE BROOKLYN. 87 unhealthy season and contracted an epidemic of yellow fever, by which she lost two of her officers, who were buried on Flores Island. A long quarantine at Flores Island followed this siege, after which she was sent to the Straits and Falkland Islands, so as not to be exposed to a warm climate. The next spring, after wintering here and at Buenos Ayres, the " Marion" was sent out to search for the bark " Trinity" at Heard Island, but her success there and the valuable assistance rendered to the stranded ship " Poonah" at Cape of Good Hope have been fully described, and need not be repeated. She returned to Montevideo last May, and remained until she finally sailed for home at eight a.m., Saturday, September 30. It would be difficult to depict the happiness of the " Marion's" people in their final departure. When she got under way her crew manned the rigging, some of them even got up on the trucks, and cheered lustily, while they threw their caps overboard in their wild delight to cap the climax of their homeward cry. The " Marion" left the station with the good will and best wishes of all who have had the good fortune to meet with her people. The admiral in spected her just previous to her departure, and this inspection only added fresh laurels to those she had gained in her South Atlantic cruise. 88 THE CRUISE OF THE BROOKLYN. CHAPTER VII. The Transit of Venus Expedition — Arrival of the Astronomical Party — De parture and Passage to Patagonia — Arrival at Santa Cruz — Building the Observatory at Camp Brooklyn — Preparations for observing the Transit — Diversions of the Ship's Company while waiting for the Day of the Transit — The Object of observing the Transit of Venus — The Photographic Method used by American Observers and the Great SuccesB obtained— The Second Trip to Santa Cruz — Rating Chronometers — Return to Montevideo — Ad miral Crosby relieved from the Command and transferred to the Asiatic Sta tion — Poem by William Anderson, Seaman, upon the Transit of Venus. The admiral transferred his flag to the " Galena" on the 19th of October, it being hauled down from our mizzen at eight a.m., as it was broken on the " Galena." Lieutenants C. 0. Allibone and A. Marix, Midshipmen Snowden and Ripley, Fleet Pay- Clerk B. W. Goldsborough, the coxswain and four bargemen, the printer with the press, the band, and our saluting battery of two breech- loading howitzers with saluting powder were transferred at the same time, while we received a twelve-oared cutter in exchange for the admiral's barge. The steamer " Gallicia" with the Transit of Venus party on board arrived that night, and Lieutenant S. W. Very reported on board early the next morning. The rest of the party came in the afternoon with an immense lighter-load of stores for the Pata- gonian observatory. A temporary hurricane-deck was built in the waist on both sides of the smoke-stack, upon which the boxed frame building and the lumber were stowed, the telescope and deli cate instruments being carefully packed below. Lieutenant Very immediately commenced taking the necessary observations for rating his chronometers, which were secured to the floor in the admiral's state-room. Mr. Very occupied this room and messed THE CRUISE OF THE BROOKLYN. 89 with Captain Weaver. Mr. 0. B. Wheeler, the senior assistant astronomer, occupied the room fitted for Lieutenant Marix in the admiral's office ; Mr. William Bell, chief photographer, occupied Lieutenant Allibone's room in the wardroom ; while Mr. Irwin Stanley, assistant photographer, was obliged to sleep in a cot, all three of them being assigned to the wardroom mess. We coaled ship on the 3d and 4th of October, when we had two hundred and sixty-six tons on hand, but as none can be ob tained at Santa Cruz we had to fill up again and take eighty tons additional on the spar-deck, which was received on board in bags and stowed on both sides between the broadside guns, with narrow gangways amidships. A lighter-load of brick, several barrels of cement, and an additional lot of lumber were also received on board, so that the decks gave the ship the appearance of a freight- boat doing a thrifty business. The messes laid in large supplies of fresh provisions and vegetables, because nothing of the kind could be obtained at Santa Cruz. Fires were started early on the morning of the 26th of Octo ber, and at 8.57 a.m. we got under way and steamed out of the harbor, making the usual signals to the flag-ship as we left. In heaving up our anchor the steam capstan was used as heretofore, and as usual gave the greatest satisfaction ; indeed, we should find it a very different matter in getting under way if " all hands" manned the bars as in the " old navy" ; the thick mud at Monte video and in the river Santa Cruz makes heaving in a large scope of chain a very arduous task, and we were fortunate in having such a powerful and reliable apparatus to do the work. As we steamed out the French flag-ship " Pallas" dipped her admiral's flag and signalled " a pleasant voyage," to which we signalled " thanks" and dipped the pennant. Very little of mo ment occurred during the trip ; we experienced delightful weather, with bright moonlight nights all the way, the only real unpleasant feature being the dirt from the coal on deck, which was not con sumed until the day before we arrived off Santa Cruz. 90 THE CRUISE OF THE BROOKLYN. The Transit of Venus party seemed to have enjoyed their sojourn on the " Brooklyn" very much ; they were astonished to find a ship so comfortable at sea, especially in these latitudes. Mr. Bell amused himself in photographing the ship and groups of officers and men, Mr. Stanley caught and stuffed a number of Cape pigeons, sea-gulls, etc., while Mr. Wheeler revelled in loga rithms, parallaxes, and other astronomical luxuries. We arrived off Santa Cruz early in the morning of the 2d of November, and anchored in order to examine the bar at low-water. The only chart of the port is from an English survey in 1834, since when a great many changes have taken place in the extent and localities of the shoals formed by the alluvial deposits of the river. The tide ebbs and flows at from three to six knots per hour, giving a rise and fall of from thirty to forty feet. This enabled us to accurately locate all the dangers in the navigation, and at noon we got under way and crossed the bar at high-tide; at three P.m. we temporarily anchored in the river off Entrance Point, after which Lieutenant Very went up along the right bank of the river to select the permanent anchorage and site for the observatory. The next morning we steamed up to the new berth and anchored off Keel Point, about fifteen hundred feet from the high-water mark on shore, just under the lee of a high bluff north of the point. This berth was as close to the site selected as was possible, the latter being in the centre of a small valley of about fifty acres, open to the river and surrounded by three ranges of hills on the other sides. We commenced to land the stores and camp equipments imme diately after anchoring. This proved very hard work, as some of the packages were large and unwieldy and had to be handled care fully in landing on the beach, after which all were carried by hand a distance of about five hundred yards, where the buildings were erected. The Transit of Venus party left the ship the same day, and from that time lived at the camp constantly, accompanied by a guard of four marines, consisting of Corporal Powers and Privates THE CRUISE OF THE BROOKLYN. 91 Hurley, Brown, and Murphy. Large working-parties were sent ashore daily for the first two weeks, while the carpenter's gang lived on shore, and, with John Caspar as mason, erected all the buildings and piers under Mr. Very's direction. The Transit of Venus party had their own mess-stores, but the rations of the men had to be sent to them from the ship, and the camp was con stantly supplied with water from our own tanks, which necessitated a great deal of labor. The country in this vicinity is absolutely a barren desert, there being no trees and very little tough shrubbery. Guanacos, ostriches, geese, jacksnipe, and an occasional fox were sought for by our sportsmen, who secured a number of the geese and snipe, but were not generally successful hunting guanaco, though Mr. Smith killed two just before we sailed. The natives hunt them on horseback with " bolas," which are round stones or pieces of lead on the end of three thongs, six or eight feet long, united at a common centre, and thrown to entangle the legs. Considerable skill is required to handle the " bolas," and dogs are indispensable, a species of Scotch greyhound being used by the natives, as both the guanacos and ostriches are very fleet. Captain Weaver took a party of officers in the steam-launch to Weddell's Bluff, nine miles up the river, where they had an oppor tunity of seeing the French observatory, which was located there six weeks before our arrival. They found but two habitations in that part of the river, one at a ranch five miles from our anchor age and the other at the bluff. The former lies in a valley near a small creek, and its owner has a number of horses and dogs, which were hired from time to time by our hunters. He also kept the messes supplied with guanaco-meat at three cents a pound. This was once served out to the crew. The men, however, as a rule, did not relish it, chiefly because they had no means of preparing it properly, but the officers thought it very good. The guanaco may be generally described as having the head of a camel, the body of a deer, the wool of a sheep, and the neigh of a horse. 92 THE CRUISE OF THE BROOKLYN. The wool is of a reddish brown, intermixed with white in certain parts of the body. They live in immense herds all over Pata gonia ; they are shy and very vigilant, and when irritated they eject the contents of their mouth, which is very disagreeable, upon their assailant. They belong to the camel family, and have extra water-cells in their stomachs, though they have no hump on the back. The guanaco is probably the wild variety of the domesticated Peruvian llama. They often came near the camp, and on one occasion a herd of six came down to the edge of the bluff opposite the anchorage and offered a good target with a rifle from our topgallant forecastle. A party of guanaco-hunters started out once after devoting a week to constructing stirrups, and came back very much sooner than they were expected. It appears that when they finally got within range of a herd one of their party dismounted to fire, but as he did this his horse shook off the contrivance substituted for a bridle and deliberately started for the ranch, while the guanacos kicked up their hind legs and started for Sandy Point like a lightning-express train. The ship's company had excellent sport in hauling the seine ; seining-parties left the ship once or twice a week, and almost always returned with several hundred pounds of fish, mostly an overgrown species of sea-mullet, with a few smelt. These fish were very nice, especially when served as a chowder. The seine was usually hauled at Sea Lion Island, which is resorted to by thousands of gulls and other variety of sea-birds. Several young penguins were captured there. The island is literally covered with birds' nests, and all kinds of curiously-shaped and spotted eggs were brought on board. This island is in the centre of the river, and was formed by the alluvial deposits ; skeletons of seals and sea-elephants were found, though none of the latter were seen alive while we were there. The " American Encyclopaedia" describes the sea-lion or sea- elephant as the largest of the seal species. They are about half THE CRUISE OF THE BROOKLYN. 93 the size of a Greenland whale, and much larger than the largest elephants. The hair is coarse, but the thick skin makes very fine harness. A single animal yields from fourteen to fifteen barrels of blubber, the oil from which is clear, has no bad odor or taste, and burns slowly and without smoke. The salted tongues are highly esteemed for food. They go as far north as the Plate River in winter, and they prefer sandy and desert beaches, espe cially near fresh water, so that Sea-Lion Island ought to be their favorite resort. The name of sea-elephant comes from a short snout, which they can elongate about one foot similar to an ele phant's trunk. They never attack man unless brutally treated, and indiscriminate slaughter has driven them from their former haunts. No pumas made their appearance near our camp, and but few of the ostriches were seen, though several young ones were captured and brought on board. Ostrich-eggs were often eaten in the different messes, though not by any means abundant. After the camp was duly pitched, the ship's company settled down to their routine drills and put the ship in a more efficient condition as a man-of-war. The battery was thoroughly over hauled and the ship renovated throughout. The high winds were exceedingly disagreeable, calms were quite exceptional, and the winds blew in gales almost all the time, with velocities ranging from thirty to sixty miles per hour. Wednesday, November 29, the Argentine gunboat " Uruguay" arrived from Montevideo with a large mail for us, giving us spe cial cause for celebrating Thanksgiving the next day, the last Thursday in November. This mail brought us news from home up to the latter part of September. The " Uruguay" was on spe cial duty to visit all the stations of parties observing the transit of Venus and to offer the services of the Argentine government. She visited the stations at Carmen and Chupat on the way, and after visiting the French observatory at Weddell's Bluff she went to Sandy Point, where there were four other observatories. Thanksgiving was specially celebrated by a performance by the 7 94 THE CRUISE OF THE BROOKLYN. " Brooklyn" minstrel troupe, which was quite a creditable affair considering the difficulties with which the troupe had to contend. The next day we had target-practice with great guns, one round being fired in broadside. The practice was very good. The quar terly target-practice with rifles took place the previous week at a range marked off along the beach under the bluff. The steamer " Uruguay" came down from up the river Satur day evening following and kindly took a mail for us to Sandy Point. The first half of the following week we enjoyed pleasant weather without any furious winds. This was taken advantage of by drills, all boats being called away armed and equipped for distant service on December 5. When the sun rose, at 3.45 A.M., on the morning of the 6th of December the sky was completely overcast, but fortunately for our party it cleared off about eight a.m., and remained perfectly clear all day. The party at the camp were successful in all the obser vations of the contacts, and secured two hundred and twenty-four photographs of the sun while Venus was crossing. All hands were interested in observing the sun. Spy-glasses were arranged with smoked object-glasses, and almost all the broken glass in the ship was smoked and used to see Venus on the sun. Among the curious means devised was that of a bottle with its bottom smoked. From looking through this the marines claimed extraordinary results. During the rest of our stay the weather was very inclement ; it blew in strong gales, and was generally cold and disagreeable. The first few days in December were the pleasantest we experi enced, while the day of the transit was the clearest day of all. Sunday, December 10, the ship got adrift from the anchorage. The port sheet-anchor promptly brought the ship up, and when the two bowers were weighed they were found to be badly foul of each other. Both anchors were cleared during the day. We had a great deal of trouble with the cable during the rest of that week, the new berth not being as good an anchorage as that selected. THE CRUISE OF THE BROOKLYN. 95 The boats had considerable difficulty in stemming the strong tides, and on one occasion the whale-boat was capsized at the gangway ; John Port narrowly escaped drowning, but was saved by a rope timely thrown to him from the poop. The Argentine steamer " Uruguay" returned from Sandy Point December 10, having sent our mail from there. The " Hartford" had arrived there from Montevideo, and was then waiting for coal to arrive from Falkland Islands. Tbe French gunboat " Volage" sailed December 12, not to return. The French party established the site of their observatory by lunar occultations previous to our arrival, but we had no such opportunity. The Transit of Venus party came on board at two A.M., Decem ber 16, when we got under way and steamed out of the harbor, using the north channel instead of the one laid down in the chart. The tents and instruments had been sent off as soon as the party were through with them, but the frame houses were all left stand ing. The pyramid built by our carpenter's mate, Henry Pharoah, and used for the equatorial house, stood out like an Egyptian monument to commemorate the success of our expedition. Our good fortune stood by us as usual, and we had delightful weather nearly all the return passage. We steamed nearly all the time, making sail whenever it would draw. When we arrived in the river Plate early Saturday morning, 23d instant, we experi enced a little disagreeable weather, with rain and wind and moder ately rough sea, but the good old ship went along beautifully, and arrived at the anchorage off Montevideo at sunset the same day. The storm cleared off just as we anchored, and the setting sun shone out from under the black clouds with beautiful effect. A magnificent rainbow arched the city, while the reflected sunlight from the windows and dome of the cathedral was almost as if a brilliant illumination to welcome us back again. We found the " Galena" at anchor, having just returned from target-practice. An immense mail was sent off by Mr. Evans, and all hands were absorbed in the news from home. Messrs. Bell and Stanley left 96 THE CRUISE OF THE BROOKLYN. the ship immediately after our arrival, and proceeded home by the next steamer. Messrs. Very and Wheeler remained, and went back with us to Santa Cruz about January 3. Christmas-day was hardly noticed on board ship, except in the messes, where the fresh provisions were heartily enjoyed, especially since we had been deprived of them so long. Lieutenant E. W. Watson reported on board for duty as navigator, relieving Lieu tenant Moser, who, with Ensign V. S. Nelson, went back to the " Galena." THE TRANSIT OF VENUS. The object of the observations of Venus crossing the sun's disc is to find the distance of the sun from the earth, which distance then serves as a base-line by which to measure-distances in the heavens. To understand the methods it will be necessary to recall some rudimentary principles : if we divide a semicircle by its radius we get a quotient of 3.1416. A semicircle contains one hundred and eighty degrees, which, when divided by 3.1416, will give 57.295. Now, if we have a ball one foot in diameter, and place it at such distance from us that its angular diameter by a sextant is one degree, we know that the ball is a little over fifty- seven and one-quarter feet from us. If the ball is moved until it measures one minute it will be sixty times farther off, or 34371 feet, and if moved to measure one second, 206,264f feet, or about thirty-nine miles. The sun's angular diameter measures on a sex tant thirty-two minutes, and if we divide the distance of a ball (one foot in diameter) when its angular diameter measures one minute, or 34371 feet, by 32, we get 107.4, which shows us that the distance of the sun is 107.4 times its actual diameter. But this gives no clue to the distance in miles, because we don't know the diameter of the sun in miles. The only way, then, to find this diameter is to find how many miles an angle of one minute measures at the sun's distance, and this is accomplished by observing the transit of a planet across the sun. The earth's diameter is known within two hundred feet, and if THE CRUISE OF THE BROOKLYN. 97 we know the earth's angular diameter its distance could be very readily found. Suppose, then, S to be a wall, V a ball, and that there are two observers at E and A with telescopes. E ': V ..•-:i" •<¦-.... S The observer at E looks toward V, and it appears to him to be at the lower point of S on the wall, while the other observer sees it at the upper end of S. The distance between the observers is known, and if the diagram represents the sun, Venus, and two points on the earth, the relative distance of Venus from the sun and earth can be used to find the actual value of the earth's an gular diameter at the sun, or the parallax of the sun. The rela tive distances of the planets from the sun have been known for two centuries, from which we find that the distance from Venus to the sun is 2.61 times greater than the distance from Venus to the earth when Venus is between the sun and the earth. The last transit occurred in 1874, from which the angular value of S was found to be 22.96 seconds of arc, which divided by 2.61 gives 8.8 seconds, the long-sought-for value of the sun's parallax. This brief account, however, does not include the refinements ne cessary to give anything like accuracy. The observers at E and A should be exactly at opposite points on the mean equatorial diameter of the earth, the motions of the earth and Venus should be allowed for, and a host of mathematical calculations made for refraction, heat, etc. Knowing the sun's parallax to be about 8.8 seconds, the distance of the sun is computed by dividing the mean equatorial radius of the earth, — 3962.72 miles by the sine of 8.8 seconds, which gives 92,882,917 miles as the distance of the sun from the earth. People naturally ask, where is the use of sending expeditions to 98 THE CRUISE OF THE BROOKLYN. observe the transit, when the sun's parallax is already known ? The answer is that the precise value is still uncertain ; it is not known within a tenth of a second exactly. The variations in the heat and refraction of the light cause this uncertainty, while a hundredth of a second makes a difference of over one hundred thousand miles in the computed distance of the sun. The usual method of observing the transit is to note the time when Venus appears to touch the edge of the sun, then to watch when it just appears wholly on the sun, and after that to wait about five hours until it appears on the other edge, and also as it ceases to be in contact. These four contacts constitute the observa tions by the equatorial telescope, but all the United States parties place their main dependence upon photographs of Venus as it crosses the sun's disc. In 1874 the photographic results obtained by the European parties were conflicting, so that they rely more on the observations of the contacts, but great refinement has been introduced into the photographic methods, and we believe our results will be the best. The United States Naval Observatory sent out eight different parties. One party each at Washington, Cedar Keys, Florida, San Antonio, Texas, Fort Thome, New Mexico, Cape of Good Hope, Santiago, Chili, New Zealand, and Patagonia. All these parties were equipped with exactly similar apparatus, and being scattered and so far apart, it is almost certain that many of the observers had clear weather and good observations. " Camp Brooklyn" was the only one which was not in telegraphic communi cation with the rest of the world, and therefore the observations to establish the exact site of the observatory had to be made with the greatest nicety. The camp consisted of a number of tents and houses arranged with regular order and surrounded by a ditch. The equatorial house occupied the southeast corner. It was shaped like a pyramid, and contained a large five-inch equatorial telescope with driving clock-work attachment. A small frame building con- CAMP BROOKLYN, AT SANTA CRUZ, PATAGONIA. (From a photograph by Mr. Wm. Bell, of Transit of Venus party.) Page 99. THE CRUISE OF THE BROOKLYN. 99 tained the transit instruments, which were used to determine the latitude and longitude of the observatory. This also contained a chronograph, which was in electric communication with the equa torial house, chronometer room, and the shutter of the photo graphic house. This chronograph marked the time of each and every observation, and also of each photograph. The chronometer house was ten yards west of the transit room. This house was, as its name implies, the building for the chronometers, and also for a pendulum ; this last, however, was not an essential part of the Transit of Venus observations, but for the Coast Survey service. P1 There were nine chronometers in use ; three of them were in electric connection as break-circuit chronometers. One being regu lated to keep sidereal time of Washington, one of Greenwich, and one of Greenwich mean time. Mr. Very had one chronometer which had no compensation, and which therefore showed all the effects of change in temperature. This served as a check upon the other chronometers, and exemplifies the nature of the exact accuracy required for these observations. The photo-heliograph apparatus was in the centre of the camp. Its piers were forty feet apart, and were in line with the pier in the transit house. The photographic house was the dark camera of the ordinary photographic apparatus. The lenses instead of being in a small tube were, in this case, in a tube forty feet long. This tube was covered with a roof, and connected the house with the pier of the heliostat. The heliostat is simply a mirror so arranged by clock-work as to throw an image of the sun directly in the tube. The tube was horizontal, and had a measuring rod with thermometers attached in order to show all effects of expansion by heat, so as to determine the exact distance of the mirror from the negative plate. The clock-work cannot be made to follow the sun's apparent motion at all times, so that one of the party had to attend and keep the image in the tube by means of small tangent screws. The mirror was not silvered, but was simply a highly-polished glass specially constructed for the purpose. 100 THE CRUISE OF THE BROOKLYN. The image of the sun was thus thrown into the tube very much like a small boy used to make the sun shine in the teacher's eyes at school by turning a bright piece of tin at different angles. This spot of light shines on the object-glass and through a plate with carefully-ruled lines; these lines cross at right angles and cause the photograph to be divided into a number of small squares, the centre square being marked with a cross. The negative plate was fitted into a holder on an iron pier firmly built on the ground. The bottom of the tube was provided with a slide, which moved in front of the plate and closed the bottom of the tube. The slide met an electric connection when pushed either way ; this con nected with the chronograph, and thus marked the exact instant each photograph was taken. This enabled them to take one picture in a minute and a half. The rest of the camp consisted of rows of tents, five tents being in a row in rear of the chronometer house, and used as sleeping quarters for the party and the guard of marines. One tent was used for a storehouse directly in rear of the photographic house, while the row in rear of the equatorial house was of four tents, used for dining-room and kitchen and tents for magnetic observations. Mr. Very kindly explained all the details of the observatory, many of which are omitted here for want of space. On the day of the transit Mr. 0. B. Wheeler had a three-and- a-half inch telescope on a tripod outside of the transit house with which he observed the contacts, while Mr. Very observed with the larger telescope in the equatorial house. Messrs. Very and Wheeler took their posts at the telescopes five minutes before the computed time of the first contact. This occurred at twenty-one minutes after nine a.m., December 6. The first contact is always more or less doubtful, since it is difficult to determine the exact instant when an almost invisible body touches an intensely bright one. The observers noted the time by their chronometers when they believed the sun and Venus to be in actual contact. They then waited twenty minutes, until 9.41, when Venus was entirely THE CRUISE OF THE BROOKLYN. 101 on the sun with its edge touching. At ten A.M. all four of the party went to the photo-heliographic apparatus, Mr. Wheeler being at the mirror to keep the sun in the tube. Mr. Very was at the shutter inside the dark photographic house with Messrs. Bell and Stanley, who handled the plates as the photographs of the sun were taken. The position of Venus on the sun was thus accurately photo graphed during the time it was wholly on the disc. These photo graphs of the sun are four and a half inches in diameter, on which Venus appears like a small ball a little over an eighth of an inch in diameter, and each picture is divided into sixty-four squares to facilitate the measurement of the distance traversed by Venus in transit. It is manifest that if each photograph is true, and if the exact instant of time be accurately recorded, the whole period of transit can be perfectly recorded. They took in all two hun dred and twenty-four pictures, and stopped just before Venus came to the other edge of the sun. Mr. Very and Mr. Wheeler re sumed their posts at the telescopes at 3.15 p.m., and observed the third contact with the edge of the sun at 3.19, and the last con tact at 3.39 p.m. Messrs. Very and Wheeler differ very slightly in the observed times of the contacts. Each observer has his personal error, the amount of which must be ascertained by experiments with an arti ficial transit at the Naval Observatory at Washington. This con sists in observing contacts of a black ball moved by machinery across a very bright screen. The observations to determine the latitude and longitude of the observatory were then continued until December 1 6, when the party returned on board the " Brook lyn" and took passage to Montevideo, where more observations were taken to definitely find the exact position of " Camp Brook lyn." After the second trip to " Camp Brooklyn" the party went to Washington to continue their computations upon the photographs. These were packed in three different packages, each of which had 102 THE CRUISE OF THE BROOKLYN. a full account of the observations. Each package was sent to Washington separately so that there should be less risk of losing all in case of accident. The transit of Venus occurs alternately in eight and about one hundred and twenty-two years. The next transit will be in 2004. The first observations of the transit in modern times were made in 1761, when England and France both sent observers abroad, among whom Le Gentil, a French astronomer, had a very unfortunate experience. He went to the East Indies in a French naval vessel, and finding the port he intended to go to in posses sion of the English, then at war with France, he sailed for another port, but was at sea the day of the transit. He then determined to wait for the next transit, in 1769, supporting himself there in business and making everything ready for his observations. At length the long-looked-for day arrived and he was all prepared to make the observations. The sun rose clear, but just before the time the transit began a sudden storm arose, the sky became cloudy, and before it cleared again the transit was over. It was two weeks before the unfortunate astronomer could hold a pen to write his disappointment to his friends at Paris. The commencement of the new year found us making prepara tions for the second trip to Santa Cruz. Stores were received in different departments, and the bunkers filled with coal, besides eighty-three tons in bags on deck between the guns. Lieutenant H. 0. Handy, who had been ill for several months, was recommended by a board of medical officers to remain in Montevideo, and was transferred to the British hospital for treat ment during our absence. Master A-..M. Knight was then tem porarily transferred from the " Galena" to take his, place and assist the three remaining watch officers. We started fires under four boilers at one p.MXJanuary 3, and got under way at 5.20 p.m. the same day, and started out under steam. In heaving up our port anchor a piece of a sheet of THE CRUISE OF THE BROOKLYN. 103 copper was found on the chain, evidently torn off from the ship's bottom. This was at first supposed to have been torn from some place near the water-line, but its locality could not be seen, even when the ship pitched considerably during a subsequent gale. We experienced good weather for the first five days of the passage, and we thought we would make an exceptionally good run, but head-winds, coupled with a moderate sea, reduced our speed considerably, though we continued on comfortably until one a.m. of January 10, when we got a regular sou'wester. The sea became very rough, and it blew so hard that we were obliged to stop the engines and lay to under close-reefed main-topsail, fore storm-staysail, and storm-mizzen, with which the ship behaved very nicely. Land was sighted early in the morning, but we needed no beacons to designate our whereabouts. The furious wind was an old Santa Cruz acquaintance, and it seemed as if she had only come out to meet us at the door. The next day, however, the wind and sea moderated, and we then stood in through the north channel, crossed the bar, and came to anchor off Keel Point, in Santa Cruz River, at 12.30 a.m., January 11. We found the frame buildings of " Camp Brooklyn" still standing, and made use of the equatorial house as one of the bearings of our anchor age. Lieutenant Very and Mr. Wheeler went ashore in the after noon, and took their instruments for making the magnetic observa tions with them, and at the same time commenced their series of observations for rating the chronometers. We found no change in the general appearance of the vicinity. Guanacos were not as plentiful, owing to the drought, and officers and men took very little interest in anything except the ship. Only one seining-party left the ship, but they only caught a few smelt and some mullet ; the latter, however, were in much better condition than during our first visit. We had boat drills and tar get-practice with small-arms on the beach, but, as the chronometers were not taken ashore this time, we did not have great-gun target- 104 THE CRUISE OF THE BROOKLYN. practice. Great-gun firing is not likely to affect chronometers if ordinary precautions are taken, but the importance of having no shadow of doubt upon the results of our expedition necessitated deferring everything to their accuracy. Friday, January 12, the Brazilian corvette " Parnahyba" came in and anchored near us. She had the Brazilian Transit of Venus party on board, in charge of Mr. Cruls, the celebrated Brazilian astronomer, from whom Cruls's comet is named. The Brazilians had two stations in the straits, one at Sandy Point and the other on Santa Marta Island, near the second nar rows. They succeeded in observing all four contacts, but did not use the photographic methods. Their expedition is coupled with a scientific exploration of the coast of Patagonia. This duty was the occasion of the " Parnahyba's" going up to Weddell's Bluff, whence she sailed for other Patagonian ports on the 18th of Jan uary. The time interval for rating chronometers is ten days, but the weather was exceedingly disagreeable. It stormed so constantly and was so generally overcast with rain, hail, and snow, that we were detained until January 27. The bad weather laid up nearly all the officers in the wardroom. All of them suffered more or less with severe colds, and at one time there was only one watch officer able to do duty. The men did not seem to suffer so much, but colds were quite common, and all were heartily glad to get away. The buildings at " Camp Brooklyn" were abandoned, not being worth transportation to the United States, and it is probable that Coronell, the squatter at the ranch above Keel Point, will convert them into comparatively palatial mansions. Monday, January 22, the French gunboat " Volage" came into the harbor and brought us our mail from Montevideo. The " Volage" was on her way to Tahiti, and stopped outside to make some additional surveys upon the outer bar. She came in for the sole purpose of bringing us our mail, an act of courtesy in keeping with the usual politeness of the French people. THE CRUISE OF THE BROOKLYN. 105 Captain Weaver took Mr. Richmond on board at Santa Cruz as a passenger in the cabin to Montevideo. Mr. Richmond is a citi zen of Buenos Ayres, and was sent to Santa Cruz by the Argen tine government with provisions for the relief of the people at the Argentine subprefecture, which he brought to Santa Cruz in the " Parnahyba" from Sandy Point. Mr. Richmond gave rather a glowing account of the productions of the soil on the islands in the river, and of large portions of Patagonia hitherto considered barren. He reported the fisheries as being very valuable, and that some portions of the coast are rich in bird guano. Space will not permit a description of the country and the Indians who inhabit it, but those who wish information about the resources of Patagonia are referred to Muster's " At Home with the Patagonians," which is considered by far the best on the subject. The weather finally cleared on January 26, and enabled Mr. Very to complete his observations, and there being no further cause for us to remain, we got under way at eleven a.m., Satur day, January 27, and gladly bade farewell to " Camp Brooklyn" without any desire to visit the place again. Though our experi ence at Santa Cruz was far from pleasant, yet the eminent success of the astronomical observations will leave only pleasant memories of the expedition. The passage back to Montevideo was the best we had yet made. The weather was remarkably fine, and one day we logged a distance of 202.6 miles. We arrived at Montevideo at eight p.m., Friday, February 2, and exchanged signals with the " Galena" as we came in. Commander Batcheller came on board as soon as we had anchored and informed us that Captain Weaver was commander- in-chief of the station. Admiral Crosby left Montevideo on January 28, in the royal mail steamer "Trent" for London, where he expected to receive instructions to take command of the Asiatic Squadron. The ad miral was accompanied by his wife and Lieutenant Marix. They all went direct to Southampton and thence, via the Suez Canal, to 106 THE CRUISE OF THE BROOKLYN. Hong-Kong. The admiral was very anxious to take Lieutenant Allibone with him, but the Department refused to permit his taking more than one, and Mr. Marix had the first choice. We hoisted the senior officer's pennant at the mizzen at eight A.M., February 3, and Captain Weaver assumed command in the following squadron order : Squadron Order \ U. S. S. "Brooklyn," Montevideo, Uruguay, No. 1. J February 3, 1883. Rear-Admiral Pierce Crosby, United States Navy, having resigned the com mand of this squadron, I have assumed command from this date. All squadron orders now in force will remain so until otherwise directed. A. W. WEAVER, Captain U.S.N., Commanding, U. S. Naval Force, on South Atlantic Station. The same day the chaplain returned on board from leave, and Midshipmen Ripley and Snowden, of the admiral's staff, the printer, band, and bargemen, all came back again from the " Ga lena," the precaution taken against bringing cockroaches from her being quite an incident in connection with their return. The usual offers of service were tendered by the foreign men- of-war in the harbor, and we settled down into our old routine. Sunday, February 4, held general muster, when the above order was read to the ship's company. The next week we coaled ship, set up the rigging, painted the yards and masts, tarred down, and completely overhauled the ship. A fresh coat of paint outside finished the work, and her fine appearance can be justly described as reflecting great credit on all. General liberty for forty-eight hours was given to the crew in detachments of fifty at a time, and their prompt return and good behavior on shore spoke well for the discipline. Upon our return we were very much pleased to find Mr. Handy convalescing, and by the 10th he recovered and resumed his duties on board. The " Galena" sent our saluting battery back to us on the 7th and the barge a few days later. THE CRUISE OF THE BROOKLYN. 107 We were very sorry to hear of the sudden death by apoplexy of Admiral Baron Grivel, of the French navy, on board the " Pallas." He assisted at the reception of the Emperor of Brazil on board this ship at Rio ; he was very much beloved, and his death is a great loss to the French navy. Captain Weaver joined with the French ram " La Bourdonnais" in half-masting the colors, and he also fired a salute of fifteen minute-guns in his memory. Washington's birthday was only observed officially. The ship was beautifully dressed, rainbow style from sunrise to sunset, and at noon we fired a national salute of twenty-one guns. All the foreign men-of-war and most of the shipping in port also dressed, while the fort on Mount Cerro joined in the salute. The " Ga lena" was not present to join with us in these observances, as Cap tain Weaver had sent her to Colonia on the 15th, where she had opportunity for boat drills and landed a naval brigade to camp out for several days, while an effort was made to destroy the roaches with which she was infested. THE TRANSIT OF VENUS. By W. Anderson, seaman, United States Flag-ship "Brooklyn." The sun was setting brightly O'er Montevideo Bay. It shone upon a ship of war That at her anchor lay, And everything on board of her Looked neatly, trim, and bright, And under her mizzen peak She new the stars and stripes. I thought I'd go and join her, For there was no work on shore, So I went to try my fortune In a Yankee man-of-war. I joined this well-known war-ship, The " Brooklyn" was her name, The flag-ship of our station, And from New York she came. 108 THE CRUISE OF THE BROOKLYN. I scarcely had been on board Above a week or more, When we received the orders, To our disappointment sore, To steam away for Santa Cruz, Where nothing's to be found But barren hills and sea-birds, With which it does abound. We sailed and reached the river, And a boat was sent on shore j To find a place to pitch our tents, They quickly did explore. The sea-birds rose in thousands With thrilling cries and screams, The penguins formed like soldiers To welcome us it seemed. Early next morn we started To get our stores on shore ; There were heliographs and telescopes, And I could not say what more. And when our work was finished, Having so long to lay, We got up fishing-parties To pass the time away. We went to Penguin Island, It was covered with low brush, And many hundred gulls' eggs Were collected there by us. Whilst we were hauling the seine, And the officers firing powder, We always found plenty of cooks For dishing up fish-chowder. And so the day came quickly on For Venus to appear ; The morning broke in splendor, The horizon was clear. The astronomers at their places Observed Venus on the sun, And took 224 photographs, Which surely was well done. THE CRUISE OF THE BROOKLYN. 109 And now our task being finished, And glad enough were we, We bid adieu to Santa Cruz, In South Ameriky. I think that I will now conclude, But all I've wrote is truth, I've sketched to you the outlines Of our trip to Santa Cruz. CHAPTER VIII. Montevideo — The Carnival Festivities in 1883 — Full Accounts of the " Pom- ito" Warfare with the Montevidean Belles — The Masked Balls at the Clubs in Montevideo — Scientific Evolutions on Board the " Brooklyn" to deter mine Tactical Diameter — Departure of Naval Cadets for Examination at Annapolis — A Visit to a Saladero — Description of the Principal Industry of Uruguay — The Fire Department at Montevideo — Gallant Conduct of Sev eral of the Crew of the "Brooklyn" — Surprise of the Citizens at the In trepid Bravery of the " Yankee" Sailors — A Bull-Fight at Montevideo — Description of the Actors and the Bull-Ring — Arrival of a Paraguayan Man-of-War at Montevideo — Brief Sketch of a Thrilling Incident in the Paraguayan War. THE CARNIVAL OF '83 AT MONTEVIDEO. The word carnival is derived from the Latin caro, meaning flesh, and vale, farewell, — farewell to flesh. It is the name of a festival observed in Roman Catholic countries immediately before the commencement of Lent. Carnival is observed in many of the cities of Europe, notably Rome, Florence, Nice, Barcelona, and Madrid, and in the Spanish-American cities of South America. In the United States its observance is limited to a few Southern cities, such as New Orleans, Memphis, and Baton Rouge, and only one day, the third, Mardi Gras is observed. In these cities the celebration consists only in a grand expensive procession, where the king of the carnival, Rex, is represented by the person sub- 110 THE CRUISE OF THE BROOKLYN. scribing the most money to defray the expenses of the procession, and it was stated that in 1882 the price paid at New Orleans for this honor was fifteen thousand dollars. Fancy-dress and masked balls are also given Mardi Gras night. This year Carnival fell on the 4th, 5th, and 6th of February, and at Montevideo the 11th was also observed, when the burial of King Carnival took place. The principal streets (named after historical dates) — the 25th of May and the 18th of July — were spanned by arches, which were ornamented with small flags of various colors during the day and with colored gas-jets at night, thus giving the city a very brilliant and fantastic appearance. Until the afternoon, with the exception of these decorations, there was little to indicate the presence of Carnival except the stands at the corners and nu merous small boys peddling pomos and pomitos. As these form one of the most important features of the festival, a description of them may prove interesting to the reader. They are similar to the tubes for artists' oil colors, and consist of a soft leaden flask closed at the lower end and with a pin-opening at the other ; this is closed with a little screw cap, and the whole flask covered with fancy decorated paper. By removing the screw cap and squeezing the porno a small stream of perfumed water is thrown out. Pom itos are simply small-sized pomos. These were sold in thousands, and post, according to size, from two to twenty cents. About three o'clock in the afternoon the streets commenced to present an animated appearance ; groups of men and girls in dom inoes and masks began to promenade, and small processions of " companaras," — boys and young men in costume with blackened faces, — led by a few pieces of music, also paraded the streets. Water was the ammunition relied upon by everybody, and, whether thrown from pomos, pomitos, paper bags, buckets, or from a hose attached to a street hydrant, was received in good grace by every one, and with genuine amusement by spectators. Every one, from the small child to the old man, was armed with pomitos and ready to do battle. Ladies in the windows were ready to squirt them THE CRUISE OF THE BROOKLYN. HI on the passer-by, and those on the balconies threw water down upon the unlucky pedestrian and upon those in the open carriages. As a rule the gentler sex received the greatest attention, as men seldom took the trouble to attack each other. Ladies seldom appeared on the street unless in domino and masked, but many during the evening were out in carriages, those wishing only to see the fun having the windows closed, but those desiring to participate in open carriages. The occupants of these were generally in costume and masked, and fully prepared to not only resist, but to open an attack at any time. The fun was at its height from seven to ten in the evening, and then the streets were crowded. Carriages slowly drove up and down the streets, and their occupants were the objects of attack from every one, men not only walking alongside of them discharging pomitos, but in some instances getting on the carriage-steps and taking a ride, at the same time having a pitched battle with the fair ones inside, and often being compelled to beat a retreat. Wherever a female was seen, either on the street, in the shops, or in the windows, she was the object of attack. In many cases they were fully prepared to return the compliment and did not wait to be attacked, as was exemplified one evening at the English Club when a party of girls took possession and drove the occupants out. During the evening gentlemen called upon their lady friends, sometimes in dominoes and masks, and they generally received a wet welcome, as several officers ascertained who tried the experiment, for at one house they were almost submerged by several young ladies. About eleven the fun for the day was over and people went home to dress for the balls. These masked balls were very nu merous, as many as eight or ten every evening. Montevideo is a very cosmopolitan city, and the different nationalities have their separate clubs, the Uruguayan, Spanish, French, Italian, and English being the principal ones. The members of these clubs, with the exception of the English, gave one or more masked balls during Carnival, and very kindly extended invitations to the offi- 112 THE CRUISE OF THE BROOKLYN. cers of the " Galena" and " Brooklyn." In addition to these balls there were several subscription and public balls at the prom inent theatres. No one appeared at the ball-rooms until after midnight, and they were still crowded at daybreak, and as the club-rooms were situated very near each other, many of the offi cers visited several the same morning. The decorations of the club-rooms, the music and refreshments, were very fine, but dancing was of minor importance, as every one seemed to prefer to promenade, talk, flirt, etc. Still, dancing was carried on to some extent, the polka and mazourka being the most prominent dances noticed, the rooms being too crowded to indulge in the popular quadrille. Gentlemen were not masked, except in a few instances, at the Spanish and Italian clubs, but were in evening dress, and the officers in full uniform, which added to the bril liancy of the rooms. As the club balls of Montevideo, especially at Carnival, are noted for the beauty of their lady guests, we were prepared in part for the scenes in which we participated, but re gret our inability to do anything like justice to the beauty and wit we encountered, or to a description of the toilets and costumes we observed. The principal object of the ladies seemed to be to disguise themselves without attempting to copy any particular costume, and although many were very rich and beautiful, still one noticed the absence of the usual characters, such as Red Riding-Hoods, Shepherdesses, Gypsies, etc. This absence of characteristic cos tumes, and the fact that most of the ladies adopted a high, shrill tone of voice in talking, made it almost impossible to recognize most of the ladies, and many laughable mistakes and surprises took place in consequence. Ball-room etiquette in South Amer ica differs greatly from ours at home. A young lady goes to a ball with her chaperon, sits near her, and hardly ever is out of her sight, except to dance with some approved person, and such an event as going out in the conservatory or balcony for a little air, or out on the stairs to have a little cream and a great deal of flirt- THE CRUISE OF THE BROOKLYN. 113 ing, is almost unknown. During Carnival, in contradiction to the usual custom, ladies are allowed the greatest license. They walk around the ball-rooms unaccompanied by escort, and talk, flirt, or dance with any one they wish to, and seem to try and make up for the restrictions imposed upon them since the previous Carni val, and this latitude, combined with their beauty and wit, makes one fully realize the truth of the traditions handed down of the South American beauties. Gentlemen also have the privilege of speaking to any lady in mask, so no participant could blame any one but himself or his deficiency as a linguist if he failed to enjoy himself to the utmost. The general opinion of all the officers attending the balls was that they were most thoroughly enjoyable, and they are deeply indebted to the officers and members of the several clubs for the invitations and courtesies extended to them. Sunday, the 11th, was the last day of Carnival, and every one seemed possessed with the idea of making up for the loss of any fun they had missed during the previous days. During the after noon the ceremony of the burial of Rex, King of the Carnival, took place. A procession paraded the streets, headed by a man on horse back dressed in black, with a high hat and crape trimmings ; he was followed by four men bearing a litter, on which was supposed to be the body of King Rex. Then came a man dressed to repre sent the devil, after him a band of music, and the remainder of the procession consisted of numerous maskers in various costumes. xney marched through the principal streets to the upper plaza, where a mock religious ceremony took place, and then the sup posed remains were escorted to the place of burial, where instead of the man the body of a pig or horse was substituted and buried. That night the ball at the Uruguayan Club was a particularly fine one ; it was largely attended by the fashionable society, the diplo matic corps, and foreign naval officers. It was a grand success, and a fitting finale to the Carnival of '83. 114 THE CRUISE OF THE BROOKLYN. CHANGE IN THE DUTIES AND TITLES OF OUR JUNIOR OFFI CERS. An order from the Navy Department, in accordance with recent act of Congress, changed the title of cadet-midshipmen and cadet- engineers, all of whom are designated as naval cadets, and an equal degree of proficiency is required of them as line officers and engineers. In consequence of this the naval cadets exchanged duties, — Mr. Parsons and Mr. Perry to serve as engineers, while Mr. Beach and Mr. Smith perform the duties of line officers. Monday, March 5, we got under way and stood down the river for the usual quarterly target-practice with great guns, and to make additional observations of the steaming and steering quali ties of the ship and the effect upon the compass by heeling the vessel on different sides. We arrived at a suitable place for making these experiments at about 11.30 a.m., and at once proceeded to work ship for ascer taining further particulars in regard to the turning powers of the ship. The ship described twelve circles around two buoys, which were picked up after each complete turn. The circles were made under full power, two-thirds, and one-half. The drift angle was also computed for each circle. The necessity of knowing this is clear, when we remember that a ship's speed is materially reduced when turning. The loss of speed is generally attributed to the resistance of the rudder, but this cannot account for all the loss. A ship in turning necessarily goes more or less sideways, and this broadside movement offers great resistance and reduces the speed. The drift angle determines how much it is, and thus the entire loss of speed can be accounted for. We came to anchor at seven p.m. with everything in readiness for continuing the experiment. At 6.30 the next morning we again got under way and swung ship for compass error, steaming around on every point of the compass. These observations could THE CRUISE OF THE BROOKLYN. 115 only be made about two and a half hours before and after noon, and the interval was utilized by having the quarterly target-prac tice. We went to general quarters at 12.30 p.m., and fired three rounds from the pivot guns and six from the broadside battery at a regulation target, thirteen to fourteen hundred yards distant. The best shot was made by James Millmore, second captain of No. 8 gun. We resumed the compass observations at 2.15 p.m., and finished the second series at 5.15 p.m. The next day was cloudy, and we were obliged to wait until Thursday before contin uing the experiment. The ship was then listed over to port in the forenoon, and to starboard in the afternoon, thus completing the entire set of observations. At six p.m. we returned to the harbor, and Captain Weaver brought the ship considerably nearer the city than we had ever been before. After which the crew had their regular routine duties and drills with but little to modify their uniformity. The ship was dressed with bunting, rainbow style, three times in the month of March, to celebrate foreign national holidays : on March 14, the anniversary of the birth of the Empress of Brazil and also that of the King of Italy , the Italian and Brazilian flags were displayed side by side at our main and two national salutes were fired at noon ; on the 22d, the birthday of King William, the Emperor of Germany, and on the 25th, the anniversary of the coronation of Dom Pedro, the Emperor of Brazil. The last hap pened on Easter-Sunday, and the ship's appearance dressed with bunting seemed especially in harmony with the great Church fes tival, the weather being perfect. The mail which arrived on the 17th instant brought the orders for the naval cadets to proceed to Annapolis for examination. Captain Weaver immediately sent telegraphic orders to Comman der Batcheller to return here with the " Galena," which arrived accordingly early on Monday morning, March 19. The naval cadets of both ships were all detached on the 22d and took pas sage in the Royal Mail steamer " Minho" for Southampton, whence 116 THE CRUISE OF THE BROOKLYN, they proceeded to New York, and arrived at Annapolis about the 15th of May, 1883. Messrs. Parsons, Perry, Smith, and Beach, of this ship, left with our best wishes for their success. They all made a host of friends on board, and we regretted losing them very much. These young gentlemen are very seriously af fected by the Congressional legislation of 1882, which enacted that only ten of the entire class should be admitted into the service, and that all others who should pass their final examination should be given one thousand dollars and then mustered out. The ward room officers gave the young gentlemen a farewell breakfast the day they left, and although all were pleased with the idea of going home, yet they found that after all the " Brooklyn" had been a pleasant home for them for eighteen tnonths, and they could not leave without regretting the parting from so many true friends. The names of the seven young gentlemen who were also detached from the " Galena" at the same time are: Messrs. Linnard, Printup, Colwell, McKee, Whitham, Bankson, and Donnelly, who left with the best wishes of their friends for their future success. During March, 1883, the health of the officers and men of both the "Brooklyn" and "Galena" was excellent; indeed, this has been the experience the whole cruise, except during our last visit to Santa Cruz, when a great many suffered with slight colds. The officers then had several little gatherings on board and one small german, which was particularly enjoyed by those who are fond of dancing. A VISIT TO A SALADERO. The principal items among the exports of Montevideo are products of the saladeros, or jerked-beef establishments in this vicinity, and as the methods adopted by the " Orientals" are very different from those in the United States, a brief account may be interest ing to the reader. These saladeros are situated in the valley be tween the peninsula on which the city is built and the " Cerro," and extend along the eastern base of the latter to Cibils's large THE CRUISE OF THE BROOKLYN. 117 dry-dock. The saladero we visited is composed of a number of buildings, sheds, yards, and cattle-pens, all of which occupy an area of about five acres. The cattle were in the corral extending around two sides enclosed by a high fence. This corral has a long fenced lane, one end of which is closed by a sliding-door raised and lowered by pulleys ; inside of this there is a small floored slaughter-pen with a platform on two sides, and with a stout hori zontal bar on an opening just opposite the sliding-door. This bar has a stout ring and pulley secured at its centre, through which a line is rove with a lasso on one end, while the other leads outside the pen and is attached to the traces of a horse. Upon this occasion fifteen or twenty bulls were driven into the slaughter-pen and confined there by lowering the sliding-door. The floor was kept wet and slippery, so that when they lassoed a bull and attached the horse to the line he was readily hauled up with his head close to the centre of the bar. The floor at this place was cut out to admit a low, zinc-covered platform-car, the floor of which was on a level with the floor of the pen. A man with a small two-edged knife stood on a platform opposite the bar, and as each bull was hauled up, quickly stabbed it between the horns to sever the spinal column, which resulted in instant death in every case. The bull dropped on to the car, which was then hauled out into a long dressing-shed arranged with shelving paving- stones on the right side leading to a gutter, whence the blood ran off, and with tables and hooks on the other side. The carcasses were thrown on these stones and dressed while lying down. The head and tail were cut off, and the hide then skinned off from the uppermost side and rolled back to form a mat, on which the meat was dressed without soiling any portions. The flesh was removed clean from the bones and placed on the tables. The joints and bones were all cut out, leaving large slabs of meat. The entrails and refuse matter were dragged off to a receptacle in one corner, whence they were subsequently carted off. The slabs of meat were then sliced in a peculiar manner to form large hide-shaped 118 THE CRUISE OF THE BROOKLYN. sheets of exactly even thickness, generally one inch. These sheets are formed by slicing with sharp carvers. A slab, say four inches thick and about two square feet, is sliced to leave one inch thick below and three inches thick on top ; the three-inch slice is not severed but thrown back on the table, where it is two inches higher than the first part; the knife then slices off to leave a second sheet one inch thick, the two-inch piece is then thrown back beyond on the table. This piece is then again sliced, and the whole forms one sheet of beef one inch thick, two feet wide, and about eight feet long. Great care and skill is necessary to obtain thin, even sheets, in order that the meat may be perfectly cured. These sheets are then hung upon the hooks to cool, whence they are taken to a large tank of brine in the building at the end of the dressing-shed. The beef is left in the tank for several days, and then piled up, with layers of salt on each sheet of beef. This is left for two or three days, when it is washed, and then carried out to dry on poles in the sun in a sepa rate yard on the left, and special care is taken that it does not get wet. This jerked beef is exported to Brazil and Cuba, and serves as food for the army and slaves. France also receives a large supply. It is of a dirty-yellow color and does not appear very palatable, but it is very good. The hides are taken to a building on the right of that containing the tanks and treated in the usual manner. The blood is run off to waste from the gutter, while all the scraps, bones, and refuse matter are gathered and taken to the boiler build ing, the second floor of which is on a level with the above pave ment. This is then emptied into a series of boilers, where it is boiled down and converted into tallow. The bones are used as fuel for the boilers, and the ashes collected and exported as bone- ash for fertilizers. The skill and quiet method of the whole series of operations won our admiration. Some idea of the extent of these opera tions may be conveyed when we learn that one hundred and thirty- THE GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS AND PLAZA INDEPENDENCE AT MONTEVIDEO. Pago 119. THE CRUISE OF THE BROOKLYN. 119 five thousand head of cattle were slaughtered in the saladeros during the month of February alone. MONTEVIDEO AND ITS FIRE DEPARTMENT. THE GALLANTRY OF SOME OF THE CREW OF THE "BROOKLYN" AT A FIRE ON SHORE. The city of Montevideo is one of the handsomest and cleanest of cities one will meet on any cruise. The houses are hand somely decorated with Italian art, and though it is all plaster and colored wash, yet it certainly does look well. The streets are wide, and well paved with square granite blocks and flag side walks, and are drained by the natural slope of the land. The dwelling-houses in Montevideo are generally built of one story. They have wide ornamental front doors, usually of hard wood, which are always provided with a knocker instead of a door-bell. These knockers are as a rule quite as effective as our door-bells, though whenever we have used them, our first impulse has been to hammer like an auctioneer, and we have always been surprised at the prompt answer. The door opens upon a wide hall leading to a small court, which is not roofed over. The rooms are ar ranged to enclose the court on the sides with their doors opening into it. The ceilings are as a rule very high, but no attention is paid to their proper ventilation. Twelve and fourteen feet stud is quite common, even when the house is an alta, one which has two or three floors. The people there have become so much accustomed to houses with but one floor that when they do occupy an alta they are arranged as our flats, separate families on each floor. The interior of the house is generally plainly fur nished, but elegant crystal chandeliers are very much the fashion. Stoves and fireplaces are very rare except in the kitchen, and in winter the people wear their wraps in-doors instead of having their rooms artificially heated. The winters are, however, not very severe, though the thermometer frequently falls below the freezing-point. 120 THE CRUISE OF THE BROOKLYN. This fact and the almost fire-proof nature of their houses gives them such immunity from fires that an alarm of fire is a very rare event, so much so that they have neglected the organization of a regular fire department and have left it as one of the minor duties of the serenos (police). The serenos have several old-fashioned suction-engines and hose-trucks which can be used in connection with the supply from the city water-works, and the crews of men- of-war in the harbor are relied upon to save them if a fire gets any headway. A fire broke out about two P.M. on the 15th of March in a stable on Andes Street, in the southern part of the city, which, but for the timely arrival of some of our crew, might have proved a serious conflagration. Richard Walsh, bugler ; John Dolan, fire man ; Emil Ziebarth and Charles J. V. Iverson, ordinary seamen ; Wm. Sinnott and Harry Forkin, landsmen ; and naval apprentices Barrett, Bryan, and Natteford, of the " Brooklyn," were ashore on liberty when the alarm was given, and they were the first to arrive on the scene. These men at once threw off their blue jackets and sailed in to put the fire out in a seamanlike manner. Natteford, Ziebarth, and Iverson rushed into the burning stable and released the horses, while Dolan, Barrett, and Bryan mounted to the roof of the adjoining three-story house, which was directly over the seat of the fire, and burning on that side. They pro cured a rope from some of the inmates and sent it down as a hauling-line for the hose, which had been brought in the mean time by the serenos. They had some difficulty in making them selves understood, but succeeded by gestures in making the aston ished serenos both understand and obey them as recognized leaders. Walsh and Forkin assisted in getting the hose up, and Dolan had to come down to show them how to couple two sections of hose to reach. This was all done very quickly, and the stream of water from the engine worked by the serenos was so well directed that the house was saved from the flames. The men on the roof then gradually fought their way down and into the blazing stable, when THE CRUISE OF THE BROOKLYN. 121 they were reinforced by two detachments of sailors from the Ar gentine ironclad " Andes" and the French gunboat " Tactique." Our men, however, still had charge at the most critical point in the stable, where Forkin and Bryan were fighting the flames with a good stream of water, when the roof was observed to be about to fall in. This roof was of sheet-iron, supported by wooden rafters, and while the serenos were trying to persuade the men to look out for themselves, Barrett coolly went in and, with a shout to Bryan to " stand from under," knocked down the main support and allowed the roof to fall in and smother the flames. After Natteford, Ziebarth, and Iverson had released the horses they joined Sinnott in removing the furniture from the house, and rendered invaluable services. Walsh was everywhere, and was recognized by the citizens as if he were the officer in charge. The next day the morning papers gave full accounts of the scene, lavished praises and thanks to our men for their gallantry and ser vices, and contrasted their acts with the terrified helplessness of the serenos in the emergency. No translation could do justice to the phraseology used by the Ferro Carril in describing their ad miration of the men on the roof fighting the flames, each de scription of the several daring deeds being interlarded with " Oh, those Yankees !" " How reckless !" etc. The captain of the port then requested co-operation of the com manders of men-of-war at anchor in the harbor in the event of fire in the city and port. The following signal will be made at his office in case such assistance should be needed : " In case of a fire at night, three rockets will be fired and a red light hoisted on the flag-staff at the wharf if it be in port among the shipping, a green light for fire in the northern part of the city, and a white light if in the southern part of the same. In the event of a fire breaking out during the day, the same signals will be made by flags, — red flag if in the port, and green or yellow flags for the northern or southern parts of the city, respectively." Captain Weaver directed that the vessels of this squadron 122 THE CRUISE OF THE BROOKLYN. obey this signal if the weather and other circumstances permit, and that a detail of twenty men be sent on shore to report to the captain of the port whenever the signal shall be made. THE NATIONAL SPORT OF SPAIN. FULL DESCRIPTION OF A BULL-FIGHT. The great national amusement among all Spaniards, and in gen eral Spanish-speaking people, is bull-fighting, which to other people is a most revolting and barbarous custom. It is attended by all classes, ages, and sexes, high- and low-born, old and young, males and females. In Spain and the Spanish-American countries it is principally practised. In Peru, notably in Lima and Callao, this sight is not so revolting, as the most sickening feature, the killing of the horses, does not occur. There the horses are given some chance and are not blindfolded, but are trained to avoid the bull, which they do so skilfully that they are seldom or never hurt ; but in Spain and Uruguay the sight may be witnessed in all its horrors. In those countries the poor horses are blindfolded (gen erally in one eye, which is always kept towards the bull), and are led up to the bull all unconscious of their danger until the sharp horns open an ugly hole, from which their life's blood pours in torrents. The bull-fights in Spain are the most revolting in the world, probably as the bulls of that country are more ferocious than any others, and often nine horses are seen at one time stretched on the ground the victims of a savage bull. In Madrid and Barcelona occur the most celebrated fights in Spain, and at a certain fight in the latter city not many years ago the people were so excited that they had their valuable carriage-horses brought into the ring, only to be torn and rent by the infuriated beasts. In Lisbon the bull-fights are very amusing, being devoid of all the sickening horrors, as they simply play with the bull and do not kill him. His horns are sawed off so that he can't hurt any one. The capeadores and banderilleros are the actors in these fights. In Montevideo they occasionally have amateur fights, which are THE CRUISE OF THE BROOKLYN. 123 more or less amusing, as the bull's horns being thickly padded he can hurt neither man nor beast. He is always killed, however, the amateur matador being coached by a veteran. In Lima on a certain day a tilt-board was brought into the ring and on each end was a man. It was very laughable to see the bull charge for the man whose end of the board was down and which was instantly raised by the other man, allowing the bull to pass under. Once the bull turned quickly and caught his man down, but fortu nately did not hurt him, and before he could do so his attention was drawn away by the bright shawls of the capeadores. Sun days and feast-days are the days generally selected for this amuse ment, and for a couple of hours before the commencement of the fight the streets are lined with carriages and trams (horse-cars) filled with people on their way to La Plaza de Toros (Bull- Ring). For several days before the fight the day and hour of la corrida de toros (the bull-fight) is posted in the principal streets and plazas, giving the names of the matadores or' espadas (the men who do the killing), the number of bulls to be killed, and the price of admission, which in Montevideo is one dollar and a half on the shady side, and one dollar on the sunny side, but when Spanish bulls are to be fought the prices are raised respectively to three dollars and one dollar and a half. Although most of us had seen a number of bull-fights, our curi osity was aroused by a new feature in the amusement, a fight be tween a tiger and a bull ; so accordingly several of us from this vessel availed ourselves of the opportunity, and on April 8 started out for the bull-ring. A ride in one of the trams of the Tram via del Centro of about fifty minutes took us within three blocks of the ring. The ride alone well repaid us, as it took us through a beautiful country, the roads of which were lined with the hand some quintas (country-seats) of the rich. On arriving at the ring we saw a red flag over it with this inscription " Hoy toro," meaning literally " Bull-fight to-day." Having paid our entrance-fee, we passed in and took our seats. 124 THE CRUISE OF THE BROOKLYN. The bull-ring is a massive circular structure of solid masonry without a roof, resembling the ancient Roman amphitheatres. It has a seating capacity for about five thousand people. The seats, stone steps, are hard and uncomfortable, but for the small price of ten cents cushions can be hired. The inner ring, where the bull is fought, is about three hundred feet in diameter, and is en closed by a wooden fence about four feet high to prevent the bull from getting within the outer ring, where the bull-fighters retire when closely pressed. Occasionally an active bull leaps this bar rier, and then is witnessed a lively scramble for safety. The au dience are safe, as the lower seats are about four feet from the ground, and are further protected by roping. A guard of soldiers preserves order, and one of the government bands furnishes music. At several intervals in the wooden fence enclosing the inner ring are openings to allow a hard-pressed fighter to escape to the outer ring, and these are overlapped by shields of wood just far enough from the fence to allow a man to squeeze in. These shields have a bull's-eye and ring, similar to a target, painted on them in white, so that the men can readily distinguish their retreat. Boxes in rear of the seats are covered with a roof, and in the one directly opposite the enclosure from which the bulls enter the ring sits the President of Uruguay and other officials. Our first sight on entering the ring was a large iron cage, about twenty feet long by ten feet wide, in which were a bull and a tiger, they being separated by a partition of boards. On this particular day three bulls were to be killed before the combat between the bull and the tiger was to take place. At last the hour of the fight, three p.m., arrived, the band struck up a march, the gates were thrown open, the grand cavalcade entered and marched around the ring and out, each man saluting as he passed the president. First came the matadores, then the picadores, banderil leros, capeadores, and a chulo. The picadores are mounted on horses, have their legs heavily padded for protection from the bull's horns, and are armed with long poles having short spikes in THE CRUISE OF THE BROOKLYN. 125 them, with which they torture the bull. The banderilleros are the men who plant a sort of dart (called a banderilla), about two feet long, in the bull's neck to assist in torturing him. These banderillas are covered with gayly-colored paper and have sharp barbed spikes in them. The capeadores each have bright- colored shawls or cloaks in order to attract and worry the bulls. A chulo consists of three horses harnessed abreast, dragging a large hook, used to drag out dead bodies. The bull-fighters are dressed in knee- breeches, gayly-trimmed jackets, and have their hair done up in a long queue. Suddenly a bugle near the president's box sounded, the picadores (generally two) and the capeadores (generally six) entered the ring, and the first stage of the fight was about to com mence. A gate was opened and the first bull appeared. He was quite a ferocious one, and as, according to custom, he had been well tortured until he was frantic with rage, he at once charged for the first object that met his eyes, which happened to be the tiger in the cage. He struck the cage a heavy blow, which shook it well and made us feel rather uneasy for fear he would knock it down and thus liberate the tiger. Happily, it stood that and subsequent charges of the other bulls. Now the sport commenced. The capeadores flung their bright cloaks in the bull's face, thus attracting him away from the cage, and he dashed madly after first one and then the other, but they always skilfully avoided him, though some times he would press them so closely that they would have to retreat behind the shields. Occasionally a shawl would catch on his horns, when he would stand and stamp on it, and it was diffi cult to draw him away from it. The picadores now began to tor ment him by pricking him with their lances. They would drive their horses up to him, they being unconscious of their danger on account of being blindfolded. Several times the bull charged the horses, but the picadores warded him off with their lances. At last he saw his opportunity, and with lowering head he charged one of the horses and drove one of his sharp horns deep into his breast. This brought down the house, and cries of " Bravo, toro 1" (Well 9 126 THE CRUISE OF THE BROOKLYN. done, bull !) were heard on all sides. We looked upon it in a dif ferent light, for it was a sickening spectacle to witness the poor brute tottering around the ring with his life's blood pouring from the gaping wound. The horse was at once led out of the ring, and was in all probability soon released from his sufferings. After all, it is probably about as easy a death as a horse could die. These horses are not valuable ones, in fact, they are generally very poor ones, so their loss is not missed. Another horse was at once furnished the dismounted picador, who was loudly applauded for his success in getting his horse killed. The bull now charged another rider, dismounted him, killed his horse, which fell on him, but before the bull could injure him his attention was drawn away by the ever-active capeadores, and he was extracted from his perilous position by his comrades. A bugle announced the second stage in the fight. The remain ing picador withdrew, and several banderilleros entered the ring. Each man was armed with two of the sharp-barbed banderillas, and pointing them towards the bull invited him to charge, which he promptly did, the banderillero skilfully planting his banderillas into his neck, at the same time nimbly jumping aside to avoid the bull's horns. This operation was repeated until about six ban derillas were hanging in the bull's neck. They seemed to make him more frantic than ever, and he bellowed and tore around the ring and endeavored to shake the banderillas out, but being barbed they kept in place. The bull by this time having been worked up sufficiently, the bugle again sounded, and the third and final stage in the fight commenced. The banderilleros withdrew. It will be observed that the capeadores remain in the ring all the time in order to attract the attention of the bull from a closely-pressed comrade. The matador now entered. In his right hand he carried a long, straight, double-edged sword, and in his left a bright-red cloak. Bowing to the president, he advanced to the assault and flung his cloak in the bull's face, being assisted by the capeadores. On came the bull, but the matador nimbly stepped THE CRUISE OF THE BROOKLYN. 127 aside, which he did several times, in order, probably, to get ac customed to the bull's movements. At last he took his position, and firm as a rock he stood, whilst he held out his cloak to invite attack, and steadied his sword for the death-blow. Again the bull advanced, and just as it appeared as if he would be transfixed by the bull's horns, he quickly stepped aside to the left, and with sure aim drove his sharp sword to the hilt into the bull just behind the fore-shoulder. It was a fatal stroke. The bull stood still for a moment, whilst the ground turned crimson with his blood, then tottered and fell dead. A deafening cheer greeted the victorious matador, which he graciously acknowledged by bowing to his admirers. The chulo entered, its hook was hooked into a strap around the bull's horns, and he was dragged out amidst the music of the band and the shouts of the audience. The ring was now cleared for the next bull. He and the subsequent one were not as savage as the first, and afforded very little amusement. Neither of them would attack the horses, so we were spared that sickening sight. During the fight with this second bull cries of " Fuego ! fuego !" (Fire ! fire !) were heard on all sides. We could not at first understand the meaning of this till a banderillero armed with a banderilla, to all appearances like the others, approached the bull and threw it into his neck. Smoke instantly appeared where it struck, followed by a small explosion, apparently under the bull's skin. It was probably some sort of fulminate attached to the banderilla. This aroused the bull for a few moments, and he charged right and left, but he soon quieted down, and the matador was called in to finish him. Neither he nor the last matador were as skilful as the first one, and each had to make several thrusts before they inflicted a fatal wound. Sometimes a bull is so poor that he has to be lassooed and dragged out of the ring. The cage proved to be an obstacle to the sport, as it ob structed the view, and the bulls invariably retreated to it and ran round and round it, making it difficult to get at them. The 128 THE CRUISE OF THE BROOKLYN. bull in the cage and the tiger, attracted by the noise, the bright robes, and the smell of blood, became uneasy and restless, and doubtless desired to get out and have their share of the fun. Preparations were then made for the fight between the bull and the tiger. The tiger was what is known as a Paraguayan tiger. He was more like a leopard, being marked similar to that animal, and was a beautiful beast, and was about five feet long. A number of men entered the ring and commenced pulling out the boards that sepa rated the two animals. This seemed to displease the bull, and as the lower boards were about half-way out he charged and broke them and then made a rush for the tiger. Every one thought that it was all up for the tiger, but quick as lightning he slipped between the bull's horns and over his back, being assisted some what by a toss of the latter's head. This was repeated several times, but in each case the tiger came out unhurt. Not so with the bull, for several times the tiger would mount his head, get his ear between his sharp teeth, and at the same time make some ugly scratches on his forehead with his hind paws. The tiger acted entirely on the defensive, and it was only when he was attacked that he would strike back. Once or twice when attacked he would crouch so low that the bull's horns would 'pass over him. His coming out of the combat unhurt showed his ability, like all animals, to defend himself and avoid danger. It is needless to say that had the bull succeeded in once getting his horns into him there would have been no more tiger. After about fifteen min utes of this decidedly tame combat neither animal seemed inclined to molest the other and they retreated to opposite sides of the cage, and doubtless would have remained there for an indefinite period if they had been let alone. The bull bellowed and plainly showed that he had had enough of the tiger's teeth and claws. The attendants now tried to stir them up by poking them with sticks and by holding a bright cloak near the tiger to induce the bull to charge, but they preferred to let each other severely alone. THE CRUISE OF THE BROOKLYN. 129 As a final effort and in response to the call of " fuego," a ban derillero threw one of the explosive banderillas into the bull's neck. The smoke and explosion somewhat frightened both ani mals and induced the bull to make one more charge, which the tiger, as heretofore, avoided. After that nothing would move the animals, and everybody being tired of the farce it was decided to separate them and bring the scene to an end. This proved as amusing as the fight. The tiger's cage was brought into the ring, its door raised and placed against the door of the big cage, which was then raised and the tiger was invited to enter his home, but he was in the opposite corner of the cage and had no idea of moving. A man then slipped a lasso inside the cage, slipped it over the bull's horns, and leading it towards the tiger, hauled the bull in that direction. The tiger at once retreated to the other corner, but still would not enter his cage. Then the lasso was let go and attempts were made to slip in the boards in order to sepa rate the animals, but this enraged the bull, so he charged and broke the boards, so they had to haul him over again with the lasso, and then by keeping it fast the boards were slipped in position and bull and tiger were finally separated. We feared that by some accident the tiger might get loose, and several talked of climbing over the roof of the boxes in our rear in case that should happen, but our minds were somewhat relieved by noticing a couple of soldiers, said to be dead-shots, standing ready with loaded rifles. We soon afterwards left, leaving the attendants still making unsuc cessful efforts to get the tiger into his own cage. How long they worked we know not. We returned to the city for dinner rather disgusted with the whole affair. During April, 1883, we experienced a number of " pamperos," in one of which most all the men-of-war in the harbor got up steam to guard against the possibility of dragging. We, however, only found it necessary to let go our port sheet-anchor and to veer to a long scope of chain on our bowers. These " pamperos" 130 THE CRUISE OF THE BROOKLYN. are usually accompanied by fine clear weather overhead, and are only specially disagreeable in that they cause such a rough sea that it cuts off communication with the shore. The harbor, or, strictly speaking, the roadstead of Montevideo, is shoal and very much exposed to southeast and southwest winds, which raise a high sea very suddenly. The Uruguayan legislature very wisely passed a law appropri ating ten million dollars for improvements to be made in the harbor. The nature and extent of these improvements are not specified in the law, and it is doubtful when the work will be commenced. However, it is at least gratifying to know that the authorities are beginning to see the importance of improving the port, which in the natural course of events must become one of the great commercial emporiums of the world. Cibil's dry-dock is being constantly improved, and the channel was deepened one foot during the years 1881 and 1882, so that seventeen feet is the least depth in the channel at low-water. A number of vessels were repaired in this dock, among which were the Italian ram " Scylla" and both vessels of the Uruguayan navy. In April, 1882, the American whaling bark '' Ida" came in the harbor, which recalled the by-gone days of blubber and bone, and as she passed by and gracefully dipped her colors, we almost thought we heard the lookout's cheery hail of " There she blows I" which would bring all hands on deck in intense excitement to see " where away," and prepare for chase. This is the only American arrival in contrast with the fleet of iron and steel European steamers constantly visiting this port. The American whaler was in her day the best. Let us hope that when we do enter the lists again for the commerce of the world, our steamers will stand first in every desirable quality. The only recent improvement in the United States navy is a general order from the Honorable Secretary of the Navy by which the titles of master and midshipman are abolished, the former to THE CRUISE OF THE BROOKLYN. 131 be known as lieutenants of a junior grade, and the latter as ensigns of a junior grade. There is no change in the uniform or pay of these officers, but our midshipmen will receive regular commis sions as ensigns of the junior grade, and thus obtain proper recog nition of their age and merit in the service. RIVER PLATE NAVAL NOTES. In April, 1883, the English navy was represented at Monte video by the "Amethyst," " Rifleman," "Rambler," and "Sylvia." The first two were at anchor at Colonia. The " Sylvia" was on surveying duty, and was recently employed in the Straits of Ma gellan as one of the Transit of Venus parties. The " Firefly" sailed for England to go out of commission. The ironclad " Constance" and gunboat " Gannett" touched here on their way to and from the Pacific respectively. The French navy had the "Segond" and " Tactique," while the gunboat " Kerguelen" visited the port about the first of the month on her way to the Pacific Station. The German gunboat " Albatross," Italian ram " Scylla," the Spanish gunboat "Africa," and the Argentine monitor "Los Andes'' did not move from their anchorage since our arrival. The Brazilian ironclad " Sete de Setembro" recently made a short cruise down the river. The Argentine torpedo-boat " Maipu" and the Paraguayan gunboat " Pirapo" arrived in the harbor on May 15, 1883. The " Pirapo" is the only vessel of the Para guayan navy. She was formerly the Italian gunboat " Constance," and on arriving here saluted all the men-of-war with five guns each. Paraguay adjoins the northwestern boundary of Uruguay, and is famous in history for its gallant defence against the allied forces of Brazil, Uruguay, and the Argentine Confederation in the event ful Paraguayan war from 1865 to 1870. Paraguay lost one hun dred and seventy thousand men in battle and by disease in these five years of war, and the effect is even felt at present in the great 132 THE CRUISE OF THE BROOKLYN. lack of males in the population. One of the most memorable naval battles was an attempt to capture a fleet of Brazilian ironclads at anchor in the Paraguay River near Concepcion. The Paraguay ans drifted down the stream on trees, by which they surprised and gained possession of the deck of one of the vessels but could not get below, as the iron shutters on the casemate ports and hatches were closed. The other Brazilian vessels slipped their cables and finally shelled the Paraguayans on the deck of their surprised vessel and drove them off. President Lincoln had some difficulty with Lopez previous to this war, arising from a misunderstanding with the United States and Paraguayan Steamship Company, founded by some enterpris ing citizens of Philadelphia ; this was finally settled amicably by commissioners appointed for the purpose. Those who wish further information as to the history of this country are referred to the Hon. C. A. Washburn's " History of Paraguay," published in Boston in 1871. Since the death of Lopez, the great Para guayan dictator, the country has been peacefully developing its own resources. The yerba mat