dignity upon the dancing waters, whose undulations
transform her wake from a steady stream of molten
metal to broken bars, as of a shining ladder leading
heavenward. Therewith she pursues her modest way.
The rising sun — paling the glories of the southern cross, and as enchanting as the sunset but for the ab- sence of evening vapors — few lovers see. Those to whom the sweet joys of courtship are denied, the married, and the hopelessly incorrigable, seek other pastimes. Amateur theatricals and sham trials are instituted, in which no small amount of talent and wit are often displayed ; stories are told ; politics, science, and religion discussed, and home, and California, and gold-getting talked about Some western adventurer holds breathless a crowd of listeners while he spins a yarn of thrilling deeds among the savages, and of hair- breadth escapes; then another undertakes to cap the story by improvising a more startling one, and so the fun goes on. The 4th of July, Washington's birth- day, and Christmas were usually observed; on Saint Valentine's day a post-office would be opened, where a list of names was posted, and missives dealt to merry recipients. Some endeavored to sketch the coast as they sailed by it, others to cut its outline from paper.
Suddenly the steam-whistle, with a long shrill blast, sounds the alarm of fire, and the terrible cry is taken up and thrown from one to another until it reaches the uttermost parts of the ship. Pale faces flit to and fro, and tremblhig knees stagger no whither. For a moment all is hubbub and confusion; but soon every man is at his post; the hose is un- coiled, the water is turned on, the decks are flooded, the life-boats are made ready and the life-preservers dragged out. Some stand by, ready to lower the boats, and others with pistols and cutlasses place themselves on guard prepared to strike down any who should attempt to jump into them without leave; others with uplifted axes seek the thrice dreaded foe
