attendant horrors, as if this were the ordinary termination of a voyage, and not the rare exception. Nor indeed should I have dwelt on the voyage at all, hut that I remember that I was, before leaving home, pestered by people advising me to do quantities of things which appeared to me at the time quite unnecessary—in which view subsequent experience confirmed me. My recommendation to any friend of mine would be:—
First. To sail from London, and in a ship owned in London.
Secondly. To ascertain, if possible, that the owner has the character of supplying his ships liberally.
Thirdly. To see the captain, and try and find out whether he is a quiet man, of good character, or a talking, bouncing, overbearing fellow; and if this be the case, he should not sail with him on any account. This is a very important point, as much of the comfort of the voyage will depend on the character of the captain.
Fourthly. He should find out the class in which the ship sails, and whether she be a slop-built ship,[1] or a good, staunch, wholesome craft. An old ship of the latter kind is better than a new one of the former. He need not be so anxious about the rate of sailing, as the fastest ships do not always make the quickest voyages, and are seldom the best sea boats, which is important when ladies are concerned.
- ↑ There are certain ports, perfectly well known to every person conversant with maritime affairs, which are notorious for building this kind of ship.
