Two years abaft the mast; or, Life as a sea apprentice (1884) (14589914127)

Identifier: twoyearsabaftmas00symo (find matches)
Title: Two years abaft the mast; or, Life as a sea apprentice
Year: 1884 (1880s)
Authors: Symondson, F. W. H
Subjects: Voyages and travels Seafaring life
Publisher: Philadelphia, D. McKay
Contributing Library: The Library of Congress
Digitizing Sponsor: The Library of Congress



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the firm here, Messrs H and C. L coming down to meet us at the landing-stairs. The river here is very narrow,and swarms with junks, large and small, be-sides an endless variety of other craft. Messrs J M & Co.s business house, or rather mansion, is a fine structure, standing inwell-) aid-out grounds. We were at first goingto carry the coffin slung in ropes, but the abovegentlemen having procured a bier, helped usconsiderably. Supported hj eight men shoul-der-high, and the others following, we movedsteadily on towards the English cemetery, dis-tant about a mile and a half. Part of ourroad led through the city itself, with its dirtynarrow thoroughfares, and so crowded thatseveral times our burden was nearly knockedto the ground by the people wilfully jostling us.In passing through a lane narrower than anyother, and flanked on each side by a wall, wehad to carry the coffin over our heads at arms-length; but, from our awkward position, itcame into contact with either wall so violently
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NATIVE BURIAL-GROUND. 209 that, had it not been strongly put together,it certainly would have broken to pieces. Atlast we emerged on open land, sandy andgrassy by turns. The sun now made himselffelt in earnest, burning and scorching withuncontrolled power, until the groups of treeson the Chinese burial-ground mitigated hisfury. This was the most wretched and tedious partof our journey; a succession of sickening sightspresenting themselves to our view. Every-where were huts, bamboo or thatched, shelteringone, two, three, or more coffins. A few, whichapparently were new, held together; but thevast majority had long since fallen away, and,as they were not interred in the earth, butraised above it a couple of feet, the decayingbones and putrid bodies were exposed to thegaze of the passer-by. In charge of these deadbodies were whole families, paid by the relativesand friends to ward off the evil spirits. Bornin the tombs, brought up among the dead, fedon foul air and miserable food, these