The New York Herald Newspaper, June 17, 1873, Page 3

A Herald Commissioner Crosses the Ocean as a Steerage Passenger. His Experience Among the For- eigners and the General “Com- forts” Below Decks. The Food That4ould Not Be Eaten and the Food That Nad To Be Eaten. The Emigrant’s Hard Lot Aboard Ship. Outrages by the Crew and No Pro- tection from the Officers. A Sample Emigrant Voyage in the Egypt. THE PROFITS OF THE STEERAGE BUSINESS The Defects of the System and How to Remedy Them. The steamship Egypt, of the National line, sailed from Liverpool on the 28th ult. and arrived at this port June 9. On the evening prior to her sailing I was despatched from London with special instructions to cross in her and give a Tull account of the treatment shown emigrants in the steerage, and, of course, for the better execu- tion of the object in view, to remain in the dark myself and not let it be known that I was on board as a HERALD commissioner, The investigation into the emigrants’ conveyance from the’ Old to the New World is at the present day a matter which interests and concerns hundreds of thousands in every civilized country, and the subject is now en- gaging some attention in England. The English journals lately announced that our government had sent over from Washington, to the ports of England and Germany, & number of employés commissioned to return in the steerage after the best style they could manage to get up in order to escape detection, and for the purpose of reporting upon THE EMIGRATION PASSAGE, Consequently, at Liverpool, I was not surprised to find a sharp lookout kept for the emissaries; and Im fact the clerks and agents of the various lines have their eyes so wide open that it is not likely Many government employés could pass over the Ocean as bona Jide sieerage passengers, and s0 @btain a faithful picture of the scenes on board, Nor, on the other hand, is it so easy, as might at first glance be thought, to avoid having your secret pried out by the inquisitive eyes and tongues of the passengers themselves. No little diplomacy and adaptability to circumstances are requisite in order to be “one of them’”—namely, to prevent them from suspecting that you never have han- dled any instrument of labor whatever, and never could, by any manner of means. Happily for the successful fulfilment of my task,a knowledge of g@everal of the Continental languages enabled me, as I found out, not only to engage their attention and neutralize any guesses that might be made, but also to procure information trom them as to their past life and future prospects, their hopes of the country to which they were passing, and their ‘opinions of THE COUNTRIES LEFT BEHIND. them. Ina measure one had (as one best might) to dress, eat, drink and be merry; to walk abouton the decks and pull ropes, to hoist sail, to eschew reading, and writing “limited; to talk and think like them—in a word, to commune with them; and, im fact, if la Commune may be said to exist any- whére it surely exists in the steerage of an eml- grant steamer. For the time being I had to prove myself a good Communard, and from the starting to the ending of the trip Lam certain that not one soul on board the Egypt suspected me of travelling im any other capacity than that of an emigrant. With the officers I did not desire to come into too close communication, nor did I aim to avoid them, Of course, if either officers or passengers had Known that there was one among them taking notes to print little chance would have remained to me of secing things as they really were. All would have stood more or less on their p’s and q’s; even the crew themselves might spontaneously have be- haved differently, and, in truth, I would only have bad a peep at the outside of affairs. I succeeded in keeping my incognito religiously, ana am thus able to lay before the readers of ° the HERALD an exact and impartial statement of what really does occur on the ocean steerage passage. on my application for a stecrage ticket at one of the company’s offices it was readily accorded withont any ques- tions, in return for the price orsix guineas. On proceeding to the docks to take up my allotted ten days’ home in the Egypt [ found there a lively ex- citement and no little bustle and confusion. Men, women and children of all nationalities were em- barking, amid hurried preparations and anxious expectations; some amid sad partings with rela- tives and friends. “Farewell” has always amore serious meaning to those leaving land to go down into the depths of the sea; and in this instance it ‘was quite clear, from the remarks passing around, that the emigrants had read or heard of THE FATE OF THE ATLANTIC. | The scene was, however, even more queer, com- ical and interesting (as being out of the smooth, common run of life) than sad, The dresses, at- tirements and equipments; the boxes, bundles, bags and baggage of all forms and outward colors; the going to and fro; the gesticulation in default of language; the calling, the laughing ana the hum of voices; the shouting of the dock hucksters and venders; the bargaining of the cmigrants— many being reduced to pantomime of the best and most earnest quality—for knives and forks, tin cups, pans and plates and bedding, or mattresses and blankets, to lay upon the plank “bunks,” &c,—all this went to make up a picture which any artist might well desire to represent on canvas. Steerage passengers were on board with their traps at eight o'clock in the morning of the appointed day of sailing, Saloon or cabin passen- gers came on in a tender at half-past four P. M., aiter the steamer had left her station in the docks and taken up her position AT ANCHOR IN THE MERSEY, off Princess’ landing. Two steamers left for the same destination shortly before our hour of sail- ing, and while we were all waiting to start the Tiver was covered with small boats doing their service, and the landings were crowded with eager Spectators. After we got out into the stream, about noon, there was still a delay until eight P, M., when the donkey engine was set to work to heave up the anchor; and when this was raised the big ship slowly steamed out of port with her live cargo amid the waving of handkerchiefs {rom the shore. While we were undergoing this delay all ‘Was still confusion. Many were stillengaged hunt- ing out and arranging their bunks and conveying about from deck to deck their small personal lug- gage, in order to stow it away in some easily gotten at hole, and so prevent its being thrown and crushed amid the heavier boxes down in the hold. Dinner the first was served up atl P. M., and a half hour later the medjcal examination was passed to see if the pas- sengers were in a sufliciently healthy condition to be allowed to proceed on the trip without any fear of contagious diseases, All hands were mustered pon the upper deck and then made to passa given space in sipele lc bplore one Englisy dyctor 1 STRERAGH PASSAGE, | — 4 [firm of Liverpool. 600 NEW YORK HERALD, TUESDAY, JUNE 17, 1873—TRIPLE SHEET. and a French assistant. It was simply a walk by, when the passengers’ faces were glanced at, but far too rapidly to detect the presence of illness or lurking maladies, The visit was unnecessarily rapid and superficial; there was plenty of time to | have given each passenger a more thorough exam- | ination, An hour cannot be said tobe too much time for the due sanitary inspection of nearly a thousand persons, yet the doctors of the National line got over their job in a very few minntes. One young woman was required in passing by to turn up her veil from over her face; and a few little Italian Arabs, of the singing profession, were hastily shoved on one side for a more detailed ex- amination, But they, as well as all, were soon al- lowed to proceed on their way rejoicing. Too | much cannot be said upon the necessity of a good medical examination in these ocean steamers so densely packed with living freight, yet the medical | examination of which I am writing seemed to be that particular job most expeditiously transacted. In this connection the company’s direction needs overhawing, THE NATIONAL LINE claim in their handbills to own the largest steam- ships afloat, It was a common remark on the Egypt, the boast of her subordinate servants, that we stood on the “largest steamer afloat,’ with the single exception of the Great Eastern, The company has no less than twelve iron screw steamers plying be- tween Liverpool and New York, and enjoys a good reputation in England. I heard it highly spoken | of both by “Manchester men” and “Liverpool gen- tlemen.”’ It is a fact that the line is now very suc- cessful and is reaping a rich harvest, especially from the conveyance of emigrants to the United States, although at the outset of its carcer it was tried by many disasters encountered. These were met bravely and overcome with obstinacy. The ships composing the line are the following :— : 25 ka fEehe SESSeSERS: Ps England. THE BaYPT is the newest, the crack ship of the line, and her build is especially adapted for speed. Her internal parts are remarkable for two very desirable ends— strength combined with lightness—a great conside- ration nowacays on board steamers in which every inch of free space is worth so much money. Her beams are all made of wrought iron, the decks underlaid with armor plates and her hall being of iron plates of one inch thickness, This metallic construction leaves very little room for woodwork for the doors, cabins and doors, and she is thus made almost fireproof. She has three decks, excluding the hold, which might be termed the fourth deck, as passengers are berthed there when- ever the other decks are entirely filled. The lower deck and the hold are used for steerage passengers in her outward trips from Liverpool, as she almost always books enough emigrants to fil them. On the voyage in question she had nigh on one thou- sand emigrants In the steerage, with twenty cabin passengers, On tne rorage, previous she brought over 1,800, Since the cate of this year she has conveyed to the New World nearly ten thousand settlers. At this rate the whole number of aliens who have emigrated to the United States from the foundation of the government up to 1870, or, accord- ing to the report of the Bureau of Statistics, 7,803,000, will be largely increased in a very brief ertod of time. The engines were built in 1871 by essrs. James Jack, Kollo & Co., the well-known They are double acting horse power nowminally, but really having the strength of 1,000, ‘They are constructed on the latest patent, which is now being used on all steamers built on the Mersey and at Blackwall. They combine high and low pressure, so long a desideratum—the first riving speed and the second steadiness. On secur- ng perinission I was enabled to examine, as minutely as time would permit, their general con- struction, and it was easy to sec they are ex- pressly adapted for long and protracted voyages, if necessary. They made duri the voyage an average of twelve and a half to thirteen knots an hour, going at the rate of fifty-four strokes to the minute, or say something like one million strokes for the whole voyage across the Atiantic. Every stroke was aly registered by a most ingenious contrivance. ‘ith a iull supply of coal no engine of this class need be the means of such disasters as that which recently occurred near the North Atlantic coast, ant the Messrs. Jack & engines, of Co, are entitled to credit for the work they have put upon the Egypt. They are engines made for graft—a term that wil! be understood by engineers in general to be relied upon. I made two visits to the engine room, which is sttnated about fifty yards from the stern of the ship, the bottom of her cylinders being | fixed on a@ par with the lower deck and placed in jine with the vessel. Had the engines been elght f six hundred horse power, the voyage to ‘by the vessel in question, could have been shortened by a couple of days at least. The immense cylinder of the low pressure engine renders good service to the high pressure one, on count ofthe steadiness it gives toit, and itis accepted to-day that they can with advantage be put into any vessel of 100 horse power and up- wards. Such powerful machines need very little service from the rigging. The only defect that could be pointed out is that they are too small for a ship 447 fcet long, 42 feet wide, 50 feet deep. The worki capacity of her boilers is 65 pounds per square inch; cylinders 70 pounds per square inch. The condensing cylinder is 9 feet in diameter and the high pressure cylinder 6 feet 6 inches in diameter; length of stroke, 4 feet. To replace the old tackle her donkey en- gines are decidedly an eficient substitute. There are no less than eight pairs of them, and they do the iting with wonderful ease and rapidity. Six are on deck, for heaving the anchor, hoisting lug- gage, cargo, kc.; two below, one for feeding the hot water boiler, the other for hoisting the ashes and other refuse from the firing place, where the stokera appear to the eye of the looker-on as so many miners working in a coal pit. In point of fact, for mechanical appliances of the most modern character, the National Steamship Company's steamer Egypt may fairly be pronounced Al. It is hardly necessary to remark that these various mod- ern improvements are a ‘great help to the crew of such a large vessel, who, without them, would often bie the benefit of a good sweating. hs HE EMIGRANTS’ BED OF ROSES. On leaving her place in the docks the Egypt was fitted up with banks made of inch boards for the temporary sleeping accommodations. The bunks, or beds, Were ranged on both sides of the ship, each compartment containing twenty, or two tiers of ten beds each, divided by a single board. At a glance they bear very much the appearance of a casual ward in @ poorhouse. Down the centre between these bunks were placed tem- porary tables, also of boards. This arrangement was the same for the entire length of the stip from stem to stern—haif the length of the forward part being allotted to males and the other hali, abaft, being given up to the 1air sex, or, as the tickets say, ‘“lemules.”” In the dominions of the latter the rules and regulations of the company allow none but married men to enter; so it ts marked down tn black and white. The married women’s berths were separated from those of the unmarried, who are placed in rooms apart under the charge of a matron. There was a board division completely intercepting the male and female quarters, With a sinall door of admission on each side of the bunk ranges (the machinery of the engines being boxed up and intervening in the centre of the ship). Strictly speaking, these doors were not always kept closed or guarded, Truc, a guard is appointed to see that they are always closed against undue comers; but I walked through from first to last without ever being disturbed or turned back, and | saw and met many eugaged doing like- wise. I took ample time for examination into what was going on, and Whenever so examining | could always see others—young men—taving no stint of frolicking with the young women, stewards and cooks appeared to be favored among the favored, and they were seen to indulge in no little hugging and kissing of the lassies, sans ctr monie and without respect to nationality. In re- turn, some of the lassies seemed to have the run of the Kitchen, which is truly @ great point for those who have a good stomach on shipboard, There was a great deal of what might be set down as LOOSENESS OF MORALS, but nothing appeared that was positively immoral in an obscene sense, The opportunities for im- Moral proceedings must needs be many and fre- quent in such a throng so placed; on the Egypt they were assuredly not diministed by adequate supervision on the part of trustworthy keepers. The guardianship, as exercised, was by no means sufficient; entrance was had, with or without pre- text, and favoritism and tipping held sway there as with the cooks, There was plenty of groaning on the part of seasick women, crying on the part of the children night and day; plenty of untidiness and uncleanliness, perhaps on account of the young ones and the scantiness of water, All things considered, my conclusion was that greater attention should be bestowed on the women’s department and a far stricter vigilance kept over it. The women were required to leave the upper deck at dusk, er eight P. M., very properly, and this rule was well enforced, In regard to the sleeping accommodations, there is one disagreeable feature connected with the bunks which was much com- lained of. In consequence of their hing put up in the most temporary style and witho.* the ade- quate means of protection for each compa ‘tment, those passengers who have small luggage ana per- sonal requisites with them (and they must ke p some in the bunks) remain in constant fear vf being robbed, as there always must be among so many emigrants and sailors a class of individuals on the Les Ups TO BETTER THEMSELVES at the expénse of thetr neighbors. This might easily be prevented by @ more permanent system of constructing the bunks, and that, too, without in the least interfering with that most important consideration—viz., ventilation. Gaps sufficient: wide to push & boy through were left worldly ‘ions. This is a great drawback, and could easily be prevented by fitting the bunks up properly in the first instance, instead of build- img them in the present loose manner. Upon taking them down to make room for the return cargo the arts could simply be marked or numbered, just as the detaiis of the engines, and could always be found for their places. A little additional care on the part of the ship’s carpenter would afford this protection, The oft recurring remark of a fellow steerage passenger in pagers to this little griev- ance Was, “No, it’s the old story; no money, no protection, holds a& good on water a8 on land.” ‘rhe comp: 7 handbuls state that passengers are provided wii AS MUCH AS THEY CAN KAT and drink, and this is a statement nearly correct. Only it 1s to be added that they are offered much more than they can eat, for the simple reason that it is impossible to eat some of the provisions atall. Salt junk one day and the junk without the salt on the next were the sub- stantial portions of the menu, and there were very few wio partook heartily of such wretched fare, most eating it only to prevent the gnawings of hunger. Others abstained from touching it, or threw ‘it wholesale out of the port holes. None but the most ravenous could feast on the meat or fivh furnished, Three meals a day were given; breakfast at eight A. M., dinner at one P. M. supper at six P, M. The atewards alwi hurried the passengers through their mei which they invariably anticipated by a full half hour over the times appointed in the Tegulations, ating and drinking were not over sometimes before they took up their brooms and shouted to all, “Go up on deck, on deck!” “On deck” became a parrot cry among the facetious, The stewards, moreover, were very rough, whe} not surly, in serving the passengers, and on the! art it Was one unceasing volley of oaths and foul janguage, add:essed indifferently to those who could understand them and those who could not, A troop of sheep could not be milder than were the foreigners from the Continen!, and they were ready to put up with a good deal. Among all, I only saw one gentieman from Cork take down the pride of a steward boy by giving him “‘a piece of his mind,” sharply spoken, THE BREAKFAST COURSE, a8 promised, was as follows:—Coffoo, sugar and fresh bread and butter.’ The coffee was wretched and insufficientiy sweetened. There was plenty of it. The bread was fresh and passably well baked for ship; but only one small loaf of eight ounces was given out every morning. The butter was very good throughout and suilicient in quantity. As to @ dose of oatmeal porridge and molasses promised by the bill of fare by way ol variety, it Was conspicuous for its absence, Nobody ever saw either article, THE DINNER COURSE, as promised, was ‘Beef, or pork and soup, with po- tatoes and biscuit, or fish and potatoes, and on Sunday pudding added.” The soup was good. The beef bad all the time, as above men- tioned. For the most part it was gristle and as tongh as oakum; and when it came in the shape of salt junk, wearing a reddish tinge, a8 on every other day, it was so much worse that but few could stomach it, and the slices went the way of the port holes. It was very clear that the company had looked {grward to that increase of appetite which sea air is said to give liberally; little, it seemed, did they bear in mind that even French, Italian and German peasants and laborers when at home know how to cook and are accordingly accustomed to their little dainties, however todest. ‘The pork was not seen. ‘The po- tatoes were served up in true Hibernian style— namely, with their jackets on; bat I observed that the stewards and the*crew got the first pick of them out of the kettles as soen as they came off the fire in the cook house. Indeed, for that matter, everybody on board fared better than the steer- agers. There was never any bread of any descrip- tion given at dinner. Fish was given twice on Fri- ba be but it literally stunk and was of the toughest cod that ever swum, No species of sauce could have rendered it fit for table—that is, palatable— not even that of a Parisiay chef de cuisine. 1t was by nearly all turned away from in disgust, and if ven for the purpose of causing us to last on Fri- lays it certainly may be said to have been a suc- cess. The pudding Vouchsafed on Sundays was not good; but then no one looked for superfuities of that Kind, and all would have been contented with other and heaithier solids of less pretensions, THE SUPPER COURSE, a8 promised, was “tea, sugar, biscuits and but- ter.” The tea was much better than the coffee, but, of course, not such as to put before old ladies. Like the coffee, it was sparingly sweetened. The biscuit—best known as crackers—a name far more expressive, for they were generally cracked up in a thousand pieces when the tin dishes holding them were set on the tables, were good but insul- ficient in quantity. Only one biscuit per man was allowed and there was much scrambling to get that. Some few had invariably to go without any atall. They were in demand and tt was one of the amusing incidents at meais to witness Hans and Pat, the two great rival claimants, crowding each other to secure their share of the spoils, Consider- ing the quality and quantity of the provisions, one is forcea to conelude that six guineas must he a very small sum in the eyes of the proprietors of the Egypt. Of the 1,000 steerage passengers, yield- ing six guineas each, the cost of maintenance would not exceed one shilling per head per day, at the most, or $3,000 for the whole voyage. At this rate the sum mentioned would have supaited the steerage passengers with considerably better food than was served out to them. It certainly is not fair that the company should expect almost @ clear profit from the carrying of emigrants, CREW THE of the Egypt consisted of 150 hands all told. ‘The weather was such as not to call forth any particu: lar energy either on the part of the officers or men; it was a little rough during three days ap- proaching and leaving the bauks of Newfoundland. As far a8 working the steamer nautically, it was clear that the mauagement was efficient. Captain Grogan and his corps of officers were each up to the mark, at their several posts, and no signs were visible of failure or negligence in this respect. The chief trouble lay in this<that they are not required by the company directors to keep up a stricter discipline in regard to the deal- ing of the crew and the underlings with the steer- age passengers, and are not held to see that justice is done to the wants and rights of the almost help- Iess passengers entrusted to their charge. Neither the captain nor the officers went below in the steerage except to pay formal visits of inspection every morning. They did not go around and look into the management below thorougiily, or to in- quire into and observe the practical treatment to which the passengers had to submit. As a conse- quence the subordinates had things all their own way, and they not only continually insulted and pushed the emigrants about, but several of the Sailors used still rougher treatment. Of the ordinary sailors who did the work upon deck, some dozen or fifteen hands did their work pretty steadily, but whenever brought in contact with the passengers it was evident that they had rot been taught to entertain any respect for an emigrant ora “for- eigner.”” The passengers lying or moving to and from the decks were ordere4 about as if they were so many dogs. Many of the hands seemed to belong to tilat class of men who never take any interest in their work, and whose motto is, “Come day, go day, God send SUNDAY AND PLENTY OF GROG along with it.’ There were six oMicers, seven engi- heers, two mates, one purser, one surgeon, two head stewards, two interpreters, and they all seemed to know how to take care of themselves. The stewards were the greatest dignita- Ties, however, of all. They were never weary of giving orders to the emi- grants; their whooping, yelling and shouting were something deafening and frightening to the foreign portion of the passengers unaccustomed to such a summary a ot dealing and to having brooms and buckets brandished over their heads and shoulders. As a matter of fact the foreigners from ghe continental nations seemed by far the most “orderly, peaceable set of beings on board. They smoked, chatted and sung, and made the best of the new and, to them, strange state of things. Among the passengers Pat was the most boister- ous, and several of his own countrymen considered that he was allowed to be too noisy and meddie- some generally. The animosity between the Teu- oe Celtic races would break out now and then in PETTY QUARRELS AND BRAWLS, which were soon hushed up, however, by the inter- position of the more reasonable. The bulk of the crew was Celtic, most decided! Trish in brogue, manners and working hands, Most of the Irish passengers got on at Queenstown, and they were not by any means deficient in baggage; but the comical aspect of the various directions borne by that baggage was suffictent to create a smile on the features of the most phleymatical. The weird appearance and haliooing of the passengers them- selves as they came up the gansway from the tender—some in dishevelled hair, tattered cos- tumes and well worn rags—made another scene for the curious; and of course these arrivals were scanned closely by the others already en- sconced on board. There was no_ mistak- ing Pat, and still less chance of mistaking Pat's box, which appeared to be made of all kinds of wood, and, like Jogeph’s coat, of many colors. The address upon the boxes commenced vety near the bottom of the front sides, and, altiiongh begun in large letters, toward the end it tapered off in beautifut minuscules hardly pe:- ceptible. In several cases one portion of the word “America’’ was marked at one end of the box and the remainder at the other end. The German transtents were equally peculiar in their looks, manners and Inggage—ouly they were always gulet. Hans’ box was quite as odd and funny as Pat's, but far more solid, and its contents, when opened, appeared more solid too, Many had their boxes filed with bread which looked Itke the oll cake manufactured especially to fatten cattle. How- ever, none appeared destitute, All had on their backs or in their bundles and bags coarse but good, stout clothing, For safe keeping some ot their extra clothes Were worn on their backs, The Ger- man matrous, particularly, looked more like ani- mated bundles and puckages than human figures. One of the altercations that arose between the Irish and German D feeped St ended in a fight, The Germans whipped out their knives and would have madly used them had not the ship’s authori: ties interposed. Itis only fair to say that they were unceasingly provoked and annoyed rt the Irish, ‘These German knives were somewhat formi- aable, They were cased and siung in a belt around the waist in the Italian banditti fashion, These veapons they used on all occasions—ior eating, cutting tobacco or anything eise. THR TRUTONS’ UNCLEANLINESS. et in minding their own business peaceably, cer- tai aly it may be said the Germans carried off the on all sides. Those who had anything portable were compelled to sleep with it under some part of their tes for fear leet on opening their eyes in the morning they might have to open shem aul wider wom tho Absguoe OF All (helt alm. So iar, so good; but in point of cleanliness hey exhibited themselves behind all other nation- alities. Never on any ae occasion were they al seen to roll up their shirt sleeves when performing bogie AEDS OF TOW thg)k coljags down, to wash their sunburnt necks, They seemed to be allin a shiver whenever their fingers came in con- tact with water. Not one of them, except the very young, had anything like @ clean, healthy complexion, and ti hands and faces were en- veloped in shining grease, quite waterproof, They were very sober, jolly and sociable among them. sebves, and enjoyed famous appetites, too. They ate all they could get and more than anybody else. The satlors themselves were astonished at not finding any. of them to get seasick and vomit. Among others on board John Bull was also present, although numerically far inferior. Some were there who had left wile and family behind, trusting to Juture good fortune to sable them to send them over the means to follow suit. GOOD REASONS FOR EMIGRATING, There were wives who had abandoned their hus- bands for reasons of their own; children in arms; old men and women already past or very near pass- ing the allotted period of life, and who, in all haman probability, would never cross the broad Atlantic again, eu came Poles, Hungarians, Swedes, French and Italians. On fair days they all stayed upon decks, laid outstretched, sleeping, singing, Playing cards, smoking, chatting and generat passing the time as well as he could, Notwith- Standing al the movement the ship was kept very clean and admirably ventilated, its im- mense room being favorable in this respect. ‘There was no preacher on board, and no. divine service read on Sundays. A Tew read religious books or sung hymns; others played at cards— Italian cards, French cards, German cards, and Pat indulged in his favorite game at forty-fyes. There Were several Jews from Poland and Hungary on board, but they kept somewhat aloof trom the A of the passeugers and did not eat, of course, it the same table, ‘They nad the privilege of cook- ing their own provisions in the kitchen and serving them up among themselves. They were very dirty and ragged, but seemed exceeding!y pious. Night and morning they stood up on deck, in a cluster, and went through the services laid down in their Hebraic books. If their peculiar features had not (0 us aware that we had Israelites among us, their peculiar usages, customs, readings and cook- ings Would have done so, BAD TREATMENT BY THE CREW. Thave said the treatment was rough. On Sun- day, June 1, an old Hungarian by the name of David Klein had his face blacked on the upper deck, amtdst all the crowd, by one of the salors called “Wickins—the wag o: the crew and a species of pet, apparently, with the officers. This sailor Was Commissioned to keep a clear passage throughout the length of the deck. He deliberately called up the Hungarian and blacked his face out of pure wantonness and solely to make others laugh—“a bit of tun.” The old man resisted and Dasa became very mad. So smeared he tna- mediately went to where the first officer was standing on the bridge and appealed to him for re- dress the German language. The oilicer shrugged his shoulders as though wishing to intimate that he did’ not understand the speech. But he did understand, for saw him watching the whole proceeding, just as 1 was myself watching it, and only just before he was appealed to he had to call off the notorious Wickins, who was then pressing the Hungarian too hard, and carrying the matter with too high a hand altogether. Again, on the same day, about halfan hour later, Oscar P, Olofsson, a fine-looking, stout young Swede, had ms face blacked entirely by oue of the sailors stationed at the washing pump. He was pushed and threatened by the sailor, who wanted to send him up on deck as a laughing stock, ‘The Swede became very indig- nant, but did not strike out as he was fully abie to do; merely contenting himself to innocently use the few words of English at hig command and teil the sailor to “Go on, Ee ‘onl? Some parties separated him from his tormentor, and then he immediately went down to his bunk and engaged himself in rubbing the black off with a rag. He was so much shocked or fright- ened at this usage that he didn’t leave his bunk fora day. I talked with himin German. He was from the neighborhood of Stockholm, but seemed unconscious that anything like a coronation had occurred in those parts lately, and did not seem to care much for royalty, He had evidently left all that behind him, and was looking forward to iden dreams to be realized in America. On ‘ednesday, June 4, another young Swede of elght- een, by name Olof, was taken by the neck, called “gon of a b——h” and struck several blows on the body with a leather strap. All this because the Swede wanted to get water from the common sea- water uIP, always left pen and iree, and because the sailor, for some caprice, did not wish him to be there. The young boy did not resist, but shrunk away frightened and mortified, These are incidents of, perhaps, something more than “rough” treat- ment which fell under my eyes. Doubtless others occurred that 1 did not see. The ill-treated pas- sengers, had, however, paid their six guineas like the rest of us. Perhaps the company might think it fair to try and prevent such conduct for the tu- ture. I talked freely to all the foreigners about these proceedings, and they all manifested the greatest indignation and disgust. Many pro- claimed that they would never cross again 1n ships where such things are posstble. A YOUNG PRUSSIAN. Among the passengers was Maurice Bernhard, by trade a gardener, who is Irom Gusow, @ smail vil- lage thirty-two miles from Berlin. He is twenty three years old, and is now free trom active milita: duty. He would have started for the United States before, but he wished to leave only alter having fulfilled all the requirements of the military laws, so as to preserve his privilege of returning to his native land with- out molestation whenever he should feel like doing 80, His passage ticket, $31, had been sent to him from America; when it shouid be liquidated by his work he would look out for every opportunity to better himself, He didn’t like the food, in fact couldn’t eat it. It mace him sick, and ior twedays he had had nothing to eat. At last, stung by hunge he concluded to spend eighteen pence with the cook, and so procured something extra from the Kitchen. He was very mtelligent, aud spoke Kng- lish remarkably, as Prussians do, without accent, sometimes, He bad complained for one of his countrymen to the first officer, but in vain. Did not fancy such treatment, nor the behavior of the Irish toward the Germans. He had found the best way of dealing with the sailors was to look at them sternly, and they would tom away from a sharp, angry eye. The Germans were unaccustomed to deal with such men, He had tried to associate with the twelve Alsatiuns on board, but they would have nothing to do with him. Although German, they would not even speak their own language before him. He could account for their conduct only on the ground of its being based upon unreasoning passion. He ad- mitted that perhaps the French authorities had been a trifle softer and milder* than the Prussians naturally were, and hence the loss of the softer rule might be the cause of the Alsatian bitterness towards the Fatherland and yearning after la belle France. Vie had been to school until fourteen; then worked in Germany, then in France; then four years in Germany again, and lastly filtcen months in England. He had found the Euglish to be javier than the Germans, He considered the treatment on board rough, or, to use his own words, £8 ist rohe Behandlung. A YOUNG IRISHMAN. Patrick Hesher, aged thirty-one, from Galway. He had been earning eleven shillings per week on railway work, [is worldly possessions left in Ireland when he departed Were one milch cow and six acres of land; they were in charge of his brother. On being asked if his name was not a little German, he replied, “No, bedad, They are the dirtiest creatures I ever knew.” When in Ireland his monthly gains altogether had been £2 108.,and he could have lived on it scantily if alone; but he had aiamily. He raised oats, potutoes and Wheat on his six acres—250 busifels of wheat to the acre. The turnips were given to the pigs for food, He had found guano excessively dear in Ireland, and had paid filtcen shillings and six- pence per hundred, and hence could not stand the hardness of the markets. He was ou his way to lilinois to seek work. AN ALSATIAN. Louis Philippe Rogenmoser, a native of the last village next to Belfort, St. Dannemaric, ceded to Prussia. He was twenty-eight years old. Being in Champagne at the time of the option, he nad opted for the French nationality and secured a deciara- tion to that effect trom the French Mayor. He will settle in Augusta, Georgia, Where he has @ brotuer established tn business. He nad found the Prus- sians, during a recent visit to his old home, to be looked upon by ail as the plague wherever they i They bad no regard for the people under em. AN ITALIAN. Antonio Visconti, age 31, the pertect type of the Neapolitan fisherman, had just ocen liberated from active military service, and was on his Way to see his brother m Chicago, His brother had sent him the means to come over, aud had been some years back competied to fy from the Itaijan lw to Chi- cago, Where he had settled asa stonecutter. His fight was owing to a personal encounter he had had with another young man near Saierno, in which the latter Was killed, A love aifuir, jeal- ousy, &c. FIGHTS. A couple of fisticui? fights took place on Saturday night, June 7, at the bar. One of them was be- tween two Irish passengers, over the rightiul and unrightful possession of half a crown, and the other between the boatswain and a sailor, WlO was eager to interfere in the quarrel, SANITARY. There was one death during the trip, but, for the rest, the health of ail on board was perfect, The death was that of a young boy of sixteen, named Mack McHiunt, from the county o! Clare, Ireland. He died in hospital from the effects of sunstroke, on Sunday, Janes. He was immediately buried, in the deep, off Sandy Hook. FIRST GLIMPSE OF AMERICA. . Eager glances pierced the horizon as dvanced in American waters. The new com! and had been the theme of many a long and animated con- versation on board, and at last, as the first glimpse of Sandy Hook was caught, ‘y countenance brightened and cheers were and the promised land of wot one of the Italians could only express, his joy by stating the fact, according to him, that Columbus first dis- covered New York. Standing on the prow le went on to repeat the story o: Columbus and the egg a3 appropriate to the time and place, e lett Liverpool at eight o'clock P. M., May 28, and arrived off Queenstown at three P. M., where we were detained by fog until eleven A. M., May 50, when we sailed for New York at half-past nine P.M. June 8 the Egypt grounded off Sandy Hook shortly alter picking up her pilot. As the tide was low her anchors were let down. At a quarter-past four A. M. succeeding she avatied herself of the ris- ing waters to steam off the sands and into harbor, Alter the usual health visits she dropped anchor off her pier in North River at nine A. Me thus making the voyage from Queenstown to New York in ten days, three hoars. ‘There wad along delay on board 40 Castle Gardep—ten WouEy CUBA LIBRE. President Cespedes’ Acknowledgment of Herald Enterprise. THE LIGHT HAS BEEN SHED. An Appeal to the United States Government. Fornaris y Cespedes Testifies to the Herald Men. Indignant Remonstrance by the Cuban Patriots to the Spanish Republicans. Documents from the Rebel Lines Brought by Mr. Millen, the Herald's Secret Commissioner. Letter from President Cespedes. REswEeNcE or THE ExxcurTive, April 26, 1873. Mr. James Gorpon Benverr, New York : Sm—Tho enterprises of men would be vain and inefficient if the spirit of perseverance did not sustain them. For that you have worked out those that are calling the attention of the universe. To go through regions that barbarism and despotism desire to make eternally dar‘, unknown and terrible, the boldness of Mr. Stanley, who marched through the deserts of Africa in search of the renowned traveller, was not enough ; it was neces- Livingstone, sary to explore also the mysterious fields of THE GARDEN OF THE AMERICAN HESPERIDES, where men more barbarous and despotic than the petty kings of Africa, wish to rule others on whose feet they would put fetters, and drive them to be sold, like swine, in the mar- kets of Cuba; masters who aro still more dan- gerous from being clad in a deceptive garment that makes them RESPECTABLE TO CULTIVATED NATIONS. Mr. Henderson first comes; he visits a part of Camaguay, and goes away precipitately from the island, on learning the insidious intima- tions of the ‘“‘Volunteers,’’ who assassinated a foreigner because he wore a cravat as blue as the sky of Cuba; but he is succeeded by Mr. O'Kelly, who penetrates the mountains and plains of the Eastern Department, and is im- prisoned, and who now runs THE GREATEST RISK OF LOSING HIS LIFE, Notwithstanding this, following him, now comes Mr. Millen, and, treading in Mr. O’Kelly’s footsteps, gathers up, lest they be lost, those valuable data which, perhaps, the modern Vandals wish to destroy. This proves once more that : AN IDEA DOES NOT DIB, and that these men, representatives of an idea, will make it brighten in the eyes of their brothers even from the summit of Gol- gotha. AN APPEAL. Enough now, sir, of sacrifices, The light has been shed. You have resolved the prob- lem. It now belongs to your government to convert it to a useful practice. WHAT HAS BEEN SHOWN. You have demonstrated that in the forests of virgin Cuba an entire virtuous people exist, brave and hospitable, who fight for their just rights; that the access to them is easy to the | friends of the rights of humanity, and that to make it more free to the civilized world it is only necessary to press with a firm hand the ferocious bloodhounds who bark at our doors, THE HERALD MEN IN CUBA. I shall conclude, sir, acknowledging with pleasure the perfect gentlemanliness and dis- passionate views with which your correspon- dents have presented themselves in Cuba. Yours, with the greatest consideration and appreciation, C. M. DE CESPEDES. Letter from Fornaris y Cespedcs. Genenat Heapguartrnrs in Sema, | April 27, 1873. | § | Mr. James G. Bennetr:— Stmr—Africa guarded in her deserts the secret of the existence of an eminent man; the world was anxious to know his fate; you sent an explorer to Africa to unveil her secret, and the world now knows that Dr. Livingstone is not dead, There was in the Southern States of the great Republic a terrible struggle; the American people wished to know its oatises; you sent a commissioner tothe field of action, and the American people are now in- formed of the motives of the mysterious con- tention. FOR MORE THAN FOUR YEARS has Cuba struggled to conquer her independ- ence. Spanish tyranny has surrounded in the profoundest darkness the cause of Cuba. The submarine cable, an element of progress for civilized socicty, has served as an instru- ment for the rulers of this great Antille to send to all parts the idea of our supposed weakness and of our unjust pretensions to constitute ourselves a free people. You, sir, wishing TO THROW LIGHT ON ALL QUESTIONS that agitate mankind, sent here first Mr. Hen- derson, afterwards Mr. O'Kelly, and later Mr. Millen, so that they would make clear our de- mands, You have done more than the gov- ernment in Washington in favor of tho eman- cipation of an American people. You know perfectly how to harmonize the interests of your great journal with the general mterestd of civilization and of progress and with THE CAUSE OF HUMANITY. You merit, in consequence, the applause of als impartial men. Receive, then, that of a Cuban patriot, who profits by the first opportunity offered, and hastens to assure you of his ad™ miration for your efforts in favor of science and liberty, and also of the appreciation and the highest consideration of your obedient servant, FERNANDO FORNARIS Y CESPEDES, Member and Secretary of the Cuban Congress A REMONSTRANCE FROM THE CUBAN PATRIOTS TO THE SPANISH REPULICANS, To THE REPUBLICAN PARTY OF SPAIN:— Again, from the territory of free Cuba, American, republicans address themselves to you, Spanish’ republicans, If, in atone of complaint, we send you the ex” pression of our sentiments touching the political attitude that you assume, which is go little consist ent with those republican principles that you blazom abroad, great to-day is our wonder to see that, having made your doctrines triumphant and e8- tablished the Republic in Spain, the tools of despot- ism continue—authorized by men who give them- selves the name of republicans—to commit in Cuba the same crimes, the same assassinations» identical cruelties, presenting over and over thet same scenes of savagery as before your advent power. We will not deny that, although the illasiom lasted but a little while, we thought for a moment that, if not to us, whose opinions should be knowm to you, at least to those Cubans who are with yout would be conceded rights and privileges besidea, those that are a laughing stock and a sanguinary! farce in the name of your lauded Republic, We do not forget for'a moment—we sce it well— 1t was Spain only that was considered. We thought for a moment that we were about to witness the logic of facts; that, laying aside your arms and ceasing to exercise a pressure om Cubans; that, taking away the apparatus of force,. you would say to them, “You can, with entire libe erty, deposit your vote.” We hoped, illusivelys* that you would convoke, in picbiscite, that part of the people to know their opinion. Foolishness, you are Spantards! In place of logic, crime; in place of right, forces for justice you have substituted the whip. The whip! yes, that even now crosses the shoule ders of the slave. Ofthe slave! And you call yourselves republie cans? And there is a phantom, an incomprehenst~| ble thing that 1s called the Spanish Republic; yes in Cuba slavery exists! And many of you Dave: deceived the people, hundreds and hundreds of times, in delivering aboilitionist speccies. And you belong, in the greater part, to the Spane ish Abolitionist Society! Hereditary monarchy may have dicd in Spain, as you have written; but parliamentary, democratic, or elective forins have not yet been revived, not- withstanding your cry, as if to delude your cone science ‘Spain, with honor |’? Marked, as we were, like 60 many reprobates, with the horrible stigma of slavery that existed im our country, We launched ourselves any way intor the fight to wash away that stain; to throw off the weight that oppressed us; to redeem ouracives: from that sin of poor humanity, comprehending: that only the baptism of frightful misfortunes and ills without number and the atrocious martyrdom that to-day weighs over the poor Cuban people could rehabilitate us. ‘The fault was great; its atonement should be! immense. This consideration has cheered and given us strength to not vacillate in the presence’ of the fearful picture of the blood of innocent, sacri+ ficed victims, shed in torrents; of that hecatomb,) the (ruit of thousands fand thousands of judicial’ and military assassinations, which have served in. giving appetite to the sanguinary passions of the volunteers, Repeatedly, more to comply ourselves with a! duty than because we expected any resmits from our suggestions, have we addressed the Spanish authorities of the island, asking that the war might be regularized. Our efforts have been uses less, and they reckon upon the4act of us express ing ourselves in the sense that @ decision to thig end would not imply on our part either the wish or the design that on that account we should be Tecognized as beligerents. Each petition of this kind was always followed by coarser perpetration of all kinds of crimes, greater violence, mutilations more frightful, a more savage color to the war, without quarter, that desolates the fields of Cuba; that has destroyed the greater part of her riches; decimated her towns; the same as to-day, Spain, calling herself a republic, in her impotent rage, in the agonizing convulsions of her power andrule in Cuba, shows herself more fero- cious and sanguinary, invents new martyrdoms, and rivets firmer the chains of slavery. We—let us confess it—formerly liked your sym- pathies, not because you gave us assistance; not because you could have contributed anything towards the gaining of our struggle—no, by heaven!—but only because it was pleasing, think- ing you true republicans—not to find ourselves alone in our ancient country in defence of reason; not to find ourselves isolated in the arena where right is sustained; not to be mean vassqls where justice is invoked, but onty because, as honorable men, we aspire to have followers, friends, co religionists. A curious spectacle that which the Republic of Spain affords in Cuba, Figueras, Castelar, Pi y Margall, Salmeron, de- fending the right of conquest. Salmeron, Pi y Margall, patronizing siavery. Establishing tn Porto Rico under the pretext of abolishing it a slavery of new form, Simulating that they manumit beings when, on the contrary, they condemn them! Republicans of the world, forget their speeches, tear the leaves from their books; what they told you was false, what they wrote you, lics, People of Spain, those are your governors; re~ publicans of Spain, they are your chiefs. If we, patriots anit true republicans, would have one day attempted to show to the worid the false- ness of your doctrines, the lying republic that im Spain has raised itself—never our efforts—never our mockery—would have reached the sublime ca- ricature presented in the peninsula, No, never could we have conceived so grotesque- a scain as that whicn is attempted to be repre- sented by the Deputies of Cuba, who, it is somes times said, will be elected when we /sic.) lay down our arms—as if the Cubans, who are in sympathy with them, should suffer for our fauits, At other times itis Said our social problems cannot be re= solved without having that representation which, even if once carried out, elected under the vigilance of the volunteers, Who would punish with death the individual who, by his vote, might disagree with them, the genuine and falthiul opinion of the people can never be expressed. Spanish rule in Cuba was founded on rights that have disappeared, which you, Spaniards, have puiled down and scoffed at. It was founded in con~ quest; afterwards it was made a part solely of the, dynasty; later, it belonged to the monarchy, and your own history proves that you disavowed the first mght and sanctified your own rebelliousness by treading upon the dynasty and then rending the monarchy in pieces, For none of these acts did you count upon us. The first, through the remote- ness of time, it was not possible to deal with; the others happened in our own days, Why then, when speaking of ua, do you invoke the integrity of the national territory? Why that: sarcasm Considered by you asa herd of cattle, a thing hereditable, did you count upon our vote in those transformations? When you launched from the throne Dona Isabella, the second Bourbon, did you Castelar, Figueras, consult our opinion? When, as the product of for. eign charity, and after a long time going about re- CONTINUED ON TENTH PAGE,