England.
Eighteen dollars per month was the pay, and thirty-six dollars in
advance. It was a fine, large American ship, a thousand tons burthen.
The owners were the banking firm of Duncan, Sherman & Co., No. 17 Wall
Street, New York City. The crew was composed of Swedes and Norwegians,
excepting three young Americans and myself. I was the only sailor
shipped in Mobile, the rest having been on board for a number of months.
To show the difference in cargoes, I will describe the loading of this
ship with cotton. In the first place, a hundred tons of stone ballast
had to be placed in the bottom. The bales of cotton at the warehouse
were put under powerful steam presses and reduced to one half the
original size. The old bands were tightened with levers, and two extra
bands added. Then the bale was sent to the ship and stowed as closely as
possible; then jack-screws were used, and a space made for an extra bale
to be jammed in, and, tier by tier, the cotton was screwed in by men
who made that work a specialty. Their pay was from three to five dollars
a day, with board included. The cargo was a solid, compact mass. The
bales averaged about five hundred pounds each, and yet, with that heavy
weight, the ship would not stand full sail in a moderate breeze. About
two weeks after leaving Mobile we had a severe gale. While close reefing
the main top-sail, one of the seamen was pulled over forward of the yard
by the sail, and instantly killed as he struck the deck.

On that trip we saw a vessel, about two miles to windward of us, struck
by a heavy squall. Its light sails were quickly furled, and the
top-sails lowered. All preparations were made on our ship to do the
same. We waited quite a while, but no squall came. Not a rope had to be
let go. The wind must have shot high up in the clouds and passed over
us. About six weeks after leaving Mobile we arrived off Holyhead. There
a large tug-boat took us in tow, and we were soon going up the Mersey
River, and at anchor, waiting for high tide in order to go into dock.
While coming up the river we were boarded by the custom-house officers.
All hands were ordered to bring out their tobacco. Then the search of
the ship began in earnest. With long, sharp-pointed steel wires they
prodded into everything and every place where tobacco could be hidden.
It was understood that what could be found would be confiscated. Much to
their disgust, none was found. What the officers had in the cabin was
put