months in Savannah a few years before, I was
aware from personal inspection of the wretchedly low character of the
sailor boarding houses in that city; and I shuddered at the idea of
passing the few days or weeks of my sojourn in Savannah at one of these
"omnium gatherums" of intemperance and iniquity.

I gave to my shipmates such a graphic but faithful description of the
sailor boarding houses in Savannah, that the boatswain of the brig,
with Jonas Silvernail and William Jones, agreed to join me in trying to
secure quarters of a character somewhat more respectable than the dens
of iniquity frequented by sailors. We flattered ourselves there would
be no difficulty in finding such a boarding house as we wished, knowing
there were many mechanics at that time in Savannah, temporary residents,
who were accommodated with board in well-regulated families at a
reasonable rate, and we saw no reason why we should not be treated with
equal favor.

Accordingly, the day after our arrival in port, having received our
discharge, we carefully removed from our hands all stains of tar, rigged
ourselves out in our neatest apparel, put on our most sober and demure
faces, and started off on a cruise after a boarding house. We had
received some desultory information from persons we had fallen in with
about the wharves, which in a measure influenced our course.

We were not particularly successful in our quest. The simple fact which
we could not deny, that "WE WERE SAILORS," was sufficient to bar every
door against our entrance. It was in vain we represented ourselves as
remarkably staid and sober sailors, possessing amiable dispositions,
not given to liquor or rowdyism, and in search of quiet quarters in a
respectable family.

To all this the one fatal objection was opposed, "WE WERE SAILORS,"
and of course could not reasonably expect to be received into any
respectable house. No faith was given to our professions of sobriety.
The term "sailor" in the minds of those good people was synonymous with
"blackguard" or "drunken vagabond." It comprehended everything which was
vile or wicked. After applying at more than a dozen different places,
and finding the estimate of a sailor's character every where the same,
and that exceptions to the general rule in this case were not allowed,
we reluctantly abandoned our exploring expedition, disgusted and
mortified at finding such unfounded prejudice existing against sailors,
whom WE not only believe