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There began now to be a decided change in the appearance of things. The days became shorter and shorter; the sun running lower in its course each day, and giving less and less heat, and the nights so cold as to prevent our sleeping on deck; the Magellan Clouds in sight, of a clear, moonless night; the skies looking cold and angry; and, at times, a long, heavy, ugly sea, setting in from the southward, told us what we were coming to. Still, however, we had a fine, strong breeze, and kept on our way under as much sail as our ship would bear. Toward the middle of the week, the wind hauled to the southward, which brought us upon a taut bowline, made the ship meet, nearly head-on, the heavy swell which rolled from that quarter; and there was something not at all encouraging in the manner in which she met it. Being still so deep and heavy, she wanted the buoyancy which should have carried her over the seas, and she dropped heavily into them, the water washing over the decks; and every now and then, when an unusually large sea met her fairly upon the bows, she struck it with a sound as dead and heavy as that with which a sledge-hammer falls upon the pile, and took the whole of it in upon the forecastle, and, rising, carried it aft in the scuppers, washing the rigging off the pins, and carrying along with it everything which was loose on deck. She had been acting in this way all of our forenoon watch below; as we could tell by the washing of the water over our heads, and the heavy breaking of the seas against her bows, only the thickness of a plank from our heads, as we lay in our berths, which are directly against the bows. At eight bells, the watch was called, and we came on deck, one hand going aft to take the wheel, and another going to the galley to get the grub for dinner. I stood on the forecastle, looking at the seas, which were rolling high, as far as the eye could reach, their tops white with foam, and the body of them of a deep indigo blue, reflecting the bright rays of the sun. Our ship rose slowly over a few of the largest of them, until one immense fellow came rolling on, threatening to cover her, and which I was sailor enough to know, by the "feeling of her" under my feet, she would not rise over. I sprang upon the knight-heads, and, seizing hold of the fore-stay, drew myself up upon it. My feet were just off the stanchion when the bow struck fairly into the middle of the sea, and it washed the ship fore and aft, burying her in the water. As soon as she rose out of it, I looked aft, and everything forward of the mainmast, except the long-boat, which was griped and double-lashed down to the ring-bolts, was swept off clear. The galley, the pigsty, the hen-coop, and a large sheep-pen which had been built upon the fore-hatch, were all gone in the twinkling of an eye,-- leaving the deck as clean as a chin new reaped,-- and not a stick left to show where anything had stood. In the scuppers lay the galley, bottom up, and a few boards floating about,-- the wreck of the sheep-pen,-- and half a dozen miserable sheep floating among them, wet through, and not a little frightened at the sudden change that had come upon them. As soon as the sea had washed by, all hands sprang up out of the forecastle to see what had become of the ship; and in a few moments the cook and Old Bill crawled out from under the galley, where they had been lying in the water, nearly smothered, with the galley over them. Fortunately, it rested against the bulwarks, or it would have broken some of their bones. When the water ran off, we picked the sheep up, and put them in the long-boat, got the galley back in its place, and set things a little to rights; but, had not our ship had uncommonly high bulwarks and rail, everything must have been washed overboard, not excepting Old Bill and the cook. Bill had been standing at the galley-door, with the kid of beef in his hand for the forecastle mess, when away he went, kid, beef, and all. He held on to the kid to the last, like a good fellow, but the beef was gone, and when the water had run off we saw it lying high and dry, like a rock at low tide,-- nothing could hurt that. We took the loss of our beef very easily, consoling ourselves with the recollection that the cabin had more to lose than we; and chuckled not a little at seeing the remains of the chicken-pie and pancakes floating in the scuppers. "This will never do!" was what some said, and every one felt. Here we were, not yet within a thousand miles of the latitude of Cape Horn, and our decks swept by a sea not one half so high as we must expect to find there. Some blamed the captain for loading his ship so deep when he knew what he must expect; while others said that the wind was always southwest, off the Cape, in the winter, and that, running before it, we should not mind the seas so much. When we got down into the forecastle, Old Bill, who was somewhat of a croaker,-- having met with a great many accidents at sea,-- said that, if that was the way she was going to act, we might as well make our wills, and balance the books at once, and put on a clean shirt. "'Vast there, you bloody old owl! you're always hanging out blue lights! You're frightened by the ducking you got in the scuppers, and can't take a joke! What's the use in being always on the lookout for Davy Jones?" "Stand by!" says another, "and we'll get an afternoon watch below, by this scrape"; but in this they were disappointed, for at two bells all hands were called and set to work, getting lashings upon everything on deck; and the captain talked of sending down the long top-gallant-masts; but as the sea went down toward night, and the wind hauled abeam, we left them standing, and set the studding-sails.
The next day all hands were turned-to upon unbending the old sails, and getting up the new ones; for a ship, unlike people on shore, puts on her best suit in bad weather. The old sails were sent down, and three new topsails, and new fore and main courses, jib, and fore-topmast staysail, which were made on the coast and never had been used, were bent, with a complete set of new earings, robands, and reef-points; and reef-tackles were rove to the courses, and spilling-lines to the topsails. These, with new braces and clew-lines fore and aft, gave us a good suit of running rigging.
The wind continued westerly, and the weather and sea less rough since the day on which we shipped the heavy sea, and we were making great progress under studding-sails, with our light sails all set, keeping a little to the eastward of south; for the captain, depending upon westerly winds off the Cape, had kept so far to the westward that, though we were within about five hundred miles of the latitude of Cape Horn, we were nearly seventeen hundred miles to the westward of it. Through the rest of the week we continued on with a fair wind, gradually, as we got more to the southward, keeping a more easterly course, and bringing the wind on our larboard quarter, until--
Sunday, June 26th, when, having a fine, clear day, the captain got a lunar observation, as well as his meridian altitude, which made us in lat. 47° 50' S., lon. 113° 49' W.; Cape Horn bearing, according to my calculations, E. S. E. 1/2 E., and distant eighteen hundred miles.
Monday, June 27th. During the first part of this day the wind continued fair, and, as we were going before it, it did not feel very cold, so that we kept at work on deck in our common clothes and round jackets. Our watch had an afternoon watch below for the first time since leaving San Diego; and, having inquired of the third mate what the latitude was at noon, and made our usual guesses as to the time she would need to be up with the Horn, we turned-in for a nap. We were sleeping away "at the rate of knots," when three knocks on the scuttle and "All hands, ahoy!" started us from our berths. What could be the matter? It did not appear to be blowing hard, and, looking up through the scuttle, we could see that it was a clear day overhead; yet the watch were taking in sail. We thought there must be a sail in sight, and that we were about to heave-to and speak her; and were just congratulating ourselves upon it,-- for we had seen neither sail nor land since we left port,-- when we heard the mate's voice on deck (he turned-in "all-standing," and was always on deck the moment he was called) singing out to the men who were taking in the studding-sails, and asking where his watch were. We did not wait for a second call, but tumbled up the ladder; and there, on the starboard bow, was a bank of mist, covering sea and sky, and driving directly for us. I had seen the same before in my passage round in the Pilgrim, and knew what it meant, and that there was no time to be lost. We had nothing on but thin clothes, yet there was not a moment to spare, and at it we went.
The boys of the other watch were in the tops, taking in the top-gallant studding-sails and the lower and topmast studding-sails were coming down by the run. It was nothing but "haul down and clew up," until we got all the studding-sails in, and the royals, flying jib, and mizzen top-gallant-sail furled, and the ship kept off a little, to take the squall. The fore and main top-gallant sails were still on her, for the "old man" did not mean to be frightened in broad daylight, and was determined to carry sail till the last minute. We all stood waiting for its coming, when the first blast showed us that it was not to be trifled with. Rain, sleet, snow, and wind enough to take our breath from us, and make the toughest turn his back to windward! The ship lay nearly over upon her beam-ends; the spars and rigging snapped and cracked; and her top-gallant-masts bent like whip-sticks. "Clew up the fore and main top-gallant-sails!" shouted the captain, and all hands sprang to the clew-lines. The decks were standing nearly at an angle of forty-five degrees, and the ship going like a mad steed through the water, the whole forward part of her in a smother of foam. The halyards were let go, and the yard clewed down, and the sheets started, and in a few minutes the sails smothered and kept in by clewlines and buntlines. "Furl 'em, sir?" asked the mate. "Let go the topsail halyards, fore and aft!" shouted the captain in answer, at the top of his voice. Down came the topsail yards, the reef-tackles were manned and hauled out, and we climbed up to windward, and sprang into the weather rigging. The violence of the wind, and the hail and sleet, driving nearly horizontally across the ocean, seemed actually to pin us down to the rigging. It was hard work making head against them. One after another we got out upon the yards. And here we had work to do; for our new sails had hardly been bent long enough to get the stiffness out of them, and the new earings and reef-points, stiffened with the sleet, knotted like pieces of iron wire. Having only our round jackets and straw hats on, we were soon wet through, and it was every moment growing colder. Our hands were soon numbed, which, added to the stiffness of everything else, kept us a good while on the yard. After we had got the sail hauled upon the yard, we had to wait a long time for the weather earing to be passed; but there was no fault to be found, for French John was at the earing, and a better sailor never laid out on a yard; so we leaned over the yard and beat our hands upon the sail to keep them from freezing. At length the word came, "Haul out to leeward," and we seized the reef-points and hauled the band taut for the lee earing. "Taut band-- knot away," and we got the first reef fast, and were just going to lay down, when-- "Two reefs-- two reefs!" shouted the mate, and we had a second reef to take, in the same way. When this was fast we went down on deck, manned the halyards to leeward, nearly up to our knees in water, set the topsail, and then laid aloft on the main topsail yard, and reefed that sail in the same manner; for, as I have before stated, we were a good deal reduced in numbers, and, to make it worse, the carpenter, only two days before, had cut his leg with an axe, so that he could not go aloft. This weakened us so that we could not well manage more than one topsail at a time, in such weather as this, and, of course, each man's labor was doubled. From the main topsail yard, we went upon the main yard, and took a reef in the mainsail. No sooner had we got on deck than-- "Lay aloft there, and close-reef mizzen topsail!" This called me; and, being nearest to the rigging, I got first aloft, and out to the weather earing. English Ben was up just after me, and took the lee earing, and the rest of our gang were soon on the yard, and began to fist the sail, when the mate considerately sent up the cook and steward to help us. I could now account for the long time it took to pass the other earings, for, to do my best, with a strong hand to help me at the dog's ear, I could not get it passed until I heard them beginning to complain in the bunt. One reef after another we took in, until the sail was close-reefed, when we went down and hoisted away at the halyards. In the mean time, the jib had been furled and the staysail set, and the ship under her reduced sail had got more upright, and was under management; but the two top-gallant-sails were still hanging in the buntlines, and slatting and jerking as though they would take the masts out of her. We gave a look aloft, and knew that our work was not done yet; and, sure enough, no sooner did the mate see that we were on deck than-- "Lay aloft there, four of you, and furl the top-gallant-sails!" This called me again, and two of us went aloft up the fore rigging, and two more up the main, upon the top-gallant yards. The shrouds were now iced over, the sleet having formed a crust round all the standing rigging, and on the weather side of the masts and yards. When we got upon the yard, my hands were so numb that I could not have cast off the knot of the gasket if it were to save my life. We both lay over the yard for a few seconds, beating our hands upon the sail, until we started the blood into our fingers' ends, and at the next moment our hands were in a burning heat. My companion on the yard was a lad (the boy, George Somerby), who came out in the ship a weak, puny boy, from one of the Boston schools,-- "no larger than a spritsail-sheet knot," nor "heavier than a paper of lamp-black," and "not strong enough to haul a shad off a gridiron," but who was now "as long as a spare topmast, strong enough to knock down an ox, and hearty enough to eat him." We fisted the sail together, and, after six or eight minutes of hard hauling and pulling and beating down the sail, which was about as stiff as sheet-iron, we managed to get it furled; and snugly furled it must be, for we knew the mate well enough to be certain that if it got adrift again we should be called up from our watch below, at any hour of the night, to furl it.
I had been on the lookout for a chance to jump below and clap on a thick jacket and southwester; but when we got on deck we found that eight bells had been struck, and the other watch gone below, so that there were two hours of dog watch for us, and a plenty of work to do. It had now set in for a steady gale from the southwest; but we were not yet far enough to the southward to make a fair wind of it, for we must give Terra del Fuego a wide berth. The decks were covered with snow, and there was a constant driving of sleet. In fact, Cape Horn had set in with good earnest. In the midst of all this, and before it became dark, we had all the studding-sails to make up and stow away, and then to lay aloft and rig in all the booms, fore and aft, and coil away the tacks, sheets, and halyards. This was pretty tough work for four or five hands, in the face of a gale which almost took us off the yards, and with ropes so stiff with ice that it was almost impossible to bend them. I was nearly half an hour out on the end of the fore yard, trying to coil away and stop down the topmast studding-sail tack and lower halyards. It was after dark when we got through, and we were not a little pleased to hear four bells struck, which sent us below for two hours, and gave us each a pot of hot tea with our cold beef and bread, and, what was better yet, a suit of thick, dry clothing, fitted for the weather, in place of our thin clothes, which were wet through and now frozen stiff.
This sudden turn, for which we were so little prepared, was as unacceptable to me as to any of the rest; for I had been troubled for several days with a slight toothache, and this cold weather and wetting and freezing were not the best things in the world for it. I soon found that it was getting strong hold, and running over all parts of my face; and before the watch was out I went aft to the mate, who had charge of the medicine-chest, to get something for it. But the chest showed like the end of a long voyage, for there was nothing that would answer but a few drops of laudanum, which must be saved for an emergency; so I had only to bear the pain as well as I could.
When we went on deck at eight bells, it had stopped snowing, and there were a few stars out, but the clouds were still black, and it was blowing a steady gale. Just before midnight, I went aloft and sent down the mizzen royal yard, and had the good luck to do it to the satisfaction of the mate, who said it was done "out of hand and ship-shape." The next four hours below were but little relief to me, for I lay awake in my berth the whole time, from the pain in my face, and heard every bell strike, and, at four o'clock, turned out with the watch, feeling little spirit for the hard duties of the day. Bad weather and hard work at sea can be borne up against very well if one only has spirit and health; but there is nothing brings a man down, at such a time, like bodily pain and want of sleep. There was, however, too much to do to allow time to think; for the gale of yesterday, and the heavy seas we met with a few days before, while we had yet ten degrees more southing to make, had convinced the captain that we had something before us which was not to be trifled with, and orders were given to send down the long top-gallant-masts. The top-gallant and royal yards were accordingly struck, the flying jib-boom rigged in, and the top-gallant-masts sent down on deck, and all lashed together by the side of the long-boat. The rigging was then sent down and coiled away below, and everything made snug aloft. There was not a sailor in the ship who was not rejoiced to see these sticks come down; for, so long as the yards were aloft, on the least sign of a lull, the top-gallant-sails were loosed, and then we had to furl them again in a snow-squall, and shin up and down single ropes caked with ice, and send royal yards down in the teeth of a gale coming right from the south pole. It was an interesting sight, too, to see our noble ship, dismantled of all her top-hamper of long tapering masts and yards, and boom pointed with spear-head, which ornamented her in port; and all that canvas, which a few days before had covered her like a cloud, from the truck to the water's edge, spreading far out beyond her hull on either side, now gone; and she stripped, like a wrestler for the fight. It corresponded, too, with the desolate character of her situation,-- alone, as she was, battling with storms, wind, and ice, at this extremity of the globe, and in almost constant night.
Friday, July 1st. We were now nearly up to the latitude of Cape Horn, and having over forty degrees of easting to make, we squared away the yards before a strong westerly gale, shook a reef out of the fore topsail, and stood on our way, east-by-south, with the prospect of being up with the Cape in a week or ten days. As for myself, I had had no sleep for forty-eight hours; and the want of rest, together with constant wet and cold, had increased the swelling, so that my face was nearly as large as two, and I found it impossible to get my mouth open wide enough to eat. In this state, the steward applied to the captain for some rice to boil for me, but he only got a-- "No! d--- you! Tell him to eat salt junk and hard bread, like the rest of them." This was, in truth, what I expected. However, I did not starve, for Mr. Brown, who was a man as well as a sailor, and had always been a good friend to me, smuggled a pan of rice into the galley, and told the cook to boil it for me, and not let the "old man" see it. Had it been fine weather, or in port, I should have gone below and lain by until my face got well; but in such weather as this, and short-handed as we were, it was not for me to desert my post; so I kept on deck, and stood my watch and did my duty as well as I could.
Saturday, July 2d. This day the sun rose fair, but it ran too low in the heavens to give any heat, or thaw out our sails and rigging; yet the sight of it was pleasant; and we had a steady "reef-topsail breeze" from the westward. The atmosphere, which had previously been clear and cold, for the last few hours grew damp, and had a disagreeable, wet chilliness in it; and the man who came from the wheel said he heard the captain tell "the passenger" that the thermometer had fallen several degrees since morning, which he could not account for in any other way than by supposing that there must be ice near us; though such a thing was rarely heard of in this latitude at this season of the year. At twelve o'clock we went below, and had just got through dinner, when the cook put his head down the scuttle and told us to come on deck and see the finest sight that we had ever seen. "Where away, Doctor?"[1] asked the first man who was up. "On the larboard bow." And there lay, floating in the ocean, several miles off, an immense, irregular mass, its top and points covered with snow, and its centre of a deep indigo color. This was an iceberg, and of the largest size, as one of our men said who had been in the Northern Ocean. As far as the eye could reach, the sea in every direction was of a deep blue color, the waves running high and fresh, and sparkling in the light, and in the midst lay this immense mountain-island, its cavities and valleys thrown into deep shade, and its points and pinnacles glittering in the sun. All hands were soon on deck, looking at it, and admiring in various ways its beauty and grandeur. But no description can give any idea of the strangeness, splendor, and, really, the sublimity, of the sight. Its great size,-- for it must have been from two to three miles in circumference, and several hundred feet in height,-- its slow motion, as its base rose and sank in the water, and its high points nodded against the clouds; the dashing of the waves upon it, which, breaking high with foam, lined its base with a white crust; and the thundering sound of the cracking of the mass, and the breaking and tumbling down of huge pieces; together with its nearness and approach, which added a slight element of fear,-- all combined to give to it the character of true sublimity. The main body of the mass was, as I have said, of an indigo color, its base crusted with frozen foam; and as it grew thin and transparent toward the edges and top, its color shaded off from a deep blue to the whiteness of snow. It seemed to be drifting slowly toward the north, so that we kept away and avoided it. It was in sight all the afternoon; and when we got to leeward of it the wind died away, so that we lay-to quite near it for a greater part of the night. Unfortunately, there was no moon, but it was a clear night, and we could plainly mark the long, regular heaving of the stupendous mass, as its edges moved slowly against the stars, now revealing them, and now shutting them in. Several times in our watch loud cracks were heard, which sounded as though they must have run through the whole length of the iceberg, and several pieces fell down with a thundering crash, plunging heavily into the sea. Toward morning a strong breeze sprang up, and we filled away, and left it astern, and at daylight it was out of sight. The next day, which was--
Sunday, July 3d, the breeze continued strong, the air exceedingly chilly, and the thermometer low. In the course of the day we saw several icebergs of different sizes, but none so near as the one which we saw the day before. Some of them, as well as we could judge, at the distance at which we were, must have been as large as that, if not larger. At noon we were in latitude 55° 12' south, and supposed longitude 89° 5' west. Toward night the wind hauled to the southward, and headed us off our course a little, and blew a tremendous gale; but this we did not mind, as there was no rain nor snow, and we were already under close sail.
Monday, July 4th. This was "Independence Day" in Boston. What firing of guns, and ringing of bells, and rejoicings of all sorts, in every part of our country! The ladies (who have not gone down to Nahant, for a breath of cool air and sight of the ocean) walking the streets with parasols over their heads, and the dandies in their white pantaloons and silk stockings! What quantities of ice-cream have been eaten, and how many loads of ice brought into the city from a distance, and sold out by the lump and the pound! The smallest of the islands which we saw to-day would have made the fortune of poor Jack, if he had had it in Boston; and I dare say he would have had no objection to being there with it. This, to be sure, was no place to keep the Fourth of July. To keep ourselves warm, and the ship out of the ice, was as much as we could do. Yet no one forgot the day; and many were the wishes and conjectures and comparisons, both serious and ludicrous, which were made among all hands. The sun shone bright as long as it was up, only that a scud of black clouds was ever and anon driving across it. At noon we were in lat. 54° 27' S., and lon. 85° 5' W., having made a good deal of easting, but having lost in our latitude by the heading off of the wind. Between daylight and dark-- that is, between nine o'clock and three-- we saw thirty-four ice islands of various sizes; some no bigger than the hull of our vessel, and others apparently nearly as large as the one that we first saw; though, as we went on, the islands became smaller and more numerous; and, at sundown of this day, a man at the mast-head saw large tracts of floating ice, called "field-ice," at the southeast. This kind of ice is much more dangerous than the large islands, for those can be seen at a distance, and kept away from; but the field-ice, floating in great quantities, and covering the ocean for miles and miles, in pieces of every size,-- large, flat, and broken cakes, with here and there an island rising twenty and thirty feet, and as large as the ship's hull,-- this it is very difficult to sheer clear of. A constant lookout was necessary; for many of these pieces, coming with the heave of the sea, were large enough to have knocked a hole in the ship, and that would have been the end of us; for no boat (even if we could have got one out) could have lived in such a sea; and no man could have lived in a boat in such weather. To make our condition still worse, the wind came out due east, just after sundown, and it blew a gale dead ahead, with hail and sleet and a thick fog, so that we could not see half the length of the ship. Our chief reliance, the prevailing westerly gales, was thus cut off; and here we were, nearly seven hundred miles to the westward of the Cape, with a gale dead from the eastward, and the weather so thick that we could not see the ice, with which we were surrounded, until it was directly under our bows. At four P.M. (it was then quite dark) all hands were called, and sent aloft, in a violent squall of hail and rain, to take in sail. We had now all got on our "Cape Horn rig,"-- thick boots, southwesters coming down over our neck and ears, thick trousers and jackets, and some with oil-cloth suits over all. Mittens, too, we wore on deck, but it would not do to go aloft with them, as, being wet and stiff, they might let a man slip overboard, for all the hold he could get upon a rope: so we were obliged to work with bare hands, which, as well as our faces, were often cut with the hailstones, which fell thick and large. Our ship was now all cased with ice,-- hull, spars, and standing rigging; and the running rigging so stiff that we could hardly bend it so as to belay it, or, still less, take a knot with it; and the sails frozen. One at a time (for it was a long piece of work and required many hands) we furled the courses, mizzen topsail, and fore-topmast staysail, and close-reefed the fore and main topsails, and hove the ship to under the fore, with the main hauled up by the clew-lines and buntlines, and ready to be sheeted home, if we found it necessary to make sail to get to windward of an ice island. A regular lookout was then set, and kept by each watch in turn, until the morning. It was a tedious and anxious night. It blew hard the whole time, and there was an almost constant driving of either rain, hail, or snow. In addition to this, it was "as thick as muck," and the ice was all about us. The captain was on deck nearly the whole night, and kept the cook in the galley, with a roaring fire, to make coffee for him, which he took every few hours, and once or twice gave a little to his officers; but not a drop of anything was there for the crew. The captain, who sleeps all the daytime, and comes and goes at night as he chooses, can have his brandy-and-water in the cabin, and his hot coffee at the galley; while Jack, who has to stand through everything, and work in wet and cold, can have nothing to wet his lips or warm his stomach. This was a "temperance ship" by her articles, and, like too many such ships, the temperance was all in the forecastle. The sailor, who only takes his one glass as it is dealt out to him, is in danger of being drunk; while the captain, upon whose self-possession and cool judgment the lives of all depend, may be trusted with any amount, to drink at his will. Sailors will never be convinced that rum is a dangerous thing by taking it away from them and giving it to the officers; nor can they see a friend in that temperance which takes from them what they have always had, and gives them nothing in the place of it. By seeing it allowed to their officers, they will not be convinced that it is taken from them for their good; and by receiving nothing in its place they will not believe that it is done in kindness. On the contrary, many of them look upon the change as a new instrument of tyranny. Not that they prefer rum. I never knew a sailor, who had been a month away from the grog shops, who would not prefer a pot of hot coffee or chocolate, in a cold night, to all the rum afloat. They all say that rum only warms them for a time; yet, if they can get nothing better, they will miss what they have lost. The momentary warmth and glow from drinking it; the break and change which it makes in a long, dreary watch by the mere calling all hands aft and serving of it out; and the simply having some event to look forward to and to talk about,-- all give it an importance and a use which no one can appreciate who has not stood his watch before the mast. On my passage out, the Pilgrim was not under temperance articles, and grog was served out every middle and morning watch, and after every reefing of topsails; and, though I had never drunk rum before, nor desire to again, I took my allowance then at the capstan, as the rest did, merely for the momentary warmth it gave the system, and the change in our feelings and aspect of our duties on the watch. At the same time, as I have said, there was not a man on board who would not have pitched the rum to the dogs (I have heard them say so a dozen times) for a pot of coffee or chocolate; or even for our common beverage,-- "water bewitched and tea begrudged," as it was.[2] The temperance reform is the best thing that ever was undertaken for the sailor; but when the grog is taken from him, he ought to have something in its place. As it is now, in most vessels, it is a mere saving to the owners; and this accounts for the sudden increase of temperance ships, which surprised even the best friends of the cause. If every merchant, when he struck grog from the list of the expenses of his ship, had been obliged to substitute as much coffee, or chocolate, as would give each man a pot-full when he came off the topsail yard, on a stormy night,-- I fear Jack might have gone to ruin on the old road.[3]
But this is not doubling Cape Horn. Eight hours of the night our watch was on deck, and during the whole of that time we kept a bright lookout: one man on each bow, another in the bunt of the fore yard, the third mate on the scuttle, one man on each quarter, and another always standing by the wheel. The chief mate was everywhere, and commanded the ship when the captain was below. When a large piece of ice was seen in our way, or drifting near us, the word was passed along, and the ship's head turned one way and another; and sometimes the yards squared or braced up. There was little else to do than to look out; and we had the sharpest eyes in the ship on the forecastle. The only variety was the monotonous voice of the lookout forward,-- "Another island!"-- "Ice ahead!"-- "Ice on the lee bow!"-- "Hard up the helm!"-- "Keep her off a little!"-- "Stead-y!"
In the mean time the wet and cold had brought my face into such a state that I could neither eat nor sleep; and though I stood it out all night, yet, when it became light, I was in such a state that all hands told me I must go below, and lie-by for a day or two, or I should be laid up for a long time. When the watch was changed I went into the steerage, and took off my hat and comforter, and showed my face to the mate, who told me to go below at once, and stay in my berth until the swelling went down, and gave the cook orders to make a poultice for me, and said he would speak to the captain.
I went below and turned-in, covering myself over with blankets and jackets, and lay in my berth nearly twenty-four hours, half asleep and half awake, stupid from the dull pain. I heard the watch called, and the men going up and down, and sometimes a noise on deck, and a cry of "ice," but I gave little attention to anything. At the end of twenty-four hours the pain went down, and I had a long sleep, which brought me back to my proper state; yet my face was so swollen and tender that I was obliged to keep my berth for two or three days longer. During the two days I had been below, the weather was much the same that it had been,-- head winds, and snow and rain; or, if the wind came fair, too foggy, and the ice too thick, to run. At the end of the third day the ice was very thick; a complete fog-bank covered the ship. It blew a tremendous gale from the eastward, with sleet and snow, and there was every promise of a dangerous and fatiguing night. At dark, the captain called all hands aft, and told them that not a man was to leave the deck that night; that the ship was in the greatest danger, any cake of ice might knock a hole in her, or she might run on an island and go to pieces. No one could tell whether she would be a ship the next morning. The lookouts were then set, and every man was put in his station. When I heard what was the state of things, I began to put on my clothes to stand it out with the rest of them, when the mate came below, and, looking at my face, ordered me back to my berth, saying that if we went down, we should all go down together, but if I went on deck I might lay myself up for life. This was the first word I had heard from aft; for the captain had done nothing, nor inquired how I was, since I went below.
In obedience to the mate's orders, I went back to my berth; but a more miserable night I never wish to spend. I never felt the curse of sickness so keenly in my life. If I could only have been on deck with the rest where something was to be done and seen and heard, where there were fellow-beings for companions in duty and danger; but to be cooped up alone in a black hole, in equal danger, but without the power to do, was the hardest trial. Several times, in the course of the night, I got up, determined to go on deck; but the silence which showed that there was nothing doing, and the knowledge that I might make myself seriously ill, for no purpose, kept me back. It was not easy to sleep, lying, as I did, with my head directly against the bows, which might be dashed in by an island of ice, brought down by the very next sea that struck her. This was the only time I had been ill since I left Boston, and it was the worst time it could have happened. I felt almost willing to bear the plagues of Egypt for the rest of the voyage, if I could but be well and strong for that one night. Yet it was a dreadful night for those on deck. A watch of eighteen hours, with wet and cold and constant anxiety, nearly wore them out; and when they came below at nine o'clock for breakfast, they almost dropped asleep on their chests, and some of them were so stiff that they could with difficulty sit down. Not a drop of anything had been given them during the whole time (though the captain, as on the night that I was on deck, had his coffee every four hours), except that the mate stole a pot-full of coffee for two men to drink behind the galley, while he kept a lookout for the captain. Every man had his station, and was not allowed to leave it; and nothing happened to break the monotony of the night, except once setting the main topsail, to run clear of a large island to leeward, which they were drifting fast upon. Some of the boys got so sleepy and stupefied that they actually fell asleep at their posts; and the young third mate, Mr. Hatch, whose post was the exposed one of standing on the fore scuttle, was so stiff, when he was relieved, that he could not bend his knees to get down. By a constant lookout, and a quick shifting of the helm, as the islands and pieces came in sight, the ship went clear of everything but a few small pieces, though daylight showed the ocean covered for miles. At daybreak it fell a dead calm, and with the sun the fog cleared a little, and a breeze sprung up from the westward, which soon grew into a gale. We had now a fair wind, daylight, and comparatively clear weather; yet, to the surprise of every one, the ship continued hove-to. "Why does not he run?" "What is the captain about?" was asked by every one; and from questions it soon grew into complaints and murmurings. When the daylight was so short, it was too bad to lose it, and a fair wind, too, which every one had been praying for. As hour followed hour, and the captain showed no sign of making sail, the crew became impatient, and there was a good deal of talking and consultation together on the forecastle. They had been beaten out with the exposure and hardship, and impatient to get out of it, and this unaccountable delay was more than they could bear in quietness, in their excited and restless state. Some said the captain was frightened,-- completely cowed by the dangers and difficulties that surrounded us, and was afraid to make sail; while others said that in his anxiety and suspense he had made a free use of brandy and opium, and was unfit for his duty. The carpenter, who was an intelligent man, and a thorough seaman, and had great influence with the crew, came down into the forecastle, and tried to induce them to go aft and ask the captain why he did not run, or request him, in the name of all hands, to make sail. This appeared to be a very reasonable request, and the crew agreed that if he did not make sail before noon they would go aft. Noon came, and no sail was made. A consultation was held again, and it was proposed to take the ship from the captain and give the command of her to the mate, who had been heard to say that if he could have his way the ship would have been half the distance to the Cape before night,-- ice or no ice. And so irritated and impatient had the crew become, that even this proposition, which was open mutiny, was entertained, and the carpenter went to his berth, leaving it tacitly understood that something serious would be done if things remained as they were many hours longer. When the carpenter left, we talked it all over, and I gave my advice strongly against it. Another of the men, too, who had known something of the kind attempted in another ship by a crew who were dissatisfied with their captain, and which was followed with serious consequences, was opposed to it. Stimson, who soon came down, joined us, and we determined to have nothing to do with it. By these means the crew were soon induced to give it up for the present, though they said they would not lie where they were much longer without knowing the reason.
The affair remained in this state until four o'clock, when an order came forward for all hands to come aft upon the quarter-deck. In about ten minutes they came forward again, and the whole affair had been blown. The carpenter, prematurely, and without any authority from the crew, had sounded the mate as to whether he would take command of the ship, and intimated an intention to displace the captain; and the mate, as in duty bound, had told the whole to the captain, who immediately sent for all hands aft. Instead of violent measures, or, at least, an outbreak of quarter-deck bravado, threats, and abuse, which they had every reason to expect, a sense of common danger and common suffering seemed to have tamed his spirit, and begotten in him something like a humane fellow-feeling; for he received the crew in a manner quiet, and even almost kind. He told them what he had heard, and said that he did not believe that they would try to do any such thing as was intimated; that they had always been good men,-- obedient, and knew their duty, and he had no fault to find with them, and asked them what they had to complain of; said that no one could say that he was slow to carry sail (which was true enough), and that, as soon as he thought it was safe and proper, he should make sail. He added a few words about their duty in their present situation, and sent them forward, saying that he should take no further notice of the matter; but, at the same time, told the carpenter to recollect whose power he was in, and that if he heard another word from him he would have cause to remember him to the day of his death.
This language of the captain had a very good effect upon the crew, and they returned quietly to their duty.
For two days more the wind blew from the southward and eastward, and in the short intervals when it was fair, the ice was too thick to run; yet the weather was not so dreadfully bad, and the crew had watch and watch. I still remained in my berth, fast recovering, yet not well enough to go safely on deck. And I should have been perfectly useless; for, from having eaten nothing for nearly a week, except a little rice which I forced into my mouth the last day or two, I was as weak as an infant. To be sick in a forecastle is miserable indeed. It is the worst part of a dog's life, especially in bad weather. The forecastle, shut up tight to keep out the water and cold air; the watch either on deck or asleep in their berths; no one to speak to; the pale light of the single lamp, swinging to and fro from the beam, so dim that one can scarcely see, much less read, by it; the water dropping from the beams and carlines and running down the sides, and the forecastle so wet and dark and cheerless, and so lumbered up with chests and wet clothes, that sitting up is worse than lying in the berth. These are some of the evils. Fortunately, I needed no help from any one, and no medicine; and if I had needed help I don't know where I should have found it. Sailors are willing enough, but it is true, as is often said,-- no one ships for nurse on board a vessel. Our merchant ships are always undermanned, and if one man is lost by sickness, they cannot spare another to take care of him. A sailor is always presumed to be well, and if he's sick he's a poor dog. One has to stand his wheel, and another his lookout, and the sooner he gets on deck again the better.
Accordingly, as soon as I could possibly go back to my duty, I put on my thick clothes and boots and southwester, and made my appearance on deck. I had been but a few days below, yet everything looked strangely enough. The ship was cased in ice,-- decks, sides, masts, yards, and rigging. Two close-reefed topsails were all the sail she had on, and every sail and rope was frozen so stiff in its place that it seemed as though it would be impossible to start anything. Reduced, too, to her topmasts, she had altogether a most forlorn and crippled appearance. The sun had come up brightly; the snow was swept off the decks and ashes thrown upon them so that we could walk, for they had been as slippery as glass. It was, of course, too cold to carry on any ship's work, and we had only to walk the deck and keep ourselves warm. The wind was still ahead, and the whole ocean, to the eastward, covered with islands and field-ice. At four bells the order was given to square away the yards, and the man who came from the helm said that the captain had kept her off to N. N. E. What could this mean? The wildest rumors got adrift. Some said that he was going to put into Valparaiso and winter, and others that he was going to run out of the ice and cross the Pacific, and go home round the Cape of Good Hope. Soon, however, it leaked out, and we found that we were running for the Straits of Magellan. The news soon spread through the ship, and all tongues were at work talking about it. No one on board had been through the straits; but I had in my chest an account of the passage of the ship A. J. Donelson, of New York, through those straits a few years before. The account was given by the captain, and the representation was as favorable as possible. It was soon read by every one on board, and various opinions pronounced. The determination of our captain had at least this good effect; it gave us something to think and talk about, made a break in our life, and diverted our minds from the monotonous dreariness of the prospect before us. Having made a fair wind of it, we were going off at a good rate, and leaving the thickest of the ice behind us. This, at least, was something.
Having been long enough below to get my hands well warmed and softened, the first handling of the ropes was rather tough; but a few days hardened them, and as soon as I got my mouth open wide enough to take in a piece of salt beef and hard bread, I was all right again.
Sunday, July 10th. Lat. 54° 10', lon. 79° 07'. This was our position at noon. The sun was out bright; the ice was all left behind, and things had quite a cheering appearance. We brought our wet pea-jackets and trousers on deck, and hung them up in the rigging, that the breeze and the few hours of sun might dry them a little; and, by leave of the cook, the galley was nearly filled with stockings and mittens, hung round to be dried. Boots, too, were brought up; and, having got a little tar and slush from below, we gave them thick coats. After dinner all hands were turned-to, to get the anchors over the bows, bend on the chains, &c. The fish-tackle was got up, fish-davit rigged out, and, after two or three hours of hard and cold work, both the anchors were ready for instant use, a couple of kedges got up, a hawser coiled away upon the fore-hatch, and the deep-sea-lead-line overhauled and made ready. Our spirits returned with having something to do; and when the tackle was manned to bowse the anchor home, notwithstanding the desolation of the scene, we struck up "Cheerly, men!" in full chorus. This pleased the mate, who rubbed his hands and cried out, "That's right, my boys; never say die! That sounds like the old crew!" and the captain came up, on hearing the song, and said to the passenger, within hearing of the man at the wheel, "That sounds like a lively crew. They'll have their song so long as there're enough left for a chorus!"
This preparation of the cable and anchors was for the passage of the straits; for, as they are very crooked, and with a variety of currents, it is necessary to come frequently to anchor. This was not, by any means, a pleasant prospect; for, of all the work that a sailor is called upon to do in cold weather, there is none so bad as working the ground-tackle. The heavy chain cables to be hauled and pulled about decks with bare hands; wet hawsers, slip-ropes, and buoy-ropes to be hauled aboard, dripping in water, which is running up your sleeves, and freezing; clearing hawse under the bows; getting under way and coming-to at all hours of the night and day, and a constant lookout for rocks and sands and turns of tides,-- these are some of the disagreeables of such a navigation to a common sailor. Fair or foul, he wants to have nothing to do with the ground-tackle between port and port. One of our hands, too, had unluckily fallen upon a half of an old newspaper which contained an account of the passage, through the straits, of a Boston brig, called, I think, the Peruvian, in which she lost every cable and anchor she had, got aground twice, and arrived at Valparaiso in distress. This was set off against the account of the A. J. Donelson, and led us to look forward with less confidence to the passage, especially as no one on board had ever been through, and we heard that the captain had no very satisfactory charts. However, we were spared any further experience on the point; for the next day, when we must have been near the Cape of Pillars, which is the southwest point of the mouth of the straits, a gale set in from the eastward, with a heavy fog, so that we could not see half the ship's length ahead. This, of course, put an end to the project for the present; for a thick fog and a gale blowing dead ahead are not the most favorable circumstances for the passage of difficult and dangerous straits. This weather, too, seemed likely to last for some time, and we could not think of beating about the mouth of the straits for a week or two, waiting for a favorable opportunity; so we braced up on the larboard tack, put the ship's head due south, and stuck her off for Cape Horn again.
[1] The cook's title in all vessels.
[2] The proportions of the ingredients of the tea that was made for us (and ours, as I have before stated, was a favorable specimen of American merchantmen) were a pint of tea and a pint and a half of molasses to about three gallons of water. These are all boiled down together in the "coppers," and, before serving it out, the mess is stirred up with a stick, so as to give each man his fair share of sweetening and tea-leaves. The tea for the cabin is, of course, made in the usual way, in a teapot, and drunk with sugar.
[3] I do not wish these remarks, so far as they relate to the saving of expense in the outfit, to be applied to the owners of our ship, for she was supplied with an abundance of stores of the best kind that are given to seamen; though the dispensing of them is necessarily left to the captain. And I learned, on our return, that the captain withheld many of the stores from us, from mere ugliness. He brought several barrels of flour home, but would not give us the usual twice-a-week duff, and so as to other stores. Indeed, so high was the reputation of "the employ" among men and officers for the character and outfit of their vessels, and for their liberality in conducting their voyages, that when it was known that they had the Alert fitting out for a long voyage, and that hands were to be shipped at a certain time,-- a half hour before the time, as one of the crew told me, sailors were steering down the wharf, hopping over the barrels, like a drove of sheep.
Back to Chanties in Two Years Before the Mast index


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Judge says police wrong to strip search boy
A District Court judge has found police in Broken Hill were wrong to strip search a 17-year-old intellectually disabled boy by the side of the road.
A magistrate found the boy, who cannot be named because of his age, guilty of possessing a small amount of cannabis after he was arrested and strip-searched in July 2011.
But his lawyers appealed against that, arguing the evidence was not admissible because the strip search was improper.
Judge Jennifer English agreed.
She found police had no reasonable grounds for arresting the boy and searching in his underpants.
He was stopped and searched by police unlawfully, because the police simply had no reasonable suspicion.
Stephen Lawrence from the Aboriginal Legal Service, which represents the boy, says there was no valid reason to stop the boy.
"The young person was walking down the street in Broken Hill at about 5:30 in the afternoon, wasn't doing anything untoward or anything like that," he said.
"He was stopped and searched by police unlawfully, because the police simply had no reasonable suspicion.
"So this is a case of a young person simply being stopped for no reason. For no valid reason."
Mr Lawrence says the boy had been stopped by police 26 times in the previous two-and-a-half years and he had never once been found with drugs.
He says there should be an investigation.
"Any citizen in the community would find that to be an unusual circumstance and certainly one that would call for an investigation," he said.
Mr Lawrence says the boy's family has requested the state ombudsman launch an inquiry into the case.
A police spokesman says it is reviewing the court's decision to see whether any action will be taken.

subset: commoncrawl


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I called Hall of Fame football coach Vince Dooley this week to get his perspective on UGA's heart-breaking loss to Alabama in the SEC Championship game.
There are few people more qualified to comment than Vince Dooley. Let's start with the fact that he won 201 football games, six SEC championships and a national title during an illustrious career that stretched from 1964 to 1988.
Currently, Coach Dooley is traveling around the state, autographing copies of his latest book, "History and Reminiscences of the University of Georgia" (Looking Glass Books.)
This is his third collaboration with nationally-known Georgia artist Steve Penley. Before getting to football, I asked him "Why this book?"
"Steve Penley and I were at a function and he said, 'Why don't we do a book together?'
I agreed and intended for the first one to be a history book but we ended up doing a book on football first and then a garden book" - Dooley is also a master gardener - "before we got to this one."
"As for this book, I have always been interested in history," he said, "I got my master's degree in history and even while coaching, I audited history classes at UGA."
He talks about growing up in Mobile and visiting Baldwin County, Ala. Only later did he learn the county had been named for Abraham Baldwin, the first president of the University of Georgia.
The man is more than qualified to reflect on the 200-year history of the university and to reminiscence about his 40 years there and the five UGA presidents with whom he served during his tenure. I was interested in what he had to say about outgoing President Mike Adams with whom Dooley had a cool relationship (but better than mine.)
"I tried to be historically accurate about President Adams," he said simply.
Maybe I should try that.
Any more books in the offing?
"If I said 'yes,' Barbara would divorce me," he declared.
Nobody - not a modest and much-beloved columnist, a famous football coach or any person with a brain larger than a peapod - will mess with Barbara Dooley. I stay on her good side by reminding her I love her better than banana pudding. So far, so good.
Dooley did mention he has a great interest in Civil War history and might take a look at something on that subject down the road, but that is our secret, OK?
Finally, I got around to the SEC Championship game.
Dooley said, "It was the best championship game I have ever seen. I just wish I could have been neutral and enjoyed a great game."
The coach said he was personally proud of Mark Richt, whose hiring was his last major decision before retiring as athletic director in 2004.
"I am also proud of the Bulldog fans," he added, "and the way they supported the team's effort."
Dooley said it will take a while for this bad feeling to pass.
"There are always going to be ups-and-downs in the coaching profession and you have to keep things in perspective," he said, "If you will recall, we had Pittsburgh beaten with 35 seconds to go in the 1982 Sugar Bowl and Dan Marino threw a fourth-down pass for a touchdown to win it."
When he thinks about that game, he remembers the Buck Belue-to-Lindsay Scott pass that beat Florida, as well as other close games he won. Keep the ups-and-downs in perspective, he says. I suspect Coach Richt will do just that.
I asked about his son, Derrick, who was fired at Tennessee after three years. His dad says Derrick is going to be just fine and has a lot of options for the future.
"Today, success has to be immediate," he says, pointing out that Duke basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski, the winningest coach in NCAA Division I men's basketball history, was 38-47 after his first three years.
Virginia Tech football coach Frank Beamer was 24-40 with the Hokies before turning that program around and today has more wins than any active football coach in major college football. I doubt either coach would have survived in today's environment.
Vince Dooley will be busy autographing his books over the next couple of weeks. You can check the Internet to see if and when he will be in your area. If you do see him, tell him you know a guy who admires him greatly for all he has accomplished. The coach is not only writing about history; he is still making it.
You can reach Dick Yarbrough at email@example.com or P.O. Box 725373, Atlanta, GA 31139. Yarbrough is a part-time resident of Dawson County.


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By acting as a performance center of excellence, American International Group's Global Performance Architecture Group has improved performance of the company's services to deliver better experiences and payoffs for businesses and end users alike.
The group looks at the user experience and tailors the company's technology to maximize customer satisfaction and utility.
Additionally, it results in better innovation, more efficient data management and higher return on investment for AIG.
Listen to a podcast featuring Abe Naguib, senior director of AIG's Global Performance Architecture Group and cohosted by HP Chief Software Evangelist Paul Muller and Dana Gardner.
Download the podcast (31:31 minutes) or use the player:
Here are some excerpts:
Dana Gardner: Many organizations are now focusing more on the user experience and the business benefits and less on pure technology — and for many, it's a challenge. From a very high level, how do you perceive the best way to go about a cultural shift, or an organizational shift, from a technology focus more toward this end-user experience focus?
Abe Naguib: There are several paradigms involved from the COO and CFO's push on innovation and efficiency. A lot of the tooling that we use, a lot of the products we use, help to fully diversify and resolve some of the challenges we have. That's to keep change running.
The CIO has to keep his eye forward to periodically change tracks, ensuring that the customers are getting the best value for their money. That's a tall order, and he has to predict benefit, gauge value, maintain integrity, socialize, and evolve the strategy of business ideas on how technology should run.
We have to manage quite a few challenges from the demand of operating a global franchise. Our COE looks at various levels of optimization and one key target is customer service, and factors that drive the value chain.
That's aligning DevOps to business, reducing data-center sprawl, validating and making sense of vendors, products, and services, increasing the return on investment (ROI) and total cost of ownership (TCO) of emerging technologies, economy of scale, improving services and hybrid cloud systems, as we isolate and identify the cascading impacts on systems. These efforts help to derive value across the chain and eventually help improve customer value.
Gardner: Paul Muller, does this jibe with what you're seeing in the field? Do you see an emphasis that's more on this sort of process level, when it comes to IT with of course more input from folks like the COO and the chief financial officer?
Paul Muller: As I was listening to Abe's description I was thinking that you really can tell the culture of an organization by the level of initiatives and thinking that it has. In fact, you can't change one without changing the other. What I've just described is a very high level of cultural maturity.
We do see it, but we see it in maybe 10 to 15 percent of organization that have gone through the early stages of understanding the performance and quality of applications, optimizing it for cost and performance, but then moving through to the next stage, reevaluating the entire chain, and looking to take a broader perspective with lots of user experience. So it's not unique, but it's certainly used among the more mature in terms of observational thinking.
Gardner: Tell us about AIG, its breadth, and particularly the business requirements that your Global Performance Architecture Group is tasked with meeting.
Naguib: AIG is a leading international insurance organization, across 130 countries. AIG's companies serving commercial, institutional, individual customers, through one of the world's most extensive property/casualty networks, are leading providers of life insurance and retirement services in the U.S.
Among the brand pillars that we focused on are integrity, innovation, and market agility across the variety of products that we offer, as well as customer service.
With AIG's mantra of "better, faster, cheaper," my organization's people, strategy, and comprehensive tools help us to bridge these gaps that a global firm faces today. There are many technology objectives across different organizations that we align, and we utilize various HP solutions to drive our objectives, which is getting the various IT delivery pistons firing in the same direction and at the right time.
These include performance, application lifecycle management (ALM), and business service management (BSM), as well as project and portfolio management (PPM). Over time our Global Performance organization has evolved, and our senior manager realized our strategic benefit and capability to reduce cost, risk, and mitigate production and risk.
Our role eventually moved out of quality assurance's functional testing area to focus on emphasizing application performance, architecture design patterns, emerging technologies, infrastructure and consolidation strategies, and risk mitigation, as well increasing ROI and economy of scale. With the right people, process, and tools, our organization enabled IT transparency and application tuning, reduced infrastructure consumption, and accelerated resolution of any system performances in dev and production.
The key is bringing together our business-critical and strategic drivers across IT's various segments fosters alignment, agility, and eventually unity. Now, our leaders seek our guidance to help tune IT at some degree of financial performance to unlock optimal business value.
Gardner: Is that a pattern you're seeing, that the people in QA are in the sense breaking out of just an application performance level and moving more into what we could call IT performance level?
Naguib: In the last six or seven years, there's less focus on just basic performance optimization. The focus is now on business strategy impact on infrastructure CAPEX, and OPEX. Correlating business use cases to impact on infrastructure is the golden grail.
Once you start communicating to CIOs the impact of a system and the cost of hosting, licensing, headcount, service sprawl, branding, and services that depend on each other, we're more aligning DevOps with business.
Muller: I just had a conversation not three weeks ago with a financial institution in another part of the world. I asked who is responsible for your end-to-end business process — in this case I think it was mortgage origination — and the entire room looked at each other, laughed, and said "We don't know."
So you've really got this massive gap in terms of not just IT process maturity, but you also have business-process maturity, and it's very challenging, in my experience, to have one without having the other.


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art, beans, black coffee, cafe con leche, caffeine, caffeine addiction, cappuccino, coffee, coffee beans, coffee lover, coffee maker, coffee shop, coffee with cream, coffees, cup o joe, dark coffee, decaf, drinks, espresso, gourmet, hot drink, hot drinks, java, joe, latte, liquid gold, morning brew, restaurant, sharon cummings, starbucks, steaming cup of coffee
Mmmm….that rich robust smell of the first morning brew. For many it is not just a breakfast beverage, it truly is "Nectar From Heaven". Whether you make your own mud at home or you travel to your local Starbucks for that fresh steamy cup o' joe, you are in good company. It is estimated that over 50% of us over the age of 18 drink coffee in the U.S. and 65% of us that do have it in the morning hours. Studies show it may make you feel happier, lose weight, concentrate, be smarter and make you healthier. But really whether you like it black, with cream and sugar, a cappuccino or a latte…it's just tasty!
Enjoy my heavenly java here:


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If Islamic finance is ever to be anything more than a poor relation of the conventional credit markets, those responsible for guiding the sector need to learn to adapt. The indecision and disputes that can delay deals at the moment will only get worse as issuers look to push into more innovative areas. Scholars that stand in the way of progress may well find themselves sidelined.
It is often argued that Muslim countries have a natural inclination to move towards a model in which Shariah-compliant finance dominates. But at the moment, even for Islamic industry centres like Saudi Arabia and the UAE, this would entail a big increase from the current market share.
Prospective participants — so the argument goes — just need assurances that adopting Islamic finance principles would still allow them the flexibility to do business with the conventional market and to effectively risk-manage positions.
But those assurances are in short supply. The palpable discomfort of leading scholars in answering questions about Goldman Sachs's sukuk plans at a recent Euromoney Islamic finance conference will be as nothing compared to the headaches that topics like Islamic derivatives and short term liquidity tools look set to cause in 2012.
At a time when the wider market is pursuing greater regulation, Islamic finance should keep pace, say its critics.
Perhaps it is faulty — or inappropriate — conventional-market thinking to suggest that Islamic finance will only achieve greater credibility with greater standardisation. But the notion clearly struck a few conference attendees that a potential issuer as important and pace-setting as Goldman Sachs, for example, should have a right to approach top Islamic finance scholars and expect them to give their judgement, whether positive or negative. Investors also deserve answers, so they can act with confidence.
Public indecision over a deal like Goldman's is perhaps understandable, given that approval could open a Pandora's Box of conventional entrants to the sukuk arena. But top scholars must show their stomach for the challenge in this and other cutting-edge matters. It is no longer (if it ever was) acceptable to hide behind the catch-all excuse of "we neither accept nor refute".
Maybe a central arbitration panel is required (or regional if that is more palatable). This could remove the reliance on bespoke sign-offs every time a new question arises. Naturally, scholars raise all kinds of objections to this: it would be too difficult, too rigid, governments would interfere, who would decide?
These are challenges, but they are not insurmountable. Helpful analogies abound in the conventional credit sector. If a bond defaults, for instance, one can go to Isda and ask if a credit event has taken place. Isda gives its verdict in a timely manner, based on a defined set of criteria and path of arbitration.
By comparison, the Islamic market considering cutting edge products looks rather like a blind man who wants to cross the road. Some helpful people tell him he should cross immediately and take his chances with the traffic. Others declare it will never be safe so he should just forget about it.
Then there are the traffic experts, the scholars: they know the road and can act as lollipop men to help him get across. But for whatever reason, they often appear reluctant to assist — perhaps they are too busy, or worried about their own safety amid the busy traffic.
So what is the blind man to do? He can stay exactly where he is, or he could wander off in another direction and become lost. Worse still, he might walk out into the road at the wrong time and get hit by a bus.
There is another option, of course. He might figure out that he could build a traffic light. And that would put the lollipop men out of a job.
(EuroWeek,28 Feb2012)
Alfalah Consulting - Kuala Lumpur:
Islamic Investment Malaysia:


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I'm creating this thread - in part because of Vaigra - to have a decline in "what's this car" related threads.
This thread is where you can mention any car that you don't know about, have pictures of or only descriptions of. You can ask other members to help you with these, and there's undoubtedly plenty that have enough knowledge to help you out.


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WICHITA, Kan. (AP) The Kansas Department of Health and Environment is seeking public comment on a plan to clean up contamination at the former Unocal Chemical Distribution site in Wichita.
The public comment period on the draft plan posted on the agency's website opened Monday and closes March 12.
The agency will also hold a meeting next month to outline its preferred cleanup plan and solicit public participation. The session is set for March 5 at 7 p.m. in the auditorium at Wichita's Office of Environmental Health.


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Above: As my good friend and top sommelier David Rosoff will tell you, "I learned more about Barbaresco talking to Aldo Vacca for 10 minutes" than I have in my whole career.
I wanted to draw your attention to a comment made by winemaker Aldo Vacca, Produttori del Barbaresco, posted the other day here at Do Bianchi. He was commenting in response to Charles Scicolone, who had asked plaintively whether or not Produttori del Barbaresco typically executed different bottlings destined for its domestic and international markets (the thread appeared in a post on the winery's decision not to bottle its single-vineyard wines for the 2006 vintage).
Here's what Aldo had to say:
- Just a quick note: we at Produttori Barbaresco never bottle wines specifically for one market or another. We do not look for specific taste for specific market and all that, we just make the wine at the best of our knowledge in one very define style. If we do more than one bottling, we try to have a similar blend in all bottling.
We do release our new vintage in the Fall in Italy and usually, because of the logistics of the market and because we like to give some more bottle aging when we can, the next January is most export market. So, it is usually the case that the first bottling is mainly sold in Italy while the second bottling (which is also larger in size) goes to export and Italy as well: it is just a matter of timing, not of deciding which market gets what.
Normally this will not make any difference anyway because the two bottling would be very similar.
The one thing that happened with the 2006 vintage was the late decision of not bottling the SV. If we had made the decision earlier, as we usually do, all bottlings would have been the same.
In a somewhat unrelated note, yesterday I poured the 2008 Langhe Nebbiolo by Produttori del Barbaresco in a tasting in Austin. Man, it's light and bright and showing great right now, better than when it first came into the market. A tough vintage in Piedmont but great for entry-level wines like this, where some of the better fruit ended up in the front-line wines.
And in a totally unrelated note, in the light of Aldo's love of Neil Young, we're trying to get him out to San Diego on July 8 to sit in with The Grapes.
In other news…
I highly recommend my good friend Thor's excellent post over at the 32 Days of Natural Wine on the natural wine scene in Paris. I really love his writing and I especially appreciated his hypercorrective neolgism oenopiphany. After all, there are men who know what the word epistemology means without having to look it up in a dictionary and there are others who have to go to Brooks Brothers to find out.
In other other news…
For the wine geeks out there and anyone else who wants to wrap her or his mind around what sulfur, sulfites, and SO2 have to do with wine, I highly recommend this post on the use of sulfur in wine by bonvivant Bruce Neyers, a man who needs no introduction to the oeno-initiated.
Buona lettura e buon weekend, ya'll!


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Canis Major
Canis Major is known as the Great Dog. In Greek myth, it is said that this constellation, along with Canis Minor, are Orion's hunting dogs. Canis Major was one of the most important constellations in ancient times because the brightest star in the sky is part of it.
Sirius, the Dog Star, is one of the brightest objects in the night sky. Only the Moon, Venus, Jupiter and Mars are brighter. Those that lived near the Nile River used the star to signal the flooding of the Nile. This special occasion represented the return from the dead of the Sun god Osiris.
Canis Major is very easy to find during the months of November through March. First locate Orion the Hunter, and imagine a straight line through his belt. Follow the line to the southeast, and you will see Sirius perched right below it. Sirius is the nose of the dog. His body stretches to the southeast, and his front leg is to the west of Sirius.
Not only is Sirius bright, but it is also mysterious. Ancient civilizations described the star as red and fiery, but today it is very white. Scientists can't explain this phenomenon. With the exception of Sirius, Canis Major doesn't contain any significant stellar objects. M41 is an open cluster just south of Sirius; it is visible on clear nights. There are a few nebulae and galaxies, but they are too faint to see even with a small telescope.


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Calif. to ban plastic bags at grocery stores
SACRAMENTO, Calif - It could soon cost California shoppers at the checkout aisle if they forget to bring their own bags to the store under what would be the nation's first statewide plastic bag ban.
The California Assembly on Wednesday passed legislation prohibiting pharmacies and grocery, liquor and convenience stores from giving out plastic bags. The bill also calls for customers to be charged for using store-issued paper bags.
The goal is to get rid of unsightly disposable plastic bags that often wind up in urban rivers and the ocean, as well as to reduce the number of bags heading for landfills.
"The biggest way to eliminate this kind of pollution is to ban it," said Assemblywoman Julia Brownley, D-Santa Monica, who authored the bill.
Discouraging plastic bag use through fees or bans first gained traction outside of the U.S. in nations such as South Africa, Ireland, China and Bangladesh.
In 2007, San Francisco became the first U.S. city to require supermarkets and large drug stores to offer customers bags made only of recyclable paper, plastic that can be turned into compost, or sturdy cloth or plastic that can be reused.
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. got rid of plastic bags at three of its Northern California stores this January as part of a pilot program to gauge customer response.
No other U.S. state has adopted a ban, according to Brownley's office.
The bill, AB 1998, still needs state Senate approval. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger praised the Assembly for passing the plastic bag ban, which he called "a great victory for our environment."
Ashley Smith, 29, of Sacramento said she favors banning plastic bags, even though she reuses her plastic bags to pick up after her dog.
"It's good to do things that are good for the environment," Smith said as she left a Safeway grocery store in Sacramento.
Requiring stores to charge customers for paper bags is a cost Republican lawmakers argued some Californians can't afford.
"This is not the time to be putting a financial burden on families in a very tough economy," said Assemblyman Ted Gaines, R-Granite Bay, who estimated his family would spend $50 a year on paper bags.
The American Chemistry Council estimates the bill would amount to a $1 billion tax and threaten 500 jobs in the plastic bag manufacturing business.
The measure has the support of the California Grocers Association, which decided to the back the bill after Brownley agreed to subject all stores that sell groceries to the ban.
It also gives grocery stores one set of rules to follow rather than a patchwork of local ordinances, said Dave Heylen, spokesman for the association.
"As more and more cities started looking at this, each one would tweak it one way or another and that was extremely difficult for those retailers who have stories in multiple cities and counties," Heylen said.
The bill would require stores to sell reusable bags beginning Jan. 1, 2012. Stores could charge no less than 5 cents for recycled paper bags if customers don't have their own bag.
Sacramento shopper Brett Akacin, 37, said he recycles his plastic bags and that it would be a burden to carry a disposable bag. California grocery stores are required under current law to collect used plastic bags that customers return to the store to recycle.
"It's a hassle. I don't want to carry my own bag all the time with me. I go into the store randomly, and I don't like to pay extra for a bag," said Akacin, who had two bags of groceries. "I think it's the store's responsibility."
Associated Press Writers Judy Lin and Robin Hindery in Sacramento and Lisa Leff in San Francisco contributed to this report.


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Firefly is a full-service global brand management and licensing agency specializing in entertainment, interactive, technology, art and lifestyle properties.
We create unique consumer product programs that are tailored to each client's specific needs and we consistently create revenue-driving results. Our strong retail relationships give us the leverage to get your product to market efficiently. Our experience comes from a proven track record of success working with top notch clients and building successful licensing programs. We are committed to excellence and passionate about what we do, which delivers Best in Class results.


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(Real Simple) -- Financial expert Farnoosh Torabi fills you in on her best advice for navigating the racks.
To score the best deals, shop online and at brick and mortar stores.
1. Take a lap. Ever have buyer's remorse about an impulse purchase? Give yourself 30 minutes to decide before breaking out your wallet. Walk around the mall or grab some lunch and really think about whether it's worth the money. If you're worried the item will get snapped up while you're away, place it on hold at the register -- stores usually give you 24 hours to decide.
2. Ask for a discount or free delivery. That's right. Ask. A store rarely offers anything outright for free, but you may be rewarded for speaking up. Just as the sales associate is about to ring up your purchase of $150 or more, ask whether she can offer a discount. After all, you may be helping her get a sizable commission.
3. Head for the refurbished bin. Many online merchants like Callaway Golf Company and Dell offer refurbished goods -- items that have been returned and sometimes repaired -- at discounts of 10 percent or more. Items are often practically perfect, but do give possible purchases a thorough once-over.
Real Simple: Monthly bill-paying checklist
4. Hybrid shop. Use both brick and mortar stores and the Internet to nab the best deals. If you see an item you like in a store, make note of the make, the model, the size and the price. Later scour the Web for the product. You just may find it at a cheaper price.
Tip: Enter the store name on RetailMeNot, which lists coupon codes for 15,000 stores, to see if any discounts are available.
5. Shop on sites with free shipping and returns. Jot down a list of shopping Web sites that offer free shipping and free returns and post it on your desktop bulletin board as a friendly reminder. Some sites to get you started: Zappos for shoes and Revolve Clothing for clothes and gear.
Real Simple: How to organize bills
6. Get on stores' friends and family lists. Companies like Club Monaco, Kenneth Cole, J.Crew, and Banana Republic offer sales throughout the year for customers whose friends or family work at the store. If you don't qualify, kindly ask an associate if it's possible to get on the list.
7. Pay with cash. Merchants usually have to pay vexing processing fees each time a customer uses a credit card, so some businesses -- like gas stations, spas, and small boutiques -- are starting to offer discounts for cash-paying customers. If you don't see a sign advertising a discount, simply ask a sales associate whether the store offers a five or 10 percent discount for using cash.
Get a FREE TRIAL issue of Real Simple - CLICK HERE !
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All About Shopping


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Physcial Sciences Division
Staff Awards & Honors
July 2009
Jean Futrell Elected Fellow of American Chemical Society
Congratulations to Dr. Jean Futrell of Pacific Northwest National Laboratory on being selected for the inaugural class of American Chemical Society Fellows. The American Chemical Society, with more than 150,000 members, is one of the world's largest scientific organizations. This prominent honor, given to only 0.1% of the society's members, reflects Futrell's scientific achievements and his contributions to the research community.
His research focuses on the theory and practice of mass spectroscopy. His work has answered fundamental questions about mass spectrometry, including the behavior of ions. He has developed or modified instruments for specialized research, creating high-pressure and chemical-ionization mass spectrometers. His invention of tandem mass spectrometry is deployed in nearly every commercial mass spectrometer.
In the scientific community, Futrell is a quiet, diplomatic, and highly effective leader. He has served as chair and past chair of the American Society of Mass Spectrometry; he is currently on the society's executive committee. He has also served as president and past president of the Council for Chemical Research, which advances scientific research to benefit society. The first director of the Department of Energy's EMSL, Futrell is a prolific writer with more than 400 refereed articles and invited reviews to his name.
Throughout his career, Futrell has been recognized by his peers. As a mass spectrometry expert, he was named the German Mass Spectrometry Society's Wolfgang Paul Distinguished Lecturer-the fourth American to receive such an honor. He won the FH Field and JL Franklin Award, the ACS's top honor for fundamental science in mass spectrometry. Further, he is a Fellow in three societies: the American Physical Society, the American Society for the Advancement of Science, and the World Innovation Foundation.
Futrell and the other ACS Fellows will be honored at a special ceremony during the ACS National Meeting in Washington, D.C., on Monday, August 17, 2009.


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The Baixo Guadiana is the most eastern region of the Algarve, stretching along the lower course of the river Guadia, and including the three municipalities of Alcoutim, Castro Marim and Vila Real de Santo António. The river Guadiana is one of the three larger rivers on the Iberian Peninsula having its source in Spain and flowing into the Atlantic Ocean in Portugal. The area on the lower course of the river, the border of the Algarve with Spain, is still almost undiscovered as a holiday destination. It is only recently that several excellent golf resorts have been built on both shores of the Guadiana, offering ideal conditions for enjoyable golf holidays during spring and fall. The peaceful undulating landscape west of the river between Castro Marim and Alcoutim is also appealing for extended undisturbed hikes.
The river Guadiana on the border to Spain
The Guadiana is the most southern of the three main rivers (together with Tejo and Duro) flowing from Spain to Portugal. It rises near Ciudad Real in the region of Castile – La Mancha and empties after 742 km near Vila Real d.S.A. and Ayamonte into the Gulf of Cadiz. The Romans called the river Anas, later transformed by the Arabs to Uádi Ana ( arab. Wadi for river).
Situated by the mouth of the River Guadiana, the Sapal de Castro Marim and Vila Real de Santo António Nature Reserve is one of the most important wetland areas in Portugal. It is formed by salty marshes with their special brackish waters, salt-pans and creeks, and is home to a diverse range of plants and animals.
The artificial lakes of Beliche and Odeleite are large storage reservoirs maintaining the water supply to the region even during the long, hot summers.
The major localities on the Guadiana
The most important cities and villages on the Guadiana
The municipality Vila Real de Santo António is situated on the estuary mouth of the river Guadiana. The city is famous for its grid system of streets, a result of its reconstruction, which took only 5 months, following the catastrophic earthquake in 1755. Opposite Vila Real de Santo António the village of Ayamonte is situated on the Spanish shore, the only way across is by ferry boat.
Castro Marim is located a few miles to the north of Vila Real d.S.A. Its impressive castle bears witness to the heavy fighting that used to take place in olden times between Spain and Portugal. The bridge north of Castro Marim, connecting the A22 motorway in the Algarve with the Spanish A49 to Seville, is the only bridge in the Algarve connecting the two countries. Its impressive steel construction is visible from afar.
The most north-eastern municipality of the Algarve is Alcoutim, located on the river Guadiana opposite Sanlúcar de Guadiana. Castles and fortresses on both sides of the river bear witness to the past centuries of war between Spain and Portugal.
Sports & Leisure
Sports and Leisure on the Rio Guadiana
Since the beginning of this century, on both sides of the lower course of the river Guadiana, several golf courses of various levels of proficiency have been constructed. They are incorporated into golf and holiday resorts. There are more new courses in the planning stages.
The peaceful and sparsely populated hilly countryside on the western shore of the river is ideal territory for extensive hikes, offering great views to the Guadiana.
In Vila Real de Santo António boat tours are offered up river, which can be combined with jeep safaris to explore the region.
Rio Guadiana
The river Guadiana is navigable for 68 km beyond Alcoutim until the historical town of Mértola in the neighbouring Alentejo. The natural park Parque Natural do Vale do Guadiana surrounding Mértola is both of ecological and archaeological interest.
Crossing the motor way bridge north of Castro Marim within 45 minutes you will reach Huelva in Spain. Seville with its fantastic monuments and architecture is only one and a half hours away. On the Spanish side the motorway is toll free.
Travel Advice
Travelling in the Guadiana region
All year round in the surrounding areas of Castro Marim and Spanish Ayamonte, there are excellent value golf packages available. Alcoutim with its youth hostel overlooking the river Guadiana is a perfect starting point for hiking and trekking tours.


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In a world where we deal with big-picture items that affect swine health, nutrition, welfare and other areas, we sometimes forget about the basics that need to be attended to every day.
One of those potentially forgotten areas is parasite control. Parasites in swine are often silent thieves with no obvious signs of health effect or financial loss. But parasites can also be not-so-silent thieves.
Case Study No. 1
We were called to a farm where finishing pigs were experiencing diarrhea problems. Pigs were finished outside.
This group of pigs had been placed for about a month. The majority showed signs of diarrhea. Many had blood in the feces. Approximately 10% of the group were showing signs of slow growth. The list of health issues that we ruled out included ileitis, swine dysentery and whipworms.
On postmortem examination, there were no respiratory lesions and no evidence of liver scars, and the intestines looked normal except for the colon and cecum, which were lined with what looked like "hair." This hair was actually attached whipworms.
The group was dewormed with a parasiticide that controlled whipworms. The pigs responded well and had no subsequent concerns.
Case Study No. 2
We were called to a 600-head finishing farm with a history of skin lesions in pigs about 40 days after purchase. About 30% of the group showed some skin thickening in the shoulder area and crusting around and in the ears. The pigs were very restless. At any one time, about 5% of the group could be seen scratching on the gating or with their hind legs.
Skin scraping for mange was not attempted due to the difficulty in getting a positive result in spite of positive signs of skin lesions. The group was fed a mange control product for seven days. The skin lesions resolved nicely.
Case Study No. 3
We were called to a 600-head, farrow-to-finish farm with a history of chronic respiratory disease in finishing pigs.
Postmortem examinations were done on two finishing pigs. Both livers in these pigs were nearly white with ascarid (roundworms) migration liver scars.
The normal life cycle of ascarids involves the eggs being eaten, then burrowing through the liver and the lungs. The pig then coughs them up, only to be swallowed and grown into egg-laying adult worms.
This farm was already deworming sows and pigs — but it was not being done at the correct times. Their process was to deworm sows twice per year as an entire herd program and deworm pigs in the nursery.
Since an ascarid can go from an egg that is eaten to an egg-laying adult worm in 6-8 weeks, the farm needed to adjust the timing of the deworming program.
We have changed to deworming sows as they enter the farrowing crate. Feces are scraped behind the sows for 48 hours after the dewormer is administered. The theory here is to provide "clean" pigs going into the nursery. Before the worm eggs can become egg-laying adults, the pigs are weaned and have moved into the nursery.
Since most of the modern nurseries have raised flooring, the amount of fecal-oral contamination is limited and so is the exposure to worms. Therefore, the pigs entering and leaving the nursery should have very few, if any, worms.
In the new program, no nursery deworming is done. From the postmortems that were conducted, it was known that the finishers were contaminated with ascarid eggs.
We chose to begin with a two-step deworming program in the finisher. Forty days after the pigs are placed in the finisher, the first deworming is done. This allows the pigs to go around like little vacuum cleaners picking up ascarid eggs.
The process of deworming kills the adult worms before they are old enough to lay eggs. The groups were all dewormed a second time in 40 days to again decrease the numbers of eggs in the environment. This was done for two turns of the finisher. The second round of deworming was phased out in the third turn of pigs.
We continue to monitor this farm intermittently with fecal examinations. The fecal exams have been negative to date. At a cost of slightly more money per head, this farm has gone from terrible to good internal parasite control.
The industry has excellent deworming and mange control products that will effectively control internal and external parasites. Contact your veterinarian for assistance in choosing the correct product and the strategic time for its use.


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The Endeavor XF spotting scope boasts excellent optical viewing for nature enthusiasts and hunters.
Compatible digiscoping adaptor PA-202
The Endeavor XF spotting scope boasts excellent optical viewing for nature enthusiasts and hunters. It features a rubber armored magnesium body and is waterproof submersible, nitrogen filled and fog proof. The lenses are all fully multi-coated to ensure optimum light transmission and feature a phase-coated BAK4 roof prism. The Endeavor XF 80A comes with a 80mm objective lens and angled eyepiece with 20-60x zoom magnification. It features an extendable rubber covered eyecup and boasts impressive eye relief even at the highest zoom settings. It also provides a very impressive field of view. A built-in sunshield is included to eliminate glare in direct sunlight and it includes a padded raincoat with sling for carry and protection. Endeavor XF is equipped with a large smooth focusing wheel for quick focusing adjustments. The Endeavor XF mounts directly to Vanguard tripod heads (and others) that are equipped with the universal mounting plate without the use of a quick shoe. The tripod mount on the angled scope rotates to give optimum viewing angles in a variety of situations such as bench shooting and use with a window mount.