Chapter 48:
- The Alabama on the Indian Ocean -- the passengers questioned, and contracted with -- the Agulhas current -- the ‘brave West winds’ -- a theory -- the Islands of St. Peter and St. Paul -- the tropic of Capricorn -- the South-East trades and the monsoons -- the Alabama arrives off the Strait of Sunda, and burns one of the ships of the enemy -- runs in and anchors under the island of Sumatra.
When Bartelli awakened me, at the usual hour of ‘seven bells’—half-past 7 A. M.,—on the morning after the events described in the last chapter, the Alabama was well launched upon the Indian Ocean. She had run the Cape of Good Hope out of sight, and was still hieing off before the gale, though this had moderated considerably as she had run off the coast. We were now about to make a long voyage, tedious to the unphilosophical mariner, but full of interest to one who has an eye open to the wonders and beauties of nature. My first duty, upon going on deck, was to put the ship under sail, and let the steam go down; and my second, to have an interview with the ‘passengers,’ who had come on board, overnight. We were now on the high seas, and might, with all due respect to Queen Victoria, put them under contract. If the reader recollects Falstaff's description of his ragged battalion, he will have a pretty good idea of the personnel I had before me. These subjects of the Queen stood in all they possessed. None of them had brought any baggage on board with them. Ragged blue and red flannel shirts, tarred trousers, and a mixture of felt hats and Scotch caps, composed their wardrobe. Their persons had passed muster of the surgeon, it is true, but it
