blazing, and there were two
tears running down her cheeks, but there had been no sounds of weeping.
A great calm had settled on our ship. Another day and still
there was no wind, so we lingered, sitting on the tranquil sea, like a turtle
in its shell. Sailors and passengers alike were lulled by the silence, the
absence of movement. Games were organized and promenades. We made friends with
the sailors who would make us gifts of little soft animals, creatures made out
of rope and hemp. Polly and I used to "fish" over the side of the
ship, which amused the sailors, who would ask us if we had caught any
"catfish." One fat, red little sailor with a blond beard and green
eyes made me the figure of a little dog in the image of a certain race they had
in France. He made it out of hemp, and around the neck, tail, and legs was a
mass of curls shaped like shrubbery. I later learned this race of dog was
called "caniche" and was in
fashion with the Paris gentry. I tied a ribbon on mine and called him George
Washington. I would climb up to my hiding place, my "Monticello,"
with Washington, and there I would sit, making lists in my loneliness, to pass
the time.
Blue. Sky. Water without wind. No clouds. Sixteen sails.
Three flags. Birds. Seven Masts. Sun. A long railing of polished brass. God.
Silver on blue. 85 spokes in the railing. 48 sailors on the ship. 3 cooks. 1 surgeon. 2 mates. 1 adjunct. 4 officers. 1 Captain. Captain Ramsay. The cargo; sugar, tobacco, rice, barley,
molasses, peanuts.
Partial inventory of Polly's trunks: 1 stiffened coat of silk; 2 silk dresses, 1 cloak, 8 petticoats; 8 pairs of kid mittens; 4 pairs of gloves; 4 pairs of calamanco shoes; 8 pairs leather pumps; 6 pairs fine thread stockings; 4 pairs fine worsted stockings; 2 fans; 2 masks; 4 pairs of ruffles; 7 girdles consisting of 2 white, 2 dark blue, 1 rose, 1 yellow, 1 black; 6 linen drawers; 6 silk drawers; 13 chemises; 1 silver mirror; 16 dolls; 1 flute....
Inventory of my trunk: 2 cotton petticoats; 1 quilted petticoat; 6 dresses, 1. pair worsted stockings; 4 linen aprons; 2 girdles; 12 chemises; 1 pair of shoes; 2 nightshirts; 1 wooden crucifix carved by John; 1 woolen shawl; 1 flute.
We got under way again. It had been still the whole day,
when suddenly a breeze whipped the ribbons of our bonnets as Polly and I
strolled on deck. There were sailors everywhere, running and leaping in a noisy
slippery dance. The sails swelled before our eyes and the ship shuddered,
rolling under us like one of my master's galloping bay horses. In about an hour
we had begun to take on speed, and what a beautiful sight were the waves we
made, frothing in the setting sun, the last streaks of light quarreling with
the dark that finally came, dropping like a black cloth. From then on we made
good time. I started looking forward to the future instead of being homesick
for the past. That night we celebrated the trade winds.
Everyone dressed for dinner, and Captain Ramsay put on his
dress uniform and fairly took our breath away. It was of a bright- but
deep-blue hue, a velvet jacket with golden tassels on the shoulders hung with
golden cords. The lapels were red satin, with a matching waistcoat. His cravat
and shirt were a snowy white, with lace at the cuffs, and his small cloths were
also white with blue stockings. His hair was powdered and tied with a blue
ribbon, and his shoes were black patent-leather, with silver buckles. His
buttons were of silver and he had a silver watch and a great sword in a silver
harness and a blue sapphire on his hand. I will never forget the splendor of
Captain Ramsay. Little Polly had found her first love. Oh, he was a splendid man,
Captain Ramsay, and Polly did adore him! I think it was because she missed her
father.
I remembered her father well, but Polly had been only four
when he had left, and she had no recollection of him at all. All that she had
known, as love and family, she had left in Norfolk with her aunt's
tears running down her cheeks, but there had been no sounds of weeping.
A great calm had settled on our ship. Another day and still
there was no wind, so we lingered, sitting on the tranquil sea, like a turtle
in its shell. Sailors and passengers alike were lulled by the silence, the
absence of movement. Games were organized and promenades. We made friends with
the sailors who would make us gifts of little soft animals, creatures made out
of rope and hemp. Polly and I used to "fish" over the side of the
ship, which amused the sailors, who would ask us if we had caught any
"catfish." One fat, red little sailor with a blond beard and green
eyes made me the figure of a little dog in the image of a certain race they had
in France. He made it out of hemp, and around the neck, tail, and legs was a
mass of curls shaped like shrubbery. I later learned this race of dog was
called "caniche" and was in
fashion with the Paris gentry. I tied a ribbon on mine and called him George
Washington. I would climb up to my hiding place, my "Monticello,"
with Washington, and there I would sit, making lists in my loneliness, to pass
the time.
Blue. Sky. Water without wind. No clouds. Sixteen sails.
Three flags. Birds. Seven Masts. Sun. A long railing of polished brass. God.
Silver on blue. 85 spokes in the railing. 48 sailors on the ship. 3 cooks. 1 surgeon. 2 mates. 1 adjunct. 4 officers. 1 Captain. Captain Ramsay. The cargo; sugar, tobacco, rice, barley,
molasses, peanuts.
Partial inventory of Polly's trunks: 1 stiffened coat of silk; 2 silk dresses, 1 cloak, 8 petticoats; 8 pairs of kid mittens; 4 pairs of gloves; 4 pairs of calamanco shoes; 8 pairs leather pumps; 6 pairs fine thread stockings; 4 pairs fine worsted stockings; 2 fans; 2 masks; 4 pairs of ruffles; 7 girdles consisting of 2 white, 2 dark blue, 1 rose, 1 yellow, 1 black; 6 linen drawers; 6 silk drawers; 13 chemises; 1 silver mirror; 16 dolls; 1 flute....
Inventory of my trunk: 2 cotton petticoats; 1 quilted petticoat; 6 dresses, 1. pair worsted stockings; 4 linen aprons; 2 girdles; 12 chemises; 1 pair of shoes; 2 nightshirts; 1 wooden crucifix carved by John; 1 woolen shawl; 1 flute.
We got under way again. It had been still the whole day,
when suddenly a breeze whipped the ribbons of our bonnets as Polly and I
strolled on deck. There were sailors everywhere, running and leaping in a noisy
slippery dance. The sails swelled before our eyes and the ship shuddered,
rolling under us like one of my master's galloping bay horses. In about an hour
we had begun to take on speed, and what a beautiful sight were the waves we
made, frothing in the setting sun, the last streaks of light quarreling with
the dark that finally came, dropping like a black cloth. From then on we made
good time. I started looking forward to the future instead of being homesick
for the past. That night we celebrated the trade winds.
Everyone dressed for dinner, and Captain Ramsay put on his
dress uniform and fairly took our breath away. It was of a bright- but
deep-blue hue, a velvet jacket with golden tassels on the shoulders hung with
golden cords. The lapels were red satin, with a matching waistcoat. His cravat
and shirt were a snowy white, with lace at the cuffs, and his small cloths were
also white with blue stockings. His hair was powdered and tied with a blue
ribbon, and his shoes were black patent-leather, with silver buckles. His
buttons were of silver and he had a silver watch and a great sword in a silver
harness and a blue sapphire on his hand. I will never forget the splendor of
Captain Ramsay. Little Polly had found her first love. Oh, he was a splendid man,
Captain Ramsay, and Polly did adore him! I think it was because she missed her
father.
I remembered her father well, but Polly had been only four
when he had left, and she had no recollection of him at all. All that she had
known, as love and family, she had left in Norfolk with her aunt's
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