Tuesday, October 15.—Captain John Eldridge came on board this morning. He was a welcome visitor for two reasons. First, he brought me several letters from home; and secondly, the sight of such a jolly old gentleman was enough to drive away any blue devils which a fellow might have. He is my idea of Falstaff, and a most perfect one, too. I hope to enjoy his company on the voyage, and shall not be disappointed. He said Father was in New York, and would come to see me. He did come about ten o’clock, and reported all well at home. When he left the ship he would not bid me good-by, but departed in a hurry.
Captain Comstock came on board about 11 o’clock, and we started about 12 m. We left our pilot at Sandy Hook, and waited there for our ship, the Ocean Express, which we are to tow. The sail down the harbor was quite pleasant, and I looked with feelings of pleasure and satisfaction on Fort Lafayette in particular, and also at Forts Hamilton, Richmond, etc., which are situated at the Narrows. The sea was calm, the weather pleasant, and everything foretold a pleasant voyage. It was good at last to feel we were really off, bound the Lord knows where, for I am sure no one on the ship knew.
While steaming down the harbor, I struck up an acquaintance with one of the ship’s officers, the surgeon, Dr. Bangs, a man who kept us in good spirits all the time he was with us. A true wit, for he has a most wonderful power of language, which he makes the best use of in telling stories and yarns the most improbable and impossible man ever heard of, and at the same time preserving a gravity of countenance which greatly enhances the fun we have in hearing him talk. He is, I find out, a lawyer in New York, but having once studied medicine he took this opportunity of going on this expedition. And really, I believe he is as good a doctor as half those who have an M.D. stuck on to their names. This, however, is not saying much for his knowledge as a doctor.
We also had two young men on board named Hubbell and Grant, both nice fellows, and acting as mates merely for the sake of a passage to our place of destination. Our purser is a jolly, fat, red-faced gentleman, a Pole by birth, an American by naturalization, and a tobacconist by trade. His name, be it known, is Julian Allen, – of a somewhat quick temper, although meaning to do right always. Then as assistant engineer we have a man fearfully and wonderfully made, the light of the nineteenth century, and in addition a fool, Marvin by name, and bound on a pleasure trip; not a pleasure trip to his companions did he make it. My chum is Saxton the chief clerk, a smart fellow, but somewhat given to exaggeration. His story told in the smoking-room about two negroes eating strawberries on a bet, and one devouring one hundred baskets, and another one hundred and twenty-five, which one hundred and twenty-fifth basket caused the aforesaid negro to burst and die, which fact he vouched for, and declared he saw take place in the market-place, rather knocked me. I think I had him though when I told him I was there and saw a strawberry-bed spring up from the poor nigger’s body, from which bed I plucked and devoured many pints of the red berry. We have a pilot also, who is easily excited, and who bagged more plunder at Port Royal than any other two men in the fleet.
To return, however, to the ship and the voyage. We fastened on to our ship at 6 p.m., and started off at the rate of eight knots an hour, bound at first for Fortress Monroe. We broke our tiller-rope during the evening, but this was soon repaired, and we went gaily on our way.