Welsh Journals

AN IRREGULAR JOURNAL. Vol. II. SOBRAON, SATURDAY, MAY 6th, 1882. No. 3. Bubbles round the keol show the vessel moves.—Mus. Browning. A DAY IN THE TROPICS. No one. would think of describing a hot-house with the fires out, and equally no one would describe a day in the tropics with a chill S.E. or N.E. wind. A real characteristic tropical day, such as we shall describe in glowing colours to our friends at home, is one on which you vote civilization a curse, and wish for the unencum¬ bered existence of a Zulu or North American Indian on the trail. Life becomes simply a burden,—borne because the alternation might be jumping from the frying-pan into the fire; a vegetation with the sap flowing outside instead of inside ; a weary perform¬ ance of functions necessary for simple existence. Food becomes distasteful to most of us, and a thirst insatiable as the flames of hell makes parchment of our throats and tans our tongues to leather. Drowsy and languid, the passengers lounge about the deck, some with books on their knees, which they never read whilst others, mpre honestly, despising appearances, lay themselves out for absolute indolence. At such a time everything is conducive to laziness. The sea, all round as smooth as glass, reflects the sun's rays so strongly that one is almost forced to close the eyes, and the sails lying idly against the masts keep you company in limp¬ ness, while the ocean swell gently rocks you in the cradle of the deep. If, in spite of all these inducements, you remain restless and irritable, you had better find others like yourself and, cursing fate with them, just grin and bear it.^ During our present voyage we have not had many days of which this would not be a very exaggerated description, but we have just had enough to convince us that such days do occur, that, during such days, life is not worth living, and that the best thing to be done under the cir¬ cumstances is to follow the example of Coleridge, who, when under the influence of opium, " Retired into some sunshiny shade away, And like a naked Indian slept himself away." [W. S.]