Among the cargoes that cause much anxiety and occasionally considerable danger to itself is a cargo of animals. Some stories have been told of the eventful voyages of teams of greyhounds that have been taken to different parts of the world. These highly-strung creatures, ior instance, readily become seasick, and this, combined with the unfamiliar motion of the ship, unnerves them. They also have a fear of the dark, whimpering and crying pathetically, and those which have been most troubled by their new surroundings have pined away and died.
The escape of a wildcat from its cage was once the cause of some excitement on the decks vf big liner. Before the seamen could throw a sail over it the animal dashed down a staircase and went spitting and screaming along the alleyway, stewards and passengers not stopping to dispute the right of way. The wildcat then entered a first-class cabin occupied by a lady, who hysterically indicated the bunk in which it was lying, snarling and spitting defiance to all who approached it. But the motion of the ship and the skilful methods of a sailor gradually quietened the beast and at last it was carried back to its cage, its sharp talons carefully wrapped in a thick blanket.
Ships masters who have had to carry the animals of a circus as cargo have recollections of stampeding elephants, lions roaring and agers snarling, With a cargo like this there should be plenty of room in the ship. It is easy enough, however, getting the animals aboard in their boxes, excepting the elephants. The lucky ship's master, however, may see these walking calmly up the planks set for them, but too often the elephants are temperamental, with a rooted objection to a sea voyage, and all the seaxing in the world will not get them on board. One elephant that was being hauled aboard in an Indian port did not like the look of the ship, and with a sudden trumpet it pulled away the restraining ropes and charged, leaving scores of coolies who had been hauling scattered helplessly over the ship.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.