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Across the Atlantic

Charles H. Haeseler · 1868 · Scanned text

110,309 words · about 7 h 43 min to read

Period artwork: Interior of the Bodleian Library, 1845
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Licence: PD · Library of Congress states the book is in the public domain and free to use and reuse (https://data.labs.loc.gov/digitized-books/README.html); published 1868, author long deceased · Library of Congress, Selected Digitized Books (https://www.loc.gov/item/03011746); text via the Common Pile (CC BY 4.0 compilation, per-document rights preserved)

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About this book

Author
Charles H. Haeseler
Language
English
Published
1868
Length
110,309 words · about 7 h 43 min
Sections
47 reader sections
Text
Scanned text, read from page scans by OCR; may contain errors
Rights
Public domain

 

Contents (47)

Continue:

Front matter

v v

W

*^0<

Letter I

The Voyage — Incidents at Sea — The Steamer — Our Passengers — A Romance at Sea — A Bear on Board — Amusements on Board — Life on the Ocean Wave — The Jolly Smoking- Room — Music on Board — Sabbath — Arrival at Havre — First Impressions — The Wines — Railroads — Arrival at Paris. 33

Letter II

Flitting about Paris; Its Streets; Houses — Shops of Paris — Sculpture — Garden of Plants — Its Museums — Cathedral of Notre Dame — Place Vendome — Bird's-Eye View of Paris- — Sunday in Paris — Hacks and Carriages — The Servants — Operas, Theatres 60

Letter III

The Grand Exposition — It is no Failure — Its Machinery Department — Mechanical Department — Its Saloons — Chinese Theatres — Negro Minstrels — American Contributions — Department of Fine Arts — Statue of the Dying Napoleon — Department of Jewelry — Dry Goods — Agricultural Department — Building of U. S. Sanitary Commission — Reserved

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XXii CONTENTS.

PAGE

Garden — Aquarium in the Cave — Notabilities who visit the Exposition— M. A. F.'s (My American Friend) Opinion of the Exposition — The Rush for the Exposition — Expenses of Living — Princes and Potentates in Paris 62

Letter IV

Amusements of the Parisians — About the Theatres — Romeo and Juliet, L'Africaine — C;if'6s Chantants — The Love of Flowers — The Races at the Bois de Boulogne — Grand Turnout — Balloon Ascension — A French Thimble-rigger — Imperial Palaces — The Soldiers — Police System of Paris — Mystery but Safety — Paris at Night — The Wines and the Water 79

Letter V

Medical Institutions of Paris — Boulevard de Sebastopol — The Hotel I)ieu — Rue de l'Ecole de Medecine — Medical Book and Instrument Shops — Professional Reflections — The Faculty of Paris — Examinations for Medical Doctorate — Colored Students — The Latin Quarter — Drs. Velpeau and Trousseau — The Hospitals 91

Letter VI

Memory of the Great Napoleon — His Tomb — The Invalides — Louvre — Imperial Museum — Palace of the Tuileries — The Imperial Family — The Champs Ely sees — Jardin Mabille — An Adventure — Farewell to Paris 102

Letter VII

The Champagne District— Strasburg, its Cathedral — The Astronomical Clock — Going up the Steeple — The Storks — On

CONTENTS. xxm

PAGE

top of the Steeple — My American Friend — An Incident, Interchange of Jewels — Monuments of Strasburg — How the Women Work — Freiburg — The Black Forest — The Hollenthal — The Inventor of Gunpowder 113

Letter VIII

Switzerland — Zurich — The Uetliberg — The Hotel Baur au Lac — Lake Zurich — Scholastic Institutions of Zurich — Curiosities of Zurich — Amusing Incidents — Pleasant Travelling Companions — An American Anecdote, in which M. A. F. spreads himself — He spins a Yarn and speaks a Piece — Indifference to American Affairs — Telegraphs and Newspapers — Comparisons Drawn 124

Letter IX

Switzerland — Up Lake Zurich — Hay-making — Trout-Fishing — A Swiss Cottage — Sojourn with a Swiss Family — A Knotty Question Solved — A Band of Minstrels — Lake Zug — Sunrise from the Rigi — Lucerne— -Altdorf — Wm. Tell — Burgeln — St. Gotthard — Andermatt — Snow-balling on the Alps — Lucerne «... 137

Letter X

Switzerland — Berne — Its Origin — Predilection for Bruin — The Bears in the Pen — Bears all over Town — Grindelwald — The Glacier — The Ice-Grotto — A Storm on the Alps — A Night on the Alps ... .. 152

Letter XI

Switzerland — Lake Brienz — The Giesbach Waterfall — Staubbach Cascade — Interlaken — Geneva — The Turner-Fest — xxiv CONTENTS.

PAGB

Trip to Chamouny — Among the Alps — Over the Tete-Noir Pass to Martigny — The Castle of Chillon — Down the Lake of Geneva — Return to Zurich — En Route to Munich — An Interesting Incident at Zurich 163

Letter XII

Munich — Passion of the People for Music — Gossip about the King — Art Galleries — Distinguished Portraits — Visit to the Bronze Foundry — A Monumental Colonnade — Beer — Stuttgardt — Its Palaces and other Buildings — Carlsruhe — Baden- Baden — The Archduke's Castle — The Conversation Hall — Gaming 176

Letter XIII

Heidelberg; Its Castle — Fourth of July — The American Flag — We meet a Friend and celebrate the Day — Manheim and its Surroundings — Visit to Worms — Drive to Bensheim — Religious Meeting in the Woods — My American Friend grows Eloquent over the Recollection of a Pennsylvania Camp-meeting 194

Letter XIV

Mayence; Its Fortifications — Frankfurt — Notable Houses — Imperial Hall — Wiesbaden — A Marvellous Spring — The Cursaal — Visit to the Castle of Johannisberg — Down the Rhine — Scenery, Castles, etc. — Cologne — Its Cathedral — Interesting Features of the City — Opinion of the Rhine — Cassel — University of Gottingen — Arrival at Northeim 212

CONTENTS. XXV

PAGE

Letter XV

A German Town — Rural Life— The Dwellings — A Dignified Game of Nine-Pins — My American Friend rolls and produces a "Pumpe" — A Fine Sulphur Spring — A Dancing Hall — The Delirious Waltz — Life at the Brunnen and in the Town — Close of the Day at the Hotel Sonne 226

Letter XVI

Growth of Berlin — Military Spirit of Prussia — The King and Bismarck — Their Visit to Napoleon — Unter den Linden — National Library — Museums and University — The House of Alexander Von Humboldt — Bliicher's Monument — The Orpheum — Zoological and Botanical Gardens — The River Spree — A beautiful Forest 237

Letter XVII

My American Friend takes a Ramble through the Streets of Berlin — Gazes in the Shop-windows and sees Something — Finds out an Address and goes in Pursuit of it — What Happens there — An Accident — Does a little Doctoring — Makes the Acquaintance of a Prussian Soldier — Some Military Talk — An Heroic Action — Description of the Battle of Langensalza 248

LETTER XVII I.

City of Leipzig — Hahnemann's Monument — Goethe's Faust, and Auerbach's Cellar — The Book-Trade and University of Leipzig — Dresden — Treasures and Works of Art — The Green Vaults — Kaufmann's Acoustic Cabinet — The Schiitzenfest of the Vogelwiese — A Trip up the Elbe to Konigstein — Visit to the Battlefield of Sadowa, or Konigsgr'atz 259 xxvi CONTENTS.

PAGE

Letter XIX

The Austrians — Their Personal Points — The Imperial Vaults in the Church of the Capuchins — Palace of Schonbrun — University of Vienna — The General Hospital — Rokitansky, the Pathologist — Rev. Dr. Mann, of Philadelphia 270

Letter XX

Visit to a Wonderful Cave at Adelsberg — The City of Trieste — The Adriatic — The Cholera Mortality in Italy — Superstition and Ignorance of the People — Venice — Fumigation Process on entering the City — Curiosities of the Place — Milan; Its Magnificent Cathedral — The Lake of Como — From Milan to Genoa — From Genoa to Pisa, Leghorn, and Florence 281

LETTER XXL

Journey through Italy — Luxuriant Vegetation — The Italians — Beggars — Art — A Visit to the Studio of Hiram Powers — My American Friend's Adventures — The Galleries, Art Models, etc. — From Florence to Rome — A Fair Snuffer — Poetical Effusion of M. A. F. — Thoughts on the Eternal City — The Cathedrals of St. Peter and St. Paul — His Holiness Pius IX. 302

Letter XXII

Rome— The Appian Way — The Caracall Baths— The Catacombs — Circus Maxentius — Cholera — The Diet of the Romans — Visit to the Pope's Residence — The Pantheon — In Memoriam — Raphael — Adieu to Rome — En Route to Paris — Bologna — Turin — Susa — The Mt. Cenis Pass over the Alps — Arrival at Paris 323

CONTENTS. XXVll

PAGH

Letter XXIII

Paris — Professor Watts' Funeral — Doctors Trousseau, Velpeau, and Nelaton — Death of the two Former — The Writer has a Spell of Sickness — The Fashions of Paris — The Opera Season — Incidents — A Musical Anecdote — My American Friend in Trouble 337

Letter XXIV

Paris — A Thrilling Incident of Parisian Life — A Query — Anecdote — Reminiscences'^ f the First Napoleon — Cemetery of Pere La Chaise — Manufactory of the Gobelin Tapestry — Hotel de Ville — Jardin D'Acclimatation — Birds, Beasts, and Fishes therein 350

LETTER XX Y.

The Railroad Depots of Europe — Departure from Paris — Crossing the Channel — Sea-Sickness — Calais and Dover — Arrival at London — Good Cheer — Comfortable once more — The Tower — St. Paul's — Under-Ground and Over-Head Railroads — Westminster Abbey — London and Paris Compared — Hospitals of London — From London to Liverpool — Meet with Friends — Voyage Home — An Incident — M. A. F.'s "Pome" on the Occasion 365

^LETTER XXVI.

Review of my Trip — European Manners, Customs, Politics, etc. — Topography of Europe; Of England; Of Italy; Of France and Germany — Sociality of Europeans — Selfishness of Parisians — Kindness of the Austrians — The Good-Natured Munichians — Temperate Habits of Europeans — Good Behavior of the Youth — The Armies of Europe — Importance of Understanding the Languages of Europe 376 xxvm CONTENTS.

PAOS

LETTER XXVII.

Concluding Letter by my American Friend — A Sea-Voyage a Humbug — Discomforts of a Ship — Of Landing in a Foreign Country — Bound to be Skinned — Kid Gloves of Paris — The Liquors and Wines of Europe — Endless Sight-Seeing — Sculpture — Tumble-Down Ruins of Europe — Climbing up the Alps — The Churches — The Railroads — Nothing like America — God Bless our Country 386

APOLOGY.

TK submitting these letters to the public, I would -*- fain make a few observations of personal import between you, gracious reader, and myself. I did not at first intend to write more than a few cursory letters, in order to obviate the necessity of numerous communications of similar contents to my personal friends. I soon, however, found the work growing upon my affections, and assuming the shape of a conversation, wherein I did all the talking, supposing that your part of it was to take place on my return home, when I should faithfully do all the listening ; and thus it was that this weekly writing became less a task than a pleasant companionship between us. I sincerely hope that I have not unreasonably bored you ; but if I have, it was your own fault ; for you could easily have gone over to Petroleum V. Nasby, the County Conventions, the sparkling editorials, or the Marriages and Deaths, — as the journal is a cuisinier of

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xxx APOLOGY.

unbounded capacities, and caters sumptuously for many tastes, provided, only, that they are normal.

I know that, take it all in all, I have presented an incongruous melange of the would-be sublime and the ridiculous ; and the transitions from the one to the other have frequently been so sudden as to outrage all scholastic rules and propriety. But then my theme has been such a mutatory one, so varied and diversified in character, that it was quite impossible to preserve the even dignity of a treatise on mathematical problems, or Locke (I had almost said, Padlock) on the Human Understanding. Nor am I quite clear about the grammatical character of these writings ; my recollection of Kirkham's Grammar being principally confined to the fact that it contained a chart of twenty-four, or forty-four, or a hundred and four (I have forgotten which) rules, all numbered with Roman figures, as glaring as those on the dial of a town-clock ; and that this chart, when unfolded, had the appearance of the constitution, articles, and by-laws of an infallible oil company. If every boy learned as much from that grammar — including the chart — as I did, then Mr. Kirkham had better saved his brains in its construction, and written a story about the wild Indians instead — which would have been much more interesting to study. Sometimes, with rather questionable taste, the Profession has

APOLOGY. xxxi

slipped a little profusely into these letters ; and I feel a misgiving that there are those who will attribute ulterior motives to this circumstance, or at least charge me with egotism. But, indeed, they are mistaken ; for the dear knows there is nothing about me to warrant or cultivate such a feeling. It was so natural and thoughtless to mix these items with the rest, that if it was an error, I sincerely hope to be forgiven. After all, there is nothing that the shoemaker understands so well as leather ; and I would rather hear him talk leather all day, than a brief period of things that he knows nothing about. Sometimes an observation has gone forth that, on subsequent reflection, I would have scratched out ; but when the relentless mail authorities once have these matters in hand, there remains no alternative but to telegraph ; and at a hundred dollars a line, this manner of sober second thinking becomes rather an extravagant recreation. So, upon the whole, I have let things go as people get married — "for better or worse." Should I at any time have made allusions at which any person could take umbrage, I want it distinctly understood that it was always in a Pickwickian sense, and as free from malice as the genial heart of that distinguished individual. And now let me add, supposing this to be the end of my last letter from Europe, that no child ever looked forward to xxxn APOLOGY.

the advent of Christmas morning, and all its joyous associations, with more heartfelt happiness than that with which I anticipate greeting you at an early day. With this assurance, believe me, dear reader,

Yours, truly,

C. H. H.

Pottsville, Pa., October, 1868.

ACROSS THE ATLANTIC.

Letter I. Keflections On A Sea-voyage

THE VOYAGE ACROSS THE ATLANTIC— INCIDENTS OF THE PASSAGE. — HAVRE. — RAILWAY TRIP TO PARIS. — AGRI- CULTURAL APPEARANCES OF THE COUNTRY. — ARRIVAL IN PARIS.

Paris, April, 1867.

THERE are, in the physical nature and topography of our own country, all the grandeur and sublimity of scenery ; in its population, all the diversity of human caste, color and character, to afford ample material for study throughout a lifetime of travel. But there is such a strange fascination, and almost superstitious feeling associated with the circumstance of sailing across a great ocean of water, as if, when the solid earth recedes from view, the life connected with it also passed away, and we were drifting to another and a strange region ; so that, while the people of the Old World are eager to learn the wonders of the western hemisphere, there is always a peculiar charm to our own minds in the recital of European travels.

I could never realize, until I crossed the Atlantic, what a brave heart, what a clear head, and what an

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absolute confidence in the correctness of his theory Columbus must have had when he pioneered his course through that trackless waste. In our time, a voyage across the ocean is such a common occurrence, that it is generally passed over in a hurried manner by those who write letters. But, although the dangers and duration of such a voyage are greatly diminished by the use of steam, and the strong, colossal, and magnificent proportions of our ocean steamers, yet is the distance across, and the vastness and awful sublimity of that body of water, just as great now as it was in the time of Columbus ; it is just as lonely now to be on its shoreless and echoless bosom as it was then. I have stood for hours by the side of our vessel, and watched it cleaving through the deep blue waves — watched how the ceaseless paddles of the huge side-wheels piled up the wild foam of the lashed waters like great long banks of drifted snow — watched along the straight, wide track in the rear of the keel until it faded away in the far-off horizon ; nothing but water to be seen — deep, dark, limitless water all around. Nothing of life, save that on board our vessel ; save, also, an occasional sea-gull, that seems like a condemned spirit, or an erratic comet, doomed to soar forever through the trackless air ; or a spluttering porpoise that appears to look upon our ship as a monstrous fish — rushing along in playful admiration by our side, blowing and snorting imposingly, even as a little creature courtier does before the great magnates and lordlings of the earth, ^ay, but we sometimes meet a sail coming from the direction to which we are journeying, and therefore we are, after all, not quite so lonely as was that little craft, under the guidance of the discoverer of our country. Methinks I could see him, with his faithful crew — but himself the only one whose faith did not falter in the end — sailing hopefully onward in the direction of the setting sun.

Methinks I could see that ocean now, with its countless white hillocks of foam, like the froth of anger, dancing on its vast surface, where no creation of human hands had ever ventured before ; where the voices of the waves and the wail of the winds commingled with the sharp napping of those intrusive sails. Methinks I could see the astonished porpoises, and spirting black-fish, and flitting sea-gulls bewildered and amazed at the little jauntily-rigged monster that was crowding its way before the breeze, where the silvery light of the moon, and the merry twinkle of the stars, and the bright radiance of the sun had never before shone on any solid fragment. There was no smoke-stack on that vessel, leaving a long, black cloud in its wake, like the tail of a comet — if comets 1 tails were black and formed of soot. There was no screw under the dark hull of that ship, the rotary motion of whose spiral flanks could have propelled it forward, like those of modern days ; no side- wheels, making their steady revolutions in the direction of the unknown shore. There were no Cunard, or Inman, or Transatlantic lines of ocean palaces then ; and the little world of people who floated under the direction of Columbus and the winds could have no daily hope of saluting another stray world of similar character during the whole period of their voyage. Things have greatly changed since then. Your vessel now cleaves through the water like a thing of life, — puffing, groaning, rolling, and pitching, grumbling and grinding and trembling and vibrating in every fibre of its timbers ; and the hand-maidens of human ingenuity — steam, and improved marine architecture — have given us the possibility to traverse the ocean in a miraculously short space of time, and under the auspices of comparative pleasure.

What a thing is an ocean steamer ! It constitutes a small world in itself ; and when I saw the sun set right behind our rudder, and rise again, in the morning, directly in front of the prow, I beheld, indeed, that this little world observed the system of the planets, and floated along its own true orbit. It was isolated from all other worlds by a universe of water — a small satellite of the earth ; and though we were repelled from it at New York, yet in accordance with the beautiful harmony of all things, we were graciously attracted again at Havre ; nor did we induce the faintest manner of an earthquake by the collision. Yet I should do our ship an injustice if I omitted to say, that it was also a huge churn ; and the manner of, and the extent to which we were churned was at first negatively visible by the few who represented our small community at the table during meal-times. Having had great experience, the first few days, of the melancholy effect of this churning, I could grow philosophical, nay, eloquent on the subject ; but I prefer not to ; yet I solemnly avow, that it detracts very materially from the romance of a voyage across the

Atlantic. It is not likely that I am misunderstood — I allude most respectfully to the infinitely unpoetical subject of sea-sickness. Yet we had fair weather, with the exception of one day, when it rained, nautically speaking,, cats and dogs, and sandwiched us between two 'sheets of the same element. Nevertheless, without any wind or apparent cause, the sea was intensely agitated for a period of three days, tossing us about in a playful manner like a mere chip ; but like a chip, too, that would remain and dance about in derisive dalliance upon the surface. ' The captain's explanation was, that it came from the north — blamed Canada and Greenland for it — and said, he was " veree much sorree, because it decommode ze passengers von great deal."

The enginery of an ocean steamer ! what a noble theme it is for reflection! What a grand sight to watch its regular and ceaseless labors — to count the fifteen revolutions which the wheels make every minute — never caught napping, never fatigued; but sometimes warming up so exceedingly by their work, that a stream of cold water must be kept playing upon their journals, to keep them from igniting the contiguous wood-work. What an intricate multiplicity of wheels, and levers, and cylinders, pistons, gauges, and valves ; and yet how harmoniously they all work together ! They constitute the life, the heart that advance a ship in its motion, and make it pulsate in every plank of its construction. But like animal life, this motion is kept up only by combustion ; and as an interesting item to all who have the prosperity of tjie coal trade at heart, it may be mentioned, that an ocean steamer consumes some eighty tons of coal daily ; and ours had stored, before we sailed, about eighteen hundred tons.

We have had on board a melange of all sorts of people, from almost all habitable parts ; from California, South America, Canada, Cuba, the different countries of Europe, and some from the Eastern, Western, Northern and Southern States of our own country. There were among us a number of celebrities in the arts and sciences, several congressmen, and any number of gentlemen with high-sounding military titles, which some had acquired in the union and some in the rebel service. The gentle sex was well rej resented, at the head of which was the charming and accomplished young wife of a United States senator, and the daughter of one of our ablest statesmen. We had a little sprinkling of romance, too, that is quite worthy of being recorded. The second day of our voyage, the weather being perfectly delightful, of course everybody who was not sick was on deck ; and there was the beginning of that social recognition of each other, and exchange of politeness, which grew into familiarity, and terminated, in many instances, in doubtless long and lasting friendship. Suddenly a tall and handsome gentleman was observed confronting a beautiful young German girl, whom he scrutinized closely for a few moments, and then exclaimed, " Good heavens! is this possible, Theresa? " Thus accosted, the young lady started, and riveting her attention upon him who had pronounced these words, she appeared to recognize him at once. Her cheeks became pallid with emotion, and with the ringing exclamation. " Heinrich, my brother !

" she rushed into his arms in the most beautifully theatrical style imaginable. Really it was quite affecting. The explanation is briefly this : the young girl was one whom the lady of the senator before alluded to, and who had visited Europe last year, had chosen for a friend and companion during her travels in France, Switzerland and Germany, and had prevailed upon her to accompany her to America in the fall, on condition of returning with her to Europe this Spring. The gentleman, who was her brother, had left home for South America some five years ago, where he had been sent as a civil engineer, to superintend the construction of a railroad. Thence he had come to the United States, and was now on his way back to Europe. Neither knew aught of the other's whereabouts. They had been orphans for many years, but were apparently of good family, and had enjoyed the advantage of an excellent education ; and both were possessed of an adventurous turn of mind. I learned these particulars from the parties themselves, with whom I subsequently became right intimately acquainted ; they being from my own native country, namely, Hanover. Carme, the French billiard-player of great fame, who caroms on two balls around a hat placed between them on the table, or on two balls placed on two different tables, was among the number of our passengers, and was quite a lion. Speaking of lions reminds me that there was another celebrity on board in the individuality of a bear ; not the Wall Street article, but a real, genuine, quadrupedal, North

American black bear. A superscription on bis cage sbowed fortb tbat be was in care of tbe American Express Company, and sent by a gentleman from Ogdensburg, New York, to Monsieur le Compte Lubersal, of Paris. What tbe Count intends to do witb this unique pet is not specified ; perbaps be wants to " render " bim, scent bim witb bergamot, and use bim for a toilet article. At any rate, among bis fellow-passengers be was tbe observed of all observers ; tbe ladies daily amused tbemselves in feeding bim witb dainties ; and, " bow does tbe bear do tbis morning?" was tbeir general matutinal concern. Tbe cook baked little cakes for bim ; what be called tbese I do not know, but am quite sure tbat they were not " lady-fingers." At first Bruin was sea-sick for a while, but recovered after a few days, like the rest of us, and greeted us occasionally with a familiar and friendly growl that was quite refreshing on such a wilderness of water.

All manner of amusements is resorted to on board ship u 2 )0ur passer le temps" the chief one, among gentlemen, being a game called "Tonneau;" which is a species of quoit-pitching with pewter quoits, about the size of a twenty-dollar gold-piece, (should any of my readers still retain a dim recollection of that size,) the object being to pitch them into the gaping mouth of a cast-iron frog, perched upon a box containing holes that represent different numbers, into one of which tbe frog drops the quoit ; the game affords considerable sport. Then there is all manner of card-playing, chess, dominos, draughts, backgammon, &c. There was a great deal of playing for money, too; but fortunately all the participants so " mutually excelled each, other," that none had lost or won to any extent at the end of our voyage. A small musical coterie enjoyed themselves greatly every evening in the ladies' saloon, which contained a fine piano. One of the gentlemen on board was an excellent performer ; and the German lady, who met her brother so strangely, has a rich soprano voice, and sang for us enchantingly. Thus we had gems from Trovatore, Ernani, Traviata, and many other sterling operas ; and on one occasion we had nearly the whole of the Bohemian Girl performed — without, of course, the acting and stage accessories.

Events on board a steamer do not always transpire in an uninterrupted course of serene dignity ; on the contrary, a "life on the ocean wave " has its ludicrous phases also, that offer a pleasing contrast to the tiresome monotony which would otherwise prevail even during so short a period as a ten days' voyage. "Wrapt up in your comfortable coat and shawls, you seat yourself languidly on an extension camp-chair, by the side of the officer at the compass, or promenade over a zigzag path up and down the quarter deck. Ignorant land-lubbers might think that you were a little muddled in the head ; but it is not that — the defect is in the legs, whose sea-faring steadiness has not yet been developed. Perhaps you descend into the saloon, that is gorgeously fitted up and has the appearance of a first-class gambling establishment ; directly you become an active member of the scene by joining some of your companions in a rubber of whist, or a game of chess. Presently the tableau changes : dinner is served ; you are seated at one of the long tables ; stewards and sub-stewards flit backward and forward, loaded with britannia-ware and bright silvery dishes, preserving a wonderful degree of steadiness under the circumstances. Suddenly the ship gives a lurch ; and the cups and saucers, the platters and soup-tureens become extremely lively, and dance a jig to the music of their own clatter. Away goes a cruet of milk — and such milk I — into the ham and eggs; the coffee-pot upsets, and floods the leg of mutton with its savory contents, making a delicious gravy that can only be appreciated by those who have tasted it.

While you look aghast at the lump of butter that has cosily nestled itself into your lap, the molasses-jug makes a sudden dart, and falling off the table, descends into and sweetens the lining of your neighbor's silk hat, that is standing on the floor ; the potatoes roll about the table in a mad career of recklessness, as though they were engaged at billiards, and carom on each other and on every article of diet in their way. But — you don't feel very well — there 's something wrong inside — an intestine commotion ; yet you want to brave the lion in his den, and you go into the smoking-room. There you peer, as well as you may, through the thick volume of tobacco fume, and behold the dim outlines of some twenty of your comrades, like jolly spectres, that smoke and examine the ceiling through the bottoms of tumblers. Perhaps it is a French smoking-room ; a polite gar con, observing your icry face, approaches you with — " Desirez-vous quelque chose, monsieur f " " Oui, donnez-moi un cigar." " Ne voulez-vous pas manger, monsieur?" " Du tout! du tout! au contraire,je voudrais bien boire. Donnez-moi du cognac — ah! parbleu! du cognac." But perhaps the spectres are taking;; their flight to Hamburg; or Bremen, and there is great yearning among them for lager-beer, Schweitzer-kase, pretzeln, and other Teutonic elements, but which I find are not too tonic to enter into the American constitution. Ah I but they are on one of the good ships of the Inman line — these spectres of the jolly smoking-room. One by one they approach the jolly panel of the partition that separates them from the treasures of the bar-room ; the panel opens, like the door in the cave of the Forty Thieves, and — " A glars of Hallsops hale, hand another of Arf and Arf, hand be blarsted quick about it ! " says the jolly spectre.

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