New-York daily tribune., 1843-08-30

ana our eager eyes can uliIiy ~" N-A ~ ~
horizon a faint streak of something apparently
more substantial than the flying clouds which
have so long bounded our VISION AS the hours
and the ship pass on, this blue line seems TO rise
above the sea- and at last stands out as the coast
Of OLD ENGLAND, with its chalk cliffs support
ing another sea of vcrdure, foliage, cottages and
castles.
But do not fear the inhction Of any hackncyed
rhapsody of sentiment on approaching the mother
land. He who feels nothing on such an occasion
is a stone, while he who tries to express one.half
his feelings, is an idiot propose to give, in
the sketches which may sometimes embody for
YOU. nv impressions OF the Old World, not mere
high.sounding words, bat pictures Of the inward
and outward peculiarities of the people and places
among whom my wandering observation may
bring me. | shall strive to look at them with
the eve of an American and New ! Yorker, and
TO contrast them particularly with the correspond
ing phases Of our own country and city, with
especial reference to our opportunities and posi-
biGtics of Improvement. In this way, well
cleaned as the field already is by sklfu and acute
reapers, trust to find some plump cars Of corn
which have escaped their full hands. No two
persons ever see the same thing. When two
friends look together on the reflection of the
moon from still lake, it is very certain, though
they may not know it, that it is not the same,
but entirely different masses of rays, which form
the image in their visions. And thus it may
happen that the position in which | may stand
and the views which may suggest themselves to
me, may convey to some reader the impression
which he himself would receive from the scenes
and incidents described.
The wide stretch Of ocean between the two
continents has happy effect in purging the mind
of the voyager from the prejudices and petty cx-
elements OF the place which he has left. 1t is a
blank page in existence, and prepares him to find,
when he turns over the leaf an entirely new and
different STYLE matter and form. In our case it
was not perfectly blank, but sprinkled over with
pleasant quiet incident. Wesailed upon both a lit
era and ametaphorical summer sea, and could
most perfectly appreciate the beauty of Shaks-
peares alluson, and admire how nothing in all the
elements escaped his observation. Day after day
we sped on, with the vessel almost as steady as
the Astor House, and quite as comfortable. Not
a storm nor calm disturbed this pleasant uni
iormity till, at the end Of nineteen days, we an
chored off Portsmouth. The few who were sea-
sick, seemed to feel ashamed of their absurdity;
aBdone, III an apologize manner, gave Ucry sat
isfactory explanation Of his illness by saying that
she had been rather imprudent-hc had eaten a
piece Of dry toast ~ The invalids, voyaging in
earchofhcalth, frightened up under the influences
Of this summer sea-" Every breath of air seemed
tobe lmpregnatcd with strength, and it was plea
sure merely to breathe We needed no externa
excitement; the mere consciousness of existence
and the unvaryng ccarness and quiet activity of
mind were enough
How happily the days of ThaIaba Went by :"
We were not without our lions, however,
Sometimes it was the beautiful Nautilus expand
ing his delicate membrane to the breeze and re-
mnding us Of the poets advice, to
"Learn Of him to SAIL
Spread the broad oar, and catch the rising gale
Then Mother Careys Chickens" would hover
around us, bounding from wave to wave; while
'ae horror expressed by a superstitlous sailor at
the idea Of shooting one of them, reminded us of
The terrible tale of Colcridge's " Ancient Mari
nar," who "shot the Albatross." Next shoal
Tor" school" in nautical language of Dophins,
less POLITICALLY named porpoises and black fish,
would play about the ship, gamboling under her
Prov, and racing for miles beside her, till at
length they would scornfully dash ahead with
more than locomotive speed. Once we were IA
Tofed with visit from whale, while many
We're seen sporting in the distance. He was for
maliy hailed, and asked the port whence he
sailed and whittier bound, but sullcnly bore away
n silence. Our merry Captain promised us
sea.serpent the next day as the only thing
left for US to sec.
The sights of the sky are even more beautiful
than those OF the sea. At night the interest Of
the unlimited view of the stars, planets and
moon, is increased by the consciousness that 10
their regularity of motion VIC are indebted for our
safe plotage across the deep. BY day, too, every
cloud is watched as a prophet of more or less
wind, though once they falsiied the poetic pro-
Verb repeated by an old tar, that
Maokere skies aud mares tails
Make proud ships lower their sails
The sunsets at sea arc very beautiful. Once we
had perfect representation of Vesuvius, throw
ing up fire and smoke, and spreading q lurd SUI
phurous canopy On another occasion, the
horizon was pied by the looming waves with
golden towers minarets and domes, and presented
such sight as made the soldiers of Cortes shout
IN ecstasy, when from the summit Of the surround.
ing hills they saw beaming in the sun the golden
cross of Mexico.
Among the the indoor amusements, the most