Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1847-07-31
COMMUNICATIONS.
THOUGHTS AND REMINIscENcEs-No. II

~
opportunity to mark all the variety of its objects or
TO study any of them in their exactly defined forms
and relations. open my memoranda of July--on
board the good packet-ship Philadelphia, bound to
London Our captain is from Connecticut, intelli-
gent, gentlemanly, frank, ambitious of distinction in
his profession, and thorough practical seaman.
He has gathered much information from books, and
more from the observation of men and things. The
two mates are from Connecticut, and the whole ma
vigatlon and management of the ship is conducted
with admirable method, quietness, and skill. OF
our passengers one is plain honest Englishman,
who, after residence of six years in Richmond,
(where he lost his wife, is with his only child,
daughter, nine years old, about to visit his friends
Another sensible man is going with his only daugh-
ter to join his wife, who has preceded him on visit
TO CORNWALL; on one side is gentleman return
ing home after residence of fifteen years in CA
RAccAs on the other Scotch physician, who has
been for several years in CUBA, accompanied by a
young man native of Jamaica. Here is an anna
BILE candid young Londoner returning after brief
visit to New York; widowed Scotchman and his
boy from Montreal, two Jews, and Mrs. W,
her sons wife and two children her daughter and
her friend from Alton, Illinois. The history of this
last family is not without interest. The husband
of Mrs. w. left her with small annual income
her son, from reading, early imbbed desire to set
lie in America, and, though opposed and for time
checked in his purpose, he finally, after his mar
riage, emigrated to Edwardsville Illinois, and pur-
chased small farm. Both he and his wife suffer-
ed much from sickness. His mother and sister re-
solved to follow him, and with protracted passage
to New York of six weeks and detention by severe
illness, four months elapsed before they arrived at
Edwardsvllle. Finding the situation of her son and
his family uncomfortable, she advised his removal
to Alton, where, with encouraging prospects, he
anaI q soho h,t, III, -
fever. Mrs. w. would have preferred residence
in the United States, where she experienced much
Kindness, but her daughter-n-aw desired to return
to England, and all are looking out for its well
come shores.
vi higher interest to me the society of my
learned and eminent friend, whose writings have
adorned the literature and added rich and lasting
treasures to the history of his country and who was
then on his way to England and France to add to
the materials for that great historical work NOW far
advanced) which is destined TO instruct posterity
and prove the crown OF an indestructibe fame
Monday, 20M.-Fine strong breeze, cold 2Ist.
Running twelve miles an hour; 22d. On sound
ings; Ireland hundred miles to the north ra-
pid and pleasant passage since we crossed the Bank
OF Newfoundland-l0 o'clock p. Nj. light seen
from the coast of England. 23d Took pilot on
board sailed most of the day within sight of the
English coast; in the evening saw the lights at
Portsmouth harbor. 24th. Aroused early to look
out upon the Isle of Wight Now in narrow
channel; we have both the English coast and the
Isle of Wight in full view-the latter bearing a
striking resemblance to parts of New England.
CowEs wears pleasant aspect, situated on gentle
slope towards the channel, and shows several i'm
posing buildings. RYDE is about the same size and
nearly opposite distance some six or eight mles)
TO Portsmouth harbor. We landed in the morning,
and spent few hours at Portsmouth, [only remark
able for its naval stores and arsenal took steam
boat for Southampton, where dned, and arrived
by railway at six o'clock at the st. George Hotel,
Winchester, where | slept for the first time in
England.
WINCHEsTER-HS Cathedral. f.,
The city of Winchester is very ancient, situated
in pleasant valley, watered by the river STEHEN
some fifteen or twenty miles from Southampton
1t was in early times the metropolis of the West
Saxons; here Egbert was crowned in s27, and it
abounds with many remains and sites of the deep
est historical interest. 1t has declined in popula-
ton to about eight thousand and one is struck with
the apparent content and quiet of the people, as if
the spirit OF old LAX WALTON, who loved to an
gle IN the nelghboring streams, had taken posses
sion OF them. 10 discover on plain slab the
name Of this Ueterdn an ler in one of the neglect
ed corners of the magnificent cathedral must con-
TESS, gave me more pleasure than to gaze upon the
altar screen OF stone work, Zone of the richest in
England,) upon the fine picture by WEST (the rails
ing OF Lazarus over the altar, the highly ornament
ed monumental chapels of Cardinal Beaufort and
Bishop Waynfete, the admirable monument to Will
liam of Wykeham, the tomb of William Rufus or
upon the six mortuary chests which enclose the
dust of several Saxon Kings. The cathedral was
founded by the first Christian King of the West
Saxons A. d. 634, is 545 feet in length, the length
OF the ransept from north to south within the walls
2Os feet, the breadth of the nave with its asles sc
feet, and the height 70 feet and for antique solemn
grandeur is thought to surpass any other edifce in
England. Some of the best specimens Of the Nor
man architecture are found in the transept of this
cathedral.
One of the best views Of Winchester, its cathe-
dra and other antiquities is from an elevation about
mile distant, which still bears the marks of Ro-
man ratification, and whence, from the shade of
cump OF trees browning its summit, the visiter may
survey at his leisure the sweet meadows and stream
where old Walton piled his cunning art of trout
catching, and deemed himself but treading in the
path OF the apostolic fishermen, and gathering those
lessons OF wisdom so choicely interviewer, like
threads of gold, in his incompatible Directory for
Angling or in those precious memorials Of his rever-
end and distinguished friends the venerable HOOKER
and HERBERT. He who cannot be content and
happy with moderate fortune at Winchester will
probably find neither content nor happiness in this