Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1849-1856, 1852-04-29

II hinburgh Scotland
4, Dec. 10 1851.
\ believe HAT once promised 10 write
\ you, should ever reach Scotland. ]
I'm now III that "land c'cakcs.' and iu!-
fiji my promise. Long have been sit
ting before my peat fire, with MY check
upon my hand, ard my elbow uIon the
" arm Of my cosy "casllc of lndoIehce'--
alias, old armchair, gazing rensIv,ly
into lie glowing turi, and thinking Of
| home, thousands OF miles away over the
H stormy ocean. Ever and anon my eyes
/ have wandered from the pages OF my
Moral Philosophy into the cloging crate,
and NY mlnd, instead Of contemplating
( fIst causes and moral sequences, has
\ as constantly followed them and iuncied
, that it saw ''old familiar faces" in the
burning cmbers. So flung aside my
book and gave myself up to the beauli-
! lu dreams that were stealing over me.
The dreamy rcvcry, like an enchanted
. mantle, threw It's mystic folds around me,
and Needed not the soft moonbcams
\ stealing in at my window. nor The hush
ed 81 cnce Of the street, nor the dying
/ away Of the fire before me. Bright Vi
i sions of home, and kindred. and friends,
and incidents consecrated 10y the hearts
best feelings and places all radiant with
the sunshine OF happiness, noatcd before
1 ne. Family from distan, aparlmel
came The Ginning oi'the brazen.tongucd
old clock, telling the hour eleven, which
aroused ne from my Idle iancies; and
now ! have replenishcd my fire, and
4 kindIcd the gas, and dropped the cur
tam, and, ncar midnigh, though it be, !
am with you.
Here am in the old city pl the Scot
fish kings or as Burns has christened
\ it, Aud n, eEic.n have entered up
on The promised land Of my Providence
/ anticipaiIons, nor have III, Y been at all
| Disappointed The voyage over was
; delightful. sailed from New York IN
the packet ship Andrew Foster, OF 2O00
! toLs burden. She was IA crack sailing
d vessel, and you may imagine my pleas
. ant Surprise when discovered that the
second Mate was an old school-iellow.--
We made the passage in 10 days and
22 hours and, with the exception of
tour stormy days. we had delightful
weather all the way. | was sca-sick
bu; two lours during the whole voyage.
The company OF passengers WAS very
Interesting. There was great dlversi-
ty OF character, and some Of them high
ly original. assure you did not lose
the opportunity thus afforded or study
ing human nature. One person must
mention, for lie Was specimen OF lac
human family perfectly sui generis-as
DR.. W. would have it. This person
was no other than an Irish an D. and
once member OF Her Majcsty's 96th
Regiment. lie could snga comic song
TO perfect on, played the hu'e 10 adml-
ration, and as stored with an incXlIau-
shle fund Of anccdotc. His comical
stories were infinitely amusing, his
thousand strange adventures were won
derlul, and lis many hair-brcadlh cs-
capcs from death actually made ones
hair stand OIL md. Indeed, Paul's sui
fcrings as narrated in the llth chapter
OF 2d Of Cor hthians, were n mere mat
ter of moonshine to what this Jolly Irish
man had endured He was the lie of
the ship and afforded Amusement, for all.
Judge, then our consternatiOn and hor-
ror when the fine fellow was sent from
the Custom House 10 Prison. almost as
soon as We landed, for smuggling cigars
in his coat-pocket !
All the srlcndors of the voyage
cannu hope to describe to you. They
surpassed the brightest visions | had
dreamed, and thrilled me with a pleas
ure greater than, in the most glowing mo-
ments OF imagination bad ever anlci-
pated. The boundless waste OF waters
sunrise and sunset OH the broad ocean
/ the sea in sunlight and moonlight and
in utter aud starless hlackness-i wa
, ter siouts and rainbows, and fish, and
+ birds and lloating sea weed, tie sight OF
other ships, - aud OF our own vessel
| p!ow'n 'ng the waves beneath full press
Of canvass, and, above all, the storm.
and wind and waves. and lightning, and
the phosphorus ligi Of the water sweep
ing the deck, and the mystic halo glow
ing around the mast-hcads, and the
singing OF the tempest through the
shrouds, which. strung from the deck TO
the yard-arns, formed vast nolian
harp, Oh the strings Of which the blast
played airs terrific, and the wild, un-
earthly music blended with the boom.
ing oil the waves, and the crash of the
thunder, lifted over the dark sea such
II hymn as mortal ears might well he
stunned in listening to,-ai these, and
more too, | sec even now before me-
But these splendid pictures ever hang
upon mcmorys wal, for my own minds
eye TO lpok upon for TO portray them
to 9th RS II requires the artists pencil or
/ til, poets pcn,-and neither the one nor
the other do | possess. How wish
I you could have seen that gallant ship in
Al. 4 Il, al. 4,