The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1853-11-10

safe, commonplace affair, that to tell Of it is to
appear exceedingly cockney. There is more
peril and infinitely more misery in nights
ride on the New leroy railroad, from New
York to Philadelphia, than trip from Amer
ca to England. We growl over our dinners,
and loiter over our wine, in very hotelish
way, not in keeping with perls or adventures.
| Imagine, if your readers can, the St. Nicholas
or Astor afloat for ten or twelve days, with ell
the exquisite interior of dress eating, drinking,
and manner, and they will have pretty cor
| rect idea of life in the Franklin. We break
tasted at ten, lunched at one, and dressed for
our dinner at FIVE The living on the Franklin
and Humboldt is said TO be superior to any
other line. Certainly, we had nothing to COM
| plain of and all the passengers-the six bear
| ers of dispatches included-were loud in their
expressions of admiration. | must say--and
being an invalid have right to question:
have my doubts about game, fowls, and other
delicaces being kept fresh so many days, and
in such quantities as the Franklin exhibited
And let me propose the doubt to the qualmy
| passenger, trusting it may induce him TO es-
chew tho tempting display, and abide by ham
| and biscuit
Captain Wotton is my beau ideal of an off.
cer-patient bluff, hearty, handsome, and car
rying in every lineament evidences of expert
ence and capacity. There is no humbug about
him. 1t were better had ne more. and took
some care in getting up the votes of thanks
which so often drag other officers into notice.
| He had for every one kind word, and at all
times fund of good humor, that had treasured
| up multitude of pleasant stories, which often
set our table in roar. do not praise our
officer for doing his duty, but | do admire the
indifferent way in which he leaves reputation
to take care Of itself
The queerest things about these sea voyages
may be found in the fact of invisible passen-
gers-people who take to their state rooms and
are unseen from the port of departure until the
vessel makes land again. The captain assured
US that these mysterious personages were not
uncommon, and that at Havre we would meet
unknown faces or tall ladies, in straw bonnets
with green wells, would wander out, like sickly
ghosts who had been deprived of exercise for q
| century or SO that on one occasion, after q
protracted, stormy trip of more than twenty
days, he had dropped anchor at Havre, and was
| about going ashore to report no passengers,
when he met in the cabin long haired I'M
| shaved, cadaverous. looking customer who asked
solemnly to be shown out of the boat He had
a misty recollection of a very neat looking
hesby gentleman coming aboard at New York,
| but is in doubt to this hour as to the identity.
We had state. room full of such odd crea.
lures near us, and, of course, sleeping all day
made them miserably wakeful during the
night and gave time for the practice of various
melodies, among which the whoopng cough
seemed to be the favorite. One morning heard
honest old Jonathan, the steward, Inquiring
kindly as to the health of one who was forever
complaining of a seventeen year headache. She
responded, despairlngly-
"Oh, yer bad all xe night vas more seek
IAN avair ze head, &c back, ze limbs, 30 bad
cannot tell "-
would you like some breakfast, madam %
Don't know; YER sick wiz 70 sea mal-yot
ave you?"
Get you anything nice, madam"
Gave you 70 bsefsteak !"
eyes madam"
chop-ze potate--ze tOmates--wz 20 cafe and
hot cake z"
Anything else you would like to have,
madam ~
"Ah, mon Dieu! cannot tell YER indis-
pose Stop, garcon after leetle Bit bring re
lobstair, cowcumber, and 20 OIL"
! On the morning Of the eleventh day out,
came up on deck to greet most beautiful day,
and see the rugged coast of Old England for
we were in the channel. My heart did throb
to see, for the first time, the cliffs Of that to us
classic land, and loved in spite of ourselves.
found my mind listening to the worlds song of
praise, as uttered by Campbell
Her march 10 on the mountain wave,
Her home is on the doep."
We took one of her water-dogs on board, in
the shape of pilot, who was Immediately sur
| hu ba ko1 &c
Times" newspaper We had been eleven
days out, and thrsting for news, expecting to
find Europe in war over Turkey The paper
was read aloud by one, while the others listen.
ed in breathless attention. The intelligence
sounded very familiar and at last on examin-
| ing the date, the journal was discovered to be
aged only three weeks. Indignation was bound.
less at the stupid pilot.
Gentlemen" said our captain, with hui
morous twinkle in his eye, al am astonshed at
you he is the most intelligent pilot ever met
| in these waters"
The next day, we were before Havre too
late to take advantage of the tide, and 30 were
shipped, pell-mell, into a nondescript craft very
like-if such thing were possble-a cooking
stove afloat. For three weary hours were we
padded back and forward before the uninyi.
ting town having no choice between resting in
the sun and broiling on the boilers. We sadly
contemplated the long beach, where some don
keys stood evidently ennued TO death, and re-
garding us as bores Of the largest magnitude,
until at last the order was given to I" bout cook.
ing stove and tho nondcscript snorted and
kicked through the water, over the mud, into
a sort Of canal, where it gave its last gasp at
the foot Of some ladders leading up over a
stone work, that looked and smelled as if erect
cd in Adams extreme youth.
Dear me-" said one Of the six bearers of
dispatches, "were this New York, now, we
would have been up in town, and paid bill
| three hours since"
| From the end Of the ladders, we were drop
ped into the custom. bouse, with our baggage
and, to vociferous demand for immediate
sesrch, were politely informed that nothing
could be done until three o'clock This was
too much for American patience. Three hours
already gone, three moro 10 lose, and, in the
mean time, miss the afternoon train TO Paris
Impossible. The Fix bearers Of dispatches had
rights--thc six bearers Of dispatches would
maintain their rights, and, TO this effect flour
ished such quantities of official papers, with
such huge seals, in the face of the gems d'arme,
that that functonary wavered. At this i'm
poriant moment, a French minister, one Of our
passengers, and long Spanish priest came to
the rescue. The functionary gave way, opened
the door, in went the minister and priest in
rushed the six bearers Of dispatches, and with q
| terrible tumult the whole crowd followed, and
the examination began. Inside, the uproar
beggars description. The alliance between the
foreign minister and six bearers Of dispatches
abruptly tcrminated-esch party determined
to have the precedence. The minister, backed
by the priest and servants, came up gallantly
10 the combat. With q long trunk between
them that looked as il it might contain the
mortal remains of brother Jesuit plenpo and
church militant charged along the line the
koa- oE t.l.a odd xSti M