The true Democrat., 1854-10-25
hT The following extracts from letter writ

O. The following extracts from letter writ ten by our old fellow townsman, Dr. Tappe; to friend in this city, dated Calenburg, Sept. 5th, 1854, will be found quite interesting:
 II arrived safely on yesterday in thi splace. You will recollect, my old friend, that wrote to you from New York that the steamship Herman would leave on the 18th August, and that should embark upon her for the other continent We'll, precisely at 12 M., and favored with the finest weather, she started from the pier. As she rounded out in con- pany with the steam ship Alps, she gave sa- lute of two guns, which was responded to by all the other steamships in the harbor. The Alps, although screw propeller, beat the Her. man over mile before we made Sandy Hook and was next morning scarcely visible.
 A voyage across the Atlantic and even on board of good steamer, and at the best of sea- sons, is not very agreeable; at least, to me it appeared very wearisome and mOnotonus.- We had no storm, but as we neared the shores of New Foundland we had much drizzly rain and fog, and the air was disagreeably moist and chilly. In lat. 50 N., long. AS. w., we saw an iceberg about 8 miles distant. The same was seen on the last trip of the Herman sn, and was then about 200 feet above water. It had now been reduced to about 40 or 50 feet above wa ter and about 1000 feet long. The effect of such mass of ice in the water is to reduce its temperature for 20 or 30 miles around, from to 10 degrees Therefore they used to draw up the water every hour during the night and ob- serve the temperature, so long as we sailed in these attitudes where icebergs are so common ly met with.
 After we were clear of the New Foundland banks the weather again turned mild and plea. sant, and we ran along with a: fair prospect ol reaching Bremen in fifteen days. But when about 60 miles west of the Scylly Islands (the Scylly Isles are south of Lands-end in the en- trance of the British channeD we were visited by one of those unexpected accidents which cut short all human calculations.
 It was about half past ten o'clock, the night clear but there was no moon, the weather was good and the wind fair; I was on the main deck, most of the gentlemen in the saloon play ing cards, and the ladies in the cabin-when heard the man on the fore castle cry out "port!' The second mate jumped upon the wheel house and sung out hard port" l then sprang to the quarter deck and then saw three masted vessel on the lee of our bow without the usual signal light hanging out Every bo- dy on the bow cried out "hard port" "port yo,u" helm," but to no purpose. No look out had been kept on board the other vessel, her course was not altered, on she came, enveloped in cloud of canvass, all her rigging becoming visible fearfully near and distinct.
 The suspense was but brief before the crash came. Her bowsprit came through the Her. mans wheel house. You may easily imagine that there was some confusion, but it was soor ascertained that our vessel was unhurt below water. We kept the whole night in company with the other ship, in order if necessary, tc render assistance. Next morning we ascertain ed the ill., fated Vessel to be the Reindeer from Gardiner, Maine, bound for Boston.
 She had her bows crushed in, and two large holes in her hull, but above water. We ther lowed her into Portsmouth, which detained u: thirty.six hours.
 At z F. M, we ran through the Needles anc dropped anchor at Cowes, where a steamer iron Portsmouth came alongside to receive the mail and passengers. At Cowes we saw three stean yatches and the largest of them had the Queer of England aboard. She was on her way tt Osborne House, her summer residence on tn, Isle of Wight At 9 o'clock, there was asplen did display of fire works on board the thre, steam yatches, which on the dark and placit waters had truly sublime appearance. It Wal Prince Albert's birth day.
 On the 18th, early in the morning. we arrived in the Weser and the same afternoon in smal steamer, in Bremen.
 We visited the opera in Hanover among tho curiosities. The play was the "Prophet."- The scenery and decorations were truly grand and surprising. In one of the acts you see, 1T the distance the city of Leyden-it wore the appearance of winter-snowing sharply. Yor see before you a large pond covered with ice men, boys and ladies were skating and wen through all possible evolutions. Boys were also snow balling and rolling balls of snow- By and by it gets dark-market women witt their baskets are seen going home, some or skates and some on sleds showed by their hrs bands. And when at last it grows quite dark, whole company of ladies and gentlemen witt torches make grand display upon their skates The ice Is made quite natural how, 1 do no know.
 
 Yours, etc., J. w. TAPE.