Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1854-11-17
Letters from England.
NO. ".



told you that the first few hours of sea-
life bring a strange cxhilaration with them
pass over a dismal interim, and you come to
scenes of still stranger interest. As there is
nothing 50 dreary in all my rcmcmbrarccs as
the events Of those eight days after losing
sight Of land, So there is nothing more de-
lightlul to recall than the emotions and
experiences of the two last DAYS of the voyage.
The first thing that can remember, uncon-
nccted with external horrors and Internal
misgiyings, is Il laugh that ran from sem to
stern Of the ship. 1t was u fine clear after
noon, and We We're sailing smoothly over
calm sea, with a gentle wind astern Every
/ body was on deck we were lust beginning to
wake ny again. y Jolly good naturct young
| fellow, who had made himself a general ia
vorite by telling all sorts of big storias, and
believing all that were told to him inroturn,
| had perched himself on the matches. and by
| his earnest and long-continued gazing seemed
| about to discover another whale or iceberg
| for lie always saw wonders where W. could .
sec nothing But when this parsonage de
| liberately announced that he could soc LAND,
tho roar of laughter which greeted lin pro-
claimed this as the " whorpcr' of all his .
stories. But that same instant the captain,
from the quarter deck, told tho eano glad .
story From this moment We were al eyes
nobody any more lounged on the cushions in
the saloon nobody sat curlcd ur by the /,
smokcplpc
Those of us who were not used to
the sight Of distant land from vessels
deck, could not distinGuishit for long time
1t resembled dim cloud " no bigger than a
mans hand just above the horizon. 1t was
easy to see the captains satisfaction that
We should frd ourselves Just by the very point
which we would have made for if the whole
British coast had been visible all the way
from Quebec, was proof of no common sea-
manship in our officers. This point first seen
was Arran More, in Ireland. We watched it
till we saw it become irownin; hcndland,
grt with white sea that spoke of dangers
below. We saw two or three other points
before night, all Of them presenting the same
threatening aspect. The whole coast seemed
studded with light houses | must not for
get to say that another laugh-this time first
from the vessels crew, and then prolonged
with cheer upon cheer 10y the passengers, made
us for few moments forget even the land
Our wonder loving friend in his eagcrncss to
see new wonders, had mounted the captains
" bridge on elevated station among the
rigging, and before he was aware of any ma.
liclous intentions against his liberty. two
sailors had slipped up the ladder and tied
him fast TO the " bridge" 1t seems to be
sailor regulation, that the first time land
lubber goes above deck he shall be made fast
till he promises to furnish "grog' for the
whole crew. The poor fellow S bcwilderment
was ludcrous enough he didn't understand
the Joke and the more we laughed the more
pcrpleXed he seemed, until some one told him
how he might be released. But no sooner
had he rcgained the deck than he persisted
that he knew all about the trick well enough
before he wcntup. AS though he cared for
half Il crown ~
The next morning was one long to he re
mcmbcrcd The Channel was as smooth as
the Lake at Burlington the air was clear,
the sky bright. Only one sail had we seen on
the high seas during all the passage now
crafts Of all sorts were visible in every drcc-
ton. Cnc steamer was making for Scotland,
another pushing in to Belfast We had land
in sight in three directions the Morn Noun
tains in Ireland On the right, Galloway, in
Scotland on tic left, and the Isle of Man
" over the larboard bow The breakfast
bell was remarkably welcome that morning
Good spirits had returned with fine weather
and fair hopes, and good appetite with good
spirits. As we approached Mar, the graIer
part of the passengers called up some of the
stirring scenes connected with the history Of
this " little kingdom Of Man how It was
long held Ivy Ine Danish cua Alu...'- via.
from thence carried terror to the ne.hhormc
ilanlers--how in later times the scots and
Irish struggled for 1t and vregted it from
each other Icy ,urns-how it Afterwards came
into the great Derby Family, whose lords held
a kind Of kingly sway over 1t for centuries,
till their pride and power grew intolerallc to
England, and Incompatible with her peauc-
how it was finally purchased from the Atholl
Family, and made little British Colony,
with its own governor, legislature, and courts.
Tho rest talked about the Munx Cats with
out tails, and the wreck Of St Patrick On
this island, both Of which, though said to b,
actual facts, our no longer gulliblc friend
stouuy denied. On the Irish side was 70 be
seen Mnrtollo Tower, These towers are
round structure, Of masonry, erected III IN
ter'als all along the British Coasts at tie
bcaiIl,iu,, of thu l,r.-,,,t ,.,,iir,. ,,l., No..