Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1857-06-24
CONGRATULATIONS.

recently returned from brief visit to Wales.
Mr.. EDIroR Having just returned from
visit to Wales, the land of my nativity, l
venture to hope, that a brief account of what
saw and what befel me there, will no. prove
entirely uninteresting to yourself and Readers.
1t was with no ordinary feelings of joy, that
I found myself about the 1st of last Decem-
Der, fully armed and equipped for Journey
which promised to terminate in the consuma-
ton of the fondly cherished wish of years of
toll amid the forests of the Alleghenies.-
Slowing away in my trunk everything deem~
ed necessary for my convenience and comfort,
during the Journey, including the fife pur-
chased at the Fremont & Dayton Convention
at Pittsburg last fall, and which you, Mr.
Editor, have heard discourse eloquent music
on more than one occasion, / bade Adieu to
my family and friends. and took up the line
of march towards the land of my fathers. I'm
| mediately after arriving at Philadelphia,
secured passage to Liverpool on the City of
Manchester. an old English Steam packet
which had done her majesty ''s some service"
in the Crimean War.
went on board, about /" half seas over"
| OH the evening of the 17th of December
The next morning, at about o'clock, We
| weighed anchor, and in a short time the shores
of the Land of Equal Rights" disappeared
from our gaze. AS this was not my first
voyage, l did not suffer the slightest incon-
| veniencc from Sea sickness. AS far as eating
was concerned I farad sumptuously, but re-
| ceivcd nothing in the way of spiritual conso-
lation, during the voyage, save an occasional
word from three Ministers of the Gospel, who
were passengers. found my fellow passen-
gers generally good sociable fellows, and be-
fore We were out four days. was universally
acknowledged by all on board. including the
Captain and the aforesaid Ciergymen, to be
man " mighty in tho Scriptures"
On the evening of New Year's day, We
arrived in the harbor of Liverpool, weighed
anchor and in few moments, my feet pressed
once more the soil Of " MerrIe England"
Having secured lodgings for the time 1 inten-
ded remaining in Liverpool, and disposed of
sundry pints of Brown Stout" 1 finally
turned in for the night. The next day, l
employed in seeing what was to be seen in
and about the city.
Liverpool is built at the mouth Of the river
Mersey, and is the most important CONNER
cial city in the United Kingdom 1t enjoys
a vast trade with the, United States, and other
countries. and is the point from which emf
grants from Ireland. England. Scotland and
Wales. take shipping for America. 1t con-
tains many splendid buildings. which have
not time at present to describe.
Having satisfied my curiosity In Liverpool,
on the morning of the 3rd of January, 1 de-
parted for the land of Cheese and Leeks
With the assistance of Steam boats, Railroad
cars and Coaches, I arrived at about 10 o.
clock at night, at Newtown. Montgomery
shire, Wales, where was born, and where
I passed the happy years of Childhood and
Youth. Newtown is large manufacturing
town, on the river Severn, the largest river
of which the Island of Great Britain can
boast, and is one of the most fourishing aud
pleasant places in Wales. The next morning
l announced to the landlord of the hotel at
which stopped, who L was and from whence
came. Immediately the news spread
abroad that Tommy Jones was in town, and
in short time l found myself surrounded by
a crowd Of kind hearted North BrItons, who
had known me in the days of yore. After
spending several pleasant hours with my old
friends, walked out to view the town. 1
Immediately directed my steps towards the
place where stood the house in which ]
was born, and which sheltered me during the
happiest years of my life I was agreeably
disappointed in finding the house and the
scenery around it almost the same as when
last beheld them, and no literary enthusais,
to the banks Of the Avon, ever gaxed on the
f Home and Tomb of Shakespeare, with deeper
emotions, than did on the .owly cot on the
banks of the Severn, beneath whose roof the
: eyes of g Tommy Jones" first opened to be-
hold the light of day. Like the weddin,
: guest in the Rhyme of the Ancient Mar
iner," turned away from the contemplation
of the scene, " a wiser and better man." 70
d a =" few days" at least. Having wandere,
through - village" and taken short stroll
into the country with few old friends, =
returned to my lodgings. and soon finding
: myself surrounded by crowd of curious AM
g anxious listeners, djscourscd to them lonl
J AMI eloquently concerning the greatness, hap
piness and prosperity of the American Re
o public, and Wound up by favoring them wit
"Yankee Doodle" Hail Columbia" th
v :" Star Spangled Banner" and sundry othe
- of our national airs on the ffe, in my yer