The Oxford intelligencer., 1860-07-18
The Great Eastcrn----Viyid Account
OF Her "Trip.

Of the trip Of the Great Eastern. He was
one of the passengers. He tells good sto-
nv of the earnest manner in which a friend
persuaded him not to take passage on board
the Great Eastern, as she was an "unlucky
ship" We quote few passages:
THE oUIETUDE or THE GREAT SHIT.
MoNDAY, June ls.-I was awoke this
moning by the sun shining brightly through
my port-hole, q should rather use the plural,
for my sumptuous apartment was lit by twO,)
and rose to enjoy the luxury of dressing in
a carpeted space as large almost as room
in the St. Nicholas. Before got up, how
ever, lay for few moments to observe the
silence and quietude Of the vessel. In fact,
there seemed to be no motion to her at all,
and had it not been for the barely percePti-
Die buzz Of her bow, TO which | was very
near, as it split the water and passed it, hum
ming along the vessels beautiful wave-line,
should not have been able to decide with
certainty whether she was going on or stand
inr still Vibration there was none, and az
for the usual cla;ter of machinery, which is
the distinguishing feature Of steamship, it
could not be heard at all. Moreover, there
was not am Of the squeaking and squealing
Of timbers aud tortured woodwork, whicq
makes up a hideous serenade on all other
vessels, for our party walls, our state-rooms
floors and ceilings are Of iron, and 50 ribbed
and morticei, aud joined stifly with the hull,
that the ship, while passing through still wa
ter, seems to be one solid tube or BEAM
Indeed, could not make it certain TO my
sense that she had not stopped, until looking
out Of my port-hole, | saw the ocean passing
by, and our vast mass moving gradually
through it Ike a Coating castle.
now SIZE ROLLS.
On ascending to The deck at 6 o'clock, and
taking our position on the elevated grating
IN her bow, we saw the lcyiathan, before SO
dead, SO apparently inert, and which hal
been passing through The water like some
spectral island, quicken with l.ie and bend
with a slow grandeur 80 the bottom Of tho
sea. "TLarll God, she rolls - exclaimed all
experienced officer on her Grst hiai trip,
when Size was caught in series Of heavy
Lillows or Portland Race and it was with
something ike the same ebuIition Of delight
that we saw the mighty ship cast her silent
disposition Oh and make her obeisanco to
the still mi-hticr deep Her motion was a
gentle and majestic swing from side TO side,
10 thccxtcnt Of three or four degrees, and now
and then, when bIlow ftll away from her
bow, and a swell at the same time would roll
underneath her stern, she would mildly yield
her head, not short and sudden with pie
beian start, but wi.h . mouarchs measured
grace. as if she f,lt herself to be The master,
aaI only yielding to the courteous laws of
life.
It was a great treat to sec her thus leaning
her way from side to side through the par
ting waters, while good-sizcl ships, which
were thon in sight, were rolliug uncasily or
pitching from stem TO stern II was like
some accomplished swimmer who sweeps
forward gracefully hand over hand, compared
to clumsy novice who barely manages to
keep himself aGcat through the rapdity Of a
short digging motion. The Croat Eastern
was alive, but mighty rs she was, still she
was smenah!c to that vast throb and pulsa-
ton Of the sea- which is mighticr lian the
mightcst Nevertheless, she proved, by the
comparison before US, her superiority to al
ordinary ships as wei as TO any disturbing
motion. In fact, her soft undulations gave
actual relief and pleasure 20 every one who
stood upon her deck All the while this mo-
ton was upon her, the skittlas were played
at one Of the after-holds. Nevertheless, let
it be noted here. that the theory that ships
above a certain size viii march through the
waves superior to the perturbation Of the sea,
is ended by our experiment forever No
ship can be made large enough to entirely
ignore the gigantic pulsation Of the ocean.
"Norn1xG TO DO" Nothincto do" ah,
think again. There is that frail, sickly body
Of thine, worn away by ingloriOus indolence
and pBing for the want Of generous exercise,
while you complain that you have nothing
to do"
What too Of the mind? Have you learnc.l
all that can be learned Have you explored
every field ofscience and comprebonded all
knowledge Until you have, never complain
that you have nothing to DO"
Aud how stands the account moraily'
Have you done all that is possible for you to
DO in cultivating the garden Of the hearth
Have You subdued every unholy desire and
passionl Arc you as good as you should bel
And vet ron say" nothing to do"
Friend, wake up the world within you and
around you demands action. God and your
country, yourself and humanity, all demand
Literary Companion.
A KExTUcKT LEAP IEAR PIoSIc.-A cor
respondent Of the Louisville Courier thus
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