The Vermont transcript. [volume] (St. Albans, Vt.) 1864-1870, 1865-07-07
For The Vermont TunscriJt
Familiar Letters from Europe.
NO /.

RllND II -
Most comfortably domicilod in the
Queens Hotel one Of the best in Her
Majesty's kinedom-in the old, quiet.
quaint, curious aud immensely inter
estiHg town Of CHESTER, in Old Enc
land, | can scarcely realize that less
than u fortnight since, | was, early
and late, busting about noisy, busy.
excited GoTHAM, making hurried and
almost frantic preparations, to be in
good time for the cJ0cb Steamer OF the
Cunard line, the Scotia, which was ad-
yertised to leave Jersey City at II A.
NJ, May |, and which was destined to
place me, in the it row SEEMS brief
space of nine days, some three thous-
and miles from the land of nv birth.
from home and friends-all thereby
standing out in bolder relief than ever
before; and separated from the busy
scenes and occupations, which, for
twenty years, have so exhausted
body and brain as to compel me to
come here, in the hope that change of
scene, atmosphere, and living may
bring to my welcoming embrace, re-
newed health and strength. 1t was.
lnow proven by what l have already
seen and experienced q moment of
rashness in which promised to give
you an account Of what nay eyes and
ears might behold and hear; but de
string that my acts may correspond
with my promises, l shall endeayor to
furnish you with the details of my
brief sojourn in the old world in my
special pursuit Of art and ayoirdupois
and those things which cannot be seen.
on your side of the Atlantic.
At the risk of wearying you with
what has been a hundred times better
done by more practiced pens than /
can WELD, | will ask you to follow zoe
through q portion Of my experience on
the ScoTIA, from the time that She left
the dock, amid the good-byes, last
words, cheers, and other demonstla-
tons Of regard and good VIII, on the
part of the hundreds who remained
alongside, to get the last look and saw
the last word; to the morning bright
and early that we awoke and found
ourselves anchored in the Merscy,
abreast of Liyerpoors famous stone
docks
After the steamer was fairly under
way, skimming down the splendid bay
of New York, the passengers began. to
resolve themselves into investigating
committees. OF all the two hundred
and sixty-eight passengers, how many
am | acquainted with, is question
which each submits to himself or her
self, and Mt once a personal examine
ton takes place, the tour of the ship
is made, and then the novice goes
down to inspect, more carefully, his
quarters where whole days and nights
and sometimes weeks of horrid, intense
suffering is experienced.
"And this is to be my berth?" | re-
marked to the steward, who indicated
my state-room. / thought it more
likely to prove my death for had al
ways suffered fearfully on rough water,
and ! had every reason to fear that
before we lost sight of land, the fear
ful calm, that indescribable nausea.
The terrible retching of old, would
seize me and make me wretehed in
deed Three o'clock soon came and
with it dinner The seats were all oc-
cupied, as the meal was rather quiet,
but the going from the deck and fresh
breezes to the confined air OF the cabin
and the varied smells of food, began
to tell upon the sick ones 1t is mt
once comical and pitiable, to mark the
audience under such circumstances.
Nine-tenths are, or appear, as gay and
happy as if in their own houses. Pres
entity that delicate looking lady at the
other end of the table, grows suddenly
pale; she tries to look naturally, but
\ the vacant stare indicates that the
quahn has seized her; concealment, es-
cape is impossible; she succumbs and
( leaves; soon another and another have
hints to loud calls, and while a few
very politely and good naturedly ask
to be excused from our society and the
( tempting yiands, others leave inconti-
nently, and by the time the joints were
on the table, nearly one half of ouI
company were hors du Neptune. My
better half left very unhappy, unde-
cided individual when she, too, had to
give up (to) the ship" | had been
told that pluck and resolution would
accomplish wonders in keeping off the
demon, and when | felt the first
qualm, / laughed, Economically. nc
doubt, put my knees together firmly
and struggled as with adversely, and
my herculean efforts saved me from
the dreaded monster.
Rarely has a steamer sailed from
New York with a better passenger list
than ours, nor one including a greater
variety of Hationalities, ages or oceu-
pations. Consuls, attaches, professors
lords, members Of parliament, bank
ers, merchants, ship captains, artists
opera singers, students, blockade run