The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1871-08-02
FoR THE CENTRAL PRESBYTERIAN.
NOTES OF FOREIGN TRAVEL.
On THE SEA, June 277-JuIy 10, II.

|
Holding that each man is a debtor to hi
fellows in the opportunities he enjoys, t
make them sharers of his profit and amuse
ment, propose to send you, from time t
time, during my brief trip to the old world
notes of things seen and heard by the way
Of course, I can lave nothing nesO to tell
for the same route has been trodden by tel
thousand tourists with greater talents, tim
and advantages forsobservation and descrip
ton. But well remembering how, from boy
hood, I myself have loved to read memoran
da of travel, and have never tired of tn
way, provided the companion saw with hi
own eyes and tod ais story simply, I trus
that these haste ,kefches of men and thing
at distance, M ; not be unwelcome to thoa
who are at home dlsing the-loDg, hot day
of summer.
Thus far have seen nothing but the ship
the sea, Halifax, and the shores of England
and Ireland. But the two weeks of Ocear
life have not been altogether useless or mo
notonous. First of all, they make one more
contented with home and the dry land
Verify the law of compensation is far reach
ing in its application; and l can give wore
of true consolation to those who stay a
home, and yet are always sighing for the set
and foreign travel. 1t is very we'll to sine
of the ocean and "a life on the ocean wave,
and the cradle of the deep. But prefer
Cathedral Street, and Baltimore or Rich
mond. To be cribbed and cabined in a dark
damp, ill-favored ships hotel, Gee-sawing al
day upon deck and tossed hither and thithel
all night in your bunk, to shiver with colo
in the fog on the 4th of July, and to have
the fluids and solids of your system utterly J
forgetful of the law of gravitation as you
grow sick, sicker, sickest, all the while get
ting in sympathy-thiS is enough to bring
on Cerebral perturbations," which l be-
lieve, the medical faculty now assume to be
the proximate cause of sea. sickness. Ado
to this, there is just one half inch of iror
between you and the sharks and eternity
Horresco referens. My dear Doctor, you
had better stay at home in your big arm
chair and comfortable bed.
Yet there is marvellous attraction anC
beauty in the sea. Towatch its great bosom
swelling and heaving ceaselessly, mirroring
the dappled heavens in its many colored wa
ters, while the waves chase each other il
sportive racings, or wrestle in fierce crap
pling until their crests, writhe in foam anc
spray; and over all the mad winds sweep
roaring and shrieking ia their ecstasy;
underneath all, cAat tirelessy throbbil
Oceans pulse whit makes the stately SUI
quiver and sway hither and thither, as if il
were thing of nought; and nothing to be
seen as far as the eye can stretch its vision
save the blue sky above and the blue waters
around, and shell of iron in which 300
souls are plunging forward, it may be into
the sea of eternity the next moment: ii
this vivid realization of our helplessness, how
near are We brought to the Great Father
who holdeth the winds and waves in the hol
low of his hands!
Surely there could hardly be more va
ried company of passengers than ours
Here are representatives from the four points
of the compass, and from the many tongues
of earth. There, on the quarterback, stanc
three Japanese youths, on their way to Eng
land and France to study civil law anG
finance. One speaks little English, an
other little French, the third japanese,
suppose. They are polite, quiet and gen
tlemanly in department. Twenty,four were
selected by their Government, and sent tt
study in foreign lands. Their expenses art
paid, and nine years are allowed in which
they are to be graduated in their various
studies and to travel. Twenty one remained
in the United States. Here, too, are Eng
lish factors returning from India and China
merchants from Halifax going to England
(they say, going home, ") to purchase goods
whose ruddy faces and robust forms contras
strangely with the pale, thin Americans
Californian gold diggers who are returning
after nearly score of years, to see theil
old mothers; college students just gradu
ated, expecting to become Catholic priests
and burning with eagerness to see Rome
Zone of them asked me, "if we Protestant
approved the massacre of the Archbishop o
Paris and his companions!'') Highland sol
diers who have served twenty. one years hon
orably, and are retired from the service-ol
shilling day,-bearing on their breast
the medals Of victorious battle under Have
lock and Outram:-here is an old French
man with his wife from Alsace, going bacl
to visit his war-scarred native land, AM
breathing curses on Napoleon. By thei
side German bridegroom and bride iron
Munich on their wedding tour; very loving
as they sit jabbering together, the wife knit
ting red stockings and sticking her lor
with the knitting needles, while he blows to
bacco smoke in her face; famous oper
singer, and her little baby with black eyes an
red cheeks; an officer on leave; merchan
from Russia; hearty, jolly English lad
who tries to make all the rest jolly; and tn
usual complement of sight-seers, traveller