The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1884-05-21
A North Carolina Lady In Europe
STEAMSHIP CITY OF BERLIN,


AT Sea-EaSter SUNDAY, ST.
The appointments of the ship are very
fine. The dinning saloon is lit by elec
trio light. Magnificent flowers GROWN.
in pots are placed on the table, and The
Menu is luxurious. 1t is the proper
thing to name the dainty dessert dishes
and CONNECTIONS after the young lady pas
sengers. We had to-day Jelly la Mis-.
j. j. S. The captain read the service
this morning, and prayed for the "Queer
and nobility for the first time.
MONDAY, April Goth.
Just as | wrote the last line sea sick
ness seized upon me, and for eight days
| have been too i'll to hold up my head
This has been the longest, the most
wretched, the most unreal week of my
life. have been dressed and undressed
and carried to 'and from the deck every
day like baby. unable to help myself in
the least. Have lived on oranges and
ice. am told | have been by far the
sickest person on board, have been pitied
and inquired after by every body and care
fully tended by Miss j. and the good old
stewardess. Let draw veil over my
miseries. Prof. w. has been nearly as
bad off To- day we have made an et-
fort to be better as we shall reach
Queenstown this evening. | am convinc-
ed that the highest achievement of hui
man ability was Columbus s voyage across
the unknown Atlantic Nobody, nothing
has ever given me the slightest idea of
what 1t Is to cross the ocean. When look
at 1t and see nothing day after day but its
wide, lntermlnable expanse melting into
the skies, 1t seems to overwhelm and crush
my mind. Every morning when have
been carried out to the upper deck the
ship seems to be moving In exactly the
same place 1T was yesterday. No change
IN the scenery. The water scarcely rutfied.
The captain says it has been an unusually
calm voyage. We lounge in our steamer
chairs and watch the sunsets gild the sea.
CHESTER, ENG, TUESDAY NIGHT.
April %
Prof W. and stood on the deck last
evening and watched the dim outlines of
the Irish shore grow clearer. How
strange it all looked. Great detached
cliffs Of rock. like castles, stood up out
of the sea. The shores were steep, ragged
and ragged locking. Colcr reddish and
pale green. The white spray was dash
ing against the cliffs, and as our ship
moved along, slow and stately, the only
human habitation visible were ancient
circular lookout towers perched on top of
a promontory every now and then.
So we steamed into Liverpool in
about an hour, facing the dampest, chill
liest wind any poor, dizzy, weak mortals
ever met with. The long low stretches
of sand, as we approached looked, Prof
w. said, much like the coast Of North
Carolina. Next appeared long black
lines of houses, and masts of shipping
hot near so many Of the latter as in
New York. And then the wonderful
stone piers-what strength and solidty,
what a magnificent work Then the
green, closely-shaven lawns, sloping
down to the Mersey, which is much
more of river than / expected to see.
Finally we all were landed $50 to speak,
on floating pier, all the piers on the
river being arranged to allow for the
rising and falling of the tides. and then
were conducted into a great room where
we found all our luggage spread out in
different sections alphabetically, accord
ing to names on the trunks.
A ridiculous scene of confusion fol-
lowed, the trunks being opened and ex-
amined by custom house officers. /
unlocked mine, first time since l left
Chapel Hill, and stood helplessly hold
ing up the lid while an officer (fortunate-
ly a gOod-natured one) demand to know
If | had any tobacco, or silver-plate
therein. l meekly said No, and then
he stuck one finger down in the corner
OF the tray and said that would do. l
told Prof. w. this civility was all due to
the open honesty of my countenance,
for he did not fare nearly so well. The
officer wanted to make him pay duty on
guide book, and he said, undertook
to peruse all the literature in his valse.
What impressed me at Liverpool and
50 far everywhere in England is the
quiet composure and precision with |
which everything is done. No rush and
roar, as in New York. As full and |
plenty" OF time as we are in North |
Carolina, and yet, as not in North Caro-
lima, everything done Ion time" and in !
frst-class style. The railroad officers |
are attentive and civil, porters are ready |
at every point, and everything runs as
II oiled. We sent our trunks through |
TO London, and the agent smiled at the |
idea of giving receipts. for them. No |
checks here, you know. He said we
would find them all right at London.
The railroad trains appear very differ
ent from ours The seats are different
ly arranged. The engine is a low cylln-
der, and the whole much lighter and |
smaller than ours, and we flew along
towards the ancient city of Chester at |
the rate of As or 80 miles an hour. We |
seemed to be going through great park
all the way. The sides of the deep cuts
are green with grass and sprinkled with
flowers. Green hedges on each side Of
the track. No roads or people allowed |
to cross on the track. Stone bridges
are built over it at every crossing point |
Cor. ". G. Presbyterian.