Year: 1860

Point on the left the twin beacons of the Capes of
Charles and Henry; between lay dim space of
uncertain outline, within which we were taught to
search for the "Great Eastern" Running steadily
and feetly into this eXpanse, dark and uncertain
figure began to be perceived. Was it, an island or
the Hip Raps, or the great ship herself? But the
early dawn now began to throw light upon the
subject, and before many minutes all doubt was
dispelled. Just before US, under the guns of
Fortress Munroe lay the object of our short and
pleasant voyage-a vessel, which once fairly seen,
left no doubt about her identity.


THE LANDING AT THE FORT.


1t so happened that your correspondent had never
before been lower down the bay than the mouth of
the Patuxent,so that many novelties were before him
beside the Great Eastern. Upon the white sand of
Old Point Comfort rose the walls of the grandest
fortiicalion in the United States, frowning defiance
upon all corners which should seek to enter without
permission, the waters of the James There was not
much stir, and no unusual concourse of vessels to
indicate that the greatest wonder upon the
bosom of the Deep was lying there to be gazed at.
A pilot boat at anchor, schooner almost out of
water on the shelving beach leaning over on her
side, two national vessels at anchor in the inner
roads of Hampton, with the squarely braced yards
and neat trim which beft the man-ofwar,
couple of small steamers beside the Louisiana, and
few row boats plying from the wharf on the Point
to the Great Eastern, were all the shipping which
your correspondent remembers as having formed
part of the scene before him. We first made fast to
the pier and landed all the passengers, who did
not, like him, mean at all hazards to board the
British monster. and retrace in her their late voy
age down the Bay. This done after some DELAY, we
again cast off and steered boldly towards the an
chorage which had the honor to hold the beautiful
and tremendous object before US.


DIFFICULTIES OF YOUR CORRESPONDENT.


Having gone along thus fart is hoped satisfac.
torily-your correspondent perceives a difficulty,
which is momently increasing on his hands, and
now as he is approaching the crisis of his
description, threatens almost to overwhelm
him. He refers to the impossibility of providing
nd IN oh
designate, or simply denominate this vessel which
he has so frequently to mention. 1t will not
do to be calling her the Great Eastern
all the time, it would show lack of
invention and 'paucty of verbosty'' very
unbecomng in a especial correspondent" In the
course of this letter he has already bestowed upon
her all the current terms, and he has yet gotten
aboard. Tautology, vain repetitions and unplea-
SAINT and dlsreputabe composition will necessarily
grow out OF it, if no remedy be found. Your cor
respondent therefore, has taken thought about the
matter and arrived at the conclusion, thati will be
safest to present in one array all the words and
paraphrases by which the-the-(here is the
rub, you see,) 'big ship" has been or NAV be
properly called. The following terms are perfectly
safe and effective, having been thoroughly tested:
Great Eastern! Lcviathan! Great Ship! Big Ship!
Monster! Iron Monsterl Mammoth! Elephant Ark!
St. Peters of the Waves! The Wonder of the ge!
The Floating Island! There may be others
still more "neat and appropriate" but they escape
your correspondents recollection at this moment:
he will not hesitate to extend his vocabulary
should his memory invention suggest any such


in time. For his present convenience he will use
the above consecutively, and when he gets throug
will commence again at the beginning.


GETTING ON BOARD.


The Louisiana appeared to sink very rapidly both
In size and consequence, as she was compelled to
approach the Great Eastern. Her upper deck,
which was lately so high above the water, and on
which her passengers sat proudly superior in posi-


ton to those any other craft on the bay seemed to
getower foot by foot she approached the wall of
iron that lay before her, until your correspondent
felt serious doubt whether she would not go under
altogether. As we drew higher and higher, GER
tain features of the"Great Ship began to grow in
to relief. There were her side wheels, in circumler-
ence like the ring of circus there were ladders
running down her sides, which. supposing them
the only means OF access, gave one an impression
like what one would feel at the prospect of going
to the top of a four-story house by steps on the
outside. Then there of little round holes
along her streak, which, at first, looked as if they
might have been perforated for rivets which had
never been put in, and there was another Aperture
in her side, about two feet square apparently, for
which no use could be imagined; getting nearer the
rlvetholes began to appear, as if they might allow
one on inside to put the end of his through
while the square hole increased in abnut the same
proportion. Your correspondent was somewhat
surprised, on getting alongside, to find several of
these rivet, or spyglass holes containing the head
fascinating portraits of John Bull set in an iron
frame, while the little square hole turned out to be
good door, six feet by four, through which
you walked without STOPPING from the Louisiana s
upper deck into the second hold of the"Big Ship
Although you felt as if stepping upon foreign ter
rltory, yet there were custom-house officers at
the port OF entry to inspect your baggage and the
only ceremony required was to show your ticket,
which your correspondent had difficulty in do
ing, having one in his possession of the largest
size and most brilliant color. 1t was stride of
only half an inch from the outside of the "Monster'
to the insidethat being about the thickness of her
nIl nadi h,l.
world whose surface was strangely obstructed by
boulders in the shape of the trunks and other bag
gage of previous parties which were lying around
pretty much as if they had been deposited there by
freshet. ou CROPPED your wav through these
towards glimmer of light at what proved to be
the foot of flight of stairs-a noble "com.
pdnton-'eay'' indeed, up which large
party might proceed abreast without crowding
Having passed up some pair of stars you "found
yourself in vestibule little paddock fenced off
from the park around, with which there was
communication, in true park style, by two remark
ably neat iron turnstyes, both of which were care
fully locked, and you made your escape into the
outer space by narrow wooden door. You then
had an opportunity of passing up another 'pair of
stairs, which your correspondent and his ''crowd"
presently did, and found himself standing in the
midst of a prairie of deck, not vet thoroughly
"taken up' and improved. In all new coun-
tries, eastern as we'll as Western where
there is lack of inhabitants, new comers are
pretty much left to take care of themselves II
there was no one to receive you take care OF
your baggage, there was none to cross your
pleasure in whatever disposition you saw
fit to make of your person and property. 'EThe
world was all before where to choose" Your cor
respondent selected a mast as land mark by which
he might again be guided to the spot and there laid
down his carpet bag, which, as he has explained,
contained such provision against difficulties
peculiar to the wilderness. In coming up stairs
first impression made upon his mind which
his subsequent explorations only heightened. The
impression this: that this vessel was built in
country where iron grows in forests, with trunks
that may be easily sawed into plank and branches
bearing rivets instead of acorns where wood
ly to be had by slow and expensive chemical pro-
cesses as yet very mperfectly understood, and was
consequently very scarce and of very bad quality
[To BE CONTINUED