Year: 1871

On determination to take trip to Cuba
various reasons conspired to suggest the
propriety of taking the longest route, such
as a desire to visit the ports on the coast OF
Florida: to remain as long as possible on
the bracing and health invigorating sea,
and that, too, along the shoal waters where
violent storms and rough and tempestuous
route, and where, in consequence, we could
hope for immunity from the horrors OF sea
sickness, and where, also, in case of an un-
usual storm, we could, if necessary, find. in
short time, safe harbor.


To secure these manifold advantages we
took passage in the good ship Florida, run
ming in the interest of the New Orleans,
Florida and Havana Steamship Company.


Our ship is not large one, but we have
the advantage of having our cabin berths
on deck, where we shall not suffer from
confined and vitiated air, even should the
weather prove unpropitious, and we have,
moreover, in the commander, Captain James
McBaker, in the purser, Mr.. Evans, and in
all the officers and seamen a set OF the most
agreeable and Obliging gentlemen we ever
encountered on voyage. 1t did not take
two hours to make this discovery, and all
who have travelled by sea know how much
such a discovery tends to brighten the
prospects of the voyage.


Everything on board being settled to our
entire satisfaction, We made the deck a
g Oh I'd infa dad RI
give the particulars of the whole trip, we
do not propose to jump over seven hundred
or one thousand miles before we begin, and
thus neglect our own end of the route, with
its world renowned river picturesque
scenery and so many evidences of thrift and
enterprise. The season is desirable, weather
pleasant, and starting, as we do, in the
morning watch. everything conspires to in
vite us TO feast of the soul, through the
organs of vision and sense of smell.


How green are the fields, rich the foliage
of the trees, beautiful the flowers that
twine in the hedge rows or climb about the
varied specimens of rural architecture,
deck the grassy banks of the river, or nod
and bend before the breeze that softly
trembles amid the beauties of the lawn,
bringing thence to the very middle of the
river the grateful perfumes of a hundred
floral gems, and throwing them into our
face as the oriental damsel would scatter
perfume upon the person of favorite
suitOr. How grand the distant forests that
form background to nearly all the planta-
tons that lie along our track! The old
monarchs of the woods that stood but few
weeks ago with naught but dropping fes-
toons of moss to deck their brow like SOM
bre emblems of the tomb, now burst forth
in spring attire, and present the appearance
of youth emerging from the hoary head OF
age, or virgin life springing from amid the
ruins of death. What wealth of fertility
waves over those fields Of cane. What re-
ductive bounties of those gardens and
what promise of luxury hangs upon every
limb OF those fertile fruit trees, and how
numerous are the sweet songsters of the
South that came forth to greet us with their
matchless warblings What new emotions
stir the soul as we are now invited by gen.
tie lips to "listen to the mocking bird"


Verify it is pleasant to leave for awhile
the confined city and to fill the lungs with
the breath of heaven while the soul sits
drinking in the manifold beauties of nature
and taking anew the wings of faith to enter
the portals of heaven and lay the heartfelt
gratitude for such ecstatic enjoyment at
the feet of natures God. The very bosom
of our noble river heaves with throbbing
pleasure and parts it's liquid waves to af
ford us smooth and uninterrupted pas
sage.


Thus enjoying and rejecting, we spent the
first few hours of our trip to Cuba, until
awakened from our reverie and enjoyment
of the ever-changiug panorama by finding
ourselves between the two formidable forts
Jackson and st. Philip. We now think fol
a moment of cruel, stern and desolating
war Cold, black iron and rified steel sug
gest thoughts of blacker deeds, colder hearts
and rifed affections; but happily we are
still onward, and so speedily leave the cruel
god of war to gloat over his carnage OF
revel amid thoughts of his victories, while
the banks of our noble Mississippi became
to US an emblem of the history of our cOun
try, with its long, long seasons of peace
love and prosperity and only here and there
a speck of war.


In passing we could but give a moments
thought to the subject of short and easy
way to the sea, which a ship canal at this
place would secure, and which must come
in course of time; but more of this in future
We are still onward and soon pass the last
fertile field, and have little to attract atten
ton but wild cane brake and marshy fen
Evening approaches, and with it we ap
proach the gulf of Mexico. We are now OF
the bar, in Pass-aPOutre. Carefully we
steer; the plumb and line are frequently
thrown out and the seaman calls aloud fol
Mark Twain. Now come the numerous
hocks of sea gulls with their graceful flight
and unmusical croak. There stalk the white
crane, and yonder fly or fish, the emblem ot
our State, the large pouched pelican; and
now what is this that steals upon my
frame4" 1t is said there is but one steI
from the sublime to the ridiculous Thai
step must be across the bar of the Missis
sippi But one or two short hours ago VT
were fairly reveling amid the sublime scenes
of nature and drinking the very cream O.
mental nectar. Alas, how changed Now