VOYAGE ACROSS THE ATLANTIC.

HAVING, in common with many of our countrymen, a desire to visit the native land of our ancestors, we procured our tickets for the voyage at the office of the Cunard Royal Mail steamers in New York. On the day of sailing, we found that the steam-ship Asia, in which we took our passage, had left the wharf at Jersey City, and anchored out in the harbor. Her passengers, and the mail, were carried on board from the Jersey side by a small steamer. Many persons came on board to take leave of their friends and acquaintances. Among these, one was pointed out to us as the Irish patriot, Meagher, who remained on board till the last boat returned to the shore. At a little past noon, August 10th, 1853, on the discharge of our parting gun, we commenced our voyage to Liverpool.

The number of passengers was about fifty. Our fare was excellent; and the servants respectful and attentive. Those of the passengers with whom we were more immediately connected, belonged to various countries. Four or five were from England; the same number from Scotland; two from Ireland; four Jews, three of whom were natives of Holland, and one from Germany; two from St. Domingo, a French gentleman and his son; three Canadian gentlemen; a native of Bohemia; a young Dutchman, born in Africa, near the Cape of Good Hope, and two natives of Connecticut, in the United States.

Three of the Jews in our company were on a visit to Holland, intending to stop at London and Paris on their route. As I had never before come in so close contact with those of the Jewish faith, I felt interested in these our fellow passengers. They had been naturalized in our country, and were now going to Europe, partly on business, and partly to see their friends. Upon a nearer acquaintance, particularly with a gentleman and his wife, some of my early prejudices were removed. Instead of unfeeling Shylocks, we found them possessed of all the kindly feelings of our nature, generous and conscientious. We also found their friends, to whom we were introduced on the Continent, and elsewhere, kind, agreeable and friendly in their manners. I was also struck with the patriotic feeling which was manifested towards the country of their birth, and that of their adoption; a spirit which, at the first thought, could hardly be expected from persons of the Jewish faith.

The Irish gentleman in our company had followed the seas in some part of his life. He was a middle-aged man, and had been naturalized as a citizen of the United States, in one of our south-western States, where, I believe, he had become a merchant of some wealth. He was of noble, whole-souled Irish stock, on which were engrafted the characteristics of a bold, polite and generous Southerner. The Bohemian, who had located himself in one of our Southern States, though a man of intelligence, was an infidel, or rather of an Atheist in sentiment, which he did not hesitate to avow. He was on a visit to his native town in the heart of Germany, and having an American protection in his pocket, he bade defiance to civil or religious despotism.

The French gentleman from St. Domingo, who, I believe, was a native

of that island, was somewhat advanced in years. He was a person of refined manners, easy and graceful address, and evidently possessed that kindness of heart towards all, which is the only foundation of all true politeness. He was accompanied by his little mullatto son, who could not speak English, a bright and intelligent looking lad, about ten or twelve years of age. His father was taking him to Paris, where he had already one son receiving an education.

66

On our passage, the time of day and night was designated by bells. At night it was a novel sound to most of us to hear the hourly cry, “ All is well," from two or three voices, the first from the helm, the others from different parts of the ship in succession.

On Sunday the 15th of August, the fifth day of our voyage, I was quite surprised, on rising in the morning, on seeing land in the distance on the left side of our ship. On inquiry, I found we were in the vicinity of Cape Race, the S. E. extremity of the island of Newfoundland. As far as we saw it, the whole coast appeared extremely rocky and barren. For the first three or four days of our passage, the sea was comparatively smooth, but afterwards it became more rough, and most of the passengers began to experience the usual sea-sickness. It being Sunday, divine service was performed in the after-cabin. There being no clergyman of the church of England on board, our commander, Capt. Lott, officiated as reader, and the majority of the congregation made the usual responThe seamen and officers not on duty, were in attendance.

ses.

One of our passengers, a native of Wales, about thirty years of age, was brought on board evidently in the last stages of consumption. He had followed the occupation of a gardener, near Boston, and had, by his industry, accumulated about two thousand dollars, and was now on his return to his mother and sister living in Wales. As the sea became more rough, he sunk rapidly, and after having been on the ocean for a week, and accomplished two-thirds of the voyage, he expired. On the morning of the day of his death, he was found sitting by his birth in considerable distress; he was laid on his bed, from which he never arose, but gradually sunk till he expired in the afternoon. The funeral services were performed at eight o'clock the next morning. Our captain, standing on the stairs leading to the quarter deck, read the burial service of the church of England. The coffin, (which was bored with holes to let in the water,) was placed by the open gangway, and held there by the sailors in a proper position by ropes. At the words "we commit his body to the deep," the sailors let go the ropes, and the coffin plunged into the ocean. It appeared for a moment or two on the surface, and then sunk forever from our sight. The solemnity of the scene was much heightened by the roaring of the waves, with the heavy sea rolling and foaming around, accompanied by a driving storm of wind and rain.

As we drew near the accomplishment of our voyage, the health and spirits of our passengers were much revived. A general disposition to be pleased with every thing about them, pervaded the company. The favorite ale and porter, and to some extent, wine and brandy, with which most of our passengers had "doctored themselves" during the passage, were freely indulged in. The superior accommodations of the Asia were largely descanted upon, the health of the captain, the officers, servants, and crew of the Asia, were toasted and drank off with enthusiastic applause. Resolutions expressive of our approval of the manner in which

the captain and all hands had performed their duties, were reduced to writing, passed by acclamation, and a deputation was appointed to wait upon the captain in person, and convey to him the sense of the meeting. On the 10th day of our passage we arrived in the vicinity of Cape Clear, the southern extremity of Ireland, and continued in sight of land while we proceeded up the channel. The houses, the fields of grain, ripe for the harvest, and many other objects on the elevated shores, were looked upon with deep interest; and in the evening, the revolving lights at Holyhead attracted our close attention. The following morning, (Sunday,) we arrived in the river Mersey, and soon had the Custom-house officers on board to inspect onr baggage previous to our going on shore. The trunks of those of our passengers who were in the habit of smoking, underwent a close examination. Quite a number of bunches of cigars were seized, and a heavy duty demanded, being in the opinion of the officers of her Majesty's customs, more than the law could allow for private use. Some of our passengers had several American re-prints of English works; these were seized without ceremony, in order they might be destroyed according to law.

After our trunks had been examined, a steam-boat came along side and took us and our baggage on shore. A number of the police, in their blue uniforms, were in attendance, keeping good order among those who had assembled to witness our landing. A few moments after we had set our feet on the soil, we were on our way to our various destinations in the city. After having been conducted to a quiet hotel, we retired to our chambers. After I had been sitting in my chair for some time in a kind of dreamy state, feeling thankful that I had at last been permitted to reach the land I had so long wished to see, I was suddenly and agreeably aroused by sounds which I had never heard before. They proceeded from the chime bells in the tower of a church in the vicinity. I was forcibly reminded of the glowing description given by Bunyan, that prince of dreamers, of the bells which rang in the heavenly city for joy, accompanied with other "melodious noises," which were heard when the pilgrims had accomplished their perilous passage through the river. In the intervals, however, which occurred during the chiming of the bells, discordant noises were heard in the streets below, reminding us that we were still in a fallen and depraved world; a mixture of good and evil; an emblem of what I afterwards saw in my journeyings through various places in this fair and diversified island.

On the first evening after our arrival in Liverpool, we attended divine service at the Rev. Dr. Raffles' chapel. The building was a large structure, and we found it filled in every part. The Dr. being absent on a tour, an Irish clergyman officiated in his stead. The singing was in the true congregational style; all the congregation, young and old, in every part of the house, united their voices in one harmonious whole It far exceeded any performance of the kind I had ever before heard, and indeed I never afterwards, in the various places I visited, heard any church music, in my apprehension, more appropriate, or effective.

[The cut above is copied from an English engraving representing the twelve Judges of the Court of the Exchequer, sitting in their scarlet robes on the reserved Crown cases. The middle figure in the cut is intended as a portrait of Chief Baron Pollock, the one on his right Lord Denman, the other Mr. Justice Patteson. The cut below shows the form of the wigs, or head dress, of the lawyers, as they are worn in the courts of justice.]

On the succeeding day we visited various places in Liverpool. St. George's Hall, where the Assizes, or Courts of Justice were held, is one of the most magnificent structures in the city. At the time of our visit, the Hall was being enlarged; the Sessions, however, continued as usual. One of the most striking appearances to an American, who first enters the Courts, are the wigs and dress of the lawyers or advocates who are in attendance. The above sketch shows their appearance. As this was about the period when the grain harvests were gathered, we saw many of the Irish laborers in their antiquated dresses, with sticks on their shoulders, who had crossed the channel for the purpose of assisting in gathering the harvests of their English neighbors. We also saw many bare-footed women walking about the streets; more perhaps than could be seen in any American city in the same length of time.