Harper's New Monthly Magazine, Vol. V, No. XXV, June, 1852Various
General
Harper's New Monthly Magazine, Vol. V, No. XXV, June, 1852
Various
American literature -- Periodicals; Civilization -- Periodicals; Culture -- Periodicals
He had, however, silently examined
the ship with his glass. "Captain," one called out, "what ship is
that?" "It is an English ship," he quietly replied. "How can you tell?"
was immediately asked. "Because," he answered, "she has so little sail
spread. No Yankee would be creeping along at that pace in this breeze."
It was afterward stated that the English captains are paid only while
their ships are at sea, and that the payment is quite small. They
are therefore rather under the inducement to make long voyages. The
Americans, on the contrary, are paid while the ship is in port, and
they drive their voyages with the utmost speed. Whether there be any
foundation for this opinion, I know not. The incident however was quite
interesting.
Tuesday Night, Mar. 30. Lat. 50° 53'. Long. 11° 54'.
Miles made 219. The captain informed us that we were 95 miles from Cape
Clear at noon to-day, and that we might expect to see the coast of
Ireland about six o'clock. The day has been magnificently beautiful. We
have seen many ships in the horizon, indicating that we were leaving
the solitudes of the ocean behind us. Immediately after dinner all the
passengers assembled upon deck to catch the first glimpse of land. At
just a quarter before six o'clock we saw the highlands of the Irish
coast looming through the haze before us. No one who has not crossed
the ocean can conceive of the joyous excitement of the scene. All the
discomfort of ocean life was forgotten in the exhilaration of the hour.
As twilight faded away, the outline of the shore became more visible
under the rays of a most brilliant moon. Soon the light from Cape Clear
beamed brilliantly before us. It is now half-past ten o'clock at night,
and the night is clear, serene, and gorgeously beautiful. The dim
outline of the Irish coast looks dark and solitary. Upon those gloomy
headlands, and in those sombre valleys what scenes of joy and woe have
transpired during centuries which have lingered away. We are rapidly
sailing up the channel, having still some two hundred and fifty miles
to make, before we land in Liverpool. But our ocean life is ended. We
have crossed the Atlantic. At seven o'clock to-morrow evening we expect
to leave the ship.
Wednesday Night, March 31. Waterloo House, Liverpool, 12 o'clock.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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