Atlantic States -- Description and travel; Kemble, Fanny, 1809-1893; United States -- Social life and customs -- 1783-1865
Towards evening got up and came on deck:--tremendous head wind, going
off our course; pray Heaven we don't make an impromptu landing on Sable
Island! Sat on the ship's side, watching the huge ocean gathering itself
up into pitchy mountains, and rolling its vast ridges, one after
another, against the good ship, who dipped, and dipped, and dived down
into the black chasm, and then sprang up again, and rode over the
swelling surges like an empress. The sky was a mass of stormy black,
here and there edged with a copper-looking cloud, and breaking in one or
two directions into pale silvery strata, that had an unhealthy lightning
look: a heavy black squall lay ahead of us, like a dusky curtain, whence
we saw the rain, fringe-like, pouring down against the horizon. The wind
blew furiously. I got cradled among the ropes, so as not to be pitched
off when the ship lurched, and enjoyed it all amazingly. It was sad and
solemn, and, but for the excitement of the savage-looking waves, that
every now and then lifted their overwhelming sides against us, it would
have made me melancholy: but it stirred my spirits to ride over these
huge sea-horses, that came bounding and bellowing round us. Remained
till I was chilled with the bitter wind, and wet through with
spray;--walked up and down the deck for some time,--had scarce set foot
within the round-house, when a sea took her in midships, and soused the
loiterers. Sat up, or rather slept up, till ten o'clock, and then went
down to bed. I took up Pelham to-day for a second--'t is amazingly
clever, and like the thing it means to be, to boot. Heard something
funny that I wish to remember--at a Methodist meeting, the singer who
led the Psalm tune, finding that his concluding word, which was Jacob,
had not syllables enough to fill up the music adequately, ended
thus--Ja-a-a-a--Ja-a-a-a--fol-de-riddle--cob!--
_Monday, 26th._
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account