As Soon As
We Got Abreast Of It We Saw Pack Ice Around It, And The Light, Then
Shining Upon The Whole Mass, Gave A Fairy-Like Whiteness - Transparent,
Snowy Whiteness - Which Was Very Beautiful To See.
While we were
observing it, a great mass broke away, toppled over into the sea,
sending up an immense snowy spray, and disappeared.
The remainder
stayed in sight, with the evening sun-light upon it, for a couple of
hours.
"Yesterday, Sunday, morning, we sighted Cape Race, the eastern
extremity of Newfoundland, and ran close in shore along a most
desolate, dismal, coast, for a couple of hours. Abreast of the
lighthouse and telegraph station a boat came off, and we pitched over a
packet, with a little red flag attached, containing the latest news, to
be telegraphed from thence to New York and other places, so that our
passing would be known that afternoon everywhere - and if the steamer
had not left Halifax it might bring the news thence to England; thus
you may know of our safe arrival, so far, by about the 18th or 19th. I
hope you may, as it will relieve your mind from various fears about me.
It is very seldom indeed that the steamers actually sight Cape Race, as
we did. However, we saw that desolate coast and the poor hermits of the
place. Rounding the Cape, we enter the Gulf of St. Lawrence, which
broke in rain and storm upon us. We saw several fishing sloops 'lying
to,' to wait for better weather. These little craft are often run over
by larger vessels, as they swarm in what is the great east and west
track for steamers and other large ships; and when the wind is south,
or south west, there is always fog and mist in the Gulf, and on the
banks of Newfoundland outside.
"I find it a great comfort having a cabin to myself. I am now writing
in my 'drawing-room' - i.e., my upper berth, with my legs hanging
down over my bed-room, or lower berth. All my property is stowed away
and hung up, and the steward keeps all nice and clean - calls me in the
morning, and at half-past seven brings me a foot-pan of fresh sea-water
to bathe in. The rum is not very much diminished, as I have been
very self-denying, being desirous of coming home in full vigour and
hard health, if possible. It is very good, however, and when I finish
this letter I shall reward good resolution by taking a little drop to
drink your health - and God bless you!
"Taylor was excessively sick and ill, but is now all alive, and says he
'feels so light' he could run a race.
"I am pretty well. I have not been sick at all: I wish I had - but I
ought to be thankful for a great deal of comfort in this long journey.
"I shall open this if anything worth recording takes place before we
reach New York. If not, the receipt of this will tell you that we are
'safely landed.' I shall, however, write again from New York before I
leave it for Boston - but I shall only remain a portion of a day and a
night at New York."
"ST. LAWRENCE HALL, MONTREAL.
"Sunday, August 18.
"From New York I went on, via Long Island Sound, to Boston,
where I arrived at 7 a.m. on Friday. I stayed there all day, in
conference with Mr. Baring's agent, Mr. Ward, and went on to Montreal,
in the evening, via Lowel, Concord, and Rouse's Point. I engaged
a double berth in a sleeping car, and slept pretty well and pretty
comfortably from about 10 till 5 - with sundry breaks, caused as
hereafter stated. I got to Montreal at 10 - washed, breakfasted, and
then did a hard day's work, and dined at 7, with the internal
satisfaction that I had done a good day's duty, and had a good appetite
for both food and drink - the latter, however, moderate - only one pint
and one cup of coffee and one cigar after - the first cigar which I have
smoked since leaving England. The rum, thanks to similar moderation,
holds out, and will last some time yet.
"New York is be-flagged and be-bannered to a wonderful extent. Every
street is disfigured by huge streamers, some right across the street,
others out of windows and from the tops of houses - while each occupant
tries to vie with his neighbour in this sort of loyalty, till there
seems almost to be hypocrisy in it. 'Stars and Stripes' everywhere, and
on all occasions, opportune and inopportune. The main public place in
New York is half filled by ugly wooden sheds, used as military store
rooms and barracks, and, every now and then, with a frequency which is
startling, are the head-quarters of all sorts of Volunteer regiments -
American, Irish, German, Dutch, French, and Scotch. These rooms are
adorned with flags, and transparencies showing the costume of the
corps, or the portrait of the colonel, or general, shown generally on a
big prancing horse, and sporting a savage-looking beard. All along the
roads and routes - everywhere almost - are tents and wooden sheds, the
encampments of companies and regiments; and every now and then bands
and recruiting parties parade the street, and draw crowds of people
after them. The mothers of America have taken up the question, too, and
there are societies to make lint and bandages for the wounded, and to
stitch together clothing for the new companies. Little Zouaves are
plentiful - red vest, blue sash, and red fez and breeches.
"The day we arrived, the New York Firemen Zouaves (7th New York)
returned from the defeat at Bull's Run - 380 out of 1,000, who left two
months ago under a young fellow named Ellsworth, as colonel. Ellsworth
was shot by a public-house keeper, whose secession flag he hauled down
- and the regiment was much cut up at Bull's Run.
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