AMERICA AND THE AMERICAN CHURCH. CHAPTER I. LETTER TO A FRIEND VOYAGE AND JOURNEY FROM ENGLAND TO OHIO. Packet-ship.-First night at sea.-Calm.-Banks of Newfoundland.-Storm. First sight of land.-New York harbour.First view of New York.-Sunday in New York.-Episcopal service. Methodists.-Voyage to Albany.-Stage-coach.— Canal-boat.-Little Falls.-Indians.-Auburn, Geneva, &c. -Falls of Niagara.-Island at the Falls.-Sandusky.—Arrival at Gambier. MY DEAR EDWARD, KENYON COLLEGE, Gambier, Ohio; Having promised you a circumstantial account of my voyage and journey from England to this place, I hasten to fulfil my engagement: premising, however, that you must expect nothing of an adventurous character, or materially differing from a hundred narratives of the same kind already before the public. B After leaving you, I passed through a beautiful and romantic portion of our native island; and on the evening of the second day arrived at Liverpool. Here I ascertained that the line of New York packets had been so arranged, that two of those vessels regularly sailed every week. Accordingly, I took a berth on board the Canada of New York, a fine ship of five hundred and seventy tons burden, under the command of Captain Hugh Graham, and, proceeding to the packet office, paid thirty-eight guineas for my passage across the Atlantic. The whole of the following day was occupied in preparing for the voyage, by procuring a variety of articles of clothing. I have great reason to regret that my purchases were not much more extensive, since I have found that clothing of all kinds is more expensive in America than in England. At twelve o'clock on the next day, August 16th, I embarked; not without some painful feelings, as you may imagine. In a few minutes afterwards, the Canada unmoored, left the docks, and entered the river. Then her white sails were unfurled, and in a short time Liverpool disappeared. I must now describe the vessel and her inmates; and I beg you to recollect this description will apply to the New York packets in general, equally with the Canada. Figure to yourself a number of genteel looking persons, of both sexes, occupying the after part of the well-washed deck. Some are leaning over the stern, overcome with emotion, and some are casting a melancholy and lingering look upon the receding shore. Others are seated on the green painted hen-coops, apparently absorbed in meditation; while not a few are pacing the deck with the coolness and indifference of those to whom scenes of this kind are familiar. The dingy looking steerage passengers, restricted to the forward part of the ship, are lounging over the bows, and watching each approaching wave: the sailors are busily engaged above in spreading the sails; while the steersman is holding with his muscular grasp the polished wheel, and alternately casting his eyes on the swelling canvas aloft, and on the compass before him, which already fluctuates with the increasing motion. You must now accompany me into the cabin. It is an elegant room, about fifty feet in length, and twenty in breadth. Four small windows at one end give you an alternate glimpse of the sea and of the sky, as the stern sinks or rises with the swell. Two doors at the other extremity give you an occasional view of the interior of the ladies' cabin, where a handsome pier-glass and an elegant sideboard allow you to form some idea of the conveniences provided for the occupants. Two spacious sky-lights in the ceiling of the main cabin admit light upon a long table, on which the cloth is already laid, while four black servants are arranging the materials of a comfortable hot dinner. A barometer, a glass lamp, and two inverted compasses, are suspended above. Ten doors on each side of the cabin, open into as many state cabins, each ornamented with fluted and gilded pilasters. The mizen-mast, encased with carved mahogany, passes through the dinner-table; and a large gilt eagle spreads his wings over the seat appropriated to the captain. You may now form a tolerably correct idea of the home provided for myself and about twenty-eight others, during a sojourn of nearly five weeks. As the evening came on, many of the passengers began to suffer from the first attacks of sea-sickness; but, happily, I was little affected by it. We were now fairly out among the broken waves of the Irish Sea, and the motion of the vessel became excessively unpleasant. There was, however, no alternative but to bear it; as escape was, of course, entirely out of the question. I lay down in my berth, in one of the state cabins, and sought for rest, but in vain. The seamen on deck were running backwards and forwards, and throwing down huge coils of cordage; while the timbers of the ship were creaking, and the cabin doors banging violently at every roll. The sick were groaning with lamentable tones, the black servants were |