When first her beams did breast the wave,—
Yea, owner, builder, seaman’s eyes did sparkle
As did the sea her huge side lave:—
How zealously the elite madly rushed
To trust their passage in her care,
To boast their presence on the maiden trip
Of that leviathan so rare.
She sailed.—The sky gleamed bright and azure clear,
The waves lashed gently at her side,
The moon that night shone down auspiciously