My mother, whose domestic duties recalled her to the hearth at home, was compelled to leave me, while my father remained on board the yacht, anxious to enjoy my company as long as circumstances would permit. Therefore, he gladly accepted Mr. James's kind invitation to accompany us on our journey for a short distance.
Three intimate friends of Mr. James and his family were also invited guests on the boat. These temporary traveling companions were Dr. A. Veeder, Lawyer Charles Hastings and Congressman S.J. Schermerhorn, three well known and highly estimated gentlemen from Schenectady.
At 11.40 A.M., Mr. James gave orders to haul in the lines attaching the boat to the shore; and a gun-shot at departing announced to the numerous spectators that the "Marguerite" was on the point to set out for her unusual, but most interesting trip.
We had been sailing only a very short distance, and were just facing the buildings of the General Electric Company, when our attention was attracted by a photographer who seemed to be very desirous of taking a photo of the yacht and her passengers; for he aspired to gain the most favorable posture, apparently quite a task under the circumstances. How well he succeeded in his endeavors, the readers can judge for themselves by glancing at the frontispiece of this book.
Resuming our journey, we soon had opportunity to admire the beautiful and fertile Mohawk Valley, once the home of one of the tribes composing the Five Nations. Arendt Van Curler, the noble founder of the "Place Beyond the Pines," pronounced this picturesque region the most beautiful the eye of man had ever beheld, at a time when the country was yet in its infancy. Though great changes have taken place since that remote date (1642), the grandeur of the scenes spread before us evidently showed that the country has lost little of its beauty, even at the present day, nothwithstanding the white man has established in many places his smoking factories and noisy looms.
At the second lock Mr. Schermerhorn, who owns a beautiful residence near this place, in the Township of Rotterdam, joined our party, whereupon we continued sailing on the smooth surface of the canal with accelerated speed.
At 2.40 P.M., after having passed five locks, we approached Amsterdam, an enterprising and prosperous city of over 20,000 inhabitants, located in the midst of romantic scenery. We halted at Port Jackson for a few minutes, since this was the terminus of the voyage of Mr. Hastings and my father.
When parting with me, my father said:
"This short tour has sufficed me to perceive how delightful your voyage promises to be in company with this amiable family. Thus I leave you, feeling very happy that so many pleasures and enjoyments are awaiting you."
I answered his kind words with a hearty parting kiss, as a token of my filial love.