Tuesday, 7th.—We last night got inside the Hook, but were blown off, not being able to get a pilot. We are now thrashing at it with a bitter head-wind. A great number of ships of all kinds are beating through the bay, as well as numbers coming out with it all their own way. The Shakspeare proves worthy the name, as she weathers and goes a-head of every craft beating with us. A very smart ship, called the "Washington Irvine," held our Billy a stout tug, but, after reading the name as she went about a-head of us for many turns, we at last crawled to windward, and Shakspeare took the lead, as even the "Washington Irvine" must admit was perfectly proper.
At the quarantine station we landed our sick passenger, and were permitted to proceed. By four P.M. I once more set my foot on the dock-side of New York, after an absence of five months, and felt as though I had again reached home.
Let me here remark, that during these five months I had travelled through the roughest part of these States in every sort of conveyance, and had been thrown amongst all classes of the community, yet never received one rude word or encountered an inconvenience, save those inseparable from the condition of the roads. Even the Southern mail, the discomforts of which I have painted exactly as I experienced them, I must in fairness admit is well managed, when the difficulties to be encountered at the season of my journey are justly taken into consideration. Their object is to get on; this, as long as possible, at any risk, they are bound to do. It will be seen that, when a coach cannot be dragged through, they nail a few boards on the axle, and proceed with this lighter and less ticklish vehicle: it is true the passengers suffer much; but only those exceedingly desirous to proceed travel at such times, and without such a resort the machinery must stand still.
Out of our party two stout men gave in at different stages; and another, when I quitted America, had not recovered from the effects of exposure to wet, loss of rest, and fatigue.
The journey ought not, in my mind, to be undertaken by any man who regards his ease, after the month of November or before the month of May. A new route is, however, already in use by coach and steam-boat across Florida: a railroad is also in contemplation by the same line, which, connected with the present ready means of gaining Charleston, will probably, in a season or so, make the communication with Mobile and New Orleans a trip of little inconvenience.
Still I consider that a near view of the border parts of Georgia and Alabama, together with a sail down the noble river of that name, watering, as it does, the richest lands in the world, and destined, as it evidently is, to sustain a vast population on its banks, ought not to be neglected by any man whose motives for travel have any higher aim than mere amusement. For myself, I would not have missed the contemplation of this truly elementary society, and the absolute novelty it presents, for thrice the inconveniences it was my fortune, during an uncommon series of bad weather, to encounter.
NEW YORK.
I passed the next two months between this city and Philadelphia, taking leave of the audience of the latter city on Saturday, May the 9th, attended by demonstrations of the kindest and most flattering regard. The next week I idled between Princeton and New York. The Artists' Exhibition was at this time open here, and it afforded me genuine pleasure to see many pictures that were good, and numbers of early attempts of a highly promising character.