270 FIRST JOURNEY IN EUROPE. [1839, 



the Michigan University, and shall be mostly thus 

 employed during the remainder of my stay. . . . 



19th September. I saw Dr. Richardson the day 

 before yesterday, who informed me that the Erebus 

 was still lying at Chatham, and (what I was not 

 aware of) that I could reach Chatham in three or 

 four hours. So I arranged at once to go down and 

 see Joseph before he started, but the next day I 

 learned that the vessels had dropped down from that 

 port. 



I expect to sail in the Toronto from Portsmouth on 

 the 1st October. ... I have yet very much to do. 

 Yesterday I dined with Dr. Lindley and visited the 

 Garden. One wing of the conservatory is erected 

 and nearly covered with glass. It is entirely glass 

 and iron, about 130 feet long, and will be very fine. 

 . . . Believe me, my very dear friend, most truly 

 yours, 



A. GRAY. 



NEW YORK, 5th November, 1839. 



MY DEAR FATHER, Through the favors of a kind 

 Providence, my journey is safely brought to a close. 

 I am happy to inform you that I reached New York 

 last evening in the ship Toronto, after a passage of 

 thirty-five days. I left London on the last of Sep- 

 tember, and Portsmouth on the 1st ult. The steam- 

 ship Great Western, which left on the 19th of last 

 month, reached New York two days before us ! Our 

 voyage was a rather pleasant one, although we had 

 nearly forty passengers. It was rather rough, but no 

 very hard gales. I was sea-sick but a single day, and 

 then but slightly. I have brought with me nearly the 

 full amount of nay purchases of books for the Michi- 



