74 AN AMERICAN FARMER IN ENGLAND. 



CHAPTER VIII. 



BIRKENHEAD. FERRY-BOATS. GRUFF ENGLISHMAN. THE ABBEY. FLOUR. 



MARKET. THE PARK. A DEMOCRATIC INSTITUTION. SUBURBAN VILLAS, &C. 



rriHE ferry-boat by which we crossed to Birkenhead was 

 -L very small and dingy. There was no protection from the 

 weather on board of her, except a narrow, dark cabin under 

 deck. There were uncushioned seats all around the outside, 

 against the rail, and the rest of the deck was mostly filled up 

 with freight, spars, &c. She had a bowsprit, and a beautiful 

 light, rakish mast, and topmast fitted to carry a gaffsail. She 

 was steered with a wheel in the stern. The pilot or master 

 (a gentleman with a gold band on his hat and naval buttons), 

 stood on the paddle-boxes to direct, and a boy stood over the 

 engine to pass orders below. The engine was under deck, 

 the tops of the cylinders only appearing above it. It was, 

 however, entirely exposed to observation, and showed excel 

 lent workmanship, and was kept perfectly clean and highly 

 polished. It was of entirely different construction from any 

 American engine, having three oscillating cylinders. The 

 &quot;hands ^ looked like regular tars, wearing tarpaulins, with the 

 name of the boat in gilt letters on the ribbon, blue baize 

 shirts, and broad-bottomed trowsers hung tight on the hips. 

 The boat came alongside the wharf, ran out her hawsers, and 

 took in her passengers by a narrow gang-plank ; and yet she 

 makes her trip once in ten minutes. There would not be 



