230 IRISH CHARACTER STILL THE SAME. 



I arrived at Boston (111 miles) In time to dine at the 

 United States Hotel at 2 P. M. I started again at 4, 

 crossed the State of Connecticut, reached Newhaven 

 (162 miles) at 11 P. M., and was delighted to find myself 

 again in comfortable quiet quarters at the house of my 

 friend, Professor Norton. One of rny fellow-passengers 

 was treasurer to one of the lines along which I passed, 

 and which has a connection at one of its termini with 

 the steamers employed in the coasting trade. He amused 

 us all, and I may say interested me, by numerous illus 

 trations of a character in the Irish who travelled by 

 these boats and by the railway, which is not unfamiliar 

 to the shipmasters of the Mersey and the Clyde. So 

 many of them pretend and protest that they are penniless, 

 and are unable to pay their fares, and the sharp Yankees, 

 who are now up to their tricks as much as we are at 

 home, have so many resources at command for discover 

 ing their secret hoards, and making them fork out. He 

 told us of one shrewd skipper, who, after one of these 

 fellows had lied for several hours as to his abject poverty, 

 and with his wife and a family of children around him, 

 had been detained, locked up with them In the cabin, at 

 last bethought himself of a new test. &quot; Now,&quot; says he, 

 &quot; I know you have money ; but,&quot; chalking a cross on 

 the back of a book, &quot; if you will swear you have none, 

 and kiss the cross, I ll let you and your family go.&quot; The 

 man reddened, looked at his wife, hesitated, and after a 

 while replied, a I can t do it, sir ;&quot; and, putting his 

 hand into his breast, took out a purse with many sove 

 reigns, and, after all the lies he had told before his 

 young family, was content to pay his fare. How curious 

 it is to see this propensity to conceal the possession of 

 money following this people into whatever new circum 

 stances they come. 



Jan. 1, 1850. In describing my former visit to New- 

 haven, I mentioned the oyster trade of the bay as one of 



