82 EAST PRUSSIA TO THE GOLDEN GATE 



you, my beloved ones, I will now proceed to give a short 

 resume of its contents and, in reality, begin at the very 

 beginning. 



It was a magnificent early summer evening, June 5th, 

 of the present year, about a quarter to six, when the 

 Mars-yards went squeaking up the masts of our "Vic- 

 toria"; a mild south-wind filled the sails; slowly, and 

 graciously the vessel careened lightly to the side and we 

 slid along the mirror-like Elbe. The customary volley 

 of salute was fired to bid farewell to St. Pauli (suburb 

 of Hamburg), and to the city of Altona; then gliding 

 noiselessly past the beautiful parks and villas which, 

 chain-like, present themselves along the banks of the 

 Elbe as far as Nienstadten; that charming little Blanke- 

 nese, became the object of the parting sun's rays, and 

 darker and darker grew the night, and about ten o'clock 

 we heard the lowering of the anchor near Stade on the 

 Elbe. After weighing anchor again at daybreak, we re- 

 mained an hour or more to take another passenger and, 

 passing Gliickstadt, were compelled by contrary wind to 

 anchor once more, about a mile below, in the middle of 

 the Elite between the Hanoverian town Fryburg and the 

 Eolstein P>rookdorf; it was then about eleven in the fore- 

 noon. The wind being S. W. and W. S. W., we could 

 not move and were compelled to remain here on the 6th, 

 7th and 8th. On the 7th we were treated to some great 

 noise. The carpenter nailed boxes of all kinds more se- 

 curely, principally in the steerage, and besides that there 

 were many other preparations, though not as necessary, 

 yet fully as noisy, which made the whole day a very un- 

 comfortable one. But the evening recompensed us for 

 the disagreeable day. The air was mild and absolutely 

 quiet. The waters of the Elbe surrounded the ship 

 like a shining mirror; the banks of the river seemed to 

 float in the bluish evening-fog; and bells of Fryburg 

 tolled softly and solemnly through the air— announcing 

 the Eve of Pentecost. Never has an evening like this stim- 

 ulated the mood of a dreamy mind more. I followed si- 

 lently the dictates of Nature and choosing the most se- 



