16 AN AMERICAN FARMER IN EXGLAXD. 



the place of stupid indifference we can infer with some confi- 

 dence what was at the bottom of their previous debasement, 



Dr. M. gives much happier accounts of the English govern- 

 mental emigrant ships to Australia, in which he has made two 

 voyages. Some few of their arrangements are so entirely com- 

 mendable, and so obviously demanded by every consideration of 

 decency, humanity, and virtue, that I can only wonder that the 

 law does not require all emigrant vessels to adopt them. Among 

 these, that which is most plainly required, is the division of the 

 steerage into three compartments: married parties with their 

 children in the central one, and unmarried men and women 

 having separate sleeping accommodations in the other two. 



The others of our midship passengers are mostly English 

 artisans, or manufacturing workmen. There are two or three 

 farmers, a number of Irish servants, male and female, and several 

 nondescript adventurers; two Scotchmen only, brothers, both 

 returning from Cuba sugar plantations, where they have been 

 employed as engineers. They tell us the people there are all 

 for annexation to the United States ; but as they cannot speak 

 Spanish, their information on this point cannot be very extensive. 

 Besides ourselves, there is but one American-born person among 

 them. She is a young woman of quite superior mind, fair and 

 engaging, rather ill in health, going to England in hopes to im- 

 prove it, and to visit some family friends there. The young men 

 are all hoping the ship will be wrecked, so they can have the 

 pleasure of saving her, or dying in the attempt. One goes into 

 the main-chains and sits there for several hours, all alone, every 

 fine day, for no other reason that we can conceive, but to drop 

 himself easily into the water after her, in case she should fall 

 overboard. There are three or four other women, and as many 

 babies and little boys and girls. They do not cry very often, but 



