96 



THE GENESEE FARMER. 



March 26, 1831 . 



LETTERS FROM EUROPE 

 We commence to-day, the publication of a 

 series of letters, from one of our townsmen, 

 now on Ins travels in Europe, to a friend in this 

 village, who haB politely submitted them, at 

 our request, for publication. We confidently 

 anticipate that they will be found interesting. 

 The welkWnown abilities of the author as a 

 writer, hit; general information, and tho great 

 facilities which he enjoyB, being a visitant in 

 the most interesting section of the world, all 

 conspire to give a deep interest to this cor 

 respondence. Roch Dai. Adv. 



LETTER I. 



Packet ship Sully — at sea- 

 Dec. 20th, 1630. 

 My dear H — 



The monotony of a sea voyage, with only 

 the usual complement of calm and tempest, 

 must not be expected to furnish matter for a 

 letter of much length or interest In traver- 

 sing, as we have already done, nearly three 

 thousand miles of waste waters, we seem to 

 have had the ocean to ourselves Only one 

 solitary ship has appeared within our horizon, 

 and she, on the very vorgeof it, just where the 

 heavens bent down to meet the water, looked 

 scarcely more real than a phantom. Tho very 

 inhabitants of the deep seem to have abandon- 

 ed their homo and element to us, for not one 

 of them has deigned to show himself during al 

 our passage thus far, except that on one tern 

 pestuous day, a few miserable porpoises gam<- 

 boled about our ship, for half on hour, as i. to 

 say, that what was peril to us was only sport 

 to them. 



There, is something singularly depressing in 

 the solitariness of such a condition. The lar- 

 gest ship becomes an insignificant object, when 

 seen day after day, and week after week, very 

 exactly poised in the centre of an extended 

 plane, on which the sky shuts down on every 

 side, forming, apparently, a wide circular world 

 for her single self, and from which, no matter 

 what her direction or her speed, it seems im- 

 possible for her to escape. There she still is, 

 in the same centre of the same everlasting cir- 

 cle, with nothing better (or her pavement than 

 leaving billows, and a eanopy over her, for the 

 greater portion of time, hung in black. It 

 matters not how well hor decks or her cabin 

 may be peopled — these form hut a single house 

 hold, (though classed, indeed, somewhat aris- 

 tocratically) and the eye soon becomes fauiiuar 

 with the every-day objects on which it rests, 

 and then instinctively looks abroad to discover, 

 «t it can, something besides these, possessed ofi 

 lite or motion T : .e firbt great navigator, when 

 the whole earth was ocean, and his the only 

 ship upon it, could hardly have felt himself 

 more alono in the world, than we have some- 

 times done in the course of our passage 



When Ispeakofihe monotony of a sea yoys 

 age, I do not mean that it is, even at the worst, 

 absolutely without variety There are chan- 

 ges enough, but no where else on earth are 

 ihey so rapid as at sea, in a northern latitude, 

 in the month of December I have often stept. 

 on deck, of an evening, to enj"y a clear atmos 

 rihere and a brilliant sky, when not a cloud, so 

 Rarge as a man's ha.id, could be seen in the 

 whole circle of the Heavens. I have stood 

 tijiis, perhaps for half an hour, gazing intently 

 Upward, wondering at the apparent depth of 

 tveaven into which ray eye could penetrate, and 

 at the host of bright stars, some set and soma 

 floating there, which seemed " infinitely mul- 

 tiplied," compared with what 1 ever witnessod 

 from the land, and which shed down on the 

 surrounding waters a blended, soft, but distinct 

 light — a kind of radiant influence from above, 

 ».f I may call it so without being poetical ; and 

 while I have been yet gazing and wondering, 

 a sudden and unaccountable change has come 

 over the face of the whole sky, like the shift 

 ingot" the scenes in a drama ; tho wind was up 

 and the ram was coming down in torrents — 

 '•There are other changes too, scarcely less rap 

 «d. Tho sea prosonts itself in a variety of as>. 



pects. There is the unbroken glassy surface 

 of the sea in a calm, when the light which is 



shot down upon it from sun, moon, or stars, 

 instead of being reflected back strikes through, 

 and illumines its own pathway to an incon- 

 ceiveable depth — then there is the roughened 

 surface of the sea, when the smoothness of 

 pulish of the glassy sheet is just disturbed by 

 the lightest breath of wind imaginable, but still 

 remains unbroken, presenting an appearance, 

 to compare great things to small, not unlike 

 the watermarks in a piece of coarse moreen — 



i: 



in actual cunvulsion, or before tbi effecia of 

 her convulsive throes have passed off. 

 Ever yours, 



P 



then there is the broken and agitated surlace 

 of the sea, showing here and there a whitecap, 

 from the very comb of which a little light spray 

 is now and then thrown off— then there is the 

 billowy surface of the sea, when it appears ev- 

 ery where restless, and its whole bosom heav- 

 ing, as with some deep internal cause of un 

 quiet — then comes the deeper and loftier swells 

 of the sea, showing sometimes a gradual eleva- 

 tion or hill side of water, apparently of half a 

 milo, or more, in extent, and beyond that an- 

 other and another, which flash back the rays 

 of the sun, if he shines on them, into the very 

 face of the sky — and then, through some inter- 

 mediate changes, come the mountain waves of 

 the sea, rolling higher than 1 dare tell you of, 

 whitened all over with foam, and seemingly 

 engaged, though in mighty confusion, in a ter- 

 rible warfare with the tempest which lashes, 

 and howls over them. The noise of the horri- 

 ble and unearthly roar of wind and sea togeth- 

 er, in a storm, cannot, fail to strike terror and 

 awe into tho bosom of any one who hears it for 

 the first time. TheBO mutations of tho ocean 

 aro tometimes exceedingly rapid, and are con- 

 stantly recurring, and only a few days experi- 

 ence has convinced me how eaBily one may 

 bocome familiar with objects of buautv, sublim- 

 ity and terror, so as to forget to wonder or to 

 fear. 



Besides theso obaoges in the ocean, there 

 are the u9ual variety of phenomena, which I 

 have certainly witnessed with great interest, 

 hut which it would be worse than useless for 

 me to dwell upon. You may find them all des- 

 cribod,inany book, or letter, which has been 

 written on, or concerning the sea, lor centuries. 

 There is lioweveiAie fact which I cannot omit 

 stating, because r^» not recollect ever to have 

 seen, or heard it noted; and that is, the very 

 remarkable difference between a dark night al 

 sea, and a dark night on land. The nights at 

 sea, in tho same state of the atmosphere and 

 the heavens, are decidedly the lighter of the 

 two. This is evidently owing to ih^j^iospho- 

 rescencc of tic ocean 1 h.ivo ilis^^By wit- 

 nessed its effect in thedarkest ni^^^rm.l dur- 

 ing a storm, enabling me to observe the moun- 

 tainous tops of the waves at a great distance, 

 and very visibly and steadily casting light on 

 the deck and rigging of the ship. Un my 

 mentioning this subject to our intelligent cap- 

 tain, ho informed me that in tropical climates, 

 he has often seen the sails of his ship illumin- 

 ed, to a degree of brightness, with the effect 

 of this phosphoric light from the water. 



I have rnn on in this letter, to more length 

 than 1 thought of, when I sat down, and there 

 yet remain some things unsaid, which I do not 

 like, altogether, to omit. I want to tell you 

 something of life at sea, and give you some 

 account of the discipline and police uf a ship 

 and, if possible, before making the laud, I will 

 do this in another letter. 



I hope the condition of my health will enable 

 me to furnish you the brief sketches which you 

 made me promise to give you, during my ab- 

 sence. You know the reasons which induced 

 me to tear myself away from objects of the 

 lenderest interest at home, to spend u few 

 months in a foreign climate and country — 

 i Whether 1 shall find the relief 1 seek, must he 

 j determined by the event- In tho mean while, 

 |I have much to see ami hoar, und I shall not 

 fail te make the busiest use of my time. The 

 cause of Freedom is one of cultusiastis inter 



THE NURSERY MAN. 

 I once was a gard ner so gay, 



Till I brought to my Eden a wife; 

 But now I've found out, we] i a day ! 



That a Nursery man I'm for life 

 Tho' 'tis fruitless my wishing for good— 



My ills double-blossomed appear, 

 Like Two-faces under a hood, 



We've happily Twins ev'ry year. 

 When fatigued with the sun and the air, 



My son and heir gives me no peace ; 

 I've Climbers all over my chair, [cearc. 



Whose Deer-tongues from moving ne'e; 

 I So tortured am I by each child, [ble. 



That spleen wort now gives me mueh trou 

 My brain I'm afraid will grow wild 



If I can't raise my Salary double .' 

 When I married the fair Mary Gold, 



If she had .Ine monie I asked ? 

 [That Yellow Everlasting, we're told, 



Will 'honesty even outlast.] 



Shepherd's Purse from her father, the farmer. 



She brought, — and a fine Goldenehain ■ 

 : Yet (tho' I don't say it to harm her,) 



Lady's eardrops are all that remain. 

 London-Pride she has always e6teeme/l, 



All beauties in her wero assembled ; 

 But, tho' Bella- Donna she seemed, 



'Tis Rag-wort she's lately resembled 

 'Twas first at a Hop that 1 saw her, 



In vain a young Cocks-Comb was pleading. 

 Sweet he-plant ! his warmth could not thaw 

 her : 

 Ah ! thought I, in ray heart Love-lies-bleeu 

 ing 



Last Sunday she brought me a flower, 



A f'orget-me not, for me to wear : 

 Said I, " Were the choice in my power, 



I'd haye Batchelor's buttons, my dear 1 

 In Spring, when I'd mind early Peas, 



1 made people pay what I'd choose; 

 But now, without hoping to please, 



1 must mind both my P's and my (£s I 

 How Rueful, alaB ! is my fate, 



To Beet and Bvce doomed all my life ! 

 'Stead of Heart's ease or Balm, to meet haU 



'Tis not Sage to be plagued with a wife. 

 I'm sure we're a very bad Pear ; 



And our babes are wild Crabs, slot to teach 

 As lor home — what a hot house is there ! 



But I'll Pine. — cause I don't like to Peach I 



TUB ALBANY NM9ERI 



i 'NOW contains 177 varieties oX the Apple, 120. of tho 

 1 Pear. 56 of Ihe Plum, 37 of the Cherry, M of the Peach 

 ■H) of the Grape, tfc. — Apricots, .V-ctarines Quince--. 

 Strawberries, Gooseberries, Raspberries, Curreuta, *,-c. 

 . — more than 146 varieties of bardy Roses, and other lie* 

 lirable varieties of Ornamental Shrubs and Treat, and 

 Herbaceous a ud Green House Plants, of vigorous grown}, 

 and in fine condition for transplanting. Tuberoses, Dah- 

 lias, Ferrarias, Jacobean LtUiea, and other tender roots, 

 should bo planted in May, and now is tho time to older 

 them. Orders solicited, and Catalogues furnished gratis 

 Albany, March, 1831. BUKL and WILSON. 



inlM Orders will be received by Ll'THER TUCKER. 



SEED STORE). 



THE subscribers, in connexion with Mr. N. Good9eP, 

 ? Editor of the Genesee Farmer, have mode arrangements 

 to supp'y ibis village and the surrounding country with 

 'every variety of Agricultural, Horticultural and Flower 

 ! 3oods, together with Fruil and Shade Treos, Grape ttnots, 

 I Flower Pots, Gardes Tools, etc. Orders will be recei- 

 ved for Trees aod other articles, from the following Nur- 

 Weries Bed Seed Stores :— Priuce's, and Parmrnt ,« r's. 

 Long Island; Floy's, Wilson's, Thorbnru's, and" A, 

 Smith, and Co.'a, New York ; hnel's, Albany; and Lan- 

 [dreth's, Philadelphia. Orders which are left previotts 

 •to the 1st of April, will be filled aa soon res tho aaual o- 

 |peas. As tho subsoiibers inland gradually to establish 

 in extensive Soed Store, thoy tiust that the friends o! 

 Agriculture and Uerticnltaro in this vicinity, will render 

 then, all the facilities ami encouragements iu I hfSJLfjower. 

 NURSERY, au.lor tho coutrul of Mr Uomlaell, is 



i 

 , -wt.L. «.« -- -. - ^-.l it- * il now in progrsss, from which uianv first-rate frees ana 



cat with me, as it is with all ra America, and I ! ■■,,..,,. -^nol „,,.,, octroyed for this spring', transplant 



desire le Ipojt upon the face of Ejirppc, either : 'rrrg. 



rt.tr n> 



KXJSSl 1 ETP. unit »NuX. 



