J 28 



THE GENESEE FARMER. 



April 23, 1S31. 



LETTERS PROM EUROPE. 



LETTER II. 



Packet ship Sully—in thi- British ) 

 Channel, Dec. S3d, 1?30. J 



My dear Friend — If a ship of five hundred 

 tons burthen, well rigged, appointed and man 

 ned, riding on her own element, is ever an in- 

 significant object, she can only be made so by 

 the force of circumstances I have indeed 

 seen her in situations in which she seemed to 

 mo of not much account— but now that the 

 solitariness of her condition in the mid ocean 

 is exchanged for one, where, though no Ian 

 is visible, yet many sail are in sight to cheer 

 us with the assurance that we have not the 

 whole world to ourselves. I look on our noble 

 ship with increased admiration — I might say, 

 loo, with affection. 



A description of one is a description of all 

 our European packet ships. Thev have been 

 30 often described that I could ndd nothing on 

 this subject to what you already know The 

 effect is certainly singular and striking, when, 

 in the midst of the ocean, one finds himself in 

 a splendid saloon, fitted up in a style of eastern 

 magnificence, with its colonnade of beautiful 

 marble, so arranged that by a judicious dispo- 

 sition of mirrors, the pillars are multiplied and 

 extended to a degree which is truly imposing 

 But nothing in the fitting up and decorations 

 of the state rooms and cabin6, has struck me 

 as worthy of notice, when compared with thp 

 grandeur of her exterior. If I were asked what 

 was the most beautiful object of art I ever 

 saw, I certainly should answer, a fine ship, 

 standing before the wind, with all sails set. I 

 could never tire of looking at her. with her 

 masts shot up to snch a dizzy height, and her 

 complement of canvass (to be a little techni- 

 cal) ffm spanker-sheet to jib, and from main 

 sail to topgallant-royai. not omitting the man- 

 ner in which her breadth of canvass is eked 

 out with studding sails, all rising and spreading 

 in exact and corresponding proportions, bent 

 and inflated full with the breeze, and so skil- 

 fully disposed, that out of twenty broad sheets 

 set. not one shall interfere with, or cut off the 

 wind from another. In this plight, with a 

 strong breeze across her quarter, to see ber 

 dash along at the rate of twelve miles an hour, 

 as if she was not only " a thins of life," but a 

 proud and ambitious being ploughing ber foam- 

 ing way through the lesser billows and shoot- 

 ing over the higher, and always with mose 

 ments which are at once easy and dignified, 

 graceful and majestic, is a sight worth all the 

 perils of a voyage to witness. The skill and 

 oase, too, with which she is managed, and the 

 docility with which she obeys the will of her 

 master, is matter of interest and surprise to a 

 landsman How he will bring her up and make 

 her spued on her way, almost in the very eyo 

 of the wind — and then, by a combined use of 

 sail ano rudder, heave her to, with her head to 

 the tempest, and make her stand there and re- 

 ceive its fury unmoved— all this cannot fail to 

 make a deep and lasting impression on the be 

 holder. 



Another thing in the conrtucting of these 

 ships has excited my admiration — and that, is, 

 the entire certainty and exactness with which 

 her courses and travel are kept. The old 

 method of keepiug a ship's reckoning by the 

 log, is still in use, at least it is in this ship, and 

 kept by one of the inferior officers, who has 

 charge also cf the iog book. Bnt by the use of 

 the sextant and chronometer, in the hands of 

 the commander, the beautiful science of navi- 

 gation is applied to this purpose with mathe 

 maticai exactness. The nautical day always 

 begins at twelve o'clock at noon, and we have 

 had the precise course and distance of every 

 day's work since wo have been out, as accu 

 ralely laid down on charts, as if we had march- 

 ed over land, and surveyed and measured every 

 foot of our way by chain and compass. As an 

 evidence of the entire accuracy with which 

 this business is conducted, the Captain yester- 

 day foretold us at what precise hour of the 

 night, and at what distance and bearing, the 



British lights of Lizard Point would be visible 

 — at the hour appointed one was sent aloft, and 

 they were aescried from the masthead pre- 

 cisely as stated Indeed, when I look at the 

 beautiful charts I have mentioned, and trace 

 our lengthened way over them, I am forced to 

 think that it has become mere poetry, to talk 

 any longer about " a pathless ocean." 



The discipline and police of the ship is worth 

 notice. The crew is generally picked up at 

 the docks, and are engaged for a single voyage . 

 and when the crew is large, almost every civi 

 lizcd country is represented. When the ship 

 is once fairly under weigh and the harbor piloi 

 is dismissed, • he " ship's company" is mustered 

 to teceive a word of caution and encourage- 

 ment from the commander. Their number is 

 then divided and the first watch is set. The 

 twenty-four hours comprise six watches of four 

 hours each, and one half the crew forms a 

 watch. At the end of every half hour, marked 

 by a nautical timepiece in the binnacle, the 

 man at the wheel strikes a bell, which is an- 

 swered by another bell in the forecastle, struck 

 by the man who has the look out at the bow. 

 When at the expiration of the four hours, the 

 bells have tolled eight, a signal is given and a 

 call is made at the hatchway for the " larboard 

 Cor starboard) watch." These instantaneously 

 turn out, and the watch on deck take their 

 places below. The sailor's day may be deemeti 

 a day of eight hours, and never broken into 

 evening and morning The darkness and the 

 light are alike to him. Four hours he works 

 and watches, and four hours he rests ; except, 

 which is not very uncommon, a storm arises, 

 when the whole company is summoned to the 

 deck The first and second mates are the offi- 

 cers of the deck and watch, in the absence of 

 the captain, and one of them is always there 

 The commander of a packet ship is always se 

 lected for his skill and experience in seaman 

 ship, his address, and other excellent qualities 

 He must unite qualities somewhat opposite. — 

 He must be a sailor and a gentleman He is 

 master of ceremonies in the cabin and at the 

 table, where the passengers are received and 

 treated as though they were his guests at his 

 own hospitable mansion, and on the deck, he 

 commands a crew with whom he must be as 

 impetious and haughty as a despot. He must 

 be as mild as May, and as rough as Winter.— 

 The commander of this ship is a young man, 

 who has just been promoted to ibis important 

 office, and is now making his first voyage in 

 this capacity. Of respectable family and con- 

 nexions, he commenced life fourteen years ago, 

 as a sailor before the mast. He has made him- 

 self what he is, an accomplished and scientific 

 sailor. He is, too, an agreeable gentleman, and 

 has a turn for mechanical inventions. If you 

 were to see him among his guests in the cabin, 

 with his slight frame and figure, unassuming 

 demeanour, mild voice, pale face, and sniali 

 white hands, you would believe him any thing 

 else than a sailor — but see him step to the deck, 

 and especially when the wind and the storm 

 are up, and observe how the rough mariner o: 

 twice his years quails before his eye and bis 

 tread, and hoar the deep guttural of his voice, 

 never strained, yet sent with ease above the 

 voice of the tempest, to the man who hangs on 

 the head of the topgallant roast, and you would 

 oscarce believe your senses for the change. I 

 peak, of course, of the only commander o, a 

 packet ship whom I know ; but I understand 

 that whatever there may be ef commendation in 

 this account may be applied, almost without, 

 exception, to the .vhole class of these comtnan 

 ders. The captain is a monarch in his ship. — 

 The subaltern officers approach him only with 

 respect. His stateroom, which is filled up 

 with great splendor, is his sanctum sanctorum. 

 The quarter-deck is his promenade, and none 

 of the crew ever presumo to step a fool on it, 

 excopt called there by duty To preserve dis- 

 cipline bo has the power of corporal punish- 

 ment, or, if occasion require, he claps an offen- 

 der in irons and in prison. There is muoh ot 

 etiquette, aristocracy, and even despotism on 



shipboard, but, I am satisfied, no more than is 

 necessary to preserve order and submission. — 

 The commander is answeiable for the safety 

 of his ship, and having a responsibility on him 

 as important as properly and life can make it' 

 he must have power. 



I have no room left to say all I intended of 

 life at Bea. But it is not important. Willi 

 some exceptions, it is life at home. We go 

 thro' the regular routine of breakfast, lunch, 

 dinner and tea At dinner, wh ch is served at 

 six o'clock and is truly sumptuous, all the et- 

 iquette of the table in polished society, is pre 

 served. The ladies take a becoming part in 

 the discussion of politics and the substantial 

 viands before us, and help, in a modest way, 

 to mak" the wit and the wine go round. No 

 excess is indu'ged in, and all retire together 

 from the tah'e. Music, cards and reading, ac- 

 cording to the taste of each, in the ladies' cabin 

 finish the day You will readily imagine, that 

 things are not always as smooth as might ap- 

 pear from this account, any more than the sea 

 is always calm. Sometimes when the water 

 is rough, one or more of us may be troubled 

 with a qualm which will destroy the appetite ; 

 • nd then occasionally the ship gets such an 

 ugly habit of rolling, that all hands are requir- 

 ed to keep the dishes on the table. But life 

 would have no spice without variety and incis 

 dent. 



We are now approaching our place of desti- 

 nation, and are promised that the light of to- 

 morrow morning shall show us Havre. As we 

 Approach the French coast, the auxietj of all 

 on board to learn what news of the revolution, 

 is intense. God grant, that we may not find 

 that the wheel has begun to roll back. 



Adieu, till you hear from me at Paris. B. 



TO, OUR FRIENDS IB! THE WEST, 



On the banks of the Canal, in and about ^iott.ny 

 Twelve years ago, there came forth a host of Seede- 

 mon, with Cobbett at their head, speaking great swell- 

 ing vvordF — they promised murh — they performed noth- 

 ing. From a planting of fifteen dollars, the present state 

 of our establishment will bhnw what good seeds, good 

 soil, and good cultivation will produce. 



For the accommodation of our customers as above, we 

 intend, (nothing extra preventing) to open a Seed, Plant 

 and Flower Root Store, at No 347 North Market street, 

 on the 6th day of April next, opposite the building into 

 which the post office is to be removed on or before Ins- 

 ist of May, within a few doors ef the Museum, and within 

 pistol shot of the five banks. The business m Albany will 

 bo conducted by one of my sons, anr the store supplied 

 with the same goods, and at the same prices at which we 

 ^ell in New York As we derive our supplies more or 

 less from every quarter of the globe, wo think it will bo 

 a facility to the agriculturist as well .is profitable tr 

 the concerned. If they aill keep pace with the ahility. 

 and Provioenc. smiles on the undertaking , 1 see nothing 

 to prevent its arriving in a few years to the samo exten- 

 sive footing in Albany a* the mother store in New York : 

 for, while the rich in our city purchase the flowers and 

 the blossoms, and the rivers und the ucean carry our seeds 

 o every clime, so in Albany the taste wants only food, 

 and riches are already there in abundance : whilo the 

 "anal conveys :be seeds to the Lake Superior, the great 

 \Vestern Road will transport them far to* 'irds the set- 

 ling sun. Nothing thut good seeds und attention tubus- 

 iucss can peiform, will be wanting on our part to meet 

 til 3 public expectation 

 ap 16 3t G THCIRBURN and SONS. 



SEED STORE. 



Ttl V subscribers, in connexion with Mr. N. Goedscll. 

 r.ditor of the Genesee Fnrmer, have made arrangements 

 to supply this village and the surrounding country with 

 every variety of Agricultural, Horticultural and Flower 

 Seods, togother with Fruit anil Shude Trees, Grape Roots, 

 Flower PotB, Garden Tools, et«. OrCois will be recei- 

 ved for Trees and other articles, from the following Nu r 

 -■eries and Seed Stores: — Priace'a, and Parmentier'e 

 Long Island; Floy's. Wilson's, Thorburn's. and A. 

 Smith and Oo.'a, New York ; Biiel's, Albany: und Lan- 

 dreth's, Philadelphia. Orders which are left pnviofl 

 io the 1st of Apnl, will he filled as soon us the canal e- 

 pens. As the subscribers intend gradually to establish 

 n extensive Seed Store, they Must that the friends of 

 Agriculture and Horticullure in this vicinity, w ill render 

 hem all the facilitiesand encouragements in their power. 



A NURSt K.V, under tin ;ontrol of Mr Gondsell, ts 

 low in progross, from whirh many first-rate Trees and 

 Gr.ipe Vines may be selected for this spring's transplant- 

 ing mar 19 ROSSITE.R and KNOX. 



The first section of the Danville and 

 I'ottsrille rail road has been located, ant' 

 id to be immediately commenced. 



