700 [Assembly 



The whaling business has added great importance to this town, to 

 which sixty vessels engaged in this business, belong; fifteen of which, 

 of large size, were in port. A long wharf stretches into the bay, 

 to accommodate their business, from which a broad street, with fine 

 large brick stores and dwellings on each side, proceeds in a curved 

 direction, gradually rising to a considerable elevation for a mile, 

 where various streets diverge from it; and the churches, one of which 

 is an elegant structure, with a spire reaching over two hundred feet 

 in height, five or six in numoer, are located in very pleasant situa- 

 tions. Rich and beautiful country seats are in the environs, w'ilh a 

 pleasing variety of shade, fruit trees and luxuriant gardens Seeing 

 one tree of unknown name to us, we ascertained that it was the Ma- 

 deria nut tree. Its leaves are something like our shagbark walnut. 

 We were not awaie that it would flourish in this climate. 



Here, as elsewhere, the Chinese members of our party were objects 

 of great curiosity, and were entertained to their very great satisfac- 

 tion, in several calls at genteel residences, to which they were invited. 



On the return, the captain politely took the outward passage, south 

 side of Shelter Island, which is nine miles long, with variable 

 breadth, to six miles, thus giving the company a distant view to 

 Montauk Point, and in the circuit of the Island, a more extensive 

 sigl t of Greenport Bay, village and adjacent country. 



At 2 P. M., having dined at Greenport, the train started on the 

 return, intending to reach Jamaica at 5 o'clock, to hold a convention 

 appointed to meet there. Some delays vt'ere made, and the rain 

 commencing, alio ved time but for a short meeting, at which the 

 following resolution was passed, offered by Dr. Peck: 



Resolved, That we regard the Long Island Railroad as one of the 

 vast improvements of our State, and of great importance, particu- 

 larly to the welfare and prosperity of the Island, and as such, we 

 commend the inhabitants thereof to give it their cordial support. 



The meeting adjourned in haste, took the cars, and reached Brook- 

 lyn about 9 P. M. 



Other resolutions were designed to be past, as embodying that 

 full conviction of a most favorable result of the enquiries for which 

 the excursion had been made, which had been most strongly gained 

 by the whole delegation, but which could not be acted upon at Ja- 

 maica. We subjoin two. 



