154 FIRST JOURNEY IN EUROPE. [1839, 
could to keep dry. The only thing I saw worthy of 
notice as we went down the Thames was Greenwich 
Hospital, of which I will perhaps send a print. I 
should add also chalk cliffs, for I never before saw 
rocks and hills of chalk. In the afternoon, as we had 
fairly got into the Channel, a thick fog came on. The 
captain lost his way and seemed in fear that he 
should run the boat upon the Sands, so he 
dropped anchor about five in the afternoon. We 
were to have arrived at Boulogne at nine that 
evening. But as I saw there was no great chance 
of our moving for some time, I set about making 
amends for my loss of sleep the previous night. I took 
possession of two thirds of a hard sofa, and, wrapped 
in my cloak, was soon in a comfortable doze. I awoke 
late in the evening ; and such a sight as there was be- 
fore me! It seems that there were no accommodations 
for sleeping on board, or next to none, and the passen- 
gers, men, women, and children, were indiscriminately 
but thickly strewn over the sofas, chairs, and even 
over the whole floor, with portmanteaus, great-coats, 
and whatever they could find for pillows, attempting 
to secure such rest as they could, — some sixty persons 
or more crowded into a space not larger than the cabin 
of one of our ferry-boats. . 
But I was too drowsy to dad it much, and soon fell 
asleep again, but awoke in the morning with swollen 
eyes and complaining bones. The boat was moving 
again, and it was raining as hard as ever. The 
tant coast of France soon came in view, and at half 
past ten we were landed at Boulogne. We were es- 
corted to the custom-house; what baggage we had 
brought in our hands was closely examined by the offi- 
cers, an ill-looking, vagabond set; our passports were 
