ARRIVAL AT NEW YORK. 319 



whiskey punch, which the waiters handed about, and the night 

 was nearly spent in revelry ; but John and myself retired at 

 two o'clock. 



" It rained hard and blew all night, but I slept comfortably, 

 and awoke the next morning at four o'clock as happy as any 

 man could be three thousand miles from the dearest friend he 

 had on earth. As a gleam of daylight appeared, my eyes 

 searched through the hazy atmosphere to catch a glimpse of 

 the land, and gradually Staten Island opened on my yiew ; then 

 the boat of the custom-house officer appeared, and soon he 

 boarded us, arranged the sailors and passengers on deck, and 

 called their names. Then followed breakfast, and soon another 

 boat with a yellow ilag flying landed the health officer, and 

 there being no sickness on board, myself and John returned to 

 Staten Island in the doctor's boat, and were taken by the 

 steamer Hercules to the city, where we were welcomed by 

 relatives and friends." 



