256 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[July, 
THE EMIGRANT SHIP IN NEW- YORK HARBOR. 
One of the most intercstiug sights in the 
world, and one of especial concern to American 
farmers, is that of which we present the above 
beautiful engraving. The picture was taken at 
our request b}' one of our favorite marine artists, 
and presents a scene whicli may be witnessed 
almost every day in the year from the whai-ves 
or from the Battery, or from any point giving a 
view of the upper harbor of New York. A 
large sailing ship has arrived crowded with its 
living freight of emigrants all anxious to place 
their feet upon the shore of their adopted 
country. The bay is very beautiful, with its 
green shores enlivened by the countiy seats of 
the wealth}', and sprinkled with a 'score of vil- 
lages with church spires showing on every hand 
above the tree tops ; it is interesting from num- 
erous fortifications, whose great guns command 
every part of the channel for miles before reach- 
ing the city, and it is always enlivened by the 
foreign shipping, coasting crafts and the hun- 
dreds of passenger steamers, and tug-boats. No 
one is ever disappointed with the first view of 
the new world who enters at this port. So the 
Immigrants are usually cheerful and happy. 
At the present time when a ship arrives it is 
boarded by health oflicers some twelve miles be- 
low the city, and if any contagious disease is 
found, the ship with its passengers is detained in 
quarantine ; otherwise it comes directly up to its 
anchorage near the city. The emigrants were 
formerly the prey of keepers of boarding-houses 
and all kinds of villains. Now no one is allow- 
ed to communicate with them, except perhaps 
relations of known respectable character. 
The Commissioners of Emigration are ofHcers 
of the State of New York. They occupy Castle 
Garden, an old round casemated fort, situated 
on one side of "The Batteiy," a park, at the 
southern extremity of the city. It is covered 
by an immense tent-shaped roof The emi- 
grants are brought here with their baggage, up- 
on a barge, or the small steamer, which is seen in 
the picture, and after being registered, tliey 
are furnished transportation tickets, at the 
lowest prices, to any part of the country 
to which they wish to go ; their money 
is exchanged at Wall-street rates as reported 
hourly, and they have opportunity to buy 
bread, milk, and other simple food. Here 
too, before any are allowed to go out or to see 
anybody from outside the building, they are ad- 
dressed in their own language, and told the 
dangers they run in the city, and by the way, 
from all sorts of bad persons. Those who are 
sick, moneyless, or.detained from any cause, are 
Draicn by Granville Perkimfor the AnuHcan AgriaiUnml. 
takeu care of; the rest are forwarded as rapidly 
as possible to whichever point they wish to go. 
It is chiefly those of intolerable stupidity who 
are very badly victimized after leaving Castle 
Garden. Sometimes great numbers arrive in a 
single day, as for instance on Monday, May 28, 
the arrivals were 4,500, which indeed was the 
largest number that ever came in in one day. 
Last year about 200,031 arrived in all ; 129,021 
being from British,a'nd 67,000 from German ports. 
The destination of these people was as follows : 
To the Eastern States, 1.3,511 ; Middle States, 
120,U1 ; .Southern States, 3,419 ; Western States, 
61,054; Pacific States, Mexico and South Amer- 
ica, 1,000, and to the British Provinces, 1,584. 
The influx at the present time is much larger ; 
so fl\r this year more than double that of the 
same months last year ; 40,300 came in Mny. 
These strong muscles and willing hearts are 
greatly needed to subdue our soil and to cany 
on our improvements in agriculture, road and 
railroad building, etc., etc., and these people, in 
the hard laborious life which they lead, are 
making for themselves and for their children 
homes and a country. Let Americans, native 
or naturalized, so meet them with fairness and 
honorable conduct, that they will soon become 
intelligent, respectable and worthy citizens. 
