Bo 
WATER AND WATER NAVIGATION. 
four o’clock in the afternoon when the fhaft broke for the 
fecond time. I had juft ftarted for the promenade deck, 
when a found, more terrific to our ears than the burfting 
of feven thunders over head, was fuddenly heard proceeding 
from the engine-room; and at the fame inftant the deck 
under our feet commenced to quiver and fhake with an 
upheaval like the undulations of great billows. The 
thumpings and thunderings and bangings in the engine- 
room were tremendous ; the veffel feemed going to pieces, 
and we in the midft of the ocean. Nothing about us ! 
Nothing in fight of us but the everlafling flretch of the 
great water plain from horizon to horizon. The heavens 
above us too far to reach, and the waters below us—Ah ! 
fo deep to fink into !—and thirty feconds feemed an age ! 
To thofe who have never experienced a fcene like this 
my words are meaninglefs. 
For thofe who have, what need of faying more? 1 
The theory and practice of building and running 
fteamers on the ocean, as far as I have been able to invef- 
tigate the matter by fome thirty or forty trips over the 
1 To prevent a mifapplication of my remarks on the “dignity, &c., of 
(hip’s officers” on occafions like the one I have defcribed, I wiffi to fay for the 
captain of the “ Catalonia,” that this gentleman loft no time in giving his paf- 
fengers the earlieft information as to the exadt (late of the (hip, and the extent 
of the accident. No one could doubt the good faith of Captain Gill, and the 
fears of the paflengers from any immediate danger were quieted. What we had 
reafon to apprehend was, drifting to the north among fields of floating ice and 
icebergs. But, providentially, we were foon in fight of other veflels, and all 
ended well. The “ Catalonia ” is the eafieft veflel on the waters I was ever in. 
