BILLS OF EXCHANGE.

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accident. is carefully guarded against, by leaving the duplicate bill in the hands of some friend in England, who will be enabled to recover the amount thereof, in the event of shipwreck, capture, or other casualty.

Bills of exchange on America, bearing interest, may also be had both in London, and Liverpool. But we should feel some reluctance in recommending to the emigrant, for the trifling consideration of a few days interest, somewhat lessened by the deduction of brokerage fees from the amount, to appropriate his money after this mode; we should rather caution him against the allurement offered to him by the assurance of foreign money brokers, mostly Jews, who are always ready to represent the great advantages he will derive by adopting this course, or taking out specie with him, instead of investing his money in the manner we have pointed

out.

With these remarks and general instructions, the emigrant, or traveller, may now very safely proceed on board, and peaceably reconcile himself to the many little inconveniences that a life on ship board generally brings with it. If never before at sea, he will very possibly find sufficient in the voyage both to gratify and instruct, and will have ample opportunity, before reaching the shores of the New World, to consider and lay down such plans as may be necessary to regulate and guide his future proceedings.

It is a true, as well as an oft repeated observa

tion, "that there is room for every one in America." Yet the emigrant, who supposes from this that he has only to reach its shores to cease from all labour, and future exertion, and that he will grow rich without industry and attentive management upon his part to secure a livelihood, will find himself woefully disappointed. The avenues to wealth, are no doubt numerous; but riches, or independence, are not to be arrived at without a steady and patient effort to attain them. "America is the best country in the world," observes the eminent Franklin, "for those who will labour; they can earn more than any where else. The Government is frugal; they demand few taxes, so that the labour of the poor man enriches himself, and is not expended on kings and courtiers. The husbandman and mechanic are in honour here, because their employments are useful. The only encouragements held out to strangers, are a good climate, a good soil, and wholesome air and water; plenty of provisions, good pay for labour, kind neighbours, a free Government, and a hearty welcome; the rest depends on their own industry and economy." As we mean to give these subjects a separate consideration, and shall revert to them in their proper place, we will content ourselves, for the present, in accompanying the emigrant on board his vessel, to superintend his movements, and to direct him in the best course for his future adoption.

There is at all times a sameness and monotony in a seaman's life on ship board, divesting it of any

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peculiar interest, that under ordinary circumstances would induce us to pass over the incidents likely to occur on the outward voyage to New York, and to at once land the emigrant, or traveller, free from bile, ill-humour, and sea-sickness, upon the shores of the Western world. But as he is now about to commit himself to an element to which he is probably a stranger, and in seeking to arrive at the same destination, yield himself to the same inconvenience, to which we have already some five or six times submitted, that we are reluctant to abandon him in this, it may be his first journey across the Atlantic, and leave him to mere surmise, as to the difficulties and troubles he is about to encounter. For this reason we submit a short account of our last voyage, and any remarkable incident by which it was distinguished.

Having arrived at Liverpool, we determined to embark in the first regular packet leaving that port for New York. We lost no time in hurrying through the necessary preliminaries of securing a passage— selecting a berth-providing letters of introduction -exchanging the surplus English money in our possession; and on the day of-- went on board the advertised to sail on the following morning. The day was propitious, and unusually fine. We quitted our anchorage at 10 o'clock, and left the Mersey amidst all the happy confusion of a vessel preparing for a long voyage, and were towed beyond the floating light in the entrance of the river, by one of the steamers usually employed for this

VOL. I.

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purpose. A breeze soon after springing up from the north-west, enabled us before dusk to reach "abreast of the Head," and on the following day, to pass the Tuscar and Hook lighthouses, the first off the Wexford coast, the other at the entrance of the Waterford harbour. On the following morning we had run far out of sight of all land, and had cleared the dangerous and uncertain navigation of the Irish Channel.

For the next three days we had to contend with light and variable winds, with frequent calms, which prevented our making during this time any very considerable progress; we had, however, run down the English Channel, and succeeded in opening a way into the broad Atlantic. The weather was beautifully serene and exhilarating, whilst the many vessels in the offing, chequered and diversified the scene, and gave buoyancy to our spirits. 'Tis true that many amongst us were turning their backs on all former friends, and early associations-severing those ties which heretofore bound them to country and to home, and seeking, with that inherent restlessness of our common nature, to escape from those ills that lay in their way, to "fly to others they knew not of."

Our party consisted of five only in the cabin, and but few in the steerage; we soon became acquainted with each other, and from the exertion that each in the outset made to please, gave an early assurance, as far as other circumstances would admit, of a pleasant and agreeable passage.

The ship in which we sailed measured about six

TACITURN CAPTAIN.

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hundred tons-was American built-considered a good sailor, and excellent "sea-boat," with a crew composed of all nations, amounting to eighteen hands, independent of the captain, two mates, the cook, who is a most important personage in these vessels, and two stewards, to attend the cabin, both men of colour: she was only four years off the stocks, was well found in all respects, and admirably fitted for the packet service.

Our captain was a very young man, only two years in charge of a ship, and though an excellent navigator, and probably a good seaman, was most unsuited, as our fate would have it, to the command of a vessel of this kind. He was sullen, and uncouth, morose, and remarkably taciturn; and certainly afforded no very pleasing specimen of the American character: we knew him but at meals, whilst even then, no exertion could seduce him into good humour, or beguile him into conversation: he lived to himself, and for himself-smoking and consuming his hours away, with a cigar for ever in his mouth; and as, we verily believe, forming an exception to the general character of men usually placed in his situation.

We made a third of our voyage, the entire distance being about 3500 miles, within the first week or eight days, though the weather was exceedingly moderate, and winds variable. The time, after a while, began to hang heavily and wearisome on our hands, as we had neither the usual resources of a cabin library to resort to, or the other opportunities of dispelling ennui by an occasional game of chess,