with strength to bear it with manliness and fortitude. I shed no tear-for a moment I keenly felt the insult that was offered me; but it was only for a moment. Next day, I received a letter from her, in which she endeavoured to apologize for her conduct. by saying, she had only consented to become mine in obedience to a father's commands, and that her heart was with the man, with whom she had eloped. How did I pity her for this declaration; and I pitied still more that man that was to be her husband. The truth was, the man she had absconded with, was immensely rich; she only wished to wed splendour and she did so. Had I not been blinded by infatuation, I might have easily learned that such a beautious creature could not have abused her beauteous eyes on me, unless from some mercenary motive. I have never since that occurrence, thought of a wife, and but I will not say more, it were better not, perhaps.

E.R.

FOR THE AMERICAN MONTHLY MAGAZINE.

CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN THREE FRIENDS,

FROM

THE OLD TO THE NEW WORLD.

"When shall we three meet again ?"

"In parting, perhaps we are breaking a link
"Which may ne'er be united again,

"And firm as that chain was, 'tis painful to think
"That absence may rend it in twain.

"Oh when shall we meet? perhaps not until time

"Shall have wither'd our hearts, with our bloom;

"And where !-in some strange and some far distant clime,

"Or within the dear circle at home?"

"There are strange truths in dreams, and last midnight

"I dreamed I saw three spirits on the shore

"Of Ocean, gleaming in the silver light

"Of its phosphoric billows-One, that wore,
"The look of genius, when it longs to soar,
"Casting impatient glances at the sky;

"And one, that stooped and listened to the roar,
"With pale, sweet lips, yet open'd not a sigh,
"As if she feared its stern inclemency.

"And there was one that listened not, nor gazed,
"But stood with downfix'd eye and folded arm
"Fever'd with thought!!!".

LETTER 1st.

On board the Ship Hector, bound for New York.

On the 25th of June, 18-, we bade farewell to our friends, and our Country. I will not dwell on the parting hour, nor

attempt to describe the grief I had scarcely the power to feel.

We did not stay upon deck to watch the fast receding shore, or catch the least glimpse of the waving handkerchief. We hurried to our cabin, and in the noisy confusion of "main sail haul" resigned ourselves to that lethe of the soul, sea sickness. The ship Hector is a fine vessel of about four hundred tons burthen, and a good sailer. Her accommodations are excellent; the captain (Gillender) friendly and attentive, and desirous of meeting the wishes of his passengers in every thing reasonable. The fare was of the best quality, with more variety than I could have supposed it possible to furnish in the limited space of a ship. To those whose health allows them to enjoy good dinners, there was ample repast; Beef, Mutton, Poultry, and Fish, with excellent soups, and pastry; and it was surprising with what neatness, regularity, and ease, the meals were served, even amidst the wild uproar of the elements.

To those who have never been at sea, it would be difficult to convey an idea of the sensation it occasions. when you first lose sight of land, to find yourself in a world of waters,

"With one frail interposing plank to save,
"From certain death, roll'd on by every wave."

It is then we truly feel that we are indeed children of earth, and missing our natural parent with all her rich stores of fostering blesssings, we gaze on the unbounded ocean in awful wonder! We have just spoke a ship bound for Grennock, and the emotion it occasioned was pleasing and affecting. The colours were hoisted, the "star spangled banner," floated in the air, and the joyous crew in listening attention filled the deck, whilst the captain asked the usual questions, of where are you from? whither are you bound? how long have you been out?" etcetera. The vessels seemed to hover on the breeze, and flapped their canvass wings as if they too were glad, whilst blessings to Britannia's land, poured forth from our hearts that swelled almost to bursting.

What would my dear friends say could they see me seated on deck, my writing desk resting on my lap, addressing my thoughts to them from amidst the wonders of the deep?-Oh truly did the divine Psalmist sing,

"They that go down to the sea in ships,
These men see the works of the Lord."

The monstrous whale and grampas sport on the mountain wave, then dash into the dark abyss, then rise again, and spout VOL. I.-No. VI.

65

the briny fountain high in the air;-and whilst these "lord it în the flood," the porpoises are seen to roll over, in clumsy confusion; the playful dolphins approach so nigh that we can see their bright colours in the waters, as through a prism. When I beheld for the first time that amphibious plaything of nature, the flying fish, my thoughts immediately reverted to those beautiful lines:

"When I have seen thy snowy wing,

O'er the blue wave at evening spring;
And give those scales of silver white,
So gaily to the eye of light,
As if thy frame were form'd to rise,
And live amid the glorious skies.

Oh! it has made me proudly feel,
How like thy wing's impatient zeal,
Is the pure soul, that scorns to rest
Upon the worlds ignoble breast;

But takes the plumes which God has given,
And rises into light and Heaven.

But, when I see that wing so bright,
Grow languid with a moment's flight,
Attempt the paths of air in vain,
And sink into the waves again;
Alas! the flattering pride is o'er;
Like thee, awhile, the soul may soar,
But erring man must blush to think,

Like thee, again, the soul may sink!

How beautifully descriptive are these lines (and by what sad perversity of taste and judgment can he, who writes so well, be brought to tarnish his bright plumes by tinsel ribaldry? It is lovely to see the little fish, styled by the sailors "Portuguese Men of War," skim over the waters with their tiny sails of dazzling purple, fringed with pink. They look like the fleet of Oberon, sailing to those Isles with which poetic fancy has bedecked the Atlantic, "like studs of emerald o'er a silver zone."

We have often watched, with delight, the glorious orb of day sink into the waves, and leave his crimson curtain in the west ;we have together seen this with glowing hearts from the shore at Brighton, at Ramsgate, and at Aberystwith; but to behold it as we last evening saw it on this vast ocean! a fire of light to look upon, his burning beams stretched on the bosom of the waters, his dazzling rays streaking the azure sky with a glory of gold, its bright refulgence refracted, dancing in a million of stars on

every wave!-oh! it was sublime beyond my power to describe, and such as the celestial throne alone could show.

of Him, who

"Layeth the beams of his chambers in the waters,
And walketh upon the wings of the wind!"

The throne

We have at length reached the banks of Newfoundland. I have sat on deck the whole of the day to witness a scene I may never more behold, and of which, among all my fancy visions, I had never formed a just idea. The winds blew what the sailors call a stiff gale, and the ship was sailing ten knots an hour, when we came in sight of numerous fishing vessels, some at anchor and others riding at the mercy of the winds, now perched on the summit of a mountain wave, then lost in a dark valley of waters, then tossed to and fro as if giddy with the effort, and then rocking from side to side, till another giant wave again mounted them on high to dash them again into the foaming flood, and I felt appalled lest they should rise no more.

"A sea upsurging with tremendous roll

"To instant ruin seemed to doom the whole.”

But they rode the waves securely as we have seen the white sea gull dance and dive on the dark billows. We had many a wave burst over the deck, which the sailors call, shipping a sea, but we kept our station amidst a scene so awfully grand. Some of our passengers were pitifully lamenting their disappointment that we could not get any fish, it blowing too hard to near any vessel, and by the poignancy of the regret expressed by some, particularly one Lady, you would have imagined that they had taken a voyage on the Atlantic for no other purpose than to treat themselves with fresh cod-fish, in the same manner that hundreds sail from London to Greenwich to eat white bait.

I believe there are few subjects on which we can form, an accurate opinion, unless they have passed under our own personal observation. The mode, exterior and rough phraseology of seamen on shore, convey no idea of the true character of the sailor at sea. The exact order, regularity and cleanliness of a ship's crew, may give an excellent lesson to the housewife, and disciplinarian. There is no listless idleness; a good Captain takes care that his sailors are always usefully employed. During two days dead calm, a busy scene presented itself on deck, in rope making, mending colours, sails and clothes, etcetera; and whilst so employed, a gaily whistled tune or a jocund laugh was all that disturbed the calm quiet. The rippling water, as it left the vessel's side, was a wonderful contrast to the scene we had witnessed at at Newfoundland banks.

The sea is like a silvery lake,
And o'er its calm the vessel glides
Gently, as if it feared to wake

The slumbers of the silent tides!

We have seen a solitary spot of Earth in the midst of this vast watery desert. SABLE ISLAND. On this lone isle is built one poor hut; but this desolate cabin, reared on its small speck of earth, stands a nobler monument of man's benevolence than many a sculptured stone and marble column; for man has here provided for his brother man, a place where, from time to time, a few necessary stores are deposited for the relief of those who by distress of weather may be driven to seek a temporary

shelter there.

A more than usual noise on deck aroused me this morning at an early hour, and I soon learned with indiscribable sensations that we could see land. I jumped from my birth, and mounted to the cabin window, whence I saw a line of blue in the distant horrizon, which I was assured was land. I gazed with streaming eyes. for my heart, which beat high in my bosom, told me it was a strange land, where no kindred awaited to greet us; and near four thousand miles of ocean now rolled between us and all that we had known from infancy, and all that from infancy we had loved. "The Pilot is on board!" was now echoed through the cabins, which seemed to be the signal for active preparation both above and below. Every one was on the alert, here packings were untied, and there boxes were opened, and finery, and new clothes released from bondage, that had not seen the light since they left Old England.

We hastened on deck, and thence beheld a scene that, could I turn my pen into the pencil of a Salvator Rosa, I should send you a picture of our Eden. The land that from our cabin had appeared like a blue cloud, now brightly shone in all the rich luxuriance of verdure. One little island, seen in the midst of the waters, seemed as if it had swam out to greet us. When we had passed the Narrows, we found ourselves in a large bay, with Long Island to the right, and Staten Island to the left. It is only by those who have been long at sea, that the delicious refreshing odour of a land breeze can be duly appreciated. It came to us laden with the sweets of fruits and flowers. At length the Hector with her colours flying, and her various passengers all trimly attired in European costume, come along side of the Battery, below which, we landed. Here then our feet for the first time pressed American ground!-Oh England! land of my birth cradle of my infant joys! where the roses of my youth budded, bloomed, and fell, thou shalt still be dear to my heart! though parted from thee, perhaps for ever!