American Scenes, and Christian Slavery | Page 7

any further,--it was about two miles
from the city; and if we particularly wished to go ashore, we must get
ready directly, and go with him in the steam-tug. Anxious for a good
night's rest, on shore we resolved to go. I had to turn out in that state of
profuse perspiration which always succeeds the fever, and my wife
hurriedly selected a few necessary things. Poor thing! she was almost
overwhelmed with the trying circumstances in which she was
placed,--thousands of miles from home--about to enter a place in which
she knew not a single soul--her husband ill, and herself an invalid! But

there was no help for it. Amidst torrents of rain, we made the fearful
transition from the ship to the tug, while both vessels were in violent
agitation. It was done. And now we were in the "monster's" own bosom,
expecting every moment his bowels to burst, and send us into eternity.
The noise of the engine, the grunting of the steam, the raging of the
wind, the pelting of the rain, and the roaring of the thunder, made it
almost impossible to hear anything besides; but I managed to shout in
my wife's ear the natural, though not very consolatory question, "Were
we ever in so fearful a position before?" "Never!" (and we had had
some experience of storms by both land and sea) was her awe-stricken
reply.
We detached ourselves from the sailing-vessel; but, with all the power
of steam, we could scarcely get along. At last the "monster's" bellowing
was hushed,--the tremor ceased,--we were there! But how to get ashore
was still a difficulty. It was about 100 yards off. Planks, however, were
eventually placed so as to enable us to descend from our lofty "tug"
into a ship at anchor, from that into another, from that again into a third,
and from that at length on terra firma.
The hour was between 7 and 8 p.m.; and we were taken to a
ship-chandler's store, while our kind captain went to get a chaise for us.
The store was closed; but the owner and three other gentlemen were
there, seated before a comfortable coal fire, apparently enjoying
themselves after the business of the day. They received us very
courteously, and gave us chairs by the fireside. The storm of that day
they told us had done much harm to the shipping, and was severer than
any other they had experienced during the last seven years. While the
conversation was going on, plash made one, plash made another, plash
made a third, by spurting a certain brownish secretion on the floor! I
had often heard of this as an American habit, but always thought our
cousins in this matter (as in many others) were caricatured. Here,
however, was the actual fact, and that in the presence of a lady! Yet
these were apparently very respectable men.
Having waited about a quarter of an hour, anxiously listening for the
rumbling of the expected wheels, I heard in the distance a strange kind
of noise, resembling that of a fire-shovel, a pair of tongs, a poker, and
an iron hoop tied loosely together with a string, and drawn over the
pavement! "What in the world is that?" said I. "It is the chaise," was the

answer. The vehicle was quickly at the door. In we were bundled, and
orders given to drive us to the "St. Charles's." We scarcely knew what
this "St. Charles's" was; but, as all with whom we had conversed
seemed to take it for granted that we should go thither, and as any one
saint was to us as good as any other, we echoed, "To the St. Charles's."
And now began such a course of jolting as we had never before
experienced. It seemed as if all the gutters and splash-holes in the
universe had been collected together, and we had to drive over the
whole. This continued about half an hour, by which we learned that we
were at first much further from the "St. Charles's" than we supposed.
The machine at last stopped, and we alighted, thankful to have escaped
a complete stoppage of our breath.
We were there. A waiter (he was not to be mistaken,--he bore a family
resemblance to all the waiters of the world) was instantly at the
coach-door, to help us out and to help us in. He conducted us into a
lobby, up a flight of stairs, and through a long passage, to a large
saloon, where about 150 ladies and gentlemen were assembled,--some
sitting, some standing, some talking, some laughing, and some playing
with their fingers. But, no! we shrunk back. Thither we would not be
led, all wet and dirty as we were. We begged to be shown into a private
room. The