First Impressions of the New World | Page 3

drove into a ferry-boat, which steamed us, carriage and all, across
the harbour, for we had landed from the ship on the New Jersey side.
After reaching New York by means of this ferry-boat, we still had to
drive along a considerable part of Broadway, and finally reached this
comfortable hotel--the Brevoort House--at about eight o'clock.
The master of the hotel shook hands with papa on entering, and again
this morning treated him with the same republican familiarity. The
hotel is very quiet, and not a specimen of the large kind, which we
intend seeing later. We had fortunately secured rooms beforehand, as
the town is very full, owing to the rejoicings at the successful laying of
the cable, and many of our fellow-passengers were obliged to get
lodgings where they could.
We found that Lord Napier was in the hotel, so we sent our letters to
him, and had a long visit from him this morning.
Two topics seem at present to occupy the minds of everybody here; one,
the successful laying of the cable, the other the burning of the
quarantine buildings on Staten Island. We were quite unconscious,
when passing the spot yesterday, that the whole of these buildings had

been destroyed on the preceding night by an incendiary mob; for such
we must style the miscreants, although they comprised a large portion,
it is said, of the influential inhabitants of the place. The alleged reason
was that the Quarantine establishment was a nuisance, and the residents
had for months been boasting of their intention to destroy the
obnoxious buildings. The miserable inmates would have perished in the
flames, had not some, more charitable than the rest, dragged them from
their beds. The Yellow Fever Hospital is destroyed, and the houses of
the physicians and health officers are burnt to the ground. At the very
same moment New York itself was the scene of the splendid festivities
in honour of the successful laying of the Atlantic Telegraph Cable, to
which we have alluded.
We came in for the finale of these yesterday, when the streets were still
much decorated. In Trinity Church we saw these decorations
undisturbed: the floral ornaments in front of the altar were more
remarkable, however, for their profusion than for their good taste. On a
temporary screen, consisting of three pointed gothic arches, stood a
cross of considerable dimensions, the screen and cross being together
about fifty feet high. The columns supporting the arches, the arches
themselves, and all the lines of construction, were heavily covered with
fir, box, holly, and other evergreens, so as to completely hide all trace
of the wooden frame. The columns and arches of the church were also
decorated with wreaths and garlands of flowers.
On a panel on the temporary structure already mentioned was the
inscription, "GLORY BE TO GOD ON HIGH, AND ON EARTH
PEACE, GOOD WILL TOWARDS MEN," all done in letters of
flowers of different colours; the cross itself being covered with white
roses and lilies. In the streets were all sorts of devices, a very
conspicuous one being the cable slung between two rocks, and Queen
Victoria and the President standing, looking very much astonished at
each other from either side. The absurdity of all this was, that the cable
had really by this time come to grief: at least, on the morning after our
landing, an unsuccessful attempt was made to transmit the news of our
arrival to our friends in England. It was rather absurd to see the credit
the Americans took to themselves for the success, such as it was, of the

undertaking.
Besides seeing all this, we have to-day driven and walked about the
town a good deal, and admire it much. It is very Parisian in the
appearance of its high houses, covered with large bright letterings; and
the shops are very large and much gayer looking on the outside than
ours; but, on examination, we were disappointed with their contents.
The streets seem badly paved, and are consequently noisy, and there are
few fine buildings or sights of any kind; but the dwelling-houses are
not unfrequently built of white marble, and are all handsome and
substantial. In our drive to-day we were much struck with the general
appearance of the streets and avenues, as the streets which run parallel
to Broadway are called. The weather has been sultry, but with a good
deal of wind; and the ladies must think it hot, as most of them appear at
breakfast in high dresses with short sleeves, and walk about in this
attire with a slight black lace mantle over their shoulders, their naked
elbows showing through. We go to-morrow to West Point, on the
Hudson River, to spend Sunday, and return here on Monday, on which
day William leaves us