weighed down under a pressure of despondency, arising partly from temporary illness, and partly from the greatness of the enterprise i had undertaken, and whose event was so uncertain, i left wilbraham on thursday morning, june 3d, 1841. a pleasant passage, by the way of springfield and hartford, brought us into new york early the next morning. by the following monday, the 7th of june, we were all snugly stowed in a state-room of the second cabin on board the splendid packet-ship, george washington, bound for liverpool.

before we sailed, however, i was fleeced of seven dollars by the cook of the ship. as passengers in the second cabin, we had the privilege of furnishing ourselves with provisions. for the sum just mentioned, the cook had agreed to do all our cooking at the galley, insisting, however, on being paid in advance, because, he averred, several passengers, on former occasions, had obtained his services and failed to pay him; besides, he wanted to leave all the money he could with his wife. these arguments were, of course, unanswerable, and i paid him the sum demanded. judge, then, of my surprise, when, a few minutes before we hauled off, the captain engaged another cook; the first having suddenly made himself among the missing. should the reader ever have occasion to voyage, he may profit by the remembrance of this anecdote.

we then hauled off into the stream; towed by a steamboat, we soon cleared the harbor of new york. sandy hook speedily lay behind us; the pilot wished us a pleasant voyage, and away we dashed into the wide atlantic, buoyed up by the confidence of the hope that a few weeks would behold us safely landed on the shores of dear old england.

the details of a voyage across the atlantic have been so often laid before the public by travellers, that they have now lost most of that interest which they would possess were they less familiar. i shall not, therefore, detain the reader with the particulars of my passage, except to quote the experience of one day from my journal.

saturday, june 12th. went on deck early in the morning; found it very warm. we passed two ships on the same course with ourselves. i saw a rainbow on our starboard quarter, which reminded me of the old saying among sailors, “rainbow in the morning, sailors take warning.” it was then blowing a stiff breeze from the west. all the sails were up, studding sails out below and aloft. the wind increased during the morning, with rain. we soon had heavy thunder, with sharp lightning; the weather growing squally, we took in our studding sails. passed another ship; wind increasing with violent rain.

one o’clock, p. m. sailors have plenty to do to shorten sail. furled top-gallant sails, reefed mizzen topsail, fore topsail, and main topsail. we are running before the wind like a race-horse, at the rate of twelve knots an hour.

two o’clock, p. m. more thunder and lightning, which threatened vengeance on our poor ship. the lightning is very sharp; we have no conductor up; it plays all around us, and, as it strikes the water, it hisses like red-hot iron. several of the sailors felt a shock in descending the rigging, especially the first and second mates. we expected it would strike us every moment, but a kind providence protected us. the sea runs very high, and the ship flies about as if crazy. we have two men at the helm, who can scarcely keep her right; it seems that she will pitch under every moment.

eight and one-half o’clock, p. m. sea still rolling heavily; we have shipped several heavy seas.

nine o’clock, p. m. wind has shifted, and the weather is clearing off.

during the whole of this gale, many of the passengers were much alarmed, and some of them spent their time in praying and crying to the lord. how strange that men will leave their eternal interests to an hour of danger, and forget them again the moment it passes away!

the first sabbath of our life at sea, by permission of captain barrows—who, by the way, was a very gentlemanly, kind commander—i held a religious meeting on the quarter or poop-deck. my audience contained all the cabin passengers, with most of those in the steerage, the captain and his mates, together with most of the crew. i told them i was not a parson, but i would talk to them as well as i could. after singing and prayer, i spoke from jonah i. 6; alluding, among other things, to the late storm, and exhorting them not to trust to storm religion, but to become the followers of god from genuine principle. my audience favored me with profound attention. whether they were benefitted or not, the great day must determine. it was in this same ship that the eloquent robert newton returned to england. he favored her crew and passengers, every sabbath of the voyage, with one of his excellent and powerful discourses.

the following sabbaths, owing to the weather and adverse circumstances, i contented myself with distributing tracts and with discoursing personally with the passengers and crew.

on the 26th of june, we saw the irish coast on our weather-beam, and on the evening of the 27th, we came to an anchor off liverpool, after a short passage of twenty days. here, a steamboat came alongside, bringing several custom-house officers, who came on board, and carrying our cabin passengers ashore. the next morning we hauled into the magnificent docks of this celebrated city of commerce, where our baggage was landed under the spacious sheds that surround the wharves. from thence it was conveyed, in small carts, drawn by donkeys, to the custom-house for inspection. this tedious process over, the passengers separated, each bound to his respective home; for, having passed the ordeal of the custom-house, every man is left at full liberty to go whither he pleases. i and my family proceeded to a tavern, contrasting, as we went along, the dark, dingy aspect of liverpool, everywhere discolored by the fumes of coal-smoke, with the light, cheerful aspect of our american cities; and giving the preference to the latter, notwithstanding my english prejudices.

the next morning we all took seats in the railroad cars for stafford, some seventy miles distant from liverpool. after passing through the tunnel, under the city, of more than a mile in length, we emerged into a beautiful country, adorned on all sides with antique buildings and rural scenery. these passed before us like the scenes in a panorama, and, by ten o’clock, a. m., we reached the stopping-place, a short distance from stafford. here we were literally in danger of being torn asunder by the eagerness of two hackmen, who, as we were the only passengers left at the dépôt, were especially zealous for our patronage. a police officer, one of whom is stationed at every dépôt on the road, speedily relieved us from their importunity. stepping up, he asked me which man i would employ. pointing to one of them, the other dropped my baggage, and in a few minutes, we were at the door of my brother-in-law, mr. william tills.

although i had not seen my sister for thirty years, yet, no sooner did she see me, than, throwing her arms around my neck, she exclaimed, “oh, my brother!” i need not add, that our reception was cordial, and our stay with them characterized by every trait of genuine hospitality.

the town was alive with the bustle of an election; flags and streamers were floating over every tavern-sign and public building. men, women and children crowded the streets, flushed with the excitement of party rivalry, while the continual pealing of the bells added a vivacity and liveliness to the scene, of which an american, who has never heard the merry ding-dong of a full peal of bells, can form no adequate conception. by five o’clock that afternoon, the polls closed, and the ceremony of chairing the successful candidates took place. first came a band of music, playing lively airs; next followed the members elect, richly dressed, with ribbons on their hats, and seated on chairs wreathed with flowers and ribbons, and surrounded with banners bearing various devices. these chairs were borne on men’s shoulders, who proceeded through the streets, amid immense cheering from the crowds who followed, and from the ladies and citizens, who appeared waving their handkerchiefs from the windows; the members, meanwhile, bowing, with their hats in their hands, until they reached the spot where their chaises waited to convey them to their respective homes. the sight was one of great interest to a stranger, and i advise every american who visits england, by all means, to witness an election day if possible.

we remained with my brother-in-law about a week, visiting the various places and buildings whose antiquity or public character clothed them with especial interest. the town itself contains about eleven hundred inhabitants, and is the shire town of the county of staffordshire. its chief business is the manufacture of shoes. among its ancient buildings, are the remains of a baronial castle, whose moss-covered battlements insensibly conduct the meditations of the beholder back to the days of feudal grandeur and knightly chivalry. st. mary’s church is also a venerable gothic structure, of solid masonry, whose walls have withstood the storms and changes of about ten centuries. they were about to expend £10,000 in repairing the dilapidations of time. i heard one discourse from the curate, and was especially delighted with the grandeur and sublimity of the music from its magnificent organ, as it pealed along the aisles of the time-worn building, with an effect never witnessed in our smaller and more modern structures in america.

here also is the county prison, modelled, in most of its arrangements, after the state-prisons of america. it contained five hundred prisoners. a lunatic asylum and a hospital, or infirmary, for the poor, are found among the products of its benevolence: the former contained three hundred unfortunate occupants.

the poor-house is a large commodious building, constructed of brick and stone, surrounded with large airy yards and gardens. it has also yards or courts within its walls, used as play-grounds for the children. the order within was excellent; every room looked remarkably neat and clean; the children were comfortably clothed, and wore an air of satisfaction and contentment. the whole house was under the control of a governor and matron who were subject to the inspection of the board of overseers, chosen by the people. one excellent rule of the house struck me as being very useful: it provided for the admission of poor travellers to a supper and lodging; requiring them, if dirty, to undergo a thorough ablution and to change their linen. in the morning two or three hours’ work was exacted as payment, and they were suffered to depart. the house had its teacher and chaplain; and altogether i thought that a great improvement had taken place in the poor-laws of the country.

having been so long away from england, everything peculiarly english struck me with almost as much force as it would a native american. hence, my feelings revolted at the sight of the innumerable beggars and vagrants, who crowded the streets. italians, with their organs, white mice, or monkeys; poor barefooted children, with their baskets of matches; and, worse than either, houseless families imploring a crust for their half-naked little ones, with many a tale of sorrow and woe, were sights which greeted my eye and pained my heart every day. a sad spectacle indeed, and one which robs the lustre of the british crown of many a brilliant ray. the true glory of a people is their internal prosperity, and not the extension of their territory.

the fifth of july renewed the excitement of the day i arrived. it was the time appointed for the county election. similar scenes to those before described took place, accompanied with excessive drunkenness. every tavern, and the number seemed endless, was crowded, mostly with the laboring classes, who were spending their hard-earned pence, for foaming tankards of english ale, the favorite beverage of john bull, and one of the greatest hindrances to the progress of the temperance cause in that country; though it is hoped that the triumphs of tee-totalism will ultimately overcome this national love for john barleycorn, as beer is humorously called in the old song.

after spending an extremely pleasant week in stafford, we bade adieu to my affectionate sister and her husband, and, aided by omnipotent steam, we soon reached the great manufactory of britain—birmingham. from thence we took stage for woodstock, subject, however, to the incessant exactions of the host of waiters, guards and coachmen, that constantly assail the traveller in england, with a request to be “remembered” for every little service rendered. the country through which we rode was delightful; all nature wore her greenest, brightest garments; the roads were level, and as smooth as the most thorough macadamizing could make them. soon after seven in the evening, the stage drew up at the marlborough arms, the very hotel from whence i started thirty years since to go to sea. the first object that arrested my eye, was the revered form of my mother, waiting on the sidewalk, eager to embrace her much-loved, but long-absent son. springing to the ground, i felt myself locked in her fond embrace. that was a moment of exquisite enjoyment, both to me and to my mother. though deeply moved, she maintained a calm dignity of manner. in a few moments, she was showing the way, with the agility of a young woman, leading a new-found grand-child in each hand, to her residence, which was close at hand. very soon we were all seated round the well-loaded board, the happiest family party in the world.

though it afforded me and my family great pleasure to visit scenes round woodstock and bladen, which had been familiar to me in my boyhood, yet, as the description would only prove tedious to the reader, it is omitted. a brief account of our visit to oxford, so celebrated for its university and colleges, may not be uninteresting.

oxford contains nineteen colleges and five halls. of these, we visited only christ church and lincoln colleges. christ church is the largest college in oxford. we were forcibly struck with the magnificence of the octagonal tower, which is over the principal gateway. it has a dome top, and is ornamented in the gothic style, from designs by that renowned architect, sir christopher wren. it is also remarkable as containing the celebrated bell, known by the familiar name of “great tom,” and weighing 17,000 pounds. it is 7 feet 1 inch in diameter, 6 feet 9 inches high, 6⅛ inches in thickness. i got under this massive piece of metal, and found abundant room to move about; by standing on the clapper i could reach the top over my head. this is the largest bell in england; though russia contains several of a much larger size. i also gratified myself by a survey of the splendid picture galleries and the spacious library, the former containing some of the finest specimens of painting in the country, and the latter a large and valuable collection of books, manuscripts, prints, coins, &c.

i made inquiries of our attendant for the room in which charles wesley studied while a member of this college; but, although quite communicative on other subjects, he manifested a peculiar sensitiveness on this; and i declined pressing the question. after quitting the college, happening to pass the residence of the wesleyan minister, mr. rodgers, i called upon him, and related to him how the porter avoided my questions. he smiled, and said that they regarded the wesleys as dissenters, and would therefore do them no honor. mr. rodgers was extremely obliging; he conducted us over his beautiful chapel, and then bore us company to lincoln college, where he pointed out the room in which john wesley studied when a member of this institution. he also showed us the other localities of oxford, made sacred to me by their association with the person of wesley’s grandfather, the preaching of the wesleys themselves, and the studies of dr. coke, the great missionary hero of the methodist church.

he then led us into broad street, to the consecrated spot where latimer, ridley and cranmer sealed their faith by enduring a martyr’s death. three stones mark the spot where their ashes fell; and never did i feel a holier feeling than that which thrilled my heart, while i and my family stood on those time-worn stones: the spirits of the martyrs seemed to hover around us, breathing the same high, religious determination into our minds that filled their own bold and daring spirits. that moment amply repaid us for all the toil of our journey home.

the following sabbath i attended the chapels of the wesleyans at woodstock and bladen, and in the evening had the pleasure of saying a word to my old bladen associates, in the prayer-meeting.

after receiving the utmost kindness, hospitality and evidences of friendship from my family and friends, i took leave of them forever. many of the neighbors, with my mother, accompanied me to woodstock. there i wished her adieu, and when the coach whirled away, she stood following us with her eyes, the last of the company, until a projection of the park wall hid us from each other. who could forbear a tear in such a moment? i could not, and therefore suffered the big drops to roll down my cheeks at will. there is a luxury in such grief.

that evening beheld us rolling through hyde park into the city of london, where i tarried a few days with my brother, by whom i was very cordially entertained. here also i found several cousins, in prosperous circumstances whose kindness contributed not a little to my enjoyment. having visited st. paul’s, the museum, madame tussaud’s magnificent collection of wax figures, and other curious and remarkable places, i took a trip to walthamstow, the former residence of my aunt turner. this good lady was dead, and almost forgotten by the people; her twenty-two children were all either dead or wandering, the neighbors knew not whither. alas for the mutations of time!

a walk of two miles farther on, brought us to wanstead, my birth-place. here everything seemed natural, though great changes had passed over the people since i lived there, a thoughtless child. my common school teacher and my sunday school teacher had gone to their spiritual destiny. my aunt was yet alive. my brother asked her if she knew me. peering through her spectacles, and summoning up the imagery of the past, she at length called to mind her former protégé, and clasped me to her arms, with evident gratification. it occasions melancholy feeling to see the ravages of time on the persons and places one has not visited for years!

after a hasty visit to that noble home for the worn-out sailor at greenwich, and a glance at the arsenal at woolwich, i returned to london.

we next visited the city road chapel, built by the exertions of the great wesley himself. the sexton told us that when that wonderful man held the collection plate, one sabbath, it was thrice filled with gold by the enthusiastic generosity of the congregation: a striking example of his personal influence over his hearers. after examining the chapel, i walked over the parsonage adjoining, and while standing in the room where, with his dying lips, the immortal founder of methodism exclaimed, “the best of all is, god is with us,” i felt inspired with his great spirit, and mentally resolved, like him to laboriously live, that like him i might triumphantly die. from this sacred chamber i visited the tombs of wesley, clarke, benson, watson, cooper, and other illustrious men of the departed army of faithful warriors in the cause of christ; and, as i stood over their ashes, my heart said with peter on the mount of transfiguration, “master, it is good for me to be here!”

crossing the road into bunhill fields, i stood before the tombstones of the celebrated dr. isaac watts, and the less learned but equally renowned john bunyan. here the wicket gate, the wanderings of the pilgrim, the land of beulah, and the river of death passed vividly before my mind’s eye, until, overcome with a rush of powerful feeling, i wept and walked away, a better man than when i entered those solemn resting-places of the glorious dead.

the time allotted for my visit having nearly expired, my mind began to look towards the country of my adoption, filled with a strong desire once more to tread its free soil. strong as is the love of home, it was not strong enough to induce a preference in my mind for england. america had become the dearer of the two. indeed, i saw so many unpleasant things amidst the grandeur and pageantry of the rich, that i often felt disgusted. such hosts of street beggars, such troops of poverty-stricken children, such a mass of degraded laborers, such enormous taxation, made me shrink from bearing any part of so great a burden, and desire to link my future destiny with the rising fortunes of america. how the laborer of england lives, with such low wages, and such high prices for the staple commodities of life, is above my comprehension. meat was from twelve to twenty-four cents per pound; tea from one to two dollars; coffee from twenty-five to forty cents, and other things in proportion. to this add the intemperate habits of the poor, and how they live becomes a problem i know not how to solve. yet, with all this poverty and woe, taxation is laid upon the public with merciless severity, to furnish means to maintain the splendor and fatten the minions of royalty. first, they have to pay the annual interest of eight hundred million pounds, then come the enormous salaries of the monarch and the satellites of the throne. the queen, for her private purse, has £150,000; the queen dowager, £100,000; prince albert, £30,000; the lord high chancellor, £20,000; the bishops, an average of £20,000 each. besides these, follow sinecures and pensions innumerable, until the resources of the nation are preyed on by the throne, with the unsatisfied appetite of the grave—taking all, and still crying, “give, give!” i felt happy, when beholding these things, that providence had, after many trials in early life, cast my lot in america.

on the 25th of august, we all sailed from london, in the cabin of a fine ship, commanded by captain eldridge, bound for boston. the particulars of our stormy and tedious voyage would neither gratify nor amuse the reader, and they are therefore omitted. suffice it to say, that the atlantic passage could scarcely be more unpleasant than it was to us; but, by the care of divine providence, after being seventy-five days at sea, exposed to every variety of wind and weather, deprived of religious advantages, and surrounded only by the ungodly, we safely landed, and found comfortable quarters at the united states hotel, in boston. from thence we proceeded to worcester, and then to wilbraham, where we were hailed with joyful congratulations by our neighbors, who had begun to mourn us as among the lost at sea. most gratefully did we all unite with the minister, the following sabbath, in a thank-offering to almighty god, for his goodness in preserving us from the dangers of the stormy sea.

thus, courteous reader, i have conducted thee through the mazes of my changeful life. should the facts detailed in these pages lead thee to feel more interest hereafter in the elevation of the sailor, my labors will not have been in vain; and should the recital of my christian experience induce thee to embrace the same saviour, who has become my redemption and sacrifice, i shall joyfully hail thee, when we meet together in the port of eternity.

to my brothers of the sea, let me add one word. yours is a life of danger, of toil, of suffering. few men care for your souls; but jesus regards you. he watches you in all your wanderings; he woos you to be his! will you not be persuaded, by a fellow-sailor, to heed his voice. o sailor, “turn, turn, for why will ye die!” go! rest in his bosom, who says to you, “come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy laden, and i will give you rest.”