this day, june 15th, 1851, i commence my writings of a promiscuous voyage. this day is sunday. i am going from the custom house, where i have deposited my baggage to be searched for contraband goods, and making my way along a street that might be termed, from its appearance, “the street of cemeteries.” this street is in liverpool, and is a mercantile street in every sense of the word, and the reason why it looked so lonesome and a business street at that, is wanting. i must now explain why so great a street looked dismal. the english people are, indeed, a moral people. this was the sabbath, and the “bells were chiming,” discoursing the sweetest sacred music i had ever heard. the streets were very narrow and good. their material was solid square stones closely packed together. the houses were very high, some being six stories. not one house for half a mile had a door or window ajar. it was raining; consequently not a person was to be seen. all of a sudden the coachman drew up to the side walk, and, opening the coach, said, “adelphi, sir.” i was looking with considerable interest to see the hotel of so much celebrity on board the ship. captain riley had informed me that it was a house not to be surpassed in the “hotel line,” and i had put an estimated interest on this important item to travelers that southerners are too much addicted to. i mean to say, that i, a southerner, judge too much by appearance, instead of experience. i had been taught at orleans that the “english could whip all the world, and we could whip the english,” and that england was always in great danger of being starved by us, and all her manufactories stopped in double quick time by southern cotton-planters. but, the greatest absurdity of all was, that england was very much afraid that we would declare war against her, and thereby ruin what little independence she still retains. i, under this dispensation of knowledge, looked around to see the towering of a “st. charles or verandah,” but when i saw a house looking like all the rest, i came to the conclusion that the english were trying to get along without making any improvement, as it was not certain how long we would permit her to remain a “monarchial independent nation.” just then a well-dressed gentleman opened the door and descended the steps with an umbrella to escort me in. “come right in here, sir,” said he, leading me into a large room, with an organ and hat-stands as its furniture. the organ was as large as an ordinary sized church organ. the gentleman took my overcoat and hung it up. he then asked me some questions concerning the voyage, after which he asked me to walk to the bureau and register my name. this done we ascend one flight of stairs and enter my room. he asked me if i wished fire. i answered in the affirmative. he left me.
having seated myself a la american, i listened very attentively to “those chiming bells.” tap, tap on my door called forth another american expression, “come in.” the door opened and a beautiful girl of fifteen summers came in with a scuttle of coal and kindling. she wore on her head a small frilled cap, and it was very small. a snow white apron adorned her short, neat dress. a man is a good deal like a dog in some particulars. he may be uncommonly savage in his nature, and as soon as he sees his sexual mate, his attention is manifested in the twinkling of an eye. she looked so neat, i thought it good policy to be polite, and become acquainted. having finished making a lively little fire, she rose up from her half-bending posture to follow up her duty through the hotel. “what is your name, miss,” said i; “mary,” said she, at the same time moving away. “i shall be here a week said i, and want you to take care of me.” mary’s pretty little feet could stay no longer with propriety the first time.
in fifteen minutes the gong rang for dinner. i locked my door, and made my way through the narrow passages to hunt head quarters. passing one of the inferior passage ways, i saw mary half whispering to one of her companions about the american, and laughing jocularly. her eyes fell upon me just as mine did on her. in the twinkling of an eye she conveyed an idea to her comrade that the topic must be something else, which seemed to have been understood before conveyed. “mary,” said i, “i want some washing done,” as polite as a piled basket of chips. she stepped up to me and said, “are they ready, sir?” “no,” said i, “i will be up in a few minutes,” (we always do things by minutes.) “i will call for them,” said she. i descended and found a good dinner, after which i walked into the newsroom, where i found several of the merchants of liverpool assembled to read and discuss the prevailing topics of interest. seated close to a table on which was the london times, new york tribune and herald, the french journal, called the moniteur, besides several other journals of lesser note, was a noble looking gentleman. on the other side of this feast of news was another noble and intellectual looking gentleman. these were noblemen from different parts of england. they were quietly discussing the weak points in american policy. one held that if the negroes of the southern states were fit for freedom, it would be an easy matter for four million of slaves to raise the standard of liberty, and maintain it against 250,000 slaveholders. the other gentleman held that it was very true, but they needed some white man, well posted in the south, with courage enough to plot the entree. he continued, at great length, to show the feasibility under a french plotter. he closed with this expression, “one intelligent frenchman like ledru rollin could do the whole thing before it could be known.” i came to the conclusion that they were not so careful in the expression of their views as i thought they ought to be. i was quite sure that they would not be allowed to use such treasonable language at orleans or charleston as that they had just indulged in.
sitting in my room about an hour after hearing this nauseous language, mary came for the clothes, for that is what she asked for. i requested mary to wait until monday morning, for the fact was, i had no clothes—they were in the custom house. here mary began to show more familiarity than i had ever shown, but she only expressed enough to show me that she only wished to return for my clothes when they were ready. i gave her to understand that nothing would give me more pleasure than to have her return again for them.
two weeks have gone by. i am now packing my trunk for london. in half an hour, the evening express train leaves here for a five hours’ cruise over farms of rich and poor, like a streak of lightning. i find on the day of departure that the servants are like the servants of all parts of my own country. it is impossible for me to do anything for myself. i have offers from nearly all parts of the hotel, volunteering to do all that is to be done and more too.—before i commenced packing my trunk, i went down to the bureau (office) to have my bill made out. as i passed along the passage i saw a large man with slippers on, with a cap denoting cookery, bowing and scraping. i instantly perceived that my fame, as an american, had reached the culinary sanctum. i requested the clerk to have my bill ready, but found that i was too late in the information to be given. my bill was already made out.
a quarter to 5 o’clock, i showed to mary, my sincere wishes for her welfare, and left my apartment. her cap was neater than when i located there; her apron was whiter, and her hair was neater. i done my duty to the advice given by murray, who is the author of the guide book of all europe, asia, and even africa. he says that it is best to give a small bonus to the menials in public or private houses. the landlord, saw me in the coach and wished me a happy voyage to london. when the coach moved gradually away from that small hotel, it carried lingering thoughts of friendship and comfort. i thought of the kind attention, and obedient but commanding language of all i had seen, and the moral came home to my heart, saying “you have value received.” i reflected on mary’s cap and snow white apron; the old porter’s hopeful countenance; the dining room servants; and how well they seemed to be pleased, when the driver stopped my coach and landed me at the london station in a good humor. all aboard! the cars, (express train in a hurry) dashed on with fury, and i found myself a happy man on my way to london.
