450 horse-power, Captain Fronson commander, which leaves
for Calcutta every month.

As the fares are most exorbitant, {116} I was advised to take a
third-class ticket, and hire a cabin from one of the engineers or
petty officers; I was greatly pleased with the notion, and hastened
to carry it out. My astonishment, however, may be imagined when, on
paying my fare, I was told that the third-class passengers were not
respectable, that they were obliged to sleep upon deck, and that the
moon was exceedingly dangerous, etc. It was in vain that I replied
I was the best judge of my own actions; I was obliged, unless I
chose to remain behind, to pay for one of the second places. This
certainly gave me a very curious idea of English liberty.

On the 25th of August, at 1 o'clock, P.M., I went on board. On
reaching the vessel I found no servant in the second places, and was
obliged to ask a sailor to take my luggage into the cabin. This
latter was certainly anything but comfortable. The furniture was of
the most common description, the table was covered with stains and
dirt, and the whole place was one scene of confusion. I inquired
for the sleeping cabin, and found there was but one for both sexes.
I was told to apply to one of the officials, who would no doubt
allow me to sleep somewhere else. I did so, and obtained a neat
little cabin in consequence, and the steward was kind enough to
propose that I should take my meals with his wife. I did not,
however, choose to accept the offer; I paid dearly enough, Heaven
knows, and did not choose to accept everything as a favour.
Besides, this was the first English steamer I had ever been on
board, and I was curious to learn how second-class passengers were
treated.

The company at our table consisted not only of the passengers, of
whom there were three besides myself, but of the cooks and waiters
of the first-class places, as well as of the butcher; or, in a word,
of every one of the attendants who chose to take "pot-luck" with us.
As for any etiquette in the article of costume, that was entirely
out of the question. Sometimes one of the company would appear
without either coat or jacket; the butcher was generally oblivious
of his shoes and stockings; and it was really necessary to be
endowed with a ravenous appetite to be enabled to eat anything with
such a set.

The bill of fare was certainly adapted to the crew and their
costume, but decidedly not to the passengers, wh