ing, begins to ring most furiously: and people keep
time to the bell, by running in and out of our boat at a double-quick
pace. The bell stops; the boat starts: people who have been taking leave
of their friends on board, are carried away against their will; and
people who have been taking leave of their friends on shore, find that
they have performed a very needless ceremony, in consequence of their not
being carried away at all. The regular passengers, who have season
tickets, go below to breakfast; people who have purchased morning papers,
compose themselves to read them; and people who have not been down the
river before, think that both the shipping and the water, look a great
deal better at a distance.

When we get down about as far as Blackwall, and begin to move at a
quicker rate, the spirits of the passengers appear to rise in proportion.
Old women who have brought large wicker hand-baskets with them, set
seriously to work at the demolition of heavy sandwiches, and pass round a
wine-glass, which is frequently replenished from a flat bottle like a
stomach-warmer, with considerable glee: handing it first to the gentleman
in the foraging-cap, who plays the harp--partly as an expression of
satisfaction with his previous exertions, and partly to induce him to
play 'Dumbledumbdeary,' for 'Alick' to dance to; which being done, Alick,
who is a damp earthy child in red worsted socks, takes certain small
jumps upon the deck, to the unspeakable satisfaction of his family
circle. Girls who have brought the first volume of some new novel in
their reticule, become extremely plaintive, and expatiate to Mr. Brown,
or young Mr. O'Brien, who has been looking over them, on the blueness of
the sky, and brightness of the water; on which Mr. Brown or Mr. O'Brien,
as the case may be, remarks in a low voice that he has been quite
insensible of late to the beauties of nature, that his whole thoughts and
wishes have centred in one object alone--whereupon the young lady looks
up, and failing in her attempt to appear unconscious, looks down again;
and turns over the next leaf with great difficulty, in order to afford
opportunity for a lengthened pressure of the hand.

Telescopes, sandwiches, and glasses of brandy-and-water cold without,
begin to be in great requisition; and bashful men who have been looking
down the hatchway at the engine, find, to their great relief, a subject
on which they can converse with one another--and a copious