n. He
was short and swarthy, with crisped black hair; blind of one eye, and
lame of one leg--the very commander that he had seen in his dream!
Surprised and aroused, he considered the scene more attentively, and
recalled still further traces of his dream: the appearance of the
vessel, of the river, and of a variety of other objects, accorded with
the imperfect images vaguely rising to recollection.

As he stood musing on these circumstances, the captain suddenly called
out to him in Dutch, "Step on board, young man, or you'll be left
behind!" He was startled by the sum mons; he saw that the sloop was
cast loose, and was actually moving from the pier; it seemed as if he
was actuated by some irresistible impulse; he sprang upon the deck,
and the next moment the sloop was hurried off by the wind and tide.
Dolph's thoughts and feelings were all in tumult and confusion. He had
been strongly worked upon by the events that had recently befallen
him, and could not but think that there was some connexion between his
present situation and his last night's dream. He felt as if he was
under supernatural influence; and he tried to assure himself with an
old and favourite maxim of his, that "one way or other, all would turn
out for the best." For a moment, the indignation of the doctor at his
departure without leave, passed across his mind--but that was matter
of little moment. Then he thought of the distress of his mother at his
strange disappearance, and the idea gave him a sudden pang; he would
have entreated to be put on shore; but he knew with such wind and tide
the entreaty would have been in vain. Then, the inspiring love of
novelty and adventure came rushing in full tide through his bosom; he
felt himself launched strangely and suddenly on the world, and under
full way to explore the regions of wonder that lay up this mighty
river, and beyond those blue mountains that had bounded his horizon
since childhood. While he was lost in this whirl of thought, the sails
strained to the breeze; the shores seemed to hurry away behind him;
and, before he perfectly recovered his self-possession, the sloop was
ploughing her way past Spiking-devil and Yonkers, and the tallest
chimney of the Manhattoes had faded from his sight.

I have said, that a voyage up the Hudson in those days was an
undertaking of some moment; indeed, it was as much thought of as a
voyage to Europe is at present. The sloops were often many days on the
way; the cauti