g is rather peculiar, the men may be useful,
but I don't believe there will be a great deal of cotton raised under
their superintendence.

_Str. Atlantic, March 5._ We all repaired to the Collector's[3] house
Sunday evening, and were sworn in squads of half a dozen with our
hands on the Bible, after which our passports were made out and signed
by Mr. Barney in his library with the whole thirty-three of us
standing about.

[The next morning] I found Collector Barney on the pier with his Bible
and papers, swearing in the rest of the New York delegation. The last
of the cargo was slung aboard about eleven, and we started off at
quarter past, in a drizzling rain, freezing fast to everything it
touched. Our Boston party consisted of twenty-nine men and four
women; the New York one of twenty-three men and eight women, including
those from Washington, making sixty-four in all. At dinner (2 P. M.)
we found some one hundred and twenty cabin passengers, besides a lot
of recruits, perhaps one hundred in all, who live forward. The larger
part of the _Atlantic's_ staterooms have been taken out to make room
for stowing troops or cargo, leaving enough for only about half our
number. These rooms were assigned by the Steward and Mr. Pierce[4] to
the ladies and the oldest of us gentlemen; so I got one with Uncle
Richard,[5] for most of our party are quite youthful. Half a dozen
ladies sat on the bare deck (no other seats provided), during most of
the evening, singing Methodist hymns and glory hallelujah till after
nine o'clock. I have talked with several of our party, and got
slightly acquainted, chiefly with Messrs. Hooper,[6] G----,[7] and
Mack; also with Mr. Forbes.[8] There is a general medley of cabin
passengers, recruits, sutlers' and quartermasters' agents, and crew,
the latter not being dressed in uniform, but in nondescript old
garments such as can be found at any old Isaac's shop. Those
passengers who are outside our party are coarse-looking and
disagreeable,--Mr. Forbes and Mr. Augustus Hurd of Boston being almost
the only exceptions. I had some talk with Mr. Pierce yesterday about
your coming on, and he said as soon as I found it advisable he would
send you a pass, but I am very glad you are not here now, for I don't
believe these ladies will find anything but bare boards to sleep on.

_Thursday evening, March 6._ We had a sort of lecture from Mr. Pierce
before dinner, consisting of some very appropriate and sensible advic