There was
great risk of making mistakes in the hurry; and the remark of an old
sailor, that the vessel could "easily be known by the Yankee flag flying
at the fore," served only still further to confuse the many, who could
not tell one flag from another. However, a small tug-steamer soon
appeared with a dirty piece of bunting, just recognizable as the famous
"star-spangled banner," flying at the fore; and her deck was in a few
minutes so crowded, that orders were issued to take no more on board,
and away we steamed, leaving about a hundred people to exercise their
patience until the steamer's return. A man at my elbow, who afterward
appeared in the capacity of money-taker, whispered, "There's the
_captin_" and on looking up the gangway, I saw

"A man of middle age,
In aspect manly, grave, and sage,"

looking calmly in the direction of the colossal ship of which he was the
commander; his complexion browned by exposure to sun and wind, storm and
spray; and his whole demeanor indicating the calm strength acquired by
long familiarity with the elements in their roughest moods. As we
approached the ship, her appearance was not prepossessing. She is
undoubtedly clumsy; the three masts are low, the funnel is short and
dumpy, there is no bowsprit, and her sides are painted black, relieved
only by one long streak of dark red. Her length between the
perpendiculars--that is, the length of her keel--is 276 feet; breadth
(exclusive of paddle-boxes), 45; thus keeping up the proportion, as old
as Noah's ark, of six feet of length to one of breadth. The stern is
rounded, having in the centre the American eagle, clasping the starred
and striped shield, but no other device. The figure-head is of colossal
dimensions, intended, say some, for Neptune; others say that it is the
"old Triton blowing his wreathed horn," so lovingly described by
Wordsworth; and some wags assert that it is the proprietor of the ship
blowing his own trumpet. The huge bulk of the _Atlantic_ was more
perceptible by contrast with the steamer--none of the smallest--that was
now alongside; for though the latter was large enough to accommodate
about four hundred people on deck, yet its funnel scarcely reached as
high as the bulwarks of the _Atlantic_. The diameter of the
paddle-wheels is 36 feet; and the floats, many of which, split and
broken, were lying about in the water, are nearly 15 feet long. The
depth of the hold is 31 feet, and the estimated burden 28