the
summons.

The machinery which propels the ship consists of two engines, each of
500 horse-power, the engines of the old line being also two in number,
but only about 400 horse-power each Such cylinders, and shafts, and
pistons, and beams are, I believe unrivaled in the world. There are
four boilers, each heated by eight furnaces, in two rows of four each.
The consumption of coal is about fifty tons every twenty-four hours;
"and that," said one of the engineers, "is walking pretty fast into a
coal-mine, I guess!" According to the calculations of the very wise men
who predicted the failure of Atlantic steam navigation, such a vessel as
the _Atlantic_ ought to carry 3700 tons of coal; but it will be seen
that one-fourth of that quantity is more than enough, even making
allowance for extra stores to provide against accidents. In the
engine-room is a long box with five compartments, each communicating
with a wire fastened like a bell-pull to the side of the paddle-box.
These handles are marked respectively, "ahead," "slow," "fast," "back,"
and "hook-on;" and whenever one is pulled, a printed card with the
corresponding signal appears in the box opposite the engineer, who has
to act accordingly. There is thus no noise of human voices on board this
ship: the helmsman steers by his bells, the engineer works by the
telegraph, and the steward waits by the annunciator.

Two traces of national habits struck me very much. Even in the finest
saloon there are, in places where they would be least expected, handsome
"spittoons," the upper part fashioned like a shell, and painted a
sea-green or sky-blue color, thus giving ample facility for indulging in
that practice of spitting of which Americans are so fond. Again, much
amusement was caused by the attempt of one of the officers in charge of
the communication between the small steamer and the _Atlantic_ to
prevent the gentlemen from leaving the latter until the ladies had
seated themselves on the former. The appearance of the deck, crowded
with ladies only, and a host of gentlemen kept back, some impatient to
get down, but the greater part entering into the humor of the thing, was
quite new to English ideas. It is but fair to add that the ladies did
not seem to like it; and that, when the steamer again came alongside, it
was not repeated.

Upon the whole, this Atlantic steamer is really worthy of the great
country from which she has come. If, in shape and general appearance,
sh