It
Was Interesting, Too, To Watch The Less Adventurous Newsman, Who
Made His Assault As The Vessel Swept Through The Narrows, Defying
Plague And Quarantine Law, And, Fastening His Little Cockboat To
Her Huge Side, Clambered Up And Disappeared In The Cabin.
And
then I could imagine what momentous news was being imparted by
the captain, which no American ear had
Ever heard, that Asia,
Africa, Europe - were all sunk; for which at length he pays the
price, and is seen descending the ship's side with his bundle of
newspapers, but not where he first got up, for these arrivers do
not stand still to gossip; and he hastes away with steady sweeps
to dispose of his wares to the highest bidder, and we shall
erelong read something startling, - "By the latest arrival," - "by
the good ship - - ." On Sunday I beheld, from some interior hill,
the long procession of vessels getting to sea, reaching from the
city wharves through the Narrows, and past the Hook, quite to the
ocean stream, far as the eye could reach, with stately march and
silken sails, all counting on lucky voyages, but each time some
of the number, no doubt, destined to go to Davy's locker, and
never come on this coast again. And, again, in the evening of a
pleasant day, it was my amusement to count the sails in sight.
But as the setting sun continually brought more and more to
light, still farther in the horizon, the last count always had
the advantage, till, by the time the last rays streamed over the
sea, I had doubled and trebled my first number; though I could no
longer class them all under the several heads of ships, barks,
brigs, schooners, and sloops, but most were faint generic
_vessels_ only.
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