That Portion Of This Space, Which I Now See Surrounding Me, Is A
Most Delightful Selection From The Whole Of Beautiful Nature.
Here
is the Thames full of large and small ships and boats, dispersed
here and there, which are either sailing on with us, or lying at
anchor; and there the hills on either side, clad with so soft and
mild a green, as I have nowhere else ever seen equalled.
The
charming banks of the Elbe, which I so lately quitted, are as much
surpassed by these shores as autumn is by spring! I see everywhere
nothing but fertile and cultivated lands; and those living hedges
which in England more than in any other country, form the boundaries
of the green cornfields, and give to the whole of the distant
country the appearance of a large and majestic garden. The neat
villages and small towns with sundry intermediate country seats,
suggest ideas of prosperity and opulence which is not possible to
describe.
The prospect towards Gravesend is particularly beautiful. It is a
clever little town, built on the side of a hill; about which there
lie hill and dale and meadows, and arable land, intermixed with
pleasure grounds and country seats; all diversified in the most
agreeable manner. On one of the highest of these hills near
Gravesend stands a windmill, which is a very good object, as you see
it at some distance, as well as part of the country around it, on
the windings of the Thames. But as few human pleasures are ever
complete and perfect, we too, amidst the pleasing contemplation of
all these beauties, found ourselves exposed on the quarter-deck to
uncommonly cold and piercing weather. An unintermitting violent
shower of rain has driven me into the cabin, where I am now
endeavouring to divert a gloomy hour by giving you the description
of a pleasing one.
CHAPTER II.
London, 2nd June.
This morning those of us who were fellow passengers together in the
great cabin, being six in number, requested to be set on shore in a
boat, a little before the vessel got to Dartford, which is still
sixteen miles from London. This expedient is generally adopted,
instead of going up the Thames, towards London, where on account of
the astonishing number of ships, which are always more crowded
together the nearer you approach the city, it frequently requires
many days before a ship can finish her passage. He therefore who
wishes to lose no time unnecessarily, and wishes also to avoid other
inconveniences, such as frequent stoppages, and perhaps, some
alarming dashings against other ships, prefers travelling those few
miles by land in a post-chaise, which is not very expensive,
especially when three join together, as three passengers pay no more
than one. This indulgence is allowed by act of parliament.
As we left the vessel we were honoured with a general huzza, or in
the English phrase with three cheers, echoed from the German sailors
of our ship.
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