ARRIVAL-INSPECTION.

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As the night came on, and we passed various vessels in the channel, signals were exchanged by rockets.

22. By daybreak we had passed the Isle of Man. Approaching the mouth of the Mersey, we encountered the fogs of England. It was not until the sun was well up, before they dispersed sufficiently, to enable us to discern numerous sail and steam vessels, and to take a pilot. The Dublin steamboat came near to us as we entered the river, and tried to race with us; but after an hour's effort fell back. The pilot entered at eight in the morning, and by a quarter past nine we had anchored in the channel between Liverpool and Birkenhead. The guns which were fired from the "Europa" and the "Arctic," one of the Collins steamers, echoed with great grandeur from the heights of Birkenhead and the hills on which Liverpool stands.

The voyage has been accomplished from casting off chains to casting anchor, allowing for time gained, in ten days and eighteen hours, and from pilot to pilot in ten days and thirteen and a half hours. In every respect it has been prosperous-much less sickness than I had expected; pleasant company; nothing disagreeable in passengers or officers; ves sel well governed, as much regularity as in a garrison; bells striking every half hour, in numbers from one to eight, when watch was changed, and meals served with punctuality. My heart rejoiced in the kindness and care of God, whose gracious providence has prospered us on our way. I thought of beloved ones at home, and vainly wished to look in upon them, that I might see how they were, and tell them of my safety.

While indulging in such thoughts, and hoping to have got ashore in time for morning worship, a small steamer came along side, and hav ing taken off the mails and Lieut. Scriven, the admiralty agent, put on the "Europa" three custom-house officers. These dignitaries brought their boards and benches, scales and other paraphernalia, with them. They notified us that we must have our trunks examined, after which we should be passed aboard the steamer and landed. Accordingly everything was bustle servants carrying up trunks and arranging them on deck, and passengers all busy to prepare for their being examined. The passage on one side of the vessel, from the companion way of the cabin to the place of debarking on the side of the ship, was soon blocked up by a fence erected by Queen Victoria's revenue collectors. In due season each passenger's name was called in the order of the number of his berth, when he and his trunks were marshaled for examination. The first one or two were severely scrutinized. A gentleman from Jamaica-a Scotchman, the gentleman who had recently drawn, by lottery, a prize of one hundred thousand dollars,

and was returning to his native land on a visit with his wife and children, and others in his care-had some thirty trunks and packages. The scrutiny was chiefly for segars and books. He had to pay heavily for a quantity of the former, all over half a pound being charged duty at the rate of nine shillings and sixpence per pound. A number of Harper's magazine was confiscated. His plate was also seized, and he had to give bonds and let it go to London, where he must make his representations, pay duties, and get it released. My number being fifty, it was some time before I had to appear. When called, I unlocked my trunk at the direction of the officers, who had it paraded on a bench. Three subordinates and one overseer were at work inspecting. The latter put me in mind of Dickens' "Deportment Gentleman," described in a late number of the Bleak House. When asked if I had any contraband articles in my trunk, I replied that I believed not, and opened my trunk for their inspection. "Any sealed letters." I replied I had none. While looking over my books, they seized Ollendorf's Italian grammar, printed and published in New York, alleging that its redemption would be an invasion of the copy-right-no redemption for it was allowed. All else passed. The official eagerly seized one or two articles of medicine, and a couple of small boxes covered with yellow paper, asking if they were watches. On hearing that they were medicines, &c., he dropped his prize, felt in the top of my trunk a little, and passing it with the stamp attached, I was ordered to take` my departure. On descending into the boat "along side," another official stood there to examine the overcoat pockets. On being asked whether mine contained anything contraband, I replied that I believed not, not knowing exactly what they did contain, but he might examine for himself. He accordingly felt the pockets, but did not turn out their contents. I supposed they contained newspapers only, but on getting to my hotel, found in one of them the same (August) number of Harper, which had been confiscated for Mr. Orr. On reaching shore our baggage was taken charge of by a porter, who delivered it to the driver of what they called a "van," belonging to the hotel we named. The Adelphi was that generally selected by the passengers. We were told all would be safe, and directed to take seats in an omnibus awaiting us on the street at the head of St. George's pier. The assurances were all confided in and fully verified, and at about eleven in the forenoon we were quartered in our hotel. The room assigned me was a small one, with one window, two beds, low ceilings, and up three pair of stairs. Upon complaining about it, we were told it was the "Assizes," and the Chancellor's court was in session, and the house being full there were but few rooms to spare, so we had to make the

HOTEL IN LIVERPOOL.

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best of it. This hotel, though much lauded and resorted to also by Americans, is far from being a pleasant or even a comfortable abode, and contrasts very disadvantageously with those in the United States. The entries on the lower floor are all crowded with trunks at one end, and filled up with offices at the other. There is not a seat to sit down upon, and the only room into which a person can withdraw, (unless he visits his own private parlor), is the eating room filled with tables of dimensions, for the accommodation of from one to six or eight persons. The eating saloon is immediately on the left hand as you enter the house from the front of Ranleigh Place. It is nearly always occupied with some hungry visitants, like the refectories in New York, coming and going continually; for, from the time breakfast ends with some, the hours ranging from nine till twelve, not more than an hour or so intervenes, till others want their dinner, which continues till seven o'clock and after, and supper from nine till midnight. The waiting is not prompt when there are several tables to be served. Each person, if alone, or each separate party, has to call for their meal, and designate of the soups and fish, and joints or meats, and fowls and tarts the dishes they will have, which, after waiting from fifteen to twenty minutes, are served up in course-different courses being provided at different hours. I was surprised to see the quantity of wine, ale and porter that was drank. There was scarcely any one who did not call for strong wines, of which sherry seemed to be the favorite, and used plentifully, never less than a bottle being called for, and some ordered sherry, champagne, and port, all together. We practiced upon our American principles of temperance, and, after the first day, partook our meals alone. For several hours on the Sabbath I remained in my room, and found when I came down, that the passengers of the "Europa" had arranged it to have a "table d'hote," for a superb dinner expressly prepared. The room, however, was not large enough to admit the ladies, and they were served in one adjoining. Winedrinking guests, by such arrangements, tax the friends of temperance pretty dearly, when, as in our case, ignorant of the usages. English cooking is good, and the supply abundant; but it seems to me that the chief thought and care are for eating and drinking, regardless almost of every thing else. The expenses of living here are high, footing up rapidly by reason of every thing being separately charged; bed 2s 6d per night; a very moderate breakfast, 2s 6d; lunch and dinner, 3s 6d; tea, 1s 6d, and supper, 2s 6d-55 cents, 77 cents, 33 cents, with servants' wages added; making, altogether, about $3.50 per day. It struck me with surprise to see a fine looking female keeping the books of the hotel and assigning the rooms for lodgings. Female waiters

also attend upon the chambers, and do the errands in answer to the bell.

In the evening, Dr. Cook and myself took a carriage and rode to hear Dr. Hugh McNeille preach in St. Paul's church, which is on the Aigburth road, more than a mile distant. I was very much pleased with his discourse, and was rejoiced to see so large and serious-like looking an audience, attentively listening to the gospel preached with great plainness and force. He read the Scriptures admirably, but left the reading of prayers to the curate, prayed extemporaneously before commencing his discourse, and after he had concluded it. There was no singing at the close. All the congregation joined in the chanting of the Psalter. The house, though very large, was filled; benches, in wide spaces, were occupied by plainer looking people, who had their prayer books and their bibles, and accompanied the reading of the service; some silently, some aloud. Many of them were young men, and not a few young women and children. The congregation generally appeared to be of the middling and lower class of society. The church is of the Gothic style of architecture, consisting of a simple nave with choir at the end of it-the pulpit standing out in front of the chancel, and on a line with the transept. I observed no attempt at the imitation of an altar, but only a simple table for the communion. The transept has galleries on each side of the pulpit, and so conveniently situated as to be fully in view of the pulpit, but not of the congregation in the nave, the fronts being even with the walls of the lat

ter.

The twilight here is long, and the services, which were commenced by daylight, were concluded by the aid of gas-light, gradually increased as the darkness approached.

The church stands on the end of an extensive and beautiful park, near to which is the rector's house. The grounds around are tastefully laid out, and adorned with shrubbery and grass, walks and flowers; the ivy spreads itself thickly abroad in places over the sides of the building. We entered at the door of one of the transepts, and were immediately met (the evening service had commenced) by a man in a large flowing worsted black gown, who, in connection with another similarly clad, on the opposite side, during the whole time before the commencement of the discourse, was looking out and walking around to discern vacant seats, and escort strangers to them. Our position was assigned us near the reading desk, in front of the pulpit. Sitting on the left hand of the speaker, and near to him, we had a fair opportunity both to hear his voice and see his countenance. The organ, at the end of the nave and opposite the pulpit, was played softly and

DISCOURSE, ST. MARY'S CHURCH.

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sweetly, without interludes and symphonies. The voices of the choir, while perfectly audible, did not sound loudly above those of the congregation. At the close of the services, when the congregation rose to leave the house, the organ did not burst loudly forth with thundering peals, but commenced softly and tenderly, gradually swelling into deep and solemn tones. The hymn being first announced, while the people were turning to it in the books, the organ played the tune. After that, the hymn was read, and thereupon the organ and choir commenced, and the congregation generally united in the singing. The discourse was from Rom. xiii. 7: "Honor to whom honor," &c. It was a plain, well digested, practical enforcement of duty, after a brief explanation of the nature of the honor required, well calculated to do good, teaching the spirit of the gospel and betraying an anxiety to instruct as well as to affect. There were conciseness of thought and diction, precision of language, gracefulness of manner, nothing affected or offensive, free from egotistical vanity. As a specimen of elocution, his delivery, in respect of voice, was melodious and powerful, and of natural variations of tone adapted to the varying sentiment and feeling, calculated admirably to hold the attention of the hearers.

CHAPTER II.

Birkenhead, its old Abby, its St. Mary's Church, its rapid growth and future prospects, -Chester, its Cathedral and its dead King,-Liverpool, its rise and the cause of it, its Public Buildings and Charitable Institutions, its Docks and Commercial greatness, its Gridiron and Observatory,-Progress towards Scotland,-Iron Foundries, -Agricultural Scenes.

AUGUST 23-After looking round some of the principal streets in Liverpool, I crossed to Birkenhead, a flourishing town on the opposite side of the Mersey, where I visited St. Mary's Church, and the ruins of the old Abbey adjoining, now carefully preserved in the parts that remain, and which are closed, being attached to the end of the Rector's house. His servant man, for a small pecuniary compensation, produced the written history of the place in the possession of the Rector's family, and gave us all the information he himself possessed, and led us through the grounds, expressing his pleasure in waiting on Americans. The hall is the chief part remaining, in which are growing a beech and other very large trees more than two centuries old. It was founded a. D. 1190, and has been in ruins for 300 years. To the east side of the hall is the crypt which is covered by the Rector's garden, and part of it was converted into a stable for his horse and cow. The court space or quadrangle is about 70 feet, on the east side