great and prime instrument of changing the state of society. Let public schools be established at the expense of the government, and the children be well educated; let houses of industry and penitentiaries be founded; in short, let the great mass of the people be enlightened, and there will be no danger of the world relapsing into popery. I cannot but think, that the benevolent efforts of Bible Societies, and other charities, in England, which seek for objects in remote parts of the earth, might with more philanthropy, and with a better prospect of success, be directed to the lower classes in Ireland, thousands of whom have almost as little claim to civilization, or to the enlightened principles of Christianity, as the Chinese or the islanders of the Pacific Ocean.* At 6 o'clock in the evening of the 11th we embarked at Dublin on board the steam-packet, for Liverpool. The bustle and confusion incident to our departure, and indeed during the whole passage, presented such scenes, as we had never before witnessed. Our boat was a second ark, containing all sorts of beasts and creeping things. A considerable part of the cargo was taken in, after our arrival at the dock. It consisted, in the first place, of a stratum of horses, something like a hundred in number, occupying the hold. The process of letting them down, struck us as novel. A box sufficiently large to hold a horse is placed upon deck, with a sliding door at each end. The animal is led in, enclosed, and swung down ten or fifteen feet into the hold. A man descends on the moveable stable, to open it and stow away the animal. Above the horses was a stratum of sheep, one hundred and fifty in number, going to the Liverpool market. On the deck were numerous crates of geese, ducks, pigs, and poultry, with all sorts of lumber thrown promiscuously together. To complete the freight, between two and three hundred Irish, consisting of men, women, and children, with their baggage and provisions, were strewed among the rubbish upon the deck of the boat. They were going over to England, with their families, to labour during the harvest. A gentleman on board informed me, that they make three harvests annually-the first in England, the se *It is urged by the protestants of England, that they have instituted schools in Ireland, and laboured in the cause of education; but that it has been found wholly impracticable either to persuade or compel the children of catholic parents, under the influence of the priesthood, to embrace the advantages of instruction freely held out to them. cond in Ireland, and the third in Scotland. The difference in the seasons of the three countries is sufficient to give them time to cross and re-cross the channel. Scenes were exhibited at the embarkation and on the voyage, which I sighed for the pencil of a Hogarth to portray. One group in particular arrested our attention. It consisted of a whole family, husband, wife, sons and daughters, seated upon their baggage in a corner of the deck. Their poor neighbours were constantly pouring in, one after another, bringing little presents of cakes, fruits, and other comforts, shaking hands, shedding a parting tear, and giving the parting kiss, with many benedictions. From the formality of so many long farewells and last words, we concluded they were emigrants bound to America, and taking leave of their friends forever, until we were informed that the separation was only for a few weeks. There were other scenes less tragic, where Mathews might have gleaned new materials for his exhibitions. In the bustle of taking in the freight of horses, sheep, and baggage, one passenger was knocked off the plank into the dock, mantled with a thick scum. Fortunately he was not much encumbered with garments. The crowd upon the wharf cried out, "swim, Pat!"-others, "throw a rope!" The good fellow buffeted it with lusty sinews, looking up wistfully to the spectators, some of whom were laughing and others weeping at the accident. He reached the steps in safety, and shook the wreaths of seaweed from his brow, with no other loss than that of his sugar-loaf hat. When the boat reached the swell, the confusion deepened. Some were drinking, singing and carousing; others huddled into corners with affright. All sorts of noises were heard, from the gabbling of the geese to the squalling of children. The deck was literally covered, in some spots two or three deep, lying length-wise and cross-wise, ith the dying and the dead. A part of them had fallen gallantly by the influence of the bottle, which circulated freely, and was taken " by the word of mouth," to adopt a phrase suited to the theme. Others met a more unwelcome fate, in sinking gradually, from the motion of the ship. There was a glorious uneertainty to which of these causes, the sufferer was a victim. The cabin passengers were separated from the multitude, occupying the after part of the boat, elevated several feet, and presenting a full view of the field before them. Had any serious accident befallen the ship, the loss of hundreds of lives would have been inevitable, as there were but two small boats on board. The "Town of Liverpool” is a vessel of about three hundred tons; but as unlike our steam-boats in style and accommodations, as Hyperion to a satyr. There is no forward cabin, and the after one is small and inconvenient. The deck, as already mentioned, is lumbered with freight, Almost the only good point about the packet is her machinery, which is safe, and drives her forward at the rate of about ten miles an hour, consuming in that time something more than a ton of coal. Owing to her promiscuous cargo, the air is a villanous compound, and said to resemble that of a Guinea trader. It is impossible to keep her clean, and we suffered more from bilge-water or something worse, in crossing the channel, than during the whole passage in the Corinthian. The captain is a modest, clever man, attentive to the wants of the passengers, and willing to do every thing in his power to render them comfortable. It is said the other boats on this line are much better, and several new ones are building, which will commence running in the course of the season. They pass in all kinds of weather, winter and summer, although the sea in the channel is often rougher and more dangerous than any part of the ocean. The fare across for cabin passengers is a guinea each, with half a crown to the steward, whether you receive any benefit at his hands or not. This latter fee may be considered as a species of imposition, since the person who receives it is other wise well rewarded for his services, and has amassed a handsome property, amounting to something like 20,000l. As we receded from Dublin, the view of the bay, harbour, and town was extremely picturesque. It was a calm and bright evening, the fleecy clouds reposing in the utmost tranquillity upon the hills surrounding the city, and the sun, as it sunk towards the horizon, gilding the spires, turrets, and castles with a golden splendour. On either side of the bay, which was covered with boats and vessels under easy sail, are high promontories, extending far into the Channel, and forming the entrance of the harbour. Back of these on your right in leaving the city, the hills rise in peaks to the height of perhaps a thousand feet, which seen in connexion with the blue waters of the sea, the city, and works of art along the shores, present a rich and enchanting prospect. On the left, close under the head-land, we passed "Ireland's eye," a fantastic little island, composed of naked rock, skirted with low and green margin. In either direction, up and down the Channel, verdant promontories are seen projecting into the sea, until their dim summits fade into water and sky. By sunset the last speck of land had disappeared. Strange as it may seem, it afforded us real pleasure to find ourselves once more bounding over the billows. The sea in one short voyage had become a familiar acquaintance, and there was music in the waves as they foamed and dashed round the ship. We wrapped ourselves in our cloaks, and remained on deck till a late hour, finding it much more comfortable than a confined cabin. At 1 o'clock in the morning, the boat passed Holy Head. Its light, as also the one at the harbour, and on the shores, were visible at the same time, appearing like stars twinkling upon the water. The moon, with her form wasted to a crescent from the full-orbed splendour, in which she had lighted our pathway upon the ocean, rose from the waves, and added much to the scene. By 5 o'clock, we were in full view of the mountains of Wales, lifting their high tops and basking in the beams of a bright morning. This shore is not less bold and rugged, than the one which had just been left behind. Lofty eminences are seen projecting into the Channel, with perpendicular white cliffs. Our approach to Liverpool was extremely interesting. The town is situated upon the right bank of the Mersey, concealed by a point of land, until you are within a short distance of it. The port is not easy of access, the channel being narrow and crooked. Fleets of vessels of every description were seen entering and leaving the harbour, with their white sails gilded by the sun. Our boat cut her way through the multitude, affording us an apportunity to read their names, and to perceive, with mingled feelings of pride and pleasure, that many of them were from New York and other parts of the United States. Half a dozen steamboats were also descending the river, some of them with great rapidity, and others having ships in tow. Over the town a heavy cloud of smoke hung, so thick as to render the spires of the churches scarcely discernible. By 8 o'clock, the packet was ascending the rapid current of the Mersey, which hurries on at the rate of six miles the hour; and before 9 o'clock we were comfortably settled at the King's Arms Hotel. LETTER V. LIVERPOOL. July, 1825.--It would be sheer affectation in me to pretend that I felt on landing at Liverpool any of those high and intense emotions, which have thrilled through the hearts of others. The first step upon the shores of our ancestors, the land of story and of song, which has occupied so much of our thoughts from the days of boyhood, awakened a few of the ten thousand strains of ideas, with which the Island is associated. There was no kneeling to kiss the parent earth, and less enthusiasm at our debarkation, than was anticipated. Indeed, I can yet hardly realize, that I am in the land of Shakespeare, Milton, Newton, Locke, and Chatham. The apathy of feeling may perhaps in some measure be accounted for from our gradual approach. A ride through Ireland; the habit of gazing day after day upon the ruins of castles and other antiquities; a survey of scenery not dissimilar and equally consecrated by genius, had doubtless in some degree blunted the edge of feeling, and rendered curiosity less eager. A Another reason may be found in the external appearance of Liverpool, which is comparatively a modern town, not unlike New-York. Although it was founded eight hundred years ago, yet the greater part of it has sprung up within the last half century. By a comparison of its number of houses. and population at different periods, I find that its recent growth has been nearly as rapid as that of our metropolis. Not a vestige of its ancient appearance now remains. spirit of improvement, an accession of population, and the conveniences of commerce have swept away every relic of antiquity, and left no monuments to carry the mind back to other times. Even taste has in many instances yielded to a spirit of enterprise, and been violated by a thirst for gain. The castles of the Molyneuxs and the Stanleys have been demolished and removed even to the last stone; new churches are erected on the sites of ancient structures; and the mariner, as he spreads his canvass to the breeze, no longer |