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Hartwig, Theodore E. F. / Letters, 1846 and 1851 [Transcriptions]
Call Number, SC 167
Cedarburg (Wis) September 25, 1846, pp. [1]-23
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Page 11
11 made good headway and during the whole day we were racing witha steamer which could not over-take us. The wind was so steady and good taht one did not notice the least movement, and on Monday morning at four we were already in the Channel between Calais and Dover. We could recognize the towers of both cities quite clearly. The English coast is really charmingly beautiful--the shore is composed entirely of high white cliffs, and on these lie in colorful variation, glorious forests, meadows, fields, villages, cities, country homes, old ruins and light houses; and the channel swarms with shipping of every sort and one does not know which way to turn one's glaces. Toward afternoon the wind suddently abated considerably and in a half hour the wind was totatlly contrary. The weather then began to be stormy and hcangeable and the passengers began to suffer. It was now necessary to tack in order to prevent the ship from being driven backward by the wind, so the ship lay first on one side and then on the opposite, and because of the waves, one to two rods high, which rolled against her sides, the ship rocked so fearfully that a land lubber could not stand on his feet. Soon the consequences of this unaccustomed movement showed themselves in all corners. There was a retching and groaning that one became fearful and afraid. I kept myself on the upper deck, where at first I was drenched by the spray of the beating waves, but at the same time felt real well, and the more the ship danced the better it pleased me. This stormy rainy weather continued for eight days, and
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