flourish in these distant lands, that they may enjoy peace, and live in honour and credit amongst nations, and that England, as the friend of liberty, may join with these Republics in an increasing commerce and friendly intercourse, and that the romantic story of enterprise and industry which Chile has to place before her sons may be an incentive to new and prudent works, adding to her credit, maintaining her financial prosperity, and reflecting favourably on all her people. Chile has able statesmen, men of great learning and experience in her councils; she has a literature of her own, and writers of genius in the departments of law and letters, and she has a people as brave, as industrious, and as faithful in friendships and service as any on which the sun sheds her refreshing influence on the boundless shores of the Pacific; and from San Francisco to Japan, or from Australia to her own snowclad mountains of the Cordilleras, there is no more promising land, and no people, with a population of only 2,000,000, possessing a more pleasant history. HENRY SWINGLEHURST.

SEPT. 17, 1880.

TRIP TO CHILE, 1860, VIA SOUTHAMPTON, WEST INDIES, PANAMA, AND LIMA.

MY

LETTERS.-FIRST PART.

SOUTHAMPTON,

AUGUST IST, 1860.

Y DEAR JANE,-After a very nice run I arrived here safely at 7 p.m., and feel quite well. In fact, now that I am on the road, I feel that I never started on a voyage in such health as I now enjoy. I know that you will feel sad, but I shall soon write you from the West Indies, and you will feel then that I am quite at home again. Remember me kindly to all in Gt:J.St., and be assured that nothing will please me so much as to hear that the children think of me, and pray for my happiness. Tell Rawson that I am deeply in debt to him for his sympathy and kindness, and wish him every good thing. Goodbye, my dearest wife. Yours, most affectionately,-HENRY.

(ROYAL MAIL STEAMER “SHANNON," 2,869 MILES
FROM ENGLAND).

ATLANTIC OCEAN,

MRS. HENRY SWINGLEHURST & FAMILY,

HARMONY HILL,

MILNTHORPE, WESTMORLAND.

AUGUST 13TH, 1860.

MY DEAR WIFE AND CHILDREN,-Here I am; far away, eleven days at sea, and in the best possible health. Driving through the north-east trades again, the thermometer standing at 88° in the shade, 24°, 36", north latitude, 52°, 24", west longitude. The steamer Shannon" is by far the finest vessel I have seen. She is three times the tonnage of the

66

Pacific mail steamers; she cost £140,000, is 345 feet long, 44 feet wide, 38 feet deep, 3,472 tons, and her engine 800 horse power; burns from 70 to 100 tons of coal daily; her length is about as far as from your coach house to the arbour at the top of the field, and your field of two acres would just hold six such vessels. On board are the Captain, 4 officers, 30 seamen, 44 firemen, 30 servants, to wait and cook, and I stewardess. There are more than 100 passengers, of whom 15 are ladies and 6 children; some black, others brown or white, being a mixture of gentlemen of colour, and whites, of English, French, Spanish, and other nations or colonies. Most of them residents of West Indies, bound to their homes and relatives; only H. and self for Chile. It would take Henry or Addison 200 of their largest strides to reach from one end of the ship to the other. There are many steamers for this line, and when we get to St. Thomas' (where I hope to post this letter), there will be six steamers waiting to take the mails and passengers to Colon, Havanna, Jamaica, &c., as per contract. The Government pays the Company every 15 days £10,000 for carrying the mails thus at the rate of ten and a half miles an hour. Our vessel can run 15, but she does not run this; yesterday she went 290 miles, and she had no more motion than if she had been standing on a river; and when one looks overboard, when the sea is calm, she seems to be standing still, as if on a huge river running quickly past her.

On the first night a poor fireman, dozing on one of the ladders, had his head cut off at one stroke, by falling into the engine room. Next night he was covered up and dropped into his deep, salt grave. He had been married only 15 days. We collected on board over £30 to send home to his poor widow.

The weather, when we left, for the first three days was cold and wet, and the sea rather rough, but when we passed the beautiful Western Isles, the Azores, which you will see on the map, we felt matters warmer and more cheery. We passed within three miles of St. Michaels', and could see the houses, and churches, and farmsteads. The island rises up to a sharp summit, serrated like the Andes, and is about 3,600 feet high at the greatest altitude. The fields are nicely laid out nearly to the top of the volcan like hills, and the place is steep all round like Whitbarrow Scar, in front of the sea, and it seems

as though it had been suddenly lifted up from the ocean depths. It must be a fine grape and fruit growing country, and a healthy spot. I was rather sickly a day or two, but did not get a free vomit. My haver bread was par excellence, but now I don't need it; I am in the best of health. We have prayers on Sundays, the noble Union Jack being spread on the table to bear the Bible and Common Prayer. Last Sunday the capstan was made the reading desk. More than 100 attended prayer on deck, sheltered by awnings from the hot sun. Oh! it is a noble sight on a large ship in mid-ocean to see God's creatures under His vast sky, borne lonely on the deep waters, thanking Him for past mercies, and praying for hope, and strength, and peace for those loved ones that many of us left at home far behind us. I felt sad and happy; I thought you would also pray for me.

I eat and drink with great moderation, mostly roast beef (my prime dish always), with soup, and a very trifle of pudding. Yet there is every variety of soups, meats, fowls, turkeys, geese, and other viands. We had sixty southdown sheep on board when we left, and lots of fowl; in fact, the food, the accommodation, the ship, are all that can be desired. By day the passengers stroll together, sit and smoke, joke and lark, read, or play chess, cards, or quoits, as suits their varied humours. At night they have all sorts of fun, sometimes conjuring, others setting "cappers," others singing, and some sit around a busy table, gambling heavily at cards. I wish this gambling were prevented; it leads many to ruin. There is lots of gossip; some flirtation. I have read much, thought much, felt in a happy melancholy. O! my good wife, how I look back with extreme terror on one or two chapters of the past, especially the trying time before I left. Pray think deeply, as I do, of those sad and terrible moments, that they may never come again. How much I love you and my pets God only knows. Yours affectionately.

AUGUST 16TH.-Ten a.m. Just alongside the Virgin Islands. In two hours we shall be at St. Thomas, and leave in another steamer in six hours. I am quite well. It is very hot. We have now sailed 3,600 miles, and are going 15 miles an hour. You will see our course on any map of West Indies. God bless you.-HENRY.