But enough of annoyances.  I have described them merely to prepare, in some degree, those who have never been to sea.  Persons residing in sea-port towns do not, perhaps, stand in need of this, for they hear these matters mentioned every day; but such is not the case with us poor souls, who have lived all our lives in inland cities.  Very often we hardly know how a steamer or a sailing vessel looks, much less the mode of life on board them.  I speak from experience, and know too well what I myself suffered on my first voyage, simply because, not having been warned beforehand, I took nothing with me save a small stock of linen and clothes.

At present I will proceed with the progress of my voyage.  We embarked on the evening of the 28th of June, and weighed anchor before daybreak of the 29th.  The voyage did not commence in any very encouraging manner; we had very little, in fact almost no wind at all, and compared to us every pedestrian appeared to be running a race:  we made the nine miles to Blankenese in seven hours.

Luckily the slow rate at which we proceeded was not so disagreeable, as, at first, for a considerable period we beheld the magnificent port, and afterwards could admire, on the Holstein side, the beautiful country houses of the rich Hamburghers, situated upon charming eminences and surrounded by lovely gardens.  The opposite side, belonging to Hanover, is as flat and monotonous as the other is beautiful.  About here the Elbe, in many places, is from three to four miles broad.

Before reaching Blankenese the ships take in their stock of water from the Elbe.  This water, although of a dirty and thick appearance, is said to possess the valuable quality of resisting putridity for years.

We did not reach Gluckstadt (37 miles from Hamburgh) before the morning of the 30th.  As there was not now a breath of wind, we were entirely at the mercy of the stream, and began drifting back.  The captain, therefore, ordered the men to cast anchor, and profited by the leisure thus forced upon him to have the chests and boxes made fast on the deck and in the hold.  We idlers had permission granted us to land and visit the town, in which, however, we found but little to admire.

There were eight passengers on board.  The four cabin places were taken by Count B—­, myself, and two young people who hoped to make their fortune sooner in the Brazils than in Europe.  The price of a passage in the first cabin was 100 dollars (20 pounds 16s. 8d.), and in the steerage 50 dollars (10 pounds 8s. 4d.).

In the steerage, besides two worthy tradesmen, was a poor old woman who was going, in compliance with the wish of her only son, who had settled in the Brazils, to join him there, and a married woman whose husband had been working as a tailor for the last six years in Rio Janeiro.  People soon become acquainted on board ship, and generally endeavour to agree as well as possible, in order to render the monotony of a long voyage at all supportable.