Y Ex I.ihris
I C. K. OGDEN
«#
THE LIBRARY
OF
THE UNIVERSITY
OF CALIFORNIA
LOS ANGELES
OBSEHVATIONS
MADE ON
A TOUR
FROM HAMBURG,
THROUGH
BERLIN, GORLITZ, AND BRESLAU,
TO SILBERBERG;
AND THENCE TO GOTTENBURG.
BY
ROBERT SEMPLE,
AUTHOR OF TWO JOURNEYS IN SPAIN, A SKETCH OF
THE CARACAS, &C.
LONDON:
PRIXTED FOR ROBERT BALDWIX, 47, PATEKNOSTER ROW, A%D
J, MURRAY, ALBF-MVRLF, STREET.
1814.
(r*n, Pnr.te',
PREFACE.
X HE narrative contained in the following
pages would never have seen the light, but for
a circumstance which forms the prominent
incident in it^ and the publication of which
I conceived due to my own character. The
track over which I travelled includes an
important part of Germany, between the
Elbe and the Oder, and extends through a
sm'ill portion of Sweden, contiguous to the
tSouud and the Cattegat. The period was
intorestuig, even during the suspension of
ai-ms. The stillness which precedes the con-
fiict of tiic elements is sometimes more aw-
ful than t!ie storm itself.
A 2
IV PRETACE.
I liavc to narrate an instance of cruel
inljospitality. I trust it will ever remain
singular in the history of my countrymen.
V\'hen Coriolanus, through a thousand dan-
gcrSj had reached the hearth of his enemy.
h(2 reposed in security under the protection
of his household gods. The Arab of the
desert defends, at the risk of his life, the tra-
veller who has once entered the door of his
tent. The romantic page of Spanish story
tells us of a Moor who unwittingly gave
shelter to the Christian who had slain his
only son ; yet the rights of hos])itality for
a time suspended in his bosom the dictates
in alTecti<jn and revenge. Mounting him
on lii^> ticctest horse, '' Flv," said he to him,
"^ \vhil^t it is vet night, and v^-u have some
ei lance of esca})e. ^'ou are the murderci'
cf mv s^m, but Mahomet has ])erm!tted
} 'Ai to come h.ncalli my roof, and lur a
PREFACE. V
short time you are safe. Should we again
meet I shall rigorously exact from you the
price of innocent blood."
I leave my simple tale to make its own
way. Strong in truth, it may bo uninterest-
incr, but it will be believed ; it may be dis-
regarded, but it cannot ba denied.
ROBERT SEMPLEe
Islington,
Dec. 1.1813
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER I.
Heligoland . ^^^ 1
CHAP. II.
The Mouth of the Elbe. — Cuxhaven. — Passage
lip the Elbe to Hamburg .81
CHAP. III.
Hamburg to Berlin .43
CHAP. IV.
Berlin. — Public Buildings. — Bridges. -^Gate of
Brandenburg. — Military ^. onuments. — Pulllc
Illuminations 55
CHAP. V.
Berlin to Liickau, — Hoyerswerda. — Spremberg.—'
Muska. — Niesky. — Head Quarters nt IVi.rfs-
chni. — Reception there, and departure for
Gorlitz , , , , 70
rm CONTENTS.
CHAP. VI.
Gorlitz. — Examination there. — Lauhau. — LoW'
cnberg. — Goldberg. — Leignitz. — Breslau. —
Sillerlerg 101
CHAP. VII.
Sillerlerg .,.,.... 138
CHAP. VIII.
Beichenlach. — Russian Guards. — Meeting of the
two Monarchs. — Route to Berlin 1 85
CHAP. IX.
Berlin. — General Moreau. — Spandau. — PotS'
dam. — Sans Souci. — Bernadotte. • — Route to
Stralsund 207
CHAP. X.
Stvnhimd to Ystadt. — Lnnd. — Ancient Barroius.
— Kijojiinge. — Eng nholm. — Ridge of Hal-
land^ios. — f^icivs of (lie Cattcgat. — lialmsiad.
— Gneiss Ruck-i. — Fraukcnlerg. — Warier g. —
K<>ngsbarka. — Goticnburg 233
/Ippendix ..,,,.,, , 263
OBSERVATIONS
ON A
JOURNEY
FROM
HAMBUKG TO BERLIN,
CHAP. I.
IleUgolajul.
J- HE great events which marked the winter
of 18 12 seemed hkely to be followed by
others of still more importance. Early iu
1813 all Germany was in agitation, and
either openly in arms or secretly preparing
to arm. Cries of indignation long sup-
pressed burst forth on every side. A mighty
mass of armed men, all hostile to France,
was assembhng between the Vistula, the
frontiers of Austria, and the Elbe : and it
B
ti HELIGOLAND.
was li()])C(l that the bairiiers of Geniiaji
libci'tv mi^lit soon once more be waved on
the banks of the Rhine.
Tile partial re-establislniient of the com-
munication so lonii; suspended between Eng-
land and the J'Jbe induced me to visit the
Continent, for V'.hieh purpose I quitted
London on the lOth of A])ril, IS 13, and
embarked at Harwich tlie foUowino' dav for
llehtioland. I had no passport from the
,Sccretarv of .Stare's Oiiice, nor were any ob-
jecticjns niadc to my embarking' on that
account. In the packet were nianv German
pa - cnp;ei's, anxious to revisit tlieir native
coimtr\- under a]jparcntly ausjjicious circum-
sliuk'cs. a tine breeze from the west m
li)rt\ - ciL;ht iiours brou-jlit us in si'j;]it (A
IL'hL^ohuich nppeai'iuL, at the (hstanct' of
sixtci'ii mik< iike a I'mil;' I'at rock. In ano-
tiicr hour w v' distmiiui -hcd t!ie tij\ver of the
hi4ht-hou>c, and mioii ati«.'r\\ ai'ds the ( hui'ch
- tix'plt', and the rouf^ d h)u-^('>. As wc
i'.j)p!-oached rapidir, wc wci'c llattt-ring our-
4
HELIGOLAND. 5
selves with being soon landed^ when our
packet struck upon a ledge of rocks about
a mile from the shore. Sounding all round
in the boat, we found at a short distance a
depth of five flitlioms ; then suddenly one,
and one and a half; and so alternately. As
the night appeared coming on dark and
stormy, and our little vessel beat upon
the rocks, we began to be anxious, when a
number of boats put off from the shore and
came to our assistance. We found the boat-
men equally extortionate with those of Dover
or Deal, demanding a guinea for each pas-
senger. At length tliey became more mo-
derate, and about seven o'clock we were all
landed on the beach, leaving our vessel fast
upon the rocks,
I was detained at Heligoland for eiglit
days by easterly winds, which brought every
day little fleets of boats from the Elbe, but
permitted none to return. I had tims more
time than I wished to examine this spot, to
which commerce has given a momenlnry im-
B 2
4 irZLlGOLASD,
portar.ce. It is an island, or rock, extend-
ing from N. y. w. to s. s. e. nearly' an exact
mile in lenirth, and about a quarter *in its
greatest breadth. It is highest on the west-
ern side, so that its surface forms an inclined
plane gradually sloping down towards the
east, where the o'eneral heijrht is not above
an hundred feet, while on the opposite side
it is nearly double, the hicrhest cliff beina
about tvvo liundred and ten feet. The sides
are perpendicular, so that at high water the
sea washes the fiice of the island all round
except at a corner to the south-cast, where
nature has formed a flat beach elevated above
high v.Hccr mark, upon which the lower
town stands. The greater part of the island
is of sand-stone, pai'ticularly at the noith
end tovvar(i> the ba^e ; but on the other sides
blue and red argillaceous earths are m.ixed
in various projjortions, and even ihe greatest
])ai't<)f the -anfl-.-'trxKi strata are tinged seem-
ingly with tile r>xi(lc' ot irou. At low water
the rocks LxaMid to a consi(lera!)le distance
HELIGOLAND. 5
all round, and then during about two hours
it is easy to make the circuit of the island.
Beginning with the eastern side we see close
to the foot of the cliffs, and neari}^ buried in
the sand, fifteen or twenty smooth blocks of
granite which no where else appears, except
scattered in very small pieces on the beach.
Proccedino; alon^' this side the cliffs have
little variety or beauty, until v/e arrive at
the north end of the island. Here the frreater
part of the strata, especially towards the
base, are of sand-stone, generally red, but
intermixed with others about a foot in thick-
ness, of a pure white, and very soft. A loftv
column of a hundred and fifty feet in height
stands detached, except at the base, and
seems already destined by nature as a prey
to the waves. Not far from it, the under
part of the north-west cornor of the island
has fallen in, so as to leave an arch of fifty
or sixty feet in height, through which we
clamber over huge ruins. The layers of
white sand-stone extend from this along the
6 HiJhIGOL.VND.
greater [jarc of the western side, alternating
with red sand-stone and a mixture of aroiUa-
ceous earths, givii^ig to the wliole a jjccuhar
variety and beauty. Proceeding onwards
ne think ourselves sto])ped hv a cliff' ])ro-
jccting into t!ie sea, until we discover a long
natural ai'ched ])a<s^^â– e. througli uhich we
find our wav. Near the entrance of tins
passage the he.ieli is entirely covered with
small rrunded iiints^ although none are to be
found in th.e composition of the island.
Mixed \', ith i!ie:-e are some scanty specimens
of quartz a:;u granite. Inthecliif is a hollow
(ipening ;;j)v..u\i;j lO the top of the island,
wliicli, V'.e\',ed from al)ove, appi-ars lormed
bv man. ihr-^'c '.il' tlu; sides l)emg smo')th and
I'egrdai'. A - we apj.Toa.eii t'le southeiai end
the r'tmaniic heaaities of the cliffs increase.
Tiua-e i- nothinu' in tlie J-le of Wight to
equal \\\c. -rd'liuiit V (-! tiii' views adong the
weslLiai :-!de. La;^_e n!a - re - ot vai'i<iu> and
fatita-iic l..rii!< -i:i.;d di tat lied, antl at high
wa:,er :.s'e -urj'o^ii.ded h\- the waves. In owr
HELIGOLAND, 7
progress along the shore wc pass tlirongli a
noble cavern with an opening towards the
sea, which flows partly into it. Having
passed throngh this cavern, wc come to three
irregular detached masses, or columns, fifty
feet in height, and of grotesque shapes ;
and off the south-west corner an upright
column stands apart, appearing to tliose ap-
proaching the island like a large ship coming
round the point. It seems difficult to ac-
count for the complete separation of such a
mass, entire and standing at so short a dis-
tance. Soon after passing this point we
come once more to the landing-place, and
the flat and pebbly beach, on which stands
the lower toun.
A glance at the composition of this island
is sufficient to lead us to expect its rapid
decav, a truth which everv circuit of it tends
to impress still more strongly on our minds-
Off the south-east end, at a small distance,
lies a low ridge called Sandv Island,
which with some lediies of rocks forms the
S HELIGOLAND.
only shelter for vessels lying here. There
are old men still living, who remember
when, at low water, it was possible to wade
over to the island, which is now no longer
so : and the tradition is carefully j^reserved
among ihe inhabitants, that Heligoland once
contained seven parish churches. On every
side sliarp rocks extend to a considerable
distance, the remaining bases ot once mighty
clilfs. Stop but for a lew minutes, and you
hear the noise of small portions crumbling
down near you, and pnjving tliat in some
part or oiher the decomposition is incissantl}-
and percepti!)ly going o;i. Here and there
yon beliold large masses, which, although
])reci|jiiated rt^eently, are alre^idv beginning
to l)C sm;X)thed bv liie wa'/es, and assimila-
ted to tlic general natmx' oi ihe ]jea«']i.
Otliers, at a great licight, ai'e marked out l.)v
chasm,- for tiicir t;i!l, and vcv\ wonder to see
them so long su^pere.lei!. ^%<'i' are tiiese 0I3-
•"Crv.itions to bi; made alen-ctiier \"»itli(ait
danirer. In (-U'' oi m\' cu'f'mts a nia - - <;f
HELIGOLAND.
many tons laW not far beliintl me, and over-
sprciid ^vith ruins all the beach betweeis tiie
foot of tb.c cXiti's and tlie sea. A Few minut..s
sooner, ana I had been inevitablv buried be-
neath the mighty l(;ad. Perhaps at some
distant peri(xl my bones might again have
revisited the higlit, encased in argillaceous
schistus, and wliitened Idv tlie waves ; and,
carried by the tides to the siiores of Britain,
have formed a subject (;f speculation and
v^'ondr^r to ]ihiiosophers yet unborn.
From tl'.e landing-place and the lower
town, composed chiiefiy of tlic ^-ccently built
warehouses of the merchants, a flight of
about two hundred broad wooden ste])s leads
to the upjier town, and tlie surfice oF ilie
island. At no other point is it ])ossil>le to gain
the sunmiit, ^v]li(^h of course may be de-
fended by a small iorce against th.e utmost
superioritv . 'j'he streets of t;i(3 ujjper town
hardly deserve that name, being in most in-
stances so narrow, that a man standing in the
iiiiddle can nearly touch the walls on each side.
10 HELIGOLAND.
The houses v.vc mean and low, but perhaps
on that account better adapted to withstand
tiic force of the winter winds. In an open
S{)acc stands the church, witli a sniaU brick
spire : and farther up, on the highest point
of the island, is a hght-house, buih by the
Euiihsh at an expense of eight thousand
pounds, the hi^iits of which are said to be
visible at the distance of thirty miles. In
the total absence of the usnal pleasures of
societv, it was mv evening annisemcnt to
walk to the nortli-west end of the island^
and watch the setting sun nntil ic became
quite d<n-k ; and then turning round to view
the hroud meteor knullmg in tlic- souths and
Sjjreading its j)ale gleam ai-ountl. The greater
part oi' the surface of tlie island is covered
with a species of turt, wiiich =eiv:-s i'ov the
pabturagr of a fcv>' slicfj) and i;(>;it.-. Tiicre
ai'c no l:r>rsfs or eo^vs, the fiuincr of whieh
in;!er(i would he wlioih- u - ek'>.-. Xi ar tlie
("Wo, -.oT'ie smaU slip - od land ;n"e cultivated.
';/. â– nespallv hv women, lor raisin^' iKJtatoes.
HELIGOLAND. 11
The inhabitants depend for subsistence al-
most entirely on foreign suppHes, and the
product of their fishing. The latter, when
the weather permits of the boats going out,
is a never taihng resource. Cod, haddock,
ling, whiiiiig, and various kinds of flat fish,
were brought in abundantly during my short
stay ; and small vessels from various ])arts of
En:"]and were v/aitinr'' to lead with lobsters
for London. These fish are found in vast
numbers among the rocks, but owing to the
competition of the great metropolis, are sold
here at an extravagant price. It may be
said, indeed, that the ori^nnal em})loyment
of all the male population was fishing, wliich
has been altered only through the English
taking pos>es:-ion of the inland, htu to which
thev must at no very distant period again
return. TIil' i^.ianiiers of the inhabitants still
retain much of tlie simplicitv, and in some
instances, of tbic grossness which mark the
ruder stages of society, but stronglv tmcturcd
"vith an exorbitant love of money, prodii-
19. HELIGOLAND.
ced by the sudden influx of wcaJtIi wkhm
tl]e>e tew years. All the labour on the
island is performed by women, a sight to
^vhich a week's residence was not sufficient
to reconcile me. Young girls and old women
carry along the heaviest burdens ; they work
like the ga! legos in S]>ain, in parties of four,
six, or eiglit, bearing between them, in two
ranks, poles from which tlieir load is slung,
and 'talking an uniform jjace, those of each
rank liohling fast by each other. Two wells
in the lower town furnish enough of brackish
â– water for ordijiarv purposes ; and on tlie
surUicc of tfie i-laiid, th(^. rain is collected in
two or thrL'^' ponds, whieli iorin the only re-
source lor fresh water. Tins last, when taken
up, is (kn-pU coloured wil'i! red earth, and
iin.':!. be k'O'.led, and Icil hj settle befiu'e it
c;iii b- M<rd. Tur wliolv: of tins is cari-Jed
iM) I he sj'.'jis. (.>]â– l)?-oi!^ht from tlie centre ot
tne ;:-i Mid l)v Vsoiiici;. ()i\ tiieir head tiicy
•J
iv;irdlv w eai' a iund (,t calash or Ikxh!,
^AMifli })rojccts forward, eifectuallv coveriui;
HELIGOLAND. 13
the whole face excc}:>t directly in front ; red
petticoats bordered with yellow, black gowns
open behind, and slippers instead of shoes,
complete tiieir costume. Their countenances
are sometimes pretty, but seldom, if cvcr^
animated or expressive. Whilst the Spanish
lady attracts by dark glancing eyes, a light
and elegant figure, and a graceful walk ; the
Beauty of Heligoland trusts to her fair com-
plexion, her azure eyes, and her more useful
qualities for domestic life.
The height and steepness of Ileligolandj
and the crumbling natui'e of its edges, fre-
quently occasion melanclioly accidents. Not
long since, a b^^autifal ai^d unfortunate girl
destroyed her iilcgitimatc child by throning
it over the cliifs ; but it being luw water at
the time, the bod\ Vvas found, a strict in-
quiry instituted, and tlie culprit discovered.
AVhilst attended by the oflieers of justice,
tor the purpose of a farther examination, she
stepped a little to one sidc; aiid throwing
iier^elf over the eliii'«harjd the f>te of her
14 HELIGOLAND..
child. Ill my last circuit round tlic iilandj
I beheld the Ijody of a man who had just
fallen. lie lay as if asleep, Vvith his liead
resting on a rock^ and stained with his blood.
Beneath him^ lialf buried in the sand, lay a
dog, as if carried along by his master, and
crushed in his fall. JBef jre the tide made, a
boat arrived and carried awav the bodv f:j>r in-
terment. Many such accidents are recorded,
interesting perhaps to the inhabitants thcm-
Selvc-:. but all similar in their cutasti'onhe.
The religion of the i>hnvi i- J^'uh-ran.
On Sunday I airende;! the Ci.iTcii. ,n;i aw
the i'acranieni aumini-c;;.j. T','^ \.ninf5'
women had ail cha-j'-jt-^- ijf ;_ir;iric;i] ti ;', ers
on then" he;i(!s ; tliose whf> \^'e' e ij ^e.•el^"e
the sacrament were di\-sed in black, v. hich
fjrnR;d ;i cunen-; hut not nnoK a an. ''• ootrast
w!iii th^ir crown â– <:y â– ' 0:r<. 'I ce men and
bijvs went iir:-t, on^• : -, (.ne, n ; t > t'lc altar,
v^ hci"e {liC j'^rie-i, l):i\\ iiiii' (^O', nnl the hoiy
wailr nU') liuir i-Moni::. I'lie cunnininK'ant
then passed round to die other ^ide, where
HELIGOLAND. 15
lie received a sup of wine from an a=;si?tant,
who also repeated a monotonous admonition.
All the time the congregation continued
sinsino". Two lariic wax lights burned, one
on each side of the altar, over which was
placed a large crucifix. The whole church
was covered with rude paintings from scrip-
ture history, and in the centre a votive ship
hung down, probably in commemoration of
escape from sh;i])wreck. Such are some of tlie
remains of tliellomish superstition still visible
here. After the inliabitants the garrison assem-
bled, and tlic English service was performed.
About five liunch-ed veterans suf^ce for the
military duty of the island, and their be-
haviour at church was decent and devout.
In the evening all the beauties of the island
were assembled at a ball, whei'c the same
wreaths of flowers, that had been worn in
tlie morning in i)erforming one of the most
sacred rites of Cliristiauity, served now as
the ornaments of the dance.
The population of licligcland is reckoned
1L>
HELIGOLAND.
bct-vc'C"ii four and tivc thousand, and, as niiglit
natiirallv i)c cxnectcd. has increased cri'catH"
w iUim thc^e icw years. The occupation of
the i-iiind hy the ivnohsh has suddenly ef-
MjcteiJ, in this hl:le spot, one of those changes
in o])ule!iee and manners, \\hic}i, in Li'reat
statics, can he the wf-rk of tii:^c alone; and
lia- thu-^ cro^vded nito ti;e s])aee of a lew
year-, aiid \\ithni a CH'euiniere.;Ce of three
()]■i'>\\r nnle-, a •\'prt^;-eutation oi v,;iat on a
Ia:".'e ^eaie <â– â– iipies ce:\tLn-ies, :in(\ interests
lar'iO ijortion:^ of ilie ;,l<-;'e. It luis iM;'en my
iut lo vi-lt w !â– inn a f.w \\-ar. â– â– \ o i-daiids
widfU' dnhrunl in iluar iT'j.ia! ( :;a''uetcr^
but i'!j';ahy >e;,:e(i up ki l;v r ^.nmi'i-ce f.'r
tei;!j>ir ir\- lier-; ;: i-. ai.j aeqim'nr^ tlierchy
a t<'n>;-oun'v imp'utjnee. ^.ii l^^^^;), (hn-'n^j
the i:^-: mL' i!^v' Ih.f.-d S^.AC:^ \'nv non-mfer-
■■h ::..•; .nc'. f.^ah .;ne of t!ic
- ii'... l â– i;..;;; ] â– ' I'.o nu reliant.- of
.n:::; - .; • a p'-i'.i. < *' :;!cenn;:. In
]\< ^i'-r:;.\ •■■: '• : I. 1 have ■.^-il iifie ves-;.h,
Si:d(i»,ailv' .i;-. ^ :.i ^f cd aitJc ..'niiinand ol eem-
coni- ..;
Axons
the- r.'. .;
HELIGOLAND. 17
rnerce, riding in great danger, constaritiy
losing anciiors and cables, driving out to scl\,
and sometimes on the recks, where many of
tiic creus were lost. But however Fayal
liiighi; tlisa])])oiwt the merchant, in other
respects it could not fail to interest a con-
temjjli^five niinJ. The inarlis of fire are ^^et
fresli in its formation, as vreil as in that of
all tlic Azores, a group of islands so in-
teresiir.g, and as yet so little known. It
rises in the centre to what appc'irs fiom
the sea a sharp and lofty peak ; hut, arrived
at the summit, we are surprised to fmd our-
selves lipon the edge of one of the most
beautiful and perfect Ijasons ever formed by
nature. Its circuuiierence of about a mile
is exactly circn.lar, the dep^th about six
hundred fjct, and the sides nearlv perpen-
dicular. At the oottom are tvv-o small lakesj
one said to lie of fresii, and the other of salt
water. Walkinu^ round th.e rim of tliis im-
mcnse liollovv-, we see at a gr(^at distanre
beneath us cvfrv indent of the iilaud. AH
C
IS HELIGOLAND.
round its shores, the black rocks of lava are
for ever beaten by the stoi-my waves. The
hollow murmur reaches even to these ele-
vated regions, and, conspiring with the soli-
tude and the grandeur of the surrounding
objectSj fills the soul with a sublime melan-
choly. The island of Pico is separated from
that of Fayal by a channel of nine miles in
breadth. Its peak, the loftiest of the Azores,
rises to a height of more than seven thousand
feet : on its summit covered with snow, pale
flames are sometimes seen. Viewed from
the edge of the bason of Fayal, the un-
fathomable channel whicli se])aratcs the two
islands disappears, and this sublime ol);ect
thus becomes more intimately connected in
our ideas v^ith that near vvliich we arc stand*
ing". Looking from Pico a little more to the
left, we k>e}iold tiu! long rocky island of
>St. Georije. Down its sides bla('k streams
of lava, hardly yet cold, mark the formi-
dable eruj)tion whieli took place a few ycdv^
jmce, and show in still strona'er colours ihe
KELIGOLAiSD, . iQ
iiatiire of the formation of these islands,
which seem to have been thrown up in de-
fiance of the sea. Its waves ever assail them
in vain, and we may regard them as lasting
monuments of the power of volcanic fircSj
to be destroyed only by one of those great
revolutions to which our globe bears indu-
bitable marks of having been subjected.
Heligoland suggests far different ideas,
Its^cliffs of sand-stone^ or argillaceous earth.,
regularly stratified, are sometimes majestic,
and even almost sublime^ but never convey
the idea of durability. On the contrary,
our ears are continually struck with the
noise of small portions crumbling down into
the waves ; we ever behold the beach strewed
with fresli rums. Snatching the short in-
terval '\\hieh the tide allows us, we walk
rounditsbase, and are constrained to reflect on
the fleeting existence of all below. Nature has
spread around us mighty tombs. The banks
of the north sea are probably the bases of
former islands: and before many oges have
c 2
20 HELIGOLAND,
flapscd, its waves a])])ear dostincd to roll ovt-.r
Iicli<4olaiid, then known only as a dan;Li,erou*
jjaiid-bank olr" the mouth of the Klhc.
21
CHAP. II.
The JSIoutli of the Elbe. — CiLvhaveti. —
Passage up ihe Elbe to Hamburg.
A CONTINUANCE of south-cast winds
detained me eight days at Hehgoiand^ during
which time no vessel sailed for the Elbe.
At lengtlij although the wind was not yet
favourable, a mail, was prepared on the 27th
for Cuxhaven, and sent off in an open boat,
on board of which I embarked. We sailed
about three o'clock with the first turn of the
tide, the whole crew consisting of two men
and a bov. A German, long absent from
his native countrv, was my only fellow pas-
senger. The sea was smooth, the breeze,
altiiough light, became favourable, and our
little vessel glided swiftly along. As Heli-
goland diminislied to our view, our boatmen,
animated by the prospect of a speedy ])as-
rnge, began to sing charming little German
12 THE MOUTH OF THE hLl^E.
airs, in parts, with a propriety and softness
that surprised riic. This taste for music, in
a race of men where it was so httle to be
expected, a})pcared to me already a national
characteristic ; and I could not but reflect,
that in all the shipping of Great Britain it
would not perhaps be possible to find a