Produced by D. Alexander, Janet Blenkinship and the Online
Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This
file was produced from images generously made available
by The Internet Archive)
ROLLO ON THE ATLANTIC.
BY
JACOB ABBOTT.
BOSTON:
PUBLISHED BY TAGGARD AND THOMPSON
M DCCC LXIV.
Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1853, by
JACOB ABBOTT,
In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the District of
Massachusetts.
STEREOTYPED AT THE BOSTON STEREOTYPE FOUNDRY.
RIVERSIDE, CAMBRIDGE: PRINTED BY H. O. HOUGHTON.
[Illustration: THE STATE ROOM.--See p. 77.]
[Illustration]
PREFACE.
In the series of narratives to which this volume pertains, we offer to
the readers of the Rollo Books a continuation of the history of our
little hero, by giving them an account of the adventures which such a
boy may be supposed to meet with in making a tour in Europe. The books
are intended to be books of instruction rather than of mere amusement;
and in perusing them, the reader may feel assured that all the
information which they contain, not only in respect to the countries
visited, and to the customs, usages, and modes of life that are
described, but also in regard to the general character of the incidents
and adventures that the young travellers meet with, is in most strict
accordance with fact. The main design of the narratives is, thus, the
communication of useful knowledge; and every thing which they contain,
except what is strictly personal, in relation to the actors in the
story, may be depended upon as exactly and scrupulously true.
New York, _September, 1853_.
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER PAGE
I.--TAKING PASSAGE 11
II.--THE EMBARKATION 28
III.--DEPARTURE 47
IV.--GETTING SETTLED 62
V.--ON DECK 77
VI.--A CONVERSATION 91
VII.--INCIDENTS 109
VIII.--THE STORM 131
IX.--THE PASSENGERS' LOTTERY 154
X.--THE END OF THE LOTTERY 179
XI.--THE ARRIVAL 192
ENGRAVINGS.
FRONTISPIECE. PAGE
THE STEAMER AT THE WHARF 10
THE PIER 24
THE RESCUE 44
THE PILOT ON THE PADDLE BOX 54
THE SAILOR ON THE RIGGING 87
THE PASSENGER ON THE RIGGING 103
HILBERT AND THE BIRD 124
HILBERT IN THE SPRAY 152
HEAVING THE LOG 164
ROLLO'S TOUR IN EUROPE.
ORDER OF THE VOLUMES
ROLLO ON THE ATLANTIC.
ROLLO IN PARIS.
ROLLO IN SWITZERLAND.
ROLLO IN LONDON.
ROLLO ON THE RHINE.
ROLLO IN SCOTLAND.
ROLLO IN GENEVA.
ROLLO IN HOLLAND.
ROLLO IN NAPLES.
ROLLO IN ROME.
PRINCIPAL PERSONS OF THE STORY.
ROLLO; twelve years of age.
MR. and MRS. HOLIDAY; Rollo's father and mother, travelling in Europe.
THANNY; Rollo's younger brother.
JANE; Rollo's cousin, adopted by Mr. and Mrs. Holiday.
MR. GEORGE; a young gentleman, Rollo's uncle.
[Illustration: THE STEAMER AT THE WHARF.]
ROLLO ON THE ATLANTIC.
CHAPTER I.
TAKING PASSAGE.
When Rollo was about twelve years of age, he made a voyage to Europe
under rather extraordinary circumstances. He went alone; that is to say,
he had no one to take care of him. In fact, in addition to being obliged
to take care of himself, he had also his little sister Jane to take care
of; for she went with him.[A] The way it happened that two such children
were sent to sea on such a long voyage, without any one to have them in
charge, was this.
[Footnote A: It ought here to be stated, that Jane was not really
Rollo's sister, though he always called her and considered her so. She
was really his cousin. Her father and mother had both died when she was
about six years old, and then Mr. and Mrs. Holiday had adopted her as
their own child, so that ever since that time she had lived with Rollo
and Nathan as their sister. She was very nearly of the same age with
Nathan.]
Rollo's father and mother had gone to Europe to make a tour, a year
before this time, and had taken Rollo's brother Nathan, or _Thanny_, as
Rollo used most frequently to call him, with them. They had gone partly
for pleasure, but more especially on account of Mr. Holiday's health,
which was not good. It was thought that the voyage, and the recreation
and pleasure of travelling in Europe, would be a benefit to him. In
certain cases where a person's health is impaired, especially when one
is slowly recovering from past sickness, nothing is found to have a more
beneficial effect upon the patient than for him to go away somewhere and
have a good time. It was determined to try the effect of this remedy
upon Mr. Holiday, and so he went to Europe. Mrs. Holiday went with him.
They took Thanny too, to be company for them on the way. Thanny was at
this time about seven years old.
A child of that age, for a travelling companion, is sometimes a source
of great pleasure, and sometimes, on the other hand, he is the means of
great annoyance and vexation. This depends upon whether he is obedient,
patient, quiet, and gentle in his manners and demeanor, or noisy,
inconsiderate, wilful, and intractable. A great many children act in
such a manner, whenever they take a journey or go out to ride with their
parents, that their parents, in self-defence, are obliged to adopt the
plan of almost always contriving to leave them behind.
It was not so, however, with Nathan. He was an excellent boy in
travelling, and always made the ride or the journey more pleasant for
those who took him with them. This was the reason why, when it was
determined that Mr. and Mrs. Holiday should go to England, that Mrs.
Holiday was very desirous that Nathan should go too. And so far as
Nathan was concerned, the voyage and the tour proved to be all that Mr.
and Mrs. Holiday expected or desired. In regard to other points,
however, it was less successful. Mr. Holiday did not improve in health,
and he did not have a good time. Mrs. Holiday was anxious about her
husband's health, and she was uneasy too at being separated so long from
her other two children,--Rollo and little Jane, especially little
Jane,--whom she had learned to love as if she were really her daughter.
So, before the year was ended, they both heartily wished themselves back
in America again.
But now Mr. Holiday's health grew worse, and he seemed too ill to
return. This was in the month of May. It was decided by the physician,
that it would not be best for him to attempt to return until September,
and perhaps not until the following spring. Mrs. Holiday was herself
very much disappointed at this result. She, however, submitted to it
very cheerfully. "I must be as good as Thanny," said she. "He submits
patiently to his disappointments, and why should not I submit to mine.
His are as great, I suppose, for him to bear as mine are for me."
When Mrs. Holiday found that she could not go to her children, she began
to be very desirous that her children should come to her. She was at
first almost afraid to propose such a thing to her husband, as she did
not see how any possible plan could be formed for bringing Rollo and
Jane across the wide and boisterous Atlantic alone. She, however, at
length one day asked Mr. Holiday whether it would not be possible in
some way to accomplish it.
Mr. Holiday seemed half surprised and half pleased when he heard this
proposal. At first he did not appear to know exactly what to say, or
even to think. He sat looking into the fire, which was blazing in the
grate before him, lost apparently in a sort of pleasing abstraction.
There was a faint smile upon his countenance, but he did not speak a
word.
"That is an idea!" he said, at length, in a tone of satisfaction. "That
is really an idea!"
Mrs. Holiday did not speak. She awaited in silence, and with no little
anxiety, the result of her husband's meditations.
"That is really quite an idea!" he said at length. "Let us get Rollo and
Jane here, and then we shall feel entirely easy, and can return to
America whenever we get ready, be it sooner or later. We shall be at
home at once where we are."
"I suppose it will cost something to have them come over," said Mrs.
Holiday. She was not so anxious to have the children come as to desire
that the question should be decided without having all the objections
fully considered. Besides, she was afraid that if the question were to
be decided hastily, without proper regard to the difficulties that were
in the way, there would be danger that it would be reconsidered after
more mature reflection, and the decision reversed. So she wished that
every thing that could be brought against the project should be fully
taken into the account at the outset.
"I suppose," said she, "that their expenses in coming out, and in
returning, and in remaining here with us, in the interim, would amount
to a considerable sum."
"Yes," said Mr. Holiday; "but that is of no consequence."
"I don't know what we should do about having them taken care of on the
passage," added Mrs. Holiday.
"O, there would be no difficulty about that," said Mr. Holiday. "George
could easily find some passenger coming out in the ship, who would look
after them while at sea, I have no doubt. And if he should not find any
one, it would be of no consequence. Rollo could take care of himself."
"And of Jane, too?" asked Mrs. Holiday.
"Yes," replied Mr. Holiday, "and of Jane, too; that is, with the help of
the chambermaids. They have excellent chambermaids on board the Atlantic
steamers."
So it was concluded to send for Rollo and Jane to embark on board the
steamer at New York, and sail for Europe. Mr. Holiday wrote to Rollo's
uncle George, requesting him to make the necessary arrangements for the
voyage, and then to take the children to New York, and put them on
board. He was to commit them, if possible, to the charge of some one of
the passengers on board the ship. If, for any reason, he should not
succeed in finding any passenger to take care of them, he was to state
the case to the captain of the ship, that he might see to them a little
from time to time; and, in addition to this, he was to put them under
the special charge of one of the chambermaids, promising her that she
should be well rewarded for her services, on the arrival of the ship in
Liverpool.
The important tidings of the determination which had been made, that
Rollo and Jane should actually cross the Atlantic, were first announced
to the children one evening near the end of May. They were eating their
supper at the time, seated on a stone seat at the bottom of the garden,
where there was a brook. Their supper, as it consisted of a bowl of
bread and milk for each, was very portable; and they had accordingly
gone down to their stone seat to eat it, as they often did on pleasant
summer evenings. The stone seat was in such a position that the setting
sun shone very cheerily upon it. On this occasion, Rollo had finished
his milk, and was just going down to the brook by a little path which
led that way, in order to see if there were any fishes in the water;
while Jane was giving the last spoonful of her milk to their kitten. On
the stone near where Jane was sitting was a small birdcage. This cage
was one which Jane used to put her kitten in. The kitten was of a
mottled color, which gave to its fur somewhat the appearance of spots;
and so Jane called the little puss her _tiger_. As it was obviously
proper that a tiger should be kept in a cage, Jane had taken a canary
birdcage, which she found one day in the garret, and had used it to put
the kitten in. As she took the precaution never to keep the prisoner
shut up long at a time, and as she almost always fed it in the cage, the
kitten generally made no objections to going in whenever Jane desired
it.
"Here comes uncle George," said Rollo.
Jane was so busy pouring the spoonful of milk through the bars of the
cage into a little shallow basin, which she kept for the purpose within,
that she could not look up.
"He is coming down through the garden," added Rollo; "and he has got a
letter in his hand. It's from mother, I know."
So saying, Rollo began to caper about with delight, and then ran off to
meet his uncle. Jane finished the work of pouring out the milk as soon
as possible, and then followed him. They soon came back again, however,
accompanying their uncle, and conducting him to the stone seat, where
the children sat down to hear the letter.
"Rollo," said Mr. George, "how should you like to go to England?"
"To go to England?" said Rollo, in a tone of exultation; "_very much
indeed_."
"Should you dare to go alone?" said Mr. George; "that is, with nobody to
take care of you?"
"Yes, indeed!" said Rollo, emphatically. "I should not need any body to
take care of me."
"I don't know but you will have to go," said Mr. George; "and not only
take care of yourself, but of Jane besides."
"Why, am I to go too?" asked Jane. As she said this, she began to look
quite alarmed.
"How should you like the plan?" said Mr. George.
"O, I should not _dare_ to go," said Jane, shaking her head with a very
serious air. "I should not dare to go at all, unless I had somebody to
take care of me bigger than Rollo."
"Ha!" exclaimed Rollo, "I could take care of you perfectly well. I could
buy the tickets and show you down to supper, and help you over the plank
at the landings, and every thing else."
Rollo's experience of steamer life had been confined to trips on Long
Island Sound, or up and down the Hudson River.
"I suppose you would be dreadfully sick on the way," said Mr. George.
"O, no," said Rollo, "I should not be sick. What's the use of being
sick? Besides, I never _am_ sick in a steamboat."
"No," said Jane, shaking her head and looking quite anxious; "I should
not dare to go with you at all. I should not _dare_ to go unless my
mother were here to go with me; or my father, at least."
"I am afraid you will have to go," said Mr. George, "whether you are
afraid to or not."
"That I shall have to go?" repeated Jane.
"Yes," replied Mr. George. "Your father has written me that he is not
well enough to come home, and I am to send you and Rollo out in the next
steamer. So that you see you have nothing to say or to do about it. All
you have to do is to submit to destiny."
Jane did not know very precisely what was meant by the phrase,
_submitting to destiny_; but she understood very well that, in this
case, it meant that she must go to England to join her father and
mother, whether she liked the plan or not. She was silent a moment, and
looked very thoughtful. She then put forth her hand to her kitten, which
was just at that moment coming out of the cage, having finished drinking
the milk which she had put there for it, and took it into her lap,
saying at the same time,--
"Well, then I will go; only you must let me take my Tiger with me."
"That you can do," said Mr. George. "I am very willing to compromise the
matter with you in that way. You can take Tiger with you, if you
choose."
"And the cage too?" said Jane, putting her hand upon the ring at the top
of it.
"Yes," said Mr. George, "and the cage too."
"Well!" said Jane, speaking in a tone of great satisfaction and
joyousness, "then I will go. Get into the cage, Tiger, and we'll go and
get ready."
* * * * *
The steamer was to sail in about a week from this time. So Mr. George
proceeded immediately to New York to engage passage. When Rollo's aunt,
who had had the care of him and Jane during the absence of Mr. and Mrs.
Holiday, heard how soon the steamer would sail, she said that she did
not think that that would afford time enough to get the children ready.
"O, it takes no time," said Mr. George, "to get people ready to go to
Europe. Put into a trunk plenty of plain common clothing for the voyage,
and the work is done. As for the rest, people can generally find pretty
much every thing they want on the other side."
Mr. George went to New York to engage the passage for the children. And
inasmuch as many of the readers of this book who reside in the country
may never have had the opportunity of witnessing the arrangements
connected with Atlantic steamers, they may perhaps like to know how
this was done. In the first place, it was necessary to get a _permit_ to
go on board the ship. The crowds of people in New York, who are always
going to and fro, are so great, and the interest felt in these great
steamships is so strong, that if every body were allowed free access and
egress to them, the decks and cabins of the vessels would be always in
confusion. So they build a barricade across the great pier at which the
ships lie, with ponderous gates, one large one for carts and carriages,
and another smaller one for people on foot, opening through it, and no
one is admitted without a ticket. Mr. George went to the office in Wall
Street and procured such a ticket, which one of the clerks in attendance
there gave him, on his saying that he wished to go on board to select a
state room for some passengers.
Provided with this ticket, Mr. George took an omnibus at Wall Street and
rode up to Canal Street. At Canal Street he took another omnibus, which
carried him nearly to the East River. There he left the omnibus, and
proceeded the rest of the way on foot. The crowd of people on the
sidewalks going and coming, and of carts, drays, wagons, and coaches in
the street, was immense. There was one crossing where, for some time,
Mr. George could not get over, so innumerable and closely wedged
together were the vehicles of all descriptions that occupied the way.
There were many people that were stopped with him on the sidewalk. Among
them was a servant girl, with a little boy under her charge, whom she
was leading by the hand. The girl looked very anxious, not knowing how
to get across the street.
"Let me carry the child across for you," said Mr. George.
So saying he took the child up gently, but quickly, in his arms, and
watching a momentary opening in the stream of carriages, he pressed
through, the servant girl following him. He set the boy down upon the
sidewalk. The girl said that she was very much obliged to him, _indeed_;
and then Mr. George went on.
Just then a small and ragged boy held out his hand, and with a most
woe-begone expression of countenance and a piteous tone of voice, begged
Mr. George to give him a few pennies, to keep him from starving. Mr.
George took no notice of him, but passed on. A moment afterward he
turned round to look at the boy again. He saw him take a top out of his
pocket, and go to spinning it upon the sidewalk, and then, suddenly
seeing some other boys, the young rogue caught up his top and ran after
them with shouts of great hilarity and glee. He was an impostor; Mr.
George knew this when he refused to give him any money.
[Illustration: THE PIER.]
Mr. George then went on again. He came, at length, to the great gates
which led to the pier. There was a man just within the gate, walking to
and fro, near the door of a sort of office, or lodge, which he kept
there. Mr. George attempted to open the gate.
"Please show your ticket, sir," said he.
Mr. George took out his ticket and gave it to the porter, whereupon the
porter opened the gate and let him in.
Mr. George found himself under an enormous roof, which spread itself
like a vast canopy over his head, and extended from side to side across
the pier. Under this vast shed laborers were wheeling boxes and bales of
merchandise to and fro, while small steam engines of curious forms and
incessant activity were at work hoisting coal on board the ships from
lighters alongside, and in other similar operations. There were two
monstrous steamships lying at this pier, one on each side. Mr. George
turned toward the one on the left. There was a long flight of steps
leading up from the pier to the decks of this ship. It was formed by a
staging, which extended from the pier to the bulwarks of the ship, like
a stair-case, with a railing on each side. Mr. George ascended these
steps to the bulwarks, and thence descended by a short flight of steps
to the deck itself, and then went along the deck till he came to the
door leading to the cabins.
He found within quite a number of cabins, arranged on different floors,
like the different stories of a house. These cabins were very
resplendent with gilding and carving, and were adorned with curtains
and mirrors on every side. They presented to Mr. George, as he walked
through them, a very imposing spectacle. Along the sides of them were a
great many little bed rooms, called state rooms. These state rooms were
all very beautifully finished, and were furnished with every convenience
which passengers could require. Mr. George selected two of these state
rooms. They were two that were adjoining to each other, and they were
connected by a door. There were two beds, or rather bed _places_, in
each state room, one above the other. Mr. George chose the lower berth
in one state room for Rollo, and the lower one in the next state room
for Jane. When he had chosen the berths in this manner, he wrote the
name of each of the children on a card, and then pinned the cards up
upon the curtains of the respective berths.
"There!" said he. "That is all right. Now perhaps some lady will take
the other berth in Jane's room, and some gentleman that in Rollo's. Then
they will both have company in their rooms. Otherwise I must find
somebody to take care of them both."
Mr. George then left the ship and went back to the office in Wall
Street, to engage the berths and pay the passage money. The office was
spacious and handsomely furnished, and there were several clerks in it
writing at desks. There were two rooms, and in the back room was a
table, with large plans of the ship upon it, on which all the cabins and
state rooms of the several decks were represented in their proper
positions. The names of the various passengers that had engaged passage
in the ship were written in the several state rooms which they had
chosen. The clerk wrote the names, _Master Holiday_ and _Miss Holiday_,
in the state rooms which Mr. George pointed out to him, and, when he had
done so, Mr. George looked over all the other names that had been
written in before, to see if there were any persons whom he knew among
them. To his great gratification he found that there were several such.
"Yes," said he, as he rose up from the examination of the plan, "there
are several gentlemen there who will be very ready, under the
circumstances of the case, to do Mr. Holiday the favor of looking after
his children during the voyage."
Being thus, in a measure, relieved of all solicitude, Mr. George walked
about the room a few minutes, examining the pictures of the several
steamers of the line which were hanging on the walls, and then went
away.