Early in the morning, the steamer employed in this service quitted
Providence with a full live cargo; and at Newport it brought up for
about an hour, during which time several recruits, myself amongst the
number, joined her.
It blew fresh from about east by south; and, in consequence, no sooner
had we cleared the harbour, than we were met by a heavy head-sea, and
nothing was to be seen on all sides but sickness, and the misery
consequent upon the dilapidation of the pretty caps and bonnets of the
fair Providencials. Never was a party of pleasure-seekers in a more
woe-begone plight than was this of ours when we arrived in the open
roadstead of the most inhospitable-looking shores of Block Island.
Before we could bring up, the boats of the natives, apprised of our
purpose, surrounded the ship, offering, for a consideration of about a
quarter dollar per head, to land us upon their territory. The boats were
presently filled; and from the larger ones, after they had grounded on
the beach, we were by degrees landed in shallops.
On terra firma we encountered a few men in no outward way differing from
the fishermen of the main, but with a confirmed craving after coin,
which, however common to all civilized beings, is seldom so openly and
importunately exposed as amongst these simple citizens. Boys of
seventeen and eighteen years of age thought no shame to solicit a cent
from the passing strangers, and were not readily got rid of.
The island, over which I wandered in common with others of the goodly
company of adventurers, presented one uniform view: a rolling surface,
without any considerable elevation; sea-bound, without a single harbour,
or a village in the least attractive; half-a-dozen huts are scattered
here and there in irregular lines, indifferently built, and having no
care bestowed in the way of out-door adornment; not a tree appears on
the place, although in the sheltered situations I should, imagine they
would thrive: in short, a less attractive islet I never remember to have
visited, or one so utterly divested of interest. The only pleasure I
derived was from a view of the open roadstead, where our gallant ships
used to ride out the hardest blows, much to the surprise of the natives,
who yet spoke of the event with wonder.
Perhaps, on a visit like this, we did not see the best sample of this
isolated community: I hope not, for their sake; for our followers had a
greedy, overreaching air and manner really disgusting, and in all our
little transactions exhibited a sordid grasping propensity one could not
expect to meet with in a people so out of the world, and who are in the
possession of great plenty: their island yields abundance of corn and
common vegetables, the sea upon their shores is famous for the quantity
and quality of its fish, and therefore is this grasping spirit a matter
of some marvel. I found all my American fellow-voyagers who had been on
shore, equally struck with the singularity of our reception, and
especially mortified at the exhibition of pauperism never to be met with
upon the main. I passed two years in America, and the only place where I
ever was importuned by a native beggar was at this island.
Our voyage back was quickly accomplished, being before the wind; but the
rolling of the vessel occasioned a _da capo_ of the morning's scene,
anything but pleasant, crowded as we were. This was my very first
attempt at a "steam-boat excursion," the allurements of which are daily
set forth, coloured after anything but nature, in all the journals: a
man may be excused for doing a foolish thing once; this is one of the
follies I can safely pledge myself never to commit again. The Rhode
Island party was landed at Newport early in the evening, and in so much
had the advantage of the pleasure seekers from higher up the river. If
ever there should chance such another tempting of "Providence," I hope,
for sake of its pretty girls, it may be successfully resisted.
On the 27th of August I took leave of Newport and its pleasant
atmosphere and sociable visitors; and certainly think that it would be
difficult to select a place better adapted for a summer's residence,
were there any means of conserving one's individuality a little: the
situation and climate being unexceptionable.