knowing ones, who have travelled before, embrace this opportunity to
show their knowledge of life by telling the new hands all sorts of
hobgoblin stories about the custom house officers and the difficulties
of getting landed in England. It is a curious fact, that old travellers
generally seem to take this particular delight in striking consternation
into younger ones.

"You'll have all your daguerreotypes taken away," says one lady, who, in
right of having crossed the ocean nine times, is entitled to speak _ex
cathedra_ on the subject.

"All our daguerreotypes!" shriek four or five at once. "Pray tell, what
for?"

"They _will_ do it," says the knowing lady, with an awful nod; "unless
you hide them, and all your books, they'll burn up--"

"Burn our books!" exclaim the circle. "O, dreadful! What do they do that
for?"

"They're very particular always to burn up all your books. I knew a lady
who had a dozen burned," says the wise one.

"Dear me! will they take our _dresses_?" says a young lady, with
increasing alarm.

"No, but they'll pull every thing out, and tumble them well over, I can
tell you."

"How horrid!"