The passage through Long Island Sound was like a river studded on both
sides with villas and green lawns, something like the Thames between
Kingston and Hampton, but much wider, and with higher background, and
altogether on a larger scale. When, owing to the darkness, we lost sight
of these, they were replaced by lighthouses constantly recurring. This
huge Leviathan, considerably longer than the Africa, proceeded at the
rate of about eighteen miles an hour, going half-speed only, on account
of the darkness of the night. The full speed was twenty-four miles an
hour, and remember this was not a high-pressure engine. After proceeding
through this narrow channel for about 120 miles, we again entered the
Atlantic, but speedily reached the narrow inlet which extends up to this
place. You may wonder at our having been able to make such minute
observations upon the saloon, &c.; but having tried our state cabin, and
not relishing it, we paced up and down the saloon, and occupied by turns
most of its 120 chairs, till three o'clock in the morning brought us to
the end of our voyage. There was no real objection to the cabin, beyond
the feeling that it was not worth while to undress and lie down for so
short a time; besides which, papa was in one of his fidgetty states,
which he could only relieve by exercise.

But how now to describe Newport? Papa is looking out of the window, and
facing it is an avenue of trees running between two lawns of grass as
green as any to be seen in England, though certainly the grass is
coarser than at home. In these lawns stand houses of every shape and
form, and we, being _au troisième_ have a distant view of the sea, which
looks like the Mediterranean studded with ships. As this place (the
Brighton of New York) stands on a small island, this sea view is
discernible from all sides of the house. We walked yesterday a long way
round the cliffs, which are covered with houses far superior to the