Recollections of Europe

Fenimore Cooper James

Description

Even though he is regarded as one of the key figures who contributed to the creation of a distinctly American literary sensibility, author James Fenimore Cooper spent a significant portion of his life living abroad in Europe. Structured as a series of letters written to various figures who played a role in Cooper's life overseas, this collection provides an interesting look at differences in European and American culture in the nineteenth century.

Informations

• Publié par: The Floating Press
• Date de parution: 01 décembre 2015
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781776595235
• Langue: English

Extrait

RECOLLECTIONS OF EUROPE
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JAMES FENIMORE COOPER
 
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Recollections of Europe First published in 1837 Epub ISBN 978-1-77659-523-5 Also available: PDF ISBN 978-1-77659-524-2 © 2014 The Floating Press and its licensors. All rights reserved. While every effort has been used to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the information contained in The Floating Press edition of this book, The Floating Press does not assume liability or responsibility for any errors or omissions in this book. The Floating Press does not accept responsibility for loss suffered as a result of reliance upon the accuracy or currency of information contained in this book. Do not use while operating a motor vehicle or heavy equipment. Many suitcases look alike. Visit www.thefloatingpress.com
Contents
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Preface Letter I Letter II Letter III Letter IV Letter V Letter VI Letter VII Letter VIII Letter IX Letter X Letter XI Letter XII Letter XIII Letter XIV Letter XV Letter XVI Letter XVII Letter XVIII Letter XIX Letter XX Letter XXI Letter XXII Letter XXIII Endnotes
Preface
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It may seem to be late in the day to give an account of the more ordinarycharacteristics of Europe. But the mass of all nations can form theiropinions of others through the medium of testimony only; and as no twotravellers see precisely the same things, or, when seen, view them withprecisely the same eyes, this is a species of writing, after all, that isnot likely to pall, or cease to be useful. The changes that are constantlygoing on everywhere, call for as constant repetitions of the descriptions;and although the pictures may not always be drawn and coloured equallywell, so long as they are taken in good faith, they will not be withouttheir value.
It is not a very difficult task to make what is commonly called anamusing book of travels. Any one who will tell, with a reasonable degreeof graphic effect, what he has seen, will not fail to carry the readerwith him; for the interest we all feel in personal adventure is, ofitself, success. But it is much more difficult to give an honest and adiscriminating summary of what one has seen. The mind so naturally turnsto exceptions, that an observer has great need of self-distrust, of thepowers of analysis, and, most of all, of a knowledge of the world, to bewhat the lawyers call a safe witness.
I have no excuse of haste, or of a want of time, to offer for the defectof these volumes. All I ask is, that they may be viewed as no more thanthey profess to be. They are the gleanings of a harvest alreadygathered , thrown together in a desultory manner, and without theslightest, or, at least, very small pretensions, to any of thosearithmetical and statistical accounts that properly belong to works of agraver character. They contain the passing remarks of one who hascertainly seen something of the world, whether it has been to hisadvantage or not, who had reasonably good opportunities to examine whathe saw, and who is not conscious of being, in the slightest degree,influenced "by fear, favour, or the hope of reward." His compte rendu must pass for what it is worth.
Letter I
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Our Embarkation.—Leave-taking.—Our Abigail.—Bay of New York.—The Hudson.—Ominous Prediction.—The Prophet falsified.—Enter theAtlantic.—"Land-birds."—Our Master.—Officers of Packet-ships.—Loss of "The Crisis."—The "Three Chimneys."—Calamities at Sea.—Sailing-match.—View of the Eddystone.—The Don Quixote.—Comparative Sailing.—Pilot-boats.—Coast of Dorsetshire.—The Needles.—Lymington.—Southampton Water.—The Custom-house.
TO CAPTAIN SHUBRICK, U.S.N.
MY DEAR SHUBRICK,
"Passengers by the Liverpool, London and Havre packets are informed that asteam-boat will leave the White Hall Wharf precisely at eleven, A.M.to-morrow, June 1st." If to this notice be added the year 1826, you havethe very hour and place of our embarkation. We were nominally of theLondon party, it being our intention, however, to land at Cowes, fromwhich place we proposed crossing the Channel to Havre. The reason formaking this variation from the direct route, was the superior comfort ofthe London ship; that of the French line for the 1st June, though a goodvessel and well commanded, being actually the least commodious packet thatplied between the two hemispheres.
We were punctual to the hour, and found one of the smaller steamerscrowded with those who, like ourselves, were bound to the "old world," andthe friends who had come to take the last look at them. We had ourleave-takings, too, which are sufficiently painful when it is known thatyears must intervene before there is another meeting. As is always done bygood Manhattanese, the town house had been given up on the 1st of May,since which time we had resided at an hotel. The furniture had beenprincipally sold at auction, and the entire month had passed in what Ibelieved to be very ample preparations. It may be questioned if there isany such thing as being completely prepared for so material a change; atall events, we found a dozen essentials neglected at the last moment, andas many oversights to be repaired in the same instant.
On quitting the hotel, some fifty or a hundred volumes and pamphlets layon the floor of my bed-room. Luckily, you were to sail on a cruise in aday or two, and as you promised not only to give them a berth, but to readthem one and all, they were transferred forthwith to the Lexington. Theywere a dear gift, if you kept your word! John was sent with a note, withorders to be at the wharf in half an hour. I have not seen him since. ThenAbigail was to be discharged. We had long debated whether this excellentwoman should, or should not, be taken. She was an American, and like mostof her countrywomen who will consent to serve in a household, a mostvaluable domestic. She wished much to go, but, on the other side, was theconviction, that a woman who had never been at sea would be useless duringthe passage; and then we were told so many fine things of the Europeanservants, that the odds were unfortunately against her. The principalobjection, however, was her forms of speech. Foreign servants would ofthemselves be a great aid in acquiring the different languages; and poorAbigail, at the best, spoke that least desirable of all corruptions of theEnglish tongue, the country dialect of New England. Her New England moralsand New England sense; in this instance, were put in the balance againsther "bens," " an -gels," "doozes," "nawthings," "noans," and even her"virtooes," (in a family of children, no immaterial considerations,) andthe latter prevailed. We had occasion to regret this decision. A few yearslater I met in Florence an Italian family of high rank, which had broughtwith them from Philadelphia two female domestics, whom they prized aboveall the other servants of a large establishment. Italy was not good enoughfor them, however; and, after resisting a great deal of persuasion, theywere sent back. What was Florence or Rome to Philadelphia! But then thesepeople spoke good English—better, perhaps, than common Englishnursery-maids, the greatest of their abuses in orthoepy being merely toteach a child to call its mother a "mare."
It was a flat calm, and the packets were all dropping down the bay withthe ebb. The day was lovely, and the view of the harbour, which has somany, while it wants so many, of the elements of first-rate scenery, wasrarely finer. All estuaries are most beautiful viewed in the calm; butthis is peculiarly true of the Bay of New York—neither the colour of thewater, nor its depth, nor the height of the surrounding land, beingfavourable to the grander efforts of Nature. There is little that issublime in either the Hudson, or its mouth; but there is the very extremeof landscape beauty.
Experience will teach every one, that without returning to scenes thathave made early impressions, after long absences, and many occasions toexamine similar objects elsewhere, our means of comparison are of nogreat value. My acquaintance with the Hudson has been long and veryintimate; for to say that I have gone up and down its waters a hundredtimes, would be literally much within the truth. During that journeywhose observations and events are about to fill these volumes, Iretained a lively impression of its scenery, and, on returning to thecountry, its current was ascended with a little apprehension that an eyewhich had got to be practised in the lights and shades of the Alps andAppenines might prove too fastidious for our own river. What is usuallytermed the grandeur of the highlands was certainly much impaired; butother parts of the scenery gained in proportion; and, on the whole, Ifound the passage between New York and Albany to be even finer than ithad been painted by memory. I should think there can be little doubtthat, if not positively the most beautiful river, the Hudson possessessome of the most beautiful river-scenery, of the known world.
Our ship was named after this noble stream. We got on board of her offBedlow's, and dropped quietly down as far as the quarantine ground beforewe were met by the flood. Here we came to, to wait for a wind, morepassengers, and that important personage, whom man-of-war's men term themaster, and landsmen the captain. In the course of the afternoon we hadall assembled, and began to reconnoitre each other, and to attend to ourcomforts.
To get accustomed to the smell of the ship, with its confined air, andespecially to get all their little comforts about them in smooth water, isa good beginning for your novices. If to this be added moderation in food,and especially in drink; as much exercise as one can obtain; refrainingfrom reading and writing until accustomed to one's situation, and payinggreat attention to the use of aperients; I believe all is said that an oldtraveller, and an old sailor too, can communicate on a subject soimportant to those who are unaccustomed to the sea. Can your experiencesuggest anything more?
We lay that night at the quarantine ground; but early on the morning