No one who has never experienced it, can form an idea of how the mind is depressed and benumbed by the monotony of sea life.  The nights drag along so slowly, and the days—­they seem to have no end.  One will often loose his “bearings” so completely, that he knows neither what day of the week it is, nor whether it is forenoon or afternoon.  Without keeping a diary or record of some kind, it would be difficult for many to keep a sure run of the date.  Ordinarily, one sits down early in the morning to wait for the evening to draw by, and often it happens, when it seems to him that he has waited the length of three days on the land, he is mortified by the announcement that it is yet far from being noon!  An eternal present seems to swallow up both the past and the future.  After a week or two of such weary waiting, one feels as if he had forgotten almost every thing that happened before the day of his leaving home.  I remarked one day to a company of passengers on deck, that I could scarcely recall any thing that had happened in the past; indeed, it required quite an effort to remember that I had ever been in America, or anywhere else except on the old “Manhattan” in an everlasting voyage.  “Yes,” observed one of the company, “and I heard a fellow say yesterday that time seemed so long to him, that he had really forgotten how many children he had.”  There is little doubt, that if a ship-load of passengers could be suddenly and unexpectedly landed upon the grassy slope of a verdant hillside; many would under momentary impulse of overwhelming pleasure, kiss the dear earth, as Columbus did on landing at San Salvador, if, indeed, extreme joy did not impel them to make themselves ridiculous by imitating old Nebuchadnezzar, in commencing to graze on the herbage!  But the longest day must have an end, and so have sea voyages.

The First Sight of Land.

On Saturday morning, July 3rd, everybody came upon deck in hope of seeing land.  A report was soon circulated, that the sailors with their telescopes, had already seen the mountains of Ireland.  Those passengers that had telescopes or opera glasses soon brought them upon deck.  Some said they saw the land, but others using the same glasees could see nothing.  This, created a pleasant excitement with but little satisfaction, however, except a lively hope of soon seeing terra firma again.  At about 8:00 o’clock (4:00 o’clock Penna. time) it was believed by the passengers generally, that land was really in sight.  When I first saw the outline of the mountains through the mist and clouds that hung near the horizon, it stood out so clear and bold that I felt surprised at not having been able to see it long before, as some others had.  There were some who could not see the land till an hour afterwards.  The inexperienced must first learn, before they will know how to see land.  The first light-house (one sixty miles from Queenstown) came into view at 9:35 a.m.  We passed it at 10:00 o’clock.