Friday, July 31. {1857}They say that we shall see the coast of Ireland tomorrow, and every heart rejoices, for tho’ the passage has been very fine, we are weary of our close quarters and long for the sight of green fields, and indeed of any objects of any kind to look upon . . .
Maria was onboard the Steamer Arabia , crossing the Atlantic to reach Europe. They started on the 22nd and on August 1 land was spotted. They arrived in Liverpool the next day, August 2. Imagine crossing the Atlantic on a steamer! Whole it took almost a dozen days, imagine how much faster I was than a ship under sail as Maria’s paternal grandfather used when a whaling captain! For some, especially whalemen, it must have felt like a speedy trip! This was the start of Maria’s trip to Europe – a trip that would serve as an education and one that opened doors to greater knowledge and friendships with Europe’s scientists and others.
JNLF
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