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!"

An old lady, who has been very sick all the way, is revived by this
appalling intelligence.

"I hope they won't tumble over my _caps!_" she exclaims.

"Yes, they will have every thing out on deck," says the lady, delighted
with the increasing sensation. "I tell you you don't know these custom
house officers."

"It's too bad!" "It's dreadful!" "How horrid!" exclaim all.

"I shall put my best things in my pocket," exclaims one. "They don't
search our pockets, do they?"

"Well, no, not here; but I tell you they'll search your _pockets_ at
Antwerp and Brussels," says the lady.

Somebody catches the sound, and flies off into the state rooms with the
intelligence that "the custom house officers are so dreadful--they rip
open your trunks, pull out all your things, burn your books, take away
your daguerreotypes, and even search your pockets;" and a row of groans
is heard ascending from the row of state rooms, as all begin to revolve
what they have in their trunks, and what they are to do in this
emergency.

"Pray tell me," said I to a gentlemanly man, who had crossed four or
five times, "is there really so much annoyance at the custom house?"

"Annoyance, ma'am? No, not the slightest."

"But do they really turn out the contents of the trunks, and take away
people's daguerreotypes, and burn their books?"

"Nothing of the kind, ma'am. I apprehend no difficulty. I never had any.
There are a few articles on which duty is charged. I have a case of
cigars, for instance; I shall show them to the custom house officer, and
pay the duty. If a person seems disposed to be fair, there is no
difficulty. The examination of ladies' trunks is merely nominal; nothing
is deranged."

So it proved. We arrived on Sunday morning; the c