eakfast I ventured, in the enthusiasm of the moment, to
seat myself at the piano, and was hard at work on about the only
patriotic tune I could drum, viz: 'Tenting on the old camp ground,'
when a small boy came up with a message from some nice looking young
ladies at the opposite end of the parlor, requesting 'The Star
Spangled Banner,' in honor of the glorious news. Well, I didn't
exactly fall under the piano; but briefly conveying regrets at my
inability to comply, I retired as gracefully as possible."

Promptly at noon we waved our adieus from the deck of the "Oceanus" to
the friends assembled on shore, and steamed slowly down the harbor.
The weather was extremely rainy and foggy, and when hardly three hours
out, we found ourselves aground on Sandy Hook bar. A pilot was
signaled, who brought the report of a heavy storm outside, and after
getting us safely off the sand-spit, he advised our "laying to" till
morning. This was a great disappointment, as there was no time to
lose, and some one impatiently asked, "Can't you take us out this
afternoon, pilot?" "I reckon I can if you all say so," responded the
old salt, "but you'd better lay _here_, to-night!" "Why so, pilot?"
"You gentlemen want to go to Charleston, don't you?" "Why, yes, of
course." "Wall, then, I tell you, you'd better lay _here_ to-night,
for it's goin' to be a werry nasty, dirty night outside." That settled
the matter, and down went the big anchor of the "Oceanus."

Having eaten but sparingly during the day to avoid sea-sickness, and
fully believing that we were firmly anchored for the night, I indulged
in a hearty supper, concluding, as my diary says, "with sardines and
oranges." I had occasion to feel very sorry for this a few hours
later.

A patriotic meeting was held in the cabin during the evening. The
music and addresses were very enjoyable, till suddenly the sound of
hurrying feet was heard overhead, and the news was whispered round
that we were "weighing anchor." Soon we began to feel the
uncomfortable rolling of the steamer. The orator who was then
addressing the meeting, and who had waxed eloquent with his subject,
now provoked considerable merriment by his ungraceful and involuntary
gestures, clutching desperately at a chair, then taking a fresh hold
of the table to steady himself. It well illustrated Demosthenes'
famous rule for oratory, "Action! action! action!" But a more serious
impression quickly prevailed among the audience, that it