28/29 But, after a passage of eighteen days, eleven hours, and fifteen minutes, we reached Boston, having spent six hours at Halifax. We little thought that the steamer _Sirius_ of fifty years ago would ever develop into the magnificent floating palaces of to-day--three times as large and three times as swift. In spite of the steamer, however, we had a cold, rough, dreary voyage, and I have no pleasant memories connected with it. Our fellow-passengers were all in their staterooms most of the time. Our good friend Mr.Birney had sailed two weeks before us, and as Mr. |