It was a showery morning, and looked wofully like a rainy
day; but nothing better is to be expected in England; and, after all,
there is seldom such a day that you cannot glide about pretty securely
between the drops of rain. This, however, did not turn out one of those
tolerable days, but grew darker and darker, and worse and worse; and was
worst of all when we had passed about six miles beyond Chester, and were
just on the borders of Wales, on the hither side of the river Dee, where
the ship was to be launched. Here the train stopped, and absolutely
deposited our whole party of excursionists, under a heavy shower, in the
midst of a muddy potato-field, whence we were to wade through mud and
mire to the ship-yard, almost half a mile off. Some kind Christian, I
know not whom, gave me half of his umbrella, and half of his cloak, and
thereby I got to a shed near the ship, without being entirely soaked
through.
The ship had been built on the banks of the Dee, at a spot where it is
too narrow for her to be launched directly across, and so she lay
lengthwise of the river, and was so arranged as to take the water
parallel with the stream. She is, for aught I know, the largest ship in
the world; at any rate, longer than the Great Britain,--an iron-screw
steamer,--and looked immense and magnificent, and was gorgeously dressed
out in flags. Had it been a pleasant day, all Chester and half Wales
would have been there to see the launch; and, in spite of the rain, there
were a good many people on the opposite shore, as well as on our side;
and one or two booths, and many of the characteristics of a fair,--that
is to say, men and women getting intoxicated without any great noise and
confusion.
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