Travels in the United States, etc.,: during 1849 and 1850./ By the Lady Emmeline Stuart Wortley.

VERA CRUZ BY MOONLIGHT.
runs parallel to Broadway, and changes its title of street for the
more rural appellation of" Avenue," when it leaves the town behind it.
I have mentioned the East River, and ought perhaps to add,
that it is a continuation of Long Island Sound on the east, uniting it with the estuary of the Hudson, and separating Long Island
from New York. It is of scanty width, but deep, and at particular states of the tide it has a very heavy current. Long Island
Sound (or one part of it, I am not quite certain which portion) is
called the Hell Gate, which name is a corruption of the old name,
Hurl Gate.
CHAPTER XXV.
Vera Cruz by Moonlight-The "Walker" Steamer-The new Minister to
Mexico-Lord Mark Kerr's exquisite Drawings-Scenes on Deck-Love
of Music of the Americans-The Aspect of Vera Cruz-Effects of a
Norther-Sopilotes-Their Functions and Appearance-The Castle of St.
Juan D'Ulloa-The Harbor of Vera Cruz-Its Commerce-Its Founda tion-The German Housekeeper-Her polyglot Stories-The Alameda
-Vast Number of laden Miles-Departures for Mexico-Vera Cruzian
Watchmen-Dresses of the Vera Cruzians.
WVVE landed at Vera Cruz by the most magnificent moonlight I
think I ever beheld. A huge arch of dazzling silver sparkled overhead, and all beside seemed floating in one vast silvery sea: any
place must have looked beautiful so deluged with splendor, and
certainly Vera Cruz did; her defects were really dazzled away,
and her beauties all glorified and increased a hundred fold.
We had a very rough passage of about ten days in the surveying steamer " VWalker," of the United States Navy. She was
very foul, which prevented her making a rapid passage, and the
weather was against her. Every thing was done to render us as
comfortable as possible. We had a charming and large cabin,
and a delightful collection of books was placed at our disposal.
The "Walker" is reckoned the most rolling vessel in the whole
United States Navy, and she gave us during our voyage a great
deal more than a touch of her quality.
Our kind and excellent friend Governor L, the minister to
Mexico, had never been at sea before in his life, and it was not to
be expected he should find this tremendous tossing about very
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