Recommended Translation: Journey to America, ed. J.P. Mayer, trans. George Lawrence (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1960)

Excerpt:

9 May. Yesterday morning the first cry of land was heard but it took a glass to see the coast. Today the rising sun has just revealed Long Island to us. We are approaching the shore rapidly, one already sees grass and trees in leaf; it’s a delicious sight. I leave you to go join all those who are rejoicing on deck. The sea makes no one uncomfortable today. …

I scarcely anticipated, dear Mother, when we were in view of Long Island, what was going to happen to us. Upon going on deck I noticed that the wind, which had been blowing from the east since early morning, was veering to the west. An hour later it became gutsy and contrary; and we had to start to tack, that is to say, zigzag without advancing. In the mature (matinee?) the west wind became settled, as the sailors say. In other words the weather took on an appearance of stability which promised to last several days. Now we had some sick people on board and our provisions were giving out. Even the wood and the flour were beginning to dwindle in a disquieting way. All the passengers therefore got together and asked that, with the aid of the west wind, we gain the little town of Newport, which is situated 60 leagues to the north of New York. The captain consented …

At eight o’clock in the evening we dropped anchor in the outer harbor of Newport. A fishing dory soon came to reconnoitre us. We were so happy to find ourselves at land that all the young people and the captain himself immediately embarked in the dory, and a half hour afterwards we arrived, not without wetting our seats a little, at the wharf of Newport. Never, I guess, were people so glad to be alive.

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