340 MISSOURI HISTORICAL REVIEW
LETTERS OF GEORGE CALEB BINGHAM TO
JAMES S. ROLLINS
EDITED BY C. B. ROLLINS
PART III
LETTERS: SEPTEMBER 7, 1856 —MAY 8, 1859
Paris France Sept. 7 1856
Maj J. S. Rollins
My dear Sir
Yours of Aug. 6th was handed to me by Goupil & cos
agent just as our ship was leaving the dock at New York,
and we read it out at Sea, after the receding hills of our
native land had sunk beneath the horizon. Our voyage across
the "great deep" proved to be much more agreeable than I
expected to find it. We had nothing which mariners would
regard as a storm, although we encountered quite a severe
gale, about four days out from New York, which lasted 16
hours. During its continuence, in common with the other
passengers, we suffered much from sea sickness. As soon
however as the violence of the winds subsided, we became
ourselves again, and could do ample justice to the abundant
fare spread before us by our Stuart [sic].
We were fortunate in embarking upon a large substantial
steamer commanded by an able mariner, and most agreeable
gentleman, who stinted us in nothing which could add to our
security, comfort, or ease. We landed at Havre just a week
since and reached this great centre of luxury Art and fashion
the next day. Our first object, of course, was to secure permanent and comfortable quarters, which, with the aid of a
young gentleman in the employ of Mr Goupil, we succeeded
in doing in a few days. We find, however, no boarding houses
here such as we have in the United States. A suit of rooms
are rented furnished or unfurnished and the ocupants must
provide their own meals either by preparing them themselves, or obtaining them from the numerous restraurants
