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10 THE GREAT LOKB LAND.
CHAPTER II.
THE "SAMARIA"—ACROSS THE ATLANTIC—SHIPMATES—THE BESFOI
OP THE DECK—"KEEP HER NOR'-WEST"—DEMOCRAT VERSUS
BEPHBLICAST—A FIRST GLIMPSE—BOSTON.
POLITICAL economists and newspaper editors for years have
dwelt upon the unfortunate fact that Ireland is not a manufacturing
nation, and does not export largely the products
of her soil. But persons who have lived in the island., or
who have visited the ports of its northern or southern
shores, or crossed the Atlantic by any of the ocean steamers
which sail daily from the United Kingdom, must have arrived
at a conclusion totally at variance with these writers;
for assuredly there is no nation under the sun which manufactures
the material called man so readily as does that
grass-covered island. Ireland is not a manufacturing
nation, says the political economist. Indeed, my good sir,
you are wholly mistaken. She is not only a manufacturing
nation, but she manufactures nations. You do not see her
broad-cloth, or her soft fabrics, or her steam-engines, but
you see the broad shoulder of her sons and the soft cheeks
of her daughters in vast states whose names you are utterly
ignorant of; and as for the exportation of her products to
foreign lands, just come with me on board this ocean steamship
" Samaria" and look at them. The good ship has run
down the channel during the night and now lies at anchor
in Queenstown harbour, waiting for mails and passengers.
The latter came quickly and thickly enough. No poor, ill-