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is rougher than it was

About This Item

  • Title: is rougher than it was
  • Date: Between 1848 and 1855
  • Creator(s): Walt Whitman
  • Whitman Archive ID: duk.00786
  • Source: Trent Collection of Whitmaniana, David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University. Transcribed from digital images of the original. For a description of the editorial rationale behind our treatment of the manuscripts, see our statement of editorial policy.
  • Editorial note: This manuscript page consists of notes from Whitman's return trip from New Orleans in 1848. This page of notes, crossed out and numbered "2," describes the journey across Lake Erie; Whitman's visits to Buffalo, Albany, and Niagara Falls, and his arrival at Brooklyn. The notes were later used as the basis for an article entitled "New Orleans in 1848" that appeared in the New Orleans Picayune on January 25, 1887. The article was reprinted in November Boughs.
  • Related Item(s):
    • On the reverse of this leaf are manuscript notes about Whitman's family history, likely written on multiple occasions in the mid-1850s. See duk.00209.
    • See wwa.00171.
  • Notes written on manuscript: On leaf 1 recto, in unknown hand: "2"
  • Cite this page: Whitman, Walt. "is rougher than it was." The Walt Whitman Archive. Gen. ed. Matt Cohen, Ed Folsom, & Kenneth M. Price. Accessed 09 May 2025. <http://www.whitmanarchive.org>.
  • Source File: duk.00786.xml (TEI)

Key

Textual Feature Appearance
Overwritten brown with strikethrough
Added inline purple with double underline
Uncertain gray with wavy underline
Supplied from another source turquoise with brackets
Metamark green with triple underline
Long deletion gray background with top and bottom border
  [begin leaf 1 recto] 2

is rougher than it hwas on Michigan or Huron: (on St. Clair it was smooth as glass;) and our boat rolls a little.—Whether it be from this cause, I don't know, but I feel rather unwell.—The day is bright and dry, with a stiff head wind.—We shall doubtless be in Buffalo this evening.—I anticipate a great deal of pleasure in viewing the the Falls of Niagara.—(By Wednesday night I expect to be home.)

The water of Lake Erie looksed like Michigan, the morning we started out of Chicago—that bright, lively, blue color, so beautiful and rare.—

We arrived in Buffalo on Monday evening, spent that night and a portion of the next day in examining the place.—In the morning of the next day, got in the cars and went out to Niagara.—Great God! what a sight!—We went under the Falls, saw the whirlpool, and all the other things, including the suspension bridge.—

On Tuesday evening we started for Albany; and travelled all night.—From the time daylight afforded us a view of the country, found it very rich and well cultivated.—Every few miles there were large towns and villages.—

On Wednesday evening arrived in Albany.—Spent the evening in loitering about; there was a political meeting (Hunker,) at the Capitol, but we passed it by.—

Next morning started down the Hudson in the Alida.—Never before did I look upon such grand and varied scenery.—Arrived about 5 o'clock in Brooklyn. Found all well.—

  [begin leaf 1 verso]
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