Another Norwegian ship lay at Hoboken then, and the mate on that ship suggested one evening that we go over to the Bowery, and have some fun. We took the Hoboken ferry, and walked from where it landed on Manhattan over to the Bowery. Here were dancehalls, theatres, saloon and all kinds of institutions to cheat the people out of their money. I was soon tired of all the entertainments and asked my companions if they did not want to return to ship. 'Yes, in a little while,' they said. On my repeated requests to leave, they said they could come very soon, but they did not come, and finaly, I told them I was going, and I started out for Hoboken ferry, being, as I thought, well acquainted with the road to it. Having walked a distance, I began to doubt if I was going in the right direction, and turned into another street, which I believed was the right one. But the further I came here and more unfamiliar the surroundings appeared, and I turned again into another street. Finally, I realized I was lost. I had come into an area where there were only tall, dark buildings on both sides of the street, and no lights either in the buildings or in the streets. And not only that, but not a person was to be seen, whom I could ask for directions. My steps on the sidewalk resounded in hollow echoes from the tall, black buildings, and it occurred to me that this would be an excellent place for reobbers to do business. I watched for them constantly, and felt quite unsafe. But no living being, not even a street rat could be seen.
I tried to get out of this place by going in different directions, but on street appeared much like the other whereever I went. It was not good sense to give up. I must be able to find people somewhere before long. Not a policeman or watchman could be found. Never in my life had I seen such desolate and forsaken city. And this was New York. Thus I continued trudging, in one street after another, hour after hour, without the least knowledge of where I was, or which direction I was going, and no way of finding out here in the midst of these big buildings.
Daylight finally came on, and then I saw a policeman, hurried up to him and asked for the road to Hoboken ferry pier. 'Yes, go down this street and then turn left and you will soon be on the pier', he said. It was not long before I was there. I have left Bowery at 11:00 o'clock, P.M., and now it was 3:30 A.M. But where I had wandered during those four and a half hours I do not know even to this day.
It was full daylight when I came onboard our ship, tired and sleepy; but there could be no sleep now. At six o'clock I must be at work. The night had been one of everything but amusement to me.
There were many unusual experiences for me this time in New York, and I was glad when we at last had received full cargo, and could depart. A telegram from Norway had notified the captain we had to go to Helsingør (Elsinore) for orders. That meant, at Helsingør we would be notified where our cargo was to be unloaded; and it also mean that our cargo was not yet sold.