Glass.
Book
jO~C'o-i.<^
^i£lii tlae IR ©lathes 1©
THE
SPmiNGH.NIAGAMA, &> QI^JEBBf\
^ also — — - — --
J Si' J . HARPER.
THE
NORTHERN TRAVELLERt
NORTHER]^ TOUR;
WITH THE ROUTES TO
THE SPRINGS, NIAGARA, AND QUEBFX\
AND THE
COAL MINES OF PENNSYLVANIA;
ALSO, THE
TOUR OF NFAV-ENGLAND.
I
Embellished with, thirty-hvo Copperplate Engravings.
FOURTH EDITION, REVISED AND EXTENDED,
NEW-YORK
PRINTED BY J. & J. HARPER, 82 Cliff-St.
Sold by Collins & Hannay, Collins & Co., O. A. Roorbacli, W. B. Gilley,
. E. Bliss, A . T. Goodricli, C. S. Francis, J. E. Belts, D. Felt, M'Elrath
" & Bangs, N. B. Holmes, W. Burgess, J. W.Bleecker, J. Lea vitt ;— Alba-
ny, O. Steele, and Little & Cummings ;— Utica, William Williams ;—
Rochester, E. Peck «fe Co. ;— Canandaigua, Morse, Ward, & Co, :— Biif-
"'aln, Pav, Fallett, &c Haskins.
1630-
■F7.
ip
D?Sf
SeUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW- YORK, ss.
BE IT REMEMBERED, That on the twenty-second day of A pril,A.D.
1830, in the fifty-fourth year of the Independence of the United States of
Anrierica, J. & J. Harper, of the said District, have deposited in this office
the title of a Book, the right whereof they claim as proprietors, in the
words following, to wit:
"The Northern Traveller and Northern Tour, with the Routes to the
Sprinss, Niagara, and Quebec, and the Coal Mines of Pennsylvania ; also,
the Tour of NfW-Ensland. En bellished with thirty-two Copperplate
Engravings. Fourth Edition, revised and extended."
In conformity to the act of the Congress of the United States, entitled
" An act for tiie encouragement of learning, by securing the copies of
maps, charts, and books to the authors and proprieiors of such copies,
during the times therein mentioned." And also to the act, entitled, " An
act supplementary to an act, entitled an act for the encouragement of
learning, by securing the copies of maps, charts, and books to the authors
and proprietors of such copies, during the times therein mentioned, and
extendintr the benefits thereof to the arts of designing, engraving, and
rsrohing historical and other prints."
FREDERICK I. BETTS,
Hf^^k of the SovthfTv District of J\re?n- Ycrl:.
FRESFACt:*
Great exertions have been made to obtain ac-
counts of all changes that have taken place on the
various routes embraced within the range of the
Northern Traveller, since the publication of the last
edition, as well as to add all necessary remarks
on such subjects as had before escaped notice ; and
it will be found that few pages have been passed
without the insertion of something new, while many
have been entirely written over again, and consi-
derable additions have been made.
The rapid sale which may now be calculated on.
in comiexion with other circumstances, have ena-
bled the publishers, this season, to offer the work
at a greatly reduced price, while additions have
been made to its embellishments.
The plan of the " Northern Traveller" was ori-
ginally suggested by a reflection on the immense
numbers of intelligent persons who annually visit
the most interesting scenes in our Northern and
Middle States ; and a knowledge of the great ad-
vantages which are derived from ^vorks of a cor-
responding description in Europe. No pains have
been spared to render it useful, as well as interest-
ing; and, as far as the necessary brevity would
permit, the peculiar character of our citizens, and
the nature of the country have been kept in viev
in the plan and scope of thf^. work
OKJVKRAL IJ^DKX.
Page
City of New-York ...... 9
From New- York to Niagara .... 20
« " to the Springs . . 20—55. 129
« " to Canada . . .do. do.
« *' to Connecticut River and > ^^^
the White Mountains S
" to Boston . . 246—258. 297
City of Philadelphia ...... 402
From Philadelphia to New- York . . ,432
" " to the Coal Mines . . 414
City of Boston . . • • • .318
From Boston to the Springs . . . .329
« " to the White Mountains . . 333
" " to Maine 362
City of Washington 383
City of Baltimore 389
VIEWS FROM NATURE.
Congress Hall (facing title.)
Scenery on the Mohawk River , . 5T
Niagara, from below the Cataract . . .87
Ballston 145
Saratoga ......•» 153
Lake George . 166
Ticonderoga ,,,.... 179
Mount Holyoke ,278
The Notch or Willey House, (Wliite Mountains) 354
^i/^kiiKAl- IISD1<.\
MAPS.
Page
General Map of the Routes .... 9
Hudson River, No. 1 . . . . . 20
" " No. 2 24
" No. 3 31
" " No. 4, Canals to Schenectady > .^
and Sandy HiU \ ' ^
Erie Canal, to Herkimer ..... 56
" " to Salina , .... 62
'^ to Rochester 68
" " to Lockport, and Road to Niagara 72
'« " to Buffalo 109
" to Lyons, and Road by Geneva, &c. 116
'' " to Syracuse, and Road by Auburn 121
lYom Fort Edward to Whitehall and Lake George 163
Lake George and Lake Champlain . . . 176
Lake Champlain » 190
St. John's to Montreal , , . . .194
Island of Montreal . . . . . . 206
St. Lawrence River, from Montreal to Quebec . 212
Connecticut River, from Hartford to the Mouth 256
3/(ip o^ the Heittfs
Draim lor tl
THE
NORTHERN TRAVELI.ER.
THE CITY OF NEW-YORK.
Hotels and Boarding Houses. The Adelphi, opposite
the Bowling-Green. Mansion House, (Bunker,)
39 Broadway. City Hotel. National Hotel.' Frank-
lin House. American Hotel. Washington Hall, cor-
ner of Broadway and Reed-street. Mrs. Southard,
Mrs. Mann, Mrs. Keese, Mr. Storer, &c. There are
also the U. S. Hotel, Tontine, Bank, and N. Y. Coffee
Houses, Tammany Hall, Pearl-st. House, N. Y. Ho-
tel, &c.
The stranger is advised to purchase a pocket map
of the city, if he is to remain here a few days ; as
without it he will often find himself at a loss.
The Battery is a pleasant walk in warm weather ;
and Castle Garden has a fine promenade. On summer
evenings the place is supplied with music, and often
fireworks.
Steamboats for Philadelphia. The boats of the
Union and Citizen's Lines start from the wharf just
north of the Battery, in Washington-street, at 6 A.M.
and at noon.
T/ie Staten Island Steamboats go from the foot of
Whitehall-street, at the lower end of the Battery.
Broadway, the most fashionable promenade in the
city, is most crowded with passengers between 1 and
3 o'clock ; or, in hot weather, after dinner. Going
up from the Battery, you pass the Bowling Green, a
new hotel, called the Adelphi House, many genteel
B
lU tlTV OF :^EW-\.OKK.
boarding houses, particularly the Mansion House ;
Aud then Grace church, and Trinity church.
The property of this church is very great, lying in
large tracts of land now covered by the city streets.
Opposite, opens Wall-street, which contains the first
Presbyterian church, most of the banks, with the
Branch of the U. S. Bank, together with numerous
Insurance and Brokers'' Offices.
The JVew-York Exchange. This building is of
white marble from Westchester, and fronts Wall-
street, between William and Pearl-streets. It has
four marble columns in front, made of single shafts.
The exchange room is large and resorted to by mer-
chants between 1 and 3 o'clock. The building con-
tains the Post Office on the ground floor, the Commer-
cial Reading- Rooms above, with several Insurance
Offices, and the offices of Daily Papers. There is a
telegraph on tlie top to communicate Avith Sandy
Hook, to get early intelh'gence of vessels. On arriving*,
they show Hags by which they may be designated 30
miles from Staten Island. The view from the cupola
embraces the wl^ole city.
Returning to Broadway, beyond Trinity church is
the City Hotel; opposite, the National Hotel; and h
little further, Cec/ar and Courtlandt-streets, leading west
to the docks on Hudson river, whence some of tlie
Albany steam boats start. At the latter street is also the
Jersey City Ferry — Is.
The Franklin House, corner of Dey-st. and Broad-
way. Fulton-street leads to Fulton Market, on the
East river. (There is the lower Brooklyn ferry, 4
cents ; at the next dock below, are the Jyeza-port and
Providence steamboats; and just above, f/jc steamboats
for Flushing, JVorrva Ik, Stamford, Bridgeport, Stratford,
New-London and jYorzivich.)
St. PauVs Church in Broadway is next above Fulton-
street. A monument was raised in the portico of this
church some years ago, to General Montgomery ; and
in 1818 the remains of that brave officer were brought
OirV OF INEW'-VOJiK. 1 I
iVom (c^uebec and deposited here, \\kh military
honours. Just beyond, is Poffh exJdhitioii of Pictures,
then the Park, on the opposite of which is the Theatre,
near Avhich is Clinton Hall, and the Bible Society^a
Depository* in the rear. In the same street [JVassau)
is the American Tract Society''s building. f Park Place,
on the left, where are Coleman's Literary Rooms and
Exhibition, leads to Columbia College ; and the City
Hall is in the Park, with the Debtor's Prison on the
east, and Bridezs^ell on the west. Barclay -street leads
to Hoboken ferry, and the Albany steamboats.
The JVew-York Institution is behind the City Hall.
The Savings Bank is on the opposite side of Cham-
bers-street. [There were deposites made, in 1829, to
the amount of $624,900, by 11,937 individuals, almost
all poor persons.] Adjoining the latter are the JVew-
York Baths and the Arcade Baths, which are commo-
dious, ar.d well attended, wilh separate entrances
leading to the ladies' baths. The Exhibition Ptoom
of the National Academy of the Arts of Design and the
Manhattan Water Works are just at hand. From the
latter a considerable portion of the dwellings in the
lower part of the city are supplied with water, though
not of very good quality. The Court of Sessions is in the
Rotunda, which was formerly devoted to Panoramas.
[A short distance eastward. Chambers-street leads
to Chatham-street : then turning to the left you may
proceed to the Chatham Theatre, Chatham-square, the
Bowery, tlie Bowery Theatre, &lc. k,c.]
On the other hand. Chambers-street leads west-
ward to the Hudson river ; and at the foot of Warren-
street, next below it, is the Public Marine Bath.
* Opposite the Depository, is a workshop, erected in 1827, where a
«teaiii engine is seen on the first floor, which works ejjrht power presses,
in wliicii bibles are priuled: on tlie second, uhovc, are twenty other
]iresses. 1'iie power piessns do double the work of the common press ;
and all touether can print 400 reams of pajier in a week. S«v€nty-Gne
persons are employed in this department. In iho other building the
biiidini; is done by 112 persons.
t In the American Tract Society's house are nr-'. mmmoti, and four
■M'.vor nres-ies. drixm. br niiiies.
12
CITY OF AEW-YORK.
Returning:, and going on up Broadway, 5^ou pas-i
Washington Hal). [Duane-street leads, on the left, to
Rutgers' Medical College, and Public School, JVo. 1 1, on
the ground floor of which is an Infant School.] Masonic
Hall and the JVew-York Hospital are a little beyond ;
and Scudder's Museum is to be removed to the corner
of Anthony-street.
This fifie broad street continues about a mile and a
half further on, perfectly straight, and nearly all built
with brick houses ; but contains no public buildings,
except a new Goihic churcB.
There is also in the city an Orphan Asylum.
A tine part of the city lies north-west trom the hos-
pital, about Hudson-square. The streets are there
more regular, and the square itself is very fine, with
St. John's church in front, which has the tallest spire
in New-York.
Among the other public buildings, which it is not
easy to point out more particularly, are the Roman
Catholic Cathedral, and the numerous places of public
worship in all parts of the city. These amounted in
1824, to 84 in all, and are now above 100. The State
Prison, Penitentiary, Fever Hospital, House of Refuge
for juvenile delinquents. Lunatic Asylum: these are
all at a distance from the centre of the city.
Public Schools. The Public School Society have
eight large brick houses in different parts of the city,
averaging about 42 by 85 feet in size, valued with
their furniture, at about $150,000 ; and the encum-
brances, for money borrowed, about $50,000. About
5000 children are educated at these schools, most of
whom pay a small sum, from 25 cents to $1,25 per
quarter ; but none are excluded who are unable to
pay. The schools are furnished with maps, globes,
libraries, &c. and a uniform system, alter the Lancas-
leridi plan, is adopted in them all.* Two of them
* Common School Fund and Common Schools in the State of.lVew- York.
— The foundation of the Common School Fund for the State of New-
York was laid in the year 1809. and the first distribution of tlie incoine
look place in ]81t!.
UlTY OF :NEW-\OIiK. '^'^
.lie tor Africans. The Higfi^School receives scholars
in higher branches. The Infant Schools are highly-
interesting institutions. The Sunday Schools deserve
particular notice for their usefulness ; also the Me-
chanics' Society's School.
The AthencBum is a literary institution lately-
formed. The City Library is large, and there are
others belonging to the Societies of Merchants' Clerks,
Apprentices, &c. There are Circulating Libraries
at several of the Bookstores in Broadway and else-
Avhere.
The Fire Engines are remarkable for their beauty
and excellence, as the Fire Department is for its effi-
ciency and usefulness. There are 47 engines, besides
five tfook and Ladder companies.
The City Hall contains the common council
chamber, with portraits of Washington, Hamilton,
Jefterson, and Thompson ; court rooms, the police
The prnductive capital of this fund is invested in bonds and mortgages,
canal and hank stncks, and now amount to $), 661,081, and produces aii
income of about $95,000.
T!)e Siate owns 880,000 acres of land, valued at $411,288, wliich lands
Hre, by the Constitution of the State, i)ied«ed for the support of common
schools. This gives a grand total of $2,042,113, exclusive of the local
school fund, and of a larffe capital denoniiiiated the "Literary Fund:"
the income from which is annually paid towards the support of colleges
and academies.
In 1829, $214,840 was paid towards the support of common schools —
of this sum $100,000 was paid from the Stale Treasury, $11,905 from
the income of the loan school fund, and $102,934 was raised by tax.
The school la'.v requires that a sum shall be assessed on ihcjr taxable
inhabitants equal to the sum wliich is paid from the State Treasury to
each town, and by a vote at their town meetings double the amount may
be raised by tax.
There are 56 counties, 742 cities, towns, and wards, every one of
which made detailed official returns of their schools to the Secretary of
State, in 1827.
The number of school districts was 8994, the schools in which
contained, in 1827, 441,856 children, wiio were taught on an average G
months. In 1829, 480,825 ciiildren were taught in the Common Scliools,
at an expense to the public of $511,888 for teachers' pay alone.
The private schools in the State of New- York are also very numerous,
and it is a low estimate to suppose the sum of $500,000 is annually ex-
pended in the state for schools.
Tn 1828. 27fi..'i83 votes were polled in the state of New-York,
14 CITY OF NEW- YORK.
office, &;c. &c. The top commands a fine view of the
city ; and access may be had on applying to the keeper-
The Liverpool, London, and Havre Packets are
fine vessels, and some of them among the most ele-
gantly furnished ships in the world. They lie at dif-
ferent docks in the Last Hiver ; and the Liverpool sail
on the 1st, 8th, 16th, and 24th of every month, and
returning, leave Liverpool on the same days. The
Havre packets sail on the 1st, 10th, and 20th. The
letter bags are kept at the bar of the Tontine Coffee
House. — 6c?, for every letter.
Excursions.^ Numerous pleasant excursions may
be made from New-York in various directions. Man-
hattan Island affords several agreeable rides ; and also
Long Island and the neighbouring parts of New-Jersey.
Prince''s Linnosan Garden at Flushing. The ex-
* Rates of Hacknaj Coackes.— By the 1st section of the law for regii-
latuig Hackney CaniaKes, it is ordained that the rates or prices to be
taken by the owners or drivers of hackney carriages on the stands therein
mentioned, viz. Trinity Church and Park, for the conveyance of passen-
gers, shall be as follows, viz,
f cts.
Fox any distance not exceeding one mile, for each person 00 25
For any distance over one mile, and within the Lamp and Watch
District, for a single passenger 00 50
For two passengers, each 00 37
For each additional passenger 00 25
For attending a funeral in town 2 00
* For one or more passengers, not exceeding four, around the first,
or Sandy Hill tour 1 00
For one or more passengers, not exceeding four, around the second,
or Love Lane tour 2 00
For one or more passengers, not exceeding four, around the third,
or Lake's tour .' 2 50
For one or more passengers, not exceeding four, aiound the fourtli,
or Apthorp's tour 4 00
For one or more passengers, not exceeding four, to Harlaem and
back .....4 00
For one or more passengers, not exceeding four, to King's Bridge
and back, with the privilege of keeping the carriage all day 5 0(»
And whenever Hackney Carriages shall be hired or paid by lime, or
tleiained, the rates or prices shall be as follows : that is to say,
For any time not exceeding one hour dols. 00 75
and in proportion for a greater or less time.
Tlie penalty for denianding a higher fare than the preceding is Ten
Sollars ; for refusing to be employed when disengaged, Ten Dollars ;
syid for not ha^•ine a copy of the rat«sin ^ch carriage. Fifteen Dollars-
SCnOOLEY S MOU?
eursion to this beautiful garden and nursery is very
pleasant. The Steamboat leaves Fulton-street Slip at
hours particularized every day in the newspapers, and
affords a view of the most interesting parts of the East
River ; including the famous rapids at Hurl Gate.
The village is small but pleasant. The garden of Mr.
Prince will supply strangers of taste and science with
rare seeds, plants, flowers, and trees, and has already
done much to introduce useful and beautiful varieties
into this countiy. It was first established about the
middle of the last century.
The 4 hot houses contain about 20,000 plants in pots :
and the garden covers at least 30 acres. The specie?;
and varieties of trees and plants amount to about 8000,
which is considered the most numerous collection in
America. The proprietor exerts himself to obtain all
the native productions, as well as all interesting exotics,
and for specimens forwarded to him he offers to make
satisfactory returns from his own collection. He had,
in 1827, 127 varieties of apples, 202 of pears, cherries
76, plums 139, and peaches 84.
The JVavy Yard, at Brooklyn. See " East River. ''^
Bath, Rockaway and Gravesend, on Long Island,
and Long^ Branch,^ (Hotels by Renshaw and Sears,)
in New-Jersey, fine situations on the seacoast, are
among the most attractive for bathing, &c.
SCHOOLEY'S MOUNTAIN.
This is a very fashionable resort during the warm
season, particularly tor visiters from New- York. The
situation is very pleasant, in a variegated tract of
country ; and affords a most agreeable retreat, with fine
air and good accommodations.
At the city of New-York many travellers will com-
* The American Navy consists of forty vessels : of which there are
sfeven 74's, or ships of tlie hne ; seven 44's, or frigates of the first class ;
three of the second class ; twelve sloops of war ; seven schooners, and
other vessels.
t This is a fasliionable resort.
16 Qiri OF AEW-VOliJv.
mence their tours in different directions ; and a glance
at the general Map of the Routes, on the preceding page,
will assist them in laying their plans. The Union morn-
ing line of steamboats is recommended for Philadelphia.
The Lehigh Coal Mines may be visited by taking one
of the steamboats to New-Brunswick, and there a stage
coach ; or a stage coach from Jersey City. By that
route the traveller may proceed north to the line of the
Erie Canal, or by the direct line to Ithaca, &:c. The
larger morning boats offer the most rapid, and on the
whole the most agreeable means of travelling up the
Hudson river. A visit to the Catskill Mountains, and
an excursion to Lebanon Springs, via Hudson, are very
pleasant variations from the common routine of the
route to Albany.
A good general tour is as follows — New-York,
Catskill, Albany, the Springs, Lake George, back to
the Springs, Schenectady, (or Johnstown,) Niagara,
down Lake Ontario, Montreal, Quebec, Montreal, up
Lake Champlain to Burlington, cross the country to
Connecticut River and Boston — back to New-York by
Connecticut River, or by Providence.
. This maybe varied at pleasure. The Springs may
be visited after the tour has been accomplished ; and
this will be preferred by many, to enjoy repose after
fatigue, and to see the country in the earlier and cooler
part of the season. Some may choose first to travel
eastward ; and then they will take one of the steam-
boats which run in that direction. Information con-
cerning most of the land routes may be obtained at the
coach offices in Courtlandt-street, near Broadway.
TO THE COAL MINES.
A stage coach goes in a day from Powles' Hook to
Easton ; another route is from New-Brunswick. (.See
Easton.)
THE MORRIS CA?sAL.
THE MORRIS CANAL.
This Canal will offer a new and direct route to the
Anthracite Coal Mines at Mauch Chunk, Penn.
It will leave the Hudson river opposite New-York
city at Powles' Hook. After passing through the low
grounds it reaches an elevated tract 50 feet above it,
up which it rises by an inclined plane. Boats are
about ten minutes in being drawn up by machinery.
The old road through Newark marshes will make a
towing path.
The inclined plane near Bloomfield is 624 feet long,
and surmounts an elevation of 52 feet perpendicular,
having an inclination of one foot in every 12. When
a boat is drawn to the top of the plane, it is received
into an empty lock, into which the water is admitted
from above, and, by its own operation closes the gates
behind it, thus floating it up to the upper level. The
wheels of the machinery are provided against too rapid
a motion, by a contrivance by which wedges are spon-
taneously dropped to stop them.
Dover is a village which lies a little beyond; and at
a short distance the canal rises to the summit level,
which is supplied, for ten miles, from a pond. Not
less than twenty miles of the whole route, the canal
runs through narrow ravines, between high ridges of
granite, which abound in va Suable minerals, heretofore
transported by land to a distance to be wrought.
With the exception of the Mountain Pvidge, the land
through which the Morris Canal passes is fertile and
populous. The whole rise and fall upon the route
amounts to 890 feet ; and this is overcome by inclined
planes, instead of locks, at as little expense, it is de-
clared, as the lockage of 250 feet would cost.
Newark is one of the most beautiful places in the
state. The Canal winds thence to Paterson^ where h
passes along the rocks below the falls, through ex-
lo (JITY OF jNEW-YORK.
pensive excavations. It crosses the Passaic above the
Little Paterson falls, on an arched stone aqueduct, 50
feet span.
Paterson is a large and flourishing manufacturing-
village, situated just below the great and picturesque
falls of the Passaic, from which the water is supplied
for turning the machinery of numerous large esta-
blishments. The place has grown up from almost
obscurity within 20 years, and latel)^ contains about
8000 inhabitants. The amount of capital invested was
estimated in 1828 at above a million.
In the town there are seventeen cotton factories,
containing 30,000 spindles ; one flax or sail duck
factory, with 1600 spindles ; one slitting and rolling
mill and nail factory, working annually 896,000 pounds
of iron, costing $10,320, and making, yearly, 851,200
pounds of nails. The cotton factories consume,
annually, 2,000,000 pounds of cotton, and the flax
factory 600,000 pounds of flax. — There is one machine
shop employing 150 hands, connected with which is
an iron and brass foundry, working annually 600,000
pounds of iron, and 16,500 pounds of brass : the esti-
mated yearly value of the iron and brass castings is
$25,000.
The scenery at the falls is celebrated for its pic-
turesque character. A perpendicular wall of solid
rock rises from the side of a lai^e basin formed by the
river, into which the stream falls in foam, from the
height of 70 feet. A man repeatedly sprung from
that height into the water in 1828, without injury.
When the canal leaves the Passaic, it runs a few miles
in the valley of Pompton river, then through a rougher
country to Mayville, where it rises 140 feet by two
inclined planes. Thence to Boonton Falls on Kock-
away river, and up another, 80 feet. The river has a
fine fall, well dammed, to supply the canal and several
mills. At Dover are iron works. At Rockaway is a
plane rising 52 feet.
There is a rlirprt road to Buffalo throusrh Tfhara.
BOOKS AM> MAPS. IS
I'he tollowing list of books and maps is given for
those wlio may wish for more details concerning the
northern states than we are able to furnish in the present
summary view.
BOOKS.
History of the New-York Canals.
Smith's History of New-York.
Picture of New-York and Stranger's Guide.
Dr. Dwight's Travels in the New-England States
and New- York.
Professor Siliiman's Short Tour to Montreal and
Quebec, in 18mo.
Tanner's Strangers' Guide to Philadelphia.
Van Rensselaer's Geological Survey of the Canal
Route.
Hibernicus's Letters on the New-York Canal.
Spafford's Gazetteer of the State of New-York.
Spafford's Pocket Guide to the Canal Route.
Gazetteers of New-Hampshire and V^ermont.
Spafford's Gazetteer of Massachusetts.
Description Topographique de la Province du Bas
Canada, avec des remarques sur la Haute Canada, et
sur les relations des deux provinces d'Amerique. Par
Joseph Bouchette.
Greenbank's Views of American Scenery.
Pictures of Boston, Quebec, &.c.
MAPS.
Eddy's Map of the State of New-York.
Vance's Map of the Western Part of the same*
Goodrich's Map of the Hudson River.
Daggett's Map of Connecticut.
Bouchette's Maps of Canada.
Tanner's Maps of different stales, &c.
20 2nEW-yoi{k to albaav.
ROUTE FROM NEW-YORK TO ALBANY.
The following steamboats ply between New- York
and Albany. North America,* Ohio, New Philadel-
ghia, Albany, Victory, Sandusky, Olive Branch,
ristol. Constitution, Constellation, and Chief Justice
Marshall. ■] ' -
There are also others to intermediate places. Most
of the Troy and Albany boats, however, stop or touch
at those places. These boats lie about the docks
at Courtlandt, Cedar, and Barclay-streets.
There is some difference in the charges of the boats,
but the accommodations travellers will find on board
of them are generally good, except when they are too
much crowded with passengers. Strangers will ge-
nerally prefer the large ones, because they are furnished
with an upper deck, called the promenade, which is
sheltered from the sun by an awning, and affords a
much more uninterrupted prospect, as well as better
air. As two or three will go every day, and the tra-
veller can choose better for himself, it is unnecessary
to make any further suggestions, except that ladies
particularly will prefer the day boats, unless they are
too much crowded.
Cautions. If luggage is sent by a porter, ask him
for his number^ so that if he is negligent or dishonest, he
may be reported at the police office. It is best to go
to the steamboat ten or fifteen minutes before the time
of departure, to avoid the crowd which always col-
'lects at the dock.
PASSAGE UP THE HUDSON RIVER.
On leaving New- York, the traveller finds himself in
the midst of a fine and varied scene. The battery
* This boat, in 1828, made the shortest passase ever known between
i\cw-\ork and Albany-viz. in 10 hours and 30 niinutes.
liOCKL-:VXI> CO; s\
■I no SI lie **
\
'v^
\
*p^^
lmk'i)i'/itle
V chaii67; /.
7ll()bokcii>
'ji. ■?..■,■ Etu,ri
LUiNATIU ASiLim. "^il
lies behind him, with Governor's Island and Castle
Williams projecting beyond ; still more distant opens
the passage called the Narrows, with Staten Island on
the right, leading to Sandy Hook and the Atlantic
Ocean, which is 22 miles from the city. On the west
side of the Bay are Bedlow's and Gibbet Islands, with
forfitications; the point at the mouth of the Hudson is
Powles' Hook, on which stands a small town in New-
Jersey called Jersey/ City ; and the village of Hoboken
is seen a mile or more up the river. The hills of
Weehawken appear beyond : as the boat moves ra-
pidly on, it passes the crowded line of buildings in
Washington-street, the North Battery, and the village
of Greenwich.
At Weehawken, under a ledge of rocks facing the
river, and about the distance of three miles from the
city, is the spot where General Alexander Hamilton
fell in a duel with Col. Burr. A monument of white
marble was erected to his memory on the place ; but
it has been removed within a few years. This is the
common duelling ground for combatants from the city,
and many lives have been lost on this fatal spot.
The Palisadoes — a remarkable range of precipices
of trap rock, which begins near this place, extends up
the river on the west side 20 miles, to Tappan, and
forms a singular, and in many places an impassable
boundary. In some places an old red sandstone foun-
dation is seen below ; but the great mass of the rocks
presents the mural precipices of the trap formation,
and rises from the height of 15 or 20 feet to 500 or 550.
The eastern shore of the river opposite the Palisa-
does, is for many m.iles handsomel};^ rounded with hills,
and presents many scenes of cultivation, which con-
trast with the rude cliffs on the left. The soil is infe-
rior ; and the wood land encroaches too much upon
the fields and orchards.
The Lunatic Asylum, about 7 miles from the city,
is a large building of hev/n stone, occupying a com-
manding situation.
C
22 NEVv-\OJiK TO ALlIANi.
HarlcBm Heights are a short distance further. 'I'hey
form an elevated ridg^e across Manhattan island, on
which a line of fortifications was thrown up duringthe
Revolution and the late war quite over to the t^ast
river.
Fort Lee, on the west side ot the river, is situated
on the brow of the Palisadoes, more than 300 feet
above the river.
Fort Washington was a fortress on the top of a high
rounded hill, on the east side of the river, 12 miles from
New-York. In October, 1776, when Gen. Washing-
ton had evacuated the city, and, subsequently to the
battle of White Plains, (for which see just beyond,)
had drawn off his army to Fort Lee, Fort Washington
was kept garrisoned, contrair to his advice, and was
attacked in four divisions. The Hessians and Wal-
deckers, under Gen. Knyphausen, went up the hill on
the north side, Gen. Matthews on the east, with the
English light infantry and guards, marched against the
intrenchments, which reached almost to the East river.
Col. Sterling made a feint of crossing that river lower
down, while Lord Percy with a very strong corps was
to act against the western flank.
The Hessians suffered much from the riflemen in
passing the swamp, but succeeded, with the other di-
visions, in driving the Americans into this fort, where
they all surrendered, to the number of 2600 men, in-
cluding militia. They had lost very few ; but the
British lost about 800.
Fort Lee was immediately evacuated ; but the Bri-
tish crossed so speedily at Dobbs's Ferry, that they
took the artillery, military stores, baggage, and tents
of the American anny.
Battle of White Plains. In October, 1776, soon
after the American troops evacuated New-York,
while General Washington had his army assembled at
Kingsbridge, and the British were in possession of the
island up as far as Harl«m, General Howe came up
the East river, with an intention of surrounding the
TARRVTOWN. 23
Americans. He left his German corps at New-Ko-
chelle, and marched for the high grounds at VVhite
Plains, several miles east of the Hudson, to seize the
interior road between the city and Connecticut.
Washington penetrated his design, and intrenched
himself on the west side of the small river Bronx, with
his right on Valentine's hill, and his left on White
Plains. He had garrisons near Harlsem, at Kin^s-
bridge, and Fort Washington. Skirmishes were kept
up till the British approached very near ; when
Washington asseiribled all his troops in a strong camp
on the heights near the plains, with the Bronx m front
and on the right flank, and a mountainous region in the
rear. The right was more accessible ; and General
M'Dougal was sent to intrench himself on a mountain
about a mile in front.
On the morning of October 28th, the British ad-
vanced in two columns : the right by General Clinton,
and the left by General Heister. The former took
gost on the Mamaroneck road and the latter on the
Ironx, — the armies being a mile distant. Col. Ralle
with a Hessian regiment fell upon General M'Dougal
in flank, while Leslie attacked him in front with a bri-
gade. The militia soon fled, but the regular troops
resisted until overpowered. The British determined
to wait ; and on the following morning, finding the
American position much strengthened, and a height in
the rear occupied by the left wing, sent for more
troops and erected batteries. Washington, therefore,
retired to North Castle ; and soon after, securing the
bridge over the Croton, and Peekskill, crossed the
Hudson.
Fort Independence^ on the east side. Opposite, the
Palisadoes are of still greater height.
Dobbs^s Ferry ^ 10 miles.
Tarrytown, 3^ miles. This is the place where
Major Andre was stopped, returning from his visit to
Gen. Arnold, and on his way to the British lines. The
plac^ was then neutral ficround, as the Americans and
24 NEW-YORK TO ALHA^i.
English lay encamped above and below. The tree
was recently standing under which his captors searched
him, and the bank near by had concealed them from
his view as he approached them. It was a large
tulip tree, 26 feet round and 111 feet high. It was
struck by lightning in 1801.
Tappan, on the west side. Andre was executed
about a mile west of the river in this town.
The State Prison, at Singsing, is in a quadrangle of
nearly 44 feet by 480. It has a double stack of cells
built back to back, 4 tiers high and 200 on each tier :
in all 800. 9 feet distant is the outer wall, which
supports a gallery running all round ; size of the
cells, 3 feet 6 inches by 7 feet, and 2 feet door way.
The whole work was done by convicts, and a great
part is of hewn stone. The system is the best — that
of the Auburn prison.
The Singsing prison is in plain view from the steam-
boats, being only a few feet from the shore. The ex-
cellence of this systetri of prison discipline, which is
the invention of "Mr. Lynds, the superintendent, (for-
merly superintendent at Auburn,) consists in its cutting
oft' all intercourse among the prisoners. They are se-
parately lodged ; and though they work together, they
cannot converse, even by signs, and therefore can con-
cert nothing, and cannot contaminate each other.
Sleepy Hollow, rendered interesting by Mr. Irving,
is a little above Singsing.
The Entrance of the Highlands is a short distance
beyond this place, and 40 miles iron) New-York.
This is a region no less remarkable for the important
military events of which it has been the theatre, than
for the grandeur and nobleness of its natural scenery.
Stony Point. The little rough promontory on the
left, nearly a mile below the entrance of the High-
lands, was a fortified position during the American
war. The British took it from Gen. Wayne in 1778,
hut lost it again the same year. There is a lighthou'^e
on the top.
Stonevl'oinl yl::
KO C K I. A X n
STONY POINT. ZO
rerplanckh Point, on the opposite side, was also the
site 01 a fort ; but is now ornamented with a hand-
some private mansion, and the rocks near the landing
are tastefully variegated with a lawn, an arbour, and
many fine trees.
FORT MONTGOMERY AND FORT CLINTON.
5 miles.
These forts were taken by Sir Henry Clinton, on the
6th of October, 1777. His object was to co-operate
with Gen. Burgoyne, at that time closely watched by
Gen. Gates near Saratoga, and to afford him an oppor-
tunity to force his way to Hudson river, by effecting a
diversion in his favour. For this purpose Sir H.
Clinton had left New-York with 3 or 4,000 troops,
embarked in the fleet and landed at Verplanck's
Point. The next morning a detachment was sent to
Stony Point, and marched round in the rear of these
forts, then under the command of Gen. Putnam, and
garrisoned by 1000 continental troops, part of whom
were unfit for duty, and a small number of militia.
Gen. Putnam, apprized of the landing made at Ver-
planck's Point, and supposing the object of the expe-
dition to be Fort Independence, had crossed the river
and made preparations to oppose them. He did not
discover their real intentions until he heard the firing
at forts Montgomery and Clinton, which are near each
other, and were attacked at the same moment. The
fighting began betweer» four and five o'clock in the
afternoon, and lasted till dark, when the Americans
having lost about 250 men, the forts were surrendered ;
but all the troops who were able, about 450, effected
their escape, with the Governor and his brother Gen.
James Clinton. The British, proceeding to West
Point, removed the chain which had been stretched
across the river to prevent the passage of their ships ;
and a part of the fleet, under Sir James Wallace, went
up to Kingston, with Gen. Vaughan and bis troops.
it> ^EW-YOni TO ALBAKi.
Although they found the village defenceless, the oth-
cers ordered it to be burned on the 13th of October.
The British proceeded no further than that place ; for
the news of Burgoyne's surrender being received a few
days afterward, the fleet returned to New-York.
Anthony's J^fose. This mountain (which has a pro-
file resembling the human (ace) rises 1228 feet from
the river, directly opposite the mouth of Montgomery
Creek, looking down upon forts Montgomery and
Clinton Behind the latter is Bloody Pond, where the
bodies of those were thrown who were killed in the
defence.
The Catskill Mountains are in sight from the top,
part of Connecticut, the Green Mountains, with a view
down the Hudson, extending to New-Jersey, and Har-
laem Heights, Long Island Sound, &:c. Even the Lu-
natic Asylum in New-York can be discovered.
As the steamboat proceeds, several points are ob-
served projecting into the river some distance above ;
and West Point makes its appearance on the left hand,
with the ruins of Fort Putnam^ elevated on a com-
manding eminence, a little beyond, 598 feet above the
water's level. The view it commands over this wild
and mountainous neighbourhood, as well as its con-
nexion with our history, will render it worthy of a
visit. There are still three or four subterraneous rooms
to be seen, and the place is so often visited, that the
path is plain, and leads to most of the principal objects
within it. This fortress commanded at once the river
above and below West Point, and the passage into a
defile which opens through the mountains westward.
That defile was farther defended by numerous little
batteries and redoubts on the peaks around it. The
summits near Fort Putnam (then Independence)
were also occupied, but were not fit for extensive
works, although more elevated. During the war a
fort stood on the opposite side of the river, called Fort
Constitution.
Koscmsko's Monximent is erected at West Point ; and
3riLITARl ACADEHr. ^<
ihe spot is still shown where he cultivated his little
garden.
WEST POINT.
This was a military position of great consequence
in the war. A battery was erected on the extremity
of the point just over the river, to command the chan-
nel, while a strong^ iron chain was stretched across
from the shore below, to the opposite side. On the
east side of ihe river is Cold Spring, behind it is the
West Point Foundry, owned by Major Kimberly of
New-York. It is the best in the United States, and
worthy of attention.
The Military Academy of the United States
is located at West Point ; and a more delightful situa-
tion for such an institution could hardly have been se-
lected. It is designed for the instruction of young
men destined for the army ; and secondarily for main-
taining the military science of the country. The
Academy was established, in 1802, by Gen. Williams,
and extends only to the instruction of Cadets. The num-
ber of pupils is confined to "250 ; and in choosing from
the applicants, the sons of revolutionary officers are al-
lowed the first claim, and those children of officers of
the last war whose fathers are dead, the next. There
are about 30 professors, instructers and assistants.
Some of the Cadets afford assistance in instructing, for
%vhich they receive additional pay. The law prohibits
admission under fourteen years of age.
The level on which the buildings of the institution
are erected, is 188 feet above the river, though it has
the appearance of having once formed a part of its
bed. The annual expense of the institution to the
United States is ^115,000. The sum paid for the edu-
cation of a Cadet is about gJ30 per annum. The
library consists of a large and valuable collection of
2U ^E^v-¥Ol^K to albanv.
books, on the various branches of military science,
which have been obtained with great assiduity and no
small expense from Europe.
The buildings belonging to the institution are five ;
all large, and built of stone. There are, besides, six
brick buildings for the officers and professors ; near the
water, some old military storehouses, which contain
arms, &,c. used in the revolution. The barracks were
lately burnt.
There is a large and conspicuous hotel lately erected
for the accommodation of visiters.
The course of study is completed in four years, each
being devoted to a class ; and includes the French lan-
guage, drawing, natural and experimental philosophy,
chemistry and mineralogy, geography, history, ethics,
and national law, mathematics in the highest branches,
and lastly, artillery and engineering.
Study concludes each day at 4 P. M. and is suc-
ceeded by the parade, which lasts till sunset.
One of the particular spots worthy of attention is
Col. Beverly Robinson's mansion on the east side of
the river, which was made the head-quarters of the
several officers who were at different periods invested
with the command of this important part of the country.
In September, 1780, while the British held posses-
sion of Hudson river up to the borders of the High-
lands, and General Arnold was in command here, a
correspondence w^as carried on by him with the British
officers, on the subject of surrendering his post into
their hands. To bring their designs to a conclusion, it
was determined that a meeting sBould be held.
Andre was sent under cover of the night trom the sloop
of war Vulture, which was then lying in Haverstraw
Bay, to a place which had been appointed for the con-
ference. A man by the name of Smith had been sent
on board by Arnold, under the pretence of negotiating
about an honourable treaty with Great Britain, and he
accompanied Andre to the foot of a mountain called
the Long Clove, on the west «ide of the river. Here
EXECUTION OF AKDKE. I'l^
Ibey found Gen. Arnold in a dark grove of evergreen
trees, according to appointment.
Daylicrht put it out of the power of Major Andre to
pass in safety the posts at Verplanck's and Stony Points.
He was therefore obliged to retire to Smith's house,
and change his dress for a disguise.
General Arnold had furnished him with a pass under
the name of John Anderson; and on the following-
evening he set out by land, accompanied by Smith as
a guide. They rode that night to McKoy's, after
foing eight or nine miles : and the next he spent at
'ine's Bridge, over Croton River. Here he parted
vpith Smith, and proceeded alone six miles, when as
he had passed the American lines, and was approach-
ing those of the British, he was discovered by three
men, who were concealed from him behind a bank ;
and one of them, suddenly stepping from under a tree
by the road side, seized his horse by the bridle.
They found in his boots a description of the works at
West Point, wiih returns of all the forces of the garri-
son, in the handwriting of Ar?iold.
This happened on the 23d of September. A mes-
senger was immediately sent to Gen. Washington ; and
at Andri:''s request, Lieut. Col. Jamieson sent to Arnold
to inform him that iVnderson was taken. The latter
messenger arrived first ; and Arnold as soon as he learned
the tru' I, rushed down a very steep bank, sprang into
his boat, and ordered the rowers to take him on board
the Vulture.
On the 29th of September a board of officers was
appointed for the trial of Major Andre, and sentenced
him to suffer death as a spy. Objections were made
to this sentence, on the ground that Andre had been
introduced into the American camp under the passport
of one of our otBcers ; but the delivery of Arnold
being made the condition of his release, and that being-
refused by the British, he was kept in prison until the
2d day of October, when he Avas hung at the town of
Tappan, where his bodv was afterward interred.
so AEW-YOKK TO ALBANY.
A few years since the British goternment sent to
this country to obtain his remains, which were removed
to England, and placed in the family vault of the
then Prince Regent. A cypress tree which grew over
his grave was likewise removed to the garden of the
present king. The roots of this tree were found to
have twined themselves about the skull. In 1827, the
corporation of New-York erected a monument over
the grave of Paulding, one of his captors.
At leaving West Point, the traveller will observe
several remarkably high mountains on both sides of
the river, for which he ia referred to the map. The
distant summit of Catskill mountains is distinguishable.
Putnam's Rock was rolled from the top of Butter
Hill, June, 1778, by a party of soldiers directed by
Gen. Putnam. On the east side is Anthony's Nose,
JVewburgh. — This is a town of considerable size,
six miles beyond the Higlilands, with some handsome
buildings. Here begins the Stage Road leading from
the river to Ithaca, at the head of Cayuga Lake, and
communicating, by a steamboat, with the great western
turnpike at Cayuga Bridge.
New burgh is advantageously situated for the eye
of one approaching it, as it stands on the declivity of a
hill which slopes handsomely to the shore. Half a
mile south of the village is seen the old stone house in
which Gen. Washington had his head-quarters when^
the celebrated "Newburgh Letters" came out.
A coach runs daily to Goshen, near which are the
Chemung Springs.
Fishkill Mountain. — The summits called North and
South Beacons, which rise opposite Newburgh, at a
distance of four miles, command a fine view over the
surrounding countiy and the river, which appears,
interrupted by the Highlands, like a number of lakes.
Fort Putnam is in sis'ht, and it is said that land may
be seen in seven different states. Many villages, as
well as the river, are included in the view.
Mnffenwnn Factory. Fishkill. — It stands near the river
. Kill
A L, B A X Y
C O.
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llctlhool
T> IT T C U K S S CO.
I,/,. Rhinebcck
DELAWARE A2iD HUDSON CANAL. ol
and directly opposite Newbur^h. It was commenced
in 1814, belongs to Messrs. Schenk, and gives em-
ployment to about 300 persons, with 50 power looms,
&LC. 1,000 or 1,500 yards of cotton are manufactured
on an average from the wool every day, principally
stripes and ginghams. There is an extensive machine
shop connected with it.
Poughkeepsie is worthy of a particular description^
as it is a place of con^^iderable importance, and has a
singular situation. There are three or four rough and
rocky projections on the shore, which break up the
streets of the village, and are partly occupied with
houses and gardens. The effect is peculiar.
For several miles beyond, the shores are of a regular
elevation, but are cut through by several streams,
which afford a little variety, as wharves are usually
constructed at their mouths, where a sloop or two
receive their cargoes of timber or produce for New-
York.
Kingston. — The Delaware and liudson Canal, which
was commenced in July 1825, and completed, with the
works in connexion with it, near the close of 1829,
extends from a point on the Rondout, about four miles
from the junction of the Waalkill with the Hudson, to
the coal mines on the Lackavvana creek, in Pennsyl-
vania. The whole route is now complete. The chief
part of it, 65 miles, passes through a valley, two or
three miles wide, in a south-westerly direction, to the
Delaware.
The country at the opening of the canal is remark-
ably irregular and wild, dn rising from the level
of the river by locks into the basin, a wild assemblage
of rocks, steep hills, and forest trees is suddenly pre-
sented to the view, with a few buildings ; and after
passing through a deep cut, where the work is very
neat, and under a high bridge, the boat enters the
river, whose smooth and grassy shore offers a very
convenient towing path.
, The canal is 36 feet in breadth at the surface* anfl
o"ii ]\E\V-\OKK To ALEAIVi.
four feet deep. The locks are nine feet wide, 72 teet
in length between the gates, from eight to eleven feet
lift, and built of stone.
The country has one peculiar feature on the route
from the Hudson to the Delaware : it seems as if it
Kight have afforded a channel to the Delaware, before
its waters forced for themselves a new passage through
the Blue Ridge. The elevation of this land is 80 feet
above the present level of that river.
High Falls.— At the High Falls on the Rondout
River, the canal passes over a hewn stone aqueduct
of two arches, just above which the cascade is seen,
50 feet high. The falls and the aqueduct both present
a fine and striking appearance ; the effect of which is
still further increased by the passage of the FiveLocks^
by which the ascent is surntounted.
TAe Summit Level is about midway between the
Hudson and Delaware, at a place formerly called
Rome, and now Wurtzhorough.
The Neversink River is crossed on an aqueduct, and
the canal then pursues the course of that river.
Carpenter's Point, on the Delaware, is the place
where the canal meets that river, on the line of New-
Jersey; and it then proceeds north-westerly, along its
course.
The excavations of rocks along the bank of the
Delaware, required for the passage of the canal, are
in many places on a vast scale; and the variety of
natural scenery and artificial constructions presented
to the traveller is highly agreeable and picturesque.
A wall of stone rising from the river's bank, varying
in height from 10 to 20 and 30 teet, supports the canal
and tow path, in many places where the rocks have
been blasted out with great expense to afford it a
passage.
Butler'' s Falls. — At this place the mountains rise to
the height of several hundred feet, and a rock, which
appeared to present a natural insurmountable obstacle,
has been cut away with immense labour just over the
CAi;SKlLI, M0U2sTAlJvs, So
i.uii]ultuous stream, SO that boats pass along the smooth
surface of the canal without difficulty or exposure,
within a short distance of an impetuous current.
The Dam arid Aqueduct over the Delaware. — The
canal crosses the Delaware opposite the mouth of the
Lackawaxen River, on a dam four feet in height ;
after which it enters the valley of that stream.
The Lackawaxen River. — Along the bank of this
river the canal passes for a distance of about 20 miles,
supported for a great part of the way on a wall of
stone. The vvildness of the countiy on either side
will ofl'er continually striking objects to the traveller.
Honesdale. — This village stands at the Forks of the
Dyberry, at the spot where the railway meets the
canal at its termination. Only a few buildings have
as yet been erected at this place.
The Railway, by which the coal is brought from the
mines, is provided with steam engines to move the
carls. (We return to Hudson river.)
Saugeriies. — Here is a large manufacturing place
established by Henry Barclay, Esq. of New-York.
By a lar^e stone dam on Esopus creek he obtains a
supply of water at a fall of nearly 50 feet, which
may be twice used on great wheels. The canal or
sluice conducts it about two hundred yards through
rocks 65 feet high. Here is a mill for paper on the
latest English mode, making it in a continued sheet.
The iron rolling and puddling mill is 169 feet long,
rolls 200 tons a week, and can do double that work.
There is an hotel in an elevated situation ; and the
traveller will find great attractions there in the neau
and distant scenery.
THE CATSKILL MOUNTAINS.
As the traveller proceeds he observes the disfaut
idge of the Catskill mountains more distinctl^r, which
imit the view north and westerly for many miles, and
brm a grand feature in the scene, Thev nowhere
D
o4 AiiW-YOKK TO ALBAiN^ .
approach nearer to the river than 8 miles, and in some
places retire 15 and even 20.
An excursion to the summit of these mountains is
performed by great numbers of travellers ; and in-
deed has become so favourite an enterprise, that it
way very properly be ranged among the principal
objects in the great tour which we are just commenc-
ing. The visit may be accomplished in one day,
though two or three may be agreeably spent in ex-
amining, at leisure, the grand and beautiful scenery of
that romaniic neighbourhood. There is a large and
commodious house of entertainment erected at the
Fine Orchard, one of the peaks of the mountain,
about 3000 feet above the river. It is visible from the
steamboat ; and the ascent to it \6 performed without
fatigue, in private carriages or a stage coach, which
goes and returns regularly twice a day. (There is a
spring of carburetted hydrogen in Ca'.skill creek.)
The place to land tor this excursion is Gatskill,
where begins a turnpike road to Ithaca.'^ Taking the
stage coach here, tor $1 you proceed towards the
Pine Orchard, passing a good inn at the distance of 7
miles, (640 feet above the river) and then beginning
the ascent, which is surmounted by a winding road
that affords mijch wild scenery and man}'' a gTimpse
at the surrounding country.! Five miles of such tra-
velling brings the visiter to
* The contemplated railroad from Itliaca to Catskill, N. Y. ?< pro-
posed to be conmienced and continued tlirougli a corner of ScJiohario
county, to the head waters of the Delaware ; thence to the Susqueliau-
nah ; thence either direct to Ithaca or down the Susipiehannah iieariy
to the Pennsylvania line; and thence to intersect tlie Ithaca and 0\ven- in '1:1* part of the country, and is easily accessible. (See Index-;-
4'j t 111 Vi; ALBAAl,
and theii' '.vorship consists principally ol a strange ana
disagreeable kind of dancing, whence they have their
name, accompanied with a monotonous song.
Some of their most experienced and perfect mem-
bers pretend to " speak with tongues," heal disease.-
with a touch of the hand, and perform other miracles
like the apostles. They consider the marriage con-
tract as dissolved on joining the society.
They pay great attention to the raising of garden
seeds in most of their villages, as well as to several of
the neater branches of manufacture, and derive from
both a very handsome inco»;.e, by making sales aL
home and iii distant parts of the country. Whoever
has an opportunity to see this singular people, will
}nobably leel gratified with their neatness, industry,
and economy ; but will perhaps leave the place with
pity for some, and suspicion of others.
Geology. The tract of country between New-Le-
banon and Albany is transition. Bluish gray transi-
tion limestone, with veins of calcareous spar, abounds
here in strata on a large scale, with a considerable
inclination. It is compact, with a slaty structure,
Graywacke abounds at intervals ; also transition slate,
and a line red sandstone. At Greenbush is a Led tf
lUiiniiaQtmable fossil coal, or anthracite.
ALBANY.
The Albany Basin. The northern and western
canals unite at the disJjnce of li\ miles from Albany,
and terminate here, at a large basin in the Hudsoi;.
one of the greatest works connected with the cana!.
It is 4000 teet long, and has two or three handsoii;e
biidges, one with a draw to allow a passage lor
sloops, which leads from tho. foot of State-street. The
pier which encloses the basin on the river side, is buiit
of logs, and wide enough for a spacious street. It is
a place of deposile for vast quantities ot lumber.
Annually [here aiy many arrivals and deoarlures c:
IJOT TE TO XTAGAKA. 4<
canal boats nt Albany, will) great quantities of flour,
and many million feet of plank and boards. Thou-
sands of tons of merchandise, also, go north and west.
The size of this basin may afl'ord the stranger some
-idea of the extent of the business created by the canal^^.
Here the traveller gets the first view o( objects with
which he is afterward to become familiar ; and if he
is travelling this way for the first time in a few years,
he must look with surprise upon the crowd of Doats,
,'ind the bustle of industry. He may look upon thera
also with additional interest ; for they Avill be hereaf-
ter presented to his view in many varying forms,
though still preserving the characteristic aspect and
impression, which distinguish the whole line of inter-
nal improvements to its termination. Tolls on both
canals in 1829, about ^790.000.
The route to Schenectady, by the canal, although so
rauch longer than the stage road, and so much ob-
structed by frequent locks, is hif>hly worthy of the
travellers attention, either in going or in returning ;
for it will afford him an opportunity of seeing the junc-
tion of the two canals, the Cohoes Falls on the Mo-
hawk, the locks by which the rise of land is artificially
surmounted, the aqueducts which bear the canal twice
across the river, the Wat Hoix Rapid, and the gap
through which the canal passes ; the scenery at Alex-
ander's Bridge, &c.
Kiskey^ma, the original settlement of the Shakers, is
about 4^ miles from Albany.
ROUTE FROM ALBANY TO NIAGARA.
The boats start from the first lock, which is at the
north end of Albany ; so that a carriage will be neces-
sary for the traveller and his luggage.
Description of a Canal Packet Boat. The length is
60 or 70 feet, a large part of which is devoted to the
dining room, where two rows of tables are set. A^
ni^ht, mat*re«.ps are spread on llje seats each side,
40 KOUTE TO Zs'IAb'AiiA.
and in another row above them on cots suspended troai
the roof. The ladies are accommodated with births
in the cabin, which is usually carpeted, hung with cur-
tains, and in other respects more handsomely fur-
nished. The kitchen and bar are conveniently situ-
ated ; and the tables are spread with an abundance,
and often a delicacy, which may well surprise those
not accustomed to the cheapness of travelling in this
part of the country.
A small library, a number of newspapers, &c. will
serve to make the time pass agreeably, even if the tra-
veller be a stranger, or the weather not inviting. In
many places, the view from the deck is highly inte-
resting ; but it cannot be too often recommended to the
stranger to beware of standing on deck when ap-
proaching a bridge, and never to expose the head or
hands out of a window.
RENSSELAERWYCK,
A fine estate with its respectable old mansion house,
about a mile north of the centre of the city, is worthy
of particular observation, as the seat of the Honour-
able Stephen Van Rensselaer, who bears the respected
old Dutch title of Patroon of Albany. The estate is
of immense value, extending ten miles along the river,
and double that distance east and west : while he
possesses besides, a fine tract on the Black River, &c.
It was formerly entailed and secured i »y law to the oldest
son of the family ; but on the death of the present pro-
prietor it is to be divided equally among all the chil-
dren. The character of Gen. V. R. is too estimable
and influential to allow his name to be passed over in
silence, even in a work like the present little volume.
He has been a powerful patron, for many j^ears, of all
plans for the public benefit, and one of the earliest and
most efficient friends of the Erie Canal, which passes
through his grounds, and terminates within view of hK
house.
Vmted statp:s' ah. exai, 49
U. States' Arsenah 5^ mile?, al Gibbonsvilif. The
advantages of this situation will be immediately per-
ceived : the vicinity to the Hudson, the road, and the
canal affording every convenience for the transporta-
tion of arms and ammunition. This depository of
arms, &c. is under the charge of Major Talcott.
The ground occupied by the arsenal extends from
the road near the river, back to the tow path of the
canal, where are two gun houses, with low projecting
roofs to protect the carriages from exposure to the
weather. Strangers may easily gain access by mere
application at the officers' quarters. One floor is de-
voted to such arms as are intended for the supply of
the military posts, or have been received for repairing.
The arms in the other parts are disposed with more
taste. The muskets are partly packed in boxes, and
partly ranged upright, with fixed bayonets, in compact
r)rder ; and present an appearance truly formidalde.
Thousands of pistols are hung overhead ; those in the
alternate lines standing different w'ays ; and swords
■with metallic scabbards are disposed horizontally on
wire hooks. Tiie walls bear several devices formed
of swords, pistols, Sz,c. ingeniously arranged. This is
the principal depot of arms and equipments in the
northern states.
The passages and staircases are hung with drums,
&c. On the ground floor are a few pieces of artillerj-.
and various sizes of shot, shells, &:c. &c.
In the yard are two ranges of buildings. That on
the north is devoted to workshops for the repair of
arms, manufacturing locks, &c. about 30 men being
usually employed, most of whom are enlisted. The
buildings on the south side are occupied b}^ smiths and
carpenters. Behind these is a handsome flower and
fruit garden ; the kitchen garden being on the north
side of the grounds.
The muskets are repaired about once in a year ;
■which costs from 50 cents to gl 50 or $2 each. The
^larrels are oxydized. to prevent rustins:. The mu«-
E" 5
..U ItoS'TB 'iu AiAGAliA.
kels weigh a little more than ten pounds, and the part.^
arc intended to correspond as nearly as can easily be
done.
In the yard are a number of cannon, &c. There
are 4 medium 12 pounders, one 24, and one howitzer,
all taken at Saratoga ; 4 medium 12 pounders and one
howitzer, taken at Yorktown ; two long antique pieces
and one 8 inch mortar, taken at Stony Point ; two old
French 4 pounders and 14 guns, sent by king Louis to
the Continental Congress in the Revolution. These
are all of brass, and most of them highly ornamented.
The French guns presented by the king bear each an
individual name forward, and the inscription " Ultima
ratio regvAii''' — (the last argument of kings.)
There are also three or lour howitzers cast in New-
York and Philadelphia in the Revolution, some of the
oldest specimens of such manufacture in this country.
They bear the letters U. C. for United Colonies,
TROY,
On the opposite side of the river is a very handsome
lown, with fine hills in the rear, the most prominent
of which has received the name of Mount Ida, to cor-
respond with the classic appellation of the place.
There is a good horse ferr}', which helps to render the
town a great thoroughfare during the travelling season.
The Dam and Basin at Troy form a great and expen-
sive Avork, and are of marked benefit to the place, by
diverting a part of the business of the canal. The
court-house, and other public buildings are worthy of
notice.
The road to New-Lebanon is a very good and very
pleasant one. The distance is 27 miles.
Sandy Lake is 10 miles on this road, Nassau 8 more,
village of New-Lebanon 12 iurther, and Lebanon
Springs 2 more.
On Mount Ida, the hill east of Troy, is a fine sue-
G^
F
ijo liUUi'E TO JNiAliAliA,
apartments of considerable size. This hill is repre-
sented in one of the plates ; but the view is taken from
a spot west of it. The place is quite picturesque, and
presents a remarkable assemblage of interesting ob-
jects : the Mohawk river, winding through a narrow
valley, with the turnpike on the north side, the canal
and a country road on the south ; the whole enclosed
by rough and elevated hills.
There is every appearance of a rent in the hills
having been made by a strong current of water; and
geologists consider them as having originally been a
barrier to a great lake which was thus gradually
drained.
Canajofiarie Creek and ViUage, 5 miles. Hence a
stage coach two or three times a week to Cherry
Valley.
Fort Plain, 4 miles. Here is a small village, be-
longing to a town inhabited by the descendants of
Germans. It occupies ihe site of old Fori Plain. The
German language, much corrupted, is spoken here by
every body.
This little fort was surprised by Captain Butler in
the revolutionary war, on his return from burning
Cherry Valley ; and here he committed similar
atrocities.
DAM ON THE RIVER, AND FEEDER FOR
THE CANAL, 4 miles.
The Mouth of East Canada Creek, on the opposite
aide of the Mohawk. Near that place, Capt. Butler
met a violent death, soon after leaving Fort Plain, on
his way back to Oneida Lake and the Oswego. He
had crossed the river somewhere below, and while
lingering a little in the rear of his troops, was over-
taken near the mouth of the creek, by two Oneida
Indians, in friendship with the Americans. Seeing
them preparing to kill him, he begged for his life ;
but they only replied, ^^ Skerry Valley P^ and toma-
hawked liim on the spot.
LITTLE FALLS. oif
Mohawk Castle^ 2 miles. This was the principal
defensive position of that famous nation of Indians
now entirely scattered and lost. As the nearest to the
Dutch settlements, and New-England, they were long^
regarded with peculiar solicitude, and frequently with
great dread. They were one of the five nations, of
which we shall speak more particularly, at Oneida,
and were long faithful and serviceable friends to the
white men. Here is an old chapel erected for
their use.
Palatine Bridge. A little off the canal, at Palatine,
is a school for the education of the Deaf and Dumb,
establish'^d under the patronage of the state, on the
plan of that in Hartford, Connecticut. It is the cen-
tral school for the state of Nevv-\^ork. {See Hartford.)
LITTLE FALLS.
The country presents a varied surface, and increases
in interest on approaching Little Falls, which is the
most romantic scene on the course of the Erie canal.
On reaching a little open meadow surrounded by hills,
where the views open upon cultivated fields and a (ew
farm houses, the Mohawk will be found flowing below
on the right ; while on the opposite side, at the foot
of the hills and on the verge of the forest that covers
them, the great road is seen, after having been lost to
the view for a long time. Here is situated Gen. Her-
kimer's house, on the south side of the river at the
foot of Fall Hill. The road, the river, and the canal
are collected again at the head of the valley ; for
there is but one passage, and that so narrow as hardly
to afford room for them all. This is a deep cut through
a chain of limestone and granite hills, doubtless torn
away in some former age by the force of water. If
the chain were again filled up it would throw the
water back, and form an immense lake, such as is sup-
posed to have once existed west of this place, and
lyhich. by overflowing its bounds, in process of timr
t'.O KOUTE TO ^lAGAliA.
■^vore away the limestone strata, and cut deep into the
hard g^ranite, until a mere river succeeded, and the
fine alluvial plains above, called the German Flats,
•were left dry.
The stranger should, by no means, neglect the view
of this place. If he reaches it early or late in a pleasant
day, particularly near the rising of the sun, the beauty
of the scene will be redoubled. On the north bank
of the river, the road climbs along the side of the
rocks, where there is barely room for ils passage. A
great part of the way, it is almost overhung by rocks
and trees on one side, while on the other is a preci-
pice of granite, cut down by the force of water in
perpendicular shafts, originally formed by drills, made
by loose stones whirled round in the current. The
same appearance extends to the islands and rocks in
the channels, many of which appear quite inaccessible,
with their ragged and perpendicular sides overhung
by dark evergreens, whose shade seems the more
intense from its contrast with the white rapids and cas-
cades below. In some places the road is protected
by immense natural battlements, formed of massy
rock, which have been loosened from above, and
planted themselves on the brow of the precipice. The
scenery has been compared with that of the river
Dove in Derbyshire, and the Killin in Perthshire,
England.
On the south side of the river runs the canal, sup-
ported by a wall 20 or 30 feet high, constructed at
great expense, and rising from the very channel of the
Mohawk. The wildness of the surrounding scenery
contrasts no less with the artificial beauty of this
noble work, than the violence and tumult of the Mo-
hawk with the placid and silent surface of the canal,
or the calmness and security with which the boats
glide along the side of the mountains.
The traveller may step on shore at the two locks,
and walk along the tow f)aths, as there are five more
locks a mile above. If he wishes to stop a (o-sv
THE AQUEDUCT. 61
hours to view the scene more at leisure, the vi]lag:e of
Little Falls is only half a mile from that place, where
is a lareie and comfortable inn, with canal boats and
stage coaches passing- very frequently. If he intends
io stay but a few hours, it i? recommended to him to
have his bag'gage left at a little tavern on the canal,
'where it can be readily transferred to another boat.
The Aqueduct across the Mohawk is near the five
locks ; and is considered the most finished specimen
of mason work on the line of the canal, though much
inferior in size to that over the Genesee at Rochester.
It conducts a supply of water from the old canal,
formerly built for boats to pass the falls, and commu-
nicates also with a large basin on the north bank. It
passes the narrow channel of the river with three
beautiful arches, which are covered with a calcareous
cement roughened by little stalactites, formed by the
water that continually drips through the stones. The
span of the middle arch is 60 feet. Stones, twigs of
trees, &c. on which the water falls, are soon found
incrusted with a similar substance. The channel here
shows part of the old limestone strata, with the more
durable granite rocks laid bare below.
This range of mountains, called in this part of the
state the Critsbergs, is a spur of the Alleghany, and
extcFids along the west side of Lake Champlain, till
it disappears in the northern levels in Canada.
This neighbourhood i> interesting to the geologist,
abounding in organic remains, &c. but the oidinary
traveller will be more pleased with specimens of the
beautiful little rock-crystals (quartz), which are
found on the hills about a mile distant from the village.
They are perfect in their form, terminating with two
pyramids ; and are so loosely imbedded in a sandy
rock, as to be washed out by the rains in considerable
numbers.
There are mills of various kinds at this place.
On leaving Little Falls, the canal enters upon a
beautiful meadow of fine soil, and a smooth surface ;
F2
♦I'd KUUTE TO AlAGAliA.
through which the Mohawk winds in a placid anu
gentle current, enclosed on each side by sloping hills.
At the distance of three miles, we are in the level region
called the German Flats, famous for its fertility. The
inhabitants, who are almost all of German extraction,
still preserve their language, and many of the customs
of their ancestors, and though often laborious and
provident farmers, are little inclined to those improve-
ments in learning or the useful arts, which distinguish
so large a portion of the state. The scenes presented
along this part of the canal bear a resemblance to
some of the meadows of the Connecticut, although of
inferior size, and of more recent settlement.
Six miles from Little Falls is Lock JVo. 48. An old
church is seen on the south side ; and also, old Fort
Herkimer.
Herkimer. This village is situated about a mile and
a half be^'ond, and a mile north of the canal, on a
semicircular plain ; the circumference of which is
traced by the Mohawk, and the diameter by the
great road. It derives its name from Gen. Herkimer,
of whom there will be more to say at Rome. Fort
Herkimer, or the " Stone House," is near the canal, a
mile and a half from Herkimer.
The traveller may take a carriage here, to visit
Trenton Falls, and join the canal again at Utica ; or
go first from Utica.
The Long Level begins at Lock No. 53, nearly six
miles west of Herkimer. It is the longest reach on
the canal, without any interruption by locks, extending
to Salina, a distance of 69| miles. After passing
Franktbrt, we reach
UTICA.
This is one of the largest and most important of the
western towns. Here the river, the great road, and
the canal, all meet again. There are also roads con-
centratine: here, from various directions, and stagf^
gOT'Auvqiv^V
,idu t>.
1 HE'iiTOJN" i'ALLs. bo
toaches aniving and departing in great numbers.
There are two large stage houses ; one of which, at
the canal bridge, will be found most convenient, if not
too crowded.
There are several handsome churches in Utica, and
one or more for almost every denomination. The
streets are broad, straight, and commodious ; and the
principal ones well built with rows of brick stores, or
elegant dwelling-houses. The bridge over the Mo-
hawk is at the end of the street. There were, in
1825, 5040 inhabitants : a few less than in Rochester.
Weigh Lock. (See p. 52.)
Hamilton College is situated near the village ot
Clinton, nine miles from Utica. There were fourteen
graduated here in 1828.
TRENTON FALLS.
I This most interesting vicinity is well worthy the
attention of every person of taste, being justly consi-
! dered one of the finest natural scenes in this part of
the country. An excellent inn is kept near the falls by
Mr. Sherman, who has a large collection of rare and
curious petrifactions, collected among the rocks, worthy
of examination.
From this house you descend a long staircase down
the steep bank of the West Canada Creek, which has
j cut a frightful chasm through a rocky range, in some
I places 150 feet deep, and Is seen gliding swiftly by
t through a declining channel below. The chasm con-
tinues for four miles, and presents the greatest variety
of cascades and rapids, boiling pools and eddies. The
passage or chasm between the rocks is everywhere
very narrow, and in some places is barely sufficient
to permit the stream to pass ; while the rocks rise
perpendicularly on each side, or sometimes even
E reject a considerable distance overhead, so that it
as been often necessary to form an artificial path by
Tweans of gunpowder. These plac<^s appear danger-
04 KOUTi: TO IVIAGARA.
oiis, but only require a little caution and presence o£
mind to ensure the safety of the visiter, as strong iron
chains are fixed iiito the rocks to offer hinn security.
There are four principal cataracts, between the stair-
case by which you first descend and the usual limit
of an excursion, which is about a mile and a quarter
up the stream. The first of these you discover soon
after the first turning, and is about 40 feet high ; with
the greatest fall towards the west. The top of the
rock on the right side is 150 feet high by line mea-
surement. The second is a regular fall, much like a
mill dam, about eight feet high ; the third, a remark-
ably striking and beautiful one ; and the fourth, rather
a succession of cascades, but presents many most
agreeable varieties.
Near the foot of this a melancholy accident occurred
in 1827. A lady from New-York was drowned by
slipping from a low bank ; unseen, although her friends
and parents were near her. The ear is stunned by the
falls, the rocks are slippery, and great caution is re-
commended.
A singular species of tree is found in this neighbour-
hood, called the white cedar, with drooping branches,
which often grow to such a length as to descend far
below the root, towards the wafer. The rocks here
are all a dark limestone, of a very slaty structure,
and contain astonishing quantities of petrified marine
shells and other animals of antediluvian date, such as
dilobites, trilobites, &c. &c.
The are several other cataracts besides those already
mentioned, both above and below ; and a stranger
might spend some time here very agreeably in observ-
ing them at leisure, and in catching the fine trout with
which the creek abounds. The house is commodious,
and has the reputation of furnishing one of the best
tables in this part of the state.
51EGJ3 t)F roKT STA^WIX. ♦«>
FROM UTICA TO SYRACUSE.
By the Canal 63| miles.
Whitestovvn, . 4 miles-.
Oriskany village, . . 7
Rome on the right, 8
Feeder from Wood Creek, and the old U.
S. Arsenal, 1
Oneida Creek, 14
Lock 54, end of the long level, ... 29
Syracuse, — f
These places are noticed in succession.
Whitestown is one of the most beautiful villages in
this part of the state, as well as the oldest settlement.
All this tract of country was a perfect wilderness in
1 785, when Mr. White, from Middletown, in Connec-
ticut, first took up his abode here and lifted an axe
against the forest. The traveller may keep this in
mind as he pursues his journey, and the progress of
civilization will appear more astonishing.
SIEGE OF FORT STANWIX.
On the road from Whitestown to Ftome, is the spot
where Gen. Herkimer remained under a tree after re-
jceiving his mortal wound. In 1777, Gen. Burgoyne
isent between 1500 and 1800 men, many of them sa-
lvages, under Baron St. Leger, to go from Montreal, by
I Lake Ontario, to attack Fort Stanwix ; and then to
I go down the Mohawk to Albany. Early in August,
(they arrived at Fort Stanwix. Gen. Herkimer, com-
1 mander of the militia of Tryon county, was sent against
them with 800 men. His men insisted on going on, to
meet a detachment under Sir J. Johnson, sent out by
St. Leger ; but at the first shot they fled. A iesiv re-
mained and fought, and Gen. H. was killed. Con-
gress voted a monument to his memor}% but it has
never been erected. The Americans lost 160 killed.
land 240 wounded and prisoners. Two miles bel-vv
06 liOUTE TO NIAGARA.
Fort Stanwix the canal commences between the Mo-
hawk and Wood Creek.
Fort Stanwix stood 60 or 80 rods N. E. of the centre
of the village of Rome, with a deep ditch, three rows
of palisadoes, and a block-house in the middle.
Rome. Near this village, when the canal was opened
through a ridge of diluvial formation, clams were
found alive, which were eaten by the workmen. (See
Am. Journ. of Sci. &,c. Jan. 1829.)
ONEIDA CASTLE.
This is a village on the confines of a tract of re-
served land belonging to the Indians of the Oneida
nation. The principal residences of most of the In-
dians in this part of the country were formerly forti-
fied in a manner corresponding with their ideas of
warfare, and hence the name of castle attached to
this village, as well ns to several others which we have
occasion to speak of further on.
The Oneidas were one of the original Five Nations,
■which form so conspicuous a figure in the history of
this state, and whose power and influence, at the time
of the settlement of New- York and New-England,
were extended far and wide.
A mile east of Oneida Creek, and by the road side,
is the ancient
COUNCIL GROVE,
Where all the public business of the nation has been,
lor many years, transacted. It is formed of 27 fine but-
ternut-trees, which, in the summer season, from a little
distance, presents a beautiful and regular mass of ver-
dure. Towards the south-east from this place is seen
the Episcopal church, a building recently erected for
the use of the Indians. Great numbers of the white per-
sons from the neighbourhood also attend service at this
house, as well as in the other church, which is supplied
with preachers by the Foreisrn Missionary Society.
KKO'J'llfclM'OWiS ATSli ISE\V-6TOGJviJ!KiDGK. U/
In the scattering: village about half a mile beyond,
there are several decent and conilortable frame houses
inhabited by Indian families, whose habits have risen
to a higher grade than most of the nation, although
inany of them are gradually improving, by betaking
themselves to agriculture.
1 A considerable portion of the tribe have recently
removed to Green Bay.
Schools among the Indians are encouraged by the
general government of the U. S. In the whole coun-
try there are 42 schools in different tribes, with 1291
pupils, and 121 teachers. The annual cost to the U.
iStatesisgTOOO.
I The scholars are taught the rudiments of learning
under a master and mistress, and also the useful arts.
The Oneida nation were idolaters until within a
short time ; but a few years ago the nation renounced
I their ancient superstitious rites, and declared in favour.
I of Christianity.
IBROTHERTOWN AND NEW-STOCKBRiDGE
I Are two villages, a few miles south-easterly from
jhere, situated on part of the old Oneida reservation,
but granted to some of their scattered Indian brethren
{from Pennsylvania and New-England. New-Stock-
! bridge, until recently, was the residence of the Stock-
bridge tribe, who came by an invitation from the
lOneidas some years ago. They had Christian minis-
l-ers among them long before they removed from
jStockbridge in Massachusetts.
; Most of them now reside at Green Bay, on land
jiven them by the Menoniinies, a nation with whom
ihey are on the most friendly terms ; and are adopting
'.o a good extent, the arts of civilized lite. They have
invited the Oneidas to join them.
Manlius Centre. 50 yards from the canal and two
tniles east of Manlius Centre, is a curious spring, from
j ^^hich sulphuretted hydrogen rises, and is inflammable.
f)b liOLTi: lO ,\ LAG All A.
SYRACUSE.
This place is no less remarkable for the rapidit}^ oi
lis growth, than for the peculiar advanta»-es of its situ-
ation. The great Salt Spring is only a mile and a half
distant, and the water is brought in hollow logs to the
salt vats, in great abundance, and at a very trifling'
expense. Tliese vats will be seen at the western side
of the village, and are well worthy of a day's delay,
as well as the works at Salina, Liverpool (6 miles
distant), and Geddesburgh. In all these four villages^
about 500 acres, in 1827, were supposed to be covered
with vats, for solar evaporation. The vats are large
pans made of wood, three or four inches deep, raised
a little from the ground, and placed in long ranges,
with a very gradual descent, to permit the salt water
to flow slowly along from one end to the other. Each
range of vats is supplied by a hollow log placed per-
pendicularly in the ground ; and the constant action of
the sun evaporates the water, and leaves the salt to be
deposited in small cubical crystals at the bottom.
The water is at first a little thick, but gradually deposites
its impurities ; and the lower vats always show a
beautiful white crust, like the purest snow.
Light wooden roofs are kept ready to slide over the
vats when the weather requires it ; and the salt is taken
out once in two or three days, to be deposited in the
storehouses, which are built at regular distances.
Thence it is easily removed to the canal, and then
js ready for transportation to any part of the country.
In 1823, there were about 100 houses, and the number
was doubled in 1824. In 1825, the inhabitants
amounted to 1000 ; and those of the township to 3025.
There were then three churches in the village ; and
736,632 bushels of salt were manufactured here in that
year. In 1827, the salt vats covered one hundred and
^ixfy acres, and cost the comnanics enGfajred. i''?120.00(>
f\
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Under such encouraging prospects, the village has
acquired its sudden growth and importance ; large
blocks of stores have been built on both sides of the
canal, two or three large inns and stage houses arc
ready for the accommodation of travellers, and a good
deal of trade is carried on in the place. Improvements
are still going on rapidly, and it is difficult to foretell
where they will stop. Almost 3500 bushels of salt
are made here in a year.
The Oswego Canals v/as opened in July, 1828,
leaves the Erie canal at this place, and affords a direct
communication with Lake Ontario. A lake ship canal
might be made at a small additional expense. The
bank is used as a tow path a considerable distance.
The shores rise gradually to a height of 100 feet, with
few inhabitants and little cultivation. The locks and
Pother works are of the best description, and very ad-
mirable workmanship. A barrel of flour will go for
six cents less, by the lake and this canal, from Ro-
chester to Salina. It is 38 miles long. Half that dis-
tance it is constructed along the bank of the river of
the same name, connected with it by locks, and the other
half is slack-water navigation in the river. It has 2£
bridges, 7 culverts, 1 aqueduct, 2 waste weirs, 8 dams
across the river, 13 locks of stone and 1 of stone and
timber, with an aggregate lift of 123 feet.
' By a recent survey, a canal from Syracuse through
Homer to Binghampion, on the Susquehannah, has been
pronounced practicable. Syracuse Weigh-Lock. (Sec
p. 52.>
SALINA '
Is situated a mile and a half north irom this place,
and should not be passed by unnoticed. A small but
[convenient little packet boat is continually plying
I between the two places, drawn by a single horse, and
passes by many salt manufactories, built on both sides
!v>f the c^n?.l. The mrrda of eyaDoration £fener?jlv
I G- " "" '
«0 ROUrn TO .MAGAK-\
adopted here, is that of boihng ; and a hi'wi aescij{j|iui
will convey a clear idea of the process. Eachbuildin'^:
contains sixteen or eig^iiteen large iron kettles, of 120
c^allons each, which are placed in two rows, forming
what is called " a block." They stand about thret
feet higher than the floor ; and under them is a largt
furnace, which is heated with pine wood, and requires
constant attention to keep the water always boiling.
The water is drawn froni a large reservoir at one end
of the building, after having been allowed to stand
awhile and deposite the impurities it has brought along
with it. A hollow log, with a pump at one end, and
furnished with openings against the kettles, is the only
machine used in filling them. The first deposite made
by the water after the boiling commences, is a com-
pound of several substances, and is thrown away,
under the name of " Bittern ;" but the pure white salt,
which soon after makes its appearance, is carefully
removed, and placed in a store-room just at hand.,
ready for barrelling and the market.
Each manufactory yields about 40 bushels a day,
and the different buildings cost about half a million.
There are two large manufactories here, where salt
is made in reservoirs of an immense size, and evapo-
lated by hot air passing through them in large pipes.
The reservoir of the principal one contains no less than
40,000 gallons. The pipe is suj^plied with heat by a
furnace below, and the salt is formed in large loose
masses, resembling half-thawed ice. The crystali-
nation also is different from that produced by the othei
modes, at least in secondary forms.
The village of Salina is of considerable size and a
flourishing appearance, considering the shortness oi
the time since it began to be built, and the serious
obstacles it has had to encounter in the unhealthinesb
of its situation. In 1825, it contained 1000 inhabitants ;
the village of Geddes, 520 ; and Liverpool, 375. The
extensive marshes which bound it on the west are ex-
tremely unwholeseme during the ^varmei; ?ea'?ons o-
SALINA SALT W0Klv6'. i 1
'he year, and the -whole nei^^hbourliood is iiiore orles?
■'infected with the fever and ng-ue : that terrible scourge,
which has retarded so much the settlennent of many
?parts of this western country. Since the marshes have
'been partially cleared and drained, the disease has
been greatly diminished ; and it is hoped that time
and industry will reduce its ravages still further, if not
entirely eradicate it.
The branch canal which runs through this village,
j5 applied to other valuable purposes besides those of
transportation. A sluice which draws off a portion of
ihe water towards the marshes and the lake, is made
!o turn several mill-wheels in its course. A forcing
pump raises the water of the salt spring destined to
-'ippl}^ the manufactories here and at Sj^racuse ; and a
Jarge open frame building shows the spot from which
all the kettles and the pans of both these places derive
their supplies : that for the latter being elevated to the
height of 70 {eeU and the pump being able to raise
120,000 gallons in 24 hours.
The Salt Spring itself will be viewed as a curiosity,
but in its present state presents no very remarkable ap-
pearance, as there is little commotion visible on the
surface, and the source would seem by no means equal to
the great draughts which are continually made upon it.
The Lake will be seen at the distance of about a
J mile. It is six miles long and two broad, and must
j receive a considerable quantity of salt water from the
' draining- of the marshes, as its banks are covered with
i' saline plants. The valley is surrounded by limestone
hills, with petrifactions ; and gypsum is found in great
J quantities.
" Tlie American Salt Formation,'''' says Dr. Van Rens-
selaer in his 'Essay,' "extends over the continent from
the AUeghanies to the Pacific, between 31° and 45°
I H. lat. In this immense tract, rock salt has been
' occasionally found ; but its locality is more generally
j pointed out by brine springs." The salt springs in
' 'hi'^ '^tafo are in the rountips of Onondaga, Cayuga*
tt* "KOtTE TO ]N"IAGAUA.
Seneca, Ontario, Niagara, Genesee, Toffipkia-;,
Wayne, and Oneida ; but this is the most valuable oft
various accounts. In 1828 there were 1,1 60,888 bulheis;
inspected ; and in 1829, 1,291,820 bushels, showing an
increase of 130,932 bushels.
Of this, 745,741 bushels were inspected at Salina,
229,317 at Syracuse, 187,540 at Liverpool, and 129,22^
at Geddes.
The number of manufactories was increased during
the past year, notwithstanding the reduction in the
price of salt ; and the quality of the brine has been
improved and the quantity increased by means of
perforations into the earth, to the depth of about sixty
icet, so that the assurance is given of a supply to the
Mtmost that will probably ever become necessar3^
FROM SYRACUSE TO ROCHESTER.
As the traveller is supposed to go to Rochester by
ihe canal, the description of places on tlie Turnpike
is omitted until we reach that part of the country on
the return from Buffalo.
By the rMnal, 9^ miles. Weed's Basin 26 m. — A
coach to Auburn, 8 miles for 50 cents. 11m. Mon-
tezuma Salt Works. Here begin the Cayuga Marshes.
The canal across the marshes was constructed at a vast
expense. 35 m. Palmyra. Coach to Canandaigua,
13 m. for 75 cents. The Great Embankment at
Victor, 72 feet high, extending 2 miles.
Antiquities. In the tov^ns of Onondaga, Camillus,
and Pompey, are the remains of ancient villages and
forts, of which a description will be found in Yates
and Moulton's new History of the State, vol. i. p. 13.
in Pompey the form of a triangular enclosure is visible,
^vith the remains of something like circular or ellip-
tical forts at the corners, 8 miles apart, the whole
including more than 500 acres. De VVitt Clinton,
bte Governor of this state, in his memoir, read in 1817,
before the Lit. and Phil. Societv. think* thepbcewai*
\
n
■i^ZZ.'
V
^. -^
iNH::
liO(!JIESTEK. --4 3
stormed on the north line. See also North American
Review.
In Camillus is an elliptical fort on a high hill, three
acres in extent, with a covered way, 10 rods long:, to a
jspring on the west, and a gate towards the east. An-
'other is on a less elevation half a mile off, and half as
large. Sculls, pottery, and bits of brick used to be
jpicked up in these places. (There is a bed of Coal
I in Onondaga.)
j ROCHESTER
I fs the largest and most flourishing place in this part
of the state, being indeed the fourth in the state in
point of numbers, the township containing, in 1827,
10,818. It has several good inns, one of the best of
which is the "Coffee House," near the canal bridge.
It is situated on the west side of the Genesee river, at
' the upper falls, where it is crossed by the canal ; and
enjoys the finest advantages for water-mills of all
kinds, from the convenient and abundant supply ob-
tained from the falls. Stage Coaches go hence, daily,
to Buffalo through Batavia ; three daily to Canan-
daigua ; one daily to Niagara falls by Lockport and
Lewiston, &c. &.c.
Rochester was first surveyed into lots in the year
1811, the first settlement made in 1812, and it was not
until the latter part of the year 1814, that any consider-
able addition was made to the number of inhabitants.
In September, 1818, the village contained 1049 inhabit-
ants ; in August, 1820, 1502; in September, 1822,
I 3130, (which included labourers on the public works ;
(he permanent population at that time was estimated
at about 2700) In 1824, 4274; in 1825, 5271 ; and
in 1827, 10,818.
There are some fine dwellings, an arcade, a court
house, jail, market, 13 large flour mills of stone, which
can make 342,000 barrels of flour annually. There
are 52 nm of stones in all. About 9 million feet of
74 ROUTE TO ZvlAGARA.
lumber are sawed here in a year; and 5 riiiiiiuii!:-
brought down the river. There is a cotton factor3%
ivith"l400 spindles and 30 power looms, and a woollen
factoiy ; three bridges over the Genesee, 8 canal
basins, two dry docks, &c. The Broadway bridge,
600 feet long, is a few yards above the aqueduct.
There is an eye and ear infirmary, a bank, a High
School, and 6 meeting-houses for Episcopalians, Pres-
byterians, Methodists, Friends, and Catholics.
The w^ater power belonging to this village and the
vicinity is equal to the power of 38,400 horses ; or,
1,920 steam engines of 20 horse power each. There-
fore the water power is worth (computing the cost of
such engines, as in England, at $8,800 each ; and the
annual expense of working at 222 dollars for each
horse power,) almost ten millions annually. Only a
small part of it is yet used. The whole river supplies
20,000 cubic feet a minute ; and the combined height
of the falls at Rochester and Carthage is about 280
feet. A fall of 12J- cubic feet of water in a minute, 20
feet is equal to the power of one horse.
The proposed canal from Genesee river to Oleanon
the Alleghany, would be about 110 miles long, and
cost, as is estimated, about $1,320,000. It would open
a valuable trade with the upper valley of the Ohio,
and much increase the value of tlie land.
The Aqueduct over the Genesee is one of the finest
works on the course of the canal, and is no less remark-
able for its usefulness than for its architectural beauty
and strength. It is borne across the river's channel,
on ten arches of hewn stone. The river dashes rapidly
along beneath, while boats, with goods and passengers,
glide safely above.
A feeder enters the canal on the east side of the
river, where sluices are also constructed for llie supply
of the numerous manufactories built on the bank. All
that part of the canal west from Rochester, is supplied
with water from the Tonawanta creek. Other sluices
irsi also dna: on the west f^ide. where vci'^ryv other rt\\lh
fAllTIIAGK. 'to
aie io ue seen. The streets ot' the tovvii are hancV
somely and regularly laid out, and several of them are^
very well built with store and dwelling-houses of
brick and stone, and well flagged on the side-walks.
Falls. There is a fail in the Genesee of about 90
feet, at the northern extremity of the town, another
near it ]^ and a fine one at Carthage, which, with the
truly impressive scenery of the banks, is worthy of
particular attention. To vary the ride, it is recom-
mended to the stranger to go down on one side of the
river, and after viewing the cataract, cross the bridge
a little above, and return on the other.
The Lake Ontario Steamboat touches at Port Ge-
nesee, at the mouth of the river, on its way to Niaga,ra
and to Ogdensburgh — the route to Montreal,
Carthage. The fall here is very suddeo, though
not in a single precipice. The descent is 70 feet in a
i'ew yards. The cataract has evidently been retiring
for ages, as the deep gulf below the falls, with its high,
perpendicular and ragged banks, is sufficient testimony ;
and the seclusion of the place, the solemn and sublime
effect of the scenery, redoubled by the roaring of the
cataract, combine to render it one of the most inipres-
sive scenes in this part of the country. The precipices
are walls of secondary rocks, presenting their natural
stratification, and descending from the surrounding
level, to a depth of about tv/o hundred feet. A singular
vein of whitish stone will be observed, cutting them
horizontally, and disappearing at the brink of the falls,
which it has kept at their present position : its superior
hardness, evidently resisting the action of the water
for a much longer time ; and probably rendering the
descent more perpendicular than it would otherwise he.
The rocks are overhung with thick forest trees, which,
in some places, have been able to find a narrow fooling
along the sides.
One of the boldest single fabrics that art has evej
« At Uii^fsiU Ihe noted Jeaper, Sam Patch, met his deaUi ui 1820. Ue
?p!;r!r>g frtm) -i :^trrjre fi.c;ir 'h? f'n>. and ri-^vor r^s^'.^?^.i,M.
,t> r()i;,j:.k yo mag a k a.
?ucce.s>fiiliy atlrmptefl in this country, now slioAVb a
few of its remains in this place. The two great piles
of timber which stand opposite each other on the
narrow level, where once the river flowed, are the
abutments of a bridge thrown over a few years ago.
It was 400 feet in length, and 250 above the water;
but stood only a short time, and then fell with a tre-
mendous crash, by its own weight. Fortunately, no
person was crossing it at the time — a lady and gentle-
man had just before passed, and safely reached the
other side.
On account of the obstructions at the falls, navigation
is entirely interrupted here ; and ail the communication
])etween the banks of the Genesee, as well as the canal,
and Lake Ontario, is through Carthage. Merchandise
is raised up the bank, or lowered down, by means of
an inclined plane, very steep, where the descending
weight is made to raise a lighter one by its superior
gravity.
This obstacle will cause a great deal of merchandise
to pass through the Oswego canal.
ROAD FROM ROCHESTER TO NIAGARA
FALLS, 87 miles.
To Carlhnge Falls 2
Parma 9
Clarkson* 7
Hart I and 14
Sandy Creek 7
The principal objects on this road are, the Ridge,
Lewiston, on rv^iagara river, and the Tuscarora Village.
iv Ilrtlloy Village, Q5 miles west of Rochester, is 12 iniios distant from
the suiplmric acid spring in Byron. Professor Eaton mentions this as
the only Known instance of n'spring containing sulphuric acid in the
world, with the exception of one in the ancient crater of Mount Idienne
in Java. The editor ot the .Tournal, however, mentions another, spoken
of by Ilumholdt, the lUode Vinaere, or Vinegar river, flowing from the
extinct volcano of Purai'p, near Popayan, in the waters of which fish
will mn live, and llie sprav of whir^ irritates and fnflames the eyes of
naveHflrs-
To Gaines
A
Oak Orchard
7
Cambria
11
Lewiston
15
Niagara Falls "
7
I liOOfcrORT. i i
Niagara Village will be seen if you do not cross into
Canada at Levviston ; and Queenstown if you do.
Lockport should, by all means, be visited.
The Ridge is a remarkable elevation, of little height,
md for the most part very narrow, extending a great
part of the distance from Rochester to Lewiston. It
is often perfectly level for several miles, and affords an
idmirable foundation for the road, which has, in conse-
ijuence, been laid along its top. The manner in which
his singular elevation could have been made, has ex-
:ited the speculations of many curious observers of
jiature, and been explained in different ways. Some
I-iave imagined that the ridge was, at some long past
period, the shore of Lake Ontario, and was thrown up
>y its waves ; but it is extremely difficult to understand
aovv the waves could have managed to barricade
,hemselv^s out of a tract of countr)'. It therefore
-reems more rational to adopt another theory : that the
.ake was formerly still more extensive than is here
Kiipposed, and overflowed the land some distance
j'OUthward of this place, when a current might easily
'jave produced a bar parallel to the shore, which,
kvhen left dry, might present the form of the ridge.
I The ground presents a slope on each side of the
ipatb, peculiarly well adapted for home lots, gardens,
^nd orchards ; and the frequency and facility of trans-
portation ffive the inhabitants very manifest advantages.
j Some well-built, and even handsome, houses w ill be
' observed, which are still few indeed, but show that a
^ood style has actually been introduced.
Gasport, 6| miles east of Lockport, derives its name
from the carburetted hydrogen gas which rises in the
basin of the canal.
LOCKPORT.
This is one of the interesting places on the canal.
Here is the noblest display of locks, two ranges, made
:»f fJne hr'v:\^ «tnrie, lieinsT car!«trncted asri.in^t the brow
•78 iiOun: TO .MAG AH A.
f)f the Mountain Ridscp. Avbere the Ibaming- of thv.
Traste \va(nr, the noi?e of liorns, and the bustle of occu-
pntion excite many lively feelings. Above the locks,
the Deep Cut offers a singular passage between high
walls of rocks.
Lockport is one of the most advantageous sites for
machinery on the canal, as all the water passes down
the mountain ridge, which the canal requires, for an
extent of 135 miles ; Tonawanta creek being the only
feeder from Buffalo to the Seneca river. It is brought
down by passing round the double locks, and falls 55
feet into a large natural basin, where two ranges of
overshot wheels may be built, each at least 25 feet in
HAT'lLE UF Ul/iiti^iiTOAVN. 81
Vv-alei' is inuch agitated by counter currents and
changing- whirlpools ; for the ferrymen are taught by
their experience to manage the boat with care, and
not only to take advantage of the currents, but to avoid
all the rough places, ripples, and whirlpools. The
banks here have an appearance very wild and striking.
The rocks are a dark red sandstone, with thin
?trata of a more clayey character and a lighter colour,
Dccurring every few feet.
Quee7isiorv7i, on the Canada side of the river, is a
?mall town, uninteresting except so far as regards its
natural situation, and some martial events of which it
las been the theatre.
THE BATTLE OF QUEENStOWN.
During the late war between the United States and
jreat Britain, in 1812, while Gen. Van Rensselaer
vvas stationed at Lewislon, he formed the bold design
i)f taking Queenstown; and in spite of the difficulty
pf ascending the steep banks, and the fortifications
uvhich had been thrown up for its defence, before day-
ight on the morning of October 13th, he embarked
jis troops at the ferry, and passed over the river under
I :over of a battery. As the accessible points on the
j .oast were strictly watched, and defended by batteries
3)f some strength, the place selected for the attack was
jhe lofty and precipitous bank just above. Two or
hree small batteries had been erected on the brow,
, he remains of which are still visible; but this did
lot discourage the undertaking. The landing was
,; effected, and in spite of the difficulty of the ascent,
i he heights were surmounted, and the Americans com-
sienced a brisk action on the summit. Gen. Brock,
vho was at a distance, hearing the guns, hastened to
■ he spot ; but under a tree near the precipice was
lilled by a chance shot. The Americans remained in
:)ossession of the heights a few hours, but were then
pbllared to recross the river.
H
o.w FALLS uj AiAl.AlLV.
The MorvU3iENT to General Beock
Was raised by the British government in the yeai^
1824; and the remains of Gen. Brock and Col. M'Do-
Jiald, his aid, have since been deposited there. Its
height is 126 feet ; and the view from the top is very
fine and extensive, the base being 350 feet above the
river. In clear weather, the eye embraces not only
the river below, and the towns ot Lew iston and Queens-
town, but those of Newark and Fort Niagara, at tlie
entrance of Lake Ontario, York harbour, Youngstown^
part of the route of the Welland canal, a vast level
tract of country covered with a uniform forest, and the
horizon, formed by the distant lake itself.
The monument is built of a coarse gray limestone,
containing enchrinites, &c. of which the hill is formed,
and contains some shells and other organic remains.
The old park for artillerj', and the marks of various
works, will be observed in different parts of the
heights.
From Queenstonm to Niagara Falls is seven miles^
over a level, sandy road.
The country between Niagara and York, U. C, is
considered the most beautiful, most fertile, and best
cultivated part of the province. It will therefore be
worthy of the traveller's attention, as soon as the
desired improvements and accommodations shall have
been introduced. The scenery is allerriately wild and
pleasing ; and the rapid progress of population, the
arts, and business created by the Welland canal and
its collateral works, which promise such success, v^W
soon render this tract of country a favourite part of
the tour of the northern traveller. A free navigation
for the largest vessels used here, between Lake Erie
and Ontario, must produce the most important results.
Manufactories are already in operation in different
places; and the inexhaustible water power of the
canal will multiply them to any desirable degree.
40.000 or 5O,O0Oib<5. of raw wool are iinw anuualJv
PALLS (•r .MAaAK-\. So
ounsunicd in this j'eii:ion by the manufactunjis of iiarro^v
doth and satinetts ; ana most of the paper used in
Upper Canada is made at Crook's Mil), in West
Flamborougrh.
Ancient Tumuli. Near Sir P. Maitland's (four miles
from Queenstown) is a rano:e of rising ground, which
overlooks the country and lake for a great distance.
Near the top a quantity of human bones were recently
discovered by the blowing down of an old tree. A
great number of skeletons were found on digging, with
Indian beads, pipes, &c. and some conch-shells, shaped
apparently for musical instruments, placed under seve-
ral of the heads. Other perforated shells were found,
such as are said to be known only on the western coast
of the continent, within the tropics. There were also
found brass or copper utensils, &c. and the ground
looks as if it had been defended with a palisade.
The Whirlpool, sometimes called the Devil's Hole,
cannot be seen without leaving the road and going to
the bank. The rocks are about 260 feet above the
water ; they form a deep basin, and the water is ex-
tremely agitated.
A leisurely walk the whole distance, near the river,
may please the admirer of nature ; as the high and
rocky cliffs which form the banks on both sides pre-
:ent a continued succession of striking scenes.
Although the surface of the ground frequently indi-
■;ates the passage of water in some long past period,
the whole road is much elevated above the river, and
Dwing to this circumstance the traveller is disappointed
at not getting a sight of the cataract from a distance, as
it remains concealed by the banks, until he has ap-
proached very near. It frequently happens, also, that
he roar of the cataract is not perceived before reaching
he inn ; for the intervening bank intercepts the sound
•o much, that the noise of the wheels is sometimes
sufficient to drown it entirely. Yet, strange as it ma3'
appear, the inhabitants declare, that at the same time
it may very probably be heard on the shore of Lake
Ontario,
JALl.S OF >rAUAE-A.
THE FALLS OF SlAGAHA-^from the British sidg.
There are two large In7is or Hotels on the Canadian
side of the river, both situated as near the falls as
could be desired. That kept by Mr. Forsyth stands
on what ought strictly to be called the upper hank, for
that elevation appears to have once formed the river's
shore. This is the larger house ; the galleries and
windows in the rear command a fine view of the
cataract, although not an entire one, and overlook the
rapids and river for several miles above. The other
house is also commodious, and commands the same
scene from a different point of view.
Follov\'ing a footpath through the pasture behind
Forsyth's, the stranger soon finds himself on the steep
brow of the second bank, and the mighty cataract of
Niagara suddenly opens beneath him. A path leads
away to the left, down the bank, to the verge of the
cataract ; and another to the right, which offers a
drier walk, and presents a more agreeable and varied
scene.
The surface of the rocks is so perfectly flat near the
falls, and the water descends so considerably over the
rapids just before it reaches the precipice, that it seems
a wonder that the place where you stand is not over-
flown. Probably the water is restrained only by the
direction of the current, as a little lateral pressure
would be sufficient to flood the elevated level beside
it, where, there can be no question, the course of the
iiver once laj^
Table Rock is a projection a few yards from the
cataract, which commands a fine view of this mag-
nificent scene. Indeed, it is usually considered the
finest point of view. The height of the tall on this
side is said to be 174 feet perpendicular; and this
height the vast sheet of foam preserves unbroken,
quile round the Grand Crescent, a distance, it is esti-
mated, of 700 yards. Captain Basil Hall and Mr.
iALL.s OF NIAGAIU. 85
I Thompson measured the distance from Table Rock to
Termination Rock in 1827, and found it to be 153 feet,
f Groat Island divides the cataract, and just beyond it
jptands an isolated rock. The fail on the American
dde is neither so high, so wide, nor so unbroken ; yet,
iif compared with any thing- else but the Crescent,
Would be regarded with emotions of unequalled
■publimity. The breadth is 900 feet, the height 160,
ijind about two-thirds the distance to the bottom the
jj^heet is broken by projecting rocks. A bridge built
ifrom the American side connects Iris or Goat Island
^ind the main land, though invisible from this spot ; and
he inn on the same side, in Niagara, is seen a little
l.vay from the river. The Biddle Staircase was con-
'tructed from Iris Island to the base of the precipice
nelow, in 1829, at the expense of Nicholas Biddle
";Ssq. of Philadelphia, to afford a new point of view to
i visiters, which is greatly admired. The construction
})f this staircase is said to have opened one of the.
Iinest fishing places in this part of the Union. The
Kvater there is the resort of numerous fish which come
ip from Lake Ontario and are stopped b^ the falls.
The island is 185 feet above the gulf; the first 40 feet
)f the descent is by stone steps, the next 88 by a
;piral Avooden staircase, and the remaining 80 feet by
|ione steps, in three directions.
j It may be recommended to the traveller to visit this
|>lace as often as he can, and to view it from every
leighbourino: point ; as every change of light exhibits
t under a different and interesting aspect. The rain-
bows are to be seen, from this side, only in the after-
noon ; but at that time the clouds of mist, which are
^.ontinually rising from the gulf below, often present
hem in the utmost beauty. '
Dr. Dwight gives the following estimates, in his
ravels, of the quantity of water which passes the
:ataract of Niagara. The river at the ferry is 7 fur-
ongs wide, and on an average 25 feet deep. The
current probably runs six miles an hour : but supposing-
H2
OG FALLS OF 2SIAGARA.
it to be only 5 miles, the quantity that passes the laJJs
in an hour, is more than 85 millions of tons avoirdupois ;
if we suppose it to be 6, it will be more than 102
millions ; and in a day would be 2400 millions of tons.
The noise, it is said, is sometimes heard at York, 50
miles.
A carriage road has been lately made to the ferry.
The Rapids
begin about half a mile above the cataract; and,
althoufich the breadth of the river might at first make
them appear of little importance, a nearer inspectioii
will convince the stranger of their actual size, and the
terrific danger of the passage. The inhabitants of
the neighbourhood regard it as certain death to get
once involved in them ; and that not merely because
all escape from the cataract would be hopeless, but
because the violent force of the water among the rock.>
in the channel, would instantly dash the bones of a man
in pieces. Instances are on record of persons being-
carried down by the stream ; but no one is known to
have ever survived. Indeed, it is very rare that the
bodies are found ; as the depth of the gulf below the
cataract, and the tumultuous agitation of the eddies,
whirlpools, and counter currents, render it difficult for
any thing once sunk to rise again ; while the general
course of the water is so rapid, that it is soon hurried
far down the stream. The large logs which are
brought down in great numbers during the spring, bear
sufficient testimony to these remarks. Wild ducks,
geese, &c. are frequently precipitated over the cataract,
and generally reappear either dead or with their legs
or wings broken. Some say that water fowl avoid the
place when able to escape, but that the ice on the
shores of the river above often prevents them from
obtaining food, and that they are carried down from
mere inability to fly ; while others assert that they are
sometinnes se.en voluntarily riding among the rapids,.
>-l A (tAZR A, T3t D^L 10.1. (WV
:ind after descending halt" waj'- down the cataract,
[caking wing, and returning to repeat their dangerous
! amusement. In 1828, a small boat passed in safety
I imong the islands below the bridge on the United
\ States' side ; but in October of that year, two nien
jivere lost in a boat which was carried down by the
ice.
The most sublime scene is presented to the observer
when he views the cataract from below ; and there he
may have an opportunity of going under the cataract.
This scene is represented in the plate. To render
he descent practicable, a spiral staircase has been
brmed a little way from Table Rock, supported by a
^all mast; and the stranger descends without fear,
because his view is confined. On reaching the bottom,
1 rough path among the rocks winds alon^ at the foot
3f the precipice, although the heaps of loose stones
ivhich have fallen down, keep it at a considerable
leight above the water. A large rock lies on the
'rery brink of the river, about 15 feet long and 8 feet
*hick, which you may climb up by means of a ladder,
ind enjoy the best central view ot the falls any where
to be found. This rock was formerly a part of the
projection above, and fell, about seven years ago, with
1 tremendous roar. It had been observed by Mr.
?'orsyth to be in a very precarious situation, the day
llbefore, and he had warned the strangers at his house
not to venture near it. A lady and gentleman, however,
iiad been so bold as to take their stand upon it near
' evening, to view the cataract ; and in the night they
heard the noise of its fall, which shook the house like
jan earthquake. A large piece of rock, near the centre
of the great horseshoe of Niagara Falls, broke off in
the summer of 1829, and fell into the gulf with a crash
Ihat was heard several miles off.
In proceeding nearer to the sheet of falling water,
I the path leads far under the excavated bank, which in
^ one place forms a roof that overhangs about 40 feet.
The va?t column of water continually pouring over thf
o^ FALLS OP iVIAGAliA.
precipice, produces violent whirls in the air ; and the
spray is driven out with such force, that no one can
approach to the edge of the cataract, or even stand a
few moments near it, without being drenched to the
skin. It is also veiy difficult to breathe there ; so that
persons with weak lungs would act prudently to con-
tent themselves with a distant view, and by no means
to attempt to go under the cataract. Those who are
desirous of exploring this tremendous cavern, should
attend very carefully to their steps, aqd not allow
themselves to be agitated by the sight or the sound of
the cataract, or to be blinded by the strong driving
showers in which they will be continually involved ;
as a few steps would plunge them into the terrible
abyss which receives the falling river.
In the summer of 1827, a schooner, called the Mi-
chigan, which was found to be unfit for the navigation
of Lake Erie, being of too great a depth of water,
was towed by a steamboat to the end of Grand Island,
and then by a row boat under the command of Capt.
Rough, to the margin of the rapids, where she was
abandoned to her fate. Thousands of persons had
assembled to witness the descent. A number of wild
animals had been inhumanly placed on her deck,
confined, to pass the cataract with her. She passed
the first fall of the rapids in safety ; but struck a rock
at the second, and lost her masts. There she remained
an instant, until the current turned her round and bore
her away. A bear here leaped overboard and swam
to the shore. The vessel soon filled and sunk, so that
only her upper works were afterward visible. She
went over the cataract almost without being seen, and
in a iew moments the basin was perceived all scat-
tered with her fragments, which were very small. A
cat and a goose were the only animals found alive
below. In October, 1829, the schooner Superior was
towed into the current and abandoned ; but she strucfoj
on a rock about the middle of the river, and there re-
maim^d. The notable ium.per. Sam Patch, leaped. \h?
IJATTLJ: uF CllLl'VEWS. oH
ioilovviiio' day, from a ladder, 125 feet high, into the
'gulf, and escaped unhurt.
The Burning Spring.
t
I About half a mile above the falls, and within a few
jfeet of the rapids in Niagara river, is a remarkable
^Burning Spring. A house has been erected over it,
iinto which admission is obtained for a shilling. The
ivvater, which is warm, turbid, and surcharged with
Isulphuretted hydrogen gas, rises in a barrel which has
Ueen placed in the ground, and is constantly in a state
jjf ebullition. The barrel is covered, and the gas
i escapes only through a copper tube. On bringing a
:andle within a little distance of it, the gas takes fire,
md continues to burn with a bright flame until blovyn
out. By leaving the house closed and the fire extin-
j^uished, the whole atmosphere within explodes on
Wintering with a candle.
1 While on the Canada side of the falls, the visiter
jnay vary his time very agreeably, by visiting the
j .Milage of Chippewa and Lundy's Lane, in this vici-
nity ; which, during the late war with Great Britain.
jivere the scenes of two sharp contests.
The Battle op CnirrEWA.
] In July, 1814, the British and American armies
heing near each other, Gen. Ripley ordered Gen. Scott
) o make an advance on Chippewa, on the 3d of July,
ivith Capt. Towson's division of artillery; and the
\ enemy's pickets were soon forced to retire across the
j bridge. Gen. Ripley came up in the afternoon and
^ncamped with Gen. Scott's advance.
The stranger may be gratified by examining the
ield of these operations, by going to Chippewa vi!-
1 age, about two miles above Forsyth's. The Ameri-
::an encampment of July 23d is in the rear of a tavern
lear the road, about a mile beyond Chippewa,
'jO FALLS OF INIAGAKA.
On the 5tb, after some sharp shooting, the Indians
were discovered almost in the rear of the American
camp. At this moment, Gen. Porter arrived with his
volunteers and Indians. Gen. Brown immediately-
directed them to enter the woods and eifectually scour
them. Gens. Brown, Scott, and Ripley were at the
white house, in advance, reconnoitring. Gen. Por-
ter's corps had almost debouched from the woods
opposite Chippewa, when the whole British force had
crossed the Chippewa bridge, and Gen. Scott ad^-
vanced, and Gen. Ripley was in readiness to support.
In a few minutes, the British line was discovered formed
and rapidly advancing — their right (the Royal Scots)
upon the woods, and their left (the prince regent's) on
the river, with the king's own for their reserve. Their
object was to gain the bridge across the creek in front
of the encampment, which, if done, would have com-
pelled the Americans to retire. Gen. Brown, fearing
a flank movement of the enemy through the woods on
the left, directed Gen. Ripley not to advance until he
gave him orders. Meanwhile, Gen. Scott, under a
most tremendous fire from the enemy's artillery,
crossed the bridge, and formed his line. The British
orders were to give one volley at a distance, and im-
mediately charge. But such was the warmth of our!
musketry that they could not withstand it. At thisj
moment, Gen. Brown sent orders to Gen. Ripley to
make a movement through the woods upon the ene-*!
my's right flank. With the 21st regiment he passed ?
ravine in his front, where the men had to wade up U
their chins, and advanced as rapidly as possible. Bui
before he commenced filing from the woods into thf I
open land under the enemy's batteries, they had beeii|
completely broken by Gen. Scott's brigade, and threw
themselves across the Chippewa bridge, which they
broke down.
Although the Americans were not able to cross the
creek, the British thought proper to evacuate Chippewa
very'precipitately. and to retrf^nt towards Qneensto\vn
UATTLE Ol lIKlUGEWATiiK. 9 1
, in this affair the British loss, in killed, wounded, and
raiissing, was 514, and the Annerican loss 328.
I Nothing of importance occurred after this until the
\,25th of the same month, the date of
T
a The Battle of Bridge watek, or Lundy's
' Lane.
E| The principal scene of this hard-fought and bloody
liction is about a mile from the Falls of Niagara, at an
bbscure road, called Lundy's Lane. Comfortable
jtccommodations are offered there, at the inn of Mr.
physler. Since their retreat from Chippewa, the ene-
]ny had received reinforcements of troops from Lord
fVellington's army in Spain; and on the 25th of July
,;ncamped on a hill, with the design of attacking the
ilmerican camp the next morning. At 6 in the eve-
jiing. Gen. Brown ordered Gen. Scott to advance and
i ttack them, which was immediately done ; and in con-
junction with Gen. Ripley the attack was commenced
In an hour. The British were much surprised at see-
ing the approach of their enemy at this hour, not
'laving discovered them until they left the woods and
*egan to march across the open level fields seen from
■'orsyth's Hotel, and about a quarter of a mile to the
^ft.^
The following letter, written by a surgeon of one
f the American regiments, the day after the engage-
fient, contains some interesting particulars:
"The enemy had coiiected their whole force in the
leninsula, and were reinforced by troops from Lord
Vellington's army, just landed from Kingston. For
wo hours the two hostile lines were within twenty
ards of each other, and so frequently intermingled,,
lat often an officer would order an enemy's platoon.
:lie moon shone bright ; but part of our men being
ressed like the Glengarian regiment caused the de-
eption. They frequently charged, and were as often
•riven back. Our resriraent, under Colonel Miller, wa:i
'JU i ALLa Ol .MaGAKA.
ordered to sLorm the British battery. We charged, aiK
look ev ery piece of the enemy's cannon. We kept pos
session of the ground and cannon until 12 o'clock a1
night, when we all fell back more than two miles.
This was done to secure our camp, which might
otherwise have been attacked in the rear. Our horses
being most of them killed, and there being no ropej-
to the pieces, we got off but two or three. The men
were so excessively fatigued they could not drag
them. We lost one piece of cannon, which was toe
much advanced, eveiy man being shot that had charge
of it, but two. Several of our caissons were blown
up by their rockets, which did some injury, and de-
prived our cannon of ammunition. The lines were
>:o near that cannon could not be used with advantage."
The British lost, in killed, wounded, and prisoners..
• i78 ; and the Americans 860.
WELLAND CANAL.
it may well be recommended to the traveller to de-
vote a little time to visiting this new, important and
highly interesting work, which can be done by those
^vho have a short time to spare. Lake vessels arc
hereafter to go up the Welland or Chippewa river
to the canal ; and the visiter at Niagara will be but
nbout 8 or 10 miles from some parts of it.
As it may be presumed that a traveller, on a tour
like the present, will of course lay aside all private,
and even national feelings, sufficiently to admire what
is great in the enterprise and arts of a neighbouring
country, a specimen of human skill and industry bke
the Welland Canal may be expected to interest those
into whose hands this little volume may fall.
The improvement of Upper Canada has had to en-
counter great obstacles in the climate, the wildness of
the countiy, the vicinity of a land under a diflferent
system of government, the large reserves of soil for
the support of the clergy, (onp-!?evrnth ^^ the ^vhole.)
,\ud a general want of intelligence and enterprise
*imong the inhabitants. Some of these have been al-
ready in a considerable degree surmounted, and are
jkely to be still further overcome, by the encourage-
joents oifered by the mother country, the introduction
' f scientific engineers and funds by the Canada Com-
,)an3^ and the unexpected facilities afforded to schemes
jif internal improvement by the natural features of thf^
j?rovince,
J The obstacle which it was the object of the Weh
■ and Canal to surmount, is of a character that gives
rreat interest to the work. The largest cataract in
he world, which presents a scene of confusion, uproar^
!nd tumult, that sets at nought all the rules of order
nd restraint, was to be surmounted by a system of
vorks in which the rush of the element, so awful, re-
'istless, and destructive, was to be curbed and tamed
o a calm and gentle descent, and rendered useful to
he objects of commerce.
From this tremendous and destructive cataract a
,|)ortion of power was to be drawn away, insignificant
ndeed, but sufficient for the necessities of thousands
if men ; and " divided and conquered," reduced to
he servitude of our race, rendered subservient to the
.'omplicated arts of civilization, and compelled to
Perform the most tiresome and trifling tasks in all their
iietails.
The Welland Canal begirds near the mouth of Grand
iiver, which empties into Lake Erie, about 40 miles
roni Buffalo. It will admit the largest vessels on the
Jakes, viz. those of 125 tons. It was first opened to
' lavigation in November, 1829, precisely five years after
ts commencement. The work begins at Fort Mait-
and on Grand River, about 40 miles from Buffalo,
.vhere it is raised eight feet above the level of Lake
Elrie, and proceeds, with only descending locks, to Port
; Dalhousie, the water being taken trcm Grand River.
i ibove a dam erected for the purpose, at the falls, five
1'.iilpc: from its mouth, Travell^'r' who have it m ihr^h
?
94 J-ALLS yji AlAUAliA-
power should not fail to begin their voyag;e here, at.'
the whole work is worthy of attention ; but the lower
half of it presents the chief assemblage of interesting
objects.
The whole canal was nearly completed about the
beginning of 1829, when the sliding of the banks at
the Deep Cut, near Lake Ontario, made it necessary
to make some alterations in the plan. From Lake
Erie, across the Wainfleet Marsh, to the Welland or
Chippewa River, the level of that lake was at first
presejved. It has since been raised five feet. The
Welland was to be communicated with by means of
two locks of six feet lift, and to serve as a part of the
navigable route for nine miles, to within three-quarters
of a mile of the Deep Cut. The Deep Cut was to
have been dug down to the level of the Welland ; and
the excavations had already been nearly completed
when the accident occuired. The canal is now car-
ried across the mr.rsh at a level five feet above that of
Lake Erie, to Welland River at a point five miles and
a half below the place before designed ; across that
river on an aqueduct, which is high enough to permit
the passage of vessels ; and then along the northern
bank, to the Deep Cut, at the northern end of which
it descends by two locks. Beyond that point the ori-
ginal plan is preserved.
The Grand River, at the dam, is nine chains across;
and the canal beginning at Broad Creek,near its mouth,
and two miles from the uiouth of Grand River, proceeds
in a perfectl)' straight line ; and a communication is
open with VVelland River by locks, at the aqueduct
and at the Deep Cut.
Port Mail! and is capable of receiving a great
number of vessels such as navigate the Lake, for
which the Canal is calculated. The neighbouring
part of the lake is free from ice earlier in the spiing
than that near Buflalo ; and it is believed by the Ca-
nadians, that the access to the mouth of the Welland;
c^nal will be open about four or fivp weeks earlieir
WELLAxND CAkaL. 95
.iveiy year. This of course would be a great advan-
age. It is not, however, to be expected that the New-
Tork Canal will suffer any injury from the present
vorii. The business will soon be greater than can be
Jlone upon it; and will increase with great rapidity,
^particularly after the opening of the Ohio Canal.
^ Mainfleet Marsh. This is a tract of s surmounted by the noble
; works at that place. It runs for many miles, present-
ing towards the east an irregular iine of precipice,
with salient and re-entering angles, like an immense
fortification. Most of the streams which fall over it
pour down the ravines thus formed.
I An experienced and capable engineer. Judge
'Geddes, first published this fact in the Journal of Sci-
, ence and the Arts, and stated that there appeared to
i be every reason to suppose one of these natural ravines
received the Niagara river at the Falls ; and that the;
\)6 FALLS OF ^NIAGAKA.
apparent attrition of the rocks for a great distance
below, and the general belief of the cataract having
retired for miles, are not to be confided in.
The Welland River, a very sluggish stieam, \yas to
he used for ten miles, being entered by a lock of eight
feet lift, a towing path being formed along its bank.
It was, however, determined, in 1828, to cross this
"Stream by an aqueduct. This river has a course of 30
or 10 miles, between the two lakes, but nearly on a
level with Lake Erie, and empties into Niagara Kiver
about two miles above the falls. It was intended that
vessels passing the sloop lock at Black Uock, should
enter the canal by this route ; and the Canal Company
were authorized to make a towing path along the Ni-
agara and the Welland Rivers. Its breadth is from
three to four chains.
The Deep Cut. We approach a part of the canal
in which the greatest labour and expense were re-
quired. It extends one mile and three quarters, and
required the excavation of 1.477,700 cubic yards of
earth. The excavation is now to an average depth of
45 feet. The ground is undulating, and the greatest
depth is 56 feet.
The surface suddenly rises to the height of 3G feet ;
and 106 chains further, to 56 "eet 6 inches. Thence
it descends until, at the end o" the Deep Cut, it is only
30 feet. This ground has been excavated, and the
level of the canal preserved, by the greatest work of
the kind in America, excepting perhrps the aqueduct
on the plain of Mexico. The earth, to 12 or 18 feet
below the surface, was clay mixed with a little sand.
Below that was a hard blue clay, frequently requiring
the pickaxe. The earth dug out near the middle of
the cut was raised up the banks, which are 150 feet
apart at the deepest places, as the nature of (he soil
required a gradual slope. In 1828, however, great
masses sunk down again into the canal, so that the ex-
cavations are made to a level 17 feet above that at first
designed.
WELLAND CANAL, 97
Lock No. 1, of the Mountain Ridge, is 4 miles and
' 23 chains from the Deep Cut. The intervening sur-
vface is undulating, and the canal passes alternate ra-
vines and ridges. By damming the former a little way
from the line on the left, numerous pools or reser-
jvoirs (taken together, two miles in length) were
fonned, which would have been very useful for the
Flocks.
•j Near the brow of the Mountain Ridge is an eleva-
- lion, which required an excavation nearly 20 feet deep
' for 20 chains. On this level are four twin bridges,
'■with butments 40 feet asunder, corresponding with the
^ breadth of all the locks westward of this place, which
''are 40 feet by 125, and able to admit steamboats up
to this point, either from Grand River or Niagara
f River, by the Welland.
Locks Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4, are in a ravine 52 chains in
t length, which introduces the stranger to the most re-
markable scene of the kind in the world.
i The Mountain Ridge. Within the extent of a mile
and 55 chains are 17 locks of 22 feet by TOO, which
overcome nearly the whole elevation of Lake Erie
above Ontario. The canal winds along the face of
the descent, bending to the left and the right, to give
room for reservoirs between the locks, necessary for
a convenient supply of water. None of the locks are
less than 30 yards apart. This is the only part of the
route where rocks were to be excavated, and the
amount of rock removed here was 70,000 cubic yards.
At the foc^of this long and steep descent the canal
enters a ravine, which extends two and a half miles
through 12 locks, between high banks, to
St. Catharine's. The descent from the top of the
ridge to this place is 322 teet. Though a small vil-
lage, St. Catharine's has already become a place of
considerable importance. To Lake Ontario from this
place, five miles, there are four locks, 32 feet by 125,
and one of ten feet lift. The route runs chiefly along
the valley of the principal branch of the Twelve Mile
Creek. I ?
;4; iALxiS Oi-' 2S1AUAKA.
Po7^t Dalhousie, the harbour of the Weliand Cana.
on Lake Ontario, is protected by two fine piers, run
out 200 or 350 yards, nearly at the angle of storm,
which is about 80 degrees west : the eastern overlap- 1
ping the western, with a return pier, which is better j
than the break-water originally proposed. The ground
was here found to be a brown alluvion, well fitted foi
the driving of piles. A large harbour for boats, and a
timber pond for rafts, have been formed by damming
the mouth of Twelve Mile Creek, which throws the
w^ater back over an area of 500 acres. A waste weii
lets off the surplus water without allowing it to enter
the harbour, so that there is no current formed through
it, and no danger is incurred of forming a bar at its
mouth. A lock of five feet lift raises vessels from the
harbour to the basin.
It has been ascertained that a branch canal might be
cut on a dead level, and at the expense of only
20,000/. from somewhere near the foot of the Mountain
Ridge to Niagara, nine miles ; but no decisive measures
have yet been adopted. It would cross Ten, Four,
Two, and One Mile Creeks.
The Canada Land Company, by whom this magni-
ficent work has been planned and accomplished, is a
corporation, under the parliament of the colony, with
a capital of !^800,000, of which a large portion was
supplied by individual subscriptions, partly in New-
York and England. The government of Upper Ca-
nada subscribed g200,000 and lent JglOO.OOO. That
of Lower Canada subscribed g 100,000. . The British'
.■^rovernment have granted them one-ninth of the whole
cost of the work, and 13,000 acres of land on the
route, west of Weliand River. Public stores, &c. are
to be transported on the canal free of duty.
This canal admits larger vessels than any other in
America, except the Delaware and Chesapeake Ca-
nal in Pennsylvania, for which see the index. The
locks are of wood, but built on the most approved
principles. The common dimensions are 100 feet
TOVV.N. OF i.xll^h'tii, jy
uijg, 22 wide, and 8 deep ; and are calcuiated for ves •
els of from 100 to 125 tons burthen. The largest
chooners heretofore used on the lake?, are stated to
■"le not more than 90 feet long, 20 wide, with a bur-
then of from 60 to 90 tons. Many of the locks re-
Ijjuired puddling and fla?:ging.
k The lockage on this canal being all on one de-
'cent, there never can be any want of water : Lake
j>ie being on the summit level. The numerous ponds
' nd pools are however convenient reservoirs. The
Mature of the work is such as to allow deepening the
i7ater by merely building the locks so much higher,
ijnd raising the dam over Welland River.
3 Men of science in the branches of engineering
ttdijch relate to the construction of canals, have spoken
v^ith approbation, and frequently admiration, of the
^ lodes adopted on the line of the Welland Canal : the
■lanner of removing earth from deep cuttings; the
'lans of the wooden locks, paddle gates, draw-
yridges, &c.
\ The tomii ofGuelph is a creation of the year 1827 ;
k was laid out and settled under the direction of the
yanada Land Company ; and a village has suddenly
prung up in the midst of the wilderness. The Semi-
1 ary was founded the first j'ear of its existence, and
jiiere have been built the Company's office, of stone,
132 feet square, a church, and schoolhouse. This
•lace is the central settlement on a tract of the Com-
)any's lands in the Gore District, called the Town-
hip of Guelph, containing 42,000 acres of Crown re-
erves for the Six I^Jations. The Clergy Reserves are
!tn the N. E. of it, beyond vv^hich are Flamboro' and
I Beverly. The township of Waterloo is S. S. W. of
luelph ; and probably the wealthiest farming town-
hip in the province. Guelph Township has a soil of
)lack, fertile, sandy loam, bearing beech, maple, elm,
)ass, ash, cherry, some pine, cedar, and hemlock. The
urface is irregular, and the streams swift. The town
5 on the river Speed, 12 nniles from its confluence
100 lALLS OF NIAGARA.
with Grand River, 5 from Waterloo, 14 from Gait, ^o
by the present road from Ancaster, and 25 from Lake
Ontario. A fine straij^ht road, 8 rods wide, is to be
opened in that direction. Rivers run from this town
into lakes Huron, Simcoe, Erie, and Ontario; and the
Canada Company intend to render them all navigable
if possible.
Goderich is a town lately laid out at the mouth of
the Red, or Goderich River ; to which a road was
making in 1828, from Guelph, by the government, and
lots of 100 acres offered for sale.
Burlington. The bay is remarkably fine ; it is shel-
tered from every wind, contains 15,000 acres, and is
25 feet deep. The fort on the heights is very strong
and commanding. A large fleet might lie under its
protection. It is proposed to make a graving dock in
Grindstone Creek, by damming it, under the guns of
the fort. An artificial entrance has been made.
Dundas, at the head of Burlington Bay, is a flourish-
ing place, and rising in importance. A road was in
construction to this place from Guelph in 1828.
Improve tiients projected in Canada. Among the
most recent projects for internal improvement in Ca-
nada, is that of a canal from Lake Huron to the Bay
of Quinte. This would open a communication at a
distance from the frontier of the United States, by
which, in time of war, goods, military stores, mum
tions, &c. might be transported without the risks to
which they would be exposed on the present routes.
The engineers employed by the British government
state that there are broken links formed by Simcoe,
Cameron, Pigeon, and Front Lakes, which might be
connected without any great difficulty in one entire
chain of water communication. The line might touch
at the Marmora Iron Works, and pass through the
new settlements near Rice Lake and the River Trent,
xvhich are flourishing. The population of Upper Ca-
nada was believed to amount to 200,000 in 1828.
It has been proposed to make canals for sloop navi-
THE WESTERN LAKEjj. li) I
•ation from Prescott to Montreal. The advanta.^es of
tuch works, taken into view with the Welland Canal,
ne easy to estimate. Before, the transportation of
(1000 staves from Lake Erie to Montreal cost ^90. If
Jll these canals were made, the cost would be reduced
3^50. Sloops carryina: 6000 slaves could make six
)]:ips a year, and gain ^1800. A barrel of flour which
aid 65. ior that distance, would pay only 3s. A ton
f merchandise now costs £4 5s. for transportation
etween Prescott and Mf)ntreal, and would then cost
J^nly £17$.
York, the capital of Upper Canada, is a place ot
jGonsiderable size. The public buildings make little
lf(gure. The harbour is very fine, protected by defen-
jiiive works on Gibraltar Point. King's College is of
oecent institution, and bears the style and privileges of
university. The governor is chancellor, the Lord
l^ishop of Quebec visiter, and the Archdeacon of
ijrork president. The chancellor appoints professors.
""To religious tests are required except for degrees in
livinity, as at Oxford and Cambridge. A road is
flaking to Guelph, 47 miles, and on to Goderich, less
han 100 further.
THE WESTERN LAKES.
Ontario is 180 miles long, 40 miles wide, 500 feet
ieep ; and its surface is computed at 218 feet above
he elevation of tide water at Three Rivers, 270
^niles below Cape Vincent.
'^ Erie is 270 miles long, 60 miles wide, 200 ket
Ieep ; audits surface is 565 feet above tide water at
Ubany. It was said, in 1823, to be between 2 and 3
eet higher than a few years before, having gradually
isen.
Huron is 250 miles long, 100 miles average breadth,
,)00 feet deep ; and its surface is nearly 595 feet above
I he tide water.
Michigan is 400 miles long, 50 wide, depth un>
j>vnown : elevation the s^ime s< Ruron.
102 FALLS OF NIAGARA.
Green Bay is about 105 miles long-, 20 miles "wide,
depth unknown ; elevation the same as Huron and
Michigan.
Lake Superior is 459 mile? longr, 109 miles average
width, 900 feet deep ; and its surface 1048 feet above
the tide water.
Hence the bottom of Lake Erie is not as low as the
foot of Niagara Falls ; but the bottom of each of the
other lakes, it will be observed, is lower than the sur-
face of the ocean.
"Lake Superior is the head fountain, the grand reser-
voir of the mighty volume. After making a semi-
circle of live degrees to the south, accommodating and
enriching one of the most fertile and interesting sec-
tions of the globe, it meets Ifie tide a distance of 2000
miles from its source, and 5000 from the extreme point
of its estuary, on the Atlantic coast."
The lakes have a periodical rise once in twelve
years. It occurred in 1815 and 1827.
The Ferry across Niagara river is about half a
mile below the Fails, and may be crossed at any hour
in the day, without danger, notwithstanding the ra-
pidity of the current. The descent from the bank is
so steep, that it has been necessary to build a. stair-
case.
To Buffalo on the Canada side 28^ miles.
To Chippewa, 2 miles.
Waterloo, (Fort Erie,) .... 16
(Over the ferry to Black Rock, 25 cts. each passenger.)
Buffalo,. . 2i
Opposite Buffalo, in Waterloo, are the remains of
Fort Erie, a fortress of great consequence in the late
war. There was a strong wail surrounded with in-
trenchments reaching to the lake. The remains of the
British camp are also seen, and the trees are still
wounded with shot.
Battle of Erie. On the 17th of September, 1814, a
severe action was fought at a little distance from Fort
Erie, when a part of the American garrison. 1000 regu~
JiMIAKKS ON LPPEK CAxVAJJA. iO.'>
jdis and 1000 militia, made a sortie, and took the^
: British works, about 500 yards in front of their line.
The British had two batteries on their left, which
,anno^ed the lort, and weie about opening a third.
'Their camp was about two rniles distant, sheltered by
-a wood: their works were garrisoned with one-third
of their infantry, Irora 12 to 1500 men, and a de-
*tachnient of artillery.
I Gen. Porter with the volunteers, Col. Gibson with
the riflemen, and Maj. Brooks with the 23d and 21st
light infantry, and a few dismounted dragoons, were
I sent from the extreme left of the American position,
by a passage cut through the woods towards the ene-
my's right; and Gen. Miller was stationed in the ra-
pine between the fort and the enemy's batteries ; while
;Gren. Ripley had a reserve under the bastions.
A little before 3 P, M. the left columns commenced
heir attack upon the enemy's right ; and Gen. Miller
it the s-civne time pushed forward between Nos. 2 and
knd 3 of the batteries, broke their line, and took their
wo blockhouses. Battery No. 1 was soon after de-
l>erted, the guns were spiked, and the magazine of No.
]) was blown up. Gen. Ripley was wounded, and
pol. Gibson killed. The action lasted about an hour,
1 vhich gave time for the remaining two-thirds of the
jinemy's force to march from their camp and partake
I n it. The Americans at length retired with prisoners,
j laving succeeded in their object. The British suf-
fered so much, that Lieut. Gen. Drummond broke up
liis camp on the 21st, and retired to his intrenchments
i )ehind the Chippewa River.
) General Remarks on Upper Canada. This exten-
ive district has begun to increase in population with
;reat rapidity, and great exertions are making to intro-
luce improvements of various kinds. The Welland
l^anal, which has already been spoken of, promises
advantages of great importance to the colonies.
1 Emigration has been so much encouraged by the
'British government, for the peopling of this part of
104 itUUTE FKOM iMAGAKA TO :jlUx\ TiiiiiAL.
their possessions, that great numbers of Irish, Scotch,
and Engh'sh have come over within a few years. In
the seven years preceding 1825, 68,000 emigrants ar-
rived at Quebec ; in lS-25, 9000, and many since.
According to Fothergill, there were tfien, in Upper
Canada, 989,294 acres of cuUivated land ; grist mills.
304 ; saw mills, 386 ; merchant stores, 394 ; houses,
30,774 ; oxen, 27,644 ; milch cows, 67,000 ; calvesj
35,000 ; 290 townships surveyed, containing in all 17
million acres ; about two millions wild lands ; dis-
tillers' duty, g46,000, (in 1827.)
To Buffalo^ on the American side, 30^ miles.
Tonavvanta Creek, where the canal passes, 11 mile.?.
Black Rock, 10
Buffalo, 2|
To Fort George, 4 miles.
Queenstown, 7
Fort George, 7
[The route from Niagara to Albany and the Spring?
will be taken up after the route to Montreal.]—
Seej). 109.
ROUTE FROM NIAGARA TO MONTREAL,
392 miles.
Those who have never travelled through the slate
of New-1i!ork, and have leisure fo make so circuitous
a route, will prefer to go to Buffalo, Lockport, or Ro-
chester, and take the line of the Erie Canai, the
Springs, Lake George, and Lake Champlain, in their
way to Montreal. Many, however, will prefer to take
the more direct route, which is by the steamboats
through Lake Ontario, and is performed in about two
days. The American boats go from Fort Niagara to
Qgdensburgh, keeping towards the southern shore., and
3
Hoiichin^ at the principal ports. The British boat..
' make a few stops, but steer a course very near the
•middle of the lake, which is the boundary betv/een
the two countries : they are usually out of sight of
jland about twelve hours. There are several higli
points on the northern shore. The most important
are the cliffs of Torento, the Devil's Nose, and the
jFifty Mile Hill.
Route from Niagara io Montreal. There were
seven steamboats, in 1828, owned on the British side
Df Lake Ontario ; the Alciope, Q,ueenston, Torento,
jSir J. Kempt, Dalhousie, &c.
The steamboats go to York in about 4^ hours ; stop
it Kingston* in about 24 hours from Niagara, and at
^rescott in twelve hours more ; thence stage coach to
Cornwall ; whence a steamboat, in five hours, brings
;ou to the foot of Lake St. Francis. A steamboat of
■)9 horse power was built in 1827, to pass the rapids
I it Coteau du Lac, and to take passengers to the
'tillage of the Cedars, nine miles further than here-
ofore by water. From the Cedars to the cascade
s in stagf- coaches, about 16 miles. Thence a steam-
)oat goes in 4 hours to Lachine ; and thence to Mon-
real a stage coach, which stops at the Exchange
l/oftee House. The fare from Frescott to Montreal
Ivas g7— and from Niagara g20— The additional ex-
|)enses for board amount on the whole iournev to
I bout g2|. "^ ^
I American Boats,
\Port Genesee, 72 miles, at the mouth of the Genesee
[hver, IS a port of entry and delivery. Here are a
ustom-house, and the village of Charlotte, in Monroe
ounty. This river rises in Pennsylvania, and runs a
ently winding course about 125 miles in the state of
'' -It Kingston, (U. C.) is to bo seen tlie Cataraqui Brid<'e, wherp i3
• be the route between Lake Ontario and the Ottawa River The
I eainboat Dalhousie, whicli first passed this bridge in 1829, is to be a
hoUelfor oUiei- boaL=! on the route; viz. 76 fect^Iong, 31 feet 4mcl"'«
I ">. tiicUiding the wings, draught of water 4 ff r?.
'lUG liul; IE IKUM MALMiA TO MOxnTKEAL-.
Xew-York. It is navig-al^le only four miles ironi lis"
mouth, to Carthage, where the banks are high, rocky,
and perpendicular; and there is a fine tall (104 (eeU
including the rapids, &c.) about half a mile above.
Stage coaches are in waiting for Rochester, six miles.
See Carthage, page 64.
Great Sodus Bay, 35l m. Here are three bays in
succession : Sodus, East, and Port Bays. There are
three Islands, and Port Glasgow is at the head of the
bay, only 10| miles from Clyde, on the canal, with a
good road to it.
Oswego, 28 m. This village is situated at the mouth
of Oswego River, and has a good harbour, with ten
feet water. Navigation on this river ended half a mile
above, except for boats, which went 12 miles further. A
very large button-wood tree, 35^ feet in circumference,
is seen a mile from the village near the road.
This place is likely to become one of the most
rapid growth and improvement in all the state of New-
York. Its prosperity, not being derived directly from
the influence ol the Erie Canal, but from one of its
principal branches, is of a date correspondent with the
commencement of the latter work, 1826. (See Sy-
racuse.) It was completed in 1828. It joins the Erie
Canal at Salina, and will afford an interesting excur-
sion either way. From the head of the fails to the
village, it leads along the river's bank, preserving the
elevated level almost to the brow of the hill over the
Lake, and then descends by locks. For the distance
of a mile the interval between the canal and the river
affords the most advantageous situations for manufac-
tories of 'various descriptions, for which the land was
purchased in lots in 1827 at from ^2,500 to ^3,500.
Lake vessels can lie on one side of the manufactories
and canal boats on the other ; and Congress have ap-
propriated ,^35,000 for protecting the harbour with
piers. The opening of the VVelland canal will pro-
bably increase the business of the place, which, be
fore these improvements, ^vas out of the way of travr'
saoilett's harbolk. 107
jei's, except as a point where the steamboats stopped.
The lake is 70 miles wide opposite Oswego.
Fort Oswego, so famous in the history of the French
and revolutionary wars, stands on the east side of the
river. The situation was very advantageous for the
command of a larp;e extent of country, as this river is
the common outlet of all the interior lakes of the state.
While this post was held alternately by the French
and English, they could command a great part of the
trade with the Five Nations of Indians, who inhabited
the country with which it communicated.
Fort Oswego is elevated only about 50 feet from the
level of the water ; and being overlooked by the
eminence on which Fort Ontario was afterward
erected, was fit only for a defence in early times. A
trading house was built here in 1722, and a fort five
years after. This was extended in the beginning ot
the French war of 1755, when Fort Ontario was
built. In the following year. General Montcalm
came from Canada, and besieged the fortresses with
3000 troops, and two vessels. Fort Ontario was
evacuated after one attack ; and on the following day,
-August 14lh, Fort Oswego surrendered to the French,
with a large quantity of stores, brought at great ex-
pense through the wilderness, and 21 cannon, 14
mortars, &c. also two sloops, and about 200 boats.
The captors, however, did not think proper to hold
the position, but immediately abandoned it.
Col. St. Leger attempted to approach Albany by
this route in 1777, in order to co-operate with Gen.
Burgoyne ; but he was repulsed at Fort Stanvvix by
Col. Willet, and obliged to return.
In 1814, on the 6th of May, the British attacked the
place, and, after a loss of about 100 men, got posses-
.^ion of it, but evacuated it the next day.
Sacketes Harbour, 40 m. Settled in 1801. In the
late war, it became an important naval station, and
increased very rapidly. It is 8 miles distant from the
l^ke. on Honnslow Bay. The harbour is divided into
iOS EOUTE I ROM NIAGARA TO MONTEEAL.
two by a narrow point, and offers great advantages
for ship building-. A first rate,^^man-of-war is still un-
finished on the stocks, under a shelter, and another at
Black River. On the shore are seen the- stone Bar-
racks, which enclose about ten acres of ground.
Cape Viiicenti 20 m. The St. Lawrence is here
divided by Grand Island. Kingston, in Upper Canada,
lies opposite, at the distance of 11 miles.
Morristown. This is a small village, 10 miles from
Ogdensbuig'h. The river is a little more than a mile
in breadth, and on the opposite side is Brockville.
There is a number of rocky islands in the St. Law-
rence, and the gentle slope of the land on the New-
York shore, adds a great degree of beauty to the
scene.
General Wilkinson embarked at this place in 1813.
Ogdenshurgh, formerly Oswegatchic. This is the
end of the navigation, and here the steamboat stops.
The village is pretty, contains some large stores, and
carries on considerable business. On the other side of
the river is Prescott, where the British steamboat
stops. The ruins of Fort Oswegatckie, or Fort Pre-
sentation, may still be traced. It was not very large,
and contained only a bomb-proof, two buildings of
stone, barracks, &c. It was built in the, beginning or
middle of the last century. Grapes are cultivated
here with great success.
The Thousand Islands are a most beautiful part of
the navigation, presentintc themselves in every variety
of forms, though never rising to any great elevation.
They might be compared with the islands of Lake
George.
Gallop Islands, 5 m. Here the rapids of the St.
Lawrence begin. A number of mills will be seen at
different places on the shore. On Stony Island was a
fort of some consequence, which was taken by Gene-
ral Amherst on his way to Montreal, in the year 1760.
Si, Regis, 54 m. The Indian tribe which bears this
name ha^^r* n re^prvation of Innd herp "I I mifp« bv ".
KOUTE FK031 KIAGAKA TU ALliAIsi.. lU9
Lachine, 5Sm. (See Index.)
Montreal, 9 m. (See do.)
ROUTE FROM NIAGARA TO ALBANY.
Black Rock is a pleasant village situated on the
margin of Niagara River, a little way from its head,
and opposite Squaw Island, at the mouth of Lake Erie.
It was burnt by the British during the war in 1814,
but has since been rebuilt and increased to a much
greater size. Black Rock disputed with Buffalo the
privilege of having the basin of the canal built in her
harbour, and at last obtained it. A pier about two
miles in length was built to secure the boats and ves-
sels from the waves of the lake, as well as to raise
the water for the supply of the canal to the Genesee
River. The work, however, has its disadvantages :
for the swiftness of the current in the river, and the
heaping up of the ice on the shores, prove great ob-
stacles to the navigation, and the pier has suffered
repeated injuries. It has been partly reconstructed
on an improved plan. An inclined plane is presented
to the waves, &c.
BUFFALO, 3 miles from Black Rock.
Inns. The Eagle Tavern, &c.
The situation of this village is remarkably conve-
nient and agreeable, occupying a long hill of a gentle
ascent, rising from the immediate vicinity of the lake.
The principal street runs along the ridge of the hill,
looking out upon Lake Erie to the horizon, and is or-
namented with several fine blocks of brick stores and
handsome dwelling-houses, together with several pub-
lic buildings, all erected since the burning of the village
by the British in 1814, as well as the buildings in the
other streets, which are fast increasing every year. In
April 1814, only one house was standing in the vil-
lage, that of a widow in the upper part of the street.
K 2
HO HOUTE FROM Is^IAGAltA TO ALBAIvi.
A large piece of ground has been left in the middle ot
the town for a public square, where several roads
meet, and which it is intended to ornament with pub-
lic edifices. A walk has also been laid out on the
brow of the hill towards the lake. This is called the
Terrace, and affords a charm ina; view upon the lake,
the harbour, and the canal, to Black Rock. In 1825,
a small village grew up below the terrace, 5 taverns
being built, with 65 other houses, before which there
was but one house. One of the inns will accommodate
200 persons. The largest store in the state is believed
to be one of these, which is 90 feet by 70, and 3 sto-
ries high. The township was found to contain 6000
inhabitants that year, and has greatly improved since.
The harbour of Buffalo is singularly fitted by nature
for the junction of the two kinds of navigation which
are here brought together ; the entrance from the
lake being sheltered by the point on which the light-
house is erected, and the two small rivers which here
unite their waters, affording every convenience for
landing and reshipping goods. The shores of these
are very bold, and they are connected by a natural
channel, which serves the purposes of a basin, as well
as of an easy communication ; and as the canal to
Black Rock commences close by it, the inland trans-
portation begins without more ado. Sixty vessels
traded with Buffalo in 1827, including the steamboats;
of vvhich number 7 were Canadian. The steamboat
Pioneer plied to Dunkirk, and the Chippewa to Chip-
pewa. About 30,000 barrels of salt were shipped for
the westward during that year. The United States
are improving the harbour.
The water of the Creek was brought into the vil-
lage, in 1827, from above the falls, by a canal 3 miles
long, which will supply a head of water for machi-
nery. A steam foundry is in operation in this town.
The Canal to Black Rock is dug near the shore of
the lake. The Erie Canal is supplied with water
Irencp to the Sonera River, from Lakp Erie. The inr^f
VOYAGE LP LAKE ERIE« lU
}art ot it is through a low, sandy level, where the
ixcavations were much impeded by the water which
oaked through in great abundance. About half a
nile from Buffalo, the workmen hit upon a bed of old
lalf-decayed trees, which was dug into to the depth
•f six feet, and extended about half a mile. Many
tranches and logs were discovered, vvhich preserved
11 the grain of the wood ; but the greater part was a
'lack mass of matter, which, on being dried, burned
vith greater readiness. In some places, ashes and
oals were found ; and some of the logs appeared to
ave been washed and rolled by the water of the lake
efore they were buried.
Chatauque Lake. A steamboat of 50 tons began to
m on this lake in 1828. It performs the route frotrt
araestown to Maysville in 3 hours.
(For remarks on the Erie Canal see Albany.)
VOYAGE UP LAKE ERIE.
At Buffalo opens a very extensive route, for those
ho are disposed to travel still farther westward,
'here is little to be seen along either shore of the
ike, which would reward the common traveller for
le tedium of a long ride over a country generally
' 'vel, or for the inconveniences he would experience
I'om want of public accommodations, and even the
equent absence of settlements. The price of a pas-
lige to Detroit in the cabin is ^15, and in the steerage,
i'here nothing is supplied but ship room and access to
,ie kitchen, half price. The following are the stop-
I ing places on the passage to Detroit, with their dis-
inces ; and steamboats run almost every day. (See
hio Canals Index.)
rom Buffalo to Erie, 90 miles
Erie to Grand River, 75
Grand River to Cleaveland, ... 30
I Cleaveland to Sandusky, .... 60
I Sanduskv if^ Opfroit 7.';-TrvtR} '';30
i 13 lltXlTE W4UM rsIAUAKA TO x\LiiAML.
The United States' government are improving sevt
jal of these harbours, as there is not a natural one be
tween Buffalo and Sandusky. In 1827, there were
475 arrivals at the latter port. The American Fui
Company bring down ^250,000 to ^300,000 in furs.
The steamboat Pioneer runs from Buffalo to Dun
kirk, connecting with the stage coaches to Cleave
land, which divide there, and go south to Worcestei
and to Newburgh, and west to Milan and Lovvei
Sandusky. At Dunkirk begins a portage of 7 miles to
Casdaga lake, and the w^aters of the Ohio river.
Michigan is a territory fast rising in population,
wealth, and importance. A large branch of the tide of
emigration from the eastern states and New-York has
been turned in that direction, and still further west,
encouraged b}'- the judicious system adopted by the
government of the united States, in selling the land
at reasonable prices for cash. Experience has proved,
in other public lands, the difficulties that must ever
arise from credits to settlers, even with nominally higl;
prices. The sober, industrious, and frugal can gene-
rally produce or borrow money enough to purchase a
small farm ; and then they have many encouragement-^
to exertion, which a wretched population in debt
would never feel. There may be seen a state oi
things similar to that witnessed in Ohio twenty or
thirty years ago ; and in that length of time it is pre-
sumed that changes no less important will be pre-
sented in Michigan.
The surface and soil are favourable to cultivation.
There is a succession of gentle undulations, gradually
rising towards the interior ; and the regularity of the
ground, with the remarkably open nature of the forests,
it is said, permit carriages to travel for hundreds of
miles without meeting any obstacle. It has been pro-
posed to avoid the long circumnavigation of the whole
peninsula, by making a canal across the neck.
Green Bay, on Lake Huron, is interesting as a posi-
tion occupied by a military garrison, and the seat of a
aincie^t fortifications. 113
ai^e number of Indians, for whose improvement some
xeTtlons have been recently made. Tlie principal
ribe residing there are the Menominie, or JVild Rice
ndians, who are both numerous and powerful, and
,)artly civihzed.
The Fox river, which empties into Green Bay, flows
hrough a very fertile country ; and the time is not
I'ery far distant when the head waters of the stream
vill be united by a canal with the Ouisconsin, which
lows into the Mississippi. The climate of Green Bay
s remarkably healthful. The lead mines on Fevre
liver are now wrought by about five thousand men.
I The following are the boundaries of the proposed
,'.ew territory, to be called Huron : from the north-east
orner of the state of Illinois, northwardly, down the
:iiddle of Lake Michigan, to the " Big Fox Island;"
' nd thence, due north to the Canada line, or north-
Ivardly, down the middl*^ of the lake, and through the
traits, east and south of the "Bois Blanc Island," to
he Canada line.
Ais^ciENT Fortifications.
On Buffalo Creek, and tow^ards Genesee Kiver also,
re several large and interesting remnants of ancient
jrtifications ; but as they lie off the road, few travel-
ers will visit them. They appear to form part of a
;reat chain of defensive works extending from the
astern part of Lake Ontario, along that lake and Erie,
llown the Ohio and Mississippi rivers to Mexico. This
is the opinion of Mr. Atwater, of Circleville, Ohio,
jvho has published some very interesting details,
Irawings, &lc. connected with them, in his " Archse-
ilogia Americana." A line of old forts extends from
^ataraugus Creek, 50 miles, along the shore of Lake
Y^v'ie, to the line of Pennsylvania. They are on the
^orders of creeks and oU bays, although now from
j wo to five miles distant from the lake, which is sup-
loosed to have retiro^l t.hr>t di«tartro sinro thev werr
114 UOVTE X:R0M KIA&AKA To ALiiAAli.
built. Another similar line is said to exist in the rea;
of them, on another parallel elevation.
Much curiosity and speculation have been callec
forth by these sing^ular monuments of antiquity. Some
regard them as marks of a civilized people : other-
ns the works of Indian tribes. Some traces of a tra-
dition referring them to the latter, are said to hav^'
been lately discovered.
Seneca Castle.— -The Seneca nation possess a large
and valuable tract of land adjoining Bufialo, on the
.east, and they have two villages three and five mile;
on the road. The Senecas are the westernmost tribo^
in the confederacy of the Five Nations, and have al-
ways held a conspicuous rank in their histor3^ The}-'
were formerly consideted the most numerous antl
powerful tribe, and preserved this superiority until thr
latal defeat the}^ received from General Schuyler, ii
1778, since which they have made a less conspicuou-
figure.
Besides the land they possess, which is remarkable
for its t'ertility, the nation are in possession of a lar^c
sum in the United States' Bank stock, the dividend to;.
which they receive annuall3^
The traveller will observe several farms under a
degree of cultivation, and may meet with individual?
who conform pretty nearly to the English style ot
dress, and have introduced some of our customs intc
their houses. The greater part of them, however,
speak no language but Indian.
Stage Road from Buffalo to Caxakbaigua.
I
The first few iiiiles of this road present very little j
interest ; 15 or 20 miles of it were formerly remarkable j
as passing over an old causeway of logs. The logs j
made the travelling rough and disagreeable ; but as '
they are gradually covered over with earth, the diffi-
culties are lessening every year. To those who are
not accust'^rried to a conntrv sn new and ■^vild as this.
h word or two may not be amiss on the oianner in
vhich roads are first made in an American settlement.
in thick forests, the surface of the ground is covered
lo the depth of one or two feet with the roots of treeSj
ij.vhich are extreme!)^ difficult to be removed, and are
E 'ery dangerous for horses or oxen to pass over. A close
Ivi'ayer of logs, although itself sufficiently rough, forms
I much safer and more convenient path, and is usually
iidopted with great advantage. There is another
reason for it — the elevation of the road above the
bommon surface, secures it from being overflowed by
ij he water, which in the moist seasons of the year
iiivould impede the travelling in low and marshy places.
Batavia, 40 miles from Buffalo, is a very handsome
){ pillage, and contains the residence of the present and
i ormer agents of the Holland Land Company, (Messrs.
ijSvans and Otto,) as well as the county buildings.*
: Leroy, 10 miles.
I [Springs. In Avon, 2| miles from the road through
J hat village, are 8 or 10 springs, where are boarding
nouses.]
I The PVadstVorth Farm, at Geneseo, contains about
1000 acres, about 1700 of which are rich alluvial land
Ian the banks of the Genesee river. Various branches
i jf agriculture have been tried on this fertile tract of
'country ; but the raising of sheep has been found the
most profitable, and the farm has been almost entirely
converted into mowing fields and pastures. The
number of sheep, in 1827, was computed at 13,000.
The residence of the proprietor is in a fine and spa-
cious building, in a commanding situation ; and the
whole aspect of the farm indicates the good order and
itiethod with which it is conducted. Mr. Rogers has
a very fine farm in Moscow.
The Genesee meadows v.'eie formerly the residence
of a large tribe of Indians of the Seneca nation ; and
^vhen Gen. Suiiivan reached this place, in his march
* f^fac^ -^rtrrr Jit's rnh Trom r. 11 Hi vi^fol^ oci. ester.
ii ' liULTE iiio.^i AlAC.iKA i'U ALliAAl.
Ihrough the country, he found and burnt a village ci
120 log houses, on the second bank, which had been
deserted at his approach. One of his scouts was cut
off wiiile his army was near the west bank of the
river, and only one man escaped ; but the Indians
constantly fled as he approached, and there was no
fighting in all this western part of the state.
The remains of a mammoth were dug up about
half a mile from the village of Geneseo in 1825.
There were 8 teeth and grinders, parts of a tusk, a
thigh bone 3 feet long, the lower bone of the leg 3
feet 6 inches, &c. They lay between strata of vege-
table mould and sand.
West Bloonifield, beyond the Genesee river, is one '
-•(f the finest agricultural townships in the state, and ;
presents a succession of beautiful farms, tilled with '
care and yielding the finest crops. Fruit thrives re- i
markably well in all this western country, as the
;4ightest attention to the orchards will sufficiently i
prove; and while in smoothness and neatness the fields ]
]ival those of the oldest districts farther east, the or-
chards exceed them in luxuriance and product. The
Hack apple is a species of fruit which has been said
to be peculiar to this region.
East Bloomfield is the next village ; and the general
remarks just made, may with justice be applied to
this place also.
CANANDAIGUA,
(nn. Blossom's Stage House.
This is one of the finest vyestern towns, and its prin-
cipal street runs along the ridge of a commanding hill,
rising from the north end of Canandaigua Lake. It
is wide, and contains an academy, and many hand-
some houses, particularly that of the late Gideon
Granger. The road, in passing Canandaigua Lake,
commands a finer view than on any of the other lakes
it passes, except Skeneateles. The banks are high
i.nd varie£ratea. and at the distance of two or three
//.» O 3^ 'iT JL M Jl (D
I iiiiies, rise to an imposing height, and add a great de-
gree of beauty to the scene. A number of gentle-
men's seats are seen along the western bank ; and a
1 little way off in the lake on the same side, is a small
'yocky island, where the Seneca Indians carried all
'their women, children, and old men, when Gen. Sulli-
;van appeared against them.
I The new steamboat Lady of the Lake began
to run regularly on Canandaigua Lake in 18'37 ; and
a hotel was to be built at the head of it. It is on the
j Annesley plan — that is, built entireljr of boards with-
lOut the use of timbers. — A railroad is to be made to
the Canal.
Stage coaches go to Rochester every day.
BURNING SPRINGS.
Springs of water, charged with inflammable gas,
are quite common in Bristol, Middlesex, and Canan-
daigua.
The gas from the former rises through fissures of the
slate, fiom both the margin and the bed of the brook.
Their places are known by the little hillocks of a
few feet in diameter, and a few inches high, formed
of a dark bituminous mould, through which it tinds its
way to the surface, in one or more currents. These
currents of gas may be set on fire, and will burn with
a steady flame. In winter they form openings through
the snow, and being set on fire, exhibit the novel and
interesting phenomenon of a steady and lively flame
in contact with nothing but snow. In very cold wea-,
ther, it is said, tubes of ice are formed round these
currents of gas, (probably from the freezing of the
water contained in it,) which sometimes rise to the
height of two or three feet, the gas issuing from their
tops ; the whole, when lighted in a stil! evening, pre-
senting an appearance even more beautiful than the
former.
From a pit which was sunk in one of the hillocks.
Wij liOtrii l'Ko3I ^NIAGARA iO ALEA.N V .
the gas was conducted through bored logs, to ihekilcher
of a dwelling. The novelty of the spectacle attracted
a concourse of visiters, so great that the proprietors
found it expedient to convert their dwelling into
a public inn.
The road between Canandaigua and Geneva passe;?
over a singular tract of countr}-, the form of which
will not fail to be remarked by an observant traveller.
The ground gradually rises by large natural terraces,
or steps, for about half the distance, and descends in
the same manner on the other side to Seneca Lake.
These steps, or terraces, appear to have been formed
by those strong currents of water of which geologist-
speak, which at some ancient period of time have evi
dently passed over many tracts of country in different
parts of the world. The ridges and channels thus
formed here stretch north and south, frequently to a
considerable distance, corresponding both in form and
direction with the numerous lakes which are found in|
this part of the state. Several ancient tbrtitications |
have been traced here. From the middle ridge the
view is extensive ; but the surrounding country is of
too uniform a surface to present any remarkable variety
of scenery.
GENEVA.
This town occupies a charming situation at the loot
of Seneca Lake, and for a mile along its western bank,
which rises to a considerable elevation above the sur-
face, and affords room for a broad and level street.
The buildings in this village are remarkably neat and
handsome.
A college has lately been instituted in this place, i
The building is of stone, with 26 rooms for students, a |
chapel, and librar)^ It is warmed only by sloxesg |
Rev. J. Adams is president. ■. j
The steamboat Seneca Chief, in 1829, ran daily to i
Jeffersonville, (at the head of the lake,) and back
again, oiferinp: ♦bo traYcller an ai^rc^able excursion-
Dresden and Ovid. 12 miles from Gene%'a, are op-
posite each otlier. The former stands at the outlet of
Crooked Lake. The Penyan descends nearly 400
' eet, aftbrdin^ excellent mill seats. South from this is
iihe former abode of Jemima Wilkinson.
' Strakie's Point is 6^ miles south of Rapelyea's Ferry.
'The shore is there very bold, so that the Seneca Chief
i~an pass within a k\v leet of the land. Much lumber
^!s exported from this place, brought from Eddystown,
which is a mile inland.
Big Stream Point, 4 miles. Here is a fall in a tri-
jbutary of this beautiful lake, of 136 feet, by whieti
tscveral mills are supplied.
The eastern shore is generally handsomely culti-
t-ated; but near the head of the lake, on the western
• ?ide, about 15 miles of the shore is covered with forest.
[The land rises, and becomes rough and hilly.
Hector^s Fallsj 3 miles from the lake, are 150 feet
j;n height, and supply several mills. Jeffersonville and
Uiarana are two villages at the head of the lake.
J [Travelling southward from Geneva. A line of stage
':oaches goes, in connexion with tlie steamboat, from
Greneva, every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, via
Bath, Painted Post, Lawrenceville, Willardsburg, Ca-
hal Port to Trout Run, and via Elmira and Troy to
Trout Run, on the other days of the week — and daily,
j 'except Sundays,) from Trout Run through Williams-
port, Pennsborough, Milton, Northumberland, Sunbuiy,
Selinsgrove, Liverpool to Harrisburg. From Harris-
'3urg a line runs every day through to Philadelphia —
md one daily, (except Sundays,) to Baltimore and
HVashington City— through in^ve days. Returns in
:he same way. At Northumberland it intersects a line
hat runs three times a week to Wilkesbarre : at Wil-
iamsport, a line that runs to Bellefonte, Alexandria,
ind intersects the Pittsburg line : at Elmira it intersects
i line running to Ithaca, Owego and Montrose : at
Bath, a line to Angelica and Glean Point, and one to
J Da n-^v) 11 p. Op ne'=po. Rochester, FnfTaln. and Niagara
!
120 ROUTE FEOM JylAGAKA TO ALBANY.
Falls. At Geneva, this line intersects 4 daily lines
running east and west, and also 3 daily lines running-
north to the Erie canal.
The journey from Geneva or Rochester to Baltimore,
is performed by this line in five days, by daylight,
passing through a fine, healthy, and highly cultivated
country, travelling upwards of 100 miles on the beau-
tiful banks of the Susquehannah, and about 50 miles
on the bank of the Pennsylvania canal.]
Seneca Lake is 35 miles long, and about 3 or 4 wide*
Its depth is unusually great, and the water clear and
very cold, to which is referred the scarcity of fish
There is a remarkable phenomenon long observed by
those who reside near it, which has never been satis-
factorily accounted for. The water has a regular risejf
and fall every seven years.
The Chemung Canal is to be made from the head wa-'
ters of this lake to the Chemung river, with a feeder.
A stage coach runs from Geneva up the east side of
the lake, and then crosses to the head of Cayuga lake,
to the village of Ithaca ; but the road is not interesting, ^
and the more agreeable mode of reaching that village |
is by taking the steamboat at Cayuga bridge, 14 miles
from Geneva, on the great mail route.
The Cayuga and Seneca Canal, which was com-
pleted in 1828, has opened boat navigation between
these lakes and the Erie canal, and a packet line was
to run to Troy, early in 1829.
The Cayuga and Seneca Canal passes through Wa-
terloo, from Geneva down the valley of Seneca Miver
to Montezuma, on the Erie canal. It is 20 miles and
24 chnins in length, of which ten miles is an inde-
pendent canal, and the remainder a slack water navi-
gation. It has 7 locks, being 73^ feet lockage, 19
bridges, 5 safety gates, 5 dams, G culverts, 17 miles of
fence, 3 lock houses, and 1 collector's office.
Cayuga Lake is 40 miles in length, and generally
about 2 in breadth. A fine bridge is built across it
near the northeni end, where it is a mile Avide. The
ITHACA A?vD OSWEGO KAILROAD. 12'
steamboats Telemacbus and Experiment ply between
' I^ayu^a bridge and Ithaca, at the head of the lake.
i The former is on Annesley's plan, and canies only
lassengers. The De Witt Clinton is a new boat, on
'he same plan ; 100 feet long, with three cabins, a
>romenade, large enough to accommodate a con-
iderable number of passengers, and is frequently
crowded with parties from the neighbouring country,
/IS well as travellers, as the excursion is one of the
; )leasantest that can be taken in this part of the state.
jj t also connects several lines of stage coaches, which
jhe traveller will do well to notice if he wishes to go
to Catskill, JVewburg, JVeTs^-York^ or New- Jersey, by
he most direct routes. These routes will be noticed
)n arriving^ at Ithaca.
^ The price of a passage in the steamboat is one
lollar. A little before arriving at the head of the lake,
>; beautiful waterfall is seen on the left hand, where a
^:tream of water flows over a very high precipice into
]i deep glen, and forces its way along, turning several
laluable mills in its course. The landing place is
jibout three miles from the village of Ithaca, but lumber
boats can pass the bar at the mouth of the inlet, and
proceed up to the street.
( The village of Ithaca is neat and flourishing. Here
centre three roads to Catskill, JVewburg, and New-
iV^ork. The first leads nearly in a direct line to the
Hudson River, the second passes the Great Bend of
he Delaware, and the third furnishes daily the shortest
;oute to New- York.
\ The Cascade. This beautiful and romantic scene,
ibout 3 miles from the village, is one of the most pic-
liiresque that can be imagined. The height and so-
lemnity of the surrounding rocks, the darkness of their
I shadows, and the beauty of the sparkling spray, unite
' o produce an impression of pleasure which is rarely
3xperienced at the sight of any scene, however extra-
i )rdinary for beauty or sublimity. The Fall river de-
5cends 438 feet in a mile. The Great Fall i« 116 f^et.
L 2
1^22 KOUTE PKOM KIAGARA TO ALBAKV.
The other falls in tliis vicinity are the Cascadilla,
Tauqkanic, (262 feet,) Six Mile creek, Buttermilk, &c.
Ithaca and Oswego Railroad. The legislature, in
1828, passed an act authorizing the construction of a
railroad trorn this place to the Susquehannah river at
Oswego. The distance is about 30 miles ; the expense
is estiujated at $120,000, or $4,000 a mile. This is
one-fourth more than tlie Mauch Chunk railway cost,
and the sa ne price as that estimated for the Hudson
and Delaware Railway, the rails for which have been
imported from England. The soil and surface are
favourable ; labour and materials cheap ; and the
amount of produce which would pass that way from
the neighbouiing country, is estimated at 12,000 tons
annually, which alone would pay 16 per cent, on the
cost. To this ought to be added about 10,000 tons oi
plaster and salt. The market for lumber is best at
New- York- 500 tons of plaster and salt are now
annually transported from Ithaca to Oswego by land,
and sent down tlie Susquehannah.
In consequence of the earlier opening of navigation
on the Susquehannah, in the spring, than on the Erie
canal, and its being closed later in the fall, great ad-
vantages, it is thought, would be obtained by Balti-
more ; and even the fact that the navigation is longer
free on the western than the eastern part of that canal
every year, would probably divert a considerable
amount of transportation to this route. It is stated
that the freight of a barrel of whiskey or pork from
Ithaca to Baltimore, would be only 92 cents ; while
it is $1 19 to New-York by the Erie canal.
The Cayuga and Susquehannah Canal. The route
proposed is from Cayuga lake, near the mouth of
Cascadilla, through Ithaca, along Mud Creek and the
valley of the Oswego, to the Susquehannah. The
amount of lockage is 760 feet ; the distance 31 miles ;
and the estimated expense 320,000 dollars.
Auburn is another beautiful village, and merits the
name it has borrowed from Goldsmith's charmins:
STATE PRISON. 123
Ijr'oetiy. It is unfortunately placed at some distance
•om the lake, and therefore is deprived of the pic-
iresque character which it might have enjoyed,
'here is a Theological Seminary in Auburn, which has a
' ood number of students. There are several handsome
- ublic buildings in this place, but the most important
•:? the
i State Prison.
:\
3 This institution, having been managed by Mr. Lynds,
ind established on his system, so excellent, so cele-
m^ated, and with remarkable success, merits particular
ijotice.
5 The old Auburn prison was built in 1817, and cost
Jiibout $300,000 ; it is constructed upon the plan of a
Jiiollow square, inclosed by a wall of 2000 feet in extent,
, ^eing 500 feet on each side, and, for the most part, 35
-feet in height. The north wing of the building differs
i eiy much in its construction from any building of the
i{j;ind, and the use of which is conceived to be one of
rjhe greatest improvements in prisons, and one of the
)est aids to prison discipline, which have been any
.vhere made. The workshops are built against the
nside of the outer wall, fronting towards the yard,
from which every shop is visible, forming a continued
:"ange of 940 feet. With such alterations as it may
I -indergo, it can be made to hold 1100 convicts. At
][he close of 1829, it contained 639.
? " The new building contains 400 cells, and covers onlj^
1 206 by 46 feet of ground. There are 5 stories of cells,
each containing eighty in two parallel lines, divided
in the middle by a wail two feet thick. The walls
between the ceils are one foot thick. The cells
are 7 feet long, 7 high, and 3| wide, intended to re-
Iceive only one convict in each. Each cell has a ven-
tilator extending to the roof, and is so constructed in
I front, that the prisoners can neither converse or make
signs to earh othop. The area around the cells is ten
124 ROUTE FROM NIAGARA TO ALBAKX.
feet wide and open to the roor,\vhich covers the galle-
ries of the several stories. Besides the moral benefit
arising from keeping the prisoners separate, it unites
that of economy and security. From the construction of
the prison, 5 small stoves, 6 large and 13 small lamps, all
out of reach of the convicts, afford heat and light to 555
cells ; and one sentinel is sufficient to 400 prisoners.
The discipline only requires to be seen to be duly
appreciated. The conduct of the prisoners while at
their labour, and their quietness under the privations
of the prison, prove that the discipline is complete
and effective ; and the main cause of the order and
decorum thus observed, is, that in all matters of disci-
pline, there is but one head or principal."
Minute observations on the comparative labour of
a free person and a convict show that the latter does'
not accomplish as much in a day as the former. In
this prison, under the direction of Mr. Lynds, (now
superintendent of the Singsing prison,) the great system
of reformation in discipline commenced.
The pardoning power is now exercised with great
caution by the executive ; for perhaps no circumstance
has so much contributed to do away the terrors of
punishment as the facilities afforded the worst part of
our species in obtaining a pardon.
Ancient Fortifications. There are some remains of
ancient fortifications in the vicinity of this place, as
well as in the neighbouring towns of Camillus, Onon-
daga, and Pompey.
If the traveller should wish to take the canal, a
stage coach goes every day to Weed's Basin, 8 miles,
and carries passengers for 50 cents, to meet the canal
boats, which pass at stated periods.
FROM AUBURN TO SYRACUSE,
By the Canal, 34 miles.
(Stage coach to Weed's Basin,) .... 8 milest
Jordan village, in Camillus tov^nship, . . 6
FEOM SYRACUSE TO UTIC'A. I i)
.1 proposition has been made for a canal from
Jordan to Homer, on the Susquehannah,
which has been found practicable. The dis-
tance is 34 miles, of which, only 14 will re-
quire to be dug.
^anton, (half-way village between Buffalo and
Albany, 179 miles from the former, and 183
from the latter,) 6 mile^^.
xeddes village, (with salt works,) . . 12
Syracuse, -
By the Road, 28 miles.
skeneatelcs, 8
Vlarcellus, 6
'3nondaga, 10
'Syracuse, 4
' Syracuse. For a description of this place, as well
' is of Salina, the Salt Spring, and Salt Manufactories,
lee page 69.
i Although the routes east of Syracuse, both by the
:anal and by the road, are given in other places, and
ilthough they may be traced on the maps, it may
lerhaps be convenient to have them repeated in the
'eversed order, for travellers going tov^'ards Albany.
]' For places see Index.)
FROM SYRACUSE TO UTICA,
By the Canal, 61 miles.
I ^lanlius Landing,* . . ." 9
iChitteningo Creek, 8
[ -\t Chitteningo is an Academy where some of
the higher branches are taught. (A curious
petrified tree near this place, a few steps
from the canal, was found with many of its
' branches.)
« About 20 yards from tlio canal, Gvpsum 'plaster »><' Pnvi'^" is; oVt-
*ain<^i1 fn massp? of fvmri 1 to 100 ton*. "
126 ROUTE FROM NIAGARA TO ALBANY.
Canastota village and basin, 8 miles*
Oneida creek, 3
Wood creek, 13
Rome, 3
Oriskany village, 8
Whitesborough, 3
Utica, . 4
By the Road, 48 miles.
Derne, ti
Manlius, 3
Sullivan, 9
Vernon, 11
Westmoreland, 6
New-Hartford, 7
Utica, 4
For Utica, Hamilton College, and Trenton Falls, see
page 62.
FROM UTICA TO SCHENECTADY,
By the Canal, 79^ miles.
Lock, No. 53 (end of the long level, which
begins westward at Salina, and extends to
this place, 69i miles, without a lock,) . . 9
Bridge over the Mohawk, and Herkimer vil-
lage, 5
Little Falls, 8
Fall Hill, a mountain on the right, 518 feet
higher than the canal, 712 above high water
in the Hudson River, and about 145 above
Lake Erie, 1
Old Mohawk Castle, 5
Fort Plain, 9^
Canajoharie, 4
A railway has been proposed, to run hence
ay
tsk
toCatskill 60
IKOll SCHEIE ECTAl>i* TO ALBAir. 121
Anthony's Nose, 5 miles.
(This scene is represented in the plate from this
side. The bluff on the right is Anthony's Nose, on the
top of which a remarkable cavern opens, extending
further down than it has ever been explored.)
Schoharie Creek, 11
Amsterdam Village, (across the river,) . . 5
Flint Hill, 6
Rotterdam Flats, 8
Schenectady, 3
Road to Mhany, \oh miles. Numerous coaches
JO every day. A railroad is to be constructed.
Road to Ballston and Saratoga. Both these roads
Dffer the shortest and most expeditious communication
with the places to which they conduct, and if the tra-
veller should be in pressing haste, he should avail
limself of them.
To travellers of leisure and taste, however, the canal
3oats are recommended to the Mohawk bridge, al-
hough they are liable to many delays at the numerous
ocks along this difficult but interesting part of the canal.
FROM SCHENECTADY TO ALBANY,
" By the Canal, 2Sh miles.
^Alexander's Bridge, (on the turnpike road to
Albany and Boston — an interesting scene,) 4h
Upper Aqueduct, (on which the canal crosses
the Mohawk,) i
The Young Engineer, a rock on the right, so
called, where the cutting is the deepest on
the whole route, viz. 3-3 ket, 4
Wat Hoix Gap, 5i
(A natural channel, through which the canal is led
iiore than 200 yards. The rocks are graywackc
1 ;late. In the river is the Wat Hoix Rapid, which the
ll'ndians called the Evil Spirit, and sometimes the
!► White Hon:e.)
I'
iit; llOUTE FROM xMAtiAliA To ALliAiNi.
Lower Aqueduct, 1188 feet lonp;-, on which the
canal crosses tlie Mohawk ag^ain, on 24 stone
abutments and piers, 2i iniie,'-
The four Locks, 8 feet each, and Cohoes Falls, 2
The two Locks, 9 feet each, ■}
The three Locks, and the Cohoes Bridge
over the Mohawk, }
(Hence to Waterford, on the road to Ballston, Sara-
toga, &.C. is about a Diiile and a half, where stage
coaches are continually passing in the visiting seasoi|.
By leaving the boat here, or a little below, where tii
canal meets the road, a seat may frequently be found,
in a passing coach, to Waterford or the Springs ; or
some may prefer to take a boat on the Northern Canal,
which is close at hand. We shall take up the land
route after giving the few remaining objects on the
Avay to Albany, and referring the reader to page 39 for
a description of that city.)
The Junction, where the Northern Canal,
from Lake Champlain meets the Erie Canal, i
West Troy, 1
(Here is a cluster of buildings about the basin-
where the Troy boats lie. The Lift Lock has been
before described. The dam across the Mohawk wil"
afford an easy communication^ Letween the canal and
Troy, which is seen on tht opposite side. A gooo
horse feriyboat plies below.)
United States' Arsenal, 1
The Manor House of Gen. Van Rensselaer,
called Rensselaerwyck, 5
Albany, 1
WATERJj'OliJ^. l^i)
ROUTE TO THE SPRINGS.
I' [For the Road and Canal between Albany and VVa-
■terford, see page 47, and onward.]
j WATERFORD.
t This village is situated on the western side of the
)(Hudson, across which the communication is convenient
Ijby means of the first bridge we have seen over this
ir-'iver. Lansingburgh stands opposite, and is a place
)-)( considerable size. The streets of Waterford are
I .vide, regular, and handsornely built. Some of the
), private houses are remarkable for their neatness^
There are numerous rocky islands with precipitous
ides, at the mouth of the Mohawk River, which are
jieen at a little distance below the bridge. The boats
)n the Champlain Canal enter the Mohawk in full view
)f them, through guard locks, and are poled across ;
he current being stopped by a dam. During the warm
eason of the year, Waterford is a great thoroughfare,
ying on two roads to Albany, as well as in the way
,0 both Ballston and Saratoga Springs, Lake Georgey
ic. It is 2U miles to Ballston Springs, and 24 to
Saratoga.
The approach to the village from the south-west, by
he canal and the road, is uncommonly beautiful. It
ies quite below you, with a little meadow in front,
bounded by the canal and the Hudson, its white houses
ningled with fine trees, and Diamond Hill rising be-
'ind, with its sides half cultivated, and half covered
pith woods.
A few chrystals are found on Diamond Hill.
Inn. Demarest's Stage House.
The shortest road from Waterford to Ballston
;prings is through Newtown, 18^ miles. It passes
• ci' higher land than that through Mechanicville, and
M
130 ROUTE TO THE SPRIKGS.
perhaps is not more sandy, but is not furnished with
stage coaches. The usual road will be given afterward*
On leaving Walerford it verges to the west, and
rises to an elevation of considerable height, which
affords a view towards the south over a charming
piece of country : the high, half-cultivated range of
hills, which extend some miles down the Hudson in
the rear of Lansingburgh and Troy, together with a
broad strip of land on each side of the river, including
the tract on the west bank, divided by parts of the
Champlain ana Erie canals, and the mouth of the
Mohawk river. From ;vvo miles further on, Saddle
Mountain appears in view in the east, with a single
peak more in the north, and at a still greater distance^
Much of this road is sandy, and a great deal of wheal
and clover is cultivated.
Newtown^ Sj miles from Waterford.
Half Moon, 4. From this place, the Catskill Moun-
tains are plainly visible in clear weather.
Second Inn in Half Moon, 4.
About 3 miles beyond this place, the view opens^
and shows that the traveller is in a kind of amphi*
theatre : the Greenheld Mountains in the weststretch<»
jng far away towards the north, and the Vermont
mountains in the east, which seem to approach thera
as the)'^ retire, with several fine and prominent peaks, 'i
Particularly one which is about three miles beyond \
ennington, Vt., famous for the defeat of Col. Baum,
in the Revolution. Afterward the road passes near
Ballston village, but without affording a sight of it.
The Springs, being situated in a little valley, two
miles beyond, the first intimation you have of your
approach is the sight of several tall evergreens, and a
small pleasure house on the top of a sharp hill, in the
rear of Aldndge's boarding-house.
STILLWATER- KJl
sFrom Waterford to the Springs, by Me-
chanicville.
This is the usual road, but offers few objects of
^ interest.
I Mechanicville, or the Borough^ 8i miles from Wa-
' terford. Here the coaches g:enerally stop for breakfast
'or dinner. Near at hand is a Cotton Manufactory,
iwhence the place derives its former name.
• Dunning-street. — Here is a little viiJage, at which
' the road turns off west for the Springs. About a mile
'south of it we cross the Northern canal.
[Stillwater is 3 miles above, and 4 miles beyond that
is Smithes Tavern^ where those will stop who wish to
(visit the battle ground, at Bemis's Heights.]
I Although the great crowd of travellers on this road
will take the route to Ballston or Saratoga, yet as they
tlwill find few objects of any interest, it may be proper
jto introduce, in this place, an account of the expedition
■ of Gen. Burgoyne, and the battle of Bemis's Heights,
pften known by the name of the battle of Saratoga ;
as we are within a few miles of the field.
Stillwater takes its name from the smoothness and
quietness of the Hudson, which there spreads out over
a broad surface, and hardly shows any appearance of
^a current. It is the place to which Gen. Schuyler
I retreated at the approach of Gen. Burgoyne, after
' removing all the stores, driving away the cattle, and
throwing all possible obstacles in his way ; afterward
retiring to the island at the mouth of the Mohawk :
and through this place, Gen. Gates, who sodo after
succeeded him in the command, marched up from
Half Moon to take position on Bemis's Heights.
The reader is referred to the Maps, to observe the
importance of the tract of country which lies along
the route we have just entered upon. From Canada
ioii ROUTE TO THE SPRINGS.
to the head of Lake Champiain there is an uninter-
rupted water communication, by which troops and
every thing necessary to an army may be transported
with the utmost facility. A. short land carriage reaches
Lake George. Wood Creek, at the south end of
Champiain, is navigable in boats to Fort Anne, which
is only 9 miles distant irom Fort Edward, on Hudson
river, whence the navigation is open to New-York.
Here have consequently been many of the most im-
portant military operations which have ever been
carried on in the United States. The first battle
within this region, of which history gives any account,
was fought between the French and the Five Nations
of Indians, soon after the settlement of Canada, when
the latter first learned the terrible effect of gunpowder,
and began to flee from the approach of civilization.
In the numerous expeditions which at subsequent pe-
riods were undertaken by the British against Canada,
this route was taken in the attack, and not unfrequently
in the retreat. The important events of the war of
1755 were almost confined to this region ; and the
Revolution and the last war with England produced
scenes which will be touched upon in their places.
The first period to which we shall refer, is that of
ihe Revolution ; and the first scene, that of the battle
of Saratoga, or Bemis's Heights, towards which we are
fast approaching.
" I could here," says Dr. Dwight, " almost forget that
Arnold became a traitor to his country, and satisfy
myself with recollecting, that to his invincible gal-
lantry, and that of the brave officers and soldiers whom
he led, my country was, under God, indebted, in a
prime degree, for her independence, and all its con-
sequent blessings. I should think an American, par-
ticularly an inhabitant of New-England or New-York,
little to be envied, whose patriotism did not gain force
upon the heights of Stillwater, or the plains of Sara-
toga. These scenes I have examined : the former
with solemnity and awe. the latter with ardour and
burgoyne's expedition. 133
admiration, and both with enthusiasm and rapture.
Here I have remembered, and here it was impossible
not to remember, that on this very spot a controversy
was decided, upon which hung the liberty and happi-
Iness of a nation destined one day to fill a continent;
and of its descendants, who will probably hereafter
t outnumber the inhabitants of Europe."
BURGOYNE'S EXPEDITION.
I Gen. Burgoyne* was appointed Governor of Canada,
|in 1777, to sucieed Sir Guy Carlton. He arrived at
Quebec in May, and reached Crown Point June 20th.
Gen. Phillips was sent to Ticonderoga with the British
* General Burgoyne. — {From an Englt.^h Work.) — It is curious, that
a man of such celebrity as ri writer, a senator, and an officer, as the late
Lieut. John Burgoyne, should be found among the number of those of
whose youthful days no memorial has been preserved. Neither the
time, place, nor circumstances of his birth are known. Ev«n his pa-
I rentage is doubtful. He is said, but upon what authority it does not
appear, to have been a natural son of that Lord Bingly, who died at an
' advanced age in 1774. That he had the advantage of a liberal educa-
I f ion, and early intercourse with polished society, is sufficiently evident
from his writings; and it is probable that he was ear'y devoted to the
j profession of arms, for on the 10th of May, 1759, he was raised to the
; rank of Lieut. Colonel, and in the August of the ensuing year, he was
appointed Lieut. Col. Commandant of the 16th Light Dragoons. His
after services at dilFerent periods, iu Spain, Portugal, and America, are
all well known, especially the unfortunate termination of his military
career at Saratoga, which, though it tarnished not his honour, cast a
i shade over his brow, ever afterward conspicuous to the physiognomical
1 5ye. He made, on certain occasions, no ordinary figure in Parliament.
He moved in the first circles, and married Lady Charlotte Stanley, a
daughter of the Earl of Derby ; and yet we know not who and what he
:)riginally was. He was the author of four successful dramas: the
Maid of the Oak, the Lord of the Manor, Richard Cceur de Lion, and
I 'he comedy of the Heiress; and yet the curiosity of hi.-; biographer, even
Iin this anecdote-dealing and memoir-sil'ting age, cannot trace his origin
or the scenes of his education. The tale^ of the Lord of the Manor
leems, in some degree, to have been disguised in the modification of the
character and circumstances by the incident of his own matrimonial
Jj connexion : for his was a clandestine and unauthorized marriage, at a
j '.ime when he held only a subaltern's commission in tho army ; and is
^jaid to have excited at first the resentment of the lady's father to such a
degree, that he declared his resoiution never to admit the offenders into
1 his presence, though, in process of time, the anger of the Earl subsided,
a reconciliation was effected, and was succeeded by a warm and lasting
attachment. It is probable, also, that the memory of his ladv, who died
M 2
134 KOUTE TO THE SPKINGS.
light wing ; and the outposts and the fort were sue*
cessively abandoned by the Americans. The news
of the evacuation of this place was a most disheart-
ening piece of intelligence to the country. It had
been confidently hoped that an effectual resistance
would there be offered to a force which threa ened the
liberty of America ; or at all events, that an heroic
stand would be made at that important post, which
had so long been regarded as an almost impregnable
fortress.
During his delay, Gen. Schuyler obstructed the
channel of Wood creek, remoxed every thing valuable
from the country, and took the stores from Fort George
to Fort Edward ; sending for regular troops, and calling
for the militia of the neighbouring states, both which
were supplied. Gen. Arnold and Col. Morgan joined
liim with a body of riflemen, and Gen. Lincoln with
the New-England militia ; and he fell back to Sara-
toga and Stillwater.
Battle of Bennington.*
While these preparations were making for a general
engagement, the battle ol Bennington occurred, which
must now be introduced to preserve the order of time.
Being in want of provisions, Gen. Burgoyne had de-
in 1776, at Kensington Palace, during his absence in America, is em-
balmed by the affectionate regrets of the General, in that beautiful air
jn The first act of that opera :
'Encompassed in an ansel's frame,
An angel's virtues lay :
Too soon did heaven assert the claim.
And call its own away.
I\Iy Anna's worth, my Anna's charms,
iVIust never more return!
What now shall fill these widow'd arms 1
Ah, me ! my Anna's urn :"
* In Bennington is an iron mine- %^ bich produces excellent ore. V&7
<;ood pis iron i= forced thpr;;>
! UATTLE OP SARATOGA. 133
sp^tched Lt. Col. Baum, with his Hessians, to seize the
pubhc stores at Benning:ton. He was supported by
Lt. Col. Brechman, who stopped at Baten Kill. Brig.
Gen. Stark with the New -Hampshire troops, joined by
iCoi. Warner, attacked Col. Baum at the VVallomsack
river, where they were encamped, July 16th, (1777,)
and in two h )urs, forced their works, and completely
defeated them. Col. Warner began the attack on Col.
Brechman, wounded him mortally, and took him pri-
soner, and put his troops to flight.
I Two hundred and twenty-six of the British troops
\weTe killed at the battle of Bennington, or rather the
3attle of Hoosac, as it was fought in that town. Seven
lundred soldiers were taken prisoners, and thirty-six
officers.
To return to the principal scene of action. Gen.
jates now received the command of the American
roops, which had been greatly reinforced ; and
narching them from the east side of (he Hudson river,
)pposite Half Moon, to Stillwater, on the west side,
i ook a position on Bemis's Heights.
BEMIS'S HEIGHTS,
I A ridge of elevated ground, beginning on the left,
ibout a quarter of a mile from the river, and stretching
)ff towards the north-west, offered great advantages
or the defence of the road.
' Gen. Gates\urpose, Morgan, at this critical moment, poured down
ike a tonent from the hill, and attacked the right of
the enemy in front and flank. Dearborn, at the mo-
ment when the enemy's light infantry were attempt-
ing to change front, pressed forward with are neiglu-
?30urhood.
Sans Souci
is a building- of great size, occupying the corner where
the village street meets the road to Saratoga. It has
a fine piazza opening upon the former, and presents a
front of 156 feet long, with a wing extending back from
each end 150 feet, ail of them three stories high, and
containing in ail lodging for nearly 150 persons. The
dining room can easily accommodate that number, and
the public parlour is large, airy, and pleasant, extend-
ing to the ladies' private parlour.
Scarcely any thing in this country can exceed the
scene of gayety which this house presents in the visit-
ing season. VVhen crowded with people. Sans Souci
is usually the scene of several balls in the week, to
say nothing of the fishing parties, riding parties, &c.
&c. which fill up the day. The variety of scenery
in the neighbourhood is sufficient to attract many of
those who resort to this place of health and pleasure ;
and walking and riding will be found much more
agreeable here than at Saratoga. Some of the parti-
cular routes and objects will be designated hereafter.
The Washington Spring.
A new and remarkable chalj^beate Spring was ob-
tained, in 1827, by boring 237 feet deep, through blue
slate rock, near the Old Spring. It has a tube sunk
the whole distance, made partly of iron and partly of
tin, and affords a most delightful sparkling water,
which boiis over the top. In August of that year, se-
veral months after it was opened, the water was forced
into the air to the height of 12 or 14 feet, without any
perceptible cause, in a constant jet, for about half an
hour. The water then disappeared, arrd was fifter:
I ■P,ALLSTO^^ 147
I'.vard discovered slowly rising, till itagaiii overflowed,
-t was for a time flat and turbid ; but soon recovered
ill its clearness, gaseous pungency, and sparkling.
This spring affords some of the tinest chalybeate water
n the United States.
I The Lafayette Spring, which yields a fine and
sparkling chalybeate water, was discovered early in
he summer of 1825. It is supposed by many to be
,n fact identical with the " Old Spring," which is soon
be spoken of, being distant from it only about thirty
eet. it is very cold and highly charged wiUi oxyde
i3f iron and carbonic acid gas, which have given it a
iaigh reputation.
The Old Spri}ig, which is in the middle of tiie
street opposite Aldridge's, was the tirst discovered jn
dl this part of the country. It is said that the inhabit-
ints were induced to trust to its peculiar virtues by
ihe example of the deer of the forest, which had re-
ported to it in such numbers as to form beaten paths
from every direction to the spot. In 1792 there was
not a house within two or three miles of this spot.
The Old Spring has lost much of its original excel-
lence, which appears to be in a good degree transferred
to the new ones.
T/ie Saline, or United States Spring, is a fine and
most valuable one ; it is near the bathing house con-
nected with the Sans Souci. It was discovered a few
years since, and contains a large quantity of oxyde of
iron, together with glauber and other salts, so that it is
at once a strong saline, and chalybeate water. The
iron is in such quantities as to be perceptible to the
taste. Its effect IS tonic, and it favourably counteracts
the debilitating effect of the salts.
The New Spring is near the Sans Souci hotel. It
Avas obtained in 1827 by boring to a depth of about
300 feet, and is full of gas, very sparkling and con-
sidered both saline and chalybeate.
The neighbouring countiy was almost a perfect wil-
denwss at the clocjtB of the Hevoltitionarv wai^* for th^
:4{'. THE .-rEi>;Gs.
natural military route between Canada and the United
States lay through it, and the Five Nations of Indianl
Avere so near on the western side, and were so fre*
quently pas'^ing over it on their war parties, that fevui
white men were wii'-ng- to encounter the dangers and
risks to which such a residence must necessarily be
exposed. ^
For some years, the only place where visiters could
find shelter here, was in a log house, near the Old
Spring, whi( h was for some time the only object of
notice. The springs near t'.e Sans Souci were subse-
quently discovered, and have enjoyed their portion of
celebrity. In 1817 four springs of different qualities
were found near the great manufactory built by Mr^
Low. Their history is worthy of attention, as it
shows the singular ch-nges which sometimes take
place in this my.sterious soil, where springs occasion-
ally appear, change places, and disappear, without any
apparent cau:-e. Some surprising power is constantly
at work somewhere beneath the surface, which tlie
wisest students of nature are unable to explain or to
comprehend. The branch of the Kayderosseros
brook which flows through the Spa Village, was raised
to an unusual height by a flood in the summer of 1817,
and threw its current into a new channel, further to-
wards the east than its former one. The oM bed was
thus left dry ; and four springs were found rising side
by side, all of diem within a space of about twenty
feet square, and all of qualities entirely different.
One resembled in some degree the Old Spring, but
contained a surplus of carbonic acid gas and sparkled
like champaign ; the next contained much glauber
salts, and was somewhat like the Congress Spring ai
Saratoga ; the third was brine, like sea water ; and
the fourth perfectly fresh. A platform was raised
that covered them all, and wooden tubes were sunk
into the two first, which were only two or three feci
apart ; and for three or four seasons they attracted all
visiters, so much so that the Old Spring was deserted^.
iiALLSTOA. 14Jf
iThe liist spring was peculiarly fine, and the favourite
)f all ; but it at length began to lose its flavour, gas,
md virtue ; and the tour springs now flow off together
^n a stream of almost pure water. The Old Spring*
i.vas visited by Sir William Johnson before the Revo-
:|utionary war, for his health. It was before known by
•eports of the Indians.
^QUALITIES OF THE BALLSTON WATERS.
Mew-Haven, April 27, 1824.
Dear Sir,
j You request my opinion of the mineral waters at
i3allston Spa. They are in my view very valuable,
■ nd I can discern no serious reason why public opinion
hould be less favourable to them now than formerly,
became acquainted with the Old Spring, near Mr,
jUdridge's, in consequence of using its waters unin-
erruptedly at the fountain head, for a month, in the
, Autumn of 1797 ; and a residence of the same length
!)f time, at Ballston Spa, during the last summer, gave
ine an opportunity of renewing my acquaintance with
he Old Spring, and of becoming familiar also with
hose more recently discovered fountains, which have
)een opened and brought into use. The Old Spring
1 ppears, substantially, as it did in 1797, and is, I sup-
I lose, surpassed by no mineral fountain in the world as
. brisk, copious, slightly saline, and strong chalybeate.
Che principal spring* under the bath house, while it
« also a brisk chalybeate, is besides in a high degree
aline, and is probably unrivalled as a natural combi-
■ation of this class. Its cathartic properties are strong,
nd its tonic powers equally so. There is no spring,
ither at Ballston Spa or Saratoga Springs, which 1
bould prefer to this. 1 speak of my own expe-
*Mr. Silljman has analyzed tlie water of tliis spiiii!?, wliich is now
ailed the United States, and found lialf a sialloii of it to contain 270
;rains of salt; iron, lime, and mau'nosia, 100. It i^ al once hi<.'hlv saline
!»(] rhnlylienro. whirji j^: verv reniarkrib!-'.
loO THE 51'IUAG:;.
rience — lov some persons, a bri-k cathartic' \vater.
scarcely chalybeate at all, like the Congress Spring,
may be preferable. The Congress Spring is also, st
fir as I am informed, without a rival, in its class — but
it is scarcely proper to call it a chnlybeate, as it is si
only in a slight degree. There is no reason why th(
establishments at Saratoga Spring* and at Dallston Spci
should regard each ».ther with an unfriendly feeling.
The accommodations of bo h are too good to need
praise from me, and the bounty of the Creator ha:
poured forth these fountains ot health, in the urea
valley (for I regard the springs of Ballston Spa and
Saratoga as parts of one great system) with a profust
benevolence, unknown in any other country. Nothing
can exceed the variety, copiousness, and excellence oi
the sprin^rs at S;)ratoga — but those of Ba Islon Spi
are in no respect, except that of number and variety
inferior to them, and I trust the d.^y is not distant
when a truly liberal feeling will, in both villages, leat;
to mutual commendation, an^' an amicable rivalry, ii.
efforts to please and to accommodate their guests
and tht' salutary elTect will then, I am persuaded, sooi;
be visible, in the increased number of visiters, froni
every part of this great continent ; a number more
than sufficient to till both villages, and fully to reward
tlie spirited and liberal proprietors of their respective
public establishments.
With the best wishes for the prosperity of both
places, I remain
"Vour Obt. Servant,
B. SILLIMAN.
Looo's Manufactory is four stories high, about 170
feet long, and tbrty feet widf, with a large room ii
each of the three upper stories about 115 leet long',
It is not used.
There is a Reading Room and Circulathig Library
kept at the store of Mr. Comstock ; and a book is alsc
to be seen, in which the names of visiters arriving
GALWAl. Ibi
.'he principal houses are daily enlcred, lor tiie inrorm"
. tionof others.
' The Lovers Leap is a precipice of 60 or 70 {^ei,
li'hich overhanijs ibe Kayderosseros, and overlooks a
lom.iniic and secluded 11; lie valley, at tiie distance of
^'bout halt' a mile tVom (he springs. The road leads
pthe hill beyond AlQ!id2:e's, and through a daik pine
rove. A half-trodden path turns off at the right, and
ijonducts to the piecipice, which is a pleasant letreat
^'n the heat o' the day, affording a fine shade and fre-
j.;uently a pleasant breeze, as well as the view of a
ijjv'ild scene below, to which a steep descent conducts
jl n the left hand.
J, Ballston Lake is a pretty little sheet of water about
jj3ur miles distant; but as Saratoga Lake is much
,.arg:er, more accessible, and more beautiful, and is
' uppiied with accommodations for fishin'< parties, it is
j.iore worthy of attention; we refer the stranger to
^He description of it on page 145. The distance is
,j3ur and a half miles, and five and a half from Sara-
oga Springs. It is only six miles from Ballston Spa
3 the south end, where is the finest view of it, on the
. vay to the battle ground. The road is rather stony
nd rough, but perfectly safe, and has some pleasant
pots, and several extensive views. The Green Moun-
tains in Vermont piesent a very noble appearance ; and
everal ridges of hills between, afterward succeeded
)y the swelling and fertile shores of the. Hudson, form
. various an' i delightful landscape.
Mr. Simpso7ih Farm in Galway, is 11 miles west
jrom Ballston Springs.
I He- is an excellent fanner, and his house a very good
; an. Take the road up the sand hill by Aldridge's,
massing near the Lover's Leap, and following the
ohnstown ro^d. His house is on a high ridge of land;
he larm contains 800 acres, 360 of which are culti-
'■ated, principally for grain and grass. He raises 40
I )r 50 bushels of wheat to an acre b}^ late ploughing,
Jibout three inches deep. He soaks his setjd wheat in
brine, and rolls it in lime to preserve il Iroiii iiisecLv
Otlier seeds he rolls in plaster. He has raised 70C^
bushels of^potatoes to an acre. His corn is planted
two feet apart one way, and two and a half the other.
His fences are of stone and wood — a low slone
wall, with timber in it, to secure the parts above
g'round. A fence of two rails is thus made above j
the rails being of plank, about four inches wide. Of |
this kind of fence, he has on his farm what would
measure 15 miles.
The place enjoys so fine and healthy a situation, and
the inn is so well kept, being one of the best in this
part of the country, that it is the resort of many vi-
siters from different quarters, who frequently spend
days or weeks there. The charges are more moderate
than at the Springs.
The view is commanding, and the air fine. From
an eminence west of the house, no less than 13 coun-
ties may be discovered. The church is half a mile
distant, and the road from Ballston pretty good.
REMARKS ON THE ROUTES.
At the Springs many a traveller has to arrange his
future journeys, either for business or pleasure ; and
as Ballston and Saratoga are pre-eminently places of
leisure, some general hints concerning the different
routes will not be misplaced.
North. The roads to Lake George, Lake Cham-
plain, Montreal, &c., belonging more properly to Sara-
toga, will be given under that head.
East. The traveller is referred to the same place
and Albany for the roads leading into New-England.
South. Three or four steamboats leave Albany for
New-York every day, and as many arrive from that
city. Several also ply every week between New-
York and other points. They touch at nuvnerous
points on the river, so that passengers can land where
thoy please. The newspapers ^vill furfij-sh all necec.
SAKATOGA. 15'3
' ^.aiy iiitoriiiation concernina^ their periods of departure
and return ; and coaches from the Springs so regulate
their time as to accommodate the traveller.
I There are several roads to Albany: by Waterford,
land Troy, or Gibbonsville, and by Schenectady.
From Waterford you may take either side of the
jfiver. On the west side are the Cohoes Falls, the
remarkable "nine locks" on the Erie Canal, the junc-
tion of the two canals, and route of the former quite to
AHjany. On the east side the road passes over a
j jridge to Lansingburgh, through Troy, and recrosses
jiay a good and safe ferry. {See Index.)
The second road, which goes through Schenectady,
lis rather circuitous, but will give the stranger an op-
portunity of travelling 27 miles on the Erie Canal,
.ilong the course of the Mohawk.
West^ The grand western route, through Utica,
'ind leading to Niagara and Lske Erie, has been al-
jready traced out. The nearest point on this route is
Schenectady, whence the traveller may proceed up
the Mohawk, either by the stage road, or in the canal
boats.
The direct road to Schenectady, however, is sandy,
aod quite uninteresting.
SARATOGA SPRINGS
are 7 miles from Ballston Springs, and a coach gene-
rally passes between these two places every
Jay ; besides a number of other carriages on their way
from Albany, &c. What is called the regular price
for these 7 miles is 50 cents for a seat. The ohi road
;s level and sandy, nnd if the weather be dry the tra-
veller will probably be incommoded with dust,
unless he rides in the morning or evening, when the
'ground is moist with the dew. The new road passes
I over higher ground, and is pleasanter and harder, al-
i though somewhat longer. You may pass out by the
j court-house, east, or turn to the risht iust below the
154 THE SrKIlS'GS.
Sans Souci. You enjoy some fine views oi the dis-
tant hiils and mountains ; and the soil and crops are
generally much better than on the old road.
Saratoga is quite concealed until you are within a ;
short distance, and then the clusters ot" frail board
buildings which spring up among the stumps of trees
lately felled in the skirts of the pine tbrest, show what
an unnatural surplus of population the place contains
durmg the visiting season, which is principally in July
and August. It may not be unseasonable to mention
here the princi{)al houses in the order in which they
are supposed to stand on the list of gentility : the Con-
gress Hall, $10 per week ; United States Hotel, do. ;
the Pavilion, do. ; and Union Hall $8.
On reaching the brow of a hill which descends into
the village, the street lies in lull view, with all the
principal houses. On the right is Congress Hall three
stories high with a row of 17 columns, rising from the
ground to the eaves ; opposite is Union Hail with a
row of 10 similar columns ; over which are seen the
brick walls of the United States Hotel ; and still be-
yond, on the other side, the roof of the Pavilion.
From this view the village is represented in the ac-
companying print, which was taken on the spot.
On reaching the foot of the hill, the Congress Spring,
the great attraction of the place, is seen at a short dis-
tance on the right, usually surrounded with a throng of
people.
Congress Hall
has generally enjoyed the highest favour among the
most fashionable visiters at Saratoga, on account of its
fine and imposing appearance, its contiguity to the
Spring, the number and size of its apartments, and
the style in which it is furnished and kept. It is 196
feet long on the street, with two wings of 60 feet run-
ning back, and contains lodging for 150. The first
floor in front is divided in the following manner : a
b'ARATOGA. 155
""dining room in the middle, capable of containing-
tables for all the house can accommodate; next the
dancing hall, about 80 feet long, and south the ladies*
{private parlour. The price of board is $10 per week.
The United States Hall
is a fine building of brick, three stories high, with a
colonade rising only to the second story. This house
is excellently well kept, and is more substantially built
j than any of the rest, which are of a light construction,
I fit only for the mildest weather ; but it is deficient in
public rooms, in which particular Congress Hall so
much excels. It is also raised so high from the street
as not to be convenient of access, although some pre-
fer it on that very account.
The Pavilion.
This is a veiy good house for one of its size, and
will be found free from much of the bustle of the larger
ones, while it is often the resort of much company
in the visiting season. Those who wish to drink
often of the Flat Rock water will prefer it, as that
Spring is only a few steps from it in the rear There
is a fine bathing house connected with it, »nd a shady
little wood not far beyond by the road side, on the
way to the Round Rock Spring.
Union Hall
is the resort of those who wish to have the most con-
venient access to the waters of the Congress Spring,
or to participate more moderately in the amusements
of the place, and to avoid the inconveniences of gayety
and mirth, produced by the continued round oT balls
and dances in the other principal houses.
50 THE SPEIKGS.
The Congress Spring;
which, as was belore remarked, is the great source
from which this place derives its celebrity and its
show of wealth and importance, was discovered by
Mr. Putnam. He built the first house near it for the
accommodation of invalids, Avhich was subsequently
enlarged to the present Union Hall, now kept by his
son. The Congress Spring was long concealed by the,
neighbouring brook which formerly passed over it ;
but its valuable qualities being discovered, it has at-
tracted universal attention, and the benefits of its wa-.
ters are .innually dispensed to thousands.
Mr. Silliman gives the following analysis : half a
gallon contains 320 grains of salt, 26 lime and mag-
nesia, with a slight trace of iron.
The Flat Rock Spring
is near the upper end of the street, and in the rear of
the Pavilion. In composition and qualities it bears a
resemblance to the Washington Spring at Ballston, hut
is far inferior. It is a chalybeate water, and the best
of the kind in the place. It is situated on the margin
of the little valley in which all the springs are found,
and the Pavilion will prove a pleasant house to inva-
lids and others who wish to drink of it frequentl}'.
The Round Rock Spring.
This Spring is worthy of a visit merely as a natural
curiosit}- : the water, although for a time much cele-
brated, and indeed the only attraction of which Sara-
toga could boast, having gone into disrepute, since the
discovery oi" the souices already mentioned. It is a
feeble chalybeate with little taste and little effect.
The water rises in a small rock of calcareous tufa, of
a conical form, with a circular hole in the middle,
about five inches in diameter. The rock is a}}oiit five
saratihtA. 157
feet throug^h al the base, and has evidently been pro-
duced by the layers of lime deposited by the water.
Many of the rocks in the neighbourhood contain a
large quantity of lime, where the carbonic acid of the
water probably obtains the supply which it afterward
'deposites here. The gradual accretion which is thus
constantly going on is very apparent even to a hast)''
lobserver. That part of the rock which is most ex-
iposed to the dripping of water taken out in cups
through the hole in the top, is always smooth and even,
ivhiie other parts are rough and broken. Fractures
liBade by visiters are sometimes found half obliterated
jjy a recent coat of calcareous matter formed in this
nnanner. A horizontal rock, apparently of similar
"ormation, extends for a considerable distance under
;he surface of the ground; and indeed it might be
supposed to reach to some of the springs which rise
!'n different places along the valley above.
I The water, according to common report, formerly
! lowed over the top, but has for many years found its
tyay below, through a crevice produced by a large
'brest tree which fell and cracked the rock.
Saratoga Lake.
An excursion to this beautitul piece of water, is one
iif the most agreeable that can be made in any di-
rection. It is bh miles distant, in a south-easterly di-
I'ection, and is frequently visited by parties from Balls-
l.on, as well as Saratoga Springs, as a good house has
I )een lately erected on the shore, and furnished with
livery accommodation, by Mr. Riley. Sailing and
j]shingon the lake form the amusements of the ex-
cursion.
The first part of the way is by the eastern road to
jSallston Spa ; and after turning to the left and riding
;o within half a mile of the lake, a fine view opens
j rom the top of a hill. The eye embraces a part of
hi= fine sheet of water, with its sloping and verdant
n «
I5g THI5 SPRINGS.
shores, ^cenerally divided by square fields; with a
distant view of the Green Mountains.
At a considerable distance from the shore, is erected
a stage, 16 by 14 feet, a little raised above the water,
and capable of containing- thirty people. The lake
is there about seven feet deep, and the spot is excel-
lent for fishiniT- Parties of ladies and gentlemen are
taken off in boat'^, and in hot weather an awning is
spread to shade them from the sun.
On the opposite side of the lake is a remarkable
rocky and woody hill, of a rounded form, which is
connected with the shore only by a narrow neck.
T'he deepest water is two miles below, at Drowned
Meadow Cove, where it is 150 or 170 feet to the bot-
tom. The road running north from Riley's is plea-
sant, but reaches only half a mile.
The lake extends seven miles in length, and is two
in breadth. The shores are bold and varied, gently
descending Avith a smooth slope to the margin, or
rising in rugged crags from the water's edge ; some-
times softened and beautified by the hand of cultiva-
tion, and sometimes abandoned to all their native
wildness.
If the wind and weather are favourable, the visiter
may expect good sport in fishing ; and if not, he may
ca'culate on a dinner table well supplied by other and
more fortunate adventurers. There are also many
kinds of wild fowl, birds, &,c. in the neighbourhood,
so that a sportsman may find great amusement here.
There is a house at the north end of the lake, 4
miles from Saratoga Springs, kept by Mr. Green, near
the ferry, v here also visiters are accommodated.
Trout Fishing. Two rtiles eastward from the
Sfjririgs, is a Trout Pond, to which sportsmen fre-
quently !esort.
The Reading Room. Strangers will find newspa-
pers from different parts of the countr}^, and will be
able to supply themselves with books of different de-
scriptions, to beguile their leisure hours. The Read-
*AEATOGA. 15r*
ling- Room is at the Book Store of Mr. Davison, a little
beyond the United States Hotel.
A Record will also be found at the same place, into
which the arrivals and departuies of visiters are copied,
iDDce a day, from the books of the four principal
lliouses. If any one expects to meet a friend here,
iT wishes to learn whether he has already left Sara-
jtoga, he has only to refer to this list and look for bis
Iname.
SCHUYLERSVILLE, 12 m. from Saratoga,
I -even miles from the battle-ground. A stage coach
leaves Saratoga Springs three mornings in the week,
ivhich passes through this place. At this village is
I. he place where Gen. Burgoyne was forced to stop on
I lis retreat, on account of the flood in Fish Creek, the
|)utlet of Saratoga Lake ; and at Fort Hardy, which
I hen stood on its banks, he surrendered to Gen. Gates
\m the 17th October. The traces of his camp are still
very discernible, in embankments, ditches, &c. and
I he house in which he had his head-quarters stood till
vvithin a few years.
The British Camp,
|)nemile from the Fishkill, and opposite the Batenkiil
lOreek. From the hill where the British encampment
Ivvas formed, a fine and extensive view may be had,
jjpon the route towards Bemis's Heights. General
Burgoyne occupied the night of October 8th, and the
^ bllowing day, in getting to this place, although it is
but 7 miles, on account of the miserable state of the
*oads. Here he was detained for several days by the
jewelling of the waters of the creek; and when he
I [grossed the stream, he left his hospital with 300 sick
nnd wounded, who were treated by Gen. Gates with
1 every atlenlion.
! Hevp the further retreat was cut off: for the Ameri ■
3tJ0 THE SPItlKGS.
cans were found in possession of the fords of the Hud-
son. Gen. Burgoyne therefore took his last position ;
and Gen. Gates formed his camp behind, while Mor-
gan took post on the west and north of the British,
and Gen. Fellows, with 3000 men, was stationed on
the opposite side of the river. American troops were
also in Fort Edward, and on the high ground towards
Lake George.
While remaining in this situation, the British were
continually exposed to the fire of their enemies, as well
as reduced by want of provision. Six days passed
thus; when on the 17th of Octolier, 1777, a conven-
tion was signed, and the army, being marched to the
meadow near Old Fort Hardy, piled their arms and
surrendered prisoners of war, to the number of 5752
effective, with 528 sick and wounded. This meadow
is in sight from the inn.
The House of Gen. Schuyler stood on the spot now
occupied by that of his grandson. It was burnt by
Burgoyne on his retreat, together with his mills ; not-
withstanding which, the British officers were after-
ward received at his house in Albany, and treated with
great kindness.
Remarks on the Routes.
AoW/i. — Three great routes from the Springs to-
wards the north may be particularized, although they
run almost side by side, and all unite on arriving at
Lake Champlain. 1st, The fashionable route, to
Caldwell, on Lake George. 2d, The Northern, or
Champlain Canal. 3d, The road to Whitehall, the
direct route on the way to Montreal.*
The j^rs^ of these is usually travelled by strangers
of taste and leisure, as it conducts directly to the fine
scenery of Lake George, and the battle-grounds in its
*Thore also are two stajre routes to Montreal, one on each side of
J-akp Chnnnilain. Thf mail now cop? to ATontrf?.)1 daih'.
SAllATOCA. Ibl
jvicinity; and passes near several other spots of high
.'interest for their historical associations. It is with a
particular view to this route, that the places soon to
be mentioned will be arrano^ed and described. Even
lif a journey to Montreal is intended, it can hardly be
|too urgently pressed upon the stranger to devote a
leisure day or two to Lake George on his way, as he
will jfind himself most amply rewarded, and can join
the great route with facility at Ticonderoga.
The second route, by the Northern Canal, may be
met near the battle-ground at Bemis's Heights ; but
it has hitherto offered in this part no boat expressly for
passengers. In fine weather, however, gentlemen
may travel very pleasantly for a few miles in the
common freight boats.
The third route is the road to Whitehall, which is
1 furnished with public carriages from the Springs
I during the warm season, and, like the canal, passes
1 near some of the interesting places to be mentioned
j hereafter. From Whitehall the traveller may proceed
down Lake Champlain in the daily steamboats, or by
land in the mail coach.
East. — Travellers wishing to go to any part of the
country in this direction, may take their choice of
several routes. Lines of stage coaches run to Con-
necticut river from Burlington, Middlebury, Castleton,
and Granville, as well as from Troy and Albany, in
various directions — to Hanover, Brattleborough, Green-
field, Northampton, Springfield, Hartford ; and there
subdividing into numerous ramifications, offer the
means of conveyance to every part of New-England.
To meet most of these routes, it will be necessary
to proceed to some point north or south of the Springs,
for which public carriages are established in several
directions from Saratoga and Ballston, concerning
which, arrangements may be made at the bar of the
) house where the stranger is lodged.
I It is also important to mention, that two lines of
cnache? run alons: the ronr=p'= of Hudson River and
162 EXCUESION TO LA&E GBOEGE.
Wood Creek, one on each side ; and that the eastern
one carries the mail through Castleton, Middlebury,
Burlington, &c. along the course of Lake Champlain,
though generally at too great a distance to command
a view of it. The country there is very fine, the vil-
lages beautiful, and the surface frequently mountainous.
This road meets several of the eastern roads ; but
the traveller will probably prefer to take one of the
four steamboats, as he can land at the most important
points.
The most interesting route that can be chosen by a
man of taste, from the Springs to Boston, is through
Vermont to the White Mountains, and Winnipiseogee
Lake in New-Hampshire. He may take what road
he pleases to Connecticut River.
For the roads leading sowi/i and west from the Springs
he is referred directly to Ballston, where those routes
are particularly mentioned and described.
If he has never visited the Battle Ground at Demises
Heights, or, as it is usually called, o( Saratoga, it may
be recommended to him to take that interesting place
in his way, and to refer to page 135 for the descrip-
tion of if,
EXCURSION TO LAKE GEORGE, 27 miles.
This is by far the most delightful, as well as fashion-
able excursion which can be made from the Springs
in any direction, as it abounds with some of the finest
scenery in the United States, and in numerous sites
and objects intimately connected with the history of
the country.
A stage coach leaves Saratoga Springs every morn-
ing for Caldwell, at the south end of the lake, passing
through Glenn's Falls.
From the time of the earliest wars between the
British colonies and the French in Canada, to that of
T755, the tract over which part of our route lies was
tho hig;h road of war. It was traversed bv manv a
GLENN'S FALLS. IGo
lostile expedition, in which the splendour and power
f European arms mingled with the fierce tactics of
avage warriors : the ruins of fortresses are still to be
raced in several places, and tradition points to many
spot that has been sprinkled with blood. During
he Revolution, also, some of the important events in
ur history, took place in this neighbourhood. The
i lattle of Saratoga, and the defeat of General Burgoyne
I lave been already dwelt upon; but we shall have to
I efer more than once to his expedition as we pass
ther scenes with which the events of it are connected.
1 The Journey to Montreal may be made by the way
IfLake George; and this route the book will pursue,
3 Montreal and Q,uebec, whither the reader, it is
foped, will accompany it.
IThe road from Saratoga to Glenn's Falls?
i 18 miles.
^ Wilton, 7 m. — Here take the left-hand road, where
j small house stands at the angle. This will prove
I he better route, and meets the other branch twice, at
jour and six miles distance. Thirteen miles beyond,
he road branches off eastward for Sandy Hill.
, Half a mile before reaching the villaa:e, the road
jmters a rich plain, probably once overflown by the
fiver, vvhich is now discovered on the left, dividing it
In its course, while the village appears in iront, with
I. handsome church spire, and a number of neat white
iiouses, all backed by the mountains, which here
, tretch off towards the north.
I French Mountain is the most prominent eminence,
)f which more anon. A more distant range is like-
i'ise seen further to the right.
Glenn's Falls. — If the traveller is going on immedi-
ately to the lake, he should stop a few moments on
'he bridge, to see the falls in the Hudson, which are
n full view below. The river here makes a sudden
iescent of 37 feet, over a rock of dark blue limestone.
lo4 EXCURSIOxV TO lAKE GEultGj;.
ivhicli has been worn into so many forms as to break
up the current in a very singular manner. The pro-
jection of two Iar!?e masses of rock divides the water
into three sheets (except when it is m^jch swollen by.
jloods). Of these, the northern one is much the larg-
est, and the other two unite and pass througii a deep
channel, about 15 feet wide. A man jumped off the
bridge here, twice, a few years ago, yet escaped
Avithout serious injury. The most water passes through
the other channel.*
A d?.m is thrown across just above the falls, which
supplies a Cotton Manufactory of Stone with water,
as well as several mills. On the north side of the
river is a canal, which is intended for a feeder to the
Champlain canal, and passes along the elevated bank.
It now furnishes water for several mills, and an artificial
cascade.
The great flat rock which supports the bridge, pro-
jects beyond it, and affords space for a small garden on
its highest part, although the greater part of it is over-
flown in high Hoods. Like the other rocky strata
there, it has a gentle dip towards the south, and a per-
pendicular fracture running nearly north and south.
Caverns. — Passing through the garden, and turning
to the left, the mouths of two caverns are found facing
the north, in diilerent places among the rocks. They
have been cut through by the rushing of water, in a
direction across the liver's course, and corresponding
with the natural fracture. The first is just large enough
to permit the passa^-e of a man, and is cut with sur-
prising regularity for a distance of about 25 feet.
This place is made the scene of some of the most in-
* Sandy Ifdl, 3 milc.i eastward. — This viilas^e is pk>as^:it!y situated
at the next fall in tlie river below. The cascade is less rciiia- kable as
an object of (Miriosiiy and interest, Imt it is still worthy of attention if
the stranger have sufficient time at his disposal. lie wiil find a pleasjint
road onward ; and if he should be o)i hi.s reinru from Lake George, and
wishes to visit tliis part of the river, the Fiild of Sun-enderj or the Bat-
tle Ground., before reaching Saratoija or Ballston, he will fird it con-
venient to follow the course of the river. The village has a good inn
. For 3 de?cripiion of the principal scenes of this route; see TikU-p- <
fUENOH MOUlNTxVixV- 16. J
i iresting chapters of Mr. Cooper's novel of The Last of
.'le Mohicans. The cavern (perhaps altered since
I 737) was the place where the wanderers secreted
I lemselves, and were made captives. The cavern
', inducts to one of the river's channels, where it opens
Ln the side of a precipice, directly over the water.
ii;j"'he banks of the river are perpendicular rocks as far
i '3 can be seen ; and nearly opposite the caverns,
i nder the north bank, is an abundant spring of fine,
pure water, which pours from a hole in the rock, a
ijiw feet from the surface of the river.
ji About half-way between this place and Sandy Hill.
f convoy of wagons was attacked in the French war,
n their way to Lake George.
Nearly north of Glenn's Falls, is Luzerne Mountain ;
nd a little to the right of it, French Mountain. Be-
tween them passes the road to Lake George. Towards
'be west, j; range of high hills encloses the view, and
!q the easu the Vermont Mountains make a fine ap-
pearance.
Ncnr the ioot o( French Mountain is a small tavern,
n the east side of the road ; and near this place Gen.
)ieskau's advanced guard struck the route from Glenn's
'alls aiid Fort Edward to Fort William Henry. The
'alky through which we pass is narrow for some dis-
:iice beyond ; and after about half an hour's ride (for
inere are no mile stones), a little circular pond is dis-
l.overed on the east side, and close by the road. It is
Generally almost concealed with water plants.
This was near the place of action betv;een Colonel
iVilliaras and General Dieskau. The latter had ex-
ended his troops across the path, and advanced his
vings some distance in front, the left wing occupying
he rising ground on the west side of the road near
his place. A small cleared spot may be noticed on
he other side, a little beyond the pond (in 1825 a hut
tood upon it), that is said to have been the principal
cene of action ; and a singular rock near by is pointed
>n% hv tradition as the mark of Col. Williams's grave.
P
IdfcJ EXCURSION TO LAKE GEORGE.
This, however, is considered very doubtful ; by others,
it is said that he ascended the rock to reconnoitre,
and was shot from its summit. [Page 170.)
The little pond above mentioned was the place
where most of the dead were thrown, and it bears the
name of Bloody Pond to this day. It is probably
much smaller than formerly. In 1825 the skeleton of
a man was dug; up from a depth of one and a half teet,
near the pond, with a marble pipe, and some silver-
eyed buttons bearing the royal stamp. This pond is
nearly circular, and is covered, in its season, with
the Pond Lily (Nymphea Alba), which expands its
flowers on the surface of the water.
About a quarter of a mile beyond this place, is a
fine view of
LAKE GEORGE. i
Coming to the brow of a high hill, the prospect '
opens, and the lake appears, enclosed by mountains,
many of which, at this distance, are of a deep blue.
The side of French Mountain is near at hand on the
east, covered with thick trees to the summit ; while
the smoothness of the lake, the beauty of its nearest
shore, with the neat white buildings of Caldwell, com-
municate to the scene a degree of beauty and seclu-
sion, which can hardly be found in any other spot.
Directly at the south end of Lake George, are the
remains of Forts George and William Henry, famous
in the history of the French war ; and on the site of
the former was General Johnson's camp, when he was
attacked by Dieskau. The particulars of the action
will be given hereafter.
Caldwell.
The village of Caldwell is the place at which the
visiter will stop to take a view of this charming lake,
3Dd from which be will make his excursions across it^
I LAKE GEOKGE. 167
beautiful waters. The villag:e stands at the south end
af the lake, and on its shore, commanding a fine view
of the neighbouring sheet of water and the mountains
|by which it is almost enclosed. The inn to which
[strangers resort, occupies a spot peculiarly fitted to
gratify the eye of taste, as it overlooks the lake for
jseveral miles, and the view is not interrupted by any
'neighbouring obstacle. A more delightful place can
hardly be found in the United States, for the tempo-
rary residence of one who takes delight in scenery of
[this description, and loves to recur to deeds long past,
'and to exploits great in themselves and important in
their results even to the present day.
Lake George is 34 miles long, and its greatest
breadth 4. At the south end it is only about one mile
broad. The greatest depth is sixty fathoms. The
water is remarkable for its purity — a fish or a stone
'may be seen at the depth of 20 or 30 feet. It is un-
Idoubtedly supplied by springs from below, as the
water is coldest near the bottom. It contains trout,
bass, and perch. There are deer in the neighbouring
forest. The outlet which leads to Lake Champlain
contains three large falls and rapids. The lake never
j rises more than two feet.
I The three best points of view are at Fort George,
la place north of Shelving Rock, 14 miles, and another
I at Sabbath Day Poini, 21 miles from the head of the
'lake. The last view is taken southward, the other
i two northward.
I This beautiful basin, with its pure crystal water,
I is bounded by two ranges of mountains, which, in
some places rising with a bold and hasty ascent from
the water, and in others descending with a graceful
sweep from a great height to a broad and level mar-
j gin, furnish it with a charming variety of scenery,
which every change of weather, as well as every
. change of position, presents in new and countless
beauties. The intermixture of cultivation with the
wild scenes of nature is extremely asrreeable ; and
168 EXCURSION TO LAKE GEORGE.
the undulating: surface of the well-tilled farm is often
contrasted with the deep shade of the native forest,
and the naked, weather-beaten cliffs, where no vege-
tation can dwell.
The situation of the hotel is delightful, surpassing
that of almost every other to be found in this part of
the cou^t^}^ The traveller may hereafter take plea-
sure in comparing the scene enjoyed from his window,
with those he may witness from the walls of Quebec,
Masonic Mall at Montreal, and Forsyth's at Niagara.
The house is very large, having been increased within
a year or two by the addition of a long wing, three
stories high, so that it is now capable of furnishing
lodgings for one hundred persons, and the apartments
are so arranged, that half of them look out upon the
lake. A green and handsome slope descends about
200 yards to the very margin, where there is no
obstruction but a few trees and scattering buildings.
There is the wharf, at which the steamboat receives
and lands her passengers, often adding much variety
to tlwj place by an addition of company. The dis-
charge of the signal gun makes fine echoes among the
mountains in a clear niaht.
The lake is here about three-quarters of a mile
wide, and the range of mountains opposite, which are
high and uninterrupted, are quite uncultivated, with
the exception of a few farms near the shore ; the
other parts being covered with trees almost to the
water.
On the right is seen the south end of the lake, which
is formed of low land for some distance back, suc-
ceeded by French Mountain in the rear. On a little
point, half covered with trees, and rising only about
25 feet above the water, is the site of Fort William
Henry ; and about a mile towards the south-east from
it, on a considerable elevation, are the ruins of Fort
George. For the history of these once important little
;ortre««:es. see paure 170. ^
LAKE oeOllGE. 169
Excursions on the Lake, Fishing, &c.
Boats are kept at the wharf to convey passengers
4o any part of the neighbouriiis: shores and islands.
[Fine perch, or black bass, {Perca Franklinia), are
•caught in abundance almost every where ; and trout,
at the mouth of a small stream near the south end.
Fishing rods and tackle may be obtained at the hotel ;
.and a variety of other fish are to be found.
j Diamond Island is a few miles down the lake, and
ns famous for abounding in crystals of quartz, which are
'found in a loose rock by digging a little under the sur-
^face. They are found, however, in equal numbers in
j several of the other islands ; and it is, after all, the
, easier way to purchase them, and not to permit the
labour of searching for them to interfere with the plea-
sure of the excursion, particularly as that labour is
often ineffectual. A poor family lived on Diamond
; Island, subsisting partly on a small spot of tilled land,
and partly on the produce of the crystals sold to
visiters.
Tea Island, about 2 miles down the lake, is another
favourite retreat. The little bay in which the boats
land is remarkably retired and beautiful, and there
is an old hut standing which affords something of a
shelter.
Long Island contains about 100 acres, and has been
inhabited and cultivated. Besides these, there are
many other islands on the neighbouring parts of the
lake ; and those who are fond of such excursions
would be highly delighted with devoting several days
to visit them. The finest cluster is in the Narrows,
about 12 miles distant. These will be spoken of
hereafter.
One steamboat usually goes three times a week to
the north end of the lake ; but is alwavs ready to per-
P 1
170 EXCURSION TO LAKE GEOTfGE.
form that excursion, and will take a party of twenty
or niore for $1 each.
West of the village is a remarkable conical eminence,
called Rattlesnakes'' Cobble, or Prospect Hill. This, as
well as the mountains beyond it, is the habitation of
bears and deer, and much infested with rattlesnakes.
The view from the top is very fine. It is the place
from which Hawk-eye, in the " Last of the Mohicans,"
leads his companions into Fort William Henry through
the mist.
The French .Approaches. The village of Caldwell
is of recent date. In the French war, during the siege
of Fort William Henry, the ground which it now occu-
pies was crossed by the trenches and batteries with
which Montcalm finally succeeded in forcing the capi-
tulation of that little fortress.
The place where he landed with his army is the
little cove just behind the new stone building, a few
steps north of the hotel. He erected his battery near
the shore, and ran his first trench across the street into
the fields in front of the hotel. The remains may still
be traced, as well as the marks of a small mortar bat-
tery, near the bars of a fence leading to a small house.
Another line runs to the bank of the lake, on this side
of the brook, where was also a battery ; and another
borders the swamp to the right, and another turns
southward along the high ground. Behind this, in a
pine wood, are the craves of about 1000 French sol-
diers, who died in the fort.
Battle of Lake George.
In 1755, the year after the commencement of the
French War, 3000 men were sent out from France to
Quebec, for the purpose of taking Oswego Fort. This
was situated at the mouth of the Osuego or Onon-
dago River, and on the shore of Lake Ontario. The
position derived its consequence from circumstances
which no longer evist : the Indian trade from up the
JiATTLE OP LAKE GEOKGE. Hi
'Lakes, the facility of communication with the Five
Nations throug:h that place, and the peculiar nature of
the shores of Lake Ontario, which would not permit
■navigation (by canoes) on the other side. There the
(two great branches of Indian trade concentrated ; and
the nation which held possession of the point neces-
sarily swayed a great influence over the Indians them-
selves : an advantage frequently of still greater impor-
tance to the country. Oswego Fort naturally became
an object both to the French and the English at that
time, and it formed a prominent figure in the history
j of the war. The English being in possession of that
'little fortress at the commencement of hostilities, its
defence might doubtless have been easily secured,
had their operations been conducted with common
prudence and energy. Unfortunately, they were con-
ducted in a very different manner ; and whoever would
see a clear and able history of the first English expe-
'ditions in that war, and of the political party spirit
twhich then ruled in this country and rendered them
i worse than ineffectual, is referred to"./3 Letter to a
Lordf'^ written soon after.
In 1755, Gen. Johnson, (afterward Sir William,)
marched to the south end of Lake George with a con-
jsiderable number of men, joined by the famous Capt.
iHendrick, with many Indians of the Five Nations, in-
tending to take Fort Frederick, now Crown Point.
iGen. Dieskau was sent to oppose him, with 3000 men,
principally taken from a body of French troops sent
out to Q,uebec, 600 of whom had fallen into the hands
of Admiral Boscawen at sea. Dieskau had first de-
I signed to besiege Fort Oswego. At Fort Frederick,
or Crown Point, he remained some time, and then de-
termined to go and meet the English. He therefore
went up the South Bay. where, learning the situation
of Fort Lyman (now Fort Edward,) he wished to
attack it and cut off the retreat of Gen. Johnson. The
I Indians and Canadians, however, were in dread of the
172 EXCLUSION TO LAKE GEOKOE.
cannon with which it was supposed to be defended,
and he was obliged to march against Johnson.
Sunday, Sept. 7th, at midnight, a scout brought
Johnson intelligence that Dieskau was coming. 1200
men were sent out in the morning, under the command
of Col. Ephraim Williams, who met them at Rocky
Brook, drawn up in a semicircle, into which the
English entered before they knew it. A heavy fire
from three sides first showed them the position of their
enemies. The English stood their ground valiantly ;
but Col. Williams and Hendrick being both shot down,
together with many others, they were obliged to be-
gin their retreat, which was conducted by Col. Whi-
ting with the greatest coolness and success.
The centre of the English army was posted on the
bill where the ruins of Fort George now are ; and the
French were discovered by them at half past 11.
Dieskau halted at the sight of his enemies, probably
entertaining some mistaken idea of the strength of
their position, and gave them time to recover from
their panic. The ground on both sides of the English
camp was marshy and covered with trees, and Dies-
kau sent his Indians out on the right flank and the
Canadians on the left, to surround them. Col. Pome-
roy, however, soon put the former to flight with a few
cannon shots. Dieskau then brought up his troops in
front, and made them fire by platoons, but with very
little effect. Gen. Johnson (happily for his own troops)
was slightly wounded in the thigh, and had to walk
back to his tent, leaving the command with Gen.
Lyman. He directed the defence for five hours, aided
by Capt. Eyre's artillery ; when the French turned
upon the English right, which consisted of Kuggles's,
Po;iieroy's, and Tittecomb's reirimenis, and extended
from the road to where Fort William Henry was after-
ward built. Here they fought an hour, but the
English and Indians charging them, they took to
flight and manv were killed. Gen. Dieskau himself
I 3rASSACaE AT FOET WILLIA3I HENRY. 1 73
>vas found leaning against a stump wounded — a sol-
dier approaching saw him put his hand to his waist,
to take out his watch, which he intended to oflfer to
him, and supposing he was dravving a pistol, shot
him through the thigh. He was carried to the fort
by eight men in a blanket, and it is said deterred
Johnson from ordering a pursuit, by saying he had a
strong force near at hand. Gf n. Lyman ui^ed to fol-
low up their victory ; but that was probably a suffi-
cient reason for its being refused by a superior officer,
who looked upon his great talents with jealousy, and,
I in spite of the advantage the country had derived
from his services, at a time when they were pecu-
liarly valuable, did not even mention the name of Gen,
Lyman in his account of the battle ! — Johnson was
made a Baronet, and Lyman lingered out a few years
in poverty and disappointment, and died without re-
ceiving even the notice of the British government.
' The English are said to have lost only 216 in killed
I and 96 wounded. Gen. Dieskau estimated his own
I loss at 1000— the English called it much less. The
j principal uere a major-general, and M. de St. Pierre,
jthe commander of the Indians. The French lost their
I baggage during the action, left two miles in their rear,
lit being attacked Sy Captains Folsom and M'Ginnies
I with about 100 New-York troops ; who then lay in
I wait for the retreating French, and killed great num-
bers of them.
! Gen. Johnson might have taken Crown Point ; but
he delayed it so long, that the French advanced to
p Ticonderoga and there fortified themselves securely.
The Capture and Massacre op Fort William
Henry.
So dififerent was the state of the country sixty years
ago, and so much in its infancy was the art of war in
these wild regions, thaf a small work of earth thrown
up on this site, and called Fort William Henry, was
174 KxcLHtHina TO lake tiEoiiGi;.
regarded as a fortress of considerable strength and con-
sequence.
In 1757, the Earl of Loudon, British Commander-in-
Chief in America, made an unsuccessful attempt by
sea against Louisburg ; and before his return to New-
York in August, the French from Ticonderoga, under
the Marquis de Montcalm, had made three attacks on
Fort William Henry. On the 1st of August they set
out again, and landed at Frenchman's Point. On the
evening of the 2d, they crossed to the west side of
Lake George, within two miles of the Fort, and the
next morning sent in their summons. Col. Monroe
defended himself resolutely for six days, hoping relief
from Gen. Webb and his 6000 men at Fort Edward ;
but having waited in vain, and burst ten of his largest
cannon, he was obliged to surrender, and marched
out with the honours of war and an assurance of bemg
protected from the Indians in Montcalm's army.
He had gone but a little way, however, when the
savages fell upon hi- troops and butchered about 1500,
men, women, and children.
Gen. Webb's conduct was most inhuman. The pro-
vincial troops were kept under arms for one whole
day alter the news of the siege arrived at Fort Ed-
ward, and Sir William Johnson was very desirous to
march with them to its relief; but Webb ordered them
back to their quarters, and sent a messenger to CoL
Monroe advising him to surrender.
Attac:k on Fort Ticonderoga.
The south end of Lake George was the scene of a
splendid embarkation on the 4th of July of the tbllow-
ing year [l758], when 10,000 provincial troops, and
6 or 7000 regulars assembled at this place to proceed
against Ticonderoga.* 1035 boats were drawn up to
* Lord Kowe, wJio accompanied ll)is expedition, u as a young noble-
nian of annable disposition and the most prrpcipsessing manners, and
was almost idolized by the army, as well as admired and loved by the
'•^■•■mtrv
AlTACK Oi\ TICONDEKOGA. 1 T5
ihe shore one clear delightful summer morning, and
were speedily filled with this powerful army, except-
ing only a small body left with the baggage. Success
was confidently expected, and the appearance of the
1 train was more like that of a triumphant return from
war. The boats were decorated with gaudj^ streamers,
' and the oars moved to martial music. The traveller
will follow their route in the steamboat, for which see
below.
' They landed at the north end of the lake on the fol-
lowing morning, and were ordered to march on in four
] columns. The obstructions of the forest however soon
broke their ranks ; when Lord Howe, with his centre
column, falling in with the enemy's advance guard,
•who were on their retreat and bewildered, was at-
' tacked with a sudden war whoop and immediately
killed. The provincials were accustomed to the
woods, and drove back their enemies, killing about
j300, and taking 148 prisoners, and all returned to the
Handing. In the morning. Col. Bradstreet took pos-
|;ession of the mill at the great falls on the river, and
j'.he army were soon brought up to the French lines,
jivhich were thrown up across the isthmus and not
! inished. This intrenchment is still to be seen in tole-
' able preservation. It had two redoubts and a deep
|ibatlis, and is said to have been 8 or 9 feet high,
j hough that seems improbable. The attack was
jngorous, and the defence obstinate. The battle con-
j inued four hours, during which the English were re-
Julsed three times. The Highland regiment distin-
guished itself, and suffered severely. The English
OSS, in all, was 1944, principally regulars ; the French
ery trifling, although they are said not to have ima-
;ined the defence possible. Their force is differently
tated from 1200 to 6000. Notwithstanding his supe-
iority of force, Abercrombie shamefully ordered a
fetreat ; and thus terminated the operations of the
^ear.
176 EXCURSION TO LAKE GJbiORGi:
Voyage down Lake George.
r"
Leaving Caldwell, and passing Mr. Caldwell's house
at a quarter of a mile, the steamboat passes Tea Island,
Diamond, Long, and other islands, particularly the
Two Sisters ; and then the lake becomes wider, and
the surface more uninterrupted, the course of the boat
being directly towards a remarkable eminence, with a
double summit, called Tongue Mountain. That which
partly shuts it in from this direction on the right, is
Shelving Rock ; and Black Mountain shows \is rounded
summit beyond it, a little to the right. This last is
supposed to be about 2200 feet high, and is considered
the highest mountain on the lake.
Twelve Mile Island appears to be at the foot of
Tongue Mountain, and is seen just ahead for a great
distance after leaving Caldwell. It is of a singularly
rounded form, covered with trees, with the utmost re-
gularity, and protected from the washing of the waves
by a range of large stones along the shore, so well dis-
posed as to seem like a work of art.
A rich and cultivated slope is seen on the western
shore, before reaching Tongue Mountain, which be-
longs to a new township.
The Narrows.
The lake is very much contracted where it passes
between the mountains just mentioned, and their sur-
face is for several miles broken by innumerable islands.
These are of various sizes, but generally very small,
and of little elevation. A few of them are named, as
Green, Bass, Lone-tree islands. Some of them are
covered with trees, others with shrubs, some show
little lawns or spots of grass, heaps of barren rocks, or \
gently sloping shores; and most of them are orna-
mented with graceful pines, hemlocks, and other tall
tree;*, collected in groups, or standing alone, and dk-
.>L>sea Willi Liioat charming variety. Sometimes an
: island will be observed just large enough to support
a few fine trees, or perhaps a single one, while the
•next may appear like a solid mass of bushes and wild
'Sowers ; near at hand, perhaps, is a third, with a dark
^rove of pines, and a decaying old trunk in front of it :
and thus, through every interval between the islands
as you pass along, another and another labyrinth is
Dpened to view, among little isolated spots oi ground,
iivided by narrow channels, from which it seems im-
possible for a person who should have entered them,
ijver to find his way out. Some of the islands look
ilmost like ships with their masts ; and many have an
lir of lightness as if they were sailing upon the lake.
After passing the Narrows, the lake widens again,
ind the retrospect is, for several miles, through that
)assage, with Tongue Mountain on the west, and
Jlack Mountain opposite, the Luzerne range appearing
t a great distance between them. The motmtains in
'iew have generally rounded summits ; but the sides
ire in many places broken by precipitous ledges,
iThey are inhabited by wolves, deer, rattlesnakes, &c.
Sabbath Day Point. — This is a low neck of land,,
itretching into the lake from the Western shore, and
iontaining the little village of Hague. That on the
pposite shore is Putnam.
I On Sabbath Day Point, Lord Amherst, with his
lumerous host, stepped for refreshment upon the
jioming of the Sabbath, and gave this beautiful point
be name by which it is now known : it is a charming"
pot, and susceptible of the greatest embellishment.
Rogers' Rock and Anthony's Nose.
These are two mountains at which the lake again
/ontracts itself to pass between them. The shores of
jie lake still continue elevated, and but a few culti-
'ated farms are distinguishable here and there. An-
ionv'.'^ Nose presents a orecipice.on the eastern ?hore.
178 EXCUfiSIOSi TO LAKE GliOEGi:,
as we enter the strait ; and the firing of a 2:iin piuQucL-
ii fine echo. Rogers' Rock, or Rogers' Slide is a still
more formidable one, on the other hand, a little furthei
on. The last retrospect up the lake is stil! very (ine.
even from this point — Black Mountain being yet
clearly to be seen.
Rogers' Slide has its name from Capt. Rosters, a
partisan ollicer, who distinguished himselt in the
French war by his boldness, activity, and success.
He commanded an expedition which leit Crown Point
in the year 1756, against the Canadian frontiers, and
cut off the Indian village of St. Francis, afterward
returning, with the severest hardships, by liie way of
Connecticut river. Tradition says, that he was, at
another time, closely pursued by a party of Indians,
and forced to retreat to the verge of this mountain.
Finding no other way to escape, he descended halt
down by the ravine which opens towards the south,
and then by a sudden turn came to the east side,
where is a precipice about two hundred feet high ot
smooth rock, and nearly perpendicular, down which
which he slipped upon his snow shoes to the lake,
escaping upon the ice. Tlie water is deep at the bot-
tom, and fine trout are caught there with a long line.
The lake here assumes the appearance of a narrovv-
pond for three or four miles, and seems closed at both
ends. The ground is still elevated on both sides, but
hills have succeeded to mountains, and some of ihe.^f
are at length overtopped by Black Mountain, whicli
although at such a distance, at length makes ils ap
pearance as^ain, and continues in sight. The lake a
length diminishes to a very narrow stream, and lh(
bottom becomes gradually covered with weeds.
Lord Howe's Landing is just behind an island c.
three acres, on the left-hand at the entrance of the
creek. Here is the spot where the unfortunate expe-
dition of Abercrombie etfected their landing, and on
the island they established their hospital, on their way
to Mie attack of Ticonderos'a-
TICOKDEBOGA- 11^3
L The steamboat passes on some distance beyond this
jjace, and lands her passengers on the other sid^
vhere, at her regular voyages, carriages are found ri|
jvaiting to convey them to Ticonderoga, three miles, "^
;ver a rough road.
Those vvho intend to take a steamboat on Lake
ohaniplain, should be careful to inquire the hour when
t passes, and regulate their time accordingly. Ticon-
ieroga has become one of the stopping places, which
vill prove a great convenience to the numerous tra~
(«llers attracted to this interesting spot.
Abercrombie's army passed for some part of the way
long the route we travel. Passing the Upper Falls,
vhich are the highest, he forded the creek above the
econd. At the Falls near the bridge which we cross,
ust above the sawmills, was a stone blockhouse ;
I nd there was a redoubt on the north side of the stream
jiear the bridge, where, as in several other places,
I here was some fighting to carry the French outposts.
I At the Upper Falls" are several valuable sawmills
I nd forges, and the scenery is highly picturesque.
THE FORTRESS OF TICONDEROGA.
This famous old fortress, or rather its remains, are
iistinctly seen from Lake Champlain, though, from the
lirection by which we approach it, they are discovered
)nly at a short distance. An elevated piece of land,
gently sloping towards the south, and ending abruptl}^
)ver a bend of the lake, appears, partially covered with
lees, and crowned rjear its extremity with a cluster
,{ broken walls and chimneys. There is a meadow
>n the eastern side, running to the base of the ridge,
md across this is a footpath from the ferry to the fort
}y the nearest way. A carriage road also leads from
he ferr^^ to the ridee. and thence dnv^n in ihe s?»rno
V^^> ROUTE TO OA^■A]DA
0- The Old French Lines,
where General Abercrombie was defeated in 1758, arie
the only part of the fortification which was ever the
scene of a battle. They commenced on the east side,
at a battery of heavy cannon on the shore, about a
quarter of a mile south of the ferry. The remains ol
the breastwork can yet be seen. The lines were
drawn in a zig-zag ; first stretching oflf to the right,
along the side of marshy ground to a cluster of bushes
where was a battery ; and then to the left to the verge
of a wood, where was another.
Their course may be distinctly traced in this man-
ner, across the ridge of land at its highest elevation,
over to the brow of a steep bank looking towards the
outlet of Lake George. The ground is so high on the
top of this ridge, that it must have been a commanding
position when clear of trees. The woods that now so
much interrupt the sight, have grown since the evacu-
ation of the fortress, after the revolutionary war.
There is a fine spring of water near the western
part of the French lines, where a bloody engagement
occurred between two hostile parties during the battle.
Bodies of men have been dug up hereabouts within a
few years, and shot were formerly very frequently
found in old timber.
Mount Hope is a hill about a mile north from this
place. It was occupied by General Burgoyne's British
line, which formed the right wing on his approach to
Ticonderoga, on the 2d of June, 1777.
In proceeding from the French lines south towards
the fortress, by a gentle descent, the surface of the
ground appears to have been in some places smoothed
in former times by the plough, and by the removal and
cutting away of rocks, to render it convenient for the
evolutions ot troops, and the use of artillery. A close
obsprvor will also remark that he passes the remain^
TIC0M)ER0GA 1 8 I
of sereva} distinct lines of small redoubis, placed at
equal distances, and ranged in the form of a quincunx.
These were intended to embarrass still further the ap-
proach to the fortress, which assimies the air of a more
important work as you approach it.
There are two old intrenchments, 270 and 150 yards
from the fortress ; and then comes the edge of the
outer ditch or counterscarp, where there was a row of
palisadoes. Five steps more bring you to the walled
side of the ditch, which is still eight feet deep in some
places, and therefore impassable except where it has
been partly filled up. Its breadth is generally about
8 or 9 yards, and the wall of the fortress on the other
side in some places 20 or 25 feet high.
The fortress is of an angular form, and embraces a
large tract of ground, being divided into parts by deep
ditches, which were defended by cannon and musketr^^,
afid added very much to the security of the place.
The communication between these different parts was
kept up by stone staircases, placed in convenient po-
sitions of the angles, all so calculated as to make the
descent into the ditches and the ascent circuitous and
intricate, and open to the cannon and small arms. A
glance at some of those that remain will show the plan.
The walls were originally much higher than at present,
being raised by superstructures of logs filled in with
earth, to such a height as to protect the barracks.
The Barracks formed an oblong, and the walls still
remain of all except those on the eastern side ; their
form is plainly distinguishable. The parade, which
they include, appears to have been formerly carefully
smoothed. This area is about 52} yards long, and 8
in breadth. The barracks, &c., the walls of which
remain on the north, south, and west sides, are built
of the rough blue limestone, of which the neighbour-
ing rocks are formed, two stories high ; and these,
with the chimneys, several of which are standing, are
the principal objects seen from a distance. By the
ipouthern entranc^-> Ethan Allen entf^red with his ^
it"^ llObfrK TO CANADA.
raw soldiers, when he surprised the fortress on the Ibtn
May, 1775; and on reaching the court yard and calling
on the commander to surrender, the British officer,
Capt. Deplace, made his appearance at a window and
submitted, delivering up 3 officers and 44 rank and file.
In consequence of this coup de main, this important
place was in the hands of the Americans until the
arrival of Burgoyne, in 1777.
The battlements of Ticonderoga first bore the flag
of independence. This circumstance should of itself
render this ruin, so fine in other associations, interesting
to the traveller.
At each comer was a bastion or a demi-bastion ; and
under that in the north-eastern one is a subterranean
apartment, the access to which is through a small
entrance near that corner of ihe court yard. It com-
municates with two magazines at the further end : that
on the left, which is the larger, being 19 or 20 feet
long. The room is also arched, measures about 35
feet in length, 21 in breadth, and 10 or 11 in height,
and like the magazines was bomb proof. The cellars
south of this, which belonged to the demolished build-
ings, and are almost filled up, have a room or two with
fireplaces still distinguishable.
The Grenadiers' Battery.
This important outwork is situated on a rocky point
towards the east from the main fortress. They were
connected by a covered way, the traces of which are
distinctly visible. It was surrounded by a wall faced
with stone, with five sides, one of which measures
about 180 feet; but that towards the lake has been
undermined by time, and slipped down the bank. The
remaining parts are nearly entire, and about 10 feet
high.
^till in advance of the Grenadiers' Battery is a small
work of earth, which might have containecf fire or six
a?uBs : while in front of it. and on the extreme point.
MdtrvT l>EFIANCEe iJJo
vvo or three more guns appear to have been placed
etween the rocks, to fire down upon the water, about
feet below. A little further east, and under the
ank, is an old stone house, formerly a store belonging
) the fort, and now occupied by the tenant of Mr.
'ell, the proprietor of the whole peninsula of Ticon-
eroga. On a spot formerly occupied as the King\'i
rarden, Mr. P. has a fine garden, abounding in the
hoicest fruits imported from Europe, and transported
'om the celebrated nurseries of Long (sland. If it is
le intention of the traveller to cross the lalve, to the
eighbouring Vermont shore, where are still some
ight remains of Burgoyne's intrenchments, he will
e much pleased with a walk across the meadows to
le upper ferr}'-, a distance of about three-quarters of a
lile.
Between the Grenadiers^ Battery and the fortress,
le shore retains traces of many little terraces, breast-
.^orks, and buildings, such as were probably work-
lops, barracks, stores, &c.
The great mountain, which rises dark and abruptly
om the opposite shore, is
Mount Defiance, about 800 feet high, on the summit
f which Gen. Burgoyne's troops showed themselves
n the morning of July 4th, 1777, with a battery of
eavy cannon, which they had drawn up along the
;dge by night, and planted in that commanding ^osi-
on, whence they could count the men in the fort.
^he distance to the summit in a straight line is about
mile, so that the defence of Ticonderoga would have
een impossible ; and on the firing of a few shots by
le British upon a vessel in the lake, which proved the
ange of their guns, the Americans made preparations
) evacuate the place, and eflfected their retreat to the
pposite shore during the night.
The ascent of Mount Defiance is laborious, but the
iew is extremely fine from its summit. There are the
smains of Burgoyne's battery, with holes drilled in the
•)cks for blasting, and the marks of a larsre blockhouse.
184 hoi;t£ to ijanada.
Mount Independence is a hill of comparativeiy smaJ'
elevation east of Mount Defiance, and separated froni
it by the lake, uhich has here reduced its size totha!
of a small river. On a bank, just above the water,
are the remains of a zig-zag: battery for about 40 or
50 guns, rutming across a little cornfield behind a
house, and making five or six angles. The Horse- '
shoe Battery is traceable on an elevation about a
quarter of a mile in the rear. A bridge once connected
Ticonderoga with Mount Defiance, the buttresses of
which are remaining, to the great annoyance of the
uavigators of the lake ; the steauiboat passes to the
south of them. On the west shore (near the stone
storehouse), Arnold, wiien pursued by the British,
caused his flotilla to be run on shore. These hulkh
remain almost as sound as when first stranded. A
forty-two pounder is said to have ranged from the
Horseshoe over this channel (now marked by i<
buoy) and the fortress.
Alter the Kev^;lutionary war about 500 cannon were
lying about the fortress, lines, &.c. many of them as
left by the Engh'sh with their trunnions knocked off.
The mountainous region on the west side of the
Jake abounds with deer, and considerable numbers are
killed every season.
The Passage fbom Ticonderoga down Lakt:
ClIAMPLAIN
is very pleasant, abounding, the greater part of the
way to Canada, with fine natural scenes.
The improvements produced in the country en-
closing Lake Champlain, by the establishment of
steamboats and the opening of the Northern Canal,
have been very great. The produce formerly sent
southward was necessarily subject to he:.vy expenses
of transportation ; while the merchandise brought in
return was liable to delay, uncertainty, injuries by land
carriage, and exposure to tlie weather and topilferer^.i
LAKE CilAHrLALN. 185
s.-vVich are obviated, and these circumstances, it is well
cnown, produce powerful effects. The towns on the
ake, five or six years ago, were ill supplied with mer-
chandise, which is now found in abundance and cheap.
5ome of them have more than doubled their size since
1822, and numerous villages have sprung up into acti-
vity and thrift from almost nothing. New roads have
Jso been made into the interior, and mills have been
erected on the tributary streams for cutting up the sup-
plies of valuable timber in the forests. In the two
;ownships of Crown Point and Moriah, there are abou.
30 lumber mills, which will be able to furnish a million
3f pieces of timber. They contain also vast beds of
iron ore, for which forges and furnaces have been
arected. The iron region lies between the lake and
Lhe north-eastern branch of the Hudson, which heads
a miles west of it.
At Swanton, Vt., are quarries of dove-coloured and
black marble, where 300 saws are kept at work. It
is carried to New-York in considerable quantities.
Great numbers of small schooners navigate the wa-
ters of Lake Champlain, and within a few years nu-
merous canal boats, some of them fitted with masts
for schooners for sailing. Annesley's mode of building
vessels has lately been adopted here to some extent,
in which timbers are discarded, and hulls formed of
inch boards running in several thicknesses, and in cross
directions.
Only about 20 vessels sailed on this lake before the
canal was opened to the Hudson. In 1827 there were
•318 owned in the limits of the United States, with an
amount of tonnage of about 12,000. Lake vessels and
boats were employed on the canal every year to the
number of about 375.
Five Mile Point was the landing place of Gen. Bur-
goyne's expedition, as already mentioned. Mountains
appear in the west and north-west, with occasional
intervals all the way up to Crown Point ; while in the
Rorth is 3 lofty and impo.-ina" ranere, with two or three
1"86 KOI TJ; TO C'A^AUA.
peaks almost bald from the heig^ht of their eievatiou.
Summits multiply as we proceed, and distant moun-
tains arise also in the north-east ; while Mount Defiance
and other eminences towards the southbound the view
in that direction. There are scattering- farms and
houses on both shores.
There are many tish cau?:ht in some parts of the lake.
The shores are in this part strewed with the fragments
of blue limestone rock with organic remains. The
immediate shores are generally low all the way tO'
Crown Point, where the lake suddenly turns to the
west at a right angle, and at the distance of a mile as
suddenly to the north again. A low stretch of land,
covered with a youvig forest on the left, conceals the
approach to this ancient fortress, which, for position
as well as appearance and history, may be called the
twin sister ol Ticonderoga.
Chimney Pointy where the steamboat often receives
and lands passengers, is on the north side of the lake,
with a large public house in a pleasant situation ; and
here is the place to stop, if the traveller intends to
visit Crown Point, which is opposite, across a ferrjf
of u mile.
A ferry boat will take the traveller over to Crown
Point at any hour, but the steamboat proceeds imme-
diately.
TUE FOETEESS OF CSOWN PoiST.
There arc several old works thrown up along the
shore, with little bays between them. The eastern-
most is called tiie Grenadiers' Battery, the middle one
is the original old Fiench fort of 1731, and now encloses
a garden ; and that further west is an outwork to a
bastion of the fortre5;s.
The fortress is situated about a quarter of a mile
back from the shore, and appears much like Ticonde-
roga from a distance, showing the walls and chimneys
nf the old b'firrarks, -av^A wa,]ls o^ earth ^urroiin'^ins"
(JiioVviSi ioiiNi'. 187
|;ibem. iii regard to its plan, however, ii 13 mateiially
different. The fortress of Crown Point was a star
work, being in the form of a pentagon, with bastions
at the angles, and a strong redoubt at the distance of
|250 or 300 yards in advance of each of them. The
fortress is surrounded by a ditch walled in widi stone^
except where it h;is been blasted into the solid rock
of blue limestone, (^as is the case in many parts, from
five to twenty-five teet,) and even into the quartz rock
which underlays it. Univalve shells are found in the
jlimestone rock, frequently four inches in diameter.
jTlie walls are about 20 or 25 feet high, and there is a
convenient path running entirely round upon the top,
interrupted only by the gates at the north and south
sides. Although much shaded by tall sumacs,
some fine views are enjo3^ed in making the circuit,
which is not f^ir short of half a mile. It was built
in 1736.
j Opposite the north gate is a small ledge of rocks ;
and close by, the remains of a covered or subterraneous
Way to the kike shore. On entering the fortress, the
stranger finds himself in a level, spacious area, bounded
en the left, and in front, by long ruinous buildings oi"
stone, two stories high, and the first 220 feet long, while
the ruins of similar ones are seen on two sides on the
right. This parade is about 500 feet in length. The
place was surprised by Col, Warner in 1T75.
Ttie view from the walls towards the north is very
fjne : looking down the lake, which widens at the
distance of two or three miles, you have Chimney
Point on the right, and two other Points projecting
beyond* the distant peak, called OitneVs Hump. A
range of mounts ins on the weslern shore, beginning at
the distance of 18 miles, including Bald Peak, gra-
dually approach till they tbrni a near and bold boundary
to the lake on the left, scattered with cleared farms
and houses, and then stretching away to the south,
terminate in the mountains behind. This elevation,
although it seenjs almost as well calculated to com-
iou Roli'E TO CA^AUA.
rnand (Jrowu Point as Mount Defiance doe5 'I'lcofjdfc-
roga, is not less than four miles distant.
Every thing about this old fortress bears the marks
of ruin. Two magazines were blown up ; the timbers
in the south barracks are burnt black ; a portion of the
shingled roof which remains serves to cover a little
hay mow and the nests of robins ; while some of the
entrances and other parts are fenced up for a sheep
fold. The ground around it is much covered with
fragments ot blasted rocks, and, particularly at the
south, with the ruins of old buildings. The trees which
are seen have grown since the evacuation of the place ;
and on one of the angles is an inscription of the date
of the fortress.
In 1776, the British had a fleet on Lake Champlain.
composed of the following vessels : ship Inflexiblej,
Capt. Pringle, carrying 18 twelve-pounders ; two
schooners, one with 14, the other with 12 six-pounders ;
a flat-bottomed radeau with 6 twenty-fours and 6
twelves ; and 20 small craft, each carrying a gun from
nine to twenty-four pounders, and several long-boats?
besides boats for baggage stores, &;c.
The Americans had only 2 brigs, I corvette, 1 sloop^
3 galleys, and 8 gondolas, the largest vessel carrying
only 12 six and four-pounders. These were under the
command of x\rnold, who drew them up between the
island of Valincourt and the western shore, where they
were attacked. They fought four hours, and the
British at last retreated ; but while making his way
towards Crown Point, Arnold was overtaken, and
nearly all the squadron fled up the lake, passing this
place which was evacuated. Arnold remained fighting
as long as possible, and did not leave his vessel until
she had taken fire.
On making a signal at the ferry to the steamboat,
she will stop and send for a passenger. Proceeding
down the lake, the breadth of it soon increases, and at
the two islands on the right it is about 1| miles aero?-
A little further i's
Fut-iii-Bay, on the eastern shore, with an island of
he same name. A little north of this is a small island
n the right, with three bushes on it, which has hence
,btained' the name of the Scotch Bonnet. Looking
outh the lake presents a fine expanse, extending almost
Crown Point, with Bald Peak conspicuous on the
ight. .
Basin Harbour is a stoppmg place. It is very
mall, with room for only 3 or 4 vessels. At a great
listance in the N. E. is seen the Camel's Hump : fur-
her north a high mountain in Halifax, Vt.
Sloop Island, 17 miles from Burlington, is low m the
niddle, and contains several trees, which look not
nlike masts. It was mistaken for a sloop in a misty
iay, in the Revolutionary or French war, and fired
pon by a vessel, whence its name.
At Hartford the lake suddenly opens to the breadth
f several miles, and a new scene is presented to view.
)n the west side is a rounded island covered with pine
rees, like much of the shore previously seen, and
eparated from the mainland only by a narrow rent
.f about fifteen feet. Apparently just within this
perture is a rude arch of rock, like the remains of an
.ncient bridge. A beautiful bay makes up behind the
sland, of which a glimpse is caught in passing ; and a
ittle further north it opens beautifully to view, with a
mooth declining shore cultivated for several miles ;
vhile a blue range of the Alleghanies rises behind
hem, like the Catskill Mountains seen from the city
)f Hudson.
On the eastern side, the Green Mountains tower at a
listance over the wild, uncultivated shore, till a cluster
,f white buildings is discovered forming the little vil-
age of Charlotte or M'Neil's Ferry, which is backed
3y a few fields and orchards. Further north the shores
ire rocky, and rise abruptly from the water.
BURLINGTOiN,
75 miles from Whitehall.
This is the largest town on Lake Champiain, and is
situated in a commanding as well as a delightful po-
sition. The lake suddenly widens as you approach it j
from the south, and a fine semicircular bay puts up to
it from the west, surrounded by a crescent of high
ground, under the shelter of which the town is situated.
The view from the top of the hills is truly admirable ;^
embracing in the foreground the elegant gardens of \
some of the wealthier inhabitants, with the streets of
Burlington below, the curving form of the ba)', the
whole breadlii of the lake, here ten miles across, and
a noble chain ^^i distant blue mountains on the opposite
side. The college has been rebuilt. The road to
Windsor by the Gulf is very good and interesting.
The road to Montreal passes Swanton, St. Alban's,
&c. The lake is occasionally in sight ; and for a dis-
tance of six miles, round the head of Missiscoui Bay,
the road runs along the shore. At that place vast
quantities of lumber are annually collected.
■i There has lately been established here a glass-house,
on a large scale.
Port Kent, 10 miles,
is a small village on the western shore, 16 miles from
Burlington. It was begun to be built in 1824, to serve
as a port to the iron works established a little back in
the country, where there is a vast quantity of ore.
About 2000 tons of iron ore are annually made at Essex
and Clinton ; and 5000 or 6000 tons might be furnished.
it contains two large stores, a wharf, &,c.
A railway has been contemplated from this place to
Clintonville on the Sable river, where are extensive
mines of iron. The land is favourable, a!]d the wholr
11
North
>:Kidh«lat
./^ .
Fort Keiit-^ylohn's. They afterward formed at this place a che-
vanx-de-frieze in the river.
I? ?
3 94 EOUTE TO (?a:\ada.
Beyond, the shores continue low and uninierestiiii;,
with numerous cabins of settlers near the water, the
forest encroaching to within a short distance behind.
St. Joh?«'s, 10 miles.
Here the steamboat stops, at the head of the rapids,
and at the end of navigation. Stage coaches are some-
times kept in readiness to take the passengers directly
on their way to Montreal (16 miles by land, and 9
by water, on the St. Lawrence, in a steamboat). But
the arrangements are sometimes different, and it has
even been the custom often to spend a night in this
place, rhe stage house, on the left-hand, about a
quarter of a mile up the main street, is in some re-
spects an excellent house.
The village presents nothing worthy of particular
attention, except as the scene of some military deeds,
connected with the expedition of Gen. Montgomery
against this country. While the continental troops
were stationed at Isle aux Noix, in 1775, Generals
Montgomery and Schuyler invested the fort, which
contained a garrison of 5 or 600 troops, besides 200
Canadians, and was commanded by Major Preston-
Tlie siege lasted 6 weeks, and they did not capitulate
till some time after the surrender of Chambly, nor till
the Americans had brought their trenches to the walls
of the fort. They then obtained possession of 17
brass pieces, 22 iron, 7 mortars, with balls, bombs,
&c. &c.
The Canadian money is different from that of the
United States ; but in consequence of the continual
intercourse, the latter passes currently. Nine sous or
coppers, (which are of various and sometimes curious
stamps,) equal six cents. 2 sous nearly Id. and 20
cents a shilling.
The pleasantest road from St. John's to Montreal, is
by Chambly, and Longueil, (for which, see Index.)
Leaving St. John's for Montreal, by Laprairie, ^the
.AssiaiipHcn
I.L4vadie -*
LOWEK CANADA, 19,^
i3g-6 I'ouie,) the road passes about a mile along the
vestern shore of the River Richelieu, which some
imes takes the names of St. John's and Sore], in con-
equence of its running by those towns. Several
mountains are in sight, as Beloeil, Boucherville, &c.
The Rapids may be regarded as a specimen, on a
mall scale, of the numerous rapids in the St. Law-
lence, which will hereafter excite the interest, if not
he apprehension, of the stranger. The bed of the Ri-
. helieu has a rapid descent in several places, where it
omes immediately under observation, and becomes so
I hallow as to be passable for the flattest boats only
luring the floods. In the summer it is generally only
few inches deep, and the surface broken by nu-
Mierous stones of all sizes, and here and there by little
waterfalls near the shore. At the same time the
i'anks are low and flat ; the houses of one floor, white-
washed, and built at nearly equal distances, facing the
jiver; and, in short, the general character of a scene
in the St. Lawrence, may be imagined from a vic^^
here, by making allowance for its size and fertility.
I It has been proposed to make a canal to the St.
jiawrence ; but it is said that the channel of the St.
ohn's might be improved, by stone walls to confine
■he water over these rapids. The Chambly rapids
light be passed by a short canal : and the only re-
gaining obstructions till those at the mouth are at St.
lierese and Mille Roches.
The inhabitants along the road present the aspect of
jreigners, in dress, countenance, manners, customs,
nd language. Their fashions are antique, and man}^
•f them have not been changed for ages : the men
*'ear the Canadian jacket, cap, or hat, red sash, and
loccasin of rough leather. The women work labo-
iously in the field, and all of them speak French, ge-
'erally without knowing a word of any other lan-
:uage. The farms will be observed, laid out in strips
f 1 or 200 acres, flat, broad, and 1, 2, or even 3 miles
1 length : ^nd the system of farminsr is extremelv had.
106 ROUTE TO CANADA.
as Avill be discovered at once, by the acres that are
consigTied to the useless and destructive little Canada
Thistle. There is no such thing known here as the
doctrine of a rotation of crops, and land is recovered \
to fertility by lying fallow, except that lately the use J
of manure has begun to be resorted to in a small de-
gree. The horses are of a small breed, well knowii
in the northern states by the name of the country.
They are small and slow, but powerful and hardy.
Many of them are driven .icross the line, and large
horses introduced into the towns in return. The
value of a common Canadian horse is about $40 ; and
of a good one, ^60. Tht* land titles are extremely
doubtful : no register being kept, and no security
being provided by means of which the legal propriety
may be certainly ascertained. The Legislature, hoiv-
ever, have had this subject before them.
There is very little to be seen on this road to inLo-
rest the traveller, except the novelty of what he ob-
serves. There is little encouragement to settlers, 12
per cent, is payable to the Seigneur, on sales of real
estate, besides other heavy taxes of different descrip-
tions. The landscape* is unvarying : the inhabitants,
as well as the soil, are poor ; and there is nothing that
deserves the name of a village. As appears from tes-
timony received by a Committee of the British House
of Commons not lon^ since, in many cases land of ex-
actly the same description is worth from 10 to 15 shil-
lings an acre on the Vermont and iS'ew-York side of
the line, and only 1 shilling on the Canada side. We
pass a house now and then, dignified by a taJl pole or
mast raised in front of it, which is a singular mark of
distinction conceded to officers of militia, and usually
adopted by those of the lowest grades.
The people appear very happy, and have healthy
countenances, inclining to round faces and thick lips.
Many of them show the upper fronr teeth when silent ;
and their aspect, although oftentimes shrewd, denotes
a want of education, which is the real cause of thf^
LArKAlKIE. I Hi
, backward condition of society in Canada. They are
ill Catholics ; and the churches seen here and there
jpon the road, are devoted to the service of the
iomish church. One large church, lately built of grar
'tone, will be seen on the south side of the road.
l It has been suggested that a railroad might be ad-
j'antageously constructed from St. John's to Laprairie.
) The Half-Way House
js dirty and disagreeable ; but the inhabitants under-
jtand English, and it is generally stopped at only a few
ninutes. The land is divided in some places by
,i itches round the farms; and there are the channels of
jeveral small streams which cross the road. One
j'f these is passed on a bridge, just east of the stop-
Ding place.
About half a mile beyond, are some barracks built
or troops, dio'ing the late war. One of the most sin-
^^:ular traits in the domestic arrangements of the Cana-
lians, is building the oven not only out of doors, like
he Dutch, but directly over the pig sty.
The mountain from which the city of Montreal de-
lved its name, and which rises immediately behind
t, may be discovered at a great distance ; and the
jiouse of Mr. M°Tavish may be perceived, like a
vhite spot, a little distance up its side.
Some time before reaching the river, you pass an
;xtensive common, lying on the south side of tlio road.
■nd then the town of
Laprairie.
This is a large town, from which the steamboat.^
VIontreal and Edmund Henry cross several times ;i
'lay, to Montreal, 9 miles. The place is built after
j he Canadian fashion ; and very few of the inhabit-
I'nts speak English. The streets are narrow, the:
houses low. and nnthina* is to bo ppen worthy of pr^r
198 KIVER ST. LAW KEN Li:.
ticular notice, excepting; a nunnery and the churcii.
both which may seem curious to persor)s who are noi
familiar with Catholic countries ; though of inferior
interest to those of Montreal and Quebec. The nuns
possess a larg^e tract of land, nearly in the centre ot
the town, which is surrounded by a high wall : and
they devote their time to the care of the sick, and the
education of girls.
The view of Montreal from the wharf is uninter-
rupted. The city is distinguished at the distance of
9 miles, by its thick mass of buildings, roofed with I
sheets of tin, and overtopped by church spires, shining !
with the same metal. Behind it rises a line moun- J
tain, spotted with orchards ; on the right, down the
St. Lawrence, is the fortified island of St. Helen ; and
on the left, that of the Nuns, and several smaller ones
at a distance, through which are seen the sheets of
white foam caused by the rapids. The shores are
low and perfectly flat in every direction ; which, with
the wide expanse of water, gives an aspect of tire-
some monotony and extension to the scene. At a
great distance up are seen Isle Heron and others. Uni-
formity will be found characteristic of almost the
whole voyage to Qtiebec.
The current of the river will appear extremely
rapid, particularly near those parts where the surface
is broken by rocks ; but the steamboats are supplied
with engines comparatively powerful, and are able to
effect the passage with facility and in safety. It is
impossible for any boat to go through the current |
without being borne rapidly down in some places ;
and there is a part of the river near the middle, where
the water is clear, and the rocks are easily seen on ;
the bottom, as the boats glide on above them. In re-
turning, the boats sometimes pass between two rocks,
near the rapids, that on the east being under water.
Here the river is much agitated, and sometimes thrown
the water on deck without any danger.
A particular description of the various obierts if
Monti eal, and the vicinity, will be postponed for the
present ; and it is necessary here to mention only the
more prominent objects which strike the eye on the
approach.
A large tinned roof on the left, with a small steeple,
beloriijs to the convent of Gray Nuns ; further back is
the RecoUet church ; then the French Parish church,
near which is seen the Great Cathedral. The Eng-
lish Episcopal church has a tall pyramidal spire ; and
that which rises farther to the right, and near the shore,
is the church of Bon-secours. From some places
may be seen the top of Nelson's monument, with se-
veral other remarkable objects, particularly the bar-
racks, on the right, behind the remnant of the old city
wall.
MONTREAL.
hns. Masonic Hall,* at the north end of the city,
with a piazza over the bank : Goodenough's, St.
Paul's-street ; Mansion house, do. by Martinant. Also
Jiamp's hotel. These are all large houses, and por-
ers will be found on the shore belong:ing to each, who
.vill convey the luggage, and show the way.
l, The landing place is unpleasant, and the stranger
nay be struck with the narrowness of the streets, the
owness and heavy aspect of the houses, which are of
I -tone or plastered to resemble it : but all this is in
j conformity with the tashion of the country ; and Mon-
;real contains many fine buildings and other objects
-vorthy of notice, together with a vicinity which in
he warm season of the year is truly delightful.
Those who remain but a short time in this city,
aay easily pay a hasty visit to the principal objects of
ij ' ' Tlic Masonic Hall is the most expensive hotel in Montreal. It is
( ept l)y Mr. Riasco, an Italian, and has a restauratit in the French fa-
Sl 1 lion, wJiere the stranger may select his dinner from a lonj; bill of fare.
■., I 'lie hifjliest rate of board, including private parlour, &c. is 11. 5s. pei
! ly- The main, building is 4 !5torics high, and the two wings 3.
< uriosity ; and are recommended to vMm a walK
through the two principal streets, and to notice the
following buildings and places.
At the north end of St. Paul's-street are the Bar-
racks. Above these are the Hospital and Public
Baths. Just above the Masonic Hall, is the French
church of Bon-secours, which, like the other Canadian
religious buildings generally, is formed much on the
plan of those in France. The roofs are, however,
generally covered with tin, which is not much used in
other countries. This is near the northern limit of
Montreal, beyond which begins the Qpebec suburb.
Masonic Hall, on the eastern side of the street.
Theatre, adjoining the Masonic Hall.
Market Place'^ and JVelsoyi's Monument. Then fol-
lows a double row of shops. On the east side are
several, which show articles of Indian manufacture
for sale. These, however, had better be bought at the
nunneries, if it is intended to visit them.
Tlie Black Nuns' Garden, Convent, and Chapel, are
on the west side of the street. The wall is very high.
The porter at the gate will give admission and direc-
tions, but in French. Visiters are expected to pur-
chase a few articles of nuns' or Indian manufacture.
It is most agreeable to go in parties.
The New Cathedral and Old Parish Church ai*e
close by : a short street leads to them, west.
TiiE New Cathedral
is probabl}^ the largest church in North America, un-
less exceptions are to be made in favor of Mexico. Thij:
edifice is at present partly concealed by the old Ca-
thedral, which is to be removed on its completion, to
leave the front open to a large square : the Place
d'Armes. It was commenced in 1825, and the walls
raised and the roof partly finished at the close c '
1 r.?ri' jv.arlvOf h to be bni'* Inst^a't of thr oT''.
iti^l. Mr. O^Donnell, the architect employed in su-
perintending the work, ^ave the plan, which is partly
:opied from some of the European models of the 13th,
I4th, and 15th centuries, Jt is of the plainest style
:hat can bear the name of Gothic : any exuberance of
:)rnament being inconsistent with a climate so severe as
.hat of Canada.
It is 255 feet lonp: from Avest to east, and 134 feet
iivide. It was designed to have six quadrangular
:owers, each 200 feet high : 3 on each flank, and 2 at
3ach end. The curtain, or space between the front
iowers is 73 feet by 119, and has parapets. There
lire 5 public entrances and 3 private to the first floor,
md 4 to the galleries. The building can contain
10,000 persons, which number may assemble and dis-
perse in a few minutes. The eastern window over
.he high altar is 32 by 64 feet, and is to be divided by
ihafts and muUions for stained glass. The groins of
:he ceiling are painted in fresco. The ceiling will be
30 feet high, groined and partly supported by a double
ange of grouped columns, intersected by rails. The
:ircuit of the edifice is 1125 feet.
There are to be 7 altars. The floor rises gradually
From the entrance to the high altar. The house is to
3e warmed by heated air from stoves under the floor.
The exterior is faced with hewn stone, from the moun-
tain. A promenade 75 feet by 25, elevated more than
100 feet between the towns will command a noble
view. It is now roofed, and nearly completed.
Goodenough's Hotel is on the west side, in a court
yard. — Further on, a street on the opposite side brings
you in sight of the
Gray A?s exposed to the United States, and
practicable in lake vessels of 125 tons. It is a great
undertaking, and when completed, which it will proba-
bly be in a few years, will afford a most interesting
episode to the travellers' tour. It will present a com-
bination of fine natural objects and noble structures of
art. Those who have leisure, will be pleased with a
view of some of the works in their unfinished state.
Others may perhaps read with gratification a brief
description of some of the principal objects on the
route. Stage coaches run to By town in connexion
wilh steari! boats.
At Merrick's Snie, are to be 3 locks of 8 feet lift ;
and a dam, 7 feet high and 180 long, at the head of it,
to lift the Rideau river into the Snie. Considerable
excavations of earth and rock in the Snie.
At Edmund's Rapids, a dam 8 feet high, and 400
long ; and a lock of 6 feet lit\. The excavalions, both
A earth and rock, are considerable. Near Philip's, at
the same rapids, is another dam, 8 feet high and 250
long ; and a lock of 6 feet lift.
At the Old Slys, on the Rapids of Smith's Fall, is
a dam 18 feet high and 210 long ; and two locks of 8
feet lift.
At the First Rapids is a dam 9 feet in height an4
250 in length, with a lock of 7 feet lift. There is
also an embankment of wood and clay, 2 miles lons:^
THE OTTAWA KIVEB. 209
At Cfaaffey's Mills is a dam 30 feet high and 80 wide,
vvith two locks of 9 feet lift.
\t Nicholson's Rapids is a dam 16 feet high and 240
ong: ; a lock of 10 feet lift, and an embankment 8 feet
,iii8;h and 280 in length, &c. &c.
The stone was found convenient on the ground, and
,ilso lime, wood, and stone.
1 The Rideau Canal will open to a navigable con-
.lexion a vast extent of country, and if extended be-
yond the Rideau Lake,* would lead to the shores of
akes and rivers, as yet imperfectly known, as indeed
j re those through which the canal already lies. The
load from Kingston to Montreal crosses the Rideau
!^anal at Tuttle's hill, and a new village called Ever-
•:reen.
. Boats go from Montreal up the Grand River to the
nouth of the Rideau, and the commencement of the
;anal, by the La Chinp and GrenvilJe canals. A pas-
. age may now be easily obtained in steamboats. The
I'Villiam Kingy a boat built on the Annesley plan, began
in 1839 to run between Hawkesbury, Grenville, and
[iull, in connexion with a line.
Bytown is situated at the junction of the Rideau and
Dttawa ; it is 120 miles from Montreal, and 150 from
* Xearly west from tlie city of Montreal, distant about 20 miles, tlm
Mtatva river from the west fails into one of tlic baysof tlieSt. Lawrence,
['he Ottawa is itself a large and navigable stream, rising in the recesses
)f tlie Chippewa country, live or six hundred miles north-west from the
sland and city of Montreal ; flowing north-ea*t until within about 120
niles above its mouth, receivps Rideau, and assuming a nearly easterly
lirecrion, communicates with the St. Laurence, as already stated.
Tlie Rideau is a small, but an impottant river, rising in Leeds county,
owrisliip of Kitley, Lower Canada, within 30 miles of the St. Lawrence,
n the lower end of the Thousand Islands. At its s^ource the Rideau is
A slu<;;gish stream, and in no part of its course much impeded by falls ;
its entire length, however, is not above 60 miles ; course north-east nearly.
Near the head of the Rideau, and on the .^ame table land, extends lake
Gannonoqui, discharging its waters into the St. Lawrence, 20 miles below
Kingston, and the botiom of lake Ontario. The entire distance from
Sie month of tfie Ottawas to that of tlie Gannonoqui, by the route of tlie
intended canal, is nearly 190 miles, and by the St. Lawrence 160. The
';anal route, therefoip. ('Yrr.o,|.7riTit nf tlm *=t T.^iw-vfripp. nsin fnl6 — O;
^210 KOUTE IX CANADA.
Kingston, and is expected to become an important
place from its situation. The Rideau received its ,
French name from the beautiful cascade, like a white i
curtain^ with which it descends 27 feet, into the
Ottawa. North of the town the Ottawa is about a
mile in breadth. It has a fall of 32 feet, and is diver-
sified with numerous islands. Below the fall the water
is very deep ; and the Rideau Canal here descends to i
it down a narrow cleft in a precipitous bank by eight ^i
Jocks of fine stone work, ten feet lift. The canal, on i
gaining the eminence, passes through the village, and
opens upon a large beaver meadow of 250 acres, )
which receives a branch canal from Lake Chaudiere
on the Ottawa, and will form a large basin for timber.
A little south of the town is a mountainous ridge,
through which the canal passes by a natural notch, j
The western part of the village is situated on high
and commanding ground ; and an hospital and military
barracks have been erected on the Cape, at an eleva-
tion of 200 feet above the river. This is capable of
being rendered impregnable, and has attracted the
attention of English engineers.
Co66'5 Cave is an extensive cavern, discovered in
1828 by a lady.
Bytown was a wilderness in 1826 ; and in 1827 con-
tained 2000 inhabitants, with a market, school-house,
and four churches built and building. It is likely to
become a place of screat trade, even in furs ; and there
are mines of iron, lead, and tin, and quarries of marble
in the vicinity.
The Great Ottawa Bridge.' — This is an immense
structure, of bold design and admirable worknanship.
The first two arches on the Lower Canada side, are
each sixty feet span, and of store, extending over the
two channels on that side of the Kettle. Then follows
a piece of wooden bridge, rising on trestles, which
brings the traveller to an island, beyond which is a
rapid and tumultuous current, called the Chaudiere
Or^at Kettle. Over thi<5 an attempt was made, which
TUE ST. LAWUEACJi;. i^I T
.vas repeated in 1828 with success, to throw a mag-
fnficent arch, of 220 feet span. Two arches cross the
J mailer channels on the other side.
i From the bridge a tine road had been opened in the
jipper province to the village. A wooden bridge on
ihis road, 114 feet span, crosses a gulley.
: Hull is opposite Bytown, connected with it by the
treat Ottawa L>ridge. This township belongs to
Philemon Wright, Esq. an American farmer of great
iffluence and experience. His settlement, called
'iVrightstowu, is seen from Bytown, being situated at
jfae Falls.
ii
Route from Montreal to Niagara.
(For this route see pages 104 to 109.)
j ROUTE FROM MONTREAL TO QUEBEC.
Road to Quebec.
Notwithstanding the common prejudices against
[ravelling by land in Canada, which are entertained
|iy many persons not acquainted with the country, it
5 recommended to those who may find it convenient,
a make arrangements for performing a part of the
'ourney in this manner, eithei- going or returning.
The country is mdeed a dead level, but it is entirely
educed to cultivation, thickly populated, and blessed
vith good roads. The way lies along the very margin
)f the St. Lawrence, passing an almost uninterrupted
uccession of dwellings, and supplied with many com-
oriable and some good inns, which will be particu-
arly mentioned.
As the strength of the current makes the passage of
he steamboats up the river about 12 hours longer than
hat down, it would on this account be better to return
jj land ; and this course would certainly be recom-
nended, but for the greater difficulty of obtaining good
:arriages in (Quebec. It is to be hoped that regulai^
'li'i KOLTI: TO UUJJBEU.
coaches will eie long be established to run betweeii
the two cities ; for, at present, it is necessary to hire
a caleche, or a stage coach, at a pretty high price.
At Three Rivers (Trois Rivieres), 60 miles, the tra-
veller may dismiss his carriage, and enter the steam-
boats, which regularly stop there up and down.
Steamboat to Quebec
Leaving Montreal in the steamboat, you pass under
the fort on St. Helen's Island, the steeples and cupolas '
of the city being seen nearly in the following order be-
ginning at the south end ; Gray Nuns', Ricolet Church.
Black Nuns', New and Old Cathedrals, Episcopal
Church, Nelson's Monument, Bon-secour Church.
Near the last, on the shore, is the Masonic Hotel, then
the Barracks, Waterworks, and Baths, the beginning*
of the Quebec suburbs, the residences of Judge Reed
and Mr. Malson, with terraced gardens towards the
river, &c. A little below is Malson's Brewery, and
the late Sir John Johnson's residence, (a grandson of
Sir William Johnson, for whom seepage 57.) The
house is of brick, with a piazza.
The Rapids of St. Mary are between the island and
these last-mentioned objects, and run with such rapidity
that steamboats are sometimes obliged to be drawn up
by cattle a little distance.
Longueil, just below St. Helen's.
Longue Pointe, 6 miles (2 leagues) from Montreal.
Vercheres, on the east side.
Varennes has a church with double spire.
Pointe aux Trembles, 9 miles, (3 leagues.) Here is
a nunnery, in which is a pretty large school for girls.
There are two good inns in the place.
Bout de risk. Here is no village, but only a ferry.
Contrecosur, on the east.
Repentigny, a pretty village.
At this place it is recommended to the traveller by
!aj>d. to make a deviation from the direct road along:
DSThroori -*''■•
Ti{Ai>E Oi- TILE. ST. LAWKEKCi:. :iK>
he river, if he finds it convenient, to see the delightful
country between it and the town of Assomption. There
s a beautiful road on each bank, varied with houses
md trees. Return so as to strike the road near St,
>ulpice.
St. Sulpice, 24 miles (8 leagues) from Montreal.
La Moraye.
Bertkier. Here is an excellent inn, kept by a man
rom the United States, whose wife is a Canadian.
Machiche is a pretty town, at the mouth of the
liviere du Loup, and has a very neat and comfortable
nn, of the best Canadian stamp, and famous for many
ailes round. Many French customs are still preserved
»y the unmixed inhabitants of the St- Lawrence, some
I which are agreeable and interesting. At many of
he inns, the traveller vvill receive the most kind and
lospitable attentions, and will find great gratification
1 observing the handsome flower-gardens, as well as
he neat arrangement of the furniture. At this house
5 a handsome collection of green-house plants.
There is very little variety to be discovered in the
latural surface of the ground, but the journey through
his region presents almost an unvarying scene of cul-
ivation and fertility. For a great part of the distance,
here is a narrow strip of corn or potatoes between the
oad and the river's bank, to correspond with the fields
vhich stretch off to such a distance on the other hand ;
nd the variety of crops, and the occasional rows and
lumps of trees, remove, in a good degree, the natural
ameness of the landscape.
Navigation and Trade of the St.
Lawrence, &c.
Steamboats are of the utmost importance on this great
iver, for they contribute extremely to the convenience
«d expedition of travelling, and render most valuable
:ssistance to commerce. There are many steamboats
^mstantly employed betweeu Montreal and Quebec,
^^14 ROl/TE TO UUliJlEC.
most of them fitted to accommodate passe tigers, a;
well as to carry freight, and all provided with power-
ful engines. In 1828 a passage was made from Que-
bec to Montreal, in a steamboat, in 20 hours and 40 jj
minutes — the shortest ever known. The principal |
article of export from Canada ie lumber, a great dtali
of which is carried to Quebec in immense rafts, and
then shipped for England. These rafts have usually
a great number of sails to hoist in a fair wind, with
huts to shelter the men from the weather, so that they
have a very sii)gular appearance, and at a little dis-
tance look like a fleet of sail boats. The population
of Lower Canada is estimated at about 200,000.
The French Canadians, notwithstanding the common
prejudices against them, appear, on acquaintance, to
be an intelligent people. They certainly are amiable,
cheerful, and gay, and their backwardness in improve-
ments is attributable to the system under which they
live. They are generally brought up in great igno-
rance, and they are taught to dislike and avoid not
only the Protestant principles, but Protestants them-
selves. The author has the word of one of thein
priests for stating, that not more than one-sixth of the
population are ever taught to read or write. In New-j
England, as is well known, the law provides for the
instruction of every child, without exception : and
every child is actually instructed. Books and news-
papers, therefore, lose their effect as well as theii
value among these people. The British government
have encouraged schools here, but until lately, almo.*-*
without success. Among those regions where Englisi
and Scotch have settled, instruction is gaining ground
and in Montreal, the public schools are rising in im
portance : but it is to be feared that the Catholi'
priests will long continue to oppose the extension o
real knowledge, and that while they retain their in
fluence, the character of the people will remain dt
pressed.
The " Procedure'^ ot Canada is founded on the edic;
TOWN OF S'JEEL. 21 Of
)t Louis 14th, of 1667, and is the basis of the Civil
Jode. There were no lawyers before the conquest
'n 1759, when they were created; and martial law
Drevailed from that time till 1774. The trial byjury
N-ds introduced in 1785 ; and the constitutional charter
n 1791.
There are many signs of prosperity exhibited by the
farmers between Montreal and Three Rivers, in the
extension or erection of buildings. On each farm is
jsually to be seen about half an acre of Indian corn,
vhich will furnish 18 or 20 bushels ; and it is the cus-
lom not to build fences, the cattle being kept from the
and, and fed on weeds until the crops are off.
' The houses are generally of one story, and are built
i)f wood or stone, according to the nature of the coun-
iry. Some of them are formed of squared timbers,
md even of round logs ; but the latter are usually em-
ployed for the construction of barns only, which are
l)ften covered with thatch. The houses and barns are
I'requently composed of several small buildings, erected
it different periods, according to the capacity or neces*
ities of the proprietors.
William Henry, or Sorel,
i 45 7niles, or 15 leagues, from Montreal
I This toAvn, though quite small, is one of the princi-
|Dal places between the two capitals. It is on the
1 50uth side of the St. Lawrence, at the mouth of the
Sorel, or Richelieu, in a very sandy situation; and
:ontains nothing worthy of notice except a little old
I :hurch, a palisadoed fort, and a neat little square, at
I he distance of a short walk, surrounded with several
laretty white houses, a church, &c. a little in the New-
England style. The fences are generally low, and
! iiford the sight of gardens.
The flowers which abound in the Canadian gardens
ire principally roses, carnations, sweet-williams, can-
210 ROUTE TO QUEBEC.
didus, monthly roses (blossoming only a part of the
year).
As the steamboats usually stop here half an hour or
more, there is time enough to go on shore. The popu-
lation principally consists of disbanded soldiers, so that
the dwellings are generally poor, and most of the peo-
ple speak some dialect of English. The garrison con-
tains only 30 or 40 men in time of peace, and the com-
manding officer has a pretty residence opposite the
town, where the fields have a green and fertile ap-
pearance.
The Government House stands about three-quarters
of a mile beyond the town. It is a large red building,
with barracks near it. The boat turns round on leav-
ing Sorel, and returns to the St. Lawrence, the distant
land beginning to have some elevation.
On the opposite point. Gen. Montgomery erected
batteries on taking the place, in 1776, and prepared
rafts and floating batteries, which maintained an en-
gagement with the ships in which Gov. Carleton at-
tempted to escape to Q,uebec, and drove him back
towards Montreal. He afterward passed them in an
open boat at night ; but his vessels fell into the hands
of the Americans.
Bertkier is on the opposite side of the St. Lawrence,
but out of sight, being behind several low islands.
Some of the steamboats stop there instead of at Sorel.
There is a ferry across.
Lake St. Peter.
On entering this large tract of water, the shores at
the opposite end appear like mere lines upon the hori-
zon, the land being still so flat near the river as to
seem hardly sufficient to prevent it from overflowing.
A vessel at the opposite end appears like a mere
-^peck, the length of the lake being 20 miles.
Powte dn Jjor. or Woorllands, is seen on (he northern
THREE KIVEKS. 217
.shore, when nearly across ; but it is situated beyond
the lake. A ridge of hi^h land continues on the north,
: following; the course of the river.
Opposite Woodlands is JVicolet, 9 miles from Three
I Rivers. The place is large, and contains an English
and a French church, together with a nunnery, and a
college, founded by the Catholic bishop of Quebec.
* Three Rivers, [Trois Rivieres,] Half way.
This is the largest town between Montreal and Qjue-
I bee, and is 96 miles from the former, and 84 from the
latter. The streets are generally straight, and regu-
larly built, though narrow ; and t?ite houses, although
^'leat, are generally only one or two stories high, with
windows in the roofs, and being principally plastered,
iiiave rather a dark aspect, like those of Montreal. It
[contains shops of various sorts, and several inns of a
decent appearance.
The Nunnery is in the east part of the town, and
lias extensive grounds connected with it.
The Chapel of the Convent has a number of pic-
tures, of which the one on the right of the main altar
is the best : Magdalen weeping. The Parish Church
is in the south part of the town. Two large buildings,
formerly the Court House and Jail, with the Nunnery,
I are the principal objects.
I While the American forces were on the retreat from
Quebec, in 1775, Gen. Sullivan sent Gen. Thompson
, down from Sorel to attack this place. He went down
the right bank of Lake St. Peter, and landed 9 miles
'from the town; but being discovered and misled, he
(ound Gen. Frazer drawn up in order of battle, while
Gen. Nesbit was sent to cut off his retreat ; and the
battle, which immediately commenced, was short and
! disastrous to the assailants, who lost their commander,
and many officers and soldiers, as prisoners, although
llhey had few killed. After several hours we ap-
proarh
T e
2U' ROUTE TO QUEBEC .
Le Bigmux, a village on the south side of tlie iiver.
known by its double-spired church. It stands on a
steep bank, about 60 feet high, and marks the com-
mencement of the Richelieu rapids.
The river here winds between broken banks, and
the number of cottages is so great as to make the scene
more animating. A few blue, but not lofty, mountains
are seen down the river.
Rapids of Richelieu.
The river, which is about two miles wide, here
runs with great velocity, particularly the first three
miles ; but the wat-T is deep, and the surface unbro-
ken, except near the shores, which are lined with in-
numerable loose round stones and rocks, extremely
dangerous to vessels when they get among them.
These rocks seem placed with much regularity, form-
ing two ranges, and making the water appear as if it
had a gradual swell from both sides to the middle of
the river. Although the navigation of this part of the
St. Lawrence requires great skill and caution in other
vessels, steamboats pass with security ; yet, on account
of the force of the current at ebb tide, even they are
obliged to vary their hours of leaving Quebec, in such
a way as to have the flood through the rapids. Ves-
sels are often seen waiting at the bottom of the rapids
for a change of tide, or for a steamboat to tow them
up. The rapids extend about nine miles.
Si. Antoine, on the south bank, is 18 miles (6 leagues)
from Quebec. The mountain seen towards the north-
east is that of Lorette, and the bank on that side makes
a beautiful slope to the river, agreeably varied by
cultivated fields, interrupted by occasional patches of
woodland : on the side of the ridge, about midway
from the water to the top, passes the road. The south
shore, on the contrary, continues high and abrupt, and
nearly perpendicular, with innumerable cottasres peeiv
insT over the bronv
j WOLFE'S COVE. i\'J
li
r Poinie aux Trembles ^ 3. \i\hge on the north shore.
•- The river is about the same breadth all along- Iiere,
viz. about two miles, although it appears much nar-
rower ; the depth is about five fathoms, and the tide
irises 14 or 15 feet. Notwithstanding the thickness of
the population on the shores, the country is a wilder-
ness only about four miles back, being comprehended
in what is called the King''s Hunting Ground, which ex-
tends from Three Rivers, 40 or 50 miles below this place.
Jacques Cartier, 30 miles from Quebec. This is a
village on the north side, situated at the mouth of the
i river of the same name, which is likewise distinguished
by the name of the first explorer of the river St. Law-
rence. Here are the remains of the first church built
in Canada.
1 Carouge Creek, on the north side. Here a pretty
view opens, for a few minutes, into the interior, on the
i north shore, showing the Indian village of Lorette, at
I the distance of three or four miles, with an extent of
; beautiful land, and a range of fine mountains in the
i rear.
I Chaudiere River is a little below, with a rock on
the lower side, at its mouth.
I Looking down the St. Lawrence, part of Point Levi
I IS seen, covered with white buildings, one of which is
the church. It is opposite Quebec, which remains for
I a considerable distance invisible. The banks rise to
I a greater and greater height, and present every variety
of surface.
Sillery Cove is a mile below, above which was
fought the final battle between the English and French,
in 1759, after the capture of Quebec by General Wolfe,
which completed the conquest of Canada. At the
village are the remains of the first church ever built
in Canada.
Wolfe's Cove is behind the next point. This is the
place where Wolfe landed in the night, and up the
precipitous bank he climbed with his troops, after-
ward drawing up his cannon. Here Gen. Arnold
J2U QLCliEC.
afterward took up his troops, in 1755. There i> a re-
markable rock projecting from the bank, at the head
of the cove, a little to the right of which is seen a
road running up the hill, at the place where the troops
went up, when there was nothing but a footpath.
The spot is about a quarter of a mile west of a large
yellow house above the bank.
Cape Diamond is the abrupt bluff in which termi-
nates the high land on the north, and under the oppo-
site side of which Quebec is situated. It is 348 feet
high, and the fortified lines on its brow belong to the
city walls, and the citadel, which is included by them.
The telegraph is raised on the Cavaliers' Battery, and
the round buildings on the ridge are Martello towers,
which serve as advanced works to the fortress. The
opposite point is Point Levi ; and the mountains of
St. Anne and Tourmente appear many miles down the
river.
General Montgomery was killed just at the base of
Cape Diamond, in attacking a blockhouse on the
shore, in 1775.
QUEBEC.
The Lower Town of Quebec begins near this spot,
and stretches along at the foot of the rock, while the
Upper Town soon begins to open to view above,
though the principal part of it is on the top and the
opposite side.
The harbour requires a pier for its protection, on
account of the extreme rapidity of the currents caused
by the tide, and particularly the ice. The subject
has been recommended to the government.
The Castle of St. Louis, or the Governor's House,
overhangs the precipice, being built on supporters ;
and makes a conspicuous appearance, interrupting the
city wall, which encloses the Upper Town.
The new Monument to Wolfe and Montcalm is also
visible from some points on the river.
But (lie current is too swift to allow much time for
■ jbsertation before arriving at the wharf, where the
traveller will find servants in waiting from the prin-
cipal public houses in the city : these are all in the
Upper Town, the ascent to which is intricate as well
as steep and laborious, so that the stranger will want
their assistance as guides.
1 Inns. Union Hotel, Mr. Lemoine's Boarding House,
Malhiot's.41 St. John's-street, La Fontaine's, opposite.
A book called the " Picture of Quebec" is recom-
mended to the traveller.
j The Lower Town is crowded and dirty, and con-
tains no decent public houses. After three or four
turns, you begin to ascend Mountain-street, which is
very steep and laborious, and leads to a gate in the
city wall, which is very massive, built in the old Eu-
ropean style, of solid stone, very thick, with narrow
passage ways for carriages and footmen, and a guard
;chamber above, with loop-holes for musketeers. On
the right, after passing this gate, is a battery of heavy
I guns ; and the road in that direction, by the city wall,
conducts to within a few steps of Mr. Lemoine's. On
the contrary, to go to the other houses mentioned, it is
necessary to follow the street which opens a little to
'the left, and leads into the midst of the city.
' A walk to the Esplanade, in the highest part of the
I city, by the wall, is very delightful at morning oreve-
Ining, as it commands a fine view ; but Cape Diamond
i the finest of all.
It is recommended to the stranger to seize the first
, pleasant days to make excursions to the Falls of Mont-
morency, the village of Lorette, &c. which will be
jmore particularly spoken of hereafter; and it will be
i found much better, on several accounts, to set out as
1 early in the morning as possible.
! The walls of Quebec enclose the upper part of the
hill, and a little of its declivity on the north side ; but
I the space is so small that the buildings are extremely
♦-crowded tos-ether, and the streets are as closely built.
.222 <4U£BEC. , •
as in the largest cities. V^eiy few of the private
houses present any thing- remarkable, but there are
many public buildings worthy of particular attention.
Population, in 1825, about 22,000. A traveller, in
1828, arrived here from N. York (684 miles) in 75
hours, by regular route.
The French Parish Church stands on one side of the
public square, facing the barracks, where is also the
seminary. The church contains little that is re-
markable, the whole interior appearing rather ordi-
nary, and the pictures having little to boast of: the
principal of them are a Holy Family, an Ascension,
Crucifixion, Descent of Tongues, and Last Supper.
The College, which stands a little to the right in
coming out of the church, is a large stone building in
which a considerable number of youth are educated
by priests, and may be distinguished in the city by
wearing the long black gown, sash, and cornered cap,
common to such institutions in Catholic countries.
The Chapel of the Seminary, which stands a little
left from the principal gate, contains the best collec-
tion of pictures, it is said, in all Canada : beginning
on the right-hand near the door, is a picture of the
Virgin Mary attended by angels, &,c. ; in the first
chapel on that side is a picture of the Crucifixion, over
the altar ; on the right, the Baptism of the Ethiopian,
John's Baptism, St. John ; on the left, a portrait, St.
Peter receiving the keys, infant Saviour, Devotees,
&c. on the church wall, next is a good picture un-
known, then the Ascension, and Interment of the Sa-
viour ; and over the high altar, a Holy Family, and
Dove descending ; what appears to be some priest's
dream ; on the left side, is the Descent of Tongues,
and an Angel visiting a saint in prison, good ; over
the altar in the remaining chapel, is the Baptism in
the Wilderness, with a number of poor pictures ; and
in the church- are an Evangelist, Wise Men presenting
gifts, kc.
In two gilt boxes, one on each side of the high altar.
CASTLE OK ST. LOtlJ;. 2!S?0
;ire two skulls, with several human bones, placed
against red silk, which are regarded with supersti-
tious reverence, as holy and perhaps miraculous relics ;
a lamp is kept constantly burning under that on the
I left-hand.
The Barracks are in a large stone building opposite
, the church, which was formerly the Jesuits' College :
I it is three and four stories high, forming an angle like
an L, each side of which is about 200 feet long.
Here are quartered the troops which garrison the city ;
, they have heretofore consisted of two regiments of
I infantry, two companies of artillery, and one of sap-
' pers and miners. The Exchange^ a new edifice, will
^ also contain a Reading Room.
' Convents. There are two convents in Quebec ; one
] of them has about 40 Ursulines^ who have a large
, convent and church near the prison, in the west part
I of the city, and keep a large school for girls. The
I other convent is lower down, and contains an hospital
j for diseases of the lighter kinds ; while the most se-
rious and severe are treated at the nunnery near the
St. Charles's River, about 1^ miles above the town.
These institutions, however, are not now open to vi-
siters as they formerly were ; at least it is generally
impossible to gain access to them.
The Hotel Dieu is an hospital, under the care of
Nuns ; and the Emigration Hospital affords relief to
sick strangers.
Tiie Arsenal is near the palace gate, and contains
' about 100,000 stand of arms, arranged with great re-
gularity.
,' The Castle of St. Louis is a large building, but makes
I a less imposing appearance than v;hen seen from the
water. The street beyond commands a fine view ;
and there are several beautiful terraced gardens formed
I on the steep side of the rock, almost overhanging^ the
1 buildings in the lower town.
j The fortifications of the city on the land side are
j strong, and worthy of particular attention ; as before
221 uLi-iij^c.
remarked, they may be examined wiih mitiebi ujr
taking a walk in that direction, in the morning or
evening-.
St. Louis's Gate is the highest city gate, and the
street of the same name conducts to it ; this leads to
the famous Plains of Abraham. The monuments toL
Wolfe and Montcalm will be erected in the Upper
Garden.
The Esplanade Battery lies between St. Louis and
8t. John's gates, and contains 12 cannon and 4 mor-
tars, with magazines built where they could not be
injured by an enemy's shot. The ground slopes in
such a manner as to expose a large extent of country
lo view : the fine fertile plain beyond St. Charles's
River, the beautiful ridge of lands beyond, with the
villages of Lorette, Charlebourg and others ; the St.
Lawrence on the right, with Point Levi, the Isle of
Orleans, and the fine ranges of distant mountains. The
mouth of the Montmorency can easily be discerned,
on the left bank of the St. Lawrence, about 9 miles
from the city ; that is the spot where the falls are to
be seen, and the battle ground where Gen. Wolfe
made an unsuccessful attack on the French Gen. Dies-
kau, before the capture of the city.
Mounting- to the parapet near the gate of St. Louis,
the plan ot the defences may be in part discerned,
even by an unpractised eye ; and by descending and
passing through the gate, the strength of the place will
be better understood. The walls of the city, the
bastions, and other works, are from 20 to 30 ^et in
height, and formed of stone. The path is made to
turn several abrupt angles, in order to expose the ap-
proach to raking fires. In coming towards the gate
t'rom the country, at the first angle, the stranger is
brought to face 8 cannon, placed in two rows, at the
second angle 2, and at the third 2 ; at the fourth he
sees 3 on the right and 3 on the left ; and at the fifth
finds himself in front of the gate, which has a gun ou
its top. The gate is of very heavy and durable ma-
THE CITAUEX,. 223
iioury, and ihe passage through it is a darJs; arched way,
ibout 55 feet long"; it is closed by two heavy doors,
with wickets so placed as not to face each other.
] Near the Hospital is part of the old French wall,
iibout 50 feet high, which contains gentlemen's gar-
dens,
1 The Citadel,
on Cape Diamond, is designed for a place of impreg-
riable strength. It has been gradually progressing for
ji number of years, and is not expected to be soon
bompleted. Admission may be usually obtained by
ipplicalion to the proper officers, and necessary in-
brmation may be gained at the hotels. The British
government intended to devote 5000/. per annum on
hese works ; but as the money is sometimes delayed,
hey are occasionally exposed to some interruptions.
In 1827 about 78,000/. were still thought necessary to
•ender the citadel defensible.
Most of the works are new, though some parts
^f the old have been made to serve. They include
ive or six acres, on the very summit of Cape Diamond,
md extend to the verge of the precipice, 348 feet
ibove the St. Lawrence. There are to be four bas-
ions and one demi-bastion, a ravelin, in advance of the
vvestern bastion, and other out-works. The walls are
ibout 40 t'eet high, and built perpendicularly, of fine
tiewn stone ; the ditch being blasted out of the solid
"ock, and about 50 feet wide. After making two an-
gles on the west of the gate, the new walls join the
Did.
The Casemates. Entering the gates and passing
jehind the wall, a continued line of large rooms is
discovered following the wall, built of substantial
Drick work, and arched over head with such strength
iS to be bomb-proof. These rooms, which are known
by the technical name of Casemates, are about 50
«et lonsf. 20 wide, and 16 or 18 high, each to be
2it) ULEJJEC.
lighted by a door and two small windows, looking in-
ward, and pierced at the other side, with jfive loop
holes each, for musketry. These loop holes are on
the new plan, narrow inside, and opening with steps
faced with iron, to prevent musket shot from glancing
in. There are to be about 40 casemates : these are all
towards the land side, the natural defence of the pre-
cipice over the water being sufficiently strong to pre-
vent the attempts of an enemy in that direction. The
casemates will communicate with each other by fold-
ing doors, which may be thrown open the whole
length of the bomb-proofs, and will then furnish space
for the whole garrison (from 3000 to 5000 men)" to
parade at once.
The Subterranean Passage leads from a little stair-
case in the bastion next east of tho gate, under the
ditch, to a small out-work with two or three casemated
rooms. The stairs are so narrow as to admit onl;^ one
person at a time, and are constructed in a spiral form,
and in the neatest manner. The passage, which is
about 130 feet long, has also two branches where
guards might be placed to prevent intrusion. The
cooking rooms, for part of the garrison, are near the
second bastion ; and over the whole are to be mounted
large cannon.
Brock's Battery, a work of wood and earth, raised
during the late war with the United States, is to be
partly retained and converted into a Cavaliers' Bat-
tery. This, as well as the magazines, barracks, offi-
cers' quarters, &c. is within the works ; and at the
corner next the river and town, is the old Cavaliers'
Battery, a very heavy stone building, originally erected
for the palace of the French governors of Quebec :
below it, at the water's edge. Gen. Montgomery was
killed. It has dark vaults, the walls are six feet thick,
near the ground, and from the Telegraph on the top is
one of the finest views that can be imagined : the
broad surface of the St. Lawrence lies below, and
stretches off far to the right and left : the whole cif,^
CAPE D^A3I0^■D. 227
of Quebec is crowded too:elher almost beneath you,
while Point Levi, with its white buildings, is seen op-
' posite, with a long stretch of lofty shores. Turning
■ the eye in the opposite direction, the beautiful ridge
i of land, which begins many miles down the river on
the northern side, and rises with a gentle swell from
the shore, covered with the richest and most varied
^ display of cultivation, offers a most delightful view
over an extensive and fertile region, beautiful in form,
■ divided into innumerable portions, cultivated by a
'dense and industrious population, and scattered with
j their clustered dwellings. On the left appears, among
other villages, that of Lorette, with the Montreal road
fornine miles almost lined with houses; and on the
right that of Beaufort, occupying the ridge of the high
i ground, while a little beyond it is the chasm into
' ^vhich the River Montmorency plunges, with its fa-
mous cataract, just before it joins the St. Lawrence.
t All the horizon in that direction, and indeed from the
west to the north, and quite to the east, is broken by
ranges of fine mountains, some of them near and bold ;
and in other places, between them, distant blue ridges
are disclosed, three, four, or five in succession. Tso-
nonthuan Mountain, which has two summits and is
,2000 feet high in the north-west, is the southern ex-
treme of the granite range reaching from the Labrador
coast to Lake Superior. In the south and south-west,
where an aperture is left, is a distant and lower range,
scattered with cottages. It may, perhaps, not be ha-
zarding too much to say, that no scene in Canada, or
the United States, can boast of a combination of ob-
jects comparable in variety and magnificence to those
here presented to view.
Cape Diamond derives its name from the beautiful
little rock-crystals, which are found in veins of white
crystalized limestone, disseminated in the black lime-
stone blasted out for the works. The quartz stones
used in the walls are very fine, and are brought from
^bree miles above the city. Of those prepared for
2,2S uuEJ5E<;.
comer stones of a bastion, near the old governui .!
house, are homogeneous masses of granular quartz,
weighing 1^ or 2 tons, or even more. Some of the
cr^^stals are perfect and brilliant, though small.
There is a long staircase of many steps, leading i
from this elevated position down to the Lower Town j
by which it was originally intended to draw up heavy
articles.
The Plains of xIbraham.
This interesting tract of ground, the field where
Gen. Wolfe succeeded, by a bold and decisive blow,
in capturing the city of Quebec in 1759, lies at only ,
about the distance of a mile, and should not be ne- \
glected. Indeed it would be found amply to repay j
trie trouble, to make a much longer excursion in that '
direction, as the road is fine and the country inte-
* After the battle of :JIontmoiency, while the English fleet lay up tlie
river, at one o'clock in the night of September 12lh, 1759, Geu. Wolfe
quietly transported his troops from the fleet into the boats, and cautiously
passed down the river. He intended to land two or throe miles above
Cape Diamond, and get possession of the Heights of Abraham : but was
drifted down so rapidly that he pat-scd the place without discovering it,
and then resolved to attempt a landing at Wolfe's Co\ e, just above the
city. The shore is bold, and the rocks so high and steep, that only a few
sentinels were posted along the pre( ipices and the margin. This despe-
rate enterprise, however, did not dismuraue the loader or his troops; but
a'! hour before daybreak they had cfi"octed their landing, and commenced
the arduous ascent by a narrow, broken path, at the top of which was
stationed a captain's guard. As fast as the English reached the summit
they formed on the level jilain.
At ten o'clock Montcalm arrived from above, and a battle was fought,
which decided the fate of Canada Montcalm staiioned ir)00 sharp
ehooters in front but the British coolly stood their ground till the French
were within 40 yards, when they opened their fire, and soon afterward
terminated the en'jagement with their bayonets. The place where the
greatest carnage Avas n)ade, is near the river's bank, whore the English
left was closely eniraged with the French right. 'I'he action lasted two
hours, and in it both chiefs received their mortal wounds. Gen. Wolfe
was shot in two or three places. When hardly any signs of life remained ,
news was brought that the dayjiad declsned for the Biiti^h : "ThPfli"
said he, " I die content,"
WOLFE S COVE. 2Qd
I Passing out at St. Louis's Gate, you observe a
number of handsome dwellings and gardens, until
you get some distance beyond the towers, when
you turn into the Race Course on the left side of
jtbe road. The foundation of a monument to Wolfe
and Montcalm was laid in the city in 1827. The spot
where Gen. Wolfe fell is near the corner of the fenced
field, off towards the river. A little east of the place,
is the remnant of a breastwork, with several angles,
marked out by bushes, and commanding a fine view.
The British line was first formed across the plain, and
jran near the house by the road, and the battle was
••fought principally on that ground.
i The Plains of Abraham are about a quarter of a
imile in breadth, extending a great distance towards
the west, with a gentle slope on each side, and so
'smooth as to otfer an admirable field for the manoeu-
' vring and display of troops. From the old breast-
, work, not only this ground is overlooked, but the ship-
I ping in Wolfe's Cove, he opposite shore, the river to
the next turn, &c. The spot appears, indeed, infe-
rior in elevation only to Cape Diamond and the middle
tower.
Wolfe's Cove
is about a mile further west, or half a mile beyond
the large house seen near the river's bank. A branch
of the road leads off to it from the left, and descends
to the shore by a passage cut out long since the time
of Gen. Wolfe, as the cove is now a great deposite for
lumber.
The course which he followed up the bank, lay
along the channel of a little brook, which leads off to
^,he right, while the road goes straight up the bank.
230 QL'EBEC
Sjege of Quebec in 1773.
The scenes we have thus briefly recalled are not
the only ones of a military character of which this
commanding and delightful plain has been the theatre.
In 1775, soon after the commencement of the Revo-
lution, the Continental Congress prepared an expedi-
tion against Canada. It consisted of two divisions :
one under Gen. Montgomery came down Lake Cham-
plain and took St. John's, Chambly, Sorel, Three
Rivers, and then proceeded down the St. Lawrence to
this place. The other, under Gen. Arnold, took the
route through the wilderness of Maine for Quebec.
Arnold had 10 companies of infantr)^ besides 3 of
riflemen, and one of artillery, with a few volunteers.
They proceeded up the Kennebeck, but suffered so
much from fatigue and scarcity that many fell sick,
and one division returned. The remainder, however,
reached Point Levi on the 9th of November, and
alarmed the city. The batteaux had been removed,
and the strong wind detained them from crossing, after
they had been supplied by the Canadians. The Eng-
lish frigate Lizard and several other vessels were also
in the river. He at length, however, effected a land-
ing a little above Wolfe's Cove, and marching down
the shore climbed up the rocks at that place, and sur-
rounded the city without effect. He then retired 20
miles to Pointe aux Trembles, and waited for Gen.
Montgomery, who arrived, after great trials, Dec. 1st.
with about 300 men.
The two generals afterward marched to Quebec,
and planting their mortars on the snow and ice, fired
into the town with little effect. The small pox broke
out, and the cold was severe ; but the town was at
tacked at four points at once, in a snow storm, without
success. Montgomery was killed, on the shore, about
100 yards from the foot of the railway, under Cape
ROAil TO JJEAUFORT. 231
Diamond. One detachment was taken, and Arnold
retired three miles and intrenched himself.
I The Falls of Montmorency.
Hire a coach, a gig, a caleche or a saddle horse, and
'iset out, if possible, early in the morning. In a caleche,
?ou will have the advantage of a guide in your driver.
ass through the Palace gate and a village divided
ifrom Quebec only by the wall, cross the bridge over
iSt. Charles's river, which forms a regular serpentine,
:'and enter the beautiful cultivated plain beyond. A
s Convent and hospital are seen about a mile on the
left, and a handsome succession of fields is observed
!|on both sides, divided by low palings. At the dis-
Itance of a mile and a half the road passes several
i country houses.
Riding down the coast, at a considerable elevation
from the river, many fine views are presented of the
opposite banks, the isle of Orleans, the mountains of
St. Anne and Tourmente down the river. The dwel-
lings are small,, and the inhabitants poor and numerous.
The channel south of the isle of Orleans is the only
one used by ships for some years past, but the northern
has been surveyed recently. The latter is that by
which Admiral Saguenay's fleet came up with Wolfe's
I army.
I Beaufort is a village principally composed of such
buildings, stretching for a great distance along the
road. Just before entering it, some large mills are
seen on the right, standing on a stream which crosses
the path, and beyond there is a natural pavement
formed of the horizontal rock. There is a small
church here, with three steeples, prettily situated on
the river's bank, with a patch of grass and trees
around it ; but it contains nothing worthy of particular
attention.
On approaching the Montmorency, the road turns to
i232 QUEBEt,
the left, and then to the right, on an extensive, smootl],
and gradual ascent, part of which was the field of a
bloody slaughter, suffered by a division of Gen. Wolfe's
army, in 1759, a short time previous to his battle on the
Heights of Abraham. The position of the armies
will be more easiJy understood on reaching the oppo-
site side of the river : it is therefore sufficient to re-
mark here, that the French lines were bounded by
the nearer bank, as the remains of their intrenchments
on the left still testify ; and that the British came up
from the shore of the St. Lav\rence on the right, to
attack two of their nearest batteries, before the second
of which they were cut to pieces.
Dismounting in a little wood and fastening the
horses, you may proceed along the precipitous bank
of the Montmorency, by a footpath, to see the falls
from this side. As it is a difficult way, and the view
more fine and unobstructed from the opposite side, it
is hardly worth the trouble, unless you have plenty ol
time. You have to clamber rocks, pass down a long
ladder, and stand on the verge of an abyss into which
the cataract dashes. Water is drawn off here in a
wooden race, for the supi ly of Mr. PattersoiVs great
saw-mills, which are worthj^ of being visited.
It is better, therefore, to follow the road on foot, to
cross the bridge f where you pay a sous), and enter-
ing the fields on the right, follow down the course of
the river. There are several fine points of view,
from which the falls appear to grerit advantage ; but
on account of the height and steepness of the banks,
it is necessary to descend towards the St. Lawrence, j
and then return by the margin, to obtain a sight of,
them from below. ^ i
On the fine elevated point formed by the junction
of the two rivers, and commanding an unobstructed i
view upon the St. Lawrence for many miles up and [
down, with several lofty mountains below, the isle of
Orleans opposite, (Quebec above, and the cataract close
9t hand, the British here took a strong position in July,
FALLS OF MOIsTMOllEiVCY . 23o
H769; and from this place made a bold, but unsuc-
.oessful attempt against their enemies on the opposite
side. The remains of their intrenchments are plainly-
visible under our feet. The natural and ariificial
Istrens^th of the city combined, was enough, even in
'those days, to discourage any attempt against it from
Hhe water ; and in order to prevent an approach by
• land, the French occupied two strong positions, at a
distance above and below it : the former at Sillery
[River, the other at the Montmorency. Wolfe here
made a first, but unsuccessful attempt ; and afterward,
hy a still more desperate blow, accomplished his
wishes at the plains of Abraham. For an account of
J the battle of Montmorency, wh refer to the note.*
iThe best view of the cataract is to be enjoyed from
ithe spur of the rock, which projects from the eastern
5 shore ; but the spray, which keeps the surface covered
ivvith a coat of green, will drench the clothes in a few
ininutes.
The height of the fall is said to be 240 feet ; and
* Battle of Montmorency.
When Gen. Wolfe came to operate against Quebec in June, 1759, he
)0sted his army on the island of Orleans while the fleet blockaded the
lort. At the end of that month General Monckton was sent over to
I'oint Levi, and establislied liimself there, whence he was able to fire
ipon the city. Above the river Montmorency, the landing was pro-
ected by tlie Marquis de Montcalm. Gen. Wolfe landed his troops at
lie moulli of tlie Montmorency during the night of July 31st, and erected
X battery on the ;>recipice north-east of the falls, the remains of which
ire to be seen. The Prencli were intrenched along tne opposite bank ;
irid on the 31st of July, Gen. Wolfe sent his troops to ford tiie Mont-
norency below tlie falls, to storm their works. Some of Gen. Monckton 's
brce from Point Levi in crossing with boats got aground, and difficulty
msued ; but the landing was made in the afternoon on the beach to the
ight of the saw-mil!s. They came hov/ever too late ; for the thirteen
grenadier companies, with20(i Americans, whohadlanded before, refused
o wait or to foiin, as had been intended, in four columns, but marched
iumultuously round the rock, and rushed up hill in a mass towa-ds the
French works, at some distance back from the old redoubt on the point,
'vhich had been deserted. A warm fire however was directed against;
them, which cut down about 500 men, and they were obliged to retreat
CO the redoubt, whence they were ordered back to the beach to form,
I The enterprise wus then intfjiriipted bv a severe storm, and finally
iftandoned.
:i34 ' ciUEBEC.
the banks on both sides below form a precipitous and
frightful precipice, of rather a curving form, of bare,
sharp, slaty rock, whose strata incline from north to
south, and the perpendicular veins run nearly N. W.
and S. E. At low water the Montmorency may be
forded, with some caution, where it was passed by the
British troops ; but the tide rises fast and high.*
The Saw-Mills, built by Mr. Patterson, are situated
behind the western shore of the Montmorency. They
are ail contained in one large building, where the wa-
ter enters at the third story in three channels, moving
six gates in the second story, and five in the first.
These gates are collections of saws, containing 6 or 8 >
each, which cut up whole logs into planks or boards
at once. The rafts of timber are stopped above the
mill, taken apart, and thus floated down by a little
canal, whence they are drawn up by machinery,
several logs being bound together by a chain, and laid
before the saws. Vast quantities of sawn lumber are
generally to be seen here on the wharves, ready for
shipping. The mill contains 80 single saws, besides 5
circular ones, which perform their work with great
rapidity.
The Baron Renfrew, an immense timber ship, was
launched from the island of Orleans in 1825. It wa-
a built vessel, although of a rude const' uction. It wa^
305 feet in length, 60 feet beam, depth of hold 35 feet,
from the keel to the tafFrail 50, bowsprit 60 feet, main-
mast above deck, 75 ; whole, 100 ; main yard 72.
She was 14 feet between decks ; the tiller was 28 feet
long ; chain cable 120 fathoms 2: inch iron ; the anchor?
weighed 75 and 90 cwt., and her measurement wa-^
5,282 tons. She was loaded with timber in bulk, and ^
carried above 6000 tons of it ; but was lost on the
coast of France.
* A survey was made, in 1829, of the country in the rear of theexlstinfi;'
settlements and grants between Quebec and the St. Maurice: the first
^■reat rocky mountainous barrier is at a distance of about tive-and-twenty
loa^w from the St. Lawrence. In this space arc found three grent
ROUTE niOJI QUEBEC TO EOSTOX.
The Village op Lorette
jmay be taken in the way returning from Montmorency,
'if there should be time enough remaining (which is
barely possible), and the ride along the high ridge
leading in that direction, will be found delightful.
'Lorette is an Indian village, with a Catholic churchj
and the stranger may furnish himself with moccasins,
belts, pipes, &c.
I Route from (Quebec to Boston. It is proposed, by the
I state of Maine, to open a road from Hallowell up the
course of the Kennebeck river, to the Canada line
near Qijebec. There is a communication kept up to
'iORie extent between the two places, and considerable
'numbers of cattle are driven every year that way;
'but for a great distance it is necessary to pass through
a wilderness, and in consequence of the want of
iinhabitants, there is no shelter to be found for man or
I beast, for several days' journeys. The names and
distances of the principal places on this \\ ild and un-
fiequented route, are given below. When the pro-
posed road shall have been opened, it will be fomid a
iconvenient way to New-England, for those who do not
|'wi!«h to return by Montreal, and will become peopled
land frequently travelled. This is the route by which
jGen. Arnold approached Q,uebtc in 1775.
' Q,uebec to the Chaudiere, or
'Riviere du Loup 60 miles.
valJeys, that of the Jacques Cavtier, of tlie St. Anne, and of the Batiscan
dveis. The seltleinoms of Sionehain, Valcaitier, and Fossanibault lie
in the first valiej'; the other two valleys are of considtrable extent, and
contain a large quantity of cultivable lands of good quality. I'hese
valleys are separated from each other by rocky highlands. On traversing
the great barrier at the head waters of the Jacques Cartier river, we
I reach at the distance pf half a mile the head waters of the Chicotimi
1 river, which empties itself at the port of that name. This river is well
I *«own to the Lorette Indians, who represent tlic country through whicl\
it passes as altogether uns'isceptlbic of culture
Moose River .......... 3T 97
Forks of the Kennebeck 24 121
Upper settlement on do 12 133
HalJowell 67 200
Boston 170 370
Another route along the Penobscot is also to be sur-
veyed by the authority of the state of Maine.
Land route from Quebec to Montreal.
Upper road.
(The pleasanter.)
1st post Lorette, 16 mile>.
2d Jacques Cartier, 16
od Deschambeaux, 16
4th St. Anne, 16
5th Batiscamp, 8
6th Champjain, 9
7th ' Aux Cayes, 8
8th Trois Rivieres, ^ . 6
Lorn'cr Road.
1st post, Cape Rouge, .'
9d St. Augustine, 5»
3d Fointe aux Trembles, .... 8
4th Ecureil, 9
5th Cape Sante, 9
(Garneau's inn, called ^'the Three Sisiei^s,''
is excellent.)
6th Deschambeaux, &c 8 mile?.
Under the administration of Gov. Craig, in Canada,'
a road w^as opened between this province and the pre-
sent territory of Maine; and the inhabitants of the states,
continuing it, a stage coach actually ran from Q,ueber
to Boston, which is 270 miles distant. It was afterward
neglected; and the road became so muchovergrowi'-
tbat it would require clearing again to be useful.
ROUTES FROM QUEBEC.
iloAD FROM Quebec to Montreal.
, For remarks on the advantages of travelling by land
!on the St. Lawrence, compared with those offered by
the steamboats, see page 211, recollectinii: that the
passage in the latter is several hours longer up the
river than down. The country lor some miles above
{Quebec is more varied in its surface, than that below
'Montreal ; and caleches and gigs may be obtained here
as well as there. It is to be hoped that regular stage
coaches will soon be established on the road. On
page 236 is an enumeration of the villages and best
iinns. The former are generally nine miles apart, but
the distances are particularized.
I Steamboat. Engage an early passage to Montreal.
jln 1828, the shortest passage ever known was made in
a steamboat to Montreal, in about 23. hours.
Leaving the dock, you pass under Cape Diamond,
nearly at the foot of which General Montgomery was
killed in 1775.
i Wolfe's Cove is about a mile beyond. See page 229.
I For the other places along the St. Lawrence, see
jlhe map, and the notices of them in the route from
[Montreal t(» Quebec.
Rapids of Richelieu, page 218.
' Three Rivers, page 217.
' Lake St. Peter, page 216.
William Heni^, or Sorel, page 215.
Montreal, page 199.
See the route from Montreal to Lake Ontario and
Niagara.
13S ROUTE VUOU CAJSADA.
From Montreal to Lake Champlain, and
THE United States.
Those who are returning by this route, may be ad-
vised to cross to Longeuii instead of La Prairie, and
go to St. John's by the way of Ctjannbly. The distance
is nearly the same, the passage of he river is effected
in a good horseboat, the country is much finer and
better cultivated, and the old casfle or tower of
Chambly is of some interest for its history. It will be
necessary, however, to make particular arrangements
for a carriage, and to take every precaution to arrive
at St. John's in season for the steamboat. From Mon-
treal to Longueil 3 miles, Longueil to Chambly l-L
thence to St. John's 15.
Chambly.
This is a small village. Near the middle of it
stands the old fort, on a point, surrounded by a ditch.
It is an old square building, perhaps 180 feet on each
side, with bastions at the corners, but incapable of
withstanding heavy cannon. This fort was taken by
Majors Brown and Livingston, in 1755, who were sent
out with a strong detachment by (.en. Montgomery,
while he was besieging St. John's. The garrison,
being very feeble, surrendered.
St. John's : see page 1 94.
In the last war the British had 6000 men hutted here
for a year and a half.
Passage from St. John's to Whitehall.
Four steamboats run from St. John's to Whitehall.
They go every day.
St. John's.
Isle aux Nojx ..... 10 mile?
PASSAGE UP LAKE CHAMPLAIN. 239
Rouse's Point 11 miles.
Ohazy 12
Plattsburgh 15
Port Kent 8
'Burlington* 10
Charlotte, Essex 15
Port Clinton 10
; Dalliba's Works J ^ 9
Port Henry, S
Chimney Point 12
; Ticonderoga 15
I Whitehall 25
For the principal places on the lake, see the Index.
At the time when Gen. St. Clair evacuated Ticon-
i deroga, in 1777, the following arrangements were made
for retreat. The baggage, hospital furniture, sick,
park of artillery, stores, and provisions, embarked
! under Colonel Long, under strong convoy, in 200 bat-
teaux and five armed galleys. The main army went
via Castleton, with St. Clair at the head and Col.
Francis in the rear, and the general rendezvous was at
Ske'nesborough (Whitehall.) A house which took
fire on Mount Independence attracted the attention of
the British, who soon began the pursuit. Gen. Frazer,
with grenadiers and light troops, with Reidesel behind
him. Followed by land ; while IBurgoyne cut through
the boom and bridge, and sailed up Wood Creek. His
gun-boats and ships overtook the American flotilla,
took two galleys, blew up three, and the Americans
set rire to the rest and fled on to Fort Anne.
On leaving Ticonderoga, the lake soon becomes
much narrower. At about nine miles distance, the
Scotch Farms dre seen on the western shore. They are
in the township of Putnam, and present an aspect less
wild than most of the surrounding scenes.
Looking back on Ticonderoga from this place,
'*' From this town tlipre is a fmc road to Boston.
240 ROUTE FEQ3I CANADA.
Mount Defiance appears at about nine miles distance.
It descends on the left to the Scotch Farms, which
are principally cleared land, and is a good landmark.
Beyond it is another mountain sloping like it. Ticon-
deroga here appears to close up the passage of the
lake, with Sword's Point on the left.
Thk Four Channels.
Fourteen miles from Whitehall, the lake suddenly
contracts itself into four narrow passages, between two
ranges of mountains, which in some places present per-
pendicular precipices ; and its bed, at low water, ap-
pears almost entirely occupied by a little meadow of
the brightest gre^^n, through which the channels wind
with beautiful serpentines. The scene is highly pic-
turesque, the rocky points on both sides being so
abrupt as to seem as if forcibly parted by an earth-
quake, or a very swift and powerful stream. Every
distant object is entirely shut out, and the banks pre-
sent a strikin;i: aspect of wildness and seclusion.
Some distance beyond, where the creek enters a
small tract of level ground, it passes between two
remarkable rocks, with precipitous banks like walls,
about 50 feet high, like great natural bastions erected
to guard the straits.
A succession of beautiful little serpentines are passed,
with ragged precipices, and many little patches of
level ground on the margin of the water; while on
the eastern side the tow path accompanies the bank.
South Bay
opens to the south, and runs down five miles between
high mountains. Here the creek takes a sudden turn
to the east, communicating with the bay by a little
channel sometimes scarcely 20 yards across. General
Dieskau took this route with his army, in going towards
Fort Edward, in 175,'^.
WHITEHALL. 241
Deer are sometimes seen here in passing. On the
: eastern side of the bay, on the mountain, is a natural
• ice-house about four miles oflf.
(A precipice on the east is a good mark of the ap-
I proach to South Bay, in going up.)
. The DevWs Pulpit is a singular cavity in the face of
a bare precipice on the eastern side of the creek, at a
considerable elevation, in the form of a wedge, and
so regular as to seem a work of art, although probably
made by the falling of a mass of the rock.
\ Distant mountains open to the view in front, as we
j proceed, with ranges of willows on the shore.
' The Elbow is a narrow part of the creek, with two
short turns, through which the passage requires a very
l^xact helm.
I East Bay
! strikes off at the first bend, and makes up five miles,
along a romantic country. A sugar-loaf hill will be
observed at a little distance on the right, which rises
above Whitehall, and makes the approach to that
place quite picturesque.
WHITEHALL.
I On the top of a rock over the harbour was formerly
I a battery, and in the town a blockhouse. Numerous
; boats and great quantities of lumber are usually seen
here, as the Champlain or Northern canal begins at
the bridge, where are two locks, with a sluiceway,
' and a rocky channel.
Inns. — Rock's and W^ing's.
The heights at this place were occupied by Bur-
goyne's right wing, while he was preparing to march
towards Saratoga ; his centre was formed by Gen.
', Frazer; the Brunswickers, on the left, rested on the
I river of Castleton ; and the Hessians were at the head
of East Bay.
X2
242 ROUTE FROM CANADA.
Roads. —StSige coaches go south, on the arrival of
the steamboat in two directions : one on each side of
Wood Creek and the Hudson river. That on the west
side is recommended to those who are going directly
on to Albany, as it passes along the route of the Cham-
plain canal, by the " Surrender Ground," and near the
"Battle Ground of Beinis's Heights." Coaches also
go to the Spring-s.
The 5«urvey of a canal route from Rutland to White-
hall, N. Y. gives a descent of 211 feet, and an ascent
of 274 — the distance is 24 ' miles. The height of land
is west of Poultney river, 7 miles from Whitehall.
Road to Boston, 178 m.
through Walpole : See " Indexy
To Albany, on the eastern side of the Hudson^
79 wi.
West Granville 11 miles.
East Granville*" 3
Hebron 9
Salem 8
Cambridge 16
Pittstown 13
Lansingburgh 10
* Saddle Mountain, whose lofty ridie will be seen from almost every
point in this vicinity, is said to be 4,000 feet above the ocean, and 2,800
feel higher than the site of Williams' College. It derives its name from
its resemblance to a riding saddle. Snow lies late upon its top, where
the climate is so cold as to admit only a stinted growth to the spruce,
yellow birch, beech, fir, mountain ash, and other trees which are there
to be found. Vegetation is there more than a month behind the valleys
below. An excursion to the summit is not very difficult, and affords fine
views. The Catskill, Watchusett, Monadnoc, and Mount Holyoke are
visible.
A Mineral Spring is situated about U miles north of the College in Wil-
liamstown, and a few hundred yards east of the Albany road! I is a
tepid water and resembles that of New-Iiebancm — temperature 75 Fah-
renheit. Mr. West's house affords accommodations, baths, &c. to lodger?
and the spring has proved beneficial in cut aneon? casec.
iiOAD FROM WHITEHALL TO ALBANY. 24S
r Troy . 3 (seepage 50)
! Albany 6 (see p. 39 & 46)
]To Albany, on the west side of the Hudson^ 68 m.
Fort Anne 12
< Fort Edward 9
'Here a coach passes to Saratoga Springs.
1 Fort Miller 8
' Schiiylersville 6 fsee pasre 1^9)
j British Lines 7 (see page 136)
I Passing Bemis^s Heights,
Stillwater 8
Borough 3
Waterford 8^
New Mohawk Bridge . . . 1 (see p. 54 &z; 129)
I The road accompanies the course of Wood Creek,
I which is dammed and used for a canal, to which its
narrowness and depth give it a strong resemblance.
This creek is famous in the history of the operations
in this region during the Revolutionary and French
wars ; and after repeated exertions to dear it of the
logs, &c., by which it was obstructed, it bore the
troops sent against Canada, &,c., which often passed by
this route, from the days of Queen Anne. The scenery
is agreeable, though rough ; and there is little cultiva-
tion off the road
Half a mile north of the village of Fort Anne, Wood
Creek makes an elbow to a ledsje of rocks, so near
that there is but little space for the road between.
Here Col. Sterry was overtaken, in the retreat from
Ticonderoga, in 1777, by Burgoyne's troops, and an
engagement took place, memorials of which are occa-
sionally found in the soil to this day. A little south,
on the brow of the hill, a quarter of a mile from the
stage house, stood Fort Anne, in the Revolution.
The old fort of the same name, built many years
previously, and known in the French wars, was about
244 ROUTE FI103I CANADA.
half a mile south of the village, on a gentle eminence
a little east of the road, u here some remains of the
old intrenchments are still to be seen.
The remains of Burgoyne^s Road beain about two
miles south of Fort Anne, at the foot of a hill, and are
traced about three-fourths of a mile, near the present
road to a wood. It was formed of logs, and found
necessary, to render the country passable with his
cannons and bnggage wagons. 'S'he labour necessary
for its fonriatioji, superadded to that of clearing Wood
Creek of the obstructions which Ge.n. Schuyler had
thrown into it after the retreat of the Americans, was
one great cause of the delay of the British army, on
this part of the road — a delay which allowed the
people time to resume their spirits, and the officers to
lay plans, obtain resources, and prepare for the san-
guinary scenes at Bemis's Heights and the surrender
at Saratoga.
French Mountain opens to view a little beyond, with
a succession of high grounds in the direction of South
Bay, Lake George, &,c.
About half a mile above Fort Edward, stands an old
tree, which marks the place where was perpetrated
The Murder of Miss M*Crea.
Miss M'Crea lived in the village of Fort Edward.
In the Revolutionary war, a young man named Jones,
to whom she was betrothed, having attached himself
to the English cause, and joined their threes in Canada,
was invested with a captain's command in Gen. Bur-
goyne's army. After the retreat of the Americans
from the lake, and while the British were approaching,
he sent a party of Indians to Fort Edward to bring
his intended bride to him, that he might secure her
safety. She was very unwilling to proceed with her
savage conducters on the road towards Fort Anne ;
and had gone only half a mile when the Indians
stopped to drink at a spring which still flows by the i
JBAKEli S FALL*. 245
moY side. While here they were met by another party
J )f Indians despatched to hasten them on. Those who
:ame last attempted to take her under their charge ;
out the others, being determined not to give her up
Sjilive, bound her to a tree that is yet standing near the
1 spring, and shot her dead with their muskets. Locks
[){ her hair were borne to her lover to prove that the
ii ndians had performed what they considered their duty
^0 their employer.
i This story rang through the country ; and it was
f'eported that Gen. Burgoyne encouraged, or, at least,
ijjermitted the murder. In indignant terms he denied
phe charge ; and there appears no probability that he
5iad the least knovledge of it. He, however, was
justly chargeable with a great offence against humanity,
n bringing tribes of savages in his train, whose barba-
rity he could never be sure of restraining.
j Fort Edward.
This village was built in the neighbourhood of a
brt raised during the war of 1755, for the defence of
his point of the river. It was first called Fort Lyman
ifter Gen. Lyman, of whom we have already had
{>ccasion to make honourable mention at Lake George.
This spot was formerly called the First Carrying
j ■'lace, being the point where, in the expeditions against
Janada,the troops, stores, &c., were landed and taken
]0 Wood Creek, a distance of 12 miles, where they
;-vere again embarked.
Baker's Falls, at Sandy Hill,
ire worthy of particular attention, and are seen to
peat advantage from some parts of the bank. The
^hole descent of the river at this place is about 75
ieet.
246 NEW-YORK TO ?fEW-ENGLANl),
Fort Miller.
The viJlag'e still retains the name of a fort erected,
on the west side of the river, in former times. It was
a work of insignificant size, situated on the bank and
near
Miller's Falls.
The descent of the river here is rapid, and over a
broken channel. The falls were formerly considered:
impassable with safety, until Gen. Putnam performed
it while stationed at Fort Miller, in the French war.
The Great Dam.
Above Fort Edward, a large and expensive dam has
been built across the river, and a canal cut along the!
bank to open a passage for boats. [The dam is 900
feet long.]
[P'or places on any route selected by the traveller,
see the Index.]
TOUR OF NEW-ENGLAND.
To Travellers ^oing Eastward Jrom New-York.
It is recommended to the stranger who is travelling*
eastward to see the couulry, to determine on some plan
for his journey before setting out. A stage coach*
* The coach sets off for New-IIaven every morniiiff at 8 o'clock, fiom
Jaques's sia^e (»ffi •»', in Cortiaiult-stiet t, [•ast^in? thvougli Harlain on
Manhattan Island, West Chester, Kas! Cheste:. Niw Roclielle, Man)a
ronec, and Rye, in the staie of New- York ; and G ponwich, Stamford,
Darien, Norwalk, Fairfield, Bridgeport, Stratford, MiUord, and Orange,
in Connecticut.
In Harlffini, the road passes near the East river, and gives a view of
Hell Gate.
/^''vond Morris?ania. the estate and manpion of the Hon. Gov. Morris
1 1 EAST lilVEli. 2 IT
I wes every morning* to Connecticut, and onward; but
' ihis is not the most agreeable route. Steamboats go
Tora New York to the following places on the northern
, shore of Long Island Sound : Norwalk, Stamford,
i: Stratford, New-Haven, Connecticut river (and up that
?:o Hartford), New-London (and Norwich), Newport
^vand Providence).
EAST RIVER.
Leaving iVew-York, in any of the East river steam-
;i3oats, the traveller has Brooklyn on the right (now
he third town for size in the state, and strictly a sub-
irb of the capital).
The Navy Fa m, just beyond.
I The Railway, for ships, is above, on the west side.
een on the right : one of the finest for tastefiilness and extent in this
I lart of the country. (See Battle of White Plains, page 22.)
J In the town of Horseneck, 33 milts ficini New- York, is a steep hiJl
I descending towards the north, down wnich General Piit'iam once effected
I :is escape from several British officers aiid soldiers during the revolu-
j lonary war, when returning from a scout. He drove his horse hastily
I owri the rocky hill side, a little east of the road, and near tlie fence, and
I aved .so much distance as to elude his pursuers.
West Chester, and the country about it, were at that period neutral
round : and Mr. Cooper, the novelist, has made them the scene of his
lopnlar tale — "The Spy."
In the town of Fairfield, 53 miles from New- York, a mile or two be-
ire reaching the village, is a low, level piece of ground, on die right-
;and side of the road, which was formerly an ainiost impenetrable
wanip, and, at an early period of our history, was the scene of a bioody
laughter. Ft was hither that the remains of a powerful and lerrible
lation of Indians, called Pequods, having fled from tlieir country about
Jew-Londnn and Groton, after the destruction of tlieir fort at Mystic
y Capt. Mason, in 1R36, were either killed or taken captive. This was
heir last ajid total defeat, aad extiiguished their name as a nation,
iuch of the ground has been cleared in modern times ; and some relics
•ave been found to confi'-m the traditions of the neighbourhood.
This place was burned by the British in the Revolution. Danbai^', an
aland town, was also burned, with extensive public stores, and an action
•/as fought in which Gen. Wooster fell.
On the east side of Housatonnuc, or Strat-
The old Penitentiary and Fever Hospital are ju^
above, on the shoie. 4
BlackweWs Island. — The new Penitentiary has beeii
erected on this itisulated spot, which offers many ad*-
vantages for such an institution. The building is about
1000 feet from the south end of llie island. Its foun-
dation, which is solid rock, is about 20 feet above
high water mark. The building, which is 200 feet in
length by 50 in breadth, will contain 240 cells, each
3- ieet by 7, and separated by a partition 2 feet thick.
Opposite eacl) cell there is an aperture in the outer
wall, through which the inmate will receive a suffi-
ciency of fresh air. The interior is upon the plan of
the State Prison at Singsing, with the exception that
the galleiy around the cells is of iron instead of wood,
the ascent to which is by a geometrical staircase. The
doors to the cells are all of iron — indeed, the only
wood in the building is in the roof, which may even
be burned off without the least danger to the rest o^
the building. The stone of which the walls and floort
are made, is the common gneiss, and was all quarried
on the island and hewed by the convicts. The lime
used in constructing the prison, was also burned on thf
island. Four sentinels are placed on elevated platlorm
in different parts of the island, who are allowed m
intercourse either by word or sign wit he prisoners
They are marched rank and file to their meals in i'
temporaiy building prepared lor the purpose, when
they also dispose themselves lor sleep at the word ol
command, and sentinels march between their rank^
during the night. No spiritous liquor is allowed to b(
brought upon the island. Four excellent springs C
water afford them drink.
The island is 1[ njiles in length and about 600 fee
in width, and will yield abundance of vegetables. F
was the design of the Corporation in purchasing Ihi
island, to make it the seat of punishment in all it
forms. At the extremity of the island, ojiposite lh(
Fenitentiai-v. will he another for femal'^'; — and between
SEVV-ifAVES. ^49
this and the overseers house on each side, will be two
other buildings for vagrants of both sexes.
At Hell Gate^ numerous objects present themselves
on entering the bay. On the distant high ground, west,
is seen the Lunatic Asylum ; a white blockhouse on
the hill on the east side ; below it, an old fort by the
water ; and a number of handsome country houses
along the green shore on the left. The first of these
is Commodore Chauncey's, next, Mr. Schermerhorn'sy
then, Messrs. Prime's, Astor's, &c. The surface of the
river is broken by several rocks, and bj- the agitation
of the water, particularly at the whirl called the Great
Pot, a little north of the fort, and the rapid current on
the opposite shore known by the name of the Hog's
Back. In coming from the north, almost the first view
of New- York is here presented, between the western
shore and Blackwell's Island, with a shot tower on the
right.
New-Havek.
Toniine Hotel, Stage House (Sione^s). Several pri-
vate boarding-houses. This is decidedly one of the
most beautiful towns in the United States. The soil
is not very good, and the situation is low ; the town
(or rather city) is laid out in squares, with straight and
broad streets, and the elevated ground in the neigii-
bourhood renders the approach very fine from almost
every direction. It stands at the head of a spacious
bay, with a lighthouse on the eastern point, a small
fort on the shore, another on Prospect Hill, and two
Bluffs, called East and West Rocks, 2 or 3 miles behind
the town. A more distant peak is seen between them,
which is Mount Carmel. The long wharf is three
quarters of a mile in length. The steamboats stop at
the bridge, where carriages will be found in waiting
to take travellers to the centre of the town, which is
?nore than a mile distant.
^^u the shore, near the bridge, is a large building in
Y "
2aU ROUTE 1?{ CONI^ECTICUT.
tended for a steamboat hotel, but now occupied aa a:
School for the education of Boys, by the Messrs. »
Dvvight. The system resembles that of the Round
Hill School at Northampton. The streets of the town ►
are regular and pleasant, forming squares, one of which
is a green surrounded by rows of elms, with three •
churches and the new State House in the middle, and
the College buildings occupying the western side, pre- ;
senting a scene probably not equalled by any town of
this size in the United States. The abundance of fine i
trees, the neatness and beauty of the dwellings, the
good society of the place, and the distinguished posi- ,
tion it holds as a seat of learning, render New-Haven
the resort of a great number of strangers during the .
travelling season, and the temporary residence of not
a few.
Connecticut School Fund. — This fund now amounts •.
to $1,882,251, or nearly two millions of dollars. By,
means of this fund, the government of the state is
enabled annually to return to the citizens nearly twice
the amount withdrawn in taxes. It enables parents to
educate their children almost gratuitously.
There is a Hopkins's Gram tnar School in the town,'
and a number of Boarding Schools for young ladies,,
with instructers in every branch of useful and orna-
mental education. A flourishing Lancasterian School
in this place contains about 200 boys.
Yale College. — This institution, however, is the prin-
cipal object which will attract the attention of the ,
stranger. It was founded in 1701, and first located at
Killingworth, then removed to Saybrook, and after a
few years permanently fixed in this town.* The first
building was of wood, and stood near the corner of;
College and Chapel-streets. There are now four
buildings for students, each containing 32 rooms ; a ,
Chapel, with a Philosophical chamber and apparatus,
"*• The expense of tuition, room,&:c. for a year, is about f 50— pf boani
in Comraons, about .¥7r»
lALE COLLEGE. !^5 1
an Observatory and a Lyceum, with recitation rooms
and the library. In the rear are the Gymnastic appa-
ratus, the Commons Hall, in a small building with the
splendid Mineralogical Cabinet above, which is the
'finest collection of the kind in the United States, lately
■purchased from Colonel Gibbs of New-York. In
another building is the Chemical Laboratory, where
Professor Silliman delivers his lectures. The insti-
tution contained, in 1829, 496 students, distributed as
follows : — Theological Students, 'i9 ; Law Students,
21; Medical Students, 61; Resident Graduates, 6 ;
Seniors, 71; Juniors, 87 ; Sophomores, 95 ; Freshmen,
106.
An Observatory has recently been erected, after the
model of the Tower of the Winds at Athens, and in
like manner surmounted with a Triton.
Next north of the College is the house of President
Day, and the professors have pleasant residences in
the town. The new State House and the churches
on the green, present a remarkably fine appearance ;
with the College buildings and numerous elegant
houses around it.
The Medical Institution is at the north end of Col-
lege-street. Like many other buildings in the place,
it is of rough stone, covered with plaster. The canal
passes just in the rear.
In 1826 there were 336 students who received de-
grees in all the colleges of New-England. The
number of students in all the Medical Schools in the
United States in that year was about 1700.
Colleges in New-England. — There were 1399 stu-
dents in ail the New-England Colleges in 1827, of
whom 130 belonged to Maine, 131 to New-Hampshire,
146 from Vermont, 431 from Massachusetts, and 196
from Connecticut.
[According to the Registers of the several States,
there are in New-England, exclusive of Rhode Island,
1,633 ministers of the Gospel, viz. 862 Congrega-
tjonalists, 605 Baptists, 167 Methodists, 72 Rpisco-
252 ROUTE IN CONHECTieUT.
palians, 15 Presbyterians, 85 Freewill Baptists, 24
Universalists, and 6 Christ-ians. Of these 228 are in
Maine, 241 in New-Hampshire, 284 in Vermont, 497
in Massachusetts, and 383 in Connecticut. In propor-
tion to the population, the ministers of all denomina-
tions are, in New-Hampshire, as 1 to 1,013 ; in Massa-
chusetts, as 1 to 1,052 ; in Connecticut, as 1 to 7 18 ; in
Vermont, as 1 to 830. Of the Congregational ministers,
101 are in Maine, 111 are in New-Hampshire, 114 in
Vermont, 352 in Massachusetts, and 184 in ConneC'
ticut ; being: to the whole population respectively, as
1 to 2,952 ; 1 to 2,199 ; 1 to 2,068 ; 1 to 1,486 ; and 1
to 1,495. It should be noticed, however, that the
Registers are not perfectly accurate, and that we are
obliged to compare the population in 1820 with the
number of ministers in 1827. There are thought to
be about 10,000 schoolmasters in New-England. The
militia of Connecticut, officers and privates, amount to
about 28,000 men.]
A General Hospital Society for the state of Connec-
ticut was founded in 1828 ; and the building is to be
erected in New-Haven.
The JVew Burying Ground is situated opposite the
Medical Institution, and occupies a large extent of
land, partly planted with poplars, and containing a
great number of beautiful ornaments, of different de-
signs. It is considered the most beautiful cemetery in
this country.
The Old Burying Ground was in the middle of the
green, in the rear of the Centre Church, and there are
to be seen two ancient stone monuments, of a small
size, which are supposed to mark the graves of two
of the regicide judges, Whalley and Dixwell, although
there is much doubt on the subject. (See Stiles's
Judge«.^
THE FARMIN'GTON CANAL
New-Haven and Farmington Canal.
This work was commenced about three years ago,
and is designed to afford a navigable boat channel, to
the Massachusetts line in Simsbury, where it is met
by the Hampshire and Hampden Canal, which is to
strike Connecticut River at Northampton. By an act
passed in 1828 by the legislature of Massachusetts,
this work may be continued along the course of the
river, and the associated companies extend their
views to the construction of a Canal to Barnet in Ver-
mont. The Company for the Improvement of Con-
necticut River are, at the same time, pursuing a system,
which will be hereafter more particularly adverted to.
The New-Haven and Farmington canal, commencing
near the head of the wharf in this city, is crossed by
the traveller in going up from the steamboat, near the
market. The basin is large and commodious ; and the
canal, passing through a part of the city, and bending
round along the outskirts, on the north side, intersects
several streets, by which it is crossed on handsome
bridges. With a gradual ascent, the canal passes
somewhat circuitously up the valley which opens
towards Mount Carmel, between East and West
Rocks ; and one of the stage roads to Hartford, which
passes through Cheshire and Farmington, affords many
views of it in different places. When the whole line
shall become navigable, it will be an attraction to
many travellers, and in a future edition, the objects
along it may be particularized.
The rates of toll established in 1828 were — 10 cents
a mile on every packet boat, and 3 cents on every
passenger ; 2 cents a mile on freight boats of less than
20 tons, and 3 cents on larger ones ; 1 or U cent pel
. mile, on most heavy articles per ton, in boats, and i
cents in rafts.
The first part of the canal passes throsigh an ea«t
So4 ROUTE IN difyi'NECTlCVT.
and natural channel, where is little variation in the
surface ; and introduces us to the beautiful and fertile
meadows at Farming^ton. The upper part, however,
and particularly the Hampshire and Hampden Canal,
required much lockage ; but the irregularity of the
country will present an interesting variety of scenery.
Jocelyn has published an elegant and valuable map of
the canal and adjacent country, to the Canada line.
There are pleasant rides in various directions from
New- Haven, the roads being numerous, and the face of
the country favourable. The two mountains command
extensive views, and though the access is rather
fatiguing, the excursion is recommended to those who
are fond of such enterprises.
The Judges^ Cave is on the summit of West Rock,
about a mile north of the bluiF: and the way to it
leads near Beaver Pond, and Pine Rock (on the south
side of which is a small cave), then between Pine and
West Rocks. You here turn off the road to the left,
by a path across a brook : and a guide may usually be
obtained at a small house just beyond, who can show
a horse path to the summit.
The cave is formed by the crevices between seven
large rocks, apparently thrown together by some con-
vulsion. It is small, and entirely above ground, with
a rude rock, like a column, on each hand. That on the
right contains this inscription,
" Opposition to tyrants is obedience to God,"
to remind the visiter that the place once afforded shelter
to Goffe and Whalley, two of the iudges of king
Charles the First, who escaped to the colonies and
secreted themselves for some time in this solitary
place. They were supplied with food by a family
which resided near the foot of the mountain, aad a
little boy was despatched for them every day, who
left a basket of provisions on a rock, without knowing
what cause he was STibserving. The place commands'
K«)Al) TO .'^l.IDDLETOWN, 25.^
ail extensive view upon tiie country below, with a
large tract ot" Long Island, and the Sound.
The Manufactory of Muskets^ is 2 miles north of
New-Haven, on the road to Hartford, by Meriden, and
at the foot of East Rock. It was established by Mr.
Whitney, the well-known inventor of the Cotton Gin.
The machinery is carried by the water of a small
river, and the houses of the overseers and workmen
make a pretty appearance on the shore. Muskets are
made here in all their parts, many of them for the
arsenals of the United States. li: is designed to make
the arms so much alike, 'hat the parts may be applied
indifferently to all that proceed from the same manu-
factory. It is not found possible, however, to accom-
plish this object to the full extent desired.
Road to Middletown.
Northford ; * 10 miles.
Durham 8
Middletown . . . (>
For a description of this beautiful town, see beyond, j
Beyond New-Haven in Long Island Sound, lies a
cluster of islands called the Thimbles, famous in the
traditions of the neighbourina: Connecticut coast, as
the ancient resort of Capt. Ividd, a notable pirate,
whose treasures of solid gold, it is still believed by
some, are concealed somewhere hereabouts. Within
this labyrinth of islands and headlands is a little
secluded bay or inlet, capable of containing only one
vessel at a time, which bears the name of Kidd's Har-
bour. There is also his island, his chair, and his
* punch bowl.' There are several houses along the
snore, within a few miles of this place, which are re-
sorted to during the warm season by a considerable
number of visiters from the interior, for the sake of
bathing in the salt water, and eating lobsters, black
fi^h, and ovsters. In September and October, ducks
256 ROUTE I^ CONISECTICUT.
may be found in great quantities near the shore, and
black fish are caught in considerable numV)ers ; but
the best fishing is further east, at New-London, New-|
port, &;c.
[As it is necessary, in a work like this, we have
undertaken to pursue some definite course, and to
mention places and objects in the order in which they
will probably occur to most travellers, we shall here
leave Long Island Sound to proceed up Connecticut
River, and only refer the reader to the Index for an
account of the coast beyond, and the following subjects
and places : New-London, the Thames, Norwich,
the Mohicans, the Pequods, Saccacus's Fort, Mystic
Fort, the Narragansett shore, Newport, Providence,
kc]
SAYBROOK.
At this place was the first settlement made by Euro-
peans on Connecticut River. It was done at the earnest
solicitation of many of the rightful proprietors of the
country on its banks, who had been despoiled of their
possessions by their formidable enemies, the Pequods.
The River Indians, as our old histories usually deno-
minate the former, twice made application to the
English at Plymouth and at Boston, to obtain settlers
upon their native soil, offering to give them land enough,
and to pay 200 beaver skins annually for the benefil
of their society. But the undertaking was considered
too hazardous, and it was not until the year 1635, wher
the Dutch at New- York showed a determination to
seize upon the country, which they claimed as theii
own, that a small detachment of men was sent froir
Boston by water to prepare for opening a trade witl
the Indians, and to build a fort at the mouth of tin;
river. Their haste was soon justified by events : foi
immediately after their landing, a Dutch vessel entered
and proceeding up to Hartlbrd, landed a body of meu
who soon established themselves in a fort they callr
lJ.SJ7iroo/i JcJ^JT
SAVr.UOOK. xf.j./
Good Hope, on a spot tiiey obtained from Pequod
usurpers.
The settlejnent of Saybrook was begun under a
grant made to Lord Say and Seal, Lord Brook, a tut
others, by George Fenwick, Esq. who fled to this
country with his family. The old fort stood near the
present fort hill, upon an eminence which has since
been destroyed by the waves ; and the ground imme-
diately behind it was afterward occupied by the
fields and habitations of the colonists. It was expected
from the first, that the situation would render the place
a ^reat city ; and after the fear of the Indians had
subsided, the whole peninsula, which bears the name
of Saybrook Point, was laid out with the greatest
regularity into fields of an equal size, except such parts
xis were reserved for the erection of public buildings.
Yale College was placed here for a time, and a great
number of emigrants were once collected in England,
and prepared for a voyage to this place. Some persons
of high rank and importance were among them, and it
is a vvell-authenticated fact, that Oliver Cromwell had
determined to embark in the enterprise, and was once
on the very eve of quitting England for ever, when
some unforeseen occurrence prevented him.
The want of a harbour, and the obstacles presented
to a free navigation by a large sand bar at the mouth
of the river, have effectually prevented the expecta-
tions of the settlers of Saybrook from being realized ;
and no remains of their works can now be discovered,
except in the rectangular forms of the fields, and the
cellars of some of their dwellings, just beyond the
burying ground, the foundation stones of which have
since been employed in building the neighbouring
fences. One of the largest excavations is said to have
been the cellar of the old colI«;ge building. The sol-
diers were frequently attacked within a short distance
of the tort by the Pequods, but they afterward ran a
palisride across the isthmus which leads from the main-
land,
ROUTE IN CONNECTICU
CONNECTICUT RIVER.
The shores present a continued succession ot hilly
and picturesque country, with few interruptions ot
level land, from a little above Saybrook as far as Mid-
dletown. The roughness and rocky nature of the soil
prevent the cultivation of many mountainous tracts
yet there are farms enough to give a considerable
degree of softness to the scenery. The variety of
rocky and wooded banks, mingling with little patches
of cultivated ground, and the habitations scattered'
along the river, is very agreeable, and often afford^
scenes highly picturesque and delightful.
Essex,
7 miles from Saybrook.
This place was formerly caller- Pettipaug. It is a
small village, situated on the ascent and summit of a'
handsome elevation, and contains a church and one or
two other public buildings, on a conspicuous position.
Just above it is an island of some extent, which divides'!
the river and gives it an unusual breadth. During thci
late war with Great Britain, this place was taken by;
the enemy, who came up the river in launches, and'
taking the inhabitants by surprise, occupied the town;
for a few hours.
Some distance above this place the channel lies soj
near the eastern shore, that the steamboat passes'
almost under the trees by which it is shaded.
Joshua'' s Rock is on the same side of the river, a,
little below Brockway's Ferry. It is said to have de-
rived its name from the son of Uncas, Sachem of the'
Mohicans (see J\orwich)y who, according to a tradition
current in the neighbourhood, being once closely pur- _
sued by enemies, threw himself from the top of the'
rock, and perished in the river.
uAi>i>AM. ^^5y
"Warners Ferry, 1 3 miles from Sayhrook.
East Haddam.
j The landing place here is rocky, mountainous, and
vild, and a good specimen of a large portion of the
own to which it belongs. Gen. Champion has a fine
i ouse built among the rocks above, which adds much
1 3 the appearance of the place. This region is famous
or a kind of earthquakes and subterranean sounds,
vhich were formerly common for a short distance
ound. They gave occasion to many superstitious
eports, but have ceased within a ^qw years. They
/ere called Moodus Noises, after the Indian name of
he place. Large beryls are found in the neighbour-
j cod, and many other minerals interesting to the scien-
ific traveller.
H
\DDAM
s built on an eminence 50 or 60 feet high, which ap-
)ears like the remains of an old bank of the river,
lescending aMittle meadow which is covered with
•rchards, grazing ground, &c. while a range of com-
nanding hills rise beyond.
HiGGENUM
3 one of the little landing places so numerous along
he river's course, 2 miles above Haddam.
Middle Haddam, 2 miles.
This is a pleasant country village, stretching along
> hill covered with orchards and house lots, and
racked by higher and wilder eminences. It is about
> miles below Middletown,
.'OU KOLTE lis COisKECTiCiT.
Looking down the river from a little above tlji
place, a lar^e and beautiful hill is seen, which affords
the richest scene of cultivation on this part of the river,
being entirely covered v^'ith fields and orchards. A i
large wooded eminence is a little higher up, and several i
high hills, almost worthy of the name of mountains
are visible in the north.
The Narrows.
Here the river turns abruptly to the west, and flows
between two lofty hills, which it has divided at some
long past period, before "which, there is eveiy reason
to believe, the country for a great distance above was
covered by a lake. A mile or two eastward of this
place, there is the appearance of an old channel, where
the water probably ran, at a great height above its
present level.
The Lead Aline is a short distance from the southern
bank of the river, near two or three old houses.
Fort Hill is the last elevated part of the southern I
bank. It was formerly a little fortress belonging to f
Souheag, an Indian chief, whose dominion extended '
over the present towns of Middletown, Chatham, and
Wetherstield. The large buildings on the hill in Mid
dletown were erected ibr Capt. Partridge's Academ}-.
MIDDLETOWN
is beautifully situated on the western bank of the river,
where the water is spread out to a considerable breadth,
and disappears so suddenly at the Narrows, that from
many points of view, it has the appearance of a small
lake, w^ith high, sloping, and cultivated shores. This
is a most agieeable residence for strangers, particularly
Tor families, during the pleasant seasons of the year,
and -^vill no doubt be soon supplied with more nume-
rous and extensive accommodations.
A large hotel has recently been built, v.liich iskep-
:U[Dl)Li:TOWN,
i6l
by Mr. Newton. Mr. Camp's and Mr. BoardmarCs
(in the same street) are large inns.
The Quarries of Freestone., on the opposite shore,
ha%'e i'urnished a valuable building material for somt*
years, and have been worked to a considerable extent.
Manufactories. Cotton, Woollen, and Rifle Manu-
factories, and three machine shops, are near the bridge
at the south end of the street. Col. North's Pistol
Manufactory is situated two or three miles west of the
town. There are also Starr's Rifle Factory, Johnson's
Sword Factory, the Pameacha Woollen,* Spalding's
Tape, and Pratt's Comb factories.
There are various pleasant rides in this neiehbour-
hood, particularly to two picturesque Water Falls in
Middlefield. In the direction of one of them is Laurel
Grove, where the road is shaded for near halt' a mile
with those shrubs, which, in the season, are covered
Iwith flowers. The environs of this place afford other
agreeable rides.
The Lead Mine is about two miles below the town,
3n the south shore of the river, accessible only on foot
Dr in a boat, where are several old shafts, which were
i»unk in the Revolutionary war, in a slate rock. The
I'Dre is a sulphuret ot' lead, in veins of quartz, partly
I crystallized, and affording a few specimens ol' fluate
^f lime, and other minerals.
I The Cobalt Mine is about five miles east, in Chatham;
lat the foot of Rattlesnake Hill. It is not worth work
;!ng, at the usual price of the metal. Specimens of
I peach-bloom of cobalt may be picked up among the
•Rubbish. Just southerly from it is a very pretty water
all, about thirty feet high.
A number of German families live in the neighbour^
bood ; the descendants of miners, who came from
Europe some years ago to work the mine.
* The Pameacha Manufactory employs from 350 to 200 persons, con-
sumes 100,000 lbs. of tint' wnnl. and ti'ini* 'iiil ■'ifl.OOn vd'^ of finished
sroatJcloth a vear.
^b'r KOUTE Uf CO^NECTICl;T KlViK.
Upper Houses,
ar village of Middletown, 2 miles above.
From a hill 1 mile from this is a very pleasant view
towards the south, presentinp^ the river, with the mea-
dow and hills, as well as xMiddletown and the fine
hi^h grounds in its rear. The small divisions of the
soil and the density of the population, as well as the
fertility of the ground, and the frequency of school-
houses and churches, here show one of those interest-
ing and beautiful scenes characteristic of Connecticut
River, and which the traveller will find repeated all
along its course far into New-Hampshire and V^er-
mont.
Rocky Hill, 5 miles, a parish of VVethersfield. About
half a mile north of the tavern, you reach the brow of
a hill, which commands a rich prospect of many miles
of the Connecticut Valley. Wethersfield lies in front,
and the variegated hills and plains around belong to
numerous townships on both sides of the river, en-
closed by ranges of distant highland, which direct the
course of its channel. On the left, about 15 miles off,
is the ridge of Ta cott mountain; and the two blue
peaks in the north are Mounts Tom and Holyoke,near
Northampton, at the distance of about fifty miles.
Wethers/idd, 3 miles from Hartford. This place has
a fine light soil, on an extensive level, probably once
the bottom of a lake since drained by the deepening
of the river's channel. It is peculiarly favourable to
the culture of onions, which are exported in great
quantities to various parts of the country, the West
Indies, &,c.
Wethersfield was one of the three earliest settle-
ments made by white men in Connecticut : or rather
it may strictly claim the precedence of all, for although
houses were first built here, as well as at Hartford and
Windsor, in 1635, three or four men came to this place
^he year previous, and spent the winter. Depredalions
CO'NNECTICUT STATE PRISON. 2^3
were committed on their settlements for the first few
years ; but as they were done by the Pequods, the
destruction of that nation at Mystic Fort, by Capt.
Mason, in 1636, f of apprehension, an eager thirst for know-
ledge, and a very retentive recollection; and, as all
their instruction, bt-ing communicated through the
sight, can be obtained only by the strictest attention,
and the abstraction of the mind from every other
subject, the appearance of a class absorbed in their
lesson i< calcu ated to produce feelings of an unusual
and highly interesting character.
Every deaf and dumb person soon forms a language
of natural signs, by which he is able to communicate
the most necessary ideas on first arriving at the As3rlum.
He is then taught the alphabet in use here, which i«
made by the fingers of one hand ; after which the
names of visible objects are easily spelled, and the
order of their letters committed to Hjemory Absent
Z 2
2U.G KOUTE IF CONNECTICUT iilXi^li,
objects and abstract ideas are communicated by mauy
ina:enious devices, which it is impossible here to de-
scribe ; and arhitrary signs are adopted to represent,
such as may require them. Definitions are very ex-
tensively resorted to ; and they are always of the
most strictly logical character. Indeed, the whole
system is one of the most complete and be utiful of
the kind ever formed on philosophical principles.
The number of scholars is about 130. Some of
them are supported by a fund belong;in2f to the insti-
tution, and others by the states of M;issachusetts,
New-Hampshire, &c. Similar institutions exist in the
city and state of New-York, Philadelphia, &c. and
one has lately been provided for in Kentucky.
The Hopkins's Grammar School, which has been
recently much enlarged, is in the lower part of the
town.
The Retreat for the Insane is a little south of the
city, and makes a handsome appearance, beins: a stone
building 150 feet long and 50 wide, the wings having
three stories, and the main building four, ft is capa-
ble of containing about 50 patients, and is warmed by
flues. The grounds connected with the institution
include about 17 acres.
Miss Beecher''s School justly enjoys a very high repu-
tation.
Washington College is situated west of the main
street, in the south part of the town. It is an episco-
pal institution, and has at present two stone build-
ings erected : one for the s'udents, 150 feet long, four
stories high, with accommodations for 96 pupils ; and
a chapel, which has also rooms for recitation, the
library, &lc. The college bills are g52 50 per annum
in all ; and the students board in private families at
the rate of ^1 50 per week.
Fourteen acres of land belong to the institution, part
of which are devoted to the garden with its green-house.
A lai^e episcopal school has recently opened for
young ladies near this institution.
TKAVELLIKG IN rvEW-ENGLAND. 267
[jMrntevideOi the seat of Daniel Wadsworth, Esq.
Iljoys a charming situation on a mountain nine miles
sstward.
Tariffville is a little manufacturing- place several
iles north of that spot, near a romantic scene on
irmin^ton river, where it parses through the moun-
in. Here is a carpet manufactory.]
I Remarks to the Tbaveller at Hartford.
I
From Hartford there are stage coaches running in va-
)us direction'? ; north, one on each side of Connecticut
ver ; north-east, to Boston ; east, to Providence ;
•dh, to New-Haven and New-York (besides the daily
i!amboats to the latter place) ; 7i-est, to Litchfield
id Poughkeepsie and north-'west to Albany.
The road to Boston leads through Stafford Springs,
Id Worcester, but is otherwise very uninteresting and
( ite hilly. There are two routes to Boston, which
Iparate at Tolland, and meet again 15 miles from that
Ipital. On the new road, (which is shorter,) a coach
|;es through every day — travelling from 3 A. M. till
'^Stajford Springs, (26 miles from Hartford) is. in a
[mantic region. Tolland 17 m. Springs 9, Stur-
jidge 16, kc.
The traveller in New-England is advised to take the
ute up Connecticut river, which is the most fertile,
salthy, and beautiful tract of the countiy ; and to re-
rn by the way of Boston and Providence. This is
3 route we propose to pursue ; but the traveller can
ry from it as he pleases. He will find such informa-
n as this little volume is able to afiford him, by refer-
)g to the Index.
The fertility of the meadows in the Connecticut Val-
f is almost proverbial ; and after what the stranger
3 seen of its banks at Middletown and Hartford, he
ill learn with gratification that neither the soil nor the
auty of the cultivation degenerates for several hun-
2B8 R0UTE UP CONNECTICUT RIVER.
dred miles northward. The whole country is thickly
populated ; neat and beautiful villages are met with .
at intervals of a few miles ; and the general intel-
ligence derived from universal education gives an ele-
vated aspect to society. The accommodations for'
travellers are generally very comfortable, and some-
times uncommonly good and elegant; the scenery is i
ever new ;md varying ; many places have traits of in-^
terest in their history ; and the communic ition is easy,"
from many points of the route, with the principal places
on the east and west Besides all this, the roads are pe-
culiarly tine, for they are generally run .dong the river's
bank, which is almost without exception level and plea-
sant, and formed of a soil well fitted to the purpose.
The western side of the river is generally to be pre-
ferred; but as there are good roads on both sides, and^
some villages and other objects worthy of equal notice
on the eastern shore, and good ferries or bridges are to'
be met with every few miles, it will be agreeable oc-
casionally to cross and recross. Those who travel
along the course of the Connecticut twice, would doi
well to go up on one side and return on the other.!
This is the most direct route to the White Hills or
White Mountains of New-Hampshire.
The improvement of the navigation of Connecticut'
river above Hartford has been seriously contemplated,
on a combined system, and the legislatures of Vermont
and Massachusetts have consented to a uniform plan.
Several of the principal falls have been canalled and
locked foe boats f ^r a number of years ; and they might]^
be made to serve on the line. The first part of the na-
vigation (that is, from Hartford to Springfield and North-
ampton) chiefly engages attention at present ; and it;
is not improbable that the traveller will have an op-
portunity to gratify himself with a pleasant passage in
a steamboat even as far as the latter place in 1830. A
canal has been made at Enfield Falls, 6 miles in length,
in the bed of the river, with three locks, of a sufficient
breadth to admit steam towboats. |
I AMEiilCAN HIsTOniCAL bOCIETi. 2(3^
The Steamboat Blanchard, built at Springfield foi
'this navigation, measures 30 tons, has two cabins and
an engine of about 20 horse power. It draws scarcely a
foot of water, but moves with such power that in 1828
lit went up the falls at South Hadley at a rapid rate.
The scenery on this route will be found very pleasing,
; Those w ho go to Boston will pass through Worcester.
i Worcester is one of the finest villages in New-Eng-
land, llie Worcester Coal Mine, which is at a distance
from the road, is likely to be worked to a considerable
i extent. The vein is considered as connected with that
bn Rhode Island. It is anthracite ; and if its quality
'should justify the opinions which have been expressed,
it cannot fail to prove highly valuable, both for home
use and for transportation by the canal. There is a deep
cut at the foot of the hill, leading to a horizontal shaft
I iviiich has been carried in some distance. The country
around it is rich and variegated, and the dwellings
have an air of elegance which does great credit to the
I taste as well as the wealth of its inhabitants. Brick
is extensively used in building. Penknives are manu-
factured here of fine quality. The courthouse, bank,
fee. stand on the principal street; and east of it the
:ounty house and the building of the
American Historical Sooiety.
This is an institution formed by Mr. Isaiah Thomas,
many years a printer in this place, for the truly im-
portant purpose of preserving every thing relating to
the history, traditions, &c. of the country. He has
made it a donation of his valuable library, between 7
and 8000 volumes, with many files of news}japers ; and
built at his own expense the handsome edifice in which
it is deposited. Many interesting curiosities have also
been collected here from all parts of the country, but
the institution has not funds to support a keeper, and
the cabinet has not (unless, perhaps, recently) been
opened to the public. The building cost about $8000.
270 EOUTE IP COXNECTICUT EIVEK.
For the Blackstone Canal which connects this place
with Providence, see Index.
Sutton, Worcester Co. There is a remarkable chasm
in the rocks in this place, at a distance from the road,
which appears to have been produced by some tre-
mendous convulsion in the earth. It appears like ai
wild and broken ravine, half a mile long, enclosed oni
each side by irregular walls of granite, rising to al
height of about 115 feet perpendicular, and so near'
as to threaten the visiter who explores the place be- 1
Jow. The opening is only from 75 to 100 feet wide ;"
and the opposite masses of rock correspond as if for-'
cibly torn asunder, as they doubtless have been. On'
the brow of one of the precipices is a mass of granite
estimated to weigh 5000 tons. The depth is so great,
and the shelter from the sun so entire in many places,'
that ice may be found at almost any season of the year.
Watchusett Hills, 16 miles W. N. W. of Worcester,
and 52 VV. by N. of Boston, are estimated at nearly
3000 feet above the sea, and ascended by an easy
path. Tiie spectator looks down on a surrounding
scene of wooded mountains, below which are ponds
and farms, and a view over cultivated aud inhabited
regions.
[From Worcester to Leicester, 5 miles ; East Brook-
field, 7 ; Brookfield, 3 ; War Factory Village, 5 ;
Belchertown, 10 ; Northampton, 15.]
Route up Connecticut River.
Leaving Hartford,
The State Arsenal* is seen on the right-hand, a mile
from the city ; and many pleasant views are enjoyed.
* The Qiiarrer-Master General reported that there were in the arse-
nal, in J828, 48.57 muskets purchased by the state, together with 2927
muskets and 150 rifles, with the proper accoutrenieiils, received from
the United States. Accordhig to the last regular returns, thete were in
the liands of the niiliiia, hut not owned by the state, upwards ol 13,00() '
muskets and rifles fit for service, which, with those in flie arsenal, at'
jfrarly equal to the whole number of the infantry. ;
SPKINSFIELO. 27 1
[East Hartford, opposite Hartford, has a sandy soil,
)ut the street, as well as that of East Windsor, next
iiorth of it, is shaded with rows of fine elms. The road
•crosses Poduiik Brook by a small bridge, about four
Iniles from Hartford, on the north bank of which, on
he lett-hand, was once the fort of the powerful tribe
)f Podunk Indians, who had that this place was
settled as early as 1635. A (ew months after the
Juilding of the fort, ((»robably a blockhouse,) the
Dutch garrison at Hartford made a secret march against
t, expecting to take it by surprise ; but on arriving at
he place they found reason to give up their enter-
prise, and returned without firing a gun. The country
was formerly very populous in Indians, the six square
niles of which the town was formed, and which ex-
tended on both sides of the river, containing ten sepa-
rate sachemdoms, or petty Indian tribes.
There is a school established in this town on the
t'ellenberg plan, in which agriculture is taught both
27^ l.OUTE UP CO]S'NECTICUr lilVER.
theoretically and practically, a good farm adjoining it
being open to the examination and experiments of the
students.
The seat of the late Chief Justice Oliver Ellsworth
stands on the east side of the street, above the tow^n, ,
nine miles above Hartford. It is distinguished by co-
lumns, and surrounded bj^ trees. He was born in a
house opposite. He was in Europe as minister for the j
United States to France.
Alter turning a corner a little beyond this place, the
new road runs north by a tavern, while the old one. j
across a sand plain, keeps straight on. The former is
recomniended, as it passes for several miles along the ,
bank of Connec icut River.
Warehouse Point, in Entield, is seen on the east side.
Here vessels are built, and the place carries on a little
trade. There is a Shaker settlement of about 600
persons, 5 or 6 miles from Enfield. Messrs. Andrews
& Thompson's Carpet Manufactor}'^ is at Thomp-
sonville.
The Canal of 6 miles to pass the falls below this !
place, was spoken of at Hartford.
SUFFIELD
is a very pleasant town about a mile west of the road*
and has a good inn, and a mineral spring in its vicinity^
which has been the resort of considerable company.
The village street runs along the ridge of a long and ]
beautiful hill, with neat houses and white fences on ,
both sides, and the home lots sloping east and west to- (
wards the low ground. Some of the houses are large i
and elegant.
Suffield Springs. About a mile south-west of the
street is a mineral spring of slightly sulphureous qua- i
Hties. A house has been built there about 20 yearSr
'vhich has accommodations for 50 persons, with bath?
•-^f djfl'erent descriptions. The spring; is in swampy
SmilN till ELD. Svf
and, and its qualities are considered valuable, par-
icularly in cases of cutaneous disorders. The place
s pleasant, in the midst of a rich rural scene, with a
3retty flower garden, &c. calculated to render it an
igreeable resort, which it will, no doubt, in due time
Decome.
If it is intended to stop for the night within a few
niles, the best inn is the Columbian Hotel, at Spring-
ield, on the east side of the river. To reach it in
^oing north, turn off to the right through the meadows?
•ome time atter passing Westfield River, which will
lead directly to the Springtield bridge. This is sub-
itantially built, and well protected by a roof.
Spritsgfield,
iJoJumhian Hotel. Stage coaches run north, south,
ind to Boston and Albany.
< i'his is a flourishing town, standing at the foot of a
iiigh hill, the side of which is ornamented with fine
[)ui!dings, the residences of some of the wealthier in-
jiabitants, and the top occupied by the United States'
Armory. This establishment occupies a large space
if ground, and commands a fine view. The build-
ings containing the workshops tor manufacturing small
;)rm?, the arsenal, barracks, &c. are surrounded by a
jiigh wall ; and the habitations of the workmen, seen
n several neighbouring streets, are generally neat
louses with small gardens. Some of the principal
)uildini:s within the wails were burnt about four years^
jgo, but have since been rebuilt, viz. three buildings,
>ach 120 feet long, one of which is a store house of
irnis. Access may be obtained ; but here is not room
.0 give a particular description of the establishment,
which bears a general resemblance to others of this
kind in the country, although it is the largest in size.
The number of workmen required, which is about
260, has a favourable effect on the business and pros-
perity of the place. About 13.000 muskets are raad^;
274 KOUTiJ Li* CONNECTICUT KIVER.
here annually, or 60 a day. There were manufactured ]
here, in 1829, 16,500 muskets. Expenditure, g 190,000, '
including repairs, &c. The average cost of a musket .
is now glO 66. Since the establishment was formed, ;
in 1795, 296,989 muskets have been tnanufacturedj
The manufactories on Mill river, a iiitle south of the j
armory, are various and well worthy of observation, at |
least, in passing. A road that runs along the bank,'!
passes a number of flour mills, &c. belonging to indi-|
viduals, besides the Upper, Middle, and Lower Water]
Shops, connected with the aruiory. There are three I
dams of hewn stone, and the buildings, in plan andi
construction, are well calculated for service and dura-
bility. The water shops contain in all 18 water
wheels, 10 trip hammers, 28 forges, 9 coal houses, ;
and have connected with them several houses andi
stores.
The town is ornamented with many fine elms and
other trees; and there are two very handsome!
churches, a High School, &,c. It was origina ly con-
sidered within the limits of Connecticut Colony, but
at length incorporated with Massachusetts. A tribe
of Indians lived for some years on Fort Hill ; but
being won over to King Philip's party, in 1675, they
assuuied a hostile air, tired upon some of the inhabit-
ants who were going to tljeir tort, and burnt a part of|
the town.
in 1786, during the rebellion of ^'hays, he attacked
the armory, at the head of a strong party of undisci-
plined men. Gen. Shepard, who had command at the.'
place, attempted to dissuade them from their attempt j
and finally drove them off by firing twice. The first
shot, over their heads, dispersed the raw troops, and
the secuiid drove off the remainder, who, being about
500 revolutionary soldiers, did not desist until they had
lost a few of their men. This was the first check the
insurrection received, which was put down w'thout
much subsequent trouble.
Snrinsrfield Factory Village is a new and very ex
I SOUTH HADLEY F^iLLS. 2/6
c tensive manufacturing place. It is on the Chicopee
,1 River, and a stage coach passes through it every other
tday, on the road to Belcherlonn. The capital em-
,; ployed here in 1828 was *>^500,000. The buildings
brick, 2 stories, and about 9000 yards of cotton were
made daily in all.
; Wilbraham, 7 or 8 miles west from Springfield, con-
tains a Wesley an Academy. The pupils are instructed
in agriculture on a farm, and in the mechanic arts in
a. shop, belonging to the institution. There are
llteachers in various branches of literature, science, and
|the arts.
West Springfield has a fine street, shaded with large
:elms, and containing some handsome houses. It is 26
miles from Harttord, and about 17 miles from North-
lampton. There is a fine vie • from the road on the
brow of a hill a little noith of the town, near a church,
which overlooks the river and an extent of country on
leach side, with Mounts Tom and Holyoke in front.
South Haduey Falls.
The village and locks are on the east side of the
river.
The whole fall of the river at South Hadley is 52
feet, but at the lower falls only 32. There is a canal
2r, miles long on the bank of the river, cut through
a slate rock for a considerable distance, and in some
places very deep. The dam is 8 feet high. There
are five locks near the tavern, nnd one above. The
toll here is 90 cents. There is a ferry here, which is
safe, hut the water runs very swiftly.
For "-everal miles before reaching Mount Tom, the
road runs along the bank of the river, showing its banks,
in many places, rousi-hened with rocks. Its channel is
in one place crossed by the dam, which turns the water
into the South Hadley Canal. The river makes an
abrupt turn some miles above, running between Mount
Tom on the south and Mount Holyoke on the north ;
276 ROUTE UP CONr^ECTICUT KIVER.
and when the scene opens again, it discloses a chartiv
ing and extensive plain, formed of the meadows on
the river's bank, and evidently once the site of a
large lake, when the water was restrained by the bar-
rier between the mountains. This plain is one of the '
richest, and by far the most extensive and beautiful on '
the river.
Northampton.
Hotels. There is a splendid hotel here. Warner
also keeps a very good house.
This town is situated at the west side of the plain,
a mile from the river, and is a favourite place of re-
sort for travellers ; as it is one of the most beautiful
of the New-England villages, and is surrounded by a
charming country, and lies near to Mount Holyoke,
which commands a view of the whole. The streets
are irregular, but some of them shady and delightful
in summer, being also ornamented with many neat
houses It is a place of considerable business ; and
the soil makes valuable farms.*
Round Hill is a beautiful eminence just west of the
town, where is the school of Messrs. Cogswell and
Bancroft, for the education of boys. The branches of
learning taught there are numerous, and there are in-
structers for the French, Spanish, and German lan-
guages. Great attention is paid to the hours of recre-
ation as well as of study, and the pupils are rarely to
be seen out of the precincts of the school. The place
* Canal.— "Sir. Kurd's esiiniaie of the whole expense of the Hampshire
and Hampden Canal is given as follows:
Canal $204,210
Feed«'rs, 44^856
Cost ol' lands and contingent expense, . 18,500
Total expense, $-267,566 |
The longfli of (he canal is 29^ miles, divided into 56 sections of MS
jiods each. When finish'^fl it will be particularly described in a futiiro
SOLiliAMrruX LEAD MIMi. 2ti
; itself is very plensant : commanding- fine air, fine
I scenes, and perfect retirement.
; On tlie eastern declivity of the hill stands the house
!of the Stoddard family, an ancestor of which was a
I man of great talents and influence in this part of the
country. On the east side of the main street, just
south of the brook, is the house of the late Governor
: Strong.
There is a large Button Manufactory in this vi-
cinity.
I The Lead Mine.
I
In Southampton, at the distance of 8 miles from this
■place, is a lead mine, which will be regarded with in-
' terest by the curious and scientific. A considerable
jpart of the road to it is good, and the place is wild
and rough. The following extract from the Journal
of Science and the Arts, furnishes all necessary in-
formation on the subject.
"This vein declines 10 or 15 degrees from a per-
pendicular, is 6 or 8 feet in diameter, and traverses
granite and other primitive rocks. It has been ob-
served at intervals fi'om Montgomery to Hatfield, a
! distance of 20 miles. In Southampton it has beenex-
I plored many rods in length, to the depth of 40 or 50
I leet ; and the galena, which is the principal ore, has
been found in masses from a quarter of an inch to a
, foot in diameter. At the depth above mentioned, the
\ water became so abundant that it v\as thought advis-
' able to abandon a perpendicular exploration, and to
'descend to the foot of a hill on the east, nearly 80
! rods rom the vein, and attempt a horizontal drift, or
I adit ; and ever since its commencement, seven or eight
' years ago, the working of the vein has ceased. The
rocks that have been penetrated, reckoning from the
mouth of the drift inwards, are geest, the red and gray
slates of the coal formation, with thin beds of coal-
and mica slate, and granite, alternatinsr.
Aa2
fi78 liOUTE UP CONNECTICLT KIVEK.
The mouth of this drift is 4 or 5 feet wide, and
about 3 feet above the surface of the water. The
water is deep enough, the whole length of it, to admit
the passage of a loaded boat. The person wishing
to explore this internal canal, must fire a gun at the
entrance, or beat heavily with a sledge on the timbers
that support the soil ; in 10 or 15 minutes, he will per-
ceive a gentle undulation of the water, and soon after,
a boat advancing with lighted lamps and a rower;
having seated himself on the bottom of this boat, and'
provided himself with an additional garment, he is
prepared tor his subterranean expedition. If he looks
back, after having advanced several hundred feet, the
light at the entrance will appear diminished to thel
size of a candle ; and before he reaches the extremity,
it becomes invisible. About half way from the en-
trance to the end of the drift, he will pass a shaft,,
down which a small brook is turned, for the purpose i
of aiding the ventilator.
The miners do not quit the drift when they blast,
but retire behind a breastwork thrown up for the
purpose. One man has been an inmate of that dark
recess eight or ten years without suffering in his health.
Every mineralogist passing that way, will of course
visit the drift. Intelligent gentlemen, with -ut profes-
sional views, and even ladies, not untrequently enter
the cavity."
Mount Holyoke.
The ascent of this mountain has become very fash-
ionable, perhaps more so than any siniilar enterprise
in this country, if we except that of the Catskill Moun-
tains in New- York. The height is said to be 800
feet ; and there is a good carriage road the greater
part of the way up, as well as a building of consider-
able size on the summit, for the accommodation of
visiters, who resort thither every season, usuaJiy in
partief?.
I
MOU:>fT HOLYOKE, 279
There is a short road through the meadows, directly
to Lyman's ferry, at the foot of the mountain, which
is furnished with a good horse-boat. But it may be
bund pleasanter to cross the bridge at the upper end
3f the town, f)ass throu^rh Hadley Meadows, and down
m the eastern bank. The path up the mountain turns
)flf near a small old house, and another opposite the
:avern near the ferry. After following the latter to its
ermination, you dismount, secure your horses to the
:rees, and walk up a rude stone staircase on the right.
Refreshments will be found at the house which occu-
i)ies the summit ; and which opens on both sides, in
ijuch a manner as to command an uninterrupted view
)f the rich and varied landscape below. Those who
vish to enjoy the luxury of seeing day break and the
un rise over such a scene, may find a shelter here for
he night. There was a remarkable flood in the river,
21 feet,) in the autumn of 1828, which destroyed bulld-
ogs, crops, &c. to an unprecedented extent.
i South-east, the view is less interesting, and may
jherefore be first examined. The country is undu-
'ating, and the soil generally poor; yet several vil-
ayres are discovered at a distance, particularly South
liadley, which lies immediately below. Southwardly
s seen Connecticut river, retiiing under the shade of
iMount Tom, whitened f)elovv tjy the South Hadley
Falls; beyond which is the hill at Springfield. The
'iver makes several turns, and on the horizon are two
t/^ery distant peaks, which are supposed to be East and
West Rocks, at New- Haven, about 70 miles distant.
North-east is seen Monadnoc Mountain in New-
Hampshire ; and the view towards the east is inter-
"upted by the neighbouring peaks of Mount Holyoke.
North, you look up the charming valley of the Con-
lecticut ; bordered by distant ranges of hills and moun-
tains, varied by a few isolated peaks, covered with the
lichest coat of vegetation, and scattered with villages
and innumerable farm houses. The river makes a
beautiful serpentine course ; from where it first ap-
21)0 ROUTE IP COA.^KCTICLT illVilll.
pears at the foot of Sugar Loaf Mountain, and Mount
Toby,* until it reaches the village of Hadley, which
lies in full view ; and then taking a bold svveep to the
west, and flowing 4| miles, it returns to the end of
the street, only a mile distant from where it first
meets it. The whole peninsula is rich and tertile, and
covered with cuhivated fields of wheat, corn, groSS,
&c. wiihout being disfigured by fences, according to
the custom prevalent here:dx)uts ; and is the richest
sight upon the river, particularly when viewed in con-
nexion with the scene immediately below, where the
river flows on, almost immediatel}^ under our (eet, and
the western shore presents the extensive Northamp-
ton Mea ovvs, a mile wide. Following the current
with the eye, in the
West-soutk-i:i'esU it forms a still more remark,26 ; the number who graduated in
18-28^ Wis 40; and the sludPHts, in 1829, were 211. The
president, Dt. Ilumi'li e-. is mIso proi'essor of mental
and moral Philosophy and Divinity. There are six
other protessors, and a teacher of French arid Spanish,
a teacher of mathematics, and a tutor of Latin and
Greek. A gymnastic apparatus has lately been
added.
The Amherst Academy is a large private establish-
ment for the education of boys. It is about three !
DLE.sii'lELh. 233
miles distant; the building is elegant, the instructers
are of a high character, and the system is formed on
the improved principle. The i^odern Greek pronun-
ciation has been adopted here for the ancient language,
under the instruction of Mr. Perdicari, a Grecian by
birth ; and this judicious example it is hoped may be
followed in other institutions.
The Sugar Loaf is an isolated hill of a conical
form, rising in front as we proceed. A fine view is
enjoyed from the summit, where has recently been
^erected a house for visiters. Deertield lies n6rth of it
Ubout three miles ; and the way by which we approach
it, lies nearly along the old road which led thither
through the wilderness, in 1675, when it was deserted
by the settlers, and Capt. Lothrop was despatched,
with a body of 80 soldiers and wagoners, to bring off
the grain. At the foot of this mountain is the small
village of Bloody Brook, (improperly called Muddy
i Brook,) and near the spot where a bridge crosses the
; stream, Capt. Lothrop was ambushed by about 800
{ Indians. The place was then a marshy piece of
ground; and some traces of the road, which was
I formed of logs, are stili to be seen, running thn^ugh
! the fields without crossing at the bridge. The convoy
halted at this place ; and the soldiers were generally
engaged in gathering grapes from t)ie vines which ran
on the trees, having left their muskets on the ground,
when the Indians tired upon them. Capt. Lothrop
gave orders that the men should disperse, ^nii fire
from behind the trees; but they were all cut off except
8 or 10. This massacre was one of the most calami-
tous which ever occurred in New-England, taken into
view with the small number of inhabitants at the
time : as the company consisted of young m.en from
the principal families in the eastern towns. There is
a stone now lying near the fence, west of the brook,
which was brought there some years since for a monu-
ment, but not raised.
That part of the meadow we pass through in ap
284 SOTJTE IP COKKECTICnT RIVliR.
preaching Deerfield was the scene of several skir-
mishes wiJh the Indians at different limes, as the place
was a frontier for nnany years, although it was twice
burned and deserted.
Deerfield.
In 1704, which was the period of its last destructiop'
a large body ot" Indians, led on by a few Frenchmen^
from Canada, came upon the town before dayiighto '
It was winter, and the snow crust was strong enough*
to bear them ; they had secreted themselveson a hill *
north-west from Deerfield, and sent in a scout. The
houses were all entered but one, the inhabitants made
captives, and all, except a few, taken off to Canada-
One of the houses is standing at this day, a little north i
of the church ; and the hole may still be seen in the I
door, which the Indians hacked with their tomahawks. 1
and then fired through, as well as the marks of several ;
bullets in the eastern room, one of which went through'
the neck of a woman and killed her. A young man:
and his bride leaped from a window of the chamber
above; and thouuh the latter v/as unable to walk, in
consequence o! spraining her ancle, the former filed, ati
her urgent request, and, meeting with some troops on;
his way, brought them up in time to drive off the In i
dians, but not lo retake any of the captives. '
A house next this was valiantly defended by seven'
men ; and the dwelling of Mr. Williams, the minister.
was taken, and he and his family carried to Canada.
Most of the people were ransomed ; but a daughter of
Mr. W. became attached to the savage life, married ?
chief, and left children. Mr. Vv illiams, missionary to
the Indians at Green Bay, was one of her descendants.
Some marks of the old picket may be traced in the
rear of the house, which is supposed to present the
same appearance as in old time, excepting that thf;
kitchen, &c. have since been built, and the front and '
rear have been coverer^
There is an acadeiny in this town, but it is not in a
very flourishing: condition.
East from this place, are several spurs projecting
from the hill, on one of which was formerly a fort,
for the protection of the Deerfield Indians against the
Mohawks.
Greenjield, 3 miles. Here the stage coach passes
on a road from Boston to Albany. The countiy west
is highly picturesque. Just south of the town, Deer-
field river appears to have at some period formed a
Jake of some extent, with an outlet towards the east,,
where its channel may be seen, with the place of an
old cascade, and the rocks bored out by the rushing of
the water. The channel now lies through a deep cut
between two hills. A High School, for young ladies,
was established here in 1828. ^
Turner's Falls are on Connecticut river, two or
three miles east from Greenfield. It is necessary to
leave the road to see them ; but they are of consider-
able height and beauty, and history has rendered the
place memorable, from an important battle fought
there towards the close of Philip's war. 1 he way by
which we approach is nearly over the same ground,
.where Capt. Turner marched, with his body of meUy
in the year 1676, when he went to attack a large body
of Indians, assembled at an Indian fort, a quarter of a
aiile above the falls ; and by which he also returned,
ifter a successful battle, pursued by his surviving
Iniemies.
Philip, having been driven from the seacoast and
he neighbourhood of the English settlements, by the
active operations of Capt. Church, Capt. Mosely, Capt.
«Vheeler, &c., retired with some of his followers to
he Northlield Indians, who held a position on a sandy
iill, on the north bank of the river. Here he was
ttacked in the night by the troops under Capt. Tur-
ner. The English left their horses on a hill, which
f' descends to a brook emptying into the Connecticut
elow the falls: and having moimtcd the oppo^i'*^.
^86 BObTE tF CONNECTICUT RIVEIi.
bank, pFoceeded near where the present road leads,
and marched up the sandy hill. The place has a
swamp on two :-ides, and the river on the fourth. It
is, indeed, overtopped by neighbouring hills ; but
cannon, of course, were out of the question in such a
warfare. The Indians had held a feast that night, as
some of their captives afterward reported, and were
generally asleep, so that the attack of the white nien
gave them a panic, and they fled to their boats, which
they launclied in such haste, that many forgot their
paddles, and were carried over the falls. The rest,'
however, rallied before their enemies were out of
their reach, and being joined by some from the island;
below the falls, pursued and harassed them about ten'
miles, to Deeifield. Bones are occasionally dug up|
near the spot, and a few years ago the remains of an'
old musket, a few silver coins, &,c. were discovered!
among the rocks. ^
This was the last and most severe blow Philip re-?
ceived, before he returned to his native country in;
Rhode I-land, where he soon after terminated hi:^
dangerous life, and the war, which brought so many*
calamities upon New-Endand. 'i
Tlie Canal. — A dam oigreat height is built at the*
falls, to supply a canal, which extends two or thret^
miles for boats and rafts. Some mills are also e?jta'
blished on the river's bank. The fall is divided b>'
two rude rocks, between which the water rushes in
separate cataracts; and the scenery below is wild
and not a little imposing. This is part of the New
Haven Greenstone range, and there aie two veins o,
copper in the mountain : specimens of coal have beeH
found. There is, however, no inn nearer than Green^
field.]
Bernardston, 8 miles from Greenfield.
Vernon. — Within the limits of this township, whici
is the first in Vermont, was once Fort Drummer, od
of a chain of forts, built for the protection of thj
^country against the Canadian Indians. The place fo
WALFOLE. '2^^
-onie years was known on the river, by the name of
i^umber One, being tlie first of four townships.
Passing through a pretty village, with several mills,
ifter a few miles we approach Brattleborough, south
)f which, east of the road, is a quarry, which furnishes
\ large qtiantity of slate ; where may be seen the
node of quarrying, splitting, shaping, and packing it
"or transportation.
Brattleborough is a very pleasant village, situated
in an elevated pi in above the river, which, since the
draining of the old lake in this place, has made two
)r three successive arches north of the town, as it has
rradually lowered its channel to the present level.
At the bridge, over a smab stream, are several manu-
actories ; and in the village is a large and comfortable
itage house, whence coaches go to Boston, as well as
vest, north, an i south.
; Westminster. — This is on a fine, extensive level ; and
jin the high land, o ) the opposite side of th*- river, is
I Walpole. — Connecticut river being the dividing; line
iietween the two adjacent states, Walpole is in New-
lampshire. The situation is very commanding, and
jhe summit of the hill, above the village, affords a view
If unusual extent and beauty. There is a spacious
;nd well-kept inn at Walpole ; and stage coaches go
jence to Boston, &c. It will be found the best place
p stop at between Brattleborough nd Charlestown.
I Three miles north is the farm of Col. Bellows,
rhich contains 700 acres. The house of the propri-
Itor enjoys a fine situation on a ridge rising from the
iieadow, near wh«-re siood the fort erected by Col.
j»eIlows, when, about the middle of the last century,
le place was occup'ed and a settlement begun under
le name of Township No. 3.
1 The changes which have taken place in the channel
f the; river, in the course of ages, are very manifest
i 1 passing along this part of its course, particularly by
ie western bank ; in one place, which is now perhaps
00 feet above the present level of the water, tbf"
28U ROUTE UP CONNECTICUT EiVER.
current appears once lo have flowed, and to have
formed the cataract, which has now retired a mile or
mori- to the north.
BelIozvs''s Falls. — The heig^ht of this fall is inconside-
rable, but it is, on he whole, a striking; o ject ; sur-
rounded by rocky banks, and having an abrupt moun-
tain on the eristern side. The place has also been
much ornamentr d by art ; for, besides the village, with
its neat white houses and hand-ome church, a canal
has been dug round the falls, a bridge thrown over
them, and the rugged side of the mountain decorated j
with a handsome country seat. ,
The rocks are of the most firm and solid gray gra- ,
nite, but are much cut by the force of the current. In
some places holes have been bored into them perpen- i
dicularly, two or three feet in diameter, and 12 or even |
18 feet deep. This is done by the motion given to y
loose stones by the eddies of the stream, and the gra- i
dual enlargement of the bore sometimes breaks off |
great masses of the rock. These falls were once the i^
favourite resort of Indians during the fishing season.
On the rock just below the bridge are some remains
of their rude attempts at sculpture, which represent
the form of human faces ; and from one on the end of ]
the stone, whici appears to have suffered less trom the
attrition of the floods, it would seem as if they might
once have been more finished specimens of sculpture
than hey now appear, as that presents considerable
prominency and beau y of execution.
The Hunt Farm is about 3^ miles from the falls,
and is a Urge and valuable estate, the meadows being
rich and beautiful in the extreme. The house and
other bui dings are large; but the establishment is
not conducted on such a plan as would gratify an agri-
culturist.
Charlestown. —Th\s is one of the prettiest little vil-
lages in New-England : having a wide street, parti)
shaded with trees, and lined with neat houses, many
I
AVINDSOK. J 819*
oi which speak the taste, as well as the easy circum-
stances, of their proprietors.
This was called Township No. 4. The fort, built
for the defence of the place in 1743, stood on the
gently rising ground a little south of the chur< h, where
the street runs : but not a vestige of it is to be disco-
vered. It was most gallantly deiended by Capt. Ste-
vens, in 1747, against a large number of French and
Indians : although repeatedly called upon to suirender,
the garrison persisted in the defence, digging into the
ground to shelter theT^selves from the enemy's fire,
and, after several days, succeeded in driving them
away. Capt. S. received a sword for his bravery.
Jarvis^ Farm at Wethersfield Bow, on the west
side of the river, is very extensive, and contains a
number of large buildings for dwelling.^, barns, stables,
he, principally of brick. The land is generally
, fenced with the roots of pine trees, dragged from the
'ground, by which the soil is rendered fit tor imnnediate
i cultivation, and unencumbered. The proprietor of
this farm is also the possessor of a large part of the
township besides, and is very wealthy.
The roid beyond affords some romantic scenes.
[The hills approach the river very nearly, and several
iviews are caught between them, of the mountain
I behind Windsor, which is about 2000 feet in height,
I and divided into three peaks, whence, it is said, it
derived the name of Ascutney, which, in the Indian
I language, means three brothers.
WINDSOR
k a fine and flourishing town, in a very picturesque
situation, particularly when viewed from the opposite
side of the river ; and contains a good stage house,
kept by Pettes, a number of stores, some elegant
houses, two or three handsome churches, and the
State Prison.
This latter building is of granite, on the hill in the
B b 2
290 ROUTE UP CONNECTICUT RIVEK.
western part of the town. It is planned after the old
and ill-devised system, (see pages 123 and 263,) but
has one thing in its construction worthy of imitation :
the stones are secured against removal, by having six-
pound ctnnon shot placed between them, holes being
cut into the stones lo receive them. In 1828, there
were 123 convicts, who reimbursed, chiefly by weaving,
nearly all the expenses. It is to be enlarged.
Mount Ascutneu. — A great part of the way up this
mountain a road has been cut, and the traveller will be
richly rewarded for the labour of his ascent. From
the nature of the soil, he cannot, indeed, expect to
behold a scene like that from Moufst Holyoke ; but
there is a great deal (hat is fine in the appearance of
the surrounding country, rough, and interspersed with
villages and cultivated tracts, with the Connecticut
winding through it.
Sumner's bridge, four miles above, was injured by
the great flood of 1828.
The Gulf Road.
Those who are going westward from this part of
the river, are counselled to take the Gulf Road !o
Burlington, on Lake Champlain, to which a stage
coach runs. Although the route is through the chain
of the Green Mountains, the way is remarkably smooth
and easy, followins: the courses of the White and On-
ion rivers, which have cut deep channels through the
rocks. You have, however, first to go 16 miles along
the western bank of the Connecticut to
White River. — Here great quantities of lumber are
brought down, sawed on the stream, and sent by the
Connecticut in rafts to the country below. Dartmouth
College, at Hanover, is five miles north, and those who
are going to the White Mountains, will of course
pursue that route (see p. 294) ; but the following de-
viation is made for those who are going to Lake
Champlain.
I THE GILF ROAD, 291
i'he road up the White River lies along the north
bank, and passes through several beautiful and flourish-
ing villa2:es. The valley, though narrow, is formed of
: the richest soil, and wears the same aspect, in form,
i fertility, and population, with the meadows of the
Connecticut. This was one of the courses formerly
, chosen by the Indians of the north in their commerce
iwith those on the borders of that river, before the
arrival of Europeans; and, with the exception of a
short portage, between the White and Onion rivers,
I they brought their furs from Canada by water. Du-
iring the Indian and French wars, this route was fre-
quently used for m >re hostile purposes ; and captives
were taken from these settlements so late as the Revo-
lutionary war. The scenery is interesting and various
lall along the route.
Royalton, a pretty village. This place was burned,
I Oct. 16th, 1781, by 300 men, principally Indians, who
jeame down from Canada. They killed two men and
took away six prisoners to Montreal.
I Randolph is considered one of the most beautiful
j towns in Vermont, and a stage coach likewise passes
that way.
j Gulf. — The entrance of this remarkable passage
.noin the east, is under the brow of an abrupt moun-
|tain, whe»e a branch of White River flows along by
('he road in a gentle current, quite inadequate in its
I present condition to such effiects as it has produced at
1 5ome former period, in parting this enormous barrier.
^It was not, however, by the gradual action of a di-
ininutive stream like this, even when increased by the
mnual floods, that such changes were made ; but by
he pressure of a lake confinci among the mountains,
»vhich here first found a channel.
The Gulf road extends 6 miles, and the ground is
♦i ^o level that it has been proposed to make it the course
1 5f a c.mal. On the height of land is a pond, from
I vvhich flows a stream into the vaHey. Part of it joins
fihe White River, and part the Onion Ri?er.
'i"^^ ROtTE UP CONKECriCllT RIVER,
Montpelier is the capital of Vermont, and a very
pretty town. It contains the State House, a Court
House, an Academy, and other public buildings.*
A survey has lately been completed, of Onion River,
from Lake Champlain, at Burlingjton, to Montpelier, a
distance of 38 miles. It is ascctained that a canal
may be made on three levels, the amount of fall at
three points bein^ 394 feet. The height of Lake
Champlain above the Hudson river, at Albany, is 86
feet. The elevation from Montpelier towards the
Connecticut River, to Onion River Pond, was found
to be 877 feet, and the fall thence to the mouth of
Wells River on the Connecticut, 918 feet, making the
Tivhole lockage from Lake Champlain to the Connecti-
cut 2189 feet. By another route through Dog River,
where there is a less abundant supply of water, and
White River, to the mouth of the latter, the lockage
is 1468 feet.
From Montpelier to Burlington, the road pursues
the course of Onion River nearly the whole distance,
and aflfords a succession of hilly and mountainous sce-
nery, such as is characteristic of the state. The river
is in many places smooth and gentle, though occa-
sionally interrupted by falls and rapids.
* History of the Staff.— The first discovery of Vermont was made in l
1609, by Samuel Champlain, who, after establishing a colony at Q.uebec,
proceedinc up the rivers St. Lawrence and Sorel, explored and gave his
©wn name to the lake h hich washes the western part of the slate. In i
J724, the 2overnn)ent of Massachusetts erected Fort Dumnier, in the i
town of Bratlkborough, on Connecticut river. The first settlement in
the western part of the slate was commenced by the French in 1731, in |
the town of Addison, and at the same lime they erected a fort at Crown
Point. The government of New Hampshire began to make grants of
townships within the present limits of Vermont in 1749, at which time !
the settlement of Bennineton was commenced, and at the same time a
violent controversy ensued between the New Hampshire grants and the
province of New-York. The first convention of the state met at Dor-
set, in 1776, and the first constitution was ad()[)ted by a convention as
eembled at Windsor in July, 1777, but tlie organization of tiie govern-
ment did not take place until March, 1778.
The difficulties between Vermont and New- York were amicably, set
♦led in 1790, and the next year she was admitted into the confederacy ol
the states.
In April, 18Q8, there were ten banks in Vermont, with .$949,844 in cir- 1
culation in notes. t
\ iiaaover. 2i>3
On t}>c road iVom Montpelier ai'c two rcinarkable
Water Falls, in the Onion River. They are so near
the road that they will be heard in passing", and seen
jby taking a few steps. The Upper Fall is in the midst
of a wild scene, the water pouring over broken rocks,
between two high and perpendicular banks. The
[Lo-jver Fall is of a peculiar character : the stream is
broken into foam, and rushes with great rapidity ; yet
the channel is obstructed in such a manner by several
large rocks, that the stream is turned alternately from
i side to side, being dashed with violence against their ba-
ses and thus forced into a zig zag course. A few miles
before reaching Burlington, the road leaves the river,
which bends away further towards the north. At its
, mouth is an extensive and fertile meadow, which may
'bear a comparison with those on the Connecticut.
': Burlington is a large and beautiful town, and en-
*|oys one of the finest situations on Lake Champlain.
jThe ridire of the hill, on the declivity (tf which it is
jbuilt, commands an extensive view up^'nthe lake, with
the nu.'jierous mountains, which border its western
shores, and a large expanse of water on the right and
left. Immediately below is the bay, bounded by high
jland; and the elegant dwellings and beautiful gar-
idens of the wealthier inhabitants, ornamciit the fore-
{ ground.
The Steamboats stop here on their way to Whitehall
md St. John's (the route to Montreal ;) and the tra-
ji^eller is referred to the Index for the objects on
.]:he lake in those directions. [Returning to Connecti-
hnt river J,
IIA^'OVEK.
This village, 21 miles above Windsor, is remarkable
as the seat of
294 ROUTE rP CO^'NECTICT;T RIVER.
DARTMOUTH COLLEGE,
an institution which holds a very respectable rank for
learning- and influence, the number of its pupils, and
the ability of i's officers. It was founded tor the edu-
cation of Indians, anl was named after William, Earl
of Dartmouth. It possesses a large tract of land,
which, however, is unproductive ; and thn college
building, which is of wood, and not inhabited by the
students, has an aspect of decay. The chapel is also
of wood ; but several of the houses about the green
are very neat, and the ground being elevated, the place
is very pleasant. The bills for tuition here are g33 a
year.
The Medical Institution is a brick building, a little
north from the square. The number of scholars in
the college is generally about 140. i
The road between Hanover and Haverhill, 28 miles,
presents few objects of much interest ; the country
not being thickly populated, and no villages inter-
vening, except Oxford, which has several very neat
housHS.
Opposite Hanover, in Norwich, Vt. is a Military
and Literary Academy, established by Capt. Par-
tridge, which is continued since his removal toMiddle-
to\Nn, Ct.
The Strafford Copperas Works are nine miles north
of Norwich. One of the buildings is 267 feet long. The
ore is pyrites, taken irom a stratum in a hill overlaid
by a crust of ferruginous earth cont: lining petrified
leaves, &c. The ore is broken and thrown into h^aps,
for about two months, when it gradually undergoes a
chymical change, emitting spontaneous fire and fumes
of sulphur. It is then leached in tubs, and the water,,
after boiling, yields crystals of copperas, of a rhombic
form and a beautiful green colour. The manufacto-
ries produce about 10,000 tons annually.
HAVERHILL. 295
tlAVERHILL.
'^ There are three villages in this town, but the north-
ern one is where the Boston road comes in, and where
there are two good inns. The situation is elevated,
and overlooks the meadows for some distance. The
distant scenery is here very fine, as Moosehillock
Mountain and several others are in plain view, and
serve as an introduction to the White Mountains, which
we are approaching.
On the opposite side of the river i> Piermont, (and
the traveller may cross or not,) where is a Sulphur
Spring of some local celebrity, with a building for
baths. Some distance south of it is a large house, in
an agreeable situation, for the accommodation of vi-
siters. It is capable of receiving a great many peo-
ple, and has a garden and pleasant rustic walks about
it. The stables are large, and great expense had been
incurred, which has yet betn ill repaid.
The Great Ox-bow is a meadow containing about
500 acres, lying in the town of Piermont on the west-
ern bank, and in the form of a crescent. An iron mine
has recently been discovered in this town. The soil
is fine and valuable ; but fmm the comparatively small
extent of the meadow, it cannot be compared with
that of Hadley. There are two or three houses seen,
belonging to the family of the first settler, who, as
may be imagined, soon acquired wealth from so valu-
able a tract of land.
At Bath is the handsome residence of Hon. M. P.
Payson, and an excellent inn kept by Carleton.
From Bath to the White Mountains, there are two
roads, one of which turns off through Lisbon, Little-
ton,* Bethlehem, Breton Woods, Nash and Sawyer's
Patent, and Shadbourn and Hart's Patent,
* At Littleton is an excellent inn. Distance from Hanover, 60 railcp :
from E. A. Crawford's,, 18.
296 ROLTE LP CONJNEOTKJLT iilVEK.
Such is the -vvildness of Ihc country, that we can dc
iittle more than enumerate the places. The road is
new, in many places rocky, and in others rough, on ac-
count of the logs which have been laid down to sup-
port it, and the remains of the stumps of trees. But
it is more direct and much less mountainous, than that
which passes through Lancaster. It does not, how-
ever, attord that fine view of the Connecticut Valley^
nor of the ranges of mountains which there surround
it, like a magnificent amphitheatre.
Franconia. This is a secluded village among the
mountains, 5 miles from Bethlehem, where iron is ma-
nufactured to a considerable extent. It is at the foot'
of Haystack Mountain, which is about half-way be-i
tween Mount Washington and Moosehillock — 20'milesi
from each, Gibbs keeps an excellent inn at this!
place ; and the stage coach passes twice a week, on,'
the road to Concord and Boston by Plymouth, N. H.i
The situation of the village, which contains 8 or 10 j
families, is highly romantic, and it presents many fine|
points of view. The Iron Mine is entered by a large I
cavern, and is worthy of a visit.
The Haystack may he ascended by any traveller
disposed lor arduous enterprises of this description:!
but it is not recommended in preference to the ascent
of Mount Washington, which is rather less difficult.
A footpath turns off from the road about 6 miles from
Franconia, which conducts to the summit, 3 miles.
The first twQ miles are through thick hemlock, hac
nietac, spruce, kc. then i mile stunted trees, and the
j'tjst bare rocks. Near the spot where the path begins
is a remarkable Lusus NaiurcEj formed by a rock on,
the side of a mountain, \yhich bears a resemblance toi
the human face in profile. This eminence, callt'd
Fro/ile Mountain, is 4 miles south of the lower iroi!
works. Tlie forest shrubbery extends to the margin oi
the bare rocks much in the proportion of the bust of;
man. It is called the "0/^/ Man of the Mountain.'
The precipice is 60.0 or 1000 feet high, and rises fro!^
the side of a pond, which is a source of the Pemige-
■\vasset river. The neighbouring region is so moun-
tainous, that more than fifty peaks, it is said, may be
counted from the top of the Haystack. Indeed the
view from that eminence embraces nothing but moun-
tains, with here and there a cleared spot on the Ply-
mouth road, and numerous marks of slides or ava-
lanches made by the inundation in 1826.
Lancaster
is a very pleasant town, and the last on the river which
merits that name. The surrounding mountains form a
noble scene, superior to every other of this nature
along its course.
I The Canada line is only 40 miles north, and lies
dloui^ ihe Connecticut. The following are the towns
jcind best inns : (Marshal's and Eames') Northumber-
' land ; (Porter's) in Stratford; (Mahurin's) Columbia ;
(Chamberlain's) Colebrook ; and the last stage (Col.
Eames') Stewartstown.
[Having now completed the route up Connecticut
River, we return to Long Island Sound. For other
"outes and places, see Index.],
NEW-LONDON, CONNECTICUT.
1 Entering New-London Harbour, (in a N. Y. steam-
; Doat,) on the left is the Lighthouse, and the dwelling
\ )f Gen. North, once aid-de-camp to Baron Steuben.
The shore beyond is inhabited by fishermen, whose
joats (called smacks) are generally to be seen in great
lumbers.
Fort Trumbull occupies a point beyond, and is gar-
! isoned by the United States. It was taken in the re-
i/olutionary war, as well as the town, and Fort Gris-
\ void, which stands on the high hill opposite. Look-
ng up the River Thames, the prospect is handsome,
he b^nks beina: hiarh and cultivated, and backed hy
298 ROUTU FROM ^EW-YORK Td BO.^TOZs.
Horlon's Hill several miles distant, in the Moheagan
country.
The harbour of New-London is one of the most
accessible, safe, and commodious in the United States,
lying near the Ocean and the Sound, almost surrounded
by high land, and having water enouo:h for ships ot
war quite up to the wharves, with a fine sandy bot-
tom near the shores. Unfortunately, however, there
is no convenient communication far into the country,
and the region about it is far from being fertile, so
that the place can never attain much importance. It
serves in some degree as the port of Connecticut River,
because there is no good harbour there; and a great
deal of trade was carried on with the West Indies a ;
few years ago. ,
New-London is the third town in Connecticut for the [
number of inhabitants, and like several of the others
principal places, although so small, enjoys the pri-j
vileges of a city. It is situated irregularly, princi-tj
pally at the foot of a hill facing the east, and wears anj
appearance of decline ; but some of the houses are^
handsome, and there are several fine situations near
the top of the hill.
There is a road hence to Providence, and another
from Norwich, (13 miles up the Thames,) both equally
uninteresting, and nearly of equal length. The rivei
however, affords some very pretty scenes, and Nor
wich is a neat and interesting town. The prices have
hitherto been nearly the same for the two routes.
Fort Griswold, opposite New-London, was garri-
soned by a few continental troops in the year 1781
the Revolution, when Benedict Arnold, after his trea-
cherous desertion of the American cause, appeared ofii
the harbour with a British force on the 6th of Sep-
tember ; and landing 800 men on each point of the
harbour, marched up and took Fort Trumbull, and
burnt the town. Col. Ej're, who commanded the
troops on the eastern shore, proceeded towards Forti
THE PEQUOUS. 2^9
(.riswold, and sending in a flag of truce, demanded a
surrender.
But before this time, Col. Ledyard had entered the
fort, and garrisoned it with 120 men, chiefly militia
volunteers from the neighbourhood. The British
troops had advanced under cover of a wood, and in-
vested the fort ; but the Americans defended them-
selves for some time, beating off their enemies once,
and finally surrendered, when resistance would have
been entirely useless. The enemy had lost 41 officers
and men, who were buried near the spot ; with Col.
Ayres, the commander, wounded, and Maj. Montgo-
mery killed. After the surrender, however, a mas-
sacre of the prisoners took place, which cast the deep-
est disgrace on the expedition: 70 officers and men
I being the victinis, most of whom were heads of fami-
lies. Many of the wounded were also treated in a
intiost barbarous manner, being placed in a cart, and
! rolled down the hill just south of the present road to
the fort. Arrangements have been made for building
by subscription a monument on the spot. It is to be
m obelisk, 120 feet high, to cost about $14,000.
The objects on the Thames, at Norwich, &c. will
be taken up on page 301.
Road from New -LosDo^ to Providence.
{ Fort Hill is a commanding eminence, about 4 miles
east from this place, and derives its name from a Pe-
' juod Fort, which formerly occupied its summit. The
I'oad crosses it near the southern limit of the fort, and
i small church stands a quarter of a mile above, within
ihe extensive space once enclosed by that palisaded
jtvork. It was the great fortress of the terrible Pequod
nation, which makes a very conspicuous figure in the
jarly history of the eastern colonies. They had fought
i.heir way from the interior, and seated themselves in
he present limits of Groton, where the few poor re-
nains of their de?cendants still are found. On the
oOO KOLtH IKOSI 5yfEVV-Y0RK TO BOSTOi\.
arrival of the English, ^they had extended their coh-
quests a considerable distance up Connecticut River,
and the Eastern and Western Nehantics on the coast
xv^re subject to theni.
In consequence of the murders they had committed,
and the attacks with which they threatened the infant
settlements at Hartford, Windsor, and Wethersfield,
the inhabitants formed an expedition in the sprinsi ot
1637, led by Capt. Mason, attacked their other fort on
the Mystic, burnt it, and killed about 600 persons :
after which the nation tied from their country ; and hav-
ing: suffered another terrible slaughter in the swamp at
Fairfield (see that place) were reduced to slavery,
and ceased from that time to be an object of terror.
This hill commands an extensive and delightful
view, being almost entirely clear of obstructions, and
being superior in height to the neighbouring hills. A
considerable extent of Long Island and the Sound are ,
overlooked from the summit, with various islands, bays, '
and points on the Connecticut coast. At the time oi ]
the burning of Mystic Fort, it was occupied by the ,
chief Sachem Sassacus, who hastened to the relief of ;
his subjects, but arrived too late to render them any f
assistance. On his return here, he burnt the wig- j
wams and palisadoes, and immediately fled for refuge
to the Mohawks, by whom he was beheaded.
Mystic, 7 A miles.
Stonington, 10 miles.
On descending the hill which leads into this village,
Porter's Rock, 30 or 40 feet high, is seen a little off
the road on the right-hand. Under the shelter of itj
it is said, Capt. Mason encamped with his little army^
on the niffht of May 26, 1637, old style, a few hours
before his successful attack on the second Pequod
Fort, which was on the top of a hill about two miles
south of this place.
During the last war, a small fort in this town was
•-t.tnnjced by a «hip and two briers of Com, .Hardy%
THE KIVER THAMES. 301
squadron, and defended by the inhabitants with great
■ gallantry.
HopkintoUyW miles.
I West Greenwich, 15 miles.
Centrevillcj 2 miles.
[Here are two cotton manufactories, about half a
; mile apart, and two weaving shops, with their little
settlements, principally inhabited by the w^ork peo«
pie.]
j Providence, II miles. (iSce page 309.)
THE RIVER THAMES.
Steamboat Route from New-London to Norwich.
[ A little above New-London, there is a singular rock,
I on the east side, where the explorers of the river are
said to have landed, and to have been attacked by the
I Pequods. The Moheagan country lies above, on the
I west side, with HortorCs Hill, on the top of which
Uncas had a fort, something of which still remains.
I It is a very commanding position, and overlooks the
j surrounding country. During the late war, the govern-
' ment ships Macedonian, United States, and Hornet,
I which were in the river, lay moored here for a length
I of time, and their guns were drawn up by oxen to the
j top of the hill, on the east shore, above the little cove.
' A small battery was also constructed on the little spur
j projecting from the hill in front. 3 or 4000 militia
were stationed on the opposite shore for their further
security.
Massapeague Point, just above. Here the river is
I quite narrow, opening northward into a small lake.
' There is a small island on the eastern shore, on
which is a ^tone cottage, built by the soldiers for a
I poor family which resided here during the war. It
lies at the entrance of a pretty cove, which makes up
a mile. Commorlore Decatur brought the ships up
C c2
302 ROUTE FK03I T^EVV-VORK TO B0ST0I\.
here, for still greater security ap:ainstthe British cruis-
ing off New-London harbour. The place where they
lay is KiaK's Cove, a mile above the island. Above
this place, the river has been impeded by sand, washed
down by the Shetucket River, and attempts are mak-
ing" to remedy it by building piers.
Trading Cove, 1 mile above Kiah's Cove, is a hand-
some little bay, making up into the Indian country, and
derived its name from the barter formerly carried on
here between the white men and the Moheagans. Un-
cas, the Sachem of Moheagan, was believed to be of
Pequod descent, but in a state of successful revolt at
the time the English became acquainted with him.
His chief residence was near this cove, now the centre
of the Indian Reservation; but the burying ground of
the royal family was near Norwich Landing (which
is in sight from this place). He had conquered the
country as far north as about the present Massachusetts
line, but became an early friend of the whites, and
rendered them important services, particularly in war,
as well as his successors, the later Moheagan Chiefs.
Before this part of the state was settled, Uncas was
once so closely besieged by his enemies the Pequods,
tha. ue suffered extremely from a scarcity of provisions,
and ,vas relieved only by the care of a man named
Leffingvve!!, who \vas despatched from Connecticut
whh a boat loc.d.,awith provisions. In gratitur" - Un-
cas gave him a large part of the present town oi -.Nor-
wich for this important service. There is a rock still
pointed out on the shore, and called Uncas' Chair,
where the Sachem is said to have set and watched the
arrival of his friends.
On the south side, Trading Cove is bounded by Nab
Cooper's Hill, an appellation somewhat quaint for a
neighbourhood not deficient in romantic association.
Beyond is Fort Hill, which derived its name from a
little place of strength erected in old limes by the In-
dians, as a protection against other nations small like
themselvci. The poor remains of thistribe reside on ■
xNORWICfl. 303
the lands secured to them by the state g-overnment, and
live in all the i2:norance, idleness, and thriftlessness
common to Indians in this part of the country : nselan-
choly testimonies of the degradation to which the most
active human minds may sink when eveiy customary
impulse to exertion has been stifled, and no new in-
citement extended. An Indian could formerly equal
or surpass his companions by an extraordinary display
of swiftness and skill in the chase, or conduct and cou-
rage in war; and what exertions were not made for
jthe attainment of such distinction? Red men have
traversed these beautiful shores in the pursuit of game,
or the tracks of their enemies, and suffered all the se-
; verities of climate and privation, of wounds and of tor-
Iture, for those white men whose sons now neglect and
i despise their descendants, and coldly question their
(capacity for improvement.
NORWICH.
Stage Coaches go on to Providence and Boston, and
there are others in different directions.
It contains three villages, of which Chelsea Landing
•is the principal, and is remarkable for its singular si-
tuation, as well as for its appearance of business, which
is much favoured t'y the numerous manufactories in
;he neighbouring country. The Plain is about a mile
liorth, and a very pleasant place.
■■\ On the way thither is seen the Cove, at the upper
^ind of which are the Falls of Yantic, a stream which
?ours over a ledge of granite about 40 teet high, and
upplies several manufactories with water. The place
s highly picture-que. A rock, 70 or 80 feet in height,
)verhangs the stream, whence a number of Narragan-
t|;ett Indians once precipitated themselves when pur-
iiued by the Moheagans.
^ The Burying Ground of the Uncases is on the ele-
'ated bank north of the Cove, on the grounds of Judge
joddard. There are stones marking the graves of
304 ROUTE PROM NEW-YORK TO BOSTON.
numerous members of the royal family of the Mohea-
gans, and a few of them bear English inscriptions.
The family is now extinct, with the exception of one
or two degenerate beings, who have nothing but their
name to boast of. Uncas, the old friend of the white
men, is buried here. He and his nation were the only
steady allies they ever found among the Indians, steady
and powerful enough to render theai very essential
service. He was a man of extraordinary ta ent, and
withal extremely politic ; but he refused to join the ge-
neral insurrection under King Philip in 1675, and died
a friend of the white men.
This plain was the principal summer residence o)
the Moheagans.
The Flannel Factory is 146 feet by 40, 5 stories high.
.with a bleaching house, and dying house, and makes
5000 yards a week. There are also the Carpet, PoU
tcry. Paper, and other factories. '
The Cotton Manufactory is a very large establish-
ment, under the bank and at the mouth of the Yantic
The position is well selected, and the sum expendec
in buildings and machinery very great. It is ownec
by a company in Boston, from which city a vast amounj
of capital has been expended in all parts of Newl
England for similar objects, as the traveller will havti
opportunity to perceive as he proceeds.
The manufacturing village, although recently builr
contained, in 1827, 800 inhabitants. About a milliosl
and a half of dollars have been invested here. IBOc-
bales of cotton were manufactured annually, producing)
more than a million yards of doth ; 5 or 600 tons o|
iron made into nails, nail-rods, &-c. and 150 or 200 ton
of castings made from pig iron. 10,000 reams of pape
have been made in a year, besides machinery, linsee<
oil, &c. Here are two sch )ol-houses an'^ two churches
Canal. Surveys were made in 182& for a Canal t
run from Norwich parallel to Connecticut River, up th
Quinebaugh River to Massachusetts. The supply c
water is considered abundant at all seasons, and th
JEWETT S CITY. oUo
tract 01 country through which it is to pass extremely
favourable to the execution of such a design, as well as
by its fertility and population, encouraging to its suc-
I cess. It is to pass through the following towns : Spring-
field, Palmer, Western, Brookfield, Sturbridge, South-
bridge, and Dudley, to the Quinebaugh. In 1828 an
J association was formed to petition the Legislature for
jjassistance in this project.
] Road from Norwich to Providence.
The road follows the course of the Quinebaugh Ri-
ver for some distance, through a hilly tract of country,
and near a fine cataract in that stream. At the distance
p( li miles from Norwich, it passes
1 SacheirCs Field. This is an elevated plain, on which
H battle was fought in the year 1643, between about
|)00 Narraganset's, (who inhabited Rhode Island,) and
300 or 600 Moheagans. The Sachem of the former,
Miantonimo, intending to chastise Uncas for his adhe-
ence to the English, secretly advanced into his country
vith an army ; but Uncas was aware of his approach,
>nd met him on this plain where both parties lialted.
Uncas resorted to a stratagem. He stepped forward
jilone, and challenged Miantonimo to decide the quar-
I el single-handed. This, as he expected, was retused ;
hnd while his enemies were nr.t prepared, be gave a
;|.ignal by falling down, when his men instantly set up
ji yell, discharged their arrows, and rushed lorward.
jThe Narragansetts fled, and many of them were killed.
Jncas captured Miantonimo himself, but the haughty
ndian would not ask for quarter nor speak a word.
ie was taken to Hartford, and after a trial, was deli-
'ered to Uncas for execution. He was brought back
: this place, and while marching across the field was
I omahawked on a spot a little east of the road, where
! heap of stones for many years marked the place of
:is burial.
fjffiWftfs City is a small manufacturing place, 7 mile':,
,306 ROUTE PROM NEVV-SrORK TO BOSTON.
from Norwich. There are three cotton manufactories
here, one with 2000 spindles.
Plainfield
is a pleasant village ; the inn is large and good, and
overlooks a fertile plain, through which is the route of
the proposed canal to Brookfield, Alass.
On crossing the line to Rhode Island, the country be-
comes uninteresting. The farmers are poor and negli-j
gent ; there are no villages deserving of the name, and
nothing worthy of particular notice, except one or two
small manufactories.
Providence. See page 309.
NEWPORT.
This place possesses one of the best harbours in the
United States. The entrance is guarded by the Dum-
plings Fort and Fort Adams; and the scenery about it|
is agreeable.
Fort Adams on Brenton's Point is to become one of
the most important fortresses in the great plan of coast(
defences, which have been for some years in the pro-
gress of construction. This fortress was to cost, on an
estimate, $170,000, and is to embrace, when completed,
an extent of 130 acres. A range of guns is to line the
shore towards the west as far down as the first rising!
ground. The outer wall will be 40 feet in height, and
extend nearly three-quarters of a mile, enclosing about
19 acres. The outline of the works is now easily seen.i
They will be able to mount 150 cannon, in connexion
with the redoubt, which is to be erected on a neigh-
bouring hill. Thus the fort would be prepared for an;
attack on all sides, should it be made. The founda-
tions and trenches have been cut into rock or hara clay.
There is also a range of subterranean galleries cut in
rock.
Other works, in connexion with Fort Adam?, are prf>-
rsEWPORT. oUT
pused on the opposite shore, the Dumpling Islands,
&,c. which would render the port secure as the princi-
pal rendezvous for our navy north of the Chesapeake,
for which it is designed by the government. If not
entirely secure from a land attack, the neighbouring
country would soon afford it abundant relief. This
fort is thought not inferior, either in plan or importance,
to any, unless Fort Calhoun.
Fort Wolcott is on Goat Island, opposite the town.
Newport extends about a mile along the shore, but
presents the aspect of decay, as the commerce has
been removed to Providence. The situation has many
advantages; and this with the cheapness of rent has
begun to render it the temporary abode of many
strangers during the warm season. The Bellevue Ho-
tel enjoys a tine situation.
The Windmill, an old stone tower on the top of tlie
hill, is a conspicuous object, although long disused.
There are four churches visible ; and the Library, a
small but neat and correct specimen of architecture in
the upper part of the town, is worthy of attention.
The houses of the town are thickly clustered about
the water, but make rather a gloomy appearance on
account of the want of paint and repair ; the place
having experienced a gradual declension produced by
the success of Providence, 30 miles further up.
The Poor House is on Coaster's Harbour Island,
about a mile above the town, seen in passing in the
steamboat. The island belongs to the town, and con-
tains 80 acres. The building is three stories high, of
stone, and contains 50 or 60 poor. Those who are able,
work on the land, and others at different manufactures;
but most of them are women, and some superannuated.
The keeper receives fitly cents a week tor the board
of each, which is paid by the town, to which the pro-
ducts of the labour are credited. Since this esta-
blishment has been formed, the expenses of the poor to
the town have been reduced one-half.
, The beach behind the town, like the whole circuit
o08 KOUTE FROM iNEW-YdKK TO JiOSTo.S
of the city on the land side, was defended by a line of.
troops, batteries, &c. during the possession of it by the
English in the revolutionary war; and the opposite
high grounds were occupied by the American army,
whose head-quarters were on Taumony hill, a mile
and a half, or thereabouts, from the town ; an elevation
which affords an extensive view on every side. Gen.
Prescott was taken here during the war, by a bold party
of men under Col. Barton, who landed secretly from a
boat in the night, went to the British head-quarters,
and conveyed their captive away, before the land or
naval forces, then in the harbour, could prevent them.
The place was blockaded by the British fleet.
During the possession of the place by the enemy, the
trees, as well as about 900 houses, were cut down for
fuel; and although the island is admirably calculated
for the growth of fruit trees, and was, before that pe-
riod, quite covered with the finest orchards, it is now
so divested of trees of every description, as to appear
remarkably naked and monotonous for an American
scene. The fertility of the ground, and the excellence
of the crops, however, as well as the neatness and
precision with which the fields are cultivated, and re-
gularly divided by fine stone walls, present a picture
of agricultural beauty rarely paralleled in the United
States. The island, 14 miles long, and not 3 wide,
contained in 1827 more than 30,000 sheep.
Fort Green is a little battery erected on the water's]
edge, about a mile above the town.
Mount Hope, famous as the ancient royal residence
of the Wampanoag Indians, and particularly as the
abode of King Philip, and the scene of his death, b
seen from a few miles beyond Newport, towards the
Dorth-west. It rises in Warren, on the shore of an arm.
of the bay, and will be particularly described here-
ufter. The view of it is soon afterward cut off by the
intervention of Prudence Island, which is about five
miles in length, and presents the same fertile soil anc
^ntly SAvelling surface as that of Hhode Island. Th«
PKOVIDKACi:. oOl'
Uibabitanis are few, as are those of Patience and
Hope ; islands of a much smaller size. Despair is
a cluster of rocks on the left, near the island ot
Hope, the north end of which is 20 miles from Pro-
vidence.
Rhode Island Coal Mine. An extensive mine of an
thracite, or incombustible coal, was opened a few years
since near the north end ot" the island, in Portsmouth,
about 2 miles from Bristol Ferry. It was not exten-
sively used, however, and the work was speedily-
abandoned. The property has passed into other hands
within two or three years ; and since the anthracites
of Pennsylvania have become so valuable, about 40
hands have at some periods been employed in digging-
it, and about 100 tons of all sorts of coal have been
^ot out in a week. The vein which is wrought is
ibout 4200 teet one way, 115 another, and 4 feet in
hickness. It lies on an inclined plane ; and three
)ther veins are supposed to be of equal extent.
Ne>v-York being the great market tor coal, this mine
3 very onvenientiy situated ; lying within 800 yards
if the river, where sloops come up to a wharf and
load. The excavations are liable to be flooded in
I vet weather, by which the working has been a good
leal impeded. It is necessary that fireplaces should
le constructed Oi> the plan of a furnace to burn this
1 oal, as it requires a high degree of heal to ignite it.
PROVIDENCE.
This is the second city in New-England, both in
opuLition, wealth, and beauty. It contained, in 1825,
bout 16,000 inhabitants, and is beautitully as well as
dvantas:eously situated at the head ot^ navigation, on
I le river of the same name. It contains several hand-
|)me churches, a theatre, an arcade, (on Westminster-
reet,) and many fine hou-ses.
n d
lU ROUTE FROM iXEW-YORK TO BOdTOK
Brown University,
the greatest institution of learning in the state, is built
on the summit of a high hill, the ascent to which is
not very easy, although it is laid out in streets, deco-
rated with some of the finest houses in this part of the
country, dispersed among spacious gardens, and
mingling the delights of the country with the splen-
dour of a city. There are two brick buildings be-
longing to this institution, which command fine pros-
pects. In 1828 the number of graduates was 27.
The town was settled by Roger Williams, who left
the old colonies in consequence of a disagreement in
religious doctrines. He built his house on the shore,
near the present Episcopal church. Many of the
society of Quakers or Friends afterward joined him,
whose descendants form a large share of the popula-
tion of the state.
The Academy is a large institution, near the College,
established by the Friends.
On Eddy's Point, it was lately said, was the only
cotton manufactory in the United States worked by
steam. '
This state, having severely suffered from the want
of public schools, has recently taken laudable mea-,
sures to supply the deficiency ; and the towns are
hereafter to be supplied. An Infant School has been.
established in Providence. \
(For Plymouth, see Index.)
[Taunton, 32 miles from Boston, next above Dighton.!
A great quantity of cotton is manufactured here, and.
there are extensive works in iron. The power is sup-;
plied by 5 dams on the west branch of Taunton river.
About 1500 tons of iron are manufactured here every
year, 1200 tons into nails, 300 into plates, hoops, and
machinery. From 1500 to 2000 pieces of calico print?
3rAXLFA0T0TUES. 311
are turnished by the cotton manufacturers, &c. weekly.
Annually 800,000 yards of No. 30 cotton cloth are
made ; and 50,000 lbs. of yarn, all out of 800 bales of
cotton. About 700 persons are employed with 7000
spindles and 200 looms. The highest manufactories
up the river are built of wood ; the next of stone ; the
'third of brick. There are two br ck dams , and the
printing establishment is among the last.
There is also a manufactory of Britannia ware, &c.
Sampson's Hotel, at M-irlbofougB Ponds, is a plea-
sant resort, half-way to New-Bedlord.]
Manufactories in New-England. There are said to
'be about 400 buildings in this section of the United
"States, devoted to the spinning, weaving, and print-
ing of cotton ; 135 for Massachusetts ; 110 for Rhode
Island ; 80 for Connecticut ; 50 f<.r New -Ha ^pshire ;
15 for Maine ; 10 for Vermont. They were sup-
posed to contain on an average 700 spindles : which
fives a total of 280,000. They worked peihaps 280
ays in a year, and used 140 lbs. of raw cotton to each
spindle : which would give a total of 39,200,000 lbs.
or 98,000 bales. In one-third of the manufactories the
weaving is done by power looms ; in one-third by
hand ; and the others send their yarn to the middle
and southern states, where it is woven by h md under
contractors, or in families. Business has declined.
Not more than 275 cotton manuf rctories are supposed
to be in operation in the remaining parts of the United
States.
Wool and Woollen in the United States. — It was con-
jectured in 1827 that about 100 millions of dollars were
invested in sheep and sheep lands in this country ; the
number of sheep at 15 millions, and 100 millions em-
ployed in manufacturing wool. By the last census
there were, in Dutchess county, N. York, more than
450,000 sheep, which would give a surplus for other
markets of 500,000 lbs. of wool annually. From
800,000 to a million of sheep were estimated to have
been wintered in (he state of Maine in 1826, '27 : 3'2
312 ROUTE FROM KEW-YORK TO EOSTOK.
millions of pounds were supposed to be worked up
that year in the United States, giving full or partial
employment to 100,000 persons.
In boring the earth in this town, in 1828, from the
€nd of the earth, the auger passed through the arti-
ficial soil — then through a stratum of mud — then
through bog meadow, containing good peat — then
through sand pebbles and quartz gravel. At this point
water impregnated with copperas and arsenic broke
forth ; next struck a vineyard and dre » up vines,
grapes, grape seeds, leaves, acorns, hazlenuts, ^ine
burs and seeds of unknown fruits, together with pure
water. This was 35 ieet below the bed of the river !
Rail Route from Providence to Boston. — A year or
two since, a survey of the country between these two
cities was made under the authority of the Legislature
of Massachusetts, for the purpose of ascertaining the
practicability of a railroad. The middle route \»as
proposed, beecintiing on Front-slreet or near the
Common in Boston, proceeds on the west side of
Boston Neck, through Roxbury, west part of Dor-
chester, east part of Dedlvim, middle of Walpole and
Foxborou^h, a corner of Mnnsneld and Attlehorough
City to Pawtuckef; crosses the river near Central
Falls, proceeds through the east part of Providence to
India Point, thence may be extended to Water-s(reet —
or it may come to India bridge, on the Massachusetts
side, and there terminate, or cross the river near that
bridge to Fox Point. The whole distance fron; Boston
to Fox Point, by Central Falls, is 43 miles aid 48
chains : cost of single road 334,000 dollars — double
road 649,513 dollars. Greatest rate of inclination
would be 30 feet in a mile. The amount of ascent
and descent on the route to Fox Point, by Central
Falls, is 879 feet.
The amount of merchandise annually transported
between the two cities was estimated at 1700 'ons by
hndj and 3400 by water, besides a large amount fou
l»AWTl3CIvET. olo
'shorter distances. In 1828, $82,000 were received by
the agents of one of the lines of stage coaches between
these two cities.
Bla« KSTONE Canal.
This canal, whirh was completed in 1828, and
'extends to Worcester, Mass. runs alorig the course of
the Blackstone River for several miies. That stream
is seen on leaving Providenc , and lie- west of the
road to Boston. The road now in use is new, and
shorter than the old, but avoids several villages which
that passes through, and presents very few objects
worthy of notice. The Blackstone Canal is 45 miles
long, 18 feet wide at he bottom, and 34 feet at the
surface. There are 48 locks, all built of stone, which
iovercome a rise a.d fall of 450 feet. The size of the
locks is 82 feet in length, and 10 in breadth ; and the
cost of the whole work was about $550,000. The
water is chiefly derived from the Blackstone river ;
but there are large iionds at different parts of the
route which can be drawn upon at any time. Soon
i after the opening of the navigation, a quantity of cherry
1 plank and joist was received here from a vast distance
i west. It grew in Michigan or Ohio, at the head of Lake
I Erie ; from whence it was shipped down the lake to
I Buffalo, thence by the Erie Canal to Albany, from that
J place to Providence b)' sioop navigation, and from Pro-
'\ vidence to this place by the Blackstot-e canal, a distance,
^ in the whole, of at least nine hundred miles, four hun-
dred miles of which is an artificial navigation.
Pawtucket
is one of the largest manufacturing places in thi« part
of the country, and has in* reased surprisingly within
a few years. The banks of the river are varied and
somewhat romantic ; while the fall, which is under
Dd2
314 ROUTE FROM TCEW-YORK TO BOSTOa.
the bridg:e, furnishes a most valuable water power*
Cotton is principally nnanufactured here, though here
is machinery devoted to other purposes. The influx of
strang:ers, manv of them poor an«< ignorant foreigners,
and most of 'hem removed from the wholesome
restraints of a better society, has produced unfavour^sble
effects on hahits and morals; which is the worst fea-
ture in the manufacturing: system. The first spinning
by machinery in this country vras done on a very
smal! machine in 1785, in Providence.
The road between Providence and Pawtucket, 4
miles, is one of the best in the United States ; as the
law requires that all the income above 10 per cent,
shall be devoted to repairs ; and the travelling- is very
great, [t is hard and smooth, and is to be furnished
with a convenient side-walk the whole distance.
Pa-Mucket is the first viilagTi near the canal and con-
tains 8 or 10 cotton factories. At Central Falls, 3
miles above, 4 io. Valley Falls, a short di*^t;.nce
above, 4 do. Next come Kel'ey'sand the A'bion fac-
tories ; then Mansfield, where are two factories, one
45 feet by 150, and 5 sto-ies hig:h, of pressed brick. A
mine of anthracite coal has been found near the canal.
At Woonsocket Falls the descent of die river is 33
feet in a short distance, an.^ affords fine sests for ma-
chinery, equal to Pawtucket. There are cotton and
woollen factories here. The canal passes through the
village of Cumberland, and ris- s by three locks, of 11
feet lift, constructe ) of granite. There are two other
factories n^^ar this place ; and four at Bartlett's falls
above, with a Scythe factory.
At SlatersviUe is a factory 4fi feet by 153, and 5
stories high, of hammered granite. All these esta-
blishments, from Central Falls to SlatersviUe, are in the
township of Smithfield, which abounds in valuable
limestone.
Mendon. Here is Farnem's woollen factory, and a
cotton factory, without mentioning several other esta-
blishments off the river. The Blackstone Factory, or
BLACKSTOXE CANAL, 315
Mammoth, can make about 5000 yards of sheeting
dally. A little above are two other factories.
IJxhridge, Here are factories of kerseymere, sat-
tinet, &c. Roeerson's factory is one of the first in the
state. It cost about ^140,000. There is a remarkable
aspect of neatness and beauty pervading the esta-
blishment and the village. There are several beautiful
little ponds formed by art, the margins of which, as
well as of the rivtr, have a very pretty aspect.
Northhrid^e. Here are t\V(» factories. Ho 'brook
woollen factory makes about 300 yards of sattinet a
day, and Dennis' about 100. A quarry of granite is
opened about 200 yards from the canal ; and that ma-
terial abounds in this region.
Grafton, Here is a fall of 51 feet. 400 yards of
sattinet are made in one establishment her*-. Here
are to be seen the New-England Manufacturing Com-
pany's buildings, where the\ make duck and twine
from both flax aad hemp. This is on ihe eastern road
to Providence, and 6 rniles from Worcester.
The Great Reservoir is just above. I' is formed by
damming the Quinsigamond pon i and four other ponds,
by a single dam. This sets the water back so far as
to cover more than 2000 acres ; and keeps an abundant
supply always at disposal.
At tVilkinsonvilie is a large cotton manufactory ; and
at Milburyj a little way beyond, 300 yards of woollen
are made daily. Within a short distatice are also
aianufactories of cotton, scythes, and guns.
Worcester. Here are large paper mills, five machine
jihops, &(.. &c. {See Index.)
Aitlehorough. The inn stands on the spot once oc-
pupied by a block hou r, built on the frontier of the
j Indian country before Philip's war. Opposite is an
'jld bury mg ground, which contains the body of the
jirst man killed here by the savages. The largest
'Button Manufactory in the U. States is in this town,
i Walpole. Here the stage coaches usually stop to
iine or breakfast.
>16 ROUTE FROM NEW-YORK TO BOSTON.
Dedharrif 10 miles from Boston, is a large andbeau^
tiful village, with rei^ular ciiid well built street?;, and
some quite elegant houses. Fisher Ames lived in the
second house on the left-hand, as you enter the village.
[Blue Hills. This is a pleas.u.t nireat, a^out '• n\i!es
from the city of Boston, and much resorted to in the
sumj.'ier Sr.ison ; as a iarae house o entertainment has
been recently erected at the tool of the mountain,
whence the place derives its nanse ; and the sunmiit,
which is considered 800 feet above the le^el o. the
ocean, commands a fine and extensive view. A small
house has also been built on the top, where the view
is the finest, for the temporary repose and supply of
visiters. On the northern side, the view embraces,
in a clear day, the Green Mountains in Vermont, and
the White Mountains in Ne^v-Hanjpshire, with a wide
extent of country between : INahant, and in general, all
Boston Bay, is seen eastwardly, and near at hand.]
The hills are seen on the right tVom the road, a kw
miles south of Boston.
(^uincy Railway. This is the first work of the kind
which was constructed in the United States. It is 3
miles long, and leads from the quarries of granite to
navigable water, for the transportation of stone to
Boston. The railway and the quarries will be found
worthy of a visit. The descent from the commence-
ment to the wharf is 86 feet ; breadth 5 feet from the
inside of one rail to the inside of the opposite one ;
a horse path between the two rails 4 feet 4 inches wide.
The plank rails are of pine 10 inches in height, with
caps of red oak 2 inches thick, by 3 inches width.
The sleepers, or tranverse beams are of granite, 7
feet long, on which the rails rest ; these sleepers are
at distances of 8 feet apart. The wrought iron rails
are laid on the red oak caps, and are '2 inches wide,
and 3-8ths of an in. thick : 27 tons 3 cw 1. 14 lbs, of iron,
including screws, are used to each mile, making short
of 82 tons of iron for the 3 m. This railway was opened
for use on the 16th September, 1826. and has been
KOXBURY. 317
since constantly used for the transportation of granite—
generally 60 tons per day. One horse has drawn 22
tons, including the weight of the two wagons, from
the quarry down to the wharf; but the ordinary load
of a horse is from 12 to 15 tons. One horse usually
draws 2 wagons. By way of experiment, one horse
drevY 13 tons up an elevatioti at the rate of 66 feet 6
inches in the mile, a distance of 200 feet. A load of
24 tons in 3 wagons passed on the railway, which did
not appear to shake the rails at all. The wheels of
the wagons are 6 feet in diameier ; the axle tree 3 inches
in diameter. Weight of wagons, 3500 pounds each.
Four beautiful columns were taken from the granite
quarries, in 1828, of solid masses, for the new church
in Quincy. They are 25 feet long, 4 feet 2 inches in
diameter at the base, S^at top, and supposed to weigh
25 tons each.
Roxhury. On the Neck which leads to Boston, we
pass the remains of the intrenchments thrown up by
General Washington, in 1776, to shut the British
troops up in the town ; and a little beyond them is the
place where Gen. Gage previously drew his line
; across, to command the communication between it and
[the country. The country on both sides retains marks
af the American forts, redoubts, &c. and Dorchester
Heights on the east are crowned with the works thrown
dp by Washington, which commanded Boston and the
anchorage; and forced the enemy to evacuate the
I place. Embarking here in their fleet, they went
around to Long Island, and soon after entered New-
STork. [See page 322,]
[Several rout'.s have been proposed for a canal, to
38 cut from Boston Harbour to Narragansett Bay,
5uch a work would save the exposed navigation
] 'ound Cape Cod.]
l^ crrr OF EosTOiv.
BOSTON.
Hotels. Tremont House.* The Exchange. Marl-
borough Hotel, &LC.
Boston contains an uncommon proportion of fine
buildings, particularly private residences: for it not
only possesses much wealth, ''Ut ;ns(< much taste and
puhlic spirit. The finest bnildii,;;? are of whitish
eranite, brought from the shores of the Merrimack
lliver, being found in abundance at different places,
from Chelmsfoni to Concord, N. H. I' is transported to
Boston by the Middlesex canal, and is no' only beautiful
and lasting, but obtained at a moderate price. It is
found very durable when exposed only to the ele-
ments : but fire soon disintegrates and ruins it. The'
Quincy granite is also excellent.
The AthencEum. Underthe patronageof wealthy and'
generous frends of the arts and sciences, for whom^
Boston has long been conspicuous, this valuable col-
lection of books, coins, and medals has by rapid de-
grees risen to a grade of eminence among the 'ibrariesl
of the country. In addition to the numerous and vo-
luminous works before in the possc'^sion of the insti4
tution, subscriptions have been made within a fewH
years to procure complete copies of the transactions
of the Royai Societies and Academies of Sciences inl
London, Ldinbuigh, Dublin, Paris, Petersburg. Berlin,
Turin, Gottin^en, Stockholm, Copenhagen, Madrid^
and Lisbon. The cataloiiue of 1827 contains 'iS, 000
volumes. Any person, by payinof $10 a year, may
enjoy (he liberty of readin^L books in the roo-ns of this|
institution ; but only proprielors and life subscribers!
have the privilege of taking diem away. The libraryi
however is free to strangers introduced by proprietorss
and may then be visited by them alone at any time.
* Tremont House is the most splendid hotel in the United States. It
makes a line appearance, contains 180 rooms, and is conducted on an
excellent plan. A part of the establishment is appropriated to private
parties and families, and has a distinct access, through a different sfref!
aitb no i.-onimnnication with the main bodvof the building.
CITY OF BOSTON. UM
Most of the valuable periodical magazines of Europe
are regularly received ; as well as those of the United
States, and newspapers from all parts ot the country.
The Exhibition and Lecture rooms are in a building
in the rear. The Vcademy of Arts and Sciences have
a room on the first floor, and there is a picture gallery
on the second.
The JVew Market is constructed of granite, and is
of the fonowing dimensions: a cetitre building 74i
feet by 55, with wings, extending in all 536 feet, with
a fine facade at each end, with granite columns of
single pieces, 21 feet high, and v^eighing each 14 or
15 tons ; a row of granite buildings on each side, 4
stories high, for stores, more than 500 feet.
In State-street are the Banks,* Insurance Offices, and
'Change.
The Common is a fine piece of ground, on the south-
western side of the city, and one of its greatest orna-
ments. The surface is agreeably varied by a few
*ent!e undulations, and it is decorated with rows of
nandsome dwelling houses on two sides, while on the
ihird it is bounded by the bay of Charles River, and
iffords an extensive view in that direction, embracing
[i tract of cultivated hilly country. A range of buildings
near the south end of the Common, berirs the name of
I Colonnade How, in consequence of their being all
I dike rurnished with white columns.
J The State House is the principal object seen in ap-
i broaching the city, and stan-ls o'\ a considerable emi-
nence at the north side of the Common. It has a
Joul;le range of columns in front of the main building,
.nd a large dome on the top, to which a somewhat
ntricate staircase leads, affording the most extensive
'iew of Boston and the suiTounding country which is
be found.
* In Boston there are 17 banks, exclusive of tne U. S. Branch,
''hese banks, or rather 14 of them, have in circulation bills bearing
nterest to the amount of $3,493,142 42. The amount of all debts due
*ie whole of them, exclusive of balnnces duy f'-am the banks i~
18..50t.559 3.";.
Chantrey^s Statue of Wasliington. in this beautit'ut
specimen of the genius and skill of the greatest British
sculptor, Boston possesses a treasure. It was finished
and sent to America in 18-27, and a npw apartment
was constructed for its reception, adjoining: the Doric
Hail in the State House. The total expense of the
statue and building amounted to about $16,000. The
sculptor received of this $10,000. The entrance
from the Hall into the edifice is ^l^rough arched pas-
sages, which afford the visiter a full view in ap-
proaching and from various points.
The hills at Dorchester, Roxbury, Brighton, Cam-
bridge, Charlestovvn,* &c. together with the numerous
islands which pro*eci the harbour, form an amphi-
theatre, very regular and beautiful, when seen from
the top of the State House ; and the villages which
are seen in every direction, almost entirely line the
shore. The mingling of land and water in this scene
is very fine ; and it is easy, at a glance, to compre-
hend the plan of the various measures adopted during
the Revolutionary war, for the defence and the cap-
ture of the place.
The JVavy Yardy at Charlestown, encloses 60 acres,
and enjoys many advantages in its situation. It has a
high stone wall on the north ; and near the water stand
a large warehouse of brick, several arsenals, maga-
zines of stores, the residence of the superintendent,
and three very large ship-houses, each large enough to
hold a hundred-gun vessel, with the stages, &c. The
Dry Dock is very large. The foundation is made
with piles, driven three feet apart, supporting layers
of timber, plank, and stone. The stone work will
amount to about 500,000 cubic feet.
Gen. Gage, in 1775, ran a breastwork across Rox-
bury neck, uhich is very narrow, in order t(» com-
mand the only land communication with the neigh-
* At Charlestown is tlio Stale Pr'sov, whirh ?ins lately been grentl-
unproved, on th^ best p!?in«.
H Lake US liiLL. ..i2.t
bouiing' couniry, and then continued those acts of op-
pression upon the people, which exasperated the
colonies so nnuch a^^ainst him. Contributions were
sent in for their relief from all parts of the colonies.
On the 17th of June, 1775, while the forces which
had repaired to this threatened scene had their head-
quarters at Cambridge, a body of men, principally
formed of detachments trom Massachusetts and New-
Hampshire regiments, having fortified themselves on
Breed's Hill, (an eminence of about 70 feet, behind
Charlestown,) manfully disputed the ground with the
British troops sent over from Boston to occupy it.
The loss was great on both sides, particularly on that
of the assailants, who were driven back in three at-
tacks. The boldness of these raw troops, and the
success with which they so long withstood the charges
of the regulars, were of the utmost use, by encourag-
ing the country, and by convincing the English that
they were fighting a powerful foe. The !»atde usually
goes by the name of Bunker's Hill ; but should, in
strict propriety, be called after Breed's Hill, as the
latter is a distinct eminence, although, perhaps, a spur
from the tormer.
The British landed near a point, just beyond where
the navy yard is now seen ; and the American defences
consisted of a small earth redoubt on the top of Breed's
Hill, and a double rail fence, stutfed with new hay.
extending from it to the water. Some remains of
these works are still to be traced. A British sloop of
war lay, during the action, in Mystic River, beyond
ihe navy yard, and kept up a cross fire upon the low-
neck, which connects the peninsula of Charlestown
with the mainland.
The 17th of June, 1825, the fiftieth anniversary of
ihis battle, was commemorated with very appropriate
i ceremonies ; and the corner stone of a monument was
laid in an angle of the old redoubt, on Breed's Hill,
with Masonic ceremonies. A large number of Revo^
jlutionaiy oflicers and soldiers assembled: and ihr
.3^2 CITY OF B©STON.
monument is to be erected at the expense of pnvaie
contributions.
Bunker Hill Monument. The base (a mass of
14,000 tons weight,) is laid 13 feet deep, and has six
courses of stone to the surface — the first of which is
50 feet on each side. Above this a pyramidal obe-
lisk, 30 feet square, is to rise tapering-, 213 feet 4
inches on the ground, and to be 15 at the top. It will
be composed of 80 courses of stone, each 2 feet 8
inches thick. A winding stone staircase in the inside
will lead to the summit, whence the view will be fine
and highly interesting. The whole is to be built of
granite from Quincy. The largest block in it is said
to be of the following dimensions: 11 feet long, 5
broad, 2 feet 8 inches high, with a weight of ten tons.
After the battle of Bunker's Hill, the Continental
troops were drawn in a more complete line around the
town of Boston ; and numerous intrenchments may
still be traced out on most of the hills in the vicinity ;
but it was not till Gen. Washington succeeded in oc-
cupying Dorchester Heights, which command the
harbour and town from the south-east, that the Bri-
tish embarked in their ships, and evacuated the
place.
Dorchester Heights were occupied on the night of
March 4, 1776. iiight hundred men formed the van ;
then followed carriages, and 1200 pioneers under Gen.
Thomas, 300 casts of fascines and gabions, and guns
in the rear. Two forts were formed by 10 at night,
one towards the city, and the other towards Castle
Island. Preparations were made for an attack by the
British, and for defence by the Americans; but the
weather prevented the design of the former, who con-
sisted of 10,000, and they embarked for New-York.
The town was pillaged, and 1500 loyalists removed.
It was evacuated and possessed, March 17 : ammuni-
tion, &c. being left by the British.
The Massachusetts General Hospital is near tlif
Charlestown Bridge.
MANUFACTURING. 323
Bridges. Some of the most striking- objects in the
neighbourhood of Boston, are the bridges which lead
from it to various points. There are no less than five
principal ones, besides several branches. The ex-
pense at which they have been constructed and are
kept in repair is very great, and they furnish great fa-
cilities for strangers desirous of making excursions to
the surrounding country.
Education. The Lyceum, a literary institution,
with branches in many of the to^vris in this and other
states, is calculated to diffuse useful learning among all
classes. This state took the lead in establishing a
system of general education, and enjoys its benefits.
There were, in 1827, 7500 children instructed in the
public schools in Boston, as follows — There are seven
grammar schools, in which were about 500 pupils.
There were 200 boys in the Latin school, and 140 in
the High school. The 57 primary schools contained,
in 1828, 3436 children between 4 and 7 years of age,
taught by females, &c. &c. In some of these the
monitorial system has been introduced . The public ex-
pense incurred in instructing nearly 7500 children is
^54,500 annually. There have since been established
several Infant schools, under the direction of a so-
ciety of ladies.
A monument has been laid or commenc<-d over the
graves of Dr. Franklin's parents, in the Granary bury-
ing ground. The model is for an obelisk, 25 feet
high, formed of seven blocks of Quincy granite, each
weighing about 6 tons.
An Asylum for the Blind is to be established in
Boston.
Villages. The vicinity of Boston presents a suc-
cession of villages, probably not to be paralleled for
beauty in the United States. They are generally the
t residence of a number of the most opulent citizens
during the pleasant seasons, and many of the buildings
are fine and expensive. The grounds are also fre-
j Quently laid out \vit.h great ta«te, and highly cult! ■
3H4 cixr OF ivisTo]:^;.
vated ; so that no stranger, who has leisure, should faii|
to take a circuit through them, at least for a few miles.*
The puhlic coaches may be found convenient. There are
several manufacturing establishments in this vicinity,
among which Waltham is conspicuous. [In some
places on the coast salt is made from sea- water. f]
Cambridge, 3 miles from Boston, is the seat of the
oldest, and one of the principal colleges in the United
States. The village is very pleasant, and contains the
residences of the numerous professors. The college
buildings are numerous, and the older ones venerable
in their appearance. 52 degrees of A.M. were con
ferred in 1828. This institution is the most richly en-
dowed in New-England, and has educated many of
her most distinguished men. Hon. Josiah Quincy is
the President.
NAHANT,
14 miles. This is a very pleasant and fashionable re-
sort, during the warm months : being a fine situation,
open to the sea, of easy access by land or water, andi
furnished with several houses for the accommodation
of visiters, particularly the large hotel. A steamboat
* The V. S. Mirine Hospital at Cljelsea, opposite Boston, is a fine
building, erected out of ihe Hospita' collected from seamen in the mer- 1
chant service. It is 105 feet long, 50 wide, three stories high, and cost
$30,000. Here tenijiorary relief is alToided to American seamen who!
had paid Hospital mmicy, (unless affected by contagious diseases,) and.
foreinn seamen are admitted at the orice of 75 cents a day. .
t The Salt Manufactories of Massachusetts are worth about two mil- 1
lions of dollars, and make about 600,000 bushe's a year, by solar eva- i
poration. Each bushel weighs 75 potmds. The duly in tlie United '
States on imported salt is 20 cents a bushel ; and yields a revenuf; of
$600,000, Manufactories, by natural and artificial heat, are established
in the following states:— New- York, Ehode-[sland, North Carolina and ,
Alabama.
In Barnstable county there are estimated to|be fifteen millions square
feet of land devoted to the making of salt by solar evaporation. In
New-England there are supposed to be 1^ JPi"'""- wlii'-h in 1P'>7. nm-
ili'-csd 384,954 bushels ofsnir.
runs thither in the summer, and there is a fine road
which passes round the bay through the shoemtiking
town of Lynn, along Lynn beach, and then turns off to
the promontory of Nahant, which is a point of rough
rocks of considerable elevation. You may crosS
Charlestown bridge, and visit Bunker's Hill at set-
ling out.
The passage in the steamboat affords a fine view of
Boston bay, with the city ; Dorchester heights on the
south, Bunker and Breed's Hill on the north-west,
and many other interesting objects.* Among the
islands which form the defence of the harbour, is that
which contains Castle Williams, and one or two other
fortified ones ; Rainsford Island with the Marine Hos-
?)ftal, part of it quite elevated, but containing only a
ew acres. Salt is made at Deer Island, where you
pass through a narrow and crooked channel, and wind-
mills are sometimes used to pump the water.
The ground near the hotel at Nahant, has been laid
out and ornamented with as much taste as the expo-
sure of the situation will permit. The cupola on the
top commands a fine water scene ; and during a strong
wind from the sea, the waves are high and magnifi-
cent, breaking wildly against the rocks. Pea Island,
south-westerly, and Egg Island, east, are prominent
and rocky. There is a very ornamental little build-
ing, in the Doric style, which contains billiard rooms.
The Baths are at a little distance from the hotel, and
quite commodious, furnishing one of the chief attrac-
tions of the place.
The Spouting^ Horn is a hollow in the rocks, on the
shore, east of the village, where,- at half-tide, the
waves throw the spray ten or fifteen feet into the air.
The Swallow^s Cave is a remarkable aperture in the
rocks, not far from the landing place. It is 60 or 70
feet long, and in one place about 20 feet high. The
tide rises in it, and it is visited by swallows : and
, * At Dorchester is a House of Musfr-'f.
E e 2
326 CITY OF liOSTOK.
there are several other caverns of a similar ciiaracterj
produced in the course of ages, by the constant attri«
tion of the water. Seats are conveniently disposed at
different places, in the most commanding points, from
tvhich the truly striking oijects around are seen to
great advantage. The rude shores and the smooth
beach can be best examined at low tide ; but those
who are fond of sublime scenes, should omit no op-
portunity to visit them when the wind is high, parti-
cularly in a mo -nlight night.
Proposed Improvements for Internal Commumca*
tion. — Plans have been on foot for several years, for
constructing canals and railways from Boston to the
Hudson River near Albany.
Proposed Railroad from Boston to Albany. — This
project was rejected, in 1830, by a large vote in the
Massachusetts Legislature. The following- results are
given by the surveyors of the southern route, which
they considered the most eliicible. It passes through
Worcester, Leicester, Spencer, Springfield, western
part of Westfield, thence along the southern branches
of Westfield river to Washington, thence through Pitts-
field and Richmond to tl»e bounaary of the state, near
th«- north line of VVest Stockbridge. The distance by
the line here described, is 94 miles and 64 chains from
Boston to Connecticut river, 160 miles 44 chains to rbe
border of the state, and by the shortest lines surveyed,
193 miles and 6 chains to Albany.
Of this distance " 13 miles are level ; and in travel-
ling towards Albany 94^ miles are descending, 41^
miles have an ascent not exceeding 20 feet per mile,
25 miles have an ascent of different rates from 26 to
52 feet per mile, and the remaining 24 miles an ascent
of 52 to SO feet per mile. In travelling from Albany
to Boston, 901, miles are descending, 45^ ascending
not more than 26 feet per mile, 21i ascending from 26
to 52 feet per mile, and 27| miles from 52 to 80 feet.
Eight tons net weight are considered an average load
for a single horse on the level parts, and parts ascend-
PEOJEC'TED KAILUAi^. 327
mg not over 26 feet per mile, travelling 19 or 20 miles
Eer day ; 6 tons for the parts ascending from 26 to 52
?et, travelling 10 miles per day ascending, and return-
ing the same distance ; and 4 tons for the parts as-
cending 52 to 80 feet, travelling at the rate last men-
tioned."
The cost of the road, 22 feet in width, is estimated
at ;^ 14,940 70 per mile, on an average. Adding ten
per cent, for unforeseen expenses, the whole cost of the
road from Boston to the border of the state, will be
$2,638,628 64 ; to Albany, <^3,254,876 46. It is cal-
culated that the cost of transportation, for heavy goods,
paying the lowest rates of freight, would be about one
cent per mile on an average, exclusive of tolls, which
will add perhaps half a cent more per ton.
[A company was organized, in 1827, to open a Waie^'
Communication between the Piscataqua and the Con-
lecticut Rivers, through the waters of Lake Winni-
oiseogee, and the upper branch of Merrimack River.]
Boston and Whitehall Railroad. — A railroad has
ilso been projected to the head of Lake Champlain.
it VYjiitehail, over a route, and in connexion with chan-
iels of commuoicalion which promise great advan-
ages.
The' route which is proposed, is from Boston through
jowell, Nashua, Amherst, Weare, Henniker, Brad-
brd, south end of Sunapee Lake, down Sugar River,
hrough Nevv^port, Claremont, and Cornish, to Wind-
er, Vt. — thence through Reading, Plymouth, Shrews-
bury, to Rutland ; thence through Castleton, to lake
'hamplain, at or near Whitehall. Or, if upon a sur-
ey it should be thought expedient, to pass from
iowell up the Merrimack to Concord, and thence to
iverge upon the same route.
A glance at the map of New-England will be suffi-
ient to understand the importance of this project, and
» discover that various branches might be run in con-
exion with it, along the most productive portions of
le neighbouring districts.
o2^ CITY OF BOSTON.
There are numerous manufacturing as well as agri-
cultural villages along the route, and granite, soap-
stone, lime, marble, copperas, &c. are found in quan-
tities in different places, besides a great amount of
water-power hitherto unemployed.
The present roads from Boston to Whitehall are
about 160 miles in length; and the rail route would
not be much greater. For travellers, therefore, as
well as for merchandise, it might be an advantageous
work, if once well constructed and in operation.
. A route has also been proposed for a Railway com-
munication between Boston and Lake Ontario, from
Concord to Lebanon on Connecticut River ; thence
through the valley of the White River to Monlpelier;
by Onion River to Lake Champlain ; and thence to
Ogdensburg. The last section, which has been sur-
veyed for a state road, is peculiarly favourable.
After a survey made for a railroad to Providence,!
by the authority of the Legislature, a report was made,,
stating that there are two practicable routes, neither
of which would offer an elevation above thirty feet in
a mile, except one short section. Estimated expense,
^350,000. {See page on.)
Plymouth, 36 miles S, S. E. from Boston.
This place is highly interesting from its history, be-
ing the site of the first settlement made by the New-
England Pilgrims in 1620, on the 22d of December.
A mass of granite rock is still shown on which those
stepped who first landed. It has been divided, and a
part of it remains buried near the shore in its natural
location, while the upper part is removed into the centre
of the village. ,
A handsome building was erected here in 1820, ir
which the New-England Society hold their •innual
celebrations of that interesting era in the history of the
country. Burying Hill, which rises near at hand, iit
the spot where a small fort was erected by the settlersj
JU>UTJ;> FiiOJI liOSTOIV. SzT^
aiid where the graves of several of them arc siiH to br.
ibund. Tlic banks of tlie brook soulli of the hill were
the scene of the first conference with Massasoit, a
friendly and faithful Indian chief, from whonrithe name
of the Bay, and subsequently that of the state was
derived. Manumet point is a promontoiy on the south
side of the harbour ; and a small island on the opposite
of it was the spot where the pilo-rims first placed their
feet on shore in this vicinity, afier having previously
landed on Cape Cod.
The young and feeble colony suffered extreme dis-
tresses here, from the severity of the climate, (against
which they were unprepared, as they had sailed lor a
more southern region,) and the want of provisions.
Nothing but the assistance of Massasoit preserved them
from extinction.
5a?ic^ciy?c/?, a favourite resort for fishing* and sea'air, is
a few miles below Plymouth. There is a good inn kept
by ViY. Swift.
ROTJTES FEOAI BOSTOZS.
Coaches go in so man}'' directions, that a choice may
be made between a great many, all of them pleasant;
!n setting out for a tour to the westward, or towards
khe city of New-York :
j In the first place, the noble scenery of the White
]HiUs rnay be taken in the way to Lake Champlain,
iC!anada, the Springs, or Niagaia; or in making the
nore circumscribed route of Connecticut itiver.
js^ext, those who choose a more direct way, may avail
{heuiselves of the road through Concord, Keene, and
iiVindsor; or its branches to Charlestovvn or VValpole.
J The last is now much travelled, as it is one of the
jihortest routes between Boston and the Springs, and
I eads through a number of interesting places. Besides
hese, are the roads to Albany or the Springs, through
he following different places : Brattleborough, Bloody
^rook. GfPf'nfirlrl, Novth'^.rnpton. (and New-Lebanon f*^
33TA1>S.
tiamen assembled on the parade. The British brigade
halted about 120 yards from the church to load, and
then passing: the east end of the buildings, discovered
the Americans, who were ordered at the moment, by
their commander, Capt. Parker, to "disperse, and
take care of themselves," but " not to fire." As some
of them loitered, the British troops rushed towards
them, huzzaing. Major Pitcairn fired a pistol at them,
when about 30 yards distant, after they had been
called "rebels," and ordered them to lay down their
arms and disperse. Another officer, who was within
a few yards of them, then brandished his sword, and
ordered the troops to " fire," which was obeyed at the
second order ; and the fire being returned, it was kept
up on the dispersing men until they had all disappeared.
Eight were killed, and ten wounded. (Gen. Gage
falsely stated that the British were first fired upon.)
After the regulars had fired a volley, from the green
behind the church, and given three cheers, they pro-
ceeded to Concord. On their return, being hard
pressed by sharp shooters, they burned three houses, a
shop, and a barn, killed three more men, and wounded
one.
AXDOVER
is a small village, situated on high ground, 20 miii -
from Boston, remarkable for the Fhilips Academy and
Theological Seminary ^ which are three-fourths ot a
mile east from it, on the summit of the ascent. There
are three large brick buildings, belonging to the Serai-
nary, which "make a conspicuous figure from different
parts of the surrounding country, and command a
view of great extent, bounded on the west by the
Temple Hills in New-Hampshire, backed by the
Monadnoc, about 60 miles off; and on the south by the
Blue Hills. A little elevation near by affords a view
of the Atlantic Ocean, from about Newburyport tc-
Cape Ann, with part of Salem; and north-west is a
LOWELIu 335
distant peak, which is supposed to be Ascutne}^, in
Vermont.
The academical buildings are distinguished by the
names of Philips Hall, Bartlett Hall, and the Chapel.
In the upper part of the latter is a library of 5 or 6000
volumes. The Professors' houses are opposite, with
a spacious green intervening between the Seminary
and the street ; and there is also a large inn. The
Academy and Seminary are not connected, although
they are under the superintendence of the same board.
The term of instruction in the latter embraces three
years. The number of students in the former, in 1828,
was 108.
Haverhill
is a small town, but pleasantly situated, on the north '
bank of the Merrim.ack, the shores of which, for some
distance below, present a beautiful and fertile slope to
the water. A draw-bridge crosses the river, with a
roof to protect it from the weather.
Lowell,
12 miles from Boston. This has been one of the
greatest manufacturing places in the United States, and
one of the most astonishing rapidity of growth. No
longer ago than 1813 the first cotton factory was
erected here, which cost only about ^3,000. Larger
ones were founded in 1818 ; and two years after, the
"Merrimack i>Ianufacturing Company" made a pur-
chase of buildings and ground, with the determination
to take advantage of the extensive water power which
nature has granted to the place. The falls are 30 feet
high, and a little below the spot where the Middlesex
canal commences, leading to Charlestown, near Boston ;
and round them the Company improved an old canal,
(at the expense of <^120,000,) for the supply of their
water wheel^:. There i44 BOSTON TO THE WHITE MOUi^TAlK^.
South-by-west rises a high hill resembling the Ossipee
in the richness of its slopes.
The South-West and West is agreeably varied with
wood-lols and cleared fields, scattered over an undu-
lated surface, which extends for many miles, in some
places quite to the horizon, and in others to the broken
boundary of tall but distant mountains. In the south-
west appear two or three peaks, so far removed that
they are almost lost in the blue of the sky. Nearly
west are seen several ridges of inferior magnitude,
which, approaching as the eye slowly moves towards
the left, at length come near the lake, and disappear
behind the neighbouring mountains.
Long Pond may be distinguished by its shining sur- i
face between the west and south, with several other
little sheets of water, which lie in tranquillity under
the shelter of the hills.
Winnipiseogee Lake is 19 miles in length, from Cen-
tre Harbour to Alton, at the south-eastern extremity.
Merry-meeting Bay lies beyond. Several of the
islands are large, and contain good farms and wealthy
inhabitants, although only two or three of them belong
to any town, or pay any taxes. Some of their names
are Rattlesnake, Cow, Bear, and Moon Island ; also.
Half Mile, One Mile, Two Mile Island, &c. &c.
None of them contain churches ; and although they
have no school-houses, yet sufficient attention is paid
to the rudiments of education to render the children
intelligent.*
* Win lipiseogee Lake, according to surveys made by 3Ir. Baldwin in
1825, is 501 feet above the ocean. It has been proposed to begin a canal
from Meiry-mecting River, at the ?outh end, to Dover, a distance of 28
miles, and to continue the navigation through this lake, and Long,
Square, and Little tiquaw Lakes, to Merrimack River, making in ail a
distance of 65 miles. It will bn necessary to raise the lake two feet by
a dam at the outlet, and to cut to the depth of about 17 feel for 7 Tiiles.
The estimates have been made for a canal of (he; j dimensions: tiS feet
wide at the bottom, 4 feet of water, witli stone locks 12 feet in the clear,
and 82 feet long. It will require 60 locks, which will cost $5,500 each,
and the cost from tlie lake to Dover is computed at ^590,982. If con
tinued thrpugli tlie lakes to Merrimack River, to meet a canal from
Baker's River, the expense -"'ould be increase;! to iibont ,«731 47S. At
SUUAM LAKE. o-io
bquam Lake lies west from Red Mountain, and like
Winnipiseogee Lake, abounds not only in islands, but
in fish of the finest descriptions. Fine trout are caught
here in great abundance, and of a size superior to those
of the other lake. The trout of Winnipiseogee Lake
vary from 1 to 4 pounds in weight, while those of
Squam Lake are between 4 and 10. They are some-
times caught of nearly double this size ; but that is
very uncommon. The trout fishery is chiefly carried
on during the winter, when great quantities are salted
for the Boston market. Perch also abound very much
in these waters, and are remarkably fine.
Geology. The sides of Ked Mountain are covered
with half decomposed granite. (On the south-eastern
side of the lake a bed of porcelain clay has been dis-
covered, which is probably derived from a similar
source.) The granite is speckled with hornblende
and black mica. No rocks are seen in situ, except
near the summit, where they bear a gentle dip towards
the north, and are slightly tinged with reddish quartz
and felspar.
The hue of the shrubbery in autumn has given the
mountain its name. The sunjmit is strewed with loose
fragments ; and musquetoes and black fiies often abound
there.
A few days may be spent at Centre Harbour very
agreeably, in making shooting and fishing excursions
in the neighbourhood, or in sailing upon the lake, which
abounds in the most interesting variety of scenes. On
leaving this place by water, at the distance of five miles,
the White Mountains rise into view above the interme-
diate peaks, and continue in sight quite across the lake.
A few deer are still found in some places in the
neighbourhood, but being protected by law, and still
more by their scarcity, are very rarely taken.
that point, tlie distance from the Connecticut, by Baker's River, is 3-1
miles. Tlie facilities these works would afford tor manufacturing wonlri
^e verv valuable, bin the number of locks will be a great objection.
o4b BUaTON TO THK WHITE .^lOUNTAliNt
Froj^i Centre Harbour to Conway.
Proceeding north-east from Centre Harbour, you
enter the valley between the two chains of mountains
seen from the top of Red Mountain, and pass through
Mouitonboro' and Tamworth. The surface is irregu-
lar, and much of the land uncleared ; but settlements
have extended far up the sides of some of the moun-
tains, and farms are occasionally discovered quite at
the top. The features of the scenery are bold and
striking.
Eaton Meeting House. Two miles northwardly
irom this, Ossipee Lake may be seen by leaving the
road ; but it has nothing very interesting in its ap-
pearance.
Near Atkinson's inn is the Lead Mine, discovered
three or four years since. A shaft has been sunk
about 50 feet, with a horizontal drift, and the ore is
ffood.
Conway, 6 miles.
At Conway there is a house kept by Mr. Abbett,
rit the dividing of the roads, which is comfortable,
although heretofore without a tavern sign. The view
of the White Mountains is very tine from this place,
presenting a succession of lofty ridges, the most dis-
tant of which are the peaks of Mounts Washington,
Adams, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, and Quincy. The
most prominent elevation on the right, with two sum-
mits, is Kearsearge, or Pickwaket : a level meadow
lies in the foreground, with an isolated, woody hill in
the middle, and the Saco River, which rises on Mount
Washington, and flows down a narrow valley, with
many meanderings.
The shortest road from Conway to the mountains
leads directly to Bartlett : but the most travelled as
well as the most agreeable route is by the way of
CHALYBEATE SPRI:NG. 347
Fiyeburgh, where will be seen the beautiful tract of
level country thrc^u^h which meanders the Saco River,
and the great Pickwaket Mountain, which rises from
its border. That was the beautiful and favourite resi-
dence of the nation of Pickwaket Indians, and on the
bank of Lovel's Pond was fought a bloody battle be-
tween them and a company of troops from Massachu-
setts, in the year 1725.
[It is probable that a road will soon be made round
the north end of the White Mountains, through the
town of Adams, to avoid the Notch. The land is
level in that direction, along the course of the Andros-
coggin, and the distance to Lancaster nearly the same.
Whenever it shall be completed, it will offer a very
agreeable route to the traveller, with fine views, but
not so wild as those on the present route.
The White Mountains are interesting, and worthy
of attention from every side in which they are brought
under the traveller's view ; and if any one should wish
to visit them from the town of Adams, he may be
gratified by pursuing a path not unfrequently trodden
before. Mr. Stephen Meserve, of that place, has often
obligingly favoured strangers with much useful local in-
formation concerning the best routes and the principal
objects of curiosity. The mountains present a steep
acclivity in the direction channelled b}^ numerous
avalanches which have rushed down at different pe-
riods. The Pinkham road runs at their base ; and
the New River may be seen, which has undergone
transmutations which the Greeks might have recorded
in their mythology. It was thrown out of its natural
channel in 1776, by an immense slide, or avalanche ;
and has been restored to it by that of 1826, whose ra-
vages are so wide-spread and tremendous.]
The Chalybeate Si'Ring.
Turn off from the road to the west about 2 miles
north of Abbett's. cross the Saco. and enter a field.
348 BOSTON TO THE WHITE MOUNTAIJNS.
where it is found. A house is kept in the neighbour-
hood by Mrs. McMillan, which has been lately over-
flowing with visiters during the warm season. The
country abounds in scenes attractive to persons of
taste. A little church is situated in a secluded and
■romantic valley ; and the place is destined for a
fashionable resort.
The place is off the road, and may be missed. It
is in a valley^ with mountains on every side except
the south-east. From near the church, the White
Mountains are in sight. Two or three miles a})ove,
the Saco valley bends to the left, and Ellis's River
comes down a narrower vale in front. Up the course
of this stream was formerly a route by which the
highest peaks were ascended. A footpath leaves it
in Adams, and goes on to Shelburne, he. It is 7. miles.
to Hall's, in Bartlett.
Fryeburgh.
The township of Fryeburgh, in its extent of six
square miles, embraces a rich and beautiful valley,
secluded on every side by a wild and mountainous
range of country. The Saco River, taking its rise on
Mount Washir)gton, and flowing through the Notch in
the White Hills, passes down the valley to Conway,
where it finds the termination of the southern range ;
and then turning abruptly to the east, soon enters ihe
charming meadows of Fryeburgh, and performs a ser-
pentine course of no less than 36 miles within the
limits of the township.
The Indian Fort was on a gentle hill at the western
side of the village, ahich commands a view of the
Saco valley six miles up its course, and six miles down.
Lovel's Pond
is on an isthmus, about one mile south-east from the
■s'illage. and is memorable as the scene of one of the
lovel's expedition- 34y
most severe and disastrous battles in the old partisan
warfare against the Indians.
The Portland Road passes along the western side
of the pond, and at present affords a view of it only
from that part of the high ground which is near its
north end. This, however, was the place of the
action. Another road runs very near the north shore ;
and it is a pleasant ride to the place.
Lovel's Expedition.
In 1725, Captain Lovel was induced to undertake a
secret expedition through the wilderness against the
Pickwaket tribe of Indians, who, instigated by the
French, had committed many depredations on the
frontier, so that the general court of Massachusetts had
offered 100 pounds each for their scalps. His com-
pany consisted of 30 or 40 men, many of them accus-
tomed to the life of hardy hunters and settlers, with
young Mr. Frye for their chaplain, whose history was
somewhat romantic, and from whom this town received
its name.
They passed up Winnipiseogee Lake, then to
Ossipee Pond, where they built a blockhouse, and
placed their stores ; then following up the course of
the Saco, encamped at the mouth of Mill Brook at the
north-west corner of Lovel's Pond, on the night pre-
ceding the battle, intending to cross the isthmus,
(which is reduced by the pond to the breadth of Is
miles,) and fall upon the Indian Fort.
The next morning they deviated from their route,
and the great body of Indians having discovered the
encampment, and the way they had gone, formed an
ambush, fired upon them on their return, and killed
eight men. The white men retreated to the north-east
corner of the pond, where is a narrow strip of land,
and defended themselves till night ; and the remains
of the unfortunate expedition returned through the
Ur:oBt. suffering from hunger and fatigue, and some c;
360 BOSTON TO THE WHITE MOIIjN TAINS.
them from wounds. One of the first wounded escaped
by getting into a canoe, which was driven across the
pond by a north wind ; but a fugitive, who reached
the blockhouse at Ossipee Lake, reported that the ex-
pedition had been entirely cut off, so that the garrison
hastily removed the provisions, and thus increased the
sufferings of the survivors.
The Stage Coach from Conway to Portland passes
through Fryeburgn early in the morning, one or per-
haps more days in the week, and arrives nt Portland
the same evening, by Hiram, Baldwin, Standish, and
Gorham.
The coach to Concord goes through Conway.
[Pa7'is is a pleasant and tiourishing town, about 35
miles east from Fiyeburgh ; but the roads and the
inns in that part of the country are generally poor.]
A tremendous catastrophe occurred among the
White Mountains on the night of Aug. 28th, 1826. A
storm of rain, unprecedented within the memory of
the oldest inhabitants, deluged the principal peaks of
the mountains, and poured such an inundation upon
the valleys and plains below, that it is commonly at-
tributed to the " bursting of a cloud ;" although that
expression is a very ill-defined one. The effects pro-
duced by the flood will remain for centuries ; and as
many of these lie exposed to the eye, the route will
offer many new objects interesting to an intelligent
traveller. It will afford him a very desirable oppor-
tunity to observe, in some places, the structure of the
mountains, where Jieir interior has been laid bare by
the falling of vast quantities of earth and rocks ; and
in others, exemplifications to confirm the modern geog-
nosticaf theories, to explain the phenomena observable
in valleys, plains, and the courses of rivers. Geolo-
gists and mineralogists, too, may expect to meet with
curious and valuable specimens, among the enormous
wrecks they will observe on either hand.
The inundation was so great and so sudden, that the
channels! of the streams were totally insufficient to
THE OL-.NDATIO?^ OF l}j2b\ o5J
admit oi the passage of the water, which conse-
quently overflowed the little level valleys at the feet
of the mountains. Innumerable torrents immediately
formed on all sides ; and such deep trenches were cut.
by the rushing water, that vast bodies of earth and
stones fell from the mountains, bearing with them the
forests that had covered them for ages. Some of these
"slides," as they are here popularly denomii.aied,
(known among the Alps as " avalanches de terre^'''') are
supposed to have been half a mile in breadth, and
from one to five miles in length. Scarcely any natural
occurrence can be imagined more sublime ; and
among the devastation which it has left to testify the
power of the elements, the traveller will be filled with
awe at the thought of that Being by whom they are
controlled and directed.
The streams brought away with them immense
quantities of earth and sand, which the turbid water
deposited, when any obstacle threw it back, in tem-
porary ponds and lakes. The forest trees were also
noated down, and may now be observed in great num-
bers, frequently several miles from the places where
they were rooted up. The timber was often marked
with deep grooves and trenches, made by the rocks
which passed over them during their descent from the
mountains ; and great heaps of trees are deposited in
some places, while in others, the soil of the little
meadows is buried with earth, sand, or rocks, to the
depth of several feet.
The turnpike road leading through this romantic
country, was twenty miles in length, but was almost
entirely destroyed. Twenty-one of the twenty-three
bridges upon it were demolished ; one of them, built
with stone, cost $1000. In some places, the Saco river
ran along the road, and cut down deep channels.
The Willey House was the scene of a most melan-
choly tragedy on the night above mentioned, when
this inundation occurred. Several days previously, a
brge " slide" came down from the mountains behind
352 THE WHITE MOITNTAIISS.
it, and passed so near as to cause great alarm, without
any injury to the inmates. The house was occupied
by Mr. Calvin Willey, whose wife was a young wo-
man of a very interesting character, and of an educa-
tion not to be looked for in so wild a region. They
had a number of young children, and their family at
the time included several other persons, amounting in
all to eleven. They were waked in the night by the
noise of the storm, or more probably, by the second
descent of avalanches from the neighbouring moun-
tains ; and fled in their night clothes from the house to
seek their safety, but thus threw themselves in the way
of destruction. One of the slides, 100 feet high,
stopped within 3 feet of the house. Another took
away the barn, and overwhelmed the family. Nothing
was found of them for son.e time : their clothes were
lying at their bedsides, the house not having been
started on its foundation : an immense heap of earth
and timber, which had slid down,havingstopped before
it touched it ; and they had a 1 been crushed on leaving
the door, or borne away with the water that overflowed
the meadow. The bodies of several of them were
never found. A catastrophe so melancholy, and at the
same time so singular in its circumstances, has hardly
ever occurred. It will always furnish the traveller
with a melancholy subject of reflection.
Bartleti is a comfortable village, situated in a rich
valley, or interval, of about 300 acres, where the view
is bounded on every side by near and lofty mountains.
The inn of the place is kept by ' Judge Hall.' There
is another interval among the mountains westward,
which, although it contains much good cleared land,
has been converted into a common, in consequence of
the difficulty of making a good road to it. Pursuing
still the course of the narrow valley, against the cur-
rent of the Saco, the country is found uncleared, except
two or three pretty little meadows ; and destitute ot
inhabitants, excepting only three or four poor families,
vmiil rirrlvins: at
nancy's hill
Crawford's Farm,
seven and a half miles south of the Notch. Here the
traveller will be cheerfully and comfortably enter-
tained, although the house does not wear the sign of
an inn. The water rose in this house t'Ao feet in the
flood of 1826. This is the place from which visiters
formerly began their excursions to the summit of the
mountains : but the best place is at the new house at
the Notch.
Prospect Mountain, one of the principal peaks, pre-
sents itself to view a little before arriving at the first
Crawford's, with its smooth rounded summit of brown
moss, rising several hundred feet above the region of
vegetation, and offering an aspect which distinguishes
these from the other elevations.
The climate in this narrow valley is still so warm
as to favour the growth of various trees which are
scarcely to be found a few miles further north. The
forests are here formed of spruce, ash, beech, maple,
sugar maple, &c. Mr. Crawford has about 100 acres
cleared, and raises Indian corn very well, which will
not come to maturity beyond. His orchard contains
700 apple trees.
This is one of the principal stopping places for the
sleighs, which pass the mountains in great numbers
during the winter, for Portland, Boston, &c. There
are sometimes 80 horses in the stables.
Nancy^s Hill is a small elevation a few miles north
of this place. In 1773, a young woman of respectable
connexions, who accompanied a family of settlers to
Dartmouth (now Jefferson,) set out in the winter to
return to Portsmouth, alone and on toot, her lover ha-
ving promised to meet her there and marry her.
There was then no house nearer than Bartlett, 30
njiiles. Nancy was found by some travellers in this
sfpot. frozen and covered with ire, under a hut
354 THE WHITE 3iOtJWTAI^!5.
formed of branches of trees, which was the only shelter
to be found on the way.
The Willey House
is situated in a secluded little valley about 5 miles
north of Crawford's, and was long; the only building in a
distance of 12 miles. It has sometimes been unin-
habited during the summer season, though open, with
its cheerless shelter, to all comers : in the winter a
family occupied it to keep a fire, lodgings, and a little
food, provided for the travellers and wagoners, who
might otherwise perish for want of the necessaries of
life. For an account of the melancholy catastrophe
which has marked this place with an affecting and
lasting association, see the previous remarks on the
inundation of 1826. {See page 351.)
The climate is so cold, that the land is not worth
cultivating ; and although the place has been occupied
by several tenants, no one would keep the house in re-
pair, even rent free. There are no good uplands, the
soil there being all gravel ; and the climate is sensibly
colder than at the last stopping place.
There is a place near the Jsotch, where the road
suffered severe injury. It had been built up against
the side of a mountain, on a wall 40 or 50 feet high,
and about 30 yards in extent, at the expense of $500.
This whole fabric was swept away by a mass of earth,
rocks, and trees, which came from hah a mile up the
side of the mountain, and rushing down at an angle of
about 45'>, precipitated itself into the bed of the Saco,
which is nearly 300 feet below.
In repairing this road in the winter, the workmen
had great difficulty in getting over the obstructions.
They expected to find but little daylight at that 'ate
season of the year ; but they found that the summits
of the mountains received very earl}^ intelligence of
morning, and the snows reflected it into the valleys
and ravines.
w
I'HE xNOTCli. OOJ
The road rises with a steep ascent for a considerable
distance before it reaches the Notch, and the traveller
observes two cataracts, one pouring down a precipi-
tous mountain at a distance on the west side of the
valley, and the other, which is called
The Fluine, rushing down on the right-hand, and
crossing the road under a bridge. The scenery is
sublime and impressive beyond description. Just
beyond is another Flume.
About 150 yards beyond is the first great slide seen
in coming from the Notch.
The Notch
s so narrow as to allow only room enough for the path
ind the Saco, which is here a mere brook only four
eet in breadth. It is remarkable that the Saco and
he Ammonoosuc spring from fountains on Mount
■Vashington, within, perhaps, 60 yards of each other,
hough the former empties into the Atlantic, and the
atter joins Connecticut River. Another branch of the
\mmonoosuc approaches the Saco in one place, within
■bout 600 yards. They are both crossed beyond the
scotch. The head waters of the Merrimack rise within
'.bout a mile and a half of this place ; and run down a
ong ravine, little less remarkable than that of the Saco.
The Notch Meadow. Here a house has been re-
ently erected, at which the traveller will find accom-
nodation, and where it is recommended to him to take
p his quarters during his stay. It is situated on a
j nail meadow, probably formed at an early period,
! /hen the water of the Saco was set back and over-
I owed the neighbouring surface, before the convulsion
ccurred by which the Notch was formed, and a pass-
ge was opened to it. The spot is probably the most
dvantageous that could have been chosen on the road,
DF a public house. It is sheltered by the neighbouring
lountains, presents a level surface, and is within the
I istance of a few yards of the remarkable pass which
,')bi) THE WHITE MOliiSTAirsS.
opens the way through the towering ridge soutiiward,
iilong the avenue to the still distant regions of civili-
zation. The change presented to one coming down is
so sudden, that the mind is greatly affected. From
the level surface over which he has proceeded by a
smooth road, that bends along one margin of the
meadow, while the Saco brook has been leisurely
making the circuit of the other side, at a sudden turn
round a rude projecting rock, he finds the meadow
suddenly terminated, a dark and narrow defile opening
beside, and the stream appearing and disappearing
almost at the same instant, as it begins to dart down
the steep descent which is opened at once to the cur-
rent and the road. A traveller arriving at this spot
from the westward, can hardly paint in his own ima-
gination an o. • quate picture of the wild and magnifi-
cent objects which await him along the route ; and he
who has already passed among them will never be able
to erase the impression from his memory.
From a distance the striped and channelled ap-
pearance of the mountains prepares the mind in some
measure for the effects of the gieat inundation ; but,
however great the effort the imagination may have
made, the "fancy will here find itself greatly surpassed.
A road was first made through the Notch in 1785.
It was 50 or 60 feet higher than the present turnpike,
and so steep that it was necessary to draw horses and
wagons up with ropes. The assessment for the turn-
pike was made in 1806.
Two rocks stand at the sides of this remarkable
passage, one 20, and the other about 30 feet, in per-
pendicular height. They are about 20 feet asunder,
at 6 or 7 yards from the north end ; then they open
to 30 feet. The part which appears to have been cut
through is about 120 iieet 'ong. The Notch meadow
opens beyond ; and after a ride of 41 miles, the tra-
veller reaches another comfortable house, kept by Mr.
E. A. Crawford, where also he will be received and
entertained.
-MOUxNT WASIIlNGTOiV. tiot
Ethan A. Craziford^s House. The master of the
iiouse also will act as a guide, and is qualified for the
office, both by his intimate acquaintance with the way,
and the various kind attentions and amusing anecdotes
with which he knows how to relieve the tediousness
of the ascent. The best arrangement is to set out in
the afternoon, spend the night at the wigwam or
* Camp,''^ ascend the mountain early in the morning, to
'lave the benefit of the view by sunrise, and return to
he inn before the ensuing evening. It is 6 or 7 miles
i the " Camp," 3 of which are passable in a carriage
md the rest on horseback, though much impeded by
he devastations of the great storm.
MOUNT WASHINGTON.
3 The ascent of the mountain was formerly a most
i.rduous undertaking, and was very rarely performed,
put several ladies have lately been enumerated among
ihose who have gained the summit. The whole way
;es through a perfect forest. The first 6 or 7 miles are
ver a surface comparatively level ; but the last two
liles and a quarter are up an ascent not diflfering much
'om an angle of forty-five degrees.
The time to perform the different parts of this ex-
ursion may be estimated as follows :
hours.
From the inn to the camp, 2
Thence to the summit, 2 miles and 93 rods, 2 or 2i
Returning from summit to camp, . . . Ih
Thence to the inn, 2"
The streams of the Ammonoosuc River, which are
' be crossed seven times, show the ravages of the in-
idation of 1826, but a comfortable bed, and a fire,
f the weather be chill,) will be found very welcome at
II h
558 THE WHITE MOUJVTAliNS.
The Cami',
62 miles from Crawford's. Here provisions of differ-
ent kinds will be produced, and even cooked by a
cheerful fire ; and if the travellers are sportsmen,
and the season is favourable, a dish of fine trout may
soon be obtained trom the romantic little stream which
dashes by within a short distance.
The ascent of Mount Washington begins just at
hand, and the most arduous exertion will be necessary
to attain the summit, which seems to fly before the
stranger when he deems it just attained, and to look
down in derision from a new and more hopeless height.
The first part of the way is through a thick forest ol
heavy timber, which is suddenly succeeded by a
girdle of dwarf and knarled fir-trees, 10 or 15 (eet
high, and 80 rods, or about 450 yards, broad ; which,
ending as suddenly as they began, give place to a kind
of short bushes, and finally a thin bed of moss, not
half sufficient to conceal the immense granite rocks
which deform the surface. For more than a mile, the
surface is entirely destitute of trees. A few strag-
gling spiders, and several species of little flowering
plants, are the only objects that attract the attention,
under the feet.
The following heights are stated to be those of the
different peaks, above the level of Connecticut Kiver
at Lancaster :
Washington, 5,350 ; Jefferson, 5,261 ; Adams, 5,183 :
Madison, 5,039 ; Monroe, 4,932 ; Quincy, 4,470.
Mount Washington is believed to be more than 6,400 '
feet above the ocean. ']
In a clear atmosphere the view is sublime, and al- ,
most boundless. The finest part of it is towards the |
south-east and south. Looking down the valley.'
through which the road has conducted us, a fine sue- '
cession of mountainou"? summits appear for mar '
THE LAKE OF THE CLOUDS. 359
iniles, extending beyond the bright surface of Winnipi-
s-eogee Lake.
I Towards the south-east also, the eye ranges over an
extent of surface, which quite bewilders the mind.
Mountains, hills, and valleys, farm houses, villages,
;and towns, add their variety to the natural features of
the countiy ; and the ocean may be discovered at the
horizon with the help of a telescope, although the
[Sharpest sight has never been able to distinguish it
I without such assistance. In that direction lies Port-
land, the capital of Maine; and nearer, Love I 's Pond.
< On the north-east is seen the valley of the Andros-
rcoggin River, which abounds in wild and romantic
;;5cenery, and was the usual passage by which the In-
idians, in their hostile incursions from Canada, used to
, approach the eastern frontier settlements of Massachu-
setts and New-Hampshire. Beyond, are the Ktardin
Hills, near the extremity of Maine.
i JVorth, the country is more wild and uncultivated ;
and the Umbagog Lake is seen, from which flows the
Androscoggin.
West, the nearer view is over a mountainous region,
[covered with a thick forest, through which only an oc-
jcasional opening is perceived, formed by the farms
I (or clearings) of the hardy inhabitants. Beyond, the
I hills are seen to rise from the opposite shore of Con-
necticut River, the surface of which is every where
bidden from view, and the summits, rising higher and
I higher, terminate in the ridges of the Green Mountains
in Vermont.
South-westerly is seen the Grand Monadnock.
The Indians knew the White Mountains by the
name of Agiocochook, and regarded them as inac-
cessible, or at least represented them so to white men.
The Lake of the Clouds
is a little pond, near the summit of Mount Monroe, of
beautiful clear water: and supplies the head stream of
360 THE WHITE M0IJNTAI:N&,
the Aranionoosuc River. This little current imme-
diately ijbegins its descent, and dashes in a headlong
course of several tliousand feet, into the valley near the
encampment.
Geology. Loose fragments of granite are every
where scattered over the mountain, with some speci-
mens of gneiss. The granite is generally gray, and
at first fine-grained, but grows coarser as we ascend,
and is occasionally sprinkled with small garnets. At
the summit it frequently contains a little black tour-
maline, sometimes in crossing crystals. On the sum-
mit, also, some of the granite is tinged with red, al-
though much of it is coloured bright green by lichens,
dampened by the humidity of the clouds, and inter-
spersed with thick and soft gray moss. The grain of
the coarse granite is elongated ; and what strikes the
visiter as very singular is, that not a single rock is to
be found in its original place — every thing bears the
mark of removal ; and this, taken into view with the
precipice on the northern side, seems to indicate that
the summit of the mountain has fallen down and disap-
peared.
The general belief now seems to be, that the lofty
peak above us is the highest elevation in North Ame-
rica, except Mexico and some of the Rocky Moun-
tains. The inhospitable nature of the climate is such
as to forbid all hopes of future improvement ; so that
the feeling of sublimity, produced by the lonely and
desolate character of this desert region, is increased
by the reflection, that it is destined to be a wilderness
for ever.
The only places susceptible of cultivation in the
heart of the mountains, are the little meadows inha-
bited by the Cravvfords, the Notch, and Willey Mea-
dows ; and there the interval of warm weather is so
short in the year, that few vegetables can arrive at
maturity, with all the rapidity of growth which distin-
guishes such cold regions.
To those who are fond of field sports, the forest*^
iiOAi»s. 36 i
and rivers afford every advantage, during the brief
summer which visits the valleys. Various kinds of
wild birds and game are to be found in the woods,
besides bears, wild cats, and deer. The moose and
buffalo were formerly abundant among the mountains ;
and it is scarcely thirty years since they were killed
in great numbers, merely for their hides and tallow ;
as the latter still are in the deserts beyond the Missis-
sippi. Deer are common in the woods, and frequently
are killed by the hunters. Sometimes they come
boldly down into the little meadow before Crawford's
house, and quietly graze with the cattle. The black
bear are occasionally seen in the more unfrequented
places ; but they will always endeavour to avoid a
man. A large species of elk, here known by the name
of the Cariboo, has nvade its appearance in the White
Mountains within a few years ; but they are still very
scarce in this part of the country.
The weather is liable to frequent changes in the
mountainous region, which is partly owing to the vi-
cinity of the JVotch^ through which the wind blows,
almost without ceasing, even when the air is perfectly
still at only a short distance from it. From the situa-
tion of the mountains, it is impossible that the direc-
tion of the v/ind should vary materially in the valley ;
and it is therefore, of course, always north or south.
During the winter it is often very violent, so that not
only the snow is prevented from lying on the path at
the Notch, but the surface is swept of every thing that
a strong wind can remove.
The summits of the mountains are frequently in-
vested with mist, when the sky is clear ; and those
only who inhabit the vicinity are able to tell whether
the day is to be favourable for the ascent. The mists
sometimes collect in the valleys, and then present some
of the most singular and beautiful appearances.
Roads. There are two roads hence to Connecticut
River; one over Cherry Mountain (very laborious)
^.o Lancaster ; the other, shorter, through Breton
362 EOUTli FROM BOSTO?< TO MAINE.
Woods, Bethlehem, and Littleton, (rough and stony) to
Bath, 34 miles. [See Index.]
ROUTE FROM BOSTON TO MAINE.
A line of Steam Navigation was commenced in
1823, between Boston and Portland and Bath ; and ex-
tended in 1821, about 250 miles from Bath to Eastport
in one direction, and about 40 miles to Augusta in an-
other ; and in 1825, agriin about 70 miles from Eastport
to St. John's, in New-Brunswick, by proprietors resid-
ing at Eastport ; and from St. John's up the River St.
John's about 80 miles to Fredericktown, by proprietors
residing at St. John's ; and in another direction by the
Eastport proprietors, from Eastport about 30 miles on
the Schoodic to St. Andrew's and Calais. Two boats
were afterward put upon a line from Eastport to An-
napolis and Windsor, in Nova Scotia. Another boat is
run from Eastport to Dennisville, a distance of 20 or
30 miles. The line before occupied, including all its
collateral branches and ramifications, exceeds 500
miles, and is now about 700 miles.
It is proposed in Boston, to enlarge the canal across
Cape Ann, to admit the steamboats, which will save
15 miles, and give an opportunity to communicate, di-
rectly or by smaller boats, with Gloucester, Newbu-
ryport, Portsmouth, Dover, and Kennebunk.
The boats go about 100 miles a day, and pass so
near the shore as to afford many interesting views of
the numerous islands, points, and bays, which abound
along the coast. In 1826, the steamboat was burned
on this line. The price was, from Boston to Portland,
$5 ; thence to Eastport, $6,with a deduction for forward
passengers. (The arrangements for 1830 not known.)
There are coaches going to Salem every hour in the
morning and forenoon ; and it may, perhaps, be conve-
nient to take a seat in one of them, as Salem is well
worthy of at least a day's delay. Indeed, if con-
venient, the stranger will be gratified with several
KEVERL\ , .563
. I'ides m the vicinity of that place, particularly to M^r-
I blehead.
I
Lynn, 9 miles from Boston.
I This town is devoted to making shoes; great num-
I bers of which are annually exported. Each house, al~
imost without exception, has a little shop connected
i with it, in which the nnen and boys employ themselves
I in this manufacture. There are in Lj'nn from 70 to 80
■' manufacturers of shoes, and probably not far from 1500
operatives. Some of the manufacturers employ 50
; bands each, and one is said to manufacture 1200 pair
^per week. This, if we allow 12 working hours a
jdays, gives one pair of shoes about every 3 minutes.
i There is a mineral spring in this town, which was
celebrated many years ago.
The Lynn Beach, of which mention has before been
made, is in this town, and lies on the way to the fash-
ionable retreat at Nahant. It is of hard sand, offer-
ing an excellent natural road, but is impassable at high
water. The bay on which it looks is one of the places
where the famous sea serpent was seen several years
3g0.
There is a good inn in the town where the stage
coaches stop.
The country beyond is rather hilly and uninterest-
ing ; but the road is good.
Beverly
is a town which joins Salem so closely, as apparently
to form a part of it. It has a long street through which
we pass, nearly at the foot of a high, barren hill. This
eminence is remarkable in the history of witchcraft ;
as it is the spot where numerous persons, condemned
for that crime, in Salem, were executed.
364 KOIITE FKOM BfcfSTOK TO MAINE,
SALEM.
The Lalayetle Hotel.
This is one of the most populous, wealthy, and beau-
tiful towns in New-England. It was one of the ear-
liest settlements made in Massachusetts Bay ; and the
planting of the colony is annually celebrated. Go-
vernor Endicott, one of the most distinguished indi-
viduals in the early history of this part of the country,
resided here. The place was first settled in 1626.
Salem was for many years engaged in an extensive
and lucrative commerce, particularly with China ; and
the appearance of the town is sufficient to show that
it still contains a great deal of wealth. The harbour
is fine, and the wharves still well supplied with stores ;
but the trade of the place has materially diminished.
The streets are generally too narrow ; but the banks,
insurance offices, and churches are many of them
handsome buildings. The Square is a lar^e and beau-
tiful tract of ground, near the centre of the town.
About it are seen many of the finest private buildings
in the place, which, indeed, may be compared for size
and elegance with those in any part of the United
States.
There is a High School in Salem, besides 18 public
and 58 private schools. In 1828, the public schools
contained about 500 boys and 300 girls.
The Marine Museum is an institution highly cre-
ditable to the town, being an association of respect-
able nautical and commercial individuals, formed for
the purpose of making useful observations, and col-
lecting curiosities from all quarters of the world. No
one can become a member who has not doubled Cape
Horn, or the Cape of Good Hope, either as master or
supercargo of a vessel ; and each of them is supplied
with a journal, in which he is to note down such re-
marks as he thinks important, dnrinc his voyages.
MAllBLEIIEAD . i3 6 5
These are submitted to the inspection of a committee ;
jand the curiosities brought home are deposited in a
'handsome building belonging to the society, which is
well worthy the particular attention of strangers.
Access is readily gained by application to any of the
members: this extensive and highly interesting cabi-
net being closed only for the purpose of security, and
no fee being required for admission. The room is
jlarge, well lighted, and filled with curiosities from
|all quarters of the world, and many specimens belong-
Jng to all the branches of natural history. The ar-
rangement is made with great taste, and several hours,
or indeed days, will hardly be sufficient for an exa-
Imination of all it contains.
J The following lines were written after a visit to this
interesting institution, by Beltrami, a distinguished
j scientific traveller, in the year 1827 :
"Siste Viator! Siste, mirari ! est Orbis in urbe,
"Et prsebet pulchrum cuncta miranda Salem. —
"Obstupui, hie Superum, bine hominum prodigia
vidi,
" Pontus, Magna Parens, Ignis et Ipse favent. —
" Oh, America : Oh, felix tellus, populusque beatus 1
" Quam nobis tollunt dant tibi fata vicem. —
The top of the hotel commands a fine and exten-
sive view over the town and its environs, with the
harbour, and the fine coves which set up on both sides.
A Mill Dam Company has been incorporated, to en-
close a tract of water near this town, to obtain power
for mills, on the plan of the Boston and Roxbury mill
dam. The receiving basin is to be about 70 acres, and
^the power equal to 40 mills,
Marblehead.
♦ There is a good road to this town, which stands at
^ ihe end of a rocky promontory, 4 miles south-east from
I Salem. It contains a handsome square, and some ven^
/i6ii J?()ITE FKOM BOSTON TO MAINE.
^ood houses ; but it is principally inhabited by fisht i-
incn, Avhose manner of life precludes, in a great de-
t::ree, the intellectual improvement generally so cha-
racteristic of New-England. The harbour is a small
bay, protected by barren rocks, and afifords shelter to
the numerous tishing schooners employed in the cod
fishery. The men and boys are absent from home a
great part of the year ; as each vessel usually makes
three fishing voyages, or ^^Jares,^'' as they are here
called, every season. They lie on the banks until
they have caught a load of fish, which are opened and
salted as soon as taken. The vessels then return, and
the fish are spread to dr^^ on wooden frames, called
flakes ; great numbers of which will be seen on the
shore. A few vessels still go to the Labrador coast
for fish. There is a fort at the extremity of the town,
which commands the entrance to the harbour, and af-
fords a view of many miles over the neighbouring
sheets of water. The islands at the entrance of Sa-
lem are wild and rocky ; and the sea breaks over
them with violence in an easterly storm. Towards
tile south are seen several headlands of this iron-bound
coast ; which, for a great extent, even down to the
extremity of Massachusetts, must have appeared one
of the most inhospitable to the pilgrims who began
their settlements on this part of New-England.
Newbtjryport.
Stage House, or Merrimack Hotel, on the hill. This
is a large, and, to a considerable extent, a regularly
built town, 38 miles from Boston. The greater part
of it lies in squares, and the best streets are built en-
tirely of brick. What is commonly called Newbury-
port, however, is composed of two distinct towns.
The original township of Newbury includes that part
%vhich reaches to within about a quarter of a mile of
the shore ; and the rest, a mile along the water, where
the wharves, the market building, most of the stores.
Aiops, &c. are found, is all which is, properly speak-
ing, called Newburyport, although there is no division
but an imaginaiy line.
The Court House makes a handsome appearance, at
the head of a street running to the river.
The monument of the celebrated Whitefield is to
be seen in the First Presbyterian Church in this town,
where his remains lie interred.
The harbour is fine, and the place once enjoyed a
brisk and lucrative commerce ; but it has suffered se-
verely from two great fires, within a few years, and
'still more t"rom circumstances which cut oft' the trade.
A plan has been proposed for the improvement of the
navigation of the Merrimack, which, if carried into
effect, can hardly fail to produce results of great im-
portance to the place. The falls at Haverhill cut off*
the boat navigation, at the distance of about 12 miles ;
but if these were avoided by a canal, the water com-
jmunication would be opened to Concord, and a great
I part of the products now sent to Boston, by the Mid-
I dlesex Canal, would come to Newburyport. It is es-
timated, that the work would cost about two hundred
j thousand dollars.
I Stage Coaches. The mail coach from Boston for
I Portland arrives at 7 A. M. and returns about 2 P. M.
[ There is also an Accommodation Line, which travels
only by daylight. The Concord coach leaves here
about noon.
The late Timothy Dexter's house is now a tavern,
about half a mile from the stage house on the road to
Portsmouth. The garden was form.erly curiously or-
namented with wooden statues of distinguished indi
i viduals.
■j Mackerel Fishery. It was estimated, in 1829, that
j 92 vessels were employed in the mackerel fishery,
' with a tonnage of 4,432 tons, and about 740 men, seven
months and a half each year.
The bridge over the Merrimack is a most beautiful
structure, I^s length is 1000 feet : and it has four
3(38 KOUTE IKOM UOSTOA TO MAliSL.
arches and a draw-bridge, on the side towards the
town. The arches are supported by twelve chains,
carried over four towers in the form of pyramids, 31
feet above high water mark. The bases of these
towers are of hewn stone, 40 by 30 feet, built on tim-
ber, each with a breakwater up the stream. The
chains, separately, are strong enough to bear 22 tons.
The bridge, with the road to Newburyport, cost
.$66,000,
Hampton, 10 miles. At Hampton Beach is a good
hotel, which commands an agreeable view upon the
ocean, and the shore about the Boar's Head,
Portsmouth,
62 miles frbtn Boston, 58 from Portland,
Brown's Stage House.
The environs of the town show many neat and
pleasant houses of wood ; and the middle part of it is
principally of brick, with some handsome public
buildings, although the streets are generally too nar-
row. It has been a place of much commerce. The
old church is a specimen of old times. The Navy
Yard, on an island opposite the town, contains two
large ship buildings, one for frigates and the other for
]ine-of-battle ships.
The bridge across the Piscataqua, leads into the
state of Maine, which was, until within a few
years, a district of Massachusetts. The current is
very strong. The navy yard is seen on the east, with
the ship houses, &c. 13 ships of war have been built
in this port since 1690. The Santee, 74, and Ala-
bama, 74, are on the stocks.
[Amcsbury is a manufacturing place on the Powow
River, 3 miles from Newburyport. The river is made
to drain se^^eral ponds by an arched tunnel du^
'brouffh a hill about a century ago- Thevf is a Nar,
THE jNLBiiLi:. o6'd
Factory here, oriojinally built by the famous me=
chanist Jacob Perkins. A Rolling and Slitting Mill is
ladjoining. Extensive Anchor Works, now standing
3till, are on the same dam.
The Broadcloth Factory, supplied with water by a
dam below, is also not in operation. The Salisbury
fYannel Factory has 2500 spindles, employs 80 hands,
and makes 100 pieces of flannel weekly. They have
built a much larger one at the upper falls. The
{dmeshury Flannel Factory have a building 40 feet by
130, 4 stories high, with 5000 spindles, 180 workmen,
md makes 200 pieces a week. Houses for dying,
bleaching, and fulling are on the wharf. There is also
1 machine shop. Men receive ^1, and women 50 cts.
1 day.
, The building is 200 feet long, 50 wide, 5 stories
iiigh, and will contain 10,000 spindles, and make 400
Dieces in a week. All the Flannel Works in full ope-
ration will make 35,000 pieces of flannel in a year, and
employ about 1000 hands.
There are several other mills and factories ; though
he whole ground occupied is only 40 rods.]
The country on this road is of a gently rolling form,
generally very poor, without trees, and changing only
rom sand to rocks ; and affords very few objects of
nterest, except an occasional view of the seashore,
ind several spots remarkable for their connexion with
he history of the country.
York. There are so:ne pleasant fields about this
ittle place, but its size is insigniticant, particularly
vhen contrasted with the anticipations formed of its
lestiny at the time of its first settlement ; for the
ground was laid out for a city, and the divisions of the
I and still retain much of the regular form given it by
:he first surveyors.
The Nuhhle is a rocky point, 4\ miles from York,
,vith a cluster of miserable huts in the rear, called, in
ierision, the city, or metropolis of Cape Neddock.
Tom a point of that name still further on.
J70 UOUiK XN MAliM,.
While travelling along this dreary country, near the
place where a round hill of a peculiar appearance first
presents itself in front, and then ^he ocean, the road
passes the site of an old fort or blockhouse, built be-
fore Philip's war. Nothing is now to be seen of it
from the road, excepting a part of the old wall, which
is built of large stones, laid with greater regularity
than is practised now. A hovel stands near the wall,
shaded l)y a few trees, about 100 yards west of the
road.
The Agattienticus Hills forn) a range some distance
west.
Lower Welles. There is a little harbour here, de-
fended by a sand bar, with a narrow entrance under a
rock ; but it is almost dry at low water.
Welles. The sea ottcn breaks beautifully on the
beach, in front of it.e tavern. Porpoise point is just
distinguished in the north-east ; and the view of the
sea is tine and refreshing.
Three miles beyond is Breakneck Hill, over which
falls a small stream, from the- height of 30 leet, about
40 yards from the path. Here, says a blind tradition,
a small tribe of Indians met an indiscriminate destruc-
tion, in the following manner. Being on their return
from their annual fishing excursion on the upper part
of the stream, they despatched some of tl»eir number
to make a fire on the rock which divides the falls, as
they tbund they should not reach this place betbre
night. The white men in the neighbourhood, by some
means learning their design, shot the messengers, and
then collecting the limbs of trees, made a great fire on
the high bank below on V\e. opposite side of the road.
The Indians, says the story, being deceived, did not
attempt to stop their canoes in season, and were all
carried over the falls and killed. A similar tale i? re-
lated, with more appearance of credibility, of the falls
on the Androscoggin River.
The Fort was half a mile beyond, or a quarter of a
mile north from the church. The site is distinguished
PORTLAND. 371
"by the angle of an old wall, built of large, regular, but
unhewn stones, on the east side of the road. The
marks of the foundation appear to be yet visible a little
back, and the situation is very pleasant, with a smooth
plain around it, and a gentle slope in the rear to a little
meadow, where the settlers used to obtain their hay.
The ocean is in full view below. This little fortress
was once attacked by 500 Indians, who at first sup-
posed, as was the fact, that the men were absent from
home. The place was, however, very bravely and
successfully defended by five women, who put on their
husbands' clothes, and fired so warmly upon their in-
vaders, as to force them to retreat.
Kennebunk, 25 miles from Portland. Here the mail
coach from Portland stops for breakfast. It is a small
place, but once carried on a considerable lumber trade
with the West Indies.
Saco, fifteen miles from Portland. Just south of this
village is the mouth of the Saco, which rises on Mount
Washington. Cutt's Isl md of 75 acres divides the
stream, just at the falls, and has been converted to raa-
, nufactiiring purposes.
The first manufactory erected by the company was
intended for 1,200 spindles and 360 looms. It was
destroyed by fire in 1830 : loss estimated at ^300,000.
The soil here is very rock , easily furnishing mate-
I rials for building:, which has lately commenced on a
' large scale. The fail is about thirty feet, the water
i^ abundant at all seasons, and there is a landing place for
vesselsonlya few yards distant, which might greatly fa-
vour the transportation of raw and manufactured articles.
I The land bought in 1825 on the island with a portion
of the water power, cost about ^100,000. Great quan-
I lities of timber have long been sawn at these falls,
^ PORTLAND, 15 miles.
Mitchell's Hotel. The Stage House.
The situation of this place is remarkably fine, occu-
o72 EOrXE IN MAIXE.
pying the ridge and side of a high point of land with
a handsome, though shallow hsij, on one side, and the
harbour on the other. The anchorage is protected on
every side by land, the water is deep, and the com-
munication with the sea direct and convenient. Con-
gress-street runs along the ridge of the hill, and con-
tains a number of very elegant private houses. There
is also the Town Hall, with the Market below, the
Custom-House, and a beautiful new church, with gra-
nite columns. The steps are fine blocks of granite, 6
feet by 9, brought from the quarry at Brunswick, 22
miles distant, and cost about $40 each. This street
rises, as it approaches the end of the neck, or promon-
tory, to the Observatory, a tower 82 t'eet high, and, with
its base, 142 feet above the water, commanding an ex-
tensive and very fine view on every side.
From the Observatory, south and south-west are
several distant eminences : among others, the Agamen-
ticus Hills ; north-west are seen, in clear weather, the
lofty ridges and peaks of the White Hills in New-
Hampshire, which are discovered at sea, often before
the nearer land appears in sight. The country on the
north presents little that is interesting, and the water
nearer at hand is only an inlet of the sea.
Cape Elizabeth is the highland on the south side of
the harbour ; and the islands, which nearly close its
entrance, are called Bang's and House Islands. Fort
Preble stands on the former, and Fort Scammel, only
a blockhouse, on the latter. It is proposed by the
United States to expend ^165,000 in enlarging these
defences. Due east is Seguin Lighthouse, which is
visible in clear weather, 32 miles distant, at the mouth
of the Kennebec. Nearer, and in the same quarter,
lie numerous islands of various forms, and divided by
little channels and bays, some of which are deep.
They are generally covered with trees and rocks, but
present a beautiful variety to the view in that direc-
tion. Their number is not known, but is usually esti-
mated at 365, to correspond with that of the days in }
the year. .. '
POKTLAJSU. olo
■ rhe intrenchments on the hill, west of the Observa-
lory, belong to Fort Sumner, and part of them were
made in the Revolutionary war. Und« r the bluff, on
the water's edge, is Fort Burroughs.
Falmouth (the former name of Portland) was burnt
in the Revolutionary war by Capt. Mowatt, in the
British sloop of war Canceau, on the I8th of October,
1775, on the refusal of the inhabitants to deliver up
their arms. About 130 houses, three-quart«:;rs of all
(he place contained, were consumed, some being set
on fire with brands, after a cannonade and bombard-
ment of 9 hours. The old church is among the build-
ings saved, and has the mark of a cannon shot in it.
A small part of Mitchell's hotel belonged to one of
the hou. es not destroyed.
There are some fine stores and dwelling-houses in
the middle of the town, and the shore is lined with
wharves and shipping : for the place is beginning to
prosper again, althout^h it has lost an extensive trade
which it cannot recover. There is a small Museum
n the place. At the Athensum will be found news-
Dapers from different parts of the country, a library,
^c. In 1827 there were 10 primary schools here, con-
aining 1095 pupils. Four of the schools were on the
nonitorial plan. There is a Female Orphan Asylum
ecenlly established here. •
Remarks to the Traveller at Portland. The Boston
W[ail Coach leaves here every morning at 4, and
caches Boston at 9 P. M.; the Accommodation at 8,
ind arrives next day, stopping for the night at Ports-
nouth.*
'* The following prices were charged in the steamboats, between
ifferent places, in 1828.
From Boston to Augusta, forward cabin $4, after do. ^5
From Boston to' Ratli, do. 3, do. 5
From Boston to Portland, do. 2,50 do. 4
From Portland to Hallowell and Augusta, 2 2.'5
From Portland to Bath, I 00
From Bath to Richmond, 50
■ From Bath to Gardiner, 100
i:^ From Bath to Hallov/ell and Augusta, •.•i".i«v. 1 2.5
I i 5
S74 KOTJTE IN iVIAl.NS.
The communication with Dover, Concord, kc. i=
easy, and the traveller going in that direction is re-
ferred to the Index for those and other places in his
way. He may take the route to the White Hills by
Fryeburgh ; the road leads through a wild and thinly
populated country, but is not devoid of interest. The
stage coach reaches Conway in a dty by this route,
passing through Gorham, Standish, Baldwin, Hiram,
and Fryeburgh.
The eastern and north-eastern routes only, remain
to be spoken of The road along the seacoast is more
uninteresting, passing over a rocky soil, and is recom-
mended in going from Portland. The upper road
leads through a considerable extent of fertile country,
indeed the garden of Maine, and shows several plea-
sant and flourishing villages, by which it may be more
agreeable to return. The settlement of a great part
of that region, still, is so recent, that the traveller will
not find so good accommodations, nor so many objects
of interest, as in many other parts of the U. States.
The inhabitants, however, are increasing very rapidly,
and great improvements of every kind are annually
introduced, which produce a scene of great activity
and prosperity, particularly between the Kennebec
and Penobscot Rivers.
Remarks on the Country North-East from
Portland.
In consequence of the position, the climate, and soil
of Maine, the improvement of the country has been
much retarded. Settlements were made on the coast
as early as 1607, and several others not long afterward ;
but they suffered severely in the Indian wars, and their
vicinity to the French missions, which embraced all
the eastern part of the present state, exposed them to
imminent danger. In later times the population was
principally confined to the seacoast, for the conve-
nience of fishing and commerce, and thus the good
REMAKKS ON TRAVELLl^NG IN MAINE. 37i)
land, which lies some distance back in the country,
was almost entirely neglected. After the revolu-
tionary war, this extensive region remained in the con-
dition of a district belonging to Massachusetts. Within
a few years it h;is been received into the Union as a
separate state ; and agriculture having been intro-
duced, the emigration from the neighbouring states
has rapidly swelled its population. In 1828 there
were 33 newspapers in the state of Maine.
In travelling in Maine, the stranger observes the
same order of things as in the interior of New-York,
Ohio, and other parts of the country which are fast
improving. It is but a few years since agriculture
was almost unknown here, and now the interior region
between the Kennebec and Penobscot Rivers is well
peopled, and presents a scene of rural cultivation and
prosperity rarely equalled. That is of course the most
attractive route for the traveller ; and the road from
Portland lies through Augusta and Hallowell. Those
who are going to New-Brnnswick, &c. are advised to
take this route, unless they prefer the less fatiguing
mode of travelling in the steamboat.
Most persons going eastward from Portland, will
wish to return ; and the brief tour which we shall
give will be planned for their convenience and plea-
sure, by proceeding first along the seacoast, and then
returning through the fine tract of country in the in-
terior.
It may be proper here to mention, that two roads
have been projected to Quebec ; one by the River
Kennebec, and the other by the Penobscot. At pre-
sent there are no roads through the northern wilder-
ness, though a communication has been kept up that
way for several years, and herds of cattle are occa-
sionally driven into Canada. The hardy and enter-
prising traveller may, perhaps, be willing to encoun-
ter the inconvenience of lodging in the open air, and
such fare as the wilderness aflfords : but few will
37t) IIOUTE IN MAIM;,
attempt the route for pleasure, until the intended im-
provements shall have been made.
For the distances of the principal places on the route
from Portland to Quebec, see page 235, 236.
Canals phojected im Maine.
From Sebago Pond to Portland. This would re-
quire an excavation of only 6 miles to effect a commu-
nication between a chain of ponds or lakes, capable of
furnishing larg-o supplies of timber, and many products
of ag:riculture, if settlements were once encouraged.
From the Androscoggin at Wayne's Mills, to the
Kennebec at Gardner. There is a dead water naviga-
tion to within five miles of the former, but then there i^
an ascent of 260 feet to the level of its current.
3louTE FROM Portland to Belfast, Castine,
Bangor, &c.
Travelling round to the head of Casco Bay, you pass
through North Yarmouth and Freeport, and arrive at
Brunswick, 26 miles. This is the site of Bowdoin
College, the principal institution of the state. It was
burnt a few years ago ; but has been rebuilt, and con-
tains a good number of students. It is pleasantly
situated on an elevated level.
There is a fall on the Androscoggin river at this
place ; below which booms are extended across to
keep toge4her the lumber which is brought down
€very season in great quantities.
The whole road trom Portland to Bath, 34 miles, lie?
along the coast, where the soil is rocky and poor.
Bath
is a town of considerable trade, situated on the Ken-
nebec, at the distance of 16 miles from the sea. Here
EOOTH BAY. 377
■ue several public buildings, and among^ the rest, two
banks. If the arrangements be now as heretofore, the
steamboat will leave Bath every day, except Sunday,
at noon, and arrives at Augusta the same evening,
touching at Richmond, Gardiner, and Hallowell.
Woolwich is opposite Bath.
WiSCASSET,
14 miles from Bath. This is one of the principal ports
of the state, and has an excellent harbour, at the mouth
of the Sheepscot River.
Stage Coaches run north to Bangor, on the Penob-
scot. They pass through Newcastle, Nobleborough,
Waldoborough, Union, Appleton, Searsmont, and Bel-
mont. There are two branch lines : one to Thomas-
town through Warren ; and another to Hamden,
through Camden, Lincolnshire, Northport, Belfast,
Swanville, and Frankfort.
From Wiscasset to Damascotta is rough and rocky ;
but the ride presents many interesting views, as the
landscape is continually changing, and is often varied
by the sight of Damascotta River, and several beauti-
ful little lakes or ponds.
Damascotta Bridge. Here is a considerable village,
at the distance of 16 miles from the seacoast.
Booth Bay
lies off the road from Wiscasset to Damascotta. It
has a commodious harbour, with a number of islands
in the vicinity ; and the neighbouiing high ground
affords a very fine and extensive view. The hill, on
the eastern side of the bay, was surveyed for a city
jn the early part of the last century, which was to
have borne the name of Townsend, but the building
of it was never begun. The harbour has been con-
sidered a ^ood site for a naval depot.
AntiqMities. Two or three miles off the road, be>
o78 ROUTE IN MAINE.
tvveen Linniken's Bay and Damascotta River, where
was formerly an Indian carrying-place, the remains of
cellar walls and chimneys are found, as also broken
kettles, wedges, &c. At the head of the bay are the
hulks of two or three large vesseN sunk in the water ;
and on the shore, the ruins of an old grist-mill, where
the present one stands. On the islands opposite the
town, are other ruins, the history of which is unknown,
as well as that of those already mentioned. The only
fact which seems to afford any clew to their origin,
is, that Sir John Popham made an attempt to build a
fown at the mouth of the Kennebec, in the year 1607.
Waldoborough, 10 miles.
Warren, 7 miles.
Thomastown,
Central Village, 6 miles. Here are quarries of mar-
ble and limestone, from the latter of which about
100,000 barrels of lime are made every year for ex-
portation. The marble is also wrought in consider-
able quantities. A visit to the workshops may be
interesting, as the operation of polishing is performed
by machinery movd by water. There is a cotton
manufactory on Mill River. The village is 15 miles
from the sea.
Thp State Prison stands in a commanding and plea-
sant situation. It has 50 solitary cells, built of granite,
in blocks from 4 to 6 feet in length, and 2 in thick-
ness. Each cell has an opening at the top, \yith small
holes in the walls for the admission of fresh air, which,
during the winter season, is warmed before it is ad-
mitted. The Warden's house is also built of granite,
and is two stories high, placed in the middle, with a
row of cells on each side. The prison yard is sur-
rounded by a circular wooden paling, and encloses
nearly three acres, in which is a lime nuarrv. Seve»
ral workshops on the ground serve the purposes of the
convicts, who are employed in burning lime and other
manufactures.
The Knox Estate. About half a mile from the State
Prison is the ancient residence of the late General
Knox. The mansion was three stories high, large, and
elegant, particularly for a country so little cultivated
and inhabited as this at the time of its erection. It is
now in a stale of great decay ; but some of the re-
maining decorations of the grounds may give an idea
of its original appearance. The approach to the
house is through a cypress grove ; and in tront of it
extends a handsome gr^ss-plat. General Knox was
one of Washington's principal officers, and acted a
conspicuous part in the revolutionary war and in the
government.
From Thomastown to Belfast, (30 miles,) the road
is hard, and commands many views of Penobscot Bay,
with a few islands on the right, and a partially culti-
vated country on the left, with some mountainous
scenes. Belfast is a flourishing port, pleasantly situ-
ated on the side of a hill. The road hence toCastine,
found the bay, is 35 miles, passing through Prospect,
Buckport, Orland, and Penobscot.
Castine was taken during the late war by a fleet,
and the Briti>h intrenchments are to be seen on the
hill above.
Eastport is important as the frontier post of the
United States on the seacoast towards the British
possessions. It is on the south-eastern part of Moose
Island, in Passamaquoddy Bay, and connected with
the mainland by a bridge. The spot was almost un-
inhabited 30 years ago ; but now it contains three
places of worship. There are fortifications and a few
jiroops. A line of steamboats is established between
.his place and Boston, touching at Portland, kc.
1 Lubec is situated near the entrance of the Bay, op-
losite Carapobello,
380 KOUTE IN MAINE.
Perry, the village of the Passamaquoddy Indians?
lies northward from Eastport.
On the Schoodic River the land is high, and the
scenes striking. Robbinston stands at its mouth ; and
Calais 12 miles above, at the head of navigation. The
country north and west of this place is said to be very
valuable for grazing, being undulating, with a good
soil and climate, and at present well wooded, with
conveniences for transportation by sea.
The road from Belfast to Bangor lies along the
course of the Penobscot River.
Bangor
is a very flourishing village, newly risen into impor-
tance, in consequence of having taken a good deal of
the interior trade from Belfast. It occupies a com-
manding position for this object, and is undoubtedly
destined to experience a great and rapid increase,
proportioned to the extension of settlements in the
upper country. The number of inhabitants increased
between 1820 and 1825, from 1221 to 2002. The
scenery here begins to assume much of that mountain-
ous character, which prevails so extensively through
a large part of the interior. A very conspicuous and
noble eminence is observed at a distance in the north,
called Ktardin Mountain, the elevation of which has
never, it is believed, been accurately ascertained. It
is considered the highest land in the state, and has
been compared for altitude with Mount Washington in
New-Hampshire : whether with justice or not, a scien-
tific measurement will determine.
In the year 1825 the land agents visited a tract of
country inhabited by about two thousand persons, who
had been before unknown as belonging to the state,
having never been represented in the legislature, or
included in any census. They are partly descend-
ants of refugees, and partly half-pay officers, Irish and
Scotch* The vast tract of wilderness intervening be-
I'EUIPSCOT FAIXS. 381
tween them and the lower country had prevented in-
tercourse. Their country is rich and beautiful, on the
St. John's River, near the boundary of N. Brunswick ;
and many of them desired to be received into the
jurisdiction of the State Government. The question
has already caused much excitement.
The opening of a road along the course of the Pe-
nobscot to Quebec, by the vay of St. John's, the sur-
vey of which has been authorized, for which the state
have appropriated $5000, on condition that Massa-
chusetts will do as much, cannot fail to accelerate the
settlement of this country, and to increase the value
and the products of the soil. It will also prove here-
after a very convenient route for travellers going to
and from Canada, and doubtless form a part of the
grand northern tour, which will then be complete.
Steamboats will be placed on the route from Bos-
ton to the Kennebec.
From Bangor we begin our return to Portland,
taking the route through the finest part of the state of
Maine. The road to Augusta and Hallowell on the
Kennebec, lies through a region rapidly improving
under the management of an active, industrious, and
increasing population. The value of the soil has
greatly advanced within a short time, and it is the
grand centre of emigration. There is another road
to Hallowell through Bath. Coaches travel each way
three times a week.
Augusta is a considerable town and very flourishing.
It is siluaied at the lalls of the Kennebec, where the
water on the descent of the channel is sutficient to set
in motion several hundred wheels, and will probably
be hereafter extensively employed for manufacturing
purposes.
At the mouth of this river, at Georgetown, beryls
have been found, in a ridge of granite country. Some
are 15 inches long and 6 thick. They are associated
with schorl.
Pegipscot Falls, Near Lewistown, on the Andre-
Kk
382 KOUTE IN MAIi\ii.
scoggin River, is a remarkable cataract, where tiie cur-
rent breaks through a range of mountains, and pours
over a broken ledge of rocks. The scene is wild and
striking, and derives an additional interest trom its
connexion with the history of a tribe of Indians long
since extinct.
According to a tradition current in the neighbour-
hood, the upper parts of this stream were formerly the
residence of the Rockmego Indians, who inhabited a
fine and fertile plain through which the river winds.
The situation was remote, and they had never en-
gaged in any hostilities with the whites, but devoted
themselves to hunting and /ishing. The ground still
contains many remains ot" their weapons, utensils, &c.
They were, however, at length persuaded to engage
in a hostile incursion against Brunswick, at that lime
an exposed frontier settlement ; and the whole tribe
embarked in their canoes to accomplish the enter-
prise. The stream flows gently on for a great dis-
tance, until it approaches very near to the Tails ; and
this was the spot appointed for the night encampment.
Night set in before their arrival ; and they sent two
men forward to make fires upon the banks a little
above the cataract. Foi some unknown reason the
fires were kindled below the falls ; and the Indians,
being thus deceived concerning their situation, did not
bring up their canoes to the shore in season, and were
carried over the rocks, and the tribe all destroyed toge-
ther. Their bodies, it is said, were carried by the
stream down to the village they had intended to at-
tack.
The hills near the falls afford many evidences of
having been the residence ot Indians, who were cut
off by the whites, in a sudden attack, many years
ago.
CITY OF WASHINGTO>-. 383
WASHINGTON.
Gadshifs Hotel, Pennsylvania Avenue. — NumeTous
hotels and boarding:-houses also offer handsome accom-
modations, particularly during the sessions of Con-
gress.
The seat of Government of the United States is
situated between the Potomac River and its eastern
branch, about a mile and a half above their junction.
It is divided into three distinct parts, which are built
about the Navy Yard, the Capitol Hill, and the Penn-
sylvania \venue. The Capitol is an immense build-
ing-, with two win^s, surrounded by an open piece of
ground, terraced in front, and occupying an eleva-
tion, which renders it a conspicuous object for several
miles.
The original plan of the city was very extensive :
the principal streets meeting from all points of the
compass at the Capitol, an bearing the names of the
older states of the union. Some of the minor streets
are known by the names of the letters of the alpha-
, bet ; and tracts of ground were reserved tor public
squares. As Washington, however, is chiefly de-
pendent on the government for its support, the original
scheme has been but faintly realized, and many of the
streets have not even been opened.
Durmg the ses>ions of Congress, the place is thronged
with strangers from all parts of the country ; and the
sessions of the Senate and Representatives, the pro-
I ceedin^rs of the Supreme Court, the levees at the
President's House, the parties at the foreign ministers',
j &c. afford ample oppor'unities for amusements of va-
j rious kinds. At ot'p.er seasoi s, however, there is little
to interest the stranger^except^the public buildings and
i the Navy Yard.
384 CITY OF WASHINGTON.
The Capitol
presents, in the interior, specimens of various styles of
architecture. Tlie whole front is 35'2 feet 4 i.iches
in length ; and the wings are 121 feet 6 inches deep.
The eastern projection is 65 feet ; the western 88.
The huilding- covers an acre and a half and 1830 feet.
The wings, to the top of the balustrade, are 70 feet
high, the centre dome 95.
Representatives' Room, greatest length, . 95 ft.
Representatives' Room, greatest height, . 60
Senate Chamber, greatest lensrlh, .... 74
Senate Chamber, greatest height, .... 42
Great Central Rotunda, 96 feet in diameter, and 96
high.
The North Wing was commenced in 1792,
and finished in 1800, cost $480,262
South Wing was commenced in 1803, and
finished in 1808, cost 308,808
Centre Building, commenced in 1819, and
finished in 1827, cost 957,647
^1,746,717
On the tympanum is a statue of America, 9 feet in
length, attended by Justice, and visited bv Hope.
On entering the south wing, several colunms are
seen, where carvings of Indian-corn strdks arr substi-
tuted for flutings and filletings ; while the capitals are
made of the ears of corn half stripped, and -disposed
so as in some degree to resemble the Corinthian or
Composite order.
The Representatives^ Chamber is a fine semicircular
apartment, with columns of a dark bluish siliceous
pudding stone, hard and highly polished. It is lighted
from above. The gallery is open during the debases,
as well as the Senate Chamber, which is a much smaller
apartment.
THE PRESIDENT S HOUSilo 585
The Library of Con2:ress is in another part of the
building ; and the Great Hall contains the four na-
tional f'ictures, painted for the government by Col.
Trumbull : the Declaration of Independence, the Sur-
renders at Saratoga and Yorklown, and Washington
resigning his C mmission ; e.ncr 12 teet by 18. Here
are also four relievos in marble, representing scenes
connected with the history of different parts of the U.
States: Pocahontas rescuing- Capt. Smith from death,
in 1606, [f>y Capeilano,] the Landing of the New-
England Pilgrims at Plyui. u!h, in 1620, [by Causici,]
Wm. Penn's Treaty with the Indians, near Philadel-
phia, in lfi82, [by f^evehtt,] and ■ battle between
Boon and two Indians, in 1773, [by Causici.]
There can hardly be found in the world a room
better constructed for thf exhibition of pictures than
this noble, grand Rotunda, the material of which is
white marble, and the light admitted from the summit
of the dome, which is 96 feet in height.
The population of Washington City is estimated at
19,319. There were erected 148 dwellings in 1829.
The total number of dwellings is 3050.
A fme view is enjoyed t'rom the top of the Capitol.
You look alms: the Pennsylvania Avenue westward to
the President's House, with Georgetown and the Po-
tomac beyond ; the General Post Office, &c. on the
right ; the N fvy Yard towards the south-east ; Green
leaf's Point nearly south ; and south-west the bridge
Dver the Potomac, with the road to Alexandria and
Mount Vernon. The canal begins south of the Presi-
dent's House, and terminates at the East Branch.
The Presidenfs House is a large building of white
marble, with Grecian fronts, about a mile west of the
Capitol, and near the public offices. It is surrounded
by a wall, but w'thout any other defence. The en-
trance hall leads into the drawing-room, where the
company are received at the levees. Two other
apartments are thrown open on those occasions ;
KkS
0^6 GEOKGETOW>%
all handsomely furnished, and freely accessible, even
to strangers.
The ratent Office is in the same building with the
General Post Office, and well worthy of a visit, on ac-
count of the nun)erou'=; curious mond a tract of hilly country above
and below.
This is the place to which Washington retired after
he bad accomplished the independence of his country,
and again when he had presided at the consolidation
of the government ; voluntarily resigning the stations
he had consented to accept, an ; the power he had
exercised only for the good of his country. To an
American, this place is interesting, in a degree which
no language can either heighten or describe. Who-
ever aupreciates the value of private and social vir-
tue, wiJl rejoice to find it associated with the traits of
a person ge so distinguished and influential ; the con-
sistent politician will rejoice to reflect that his princi-
ples of natural freedom were not restricted to any por-
tion of the world, or any part of the human race ; while
any one, who ran duly estimate the extent of the bless-
ings he has conferred on his country, and the influence
ofhis actions on the happiness of the world, will wish
that his history may ever be cherished, as a model of
sincere and disinterested patriotism.
Washington's Tomb will be found under the shade of a
little grove ofcedars a short distant e, south ward, from the
house, and ne^r the brow of the precipitous shore. It is
small, unadorned, and neglected. The great man, v\ ho
had rendered to his country the most important military
and civil services she ever received, left his mortal
remains to be deposited in this humble cemetery;
and that country has never yet expressed its gratitude
by erecting a monument to his memory, though to her
he devoted his life, and to her he has bequeathed a
character, on which no attempt has ever yet been
made to discover a shadow or to fix a stain. It has
been recently proposed to remove these venerated re-
mains to the Capitol at Washington.
CITY OP BALTIMORE. o89
[The Virginia Springs.
These springs are the resort of numerous travellers
every year, and present the combined attractions of
healthi'ulness, fine scenery, company, &c.
From Lynch burgh, in Virginia, the first day's ride
brings the traveller in sight of the noble Peaks of
Otter; — the next day brings him to the Natural Bridge,
and the canal through the Blue Ridge — in a few days
he can visit the Sweet Springs, the White Sulphur,
Salt Sulphur (for consumptive patients), the Hot
Springs, and the Warm Springs (the latter celebrated
for its bath, and the prospect which the Warm Spring
Rock displays). On his way to Staunton, he passes
the Blowing cave — on the first day from Staunton, he
reaches Weyer's cave, one of the most astonishing
works of subterranean Nature in the world — going up
the Valley, he will visit at Harper's Ferry the cele-
brated j unction of the Shenandoah and Potomac. The
country, through which some of this road conducts
him, is not only remarkable for the beauty of the pic-
turesque, but the fertility of its soil. The grass lands
are uncommonly beautiful.]
BALTIMORE.
Barnum's City Hotel, an elegant building near the
Washington Monument, was completed in 1827. It
ss one of the largest and most commodious public
houses in the country. It extends about 100 feet on
Market-street, and 223 feet on Hanover-street. On the
former opens the entrance to the private apartments,
for families, &c.
The Indian Queen Hotel — and others.
Baltimore is the third city, for size, in the United
States, and carries on an extensive commerce. Various
projects have been made for improving the communi"
0)90 ClTk OF BALTIMORE.
cation with the interior, which is now limited. The
course of the Susquehannah has been surveyed, with
the intention of making it more useful in the trans-
portation of merchandise. The current is now so
swift and broken in many places, as to render the pas-
sage often difficult and hazardous ; and it is hoped that
great improvements may hereafter be effected by locks
and canals, (f this were once performed, and a rail-
road made f'om the river to Baltimore, the city would
doubtless derive great advantage from the internal
trade.
The harbour of Baltimore, in the Patapsco River,
has a narrow entrance, and is well protected by high
ground. On the side opposite the city is an abrupt
elevation of considerable size, where is a fort, and
whence a coninjanding^ view is enjoyed. Baltimore is
the greatest flour-market in the U. States.
Fefrs Point is a part of the city, about a mile below,
Avhere most of the stores and shipping are found.
Many of the streets of Baltimore are broad, cross at
right angles, and are ornamented w4th fine buildings
both public and private.
The Exchange is a very spacious brick building,
erected within a few years. The Commercial Reading
Rooms are the resort of merchants. The Athenaeum
is a spacious structure.
The Washington ALmument. This is a large column
of marble, placed in a commanding position, in
Howard's Park, ^t the head oi Charhs-street, rising to
the hf^ight of 163 feet. It is 14 feet in diameter at
the top and 20 below, with a b ise 23 feet in height,
and 50 square. It is one of the finest o»onuments in
the United States, and the only one worthy the me-
mory of the trreat man to whom it is erected. The
statue of Washington was raised and placed upon the
top in November 1829. It is 15 feet high ; so thai the
iieight of the top of the statue from the ground is 176
feet ; and from the tide level 276. The situation is
V'jry advantageous: being at the intersection of four
BATTLE OF BALTIMORE. o91
siieets, and so elevated as to be conspicuous from every
direction. The area around it, tbr a circumference oi
350 feet, is to be railed in with iron, and planted with
shrubbery. The states are to be represented by de-
vices around the base ; and inscriptions are to be
added to record the deeds of the Fa i her of our
country.
The Battle Monument was recently erected in nne-
mory of those who feb in the defence of the city in
September, 1814.
At the corner of Front and Pitt streets is a shot
tower, 234 feet in height, which is a conspicuous
object from a distance.
The Public Fountain is a fine spring; of water in the
western part of the city, surrounded by a public
square, laid out in walks and shaded with trees. It
is ornamented with a neat little building of hewn
?tone, and furnished with handsome st^ps. To pre-
5erve order at this place in warm weather, when it is
jsually much resorted to, it is the custom to take the
'ight in descending and retiring.
The environs of Baltimore afford some pleasant
,'ides ; and the communication with different places is
;asy, by various modes of conv< yance. The most
igreeable way of travelling to Philadelphia is by the
teamboat lines, which go and arrive daily, with but
I short distance of land carriage. Steamboats also go
Norfolk, in Virginia, but the passage is uninteresting ;
nd those who wish to see Washington (38 miles dis-
ant) will go by land.
The Mount Hope Institution is a school for youth,
eautifully situated in the environs. St. Mary^s Col-
tge is a Catholic institution.
1 Battle of Baltimore. — This battle took place at
iOng Point in September, 1814. Nearly 40 sail of
I British vessels, comprising several ships of the line,
rrived at the mouth of the Patapsco, and on the 12th
inded between 7000 and 8000 men on Long Point, at
I le distance of 14 miles from the city. Sixteen bomb
392 CITY OP BALTIMORE.
vessels in the mean time went up the river, and an^
chored about 2^ miles from Fort M'Henry. Gen.
Smith had sent Gen. Strieker with a part of his bri-
gade, on tiie road to North Point; and Maj. Raudal,
with some Baltimore and Pennsylvania volunteers,
went to Bear Creek, to co-operate with him. Gen.
Strieker took position at the two roads leading to
North Point, his ri^ht on Bear Creek and his left on a
marsh. An advanee met the enemy, and after a skir-
mish returned, when they advanced and joined in a
general battle. After an hour and twenty minutes, the
51st regt. gave way, and Gen. Strieker retired to his
reserve, whither the enemy did not tollow, and then
to the left of Gen. Smith, and took post half a mile in
advanee of his intrenehments. He lost about 150
killed and wounded, in this action, in which the citi-
zens of Baltimore distinguished themselves. The
British loss was computed at 600 or 700 ; and among
them their commander. Gen. Ross.
The bomb vessels which attacked Fort M'Henry
were unsuccessful, being met with a manly resistance ;
and the troops re-embarked and relinquished the enter-
prise.
Fort Erie is dismantled and partly blown up, in the
state in which it was left by our troops in 1814.
The Baltimore ajvd Ohio Railroad.
One of the principal objects that will attract the
attention of the traveller who spends a little time in
Baltimore, is the great railroad, commenced under
such flattering prospects, to connect the city with the
Ohio river. Cars with sails sometimes go at the rate
of 25 miles an hour, and can move within tour points of
the wind. About twelve miles of it were completed
in 1829; and various cars are in operation upon it,
some moved by steam, and some by wind. The route,
from Baltimore to the Potomac, 60 miles, will have
hut a single summit, requiring stationary power ; and
UALTIMORE AND ©IHO RAILKOAD. 393
even the route up the Potomac valley, to the coal
mines in Alleghany county, without another — in all, a
distance of 180 miles— a thing unprecedented in Eu-
rope. The work will be executed to Ellicott's mills
early in 1830. The stranger will find a passage of a
few miles very novel and interesting.
The CarroUton Viaduct, which crosses Gwynn's
Falls, about a mile from the city, is a fine specimen of
mason work, and is said to be unequalled in the
United States, for strength, size, and beauty. It is
312 feet long, 63 feet 9 inches high, and 26 feet 6
inches wide on the travelled part. The great granite
arch of 80 feet span, springs trom abutments 20 feet
in thickness, and 14 feet above the water. The key
of the arch is 47 teet above the water. The arch
stones are all of dressed granite ; the number of layers
of stone is 87, many of the stones weighing two tons;^
and the parapets are coped with large slabs of
granite.
The Jackson Bridge is a single arch, 109 feet long,
of entirely novel structure, the invention of Col. Long,
of the Company's board of engineers.
The Deep Cut through a high and broad ridge of
lland, is about three-fourths of a mile in length, its
i^reatest depth 70 feet, and its width, at the summit of
I the ridge, 184 feet. Quantities of carbonized wood
(Were found 60 feet beKw the natural surface, and the
stump of a tree with its roots at 40 feet. The entire
-^excavation is 263,848 cubic yards.
< The Great Embankment at Gadshyh Run five miles
jrom Baltimore, is nt^arly a mile in length, its greatest
■I elevation 56 feet, and its greatest width 191 feet. At
Ihe top the usual width of 26 feet is preserved for a
llouble set of rails.
\ Gadshyh Run Viaduct affords a passage to the
' vaters ot the run through the embankment. The arch,
composed of dressed granite blocks, is of the extra-
)rdinary width of 120 feet from opening to opening.
I The Patterson Viaduct is an immense structure of
Li
394 €ITY OJ BALTIMulii.
granite, by which the road is carried to the oppojjite
bank of the Petapsco. It is built of granite blocks,
from one to seven tons in weight, and its entire length
is 375 feet. It has four beautiful arches, the two centre
ones each a span of 55 feet, with extensive wings and
water- walls, abutments, &c. The height from the
water to the crown of the arches is 30 feet. The
corner stone ol this structure was laid on the 6th of
May last, atjd on the 4th of December it was crossed
on horseback by Wm. Patterson, Esq. for whom the
honour had been reserved, and whose name it bears.
It embraces nearly 10,000 perches of masonry.
Besides these are the embankment at Stillhouse Run,
two granite viaducts, the rock side cutting at Buzzard's
Rock, «fec. &c.
This is truly a great work ; worthy of the age, and
highly creditable to the enterprise and public sj.irit of
the company ; and from which the citizens of Haiti-
more may very reasonably expect extensive and du-
rable advantages.
In passing from the valley of Gvvynn's falls to the
Fatapsco, the excavations and embankments have
unavoidably been very great ; the deepest cut is 79
feet, and the highest embankment is 57 teet : the
quantity of excavation between the city of Baltimore
and the valley of the Patapsco, in a distance of seven
miles, is 655,568 cubic yards. The embankments
along the same distance are 628,629 cubic yards,
making together 1,284,187 cubic yards. The masonry
on the section within tl ■' city, and on the first and
second divisions of the road, is upwards of 56,000
perches of stone work, and is executed in a very
superior style of workmanship.
Along the valley of the Patapsco it has, in many
places, been found necessary to conduct the road
through extensive beds of hard granite or limestone,
and at the Buzzard Rock the road has been carried
through a solid mass of rock rising- 58 feet above its
^•'-irface. .
liALTDIORE AKD YOliK HAVEX RAILROAD. 396
There were four routes originally proposed from
I Baltimore to the valley of the Potomac. The aggre-
' ^-ate height of the adopted one is only 885 feet— mudi
smaller than the others. The road to the valley of
the Potomac, it is expected, will be completed by the
' end of 1830. It will meet it at the Point of Rocks,
A portion of 50 miles may after that {!>eriod be com-
pleted every year. The increase of business in Balti-
j more will therefore be rapid, and a large addition will
I be made every year to the attractions of travellers in
that direction.
The latest improvements bive been obtained from
England, in relation to the ntode, materia-s, &c., for
constructing railroads, by Mr. Jonathan Knight, Civil
Engineer, and Captain Wm. Gibbs M'Neili of the U.
' S. Topographical Engineers, with Lieut. George W.
! Whistler of the United States' army, who were sent
thither in November, 1'288, and minutely examined
every railroad of note or consequence in the United
Kingdom.
In the first part, the inclination of the road will be
at the rate of 15,086 feet per mile, or 9.8 minutes of a
degree, ascending from Baltimore towards Cumberland.
i Between Cumberland and the Ohio river, the probable
j transportation to that stream is estimated at one-half
j that of the transportation from it eastward; and the
i general inclination of the road at 8 feet and 12 hun-
t dredths per mile, or 5.29 minutes of a degree^ ascend-
i ing towards the Ohio.
A Railroad from Baltimore to York Haven, on the
Susquehannah, has been commenced by the Legislature
of Maryland. The distance is 60 miles ; and the esti
j mate for the railway is $7,500 per mile. The addi-
I tional expenses for making the bed, the sinuosities, &c.
j would be considerable : but it is believed that
i ^800,000 would be sufficient for the whole work.
The greatest elevation between Baltimore and
! Conewago is 35 miles from the former ; and being be-
iwpen 900 and 1000 ^f^f^i above tide water, erives an
•396 WILMINGTON.
average rise of about 27 feet to a mile ; and tlie de=
scent ihence to Conewago corresponds. It has been
proposed to place 12 locomotive steam engines along
this route 5 miles apart.
The Susquehannah, above York Haven, has a fall
of about 10 feet in a mile, and the banks are very favour-
able to a railway. The Philadelphia and Susquehan-
nah Railroad will soon be connected with this. A
railway to the Susquehannah which could transport to
Baltimore for three cents a ton per mile, it is said,
would take all the business of the river.
It was supposed that nearly 5i millions worth of
property went down this river in 1826, in spite of the
difficulties and dangers of the navigation. It is not
to be wondered at that the inhabitants of Philadelphia
and Baltimore should feel great solicitude to secure
the trade. The sloop canal connecting this river with
the Delaware is intended for rhe benefit of the former,
as is the Union canal at Middletown, leading from the
mouth of the Pennsylvania canal to the Schuylkill
river. The Susquehannah has been greatly improved
by various works in different parts of its course, (which
are nearly completed,) and will permit the passage
of boats of fifty or sixty tons to Columbia. The state
of Delaware has rendered the navigation below
Columbia comparatively convenient, so that wheat has
been for six or seven years, on an average, within 12^
or 15 cents a bushel of the price in Baltimore. Foi"^
merly it was 50 cents. In 1827, ^100,000 was sup-
posed sufficient to make a safe navigation from the
Swatara to Port Deposit. In 1828, however, the Le-
gislature of Pennsylvania forbade further improvements
in that state. In 1827, 200,000 bushels of wheat went
to Baltimore by this route.
The bridge over the Gunpowder Creek, on the
road, is remarkable as a fine structure, as the steep
and elevated banks of that dark stream are for their
wild and romantic appearance. The span of the arch
is 125 feet.
Wilmins^ton, Del. The Water Works are supplied
KOUTE T<) OHIO. ci97
troiii the Brandywine, by a steam engine and double
forcing pump, on the principle of that at Fairmount,
Philadelphia. The water-wheel is an overshot, 14
feet 6 inches in diameter ; and the water that turns it
is pumped up. The ascent from the river to the upper
basin is 99 feet ; and both the basins together, hold a
million of gallons.
On the Brandywine river, within four miles, there
are no less than 42 water-wheels employed in the
manufacture of gunpowder, cotton and woollen goods,
flour, paper, in saw-mills, and in the preparation of
barley, and other matters, and with ample 'oom and
water power, it is said, remaining, for at least fifty
more. The Messrs. Duponts employ eighteen wheels,
and manufacture 3000 pounds of gunpowder daily.
The Brandywine Chalybeate Spring (Stanley's
Hotel) is five miles west of the village, on elevated
ground, and offers some attractions.
The old Swedish church, built in 1698, by the early
inhabitants of this place, is still to be seen, surrounded
by larije sycamores. It stands near the Christiana
Creek, nearly opposite the site of the fir-t place of
worship erected here by the Swedes. That spot is
now marked only by a few tomb-stones. This town
was settled by the companions of William Useling,
in 1631.
OHIO.
Although so far removed from the territory hereto-
fore regarded as within the limits of the Northern
Traveller, this new and flourishing state has recently
taken so high a rank in importance, enterprise, and
j numbers, that it will !»e visited by travellers of intelli-
gence, disposed to witness the aspect of a country
j which has been the theatre of a most rapid improve-
I ment, and has already risen to the rank of the fourth
state in the Union, in point of population. To such, a
few brief remarks will not be entirely superfluous.
>9B KOUTE TO OHIO.
The following may be recommended as a general
tour.
First proceed to Wheeling ; down the Ohio river to
Cincinnati ; across the country to Sandusky Bay by
the western route in good stage coaches ; thence by
steamboat to Detroit, and, if desired, onward to the
western lakes. Returning, by steam, land at Cleave-
land, and make an excursion on the canal (which,
although about 350 miles long, is not very interesting).
Then take steamboat to Buflfalo, whence the traveller
may take what route he prefers.
The mail, in summer, goes from New- York to Ohio
h^ Philadelphia, in ten days, and by Buffalo and Lake
Erie in five and a half.
Only a few of the principal places on the tour will
be noticed. In 1828, a steamboat of 110 tons went up
the river to Oil Creek, within a few miles of Warren.
Pittsburgh. — The Pennsylvania canal, when com-
pleted, will connect this town with Philadelphia, by a
navigable communication. The works connecting the
present canal with the river, the aqueduct across the
river, &c., will be worthy of particular attention.
This is more like a manufacturing town in England,
than any other in the United States. It would surpass
our limits to enumerate all the manufactories here.
We can only remark that the greatest iron works in
the western country are the Juniata Works in Pitts-
burgh. They give employment to 55 persons, and
make 26,000 weight of nails in a day, consuming 425
bushels of coal.
In 1829, there were consumed in the different Foun-
dries, Rolling Mills, and Steam Engine Factories, in
and about Pittsburgh, six thousand ions of blooms, and
five thousand tons of pig metal. These articles are
brought principally down the Monongahela and Alle-
ghany rivers.
Th«re are nine Foundries, which use about 3,500
tons of pig metal, and employ about 225 hands.
The Rollins- Mills are eight in number, and are noTt
tjiiefly employed in rolling Juniata blooms, of which
they use about 6000 tons. They also consume about
1,500 tons of pig metal, and employ about 320 hands.
There are nine Nail Factories, which manufacture
daily about 18 tons of nails, and employ about 150
hands.
There are also seven Steam Engine Factories, in
which are employed about 210 hands. As yet but
three steam engines have been sent east of the moun-
tains, four or five to the northern lakes, and one to
Mexico. Within two or three years past, the casting
of sugar kettles, sugar mills, and small steam engines
to drive them, for the planters of Louisiana, has be-
come a very important branch of manufacturing busi-
ness, and is increasing.
In addition to the metal and blooms above mentioned,
a large quantity of bar iron is brought to Pittsburgh
from Juniata.
The water was broug^ht across the aqueduct in
Nov. 1829 ; and the preparations were almost com-
pleted to connect the Canal with the river and steam-
boat navigation.
There is a turnpike to Erie, distance 125 miles, with
a daily line of stage coaches.
Zanesville will probably become great as a manu-
facturing town ; being situated in a region well sup-
plied with iron and coal mines, and streams of water.
The appearance of the country along the Ohio at
Wheeling is remarkably beautiful ; and the country
has thence derived the name of Belmont. The land
is undulating, and rises gradually for a distance back,
affording many fine retrospects to a traveller in that
direction, over a well cultivated region. Considerable
quantities of tobacco are now raised here, which will
be increased when the means of transportation are
improved by the railroad. It is said that four dollars
per cwt. will pay the cultivator.
The falls of the Ohio were expected to be passable
"fy the canal making on the Kentucky side, in 1830,
400 ROUTE TO OHIO.
The works are extensive and interesting; and t;
facilities they must afford, highly important.
Ohio Canal. — Accordinp^ to the report of the Com-
missioners of this canal, made in January 1830, the
northern division of the Ohio canal, extending from
Lake Erie to the Licking summit, 190 miles, was
nearly co npleted, and the whole line from Cleave-
land to Newark, 180 uiiles, was expected to be opened
for navigation early in the spring. The sum paid for
constructing hat p.irt of the canal up to the first of
Dec. last, was Jjl,916,:>24. The esiimate-l sum re-
quired to comp'efe it was 21,201 dolls , exclusive of
the naviiiable feeders. Cost (tf the Tuscarawas and
Walhonding navigab'e feerjcis wa^. 48,7'21 .iollars. —
Making thp whole co^t of that division of the c 'Ual^
including feeders and reservoirs, 1,986,271 dollars.
Estimated cost of the Muskingum Side (^ut,or Branch
Cut, 35,400 dollars.
The whole line of canal between the Licking sum-
mit and the Ohio river, 119 miles, an the Columbus
feeder, 11 miles, was under contract to be completed,
at different periods, before the first of June, 1831.
On a part of it considerable work had been done.
The amount of work done on that division was
415,769 dollars. The total cost of that division was
estimated at 1,501,213 dollars. Aggregate amount of
money paid for constructing the Ohio canal, up to
Dec. 1, 1829, 2,336,367 dollars— and the estimated
sum required to complete it was 1,248,000 dollars —
making the total cost of the Ohio canal, 3,584,367 dol-
lars, exclusive of the expenses of engineering and
superintending the construction.
[The Legislature of Kentucky have incorporated a
company for the purpose of constructing a railroad
from Lexington to some point (not designated) on the
Ohi'*; the amount of stock, 1,000,000, with the privi-
lege of increasing it, at the pleasure of the stockbold-;
ers, to 2,000,000. The price of transportation is to be
regulated by the Legislature. The worjs. is to be com-
STATISTICS OF 01110. 4Ul
inenced within three, and completed within ten years
thereafter.]
[There are now enumerated three hundred and
twenty-three steamboats upon the Mississippi and
Ohio rivers, whose aggregate burden is estimated at
56,000 tons — the largest boat measuring 500, and the
most common size being 250 tons. A boat now reaches
Cincinnati, ordinarily, in from ten to twelve days from
the mouth of the Mississippi, while eight or nine days
suffice to run from Louisville to Pittsburgh and back.]
In 1827 the Portage summit was opened to naviga-
tion as far as Cleaveland. This summit is the highest
point on the canal, being nearly 400 feet above it. The
elevation is surmounted by 42 locks. It is 38 miles
from the lake.
The whole Miami canal was opened early in the
year 1828, with flattering prospects of success and
public advantage. It extends 67 miles from Cincin-
nati to near Dayton.
Cincinnati. — This place is remarkable for the ra-
pidity of its growth. In 1800 it contained a little above
2000; in 1810,4000; in 1826 aljove 16,000 ; and in
1829 above 25,000. There are 16 places of public
worship; a Commercial Hospital, Lunatic Asylum,
Medical College, and the Western Museum. There
are nine printing offices, which publish nine newspapers.
Here is published the " Western Quarterly Review."
Heretofore the business has been done principally with
New-Orleans: but the length and difficulties of the
voyage, and the exposure to disease operate as great
objections to it.
Statistics of Ohio for 1829.— \cres of land, 15,878,171,
valued at $41,193,000, including buildings. Value
of town lots, including buildings, $8,230,985. Horses,
178,319, valued at $7,012,760. Cattlf^, 719,596, va-
lued at $5,756,768. Merchants' capital, valued at
$3,940,156. State tax, $193,609. County tax, $173,-
993. Road tax, $71,950. Township tax, $52,096.
School tax, $47,899.
'IOC' cits: or rniLADKt j-nr
THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA.
Hotels. — UniteJ States Hotel, in Chesnut-street, op-'
posite the United States Bank. National Hotel, op-
posite the post office. Mansion House, in South 3d
street, between Walnut and Spruce. Judd's, 2d, be-
tween Market and Chesnut.
Boarding Houses. — Mrs. Frazier's, in Spruce-street ;
Mrs. Swords, Walnut ; Mrs. Allen, 6th, near the State
House.
Philadelphia is the -econd city; for size, in the
United States ; and is remarkable lor the regularity of
its streets, which, almost without exception, run at
right angles, and are of an equ 1 and convenient
breadth. Some of the public bui dings .'^re worthy of
particular notice, as among t e finest and most correct
specimens of architecture in ihe country.
It will hr convenient to the stranger to recollect
that the streets running north and south are named
First, Second, Third, kc, l)eginning or» both sides of
the city, on the banks of the Delaware and Schuylkill,
until they meet at the square near the centre. The
streets which run cast and west, are generally named
after trees ; the lanes and alleys, after shrubs, &c.
The JVJarket. — This consists of a succession of build-
ings in the middle of Market-street, extending from
the fish market on the river's bank to Eighth-street,
affording room for a convenient display of the nume-
rous articles daily brought in for the supply of the
city.
rest Office, Chesnut-street, between Third and
Fourth.
77te Bank of the United States, in Chesnut-street,
between Fourth and Fifth. This is the finest specimen
of pure Grecian taste in the United States. It is built
of white marble in the form of a temple, with two
fronts, each ornamented with eight fine Doric column?.
oi the ancient proportions without bases. Besides the
banking room, which is large, occupying ihe centre,
and hghted through a glass dome, there are many-
other apartments, particularly tho^e devoted to the
printing ot^ the notes, and that below, which contains
the furnace for warming it with Lehigh coal in the
winter.
Gerard's Bank, in Third, facing Dock-street. This
building is also of marble, and presents a beautiful
row of six Corinthian columns.
The Bank of Pennsylvania, opposite, has two fronts,
on Second and Dock-streets, each with six Ionic co-
lumns. This is another chaste and beautiful building
of white marble.
The State House, in Chesnut-street, between Fifth
and Sixth-streets, is a large brick building, with court
rooms, &c. at either end. In the front room, east of
the main entrance, the old Continental Congress held
their sessions ; and there the Declaration of Independ-
ence was signed, July 4th, 1776.
The Athenceum is adjoining, open all day to stran-
gers.
The Philosophical Society'^s Library and Cabinet.
Independence Square is a fine shaded piece of ground,
behind the State House. Opposite in Walnut-street,
is the State Prison, built of dark stone, and con-
nected with a yard enclosed by high walls.
City Library, Fifth street, open to the public from
2, P. M. See Franklin's apparatus, and Cromwell's
clock.
The University contains a medical department, and
the Wistar Museum, with a library, garden, &c. This
Institution is considered the most richly endowed
i among all those in United States. It has recently un-
dergone a new organization. A new medical build-
1 ing has been added, and the professors are numerous
as well as respectable. The annual income is $15,000.
Here is a High School, subservient to the Franklin
1 Institute. The sreneral svstem of public imtriic^>'^
404 CiXY OF PHILADELPHIA.
is extensive and of marked benefit. Infant Schoois
are numerous, and the system has been ingrafted on
some of the numerous Sunday Schools.
The Arcade, in Chesnut-street, is a fine building of
stone, with two arched passages leading to Lafayette-
street. It is occupied for shops, and has galleries in
the upper story. The Philadelphia Museum of Mr,
Peale is in the northern part. It contains a large col-
lection of curiosities of various descriptions. The
birds are very numerous, but not well preserved. The
huge skeleton of a mammoth will attract particular
attention, bein^ represented entire ; for the parts
which were deficient on one side, have been supplied
by imitations of those on the other.
Mr. Sully's Exhibition of Paintings is opposite the
State House, and contains fine pictures.
Washington Square is on the other side of Sixth-street,
with a handsome church on the southern side, with a
range of wooden columns.
The Pennsylvania Hospital is a large and admirable
institution, in the next street, where great numbers of
sick are attended. Twenty-five cents wtll secure ad-
mission to the building and gardens, and also to the
top.
Wesfs Celebrated Picture of Christ Healing the Sick,
is exhibited in a neat little building on the opposite
side of the street. It represents the Saviour surrounded
by a crowd of persons in the temple, among whom
are observed many afflicted with various diseases,
pressing forward to be healed. In front is a paralytic
woman borne by two men, whose healthy countenances
form a striking contrast with her cadaverous aspect j
and the painter has given a reddish tint to her (eet^
which seem already to have felt the miraculous influ-
ence. A blind man appears behind, led by his sons ;
and on the left-hand is an infant supported by its mo-
ther, with a poor blind girl and other figures. Near
the centre is a lunatic boy, rather too shocking a sub-
icct for euch a picture ; and a number of Jewi=h Rab
(,il\ Ol- I'MiLAi*!; Li'iilA . 405
bis are collected, with countenances expressive of vio-
lent passions.
The apartment is admirably calculated for the dis-
play of the picture, which is universally considered
one of the finest and most interesting- in the United
States.
The Theatre, in Chesnut-street, between Sixth and
vSeventh-streets, has a marble front, with the entrnnce
under a portico, ornamented with statues of Comedy
and Tras^edy.
The Masonic Hall is a little beyond, and somewhat
in the Gothic style, with a small court yard in front.
The Academy of Arts, Chesnut-street, between
Tenth and Eievenlh, contains a collection of statues,
(among these are Canova's I'hree Graces,) busts, &c. in
marble and piaster, rans^ed in an apartment lighted
from the top ; and beyond a galleiy of pictures with
many specimens of the works of American artists,
particularly of Alston, among which is conspicuous
that of the dead body restored to life by the boiies of
the prophet Elisha.
The Jejferson Medical College is in Tenth-street, be-
tween Chesnut and Walnut.
In Arch-street is a Theatre.
The Orphans'" and the Widows'" Asylums* Me in the
western part of the city.
Academy of Natural Sciences. Pemi's house, Letiiis,
court. United States^ Mint.^ &c. &c.
Swaim^s Bath is in Seventh-street.
;!!e report of tlie Dirpctor of the Mint, in 1827, states tliat Ibe
fuinaee eftVcled wilhiii that year amounted to $3,024,342 :;2, consisting
of 9,097,845 pieces of coin, viz.
Of Gold, 27,713 nieces ; making $131,565 00
Silver, 6,712,400 ' do. 2,869,^00 00
Coi'per, 2,357,732 do. _ 93,577 32
9,097,845 $3,024,342 32
Tlie coinace eftsctfKl at the Mint durin? 1823, amonnLs t« .52,.?06,87.5,
comprising $295,717 in gold coins, ,$1,994,573 in silver, and $16,580 in
jcopfwr. The number of pieces of :ill kinds is stated to be $7,674,501.
or flip sold liiiijion deposited wt tho Mint within the last vear. vho,
yi m
406 CIT!^ or PHILADELPHIA
There are two Medical Institutions in tliis city, where
lectures are delivered to great numbers of students.
The Deaf and Dumb Asylum is a valuable institu-
tion ; as is the Friend^ Alms House in Walnut-streety
between Third and Fourth, where poor families are
j^Iaced in separate houses, among small gardens, and
furnished with employment.
Mr. Bedell's (episcopal) church in Eighth-street, and
Mr. Montgomery's, in Tenth, are considered the finest
in the city. The latter is in a kind of Gothic style^
Near the Schuylkill is a manufactory of Porcelain.
The banks of the Schuylkill* are well formed for the
display of the large public edifices which will be per-
ceived ranged along their eminences tor two or three
miles, to tlie honour of Philadelphia and the ornament
of its environs.
A canal was projected some years ago between the
two rivers, and was be2:un, near Fairmount. The pro-
ject has recently been started again ; and it hds been
proposed to make a canal 40 feet wide, 5 feet deep,
and a mile and a half in length. The expense is esti-
mated at 198,000 dollars.
Mr. Pratfs Garden is about 3 miles north-west from
the centre of the city, and worthy of a visit. It is a
private garden, but tickets of admission may be easily
obtained through respectable inhabitants. The situa-
tion is agreeable and commanding, on a little cape or
proportion received from Mexico, South America, and tlie West Indies,
may be stated at 76,000 dollars; that of North Carolina at 21,000 dol-
lars; and that from Africa 15,000 dollars; leaving about 20,000 derived
from souices not ascertained. Tiie wliole amount received from North
Carolina, to the present period, is nearly 110,000. This gold has gene-
rally been found to exceed in fineness the standard of our gold coins.
The whole coinage executed since tlie establishment of the Mint
amounts to 30,465,444 dollars, 14A cents, consisting of 103,081,178 pieces
of coin, viz.
Of Gold, 1,538,101 pieces ; making $8,255,667 50
■ ilver, 47,389,086 do. 21,695,809 90
vopper, 54,151,931 do. 513,876 74^
103,081,178 30,465,444 14^
* The length of the permanent bridge from abutment to abutmeiif i
"^4 f-ret six inrhe?— f hat of th^ iip^ter t'eirv 3r53 fee! 4 inche?
PENITENTIARY. 407
promontory on the Schuylkill ; and from ihe gravelled
walks the visiter enjoys a view down the river, of the
basin, the dam, the water works, below which are the
State Prison, House of Refuge, Hospital, the two
bridges, and on the opposite side a handsome seat
€alled " Woodlands." These grounds were purchased,
in 1828, for the site of a Poor House, on the plan ex-
Pensively adopted in New-England.
The Schuylkill Water Works. Pipes more than 32^
miles ; expense of raising, $4f per day. There is a
]arge stone building of chaste architecture, containing 5
large water wheels, which are capable of raising 7
millions of gallons in 24 hours. They are turned by
a current from the dam above. The reservoirs are on
the hill above, which is higher than any part of the
city, which it supplies. Th^^y contain together 11 mil-
lions of gallons. The steam engine is no longer used.
The keeper demands nothing tor showing the works.
The House of Refuge was established in 1828.
Penitentiary. This is a large and singular construc-
tion, and built on a plan different from that which is
at present most in vogue in this country. Tlie prison-
ers are to be all kept in solitary confinement.
The front of the prison is large and imposing;, like
the gate of a fortress. The wall is 40 feet high, built
of granite, and encloses a square 650 feet on each side.
The rooms of the guard, keepers, and servants, as well
as the cooking and washing rooms, are in the front
building; while the cells are formed in seven (ong
stone galleries, radiating from an octagon in the centre.
The entrances to the cells are through little yards from
the outside, and each has a wicket door in the gallery.
A sentinel in the octagon, by turning on his heel, can
look through all the galleries ; and the arched roofs re-
verberate every sound, so that he can hear a very
slight noise.
This prison is built on a principle believed by many
to be erroneous. Solitary confinement is a veiy un-
equal kind of punishment t^ different individuals, iad
40iJ CITY OJ-' PMILADELniiA.
very expensive to the public. This is an extensive
experiment on an old and exploded system.
The Naval Hospital is situated about 2 miles south-
west from the centre of the city. The expense is de-
frayed by funds contributed by the officers and seauen
of the U. S. Navy, out of their pay. The building' is
on an eminence, commands an extensive view, and
makes a fine appearance from a distance. The front
is sac feet in length, 3 stories high, and will be large
enough to lo'ijre 300 or 400 persons. The first story
is of granite, and the 2d and 3d of marble, both which
kinds of stone are found in abundance in the vicinity
of Philadelphia. Several edifices are to be erected at
other naval stations for the same objects, and supported
by the same tund.
. The Arsenal is situated just below the Hospital.
The Navy Yard (on the banks of the Delaware).
Here, as in most of the principal navy yards in the U.
States, ships of war are built under the shelter of im-
mense buildings, which protect the workmen and the
timber from exposure to the weather. Of the two build-
ings here, the larger one contains the line-of-battle
ship Pennsylvania, said to be intended for the largest
in the v/orld. She is to carry 140 or 150 guns, and is
building under the direction of Mr. Humphreys. The
smaller house is for frigates. The "Franklin" and
" North Carolina, "ihips of the line, and the frigates U.
States and Guerriere were built at this place. In 1829
the frigate Rariton and sloop ot" war Vandalia were
on the stocks.
The north side (»f the navy yard is devoted to bricR
buildings for the residence of officers, ship timber, &C.
while at the south end are the workshops. The Ma-
rine Barracks are on the western side ; and the area
of the yard, which is wailed with brick, is about 12
acres.
The interests of the city, as well as the coasting
trade, will be benefited by the construction of the great
« HESAPEAKE AND DELAWARE ©ANAL, 4Q9
Breakwater at the mouth of Delaware Bay, for which
Congress appropriated 250,000 dollars. It is an ex-
pensive work ; but by affording a protection to vessels
on the coast in dangerous weather, will speedily effect
a saving equal to the expense.
The extensive meadows south of Philadelphia pre-
sent a beautiful scene of fertility and cultivation. A
ride in that direction at morning or evening is recom-
mended.
THE CHESAPEAKE AND DELAWARE
CANAL.
The steamboat Newcastle plies between Philadel-
phia and the head of the Canal at Delaware city, five
miles below Newcastle. A large hotel is erecting
there. There are steamboats plying between Phila-
delphia and several other places. On the Chesapeake
the George Washington runs between the canal and
Baltimore. There is a line of packets.
This is the most gigantic work of the kind ever
effected in the United States, in regard to the dimen-
sions of its parts, and the size of the vessels to which
it is intended to give a passage. The object of its
construction was to divert a large portion of the trade
of the Susquehannah river into Delaware Bay, chiefly
for the benefit of Philadelphia. It was partially
opened to navigation in April, 1828 ; and the Citizens'
Line of packet boats having been established upon it,
many traveller* will be anxious to avail themselves of
an early opportunity to inspect a construction on every
account so well worthy of attention. These boats are
90 feet in length, and very elegant and commodious.
Two of the finest barges are the Baltimore and the
Philadelphia.
It is intended for sloops of the largest class, and
schooners : the locks being 100 by 22 feet, and the
canal 60 feet wide at the water line. It was originally
Mm2
nU CUESAPJiAKE AAJJ DELAVVAlii: CAAAL,
intended lo secure a depth of only 8 feet : but it lids
since been increased to 10 feet. Tlie steamboats Car-
roll and William Penn are very tine and splendid.
The latter is 408 tons, 150 feet long, and draws only 4h
feet of water ; of the most approved model for speed,
with two engines of nearly eighty horse power, con-
structed upon the most improved and safe principles.
Her cabins are so arranged as to form at pleasure one
entire apartment the whole length of the vessel, all of
which is highly finished, and decorated with simpli-
city, but great taste ; between two and three hundred
might dine with great comfort in this apartment ; seven
or eight hundred perhaps might be accommodated on
her main deck.
The principal objects upon the line which will in-
terest a stranger ;ire, the harbour on the Delaware, the
adjoining embankment on 8t. George's Marsh, the
Deep Cut, and the Summit Bridge. Three towns have
been laid out on the route : Delaware, Chesapeake, and
Bohemia.
The Harbour on the Delaware is at Delaware City.
It is formed by two piers running into the water; one
five hundred feet long, and the other six hundred, with
a return pier of one hundred feet. Boats enter the in
lock a little distance from this.
Swivel Bridge. The first of three swivel bridge^
is passed thre*^ quarters of a mile from the Dela-
ware.
St. George's Marsh. This is a low, fiat tract of land,
over which the tide ebbed and flowed until a great
embankment was raised which serves as a towing
path, and excludes the water. The soil was so soft
and light, that earth was brought from a distance to
form the bank ; which gradually sunk so far that it is
supposed to have displaced, in some parts, a quantity-
equal to a column of forty feet. At St. George's is
another lock, of the usual dimensions, and a swivel
bridge. At the end of ihree miles the Cranberry
Marshes are aho passed : and three railes further i*?
THE PEAAalLVAMA OAAAL. 411
The old Mill Pond, which serves as a part of the
canal.
The Deep Cut is a section five miles long, w^here the
height of the bank varies from 8 to 70 feet. Over the
middle of it is extended the Summit bridge, a most
imposing construction, reaching from hill to hill, with a
single arch of 235 feet span, at the deepest part of this
immense trench, and bearing its key at the elevation
of 90 feet above the bottom of the canal. Schooners
and the largest sloops may pass beneath with their
masts standing ; and the view embraced by the eye
from above or below is grand, impressive, and almost
terrific.
The Western Lift Lock is a few miles further west ;
and beyond this a Basin, 400 by 100 feet.
The Dehouche Lock opens at the end of the Basin
into Back Creek, at Chesapeake Village, 4 miles from
Chesapeake Bay.
The principal reservoir on the line is a pond of 100
acres, ten feet in depth.
[The Pennsylvania Canal.
Under this general name is comprehended a great
and extensive system of internal improvements, for
several years designed by the Legislature of this state.
Numerous plans for canals and railways have been
proposed and considered, surveys have been made of
the principal routes supposed to be capable of im-
provement for the benefit of the public, and consider-
able progress has been m.ade in some places in works
to connect the waters of the Ohio and Susquehan-
iiah, v.'hile navigation has been opened up to the Mauch
Chunk Mines, &c. It will be some time before the
western Vv'orks will be so far completed as to attract
many travellers from the established routes ; but such
information as they may hereafter desire, may be
looked for in subsequent editions of this little book.
Ui:; THE PENNSYLVANIA CANAl..
In 1829, there were 435 miles of finished canals in
Pennsylvania, and between 2 and 300 miles remain to
be completed.
The following^ is a g;eneral outline of the g:reat west-
ern plan of internal improvements undertaken by the
Pennsylvania Canal Commissioners, as expressed in
their report to the Legislature. " From its commence-
ment at Middletovvn it stretches to the Juniata — thence
up that river to the foot of the Alleghany Mountains
on the east, and crossing the ridge to connect the
waters of the Susquehannah with the Alleghany and
Ohio rivers, ascending the main branch of the Susque-
hannah with the dividing point of the eastern and
western branches, it contemplates an improved navi-
gation to the sources of these great streams, as well
as some of their tributarj^ ^ranches — presenting one
connected chain of improved or canal navigation of
not less than five hundred miles in extent."
The eastern part of this work was completed in
1827 — from the Susquehannah at Middletown to Har-
risburgh. A Basin is formed in the river at the
mouth of the Swatara, opposite the basin of the Union
Canal, with which it com.municates by a lock of 2^ feet
lift. It has also an outlet lock, and a lock opening into
the Swatara of 9 feet lift. The canal lies principally
in an easy, alluvial soil from the Susquehannah to Har-
risburgh, and passes over extensive tracts of level
country. There are ten locks in that distance, begin-
ning with the outlet lock at Middletown. They are
all 17 feet b 90 in the chamber, and are ^, 7, 8, and
9 feet in the lift. On the first part of the canal, that
is, to Clark's Ferry, 33^ miles, the breadth at bottom
is 30 feet, at top 40, and the depth 4 ; while the re-
mainder of the distance to Harrisburgh it is larger — 35
at bottom, 45 at top, and 4| deep, to supply the ma-
chinery at the latter place. The canal passes on
aqueducts over Paxton, Fishing, Stoney, and Clark's
creeks, and is to be supplied from the Susquehannah,.
from 15 mile^ above Harrisburarh, Many rocks were
THE rEM^SYLVAKIA CANAL. 413
blasted here. There are basins at HaiTisburgh and
Clark's creeks.*]
* The Juniata River is a stream of a remarkably romantic character,
being enclosed by high, rude, and rocky eminences, which present a
constant variety of scenery. Since its course has been selected as a
])art of the great canal route, it may be safely predicted that its scenes
are desttned to adi-iinister to the enjoyment of many travellers.
From the junction of the two branches the canal will run on the
west side as far as Sunbury; a dam being constructed at Shamokin
Kipples, which will form anexten.sive and convenient harbour for boats,
and afford great water power lor manufactories. The Legislature have
authorized \\\e opening of slack water navigation between the river and
Bhamokin Coal Mines.
On the Frankstown branch of the Juniata river, 5 miles below Franks-
town, is an intermitting spring, which often has a flux and reflux three
or four times in an hour. Three or four feet from it is another spring
which flows regularly and constantly.
The following is a listof the works authorized by the Legislature in
1828, in pursuance of the great system of internal improvement compre-
hended in the Pennsylvania Canal.
Canals and locks are to be contracted for, 1st, from Northumberland
to the Ba!d Ea''n)'to the highest practicable point.
From 25 to 45 miles each of these sections, and the whole of the
French Creek Feeder, were contracted for that season.
6th. Tl^ere is to be located a road across the Ailcghany mountains, to
connect the Juniata and Conemaugh sections, to be completed as early
as those sections.
7th. A railroad is to be located from Philadelphia through Lancaster
to Columbus on the Susquehannah, 30 miles of which were contracted
for the first year.
8th. Surveys and examinations were made for a canal along the
Mononsahela from Pittsburgh to Virginia.
9rh Surveys and examinations from the Raystown branch of the
.Juniata to the Conemaugh, for a canal or railway.
For The expense of these two millions of dollars were appropriated.
(T^e bank? of the Susquehannah are the most fertile in the south-
eastern part of the state; and the mountains abound in anthracite coal.
The mineral wealth which the great public works will draw from its beds
onust be immense, as well as various.)
{a) There are salt springs in the vicinity. The salt water at the Cone-
maugh worlcs yields a bushel of salt for 300 gallons. The salt wells on
Jhe Kiskeminetas, the same quantity for every 40 or .'iO gaiionv
414 llOUTES TO THE COAL MIInEs
ROUTE FROM PHILADELPHIA TO NEW-
YORK.
(See page 432.) The Railroad granted by New-
Jersey, from Camden to Amboy, (with a branch to
Bordentown,) will probably be soon constnicted.
ROUTES TO THE COAL MINES.
In consequence of the opening of the vast beds of
coal between the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers, at a
distance of about 80 or 100 miles north of Philadel-
phia, that tract of country has become an object of
great interest; and since the travelline has been re-
cently improved by the construction of roads and
canals, and the establishment of good inns, stage
coaches, and canal boats, a jaunt in that direction is
now a very common and fashionable one
The Union Canal, which runs from the Schuylkill
at Reiding to Middletown on the Susquehannah, will
also attract travellers in this direction. Those who
find it convenient, will be pleased to extend their
journey west by the Pennsylvania Canal from Middle-
town to Lancaster. The Pennsylvania Canal Com-
pany have some of the most commodious boats on this
line, which start from the Schuylkill below the Per-
manent Bridge, and go to Middletown.
[The traveller may make Bedford Springs an object
on this route.]
In the tract of country north from Philadelphia are
found inexhaustible quantities of coal, in elevated
ridges and mountains of the Alleghany range, which
are supposed to be connected with those which are
known on the western side of the range, although they
are of different characteristics. The western coal is
easily combustible, and resembles that im]>orted from
Tiivorpool. &c.. while the. former ! kard, very diffi-
TllJfci COAL MlNJtB- iio
cult to kindle, and burns with very little flame. It is,
however, of great purity, being^ of that sort known to
geologists by the name of Anthracite, and is now very
extensively used for fuel in Philadelphia, New- York,
and different parts of the country. It only requires
a fireplace on the plan of a furnace, and a little ex-
perience in managing it. The varieties of this coal
come down in a kind of rude square boats, called
arks, drawing only 12 or 15 inches of water, but con-
taining about 250 bushels each, v^hich may usually be
seen on the shores of the Schuylkill, and at the docks
in the Delaware. It is only a few years since this
coal was supposed to be entirely worthless ; and now
the demand is enormous. In 1829,25,110 tons of coal
came from the Lehigh mines, and 79,973 were received
by the Schuylkill river.
The whole length of the line of navigation, under-
taken and completed by the Schuylkill corapfuiy, is
110 miles; and the work is considered the greatest
ever performed in this country by private individuals.
It commences at the Lancaster Schuylkill bridge, and
ends at Mount Carbon. Sixty-two miles of it are by
canals, and 46 by pools in the river. The number ot
houses for lock keepers is 65, the number of locks
I below Reading, 39, (toll 6^ cents,) and above Reading,
! 86, (toll 4 cents,) being in the whole 125, of which
^ 28 are guard locks ; overcoming a fall of 610 feet.
' Toll on a ton, $11 35^^ cents. In 1827, 1329 boats
I w^ere loaded at Mount Carbon, for Philadelphia, with
coal : in all, 31,364 tons.
The obstacles which the surface of the country pre
sents to works of such a nature in this state, are un-
usually great, as may be supposed, when it is remarked,
that eight ranges of mountains pass through Pennsyl-
vania from north-east to south-west, and that the height
of land is supposed to be 8 or 900 feet in the lowest
place, so that the rivers descend very much in their
courses. It has been necessary to make more lockage
on the Schuvlkill line, than on the whole Erie can^I m
Ub KOtTES TO THE COAL Jll^ES.
New- York. Besides this, the country is of the Iraii^;
tion formation, with sloping strata, which cause much
leaking.
In 1825, the expense had amounted to nearly three
millions; and it was expected that another million
would be required to complete the navigation. The
articles brought down, are coal, lumber, limestone,
iron ore, with flour, and many products of agriculture
and manufacture.
The amount of tolls collected in 1825, was only
$15,775; but the canal was open only a part of the
season. It has since greatly increased.
Road to the Lehigh Coal Mtises.
At Mauch Chunk.
The mail coach for Bethlehem, Wilkesbarre, Ge-
neva, Niagara, and Buffalo, starts from Field's, in
Kace-street, (between 3d and 4th streets,)' on Mon-
days, Wednesdays, and Fridays, at 6 A. M.
The Bristol and Easton stage coach goes daily, at
6 A. M., from North 2d street, above Market.
The Easton mail, every week day, from 124 North
4th street.
* It is recommended, however, to take one of the
Union Line Steamboats, and go up the Delaware to
Bristol, whence stage coaches go to Easton. A packet
boat was to be established on the canal from Easton to
Mauch Chunk.
Philadelphia to Rising Sun, 4 miles ; Branchtown,
(Child's tavern,) 4 ; Shoemakertown, 8 ; Jenkintown,
10 ; Abington, 12 ; Willowgrove, 14 ; Horsham, 16 ;
Graham Park, 22 ; Newville, — ; Doyieston, 26 ; Dan-
ville, 29; Roderick's tavern, — ; Tohicken bridge, — ;
Easton, (see page 425,) 5 ; Mauch Chjjnk, (see page .
428,) — . The traveller may tnke fith'.n' the Sta^^
Charh, or the
HOU'XB To THE SCHUYLKILL UliVEs. tl
lIlSJtL2.
Plymouth Locks. — Here is a canal about three-
quarters of a mile long. A little below it is a large
spring which supplies a mill. It yields such a sur-
prising stream of water, that it was once proposed to
conduct it to Philadelphia for the use of the city. The
marble quarries are also in this vicinity ; from which
stone is sent to the same place.
Norristown contains some fine houses, as well as a
court house, jail, and two churches, one in the Gothic
style, which stands in a conspicuous situation. A cot-
ton manufactory or two will be found here. The
village is on the same side of the river as the canaL
A bridge has been lately erected here 800 feet long.
The Sluice. — This is a place where the current of
the river was very rapid, and required a dam — 4 miles
from Norristown. Catfish IslaniES.
The summit level lies on a limestone soil, which
makes it necessary to plank the bottom and sides of
the canal, to prevent the filtration of water. Narrow
boats have been introduced on this canal, fn m a con-
viction of their being of easier draft. This work was
commenced some years ago by David Rittenhouse,
Robert Morris, and others, but given up. The locks
are thought capable of passing a boat every five or
six minutes ; and the canal, it the banks and locks
were raised one foot, would be large enouich for boats
of 40 tons, and able to admit the passage of nearly
two millions of tons annually. The summit level
opens westwardly upon the valley of Clark's Creek.
Hence the canal passes on the Swatara river, which
has two dams, and whose course it follows to Middle-
town on the Susquehannah. The descent to this river
from the summit level is 10*2 feet 6 inches, surmounted
by 37 locks. There are 12 aqueducts on the whole
route, one of them 276 feet long, and another 165.
There are 93 lift locks, 75 feet wide and 72 long ;
most of them laid with water cement. The boats
most approved for transportation on this canal are
long, 8 feet 3 inches wide. The tolls on the most
coarse and bu'ky articles are half per cent, per mile.
Coal, lime, marble, pig iron, &c. pay three-quarters
per cent. ; flour, grain, salted provisions, potash, &c. a
cent and a quarter ; hoards, plank, &c. one cent per
1000 feet; timber, one cent per solid foot. Salt, mer-
chandise, &c. passing westward, pay two cents a ton
per mile.
The toll on passage boats is twenty cents a mile ;
and on loaded freiafht lioats only two cents.
"'hat part of the Pennsylvania Canal between the
Susquehannah and Harrisburgh, was opened to navi-
gation in 1829 ; and large tracts on different parts are
in different stages of progress.
The following list of places and distances by the
canal route may prove of some interest to the traveller.
From Middletown to the mouth of the .Juniata, 34
TILE 3IOU2NTAIN DA3I. 4^1
miles ; hence to Lewiston, up that stream, 45 ; from the
mouth of the Juniata to Northumberland, 45; thence,
up the north branch of the Susquehannah, to Nanticoke
Falls, 55 ; from the mouth of the Juniata to Smith's
Mills, above Huntingdon, 90; from Middletown to
Muncy Hills, on the west branch of the Susquehannah,
100; from Johnstown to Pittsburgh, is 104 miles. It
is proposed to cross the Alleghany mountains by a
railway 38 miles long, including a tunnel a mile in
length at the summit : the whole expense of which is
estimated at $936,000.
We return to the Schuylkill Navigation.^
From Reading, the road passes for some distance
near the river, and affords an opportunity to see the
canals, dams, &c. made to assist the navigation. It
passes near Duncan's Job, a piece of deep cutting in
a solid rock, 60 feet down. This place is five or six
miles from Reading. In 1829, a vein of Anthracite
coal was discovered at Reamstown, half the distance
to Lancaster.
Numerous shafts have been sunk near the Schuylkill
for Anthracite coal. The Peach Orchard mines afford
beautiful particoloured specimens. In these, and
others, specks and lumps of perfect charcoal have
been found, imbedded in the fossil — with other ap-
pearances which tend to raise many conjectures con-
cerning the original formation of these mines.
The road to Hamburgh from Reading lies through
the Great Limestone Valley of Pennsylvania ; which
has the Kittatinny chain of mountains on the north, and
the Blue Ridge on the south. The surface is beauti-
fully varied by fhe natural undulations of the surface ;
and the road affords a very fine succession of beautiful
scenes, where the well-cultivated farms are usually
backed by ranges of fine mountains. The inhabitants
dwell in good, and often handsome houses, while their
great stone barns speak thorough husbandry.
The Mountain Dam, near Hamburgh, is 27 feet high-
Nn2
liOLXKS TO THK COAL MIOSES,
Hamburgh.
This is a small village, with nearly a hundred
houses, with a church situated in a romantic position,
at the entrance of the
Schuylkill Water Gap. — This is a narrow gorge,
through which the river runs over a steep and rocky
channel for four or five miles; leaving no room upon
its banks, which rise abruptly on each side to ths
height of several hundred feet. The road has been
cut out along the lace of one of these ranges, at a
great elevatitin; where the surface is in many places
of such a declivity, as to require it to be supported
by walls of stone. The views which are here afforded
to the traveller are romantic and varied in a high de-
gree ; presenting the woody mountains in diflerent
directions, with, the course of the Schuylkill winding
through them. There is a spring which passes the
rov.d, remarkable only as the boundary between two
contiguous counties.
The Little Schuylkill River, a branch of the princi-
pal stream, runs through a valley of the same general
description ; and here lies the road to Mount Carbon.
The country will hardly admit of any cultivation ;
and (ew inhabitants are seen.
Iron Works. — The iron works of Mr. Old are situated
at the termination of this valley, on a small meadow,
§hut in by mountains : a wild and secluded scene.
The proprietor has a handsome house ; and the shops
and dvvelli!)gs of the workmen are numerous. The
scenery beyond retains its interesting character.
The Tunnel. — This is a place where a hill has been
bored through 375 yards for a canal, about three miles
from Orvvigsburgh.
Port Carbon, at the head of the Schuylkill navi-
gation, is a point at which the railroads of Mill Creek
and tho valley terminate. Six miles above, on the
MOUKT OARB^Js. 423
ioute of the latter, is Selzers — a new town. This rail-
road reaches to within about eight miles of Mauch
Chunk.
Orwigsburgh,
about eig:lit miles from the Gap. This village is three
miles distant from the river, and enjoys an agreeable
situation, although the soil is not very good. It is
rather larger than Hamburgh, and contains a court
house, jail, &c. The German language here prevails,
and is used in the church as well as in the ordinary
concerns of life. Iron has lately been discovered near
this place.
MOUNT CARBON,
eight miles, is in sight of several coal mines.
The coal country in this region begins in Luzerne,
on the upper part of the Lackawana River, following-
its course to the Susquehannah, and along that stream,
principally on the eastern bank, to 18 miles beyond
Wilkesbarre. It runs south to the Lehigh River, and
thence south-west, through Schuylkdl county.
It is estimated to extend about 70 miles ; and about
the middle of the range is 8 or 9 miles wide, growing
narrower towards each end. At Mount Carbon the
coal occurs in beds 4 or 5 feet in thickness, generally
running east and west ; and dipping to the south at 45
degrees, with a slate rock immediately over it, and
strata of sandstone and earth above. The slate, as
usual, in the vicinity of coal, presents the impressions
of organized substances at some ancient period im-
bedded in its substance : such as the leaves of laurel,
fern, &.c.
In consequence of the inclination of the coal veins
into the earth, the miners have, in some places, sunk
shafts to the depth of 1.50 feet, with lateral excava-
424 ROUTES TO THE COAL MliNEa,
lions, east and west, of various lengths to 300. Two
small carriages called Trams, are used in a sloping
shaft to bring the coal out, being made to descend by
turns ; but in the horizontal one, which has been car-
ried in about 500 feet, Ihey employ wheelbarrows.
Some of the veins run perpendicularly.
Sharp Mountain, 600 feet high, and Broad Moun-
tain, 900, are penetrated by numerous mines. The
coal is dug out with wedges, drills, and sledges, &c.
and as it costs only about $50 to open a mine, and no-
thing else but labour in digging and raising it, the ad-
vantages are not conBned to capitalists. Wagoners are
ready to transport the coal to the landings, and put it
into boats.
The canal has been extended from Port Carbon up
to Mill Creek, which will supply great quantities of
coal. A railroad, from 5 to 8 miles long, is designed
to be extended from Schuylkill River to the mines on
the West Branch. In 1823 th^re were but 5 houses at
Mount Carbon ; and in 1827 more than 100, with 1200
inhabitants, besides the landing.
Route to the Lehigh Coal Mines.
At Mauch Chunk.
The traveller going from Philadelphia to the Lehigh
Mines, may take one of the steamboats to Bristol,
whence a stage coach starts, on their arrival, for New-
town and New-Hope, 34 miles from Philadelphia ;
and thence for Easton, 36 miles more, nearly all of
which is along the bank of the Delaware, and com-
mands a view of its wild and interesting scenery.
There are three routes from Philadelphia by which
Mauch Chunk may be reached : 1st. By the way of
Bethlehem ; 2d. By the way of Easton through
Doylestown ; and 3d. By the way of Bristol, also
through Easton. By either route you reach the village
m a day and a half, ffor these places, see Tndex.']
E ASTON. 425
New-Hope is in a romantic situation ; and Goat Hill
rises opposite to the height of 500 feet, its top affording
a fine view. 2 miles south of this village is Ingham's
Spring, which furnishes a supply of water to no less
than 13 water wheels. Bridges cross the Delaware to
New-Jersey at New-Hope and Mitchell's.
Delaware Water Gap. The scenery at this spot is
romantic and beautiful. The course of the river
appears at a little distance as if arrested by two op-
posite mountains, between which it flows in a narrow
channel, suddenly contracting itseif to a furlong's
breadth, from a broad, smooth, and unbroken sheet
like a lake of considerable extent. Every feature in
this beautiful scene leads one to believe, that the bar-
rier opposed to the water was once much higher than
now, and that the country was consequently overflown
for a considerable distance above the existing banks.
There is some fertile land in the vicinity, and the hills
contain many mineral treasures ; iron ore, &c. &c.
EASTON.
This is a village of some size, and a central point
from which numerous roads direrge, and stage coaches
run in various directions. It is situated in a rich val-
ley, enclosed by the South and Blue Mountains. It is
about 52 miles from Philadelphia, and contains about
3000 inhabitants. Within a compass of a mile and a
half are 18 mills; and 250,000 barrels of flour are an-
nually sent to the capital. Nearly 150,000 rushels of
grain are also consumed at the distilleries in a year,
and converted into poison for the body and the mind.
(Writing slates are quarried in this vicmity.)
The following is a list of distances from Easton on
the different stage routes. New-York, 70 miles;
Scholey's Mountain, 23 ; Morristown, 41 ; Nevv-
Erunswick, 45 ; Bethlehem, 12 ; Mauch Chunk, 34 ;
JS^azaretb, 7 ; Delaware Wind Gap, 20 ; Stroudsburgh;
4iiib iiOUTE TO THE COAL MINliS.
27 ; VVilkesbarre, 52 ; Belvidere, 12 ; Reading, 52:
Newtown, (Sussex county,) 40. \
From Newtown a coach runs three times a week,
to Montrose, Oweg^o, Ithaca, and Geneva, and commu-
nicates with the Erie canal, and with the direct route
to Buffalo.
The Delaware ai\d Hudson Canal
was bei^un July r3th, 1825, and was navigable late in
the year 1828. It commences at Kinijston, on the
Hudson River, and runs over to Carpenter's Point, on
the Delaware River, through the valley of the Never-
sink Creek, thence up the valley of the Delaware to
the Lacka waxen Creek, at Honesdale, and up that
creek to the foot of the railway. This is a continuous
canal of 106 miles in lengrth, and was completed from
the Delaware to the Hudson in 1827, and Is now finished
and in operation through its whole extent, and coal is
passing- in considerable quantities. The railway com-
mences at the termination of the canal, and runs over
Moosick mountain* to the coal mines on the Lackawana
Creek, in length 16 i miles, overcoming an elevation ol
058 feet. Seven locomotive steam engines will be em-
ployed onthree planes, and five stationary engines and
three brakes on the ascents. The ascents where the sta-
tionary engines and brakes are used, are graduated at
5 degrees. The railway and all its appurtenances
will be completed in 1828, at an » stimated expense of
$178,000. The cost of each locomotive engine about
^1,600, and weight about six tons.
Carbondale is the mining village on the Lackawana
River, opened by the Delaware and Hudson Canal
Company. It is 8 miles from Dundaff, and 32 from
Wilkesbarre.
At Easton will be seen the dam ov^r the Delaware?
'^ From this commanding height the view is fine, and the Calskill
Monntnin?:. in IVpw-Vork. are vipjhip. at the dfstnnro of flft or 100 inile=
at the termination of the works for improving the na-
vigation of Lehigh River, from Mauch Chunk to this
place. The state of Pennsylvania intend to extend
the navigation, by a canal on the western bank of the
Delaware, to Bristol, when the communication will be
uninterrupted to Philadelpliia.
The road to Mauch Chunk leads through Bethlehem,
12 miles. This is a neatly built place, in a romantic
and delightful situation, along the course of a swift
running brook. It is inhabited by Germans, and little
English will be heard spoken in the place. There is
an old church and an academy for the education of
girls, under the matiagement of the Moravians, to
which sect the inhabitants belong. A little beyond
Bethlehem the country begins to assume a more moun-
tainous appearance ; and along the banks of the Lehigh
they rise to a height of seven or eight hundred feet,
or even more.
It is related by tradition, that nearly 100 years ago,
three men set out trom Brist(>l, to walk, between sun
and sun, for the title to as much land as the best pe-
destrian of them could cr« ss in that time. The suc-
cessful one (Edward Marshall) gained for the con-
tractors, from the Indians, a tract extending north-west
to Still Water. He passed up the Delaware and Le-
high, round Pocono Mountain, 6lc. a distance computed
at 119 or 120 miles.
The works on the Lehigh River are on a large
scale, and worthy of particular remark. The river de-
scends 365 feet, and requires 52 locks. The locks are
intended for the passage of steamboats capable of car-
rying 150 tons of coal. They will all be 100 feet
long and 30 wide. There will be 21 dams ; and the
canals will be 60 feet wide at the bottom, with 5 feet
of water. The view of these works of art, combined
with distant sights of the Blue Ridge, renders the
Hdge highly interesting. The locks are on a new
construction, and can be filled and emptied both in
?even minutes by one attendant. The gate, like -'
ii<, MAUCH €11UI\K.
great float, is raised when the water is let in ; and, ih^.
post being turned round, the water flows over the top
of the gate, when it gradually sinks again. Mauch
Chunk shows mountains perhaps 1000 feet high.
The Lehigh Water Gap, 25 miles from Easton and
11 from Lehighton, 6 miles from Mauch Chunk. Here
is a bridge.
The river, for a mile, passes through an opening in
the Blue Ridge, with barely room for the road be-
tween the shore and a precipice.
Near this spot is the Devil's Pulpit, a remarkable
cavity in the rocks.
The first objects that attract attention near the vil-
lage of Mauch Chunk, are tlie lock in the river, and
the Chute, or inclined plane, at the end of the railway,
down which the loaded coal cars slide to the wharf on
the river, where they load the boats and arks. The
latter carry about 10 tons. The noise of the cars com-
ing down the railway will often be heard rumbling as
the traveller approaches the village.
MAucif Chunk,
90 miles from New-York, and 10 from Philadelphia.
There is a spacious hotel in this 5'oung and flourish-
ing village, which has been well kept, and serves as
the rendezvous for numerous parties of visiters every
season. Stage coaches have heretofore run to Easton
daily — fare $1 50 — also to Berwick, Newton, and Buf-
falo. There are few places where a stranger will find
more to gratify him than here. The A'illage is shut in
by rude mountains, of such height that the sun is invi-
sible to many of the inhabitants during the short days
I'he hotel commands a view of some parts of
.A *,.iuiSK KAlLVVAi
The Railway,
whicli leads from near the coal mines to the Lehigh
River. This was the second ever constructed in the
United States — tiie Qyincy Railway, in Massachusetts,
being the first. It extends a distance of nine miles,
along the side of a mountain.
The sleepers, on which the railway rests, are ot
■wood, which is found a very economical substitute for
the iron used in England. The rails are also of wood,
4 by 6 inches, and covered with an iron plate f of an
inch thick. The whole construction cost, on a fair
estimate, only $4,500 a mile ; while the lowest esti-
mate for a road on the English plan was $10,000 a
mile.
The coal mine lies a little on the opposite side of the
mountain ; and the coal cars are first drawn by horses
to the beginning of the railway up an acclivity of |
of a mile. The summit is 982 feet above the river.
The whole work was performed in 2 months and 2
days.
Pleasure wagons, like Dearborns, are occasionally
lised to carry strangers up and down the railway ; but
they often go up in the returning cars. The average.
rise of the way is 18 inches in 100 feet, which is
scarcely perceptible to the eye, and permits a single
horse to draw up three empty cars. Incoming down,
however, by their own gravity, the carriages would,
if permitted, move with immense rapidity. In 1827
they were restricted to a rate not exceeding 8 miles an
hour. It is said that they had previously gone 15
>5nd even 20. The road generally passes along a nar-
row shelf, which is alarming to a stranger- particularly
in descending ; some of the precipices being 500 or
600 haL
The Tun}i€;! is seen in going up, about 400 feet
.above the road. It is 12 feet high, 20 wide, and about
o „
4o0 riii; Coal ^iiiNtb.
800 long. It was cut through the mountain in lb2b„
to obtain a short passage to a bed of coal supposed to
lie on the other side. A shaft was sunk sixty-four
feet from the summit of the hill without finding coal ;
five hundred teet beyond this shaft towards the north,
a hole has been bored to the depth of one hundred
and ten feet ; coal was found at eighty fret, and the
auger continued in coal to the extremity of the bore.
The Company, however, were disappointed ; but
they have an inexhaustible supply of this useful ar-
ticle, as their land extends 14 miles back Irom the
river, and along the road ; and 10 or 12 miles are un-
derlaid by beds of anthracite coal. When the Lehigh,
the Delaware Canal, and the Morris Canal, in New-
Jersey, shall all be navigable, New-York and Phila-
delphia will derive immense supplies of fuel from this
wonderful region.
The cars are made of strong oak timbers, and
planked up on three sides, with a swinging door in
the rear. Some new ones, however, have lately been
constructed, in which stout sheet iron has been sub -
tuted for plank. They are 6 feet 4 inches long, 3 .eet
wide at top, and 2 feet at bottom, and about 3 feet in
depth, resting on wheels with cast iron rims or felloes
2 feet in diameter, one inch thick, and about four inches
in breadth, with a strong edge or flanch, one inch in
thickness, and about two inches uide, which prevents
them from slipping off the rails. 'J"'he cars may be
stopped immediately by a long lever which brings
strong bearers against two of the wheels, and causes
great friction. The guide to every brigade of eleven
cars holds a rope attached to all the levers. A curious
machine, called the Brake, is also used.
There is generally a stop to be made in the midst of
the course, to wait lor other cars passing, and to oil the
wheels.
Several ingenious expedients have been resorted to
in different parts of the railroad, to avoid some incon-
veniences which might otherwise be caused by sudden
MAUCH CHUNK RAILWAi . 43 i
lurns, right angles, cross-roads, bridges, &.c. The rail-
way is in several parts supported by a stone wall at
the side. Cross-roads are not intercepted by it, for
the rails are interrupted so as to correspond with the
ruts ; at the short turns, one rail is raised in a curve of
a few inches to give the car a new direction ; and at a
right angle, like those at the mine and at the chute
ahove the Lehigh, revolving platforms are placed
which turn thf- cars round, 45 degrees.
The cars themselves weigh about 1500 lbs. each,
and run on wheels two feet in diameter. Strangers
often make an excursion in them for the novelty of the
mode of travelling. In 1827, not less than 150 such
cars were in use. They carry the coal to the chute
above the river, down which they are sent 215 ket.
At the end of the railroad is a platform on the bank
of the Lehigh River, down which the coal is let over
one of the rails on an inclined plane of 750 feet (200
feet perpendicular height), to the stone houses, the
wharf, and the boats. Each loaded car is connected
to an empty one, which it draws up, by a rope that
passes round a large cylinder or drum. A car goes
down in about 1 minute and 20 seconds. The noise
of the cars on the railway is perceptible at a great
distance. In 1827, 132 cars descended in a day, with
198 tons of coal.
The Mine, or quarry, as it ought, perhaps, properly
to be called, opens upon the road by three passages,
cut 8 or 10 feet deep in the earh. These conduct into
an area 150 yards long and very wide, and from 8 to 35
feet in depth, formed with great regularity, by the re-
moval of many thousand tons of coal, which have been
dug out in such a manner as to keep the surface on an
inclined plane, where the carts drive in, load, and then
pass out at the other passage. The coal is very hard,
pure, and black, with a beautiful conchoidal fracture,
and perfectly clean in handling. The middle, an area
50 vards across, has been dug down many fee^
432 rilO-U THILADELPHIA TO NKVV-YOIJE..
deeper, and to it there is another entrance iioni the
road.
The surface of the ^Tound was covered with a coat
of sand 2 feet thick, interspersed with sandstone;
under that was 8 feet of black pulverized coal ; and
then came the coal itself. Near the road is a mass of
slaty coal in undulated strata which is of inferior
quality.
Near the south or further side of the mine, some
beautiful impressions of fern leaves have been found
in the rocks.
[Bituminous coal has been found, in an extensive
mine, at Lick Creek, near the Jersey shore, Lycoming^
county, in Pennsylvania.]
Lowryto-sDn, 15 miles above Mauch Chunk, is situ-
ated on the Lehigh River, in the midst of a most wild
and romantic region. Here are four saw-mills, which
are supplied with timber from the surrounding moun-
tains ; the trees being cut far above, and slid down
their steep sides into the stream. Arks go down, as
en the lower parts of the river, by being set off on
the flood caused by opening the gate of the dam.
Ladies sometimes pass down in this manner, boxes
being resorted to instead of arks, to keep out the wa-
ten. Materials for building arks at Mauch Chunk, &c.
are supplied from Lowrytown.
Wilkesbarre. A rough road conducts to this place.
KOUTE FROM PHILADELPHIA TO NEW-
YORK.
A Railroad, to go from Camden to Amboy, in New-
Jersey, vf'-'.] perhaps soon become a route for travellers.
Going in a steamboat from Market or Arch-street
wharf, the ship house, in the navy yard, is seen over
the little island in the river. Near the upper part of
the city are the ship yards ; and beyond, three glas«
hou«es near the water, with white walls and blarV
BORDENTOWN. 4oo
TOois. A sieeple and a shot tower arc the principal
oiijects rising above the great mass of houses in the
city.
The banks of the Delaware are low, and present a
uniformity quite unfriendly to the picturesque. The
towns are, however, inteiesting in the history of the
Revolution, as will be seen a little beyond.
BURLINGfON,
in New-Jersey, 18 miles from Philadelphia, presents a
handsome appearance ; with a row of fine residences
facing the river, in front of which is a street with a
beautiful sloping bank.
Bristol,
a little above, and on the opposite side, has also a
number of gentlemen's seats ; and handsome flower
gardens on the bank, ornamented with fine willows, &c.
A stage coach goes hence to Easton every day, on the
arrival of the steamboat — price of a passage, $?>.
BoRDEWTOWN,
28 miles from Philadelphia, and 7 below Trenton,
stands on a steep sand bank, through which a road is
cut to the water. Just north of the village is the
house of Joseph Buonaparte, the Count de Survilliers,
once king of Spain. It is a long white building, with
two low square towers at the ends, and a shot tower
near it by the river.
Coal Haven is a little town on the west side of the
river, six miles above, where arks and boats laden with
coal from the Lehigh mines, await the boats that tow
fhem^ to Philadelphia.
Oo2
4o4 FRO.M PHILADELPHIA TO NEVV-VOKh:
Trenton,
33 miles from Philadelphia. Here the Union Line
Steamboats stop, except when the water is low ; when
they sometimes land opposite Bordentown. Trenton
is a town of considerable size, with a great number
of stores, and the aspect of business- The bridge
across the Delaware has five arches, and is a hand-
some structure.
Lamberton is a village where the coach offices are.
and apparently forms a part d( Trenton.
The State Prison is situated a little south of the
town.
In Dec, 1776, the English had 4000 men on the east
side of the Delaware, in Trenton, Bordentown, Black-
horse, and Burlington, with strong detachments at
Princeton and New-Brunswick, wnth their magazines.
On Christmas night, three divisions of the American
troops attempted to cross the Delaware : one at Bristol
for Burlington ; one a mile below Trenton ; and one
nine miles above, under Washington and Greene.
This was the largest, but principally militia ; it ap-
proached Trenton by two roads, attacking it at 8, A.M.
very unexpectedly, and putting the English and Ger-
man troops (about 1500) to the rout. Five hundred
escaped ; the rest surrendered, being the regiments of
Ralle, Anspach, and Knyphausen. Ralle was killed
in resisting. The other divisions could not cross on
account of the ice, and Washington returned with his
captives and six pieces of artillery. This successful
stroke greatly encouraged the country, as it was the
first victory over those German mercenaries.
Washington soon after re-crossed the river, and
posted his army at Trenton. On the 2d of Jan., 1777,
Lord Cornwallis reached Trenton ; and Washington
fortified himself on the Assumpsick. But he was too
weak to hazard an engagement j and the Delaware
•was filled with ice,
Bein^ hardly pressed, Washington had lormed the
plan of a retreat, expecting: to be unable to remove
any thing- but the soldiers and what they could carry,
as the soil was so unfavourable, and the weather so
mild and wet, that wagons could not pass. Corn-
wallis had sent to Princeton for a regiment to join
him, that he might attack the Americans immediately.
In the night, however. Gen. Greene reported that the
weather had suddenly become cold ; and at midnight,
Washington was able to begin his march, with all his
baggage and artillery. The British had no intimation
of their departure until they, heard the guns firing at
Princeton.
PRINCETON, 10 miles.
This village is situated on an elevated ridge of
land, which, on several sides, rises with a long and
easy slope, and commands a prospect of considerable
extent.
In approaching it from the west, the Theological
Academy, which is of stone and 4 stories high, is seen
on the right ; and Nassau Uall in the centre of the
town, opposite the stage house. The college yard is
large and shaded with trees; and the burying ground
contains the ashes of the presidents of the institution :
Aaron Burr, Jonathan Edwards, Samuel Davis, Samuel
Finley, John VVisherspoon, and Samuel S. Smith.
Washington met at Stoney Brook,' north of the
present road, a little way from Princeton, and defeated
the British regiment. He then marched north to the
higrh grounds.
During the battle of Princeton, it is related that a
cannon shot entered the chapel, and tore away the
head from a portrait of George III.
ffri) Brunswick. Here the steamboats start for
New-York. Th.i stage coaches drive through a part
of the village to the steamboat wharf. The forenoon
h'»e stops at the hotelfor the night.
r.)0 FEOIH rillLAPELPIIIA TO :sM•^V-YOrvK..
»The view is pretty from the hill above ; whence th
public buildings appear to good advantage, particu-
larly the Rutgers Theological Seminary, which is
under the synod of the Dutch Reformed Church.
The banks below are picturesque, but afterward are
low and little varied.
In the spring of 1777, Washington advanced from
near Morristown to Middlebrook, where he intrenched
himself on the heights, in full view of New-])runs-
wick. The British tried various stratagems to decoy
him from this commanding position, and once suc-
ceeded ; but discovering their intentions to surround
him, he quickly regained it, and they were soon after
obliged to give up all hopes of penetratmg in this di-
rection, and devoted their attention to co-operating
xvith Gen. Burgoyne, who was coming down towards
Albany.
Perth Amboy, 13 miles. Mere is usually some ship-
png. Tlar value.
n British Sterling is 4,444 4-9 Mills.
/I Iiish is 4,102 32-39 do.
1 fr. or 100 centimes (French) is 1775 do.
$1 of plate or 20 reals pi. (Cadiz) is 1,000 do.
$1 of Havana 8 do.
1 milrea of Portug-alor lOOOreas is 1,250 do.
1 Ducat or 100 grains (Naples) is 777 1-8 do.
1 Mark Banco or 16 shill. (Ham.] is 333 1-3 do.
1 Rix Dol. or 12grotes (Bremen) is 750 do.
1 Guilder or 40 grotes (Antwerp) is 400 do.
1 Florin or 20 slivers of (Holland) is 400 do.
Zl Halifax Currency (N. A. Prov.) is 4,000 do.
1 dollar or 8 reals (Havana) is 1,000 do.
FOREIGN WEIGHTS AND MEASURES.
Reduced into those of the United States.
Great Britain is generally the same. The new im-
perial measure, however, is about 3 per cent, larger
than the VVinchester,'22 gallons of the old being equal
to 31 of the nev/ imperial — one quarter contains 8
Winchester or American bushels. The fodder of Lead
in London and Hull is 19^ cwt. The tun of Oil, 252
gallons. — The last of Tar, 12 barrels. The load of
Timber 50 cubic feet.
FRANCE— 45 35 100 Kilogrammes are equal to 100
lbs.
SPAIN— 1 arrobe is 25 lbs. Spanish equal to 24
4 arrobes, 1 quintal, 96
The barra varies from 27i to 33 1-8 ins.
The same of Cadiz is 27i
The arrobe of Wine and Oil is 4 gals.
From 40 to 11 nrmbp^ make 1 pipe.
438 Ai'rE>'Dix.
1 Fanega of Corn and Salt is h bus. and 1 quart-
15 Fanegas are about 8 bus.
PORTUGAL— 32 lbs. or 1 arrobe is .33 lbs.
4 arrobes or 1 quintal is 132
Cloth meas. 1 vara 43 1-7 ins. the covido26 1-3 ins.
Wine 4 quarteels are 1 Canado or 3 pints.
12 Canados 1 almuda or 4i gals.
The moy of Corn and Salt at Lisbon is 24 bus.
" " at Oporto 30
" " inFiguieras 55i
HAMBURG— 1 lb. equal to 1 lb. 7 oz.
1 li.spound 16 5
ANTWERP— 100 lbs. or quintal is 104 lbs.
New qll. ol 10 myriagramnes 204 lbs. 14 oz.
Canada and Nova Scotia same as the United States.
POUNDS AND DOLLARS.
Sterling.
Cents.
Mills.
Id.
i*
1
85
2
is
3
70
3
is
5
55
4
JS
7
49
5
is
9
25
^
is
11
11
7
is
li?
96
S
is
14
81
9
is
16
66
10
is
18
51
11
is
20
36
12
is
22
22
INDEX,
A.
Albany . . . 39. 46
Alexandria {D. C.) . 387
Amboy ... 436
Amherst. . , . 282
Andre's Grave . . 23
Capture and Execution 29
Andovtr . . . 334
Anthony's Nose, Hudson
River . . . 26
on Erie Canal . . 57
Lake George . . 177
Antiquities 72. 83. 113. 124. 377
Aqueduct, Lower . bb
Upper, . . 55
at Little Falls 61
Rochester , . 74
over the Delaware 33
Arnold's Treachery . 28
Armory .... 273
Arsenals
Gibbonsville . . 49
Quebec . . 223
A.scutney Mountain . 290
Assoinption River . 213
Attleborough . . . 315
Auburn ... 122
B.
Baker's F.ills . . . 246
Ballston Springs . 145
Saltimore . . .389
Bangor ... 380
Bartlett . . . .352
Basin Harbour . . 189
Batavia . . . .115
Bath (Maine) . . 376
{N. H.) . 295
'N.Y--' 15
Battle of Bemis's Heights
Bennington .
Bloody Brook
Bridgewater, or Lun-
dy's Lane
Bunker's Hill
Chippewa .
Erie
Groton
Johnstown
Lake George
Lexington
xMontmorency
Pequod .
Plattsburgh
Princeton
Quebec
Do. in 1775
Queenstown
Rocky Brook
Sachem's Field
Saratoga
Ticonderoga
Trenton .
Turner's Falls
White Plains
Beaufort
Bellows Falls
Bethlehem
Beverly
Black Rock .
Biackwell's Island
Bloody Brook
Pond
Blorinafield .
Blue Hills .
Books recommended
Borough
Boston
135
134
91
321
29
102
298
57
170
333
233
247
191
435
230
ib.
81
165
305
135
174
434
295
22
231
288
427
363
109
248
283
166
116
316
19
131
SI 8
4 40
IJordenlowu . . , 433
Urattlcborough . ■, 2fi7
Bristol .... 433
Brock's MoKiiraent , R2
BaftPiy . . o £26
Erookfield . . . r.3i
BniTalo . . . . 109
3?imker's Hill . . 3^2
Bursfoyne's, Gen., Expe-
dition . . . 133
J^atlle Ground . .135
Quarters . . 143
■ /Surrender . . .159
Builinoffon, N. ./., . 433
Vermont . ISO. 293
U. Canada . 100
Bytown .... 209
C.
Caldwell . . .168
Cambridi^o. . . 324
Canada, General Be-
marks on . • ^92
Canals. ^
Blackstone Canal . ^"-^
Cayuga and Seneca . ^^^
Cavii^a and Su^qiK Han-
nah . . . 122
Champlain ... 53
Cheromig . . 120
Chesnprake and Ohio SBd
Delaware and Hudson 31
Erie . . 102 111
Farmington . . 253
Maine ... 376
Morris . . .17
Ohio ... 400
Oswego . . C9. 106
Pennsylvania . . 411
Kideau . . .208
Welland ... 92
Canal Boat, Description qf\Al
Canajoliarie ." . SS
Canandaigna . . .115
Cape Diamond . . 227
Carpenter's Poinf, . . ' 32
j^vrhage ... 75
Catskili . _ .
Mouniain.s
Caughniiwas^a
Cayuga Lake
Centre Harbour
Charably .
Charlestov/n, Mass.
N.H.
Chazy ,
Chelmsford
Chimney Point
('hip{)ewa .
Citadel of Queb
Cincinnati .
Clavtrack
Cleaveland .
Coal Mines of Pa^
» R. Island
Colleges
Amherst .
And over
Brown
Burlington .
Canibridcje
Dartmouth .
Hamilton
Union .
Washington .
7de . .
ConciH-d .
Congres^JIall
Spring ••,,. •
Connecticut ^-^vcr
Conway
Crawford's House .
Crown Point
1:2*
34;
23^
320
28S
192
336
186
89
225
401
38
398
414, Sic.
SC9
190
324
294
63
55
266
250
337
154
156
258. 257
346
353
1?6
Dear and Dumb Asylunas 26:=
Dedham. . . .318
Deerlield . . . 2S-:
Dieskau, Gen., • • ITj •
Dobb's Ferry . • -■ •
Dorchester Heights • 32^:
Dnndns . . . IO(i
Dunninuf'Strcet • • 'S-
INWKX .
E
Mohawk's
East Bay
241
Montgomery
East Canada Creek .
58
Niagara .
Eastport
379
Oswego
East River
247
Plain .
Easton . . . .
425
Putnam
Elizabethtown .
436
Rouse's Point
Essex, Conn.
258
Say brook .
JV. Y. . .
190
Stanwix .
F
Ticonderoga
Fairfield
247
Trumbull
Falls,
Washington
Baker's .
245
William Henry
Beliows
288
Wolcott .
Carthage .
75
Fryeburgh
Catskill
33
G
Claverack .
38
Gallway
Glenn's . .
163
Gasport
Cohoes
55
Gates's, Gfin., Camp
Ithaca .
121
Geddesburgh
Little.
59
Genesee River
Miller's .
246
Geneseo .
Montmorency .
231
Geneva .
Niagara .
80
Georgetown, D. C. .
Rochester .
75
German Flats
South Hadley
275
Glenn's FaUs .
Trenton .
83
Goderich
Turner's .
285
Grand River
Fishkill Mountain .
30
Gravesend .
Flushing .
14
Green Bay
Fraoaingham
331
Greenfield
Franeonia .
296
Guelph
Gulf Road .
Frazer's Death
. 140
Grave .
143
H
Forts.
Haddam .
Adams
306
Hadley .
Anne
243
Hallowell .
Clinton
25
Hampton
Crown Point .
186
Hanover .
Edward .
245
Hserlem
Erie
102
Hartford, Conn.
George
172
Vermont
Green .
308
Hatfield .
Griswold .
. 298
Haverhill, Mass. .
Herkimer
62
N. H.
Independence
23
Hell Gate .
Lee
22
Herkimer .
Miller
246
P?
Gen.
1
XSJ'EX.
Highlands .
Hoboken
24
■ 21
Honesdale .
33
Horseneck
. 247
Hudson
37
River
. 20
Hydrostatic Lock
52
Indians.
Menorainies
. 113
Mohawks
.59
Moheus;ans .
. 303
Pokanokets .
308
Oii»"idas
. 66
P«quods .
247. 299
Senecas
. 114
Tnscaroras
78
Isle aux Noix ,
. 19:3
Ithaca
121
J
Jacques Cartier
. 219
Johnson, Sir Wm,,
172
Johnstown
. 57
Junction .
53
K
Kennebunk .
. '371
Kidd, the Pirate,
255
Kinderhook .
. 38
Kingston .
31
Do. U. C.
. 105
Kosciusko's Retreat
26
Ktardin Mountain .
. 380
L
Lackawaxen
33
Lafayette Spring .
. 147
Lakes.
Cayuo-a
. 120
Canandai^ua .
116
Champlain .
. 238
Erie
101
George
. 166
Do. Excursion to,
162
Of th« Clouds
359
Ontario
. 101
St. Peter
216
Saratoga .
. 157
Seneca .
120
Winnipiseogee .
. 341
Lancaster . ii9'7
Laprairie .197
Lebanon Springs . 42
Leroy . .^ , . 116
Lewistown . » 77
Lexintiton . . .333
Little Falls . . 69
Little Schuylkill . . 422
Lock port . . 77
Long-Rranch . . 16
Lonsr Level • . 62
Lorette . . .235
Lovel's Fight . . 349
Pond . . 348
Lowell ... 335
L.mdy'sLane . . 91
Lynn . . • 363
M
Maps recommended . 19
M'Crea's IMurder . 244
M'Doriough's Victory . 191
Machiche . . 213
Manayunk . . .417
BJaps.
See beginning of the volume.
Marblehead . . • 365
Mauch Chunk . . 428
Mechanicville . • 131
INIiantonimo . • 305
Michiffan . • • 1^2
Middletown . • 260
Military Academy— West
Point . . 27
Mohawk Castle . . 69
Moheasiitn • 302
Montmorency .231
Montpelier - • 292
Montreal . • .199
IMorristown . . W8
Mount Ascutney . . 290
C.irbon . 423
Holyoke . . 278
Hope . . 308
Vernon . . 3&7
Washington 357
JNahant ... 324
Newark ...
INDEX.
New- Brunswick .
435
Prisons, State.
Newburgh
30
Connecticut
Newburyport
366
Maine
New-Haven .
249
Massachusetts .
New-Lebanon Springs
42
New-York . 24.
New- London .
297
New- Hampshire
Newport
306
Pennsylvania
New-York
9
Vermont
Niagara Falls
77
Profile Mountain .
Norristown
418
Providence
Norwich
303
Q
Northampton .
276
Quebec
Notch in the Mountains
•^ss
Qiieenstown .
Meadow
355
Quincy
O
R
Ogdensburg
108
Rapids of Niagara
Richelieu .
Ohio . , . .
397
Oneida
66
St. Mary
Orwigsburgh
42:^
Red Mountain .
Oswego
106
Reidesel, Baroness,
Oswego Canal
69
Rensselaerwyck .
Ottawa River
208
HidgeRoad .
Ox Bow
295
Route to Maine
P
of New-England
Palatine
59
to Niagara .
Palisadoes
21
to the Pennsylvania
Faterson
. 18
Coal Mines
Pawtncket
313
to Canada
Penitentiary of N. Yort
: 248
to the White Mountains
Perth Amboy
436
Railroads.
Philadelphia
402
Quincy
Pickwaket Mountain
346
Baltimore and Ohio
Piermont
. 295
Mauch Chunk .
Pine Orchard .
35
Rochester
Piitsburgh
. 398
Rome ....
Plainfield .
306
Rouse's Point
Plains of Abraham
. 228
Roxbury
Pittsburgh
191
Royalton
Plymouth
. 328
Rockaway
Port Gtnesee .
105
S
Port Maitland
. 94
Saco
Port Kent
190
Sacket's Harbour
Port Dalhousie
. 98
St. Alban's
Portland
371
St. Catharine's
Portsmouth .
. 368
St. John's
Pouiibkeepsie .
31
St. Lawrence . 198.
Prescott
. 105
Salem
Princeton
435
Salina . - 69.
2SS
378
321
12S
335
403
289
296
309
81
316
;.86
218
312
342
143
48
77
362
246
47
414
180
33S
316
392
429
73
68
192
317
291
15
37 i
107
192
97
194
213
346
32-5
^44
1M>EX.
Salt works
Salt Springs
Sar.du«ky
Sandy Flill ,
Saratoga
Sanaferties
Say brook
Scbenectady
Schoharie Creek
Scbooley's Mountain
Schuylersviile .
Schuylkill River
68.
Shaker Village
Singsino;
Sleepy Hollow .
Sorel S'^illa^e
Albany .*
Ballston
Burning
Chalybeate
CoJiinibia
N<:w-Lebanon
Saratoira
SufKeld
Virginia
White Mountains
Springfield
■♦quura L-'ke
Stafford
'?taten Island
Stillwater
Stonington
Stoney Point
Sugar- Loaf Hill
Syracuse
Table Rock
Tappan
Tariffville .
Tarrytown
Taiuiton
Trenton
Thaiiics River
Thimhle T*laiids
Waterworks 407
72
71
1)1
164
153
33
256
55
56
15
159
417
45,46
24
24
215
40
145
117
347
37
42
153
272
389
347
273
345
371
436
131
300
24
84
24
267
23
310
434
301
Thomastowu
378
Three Rivers ,
217
Ticonderoga . - '
• 179.239
Troy . . .
50
U
Uncas
303. 305
Utica .
. 62
V
Vernon, Mount
. 387
Verplanck's Point
24
W
Wadswortb's Farm
. 115
Walpole, N. H.
287
Mass. .
. 316
Ware . .
332
Wsshington
. 381;
Wachusett Hiils
27C
Waterford
. 12S
Water Gaps 422
. 425. 428
Weehawken
. 21
Weigh Locks
52
Wf Hand Canai
92
Welles
370
West Point .
. 20
Wethersfield, Conn.
262
Ver.
. 289
Whirlpool
83
Whitehall .
. 241
White Mountains
350
River
. 290
Willey House .
354
WilliauQstown
. 242
Wilmington, Del.
396
Windsor, Conn.
. 271
Ver. .
289
Wiscasset
. 377
Wolfe's Cove
219, 229
Wood Creek, near Lake
Chaniplaiu
. 243
Worcester
Y
York, U. C.
269
. 101
Maine
. S69
Z
Zanesvjile
«<■
'H7-j^^-y
iiiiiiiiili
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
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