f^5fliA'- .X<°^ •^oV* -H O, ■^^ "^0^ '°^' % //i..— After two o'clock this morning a famous breeze sprung up from the N.E. : going nine or ten knots. About three days, at this rate, would land us at New York, but I am scarcely sanguine enough to anticipate such unwonted despatch. I hope, at all events, our voyaging may terminate with the month, though, considering the winds and weather we have had, so far from having any thing to complain of, the wonder is how we have got on so well. Our ponderous cargo, too, has been against us. 27//}.. — Had a good wind until noon to-day, when it became completely calm, so incessant and sudden are the changes at sea, the more so on approaching land, and our latitude to-day being 41** 5', and lon- gitude 66**, leaves us about 320 miles to run to our destined port. A shark a\ as playing round us for an hour or two in the morning, apparently about ten VOYAGE TO NEW YORK. 19 feet in length. Shortly before observing him, myself and another had been talking of a bathe ; a perform- ance we were well satisfied to dispense with after- wards. A shark, in seizing its prey, has to turn on its side, the under jaw being so much shorter than the upper one, as to prevent it taking it in the ordinary position in which it swims.^ — Evening. Wind from N.W. making five to seven knots. 28/^. — Very foggy. In the midst of the Nantucket shoals. Soundings at thirty- three fathoms. Mates and crew busily employed in painting, scraping, and scouring the ship ; repairing and blacking the rigging, &c. ; getting all in the trimmest possible order to enter port. Passed very near one of the Havre packets. Should doubtless, now, discover many vessels if the atmosphere were clearer. 29 tk. — Still foggy. Fair wind from the E. Have been out five weeks to-day. Got an imperfect obser- vation, by which we suppose ourselves nearly in the latitude of New York, and are, consequently, steering due west. Spoke a brig from Portland bound to the West Indies. 30th. — A gale from the S.E. all night, which has been sending us along at the rate of nine or ten knots, but, as an abatement to so much good luck, has deprived us of our foretopsail, shivering it to pieces. Surely such summer weather was never seen be- fore ! Men aloft diligently on the look-out for land, but the horizon is so thick that we may be almost close upon it ere we can discover it, and unless it clear up, shall soon be obliged to lay to. Nine 20 AT ANCHOR WITHIN SANDY HOOK. o'clock : it has become clearer, and one of the mates irom aloft has just sung out, " Land !'' Thrice w elcome sound ! It is, doubtless, some part of Long Island, and thus satisfied, we are crowding all the sail we can. Evening. — At length riding safely at anchor with- in Sandy Hook, sixteen miles from New York, so thai we may fully anticipate a termination of our voyage to-morrow. About two hours before we an- chored two boats came alongside of us, the one for the letter-bag, the other for the newspapers for the different reading rooms. Their first inquiries were after the health of our most gracious Majesty, whom we could only report alive when we left; more, I imagine, than the next packet will be able to do. Shortly after despatching these boats, a pilot boarded us. It is the finest evening we have had for long, so that we have distinctly seen them sending up rockets from the Castle Gardens in New York, the scene of nightly displays of fire-works, I am told, during the summer months, and a very favourite resort for the fashionables of the city. Most of our party making merry with champaign, rejoiced at the coming prospect. _^\st. — A brilliant morning, but no wind. Are be- ginning to feel it very warm. The pilot reports it tlie hottest summer they have had since the year 1822, lor some days the thermometer in the shade having stood at 93"; — appalling intelligence after the tempe- rature we have been exposed to for the last five weeks, muffled up in top-coats and cloaks, and shivering even APPROACH TO NEW YORK, AND LANDING. 2 1 then, and now finding- oar lightest summer attire almost oppressive. — Scarcely a breath of air until four o'clock, when we had just enough to put us in motion for the city, the approach to which is very fine, heightened by the beauty of the day and the extreme clearness of the atmosphere. The shores on each side, though a good deal wooded, have, nevertheless, a rich and cultivated appearance, often ornamented with a handsome villa, and every where well guarded with fortifications. Governor's Island, nearer the city, also a military station, is a beautiful object, and soon the Battery, Castle Gardens, many of the churches and public buildings, and Brooklyn on the heights, with crouds of shipping in the Bay, arrest the attention, and cannot fail to excite deep interest in the mind of a stranger ; but I was withdrawn from the contem- plation of this imposing scene to be introduced to one still more agreeable : two of my fi'iends, having ob- served our apjjroach, had come off in a boat to give me a welcome to their shores, which I was within a little of reaching* before they knew any thini^: of my intention of visiting them, the ship by which I had been advised of having only arrived on the precedintr day, though it had the start of us from Liverpool nearly a week. Mutual congratulations exchanged, I accompanied them ashore, and shortly after crossed the river to the residence of a friend in Brooklyn, situated immediately opposite to New York. Upon ascending the elevation on which it is partly built, 1 was much struck with the fineness and extent of the view which it commanded, embracing the whole of 22 NEW YORK AND BROOKLYN, the city, the bay, the vessels in the East River, as it is termed, (though more properly I should think a strait or sound,) Governor's and other Islands, the Highlands of the Hudson, as well as the shores of New Jersey. The houses in the principal streets have a particularly neat and elegant appearance : they are chiefly built of wood, and painted white, with green latticed blinds on the outside ; and most of them I observe are furnished with conductors. For the entire length of some of the streets, weeping willows are planted on each side, which, independent of being very ornamental, afford a delightful shade to the fronts of the houses, and protect the foot-paths even from a noon-day sun. It was late before I returned to the city, which I had engaged to do with a friend, who had taken up his quarters at a boarding-house (seemingly more in fashion here than hotels) in V W.-street ; but I am sorry to say it proved much too early for my comfort, having scarcely retired to bed ere I found myself assailed by those most loathsome of nocturnal annoyances, bugs, and have arisen this TciOYnmg,{\st August) with one of my organs of vision nearly closed, besides divers other injuries, altogether a very pretty figure to make my dehut in a foreign city. Madame hostess, however, promises another room to-night, and strict search during the day, so I try my luck once more. — Chiefly in-doors, and little to remark. 2nd. — Of the past night I shall only observe that it was infinitely worse than its predecessor, the vile vermin compelling me to effect a precipitate retreat NEW YORK AND BROOKLYN. 23 from my apartment, and indeed from the domicile altogether, into the street, before one o'clock this morning ; and what, with the loss of two entire nights' rest, and being swelled and inflamed from head to foot, into the bargain, I feel now as good for nothing as, under such circumstances, I may well be supposed to do. But enough — 'tis as poor a subject for others as myself. — This being the first business day since my landing, my first business upon it was to obtain a permit from the Custom-house to bring my luggage ashore, for which article I was charged 20 cents. The officers here, since the tariff came so extensively into operation, are more precise and troublesome than in England, first obliging you to swear, or affirm, to the contents of your packages, and afterwards subjecting them to as scrupulous a search as if no such ceremony had been exacted. — Found the passengers, officers, and crew of our vessel, natives as well as strangers, complaining grievously of the heat of the weather, though the thermometer in the shade was scarcely standing at 80° ; but the contrast between that and 58*^ and 60«; which we had it for the chief part of our passage, is too considerable to accommodate one's-self to, very agreeably, at so short a notice. Dined with my friends at Brooklyn, and, after my two nights' experience of the state of things in the city, and an assurance that I might go elsewhere and fare no better, was well satisfied to accept of their very pressing invitation to continue where I was, and pre- serve what remained to me of my English blood, for some worthier opportunity and assailants. c 2 24 NEW YORK AND BROOKLYN. Srd. — Rose this morning vastly refreshed, and feeling myself again. In the course of the day made a pretty extensive perambulation of the city, of which, how- ever, I shall not, at present, attempt any description ; as a whole 1 was highly pleased with it. The City- hall and the Exchange are indeed noble edifices. Many of the banks, hotels, and other public places, are very spacious and elegant; and the Battery, Castle Gardens, Broadway, &c., are well worthy the admiration they so generally excite ; but, as a striking defect, I noticed a great want of uniformity in the buildino- of the houses, and, in the business streets particularly, of a total inattention to neatness, if I may not add cleanliness. At a future opportunity, and upon further acquaintance, will return to the sub- ject again, and offer a somewhat more respectful notice of this great city. — Revisited Brooklyn in the evening, of which, the more I see, the more I admire it. It is nothing less than a charming situation, inter- esting in itself, and so completely removed from the noise, dust, and bustle of the town, and yet through the medium of the steam-boats regularly crossing the river every five minutes during the day, seeming to possess every advantage of a residence in it. Its pre- sent population amounts to 15,000, but it is very rapidly increasing, and will, no doubt, continue to do so, many of the principal merchants, &c. now giving it a decided preference to the upper parts of the city. After a day spent there, what a luxury to ascend its beautiful heights, inhale the fresh and pure breezes from the water, and feast the eye with all the varied BROOKLYN, &C. 25 attractions which the scene unfolds ! I liave found it so, at least, ere yet I have scarcely known it. Mucli of the land in the neighbourhood of Brooklyn appears to be devoted to the raising of fruits and vegetables for its own and the New York markets; prodigious quantities of which are taken across the water daily, as, also, from other parts of the island. I have counted eleven waggons driven off one steam-boat at a time ; and a friend, who was with me, told me there were frequently more. It is besides a place of considerable trade ; contains tanneries, distilleries, cotton and linen cloth manufactories, rope-walks, market-houses, and a great number of stores, warehouses, &c. There are several places of worship, a Lancasterian school, and other very respectable seminaries. — Thermometer at noon to day 81®. A thunder-storm in the evening, which greatly relieved the air. Night temperate and pleasant. 4:th. — Previous to setting out on my intended excursion to the western part of the state, wishing to see something of Long Island, and having given a relative, resident near Flushing, a promise of spend- ing a few days with him, took my place this afternoon upon a steam-boat, plying daily to different parts of of the Sound, to Whitestone, about eighteen miles distant from New York. We had a pretty numerous party on board. The day was beautiful, and the scenery along the banks of the river of a very interest- ing character. About midway between New York and Whitestone we passed by Horll Gatt, or Hurl Gate, (by some even less respectfully designated) a narrow. 26 FLUSHING. crooked, and dangerous strait, occasioned by huge projecting rocks, which very much contract the bed of the river, and produce tremendous whirlpools and eddies, formerly to the loss of many vessels which at- tempted the passage, though no accident of the kind has recently occurred, the navigation being better understood : to strangers, however, it has still rather a formidable appearance. At high water the rocks are nearly covered, and the current but little ruffled. On arriving at Whitestone, a mere landing, I was met by a conveyance, which my friend had kindly despatched for me, and soon set down at his abode. — W- left England about ten years ago, married into one of the most respectable families on the island, purchased a nice farm, and is now settled in the midst of his wife's relations, and surrounded by as fine a little group of his own as I have often seen ; doubtless as happy as such a pleasing combi- nation of circumstances can render him, and assuring me, that, if an estate in England were left to him, he would not cross the Atlantic again to take posses- sion of it. I know not, indeed, wherein would con- sist the inducement. In the morning, the 6th, I accompanied him over his farm, which comprises near two hundred acres of land, with an excellent house, outbuildings, &c. The quality of the soil, like most in the island, is rather light, but, with the aid of manure, produces excellent crops of all descriptions of grain and various kinds of fruit. He has a beautiful young peach orchard, con- taining one thousand trees, now loaded with fruit. FLUSHING. 27 selling in New York market, at from a dollar to a dollar and a half per bushel ; twenty or thirty acres occu- pied with apples, which thrive remarkably well, and are worth two dollars per barrel, of two bushels and a half. There are nearly fifty acres of woodland upon the farm, in which I observed a good deal of fine timber of different sorts, viz. the common, the white, and the red oaks, cedar, hickory, sassafras, birch, chesnut, and locust ; the latter a wood much in re- quest, and sells from sixty cents to a dollar per foot- W has taken considerable pains with his stock, and has a fine breed of cows, sheep, and pigs, with some very handsome and valuable young horses : — quite entered into the spirit of farming. The morning was very sultry, and whilst walking we remarked an unusual heat in the ground, so much so as when off the turf to be quite unpleasant to the feet. About mid- day it began to cloud over, became exceed- ingly dark, and a thunder-storm succeeded, which, whilst it lasted, was a complete tornado, more violent, W tells me, than he has known for years. It has done great damage amongst the fruit and other trees in the neighbourhood, torn some large ones up by the roots, and broken almost every branch oflf others. In half an hour after it was over the sun broke out again as bright as ever, and, though it rained very heavily during the storm, upon going out the only re- maining moisture I could perceive was upon the leaves of a few Swedish turnips which were growing in the garden. So essential to vegetation are frequent showers in this island in the hot months. In a dry 28 FLUSHING. summer tliey suffer much. — As a thing which has at- tracted my attention since coming into the country, I may notice the endless variety of the insect tribe with which the creation every where teems, many of them unknown in England, and generally too insignificant to occasion inconvenience. Omitting bugs, to be met with in most countries and horrible every where, the most troublesome on the list is the musqueto, much resembling our gnat, only larger, but the bite of which is venomous in the extreme ; and even if you can manage to keep them off by day, their perpetual buzzing around you is very annoying ; and at night, unless you envelop yourself or the entire of your bed in a net, and exclude all light from the apartment, you are tormented with them beyond measure ; and what with locusts, crickets, tree-toads, kater-dids, grasshoppers, &c. &c., the din and bustle of the country, though of a very different kind, seems scarcely less than that of the tovyn, and strikes by no means agreeably, as contrasted with the melody of the feathered choir in England, scarcely one of which has any note in America. 'Tis true, the winter effec- tually suppresses the nuisance, a remedy, you will say, as bad as the disease; and a stranger might deem it unworthy of notice at any time, but let him make his first landing here in the month of July or August, and I will venture to saj', unless he be both deaf and invulnerable, he does not pronounce it so afterwards. 6th. — Much of this and the succeeding day were occupied in visiting farms in the neighbourhood, and FLUSHING. 29 in making such memorandums on agricultural sub- jects, as appeared to me most interesting ; briefly as follows : — First stating that Long Island (called also Nassau Island) belongs to the state of New York; that it is about 115 miles long from east to west, and 20 broad ; that is, at its greatest breadth, not averaging more than ten. It is bounded on the south by the Atlantic, and on the north by Long Island Sound, which separates it from the continent. Its eastern extermity terminates in a point, and westward it ex- tends into the iN'arrows, about eight miles below New York. It is divided into three counties, King-'s County, (the longest settled, I believe, in the state,) Queen's County, and Suffolk County, the latter ex- tending over two- thirds of the island. — The character of the land in Long Island is very various ; but the north side of it, for twenty or thirty miles up, com- prises the best. Farms in this part are to be purchased at from forty to one hundred dollars per acre, accord- ing to buildings and improvements upon them, &c. To the south the soil is very sandy, and, in some parts, not v/orth cultivation. The east is very much over- grown with pine forests. — Indian corn appears to be considered the staple article of produce, yielding from 25 to 50 bushels (of 6Q lbs) per acre, and worth from 50 to 60 cents per bushel. Wheat may average 20 bushels (of 61 lbs.) per acre, and the price 1 dollar. Oats, 30 bushels, (of 30 lbs.) price 37| cents. Barley, 25 bushels, (of 52 lbs.) price 62| cents. Rye, 20 bushels, price 62 1 cents. Clover seed not gathered. Hay, from 30 to 40 cwt, per acre, price 8 to 10 dollars 30 FLUSHING. per ton. ' Potatoes and turnips, much as in England, the price of the former 37f cents per bushel; the latter not much grown for cattle. Horses, for farming purposes, are worth from 60 to 75 dollars; fancy horses, from 130 to 400 dollars. Milch cows, from 15 to 40 dollars. Sheep, (fat) 2 dollars; store sheep, 1 dollar. Pigs, (fed) 5 dollars per 100 lbs. weight. Beef, by the carcase, from 6 to 8 dollars per 100 lbs. hide and tallow given in. Butter usually sells for about 18 cents the lb. ; no cheese made. Turkeys are worth 1 dollar. Geese, 50 to 75 cents. Ducks, the couple, 75 cents. Fowls, 62| cents. Eggs, 12 cents per dozen; apples and peaches, already noticed, with melons, strawberries, cherries, and currants, are produced in abundance, and sold at remunerating prices. The natural grasses of the island seldom grow stout enough to mow, but the artificial ones thrive well, and will average from 25 to 30 cwt. for four years, though, of course, this is much dependant upon the dryness or wetness of the season. Manure, or ashes, are every where requisite, and much used: a plentiful supply obtained from New York : the ulti- mate cost on the land about twenty dollars per acre. The salt marshes also, and frequent inlets from the sound, afford great quantities of marine vegetable manure, the salt grass being of little value for other purposes. Fallowing is not much practised. The land tilled about equally by horses and oxen. The price given to farming men through the summer season (say for eight months) is from eight to twelve FLUSHING. 31 dollars per month ; in the winter from four to six dollars per month, always boarding them, — the inva- riable practice throughout the country. Women, five dollars per month, the year round, and board. The usual hours of labour are from sun-rise to sun-set. The most general kind of fencing is stone walls, the erection of which cost about 125 cents the rod ; some have a stone foot, with post and rails above, raised at rather less expense. The roads in the island, though a little too sandy, may, upon the whole, be considered good. The cost of repairing them to the farmer about five or six dol- lars to every hundred acres of land he occupies. There are very ready conveyances to New York both by land and water,* principally by steam-boats : passage for a person 2-5 cents ; freight for fruit, grain. Sec. 3 cents per bushel. The expense of carting by land, (a load of hay, &c.) when a team and man are hired for the purpose, is one dollar and a half One great advantage attaching to Long Island, or the west end of it, as a situation for farming, is its contiguity to New York, in consequence of which it is always furnished with a superior market for its various productions, particularly butter, fruit, and vegetables; and oftentimes, in the blockade of winter, * When 1 say by land, I mean, of course, to Brooklyn, at which place the sound, or river, is only three-quarters of a mile in width, and where, by means of floating slips, horses and carriages are driven without any difficulty upon the steam-boats, and conveyeJ across, in a few minutes, with as much facility as if upon a bridge. How is it that we do not adopt a similar plan at many of our ferries, where it could be used with so much advantage? At Runcorn, above Liverpool, for instance. D 32 FLUSHING. articles of bulk and weight may be conveyed to the rity, when, from the difficulty and expense of carriage, they are prohibited from places more remote ; wood, potatoes, hay, and straw, upon these occasions, will frequently return the farmer a profit of fifty or even a hundred per cent. Tiiere is a considerable quantity of game, &c. on the island, (though decreasing,) consisting of quail, some partridge, woodcocks, snipe, and rabbits, and, at seasons, wild ducks innumerable; in the forests to the east, deer are also found. The bays, with which the island is much indented, abound with varieties of excellent fish. Upon the whole I should be inclined to say that Long Island is rather a situation for an opulent farmer than for one of limited means. The land, in the first place, is much dearer than in other parts of the state, and. in addition, it is cultivated at a greater expense. Retired, or half-retired merchants are, therefore, com- monly to be found amongst the proprietors, a class of persons farming about as much for amusement as profit, and, as " the old coachman loves the smack of the whip," whenever they feel a taste for business, or the city, they are, at any moment, ready to step into it. The island, for the most part, is considered healthy, though the fever and ague is, by no means, unknown. The day of my last date {1th August) has been the Iwttest since my landing. Thermometer 85^ in the shade. Took a boat for an hour or two's fishing in one of FLUSHING. 33 the bays, though without any success as far as re garded our own efforts, but boarding- a smack we hooked out of her well a number of fine black fish, and, at the expense of a dollar or so, returned well laden to the gentleman's from whose house we started, and to his no small surprise, until we discovered the manoeuvre we had been practising ; though the fishing here is often very good. The master of the smack told us that he had about 1800 then in his well, weighing from half a pound to five and six pounds apiece. Lobsters are caught in great plenty, and have been taken of the extraordinary weight of twenty-five pounds each ! I myself saw the claw of one which, when fresh, I am satisfied would have weighed from seven to nine pounds. Upon returning to W 's in the evening T was presented with a New York paper in which I was not surprised to read as follows: — "The packet-ship Man- chester, Captain Sketchley, from Liverpool, arrived in town yesterday morning, bringing advices of that long-anticipated event, the decease of his Majesty George the Fourth. The bulletin issued on the occa- sion was as follows : — ' Windsor Castle, 26th June, 1830. It has pleased Almighty God to take from this world the King's most excellent Majesty. His Majesty expired at a c|uarter-past three o'clock this morning without pain. (Signed) H. Halford, — Mat- thew John Tierney.' His Majesty was born 12th August, 1762, and was consequently in the 68th year of his age; ascended the throne 29th January, 1820, crowned 19th July, 1821, and died 26th June, 1830. 34 FLUSHING. The Duke of Clarence immediately took tlie oaths of office as William the Fourth. He was born 23d August, 1765." So for the present ends the career of the Georges ! SfL — Have felt the night oppressive ; but which I attribute, in part, to sleeping with closed windows, (a thing, summer or winter, I scarce ever practise,) to exclude my musqueto enemies. In the morning rode with to Flushing village; in our way to which we called at , the finest establishment I have seen in the island, and conveying every idea of comfort and independence. The house is built of wood, and, after the fashion here, has a spa- cious entrance hall, with the door at the side, which admits of windows along that part, and besides the outer door, mostly open, there are also latticed doors at each end. The floor is very neatly matted, and the hall, throughout, furnished pretty much as a parlour, with sofas, settees, &c. It is, beyond any comparison, the pleasantest summer room in the house. I know not why this style of building should not be more frequently adopted in England ; it will by me, however, whenever I turn house builder. Here the effects of the tornado, mentioned on the 5th, were but too sadly apparent, and besides other damage we found the family much regretting, as well they might, the loss of a most beautiful weeping willow, which grew near the house, every branch of which had been stripped, and the bare stump only left standing. Flushing is a neat, lively village, at the head FLUSHING. 35 of the bay, containing a number of good houses, stores, some excellent hotels, and several places of worship. Dr. Spaftbrd, in his Gazeteer of the State of JSTew York thus refers to it : — '* Within a few years the fashionables of the metropolis have made Flushing, which, indeed, has many attractions, quite a place of resort for the butterflies of fashion, at least for a part of the year, and it has, of course, genteel accommodations, and receives, for its day, many high encomiums on the pleasure of a trip to Flushing, the town, the bay and harbour, so like * Venice and its bay.' But 'the fashions of this world pass away;' and I hope this resort may not make Flushing too much like Venice, before it take some other direc- tion." Under the same head is also the following no- tice : — "In this town (township) are still remainin^^ two white oaks, which, with others long since de- stroyed, formed a shade, under which Georji^e Fox held a religious meeting in the year 1672. It is well known that George Fox was the founder of the sect of Friends, or Quakers, and that they erect no monu- ments to perpetuate remembrance. The Quakers, therefore, regard these trees with lively interest, and see in them all that monuments could teach, however splendid or costly." Returned to W *s to dine ; soon after which, with many obliging regrets at the shortness of my stay, I again took my departure to Flushing, to meet the New York steam-boat. Varying the morning's route a little, we passed by what is considered, I be- D 2 36 NEW YORK AND BROOKLYN^ lieve, the most complete farm upon the ishind. It consists of two hundred acres of land, a very su- perior house, a g-ood farm-house, and excellent out- buildino's^ beinsc ^^^<^ ^^'<^1^ fenced, and in a high state of cultivation. It cost the ori2;inal proprietor 75,000 dollars, and has lately heen sold for 30,000 dollars. Tt is, however, wantinj^' of wood, which greatly de- tracts from its value. On arriving- at New York, I crossed the ferry to Brooklyn, where I was politely welcomed by the friends whose hospitable roof I had so recently quitted. The temperature of to-day much as yester- day. 9fh. — The night very fine and pleasant, as the morning continues. Making up letters for England, by the ship Adeline, leaving to-morrow, when I also hope to be off on my western journey. lOM. — A day of dissatisfaction, having passed it in the disappointed expectation of the arrival of a gen- tleman from Philadelphia, who had engaged to ac- company me into Orange county : come or not I start in the morning. My worthy friends at Brooklyn are much troubled this evening on account of the serious indisposition of their infant, from an attack of cholera morbus, a disease which carries off a great number of children here at this season of the year. Two doctors* have been called in, who quite disagree as to the mode of treatment, and between them and \\\e disease * In this land oF freedom doctor appears to be a title giv5 posts dur- ing the revolutionary war, is situated on the west side of the Hudson, near the entrance of the Highlands on the north. It formed one of the most important fastnesses of the American army during the eight years' contest with the British nation ; and the con- sequence attached to it, in a military point of view, was evinced by the repeated but unsuccessful efforts of the enemy to obtain it. 'It was here that Arnold conceived the horrid pur- 44 HUDSON RIVER, &:c. pose of bartering his country for gold. This con- spiracy, however, which aimed a death-blow at liberty in the western hemisphere, resulted only in the uni- versal contempt and ignominy of Arnold and the lamented death of the unfortunate Andre.* There * 'J he circumstances connected with this event are of so peculi- arly interesting and affecting a character, that, though rather a long one, I cannot feel satisfied to withhold or abridge the following extract. 'I'hose familiar with the history of the revolutionary war must forgive me — those who are not will • — " Benedict Arnold was a native of the State of Connecticut, and from the first commence ment of hostilities he had distinguished himself as a brave soldier, and an enterprising and skilful commander. He had succeeded iu the bold and difiicult attempt to invade the Canadas from the State of Maine, where the sutferings of himself and soldiers had excited the sensibility of the nation towards him. At Quebec, on Lake Champlain, and at Saratoga, he had acted a distinguished part ; and, at the time of his appointment to the command of West Point, which was in November, 1779, he bore an honourable testi- monial of his attachment to his country, in the wounds which he had recently received at the surrender of Burgoyne. " The residence of General Arnold was at the house and farm of Colonel Beverly Robinson, opy)osite West Point, on the east bank of the Hudson : — (the house is still a conspicuous object.) — It was here that General Arnold made the first proposals to surrender West Point, and the forces vmder his command, to the British army. The agents on the part of the British were Colonel Beverly Robinson and Major .John Andre, who held frequent communications with the American General from on board the Vulture sloop of war, then lying at Haverstraw Bay, about 10 miles below Stoney and Verplank's Points. " Major Andre, at that time 29 years of age, had from the natural amiablenes of his character, and his superior accomplishments as a citizen and a soldier, acquired the unreserved confidence of his officers, and was emphatically considered the favourite of the Bri- tish army. In early life he had formed an attachment with a lady whom he addresses by the name of Delia, and to whom he had devoted all the leisure afforded from the intervals of a mercantile profession, until the news of her marriage with a more successful rival, drove him, disappointed and unfortunate, to the bustling pur- suits of the camp. His biographer remarks : — ^ There was some- thing ^ingularly interesting in the character and fortunes of Andre* HUDSON RIVER, ScC. 45 are here at present a number of dwelling-houses, and a military academy, built on the plain which forms the To an excellent undertanding, well improved by education and tra- vel, he united a peculiar elegance of mind and manners, and the ad- vantages of a pleasing person. His knowledge appeared without ostentation. His sentiments were elevated, and inspired esteem, as they had a softness that conciliated affection. His elocution was handsome — his address easy, polite, and insinuating. By his merit he had acqviired the luilimited confidence of his General, and was making rapid progress in mihtary rank and reputation. But in the height of his career, flushed with new hopes from the execution of a project the most beneficial to his party that could be devised, he is at once precipitated from the summit of prosperity, and sees all the expectations of his ambition blasted, and himself ruined.' " A night in the month of Sept., 1780, was chosen for the fatal in- terview between Arnold and Andre. Under the pretence of a cor- respondence with the British General, on the subject of a treaty of peace, Arnold had succeeded in enlisting in his service an intelli- gent and respectable citizen of the name of Smith. Under his di- rection a boat was despatched to the Vulture sloop of war, then lying across the Bay of Haverstraw, about twelve miles distant, to convey the British agent to the place appointed by Arnold for their meeting. On examining the papers, it was found that a pass had been sent for Colonel Beverly Robinson, and also a blank pass for whomsoever should be selected for the important trust. In the latter pass was inserted the name of John Anderson, under which name Andre consented to be conveyed to the shore from whence he was destined never to return. The place appointed for the inter- view was at the foot of a mountain called Long Clove, on the west side of the Hudson. Hither General Arnold had repaired, and on the arrival of Andre was found secreted in a thick grove of firs, the scene of their subsequent conference. After considerable conversation, which lasted till the dawn of day,itwas found impracticable for Andre to return without being discovered from the neighbouring forts of Stoney and Verplank's Points. He was, therefore, conveyed to the house of Smith, the pe'-son who had brought him to the shore, and who afterwards accompanied him on his way to New York. At this house he procured a coat in exchange for his military dress which he had worn on shore, and on the evening of the day after his arrival, set out in company with Smith, and under a pass from General Arnold, for White Plains, " The first nightof their journey was spent at a Mr. M'Koy's, about eight miles from the place of their departure. The next day they 46 HUDSON RIVER, kc. bank of the river, 188 feet in height, to which a road ascends on the north side of the point. In the back rode withovat any interroption, as far as Pine's Bridge, across the Croton river, which empties into the Hudson on the west side, at the head of Tappan Bay. Here, having received the necessary in structions as to the road he was to take, Andre the next morning took leave of his guide, and pursued his journey. He had not pro- ceeded more than six miles, when he was arrested by the three American militia-men, who, with others, were out on a scouting party between the out-posts of the two armies. These men stopped Major Andre in a narrow part of the road, at a place near Tarry- town, by suddenly seizing his horse by the bridle. Instead of imme- diately producing the pass which had been furnished him by General Arnold, Andre inquired where they belonged tol They answered, •' To below." Not suspecting any deception, he replied, " So do I j" and declaring himself to be a British Officer, he entreated that he might not be detained, being on pressing business. This declaration •was followed by further inquiries, which excited still more suspicion, and at length induced a resolution on their part to detain him. Finding himself thus surprised and a prisoner, he made use of every persuasion to regain his liberty, and offered a very valuable gold watch for his release; but it was all to no effect. " They asked for his papers, which being refused, they commenced searching him, and memorandums, in Arnold's handwriting, relating to the forces and defences of West Point, were found concealed in his boots. *' Despatches were immediately forwarded to Gen. Washington, together with a letter from Major Andre to General Arnold, appriz- ing him of his arrest and detention. In consequence of some mis take of the messenger, information of the circumstances reached Arnold some time before Washington was apprized at all of them. Upon the receipt of the letter Arnold seized the messenger's horse, and immediately proceeded down a precipice to the river, where boats were always ready to pass to and from West Point, and jump- ing into one of them, he directed the hands to row him down the river to the Vulture sloop of war. In the meantime information bad been received by Washington, and scarce had Arnold passed Stoney and Verplank's Points, when Colonel Hamilton arrived at the latter place with orders to stop him. " Andre was arrested on the 23rd Sept., and a Board of General Officers were immediately summoned, by order of General Wash • ington, for his trial. The circumstances of the case were the sub- ject of much excitement in both the American and British aimiea, HUDSON RIVER, &C. 47 ground, and elevated on a mass of rocks 598 feet in height, is the site of Fort Putnam. Silence and decay now mark the spot of this once formidable fortress. Its mouldering ruins, however, convey a pretty cor- rect idea of the impregnable barrier its ramparts once presented to the enemies of freedom. 'The Military Academy, here established by Con- gress, was first organized under the direction of the late General Williams, in 1802. Of the number of applicants for admission to this institution, a pre- ference is usually given, first, to the sons of officers of the revolution, and, secondly, to the sons of deceased officers of the late war. None are admitted under the age of fourteen years, nor above twenty- two. The number of cadets is limited to 250, each of whom costs the Government 336 dollars annually; and the whole establishment is maintained at an an- nual expense of 115,000 dollars. In addition to the and created much sympathy in favour of Andre. After an inquiry of a number of days, the court determined that Andre ought to be considered as a spy from the en emy, and that, agreeably to the law and usage of nations, he ought to suffer death. This sentence was protested against, on the ground that Andre had been admitted into the American camp under the protection of a i^agjand at the imme- diate instance of Arnold, the commanding officer of the district, whose safe passport and return he had a right to demand. But the sentence was consented to be waved only on condition of deliver- ing Arnold into the custody of the American army ; which being refused by the British General, Andre was executed on the 2nd of October, 1780, at Tappan, or Orange Town, where his remains were deposited. When disinterred, for the purpose of being conveyed to England, it was discovered that the roots of a cypress had entwined their branches around the skull of the deceased. " The four surviving children of Gen. Arnold have become pen- sioners of Great Britain, and receive annuities of £100 sterling t-acb." E 2 4i. HUDSON RiVfR &C. various sciences which are taught here, the cadets ar« instructed in all the practical minutiae of tactics ; com- prehending the lowest duties of the private soldier, as well as the highest duties of the officer. They are also required to encamp for six or eight weeks in a year; during which time they are instructed in the manner of pitching and striking tents, in the various infantry evolutions, and in all the details of the camp.* * Several of the buildings at West Point are elegant, and among the number may be ranked a new and spacious hotel. It has been erected in a style and on a scale which render it a great ornament to the grounds. It is substantially built of stone, painted yellow, and the lower story is surrounded on its sides with extensive piazzas, forming a delightful prome- nade. Its rear is upon the Hudson, and presents a fine view up the river through the Highlands. The front faces the parade ground and the ground used for the encampipent.* ' Near the north- eastern extremity of the grounds, at the projecting point forming the abrupt bend of the river, stands a monument of white marble, consisting of a base and short column, on the former of which is simply inscribed on one side, " Kosciusko," it hav- ing been erected to the memory of that distinguished patriot, who resided here.' 'On the bank of the Hudson, at the south-eastern extremity of the parade ground, and several yards be- neath, is a spot called Kosciusko's Garden, or Kos- cuisco's Retreat. It is the place to which the Polish 49 patriot was accustomed to retire to study, and which was cultivated by his own hands. Though now neg- lected, the marks of cultivation are perceptible in the regularity of the walks and the arrangement of the trees. A more delightful spot for recreation or repose cannot be imagined, nor one more suitable as a retreat from the cares of the great world, or a sanctuary for unfortunate patriotism or persecuted virtue.* ' Passing the Highlands, the prospect changes into a very agreeable contrast. The bay of Newburgh with the village of the same name, and New- Windsor, and on the opposite shore the village of Fishkill, with its numerous adjacent manufactories and country seats, together with a view of the Hudson for many miles above, form a prospect which cannot fail to impart much interest. The village of New- Windsor stands on the margin of the river, seven miles from West Point. It is calcidated for a pleasant place of resi- dence, but in business it must yield to the rival vil- lage of ' Newburgh. This is an incorporated village, si- tuated on the declivity of a hill on the west side of the Hudson, ten miles north from West Point, and eighty-four south from Albany. It contains about six hundred houses, and four thousand inhabitants. From its situation it commands an extensive inter- course and trade with the country on the west, and, by means of the Hudson river, with New York. This place was for some time the head-quarters of the American army during the revolutionary war; and 60 HUDSON RIVER, &C. the *' stone house" in which General Washington quartered is still standing". ' On the opposite side of the river (from Newhurgh) is Beacon Hill, one of the highest summits of the Fishkill Mountains, where parties of pleasure fre- quently resort, in the summer season, to witness an extent of prospect including a part of the territories of five different states. This hill is 1471 feet in height. * Half a mile south is the New Beacon, or Grand Sachem, 1685 feet above the level of the Hudson. They are called Beacon Hills, from the circumstance that beacons were erected on their summits during the revolutionary war. The continuation of this chain of mountains is lost in the Appalachian Range on the north-east, and extends south as far as the eye can reach. Diminished in distance is seen West Point, environed by mountains, apparently reposing on the surface of the Hudson, and bathing their rocky summits in the clouds.' We reached Newhurgh between twelve and one o'clock, from whence we procured a man with a pair of horses and one of their light waggons to convey us across the county about twenty-five miles, for which we agreed to pay him four dollars. After travelling over twelve miles of very bad road, through a barren, rocky, half cleared, uninteresting country, we arrived at Montgomery, a village with a few pretty good houses and stores, and, perhaps, about 800 inhabitants. We were detained some little time at this place, in borrow- ing another waggon, the one we started with having broken down by the way, and declined further service. ORANGE COUNTY. 51 About a mile before making Montgomery, we passed the house and farm of a Mr. Ifaite, who emigrated from Bristol a few years ago : he has about ninety acres of land, contiguous to his house, for which he gave thirty dollars per acre, and two hundred more at some little distance : — is looked upon as a good and extensive farmer. As we drove along we observed many persons cut- ting and carrying their hay, in the midst of stumps and stones, and where an English farmer would have deemed it utterly impracticable to have performed either operation. They allow their hay to become much riper than we do, gathering it last of all, except their Indian corn crop, and it really appears poor dry and coarse stuff'. The cattle I saw were of a very in- ferior description ; the cows small — precise breed not easily determinable ; sheep, just of the order that range our commons ; and as to pigs, they were per- fectly hideous; their heads large, legs long, sides very flat, and bristled along the back like a wild boar. I have not seen one handsome individual of this race, except in Long Island. With some partial excep- tions, where the land was pretty much cleared of stumps and stones, it had a very uninviting aspect, so much so that had I not previously visited Long Island, and heard reports of other parts of the State, it would, I must confess, have given me but an indifferent opinion of farming in America. With various stoppages and hindrances it was late before we arrived at the end of our journey. My companion had been frequently in this county before. 62 OBANGE COUNTY. and seemed to have a general acquaintance both with farmers and fiirming concerns. At length, at a short distance from the main road, and about two miles from Bloomingburgh, in Sullivan county, he ordered the man to stop at the door of a Mr. , and not having previously heard him make any allusion to re- lationship,! was a little surprised on the old gentleman approaching us, to find him address him by the familiar appellation of " uncle/' a mode of salutation, of youth to age, it appears, nearly as much in vogue, throughout this western, as that of "father" was in the eastern world. Had we been a few minutes later, we should have found the whole household in bed, the major part, I believe, had been there some time, and the arrival of a couple of guests one of the last things thought of; but there was no talk about " bringing night with us'' — '' ivho'd have thought of any body coming now/' — " hardly know ivhere to put your horses," &c. &c ; but those who were up welcomed us with cor- diality ; and those who had retired were quickly sum- moned, and evinced any thing rather than dissatisfac- tion atsuch an untimely interruption of their slumbers; all set about to entertain us in the best way the cir- cumstances of the case permitted : '' Uncle" was very diffuse on politics and religion, (standing and con- secutive topics I find, go where you will,) and we had pretty much settled some abstruse points in both ere we had been half an hour in the house. Aunt and cousins were all alive for news, and plied us with in- terrogatories at an unmerciful rate, which, however, liad I known the destiny that awaited me, I wotdd ORANGE COUNTY. 53 have continued most patiently resijonding to, until the night had so far waned, as to have enabled me to decline, with a perfect good grace, the superfluous accommodation of a bed. " What, the bugs again ?" — Bear with me, reader, though I can hardly bear with myself, — 'tis even so. It is now three o'clock on the morning of the \2th of August, and for the last two hours, unable any longer to endure the mside of the house, I have been making trial of the out, and, in trans-Atlantic phraseology, have located myself in an adjoining shed, after disturbing half the family, and I know not what else, in effecting my escape, but which, after all, by the bye, is but a sorry sort of retreat^ since, though I have cleared the bugs, I have been pounced upon by a fine corps of musquetoes, — light infantry to the others to be sure, but almost ' making up in numbers what they want in weight,' and thirsting for my blood with alike avidity : either are bad enough, but united they oppose one of the most formidable barriers to a peaceable existence in the country I have yet met with ; and it is the more trying to be subject to the annoyance just at that season of the year when the heat of the weather renders you less able to bear it. An American may smile at these remarks, but, as I have said, an English- man will not, — upo7i trial. — A pig has just risen from his berth and paid me a visit — the most agreeable living thing I have seen for hours, — and, thanks, the morning dawns. Deteimining, after what I had seen of the county on the preceding day, and evidenced of its produc- 64 ORANGE COUNTY. tions during the past night, not to prolong my stay in it, betimes this morning, partly on horseback, and partly on foot, I commenced a little further survey ; availing myself wherever, and so far as I could, of the experience of practical residents, but without tending much to remove the unfavourable impressions pre- viously recorded. That portions of rich and valuable land are to be found in some parts, I readily admit ; but the general character of it is rocky and rugged in the extreme. I do not believe that a farm of two hundred acres could be any where selected in the county, of which the majority could be called ivell cleared, good land. Perhaps the best is to be found the neighbourhood of Goshen, where a great weight of butter is made and sent to New York market, at which it is in high repute. There is also some quantity of hemp grown in the county. Farms, with a fair house and outbuildings, are to be purchased for about thirty dollars per acre ; price, of course, varying a little with circumstances. Articles of produce much as in Long Island, though the yield is generally less, and prices lower, and little, if any, fruit, &c. is cultivated for the New York market. Plaster is much used as a manure, worth at Newburgh seven dollars a ton ; considered a sufficient quantity for twelve acres. Cider is chiefly made for private use. The county is well supplied with water, and there is abundance of iron ore, mar- ble, lime, sand-stone, &c. ; but for an English farmer I should consider it any thing but desirable. Soon after four o'clock, p. vi, I made for the high ORANGE COUNTY Newbur^k. 56 road, and got into the Western Mall, a ponderous, uncouth vehicle, drawn by four good horses, carry- ins^ nine inside, and one on the seat, or rail, with the driver — a gentleman in his shirt sleeves, and in good keeping with the whole concern. I may here notice a peculiarity in the tactics of American coachmanship, which not unfrequently brings English Jehu's in con- tact with the wheels of their carriages, namely, that of turning out upon the right instead of the left side ; one would verily think by way of opposition, as all to whom I have noticed the custom admit its impro- priety — know not how it has obtained, but that so it is, and they are compelled to observe it. Our progress along a rugged, and, in some parts, dangerous road, was from three to six miles an hour, the dust, at times, nearly choking us : we managed, however, to reach Newburgh soon after nine in the evening. Here it had been my intention to have taken the night boat to Albany, which passed by from New York about an hour afterwards ; but the day having been very warm, my exertion not trifling, and a night of campaigning into the bargain, after receiv- ing very positive assurances at the most respectable hotel in the place (the Mansion House, kept by Evan Davis) that I should be lodged secure from all invasion, I determined upon quartering here until morning ; and shortly requested an introduc- tion to my apartment, which I found as appa- rently neat and clean as I could have desired ; the bed and all the furniture in it excellent and nearly new. Well, thought I, this is some improvement 6^ AT NF.WBURGri, upon Bloomingburgh — no vermin here — sure of a charming night now, at all events — and with such like agreeable reflections and anticipations consigned myself to bed ; but, alas ! alas ! *' man is born to trouble ;'' whoso doubteth it, let him travel in a land of bugs and musquetoes. " Kind nature's sweet re- storer, balmy sleep," had not commenced her visit ere my most persecuting assailants were again at me; — bugs I mean ; and I was soon up and in a state of open warfare, killing and slaying in all directions. Finding myself thus deceived, and suffering se- verely from injuries received, I sallied forth, and was soon in close and no very peaceful contact with both landlord and waiter, who, until they went and examined for themselves, would not believe that such an appearance as I presented could have proceeded from such a cause, or even that the wretched vermin could have found access to the apartment into which they very politely told me (but I was in no mood to be complimented) that they never put any but the most respectable of their company. To dispute the point, however, against the joint evidence of our senses, was out of the question, and after expressing the utmost concern at the occurrence, and lamenting, in consequence of guests received by the steam-boats, in which the pest, or pestilence, if you will, abounds, the great difficulty they had in keeping, or, in fact, knowing, when they were free from it, I could only make the best of my bad bargain, and retiring into a drawing-room, threw myself upon a sofa, and, over- \ND DEPARTURE FOR ALBANY. 57 powered with fatigue and vexation, dropped, perforce, to sleep. August l^th. — A most fine morning', and having taken a dip in the beautiful Hudson, with other re- freshing operations, I feel my condition somewhat improved, though truly in a poor plight, and half ashamed to walk abroad, even in this land of freedom, which, by the bye, at the rate I am proceeding, will prove any thing else to me. I scarcely think to venture into a bed again at any public establishment in the country : the consequences are too serious for any patient endurance, and if this be a fair spe- cimen of American entertainment of travellers, though already I can bear ample testimony to good fare and hospitality, I, for one, must be content to say, *' England, with all thy faults, I love thee still." In consequence of the morning boat, which ought to have arrived here at twelve o'clock, having broken a part of her machinery, and come to a stand a few miles below, I was detained until near five in the afternoon, when the " Chief Justice Marshall" made its appearance, a very fine boat, though smaller than the Albany, from which, in addition to her own, she had received about 250 passengers, so that we were pretty thick upon the ground. It was a splendid moonlight evening, and the scenery which lined the banks of the river, though less grand than that which we passed through on the previous day, pos- sessed almost equal claims to admiration ; the towns and villages on either side we could discern but in- distinctly, — shall probably have an opportunity of •18 ALBANY. noticing them on my return, and therefore only ob- serve that, after passing Milton, Poughkeepsie, Hyde- park Landing, Catskill, the city of Hudson, &c. we reached Albany, at one o'clock this morning the 14^A of August but being unable to get my luggage from the boat before daylight, (an arrange- ment which the frequent thefts committed at all the landing-places of these vessels has rendered necessary) I did not quit it until after four o'clock ; during which interval I was visited again and again by the agents of the two lines of western stages, each eloquent upon the decided superiority of travelling by that for which he was respectively interested. They are termed the *' Old" (which until lately was the only line) and '* Pioneer" line. As a stranger, I at length decided upon the former, and engaged a place to Utica, in Oneida county, ninety-four miles W. N. W. of Albany, to start at nine o'clock ; afterwards getting into the bar of an indifferent inn, the only one I saw open, 1 dozed for an hour or so on three most uneasy wooden chairs, when, recollecting the brief interval allowed me for observation, — not that I forsook my couch with any extraordinary reluctance, — I rose and proceeded to reconnoitre the city ; with which, as the capital of tlie state, I cannot but express myself rather disap- pointed. *It is situated on the west side of the Hud- son river, and near the head of tide water. It was settled in 1612 ; and next to Jamestoivn in Virginia, is the oldest settlement in the United States. In 1614, a small fort and trading house were built by the Dutch on an island half a mile below the site of the present ALBANY. 59 city ; and soon afterwards, Fort Orange,where the city now stands. The place was first called Aurania ; then Beverwyck,t\\\ 1625 ; then Fort Orange, till 1647; and WilUamstadt, till 1664. For a long time after its foundation it was inclosed with palisadoes or pickets, as a defence against the Indians, who were then numerous and powerful in its vicinity. Its charter was granted in the year 1686, and embraced an area of 7160 acres. A great proportion of its soil is sandy and unproductive, and under no system of useful cul- tivation.' Upon my going out soon after six o'clock, I found a great part of the stores open, and nearly as much appearance of business as there would have been at mid-day ; — generally speaking, commercial men in America (by which I include a great majority) commence the day much earlier than the same class in England, and whereas a London or Liverpool merchant will reach his office by ten or eleven, those of New York will be found at their posts soon after, and very often before, eight o'clock. The same want of uniformity and neatness which I had no- ticed at New York, was here still more conspicuous. There are many good buildings in different parts of the town, but nothing like a good street from beginning to end, and some of them are very badly paved, and not wholly free from appearances of vegetation ; the two principal. Market-street and Pearl-street, run parallel with the river, and State- street nearly E. and W. The public buildings most worthy of notice, are the Capitol and the State-hall. F 2 60 ALBANY. * The Capitol, which contains the legislative halls, the common council chamber of the corporation, the su- preme and chancery court rooms of the state, the county clerk's office, the state library, and other apail- ments for business, stands at the head of State- street, on an elevation of 130 feet above the level of the river. It is a substantial stone edifice, erected at an expense of 120,000 dollars ; of which sum 34,000 was paid by the corporation of the city. It is 115 feet in length, 90 feet in breadth, and 50 feet in height, con- sisting of two stories, and a basement of ten feet. The east front is adorned with a portico of the Ionic order. In the senate and assembly chambers, and in tlwj room used for holding the court of chancery, are full-length portraits of Washington, of the various executives who have administered the government of the state, and of Abraham Van Vechten, Esq., an eminent counsellor at law, residing in Albany. There is also in the senate chamber a good bust of Dr. Franklin. ' The State Hall, for the offices of the Secretary of the State, Comptroller, Treasurer, Surveyor-Gene- ral, Attorney-General, and Clerk of the Supreme Court, is situated on the south side of State-street, nearly equidistant from the Capitol and the Albany, Farmers' and Mechanics' Banks; both of which stand at the foot of State-street, and are elegant, white mar- ble edifices. There are in this city four Banks, and fourteen houses for public worship. Also a large brick building for a Lancasterian School, a Theatre in South Pearl-street, an Athenseum, and an Arsenal in ALBANY. fil North Market-street. The Museum is in South Mar- ket-street, and is one of the best in the country. North of the Capitol, stands the Academy, the most elegantly constructed building in the city. It cost about 92,000 dollars, exclusive of the lot on which it is erected, and some donations. It is built of free- stone, three stories in height, and ninety feet in front. It is one of the most flourishing institutions in the state; has five teachers and about one hundred and forty students.' The principal Hotels are the Ame- rican Hotel, in State-street, a large and elegant esta- blishment; the Mansion House, and City Hotel, in north Market-street; the State-street House in State- street, which, with others, no doubt, present every re- quisite comfort and convenience. In point of trade, wealth, and resources, Albany is considered to rank next to New York. The Erie and Champlain Canals, those great works of the day, which I shall take an opportunity of noticing more particularly, unite at Watervliet, eight miles and a half north of the city, and flow into it in one channel; so that the produce of the north and the west, and an immense amount of merchandise from New York, &c. pass through it. No census has been taken since 1820, though one is now in progress; — its present population may be about 20,000, but I speak without data. There are a number of stages leaving daily, in different directions, and extras, or hired convey- ances, to be had in abundance. I much regretted that I had not an opportunity of visiting two objects of interest in the neighbourhood. 62 FARM, NEAR ALBANY, namely, the farm of J. Buell, Esq., and the Shaker Settlement, of which T extract the following notices: — ' The highly cultivated farm of J. Buell, Esq., is about two miles west of Albany on the Cherry Valley turnpike. This farm, consisting of eighty acres, has been wholly reclaimed from commons since 1818, and is now under profitable cultivation. Mr. Buell pos- sessed the first requisite for improvement — a con- sciousness of the ivant of knowledge in his new employ- ment. He diligently sought for this knowledge in the practice of the best farmers, and in the study of the sciences upon which agriculture is based ; directing, and superintending himself the labours of his farm. His improvements consist in selecting the best imple- ments adapted to his soil — in substituting fallow crops for naked fallows — in extensively and success- fully cultivating the Swedish and common turnip, as a second crop, after clover and small grains — in in- troducing new and valuable grasses — in the cultiva- tion of live fences, which he has growing of the white European thorn, of the native thorn of our woods, and of the three-thorned or honey locust — and in the eco- nomy and application of ordinary, and the use of new manures. His object has been to grow only good crops, and these at the least expense. In 1827 he sold from sixty-four acres in tillage and grass, under farm cul- ture, produce to the amount of more than 1500 dollars, exclusive of the consumption of a large family. His kitchen and flower gardens, abounding in the finest native and foreign fruits, ornamental trees, shrubs, and flowers, will also be visited with interest.* SETTLEMENT OF THE SHAKERS. 63 ' The Shaker Settlement at Niskayuna is eight miles north-west of Albany. The Shakers are the followers of Ann Lee, called by them Mother Ann, a religious enthusiast, who was born in England some time ante- cedent to the revolutionary war, and while yet in her youth suffered much tribulation and deep exercises of spirit, in her conversion from the sins of this world to a state of greater perfection. She endured severe trials and much persecution, according to her own account, from her countrymen ; but was afterwards favoured with visions and an exhibition of miracles in her favour. Although in early life herself the wife of a poor blacksmith, the principal tenet of her creed is absolute and entire celibacy, which is defended on various spiritual grounds, and fully set forth in a work recently published by the society. In conse- quence of the persecutions experienced by Mother Ann, in England, she came to this country, and estab- lished a small society, which has been followed by the establishment of others, of which this is one. Her followers regard her memory with pious veneration, and consider themselves as the only people in pos- session of the true light. Some of the oldest and most perfect members, it is said, pretend to " speak with tongues," heal diseases by the touch, &c. The marriage conti'act is dissolved on joining the society ; their association is a perfect community of goods, all private property being thrown into the common stock, and they profess to banish the love of ambition, wealth, and luxury from their gloomy territories. 'They own at this place 2000 acres of excellent land. 64 SETTLEMENT OF THE SHAKERS, laid out and kept in the order, neatness, and cleanli- ness, which always distinguish their sect. This is di- vided into four farms, or families, as they are called, occupied by about seventy-five persons each, of both sexes and of all ages. They cultivate garden stuffs, seeds, &c. for sale, as well as every thing necessary for their own support, and they manufacture various use- ful and ornamental articles. These, as well as the surplus produce of the farm, are sold, and the avails deposited in one of the Albany banks until required. The division of labour which they carry into practice, every occupation being entrusted to separate members, and their economical habits, render their gains very considerable. The men work as fanners, carpenters, shoemakers, tailors, &c. ; the women at weaving, spin, ning, washing, cooking, and in the duties of the farm; making and mending clothes, — the occupations of each sex being performed in separate buildings. They also eat separately, and neither of them will sit down to a meal with what they call the " world's people." The dress of the men is drab, perfectly plain ; that of the women, grey, with white caps, all made as plain and easy as possible. They all have a peculiar walk, but especially the females, in consequence of their mode of worship, from which they derive the name of Shakers, a strange and disagreeable mode of dancing, accompanied with a monotonous song. The young members of the community are regularly taught the steps of this dance by the older ones before they are permitted to join in public worship. It is usual before the admission of a member to all the privileges of the AND DEPARTURE FOR UTICA. C5 society, to impose a noviciate of three months, when, if he so desires, he may leave them ; if not, he is re- gularly admitted a member, and throws his property into the common stock. * Notwithstanding the severity of their discipline as to celibacy, it is said the harmony of their society was lately much disturbed in consequence of a " love affair." A young man and woman, both belonging to the society, in despite of the doctrines of their leader, fell from their estate of " single blessedness," and yielded to a worldly attachment. This heresy, as might be expected, produced considerable commotion. The members wrestled with the tempter, and the elders prayed for and with the victims to the dreaded enemy of the sect ; but all to no purpose. They left the society and were married. It is creditable, how- ever, to the members, that after finding their efforts to prevent this result unavailing, they sent the happy pair sufficient furniture for comfortable house-keeping, assigning as a reason, that they had laboured for the society, and that it was no more than justice to re- ward them.' Before nine o'clock, with seven persons, besides myself, in our vehicle, I was again in motion for Utica. The morning was very fine and warm, but the dust terrible. The first place we arrived at was the city of Schenectady, fifteen miles from Albany ; the road as bad and the country as uninteresting as I have often travelled over, and there appears but very little in the town itself to attract the notice of a stranger. It is situated on the Mohawk river, over which there (t6 SCHENECTADY. is a bridge 330 yards in length, built of wood and roofed over. The Erie Canal also passes through it, but in consequence of the number of locks between and Albany, no paclcet-boats run farther than Schenec- tady, and the intervening distance must therefore be passed by the stages. ' By the present arrangement, boats leave Schenectady every morning and evening, reaching Utica in twenty-four hours, and Buffalo, at the foot of Lake Erie, in four days. The price of con- veyance in the packet-boats is three cents per mile, meals extra.'* Spafford says that the present city *is built on the site of a large Indian town, anciently called Con-migh-harie-(/ngh-harie, literally a-great-mul- titude-collected-together. It was built by a band of the Mohocks, or Mohawks, and could at one time send 800 warriors to the field. At a very early period of our historical knowledge of this country, the Indian settlement at this town was abandoned, (for reasons never understood by the white people,) and those Indians settled among their red brethren in the west. A long time before the American revolution they had entirely abandoned it.' In 1819 it suffered severely by fire, 170 buildings being destroyed, and a large amount of other property. It may now contain 4000 inhabi- tants ; has a college of some celebrity, called Union College, at which about 200 students are educated an- nually ; there is also a Lancasterian and other schools, * These boats are exclvisively for the convej-ance of passengers, comfortably and conveniently fitted up, and towed by two or three horses. They are generally preferred to the stages, — are no doubt much easier — but give me land, however bad, or if it must be water —the ocean — no '* dull canal with locks and chains," &.c. &C., AND LITTLE FALLS. 67 three or four churches, or meeting-houses, (for the body of professors assembling, and not the building, is usually understood by the term church here,) a bank, one excellent hotel near the canal, and others else- where, besides tanneries, stores, &c. Sixteen miles further is Amsterdam, a very poor place, containing forty or fifty houses, where we dined indifferently. Passing on through Caughnawaga, Fort Plain, East Canada Creek, &c. there is little to interest the travel- ler until arriving at Little Falls in Herkimer county, when the scene becomes pleasingly romantic. 'The place takes its name from a cataract in the vicinity, which in size is much inferior to the celebrated Cahoes, and has, therefore, been denominated the Little Falls of the Mohawk. A continuation of the chain of Catsbergs crosses the river at this place, and forms a rough bed for the waters of the cataract, which pour over the rocky fragments in the wildest confusion. Approaching from the south-east, a lofty ridge of mountains, frowning in grandeur on either side, conceals the course of the river and the falls, whose vicinity is announced only by the distant din and foam of its waters. For a considerable distance, a narrow pass only is allowed for a road, with im- mense natural battlements of rock on either side, affording a most sublime and interesting spectacle. About half a mile from the village the road turns suddenly to the left, presenting a view of the falls tumbling with irresistible violence over a gradual rocky descent of about eighty rods. At the termination of the ascent is situated the village, containing about 68 XITTLE FALLS, kc, one hundred houses and eight hundred inhabitants. A little cluster of buildings, rising between the rush- ing waters of the Mohawk on the one hand, and the rugged cliffs and eminences on the other; the smooth current of the stream above gently gliding to the tumultuous scene below, and beyond the distant vale of the Mohawk, diversified with fields, orchards, mea- dows, and farm-houses, — all contribute to set off the romantic appearance for which this place is so justly celebrated. This village derives most of its impor- tance from the facilities for trade and commerce aflforded by means of the Mohawk river and the Erie canal. Boats were formerly transported around the falls by means of a canal on the north side of the river. This old canal contains eight locks, and is now^ connected with the Erie canal on the south side of the river by means of an aqueduct 184 feet in length. The descent of the Erie canal here, in the distance of one mile, is forty feet, which is passed by five locks.' The road from this place continues to pursue the course of the river, and overlooks a rich alluvial vale known by the name of the Herkimer mid German Flats, the latter on the opposite side of the Mohawk. Near the middle of these flats is situated the village of Herkimer, the capital of Herkimer county. — Let me liere remark that the term village, in America, must be understood as synonymous with town in Eng- land, and loivn or township as parish ; as this is the way they are uniformly applied, the Americans nei- ther having nor needing any thing answering to our • TO UTICA. 69 parish; an institution which no English farmer in the present day, and for days to come, will need de- fining-. — Herkimer, like most on this day's route, is an insignificant place, consisting chiefly of two streets and contains about eight hundred inhabitants. The remainder of the way to Utica, we travelled too late in the evening to discern any thing of the face of the country ; it was, however, less hilly, and, from what I could learn, rather loosely cultivated and uninteresting. There is some excellent land in the county of Herkimer, and much of a very inferior description; the best is to be found in the southern part, along the banks of the Mohawk, where, as in Montgomery county, which preceded it, good farms, with buildings and improvements, are to be purchased at from 25 to 40 dollars per acre. Clover seed is here cultivated to a considerable extent, and, it is said, at a good profit to the grower. The northern part of the county is very mountainous, cold, and barren, with immense forests of various kinds of timber, every way ineligible for agriculture. — We reached Uiica about twelve o^clock in the evening, having travelled during the day, though at grievous bodily expense, at the rate of six miles an hour, including stoppages ; a feat which I will venture to say would never have been performed by an English coachman. The road, nearly the whole of the way, was very indifferent — rocky, and uneven, and, for the most part, unguarded. We had jolting enough not only to have broken our vehicle, but almost to have dislocated every bone in ouf bodies : those, however, who are unused to Mac- 70 AT UTICA Remarks by the ivay. adamized smoothness think nothing of it, and the only emotion excited by the head being banged against the top of the coach, or a violent concussion with your opposite neighbour, (an oft-repeated occur- rence in the course of the day,) was a smile, or a hearty laugh, in proportion to the extent and mag- nitude of the jolt, — a proof, amongst the many, what inconveniences and hardships may be tolerated, — borne even with equanimity, when we have no ability or idea of redressing them. I noticed a peculiarity in the toll-gates as we passed along, (which articles are much less frequent than in England,) namely, their drawing up in portcullis fashion, instead of opening as ours do; a custom in eastern countries referred to by that beautiful and sublime passage in the Psalms, '' Lift up your heads, O ye gates !" &c. Another and a very convenient dissimilarity relates to the coachman, who does not expect the slightest fee or remuneration. There is no eternal opening of the door, and " Please, Sir, I stop here ;'' — " Please, Sir, I don't go any further;" — ''Please, Sir, remem- ber the coachman," which is not always quite so 'pleasing as they would kindly desire it to be. Here, the fare paid, generally without opposition, about four cents a mile, you have done with all demands relative to the coach. At the end of every stage the man retires with his horses, which he has to attend upon himself, though this is a much less onerous duty than in England, brushes, curry combs, &c. being but little in request. I do not, in any instance. AT utiCA -Remarks by the way. 71 recollect seeing him at all assisted even in taking out or putting in. Pretty soon after he has cleared him= self away, the driver, who is next to proceed, appears with his team, and though this changing is not quite so expeditious an affair as you may sometimes wit- ness when running opposition with us — I think I have known it performed in twenty seconds — you are off again in as little time as under the circumstances you would suppose possible. There is a very striking difference, too, perceptible at the inns : — look for no bowing landlord or obse- quious waiter at the door to welcome your arrival ; you may alight or not, as you please, and in some instances be served as if yo2i, and not they, were the party obliged. Neither expect to find any snug par- lour or Travellers, or I suppose I must now say, Co7n- 7iiercial Room, to retire to ; the bar seems the only in- habited apartment about the house, and there, upon arrival, the company immediately proceed : within it are always to be met with conveniences for washing — the very first operation — and a comb and a brush attached together by a string, suspended most likely from the ceiling, pro bono publico, and used sans ceremonie by by all comers and goers, though / took the liberty of declining the accommodation. You would suppose that all the news and affairs of the commonwealth, (as they most likely have) had gained access to this place, or, at any rate, you feel perfectly assured of being in a land where that valuable engine, the press, suffers not the slightest embarrassment : papers, daily, and weekly, local, and from different parts of the g2 72 AT UTICA Tlemarks by the way. Union, are strewed about in ' charming profusion/-— the merits of all persons and all things are discussed by all present, — the walls are covered with advertise- ments of elections — fares of stages and steam-boats, when and where running — auctions — sales of land — sales of stock — sales of merchandise — sales of every thing that can be sold — quack medicines without end — the most prominent ' specifics for dyspepsia/ — but take exempli gratia the heads of half a dozen matters which I saw succeeding each other : — " Real estate for sale, at a low price and easy terms to the purchaser." — " Gotham. — Chronicles of the city of Gotham, from the papers of a retired common council-man ; by the author of John Bull, in America ; just received and for sale by E. Peck and Co." — " Lectures on Univer* salism, by Joel Parker, pastor of the third Presbyterian Church, Rochester." — " Journal of Health, price twenty-five dollars per annum" — " Canal transporta- tion." — " Capital prize of 20,000 dollars ! Fortune's home." — " I want o. first-rate miller, and am willing to pay a first-rate price, for this fall. G. G. Kingman," — " Stage fare reduced ! ! ! ! — Pioneer stages from Rochester and Utica, four dollars per seat and under ; and to intermediate places in proportion. Caution to the Public. — A variety of methods having been resorted to in order to impress the public mind with the belief that the Pioneer stages are discontinued, the public are respectfully informed that the proprietors of the said line are running two daily lines of stages between Rochester, Canandaigua, and Utica, and one daily line from Utica to Albany, (sabbaths excepted ;) and AT LT[CA Remarks by the way. 73 that in point of comfort, speed, and low rates of fare, this line shall not be surpassed : office, &c. — R. Hunt, agent." — " Broken Banks ! Bills of the Bank of Co- lumbia, Middle District, and Washington and Warren, purchased by the subscriber. C. W. Dundas, Clinton House." — " Wadsworth's cheese." — " New shad." — "Antibilous Pills." — " Cash for corn and rye." — " Cash for wheat." — " More new goods at the auction store. No. 1, Buffalo-street, near the market." — " Lake Ontario steam-boat." — ** Ontario female seminary." — " Stray horse. — Came into the stable of the subscriber, on the 19th instant, a light bay horse, with white hind legs, and one white fore foot, supposed to be five or six years old — the owner is requested to identify his property, pay the charges, and take him away — Luman Ashley." — A trunk gone." — " American independence for ever," — " Debilitated :" —but, perhaps, the fore- going may suffice. I could notice a few other customs, peculiarities, &c., but scarcely thinking this day's travel furnishes a fair specimen, they may rest for future opportunity and confirmation. I was set down in Utica, at Bagg^s Tavern, a com- modious Inn located at the corner of Main and Genesee-streets, and finding that the western stage, passing through New Hartford, where I was designing to tarry a week with a few ex-English friends, who had settled in the neighbourhood, did not leave till five in the morning, though pressed to make trial of a bed — a luxury I had not enjoyed since quitting Newburgh — I preferred rolling myself up in my cloak, on the floor 74 FRQM UTICA TO NEW HARTFORD. where I was, and calling in the aid of my carpet bag for a pillow, after the flitigues of the day, thought but little of the lowliness of my resting-place, secure, at least, from evils I had endured in more exalted ones, and slept away till near the time of starting. August \6tk. — This morning, before five o'clock, our concern was all in readiness, and the driver most impatient for the appearance of my yesterday's companions, who, jaded like myself, seemed to prefer the carriage whereon they were reposing to the one which they were now summoned to enter, * where hope of present slumber flies.* Jolt, jolt, jolt, however, we were soon at it again ; the morning was cheeringly fine, and the anticipated pleasure of meeting friends I had not seen for years, with the no- velty of all around me, diverted my thoughts from what might not, otherwise, have furnished them with very agreeable occupation ; and the distance to New Hart- ford being little more than four miles, I was happily at the end of my journey ere I had time to become sen- sitive to injuries, grievous enough by repetition. Alighting at the first public establishment the place afforded, after freeing myself from no trifling accu- mulation of dust and dirt, and partaking of an ex- cellent breakfast, I set out, with some previous direc- tion, to discover the retreat of my friends, which I found pleasantly situated, about two miles from the village, ' fast by a sheltering wood,* with a good road, as roads go here, passing by it, and in the midst of rich and well cultivated lands. The wonted excitement of meeting subsided, we, of NEW HARTFORD, &C. 76 course, fell into chat of persons, and things, and many by- gone scenes of the ' Old Country.' which time or distance had yet failed to obliterate, and passed the day, much after the fashion of days of like character, gratified with each other's society, and mu- tually pained, pleased, or surprised, at our respective communications and developments. Some very refreshing rain fell during the afternoon, but scarcely more than enough to lay the dust ; the sun broke out again in the evening, and the day closed as fine as it commenced. August \6th. — I have arisen this morning from the first bed I have passed an hour in since leaving Brook- lyn, and it is needless to add, after a night of most welcome and refreshing repose. After breakfast I rode with one of the family to Whiteshorough, a village about four miles distant, situated on the Sadaquada, or Sauquait Creek, and passed by the Erie canal, with which the main, and I may say the only, street runs parallel. It contains but few good houses, though many are to be observed in the neighbourhood. It is said that the first /mmec? house, erected in the county of Oneida, still in existence, was at this place. — We returned by way of the York Mills, considered the most extensive cotton manufac- tories in the State of New York ; and passed, besides, several considerable manufacturing establishments of different kinds, all indicating the rapid advances which trade and population are making in these parts. On subsequent days I visited other places and parts of the country, committing memoranda and informa- 76 NEW HARTFORD Farming Journal. tion to my Farming Journal from which I extract the following : — * The value and quality of land, as may be imagined, varies very much in different parts of this county. The best quality of soil is perhaps to be met with in the neighbourhood of Utica, which thriving and in- creasing town will soon furnish a market for a large amount of produce raised around it. Farms in the adjacent townships, say, of New Hartford, Clinton, Paris, Whitesborough, and Westmoreland, are worth from 25 to 50 dollars per acre, dependent upon cir- cumstances before alluded to. Wood land is fully as valuable as cleared. Much of the northern and western part of the county is unsettled, and about the Oneida Lake wild land is selling from 5 to 10 dollars per acre, the distance probably 25 or 30 miles from Utica, and 10 from the canal. The soil is for the most part of a strong loam, well calculated for grazing, and fully as productive in grass as grain, though good crops of all descriptions of the latter are raised. The best farms that can be purchased, and this remark may apply generally, I should think the most elegible, — particularly for an Englishman. But little land is rented, hardly enough to establish a rate of rental — 1 think, however, I shall not much err if I state it at from 1 to 1| dollars per acre: when taken in this way it is almost invariably by the year, though there are instances of farms being held on lease. The share, or halving system, as it is called, is not very extensively practiced. The terms of this contract are : — the tenant finding half the seed and the NEW HARTFORD Farming Journal. 77 teams, doing the whole of the work, and dividing the produce with the landlord. If the farm be a good one, the landlord frequently finds teams and milch cows, which are valued to the tenant on coming on, and upon which value he pays about equal to 7| per cent, per annum during the time he uses them. ( The proportion which arable bears to grazing land, in this part of the county, is about one-third. The usual produce of wheat may be given at from 12 to 35 bushels per acre; of barley from 20 to 40 ; of oats from 15 to 60; Indian corn from 15 to 50; potatoes from 150 to 300 bushels; hay from 20 to 60 cwt. The great variation in cjuantity much dependent upon management. Hops and apples are very un- certain ; turnips do not succeed well. The present, and which are about the average prices, are, say of wheat, 1 dollar per 60 lbs. Barley, 45 cents per 48 lbs. Oats, 25 cents. Indian corn, 66 cents per 58 lbs. Potatoes, 20 cents per bushel. Hay, 5 dol- lars per ton. Hops, 12| cents per lb. Cyder sells at from 1 to 3 dollars per barrel, (30 gallons, wine mea, sure.) No clover seed is gathered, but a good deal of timothy grass seed, w^hich brings from 1 to 2 dollars per bushel. Flour is worth about 5 dollars per barrel, of 196 lbs. The value of horses is much as in Long Island ; as also that of cows and sheep. For stall-fed cattle, 5 cents per lb. may be obtained. Fat lambs are worth 1 dollar. Store cattle, say two-year old steers, sell from 10 to 13 dollars ; three-year old, from 20 to 25 dollars per head. Store pigs, 4 cents per lb. alive. 78 NEW HARTFORD Farming Journal. The native cattle are generally raised, and are con- sidered full as well adapted to the country as the im- ported ones ; the cows are small, but good milkers ; the oxen grow large, weighing sometimes 1500 lbs. each. It is quite customary to sell fat stock by its weight when alive. The horses, most in use for farming and other pur- poses, resemble the English stager : no heavy cart Jwrses are used. The sheep are mostly a cross with the native and merino, and cut about 3 lbs. of wool each, worth 37| cents per lb. Butter, taking the year round, sells for 12| cents per lb. Cheese, from 6 to 8 cents. Apples, from 25 to 50 cents per bushel. Turkeys, from 6 to 8 cents per lb. Geese, 25 cents each. Fowls, 4 or 5 cents per lb. Beef is worth from 6 to 8 cents per lb. Veal, 3 to 4 cents. Mutton, 4 cents. Lamb, 30 cents per quarter. Fresh pork, 6 cents per lb. Labourers* wages vary from 5 to 12 dollars per month — of course, exclusive of board — but few are hired by the day ; about half a dollar the usual price when that is the case : they work from daylight to dark all the year round. The land, as in Long Island, is tilled about equally by horses and oxen. Fallowing is much more in practice here than there. Tlie ploughs in use are all single, with cast-iron mould hoards and shares, well adapted to the country : the cost about 8 or 10 dollars each. Waggons are every where much lighter than in NEW HARTFORD Farming Journal. 79 England, calculated for a pair of American horses, weighing about 8 or 10 cwt., and worth from 50 to 60 dollars. But i^w horse carts are used ; those drawn by oxen are a heavy stout vehicle, much as in Herefordshire, worth 40 dollais: other implements are very similar to those used in England. Manure, in this part of the State, is not made a sufficient object of; oftentimes altogether neglected ; but the farmers ere long will learn its value, if I mis- take not. For years after land is cleared it does not require it : it is then too full of vegetable matter — in fact, nothing else ; but I have seen some naturally excellent land exhausted with cropping, and beg gared for want of manure. At Utica it may be plen- tifully obtained from 12f to 18 cents per ton. The usual description of fences are ivorm, or crooked rail fences, and post and rail : the cost of making them about 50 cents a rod. The roads are mostly indifferent ; they are repaired by a levy on the farmers, and a poll-tax of a day's work on every capable resident man in the parish : thus, working on the roads has a very different accep- tation here to what it has with us, the most respectable farmers, &c. taking their turn quite as a matter of course. The wild land is generally well, some of it nobly timbered ; many hemlock and other trees I have ob- served from 70 to 90 feet in the but, without one in- tervening bough, and of a proportionate thickness : the cost of clearing it is about 10 dollars per acre. There are a number of small streams, about the H 80 NEW HARTFORD Farming Journal, centre of the county, which form the Mohawk river, rising in the N. E. and supply most valuable mill- seats ; the quality of the water, however, obtained for domestic purposes, is often very bad, sometimes wholly unfit to drink. Fever and ague, diseases which shake the constitution to pieces, prevail occasionally, and the winters are very protracted and severe ; more so, it is said, than further either to the east or west, so as to suspend farming operations for five or six months in the year, but the county, I believe, is con- sidered as healthy as most/ I might add further, but these observations, very loosely thrown together, will probably more than suf- fice the generality of readers. The contrast between Orange and Oneida counties, as regaixls the state of their agriculture, is greater than can well be conceived. Spafford, speaking of the latter, says, "^ Its agriculture is of the first order, and twenty years hence there will not be an acre of waste land in the county.' He also says, ' It has now probably more capital employed in manufactures than any county in this State.' He gives its area at 11 36 square miles. Latitude between 42° 46', and 43° 33', N. and long. T 05' and 1° 6^ W., from New York. As I arrived at Utica from Albany very late in the evening, and left it at an early hour in the morning, only having visited it once since, and that not for any purpose of writing a description, I must be con- tent to offer a much shorter notice than I could wish to have given. 'This flourishing village standfi on the south bank AND UTICA. SI of Moliawk river. It occupies the site of old Fort Schuyler, where a garrison was kept previous to the revolution. Some remains of this fort are still to be seen between the eastern extremity of Main-street and the river. A few Germans were settled here previous to the revolutionary war ; but a part were captured by the Indians, and the remnant sought a place of more security. The first permanent settler established him- self about four miles west of Fort Schuyler, in 1784. Five years afterwards a few families established them- selves on the site of the present village, and in 1798 a village charter was granted to the place ; since which it has rapidly increased in population. In 1813, it contained 1700 inhabitants; in 1816, 2828; in 1820, 2972; in 1823, 4017; in 1820, 6040; in 1828,7460; and in 1829,9081. The village is re- gularly laid out, the streets of a good width, and mostly paved. Genesee-street, in particular, is pe- culiarly pleasant, and for the most part adorned witli elegant stores and dwellings. 'There are numerous literary, benevolent, and reli- gious institutions in this place. Among these, the Oneida Institute of Science and Industry is perhaps the most worthy of remark, from its uniting manual with mental labour on the part of the students. There is a farm attached to it, comprising 114 acres, upon which each student labours from three to four hours per day ; and it is said that the experiment of two years proves that labour, from three to five hours per day, pays the board of the student in this plentiful region. It is principally intended for the education of those 82 NEW HARTFORD Cluifon, ^'C. designed for the ministry, but its privileges are com-^ mon to all youth of unexceptionable character. There are also a classical academy, a library, lyceum, and nine churches, some of which are very elegant/ Utica is, as stated, 94 miles from Albany, 142 from Rochester, and from Buffalo 200. Another place in the neighbourhood, which I have seen with much interest, though in point of size in- significant to Utica, is Clinton. It is a very pretty village, six miles from New Hartford, and contains a number of respectable houses and buildings. Its situation is at the foot of a hill of considerable ascent, which is planted on each side with poplar trees, and on the summit of which stands Hamilton College, or colleges, for though the buildings are united there have been three separate erections. The corner stone of the first edifice was laid by that celebrated repub- lican patriot. Baron Steuben. Until very lately it was ranking high amongst institutions of the kind in the State, but I regret to hear that in consequence of some misunderstanding having arisen between the masters and students, it has been altogether deserted. 'Tis said, however, that a few of the latter are about to re- turn, and perhaps eventually it may regain its former pre-eminence : so vitally important are such institu- tions to the welfare of an infant republic that every lover of freedom, every good man, must ardently desire their prosperity. — From its elevated site, overlooking the village, there is a fine view of the surrounding plain, the fertile vale of the Mohawk, and the country, for many miles in extent, in different directions. DEPARTURE EOR AUBURN ONEIDA CASTLE. 83 Paris, Westmoreland, and other townships, though abounding with good land, and chiefly well cultivated, as villages are unimportant. Previous to my arrival at New Hartford I had felt a little undecided as to my future route, but having no time for hesitation, and wishing to see what was considered the most interesting and fertile part of the State, I soon determined upon extending my journey westward as far as Buffalo, occasionally diverging through some of the counties as I passed along, and returning by Niagara, and either upon or along the shore of Lake Ontario. Having so decided, this morning,— August 23r(l, — I engaged a place by the Telegraph Stage, from New Hartford to Auburn, in Cayuga county, distance about seventy miles ; and soon after eight o'clock had seated myself upon the most ob- durate leathern seat of the vehicle, and was bounding and rebounding along as vigorously as ever, though well up to my travelling traces again, and prepared * to dash through thick and thin/ The first village we arrive at is Manchester, five miles from New Hartford ; next, Vernon, eight miles further; neither requiring comment; the land good and seemingly well farmed nearly all the way. Five miles from Vernon is Oneida Castle, a village situated upon the Oneida creek, and at which there is a set» tlement called here a reservation of the Oneida and Tuscarora Indians, several of whom I saw. A squaw (woman) I particularly noticed, who came to solicit charity, with one of the most marked and disgusting H 2 84 ONEIDA CASTLE Indian Settlement, countenances I think I ever beheld. I was told, and have no reason to doubt it, that she was one hundred years old, more or less ; she appeared tolerably stout and robust, and I suspect what was evinced to the contrary was about as much feigned as real. Several children also, nearly in a state of nudity, came to us for a like purpose, and displayed their agility by keep- ing up with the stage, and we drove pretty fast, for some distance^ though I thought their performances, notwithstanding the attention they appeared to excite, very inferior to those of the urchins of our own country, who will not only run parallel with the coach, but with amazing rapidity turn over and over upon their hands and feet into the bargain, and, alas ! I fear, with quite as good a plea of necessity. The tribe occupy about one-third of the township, and their number is estimated at 1100. They still retain some of the customs of their forefathers, and their usual dress is nothing more than a blanket thrown across the shoulders, and tied round the neck. They are wretched agriculturists, as their lands fully demon- strate ; but I am told, for several months in the year, they totally neglect them, and repair to the forests in the northern part of country, on hunting excursions ; — so hardly are we weaned from inbred habits and propensities ! A correspondent of Spafford's states that * there are missionaries amongst them to teach them letters and relio;ion, and they pay one of them near two hundred dollars a year, besides making him a great many presents. These Indians are a harmless, inoffensive set of beings, but have lost much of their AND CHITTENINGO. h£» ancient spirit and energy. Several of them have be- come voluntary apprentices to different mechanics, placed amongst them by the Baptists, such as black- smiths, wheelwrights, &c. ; and many of the Indian women are becoming weavers and spinners, under the instruction of benevolent females of the missionary family/ — ' Mr. Williams,' adds the Doctor, ' late a missionary here, now of Green Bay, is of mixed blood, lineally descended from the Rev. Mr. Williams, of Deerfield, whose captivity and sufferings we have all read when children. He is a man of very consi- derable education, and seems to lead in a plan for col- lecting all our Indians into one great band, but I know nothing of the success or prospects of the scheme.' The road from this place, through the small villages of Lenox and Quality Hill to Chitteningo, eleven miles, is much elevated, commanding a fine view of the lofty mountains to the north : the soil is rich, but strangely overgrown with the Canada thistle, the down from which is wafted about in all directions, and has almost the appearance of falling snow. — Before reaching Chitteningo there is one of the finest specimens of native forest I have seen in the country — I ever saw — tree interwoven with tree — a dense mass of forest — seeming to bid defiance to the footsteps, ay, even the hands of man; and yet but a few years may elapse ere this wilderness becomes a fertile plain, ere the share of the husbandman passes over its surface, and the abodes of happy industry are raised upon it ! So rapid are the strides of improvement and cultivation in this enterprising country. 86 SYRACUSE AND The village Chitteningo, on the creek of the same name, and about two miles from the canal, to which a cut has been made, has little to attract the attention of a stranger ; but on arriving at Syracuse, through Hartsville and Fayetteville, fifteen miles, you are agreeably surprised at seeing a handsome thriving village, quite a business-like place. The canal passes directly through it, on both sides of which there are a number of spacious stores and warehouses. The population I should estimate at something, like 1,500. On alighting at the principal hotel, which is a very handsome and commodious brick building, I ob- served a thermometer hanging in the shade, and exposed to a current of air, standing at 88° ; this was about four o'clock in the afternoon. No doubt, during the day, it had been as high as 90°. My stay here did not admit of my visiting the valu- able and very extensive salt springs which abound in the neighbourhood, and to which Syracuse is in- debted for its growth and existence. The reader, how- ever, in the subjoined information, will have little cause to regret my want of opportunity. ' A little west of Syracuse, a plain of 300 acres, (a fart of tvJiich we passed over,) is nearly covered with vats for the manufacture of salt by solar evaporation. The water is brought in logs from the great spring at Salina, one mile distant, and supplies, with very little attention, the various ranges of vats. A light roof is constructed to each vat, which can be shoved off or on at pleasure, to permit the rays of the sun to act upon the water, or to prevent the dampness of the s A LIN A Salt Works. 87 atmosphere from commingling- therewith. The salt is taken out of these vats twice or three times during: the warm season, and removed to store-houses, from whence it is conveyed in barrels to the canal for transportation. * The spring at Salina was first discovered by the Indians, many years since, by being the resort of deer and other animals. The first white settlers were in the habit of boiling the water for domestic purposes. Since then the spring has been excavated to a con- siderable depth, and affords the strongest saline water yet discovered in the world, forty gallons yielding about a bushel of pure salt. The water is forced up to the top of an adjoining hill by a powerful hydraulian, driven by the surplus waters from the Oswego canal, which commences at this place. The salt water is in this way conveyed eighty-five feet above the canal to a large reservoir, into which it is discharged at the rate of three hundred gallons per minute. It is hence carried to the different factories in Salina and Syracuse. Of these there are about one hundred at Salina, and twenty -three at Syracuse ; there are also twenty- six at Liverpool, about six miles N. W. of Salina, and twenty-five at Geddesburgh, two miles W. of Syracuse. The works and springs all belong to the State, to which imposts are payable to the amount of 63 cents per barrel of five bushels,* and every manufacturer pays 2 cents per bushel for the use of the water. The water is conveyed from the * These duties are applied by the constitution of the State towards the extinguishment of the canal debt. 88 MARCELLUS -SK ANEATELES, reservoir to the difterent manufactories and evapo- rating fields by means of wooden pipes. The salt is manufactured generally by boiling and evapora- tion. There are, however, two establishments in which it is made in large wooden vats by means of hot air passing through them in large metallic pipes. The manufactories contain from fifteen to forty pot- ash kettles, under each of which a constant fire is kept up, so that the water may not cease to boil. The first deposit of the water is thrown away. The pure salt soon after makes its appearance, and is re- fined for the table by means of blood, milk, rosin, &c. The springs are considered as inexhaustible. In 1828, there were 1,160,888 bushels inspected; and in 1829, 1,291,820 bushels; showing an increase of 130,932 bushels. Of this, 745,741 bushels were in- spected at Salina, 229,317 at Syracuse, 187,540 at Liverpool, and 129,222 at Geddes. ' Salina is a village of much less magnitude than Syracuse, but it is not improbable that they will ere long become a continuous town. The Onondaga Lake is about a mile distant from the place. It is six miles long, and two broad. Gypsum and petrifactions are found in great quantities in the vicinity of the lake.' A la route, Marcellus is the next i)lace, containing perhaps fifty houses, and in the neighbourhood are found great quantities of water lime or cement, and some petrifactions. It is thirteen miles from Syra- cuse. Six miles further brought us to Skaneafelefi, a much larger and more interesting village, very pleasantly AND ARRIVAL AT AUBURN. 89 situated just at the foot of the Skaneateles Lake, along- which you have a fine view for several miles. The lake is about fifteen miles in length, and 1; to 1| miles wide. In its vicinity are several genteel residences, as well as in the village, and also a Friends boarding- school. The population of the place is estimated at 3,000. The following stage of seven miles brought us to Auburn, about half-past eight in the evening, having been twelve hours and a half in accomplish- ing the seventy miles, which, taking into account the state of the roads, the heat of the day, &c. is by no means to be complained of. During the latter part of the way the country was but partially cleared, but wherever cultivated, it appeared rich and productive. I did not find the price of land varying much from 30 dollars per acre; that is, for improved farms with good buildings upon them. The average produce, say of wheat, 25 bushels per acre, sold from 75 cents to 1 dollar per bushel, chiefly at the stores in the village nearest the farm. I am here quartered at the American Hotel, an establishment upon a very extended scale, kept by JSfoyes. The building is of freestone, five stories high, with piazzas, twenty feet or more in width, up to the third story. Many of the apartments are large and elegantly furnished, and I am informed they can, if requisite, make up 250 or 300 beds. It has been recently erected, and, excepting at New York, is quite the best inn I have seen in the State; so much has it pleased me, in fact, that I am tempted to forego my half resolve, not to make trial of a public dormitory 90 AUBURN State Prison. again in the country. I shall venture this once upon the credit of fair promise, and will report progress in the morning. August 24th. — For once appearances have not been deceitful. I have slept undisturbed, excepting that I was aroused at a pretty early hour this morning by the loud pealing of thunder, without any disposition, however, to complain either of cause or consequence, the limited time I shall have to spend here not war- ranting much indulgence in this way ; to which, when most an idler, Pm not over prone. As an object of first attraction I proceeded to visit the State Prison, situated here, and considered one of the first in the Union. 'It was commenced in 1816, and is constructed upon the plan of a hollow square, inclosed by a wall 2000 feet in extent, being 500 feet on each side. The front of the prison, including the keeper's dwelling, is about 300 feet, and the two wings, extending west, are 240 feet each. The north wing contains the solitary cells and hospital, and the south wing is divided principally into two large rooms. Be- tween the two wings is a grass plat with gravel walks ; to the west of which is the interior yard, covered with gravel, containing reservoirs of water, and surrounded with workshops. These shops, besides the paint shop, form a continued range of 900 feet, and are well lighted by windows in the sides and from the roof. They are built of brick, and are well secured against fire. The outer walls, against which the shops are built, are thirty-five feet high in the inside, and the other walls about twenty. They are four feet thick. AUB u RN Siate Prison. 9 1 and the walls of the prison three feet thick. The expense of the whole, without including the labour of convicts employed, was above 300,000 dollars." The prison being erected on the bank of the Oivasco, water- power is applied, in many cases to great advantage, in propelling machinery." About six o'clock I applied at the door for admit- tance, which was granted on my paying twenty-five cents, and one of the keepers commissioned to con- duct me over the establishment. We first visited the cells, which the convicts leave at half-past five in the morning. These gloomy abodes are about seven or eight feet long, by four feet wide, and perhaps about seven feet in height. They are lighted from windows in the roof of the passage into which they open through ponderous iron doors. All the furni- ture they contain is a hammock, which is let down in the day-time, a stool, and a Bible upon a shelf in one of the corners. — From these we passed on to the work- shops, where the convicts were busily employed in their different avocations ; tailoring, shoemaking, weaving; machine, button, cabinet making, &c. ; coopering, and smiths' work in general. These various manufactures, besides what are requisite for the pri- son, are furnished to all the principal stores in Au- burn, and sent to different parts of the State. My guide afterwards conducted me to the cooking apart- ment, where some of the convicts were engaged in preparing the morning's repast for the rest, and which I presently saw arranged with great neatness in the general eating-room : it consisted of cofiee, Indian I 92 AUBURN State Prison. com bread, and boiled fish. At half- past six they were summoned by a bell to partake of it, upon which occasion I had a good opportunity of observing some of the most striking characteristics of the system. The convicts were arranged in separate corps, " mov- ing in single file, with a slow lock step, and erect pos- ture, keeping exact time, with their faces inclined towards their keepers, (that they may detect conversa- tion, of which none is ever permitted,) all giving to the spectator somewhat similar feelings to those excited by a military funeral." In a short time all were seated at the diflferent tables, in the most orderly and regular manner, and, upon a signal being given by the keepers, with one simultaneous movement commenced their meal. Had I not witnessed the scene, I should have supposed it morally impossible for such a number of individuals to be assembled together,* for such a pur- pose, with so little noise and confusion. It was a very interesting, though at the same time a very painful and humiliating spectacle ; and various were the re- flections which hurried across my mind whilst looking round upon these imprisoned victims of crime, of almost every grade and malignancy. Some appeared calm and resigned, or sensible of the guilt and degra- dation of their situation ; others displayed an entire indifference to their fiite; whilst in a few I noticed the black expressions of obdurate cruelty, ferocity, and revenge, demonstrating but too plainly the justice of the doom which had overtaken them. * There are at this time (j3.j ])crsou^ in coufinement, twenty-twa only of whom are m oiuea. AUBURN- Sidte Prison. 93 Breakfast concluded (and there did not appear, on the part of the keepers, the smallest disposition to hurry over the ceremony; all were allowed sufficient time, and materials too, even for a hearty repast,) the prisoners rose again in like order, and were forthwith marched back to their different workshops and employ- ments ; — here, the guide informed me, they were kept until twelve o'clock, when they were again summoned to dinner, after which they resume their labour till six, when their daily toil is done : they are then marched off to their separate cells, each carrying his supper with him, and eating alone, if not in darkness, his last cheerless meal. There is a chapel within the prison, which the prisoners attend regularly every sabbath ; a Sunday school has also been established ; and in the hospital every attention is paid to such as re- quire it. The severity of the punishment here exercised con- sists in preventing every kind of intercourse of one convict with another: whether at their work, or at their meals, they are compelled to observe the most absolute and uniform silence; not the slightest attempt at communication would escape notice; and every offender against this tenacious and positive require- ment is punished by flogging, — an alternative, however, rarely needed. I observed the young and the old, and every description of character, mixed indiscrimi- nately together, but from which, with the restrictions imposed, no evil consequence can possibly arise. A decided majority, upon leaving the prison, have be- come reformed and useful members of society. It is 94 AUBURN. altogether conducted upon an admirable principle, and reflects the highest credit upon the projectors and the country; affording, at the same time, an exalted contrast, when compared with our miserable recep- tacles for this class of society : in them, if reformation take place, it is by miracle ; here, frequent, and the end and object of the institution. On returning to the hotel again, soon after seven o'clock, I found a pretty large company collected for breakfast, a very excellent one, and of which, after the ordinary fashion, we all partook at one common table. This ceremony over I sallied forth to take a hasty view of the town, {village, I should say,) ere the stage ar- rived which was to convey me onward. — Auburn is situated on the Owasco creek ; it consists principally of one street, running east and west, which contains a number of good stores and private dwellings, a court- house, and a large hotel, independent of the one I am quartered at, called the Western Exchange. There are also, at the eastern end of the village, some extensive mills and manufactories. Its population is called more than 4,000, with every appearance of increasing, as buildings are springing up all around. The adja- cent country is very level, and of no particular in- terest : the land is loosely cultivated, and, without reflection, you would be ready to say that the town had pitched itself here before it was w ell prepared to receive it. The canal is distant about seven miles to the south ; but it is intended, either by a cut or rail- road, to form a communication with it, which will greatly add to the importance and facilities of the place. CAYUGA BRIDGE. 95 Leaving Auburn, we next came to Cayuga, (eight miles,) a small village standing on the eastern side, and near the extremity of the lake of that name, and over which we passed by a wooden bridge, one mile and eight rods in length, — a most barbarous struc- ture, built upon piles, and conveying the idea, if not the reality, of great insecurity ; as the planks, or logs, upon which you pass, uncovered with gravel, soil, or other material, are of all shapes and sizes, heedlessly laid across from side to side, without nails or any kind of fastening whatever. In many instances I observed them scarcely resting upon the supports on each side, and the waters of the lake every where visible below : of course, as they were acted upon by the weight and motion of the coach and horses, they were perpetually jolting up and down, so that it was a matter of astonishment to me how the animals could pass over at the rate they did, a good brisk trot, with- out getting their feet between them; the accom- panying noise and clatter, too, was any thing but agreeable. An English traveller, however, must leave all his fears and prej udices at home, and be here content to dash on, over, under, or through whatever it may please the driver and his steeds to convey him. The lake is about thirty-eight miles long, and of very various breadth, from one to four miles. " A steam- boat is plying daily between the Bridge and Ithica, a beautiful and thriving village at the head of the lake, thirty-six miles distant," and near to which I understand are several falls well worth notice. Some good farms are to be met with in the neigh- I 2 96 SENECA FALLS, WATERLOO, AND GENEVA, bourhood of the lake, as well as in other parts of the county. The next village is Seneca Falls, (three miles.) It is said to contain upwards of 2,000 inhabitants, though I should have rated the population at much less ; has several mills, a tannery, distillery, and a few stores. " A canal, twenty miles long,^has been constructed from this place to the Erie canal at Montezuma, which, connected with a branch of the Seneca river, gives an uninterrupted water communication from Geneva to the lakes and the ocean." Four miles further is Waterloo; but I am no great admirer of Waterloos, nor can I, in its present state, bestow the inordinate praise upon this place which some have done. It is a half shire town, considerably larger than Seneca Falls; contains a court-house, jail, and several stores, but it is altogether a most irregu- larly-built and unfinished place, and whatever im- portance or interest time may add to its character, I have spoken of it as it now is, and without much of either. I observed several mills upon the Seneca river, or outlet, on which the village stands. Passing on to Geneva, seven miles from Waterloo, I am pleased to be able to make a much more favour- able report. For the last two miles, as we approached, the road became highly interesting, winding along the northern end of the Seneca Lake; just to the west of which, at a considerable elevation, the village is situated ; one of the principal streets running imme- diately down to the lake, and the other along the summit of the bank and parallel with it j extending be- GENEVA. 97 yond which are many elegant private residences, the gardens and grounds overhanging the lake, and which, whilst they add to the beauty, command a fine pros- pect of the charming scenery around. The public buildings consist of a college, recently erected, but which is handsomely endowed, and promises to arrive at eminence ; three or four churches, a bank, and two pretty comfortable inns. Many of the stores are commodious and well furnished: one I noticed ad- vertised as follows : — *' A Heimpus, variety store ;" — a tolerably correct definition of stores in general, especially in the country towns, which not unfre- quently display the most heterogeneous collection of articles that can be well conceived, and embrace in their individual capacity what with us would occupy a score of diflferent professors. I should think the present population of Geneva might be estimated at 3,000. It is twelve miles from the Erie canal, but has a water communication with it, which has much increased its trade and importance. From hence a delightful excursion is frequently taken down the lake, in a steam-boat plying daily, to Jeffersonville at the head of it. The lake is thirty- five miles long, and three or four miles wide, and is esteemed one of the purest and most beautiful sheets of water of the kind in America. After spending the chief part of the day at Geneva and its delightful environs, I took my departure for Canandaigua, fifteen miles distant, — in travelling to which I passed over one of the finest farming districts f have yet seen in the State of New York. The land 98 TO CANANDAiriUA. is agreeablyundulated, of excellent quality, well fenced, in smaller in closures than 1 have noticed in other parts, and in a superior state of cultivation. The grain was mostly housed, but, independent oi report, the stubbles themselves were ample evidence of the plentiful crops which had been taken oflf them, and the grass and seeds were looking remarkably healthy and well. Farms in this part, with good houses and buildings upon them, and chiefly they are so, are to be bought at from 30 to 45 dollars per acre. Wheat is selling for 70 or 80 cents a bushel, and meat from three to six cents per pound, which may be given as about the general average prices of those articles ; and labourers' wages are usually from ten to twelve dollars per month. In the immediate neighbourhood of Ganandaigua village the land, I am told, is chiefly held by two or three large proprietors, whose farms are from 1,000 to 1,500 acres each. What a contrast, delightful contrast, does this state of things present to the situation in which Dr. Spaf- ford reports that he found them in 1797 ! " The set- tlement of this township," observes the Doctor, " com- menced in 1790, and in 1797 I found it but feeble, contending with innumerable embarrassments and difficulties. The spring of that year was uncommonly wet and cold. Besides a good deal of sickness, mud knee deep, musquetoes and gnats so thick that you could hardly breathe without swallowing them, rattle- snakes and ten thousand discouragements, every where incident to new settlements ; surrounded by all these, in June of that year, I saw, with wonder, that these CANANDAIGUA. 99 people, all Yankees, from Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Vermont, were perfectly undismayed, 'looking forward in hope,' ' sure and stedfast/ They talked to me of what the country would be, by-and-by, as if it were hutory, and I received it as all fable. In order to see the whole ' power of the county,^ a military muster of all men bearing arms, I waited a day or two, and attended 'the training.' Major Wadsworth was the commanding officer, and includ- ing the men who had gims, and the men who had not, the boys, women, and children, it was supposed that near two hundred persons were collected. This training, one of the first, was held at Captain Pitts', on the Honeoye, and lasted all day and all night. The early settlers of every new country are sanguine in hopes and expectations, and it is well they should be. Lands were selling, in 1797, in the very heart of this fine region, at 25 cents an acre." — "1 like," continues the Doctor, "to trace the progress of affairs from their small beginnings, never ' despising the day of small things.' The reader will indulge me in this digression, so out of the way with most people, but perfectly in character with the pursuits of a general gleaner." Like him, I beg pardon, if neces- sary; the comparison of past and present was too pleasing to allow me to forego it. It was between eight and nine in the evening when we arrived at Canadaigua : the day had been remarkably fine, though 20"^ or 30*" cooler than yes- terday, changes which are rather trying to weakly constitutions. We were driven up to Blossoms Hotel, 100 CANANDAIGUA. a building little inferior in size to the American Hotel, in Auburn, but much older, and not so clean. The landlord, a jolly sort of fellow, had just re- turned from an excursion to the Western Lakes and Ohio, and being visited by numerous congratulatory friends and acquaintance, the house was in a tolera- ble state of confusion for the remainder of the even- ing, — the bar, of course, being the only general room of resort. After some kw ineffectual attempts at journalizing, I inquired of the waiter as to the pro- bable security with which I might make my advances to a chamber, and replete with most satisfactory assurances, was glad to effect my escape, and leave them to feast on their tvit and wine, which, though abundant, were neither of first rate quality, as much and as long as they liked. August 25th. — Foolishly presuming upon the waiter's recommendation, and the comfortable night passed at Auburn, I have not escaped without a scar, though in a far less vvoful plight than heretofore, and happy to think I am getting more out of the way of the nuisance. Before breakfast I made my first, and almost only, survey of Canandaigua, which I admire even more than Geneva. Its situation is on the north-western extremity of the Canadaigua Lake,* where the main street, nearly two miles in length, commences, rising gradually to its termination. It is planted on each side with trees, and expands about the middle of the * The Lake is fourteen miles long, and from one to two in breadth, and has a steam-boat daily plying upon it. CANANDAIGUA Steam Mill Burnt. 101 village into a fine open square, where the court- house, clerks' office, episcopal church, and other hand- some public buildings are situated. The private resi- dences, both in the village and vicinity, are uncom- monly elegant, laid out with courts and gardens, and every way w^orthy of the affluence and respectability of their occupants; many of them commanding a beautiful view of the lake and its surrounding- scenery. The population amounts to 5000, more or less — not less, I think, certainly — and in 1790, Spafl ford says, there was but a single human habitation in it. A short time previous to my visit, a large steam flour mill, belonging to Messrs. Pomeroy and Bull, of New York, standing just at the entrance of the village, had been entirely destroyed by fire. The occurrence is supposed to have originated in the contents of a pipe, falling on a cloth, or some com- bustible substance in an adjoining room; — one of the many evils arising from the use of that worthless weed — tobacco ; and not the first or second of the kind that has come under my immediate knowledge: — would that it were for ever banished from the abodes of ci-vilization ! The inconvenience produced by the calamity, I see thus adverted to in a Canan- daigua paper: — '''The destruction of this flouring establishment, which was built in the best manner, and at a ruinous expense, by its original enterprising proprietors, is not only a severe loss to those directly interested, but to our village, and to our neighbours in towns adjacent. This mill created, as it were, a 102 TO ROCHESTER. ready and convenient market for large quantities of wheat ; imparted animation to business round about, and gave employment to numbers of our citizens. Its importance to the community, like the blessing of health, is mostly severely felt, by sudden depriva- tion. The property was insured by the Etna Com- pany to the amount of 8000 dollars." Canandaigua stands upon the great western stage route to Buffalo and Niagara; is distant from the former place 89, and from the latter 109 miles, and 208 from Albany: it is also 12 miles south of the Erie canal, with which it has a water communication. In the neighbourhood are several springs charged with inflammable gas, or, as they are called, hurning springs, well worth the attention of the virtuoso. From hence to Rochester, (only 27 miles in a direct line,) I performed a very circuitous route, travelling partly by stage, partly by waggon, and partly on foot, through Victor, Minden, Pittsford, Henrietta Corners, &c. The road is very bad nearly the whole of the way, and there is a good deal of land un- cleared ; but, at the same time, there is much in a fine state of cultivation, and I passed over some very eligible farms; the prices, products, expenses, &c., much as those quoted in Oneida county. About a mile to the south of Pittsford, a small village ten miles from Rochester, a farm was pointed out to me, now offering for sale by a gentleman whose family are set- tling in Michigan, where population is much on the increase. It consists of three hundred acres of land, the quality of the soil varying between sand and loam ; ROCHESTER. 103 IS well timbered, well fenced, and has a good house and outbuilding's upon it. The price asked is thirty- five dollars per acre, but I have no idea that ten dol- lars less would be refused. I also called upon a gen- tleman, by the request of a friend, who has recently emigrated from England into this neighbourhood, and is farming upon a small scale. He complains of a want of society, and many deprivations and incon- veniences, a great deal to put up ivith; and I give him full credit for all. I sincerely hope he may ultimately find himself rewarded for the sacrifices he has made; but, in my opinion, for one ignorant of farmmg, and wholly unused to a country life, he has retreated sadly too far from JsTew York ; and little would it surprise me to hear, before any remote period, that he had arrived at a like conclusion. I left him some English newspapers, which I guess he would not put by un- read. It was late this evening before I gained a footing in Rochester ; too late, and I am too much tired, to ex- plore further. The day has been very fine ; tempera- ture quite agreeable. August 26th, — Before seven o'clock this morning I had perambulated the streets, as well as a part of the suburbs of this remarkable village, which has fully answered every representation I had heard of it. It is, indeed, scarcely credible that in the period of eighteen short years a place of the present extent and importance of Rochester should have arisen from the wilds of a forest; and, if such evidence were needed, it would alone speak volumes as to the energy and 104 ROCHESTER Sam Patch. enterprise of a people who, with the obstacles and impediments which they must have had to contend against, have produced such splendid results. There are not only spacious and well-arranged streets, with corresponding stores and warehouses, and private re- sidences of elegance and respectability; but, besides a court-house, gaol, and eleven churches, two markets, two banks, and several very excellent hotels, there is a museum, institute, an athenaeum, an arcade, a Vaux- hall, public baths, reading-rooms, &c. &c., and a population of more than 13,000 souls ! and, in the face of all this, there are even now the stumps of trees standing in some of the streets. Surely, as Spafford well observes, " it must be admitted that the growth of this place has been rapid, almost beyond example in any country, even in our own, the best supplied with such examples." I found mine host here a respectable and obliging man, and under his auspices I visited objects of most interest in and about the village ; amongst others, the Falls, where Sam Patch, that notorious fall jumper , finished his mad career in the autumn of 1829. There are two falls within a short distance of each other, the one descending twelve, the other ninety-seven feet. Upon a projecting rock about the centre of these he erected a scaffold twenty-five feet in height, making together 122 feet, from which he fearlessly leaped into the gulph beneath. '' He did not rise at that time to the surface, nor was his body found until the follow- ing spring, when it was discovered at the mouth of the Genesee river, six miles below. His arms were pro- ROCHESTER. 105 bably dislocated at the first shock, as he carried them horizontally; and the depth of the water being only fifteen feet, it is supposed that he was killed by strik- ing" on the rocky bottom. He was a little less than three seconds in falling, and struck the surface with a force of about SOOOlbs." My attendant, however, tells me that he was pretty generally known to have been intoxicated at the time; and to that circumstance, more than any other, is to be attributed the fatal re- sult, as, independent of his performances at Niagara, he had once or twice before, when sober, jumped from that very spot, without the slightest injury or incon- venience. All that can be said of it is, that any where and every where they were the acts of a madman, and sooner or later were likely to incur a destiny, I had almost said, due to such presumptuous, absurd temerity. I afterwards visited the market, which I saw well supplied with meat, fish, fruits, and vegetables, all of various kinds. The first named article was selling at from 4 to 6 cents per lb., others equally moderate. Eggs 10 cents a dozen. Butter 10 to 12 cents a lb. Cheese 6 cents a lb. Flour (retail) 4| dollars a bar- rel, wholesale 4 J. Wheat 87| cents to 1 dollar a bushel. Oats 25 cents a bushel ; considered a low price. Hay 5 dollars per ton. Wheat is now eagerly bought, and brings a better price than at any other season of the year, as the canal being open the millers are making every effort to get their flour to New York, &c., ere the frosts commence. •—At this, as at most of the villages, as I have passed 1X)6 ROCHESTEft, along I have observed advertisements at the stores, in the public papers, and the bars of inns, offering th« utmost cash price for any quantity of wheat, &c. The weight of flour made here annually is prodi- gious. ** Within the limits of the village are eleven flouring mills, containing fifty-three run of stones, capable of manufacturing 2,500 bushels of flour, and consuming more than 12,000 bushels of wheat every twenty-four hours. Some of the mills are on a scale of magnitude perhaps not equalled in the world, and all are considered unrivalled in the perfection of their machinery." The charge for freight of flour from Ro- chester to New York is 90 cents a barrel. Besides flour, there are various other mills and manufactories, distilleries, breweries, &c. &c., every thing bespeaking the rising wealth and importance of the place. The canal runs directly through the village^ and is carried across the Genesee river, which also flows through it, by an aqueduct. The river, at the distance of seven miles, empties itself into Lake Ontario; thus affording an easy and valuable navigation to the Canadas. During the summer a steam-boat is plying upon the Lake, between Niagara and Ogdensburgh, on the river St. Lawrence. Canal packets and stages are leaving Rochester every morning and evening, east and west; and stages in different directions frequently during the day. I have omitted to mention — but I have omitted a great deal, for which want of time must be my apology — that there are two daily, and, I think, three weekly TO 6ENESEO. 107 newspapers now in publication at this busy, spirited place. From Rochester, instead of proceeding dii-ect to Buffalo, I took the stage to Geneseo, (31 miles S.) wishing to see the country along the banks of the Genesee river. Two miles out of the town 1 noticed a thrashing machine in operation, a wooden one to be sure ; but still a thrashing machine. It is the first I have seen in the country, was worked hy two horses, and appeared to be rather an object of curiosity iii its neighbourhood. A few miles further we had the misfortune to get capsized, the linchpin of the hind- wheel falling out, if (as I very much query) there was one in at starting. The road, however, was tolerably good in the part where the accident oc- curred, and all escaped without injury; though not without the grievous discomfiture of a few fair nymphs, my companions in peril. Had it happened at any of the bridges or unguarded passes, with which this country abounds, it is more than pro- bable there would have been a full and final end to coach, horses, and cargo. It was further fortunate that a village was near at hand, from which we pro- cured help, righted the carriage, stuck in a wooden linchpin, and in the course of twentj^ minutes were rattling along as if no disaster had befallen us, or could by possibility occur again. We got to Geneseo about five in the afternoon. The land, the whole of the way, presented the ap- pearance of extreme fertility, though not bstter than in the township of Canandaigua^ and the cultivation K 2 108 GENESEO, I thought far inferior ; a considerable portion of it seemed to want good drainage, and some of the arable lands were in a most foul state, admitting, however, many exceptions. The township of Geneseo was settled in 1790, by a family of the name of Wadsworth, from Connecticut, who own an immense tract of land between and Ro- chester, and are farmers themselves upon a very extensive scale. Evening. — I am just returned from a walk over a part of their flats, which extend for miles along the banks of the river, and more beautiful or luxuriant meadows and fields I never beheld. They were engaged in getting their hay, (as said, the last crop in America, except Indian corn,) which was an immense bulk, nor had their crops of grain been less abundant; thirty-five bushels of wheat to the acre being considered below the average. Hemp is also cultivated to some ex- tent. The country, however, in the neighbourhood of the flats has the character of not being very healthy ; instances of the fever and ague are fre- quently occurring, and were I to choose a location, I should greatly prefer other parts of the State. The village of Geneseo has nothing particular to recommend it. It is small and has but few good houses or buildings of any kind in it. There are three hotels, (and by chance I have been at them all,) which, though tolerably large, are sad dirty, comfortless places. I have no wish to quarter in them again. — The day has been very fine, but rather to be called cool, than warm, for the season. TO AVON. 109 August 27th. — We have had a night cold enough for November, and this morning the flats are all enveloped in fog, as dense as ever rested on Eng- lish fen. The water at breakfast was so intolerably bad, that even in coffee I could not take it, and was oblijjed to call for milk ; — I mention this because I think it important to be noticed: — excepting at Brooklyn, I do not recollect to have tasted really pure, good water in any part of the country where I have been ; fre- quently it has been almost undrinkable, and, lohere- ever worst, there has been most of the fever and ague prevailing. Having seen quite as much of Geneseo as I de- sired, I should have taken a private conveyance this morning to Avon, (ten miles distant,) in order to meet the Buffalo stages, which usually pass through that place about nine o'clock, had I not been assured by the agents of the regular coach here that I should reach by their vehicle in abundant time; in which they most completely deceived me. As usual, we had to drive round to the different inns, and several private houses to pick up passengers, who were not in readiness, and with one hindrance and another were near two hours behind the stated time of starting ; and, when off, went dreaming along at the rate of three miles and a half per hour — there is no opposition on this road — I, therefore, only ar- rived at Avon in time to know that I could proceed no further for the day, all the western stages having passed. Remonstrance was in vain ; the parties here 110 AVON Shooting Excursion, disclaimed all participation in the imposition, regret- ting it like myself; my fare was paid, and there was an end of it. As an object of attraction in the neighbourhood, a recently discovered mineral spring was mentioned, and the landlord proposing a route by which we might connect a little sporting with it, and his son, a fine, intelligent youth, to accompany me, I began to feel my chagrin rapidly abating, and slipping on a shooting dress, we were shortly in the woods with our guns, attended by a pretty good pointer dog. We found a few woodcocks and squirrels, but, upon the whole, had indifferent success. As to what ive de- nominate game, it is by no means abundant in the country, except quail, which are generally plentiful. Hares and pheasants there are none ; and partridges, (in some places called pheasants) are scarce. Wood- cock and snipe are uncertain both as to season and situation. ^Tis true that great quantities of other birds may sometimes be killed ; for instance, ivild ducks and pigeons, which are occasionally seen in flocks of many miles in extent; but after all, and much as I have heard American shooting extolled, in my opinion it is a poor, insipid diversion, compared with the English, pursued without any kind of system or science, and reminding me more of the onsets of our mechanics and shopmen, let loose at Christmas and on holidays, to range the fields, no matter where, and pounce upon all, no matter what, than of any thing worthy the name of shooting. Let no English sj)ortsman think to better liimself by emigration in and Remarks. 1 1 1 this respect; I'll answer, upon trial, for his total disappointment. There is not, there cannot be, an individual living who holds our game laws in greater abhorrence than I do, considering them as barbarous and ab- surd as they are wantonly tyrannical and unjust, — the very fag end of the old feudal system when barons could lord it over their debased vassals at their pleasure, and when in the humane diction of the day, if one of them " did course or hunt, either casually or wilfully a beast of the forest, so that by the swiftness of the course, the beast did pant, or was put out of breath," he was authorized to flay him alive."^ These days, thank Heaven, have passed away, and the doctrine of equal rights and equal privileges is becoming rather more fashionable — somewhat better understood, and I hope yet to live to see this blood- thirsty code altogether expunged from a statute book it has so long disgraced ; but if I must sport, I con- fess I should prefer meeting every unpleasantness still attendant upon these odious enactments, and shooting at English game, in English style, to going a gunning, with the most unbridled license, after the American fashion. Perhaps Long Island, and a few other parts, might prove some exception to these remarks ; but, generally speaking, American shooting will be found much of the character I have described itf In ranging the woods I was particularly struck * Vide " Manwood's Forest Laws." f Understand me as speaking of shooting: in the State of New York, and with what the Americans call shot guns; in the other States, or with the rifle, I know but little of it. 112 AVON Remarks, with their desolate and trackless appearance, as well as the death-like silence which reigned around : there is nothing- of the delightful harmony so often heard in ours, but you might almost fancy yourself the only object that had life within them, excepting that you are now and then aroused by the hoarse harking of a crow, just resembling that of a dog; the screaming of the buzzard hawk, or the tapping of the wood-pecker. Notwithstanding the infinite variety of American birds, (upwards of 130 different kinds have been enumerated,) I believe there is only the mocking bird, which can imitate nearly all others, that has any note to be termed singing. Their plumage, however, far surpasses those of Europe, and many of them are, in this respect, in the highest degree splendid and beau- tiful. I saw not a single snake in my day's ramble, or any other venomous reptile. We visited the Springs, but there is at present merely a single house upon the spot, and nothing to interest any one about them, except a person desirous of analyzing the waters, or making trial of their efficacy; neither of which motives had induced my visit. They are said to be strongly impregnated with alum and sulphur. The quality of land, &c. offered no exception to my yesterday's notice of them. For the benefit of future travellers I shall here put on record my bill of fare and charges at Avon. There are two inns, and I think not more than a dozen other houses ; but the one I have to do with is kept by a person of the name of Douglas, and stands on the left side of the road from Geneseo to Rochester. — It BUI of Fare, 5^c. 113 was about eleven in the morning- when I arrived, and, previous to commencin^^ our sporting, I took a slight lunch. At a late hour I returned to dinner, which was introduced, with many apologies, as being past its best, &c. ; but, without particularizing, I wish it may never be my lot to sit down to a worse. To this I was supplied with a pint of tolerable port wine, half of which I might drink; and before retiring I took a glass of negus. My lodging, to be sure, was not superb, since the house being rather unexpectedly filled with company at a late hour, and it being in- convenient to accommodate me with a single bedded apartment, I preferred my cloak and the parlour floor to occupying a room with strangers, according to custom here, careless who or what. This morn- ing — August 2Sfh — I am just risen from a breakfast which, if I say was a good one, is but giving it very moderate praise. The whole and entire charge for the entertainment from beginning to end, amounts to 81 cents, (3s. 4|d. English). Waiter, 0; chamber- maid and boots, ditto ; and civility and thanks into the bargain. Will this be credited in England ? It will be some time before it is practised, at all events. We should dub ourselves not a little favoured, after such accommodation, sleeping excepted, to be let off with five or six times the sum I have paid. I must also notice here a very novel contrivance, which has attracted my attention, for serving up a re- past ; — a sort of cupboard, containing a number of shelves, is let down into the kitchen below, the top of it fitting and corresponding exactly with the boards of 114 TO BUFFALO Le Roy. the dining-room floor, so that, in that position, you cannot distinguish it from any other part. When a meal is in a state of readiness to be served, the various dishes, &c. are placed upon these shelves, and as soon as the freightage is complete, you see the whole, put in motion from below, tier after tier, gently rising into the apartment, where attendants are in readiness to transfer it to the table, upon which it is all smoking in the space of a few seconds, subject to the equally prompt attacks of its vigorous assailants. I was a good deal amused with the performance, doubtless a most convenient one, in a country where the saving of labour is so great a desideratum, and waiters are a class of men liking about as much ease and indulgence as their masters. From Avon to Buffalo is 67 miles; through Cale- donia, 10; Le Roy, 7; Stafford, 4 ; Batavia, 6; Alex- ander, 8; Pembroke, 5; Alden, 7 ; Clarence, 10; and thence to Buffalo, 10 miles. The only places worthy of notice are Le Roy and Batavia, the others being more like straggling houses by the ivay side, than villages ; a few years, however, sometimes do wonders in this country, and I there- fore give the names, about all I can do, that I may not be accused by the next traveller of overlooking a populous and thriving town. Le Roy is situated on ^^llan's Creek. It is a very pleasant village, and contains a number of good houses and stores, and, I should think, nearly 4,000 inhabitants. The Erie canal runs seventeen miles to the north of it, and, in the words of my friend hat a via Temperance Societies. 115 Spafford, it appears to be ''thriving as fast as any thing can thrive, which is not on the ' Grand Canawl,' towards which every body is looking and running." The village of Batavia stands on the north side of the Tonnewanta Creek. It is the capital of Genesee county, rather larger than Le Roy, containing 4,200 inhabitants, and it appears a place of considerably more business. It is built in very compact style, and the stores and private residences have a neat and elegant appearance ; many of the latter would not disgrace any town or city in the State. There are two or three good inns, and the "Holland Com- pany"* have an office here. A court-house and its attendant jail I may add, of course. A little before entering the village, I was pleased to observe a pretty extensive brewing establishment, which, I was informed, was answering well to the proprietors. Great good has been effected in various parts of the State, and I believe I may say States, though much still remains to be done, by the very laudable exertions of what are called Temperance Societies, notwithstanding the unmeaning ridicule and ill-judged sarcasm which some have been disposed to direct towards them. They have been expressly formed to correct what had become a serious and even alarming national evil and disgrace; more or less pervading all ranks, and sapping the moral as well as the civil usefulness and respectability of * So called from being residents of that countn : they own ex- tensive tracts of land in Genesee, and other counties in the State of Xew York. L l\6 TO BUFFALO — -Balavia, S^c. thousands, — the too free use of ardent spirits. Since they were first established, the consumption of these deleterious articles, which, from their extreme cheap- ness, are within the reach of almost every one wish- ing to purchase them, has been greatly diminished. One or two respectable innkeepers have assured me that they have found it less by one half, and almost in an inverse ratio has the demand for malt liquor increased, and I trust there is fair reason to hope that this more natural and wholesome beverage, with cider and light wines, will so far supersede the use of the other as to become the common drink of the country. Batavia has been further conspicuous as the residence of the notorious William Morgan, the great masonic apostate, and whose revelation of the secrets of that would-be all mystic fraternity not long ago threw the whole neighbourhood into a most violent and dis- graceful state of excitement, which even yet has not wholly subsided. What a theme to distract the mind of a rational being, much more to disturb the harmony of any portion of an enlightened republic ! I heard the relation with sorrow and disgust. Between Le Roy and Batavia, and, indeed, as far as Alexander, as a fine agricultural district, I much admired the face of the country. The land is of excellent quality, and appeared to me as well farmed as any I have seen in the State, not even excepting the beautiful township of Canandaigua. The farm houses and outbuildings are generally good, and such as bespeak the comfort and respectability of Corduroy Road. 1 1 7 their proprietors. Improved farms are to be pur- chased here for rather less than at Canandaigua; say, from twenty to thirty doJlars per acre, and the prices of most kinds of produce are also a trifle lower : wages and other expenses much the same. We stopped to dine about two miles to the west of Pembroke, at an odd house, answering the two- fold purpose of farm-house and hotel, not unfre^ quently the case in thinly-populated districts, where a very comfortable repast was served up to us, unac- companied with that breathless expedition I have noticed elsewhere. I had really time to lay my knife and fork upon my plate ere every chair had started back to its respective situation in the apart- ment, — a feat by no means to be lightly spoken of. The landlord told me of a good farm for sale near this spot, the owner wishing to retire from business. The size of it is 250 acres, with a corresponding house and outbuildings, well fenced, &c. ; — thought it might be bought for twenty dollars per acre. On approaching Alden, and westward of that place, the country assumed a very different appear- ance, being yet but little cultivated, and the road wooded on both sides; here and there patches of cleared land intervened, sufficient to demonstrate the latent fertility of the soil. Before arriving at Buffalo, travelling became, in- deed, no sinecure, it being our hard destiny to pass over what the Americans call a " corduroy road*^ than which nothing can be conceived more direfully hostile to the comfort of either man or beast, or the 118 TO BUFFALO CorduToy Road. safety of the vehicle. It is, in fact, a road of logs, of trees felled on tlie spot, and placed in contact with each other from side to side; the genuine cor- duroy rib, to be sure ; coarse enough for horse jockey taste, however extravagant : but the thing mentioned, no farther delineation is needful — the cause is ade- quate to any thing, and the effect does no discredit to the cause. Poor Peter's pilgrims with their peas were well off, by comparison, even when the driver, in pure tenderness of heart towards us, condescended to limit his speed to two miles per hour; but when that speed was accelerated to five and six, why, then, good bye to description, and to seats of hmioitr, and all other seats; 'twas rather too much for a joke: the reader's imagination, if tolerably fertile, will best help me out. Finally, however, we escaped with- out loss of life or limb, which is saying as much as will be received without suspicion, and I gladly wave the traveller's license of adding more; — would that I could even dismiss the recollection \ But after all, sad as the confession, if the road is to be passed, I know not how it could be otherwise accomplished. The soil of these woods has no consistency beyond that of decomposed, or half decomposed, vegetable matter, wholly inade- quate to sustain the weight of carriages at any time, and, in the wet season, mere bog. Still you are strangely tempted to think, or, at least, to wish that these said logs had some earthly covering or other upon them ; but then again, you are told of a newly settled country, and the value of labour; the latter. BUFFALO. 119 according to Dr. Smith, a poser for every thing, so I may as well hold my tongue, and patiently "endure what can't be mended;" — be the name of corduroy, however, for ever infamous ! The day was fast wearing away when we entered the village of Buffalo. It had been remarkably fine, and the wind happening to meet, instead of to follow us, rendered agreeable what would, otherwise, have proved a choking affair indeed. Throughout nearly the whole of the way, the log road excepted, when- ever we were in motion, there was nothing to be dis- cerned in our rear but one dense cloud of dust ; trees, houses, and even villages, as soon as we had passed them, were lost to our view, and woe betide those who chanced on this day to be shaping their course in an opposite direction : it would require very familiar ac- quaintance to pronounce upon their identity with any thing like certainty, when landed at their respec- tive destinations. We were driven up to a splendid hotel at the south end of the village, called the Bujfalo House, kept by E. Powell, jun. : it is less than a mile from the Lake, which in twenty minutes after my quitting the stage I had found my way into, and enjoyed the luxury of a moonlight dip in its refreshing waters. On returning to the inn I learnt that the last general meal of the day had been long ago despatched, and I had, therefore, hard fate, to put up with a quiet repast by myself In the few instances of my delinquency in this way, I have thought my hosts, for the time being, l2 120 BUFFALO Remarls on would have been quite as well pleased had I omitted to give them so much additional trouble. I amused myself for some time afterwards in a reading-room belonging to the establishment, and on retiring was shown into an apartment which for neat- ness, and even elegance, I have not seen surpassed on my route, only equalled at Auburn. August 29ih. — After such fair promise it is almost needless to say that I have arisen this morning free from a vermin visUation, or other nightly annoyance; and, as if by contrast to the solitude attendant upon my last evening's meal, have breakfasted with some thirty or forty sitting down to the table, and mine host and hostess presiding. By this time I have seen something more of the routine of affairs at inns, &c., than at the close of my first day's stage travelling, which has but tended to confirm the observations I was then about to have made. They are not the comfortable, do-as- you-like public or private sort of places which the English hotels are ; and though the fare may be quite as good, oftentimes in greater profusion, few Englishmen, with the system pursued, would re- lish it half so well. — Suppose a roomy bar, as here- tofore described, full of strangers, and residents of the town, who half live at the hotels, standing about, ten minutes before dinner, as impatient as a throng at a theatre, until the ringing of a bell announces the re- past ready to be pounced upon. Forthwith one simultaneous rush takes place to the dining, or general, or only eating room, and each, as near as may be. Proceedings at Inns. 121 seating himself in the vicinity of his favourite dish, the dire attack commences. A novice would be apt to conclude that all had a heavy bet depending upon the quantity devoured in a given space of time ; 'tis an affair in which each one is concerned exclu- sively for himself, carving, or cutting, and cramming down whatever he pleases, leaving his neighbour at liberty to do the same, or to do nothing at all, — all alike to him, — except, as I am pleased to do the Ame- ricans the justice to say upon these, as all other occa- sions, the utmost deference and most respectful atten- tion is ever paid to the ladies. But few words, per haps, are spoken by the whole company ; as each individual clears, or rather dismisses his jDlate, for it is rarely half cleared, " another, and another, and an- other" succeeds, until he has gone the whole round of soup, fish, flesh, pudding, pastry, and dessert, — all fre- quently upon the table together, — and brought the performance to a close ; which is no sooner effected than up he starts, as if some contagion were spreading round the table, or there were a greater merit in bolt- ing than in properly masticating a meal ; in devour- ing with precipitancy than in eating with decent deliberation ; and, hurrying off to the bar, addresses himself to smoking, chewing, &c. — spitting every where, of course, with most perfect freedom : — who would suf- fer restraint in a land of liberty ! In the intervals between meals there is usually as much taken in the way of drams, tossed down with equal expedition, as would serve an Englishman, at his meals, twice over. The difference is, that the one enjoys it, relishes it ; 122 BUFFALO Remarks, ^c. tlie other takes it because it is habitual to him ; and, without a moment's reflection in any way about it, is satisfied, for the lime, if the act be only performed. I do not give this merely as a specimen of coach travel- ling; there haste and helter-skelter are often unavoid- able ; but I consider it a fair outline of these proceed- ings at hotels, in any part of the country where I have been, as much upon one occasion as another. At private houses, and in good society, there is no want of courtesy, and the most genuine good-breeding and hospitality ; but even here I think T have noticed a system of despatch neither necessary nor quite agree- able ; a confusing and intermixing of courses, &c., for instance; ever understanding that it is heresy itself not to vanish with the cloth, and what to an English- man would very much give the idea of hurrying over a meal to start a journey. Let no one charge me with advocating any of those after-dinner excesses so common with us; none can more despise and condemn them; but some pause, at least, before retiring, and a friendly glass or two, if you will, I must think not only a social and agree- able, but a decent and proper custom, I can see no reasonable objection to it. The plea of the abuse of any practice is but a poor argument to constrain us to forego its 2ise or propriety, neither of which appear to me unconnected with this. For myself, however, T shall retain my prejudices, let others think as they will. — I may be asked whether at an hotel a gentle- man would not be furnished with a private room and table, if he desired it ? With the first no doubt he BUFFALO. 123 might; but as to the latter, if it were not refused altogether, it would be esteemed a most out-of-the- way request, and in all probability be made so un- pleasant to him that he would be most easy, in a short time, to dispense with it, and take his chance, pell-mell, with the rest. What is done with the parlours, I know not. At every good inn there are mostly several, and those on the first floor are to be seen carpeted, about half fur- nished, the door standing wide open, and no one in them. The drawing-rooms above are often elegant, and these I have occasionally seen occupied, but more commonly empty. As to lodging, when not intruded upon by company of one sort or other, it is all that can be wished :— you are generally waited upon by black servants, who are civil and attentive, and expect not money, hni fair ivords. But to speak of Buffalo, — upon my first view of which, after the route I had pursued to it, I was filled with admiration and astonishment ; and could I for a moment have suffered myself to lose all recollection of the canal, and retain only the idea of its land ap- proach, I should have been almost tempted to believe that such an appearance as it presents, at the termina- tion of a forest, had been rather produced by magic or supernatural than by human means. In point of size it only yields to New York, Brooklyn, Albany, Utica, and Rochester, and how long any of these places, but the two first, may be able to boast even such superiority, is, in my opinion, a matter of great uncertainty. The situation of Buffalo, however con- 124 BUFFALO. sidered, is commanding and important beyond most. Standing at the foot of Lake Erie — now connected with Lake Ontario by the Well and Canal — it has a direct communication with theCanadas; is open to the mighty lakes Huron, Michigan, and Superior, and an almost limitless extent of western continent ; and, on the other hand, at the head of what is justly termed the Grand Canal, it is equally connected with the Hudson River, New York, as well as all intermediate places, the Eastern States, and, in fine, with the shores of the Atlantic. It is, as it were, the rallying point for the agricultural produce of the west, and the migratory population, the commerce and manu- factures of the east, the connecting link of the varied interests of a great portion of this vast empire, and embracing within itself most of the advantages which, separately, may attach both to inland towns and sea- ports, but which are rarely united as in Buffalo. Spafford, alluding to Rochester, has well, if I mistake not, portrayed the future prospects and destiny of this place:— *' Looking forward," says he, "a few centuries, or half centuries, weighing all the balances of probabilities, the changes likely to be produced by steam navigation, by canals, and the march of popu- lation, and capital, and business westward, — not to Florida and the shores of the Mexican Gulf, but to the shores of the o^reat lakes of the west, extendintr a line of navigation through Michigan to the Missis- sippi, and pushing it through the Missouri, and across the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Ocean, — I see a line of perspective so extended, so wide-spread in the BUFFALO, 125 sphere of" its action, that it seems boundless, almost as the fields of imagination into which the contem- plation conducts me." Leaving general for particular; — Buffalo stands on a fine plain at the mouth of the Buffalo Creek, an outlet of Lake Erie, and at the head of the Niagara river. The canal commences near this outlet, and from it lateral canals are cut in various directions, upon which numerous and extensive stores and ware- houses are already erected, and many more in pro- gress. Like Canandaigua, it consists principally of one fine broad street, called Main-street, having be- sides three public squares; and much that I have observed of the character and appearance of the buildings, public and private, there, and at Rochester, may apply to Buffalo. I think there are fewer erec- tions of wood than at either of those places, whilst they are equally spacious and elegant. It has two handsome churches, and a court-house, built in very good style, an academy, of which report speaks highly, and where there are 100 students; witli printing esta1)lishments, libraries, public baths, &c.; and in the bar of the inn I am at, and at that inn, I see the play of "Is he Jealous P'^ advertised for performance to-morrow evening ; — so soon the refine- ments, luxuries, and dissipations of life succeed to its comforts and conveniences. The present population amounts to more than 6,000. — And this is the Buffalo which has arisen from that Buffalo, the British with the horrid brand of war reduced to ashes, leaving but one house standing, in 1814 '.—-Never may that l26 BUFFALO JErie Canal. execrable, that self-inflicted scourge of the human race, with all its long train of evils and calamities, revisit its borders more, but, with the blessings of peace, and the industry and enterprise of her sons, may Buffalo become all that they can desire, or I anticipate— a great and highly distinguished com- mercial town, the honour and ornament of their august republic ! Being here, as stated, at the fountain'head of that splendid national work, the Erie canal, to which I have so frequently alluded, the following notice will not perhaps be deemed uninteresting: — " This magnificent structure," says the writer, " was commenced under the patronage of the State, on the 4Lh of July, 1817, and was completed in 1825, uniting the waters of the Erie and Hudson, at an expense of less than seven millions of dollars, a sum trivial in comparison with the immense advantage derived to the State from such communication. The canal, beginning at Albany on the Hudson, passes up the west bank of that river nearly to the mouth of the Mohawk ; thence along the bank of the Mo- hawk to Schenectady, crossing the river twice by two aqueducts. From Schenectady it follows the south bank of the Mohawk until it reaches Rome. In some places it encroaches so near as to require embankments made up from the river to support it. An embankment of this description, at Amsterdam village, is five or six miles in extent. What is called the long level, being a distance of 69| miles, with- out an intervening lock, commences in the town of BUFFALO Erie Canal. 127 Frankfort, about eight miles east of Utica, and ter- minates three-fourths of a mile east from Syracuse; from thence the route proceeds thirty- five miles to Montezuma, situated on the east border of the Cayuga marshes, three miles in extent, over which to the great embankment, seventy-two feet in height, and near two miles in length, is a distance of fifty-two miles; thence eight and a half miles to the com- mencement of the Genesee level, extending westward to Lockport, nearly parallel with the jidge road, sixty-five miles. Seven miles from thence, to Pen- dleton village, the canal enters Tonnewanta Creek, which it follows twelve miles, and thence following" the east side of the Niagara river, communicates with Lake Erie at Buffalo. The whole line of the canal, from Albany to Buffalo, is 363 miles in length. It is forty feet wide at the top, and twenty-eight feet wide at the bottom. The water flows at the depth of four feet in a moderate descent of half an inch in a mile. The tow-path is elevated about four feet from the surface of the water, and is ten feet wide. The whole length of the canal includes eighty-three locks and eighteen aqueducts of various extent. The locks are constructed in the most durable man- ner of stone laid in water lime, and are ninety feet in length and fifteen feet in width. The whole rise and fall of lockage is 688 feet; and the height of Lake Erie, above the Hudson, 568 feet. The principal aqueducts are, one crossing the Genesee river at Rochester, 804 feet in length ; one crossing the Mo- hawk at Little Falls, supported by three arches, the 128 BUFFALO Erie Canal. centre of seventy feet, and those on each side of fifty feet chord ; and two crossing the Mohawk river near Alexander's bridge, one of which is 748 feet, and the other 1188 feet in length. The whole workmanship evinces a degree of beauty and proportion consistent with the greatest strength. In many places the sides of the canal are either paved with small stone, or covered with thick grass, designed to prevent the crumbling of the soil by the motion of the water. To the main canal are a number of side cuts or lateral canals: one opposite Troy, connecting with the Hudson ; one at Syracuse, a mile and a half in length, to Salina; one from Syracuse to Oswego, thirty-eight n: iles in length ; one at Orville ; one at Chitteningo; one at Montezuma, extending to the Cayuga lake, five miles, and from thence to the Seneca lake at Geneva, a distance of fifteen miles ; and one at Rochester of two miles in length, which serves the double purpose of a navigable feeder, and a mean of communication for boats between the canal and the Genesee river. It is highly probable that these lateral cuts will increase in ratio with the enterprise of the numerous adjacent villages scattered alonof the line of the main canal. From these and various other improvements, which public enterprise has already suggested, the State of New York is des- tined to reap a full harvest of prosperity. If her national glory has already dawned with so much lustre, what will be its meridian splendour, when her magnificent improvements, uniting with her own the navijfable waters of her sister States, shall serve BUFFALO Erie Canal. 129 as so many ligaments to bind the confederacy in the indissoluble bonds of friendship and interest?" " The debt contracted for the Champlain and Erie canals amounted, on the 1st of January, 1826, to 9,108,269 dollars, including 1,621,274 dollars ex- pended in the construction of feeders, lateral canals, dams, &c., and in the payment of salaries of the commissioners and other officers engaged in the work. The revenue from the tolls of both canals, in 1822, amounted to 64,071 dollars; in 1823, to 151,099 dollars; in 1824, to 289,320 dollars; in 1825, to 500,000 dollars; in 1826, to 675,190 dollars; in 1827, to 859,058 dollars; and in 1828, to 883,000 dol- lars. On the 1st of January, 1830, the canal debt, including the expenses of constructing the Oswego, Cayuga, and Seneca canals, and exclusive of the extinguishments which had been made, amounted to 7,706,013 dollars; and the tolls received for the preceding year, to the sum of 816,302 dollars, — the Oswego and Seneca canals not having furnished a revenue equal to the interest of their cost and the expense of their repairs. To the payment of the interest and principal of the canal debt, is appro- priated not only the tolls, but also the duties on salt and auctions, with other sources of income, which amounted, in 1829, to 377,677 dollars, making the total receipts of that year, including tolls, 1,193,979 dollars." The day has been overcast, temperature agreeable, and closes with rain. 130 BUFFALO -Seneca Ueservatlon. August SOIL— "The morn is up again, the dewy morn, With breath all incense, and vrith cheek all bloom ; Laughing the clouds away with playful scorn, And living as if earth contained no tomb." Swimming in Lake Erie at five o'clock. — I was diverted in passing along Main-street at ob- serving the extreme singularity of the names over the shop doors, &c. ; a circumstance, indeed, I have often noticed elsewhere; and, in addition, you will mostly see portrayed upon a sign suspended over, or at the side of the door, some touch of the pro- fession practised within ; for instance, at a doctors, I saw a mortar and pestle ; at a bookseller's, two large folio volumes; at a Miss Jeremiah's, a most exqui- sitely trimmed bonnet; and at o, fancy dyers, a board, upon which was announced the character of their establishment, had every letter painted with different coloured paint ; — so much for customs. Near Buffalo there is a reservation of the Seneca Indians; but their numbers do not now amount to more than a few hundreds, and even these are an- nually diminishing, and retain hut little of their ori- ginal character, habits, and customs; a few years, comparatively, will sweep this race of inhabitants altogether from the face of this wide continent, of which they were onc»3 the sole and undisputed pos- sessors ; and I leave it to the philosopher, the moral- ist, the philanthropist, the Christian to say, whether, if the good of mankind, and not the mere aggran- dizement of territory, had led to their extirpation — for whatever virtues or brilliancy of character they DEPARTURE FOR NIAGARA. 131 might possess in some respects, they were the mere children of the forest, averse to all but the savage and uncivilized states of life — looking upon America now, and comparing her with what she then was, and under such a people ever would have been, whether, in all the varied, vast, and important advantages which have followed their subjugation, the result ivould not have justified the act P As it is, we can only say that the result has been greatly glorious — would that we could add, the means and the motives were as greatly good ! And now, having lingered a whole day at Buffalo, only twenty-two miles from Niagara, and within the sound of that mighty cataract,* I felt this morn- ing an overpowering excitement in anticipating the august spectacle which, in a few hours, would be presented to my view. Every description I had heard or read, and every conception I had formed of that stupenduous work of nature, was this day to be disappointed or realized. I was to behold a scene which is pronounced by all who have wit- nessed it, to stand unrivalled in any country, and to be able to answer in the affirmative that first and all-important interrogatory which meets a stranger on returning from the western world, " Have you seen J^Tiagara ?'* Such were the impressions with which I * In reference to the distance at which the falls are audible, Dr. SpafFord observes, " The sound is heard at various distances; ex- tending five, eight, ten, twenty, and even thirty miles, when wafted by a gentle breeze. I have once heard it thirty miles in a direct line ; and I think that in 1797 I approached within five miles, with- ovit hearing any of that roar, which soon became tremendous from a change of wind." M 2 132 TO NIAGARA. recommenced this most interesting portion of my journey. And here let me remark, that, in attempt- ing to convey to others, who do not happen to have been as much favoured as myself, not an idea of the scene — that were impossible — but something of the feelings with which I surveyed it; and considering the limited interval arrangements allowed me for observation, I shall not fastidiously and wholly re- ject the sentiments of those who have preceded me, when I consider them strikingly appropriate, or so nearly resembling my own, that I might either appear, however unintentionally, to have availed myself of, or studiously evaded them, to be, perhaps, less pointed and accurate ; — with this acknowledgement, then, I proceed. I have before said that the Niagara river, which forms the communication of Lake Erie with Lake Ontario, commences at Buffalo, receiving into it not only the waters of Lake Erie, but those of Huron, Michigan, and Superior, well denominated the inland seas of the tvest* The elevation of Lake Erie above * " Lake Huron is 218 miles from east to west, and 180 broad. " Michigan is 300 miles long and 50 wide. " Superior, the most westerly, is 459 miles long, and about 109 wide. About forty small and three large rivers enter this lake, on one of which, just before its entrance, are perpendicular falls of more than 600 feet. The water of the lake is remarkably transpa- rent, so much so, that a canoe over the depth of six fathoms seems rather suspended in air than resting on the water. " Lake Erie is on the boundary line between the United States and Upper Canada. It is 'i90 miles long from south-west to north- east, and in the widest part 63 broad. Lake Ontario, nearly half in the State of New York, " is in length 171 miles, and in cnxumference 467. In the middle, a line of 350 fathoms has been let down without finding a bottom." TO NIAGARA. 133 that of Ontario is upwards of 330 feet. The river is about thirty-five miles long, and from half a mile to six or seven in width, and nearly equidistant from each lake is crossed by a branch of the Alleghany mountains, which intersect almost the whole con- tinent of America, and to which circumstance we are indebted for the falls of Niagara. From Buffalo, the approach may be made either on the American or Canadian side of the river. I preferred the latter, and getting into a stage about eight o'clock, was conveyed three miles to Black Rock, a small, but increasing village on the east bank of the river, and upon the line of the canal ; like Buffalo destroyed by the British in 1814. The river here is about a mile in width, running with a very moderate current, and twenty-five feet deep. Over this we were ferried in a boat, with paddles worked by horses. On the Canada side, just as you land, are a few houses, christened "Waterloo,* very near the site of old Fort Erie,f the scene of desperate engagements be- * As if one must be reminded, wherever one goes, of that bloody struggle for the suppression of one tyrant, that five or six might form a vile league, which, with horrid blasphemy, they dared to de- signate ^^holy,^^ against all that was dear and sacred to man. But, " every dog has its day," and they, thank Heaven ! have had theirs, and are fallen and falling, amidst the scorn and execration of" free millions." — So perish all and every thing opposing the cause of civil and religious liberty, on its broadest basis, the world over ! f " Fort Erie was rendered memorable as the theatre of several severe engagements during the last war. The last and most deci sive battle fought at this place was on the night of the 15th of Au gust, 1814. The fort was occupied by the Americans, and its pos session was considered an object of importance to the British. Taking advantage of the darkness of the night, they made repeated and furious assaults, and were as often repulsed j until, at length, they succeeded by superior force in gaining a bastion. After main- 1 34 TO NIAGARA. Iween the Americans and the British, during the last war, as was, in fact, nearly the whole extent of the river from lake to lake. Continuing along the banks of the stream, we shortly came opposite Grand Island, which is twelve miles long, and from two to seven broad, and was ceded to the State of New York by the Seneca Indians in 1815. We were about twelve miles dis- tant, when looking in the direction of the falls, I saw the spray, which I at first mistook for smoke, rising in columns to a very considerable height, and the whole horizon around skirted with light clouds ; I also began to hear the sound of them very dis- tinctly. Besides Grand Island, the river contains a number of other small islands,* and independent of the influence of that excitement by which, at every progressive step, the mind and feelings become more deeply aroused, the ride itself, the whole distance, is one of singular beauty and interest. Until we reached Chippewa,f the stream had been gliding taining it for a short time, at the expense of many lives, accident placed it again in the hands of the Americans. Several cartridges which had been placed in a stone building adjoining exploded, pro- ducing tremendous slaughter and death among the British. They soon retreated, leaving on the field 221 killed, among whom were Cols. Scott and Drummond, 174 wounded, and 186 prisoners. The American loss was 17 killed, 56 woimded, and 11 missing. This action was followed by a splendid sortie, near the Fort, on the 17th of the following month, which resulted in a loss to the British of nearly 1000, including 385 prisoners, and to the Americans of 511 killed, wounded, and missing." * The largest of these is Geneva Island, about a mile long, and nearly the same in width. It belongs to the British. f " The battle of Chippewa was fought fon the 5th of July, 1814, and has been described as one of the most brilliant spectacles that TO NIAGARA. 135 along witli a smoothness which left you wholly un- prepared for the ruffled and tumultuous scene it was could be well conceived. The day was clear and bright, and the plain such as might have been selected for a parade or a tourna- ment ; the troops on both sides, though not numerous, admirably disciplined j the generals leading on their columns in person j the glitter of the arms in the sun, and the precision and distinctness of every movement, were all calculated to carry the mind back to the scenes of ancient story or poetry, to the plains of Latium or of Troy, and all those recollections which fill the imagination with images of personal heroism and romantic valour. " After some skirmishing, the British Indians were discovered in the rear of the American camp. Gen. Porter, with his volunteers and Indians, were directed to scour in the adjoining forest. This force had nearly debouched from the woods opposite Chippewa, when it was ascertained that the whole British force, under Gen. Riall, had crossed the Chippewa- bridge. Gen. Brown gave immediate orders to Gen. Scott to advance with his brigade, and to Gen. Ripley to be in readiness to support. In a few minutes the British line was dis- covered formed and rapidly advancing, their right on the woods, and their left on the river. Their object was to gain the bridge across a small creek in front of the American encampment, which, if done, would have compelled the Americans to retire. This bridge, however, was soon gained by Gen. Scott, and crossed, under a tre- mendous fire of British artillery, and his line formed. The British orders were to give one volley at a distance and immediately charge. But such was the warmth of the American mvisketry that they could not withstand it, and were obliged to retreat before the ap- pearance of Ripley's brigade, which had been directed to make a movement through the woods upon the enemy's right flank. The British recrossed the Chippewa bridge, which they broke down in their retreat, having suffered a loss in killed and missing of 514. The American loss was 328." *' One mile farther is Lundy''s Lane, celebrated as the ground on which an important battle was fought, twenty days after the battle of Chippewa. The scene of action was near the mighty cataract of Niagara, and within the sound of its thunders, and was, in propor- tion to the number engaged, the most sanguinary, and decidedly the best fought action which ever took place on the American con- tinent. The following letter, written by a surgeon of one of the (American) regiments, the day after the engagement, contains many interesting particulars : — ' In the afternoon the enemy advanced towards Chippewa with 136 TO NIAGARA. SO soon to present ; but " here," in the words of ati eminent traveller, "the grand spectacle begins" — a powerful force. At six o'clock Gen. Scott was ordered to advance with ills brigade and attack them. He was soon reinforced by Gen. Ripley's brigade ; they met the enemy below the falls. They had selected their ground for the night, intending to attack our camp before daylight. The action began just before seven, and an unin- terrupted stream of musketry continued till half-past eight, when there was some cessation, the British falling back. It soon began again with some artillery, which, with slight interruptions, continued till half-past ten, when there was a charge, and a tremendous stream of fire closed the conflict. Both armies fought with a desperation bordering on madness ; neither would yield the palm, but each re- tired a short distance, wearied out with fatigue. Such a constant and destructive fire was never before sustained by American troops without falling back. * The enemy had collected their whole force in the peninsula, and were reinforced by troops from Lord Wellington's army, just landed from Kingston. For two hours the two hostile lines were within twenty yards of each other, and so frequently intermingled that often an officer would order an enemy's platoon. The moon shone bright; but part of our men being dressed like the Glenga- rian regiment caused the deception. They frequently charged, and were as often driven back. Our regiment, under Col. Miller, was ordered to storm the British battery. We charged, and took every piece of the enemy's cannon. We kept possession of the ground and cannon until twelve o'clock at night, when we 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 ropes to the pieces, we got off but two or three. The men were so excessively fatigued they could not drag them. We lost one howitzer ; the horses being in full gallop towards the enemy to attack them, the riders were shot off', and the horses ran through the enemy's line. We lost one piece of cannon^ which was too much advanced, every man being shot that had charge of it, but two. Several of ovir caissons were blown up by their rockets, which did some injury, and deprived our cannon of ammunition. The lines were so near that camion could not be used with rdvantage. ' The British loss in killed and wounded and prisoners was 878, and the American loss 860 ' " The road to the falls ])asses directly over the hill where the Bri- tish artillery were posted at the time Scott's brigade commenced NIAGARA. 137 here the rapids^ commence; and leaving stages and such like material vehicles, let us suffer ourselves for a short time, in fancy's airy car, to follow the impetuous current. There is a gradual expanding- of the river from Waterloo to this place, and here it attains the width of nearly two miles; but on a sudden it is narrowed, and its rapidity is redoubled by the declivity of the ground on which it flows, estimated by some at sixty, by others at ninety feet, as well as by the sudden contraction of its bed. The channel is rocky, and the interspersed fragments of rock increase the violence of the stream. As it proceeds, it becomes more closely hemmed in by rocks on the right encroaching upon its channel, and sweeps along with prodigious velocity. Before the action ; and the houses in the village of Bridgewater, the trees and fences in the vicinity, still retain marks of the combat. Many graves are seen upon the hill ; among others that of Capt. Hull, son of the late Gen. Hull, who distinguished himself and fell in this action. Most of the slain were collected and burned upon the battle ground ; on which spot it is in contemplation to erect a church.'* — [A pretty sort of ground for a reverend Christian to consecrate !'\ * An American term for a broken and rapid current. " Falling into the current, within a mile of the falls, is considered fatal- Several accidents of this kind have happened, and only one per son has ever been known to reach the shore. Many bodies have been found below the falls ; those that have fallen in the ceutre of the stream, without any external marks of injury ; and those that have fallen near the shore, much lacerated and disfigured. The latter has probably been occasioned by coming in contact with the rocks in shallow water, before reaching the cataract. A few years since an Indian, partially intoxicated, in attempting to cross the river near Chippewa, was forced near the rapids, when finding all his efforts to regain the shore unavailing, he laid down in his canoe, and was soon plunged into the trtmendous vortex below. He was never seen afterwards." 138 NIAGARA. arriving- at the great pitch it is intersected by two small island Sj namely, Bath and Goat Island, which divide the current into two arms, thus creating a fall both on the American and Canadian sides ; "and resting on their rocky basis, seem, as it were, to swim between the streams, which here rush down at once into the dread chasm below."* The main, or Horse Shoe Fall, is on the Canada side; its circum- ference is estimated at 600 or 700 yards, and its height at 158 feet. The sheet in falling does not pitch immediately downward, but, as may be in- ferred from its rapid motion, it advances about fifty feet from the perpendicular of the cataract, and de- scends in the form of a curve. To describe my sensations when from the Terrapin Rocks the mighty scene opened upon me, is utterly beyond my power ;^ — many another has had to make a like confession, and as a talented and intelligent writer, whom I have repeatedly quoted, remarks,—" The immense volume of water that forms a river of a mile wide can only be conceived by those who have seen large rivers, and have indulged in some habitual reflection. I had (says he) enjoyed these advantages, and had read many good descriptions of Niagara Falls, before I had an opportunity to consult the impressions derived from personal observation, and still the scene was altogether new to me when I stood, and gazed, and wondered at the sight: — a broad, rapid river poured at once down a precipice of more than 150 * " Dr. D wight has estimated that more than one hundred mil- lions of tons of water pass over the falls every hour." NIAGARA. 139 feet into &n awful chasm of about three-quarters of a mile wide, and near 300 feet deep, reckoning from the surface of the river bank ! The first effect of this sight is absolutely indescribable. My head became giddy, and it seemed to me that every nerve was affected in the same way with those of the head : nor was it till after some minutes that I dare crawl to the brink of the precipice to take a nearer view." The Terrapin Rocks are approached by a rudely- constructed bridge from Goat Island. They extend about 300 feet from the shore to the Horse Shoe Fall, and, at their farthest verge, absolutely overhang the vast abyss into which the torrent rolls with all its thrilling and majestic grandeur. " No one," says another, " can witness this at first without involuntary shrinking back." He must allow, however, of one exception : I had noticed the remark, and to give every possible efiect to the scene which I was about to survey, when I advanced upon the bridge, I closed my eyes, and, as far as I could, kej^t them in that state until I found myself as it were suspended over the cataract. I confess the impression was awful, but to me, if I may so say, it was awfully enchunting; my excitement was raised to a pitch which seemed to dispel the idea of danger, and I verily believe if, at that moment, I had known it to be imminent, I should have retreated from the position with some hesitation and reluctance. I was dumb with high and enthralling amazement. " There was a mass of many images Crowded like waves upon me." *-Thc tablet of unutterable thoughts was traced," N 140 NIAGARA. My feelings asked for words, and in the same in- stant mocked the power of language. I felt the weak- ness — the littleness — the nothingness of man, and the immensity of that Being whose almighty fiat had called into existence the magnificent scenes which surrounded me, and poured along the cataract which foamed and thundered at my feet. I was as if com- mingled with the very elements — living in the tumult : the world seemed annihilated and dead: every faculty and power of the soul was taken captive — riveted to this spot. The creations of fancy had fled away ; imagination was beggared by reality; and I felt at once that Niagara — the mighty Niagara ! — was all, and more than all, it had ever been represented to be — what no pencil could paint, or pen portray — great beyond every conception of grandeur — sublime be- yond all idea of sublimity ! How long I continued in this reverie of rapture I know not; 'twas too overpowering for endurance. The spell was at length broken : I was recalled to the vapidness of life, and, like one just aroused from a trance, retraced my steps to the shore; but the im- pression remains fixed, and permanent, and vivid, as when stamped upon the mind, and when I lose the recollection of that hour, and that scene, time must have drawn its veil over all that I would cherish, and thought and memory become extinct : — I must cease to live. The reader will forgive me this digression — rhap- sody, or whatsoever he is pleased to term it : the feel- ings of the moment were ardent and irresistible, in- NIAGARA. 141 spired by the majesty of the scene: they can never recur again but upon a like occasion — at the same spot. We will now commence on the Canada side, and make the entire circuit. My first point of observation was upon the Table Rock,* a little lower down the river bank than the great fall, and although the view from this is indeed superlatively grand, it did not, in my mind, produce all those overpowering emotions which I experienced in the situation alluded to, and I surveyed the parti- cular features of the scene perhaps with more atten- tion. Viewed from the point, this falling sheet sometimes resembled an immense avalanche of snow, as during its descent amongst the rocks of the rapids it acquires a foaming whiteness before it reaches the great pitch, but much depends upon the position of the sun, the state of the atmosphere, force of the wind, &c. Its colour was occasionally a dark green, and not un- frequently it exhibited every brilliance of hue and shade that can be imagined. The surface below presented the wildest confusion : the water, after its " * A large crack in the Table Rock, which has increased annually for some years, renders it very certain that a considerable propor- tion will ere long fall into the abyss below. The part thus cracked is nearly fifty feet in width, and might be blasted off without diflS- culty. The height of the rock has been ascertained to be 163 feet.'* It is highly disgraceful to those who have the power to remove it to suffer this rock to remain in its present state. It may fall any moment — it must fall before long, and whenever it does, it will be remarkable if lives are not sacrificed. Is there no one who will interfere to prevent it? 142 NIAGARA. descent^ partly rising again in thick columns of mist, towering above the falls, and mixing with the clouds; thus producing — for the sun was bright throughout the day — perpetual and most splendid rainbows ; the remainder breaking upon the masses of rock, in the bed of the river, filled the whole chasm with spray, and which, the wind meeting me on my approach, I per- ceived, like small rain, at a considerable distance off. From the Table Rock I next passed under the fall. The descent is by means of a spiral stair- way which is inclosed, and on arriving at the bottom of which I had to doff every vestige of clothing, and was fur- nished by the guide, who was about to accompany me, with a waterproof garment in lieu of it : the necessity of this exchange I full soon discovered, being com- pletely enveloped in a cloud of spray. The path is a very rugged one, under awfully overhanging rocks and as we approached nearer and nearer, the roar, the tumult, and the agitation which encompassed us " around, above, below," was appallingly, grandly terrific. The violence and density of the spray, too, increased at every step, so that we were obliged to carry our heads down to respire at all ; and in one part, where there is a considerable projection, it was driven against us with such almost incredible vehe- mence that it required no trifling effort to keep on our feet. I can compare it to nothing better than the most violent of thunder rain, which, instead of falling vertically, is propelled horizontally, with the fury of a tornado. The walking, too, is rendered more diffi- cult by the number of small eels, which are twisting NIAGARA. 143 about under your feet in all directions. At length, however, staggering and stumbling on, we reached what is called Termination Rock, 153 feet from the commencement of the volume of water, and beyond which there is no proceeding, the descent being nearly perpendicular. Few, I believe, evince any inclination to explore thus far, though tales are told of persons taking a meal underneath, and so on; which, for the mere say-so, certainly might be done, as any one, if so disposed, might treat himself to dinner in a shower- bath, nor fear having to complain of a dry morsel; but be assured the inconvenience of such a ceremony under the Falls of Niagara would, if possible, be an hundred-fold greater. After remaining some time seated on the farthest projection of rock, contemplating the wildly majestic and novel character of the scene around, T returned to the stair-way, and on reaching the little building which has been erected at the lop of it, and casting oft' my drenched surtout, I was presented by my guide with a printed form of certificate, in testimony of the performance, in the following words : To wit, — " This may certify that Mr. John Fowler has passed with me behind the Great Falling Sheet, under the Falls of Niagara, to ' Termination Rock.' Given under my hand, at the office of the General Register of Visitors, at the Table Rock, this 30th day of Au- gust, 1830.— (Signed) W. D. Wright, G. N. F." Continuing from this along the bank, about a quarter of a mile lower down, is a man in attendance with a small boat to ferry across the river. To a stranger it would appear altogether impossible for a n2 144 NIAGARA. boat to live in such a water, and certainly the impe- tuosity and strength of the current, together with its numerous eddies, are not quite pleasant; but I had every confidence in my ferryman, apparently grown gray in the service, and was right little disposed to indulge in any groundless apprehensions of danger. He even told me, but this he esteemed difeat, that his son, a boy of twelve years of age, had, more than once, swam across. '' The bed of the river here is formed by two ridges of rock, which extend a great way further down,* and it is still more narrowed, as if a part of this mighty stream had vanished during the fall, or were swallowed up by the earth." — We landed within about eighty yards of the fall on the American side. This is much smaller than the Horse Shoe Fall, not being more than 300 yards wide ; the sheet is also greatly thinner, and It descends almost perpendicularly, so that there is no possibility of passing behind it, but in conse- quence of a rocky barrier in front it can be approached to within a few feet, making up your mind to re- turn with a wet jacket. It is rather higher than the * " The great northern terrace of high plain meets the Niagara river of Lewiston, seven miles below the falls, which is just at the foot of it; and here must have been originally the Falls of Niagara. The corresponding strata of rocks and earths, with every geological feature, carry irresistible evidence of this prodigious excavation. " In the autumn of 1795, it is said a shock of an earthquake was felt here, when a large piece of the rock that formed the cataract fell, and perceptibly changed the form of its curvature. " Indeed it is altogether incredible to suppose this immense body of water should descend thus, and not be constantly wearing away the rocks that lie in its way. How long it may have taken to cut this vast chasm is of no importance." NIAGARA. 145 Horse Shoe Fall, being 164, whilst that is only 158 feet, and 1 thought the roar quite as tremendous, in- deed it struck me as being louder. I ascended from this place by a long flight of stairs, which has been constructed to the top of the bank, and passing along the shore about a quarter of a mile, came to a bridge which has actually been carried across the rapids to Bath Island,* and upon which, (will it be believed ?) there is a large paper mill, as well as other mills, in operation : there is also a house where the weary tra- veller may find most comfortable refreshment, and where I partook of all the dinner — it was a very slight and hasty one, to be sure — I either had or needed during the day. My feasting was of another character, but the richest, the noblest, the most sumptuous ban- quet I ever did, I ever can enjoy. At this place there is a tolerable collection of shells, petrifactions, and * " Gen. P. B. Porter, of Black Rock, to whom the public are in- debted for the construction of this bridge, informed me that its erec- tion was not effected without considerable danger. Two large trees, hewed to correspond with their shape, were first constructed into a temporary bridge, the huts fastened to the shore, with the lightest ends projecting over the rapids. At the extremity of the projection, a small butment of stone was first placed in the river, and when this became secure, logs were sunk around it, locked in such a manner as to form a frame, which was filled with stone. A bridge was then made to this butment, the temporary bridge shoved forward, and another butment formed, until the whole was completed. One man fell into the rapids during the work. At first, owing to the velocity with which he was carried forward, he was unable to hold upon the projecting rocks ; but through great bodily exertions to lessen the motion by swimming against the current, he was enabled to seize upon a rock, from which he was taken by means of ropes. " The sensation in crossing this bridge over the tremendous rapids beneath, is calculated to alarm the traveller for his safety, and hasten him in his excursion to the island." — Traveller''s Guide. 14G NIAGARA. various curiosities, the produce of this interesting neighbourhood. I also saw a large stuffed swan, which venturing too near the fall had the misfortune to be carried over, and was picked up dead below by the man who ferried me across. From Bath Island I passed by another bridge on to Goat Island, which is perhaps about a mile in cir- cumference, overgrown with trees and shrubs of dif- ferent kinds, some of which I made pretty free with on behalf of friends in England : but here, in my opi- nion, is obtained decidedly the finest view of the rapids^ and the principal fall, which is to be had from any situation around them. I allude, of course, to the Terrapin Rocks ; but these I have already spoken of, and let me not trust myself upon enchanted ground again. There is another very small island adjoining Goat Island, called Iris Island, from which a stair-way has been constructed to the foot of the falls, affording an excellent position for contemplating them from that part. " It was from ladders erected near this place that the celebrated Sam Patch made a descent of 118 feet into the water below, a short time previous to his fatal jump at Rochester, in the autumn of 1829." Here I completed my tour of the falls, recrossed the rapids, and was again ferried over the river to the Canada side, where I retired to the Pavilion,* and en- joyed a most splendid coup (Vceil of the whole scene, * " The Pavilion, kept by Mr. Forsyth, is a lofty eminence above the falls, on the Canada side, affording from its piazzas and roof a beautiful prospect of the surrounding scenery. It is a handsomely constructed building, and can accommodate from 100 to 160 guests." NIAGARA. 147 regretting that I had only been able to devote hours where I could willingly have lingered months, and should realise new beauties, fresh sources of interest, with every succeeding day. I did not feel, however, as if taking a last adieu ! I could not force myself to believe it : the moment will be hailed with rapture whenever these impressions are verified. I have seen Niagara in all the splendour of summer; I would again behold it in the icy array of a Canadian winter. And now, reader, thou has followed me — I would hope not quite impatiently — around this mighty scene, which, instead of being compressed in a few pages, might well furnish matter for a volume. To the little / have said, add all thy loftiest conceptions — the most vivid colourings of thy fancy — give wings to thy imagination, and soar to any height thou wilt — I still tell thee, thou hast no idea of Niagara ; be- lieve this thyself, and thou art then, perhaps, as familiar with it, as any multiplication of words could make thee, and to the testimony which I have given let me add that of the celebrated Duke de la Roche- focault Laincourt, who visited the falls in 1795. "I must repeat it again and again," says he, " that nothing can stand the test of comparison with the Falls of Niagara. Let no one expect to find here something pleasing, wildly beautiful, or romantic; all is wonderfully grand, awful, and sublime. Every power of the soul is arrested : the impression strikes deeper and deeper the longer you contemplate, and you feel more strongly the impossibility of doing justice to your perceptions and feelings." 148 FROM NIAGARA TO From Niagara I had wished to return by the Lake Ontario, landing either at Osivego or SackeVs Har- bour; but the steam-boat in which I thought to have taken a passage, being a few days too late for me, I was compelled to alter my plans, and proceed by stage along the Alluvial Way, upon the lake border, which is considered one of the great natural curiosities of the country.* Took a conveyance along the Canada side of the Niagara river to Queens- * " This is called the Ridge Road, or the Alluvial Way. It lies along the south shore of the Lake Ontario, and is composed of common beach sand and gravel stones, apparently worn smooth by the action of water ; and the whole intermixed with small shells. Its general width is from four to eight rods, and it is raised in the middle with a handsome crowning arch from six to ten feet. Its general surface preserves a uniform level, being raised to meet the unevenness of the ground through which it lies. At the Genesee and Niagara rivers, it is found to be elevated about 120 or 130 feet ; and this, of course, determines its elevation from Lake Ontario, from which it is distant from six to ten miles, and towards which there is a pretty uniform, though gradual descent. That this stupendous work of nature was formed by the action of water is very evident, and that water must have been no other than the Lake Ontario, now settled away 130 feet below its ancient boundary ; and the whole intermediate space is said to be good land, exhibiting strong evidences of alluvial origin. It could hardly escape the observation of the entei7»rising inhabitants of the west, that on the surface of this ancient work of the waters of Ontario, a very excellent road might easily be made through its whole extent. At an early period one was opened with little labour, extending from Lewistown, on the the Niagara river, to the Genesee, terminating at the spot now occu- pied by Rochester, a distance of eighty-seven miles. The circum- stance deserves notice, that between this Alluvial Way and the shore of Lake Ontario, there are few of those ancient works, the mounds, tumuli, &c. of a race of people about whom we know nothing- but by such like monuments ; pretty good evidence that their era preceded that of the present level of the waters of that lake, or of their retire- xnent below the Alluvial Way." LEWISTOWN. 149 town, seven miles, where I crossed to Lewistown, The river at this place has a very strong current, and is sometimes considerably ruffled. The banks are three hundred feet high ; but they soon decrease to about twenty or thirty feet, at which elevation they continue to Lake Ontario, seven miles below. Lewistown shared the fate of most of the frontier villages during the war; but it is now rebuilding in neat and respectable style, though I should imagine it will never arrive at equal commercial importance with the villages along the line of the canal. Be- sides a church, custom-house, &c., it has to boast of a very excellent hotel, much such a one as a per- son in want of every kind of comfortable refresh- ment would desire to fall in with. I have noticed generally that there is no difference in the charges at these places for breakfast, dinner, and tea, or sup- per — call it what you will ; both meals are here com- prised in one; — the customary demand for each is 37| cents, and, as before hinted, there are no ad- dendas, as with us, to half the amount of the bill. I recollect not long ago, when travelling in England, my expenses at a certain inn were 10s., and the servants* fees, in the usual way of remunerating them, and as I did upon the occasion, amounted exactly to 5s. I have no doubt, however, before any distant day, it will be found that the American servants, (I beg their pardon, I ought to have said " helps") will consent to accept of a little remembrance from a parting guest without any manifest embarrassment. 150 TO ROCHESTER Lock port. I have seen one effort of the kind made, and only one, which was received very graciously. August 31s^. — After a few hours' repose, which restored me to all the transporting scenes of the day, at half-past three o'clock this morning, I was in, or on the stage for Rochester. In the distance we pass through some eight or nine villages, none of which are worthy of mention, excepting Lockport, and that I was too much straitened for time to reconnoitre as I could have wished. I see it thus noticed in the Tra- veller's Guide : — " By far the most gigantic works on the whole line of the canal, are at this place. After passing along the canal between sixty or seventy miles on a perfect level, the traveller here strikes the foot of the ' Mountain Ridge,' which is surmounted by five magnificent locks of twelve feet each, connected with five more of equal dimensions for descending ; so that while one boat is raised to an elevation of sixty feet, another is seen sinking into the broad basin below. The locks are of the finest imaginable workmanship, with stone steps in the centre and on either side, guarded with iron railings, for the convenience and safety of passen- gers. Added to this stupenduous work, an exca- vation is continued through the Mountain Ridge, com- posed of rock, a distance of three miles, at an average depth of twenty feet. When viewing this part of the canal, we are amazed with the consideration of what may be accomplished by human means. Remarks by (he way. lol "The village of Lockport is mostly located on the mountain ridge, immediately above the locks; and though " founded on a rock," surrounded with rocks, and with little or no soil, it has already become a place of importance. In 1821, there were but two houses in the place ; now there are between three and four hundred. The canal here being on the highest summit level, and supplied with water from Lake Erie, (distant about thirty miles,) an abun- dance is obtained for hydraulic purposes, and the surplus at Lockport has been sold for 20,000 dollars. In the excavation through the mountain, several minerals were discovered, among which some of the finest specimens of the dog-tooth spar ever found in the United States. At first they were easily ob- tained; but latterly they have become an object of profit, and are sold at prices corresponding with their beauty." As to the .Alluvial Way, I am any thing but pleased with it, to travel along, and so far from recommend- ing it to tourists, as some have done, I recom- mend all, but the mere geologist, to keep off it; I consider it beyond comparison the most uninter- resting eighty miles of ground I have passed over in the country, and whatever thanks may be due to nature for the effort she has made to open a path- way through a wilderness, her handmaiden art must at all events be excluded from the least possible par- ticipation therein. For the first thirty o^.forty miles it is pretty closely wooded on each side, occasion- ally, perhaps, relieved By a rib of corduroy ; of which 152 TO ROCHESTER- distinguifehed mention has been previously made ; and now and then a hut or two, and a few acres ol" half-cleared land, will be observed. It passes over, or is intersected by several small creeks and streams, at which parts it is wholly unguarded, and might be offering a very premium upon capsizing, or other ec^ually agreeable occurrence to break in upon the wearying sameness of its character ; indeed, an acci- dent of the kind had happened a few days previ- ously ; but, fortunately, the stage at the time was without a single passenger, and the driver escaped unhurt, though both himself and horses had a most haii'-breadth escape of being dashed to j^ieces. As we neared Rochester, the road became leveller, and the country more cleared and cultivated ; but the land appeared of indifferent quality, and agri- cultural affairs at a very low ebb. The dust was all but insupportable, and much as I have had occa- sion to complain of it elsewhere, it has been nothing like so bad as on this road. I have had to ride with my handkerchief tied over my head the greater part of the way; but notwithstanding that, and every other experiment, at times I was half suffocated. Having frequently alluded to the inconvenience which a traveller sustains from the dust of an Ame- rican road, perhaps a better idea of tlie justness of my complaint may be entertained if I mention the principle upon which they are usually repaired. When a road — now I am not including' all, I say usually — has become in a state in which the wheels of carriages, in place of running^ upon its surface. Uetnarks by the way. 153 have to perform their revolutions some eii^hteen inches or more below; and when we shonld un- hesitatingly begin to prefer our indictments and so forth, the neighbouring farmers are very civilly ap- plied to for a loan of their services, and as civilly and promptly repair to the defective part with oxen, ploughs, &c., and commence breaking up the sides of the road just as they would one of their own fallows : this done, the oxen are released from the ploughs, and yoked to a large shovel, or scope, with two handles, held by the driver : this is pressed down into the ground which has been previously loosened, and when as much is upon it as it will retain, the cattle, with admirable docility, and almost without a bidding, start with it at once into the centre of the road, where their driver tosses it over, and returns for further supplies; thus on till the repairs are completed. *' Completed ! — but when are the stones laid upon it?" Reader, thou art asking a very rational question, which I answer by informing thee that whenever any adjacent field abounds with these substances to the injury of its vegetation, and it is not too much trouble to remove them, they are gratuitously bestowed upon the road, where no hammer of M'Adam or any other Adam ever molests them, but in all their original shapes and sizes they are suffered to remain, occupy- ing just those positions which chance, the laws of gravity, stage wheels, &c. may determine. And thus, with much republican simplicity, is an operation per- formed in a day or two, which would cost us as many months, and employ one or more overseers, surveyors. 154 FROM ROCHESTER TO ^E^V HARTFORD. and half the poor of the pariah.* Do not marvel, however, after this, independent of now and then a jolt, that in a dry season there should be 'something too much' of dust, and, in a wet one, a little super- abundance of mud and mire ; though, taking; the run of times and seasons, travelling- is really more tolerable than under such a state of things could be well sup- posed, and, except in newly settled districts, not to be greatly complained of — as good, no doubt, as England afforded in equally juvenile years — and every year im- proving. The Americans, I imagine, would have had better roads but for their admirable ivater conveyances, in which they so far surpass us, that it were be- coming to be pretty modest in our animadversions upon the other. I have spoken of the matter, en pas- sant, with that perfect good will which I have noticed other things, and feel towards them upon all occasions. They are a great people — have done great things — are doing great things — and, ere long, ive shall not have to tell them to do more —1 gness. Of Rochester I can only confirm what I have pre- viously stated. It is decidedly the first place upon the line of canal, and of all, excepting Buffalo, is likely to take the lead, but I shall be much deceived, if, in the course of — may I say — a few years, Buffalo does not leave every other in the rear. My route from Rochester to New Hartford, and in- * This latter term may almost need explaining to an American, but the mass o{ enlightened people in England are so well acquainted with it that I will not do him the injustice to infer his disability to comprehend it. Remarks hy the way. 155 deed to Albany, was so nearly the same as the one by which I travelled westward that it would be as tedious as unnecessary to dwell upon it. Omitting dates, I will take incidents and objects in hasty rotation :— And first, about two miles to the south of Pittsford, the grand (canal) embankment, as it is termed, over the Irondequoit* Creek, had given way and caused a most serious inundation in the neighbourhood : at the principal breach it had swept a course, for, some distance, from sixty to a hundred yards wide, and five or six feet deep, depositing immense quantities of sand in the surrounding fields and woods. An orchard I noticed which presented a singular appearance, the trees being all buried as high as their buts, and the boughs full of fruit resting upon the sand, as if grow- ing immediately out of it. The occurrence had taken place a week or two prior to my passing the spot, and all had been put to rights again, but from the loose and sandy nature of the soil in the vicinity 1 should fear there is but little security against a repetition of it. It seems the most imperfect part along the whole * This ought to be called " Teoronto." Dr. Spaftbrd, speaking of the Bay, observes, — " The Indians call it Teoronto, a sonorous and purely Indian name, too good to be supplanted by such vulgarisms as ' Gerund egut, or * Irondequoit !' The Bay is about five miles long and one wide, communicating with the Lake [Ontario] by a very narrow opening, or such it used to have ; and Teoronto, or Tche-o-ron-tok, perhaps rather nearer the Indian pronunciation, is the place where the ivaves breathe and die, ov gasp and expire. Let a person of as much discernment as these ' Savages' watch the motion of the waters in this Bay, facing the north, after a storm on the Lake, or a violent gale, and he will admire the aptitude of its name, and never again pronounce Cerun- degut, Irondequot, or Iroiidequoit." o 2 15'6 TO NEW HARTFORD- ]ine of the canal. — Might not the canal have been carried farther to tlie south and have avoided this creek and the necessity of an embankment altogether ? I am suggesting, however, with professed ignorance of attendant circumstances; my map may be incorrect, or what not — I only wish that an execution so great, and so complete in most parts, may not remain defective in any. One of the next things that caught my eye, though seemingly insignificant by comparison, was scarcely more agreeable, namely, a handbill offering a reward of twenty-five dollars for the apprehension of a shop lifter at Canandaigua, and not the only one I have noticed. A few years ago such an advertisement would have been no trifling novelty, but whoever will take the trouble to observe the specimen of society daily teeming in from the ' old country,'* and diffus- ing itself particularly in the State of New York, will be at no loss to account for the occasional appearance of such things now — the cause and effect are at once, and ec|ually self-evident. From Canandaigua to Geneva we varied the route a little by taking the Castleton road; along which the land was chiefly in a superior state of cultivation, and in equality, and all respects, fully supported the very favourable opinion before expressed of the agri- culture of this fine district. About a mile to the west of Geneva, T saw the only quick hedge I have * The einigrations from Great Britain and Ireland to the State of New York, during the last twelve months, amonnt I believe to more than 20,000. Remarks by the way, 157 noticed in my travels, which appeared to be thriv- ing remarkably well; much, indeed, would it con- tribute to beautify the country were this description of fence to become general. I begin almost to tire of their everlasting wood and stone. Since leaving Albany, I had been frequently told, I suppose by those interested in supporting the old line of stages, that the new, or Pioneer line, had sold out their stock, and discontinued running. I had my suspicions as to the accuracy of the information, and at Geneva I found them fully confirmed, there being a meeting of the proprietors at the inn where we dined, at which it was resolved to carry on the most vigorous opposition. I am no friend to illiberal or uncalled-for opposition, but I hate monopolies of all kinds ; and as regards these stages, before there was a choice of conveyances, I have heard enough of the inconvenience which persons sustained in tra- velling just upon the terms which might be dictated to them; and once myself, when upon a cross road, where the old line had it all to themselves, besides breaking down, which, to be sure, might have occur- red to either party, I had such a sample of their proceedings as I should not wish to experience again. We scarcely averaged more than three and a half miles an hour; and in urging the drivers even to that speed, had to submit to no little insolence into the bargain. When upon the main roads, where both lines have been plying, the state of things has been widely different, — the fare moderate — speed nearly doubled, and a spirit of accommodation 158 TO NEW HARTFORD- evinced by drivers and all connected with tlie esta- blishment. I hope and trust the public will so far support the new line, as to warrant them in keeping the field. There is travelling enough for both, and the disposition to travel will keep pace with the facilities afforded. Where two concerns may thrive, and the public at the same time be much better accommodated, there can be no reason why one should engross its exclusive patronage, to confer upon it a smaller amount of benefit. "Live and let live/' is a good old-fashioned maxim, notwithstand- ing being somewhat outre in the present day : — I wish both parties success, and a fair competition and understanding between them; but neither merely to oppose or subvert the other. We reached Auburn late on the evening of a very fine and warm day, but it was succeeded by a night which set us all a shivering, and I remarked that the natives seemed to feel it quite as much as my- self. We were eiglit inside, with the leathern cur- tains of the carriage closely buckled down, and well wrapped up in cloaks, Sic; but all would not do; at the end of every stage we were glad to run to a fire, where there happened to be one, or up and down the street to warm ourselves. In the morning, by nine or ten o'clock, it was as hot as it had been on the preceding day; the curtains w^ere rolled up, and our clothing again made as light as possible. These great variations in tlie temperature between day and night, between one day and another, and oftentimes between different parts of the same day, Remarks, ^c. 159 are much complained of. A good deal of the ''fever and ague" is generally prevalent at this season of the year — perhaps, in part, attributable to this cause. Upon arriving at New Hartford, I was met by a general complaining of the want of rain, and the herbage appeared to me to be more burnt up than I had seen it farther westward. My friends informed me that they had scarcely had even a shower since my leaving, and there had been none of any con- sequence for some time before. Farmers here must "make hay while the sun shines,'' for what with the heat and draught of summer, the frost and snow of winter, and the 'puddly state of the land in the spring, there is much less time allowed for the cultiva- tion of it than in England ; and farmers, I think, are more on the alert, and eager to embrace every oppor- tunity which presents itself. There are somewhat fewer ''gentleman farmers" than with us, — or, I should rather say, than there had used to be with us, the race having been pretty well plucked and thinned of late; — and, with few exceptions here and there, masters and men take the field together, and continue their operations, with but little interruption, from morning till night. One of the first settlers at New Hart- ford, ere such luxurious conveniences as houses were in fashion, resided for some time in a hollow tree, and hence is frequently distinguished by the appel- lation of " the hollow tree man ;" he is now, however, a respectable freeholder, has built himself a very comfortable habitation, where he may securely repose under his oivn vine, if not under his own Jig tree, and iOO ^'EW HARTFORD TrcntoH Falls. close a life of labour and privation in peace and independence. He is not, perhaps, in affluent cir- cumstances, as we esteem affluence, but he has more than enough to bound every want, and, therefore, he is a rich man. Could any of our aristocratic lordlings say as much? During the little pause I made at New Hartford, T availed myself of an opportunity of visiting Trenton Falls, fourteen miles north of Utica. They are situated on the West Canada Creek, the largest northern branch of the Mohawk ; — but here is a much better descrip- tion than my hurried view enabled me to concoct: — "These renowned falls," says the writer,* "are on West Canada Creek, between 22 and 24 miles above its confluence with the Mohawk. The West Canada Creek is a powerful stream, and constitutes almost one half of the rivers at their coalescence. The falls are six in number, and occupy an extent of rather over two miles. The West Canada Creek in its way from the summit of the highlands of Black river to its lower valley, lying between the latter and Has- senclever mountain, crosses a ridge of lime-stone four or five miles in breadth, stretching through the country from the Mohawk to the St. Lawrence. Its course over this ridge by its tortuous bed is six or seven miles, two and a half of which are above the falls. The waters of the creek, soon after they have reached the lime-stone, move with accelerated strides over the nake and of which none more than myself would wish to see it deserving, 208 NEW YORK General allusions, i^c. and appointed by the Governor, with the consent of the Senate. Brigadiers are chosen by the field officers of their respective brigades : the Command- ants of Regiments and Batallions, by the commissioned officers of their corps: the Captains, Subalterns, and Non-commissioned Officers, by the votes of their com- panies." Of course. New York has no exclusive Navy ; but the navy of the United States, since the close of the last war, has been progressively augmenting, and now maintains a formidable position in the scale of nations, whether we consider the size, the swiftness, and number of their vessels, the ability of their com- manders, or the valour of their men ; and though I hope the day may never arrive to interrupt the peace- able relations existing between America and Briton, and Britons neither can, nor ought, nor need, to fear ; let them not therefore despise, but, as prudence has been affirmed to be (I do not say that we should always rely upon the authority) the better part of courage, it behoves our Government not to overlook the advance- ment, towards maturity, of that force with which the '* half a dozen fir frigates, ivith bits of striped bunt- ing," (as a great man, in his very littleness, once termed it) would now contrast but insignificantly. I cannot dismiss this subject without further hoping that Mr. Brougham, the powerful advocate of justice to America, and who for years so nobly fought its battles in the British Parliament, will use his well- earned popularity in the States to bring about a still more cordial feeling, and a less restricted inter- NEW YORK General allusions, §*c 209 course. — His Lordship will excuse my calling him Mr. Brougham — the appellation seems more familiar to me — I hate those ships by which the aristocracry contrive to smuggle talent and industry from the people, to the support of their order — these are the ships, after all, the most formidable to Briton — but I digress, and claim pardon. In the City of New York, and throughout the State, Banking Establishments are very numerous. Silver is the legal tender — but each of these banks issue their own notes from large amount down to five dollars.* I pretend to no familiarity with the monetary system, but it does appear to me that whilst we are absolutely foundering on the rocks of Scylla, they are going almost within hail of Charybdis ; — or, in other words, whilst our lawgivers, either ignorantly or unjustly, or both, have returned to gold payments, without a due regard to the monied obligations of the country and individuals, they have rather a profusion of paper. The legal Interest of the State of New York is seven per cent., but there are various modes of invest- ment by which more can be frequently obtained : many of the banks, however, will discount unexcep- tionable paper at, or even below, six per cent. — They keep their accounts in dollars (equal, at par, to four shillings and sixpence of our money) and cents, or one hundredth parts of dollars; and their Currency is * They were till lately allowed as low as one dollar, and great numbers of that amount still continue in circulation ; but any re- issue under five dollars is now prohibited. 210 NEW YORK General allusions, ^c. the dollar, the half dollar, the quarter dollar, the tenth and twentieth of a dollar, in silver ; and the cent, in copper. The Spanish dollar is equally cur- rent, and is divided into one-half, one-quarter, one eighth, and one-sixteenth ; the one-eighth (or 12| cents) is also called a shilling; but in consequence of the more easy method of reckoning by decimals their own subdivisions are greatly preferred. In the extent of its Foreign Commerce, New York stands pre-eminent to any port of the United States, and, excepting those of London and Liverpool, is, perhaps, not surpassed by any in the whole world. It may be said to comprehend the foreign commerce of its own State, as well as much of others, and its inland traffic is also very great. The Manufactures of the State are various and thriving, as I have frequently noticed in passing along, but in the aggregate they do not, at present, vie with those of the Eastern States. The Post-office department appears to be under excellent regulations, and, for so infant a State, well conducted; of course, in despatch and some other respects, yielding to our own unrivalled establish- ment — which throughout reflects the highest credit upon the directors and the country; — the rates of postage are nearly the same. I do not know that it remains for me in this general, though very limited survey, to notice more than the Religion of the country, and the Character, Manners, and Customs of the people. — Of the^r^^, I may say, that although there is no established reli- NEW YORK General all asions, S^c. 211 (jion, as we term it, all religions being free alike, and the conscience of every man amenable only to his Maker, yet I must confess, with regret, that I have too often witnessed an unbecoming degree of warmth, and party spirit and feeling, frequently not uncon- nected with politics, on this momentous subject ; a disposition to introduce it as a topic of general, and sometimes light conversation, and much divested of that conciliatory spirit, that reverence and humility, which, as they are its highest ornaments, are no less its distinguishing and vital essence. Far be it from me to judge any one : the foregoing remarks are forced upon me by what struck me, as an unpre- judiced stranger, as unpleasantly contrasting with much that I admired, and wholly without seeking for. I have no wish to enlarge, and shall merely observe, that the ministers of all denominations {Friends ex- cepted) are supported by the voluntary contributions of their respective flocks : — the odious, iniquitous, and unchristian extortion of Tithe, is unknown amongst them, nor can any priest or clergyman hold an office under the Government.* Upon the svih']ect of Character, &c., the shortness of my stay in the country necessarily precludes my * Whilst in Orange County, an elderl}' farmer, with whom I fell into chat, mentioned to me a rebuflF which a gentleman of thi? order experienced the other day on applying to President Jackson for an appointment to civil office. When introduced, the Presi- dent's first inquiry was after the nature of his present avocation, and being informed that he was exercising the profession of a Minister of the Gospel, he briefly replied, "Then, Sir, I have no thing better to offer you ; go, and faithfully discharge the duties of your calling," I cannot wish any trader in religion better success. T 212 NEW YORK General allusions, ^c. adding much to the observations I have already made. I may just put down a fe^v particulars which have most arrested my attention. — In person the men are taller and less corpulent than the English; their complexions less clear and ruddy, often inclining to sallow; their hair, perhaps, evincing rather less dis- position to curl; and their noses generally more pro- minent. The women in appearance very nearly resemble our own : their cheeks may not, do not, dis- play quite so much of the lily and the rose, a matter with which the climate alone is chargeable ; but their figures are not wanting in elegance, or their features in animation and beauty. The latter, however, it has been observed, is of more premature decay ; and tran- sient as it is ever said to be, here seems indeed to fade too soon for such fair promise. The leading characteristics of the men are a love of enterprise and independence, an ardent pursuit after wealth, (which, in the absence of titles and all acknowledged distinctions of rank, constitutes a pri- mary contrast between individuals ;) and their Re- publican Constitution throwing all offices of Govern- ment open to them, many strive to attain pj-e-eminence in this way. The spirit for Electioneering is frequently carried to a reprehensible excess, producing dissensions and animosities, and making sad inroads into the harmony which ought to exist in a well-regulated society ; and attached as I am to a purely representative system, and frequent appeals to the opinions of the people, I have been almost tempted to wish that they were NEW YORK Meneral allusions, ^c. 213 either not so perpetually occurring as they are here, or that they were conducted with a temper and feeling which resulted in less unpleasant consequences. But even this state of things, bad as it is, I do not hesitate to pronounce far preferable to the abandonment of all control over our legislators for a period of seven years, which leaves them at liberty to play the game of cor- ruption, regardless of the interests of their constituents, just at their pleasure. It cannot be expected that in the higher branches of Literature and the Classics, in the Arts and Sciences, the Americans stand upon a par with some of the European States, yet they have made great progress, and have latterly evinced a growing taste for these refinements ; and upon general subjects there are no people, taking them collectively, who are so well- informed. This I attribute, in a great measure, to their judicious system of education, and their free press, unshackled as it is by duties or censorship. This cheap and free press of America imparts to all a knowledge of every thing great and interesting which is passing in the world; and they are surprised when a foreigner is at a fault in any thing concerning themselves. In their habits of social intercourse they are easy, polite, and obliging, that is, in towns, and in the better circles of society : in the country, in this re- spect, they are oftentimes boorish in the extreme; not that I have not seen them abundantly surpassed by some of my own countrymen who have settled amongst them, and who, copying a blunt independence of 214 NEW YORK General allusions, b;c. manner, have fallen into a vulgarity and a disregard to the common courtesies of behaviour, which ^evf Americans would practise, and which appear even the more disgusting from being deemed an acquisition, and worthy the effort of some study and application. As a virtue conspicuous and common to all, I may notice their genuine, disinterested hospitality, (the only kind deserving of notice,) which is exercised especially to strangers, almost as a thing of course ; and in humanity and generosity they yield to no other nation. They are ever ready in their contri- butions to purposes of charity, and as prompt to relieve distress and the unfortunate. Instances are frequent, when a brother or sister dies, leaving chil- dren, of the surviving relatives adopting them into their families, and treating them entirely as their own. "This," observes a writer, speaking upon the sub- ject, "is so common in America, that it meets with no praise, and is considered merely as the per- formance of the most ordinary duty, and requiring no effort." In the towns, luxury is carried to a great excess. It is said, indeed, that ''the struggle for rank be- tween different classes is productive of a very ruin- ous degree of ostentation, by increasing the expense of living, and altering the public opinion with regard to what constitutes easy circumstances, and a competent fortune. Still, however, the inferior classes of workmen entertain a higher opinion of themselves than elsewhere. They find the road to independence more practicable ; and as the price of NEW YORK General allusions, S^c. 215 tlieir labour is high, their circumstances are easy, and they endeavour to throw uside, as far as pos- sible, every appearance of rusticity. They see all ranks of men engaged in business, and do not, therefore, account themselves degraded by being compelled to labour ; especially as they find their skill and industry sought after by others, while it is productive of affluence to themselves." Dress is much studied by all, and is esteemed as indispen- sable an appendage to the character of a gentleman as in the bon ton of either London or Paris, the fashions of which places may be said to prevail by turns. Perhaps I saw too little of female society to hazard an opinion upon it. I think, however, I shall not err in saying that the women in America are much less domestic in their habits than those, at least, in the middle ranks of life in England ; for which I must be permitted to think the men chiefly to blame. The almost exclusive attention which they every where pay to business and their public avocations, leaving the women too much to seek their own plea- sures, and hence their predilection for the inter- changing of visits amongst themselves — shopping — dress — music — novel reading, &c. I admit that many are more usefully and intellectually em- ployed ; but I must give them, I fear, rather as exceptions to, than as specimens of, the general cha- racter. The reserve and "icy propriety" which they evince also in mixed companies, and towards the other sex, and which appear so striking to Euro- t2 216 NEW YORK — — General allusions, ^c. peans, are doubtless to be ascribed to the same cause.* The latter, however, has at least the good effect of checking- that sort of trifling and insincerity far too common with us, and which, however inno- cent and unexceptionable it may sometimes be, and is generally professed by those who practise it, is not unfrequently indulged in to a most culpable extent, and leads to consequences only to be repro- bated and deplored. Here there must be no equi- vocating, no douhle-entendering, in affairs of the heart; — where ladies are unused to joking, gentle- men are expected to be in earnest ; and in place of these matters lingering on for years, or any other indefinite period, as they do with us, one short month is often witness to their rise, meridian, and consummation, or decline, as the case may be. I do not wish to be unnecessarily severe upon tlie gentlemen ; but they must excuse my alluding to another custom, the renouncing of which would nut only add to their opportunities of associating with * A late writer, referring to this subject, makes the following observations : — ^" In place of that unreserved but innocent freedom of manners which forms one of the highest charms of polished society elsewhere, I must say that I seldom observed any thing in America but the most respectful and icy propriety upon all occa- sions when young people of different sexes were brought together.' Positively I never, during the whole time that I was in that country', saw any thing approaching within many degrees of what we should call a. flirtation; I mean that sedulous, exclusive attention paid to one person above all others, and which may by that person not be unkindly received. Without being called attachment, it often bor- ders so closely upon it that mere proximity and frequency of in- tercourse tend to sustain a lambent fire beneath, which may be fanned into a flame, or be allowed to expire, according as circum- stances upon further acquaintance prove suitable or otherwise." NEW YORK General allusions, ^c. 217 the ladies, but surely could not fail to render them more fit and agreeable companions, — I mean that disgusting habit of smoJcing and chewing tobacco, and of nearly indiscriminate spitting. Much as I had heard of these practices, I was scarcely pre- pared to see them tolerated to the extent they are — even in respectable society. In the first circles, I am happy t9 add — T refer more particularly to the two latter — they are very much discontinued, and the sooner they are relinquished by all, and alto- gether, the better ; or, if there must be an exception, I would leave the sailor with his quid, and the old gentleman with his pipe, in the chimney corner : if they can draw a solace, real or imaginary, from such a source, let them freely, fully enjoy it; but for landsmen with luxuries enough and to spare, and upstarts with beardless chins, to smoke, and chew, and spit, and in the presence of ladies, too, fie! fie! I had surely forgotten myself when I said the gen- tlemen of America were polite and obliging ; in de- ference to their fair countrywomen I must claim a reservation here, and shall consider my title good and valid whilst tobacco, whether in smoke or solu- tion, is suffered for a moment to banish from the drawing-room, or any other room, "the, sex whose presence civilizes ours.'' — There is not, I think, so much disparity between the women resident in towns and those of the country as I noticed in speaking of the men; they, too, are willing to enjoy whatever of recreation and leisure their circum- stances may allow, and do not^ I must say, so 218 NEW YORK General allusions, S^c. fully luirmonize with the character of "helps meet,'' as the good housewives of the old country. The domestic servants principally consist of coloured people, and emigrants from England, Ireland, &c. The native men, in particular, seem averse to servi- tude, and are rarely to be found in this capacity. The women are somewhat more ready to help out : but servants, whether white or black, native or foreign, entertain such notions of equality and independence as fit them but poorly for this station of life, and tend greatly to abridge the comforts of their employers. The white servants will not eat or drink with the coloured ; and sometimes in towns, and very often in the country, they are dissatisfied if not allowed to take their meals with the families, fare precisely the same, and be well paid into the bargain. Wherever this is the case I am not surprised at its being urged as a drawback against a residence in the country, but there are exceptions, and the increasing influx of emi- grants must gradually have the effect of lessening the evil complained of Pauperism is by no means unknown in the country, though I do not recollect having seen a beggar upon any occasion; and in a majority of cases where it exists, it may be traced to the too frequent use or abuse of ardent spirits ; a circumstance which the Americans themselves are now fully aware of, and are using laudable endeavours to remedy. Here I shall end this little digressional survey, which, imperfect as it is, I would fain hope may not be altogether uninteresting to my English readers; NEW YORK. 219 and if these pages should be favoured with the perusal of any of my transatlantic friends, let them judge of me as one rather wishing to extenuate, than desirous of setting down aught in malice ; and if I have been guilty of error or misrepresentation in any thing I have advanced, I trust they will do me the justice to believe it wholly unintentional, and attribute it to the confined opportunities my hurried visit has afforded me of judging correctly. I can assure them that on a renewed and more extended intercourse and ac- quaintance, which it may probably be mine to enjoy, I shall be as ready to correct and explain as they can be to desire it ; and with this confession T willingly leave myself and the subject at the fair tribunal of their candour and liberality. It may be remembered that my last date of Septem- her 18, had landed me in New York, on my return from my tour, from whence I was designing to embark for England; but the vessel in which I had engaged my passage not leaving till a fortnight afterwards, I have had the pleasure of spending the interval amongst a circle of the kindest friends in the neighbourhood, and of seeing more of the city than I had an oppor- tunity of doing upon my first landing. The notice which I then purposely omitted I shall add now, claiming permission, as on former occasions, to refer for many particulars to the latest publications. The City of Neiv York is in lat. 40" 42', long. 73'' 59'. It is situated at the south end of an island of 220 NEW YORK. the same name,* at the conflux of the Hudson and East Rivers, extending- along the former upwards of two miles, and along the latter about four. Its width varies from half a mile to two miles, and its circum- ference may be from ten to twelve. It was founded by the Dutch in 1615, and then called New Amster- dam. In J 696 it was incorporated by the British. During the revolutionary war it was the great rendez- vous of the British fleet, and the frequent scene of hostilities between the contending parties; and in 1776, a few days after its occupation by the British, it was set on fire by persons attached to the American cause, and one-fourth of the city consumed. From that period, or rather from the acknowledgment of the independence of the United States, its increase has been rapid and progressive : the number of its inha- bitants being then barely 20,000, and its present population amounting to little less than 200,000. "The streets of the ancient or lower part are irre- gular, many of them very narrow and crooked. The northern part has been more recently laid out, and with much better taste. Many of these streets are very spacious, run in right lines, and are inter- sected by others at right angles. The ground is now deprived of much of its original unevenness by digging away hills, and filling up valleys and * The island is fourteen and a half miles long, and from half a mile to two miles broad, and comprises what is termed the County of New York. It returns ten members to the Assembly of the State of New York, and three representatives to the Congress of the Ujiion. NEW YORK. 221 marshes, and some considerable ponds of water. The quays and wharfs along the shores are far extended into the original waters, that almost sur- round the town. At present the surface has a gentle ascent from the Hudson and East Rivers, which ter- minates in a handsome central elevation that every- where overlooks its gently sloping sides, and com- mands a fine view on the right and left of the town, the rivers above named, and their crowds of shipping." Amongst the streets Broadway takes quite the precedence. It commences at the Batfery, at the extreme south-west point of the island, and runs through the centre of the city, along a height. of land, at about an equal distance from each river. It is three miles long, and about eighty feet wide. Here are many of the principal hotels, several churches, and a great variety of shops or stores, elegantly furnished with goods of every descrip- tion and from every nation. It is one of the most favourite resorts for citizens and strangers, and daily displays much beauty and fiishion. The next prin- cipal streets are Pearl-street and Wall-street. The former branches from near the centre of Broadway, on the east side, and winding through a populous part of the city, terminates at the Battery. It is almost entirely occupied with stores and counting- houses, and is a scene of great bustle and business- but the strange and unsightly practice of the mer- chants and storekeepers blocking up the causeways with bales, cases, and merchandise of various de- 222 NEW YORK. scriptions, and frequently tlirowing into the centre the straw, shavings, &c. which have been used in packing the goods, not only detracts greatly from the appearance of the street, but renders it very un- pleasant, at all events to strangers, passing along it. Wall-street, commencing at the Tontine Coffee-house, East River, and continuing nearly in a straight line, crosses Pearl-street, and enters Broadway about a quarter of a mile from the Battery. In this street are situated the Exchange, Custom-house, most of the Banks, and many of the Brokers' and Insurance offices. Besides these, there are the Bowery, more spacious even than Broadway, Greenwich, Chatham, and Washington-streets, and several streets of nearly equal importance, with, of course, an infinity of others. Of the general want of uniformity in the style of building, the impression which, at first sight, forced itself upon me, has been by no means removed by further observation. Excepting in the best streets, you will rarely find more than a few houses together which much resemble each other; — one, perhaps, may be built of brick, a good substantial-looking four or five story house ; the next to it will probably be an old wooden one, of the moderate height of two stories, and 'tis well if it be not painted of various colours into the bargain; but the frequently occurring fires, and the prohibition against erecting a wooden house within the city, are gradually tending to re- move these defects, and in a few years will, no doubt, much improve its appearance NEW YORK. 223 Of the Public Buildings, I shall pay the 6*//y Hall the justly merited compliment of a first notice. This is situated in a large open space, or park, as it is called, comprising about four acres of land, in the heart of the city, on the east side of Broadway. It is considered one of the most stately and elegant edifices in the Union. Its fronts and ends are of white marble, the rest of brown freestone. The whole length of the building is 216 feet, the breadth 105, and the height, including the attic story, 66. The roof is covered with copper, has a marble balus- trade, and the centre is crowned by a handsome Cupola. In it are held the courts for the city and county of New York ; and here are kept all the prin- cipal offices a' so. Many of the rooms are superbly fitted up, and that for holding the Mayor's court contains portraits of Washington, of the different Governors of the State, and many of the most cele- brated Commanders of the Army and Navy of the United States. It was founded in 1803, and finished in 1812, at an expense of 500,000 dollars. I could not but regret, in inspecting this fine building, to ob- serve such disgraceful evidence of an odious national habit, before alluded to : the, otherwise, beautiful flights of stairs, landings, and the floors of the rooms, being completely covered and stained with tobacco spittle, and the noisome smell of which was percep- tible throughout the place. Next to the City Hall ranks the Exchange, in Wall-street, a very handsome structure, also of white marble. Its front is 114 feet, and its depth 150 feet, 224 NEW YORK. The main body of the building is two stories high, besides the basement, and attic story. The ascent is by an ample flight of marble steps, to a well-propor- tioned portico, ornamented with Ionic columns, 27 feet high, passing which you enter the Exchange. This is of an oval form, 85 feet by 55, and 45 feet high, surmounted with a dome, which supplies light to the place. From the Exchange are doors and pas- sages leading to a commercial reading-room, and numerous newspaper and other offices. Underneath the Exchange, &c., on the basement story, is the Post-office, and its appendages. From the attic story a flight of stairs leads to the cupola, where is the Telegraph, which communicates with that of the JVarrows, seven and a half miles distant. The height of the cupola above the attic story is sixty feet. The cost of the building, including the ground, was 230,000 dollars. It was commenced in 1824, and completed in 1827. Amongst the Banks, situated in this street, I parti- cularly noticed the United States Branch Bank, an elegant white marble building, sixty feet in front.* The Custom-house is a four story brick building, but ill comporting with the magnitude of business transacted in it, or the general spirit of the place. " The Hospital is a large establishment in Broad- * There are at present no fewer than fifteen banking establish- ments in this city, exclusive of the Savings Bank, whose paper is at par, and several others, against which, in the Bank Note Table, published weekly, I observe such notices as the following: " Uncer- tain" — ^" Seventy per cent discount" — " No value" — ^" Broken"— and so on. NEW YORK. 225 way, comprising also a Lunatic Asylum, and a Lying- in Hospital. It is erected on an area of 455 by 450 feet, inclosed by a high brick wall. The building is of stone, stands on elevated ground, and commands an extensive view of the city. The annual expendi- ture of the institution is about 40,000 dollars, and the annual number of its patients from 140 to 180." " The Alms-house at Belle Vue, on the East River, is an elegant and costly establishment, exceedingly well endowed and regulated." " Columbia College, above the City Hall, was char- tered in 1 750, under the name of ' King's College.' The edifice and grounds attached are extensive. The College contains a Chapel, Lecture-rooms, Hall, Li- brary, Museum, and an extensive philosophical and astronomical apparatus. "The iN'ew York Institution (formerly an alms-house) stands behind the City Hall, on the north side of the Park ; is built of brick, three stories high, and a base- ment, 260 feet by 44. Its external appearance is rather forbidding, but the interior is richly stored with learning, learned men, and societies whose usefulness banish all recollections of the rusty appearance of the edifice, compared with the City Hall. Its apartments are occupied by the Literary and Philosophical So- ciety, the Historical Society, the American Academy of the Fine Arts, the Lyceum of Natural History, and the American Museum. The Historical Society has a library of 10,000 volumes." " The M'ew York Society Library, in Nassau-street, 226 NEW YORK. was commenced in 1740, and at the revolution con- tained 3,000 volumes, which were destroyed, or taken away by the British troops. It was re-established in 1789, and now consists of about 20,000 vo- lumes, amongst which are many rare and valuable works.'' Though America abounds in Churches and Chapels, many of them fully equal to any of our modern edifices of this description, the venerable, the mag- nificent cathedrals, the immortal works of our Catho- lic ancestors, which so greatly embellish our own country, and which, whatever may have been the misapplication of them, one cannot still but admire, it is, of course, in vain to look for here. The church of the most antique appearance in New York is Trinity Church, in Broadway. "The first built upon this spot was in 1696. It was destroyed by the fire, before mentioned, in 1776, and the present struc- ture erected in 1788. It is of stone, in the Gothic style, modelled after the old one, and has a steeple 198 feet high. It contains a chime of bells, the only one in the city, and an excellent organ. The Cemetery surrounding it is inclosed by a substantial and costly iron railing. No interments have taken place in this Cemetery for some years, owing to a law prohibiting sepulture within the populous parts of the city; but it has been ascertained by authentic records kept, that more than 160,000 bodies have been here deposited, (exclusive of the seven years of the revolutionary war, when no records were NEW YORK. 227 kept,) an amount approaching to the present popu- lation of the city."* Amongst the monuments is one to General Hamilton, and one to Captain Law- rence, of the Chesapeake, the latter a broken column, as emblematical of his death, which occurred in an action with the British frigate Shannon. "St. Paul's Chapel is a superb structure, further up Broadway, near the Park. It contains a portico of the Ionic order, consisting of four fluted pillars of brown stone, supporting a pediment, with a niche in the centre, containing a statue of St. Paul. Under the portico is a handsome monument erected by order of Congress to the memory of General Montgomery, who fell at the storming of Quebec, in 1775, and whose remains were brought to New York, and interred beneath the monument in 1820. The spire of this church is 234 feet high; and the whole building is esteemed one of the best specimens of architecture in the city. In the church -yard ad- joining is an elegant monument, recently erected to the memory of Thomas Addis Emmet, an eminent counsellor at law, and brother to the unfortunate Irish orator, Robert Emmet. The plinth of the monument is one entire block, seven feet square, and twelve inches thick. The Egyptian obelisk. * The yellow fever has at times made great raA'ages here, but latterly it has beeu much less frequent, and the thanks of the inhabitants are due to the Board of Health, for the prompt and spirited measures which they adopt, whenever this or other malig- nant epedemic appears, to check its progress. u 2 228 NEW YORK. standing on its base, is also in a single piece, and is rising of thirty-two feet high. The face towards Broadway is embellished with the American eagle, sheltering a harp unstrung, with a medallion like- ness of Emmet, and with his clasped hands, having stars around one wrist, and shamrocks around the other. On the north side is a Latin, and on the south an Irish inscription. " St. John's Chapel, in Varick-street, opposite Hud- son-square, is an elegant edifice, and the most ex- pensive in the city, having cost more than 200,000 dollars. Its spire is 240 feet in height. "St. Patrick's Cathedral, a Roman Catholic church, in Mott-street, is the largest religious edifice in New York. It is built of stone, is 120 feet long, eighty feet wide, and is a conspicuous object in approaching the city from the east." There are nearly one hundred other churches in the city, belonging to eighteen or twenty different sects or denominations : all professing to be Chris- tians, excepting one Synagogue of Jews. But Dr. Spaflbrd tritely observes, he is persuaded there are Christians amongst these Jews, as well as Jews amongst the Christians. I dare say he is correct. At all events, it would be great presumption in me to question such authority. The hospitalities of my friends, during my stay in New York, having left me no opportunity of visiting, I am, of course, unable to speak from experience of the internal arrangements and accommodations of NEW YORK. 229 the Hotels and Boarding-houses, both of which are abundant, and many of the former are upon a very extensive scale, adding considerably to the beauty of the city. The principal are in Broadway, namely, the Adelphi, fronting the Bowling-green, and in full view of the Battery and Harbour. It is a large brick building, stuccoed, and six stories high. The City Hotel, near Trinity Church, one of the largest in the city, containing more than one hundred parlours and lodging-rooms, besides an Assembly or Concert-room. The American Hotel, the Mansion House, the Wash- ington Hall, the Franklin House, and the National Hotel, are all splendid establishments, as are many others in different parts of the town. The good people of New York are neither wanting in Places of Public Amusement, nor a disposition to resort to them, as Theatres, Balls, Concerts, Panora- mas, and the like ; and few towns can boast of more fashionable promenades. The Battery, as it is termed, and which, I have before had occasion to state, is situated immediately at the junction of the Hudson and East Rivers, is one of the principal of these. It derives its name from its having been the site of early fortifications and stockade forts, but now presents a fixr more agreeable scene, thronged as it is with much of the youth and gaiety of the city, attracted there for the twofold purpose of inhaling the refreshing sea breezes, and surveying the interesting and ever-vary- ing scene around. It commands a view of the port, the egress and ingress of the ships, Governor's, Bed- 230 NEW YORK. low's, and Ellis' Islands, Staten Island, the Nar- rows, &c. The Battery itself is laid out with spacious walks, and very tastefully planted with shrubs and trees. At its eastern extremity is Whitehall Slip, from whence the North River and other steam-boats take their de- parture, as well as passengers for the European packets. From the Battery is a bridge conducting to Castle Gardens, called also Castle Clinto7i or West Battery — a spot selected for nightly displays of fire- works, and other public amusements, during the summer months. Besides what I have noticed of the public build- ings, there are the State Prison, the Penitentiary, Bridewell, and Jail; numerous humane and chari- table institutions, two Museums, Marine Baths, Bo- tanic Garden, Reading and News-rooms, Private Schools and Academies, Free Schools, a Philological Society, Printing Establishments, from which issue periodically several talented literary and scientific publications ; and newspapers without end. Of Markets there are, I think, not less than twelve — Fulton, Washington, Duane, Franklin, Catharine, Spring, Centre, and others I scarcely know by name. The first on the list I have repeatedly visited, and have no hesitation in saying that for the richness and abundance of its supply it surpasses any I ever saw, especially in fruits and vegetables; and in fish, flesh, and fowl, there is every profusion and excellence. I liave been frequently asked by my American friends ^EW YORK. 231 whether I considered their heef equal to " the roast beef of Old England ;" but I could only confess my- self not epicure enough to tell the difference.* * 111 reference to prices of various articles and other matters con- nected with housekeeping expenses in New York, I have been kindly furnished by a friend with the following particulars : As regards House-rent in the city of New York, much depends upon situation. Remote from the business part of the city, a gen- teel two-story house can be obtained for 200 to 300 dollars per annum ; when at the same time, in the most desirable situation, near to the business part, a similar house would command from 400 to 600 dollars, and if of larger dimensions, with convenience of stables, &c. as high as 1000 dollars might be obtained. Such, however, as occupy these are generally the owners of the property. When houses are leased, the landlord, in most cases, pays the taxes. The price of Fuel depends much upon the quantity in the market. Liverpool coal of the first quality, as used by many, varies from 9 to 12 dollars per chaldron of thirty- six bushels. The consumption of this is much curtailed by the introduction of Lehigh and Schuyl- kill coal, fi-om its being cheaper than Liverpool. It is not, however, in such general use as was anticipated, nor is there any probability of its having the preference, unless at a materially lower price, the quality of it being so vastly inferior. Wood is from If to 2f dollars per load (about one-third of a cord) according to its quality. In severe winters the price runs up much higher, and those who have not had the prudence to lay in a good stock have often to pay about 50 per cent. more. Provisions may be quoted as under: Fresh beef, first-rate cuts, 8 to 12 cents per lb. ; — Boiling and coarse pieces, 5 to 8 cents per lb. ; — Mutton, 6 to 8 cents per lb. ; — Pork, 5 to 7 cents per lb. ; — V^al and Lamb, 6 to 8 cents, per lb. ; — Turkeys, 75 to 125 cents each ; — Geese, 50 to 100 cents each ;— Ducks, 75 to 125 cents per couple. Other poultry in proportion. — Eggs about 1 cent each. Butter, 9 to 18 cents per lb. ; — Cheese, 6 to 12 cents per lb. Of Vegetables there is a profusion of all kinds, the price varying much, influenced by seasons, &c. Potatoes may sometimes be bought as low as 30 to 37f cents per bushel, whilst at others they will sell for 50 or 70 cents per bushel. Groceries. — Loaf or Lump Sugar, 14 to 19 cents per lb. ; — Moist ditto, 6 to 11 cents per lb. ; — Candles (Sperm) 20 to 22 cents per lb.; — Ditto (Mould) 10 to 11 cents per lb. ; — White Soap, of best qua- 232 NEW YORK. I Lave spoken of the frequency of fires in New York, and, as necessity is called the mother of invention, no efforts have been spared to render the Fire Depart- ment, which appears to be conducted upon an ad- mirable system, as efficient as possible. One of its regulations is the enrolment of the young men of lity, 12 cents per lb. ; — Yellow, 6 cents per lb ; — Green Tea, 90 to 130 cents per lb. ; — Black, 70 to 100 cents per lb. ; — Coffee (Java) 13 to 1.5 cents per lb. ; — Ditto (St. Domingo) 11 to 13 cents per lb. Brandy, Rum, and Gin, 1 dollar to 1§ dollar per gallon ; — Madeira Wine, 3 to 5 dollars per gallon ; — Port (very little good) 2§ to 4 dollars per gallon ;— Claret, 4 to 16 dollars per dozen ; — Cider, 3 to 5 dollars per barrel (32 gallons) ; — Beer, 4 to 6 dollars per barrel : — these to be understood as the retail prices. The article of Bread., of course, varies in price with the dearness or cheapness of flour, or rather, perhaps, I should say, the size of the loaves vary, the alteration being more commonly made in this way than in the price. As a general thing it may be stated full one-third lower than in England. Servants^ Wages. — For a good House or Chamber Maid (an adult) from 4 to 6 dollars per month is usual. Girls from thirteen to eighteen years of age are frequently obtainable for 3 to 4 four dollars per month. Good Cooks will command 6 to 8 dollars, and where the family is large much more is often given. — For first-rate men-ser- vants, either as house-servants or to take care of horses, Sec, 10 to 12 dollars per month is the usual price. Clothing is something more expensive than in England ; that is, men''s. For a good fine broad-cloth coat from 2-5 to 35 dollars are usually paid ; other articles in the same proportion : the fit and cut, however, are incomparably better than in England. Boots and shoes are also very neatly made, though the leather is inferior to the English, and, being much tanned with hemlock bark, has often the unpleasant effect of leaving a red stain upon the stockings, &c. Wellington Boots may be had from 3 to 5 dollars per pair ;— Shoes 2 to 3 dollars per pair. Hats are not so well made as in England either in shape or qua- lity ; they are sold from 3 to 6 dollars each : London Hats for 9 or 10 dollars. Woollen and Cotton Stockings may be bought better and cheaper in England, and Silk Goods are now very little cheaper in America than in England, and no better. NEW YORK. 233 the city, many of most respectable families who are desirous of rendering- personal services, and by such enrolment are by law excused from militia duty ; these are supplied with the necessary dresses and ac- coutrements, and upon an alarm of fire being- given, either by day or night, they repair with alacrity to the spot, duly equipped, to assist in its suppression. In the construction of their Fire Engines, too, they have certainly combined the useful and ornamental in a far greater degree than I ever witnessed else- where : — and though, perhaps, rather out of place, the same remark may be well applied to their Hack- ney Coaches, which are really elegant vehicles, drawn by something better than dog horses, and presenting an imposing contrast to the wretched conveyances which we are accustomed to distinguish by that name, and which (or the majority of them) are much fitter to carry felons to Newgate, or subjects to the dissecting room, than for any decent people to ride in. In addition to these, there are commodious coaches passing to and fro, almost constantly along the principal streets, and in which, for twelve and a half cents, you may ride from one end of the town to the other. The Fortijications of New York have been greatly strengthened and increased since the last war, and are now next to impregnable. I may be spared the enumeration of them, for there is hardly a spot, either upon the shores or numerous islands, which at all command the entrance, from Sandy Hook, (sixteen miles distant,) to the city, but what is 234 NEW YORK. planted with cannon. There are tv»o arsenals, one belonging to the State, and the other to the Union. The chief part of the Shipping lies in the East River, in what are called Slips; projections extend- ing from the street to some distance into the water, admitting two or three vessels abreast, and where the largest may lie as securely as in Docks, with much greater facilities for passing in and out, as well as for loading and unloading. There are a considerable number of these projecting slips; several of them are constructed more in the form of a dock or basin, and are so termed; but they bear no resem- blance to the docks of our sea-ports. The Bay or Harbour of New York spreads in a southward direction, is about eight miles long, and from one and a half to five and a half miles broad, having Long Island on the east, and Staten Island and New Jersey on the west. It is connected with the Atlantic ocean by a short passage scarcely a mile in width, between Long Island and Staten Island, called " the Narrows." The tide rises at New York about six feet, and " opposite the city ships of ninety guns have anchored, where they lie land-locked, well secured from wind and storms, with ample space for the largest fleets. The water in this Bay is very little less salt than in the open ocean, and its currents are very rapid and strong; circum- stances that are of great importance in keeping the port of New York open, when others still further south are obstructed by frost. Philadelphia, Balti- more, and Alexandria are sometimes choked by ice, NEW YORK. 235 whilst New York is enjoying all the benefits of an open and free intercourse with the Atlantic." The City and County of New York is now divided into fourteen Wards, in each of which is elected an- nually an Alderman and Assistant-Alderman ; and these fourteen Aldermen, and fourteen Assistant- Aldermen, together with the Mayor and Recorder, constitute the Common Council of the City, or in the words of the original charter, " The Mayor, Aldermen, and Commonality of the City of New York.'* The Wards also elect Assessors, Collectors, Constables, &c. The Mayor is elected by the Common Council, usually called the Corporation, and this body meet once a week throughout the year. No compensation is paid to the Aldermen or Assistants, it being con- sidered they are well requited by the honour the office confers. The Mightly Watch and City Police are highly spoken of, and the town is well lighted in every part : — but were I to notice all that is worthy of attention and remark in this great and enterprising city, which may well be termed the young metropolis of the west; I fear I should be trenching too much upon the pa- tience of my readers, and instead of "getting under way" for England, almost induce them to believe that I was designing to tarry here. True I do not leave either place or people without many regrets ; and the pleasing and varied incidents of the past fortnight will not speedily be effaced from my recollection. Most grateful to my feelings would it be to notice some most intimately connected with them, and whose 2^^ DEPARTURE FOR ENGLAND. unremitting assiduities and exertions to add to my pleasures, and assist me in my projects, entitle them to my warmest thanks ; but as naming these would seem, in some sort, to exclude others, (and I know it would be foreign to their wish,) all will be pleased to accept of my very cordial and sincere acknowledg- ments, and those to whom most are due may be assured that I freely accord them the largest share. For some days prior to my departure, my time was too fully and too agreeably occupied to think much of the Robert Fulton, the name of our vessel : it was the only unpleasant subject which came across my mind ; consequently it was not until the very morning of sailing that I was aware of the great number of passengers about to be taken. I was informed that we were to be limited to four in the cabin, and about forty in the steerage ; in place of which, when I came to embark, I found in the cabin seven, besides myself and the captain; and, including men, women, and children, about ninety in the steerage. Under these circumstances I certainly should have declined going, but the packet ship, Caledonia, had sailed two days previously; and my principal reason for taking my passage by the vessel at all, being a slight know- ledge of the captain, (Britton,) still operating as a stimulus ; and, not least, having passed through the ordeal of a leave-taking, I concluded, truly unpleasant as it was, to jDroceed. It was about nine o'clock on the morning of tlie 3rd of October when a steam-boat was attached to the ship, with the intention of towing us as far as DISASTER AT SEA. 237 Sandy Hok, and in which several of my friends ac- companied me; but the wind becoming favourable after it had conducted us a short distance, we hoisted sail and dispensed with the steamer much earlier than we had flattered ourselves we might have done. For the first three days we had a fair wind, and made good progress, but afterwards it got nearly ahead, and with the exception of one day, on which we were becalmed^ it continued to blow in that direc- tion until the 15th of October. It then chopped round to the north-west, and carried us along in fine style, till the morning of the 18th, when, by an occurrence little looked for, all our buoyant prospects were sud- denly and awfully dissipated, and the scene changed to one of aggravated horror — of hopeless and wild despair — when " shrieked the timid, and stood still the brave." — but one common destruction seemed to menace all. As, however, the event which it is my painful task to narrate, may involve interests and property of serious amount, and occasion disputes to which I have no desire to become a party, I shall endeavour, in the most unbiassed and impartial manner, and with as much brevity as circumstances will admit of, to pre- sent it to the reader, and leave it to those better acquainted with the laws of sailing, and nautical technicalities than myself, to enlarge and refine upon it as they may think fit. Upon going on deck at five in the morning, I found it blowing very fresh from the N.N.W. I continued on deck till about eight o'clock, when we 238 DISASTER AT SEA. were summoned to breakfast, and shortly after we received intimation of a sail being in sight, about two and a half points on our larboard bow, (our lat. being then 45« lO' N. and our long. 44« 30' W.) ujDon which the Captain and the whole of the party, excepting myself, went on deck, and from them I learnt that it was a British barque with a signal of distress at her mast head. Our Captain, therefore, altered his course, for the purpose of speaking her> and rendering what assistance she might require, or it was in our power to afford : previously he had no intention of going near her. By the time I went on deck, we had neared almost within hailing dis- tance. Captain B.'s intention was to pass under the lee of the barque; whether her Captain mistook this movement, or was too close upon the wind to accom- modate himself to it as expeditiously as was requi- site, I am unable to determine ; be it as it may, the position of the barque so completely becalmed our sails, that our ship would not answer her helm, and having her broadside exposed to the bows of the barque, she came upon us with tremendous force, running her bowsprit into our larboard fore-chains, tearing them to pieces, with the fore-rigging, and foretop-mast backstays, stove in the side under the fore-chains, breaking several of the timbers, and one of the upper deck beams, also the knees attached to it, with the stanchions and rails. Rebounding from this concussion, she rose upon the next ruthless wave, from the height of which she was furiously driven upon us again, striking our main-chains, car- DISASTER AT SEA. 239 rying them away, with the main-rigging, and one of the maintop-mast backstays, and tearing the bolts out of the side. In this shock the barque broke off her bowsprit close to the stem, and left some part of her rigging on board our ship. Dreadful as was the injury we had already sustained, we had yet to suffer another and a severer blow. Our vessel was now down in the trough of the sea, and ere she could rise, a heavy swell violently impelled the barque upon her for a third time, and, most unfortu- nately, brought her stem in contact with our mizen- chains; these "at one fell swoop" she tore away, with every rope and security attached to them, and, as if still unsatisfied, in passing off, struck, and stoved a large hole in our stern, and carried away our stern boat, and nearly all our oars, leaving us a complete wreck. The barque herself appeared to have sustained considerable injury, and the sea was running too high at the time to admit of her ren- dering us any assistance. We did not learn her name, or, in fact, exchange a word with her.-'^- In a few seconds after we had got clear of each other, our mizen-mast, all unprotected as it was, * Since my landing in England, I am happy to say the barque has also arrived, and proves to be the Standard, of Whitby. At the time we met with her, she was bound to British America for a cargo of timber, and the chief injury she received being the loss of her bowsprit, she was not prevented continuing her voyage, from which, after repairing and loading as designed, she has returned ia safety to the port of Liverpool. Thus, not a single individual on either vessel has perished by a catastrophe which threatened the destruction of all—A miracle and a mercy none can too highly appreciate. x2 240 DISASTER AT SEA, AND snapped short a little above the deck, and fell with a dreadful crash over our starboard rail, the end of it starting out, breaking our binacle and compasses to atoms, and displacing the wheel. Our situation was now dangerous and appalling in the extreme; and the cries of men, women, and children, added not a little to the melancholy, the heart-rending character of the scene. Even the weather-beaten tar, for a time, stood petrified with dread, or with a reckless seeming of indifference, awaited the ap- proach of his threatening destiny. Seeing, however, we still continued to float, the first faint stimulus to effort was directed to the pumps, and incon- ceivable was our joy to find that, notwithstanding all we had suffered, we had made comparatively but little water. This welcome gleam of hope afresh renewed exertion, and as expeditiously as possible the mizen-mast, which was hanging by its rigging over the starboard side, was cut away; but whilst thus engaged, we were fearfully apprehensive, from the heavy rolling of the ship, that before any addi- tional security could be given to the remaining masts, they would share a similar fate, and extinguish at once our scarce reviving hope. Fortunately they stood firm, and we had no sooner cleared the mizen- mast, than all capable of rendering assistance directed the most prompt attention to securing them to the extent of our limited means, by setting up preventer shrouds to the ring bolts in the water ways, and every place that could tend to afford the least sup- port. We then righted the wheel, brought up our RUN TO THE WESTERN ISLANDS. 241 only remaining compass, got the ship under snug sail, and scudded her before the wind. To think of pursuing our voyage, under the circum- stances, was, however, utterly out of the question; and the only choice or chance left us seemed to be to run for the Western Islands, distant then about eight hundred miles in a south-easterly direction ; there we accordingly endeavoured to shape our course ; but, at the same time, keeping a man at the mast head look- ing out for a sail, with the determination of abandon- ing our ship should any opportunity be afforded us, not knowing at what moment she might founder, and all our efforts prove abortive. In this agonizing state of anxiety and excitement the night closed upon us, and by its impenetrable blackness added new horrors to the scene. The wind had now increased to a heavy gale; the sea rose higher and higher, and ever and anon seemed ready to break over us ; whilst at every roll we trembled for the fate of our masts. Those of the passengers who dared to venture on deck occa- sionally assisted at the pumps, but the greater part remained below, stupified with terror, or imploring the aid of that Almighty Power, to whose miraculous interposition we yet owed our existence, and who alone could succour in this dire extremity. Slowly and heavily the watches crept along, and every sound of the bell which announced their termination struck upon the ear as with the prophetic sadness of a knell.''^ * Upon one of these occasions a poor fellow, who had heard the Captain order the watch to " strike eight bells,'' (usual on board a ship at the expiration of every four hours,) half frantic with dread, 242 RUN TO THE WESTERN ISLANDS. At length the morning dawned, or rather the pall of night was withdrawn : a fiery and portentous redness just announced its approach, and again the gloom of the tempest shrouded all. The gale continued as violent as ever, and with a furious impetuosity hurried us along : though in all the uncertainty of meeting v.ith a sail, we scarcely wished it less. Since the time of the accident we had made upwards of two hundred miles, and if our masts stood, and the water did not increase upon us, there was every appearance of our accomplishing as much in the next twenty-four hours. — I will not trace the sad detail step by step ; descriptions of shipwrecks are familiar to most readers : those who wish to know more I refer to the pages of Falkner and Byron, which I never read with so deep an interest as when, upon an old hencoop, lashed to the side of our reeling vessel, I perused them upon this occasion : and though none of their most ardent admirers need ever covet a like experience, I must still think that it is only in the midst of the dread ordeal, and when every power of the soul is roused and rapt with the scene, that the fidelity and high- wrought energy of their colouring can be duly, fully appreciated. To proceed — on the evening of the 20th came up and demanded of him, if there was then no hope for lis, and on Captain Britton inquiring the cause of his increased anxiety, he replied, " Why, Sir, I thought I heard you tell them to strike the dead bells." — In the midst of all our fears it was difficult to suppress a smile. The man had probably heard the same directions given a hundred times before, without any misconception ; but the awa- kened and tortured imagination was now only alive to forebodings of evil, and ready to affix its own gloomy impress on all that trans])ired. RUN TO THE WESTERN ISLANDS. 243 " the storm had spent its strength/' and by the fol- lowing morning it had become nearly a calm. We availed ourselves of this opportunity of ascertain- ing the extent of injury done to the vessel, and ap- plying every remedy we could. The smaller open- ings we filled with oakum, over which we nailed a thick covering of tarred canvas. Into the large hole in the stern, we stuffed a whole foresail, covering that also with canvas and boards. We next turned our attention to our long-boat, which we found shamefully out of order, so bad, indeed, that though we spent many hours in attempting to repair it, we could not render it in a state fit to be depended upon. But with the number which we had on board, however perfect its condition, it could have been of no avail, except in transferring us to another vessel, or upon the occa- sion of effecting a landing at a short distance.* We did little or nothing at sailing throughout this day, and many an anxious and inquiring glance was cast around the wide horizon, and the wisdom of our most weather-ivise consulted, to divine, if possible, from what Cj[uarter we must next expect a wind, and dreading a change which would either compel us to alter our tack, or our course. Happily, the next day dissipated our fears, and brought us a gentle breeze from the south. We crowded all the sail we could, and * It appears tome highly imperative that some public enactment should exist to compel the owners of vessels to provide good and sufficient boats, in proportion to the number of passengers they engage to convey ; and that none should be pennitted to clear at the Custom-house, until an agent appointed for the purpose had ■ satisfactorily ascertained the fact. 544 RUN TO THE WESTERN ISLANDS. though the way we made was trifling in comparison with some previous days, we were thankful even to be holding on our course and nearing any land. The principal occurrence which marked the suc- ceeding day 23rd of October 1 would willingly pass over altogether in silence, not wishing to indulge in personal reflections upon any one, and feeling that I cannot so far forget what is due to hu- manity — or at all events so appears to me, as to avoid it upon the present occasion : — with this premise, however, I leave the reader to form his own judg- ment, stating the circumstance very nearly as it is recorded in the Log Book. At ten A. M. a sail appeared in sight, bearing di- rectly towards us, upon which we immediately hoisted a signal of distress, and made every preparation for going on board of her ; Capt. B. wishing to afford all an opportunity of leaving their present most peri- lous situation. We had scarcely done this when we were surprised to see the vessel altering her course, and continuing every moment to steer more out of our track ; this we construed into a determination to avoid speaking us, and after waiting for some time in a state of painful suspense, in order that there might be no misconception of our intention, we backed our main-yard, of which no notice still being taken, our former suspicions were confirmed, and we were just on the point of hauling down our signal, and making sail again, when the stranger tacked short about and came towards us. It proved to be the British barque " Mary Catharine/' of Liverpool, bound for Charles- RUN TO THE WESTERN ISLANDS. 245 ton. When within hail we lost no time in acquaint- ing the Captain with our distress, though which in- deed was but too sadly conspicuous, and recjuesting him to take us on board. This he refused to do, on the plea of insufficiency of provisions, which we could only regard as futile, when he might have had any requisite supply from our vessel. We next pro- posed to him to accompany us to one of the Western Islands — the nearest being about 250 miles distant — and for which we professed our willingness to re- munerate him ; but this he also objected to do. At length, after much entreaty, he consented (rather an advantage to him than otherwise, we presume) to take three cabin passengers ! which accordingly went on board, having, at his request, been previously sup- plied with some stores by Capt. B ; he also offered us a spar or two if we wished to attempt any repairs, which, of course, we rejected, considering it, with the the deplorable appearance which we presented, little better than a mockery. He then made sail again and left us to our fate. — If ever he should be placed in a similar situation, (''what mortal his own doom may guess ?") and meet with the like treatment, however he may feel its justice, he will not, j^erhaps, be disposed to put a more favourable construction upon it than we did upon his. To Capt. Britton, being an American, it appeared even the more ungenerous and disgrace- ful, as our unfortunate sitaation was solely attri- butable to his humane endeavour to succour a British vessel in distress, I shall only add that the indi- vidual who is the subject of these allusions is to me 246 APPROACH TO CORVO AND FLORES. a perfect stranger, and it is the co7iduct, and not the man, which I wish to expose, and hold up to that reprobation it so justly merits.* The wind continued to favour us, and towards even- ing became more westerly, and blew fresher. We made excellent progress throughout the night, and by noon on the 24th, Captain B. having succeeded in getting an observation, we discovered that we had little more than one hundred miles to run to the most westerly of the Azores, the influence of the genial climate of which we were beginning sensibly to expe- rience, and having proved how little we could depend upon any intermediate rescue, we looked towards them even with a more than intense eagerness. At day-break on the 2-5th, being the eighth day since our accident, we first discovered the islands of Corvo and Flores, the former bearing E. by N., and the latter S. E. Shortly after the crew were summoned, and a consultation held as to the course it would be most eligible for us to pursue. After due deliberation. * When speaking of this circumstance, it seems but impartial to mention the only possible extenuation which can be pleaded for such, otherwise, mysteriously unfeeling behaviour, which is, that in the present state of the insurance laws, if the captain of the " Maiy Catharine" had deviated from the precise course specified in his policy, even though to save the lives of a hundred of his fellow- creatures, it would have vitiated his insurance for the remainder of the voyage, and, in case of accident, his owners would have been unable to obtain from the underwriters the slightest redress or re- compense. It is high time that such an infamous inducement to evade the most sacred duties of humanity were removed; and I should little regret its operation in our case, if, in directing the pub- lic attention to it, it should in any way promote the accomplishment ot so desirable and necessary an object. NEARING FLORES, 247 and viewing- the circumstances of the case in all its bearings, the shattered state of our vessel, the uncer- tainty of the wind continuing favourable, which, indeed, had already become less so, and the number of lives at stake, it was unanimously determined to make the first land we could. As the day advanced, the wind continued to back more to the southward, and notwithstanding we were once again in sight of land, we could not repress some unwelcome fore- bodings, conscious how much depended upon the next twelve hours. If, as appeared probable, the wind settled in its present quarter, or it came on to blow before we had made either of the islands now in view, we could have no hopes from the Azores, the remain- der being situated still farther to the south, and to be exposed to another gale, which, even if we weathered, might drive us we knew not whither, was an alternative well calculated to excite our apprehensions. To leave nothing, however, unessayed on our part, we commenced clearing our anchors and cables, got our long-boat, such as it was, ready to hoist over, and with some barrels and spars constructed a raft, to be used in case of emergency. We had intended to have passed to the south of the Island of Flores, and thus round to Santa Cruz, (the principal town on the island, and situated on the eastern part of it,) hoping there to meet with anchorage and assistance ; but this we now found utterly impracticable, and, though we kept gradually nearing land, all we could anticipate was to touch at its north-western extremity. By two in the afternoon we supposed ourselves within twelve 248 IN WITH THE N.W. POINT OF FLORES,— or fifteen miles of this point, and hoisted a signal of distress ; after which we had very frequent recourse to the telescope to discover the features of the un- known coast we were approaching, which had, indeed, a most wild, rocky, and formidable aspect : here and there we observed some patches of cultivation, but no other evidence of the existence of a human being was any where visible. In this forlorn and perplexing situation, at five o'clock, we found ourselves close in with the land, and a current setting us towards it. To effect anchorage was impossible ; in fact, the very idea of anchoring at all in the state we were, to put to sea again upon the first shift of wind, was little better than preposterous ; and to depend upon our boat, at any distance from the shore, was equally visionary. The night was coming on with unfavour- able indications as to weather : the steerage part of our cargo in particular " were mad for land," im- ploring that the chance might not be thrown away; and, dreadful as was the alternative, there seemed to be no other choice left us but to suflfer the vessel to drive upon the rocks. We accordingly selected a small inlet between two immense projections rising nearly perpendicularly out of the ocean to the height of two or three hundred feet, as the most shel- tered spot which presented itself for eflfecting a landing. The moments which intervened between this resolve and the striking of the ship may be much better fancied than described : the most death- like silence prevailed, or was only interrupted by the wild clamours of the sea-gull and the breaking AND STRANDING. 249 surf before us. The frowning masses of rock between which we were entering seemed like two vast portals ready to close upon us ; and to most, I doubt not, earnest as had been the desire for the adoption of the expedient, it appeared far more like an approach to destruction than deliverance. Our black steward, who had lived through one or two wrecks before, looked absolutely horrid with affright. A while pre- vious I had observed him overpowered with anguish, and abandoning himself to despair : he knew, he said, that the vessel would go to pieces, that all could not be landed, and that he was sure to be last thought of. 1 endeavoured all I could to allay the poor fellow's apprehensions ; told him that if we had not to swim for it, he should, at any rate, take his turn before me : but all would not do: a strange presentiment had seized upon him that he was destined to perish here, and it was not until he saw himself safe upon the rocks that he could be convinced to the contrary. I had certainly expected the masts, being so nearly unsupported on one side, to have fallen at the mo- ment of the concussion ; but the rocks in this inlet running out for some little distance under water, the keel of the ship ground along them, perhaps for more than half its length, which contributed much to lessen the violence of the final shock : this had no sooner occurred than we got our boat to the side, and commenced putting in the women and children. By this time several of the natives had made their appear- ance, and some in the most magnanimous manner swam off to our assistance. A rope was then attached 250 LANDING ON THE ROCKS. to each end of the boat ; one we retained in the ship, and the other passed to the people on the rocks ; by which means it was towed backwards and forwards until all were landed, though leaking the whole time to such a degree that three or four men were obliged to be constantly baling to keep it afloat. Some of our passengers seeing this, in the onset, and probably thinking they stood as good a chance of reach- ing the shore by one means as another, had thrown over the raft, but in their precipitation jumping all on one side of it, it was, of course, upset, and two of the number very nearly lost their lives; — one (by his own account an ex-midshipman of the royal navy) it was my happiness to rescue, just as he was giving over the last struggle for existence. As soon as all were safely on shore, our next care was to secure some pro- visions, and such of our luggage as could be most conveniently come at ; but the surf beginning to break more violently, and our boat being in the wretched plight alluded to, we were shortly obliged to forego the attempt, and give up all until we could procure some further assistance. We forthwith inquired if there were any agent of the American Consul upon the island, and being informed that a Vice-Consul resided at Santa Cruz, we despatched a messenger to that place, (a circuitous route of about twelve miles over the mountains,) to acquaint him with our unfor- tunate situation, and requesting that he would lose no time in repairing to the wreck. We then threw ourselves down under the rocks, and overpowered with long watching, fatigue, and anxiety, all wet as NIGHT UNDER THE ROCKS. 251 we were, sank involuntarily to sleep. Our repose, however, was but of short duration, being broken in upon by the sound of a quarrel which had commenced between the crew and the natives; the former having contrived to bring on shore a part of a cask of spirits, and becoming completely intoxicated, sailor-like, were seeking with all possible avidity to " kick up a roiv." Foreseeing the unpleasant consequences which such proceedings might lead to, for the natives had now flocked down from the mountains in considerable numbers, and many of them, too, had drank pretty freely from the same maddening source, an attempt was made to put an end to the contention by knocking in the head of the cask. This, though it effectually prevented a recurrence of the evil, for a time only added fuel to the flame ; the crew especially, with the exception of one man, who conducted himself admi- rably, behaved in the most outrageous and infamous manner, even threatening our lives, and endeavouring all in their power to exasperate the natives against us, who, had they been left to themselves, would have manifested no disposition of the kind. As it was, from one, or the other, or both, we were every moment expecting an attack; and though none was made, it was chiefly the cause of adding one more to the many anxious and almost sleepless nights we had passed. In the midst of these disturbances, one or two boats made their appearance at the ship, for the purpose of plunder, which we had no means of preventing, though I do not imagine they carried off any thing of consequence. Before it was light a man in Y 2 252 ARRIVAL OF THE VlCE-CONS(JL, authority arrived; that is to say, a description of constable, armed with a black thorn stick nearly as tall as himself, and who gave us to understand that he was deputed by the Governor to protect the property. At first we were inclined to yield but little credit to his representations ; but seeing that by virtue of his wand and various official threaten- ings he was able to keep his own countrymen, at least, at a most respectful distance, we allowed him to proceed as he would, and found him, contrary to expectation, a very useful sort of personage. In this way we put on till near eight o'clock, when we observed a number of boats approaching the ship, (now rolling heavily, and appearing to be filling fast with water,) one of which contained the Vice- Consul, Mr. Borges, who immediately came on shore, and in the most kind and feeling manner expressed his concern for our misfortune, at the same time con- gratulating us upon our truly miraculous escape from a watery grave. He then returned to the ship, and commenced saving whatever he could. — It ap- peared that the nearest place of security was Ponte del Gada, another and much larger inlet, lying about six miles to the east of the present, and where was also a small village. Between this place and the wreck the boats kept incessantly plying during the day, and succeeded in getting off the greater part of the passengers' luggage, the sails, cables, &c., and about 200 barrels of flour, of which the cargo chiefly consisted. In the evening came our turn, and a most formidable and perilous undertaking it was. GETTING OFF TO PONTE DEL GAD A. 253 The surf now broke so high at the head of the inlet as to render it impossible to bring a boat up to that part ; one or two were near being dashed to pieces in making the attempt, and it seemed every way probable that we must content ourselves with another night's lodging upon the rocks. After various fruit- less endeavours, however, it was ascertained that a small cavity at the side of one of the projections would afford sufficient security to a boat, if we could manage to reach it; but with this proviso, the difficulty scarcely seemed less than before; the rock along which we must pass, about one-third of the way up, being, as I have stated, nearly perpen- dicular, with only a narrow shelving ledge, in some places scarcely wide enough for the feet, and where the slightest hesitation or faltering would have been irretrievably and instantly fatal. Many, at once, determined to remain where they were, or get over the island how they could, rather than make the experiment; and few of those who undertook its per- formance would have been more readily prevailed upon to repeat it. I am satisfied it never would have been accomplished at all, without the assistance of the natives, who are so habituated to scrambling amongst the rocks, that their feats in this way are absolutely incredible, and upon the present occasion, besides almost running along themselves without difficulty, they had to carry several of the passengers, and some bulky articles of luggage. It was nearly dark before the first boat was freighted, (the last, I believe, did not get oflf till between nine and ten,) 254 PONTE DEL GADA, AND and loaded it was to within a few inches of the water's edge ; the wind ahead, and blowing fresh. In this state we pushed out, and had to pilot our way through the most dreadful rocks and breakers I ever beheld, oftentimes running close upon them before they were perceptible. On one side, and nearly a mile distant, lay an iron-bound coast, like one perpendicular wall of rock, and on the other the open ocean, or with only the small Island of Corvo intervening. Our danger, indeed, seemed scarcely less imminent than that from which we had been so lately rescued, and though our boatmen were familiar with the track, and managed the boat skilfully, it was evident that they were by no means charmed with their situation, and none of us felt otherwise than perfectly satisfied to be landed in safety at Ponte del Gada, and leave Santa Cruz for daylight, or some more favourable opportunity. After quitting the boat we had to ascend the rocks by a most rugged road, and continued along the summit until we reached the miserable huts where we were to take up our quarters for the night. For our steerage company, a large room, being an ap- pendage to the Mass-house, had been obligingly set apart by the priest, who also entertained two or three at his own house. The rest of us disposed of ourselves as we could, and upon the floors of the different habitations, some with beds, and some with none, full soon forgot the dangers and hardships we had encountered, and, I'll answer for it, enjoyed a night of as sweet, perhaps sweeter, repose than GETTING OFF TO SANTA CRUZ. 255 any King in Christendom. — In the morning, 27^/i of October, Mr. Borges had been intend- ing to return to the wreck, with the boats, and renew his exertions at saving the cargo, but the sea had got up so much during the night, and it was blowing so fresh, that no one could be found wil- ling to run the risk; and knowing that the vessel, where she was stranded, must quickly go to pieces, he considered it best to sell the whole, by auction, without delay; and in all the uncertainty of being able to save any thing further, the utmost bidding that could be obtained amounted only to 261 dol- lars, for which sum our poor unfortunate ship, with her remaining cargo, was accordingly knocked down. A boat was afterwards sent off by the purchasers, and lost; but all on board fortunately escaped. The weather continuing very boisterous and unfa- vourable, we remained here until the 29th, when we again set out in open boats for Santa Cruz, twelve miles further to the S.E. Previous to our leaving, there had been some further arrivals of flour from the wreck, all of which had been under water, and appeared much damaged. Our passage was about as hazardous and unpleasant as upon the former occasion, excepting that we had the day instead of the night to perform it in, and being thus enabled to discern danger before in immediate contact with it, we were somewhat better prepared to guard against it. Upon landing at Santa Cruz, as soon as arrange- ments could be made, there being no inn, or place of public entertainment, we were variously billeted, the 256 SANTA CRUZ. crew, and the chief part of the steerage passengers, were housed in a building near the Fort; some got ad- mission into the Convent, but were so terribly alarmed when its massy doors were closed upon them, that the poor friars were obliged to liberate them, to the no small relief of the one, and amusement of the other. Several were accommodated at a Scotchman's, who had settled in the place as a professor of physic. Mr. Borges invited Captain B. and myself to his resi- dence, and thus, by degrees, all were as well, and much better cared for, than shipwrecked men have an y right to expect to be, or very commonly are. Here, without anticipating the future, we were willing to consider our toils and troubles at an end, and though but upon a rock, as it were, in the midst of the wide Atlantic, felt thankful for the deliverance we had experienced, and rather wishing a transient interval of rest, than again to cast ourselves upon the treacherous waves of ocean : for the moment " Lovely seemed any object that should sweep Away the vast, salt, dread, eternal deep." Such, at least, were my sentiments and impressions upon my safe arrival at Santa Cruz; and I was further gratified to find the detention we were likely to meet with would afford me an opportunity of rambling over the island, and contemplating scenes and objects of, to me, a novel and highly interesting character ; as, however, before the period of our con- tinuance here had expired, most, or all, excepting myself, began to be more or less troubled with ennui, and anxious for the hour of departure, perhaps, were SANTA CRUZ General Remarks. 257 I to transcribe the detail of my Journal, I might run some risk of producing a like feeling in the mind of the reader, and I shall therefore extract, as I have frequently done, the very little which I find possess- ing general interest. The Island of Flores is in latitude 39" 33', and longitude 31° 8'. It is about twelve miles long from north to south, and six miles wide in the centre, from east to west, narrowing a little towards each end.* It is for the most part mountainous and rugged, every where demonstrating the existence of volcanic erup- tions at a former period, although none have occurred within memory. Some of its slopes towards the sea, and portions also of the interior of the island, pre- sent small inclosures, walled with lava and pumice- stone, and highly cultivated; with a soil of uncom- mon richness and fertility, producing Indian corn, wheat, yams, and potatoes, with a plentiful supply of herbage, amongst which I may include lupins, raised and cut for the cattle in a green state. There is nothing that can be denominated timber upon the island; but besides a few orange planta- tions, apple, pear, and fig trees, there are trees and shrubs of various kinds, supplying all that is neces- sary for fuel and other purposes. The evergreens are chiefly the fir, box, juniper, laurel, and lauris- tinus, with some cedar, which grow luxuriantly, and * When 1 have heretofore spoken of distances from place to place in this island, I must be understood as meaning the distance of land or water necessary to be passed over, to avoid the hills, or the rocks, as the case may be. 258 SANTA CRUZ General Remarks. often conceal with their deep foliage the otherwise barren rocks amongst which they spring. Water is very abundant, and of the purest quality, intersect- ing the valleys in small rapid streams, often in its course turning the overshot wheel of a neat little corn-mill. Sometimes it continues along the heights until it reaches the rocks on the coast, from the lofty elevations of which it is seen descending at once in beautiful cascades into the ocean, and, in some situations, vessels visiting the island for water can obtain a supply by sending out their casks in a boat, without having occasion to land. The population of Flores is estimated at about 8,000, of which 1,500 may be resident in Santa Cruz, and more than half that number at Lagens, another small town to the south of Santa Cruz, also on the eastern side of the island. The remainder is dis- persed in several trifling villages, and detached dwell- ings, more properly denominated huts than cottages. Of the chief town, Santa Cruz, little favourable can be said. It consists pretty much of three nar- row streets, leading from the sea, in parallel lines, for a distance of near a quarter of a mile, to another street, which runs from south-east to north-west, in the direction of Ponte del Gada. Immediately be- hind the town is a high hill, with a very steep ascent, cultivated almost to the summit, which is chiefly overgrown with juniper. There was for- merly a sort of vigia^ or look-out, upon it; but only a few yards of the wall are now remaining. ThejDCtter kind of houses are built of stone, the SANTA CRUZ General Remarks. 2d9 walls very tliick, never exceeding two stories high, and usually having a balcony from the upper rooms, with glazed folding doors opening into it : here the inmates are mostly to be seen lounging about in dis- habille, with no other object or excitement save that of noticing occasional passing acquaintance, between whom and themselves a host of ceremonies and com- pliments is expected to take place. The lower rooms, if not used as cellars or store-rooms, are seldom fur- nished or inhabited. The mildness of the climate precludes the necessity of fires, and in no room, except the kitchen, is a fire-place ever seen. The rest, and by far the greater part, of the houses are mere cottages, rather roughly constructed and white- washed. — There are two small shops or stores in the town, at the principal of which I am told the re- ceipts will not average more than two dollars per day, and even with that a twelvemonth's credit is frequently given ; such, in fact, is the scarcity of money, that trading may almost be said to be carried on upon a system of barter. The rent of land is, I believe, universally paid in produce. The public buildings are a Church and a Convent; the former very lofty and s])acious, large enough to contain half the population of the island, but with grass growing in the interior on each side of the ile, just as on the outside, except at the upper end, where the arrangements are very similar to those of Catholic churches generally, and crosses, images of saints, &c. &c. occupy every little niche and situation in which it seems possible to place them.— The Convent is an 200 SANTA CKUZ General remarks. irregular stone building-, in size better corresponclinir with the magnitude of the Church than the insignifi- cance of the town. It contains several roomy halls and other apartments, and is occupied by a few friars, who evidently take better care of themselves than the building ; for whilst the former are well fed, sleeky and comely, the latter has but a neglected and dreary a{)pearance. There are not any nuns in the island. The Jail and the Custom-house are unworthy of notice; but there is a little edifice on the outskirts of the town which, for the novelty and ingenuity of its design and construction, must not be so passed over. It is a kind of Foundling Hospital, and one which, if secrecy be desirable, seems better adapted to meet the feelings of parties and the exigencies of the case than any thing I ever before heard of. The building is of stone, with windows only in the front. In the gable end is a small aperture, in which is affixed a barrel turning upon a pivot, in an upright position, with a few staves out on one side. In an ordinary way the perfect side of the barrel is outwards, but whenever any are desirous of availing themselves of the institution, upon arrival at the spot, a few slight taps immediately arrest the attention of the residents, who as promptly, without either having or seeking an opportunity of observation, present the open part of the barrel to receive the haj)less consignment, which is no sooner made than the bearer decamps, the barrel is returned to its former position, and the little stranger being safely dislodged, receives at once, and during the first years of its infancy, such care and SANTA CRUZ General Remarks. 2CA attention as are here deemed requisite ; after which, in the simple fashion of the country, it soon learns to cater for itself, and subsists in various ways. I was not a little amused with this unique establishment upon my first discovery of it, but good and evil are often too much blended together, and in this in- stance their connexion is obvious. It no doubt fully and effectually prevents the horrid crime of in- fanticide, but at the same time removes a very primary incentive to correct conduct and virtue in the female, and trenches fearfully upon the " chaste connubial tie," which is, amongst the peasantry, (to whom these remarks solely apply,) very generally dispensed with. I have spoken of the Fort, but as may be sup- posed, it is rather a name than a reality. It is situated on a point of rock overlooking tlie sea, at the south-east of the town. There are not more than two or three guns mounted, and no regular soldier, T believe, in the island. There is nothing like a bay or harbour at Santa Cruz. The coast about the town is low, and very rocky, so that only small vessels can approach near it, and these have sometimes to beat about for days, and even weeks, before it is safe to attempt it, and always upon their arrival are immediately hauled up, upon rollers, by main strength, out of the water, to the bottom of the street, leading down to the port, a distance of forty or fifty yards, to secure them from the surf, which frequently breaks here, as elsewhere, with great violence. There is ancl)orage 262 SANTA CRUZ General Remarks. (the best tlie island affords) at a mile or two from the town ; but it is such as is altogether dependant upon the wind, and vessels must be prepared to put off to sea whenever that becomes unfavourable. Two schooners belonging to individuals at Santa Cruz comprise the shipping of Flores. They make annually several trips to some of the other islands, with grain, cattle, orchilla, and woollen stuffs — rather of a rude manufacture — which they exchange for wine and other commodities. A iev/ schooners from the other islands also occasionally visit Flores, be- yond which it has little communication with them, or the rest of the world, except an American whaler, or other vessel puts in for refreshments, or like us, in a case of dernier resort and distress. The Government of the island is chiefly vested in two authorities, called the Governor and the Judge, every way worthy representatives of their wretched master, Don Miguel, who having present possession of the throne of Portugal, exercises dominion over all the Azores, excepting Terceira, which espouses the cause of Donna Maria. The power of these petty tyrants appears of a summary and absolute character, extending to the prevention of any one launching a boat, or going to a vessel, although in distress, without their permission; and to the impri- sonment, during their own pleasure, of whoever upon meeting them, or even passing their houses, omits the ceremony of taking off the hat. With these specimens of despotism, it were a farce to talk of jurisprudence, and as superfluous to add that the people generally art:- SANTA CRUZ General Remarks, 263 in a state of abject and degrading vassalage ; but inured to subjection, they submit without repining, and, cultivating their fertile lands, or engaging them- selves in fishing, obtain much more than a supply for their limited wants, and are contented and happy : — would that as much could be said of others under more enlightened and liberal systems ! Both men and women, for the most part, though rather short, are well made and healthy; their com- plexions clearer than those of the Portuguese on the continent of Europe; but their features are nt)t unfrequently wanting in expression, if I except their fine black eyes, the beauty and brilliancy of which but render the contrast the greater. That class of society in the island whose means exempt them from the necessity of labour, lead a life of exces- sive indolence and supineness, scarcely relieved by amusements of any kind; even walking seems too great an exertion for them, and riding is out of the question, for there is scarcely either horse, mule, or ass in the island. Fourteen or fifteen hours, out of the twenty-four, they frequently spend in bed. The men, except when they appear in public, are almost slovenly in their dress, and no sooner enter the house, after having been out, no matter what the hour of the day, than their visiting attire is put oft', and the undress resumed. The women are much more neat and cleanly in their dress and persons; their manners are unaffected, and their dispositions kind and obliging; but, destitute of those accom- plishments, and, in fact, of opportunity of acquiring z 2 264 SANTA CRUZ General Remarks. them, which distinguish female society in polished communities, they appear to great disadvantage to strangers. They go even less frequently from home than the men, and their seclusion scarcely differs, but in name, from that of the convent. If, however, they have not the refinements, they are at least exempt from many of the follies and dissipations of a more public and fashionable life, and, were there not a medium in adjusting the balance between the good and evil of the two, T, for one, must give the pre- ponderance altogether in favour of the ladies of Flores. The dress of the peasantry has nothing very pecu- liar in it. They rarely wear either shoes or stockings ; nor, except when dressed for church, &c., any cover- ing upon the head. On these occasions the women completely envelop both head and face in the im- mense hoods of their cloaks, or in large white hand- kerchiefs, which they hold out before them as far as the arm can extend, keeping them closed in front, except just so much as enables them to discern their way ; and the fingers with which they are held are usually ornamented with a ring or two, which they appear studious to display. They have a purple flower, very common in the fields, which they call " the JVun," so exactly resembling this costume, that one would almost think it had furnished them with the hint for its adoption; but whilst the one is simply natural and graceful, the other is equally unbecoming and preposterous. The style of living, that is, of cookery, amongst the SANTA CRUZ ^General Remarks. 265 better class, embraces rather too much of soups, ra- gouts, and made-ups, to relish with English taste. Scarcely a joint appears at table that has not been spoiled, in some way or other, of its fair proportions. If it succeed to soup, it is nothing^ more than a collec- tion of dry, insipid shreds. The soup, to be sure, is all the better for it, and with rice, vermicelli, and such like et ceteras, is excellent; but woe to those who make reservation, or think to thrive upon the meat ; —it is about as nutritious and satisfying as the pith cf a bulrush. It is not the custom to help each person separately, but to cut and hand round the table a number of slices upon a plate, as we do cheese, and no one commences until all are served ; an etiquette which is repeated with as many courses as may be introduced, and becomes quite a tiresome and formal observance. A little wine is drank during dinner, but the American fashion obtains of rising and with- drawing instantly afterwards. Three meals are taken during the day : — breakfast on rising, often at a late hour, of coffee, tea, eggs, &c. ; — dinner, from one to two ; and tea, or some slight repast, at six or seven in the evening, which is no sooner concluded than all creep off to bed, seemingly wearied out with their day of nothingness. Yams and potatoes constitute the chief food of the peasantry; sometimes a little fish; and water, or the light wines imported from the other islands, their only beverage. They are an industrious, inoffensive race, though not quite free from a disposition to pilfer when oppoitunity offers, or so we found them; 266 SANTA CRUZ General Remarks, perhaps it may be more from strangers than amongst themselves. Any of the greater crimes are rarely known amongst them. Provisions are very cheap. Beef, pork, and bacon,-'^ excellent. Sheep are small, and seldom used for food, the wool -being considered the most valuable part of the animal. Poultry and fish are in great plenty, as are also rabbits, quail, and pigeons; the latter precisely the same as our common blue dove- cote pigeon, but quite in a wild state. The pursuit of them afforded some of our party no little diversion, but they are rarely molested by the natives. The peasantry care nothing about them, and the gentry are too idle for sportsmen. The roads of the island are of the most rugged kind, narrow, and, in many places, but mere pas- sages worn amongst the rocks. I am not very ready to coin excuses for abridging the exercise of walking, but so intolerably bad did I find them, that, besides one or two severe falls, for some days after landing I was scarcely able to hobble along at all, and destroyed more boots and shoes in three weeks than would commonly serve me for as many months. The peasantry, however, travel over them * A very singular custom prevails of shaving the backs of their hogs. I have asked them if the operation is performed in com- pliment to their friars; but the reason they assign for it is, that it has a tendency to make them spread in fattening. If it be so, the secret is worth knowing; but I am sceptical enough to believe that their yams and Indian corn, upon which the animals are plen- tifully fed, are much more concerned in producing the effect than the razor. SANTA CRUZ Interment of an Infant. 267 with their naked feet, thinking^ no more of inconve^ nience than if pacing the turf of a bowling-green ; and when their betters are inclined, or have occasion to travel, for a mere trifle they will carry them in ham- mocks, upon their shoulders, half over the island. Goods and produce are conveyed upon a kind of small dray, or oval platform, drawn by oxen. It is a rudely-constructed thing-, altogether of wood, and when in motion the creaking- of the wheels is, to un- accustomed ears, beyond any patient endurance ; but if ever I sug-gested the application of a little grease, I was invariably assured that the noise had an enliven- ing effect upon the oxen, and that it was the study of the driver to produce it in the greatest possible de- gree : thus foiled, I could but let them creak on, lamenting that the ears of their oxen were pitched to no finer key, or that their own carelessness and indif- ference, to which I ascribed it, should so readily fur- nish them with an excuse for the non-suppression of the nuisance. Of one occurrence which took place during our stay at Santa Cruz, namely, the interment of an infant after the rites of the Catholic church, — a ceremony I had never before witnessed in a strictly Catholic country, — I have preserved this notice:— The father of the child was baker-general to our company, and upon going into his house I saw the little thing lying in state. The coffin was placed upon a table, in the middle of one of the rooms, which con- tained scarcely any other furniture, with a large cross at the head of it, and surrounded by a number of wax 268 SANTA CRUZ Interment of an Infant. tapers. It was of very slight manufacture, not more in substance than a bandbox, covered with marble paper, and opening with hinges at each side; the ends raised to a point in the centre, so that when closed the upper part formed a kind of roof, which was merely tied together in two places by ribbands. The body was dressed with the nicest care, and depo- sited in it, with a bunch of flowers in the hands, which were joined upon its breast. In a short time as many friars as the room would well con- tain, with shaven crowns, and in long dirty cloaks, made their appearance, and stationing themselves around the table, lighted the tapers which were stand- ing upon it, and each, besides, holding one lighted in his hand, they commenced the loudest and most inharmonious chanting, if such indeed it might be termed, I ever heard. This was continued for about twenty minutes, when the priest and curate arrived, and the former being presented with a pan of incense, which, when ignited, filled the whole place witli the most odoriferous perfume, passed it three times over the coffin; he then laid it down, and taking from under his robe a long narrow phial, the top of which appeared to be perforated much like that of a pepper- cruet, thrice sprinkled the face of the child with the holy water, which it was said to contain. One or two of the friars then took up the coffin to convey it to the church, the cross being carried before it, and the priest heading the procession. The remainder of the friars, with a few relatives and other attendants, with- out much observance of order, walked on each side SANTA CRUZ Inicniicnt of an Infant. 269 and in the rear; the former, at intervals, chanting- as loudly and vociferously as before. When they ar- rived at the church, the body was taken to the upper part of it, and again placed upon a table, in the midst of lighted tapers, and nearly the same ceremony of chanting, sprinkling-, and incense burn- ing which took place in the house was repeated here, each friar holding- a lighted taper, from three to five feet in length, — one similar to which, as a mark of respect to a stranger, was handed to me by the father of the child, which I held until the conclusion of the scene. The coffin, with its contents, was ultimately let down through a trap-door, into a vault by two friars, by means of a cord attached to each end of it, who, as they lowered it, swung it from side to side, bawling out a requiem well nigh sufficient to disturb the slumbering inhabitants beneath. On its reaching the bottom, the cords were thrown in, and the flaming incense having been passed three times over the opening, the trap-door was replaced, and the friars and others extinguishing their tapers, laid them upon the table, and the assemblage dispersed, — leaving upon my mind a mingled impression of pity and dis- gust for the deluded or designing actors in the scene, which to me displayed so much of the ludicrous as to divest it altogether of the solemnity which ought to attach to the occasion. But if even rites like these can be performed by men professing Christianity, and by rational beings, with sincerity, I am too much a friend to liberty of conscience, and universal toleration, to wish to treat them with levity and disrespect, and 270 SANTA CRUZ FubHc Sale. willingly forego those comments I might otherwise be tempted to indulge in, though I could not avoid asking myself again and again, during the day, Is this really the nineteenth century, and can such things he P On the 3rd of November, there was a sale by auction of the various articles saved from our wreck, namely, 200 barrels of flour, (or what remained of that quantity, some having been used for bread for the passengers,) the sails, rijging, cables, &c. It had been generally notified throughout the island, and also at Corvo, for some days previously, so that we had little short of one hundred persons present. The spot fixed upon for this vendue was an open space about the centre of the town. The auctioneer was a most uncouth character, much resembling the constable that attended upon us under the rocks, and like him carried a long black thorn stick, pacing to and fro in front of the people, receiving their biddings as he passed along. The sale occupied nearly the whole of the day. The flour was pur- chased for exportation, not being allowed to be consumed on the island, for the miserable price of one dollar and seventy-five cents per barrel — the other lots about in proportion. The Priest bought the bell for church service, for eight dollars and sixty cents. It was a galling consideration that property should be thus sacrificed ; but the case seemed without remedy, as there were only a few individuals with ability to make any purchases, and the expense of conveying tlie goods elsewhere would SANTA CRUZ Dinner at Mr. L, Borges^s, ^c. 27 1 only have made bad worse, and the exertion used to save them at all altogether thrown away. I observe the following memorandum of the day : — This day has been the most lovely and enchanting, both in brilliancy and temperature, I ever experienced, and were it not for the known anxiety of friends in England, I could be well content to exchange its dreary winter months for the spring-like softness of this luxuriant clime, of which I begin to envy the residents more and more. It is with much pleasure that I speak of the great kindness of Mr. Borges and his family to Captain B. and myself, as well as of his care and attention, in his official capacity, for the rest of the passengers and crew, amounting absolutely to solicitude on their be- half; nor must I omit to mention the hospitality we experienced from other of his relatives, as also from a Spanish gentleman, Don Mariano H , (he merchant of Flores. Upon dining with Mr. L. Borges, the brother of our friend, who entertained us with much generosity, T was introduced to a new species of etiquette, namely, that of the master of the house and one of his sons assisting the domestics in waiting upon their guests, who were put in possession of the top and the bottom of the table, whilst his lady and the family, with the rest of the. company, were seated along the sides. Whether our worthy host and his son dined before or after us, or whether they dined at all, T know not ; but I do know, that, notwithstanding the marked attention it was designed to evince, it would have been abun- 2 A 272 SANTA CRUZ AND dantly more agreeable to me if they had dined with us. Wine was taken at dinner much after the English fashion, and our host did not fail, I believe, to drink to the health of every one separately, and to wish us a safe return to our native land. This gentleman has a very fine orange plantation at a short distance from the town. It is situated on the side of a hill, which serves as a protection for the trees in the violent gales which sometimes occur here, and with serpentine walks leading from the bottom to the top. Upon a platform about the centre is a capa- cious summer-house, planted around with choice shrubs and flowers, where the family usually spend some portion of the year, and where, were I proprietor, I should most gladly spend the whole, there being no "pale concluding winter" here to "shut the scene," but now, in mid November, all is freshness, and beauty, and odour. Most of the trees in the plantation are young, but in a very thriving state, and in a few years will yield a supply fully equal to exportation. At present no fruit is exported from Flores. The Island of Corvo, at the nearest point, is about three leagues distant from Flores; but during my stay I had not an opportunity of visiting it, nor did I feel particularly anxious to do so, having seen a good deal of it on our approach, and the description I received of it holding out but few inducements. It is not more than one-fourth the size of Flores, very mountainous and rocky, and contains but about nine hundred in- habitants. Since the time of our landing from the wreck we DEPARTURE FOR FAYAL. 273 had anticipated the necessity of proceeding to Fayal;, (distant from Flores about one hundred and twenty miles in a south-easterly direction,) or some of the other islands having intercourse with England, where we might take passage by a trader, or charter a vessel of sufficient size to convey us to our ultimate destina- tion ; to facilitate which Mr. Borges was indefatigable in his exertions. The two schooners, before mentioned as belonging to Santa Cruz, of about thirty or forty tons burden, happening to be in port at the time, he immediately proceeded to treat with their owners for our transit in them to Fayal, and terms were no sooner agreed upon than we commenced preparing them for sea. It was not until the 10th of November that the first schooner was ready, nor until three days afterwards that the wind permitted us to get her off; but on that day (the 13th) we succeeded in launching her with thirty-seven of the passengers. Pre- viously, however, another schooner arrived from Fayal, and, ultimately, it being considered that the number of passengers still remaining, together with the luggage, reduced as it had been, with great loss to the owners, was more than, ought to be embarked on one of these little vessels, it was concluded to put her also in requi- sition. This we were enabled to despatch on the fol- lowing day with forty more of the passengers, the re- mainder of us intending to set sail next morning in the third; but the wind changed, and stormy weather suc- ceeded — so much so as to occasion many fears for the safety of those already on their way. Whilst we were thus detained, a schooner arrived from St. Michael's, 274 DEPARTURE FOR FAYAL. for a cargo of orchilla,''^ consigned to Don Mariano, the owner of the remaining schooner we had engaged, who proposed to us to transfer the charter to the one from St. Michael's; assuring us that the orchilla, which would occupy but little space, was all ready to be put onboard, — that she should take nothing else, — and im- mediately that was shipped should proceed with us to Fayal. At the time, seeing no objection to this propo- sition, and the stateof the weather rendering it impos- sible to launch his schooner; the one from St. Michael's being already without the Bar, in the hope of avoid- ing delay we acceded to it. To our mortification, however, we soon found, that besides the orchilla they were detaining the vessel to complete her loading with wheat, whale oil, pigs, &:c. &c., several casks of the oil being lashed upon deck. This infringement of the agreement, of course, caused remonstrance, and much unpleasant altercation, almost determining us to relinquish the idea of going by her at all, and obliging Mariano to send his own schooner with us as originally stipulated. Things continued in this state until the morning of the — 17th, — when, in considera- tion of Mariano's previous kind offices to ourselves, and also of his being the friend of Mr. Borges, to whom we * 1 have mentioned this amongst the exports. It is a weed of a grayish colour, valuable for producing a crimson dye, and monopo- lized by the Government. It grows principally amongst the rocks of the coast, from whence it is obtained by the peasants, oftentimes with extreme difficulty and risk. One of them had lost his life in attempting to procure it just before our arrival at the island. The price given to these poor creatures for collecting it does not exceed threepence per pound, whereas ihe Government obtains upwards of a. shilling ! DEPARTURE FOR FAYAL. 275 were so highly indebted, and who proposed accom- panying us to Fayal, upon receiving a positive pro- mise that nothing more should be sent off to the schooner, we consented to go on board, and took our leave of Santa Cruz and many of its kind-hearted inhabitants, whom I shall long and gratefully remem- ber. — It was about ten o'clock when we reached the schooner, and we were then given to understand that she was not cleared ; nor was she ready, for presently other boats appeared with a still further quantity of loading, the property of the Governor. This was something too bad to be borne, and the captain of the schooner appearing to connive at the imposition, anchor being weighed, one of our party took possession of the helm ; the sails were unfurled, and we set off, regardless of the risk we run in not having our clearances, and we had to thank Mr. L. Borges for following us some distance in a boat to bring them to us. — The abruptness of our departure from a spot which had afforded us so welcome a shelter I very much regretted, but am inclined to think that Don Mariano had scarcely the option of refus- ing to take the goods which the Governor wished to send; and to this underling in ''brief authority" I attribute every thing of a disagreeable character con- nected with leaving, as well as the little occurring of that nature whilst upon the island. And now, ''once more upon the waters, yet once more," we had only to wish for a fair wind and quick passage, the craft we were in, (formerly one of Miguel's store ships,) being wholly devoid of acconi- 2 A 2 276 PASSAGE -AND modation, and much the worse for wear. Including captain and crew, we numbered about fifty souls on board ; — as motley a group as is often seen: videlicet, English, Scotch, Irish, American, Portuguese, two Jews from Morocco, — the elder a Shylock personi- fied,-T-pigs from Flores, and dogs from St. Michael's. Until ten o'clock in the evening we had very little wind, when it began to rain and blow fresh from an unfavourable quarter, and so continued for the most part of our voyage, which surpassed in wretchedness, (excepting danger,) all previous experience. For three days and nights, the whole of the rest which I got was upon a coiled wet cable on deck; the little box in the stern, denomi- nated a cabin, being too insufferably offensive to enter, stuffed with people and luggage, and literally swarming with bugs. To add to the evils on deck, a cask of whale oil got stoved in, and its contents ran all about, so that, independent of the stench, it was with difficulty we could move or stand: — but I spare the reader a recital, loathsome even in reflec- tion, and pass on to the morning of the 20th by day-break on which we were close in with the west end of Fayal, the density of the atmosphere not having permitted us to discern it before, and Pico being wrapped in a mantle of cloud down to its very base. The wind had now almost died away, and the ocean began to assume a lake-like smoothness : our sails were flapping idly against the masts, and scarce a dying murmur of the waves was audible upon the rocks of the coast. As the sun arose, the APPROACH TO FAYAL. 277 mists gradually dispersed, and never shall I forget the scene of beauty and of grandeur which then unfolded itself to our view. On our left lay the highly cultivated and luxuriant Fayal, a very Eden of loveliness, and before us, in all its sublimity,' towered the mighty Pico. A few clouds still hung upon the sides of the mountain, but the sun was shining brilliantly upon the peak, which, from its immense height, and the obstruction below, had more the appearance of being suspended in ether, than of any thing resting upon a basis of earth. Its elevation above the level of the sea is not con- sidered so little as 7,000 feet, and in clear weather it can be discovered seventy, and, it is said, even ninety miles off. But notwithstanding the sublime and exciting scenery by which we were sur- rounded, such had been the miseries of this short voyage, and such my eagerness to be again on land, that (I almost write it with a blush) I would have relinquished all for a few hours of fair wind to have brought us to an anchor in the Bay of Orta. We lay till noon almost becalmed, when a light breeze sprang up; but, to our mor- tification, just against us. Being scarcely more than a mile from land, often did I propose to have recourse to our boat, or even to swim ashore, rather than endure this very lazer-house of filth for another night ; but I was assured by those more familiar with the arbitrary exercise of power than myself, though merely passing from one island to another, and our history and object well known. 278 AT ANCHOR IN THE BAY OF ORTA that no one would be permitted to leave the vessel until we had been visited by the officers of both the revenue and health departments, and received their sanction to land. There was, therefore, nothing left us but submission to our fate, whatever it might be. At length I did manage to get the boat over, and several of our crew and others betaking themselves to the oars, we commenced the towing process. At intervals the wind so nearly died away, that, with great exertion, we were able to effect something ; but again it vexa- tiously thwarted us, and drove us backward farther than we had advanced; and thus, hoping and fear- ing, advancing and receding, we continued until near six in the evening, when the tide turned in our favour, and we found ourselves slowly entering the channel between the islands of Fayal and Pico; and as soon as we were discerned from the fort of Orta, the capital of the former, several revenue officers came off to us, bringing us the agreeable intelligence that we should not be allowed to land before morn- ing. Owing to eddy ivinds and calms, which, from the height and contiguity of the mountains, are very frequent amongst these islands, we did not come to an anchor until ten o'clock ; shortly after effecting which, having lowered the sails, Mr. Borges and mj^self stowed ourselves away amongst them, and I may almost say slept for the first time since quitting Santa Cruz. When we awoke in the morning, we found ourselves safely moored within half a mile of the town, the appearance of which from the Bay is uncommonly fine and imposing, forming, with the projections of APPEARANCE OF THE TOWN, AND LANDING. 279 high land at either end of it, the most perfect and splendid amphitheatre. The town is built close to the shore, from which it rises to a considerable elevation, interspersed throughout with gardens, orangeries, and other plantations. It contains a great number of churches, convents, &c., which, "on first appearing before the little city, give it an air of architectural magnificence;" and viewing it alto- gether, you would be ready to estimate its extent and population at, at least, double what it really is. It was ten o'clock before the officers of the health department came off to us, and near three hours after that before boats were despatch^ to convey us ashore. Some had been occupying this interval in sundry attempts at purification, and, it must be confessed, put on a rather more civilized aspect ; but as for me, though I felt myself one of the filthiest of human beings, so I was determined to remain until I could eflject my escape from this abode of defile- ment, and luxuriate in a thorough ablution. I have before said, and heard it said, that it is worth enduring extremes for the sake of their opposites: — I would not endure filth for any thing, — but surely I never in my life more highly estimated the value of soap and fresh water, or arrayed myself in clean linen with a more exquisite satisfaction, than when they were pre- sented to me upon landing in the city of Orta: — I seemed, indeed, as if I could scarcely have enough of either the one or the other ; and fervently hoped, if this were a fair specimen, that I had for ever finished my sailing under Portuguese colours. 280 ORTA Mr. Dahneifs. 1 had scarcely made my toilette when the American Consul, C. W. Dabney, Esc[., most kindly called upon Mr. Borges, Captain Britton, and myself, with an invita- tion to dinner, which we gladly accepted, and accom- panied him to his residence, — an elegant mansion, and which, for the magnificent beauty of its situation, has seldom indeed a parallel. It stands on the acclivity of a hill, in the centre of a garden, delight- fully overlooking the town and bay, whilst imme- diately in front lies the vine-covered Island of Pico, with its lofty and majestic peak. The garden, which is most tastefully laid out, displays a rich variety of tropical and European trees and plants; — the orange, lemon, banana, fig, vine, apple, pear, myrtle, geranium, rose, &c. growing luxuriantly together, with " flowers of every scent and hue " As contrasted with the scenes which had been passing before us for some previous days, it seemed rather like the work of enchantment than reality, nor were such impressions in any degree lessened when our kind magician introduced us to the interior of his abode, and to the attractive family circle by which he was surrounded. It was one of the quickest and most agreeable transitions in situa- tion and feeling I ever experienced, — from a want of the commonest comforts of existence, to the enjoyment of its very luxuries ; and from society of the lowest grade, to that of those replete with every refinement, and manifesting a truly generous and friendly interest in our fate. — After thus enjoying ourselves for the remainder of the day, in the evening, there being at Oita, as at Santa Cruz, no hotel, or other establish- ORTA Call upon Mr. Walker. 281 ment of the kind, we retired to a vacant house on the outskirts of the town, wliich, upon landing-, we had requested might be engaged, and partially furnished for our accommodation. Upon trial, however, it proved every way inconvenient and ineligible; so that betimes in the morning we sallied forth to reconnoitre the town in quest of a better, and succeeded, at last, in taking two small rooms in a house about mid- way along the main street, which, though nearly as destitute of cleanliness and comfort as those we had quitted, were much more agreeably situated, and, as we were assured, the best the town afforded — that strangers would be likely to gain ad- mission into. Before noon we were again honoured with a call from Mr. Dabney, repeating a kind invitation to dinner, which, gratified as we had been on the previous day, we were in no mood to refuse. In the course of the morning I paid my respects to the British Yice-Consul, Mr. Walker, (a pleasant, gentlemanly man, but, unfortunately, blind,) who having taken charge of the British subjects, had written to Mr. Read, the Consul-General, residing at St. Michael's, for instructions how to proceed in conveying them home. He informed me of the steps which he had taken to provide, as far as pos- sible, for their comfort; evident indications of which I had not failed to observe in the renovated attire of most I had met with, and some of whom, I doubt not, fared infinitely better at Santa Cruz and Orta than they ever did before, or, it is to be feared, ever '2S2 ORTA Fredon'ta House, ^c, will again. I received from this gentleman every polite attention, accompanied with offers of any as- sistance it was in his power to render me. The afternoon of the day folly realized the agree- able anticipations of the morning in the intelligent and interesting society of the family at (what I shall term) Fredonia House; fiom whence we were not suffered to take our departure until, in the hand- somest manner, I may say delicately so, to remove any diffidence on our part, Mr. Dabney desired us to consider the invitation extended to every day whilst we remained at Orta, and that, when not interfering with other engagements, we would visit them, with- out the least ceremony, upon all occasions. For several succeeding days my mornings were spent in perambulating different parts of the island, and my afternoons chiefly at Fredonia House ; or in walking, or riding out (for Mr. Dabney supplied us with most beautiful ponies) as inclinaton might prompt. — But were it not for the obligations I feel myself under to this gentleman and his family, I should be reluctant to intrude myself so much into the foreground of the picture. It is time also that I offer a few more general remarks upon the place and its people. The Island of Fayal (which is said to derive its name from the Faya, a beautiful kind of beech-tree growing upon it) lies in latitude 38"* 30' and lon- gitude 28° 41' 2". It is about the same size as Flores, though very differently formed, its length and breadth being nearly alike. It is also much less ORTA General Remarks. 283 mountainous, and, of course, contains a far greater j^roportion of cultivated land, of equal richness and fertility. The climate is deliciously fine, said even to surpass that of the Azores generally: — but perhaps, in a few words, I cannot give a better description than I find in a valuable nautical work,* which I happen to have in my possession, and from which I shall take the liberty of making further extracts. It observes, " This island has been celebrated for its excellent pastures, fish, wood, &c. The air is always mild and pure ; the cold of winter never felt, and the heat of summer always tempered by refreshing winds. Its inhabitants are computed at 17,000. The island pro- duces wheat and maize, sufficient for itself and a part of Pico. The cattle reared here are not sufficient for the consumption of the island, and supplies are therefore sent from the neighbouring island of St. George, which produces a great number. The annual produce of wine is also scanty; for that which is ex- ported hence is mostly from Pico, the opulent people of Fayal being owners of the best vineyards in that island ; and they ship the wines from the port of Fayal for the dififerent ports of Europe and America." Oranges are now cultivated to a considerable extent, and the flavour of the fruit is very fine, quite equal to that of St. MichaePs. Several cargoes are annually exported to England; but I understand from those engaged in shipping them, that from the perishable nature of the fruit, the damage it often sustains on * Purdy's Memoir, 8tc. for the Atlantic Ocean. 2b 284 ORTA General Remarks. the passage, the uncertainty of a market, and various other causes, taking the average of years, they have found it a losing speculation. Fayal is not so well supplied with water as some of the other islands, nor is its quality equally pure and good. It contains, besides Oita, nine or ten villages; but as the first named could only prove of interest to strangers, I shall confine my remarks accordingly. The Villa Orta (which I have before partially noticed) is situated on the south-east side of the island, and its population is estimated at more than 5000. The principal street, which runs nearly pa- rallel with the shore, and extends throughout the whole leng-th of the town, is irregular, in many parts narrow, and roughly paved. From this several small streets ascend to the level above the town, along which there is a pretty good road, though not adapted for carriages, to the village of Flamingo, about five miles distant, and other places. The houses, vastly superior as they are to most, even of the best in Santa Cruz, are built much after the same fashion, generally of limestone, two stories high, with glazed folding- doors, and balconies, of course, — essential, I conceive, to the very existence of their owners, as without them they would certainly either inadvertently precipitate themselves into the street, or expire for want of a lounging-place. The lower rooms, in the main street, are chiefly occupied as shops; amongst which those of tailors and shoemakers abound, who are to be seen sitting at their doors (the only part at which light is admitted) throughout the day in the exercise of their ORTA General Remarks. 285 profession. Boots and shoes are remarkably cheap, and handsomely made, though they do not wear so well as the English. The other shops, equally dark and incommodious, are very variously furnished. I can not better designate them than as little general stores. The public buildings, as said, are chiefly (or so styled) of a religious character, — monasteries, con- vents, &c. ; appearing, like many other things, to the greatest advantage when viewed from a distance. They are then conspicuously ornamental to the place; a distinction of which a closer inspection very much divests them, the front being the only part displaying the least architectural taste. This is generally very lofty, and whitewashed, '' terminating in the centre in a curved line pediment, containing some emblematic religious device ; and a square tower at either side, with circular-headed windows, black quoins, cornices, belting courses, &c. ; and surmounted by Turkish or Arabic turrets. The rear presents nothing more than a plain building of rough masonry.'* Amongst this description of edifices I may include one or two nun- neries, several of the inmates of which I frequently observed peeping through their latticed windows, whether with " Each flattering hope subdued, each wish resigned," I know not, but certainly without " All beauty's treasure opening on the cheek." The numbers of the pious sisterhood, I was in- formed, were much diminished a few years ago, during the sojourn in the place of a company of the gallant sons of Mar§; since which but ie-w votaries 286 CRT A General Remarks. have offered tliemselves, and the mania (if I may so term it) appears altogether on the decline. Orta is said formerly to have been a place of consi- derable strength, and in the hands of either the English or Americans would easily be rendered impregnable; but it is not now strongly fortified. The principal forts are at the south end of the town, and appear to be tolerably garrisoned ; but the military force of the island is greater than common, the soldiers engaged in the unsuccessful attempt to reduce Terceira to the dominion of Miguel having been landed here, and for the present are quartered in Orta. A high and sub- stantial stone wall is built along the whole front of the town ; but I imagine as much to protect it from the tide, which often rolls and thunders against it with desperate fury, as for the purpose of defence in case of attack ; at all events it would be found no very serious impediment to vigorous assailants. Fayal, in the Bay of Orta, affords the best anchor- age of any of the Azores, "excepting that it is open to the winds from north to north-east, and from south-east to south-west ; and these winds are frequent in winter. That from the south-east is often very destructive, it blowing right in.*' So lately as last year Mr. Dabney had a fine brig driven ashore, the very morning she was prepared to start on her voyage, laden with wines, &c., and lost, with nearly all her cargo. The crew, I was told, were with difficulty saved, princi- pally through his own very active exertions. During the non-intercourse of America with Eng- land, preceding the late war, this was the principal ORTA General Remarks. 287 depot for American produce, and from whence a large amount found its way to England, which, I am sorry to say, greatly frustrated the justifiable and pacific intentions of the American Government t9 eflfect the rescinding of our iniquitous Orders in Council, as well as the prevention of the impress- ment of her seamen into the British service. Here, as at Fiores, provisions are exceedingly cheap. Beef, though not the largest, without any exception the finest flavoured I ever partook of, selling only for 2d. sterling a pound. Fish and poultry are also very plentiful, and equally good. Some quantity of cheese is made upon the island, but the quality of that is inferior; nor can I say any thing in favour of the bread ; it is brown, tough, and insipid. The style of living, as well as the society of the better class in Orta, I should suppose only differs in its degree from that of Fiores; but as I visited with no Portuguese family during my brief stay, I am unable to speak to particulars. Besides Mr. Walker, there are several respectable English residents. The peasantry are just the same sort of people, — a quiet, hardy, and industrious race, and possess all the necessaries of life in great abundance: but they will perform the heaviest labour for the most trifling consideration in money. Numbers of them I saw carrying boxes of oranges, weighing two to three hundred weight, from the gardens at Flamingo, where they were packed, to Orta, (five miles,) for a pistaree?i, or tenpence ; and you will generally meet them at- tended by dos^s, so remarkable for their fatness that 2 b2 288 ORTA General Remarks. you are ready to query what they can have been fed upon to produce such an effect; but I am satisfied there is something in the climate very congenial to these ani- mals, since, if they are brought upon the island from other places, ever so lean, in a month or six weeks, without any extraordinary feeding, they become as fat as those bred on the island ; and the dreadful dis- ease of hydrophobia is wholly unknown. Oxen and asses are the principal beasts of burden ; but I saw even fewer carriages, of any description, than in Flores ; nor are the roads much better adapted for them. Ploughing at both places is always performed by oxen, and the soil is so uncommonly rich and fine that the ploughs have not a particle of iron about them, (excepting, perhaps, the few nails which may be used inputting them together;) and I observed the peasants merely ran them through the ground, turning nearly an equal furrow on either side. But little art is requisite to raise crops on the cultivated lands of the Azores ; such is their fertility, that seed would almost grow if thrown on the surface. There are fewer stone or pumice-stone walls in Fayal than in Flores, the fields often being fenced with a sort of cane reeds, which grow twelve or fifteen feet high, and form excellent hedges ; they are used also for thatching the cottages, and various other purposes. The peasants manufacture very handsome baskets from willows that grow upon the island, and great quantities of them are exported to the other islands, as well as to the Brazils. They are generally red and white, a part of the willows being dyed a scarlet ORTA Visit to the Caldera. 289 colour. A 7iest of them, as it is termed, (fifteen or twenty of intermediate sizes, fitting within each other, the largest capable of containing three bushels, and the smallest scarcely a goose's Q^g,) may be pur- chased for about two dollars. I omit other things which might seem of more importance, as it is my intention presently to devote a ^ew pages to those of the Azores which I have not already spoken of, and as in many respects so great a similarity exists between them, it is unnecessary to indulge in general comments upon each. November 27th. — Before we had risen from breakfast this morning we received a very polite note from Mr. Dabney, proposing, if agreeable, as the morning was particularly favourable, that we would avail our- selves of it to visit the Caldera, an immense, though now exhausted crater, upon the extreme height of the island. There was, of course, little reluctance on our part to comj^ly with the kind suggestion, and equip- ping ourselves for the excursion, we proceeded to Mr. D.'s, where we found Mr. Frederic Dabney, a younger brother of the Consul, with asses and at- tendants prepared to accompany us, and soon after nine o'clock we commenced the ascent. The dis- tance, by the route we had to pursue, was about ten miles; for the first two or three of which the road was nearly level and of little interest, but after- wards it began to rise considerably, and winding along over a high ridge of hills, commanded a view 290 URTA. — — Visif to the Cahlera. of the most transcendant beauty. A richly-cultivated plain, with orange groves and ever-verdant fields, interspersed with the neat white cottages of the pea- santry, extended for some miles on either side, and at the foot, gracefully retiring from its lovely bay, appeared the convent- crowned Orta. Pico was un- commonly clear, from base to summit, which I had scarcely seen it before since our landing, and an object of inconceivable grandeur. Though the day was comparatively calm, the surf was breaking high upon its rocky shores, forming around them a girdle of the most snowy whiteness, and the sound being to us perfectly inaudible, tended to favour the decep- tion ; while to the west, serenely slumbering, and as if never more to be awoke by storm or tempest, lay the blue and boundless ocean. Again and again did I pause enraptured with the scene, — in all its variety, richness, beauty, splendour, and extent, the most transporting I ever beheld. I felt, if it would but have remained the same, as if I could have gazed upon it for ever ; and had I not been reminded by my companions of the object which had induced the excursion, the Caldera, much as I had desired to see it, might have stood over for future opportunity, — I must have lingered out my day of admiration here. Moments like these are the purchase of years, and they are worth it, — sweet in possession, still sweeter in retrospect: the bright spots on the dark ground of our existence : once realized they can never cease to charm ; the mind recals them in its happiest ORTA Vhil to the Caldera. 291 musings through after years ; they create its happiest musings, and "pass like spirits of the past/' bringing "The day, the hour, the sunshine, and the shade, All things pertaining to that place and hour" in fair review before us. The scene itself may vanish, — the recollection never. Pursuing our route we continued at every step mounting higher and higher, and at length arriving within three miles of the summit, we dispensed with our steeds, and one of our attendants returning with them to the village of Flamingo, which we had left about two miles in the rear, the other with a basket of refreshments accompanied us on foot. The re- maining distance, alternately bog and rock, (not the most desirable footing for pedestrians,) was of much less arduous ascent than I had anticipated, and before one o'clock we had gained the southern edge of the crater; of the magnitude of which, having purposely been kept a little in the dark, I had formed no con- ception, and stood for some time on the brink in almost speechless astonishment. The form of the immense cavity, as the name, Caldera, may imply, is very similar to that of a caldron or basin. Its circum- ference at the top is about six miles, — the diameter consequently two, — gradually contracting in its de- scent to a circumference, at the bottom, of perhaps two miles. The entire depth of il is estimated at 4000 feet, and it is even thought by some to be on a level with the sea. When the first overwhelming sensations of amaze- ment had a little subsided, the day being now on the 292 ORTA Viait to the Catdera. wane, I proposed to my companions to make the descent; but neither appearing- to manifest any such disposition, without a guide, and almost without direc- tion, I determined to undertake it myself. For the first part of the way down I pursued nearly a direct course, sometimes scrambling through bushes, and at others rolling over rank and slippery beds of moss, as wet as rain or dew could render it, and in which I frequently sank more than a yard deep. But afterwards it became fatiguing in no small degree, the only passage I could discover being a rocky and most tortuous water-course, often seeming to ter- minate in abrupt projections, from which I had to jump or fall, as the case might be, until I found it again amongst the thickly interwoven shrubs which were arched over it. At length, however, with jump, ing, tumbling, and rolling, soaked to the skin, I arrived at the bottom, and confess my sensations were not of the most agreeable character, when, after descending experience, on first casting my eyes upwards, I contemplated the difficulty of a re-ascent, a reflection, too, which in addition to the advanced hour of the day, left me little opportunity for obser- vation — none worth recording; — nor do I imagine from the period which has elapsed since the crater was in a state of conflagration, that, except in the peculiarity of its form, its appearance is strikingly dissimilar from that which it might have presented hid it been occasioned by other violent convulsion of nature; — a question, however, fitter for geologists than me. The surface at the bottom is nearly level; ORTA Visit to the Caldera. 293 for the most part very wet and bogg-y ; the centre is wholly covered with water, though of no great depth, and containing' quantities of gold and silver fish. Near the part where I descended, but quite de- tached from it, there is a huge mass of rock and earth of considerable height, which has also a large cavity on its summit. The whole scene is calculated to inspire the most sombre ideas and impressions; even the water, from the great depth of the crater, and the dark foliage which hangs upon its sides, assumes an inky black- ness. No kindly sunbeam penetrates to exhale the heavy vapours which stagnate in the air; but the atmosphere is chill and damp. 'J'he storm may howl its fury ; but it is heard not. The roar of ocean never reaches here. Solitude reigns supreme, and all is mute and motionless, save the sea birds, which, wheeling around you in rapid eddies, keep up a loud and incessant screaming as if to scare you from their dreary retreat. It requires almost an effort of mind to believe that such things as cities, and the busy hum of men, have any where an existence, or that you can ever again behold them. You are lost in conjecture at the mysterious agency which once filled this mighty vacuum with sulphureous matter — how it has so totally disap- peared — by what unknown causes it may be again produced — or where it may be still raging; — but speculate and ponder as you will, all is doubt and mystery, and you end but where you began, in knowing, in determining — nothing. Had I allowed 294 ORTA Visit to the Caldera. myself, however, much farther to indulge the reverie into which my situation, so full of the novel and exciting- was leading me, I must have been content to amuse myself with it during the night, for which various cogent reasons disinclining, I turned at once to the somewhat more feasible, but still vastly per- plexing proposition of a re-assent, which, wherever meditated, put on a most formidable aspect. I had unwisely determined, supposing I could not change for the v/orse, to make the attempt in another cpiarter from that in which I descended; and after surveying the crater around, awfully precipitous as it ap- peared, fixed upon the northern side. I accordingly floundered on through bog and water, until I had gained what appeared the most eligible part, and here — for nothing less I found it — commenced the arduous struggle. For the first 500 feet or so it was difficult and dangerous in the extreme ; the rocks, steep as they were, being in addition, in con- sequence of the water which was perpetually trick- ling down from the top upon the moss that grew in their fissures, excessively slippery, and up these I had frequently to pull myself as high as I could reach, and cling till I could gain a fresh footing, conscious the while that one false step would have been inevitably fatal ; and that, after all, however fearful the alternative, finding it impracticable to proceed, I might be compelled to return. The last reflection had perhaps the good effect of stimulating me to still greater exertion to accomplish my pur- pose, and thus struggling on, with but little im- ORTA Visit to the C alder a. 295 provement for one-third of the way up, at that dis- tance I had the good fortune to stumble upon a sort of track, as rugged as you please, but still a track, and worn by human feet. — I afterwards dis- covered that the peasants had proceeded thus far down the side of the crater for the purpose of cutting wood, which accounted for the abrupt commence- ment of the path, as well as for there being no communication between it and the bottom. — Such as it was, however, I pursued it, until, by a most circuitous and wearying course, it landed me at length on the summit, a position which T regained with feelings of no ordinary satisfaction, exhausted as I was both by long fasting, and the severe exer- tion I had used. I had then to continue windinor round the edge of the crater, for about three miles, until I reached the spot from whence I started, and where, instead of meeting with my friends, I found the servant left with a note, informing me of their having sought for me in vain, and that almost in despair of seeing me again, they had taken their de- parture for Flamingo, where, if I were fortunate enough to escape from my perilous exploit, I should find them awaiting my arrival. — Here then was a trudge of five miles further; but having rested a moment, and refreshed myself with a draught of excellent wine, pleased to be thus far landed, I again set forward^ and quickly arrived at the vil- lage, and the orange garden of our kind friend, Mr. Dabney, who, accompanied by Mr. Borges and members of his own family, had rode out thus far 2 c 296 CRT A JV. S, de la Quia. to give us the meeting, and with my morning's companions did not fail to congratulate me upon the feat which I had performed, assuring me that he had never before heard of any individual attempting the ascent of the crater on the northern side, and, in fact, that it had been deemed impossible:—! would not willingly be again called upon to demonstrate its practicability. — After partaking of a bountiful re- past, which our generous host had provided us, we mounted our steeds, and returned to his residence at Orta, adding one more to the many charming evenings we had passed there, and I retired not a whit the worse for my ten hours' toil, (estimating it, however, equal to a ramble of fifty miles on level ground,) and with a feeling of interest in the ex- cursion and events of the day which I shall long retain. On the following morning, in company with Mr. Frederic D., I ascended one of the projecting mounts at the south of the town, which is fortified, and very finely commands the entrance of the bay. On the top of it, to which the ascent is pretty steep, is a hermitage, dedicated to Our Lady of Giiia. (N.S. de la Guia.) At its southern extremity, which is altogether rock, there is a tremendous cavern, called the Devil's Hole, and where, in a storm, Mr. D. informs me, the roar of the surge is truly appalling. Connected with this mount is a smaller one, the soil of which is of a deep red colour, exactly re- sembling that of Pico, and in appearance as if it had been burnt for ages, which it most probably DEPARTURE FOR ENGLAND. 297 has. It is totally unlike any other to be found upon the island, and is the only land in it de- voted to the cultivation of the vine. To the west of this is a sandy cove, called Port Pin, where small vessels frequently anchor, in favourable weather; but it is quite open to winds from the south-west. The nearest point of Pico from Fayal is but about four miles, and I very much regretted that I had not an opportunity of visiting the island, and ascending the peak ; but during the early part of my stay in Fayal, the surf was breaking so violently upon its shores, that it was not thought prudent for a boat to venture, and afterwards being in daily expectation of sailing, I could not absent myself from Orta. I must, therefore, be content very briefly to notice it with the other islands. December \st. — Captain B. and myself having de- termined upon pursuing our course to England by the first possible chance, soon after our arrival at Orta engaged the cabin of a small schooner, which had been some time waiting for a cargo of oranges, and was to have sailed on this day, but frequent showers preventing the loading of the fruit, she was de- tained until the following afternoon ; — when, bidding adieu to our kind friends at Fredonia House, &c., we were conveyed on board the Kitty, such the no- menclature of our little vessel, William Johns, master, bound for Plymouth; — and rarely indeed have I taken my departure from a scene and from friends with a heavier heart than I quitted Orta. Mingled was 298 DEPARTURE FOR ENGLAND. the association of ideas and feelings which crowded upon me: but ten days ago I had landed here, and place and people were alike unknown and indif- ferent to me; now I regarded the former with a high degree of interest, and my acquaintance with one family at least, had ripened into the warmest senti- ments of gratitude, regard, and esteem. I could leave both with the most lively and unfeigned regret; the more so, from the possibility, (I will not write pro- bability,) wliich existed of my never meeting them again. Such is the ever-varying, the checkered allot- ment of life ! how transient, how uncertain is all that it presents to us ! how little of the morrow can we read to-day ! What mere chances, as they would seem to us, serve to bring parties together who may never even have heard each other's names before : — to form friendships which you would deem a real acquisition, and wish to cultivate and enjoy : — to open some of those fairy scenes of nature, lovelier than fancy had painted them; and just when all is beginning most to charm and rivet itself upon you, and, rather than resign it for ever, you are tempted to wish you had never known it, the spell is rudely broken, and the harsh sentence of separation sounds in the ear, and saddens on the heart ! You feel — but I check myself: if there is pain, there is also pleasure in the retrospect. Most have passed the ordeal : I envy not those who cannot. I would be the last to offend with panegyric, but I must be forgiven in saying that it never was my lot to be introduced to a more interesting or agreeable FREDONIA HOUSE. 299 family circle than that of the Dabney's — one in which a stranger would, or ought, sooner to feel himself at home. Mr. Dabney is, in all respects, the finished gentleman, well-informed and intelligent above the common, of highly fascinating manners, with a dispo- sition nobly generous, and kind and courteous to all, one whom bat to know, must be to respect and ad- mire : — I will not, however, particularize where all are so truly amiable and deserving — where all alike de- mand my ardent and devoted thanks. Most gratifying to me was it to witness the delightful harmony which reigned throughout this establishment. Truly might each be said to share the bliss of others. There seemed, as it were, to be no division of interest or feeling, — none of those petty envyings and dissensions which are just enough to ruffle the surface of social pleasures, but mutual good will and affection predo- minant in every breast; refinement, without aflfecta- tion ; and polish, without display. Though, in every domestic arrangement, the nicest taste was observ- able, the useful and convenient were not therefore thrown heedlessly into the back ground, as things of no moment. Whether alone, or surrounded by guests, an elegant table alike was spread, but there was no in- sipid, hackneyed observance of etiquette or formality ; and, to crown the whole, you felt fully assured of the hearty sincerity of the welcome. The very words of obligation, intrusion, and so forth, seemed as unin- telligible sounds to the whole household. — Such was the circle into which, with no other recommendation than that of an unfortunate stranger, I was here 2 c 2 * 300 FAREWELL ADDRESS. unexpectedly introduced. I ask the reader's pardon for the insertion of the following effusion,* which I penned upon taking my leave : — it might not, indeed, be worth transcribing, but as a record of emotions which the past had inspired, and which the future can never obliterate ; — a sense of the deepest gratitude for favours received, and the sincerest desires for the happiness and welfare of my generous benefactors. Long may Heaven preserve them, and crown their lives with the best and choicest of her blessings ! TO MR. AND MRS. DABNEY, AND THE MEMBERS OF THEIR WORTHY FAMILY, UPON MY LEAVING ORTA FOR ENGLAND. My worthy friends ! or ere we part And I, with no exulting heart, Pronounce the word adieu ! (Although from off a foreign strand, I steer towards my native land,) My grateful thanks are due. And thanks e'en more than I can pay, Or more than feeble words may say. Or feebler pen express ; Yet trust me, where engraven deep The record stands for time to keep, I shall not feel it less. • Originally very hastily written, and not intended to meet the public eye. FAREWELL ADDRESS. 301 No, oft will memory seek to dwell O'er scenes that I have prized fidl well, Nor leave without regret ; And though my fate hath seemed severe, And wreck and peril cast me here, I grieve not we have met. So fair an isle from ocean's wave, As if by Heaven decreed to save, And wrest his greedy prey : What, though in fancy I might trace Semblance of such a resting place, I thought not to survey. And not alone a land I've found, With nature's beauties richly crown'd, — Nor blooms the year in vain : But safe within a genial zone. Our wintry blasts are all unknown, To sweep the smiling plain. Here Flora holds her lovely court, And with Pomona seems to sport In ever gay costume. — Here Pico rears his monarch head, And rocks and mountains wildly spread, And wilder billows boom. What transport, Nature for our guide ! Conductress fair ! who asks beside, Or whether grave or gay, But just to mark thy footsteps free, And rove, as here I've followed thee, Along the devious way I 302 FAREWELL ADDRESS. Yet still I've found what charms me more- The kindest hearts — the open door — The welcome all sincere ; Warm, generous, sympathizing friends, Prompt to devise each fair amends And make e'en exile dear. I've seen one social circle meet, In harmony and union sweet, Each other's bliss to prove. Seen brothers own " the kindred band," (Too oft destroyed by discord's brand,) " Of Friendship, Truth, and Love." And elegance, that innate grace, Apart from pride, which may deface Her all-attractive mien ; And minds with each endowment fraught, And gay luxuriance of thought, With sportive wit between. These have I found — these have I priz'd- These have I fondly realized, Nor ever deem'd to find : And Orta^s name, and Dabney^s worth, Where'er I rove, or rest on earth I never leave behind. We part, indeed, and Heaven can say. Alone, when next our meeting-day, And seas may roll between ; But seas nor time can e'er erase The cherish'd memory of this place. Or banish what hath been. AZORES. 303 Peace to thine house, thrice honour'd host ! I pledge thee with as warm a toast As parting guest e'er gave : And wovild that it might e'er be mine To pay the debt to thee or thine, No happier boon I'll crave. Peace — and Farewell ! and if that word Were ever uttered, ever heard, All honest from the heart, I speak it now, — may time fulfil The prayer responsive to my will, — And with that wish depart. Orta, December 2nd. AZORES. And here, in place of presenting the dry detail of a sea journal, let me be allowed to fill up the interval, and fulfil my promise, by adding such general notice of the Azores, and of the remaining particular islands, as I find in the work already referred to. "The Azores, (originally Ilhas dos Azores, or Isles of Hawks,) or Western Islands, are nine in number, and named Santa Maria, or St. Mary's, St. Miguel, or St. Michael's, Terceira, or Tercera, St. Jorge, or St. George's, Graciosa, Fayal, Pico, Flores, and Corvo. The land is, in general, high ; the coasts steep and rocky. 304 AZORES— St. Michael's. " These islands are said to have been discovered about the middle of the fifteenth century by Joshua A^anderberg, of Bruges, in Flanders, who, in a voyage to Lisbon, was driven to them by stress of weather. At Lisbon he boasted of his discovery ; on which the Portuguese, in that spirit of enterprise so strongly manifested by them at this period, set sail and took possession of them, calling them Azores, from the many hawks and falcons found amongst them. " Antonio Gonzalo says that the great Don Henry, Prince of Portugal, considered these islands as so con- siderable an acquisition, that he went in person to take possession in 1449. This was forty- three years before Columbus landed in America: and it has been affirmed that the Flemish merchants, on the part of their countrymen, sent a colony thither, many of whose descendants continue in Fayal to this day. Hence the islands have been also called Flamingos, or Flemish Islands. " The capital of the Azores is (or was) Angra, in Terceira. " The inhabitants generally are an innocent, good, and honest people, who prefer the olive to the laurel, and who would seek for distinction rather by industry than by arms. The climate is delightful ; the air generally clear and serene ; the soil so prolific that both European and tropical plants arrive at the greatest perfection : the face of the earth is, however, so diversified as in some places to exhibit, within a small extent, volcanic hills and productions, gardens of aromatic plants, pastures, vineyards, orangeries, &c. AZORES St. Michael's. 305' The greatest inconvenience of these isles is their having been subject to eruptions and earthquakes, and in some parts, where the coasts are low, the sea has, at times, overflowed the land, and occasioned considerable mischief. Yet in the cultivated parts, the lava, once a stream of fire, is planted with oranges, lemons, and vines; and the land, formed from the decomposition of volcanic substances, is sown with Indian corn, small beans, and wheat. The islands still abound in waste lands, fit for the cultivation of hemp, the vine, &c." The following description of the appearances of St. Michael's will apply generally to the other islands : " The Island of St. Michael appears to have been originally a plain, covered with beautiful trees, rich verdure, and aromatic plants : at the present time, however, it consists of a number of mountains, hills, and declivities, none of which are primitive, but evidently the production of volcanic eruptions. The mountains and hills clearly indicate, by their conical figure and the cavity at their summits, their being the production of fire, and bear unequivocal marks of the effects of this destructive agent in an accumu- lation of lava, scoriae, and volcanic sand. Externally, the volcanoes appear extinguished, but they are sup- posed still to burn internally and invisibly : of this Caldeiras, or fountains of boiling water, in the valley of Furnas and other parts, are evident symptoms. Circumstances also aflford strong reasons for believing that there have existed three principal craters, whose vertex now form three great lakes, situate towards the 306 AZORES St. Michael's. centre and the northern and southern portions of the islands. From these craters vast mountains have been thrown up ; and, in proportion as these ceased to vomit forth the matter, partial eruptions burst out, and formed the lateral hills and declivities which extend themselves in every direction from tlie mountains surrounding' the lakes. The cessation of fire from the different craters has been attributed to water, which appears to have gained access to each, and suddenly extinguished the effervescence of its mineral contents; and the fire now seems confined to stations, where it operates only in boiling water, with various degrees of activity and force. " Exclusive of the remains of burning volcanoes, the island presents decisive evidence of its having been the theatre of repeated earthquakes and convulsive shocks. In most countries, earthquakes are produced by sulphur and nitre, or by sulphur sublimed from pyrites, and ignited, in subterraneous caverns, by a fermentation of vapours, which gives an appulse to the neighbouring combustible matter, and causes it to be discharged with a noise like thunder, and some- times with an eruption of water and wind : but here the earthquakes seem to have been occasioned by a contrary cause ; by the bursting in of the waters upon the mineral fires ; an agency which must have instantly produced sudden blasts, violent explosions, rumbling in the bowels of the earth, and that lifting up of the ground above it, which occasions havoc and devastation till it gets vent or discharge. That this is the case, appears incontrovertible ; for many AZORES St. Michael's. 307 of the existing extinguished volcanoes, which served as so many spiracles for the discharge of subter- raneous fire, are rent and torn asunder by the violent eflfervescence caused by the sudden conjunction of the two opposing elements. "The effect produced by this unnatural confluence of fire and water is not confined to fissures in the craters, and rents in the cliflfs ; some mountains have been precipitated into the adjacent valleys; others upset from their base ; and some swallowed up in the bosom of that earth whence they originally rose in lava, scoricL', and sand. The bases of the precipitated mountains exhibit palpable remains of decomposed substances originally produced on the surface of the globe; the strata of the mountains nearly upset is displayed perpendicularly, and not horizontally ; and those mountains which have been swallowed up have left behind them some frightful chasms, tremendous precipices, or form the beds of beautiful lakes. The more perfect mountains are of a conical or hemi- spherical figure, as formed by continued eruptions, and their exterior is distinguished by characters which denote the nature, and, in some measure, the date of the conflagration. The lava, on some, appears in craggy eminences ; and on others is in a state of decomposition, forming a soil highly fertile and pro- ductive. The various features of the ground show where the lava ran without interruption, only filling up inequalities in a lovely champaign country ; and where its course was impeded so as to leave insulated spots or oases^ covered with all the bloom of luxuriant 2 D 308 AZORES St. Michael's. vegetation, while encompassed by mountainous ridges of volcanic ashes, with ferruginous and pumice stone. "The island, at length, seems to be of such a struc- ture and conformation that the waters pass freely throughout its volcanic caverns, and are easily forced out without shaking or disturbing the earth. One hun- dred years have elapsed since the inhabitants have been terrified by volcanic explosions of a terrific nature ;* and what is now heard, and that perpetually in several places, resembles the flowing and ebullition of waters, with a dull noise like that of a heavy car- riage rolling along in rapid motion ; and it seems that in consequence of the introduction of the waters into the subterraneous caverns, and of the washing away of the sulphur and nitre from their arches, the fire has ceased to appear in frequent eruptions as for- merly, yet it operates invisibly on the waters con- tained in the caverns beneath. '' These observations, which were previously written, have been corroborated by a remarkable event. In the early part of the year 1811 a most awful and tre- mendous explosion of smoke and flames issued from * " The approximation to an eruption has, however, at times, appeared to have been very close. On the 11th of Avigust, 1810, at the hour of ten, p.m. slight shocks of an earthquake were felt, which continued, at intervals of a few minutes, for four hours. Between two and three o'clock next morning', a dreadful rocking was ex- perienced throughout the whole island ; several houses, unable to resist its violence, weie thrown down, and many others were greatly damaged ; and such persons as sought safety in the open air were dashed to the ground. On the eastern side of the island an orifice was discovered resembling the crater of a volcano, and out of which flames occasionally burst forth ; but they do not appear to have beeu accompanied by any ejecLiou of volcanic matter." AZORES St. Michael's. 309 the sea, at the distance of half a league from the shore, at the western end of the island. From the depth of about forty fathoms in the ocean issued smoke, fire, cinders, ashes, and stones of an immense size. Innu- merable quantities of fish, some nearly roasted, and others as if boiled, floated on the surface of the sea towards the shore. Thus a dangerous shoal gradually formed.* On the 16th of June the crew of the Sa- brina, British sloop of war, observed two columns of white smoke arising from the sea, which they supposed to arise from an engagement, and made sail towards it, but were disappointed by the wind's dying away. The smoke continued to ascend, with volumes of flame, and they then concluded it was a volcano- Next day they were close in with the land of St. Mi- chael's, and found the volcano still raging. They learned, on the island, that smoke was first discovered on the 13th of June; two or three days previous to which there had been felt repeated shocks of earth- quakes in the capital of St. Michael's, which threw down several cottages and portions of the cliff towards the north-west, so that destruction was feared on the island ; but these ceased so soon as the volcano broke out. " On the 18th the Sabrina went so near to the " * The flames were first seen in the night of the 1st of of February* but invisible indications of its operation had been felt in shocks on the island from the middle of the preceding year. Its observed situation was south-west of Point Ferraria and due west from the Pico de Ginetes, at about a mile and a quarter from the nearest shore. — The ship Swift, with all her crew, were lost on this spot before the existence of the shoal was known," 310 AZORES St. Michael's. volcano as she could with safety, and found it still raging with unabated violence, throwing up, from under the water, large stones, cinders, ashes, &c., accompanied with several severe concussions. About noon, on the same day, they observed the mouth of the crater just showing itself above the surface of the sea, where there were formerly forty fathoms of water. At three, p. m., same day, it was about thirty feet above the surface of the water, and about a furlong in length. On the 19th, they were within five or six miles of the volcano, and found it about fifty feet in height, and two-thirds of a mile in length; still raging as before, and throwing up large cjuantities of stones, some of which fell a mile distant from the volcano. The smoke drew up several water-spouts, which, spreading in the air, fell in heavy rain, accom- panied with vast quantities of fine black sand, that completely covered the Sabrina's decks, at the dis- tance of three or four miles. On the 20th they pro- ceeded on a cruise, leaving the volcano about 150 feet high, and still raging as formerly, and continuing to increase in size. On the 4th of July they again visited it, and found that a complete island was formed, and perfectly quiet. The captain and several officers landed upon it, and found it very steep, and its height from 200 to 300 feet. It was with difficulty they were able to reach the top, which they at last effected in a c[uarter where there was a gentle declivity ; but the ground, or rather the ashes, composed of sulphurous matter, dross of iron, &c., was so very hot to their feet that they were obliged to return. They, however, AZORES St. Michael's. 311 took possession of the islet, in the name of his Britannic Majesty, and left an English union-jack flying on it. " The form was nearly circular, and the circum- ference of the isle, at this time, about a mile. In the middle was a large basin of boiling water, whence a stream, of about six yards across, ran into the sea, on the side facing St. Michael's; and at the distance of fifty yards from the island, the water, although thirty fathoms deep, was too hot to hold the hand in : in short, the whole isle appeared as a crater : the cliff on the outside as walls, steep within and without ; the basin of boiling water being the mouth, from which the smoke, &c. issued. " On the 17th of June, Captain Tillard, of the Sabrina, accompanied by Mr. Read, the British Con- sul, with two other gentlemen, proceeded over land to the cliff nearest to the volcano, and which was between 300 and 400 feet above the level of the sea. The first appearance it presented was that of an immense body of smoke revolving in the water almost horizontally, in varied involutions ; when suddenly would shoot up a column of the blackest cinders, ashes, and stones, in form like a spire, and rising to windward at an angle of from ten to twenty degrees from a perpendicular line. This was rapidly succeeded by a second, third, and fourth, each having greater velocity, and overtopping the preceding one, till they had attained an altitude as much above the level of the eye on the cliff, as the sea was below it. The columns of ashes, &c. 2 u 2 312 AZORES St. Michael's. at their greatest height, formed into branches re- sembling magnificent pines; and, as they fell, mixing with the festoons of white feathery smoke, at one time assumed the appearance of vast plumes of black and white ostrich feathers; at another, that of light wavy branches of a weeping willow. These bursts were accompanied by explosions of the most vivid lightning, with a noise like the continual firing of cannon and musketry intermixed; and as the cloud of smoke rolled off to leeward, it drew up the water- spouts, above-mentioned, which formed a beautiful and striking addition to the scene. " Subsequently, this islet fell, by degrees, into the sea; and in the middle of October no part was left above water; but a dangerous shoal remained in the place which it had occupied. In February, 1812, smoke was discovered still issuing out of the sea near the spot.* " St. Michael's is about thirty-five miles long, and from four to eight wide, and contains one city, five principal towns, fifty-four parishes, and about 80,000 inhabitants The coast is very bold, and may be approached without fear in almost every part, the north-west side excepted. Its military strength consists of 300 or 400 troops, with a militia of several thousand peasantry, whose arms are the pikes with which they drive their cattle. The prin- * " About fifteen leagues to the westward, a volcano, which ha(! appeared in 1638, broke out from the sea in 1719, and disappeared in 1723. A depth of eighty fathoms was afterwards found on the .spot "hich it had occupied." AZORES St. Michael's. 313 cipal fortification is the castle of St. Bras, which is close to the sea, at the western end of the city of Ponta del Gada. It is mounted with twenty-four pieces of cannon, but few of which are capable of service. A league to the eastward are two small three-gun forts, inefficient from decay and neglect. The island, notwithstanding, has many strong local holds; and several of the hills and passes, if judiciously for- tified, would be impregnable. The rich level coun- try is properly adapted for wheat, Indian corn, and beans, or callivances. In the lava districts are cul- tivated the vine and orange, which yield most abun- dantly. It is generally understood that the lava in the south-east region of the island is older, softer, and becomes fertile sooner, than that of the north- west, which retains such a degree of hardness as to be, in many parts, altogether incapable of yielding to human industry. In the intermediate parts, be- tween the volcanic lands and the level country, the surface exhibits volcanic sand, metallic slag, pumice- stone, &c. " The inhabitants of this and the other islands were formerly compelled by law to confine their trade to the port of Lisbon; but latterly they have been al- lowed a wider range, and maintain a considerable commerce not only with Lisbon, but with England, Russia, America, &c. From England they are en- tirely supplied with woollens, hardware, earthenware, and various other necessaries, sending in exchange about seventy vessels annually with fruit. To Por- tugal are sent corn, pulse, poultry, cattle, and vege- 314 AZORES- St. Michael's. tables, winch are paid for in returns of tobacco, sugar, coffee, trinkets, dispensations, indulgences, images of saints, relics, &c. From America they receive boards, staves, lumber, rice, pitch, tar, iron in pots and bars, and a variety of Indian goods, which are paid for, in exchange, by wines. The intercourse with Russia is similar to that with America, but on a more con- tracted scale. There exists, also, a ready-money trade with vessels which make the island (or islands) for refreshments, the crews of which are furnished with cattle and provisions equal to the English, and to any in the world beside ; and also with wine, pleasant and peculiarly suited to the health of seamen. " The city of Ponia del Gada is the chief seat of com- merce. It is situated in the narrowest part of the Island, on the south-west side, in lat. 37° 45' 10" N., and long. 25° 41' 15" W. This town appears exceed- ingly pleasant from the offing, and derives an air of dignity from its numerous convents, &c. There is a mole for the protection of small vessels, but those of greater burden are compelled to ride in an open roadstead. By deepening and enlarging the harbour, it might be rendered capable of receiving vessels of a considerable draught; and, by excavating the square of St. Francis, and cutting a canal between it and the mole, a large number of vessels might be accom- modated. As it is, vessels of burden cannot safely use it; for they would risk the danger of slipping their cables, while loading or unloading, and, per- haps, not be able to recover their station for several AZORES SI. MichaePs. 315 weeks; or, at least, not dare to attempt its recovery daring the prevalence of strong southerly gales. The roadstead and harbour of Ponta del Gada are, however, the best that the island affords. The place of next consequence is that called Ribeira Grande, on the north side of the island ; but here is no anchorage; and having no harbour, it is dependent for its commercial supplies on the towns on the south side. Villa Franca, which is on the latter, has a very inferior anchorage, and that for small vessels only. " The disadvantages arising from the want of naval conveniences are greatly aggravated by the customs of the country and its government ; but with all these disadvantages the country has improved, and exports annually about 15,000 tons of fruit, wine, and pro- visions, the amount of its surplus produce. Yet the arts, agriculture, and commerce are not carried to more than a twentieth part of the extent to which they might be ; nor is the population by any means proportioned to the extent of territory. " On approaching the north-west end of the island, from the westward, the appearance is very unpromis- ing, as it presents barren mountains of stupendous bulk, with a coast like many ramified pillars of ba- saltes, exhibiting at the top a few trees of stunted growth. The impression made by a scene of rough and craggy cliffs is, however, soon dissipated by a pleasing contrast on the southern coast, as this pre- sents a beautiful acclivity adorned by luxuriant vege- tation. Open pastures, bounded by woods, vineyards. .316 AZORES- St. Manfs, ^c. and corn-fields, interspersed with orange and lemon trees, every where meet the eye, and afford a land- scape extensive and various, that will always, in clear weather, be seen with delight." The Island of St. Mary lies to the south of St. Michael's, and is the most southerly of the Azores. Its principal town is of the same name, and is situated on the south-west side, in lat. 36° 58' N, and long. 25° 12' 18"W. Besides this there are three villages containing together about 4,500 inhabitants. " The chief productions of the island are wheat and barley of the first quality, with some wine and cattle, but only sufficient for its own consumption. It has water in abundance, but of wood little, and a scanty propor- tion of fruit and vegetables. The Road of St. Mary's is open, and exposed to southern gales ; on this ac- count it is resorted to in summer by small vessels only. The best anchorage known to the pilots is about a mile from the coast, in a depth of thirty-six fathoms, bottom of sand; but at a short distance eastward the ground is foul. Hence it is that Port San Lorenzo, on the north-east side, is considered as the best an- chorage about the island. At either place refresh- ments may be obtained as at the other islands, with the addition of partridges, which abound here." — In size, the island is rather less than Fayal. " The Formiyas, or Ants, which lie to the north- eastward of St. Mary's, in hit. 37" 16' 50" N. and AZORES Tercelra. 317 long. 24*^ 54' W., are a range of seven or eight high rocks, extending N.N.E and S.S.W. (N. and S.) about three-quarters of a mile, and among which there are other rocks under water. The highest, which is nearly sixty feet in height, bears, from a distance, some resemblance to the sails of a ship, and lies two-thirds of the length of the range towards the north. At the north part are many rocks under water. Close along-side is a depth of seven fathoms. • — The Formigas have a dreadful appearance, the breakers commonly flying higher than a ship's mast- head. At a time when the sea ran from the westward, no soundings could be found off the eastern side, with a line of fifty fathoms, until within thirty yards of the rocks. " Between the Formigas and the Island of St. Mary no bottom was found with a line of 120 fathoms, until within a quarter of a mile from the island." " The Island of Terceira is from eighteen to twenty miles long, and from eight to eleven wide. It is fertile, pleasant, and healthy. The lava districts here, as at St. Michael's, produce excellent vines, although not equal to those of the Canaries and Madeira The land yields large crops of wheat and other grain, pasture for cattle, and a prodigious Cjuantity of lemons, oranges, and all those fruits of hot and cold climates which are propagated to the greatest advantage in temperate countries. 318 AZORES Terceira. " The capital, as already noticed, is Angra, situated on the south side of the island, in lat. 38° 38' 33" N. and long-. 27'' 12/ 33" W., and having a harbour, defended by a fortress, in which was wont to reside the Gover- nor of the Azores. It is distinguished by several handsome churches, convents, &c. Besides this there is another town, Pray a, and fifteen villages, all of which contain about 30,000 inhabitants. In the Bay of Angra, and around the island, fish of good quality are abundant. " The coasts are high, and so surrounded with craggy rocks as to render the island almost impreg- nable; every accessible part being defended by bat- teries, with heavy cannon, and a numerous garrison. The interior is, in general, moderately high, but the western side is higher than the eastern, and is distin- guished by a rugged mountain, extending nearly east and west, and of which the western extremity, Pico de la Serreta, is the most elevated. This peak may be known, at a short distance, by a great break on the eastern side. The Bay of Angra is open to all winds from the S.S.W., by the south to the east. The swell from the south-west, in jDarticular, which sets round Mount Brasil, (a remarkable forked hill near the sea, on the western side,) is tremendous. Vessels may safely re- main in the road in June, July, August, and Septem- ber, when the winds are light, and prevail from between west and north-west ; but on the commence- ment of winter the winds from the offing rage so AZORES Terceira. 319 violently that upon the least appearance of bad weather it is requisite to put oft' to sea, the coast affording- no shelter. " The boats of the island come out so soon as any vessel is seen to anchor, and by them supplies may easily be obtained, even while keeping under weigh, tacking in and out, as they will bring water, wood, and all kinds of provisions." This, of course, refers to the slate of things prior to Miguel's dominion in Portugal. REMARKS ON TERCEIRA, BY CAPTAIN LIVINGSTON. ** The City of Angra is generally very regular, the situation beautiful, and the streets have regularly excellent flagged footpaths. The houses are com- monly of three stories. " At about six and a half or seven miles north of Angra, in a valley near the summit of the mountains, a great deal of steam issues from crevices of the earth, or rather clay, which clay, I am informed by a scien- tific gentleman here, is actually lava, decomposed by the action of sulphuric acid. Some of the clay looks, when cut by a knife, much like Castile soap : it is of various hues, and the natives of Terceira use it as paint. There are small quantities of sulphur formed around some of the apertures. The steam which rises is very hot: we cooked some eggs by laying them among the clay, at mere cracks whence the steam issued. My thermometer ranged only to 152' of Fahrenheit's scale, I exposed it to the steam at 2 E 320 AZORES- the first aperture I reached, but the mercury rose so rapidly that, from fear of bursting the tube, I was obliged to withdraw it in, I think, about three or four seconds. Persons visiting Angra, who have any curiosity in their composition, should see ih'mfurnaso, or souffriere. The access to it is by no means very difficult, though if you ask any of the Portuguese, (I dare vouch for Captain Livingston's accuracy,) they will describe it as accessible only at some periods of the year. One may ride to within less than half a mile of it. Ponies or asses, and guides, may readily be hired. " No vessels should go to Angra without two good chain-cables; the bottom of the bay being generally too foul for any to trust in hempen cables. " The better sort of people in Angra (natives) are very hospitable and kind, but full of ceremony. The poor people are generally very clean, and none seem in want of the necessaries of life. None of that wretchedness which we so often see in this country is visible ; but many of the older peasants have their clothes, though clean, so industriously patched, that it is next to, or altogether, impossible even to con- jecture of what colour they originally were. " There are some fine pine woods in the island ; a good deal of boxwood, and some cedar. Plenty of juniper, the berries of which are so very strong as to leave, for a long time, a very unpleasant flavour in l,he mouth after chewing them. There is plenty of pumice-stone, but of a coarse quality, in the island, and every where marks of volcanic agency are appa- AZORES- Terceird. 321 rent. Water is good, but not so easily procured as might be supposed. " The Terceira fruit (oranges) has improved much of late years ; more attention having been paid to its culture, and it is now little, if at all, inferior to the St Michael's. " Very good linen is made in the island, and they manufacture a coarse earthenware, the clay of which it is made being imported from St. Mary's. No noxious animal is known; nor, though there are many dogs, has hydrophobia ever made its appearance. The natives rear a great many swine, most of which are remarkably broad-backed. Their backs are gene- rally shorn, which, it is alleged, allows them to spread in fattening. " Bloody flux is very frequent, both among strangers and natives, and is often fatal. A Scottish surgeon there told me it was the worst disease he met with in the island.* " Vegetables are excellent and cheap : poultry and eggs good and reasonable : beef and mutton tolerable, the former about threepence per pound. Some of the island wine is tolerably good. " I was surprised to see a pretty fair bunch of bananas one day carried by a peasant. They have apples, pears, figs, chesnuts, and walnuts, and, I have * " It deserves to be known that the size of a hazel-nut of Castile soap, scraped fine and dissolved in about three wine glasses of boil- ing water, to which add half a wine glass of good spirits and a few lumps of white sugar, scarcely ever fails of curing bloody flux. Two or three doses may be required. I have tried it on myself and others with perfect success. — A, L." 322 AZORES— -P/ for a sudden calm may prove fatal ; as a strong current runs through the channel, ac- cording to the state of the tide.'^* To these observations and extracts it is unnecessary for me now to make farther addition : should future opportunities (shipwreck always excepted) reland me amongst the very interesting group of islands to which they refer, perhaps I may be able to offer something better worthy of notice than any thing at least which I have said myself respecting them; and would that I might find them from under the dominion of the detested tyrant who now holds them in subjection — Terceira excepted, which, I have before noticed, has espoused the cause of Donna Maria ; but this I am inclined to attribute much more to foreign agency and example than to any ambition of the Portuguese themselves: they appear to me a people altogether without energy or enterprise, content to lead a life of the most worthless and degrading indolence, and, if that be only conceded, ready to crouch to any tyrant who may chance to usurp supremacy over them. Terceira, for some time past, has been cut off from all communication with the other islands, or elsewhere, having been closely blockaded by Miguel, and we have frigates there acknowledging the blockade, whilst the pitiful tyrant is suffered to rob and plunder our merchants with impunity; and yet we call ourselves Britons! It was in reference to this subject that I * " And we suspect, too, according to the state of the Florida Stream, especially when it flows from a liigh northern parallel." 330 AZORES. was addressed by a foreigner nearly as follows: — " Sir, formerly if Eiigland said or did a thing, we knew, and the world knew, at once, what she meant by it, but now there is so much assumed mystery, tampering, equivocation, and insincerity in her foreign policy, that it is difficult to comprehend, and still more difficult to trust any thing she says or does. How is it, SirP We ascribe much of it to the mili- tary Duke who now presides in your Cabinet, and who, however familiar he may be with the ruses and artifices which war may sanction, displays none of those qualifications which are necessary to direct the aflfairs, and uphold the renown of a great nation like England. And did he not, at the time of Mr. Can- ning's coming into office, acknowledge his own utter incompetency to fill the situation P It would have been well, indeed, if his conscious inability — very commendable diffidence — or any thing else had kept him out of it." — I could but own the justice of the gentleman's observations, and arrive at the like con- clusion.* As to Terceira, however, she will carry * Since penning these remarks a new era has dawned npou us, and but for the benefit of contrast I would most gladly cancel them. Wellington and Peel, and the old Tory boroughmongeriug faction are gone, I trust, for ever;— we have a patriot king,— an enlightened and liberal ministry willing to keep pace with the growing intelli- gence and enterprise of the times; — v/e are upon the point of obtaining a second JSlagna Charta, a Bill of Rights, which even eclipses the first : — and, as regards Miguel, had not the dastard wretch fallen on his knees and sued for mercy, the British thunder would have shaken his citadel to atoms. I am thankful to have lived to see this day. I shall not now blush, as I have done, on a foreign shore, for the sullied and suffering honour of my native country. AZORES. 331 her point against either, sufficient is produced upon the island for its consumption, and nature has sup- plied impregnable barriers of defence, of which every advantage is taken. The established religion of the Azores is, of course. Catholic, and priestly and kingly dominion much upon a par. At St. Michael's, where British residents are numerous, I am informed a church has been erected, in which service is performed upon the prin- ciples (as it is styled) of the Church of England. Here, too, I am told, there are tolerable roads ; car- riages and horses, or ponies, (the latter remarkable for their beauty,) in abundance ; and asses, also very fine ones, so numerous that there is said to be one for every inhabitant in the island. I must not omit to mention that there is excellent shooting at the Azores, ivithout the slightest inter- ference or restriction. Quail, rabbits, and pigeons plentiful, I believe, on all the islands. Partridge on some, and woodcocks ; and, as Captain Livingston remarks, it is said, grouse. Of the existence of the latter, like him, I am rather dubious; but I scarcely know why, excepting that I saw none on two of the islands, (and T rambled pretty much over them,) but I saw some of the finest heath I ever met with, three or four feet high, and cover enough for all the 2f rouse in Scotland. Plymouth, December 14, 1830. — After a voyage of twelve days, during the latter part of which we suf- 2 F 332 PLYMOUTH AND fered severely from cold — our fruit cargo prohiLiting us the use of fire — and various inconveniences inci- dent to the smallness of our vessel, (though obliged to Captain Johns for the disposition he evinced to accommodate us in every possible respect J with a fair proportion of favourable and head winds, gales, laying to, &c., we anchored safely in this port about two o'clock this afternoon, the coast being almost strewed with wrecks which had occurred a few days previously ; and thankful do I feel not only to have escaped the number of these, but for my preservation through the many trying scenes of difficulty and peril to which I have been exposed since quitting my native land. May I never forget the goodness of that beneficent Being to whom I owe so much; ivhose tender' mercies are over all his works ; and to whom, for favours and blessings, past and present, I would ascribe the homage of a reve- rently grateful heart! A day or two passed at Plymouth, recovering from our fatigues and retracing a file of adventures now so happily consummated, and far from unpleasing in retrospect, I again set out with Capt. B. for liiver- pool, whence he was designing to take a passage by the earliest packet leaving for New York. Our ride, though for the most part, and for December, a fine, was a very cold one, and oftentimes had I occasion to contrast the nipping severity of our uunfer climate with the mild and spring-like temperature of the one we had so recently quitted,— draw ing all my com- parisons in favour uf tlie latter. It was difl[icult, ARRIVAL IN LIVERPOOL. 333 indeed, to believe, with the cheerless evidences of the season around us, — the whitened and frost-bound plain,— the current stiffened in its course, — the " naked shoots, barren as lances," — and the hollow wind, as sighing nature's dirge, — that but a fortnight ago we were ranging the orange groves, and surveying the ever-living verdure and beauty of a sunny Fayal. But T hasten to a close : — the reader has, doubtless, thought me too much of a laggard already. Arriving at Liverpool I was welcomed by many kind friends and acquaintance as one arisen from the dead; but few amongst them not having long since consigned me to an ocean grave : — and for the truly affectionate interest evinced by them, and the nu- merous other congratulations which I have received, I take this opportunity of returning my very sincere thanks. With heartfelt pleasure I have subsequently heard of the safe arrival at their various destinations of all on board our unfortunate vessel ; — for whom, as for myself, I cannot indulge or conclude with a better wish than that upon every future embarkation we may be favoured with a more prupitious voyage, or, if cast away, be driven upon the like hospitable and friendly shores we found at Flores and Faval. FINIS. E. Smith and Co., Piintevs. ^^ ; ^ .^^m^', -^Z _^.^o^_ ^^^^^^ /^„ &^^ '^ =?=a< o .^ ^-) ^ ■*^4'^ !■ -^^.^ ^o^ \. ' -e^ ' . . s ' ^^^ ^^^ N.MANCHESTER. "^^^ INDIANA 5 o ,