m THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS LIBRARY From the library of Walter Colyer Albion, Illinois Purchased 1926 eop.2 REMARKS MADE DURING A 4 : TOUR THROUGH THE UNITED STATES OF It merit a, IN THE YEARS 1817, 1818, AND 1819. BY WILLIAM TELL HARRIS. IN A SERIES OF LETTERS TO FRIENDS IN ENGLAND. PRINTED FOR SHERWOOD, NEELY, & JONES, PATERNOSTER HOW. 1821. COE, Printer, Little Carter Lane, t. Paul's. CONTENTS. LETTER I. Miscalculations of Emigrants for Provisions, and their mistaken expectations of the Land of Promise- American Custom-House Officers Arrival at New York. LETTER II. Striking difference between European and Ame- rican Society Reasons assigned for this Incorrect conduct of the Author's fellow- passengers, injuring their future prospects New York Merchants Slavery censured Ame- ricans not inferior to any Europeans Climate Misrepre- sentations noticed. LETTER III. New York Scenery Buildings Long Island- Hudson River Steam Vessels. LETTER IV. Philadelphia Road to it Dollars and Pounds- Trenton Bridge Bold enterprise of Washington Cotton Manufactory Sketch of Philadelphia Bridges, one of Iron Wire Plenty and cheapness of Fruit Mischief of Spi- rituous Liquors. LETTER V. The Delaware Mud Island Newcastle French- ton British Exploit there American Hospitality Chesa- peak Patapsco Patuxent Fort Henry Sketch of Balti- more Slavery Colonization Society Bladensburgh City of Washington Patomac. LETTER VI. General Washington Alexandria Acquia Creek Melancholy fate of the Lautaro Fredericsburg Tobacco Virginians humane to their Slaves Slavery indefensible White Chimneys Migratory disposition of the Ameri- cans Negro Plunderers Richmond Amusements Aw- ful Catastrophe Powhatan and Pocahontas Manners Petersburgh Races. LETTER VII. Major Gholson's Warrenton Raleigh Run- away Slaves outlawed Miserable Conveyance Lorenzo Dow and the Devil Yellow Fever Fayetteville Turkey Buzzard Rattle snakes and Alligators Mortality Cam- den Cornwallis and Gates Columbia Salubrious Frost Edgefield, Gouging Liberty Hill Augusta Manners at a Tavern Seminole War Ebenezer Rev. Mr. Triebner Savannah. LETTER VIII. Escape from Georgia A Mutiny A Storm- Critical situation New York Hints to Emigrants Eli- zabeth Town Dr. Wistar. LETTER IX. Departure for the West Some causes for Emi- gration German Prudence and Industry Westchester Strasburgh Columbia Long covered Bridge German Host Chambersburgh Bloody Run, why so called Bed- ford, and Medicinal Spring Shellstown Stotler's Inn Stoystown, Graham's Tavern Somerset Webster's * Tra- veller's Rest' Laurel Hill Connellsville B.-ownsvilU 615026 CONTENTS. Arks, Monongahela A Pennsylvania!! Settler's comforts and fare Pittsburgh A Lancashire Emigrant. LETTER X. Sketch of Pittsburgh The Ohio Succession of Scenery Steubenville Wellsburgh Wheeling Long Reach Marietta Ancient Fortifications Gailiopolis Sabbath on the River and at Portsmouth Maysville, (for- merly Limestone), Election Augusta Floating Shop Cincinnati. LETTER XI. Lebanon Ferry Damsel Van Maitre's Har- ris's Chilicothe Inconvenience of -imperfect Survey Major G.'s Lonely Road, and Lodging in a deserted Cabin Athens Mrs. A. Waterford Olivegreen Creek Inter- view at Olivegreen Creek with English Families Zanesville New Lancaster Curious Rock Columbus Humane at- tention of the Landlady there Worthington New London Urbanna Picqua Fort Loramie St. Mary's Indian Treaty Wapakanatta Scutesh Fort Recovery Dayton Centreville Union or Shakerstown Cincinnati Expenses of Travelling. LETTER XII. Covington Bigbone Valley Mammoth Vevay Vineyards Waterloo Veterans Holderness Farmer Ma- dison Louisville Steam Boats NewAlbany Backwoods- man's Mode of Living Paoli French Lick, Sulphureous Spring District between White and Patoka Rivers Prince- ton Harmony, and Mr. Rapp Indiana Constitution Il- linois JudgeThompson's English Prairie ShawneeTown Morganfield, Kentucky HendersonOwensburgh Har- densburgh Major A.'s New Albany Louisville. LETTER XIII. Misery of Imprudent connexions Shelbyville Frankfort Lexington Cinthiana, an agreeable Hostess there, from Nottingham Cincinnati Travelling in Winter Pittsburgh. LETTER XIV. Harmony Mercer Major Gibson's, Meadville Franklin, (late Venango) Public Spirit of Major C. Oil Creek, why so called Difficulties experienced in Set- tling County Sessions Good Society Waterford Erie Inflammable Spring Fort Erie Buffaloe Chippewa Ca- taract of Niagara Queenston York Land, how given to Settlers Indian Caution in trading with their white Bro- thers Kingston, singular Occurrence River St. Lawrence Thousand Isles Ogdensburgh. LETTER XV Dangerous Rapids Lake St. Francis Rapids Melancholy Catastrophe Lake St. Louis Chataugay La Chine Rapid Montreal Quebec St. Peter's Da> Lake St. Pierre St. John's Lake Champlain Burlington Crown Point Female Sympathy Ticonderoga Payne's Hotel, Caldwell Still Water Gen. Burgoyne Albany Williamston Boston New York Philadelphia Embark- ation for England. FROM THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. INTRODUCTORY REMARKS. No quarter of the globe has engaged more general attention, than that vast Western Continent, which was made known to us in the fifteenth century, by the enterprising genius of an obscure Genoese : till then, its natives freely ranged over their wooded mountains, and through their well-watered plains; and in the pleasures of the chase found content. But they were doomed to perish as the victims of the barbarous avarice of their more civilized, yet more depraved, fellow men. Few pages in the Spanish history, not even those which detail the career of the infamous Duke of Alva, present us with greater atrocities than what were committed by that most Christian people on the inoffensive natives of the western world : rapine and violence marked the track of the invaders, and with the name of Montezuma are associated execrations on his perfidious and savage conquerors. Other European nations, alike ambitious of foreign territories, projected settlements on the northern section of the new world ; the early histories of which, are a series of injuries, aggressions, and cruelties, on the part of the whites, retaliated by A3 Introductory Remarks. revengeful massacres on the part of the Indians. Yet here, when the most violent passions of the soul were in motion, when savage and civilized were equally ferocious, a Pocahontas exhibited feel- ings which the most refined modern might be proud to own, but which received a reward that will remain an indelible disgrace on the memory of the unwor- thy objects of her humane interference. Many circumstances conspired to retard the pro- sperity of the different European colonies, till they passed under the dominion of Britain. Their importance was then better known ; the natural advantages of the country became conspicuous ; and many inducements were held out to settle it with the excess of home population. Then Britain, while she swayed her trident over the seas of both hemi- spheres, viewed this as the fairest portion of her dominion. Under enlightened governors, her North American colonies flourished, grateful for the bles- sings they enjoyed, and sincere in their attachment to the country whence they derived their origin. Had the liberal policy which her illustrious Chatham urged, been followed, Britain had not been charged with attempting to exercise tyranny and oppression ; neither had her military and naval forces been hum- bled by surrender or defeat. Determined and successful in resisting all encroachment on their civil and religious liberties, the Anglo-Americans deserve Yespect from all who style themselves free- born Englishmen, and not that scurrilous invective, which has been so liberally lavished upon them by the parasites of despotism. That man must be of a very credulous turn, who can believe that this coun- try, at once possessing so many advantages in soil, climate, &c. should by rendering itself independent Introductory Remarks. of foreign authority, and progressively increasing in wealth and power, experience such a change as to warrant the contemptuous and vilifying epithets bestowed upon it by some, even in the nineteenth century : but the reproach of some is praise. The transatlantic Republic has decidedly attained such solidity and strength, as to bid defiance to all the haughty menaces of her jealous parent country, who, in every respect, will find here a powerful opponent. Having generally one origin, one language, and one common interest in the government of the country, the citizens of the United States enjoy many advan- tages over the subjects of the European Powers, who, groaning under taxation and oppression in various ways, here seek and find relief, as agricul- turists and labourers, the only classes who can expect much amelioration of circumstances from exchange of country. Many of these, however, who crossed the ocean with the ,-ibsurd expectation of finding the vast western continent similar in soil and climate to their little garden, England, have been surprised at meeting with rocks, forests, and swamps there ; that tMe same method of culture is not practised ; that many of its numerous advan- tages have been exaggerated, and that some they were led to expect, did not exist. Such have become discontented, and have returned, to meet the demand of taxes and of tithes. But these are not the persons to be comfortable in America, in England, or (could they reach it) in Paradise. The emigrant whose desires are moderate, prin- ciples correct, judgment sound, and disposition happy, is not disappointed : he has calculated on some inconveniences, the necessity of exertion, perseverance, and sobriety, and, for the first few 8 Introductory Remarks. months, a number of privations he was probably a stranger to before : but he is cheered with the prospect before him ; his land with every stroke of the axe, or turn of the plough, becomes more valua- ble ; having a voice in the constitution of the country, he hesitates not to obey laws he has assisted in framing, or to pay the taxes laid on with his consent, necessary for its support ; eligible to office from merit, he feels his importance in the scale of being, and that " The mind's the standard of the man." As this Tour was undertaken with the view of estimating the advantages the United States were represented to afford, it may not be amiss to offer the Narrative to the public, in its original form of Letters, as they were addressed by the traveller to his friends in England. Though the incidents of a voyage are seldom peculiarly interesting, and one journal is generally similar to another, yet as some hints tending to assist the emigrant are necessarily connected with it, no apology is offered, in inviting the reader on board the good American ship FavoXirite. LET. i.] Miscalculations of Emigrants. 9 LETTER I. Favourite, May, 1817- HAVING completed our lading, consisting of British dry goods, with thirty-seven passengers, men, wo- men, and children, and passed the usual ceremonies at the custom-house, we dropp'd down the Mersey, at two p. m. Wednesday, 7th instant, and, with a fair wind, stood out in company with many other vessels ; an interesting spectacle, presenting to a person unacquainted with the distresses of the country, a most imposing idea of the wealth and prosperity of Britain. While reconnoitring them through the telescope, I observed the Ganges bound to Calcutta, with our friend surgeon T. H. C. on the poop, in conversation with the missionaries destined for the idolatrous regions of Hindostan. I hailed him with the trum- pet, and in return received his parting cheer, each of us leaving friends and home for distant lands. The gratification of supposing a mutual interest in each other's welfare is perhaps reciprocal. Friday 9th, clear the coast of Ireland, meeting with heavy seas, and continued squally weather till the 15th, carrying away our fore-topmast stay-sail : most of the passengers begin to feel the usual incon- veniences experienced on a rolling sea. In their provision for the voyage, they have shewn very little knowledge of the undertaking they have engaged in ; but fortunately for them, the Favourite is abundantly supplied, and the captain is disposed to relieve their necessities : the medicine chest I 1C Incidents of the Voyage. [LET. i. find very useful, enabling me, in some measure, to attend to their indispositions, and giving me an opportunity to acquaint myself with their various motives for leaving their native country : the majo- rity are farmers, who please themselves with the thought of being freed from what they choose to call slavery and oppression ; though many of their prospects probably will not be realized, yet their ideas are far more correct than those entertained by some of their fellow-passengers, who seem to con- sider it as only necessary for them to touch the American shore, and all their troubles cease. 20th, at two a. m. awakened by the summons " all hands a-hoy/' and going on deck, have a grand but awful sight in the fury of a storm. The different orders issued from stentorian lungs now meet the ear, in the intervals of the blast : fe lower the main-top sail, and fore-top sail yards," " ay, ay, Sir ; " letgo the main-top bowlines," a all gone;" (f mind your weather-helm," " weather-helm, Sir," ' Lo, o'er the welkin, the tempestuous clouds * Successive fly, and the loud-piping wind * Rocks the poor sea-boy on the lofty shrouds ; ' While the skill'd sailor, o'er the helm reclin'd, ' Lists to the changeful storm." Heavy-blowing weather continues through the day, and the following night. 23d, make the island of St. Mary's, one of the Azores, bearing N. W. four leagues, continuing our course S. W. by W. to (June 2), lat. 32 40', and long. 33. A sail on our larboard quarter, appa- rently steering the same course, with another on the weather bow, bearing down under American colours, relieves the eye, weary with ranging the watery waste. The Favourite returns the signal, and each I/ET. i.] Incidents of the Voyage. H vessel prepares to speak the other : much alarm is excited among the passengers on the approach of the stranger's boat, their fears leading them to consider it a presage of plunder, and perhaps cap- tivity : she proves to be the Rosalie of New York, bound to Canton, out 14 days; and hands us a packet of letters, with a request that we will report her. Each vessel is desirous to profit by the breeze, and spreading her sails anew, is soon lost below the watery horizon. Lat. 32 53', long. 34. In our isolated state, we feel keenly the influence of that distinction made by the Creator between man and the rest of the Creation, in those instinc- tive attractions that lead him to seek the converse of his fellows, and say to each, " Am I not a man, and a brother ?" There is a pleasure in meeting this " fragment of a world" like ourselves, that few who have not been similarly situated can realize. Having little society, reading, writing, and music serve to relieve the tedious hours during the voyage. Chess would be an agreeable auxiliary, had I a second who understood the game. The small stock of information our company brought with them, is by this time exhausted ; so that were it not for my library, and attending to the two little boys com- mitted to my care, the confinement would be indeed irksome, and I might sing from day to day " the heavy hours/' Calm and warm weather, with light breezes at intervals, attend us till June 12th, succeeded by rain, fogs, and heavy seas now and then breaking over us, and washing all hands to leeward : con- tinues squally till the 16th, losing a jib and fore- steering sail boom : speak the ship Braganza of New York, bound for Liverpool, out six days, lat. 12 Incidents of the Voyage. [LET. i. 41 47'. long. 55. The Braganza compliments the Favourite on the richness of her cargo ! Much foggy weather, and so dense as to render objects indiscernible within the length of the ship, Merc. 54. 22d. Sunday. Find bottom with 30 fathom, on Banquereau, a shoal to the N. E. of Sable Isle, from which we draw a very seasonable supply of fine halibut, as the long use of salt and bad provi- sions has much disordered many of the passengers. Rice and potatoes are the two principal articles, next to biscuit, with which the voyager ought to be supplied. From Banquereau, with its continual fogs, we steer W. and by S. to avoid Sable and Nantucket shoals. The nearer our approach to land, the more anxiety is evinced, and every eye is strained to make out the wished-for object : at length it ap- pears July 5th, Saturday, 5 p. m. The man at the mast head cries aloud " Land ho," which soon is echoed through the ship, and followed by various expressions of joy, at the prospect of release from long and tedious confinement. The Favourite stea- dily courses W. and by S. and at nine, the forward watch is heard, " Light a-head half a point on the lee-bow," and soon after, the order, " let go your anchor." The refreshing land-breeze, charged with all the odours of the meadow and the wood, tempts me to change the cabin for the deck, and leads fancy almost to suppose herself on the confines of Ely- sium : the eye is no less charmed, when Aurora enables her to range and feast on the rich luxuriance, LET. i.] American Custom-house Officers. 13 with which the season decorates this noble bay. The lighthouses on Sandy- Hook, the high lands of Neversink, the several islands with their forts, with here and there a neat farm seen through the woods, form a picture which I am sorry you cannot enjoy with me : the effect is no doubt heightened, by contrast with the one so long fatiguing the eye, and tends to prepossess strongly in favour of the new world. Moving up with the tide, the beauteous prospect varies every minute, unfolding new charms as we proceed towards the city of New York, twenty- seven miles from the Hook. The scene is much enlivened by the different vessels passing in all directions. At about nine miles from the city, the two shores of Staten and Long Island near each other, forming what is called the Narrows ; a strong fortification on Staten Island, commands the pas- sage : several others present themselves higher up, the principal of which are on Governor's Island, at the junction of the East river, Bedlow's and Ellis Islands, midway to the Jersey shore. On entering the bay, two officers from the custom- house board us ; a class of men very different from those who attend us in an English port : gentlemen in their manners, candid and honourable in their official conduct, and behaving to the passenger in a manner calculated to impress his mind with the most pleasing ideas of the people with whom he is about to associate. Alas! how very different the impressions made by these gentry on the British coast, on the mind of the foreigner ! At noon, the Favourite drops anchor in the Hud- son, abreast of the town, whose extent, buildings, shipping, &c. lead one almost to credit the tales of 14 sir rival at New York. [LKT. i fairy land. It is difficult to suppose, that the chief of it is the work of less than half a century, " Opulent, enlarged, and still increasing." Knowing your desire to hear of my arrival, (and the - is just weighing anchor for Liverpool,) 1 conclude with observing, that the very strong and flattering introductories of Mr. B , Liverpool, Dr. R , Bristol, Mr. H , Battersea, &c. &c. have at once procured me very particular attentions, such as tempt me to fancy myself among old friends, rather than, till that moment, total strangers. I am now in good accommodations, and am much pleased with this city, as far as I have hitherto had oppor- tunity to see it. Your's, &c. July Qth. W. T. H, LET. fi.] New York. 15 LETTER II. New York, Aug. 1817. THOUGH there is a considerable similarity of habit and manners in the seaports of most countries, that have much intercourse with each other, yet such peculiar features and characteristics distinguish the different portions of the Eastern Hemisphere, as assure the .Englishman he has left the " fast-an- chored isle." In this commercial capital of the United States, with the population exceeding that of the port where I embarked, the same language prevails, but generally free from the local barbarisms which mark the different classes of society in your country, rendering them sometimes unintelligible to each other. Many traces of its Dutch origin are obser- vable in names and buildings, but as these are common in many parts of England they are not sufficiently striking to remove the frequent illusion, that I am still on British ground. That illusion, however, is removed by noticing the air and manner of independence, which by those who are accustomed to, and pleased with, the servility of behaviour apparent in the lower orders of European countries, is termed impertinence. You must not, however, suppose that I would banish that respectful beha- viour which nature herself inculcates, from the younger to the elder, the pupil to his instructor, the child to the parent, and from all to official cha- racters, or, if you will, office-bearers ; without this no society can long exist ; but I do deprecate 16 New York. [LET. n. that false servile homage which ignorant pride claims and receives from indigent poverty, that vas- salage in which the greater portion of our species still remains, possessing no will, no incentive to exertion, but ruled by the nod of some despotic being, whom superstition, ignorance, or violence, has placed over them. In this enlightened age, though the rapid diffusion of knowledge has given an impulse to the spirit of freedom, yet much re- mains of feudal darkness. " All constraint, " Except what wisdom lays on evil men, " Is evil, hurts the faculties, impedes " Their progress in the road of science, blinds " The eye-sight of disrov'ry, and begets " In those that suffer it, a sordid mind, " Bestial, a meagre intellect, unfit '* To be the tenant of man's noble form." With what different feelings do the Americans recollect the characters of Chatham, and of North ! the one respected, yea, venerated, for his noble defence of the privileges of man ; while the avowed determination and vain attempt to subvert those rights, have sunk the other into contempt : " That man should thus encroach on fellow-man, " Abridge him of his just and native rights, " Eradicate him, tear him from bis bold " Upon th* endearments of domestic life * And social, nip his fruitfulness and use, * And d:>i>m him, for, perhaps, a heedless word, " To barrenness, and solitude, and tears, *' Moves indignation." But methinks I hear you mildly whisper, " Is not this rhapsody about liberty rather premature ? wait till you have spent a few months in your boasted land of freedom, and among her children, LRT. ii.] Imprudence of Emigrants. 17 and then tell me what are your more experienced views upon the subject/' 1 take the hint, and re- turn to my narrative, pledging myself to recant, should experience and observation warrant it. Many of the Favourite's passengers have shewn their inability to conduct themselves, by indulging in constant intoxication ; a propensity which is un- fortunately encouraged here by the low price of spirituous liquors, and wh,ich exposes them to the arts of swindlers : of this description there are many, who having themselves suffered by similar means, have acquired a habit of licentious idleness, and become harpies in their turn. Some have lost every thing since they landed, and are now de- claiming against this country with as much violence, as before they did against that which they have left, and are cursing their own folly in listening so easily to the suggestions of others. These you must consider as illustrating the observation I made before, that some cannot be content any where ; paradise itself would afford them no felicity. They well deserve the harsh appellation by which one of our modern statesmen arrogantly designated the great body of the people, " the swinish herd." But others of our ship's live cargo, after obtain- ing the best information they could meet with, have more prudently left the city with their fami- lies, and gone up into the country. The manners of the people, and aspect of the neighbouring country, are rather different, it seems, to what they expected ; but the air of comfort and freedom from anxiety that marks the habitations and conveniences of the farming proprietors, fully reconciles and sa- tisfies them, that, with sobriety and industry, the steps they have taken must be crowned with suc- B 3 18 New York Merchants. [LET. 11. cess : every thing around is calculated to invigorate and stimulate them; the fields with their rich covering of Indian corn ; the peach and apple or- chards, all promising a full harvest to their owners, unencumbered by any thing like tithe, and -so lightly taxed that it scarcely warrants the use of that word ; form a sight they have not been accus- tomed to. The great spirit of speculation in commercial affairs (by which, though the property of some has been improved, yet that of others has been reduced or annihilated) has introduced habits of luxury and extravagance, and rendered living very expensive here. Boarding and lodging from six to fifteen dol- lars per week. There appear to be no bounds in rents ; nothing too high either to ask or to give, for what is thought a good situation for business. To those who have nothing to lose, it is immaterial ; but a commerce undertaken under such ideas, de- pending upon what is usually termed the lucky hit of the adventurer cannot ultimately benefit any country. Why do riot these sagacious people take warning by the example of Britain, and by avoiding the snares of the paper system, 'and fictitious credit, escape the difficulties and distress under which she is now suffering ? In situation, New York, as a commercial city, stands unrivalled : accessible at all times, even when the neighbouring ports are locked up by ice she has a manifest advantage, being thus enabled to supply the interior regularly, at the same time requiring less investment of capital. Her merchants are intelligent and enterprising, and as to correct- ness in dealing, our own country assuredly should not be forward in censuring them, lest, with all her pre- LET. it. 1 Slavery censured. 19 tensions, she should prove liable to the same con- demnation. Independent of what might have been expected in consequence of my introductory letters, J have been treated with attention as an English- man, evincing an attachment to the country whence they derived their origin, and a desire to continue in friendly connection : I wish our countrymen would cultivate the same feeling, instead of that ridiculous affectation of superiority so many of them exhibit, subjecting them to deserved neglect and contempt. The philanthropic exertions of a Wilberforce and a Clarke have of late years called forth the general indignation of the British nation at the enormities committed on the coast of Africa, and at the de- gradation and misery to which her unfortunate na- tives have been subjected, to indulge the cupidity of some who assume the high character of Christians, North America, when a part of British dominion, and since her independence, has shared in this iniquitous traffic ; and though she has listened to the voice of humanity, by entirely abolishing sla- very in some states, gradually doing it in others, and by a clause in the constitution, refusing admis- sion to any new state, unless it renounce the prac- tice of it, yet the situation in which persons of colour have been, and the light in which they were viewed, is so recent, that many circumstances una- voidably occur, from the very nature of man, that expose her citizens to strong censure. The thral- dom in which this hapless race is still kept in seve- ral of the states, affords a vantage ground which is eagerly seized by all the party writers on American economy, whence they launch their invectives against the whole community, and endeavour to SO Misrepresentations corrected. [LET. 11, ridicule their declaration of independence as an absurdity, in proclaiming that " Nature has en- dowed man with certain imprescriptible rights, &c." when at the same time they act in the most flagrant violation of them. You cannot consider these re- marks as any intended apology for the detestable practice, but merely to notice the effrontery with which some writers expose and exaggerate the ble- mishes of the transatlantic Republic, and pride themselves as representing a people, not only free themselves, but alone in extending the blessings of liberty to other climates : surely these gentlemen forget the condition of our West India islands, and the vast population of our Eastern possessions : do these enjoy the same privileges with their fellow- subjects in England ? or, have the appeals made to Britons, the champions of liberty, by the Haytians and the South Americans, been attended to ? Another objection is raised from the climates : they tell you of sultry enervating heats, and of fevers, wasting the numbers of those unfortunate beings who have been tempted to exchange the pure and healthy atmosphere of England for the noxious vapours of America ; nay', they wish you to believe it to be so unfavourable to population, that even the human species degenerate, and that not only bodily weakness, but imbecility of mind, is the necessary result of translation to its soil. To mention the names of Washington, Hancock, Ha- milton, Gates, Franklin, Henry, Fulton, Clinton, Monroe, &c. will be sufficient to confute such a preposterous assertion. The weather is now very warm, but not more oppressive than what I have experienced in Eng- land at the same season ; the mercury ranges from LET. n.] Misrepresentations corrected. 21 SO to 85 in the shade at noon. Yet I take a great deal of exercise, and am freer from indisposition than at any former period. Many cases occur of strangers suffering from the imprudent use of ardent spirits and of cold water. One or two of the Favourite's passengers have squandered away their little property in intoxica- tion, and are now seeking the means of returning to their native land ; these people will, no doubt, represent the country in an unfavourable light : but will any person of information and judgment con- found the disorders induced by intemperance and carelessness, or the insalubrity of the southern ter- ritory, with the general climate of a country extend- ing from twenty-six to forty-five degrees of north latitude and comprising every variety of aspect and soil ? with equal propriety might an American or Asiatic assert that the whole continent of Europe is unhealthy, because he reads of the frequent visitations of Malaga, Alicant^ Gibraltar, &c. with the yellow fever. Three packets with passengers from New Or- leans and Savannah are now under quarantine below the city, to which delightful neighbourhood they resort for the benefit of the air. I embrace the opportunity of writing by the Phocion, Capt. C. to assure you, the little prejudices, which I am ashamed to own, were entertained, are fast removing, and of my remaining as heretofore, j &c. New York Scenery. [LET. in. LETTER III. Neva York, Jug. 1817. THIS city is sufficiently attractive from the beauti- ful scenery with which it is surrounded, combining every requisite to render a landscape delightfully interesting; but it also engages the visitor's atten- tion, by the judicious manner in which the more modern part is laid out. No town with which I am acquainted can boast a vista equal to that of Broad- way, commencing at the Battery, whence a .most imposing view is enjoyed of the bay and islands, and extending in a direct line nearly parallel with the Hudson for three miles. Several public build- ings contribute to distinguish it; among which, the City Hall appears pre-eminent. This beautiful structure, though defective in many points, is one of the principal ornaments' of the city. Its elegant front, of white marble, indicates the purity and serenity of the atmosphere, and pleases more than the gorgeous composition of those expensive erec- tions, that waste the strength of a nation. The portraits are highly interesting, both from their execution, and from their conspicuous share the heroes have borne in the annals of their country. The revered and lamented Washington, the Alfred of his country, and her pride, appears in foremost rank, attended by others, emulating his example in the noble defence of their country and their privi- leges. There are few public monuments, but those few are at once simple and expressive. A neat tablet on the eastern front of St. Paul's church, reminds LET. in.] Long Island. 23 the passenger of the brave Montgomery, who, after reducing St. John's, Montreal, and Trois Rivieres, fell in the unsuccessful attack on Quebec. A similar tribute to the memory of Major-general Alexander Hamilton is placed in Trinity church, and in the yard is a pretty specimen of emblematic sculpture, raised to the much regretted Lawrence, commander of the Chesapeake: a fluted column broken, and the Corinthian capital lying at the base, express the violent abridgment of a life which bid fair for usefulness and fame. At Weehawk (New Jersey) opposite the city, is a monument erected by the Masonic society, to Hamilton, on the spot where he sunk the victim of honour, falsely so called. Fatal moment ! when a man like him, who was formed for the highest offices in tiie state, could sanction, by example, this horrid practice, and at a time too when his country required the exercise of his talents. This spot has frequently since been selected by fools and madmen, to offer up their lives to the Moloch of duelling ; as though one fatal instance of folly in a respectable character would sanction this villanous, brutish custom. Oh ! better far, '* Still had he slept in uncreated night." I have been taking an excursion on Long Island ; by some styled " the Garden of the States ;" but an improvement in cultivation must take place, before such a distinction can be assigned to it : the soil is light, and on the east marshy ; some good land is interspersed through the island, which is almost divided by a ridge extending from south-west to north-east. These heights had temporary fortifica- cations during the late war ; the citizens of New C 24 Steam Packets. [LET. in. York turning out en masse to throw up the en- trenchments. The pleasant villages of Newtown, Brooklyn, Jamaica, Bath, Flatbush, &c. diversify the island, and invite the citizens to repose from the cares of business. Near Flatbush was fought the battle of August 2ft, 1776. In bold and majestic scenery, no river can per- haps exceed the Hudson, ' Which, as it glides alons:, surveys its banks <( Girded by mountains that appear to bend " Beneath the woods they bear." Its advantages, both actual and in prospect, to the city and state of New York are incalculable ; through the enterprising spirit of the executive, it is con- necting with the western lake?, and participates largely in the trade of the St. Lawrence : hundreds of craft constantly ply on its waters, and scarcely a port throughout the globe that does not welcome vessels from the Hudson. The vigorous powers of Fulton's mind, when slighted l)y other govern- ments, were here exerted to extend the commercial greatness of his country, and in contributing to its defence. Steam, packets pass regularly between New York and Albany three times in the week, and between the former city and Philadelphia daily. In consideration of the benefits likely to result from this application of steam, the legislature has granted to Mr. Fulton's family the exclusive privilege of navigating the waters of the state on this principle for a term of years. Fertile in expedients, the Americans have rendered it contributive to their defence, and not only propel their vessels for mer- chandise thus, but also those of war: the one built at the close of the last war, to aid in the defence of LET. in.] Steam Packets. 25 New York, and named, in honour of the projector, Fulton the First, is considered by competent j udges as likely to answer the intended purpose fully. Her sides and deck are ball proof : she carries thirty- two 32 pounders on the lower deck, the upper being intended as a shelter for the men and machinery : all which is in the centre, and protected from all danger of shot entering by the port holes. The last war has shewn, in some measure, the power and disposition of the Americans to resist any attempts on their independence, has tended to unite them still more closely, and led them to improve many advantages they had long neglected. The supposed sensations of Omai are frequently my own, and various feelings are excited " on sight of ship from England." Your interesting letter of last month is a pleasing assurance, that in re- membrance I am still with you. Do not withhold jhera, or forget to consider me, Yours, &c, 26 New Brunswick. Singular Stage-waggons. [LET. iv. LETTER IV. fhiladelphia, Sept. 1817- MY route from New York to this City has been through a part of the country that was the earliest settled, the best cultivated, and the theatre of the most sanguinary scenes in the revolutionary war. I left New York on the 15th ult. by the steam packet Olive Branch ; a large handsome vessel, where every accommodation is afforded to the passengers, in books, draughts, backgammon, newspapers, &c. and a bar room presenting any refreshment he may wish for. Passing through the Narrows, and round the southern shore of Staten Island, we entered the river Raritan, previously touching at Perth-Amboy, an inconsiderable port of New Jersey, to land, and take in company. The generally unvarying breadth (about 200 yards) of the Raritan, upwards to New Brunswick, with its meanderings through a fertile tract, the sub- stantial mansions which frequently present them- selves to the passenger, giving him the idea of ease and plenty, and now and then the spires of Elizabeth town and Newark, in the intervals of rising ground, all contribute to form the strong resemblance of English landscape. Several stages were in attendance at New Bruns- wick, to convey us to Trenton, not much unlike waggons on springs : they are calculated to hold twelve persons ; and being open on each side, are provided with leather curtains, in case of wind or rain : in the summer, they are much more com- fortable than our close coaches ; and being built LET. iv.] Princetown. 27 low, there is no apprehension of being overturned. The roads are good, and run nearly in straight lines. The eye is pleased at first in looking so far forwards, sometimes perhaps four or five miles, from an emi- nence ; but after a while, it is fatigued with having the same prospect so long in view. Princetown, a pretty town, situated on high ground, midway between New Brunswick and Tren- ton, attracts attention by its college, and the severe successive engagements in its neighbourhood during the revolutionary contest. The soil varies much, in gravel, sand, clay, swamp, and rock : the abundant crops of grain and fruit are sufficient indications of its general fertility 3 yet it might be rendered still more productive, by the application of that labour, in scientific cultivation, which the English farmers are obliged to use, to provide for heavy rents, tithes, and taxes both assessed and parochial : most of the occupiers are proprietors, and not being goaded on to exertion by such stimuli, are indifferent about raising more than sufficient for the comfort, and to maintain the independence, of their families. The Englishman who is accustomed to estimate a person's property by pounds, is apt to sneer at the American when speaking of his dollars ; but it should be recollected, that the latter has not that serious deduction from his dollars, which the former meets with from his pounds. Land near New York and in New Jersey values at from ten to two hundred dollars per acre, accor- ding to situation, quality, and state of improvement. Many have been induced by these high prices to sell their estates on the Atlantic side, and purchase government land in the western parts. c 2 28 Trenton Bridge. General Washington. [L^T. IY. From Princeton, a gentle declination of thirteen Tniles, through a richly varied country, introduced me to Trenton, the capital of New Jersey, seated on the falls of the Delaware : immediately below which, is a handsome wooden bridge, connecting the states of New Jersey and Pennsylvania. This bridge is built on the suspension principle, the arches of timber resting on piers of masonry- work ; from these the bridge is suspended by chain and other iron work ; over all is a shingled roof, to defend it from the weather ; and at each pier a Frankling rod, as a precaution against lightning. A neat building, for the keepers, ornaments each end of the bridge. The rates of the toll are exhibited, and the caution " keep to the right, as the law directs/' gives an idea of the manner in which the passage is divided. It was here the persevering Washington, in Dec. 1 77^, after a series of disasters, and left, by desertion, with a handful of men, when his opponent lord Cornwallis considered his army almost annihi- lated, recrossed the ice, and, by his skilful manoeuvres, surprised and captured the regiments of Rail, Loss- berg, and Knyphausen. This unexpected turn of affairs induced lord Cornwallis to defer his departure for England, and endeavour to regain what he had lost. He commenced with vigour, establishing a strong line of posts from Brunswick to Trenton, where he commanded in person ; intending, by one blow, to destroy the almost hopeless cause of inde- pendence. But the British commander mistook the abilities of the man he had to contend with : instead of waiting an attack on his weak intrenchments on Sanpink Creek (near Trenton), the American Fabius, with his little band, roused Cornwallis from sleep, by playing his cannon upon the post at Princeton. LET. iv,] Cotton Manufactory. 29 On the opposite, or Pennsylvania bank, general Moreau, successively the subaltern and the oppo- nent of Bonaparte, had a handsome residence which has been sold, since his death, for the benefit of his widow. Considerable capital was invested during the late war in cotton manufactories, under the expectation of being encouraged by the prohibition of foreign manufactures; but the amazing influx of British goods since the peace has generally led to their abandonment. One, however, is still carried on here for spinning, which supplies the weavers of the town and neighbourhood, and reflects great credit on the proprietors for the order and decorum ob- served through it. No weaver or mechanic should emigrate to this country, who cannot turn his hand to any other employment than what he has been accustomed to. Hundreds of emigrants from England are now out of employ, and in distress, through these Atlantic districts, who in agriculture, would be immediately relieved from that indigence to which, in many instances, their indulgence in liquor has reduced them. The Germans who come over in great numbers, and generally bind themselves for a term to defray the expense of their passage, obtain, with very few exceptions, very considerable property : they are sober, industrious, and persevering. Oh ! that our countrymen were wise enough to imitate them ! From Trenton, I descended the Delaware in the steam boat Philadelphia. The fine weather, the rich prospects on either side, and the very agreeable company in the pac ket, rendered it an extremely in- teresting passage. The villages of Bristol, Burling- c 3 SO Sketch of Philadelphia. [LET. iv. ton, and Bordentown, where the ex- king of Spain, Joseph Bonaparte, is laying out some of the spoils of Europe in an elegant mansion and grounds, break on the view at different windings of the river. As we approach Philadelphia, thirty miles from Tren- ton, the land becomes flatter, and the river gradually enlarges to about a mile in width. The extent of buildings and crowd of vessels, point out Philadelphia as an opulent commercial city, though its distance of 120 miles from the sea, and being incommoded by ice in the winter, prevents it from rivalling New York. The packet is scarcely secured to Market - street wharf, before a host of negro ticket-porters spring on board, and, by their violent endeavours to obtain his luggage, are a great annoyance to the passenger. While walking up Market or High street, which intersects the city east and west, and admiring the general cleanness and regularity, pe- culiar gratification was experienced in recollecting its amiable founder, who, in the name he gave it, testified his wish to perpetuate the benefits of that free and liberal administration, his mild, generous, and enlightened soul had devised and instituted ; and to establish which, all the energies of his mind were called into exercise. No deeds of arms em- blazon his name : his was a life of justice, benefi- cence, and peace, that requires, like the " Man of Ross," to be recorded by an " honest muse." The site of Philadelphia presents a parallelogram, formed by the Delaware on the east, and the beau- tiful river Schuylkill on the west ; the streets run- ning parallel with the Delaware are named Front, Second, Third, and onwards to Thirteenth ; then Broad-street, Eighth, Seventh, &c. with the addition of Schuylkill, and designated north or LET. iv.] Sketch of Philadelphia. 31 south, according to their relative situation to High- street. No city can be laid out with more beauty or regularity, or better calculated to promote health and comfort. The principal, or High-street, is about 100 feet wide, and would have a noble ap- pearance, if the old court-house, on a line with Front-street, and a range of shambles continuing to Sixth-street^ did not obstruct the view : they are, however, a convenience to the inhabitants, and on market days present a scene of plenty, not to be surpassed probably by any market in Europe. Other parts of the city are accommodated with contiguous market-places, which are equally well supplied. It is in contemplation to remove a cir- cular building, at present on the angle formed by High and Broad streets for supplying the city with water ; when the view will be uninterrupted to the Schuylkill. From this river the water is raised by very powerful steam machinery to a large reservoir, on an elevation beyond the one-arch bridge ; from which every part of the city is plentifully supplied : plugs are placed at proper distances, by which the streets are frequently watered and cleaned during the warm weather : many of them are shaded on each side by trees, which though their roots are somewhat injurious to the pavement ; yet the cool and pleasant shade they afford, fully compensates for the little damage they occasion. The court-house, occupying the square between Fifth, Sixth, Chesnut, and Pine street, is a good brick building of two stories ; the lower part is divided into two apartments : one of them used by the superior court of judicature ; and in the other, the deputies from the different states held their first congress. The upper story is appropriated as a 32 Sketch of Philadelphia. [LET. iv. museum : it has a good assortment of specimens in natural history, collected by Mr. Peale, some por- traits of the principal revolutionary characters, to- gether with a number of oil paintings by Miss Peale and other artists ; a part of it is also used as a philosophical lecture room. Among the rarities, and certainly one that excited no little curiosity, was a pair of Lancashire clogs ; and while my attention was directed to the enor- mous skeleton of the Mammoth, that of the com- pany was chiefly engrossed by the (f wooden shoes from the old country." The Pennsylvania, Phila- delphia, and Stephen Gerard's banking-houses, are neat structures : but what would probably please you most, for the neatness, order, and economy of the whole, is the Pennsylvania hospital for the re- ception of lunatics. In this excellent institution, the situation of these distressed beings is ameliorated by every method that even the philanthropy of a Howard could suggest. It is in an open, airy, si- tuation, and has extensive grounds, with gardens, for the recreation of its inmates. I was gratified with the permission to visit it, through the polite- ness of S. C. Esq. one of the managers, and of the Society of Friends. The Episcopal church in North-Second-street, dedicated to St. Mary, and the Masonic-hall in Chesnut-street, the only two buildings with spires, are also deserving of notice; together wiih the College in South -Ninth-street, the second Baptist church in Sansom-street, being ninety feet dia- meter within the walls, with an arched roof and a dome ; and the Orphan Asylum in Arch-street, near the Schuylkill. This institution was formed, and is supported, by the exertions, and managed by a com- J.ET. iv.] Bridges, one of Iron Wire. 33 mittee, of the ladies of Philadelphia; who have also formed another establishment for the comfort p.ble support of old, indigent, but respectable widows, and single women. One of the visiting ladies paid me the compliment to accompany me over the two institutions : in the latter one, you would have smiled to observe the extreme caution these anti- quated damsels manifested when Mrs. M. introduced me, and the prudent queries they whispered to her as to my object and probable designs, before they allowed me any further view of their comfortable retreat. At the western extremity of High- street, a bridge of three arches over the Schuylkill, and roofed in the same manner as that at Trenton, communicates with the great western road to Pittsburgh ; to which place waggons are always to be met with in the High- street, for the conveyance of goods, at from five to seven dollars per lOOlbs. wt. About half a mile above this bridge is another, light and elegant in its ap- pearance : it is of one arch, 340 feet span ; also covered, arid lighted by openings at the sides, and by lamps at night. The river has some picturesque and beautiful landscapes, as its meanders are traced upwards ; of which many wealthy citizens have availed themselves, by erecting their villas in the finest situations for enjoying them. The bridge over the Falls, six miles above the city, having been lately carried away by a heavy flood, the proprietor of the iron works there has sub- stituted a singular medium of communication for his workmen living on the opposite bank. A boat was at first used ; but this was found very inconvenient, on account of the rapids. He then threw a wire bridge across, by first securing strong wire-rods to a 34 Plenty and cheapness of Fruit. [LET. iv large tree on one side, and the wall between two windows of the mill on the other : upon these he then suspended the wire-work bridge, and laying planks upon it, has completed a secure though trembling pathway of above a hundred feet in length for foot passengers. I saw several lasses trip over it very gaily, accommodating themselves very adroitly to its motions. A canal is about to be cut round these rapids ; by which the city will be more easily supplied with coal, firewood, &c. from the upper parts of the state ; and in return will accommodate them with her imports. The environs of Philadelphia are pleasant, pre- senting many handsome country seats and villages, that remind the English traveller of the avenues to the British metropolis. Frankfort, Bustleton, Ches- nut-Hill, Mount- Pleasant, and German-Town, (where the severe skirmish took place between lord Cornwallis and general Washington, Oct. 1777?) are pretty specimens of the style in which the indus- trious American enjoys a dignified ease and comfort : ' From toil he wins his spirits light, " From busy day the peaceful nteht." You may form some idea of the plenty that prevails, when I tell you that peaches are now selling under my window for dollar per peck, ap- ples 37J cents, to \ dollar, per bushel ; melons and other fruit equally abundant and cheap ; of vegeta- bles there is a greater variety than we are accustom- ed to see in our markets ; one of them, the Indian corn, while green, either boiled or roasted, makes a very good dish, when boiled and dressed with butter and pepper, very similar to young peas ; it is LET. IT.] Mischief of Spirituous Liquors, 35 generally brought to table on the stalk, or as it is called the cob, and taken off with the knife, and sometimes with the teeth. When I first saw it eaten in this manner it reminded me so strongly of our neighbour's Salvo gnawing a bone, that apology became necessary for the involuntary movement it occasioned of my risible muscles. Numbers of our countrymen are here, as in New York, in very indifferent circumstances, and I am sorry to notice that their distress in most instances is caused by their own misconduct : independent of indulging in liquors, they seem to have come with the intention of accepting only such employment as they had been previously accustomed to. Such had better remain at home, and be supported by their parish, than be at the expence and trouble of coming here to starve, which they must, unless they take such employment as is offered, and relinquish their present habit of idleness : or by some means return home again. All that I have seen convinces me, that no man need be poor and in want, who is able and willing to work. But here it should be observed, that there is the same necessity in this as in all other countries, for every stranger to be upon his guard, as he will find a full proportion of cunning artful knaves here as in all commercial towns. My intention is to leave this beautiful city in a few days for the south ; but as it is uncertain where my quarters may be on the arrival of letters, you will continue to address me at our kind friends at New York, who have very politely offered in this manner to assist our correspondence. Accept now the as- surance of my remaining, Yours, &c. 36 The Delaware. [LHL. v. LETTER V. Baltimore, Sept. 1817- THE very agreeable society my English and New York letters introduced me to in Philadelphia, made me regret much to leave it. I had heard much odium cast upon the Philadelphians, as being inhos- pitable, uncourteous, and inattentive to strangers : and were the charge just, it ought not to excite surprise, considering the many deceptions that have been practised upon them, perhaps chiefly by the English, obliging them to assume a cautious reserve, which has been improperly construedjnto rudeness and inhospitable neglect ; but my experience con- vinced me that the very reverse is their real character, and that in the exercise of the social virtues there is no deficiency. The size and extent of the American rivers allow the full operation of the steam engine in facilitating a ready communication between the various parts of this country : a mode of conveyance I prefer, and adopt whenever convenient. I left Philadelphia by the steam boat, and after a pleasant passage of five hours reached Newcastle, state of Delaware. In passing down this noble river (Delaware) though its banks are generally low, yet its windings, islands, vessels sailing in various directions, and now and then, as the distance increases, the lofty spire of St. Mary's peeping from among the trees, and marking the spot where, with all its faults, dwell industry, intelligence, and worth, all tend to form a prospect worthy the pencil, and render this an LET. v.] Newcastle. 37 interesting excursion. Several spots claim notice, as connected with the history of the revolutionary contest. One of them, a low marshy island near the mouth of the Schuylkill, called, not improperly, Mud island, on which was hastily thrown up a small battery, that for some time impeded the progress of the British vessels destined for the support of lord Howe, then (1777) in possession of Philadelphia, blowing up two of the largest (one a sixty gun ship) with their hapless crews. It is now a strong fort, and named, in honour of a late governor of the state, Fort Mifflin. At Red Bank on the opposite, or Jersey shore, a strong redoubt co-operated in defending the passage; in endeavouring to carry which, the brave count Donop, with his host of Hessians, was sacrificed in the vain attempt to crush the efforts of liberty : " The state that strives for liberty, tho' foil'd, " And forc'd to abandon what she bravely sought, c Deserves at least applause for her attempt, * And pity for her loss. But that's a cause ' Not often unsuccessful. * Those who once conceive the glowing thought ' Of freedom, in that hope at once possess * All that the contest calls for; spirit, strength, ' The scorn of danger, and united hearts, ' The surest presage of the good they seek." As we descend, the town of Wilmington, Delaware, appears in sight ; situated on high ground, with the hills in its rear, and the river expanding in front : it is an object the eye rests upon with considerable pleasure ; it is noted for its manufactories of gun- powder. About twelve miles below, we arrive at Newcastle, the first European settlement on the Delaware, laid out by the Swedes long before the founding of Philadelphia. In the early history of 38 Frenchton. British Exploit there. [LET. r. the country, Newcastle passed under several masters, experiencing much change of fortune. During the revolutionary war, it was occupied alternately by the two contending parties, as the head-quarters of one, and seat of assembly for the other, whilst tem- porarily dispossessed of Philadelphia : its importance is now, however, lost in that of the latter city, deriving its principal advantage from travellers passing to and from Baltimore to the north, and from vessels touching here for provisions. The neighbourhood is pleasant, and the soil productive, but it is not probable it can ever attain the prospe- rity it once anticipated. An agreeable ride of fifteen miles through foliage varied with all the golden tints of autumn, brought me to Frenchton on the river Elk, Maryland : here, recollecting the dispatches which announced to us the brilliant success attending our arms, in the late war, at this place, I was prepared to see a town, or fortified village at least ; some place worthy of a conquest, where victory so bounteously strewed her laurels on our gallant countrymen. One or two farm-houses, a store-house, and a pier to accommodate the steam boats, are all that compose Frenchton, and we might have inadvertently passed through, without enjoying the interest generally attached to the scenes of former glory, had not some of the party expressed a wish for eggs to breakfast, when, to their disap- pointment, they were told the British had taken away all the poultry. This appears to have been, the principal part of the British trophies at French - ton, and which, at the breakfast table on board the steam-boat, formed no small amusement at the expense of those, whose appetites were thus disap- pointed by John Bull's attachment to good living. LET. v.] American Hospitality. 39 Our table is spread in such a manner, as you would seldom see (except the eggs) at the first hotels in England, while we are continuing our progress down the Elk, and, when our attention can Joe diverted from the good things before us, enjoying the prospects which surround us. An instance of that humanity and tender generosity which I have often witnessed as characteristic of our American brethren, occurred on hoard our boat : I say, tender, in opposition to that harsh overbearing semblance of generosity, which manifests only ostentatious pride. It was particularly pleasing here; as the casual notice just taken of the late war, could not but kindle in the breast of an American, a tempo- rary resentment against the country that should attempt any thing against the liberties of his own. A poor woman was noticed by some of the gentle- men as not partaking of our plentiful repast, and seeming to elude observation, in attentions to her babe : from her dress they supposed her to be an European ; and to be a stranger in a distant land, was sufficient to engage their sympathy and aid. In answer to their inquiries, she said, she was from near Manchester in England, had landed in Phi- ladelphia a fortnight before, where she was confined ; and was then going to her husband, who had employment as a bricklayer, in Washington, that her little fund was nearly exhausted, but still hoped, by economy, it would be sufficient to bear her expenses to that city. She was immediately handed to the table, and soon found, that though unknown, and, as she thought, friendless, yet she was among those " who could feel another's woes." A col- lection was afterwards made for her ; and on its being mentioned to the captain, he very handsomely D2 40 Chesapeak. Patuxent. [LET. v. wrote her name in the way-bill as " free to Balti- more." Ennobling passion of the human soul ! that, in the multiplied variety of human kind, knows no distinction, but to each would say, " Thy fellow creatures, we, " From the same parent Power our beings draw, '* The same our Lord, and laws, and great pursuit." By the increased motion of the vessel, it is per- ceived we are entering the Chesapeak, whose eastern coast and islands being low and sandy, have a monotonous effect, and its width does not allow of contrast with the opposite shore : some high land looming in the distance, however, points out where the Susquehanna rolls its tribute to the ocean. Ascending the Patapsco, we passed on our right, North Point, where the British army landed in the late war, with the intention of reducing Baltimore : some of our company were in the engagements that took place ; but in the recapitulation of the prin- cipal circumstances, no remarks were made, that could in any way affect the good understanding and harmony which prevailed. The entrance of the Patuxent, on which Baltimore is built, is narrow, and affords a most eligible situa- tion for defence on the right ; this, and a narrow passage nearer to the city, were both fortified with care ; and other obstructions were laid in the channel, in case a passage should be attempted by the ships of war in aid of the troops. The results of this contest you are acquainted with ; and Bal- timore, a port from which our trade was more annoyed than from any other in the States, though severely threatened, still exists in statu quo. Above the second narrows, defended by Fort LST. v.] Sketch of Baltimore. 41 Henry, the river widens, and presents a fine harbour, at the head of which stands Baltimore, in the form of a half-moon. In this direction the city, gradually extending up the hill in the rear, with the active movements of business in front, has a very imposing appearance. Most of the vessels in the harbour are of the description which the British dispatches stated, of light burden, and swift sailers, " eluding all the vigilance of our cruisers/' As much of the prosperity of Baltimore has arisen from bold and successful speculations, with the double advantage the contending powers of Europe gave to the United States, in their endea- vours to destroy each other, much more capital and more hands have been engaged in its mercantile pursuits, than can be now profitably employed, on the return of trade to its former channels. As a manufacturing town, which character it had assumed during the late war, it has declined, so that a greater pressure in a pecuniary point of view is felt here than in most other towns : artisans, mechanics, and those whose property and inclination does not attach them strongly to the place, are removing to the interior, or embracing agriculture. The streets of Baltimore, though not regularly laid out in the manner of Philadelphia, are commo- dious, and in the upper parts airy, well-lighted, and, in some of the principal, with gas. It partakes with Philadelphia in the trade with the western country, and, for emigrants to those parts, is an equally desirable port to land at j the same con- veyance offering, and sometimes on more reasonable terms. The private houses are good, and some of the public buildings deserve inspection : a monu- ment is erecting near the city by its inhabitants, to 42 Negro Slavery. Bladensburg. [LET. v, testify the respect in which they, in common with the whole country, hold the memory of Washington. Taking a southerly course from Baltimore, I passed through a tract of rocky and indifferent land, with some exceptions of rich soil, occupied in the culture of tobacco. A number of negro slaves were employed in repairing the roads, who, by their importunities for alms, reminded me for the first time of my being in a state that tolerates slavery ; inasmuch as this legislature has not yet limited the period when it shall cease, as Pennsyl- vania, New York, and some other states, have done. Maryland, however, recognises persons of colour who have been freed, as free, and has severely punished some of those monsters who had dared to outrage humanity by kipnapping and selling their fellow men. Much do they deplore the existence of such an evil, and various plans are projected for its removal : one is, to form an establishment on some part of their native country, similar to the British settlement of Sierra Leone, and there colo- nize such as are disposed to go, at the expense of the States : this gives but a faint idea of the inten- tions of the Colonization Society, composed of some of the first characters in the Union. Continuing my route to the intended seat of government, I passed through Bladensburg, a small town within a few miles of the metropolis, consisting of one long street in a low situation, and is known by the stand commodore Barney here made, against the progress of the British army. The position he chose was good, and though obliged by superior force, and the desertion of the militia sent to his relief, to abandon it, he is entitled to credit for the spirit he displayed on this occasion : at the foot of LET. V.] City of Washington. 43 the hill on which his little band was posted, lie covered with sod some of the combatants of this day. From this place to Washington the road is indif- ferent, the land poor, and apparently unfit for any purpose but that of building. Whatever were the views of the British commander in the destruction of the public edifices at Washington, it had one great effect, that of uniting the whole country in one determined opposition. Previous to this, a great portion of the population were much averse to the war, hoping, from the professed disposition of the British administration for peace and amity, and its deprecating any thing like arbitrary measures, that conciliatory steps might have been taken, and have prevented the abhorrent spectacle of brethren seeking each other to mortal combat. The capitol is recovering from the late devastation, as is also the mansion appropriated to the President's use ; which, had it been totally demolished, had not been much to be regretted, as it is a dispro- portioned structure : the interior arrangement is bad ; and the idea of purchasing the furniture in France, on the ground of economy, is preposterous ; surely it would have been more politic, as well as patriotic, to have encouraged the manufactures of the country ; and their appearance would have been far more pleasing to the eye, than the present tawdry finery which offends the sight in every apartment. The unnecessary expense incurred by the importation of blocks of marble from Italy, to decorate the capital, is equally censurable, when different marbles, of the finest quality, are met with in every direction throughout the Union. The city is rapidly increasing, but many intervals 44 Patomae. [LET. v still occur between house and house : the streets are laid out at angles, radiating from the capitol, which, with the President's house, being considerably elevated, will form conspicuous objects from every part. The present population, including George Town, which is separated from it by a branch of the Patomae, is little more than 20,000. When standing on the capitol hill, or on that occupied by the President's house, I enjoy what may be called an enchanting prospect. If from the latter, looking down " Pennsylvania Avenue," a wide street of one mile in length, shaded by trees, the corresponding eminence is seen, surmounted by the capitol on the right, and in the rear George Town, the growing city and distant mountains, with the beautiful Pato- mae in front, meandering through the vale below, and as it flows, " Large, gentle, deep, majestic-," leads the charmed eye to follow in its maze. This was the favourite stream of the illustrious leader in his country's cause, on whose banks he passed the quiet of his days, and now reclines in death, remem- bered and beloved by all. Patomae, as she passes by his tomb, even seems to ripple accents to his praise. The market is very indifferently supplied, and living is more expensive, and provision worse, than any I have yet met with ; this inconvenience will eease, when the increased population will offer a consumption sufficient to encourage the farmer's exertions. The bank, general post-office, and other public buildings, are plain, and offer nothing to excite the stranger's curiosity : the navy-yard below the city, LET. v.] Patomac. 45 is re-established, and the keel of a 74 is laid ; such is the effect of the last war on the minds of the people, that the expenses of a marine are scarcely considered. The country affords almost every re- quisite, and its extensive line of coast furnishes an intrepid race, who will soon warrant the sculptor to place a trident in Columbia's hand. 46 General ffashington. [LET. vi. LETTER VI. Richmond, Virginia, Oct. 1817. IT was a lovely evening, when, in the Washing- ton steam -boat, I took leave of the embryo metro- polis, descending its beautiful river, the view of which, my last, from the city, was intended to convey some idea of. It flows through a bold country, much diversified, its banks decorated with numerous country seats, many of them in com- manding situations ; Mount Vernon, the residence of the late venerated Washington, occupying one of the most conspicuous. It is now in the posses- sion of his nephew, the Hon. Bushrode Washing- ton, but will long engage that interest, which its original possessor must impress upon the spot where he reposed from the exhausting cares of public life. Not that he shrunk from its arduous and difficult duties; no, in the hour of danger, when assailed on every hand, when the treachery of some, the jealousies, cowardice, and desertions of others, seemed to render it a hopeless cause, his country found him calm, intrepid, and determined not to be seduced by the most tempting offers to sur- render her rights to arbitrary sway; nor, on the attainment of her independence, when his fellow- citizens in their excess of joy, and admiration of his virtues, would have raised him to the most exalted station, could he forget the true meaning of patrio- tism. Impelled by no vain desire of moving in a higher sphere, or of appearing superior to his fellow- LET. vi. J Alexandria. 4? citizens, Washington held out an example of great- ness of soul, tempered with modesty in deport- ment, worthy of imitation 5 and in retiring to the station of private citizen, gave a striking proof that honours can he enjoyed, far superior to that which consists in the power of dispensing stars and ribands. Alexandria, ten miles below Washington, is a well-built city, and carries on a considerable foreign trade ; it is situated in the lower part of the dis- trict of Columbia, a small tract ceded to the Union by the States of Maryland and Virginia, for the use of the general government. From Alexandria, I again passed down the river by steam-boat to Acquia Creek, about 36 miles, where were stages in readiness to take us to Fre- dericsburg, 15 miles. Four survivors from the ship Lautaro, which foundered in the passage from Greenock to Charleston, were part of our company ; the account they gave us of their misfortune was interesting. The Lautaro appears, in the first instance, not to have deserved the description of " a well-built ship :" her cargo was exceptionable, pig-iron and coals ; the iron being badly stowed, shifted during a gale off the Western Isles, in con- sequence of which she sprang a leak ; on applying to the pumps, they were found useless, being choked up with the coals : no resource was now left but the boats, but so rapidly did she fill, that one of the boats was swallowed up in the vortex formed by her going down. Voyagers should be particular in ascertaining the quality and trim of the vessel, as well as the qualifications of the captain and crew, to whom they entrust them- selves ; these being satisfactory, it will obviously 4$ Fredericsburg. [LET. vr. contribute much to their comfort to select one of a humane and friendly disposition. The ride to Fredericsburg, is through a sandy indifferent country, part of it hilly ; some spots, however, present a soil probably once rich, but now exhausted by severe cropping. On descending the hill, at the foot of which runs the river Rappa- hannock, Fredericsburg, with the bridge, presented a very pretty appearance ; indeed so prepossessing, that we confidently anticipated the still more agree- able sight of a rich Virginian meal, the ride having prepared our appetites for the eager demolition of fowls, steaks, and all the cetera of an American repast. The feelings of the landlord, at whose door the stages drew up, did not, however, accord exactly with ours ; and so indisposed was he to accommodate us, that a general disposition was evinced to change quarters, and report his conduct on the road. Fredericsburg has an extensive trade with New York, and other ports, in flour, grain, and lumber, that employs several schooners of considerable burden. The surrounding soil is much reduced in quality, through inattention to manuring, of which the inhabitants appear now sensible, and are endeavouring to improve it. Leaving Frederics- burg, the country through which J passed is hilly ; the roads are good, with the exception of a few spots, which might be rendered equally so at a trifling expense. These exceptions serve to shew the abilities of our drivers, and the strength of their apparently slender vehicles. The planters are busily engaged in attending to their tobacco, now ripening ; this is carefully cut, and hung upon rails, frequently turned, and then LET. vi.] Slavery indefensible. 49 removed to the drying-house; when packed into hogsheads, it is brought down to the nearest river or port, by means of a pair of shafts with a pivot at the end of each, which is fixed to the hogshead, and thus it is rolled along. It undergoes inspec- tion by a proper officer before it is shipped. The price varies from six to ten cents per Ib. according to quality. The very name of slavery is revolting, but when the disgraceful circumstances that accompany it are brought into view, its aspect is hideous. The Virginians pride themselves on the humanity with which they treat their slaves; and really, keeping out of sight their state, which subjects them to the caprice of their owners, I have seen them, on many plantations, in more comfortable circumstances than the poor peasantry of my own country. They have no anxieties, all their wants are supplied ; and their mental darkness (perhaps not greater than of those in general, to whom I might compare them) prevents them from feeling acutely their degraded condition. In the course of our journey, we stopped for refreshment, where a court was hold- ing. Persons from different parts of the country were assembled, and various merchandise exposed", as hats, cloths, cutlery, glass, and other wares ; a number of negroes, male and female, of different ages, appeared for sale ; the auctioneer descanting on their good qualities, pointed out their several excellencies of form and stature, and then recom- mended the bystanders to judge for themselves : one little creature, on being handled to ascertain her soundness and strength of muscle, seemed, by her playful attitude and smile, to suppose them playing with her ; but in attempting to follow the hand, 50 American Migration, [LET, vi. whose aim she thus mistook, she was roughly forced back by the auctioneer's hammer to the stand, to await the deciding bid. The tavern being full, we agreed to adjourn our appetites, and jog on a few miles farther, where at a very neat substantial house, called white chim- neys, we were recompensed for the delay by a well- furnished board : fruits of the finest kinds, as apples, peaches, plums, &c. were set before us as a dessert, in abundance. The grape, black and white, walnut, mulberry, cherry, black-berry, and persimmon, are common in the woods : the per- simmon, (diospiros virginianaj in addition to the medicinal qualities of its bark and unripe fruit as an astringent, is used when ripe as a preserve ; and a fermented liquor, not unpalatable, is prepared from it. 1 have drunk excellent wine made from the wild grape ; and from peaches, of which there is a profusion, they distil a spirit not inferior, when allowed to attain age, to French brandy or arrack ; it generally receives an agreeable flavour from the kernels. I have before mentioned the migratory disposi- tion of the Americans ; we are continually passing families, sometimes in large bodies, removing with their furniture and negroes to the Alabama. The condition of these negroes is frequently pitiable : where they have betrayed any intention of running away, they are chained to the waggons ; when there is a gang of from twenty to a hundred, the poor creatures are arranged two abreast, secured by a long chain that passes down between them, and in this manner are driven forward; all prospect of escape being cut off, by the loaded rifles on either hand. LET. vi.] Negro Plunderers. 51 In continuing our route, as the evening draws on, our drivers frequently caution us, u Look after your baggage." It seems, that notwithstanding every precaution, some poor fellows have effected their escape into the woods, where they live by plunder. This is the lirst time I have been reminded of the dangers of travelling in England. Richmond, the capital of Virginia, is generally a well-built city, situated on the falls of James river, 1 30 miles above Norfolk at its mouth : within the last few years, through the attractions of trade, its population has considerably increased, being now about 14,000. Tobacco is the staple, but flour and grain are also shipped in considerable quantities. Scotchmen, and Yankees, (as they are called, or persons from the north-eastern States,) with Eng- lish and Irish, form the principal addition, of late, to the population of Richmond. The hotel where I am now writing, is kept by a New-England man, and few on your side can surpass it in arrange- ment, or in the covering of the table. Pork, poultry, fish, and game, are plentiful and fine, but their beef and mutton are indifferent. At the west end of the town, on an eminence, stands the capital, noticed not so much for its elegance, as for the prospect it affords of the river, with its falls, and the country on each side. The offices of government are here, and a museum lately erected, contains among a variety of articles, many oil paint- ings that give a very favourable impression of the abilities of Virginian artists. The houses of the more wealthy citizens are in this direction, who have their offices in the town. The pretty village of Manchester, on the right bank, is chiefly inhabit- ed by this class, a well-informed hospitable people. E 2 52 Amusements. [LET. vi. The amusements of the Virginians, are hunting, horse-racing, cards, chess, and theatrical exhibi- tions. A melancholy catastrophe occurred here a year or two since, while gratifying their taste for this latter diversion, which has in some degree checked it. During the performance of a favourite piece, the alarm of {( fire" was given ; the house being crowded to excess, and the outlets being low and narrow, the scene of confusion that ensued was horrible, many were separated from their com- panions never more to meet, the young, the lovely, the gay, were confounded and consumed with the aged, in the indiscriminating flame : the remains of the unhappy sufferers were collected, and a church erected on the spot, over the deposit, as a memorial of an event, which in one sad hour blasted the hopes of some of the chief families in Virginia. Your acquaintance with the early history of Vir- ginia, will throw an interest over this part of my tour. The generous reception given to the first settlers by the natives on James river, the pecu- liar and trying situation of capt. Smith, and when the wanton aggressions of the whites had led their chief Powhatan, to resolve on the extinction of the colony, you recollect, with emotion, the generous efforts of a savage to avert the hand of vengeance, that honour, duty, love, and mercy, can dwell in the untutored mind : for her exertions in behalf of their offending countrymen, Pocahontas deserves the gratitude of Englishmen. The manners, customs, and appearance of the planters, remind me of our old-fashioned gentry ; their houses, too, are of the style introduced at the accession of the house of Orange ; plenty prevails LET. vi.] Petersburg. 53 in them, and unaffected hospitality presides. Stone coal is abundant, and in general use. Residents of the southern states are passing through continually from the north, where they have been spending the sickly months ; the accounts from Charleston and Sa- vannah are still unfavourable, and induce me to delay longer than previously intended, though this delight- ful district, and the agreeable society in which I am, may have some influence in prolonging my stay. At length leaving Richmond by the bridge over the falls, and gaining the top of the hill, I am fairly on the road to Petersburg. The morning air is bracing, and, with the rising sun peeping over the heights, puts all creation into motion : the drum- ming of the pheasant strikes the sportsman's ear ; the negro is going to his daily labour ; and not far distant before me is a cavalcade, apparently pro- ceeding to the hymeneal altar. The damsels have fine-featured, healthy, blooming countenances, be- speaking so much good nature and intelligence, that I do not wonder at the smiles of complacency with which their swains regard them. After a pleasant ride of twenty-five miles, through woods tinted with every shade of autumn, and in- terspersed with plantations, Caesar, my sable driver, who has been highly gratified in being allowed to indulge his volubility of tongue^ cries out, " Peters- burg, Master/' This town, which has recently suffered very severely by fire, shews no marks of its misfortune ; bustle and activity are every where seen. Elegant brick buildings, with streets level- ling and paving, are some evidence that though Petersburg may not only have suffered by fire, but has also shared with other towns in the effects of the last war, yet its resources are not destroyed, E 3 54 Races. [LET.YI. viz. a rich neighbouring country, and a navigable stream, the Appomattox, whose bank near the town is lined with large boats and schooners, taking in tobacco, grain, &c. It is now the time of the races ; and the qualities of horses are descanted on, in connection with the probabilities of good or bad European harvests af- fecting the prices of produce. Notwithstanding their attachment to sports, the Americans are men of business, and suffer nothing to escape their no- tice, that can in any way promote the main object. The general similarity in dress must be observed by Europeans, accustomed as they are to see the dif- ferent ranks in society distinguished in this particu- lar. Here, you know not the merchant, the lawyer, or the mechanic from each other, by their appear- ance ; neither are any provincialisms or dialects observable ; or that awkwardness of manner, which in Europe marks the difference between the higher and lower orders. The effects of education and intercourse are every where apparent, in an expan- sion of intellect, and ease of expression, instead of the coarseness of speech and manners observed in a large proportion of the English population. The freed negro of Virginia, and indeed of the states through which I have passed, from early associations, is generally profligate and abandoned, and much upon a level with the low Irish ; who by the bye, are here so termed in distinction from their enlightened countrymen, who, by their talents and industry, acquire considerable property, and are often found in important official situations. LET. vii.] Major Gholsoris. 55 LETTER VII. THERE is a gratification enjoyed by the traveller, perhaps arising from pride or vanity, that while he is treading his wearying way others are probably tracing his rout and sympathizing in the remark : " He travels, and I too : I tread his deck, " Ascend his topmast, thro' his peering eyes '* Discover countries ; with a kindred heart " Suffer his woes, and share in his escapes." I left Petersburg in company with two gentlemen, citizens of South Carolina and Georgia, and a Pennsylvanian, intending to purchase land on the Alabama, should it answer the high character given of it. Crossing the rivers Nottoway and Mehering, which when united from the Chowan, and also the Roanoke, all discharging themselves into Albemarle sound, we entered the state of North Carolina, providently taking leave of Virginia with a substan- tial dinner at major Gholson's, a man of large landed property, who is at once a store-keeper, stage-proprietor, farmer, member of the legislature, and commander of militia. Virginia has the cha- racter of retaining much of the spirit of aristocracy, but I did not perceive that this man expects or re- ceives any peculiar marks of deference above his fellow-citizens ; his conduct in the legislature here is canvassed, and if not accordant with the interests of his constituents, (who are not confined to certain privileged individuals, but embrace all paying taxes 56 Warrenton. [LET. vn. to the state,) some other more competent is chosen. On the rivers last mentioned the soil is rich, but when we leave them it becomes indifferent : much of our road is through thick woods, pleasant in the day, as affording a desirable shade from the sun, but gloomy when the night draws on. No sound is heard but that occasioned by our vehicle jolting on the logs of which part of the road is formed 5 the snorting of the horses, or Jehu's horn warning all carriages to (f keep to the right as the law directs." As we approached Warrenton, a small town about fourteen miles from our entering North Carolina, he gave due notice, and by four distinct notes an- nounced the number of knives and forks requisite at the tavern table : the landlady, as is the custom, unless the husband be at home, performed the ho- nours of the table, and by her courteous manner would have compensated for a less solid entertain- ment ; but in this particular, her table presented a strong contrast to that complained of at Frederics- burg. Warrenton derives some little benefit from being the seat of justice for Warren county, and as a posting town on the great northern road. From it to Raleigh, a distance of sixty miles, is an uneven country, comprising much barren, with some inter- vals of good land : limestone appears as we draw near the river Nuse, whose foaming rapids threat- ened to carry our light carriage and slender horses down the rocks ; the bridge being under repair, obliging us to ford. On the southern bank, rises Raleigh, the capital of the state, named after that eminent man, who, in honour of his sovereign, called the country he discovered, Virginia. The part where he landed is now included in North Carolina. LET. vii.] Runaway Slaves outlawed. 57 Its central situation, as well as the elevated and healthy spot on which it is built, entitle it to the preference as the seat of legislature j at present there seems but little business, as the planters pre- fer to take their produce direct to Newbern, near the mouth of the river. The state house is a mean structure, occupying part of the public square, facing the entrance from the north, but there are several handsome private houses within the precincts of the intended city. The state bank and other public offices being here, will conduce to its improvement, though the removal of obstructions to the naviga- tion of the Nuse would tend more than any thing else to its prosperity. The farther I proceed south, the more obvious are the evils of slavery ; few places of public resort where are not^ posted up handbills, describing the persons of runaway negroes, with offers of reward for their apprehension. One of these, under the the seals of two magistrates of Newbern, Craven county, after commanding the two described slaves to surrender themselves to their master, directs the sheriff of the said county to use all means for their apprehension ; and should the poor wretches not return immediately after publication of the said notice, sentence of outlawry is pronounced, and any person is permitted to destroy them in any way he may think proper. A miserable conveyance took me from Raleigh ; it was an old carriage, the broken springs of which were replaced with bars of hickory wood, and to these the body was attached by cords ; our horses were poor, fitter for the currier than for harness, and indeed the owner seemed aware of this, for neither of them had breech bands, so that at every 58 Lorenzo Dow and the Demi. [LET. vn. descent, we actually goaded them forward. The country is either sand, producing low brush and pine, or rock ; the road for miles, in many parts, is constructed of trunks of trees laid parallel, the in- terstices filled up with earth, sand, or any material near at hand. This being frequently washed away, you may easily guess with what ease or rapidity we travelled along : however, we rode safely about forty miles, when night coming on, and a thick wood being between us and Fayetteville, the driver and his passengers concurred in the prudence of obtain- ing fresh harness ; especially when with great se- riousness the poor fellow told us that, " in this wood Lorenzo Dow once held communication with the Devil :" offering up an ejaculatory prayer, and re- peating all the psalms and hymns his memory could furnish. We began to felicitate ourselves on es- caping the dreaded interview, when Nero's haunted imagination mistaking the sparklings of the fire flies for the appearance of an infernal, placed us in no trifling danger; for in his fright using the whip rather heavily, the horses ran furiously down the hill, and with difficulty were prevented from rushing into Cape Fear river at the bottom. A flat bot- tomed boat, or scow, was in waiting, into which the carriage was driven, and being pushed over to the opposite bank, set us down in a short time at Jor- dan's hotel, Fayetteville, where a repast and tolerable beds proved a welcome refreshment after the adven- tures and fatigues of the night. The wan and sickly countenances that now pre- sented themselves, were by no means prepossessing in favour of the country ; most of them are rem- nants of such as endeavoured to escape the ravages of the yellow fever in Charleston and other southern towns. LET. vii.] Turkey Buzzard Serpent ^Tribe. 59 This is a thriving place, doing much business in cotton, tobacco, and some grain ; many of its citi- zens are Scotchmen, who with New-Englanders are to be found wherever money is to be obtained. Notwithstanding the accounts from the south of the mortality that has prevailed so dreadfully during this last summer, the tide of emigration is not in the least stemmed : many families have encamped near this town during my stay of three days, and to all queries of " whither bound," the same answer is received, " Alabama." In this warm climate, the turkey buzzard of the vulture kind, proves a very useful bird, by discover- ing the putrid carcases of animals ; their sense of smelling, or of sight is so extremely acute, that when floating in the air at a height that diminishes them in appearance from the size of the largest turkey to that of a blackbird, they may be seen dropping down upon the fetid mass. The serpent tribe is more numerous and dangerous to the south- ward, particularly the rattlesnake; many of them ten feet and upwards in length : they generally however, endeavour to escape, and I believe always give warning of their darting upon an object, by sounding the rattles, very similar in sound to the buzzing of the large bee, though much louder; the number of the rattles is according to the age of the snake, one for each year. We now meet with the alligator, of whose subtle movements the traveller over the swamp must be always on his guard ; sometimes with his body hid, or lying on a log, i from which it is not easy to distinguish it, till some | man or beast pass, when with open mouth it runs with a swiftness that almost ensures its prey, were it not that the difficulty with which the alligator 60 Mortality. [LET vn. turns gives opportunity of escape : the only vulne- rable parts are the eye, mouth, and belly. A letter this summer from the Catawba, a river separating part of the two Carolinas, details a melancholy instance of this creature's ferocity. A man and woman were crossing a swamp near the river, when an alligator darted forward, and endeavoured to seize the woman's horse ; this so alarmed the ani- mal, that he threw her : the reptile then attacked the woman, and before assistance could be obtained, so much injured her, as to render her recovery doubtful. Fayetteville is but indifferently built ; the court- house is old, and, when not occupied by the court, is used as a place of worship ; the lower part serves for a market-place, tolerably well supplied with poultry and pork, but the butcher's meat not fit for any creature but a dog. The country not affording pasture, few horned cattle are to be seen, and rarely one to be found to give more than a quart of milk per day. During the winter, and indeed in the summer, the food of cattle and horses prin- cipally consists of the leaves of Indian corn. The aspect of the country from Fayetteville southward, does not improve ; and the wan languid countenances of the inhabitants is a distressing evidence of the manner in which disease has sported with its victims ; scarcely a house that I entered between Cape Fear river and the Great Pedee, a distance of about seventy miles, but one, two, or three, of its inmates had sunk beneath the pesti- lential blast, leaving the remainder so debilitated as to resemble moving spectres more than human beings. The chief of the journey lay through what is called the Pine Barrens ; being large tracts LET. vii.] Camden. 61 of sand, producing pitch pines, with little or no undergrowth ; nearer the rivers, some variety is met with, as the oak and cypress ; and in these swampy situations the constant humidity produces a moss that gradually covers and destroys the tree ; this is gathered, cleaned, and sent to the northern states, where it is used as a substitute for horse-hair in mattresses, chairs, &c. The dismal appearance of these swamps, whose trees seem to be thus mantled with the emblems of death ; the dark slug- gish streams tinged by decayed roots, and ruffled only by the alligator and the frog ; together with the stillness that prevails ; lead my recollections to the descriptions of the fabled Styx and Lethe. The condition in which I found the family of an innkeeper, a few miles from the Pedee, will give you some notion of the devastations of the fever in this part of the continent. He had advertised his house with all its conveniencies, for travellers, about a fortnight before ; having passed a number of houses, where unfortunate strangers had shared the fate of others, and been carried out unheeded and unknown, we came to this man's, but not to witness the usual activity of an inn ; on our knock- ing, and then opening the door, a faint voice was heard from a bed near the fire, requesting us to give him a little water : here lay the poor man, with his remaining child, having lost in that short time his wife, two sons, and one daughter. One of my fellow-travellers was now seized, but, as no relief could be obtained here, we persuaded him to proceed with us to Camden, a considerable town near the river Wateree, where we left him, though with little prospect of recovery. The coun- try for some distance to the northward of Caraden 62 Cornwall!* and Gates. [LET. vii. is elevated, the upper stratum generally sand, in some parts resting on clay, and, near the river, on limestone. Pitch-pines are the principal growth, but oak, ehesnut, and walnut, are also found ; and in the undergrowth are the whortleberry, cranberry, and myrtle-wax. Owing to the low situation of the town, and the Wateree making a bend round it, Camden is subject to fogs, and a general humidity of atmosphere, the fruitful source of agues and intermittents. A severe engagement took place in this neighbourhood, August 1780, between lord Cornwallis and general Gates ; and another between lord Rawdon and general Green, in the following April 3 in both which the British claimed the advantage, though the latter terminated in the evacuation of Camden by Rawdon. This portion of South Carolina, including the district of ninety-six, and continuing to the important post of Augusta on the Savannah river, you will recollect as having been the theatre of active and important operations during those two years, where Britain lost much blood and treasure in a useless conflict, gaining little or no military credit, and sullying the high character for mildness and humanity she had previ- ously claimed. Camden was at that time one of the principal towns next to Charleston ; it now enjoys a good trade in cotton, tobacco, and deer- skins, which will no doubt be much increased, should the pro- posed communication by canal be made between the Santee river, (into which the Wateree discharges near the old fort Motte,) and the river Ashley, at the mouth of which stands Charleston, the empo- rium of the state. Leaving my invalid, and just recovering myself LET. vii.] Columbia. Salubrious Frosts. 63 from an attack of typhus, I crossed the Wateree, here a quarter of a mile wide, and after traversing the same description of country for thirty-six miles, reached Columbia, the seat of legislature ; a situa- tion far more agreeable and healthy than Camden. This city is well laid out on an extensive sandy plain, at an elevation of about one hundred feet above the bed of the Congaree, a river about the the same width with the Wateree, its union with which, forms the Santee, the Congaree, itself being a junction of the Enoree, Saluda, Broad, and Tiger rivers. It is here broken by ledges of rock, causing in the numerous cascades, a lively contrast to the darkening foliage that hangs from the cliffs above, and presenting on the whole a picturesque scenery far different to what I have for some time seen familiar with. Columbia has been selected on account of its central, as well as its salubrious situation. The present state-house is a mean building, but another more suitable is in contemplation. Its chief orna- ment, and from which it is beginning to acquire some notoriety, is the college, an extensive build- ing east of the town, of which it commands a com- plete view. The violence of the fever has much abated under the influence of the frost, whose return has been hailed as the harbinger of the greatest blessings. Joy at escape from such a scourge, endeavours to shew itself on the pallid cheek, and all exchange congratulations as on the commencement of a new era. The weather is pleasant for travelling, and every thing still wears the garb of summer : the dog-wood is in bloom, the orange-tree exhibits a beautiful variety of colour in the ripe and unripe F2 64 EdgefcU.GHignz. 'LET. TII. fruit, and the walnut seems still loath to shake off its load. The mercury at noon varies between 65 and 70 ; mornings and evenings cool and frosty. Leaving Columbia, the country becomes more varied : extensive plantations of cotton, which are at this time ripening, have (to use an American phrase) an elegant appearance. The white tufts of cotton peeping from their dark enclosures, and em- bellished with the rich green leaves, have a singu- larly beautiful effect : " Wide o'er the speckled fields, as swelk the breeze, * A white ninr wave of vegetable down " Amosiye floats ; the kind impartial care " Of nature nou'fat disdains." The Palma Christ i also flourishes, and by the oil its nut affords, forms a profitable article of agricul- ture. The finest I have seen were in colonel Lee's garden, a few miles before we reach Edgefield, a small indifferent town, either as to its buildings, inhabitants, or neighbourhood. Edgefield court- house has to record some of the most horrid in- stances of depravity, that have perhaps ever dis- graced the human character. Here is nothing to engage attention, at least of a pleasing nature ; and the sight of one or two victims to the brutal prac- tice of gouging is sufficiently sickening to stifle the wish for any intercourse with a people capable of, or even winking at, such a practice. The manner of their executing this horrid act is, by one of the parties throwing the other to the ground, when, by dexterously entwining the fore-finger in a lock of hair to give it the effect of a fulcrum, and using the thumb as a lever, the eye is scooped out. From Edgefield my route lay through pine land, plantations of cotton, and swamp, till the Savannah LET. vii.] Amg*ita. 65 river, dividing South Carolina from Georgia, ap- peared, with the city of Augusta on the opposite bank. From this eminence, named Liberty Hill, (in commemoration of an event dear to every American, in the attainment of which it was the theatre of many signal enterprises while Augusta was in the hands of the British,) a fine prospect is obtained of the town and surrounding country; the day was favourable, and being in the afternoon, no fog obstructed the view, and the sun throwing his rays on the green and gilded china trees interspersed through the city, gave it an imposing and beautiful appearance. Between the hill and the river is a swamp nearly half a mile broad, over which is raised a causeway, communicating with the bridge, lately erected at a vast expense by Messrs. Schultz and M'Kinne of Augusta. The bridge is of timber resting on piles of the same, placed at such dis- tances, as it is supposed will allow the drift-wood to pass through in heavy freshets without endanger- ing it, as was the case with the former one. The proprietors are allowed, by grant of the legislature, to remunerate themselves by a toll, and by the privilege of issuing notes under the title of the " Augusta Bridge Company." The site of Augusta is perhaps the best in every respect that could have been selected on the river ; it is an extensive plain of sand, elevated about forty feet above the Savannah, which is here navigable for boats of large burden, and being the centre of a large planting district, the present great specula- tions in cotton have rendered it unusually busy ; ng fewer than six thousand bales were brought to the town in one day. It is the seat of justice for Richmond county, has a handsome court-house, jail, T S 66 Manners at a Tavern. [LET. vn. two churches, and a population of about live thousand, including persons of colour ; the whites are chiefly New Englanders, with some Europeans, drawn hither by the hope of gain : but eligible as is its situation for business, the marshes that nearly surround it, charging the atmosphere with pestilen- tial miasma, forbid the prospect of a long or com- fortable residence : the last summer has been very fatal ; two brothers, nurserymen, from the neigh- bourhood of Liverpool, intending to settle here, were seized soon after arrival ; one was carried oft, and the other is not expected to recover. Having letters of recommendation to this place, I have met with much attention, rendering my stay more agreeable than it could otherwise have been. The manners of a tavern company are not en- gaging, nor would their avocations permit much sociableness were they even so disposed. They consist of doctors, lawyers, merchants, clerks, mechanics, &c. summoned three times in the day, by the tavern bell, sounding twenty minutes prepa- ration for meals ; negroes are stationed at each door of the dining-room, and when the second bell announces that all is ready, they turn the key, and escape as for their lives, a general rush is made by the hungry company who were eagerly waiting out- side, and without ceremony they commence a general attack upon the smoking board. I found it vain to contend for my share with them, and therefore prudently gained admittance privately first : still I found it necessary in some measure to imitate their unceremonious manners. The titles which the landlords of the Globe Inn, where I now am, bear, sound unusual in such a connec- tion to an Englishman, and I find it difficult some- LET. vii.] Sem'mole War. Ebenezcr. 67 times to address them without a smile : one of them is a general of brigade, and a member of the legisla- ture ; his partner is a colonel, and sheriff of the district : their bar-keeper is distinguished as major ; and the superintendent of the negroes, or head waiter, is a captain : so, if it be the prerogative of high rank (as many on your side of the water imagine) to have titled attendants, few have been more honoured than your humble servant. Augusta, with the exception of the public build- ings, consists chiefly of wood-frame houses, neatly painted. A substantial range of brick build- ings have been erected by the Bridge company on the street leading from the bridge to the principal or Broad-street ; others are following the example, which will tend much to allay apprehension from fires, to which they have lately been subjected by the spirit of revolt manifested by the negroes. Poor creatures ! their state is pitiable 3 several I have seen flogged with very little mercy in front of the jail, and not a newspaper of the state, but what is disgraced with advertisements of different lots to be sold, or rewards for runaways, with their descriptions. Accounts have been received from Fort Hawkins, on the Apalachicola, of some successful expeditions of the Seminole Indians against the whites, which demand the services of my military host, and pre- vent the execution of my intended journey through the Alabama to Mobile, and thence to New Orleans. Farther advices from the frontiers led me to quit Augusta rather sooner than intended ; and bending my course south-east, I travelled over alternate sands and swamps, 68 Ebeneser. [LET. vn. " Where creeping waters ooze, '* Where marshes stagnate, and where rivers wind " That cluster rolling fogs." I cannot better describe tbe wretched appearances of the inhabitants of this wild, than by comparing them to the half-starved cotton -weavers in Manches- ter, and the neighbouring manufacturing towns. The road I now passed is by the Savannah river, presenting only one eminence before I reach Ebenezer. The summit of this hill, at the dis- tance of one hundred miles from the sea-coast, is stratified with marine shells, and in such quantities as to afford a good substitute for lime. The little town or village of Ebenezer, situated on the border of a large swamp bearing the same name, has nothing in appearance to excite a wish in the mind of a stranger, to stay ; the same pallid cheeks and sunken eyes are seen, and he would shun it as the nursery of disease and death ; yet here an incident occurred, that imparted an interest even to Ebenezer. Stopping for refreshment, I casually went into a house, (as I frequently do, sans ceremonie, to observe any peculiarity in the domes- tic economy), when the first object that caught my eye, was a portrait, in oils, of the Rev. Mr. Triebner (who was some years ago the Lutheran minister in Hull), in the attitude of speaking ; also in other parts of the house I noticed other paintings by his amiable daughter, whom you knew. The lady of the house observed my attention thus arrested, and was, as you may suppose, much pleased at seeing one who was acquainted with her late husband's family; she had not heard any thing of them of late, and I was the only person whom she had seen for a long time in any way acquainted with them. LET. vii.] Savannah. 69 Her husband, one of the venerable minister's sons, was carried off by the fever last summer. The stage was departing, and cut short an interview which was highly interesting to both parties. Passing the little church where our respected acquaintance de- clared the word of life to the German settlers here, prior to the revolutionary war, I proceeded on my journey towards Savannah, where I arrived the second day after leaving Augusta, a distance of 130 miles. No business being done in Savannah during the summer, or sickly months, it is now all activity ; nothing is heard near the water but the negroes' song while stowing away the cotton ; and every traveller from the country is questioned as to what prices produce bears, what quantities brought to market, what number of boats loaded are coming down, &c. The city is built on a bluff, about fifty feet above the river, twenty miles distant from the sea, to which the country is one continued swamp, appro- priated partly to the cultivation of rice. A large island, opposite to the town, formerly used for this grain, has been purchased by the corporation, and drained, with the hope of rendering the place more healthy ; but the continual exhalations from many miles' surface of marsh, will long prevent its citizens from enjoying a salubrious climate. Game is plentiful, such as partridges, quails, rice birds, and squirrels, offering abundant diversion for the rifle. Balls, assemblies, and the theatre, afford their quota of amusements. Savannah is improving in buildings, good brick and stone houses occupying the place of wood : its form is a parallelogram ; the streets running at right 7'0 Savannah. [LET. VH. angles, and open squares being left alternately, tend to its improvement both in health and appearance. The market is tolerably well supplied with fish and poultry, but not with butcher's meat : boarding and rents are high, which, with the great competition in trade, as at Augusta, must render the profits to the adventurer scarcely equal to the risk, or the inconveniences to which he is subject. The only defences of the city during the late war were entrenchments of earth thrown up round it, commencing at, and terminating with the river; a small fort near the mouth of the river; and the unerring rifles of a few back-woods men : the Palmetto was also made to yield its aid, with its roots strengthening the rampart, and in its lance- like leaves presenting a formidable barrier to the approach of man or beast : some great guns com- manded the passage of the river, the entrance by the Louisville turnpike, and the Thunderbolt road : the last leads down the coast, and is the only plea- sant ride near Savannah. Walking in the town, is rendered exceedingly uncomfortable by the sand, which is from three to six inches deep, becomes very hot by the sun, and is driven by every little breeze. The only favourable opportunity for walk- ing, is after rain. Here are also great numbers of turkey buzzards, which the law protects, on account of their fondness for putrid flesh, thereby removing what in this hot climate would very much increase the insalubrity. The population of Savannah does not exceed eight thousand, and a great portion of these are coloured, slave and free by no means desirable members of the community ; though of this indeed they are not allowed to be a part, being considered, LET. vii.] Savannah. 71 like the peasantry in some parts of Europe, an infe- rior order in creation : some of the coloured females are kept mistresses to the whites, causing every va- riety of shade. Accounts of fresh successes on the part of the Serninoles, have arrived here, with orders from general Jackson, (who has taken the command) for a general draft. My residence in the country has been loug enough to render me liable to militia duty ; and the plea of alienship not being allowed, fr6m the urgency of circumstances, I prefer the risk of a coastwise voyage for the northward, to the amusement of bush-fighting with the Indians. Hoping to write again from my old quarters in Philadelphia, I subscribe myself, Your's, &c. Savannah, Jan. 1818, 72 Escape from Georgia. [LET. viu. LETTER VIII. Ship Mary Augusta, Jan. 1818, off Tybee Light. In making my escape from the fatigues and dangers of a campaign among swamps and wilds, I certainly had no intention of going before the mast; this, however, seems likely to be the case with me and nine others, who have a similar distaste to a Georgian campaign against the Seminoles. The fact is, our crew have mutined, with the intent of obliging capt. P. to release them from their engagement, that they might try their fortune in a privateer under Venezuelan colours, now refitting in the harbour. They are now confined in the forecastle, and, till hunger drives them to duty, we have offered our services to the captain in working the ship. Cape Hatteras light bearing N.N.W. five leagues, three days out, and the ship's company, after an ineffectual attempt to force the scuttle, offering to return to duty ; the cook had deposited in his birth a few bushels of pea-nuts, anticipating a profitable sale of them at New York ; with these the mutineers had satisfied the first cravings of hunger, but the want of water with such food was so sensibly felt, that after strong and repeated promises of sub- mission, captain P. allowed them to muster at the gangway ; and a heavy squall coming on, gave them an opportunity of proving their contrition, and of relieving us from the troublesome employment of setting and taking in sail. LET. Yin.] ^ Storm. Weather very stormy all that day, increasing du- ring the night, which obliged us to beat off till morning: we are well supplied with provision, as meat, poultry, vegetables, liquors, and fruits, and endeavour, round the cabin fire, to make ourselves as comfortable as possible ; on nearing the land the next morning, we saw the tops of a vessel above water, supposed to be a brig which left Savannah the day before we did. Continued to meet with boisterous weather to the seventh day, when the wind blew strong right a-head ; in this situation, we remained beating about within sight of Sandy Hook lighthouse, till the Sth, when it suddenly veered round to N. E. and by E. ; our situation now became critical, and the appearance of a heavy snow-storm coming on, induced our captain to crowd all the sail the vessel could bear, to get within the bar, if possible : her lading was but light, consisting of cotton, so that you may imagine how we were tossed about from wave to wave. For three hours I sat within a cable coil on the quarter deck, watching the bearings of the different lights, and trying to discern some friendly pilot putting off, in answer to our signals of distress ; but in vain. Captain P.'s calmly-delivered orders, " mind your weather helm," and, " stand by your haulyards," met with the quick reply, " ay, ay, Sir," and were as steadily obeyed : when darkness was beginning to obscure every thing from sight, save the lights which now and then glimmered through the falling snow, when our sense of danger was increased, by hearing the furious surf loud breaking on the shore, our ship obeyed the helm, and our anchor was dropped within the Horse-shoe. Happy did we think ourselves resting in safety, when in the course of the night G 74 Sufferings of the British Emigrants. [LET. YJII. were heard the minute-guns of other vessels con- tending with those dangers we had just escaped. A few hours sleep, and a hearty breakfast the next morning, seemed to obliterate all recollection of past perils, especially when with a fine breeze we found ourselves standing into the harbour of New York. The first intelligence I received on landing was, of the heavy loss Britain had sustained in the death of Her Royal Highness the Princess Char- lotte, who, by her virtues and courteous manners, had endeared herself to the whole nation, and bid fair to correct, by her noble example, that dissoluteness of manners which was so prevalent in all ranks, that it .ceased to be disgraceful ; to this cause may Britain attribute many of her disasters, and much of her internal uneasiness. The change from a Georgian winter, at a temperature from 45 to 70* to that of New York at 25 and upward, is very perceptible ; but severe as it is, 'tis preferable. Numbers of our countrymen are now suffering the effects of their intemperance and idleness, and may be met with soliciting means to maintain them in the same course of miserable existence. The majority deserve no commiseration, unless it be for their ignorance and misery, which reduce them far below the negro slave in the scale of reason. In no particular is the distinction between the two coun- tries more apparent, than in the capabilities every American (at least in the northern and eastern states), possesses of profiting by the talents of others. The education of their children has been considered to be of the greatest importance ; all receive the first rudiments, and, according to their inclinations and intended spheres of life, are farther advanced in the acquirements of knowledge. It is to the moral, LET. viii.] Elizabeth Town. as well as physical strength of her population, that the new world owes her present greatness, and on this basis alone must she expect to stand ; while Europe, from its heterogeneous composition, is con- tinually exposed to the machinations and caprices of a few despots, who live but for themselves, and look upon the mass of people over whom they rule, as brutes created for their pleasure. Excuse this digression, and, if you please, once more cross the Hudson, and join me at Elizabeth Town, in New Jersey, a neatly built town, situated in a fertile, well-cultivated district, which supplies not only the markets of New York with fruit, vege- tables, poultry, &c. but exports large quantities of cider and apples to Charleston, Savannah, and other southern ports : it has also derived considerable benefit from carriage-building, and, by the steady industry of its inhabitants, has suffered less, perhaps, than any other place, by the vexatious fluctuations of commerce. Prevented by the frost from travelling by the steam-boat, and a heavy snow-fall impeding the progress of wheel -carriages, I avail myself of the convenient and pleasant mode of sleighing. The skin of a buflaloe at my back, and that of a bear under my feet, with a well-spread table every two or three hours, perfectly reconcile me to an Ameri- can winter. This is the amusement of the young people, parties of whom I frequently meet enjoying themselves, at a season which does not admit of business. In this way I rambled through a consi- derable part of New Jersey, and at length reach Philadelphia, to the surprise of my friends there, who had given me up as one of the numerous vic- tims to the sweeping fevers of the south. G2 76 Dr. Wistar. [LET. vm. Philadelphia has sustained a heavy loss, by the death of Dr. Caspar Wistar, president of the Philo- sophical Society, and Professor of Anatomy, a man who had the happy art of engaging the affections of his pupils, and by his talents, had raised the univer- sity of this city to a very high degree of respectabi- lity. As the season is not favourable to farther wander- ings, I purpose to take up my quarters here till the spring opens, when you may expect to hear of the progress of Yours, &c. LET. ix.] Departure for the West. 77 LETTER IX. Philadelphia, May, 1818. JUST returned from New York, after arranging for the regular communication with my English friends, I now prepare for my projected western tour : my luggage is forwarded to Pittsburg, at the rate of five dollars per lOOlb. it being my intention to leave Philadelphia on foot, with a farmer from Hertford- shire, and to vary my plan according to circum- stances. The number of emigrants to this country continues to increase, notwithstanding the reports of the misery and distress they are likely to suffer, which are carried back to England by the disappointed individuals who return. They seem to be driven from their own country, by the distresses that prevail there ; in- creased by oppressive taxation, and the haughty spirit manifested by a portion of the population, who arrogate to themselves the distinctive title of higher orders. Were vice, immorality, or any thing the opposite of what their established religion pre- scribes, the honourable distinctions of man, then such a title may be their due. But, with all your liberality and full conviction, that mankind is bound to obey the great Creator, that understanding and conscience are given them for guides, and not to obey the capricious mandates of their fellow-mortals ; you say, a truce with such reflections. In compli- ance with your supposed request, I drop them, cross the Schuylkill, and enter on the great western c3 78 German Prudence and Industry. [LET. ix. road, not a solitary traveller, but in view of multi- tudes passing and repassing, on foot, horseback, and carriages of various kinds. The counties of Chester and Lancaster, through which I pass, do credit to the judgement and industry of the German settlers, most of them being in their possession. Well-cultivated fields and gardens, with good barns and stables, mark their comfort and prosperity ; the plenty that spreads their table, shews also the difference between their situation here, and what it would be if in Europe, where from the continual round of taxes, tithes, and rents, the farmer is under the necessity of sending the choicest part of his produce to market : should his friends visit him, he may exhibit his flocks, his fields, his stock, but they only serve to point him out as the servant of others, who allow him a trifling compen- sation for his care : he cannot take a turkey or a goose from his yard for their entertainment, without entrenching upon his means of paying the next assessment. The country much improves in appearance, compared with the immediate vicinity of Philadelphia, where the soil is but indifferent. The mower sharpening his scythe, with the busy haymakers, present a sweet relief to one tired with the bustling din of a city life : my companion, the farmer, frequently remarks the fruitfulness of the lands, at the same time censuring their mode of culture, and inveighing strongly against the apparent indolence of the people. A short resi- dence among them will probably convince him, that in some respects, their system is judicious, and may perhaps render him equally indolent. It is strange to him, to see them so much at ease, forgetting that here the agriculturist is not goaded by oppres- LET. ix.] IVe&tchester Strasburgh. 79 sive burdens, and perplexed how to meet his expen- diture ; he sees no printed notices in their houses, " all taxes to such a date, must be paid at my office, &c, 5" what taxes are levied, are by the consent of all, and are readily paid without such a galling sum- mons. The neat little town of Westchester, seat of justice for Chester county, first receives and enter- tains us with a sample of the living we may expect : the sight of his national favourite roast beef, tempts the wanderer from Hertfordshire, to bless the con- stitution and the government which does not inter- cept the fruits of honest industry. The sweetly scented rose, peeping over the enclo- sure, regales me as I walk along; and the healthy countenances which appear at every house, so diffe- rent to the miserable lingerers among the Georgian swamps, excite a wish to remain an inhabitant of this delightful region. Strasburgh, an inconsiderable place, and Lancaster, one of the largest inland towns in Pennsylvania, are pleasantly situated, and attract the traveller's atten- tion by an air of general neatness. At a few miles west of the latter, we reach Columbia, a little thriving place, beautifully situated on the Susque- hanna, enjoying a good trade in lumber and grain, and drawing from the river additional variety for their tables in the fine rock and other fish with which it abounds. By a wooden bridge of a mile and a quarter in length, with a roof and openings on the sides to admit light, and the usual notice, " keep to the right as the law directs," and (f a penalty for smoking segars while passing over," I reach the opposite bank. Here the romantic prospect formed by the river, broken by rapids that contrast them- 80 German Host. [LET. ix. selves with the dark rocks, varied with green foliage, the buildings of Columbia, the bridge, the fishing parties on the river, altogether form a rich treat to the eye. Turning our backs on this rich landscape, we journey onward to York, whose spires and good brick buildings impress us, while at a distance, with a favourable opinion of it, and we are not disap- pointed ; it has a handsome market-house, and, if I may judge by our tavern table, it is well supplied. We now find ourselves gradually on the ascent ; pass the night a few miles distant from York ; and enter on the month of June, with a sight of the first range of mountains. Our host is an unlettered German, who sold himself for two years, to defray the expense of his passage thirty years ago, and has now amassed upwards of thirty thousand dollars, by farming, trading, and his tavern : his children enjoy the benefits of education, and the daughters, emulous of their mother, show so much notableness, and good domestic management, that our young farmer, perhaps counting the dollars, fancies them equal to the Hertfordshire lasses. In the morning, we take leave of the old German, much amused, and per- haps benefited, by his history; and with spirits light, take up our line of march " Sweet is the breath of morn, her rising sweet " With charm of earliest birds." As we ascend the mountains, our eyes continually wander over the vast extent of wooded vale, beau- tifully dotted with hamlets and towns, the residence of liberty and ease. When we have gained the summit of one hill, others present their brush mantled ridges, and extend far as the eye can reach. LET. ix.] Chambersburgh Bedford. 81 The next town of any consequence is Chambersburgh, 143 miles from Philadelphia, where I leave the farmer, continue my route by the old military post, Fort Loudon, and come to Bloody Run, so named, in consequence of the massacre, by the Indians, of a party who were escorting provisions for the unfortu- nate Braddock, and had incautiously encamped in this narrow pass for the night : their fires betrayed them to their watchful enemy, who left but one or two to re- late the fate of their companions. From this theatre of carnage, I pass on to Bedford, a small town, on a branch of the river Juniata, lately come into notice for its medicinal springs. It is at present crowded with company from all parts of the Union ; the merchant of New York, the Kentucky planter, the critical Philadelphian, the hospitable Marylander, and the polite Virginian, here meet, and, by their general conviviality, contribute perhaps more than its springs to the benefit of the invalid. The winding and rocky Juniata, reminds me of your favourite Wye : its banks offer many very romantic spots, and furnish the best iron ore in the country. From Bedford to Shellstown, at the foot of the Allegany, is principally sand and gravel, interspersed with some good land, with a clear and delightful air. Up this great barrier between east and west America, many a traveller tugs his weary way, and with frequent gasp, turns him round to view the progress he has made; but far he cannot see: behind, before, appears the mountain covered with wood of wildest growth, " That fWming high in air, a woodland choir, " Nods o'er the mount beneath." The dogwood, the locust, and the mountain ash, Graham s Tavern. [LET. ix. with their gay and varied bloom, are handsome reliefs to the sombre oak, whose sturdy arms protect him from the blast. Descending the western side, I rest awhile at Stot- ler's inn, where, to witness the numbers that pass in each direction, one is ready to ask " Wl o can recount what transmigrations here " Are annual made ? what nations come and go ?" i Waggoners, and travellers of all descriptions, stop at this far-famed inn, which you will smile to hear is but a rudely constructed log-house, only calculated for a small family; a brick wing has lately been added. In one of the apartments, I touched a very soft-toned pianoforte. You must not suppose the elegant accompaniments of civilized life, are confined to your quarter of the globe ; though the excessive refinement that characterizes a small portion of European population does not generally prevail, yet you will not meet here with that coarse vulgarity, and obsequious servility, which disgraces the majority in the old world. A few miles of indifferent swampy road bring me in sight of Stoys- town, a healthy elevated situation ; and I take up my quarters at Graham's tavern, a well-furnished house, offering a ready answer to the traveller's wants. Mr. Graham's manner manifests that he does not consider himself under any obligation to his guests ; neither do they think of endeavouring to convince him to the contrary, excepting a young countryman of ours, who for his ridiculous airs was ordered to quit the house. Every thing we can wish for is provided, and so much real attention paid, that all the party wishes another visit to Graham's inn. LET. ix.] Somerset 'Connellsville. 83 i/Mwe21st. I turned now toward the south, and had a pleasant ride of ten miles, to Somerset, through woods where mulberries and cherries, with the may-apple (podophyllum peltatum) ripening, offer themselves to allay the traveller's thirst, and to gratify his taste. Somerset is the seat of justice for the county, and did derive considerable advantage from its being a posting town on the great western road, till that was carried through Stoystown, which has affected it materially. My landlord, whose house is not unaptly styled " The Traveller's Rest," is a remnant of the revolution, and feels a pride in recounting the compaigns shared with his distinguished leader, whose portrait, in a gilded frame, decorates the din- ing-room, together with his signature, constituting captain Webster a member of the Cincinnati Society. Early on the 23d, I took leave of the veteran, and directed my course towards Connellsville, by a most rugged road over Laurel Hill : after walking about fourteen miles, I overtook a middle-aged man, and finding that he was bound to the same place, we agreed to keep in company. Society beguiles the way, and we jog on, though not with- out a hearty wish that our lodging were in sight. Weary as we are, we halt a few minutes to enjoy the rich prospect before us, over the states of Pennsyl- vania, Maryland, and Virginia, from the summit of the last eminence, before we descended into Connellsville, a neat brick-built town, extending down the hill to the river Yoghiogany, which joins the Monongahela a few miles below, winding to- wards it through a romantic vale. This town is dependent chiefly on the iron-works 84 . Brewnsville. [LET. ix. in the neighbourhood for support ; there are also paper, fulling, saw, and grist mills, for which the numerous streams rising among the surrounding hills are well adapted. Here I found a comfortable resting place for about three days, under the hospitable roof of Mr. T. to whom I had an introduction. You who have never been so far from home, can scarcely rea- lize the solace I enjoyed in this remote part of the world, in the society of those who knew many of my relatives, and who testified the respect in which they held their memory, by the most friendly treatment of me as their representative. In my way from Connellsville to Browns- ville, I crossed general Braddock's line of march, lying among narrow defiles and fastnesses, of which his enemy well knew how to take advantage. Human bones were turned up lately near the former town, which are generally supposed to be the remains of that unfortunate party. Brownsville is well situated on the Monongahela and Dunlap's creek, which separates it from Bridgeport. Its importance is likely to be increased, by the national road from Washington city running through it. The remains of an old fort are still seen near the town : and it is known as much by the name of Old Fort, as by that of Brownsville. Here are manufactories of window-glass, black- glass, and some earthenware, which with fruit, cider, spirits, grain, and castings, are sent down the river to various parts of the country. In point of climate and aspect, this part is perhaps the finest in Pennsylvania ; rich and extensive prospects are seen on all sides, similar to what you have in Here- fordshire and Monmouthshire ; the sunbeams point- LET. ix.] Arks. 85 ing out (as there) the windings of far nobler streams : broken as it is by rocks, much of it is rich soil ; and where not so, it is rich beneath in coal and iron. The veins of coal appear in the sides of the hills, not requiring the trouble and expense of most of your mines in England. Several arks, or flat- bottomed boats, dropping down to Wheeling with glass, afforded me a favourable opportunity of viewing some of the beauties of the Monongahela. Without any other engagement than that of now and then lending d hand at the roughly-shaped oars, I joined them ; and if you recollect our excursion up the Wye, to Tin tern -Abbey, you will have some idea of the scenery around me : at every turn of the river, farms, towns, bold and impending rocks, and fer- tile slopes, successively presented themselves to my delighted eyes. Wishing to see an Englishman, settled about twenty miles below Brownsville, I left the floating box or ark about nine at night, and made towards a light glimmering at a distance, frequent flashes of lightning affording the only light by which to scramble up the bank : Then issues forth the storm with sudden burst, And hurls the whole precipitated air Down in a torrent. The mountain thunders ; while The dark way-faring stranger breathless toils, And often faliing, climbs against the blast." After wandering in this manner about half a mile, I came to the sign of the Eagle, glad of shelter for the night. The next morning I went to Mr. A. A.'s. He has been in this country about twenty years, and 86 Luxury and Simplicity. [LET. ix. expresses not the least wish to return, though it is highly gratifying to him to hear of England, and of his friends. He took me in the evening through a thick wood of maple trees, from which he makes annually several hundred pounds weight of excel- lent sugar, to see one of his brothers-in-law, a farmer also ; whose situation, &c. may be described as a fair specimen of the Pennsylvanian, or rather west-country farmer. His house is of hewn logs, divided into two rooms below, with a chamber over one part of them ; a kitchen, smoke-house, spring- house, used as a dairy, detached ; besides a large log-barn, stables, and cider-press. The family were at supper, (at seven in the evening,) to which the friend of their relative was invited to join them ; it consisted of tea, coffee, buckwheat cakes, corn- cakes, bread and butter, toast, biscuits, chickens roasted and fricasseed, poached eggs, dried beef and venison, cheese, apple and pumpkin pies, pickled cabbages, cucumbers, beets, and peaches ; preserved apples, grapes, quinces, peaches, plums, and cherries, with rich clouted cream ; the table- cloth was home made : after supper we adjourned into another room, carpeted also with home manu- facture; the beds and the dresses of the family were furnished in the same way, which would be with difficulty distinguished from English. The evening concluded with a dessert of peaches, apples, cherries, mulberries, cider, currant wine, and cherry brandy. Every thing, except the tea and coffee, was the produce of his farm, about two hundred acres ; the taxes upon which do not amount to six dollars in the year. With Mr. A. and his brother I remained two or three days : taking leave about four in the morning of July 4th, in passing the LET. ix.] Elizabeth-Town. 87 house, which exhibited so much of patriarchal luxury and simplicity, I saw the daughters (who the evening before did the honours of the table, with as much ease and gentility as any of our city ladies,) each on a three-legged stool, attending to the first duty of the dairy : here is a spot, ' Where simple nature reigns." * Progressive truth, the patient force of thought, ' Investigation calm, whose silent pow'rs ' Command the world : the light that leads to heaven, * Kind equal rule, the government of laws, ' And all protecting freedom, which alone ' Sustains the name and dignity of man, ' These are theirs." Those were England's best days, when domestic duties were attended to, when her daughters were not ashamed to use the distaff, untainted by the ridiculous absurdities of fashionable life. For six cents I am ferried across the Mononga- hela at Elizabeth-town, seven miles from Mr. A/s : an additional fourteen miles over hilly ground, bring me within sight of Pittsburgh, successively the French fort Du Quesne, the British fort Pitt, and the American fort Fayette. This is the anniver- sary of Independence, and is celebrated by dis- charges of cannon, parading of the different militia and volunteer corps, parties of pleasure on the heights round the city, and on the river : the Irish, who are numerous in this neighbourhood, are testi- fying their sense of the blessings resulting from that day, by copious libations of their favourite whisky. A ferry-boat for three cents more, landed me on the right bank of the river, where I endeavoured to meet with a quiet house, for rest from this day's fatigue : other travellers came in, and among them one, who, in answering the common salutation, H2 88 Lancashire Emigrants. [LET. ix. " You are travelling, stranger, I guess ?" soon con- fessed his native soil, " Whoy, aye, Fne bowght a bit o' lond like, dane th* river." " Man !" was the reply to this unintelligible jargon ; which was con- tinued by (( A terrible thick wooded kuntry this, for sure ; I dunnert know ha ever 'th 'owd woman '11 stond it," to the no small amusement of the company, who by this time had gathered round to hear the stranger's tale; and of none in it more than, Yours, &c. LET. x,] Pittsburgh. 89 LETTER X. Pittsburgh, July, 1818. To this place is the attention directed of every one, who speaks of America and her prospects. To it the emigrant looks ; and if he asks, which is the most flourishing town, or where he is the most likely to succeed, in almost any branch he may mention, f( Pittsburgh," is the answer. Ad- vantages it certainly has, perhaps equal to those of any other town in the Union. Situated at the con- fluence of the Monongahela and Allegany rivers, each of which is navigable at certain seasons, for two or three hundred miles, it receives the produce of a great extent of country ; and being at the head of the Ohio, (the name those two confluent rivers now assume,) it becomes the entrepot of all goods purchased by the Western from the Atlantic states. In addition to this, its inexhaustible beds of coal and iron point it out as an eligible spot for the establishment of manufactories. The last war with England brought it into notice in this respect ; and had those who engaged in various branches acted with more caution, their property might not have suffered such diminution by the influx of British goods since the peace. But the American, like the British merchant, seems to have been duped by the glittering prospects held out by speculation. This delusive hope it was, which, like magic, raised the various manufactories of glass, iron, lead, and linen, whose chimneys, like so many volcanoes, send forth their darkening volumes, and frequently H 3 DO The Ohio. [L*T. x. obscure the town from view; the hills around it preventing the smoke from escaping, and returning it upon the town. Hollow glass ware, black and white, with flint glass, are made in considerable quantities, and sent down the river. Iron castings,' cabinet-work, tanning, saddlery, tin-ware, and boat building, are carried on largely, employing numerous hands, and large capitals, either real or fictitious. I now address you from under the hospitable roof of Mr, P. who, with his accomplished lady, reflect credit on the English name. *He has lived in the United States eighteen years, convinced that every comfort attainable in this life, may be procured here. He has repeatedly visited England since his first passage across the Atlantic, but always returned with a higher opinion of this country. Owing to the continuance of drought at this sea- son, some inconvenience is at times felt by boats in attempting to pass the shoals below Pittsburgh. The water has now risen a few inches, which causes much activity among those who wish to de- scend, and I must not neglect the opportunity; though I assure you, in the language of Virginia, that I leave Pittsburgh with a heap of regret. You now find me, July 22d, with six other travellers, on board the Commodore M'Donough, of fifty tons, floating down the smooth surface of the Ohio. Some of my fellow- travellers are store- keepers or merchants, returning from Philadelphia and New- York, where they have been purchasing goods, which constitute the principal part of our lading. Each of us has laid in provisions for the voyage ; and a spirit of accommodation prevailing, it is agreed to form one common stock. One of the party, in consequence LET. x.] The Ohio. 91 of drinking too freely of water, porter, and coffee, and of exposure to the night air, has suffered severely from a bowel complaint, and experiences the advantage of my medicine chest ; twenty drops of laudanum, and an additional covering, have relieved him. July 24th. Yesterday we grounded three times, requiring the united exertions of crew and passen- gers to move the barge. The last time, it got so far on a bar, owing to the strength of the current, but more from not attending to the channel, that we were obliged to discharge the cargo. Having procured a flat boat as a lighter, and additional hands, we landed the chief of it, forced the barge over the bar into deep water, and are this morning reloading her, having passed the night in an active though not very agreeable manner, with the morti- fication of seeing four boats pass us. Our misfor- tune is, however, in some degree counterbalanced by the luxury of some tine Indian corn and rich inilk, from a farm at a little distance from our encampment ; it is a log-house, (which from its appearance a Berkshire farmer would hesitate to turn his cattle into,) occupied by a man, his wife, and fourteen children, in regular gradation from six feet to one; with a fair prospect of farther enrich- ing the happy father, instead of his impoverish- ment, as in some countries. Mr. Malthus would not be understood here. Two beds appear below ; and how many above, I know not. Having com- pleted our lading, we get under weigh, and passing the town of Beaver, again strike upon a ledge of rock and gravel, about three miles below : our men are too much fatigued with the exertions of yester- day and this morning, to think of any thing farther The Ohio. [LET. x. than reconciling ourselves to our situation for the night. 25th. Early this morning we commenced un- loading, and though a heavy and continued rain affords some prospect of releasing us, yet it increases our present discomforts. A bad landing place, a clay bank, with very high ground above, from which the waters descend on our encampment, are great inconveniences, which may tend to enhance our future pleasures. The country people tender their assistance to remove the plunder ; an expres- sion which conveys no favourable opinion of them, nor supposes they think well of us. 26th, Sunday. Whilst you are keeping this a day of rest, we are in the Ohio, using our utmost endeavours to move our grounded vessel : by labori- ous perseverance we succeed, work her nearly a mile up stream, reload, and prepare for fresh adventures. 27th. A night's rest enables us to resume our course with fresh spirit : the sun rises as with renewed strength, and dissipating the morning mist, opens to our view a delightful prospect, which with all due deference to Dr. Syntax, is truly picturesque. Imagine a stream above half a mile wide ; its lofty and alternately sloping banks clothed with a luxuri- ant verdure ; the woods varied with every hue and shade, through which may frequently be discerned the woodsman's hut of logs, squared by no rule of architecture, but admirably adapted to form the rural scene ; and you will acknowledge the appro- priateness of its French name, " La belle Riviere." I want only the triple enjoyment of participation, to increase the pleasure felt in contemplating the beauties of this majestic river, deserving to be celebrated by the poet and the artist. LET. x.] Georgetown Steubenvllle. 93 We touch at Georgetown, consisting of about a dozen log-houses, one-fourth of which are taverns, designated by a creaking sign in front, and probably a barrel of whisky, for the entertainment of travel- lers. The (e calculations" of the landlord are entertaining, though sometimes tedious to his guest, who is more desirous of satisfying his own appetite, than the other's curiosity, who calculates he is travelling, calculates he is a merchant, or mechanic, or seeking work, calculates he is going to the territory, and calculates till all his powers of arithmetic are exhausted. At noon we pass the boundary of Pennsylvania, exchanging it for Ohio on the right, and Virginia on the left, and secure the barge for the night at a plantation or farm on the Virginian side, from which we supply our stock with vegetables, poultry, fruit, and milk. It is a log-house, neatly furnished, and the family (man, wife, two sons, and three finely expressive-featured daughters,) well clad in home-manufacture. Next morning early, we put the oars in motion, making a short stay at Steubenville, a place of con- siderable business on the right bank, named in compliment to Baron Steuben. A woollen manu- factory has lately been established here, which, after encountering many difficulties through want of experienced hands, high wages, and sometimes a scarcity of the raw material, seems likely to suc- ceed. The inhabitants perceive they are interested in promoting the prosperity of their own country, and not in supporting another, which may probably be their enemy. Steubenville is better situated than many towns on the Ohio, being on elevated ground, and not liable to be inconvenienced by any sudden rise of the river. 94 Wellsburgh Wheeling. [LET . x . Lower down, we call at Wellsburgh, (formerly Charlestown), on the left, to land some packages addressed to it : much business is done here in delft and stone ware, besides the storage of produce from the neighbouring country. Thence floating down, Warren, with a few straggling huts, dignified by their projectors with the title of towns, are seen at different bends of the river. Passing many ro- mantic wooded islands, we arrive at Wheeling on the same side, (Virginia), a place growing into im- portance, being on the national road ; and the river being at all seasons navigable from it downwards, many prefer it to Pittsburgh as a place of embarka- tion. It would prove a needless repetition, to continue the attempt to realize the beauties of this noble river to your imagination, as I pass down. On the dawn of one of the loveliest days this month, (July) can boast, we entered a bend of the river, named Long Reach, which for boldness and grandeur of prospect exceeds what I had hitherto thought in- comparable : the banks on either hand trimmed with farms, some, whose owners possess ideas not merely of comfort and ease, but also of elegance ; good brick buildings, commanding fine views of the water; over which is seen the weeping willow, and, planted by the hand of nature, the lofty branching sycamore. Our glasses discern them to be well furnished, and excite our appetites with the sight of many a well-spread table. Three islands, at nearly equal distances, covered with oak, willow, and other trees, divide the stream, furnishing a fine contrast to the light shade of dis- tance : the sounds of boats' crews tuning to their oars, and of the planter's horn calling the family LET. x.] Marietta. 95 to meals, all unite to make a delightful impression on the senses, which I long for you to participate in. 30th. Marietta, at the mouth of the Muskingum, settled and inhabited chiefly by persons from New- England. The injudicious situation of the streets fronting the water, has very much retarded the prosperity of the town, and prevented its being, as was intended, the depot for the district contiguous to the Muskingum. On every rise of the water, the front houses are inutadated, even to the second story ; an inconvenience which, at the distance of six or seven hundred yards from the river they would have been exempt from. Two brick churches, rather handsome structures, a bank, court-house, land- office, log-jail, and many good, even elegant private buildings, (in some of which, letters pro- cured me very polite attentions), and you have a description of Marietta. On the opposite or right bank of the Muskingum, are the remains of Fort Harmar ; and on the left, near the town the atten- tion of the curious is engaged by the remains of fortifications, concerning whose origin even tradi- tion itself is silent, and conjecture is baffled. They were certainly the works of a people acquainted with the rules of active and defensive warfare. The plough has lately reduced these earthen monuments of antiquity, leaving only parts of two entrench- ments, which appear to have been connected by a covered way, and a mound, probably intended as a memento of some event, or the cemetery of parti- cular individuals : whatever be the date of their erection, what was their design, or who were their founders, as nothing satisfactory will probably ever 96 GaHiopotli. [ LET. x. be kDOwn, they will perhaps form the basis on which a romance writer may found some wondrous tale. The numerous islands that dot the surface of the Ohio, give a richness and variety to its views, which charm the eye, and lead me sometimes to regret the steady progress of the Commodore M'Donough, which bears us on by Point Pleasant, a name very appropriately bestowed on the outlet of the Big Kanhawa, noted in this part of the country for the quality, as well as quantity of salt, manufactured and forwarded on its waters. Galliopolis, Gallia county, next appeared, with its neatly painted frame and brick houses, the resi- dence of a body of French emigrants, who, in the choice of situation, have evinced their usual dis- crimination : it has some of the richest soil I have yet seen on the river, is on a second bank, and rarely affected by inundation. To obviate the in- conveniences arising from confusion between their titles to the land, and those of the Ohio Land Com- pany, Congress granted to these emigrants a tract of land lower down the river, to which some of them have removed. August 2nd, Sunday. Our captain is a New- Englander, and recollecting the observance of the sabbath, (to which from infancy they are accus- tomed, more particularly in the eastern states , directs the oars to be taken in, and suffers his vessel to float down with the current, now about 2 j miles in an hour. The day is delightfully serene : silence prevails, save the woodpecker's hoarse note, re- sounding through the wood, with the blue-bird's warble of praise to nature's God, and now and then the sound of human voices, in concert offering their LEI. x.] May smile Election. 97 tribute to the Supreme. It seems, indeed, a day of rest. We land at Portsmouth, a neat town on the Big Scioto, and attend public worship in the court- house, where is exhibited a degree of decorum and attention on the part of the audience, and a zeal in the preacher, truly pleasing; many of his hearers are from a distance, leaving their light waggons and horses near the place.* Again embarking, we drop gently down the stream, till the last ray of the setting sun invites repose ; and as the water is rather low, it is deemed prudent to heave to for the night. Resuming our course next morning, we come to Maysville, for- merly called Limestone, seat of justice for Mason county, Kentucky; an old accustomed landing place, on the route from Pittsburgh to Louisville, and whence much produce is forwarded to New- Orleans. An election for Congress is now taking place, which though it occasions little disputes between individuals, is not attended with those dis- graceful outrages on civil order you have sometimes witnessed at contested elections. We sup and sleep at the house of major Chambers, under no appre- hensions of broken windows or insult from the op- posite party. A part of our cargo directed to this place is dis- charged, which is replaced by a few bales of flax, and barrels of whisky, addressed to Louisville : the * Here I recollected the objection often urged by many against the western settlements, that a serious person would be out of the way of those religious advantages he has been accus- tomed to in England. Whatever grounds may have been f r this formerly, I am persuaded that at present, it is no more ap- plicable to this country than to Britain. The attention paid in both countries, to mornl and religious instruction, is a very en- couraging feature of the present age. I 98 Floating Shop. [LET. x. cable is loosed, every oar in" motion, and we soon lose sight of Maysville. We meet several boats coming up the river, some using a tow-line, but the greater part forced against the stream by poles. We hail each other with all the importance of mer- chantmen on the ocean. " Who commands that boat? Where are you from? Where bound? What's your cargo ?" concluding with, " Will you report us ?" Like the generality of inland navi- gators, their crews are a profligate lawless set. 4th. The pretty town of Augusta, Bracken county, Kentucky, detains us for a few hours ; it is well situated on a second bank, adorned with a range of Lombardy poplars, fronting the river, and interests from containing antiquities similar to those on the Muskingum ; many human remains have been found, with remnants of arrows, and baked ware ; one collection, (which might lead to the supposition of its having been the scene of a san- guinary action), contained nearly a hundred sculls : near the spot where these were found, are the ap- pearances of several graves lying east and west, trimmed round with flat stones, inserted perpendi- cularly. Here we met with a boat, furnished with a counter, shelves, and most articles of grocery, liquors, drapery, glass, iron, and queen's-ware ; the sounding of a horn, with a flag hoisted on a pole, giving notice to the inhabitants of either bank, that they may be supplied from its store. On the morning of the 5th, we came in sight of the principal town on the river, Cincinnati, Ha- milton county, Ohio; which from being a small fort, twenty-seven years ago, to check the predatory excursions of the Indians, now boasts of a popula- tion of nearly 13,0.00. The numbers of vessels of LET. x.] Cincinnati. 99 all descriptions and sizes, from the skiff to the brig, almost prevent our barge from finding moorings : on landing, some exertion is necessary to press through the crowd of men, carts, and horses, who are all engaged in the commerce of this inland port. The spot selected for its erection is the first, second, and third banks, the latter between two and three miles in extent, and one in width ; the hills around, giving it the appearance of an exten- sive amphitheatre. Through the unceasing kindness of Dr. S. (Phi- ladelphia), since my arrival in the States, I receive the most polite attention from Mr. D. general G. and captain M. rendering my stay here very agree- able, and affording me much information, calculated to assist me in the main object I have in view. Cincinnati^ August 9M. 10O Cincinnati. Ferry Damsel. [LET. xi. LETTER XL Cincinnati, Sept. 1818. DATING this sheet whence I last addressed, you will expect to know how the last month has been employ- ed, perhaps not uselessly, certainly not indolent- ly. Provided with a pocket compass, maps of the states of Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois, the condensed information of the gentlemen mentioned in my last, an umbrella as shelter from both sun and rain, and a change of summer clothing, I commenced my ramble, August 10th, by ascending the steep hills that are in the rear of Cincinnati on the north, and passing through the small towns of Reading and Mechanicsburgh, entered Lebanon as a pedestrian ; a distance of thirty-two miles, through an undulating country of forest, interspersed with patches of corn, and orchards, from which I plentifully regaled my- self with fruit. Lebanon, the county seat for Warren, is a con- siderable town, well built of brick, near Deer Creek, has a brewery, two printing offices, and many stores, transacting considerable business. Directing my steps eastward, I came to the Little Miami, at this time not more than twenty yards in width. There being no traveller at the ferry-house but myself, many hands were not necessary to ply the oar ; but I did not expect (what some on your side would think a little complimentary,) to be attended by one of the prettiest damsels that ever decended from fairest Eve ; neat, expressive in her LET, xi.] Little Miami. 101 person and -features, and agile in her movements, she tripped gaily down the hill, loosed her canoe from its moorings, seated herself at the stern with the paddle in one hand, and, with a modesty that delighted me, requested the stranger to take his place in front 5 every thing adjusted, with great dexterity in the use of the paddle, she landed me in a few moments on the opposite bank, received the ferriage of three cents, and with good wishes for my journey, soon regained the bank she had left. " And are these," thought I, " the manners of the contemned inhabitants of the west.? Ah, Europe ! with pride might you exult, were such the characteristics of your population ! improved un- derstandings coupled with benevolence, hospitality, and virtue." The banks on either side of the Little Miami are lofty, and covered with timber of larger growth than any I have hitherto observed, principally chesnut and hickory. On the summit of the eastern bank, I noticed another of those ancient forts, more perfect than those of the Muskingum. It is a square, covering several acres, having an inner and an outer work, and from its position must have been one of strongest posts in the country. In the first settlement of the wilderness, as it was termed, (and a title by which most on your side think it ought to be still designated,) the cabin of a settler became the object of attraction to all who had occasion to travel through it ; his name was passed from one to another, and at last became, with towns and rivers, a point of distance on the rout. I now inquire the distance to Van Maitre's (though he has been dead some years,) an old accustomed resting place ; the daubed imitation of an eagle, i3 1O2 Chilicothe. [LET.XI. with the Dutchman's name beneath, tell the travel- ler where wanderers like himself were once enter- tained : the accommodations it offers, though at one time desirable, are not sufficiently engaging to prevent my weary limbs from bearing me on to Harris's, about two miles beyond, a large well fur- nished brick house, where, for sixty-eight cents (about 3s.), I am amply refreshed with supper, bed, and breakfast the next morning, presenting such a variety in fish, flesh, and foul, as you would scarcely meet with at a first-rate hotel in England. The distance from Lebanon to this place is forty-two miles. About forty more through wooded swamp and highland, brought me to Chilicothe on the Scioto, accomplishing it in four days sufficiently at ease to allow observation, and when, by the ther- mometer (77 to 80) you would suppose the heat oppressive. The seat of legislature, previous to its present central situation at Columbus, vibrated between this town and Zanesville ; that circumstance tended to its advantage, together with its eligible position on the Scioto, being the route from Pittsburgh to Louisville, and having a rich back country. With all these in its favour, Chilicothe has had one serious obstacle to contend with, and which indeed must counterbalance those local advantages so largely possessed. From the charter granted by Charles to Virginia, her bounds were indeterminate ; Kentucky, now one of the first states in the Union, was but a county, and she claimed authority over the unex- plored region beyond the river. At the independence of the colonies she contented herself with the Ohio for her western boundary, reserving a tract between the Miami and Hockhocking rivers, for the pay ment of LET. xi.] Circleville. 103 the troops furnished by her in support of the general struggle. As this district with the rest of the western country was then in the possession of the Indians, and many of them hostile, it was extremely troublesome, and often so dangerous, for the surveyors, that much confusion has risen from the inaccuracies they were led into : many patents are found interfering with one another, and frequently three or four parties come forward with attestations of their right to the same district. The town of Chilicothe is in this curious predicament, and likely to give some em- ployment to the gentlemen of the long robe. Mounds and tumuli are here met with, and about thirty miles up the river, was a very extensive work of a circular form ; a town now occupies the site, and having the streets laid off in the direction of the entrenchments, has received the name of Circleville. In Chilicothe are two printing offices, a brewery, a branch of the United States Bank, a land office, two churches, many stores, and several well con- ducted comfortable taverns. Leaving it in a direction due east, and crossing the Scioto a few miles below, 1 came to the house of major G. a substantial farmer, who does not object to entertain a traveller, as no tavern is near at hand : the family was at breakfast, on coffee, corn and buckwheat cakes, boiled Indian corn, poached eggs, bacon, fowls, beef, venison, and a great variety of pickles and preserves j when this was removed, the same profusion again covered the table, for another traveller and myself, each paying 25 cents (Is. l^d.). Filling my pockets with apples and peaches from the major's orchard, I pressed forward, not on the same frequented road hitherto pursued, but on one which having been cut by the State, is still called 104 Racoon, Creek. [LET. xr. the Big road, though in some parts it is lost for miles among long grass and shrubs. The compass now became necessary, as from the very scanty popu- lation through this district, inquiry is precluded : indeed, when an inhabitant is met with, his instruct- ions are seldom so clear as those which the needle gives, " Oh, I guess you can't miss it, stranger ; only keep the Big road." Such was my route, un- molested by company or by sounds, excepting that of now and then a playful squirrel, or perhaps a snake escaping from me ; till late in the evening of the second day after leaving Chilicothe, when Racoon Creek appeared before me, too deep to ford, owing to recent rains, and the Indian bridge (a large tree cut down in such a manner as to fall across the stream) carried away by the torrent ; too late to return to the last house, nearly eight miles, I was making myself content to endure some of the inconveniences a back-woodsman (the character I had assumed) is called sometimes to bear, that of sleeping in the woods, with a log for a pillow and a bed, and curtained by the spangled arch of heaven. Recollecting however, to have seen a deserted cabin about half a mile back, at a little distance from the Big road, I retraced my steps, and finding it unoc- cupied by any living creature, took possession of it for the night : it appeared to have been used by some hunting party, and on the present occasion was certainly a convenience. With part of the trunk of a tree, I barricadoed the door, and addressed myself to sleep on some dry wood and grass ; but the howling and barking of wolves prevented the enjoyment of that repose which fatigue had promised me. As morning approached, the howling became fainter ; at dawn, it ceased ; and, rising with the woodpecker, LET. xi.] f^olf Creek English Settlers. 105 I found the creek sufficiently reduced to allow fording ; an indifferent tavern a few miles farther, suplied a very indifferent breakfast, which, with the wild raspberries, enabled me to reach Athens on the Hockhocking ; intended, in addition to its being the county town of Athens, to compare in literary fame with that ancient seat of learning : a handsome college has been erected on an eminence near the town, and a track of land appropriated for its support by the State. The river is navigable for thirty miles above the town, and, passing by it, discharges into the Ohio. Leaving Athens, I travelled up and down hills, through woods, creeks, and swamps, and over land which I have no desire again to visit : the greater part of it is very indifferent and stony, producing little more than small brushwood, and but thinly inhabited. As I approached Wolf Creek, a tributary stream to the Mtiskingum, the soil improved, good farms were seen, which in neatness exhibited a strong contrast to those of the indolent slovenly settlers between them and the Scioto. Hearing that some relatives of Mr. A. were settled on this creek, I deviated from my intended route, to see them. Assisted by various directions to pass by certain sugar-camps, chesnut-trees, and runs, I came to the cret k, on the opposite side of which appeared a neat cottage in a garden studded with hollyhocks, roses, and other flowers : stepping across, from rock to rock, and by the little wicket-gate through the garden, I addressed the old lady, who was carding wool at the door, by name ; knowing her, from the family-likeness, to be Mrs. A. Surprised at being thus accosted by a stranger, her employment was for a moment for- gotten ; but when I mentioned the welfare of her 106 Waterford. [LET. xi. sons, Robert and Adam, the one in England, the other in Pennsylvania, her hands refused their wonted labour, the wool dropped from her fingers, and, but for the timely interference of the daughter, with bjects of veneration, appeared yet more strange, [f any advantage be derived from the possession of elics such as these, the cathedral of Notre Dame n Quebec must excite the envy of many an order )f religeux. The Protestant church is a neat spacious build- .ng, with a groined roof, supported by columns of the Doric order : it has a full -toned organ. The parliament- house, and the residence of the governor, though designated the castle, are simple structures. His excellency's garden on the heights, exhibits the curious idea of Ceres and Flora reposing under the shield of Mars ; beds of asparagus, and rose trees, defended by cannon, and diversified with pyramids of balls. The environs of Quebec are delightful, especially on the road to the falls of Montmorenci, about seven miles from the city. The total descent of this river, about thirty yards wide, may be great ; but the principal is so trifling when compared with that of Niagara, that it seems scarcely worth mention- ing ; though very narrow, and consequently to the eye increasing the fall, it appears but about half the height. We should have been chagrined by the disappointment, had not the beauty of the country through which we passed, repaid us for the walk. We left the capital of the British dominions in North America at 6 a. m. of the 30th June, by the steam-boat Car of Commerce, with a light favour- able wind, increasing so as to render our foresail [LET. xv. St. Johns. 185 and fore-topsail serviceable ; hove to off Trois Rivieres, at 4 p. m. and passing through Lake St. Pierre that evening, which on account of its intri- cate channel is dangerous in the night, landed July 1 st at 1 1 a. m. in Montreal. The trade of these two cities, is in timber, ashes, pork, and furs. A canal is commencing between Montreal and La Chine, to avoid its dangerous rapids, which will benefit its trade with the upper country. Leaving Montreal, we crossed the river to La Prairie, where government has barracks, and pro- ceeded eighteen miles that evening to St. John's on Riviere Sorel, a military station and port of entry : during the revolutionary struggle, it became the frequent sport of the contending parties. It is but an indifferent place ; so that we felt no reluctance the next day in entering our names on board the American steam-boat Phoenix. When off the British naval depot on Isle au Noix, an officer inspected each traveller's luggage. Passing the strong fort commenced by the United States, and now a subject of debate on which side the line of demarcation between the two parties it is, we en- tered the waters of the republic. The day was favourable for the enjoyment of the wild and beau- tifully varied prospects the Lake (Champlain) affords, on either side, as we sailed along. The operations carried on upon its shores and waters by Loudon, Abercrombie, and Amherst ; subsequently under Carlton and Burgoyne ; and recently by Prevost, Downie, and the American M'Donough ; render it more interesting than most other parts of the continent. Pittsburgh, Clinton county, New York state, Q3 186 Burlington Crown Point. [LET. XY. near which the British and American squadrons under commodores Downie and M'Donough en- gaged, is a small pretty town, advantageously situated near the mouth of the Saranac. Thence we crossed to Burlington, Chittenden county, Ver- mont, handsomely built of brick on rising ground, presenting with its college a fine object from the water, and commanding a beautiful view of the lake, islands, and surrounding banks. The scenery totally differs from that of other parts of the con- tinent I have visited, having a most romantic wild- ness of character : nature seems to have played her gambols here, and, in lieu of other amusement, to have tossed the rocks and hills about in sport : ' In this wild scene of nature's true sublime, ' What prospects rise ! rocks above rocks appear ; * Mix with th' incumbent clouds, and laugh to scorn ' All the proud boasts of art: in various colour'd moss, 1 Some mantled ; others their enormous backs * Heave high, with forests crowned ; nor 'midst the view ' Are wanting those, who their insulting heads ' Uprear, barren and bleak, as in contempt ' Of vegetation's laws." At 1 p. m. we passed Crown Point on the New York shore ; the rising moon tipping with her pale rays the ruins of this celebrated post, where once the watchful sentry marked the guarded way, chal- lenging in his round, if footsteps heard, " who goes there ?" Where oft, was heard and felt the horrid clash of arms, now hushed in silence. It was the hour when imagination loves to play, catching at any assistance memory can yield ; *' Whose sway, " The throng' d ideal hosts obey . " Who bidd'st their ranks now vanish, now appear ; " Flame in the van, and darken in the rear." The inhabitants on the banks had retired to rest ; LET. xv.] Crown Point. 187 no noise was heard, save that of some faithful dog, or the splashing of our paddles, softly echoed from the hills. About three miles above the fort we landed in the state of Vermont, and for a lodging that night, and breakfast next morning, were in- debted to a farmer on the bank, who with his family answered our request for admittance. In the morn- ing he paddled us across the lake, here about a mile wide, and directed us to the Point. The ruins shew the former strength of the post, and the abilities of the French in the choice of situation and defences. Lake Champlain at this point is narrowed to half a mile, so that it effectually secures the passage. A number of sheep were browzing and bleating within the entrenchments, a peaceful and pleasing contrast to the armed hosts who were assembled there to beat of drum. On either side, the mountains rise, sinking in the dis- tant horizon, and, to enliven the view, some ves- sels were sailing on " The lake, whose fair expanse, like mirror clear, " What smiles upon the bank of bush or tree, " And heaven's blue vault, reflects." The attention of a woman, at whose house we called for refreshment, will perhaps excite a wish on your part some time or other to acknowledge the sympathy she expressed, on finding we were travel- ling and at a distance from home, from our mothers, sisters, or wives. My companion smiled at men- tion of the last, but she did not appear to notice it, for on taking leave, she desired we would present them with the regards of the woman at Crown Point, a daughter of Eve in common with them- selves ; simple as the expression might seem to some, to us it indicated a heart imbued with the 188 Ticonderoga. [LET. xv. noble feelings of philanthropy, taught to consider each fellow-creature as a sister or a brother. Thence retracing part of our morning's walk, we traversed the route taken by Amherst in 1756, and by Burgoyne in 1777 > whose exertions in this quar- ter appear almost incredible ; and that night slept at Ticonderoga on the upper falls of Lake George. A number of saw-mills are put in motion by these and the lower falls. From the peculiar circumstances attending the reduction of the fort, Ticonderoga awakened more attention than Crown Point. Commanding the communication by Skeenesborough (now Whitehall) and Fort Ann, it was an object of some import- ance with the Americans to retain it ; but the force under St. Clair, to whom it was entrusted, proved insufficient to man the extensive works, much less to keep possession of the height on the other side of the outlet of Lake George, which so completely enfiladed every part of the fortification, as almost to enable the eye to number the men. This dis- advantage Burgoyne perceived, and with inconceiv- able labour and expedition transported his artillery across the creek, and by means of tackle fastened to trees, hoisted it from rock to rock over dens of rat- tlesnakes to the summit of Sugar Hill, or Mount Defiance. As you are acquainted with the particu- lars of St. Clair's disastrous retreat across the Lake to Fort Edward, I need not proceed in the detail ; but leaving this noted spot, now grazed by cattle, beg you will join me on board a small vessel laden with lumber, in admiring the magnificent scenery of Lake George. Numerous islands divide its transparent waters, bounded by rocks and LET. xv.] General Bur goyne. 189 forests huge, ' Incult, robust, and tall, by nature's hand " Planted of old . ." As we approach the head of the lake where stand the ruins of Fort George, some marks of cultiva- tion appeared, and near it we landed at the pretty village of Caldwell. A steam-boat is completing to navigate the lake to Ticonderoga, and company who wish to enjoy its beautiful scenery may be ac- commodated at Payne's hotel in such a manner as to excite regret at the necessity of leaving it. Pedestrians once more, we bent our course through a light sandy soil, which has. often been trodden by hostile legions, to Glen's Falls, or Queensbury, on the Hudson : thence keeping on the eastern bank of the river past Sandy Hill and and Fort Miller, we came to Still Water, where, at the close of 1777? the two armies engaged with a desperation scarcely equalled in any preceding en- counters ; at the house where we refreshed, the gallant General Frazer breathed his last, who on that day frequently turned the doubting scale of victory ; a day in which Phillips, Reidesdel, and Balcarres, particularly distinguished themselves ; no less conspicuously shone the amiable virtues of Lady Harriet Ackland, in her endeavours to assuage the horrors attendant on war, and relieve the suffer- ings of her wounded husband, Major A. and his companions in arms. Crippled, his antagonist receiving fresh accessions of strength, and no relief from New York appearing, General Burgoyne was induced to negociate with General Gates, and to surrender himself and army at Saratoga; where you might have found us viewing the extensive meadows on the river where the British arms were piled. 190 Albany. [LET. xv. Continuing along the right bank to Lansing- burgh, an inconsiderable town, we there crossed the river, and pursued our way to Troy, a large town, handsomely built of brick, seat of j ustice for Renssellaer county. Considerable business is car- ried on with New York, the Hudson being naviga- ble so far for large sloops and schooners. Again crossing the river, we arrived at Albany, Albany county, seat of the Legislature, four hun- dred and twenty miles from Quebec via Montreal. This city, like New York, preserves the marks of its origin, in the Dutch-built houses and narrow streets ; the modern parts of the town are well built wide streets, adorned with many good and tasty structures, among them the state house, banks, and churches. Its trade is great, both foreign and with New York, the communication with which is kept up daily by steam-boats ; these have been, and through the summer will be, freighted with com- pany visiting the springs at Ballston and Saratoga, and the picturesque shores of Lake George. Mr. P. hastening to New York, we separated for a time, and leaving Albany by the stage, I entered the State of Massachusets, whose well cultivated though rocky lands, and neat farm-houses with rosy dam- sels, reminded me of many parts of England. Williamston, at the foot of part of the Green Mountains, invited both passengers and horses to repose, previous to the toilsome ascent : it is in a pretty situation, and, in addition to the neat private dwellings, has an extensive college. From the mountain I had a widely extended view of the country, speckled with villages, fields, and orchards. Stone being very abundant, it is used for fences, as in some parts of Gloucestershire and LET. xv.] Jraltham. 191 Derbyshire. The New England States bear a strong resemblance to the southern part of Britain. The traveller meets with excellent roads, fine farms, towns, villages, and country mansions, the retreats from business and public life. The population and general aspect of the country assure him that he is not in a new country ; and the intelligence and manners of the inhabitants are a pleasing indication that their ancestors were not of that barbarous cast which gave origin to some of the European nations : it is true, we meet with cases, in its history, of illi- berality and fanaticism, not to be expected from men who had fled hither from persecution themselves, did we not consider the strange inconsistencies hu- man nature is guilty of : to screen our own, we are ready to plead " 'Tis vain to seek in men for more than man; " Though proud in promise, big in previous thought, ' Experience damps our triumph." Crossing Connecticut river, and passing through Athol, and several other small towns and villages, among which Lancaster, in its airy elevation and simple elegance of buildings, much pleased me, I came to Waltham, a small manufacturing town, (in cotton,) thence to Cambridge, on Charles River, which, emulating its namesake on English ground, has reared its college, a noble brick structure. Journeying on, I arrived at Boston, the capital of Massachusets, once the refuge of the persecuted, the birth place of Franklin, and the cradle of the revolution. It is irregularly built : the old streets narrow, the modern wider, well paved and lighted ; the houses of brick. Among the public buildings, the capitol with its lofty dome attracts observation ; situated on an eminence, it is conspicuous from 1D2 Boston Providence. [LET. xv. most parts of the town and neighbourhood, com- manding a view of the different points of attack and defence, the wharf where the vessels lay whose offensive cargoes of tea were discharged into the water. Breed's and Bunker's hills, Charlestown neck and bridge, fortified by General Gage, Cops-hill, now covered by the handsome private houses of opulent citizens, and the heights of Dorchester ; a monument to commemorate the revolution once stood on the spot it now occupies. The mall and green in front are the favourite promenades of fashionable elegance and beauty. The capitol, churches, alms-houses, private dwellings, warehouses, and the advantages of water, rendered Boston one of the handsomest, as well as most commercial towns in North America. Shoes, hats, cotton goods, and white glass, are in the list of its manufactures. Leaving Boston in a southern direction, through Dedham, a small country town, and crossing the Pautucket at a manufacturing town of the same name, I found myself in the little state of Rhode island, which though the smallest in the Union, was by no means deficient in its efforts in the com- mon cause of independence. Thence fourteen miles (and fifty from Boston) I came to Providence, the seat of government, a sea- port on the Pau- tucket, prettily situated on a declivity, on either side of the river, and connected by a bridge. From Providence I dropped down the river on board a packet sloop to Patuxet a small port, and Newport, near its mouth, one of the oldest settle- ments in the state, but since the war much decayed ) here our captain , increased his stock of poultry, meat, and vegetables. The channel is deep, but LET. xv.] Stohington. 19S bounded, and in some parts narrowed, by steep rocks; and having a head wind, we found some difficulty in beating out. Strong works are erecting on the heights to command the passage. Passing Stonington, which Admiral Sir T. Hardy bombarded in the last war, New London, at the mouth of the Thames, Newhaven, and through l/ong Island Sound, whose banks exhibit a con- tinued series of villages and country seats, the packet ran alongside of Pine-street wharf, and landed me once more in New York. I found my friend P. in high spirits at the receipt of a letter announcing an increase of the family, and not a little anxious to return. As the Philadelphia papers advertize the Ganges, Captain C , of Liverpool, to be on the point of sailing, I took a hasty leave of him, and other friends in New York, and arrived in Philadelphia just in time to secure my luggage on board, pay my respects to my much esteemed friends, Dr. and Mrs. St. and family, and the next morning, July 30, followed the Ganges per steam-boat to New- castle. I do not mention entry at the custom-house of myself or luggage, for none is required, nor was I ordered to open it for the inspection of any one in the shape of a revenue officer ; without molesta- tion, we took in whatever we thought fit, and after a detention of three days by head winds, I heard on the 4th of August, the welcome orders given for making sail : ' Upborne reluctant from the oozy cave " The pond'rous anchor rises o'er the wave ; " Along the slipp'ry masts the yards ascend, " And high in air the canvas* wring* extend." Off Cape Henlopen discharged our pilot, Ovid Passage Howe. [LET. xv. Shaw, and with a fine breeze bid farewell to the American shores. And now you claim the fulfilment of a promise given in one of my early letters, to retract or con- firm the opinion then expressed of this country, in opposition to the abuse and obloquy in which many have indulged themselves. I retract nothing ; but am fully persuaded, that to the sober, industrious, and judicious in agricul- tural pursuits, no country under heaven that I know or have ever heard or read of, affords such facilities of obtaining a comfortable independence as the United States. The number of passengers, thirty including chil- dren, returning in the Ganges, may seem a practical contradiction to the opinion. Though some of them may have pretensions to the two first requisites for success, they certainly have very few to the latter. Two of them are farmers, who were disappointed in the land near Philadelphia ; they proceeded to New York, and finding it there indifferent also, as it is on nearly the whole line of coast, are returning to seek their old farms in England. Have these men done justice either to the country or to themselves ? But more upon this subject remains to be said when we meet. Fine wind and weather attended us to the 28th when running up the Irish coast, and anticipating the pleasure, ere a few hours had passed, of tread- ing old England's shore again, we were taken, at 6 p. m. by a heavy squall, and within three minutes our fore, main, and mizen topmasts were hanging by the shrouds over the sides, one seaman lost, and within a few miles of the rocks, towards which the wind was fast driving us. In this situation, a vessel LET. xv.J Disembarkation at Liverpool. 195 to windward, seeing our signals of distress, bore down, and kept us in tow during the night, our hands in the mean time being busy in clearing the wreck. Much credit is due to captain C. for skill and judicious promptitude on this occasion ; for at five o'clock, the evening after our disaster we had jury-topmasts up and rigged, and " Ere eight bells had rung," the decks were cleared and canvass bent. The fol- lowing day commenced blowing hard, continuing without intermission to Sept. 1 , when, without a pilot, we ran into the Mersey, and in a few minutes after dropping our anchor, were boarded by two officers from the custom-house, one of whom, as I landed my baggage immediately, politely attended me thither ; and whence, as upon examination nothing was found contrary to the statute of the land, I was permitted to remove it. By referring to my voyage out from Liverpool to New York, in theJFavourite, you will see the Ganges then bound to Calcutta," leaving the Mersey in company with us, and our friend T. H. C. at that time her surgeon, exchanging farewell salutations with me. I believe the gratification in receiving the parting cheer was mutual, as our distended sails bore us to the opposite parts of the globe. The modesty of his deportment, his ingenuous disposition, and professional acquirements, had procured him the notice of many whose friendship was of no common nature ; and I was anticipating the pleasure of again meeting him, to exchange the congratulations of returning travellers. Conceive then the regret with which I heard on landing, that now he lives only in the recollection of those with R 2 196 Conclusion. [LET. xv. whom he once joined in social converse. No more can he contribute to the joys of others, parents and friends alike bereft. Yet they may rejoice in this ; no longer is he exposed to the sorrows and troubles of a jarring world, but now in peace may dwell, for he " has reached the shroe " Where tempests never beat, nor billows roar." Without apology, I conclude abruptly, with the vivid desire of exchanging this paper-intercourse, refreshing as I have found it among the forests of Columbia, for the delights of personal conversation, and of engaging your friendly sympathies in grate- ful acknowledgments to that kind Omnipotence, which through all his wanderings has constantly watched over, protected and upheld Your's, very sincerely, W. T. H. Liverpool, Wednesday ,Yoon, 1st Sept. 1819. PIN:S. COE, Prinler, Little Carter Lane, St. Paul'*.