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Ik-om tireenwichfi llllllllMillllllMi .) fi fitet' Inht C.t'lorulji \u-itiino I. 7 i w^iP ^ aMj-v ^ 5b" •Ml) 1. 1, , .1 • mttMA i/m/«v ' l,iH>k4*fif frttr II, ' .,.«^ JiAiil .ykiwi/i 'Hiii'itlojf ^^^t^r$4ii Siiii/'ittn^ ,^ ^, ^ , S* tafAfttHt'.'t /. Simon's I. T. .Ksr«»N > !4Hpi»»tiiio \ •HiJ ^^imrvmU ^ I ( **^ .••LJl. p<*- /^. /y///// >vii ret' JnlH lurtihit* I. /(?(' V/i' / iS^=5Ei- B— - -' rrijpillll.llllllli ft '///iihi/ './/ii/>:j ^ i» \^ J^ 9 / '^ .^ \^' >1I I'l L IS fl. eC .tiv//^' o/ Miliw /:'(> ti> lui //ii^i Irnr a> ii> (' .Sf' 7<*' 7.5f» ;y>*> immar "Hrr ' tJ^" ' IIIIIIIMIIIil — . 7^ •MIMI I Iill \'M\': .u:i 7^: (i|i>': \ttt0 • :m): 12 8*: lm;': lui,/i,i%,xl h SnV l{a\i llit/r Str' Bliumuh-*' f /i^M C. BtldwlD, Printer, New Bridgeitwrt, Ixtiidon. ^i^jf CONTENTS. Chap. I*— Vojtge neroM the AtlanUc.—Undlng at N«w York.— Yellow Fever | II.— Philadelphia ..',.., III.— Baltimore.— Washington 3^ IV. — The Govemment >• v.— The Lawi -- VI..-Joumey acroM the AlJeghaniea.— Voyage down the Ohio gg VII.— Lexington — Frankfort- Louiiville^Cin- *='"""»' 103 VIII.-Big Bone Lick.-Backwood..-Vincennes . 128 IX.— Birkbeck'i SetUement.— Emigration 153 X.-Cat'« Ferry.— The Prairies.— MiwiMippi.— St. Louia It* Xl—Slavery ^^ XII.— Miisionariet.— Regulators.— Skunk Har- '"^"y 230 XIII.— Cut-money.- American Farm-houses— Title. 25* XIV.— Mammoth Cave g^- XV.— Sugar Camp.— Chillicothe.-Indian Anti- ^"•*'" 280 XVI.— Backwoodsmen — Advice to Travellers 290 XVII.— Return of Spring.— Horse race at Long Island.— New York 3^5 il CONTENT!. XVIIL—Tlio Navy ^^ XI X.— Cominorot. ..•..».•...,,,, 345 XX.— llud«on River.— Miliuu7 College 939 XXI.— Army 377 XXII.— The (irand Canal.— Niagur* 387 XXIII.— Huttklo— The Indiana 407 XXIV.— Tlie 8t. Lawrence. — Montreal — Luke Champiain , 433 XXV. — The Shaken , ^ . . 449 XXVI.— Boiton.- Tito New EnglanUera , . 43.'J XX VII.— Education ,...,« 470 XXVIII. — Uoligion , 43*2 XXIX.— Amcricau Character.— . j I i il 990 • I • • • t • 94o S5^ 377 987 ¥Yi 44f) t « • • • • • ii5fi ••••!•• 470 < 1 1 • » • • 48^ .* 400 ice the Title. . page 406. CHAFIKR I. voTAOM Mnmm Tim atlamtk;.— lakdiho at nnw vork,— i Yiti.i.uw rKvmi. Aptfr tTftvellinpf through nlmo«t the whole of Great Britain and Ireland, am well a» through a coniiiderablo part of Holland, France, HwitKerland. •nd Italy, f determined to crosii the Atlantic, and viiitthe United StateH, a country wliich I wan par- ticularly desirous of being perHonally acqiuiintitl with, ftN the de«cription« I had read of it ncenktl to abound in contratliction«. Accordingly, towardn the end of the Hummer of 1882, I set out from (iravenc»nd, on Iward a Hue American KJiip of .S.'JO tons. After touching at the Isle of Wight, to take in wmie extra provi«ion«, and two or three pasgeugern, we 8tot 1)eing ly, that t, seated er their nls con- if Forage across the Mamie. M trived to place their eggs there, tlie sailors replied, they did not know, but that such was the fact. The Stormy Petrel is the smallest of all web- footed birds, being of the size of the common swallow, which, when on the wing, it very much resembles. A flock of them following the wake of the vessel is a very curious object. They dip down and skim along the surface of the water ; and if a small piece of board, mth some grease on it, be thrown into the sea, they will hover round it, like a swarm of wasps round a jwece of honeycomb. BufFon tells us that these birds are called Petrels or Peterells, from their appearing to walk upon the sea — a feat attempted by St. Peter. As we approached the Great Bank of Newfound- land, we encountered the Gulph Stream. This current, running from the Gulph of Mexico, between the island of Cuba and the point of Florida, rush as up the coast of America, strikes the southern end of the Great Bank, and then, taking an E.S.E. direc- tion, loses itself in the ocean. Sailors are always able to tell when they are in this stream, from the great quantity of sea-weed, and from the increased tem- perature of the water, which, on the 20th of Sep- tember, was 72° of Fahrenheit, that of the air being only 62°. The weather on the Great Bank of Newfound- land is called by way of distinction, « Bank weather ;" that is, very damp, rainy, and cold. The temperature of the water was, pn the 21st of Sep- • Foyage acrm the Atlantic, tembor. only 4,W>. Thii .udden change waa very di«iffroe«bIe. It ha. been affirmed by .ome, that the Hank of Newfoundland ha. been formed by the Krent deposition of m^^A and .cdiment. ocea- woncd by the crosiing of the Gulp], Stream with a enrrent, which Hcts towards the «onth from Hud- ton's Hay and the Gulph of St. Lawrence. While crossing the (ireat J3ank we had some rough wea. ther. accomjinnied by a very thick fog. One night, wlien It w«, blowing pretty fresh, we suddenly felt it «o extremely cold, that some of the passenger., who l>«d iH^en a great deal at sea, were induced to suppose that we had passed near an iceberg. Al. though the captain said, that he had sometime, folt currents of cold air, on this Bank, without being near ice. yet I am inclined to tliink that the passengers were right. Indeed, on our arrival at New York, we heard that one of the finest veswi. ot that port, tlie ship Liverpool, had, a few week, before. strucJc an iceberg on the banks, at twelve clock ,n the day. during a thick fog, and had only just given the passengers and crew sufficient time to save themselves in the boats. This ice is brought down by the northerly current before-men. tioned, and ia prevented from finding it. way further to the south by the Gulph Wtream. Hence It is collected in great quantities, and sometimes renders the Bank very dangerous, particularly during the whole of June and Jidy, and the be- jrinninar of Amrnaf v.- XJ i wai very lome, that rormcd by lent, occa- am with a rom Hud- e. While 3ugh wea- >ne night, ally felt it gcrs, who duced to ^rg. Al- ometiinet without that the urival at St vesseli w weeki t twelve had only 3nt time ice is >re-men. its way Hence metimes icularly the be- Foi^age across the Atianiie, f We again experienced warm weather, upon coming a second time into the Gulph Htream. Thu«, on September a6th, lat. 40" 31', long, es**, the temperature of the air was 62°, and that of the water 74^ When we were near this spot, several beautiful nautili passed us, with their natural sails hoisted, scudding before the wind. Some of them Were of the most beautiful pink colour. The sailors call them Portuguese men of war, but wherefore I could not learn. The nautili, if in danger of being nm over, will, as the sailors term it, cap8i2e, let the boat or ship pass over them, and then hoist sail and proceed again. Such is the melancholy sameness on board a ship, that even one of these passing by, creates for the moment a sensation of novelty ; and a whale, a dolphin, or a flying-fish, brings every one on deck, and affords a subject of conversation. I am at a loss to con- ceive why the dolphin is so strangely represented in all pictures, from the Gothic emblems of he- raldry, down to the modem signs of inns ; for this fish is of the most elegant and beautiful shape, and bears as little resemblance to the crooked monster we generally see in pictures, as the lion of Eng- land to Peter Pindar's « old red cat." The first time I saw Sandy Hook and the Highlands of Staten Island, seemed to me one of the happiest moments of my life, so delighted was I with the certainty of being able to quit my prison. Even the brute animals on board, that I I I I Bl' • Voyage across the Atlantic. formed part of our stock, seemed to partake in the joy of their more rational companions. The hogg frisked abont, the cow lowed, and all appeared sen- sible (the sailors said, by smelling) that we were now approaching land. Our delight, however, was a little damped by the arrival of the pilot, who, on coming on board, informed us, that the yellow fever raged in New York, and that the city had in consequence been deserted by nearly aU its inha- bitants. At this intelligence some of our passen- gers, who were coming to join their wives and children, were thrown into the greatest consterna- tion ; but, for my part, I was so rejoiced at ar- riving at the end of my voyage, that I thought of nothing but getting ashore. The entrance to the bay of New York is one of the most beautiful sights in the world. On each side of the Narrows, where the steep and ahnost perpendicular cliffs of Staten Island are only two miles distant from the shore of Long Island, the forts and fortifications that defend this celebrated harbour seem to frown upon the vessels that enter. We passed close to the formidable batteries of Fort La Fayette, which advances into the water, with four tiers of guns, one of which tiers is occupied by a large kind of carronades, called Columbians, each throwing a hundred pound shot. After passing the Narrows, we entered the Bay of New York, which, expanding immediately, is about nine miles in width in tl.« v^-Ip-* ^ m* I Landing at New York. > § On each side, the shore, though wooded down to the water's edge, is thickly studded with farms, villages, and country seats. At the upper end arc seen the spires of the city; and in the distance, the bold precipitous banks of the Hudson. The day was beautiful, the sky without a cloud, and the vast sheet of water was covered with inward and outward bound vessels, the white sails of which were illuminated by the sun-beams. We anchored just below the battery, at the point of the island on which New York is built, and getting into a boat rowed round to Greenwich, which, though once a separate town, now forms part of the city. Looking up the streets that run down to the water, I perceived they were all bar- ricaded at the upper ends, and strewed with lime. The houses of course were all shut up and deserted; and out of a population of 120,000 inhabitants, not more than 7 or 8,000 remained in the city ; and those only in the higher and more healthy parts. I do not know a more sombre spectacle than a large deserted city. We are so accustomed to associate the idea of a town with that of an active and noisy multitude, that to see a number of houses quite deserted and hushed in perfect silence, impresses the mind with the deepest melancholy! Nothing endued with life was to be seen in any of the streets or neighbouring quays, except here and there a cat ; for these animals, in the hurry and 10 Yeiiofw Fever. oonfuiion of moving from the town, had been left behind in coniidenble numbers, and fonned at that time the only inhabitants of a great part of the city. There is a coniiderable variety of opinion «mong the citiaens with regard to the origin of this fever. Thoie who are anxious about the re. putation of the town, pretend that the disease was imported ; but by far the greater number maintain it was indigenous. This is also the opinion of most of the medical men to whom I have spoken on the subject, as well in other parts of the United States as at New York itself. They con- sider the question of the non-contagion of the Yellow Fever as completely decided, in spite of the report which was made by the French physi- cians, sent to Barcelona, and which indeed, as well as their visit, appears now to have been only a prelude to the Cordon Sanitaire. It would not of course have been right, in the dutiful and loyal sub- jects of Louis, to have affirmed that theCordon,as an army of observation against the yellow fever, was entirely useless ; and that the malady, so far from crossing the Pyrenees to attack the French, would not even venture out of the infected district. An eminent medical man told me, that he should have no fear whatever of sleeping in the same bed with a person ill of the fever, provided he had been removed to a healthy place; but that he should not at all like even tn walk fhrniurK o no^f Velitmi FM€r, 11 of the town where the nckneti previilad. Thii opinion wm ro well ettabliihed, thjit the friendi of any perton who was taken ill, and upon the iint appearance of the disease, almost immediately n- moved either to Staten Island or up the country, had no more fear of sitting up with him than if he had heen merely afflicted with a tooth-ache. Indeed not one of those employed to attend upon the sick, after they had been removed, were attacked by the fever. Even Monsieur Hyde de Neuville, a furious ultra (who had been French Minister in America for a number of years), stated in the Ohambcr of Deputies, that he was happy to add his own avowed experience to the now prevalent opinion of the non-contagion of this fever.* For my own part, I wonder that the inhabitants are so seldom visited by this scourge. The town is very large, and is built on the flat point of the island, on a great deal of what was low marshy ground. There is no such thing in the whole place as a sink or common sewer. All the filth and soil is collected in pits, of which there is one in every house, and the very opening at \diich, when full, is enough to breed the plague itself.-— Moreover, their contents, instead of being carried ♦ Nevertheless, since ray return to England, I have seen a paper bjr Sir G. Blane, from which it appears that the yellow fever was carried from the coast of Africa to the island of Ascension: nrovimr. annArentlv. that nn^».^.^„:„ _.• . It is contagious. f It YiUaw Fttr. I to loine diiUnoe from the toAvn, are oonvcyod to the nearest ilip, or quay, and thrown into the water. Ai thoiie Rlipi, protmding from the quayi, are very numerous, and are built oi logs, the quantity of filth that is retained, and which tlie tide does not wash away, causes, in hot weather, « jnoet abominable stench. The streets in the lower part of the town are notoriously filthy, and the stranger is not a little surprised to meet the hogs walking about in them, for the purpose of devouring the vegetables and of!ul that arc thrown into the gutter. The corporation of New York, however, seem to have seriously turned their attention to the police of the city ; and will no doubt dispossess the hogs of their accustomed walks, and oblige the inhabitants to keep the streets and slips in a cleaner state. But what may also contribute to produce unhealthiness, is the very foolish and absurd practice of burying the dead within the town. Some of the church-yards have become so full, that they are raised several feet above the level of the neighbouring streets. Indeed the bodies in many places have been buried three deep. I found that the merchants and shopkeepers had all removed their offices and stores to Green- wich, where they had put up small wooden booths, exactly resembling those at an English fair. g My |1 ■ 1 1 first care on arriving at thig tows, was Veiiow Fever. a to look out for flome place where I could •leep— tn almost hopelcfs task. At last, however, I found a lodging-house, in which I could be ad- mitted. After settling the terms with my land- lady, she said to me. " I suppose, Hir, you have no objection to having another gentleman in the wime room with you?** I replied that i had • very great objection ; but that, in the present state of things, I supposed I must endure it I then asked her to let mo have the bed that was there, and to move in another for my com- panion ; but, answered she. " Oh ! you are both to occupy the same bed f " I could, at first, hardly believe my ears; but upon repeating the question, whetiier she really meant we were both to sleep in one bed, and being answered in the affirmative, I made a precipitate retreat down stairs. I did not then know that, in many parts of the United States, this practice of sleeping double is very common. This chance of having to sletp with some iwrson, who. besides other amiable peculiarities, might, perhaps, be infected with the yellow fever* hindered me from looking any more for lodgings ;' and I was glad to accept the invitation of the captain of the vessel 1 came over in, who politely offered to allow me to sleep on board \m ship until I left New York. H Pkihdtlphia. CHAPTEH 11. rrt Refill Of faiLAiniLFarA. OvfiNO to the ootifumon ocauriuncd at the CtMtam-honM by the prcvaltaioe of the ferer, I found Knne difficulty in getting niy baggaga paaaed, and conicquently wan dcUincd till I had lost all patitnce> On the morning of the fourth day, at deven o'clock, I quitted New York on board the PhUadelphia itcam-boat, and again dcHcended the magniHcent bay, for the distance of five miles. Turning to tlie west, we then entered the strait that separates Htatcn Ishmd from New Jersey, after which we entered the Rariton river, and pro» eeoded to the little town of New Bnmswick, which is forty miles from New York. ' .' t The scenery throughout the whole of this dis- tance is, for the most part, that of a flat and un- interesting country, though there are here and there some thriving little villages. Great numbers of small schooners and sloops were sailing in the strait, carrying fish, wood, &c. to New York. We landed at New Brunswick, which is a thriving place, containing some very good houses ; and proceeded by land to Trenton, a distance of twenty-six miles, over a veiy bad road. All the nqooAnoAwo 1iA«1 «>1a..>.1.. L—.I 1 x1 1 ^- ro •frnj r» I at tlM fertr, 1 [opaMMd, { lost aU I day, at toord the nded the % mi 1m. le strait ' Jersey, and pro* k, which this dis* ind un< ere and lumbers ^ in the k. ih is a houses; ;ance of Ml the 'Ivgs to i 'i PkUaditphi^. If go on in the ooachti which were watting for them, and which, to the number of eight, were oompletelf fiUed. and presented a very extriordiuary appear- ance as they fuUowed one another in a line. The American stage is very like the old Knglish carriage calUtl a sociable, having an opening all round for about two feet and a half from the top. cloNod in bad weither by curtains. The whole of the baggage is carried before and beliind, on two projecting pieces of wooeaking, " when his Majesty visited the Univer- Philadetpkia. H Bity of Gottingcn in Germany, tlic learned profe*. ■orn received him in the riding ichool (of all placet in the world !) and the young nobles danced qua- drilles before him upon homeback, an exhibition he could have seen better performed at any tolerable circus." After the American gimtlemcn liad gone upon deck, I took the paper tlicy had been reading, and cut out the paragraph which had caused their observations, and of which I will give some extracts. " I'here are some particiJars of (George the Fourth's visit to Hootland worth recording, as evi- deucci of tlie man-worship which appertains to monarcliy. When we see a religious, sober-mind- ed, well educated people like the Scotch, guilty of such idolatrous folly as is detailed, ought we not to be thankful that we have no such temptation to degrade ourselves ? " Wlien (icorgc the Fourth landed at Leith^ he set his foot on a large mahogany log, which, being thus honoured, is to be nmdc into snuff boxes. «ir Walter Scott presented his Majesty with a splendid gift, of which he was the bearer ; the King called for a glass of wine, and drank the health of the donors. Immediately Sir Walter humbly, on his bended knee, besought the King that he might be allowed to carry home, and pre- serve as a precious relic, the glass which had been kissed by the lips of his Majesty.-What a para- c 2 m Philadelphia, site! ! His suit was granted; but to his infinite mortification and regret, the glass was broken in his pocket." The American paper then extracts an article from the London Courier, mentioning that many of the ladies who went to see the royal sleeping-roora ** pressed their lips to the quilt, and their cheeks to the pillows of the King's bed," and even stole a quantity of the wool of the blankets. Upon this the American editor remarks : — •* We have read the above to tn.d f our Scotch friends, and he said : * Ecod, the Scots are worse than the Irish ; they are as abject as the Chinese, who regard the faeces of the Emperor as a panacea for every disease.' '* After reading the above, I felt very much mor- tified, that the Courier, in its ultra loyalty, should invent and publish such fables ; which do no good at home, and only tend to bring the nation into contempt abroad. The Delaware continues widening rapidly till it assumes that large and magnificent character which is peculiar to American rivers. On the west side we passed " Point no Point," noticed in Paine's Rights of Man. The Delaware appeared about one mile across, when we came opposite to Philadelphia. This city is now decidedly the handsomest and best built in the United States, and contains 114,000 inhabitants. The houses are lofty and regular. infinite roken in n article : many of ing-room cheeks to m stole a rpon this ir Scotch ire worse Chinese, I panacea uch mor- ty, should ono good ,tion into dly till it iter which west s^de n. Paine's ile across, ia. This and best } 114,000 i regular. Philadelphia. 21 the streets broad and well paved, and the tout ensemble gives one a strong impression of solidity, comfort, and opulence. The famous covered market reaches from the Delaware nearly a mile up the street, which is called Market-street, and which traverses the wliole of the city. Room is left on each side for carriages, besides a fine broad pavement for pedes- trians ; and the whole market presents during the morning, when crowded with people, a very curious and interesting spectacle. It is kept remarkably clean by persons appointed on purpose ; no straw, waste leaves of vegetables, &c. being aUowed to remain in it. The large division nearest the river, is appropriated to the sale of fish, which must be brought alive, or is otherwise condemned by the inspectors. The rest of the market is occupied by butchers, poulterers, fruiterers, &c. I was much pleased with the exhibitions of fruit, which were very fine; and which, besides the ordinary kinds, such as peaches, apples, &c. abounded with melons, pine-apples, and other fruits esteemed rarities in England. All the streets in Philadelphia are at right angles to one another. Those that run parallel to Market-street are called by different names ; as Chesnut-street, Walnut-street. &c. &c. All those that run at right angles to it are numbered, begin- ning at the Delaware. The street along the sailed •' First-street," the next, « Second- OoilK (! I M PhUadelphia. •treet," and to on; and thui, you are directed to Ninth-street north, Ninth-street south, an ar- rangement which makes it easy for a stranger to find his way about the city. There are several public edifices here that dis- play a great knowledge of architecture. White marble, quarried in the neighbourhood, is so plentiful, that it is almost invariably used for the steps of doors and the cills of windows. I was particularly struck with the United States Bank, which is entirely built of this white marble. A large flight of steps conducted me to the portico which fronts the street, and which is a copy of the portico of the Parthenon. The brilliant white of this edifice forms a strong contrast to the brick buildings that surround it. As far as regards the simplicity of the style, and the solidity and beauty of the material, I do not ever recollect having seen a modem structure that pleased me more. The New Theatre and the Bank of Pennsylvania do great credit to the good taste and public spirit of the Philadelphians, who certainly take more pride, and exert themselves more sincerely, in improving and beautifying their city, than the inhabitants of any other in the whole of the Federal Republic. The old State House, where the congress of the Union used to meet before the seat of Government was removed to Washington, is now chiefly occu- UU£VXbl^« rectcd to an ar- ranger to that diS' White I» is so for the I was s Bank, rble, A e portico ly of the a strong Dund it. y\e, and [ do not ure that md the he good ns, who m selves ig their in the \ of the mment y occu- • ■ 7;f -^i Philadelphia. 2$ nately happens to be a painter, and has disfigured it with some wretched specimens of his art, most of which are pretended portraits of worthies, bom only to be forgotten. The most interesting object is an almost perfect skeleton of the mammoth, which was found in a marie pit on the banks of the Hudson. While looking at its tremendous siae, even with the skeleton before me, I could hardly help feeling in some degree incredulous, that such a huge carnivorous monster should have ever existed. And why, indeed, since it onoe existed, has it now ceased to exist ?— Perhaps we ought to imagine that Noah found it too large and troublesome to put in the ark, and therefoie left the poor animal to perish. Upon inquiring what occasioned the crowd which I observed around the public offices on each side of the Museum, I was informed that an election was going on for two members of Con., gress. « How astonishing," said I to myself, " that where such numbers vote, every thing should be thus quietly and peaceably conducted!" The supporters of the candidates enter into the dif- ferent offices, give their votes, and come out again, with scarcely more noise, than if they had been going in and out of church. In this State, as would seem just to any one unskilled in the mysteries of government, every one who pays taxes, has a vote in the election of the Representatives who impose those taxes. This is th^ secret fif the 34 Philadelphia. fi I; Burprifiing good order. The voters arc far too niiinerouH to admit of the possibility of bribery ; and as the elections occur every two years, they are such matters of course that no one thioki much about them. Ghesnut-street contains more handsome private houses than any other street in the city, and is shaded by rows of fine trees growing at the edge of the pavement. It is here, in the evenings during hot weather, that the beauty and fashion of the city make their promenade. The ladies dress remarkably well, but rather too gaudily to please the eye of an Englishman. This fault is very prevalent among the American ladies, who have nevertheless a great taste in dress, and are more easily enabled to gratify it than those of any other part of the globe. The commerce of the United States is so exten- sive, and so devoid of all restrictions, that they lay the whole world under contribution. Shawls and muslins from India, cottons from England, lace, shoes, gloves, and silk from France, and bonnets from Italy, are all obtained with equal ease. The Philadelphians are however said to dress some- what less fine, than the ladies of the other cities of the Union, probably owing to a sHght tinge of the Quaker manners, which still influence the whole of the inhabitants, although only a small part of them belong to that sect at present. Phiiadelphia, i§ I recollect that, frequently at Philadelphia, when desirous of ascertaining whether tlic beauty of some finely dresned fonialo was equal to her attire, I have perceived under a huge Leghorn bonnet and laa* cap, the black face and great white eyes of a negress. Sometimes I could hardly help laughing, so ludicrous was this con- trast. The black women are, indeed, so fond of dress, and so eager to imitate the fashions of the whites, that I have seen several with their wool parted in front, drawn into a knot on the top of their heads, and ornamented with a large tortoise- shell comb. Moreover some of the negresses assume the dress of Q«iaker», in which they appear still more ridiculous, if possible, than in the ordinary dress of the white ladies. Philadelphia was at one time a city of Quakers ; but as it increased in wealth and importance, this sect, which is at enmity with all the vanities of this wicked world, became less powerful. Phila- delphia may still, however, be considered as the head-quarters of this sect; and hence, all the inhabitants, even in the better class of society, are, comparatively speaking, rather reserved and formal. Many of the Quakers themselves are gradually leaving off the dress of their forefathers, although they still adhere to their tenets. Wherever the Quakers exist, they are always the foremost in works of benevolence. They t(S Phugdtipkia, it. nevwr, indeed, m«ke any (larade of their good Mtionf, but— " Do good by utealth. and hliuh to find it fame." Moreover they are the only people in the United States who really and sincerely strive to nbolish slavery, and who at present exert themselves to their utmost to alleviate its horrors. We may indeed affirm, that all other religious sects, in con- sequence of the theological hatred which subsistii between them, generally undervalue each other; but I believe they all grant the Quakers the first place in acts of charity, and have never pretended to impeach the purity— not to say the perfection— of their morals. Philadelphia, for so large a town, is very ill provided with Hotels, or (to use the American wortl) Taverns. The only good one in the whole city is that at which I put up, the Mansion- house, kept by a Mr. Renshaw. Af tL? i, as at all taverns in the United States, the stranger is boarded at so much per week or day. Indeed the tavern-keepers will not receive you on any other terms ; and you cannot have your meals by your- self, nor at your own hours. This custom of " boarding," as it is termed, I disliked very much, as it deprived mc of many a meal when I was desirous of going to see sights. If a traveller stay at an hotel only one day, and from having friends in the place neither dines nor sups, he is charged nevertheless with a wlinln /1oi»'d l^r.»v.i n^u- Pkihdetphia. W9 termo of boardinf^ are, however, very moderate; at the Mansion-houie only ten doUarH per week. The table ii always spread with the greatest pro- flision and variety, even at breakfast, tea, and supper; ull which meals indeed, were it not for the absence of wine and soup, might be eallcd so many dinners. There, Dick, whut u brctikfuNt !-^()hj not like you» ghuat Of u brcakfuMt in England — your cura'd tea and toiuit I but a variety that would astonish even those accus- tomed to the morning repast of a Scotchman. At this important meal, besides tea, coffee, eggs, cold ham, beef, and such like ordinary accompaniments, we always had hot fish, sausages, beefsteaks, broiled fowls, fried and stewed oysters, preserved fruits, &c. &c &c. The same variety of dishes was repeated at supper. But in spite of this good living, I did not like the custom of being obliged to take every meal in public. Lieut. Hall, ia his travels in the United States, has humourously remarked, " that privacy, in either eating, sleeping, conversation, or govern, ment, seems quite unknown and * unknowable * to the Americans ; to whom it appears, whether poli- tical or domestic, a most unnatural, as well as unreasonable^ desire, which only Englishmen are plagued with." The public room in the Mansion-house was one of t.nn nanrlo/\'moccared to be particularly active, they would make an inroad into my portmanteau or gun-ca«e. They were attracted to the latter by a Mnall lK)ttle of oil that wan in it. When I found they had nearly eaten out the cork, I placed the Iwttle on a small table in the middle of the room, where the anti could not find it. When howl ever J took up two or three of them from the wainscot where they chiefly resided, and put them on the bottle, they descended ; and in the course of half a day I was sure to see my little enemies ascending and descending the table in a long stream, and hard at work again upon the cork. I tried this exiMjriment several times, and always with the same result; so that I was satisfied that these minute insects were capable to a certain degree of communicating intelligence to one another. In a great part of the neighbourhood of Phila- delphia, the scenery is very picturesque, particu- larly on the banks of the Schuylkill. On this river arc the great waterworks which supjily the city with an abundance of the purest water. Just above a very fine bridge is a large and nearly per- pendicular cliff ; at the bottom of which a great basin has been formed, partly by excavation, and partiy by a strong wall of masonry. This basin is 90 Philadelphia. always kept full by a long weir running across the river; for the SchuylkUl, though broad and rapid, ii but shallow. The wheels, which are turned by tie water let out from the basin, front the river. Their axes are fastened by a neat and simple con- trivance to the pistons of the forcing pumps, the pipes leading from which are attached to the face of the cliiF, and discharge themselves at the top into a very large and capacious reservoir. Phila- delphia is the only city in the United States that is thus supplied with water, for the inhabitants of all the other cities rely upon wells and pumps. The building at the waterworks is very handsome and substantial. The ornamental garden of Mr. Pratt is in this neighbourhood. Here I expected to see something very magnificent, having heard it touch spoken of, but I was extremely disappointed; for the situa- tion, which is indeed very beautiful, is far better worth seeing than the disposition and cultivation of the ground. Ornamental gardening is an art at present totally unknown, or at least unpractised, in the United States. While at Philadelphia I dined out several times ; but our parties consisted entirely of men, the only lady at table being the mistress of the house. This is always the custom, the ladies being seldom or never asked out to dinner. I observed besides, that it was very unusual for any one to go after din- into the drawbg-room, to which the lady of 'I'. II PhUidelphia. H the house had retired; for after sitting a moderate time, the party commonly broke up and dispersed. The ordinary dinner hour is three o'clock; but when there is a large party, it is occasionally put off till four. The Americans call our fashionable dinners "suppers," a name but too frequently deserved. ill m HHB V"^- 1 ^^^I^^^B ^^Hi ^ ' ) i HhIi t / ^s Baltimore. CHAPTER III. BALTIMOIIK — WASniNOTON. I WAS extremely unwilling to leave Philadel- phia, which I liked better and better every day; but my object was to travel, and not to remain long stationary in any place, however agreeable. Accordingly I set ofF in the steam-boat for Bal- timore. The Delaware below Philadelphia is very wide, but the general marshiness of the banks renders the prospect much less beautiful than above the city. Thirty-three miles from Philadelphia, we stopped at Newcastle, which, though a small town, is a very important one, there being no other on the Delaware so near the tide-waters of Ciiesapeak Bay. It is somewhere near this place, that the canal intended to unite the bay and the river is just about to be commenced. From Newcastle the stages which meet the steam-boat, convey travellers eighteen miles fur- ther to Frenchtown, a mere straggling village situ- ated on Elk river, a large arm of the Chesapeak Bay. The road to this place is through a tolerably rich, but very uninteresting country. I remarked that some of the farmers had improved the ap- pearance of their fields by adopting the English ■•ir BaMntort% $S nwite of Burroundidg them with hedgei, intttfad of Using the zigzag rail-fence, which I have ahready mentioned. Leaving the stages, I again embariced en board the steam-boat, and descended the mag- nificent bay of the Chesapeak to Baltimore, a dis- tance of fifty-one miles. This city, founded by Lord Baltimore in the year 1634, remained for a length of time an in- cdnsiderable place, but contains at present a popu- lation of 63,t88 Boulfl^ and is the fourth commeru cial city in the United States. It derives all its commerce, which is very considerable, particularly as regards the coasting trade, from its situation on ft point of land which runs out into the Patapsco river, an arm of the Chesapeak Bay. At this port «ite built those long sharp schooners, celebrated under the name of the Baltimore Clippers. These vessels, which were once considered to sail faster than any in the world, are now surpassed by the New Yerk pilot boats. One of the first things in Baltimore that attracts the attention of the stranger, is the gieatly increased number of blacks that he meets in the streets; for Maryland, in which the city is built, is a slave State. There are many remarkable public buildings in Baltimore, the handsomest of which is the new Unitarian church. The inside of tliis building is very highly finished, and is a model of simplicity artd elegance. The extennr in nlcn ^^ ^r.^ The eharth is a rotunda, with a portico in front. D 34 Baltimore* and, though oonndembly smalkr, is built sotae* thing on the plan of the Pantheon at Rome. I do not, for my own part, admire the custom preva* lent in America, and which is making its way into England, of building churches in imitation of Grecian or Roman temples. I certainly consider, though perhaps with bad taste, that the old gothic style is much better adapted to the celebration of the sombire mysteries of our holy religion. It haa been urged by many, that gothic architecture is too expensive ; but this would not be the case, if, in- stead of the florid gothic of Henry the Seventh's time, we adopted the more natural and simple style of the previous centuries. But whatever style of architecture is preferred, it must, I think, be granted, that windows and chimneys agree very ill with colonnades and porticoes; and I am sure that any one looking at the Unitarian church of Balti- more would confess, that the chimneys or pipes of the stoves greatly disfigure its classical appearance. Immediately opposite is the Catholic cathedral, which, though much larger, is not so handsome a building, as its tout ensemble is heavy and clumsy. These two churches are only separated by a broad street, and, as if in defiance of each other, there are inscriptions over the principal entrance of each. If I were not a strenuous supporter of the doc- trine of the Trinity, I should be disposed to prefer the simple inscription of the Unitarians, « T£i MONft ©Efl,'' to the longer one of the Catholics, Baiiimore, H ** At for us, we preach Christ crucified, a stumblings block to the Oentiles, &c. Aec.** In the cathedral there is a Urge and beautiful painting of the Descent from the Cross, presented to the church by Louis the Eighteenth, through the Count de Menou, French Minister at Wash- ington. This cathedral was built by a lottery, which is no doubt a very moral and convenient method of raising money, but which might induce a heretic to suppose that the builders were at the same time serving both God and mammon. The Exchange is a handsome structure, and is particularly well adapted to the purposes for which it was built. It contains a large hall, in which files of all the American and of most of the foreign newspapers are fastened on sloping desks. Round the walls are suspended hu-ge and handsome maps, charts, and plans. There is also a small and select Kbrary of books of reference, such as dictionaries, &c. With the liberality that characterizes all the public institutions in America, strangers are ad- mitted to this Institution gratis. In Baltimore there are two fine public monu- ments. One, dedicated to the memory of Wash- ington, stands in a kind of park immediately on the skirts of the city, and was not finished when I was there. It is an immense column of marble, to the top of which there is an ascent by means of a staircase in its interior. The other monument is m a smaU place or square, leading out of the prin- ii Bafiimn. dpftl tite^u •nd is t be«utif\il little oiniiinenied column of white marble, durmounfted with a statue. On this column ait inscribed the names of those, who fell in the battle that took place in tlie neigh* bdurhood of the town during the last war. No spot in the city is more pleasant, during the hot weather, than the public fountain, which is surrounded by thick shady elms. Here a very pietty little cupola has been erected, supported on pillars. Beneath this, two flights of marble steps, whicli divide at the entrance, conduct you down to the braxen mouths, from which the pure and cool water gushes out in copious streams. I was un- commonly pleased with this fountain and used often to visit it in my walks. Indeed, though it makes no pretensions to grandeur, yet I think it does more credit to the good taste of the Baltimo. reans than any thing else in the city. In the Museum, which contains a tolerably good cabinet of Natural History, I particularly remarked the beautiful mode adopted fot the preservation of the insects. They are fixed in little shallow frames, made of plaster of Paris, on which, before it is hard, a watch glass is placed, excluding not only all living insects, occasionally so destructive in a Museum, but even the air itself; so that the specimens retain their colour and natural appear^ ance for any length of time, without the slightest injury. This Museum, which is the property of a Mr. Peale, son of the gentleman who owns thht ^j^-r " ilUftmetiied th a stfttue. ?8 of those, tlie ndgh'- vt. Anting thf I, which in ;re a very pport^ on irbl^ steps, )U down to e and cool I was un« and used though it I think it i Baltimo* •ably good remarked rtation of shallow ch, before flding not estructire » that the il appear" slightest lerty of a WAS that at Philadelphia, is similarly disfigured by some wretched paintings. I may mention, as an in- stance of enthusiasm fov the art. that the aforesaid Mr, Peaje has inflicted upon his two sons, the names of Jicmbrandt and Hapbael. Baltimore is a regular and woU-built city, hut in(^n(a in this respect tq Philadelphia, Should the two canals that are contemplated be finished, pne from the Busquehanna, and the other from the Potowmac, Baltimore will become a much larger Hud more important city than at present. I proceeded in the stage to Washington, a dis* tance of eighty^four miles, over a very good road, but through a most uninteresting country, A great deal of the land on each side had not been deared, and where it had, it was sterile, and appa- rently very unproductive. Before arriving at the Federal City, I passed through the little village of BladensbUrgh, the spot where the action was fought (if action it can be called) which decided the fatq of the capital in the last war, The only American troops that opposed General Boss, were a small body of ma- rines, commanded by M^jor Miller, and a few seamen, under Commodore Barney. These brave fellows were all cut to pieces. The militia, al- though very numerous, ran away without firing » shot; and did not stop, until they had reached Montgomery, fifteen miles distant. On account of thp cowardly wnduot of the militia, this action li fFashinglon, ; I !i h in humourouBly called by the Americnng, "the Bladensburgh Races.** I was much disappointed upon arriving at Washington. I had been told, indeed, that I should see a straggling city ; but I had no idea that I should find the houses so very much scat- tered as they really are. An European, duly im- pressed with the idea of an ancient metropolis, might well be astonished at seeing the infant one of the United States. It is situated in the district of Columbia, a tract of land ten miles square ; which was ceded to the general government by the two States of Ma- ryland and Virginia, and which is under the exclusive care and jurisdiction of the Congress. —This was done, to prevent any trouble, that might arise from the acts or laws of any particular State. The plan of the city is on a vast scale, and it will be many a long year before even one half of it will be completed. Instead of beginning from a centre or nucleus, from which it might gradually have expanded, the whole was laid out, and the lots sold, wherever individuals chose to select them. Owing to ihis, every one selected the spot, which he thought would be most desirable when the city should be finished; and consequently very few streets are as yet completed. From its total want of commerce, Washington San not increased so rapidly as was expected ; yet fVathington, S9 iving at I, that I i no idea uch seat- duly im- etropolif, ifant one umbia, a ceded to s of Ma- ider the I!ongres8. >le, that tarticidar , and it lalf ofit : from a :r8dually and the ct them, t, which the city 'ery few ihington ed; yet the oen£Uf of 18S0 makes the population of the city 18.947, and that of the whole district 98,089. Of course, if the United States continue to increase in wealth and popuhition in the same pro]H)rtion as they have hitherto done, the city must soon become considerable ; and if, as seems probable, the canal which is to join the waters of the Ohio with the tide waters o" the Potowmac is soon put in execution, Washington will at once become a place of great commerce. But the city must expect nothing from the (ro- vemment. Instead of fostering the infant metropo- lis, and taking a pride in ornamenting, embellish- ing, and increasing it, as one would naturally have supposed ; the Congress has, on the contrary, been but A cold-hearted protector, and has acted the part of a step-father rather than of a parent. In fact, it has done little more than provide for its own convenience ; for as the Capitol, the President's house, and the public offices, were necesssary buildings, the city owes the Congress no thanks for them. But the worst feature in the conduct of the government is, that the members, arriving from different parts of the Union, have very often shown a decided hostility to the place. Each member is warm in advocating any improvement by which his own State is to be immediately bene- fitted; but any canal, road, &c. merely intended for th^ general benefit of the Union, has almost It lymkington, always Imq troAttu with th9 niott Appalling indif* fertmoe, mid som«tiinci even with tl>c inoit clcciiled oppotitiuu. Thii waf moflt strongly exeinplilted in Uio caRo of thu great national road over the Al* leghauy Alountainv. Moreover, when in the Hrit ycara uf thu He* public Ally eHtablinhment was in contcniplatiou, each Htato endeavoured to have it in ita own territory. Thus the different States struggled for the Mint, and the mother branch of the United States Bank, which were at lost fixed in Pluhidel- phia; and for the Military ('ollegc. wliich was ob- tained by Now York, Now had all these esta* blishmonts been fixed at Washington, thoy would have been under the innnediato eye of Govern* ment, and would havo added to the importance and ornament of the metropolis. But one member says, •♦ What is the city of Washington to PcnUT sylvania ? " and another, ♦• How does the improve, ment of Washington benefit New York ? " Of a truth we may assimilate this conduct to that of a parcel of importunate fellows pulling and tugging at the coat of a good-natured passive old gentle- man; who, by the time one has torn off a skirt, and another a sleeve, remains very ill-provided with clothing. The Capitol is a large and splendid mass ^ buildings, but though handsomely ornamented and embellished, has, at present, rather a heavy apr v\Aa*>nn/iA v%«w\lw>KT>r AAr>Aai/-^»«_f the gOf nanimpus citizens. than the I what an i a Ger- manners B was the It merely is a most Suiug^ton, there occurred a fine exj^nple of Republic$w sJmpU- city. Jefferson. Madison, and Monroe, happened to meet together ^t the opening of a poUege ^t Charlottesville in Vi^iginia. I suppose this is the only instance on record, of three mep» two of whom had been^mH one of whom actually sy^if^, at the hea4 of the government of the self-same pountryi meet- ing by chauce, and, in the most uncereiuonious and friendly way, passing the ev^ning togethpr- There were four Presidents alive wlien I w^s \n the United State8,-TAdams, Jeffprson, Madison, and Monroe. The environs of Washington aboun4 in p^p. turesque spenery. F|?om the bills, gn the Yirginj? bank of the river, ^nd also frpin tbpse beyond the eastern branch, the city ^ppe^rs sisatterpd over the plain belqw, and pleyates itsejf here ?nd there in sprae gr^pd strupturp, puph ^ the C^itPJ, the President's bouse, pr thp City ffallj wbilp . below rolls the mighty Potowm^c, diversi£ S The Government. 57 w%n, hy meini of which they riil thctrtielvei of the more eiiU-niriiiiiig and turbulent iipiritJi, antl in- duced the PleiH;i»n« to forgot their liberties in the intoxication of military glory. The govemtnent allowed the nnnics to plunder the nationfi they con- quered, in the Hame way as, in our tinie«, Napoleon IHjnnitted hia sanguinary legion«. Indeed, if the administration of the colonies was the same under the couiuIm liat it was under the enii>erors, we may judge of the hypocritical [wlicy of- the Ho. public from what (ialgacus said : *• Auferre, truci- dare, rapcre, falsis uoininibus imjicrium, atque ubi Holitudinem faciunt pacem appellant." If the Car- thaginians, and the other conquered nations, had left any histories behind them, I have no doubt they would materially diminish our respect for the " rerum dominos gentemque togatani." For my own part I should think that the " lords oi' the universe," by frequently condemning their captives to fight in the amphitheatres, showed much greater cruelty than the American Indians. Moreover, if a government is to Ix; blamed for the licentious de- pravity of the people, we may remark, that the Romans, imitating all that was bad in the Greeks, were guilty of unnatural and horrible vices, worthy only of the Arreoys and the Mawhoos of the Friendly Islands. After the Republic of Rome had naturally sunk into a military despotism, Freedom slept a sleep of eentiu-ics, and it was not until comparatively mo- Tfie Government, h I |! dera tJtnefl that she aWoke« h^ver more to sltimber. The Tusetm llepubllcfi, though infinitely superior to that of ancient Rome, m regards civilization, had made but little progress in the science of govern^ ment. ** Viewed as Republics," says Mr. Forsyth* " the Tuscans and the Greeks were equally turbu^ lent within their walls* and equally vain of figuring among foreign sovereigns J always jealous of their politiCttl independence, but often negligent of theit- civil freedom} for ever shifting their alliances abroad, or undulating between ill-balanced factions ftt home^ In such alternations of power the Pa- tHcians became imperious, the Commons bloods thirsty, and both so opposite, that nothing but an enemy at the gates could unite them." Mr. For- syth then mentions the frivolity and the cruel ef- fects of their wars ; but it is impossible for me to enter into any detail on these subjects, which I re- gret the lessi as the Italian, like the Grecian Repub- licsj were too small an(f weak to retain their inde- pendence for any length of time. The 8tate of New York would have comprised them all, and Long Island by itself would have been considered a most influential power. With regard to the other Italian Republics, it is enough to remark that Venice was in the hands of a most tyrannical aristocracy, and that Genoa was often almost as much oppressed. Crossing over to the other side of Europe, we find an hereditary Stadtholder lording it over their in Th§ GwernmMi. «# high mightitic?s8€8 the Dutch, whose Republic i\m omnipotent congresa of Verona has, so mucJh agdnst their will, transformed into a Monarchy^ We again meet with a domineering aristocTaey in the Swiss Cantons, the only European Republic now existing. I have heard one of the self-styled nobles of Hwiteerland talk of the common people^ in a manner I should have expected only from a Spanish Grandee. But shiiU we call that state a Republic, in which the liberty of the press hUs bee« annihilated, and from whence the mere wish of the' despot of Austria has driven away the foreign re* fugees ? We may well exclaim in the language of Lord Byron, " The name of Commonwealth is past and gone. O'er tiie three fractions of^he groaning globe.'* But let us also recollect the lities that follow : ' " Still one great clime. Whose vigorous offspring by dividing ocean Are kept apart, and nursed in the devotion Of freedom, which their fathers fought for And bequeath'd— -a heritage of heart and hand. And proud distinction front each other land,— Still one great clime, in full and ftee defiance. Yet rears her crest— unconquer'd and sublime Above the far Atlantic." This great clime is indeed a Republic. I^et Us hear the words Of the famous declaration of Inde- pendence : « We hold these truths to be self-evideht J***-that ^! I t ; Si I ■f ■ I i ijj 60 The Government. all men are created equal; that they arc endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights ; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness ; that to secure these rights, govern- ments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed; that whenever any form of government becomes destruc- tive of these ends, it is the Right of the people to alter or abolish it, and to institute a new govern- ment, laying its foundation on such principles, and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and hap- piness." Until Representative government was discovered and acknowledged, civil liberty did not, and could not, rest upon any firm basis. Even this great dis- covery was some time in arriving at any thing like perfection : for man is so prone to usurp authority, and to lord it over his fellows, that the liberties of the people were found to be endangered if even freely elected representatives and governors were not often changed, and always held accountable for their actions. This principle, now so well un- derstood, forms the basis of the government of the United States. The Confederation consists at present of twenty- four States ; each of which is sovereign and inde- pendent, enacting laws, regulating taxes, making improvements, &c. &c., as far as regards its own ""hese Stutes have, by the con- Til. The Government 61 stitution, given certain powers to what is termed the General Government, for the purpose of regu- lating their commerce and their transactions with foreign powers, and of enacting laws in all cases where the interest of the whole Union is concerned. The General Government only requires that what- ever alterations the inhabitants of each State may think proper to make in their own constitution, it must always remain Republican. The General Government consists of two coun- cils, composed of the deputies of the different States. One of these councils is called the Senate, the other the House of Representatives ; and both together form what is commonly termed the Con- gress. The executive part of the government is administered by a President, Vice-President, and four Secretaries. " * The President must be thirty-five years of age, fourteen years a resident in the United States, and a natural born citizen. In case of his death, removal, resignation, or inability, the duties of his office devolve upon the Vice-President ;' and by an act of 1st March, 1792, in case of the removal, death, resignation, or inability of both Presidentand Vice-President, or of the President of the Senate pro tempore ; and in case there shall be no Presi- dent of the Senate, then the Speaker of the House * Vide National Calendar and the Constitution of the United States. Tke Gavermnenit of Representatives for the time being, ih»Jl ut us PresideHt." *^ The legal title of this officer, is the Pieeidej^t of the United States ; and he is by the consti^Wr tion eommander-in-chief of the army end navy of the United States, and of the militia of the several States, when called into the service of the United States. He receives ambassadors and other publip ministers ; and it is his duty to take care that ^he laws are properly executed. He is empowered, by the advice and with the consent of tworthirds pf the Senators present, to make treaties ; and, by and with the advice and majority of the Senate, he appoints ambassadors, otlier public ministers and consuls, judges of the Supreme Court, and all other officers established by law, whose appoint- ments are not otlierwise provided for by the consti- tution. He commissions all offipers of the United States ; and may grant reprieves and pardons, ex- cept in cases of impeachment. His salary is 85,000 dollars per annum, which cannot be in- creased or diminished during the term for whiph he is elected." The President is chosen by JJlectors from the different States. Bach State appoints, in the manner laid down by its own particular Jaws, as many Electors as equals the sum total of the Hm?h tors and Representatives which it sends to Congress. Thus the State of New Yoirk sends two Senators ^..^^.-„„^ •'^'.vpiVKjv^wiitwvcH, uiui uiereiore ap- The Government, $$ points twenty-three Electors, The gitate ^f J^pw Jersey sends two Henjitors and si-c RepreseiJtftliyps, and therefore appoints eight Electors, No senator, representative, or person holding au office of trust or profit under the United States, can be appointed an Elector. The Electors vote by ballot ; and in the event of therp being several candidates, and no one being votetl for by morp than ' alf of the Electors, o,:o of the three fandjr dates Miat hare the greatest number of votes is chosen by the House of Representatives. The Her presentatives vote by States on this occasion, each State having only one vote. The people, how- ever, always try to prevent the election being thus referred to the Representatives, as in voting by States the small States are as powerful as the large. The President is elected for four years, and there is no restriction as to his being re-elected. But no President has served for a longer time than eight years ; and this, indeed, by custom, is almost considered the time for which he is elected, as, after the <^),t four years, his election is not cou- tested. AU the Presidents have served eight years except Adams, who, in consequence of his having passed an Alien Law, increased the army in time uf peacf , and ,dDne other acts disagreeable to the people, was turned out by them at the end of his four years. Adams was at the head of a party calling tJiem- M The Government, selves Federals (the Tories of the United SUtes) ; but this party, owing to their violent, treasonable, and unconstitutional conduct, during the last war with Great Britain, has made itself generally odious to the people, and is at present almost anni- hilated. « The Vice-President is ex-officio President of the Senate ; his salary is 5,000 dollars per annum, and his ordinary duty is to preside in the Senate of the United States. He is elected in the same manner, at the same time, for the same term, and by the same electors, as the President." * The Secretary of State, the Secretary of the Treasury, the Secretary of War, and the Secretary of the Navy, hold their offices at the will of the President, by whom they are chosen. Each of tliese Secretaries receives a salary of 6,000 dollars per annum. I may here remark, that all the salaries civen by the people to their public officers are certainly too small anJ insufficient. The President himself does not receive a higher salary than the English Minister at Washington ; and the Secretaries have scarcely more than the British Secretaiy of Lega- tion. All public officers, who are really useful, should be paid handsomely and liberally— indeed, rather overpaid than underpaid ; for it is only at sinecures that a nation has a right to grumble. * Vide National Calindar and the Constitution of the United C?x_^ Il ■•: The Government, 05 Bach State sends two Senators to Congress, who are elected for six years. These Senators are elected by the legislatiirfls of the different States, and not, as is the case with the Representatives, by the people themselves. A Senator must be thirty years of age, and nine years a citizen of the United States. The Senate, as soon as the members of it had assembled, in consequence of the first election held after the framing the constitution, was divided as equally as could be into three classes. The seatfi of the Senators of the first class were vacated at the expiration of the second year ; of the second class at the expiration of the fourth year • and of the third class, at the expiration of the sixth year. This was done, in order that the Senate itself re- maining a perpetual body, one-third of its mem- ber should vacate their seats every second year. All the senators afterwards chosen were, as they are at present, elected for six years. When a new State is admitted into the Union, it is determined by lot, to which class the dcvv Se-' nators shall belong. This is done to keep up the same arrangement. The Senate, whenever the President of tlic United States proceeds to any important nomina- tion, has the power of withholding its consent ; in which case tlie sitting is lield with closed doors, and the journal of its proceedings is then secret! it has also a vote m the ratification of treaties, in F Tkt G^ftm^^m^mt t .< li IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 I.I liit2» 12.5 Ui 1^ 12.2 Ui lili ^ li£ III 2.0 1^ 1.25 |||||.4_ 1.6 ^ 6" ► m v: /A ''w Photographic Sciences Corporation \ :\ iV \ iV c^ ^"^ 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716) 872-4503 m Tkt QtfOirnmtfU. * AfWr Munsimiir Dupoiit» whd acted a ^tiii<- guikhed part in the French revolution, had tf*- turned to France from America, he wai mie day adked by the Emperor Napoleon, who wai rar- founded by many of his marshals, i^nerab, and great officers, what he saw extraordinary in the Government of the United States. " Sire," replied he, ** On nfe le voit pas, on ne le sent pas." How completely do those few words express the genius of the American Government ! ,,,.,,,.. It is, indeed, entirely a Government of Oj^Ofi. Whatever the people wish, is don6. If they want any alteration of laws, tarifib, &c. they inform their Representatives, and if there be a majority that wish it, the alteration is made at once. In most European countries, there is a portion of the population denominated the mohi who, not being acquainted with real liberty, give themselves up to occasional fits oi licentiousness. But in the United States there is no moht for every man feels himself free. At the time of Burr's conspiracy, Mr. J^ffer« son said, that there was little to be apprehended from it, as every man felt himself a part of the general sovereignty. ^The event proved the truth of this assertion; and Burr, who in any other country would have been hanged, drawn, and quartered, is at present leading an obscure life in the dty of New York, despised by every one. The good effects of a fi-ee Government are visi- bl hHiV iiU 71b OimHifimt 71 tithm» !»<> podr mtes, no oxciw, ho htiVy inUmti twei, iio ctmitncroUa moaopoliei. An Am^^rioui CM make ttuidle* if h« h*ve t«ll«w, can diitU brandy if he have gttipen or peaches, and can make bwr if he haVe malt and hops, without aiking leave of any one, and much leis with any fear of incurring punishment How would a farmer's wife there be aitonished, if told that it was contrary to law for her to make soap out of the potasa obtained on the farm, and of the grease she herself had laved! When an American has made these articles, he may build his little vessel, and tidce Uiem without hindrance to any part of the World: for there is no rich company of merchants that can say to him, « You shall not trade to IndU; and you shaU not buy a pound of tea of the Chinese; as, by so doing, you would infringe upon our privi- leges." In consequence of this freedom, the seas are covered with their vessels, and the people at home are activd and independent. I never saw a beggar in any part of the United Stetes ; nor was I ever asked for charity, but once, and that was by an Irishman. Hired and servile writers may abuse as much as they please the people and government of the United States; but fortunately, whatever they may nay, they cannot prevent the Americans from advancing by gigantic strides towards the acme of wealth, power, and population. Who can con- template without astonishment the spectacle they n The G&otrnment. already offer? With a vast extent of territory rapidly covering with population ; and with a re- venue of SI3,000»000 dollars (without direct taxes), and a surplus 3,000,000 dollars after defraying all the expenses of the country* (a phenomenon un- known in Europe) ; their commerce is so consider, ahle, that America has become the rival of Great Britain herself^ and is the only maritime power that can give her any yneasiness. Yet forty-seven years ago, this grand nation consisted only of a few in- significant colonies, supplied in all its wants by the mother country, which^ for that purpose, em- ployed but a few ships.' ' No people, in the same space of time, has ever made a hundredth part •f the progress ; and to what is this progress owing ? To freedom. Albeit many sage Europeans have constituted themselves prophets, and declared, that the fede- rate Republic will fall to pieces ; that it will sink into insignificance from the very form of its Go- vernment; and that the States will quarrel with one another, and degenerate into monarchies. But, for my own part, I should humbly beg leave to think, that these modem prophets are some- what inspired by the lying spirit of Zedekiah, the son of Chenaanah. " The United States owe to the world a great example ; and, by tlie means thereof, to the cause ^» The GwemmeHL Tf of liberty and humanity a generous support ; they have 80 far succeeded to the satisfaction of the virtuous and enlightened of every country." • The constitution of this Republic would be, if it were not for negro slavery in the southern States, a spectacle for gods and men to rejoice at. It must however be confessed, that slavery is a blot of such magnitude and enormity, as greatly to diminish our admiration for the whole system. Madame de Stael very property says, " There is a people who will one day be very great ; I mean the Americans. One stain only obscures the perfect splendour of reason which iiies that country— slavery still exists in the southern pro- vinces ; but when Congress shall have found a re- medy for that evil, ho- - shall we be able to refuse the most profound respect to the institutions of the United States?" I shall conclude my remarks upon the Govern- ment of this great Republic by quoting the follow- ing beautiful lines of Sir W. Jones. What constitutes a state ? — - ♦ Not high raised battlement or labou/d mound. Thick wall or moated gate ; Nor cities proud with spires and turrets crown'd ; Not bays and broad arm'd ports. Where laughing at the storm rich navies ride ; Not starr'd and spangled courts. Where low brow'd baseness wafts perfume to pride- President's Message, 1822. Tka GttftfHrmii W t I i i WW> high lliiftdfed NWM, With raw«A M far altore dull Wtttw cnUuMl In forest, brake, or den, Ai beaats excel oold rockii and bMniblM rude,— Mtm, wKd thdbr thliet ktaow> But hneUr their r^Ate» and knowing dare maintain j Prevent the long aim'd blow. And crush the tyrant whilst they rend the chain. The« oonrtitttte a «tofe-^ And Miveivign lAW| that ttatt*» coUedtd ntiU, ,, O'er thrones and globes elate dits empress; crowning good, suppressing ill. •.r{ .,'!» % Tk9 Zawt, fMsTfftI ')rf t 'tif-1 it'ttm*. M,tif^ t'„,.A^ CHAPTER V. n THB LAWS. • The law. of the UniM 8tatei aw, g»neraUy speaking, the same as those of England; bu| in the citil as weU as in the penal code, numemig and excellent improvements have been introduced; for where the people alone is sovereign, abuses afe ws formed as soon as they are remarked. In other coun- tries, men are always to be found bigoted in fkvour of every thing that is ancient, and who consider precedent, however bad, aa the safest rule of Wn* duct. Such men are always oppotjed to refbrmation, however obvious, and however advantageous to the commonwealth. But the Government of the United States is Republican ; and consequently the com* mon law of England, which was traniplanted to the colonies by the first settlers, has, from principle as well as from circumstances, been to a certain de. gree altered. " We shall not institute this comparison boasts mgly, however justly we may pride ourselves upon the improvement which we have made in this coun. ^ try upo» the common law, properly so called^with whatever emotions of honest cjtultation we might reasonably point to those improvements. For we apprehend that oftentimes, when professional men smosg us are bestowing exalted praise upon the 76 The Zawt, It ■ I' GommoD kw, they lose sight of the important fact, that the common law of England is radically dif. ferent from the system that bears the same name in America. The common law, properly speaking, is that in which Hale, and Holt, and Mansfield, and EUenborough abjudicated, — which Coke and Blackstone commented upon, — which upholds England's government, by king, lords, and com- mons, — which marks out the jurisdiction of the Courts of Chancery, King's Bench, Common Pleas, and Exchequer, — which fixes the rules for the descent of property, — which engendered and perpetuates the rotten borough principles of repre- sentation, — which authorized the tenure of knights' service, with the rest of the antiquated burdens of the feudal system : for all these things, with a thousand others of the same stamp, are among the peculiar discriminating qualities of the common law, inherent in its very essence, but irreconcile- ably at war with all our dearest institutions. It is the common law of Virginia, of Massachusetts, of New York, or of Pennsylvania, which Ameri- cans must intend when they eulogize the common law ; and we unite heart and band with them in their warmest expressions of veneration for this law ; since light does not differ more from dark- ness, than does this from the common law as flourishing on its native English soil."* * North American Review, July 1823. The whole of this article, on the subject of the lawH of MsMachu<>ettS; is well vhole of this ip.tt.i). ia urpll The Lmot, (ff ^ The AmevksMt have grM^ly mitigated the wre. ntj «f the penal code, so much lo indeed, that execution! are extremely rare ; and besides this ■o miU if the system adopted by the executive power, that the President generally remits the punishment, unless the crime committed be of un- eommon atrocity. Although one cannot but ad. mire the humanity that pifompts the saving a fellow creature's life, yet I think my«elf, that the law ought to have its course, and that punishment should, m aU cases, follow condemnation ; for when a criminal is led to hope that he may escape by the humanity of the President, the terror of the Iw^ has less influence upon evil doers, and crime IS thereby, to a certain degree, encouraged. A great improvement is just about to be made \t American jurisprudenbe ; viz. the abolition of im- prisonment for debt. Even at present, in most of the States, imprisonment for debt exists more in name than in reality. By the insolvent laws, which are perhaps too much in favour of the debtor his person in ten, or at i/iost in thirty days, is for ever released, on a surrender of his property to a trustee appointed by the court. In the mean time on gmng sufficient security, he is entitled to perl feet freedom within the prison bounds, which fre- quently comprise half the town or county in which o7t Ltol/ *'°"' "^ ^^^ '- -P-- -^onnation n 2UU9^. b# mi4f$. Tlitse n» ^<4 petlMiiM. divri^g the yMA in Any o»« ^NAt«, more tbaa ten in«lAn«et aC aoboM in«MrfeK»Upii. 71i« A>nni of i^luib prmiiot «» tiriotly ob sorred, m r^UiM to the dUMoctioa oC actiwii buft tjb let «nty of plemling hiw been initifttod in eT«ry State, by •Utuie* of amendment. 8tiU» bowfivor, •uffici«nt of tb« antiquated jargon ro» mains, to juftify tbe nrproacb, Uiat the uaiwove- QMnta in the admiuiitration of juttieo bavo not b«en in any way pioportionato to those in fareni* ni«nt and politics. M an instance of .this, J way mention, that in the ninle dig- it out and bum it, although suiTound«d by M much wooti. ('lose by the road side, a little beyond Smith, field, 1 came to the place where General Bhiddo<;k was buried, after being defeated and killed by the French and Indians. This disaster Was occasioned by his rejecting the advicd of Washington, who then ctommanded the Virginian Militia. The Laurel Mountain, so called from the great quantity of the Mountain Laurel growing on It. ik the highest point which the National Road attalflj in passing the Alleghanies. From hence there is ft most beautiful and extensive view towards the west. A very rapid descent of four miles brought us to Union, a small town situated at the foot of the mountain; after passing which the country becomes much more level, is more thickly settled, and Is in general well cultivaced. ?a«ir,n ;„•„ As the neighbourhood of Brownsville, a small but thriving town situated on the Monongahela, abounds with coal, several manufactories have been established there} and one of glass is in a very prosperous condition, and is no doubt very profit- able to the owners. The Monongahela is a very considerable river, which has its source in the Alleghanies, and joins the Ohio at Pittsburg Steam-boats from the Ohio occasionally ascend the river^ as^ far as Brownsville. From this place to Cumberisnd there will be a great deal of com- 90 Journey across the Aiieghanies, meroe, when the Potowtnac canal is made ; as pro- duce firom the Ohio will then be taken to Wash- ington and the Atlantic cities by water, except from Brownsville across the mountains, which is a distance of only seven ty-two miles.* The country, after leaving Brownsville, is in some places pretty well cleared, and appears fertile. On the road I met vast dioves of hogs, four or five thousand in a drove, going from the State of Ohio across the mountains to the Eastern States. Afterwards, when in Kentucky, I was informed that upwards of 100,000 hogs had been driven firom that State alone. Owing to the quantity of nuts, acorns, and mast, throughout the Western States, a great number of these animals are allowed to run at large in the woods, are bred at little or no expense, and when fat are sold in the Eastern States for about five dollars a-piece. The road became worse and worse all the way from Brownsville to Wheeling. The truth is, that as travellers coming from the Atlantic cities, with the intention of descending the Ohio and going into the Western States, prefer this road to the one which leads from Philadelphia to Pitts- • Since my return from America I have been informed, that in consequence of the discovery of a very copious spring of water near the top of this part of the AUeghanies, the canal will be continued over the mountains, so that all land carriage will be obviated. Journey across the AUeghaniet. 91 burgh,and which waa made by the 8Utc of Penmyl- vania, the traffic of the Pcnnsylvanian " turnpike ** is very much diminished; and therefore all the people of that State, as weU as of many of the other States, who do not derive any immediate benefit from it, are opposed to any grants being made by Congress for keeping it in order. Thus, for the want of a few thousand dolhirs expended annually, this great national undertaking was allowed to go very much out of repair. It would indeed in a year or two have become entirely impassable if, as I was informed on my return from the West, the advocates for internal improvements had not made a great effort, and obtained a grant of 25,000 dollars. This Iiowcver is by no means enough for repairing the road at present, whereas a few years ago the same sum would have been more than sufficient. Wheeling is situated on the left bank of the Ohio, at the foot of a very high cliff. I found it but a small town, and owing lo its manufactures ex- tremely dirty ; but it is soon likely to become a place of considerable importance, frdm the great quantity of merchandise brought to and from the Ohio along the National Road. Excellent coal is in such abundance on the bank of the river that it only costs four cents a bushel. The great coal formation, beginning at Cumber- land, and passing through the mountains to Pitts- 01* ^ojfage down the Ohio* biiiif •ticl Wheeling, at which latter place it dxMMefi the lifer, extendi for % considcrabld distance into the State of Ohio. Wherever it hod been found ii«ceiwary to out a feir feet below the surface of the ground, in order to make the roa After passing the mouth of the Kenhawa, the banks of the Ohio became more mcmntainous and picturesque. All the hills abound with coal, which, as it often appears at the surface, and in many places is only 50 or 100 yards from the water's edge, the inhabitants of the neighbourhood dig out, and send down in flat-bottomed boats to Maysville and other towns on the river, where they can sell the coal for a less sum, than would be asked for the mere cutting and carrying of timber. During our voyage we passed a great many flat- bottomed boats. Some of them were small, and merely contained an emigrant family and its fur- niture. These poor people, either New Englaud- ers or foreigners, build one of these boats upon arriving at the banks of the Ohio, and commit themselves to tlic stream. Many being too poor to buy land, look out for some spot on the Missis- sippi or its tributary rivers, where they may remain a short time and clear the ground. Then, if they can make a little money, they give it to the pro- prietor for the land on which they have placed themselves. But if it is ever claimed, and they cannot raise the sum required, they re-embark their little all, and float off to some other place, where they either buy a small tract of land, or Voyage down the Ohio. loi again "squat,"* without permission, trusting that It will be some time before they are interrupted. Home of the emigrants who were better off, were going to the Missouri and Illinois; and their boats besides their family, &c. &e., contained also a small waggon, and two or three horses. These boats are built in the shape of a parallelogram, whose sides are in the ratio of three, four, or even five to one. They are planked up on each side and be! hmd. and are protected by a slightly curved roof made of thin boards, their height being in the interior about that of a tall man. The upper part of the front, and a few feet of each side near the front, are left open like a sort of balcony, into which a number of children would run from the interior, to look at the steam-boat as it passed them. From this opening project two long oars which serve to steer the boat, and, in case of ne' cessity, to move it out of the way either of a sand- bank, or of a mass of drift wood. Each boat is often divided into two or more apartments, one of which has a fire place and a chimney; so that each ol these strange habitations might not inappro- priately be termed, a floating cottage. The larger sort, which, although of about 150 " This settling on land which belongs to another person, and eleanng and cultivating it without leave, is called Squatting. The Squatters are held by the landed proprietors in th greatest possible abhorrence. f * » in ine lot Vra which its invention will form in the history of the world, than its enahUng one to descend such a river as the Ohio, in so agree, able a manner. I found myself navigating a stream, which run* for the most part through a country remaining in a state of nature; yet I fared excel, lently, was surrounded with every accommodation, and at the same time was proceeding night and day, at such a rate, that places far removed from one another, seemed almost brought into contact I disembarked on the Kentucky side of the river at MayaviUe (otherwise called Limestone) S70 miles below Wheeling. MaysviUe is situated at the foot of a very lofty ridge of hiUs. It is a town of considerable traffic but from its extreme dirtiness is an unpleasant place to stop at. . , I>uiing the fine weather, a sort of stage-coach IM Zexingtott, goes regularly from hence to Lexington ; but it cannot be depended upon during the autumn and winter, which latter season was beginning to set in when I was at Maysvillc. The roads being very bad. I determined to buy a horse, and indeed riding is the only practicable and safe manner of travelling through most of the Western States. I knew, moreover, that beyond Lexington I could not have proceeded otherwise. For this determi- nation I had afterwards reason to applaud myself, as the road was beyond all comparison the worst I had ever seen. It was full of holes, and in many places nearly up to the horse's knees, in mud inter- mixed with large stones and pieces of rock, which seemed as if put there on purpose to annoy eques- trians. To convey any idea of such a road by mere description is impossible. Moreover, the road is a natural one, that is to say, it is a track left open and cleared, but which has never had a single cart load of gravel or stones thrown upon it. Add to this, a great many heavily laden waggons are obliged to travel over it, when carrying goods to Lexington. The natural roads are, of course, worse than usual, if, as was the case here, the country through which they run, is fertile. Notwithstanding I got up at day-break, and rode till it was dark, during which time I only stopped an hour and a half to rest and feed my horse, yet I found it impossible to proceed more than from t.hirtv fn fliirfv_fi»r« wn;^^^ :« 4.i.« i. x- four hours. Not to mention the badness of the Lexington. |^ rowl, my Journey wm impeded by wvcr»l creeki •nd rivew of no inconriderable depth. On coming to one of them after a fall of rain, the traveUer i« obliged cither to halt or to Rwim ; for in the whole distance between Mayiville and Lexington, thero arc only two bridget. Twenty-five milei from MaysviUe. I came to the Blue Lick, where there is a gpring so strongly impregnated with sulphur, that, in descending the hill, near a quarter of a mile from it, I perceived the disagreeable smell which it emitted. The spots called « Licks" are common in all ,the Western States, and particularly in Kentucky Deer and buffalo ♦ used to resort to these pbces m great numbers, for the sake of the salt which abounds in them, and which the animals obtained by licking the earth, a great quantity of which they swaUowed at the same time. In this manner, they have often licked such considerable holes' that at first sight, it is diflicult to believe they could have been thus formed. In the more wild and unfrequented parts of the country, these spots are still the favourite resorts of the deer. The Blue Lick is situated in a hollow, surround- ed with wooded hilJs ; and the country, for several miles immediately round it, is not cultivated, owing to the rocky nature oi the ground. • The animal caUed the buffalo by the Indian, and the - ; •• ■ •^"'c "» «jy rcaaers may have seen one exhibited in London, under the absurd name of the Bo. nassus. 10« JLeJtitigtQil, Tbe waltr hokU in toltition not only aulphur. but alio ft ffreat doftl of common mU. or murUte ol' ■on length, and neariy as n.any in circumference. I .HtencHl with j^reat delight to the anecdotes, with wlueh n.y landlord wiUd away the time. " TI.e Indians," said tlic old man, " are a very grave people, aud very seldom laugh, or expmss astonishment at any thing. When, however, they do laugh, they laugh most immoderately. To illliufvnto fl.Jo I ...111 . .. - ^ „„,, , „„j mention a tact which took place soon after our coming here. Ht LeSnngtotik I " The early settlers wete obliged for defence, to live in forts made of logs and earth, which they ealled stations. Round these stations, the Indians constantly lurked, in order to surprise, and get a shot at the settlers, and, after killing a man, re- treated into the woods where it was useless to follow thenii Whenever thereibre, those in one station wished to send a message to those in another, the messenger, upon arriving within a quarter of a mile of his destination, used to raise a whoop in order that his friends might know he was cdming, and might open thd gate immediately ; for if he stopped, even but a moment, he was almost sure to receive the bullet of some lurking Indian. Now, in the neighbourhood of the fort where I was," continued the old man, « some of these uncivilized beings observed our practice, and ac- cordingly stretched across the path, within a couple of hundred yards of the foH, a small vine, so as to come up to the breast of a man on horseback. lii a short time, a messenger they knew we ex- pectedj came on, raising his whoop, and galloping for the open gate as hard as he could; but not see- ing the vine, he was thrown from his horse, head over heels. Two Indians immediately rushed out to tomahawk him ; but, amused with the success of their stratagem, and the ridiculous way in which the man was thrown, burst into such a fit of laughter, that they fell down, and thus gave the &trntrntf*t\ Tnpaeono'Ai* fimo f/^ <«Af nvn ««#! «««« «^^. O ,.,^_...|^^., vsuiv.- vv gtv «p, StU\X 1 UII illtU the station." Lexington. jjj Perhap tlie reader may have thought this anecdote rather long, but I cannot resist the tetop. tation of giving him another, although it must be preceded by some prefatory remarks. The early settlers of Kentucky all wore the " hunting-shirt," which is stUl the common dress of the hunters and backwoodsmen. It is a kind of short loose doublet, reaching about half-way down the thighs, with an upright collar, and a small but full cape. It is kept together iu front with two or three buttons or hooks ; and is as loose as an Enghsh farmer's smock-frock, but is fastened round the waist by a broad leather belt, in which hang the tomahawk and hunting knife. Ovet the shoulder passes another belt, to which is suspended the powder-horn, and the fur-pouch for bullets and wadding. The hunting-shirt is made of coarse blue Imen, or (as they call it) linsey-woolsey, and IS bound round the collar, cape, cuffs, and edges with a red fringe. This dress, which is very com- modious and serviceable, is one of the most be. coming and elegant I have ever seen. Havlag said thus much about the hunting-shirt, I proceed to the other anecdote. " Old General Scott and two or three others " said my landlord, "were sitting one evening in 'a log-tavern, when in came a tolerablv well-dressed stranger, from the New England States, and caUed for half a pint of whiskey. The landlord informed "im, that he di.^w-^ Id Id X Hitherto the weather at Franckfort had been remarkably wet; but by one of the sudden changes, common in America, the cold in one night became so intense, that the ponds and stagnant waters were covered with ice several inches thick, and many even of the running streams were frozen. At nine o'clock A.M. of the day after the frost set in (Dec. 3), the thermometer was — 2° of Fah- renheit. I never had experienced so sudden and violent a change, and for a few days found it very disagreeable. I now set off for Louisville, a town situated at the falls of the Ohio. I was two whole days in performing this journey of only fifty-two miles; but the road which liad been very muddy, had been afterwards suddenly hardened by the frost, and had become so uneven, as to bear a consider- able resemblance to the surface of a Swiss Glacier. I had to walk a great part of the way, leading my horse bv the ^^Hdle* far thp »^«"« i-^i- — i ^ f I 2 116 Louitvilie. on the rough sharp projections, walked much as a man would do, if obliged to pass barefooted over broken flints. Louisville is the most flourishing town in the State of Kentucky, and contains between four and Ave thousand inhabitants. Its commercial activity is owing to the following circumstance. During the dry season, when the water of the Ohio is low, boats cannot pass down the rapids ; so that all the produce, manufactures, &c. coming down from the States that border on that river, or which commu- nicate with it by means of its tributary streams, must necessarily be disembarked at Louisville, and carried three miles in waggons. The grand and remarkable rapids, or " falls '' as they are called, are occasioned by a most curi- ous ledge of rocks, which traverses the current. The true bottom of the river below the falls is only a few inches lower than that above them ; but owing to this ledge, the water descends twenty^ two feet in a distance of little more than two miles. It may easily be conceived, what a superb rush must be made down the slope, by so enormous a body of water as the whole of the Ohio. The ledge which causes the rapids is chiefly of limestone, and contains a variety of beautiful ma- rine fossils. In one part, there is a large reef of coral and madreporite, which latter subtsance, from its sin- gular appearance, the people call " petrified wasps' number of very curious and interesting specimens, Louisville. 117 and at the same time exercise his ingenuity, in speculating, how tliey could possibly have been formed in such a situation. The river here is about 1000 yards wide ; and I was told that, during stiU calm weather, the noise of the rapids may be heard by those descending it, at a distance of five or six miles. It has been in contemplation to cut a canal round these rapids, so that steam-boats, and other craft, may pass and repass at aU times. This canal, from the flatness of the ground bordering the river, could easUy be made, and would be of incalculable utility. The year I was at Louisville, the town had been most terribly afflicted with a fever, which made a great havoc among those whom poverty or urgent business prevented from removing. This epidemick fever resembles the yellow fever ; and, from its prevalence over aU the aUuvial soil of the Ohio, greatly checks the increase of population. Most of the steam-boats that ply below the rapids, stop at a little village called Shipping-port, where they take in passengers and cargo. The first steam-boat that ever floated on the Ohio and Misiissippi rivers was one built by a Mr. Rosewall, and launched at Pittsburg in the month of March, I8I7. When we think of the recency of this date, and examine the following tables, we may form some idea of the grooving wealth and importance of the Western States. Such a rapid increase of wealth is indeed probably unequalled in the annals of civilization. 118 Louitvitle. ** Efltiroatc of the products, which descended the falls of the Ohio, at Louisville, in the year 1822: being the produce, Ist, of the whole State of Ohio (excq)t the part bordering on I^kc Erie) ; 2dly, of two-thirds of the State of Ken. tucky ; 8dly, of one-half of the State of Indiana ; and 4thly, of a small part of the States of Penn- sylvania and Virginia. 12,000 hd«. Tobacco 10,000 — Hams and Hhouldcrs grocu. . 12,000 — and boxM of fiticon 4,000 — Com meal, kiln dried. ..... 50,000 barrels Pork 4,000 Beef. y00,000 Flour 75,000 Whiskey 5,000 Beans 3,000 Cider f),000 ■ ■■ Apples 100,000 Up of Lord 25,000 firkins of Butter 2,000 bales of Hay 2,000 casks Flax seed. 7 bushels to a cask 3,000 barrels Linseed Oil 5,000 boxes Window Glass 25,000 r Soap 10,000 Candles 3,000 barrels Porter C0,000 lbs. Ginseng. 50,000 — Bees' wax. 10,000 kegs Tobacco 65,000 lbs. Feathers. BiUmated ■MlimM IdyirtUk. 119 of whicli could not be correctly cstimatod for want of adequate ddta. The foregoing estimate pre scnts, at one glance, a pretty correct view of the agricultural resources of this suction of the country ; and, when it is considered, at the same time, that probably not more than oneuflfth of the soil em- braced in this calculation is now under cultivation, we are furnished with some general data from' which to estimate the ultimate agricultural capa- city of this section of the country." The above statement as well as the following table was politely furnished me by a gentleman with whom I became acquainted at Louisville. A Table thmving the name and tonnage of each steam-boal, employed on the Ohio and Musissippi rivers in the if ear 1823, together with the place when, and the year in which, il waa biiitt. Namet of SteSm'boaU. Alleghany Alalmina Alexandria Arkansas Baliae Packet Belle Creole Beaver Cincinnati Columbus Calhoun Cumberland Congress C'ourier Dolohin Eagle Exchatige Expedition £uza Wbem hoilt. Pittsburg Fort Stephen's Pittsburg Cincinnati Cincinnati New Orleans Kentucky Pittsburg Wheeling Louisville Pittsburg Cincinnati Louisville Pittsburg Cincinnati No. tons. 219 WbM bant I8I9 1818 51 50 1819 122 1823 136 1819 157 1818 450 1817 130 1818 246 1818 160 1822 n.9 1820 146 1820 118 1818 212 1818 235 1819 m 1821 lao Louitviik, N4IIIM of RiCMI-kMlf. Elixiibuth Fidi-lity Feliciniiu Fttyctte Florence Favourite CJen. Clark Gen. Pike Gen. HarriHun Gen. Neville Gen. Green Hetla Hornet Hope Henry Clay Indiana Geo. Madiiion Louisiana lieojuird MayHviUe Mobile Manhalhattiin Maid of Orleans Mercury Missouri Mandan Misaissippi Miami Magnet Neptune Nashville Olive Branch Osage Paragon Post Boy Providence Pittsburg Pennsylvania Pittsburg and St. "1 Louis Packet J Rainasso Rifleman Rocket Rufus Putman Wkrra kalll. No, lout. Now York I'hiladelnhia Louiiville Clarksville Pittsburir ClarkflviUo Cincinnati Louisville Pittsburg Cincinnati Kentucky New Albany Pittsburg New Orleans Clarksville Maysviile New York Philadelphia Steuben ville Kentucky Clarksville Mobile Cincinnati Louisville Cincinnati Pittsburg Cincinnati Cincinnati New Albany Kentucky Pittsburg Pittsburg Pittsburg New York Louisville Louijville Marietta 84S l.W 4()8 60 814 120 S05 124 118 7.5 IfK) 120 l.QS 102 70 20<) 14.5 428 193 15 176 127 379 30 180 50 19* 312 144 355 230 375 120 107 120 146 230 79 60 WImb ImIH. 1817 1N2I 1820 1819 1888 1888 1818 1819 1819 1828 1820 1817 1819 1821 1817 1818 1818 1819 1818 1819 1822 1823 1822 1820 1819 1819 1819 1823 1823 1823 1819 1818 1821 1822 LouirvilU. 181 Hob llov Robert Fulton RHmbler Steubcnvillc Superior Sciota Tumerlane Thmniu Jefferson Telegraph Tceke Venture VeauviuB ValcHno Vulcan Vel(KuiK'(le Vir^nitt United States Cincinnati New Voik I'ittiiburg SteulM'iiville Stijubenvillo Oallipolia FItUiburir Wheeling Pittaburg 84() AOO ISO 70 IfiO 307 8S4 109 ^95 188.1 1 880 1883 1883 1883 1818 1819 1818 Pittsburp New Albany 390 217 1811 1818 Cindnnnti 857 1819 Loumvillu 109 1880 Wheeling 1.50 1820 Jeflersonville 1 645 I8I9 Making in all seventy-nine steam-boats. More- over the number of boats is rapidly increasing, as I saw new ones building at Cincinnati and at several other towns. When I arrived at Louisville, the water was higher than it had been for some years, and in consequence, some of the largest steam-boats had ascended the rapids, which indeed, whenever there is a freshet, become almost imperceptible. I had intended going straight on to Birkbeck's Settlement in the Illinois, but postponed this journey, on finding that I could first of all go up to Cincinnati in the « United Statesr This Levia- than of the westeni waters, is of 645 tons burden, and is worked by two very large and powerful en- SrmeR. anHnor fnnrofKof on »» *« -!:«.» '.aX .1 s - ;. jj — g,.^..^., av Ko w uio|;cu3c ivicn tne 198 LouiivUie* ncccMftity of a fly-wliwl. Tlic nccoiniiKMlutioiiM on hoiird were really Huporb ; and the great itizc of tho boat, added to the excellent coiiNtructloii of tlie engines* entirely prevented that trenudoui and dii*- agreeablo motion, so eommon in Nniall Rteam-boats. The riVer, in eonNe(iuciicc of the ruin, prcicnted a niott noblo appearance, being in many plaecs nearly a mile wide. This majestic HJieet of water was nuirked in the centre by a large black line of drift-wooil, formed by quantitieH of fallen trees, logs, stumps, and branches : for, after a great fall of rain, the small streams and creeks overflow part of the neighbouring woods, and float off all the timbcj that has fallen, or that lios Ikkmi cut down. This drift wood coming into the Ohio, forms itself into a lino in the most rapid of the stream ; and whenever a steam-lwat has to cross from out side of the river to the other, generally breaks one of two of the paddles. fteforc leaving liouisvillc, I had been intro- duced to a Scotch gentleman, who had long been a resident at New Orleans, and who is one of the first merchants there. He formed one of the pa. t/ on l)oard, and I found him a most agreeable well- informed man. He gave me, for instance, a very entertaining account of the island of Ht. Domingo, which he had visited during the reign of Christo- phc. This man, he said, thougb such a tyrant, was in private life extremely mild; and if the state of his dominions had been more settled, would T/mifvUk, 199 efrtftiiily not Imvr hf.cn m miH. The foflowinir ■nmlot. ^,m. to povo that in the cictmnintion ami encTKy nf hi. character, he very much rcmn. hied N«p«K»on. Hirifitophe hnA. S« very early one mominp. and qnite nn. expcctedly, he rode up to the hospital, attended only hy two of hii, nidcs-dc-eamp ; and having di«- tnonntod at the gate, entered the hnilding, and went throngh all the wards, notinfj down the state of every thin^?, and asking qncstiona of the nick: Finding, in this manner, that the reports of abuse were trtie. he immediately ordered the phy. •sicians and inspeetors to \- flogged and dismissed After which example of severity the hospital wag very well managed, and there were no more cwn- plaints. C.'hristophe had organizefl a remarkably well clothed and well disciplined army, which was much admired by the strangers who visited the island H«j also introducefl the I^ancastrinn system of edni-ation' and wishing to change the language of his subjects Irom French to English, appointed Englishmen only tor scluwlmasters, and obliged the children to learn that language, and speak it. My fellow* traveller had visited some of these schools, and in- fonnfld tnn fKof li« k— i . . « .. .. _ — ' ^"■"'^ "^ "«" 3txn some or ine iittic 1S4 Cincimiati. boys translating Latin into English with greater facility, than he had ever )een done by boys of the same age in England. He also remarked that their nand-writing was peculiarly beautiful. Had Christophe lived, he would piobably have succeeded in changing the language, but it re- quired a despot like him to effect the change. Boyer has given up the plan, and allows the children the liberty of speaking any language they please. St. Domingo must be a most interesting country to a philanthropist. What man of feeling indeed can refrain from rejoicing, that this island has emancipated itself from the yoke of nations, calling themselves civilized, and who, nevertheless, have treated the poor Africans with the most intolerable barbarity? The Ohio, between Louisville and Cincinnati, is more beautiful than above the latter town; not only because its size is increased, but also because the mountains on its banks present a bolder aspect. Cincinnati, 163 miles from Louisville, is the largest and most flourishing town in the whole of the Western States. It contains nearly 11,000 inhabitants ; and may be called the western capital of the Federal Republic. A more beautiful scite can hardly be imagined. Steep and lofty hills touch the river at each end of the town, and encircle it behind, forming one of the most perfect natural amnliifhpftfrpg T )iova ovpr cfum n^l«< eo»Ui» . oert«„ pj,, twn of g«U,c «eid, which u no doubt fumLhed by the vegetable wtter, tl>wugh wl>ieh the w,tor« we, Ihe qiring. are .itiwted near the tennw*. tion of the baclt-water of the Ohio, wd mm, quently at a point, where great qnwtitie^of twig, ond leav-e.. (most of which, from the nature of the .ummnding forests, are of oak.) arc bwught down by the enrront and deporited. The toroperatur, of the water .s 57", the taste and ««eU .ulphu, reous, and very offonsivo," ; ; ^ The bottom, whence the spring rises, ia covered with a thn, coat of marie, beneath which U a bed of very .Uff adhesive bhw clay. I„ thi. blue day are fomid the bone, of the mammoth, mixed with an mnumerable quantity of the bones and teeth of »• ' have «i.tn exmpitea in London, under tho v,'d,'cni(«i" r-n- -' ■' tm Big Boruf Lick. louri and the Arkansas, and throughout the whole of the country between the Mississippi and Mexico. All the bones found in the blue clay, are in the most petfect state of preservation, and have not in the slightest dc^ee become petrified. After severe rain» when the stream washes away a little of the exterior marie, thousands of the teeth and bones of the smaller animals are exposed to view, and not ttnfrequently some of those of the mammoth. It was probably owing to there having been a rfsty heavy fall of rain just before I arrived, that I was enabled to pick up about four inches of the point} and sevei'al large fragments of a tusk of this enormous animal. The bones found here are much larger than those of the Siberian or European mammoth. The vast quantities of other bones and teeth Slicking out from the clay is quite extraordinary : and it is a scarcely less remarkable circumstance, that most of the mammoth bones are found broken. How indeed could such enormous tusks and thigh bones have been thus injured ? It would require a strong man with a sledge hammer to break them at present ; and how also could these apparent remains of a PrsB-Adamite world have been mixed with such myriads of smaller bones? and why should they all have been deposited in this particular spot? I have heard several theories, but all of them highly unsatisfactory ; so much so indeed, that bile luvcr VI iiic iiiaivciiGius v-viii yivunuiy iiavc xc« Sig Bone lick. jj| course to the old Indian tradition; which, though I am afraid few savans will adopt it, I will relate w It wag delivered to some gentlemen by an old chief:-" In ancient time«." said the Indian, « a herd of these tremendous animals came to the Big Bone Lick, and began an universal destruction of the bears deer, elk, buffaloes, and other animals, which had been created for the use of the Indians. The Great Spirit above, looking down and seeing this, was so enraged, that he seized his lightning, descended on the earth, seated himself on a neigh- hounng mountain, on a rock where his scat and the pnnt of his feet are still visible, and hurled his bolts among them, until the whole were slaughter- ed, excepting the big bull, who presenting his fore- head to the shafts, shook them off as they feU ; but missing one at length, it wounded him in the side • whereon turning round, he bounded over the Ohio,' the Wabash, the Illinois, and finaUy, over the great Lakes, where he is living to this day " * I am astonished that some lover of natural his- tory does not search and dig near this spring; for I have not the least hesitation in affirming, that for the expense of a few hundred dollars a com- plete skeleton of the Antediluvian monarch of car- nivorous animals might be obtained. This is a great desideratum, as at present no perfect one is to be found in any collection. The only attempt » I~«" • »T . -.. . i/cacxBu« s i>ote8 on Virginia. K 2 18fi Big BoMt L%oh» that has been made waa by a Dr. Goftirth. a very icientifio but very poor man, who expended nearly lUl hit Httlo property, amounting to a few hundred dollan, in digging near the spring. Here ht obtained such a vast quantity of the bones, teeth, and tuski of the mammoth, as to iill seventeen very largo chests, from whleh, no doubt, more than suiKcient to complete un entire skeleton mighti have been selected. "' ' ' Unfortunately he became acquainted witli a certain Englishman, called Ashe, who taught French for a time at Cincinnati, under the name of Arvillo. This is the same man, who atlerwarda, to the astonishment of those who knew liim at (Jincinnati, published throe volumes of Travels, which have beeomo in America almost proverbial, for their extraordinary and gratuitous lies. Now this JMr. Ashe persuaded Dr. Goforth to allow him to take the bones to New Orleans, from whence, if they could not be sold there to ail- vantago, he migli transport them to Europe. For doing this he was to have a large share of the profits. But poor Dr. Goforth never heard anything more of the bones ; a*-d as it is very generally asserted, that Ashe took them to Europe and sold tliem for a large sum of money, this story has found its way into most of the works, that give any account of the Ohio, or of the neigh- bourhood of Cincinnati. jlyt conversing with Mr= D'Orfeuilj one of the Big BoHr lUh 18S |»W))rietdriof the Cindnimti Museum, he itifermed me that he was at New Orleans, when the bonei were brought to that place. There Ashe, getting Into inme l>ecunltry ctubarrassment* pledged them to II Moniieur Sainet for sereral hundred dollars, and then set out for England. Mr. I)t>rfeull ftdded, that as the seventeen ehosts of bones were very henvy and bulky, thty were deposited in a vrnrehouse, in which they were unfortunately de- «t»^yed» during a conflagration that took place soon aftcrwurds. Kvery nutuwilist should visit thii interesting spot, which may with great propriety be called, the Grave of the Mammoth. For my part I could not help thinking, with what horror I should have l>ftssed through the forest, when these huge cttrni- vorous monsters stalked about in ite solitudes. How little in those days could naked, savage man, (If indeed he was in existence,) have deserved the name of Lord of the Creation ! ^he water of the chief spring rises Copiously rom a large hollow tnmk of a tree, which has been thrust into the earth directly over it This water is beautifully deur, but its bubbles emit the offensive smell above mentioned. Before the water has run into the creek, it assumes a black inky appearance ; deposits a kind of white sediment tipon all the bones and pieces of wood exposed to it ; and reminds one, both by its smell and ap. 1S4 Big Bom LUk. pearance, of the foul stinking water that cooM^t from a kitchen. Great numbere of Opofuiuins are caught in the woods which surround the spring. This curious animal is eaten by many, and esteemed a delicacy. It is always very fat ; and " possum fat and hom- mony" is a favourite dish with Western and Southern negroes. I had several times resolved to taste a piece of potmm, having been assured that it was as good as young pig ; but just before put- ting a morsel into my mouth, the thought of the animal's long, naked, prensile tail, was sure to turn my stomach. When the Opossum is pursued, and finds it cannot escape, it shams death ; and, until struck a blow nearly sufficient to kill it, will allow itself to be taken up, thrown down, or kicked over, as if really dead. Hence it is a common saying in America, when any one is pretending or counterfeiting, that he is " playing possum." During the summer months, people from Cin- cinnati occasionally resort to Big Bone Lick, to drink the waters, which are very efficacious, par- ticularly in cutaneous complaints. To accommo- date these visitors, there is a roomy, and tolerably comfortable tavern, kept by a General Wingate. ft I must here remark that in the Western States, the tavern keepers are all considerable landed proprietors; and as they have generally a great Biji Bone Lick. m number o( frioiidH niul acquaiiitftiicoR. arc men of considerable influence. Now the militia Jiave the privilege of dunmiug their own ufHcerH. and consequently the ele«tion very often fallti mwu the tavern keeper of the neighbourhood. Indeed I have rarely gfcopptMi a| ataveni. in Kentucky, Indiana. Ohio, or Illinois, without fintUng that the landlord, although clothed from top to toe in buckukin. and not remarkably clean, was at leaat a captain, and generally a major or colonel. An European however. muHt not hold these men in derision ; for beneath the rough exterior of these American officers, one often finds a man of considerable information and abilities. Moreover they are well adapted to com- mand the militia who serve under them ; and in these immense forests, where every tree is a fort, tlKJ backwoodsmen, the best sharp shooters in the world, constitute the most formidable military force imaginable. At any rate an Englishman must not laugli at this profusion of military rank ; for when in (Canada, I found colonels and generals, even more plentiful than in the United States. From Big Bone I followed the windings of the little creek, till I came to a small log cabin on the banks of the Ohio ; and as I could not hear of any steam-boat descending the river. 1 detenniucd to proceed in the first Ark that passed. 1 soon hailed one, put off from the shore in a canoe, and havincr arot on ImnrH i\ninA *u.if 4.1... ,. >CS5L'i «VnS i8^ nig Bmt€ Lick. I»mitic1 for Nfw Orlcani. mid htUn ^it)t Jmmrt, fowlu, iron cafitiiiKS, applcH, whiskey, Afc. I Imd often heard a grrat Bo /*f « «,«"'- >•— !- Ui Buckwtiod», being iom off by the myriadu of pigcona that settle on th«n. Indeed, the first time I saw a flight of these birds, I really thought that all the pigeons in the world had wwemhled together, to make one common emigration. These pigeons do a great deal of mischief; for as they clear immense tracts of forest, of aU the mast, acorns, &c. numbers of the hogs, which run at hirge in the woods, are in oonsequenoe starvetl to death. ,r ,**U When crossing a small stream, the day after leaving Byrom's, I saw a large flock of beautiful green and yelbw parroquets. These wei« the first I had met with ; and as they were very tame, and allowed me to come close to them, I got off my horse, and stopped a short time to admire them. I afterwards saw numbers of the same kind in thq flats of the Wabash and Mississippi, for this beauti- ful bird apparently delights in the neighbourhood of streams. Before arriving at Hindostan, a small village on the East Fork of White River, the country be- comes very hilly ; and being on that account thinly settled, abounds with game of all descriptions. Some idea may be formed of the abundance of it, from the price of venison at this place, and in the neighbourhood. A haunch will bring only SO cents (about 1*. Qd. sterling), or the value of 25 cents, if the hunter will take powder, lead, or goods. The shopkeepers who hny the haunches, the only ^arts of the deer that r ve thought worth selliiig, cure Backwoods. 145 «d dry them much in the „mc manner a, the *otch do ther mutton ham., .nd then »end them for sale to LomsviUo or New Orlean.. The« dried 127 • " "'"y "" ™"«>. »'e very g«xl The two young men who ferried me over tin; rhey had only been out two day,; and not to men- tion . great number of turkeys, had killed rixteen deer and two bears, besides wounding several hers, -n.e bear is much more esteemed than the deer; first, because his flesh sells at a higher pnce; and secondly, because his skin, if a fine large black one. is worth two or three dolkrs I wa. stopped for three days at the West Fork of .White River, owing to the ice, which was of such a thickness, and came down the stream with such rapidity, that it was impossible for the ferrv boat to cross. ' In these thinly settled countries, if a traveUer be detained, or if he wish to stop a day or two to rest his horse, he can, if either a sportsman or a na- turalist, find abundant amusement. Go to what house I mieht, the people were always ready to lend me a rifle, and were in general glad to aceom- pany me when I went out hunting. Hence, in addition to the pleasure of the chase, I had, at the same time, an opportunity of becoming better ac quamted with the manners of the Backwoodsmen "'" «micuiiies ana iiardsiiips which are L 146 Backwoodt. undergone by all the flrit lettlcn of a new cmintry. I found I had imbibed the mo«t erroneous idcat, from ioeing none of the inhabitants, but those who, living by the road side, were accustomed to receive money from travellers, and sometimes to charge as much for their eoarse fare, and wretched accommodations, as would be paid in the Eastern States for the utmost comfort a tavern can afford. I thorcforo considered all the people a sordid and imposing set. But when I began to enter into the company of the Backwoodsmen, quite off the roads, and where a traveller was seldom or never seen, I found the character of the settlors quite dif- ferent from what I had supposed. In general they were open hearted and hospitable, giving freely whatever they had, and often refusing any rftoom- pense. It is true they always treated me as their equal ; but at the same time, there was a sort of real civility in their behaviour, which I have often looked for in vain elsewhere. In the Backwoods, pork, or as they call it hogs- flesh, together with venison and hommony (boiled Indian corn), was my usual fare, and a blanket or two, on the floor of the cabin, my bed ; but I was amply compensated for this want of luxuries by a degree of openness and hospitality, which indeed the most fastidious could not but have ad- mired. Thus, on going away, my host has some- times accompanied me four or five miles, in order to nut me in the track leadinir to the mad. Backwoodi. |^> nut notwithrtMidiag the Instenoc of goo,l-he«U •Jne^, and .implidty ruo«th ii of ^ jo« of solidity, the whole r(HMl awuuu uuclulating ttpiH-armicc. I fouml ioinc ct tlio logs a little apart from one an- other; and wan therefore conitartly afraid, that the animal that carriwl me would break hia leg ; but lie waH a Wj'stcrn hu, ,e, and l)y tin mani! r hi which he picked his way, showetl that iw knew the danger an well or better than I did. Any one crosiing theue l^gs in a wheeled carriage, nuujt Hnd the jolting truly formidable. Vinconnew is a small straggling place, situated on the bank of the Wabash, and is one of tho oldest towns in the United States. It was founded by the French, the same year that William Penn founded I^hiladelphia ; and was, for a long time, partly a French, and partly an Indian village. It once supplied all the neighbouring country for a very great distance around, with goods and mer- chandize ; but is now declining, partly from having lost its superiority as a depOt for goods, and partly from the unhealthincss of its situation. I have scarcely been to a riugle spot on the western side of the Ohio, where, during the autumn of 1822, the people had not suffered fro'". sickness. The Wabash is a beautiful river, which, after a meandering course of about 600 miles, enters the Ohio in a streaiii about 400 yards wide, 140 miles from the confluence of that river with the Missis- sippi. It may be considered as the largest tri- yincetuui. }^a hutary .tr«,m ,l„t j„i„. „,„ ,„,j^ ^^^^^ ^^^^ "'.""• ''™ '"•«''■ '•"■'«■ P««.«. „, WU.|c«,. .-""try, «lucli i. wol, .,,«,.,„, ,„ .,,.,,i,,^. ,,."" "'" ^^"'«"'' '"■.' tlic town, rf Har„,„.,v V.«c..,„,e.. »,„| Temg,„,.U, bc..i.l..» «„v„„i ,a,,„I «l"oh. I,.v,„K „„,y i^,„„ ,,.^„y „^^.,^,,,_ ^__ yet few iiiiiiil>itaiit«. Tl.i« river »;.ru,«. for „ «„„i,lcr«I,I, di„.„ ... bo,.n.l,.ry between J.ulU.m ,„„1 |lli,.„i„. „,„; ' the »,,„„« of the year, it i„ ea«ily „,.viK„t«l hj «.t iMat.. .H f„r „. 4.W „ule» fr„,„ iu ju„„tion wth he ()1„„. «„a eraft ,l„„i.,„ „„,, ,„„ „ three Icet water, may ,.«..„a ;, ^ ,•„, ^ y. at aliiiodt any season. It is not till the traveller l,a» oras»n.I the Wal»«h, and a.lvance.1 a considerable distance to the State of Illi„„i,. that he ean see any rf the large "Prairies." „f „hieh there are n„nvL lie ones on th. west lm„k of the river. " These lames as their na.ne denotes, are large open tracts of natural n.eadow. covered with I 'x„ri ," and rank grass, and destitute of trees or even shrubs ri ere are no hills in then,, though so,„e have : gently undulating surface. J intended to have remained a few days at Vin- uo ViHcerimtt* ccnnei, but tho fbliowiiig drcumitatico drov« tn« MWty tho next moniing, A Mtitouri planter. Att«nd to him for a night's lodging for myself land my horse ; upon which he iLimcdiately, with th^i gonuino hospitrlity I have so often experienwd in his native land, said that I was welcome to •lay ;iiere, mid te imrtuko of whatever his house atfbrded. He had left Perthshire at the head of twenty of his countrymen, and hmi fixed himself on this ^IKit \ and although he had only been hero eight montlis, had already put every thing into very good order. J My fare was sumptuous, compared to what it had been for some time past ; and moreover I had * go(Kl bed to sleep in, with a pair of fine clean feheets. 1 am particular in noticing this luxury, because it was only in two othir p! "s that I enjoyed it, ^uriuf? the whole of mv tr ». 4a. in flm «*of«r. «f iHcotch SttUtment. IdH Incllana, Illinois, and Miggouri. In general the beds were altogether without sheets; and the blankets had probably, since their manufacture, never experienced the renovating effects of a good washing. Sometimes indeed there would he one sheet, and occasiotmlly two; but cleanliness in this particular I had almost despaired of. Many of my countrymen, because they have not met with much ccmfort in these out of the way places, have, upon their return homo, most unjustly and ridiculously imputed the same want of comfort to every part of the United States. But let us consider, that from Vincennes to Louis- ville is a distance of ISO miles, and that from thence to Washington, by the ordinary route up the Ohio river and through Wheeling is 781 niiles: so that one of these delicate travellers would be equally entitled to abuse the whole of (ireat Britain, because he might meet with bad accommodation in tlie Orkneys. Moreover, wootls are not cut down, and good inns established, in a day, nor even a year ; and he who cannot put up with some inconvenience will do well to avoid travelling in a new country.* This settlement is in a beautiful situation, sur- rounded by fertile land ; but alas i it has shared * In many pluces where I have met with excciable accom. modation, future travt'Uers will find good ip- s : for the whole country is so mnidlv imnrovinir^ that •. ? it is true o' Backwoods one yoar ceases to he so the next. I lie 116 Scotch Settlement. the fate of ail the neighbourliood with regard trt sickness ; two of the emigrants having .lied, and several others being very ill. I went awiy in the morning, after receiving an invitation irom my worthy host to repeat my visit if I should ever pass again in that direction. The path from hence to the Wabash, lies through a thickly woooded country, abounding in game. I expected to have had much difficulty in crossing the river; for though there was a ferry boat, it had been drawn ashore and was frozen to the ground. Fortunately, however, I found a man going over in a flat boat with some cattle. The Wabash just above had closed up and frozen over, so that here, where the stream was very rapid, there was little or no floating ice. After crossing, I rode along the right bank to Palmyra. This most dirty, miserable little village was once the county town of Edward's County, Illinois; an honour which it lost, in consequence of the superior healthiness of Albion. After stopping a night at Palmyra, I proceeded along a road which was in a very bad state, and which was very difficult to find. Alwut two miles before arriving at the Bon-pas river is one of the largest and worst swamps I ever passed through. I can form no idea of its length ; but it is full two miles broad where the road crosses it. At the Bon-pas, five miles from Albion, I found a WOOOPn briHuPA xvliinK io n ^»^«4. „^r. ; ,. Birkb^ck's Settlement. 157 travellers, as they would otherwise often have to swim the stream, both the banks of which are steep and slippery. On arriving at the far-famed settlement of Albion, I found that it by no means merited all the abuse I had heard of it in England. The town is indeeed small ; but has at any rate a 1 ery pleasing appearance, as contrasted with most of those in the Backwoods. * I was hospitably received by Mr. Birkbeck and Mr. Flowers. They both have large houses. That belonging to Mr. Flowers is a peculiarly good one and is very well furnished. One room in partil cular was carpeted, and contained a nice assort- ment of books, and a pianoforte ; all luxuries of great rarity in these remote districts. The inn is a well-built brick-house, and might have been made very comfortable ; yet, although kept by an Englishman, it has none of the characteristics of an English inn ; but, on the contrary, partakes largely of those of the Backwoods ; so much so indeed, as to be a subject of ren .k even to the Americans. I staid here seve.iil days without having clean sheets. * While at Albion I read all the books and re- views that had been i ritten Ivth for and against this settlement. (Jn) traveller describes it as an earthly paradise, another as a miserable unhealthy swamp ; the truth is about midway between these IM Bitk6eek\t Seiiiemeni, Albion is situated on a dividing ridgo, ai it it called, which leparateii tho waterB of the Little, from those of tlic Big Wabash. On thin account it is more healthy than most of tlic neighbouring country, though it is not at all times free from tho prevalent autumnal dlsua8e--iin Jigue, accam. panied witli fever. The year I was there the set- tlement Iiad been remarkably healthy ; which aur* prised me the more, as wherever else I had tra- velled, the people complained of illness. Albion and Wanlwrough, of wliich Albion is by much the most thriving little village, arc about a mile and a half distant from each other, and border on the fine tract of h%ad called the English Prairie. All the Prairies in the neighbourhood of Albion are remarkably beautiful. These large natural meadows, when not too extensive, remind one of a nobleman's pjirk in England. Surrounded by forest, which juts out into them in points, and occasionally diversified with clumps and belts of wood, they form a most agreeable prospect, espe- cially after one has passed througli such an inter- minable wildeniess of trees. Albion seems 'to be greatly in want of good water ; for though many wells have been dug, in which this most necessary article has been found, yet the village itself is still without an ample sup- ply during the dry season. The settlement has been considerably benefitted by having been l&tely elevated to the rank of a Birkbeck's Settlement. 159 county goot J and it will, no doubt, «omo day or other, become a place of importance. Tho farms in the iicighlwurbood arc incrcjwinir in magnitude and numlwr. Tho year I was there the ficttlere had exported produce for the first timb The way they effected this, was }>y loading several flat boats with com, flour, pork, beef, sausages, &c., and floating th^m down the Wabash into the Ohio, and from thence down the Mississipi to New Orleans, a distance of about 1,140 miles. The mere lengtli of this navigation proves that the settlement is capable of great efforts. Hut the grand objection is the general unhealthiness of the neighbouring country ; for if the Illinois were as healthy as England, it would soon equal, or even surpass, all that Mr. Birkbeck has written in its favour. One of the principal induccinents to settle at Albion, in preference to any other place in the Htate, is, that there is a very clever Kngligh Sur- geon there, who, having had a regular education under Abernethy, and walked the Hospitals in London, must be a great acquisition to families in the neighbourhood. Persons who have not visited the Western States cannot have any idea of the general ignorance of the practitioners of medicine. A young man, after an apprenticeship of a year or two in the shop of some ignorant apothecary, or at the most, after a very superficial course of study at some sdioui or coHcge, is entitled to cure (or 160 liirkbeck'i Seitlemeni, \ rather kill) all the unhappy BackwootlHincn who may apply to liim for advice. It would be well if they were all as harmless in their practice as J)r. Elnathan Todd, a person described in the Pioneers, an American Novel, and whose charac- ter, drawn to the life, gives a good idea of one of these physicians. Indeed, to become a doctor in the Backwoods, it is only necessary to liavc a cabin containing 50 or 100 dollars' worth of drugs, with a board over the door, affirming that this is Ux. U. or N's " Store." What appeare . , > Biit even the married emigrants cannot be per* fectly happy. How often have I observed the love of their native land, rising in the hearts of those of my exiled countrymen, whom I have met with in diflferent parts of this vast continent ! When I have spoken to them of England, and par- ticulary if I had been in the countries or viUages where they once dwelt, their eyes have glistenedi and their voice has been almost choked with grief. Many a one has declared to me, that it was with the most heart-rending anguish, that he determined to abandon his home and his relations. But what could he do ? poverty stared him in the face. Many a one has told me, over and over again, that were the tithes and poor-rates taken away, or were they even only diminished so that he could make a shift to live, he would return to his native land with the most unfeigned jcy, I recoUect that some time after this, I met, at Harmony in Indiana, one of our fine English yeo- men who hnA PTiii^.- ^^' *^^ Supposing ft niMi ittMiidt to eiAigrftt«, he thould ootitrMt the good with the htd, Mid \tiil tbeii» ftom hfitr own sentitntotS) he ftbltt to determni* whiii Mur^e to take. A mtn in SngUlid enjoys num«i bef km little ebfnfttts which he does tnt *ppreoiftt^ Moreover, with modente tentperatice, he hiM the cerlinnty of "enjoying good health. But when h% goes to the Backwoods of America, he h4s every thiikg to do for himself I he has a diiBeuHy even of ohtaining shoes, clothes, &c. ; and he then be^ ginii to call luxuries what he onoe eoflsidered only as necessaries. He lives in ft k)g^bini cut olF ai it Were ^Mm the world, And ifi all probabUity suf- ^rs from the prevailing diseases of the country. As to the specious accounts and caleulfttions, thftt he is td incrense his cftpital, and mftke his fbrtun^ ; so iar is this from the truth, thftt if he onoe invest his money in Iftnd, he is compelled to remain, out of ittftbility to dispose of it. Money Atid land are not, as in England, convertible ; and it often happens, that land in the Backwoods^ cannot be dispee^of at Way "pit^. ''^^Neterthclew, I ihiifct aUtiW thAt feml^tibn dlb^ U6mfe grtat kdvAWtagekl. Ifi the Vthe^ mMdi k irtaii, instead df rehtih^ ii fartrt, cab, fbl* « fttitt]! mim of hwmey, beeomfe k respectable laiidhoWer. lite will Mb Idngfer be i»(»«teted ettety ^uftrtfef-day, fl^i! retot, wid tithes, fthd j>boke upon the sub. ject, acknowledged that it would ultimately be 1 fereii eHrse to the State j but' this i^arihdifft*terit to lhein,w they intended going aWay. These Wtetche* IfciMk, th«it if thefap State tan be rtade a slaVe 8tat<^, Wiiiy of the Wealthy wwthetti pls^teti will etnl- grate t» it» and Ihat thtifi the ptiae of land will bte inci^aaed. As they wish to tiell theirt, many wlH on tbat aetiouni vote for eSavery. j Now the presetat conAtltutibn of Illinag8, watch, money, and horse. N 178 CfltfV Ferry, As I was a perfect stranger, no one would have inquired about me; and indeed if I had been an inhabitant of an adjoining 8tate, and had had friends who could have made a search for me, the murderers could never have been discovered, nor even any trace of the murder have been obtained, in so wild a part of the country. Yet these fears were entirely groundless, for I have been alone, in the woods and Prairies at all hours of the day and night, and never met with anything in the shap<2 of danger. In the Athintic States, indeed, I had heard a great many stories about the danger of passing through the Backwoods, but I could scarcely, when there, hear any authentic accounts even of robberies. It may not here be amiss to say something about the manners and characters of the back settlers of the country. The first who penetrate into the woods, and who dwell on the very frontiers of civilization, are the Hunters. These men lead a wandering life, much resembling that of their occasional compa- nions the Indians. They subsist almost entirely on game ; and v bat little money they make is obtained by the sale of furs, &c. As soon as the country begins to be settled, and when, consequently, game becomes scarce, the Hunters break up their habita- tions, and move further off. It has been much the fashion in the United States to speak ill of viiese mcn^ wut, x tuink, wituout reason* There CaCs Ferry. m ire no doubt among them very bad and profligate characters, who, having fled from justice, have adopted this mode of life ; but such persons are not very often heard of. And indeed they have no right to the title oi Hunters ; for, of course, they are not very skilful in killing game, using the rifle, &c. It is requisite for a Hunter to have been accustomed to this from his earliest infancy : and it may easily be imagined, that a man who has fled from some city for committing forgery, or any other crime, would make but a bad hunter ; itt the same way as in England, an engraver, if obliged to quit his trade, would make but a bad gamekeeper. For my own part, and as far as my own ob- servations go, I shall always speak well of the real Hunters ; for I have invariably found them open hearted and very hospitable. Then- manner of life, indeed, makes them, in some degree, par- take of the Indian character, though they by no means have the same nobleness of sentiment, and high sense of honour. The next in order, after the Hunters, are the Squatters. Some of these men have been Hunters, who, from the increase of their families, can no longer pursue their former mode of life. But whatever the Squatters may have originally been, they kill a great deal of game, and arc fond of himting, though they do not depend upon it for subsistence. N 2 180 Cafi Ferry, liMtly, oome the farmers and more lubttantial settlen, who buy their land, either from the go- vernment or ftota. individuals, clear away the woods, break up the Prairies, and carry on their opera* tions on a large scale. These are the men, who, assembling together on particular spots, found small villages, which not unfrequently increase into populous towns. Almost the first thing done, after making a road to one of these towrUt as they are always called, however small they may be, is to estaMish a news, paper; which probably is at first only issued weekly, and is small in sixe. Besides matters of local interest, it contains abstracts of the debates in Congress, most of the new laws, &e. ; but always has a considerable portion filled up, with extracts from books or magazines concerning scientific and useful inventions. But to return to my guides. Upon arriving at wA place of destination, f found it a miserable log cabin of only one room. What grieved me particularly was, that there was no shelter for my horse, who was wet and cold from his bath, and whom I had to tie for the night to a tree. A long cabin of the smaller sort is a curious ob- ject when first seen. Each wall is made of large rough logs of wood, laid one on another, and which are notched at the ends to let in those ^ the Cue» Ferry, |g| WwMtt th# kg^ miaU pi«,et <^ iwKKl we dritoi m to atop up the mtewticei. Thi. operation ii oidled chi^hng ; .„d before it ha. been performed, the cabni. in winter, would be uninhabited fnmi the cold, were it not for the great fire that is al- way. kept up. m whole, or nearly the whole of one .de of tlie whin form. • huge fire-place, the wall being protected from the flame, by lai^e flat ston«. When, of a winter', evening, the baek of the fira.pUce is filled with a great log called the "back-log." and is piled up with large WUet. of wood, It f<^m. a very comfortable and cheerinff sptctadc. The environs of the cabin appear very extraordinary to an European; for it is generally bmlt m a smaU dear spot in the midst of a forttt. and surrounded with large tree, which have beeu girdkii,* and bUckened with fire. tUl they resem- ble huge pillars of charcoal. After supping upon venison and hommony, I wrapped myself in my iaddle-bhinket. and makinir » pilfew of my saddle, as I had often done befor;. Iwd myself down before the fire, and fell asleep The next morning, my host, who would receive no recompense for his hospitality, walked a mile ciild™^*^!™"'* ^^^"°"' occupations of the settler is the ifte tebour of chopping them dowii would be inunenae H« ^'i^ » Iourcd wolves, called *' prairie wolves," which are not taller than a pointer dog. They are exceedingly treublesome ; killing sheep, pigs, and fowls. The common black wolves are also very numerous in the Illinois ; and this obliges the settlers to shut up, every night the few sheep they have. There was a small patch of Indian com just at Houston's door, intcf which several prairie wolves entered during the night, and kept up a continual barking. As soon as one begins to bark, another, as it were, answers ; and it is quite curious to hear them all begin again at once, in every direction, when just before they were perfectly quiet. The road to St. Louis, with the exception of an occasional tract of forest, passes through nothing but Prairie. It is customary, with the Indians and Hunters to set fire to the long grass, for the pur- pose of compelling the game to take shelter in the woods, where they can more easily get at it. They do this in the autumn or winter, when the grass, which is often four or five feet in higfath, be- comes dry. Now the lag -^ aiitiimn had been verv 7'ke FfMirUg. im wet, ami on that account the PimirMa had not all lieeii (lre or three milei of them. They proitoce a beautiful eflRect during the night, the rloudi immediately over them reflecting the light, *nd appearing almost on Are themielvci. When, during a dark night, there are two or three of theie meadows on fire at a time, the effect is o^ eoune very much heightened; and the whole heavent ara then tinged with a deep and luUen red. T have heard the hunten, in the itate of MiR. iouri, describe the grand ipectacle offered to their view, when the Indians, every autumn or winter, set fire to the large Prairies that extend almost to Mexico. Here the flames, having nothing to stop their fury, blaae on for many days and nighti to- gether, and are only checked at last, either by a heavy fall of rain, or by the blowing of the wind in an exactly contrary direction. Those who live near, or on the Prairicfl, do not consider these conflagrations prejudicial, except when some of their encloHures are damaged: lor the Are, besides burning up the long dry grass, which would in some measure impede the growth of that of the fdlowing year, destroys myriads of noxious reptiles and insects, which deposit tneir e^s m itjc iiSkuriiut vi^Utlou, and wMdi, 190 The Pfairiei. i I but for this check, would become extrettiely nu« merous and troublesome. I was always forcibly struck by the melancholy appearance of a burnt l*rairie. As far as the eye could reach, uothing was to be seen but one uni- form black surface, looking like a vast plain of charcoal Here and there, by the road side, were the bones of some horses or cattle, which had died in passing through, or the horns of some deer whioh had been killed. These, bleached by the alternate action of fire and rain, formed, by their extraordinary wliiteness, a most remarkable con- trast to the black burnt ground on which they lay. In passing a small belt of wood near a water- course, I met the mail, that is to say, a man ou horseback, who drove before him another horse, on which were fastened the leathern bags contain- ing the letters. These bags were very large, and being packed upon a high wooden saddle, made a curious appearance. When I first saw the horse coming round a turn in the road, I thought some animal was fixed upon its back. It is in this way that the mail is carried twice a week from Ken- tucky to Viucennes, and from Vincennes to St. Louis. Eight miles before coming to the Mississippi I passed a sudden declivity, ai^- found myself upon a large plain, extending to the river, and called the "American Bottom." It is probably the nchest trast of land in the whole- of the United The Prairiet. 191 Statei, and is about 850 miles in length, with a breadth of from two to seven miles. The whole soil, composed of a deep black mould, has been deposited by the river, which has shifted its course to the foot of the high land, on which the town of St. Louis is situated. - This fertile district is rendered almost uninha- Utable by its unhealthiness, and will require a great deal of draining before many persons will settle upon it. In some of the more healthy spots near the high land, by which it is bordered, a few French people have settled, who, it is universally re- marked, are by no means so liable to be attacked by fevers, as the English or Americans. This is attributed to their very different, and much more temperate, mode of living. Indeed t am per- suaded, that there are no people on the face of the earth, who consume so much animal food as the Anglo-Americans; for at breakfast, dinner, and supper, hot meat is always eaten, even by the poorest class. During the winter, perhaps, this high living may not be unwholesome ; but, even during the burning months of summer and au- tumn, they continue to eat the same immense quantity of meat and grease, which kst article is a favourite in their cookery. The fertility of the "American Bottom" is truly astonishing, and the stalks of Indian com which J saw standing might have almost tended to ih. 19£ The Misiisitppi, remove one's doubti, as to the heighth of Jaek*i wonderful Bean. After croniog this line tract of country, and pass- ing Unrongh • very small helt of wood, I arrived to my great satiifaction upon the bank of the celebrated Mississippi, which at St. Louis is about one mile in breadth, with a very powerful and rapid current. The name Mississippi, which sigo niftes in the Indian language the '' Mother of Waters," was applied to this great river, befiwe geo. graphert were acquainted with the extent and magnitude of the Missouri. It must be obvioui to every one, that, as this last-mentioned river contributes at its junction four times as mm^ wator to the common channel, and is at least twice as long as the Mississippi, it ought to give its name to the main channel. All American geo- graphers are agreed upon this point ; and it would be well in future maps, to correct the emmeouc appellation. ♦*The Alissouri,*' therefore, reckoning from its remote sources in the Rocky Mountains, to its mouth in the Gulf of Mexico, may be considered as the largest river on the globe. The river of the Amazons in $outh America, is indeed longer, but probably docs not drain so great an extent of country. Moreover, for a considerable distance the 8outh American river may be more properly termed an arm of the sea. ; The canoes of those enterprising travellers Tk€ Mi$souri 103 Lewii and Clarke, were stopped at 8000 miles from St. Louis, a few miles above which place, the Missouri joins the Mississippi. The extreme source of the Missomri was no doubt a considerable distance beyond; but counting only from that pomt, to it^ mouth in the Gulf of Mexico, the length of this river is 4,178 miles.* ,,„,,. ilie Valley of the Missouri, as it is called by Volney, comprises all that great extent of country reaching from the Rocky Mountains to the Gulf of Mexico, and from the Allcghanies, and the great Lakes, almost to the territory, of (what was, till lately,) Spanish America. The tributaries of the Missouri which help to drain this region, would, in the old world, be con. sidered of enormous magnitude. The Red River, the Arkansas reaching almost to Santa Fe, the' La Platte, the Osage, the Ohio, and the Missis- sippi, are rivers of which an EngHshman can hardly form any idea. It may be sufficient to mention, that the Ohio, which holds but the third place in the rank of tributaries, is considerably larger than the Danube. The length of this * According to Smith's chart of the comparative length of the pnncipal nvers of the world, the river of the Amazo„« is 3375 mUe. long, and the « Missouri" 3365. With regard to the " Missouri," Melish and the other American geog^^rs, who make xt 813 miles longer than Smith does,^rLly the greatest claim to our credit. In this case the South Ame- rican nver mu8t.be 803 miles shorter than its rival of the XNOl'lh. O tali 194 TAe Mitionri, IaM4li«htiotl^a H¥tit in iMe^ 1SO0 ttnM \ but th^ Ohio \6 hftvi^bk, ev«n {6t Iiirge st^iim-boiits, t6 Pittubiii-g, 1121 miles fVom its ittsttth.* Thfe AIleghKtiy and Mdiiotigiiheliii Whiiihle mcftn^ of ppcntUuf inoupy. Iwaoed it i« my opinion th^t an ^nglishr mm might go to America, m^ke ^his mopt inte- resting jonmey, ana ret»m home, for 300/. J The country round St. Uui» is chiefly Prairie, awl the soil in general fertile, With the exoeption of the junction of the JVIiswuri »nd the Miwift- sippi, there m nothing vwy interpjg^ing to be seen. I did not visit the lead mines, though a ride of a day or two along the right bank of the Missis- sippi would have taken me there. But indeed they are quite eclipsed by the great mines lately dis- covered on the Upper Mississippi, where the veins of ore actually make their appearance at the sur- face of the earth. The mineral dug out has as yet yielded an average of 85 per cent., and such is the abundance of lead that they will soon supply all the new, and probably part of the old world. Be- sides, there is little doubt, but that all that part of the territory of the United States which extends towards the Rocky Mountains and Mexico, will, f 900 SL Louis. when properly examined, diidose mineral treaiurei of the fprcateflt value. It wai my intention to have aaecnded the Mii- lisnppi, and to have returned to New York by the great I^es ; but, unfortunately, I had no com- panion, and could not even hear of any one wiMh- ing to make the same journey. I had already felt that travelling by oneself in these vast solitudes, is but a very melancholy pleasure ; and I wap confi- dent that I should not be able to endure being alone, in so great a tract of uninhabited country, as I should have to pass through between St. Louis and Canada. I therefore made up my mind to re- turn, by the lower, or Shawneo-town road, to Ken- tucky, and to proceed from thence to the £astem States, in any way that chance might point out. Skviry^ CirAFfKR XI. ILAVKIir. The United 8Utci permitted the Territwy of MisMouri to become a slave Htate, when it wm ad- mitted into the Union in 1821. It appean to me very extraordinary, that in the preaent enlightened age, a nation profefising demo- cratic principles, and ai of 1T90, it ap. IKJaw that Virginia containeil 44«,11T whitet, anil aoa.fiJT iilavw. The Htate of Now York, at the lamo time, oonUinccl JJlHJflfi whitca, and !il,8i4 alavei. Hy the cenflus of IHSO, Virginia containeil 61H.44S whites, and 4liH,lAfl Niavof; and New York l,a7fl,H13. of which only 10,000 were skvei, and these doertauing every year. Virginia wouhl have contained many more shivpi, but nuniliers are every year Hold out of the Sutc and sent to the south. Maryland, in ITOO, had « 1 7,649 free whitci; Pennsylvania, 484,090. In 1820, Mary- land had only 866,488 free whitoi, and 89,T80 free coloured; while Pennsylvania had 1,040,89.5 of whioh only 7,557 were slaves. This may be seen In a still stronger light, by contrasting the Htate of Ohio with that of Virginia. The latter tho oldest, first settled Htate of America, while the former has only existed as a Htate since the year 1809. By the census of IHSO Ohio contained 576,714 free whites, and Virginia only 618,229. The white population of the slave Htates in- creases a little in the sea-port towns, but scarcely at all in the interior. The mixed breed, however, is constantly becoming more numerous; for the young sen Qi » vsmuy aro alluwed to uuliabit with the iwl 904 Slavery. female domestic slaves, who from being mulattocs are in general preferred to the pure negicsses. 8ome of these girls are uncommonly handsome, and have but very little black blood in them. Indeed I have seen some of these female slaves, who being three ' or four generations removed from the negro, were nearly as white and fully as good-looking as the ladies they waited upon. This beauty is occasioned by the following circumstances. The father of a family cohabiting with a ncgress produces a mu- lattoe, with whom his legitimate son grows up, and if when of age he cohabits with her, another girl is perhaps the fruit of this incestuous union. Afterwards his son, or the first's grandson, cohabit, ing with his natural sister, gives birth to a light brunette, who can scarcely be distinguished from the legitimate grand-daughters. All these spurious generations are slaves, liable to be sold, and often actually sold to negro drivers, who again sell them to some one else, for mistresses. Indeed in the southern States, the ladies would be very angry, and turn any one out of society, who kept a white woman for his mistress ; but would not scruple even to marry him, if he had a coloured one, and a whole family of children by her. But what should we say in Europe if a man sold his own natural son, brother, or sister? This however takes place quite commonly, and as a matter of course. I could mention the name of a lady not 100 miles from Washington, who lets out as a servant Slavery. £0^ her own natural brother, a good-looking Mulattoe. Indeed it is a saying in Kentucky, that " many % man midces his own Niggers r for many a sUve- holder, in gratifying his passions, increases at the same time, what may be called his live stock. The further to the south, the worse the shives an? off. This is particularly the case in those States that do not produce food for them. In the more north- em slave holding States, as Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and towards the west, in Kentucky, where Indian com, and other sorts of grain abound, the slaves are somewhat better provided for. But in the more southern, where little else is raised but cotton, sugar, coffee, and tobacco, the food of the slave (which must be bought) is an object of greater consequence to the master, and consists of little but Indian com and salt fish. Moreover, in these States, the slaves are kept together in much larger gangs, and with a much smaller admixture of whites ; consequently, there are fewer of the do- mestic slaves, who, under a humane and kind master, are not much worse off than the lowest order of domestic servants in Europe, always how- ever excepting their liability to be beaten or sold. With regard to the demoralizing effects of Slavery, I shall content myself with quoting the? words of that good man, and excellent patriot, Mr. Jefferson, the third President of the United States. *• There must doubtless," he observes, "be an 1 utfhAp))y infloehed on the mftnners of our people^ produced by the existence of Slavery among \uL Thd whole commerce, between master and slave, is a perpetual exereise of the most boisterous pasf*ion8 ; the mo»t unremitting despotism on the one part, and the most degrading submissions on the others Our children see this^ and learn to imitate it ; for man is an imitative animal. This quality is the germ of all education in him. From his cradle to his grave he is learhing to do what he sees others do. If a parent could find no motive, either in his plii-i knthropy or his self-love, for restraining the in- temperance of passion towards his slave, the pr^ sence of his child should always be sufficient. But generally it is not sufficient. The parent storms> the child looks on, catches the lineaments of wrath, puts on the same airs in the circle of younger slaves, gives a loose to his worst passions, and thus nursed, educated, and daily Exercised in tyranny, cannot but be stamped with its odioUs peculiarities. The man must indeed be a prodigy who s II'! aiavtry. amounted Ui 1,581,486. In addition to thefte there were 233,398 free coloured. Now can it for a moment be supposed, that this enormous and rapidly increasing mass of population will long re- main in bondage, — when they hear their masters talking of nothing, but Liberty, the Rights of Man, &c. ? — when they see processions and re- joicings every year on the anniversary of national independence? — when they hear that Bolivar, as well as the Mexican government, has entirely . abolished Slavery ? — when they see how the Blacks of St. Domingo opposed 25,000 Veteran French troops ? When all these examples are held up to their eyes, will they, can they remain slaves ?— Impossible. The desire of freedom is already beginning to manifest itself in those parts where the slaves are most numerous. In 1820 there was a conspiracy at Charleston in South Carolina, which was only discovered a few days before it was to have been carried into execution,* and which ought to have opened the eyes of every slave-holder who was not wilfully blind. The conspirators were headed by a free black named Denmark Vesey, who was a working car- penter in the city, and was distinguished for his activity and strength. His being a free black de- • Vide Pamphlet entitled "An Account of the late intended Insurrection, among a Portion of the Blacks. Puhlished by the Authority of the Corporation of Charleston. 1822." Slavery. £09 moMtrates, what indeed I believe has never been doubted, that, in the event of an insurrection, the slaves would be joined by their free coloured bre- thren, who, finding themselves despised by the whites, and treated as a degraded caste, would gladly take part in any scheme tending to ame- liorate their condition. " It was perhaps alone in Denmark Vesey's power, to have given us the true character, extent, ^nd importance of the correspondence which it was afterwards proved was carried on with certain persons in St. Domingo. But these men mutually supported each other, and died obecUent to the stem and emphatic injunction of their comrade Peter Poyas : « Do not open your lips ! Die silent, as you shall see me die /' *' * They in fact died like heroes, and in a better cause they could not have yielded up their breath They were executed for wishing to emancipate a million of their brothers from mercUess bondage. Yet how much better to die, even thus, than live a life of slavery ! Who, though they know the riven chain Snaps but to enter in the heart Of him who rends its links apart. Yet dare the issue—blest to be, Ev'n for one bleeding moment free. And die in pangs of liberty ! Moore's Lalla Rookh. * Vide Pamphlet above mentioned, page 18. P m rn li 'J i i ■ tin Shwerif. Had this oonspiraey snoooeded, South Carolina, and probahly all the neighbouring tlafc States, would have been lost to the whites. As it is, the evil day is only deferred : for I consider, that un- less the system be quickly changed, the whole of the slave States must one day, and that not a very distant one, be in possession of the blacks. I do not indeed see how it can be otherwise. In 1790 there were only 694,480 slaves in the whole of the United States, and a great number even of these were in the now free States, in which ^he increase of the whites has principally taken j^ace. At the time of framing the Constitution there was not one State in which the number of the whites was not double that of the blacks : but at present the blacks are more numerous than the whites in South Carolina ; and in several of the other States they are already nearly equal, and are every day gaining the superiority. The following extracts are from one of the leading American papers :•»- Siavei% «n 9 SSSS2 oe«o eoe « J:- *-« -*a8(9E?|88! gs« sail IJI a S SS9 OA ooooe 77 77? 77 "T-SSS 22 2 222 44 f^ ,^4,; 9 SS 2 " ^? |p|i III III ! I- II J III III! '1 ^TS ''«^iiiii|iili!|Mp^ J' .^ > •a 3 I tsi ill?, ill'lii n.i gil;3i i s gf . P 2 ftlS Siavtty, " It appears by the table, that the ratio of increase of the whole white population in the United States has been somewhat greater than that of the whole coloured popuUtion ; but if we separate the free coloured from the slave population, it will no doubt be found that the slaves increase faster than the whites ; and if we separate the whites in the free States from those in the slave States, it will no doubt be found, that the shives increase nearly twice as fast as the whites in the slave States. If this is to continue to be the case, what will be the condition of the Southern States a few years hence ? This fact ought to excite the apprehension of our Southern brethren, and they will do well to look to it. " From the foregoing table, one would naturally conclude that sound policy would dictate two lead- ing measures to the Legislators of the South. First, to prohibit the further emigration of slaves to the respective States. Had Kentucky, Ten- nessee, and the other new States, adopted tliis policy ten years ago, the curse of Slavery would at this day have existed in a very small degree in those States, and if adopted now, the evil will be much smaller ten years hence than it otherwise will be. Secondly, as a free black increases much slower than a slave population, the next most ob- vious measure that can be adopted for the purpose of restraining the black increase is, to permit and encourage manumission by every possible means, Slavery. 119 or if this poUcy is not approved of, our Southern Legidators oight to endeavour to diminish the number of the coloured population by colonization." The sUves multiply faster than the whites. First, because they come sooner to maturity. Se- condly, because the young white men cohabit with the black and mulattoe women to an extent scarcely credible. Thirdly, because there is no restraint on unions among the slaves, whose masters encourage promiscuous intercourse, as their wealth increases with the increase of their negroes. Fourthly, and this perhaps is the most important reason of any, because the slaves are not affected by the dimate as the whiles are. Every summer and autunm aU the inhabitants of the Southern States that can possibly afford it. flee to the Northern, in order to avoid the excessive* heat, and the pestilence that sweeps off hundreds of those that remain. Upon the blacks the cU- mate has scarcely any effect. God, in his aU-wisc dispensations, has ordained that the black skin should belong to the human beings that are in- tended to live in a hot sultry climate. They per- spire more freely, and like true children of the Sun, instead of being enfeebled, are strengthened and invigorated by his perpendicular rays. The Southern Americans and English West India Planters, very truly say, that white men could not labour and live, in the countries best adapted for the raising of Cotton, Sugar, Tobacco, Rice, &c. ii~h= iu wtfvcry* I 11 ir M DoiHi not thii plainly thow, that Providence hat intended the white skin for cold and temperate* and the blauk for lultry and tropical climeii «» The poor ilave, bftre-hendod, bare-footeday sun full upon him. He appeared to enjoy the intense heat, like one of those Urge lizards I have seen on the sunny side of an old wall in Italy. The Southemen turn a deaf car to every thing that reminds them of their danger, saying, that the whites are so much more numerous in the United vStates than the blacks, that an insunte* tion could not be attended with any very fatal con- sequences. But surely the people of the Northern and New England ^State8 would be very slow in assisting the slave-holders ; for so much do they abhor slavery, that I am myself convinced they would take no part whatsoever in the contest. The Blacks would say to them, " This iM the cause Siavefy. ,i, of Wwhington !— wiU you hinder ui Atrni beeom- «(? free, you who made luoh eftbrti in thet c«um. you who threw off your allefrianoe to Kngknd bcoauie the wi.hed to make you consent to loiiie tnlHiig uxoa on tea and atompt ? Only look at the beginnin^^ of yw,r declaration of Indepeiidenee! • Wo hold these tnithi. to be self^mdent-^hat all men arc crcotcd equal ; that they are endowed l»y their Creator with certain unalionAble right* ; that •mong tiieae are life, Hborty, and the purauit of happinewi.' Will you then, because we differ ftmn you in colour, aid our tyrants in rodndng ua agmia to tkvery ? Or do you say, that • all men ' meani only thoae whose skin is white ? If so, why not ensUve the Spaniards and the Portuguese whoae ikin la darker than your own ? »• The army of the United 8Utes, in all 6,000 men, scattered over their immense frontier fioro Maine to the Gulf of Mexieo, and in posts on the St. Uwrenoe, the great Lakes, the Missouri and Mississippi, would be quite unable to take any efficient part in the con- test, wliich therefore would only exist between the «lav« and their masters. The Blacks would have every thing for them that can animate men to great deeds .w Justice— Uberty—Rerenge-De- ^t^** Who shall resist tllat proud Union ?" I have heard it said that the Blacks are not brave, and wiU not fight But ask the officers of the United States, how those behaved that ^^ «=^7, JMJw iH uie Otttiico on tbe Liakes. U] tf^ Hi 816 Slavery. Recollect aim, that in 8t Domingo, the bUvm who made that noble defence agaiuitt (teneral le Clcrc and hit 25,000 vetcranii, were inferior in numbcw to the alaveti now exiiitiiig in ttio United HUtci. I niuiit beg leave here to introduce part of a ■pecch tleUvered at Waihington by Dr. Thornton, at a meeting, called for the aupi.ort of the Greeks, on thcaad October. 1828. " When the Almighty oiwraten, nothing can interrupt the work : and behold an operation with which mankind are generally unacquainted. Dur- ing the revolution in South America, when the arms of the Patriots h id captured l^aguira, Carac- cas, Carthagena, and the countries adjacent; by a visitation of Almighty power. 10,000 of the in- habitents of Caraccas were destroyed in one day by an Earthquake.—The Priests declared this dread- ful visitation to proceed from the displeasure of the Most High, in consequence of the revolution. A counter revolution took pUcc, and the chiefs of the Patriots were obliged to flee. Some came to this country; and more estimable, more worthy, and more enlightened men I never knew. Bolivar fled to Saint Domingo, and wandering in that country, lamenting the misfortunes of his own, he proposed to the Sable Chief, that if he would fur- nish him with a few hundreds of his men, toge- ther with arms, ammunition, transport vessels, &c., he would immediately, on arriving in his own country, declare all the coloured people free. Siavtry, «17 Chnatophe «grc«l^»olivar arrived with hii i«ble trcKip.-hc fulfilled hii proniiie. and never after, waida lo«t u Imttle.— In permitting the fikcka to remain in bondage in this country, think you. my fellow citiacui. that their aituation it to be cnd- ICM?" Even auppoaing the Whitea should be victorioua what would they gain ?-hi territory without town..' •nd without inhabitonta! For when onee the Bh»cka, held in the moit eniel and abject bondage, do rise in their might, they will surely execute the plan determined upon by the Charleston Conspira- tors, who intended buniing the town and putting the Whites to the sword. Dreadful indeed will be that day of retribution ! But shall wc blame their revenge ? Only let the reader consider what he himself would do, if after enduring years of slavery, he should all at once And himself the con- queror of his Tyrants ! It was with the greatest difficulty, and only by means of the most savage system of extermination, that the English put down the Maroons in Jamaica. In the United Stotes, instead of regular troops there will only be a raw Militia to contend with. The Blacks there- fore, notwithstanding the ill success of the late conspirators, must ultimately triumph. And he who in the strife expires Will add to thtirN u name of fear. That tyranny shall quake to hear, And leave his sons a hope, a fame » —J ivu TTiii TOincT aio man siiuiue: frl ■ tl8 Sia^er^ l^lr FrMdom'i Uttle once begun, Bequeath'd by bleediag aire to fui» Though \«ffled oft ii e er won. LoBD ByxoN. Why then should not this greit ottastrophe be avoided, by gradually emancipating the negroes, in the manner that has been adopted by the New England States, by the Mexican Congress, and by that nation which has been rendered Tictorious by the mikgnauimous Bolivar? Unfortunately the slave-holders will not listen to Reason. They seem indeed to forget that the negroes «se human beings. As an instance of this I need anly quote the opinion delivered by Cdonel John Tay- lor, br Virginia, a gentleman, who (notwithstand- ing that upon the subject of slavery he is a true Sottthemer,) is nevertheless of the violent demo- ttfatio party in the United States, and is considered ♦ manof talent ■«-* .,t .^^^'-^i i ;.ia ^u v^^-iuiju ' « Negro Slavei^ is an e?il which : the tJnitek States must look in the face. Rewards and pui- nishments, the sanctions of the best government, and the origin of love and fear, are rendered use- less by the ideas excited by the French revolution ; by the example of St. Domingo; by the liiwrf free negroes mingled with slaves ; and by therein preaches to masters and sympathies for slaves, breathed forth from the northern States. Sympa- thies, such as if negroes should transfer their affec- tions to the baboons. Under the impressions de. tired from such souroes* the jiutest puniahmettt trill be felt ai the infliction of tyranny, and the most liberal rewards as a niggardly portion of greater rights." • Now I would just hint, that I have seen a work written by a native of St. Domingo, the Baron de Vastey, which both in style, oompotition, and just and proper feeling, so far surpasses the writings of Col. Taylor, that most person^ would euppoise, that the Cdonel, (always of course excepting Inl tiwiscendent merit in being of a whitish colour,) had a much greater affinity to the baboon than the HaytUn. In fact this may in some degree ac- count for the unnatural sympathies of theKoithaim «»tates. ' > ■ ;, . ^j^i j^j-f^.,.. ^,^,,._^ The advocates for Slavery have maiiitain«[ that the negroes are inferior in capacity to the Whites. Does a man's complexion alter his intellect ? Do the alttlities of an European, whose colour has faeea changed by a residence in Africa, of necessity do- teriorate? That the mass of the Blacks are at present inferior in abUities to the Whites cannot be denied ; but why ? because they are kept enslaved both in mind and body, because every obstacle is thrown in the way of those who wish to leam read- ing and writing, and because in some of the slave States it is contrary to Uw to instruct them. How then can it be expected that any marks of genius - * Taylw's Arator, p. 85. - •"I liiLj 220 Slavery, 11 i\ \ I should appear, when their minds are under the do- minion of ignorance, and their bodies under that of the lash ? The following paragraph, copied from a Charles- ton paper of 1828, will give some idea of the en- lightened spirit existing among the slave-holders. *' The Grand Jury of Charleston present as a nuisance the numbers of schools which are kept within the city by persons of colour; and believe that a city ordinance, prohibiting under severe pe- nalties such persons from being public instructors, -would meet with general approbation." As the Blacks are most carefully excluded from all schools kept by white persons, where their pre- sence would be considered as a sort of contamina- tion b<»th by the master and schoUrs, this bill of the Grand Jury will deprive them at once of all instruction. This indeed, although they do not avow it, (for even the most hardened are sometimes sensible to public shame,) is their real object and intention. It is curious to see how fearful aU despots are, that mankind, and particularly those under their own immediate rule, will ultimately become en- lightened. That great man, the Emperor of Austria, when inspec'ting a certain University, is reported to have said, " I do not want learned, but loyal subjects ! " which, being i 1 rpreted, means — I do not want TTIPn m PtiWrm^fynpA \vnAovBt-ninAm'nt»,. L.^f -1. — - — — — — jij»'»v-.-»iv\.* uuvtv&sjvccuvuizco. Out SUttVCS.*^"" Slwoery ^^l He, in common with the aforesaid Gnrnd Jury of self-styled Liberals, is aware that despotism can only be maintained by keeping the mass of the people in ignorance * Let any one contrast the anxiety of the State of Connecticut for the exten- sion of knowledge, in their admirable system of obliging under penalties, every chUd in the State to be taught to read and write, with the Austrian- like conduct of the Grand Jury of Charleston. He will then be convinced, if indeed he ever doubted it, of the vast moral superiority of the Northern over the Southern States. The moment any one hints at emancipation, all the slave-holders cry out about « their Rights, and Property." It has been well observed in our House of Commons : « The horrible injustice and monstrous crime of kidnapping the father and mo- ther, has given you no right to enslave the child.'* If it do, why may not a man say, * I have mur- dered this child's father and mother, and therefore I have a right to murder him also ? ' I, in common with every Englishman, rejoice that my country, which was the first to abolish the slave-trade, is now also leading the way in the abolition of Slavery. Notwithstanding 'however It has been declared in Pariiament, that measures are contemplated for gradual emancipation in our * Injustice, however, to the Austrian Autocrat it must be remarked, that he has not carried his wishes mto eWect, sg our Southern Republicans have. ' "" IS ■Jl. 'ill'] Si8 Siaverff. Wert Indir. iakndi, yet the planters still dispky a violeDt and dcstenniDed spirit of opposition, of which the following extract of a circular» issued on the 90th of May, 189S, by the House of Assembly of Dominica, may serve as an example : <* Let us seize the moment to combine our ef- forts, and energetically mark our firm determina- tion never to consent to kiss the rod, nor meekly * lick the hand just raised to shed our blood ; * hut with one voice, denounce in the face of the world, the blind fanaticism of the Saints who would now, for a phantom, cast to perdition these once highly valued and rtill valuable colonies ; while at ihe same moment they are looking on with cold- bkwded apathy on the miseries of Ireland, their own poor, the thraldom preparing for the inhabi- tants of Greece and of Spain, and yea even of Eu- rope at large.** Methinks these " kmbs " of pknters, who talk about ** licking the hand just raised to shed their blood," would have done as well not to have taunted the Ministry with •* the miseries of Irehmd, and the thraldom preparing for Greece, Spain, and all Europe." I have already, perhaps, said too much about the West Indians, but I cannot help inserting tlie fol- lowing extracts from the Demerara Colonist of Fe- bruary 18, 1824, as containing the very essence of the enlightened opinions of these worthy gentlemen. « If we expect to create a community <^ reading, Siavery. j^, morol, church^iBf ilavec, we ire woefully mie. taken."... •• In what a predicament do the colonial proprietors now itand ! Can the march of erenta be possibly arrested ? Shall they be allowed to shut up the chapels, and banish the preachers and schoolmasters, and keep the slaves in ignorance ? This would indeed be an effectual remedy, but there is no hope of its being applied."... « ft is most unfortunate for the cause of the planters, that they did not ^ak out in time. They did not s»y, as they ought to have said, to the first advocates of missions and education : • We shall not tolerate your plans, 'till you prove to us that they ai« safe and necessary. We shall not suffer you to en- lighten our slaves, who are our property, 'tiU you can demonstrate, that when they are made re- ligious and knowing, they will continue to be our slaves.' " These sentiments, in my humble opinion, would have done honour to the darkest period of the darkest ages. But indeed it is not enough for the West Indians to recal the days of ignorance ; they seem to be utterly deficient in common humanity. Whoever considers how ungraciously they have re- ceived Lord Bathurst's circular, in which he hu- manely orders them to abstain from "flogging women," must be convinced, that, if those humane and good men who advocate emancipation, deserve the name of « saints," the planters deserve that of " ^ *' *' Instead of sending out Missionaries to uv T i.i.a. I initruot the poor 8Uveg, I would advise flubicrip. tions for sending out Teachers, who might convert the "devils" to Christianity; for certainly those who speak and act like the planters, cannot be said to believe in that religion, the leading tenet of which is. " do unto others, as you would they should do unto you." The days of hard-hearted sophistry have, I trust, gone by, never to return, and every year the prin- ^Ae% of liberty and humanity are gaining ground. " When," says the Edinburgh Review* " in the year 1775, some friends of humanity in the city of London began to look into the iniquities of the Slave-trade, and when the master of a Guinea trader was indicted for throwing 140 negroes over- board, literally to prevent their being charged to account, the Solicitor-General of that day took high ground, and said, * he was not to be put down by a false cry of humanity, that had been raised to the prejudice of his client; that the slaves who had been thrown overboard, were, in the eye of the law, to all intents and purposes the property of the owners of the ship, and to be considered like any other part of the cargo ; and that he must beg leave to protest against any plausible or high- coloured descriptions of the odium of the case, as irrelevant to the question, and an insidious appeal from law and reason (which ought to guide the * Edinburgh Review of July 1821, article iv. ThU " loathwrne jirgon." ii tha toviewew very PWlwlx «iU it. 18 now at an end, and would not be toIwiHed «ny where, where SUrery doee not exist. The l^plo of the United 8t«te« were at the irwingof the conatitution so lenttble of the .hame P^te^hi. puhUe documcut by the inwtipn of '* The migration or importation of ,uoh penione ai any of the States now existing .haU think proper to admit, rijaU not be prohibited by the Con«^ paor to the year 1808, but a tax or duty may be imposed on such importation, not exceeding ten «w*rs for each person." ♦ Can any one help shuddering at Ae Wiekednwa wd uiconsisteney of the people of Missouri, Ixold- i»g out m one hand a petition and demand to have m their rights as a free State ttcognized ; and in the other, a declaration of their right to erislave «ad seU human bdngs? I am glad to say, that we Wew Jimglanders turned out such of their Re- Fosentatives as did not oppose this union of Slavery and Democracy :-*• trfeo can with patience for a moment see, 1 his mingled mass of pride and miseiy. Of whips and charters, manacles and rights Of daring Black, and democratic Whites? Art. i. sec. tf. of the Constitutii T. MooRi ion. 1 m Siavery. In despotic governmenti, which maintain «' the right divine to govern wrong," one would not be astonished to hear Slavery advocated. The United States, however, have denied this right, and main- tain that " rebellion to tyrants is obedience to God ;'• a somewhat diflPerent doctrine. They have it is true abolished the slave-trade ; but they have a little Africa within themselves. It is computed that every year from 10 to 15,000 slaves are sold from the States of Delaware, Maryland, and Vir- ginia, and sent to the south. I have seen a gang of these poor people chained to one another, walk- ing on foot, while their white drivers rode by their side armed with whips and pistols. When they arrive at the town at which they intend to stop, the slaves are confined in the jail, while their driv- ers go to the tavern, i urn Hiii in: J A slave auction is also a common thing, of every day occurrence. I will not attempt to describe the scenes that take place at them, or the cries and shrieks of fathers, mothers, and children, sold to different and distant Stats. The Blacks are in general very quiet people, and are uncommonly fond of their children. Let any one imagine how a father must feel at these auctions of human flesh ! That they do feel may be proved by the following extract from a Maryland paper : ♦• Cumberland, Oct. 27, 1822. « Mr. W. Polling of this country was shot, on Sunday night last, about seven or eight miles from thiH place, by a negro man belonging to Mr. Stewart of Virginia. The wife and children of the negro had been wld by their muater; and Mr. Milbounie ot thi. place, accompanied by Mr. PolUng, were mn to the house for the purpose of bringing them away. The negro fellow awaited their approach, and immediately lodged the contents of a musket m the side of the unfortunate Mr. Polling, who survived but a few hours. The murderer hn. been committed to the jail at Romney to await his trial." A great proportion of the members of the Colo- nization Society of the United States, are South- erners and Slave-holders ; and their ostensible ob- jeet is to separate the Free Blacks from the Whites, and to settle them in some place in Africa, to which they can afterwards send any slaves they choose to hberate. Judge Washington, the nephew of the great Washington, is President of this society, and not long ago showed how sincerely he wished the abolition of Slavery, by selling all the slaves he had. to the number of nearly 100,- doubtless a highly audable act. The Secretary also, Mr. Caldwell, thinks nothing of selling his blacks. Most of the people of the Northern States look upon this society with the contempt which its hy- poerisy deserves. Zf intended as the means of founding a colony, it may possibly succeed; but as a meous c^ aileviatiug Savwy it does nothing. Q 2 ■ 1 :i;r^ u$ JSiavify, 11 III iH. Thf Sm Wnfiki, howeirer much th« mtmUripf tbt •odety may wiih It, lu'e not in general willing to UMit them in tb« pUn of ooloniwtion. If they would export a few tlavei, »nil settle them on the cowt of AfricM, then Meed lometblng might b« said for them. Those who speak against emancipation would do well to read Pr. Franklin's letter to the e(Utc» of the " Federal Gaiette," for March 8S, 1790. It consists of a 8i)eech in tlie Divan at / iers, and contains exactly the sentiments I have often heard advocated.— The English bombarded Algiers on account pf some few Christian slaves. Are not the blAcks Christians! or if they be not, whose fault is it? When I hear people speak of the generous con- duct of the English and Americans in abolishing the slave-trade, though I by no means undervalue this incipient return to humanity, I cannot help thinking of the speech made to me by an old Dutch Captain I met at Amsterdam. « Is it not," said he, " most ridiculous hypocrisy in you Eng- lish, as well as in the Americans, to cry out that no one must trade in Slaves? Have you not filled your islands and plantations with these poor wretches ? and now that you have enough, and can breed them at home, you try to stop the trade, and hinder others from doing what you yourselves have done. You might just as well, after importing some millions of Merino sheep, endeavour to pre- vent other nations from trading in those aniwuls." filavc-holdew call thcinselvci Christiang. and profew to believe a doctrine that preaches " mercy and good.will towfd« men/' yet they do not he.i. tatc to chain, flog, and sell human bcing« with the «ame unfeeling b^barity thmt they would a drove of Hogg. This may be 8een by tlie following «rtract fmm the Wa«hlngturt of Prince George'g County, will be mid, at puUie wle, on Tuesday the 8d day of June ncit. If fair, if not, tlie next fair day thereafter, at the dwelU iHgi>laee ^ Tobiaa Duvall, all the personal estate of Mary Duvall, late of the gaid county, deceaged coniristmg of Negroes, (among which are young men, boys, and girli.) hougehold and kitchen liir. niture, and one lot oS good bacon. " Beall Duvall, fJxeeuter.'* I will only add, that the glav^holders attempt to prove from the Bible, thai the black eolour ig the mark of (^ain, and that consequently Slavery w jtist, right, and agreeable to the Almighty ! Just Allah ! what must be thy look. Wlien such a wreUh before thee stands Unblushing, with thy sacred Book, Turning the leaves with U.x>d.stam'd hand. And wreating from its page sublime His creed of lust, and hate, and crime ? HilOOKS. MO MiuwnarieM, CHAPTJCR XII. MIMIOWAMiB— JfnHt.A1VWi«,^irmiir— .^pH^y After leaving 8t. Louis, I returned fifty-four miles by the name road that I had before* travelkd, to the little Village of (Jarlyle, on the Kaskaskia. Having arrived there early on the liocond day and •een my horse taken care of, I went, for the want of something better to do, to hear a 8ermon delivered by some Missionaries, who were going to the Wil- derness for the purpose of converting the Indianib , The sermon, as may easily be supposed, was nearly incomprehensible. A conversation arose afterwards between the preachers and their audi- tors upon doctrinal points, when the Missionaries, who were thorough iJalvinists, did not liesitate to declare, that only a certain portion of the human race, viz. the elect, would be saved. All the rest, or at least 999 out of every lOOO were of course to be damned. I perhaps however may be allowed to doubt, whether the Missionaries were perfectly correct, in this their charitable and sensible exposition of the intentions of the Almighty ; for I can myself hardly imagine, that the beneficent author of all things will " show his power," as they call it, by sending such an immense proportion of the human race, into fire and brimstone. I cannot see, why a man boni ill the oontro of (niina. and who never even hewrU of Chriitianity. .houUl of iit*ccg«ity be a " vei«jl of wmth." whom the great Ooator for bii own hotter glorification. i« to plunge into evcrlatU uig tormentn. DouhUm however I am wrong; for the Miaiiouaricii. going on with the tubject! •ffinneiJ, that tlicre were many chiidren in the number of the non-elect ; that Uiere are inianU in hell not a upan long.— an amiable and cnUghtened doctrme, which has been also mainUined in the Preabyterian Church at Philadelphia. A woman who. like myielf, was among the listeners, and who had just lost her child, was so muoli afflicted at tliis. that she began to cry. She knew not (and indeed how could she know ?) whe- ther her diild was really one of the elect ; and the idea of Uic bare possibihty of its being in fire and brimstone distressed her terribly, and cost her au abundance of tears. The reader may perhaps think, that the present system should be reversed ; and that the Indians should send Missionaries to convert these unfor- tunate expounders of the Bible, to a more reason- able faith. At any rate, nothing can well be imagined more absurd, than the plan at present pursued by those wishing to convert the Aborigines to Christianity. Instead of preaching morality, instead of teaching them the useful arts, and of pointing out the ad- vantages of civilization, and thus preparing thera to quit their wild life and to adopt our raUd doc- tSfl Mhsi&narUs, trinw J the ^igsioflaries begin at onoe by requivhig the Indians to believe the meat incomprehenaible dogmas. In fkct their object is not ao much to make the Indians civilized beings and Christiana --No, they must make them Methodists, Bap- tists. Presbyterians, or members of whatwver other sect they themselves belong to. ConsequenUy the Indians, shocked as may easily be supposed at this method of proceeding, and astounded at the dog* mas which they are required to believe, consider the whole a trick, and despise it as sueh. The Missionaries are also in gene . t men of very inferior education ; for of course few of those that can obtain any employment at home, will sally forth to preach in woods. Many of them are also not of the very strictest chastity. A gentleman travelling from New Orieans to Tennessee, when passing through the Indian territory, met a Mttle boy who appeared to be too white for an Indian : " Pray my little fellow," said the traveller, « are you a full-blooded Indian?" « No, Sir," replied the boy, « I am half Indian, half Missionary.- The Indians believe in one great incomprehen- sible Spirit, the Creator and Governor of all things ; and although they have no altars, images, or temples, yet we may perhaps be permitted to beHeve, thn their sincere and simple adoration may not be altogether displeaang to the Almighty, ludeed I should have been strongly tempted to hope, that th«9c Indians, following the light of Miisionariee. 2^5 natuM and ddng what they believ<> to be right, would not be in dinger of eternal punishment i but ahur ! this pleasing hope is utterly annihilated by the 18th Article of our holy Religion. « They." it tells us. "are to be had accursed, that presume to say, that every man shall be saved by the Law or Sect which he professeth, so thai he be diligent to frame his life according to that law and the Light of nature.** Being therefore myself a staunch High Ch^rch^ man, and extremely unwiUing to be had accursed, I am obliged to believe, that all these poor In dians wiU be damned ; which I am sorry for as 1 have known some among them, not only hdd in universal estimation, but who were really endowed with the utmost nobleness of soul. Of a truth I have heard it said by some philosophers, children of Behal, that this article is worthy of the one preening it, (on predestination,) and that neither of them IS consistent with the goodness of the Almighty. But I abhor and detest such profane reasoners, who will no doubt, in the next world keep company with the Indians. After leaving Carlyle, I took the Shawnee town road, that branches off to the S. E., and passed the Walnut Hills, and Moore's Prairie. These two places had a year or two before been infested by a notorious gang of robbers and forgers, who had fixed themselves in these wild parts, in order vo ».vx« j^;siKu. AS tile country became more n fi»4 Megulai&rs* ■l settled, tbese deaperndoes became more and more troublesome. The inhabitants therefore took that method of getUng rid of them, that had been adopted not many years ago in Hopkinson and Henderson counties Kentucky, and which is ab- solutely necessary in new and thinly settied dis- tricts, where it is almost impossible to punish a criminal according to legal forma. On such occasions therefore, all the quiet and industrious men of a district form themselves into companies, under the name of "Regulators." They appoint officers, put themselves under their orders, and bind themselves to assist and stand by each other. The first step they then take, is to send notice to any notorious vagabonds, desiring them to quit the State in a certain number of days, under the penalty of receiving a domiciliary visit. Should the person who receives the notice refuse to comply, they suddenly assemble, and when un- expected, go, in the night time, to the rogue's house, take him out, tie him to a tree, and give him a severe whipping, every one of the party striking him a certain number of times. This discipline is generally sufficient to drive off the culprit; but should he continue obstinate, and refuse to avail himself of another warning, the Regulators pay him a second visit, inflict a stiU severer whipping, with the addition probably of cutting off both his ears. No culprit has ever been known to remain after a second visit. For in- Regulator, %%S stance, an old man, the father of a family, all of whom he educated as robbers, fixed himself at Moore's Prairie, and committed numerous thefts, &c. &c. He was hardy enough to reraaia after the first visit, when both he and his sons received a whipping. At the second visit the ReguUtora punished him very severely, and cut off his ears. This drove him off, together with his whole gang ; and travellers can now pass in perfect safety, where it was once dangerous to travel alone. There is also a company of Regulators near Vin- cennes, who have broken up a notorious gang of coiners and thieves who had fixed themselves near that place. These rascals, before they were driven off, had parties settled at different distonces in the woods, and thus held communication and pass- ed horses and stolen goods from one to another^ from the Ohio to Lake Erie, and from thence into Canada or the New England States. Thus it was next to impossible to detect the robbers, or to re- cover the stolen property. While I was staying at the house of a Mr. Mul- ligan in Illinois, thirty miles from St. Louis, one of the men, who had belonged to the gang near Vincennes, was taken ui.> on the charge of passing counterfeit money. He wa,'' searched when I was present, and some admirably excc»«t.ed V>«se dollars were foimd upon him. He of course denied that he knew them to be forged ; but was taken before MS Regulators, whom he hud passed some forged money, was sent for. When however he offtred the money, lie had rery cunning^ly said to the shop-keeper, who merely looked at it, in the same way as most people do on receiving money, •• If you do not like it, or think it bad, I will change it." Thia ht proved before the magistrate, and as the shop^ keepet could not deny it, the forger was released : fbr by the American law, a man cannot be pu- nished for only having forged money in possession. This man's name was Upshaw, a moat notorious villain. He had not been long liberated, before the Regulators started after him, though whether they caught him, I do not know. This practice of Regulating seems very strange to an European. I have talked with some oi the chief men of the Regulators, who all lamented the necessity of such a system. They very sensi- bly remarked, that when the country became more thickly settled, there would no longer be any ne- cessity for such proceedings, and that they should all be delighted at being able to obtain justice in a more formal manner. I forgot to mention, that the rascals punished, have sometimes prosecuted the Regulators, for an assault. The Juries how- ever, knowing the bad character of the prosecutors, would give but trifling damages, which divided among so many, amounted to next to nothing for each individual. On my second day's journey after leaving Car. Bear^m^at. m lyk ft great deal of snow had fallen, and an it got dark in the evening I lost my way, and had to aleep out in the woods. With a tomahawk whioh I carried fastened to my saddle, I cut down some small branches, struck a light, and setting Are to a laige decayed tree that had been bbwn down, soon made a comfortable fire. I had already slept out when hunting, but it was always in company, and with plenty to eat. The fasting after a long day's ride I found very disagreeable. My horse also was very much frights encd by the wolves, which were numerous, and made a great noise. Some of them came pretty near my fire, but they are very cowardly, and I believe there is scarcely an instance of their attack- ing a man. Indeed, when I afterwards told some of the Backwoodsmen, that, from not having had a gun with me, I was somewhat afraid, they laughed at me, saying, there was no danger wliatever of being attacked by the wolves, for they preferred hunting the deer who oflbred no resistance. In the morning, by means of my compass, I found my way back to the road from which I had only been distant about three miles and a half. I stopped at the cabin of a hunter, who, juit before I arrived, had killed a fine bear. I had some of its flesh served up, and found it excellent. Indeed i have at other times often eaten bear-meat; and can assure all European epicures, that itisim^st ■••«v«»s,iV*W. BSB Bears. The bear of the Americnn forests lives almost entirely upon vegetable food, such as nuts and fruits. Sometimes indeed he catches a hog, which maybe running wild in the woods; and if he could surprize a deer, he would no doubt make a meal of it, but the deer are too cunning and too fleet to give him an opportunity. Upon the whole, the bear is not much more carnivorous than the hog, and is a much cleaner animal. I have been surprised to see how very fat these animals become, particularly in those parts of the country, where there is plenty of mast. Their fat is much prized by the hunters, as it never turns on the stomach, however great a quantity may be eaten. They all say, that one-fourth part as much of pork or beef-fat would make them sick, and give them a fit of the bile. An old hunter told me, that whenever he has found himself very eold, wet, and tired, and likely to be unwell the next day, he has swallowed a small cupful of bears oil, laid down with his feet to the fire, and in the morning has found himself as well, and his limbs as pliable, as if he had just come from his home on a spring day. But whatever may be the virtues of bear's oil, I myself cannot say any thing about it from personal experience, having never drank a single drop of this panacea. The woods in this part of the country abound with bees, in consequen(?e of the Prairies bdng near, which in summer are covered with innumt Hf)b Skunt. a»o flower.. It i, » fevouritc amuMmeiit, st . «,«!. oular «.«,„ of the year, to go bee-hunting; .nd »reat quantities of honey are then collected This the «rttler«, for the mo,t part, u«, in.te«l of ,u«ar. I have been surprized at the number of gaUons of IHI? -n"' : "'*'" '^'' "•»' ""• "•»««-» yield. 1 he bees make their nest in the hollow of a tree, and continue to increase their comb until the hollow space is qmte or nearly fiUed. The honey is obtained by chopping down the tree. «.d kJling or driving off the bees with branches. The whole of this part of the counts until withm a few miles of the little village of Carmi. .8 v«y wUd, and but thinly settled : but there is an abundance of game. I passed, in a single day's nde. as many as a dozen deer, and five gangs of wUd turkeys There are also great nnmben. of wolves, wild cats, and other vermin. About forty miles from Carmi. I had a most' cunous adventure, and one that caused me for »me time afterwards a great deal of vexation. While crossing a small P«irie. I observed coming towards me in the middle of the path, a beautiful htUe ammal, about two feet long, of a dark colour, with longitudinal white stripes down it, back, ft bushy tail, and very short legs. Intending to c»tch It. I immediately galloped forward to pre- v»t Its escape. To my astonishment, however, it did not attempt to run away, but stopped in the middle of the rn«eierted Village. Few who have not iK'en in the game titiiation can form any idea of the grati- flcation I received from this trifling circuniBtance. I now croMed the Little Wabash, on which river Carroi ia situate*!, and proceeded through a vory thickly wooded country toward* Harmony. The road, about four miles before arriving at this place, passes through the low j^rounds, or as they are called, " the Hats " of the Hig Wabash. The lands of the river bottoms, or flats, throughout the whole of the United States, arc always reckoned vOTy rich and productive, and those of the Wabash are particularly so. They are covered with im- mensely large trees, between which grows, in' amaaiug luxuriance, that noble vegetable the Cane (Arundinaria Macrosperma). This beautiful and useful plant attains the heiglit of from twenty to thirty feet. The fertile tracts, where it grows, are called Cane JJrakes, and are always full of herds of cattle, who are very fond of its leaves, whicli remain green all the winter. The bw grounds i the Wabash would be thickly settled, and soon covered with a swarming popula- tion ; but during a month or two in the Autumn, Fevers and Agues seem to stalk about here, seek- ing whom they may destroy. Indeed the counte- nances of the few settlers bespeak how often they s .Tv-.^.a.v-w tjj Micsc uisciiocb. vv nere ifie 11 2 944 Ilarmi^, gTiMind hu be«n cleared for any contiUttubU ipaotb t\w sickneii cloei not previil to such aji extent. Tliii iw tho oaie with the ■ettlement of HMmony ; but. even there, the inhabitnnta hul iu tho autumn suffered a great deal. The trcei growing immediately on the banki of the VVabaali, must, from their immenio siac, aato« niih every one. Tho Phiue, with its long white armi. and the l\dip-tree (Liriodendroii tulipifera) caUi^ by the Americana tho Poplar, attain to an enormous magnitude throughout the whole of the Western States. There is a ferry which conveys the traveller di- rectly over tho Wabash to Harmony. This pretty little town contains numerous well built, three- atoried, brick houses, placed in regular streets, with a small railed garden to each, all conveying a great idea of comfort, particularly to a man travelling iu the Backwoods. There are two churches with spires, on one of which is a clock, made by a settler, which strikes, even the quarters, upon some large bells that were imported on purpose. I had been so long without hearing anything of the kind, that during the week I remained there, the lively tones of these bells gave me great delight. Mr. Rapp, the founder of the Society, was a dis- senter from the Lutheran church, and finding him- self persecuted by the clergy and the nobles, for the tenets he promulgated, came in 1808, from near Stutgard in Wurtemburg, to the United i/armonjf, g^ «Ntiii, with n«ftr1y 400 Mherentn. They tint Mt. tied At « place thfy called Harmony, in BuUtr «imty Penn«ylvani... 95 mUe. from Pitt«bii«. Hero their Tiumbcr wn« fiooii increaned by cm!- ffmtioti to near 800 iwuli,. but not flndhig Pnmiiyl ^»nl« in all respect* «uit«l to their viewi. they iuiuxy uveii 34s iittf^MiHy, The Indiaiw certaiiily could not Imre elccuted anything of tne kind ; and the g«neral opinion ii, that some human being must have passed over the marble when it was of the consistency of day, and thus have left the impression of his feet. The im- pressions indeed appear to have been made by some one who was running, or else stooping forward to pick up something. But I can hardly myself ima- gine, how or where a piece of marble could ever have been in so soft'a state, as to receive the im* pression of a human foot. I hope that the marble will soon be inspected by some one competent to gi\-e fl'« opinion, particularly as the impressions may at no great length of time be effaced, from htm^ always lelt expo^icd to the weather. 7 he religious tenets of the Harmonites are not very vr i known ; but it is at any rate certain that they profess equality and the community of pos- sessions. The most extraordinary part of their system is their celibacy ; for the men and women live separate, and are not allowed any intercourse. In order to keep up their numbers they have once or twice sent agents to Germany to bring over pro- selytes, for they admit no Americans. Among those that last came over, were a great many chil- dren of both sexes. Very few of the inhabitants of Harmony could speak English, and indeed the young boys and girls are chiefly educated in the Gttt %n tongue. The policy of the head men anneai ' o bp. that nf w^ renting, as mttch aa poesible, any of their inferion from omimuiiUting with the Americaiw, fearing no doubt, that they would see the folly of their system. What struck me as very singular was, that no one would answer any questions. Even my host Ekensperker, when I asked if they were permitted to marry, what became of all tlie money they col- lected, &c. invariably replied, « We never answer these questions." Some few persons have seceded from this society. These have generally been young men, who sacrificing fanaticism to nature, have gone off with young women and married them. By good fortune I chanced to meet one of these men, and learned from hun a few particulars of the sect ; but even he did not appear to be very willing to com- municate what he knew. He told me that mar- riage was mterdicted ; but could give me no reason why it was. Moreover he told me, that it is un- known what becomes of all the money Rapp i^ ceives. Now this must be a very considerable sum, as the Harmonites neglect no means of amassing money. For instance, they send every year boats laden with produce to New Orleans ; and the little settlement of Albion has paid them altogether nearly 60,000 dollars, though at present it is rapidly becoming independent of them. The Harmonites will receive in payment no other money but specie or United St- Ujs Bank tne same time they expvu. nothing; «r?i A ^ Lb ^no Harmonif. and indeed money appears to be of no use to men, producing food, and manufacturing all necessariei within their own settlement. Every thing' is sold in Rapp's name, and all the money is transmitted to him, even the proceeds of the house of enter- tainment and the doctor's shop. This secrecy about the great sums that must be collected annually by the united labour of seven or eight hundred industrious individuals, possessed of a great deal of skill, and having the entire mono- poly of the neighbouring country, has, I must con- fess, a very suspicious appearance, especially as Rapp holds a correspondence with Germany. At the same time, as he is an old man, and never intends to leave Harmony, I do not see any thing he could gain by sending away the money. ,,„,,,, The Harmonites all dress very plainly and wear nearly the same clothes ; but Rapp and the head .men live in better houses, and have plenty of wine, beer, groceries, &c. ; while the rest of their bre- thren are limited to coarse, though wholesome food, are debarred the use of groceries, &c., have a less quantity of meat, and are even obliged to make use of an inferior kind of flour. In their celibacy, and in some other points, they resemble the Shakers, though they differ from them in refusing to admit proselytes. They are in fact only a somewhat improved order of indus- trious monks and nuns, except that they are very unwiUitig to have any thing known about them- Harmony. ggf •dves, and are by no means ahxidufi to Ynake'emu verts. If they spoke English, and were allowed a free intercourse with the Americans, they wtuld soon learn, that with the same habits of temper* ance, industry, and economy, they could in that rich and fertile district have every comfort thsy at present enjoy, with, the additional satisfaotion of amassing money for themselvet and of having children who would doubtless rise opulence and consideration. At present however Rapp points out to them the difference between their situation and that of the Backwoodsmen in the neighbourhood, leaving them to suppose, that this superiority is owing to their pecidiar tenets and mode of life. Moreover, as I am informed, Rapp, like all other IMests* holds out eternal punishment in the next world to those who secede. Like the Virgilian " Rex Anius, rex idem hominum, Phcebique Saderdos,? he is both Governor and Priest, preaching to tiiem in church and managing when out of it th^ir pe- cuniary affairs. Hence this society ^esents the extraordinary spectacle of a most ? mplete des- potism in the midst of a great republic ; for with the exception perhaps of being a little better clothed and fed, the lover order£ of the Harmo- nites are as much vassaJs, or more so, than they were in Germany. The settlen nt was once a benefit to the neigh* ■•m w Aa.M«\/»*VMi£to Mt HMrmomf, ooniidar it il injurioui. At first the people, in « greftt dbtanoe aiuund the Settlement, being rap. plied with goodi that they couid not e«mly pro. cure elsewhere, considered it advftntageoui to them ; but they now think precisely the contrary; ^ for the Harmonitee, not having to pay their work- men, are enabled to under'^ell every one who would wish to set up a etore, and thus prereut competition. Moreover, as in exchange for their cloths, linens, hats, whiskey, &c., they receive vast •ums of money which they never spend, and thus diminish the circulating medium of the country. '••If," say the Americans, "an ordinary mer- chant could come among us, and set up a store, as he grew rich he would increase his expenditure, and Uie money would circulate and enrich those who supplied him with meat, bread, Ac. ; but these people spend nothing, and therefore we should be very ghid to see their society destroyed." ' Old Rapp has transferred most of the active superintendence of the temporal concerns e( the society to his adopted son Fitederic Rapp, thus accustoming the people to a sort of hereditary despotism. We may however very much doubt, whether the society will hold together after the oW nan's death, an event which in the course of na- ture must soon take place. The people, under the present system, are a mt of well-fed, well-clothed, hard-working vassali. They are very grave and serious. During the whole time I was at Harmony, I never saw one of them kugh ; indeed they appeared to me to eiyoy only a sort of melancholy contentment, which makes a decided difierence between them and the inhabitants of the other parts of the country, who without fanaticism or cdiUacy, find themselves well 9ff and comfortable. ^'t S54 Diamomi Isiand Ferry, CHAPTER Xni. OUT-MONfiY — AliaillOAN PARM-HOUSB — TITtlM. I WAS quite sorry to quit my comfortable lodg- ing at Harmony, and again encmmter the had fare of the Backwoods tavenis ; but being anxious to proceed, I summoned up courage and set off. After passing through a low, heavily timbered country, which when cleared is very fertile, X came to the Ohio at the Diamond Island ferry, so called from a large and beautiful island in the middle of the stream. Owing to the badness of the road, it was nearly dark when I crossed over to the Ken- tucky side of the river; and I was therefore obliged to put up at a small cabin, the owner of which bade me welcome, though he was sick in bed, and his wife gave me the best fare that his humble means could command. This log hut, from being so near to the river, was very much iml^t'^ with rats. They were the largest and boldest I had ever seen, and ran about without either regarding me or the sick man. What however surprised me the most was. that there was a cat sitting by the fire which never at- tempted to molest them, nor indeed did the rats ap^ar to be alarmed at her presence. The owner of the cabin said, " I bought the cat hoping she would drive the rats away, but when on her jirst Diamnd htand Ferry, Ui arrival she caught one, it not only defended \Ut\t stoutly, but by its screams brought wveral othert to its aasistauce who atUcked the cat and whipped her." • I ipent a great part of the night in wishing tKit I had such a redoubtable cat as Whittington's; for tliese troublesome nits, by scampering about the cabin and jumping upon my bed. kept me awake several hours. The next morning I proceeded to Madisonville, a small village, where there is a toler- able tavern ; and from thence to Greenville, a still smaller village, where the tavern was most exe- crable. Most of theoe villages, throughout the greater part of the division of Kentucky, called the Green- river Country, are very much upon the decline, and will no doubt shortly cease to exist. They were founded during the late war with Great Britain, and owed their existence, not to any want of villages in tliese places, but to the unnatural state of things caused by a great war expenditure, by an immense issue of paper money, and by the efforts of speculators to enhance tlie value oi their lands in the neighbourhood. As soon as the war ceased, the great expenditure ceased also, as well v,a.'i r »'> • " To whip," all through the Western States answers to our verb " to beat," and is by the lower class always nia4l£ use of in that signification ; as " The Americans whipped the English at New Orleans ;" " I can whip any man in the coun- iry at running ; " " A panther will whip half a dozen dogs." I Mi Diamond Uiund JFtrty, M the d«tnM>^> 1.0 I.I Hi 128 |2.5 uj Uii 12.2 U lili «i — IIIII2.0 11.25 i 1.4 6" ^^ 7/j. % ^ /S^ W / Photographic Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716) 872-4503 ''« ^ %^ <.* f/> S58 American Farm-houses. town, but liad not proceeded more than fourteen milet before my horse cut his foot, and as I was afraid he would be lamed if I continued my journey, I stopped at alar/y^ farm-house belonging to a Mr. Rhoades. My host had a fine family of children, several of them grown up. Mrs. Rhoades was a perfect model of a farmer's wife. Indeed American women, throughout all the backwoods^ are the most industrious females I have ever' seen in any country. T had often remarked this ; but never till I came to Mr. Rhoades's had I so good an opportunity of learning the minutiae of their employments. ''-' ' Besides the labour of cooking, cleaning the house, &c. the American fanner's wife makes every article of clothing for her whole family. The men wear a sort of coarse cloth made of cotton and wool. The cotton is grown upon the farm, is picked, spun, weaved, dyed with the indigo that also grows on, the farm, cut up, and made into clothes by the female part of the family. The wool of their own sheep furnishes materials for the mixed cloth, stockings, &c. All the linen for shirts, sheets, and towels, is also made at home from their own flax. I was quite surprised to see ^he activity and in- dustry of my hostess. Directly after breakfast, which was on the table every morning at sunrise, she and her two daughters commenced their daily nppiiTtat^'^'nc! nf ortiMnino jirn (\»%^ ^4f i.l,~.,~ZJl^ i „ American Farm-houses. d09 engaged in making an entirely ne^ suit of clothes for her father and eldest brother, from som^ of the cloth that had been just finished. The other, with her mother, was busily employed in spinning, as a black servant girl was in weaving. At the close of the day, after supper, the whole party sat round the fire employed in picking the seeds from the raw cotton. The old woman was very talkative and good- humoured, and related to me soiwe very curious anecdotes of their first settling in Kentucky, which happened soon after it was discovered, and at the time when the Indians used to be troublesome. Old Mr. Rhoades, who, in early life, had been a great and skilful hunter, had also numerous interesting stories of the savage foe, and of the dangers in- cuiTed when following the buffalo and elk. These anecdotes were every now and then broken lu upon, by a good-natured laugh, at my awkward- ness in picking cotton; for although I took some pains to learn the art, I made but a bad hand at it, picking but a small quantity, and that at tlie expense of making my fingers very sore. The chief produce of this farm was Indian corn and oats. Wheat, throughout the whole of this part of the countiy,* does not grow well, and after it is got in, is nearly > always destroyed by the weevil. Mr. Rhoades, the year before, had had a pretty good crop, })ut it was very much iiyured by this destructive insect. ^jtl. remained nearly a week at this comfortable s 2 fl60 Ammcan Farm^houiti. khoAet employing tnyMlf during the clAy^^time in hunting (there being plenty of deer and wild turkeys in the vroods), and during the evening in picking cotton^ and listening to the stories about the Indians and the first settlers. When I went tiway, my worthy host refused to receive any thing ftom me, and gave me a hearty invitation to repeat my visit. I had Very foolishly omitted to inquire whether Muddy River was fordable or not ; so that when upon coming there I found neither a ferry nor a bridge, I supposed it to be fordable, and ventured in^ without making the necessary praparations. Although the river had risen considerably above its banks, in consequence of the rain, yet I went on through a great part of the stream with only wetting my feet and the skirts of my saddle. But when I had arriv;.'d within thirty or forty yards of the Opposite side, I plumped all of a sudden into the channel of the river, and got terribly ducked, Which was the more disagreeable as it was freexing. My horse being an excellent swimmer easily car- ried me to the shore \ but my watch, and United Slates' bank notes, were very mUch wetted — a mis- fortune which Would not have happened if, as whenever previously I was obliged to swim a river, I had secured them in my hat Imd neekcloth. I was so ehilled by this sudden and unexpected immersion^ that I was obliged to stop at a small \t\r* \tnnam noAif tl%t\ vtvov I-vaMV 'I^Hi^ nrnMlai* vn American Farm-houses. S61 celvad mevery heipitably,madeup a bodfor me, and, as I felt very unwell, administered the only remedy he knew— whiskey mixed with pepper. This ex. traordinary draught, which is probably not to be found in any Pharmacopoeia, made me feel as if I had swallowed liquid fire; but by throwing me into a violent perspiration, prevented me from ex- periencing any harm from the acoident. The next morning, finding myself quite re- covered, I proceeded on my journey, and arrived in the evening at Morgantown. This place merely consists of a few straggling houses, and scarcely de- serves thfr aame even of a village. The man who had kept a tavern here had shut up his house, con. sidering that his gains did not repay him for his trouble. He told me however, that as I was a stranger I was perfectly welcome to stay with him. The next morning he refused to receive any money, saying, «* I used to charge when I kept open house, but now that I do not, I take nothing, though glad to show hospitality to any occasional traveller." ^ From Morgantown I took the road to Bowling Green, and halted a night at a farm-house on Caspar's river. On the banks of this stream are a great many Indian tumuli, some of which have been opened by the people in the neighbourhood, who have however found nothing in them, but a few bones, and some fragments of rude earthen- ware. S62 Titles Bowling Grocn is a flourishing little town, situated on the hank of Green River, a stream of considerable magniiade, that rises in Lincoln county Kentucky, and after a long meandering course, falls into the Ohio. While passing the evening in the tavern at which I put up, and which was very comfortable, some Eastern newspapers arrived, in one of which there was a copy of the decision of the Emperor of Russia, with r^ard to the slaves taken from the United States by the British, during the last war. I may here mention, first, that the dispute on this subject, had, by mutual consent, been re- ferred to Alexander, who decided in favour of the United States ; and secondly, that the American government has no secrets, and therefore publishes all treaties, &c. as soon as they are signed. The Americans, who were sitting round the fire, were highly amused at the titles which Count Nesselrode had affixed to his name. Besides half a dozen offices that he held, he had thought fit to inform the world, that he was first class of this order, and second class of that ; great cross of one and little cross of another, and so on for half a page. This exuberant display of titles gave an additional effect to the modesty of the Ameri- can diplomatist, who had merely called himself 4^* H. Middleton, citizen of the United States." The Count^s titles, and the remarks made upon mies. 2&S thH int ill ,M')I> Mammoik Ca^. t60 tt^^n Aftf4^l H CHAPTER XIV. MAMMOTH CAm. Within three miles of Bowling Giecn is a mill sitaated in what the insople terra a Sink Hole. This ii a remarkably large and deep cavity, into which a considerable str' am precipitated itself* and disappears under ground. The road leading to Naahvillc iiassei close to it ; and while proceeding on what you imagine to be nearly a level surface, you find yourself suddenly upon the brink of a frightful precipice, from whieh you might jump down upon the roof of the mill below. The whole country, for a very great distance round, is limestone, in which there are numerows and curious caves, of which the Mammoth Cave is the most famous. One day's journey brought me to this great cavern, which is situated close to Green River, and is the greatest natural curiosity in the Wtestem States. For several miles before arriving, the road passes through a chain of low hills covered with short stunted timber, and from that circumo stanoe called by the people «' the Kentucky Barrens." I was received by Mr. Miller, the owner of the house near the cavern, with his usual politeness and iifFability, and was invited to take up my abode with him as long as I chose to stav, The iS6 Jinmmoik Cave. M 1 1 1 i ^Hi ■ . 1 '\\ ^■ll 1 c»vo bcloiigi to two geiitl«incii of Lcxingtoii, mA proved very vhIuaWo during the lavt war, uh 5 cwt. o{ saltp* re were i»amif»ctureevenl more penon, to cury Hght* . Jr* f^-*'"^ ""f l" in mmy pUe* „ evirt Md mmth. that I ^ hlmo.t temptrt to •>q>po«e it «rtiflcml. "^ H«ving prtceedSd a long w.y beyoad •• the Weoimd Hdppw." ♦,, hrrived at « the Grand HaU» or "Grand CroMing." Theiwrfi.tap.rtoatlea.tieveiityfeethigh.artd the floor whith i. im^arin form cannot he of le« dimenaon. than an aere. By fUcing onrselve. i* ^1 r^ r """^"^ " P'^"y fM view of thM vait Hall, but y^ had not Ught. enough to render the «h6le rimultMieoUsly virible. Herev wMe I gazed at my companions .. they lat on different fragmenta of rock, with the red light ^armg upon them. I could almost fancy thenl •totue,, pUced there by wme mighty spirit to deter all intruders from entering. Continuing to advance' in the main paesige, we passed a very rough and rjekjr part of the cavern, whete the whole floor was so thickly pow. dered with smaU crystals of Glauber Salt, that it resembled a hoar frost, and rendered walking very Unpleasant and slippery. Every here and there in the cavern are found «-ge iK.les, and broken pieces of cane burnt at the ends, which were no doubt made use of by tte^Inditas. who attempted to explore it, having eeen ™unu there by the first whites, who. a few T «74 Matmmth Cave, years ago, diacovered and penetrated into theM subterraneous passages. Proceeding onwards, we came to "the Great Black Hall," so called from the colour of the sides and roof. In one part of this is a singular mass of white rock, which, when the light shines upon it, forms a strong contrast to the dark colour of the surrounding walls. It has been called " the Devil's Throne," and from its peculiar appearance and situation, put me in mind of the throne of Lucifer, as described in that curious tale, the Caliph Vatheck. I prevailed on Mr. Miller to ascend this rock with the light in his hand, while I retired to the further part of the chamber. When he was standing on the top, which rises upwards of twenty feet above the lowest part of the floor, I could almost fancy that gentleman, who is a man of great stature, to be his Satanic Majesty himself, presiding in this his Hall. We continued advancing until we were, accord- ing to Mr. Miller's account, about two miles and a half from the mouth of the cave. From the fa- tigue of walking on such an uneven surface, and the violent perspiration occasioned by taking so much exercise in such an increased temperature, I began here to be somewhat tired. I therefore de- termined to return to the House, and to re- enter the cavern the next day, taking with me more lights, and some provision, that I might stay as long as I pleased. Mr. Miller informed me, Mammoth Cave. mg th.t it wu not more thm half , mile to the ex. teeme end. to which he W himwlf penetrated "verd fme. ; " buv «lded he, « you mil „„t .ee My thing worth the trouble of the wJk. «,, i„. ■tad of mcreiBng. the e.ve dimininhes in ,ize." The different distance. I have mentioned are upon the authority of Mr. MUler. who ha« mca. "ured many of them. I have no doubt th.t thev «e nearly correct ; though being myself unaccu^ tomed to such long walks under ground. I should have supposed many of them to be greater than he wiu they were. There are many chambers and branches leadinR trom the main passage, which Mr. Miller wished me to vBit, but which, from a foolish pr,K>rasti««. tion, I deferred seeing, and consequently, as it loo oiten happens in such cases, I never saw at all We were just six hours and a half from the time we lighted our candles until we put them out «g»m. During the whole of this time we had been walking at a good pace and did not rit down more than three times, and then only for a few minutes. On returning from so long a subterraneous expe- dition. I found the light very painful to my eyes, parUcularly as the pme Aiow and numerous icicles at the mouth, of the cave were sparlUng in the rays of the sun, and therefore made a very strone «ntr„t to the « darkness visible" of the interior Jilir ihio Tkniw% :~ .1.1.. - T 2 ari AitMMllHk Gwvt* \h I ex]tf ri^oi*d ; for upon quitting the cav^ uid foigettiiig to wait tintil I wai eool, the icy ait ruihing in at the narrowa gate me such a cold and Btiif neck* that although I staid at Mr. Millet's four days longer^ I never dared to re^entei^ the caTehik Though I Yisited only a portion of this subter^ ranean wonder^ I saw thd most interesting part« and indeed as much as is worth any person's while to seC) Unless he wishes to gratify his vanity by laying he has seen the whole* It is however much to be desired that some one would give an accurate and complete descriptioh of so extraordinary a place. This could not be done in less than a day and a half, or two days ; but by taking in some provisions, it might easily be ac- complished. The cavern would not by any means be an Unpleasant place to sleep in, as it is dry and warm ; and the air is rendered remarkably pure by the falling water of the springs, and also by the abundance of nitre. This cave has indeed been Visited by a Mn Nt Ward, who has given a description of it, accom- panied with a pretended map. This person, who seems to have been endowed with a vivid imagi<> nation, does not hesitate to affirm that he Went in and followed the main passage^ without coming to the end, for eleven miles ! ! Mr Miller^ tvho has lived on the spot for fifteen years^ assured me that he had leveral tim« been to the end of the otreni, »nd that it ia not more than thi«e of at most three mileii and a quarter from the mouth. Aa Mr. Miller acted as agent fbr the proprietora while the c»ve was worked for saltpetw, he may be eon- Mdered good authority. Mr. Wai^ also afflrma, that the floor of the Grand Hall is of the siae of eight acroi, an account very symptomatic of inten- tional exaggeration. His map, which I examined before I went in. proves still mow than either of the instances I have adduced, that works upon topography should not be written by lovers of the marvellous. The proprietors of the cave are unwilling that any accurate survey of it should be made; for although they possess several thousand acres round the mouth, there is little doubt but that, from the vast extent of the cave, it goes beneath some other person's property. By help of an accurate map a shaft might be sunk ; and in the event of another great demand for saltpetre, a part of the cave might be worked to the detriment of the present proprietors. They do not however object to any one's taking m a compass with them, and this would enable a person to take a sufficiently accurate plan of it for ail purposes of mere curiosity. It was called the Mammoth Cave, not from any ot the mammoth bones being found in it, but in if S78 Alutnmoth Cav€* oonsequenco of its onormoui siae. I much doubt indeed if there be any where in the habitable globe a natural cavern of more noble diraensioni. The whole country in the neighbourhood it full of smaller caves. In one of these was found, to- gether with some ciuious ornaments, the Mummy of an Indian, preserved with gum and aromatio herbs. This mummy is at present in a Museum in the Eastern States. Mr. Ward does not blush to affirm, that he himself found it in a recess of the Mammoth Cave, though he received it iVom Mr. Miller on the express condition of his present- ing it to the Boston Museum. This he took care not to do, until he had made a sum of money by exhibiting it, and was only prevented from selling it by the threats of the proprietors of the cavern. Within a quarter of a mile of Mr. Miller's house, I visited a cave not more than 100 yards long, which, from the great quantities of Brilliant Stalactite it contains, is called the ** White Cave." The Stalactite assumes a thousand gro- tesque forms, such as those of the most beautiful drapery, and of the most curious Gothic sculpture. Indeed the cave would be a model for a fairy grot. In one part there is a basin of Stahictite into which a spring drops from the roof. It appears carved and ornamented with the most exquisite skill, and in form very irtuch resembles one of those immense shells, placed in Catholic countries at the door of the church, to contain the holy water. So dear tnd beautiful is the water of this ba«iii, that it •ppcared not to reach within iu inches of the bnm ; go that when under this impression I stooped down to drink, I found that I had miscalculated the disUncc. The water in reality reached to the edge, and Mr. Miller was much diverted at seeing me by mistake plunge my head into it. i There ia abundance of game in the neighbour- hood of the cave. The manner in which great numbers of wild turkeys are caught is very simple and curious. A Pen is made by placing rough, hewn rails one above another, so as to form a va- cant space, about six or eight feet long and as many broad, which is closed at the top by heavy rails laid across. A smaU trench is then dug for a yard or two on the outside and continued under the lowest rail into the interior. In this trench some Indian com is strewed, and the turkeys, while employed in pickmg it up, advaiwe with their head downwards into the Pen. f ft* As soon as they find themselves in the enclo- sure, these stupid birds never think of stooping down, or they could walk out as easily as they walked in ; but instead of this they try to force a way out at the top and sides, and continue jump- ing about in great alarm, till some one in the course of the day visits the Pen and secures them. I have known as many as seven or eight caught within four and twenty hours in a single Pen. • -.A ', . . 990 BirtM^ 9f fFoikingion, , CHAPTER XV. **"• RVrtAR CAMP—^niLLICOTRR—IKDUN ANTIQVITIBi. ''^^ Upon leaving Mr. Miller*R I took the road to Frankfort, pawing throu(^ the little toivne (aa they Off) called) of Nci^'market, Lebanon, Perry- YiUc^ Hanrodiiburgh and I^awrcnocbuigh. With the exception of Harrodaburgh all these aro iniig- nilioant little villages, and, ai I have mentioned before, arc much upon the deeline. The whole distance from the c^Tcm to Frankfort \m 180 milei; but, except to the agrieidturist, the country through whidi the road passes is very unin- teresting. I staid a few days at Frankfort, and then began my return to the Bastward. At Lexington I found that preparations were making to celebrate the an- niversary of the birth^y of Washington. Ac eordingly three orations were pronounced, one in the C3ollege, and two in the largest Church. I was much pleased with one of them ; the others in- dined greatly to bombast. The Volunteer corps of the town were called out, and fired a feu-de- joie, and the day terminated with a public dinner. The birth-day of Washington, ed coin, precious riiigij» &c. &c., iiU of which indicate a cer- taiu knowledge of thd Arts. But in these Indian mounds there has not even been found a brick, or anything else that might prove the existence of people, capable of building any habitation superior to a wigwam. But when once the true antiquarian sjiirit seizes the mind, a host of visions rise up and obscure reason; The following quotation will serve as an instance of this. " Our authors mention that Dr.Drake* the highly respected naturaHst of Cincinnati, had exhibited to them in his cabinet, two large marine shells, that had been dug out of ancient Indian tUrauli in Ohio, one of which appears to be a Cassis Comutus* All the authorities, except Lirtnaeus, regard the cassis cornutus as an Asiatic shell; and Bruguiere, say our authors, has maintained that Linnasus was mistaken in referring it to America. The circum- stance, that a shell of Asiatic origin has been found in an Indian tunmlus in Ohio, would seem to esta-' Wish an intercourse at least between the Indians of North America and those of Asia. Our authors justly adduce this discovery as a confirmation of th^ theory of the Asiatic origin of our native tribes ; a theory which since the researches of M. de Hum- boldt has been very extensively adopted." * • North American Review for April, 1823: article. Maior Long's Expedition. ^ 886 Indian Antiquitiet. Now there can be no doubt, but that the Indian wlio possessed this Asiatic shell, (which, however, is said to be American by no less a personage than Linnaeus), must have been a great Conchologist, and it is a pity that no other specimens from his cabinet have been discovered. The bones of the Hyaena and other Asiatic animals, found in the cave at Kirkdale in Yorkshire, prove no doubt that our savage English ancestors had "an intercourse at least " with Asia. For my own part I think the animals whose bones are found in the cave, must have belonged to a travelling menagerie, brought over by the Asiatics for the amusement of the Picts. I am astonished indeed that this idea has never struck Mr. Auckland, especially as it does not involve the consideration of that inconvenient mi- racle the Deluge of Noah. Two learned Americans, whose names I forbear to mention, have contended that the American In- dians are descended from the ten lost tribes of the Jews. They have given divers learned reasons in support of this theory, which, together with all that has been written about it, ought of a truth to be classed with the "unutterable ponderings of Wouter Van Twiller the Doubter," first Dutch governor of New York.* The dissertation of our old friend the Antiquary on A. D. L. L. is a bagatelle com- pared to the lucubrations of these gentlemen. * Vide Knickerbocker's New York. Mian Antiguitiei. 937 A nation may lose the knowledge of some of the fine arts, and of those contributing only to luxury • such as painting, the making glass or china, &c.- An immigrant people cannot be supposed to carry with them all the improvements and refinements of their fathers ; but the knowledge of the more simple arts such as those of working the metals, making bricks, &c., they could certainly never forget. This alone is sufficient to convince me, that the ances. tors of the American Indians did not come from Asia. But the Mosaic account of the early ages of the earth has been made the basis of all reasoning concerning the people of America, and consequently 1 am astonished anyone should attempt explaining, what must therefore necessarily be miraculous. Some have pretended that the ancestors of the Americans came across Behring's Strait, whic'^ lies very nearly within the Arctic circle. I would advise those who can talk so easily of such a journey to read the account of Captain Francklin's. But the captain's joiuney must have been nothing compared to that of the primaeval emigrants; for he was pro- vided with every thing that could alleviate hard- ship, and he set out from a very high latitude where there were already inhabitants. Indeed if he had not returned to these inhabited spots he would have been starved to death. Perhaps then the pre- tended emigrants to America never existed ; or if they did, I am surprised that on seeing such a mi- ;3; Mian Antiquiiits, serable country they did not turn baek ; unleM in- deed their spirit oS enterprise was greater than that of men in these degenerate days. But why should we reason about Miracles ? We know that the whole of animated Nature was de- stroyed at the Deluge, with the exception of those men, beasts, &c. preserved in the Ark. There^ fore all animated nature must have been destroyed in America ; and I presume few will maintaiht that the emigrantswho peopled that country, brought with them the progenitors of all the Couguars, Jaguai-s, Tapirs, Llamas, Rattlesnakes, &c., that at present abound in that qiuirter of Uie globe, but ate found no where else. Yet otherwise how did the said couguars, jaguars, &c., first get to America ? They could hardLy have swum across Behring's Strait. It is miraculous therefoite how men first peopled the Western Hemisphere; it is miraculous how that continent was stocked with animals, tropical birds^ and reptiles; and it is miraculous how the dif- ferent tribes and nations should differ so totally in language and appearance. But let no oUe be as- tonished; for there are ciitsumstances connected with the peopling the Old World nearly as miraculous^ Climate will alter the complexion of the adult, but not change the colour of the rete mucosum; The n^oes in Canada never become white, nor do the English in Africa ever have a black skin, w(k>lly hair, Ulick lips, and flat noses. Adam was a red Indkm Mmifiutiti. n$ «hTte'.„rM tr*""' "0 -' only red, but ^tt I'^.fJ' ,^t, .,:rr * Vida Jo«ephu«, JeHriA Awiquitle., «ip. 1. - i»M 'i -*rr 77 furuf 1^< ■' ffn »l Backw904tmtn, ■ u ,, CHAPTER XVI. BACKWOODSMKN— ADVIOB TO TRAVXLLBBfl. Aim- From Chillicothe I continued my route towards Wheeling, passing through Zanesville and several other flourishing little towns. As the road ap- proaches the Ohio, the country around is heavily timbered ; and though it becomes more hilly and even mountainous, yet it is nevertheless very fer- tile, and is rapidly coming into cultivation. Coal u here very abundant, and will in a short time be of great vidue to the State. This is a part of the great coal formation, that begins at Cumberland on the Potowmac, and terminates in the State of Ohio. Several days of slow and tedious travelling brought me to Wheeling. As at this place I took leave of the Western States, I shall here give a short sketch of their inhabitants. The first circumstance that struck me in these people was their extraordinary stature, which far exceeds that of all the other nations I have ever seen. I could not however hear of any particular cause for this, and must therefore only attribute it to abundance of food, and habits of great activity. The King of Prussia would easily have filled up his regiment of tall Grenadiers if he could have re- cruited among the Kentuckians, as almost every »» i- tl,e 8^te would h.™ been c„»d.«Kl . <^^^^ I «. cerUin if Mon«e«r de B„«bn ~»Wl..ve «en th«„. he would have completely "T ?>:rn; '■'>f, CmigreM ftom the Werten, SUte. .» „f p,uo^ m.n .t.tu«, „ compel to ^^^ ^f ^^^^ ^;j»^ "'r": "'" ""f '^ *« ««« of the Al%h«,ie.. . treat part of Kentucky .„d Ohio are now be. «m..«K so thickly «rtUe,l that mo,t of the real Backwood«„en. .uch a. Old Leather Stocking • find^g tbejnselve. cro»d,rf. that i. having cuL vator. of the earth within «ve or six mile. „f them have moved off towanl, the frontier, and are now J;^yj»., found in I„dianO.Hnoi..ndr f J^! ^Z''''"'"^™ ""ite « «™«t deal of ho.pi^ e^™^I r^' ^"^ i»dependence. which I. caamially ,„deed verges on rudeness. They are J-e .nd hardy, appearing to delight in dagger rhi. character „ even prewrved by many of their descendants^who, remaining in Kentucky and Ohb thT "f ?. : "^^ "'''*■'' P«rf-*>ydi««e..t from hat of their forefathers. The mere ci,«un,stance that Lexmgton was illuminated, when war was pro- claimed against Great Britain in 1812, may per. haps be considered a sufficient proof that much of • Vide, The Koneen, an Americm novel. U 2 .-i.j'i ■) 99S Backwoodtmik. the turbulent ipirit of tliA old Bftckwoodfitiicn itiU MiimatM their move polished offfapiing. i^^v The following is the manner in which Und i» at present obtained from the Indiani. The United States send proposals to the tribe of Indiant^to whom the diitrict belong!, and signiiy that they wiiih to purchase it. The tribe then holdi a gene^ ral oouncil, and deoiden, whether they shall sell, how much they shall demand, and what portions of the district thoy shall reserve. After this is decided, they conclude a treaty with commissioners appointed by the United States, and receive the sums of money, and the blankets, guns, &c. for which they have stipulated. These are generally paid to the tribe annually, in order that their de* seendants may not suffer from the sale effected by their forefathers. Individuals cannot buy land of the Indians under any pretence whatsoever ; but as soon as a district comes into the possession of the United States, it is surveyed and sold at the prices settled by Congress, and the money is paid into the public treasury. The price of Congress land is at present a dollar and a half per acre. Before this fair and just method of obtaining land was adopted, it was the custom to drive off the Indiar ii by force, which, as might be supposed, occasioned frequent wars, and, at times, a great deal of blood-shed. Colonel Boon, whose memory will long be venerated by the Backwoodsmen, who look upon him as one of the greatest heroes that ever BaeimootliPWH, 999 Hvtd, wia the fim wliit9 that •fftctod « «ml«i. meiit ,n Kentucky. I„ the year 1769. this daritl^ Hunter, tc^ompanled by five ornnptnlcmi, deter- mined to pMi the AUeglMinie«, that great chain of inountainB, which has not improperly been tomifd the b«5k.bone of the United Hti^tci. He accordingly aacehde*! that part of the ridge that lie. at the back of North (J«x,l|„., g„d, In wnnng at the iummit, was delighted at beholding the lerel and rich country atretohed out benenth iiim. On descending into it, he Wis atiU tnm rejoiced at seeing the enormous sifle of the timber and the great quantity of that noble vegetable the' Uine, which proved the soil to be more fbrtile than that of North Carolina, hln native State. He nU6 obeerved a most astonishing number of bufftloe., elk, deer, heart, turkeys, and all kinds of game. After a time he returned, bringing his wife and children with him ; and the favourable account, given of the country, goon induced many otlier persons to cross over into it. with a deteimiflation of settling there. Now Kentucky, from the abundance of game which was found in it, had been reserved by the In* diana as a hunting ground ; and, though many chffer^it tribes had the right of hunting there, they all agreed in hindering any tribe from making it a fixed abode. This regulation was the cause of many disputes and wars among themselves, and Wie country was in con«equence cftlled " Kentucky," S94 Bsckwoodinnn. a n»int> nignit'ying in the Indum langiuige, ** th« JUuody Mromid.'* It nifty therefore etuiily bo iU|ip(Metl bow much they were inrit«tcd, when they mw their old me- mies, the ** Jjong Knivei," (for lo they call the Virginians and the whites in general), not only coming down to hunt in their fiivourite diitrict, but without eeremony, and even without asking permistion, settling, as if they had a right to the soil, building cabins, cutting down the treet* driving off the game, and in fact appropriating the country to themselves. .J,- The Indians therefore immediately opposed the intruders with their utmost force ; and had they then been as well armed as they are at present, it is doubtful whether Kentucky would yet have been settled. Even as it was, they were two or three times very nearly driving their enemies back again over the mountains. Nothing but the most astonishing fortitude, courage, and perseverance, enabled the whites to make a stand. Now every one knows, that the wars carried on by the North American Indians are always wars of extermination ; for it very rarely happens that the victorious party gives quarter, either to man, wo- man, or child. The settlers therefore, in order to protect them- selves, erected forts of logs, which they called « Stations," occupying themselves during the day ml^.«m4-i.«#i« ^n^ vuEcxravxii: % Bnckwoodsmen. neighbourhood, .nd at night retiring within the waUi, But even during the day time, iooie of the •ettler^ armed with riflcii. were poited in difi«rent P««cea. to guard againat ■urpriac. while others were •mployed in the laboun of agriculture. Ill ipite of every precaution, the Indianii con- •twiUy «irpri«od them, destroyed tlu' cropa of com, burnt the itationi, and cut off whole famihei at a time, killing and scalping every one who fell into their handt. But by dcgreei the SetUers became more expert at the Indian mode of warfare, and from being much better armed than their savage foe, gradually obtained the superiority. They then began to act on the offensive, forming par- ties, and pursuing the Indians, whom thev killed and scalped in retaliation, till they had 'at Uwt obtained entire possession of all the country on the left bank of the Ohio. I wUl here quote an example of their consUnt state of danger and warfare, which though it con- tributed to raise a hardy and daring popuktioii. gave their manners a strong tint of ferocity. « LETTEll TO A GENTLEMAN OF PHILA- DELPHIA.* " Dear Sir, " Wwtmoreiftnd, April 26, 1779. " I wrote you a note a few days ago, in which I promised you the particulars of an affair between 'Vide Indian Wars in the We,t.» page 82, published at Lexington, Kentucky. % 4 i >i t ' 'Mi 806 B^Kkwoodimet^, .i. u A whitA man of thii county, «nd two IndiAnt ; I now moui to relate the whole itory ; and it ii aa ibllowa >— ** The white man ia upwanla of aixty yean of ago; hiN name in David Morgan, a kiniman to (Jolonel Morgan of the riflo battalion. ThiH man had, through fear of the Indiani, flod to a fort about twenty miles above the {nrovince Unc, and near the oaat lide of the MonongahcUi River. From thcnoo he iwnt lome of his yuungor children to hia plantation, which waa about a mile diitaut, there to do somo buainesH in tlio field. He after- wardfi thought fit to foUthv, and lec how they fared. < letting to hiH field, and seating hiraHelf upon the fence, within view of hit children, lie ctipicd two Indians making towartU them ; on wliich he called to hia children to make their escape. The In- dians immediately bent their course towards him. He made the best haste to escape away, that his Age, and consequent infirmity, would permit ; but eoon found he would be overtaken, which made him think of defence. Being armed with a good rifle, he faced about, and found himself under the necessity of running four or five perches towards the Indians, in order to obtain shelter behind a tree of sufficient size. This unexpected manoeuvre obliged the Indians, who were close by, to stop where they had but small timber to shelter behind, whidi gave J^r. ■\r rga: ^-4... iTZUriTiiaA «*Ji v/W|/vl tUlii ■»♦ t\V\£ v^irk/w I'l** Vi S**W5»*-iJ ^\4 ^ ri #k« «i«*d upon the tpot. The otlicr. takiiif advtBtaite •I* M«irg«n'i oinpty gun. advaiiMil upon hi,,,. nA put him to flight a weond Umc, nml being lighter •I* foot than the old man. MMm cAnie up within t few pacM. when he Hri^ at hiui, but fortunately mwica hi«). On thia Mr. Alorgau fae stantly practising with it, and thus becomes an astonishingly expert marksman. Squirrel shooting is . than when I before went the same road in the stage. The day I crossed the Laurel mountain was remarkably fine, and the view from the summit delightful. Indeed after journeying through interminable forests, I felt my mind as it were expanded, at seeing the blue expanse resting on the earth, iustead of being shut in by a constant barrier of gigantic trees. After crossing the AUeghaniw and proceeding towards the East, one cannot but remark how the timber decreases in size. 1 well recollect in- deed the disappointment I experienced, when at my first arrival in America, I found the trees so much smaller than I had expected ; for tiU I went into the Western States, J saw none larger than those which are to be met with in the generality of the parks of English gentlemen. On arriving at Wasliington I parted with my horse, and that with no small regret; for he had earned ine 1500 miles without being either sick or •10 Tki Return of Spring, lame a Hingle day. The whole lUatanco I travelled, from my leaving Watihiiigtoii, till I rcturacd there, was %Hi5 milet. Unlike our Kuropeaii Spring, which aC(l in or«lin»ry nt BoHton. with Ik roof over her to protect her from the nun, rttiii, &€. Ohio 74.-- Launched in oriUnary at New York, with a roof over her to protect her from the sun, rain, &c. North rJarolina 74, aiwl IVelawarc 74.^IiauMoh- ed in owUnary at Norfolk, and now covering with roofs to protect them. A 74. — At BoHton, nearly Hnishetl ; house over her and perfectly protectctl. /{ 74._-At Boston; liamc raisetl; under a house, perfectly protected. ^ , A 74. At Portsmouth, N. 11. nearly finished; under a house perfectly protected. A 74.— At Noriblk, Virginia, about half finish- . ed ; house over her ; perfectly protected. A 74.— At Philadelphia; keel laid; frame nearly out ; house now building over her, and probably raisetl by this time. Potowmac 44.— Launched and hauled up on an inclined plane at Washington, where she now lies under a house, perfectly protected from sutt, rain, &c. A 44.— At Washington Rbout half finished. Tk€ Naty. n%B A 44.^At Plulnilrlphiii, marly fiiiikliocl, 1m)u«o ovff her, jKrfcctly prukT4ed. A l4.^At New York; friniie f$t'Uiiig out *0<1 nearly ready to rmo. A H. — At PortMiiwutb, N. II. in forwarilncM; lH)Me.u%cf iw ; lH?rlectIy protwtetl. r ur. 'Vhe frames of tho other frig«te« atithorizct! to be built, excepting a few piece:; yet to Im5 deli- vercd by the contractorfl. ani.Ano#loo ATI he>v finar-decks ^XlA SO lomP fiTUUS on her gun-d«ck. without counting two bow, «ii4 three stem chaHers on both the decks. In the wni« dock-yard, there was another 44 on the stocks, with a round stem, carrying the same number of guns. If a cannon were mounted nt every port, each of i\\eueforty.fourt would carry 78 guns ; but, with, out counting bow and stcra chasers. Uiey wouW «>rry 6a. I Iwheve our frigates never carry guua in the gangways, us these do. But indeed as the American vessels have two complete decks of guns^ they may to aU intents and purposes, be called Une- of-battle ships. To under-ratc ships in this manner is a mean- ness quite unworthy the American nation. If t 130-gun ship bo considered as a 74. or a 6»^n frigate as a 44, there is no reason why, according to this new system of arithmetic, they should not call a sloop of war a gun boat, m)d « tottery of 20 guns a martello tower. ; . ^ The discipline in the American ships of war is fully as severe as in ours. The Congress ind*^ed lias passed an act to aboHsh corpwal punishment; but I was told by many officers c^ rank in the navy of the United States, that if this act litd been en- forced, they, in common with most of their brother officers, would have resigned their commissions; as disciphne on board a ship could not be otherwise maiiUained. It does not however appear that pu^ nishment is inflicted arbitrarily or undeservedly. TT ,*eii vuv imy i5 e^uai, American §(jamfn pr^fe^ mm M The Navy, i birth on booni a man of war, to one on lK)awl a merchantman. Now I can venture to assert, fVoin mv own experience, that tlio watennen on the Thames, who arc mostly seamen, and the Hailors of liiverpool, of Bristol, or of any other of our com- jiierciHl tti.vnf!, %vould not shew such a preference irith regard to tiie navy of Great Britahi. Whence does this arise ? Partly, I believe, from the arhi- triiry manner in which our sailorH are too often treated, but chiefly, from the horror with which all seafaring men look upon our systc m of Impress- ment. There is not a fisherman, not a common seaman, in the whole British dominions, but feels himself aggrieved by the continuance of thiH wicked system. I know .fudge Foster maintninetl that " Impressment cannot be complained of otherwise than as a Private Mischief, which must be submit- tetl to, for avoiding a public inconvenience." But the reader will excuse my quoting what Dr. Frank- lin says in his remarks upon the Judge's argu- ment* ♦• I do not sec the propriety of tliis must. The private mischief is the loss of liberty and hazard of life, with only half wages, to a great number of honest men. The public inconvenience is merely a higher rate of seamen's wages. He who thinks that such private injustice 7nust be done, to avoid public inconvenience, may understand law, but * Vide the Posthumous and other Writings of B. Frankliiij 2 vols. London, 1819- ^^oi- ii- ?• 109' Tht Navy. 997 •ecma imperfwjt in hia knowledge of equity. Let ua apply tliia author'a doctrine to liifi own case. It ia for the public acrvice that courta ahould be held, and judgea appointed to administer the laws. The judgea ahould Iw bred to the law and akilled in it. but their great aalariea are a public iHconvetiietice. To remove the inconvenience, let preaa-wananta issue to arrest and apprehend the best lawyers, and compel them to aervc as jr.lgea for half the money they would have made at the bar. Then tell them, that though this be. to them, a private mischief, it must be submitted to, for avoiding a public iticon- venience. Would the learned Judge approve such use of his doctrine ? " Dr. Franklin afterwards says : " ' Modern prac- tice; supported by ancient « precedents; weighs little with me. Both the one and the other only shew, that the constitution is yet imi)erfect, since in so general a case, it doth not secure liberty, but destroys it ; and the Parliaments are unju8t,'con- niving at the oppression of the poor, where the rich are to be gainers or savers by such op- pression." It must indeed appear wonderful, that in the present enlightened age, and in a self-styled free nation, such tyranny should be endured. Adam Smith has well said, that " the property which every man has in his own labour, as it is the origi- nal foundation of all other property, so it is the z a9t» 71k tlaioy. matt ucrwl and invioUUe. Tbo |uitritnony of a poor man hot in the airtiigth and dexterity of his hAndii; and to hinder him from employing this •trctigih and dexterity in tho maim^ he thinkw proper, without ii\iury to hii neighbour, it a pkin violation of his nioft sacred nghta.** The French oh\\^^ every fighing-boat that goes to scft, to take a proportionate numlier of men on board, and compel all these men to register their names. This serves as a sort of nursery tor sea- men ; and the government can at any time call upon them, when they want sailors. This plan, though sufficiently oppressive and tyrannical, is at any rate better than the indiscriminate impress- ment allowed by the British. I have heard several officers of the United States' navy give it as their opinion, tliat in the event of their having a much krger number of ships than at present, there would be some difficulty in find- ing sailors to man them. The government has accordingly in contemplation to create a sort of naval mUitia, in which every seaman will be obliged to enrol himself, and which, in the event of any sudden emergency^ will be required to furnish a certain number of men. To render such a regula- tion as little oppressive as possible, it is proposed to organize a corps, in which every seaman who en- rols himself will be entitled to a certain pension or certain privileges during his life, in consideration of which he may. hi cMe of ii«jd. be oMi^ to inm in the nation*! flwt, before the imvaI militia h called upon. Sometlitng of the iiort will probably be clone. for the Kovt-mmcnt will find it rcry difficult t» compete wHh the merchant! ; and the p " The commandant of Marines receives, in ad- dition to his pay, eight dollars per month, for forage of three horses. The Adjutant, Quarter-master, and Paymaster, thirty dollars per month extra." f When the officers of the Navy are aot employed, they can, by applying to the secretary of the Navy, obtain leave to take the command of Merchant Vessels - to serve on board them. Many unem- • National Calender. f Ibid. -. '* tiU The Navy. ployed officers avail themselves of this excellent regulation, and by making long voyages to India, China, or round Cape Horn, improve themselves extremely in seamanship and navigation, and at the same time amass a little money for themselves and families. Promotion is managed with the greatest justice and impartiality ; for no officer can pass over the heads of his seniors, unless he has rendered some very important service to the nation, or has cap- tured a vessel of superior force to his own. " Once a year, a board of officers, for the exa- mination of Midshipmen requesting promotion, is instituted. This rule was introduced in the regu- lations of the Navy, at the suggestion of the Navy Commissioners. The officers constituting the board are selected by the Secretary of the Navy. It consists of three Captains, aided by a Mathema- tician. Public notice of the place and time of sitting of the board is given, and all Midshipmen deeming themselves qualified for examination are requested to attend for that purpose. The exa- mination is very rigid, and is conducted with so severe a scrutiny into the acquirements of the applicants, that it is presumed all passed by the board, are, from a full knowledge of the duties of their profession, qualified to take command of a ship." * After passing this examination, they * National Calender. The Naijy. ) 945 vacancies may are promoted by seniority, as occur. If we admire this system, what shall we say of our own ? Every officer of the British Navy with whom I have had the honour of conversing upon this subject, has acknowledged, that in oui service, promotion entirely iepends, not on merit, but on •^terest. If a man have no interest, he may, tl igh an excellent officer and navigator, remain a Midshipman or Lieutenant all his Ufe ; and must submit to those keen and galling feelings of disap- pointment and vexation, which naturally arise at seeing one's juniors and inferiors promoted over one. If it were not that the generality of our meritorious but neglected officers are men without any private fortune, and possessing nothing but their swords, they would no doubt throw up their commissions in disgust, and leave a service, where court favour mocks at humble merit. Every well wisher to his country must regret, that a system is not altered, which, if continued, will ultimately ruin f' e high character of our Navy. When two hosiTi. ships are bearing down upon one another, the pall- of victory, is not for the smile or the bow of the courtier, but for the science and the coi age of the man. 94t Camtntrce. CHAPTER XIX. OOMMBBOt. In contemplatiBg the United States, it must strike eveiy one ac very extraordinary, that they should have become, in so short a time, the second of commercial nations, vdth a reasonable prospect of soon becoming the first. What has caused this wonderful prosperity ? The answer is short — free institutions, and free trade. There are no excise officers in the United States. An American farmer would not, were any one to tell him, believe that there is a country, where a man can neither make his superfluous barley into malt, nor grow a little tobacco for his own private use, although he might raise it as easily as cabbage — where he cannot drive a cart on springs, without paying extra tax for it — ^whcre &c. &c. &c. fop enumeration is impossible. This unshackled state of domestic industry gives an astonishing impulse to internal, and conse- quently to external commerce. No sooner has an American made a certain quantity of candles, spirits, leather, or &c. than he loads a boat v,'ith it, and sends it down the great rivers to some large commercial town, where he sells it, or ex- changes it for liny article of foreign produce The advantages of free trade are at present so Commerce, $47 universally acknowledged, that it is unnecctsary here to expatiate upon them. It may not however be amiss to observe, that no government, except that of the United States, has acted up to this knowledge. The Americans have no mooopoUes ; and they impose none of those overwhelming duties, which impede oomm«roe< diminish the revenue, and serve as a premium to smugglers. In what country, except the United ^tates^ oan « man trade in any sized vessel to any part of the world whatsoever ? There is nothing perhaps, in which the peci^e of the United States so immeasurably excel all othws, as in the construction of their merchant vessels. The plan of building their larger merchant ships, long and sharp, and in that respect like fighting vessels, has been introduced for some time, and has answered beyond expectation. Hence the carrying trade from Liverpool to New York has been completely taken out of the hands of tbo English. Even the manufacturers of GHasgow, as I have been informed by a respectable merchant of tliat place, find it answers better to send their goods to Liverpool, to be shipped from thence in American vessels, than to send them direct from Glasgow to America, in English vessels. The Americans may indeed triumphantly ask: " Who sails, or who sends goods in an English merchant ship, when he can sail, or can send them in et». SM Commerce. American ? " The reason will Ik; evident to any one who will walk through the docks at Liverpool. He will see the American ships, long, sharp built, beautifully painted and rigged, and remarkable for their fine clean appearance and white canvas. He will see the English vessels, short, round, and dirty, resembling great black tubs. The contrast will be immediately remarked, even by those who have never been on board a ship ; and in the cabins the contrast is even more striking. There is in fact just about the same difference, both in rate of sailing and in appearance, between an American and an English vessel, that there is between a race- horse and a cart-horse, or between a light post- coach and a heavy waggon. It has been said : " The English vessels carry larger cargoes" — true ! but then they take nearly double the time to make the voyage. An English merchant veiy justly said to me : "I would of course rather employ a vessel belonging to my own country ; but you must at once perceive, that if I send a consignment to America of the value of 100,000/., it is of the greatest importance to me to have it delivered as soon as possible. Even the daily interest of such a sum is no trifle, and what then must I think of the interest of three weeks or a month ? Accordingly, though I pay a higher freight, I always send my goods in American ves- sels/' Commerce. 349 I am happy to Bay that some publicspirited in- dividualg at Liverpool intend introducing a refonn in the manner of constructing merchant vessels. Every friend of his country must wish them sue cess. The superiority of the American vessels as re- gards sailing is universally acknowledged. Their sniaU craft, as schooners, sloops. &c., often sail from New York, and Boston, and the other com- mercial cities, to the West Indies and South Ame- rica, in a space of time, which, compared with that taken by our English vessels, seems quite incre- dible. In standing up the Channel, I have really been quite astonished to see the rate at which we ran past all the English ships. An officer in the naval service of our East India Company told me, that the same observation may be made, with re- gard to the American vessels trading to China. « They can," said he, « sail round us, and I have no doubt would often make the same voyage as we do in one-third of the time ; but our vessels are built for carrying -argoes, and not for sailing." This may answer very well as long as the Com- pany retains the monopoly of the China trade; but when it is thrown open, (which it is to be hoped will soon be tho case,) they must build their vessels in a different manner, or give up all hopes of profit. The Americans have practically demonstrated 950 Commerce, the advaatogo of raakitig quick voyagw with imall cargoes, and of ooiis«quently obtaining quick re- turni. Why do not the Knglish imitate them ? A great advantage in the mode of building ves- sels sharp and long, is, that in the t vent of a war they may be armed, and can act m privateers ; and «ven if they are not used for this imrpose, the war insurance upon them would be much lighter, as many of them sail as fast as any fighting vessel. Tho American ships always start at the very hour appointed, without considering whether the cargo is completed. Again, tho Captains of Ame- rican vessels are for the most part men of a certain d^ree of scientific education. In the good old times, when it took three or four months to crof >» the Atlantic, the Dutch plan was followed of taking in sail at night-fall, heaving to the ship, and lashing the helm ; after which im- portant manoeuvre, all hands but one turned in. The Americans laugh at the English practice of commonly dwrtening sail at night. "If," say they, « it blow fresh, we do indeed shorten sail ; if it abate, we hoist more; without any regard to whether it be light or dark." Some English cap- tains have attempted to undervalue this seaman- like practice, as dangerous and fool-hardy; but the best answer is, that even fewer accidents hap- pen to the American vessels, than to the English. Indeed the ships of our trans-atlantic cousins being much sharper built, do not run so great a risk of frcncn HMtt main Uourbon ami Maiiritiiii .....',, .'.i'", ' Olher French Afiic«u porU. ..'*'.' Hijti.... :, !......'*.'.'■.*.".!!.".;;" Spaniili Eurupenii purU on (he Atlnntic".!*,*.'."!***.)! •Spanhh European on the Woditcrraiiean,., *,,.,** 'I'eiieritre and the olher Canarici .'.V .*.".'.*.' Monilla and Philippine Islands !.".'.!.".*..'" Hondurai, Ctrapeachy, and Mu»quito»horo'. '.'***'.*" Cuba Olher 8pani»h West Indies,.'. ."ii*ii||.'."[)|m^]]|| Spanish South American colonies ....!!!!!!!!!! Portugal '* Madeira '.'..'."*.'!!'.'.!!*.'.!".!*.'.*'" Fayal and the other Azores .!!!!'.!!!.'.".!!!!. .*) Cape de Venl IsUnds '.'.!!!!!!'.!!!"" Other Portuguanu African Ports '.!..! 1 ."!!.'!'. i !'.'" " Coast of Bfa«il and other Portuguese AuicricaiVcolonles Italy and Malta Trieste and other Austrian ports on the Adriatic .' .' Turkey, Levant, Egypt, Mocha, and Aden ','. Morocco and Barbary Stales Capo of Good Hope i..,.*.','!"!*" *" China ..../.!"#!.'.*.*.'!!!".*".'*"" Asia, generally , l!!!!!! West Indies, generally .'.!!.*.'.".*.* Europe, generally ^^\^ Africa, generiilly , ,,, || South Seas *.!!!'.'.'.*.*.*!.*'*" North-west coast of America. , '," Uncertain !!!!!!!!* Total f,t9«.17« ii 3,636 «4l,ltf.5 *S4MB f 66,431 6,967,034 933,667 fl,M6,l49 43«,969 188,757 197,800 1.47«,374 1,56«,033 «74,373 364,677 63,873 5.24S,336 171,891 1,590 115,370 86,0X4 750 76,984,331 riM w IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) ^ 1.0 I.I 11.25 UilM 12.5 Hi 1^ |2.2 iiiiim '1.4 mil 1.6 ^ <^ v: :> > <^^ 1^ <^ '/ Photographic Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER N.Y. 14580 (716) 872-4503 # (v \\ 4 'f the greatest magnificence. Indeed every thing is lavished upon them that luxury can devise, or comfort require. Handsome carpets, ornamented lamps, silk cur- tarns, a profusion of gUding, glass, and mahogany ; a piano-forte and sofas in the ladies' cabin ; baths &C&C. * " The Paris," a packet-ship trading to Havre, had a cabin fitted up a the most splendid style I ever saw in any vessel, except perhaps in the Rcwal Yachts of the King of England. The curtains of the births were of rich straw-colouied silk, and the sides of the cabins were of rosewood, mahogany and curled maple. Moreover, the intervals between the doors of the different state rooms, were panelled with mirrors, and would have reminded me of the appearance of the " Caf^ des MiUes Colonnes," if that glory of the Palais Royal had not been far inferior in cleanliness. Taken from the Report of the Secretat Exhibitinir the 1 r . *tatifi(tical Wwto of t|)e Coittmem of if aiue ot articles of every description of IMPORTS from, and the value of articles of every description of EXPORTS to, each foreign country, and the Tonnage belonging to each foreign power, employed in the Com Value or importi. Kuuia Prui.i. ; Sweden SweduhWeit Indies..!!; J'eiimiik and Nurway Danish West Indies !!!!!!!!!'. Uanislt Easllndiei Holland ".'.'.!!!!!!!!!!!! Dutch West Indies ami AnieriVan coloiirei Du tch Eas 1 1 nd les .'...!!!!""" England, Man, and Uerwick. Scotland !!!!!!'/.! Ireland '.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'. Guernsey, Jersey, Sark, an'dAlderacy.'.V.V .V Uibral'ar ' British African ports ' British East Indie, , British West Indies '. !'/.'. '. '.'.'. '.'.'!. Newfoundland and British fisheries ...!!!!!!!!!!!!"" Britisli American colonies !! Other British colonies .*!!!.'!!!!!!"".* The Hanse Towns and ports of Gerniany . ! ! ! ...!!"* French European ports on the Atlantic ....*.!! French European porU on the Mediterranean !!!!!'"" trench West Indies and American colonie« French East Indies _\_| Bourbon and Mauritius Other French African ports . . Hayti ••■•..!!!!!!!!.'.'.'!.'.'.'!!!!!!!" Spanish European ports on the Atlantic ! ! ! !! !!!!.'! Spanish European on tlie Mediterranean,*.*."..'.!*.*.!!!* Tenerilfe and the other Canaries Manilla and Philippine Islands ...!!!!!'.!!!!!!!!** Honduras, Campeachy, and Musquito sh!)*re!!.*! Cuba Other Spanish West Indies. ...!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Spanish South American colonies !.!!!!!! Portugal Madeira Fayaland the other Aiorcs .!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Capede Verd Islands !.■•!!!!!!!!!!!!!*** Other Portuguese African Ports !!!""! Coast of Braiil and other Portuguese AmeriMn'cJionies Italy and Malta ; Trieste and other Austrian port's" on the AdJialic ! ! ' " " Turkey, Levant, Egypt, Mocha, and Aden Morocco and Barbary States Cape of Good Hope ^'';"* ;; !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:!!!! Asia, generally.... West Indies, eenera v Lurope, generally Africa, genera ly South Seas North-nest coast of America , Uncertain Total In American 3,>3»,678 94i*,563 37r,06.i »1,»38 8,489.634 8m!930 1.473.840 3^,144 «9,««7,67« 887,M3 591,3(8 490,378 3,«7«,Sir 308,293 493,737 «3,.'>93 894,368 3,«68,797 3S5,6«3 969,,309 «,192,178 342.335 3.3,656 Jt4l,195 i(34,368 866,431 6,967,034 935,667 «,S«6,149 43t,969 188,737 197,800 47,4«ij 1,473,374 1,562,033 874,375 364,677 63,875 5,843,336 171,891 1,590 115,370 86,0S(4 750 76,984,331 In Foreign vcuels. 74,6.50 16,054 84,3*0 41,037 17,183 8.881, J73 1,004,083 814,496 33,345 31,080 83,0(X) 604.189 430.038 65.375 49,64.5 80,479 338.368 86,839 9,697 4,645 13,993 174 6,257,310 Total. 3,307,380 'l,i5i!7'88 393,119 81,333 3,514,174 863,993 1,491,03;} .3.33,144 3«, 108,947 1,891,316 806,034 490,378 3,873,317 333,337 526,817 106,393 1,.')78,737 5,688,835 400,998 969,509 8,341,817 33«.5a> 503,636 841,195 834,368 886.910 7.899,322 933.667 8,523,988 448,666 188,757 80S.U5 47.433 l,486..i67 1,563.033 874.375 364.677 63.875 5.242,536 171,891 1,390 * il'3*,544 86,034 COMMERCE. VALUE or OOMItTIC IXPORTi. In American vessels. 177,861 ii7!899 547,399 33,033 1,398,033 7,344 8,001,061 908,133 181,441 17.339,445 816,614 630,079 585,708 67,979 446,640 313 1,875,807 4,850 1,277,333 385,104 93,698 917,993 17,958 1,711,034 108,636 23,300 05,937 114,086 8,934,911 150,435 1,581,083 103,9a5 186,932 31,960 34,941 1,200,412 560,714 38,752 6,134 6,150 439,230 74,346 515,729 58,375 71,968 37,209 54,799 In Foreign vmeU. 69,513 83,267 5,468 76,307 13,950 3,8,12,950 798,951 140,097 2,961 1,101 5,466 367,004 4,176,193 89,493 707 34.053 7,644 9,029 866,134 "l'l*,684 1,800 16,999 ToUl. 177,961 180,411 569,566 39,093 1,603,494 7,344 8,077,368 931,073 191,441 81.079,395 770,178 395.708 67,979 449,601 1,314 1,881,373 4,850 1,644,336 4,.56l,399 183,191 918,699 17,938 1.746,107 116,370 85,200 85,937 183,115 3,301,045 150,433 1,393,767 102,935 186,952 33,160 34,941 1,817,411 360,714 38,753 6,184 6,1.50 439,230 74,346 515,739 58,575 71,968 37,209 54,799 VALVE or r( In American vessels. 351,830 49!977 89,546 160,757 638,336 3,172 1,583,86,1 153,847 999,571 901,336 •••••••• • • • •• • • ■ 693,074 1,968,365 8,540 14,399 730,893 155,341 771 48,303 7S,(!18 354,851 67,743 1,.'»54 89,140 11.799 134.490 1,0.32,879 7,606 1,815,24-1 18,555 4,662 10,454 35,832 246,518 889,470 436,968 403,197 d,.306,138 1,087,989 24,331 6,931 69,410 11,934 110,790 the Report qf the Secretary of the Treasury. [r^/zwi/p. aoi.jl f tt)e Commerce of ttie tNmteH l^tated* description of EXPORTS to, e«:h foreign country; also the TONNAGE of American and Foreign vessels arriving from and departin«r awer, employed in the Commerce of the United Stotes, for the year ending 80th of September, 1822. ' 177,161 180,411 5d9,566 StJOiS 1.603,494 7,344 «,077,368 9JJ,07a 111,441 «1.07J,395 770,17a A>d,70Q 17,958 6,1.50 4«9,?30 74.346 515,739 58,575 71,968 37,109 54,799 VALUI or rORBIOK IXrORTI. In American VCMclt. In Foreign vctwia. ToUl. 351,830 43,377 89,546 160,757 638,356 3,178 1,583,863 153,847 999,571 901,336 635,074 1,968,365 3,540 351,830 37,933 1,701 14,398 730,838 155,341 771 43,303 7,1,018 354,851 67,743 1,354 89.140 H,799 134,490 1,053,879 7,606 1,815,34<1 18,55.'> 4,662 10,454 35,832 346,318 889,470 436,968 405,197 880 4,457 187,988 10,987 1,894 5,506,138 1.087,989 24,331 6,931 69,410 11,934 110,790 139,967 1,055,193 69,566 80,310 91,347 160,7*7 638,856 8,178 1.534,683 157,704 999,571 1,089,334 10,987 Total value of Dumeiiic and Foreign pro - (luce e>piirt> cd. AMIaiCAH TOMMAOI. 5t?,081 18,853 3,453 16,694 13,048 68.< 074 1,968,365 8,540 '16,386 860,789 1,810,533 70,337 48,303 71,018 37.1.704 67,713 1,354 39,140 11,799 137,943 1,069,573 7,606 1.838,886 18,555 4,668 10,454 35,832 846,518 889,470 436,968 405,197 5,506,138 1,087,989 34,331 6,931 69,410 11,934 110,790 360,631 660,013 193,780 8,331,750 9,516 3,603,051 1,078,776 1,181,013 88,101,619 1,636,.M3 770,176 1,150,783 8,036,341 458,141 l,.'n4 1,897,.W9 t,8.)0 2,.50.>,015 5,771,833 353,538 961,008 88,970 8,119,811 184,018 86,554 11.5,077 11.799 851,058 4,370,618 158,041 3,481,053 181,490 191,614 43,614 70,773 1,463,939 1,450,184 475,780 411,331 6,150 5,935,368 1.168,335 540,060 65,.506 141,378 49,143 165,589 Entered into the Uoited Sutfi. Departing fiuni (lie Uniird .Stairs. 88,761 14.373 10,023 651 36,984 4,335 19,397 38,148 8,478 119,308 6,179 9,694 8,160 5,736 33,719 98,03,5 1,79R 6,2(.U 14,667 4,819 37,806 43,975 3,186 9,770 1,941 1,7.58 6,088 118,405 16,136 88,518 17,803 8,398 3,397 3,380 18,.589 18,857 8,670 1,890 405 9,688 1,984 998 387 1,516 14,308 Hncertain 584 2,331 16,888 1,843 43,888 178 88,683 35,648 5,886 151,030 7,807 13,1.53 15,347 3,347 28,730 20 90,977 1,805 13,750 3,638 833 45,339 777 43,167 3,079 8,489 8,843 370 5,447 99,838 10,650 31,747 3,498 5,699 8,558 1,049 88,301 10,056 8,351 1,418 138 8,185 6,199 17,343 1,018 8,383 16,809 8,383 NAVIGATION. rOBIION TONKAOf. Entered into the United Slalea. Departinu from tlie United Stalea. 1,199 8,910 1,051 369 847 1,168 791 46,011 10,633 3,163 925 4,056 Foreign tounage entered into tlie UnitedStatcs be- longing to each Foreign power. 1,808 1,080 4,913 9,276 1,341 1,325 304 414 7,490 533 1,479 381 230 1,381 837 30,338 5,079 2,047 101 95 11,846 5,1.57 87,380 858 94 946 177 479 6,986 364 111 134 649 843 Ruuian Prusaian Swcdith Daniih Dutch 890 957 4,188 4,477 8,833 firitiib 70,669 Haiiaeatic 7,988 French 588 Hajtien 736 Spanish 7,338 Portuguese 381 Italian 210 Foreign louiiagt tieparling from theUnitiilSlstr^ heloDging u, each power. 1J91) ■M'i .3,717 70,373 1,m 63? 736 8,J11 m Treasury Department. Register's Office, January 16. 1823. JOSEPH NOURSE, Register. 8S2 The Hudtofh CHAPTER XX. THK HUDSONo- TUa XILITABY COLLKOB. Leaving New York, I went on board the steam- boat, and began to ascend that magnificent river the Hudson. On the Jersey shore I was pointed out the situa- tion of Hoboken, a place to which so many per- sons resort for the piurpose of fighting duels, that it may be called the « Chalk Farm " of the United States. In the event of an accident, the survivors cross the Hudson to the State of New York, and thus avoid the possibility of an arrest; for one State does not take cognizance of a breach of the laws committed in another, except in particular cases. Much has been said hi America upon the subject of duelling, and many laws and regula- tions have been made with the view of putting a stop to it, bi^t like all similar laws in France, Eng- land, &c they are perfectly nugatory. In the United States as in England, a Jury would never find a man guilty of murder provided the affair has been honourably conducted. For my own part indeed I hope no act of legislation will be devised, capable of putting a stop to duelling ; for I consider it one of the greatest safeguards of polished society, and the surest pledge of courtesy and decorum. The Hudiort. S5S Fifteen miles up the river we passed Haerlem Creek, which by joining the Hudson to Long lihuid Sound, forms the Island of Manhattan on whieh the City of New York is built. Above this, the e\m of the Jersey shore, called the Palisades, a^e very remarkable, and give a fine character of grandeur to the river below. In many places they form a perjiendicukr line of rock, resembling an old wall, two or three hundred feet in height. Beyond the Palisades, our vessel entered that part of the Hudson where it expands and forms « Tappaan Bay." This was originally named the « Tappaan Sea" by the famous Hendrick Hudson, who supposed it to be a lake, from which the river took Its rise, and it is so laid down in some old maps. The little village of Tappaan is well known to most Englishmen, from being the place where Major Andr^ suffered tlie punishment inflicted by aU natiomi upon a spy. Much as we mav lament the &te of that gallant officer, one cannot but ad^ niire the firmness of Washington, who caused him to be executed, in spite of tlie menaces of the Bntish. Andre's bravery and accompHshments were no paUiation of the monstrous piece of trea- chery he was organizing with the infamous Arnold. An American writer has property asked : « Would the British have spared even Washington himself, if taken in disguise, with the proofs of such an act of treachery concealed on his person ?" Beyond T»"«oot» ii«« 4.k« tx-j , . , Sl A SJM MiHim^ CtUege. cbnly^ Mid u ptnt in on etdb liile by ttaep» «nd in many plaotif perpendicular eliffi, called " Tho HigiUanda of the Hudson." It woidd be pM4 sumptuoiM to attempt any desoription of iheie magnifloetit teenei* as they have been for the moat part described by that ohanning writer Mr. Irving^ whose works may be considered as having rendered all this part of the country classical ground. u i One of the most curious peculiarities in Uie Hudson, is, that although running through a coun- try of mountains, and actually cutting its way through that part of the AUeghanlea denominated the Catskillfl, it has not a single fall or ra^^d to obstruct navigation. A hne>of*battle ship can ascend it for eighty or ninety miles abovt New Y«irk, and very large sloops and schooners trade constantly between that city and Albany, a diM tanoe of 150 miles. In many parts of thfi Hi§b« lands, the difia are ao steep and perpendiculai*^ that the river has the appearance of flotwing at tha bottom of an enormous natural trench. At the top of the dilft, and immediately at the edge, grow lofty woods of pine, which- throw their shadoWi over the river below, and add to the magnificence and solemnity of the scoie. n i > It is almost impossible to imagine a more beau- tiful or picturesque situation than West Point, where I left the steam-boat. The Military College of the United States is erected on a fine larne table land of between eiirhtv M aiafetjr Mici whkh. by jutting tut fr«m the »«uil»Mii, leeoii to have piwented the HvdMu^ wbieb flowt round it, from pretenring its ttniight «*W«». Th. keight or this t«Me Uid above tbo tVm la 14a feot, while the lookt which lorm ita wdoa are exeeedinglf ateep, and in many plaoea peipeidibuUr. There ia a tmall ledge at the foot, which serves as a landing-place, fhnn whieh a road wwda up to the College. Immediately behind the J^WeJand, riae. very abruptly, and to a eontiderable height, the iTiountaina that form part of the great chain of the AUeghaniea. These mountain^ which Fevent aU acceaa to the College ol the knd aide. mat Iheir haada again en the opf>oaite aide of the fivor, and then atrekb away to tbe New £ngbmd 8tstea and the St. Lawrence. Looking down the river, tlie proapeei ia not veiy extenatve ; but in the oontvwry direetionk there it a aaett auporb and magnificent view. The vil- ^ of Newhwrgh. at a diatane^ of nine miles, is *i«iWe i» the back ground; and the livee la ae flMightmid broad, tliat it would almoat have the •pyeiraace of an artificial pi^ce of w«ier if its uniformity were not pleasingly broken by a amaU v«oded iahind in the midst of it. Far away are seen the lofty topo of the Catskilk The river on etch side is pent in by fine forest-covered moun* *»in^ the rocky sides tf which descend abmpUy ••d i« mmy plaeea perpendicidarly to the watet's -««^ «»v uxvu^Mtius in uus part 01 ine coun- edap - —a- M6 AJiUtarjf CoUege, try are of primitive rock, they have a bold and varied outline ; particularly w large W^ maiiMw, here and thiMre ihruit thcmiclvcii out from among the trees. The whole of this view is most delight- M and enchanting ; and indeed I cannot recoU leot any thing that can well be compared to it, except perhaps some of the most beautiful parts of the Lakes of Killamcy. There are many circumstances which give a pe- culiar interest to West Point. On a projecting rock directly behind the (^llet^, which it overlooks, stands old Fort Putnam, which Arnold intended to give up to the British. The present proprietor of the fort has, in a true spirit of barbarism, partly destroyed it, for the sake of the hewn stone of which it is built ; and should he continue his ravages, this fine object will soon cease to exist. When I was there however, sufficient remained to form a ruin c^ Rueh beauty, that it would bear no disadvantage- ous comparison with many of the finest okl castles in England. I may add that the picturesque effect is very much increased, by the cedars that have sprung up above and between the ruined walls and casemates. ,..i To the north of the Point, and at about n quar- ter of a mile from the College, is a small flat piece of ground, in a little nook, between the foot of the mountain and the river. On this spot, which has of late been converted into a garden, stands a small MUtar^ Cgtkge. 9&f fmoden houdc, whidi Gciier«l Washington maat; hi» hoaU^iuirterH during the revolutionary war. On a very itcep projecting iwint of rock inimediiUely above thin, in the burying-ground of th College, where a handHome cohunn of white marble, sur- mounted by some appropriate military emblems, Iim been erected to those cadets who have died at the place, and whose names are inscribed on it. An- other very chaste and beautiful monument stands at the nortli corner of the Parade, clow; to the road, by which every one must pass before he can arrive at the College. It is a small tapering obelisk of white marble sUnding on a simple pedestal, on which is this inscription, "To the memory of Colo- nel Wood of the engineers, killed in the sortie from Fort Erie, this monument was erected by his friend and commander Miyor-dcneral Brown." Near this monument is ranged tlic artillery of the College, consisting of ten pieces of cannon of different sizes, besides a howitzer, and two mortars. Among the cannon arc two beautiful brass field-pieces, which were brought to the United States by the French in the revolutionary war. They arc highly orna- mented ; and on them is inscribed, « Ultima ratio regum," a motto at which all good republicans must be somewhat amused. On the south side of tlie point, a narrow and very steep path, in which large fragments of rock have been laid to form steps, conducted me down ^Sfi Aviclli^y K'mwgtt •i«ep fockB, while on the Amrth • |ier|Mfi4l«iilil^ piMifiee, of nmr J 00 ft«et, hmigi over the river. Here dwvit KoMiliiRko,«>-Here, i-""" ■ " ■ WImmm one* tlus gwdcn imll'di And atiil whfre iitHny » garden flower gniwa wild, Where now • hw torn ihnitM the pUce diielone. — uK ' In thii moet beautiftil ipot, while plui^khig lome •inrigi from the roM-biiihot and •wcet4Mrieri| th«| the Patriot himielf liad planted, I rauat haire been itraufeiy deiieient in romance, if I had not enjoyed to the utmoat that indcicribable lensation, only t% be felt at the abode of a departed hero. The yming men of the College, in a epirit of liberality that doea them honour, have fubecribed lAOO doUara to build a monument here. It wai to be erected in the autumn of 188S ; and when finidhed will be leen at a considerable diitance. How would the Hero have rejoiced, if he could have known that his memory would have been thus vene- rated by the youth of a foreign land ! A mancc, obtained many valuable hints by visiting the Polytechnic school. The esUWishment at West Point has now, nnder his care, arrived as near to perfection, as any place of public education can easily be brought. The number of (.Wets allowed by Omgress is 850, and as the course of education occupies four years, about sixty arc admitted aimually. The age for admission is fk)m fourteen to twenty. At the first examination, at which many candidates are always dismissed as not sufficiently grounded in the elementary studies, the young men arc admitted to what is called, a state of probation, and are sub- jected to a severe course of study, in French, in mathematics, &c. After six months there is a •eoond examination, which cannot be nAssed with- 360 MiHtary Colkge, out good talent*, as well as great application. At the last admission of candidates, 37 out of 107 were rejected and sent away after this second exa- mination. Those who are successful are admitted as cadets, and complete their four years' course of study, unless expelled for improper conduct, which however rarely happens. Each cadet is allowed by the government sixteen dollars per month, besides two rations per day, calculated at twelve dollars per month ; so that the total expense for each cadet is twenty-eight dollars per month. The sixteen dol- lars, called pay, are to find clothing, books, sta- tionery, candles, and all necessaries, which are fur- nished to them and placed to their account. If there be any surplus on the balancing of their ac- counts, they are allowed to draw for it as an en- couragement to economy. This is the whole of their expenditure, as friends and relations are most strictly prohibited from furnishing cadets with any pocket money whatever. The barracks of the cadets are spacious and well built. Three sleep in a room, to whidi is attached another room in which they study, keep their arms, &c. The plan of studying, separately and by them- selves, what has been previously explained and pointed out at lectures, is found to be much better than having all the cadets assembled in one hall. No cadet is permitted to go into the room of an- other during the hours of study ; an oiRcer being Military College. JU appointed to prevent aU visita at that time. The punishment for insubordination is solitary confine- ment. I was much struck in going round the rooms with the remarkable cleanliness and order of every thing in them ; particularly when I v/as in- formed that no servants were allowed about the College. The first thing the Students do in the morning, is to roll up their beds, and clean their arms, ap- pointments, and rooms. I cannot however give a better idea of their studies, exercises, &c than by placing before my reader a view, copied from the rules and reguhitions of the College. The cadets remain four years before they graduate. Those of the fourth year are denominated the First Class, those of the third year the Second Chiss, and so on. UNITED STATES' MILITARY ACADEMY. DISTRIBUTION OF STUDIES, AND BMFLOYMKNT OF TIMB DUniNO THE DAY. From dawn of day to sun-rise. Reveille at dawn of day— RoU-caU immediately after Reveille— Police of Rooms— Cleaning of Arms, Accoutrements, &c.— Inspection of Rooms thirty minutes after Roll-call. From sun-rise to seven o'clock. ' Class 1. Study of Engineering and the Military Art. BH MUUary Coikgv, Glass 3. Study of Naturtl and ExpftriiAefidal fki« 9. Study of MatlMffMitict. -^i mn I j * ;<» •«»^^ 4. Stady of MathMiiatiM. *^ ^^^^^^ ^-umn )«.>i* / >/' JPr0m seven to eight §*ciocL Breakfast at seven o'clock — Guard Mounting at half-past 8«ren — Olaas Plarade at eiglit Fram eight to eleven o*ci9€h. Ckws 1. Recitations and Drawing* relative to En^ gineering and the Military Art. h — - 2. Recitations in Natural and Experimental Philosophy. — — 3. Recitations in Mathematics. — — 4. Redtationa in Mathematics. From eleven to twelve o'clock* Gass 1, Lectures on Engineering and the Mili^ tary Art. S. Lectures on Natural and Experimental Philosophy. •i"*— • 8. Study of Mathematics. 4. Study of Mathematics. From ttvelvi to one o'clock. Class 1. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, Lec- tures on Chemistry applied to the Arts, or on Mineralogy and Geology.^Tues* Miiitmy Cofkgt, oW d«y, Thunday, and Satui^y, jitlldy of the same subject. CUsi S. Tueediy, ThuMday» and Satufday, Uc- tures on Chemistry.^-Monday, Wed- nesday, and Friday, Study of the same subject. •' 3. Recitations in French. — 4. Study and Recitations of French. From one to two o'clock. Dinner at one o'dock— Recreation from Dinner to two o'clock. From two to four o'clock. Class 1. Study and Recitations of Geography, Hliu tory, Ethics, and National Lnw. ^-*-* 2. Drawing of Landscape and Topography. 3. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, Draw- ing of the Human Figure.— Tuesday and Thursday, Study of French. — — 4. Study and Recitations of French. From four to sunset. Military Exercises— Dress Parade and Roll-call at sun-set. From sun-set to half hour past. Supper immediately after Parade— Signal to wtire to Quarters immediately aftet Supper. 364 Aftlitary CoUege, Y ^jy*0m half hour past sun-^et to half -past nine 0* clock. €lass 1. Study of Engineering and the Military Art. — 2. Study of Natural and Experimental Plii- ^' losophy. ■ 3. Study of Mathematics. " 4. Study of Mathematics. From half -past nine to ten o'clock. Tattoo at half-past nine o'clock — Roll-call imme- ^i diately after Tattoo. — Signal to extinguish Lights, and Inspection of Rooms, at ten o'clock. The " recitations " mentioned, arc examinations on the subject of the lecture of the preceding day. This course of studies and exercises, notwithstand- ing its severity, is prosecuted with the greatest di- ligence and attention. In a number of young men there must always be gradations of genius ; and it is desirable, that while the first in abilities is not kept back, the last should have nothing required of him beyond his capacity. Colonel Thayer has therefore divided each class into about five sections, each section con- sisting of twenty cadets at most, and having a lecture-room to itself. Each section is provided with a certain set of text books suited to their dif- ferent capacities. Thus, for instance, the two first sections of the second class use Gregory's Me- chanics, while the two lower sections of the same class use Bridge's Mechanics. MilUary CoUege, 965 To enable the College to have clever iiistructors, the most scientific young officers of the Corps of Engineers and Artillery are selected to attend the Institution, where they assist the different Profes- sors, each taking charge of a section. They are called Assistant and Acting Assistants to Profes- sors ; and their rank and pay go on the same as if they were with their regiments. By means of the subdivision of the classes,, the greatest attention can be paid to each cadet, who is certain of being examined every day on each sub- ject of the lectures. But to give an idea of an examination (or red* tation, as it is called), I will mention an example. At the first at which I was present, and which was that of the First Section of the Third Class, the cadets were examined on the subject of Osculating Curves, in Lacroix's Differential Calculus. In m open gpace at the end of the room, were two Urge black boards on easels, and each board was divided into two equal parts by a line down the centre. The Professor called a cailet by name, who left hi» seat and book, and went to the board. The Pro- fessor then said: " Mr. N , you will demon- strate such and such a proposition." The Cadet immediately took a piece of white chalk and beganr to write out the demonstration. The same wa« done by three other Cadets successively. As soon as the first Cadet had finished, he placed himself Ml tme* m\Aa flio aoooI n/^i««4-<.^ ...c^-k k:~ jb ._ — ,. v..-i^ viTOVi> |rL.-iixvcvi muz Ills lilliTUr to what he had done, and went through an exphin^ tM MHiimyCMgt. lit tioii «f it. The PrafeflMr then aaked him • gl«at many oollttoral queaCioni, after anawering which he was deaired to ait down, and ttiotiber Cadel wai called to fiU hit place at the hoard. By thca< meana tiiere were alwaya three Cadeta wotliing out the propoiitiona, while the fourth waa heing exi^ mined ; and thua the Proifeaior had not to wait. hut after having examined one, oould immediately begin with another. niuht^ ' ii\ I was muoh surprised at the leverity ef the exa- mination. Theae only who have studied mikth»- matics, can appreciate the difficulty ^gmng thmughi, and explainiaf , viv& vooe^ propotitions in the higher br«fk«hee of Analytios. Thestudenta were, I «m wa^i mmt pstfeotly acquainted with the whole sul^tft othierwiae the various eollaterat qisestiona put to ^tem hy the' Prdeasor must afc enoe have deteelod their ignorance. The hope of advaneuig from eiio seftien to another ia of course a groat stimidua ^ exertions indeed there are lew uAstitutions m whkh young men evince so much emulatioiK Kaoh auperintendent of a section keepe a list of Uie dftUy merit of the Cadeta under him. These lilts «re made out at the end of every week» and when ecm^ aol&dfUied are affixed in conspiououa parte of the College ; and, after heing fHrinted, ue sent to the War-Office at Washington, where they are also affixed, and are distributed amiThe fettosviittg is one of the weekly lists^ anvi ift fiiQiNied by the Goniolidated Report mihf Miliiioy Colkge. m UNITED STATES' MILITARY ACADEMY. r. 18, IBfO.J ^ Week ending Nov. {, Section SccomU ](>'■■. 8. T, A$»i$tant Pro/euor of FhUotophy. To Lieul. Colonel S. Tiiayer, Superintendent Military Academy. Explanation of the Figura (^d Signt used above. Scale of Merit Bat. S «i VenfCoai. t 14 Ceod. 1 Indif. Bmi. -1 -S The intermediate numbers, m 2^ IJ, &c. express inter- meaiaie merit. MNI^« Militaty ColUge. I' ContolidatUu qf the Wetklif Clot* ReporU ftf tht MiUtartf Academy, for the Week ending 19/A qf April, 1823, »# 0L4$a. MKST. ikC. TION. axar. trOHMT. HKMARKI. • FORTIFICA- TION AND MILITARY APT. lit. 2d. A.M. G. S. G. G. V. R. L.N. J. F. D. W. A. J. w. a OIOORA- PHT, HIS- TORY, ■THICS, AND NA- TIONAL LAW. Ul. A.M. G.N. A.K. ; ! 2d. G.A. G. W. C. H.D. it 1 1 CHCIIISTRY APPLIID TO THE ARTS, AND MINERA- )t4)\ LOOY. A.K. A.M. O.N. A.B. C.H. G.M. V TACTICS. Ut. 2d. "' • > .■■l. H. M. ./. IV. A. S. H, B. P. imntT. J. M. F. II. C, MMM4mK9L D. S. M. D. H. M. W. G. W. J.C. W.B, 1st. MATIIE- MATIOa. A. D. B. II. s. p. M'M. F. T. T. S. B. id. 3d. Ut. T.M. fV. I. S. A. D. M. J. B. G. J. S. W. IV. R. M. rRBNCII LANaUAflB. 2d. A. D. B. H.S. S. R. A. F. T. J. R. I. G.D. R. A. C. N. F. fV. S. M. 3d. ORAnriNG OP THE HUMAN FIGURE. A. D. M. F. T. C. F. S. W, I. S. L. IV. C. O, C. M. Iff. G. O. D. J. F. S. F.N. 2d. A. H. B. R. C. S. A. D. M. N. F. G. W. G. G. O. D. W. R. M. J.E. 2b N.F J. C. 8f» MiUtary Coitegt. 1 - "" ' ■ " 0/wMt. THtN. BKtT. iroNnr. HBMAhK*. FOURTH. > • MATHKMA« TICH. lU. IV. B. IV. II. C. B. c. a. n. T. S. T. J.B. U. P. A. n. N. St. J. n. I. C. T. G.K, 3d. S. 11. R. S. II. IV, B. L. 4M, T. A. fI ii.' M'K. A. M. It. J. M. E. .5/A. ./. T. P. H. W. K. tv. B. II. A. E. B. F. G. FRENCH LAN(iUAOE. \st. V. a. R. G.P. B. //. //. It. W. J.B. 2d. :id. T. S. T. P. A. It. S. H. • J. S. H. J. tv. 4M. D, II. f. 5M. E. M. I. J. T. r. C.C. T.A. J. M. E. A. E. B. T. S. T. • Supemtendcnt qf th^ iMilitcfri/ Acadevtyi' Tbm flip ^Uf thf mm9\ ctmmtmh wM(* •ppointed for that ,mr,H>8e, a |ii.| i„ p^j«^^ ^,^^|^ fmiftki upup tb» ge«pr«|l gpo4 or Vft^ cpnilHp^, ,it- kntiou ^0 ituai^'H. ^. pf p^, c^«^. q„p ^^ ^,^ »MM !• 96fit to the pareoti ft,,a r«l^^ia^, ^« thfl VVir^ce (wh^w it is pr^^rvptj). (^m\ to ii^^ny »ffi« cew ftf thp #rn,y, wia (p o^Wr in4f viaw|l^ in ofttcc, \v|io tftl^e 411 iu^reg^ i^ ^l,„ q,t^Wi^|i,^ej|t. JUq mnca «f tIJttw who Ijuvc jw^lcM^Jy aistiuipji^JW ^t jit tijc ^nimi^l c,^,oi4^tipij, thu Jip^ra UnUii t]|4^ »ny PM^t h^fi not ifl«au d rP«j)ccj»Wy j and up fpv«^ ijwa wjwtii*! w tl^, c;,f4w»wjrH, th^i; tlm hmm frp^npntly in pa«h claims. Thns, by thp printca list ot tho ej^,»wii„4tio„^ ^ i^^^j ^^^ ^j^t ^^ ^^^ first pli»8, (Q,r qf |I^9j^ ^|,p ^,pjp ^^j, ^^ ^^jij^^ i>»4 b^P»»nfi qflUpws,) t>vp wwe tivnpd ha4 ;T-.of tbe pcp9^4 (^f^ fW^;^-iof the thira cjp«, foy^; -and of the fourth, or junior Qh^, np less t|iaw Of those who graduate, tlie ^ri^ ^n merjt ofQ appointed to the Engineers, the next to the Artil- lery, and the rest to the Infantry. In addition to the examination, every cadet, before giaduating, is obliged to manoeuvre the battallion and the battery of guns, for two hours, in the presence of the inspecting officers. All vacancies in the United States' army are tilled up from the College ; and in 2 n 2 tm Afilita/y CoUegt. the {irctent reduced lUtc of the iniHtary force there are no eningni, but nil cadets on graduating be- come at once lieutenantN. ^*'**' C'olonel Thayer informed me, that there had been iome difficulty at first in selecting text bookii, and particularly in mathetnaticii, ^<^r almost all the good works on Fortification, Artillery, Strategy. &c. arc written in French, and have not yet been trans- lated. A foolish prejudice has long existe. MUUarif V^t^igi. IT*7« ■Mjtw.i i.flw^ 'ninoj— ssnr) xrau ■aunor) ;n»x p»!«|.i. 874 4 I ■^ JI^/iV/i^ CMge. "4 Is 50- £ t .3 JS SS I a g I.- e 1 1 4 -rt! |)u6ws— SSVIO aMIHX ir f 1 s 01 a e s 8 S a a e .S o w I t4 SCO •J MUUai'^ ColUgt. S7« Therd ii^ no tooaOon allowwl dt the ihstiiutHm ; but furlough* are granted to a few cadets in the montht of July and August, when the remainder leAtc the (:!ollegc and cncan^p in diffcrertt parts of the coutltry, attending only to Jn-aotioal nJiUtary operations. 1 Upon lodking over the table of studies, it willb« seen that the subjects are not very varied; but the greatest possible pains are taken, in order to make the csadets pei^ct in all of them. Indeed I harg no hesitation in saying, that for severity oi study, fot order, r^jgukrity, and quiet, this institution very far exceeds any place of either military or civil education I have ever visited or eVea heaid of. • 'The College, without Gonsidering it mdrely in a mihtary point of view, will be of incalculable benefit to the United States, as a nursery foF science ; for it is the only place where the higher branches of matliematics are attended to, and the education which the cadets receive is such, that if they prosecute their studies, they may vie with the scientific men of any part of the world. Many, after entering the amiy, remain in it but a short time, and are appointed civil engineers to different States, or are employed in superintending public works and topographical surveys. As I have before mentioned, it is only since Colonel Thaver was armoiptn*! ciinovinf^t^J^^*. ^c the College, that its present admirable system has i 376 Military College, been organized. As yet therefore it is but a very young establishment ; but its advantages are be- ginning to be sensibly felt, and will every year be more highly appreciated. In a short time, the United States, though with a very smell army, will be able to boast a much larger body of scientific and well educated officers, than any other country in the world. Every traveller who ascends the Hudson should stop a few days at West Point, if it be only to view the natural beauties of the place. He cannot also fail to admire the neatness of the barracks, the pleasing appearance of the houses and gardens of the Professors, which are ranged along the table land at the foot of the mountain. But I think myself, that the little battalion, dressed in their neat well made grey uniform, and manoeuvring in front with the utmost precision and r^ularity, must interest him more than any thing else, particularly when he reflects upon the maUriel of which that battalion is composed. riSQ^^^^iSKJ The Army, 877 CHAPTER XXI. . f ; / iiu TIIK ARMY. By an act of March 2, 1821, the army of the United States is limited to 6,000 men, four regi- ments of which are of artillery, and seven of infantry. Small detachments are kept in the different forts scattered along the vast frontier, for the purpose of keeping them in order, and pre- venting them from falling to decay. But there is no one place where an entire regiment is assem- bled ; I believe, not even half a regiment. Such being the case, there is great room for improvement in the discipline and instruction of the privates ; for a certain number of men are necessary to per- form any of even the more simple manoeuvres with a good e^ect. It is clear therefore, that the reduction of the army to its present low state was neither a liberal nor even an ecoLomical policy. Moreover, one of the best means of avoiding war is to be always prepared for it. It must indeed be acknowledged, that in all the Governments of Europe the people bear a very just and natural dislike to a large standing army; for the governor, whether callest struek witli pne that is n^^id^ use of to turij the gun-stocks ; ^nd I can see no reason why the same principle might not be applied to the turning of wooden busts, ^ well as to a thous^d othpr purppses. An iron niodel of the guD-stpck called " a fonner " directs, whije revplving, s^ snjalj cntting instrument, which in » short time fashions the piece of wood placed in the machine into a cpniplete stock for a musket, with the exception of hollowing out the place to receive th^ , barrel and dip lock. All the musket-stopks of the United States' army aie made by this macld^e, which might certainly be used in doek-yards to the greatest possible advantage. Another very ingenious machine forms m^skpt- buljets by mere compression, There a?/2 tyvo ^hpeJa pf steel, the circumferences of which ^e l^erped with small cups, pach of sufficient size to contain half a musket-buUet. Thesp pup^ ^p c|osp ■raall hole to Allim the escape of the air, which would otherwiie pieveiit the lead from oonipletely Hliing the cavity. A small strip of lead. aome. what thicker than the diameter of a miiBket,bullet, i« introdueed between the ciroumferences of the wheeli, wliich nearly touch one anoUier, and whieh by revolving force it into the cups, from whence it afterwarda falls out on tho opjioBito side io the abapo of oompleto si'ihoros. Inhere are two very great advantages in the bidleU formed by this mar chine. First, they have not that small cavity in Uieir interior, which cannot be got rid of in those that are cast, and which varies according to thfe Jieat of the lead. Hecondly, tlie compressed bulr lets are heavier than those of a larger siie made in the eommon manner. Moreover, from both these reasons, the flight of the bullet is rendered much more accurate. , ^ , On observing the annexed diagram it will immo- diately strike the reader that the machine acts upon the same principle as the cylinders employed in our Dock-yards for rolling copper. , . ; ■ ... \\Ai ."it.'if ■ui: A. 4. the two Bteel wheals. B. B. the curs in the circumferences of the wheels. C. the smaU bar of lead. S84 Tkt Army. The muiket bfirrfls arc all browned Tike thoRe of the Knf^lifh, aa are al^o the bayonetf, with the exception of a few iiichei from the point. Kxpe- rimentf ore making to ascertain whether locks on the p^'rcussion principle cannot be upplie.■». v~v« vxtav 3.S3 Tfcijr UCWiUilijr. 2c B$i Tks Amjf, Tn ftfldition to the MiUtia, thtra art tnrrcry f)tAt« ftiul town, ami pftrtioularly in every Urgt tawn, a gnat many volunteer or iiideprndi'at 0OI11- INiniei. A numbor of young men d tlie better olau form themielvc-H into a oorpi, ohooiie their oHioeri, and meet nt difTerent timci fur the pur* pose of drilling, according an their captaini may order. Whoever belong! to one of theie corpa if exempt from lorving in the militia. Their unU formi, which they choose themielvoi, are in general very handflume, and each individual ii always re^ markably well appointed. These corps are gene- rally liliie companies, or artillery, though there it here and there a corps of cavalry ; and I ean say from my own observaticm that some of the Ughl infaatry manauvro uncommonly well Tkt CHrtmi Canal, S8y CHAPfER XXfl. r i.KFT VVcHt Point with no little regret. From thence I aHccndeci the Uudson to Albany, a town of antiquated appearance, and which the Dutch founded, when they po««e«8ed the State of New York. The houses, which arc neatly painted, have generally their gable ends turned towardu the •trect; some of them moreover arc constrMCtcd with small Dutch bricks. Albany continues to thrive and increase, by car- rymg on an extensive trade with the interipr of tk- State ; and as it is here that the great Canal reaching from Lake Erie, enters the Hudson, it wdl soon become a place of great importance. This stupendous Canal, which. like the great wall of China, forms a visible line on the terrestrial globe, has raised the State of New York to the highest rank in the Union. " • No one need inquire what arc the advantages of the State of New York for internal commerce. The map of our State will answer the question, and put curiosity at rest. Neither do we want ability to improve those advantages which Provi, • Considerations on the Great Wctnm Car..! u. „,i..„^ ages, «cc. Brooklyn, 1818. "''' '" °"' 2C2 388 The Grand Canal. dence has placed around us. A State which rests her bonlers upon the ocean on one side, and on the other reposes on the greatest chain of internal seas upon the face of the glohe, diversified hy interior lakes and tributary streams, with a river whose tides and other facilities for navigation can scarcely find a comparison ; a State that contains a more extensive soil than Portugal, the United Nether- lands, or England and Walfes put together ; a State that stands in the heart of the Union, and could now sustain the whole population of the American empire, and can yearly pay ten or twelve millions of dollars into the treasury of the nation, without inconvenience; whose splendid commercial empo- rium, even now has a tonnage that no city in the world can equal but London itself; finally, a State that contains a million and a half of wealthy, in- telligent, enterprising, and high-minded Republi- cans, attached to the Union, the Government, and the Laws — we say that such a State presents no common spectacle — we are proud in its contempla- tion. We are proud too of the great and salutary end to which these resources are bent." The length of the great canal is 353 miles. The width on the water-surface is forty feet, at the bottom twenty-eight feet, and the depth four feet. The number of locks is seventy-seven, each lock being ninety feet long and twelve feet wide ; and it is calculated that boats carrying 100 tons ^ The Grand Canal, sgg may navigate the canal. The cost of makmg it has been 5,000,000 of dollars. It is impossible to form any idea of the vast ad- vantages which must accrue to New York and to the United States in general from this magnificent work. Great as' these arc even at present, one cannot attempt to calculate what they may bo hereafter, as we do not know the resources of the great regions around Lake Huron, Michigan, and Superior. It was only the other day, that some great copper-mines were discovered near the last-men- tioned lake. By connecting the Hudson witli the great Lakes, the inland States have, as it were, been brought nearer to the Atlantic. The great river Illinois, passing through the State of that name, and faUing into the Missis- sippi, takes its rise almost on the very shore of Lake Michigan. During the high waters after ram, the Indians, even at the present time, pass up this river and enter the Lake in their canoes, there being a complete water communication. This circumstance is a very curious geographical fact, and shows by what a very slight « dividing ridge" the waters that find their way to the ocean through the St. Lawrence, are separated from those that rush into the channel of the Mississippi. Hence, almost without an effort, a canal could be cut, join- ing Lake Michigan with the Illinois river, which IS broad, deep, sluggish, and otherwise peculiarly ' 'lit- 890 The Grand CanaL adapted to navigation. I have before mentioned, that it is the intention of the State of Ohio to establieh a commtinication with the Great Lakes, by means <)f a canal through its tetritoiy. So easily, and at lo trifling an expense can this be effected, that the State of Ohio, though so young, has determined to begin it immediately. h^ any one, with the map of the United States before him, contemplate this vast chain of inland navigation. The Great Lakes, and the interior of the North Western territory, will be connected with New Orleans aiid the Gulf of Mexico on one side ; on the other with New York, by the Great Canal; and with Lower Canada and the St. Lawrence by means of the Champlain Canal. Were it not useless in the present age, to insist upon the well- known advantages of free institutions and popular governments, one might point to the Canal under- taken by the State of New York, and say to the worn-out and leaden despotisms of Europe : " Be- hold what Freedom can accomplish ! What work can you produce of such grandeur and utility, as that of this infant Republic?" The road from Albany to Utica follows the course of that flne river the Mohawk. Tlie coun- try through which it passes is rich and well culti- vated, but it is not very picturesque until near the Little Falls. The channel here resembles a trench, and ap- pears to have been the outlet and drain of a great 3^ Gratkl CMnm. m Mg» thtMigh thd birri«p of pMmltiv# toek fi\A^ ctoflMM tiM iM cwuQtry. Th« rartoiM and mg^ M«ki bjr wfaidli thtflm ]• pent ttp, Mad tlie tetg« <»«• growfng hiflre and th«a'e Mt of «)m oMti, i«wild form ft fiM ftulrjefi for tlU) pen^ oT ali artift. Thii pttt of tha tountry wm <^«iy «u]«d b^ the Dutch, and some exceedingly fertile Im gronttd m\mn tfan Little FaOt Imi ftom th!» dnmiMttoce ten orikd *• Tb« Oennan Flat*/' TliMe iir» In « Wgh • sUte of cniiivitiofli «s itiftDy of the bcii faniw in finglaiid* At Utko, 4 V#ry floKriihitfif littlt \mm, I Wrt- Iwrkfd in one of tho |M8Biige«boAt» wllkh liiUdgttt^ tho canal, sttd |>roee«d at tbo rato of fo«f mjles an hour by night and by day. Thgy ate d« «oi»foH- ftblo as thdr sizo Witt admit I'ho eabfai, wbieh •tellies nearly the whole of the boaty w well fur- nished ; and the fare on board is very good. Near Oneida Creek we pasted a party of the Ott^da Indians who were amusing thetaseltes with fishing. When they sold rtieir laUds to the United States, they reserved a large tract in this neigh- bourhood for the use of the tribe, and they now live npcki it to the number of about llOOv Thoi^ they are becoitting somewhat civilized, they prefer hunting and filing to cultivating the earth, a labour wbkh they are but seMom willtog to un- (feftake^ s^a The Grand Canal. The rooming after leaving Utica. our boat passed the Cayuga Marshes, which some enterprising people in the neighbourhood are attempting to drain, by cutting away a barrier that prevents the waters from finding their way into Ltd^e Ontario. This hold scheme, which will no doubt succeed, will almost entirely drain some of the group of Lakes that are situated in this part of the State of New York. Nothing can be more ridiculous, than the names that have been given to the little insignificant vil- lages in all this part of the country, as Rome, Athens, Sparta, or what is still more absurd, Tully, Pompey, Virgil, Dryden, Milton, &c. This bad taste infects to a certain degree the whole of the United States, innumerable little miserable towns bemg designated by the names of London, Paris, Madrid, Calcutta, Constantinople, &c. as if on purpose to excite the laughter and contempt of the traveller. On the second morning after leaving Utica I disembarked at RxMshester, having travelled on the canal 160 miles. Rochester is a very flourishing little town, situated on the Gennessee river, which the canal crosses on a superb stone aqueduct 780 feet long. In the lower part of the town is the mag- nificent fall of the Gennessee. The bed of the river is composed of a horizontal stratum of lime- stone, so that the river is precipitated down a per- pendicular height of 96 feet, off a large shelf as it Niagara, m may be caUed» 700 feet wide. Some settlen had btely been esUblishiiig themgelvee on the upper part of the river, and had been cutting dowri the trees, many of which falling into the water w«« washed away. I had the satisfaction of seeing two of these float down to the edge of the fall where they were precipitated to the bottom with L tremendous crash. The water has been conducted from the main channel of the river to several milk situated m each side of the gulf, and after having turned the wheels, forms some pretty httle cascades on the Mde of the great faU. These mills are very usefiil to the neighbourhood, and grind a vast quantity of flour, besides sawing timber, &c. An old In- dian, when he saw the first that was erected, after looking at it for some time, exclaimed : " White man is very cunning, he makes even the water work." This faU was much the finest I had, up ta that time, ever seen. The road from Rochester to Lewistown, a smalS vilUige on the Niagara river, is called " The Bidge^ Road,** from its running along the top of asmalE natural ridge, which is so regular, that in many^ places It has the appearance of being artificial. A« a great many settlers had lately fixed themseheas m this part of the State, Log-cabins were risijug: jv aU directions, and the work of clearing was geing c m rapidly. Each little open spot was covereds mj xh i,s„,r^ ^* »^iiiui^ Miuuer; ana me iarge>tree& t\htit WPV Nidgari* M ham 0ird]«d the ymr bdhm, WiM in tnanf i>Ufi## in iUmet even to th« topi, produdng at mgH » very extraotdiiMty and ipleiidid tflbet We uow paMed a very large ocdar iwamp, the XQfid through which was a ** oordtfroi " one, a term I have already explained. Our rickety dd stage jolMi so terribly, that we had to get out and walk the whole distance, assailed on OTery tide by myriads of musquitoes. The ewanips whieh I have seen in different parts of America have been, with* out exc^ou, covered with thick fbnesls of cddar and cypress. These trees seem to delight in marshy spots, many of them actually growing ont of the water. The ground, if ground it can be called, out of which they rise, appears to be the Mkiile that, in IreUnd and Scotlanid, is called Peat Bog« or Peat Moss ; and I am confident that the same kind of trees might be planted with great advan^ tage in the bogs of both those countries. It Woukl be well worth the while of those gentlemen who possess extensive tracts of this kind of land, to try the experiment ; for should it suceeed, what is now nearly useless would soon become exceedingly vain*- able. A curions conversation took j^bee between two of the passengers in the stage, with regard to the .system of smuggling carried on by the inhabitants jf£ the Canadian frontier. One of them said« that ,hsi. was well aeqiudnted with a British silfcieet* i reading ai Newark Unvev Cfmadit^ who atnuuihr Niagara. f^ •mnggled ftom 500 to 1000 diosts of tai into Ui«t pronnoe from tho United Htatet. He mentioned the name of this mtn, who he Mid wai giowing very rich in ooniequenoe; and he itatcd the manner in which the fraud wai managed. Now as all the tea ought to be brought from Enghmd, it it of courM very expeniiTe; and therefore the Canadian tea dealers, after buying one or two chests at Montreal or elsewhere, which have the custom- house mark upon them, fill them up ever after^ wards with tea brought from the United States. It is calcuhited that near 10,000 chests are annuaUy consumed in the Canadas, of which not more than 2 or S,000 come from Europe. Indeed when I had myself entered Canada I was told that of every 15 pounds of tea sold there, 13 were fmuggled. The profit upon smuggling this article is from 50 to 100 per cent, and with an extensive and wild frontier like Canada, cannot be prevented. Indeed it every year increases, and is brought to a more perfect system. But I suppose that the English government, which is the perfection of wisdom, will never allow the Canadian merchants to trade direct to China, in order (that from pure charity) the whole profit of the tea trade may be given up to the United States. I was surprised to find, that notwithstanding the weather had been uncommonly hot, yet ot every little tavern where we stopped, there was an abun- dant supply of ice, for cooling water, wine, &c. 19(1 Niagara* This 11 the ciie throughout all the United Sute«, M the lowest labourer would not like his whiskey and water in summer, were it not iced. The ice houses are upon an uncommonly simple plan, being nerely an inverted and hollow cone or pyramid of wood, which is sunk into the earth, with a drain from its apex, and a small wooden shed built over it, the door of which is so contrived as always to allow a free draught of air. This preserves the ice through the whole of a Virginian summer ; and in such abundance can this article be had in the fities, that five cents, or about two-pence halfpenny, will pur- chase su£Bcient for the use of a large family for a >day. When the thermometer stands at between 80° and 90° in the shade, the luxury of a plentiful supply of ice can easily be imagined. It is more- over of great use to the people, by enabling them to preserve meat, &c. for a longer time. . I slept at Lewistown, which is 80 miles distant from Rochester, and 486 from New ^^ork. It was one of those frontier towns of the United States which were burnt during the last war by the British and Canadians, by way of retaliation for the burning of Newark. Several ruins of houses still bear witness to the havoc of war. The next morning I proceeded to the falls of Niagara, which are about 14 miles oS, The ap- proach up the river is by far the best ; for at one point of the road, you see them at a distance to Niagara, m gmt advintage. Thii protpcct redoubled my eager deaire of wrriving, and I waa almott tempted to jump out of the carriage (which owing to the badneia of the road could proceed but alowly), and run forward towards them. When at hut I did arrive, I experienced those indescribable sen.«tions of admiration and delight, that every one feels on viewing for the first time one of the most sublime works of nature. I have heard it said, that many on first seeing the falls are disappointed ; but thia I eannot imagine ; unless indeed those fastidious persons say they are disappointed out of a wish to affect singularity. There are some persons who are determined never to be pleased : for I have heard disappointment expressed even by those who have for the first time seen the Alps, the Simplon road, St. Peter's, or the Colisseum. But I do not myself envy this vain discontentedness. I had for some time worked up my imagination to the highest pitch, and had endeavoured to condense in my mind every thing I had read of the object I was preparing to visit ; but on arriving I found that all the ideas I had conceived, all the descriptions I had read, were nothing to the reality. A painting indeed, or an indifferent drawing, give a better idea of natural scenery than all that words can describe. But even the most accurate and highly finished painting cannot supply us with two of the most imposing and important accompaniments of a I I flfll Ni»gwro, wttorfiUl, motion %nA noiie. Tha mhm deftct muft neoeaMurily occur in ©vary picture of • battle. I think myKjlf that to form an idoa of any Ifrand natural object which one haa never Men, one nrntt be able to compare it to something that one has seen of approximating magnitude. ForomiM » oitifen of l^ndoii, who has never visited any rising ground higher than Highgate Hill \ or any greater rush of water than that from the sluice at the end of the Serpentine, form any idea of Mount Blanc, or the falls of the Rhine? For my own part although I have seen the most celebrated falls in Switzerland and Italy, yet I think that com- pared to Niagara, they are merely as the spont from a church gutter, to the fall of Tomi. How can I give an adequate idea of what I new behdd ? Ijwk at the map of America, and ob. serve the immense country drained by the Niagara river. The four great Lakes, or as they might with propriety be called fresh water seas, with all the numerous and large rivers that flow into them, have only this one outlet for their superfluous waters. Lake Superior, the largest collection of fresh water on the face of the Globe, is 981 miles in length, 161 in breadth, and in circumference little less than 1153.» It is remarkable for its extraordinary depth, the estimated average of which • This statement of the size of the Lakes is from Mr. Bouchctte's work on the Canadas. NisgOfiU if 000 ffltt. Lake Huron in ipmni of extent yMdt but littb to Lake Hupcrior. Iti f(reatciit length if ilB miloi, it! grciituit breadth 180; and ita dfcumfcrenoc, ineaiurod through all ita cmrvaturei, if not IfHfl than 818. Lake Michigan, which, thougli diitinguishcd by a ieparate name, can only be coniiderod ai part of Lake Huron, ii i6f milei in length, 65 in breadth, and 781 in cir- cumference. Lake Erie ii 881 milei in length, 69 in width in its broadcit part, and 658 in cir- oumferenoe. Now the lupcHluoui waters of thcie four vast Lakei, and of all their tributarict, rushing down the broad and deep channel of the river, and when within half a mile of the cataract, forming most magniflccnt rapidi. oomo foaming down the elope with frightftil velocity, and when at last arrived at the edge, take one trcmendoui plunge of 168 feet perpendicular. After having gaied at this wonderful ngfct for nearly a whole day, I retired to rest, thinking I had formed a most accurate conception of what! hadteen; but on rising the next morning I was astonished to find how inadequate even the recollection of it was, and how impossible it seemed for the mind to con- tain the image of ao grand an object. It would be worth a long Journey to see only the rapids above, which, descending fifty-one feet down a slopeof half a mile, bear a strong resemblance to the breakers on a roeky coast after a violent gale. The nvcr Bwove tuc- rapids is about two miles wide, but 400 Niagara. U MOD T t(rm\nd Making it »)i imt* emomJtl : - how pnifmind Tho gulf! atul h«.w the giunt ikment Fnmi riH-k t« nnk Icupi with .UUriuui IhhiiuI Cni^hJng th,. rliffi,, which, ilownwanl woni uiid rrnl WiUi hit ttcrcc ftiuute|ig yield in ubMinit « feurful rent* " To the hrowd n.Iumn whic h rnlln on, and •howa >fon« like tho fotintiiin of nn infnnt tea Tom frinn the wotnh of mountiiini hy the throei Of II new world, [thmi only thua to bv Purtnt of riveni which flow gualiingly, With many windings through the vale .] Look back I I-o where it cirniea like iin eternity, Aa if to aweep ilown hU thinga in ita track Chttmiing the eye with dreud— u inatcldcas cutunict, " Horribly beautiful I but on the vcrge,t<» rrli Fnnu aide to aide, beneath the flittering morn. An Iria aita, uniidat the infernal surge Like flopc upon a death-bed, and unworn Ita steady dyea, while nil around ia t«m» ,n By the diiitrocted wattjrs, hears aercno Ita brilliant hues with all their liearaa unshoni, Resembling, 'nud the torture of the scene Love watching madness with unalterable mien." After having seen Niagara, I cannot but think this an exaggerated description of Temi, though when I visited that beautiful cascade, I recollect reading with the greatest deliglit these veiscs of the first of all living poets. But if Terni could inspire such verses what might wc not expect if his Lordsliip should visit Niagara. 2 D Niagafa, It wM once an expedition of great trouble and fatigue to arrive at this placci but there are now mosl excellent inni on both sides of the river. Those on the C-anadian side are mucii to be pre- ferred, as the other docs not command a view of the falls. In Mr. Forsyth's excellent house, I could look upon them from the window of the billiard- room ; and from some of the higher rooms I could sue to the very centre of the horseshoe fall. Every thing has hcon done to render access to different parts of the scene easy, even to ladies. The Ame- ricans have thrown a wooden bridge from the New York side to (toat Island. Hoveral bridges were swept away before one could he fixed ; but the pre- sent one is now quite safe, and the piers standing in the centre of the terrible rapids, show what the perseverance and enterprise of man can effect. Goat Island could not previously be approached by any animals except birds. There are convenient wooden stairs attached to both of the perpendicular preci- pices below the falls, so that any one can easily de- scend anil a})proach as near as ho chooses to the foot of the cataracts. Aluch has been said about the possibility of going a short distance under the sheet of falling water on the Canadian side. Now the rock below is indeed so much hollowed out, that the water pitches about ten feet beyond it, and at a short distance it appears very possible to go under. Moreover some persons in the neighbourhood told me, that they had advanced Niagara, 40a i* Ar as tWtnty f«Jt uhdw th« M. I detenniA«jd thoreibro to imitate their cxamplei a ydung Ame* tiowi gentlemtn who was gtiiying at Fortyth'i oft feHnf to accompany me. Having provided Outi. solves with staffs, &c. we descended tho stops, and appioachod the falls^ Although we wcfe in a few moments completely wet to the skin, the water tci tually running down our backs, we lioVcrthdkss ptoeceded to within five or si:: paces of the falling sheet. Here the air rushing out from the hdllo^ bett^cn the rofck and the tiatriracti accompanied by tho tremendous roar which Almost stunned us, find liy a thick spray which beat in our faces like the most violent storm of rain, very much abated out ardour, and obliged us to tutti our baoks when we trahted to breathe. Trying to push on a few steps, the force of the current of air threw me down atnong the frdgroents of rock, which cut my artri. On niy getting up again we were both glad to retreat fot about forty paces. u:,,; ^,. iu,* • Wishing however to sacCeed^ wfe again ventured forward after a short rest, and advanced several paces further than the first time, even, ha I believei just below the edge of the sheet of water j but breathing only by sobs and with the greatest diffi^ eiilty, and being blinded by the spray, as v^ell as deafened by the thundering noi^e, we wctc agairi obliged to retreat, and give up the undertaking. Had I stumbled, after I had advanced as far as pos- «abH I should most probably have rolled urider the 2 D 2 404 Niagara, falling water and been torn to atoms. Forsyth told us, that when there is a strong wind blowing up the river, the spray is not by any means so violent, and that then it really is possible to go underneath the cataract ; but, I must confess, that I am very scep- tical about any one's having proceeded twenty feet under it. Just below the wooden stairs is a small boat which is made use of for crossing from one side to the other. Those who are courageous enough not to mind a good ducking, and who have sufBci- ently strong lungs to breathe in an atmosphere so violently agitated and mixed v/ith spray, may ven- ture within twenty paces of the bottom of the cata- ract ; but although there is little or no danger in so near an approach, yet so awful is the scene, that few have courage to venture. The tremendous violence of this " falling sea " appears to beat down the hissing and foaming water, which tries as it were to boil up again, although seeming to trem- ble at the leap ahoady taken. From hence, as fr»r down as Queenstown, the banks of the river are fi'om 200 to 300 feet high, and quite perpendicular. A few miles below the falls, the stream, which is much contracted, turns off at right angles, and forms what is called " The Great Whirlpool." This is a very curious and re- markable place; for the water which rushes into it with great violence, brings down large trees and logs, which to the number of some hundreds keep Niagara. 46d constantly following one another in a circle. Oh coming to the point where the rapids terminate, they are plunged under water, carried a consider- able distance, and then re-appear on the surface to continue their mazy course. On viewing the banks from the falls to Queens* town, a distance of seven miles, nothing can be more evident than that the water once fell at that place. No doubt it has been many hundred cen- turies iu cutting its way to its present site, but as the strata over which the water flows are horizon- tal, the attrition must of course be slower than it otherwise would be. Slowly indeed, but not less certainly, the cataract recedes towards Lake Erie; and after the lapse of another series of ages, it will partly drain that lake, and produce important changes on those above it. Mr. Forsyth, who had resided on the spot for forty, years, told me, that in his recollection the centre of the Horseshoe-fall has receded from ten to fifteen yards : and as some in- telligent travellers have placed upright a few large stones in front of the other hotel, which when taken in line point exactly to the present centre of the fall, it will of course be ascertained at the end of a certain number of years, how much this centre recedes annually. Few places would afford a more agreeable sum- mer's residence than the neighbourhood of the falls. There is plenty of shooting to be had at a short distance, and the fishing is perhaps the best in the •n ;,i'\ NMtMfm- iporld, ThoijBawfls ^f fuOfnoB timit of » grpat lia^, togeti)#¥ with wliite fish, ^. iMre caught immedir »My Wo^ the falls; and the numbeig of large llmgWi^ that ^Joifle up to thp fame pljico, jjflbrd Wr cellent gport to those whQ wa ♦! fl(U de^^us ia ttlfOW)9)K M ^ik sppar. Above |h« IMIll /iiif it bank f» BiitHtlo. \ ■ui.lhulfid: A- ./ov^ fiUfrnostt. Kiu/nn^U t-r Sull'\l,A\,Saiv t'lifBr.-iti-l' /-W„„. n,M,.M /,..V7./,/„.„,,,;w„^ ,. .,„,. ^,^,,„,„.^, ^.,^, ^^ / r Ptiyr 4afi. iH-in.ihuloat *■ ./,.,, JW^„os/,;- /•„„. j,„,^ ,g.., hminn-,,/ U S„i*HM gu,, ,li„»JW.„T./, » 'fl ' sion to The ro broa4^j River, tivAted 4rivei luulian while tl with tl stimului Canal, t tied, an as iti Ci After Blaekrqt me to ] to emin cireumafc Grand ( Indians to recoil some lan( the town about l^i mains of BufaU, -Nft '4 CHAPTER XXIU, JUeavino tho FftUi, I proceeded on tn exenN won to tho smtll town of Buffalo, on Lake Em, Thcj road, on the Canadian side, runs dose to the broad, deep, and rapid stream of the Niagara River, and passes through a cleared and welUul- tivated country j while the views, presented as one 4rives abng. are extremely beautiful. The Ca- nadian bank is divided into welUwUivatod fields. whUe that on the New York side remains covered with thick forest. Rut in consequence of tho stimulus given by the neighbourhood of the Great Canal, the New York side is beginning to be set- tled, and will doubtless soon be as well cultivated a« its Canadian rival. ./i After crossing tho river at the little village of Blackrock. three miles of very bail road brought me to Buffalo, a small town, but which is rising to eminence with wonderful rapidity, from the circumstance of its being the place where the Grand Canal enters Lake Erie. Many of tho Indians of the Six Nations were assembled here to receive payment firom the United gitates for some lands purchased of tliem. Their number, in the town and its immediate neighbourhood, was abniif lann iva;.-.~ ^ i i* /. -.i .. mains of these once powerful tribes. Bmff'alo. It is a melancholy thing for any one to contem- plate the rapid decrease of the al)originefl of America, a decrcage at first l)egim by the sword, and which is now more rapidly effected by the pernicious effects of ardent spirits. Moreover as the settlements of the Backwoodsmen extend to, and border on the frontier, the Indians find them- selves, as it were, pushed back ; and since the game decreases in proportion as the country be- comes inhabited, their means of subsistence de- crease also. Under these circumstences, they are induced to sell their binds to the United States ; although they generally reserve a small tract for themselves, to which they can retire if they please, and cultivate the earth. Many remove back into the woods; and being uncontamiuated by the neigh- bourhood of civilization, remain a very fine race of men, and differ materially from the demiivi1i«Arl An nIH Tnrlioti vttrv The Indiam, •H properly remarked to mo: « When wc Uko pri- Honen of war, we cannot, like the white men, ihut them up in strong houHefl ; for wc live in the woodf. and c«n wuircely «upport ourwlve* : we muBt therew fore cither make brothers of our enemiei. or kill them." I think mygelf, that if an Indian had seen one of our hulks during the French war, he would sooner have been at once burnt to death after the manner of his country, than incarcerated year after year in one of these floating Bastiles. Bift even during times of peace, civilized Euro- peans have practised barbarities which an Indian would scarcely crec true. It is not White man wlio ilo •o: Vou tell ine tho history of Devils." Yet fi>rsooth these UuvilH eoll themselves oiviliaetl people, and have written volumes of abuse agoiuat tlie barbarous Indians. Thi8 much injured race has never had an histo* nan to vindicate, nor a poet to celebrate their actions ; and while, if any massacre of the whites took place, the press teemed with accounts of In- dian barbarity, no one has taken the trouble to investigate the wrongs, that drove the Indians to AHSuage tlieir vengeance in the blood of their ene- mies. The following extract of a speech of the great warrior Tecum tha,* gives a good idea of the treatment they have met with from Europeans :--*< '• IJrothers f — When the white men first sot foot on our grounds, they were hungry. They had no place on which to spread their blankets, or to kindle their fires. They were feeble : they pould do nothing for themselves. Our fathers eommise- • i. 9. " The Shooting St«Mr." t Hunter'8 Memoirs of his Captivity among the Indians, page iS. This work of my friend Mr. J. D. Hunter gives the best and most accurate account of the Indians yet published. His opportunities indeed of collecting infurmstion have he^ ii, and are likely to be, unrivalled. Tkt Ituliant, ill »«tcd thtir diitfcw. ami ihared tnt\y with thtm, wh.t«vfr tlio (ire«t Spirit IimI ifiven hii red chiUlrtiii. 'I'hey gav« thtMii food wh«i huiiKry. iiiwUdne wtien «iek, sproaa ikim fi.r them to Nle«p m<. and g«vo them ff^roundfl that they might huiit •nd rftl«c oom.— Jirothcri. the white people aro like poiMonouB Neriieuta i when ohilJed, they are feeble and harnUcHi ; hut invigorate them with warmth, and they 8ting tlioir benefiioton to death. The white people came among ui feohle ; and now we havo mado thom strong, they wish to kill u«. or drire ui buck as they would wolvei and pan. tlienj.—Jlrothers, the white men are not frienda to the Indians : at Hrit, they only asked for land suffi- cient for a wigwam ; now nothing will satiafy them hut the whole of our hunting grounds, Irom the rising to the setting sun." Unfortunately, the Indians, like all unoiviliacil nations, have an extraordinary propensity for spi- rituous liquors; which they will almost always drink until intoxicated. Hence the United State* have humanely prohibited, under severe penalties, any one from selling them spirits ; but I regret to say that .it is impossible to enforce this law, as I had good opiwrtunitie? of seeing. Whiskey is now doing the work of extermination that was formerly carried on with the sword. Where are the power- ful tribes that once inhabited New England? Their ?iamc8 even are forgotten ! Where are the i"-T,-.xx«i mucs WAX innaouea J\.cw York, Pemi- sylvania, Delaware, and Virginia ? Most of them if 4ii The Indians. are exterminated, or are driven far bade into the Western wilderness where they form but a miser- able remnant of what they once have been.-— In a few years they ilso will disappear, for the race of Indians appears doomed to extennination. An old warrior said, but too prophetically : " We are driven back until we can retreat no further — a little longer, and the white men will cease to persecute us ; for we shall cease to exist." * The Indian character has so often been de- scribed, that it would be useless add any thing on that subject. I will only say, that although they have little talent for Poetry or Music, they nevertheless excel in Oratory, of which the speech of Logan, f is a noble specimen. It has generally been supposed that the Indians merely speak ex- tempore; but this is quite a mistake, for they take as much pains, in considering the subject before hand, rounding the periods, and studying attitudes, as any lawyer before going into West- minster Hall. These speeches generally produce a great effect upon the tribe, who sit round, and listen with the utmost attention, the silence being only occasionally interrupted to express their ap- plause. So attentive indeed are tlie listeners, that they car generally repeat the whole speech, and that a year or two afterwards. * Preface to Indian Wars in the West, t Vide Notes to Campbell's Pleasures of Hope, Jefferson's Notes on Virginia, &c. The Indians. 413 Buffalo presented quite a lively spectacle. In one place a small party of Chiefs were holding con- verse about the money. In another some of the men were bargaining for broad-cloth, blankets, or axes ; in a third was a collection of Squaws, some of whom had their infants with them ; while a little removed from the street, were a few old warriors, squatted on the ground, and smoking from their tomahawks. I may here remark, that the back of the axe or iladc of each tomahawk is formed into the shape of the bowl of a pipe, and when a hole is bored through the handle communicating with this bowl, the tomahawk becomes the favourite and almost only pipe of the Indian, answering both for war and amusement. What added materiaUy to the picturesque effect of this scene, were the curious, and in some cases fantastic dresses of the men and women. The men generally wear a sort of blue frock coat, much like that worn by the whites, with a red sash round their waists, Indian leggings of blue or red cloth, ornamented at the bottom with beads and split porcupine quills, and deerskin mockasins (sandals), also ornamented. Almost all wear large ear-rings, and I remarked one man with a ring through his nose. The Squaws, or women, wear the ornamented leggings, and have a large white blanket v.Tapped round them in the manner of a cloak, so as to hide their whole person, except from about the calf of the 414 Thi hdians. h^ to the foot Sotrie of the young unmattrifed sqtlaws ate hktiAmme ; btit aftc? marriage, Itldiart wolnefl, ftotn. heiti^ oblig;ed to work, become remarkably ligly. The men ate mostly good-lookihgj tall, and tmcommonly sttaight and iifright; Iftdians are very good j«dg^ of the fclothi blankets, and other articles >Vhich they pnrehitse ; mote Ao indeed than the whites. The moment they lay their hands on a pietie of bw)ad eloth, 6t a blatlket, they know its qtiality aiid itsvaltie^, arid the shopkeepersi told me that it wmild be quite iriijToteible to cheat them. They \^ill purchase no dOfh Ot blankets but the superfine ; and at how- eter low a price an inferior article may be offered to thetn, they 'v^ill riot even look at it, apfmrently detetmined to hare the best, or none. It is amusing to see the marinet in ^hicrh the Squaws carry their children. The child is 6w«d-» died, arid botmd to a board, whieh rather increases in si^e up^tards, and projects six or eight inches above the head of the yoUng Indian. The mother fastens this board to her shoulders, the child drid she of course looking different ways. But ^heri she goes into a hOUse to buy ^riy thing, she takes the board from her shouldeirs, and placing the lowet part on the ground, leans it in a sloping poffltiOri agairist the -Wall, in the same manner a potter would his load. I have laughed to see one or twO of these boards placed against the wall, while the Jiiiie urcniiis witii liluir urowii mufS were iuuAiug The Indiartt. 415 out above the bandogcs, and although so com- pletely helpless, seemed contented with their situation. After the money was distributed, there was a grand foot-race. Ten or fifteen of the most nimbll Indians started from the bottom of the town to run a mile and a half out, and the same distance back agam, which was to be repeated three times tirithout stopping, making on the whole a distance of nine miles. The rUnners were stript nearly uaked, and set off at that long springing pace which IS pecuHar to the Indians, and which enables them to get over a great deal o£ ground, without appearing to do so. No little anxiety Was mani. fested by their companions, each time that they returned to the goal ; but at last the race was won by a large athletic Indian of the Alleghany tribe whose name being interpreted is the Black Squir- rel* The prize was made up by a subscription among the Indians, who all contributed something One of the townspeople moreover presented a red flag to the winner, on which was inscribed in white letters: "Eclipse for ever, old Virginia a little tired," an inscription which alluded to the great horse-race at New York, but which, as it was of *The Indians always give the individuals of their tribe names descriptive of their exploits, mode of life, the quaUtie^ m whxch they excel &c. Among the names of the most cele braed Chxefs we find, SpUt-log, Walk-in^the-water. Littl. 1 uniu, iviad Bunaio, iVc. I 'f It f 11 I,,' llS n> 416 The Indians. course unintelligible to the Indian, did not by any means diminish his extreme delight in receiving the trophy. Constant though vain attempts have been made in the neighbourhood to convert the Indians to Christianity, a labour which Mr. Irving very pro- perly remarks has long been considered the most important branch of civilization, and that which all the zealous have most strenuously extolled.* " It was truly a sight that mi^t well inspire horror, to behold these savages stumbling among the dark mountains of Paganism, and guilty of the most horrible ignorance of religion. It is true, they neither stole, nor defrauded; they were sober, frugal, continent, and faithful to their word ; but though they acted right habitually, it was all in vain, unless they acted so from precept. The new comers, therefore, used every method, to induce them to embrace and practise the true religion, — except indeed that of setting them the example. But notwithstanding all these complicated labours for their good, such was the unparalleled obstinacy of these stubborn wretches, that they ungratefully refused to acknowledge the strangers as their bene- factors, and persisted in disbelieving the doctrines * Knickerbocker's New York, book i. cap. v. The whole of this chapter is well worth perusing, as it gives, though in a humorous way, a most faithful picture of the means of civil- izing and converting the Indians, adopted by the early settlers in America, and which, though somewhat modified, a'^ still pursued by their descendanttt. The Indians. 417 they endeavoured to inculcate; most insolently alleging, that from their conduct, the advocates of Christianity did not seem to believe in it them- selves," Among the Indians of tlie Six Nations, tlie great opposer of the only true faith is the celebrated chief Red Jacket, whom I saw and n)ade acquaint- ance with at Buffalo. This fine-looking hale old man wore round his neck a large silver medal, which was given him by General Washington, and of which he is extremely proud. I cannot better ex- plain the reasons of his Opposition to (Christianity, than by giving an account of two councils, held between the Indians of the Six Nations and the agents of the Missionary Society. The speeches were taken down in short-hand by some gentlemen present, and after being read over to my Indian friend, who said they were correct, were published in several of the United States newspapers. * « In the summer of 1803, a number of the principal Chiefs and Warriors of the Six Nations, principally Senccas, assembled at Buffalo Creek, in the State of New York, at the particular request of the Rev. Mr. Cram, a missionary from the State of Massachusetts. The Missionary, being furnished with an interpreter, and accompanied by the Agent of the United States for Indian affairs, met the Indians in council, when the following talk took place : * American Speaker. 3e ■ :i I'l'^ii,! 41fi Tke Indian t. First by the Agent* — " Brothers of the Six Nations, I rejoice to meet you at this time, and thank the Great Spirit that he has preserved you in health, and given me another opportunity of taking you by the hand. ** Brothers, the person who sits by me is a friend who has come a great distance to hold a talk with you. He will inform you what his business is, and it is my r<^ouest that you would listen with atten- tion to his words." Missionary. — " My friends, I am thankful for the opportunity afforded us of uniting together at this time. I had a great desire to sec you, and inquire into your state and welfare : for this pur- pose I have travelled a great distance, being sent by your old friends the Boston Missionary Society. You will recollect, they formerly sent Missionaries among you to instruct you in religion, and labour for your good. Although they have not heard from you for a long time, yet they have not forgotten their brothers the Six Nations, and are still anxious to do you good. " Brothers, I have not come to get your lands or your money, but to enlighten your minds, and to instruct you how to worship the Great Spirit, agree- ably to his mind and will, and to preach to you the gospel of his Son Jesus Christ.—There is bi;i one religion, and but one way to serve God ; n?\'\ if you do not eiubiace the right way, you cannot I.c happy hereafter. You have never worshipped tlic uif^at \ The Indiam, 410 Hpirit in n mairnor acceptable to him ; but have all your lives been in greot errors and darkness. To endeavour to remove these errors, and to open your eyes, so that you might soe clearly, is my Ijusincss with you. ♦• Brothers, I wish to talk with you, as ono friend tftlks with another; and if you have any objections to receive the religion which I preach, I wish you to state them ; and I will endeavour to satisfy your minds, and to remove the objections. " Brothers, I want you to speak your mind freely; for I wish to reason with you on the subject, and if possible, remove all doubts, if there be any on your minds. The subject is an important one, and it is of consequence that you give it an early at- tention, while the offer is made you. Your friends, the Boston Missionary Society, will continue to send you good and faithful ministers, to instruct and strengthen you in religion, if, on your part, you are willing to receive them. •♦ Brothers, since I have been in this part of the country, I have visited some of your small villages, and talked with your people. They appear willing to receive instruction, but as they look up to you, as their elder brothers in council, they want first to know your opinion on the subject. You have now heard what I have to propose at present. I hope you will take it into consideration, and give me an answer before we part." 2 E 2 480 Tfie Indiani* ** After about two houn* consultation among themselves, the Chief, commonly called by the white people ' lied Jacket,* whose Indian name )8 '8a-gti-yu-wha-hah,' which interpreted is 'Keeper- Lxwakc,' rose, and spoke as follows : • ** Friend and Brother, it was the will of the Great Spirit that we should meet together this day< He orders all things, and has given us a fine day for oiur Council. He has taken his garment from before the sun, an-l caused it to shine with bright- ness upon us. Our eyes are opened, that we see clearly ; our ears have been unstopped, that we have been able to hear distinctly the words you have spoken. For all these favours we thank the Great Spirit, and Him only. " Brother, this council fire was kindled by you. It was at your request that we came together at this time. We have listened with attention to what you have said. You requested us to speak our minds freely. This gives us great joy ; for we now consider that we stand upright before you, and can speak what we think. All have heard your voice, and all speak to you now, as one man. Our minds are agreed. " Brother, you say you want an answer to your talk, before you leave this place. It is right you should have one, as you are at a great distance from * This Speech deserves attention as a specimen of Indian Oratory. J%e Indiant* 401 home, and we do not wish to detain you. But we will first look back a little, and tell you what our fathers have told us, and what we have heard from the white people. " Brother, listen to what we say. There was a time when our forefathers owned this great island. Their seats extended from the rising to the setting sun. The Great Spirit made it for the use of In- dians. He had created the buffalo, the deer, and other animals for food. He had made the bear and the l)eavcr : their skins served us for clothing. He had scattered them over the country, and taught us how to take them. He had caused the earth to produce com for bread. All this Ho had done for his red children, because He loved them. If we had some disputes about our hunting grounds, they were settled without the shedding much blood. But an evil day came upon us. Your forefathers crossed the great water, and landed on this island. Their numbers were small. They found friends, and not enemies. They told us they had fled from their own country for fear of wicked men, and had come here to enjoy their religion. They asked for a small seat. We took pity on them, granteti tlieir request, and they sat down among us. We gave them corn and meat; they gave us poison* in return. ". The white people had now found out our * -AlHidi"^?. upposc-u, Ui urtlciit spirits. ill 48i Tk€ Jndiatuu country. Ticlingi wer** ^iwied bock, ami hiorc ame among us. Ypt . e did iiot iear them. Wo took them to be trid,. .. ihey called us brothori. We lH>Uevc(l thcin. and gave them a larger scat. At length their numbers had greatly ineremcd. They wanted mure land ; they wanted oiu- tuuntry. Our eyes were opened, and our minds became imr isy. Wnrs took place. Indians were hired to tight against Indians^ and many of our people were dc- Btroycii. They also brought strong liquor among us. It was strong and powcrfiU, and has slain thousands. " Brother, our seats were once large, and yours were small. You have now Income a great people, and we have scarcely a place left to spread our blankets. You have got our country, but are not satisiicd ; you want to force your religion among us. " Brother, continue to listen. You say, that you arc sent to instruct us how to worship the Great Spirit, agreeably to his mind ; and if we do not take hold of the religion you white people teach, we shall be unhappy hereafter. You say, that you are right, and we are lost. How do we know this to be true ? We undei'stand that your religion is written in a book. If it were intended for us, as well as you, why has not the Great Spirit given it to us, and not only to us, but why did he not give to our forefathers the knowledge of that book, with the means of imderstanding it rightly ? 2'k€ Jmliatit, W« 01 iy know whttt you tell us about it. How ihftll we know when to Injlievc, being so often do- ceived by the white la'oplo ? " Brother, you lay there ii but one way to wor- ship and servo the (ireat Spirit. If there be but one religion, why do you white people differ so much about it? \Vhy not aU agree, aa you can all read the IhmIc ? " Jlrother, wo do not understand these thinffs. We are told that your religion was given to your forefathers, and was handed down from father to son. We albo have a religion, that was given to our forefathers, and has been handed down to us, their children. We worship in that way. It teaches us to be thankful for all the favours wo receive, to love each other, and to be united. Wo never (luar- rel alM)ut religion. " Ikotlicr, the Great Spirit has made us all, but he has made a great difference between his white and his red children. He lias given us dilferent complexions and customs. To you he lias given arts. To these he has not opened our eyes. We know these things to be true. Since he has made so great a difference between us in other tilings, why may we not conclude that he has given us a different religion, according to our understanding ? The Great Spirit does right: He knows what is best for his children : we are satisfied. " Brother, wc do not want to destroy your re- .11 ^ m 1 r !l ligioii, or to take it from you. Wc only want to tnjuy our own. " Hrotiier, we aro told you have be Kingston, these large fresh water Lakes, the swell is so con- sldcrablc during a breeze, that even the steam- boats of Keveral hundred tons burden, exhibit the scenes, which, if we may believe (caricatures, very frequently take place on board a Margate Hoy. In crossing from Sackett's Harlwur to Kingston, a distance of thirty-six miles, the lake exhibits a very pleasing scene, from the numerous islands with which it is diversified. Kingston is the British naval dep6t, and is a very pretty and flourishing little town. The har- l)our is an excellent one, and is well defended by some batteries and a large fort. Several vessels were afloat here, which though decaying, were kept in much better order than those on the American side. But there were two large frames upon tlie stocks, which not being housed, will I think, be in a short time extremely injured by the sun and rain. The barracks, which are tolerably well built and very comfortable, were occupied by a regiment of light infantry and a company of artillery. Kingston is by far the most flourishing town of Upper Canada, though York is nominally the capi- tal of the province. Some fine Steam-boats ply from this place to Prescot, a distance of seventy-five miles. The broad expanse of the St. Lawrence, from its origin in Lake Ontario, to Brockville, twenty miles above Prescot, is studde(^ with numerous islands, which XV V-VTU£.W%. TTXVXA LTAXV ^XlVJlf ZLS**!. t.&X XUSl b X\/XXWgX.f The Thousand Islands, 487 wherever tlicir rocky jiurfaa! affords any place for tree« to fix themselves. These, from their number, have been called " the thoiwand islandH," and this part of tlic St. Lawrence "the Lake of the thou- wind islands;" but their exact number wa« not known, until the (.'onunisNioners for determining the Iwundary between the LJnitctl States and Cana- da, ascertained, that there were 1603, reckoning as an island, every rock on which tlierc was a tree. These islands, being of various shapes and sizes, from the simple rock on which grows a solitary pine or cedar, to the largest, eighteen miles in length, afford an infinite diversity of picturesque views. We sometimes glidetl through a small narrow channel, bounded by perpendicular rocks, which almost touched the sides of the Steam-vessel. At other times we entered a broader expanse, where the islands formed numberless beautiful vistas, which, from the rapid progress of the boat, were continually varying. The pure clear water of the St. Lawrence, so different from the muddy streams of the other American rivers, added considerably to the general effect. I never in my life have beheld a scene of such romantic beauty. The islands tcnninate at Brocksvillc ; and from thence to Prescot the channel of the St. Lawrence is open and picturesque, being about a mile and a half wide, with bold rocky banks on each side. The steam-boats do not proceed beyond Prescot, a small village situated at the head of the rapids. ^, ^t^^. IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 I.I UiMT^ |2.5 |5o ■^^ H^H u Ui 12.2 £ Hi ■" 11.25 111.4 1.6 m ^ /a % /a W '^ Photographic Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. MSbO (716) 872-4503 lii Chdnnei of Si. Lmrenee. Those continue at interval to interrupt tho naviga. tion all the way down to Montreal, except for Bat* ieaux and flat-bottomed boats, in one of which I accordingly determined to embark. The bottom of the Channel of the 8t. Lawrence makes in many places a considerable slope, down which the whole body of water rushes with sur-i prising velocity. , ui* ,.,;•. . There is generally only a very small pftrt of the channel where the boats can pass ; and they must be piloted with a great deal of skill and sang-froid, especially as in the worst part, called " the lost channel," t|i^ would be dashed to pieces in an in* stant. The water, which is very much agitated in every part of the rapids, assumes in the lost chan-^ nel the appearance of the most terrible surf. The rapids are of different lengths. The longest, called the ** Long 8ault,'* continues for nine miles. The worst is the Rapid of the Cedars, where the water curls up, roars, foams, and splashes over one, and where the only safe part of the channel is so nar- row, that if the boats are not kept in an accurately straight line, they are inevitably lost. It was cu*^ rious to see the velocity with which the trees on the banks appeared to run past us; indeed the whole voyage afforded me a great deal of amuse- ment, though when going down some of the worst rapids, I was obliged to hold my breath between fear and admiration. I stopped for the first night at the top of Lake St. Fn miles 1 miles 1 The s( Caught] U Chi Montre oulty in was at French where . bed. The civilised very coi possess built a and sup The yoi fishing, the boat great ni very goo mingin In tb &c., wen tion of £ of these numbers Sl» Lawrence. 419 St. Francii» 8 part of the 8t. Lawrence twenty-four miles long, and which, being from three to six milea broad, is consequently without any rapids. The second night, I stopped at the village of the Caughnewaga Indians, situated at the head of the La Chine ropids, and only about ten miles from Montreal. Here I at first experienced some diffi- culty in getting accommodation for the night, but was at last kindly received into the house of a French Canadian on the outsldrta of the village, where I found most excellent cheer, and a irood bed. , The Indians of this vUlage toe by far the most civiliaed of any that I ever saw. They have all very comft)rt»ble houses, cultivate the earth, and possess a great many head of cattle. They have built a very large church with a steeple and bells, and support a Catholic priest who officiates in it. The young men and boys amuse themselves with fishing, shooting, &c. ; and when I hmded from the boat, which was late in the evening, I saw a great number of the young women, some of them very good looking, amusing themselves with swim- ming in the river. In this village, the houses, sides of the church, &c., were all covered with myriads of that descrip- tion of fiy called in England the Mayfly. Clouds of these kept passing over the river, into which numbers fell, and were drowned, or devoured by 440 The La Chine Rapids. the fish. What astonished me most was that they appeared all to come from the North. The next morning, just as we hegan to descend the La Chine rapids, our pilot Paul took off his hat, crossed himself, and said a prayer. The de- scent was indeed more dangerous than I had sup- posed ; for a boat had that very morning been lost, and I saw the remains of it on the rock where it had struck. * » > Down these rapids float many large timber-rafts, with oars fastened to different parts of them, by means of which they are steered out of the current of the lost •channel of each rapid, though constantly swung round and round by the violence of the stream. On these raf^-s there are often whole fami- lies, who appear to be tolerably comfbrtable in their littleshedsor huts, made of loose boards, andin which they have even fires for the purpose of cooking. I forgot to mention, that just before descending the La Chine rapids, we had one of those vio- lent thunder-storms so common in this part of America. The day had been intensely hot, and the sky without a cloud ; when on a sudden, a large black spot was visible on the horizon, which rising upwards formed a most extraordinary dark column. This continued to increase, and spread- ing over head, sent forth most vivid flashes of forked lightning, accompanied by claps of thunder that were quite terrific. Montreal 441 The first thing that every trayeller renuurks on arriving at Montreal, is that all the roofs of the houses and churches^ and even all the steeples, are covered with tin. These, when the sun shines upon them, dazzle the eyes like so many looking. ^ glasses. The houses are of stone, and very sub- stantial; but the streets are remarkably narrow and inconvenient In this respect they differ es- sentially from those of most towns in the United States, where the streets are in general very wide. Montreal indeed has all the appearances of a town in some old European country, where the houses are crowded together from the val:\ }f the ground on which they are built. From carrying on a very considerable trade both with Europe and tapper Canada, Montreal is in a very flourishing condition and increases rapidly. A canal might at a small expense be cut from the Ottawa, to a river falling into Lake Huron, and would thus not only obviate the portage occa- sioned by the falls of Niagara, but also the risk incurred, by descendiog the rapids of the St. Law-^ renoe. The inliabitants of Lower Canada, from having preserved their language, their religion, and their manners, differ altogether from any other people I have seen in North America. When passing through the different States of the federal Repub- lic, and even when crossing the boundary to Upper Canada, I could scarcely perceive the slightest 44t Montreal, diflfcrencc of national character ; Imt the moment I entered Lower Canada, I found every thing changed, as completely indeed, at if I had paiaed from England to France. The people of Lower Canada have made but little progress in agriculture, continuing their old system of cultivation, and being very ujjwilling to adopt even the most obvious improvements. Indeed, the generality of the inhabitants live in the same uncomfortable sort of houses that were built by the first emigrants ; and there appears to be none of that spirit c/t enterprise, none i^ that wish to put themselves forward, that distinguishes the people of the United States, and of Upper Canada, and which will very soon place the Upper province far above the Lower one. A great injury to the advancement of Lower Canada is, that whole fiimilies, nay, the inhabitants of a whole village often leave their habitations, and go up the 8t, Lawrence for the purpose of cutting lumber. At first sight, the money thus earned may appear so much clear profit; but it is not only a very precarious mode of gaining a liveli- hood, but it often occasions the land to be left un- cultivated, and gives the men wandering habits tiiat are destructive of industry. l.b ^c ■'r; The French Canadians appear however upon the whole, to be a very contented set of people, with a great deal of leisure and but few cares, and pos- sessinir all that livhtnefis rvf snintfi wbinb ^h Mofi&eal, 44a terizes the notion from which thoy arc doKcndcd. Thoy iupply olmost the only batteaux^men who navigate the Ht Lawrence. Moreover, they fbroi, I believe without exception, the only hunters for the North West Company — an employment for which they are admirably adapted. They not only have b, great inclination for a roving life, but when out on these hunting expeditions, which often last loveral years, they agree better with the Indians, tlian any other set of men ; and are happy and contented upon much coarser fare, than would be agreeable to an Englishman, or the descendants of an Englishman. After remaining a day or two at Montreal, I crossed the St. Lawence, and bargained with a man, who possessed a small house on the bank, to drive me in his Char,as far as the village of La Prairie. My conductor was one of the most lively and light- hearted follows I ever met. He entertained me during the drive, with an account of himself, his parish, and the great proprietors in it. A Cur^, who Hved somewhere in his neighbourhood, seemed however to engross most of his thoughts. After telling me the number of bushels of grain this curd received, and which he appeared to think very pro- digious, he held up the two forefingers of one of his hands, and exclaimed : *< You may call the longer one the King, and the shorter one the cure ; for there will soon be no greater difference between the wealth of these two personages.'^ 144 Si, John's. On leaving La Prairie I bode adieu to tlic St. Lawrence, which is by far the most beautiftd river I have ever seen. I had previously thought that nothing could surpass the Ohio; but that river IB much inferior to the 8t. Lawrence in picturesque beauty. Parts of the Rhine, the most beautiful river I have seen in Europe, might, if on a larger scale, be compared to it ; but the immense size o{ the great Canadian river adds an air of grandeur to its beauty, that places it above all comparison. An old lumbering vehicle, dignified with the name of a stage, brought us from La Prairie to St. John's, through a flat and uninteresting country, which however is tolerably weU cultivated, and affords numerous specimens of the farm-houses of the French Canadians. For several miles, we passed through a low birch wood, every leaf and green twig of which had been destroyed by caterpillars, of which thousands were still clinging to the boughs of every tree. Indeed, these caterpillars were some- times congregated in such numbers, and so close togetlier, that until I got out of the stage and examined them, I could not but believe that the trees were diseased. I never before had seen such devastation committed by the insect tribe. The driver told me, that the people in the neighbour- hood intended to assemble and try to set fire to the wood, as the only means by which the caterpillars could be destroyed. Av tUv itfcvic wwu VI oi. joBus, siUiaiea on Uie The Lmg SauU, 44d river which connect* Uke OhimpUin with the 8t. Lawrence, I embarked on board one of the superb •team-boats which ply upon the Lake. The cn^ trance to Lake Champlain it narrow, and through a flat country thickly covered with copee wood. Ten miles below 8t. John's is " Isle Aux Noix,- a most important station, on which the British are erecting some strong fortifications. At no great distance from this, is a large and beautiful fort, built by the Americans, and which commands the upper part of the Lake. The commissioners, who were appointed to ascertain the boundary line between the United States and Canada (settled by treaty to run in Latitude 45^ from the State of Maine to the St. Lawrence), found out, by an as- tronomical survey, that this fort was a few poles on the British side of the line. They made, however, another discovery, not quite so favourable to the British, as the only navigable channel of the Long Sault rapid was found to be in the territory of the United States. It is said that this will give the Republicans a strong argument in support of their right to the free navigation of the St. Lawrence ; for if this be refused, they will cut off the water communication between Upper and Lower Ca- nada. But it appears all will be amicably arranged, for the fort above-mentioned has not been taken possession of, nor has any dispute originated about Canadian boats descending the Long Sault. IT c iwuvxicw ix\, x^iabbsourg, » place inai ^cices m 446 Burimgin%r/% 4-V.yx «4-...»~.~~ x. _-^ T.: Q , — „.. ^„.^ vivvc, vu ivarv niv oiuuiUB w rot u» Hancfotr, in the ftomid, which for « loiif tine interrupted hii ploughing ; but now «n ingenioui tn«chine hui been invented, by which these fttunipf «ro torn up by the loote end converted into en exoelknt fence. New the Uttlc town of Hanover I eroMcd the river Connecticut, and entered the HUte of New Hampahire, the country itill continuing moun. tainoua, but intereected with fertile valleyc The Shokert* 449 CHAFfEH XXV. TMR NNAKMRt. ^ Ekpiri.d b a imall village entirely inliabited by that extraoftlinary sect denotniiiatcd " yiiakem." On entering it I was iinmecliately struck with th© remarkable neatness of the houses, farms, and fences ; and the first impression was therefore very much in favour of the sect. The Shakers, like the Harmonites, are great manufacturers, and supply the neighbourhood with a quantity of ne» cessary articles at a cheap rate. They apply ma chinery to every purpose that can be imogineti, and carry this to such a length, as even to chum butter by the assistance of the wind. This however is a very simple and effectual way, and is worthy of l»eing adopted more extensively ; for a very light breese is sufficient to put in motion the small sails attached to the churn. The sect of Shakers was foundetl about the year 1768, by Ann Lee, the wife of an Knglish black, smith. She pretended to Ihj inspired ; called her- self " Anne the Word ;" and instituted a new mode of worship, " praising the Lord by dancing." Being prosecuted for riotous conduct, she and her fol- lowers were thrown into prison ; a treatment which caused their emigration. They came to America in 1774, and settled in the State of New Hamp- \m 4dd Tht Shakers. shire. Anne afterwards removed to the State of New York, where she hegan to prophecy, declaring that she was the second Christ, and that those who followed her should have their sins forgiven. Al- though she declaimed against all sexual intercourse whatsoever, which she held up as a mortal sin, yet she gained nutneroils proselytes, who have since tniide various settlements in diffferent parts of the United States. The principal persons In the sect, are the elders, father confessors, and saints. They enjoin confes- sions, penances, absolutions, Sid. The it>embers ard frequently honoured by the miraculoUs Interposi- tions of the Deity. Indeed they affirm that they do every thing by « a gift;' that is, by an imme- diate inspiratioh of the Holy Spirit. An account of the application of this very rational doctrine is thus given in the North American Review. «* A youth of one of the Shaker settlements, of a cheerful happy spirit, Was once asked, whethel he had his liberty, and could do as he pleased. * Certainly,' said the youth (Repeating, doubtless, what all are taught to believe) ; we do whatsoever we have a gift to.* On being asked therefore, What he would do, if he wanted on a fine winter's morning to go down and skate on Enfield Pond, he replied, * I should tell the EJlder, that I had a gift to go down and skate.' Being ftirther asked, whether the Elder would permit him } he answered, * certainly, unless He nsu & gj/* tliai< *. sliculu nCb ^o. jjut u you The ShaketB* 4^1 •till told thfe Bldrt that ycm hud igijiiogp down and skate, aild go you ittust ? « Why, th«il thu teldcr wotdci tell me that I had a lying gift^ and that be had a gifl td beat me, if I did not gO about my work immediately.' *' • . The Shakert maintain, that they tad the otily tine eburchj that all the rest of mankitid ^11 be datoticd * and that by " the Second Dhpemation;* that isj by the appearance of Anne Lee, the Old Testament and the gospels, which were before neces- sary, are now useless. They have in eonsequeuce a bible of their own, called " Christ's Second Ap- pearance ; " a work which persons who are not of their sect woidd consider as a curiotis proof of the madness of superstition. i. Every one, whether man'dr womaii, who may join the society, must give up all wdrldly possessions to what they call the Church. In obediettce to this religious duty, husbands leave their Wives arid fami- li^ destitute, and occasion the greatest possible dis- treter. Several States therefore have passed a law, obliging a man who may join the Shakers, to make some provision for his family. Like all sects that ptetend to the commuuity of goods, the rule of equality is not strictly adhered to. On the contrary, the Elders, and chief men * North Americaft Review, Jan. 1823, Art. Shaker. This article, though in my opinion much too favourable to the Sl»«k- ers, is well worth perusal. 2Gg ' I 458 TTrt Shakers. or women, are much better off than the rest, live in better houses, and have better fare. As persons in the full possession of thsur facul- ties are little disposed to embrace visionary doc- trines, it may at ^rst be a matter of surprise to the reader, how this continent sect is enabled to keep •up its numbers, and even to be rather on the in- crease. But the Shakers will receive children of any age, preferring those who are very young; and poor people, who have large families, are induced to send one or more children to the Shakers, know- ing that they will be v:d\ clothed and fed gratis, and moreover taught some useful trade. So far the society is a good one ; but these children are only just taught to read and write, are not allowed to read any book but the Shaker Bible, are made to look upon the Elders as demi-gods, and are con- stantly impressed with the charitable belief that the " world's people " (thus they designate all who are not Shakers) will inevitably go to everlasting punishment. They have indeed very little inter- course with "the world's people;" for all business is transacted by the Elders. Those who know what influence superstition has upon the youthful mind, and how great an effort it requires, in those even who frequent the best society, to get rid of the prejudices in which they have been educated, may easily conceive what an influence this system, backed by the most profound ignorance, exerts upon the young proselytes. So strong in- The Shakers. 458 deed is it, that few ever leave the sect who have joined it as children : and though nature will some- times assert her rights, and brother Ebenezer run off with sister Susan, yet as sot)n as enjoyment has somewhat abated their desires, and when that fatal period the Honey Moon is about to terminate, the sinners will almost always return ; and having con- fessed their sins, and undergone penance, are again received into the society. I could easily enlarge on the subject of Shakerism, and could mention some of the horribly disgusting and indecent scenes, said to be practised in private by the members of this sect ; but liot to offend modesty, I refer all those who may be curious to know more about them, to a work lately published in New Hampshire, entitled « A Portraiture of Shakerism," by Mary M. Dyer. This woman's husband joined the Shakers, and obliged her to do the same, by making over all his substance to his new brethren. She afterwards quitted the society, having suffered great cruelty and insult from them; and as she is now their enemy, and moreover a Baptist, her own statements must be looked upon with a sceptical eye. I grant moreover that her book is ill written ; but this does not destroy the authenticity of the numerous affi- davits, made before magistrates, at different places and at different times, both by persons who have been themselves Shakers, and by others. Thfese affidavits contain statements of depravity, folly, vm iii The Shakers, And horrible brutality that ore quite aitounding, and exceed every thing laid to the charge of the motikB of the darkest and most depraved period of the Middle Ages. 80 shocking indeed are they, as to be almost incredible ; and yet many of the persons who have sworn to the truth of them, live near Knfield, and, from all the inquiries I could make, are respectable and trustworthy. The Shaker Bible, or «* Christ's Second Appear- ance," shows how prone the human mind is to re- ceive any supernatural accounts ; and how wisely all who relate them insist upon faith. Indeed I have heard it remarked (although of course only with reference to the Shakers), that when a man can once be persuaded, that the Great Creator of the Universe wishes him to believe what is incom- prehensible and impossible, he might just as well be deprived of his reason altogether, and become a mere brute. At any rate, for my own ])^rt, al- though I am a friend to toleration, and do not wish to offend any person's religious principles, yet I can^ not but think that it is rather a disgrace to the 19th century, for a sect to exist and flourish, which not only praises the Great Spirit by da.ncing, but even believes, that Anne Lee, the drunken profli- gate wife of an English blacksmith, is co-equal and co-eternal with the Deity ^im m CHAPTER XXVI, l09T0N>pntpir«c7 agaiuit the dominion ihall be punished with Death. 7. Whoever iayn, 'there ii a power holding Jurisdiction over and above this dominion,' thall be punished with Death, and Iohs of pro{)erty. 8. Whoever attemptM to change or overturn this dominion, shall suffer Death. 9. The JudgcN siinll determine controversies without a jury. 10. No one shall be a frcoinan, or give a vote, unless he be converted, or a member in free com- munion of one of the churches allowed in this do- minion. 11. No one shall hold any office who is not sound in the faith, and faithful to this dominion ; and whoever gi\ es a vote to such a iwrson shall pay a fine of one pound.— For the second offence, he shall be disfranchised. 12. No Quaker, or dissenter from the established worship of this dominion, shall be allowed to give a vote for the election of magistrates, or any officer. 13. No food or lodging shall be afforded to a Quaker, Adamite, or other heretic. 14. If any person turns quaker, he shall be ba- nished, and not suffered to return, on pain of Death. 15. No Priest shall abide in this dominion. He shall be banished, and suffer Death on his return. Priests may be seized by any one, without a war- rant. ' m I'lH I w^tn^' 10. N0 oiM* fthiU erona a titer bat with naW Uioriied fen7nian. i ' 17. No ont fhall run of ii Hablmth^tty, or Walk In hit garden, or dtewhcre, except reverently to and from chureh. IS. No one ihall travel, cook rictualu, mAe bedt, ■weep houMi, cu^ hair, or sliave, on the Habbath- day. 19. No woman ihall kiu her chlM on ►Sabbath dr fiMtin|( day. IfO. A persou acetified of trefipaftit in the nif^t, •hall be judged guilty, unlcsn he clear himself by hii oath. -i 21. When it appears that an aecomplicf^ \\m confcderateg, and he refuses to discover thefn, he miy he Racked. " »" »,?« 9S. No one shall buy or sell lands without the permission of the select men. '** **** ** ** 9H. A drunkard shall have a master appointed by the select men, who is to debar him the privi- lege of buying or selling. 24. Whoever publishes a lie to the prejudice of his neighbour, siball sit in the stocks, of be whip- ped fifteen stripes. 25. No Minister shall keep a tchoc 26. Man stealers shall suffer Death. 27. Whoever wears clothes trimmed With silver dr borte lace abov« wo shillings a yard, shall be pwiwnte^ by the g.^nd jurofs \ and the select men i; ilMiU UM th« oflVndCT it thf rite of llii«« )ittililr«il pound eiUtc. tS. A Ml0r in prUeH, iwcAritig h« hat no etUte» shall be let out and «o/j vxtCY, viiv uxttivxxbjr, ttvxv |'VXAVVvxjt vvxzt iiivv\i, viikv Vaniee. 485 they alone thought right, it consequently followed, that whoever thought different from them, thought wrong — and whoever thought wrong, and obiti- uately persisted in not being convinced and con- verted, was a flagrant violator of the inestimable Liberty of conscience, and a corrupt and infectious Kember of the body politic, and deserved to be lopped off, and cast into the fire." * The present inhabitants of New England are the most intelligent, active, and enterprising men in the United States ; and a man is looked upon as a prodigy who cannot read and write. It is amuang to see what a jealousy exists between the New Englanders and the inhabitants of the rest of the Union. Nothing could offend a southern or western American more than being called a Yankee ; while a New Englander would be equally offended at being called a Buckskin. The only good derivation of the word Yankee is given by Knickerbocker, who, after noticing the extraordinary volubility of tongue, with which the first settlers were gifted, says : " the simple abori- gines of the land for awhile contemplated these strange folk in utter astonishment ; but discover- ing that they wielded harmless, though noisy wea- pons, and wei-e a lively, ingenious, and good hu- moured race of men, they became very friendly and sociable, and gave them the name of Yamhies, which in the Mais-Tchusaesr ^or Massachuf»t.t^ * KnickerlxM^er's New York, Book 8, cap. vi. 2 H 466 New England. language, signifies « silent men "—a waggish appel- lation, since shortened into the familiar epithet of Yankees, which they retain unto the present day."* The entei-prise of the Yankees is proverbial. Many of the lower class drive into the southern and western States, small waggons laden with wooden clocks, looking-glasses, &c. ; and as some of these pedlars are great rogues, or at least have the character of being such, numerous good stories are told of the tricks played off by them, such as selling wooden nutmegs, wooden cucumber seeds, &c. The western and southern Americans assign this reason for pretending to undervalue all the New Englanders, though the real reason of their dislike is their knowledge of the vast superiority of their rivals, in industry, education and morality. Nothing is more common in New England, than for a farmer to cut down the trees on his land, build a small schooner in the nearest river, freight it with the produce of his industry, and assisted only by one or two of his sons, and perhaps one seaman, to set off with his little cargo for New Orleans or the West Indies. The people who navigate these vessels, are often unable to take any observations, but run down the longitude, and trust to meeting some ship in which the sailors are more learned than themselves. Accordingly, as soon as they see a vessel, they come along side, and commence their inquiries with "Hallo, Mister, * Kaickerbocker's New York, Book 3. New England. 467 what's the Utitiide ? &c." When they have obtain- ed the requisite information, they shout out a few thanks, and are off again. No kind of produce or commodity escapes the speculation of the New Englanders. For in- stance, small quick sailing schooners are freighted with ice for the West Indies. Just on enter- ing the harbour, the muster makes known his cargo by signal, and the moment he lands, dis- poses of the whole by auction or private sale. He then returns home with a cargo of turtle, pine- apples, melons, &c., articles esteemed luxuries in Great Britain, but in consequence of this trade quite common in New England. I bought a very large pine-apple at Boston for ten cents, (about five-pence sterling,) and I was told tliat they are often to be had much cheaper. Before even tlie leaves begin to appear in the northern States, the inhabitants are supplied with plenty of fruit, green peas, &c., from the West Indies and the Southern States. I am surprised none of these Yankee schooners have paid us a visit ; as the time required for a voyage from the West Indies to Boston, is not much less than to England, particularly if the prevalence of the westerly winds be taken into consideration. I should think few cargoes would sell better at the port of London, than one of tur- tles and pine-apples. At any rate they have some- times carried out far more extraordinarv eavo«nps ? for the people of Charleston, South Carolina, were 2h2 468 fVkah Fishary, made very angry, when the Yellow fever was raging there, by the arrival of sowe Yankee schooners, laden with nests of wooden coffins, which had been sent out upon specuUtion for the reception of the sick Carolinians. The New Englanders are the best seamen in the United States, and perhaps in the world. The sea indeed appears to be their element, and all the towns on the coast are actively engaged in com. merce of different kinds. Many of their vessels go every year on whaling expeditions into the Pacific. They think nothing of a voyage round Cape Horn, and often sail up the North West coast even to Behring's Strait. Nantucket, a small island on the coast of Massa- chusetts, is inhabited entirely by persons engaged in the Whale fishery, some of whom have amassed considerable wealth. It is said that at their balls, no one can ask a young woman to dance, who has not, with his own hand, driven the harpoon into a whale. " Pass by the other parts, and look at the man- ner in which the people of New England have of late carried on the whale fishery. Whilst we fol- low them among the tumbling mountains, and behold them penetrating into the deepest frozen recesses of Hudson's Bay and Davis's Straits, whilst we are looking for them beneath the Arctic circle, we hear that they have pierced into the opposite region of polar cold, that they are at the fFhMe Fiihery. m antipodes, and engaged under the frozen serpent of the south. Falkland Wand, which seemed too remote and romantic an object for the grasp of national ambition, is but a stage and resting-place in thti prt)gre88 of their victorious industry. Nor is the equinoctial heat more discouraging to them than the accumulated winter of the poles. We know that while some of them draw the line and strike the hai^oon on the coast of Africa, others run the longitude, and pursue their gigantic game along the coast of Braail. No sea that is not teied by their fisheries ; no climate that is not witness to their toils. Neither the perseverance of Holland, nor the activity of France, nor the dexterous and firm sagacity of English enterprise, ever carried this most perilous mode of hard indus- try to the extent to which it has been pushed by this recent people— a people who are still as it were in the gristle, and not yet hardened into the bone of manhood." * This splendid culogium on the enterprise of the New Bnglanders is not undeserved ; and paints in glowing colours that activity, which since the time of Burke has continued to increase, and which so strongly characterises the people of those States. * Burke's speech on conciliation with America. 470 Education. CHAPTER XXVII. KDUCATION. There is nothing that is more worthy the at- tention of a traveller than the system of education pursued in the whole of the United States, and particularly in New England. Classical learning may perhaps be rather too much neglected, though this is much better than the exclusive attention that is paid to it in the public Schools of England ; for I am sure I do not exaggerate, when I say, that out of ten boys leaving Eton, not more than one, in my time, could solve the simplest question in the rule of three, and many not even a sum in compound multiplication. Dr. Franklin has very properly observed, that classical learning should be taught when the mind is more mature, and when this learning can be obtained at half the labour usually bestowed upon it. Our English system is a remnant of the venerable old Monkish Institutions : for when the English supposed that Latin was the only language which the Almighty understood, it was of course proper for every good Christian to be able at least to read it. But times have altered strangely; " nous avons change tout cela ; " and the Deity condescends now to pay just as much attention to our 'oravers as ever^ althouo'li we may address him in the unclassical dialects of Yorkshire or Somerset. Education, 471 It would be amusing to trace the orthodox sys- tem of education which is inflicted upon our Eng- lish youth. No sooner does the boy after much labour and many tears acquire a little knowledge of Latin, than he is set down invitft Minervft to write verses in that language. " Poeta nascitur, non fit ; " yet a boy incapable of writing Latin verses, is looked down upon with the utmost con- tempt, by the erudite masters and the more hap- pily gifled pupils. Indeed the writing nonsense verses, which precedes that of writing others erro- neously called sense, is no doubt a highly intellec- tual employment, and amply deserving a year's labour — the time usually devoted to it ! But after all, what is produced by these young « verse smiths and bard mechanicians?" A few copies of tolera- ble verses are indeed given to the world in the Musae Etonenses ; but it is unfair to judge of the produce and cultivation of a whole farm, from a few flowers picked up in the comer of one of the fields. Though in the United States the number of schools of the higher order is comparatively few, and though the system pursued is by no means perfect, yet every day a rapid improvement is taking place. The Masters are not, as in England, bigoted to any particular system, but are anxious to adopt any obvious improvements, in order that their method of education may correspond with the advance of knowledge, and with the wants of an enlightened people. m EilHcathm. But Hchools for the totftmon people are of greater importanco than those for the rich ; and hence the Americans, and the New Englandcrs in particular, arc worthy cf( the highest admiration. I took some pains to obtain information on this subject ; and should have been tempted to have given my own observations in my own words, had I not seen an article in a late number of the North American Review, that contains information which I can corroborate ftom my own Inquiries. I shall there- fore make some copious extracts from it, being well aware that the learned reviewer has put the subject in a tnuch stronger and clearer light than I could. * In the system of laws of the c6lony of New Haven (now part of Connecticut), published in the year 16A6, the following are the provisions for children's education.* <* It is ordered that the deputies for the particu- lar court in each plantation within this jurisdiction, for the time being, or, where there are no such depu< ties, the constable, or other officers in public trust, shall from time to time have a vigilant eye over their brethren and neighbours within the limits of the said plantation : that all parents and masters do duly endeavour, either by their own ability and labour^ or by improving such schoolmaster or other helps and means as the plantation doth afford, or the family may conveniently provide ; that all their children and apprentices, as they grow capable, may through God's blessing obtain at least so much Etkcathn, m iMuming u to be able to road the ScriptUroi aodotliof good and ptofiUblc printed booki in the English tongue, being their native language,** Itc. « Parents and Waiters, found to negkct tliis duty, were, on the first complaint, to be fined ten shillings ; on th« second complaint, three months afW the first, twenty shillings, on the thinl complaint, they wew to be fined still higher, or their children or apprcn. tioes to be taken fbm them, and put under the care of others, males till twenty-one, and females till eighteen years of age. * In the Colony of Connecticut, the laws respect- ing schools seem not to have been materially differ* eut In the laws of that colony, published in tha year 1672, eight years after the Union of Connec* ticut and New Haven, there is a provision on the subject of education, very similar in its language to that we have just copied from he first New Haven code. It is there ordered, that, " the select men of every town in their several precincts and quar- ters, shall have a vigilant eye over their brethren and neighbours, to. the end that none of them shall suffer so much barbarism in any of their families, as not to cndeavoiu", by themselves or others, ijo teach their children and apprentices so much learn* ing, as may enable them perfectly to read the English tongue," &c. The penalty for the neglect was twenty shillings. In the same code it is ordered, that every town, containing fifty householders, shall forthwith appoint one, within th^ir town, to teach w Education. til tuch OS thall rcRort to him, to write and rrad, whofo wages iiliall be paid cither by the parents or masters of suuh children, or by the inhabitants in general, as the niajor part of those who order the prudentials of the town shall appoint," &c. It is further provided, " that in every county town, there shall be set up and kept a grammar-school, for the use of the county, the master thereof being able to instruct youths so far, as they may be fitted for College." • In 1677, to render the existing law respecting schools more effectual, it was enacted, " that every town by the same law ordered to keep a school, that shall neglect the same above three months in the year, shall forfeit five pounds for every defect, and the said fine shall be paid towards the main- tenance of the Latin school in their county ; all breaches of this law to be taken notice of, and pre- sented by the Grand Jury at every County Court." The following year the number of families in a town, obliged to maintain a public school, was reduced from fifty to thirty. * It appears that notwithstanding the several penalties for neglect of maintaining schools, the laws on this subject were not universally executed ; as in the year 1690, we find an additional statute, which, after reciting in the preamble that there were still « persons unable to read the English tongue, and thereby incapable to read the holy word of God, or the good laws of the colony," Education. 475 among other (vrovitioni, conUini the following; '* thftt the grand jurymen, in each town, do once a year, at leaat, visit each family they stiRpcct to neg« Icct this order [to teach their children and servants * to read distinctly the Knglish tongitc*], and satisfy themselves whether all children under age, and servants in such suspected families, can read the Knglish tongue, or he in a good procedure to Icam the same or not ; and if they find any such children or servants not taught, as their years arc capable of, they shall return the names of the parents or masters of said children or servants, to the next county court," &c. The penalty is twenty shillings ** for each child or servant wliosc teaching is or shall bo neglected contrary to this order." ' In the year 1700, a law was passed, which placed the common schools of Connecticut on the foundation where they continued, with little varia- tion, till the establishment of the present fund. It was then required, that in every town, having se- venty or more householders, a constant school should be kept, and when there were less than seventy, a school should be kept half the year. It was like- wise enacted, that the inhabitants of every town should pay forty shillings on every thousand pounds of taxable property, estimated according to a rule prescribed by the legislature in their general system of taxation, for the support of the schoolmaster, to be collected with the public or county tax ; and if any town failed to provide a schoolmaster according Bit' m EdneaOoUk to Itw, tbiii tum wM to lie oollfoleil Md iwid to the oounty trwwiiiry, mi a flno upon tticii nrgUgtiit towu. Wh«ra thii fund wnii iniulHcicnl td fupporl the Khoult the dofldency Wjw to he made up, nn»i half bjr the inhabitanU of the town, and the other half by the parents or maatori of the ohildron. hf % lubeequent law, towns and ecolotiaatical locietiea were empowered to divide themiiolvci into diitriotl« and to alter the naino ; and each diatrict waa om titled to its proportion of thu public money, for tUt support of its ichool. * From what is known oi the state of the Mhoola, M well as from universal tradition, it appears that the lawg were now rigidly executed ; a school waa brought to every man's door ; the poor, and even the slave, were always within the reach of instruc- tion ; and hence, for more than a century, in (Jon* ncoticut, a native of mature age, who in the lan« guago of the old statutes, " was unable to read the English tongue," has been looked on as a prodigy. • It is not therefore surprising, in this state of public sentiment in Connecticut, that whatever funds littvo been ot any time at the disposal of the legislature, have been, witli few and inconsiderable exceptions, appropriated to the support of common ■chools. ' In the year 1733 the avails of the sale of seven new townships in the western part of the colony were divided among the towns ; the interest to be applied to the support of common schools for ever. i'Wwcolioii. W In tht ytfur 1706 cerUin tumi ot' inthBt all attempts to iiv* flucncc it hy temporal punishments or burdens, or by civil ineapacities, tend only to beget habits of hypocrisy and meanness ;>— that the impious pre- sumption of legislators and rulers, civil as well as eoclcsiastical, who being themselves but fallible men have assumed dominion over the faith of oUiers, setting up tlieir own opinions as tlic only true and infallible, and as such endeavouring to impose them on others, hath established and main- tained false religions over tho greatest part of tlie earth aud through all time; — that to compel a man to furnish contributions of money for the propagation of opinions he disbelieves, is sinful and tyrannical ; — that our civil rights have no depend- anoe on our religious opinions, more than our opinions on physics, or geometry ; — and that there- fore the proscribing any citiEcn, as unworthy the public confidence, by laying upon him an incapa- city of being called to offices of trust md emolu- ment, unless he profess, or renounce, this or that religious opinion, is depriving him injuriously of those privil^es and advantages to which in com- mon with his fellow citizens be has a natural right." After enacting the most complete religious free- dom, the aet concludes with this admirable obser- \'ation : — " And though we well know that this assembly, elected by the people for the ordinary purposes of legislation only, has no power to re- ReUgUm, W itnin the aoU of succeeding oMembltes, constituted with powers equal to our own ; and that therefore to declare this act irrevocable, would be of no effect in law ; yet we are free to declare, and do declare, that the Rights hereby asserted, are the natural Rights of Mankind, and that if any act shall be hereafter passed to repeal the present, or to narrow its operation, such act will be an infringe- ment of Natural Right." * Maryland was the lost to adopt Religious Equa- lity ; but this State, yielding to public opinion, has now abolished the acts, that placed under certain civil incapacities a race of men, who have for agcK been much persecuted and calumniated. The Jews, instead of being respected for the firmness, with which, even under the most horrible perse- cutions, they have adhered to the faith of their forefathers, have been oppressed, and almost placed out of the pafe of the law, in nearly every country of Europe. I recollect when at school at Eton, asking an old Jew who sold oranges, why he had never embraced Christianity ; and his reply made a great impression on me, and induced me to look upon the Jews with much more respect than before. *♦ I despise," said he, " any man who quits the feith of his fathers, merely because it is abused by the ignorant and bigoted." The United States have been the first to throw * From the Virtnnian act for the freeflom of reH^ious wnr= shipi passed in 178(). 488 Religion. uiF the prejudices entcrtAined against thii unhappy people, and to admit them to all the Rights en- joyed hy their fellow-citizens. Thus Mr. M. Noah of New York, a gentleman of great abilities, was a year or two ago elected high sheriff of that city, in spite of the opposition of some fanatics, who op)X}8ed him from his being a Jew. I am surprised that all who profess the Hebrew faith do not emi- grate to the United States, as they would there not only bo free from civil incapacities, (particu- larly as regards landed property,) but would even find tliemselvcs eligible to the highest offices in the Republic. Every sect, of which there are probably as many in the United States as there are in Great Britain, supports its own ministers, and regulates its own ecclesiastical concerns. The Episcopalians and the Catholics have Bishops, and are, I believe, the only sects that support such dignitaries. When any set of men professing a particular creed are in want of a church, they build one by subscription, and give the profits, arising from the pews or seats, to the clergyman they may appoint. These profits, in addition to a certain fixed salary, form the in- come of the clergyman, who in general finds this sufficient to live upon, and often enough to sup- port him even in affluence. The two sects that are the most enlightened and liberal are the Episcopalians and the Unitarians, STiii uOtu lire m COnsc^UuuCC ^lum^ grOuuu. rm._ Religion, 489 Epiicopaliwig Imvc left out «onic of the more myg- tcrious of our thirty-nino articlei ; ond have ex- punged from their prayer books, that most incom- prehcuRiblc of all orthodox compoBitioiw, the Atha- uasiau ('rocd. Mr. Duncan, who has lately published his travels in the United States (a book which from the num- ber of skeletons of sermons given in it, might be called a preaching tour), has thought fit to speak ill of the Episcopalians. It appears that he heard a worthy clergyman of that church say when preach- ing : " I believe that all who sincerely desire to do the will of God, will be received by him ; and I should shrink with horror, from consigning Jews, Arians, and Socinians, to indiscriminate perdi- tion." • Mr. Duncan piously sneers at this friend of tole- ration; and tells us, that by holding such opinions, the Episcopalians show, that it is not Christianity which they are anxious to extend, but merely their own church. In the name of the Episcopalians, I beg leave to thank the liberal Mt. Duncan for his very charitable insinuation. The Roman Catholics are not very numerous in the United States; and the following anecdote (which I report as it was related to me by a gentleman) may tend to prove, that some persons among them are disposed to be wiser, than in the good old times. * Duncan's Travels, vol. ii. mere 3fi4. 490 BeiigUm. Mr. Uof^, the officUlttifr pricrt In the Cttholic ctthedfAl lit Phihwlflphia, ^ve great offinioe to th« scaloui, liy leaving out aonie of the more al^ »urd iNirta of thdr Hitual. Tho Hiiihopi, flntl. ing that he was ohntinotc in \m error, fulminated Mgainit him the fientmce of excommunication. Thin sentence, which curied crcry individual member in Mr. Hognn'a body, from the hair of his head down to his toe-nails, was printed in most of the journals of the day, in one of which I nad it Mr. Hogan, however, kid the whole ease before his congregation, who desired him to set at nought the aforesaid sentence. Being supported by the majority of the subscribers who had built the cathe- dral, Mr. Hogan continued to officiate. The Ca- tholic Bishops then applied to the Pope, who also excommunicated Mr. Hogan ; and some fanatics, several of whom were Irishmen, animated by this sacred diploma, seized upon the Cathedral, and pr&. vented Mr. Hogan from officiating. Upon this, the whole affair was laid before the judicial court of the State of Pennsylvania, which in conformity with the law of the United States, decided that the [Kjople who built the Cathedral, had a right, not only to apiwint their own officiating priest, but even if they pleased to change then- phicc of worship, one day into a mosque, and the next doy into a bam, or, in other words, to do what they liked with it." All tliis made a great noise at the time ; Relif(itm, 491 wid juiit before I left the United Httttei, I wu in- ibmit^ that the (irtnd Jury of Philadelphia had preicnted the Pope m a nuifinnce, for havinf( Htirrcd up contention among the peaceable inhnbitanta of their city, and for haying interfered in the ipiritual conccmii of the United Ktatci. The reader may itnaginc tlic ridicule which this occasioned. The lect which has increased faster than any other U that of the UnitarianR, who now constitute a large majority of the inhabitants of IJoston. In- deed all the New Kngland Htatcs, which were once the strong holds of the prcsbyterians and puritans, are now rapidly lapsing into that heresy. In the Western States, however, there arc still not only many puritans, who would have l>een wor- thy members of the Parliament, delicately ydepcd the Rump ; but the • o arc also many Prcsb^'tcrians, who might have even been fit associates for the mild and amiable Balfour of Bnrlcy. I recollect once, in Kentucky, passing an even- ing at the house of a good blue-stocking prcsby- tcrian, who talked the whole time about predesti- nation, grace, the five points, &c., and who also proved to mc in the clearest manner possible, from several printed works on the subject, that the Mil- Icnnium, will commence in the year 1834. Beyond the AUeghanics, Methodism exists in all its glory. There, at periodical seasons, the elect march into the woods, and hold what are called ("amp Meetings, every body taking a quantity of 499 Religioff. provision/ and many families transporting them- selves in small waggons, under which they can sleep. One of these meetings, at which many thoasands are often assembled, and which com- monly last for several days, fills the spectator with the utmost alarm and wonder. An Indian war-dance is a bagatelle to it, and I verily believe that it exceeds the wildest orgies of the Bacchanalians or the Corybantes. Some might think, that in the extraordinary fer- voiu: of religious enthusiasm, and in the constant triumph, as it were, of the Spirit, the frequenters of Camp Meetings would entirely lay aside the lusts of the flesh : but this is not the case. The Devil it would seem has power even over these devout men ; for at the expiration of nine months, the population of the State is surprisingly, though ille- gitimately, increased. But for fear I should be suspected of exaggera- tion, though I were to relate only what I myself have seen at a Camp Meeting, I shall extract the following account from the American Methodist Magazine for 1819, and merely premise, that the picture which the writer has drawn of the orgies of his own sect, gives a very faint idea of the original. ** * At first appearance, these meetings exhibited nothing to the spectator unacquainted with them, * American Methodist Magazine, for 1819, page 224. Religion, 498 but a scene of confusion, such as could scarcely be put into human language. They were generally opened with a sermon ; at the close of which, there would be an universal outcry, some bursting forth into loud ejaculations of prayer, or thanksgiving for the truth ; others breaking out into emphatical sentences of exhortation; others flying to their careless friends, with tears of compassion, beseech- ing them to turn to the Lord ; some struck with terror, and hastening through the crowd to make their escape, or pulling away their relations ; others trembling, weeping, crying out for the Lord Jesus iA) have mercy upon them, fainting, and swooning away, till every appearance of life was gone, and the extremities of the body assumed the coldness of death ; others surrounding them with melodious songs, or fervent prayers for their happy conversion; others collected into circles round this variegated scene, contending with arguments, for and against the Work. This scene frequently continued with- out intermission for days and nights together. " At these meetings many circumstances trans- pired well worth relating, and very interesting; but it would overleap our limits to narrate them. One at this time must suffice. At Indian Creek, a boy, from appearance about twelve years of age, retired from the stand in time of preaching, under a very extraordinary impression ; and having mounted a log at some distance, and raising his voice in a very aftecting. manner, he attracted the main body of the 'J I 40i Reiigton, people in a very few minutei. With team atreanu ing from his eyes, he cried aloud to the wicked, warning them of their danger, denomidng their certain doom if they persisted in their sins, expres- sing his love to their souls, and desire that they Would turn to the Lord and he saved. He was held up by two men ; and spoke for about an hour with that convincing eloquence that could be in- spired only from above. When his strength seemed quite exhausted, and language failed to describe the feelings of his soul, he raised his hand, and dropping his handkerchief wet with sweat from his little face, cried out, * Thus, oh sinner, shall you drop into hell, unless you forsake your sins and turn to the Lord ! ' At that moment some fell, like th6se who are shot in battle, and the Work spread in a manner that human language cannoi; describe." " * At one of these meetings (at Cabin Creek) the scene was awful beyond description. Few, if any, escaped wi^.hout being affected. Such as tried to run from it weie frequently struck on the way ; or impelled, by some alarming signal, to return. No circumstance at this meeting appeared more striking, than the gi'eat numbers that fell on the third night; and to prevent their being trodden under foot by the multitude, they were collected together, and laid out in order on two squares of * Continued at page S7S of the sauie watk. RtUgioH. 4BS the iileetmg.houie, till a connderabld part of the floor was covered. " But the great meeting at Caneridge exceeded all The number that fell at this meeting was * reckoned at about three thousand, among whom were several Presbyterian ministers, who according to their own confession, had hitherto possessed only a speculative knowledge of religion. One of the most zealous and active Presbyterian ministers, es- timated the number collected on the ground at twenty thousand souls. At this meeting, as well as at all others, wherever the Work broke out, the Methodists appeared to be more active and more in their element, than any other people. Indeed when it first appeared in most of the congregations, other ministers were so alarmed, not knowing what to make of it, that they would have deserted it, and their own meetings too, had they not been en- couraged by the Methodists. But they soon joined, and moved forward cordially in the Work. Hav- ing been thus inured and prepared, this great meeting brought on a general engagement. It was necessary that such a concourse should be scattered over a considerable extent of ground; of course there were several congregations formed in different parts of the encampment, for preaching and other religious exercises. Nor were they at a loss for pulpits : stumps, logs, or tops of trees, served as temporary stands from which to dispense the word of life. At night the whole l&cene was awfiilly I ill 496 Religion. sublime. The ranges of tents, the fires reflecting light amidst the branches of the towering trees ; the candles and lamps illuminating the encamp- ment ; hundreds moving to and fro, with lights or torches, like Gideon's army ; the preaching, pray- ing, shouting, all heard at once, rushing from dif- ferent parts of the ground, like the sound of many waters, was enough to swallow up all the powers of contemplation. Sinners falling, shrieks and cries for mercy, awakened in the mind a lively appre- hension of that scene, when the awful sound shall be heard: * Arise, ye dead, and come to judg- ment.'" These then are the people, who not only would deprive the Indians of their pure unadulterated theism, but who send Missionaries even into the remote parts of Asia, and who, though their own orgies exceed in absurdity every thing ever done by conjuror, priest, or Mumbo-Jumbo, among the most uncivilized nations, pretend that they alone are the elect of God, and blaspheme his holy name by saying that He inspires their abominable fanaticism ! The friends of an established state religion, and of the impracticable doctrine of Uniformity, may point to the scene above described, and suggest that it proves the want of a national church. I would however desire them to look at home, and see if the Methodists, Jumpers, Ranters, and Mug- gletonians of England, are not almost or fully as (( neHgMh m eiiiteiiiptibl0'iti iAu4r hhthni: ImMiiw H Aknemm I wmdd Al8» Appeal to ef^ one wh© hul re«d iri»f tofy, Md who if aeqnaitited with the pngtem d/t iuj»ef8titfoh and rdUgious enthmriaam, Whether the alttempt tO]lutdoWni6bh extranragsnces by toerdon/ Of fn othfer tfoirda^ bjF pkatetttion, hta not always ittodtieed the contrai^ Effect, vfe. that of stven^eh** 'A« fa th4 d«ie in Englana; the United Stittes ab6ond in MtfctetieB for propagatihg Christianity vi fiM-eigffil part«< (ind ftir distrihtting Ufalet and prayer IWks* ff)» piir«its()«eti«8h8veraniificiitioB«aU 6^ tW «(si«ittt/y^ mde Island} and is a flourishing town, containing, according to the last census, ;i 1,7^7 inhabitants. Thel exterioE of the houses in thi^ neighbourhood, as well as throughout the whole of New ^P^ngland* is so neatly painted, that the inhabitants may be suppotied firm believers in the old Dutch prov^b, that ''pfdnt costs. nothing." Mai^y indeed of tho houses, which I Saw in Massachusetts, w:ere neater in this reject, than eveiithosey which attrac^d my admiration, when I was travelling on the canals near Amsterdam, ,{fji;fcu'f ^l-.ni id h^m^i hun n^nn ,'«At. Providence I iwent on board the steam*? boat, and descended the beautifid bay of Nanra- ganset. Newport, at which we touched, is cele- brated for the beauty of the women; and certainly to judge from the few specimens I saw, this dia- racter is very well deserved. Indeed the women of New England are as superior to those of the other States in beauty, as they are in education. ■, After sailing down Long Island Sound I again landed at New York. Here I embarked on board 2K2 m ijJfi^ntNlM 0!AtffVfitK one of the packet ships for Liverpool : and with- out meeting with any circumstance worth men- tioning returned to my native rountry. But be- fore I conclude the account of niy Transatlantic travels, the reader may say to me : " Now that you Ilav6 id lb Hit, that the people were kiiid ahd ho8>- pHkbl^t thiit tHc itiannerd of thb higher dasseij #(gr^ iibairly ^ ^Ikhed tt6 eoiild be found in liny Eliropedh ibveakrfi and that the name of ah EngHshmah, far froib provoking insult, wds a cer- tiiii p^s|)drt t6 th^ kindness and attention of every vae*" -t.-M' - i v^/ S :i S 4m€ri^0n, (^m^. m 4t tjrc iiiinfl time wo mm^ recoHectr t|ifft #ii t)i# J^pulilic of the United .States cxtent^H througl) IW^ty-threc degrcci of latitu4e, the f^e^s of th^ peq>]^ inlitbiting (liferent piria e«i|no^ ,of co^se |)o t^e wme everywhere. Thu». the >yhit^ inhabitants of ^be Southorn a^d ^lave-holding States are high-spirited, fiery, ancj in^petuoiw, wHl| *l>ffiw|ty restraining ^bejr passions, an4 possessing ap those characteristics (many of tjiem very odiojus) that mark Uic s^avo-ho^er. In those States no one deigns to work, and the gentry or wealthy planters occupy their ^me in sporting, and parti- cularly in horse-racing and cock-ipghtmg. They also indulge in the pleasures of t|ie ta|)H jnuqjt» wore than their Northern fe|low-citiaens, , ,,fo iJl At the revolution indeed, an^ fo;r some time ^ftcrit, the l^uthern States produced nearly ,i^|i the men o^ education and abilities ; for the wealtjiy planters generally gave their sons an excellent edu- cation, and frequen% even sent them to travej and study in Europe. The young men also, certain of inheriting a good fortune, and never entering injto any profession, had plenty of leisure to jmprovc tliemselves in knowledge; and were enajbled to devote the whole of their lives, towards the culti- vation and increase of the information they ha4 obtained in their youth. Hence they enjoyed, a great advantage over the laborious illhabiia^ts of the Northern States, who, with less wealth and leisure, were obliged to occupy t^ienui^jyeMRiwW m A^tHieim Chdfiet&, mechAnicAl employiricnti. But ft chitige Hai now tftkHi place; and the fVcc Statcf have become the ntoit Wealthy, and at the lamc time ihe ihoet learned and enlightened. To what Mn thfa chan^ be owing, but to the luperiority df Liberty o^er Slavery ? Yet Whatever the cause may bi^i the inhabitants of tlic free States arc not only much less impetuons, ahd mUch more cautious than th^ Southerners, biit arb also superior t6 them in m6^ rality, and perhaps even in politeness nnd urbanity of manners. Ohc thing that I could not hdlp remarking wlih regard to the Americans in general, is the total want of all those games and sports that obtained for our country the appellation of " Merry Eng- land." Although children usually transmit stories aiid sports from one generation to another, and although many of our nursery games and talcs are supposed to have -been imported into England in the vessels of Hengist and' Horsa,* yet our bre- thren in the United States seem entirely to have foi^tten the childish amusements of our common ancestors. In America I never saw even the school-boys playing at any game whatsoever. Cricket, foot'ball, quoits, &c., a])pear to be utterly unknown : and I believe that if an American were to see grown-up men playing at Cricket, he would express as much astonishment, as the Italians did * Vide the piefaou to that pretty little work, " German Ffljitaar Storiea." Amerkan Charact^. m when ■ome Engliihtnen |»lAy«d At thit flttfti of til ganiei, in th« Caincina at Florence. Indeed that Joyoui fi|nrit, which, in otir eountry, animates not only ehildhodd, but aliM inattirer tge, can rarely or ntrrer be «eeii wnmg tiie inhabitanta of the United Stat*f^''''''''''''**'f ''*'" >""»"»'"<' ^'f'' 'iff'i «» fi '*"!« bai hecn t^emibrkcd by almost every 6nc, that the Atnerioans have a great propensity to boaif i and mony of this wovkg, written ton the iitib|#ct of the late war with Gr<»at Britain, i^imish abundant prooft of this national defect: I am pc^ectly wilU iiiH^ to grant that they had great reason to be pfoud of having maintained their rights against so mu«h more powerful a nation ; but they have certainly eifhibited strong symptomK of vanity, in re^Vre* senting all their own wnrriors as heroes, and all those of Oreat Britain as cowards. Tlitis some nameless skirmish on the Caridian frontier has been compared to Plataa or Marathon; and the victory gained by Captain Perry on Lake Erie, Vherfr he took a flotilla carrying in all scarcely as many guns as a large frigate, has been rqjresented as equal to that gained by Lord Nelson, wlien he annihilated the whole naval force of hostile Europe at Trafalgar^ i^ ^'"oi ^ 'i Jiiioms In the beginning of the year 1823 Commodore Porter, having been sent to take command of the small squadron employed against the Rrates in tl^e Gulf of Mexico, stopped for a day or two at Ml iMmoiinKl by * imblk ainint, nOa in JMp flMfcli, lO^r hi* lieftlth hml been Onink : " It if iiUy nccieMury t>.. r v....~ u^ ^AA A ..^i-u < 11/^11 d06 AiMPkati Chofacier, ■ii^/'lMBhbttM never hate gufip^edthiit; for you •pe^k Englifil* as oorrecty m An Amcricaii.'*' - " >' ' 'A» ftw Jiersofls hAveM yet vigited Airterifcn, ex^ oept flome mcA of exireittdly moderate edueation, awd whose national prejudices have lievei* been removed hy previous travelling, we muut noli be lurpHsed thit they found fault with every tej^ diflferent^ from wha« they were accustomed to. Ig^iOrant of men or manners, never having been in good society in England, Mid from their Want of introductions unlikely to be admitted into good society in America, thcfr * Smell-fungus" travel- lers have passed their time at the most inferior sortof ta(?em8» and often at the pot-houses of the frontiewi They have then come home, and givert a book io ihe world, purporting to be a fair view of the people of jthe United 8tates^ ^f nj v;i V) Nowvlet aiiiy one suppose that an American ffcrmei-* ebtnitag to llngland, with the intention of settlin^^ in? Nbrth\m[iberland or Lanrashii*, were to rpass Mb time at low innft or alehouses, which in *il" countries are the head*quarters of rudenesR, vice, add profligacy; and that in addition he were to* select some of the worst descriptiton of 8torieii/fr6m' the newspapers, what a pretty set of ^ateriakr he Would thus obtain for writing a fair ittd unpi^judioed account of the people of Great Britain !-^His Journal would probably not be very different fSrom the feflowing. ^ > .h-f ■M'/if ' ii)r« }yi-iK\ Am&iean Characiek Mt '••'July «0.--4Stbppedttt Mr. N*s Irni, oft thetodA losO— i./^here I ^As very Iwtdly treated, had *' filthy dinner, ind was charged eight ihiliidg* ^<^ it. Mr. N. Wkft th6 Head'gtimeke^pcr of agteat prdJ)ri6tor in thiA jitot 'of the iioufttry, ahd haii teti placed in his present situation in ref^atd fOr hi* ieal in Ojjpressing the poor of thfe neighbourhood. As att' itfstance I may mention, that having oti^ day found a than'with'a dog On one of his master's fields, he carried^ htm before aclcrical inrfgistrat<^ in the ncighbouiliootl, and swore t.iat ti^ suspdcted the poor lUan of an intention' of " poaching'." Thife word, which we do not understand On oUr ride Of the Atlantic, hieans the killing a wild hare or bird. The Clergymaii immediately fined' the unhappy hian £5 ittt comrtiitting a trespass, and AS ho Wa* too jpoOr to pay it, he was sent by the hUmaUe magistrate fOr two moiiths to the treJadttiill, ttrtd(^r a new act called the Trespass act."' tm%um* %mii^ " 21.— In the paper of to day is ah account of the escape of a certain dignitary of thO church from Justice. He Was taken up for committing a horri- ble crime. Now if a bishop could be guilty of thifii I leave my countrymen to sup])ose what must be the general character of the English Clergyi^ '^ '*' ' « 22. — AH I have seen of this nation, proves theni to be uncivilized and brutal in the extreme. Only imagine any of our niembers of Congress, going to see two poor men beat one another almost to death m 4mm9m * These amiable productions of national hatred deserve to be pUced on the same shelf with the works of Ashe, Fearon, and Welby. ,^„ u,: '. -LjThe people of EngUrid are howevet beginning to view the United States in a fairer light, and in common with the Americans themselves, seem at last disposed to treat all such calumnious |>ublica- tions: with merited contempt. '•' viumt ' J*or my own part, although I^tot to America ftsll i)f prejudice against the nation, yet 1 ^returned jwith very different impressions, having been always treated with the most unbounded hospitality and kindness. I am confident, that when many en- Jigbtened travellers have viated thait gr^ Repub- lic, Englishmen will begin: to esteem and respect, a people, connected .with them,, not only by Ian- ?- rii Tlus, which is a disgrace to^he secretary both in point of laagtj^and matter, was printed at Washington in July, 1821 ; and would afford a fine treat to the Quarterly. . American Characltr, Bll guage, manners, and laws, but also, by that strongest of all ties, Mutual Interest. In contem- plating the grand spectacle afforded by this rising, though as yet only infant nation, every unpreju- diced Englishman must rejoice, when pointing to it he can exclaim— -This was founded by my coun- trymen ! THE END. C. Baldwin, Printer, New Bridm^treet. London. ffa .ishft-^TiAO itft'>it^wK .aHft airr #•■ : * * •,v')H ' / P^ Lin «7 13 S9 2 m 25 117 26 122 16 180 26 181 4 252 11 277 25 307 11 3Gl 12 ERRATA. /or eighty-four read thirty-four. Jor Verona read Vienna. for or of read on. for 1817 read 1811. - a/ler rapid iWerf part. 26 ^ long rearf log. ^ for uninhabited read uninhabitable. Jor and read they. for them rearf him. ybr in read of. ^view rearfplan.