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Wand'ring from clime to clime observant stray'a, Their manners noted, and their states survey'd. s^-: Pope. IN TWO VOLUMES. VOL. I. NEW- YORK: PrOLUSHED BY J. & J. HARPER, NO. 82, CLIFF-SrnEET. AND SOLD UV THE PRINCIPAL DOOKSELLERS THROITUHOUT THE UNITED STATES. M DCCC XXXIII. h] n HIS GRACE THE DUKE OP RUTLAND, KG., &C. &('., Ctltfl Volutat IS BY PERMISSION DEDICATED, WITH KINCEIIB HE»PE(;T, »Y HI8 grace's VEHT ODEDIRNT ANO MUCH OlItlOBn SfRVAKT, THE AUTHOR. ' / PREFACE. Feeling dissatisfied with the various statements which have issued from the press in such rapid suc- cession within the Uist two or three years, respecting tho United States, and being convinced that much yet remained to be learned relative to that part of tho vast Western Continent, I came to tho determination of availing myself of a short leave of absence from my military duties to cross the Atlantic, and inform my- self more fully upon the subject. Afler travelling over 2000 miles of the most inte- resting districts, and visiting the principal Atlantic cities in the United States, I extended my tour through an equal distance in tho British provinces. As my only object in publishing the following narrative is to contribute, in however small a degree, to the knowledge already possessed of those countriei which are so fust rising into importance, I hope that 1 shall not lay myielf open to a charge of presumption. In the following unpretending pages, I profess only to give an unbiassed and impartial statement of what came under my own observation. My remarks are confined to those things which require but a short re- iidence in a country ; and, merely pointing out som« X PREFACE. f of the most interesting objects and places of greatest historical note, I leave the full definition of Republican, National Republican, Federalist, NulHfier, Democrat, and all the other various shades and sects of the political world, to those who have made state affairs their study. . I much regretted that circumstances would not per- mit a longer stay in so attractive a portion of the globe, and do not hesitate to recommend those who are at a loss how to kill time during the summer months to mnkc a similar trip. If their expectations are not too sanguine, they will be amply repaid for the slight inconvenience of rough seas and rough roads, by not only becoming acquainted with an inte- resting people, but l)y the opportunity which will be fifTordcd tbciu of viewing some of the most stupcndouis natural curiosities as well as some of tbo finest speci- mens of art in the world. May 2, 1833. CONTENTS a- :y CHAP. I. PACE / 38—62 Set Bail from Liverpool — Emigrants on board — Man stow- ed away — Dr. Emmons's Fredoniad — Make land — Pilot — Enter the Delaware — Run aground — The Pee Patch Fort — Delaware City — (Quarantine Station — Mud Fort — Visit Philadelphia — Dearborn — RepubUcan Tavern- keeper 13—29 CHAP. II. Philadelphia— Hotels — Temperance Societies — Tlieatrc — Newspapers 30 — 37 CHAP. III. Charitable Institutions — Pennsylvania Hospital — West's Paiiitinfj; — Alms' House — Museum — Manimolh — Ma- jor Amlr«5 — Arcade — State House — Academy of Fine Arts — -Line-of-battle-ship — Water-works — Bridges — - Fire and Hose companies — United States' Bank . . . CHAP. IV. Volunteers and Militia — Sale of Stock — Railway — Ger- man Town — Tho Fire Knig— Ponu's Elm-tree — Ste- phen Girard — Churches — Markets — Streets — Peuihm- tiary S3— 67 CHAP. V. Diipartnro (Vom Philadolpiua — Steamers — Cliesapenke — BiUlimore — Monumuiils — Theatre; — Catliedriil — Alor- cliants' Hall — Beiiuiydf llio Females — Nfttiee at iho Hotel— General Ross— linHle of North Point — Leave Baltimore — Coaches — Bludonsburgh, Battle of— Arrive at Washington 68—82 CHAP. VI. Tho Capitol— Mr. Adams's Speech— Destrnet ion of Pul)- lie Buildiiif^s — Tripoli Monument — Member of C'on- i^ress drowned — Attom])t at Assassination— Mr. Law —Plan of tho City 83— IKJ CHAP. VII. Alexandria— Museum — Mount Vernon — Washintjton's Tomb — General Jackson— State and War Depart- muitl»— Captured Culuuri—Purlraiu of Indian Chiuf»— xu CONTENTS. Arsenal — Navy Yard— Georgetown — Ohio Canal — Falls of the Potomac 97—110 CHAP. VIII. Leave Washington — Musical German — Miserable Night i — Blue Ridge — Winchester — Harper's Ferry — Manu- factories of Arms — Descend the Potomac — Point of Rocks — Restless Niglit — Mississippi Captain — Rail- way — Cholera— Arrive at New- York Ill — 127 CHAP. IX. Day of Festivities — Description of City — Academy of Fine Artit — Niblo's Gardens — Witty Auctioneer — Churclies — Negro Dandies — Yankee Story — Justice of the Peace — Sam Patch's Leap— Deserted City CHAP. X. 128—147 Mrs.TroUopc — Captain Hall — Brother Jonathan's anger —Correct English 148—15$ CAAP. XI. Leave New- York — HcU-gatc — New-IIaven — Indignant Lady — ilcf^icide Judges — Yankee Nonchalance — Defi- nition of " Yankee " — -Hartford — -Archers — -Fire — Churches 156—164 CHAP. XII. Leave Hartford — Providence — Collcpfe — King Pliilip — Not, permitted to enter Now]>ort — Sinujc-concli Conver- sation — Yiuikoo Wit — Arrive lit Boston 165—179 CHAP. XFtl. Description of Boston — Washiiifrton's Statue — Museum — Funcuil llnll — Navy Yard — Bunker's Hill — Harvard Cojlctje — IMilUdani — Franklin — Leave Boston — Colo- nel (Joffe — BiMvuliful town — Asccntl Mount Ilolyoko Wcll-traiiicd Horse— upset in tin; Couch . . .". , 180—194 CHAP. XIV. Lebanon Springs- ~Shakers— Lrrture — Mother Ann — Black t iddlt rs — Troy — Hrhencctndy Cnllcp — Krio Canal — Driver thrown into the C'lnal — Falls of the Mohawk~Iu search of tile Hiililimo 195—809 CHAP. XV. Inquisitive Pnt-housr TCrcpcr — hilJsofTrrn'on— Shaking in ft Dearborn — WliilcNiionnmli hiNtilutioi\— -("Icrgy- maii'n Saiarv — Sunday Scliools — Tnsrarora Indians- Mail Bugs— Names of Towns «iO— iM V0^ y 97—110 '¥ 111— 127 SUBALTERN'S FURLOUGH. 128—147 148—155 CHAPTER I. Adieu, adieu ! my native shore, Fades o'er the waters blue. Hail Columbia! Btron. ^ONQ. 156—164 165— 17I» 180—194 95—209 As nothing can be more uninteresting to unprofes- sional readers, than a recapitulation of all the various changes of weather, the heavy saualls and gales, themore tedious long rolling calms, the dense fogs and dangerous icebergs (on the banks of Newfouudland), the passing sails, and, in short, the usual contents of a ship's log; I shall only briefly take notice of a few incidents con- nected with the voyage. After a detention of three days at Liverpool, owing to contrary winds with rough and boisterous weather, the packet ship, in which I had en- gaged a passage, hauled out of Prince's dock at daylight on the morning of the 33d of April, and stood down channel; but it was not until the fiflh dny from that time that we were clear of the southernmost cape of Ireland : a foul wind possessed, however, one redeeming quali- ty, by successively displaying the fine bold coast of the Emerald Isle, and the I had selected the New-York line of pac MO— 222 )icturosquo mountains of Wales. .Philadelphia in preference to the kets, and made some small sacri- fice to accommodation and society, from a sunposition that but few emigrants would be bound so far to the south* ward ; knowing full well, from previous experience, tht VOL. 1. — D. 14 A subaltern's furlough. great inconvenience of a crowded steerage. I was therefore much surprised to find that although a vessel of only 370 tons, she was carrying out 146 passengers in that part of the ship. I had.however, no cause to regret the choice I had made, as I found myself in an excellent seaboat with an active and experienced commander, who had already crossed the Atlantic seventy-six times; no trifling re- commodation to a pleasure-seeking passenger. The weather, for the season of the year, was unusually bois- terous, and the wind variable ; blowing scarcely for twen- ty-four hours in succession from any one point of the compass : but having a good stock of provisions and pleasant society on board, it mattered little to the cabin passengers (who were, with one exception, old sailors) which way the ship's head was ; but to the emigrants, an increasmg gale was a source of great tribulation and alarm; the deck resounding with their groans and prayers until it moderated. The captain and myself were walking upon deck one squally day, when seeing several of the steerage passengers sitting on the fore hatchway, exposed to every sea which came aboard, yet at the same time apparently regardless of it, we had the curiosity to ask them, what they were doing there, and why not below in their berths ? " Why sure now, Captain," said the spokesman, an Irishman, "and isn't it that we are waiting here, so that we will be ready to get into the boats, if the ship goes down ; for we know you wouldn't wait to call us." The weather itself was not more variable than their conduct: in a calm, the Welch and Irish kept the whole vessel in a uproar with their broils and fighting, which ever arose from national reflections ; and each man having brought a store of liquor on board with him, as part of his sea-stock, the combatants were generally more than half intoxicated : while in rough weather, the self-same parties woula be leagued together singing psalms, in which they were assisted by the English ana Scotch, who kept aloof dur- ing the storm of words and war of fists. Amongst the emigrants, however, were many respectable farmers, who, with their families, were about to seek their fortunes in the Now World ; but the majority were artificers, and A subaltern's FUHLOUOa. 1ft were )of dur- gst the s, who, lome few were men, who, if they could not make their fortunes, judging from outward appearances, could scarce- ly mar them. They were well equipped for the early commencement of operations in America, being burthen- ed with no such heavy baggage as bedding, trunks, wires, children, or even a change of apparel; and it was a matter of conjecture to many of us, how they could have procured sufficient money for the payment of their passage. A man obtained a free one in the fol- lowing, by no means uncommon manner : — The crew in overhauling the stores in the sail-room, a few days after we had put to sea, discovered him snugly stowed away with- , in the coil of a cable, and bringing him upon deck, he proved to be a great, broad-shouldered, ruddy-faced son of Erin, "a poor orphan," as he described himself, who hav- ing taken a drop too much of the cratur had found his way into the sail-room by accident, and fallen asleep, when the ship lay alongside the quay, and that his pro- visions were in his coat-pocket, which, upon due exami- nation, proved to contain only a solitary copper, and a dry crust of mouldy bread. Our worthy skipper put him in great bodily fear, by threatening to tie him up to the gangway, and after giving him a round dozen, to put him on board the first fishing-smack we met off the coast of Wales ; but it was merely a threat in terrorem, M the following day ho was duly initiated into all the rites and mysteries of Jemmy Ducks; and after being in- vested with full power and. command over that very requisite department, he became a most important and useful personage. Some scoundrel, however, relieved him of part of his charge, by administering a quantity of oxalic acid, which carried off all our stock of grunters at " one fell swoop." A woman, also, with the tact of her own sex, avoided detection until we had been a month at sea, and was only then discovered through the im- peachment of one of her follow-passengers. She had ffone quite on the opposite tack to the " poor orphan :" to far from courting concealment, she had ever been observ- ed to be cooking or loitering about the caboose, was the most noisy of all the females on board, and had once or twice even ventured upon the sacred limits of the 19 ▲ subaltern's furlovoh quarter-deck. So proud a bearing blinded every person on board; nor could any one have imagined, even when challenged with the fraud, but that she had paid her passage, so menacing and formidable an appearance she assumed, with her arms a-kimbo, and a contemptuous toss of the head. Although the captain keeps a sharp look out (there being a fine imposed upon ships carrying a greater number of passengers than the law admits, ac- cording to the tonnage), yet few vessels sail from Liver- pool without carrying more than their complement. Some- times an affectionate wife introduces her lord and mas- ter on board in the guise of a trunk filled with old clothes, or in a crate, as her stock of crockery, in which he is half smothered, and tossed about most unceremoniously, dur- ing the confusion attendant upon weighing anchor. Having anticipated a three weeks' passage, the few books I had brought on board were exhausted by the time we were half-way across the Atlantic ; and as a last resource, almost amounting to a fit of desperation, I ob- tained the loan of Dr. Emmons's " Fredoniad j or, In- dependence Preserved," from a fellow-pessenger, and toiled in a most persevering manner through at least ten of the almost interminable number of cantos (forty, I be- lieve) which compose the work ; but a series of gross li- bels upon the English nation, did not even possess suffi- cient mterest to make amends for the rest of such a dry, S rosing composition ; and after a few days I flung it own in despair, preferring to pass my time in watchmg the fleeting clouds by day, and the moon by night, to volunteering again upon such a forlorn hope. If the work was equally unprofitable to the author in a pecu- niary line, as it was to me, in point of information, he must have derived very little satisfaction from his lucu- brations. I never had the good fortune to meet with any of his countrymen who had thoroughly perused the work, so could not ascertain their opinion of its full value H3 an historical one. Of its impartiality, any one may judge from the following extract (one out of a hundred), descriptive of an interview between the British General Procter, and Indian Chief Tccumseh, in which the (or- mer says, k subaltern's fvrlouoh. n may idred), jleneral ihe (or- ••Brother! ourking*chief hath for you prepared, For eTery scalp an ample rich reward — Batter of those who b'eed, their skulls in sport, For we with them shall decorate our court At York, duebec, at Kingston." The wold is yours, what sort soe'er you bring, — Such IS the liberal promise of the king! There's no distinction of the price for kind — Sires, infants, mothers, virgins, lame or blind. Now, now's the offer'd time to crush the brood, To broil their hearts, and eat their flesh for food." Thrice happy indeed was I, when the green water once again making its appearance, showed that we were in soundings. The unusUal length of the voyage had not only been rendered extremely unpleasant by the num- ber, but also by the want of cleanliness in the steerage passengers, some of whom would not even breathe the fresh air upon deck, in moderate weather. On a fine, mild afternoon — ^the first we had been favour- ed with since the shores of England had sunk into the waves — ^there was a cry of "Land a-head'" from the fore-top gallant yard. Every one in an instant was upon deck, some for the first time during the voyage, and the rigging was covered with those who previously had not courage to mount the ladder of the hatchway. Every eye was in vain straiiied to gain a glimpse of the long- wished-for coast of America, and three cheers greeted the captain as he descended upon deck; the women crowd- ing round him, dancing ana singing, as though he had rescued them from some imminent danger. Many had certainly suffered much from that worst of all miseries, sea-sickness ; and those who had seen better days, from the company they were obliged to keep in the steerage ; where the small-pox and inflammatorv fever had broken out a few days after we had sailed from Liverpool, at- tacking mai'.y, and three or four persons fatally. Tho wind, however, which had been aying away for hours, now totally failed us, and it became a deaa calm. So our sole employment consisted in watching the move- ments of the innumerable sloops and small craft which where rolling about at the distance of some miles; and 18 A subaltern's FURLOUGir. I ijt ' which, whenever a slight air or cat's paw crossed them, appeared as if concentrating to one point, their heads tending to some great emporium of commerce. Two ex- ceptions to the above afforded much amusement. These proved to be rival pilot schooners, taking every possible advantage of flaws of wind and w'et sails, but still mak- ing little progress towards the ship which each was striv- ing to gain ; at last, however, our attention was attracted by a small black object, which appearing at intervals on the swell of a sea, was at first taken for a portion of the drift-wood which so thickly covers the Atlantic off the American coast ; but, upon examining it through a glass was found to be a small cutter, pulled by two men, and in the course of an-bur the victorious pilot stepped on board, having fairly outmanoeuvred his opponent. Every one pressed close round, asking him ten thousand sense- less questions ; but he was a man of few words, and all the information we could reap from him amounted to — •* that they had frost and snow in April;" and that "there, was a war in Congress." Having delivered thus much in a gruff tone of voice, he threw a bag of clothes from under his arm alongside the helm; and after passing a few minutes in looking up and scanning the rigging with a, seaman's eye, lay down upon a hencoop, and, over- powered by his exertions to reach the vessel, was soon last asleep. His appearance as a pilot was by means prepossessing; far different indeed from that of the hardy looking race of the English Channel, gaunt old man, with shoulders bent He was a tall, by the storms of some seventy years, and a face bronzed oy the sun until it resembled that of a copper-coloured Indian. I really Eitied him, as he tottered along the deck with one of his ands, which nad been jammed between the cutter and ship's side, to his mouth, and thought it high time that he was placed upon the retired list. The day being warm, he was attired in a thick white waistcoat, nankeen trowsers, originally blue, and a yellow painted canvass hat. I should judge that the captain was as little pleas- ed with the appearance of 'he man who had taken charge of the ship, as any one else ; for aAer asking in a signi- ficant and dry tone of voice, " if there were any more pilots on board the schooner," he descended into the cabin. J : .• ^v» A subaltern's furlough. Id a tall A light breeze springing up at midnight, the follov- ing morning showed us the tops of the trees and head- lands of the low coast of Maryland, suspended as it were in mid-air. Afler standing a few miles to the northward, by sun-set we made the capes of the Dela- ware. It was now the 25th of May, and the day, like the preceding one, was fine and clear, with a warm sun, the thermometer standing 90° in the shade : such a sud- den change in the atmosphere, together with the low, flat shore, forcibly reminded me of scenes in the East — the entrance to the Bay of Delaware resembling the mouth of the Hoogly or Iriwaddi rivers. The distance between Cape Henlopen, in Delaware, and May, in New Jersey state, is about fifteen miles. The coast near the latter Cape abounds with dangerous shoals and over- falls, and the navigation of the river is rendered very in^ tricate throughout by numerous sand-banks. After pass- ing between the two Capes, the river expands into a noble bay about thirty miles long, and thirty wide, when it again contracts to a width of two miles, and continues so with lit- tle variation up to Philadelphia. On the Henlopen side of the bay a large breakwater was commenced a few years since ; but instead of the foundation being laid upon the " Shears," a shoal running parallel with the land, it was placed in four fathom water between the two : thus, not only rendering the work more troublesome and expen- sive, but also contracting the harbour considerably, which has been formed into a receptacle for sand and mud, brought in by an eddy caused by this ill-judged plan. The pilot assured us that there was already less water by some feet than when the foundation was commenced. An officer of the American navy had recommended that it should be built upon the shoal, but his plan was re- jected, and the present one, that of a civil engineer, adopted ; by which, one of the finest harbour in the world appears in danger of being seriously damaged. The breakwater against the fury of the sea is to 1& a mile in length, with the upper end of the harbour pro- tected by an ice-breaker, so that vessels may ride in safety during the winter months : the latter was highly requisite, many ships having been lost through exposure 80 A SUBALTERN'S FCRLOUOH. I T to the river ice. Seven planks in the bows of the packet ia which I was at this time, had been cut through in lets than two hours, three months previously, by the drift-ice being kept in motion by the strength of the tide, and acting like a saw against them ; the vessel be- ing only saved by running it ashore. The expense of this great undertaking will be enormous, much of the stone required in its construction being brought by sea from the Hudson River quarries 120 miles distant. Evening had set in before we fairly passed between the Capes, and at the distance of five miles the surf could be distinctly heard roaring against Henlopen. During the day, while our anxious pilot was asleep upon the booms, a boat was lowered to catch a turtle floating on the sur- face of the water, in as happy a state of forgetfulness as the old man himself; but the ship having too much head- way upon her, the boat could not again reach her, and we were under the necessity of awakening the pilot, to heave the ship to, which he most reluctantly ordered, venting his displeasure at the same time in a low inward grumbling. Not feeling very confident as to the safety of the ship under such a man's charge, I took the pre- caution of retiring to my berth at night without divesting myself of my clothes, thinking it more than probable that I should find it convenient to bo on deck ere morning without much loss of time. My suppositions proved cor- rect ; for about half-past two o'clock I was awakened by a slight motion of the ship, and although it did not equal in force that of a heavy sea striking it, yet the grating of a vessel with all sail set upon a hard sand, produces a sensation which, when once experienced, will never be forgotten. All hands rushed upon deck in an instant ; when, 10 1 and, behold I our worthy Argus was snugly stowed nwny in a corner, fast in the arms of Morpheui, while the vessel striking heavily for some minutes, finally full over a little on its side, and remained immoveable. At this time there were no fewer than three lights in sight, two a-stern on the Capes, and a floating one di- rectly B-head. I never heard how the old man accounted for running us o-ground — this, however, was no time for explanations ; but the boats being lowered as quickly ai ▲ 9VBAI.TERN 8 FURLODOU. SI possible, and soundinffs being- taken, it was found that we were on the windward side of the "Browns," a dangerous shoal about twelve miles from land ; and that so long as the wind continued from the present quarter, there would be no hopes of the ship floatmg ; and, if the sea rose, she would inevitably go to pieces. As day dawned, the ominous prospect of the head and bowsprit of a ship showed themselves above water, a few hunared yards distant, being all the visible remains of the " Can- ning " packet, lost two months previously. It was now for the first time, I heard a genuine Yankeeism : " the ship's lost to all eternitv," said the captain ; " it a'int, I guess," drawled out the old pilot, giving the sentenco at the same time a most inimitable twang, which even Mathews himself would have failed in producing. It was in vain that all eiTurts were used for three houif to get the ship off ; it remained firm as a rock, excepting during the turn of tide, when it again struck heavily. Seeing no prospect of its being moved until lightened, the " star-spangled banner," reversed, was hoisted at thv mast-head, while the passengers awaited the arrival of boats from the shore to carry them away. I'hc first craft we saw was a slooj), which, laden with shingles, and steered by a iiogro, run close alongside of us. The fellow hailed us very coolly, with, "Have you a pilot on board?" and being answered in the afRrmative, he continued on his course without tendering any assistance: fortunately, however, we needed none : for the wind veering a point or two, and freshening witn the flood-tide, we once more floated, and standing our course up the river, soon over- took our black friend and his shingle sloop, at whom, «fi paaant, o volley of abuse was fired. As we gained the head of the bay, and entered the contracted part of the river, we caught occasional glimpies of small villages and neat white cottages, scattered at intervals along the banks, which v ere covered with wai* nut, oak, and patches of pino. I was leaning over the side of the vessel, admiring the scene, but regretting that the clearings were so " few, and far between," when seeing % oarnonter, a countryman of my own, limilarly em- ployea, I asked him what bethought of the New World 22 ▲ subaltern's rURLOUOR. ^ at which we had arrived. "Oh, sir 1 it is a fine country ; only look at the timber." I smiled, as the old story of " nothing like leather" occurred to my recollection ; and the worthy planer of wood continued to enlarge upon his opinion in a strain of encomium- He came up to me a few hours after landing, quite delighted with having been hired at a dollar per diem on the Ohio rail-road. The scene was, indeed, a most pleasing one. The clear bright atmosphere, which is unlcnown to England, dif- fusing a cheerfulness over every object, with not even a passing cloud to hide the brilliant rays of the sun, as they fell upon the thousands of white sails which covered the •urfacc of the broad and noble Delaware ; while, ever and anon, one of those huge leviathans of the deep, an American steamer, darted past, leaving a long tram of white smoke from its timber-fed furnaces. The whole presented a scene striking and novel to an Englishman. If there was any thing to detract from the beauty of the landscape, it was the perfect flatness of the face of the country, thcro not being a rising knoll, or single ridge to break the back-ground ; nor could much be seen be- yond the smiling verdure of the forest-crowned banks : It was a scene, indeed, at this moment, of life and sun- shine ; but, probably, if viewed on a squally, wet dar, would be thought tame and uninteresting enough. We hove to again towards evening to be boaraed by an officer from a revenue cutter, moorocf in the centre of the stream ; and at dusk came to an anchor near a small island, where, at five o'clock the following morning, we buried a child which had died of the small-pox during the night ; and then getting undor weigh, arrived a-breast of Fort Dela- ware.or the *' Pee Paten," buih upon a low reedy island, which divides ^. i^. vicinity of the city, was wretchedly bad ; the carriage, too, was as uncomfortable an invention as could be well ima* ffined, there being but one narrow wooden seat, slung in m« centre of the vehicle upon straps, with two rude wooden springs to support it; upon this two of our party took up a position, while another who volunteered to drive sat in a chair in front, and two others occupied chairs in rear of the centre seat, while a little curly-headed negro was posted upon one of the shafts, where he sat grinning and holding on like a monkey, his dusky skin forming a charming contrast to an old gray mare which was to draw us. Our time being short, the whip was not spared ; so that we were whirled along, rolling and pitchmg about through thick and thin, and wherever a drain or deep water-course crossed the road, the carriage giving a heavy lurch, and all the chairs shooting forward with one con- sent, our volunteer coachman was nearly precipitated on to the horse's back, and the two in rear of the centre seat, not having any thing to plant their feet firm against, were thrown on to the backs of those occupying the seat in front. It was, indeed, a broad caricature of " travelling in the south of Ireland," and we were right glad to gain the outskirts of the city in safety, and abandon the uneasy conveyance, leaving it in charge of our sable attendant. While one of the party went to sound the jship-owners if we could remain ashore during the night, and until the vessel reached town, the rest of us (after walking about the dimly lighted squares and streets, with which we were soon fati(Tuud, our feet being tender from the little exer- cise we had taken of late) proceeded to an oyster-cellar, and there awaited our sentence with great calmness, dis* cussing the various merits of English natives, and Ame- rican oysters. The latter are so largo, that one of our party, who had laid a wager that he could eat a dozen and a half of them, was obliged to cry, " hold I eno!i»rhl" ere he had arrived at the twelfth. At midnight our spy re- turned with the doleful tidings that we must return to the ship, and that on the morrow a mediral man would inspect it, ond set us at liberty. To hear, was to obey ; so without any more ado we retraced our weary steps, and found our little man of colour and his charge, tno A SUBALTERN 3 FURLOUGH. 3T ere pale horse and Dearborn, moAt patiently aMraiting our arrival. The road appeared to have grown either some- what rougher, or our charioteer did not steer so small (to use a nautical term) as before ; but after running a whpelonceor twice into the deep ditches, with which the road was flanked, he brought us again to the tavern-door by one o'clock, where the landlord, aroused from his slumbers, soon made his appearance at the bar. Every thing was strange to me ; I might truly say I was in a New World ; I had heard of American landlords, but, like the road, this man was beyond my conjectures. He came down stairs the very beau ideal of a dandy, with a tiny, little spiral hat, placed knowingly on one side of his head, gold studs, and broach at his breast, watch guard- chain round his neck, rings on his finger, with his nether man cased in a pair of red striped '* continuations;" and, to crown all, he cursed and swore " like any gentleman." We inquired if the boat had been off for us, and were informed it had been, but had returned to the ship at ten o'clock, as he had told the crew he would fire a signal when we arrived. Thanking him for his kindness, we thought, as a recompense, we were in duty bound to call for something to drink ; and a considerable time having elapsed in carrying our good intentions into eflfect, and seemg r preparations making for firing his promised signal, one of the party asked him ii ho would favour us by commencing operations. " Aye, aye," said he, '• I told the mate I would fire a gun — I would fire a gun in anger when you came ; but wait a bit, I'll take a glass myself first," aid then vith the most admirable sang- Jfroid, he set about maki'ig n glass of port-wine sangaree, stirring the su^nr n.bout with a small circular piece of wood, to which a handle was attached, and which he twirled about in his white hands with great dexterity. Having quafTed this mi.vture off to our heahhs, and wel- come to America, he lighted a cigar, ofToring one at the same time to each of the admiring spcctutors, and then crossing his aims over his breast d mi NapoUon le Grand, he talked of passing events, and asked the news. Like old Hardcastle in the play, I said aside — " Thli fellow's impudeneo raaily rndkei me laugh,** d8 A subaltern's furlough. and thought his cool assurance must arise from a wish to show off before strangers. I turned away from him, unable to repress a laugh, and, as bad luck would have it, unfortunately saw a dog lying upon the floor, which I stooped down to pat with my hands. Mine host no sooner saw this movement, than he was out from his bar in a twinkling, holding forth at great length in praise of the animal, which, from his account, possessed all the Tarious qualities of spaniel, greyhound, and pointer com- bimd. " Aye, now there's a dog for you — only look at him — look at his points — there's not a cleverer dog in the Union, I guess — he's half English ; when I go out gunning, and shoot a rat or a squirrel, he'll bring it immediately — I would' nt take fifty dollars for him. A gentleman down here, the other aay, offered thirty for him off-hand. Here, sir ! here sir ! come here ! now, lie down! lie down, lie dow . . .nl" The dog leapt up, placing its fore paws on its master's person. " Aye, he's only frightened before company, but I would nt Eart with him for a cent, less than fifty." And thus aving, in his Own opinion, established his dog's reputa- tion, he at last commenced the tedious operation of load- ing an enormously long barrelled gun, respecting whose good qualities, also, we had to endure a long disserta- tion, while he was springing the ramrod, and ramming down about three fingers^ deep of shot, with as nmch labour and flourishing movement as there is in loading n twelve-pounder field-piece ; and, finally, we had the infinite satisfaction of hearing Washington, or some such nobly-named ducky son of Afric, summoned, who received orders to proceed to the end of the wharf, and fire the long wished-for signal. Shortly afterwards the )lash of oars reaching our ears, wo bade our loquacious lost a long and last farewell, having paid him two dol- ars and a half (10». 6rf. sterling) for the use of his Dear- born and gray steed (" he would'nt bo too hard upon us"), and by half-past two o'clock were once more in our snug cabin. The sun was high in the heavens the following day before I awoke from strange and troubled dreams of uysters, Dearborns, landlords, negroes, dogs, and guns. ▲ svbaltirn's furlovoh. iK A medical man coming on board as the anchor was weighing, said he was satisfied with the health of the passengers, and that we had permission to leave the ship, which an hour after mid-day was safely moored along- side one of the city wharfs, and we all stepped a- shore with heartfelt joy, having been forty days from Liverpool. > * 3 *.'.* / , ,W'^ ■ I - .-'' i . 1 i ,' ' ■ ■ '■%■- ■ ' 1 fu .' .. N V ) 1 ■••4 ".'•» t. ', •cIMc I I !^ .-. '''"■\^r {, ; '5 •'^ii . '. f A subaltern's fvrlouoh. CHAPTER II. Into one of the noeefesf of hotels, Especially for foreigners — Where juniper expresses its best juice — For downright rudeness, ye may stay at home. Btron. f Philadelphia, the reverse of Lisbon, at first presents no beauties ; no domes or turrets rise in air to break the uniform stiff roof-line of the private dwellings. And, if 1 remember right, the only buildings which show their lofty heads above the rest, are the State House, Christ Church (both built prior to the Revolution), a Presbyte- rian meeting-house, and shot-tower. The city, therefore, when viewed from the water, and at a distance, presents any thing but a picturesque appearance. Iv is some- what singular, too, that there should be such a scarcity of spires and conspicuous buildings, there being no few- er than ninety places of worship, besides hospitals and charitable institutions in great numbers. In place, too, of noble piers and quays of solid masonry, which we might reasonably expect to find in a city containing near 140,000 inhabitants, and hoMing the second rank in commercial importance in NoriL America, there are but some shabby wharfs, and piers of rough piles of timber, jutting out in unequal lengths and shapes, from one end to the other of the river front ; and these again are backed by large piles of wood, warehouses, and mean- looking stores. On the narrow space between them and the water aie hundreds of negro porters, working at vast heaps of iron bars, barrels of flour, cotton bags, and all the various merchandise imported or exported ; singing in their strange broken-English tone of voice, some ab- surd chorus, such as, " I mot a n\s;^cr" — {chorus all) '• long time ago !" " I met n niggur" — (chorttn all) " long time nco !" "I say, where yrm going?" — {chorus all) "long time ago!" "Pull n way, my boys" — {thm'us) "yoh! heave — yoh!" or some such clegont strain. f ▲ subaltern's furlough. it" Fifty paces hence, the stranger enters the city, which possesses an interior almost unrivalled in the world. On walking through the fine broad streets, with rows of locust or other trees, which planted on the edge of the causeway, from a most delightful shade, and take away the glare of the brick buildings, he is struck immediate* ly with the air of simplicity, yet strength and durability which all the public edifices possess, while the private dwellings with their neat white marble steps and win- dow-sills bespeak wealth and respectability. The neat- ness, too, of the dress of every individual, with the total absence of those lazy and dirty vagabonds who ever in- fest our towns, and loiter about the corners of all the public streets, passing insolent remarks upon every well- dressed man, or even unattended female, impress a foreigner with a most pleasing and favourable idea of an American city. The river in front of the town is about a mile wide, but the channel is considerably contracted by an island which extends nearly the full length of the town, and consequently renders the navigation more intricate. It is prettily planted with trees, and a ship has been run ushore at one end, and converted into a tavern, a house being raised upon the upper deck. It was quite a gala day, numerous steum-vessels and rowing boats, proceed- ing up the stream to Kensington (part of the suburbs,) and we arrived just in time to see a large ship of 600 tons burthen glide gracefully from the stocks. I was recommended by an American gentleman to an hotel in the principial street, where I was immediately accommodated with a room. It will scarcely be out of place to mention here, that the bed-rooms in the hotels in the United Statt's are not, generally speaking, so large, comfortable, or well furnished as those in English houses , but the establishments themselves, with regard ,to size and capacity for accommodating numbers, far ex- ceed those in England. In America much comfort is sacrificed for the purpose of admitting numerous guests into the house : a private sitting-room, or separate meals, are scarcely to be had, and then only at a high price ; and, therefore, as almost every one is under the necessi^ \ 32 A SUBALTERN S FURLOUGH. ty of dining at the table d'hote^ a large hotel pressnts a scene of great confusion and bustle. At the one in which I resided during my stay at Philadelphia, there were about a hundred persons at each meal, and the ma- jority of them being merchants, from the back settle- ments, on their summer trip to purchase articles for their customers in the west, lawyers and shopkeepers (or " storekeepers," as they term themselves, a "shopkeeper" being only a retailer on a small scale), they devoured their meals with a most astonishing rapidity ; and va- nished instanter to their offices and counters, intent upon business alone. I was lost in admiration, and nearly lost my dinner, too, the first few days I was ashore, in watchmg the double-quick masticating movements of my vis.d-vi3; I truly believe that one-third of the people had disappeared ere my soup was cool. A young man, who opens a store, if a bachelor, has seldom any other apart- ment than the shop he rents, while he boards and sleeps at an hotel, paying generally about 400 dollars (847. sterling) per annum, if at a large and respectable one ; the board for occasionel lodgers being one and a half dollar {6s. 3d.) per day. It is not customary in most towns to make any extra remuneration to the waiters or other servants of the establishment ; but of late years, this bad habit, like many others from the mother country, has been creeping into the cities on the coast ; and though the servants do not actually request any, yet they usually expect it : they are generally Irish emigrants, or half castes, if I may use an eastern term ; for though, during my stay in the United States, I did not enter less than a hundred hotels, I never saw a waiter whom I could as- certain to be a free-born American ; their pride not allow- ing them to fill such places. In country villages, where the attendants are females, I have frequently seen the one waiting upon me at the dinner-table, take a chair near the window, or the other end of the room, and read, a newspaper until she observed I required anything; but during my whole travels, I never knew a wuiting- man take a similar liberty. The breakfast hour is usually from seven until nine o'clock, dinner at two or three, tea from six to seven, li t] I ti e t( tl v fa t; r d A SUBALTERN S FURLOVOH. >» and supper from nine to twelve ; the table at each meal being most substantially provided. Even at break&st there is a profusion of beef-steaks, cutlets, mutton-chops, eggs, fish, fowls, Indian bread, flour bread, sweet cakes, cheese, sweetmeats, and a mess of other et ceteras ; but little wine is drank at dinner, though spirits are placed upon the table without any extra charge being made to consumers. Yet since the institution of the Temperance Societies, the use of ardent spirits amongst the higher classes of society has been almost laid aside. I have seen a range of well filled spirit decanters placed upon the dinner-table before upwards 150 people and not a single stopper removed. The strongest proof, however, of the great decrease of the use of ardent spirits, appears from the following returns of the number of gallons im- ported into the United States during seven successive years, In 1824 1825 1826 1827 1828 1829 1830 • ••••< • ••«(• • • • • • I Gallons. 6,285,047 4,114,046 3,322,380 3,465,302 4,446,698 2,462,303 1,095,488 Many hotels have " Temperance House" inscribed in large gilded lettcv over the door or sign, as a notice that wines and man liquor only can be obtained there. Like all other ni'W institutions the Temperance Socie- ties had their enthusiasts at first. Abstinence Societies emanated fidn them, the members binding themselves to drink puri water only; and, in some churches, nei- ther males nor females were admitted to the communion unless they had enrolled themselves amongst the mem- bers of one or other society. All these bigoted absurdi- ties are now softened down into wholesome and sound regulations. Wines are generally high priced, and not of the first quality, so that little of any thing is drank during dinner. But in the old-fashioned hotels, where Temperance Societies have not any sway, the bar, dur« ! 34 A SUBALTERN S FURLOUGH. ing the intervals between meals, is besieged by a host of applicants for iced mint-julaps, brandy, egg-nog, gin- cocktail, rum and water, gm and water, Port san- garee, and all the various combinations and mixtures of liquors imaginable. When a foreigner (as was the case not unfrequently with myself) finds himself established for two or three days in such a house as this, he must summon his full stock of nerve and resolution to enable him to withstand the dense fumes of tobacco smoke, with which his apartment is fumigated, and to breathe an at- rnosphere strongly impregnated with the conjoined scent of the abo\fe mixtures. The intolerable habit of chew- ing tabacco is very prevalent amongst the storekeepers, and lower grades of society, but I think it is almost con- fined to them J the very act of mastication itself (tremen- dously as it IS here performed) is not half so ofiensive to the eyes of a foreigner as the results arising from it. In a country, however, where there is ostensibly no dis- tinctive gradation of classes in the people, one must of necessity sometimes, as on board steamers and canal boats, mix with the canaille ; but I will bear witness that I never even then observed any impropriety, or, during the whole time I was in America, received the slightest insult from (what I will term) the lower orders, and to which individuals, nnd especially foreigners, are so sub- ject in my native country. It is singular to see the footing upon which a land- lord at nn inn is with his customers — apfjearing rather to conA^r than receive a favour, by admitting them into his house. At dinner, he frequently takes the head of the table, drinks his wine, and asks those sitting near to take a glass with him: chnts, and laughs away, and sita longer after the cloth lias been removed than nine-tenthi of his guests. Upon first landing, I was much struck with the per* lonal appearance of the people, as being tall, slim, nar- row-shouldered, whiskerless, and narrow-cheated, with high cheek bones, sharp, sallow features, and a alouch* ing, relaxed kind of walk. I think narrow ahouldert and aharp features may be deemed characteristic of the natirea of the Atlantic atatoa ; one never aeoing any auch aturdy, robuat, rosy-faced, John Bull sort of people A SUBALTERN B FUHLOUOH. 96 vho described the terrific monster as follows :«»•" Ten V II P ti ii b u k a: o v ti \\ A 8UBA.LTERN S FURLOUGH. «■ .» thousand moons ago, when nought but gloomy forests covered this lani of the slanting sun, long before the pale men, with thunder and fire at their command, rushed on the wings of the wind, to ruin the garden of nature — when nought but the untamed wanderers of the woods, and men as unrestrained as they, were the lords of the soil — a race of animals were in being, huge as the frowning precipice, cruel as the bloody panther, swift as the descending eagle, and terrible as the angel of night — the pines crashed beneath their feet, and the lake shrunk when they slaked their thirst ; the powerful javelin in ^mn was hurled, and the barbed arrow fell harmless from their side, Forests were laid waste at a meal, the groans of expiring animals were everywhere heard, and whole villages inhabited by man were destroyed in a moment," &c. &c. The skeleton of an elephant which is placed by its side, appears a very diminutive animal. Amongst the objects of curiosity are Washington's sash, presented by himself, an obelisk of wood from the elm tree under which Penn made his treaty with the Indians, in 1660, and a manuscript poem of Major Andre's, written but two months previous to his execution. It is a satire upon the failure of General Wayne, in an expedition wnich he commanded for the purpose o^ collecting cattle for the American army ; it is entitled the " Cow Chase," and ihe first stanza )s almost copied literally from the old English Ballad of " Chevy Chase." He is very se- vere upon the American General, amongst whose cap- tured baggage, he enumerates the following articles : " His Congross dollars, and his prog, ' His tiiilitary speeches, ■ His Conislock wliiskcy for his grog, Black stockings and silk breeches." and concludes his Poem with a check to his satire— " Lest this same warrior*d rover, Wayne, Sliould catch tho poet, and hang him." It is n sinp^ular fact that the the militia-men who took the unfortunate Andrd prisoner, were a porty from tho nrmy under the immediate command of Wayne; his 43 A subaltern's furlovoh. subsequent unhappy fate is too well known. There is also an interesting gallery of 200 original portraits, Srincipally of those who signed the Declaration of In- ependence, and the officers who figured in the revolu- tionary war, during which period most of the likenesses were taken. The lower part of the Arcade, which was built for shops, has caused a severe pecuniary loss to the stockholders, who asked too high a rent for them in the first instance, 60 that not one-half of them were let, and the mania for visiting the building has long since died away. It is a beautiful structure, with marble fronts of 100 feet, and 150 deep ; costing, together with the ground, upwards of 160,000 dollars (34,000/. sterling.) The State House, which has one front in Chesnut Street, and the other in Independence Square, is the most interesting building in the city, and being more than a century old, bears some marks of antiquity : it occupies a great extent of ground, having the courts and public offices attached. There is a thoroughfare through the ground .fioor from the street into the square. until nine o'clock at night, when the gates are closed. On one side of it is the Mayor's Court, which was hold- ing one of its four stated sessions at this time ; and on the opposite side is the room in which the celebrated Decla- ration of Independence was drawn up, and which was read from the steps in front of the building on the 4th of July, 1770. Some Goth in office modernized the room, for the purpose, as I was informed, of giving his nephew a Job, and tore down all the old pannelling and pillars wtiich supported the ceiling, and substituted a coating of plaster and paint. It is a matter of surprise to me that the inhabitants ever permitted such a profanation, being generally so ;mroud of their revolutionary relics and deeds of arms. Those who now have charge of the buildino' are busily engaged in discarding every indica- tion of their predecessors' taste, and are restoring the room to its original state. At the upper end of it, there is a wooden statue of Washington — the work of a cutter of ships' figure heads. The profile is considered excellent, una id til and he is represented with his right foot upon the torn A. SUBALTERN'S FURLOUGH. bond which cemented the colonies to the mother country. On the pedestal is the following inscription : " First in War, First in Peace, First in the hearts of his Countrymen." It is intended to fill a vacant niche behind the figure, which formerly contained the arms of England, with a brass plate bearing the Declaration of Independence as an inscription. The building is surmounted by a tower, the lower part of which is brick ; and the upper, of wood, was added in 1828, imitating as closely as possi- ble the original one, which, being much decayed, was taken down soon after the Revolution. I had a very talkative old man to show me over it, who was a per- fect match for any of our Westminster, St. Paul's, or Tower guides. The bell in the brick tower was cast in 1753, with the following inscription upon it, well speaking the spirit of the times, which did not, however, burst forth until after the expiration of 20 years : — " Proclaim liberty in the land to all tlie inhabitants thereof. — Lt- vitkus, 25 chap. 10 verse. By order of the Assembly of the Pro- vince of PennsylTunia, for the State House of Philadelphia." My old conductor rested one hand upon a supporter, while I was copying the above inscription, and then fa- voured me with a long dissertation upon the blessings of liberty, and an abusive tirade against the English, winding up his discourss with informing me that the bell was rung when the Catholics gained their liberty in the old country. He took me up to the wooden tower, and descanted largely on the fine mechanism of the clock ; how many revolutions such a wheel performed in a mi- nute, and the thickness of each bar in the works ; how, when he discovered a fire in the city, he tolled the bell, 80 as to inform the inhabitants in what quarter it was. One toll signified north, two south, three cast, and four west ; making a short pause between the tolls, as, one, nnd after a short interval of time, three in rapid suc- cession, signified north-east: the streets running towards >; M 44 A subaltern's furlough. the cardinal points, the situation of the fire eonld be easily ascertained by the firemen, tiaving then led me on to the outer gallery of the tower, and pointed out the various buildings in the panorama beneath, and after ex- pressing his sorrow that the room where Congress sat during the greater part of the immortal struggle for free- dom should have been mutilated, we parted. I attended the District Court, which was sitting in a large carpeted room on the second floor, to witness the trial of an information, filed by the Attorney of the Unit- ed States, against goods landed without being mention* ed in the ship's invoice. There were not more than twenty people present when I entered, and a counsel, attired in a blue coat and black stock, was commencing his address to the jury : he possessed great fluency of language, and spoke warmly m defence of his client, an Englishman. On a marble slab, in a recess at the back of the judges' seat, is the following inscription to the memory of Washington's nephew : >' "This Tablet records the affection and respect Of the Members of the Philadelphia Bar, for BUSHROD WASHINGTON, , An Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, alike distinguished , ' For simplicity of manners And j)urity of heart, Fearless, dignified, and enlightened as a Judge, No influence or interest Could touch his integrity or Bias his Judgment, A ze«dous Patriot and a. Pious Christian. He died at Philadelphia, On the 26th of November, A. D. 1829, Leaving his professional brethren A spotUss fame, And to his country The learning, labour, and wisdom, Of a long judicial life." Independence Smiare, about 270 paces each way, is prettily laid out with walks and fine trees, and surroun- ded by a strong iron railing ; but Washington, the ad- A subaltern's furlough. # ad- joining one, is both larger and a more fashionable pro- menade, being crowded between the hours of five and six in the evening with elegantly dressed females. The greatest objection to the manner in which all the squares are laid out is, that the grass is allowed to grow ; and when I was in Philadelphia, labourers were making hay in them. In this, as in other instances, the Americans prefer profit to appearances, or even comfort. A statue or monument is shortly to grace the centre of Washing, ington s(|uare, which was a burial ground, or Potter's- field, as It is termed, during the time the yellow-fever raged so violently in the city, at the end of the last cen- tury. The twenty-first annual exhibition of the Pennsylva- nia Academy of Fine Arts) was holding in a spacious building constructed for the express purpose, containing a fine rotunda with dome, and several galleries for paint- ings and statues, or casts from celebrated busts : there are several specimens of Canova's and Chantrey's sculp- ture in the collection, which is extensive ; but I was no judge of its value, nor could the catalogue which I pur- chased at the door, give me much information as to the i; -ulptors' names. Amongst the paintings, were some by Salvator Rosa, Vandyke, Rembrandt, West, Shee (Pre- sident R. A.,) Leslie (R. A.,) and a large one of " The dead Man restored to Life, by touching the bones of the prophet Elisha," by Washington Alston ; but the greater proportion of the remainder displayed little talent — the )ortraits were young and stiff performances ; but I was jrobably more inclined to be fastidious from having so ately viewed West's noble effort ; and left the gallery with a very mean opinion of American artists in gene- ral. The great lion, however, of Philadelphia, is the enor- mous line-of-battle ship, the Pennsylvania, which ia on the stocks in the Navy-yard at the lower extremity of the city. I took advantage of the kindness of an officer in the American service, to walk over it ; and he also favoured me with its dimensions : — the keel was laid in 18S3, and the vessel finished to its present state in seven years ; the timber being exposed to a free circulation of I ;( ! ( 46 A subaltern's furlough. ' air for the prevention of dry rot ; it could, howerer, be prepared for sea in six months. The shed which protects it from the weather is 270 feet in length, 105 in height and 84 in breadth, with a reservoir at the top of the roof, which can be filled with water by means of a force- pump, the city water-works throwing it within 15 feet of the summit. The upper deck is 220 feet in length, and no forecastle ; the extreme breadth of beam 58 feet ; depth from spar deck to keelson, 44 feet 4 inches ; and draft of water 27 feet 6 inches. Her decks are 7 feet high, and from the orlop to the gun-deck is 7 feet 4 inches. The anchors were wrought at Plymouth, Mas- sachusetts, and the sheet anchor weighs 10,171 lbs. When manned, she will carry a crew of 1600, including 120 marines, and from 140 to 160 guns ; but is rated at the former number, 70 of which are 32-pounders weigh- ing 61 cwt. each ; 38 42-pound carronades of 27 cwt., and 32 42-pounders weighing 76 cwt. 1 qr. each. The spars for it are not yet made, but the main-mast will be 135 feet in height, and 44 inches in diameter; and the extreme height from the keelson to the summit of the flag-pole, upwards of 300 feet : the guns were cast at Georgetown, near the city of Washington. Another shed near it contains a double-banked fri- gate of 60 guns, whose keel was laid in 1819, and could be fitted out for sea in forty days : the state cabins are panneled with mahogany and white maple; the gun carriages of white, and the principal timbers of green oak : both vessels are considered by the Americans as well-built, and the frigate as a perfect model. Much trouble will be experienced in launching them ; for, the stocks being situated in a bight of the river, tho mud has collected in great quantities from the eddies of the tide, and dry land is forming quickly between the keels and the river. The operation of reclaiming a large space of land about two miles in length, by a quarter in breadth, adjoining the Navy-yard, was taking place at this time. It appeared that some speculating person had obtained a grant of it, much to the chagrin of the land owners on the river's bank, who considered that their title extended to low, instead of, as was decided by law, to high and recounts the ^reat hardships and fatigue the workmen experienced in laying the foundation of the piers : the lengtli of the bridge with its abutments, is 1300 feet ; the space of the centre arch being 105, and the width of the road upon it 43 feet. One of the niors was commen- ced in the middle of winter, 800,000 tent of timber being employed in the construction of the coflbr-dam : the ma- sonry of the pi<neyed f IIKB^LTBIUI'S rVBIbOUOH. CHAPTER I¥. !» No tye hath seen lueh aurecrowi ! Coventry with them, thiol's flat. I imnU act march through S^EiPBfai' He feed^ von ainw-house, neat, but void of state. Where a^ and want sit smiling at the gate ; Him portion'd maids, apprenticed ophans blest. The young who labour, and tlie old who rest. Pora. As he passed by Coldbath Fields, he saw A solitary cell — And the Devil was charm'd, for it grave him a hint For improving the prisons of hell. PORSON. The Philadelphians, and I think I may include the Americans in general, have a great rage for playing at soldiers, and fondness for military display : scarcely a day elapsed on which I did not see either the Jackson Guards, Hibernian Greens, Washington Greys, Philadel- phia Blues, or some such named troops, parading with Dands of music up one street and down another, until they had run nearly the gauntlet of the whole city, when they weio dismissed. There was nothing objectionable in their appearance as volunteers, for all were particu- larly well clothed, with clean and neat accoutrements ; and, as to stature, many were exceedingly fine-looking companies; but although they could keep stop in march- ing, diminish their front in a narrow part of the street, and wheel to the right and left at the corners tolerably well, yet the words of command which wore frequently given savoured but little of a military education, or at if much attention had been paid to the study of the evolu- tions. They have also a singtilar custom (certainly * well adnptedf for keeping up u feeling of good will be- tween dineront States) ofentiro companies visiting each other; and they arc frequently put to considerable ex- c.jnie in providing for visitors upon so extensive a scale. I raw a company of the State Fenciblei about seventy 9^ 54 ▲ subaltern's FURLOtrOR. strong, with a negro band of music at their head, leave Philadelphia on a visit to some Boston troops at the dis- tance of three hundred miles, where they would be most hospitably treated, and live at the expense of those to whom the.visit was made. The Bostonians would pro- bably in the course of the summer return the compliment in due form. It may be supposed that these visits create a great stir in the city; one company escorts another into the place, and several others accompany it to see the different sights ; their bands give the citizens a musical treat at the theatre ; and the corps have more marching and parading, in a ten days' visit, than a regiment of the line would have to undergo in a whole month of peaceable times. When the State Fenciblcs embarked on board the steamer which was to convey them forty miles up the Delaware, the vessels at anchor, the wharfs, streets, and houses were filled with spectators, who, as the steamer pushed off, and the band struck up the national air of " Yankee Doodle," gave three such exhilarating cheers that a person might have imagined the detach- ment was proceeding upon some dangerous expedition, instead of a feasting and sight-seeing visit to their breth- ren "down East." These volunteer corps are com- posed of rosnictablc young men, who form hemselves mto companies, for the purpose of avoiding being called out to the militia training.?, which take place annually, and which are generally much more ludicrous than is re- presented even in England, and where the citizen sol- diers learn more that would unfit them for actual service, in one training, than six months' severe good drill would break them of The system is altogether deprecated by every reasonable man in the United Slates; and all exer- tions are made to cast ridictile upon, and bring it into dis- repute. One man will appear upon parade with a top- boot on one leg, a silk stocking on the other, and a broom stick over his shoulder ; while his rear-rank man has one arm labelled " rigtu, ' the other "left," a wooden sword, a pair cf green spectaclea, and no coat. The offi- cers being appointed by votes, an ostler at a small ta- vern in Philadelphia bore the high commission of Colo- nel, and was carried about the country in a raree-show, A 8VBALTBR!f'8 VVRhOVOft. 65 as the gallant Colonel Pluck. A regiment also appear- ed in New- York, clothed in every imaginable costume, from a bare-legged Highlander down to the turbanned Turk. Some poor man, however, had a greater mar- tinet for a captain than is generally the case, and was ordered off parade to change his dress, and return pro- perly equipped, " which order (to use the man's own words) he considered unmilitary and illegal, and there- fore respectfully declined to obey." For this act of in- subordination he was tried by a court-innrtial, spntenced to pay a fine of ten dollars, and, in default thereof, to be imprisoned. He chose the latter alternative : and from his place of confinement addressed a letter to the public, in which, after a statement of his cnse, he thus describes his dress: — "It was proved to the Court that my equip- ments were strictly according to law — that I had an or- dinary powder-horn, but which the Capffiin stated was too large for a musket — that my dress was as follows: — A gentleman's ordinary haircloth cnp — a pair of com- mon spectacles — an ordinary grey mixed cloth coat, which I usually wore in the store in which I am (or I should say was) a clerk — a paper collar, instead of a linen or cotton one, and of the ordinary and usu;il size, and no larger — a common vest — a pair of brown drill- ing pantaloons, my stockings drawn over instead of tmder the pantaloons — and shoes tied with a string. The Court imposed a fine of ten dollars, which, consi- dering to bo illegal and oppressive, and knowing it to bo unjust, I will not have e>torted from me; and, for so declining to surrender my right ns a citizen, lam now imprisoned, whether legally or not may hereafter appear; for I consider it virtually a lauliss and ruth- less violation, not only of my own, but of the personal rights ond personal liberty of every citizen of this State," It is rather singular that the Government have not long since dispensed with such a system ; for, so long as it continuis in vogue, they can scarcely hope to see any thing but mountebanks in place of eflective soldiers, The officers of the volunteer companies aro also elect- ^ ed by vote, and such us the following is a common ad- vertisement ;— \ 56 A svbaltbrn's furlough. i "Jackson Guards — Attention! — You will completely equipped, to-morrow morning, at ten o'clock, in front of the Napoleon House : each man provided with thirteen rounds blank cartridge. After parade, an election will take place for one lieutenant-colonel and one captain." On my way to the office of a rail-road, which was opened on the 7th of June, between the city and Ger- man Town, six miles distant, I witnessed a most extra- ordinary mode of selling the stock in some new bank. It was a scene worthy of St. Giles's or Billingsgate; and such as I should never have expected to see in the quiet city of Philadelphia. The manner in which it was disposed of was as follows : the sellers » ere in a house, with a small aperture in a window shutter, only sufiiciently large to admit a man's hand, and through which he delivered his money ; but having received his scrip, after a lapse of some time, it was impossible for him to withdraw through the crowd of purchasers; no one would make way, lest he should thereby lose his chance of ever gaining the window. The only plan then was, that one of his friends threw him the end of a rope, which he fas- tened round his body, and part of the mob, who came as mere lookers-on, dragged him out by main strength, frequently with the loss of the better half of his npparel. Many had, however, come prepared for the worst, by leaving their coats, shirts, and hats, at home. It was here that the strongest went to the wall, and various wore the schemes adopted to keep possession. One fel- low had very knowingly brought a gimlet with him, and, boring it into the shutter, heldon with one hand, while he fought most manfully with the othei ! A bystander told me that a large party had leagued together for mutual support, and taken possession of the window the preced- ing evening; but that a stronger one attacked them in the morning, and drove them from their position, though not without several heads, arms, and legs, being broken in the affray. It appeared, therefore, that the only chance n peaceable citizen had of obtaining any stock was to hire the greatest bully he could find to fight his battles for him. This scene continued throughout three # m [ugh )ken }nlv ILock his •:t k SUBALTERN S FURL017UH. 57 days; and, besides many severe and dangerous wounds which were inflicted in the contest, one man was killed. In consequence, however , of this and similar disturb- ances, meetings of repectable citizens were held, to de- vise means to prevent a recurrence of them on like oc- casions; and, as an additional proof that they were asham- ed of those proceedings, one of them expressed a hopv*; "that I had not witnessed a sale of bank stock." Pursu- ing my may to the rail-road, I overheard a bricklayer call out from his kiln to another at some distance, "I say Jem, Bob'll have a blow-out to-morrow." "Why? how ?" " He's gone to buy stock, and he'll work his way amongst them, I know." I had been detained so long, that I did not arrive at the railway until two minutes past nine, and the car had started as the clock struck ; so I passed the two hours, until the departure of the next train, by walking out into the country. It was the first time I had well examined any American farm- ing, which, to an Englishman's eye, appears to great dis- advantage. To this eflfect, the substitution of zigzig, or, as they term them, worm fences of dead wood, instead of the neat quickset hedges jf English husbandry, doe« not a little contribute. Locomotive engines had not been introduced, and horse cars were substituted until the railway should be completed, a single road only being at preeenl finished; but many hundreds of workmen, principally Irish, were employed in laying an additional one ; the castings were imported from England, and the chairs were firmly fiistened into blocks of grey granite, the foundation be- ing well secured by a trench of thirty inches filled with Macadamized stones, well rammed down; and where any mils appeared to give way, or start out from each other, those opposite were connected with them by a rod of iron, and gravel overlaid. The highest embankment on the road was forty perpendicular feet, and the only very heavy work was the blasting a ridge of granite, through which we passed, four miles from the city, The carriage ran remarkably easy, and, though carry- ing twenty passengers (and calculated to hold forty), tho horse took it the six miles in forty minutes, tho road .,«'♦# 68 ▲ subaltern's FURLO0OH. ;/ I rising thirty-two feet psr mile throughout the distance. The usual contrivaace of a lever to regulate the speed of the carriages was used, having a brush at the lower end for the purpose of sweeping the rail before the wheel. A busy scene presented itself at the place where the cars stopped, on the edge of a wood, half a mile from German Town. A large concourse of molasses- beer and oyster sellers had established themselves under the trees ; several frame-houses were erecting for the sale of egg-nog and mint julaps ; and land, which had been of little value a twelvt^month before, was now let- ting at half a dollar per foot, per month. German Town is a straggling place, three miles in length, and inter- spersed with gardens an J orchards, which give it rather the appearance of a large village. It was here that Washington experienced a repulse in his attack upon an English division, in 1777. I walked through a large stone house, the property of Mr. Chew, which was the principal scene of action, and most gallantly defended by five companies of the 40th regiment, under Colonel Mus- grave, against incessant attacks of an American column, under General Sullivan It stands on a rising ground, about two hundred yards from the main road, and still bears marks of the light artillery, which was brought to bear upon it. I addressed myself to a man who appear- ed to have been left in charge of the house, by the pro- Srietor; but he answered me so coolly, and appeared so lit* e inclined to give any information, that I turned away, and commenced a conversation with his wife, who vo- lunteered to show me through the building, and pointed out the grave of the English General Agnew, in front of the stables, near which lay also several ornamental statues, which had lost heads or arms during the fight. We were only thirty minutes returning to Philadel- phia, where a great concourse of people had assembled, to witness the arrival of the cars, it being the first road of the description which had been opened near the city. The Americans, particularly in that portion of the country which gives birth to the Yankees, have acquired a reputation for loquacity and inquisitiveness, which does not extend to the Philadelphians, who appear A SOBALTBRNS' FVAlOttdfi. 89 rather to inherit the Quaker taciturnity ; for, during the first three days I was at the hotel, not a single indivi- dual addressed a word to me at table. All were too busy to ask questions, or to pay the slightest attention to any one's wants but their own ; as they ate, so they departed in silence. At last, fearing I should lose the use of mv tongue, I took courage on the fourth day, and maoe some common-place observation to a dark, stout man who sat next to me, and who always had an English- looking pointer under his chair. Judging of the master by his dog, I immediately decided he must be a country- man; but no! he could speak English but very imperfectly, and as he doled out to me a long story in pitiful accents, about his losing 1500 dollars the preceding day, I knew him to be Monsieur Chabert the fire-king, having read an advertisement in the papers offering 600 dollars re- ward for the recovery of the stolen property. I went the same evening to the Masonic Hall, a room of noble dimensions, lighted by gas, from private works, to witness his performance ; the attendance was very thin, and the audience appeared to take very little interest in his lec- ture upon the various qualities of poisons, and the impu- nity with which a large quantity might be taken, provid- ed the antidote followed immediately ; for all talked in- cessantly. They were more attentive when he commen- ced drinking the poisons, passing red-hot bars of iron over his tongue, swallowing oil heated to 380 degrees, Fahrenheit, and burning a cloak off his back, by enter- inff a temple in which 300 cartridges exploded. Shouts' of laughter accompanied the awkward attempts of some few aspirants to perform the same feats. The historical compositions upon many of the signs displayed over the small inns, in the suburbs near Ken- sington, was painted in no ordinary style, and numerous groups were mtroduced in the subjects, in quite an artist- like and classical style, such as in " The Landing of Columbus in the New World ; Washington crossing the Delaware on the 26th of December, IT76; the Sur- render of Lord Cornwallis, and Penn*s treaty with the Indians," which was very near the spot where the elm- tree stood under which the treaty was made. The tree, 60 A subaltern's FVRLOtlOH \ which measured twenty-four feet in circumference, was blown down a few years since, and a small marble obelisk now marks the spot where it stood. It is within thirty yards of the Delaware, and an inscription upon it gives the date of Penn's birth, and death, the former in 1644, and the latter in 1718, and on the other sides are — / , V . Treaty ground Willinm Penn, .' ,. -: and the ,. . Indian Natives, 1682. " Unbroken Faith." Pennsylvania, founded 1681, , by deeds of Peace. ' Penn's name is sufficiently immortalized ; but I think t)ne slight shade is drawn over his fame, by his having ' deserted the infant city two years after the first house was built, and returned to England, where he died. Had his plan hut been rigidly adhered to, there would have been none of these mean-looking houses on the water front. By singular good chance, however, his original intention bids fair to be carried into effect. An eccen- tric, but public-spirited man, Stephen Girard, a wealthy banker, whose sentiments appear to have been in accor- dance with the founder's, having lately died, bequeathed an immense sum for the express purpose of beautifying the city. The history of this man, who died one of the wealthiest private individuals in the world, is very re- markable. It appears that he was born at Bourdeaux, in France, about 1746, and at the age of fourteen sailed for the West Indies, as a cabin-boy. Thence he traded for several years to New- York, as mate of a vessel; and •oon after settled in Philadelphia, where, at the conclu- aion of the revolutionary war, he kept a small shop ; dealing in old naval stores, such as iron, rigging, &c. ; and his small frame-house was situated on the same spot that the elegant mansion in which he died now occupi«s. A subaltern's FVRtOVOH. 61 At times he was engaged as a pedlar, journeying up And down the country to farm-houses, and disposing of groceries, and ready-made clothing, returning to the city when his stock was exhausted ; and by degrees amassed such a sum of money, that he ranked as one of the first merchants in the city. At the expiration of the charter of the bank of the United States in 1810, he established a private bank, the capital of which in a few years was augmented to five millions of dollars. From this cir- cumstance, and from taking a loan of five millions dur- ing the late war, receiving 100 seven per cent, stock for 70, with a fortunate speculation in the stock of the pre- sent bank of the United States, his wealt i increased to so vast an extent, that at his death it was estimated at four- teen millions of dollars (three millions sterling,^ the whole of which, with the exception of a Tew legacies to his brother, and nieces, amounting to KO.OOO tioUars and small annuities to his servants, he bequeathed to the different charitable institutions, towards the improvemens of Philadelphia, and New-Orleans, and for the e 'nblish- ment of a college in the former city, for the i esitience and accommodation of at least three hundred bchoiars. In his will he prescribes the dimensions of the various rooms, and that the building "shall be at least 110 feet east and west, and 160 north and south ; shall be three stories in height, and each story at least 15 feet high in the clear, from the floor to the cornice, and that it shall be fire-proof inside and outside, and no wood used except for doors, windows, and shutters ; the floors and land- ings, as well as the roof, to be covered with marble slabs, securely laid in mortar." For the building and esta- blishment of this college he bequeathed two millions of dollars ; and the income of so mu h of it as remained unexpended was directed to maintain 'v many poor white orphans, between the age of six and ten years, as it was adequate to. It was also ordered that they should be instructed in the various brand us of a sound education, in the French and Spanish (not forbidding, but not recommending the Latm or Greek) languages ; and it was stated, that he would have them taught "facts and things, rather than words and signs ;^^ and that after YOL. I. — F. A subaltern's furlough. I they had attained the ages between fourteen and edgb- teen, they should be bound out to suitable occupations according to their capacities. He also enjoins and re- quires that " no ecclesiastic, missionary, or minister of any sect whatsoever, should ever hold or exercise any station or duty whatever in the said college; nor should any such person ever be admitted for an^ purpose or as a visitor, within the premises appropriated to the purposes of the said college." But, in making this re- striction, he states that he does not mean to cast any reflection upon any sect whatsoever; but as there is such a multitude of sects, and diversity of opinion among them, it is his desire that the tender minds of the orphans should be free from the excitement which clashing doc- trines, and sectarian controversy, arc apt to produce ; and it is his desire that the instructors of the college should instil into their minds " the purest principles of morality; so that, on their entrance into life, they moy, from inclination and habit^ evince benevolence ti wards their fellow-creatures, and a love of truth, sobriety, and industry, adopting at the same time such religious tenets as their matured reason may enable them to prefer," If the two millions of dollars were insufliciont for building the college and maintaining as many orphans as might apply for admission, he lella forther legacy for that pur- pose. Ho also bequeathed half a million of dollars, the income of which was to be applied exclusively for lay- ing out (i street, to be called Delaware Avenue, along the heads of the docks in front of the city, and for pulling down all buildings between it and the water, within the limits of the city; to remove all wooden buildings, and to prohibit any being built heroufler within the said li- mits : his intention being to make that part of the city cor- respond better with the apnea ranee of the interior : and, in case the t'ommonweulth of Pennsylvania failed to pass the laws, with regard to the im))rovement8 he re- quired, before the expiration of a year from the time of his death, the whole bequest, excepting (hat for the col- lege, sliould revert to the United States for the purposes of internal navigation, "and no other" When i arrived in the city, all the necessary laws hud been passed , and ill A. subaltern's furlouoh 03 nor p poses irriYcd and a fine of 500 dollars was to be imposed upon any one who built a frame or wooden house within the limits. Preparations had also commenced for building the college, widening the streets near the river, and in every way complying with the testator's will. The following Sunday I was more fortunate in the weather, and attended divine service at Christ Church, one of the neatest religious edifices in the city. But every thing appeared new and strange to me — there was no clerk, and the congregation read the responses aloud. The service, too, like the interior of the State House, had been modernized, and had been deprived of much of its solemnity, in my opinion, by being rendered into fami- liarly modern English. Emblematic of the country, every thing old was discarded. A gentleman, who sat near me, very deliberately rose from nis scat, and walked across the aisle to the occupant of another pew, with whom he shook hands, sat down, and, alter conversing with him for some minutes, resumed his own seat. I ought to state, however, that this was the only instance of such dis- respectful conduct which came under my observation : the Americans in general being very attentive to their religious duties, and scrupulously respectful of the de- votion of their neighbours. The number of religious sects in Philadelphia is such, that Girard's college would have barely contained a representative from each deno- mination. There are no fewer than nine Protestant epis- copal churches; four Roman Catholic; nineteen Presoy- terian ; one Scotch Presbyterian; ten Methodists; three Reformed Dutch; six Raptists; five German Lutheran; six (luakers; one Free Quakers ; one Covenanters; two German Reformed ; two Universalists ; two Synagogues; one Bible Christian; one Mariners' Church; one Sweden- borgian ; ten Unitarians ; one Moravian ; one Menonists, or Dunkers ; one Swedish Lutheran ; one Moun^ Zion : in addition to these, the Evangelical Society have erectea four in the suburbs. None Jt them arc remarkable for their exterior beauty, but are genernlly so plain as scarcely to bo distinguishea from private dwelling-houses. The markets are excellent ; |>nrtlcularly one lonff range of buildings in High Street, up the centre of which it 1'.' i *N- i§ A suaaltern's furlough. extends for about three-quarters of a mile. They are a perfect pattern of neatness, though not to be compared m granaeur or convenience to that at Liverpool, being merely roofs supported on brick pillars, with a single row of stalls on each side of the passage ; yet the most de- licate lady might walk at any time of day from one to the other end without inconvenience or annoyance. It is con- sidered the best beef market in the Union, and is well supplied wiih fruit and vegetables of every description, excepting Irish potatoes, a good bushel of which, coming direct from Europe, is considered no mean present. 1 think that I scarcely ever tasted a good potato any where south of Now- York. The costume of the butchers (white coat.s and aprons) is much cleanlier looking, and more becoming-, than the dirty blue of the English knights of the cleaver ond hatchet. The regularity of tho streets much pleased me upon tirst landing ; but, after I had gained some little experi- ence by a week's hard walking, I began to look upon them as rather monotonous, and to wish that there was more than a solitary crooked one. The city occupies the space of ground between Delaware and Schuylkill rivers, which arc about two miles apart ; all the streets running from tho former to the latter, due east and west, are, with the exception of High Street, named nfler various trees. There are but eight of them, and their names may bo formed into tho Qouplet of BnssafrM, Codar, Cliesnut, Vine, Mulberry, Spruce, Higli, Walnut, Pine j Whilo those again which cross them at right angles, run* ning due north and routh, are numbeiud from the rivers up to Broad Street, which divides the citv into two un* equal parts, there being thirteen streets between it and the Delaware, and only eight between it and the Schuyl- kill. Tho city is consequently chequered, as it were, liko a chess-board, by these divisions and subdivisions ; tho S(iuares (as the inhabitants term them) being solid, or blocks of buildings This regularity, however, is very convenient for a stranger ; and, if heonly knows the points ▲ SUBALTERN'S FVRLOUOH. 65 es. run* rivers two un« it and Jchuyl- it were, isions ; kolid, or jii very poinu of the compass, it is impossible he can lose his way ; but, without that, he would have as much difficulty in finding his hotel, as a mariner would in finding his port without knowing its bearings. It puzzled me a good deal at first for, if I asked any one the way to such a place, the answer was invariably some such as " Go four squares higher up and you will find it on the west side of north thirteenth, next to Sassafras." " Thank you," said I, '• for the in- formation — west side of north thirteenth, next to Sassa- fras !" how concise ! I huci then to box the compass ; and, after a quarter of an hour's !.r>t walking, began to despair of finding the spot; so, inquiring again, would discover that I was not to search for hollow squirres ; but that, if I returned, I should find the place on the west side of north thirteenth, next to Race — " next to Race ! why I was told but a few minutes since that it was next to Sas- safras." " tVell, but they are the same, I guess ; only Sassafras is rather to long a name." So running down the longitudeof the city again, until I gained the required latitude of 13 north, 1 bore direct down the street, and soon arrived at my destination ; thinking it strange that they should call a street Race, when races were forbidden by law in Pennsylvania. Though the exterior appearance of the houses exceeds those in English towns, from the bricks boinff painted red, and not dimmed by the black smoke of coal fires, while the windows are set ofl" by the smart green Venetian shut- ters, yet the streets are but badly paved and lighted, and worse kept as to cleanliness. I have seen innumerable {ngs running about, and rooting, ad libitum, in the most iishionublu parts of the town ; and have been obliged to turn off the causeway into the road, with danger of being run ov«r by a carriage or an equestrian, because it was blocked up with piles of merchandize and einnty chests — as if the storekeeper to whom they hehjiigod was proud of making a display that he was iHiealerona great scale. Day after di\y would those identical nuisances he in exist- •Mice, uiid tolerated hy the citizens as a nuitter of course ; hecauao, in fact, to them it was nothing uncommon — quite an every-dny sij^lit, Thvnppeurunceof the (uo must iiishionuble squares is Hi i \ m A. SUBAtTBRN S FTrRLOUGH. much marred by the position of a prison which occupies ne>'frly one side of each. But the most unsightly build- ing, and that which is least in accordance with the habits and sentimen^j of most Americans, as to its interior econo- my, is that Bastile, the Penitentiary ; the principles of whi''h institution have been so ably described by former truv oilers. For my own part, I could not view its lofty cs ite'' 'ted walls and towers, loop-holed windows, port- ( llif and ponderous irunstudded gates, without a shud- der at the fate of its wretched inmates. Whoever views the establishment will confess thai the Americans have carried punishment for crime beyond even death itself It is strange that they should hesitate to take away the life of man for any crime short of murder ; and yet should inflict perpetual solitary confinement as more lenient ; condemning an unfortunate being to be for ever cut off from all intercourse with his fellow-creatures, debarred the use of any thing which might give excitement to his mind, and doomed to linger away year after year in a miserable existence, III " Until just Death, kind umpire of mena' miMrtoa, With sweet enlargement doth Uiunisa Aim." I asked the opinion of a keeper who had witnessed the efTects of this syistem, and his answer wua, " I would sooner be hung twice over, sir." If ever the (rood citi- sens of Philadelphia may expect a visit from the shade of the venerable founder of their city, I sliould imagine it will be to express his abhorrence at an institution worthy only of the best days of the Spanish Inquisi- tion It is said that Philadelphia possesses more real and ready capital, and that the merchants' spectitations au* more confined to the latter, than is the case in any other city in the States. The manufactures are extensive, espe- cially the warpinif-nuUs of wliich there ore upwards of one muulred in the immediate vicinity; and, smce wood fuel has become more scarce, a i^reat trade has been cor- ried on, up the Schuylkill and Lehigh rivnrs, with thecool minus, 100 niilc.i distant Tliough the coal in summer is lil ▲ SUBALTERN S rURLOVOH. H^ seldom under seven dollars, and in winter upwards of eleven dollars, per ton ; yet it has almost superseded the use of wood, and the demand even exceeds the supply. It is of a hard Quality, nearly as brilliant as glass, will bear turning, ana emits very little smoke: but that which is termed "anthracite" will not blaze or burn easily, unless English coal is mixed with it; and this is imported in vessels from Liverpool as ballast. Mines hare been opened only a few years since at Mount Carbon and Lehigh, and are daily becoming more lucrative and ex- tensive. Like all American towns, Philadelphia teems with " knowledge for the people;" there being eight doily, one twice-a-week, and thirteen weekly newspapers ; seven monthly, and four quarterly publications. Of the latter the American Review is well edited. A Itogether, I have seen but few cities with which it will not bear a comparison; and, in my poor opinion, it is su- perior to all on the continent of North America. I could not spare time for more than a ten days' residence there ; and tiiough during that time 1 did my best to satisfy my curiosity, 1 regretted to leave it without having seen all 1 wished. . . , V'^i' '■;*: n 1 1 f 88 A SUBALTBRN^S FVRLOUOH. CHAPTER V. BoaU, ships, barges mark the roughened stream : ^ This way and that they differcut points puravtA, So mix Ijie motions, and so shifts t)\c view. SAVAar: all's still, as 'ert? began The fight; for, when it did, they cheercii and raiv Hill. Thui was Ckirinth lost and won. Btron. At six, ▲. M., on the 13th of June, I embarked in jne of the "Citizens' Uiion Linu' steamers, and proceeded down the Delaware at the spanking rate ( "tfteen knots an hour. A few minutes after I hjA beeti on board, seeing a negro ringing a hund-bcU up and down the deckp, and having my eyes and ears open for every thing new, 1 walked towards him with the expectation of ac< quiring some valuable inforn^^ution ; when, with the Sten- torian voice of a town-crier, he sung out, "Qentlemen who wish to take breakfast, pl<\ase walk to the Captain's office, and take tickets — also, pay their fare." There were from 160 to 170 passengers on board ; so I in vain strove to penetrate the dense mass collected round the small sentry-box office, and therefore commenced ins{)ect- ing the various barbers' shops, wai^hing-rooms, dressing- rooms, and bar-rooms, witn which the upper-deck was covered. In the forepart of the vessel, a man had open- ed a small shop for the sale of indelible marking-ink, with types arranged for stamping, which appeared to be in great request ; while in the stern were a knot of poli- ticians discussing the merits of the tariff bill, and poring for the last news from Congress over the morning pa- pers, which they had purchased from some of the little urchins who crowd the piers and vessels previous to start- ing. I had, however, scarcely studied the various groups, or come to any fixed deterininution who and what the principal orators were, judging only from a physiogno mical view of them, when 1 again heard the mack crier and his bell, with a shriller and more deciHive ton«, Hi A SVBALTBRn's rURLOVGH. siogno U crior totiw, screaming out, " Qentlemen a'int paid their &re will please walk to the Captain's office!" where I found nearly as great a throng as before ; but, being more per^ severing in my efforts to pierce a crowd which remind- ed me of the stock-selling scene, I at last obtained three scrips (or tickets,) — one for breakfast, to be returned when called for at table : the second to be given on go- ing ashore ; and a third, I think, for the railway wa- gons, or the steam-boat in the Chesapeake. The American river steamers are noble vessels, and, the engines working upon deck, such ample accommoda- tion is afforded, that between two and three hundred pas- sengers can sit down to breakfast in the cabin, which extends from stem to stern, excepting a small portion {)anellcd off in the after part, which is held sacred to the adies alone, " No admittance for gentlemen" being paint- ed in legible characters over the door. The accustom- ed shrine of Bacchus, to which the gentlemen pay their repeated and enthusiastic devotions, is exposed to the gaze of all admirers at the forepart of their cabin. No man of course would bo so unconscionable as to expect any thing approaching to comfort at the table of a steam- boat ; so I should advise him to get rid of his meals as speedily as possible, just as he would of any unpleasant duty wnich must bo performed; and thin let him breathe the fresh air again upon deck, where, if i beauties of nature have no charm for him, he can pull out his watch and count what number of revolutions the paddles perform in a minute, or work the calculation of how ma- ny knots the vessel cuts through the water per hour. For my own part, I always preferred being on deck on a cold day, thouj^h a shower of rain might accompany it, to stewing below with 160 passengers; and used often to imagine what a hurry and bcuffie there would b« in the cabin, if the vossul "collapsed its flue" as the Americana would say), or, in plain old English, burst its boiler. Touching at the various towns on tho river's bank, to land passengers, delayed us for a few minutes ; but we arrived at Newcastle, thirty-five miles from Philadelphia, in two hours and a half Stepping at that place from the vessel on to the railway, we entered the several horse-cars, 70 ▲ SUBALTERN S FURLOUGH. I ^ i; - i Becoming to the numbered tickets we had receired on board the steamer, without any trouble about the baggage, which had been placed in small cars previously to our leaving the vessel, and now followed us on common rail- way wagons. The road was but a temporarily built one, being constructed of slabs of wood with a flat iron rod nailed upon them, to withstand the friction of the car- riage wheels, the foundation being formed of logs of trees laid horizontally, and scarcely substantial enough for the locomotive engines which were to be introduced upon it in the course of the summer. The country through which we passed was very fiat and uninteresting, with scarcely any signs of population, and the soil poor and wet. In two hours we arrived at Frenchtown, containing two or three straggling houses on the banks of the Elk , where again entering a steam-boat, we proceeded down the river, which is so beset with shoals, that stakes and the tops of pine-trees were stuck upon them for the guidance of ves- sels. The country was still flat and devoid of beauty, un- til we entered the Chesapeake, and the noble Bay in- to which the Susquehanna pours its tributary water ; when we caught a passing glimpse of Harford, some miles up the latter ; and a low distant range of heiffhts made their appearance, almost following the course of the Chesapeake. America may very fairly lay claim to hav- ing a more variable climate than England; for I often saw the thermometer range 30 degrees m twenty -four hours: and upon this day the sun was so excessively hot, and the glare upon the white-painted deck so pamful to the eyes, as well as to the feet, that I was obliged to take shelter below. In Philadelphia, tv c> days previously, every one sitting at the Are. When we quitted the Chesapeake, and entered the Pa- tapsco at North Point (where the British army landed, under General Hoss, in 1814,) it was so broad that ob- jects on either bank could be but indistinctly seen. After running a few miles up the latter river, we got the flrst sight of Baltimore, situated on a series of heiffhts at the head of a circular bay, with a range of low blue hills in rear of it, and presenting a more picturesque appearance than Philadelphia, being interspersed with many domes, towers, and lofty monuments. Numerous pretty country !5^l A subaltern's fttrlocgh li eired on ly to our non rail- rily built flat iron if the car- s of trees rh for the d upon it gh which I scarcely wet. In ig two or k, where tne river, he tops of ice of ves- 3auty, un- le Bay in- ry water ; )rd, some )f heiffhts irse of the Im to hav- oflen saw ur hours; hot, and ul to the 1 to take eviously, d the Pa- landed, that ob- After the first Its at the I hills in ?arance domes, 'country residences, too, on the rising ground in the vicinity, add much to the beauty of the city. In front of it, and about three miles distant, is Fort M' Henry, on a promontory formedby the junction of another branch of the Patapsco. It was bombarded, during the late war, by the British fleet, who received a check there to their farther advance upon Baltimore, by the ship channel being choked up with sunken vessels. As the steamer passed, a small detachment of troops were at drill within the works, which are not in very good repair ; but their use is to be super- seded by an almost impregnable fortress (according to the description given me,) which is erecting upon the Rip Rap shoals, at the mouth of the Chesapeake, and at Fort Munro, on the mainland opposite, upon the construc- tion of which immense sums ofmoney have been expend- ed. We arrived oflf the pier-head at three o'clock, hav- ing been nine hours on the journey from Philadelphia, ninety-five miles distant ; and showing a porter, at his request, "the location" of my carpet bag, I walked up to the City Hotel, considered the largest in the United States ; which, though containing nearly two hundred apartments, had not one single-bedded room vacant until the follow- ing day. Having bargained that I should be transferred to one on the morrow, and that my fellow-occupant for the night should be a peaceable man. I walked out to view the lions of the city ; the very first being in the centre of a small square in front of the hotel ; namely a white mar- ble monument, sixty feet in height, erected to the memo- ry of those who fell in the defence of the city at the battle of North Point, and bombardment of Fort !VI' Henry. A double scroll entwines the fluted column, with the names of those who fell inscribed upon it ; and in small square compartments at the base are relievos representing the death of General Ross, and the bombardment by the British fleet. Several strange nondescript animals — a kind of half-lion, half-eagle, occupy the angles of the pe- destal ; and on the summit of the monument a female figure, with a wreath elevated in her right hand, repre- sents (as I imagined)Fame crowning the deeds of the slnin. The Americans point to the monuments as erected in cele- bration of a victory over the English, to whom they will i ■ \ij 11 \^ II t! It A subaltern's fvrlovor. never allow a particle either of honour or glory; but their representatives, who fell back upon Baltimore so hastily from the battle of North Point, could tell them a far dif- ferent story. There is another fine monument erected upon the rising ground, a little to the north of the city, to the memory of Washington, the only one for that purpose, I believe, in the northern States. The bas-reliefs and other decorations are not yet finished, for want of the necessary funds. The original intention was, that the summit should be raised 200 feet from the ground, but it only attained the height of 178, including the colossal statue ofWashing- ton, 16i feet high. The whole exterior is of white mar- ble, and has already cost 200,000 dollars. Though the day was yet excessively hot, I determined to ascend the column; and being furnished with a lantern at a small house at the base, there being no loop-holes to admit light, I toiled with aching limps up the tedious 228 steps, and for some time admired the extensive and fine view of the Chesapeake, and surrounding country. Being Sinclair's benefit night, I attended the theatre to witness the performance of " Englishmen in India." There was but a thin audience, and they protracted the play in a most wearisome manner, by the frequent encores they demanded of every song. The news of the rejection of the English Reform Bill had been received two or three days in the city; and also a rumour that there was to be a creation of new peers in order to carry the measure. Advantage was taken of this circumstance by some wag in the play, bearing the unronmntic name of Mr. Tape, who received a long and boisterous round of applause for his ready wit : " You must personate a Count," said Lady Scraggs ; " Oh, aye," said the knight of the thimble ; " one of thu new batch of Peers for the Reform Bill, 1 suppose, as Shakespeare says, • It wants a thorough reform.' " Upon my return to the inn, I entered my opartment most cautiously, lest 1 should arouse the man uf peace from his slumbers; but it was an unneccossary precaution, for, although he Imd been in bed three hours, ne had not A subaltern's FVRLOtJOH. 73 ; but their so hastily I a far dif- snt erected the city, to it purpose, 3 and other necessary mit should y attained Washing- (vhite mar- hough the ascend the at a small ss to admit J 228 steps, i fine view the theatre 1 in India." tracted the nt encores e rejection or three was to be ! measure. some wag Mr. Tape, ^iplausefor )unt," said ke thimble ; Irm Bill, 1 ;1 i I 1 > [apartment of peace |)recautioil, le had not closed his eyes. I told him it was a great waste of time, and that he had better have attended the theatre, where he might have heard some excellent singing, upon which he informed me that he was a missionary from St. Kitt's in the West Indies, and was now upon his travels through the United States for the benefit of his health. He had landed only the preceding week at New- York, and gave me a most deplorable account of rough roads, and half dislocated bones which he had already met with in his joirrney. As I had every prospect of undergoing the same, I sympathized with him most sincerely ; and we passed the time away until near dawn of day, expatiating upon the pleasure of speedy but easy travellmg, and com- paring the respective merits of the East and West Indies. The followmg day I visited the Catholic cathedral, a very gloomy, prison-like piece of architecture, and about which I had the bad taste to see nothing worthy of ad- miration, excepting the altar, a present from France. The exterior of the building bore such marks of anti- quity, and of antique taste, that I imagined it must have been almost coeval with the first settlers ; but, upon inquiry, was much surprised to find that it had only been erected eighteen years. The lowness of the dome, in proportion to the rest of the cathedral, and the great want of spacious windows, give it a very heavy appearance. Its extreme length is 190 feet, by 177 in breadth, while the height to the summit of the cross is only 127 f^et. There are several paintings in the interior, presented by Cardinal Fesch to the late Archbishop Marshall ; and one the Descent from the Cross by Pauhn Guerin, presented by Louis XVIII., possessing considerably more merit than another presented by Charles X. of France, repre- senting some scene in the time of the Crusades, from the brush of an unknown artist. A Unitarian church, in something the same style of architecture, is within 200 yards of the cathedral ; but the American churches fall very far short of that appearance of solemn grandeur which is so striking in the religious edifices of the Old World, where large Gothic windows with stone muUions and small diamond panes of glass, vol. I. — o. \ 74 A StBALTERN's FCK ... X.aH. J' :!> have not yet given place to two stories of smart window' sashes, with green Venetian shutters. There is no solidity about an American church, which is generally built of wood or red brick, in the style of English Dissenters' meet- ing-houses; and surmounted by a light, highly ornament- ed spire of the former material, sometimes covered with glittering sheet tin. The chancel fronts any point of the compass indifferently; the organ occupies the eastern, and the altar under the pulpit the western end of the church, as convenience suits ; our scrupulous English attention to their particular situation being viewed as a remnant of the superstitious ages. The Museum, established by a brother of Peale of Philadelphia, contains but a paltry collection of paintings, with only a moderate one of natural curiosities, which are not arranged with half that taste which distinguishes the one in that city. While walking through the Arcade, a fine building of two stories, both of which are well occupied by shops, some men were employed in pulling down and cleaning the stove-pipes. One of them went out with a large portion of the fine over his shoulder; following him to the entrance into the street, I stood there looking at a lofty shot tower opposite, and had scarcely determined which road I should next take, when another man as black as Erebus, or the cyclops of old, came up with a fathom of the »tove-pipe over his shoulder ; and after gazing about for a moment or two, as if at a loss for something, ad- dressed me (in making the necessary turn of his body to get a full view of me, a cloud of soot shot from his bur- then, nearly upsetting both me and my gravity,) with, " Whidh way did that gentleman go, sir?" I bowed most politely, and, giving him the required information, we parted with a mutual " good morning, sir." Tne Merchants' Hall, built by private subscription, has been a great failure with regard to the value of the stock. It is a noble building and of grand dimensions ; the front being 265 feet by a depth of 140, having four stories, including the ground-floor. The great hall, where the merchants daily assemble, is 86 by 53 feet, and lighted from the dome, whose summit is 90 feet from the floor. 1 • ▲ subaltern's furlough 76 windoW' solidity built of srs' meet- rnament- red with int of the stern, and ! church, attention remnant Peale of j)aintings, vhich are lishes the uilding of by shops, 1 cleaning 1 a large lim to the at a lofty ed which black as athom of ing about hing, ad- is body to his bur- ity,) with, I bowed ormation, )tion, has he stock, the front stories, vheve the lighted the floor. 1 The sides of the hall are supported by columns of marble; each being a single block. An excellent news-room, cus- tom-house, and other public offices, adjoin. It was only built ten years since, at an expenceof 200,000 dollars ; but the original subscribers have sunk most of their money, from that part of the building which was constructed for letting out to shopkeepers and lawyers being unoccu- pied. The city contains upwards of 70,000 inhabitants, and possesses considerable trade, particularly in flour and cotton ; every stream in their vicinity being studded with mills. It is not quite so regularly built, being upon very abrupt ground, as Philadelphia; but contains many excel- lent streets, and fine market-houses. Ample proofs, too, are given of its prosperity on the shores of the harbour, which resound with the clang of workmen's hammers em- ployed in the construction of numerous ships and steam- vessels. But I saw nothing more remarkable than the extreme beauty of the females : the appearance of the gentlemen did not strike me as any thmg very extraor- dinary, rather the contrary ; for, if I were to give my can- did opinion, I should say they were like the merchants' exchange stock — rather below par ; but it is possible they might suflfer some little from contrast to their fair towns- women. I do not remember, in any part of the globe, seeing amongst the females so much loveliness and beauty, as in Baltimore. It is true, they are rather more dressy than in other towns in the States ; but they have good figures to set oflf; and I should strongly recommend some of the young men from other parts of the Union to at- tempt transplanting a few of them ; for in my after-travels I visited many places which, I am sure, stood much in need of them. I think, however, the American women generally, when young, though not possessing the English freshness of colour, are exceedingly handsome: but ("the fairest still the fleetest," as the song is,) age, or rather the marks of old age, creep upon them sooner than on the natives of more temperate climes. A large varnished and painted board, with the following strange notice upon it, in gilt or yellow painted letters, I: >' i( :i • 7« ▲ SUBALTERN'S FDRLOUOH. was fixed up against the wall opposite the window of my room, in a must conspicuous part of the hotel :— > " Constantly on hand for the > ' accommodation of travellers, ^^ on the most reasonable terms, fine linen shirts, cravnts, collars, show bosoms, silk stockings, gloves, suspenders, •ilk and linen pocket handkerchiefs, razor strops, patent Venus pomatum for dyeing the hair and whiskers without injury to the skin. Razors set in order. Best chewing tobacco." But this medley of pomatum and tobacco did not aato nish me Iialf so much as tho following strange address iu the news-room, to the visitors of the largest hotel in the Uniied Stntes : — '• Five dollars rex^^ard for the discovery o( the viliian who cuts or tears the newspapers ! P^ The third day after my arrival at Baltimore, I rode out to view the scenes of action in the vicinity during the last war ; and, in twenty minutes, gained the heights to the eastward, which are yet scarred and furrowed by the long chain of ontrenchmunls and redoubts thrown up by the American army ; and before which, when manned by 30,000 troops, the British force of 6000 halted on the 13th of September; and, finally retired to the shipping without attempting a reduction of the works. I know nut what were the general sentiments of the Amerii^un army collected for the defence of Baltimore ; but n gentleman who served in it assured me that it was his firm opinion if an attack had been resolutely commenced, their troo])s would have fled us on the preceding day, 'JMiere can be no doubl that liultimore owed its safety to the artificial bar's which had been formed in front of Fort M'Henry.and not to any gallantry of its militia. For it is evident that, could the ahinping have ^ui.. *d the right flank of their army, not only would their entrenchments have been ex- posed to a raking fire, but a force would have been landed within them. Proceeding onwards for several mileit tUrougha thickly-wooded country, with only small pulch- 'i I* A SUBALTERN 8 FURLOUGH. n es of cleared ground, and a wooden shanty at intervals, I crossed the farm where the hard-contested action of the 12th took place, from which the Americans retreated in great disorder to their entrenchments before the city. In a few minutes, I arrived at a small monument erected to the memory of the a pprentice by whose hand General Ross fell; who, rather unnecessarily, but courageously, exposed himself in a petty skirmish with a scouting party of the enemy's riflemen. It is situated in rather a romantic spot, at an opening of the forest by the road-side, upon the place where the British general fell. There is an in- scription upon two faces of it, stating that it was erected by the first mechanic volunteers to the memory of " Aquilla Randall, aged twenty-four years, who died in bravely defending his country and his Itomti." On a third side, " In the skirmish which occurred at this spot between tlin advanced party under Major Ricliard K. I loath, of thu .5th regiment M.M., and the front of tlio Br'tisli column, Major General Ross, the Commander of the British forces, received his mortal wound." And on the fourth. Ijoen ox- li landed \.\ nu\w patch- " How beautiful is death who ' earned by Virtue /'» If the rifleman, as gononilly stated by ovon the Ame- ricans themselves, fired (leliberaiely from behind a tree, whero he had posted himsell" to await the general's so near iippronch, that thero was no pussibility of his aim fiiiling, I think the liittrr pint of tbe ii tbcir piisHcngrrn Ifuvn^ tomo conaidurulion lur thu lives and liiiiba uf travellers, ii A SUBALTERNS FURLOUGH. they have no seats upon the roof of their coaches, but the body is so capacious as to afford ample room for three seats, or nine people ; the centre seat moving on a hinge in the middle, so as to be pushed back when the door is opened. The body is slung upon two immensely thick leathern springs, running under it from the fore to the after axle-trees ; but they give the coach so much piny, that, in crossing a water-course, or any slight hollow, it pitches down so heavily, that the driver s footboard strikes tiie wheel-horses on the back ; on which occasion a cor responding movement is made by the passengers within. There were but two besides myself, and they had taken pos-scssion of their places before I entered ; so I had only the choice of either riding with my back to the horses, or to them ; and, wishing to take advantage of their society, I preferred the former. But, although accustomed to the rolling of a ship, I found it utterly impossible to retuiii possession of my seat; every pitch of the coach sent me with force on the centre one, and sometimes nearly over it into my fellow-travollers' laps, being checked \n my course only by the broad leathern belt which crosses th«' centre of the vehicle for the possengers in that part to lean their backs against. Nor wos it until after much manojuvring that I managed to secure myself. After I had travelled a few hundred miles, I became more accus- tomrd to the motion, and disco vrred that the heavier a coach was laden the easi(«r it went, ai/l that to be wedged in between two fut old ladies, or gentle,m<'n, was a great desideratum in o long und rougl) jonrui v The road passed throiiLrh n dull, uncultivnNvl country, with not even a stragirling village for uf w;>rd^ of twenty miles' and the few hoiise.s we passed were me'' |)rouiHiori, as is ti'^tiiiiMl liy tho British having upwards of &01) lui'ii killed mu\ wounded ; while the Ame- rican loss did not much exceed half that number. Sinci * Dincoune on Inltniperonc*. I *■; »; M! : W A SUBALTERN 8 FURLOUGH. that time, their naval service has experienced a severe loss in the person of Commodore Decatur, who was killed in a duel on the high ground near the head of the position their army occupied upon that day. A violent thunder-storm burst upon us soon after leav- ing Bladensburgh, from which we were ill defended by the painted canvas curtains of our vehicle. Wet and weary, we arrived, at eight o'clock in the evening, at the door of Oadsby's hotel, in Washington. st>. 4f \ ;j \ A IStBiLTKRN's FVALOtGH serere loss IS killed in he position I after leav- efended by Wet and ning, at the CHAPTER VI. There they shall found Their goyemment, and their great senate choose. MiLTOM. Where commonweaUh men, starting at the shade Which in their own wild fancy had been made, s Of tyrants dream'd who wore a thorny crown, And with state bloodhounds hunted Freedom down. To rear this plant of Union, till at length, Rooted by time and fostered into strength, Shooting aloft all danger it defies, And proudly lifts its branches to the skies. Churchill. On the following day (Sunday) I felt so sore and shaken with my rough journey, and the thermometer stood so high (upwards of ninety in the shade,) that 1 kept within doors until evening, when I strolled down the broad Pennsylvania Avenue for an hour before simset ; but immediately after breakfast, the next morning, I set off to feast my eyes and ears upon the grand object of my expedhion from Philadelphia : to wit, the Capitol, and Congress in full convention, I had rather hurried my journey, lest the House should adjourn; and considered myself fortunate in finding, upon my arrival, that the tariir and bank bills were before it, and in all human probability would fully occupy it for the next six weeks. A few hundred paces from the hotel, up the Pennsyl- vania Avenue, I crossed a small lUuddy creek, classiontly denominated the Tiber, and soim after gained the large iron gates at the entrance of the area within which the ('nniiol is situated. It is upon a liifty eminence, over- looking thoplnin upon which the city is built ; and several broad flights of steps lead lo the principal entrance. The first stone was laid by Washington, during his adminis- tration, in September, I?1W, but it was not limshed to its present state until some titne after the conclusion of hosti- lities in 1815, previously f.» which the wings only wer« I'wilt of substantial uaiterials. ihe intermediate .spHce l>«- JSK' '■■■I,! .1 I ■w '■' II ' \> M i !iii I 84 ▲ SVBALTERN S rVRLOUGH. tween them, now occupied by the Rotunda, being formed of wood. It was consumed in the conflagration of the public buildings which ensued on the entrance of the British into the city, on the evening of the 24th of August, 1814. It is situated nearly in the centre of the area, which contains 22i acres of ground, and is surroundea by a low wall and strong iron balustrade, a small shrub- bery of low trees being planted within the railing. The western front, towards the city, is tastefully laid out in grass terraces and gravel walks ; while on the eastern a garden has been fenced off within an iron railing, to which however every one has free access. The eastern front of the building stands upon higher ground than the western ; and, to remedy this defect in the appearance, an earthen terrace was formed at some distance (probably 30 feet) from the basement story on the latter side, which, in addition to answering the primary object, affords, by being underbuilt, excellent cellars for fuel. The en- trance, then, is from this terrace into the Rotunda, which is on the second story, and paved with stone, receiving light from the dome, 96 feet above the floor. Its diameter is also the same ; and the echo of footsteps along the pavement, or the voices of people conversing almost equals that in the whispering gallery of St. Paul's. The western side of it is ornamented with four large oil- paintings, by Colonel Trumbull, an officer of the Ame- rican army, and aid-de-camp to Washington during the revolutionary war. Retiring from the service in disgust at the irregular promotion of some officers over his head, he cultivated his natural talent for drawing, by studying under his countryman. West, and others of the most eminent artists in Europe. The paintings are placed in niches about ten inches deep in the wall, and arc from 20 to 21 feet in length, and iibout 13 in height. They are all historical subjects, taken from the most important events of the era connected with the Revolution; repre- senting tlie IX'clarolion of Independence in the State House, Philadelphia, 4th July, 1770; Surrender of Bur- goyne, at Sarafojra, 1 7th October, 1777; that of Corn- wallu, at Yorku)\*n, 19th October, 1781 ; and Washing- ion> Resignation of his Commissiun into the handv of A subaltern's furlough. \g formed [on of the ice of the )f August, the area, [irroundea lall shrub- ing. The aid out in 3 eastern a railing, to he eastern d than the ppearance, I (probably de, which, afTords, by The en- ida, which , receiving IS diameter along the g almost il's. The large cil- the Ame- uring the |in disgust his head, studying the mo6t placed in from 20 They are mportant repre- hie State of Bur- lof Corn- 'ashing- landii of Congress, at Annapolis, 23d December, 1783. All hav? considerable merit, and their value is enhanced by most of the figures represented on the canvass being from por- traits taken for the express purpose by Colonel Trum- bull. But, in the last-mentioned one, the two stiflf lines of French and American troops, stationed at attention, and looking at each other from opposite ends of the painting, with the British army and General O'Hara at their head, marching up the centre in lengthened array, appear as formal and old-fashioned as the straight rows of Lombardy poplars in the Pennsylvania Avenue. The four niches on the opposite side of the Rotunda are vacant ; and, being merely plastered over, look shabby and bare, contrasted with the richly gilt frames which surround them. Captain Hall says that, when he was m the States, the subject of filling them with suitable paint- ings was brought before Congress, but that they came to no decision respecting them ; nor have they made any farther progress as yet. Various reasons were assigned to me for the necflect of what any one would imagine was but a very simple undertaking, and required little or no discussion. A youn senators struck me as rather more aristocratical than that of the members of the other house. During the time the houses are ac- tually sitting, a flag flies upon the summit of the dome over ench wing ; and, if either adjourns, that flag only is struck. Adjoining the Rotunrla on the western front of the Capitol is the Congress Library — a room of about 03 by 35 feet, and calculated to contain upwards of 30,000 volumes. At present it has about 13,000, which have been collected since 1814, when the small library of 9000 was destroyed. — — •* ptidct hrec opfirobrin nobla, Et dlci putuiue, et non potuisio rcfolli ]*' There are two busts of eminent Americans by Forsicaand an old portrait of Columbus in it. From the outer balcony there is a fine prospect of the brond Potomnc, and the rising ground with Arlington House (the property of Mr. H* ▲ subaltern's furlough. Custis, related to the Washington family) on the oppo* site bank; the mall, the navy-yard, and the towns of Alex- andria and Georgetown in the distance. The basement story is occupied by various courts, offices, and bar-rooms. The total cost of the building was 2,508,500 dollars (640,090/.,) and it covers one acre and a half of ground, and 1820 square feet ; the length of the front being 350, the depth of the wings 121, and the height to the top of the centre dome 120 feet. The exterior, although of white freestone, is painted white ; which tasteless pro- ceeding is explained by the following extract from the Travel l pass from it . thus, A street north : A street south ; 29 street east, 29 west. Nearly all the present buildings are along the Pennsylvania Avenue, in which the presi- dent's house is situated, and which is the only one in which any trees are planted. The district of Columbia, in which the city is situated, is a ten-mile square, under the imme- diate direction of Congress, having been ceded to th« United States in 1700, by Maryland and Virginia, and the site of the city fixed upon a peninsula, formed by two branches of the Potomac. In 1784, an ordinance was passed by Congress, appointing commisnioners to pur- chase the land on the Delaware, in the neighbourhood of the Falls, for the purpose of erecting public buildings for the reception of^ Congress, and the omcers of goverik- A SUBALTERN 8 FURLQUOH. ment ; but the southern states had sufficient interest to prevent this appropriation of funds, which required the assent of nine states ; and so many conflicting interests were brought into operation, whenever the subject was discussed by Congress, that no motion designating a more central place could succeed. New- York had been ear- nestly supported ; but at length those in favour of Phila- delphia and the Potomac entered into agreement, by which it was stipulated that Congress should hold its sessions in that city for ten years, during which period buildings should be erected on the Potomac, to which the govern- ment should remove at the expiration of the term. Thus was a small majority created, by the representatives of Pennsylvania and Delaware having united with those who were favourable to the Potomac ; a bill which was brought before the House in conformity with their arrangement, was passed; and Washington, during his administration as president, fixed on the place which should become the capital of the United States. From its situation no one would ever imagine it to be a healthy place ; owing to the great exhalations from the low ground during the excessive heat of summer: yet it appears, from Elliott's history of the ten-mile square, that "the average number of deaths in a year, is as I to 53; while in Europe it is as 1 in 28, and in large cities 1 in 33. From the same returns, bilious fevers and consumptions caused one-fiflh of the mortality. A friend of mine, speaking to a shop* keeper in the city one day, said, " You must be very dull here when Congress has adjourned?" *'0h, no!" ans- wered he, " Not so dull either ; we have plenty of (ever and ague to keep us stirring." But after letting off this little flash of American wit, he acknowledged that there was but little business until winter, when the city was all life again. An attempt is now making to counteract the bad eflt'cts of the marshy ground, by excavating a broad canal up the course of the Tiber creek, from its junction with the Potomac, near the president's house, until it nears the garden of the Capitol and then re-enters the eastern branch of the river by two mouths, one near the navy yard and the other at the arsenal. The excessive beat of the summer must always render the city an UQ* interest to M]uired the g interests lubject was ing a more [ been ear- r of Phila- it, by which its sessions i buildings he govern- jrm. Thus Bntatives of i those who as brought 'angement, linistration Id become ituation no ce; owing during the m Elliott's Renumber urope it is 1 the same d one-fifth to a shop* very dull not" ans- y of fevef 7 off this nat there ty was all teract the ga broad junction until it nters the near the excessive ▲ subaltern's rt^RLOVOH. 9^ pleasant residence during several months. The thermo' meter frequently stood as high as ninety-six degrees in the shade at Oadsby's hotel : the members of Congrese might daily be seen crawling along the Pennsylvania Avenue towards the Capitol, with umbrellas to protect them from the powerful rays of the sun, at ten o'clock; and though receiving eight dollars per day (1/. i4».,) their places were not sinecures, the House only adjourn- ing for an early dinner at two o'clock, and then sitting again until sunset, and once until nine at night. One or two days before I left the city, the sergeant at arms ab- sconded with a considerable sum of money he had drawn for various members of the House of Representatives, who had been in the habit of allowing him to fill up blank checks with their signatures attached, for their daily al- lowance of eight dollars ; and, in most instances, he had overdrawn the sum due. No money being found in his possession when arrested at Bladensburgh, the members determined not to be losers by him, and passed a resolu- tion that the amount he had failed to pay over to them should be made good out of the contingent fund of the House. Having described the city of Washington as it is upon paper, I will now attempt to give an idea of its actual state. Let the reader fancy himself standing with his ] face to the west on the summit of the Capitol hill, a slight eminence, probably 60 or 70 feet in height, crowned by a large and magnincent building with three domes, the centre one considerably higher than the other two. Im- mediately under him is a terraced garden, and beyr 1 that on the other side of a broad road, is another filuii with young trees of every description the country pro- duces : while a long wide street, planted with four rows of tall Lombardy poplars, runs airectly from him in a north-westerly direction, expanding into a small town as it recedes into the distance. To his right, is a continua- tion of the eminence upon which he stands, until it is skirt- ed by the dark line of forest two or three miles distant. In his rear, along the sides of the Bladensburgh road, is the same broken ground, but partly cultivateo. To his left a small and rugged street runs from the Capitol gates A bvbaltern's furlough, in a southerly direction over the hilly ground, and at the distance of a mile and a half are seen the large sheds of the navy yard. Rather more to the south, hut at the distance of two miles, near the Potomac, is the long brick building of the penitentiary, with the arsenal in rear of it. -On the open ground between them and the Capitol are the ruins and gable ends of some houses. A canal filled with water in some parts, and in others only partially ex- cavated, winds towards him from the river, across which the remains of a wooden bridge, a mile and a quarter in length, are to be seen. Such is Washington! Upon the whole, it has a desolate appearance, which is increased by the land marked out for its site being entirely destitute of trees, and only here and there (excepting where the bie- sent town is situated) are scattered houses, each standing isolated, as if requiring some support on either side. The inhabitants, and Americans generally, fondly flatter them- selves that it will some day vie in splendour with ancient ! Rome. The only comparison it bears at present is with the modern city, m the ruins of the Potomac bridge, and Mr. Law's houses. The scene altogether is described most forcibly by a French lady, who likened it to a town gone ovti on a visit into the eountry. ,.,.,.• ■;■ ... ■f ind, and at targe sheds , but at the long brick n rear of it. Capitol are canal filled artially ex- ross which quarter in Upon the icreased by destitute of ere the pre- •h standing side. The atter them- ith ancient ent is with )ridge, and i described t to a town v. .ivV iS A subaltern's fttrlouob CHAPTER VII. So peaceful restq without a stone, a name. The fall of waters ! rapid as the light , The flashing mass foams shaking the abyss. 97 Pope. Btroit. Early on the morning of the 21st of June, I took the steam-boat and glided rapidly down the broad " river of Swans" (as the poot Indians termed the stream,) to Alex- andria, in the district of Columbia, seven miles below the city, but on the Virginia side of the Potomac. It con- tains about 8000 inhabitants, and, like most American towns of moderate size, has a museum, which, however, it is rather difficult for a stranger to find, being placed in the dark upper story of an old brick mansion, where some excellent specimens of natural history are seen to very little advantage. The museums in the States are generally good, but the owners (one and all) possess a strange taste for collecting such a quantity of trash and childish trifles, as pieces of old shells, signal and Congreve rockets, grape- shot, &c.,'fired from the British squadron, under Captain Gordon, at the White House, a few miles below the town ; jackets of volunteers stained with blood, haversacks of sergeants of marines killed in action, &c. that it is quite a labour to search for what is really worthy of no- tice. There are several relics of Washington's; such as his military canteen, mason's dress, and the red satin robe in which he was christened, preserved with the great- est care; as also two of his original letters, one of which, written a month before his death, was penned in a fine bold hand. The old man in charge of the Museum point- ed out two colours taken from the British duringthe Re- volution ; one from the Hessians, at the battle of Trenton, and the other belonging to the 7th Fusileers, surrender- ed by Lord Cornwallis at Yorktown. There was a la- belled paper on each, the first bearing *^ Alpha" the lat- ter ** Omega J* He said that Washington had presented them thus to the Museum, as the fruits of his first and VOL. 1. — I. \ A subaltern's furlough. I -i last victory. As the old man was in his own castle, I ^d not like to question the veracity of his statement; but I think he must have judged from my countenance that I was rather sceptical. Having hired a horse, I proceeded on my journey to Mount Vernon, the burial-place of Washington. The guide-book told me that "the road to it was uninhabited and difficult to trace;" but setting forth on my pilgrimage, and travelling over a sandy, poor country, I managed tolerably well for the first few miles; until, arriving at the meeting of four roads, I was at a complete nou'plusf there being neither sign-post nor living being from whom I might gain further information. Trusting to my horse ana good luck, I rode on at a brisk trot for several miles, when, meeting a woman, I discovered that I had taken a wrong road, so struck off at once into the forest j and after losing my temper ten times, and my road twice as often, by an hour after mid-day I arrived at the lodge* gates of Mount Vernon. I was obliged to adopt this inconvenient method of tra- velling, as the steam vessels from Alexandria, which pss within 200 yards of the house, are not permitted to land passengers, on the plea that great depredations were com* mitted amongst the trees and gardens. The proprietor certainly does not appear to encourage pilgrims to the tomb; the road through the grounds from the lodge to the house being, if possible, worse than the highway, and running for a considerable distance up a deep ravine, and over the rough stony bed of a winters torrent. It was much the fashion, during my stay in America, for the Volunteer Corps and "Republican Associations of young men," to make a pilgrimage to the tomb in a bo- dy; and the middle and southern States, who never allow an opportunity of having a laugh against their Yankee brethren to escape them, say, that the order forbidding steamers to land their passangers arose in consequence of a gentleman cutting so many walking-sticks from the sacred ground that, upon his return to Boston, he made a good round sum of money by retailing them at a dol- lar each. , The house was originally built by Lawrence Washing* ▲ SUBALTERN^ S FURLOUGH. w astle, I ^d lent; but I )nance that journey to fton. The minhabited lilgrimage, I managed ivingatthe 'pluSf there n whom I I my horse ireral miles, lad taken a forest: and id twice as ; the lodge* ithod of tra- which pass :ted to land were com- proprietor ims to the le lodge to hway, and 'avine, and America, )ciation8 of lb in a bo- pver allow r Yankee brbidding nsequence from the he made at a dol- Washing- ton, a brother of the General's, and received its name but of compliment to Admiral Vernon, in whose expedition he haa served. He was succeeded by the Oeneral, from whom (having no children) it descended to his nephew Bushrod Washington, the judge, and from him to his nephew John Washington, who died three days prior to my visit ; in consequence of which, I did not request ad- mission. I heard that there was nothing interesting with- in the house, excepting a small fragment of a jug, bear- ing a likeness of the Oeneral, which is considered the most striking ever seen; the most singular part of the story being, that the jug was made in England by a com- mon potter who had never visited America. The house is built of wood, two stories in height, the exterior stuc- coed in imitation of stone : a portico, supported by square wooden pillars, extends the full length of the front to- wards the Potomac, and the roof is surmounted by a light wooden tower. The situation is a very pretty one; but scarcely any thing has been done by art to add to the natural beauty. The giounds are laid out in a tasteless style, and kept in a slovenly manner, high coarse grass growing up to the very door. The Americans possess generally but little taste for ornamental gardening, or at least make no display of it ; for I seldom saw a cottage, or even a respectable-looking mansion, with any thing like a flower-garden attached to it. When the judge possessed the property, it consisted of more than 3000 acres of land; but, the law of primoge- niture being abolished, it was divided amongst his ne- phews; so that there are now but 1200 with the house; and although the General has been dead only thirty-two years, the estate has passed into the hands of the third generation. The late proprietor has left two sons and a daughter, so that the estate will be again divided, an^ must eventually dwindle into nothing. It is much to be regretted that the government do not take some steps either to keep the property entire in the family, ox pur- chase it for the States in general. Surely if any s^t in America deser -38 protection more than another, it is the tomb of the father of the country. Application was made by Congress for permisiion to remove the body on the \ 100 A subaltern's furlocoh centennial celebration of Washington's birth-day (22d of February, 1832), in order to bury it with great pomp in the Rotunda of the Capitol; but the late proprietor would not accede to it, stating, as his reason, that it had been the dying request of his grand-uncle to be buried •t Mount Vernon. A fine sloping bank descends from the house nearly to the Potomac, when it becomes more abrupt, and is so thickly covered with trees that the river is net visible from the house. On the brow of the abrupt part of the bank is the vault in which the General and other mem- bers of the family were originally buried. The coffins were removed a twelvemonth since to another vault two or three hundred yards more inland. Both vaults are of plain brick, and on the original one there was not even any inscription, and but a weak wooden door to close the entrance. It was situated in the midst of a cluster of oak-trees, and several red pine and cedar grew on the top of it. The present vault nas a small tablet of stone, in- scribed ** Washington Family ;" and underneath, " I am the Resurrection and the Life, saith the Lord , he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live ; and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die." That the nation have never erected a monument to the man who was their idol while living, and whose memory is still so revered amongst them, is ever a subject of surprise and reproach among foreigners. The Ameri- cans say, in their defence, that the city of Washington, with its public buildings, is alone a sufiiciont monument; and that the only proper testimonial of respect to his name is the affectionate remembrance of the people, It must bo retnembored, however, that two days after his death Congress passed a resolution, unanimously, "that a marble monument be erected bv the United Statra at the city of Washington^ that the family of General Wash- ington be requested to permit hia body to be deposited under it, and that the monument bo so designed as to \ commemorate the great events of his military and political life;" to which Mrs. Washington consented, saynigthat, *' taught by the great c: ample which I have so'long had boCbre me never to oppose my private wishes to the pub< A SVBALTBRN's rURLOOOH. 101 II lay (23d of at pomp in proprietor that it had be buried le nearly to and is so net visible part of the )ther mem- ^he coffins r vauh two lults are of s not even :o close the I cluster of ' on the top ' stone, in- ith, " I am d, he that ill he live ; lall never monument md whose T a subject 'heAmeri- lishingtoii, lonument; K'ct to his )cople, It after his sly, "that vtra at the pal Wash- deposited nod ns to d political y»"g that, long had > the pub* lie will, I must eoment to the request made by Congrets.*' Judge Marshall, in his "Life of Washington," says, that the Resolution, although it passed unanimously, had ma- ny enemies; that the party which had lon^ constituted the opposition to his administration declared its preference for an equestrian statue, which had been voted by Con- gress at the close of the war, sixteen years previous; that the division between a statue and a monument was so nearly equal, that the session passed away without an appropriation for either ; and that those who possessed the ascendancy over the public sentiment employed their influence to draw odium on the men who favoured a mo- nument, and to represent that measure as part of a ge- neral system to waste the public money. When I arrived at the cross roads on my return, I found a gentleman with his servant in the very dilemma in which I had been situated in the morning. He was quietly awaiting the arrival of some one who could give him information, and asked me which was the ruad to Fredricksburg, about sixty miles distant. I advised him to trust to his horse, as the Knights errant of old had done, as I could ill direct him. The President's house at Washington, containing some finely proportioned rooms, furnished in a republican style of plainness. Is situated on a slightly elevated ground, laid out in walks and gardens. The ouilding is of free- stone, painted white, for the same reason as the Capitol. Although it would be a large house for a private gentle* man, still a more magnificent one might have been erect- ed for the executive of a mighty nation. Many of the country residences of English commoners fur excel it in grandeur of appearance. 1 passed several agreablu hours there in company with Qenoral Jackson, the President, Mr. Hayne of South Carolina, who has since so distin- guished himself as Governor of that state, and some few others of the great politicians of the day. The President is a tall, hardy-looking veteran, ap))arently sixty-five years of ago, with a head of strong bushy hair. His voice is loud, and, when excited, he possesses considera- ble fluency of speech, rather loo much interlarded with strong atsoverations. The Tariff Bill formed the chief I* 1/ \ 102 ▲ subaltern's furlough I topic of conversation ; but he was unable to cope with the powerful eloquence of Mr. Hayne, his more youthful antagonist. At a short distance on either side of the President's house are large buildings occupied by the State and War departments. In the former I was gratified with a sight of the original copy of the famous Declaration of Inde- pendence,* Some of the signatures, owing to the process of taking off fac-similes, had been so much injured as to be almost illegible. The document is now carefully pre- served within a glass case, and no one permitted to touch it. Washington's commission as commander of the Ame- rican armies, bearing date 10th of June, 1776, as also the various treaties made wih foreign powers, are shown with 'the greatest readiness by the gentlemen who have charge of them. In one of the rooms are the presents which Eublic functionaries, or officers of the navjr and army, ave received from foreign courts, and which, by law, they are oompelledHo deliver overtothe American govern- ment, Who retain possession of them for no earthly pur- pose that I could conceive, except impressing foreigners with the unfavourable idea that tne government was suspi* cious of the integrity of its public servants, and had so mean an opinion of its Representatives as to imagine that they could be bribed by a paltry sword or gold snuff-box ; for there were no more valuable presents amongst them. The matter would appear in a much better light if the government, following the example of the East-India Com- pany, were to compel its servants to return the presents bestowed upon them to those who presented them ; and foreigners might then the spared being imbued with what are, probably, erroneous impressions. Numerous blue and red painted canvass bogs, about the size and shape of a pillow, suspended from the ceil- ing on one side of the office of the secretary of the navy, with "Peacock," •'Macedonian," "Boxer," "Frolic," and various other such names upon thum, attracting my attention, I had the curiosity to inquire what were the con- tent! of luch a singular collection of titled bags, and was 4 * Vide Appendix I. .a A subaltern's furlough. 103 iope with ) youthful 'resident's I and War th a sight 1 of Inde- 16 process ured as to sfully pre- l to touch the Ame- is also the iovm with ve charge nts which nd army, , by law, m govern- rthly pur- foreigners wassuspi- id had so igine that muff-box ; gst them. It if the dia Gem- presents lem ; and ivith what gs, about the ceil- the navy, Frolic." cting my e the con- and was informed that the were the colours of British vessels cap*' tured during the late war. I shrugged up my shoulders, ' and thought I had penetrated too fiir into the $anetum sanctorum of the war department. There is another very interesting collection of strange names and portraits of the Indian chiefs, who to the number of 100 have been sent at various times as delegates from the tribes in the west. They were painted by Mr. King of Washington; and are, I was informed by a competent judge, faithful likenesses of the red men of the forest, who are so rapid- ly disappearing before the march of civilization and en- croachment. To a foreigner, they are particularly inter- esting, OS he may travel many hundred miles through the United States without seeing an Indian ; or the few he may perchance see, dwelling within the boundaries of civilization, are a degenerate, dissipated race, and held in contempt by such warriors as the "Stabber," "the Spar- row that hunts as he walks," " the Spoon," " Sleepy eye," "the Bear whose screams make the rocks tremble," "Bufllalo," and various others, as represented on eonvass in the Indian Department, The great attention paid to a traveller, and the readiness with which he is shown every thing worthy of notice in these departments, and, in fact, I may say every where else in the States, is truly gratify- ing; particularly as it arises from a spirit of courtesy, no tax, as is too frequently the case in England, being levied upon the purse. The arsenal, upon the tongue of the peninsula, is now but a more depdt for ordinance stores, the works having been levelled smce the war, when their inutility was so fully proved by the British landing from the Patapsco, marching upon and taking Wusliington from the rear ; the American troops being conipuUed to abandon the works which had been thrown up to dispute the passage of the Potomac alone. It was in disabling the guns on the rammrts that (Captain Frazerand many moro of the British ibrce were blown up, from a piece of wadding nccidentnlly falling into a dry well, in which the Ameri- cans had placed the contents of their magazine, trusting that it would escape the observation of the invaders The officer in charge kindly accompanied me through the va- fl V 104 A SUBALTERN 8 FVRLOUOH. rious Store-rooms and armouries. They contain models of the French and English field-pieces, with tumbrils, &c., complete — the English being made by request at Wool- wich; but the French system had been approved of, and will be adopted in the American service, on account of the uniform size of the ammunition-wagons, and a triflinc difference in some other respect. The American fiela- pieces are of cast-iron, the smallest calibre being eight pounds. The few specimens I saw of brass were very faulty, and honeycombed in the casting; the metal also is too expensive, being from 20 to 26 cents {lOd. to 1«.) per pound. Many of the iron guns were also defective. Thirty^wo 42-pounders had arrived two days previously from the foundry at Georgetown, and many were very roughly and imperfectly cast : the weight of each was 8694 pounds, and the cost about 6 cents, or 9id. per pound, which makes the price of a single gun 431 dollars, or 00/. sterling. They were intended for the fortresses, which are erecting at the mouths of all the harbours, along the extensive line of coast of the United States. As an inland war can scarcely ever be expected, the expenditure upon military works is along the sea-board, for which purpose large grants of money are made every session of Congress ; but, with only the present foundries at work, many years will elapse before a sufficient supply of heavy artillery can be provided for those fortresses already finishoQ. In the armoury there were 40,000 stand of arms; the muskets averaging the great price of 13 dollars (BO shillings) each, and the rifies much more. The latter were upon a principle I had never before seen j diflfering considerably in their construction from the English, which I thought they excelled ; the soldier being capable of fir- ing five or six times per minute with them. The use of a ramrod, except for cleaning, is entirely dispensed with, the barrel of the rifle having a patont breech, or receiver, about six inches in length, which, by touching a smstl trigger under the stock, is opened at its upper end j and the iKHSossnry load being placed within the bore, it is im- mediately closed a(^ain by a slight nressure of the hand. In other respects, it is similar to the common English rifle, excepting that the barrel is full as long a3 that of a lin models ibrils, &c., at Wool- ^ed of, and iccount of latriflinc ican field- sing eight «vere very stal also is to 1«.) per defective, ireviously vere very each was r 2{d. per 31 dollars, fortresses, urs, along I. As an cpenditure for which session of I at work, |r of heavy s already id of arms; oUars (60 The latter diflferinff sh, which }le of fir- he use of sed with, receiver, a small ndj and it 18 im< he hand. English that of a A SrBALTERN's FtTRLOtTOH 1^ musket. The American light troops cary powder and' ball flasks suspended across their shoulders m place of a cartridge-box, and the process of going twice through the motions of loading must retard the firing. White were about to give way to black leather belts, which were to be worn by all descriptions of infantry. The artificers employed in the department were principally citizens en- gaged for a limited period ; and though Congress had lately passed a bill for forming an entirely military esta- blishment, great difficulty was experienced in finding men who would enlist, when they could obtain equally high wages by daily labour elsewhere. The navy yard, half a mile from the arsenal, is upon the eastern branch of the Potomac, and on a larger scale than that at Philadelphia. It contains various sheds and storehouses, foundry, saw-mill, and two' large sheds for • ship-building, under one of which a vessel of 48 or 60 guns was in an unfinished state. The channel, as in the Delaware, becomes shallower yearly by the increase of mud ; nor is there now sufiicient depth of water for the launching of any such vessel as the Columbus, of 74 guns, which was buih in this yard a few years since. I saw a schooner at anchot off the pier, constructed upon a principle which has, I believe, been tried, and failed in England : namely, without knees, and entirely of thick planks laid in tiers over one another, each successive tier* being placed at a different angle from the preceding one, so as to strengthen each other. This vessel was called the " Experiment, but had failed in realizing the expecta- tions of the builders : it carried 12 guns, and haa just arrived from Norfolk nuvy yard, near the mouth of the Chesapeake; some knees were subsequently added, but the naval officers entirely disapproved of the whole con- struction. Georgetown, higher up on the banks of the Potomac, and only divided from Washington by the inconsiderable stream of Rock Creek, was formerly a place of some im- portance, but of late years has felt the effects of Baltimore on its commerce, which has now dwindled into insigni- ficance. On the margin of the river, scarcely anything is to be seen but long rows of desolate dwellings and \ \ 106 ▲ SUBALTERN'S FURLOTTOH. empty warehouses, r-ith their window shutters moaning in tne wind, as if over the fiillen prosperity of the town. It contains a population of little less than 10,000, and is prettily situated on a series of heights, at a fine bend of the river. Its interior streets are well laid out, and con- tain some very good private residences. The College, whose members generally profess the Catholic religion, is in ancient pile of building, with a large library, and some good pamtings. The students were '^haunting ves- pers, with rather a sweet-toned organ, as I entered the chancel. Within the distance of half a mile there is a lar^e academy for young ladies, attached to a convent, which however my unhallowed foot was not permitted to profane. The school bears a very high character, up- wards of 200 girls attending daily, many of whom are taught gratuitously. There are also nearly 100 board- ers of the most respectable families in the neighbourhood, for whom there is a regular charge. I proceeded seveml miles up the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal (which enters the Potomac here by four locks from the rising ground,) on the 23d of June, in one of the packet-boats, which ply daily upon it, and found the travelling most delightful : I was the only passenger, and there was a neat, well-furnished cabin about 60 reet long by 14 broad. We were drawn by three horses at the rate of five miles an hour, a huge negro riding on the last, and driving the other horses before him with a long whip, which he flourished and cracked most adroitly. The boats calculated for carrying merchandize are near 100 tons burthen, and will carry between 900 and 1000 barrels of flour, the freight being at two cents per ton per mile. The canal is six feet deep, and sixty wide at the summit. It was commenced on the 4th of July, 1838, with the in- tention of connecting the waters of the Ohio and Chesa- peake rivers, by uniting with the Pennsylvania and Ohio Canal, near Pittsburgh, in the former State; when its en- tire length will bo 301 miles, having a lockage of more than 4U00 feet. The government subscribed 900,000 dol- lars towards its const ruction — a mere trifle to the estimat- ed expense of VZ millions; and, as far as I could under- stand the merits of the case, it appeared the work could not I moaningf the town. lOO, and is e bend of t, and con- 3 College, E religion, >rary, and mting ves- mtered the there is a a convent, permitted iracter, up- whom are 100 board- ibourhood, B and Ohio locks from one of the found the longer, and feet long at the rate e last, and iong whip, The boats 100 tons barrels per mile. ,e summit. lith the in* Ind Ghesa- and Ohio len its en- of more ),000dol- ie estimat- lid under- could not 1 svbaltkrn's furlough m proceed much longer unless an additional grant was made, to which the policy of the present ministry is opposed ; contending, as they do, that each State should manage iut internal improvements without making any demand upon the funds of the general government. About twenty-six miles of the line were finished at this time; but unless the prospect brightens, it is supposed that half a century will elapse before any dividend can be paid, the expenses at present being from 6 to 7000, and the receipts not ex- ceeding 87,<)00 dollars per annum; an insufficient sum to pay the interest of the expended capital. The traffics win of course increase as the line of canal becomes opened in the interior of the country; but at this time there were no signs of prosi)erty . In a distance of thirteen miles we did not meet a single boat. The canal runs parallel with the river, varying from ten to fifty feet above its level; and, in some places, has encroached upon it, by strong embankments being thrown up where the ground was too rocky and high to admit of easy excavation. In other places advantage has been taken of the course of ravines, in which the tops of submersed trees just make their apMarance above the surface of the water. The contrast oetween the works of art nnd nature is exceed- inffly fine. The canal flows smoothly and placidly along, with not a ripple upon its bosom ; while the broad Po- tomac, separated only by a narrow pier, is seen fiir be- neath, rushing fiercely in a wild and tumultuous roar over a rough bed of rocks, and whirling along large trunks of trees with tremendous violence. The musk-rats occasion a deal of mischief by boring holes from the river ; and these, if neglected, soon become serious breaches in the embankments. The engineers had Allien into a trifling error in forming the slopmg sides of the canal of earth ; so that the rapid motion of the boats had occasioned the water to undermine the towing-path. The river was formerly rendered navigable, by short ca- nals beingformed round the rapids by means oflocks; but such a mode of conveying produce was subject to many inconveniences and delays ; the draught of wator in other parts, durinff hot summers, being frequently insnfricient for heayily laden vessels ; and, in heavy fresh< tn, boats 106 A BVSALTSRN's rVRLOUOH. were endangered by floating masses of timber or sunken rocks. The proposition of rendering the Potomac naviga* ble, originated from Washin^on himself, who saw the vast advantages the State would derive from it ; and, from continuing a canal to the Ohio, that it woula divert the Eroduce of the west, which at present floats so many undred miles down the Mississippi to New-Orleans, into the Atlantic States. When once carried into efiect, it will no doubt produce a reaction of trade in fiivour of George- town and Alexandria ; by which they will become two of the greatest ' ports for the exportation of flour in the Union. The course of the canal is through a pretty and romantic country, the banks of the river bein? bold and well wooded. We arrived at the Great Falls, sixteen miles from Washington, in less than four hours, having passed through twenty locks, the average passage of each beinff two minutes and a small fraction. I had heard the distant roaring of the mighty waterfall for son^e minutes before the boat stopped ; and, as soon as it received a temporary check at a lock, I sprang ashore sketch-book in hand, a young lad, belonging to the packet, crying out, " Shall I show you the way, sir ? I always go with gentlemen, sir;" at the same time running to accom- pany me. '• Get away with you," said I, half angry at the intrusion, and alarmed at the very idea of my nrst view of the cataract being destroyed by a young urchin interrupting my reveries and feelings of ecstatic delight, with such sentences as, " There's more water comes over in a freshet, sir I" — '* The Vir^finia side is the best one to see it from, sir." The little fellow was, however, I be- lieve, half frightened, for he shrunk back at my blunt refu- sal of his company, and I saw no more of him at that time. Throwing myself down the steep embankment of the canal, I floundered on through pools of water, tumbled over lumps of rock, regardless of rattle-snakes and other reptiles, scratched my hands and face, tore my coat amongst the bushes, and, hurrying under an alpine bridge thrown across a ravine from one projecting rock to an- other, without scarcely deigning a passing glance at it, or any thing else, I rounded a point, and came in full view of the great and grand object which alone occupied my or sunken tacnaviga* iw the vast and, from divert the so many rleans, into feet, it will 3f George- ome two of lur in the pretty and y bold and lis, sixteen irs, having ige of each y waterfall id, as soon ang ashore the packet, I always go ptoaccom- f angry at »f my first ing urchin ic delight, omes over best one to ever, I be- blunt refu- that time. 9nt of the ', tumbled and other my coat ineoridgo Qck to an- ce at it, or full view upied my A SV&ALTSRN's yORIOUOH. 109 thougnts. From the feelings J experienced at that mo- ment, I could imagine the sensations of awe and delight with which the weary pilgrims first gain sight of the lofty mmarets and domes of the prophet s tomb at the holy city of Arabia. In a moment the troubles of the past and care for the future are alike forgotten ; the perils and pri- vations undergone in their long and arduous marches over the burning deserts are at last fully compensated. But once in my previous life do I remember experiencing such pleasurable emotions — when, after an absence of some years in a foreign land, the dim blue line of my native country appeared rising from the main. I raised my hands, and uttering some exclamation, stood gazing in silent and indescribable astonishment for some minutes. I found that subsequently I viewed Niagara with less inward feelings of awe and delight. The rush of water was greater, and every thing was upon a more sublimely magnificent scale ; but the Potomac had partly prepared me, and I had already formed some indistinct idea in my imagination of what I should see : but of this I had not the slightest conception. I am but ill at describing scenery, and may, therefore, be excused for merely taking notice in simple terms, of what the Americans would designate as the " location of the Falls." The river gradually contracts to a width of 700 or 800 feet for some distance above the rocky bed of the Rapids, over which it foams and roars most terri- fically; until, gaining the edge of the precipice, it shoots over in a white sheet into a troubled abyss beneath ; and rushingfuriously along between two narrow perpend'^ular walls of rock for the distance of a mile, a^ain expand!) into a broad but rapid channel. The country m the nnmediate vicinity bears the appearance of having been once con- vulsed by volcanic eruption; as if the huge rocks had been thrown upon one another by gigantic eflbrts of nature ; every thing seems to have been subjected to some almighty agency. It was now the middle of summer, at which time, I believe, the Falls are seen to the best ad- vantage, the water being purer and the rocks in the river not entirely concealed from the view. During the autum- nal floods, or the melting of the winter's snow, when tho VOL. 1. — K. M lid A SUBALTSRM S FtTRLOUGH. waters rush in one vast sheet of foam over the whole breadth of the chasm, they may present a more terrific- ally grand and fearful aspect, and be more calculated to inspire awe ; but certainly not so beautifully picturesque as durinff the summer's sunshine^ when nature appears in her milctest and serenes! form, and the prismatic hues of the rainbow are seen glistening in the white mist which rises from the pure and limpid stream, as it glides over the rocky shelves. After passing two hours in admira- tion, I returned to the packet, and, as the sun set^ arrived at my quarters in the Pennsylvania Avenue. >v^i \i fi'-. r'S^/l < -.''i- .;;i ■Ji- '• <> >. "?■,[ . i; :,.: I , ■", r the whole lore terrific* alculated to picturesque e appears in fltic hues of mist which glides over ) in admira- tset^ arrived A, bvbaltbrn's furlouok. CHAPTER VIII. Ill td Carrier,— I think this be the most villainous house in all Lon- don road for fleas ; I am stune like a tench. Ut Car. — Like a tench 7 by the mass, there's' ne'er a kins in Christendom could be better bit than Ihave been since the first cock — Sbakspbare. Through roads abrupt, and rude unfashionM tracts. Blackmore. On the 36th of June I again crossed the Potomac to Alexandria, and travelling in the mail over a heavy, sandvi and hilly country, until near sunset, entered the pretty little village of Aldie, situated amongst the hills. We were now in Loudoun county, and at the same time observed an im> provement in the soil : the crops were heavier, and the ragged worm fences gave way to suhstaniial stone ; but as yet i saw nothing like gooa farming, or any buildings equal to those in England. In addition to the little dis- appointments I experienced from this appearance of the country, I had the misfortune to be troubled with a gar- rulous, fat old German, who had been in the States above half a century, and bored me with long prosing histories of the battles of Brandy wine and Yorktown, interspersed with anecdotes of his commander, Lafayette. He was now seventy-eight years of age, and boasted much of his bodily strength : to prove that of his lungs, he produced a bugle-horn from its leather case, and blew a blast both loud and strong, which I was so inconsiderate as to ap- prove of The old gentleman's vanity being flattered, he insisted upon treating me at the first tavern, where the coach stopped to change horses, with a draught of mo- lasses beer; and when We had resumed our seats, favoured me at intervals with a repetition of the music. All my hints respecting soreness of lips, injury to lungs, head- aches, &,c,., were not only entirely thrown away, but made the matter so much worse, that 1 was fain to put up with the annoyance until our arrival at the small town of Mid- dleburgh, when I was happily relieved from him. It was late iQ the evening before we reached our journey's end ; 11 \ 112 A SUBALTERN S FI7RLOUOH, 80, soon after supper, requesting to be shown to my room, I was, to my infinite surprise, ushered into one containing four beds, three of which were already occupied. Being heartily fatigued, what from the abominable road, and the old man with his bugle-horn — and as the coach was to start again at four o'clock in the morning — 1 was the less inclined to be very particular ; so, as a sailor would say, "turned in," though not without shrewd suspicions that I should not be the sole occupant, having, as I was recon- noitring, caught a glimpse of an enemy retiring under cover of the pillow. Never was poor mortal so tormented I I was fairly driven from my post, and walked down stairs before three o'clock, to await the arrival of the coach, muttering a requiescat in pace as I passed the restless bodies of my companions in misery. The dirty inn at Middleburgh will certainly not soon be erased from my memory. From Woodvlllea few miles fnrther. where there was the only vineyard I ever saw in the country, to the Blue Ridge the scenery was delightful. We met many Dutch farmers with their heavily-laden flour wagons, and saw groups of others cooking their victuals under the trees by the road side, all appearing the happiest and most con- tented beings imaginable. Leaving their farms upon the banks of the Shenando, which waters part of the valley of Virginia, they proceed with their load of flour for the Alex- andrian market, and, carrying their hatchets and provi- sions, pass the night in their wagons. Thus avoiding all expens^^s, excepting the half dollar for tolls, they dispose of their load, and with clear profits forthwith return home. Having breakfasted at the inconsiderable village of Paris, we commenced the ascent of the Blue Ridge, which is easy, and not exceeding a mile. I had accustomed my- self some little to the jolting of the vehicle, and had, therefore, taken my seat outside by the coachman, that I might enjoy the prospect to greater advantage. While praising the appearance of the cultivated and highly fer- tile vale lying between the Ridge and the North moun- tains to him, he remarked that, " for his part, he preferred the hills, and should like to live upon them for some time; for he was fond of hunting, and intended quitting his A SVBAITBRN'S PVRLOVOH. > my room, containing ed. Being id, and the ich was to as the less vould say, icions that Yas recon- ing under jrmented ! 5wn stairs he coach, e restless •ty inn at from my there was the Blue ny Dutch and saw the trees most con- upon the valley of theAlex- id provi- idingall ' dispose rn home. )f Paris, vhich is fled my- nd had, m, that While hly fer- moun- eferred 18 time; ing his present work, so that he might get some hounds, widi a good horse, and have some sport; there was also plenty of gunning on the mountains' side." This low chain of hills, which in England would be considered diminutive, has acquired its name of the Blue Ridge, from presenting a deeper shade of that colour than hills do in general ; but, when travelling across them in summer, one would be led to imagine it arose from the vast quantity of blue thistle which flourishes upon them in a most extraordinary manner ; patches of many acres in extent were so densely covered with the light blue flower, that the verdure was quite imperceptible. But when I pointed it out to the sporting coachman as a strong symptom of slovenly farming, he endeavoured to con- vince me that a new era in^ husbandry had commenced ; it having been most satisfactorily ascertained that the thistle, so far from impoverishing, as was generally sup- posed, improved the soil. A few miles after our descent, we arrived at the ferries across the Shenando ; but the water being low, forded the stream, where it was about three feet deep, and a hundred yards wide, into Frederic County. The villages scattered along the banks are far from healthy, owing to the heavy rains swelling the river, and leaving vegetable matter to decompose upon the ground when the water recedes to its summer channel : the inhabitants at this time were suffering much from the scarlet and bilious fevers; the former had carried off* thirteen slaves from one gentle- man's estate in the course of a few weeks. This, which is however considered the richest tract of land in the vale, is in the hands of great landed proprietors: the extent of the fields varies generally from twenty to thirty acres, and produces fine crops of every description of grain ; the term "corn" is applied to Indian corn only. Until aware of this distinction, I had been guilty of some slight mis- takes in stating, to farmers' inquiries, that corn grew in England, and was commonly in use. Ten miles far'her brought us to the town of Winchester, containing ahout 2500 inhabitants, and distant seventy-five miles from Washington. Its dirty streets, with steppingstores for foot-passengers at the crossings, presented no inducement K' ■V v ^ #'•• 114 A subaltern's furlough. to remain a night ; but the coach proceeding no farther upon my route, I was compelled to wait till late the fol- lowing day, when I again started, and at the small town of Smithfield, where the coach stopped to change horses, met two gentlemen who had just been overturned in their carriage : and, after rolling down a precipice, had most miraculously escaped with their lives. They com- plained bitterly of the exorbitant demand of five dollars made by a wagoner for carrying the remains of their carriage fifteen miles. Truly, it was no wonder that it was shattered to piccrs; for the mail, in which I travelled, couJd not exceed a foot's pace over the limestone ridges, projecting two feetalove the level of the road; and some of the hills were so steep, that it was a matter of great thankfulness we snfely gained the summit of them, or that the heavy vehicle in the descent did not crush down the horses. 1 should much have enjoyed the society of a gentleman with whom I travelled on the (hesaptake and Dolaworo railway, who said, tliot " he did not nt ail approve of so easy a mode of conveyance — for he re- quired exercise." He would certainly nave met it here to his heart's content. After eight hours' hard jolting, we gained the lulls above Harper's Ferry, thirty miles from Winchester: the road had for f^ome time continued on their summit; niul as we reiichtd the brow, previous to descending, the lust gleum of day wos ju,^t jiilding the woody tops ( f the opposite mountains, 'I'he town, ns it lay far beneath, could be but indistinctly }«een in the shade cast over it by the towering masses of rock with w hich it \i IS encircled ; but which rendered more vivid the bright flashes of a rapid succession of tremendous miarrv hliists, as tfie echo was reveiberiiled among.st ilie lulls and rocks, like the great artillery of heaven. The white lines of the two impetuous streoms. the Potomac otid Slunando. rushing together from nearly opposite directions, like mighty giants struggling for mastery, unite into one channel in front of the town, and thus force their passage througli on opening in the hills, A band of music was playing upon (!^amp Hill at the entrance of the town, where the tents of an itinerant circus wore pitched ; and tho bolls beneath us giving notice to the workmen that A subaltern's furlough 116 Ef no farther late the fol- small town inge horses, ertiirned in ecinice, had Tney corn- five dollars ins of their nder that it I travelled, one ridges, I ; nnd some ter of great )f them, or nush down e society of hesnptnko d not nt all -for he re- let it here to jolting, we miles from nt in lied on previous to uildiiig the tow n, ns it I tlie sluule h wiiioh it the hright y lihists, hills nnd ^vhit(^ linen Shcnnndo, lions, like into one ir passoge nusic was llir town, hrd ; nnd unen that II the labours of the day had ceased altogether, rendered the scene impressively striking. Having been furnished at Washington with introduc- tory letters to G. Rust, Esq,, in charge of the government establishment for the manufactory of arms, he kindly ac- companied me through the numerous shops and forges, which give employment to more than 300 men, though ^the greater part of the work is performed by machinery. The different processes of turning the gun-stock from the rough wood, were performed in less than five minutes, and those of fitting the lock and barrel upon it occupied but two more. The trst for the bayonet appeared un- necessarily severe, and so many failing in it, the price of the musket is rendered much greater, than if one, which might be sufiicientlv satisfactory, was substituted; it con- sisted in iix'wr the bayonet on the muzzle, with a twelve- pound brass ball attached to the breech of a gun-barrel, tln'u placing the bayonet horizontally in two holes just fitting it, nnd nearly its length apart, where it was left for about two minutes, the entire weight acting upon the bayonet, which, if unhent by thistrinl, was turnco round and nut to the same test wmn the other sidts. The barrels were well finished, nnd mnde of iron from the State of Connecticut, a distance of 25(1 miles; but the brass bands, which fastened the barrel to the stock, gave the musket a heavy clumsy appearance. Not only was the barrel and other ironwork bronzed, but even the bnyonet also. In the arsenal, under the charge of an old English .sergeant of marines, who hiid served under Nelson, were n huiidied thousand stand of arms, tinished, nnd packed for sending to the various arseniils in the States, nnd for dis- tribution amongst the niilitin. The present American ride, which I described as having seen nt Wnshinjjton, ns also the machinery in use at the rifle manufactory at Harper's Ferry, were tiie invencion of Mr, Hall, who is the superintendnnt of the establishment, in which mar u hundred workmen are em)>loyed. As, in the musket ma- ntifactory, much of the work is performed by machinery, one man through the medium of it being able to rifle thirty barrels per day. There is one turn in nine fiet, so that each barrel, being longer than that of the English rifle, \ 116 ▲ subaltern's ruRLotroii. has about one-third of a turn. Mr. Hall showed me a new invention, a specimen of which he was busily en* gaged in finishing for inspection at Washington. It con- sisted in screwing a short but narrow bayonet to the end of a highly tempered steel ramrod, which, when drawn nearly out of its socket, was firmly secured at the muzzle of the rifle by a sliding ring ; and thus formed a weapon eight feet in length. I did not at all approve of it, for it appeared too slight a defence agninst even the parry of a sword, which caused it to bend immediately; but the in- telligent inventor was very sanguine in his expectations of its being generally adopted in war. Every thing con- nected with both establishments was carried on with great exactness and neatness. The town will soon rise into considerable importance, not only from the attraction of the natural beauty of its scenery, and the large manufactories, but also from the circumstance of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal running by the side of the Potomac, which is crossed by a bridge of 700 feet in length, opposite to the town. I walked for some distance along tne line of their operations, and never saw a more laborious undertaking, than the blast- ing and excavating at the foot of the hills, which are nearly 800 feet in perpendicular height. Wherever it was practicable, piers nave been formed in the river, so that a considerable extent had been reclaimed from it. A trial came on, during my stay at the town, respecting damages claimed by the proprietor of a smoll house which occu- pied the space between the river and rocks, so exoctly in the centre of the lino of canal, that there was not room for it on either side. The owner did not lay his damages at the intrinsic value of the house (and the lot upon which it was built was but a mass of rook, upon which he could not even form a kitchen gorden.) but upon the great loss he should sustain from not posacssiiig such a piece of ground when the canal was completed, and the jury as- sessed the damages accordingly, and at least, at four times the value of the property, tJpon the face of the bare rocks, 4(K) feet above the bridge, the inhabitants of the town have formed an imaginary likeness of Washington; but it ro(|uired a greater stroicn of fancy than mine to truce any thing like human features upon it. A subaltern's rURlOUOH wed me a msily en* I. It con- the end en drawn le muzzle a weapon r it, for it parry of a lut the in- oectations ning con* on with iportance, uty of its from the 1 running TO. bridge I walked tions, and the blast* hich are irer it was so that a A trial domuges h occu* xnctly in lot room amages n which le could rent loss )iece of ury as* ur times ie bare of the ington; ■nine to There being no conveyance in the direction I wished to proceed, I stepped into a large flour-boat about to descend the Potomac, and for some distance darted over the rapids with amazing velocity. The river is rendered • particularly dangerous, and almost innavigable during the summer season, by the innumerable reefs of rocks which cross it in every direction, making their appearance some feet above the surface. An experienced pilot is therefore required, who, in the freshets, takes his station at the helm astern ; but in low water, in the bow. The river being excessively low, we had a pilot at each end of the boat so that it threaded the most difficult parts in gallant style, rubbing the keel occasionally a little upon the summits of the rocks beneath the water. The load was only forty barrels when we left the town; but, after pass- ing the most precipitous and narrow rapids, we ran in- shore again, and took on board an additional number of thirty, from some wagons which had brought them by the road from Harper's Ferry, and again proceeded rapidly down the transparent stream, with romantic scenery on either bank, until we struck with a most vio- lent shock upon a sunken rock, which, taking the boat in its centre, made every plunk and barrel quiver with the blow. All hands immediately set to work moving the cargo into the bow : but being still immovable, the Captain of a Mississippi steamer, a passenger on board, recommended the crew to go into the water and attempt to raise it from the rock with levers, stepping out of the boat himself to give them the necessary instructions, No sooner had his feet touched the bottom of the river, and hu had quitted his hold of the boat, than the powerful current, washing him fairly off his legs, carried him for a coniNiderablu distance down the strram, with his head bobbing up at intervals, like the float of a line when a Hsh is nibolingat the bait. At every re-appearance of hit head above the foaming waters, he " roared him," not as Siiakspeare says, " Ai gently at any auckinf dovo," but more like a young elephant, and exched shouts of laughter fVom the crew, who were too much amused with 116 A subaltern's pvrlouoh. the scene to make any attempt at rescuing him. Being very short-sighted, and his spectacles becoming dim from the water, it was no easy matter for him, after discovering our position, to regain the boat ; when his ardour was so cooled that he did not recommend any more experi- ments. The application of levers failing, we had recourse to the simple method of placing some loose planks that were fortunately on board, across the stream, and holding them firmly between the boat an^ some of the rocks, so that, acting as a small dam, they raised the water, and the boat once more floated. But, soon after, running a-ground again in the shallows, we had the prospect of passing the night in that situation, until an empty boat, on its way down the stream, took us ashore at the Point of Rocks, nine miles below Harper's Ferry ; in performing which distance we had been nine hours, and toiling hard most of the time in an excessively hot sun. A town rises in Amnrica with nn uliiiust lullsmanic ra- pidity. Immediately some new lino of canal or railway IS projected, or a clearing oommonced on the banks of a navigable stream, a tuvfrn makes its appearance upon a spot where it is imagined the traveller will require a " drink ;" this is followed by a saw and gristmill, a store or two, post-office, printing-press, and bank. To use their own expression, "every one govs the whole hog;" the freshets probably carry away the mill, or the bank breaks, and the owners " clear out," to commence their spt'cniations afresh cKsewhore. Where sixty days since had been a complete wilderness, was now o scene of bustle and confusion . a town was fast rising from amongst the bushes ; the streets were morkcdout. and a tavern, seve- ral stores, and upwards of fifty houses, wore already inhabited. The fortunote proprietor of the ground had sold every other lot for a triflmg sum, and retoined the remainder in his possession, letting it upon short build- ing leases ; also calling the place after his own unroman- tic name.and sunersiKlmgthc much prettier one of" Point of Rocks," to wnich indeed it owed its rise. The Point is the end of u range of rocky hills, which opposes a firm barrier to the advance of the Baltimore railway ond Chesa- im. Being )g dim from discovering ardour was lore experi- recourse to ks that were olding them cks, so that, and the boat ig a-ground passing the on its way It of Rocks, ming which ^ hard most ilismonic ra- .1 or rnilway banks of a ince npon a U require a mill, a store (. To use thole hog ;" or the bank Tience their : days since 3ne of bustle imongst the avcrn, seve- pro already jfround had etttincd the short build- n unroman- le of" Point The Point )ose« a firm nnd Chesa* A subaltern's furlovoh. 119 peake Canal ; which have both the same object in view — that of communicating with the Ohio. By much blasting, and enormous expense, there would be barely room for either of them to pass between the Potomac and the Point ; but both arriving at the same spot from different direc- tions, and nearly at the same time, each claimed the right of priority in taking possession of the narrow passage. The canal proprietors made an ofier so to compromise the matter that, by each diminishing the respective widths of their lines of communication and making a joint ex- pense of reclaiming some space from the river, there might be a passage for both. The railway proprietors, however, objected to it, and laid an injunction upon the canal to discontinue their works until the case had been tried in a legal court. Afler a law-suit of two years, the verdict was given against them, and the canal engineers were now busily engaged in removing the point of Hocks Some bores had been worked to the depth of 13 feet, so as to undermine 1000 square yards of rock, which would be blown up as a grand salute on the 4th of July, to the celebration of which it now wanted only three days. I could not ascertain how they intended to proceea with the railway : but it was stated that the rival company wouM not ooiect to renew its original proposition. It is most probable that the canal will not extend beyond Cumberland, the company's funds beinff nearly exhaust- ed ; though the public seem impressed with the advan- toges to bo derived from the original project being carried into execution. The Alleghany Mountains : rea natural barrier between the Western and Atlantic States; and the former will become daily more independent of, and distinct from the latter, which may end in a separation, unless mutual intercourse and commercial communica- tions are kept up by such undertakings as those alluded to. I thought the inns at Harper's Ferry very shabby, both externally and internally, though one was kept by an ex-member of Congress, and major of militia ; but the one at the Point of Rocks, being in its infancy, was less prepared for the rei'.eption of numerous gueststhanuny I had seen. From the accommodation with which I had «ji 120 A SOBALTfiRN's FURLOVOR. met since roy departure from Washington, I had enter* tained no expectation of any luxury above a single bed, in probably a crowded room ; and a wash in the morning without glass, soap, or towel, at the pump or horse- trough in the public yard. Upon inquiring if I could be accommodated with a bed, I was therefore perfectly satisfied with an answer in the affirmative, qualified with a regret "that their mattresses had not yet arrived from Baltimore." I soon became heartily tired of seeking for adventures in these out-of-the-way places, where all the arrangements were infinitely worse than in an English pot-house. The owners of the taverns were usually men whose sole recommendation consisted in shooting well with a rifle, and bearing a commission (something higher than a subaltern's) in the militia. My landlord at Har- Sers' Ferry excelled in invariably striking a quarter of a ollar (which is about the size of an English shilling) with a single ball at thirty paces distant. Injustice, how- ever, to the honest innkeeper at the Point of Rocks, I am bound to say, that, in the hurry of my departure, I lefl a coat hanging up in the bar room, and, after a journey of 3000 miles, found it neatly packed up and directed to ray address at the hotel in New- York, where it had been laying for upwards of four months, though I had long despaired of ever seeing it again. After a delightful swim in the clear Potomac, and wearied with the day's hard labour, [ requested to bo shown up stairs, when I was again ushered into a room containing six beds, all of which were to be doubly occupied : the house, too, be- ing built of wood, had become so heated during the day that the fire-king himself could have scarcely endured the temperature. This was ruther too much for a plea- •ure-seeking traveller; so, walking down stni'-s again, I stepped into a car which [ had observed dur.np the day upon the railway, and found my boat compunion, the Mississippi Captain, had already taken possession of a corner, m search, like myself, of a cooler atmosphere. The railway was continued down to the waters edge close to the Point of Rocks ; and we were much disturo- ed during the night by a man moving the car in that di- rection. My fellow-occupant, still having I suppose the A BlfBALTERN S rURLOUOH. Iiad entef' 'ingle bed, i morning or horse- if I could perfectly lified witn ived from ?eking for sre all the I English jally men •ting well ig higher d at Har- arter of a shilling) tice, how- jks, lam ire, I left journey reeled to had been ad long elightfui day's when I beds, all too, be- the day ndured a plea- iq^ain, I the day on, the on of a sphere, edge listurn- that di- ose thtt recollection of the rapids strongly impressed upon his mindt jumped out of the car half awake, up to his knees in a pool of water, and, fancying himself in the Potomac, floundered about in it to my infinite amusement. Some time elapsed before he gained the firm ground again, when, turning round, he checked my laughter at once by saying, " Really I beg you ten thousand pardons, but I was in so great a hurry that I could not find my boots, so put on your shoes ; however, I will have them dried for you again." They were not, however, completely dry again for three days. This incident destroyed my night's rest so thoroughly that at three o'clock I set oiit, in company with a gentleman whose acquaintance I had formed merely by chance the preceding day, and who had very kindly obtained a horse for me in the neighbourhood. We rode for some miles on the towing path of the canal, close to the placid and mirror-like surface of the Potomac, which presented a delightful contrast to the rough turbu- lence of the many miles of rocky torrent above the Point. We passed by the quarries from which the columns in the Capitol at Washington were cut, and for some dis- tance through part of the estate df the fine old patriarch, Charles Carroll, of Carrolton, who, at the age of ninety- six, lives in the full enjoyment of his faculties, revered and bfc.oved by his countrymen ; being the only survivor of those dariiig men, who, in 1770, risked their lives and properties by affixing their signatures to the Declaration of Independence.* At the mouth of the Monocacy River, which pours its waters into the Potomac six miles from the Point of Rocks, we arrived at a splendid aqueduct, considered su- perior to any thing of the kind in the States, thrown over the former river by the Canal Company. It is built of a hard white granite, and consists of seven segment arches, the span of each being 54 feet, with a riseof feet in.the arch, and the entire length, including the wings. 600 feet. The water upon the aqueduct is 6 feet in depth, and the towing path 8 feet brood, with a strong iron rail- ing on the outer side, The entire work will cost 126,000 ♦ Sinco writing the above, I have »ccu n notice of hii (lcatl> in tlio public prints. VOL. I, — L. f '■^' / # 4. 122 A subaltern's fvrlouou. dollars (S6,000/. sterling.) The first contractor took it at seven dollars per perch, the second at eleven ; and both failed in the performance ; the third and present one has it at eleven dollars and fifty cents {21. Ss. sterling.) Two hundred yards beyond this is a beautiful piece of work- manship, over the Little Monocacy, of a single oblique arch of twisted masonry. After partaking of a scanty breakfast, upon my return to the Point of Rocks, I proceeded to Baltimore, fifty miles distant by the railway, which crossed the Monocacy some miles from its embouchure into the Potomac. The whole line of road bore the appearance of having been but slightly surveyed previously to laying down, and as if finished hastily, in order to compete with its rival : some of the curves round the hills and along the course of rivulets, were such as to entirely cut off all hopes of being every able to establish a rapid conveyance by the intro- duction of locomotive engines. The inclined planes were very precipitous, two of them being about at an elevation of 1 in 60, where a tunnel of half a mile would have avoid- ed the hill. The rails, being laid also upon wood, are too unstable for such a purpose, and liable to be affected by severe frosts. Much dissatis&ction was expressed by many of the passengers, who could not obtain any thing strofiger than water to quench their thirst at the various places where we stopped to change horses, from either the owners of the nouses or the proprietors of the railway being subscribers to the rules of the Temperance Society. There was great sameness in the scenery, until we crossed the Blue Ridge, where it became more diversified and picturesGue, especially near the flourishing town of Ellicott's Mills, in a most romantic dell on the Patapsco River, whose margin was occupied by numerous extensive cotton-mills, scattered over an extent, of several miles, giving the country quite an English appearance. The manufactories were prettily situated amongst the trees on the banks of the river, which were ornamented with c' ^an white cottages and gardens, backed by huge masses of dark granite. Several fine bridges have been built across the ravines and streams between this place and Baltimore. tk* A StTBALTERN S FURLOnOH. 13S tor took it and both nt one has ng.) Two 5 of work- le oblique ny return jore, fifty Monocacy nac. The g been but and as if ml: some course of !s of being the intro- anes were elevation ave avoid- od, are too lected by ny of the strotiger ms places either the e railway e Society. until we iversified ^ town of Patapsco extensive al miles, ;e, The ) trees on rithcLan nasses of ilt across ahimore. One over Gwynn's Falls is a single arch of 80 feet span, and 40 in height ; and another across the Patapsco of four arches of 65 feet span each : but, although furnished with such admirable materials, their masonry is much ' inferior to that used in similar works in Europe. The main object in America appears to be, to finish the job in hand in as short a time and as economically as possible. Several of the principal engineers complained to me fre- quently of the mistaken economy which they were com- pelled to pursue, and of the rapidity with which they were obliged to proceed, without being permitted to con- struct the work in such a manner as to reflect credit upon themselves. The "deep cut " and embankment near the city have l)een stupenduous undertakings, the former be- ing nearly a mile in length, and its greatest depth 70 feet, and the latter of about the same length, with its greatest width 190, and elevation 56 feejt, the heaviest and best finished section of the road being from Elli- cott's Mills to Baltimore. I was only eight hours and forty minutes on the journey from Baltimore to Philadelphia, a distance of ninety-seven miles (sixteen of which were performed by horse carriage on the Chesapeake and Delaware Railway :) a material improvement' in the speed of travelling on that to which I had been obliged to submit. Much against the advice of several friends (the alarming news that the cholera had broken out in New- York having just arrived,) I proceed- ed on my journey the following morning, the 3d of July, wishing to be present at the celebration of the " glorious anniversary," which was, I understood, kept up with more pomp at New- York than elsewhere in the Union, imagining that a few scattered cases would not check all festivities. I was rather surprised to find so many nas- sengers on board the steamer in which I embarked to proceed up the Delaware ; but, the news having arrived at Philadelphia only late in the evening, it was not generally known. As soon as the report, however, began to spread through the vessel, our numbers diminished considerably at each place where we touched ; many beinp[ intent upon returning home and others intending to remam where they landed until the account was corroborated by the arrivtl of 134 A subaltern's furlough. a vessel from the infected city. A Virginian lady, who had two pretty daughters in charge and was upon her way to the Northern Springs, burst into tears and cried most bitterly when the unwelcome information was im- parted to her, and left us at the first small village where the steamer touched, fully determined upon returning forthwith to her native State. The banks of the river are low, and very unhealthy during the " Fall " (as the Americans invariably term the autumn ;) but some pretty little villages are scattered upon either bank, more especially those of Burlington and Bristol, nearly opposite to each other, eighteen miles from Philadelphia: I have seldom seen two such tastefully laid out little spots. The houses are very neat and above the common order, with gardens attached to each, extending to the margin of the river, which is ornamented with large and graceful weeping willows, whose branches kiss the watery element. The tower of a summer-house, in the domamof Joseph Buonaparte, at Bordentown, where the ex-king of Spain, or, as he is called in the States, the Count de Survilliers, resides, is seen from the deck of the steamer ; and six miles farther on the left bank is Trenton, the capital of the state of New-Jersey, containing about 4000 inhabitants, and the termination of the steam navi- gation, there being a succestiun of rapids immediately above the town. A singular kind of bridge of five arches, and 200 feet span, is thrown across the stream ; these arches are roofed in, and from them is suspended a flat bridge, whose principal beams rest upon the piers of the other bridge. The carriages and passengers cross the river on the lower one ; but the upper arches give the appearance of there being one bridge built upon another. The town, at the commencement of the Revolutionary war, was in the possession of a party of Hessians and English, who were surprised, ana 1000 prisoners cap- tured by Washington, on the 26th December, 1776. He crossed the Delaware on Christmas night, when the se- verity of the weather had subjected his army to almost incredible sufferings. It was the first signal victory gained by the Revolutionists, and, occurring when many consi- dered themselves engaged in a hopeless contest, gavo A SUBALTERN'S FURLOUGH. 125 iady, who upon her and cried I was im- ge where returning inhealthy r term the 3red upon gton and liles from fully laid above the extending i^ith large kiss the se, in the ^here the tates, the !ck of the Trenton, ng about am navi- lediately c arches, ; these ed a flat rs of the :ros8 the give the another, Jtionary ians and lers cap- ?76. He 1 the se- } almost / gained y consi* 8t, gav« them a confidence which ensured ultimate success, and was soon followed by the partial surprise of an English division at Princeton, ten miles farther. The main road crosses the field of action, on the high grounds at Stony Brook. Upon our arrival at Trenton, nine coaches were drawn up at the pier to receive the passengers from the steamer, and set oflf in their regular order (I had the misfortune to be in No. 6,) and, keeping within a few 3rards of each other over a sandy road, such immense clouds of dust enveloped us, that it was only at intervals I gained a glimpse of the country through which we travelled. The College at Princeton, founded in 1738, is rather a fine old building, and we enjoyed an extensive view over the long flat which extends towards the ocean, during the few minutes we remained to change horses. This part of the country, and the state of New Jersey ge- nerally, is celebrated for its cider, and very extensive peach orchards, formers having accumulated large fortunes by the growth of them. We passed many upon the side of the road nearly twenty acres in extent, and every tree load- ed with fruit. The soil also, being light and sandy, is ad- mirably adapted for the growth of apples and flax; but the cultivation of flax has much decreased of late years, there being now not an eighth of the quantity grown which was some few years since exported from New- York, so entirely has its use been superseded by cotton. The country also bears the appearance of being longer settled and more highly cultivated than more to the south. Twenty-six miles from Trenton we arrived at New-Brunswick, a town consisting (with probably two or three exceptions) of wooden houses ; and we nailed with joy the sight of the smoke of the steamer, which lay in the Raritan River awaiting our arrival. Half suffocated with dust, and parched with thirst, we jumped on board every one scrambling for a whisk brush, a glass of brandy and water, or a wash-hand basin. We here added greatly to our numbers, by the acces- sion of 200 Irish labourers from a railway in the vicinity, who were all proceeding to celebrate the Declaration of Independence, and in less than an hour scarcely one of them could boast of retaining his sober senses ; when the las ▲ subaltern's furlouoh. deck presented a scene which would have done credit to Donnybrook Fair. One poor fellow slipped overboard as we were putting off from the quay at New Brunswick, and lost his passage ; for, the steamer not stopping its engines, he was obliged to struggle to the shore in the best manner he could amongst the cheers of his country- men. Man (with an exception or two, in such people as Leander and Lord Byron,) is always an awkward kmdof animal when in the water, but I thought this one, with ft large hat over his eyes, and bundle under his arm, of which he in vain attempted to retain possession, and but an ordinary svrimmer, a most ludicrous and singular object. For several miles after leaving New-Brunswick, we proceeded up the Raritan through some extensive salt marshes, where numerous people were busily employed in mowing. The river took most extraordinary curves through it, and, being exceedingly narrow, the vessels w» ^' were meeting appeared as if moving upon the dry ground, and those which were by the course of the stream three or four miles astern as if approaching from an opposite direction, only a few hundred yards distant. Perth. Am- boy, thirteen miles farther is a bathing-place of some note for the New- York fashionables ; and sometimes de- signated as their Brighton. It possesses an extensive and safe harbour, being situated at some distance from the open sea, on a bay of the Atlantic, formed by Staten Is- land (fifteen miles long and eight wide) on the one side, and by the Continent on the other. The opening view of the Bay of New- York, with its nu- merous vessels, batteries, and spires, is most magnificent. There is no rich back-ground, or lofty hills, or any single object which of itself is striking. It is the tout ensemble which is so pleasing. We saw it to the greatest advantage, within an hour of a mild and glorious sunset, when the pla- cid surface of the bay was covered with almost innumerable sails, and the several islands, with their clean snow-white forts and batteries, were reflected upon its bosom as upon a mirror, and land and sea alike were tinged with a light and mellow haze. Numerous broad estuaries and rivers branch off from the bay, intersecting the country in every A subaltern's fvrlouoh. 127 direction, which is sufficiently free from forest, and its graceful undulations are richly diversified with beautiful villages and extensive farms. The spot whence we caught the first sight of the city was opposite to the Merchants' Marine Asylum, on the island — a building erected, as its name denotes, for the reception of the worn-out sailors of the merchant service ; the superfluous funds, which are extensive, are most laudably appropriated for the provi- sion of the widows of captains who have been subscribers to the institution. The site seems admirably well calculat- ed to soflen down the rigours of declining old age; as the veterans may enjoy a most delightful prospect of the city, and its forests of masts, with orrery inward and outward bound vessel ; as also the views of Elizabethtown and Newark, at the upper end of the Sound. Within twelve hours from our leaving Philadelphia, we landed at New- York, a distance of ninety-four miles; and, after under- going as much annoyance from the officious attentions of hackney-coachmen and porters as one would in the streets of London, I at last arrived in safety at the City Hotel, in Broadway. • ** 128 A SCBALTBRN's rURLOVOH ' .11 ,J/ CHAPTER IX. Another plag;ue of more gigantic Arm Arose ; a monster never known before RearM from Cocytus its portentous head : This rapid fury, not like other p^sts Pursued a gradual course, but in a dav Rush'd as a storm o*er half th' astonisn'd isle. And strew'd with sudden carcases the land. .... and here the Fates Were kind, that long they linger'd not in pain ; For who surviv'd the sun's diurnal race Rose from the dreary gates of hell redeem'd, Some the sixth hour oppress'd, and some the third. Frantic with feeur they sought by flight to shun The fierce contagion — o'er the moumAil land Th' infected city pour'd her hurrying; swarms. In heaps they fell, and oft one bed they say The sick'ning, dying, and the dead contained. Doj'frerry— First who think you the most desartless man to be constable 7 lit Wateh— Hugh Oatcake, Sir, or George Seacoal | for they can read and write. Shaksfiari. The morning of the 4th of July was ushered in with none of those noisy symptoms which usually proclaim the celebration of some great national festival, processions and festivities of all descriptions having been aiocouraged by the board of health. The public prints echoed the same directions, and strenuously advised the people not to assemble in crowds, which would rather have a ten* dency to encourage the advance of the fatal enemy they so much dreaded, The order, therefore, respecting a ge- neral parade of the troops was cancelled, and during the day there was but one insignificant civic procession; and a few ill-dressed and worse-drille'd volunteer artillery, who where bent upon firing a salute, paraded through the principal streets with a oand of mustc and brigade of ▲ subaltern's furlodoh. third. MITKONO. ft man to be for they can KIPIARI. sd in with oclaim the irocessions iocouraged whoed the people not Bve a ten- [lemy they cting a ge- during the ssion; and artillery, i through brigade of ffuns, carrying their noisy purpose into execution at mid- day, in an open sauaro on the margin of the ba]^. A crowd of boys of all shades of colour, with a few children of a larger growth intermixed, assembled upon the trot- toirs, firinff off guns, pistols, and crackers, to the im- minent peril of the eyes and limbs of the peaceable citi- zens of New- York. Although this last species of an- noyance had been strictly forbidden by the public autho- rities, it was a law "more honoured in the breach than , the observance;" and was publicly persevered in through- out the entire day and greater part of the night, without any efforts being made to checlc it. A few sons of Old Erin, with a negro or two, might also be seen keeping a holiday; and, at the hotel, I overheard a party (of what country I know not^ who were taking a glass of wine two hours after tne rest of the table whdte had dis- persed, singing — "Here's a health to the King, God bleu him." In the evening I attended the Park Theatre, the Drury of the United States : its front was brilliantly illuminated, and decorated with a large transparent painting of Wash- ington. The bills of the performance were headed in large ' characters with " Liberty or Death ;" and the Qlory of Columbia, a drama with miserable dialogue and plot was performed as an introductory piece to a series of national songs and farces, seasoned, of course, with some hard blows in the shape of abuse at John Bull. We had •'Yankee Doodle, and "Sons of Freedom," twice en- cored; and the orchestra played Washington's March, and General Spicer's March, " Hail Columbia," and "the Star- spangled banner," at least half a dozen times each; every patriotic citizen appearing to think himself in duty bound to attempt keeping time, whether or not he had any ear for music, by stamping upon the floor of the box with his feet, so that let the music be what it would I could scarcely hear a bar. It is said that seldom a day elapses without a Are in New- York. This day there were not fewer than ten. At one which I witnessed, four or Ave houses ware destroy* )■/ 130 A subaltern's furlouoh ed, and a fireman was killed. Most of these conflagra- tions, I heard, had their origin from squibs or crackers : and thus ended the 4th of July, So many Americans had spoken to me of the grandeur and magnificence of Broadway, some even asserting that no street in London was superior to it, that I felt very much disappointed, and think that the same comparison might have been more justly drawn with Liverpool. The shops in it certainly cannot vie with those even in the latter town ; but, in the number of equipages. New- York excols it, and far outvies London, or any English town, in its hackney coaches, which are so remarkin)ly neat, and even handsome, that a foreigner might be well excused for imagining them to be private carriages, Broadway is throughout the day thronged with gay vehicles and equestrians, and a perpetual stream of that convenient but uncomfortable London Carriage, an " omnibus," not the least remarkable thing about those in New- York being that (though every man affects to despise titles and rank) they are all named "Lady Clinton,*' " Lady Washington," •* uidy Van Rensselaer," and other? as strangely incon- sistent. Sometimes, too, servants in half livery may bo seen sitting on the box of a carriage, whose door-pannels are ornamented with a crcs'. This street is about thrte miles in length, and eighty feet in width, extending in nearly a straight line from one end of the city to the otner. The streets are clean for an American city ; but the ap- pearance of the cholera had caused the corporation to exert themselves in attending more closely to tne cleanli- less of them. Some wag observed, in one of the public prints, that the scavengers had actually dug down to the pavement in one or two places, and that the city was cleansed thoroughly, Manhattan IslandC on which the city stands, and which is formed by the Hudson, the Harloam, and East rivers, with the bay on the south, is fiflcon miles in length, and from two to three in breadth. The Old Town, near th« bay, much resembles an English one, but the horthom part of it is ns regularly laid out as Philadelphia or Wash- ington, and numbers about eighty-seven strettt. The wharfs are similar to those of Philadelphia, but not qulto ▲ subaltern's furlough. m 9 conflagra- >r crackers : tie grandeur iserting that t I felt very comparisoti jrpool. The even in the New-York iish town, in ly neat, and rell excused Broadway vehicles and irenient but us," not the York being !S and rank) ''ashin^ton," igely incon- ery may bo oor-pannels about thrte ixtending in to the other, but the ap- rporation to tne cleanli- f the public down to the he city was , and which East rivers, length, and m, near the ^e northern ia or Wash- retts. The ut not quito so ragged, and extend much farther up the east than the Hudson, or North River, as it is generally called, thus de- priving the great discoverer of the honour of giving his name to the noble stream. On the south-west point of the island, overlooking the bay, is a fine public promenade, of from 600 to 600 yards in length, and 160 in breadth, prettily laid out in walks, and planted with trees. In the evenings it is generally crowded with citizens, who as- semble to derive the benefit from a pleasant breeze ofifthe water, or listen to a band that frequently plays in the Castle garden, which is connected with the walk by a wooden bridge, upon which, and along the whole extent of the public walk, may be seen various Cockney anglers, of most persevering dispositions. The former promenade is called the Battery, from having in the olden times of the Dutch settlers, or during the Revolutionary war, mounted a few guns ; and the Castle garden in a similar manner possesses no garden, nor could it ever have pos- sessed one, being a modern stone fort, with twenty-eight embrasures, built upon a solid rock, which appeared but a short distance above the water. This being an unprofitable kind of investment of funds, has been let by the Corpora- tion to a publican, who has converted it to a much more profitable use, charging sixpence sterling for admission, and giving a ticket, so that the visitor mny enjoy a stroll upon the upper platform of the fort, admire the view, and then call for a glass of some liquor at the bar, for which he is not charged any thing. The Battery, nevertheless, is the most pleasant promenade in New- York, and far excels any thing else of the kind in America. Governor's Island, about three-quarters of a mile distant in the bay, has a large stone circular fort with three tiers of embra- sures, ond is calculated for m .re than 100 guns at its western extremity. When I entered it through the small wicket door, I was nearly upset by a quantity of half* starved pigs, which rushed grunting up to ine, as if at- tempting to gain the exterior of the fort, and compelled me to make strenuous use of my walkingstick. The interior was little better than a stye, and in a most unfinished state. In the centre of the island, a small quadrangular fort is connected with the circular one by a covered way, I) m A subaltern's furlouor. with barracks and military stores in the interior. Vast numbers of workmen were employed in facing the works with granite; and the whole island forcibly reminded me of Washington Irving's happy description, as " resem- bling a fierce little warrior in a big cocked-hat, breathing gunpowder and defiance to the world." Though these works may not enhance the attractions of the scene, they do not, like the numerous poplars on the island, mar the beauty of the noble sheet of water ; and, if those who hold dominion over the island possessed any love for the picturesque, they would grub them up root and branch ; for certainly, to quote the above ingenious au* thor again, they do look " like so many birch-broomi standing on end." On Bedlow's and Ellis's Island, at also at the Narrows (the entrance of the bay from the Atlantic,) are most formidable batteries, nearly all of which are at present upon the peace establishment, as I did not see a single gun mounted, and only a few, with- out carriages, upon the circular fort on Oovernor't Island. Of the public buildings, the City Hall, containing the Supreme Court, Mayor's Court, ana various public offices, situated in the park, a fine and handsome square, is the most remarkable ; and, being fronted with white marble, has a beautiful enect when seen through the forest-trees in the park. The building is upwards of SOO feet in length, with a dome and tower surmounted by a statue of Justice. A rough stone prison on the right, and a building on the left used as a cholera hospital during my resi* dence, occupy one side of the park : this last appeared, from its large portico in front, and style of architecture, to be a church. The Merchants' Exchange in Wall-street (the Lombard-street of London) is a fine edifice, of the same material as the front of the City Hall. The base- ment story is occupied by the Post Office, and above it the Exchange, 85 toot in lply for the ts re-buried dument, no d upon tho \rv, built of imn, of the • the capital 9f his pre* Qx posed to nto the in^ imn a con* le marble front also, with two ' 'des of that of the pedestal, have fallen down and exposed the shabby interior. Surelj such a man deserved a monument of more durable mate- rials. That the Americans, however, were not unmind- ful of the respect paid to his remains by the British, ap- pears from the following part of the inscription upon the monument :— " His bravery in action Was only equalled by his modesty in triumph, And his magnanimity to the vanquished. In private life He was a gentleman of the most generous and endearing qualities ; And 8) acknowledged was his public worth That the whole nation mourned his loss, And the enemy contended with his countryinen ' Who most should honour his remains." There is a monument near it to the memory of General Hamilton, who had served with distinction under Wash- ington, and ranked high as a statesman. He was killed in a duel by Colonel Burr, the Vice-president of the United States, who is yet living in New- York, The inscription is as follows ; — To the memory of Alexander Hamilton The Corporation of Trinity Church , , Have erected this monument >' In testimony of theirrespcct for '' ' " ' The Patriot of incorruptible integrity, The soldier of approved valour, The statesmn ;i of consummate wisdom ; Whose talents und whose virtues Will be admired by a grateful nosterity Long after this marble shall have mouldered into dust. He did July 8d, 1804, aged 47. Brooklyn, on the opposite side of East River, and aitU' ated upon Long- Island, is a place of considerable imnort- ance, containing upwards of 13,000 inhabitants. There are many country seats in the immediate vicinity, belonff- ing to New- York merchants. In the navy yard on Wall- about Bay, at the upper end of the town, were two large frigates upon the stocks ; and, as in the other yards at Fhiladelpnia and Washington, considerable additions 139 ▲ subaltern's furlough. were making in erecting buildings, piers, &c. The in- trenchments thrown up in defence of the town in 1776, when the American army received so terrible a defeat from the British and Hessians under Cornwallis and OUnton, still remain upon the hill in the rear of the navy yard ; and the marsh where so many were smothered in the retreat is seen from thence near the Bay upon the right. Situated in a similar manner on the opposite side of the city, and across the Hudson, is Hoboken.a parti- cularly pretty spot and great promenade and lounge for the citizens. They assemble here in great numbers, the gardens being tastefully laid out in walks, to stroll about and to enjoy a ride upon a circular rail-road devised by some ingenious person. It is built upon frame work, raided three feet from the ground. The carriages which run upon it are so constructed that those who sit in them by turning a handle in front of the seat, keep the carriage in motion, when it is once set off by a slight push, and urge it along with great rapidity ; being allowed to travel threo times round it, three-quarters of a mile, for a shil- ling. However, it was a pleasure which 1 thought dear- ly earned, and very ftuiguing to the arms, for those who are ambitious of speedy travelling. There area double set of rails, and only two carriages, which take contrary directions, so that a slugs^ish man cannot be run over. Hoboken being in New Jersey, and out of the jurisdic- tion of the city, affairs of honour are generally settled under a high bank, some distance above the landing-place where General Hamilton fell. Upon my return one day from this place to the city, I met a procession of several hundreds of African blacks, parading through the streets, with music and banners of their different trades and so- cieties. The majority of them appeared to be true wor- shippers of Bacchus ; the sailors carried some models of small vessels of war, while their band, rollingabout in front, attempted to play the "British Grenadiers." All wore a yollow sash across their shoulders, and those at the head of the column, apparently the officers of the Society, were Upon horseback, and equipped in frock coats, blue sash- ▲ subaltern's furlovob. 130 c. The m- rni in 1770, ble a defeat iwallis and of the navy mothered in y upon the pposite side £en, a parti- 1 lounge for umbers, the stroll about devised by rame work, ages which sit in them he carriage Jush, and to travel \ for a shil- oiight dear- : those who re a double i.e contrary run over, le jurisdic- lly settled ding-placo rn one day of several the streets, les and so- true wor- models of )ut in front, \.ll wore u It the head iiety, wero blue sash* es, yellow or blue satin trowsers, making their steeds caper about, and *' Witching the world with noble horsemanship." Of all dandies, the negroes in Ameiica are the most in- tolerable ; a fashion, to come up to their idea of taste, cannot be too outre ; let it be ever so ridiculous, they adopt it immediately. When I was in New- York striped trowsers, kid gloves, three or four feet of guard chain for the watch, and gold headed canes, were the " correct thing ;" with two-thirds of the sable countenance con- cealed by the well-starched collar of the shirt. On Sun- day afternoon, when the streets in all the cities appear- ed entirely given up to the African world, it was a high treat to witness the switching of canes and important strut of the one sex, and the affected dangling of parasols and reticules of the other. Familiar nods or distant bows of recognition were acknowledged with all the air of people who had be( n rehearsing their parts during the other six days of the week, or taking lessons from the manners of their masters' visitors. Crossing over to Hoboken, on the 9th of July, I took the coach and proceeded near the high ground on the right bank of the Hudson to the small village of Aqua- kinock, and thence upon a rail-road which had been lately opened to the flourishing town of Paterson, on the Pas- saic River, sixteen miles from New- York. It wanted an hour to mid-day, when I arrived and the rain pour- ing in torrents caused the dirty streets to look more miser- able and dull than even New- York, from which every one was hurrying who could possibly afford means. The driver of an omnibus came across the river in the steam- boat with me, and had his entire family with baggage stowed within and without his carriage, intending to re- main in the country until the dreadful pestilence abated I had also crossed over to Paterson, with the intention of staying there for a few days ; then, after making a short tour to the Pennsylvania coal-mines and Wyoming, to return to the city, trusting that the inhabitants would be more settled. But the mtlancholy-looking day made me wish myself back again, in a place where, whatever 14D A SUBALTERN'S VURLOUOH. < Other drawback there might be, I could at least lay my hands upon a book to pass away a few dull hours. After listening by the hour to a long dissertation upon the Reform Bill from a stout, one-legged man, I encounter- ed another unconscionably long story, from a little spare person, about hunting and "old Kentuck," in the middle of which all his audience, excepting myself, deserted him, and, betaking themselves to their brandy and water, gradually dropped off one by one to their respective homes. At last even I left my chair, where I had been most patiently sitting in a half dose, without hearing a single word the Kentuckian had been saying for the last forty minutes, and, yawning, wished him good evening, just as he had got me some half dozen miles up the Mam- moth Cave. Thus, having lost his audience, he rose, and, discovering that his umbrella was gone, said, with an air which appeared almost to console him for the loss, " Well, I guess he must be a mean fellow who would clear off with it ; for it was but a mean umbrella, and I don't care one cent about it, only the pole and shove-up are good, that's a^ac." As I was on the point of retir- ing, a man entered the room smiling and looking as if . he had some good joke to impart. I therefore determin- ed to wait a fow minutes longer ; but he only whispered to the story-teller, and both, laughing heartily, left the house together. In a minute or two came another, with the same important countenance, who took away the landlord ; and immediately afterwards the bar-keeper disappeared in the same mysterious manner, leaving a little girl in charge of his department. My curiosity was now excited to the utmost ; so laying down my candle again, although it was still raining heavily, I followed him out into the dark street, and down it for some dis- tance, until, walking up the steps of a house, he opened the door, and entered. Seeing a crowd of people inside wearing their hats, I also stepped in, and found myself in a small frame room, devoid of all furniture, excepting two rough chairs, and a strong greasy table, with some benches placed against the walls, from which were suspend- ed lists of the Newark and Hoboken coaches, steam- vessels, lotteries, the comic almanac, and other placards. A SUBALTERN 8 rURLOVOH. 141 ast lay my urs. Ajfler upon the encounter- little spare the middle f, deserted and water, respective [ had been hearing a for the last d evening, ) the Mam- e, he rose, said, with or the loss, ^ho would 3lla, and I i shove-up It of retir- pking as if determin- whispered y, left the )ther, with away the )ar-keeper leaving a iosity was ny candle followed some dis- le opened pie inside nd myself excepting vith some suspend- es, steam- placards. One of the ricketty old chairs was occupied by an elderly sharp featured man, with long gray hair, brushed so as to display a high forehead, and with a pair of spectacles fitted on the very tip of his nose, which he took ofTat in- tervals of a minute or two, and looked round with great dignity upon the people assembled. Then, after taking the circuit, he let his eyes fall upon an ill-dressed man, apparently an artizan, who sat m the other chair oppo- site, and scrutinized his appearance from head to foot; while he himself leaning back upon his own seat, and ba- lancing on the hinder legs of it, had his feet crossed on the top of the table, upon which lay a plentifully thumbed and dogs'-eared volume, some writmg-paper,andan ink-stand I was utterly at a loss, for some time, to discover for what purpose so many silent people could have collected to- gether, and was, at last relieved from my suspense by the elderly man suddenly rousing himself, and saying, with the air of a man just struck by some bright thought, or as if determined upon some great undertaking, ''State the charge against the prisoner ;" and for the first time I found myself in the presence of an American Justice of the peace. The man who had so coolly taken possession of the other chair was charged with "paying for a quan* tity of clams (shell-fish,) which he had purchased from a little boy, with a counterfeit dollar note." It appeared, upon the evidence of a host of witnesses, that he had been taken from a tavern wherehe was superintending the cook- ing of the clams, and that his confederates had made their escape. The prisoner protested most vehemently against the accusation, asserting his innocence :n a long story, which was not at all connected with the charge, and was in- terrupted momentarily by the observations and witticisms of the by -slanders, on the chance of his being lodged, free of expense, in good apartments, at Sing-Sing (the State prison,) and joking him upon the loss of his clam supper. The Justice appeared to have less to do with the business than any one else ; until some one called out, " Let the squire cross-examine him." "Aye do cross-examine him, squire," reiterated fifteen voices ; and the squire. acord< ingly, peering over the top of his spectacles, let fly a vol- ley of" Who are you ?" " what's your trade?" " where «r« 142 A subaltern's furlough. yott from?" "what brought you to this town?" " where did you get that note?" " what's your name ?" and other questions, with such amazing volubility, as if he was re- solired to confuse the prisoner with the very weight of them, concluding by saying, " Well, I move that this fellow be committed, and that we make up the dollar for the boy." Silver coins to the amount were immediately thrown upon the table by the by -slanders ; and the squire, smiling complacently, threw himself back in his chair, with his eyes fixed upon the ceiling, quite overcome with the exertion of the prisoner's cross-examination. One man remarked that " he had better dismiss him, for the dollar would stand the state in 200 dollars to prosecute." The wooden-legged man also took a most prominent and active part in the jokes and gibes upon the prisoner, snyiiig, "You richly deserve three years in Sing-Sing I" " So do you, if every rogue had his deserts," answered the man. " Very likely," said the first; "and, if I go there, I shall make special application to be put in the same coll with you, and I will then give you a good flogging." Soon after another party came in with onoof his accomplices, against whom the first turned evidence, and was therefore ad* mitted to bail ; but, not being able to furnish it, the squire permitted him to go away on his bare promise that he would return the following day, and the other culprit was delivered over to a guard of citizens, who volunteered their services for the night. Although throughout the scene was ridiculous in the extreme, there were still some traits highly creditable to the Justice and by-standeri, osperially in the spirit with which the collection was made for the boy, and the readiness with which they all proffered to take charge of the prisoner until the morn- The town already contains nearly 10,000 inhabitants, and is increasing most rapidly; thereure ot present nearly thirty cotton-mills, iron and brass foundries, in the upper part of it, with gardens so tastefully laid out, and the banks of the river kept so neat, and ornamented with weeping willows, as to compensate for the broken bridges and dirt of the lower part of the town. It is cfltimated that each new mill brmgs an increase of 1000 A subaltern's rURLOUOH. 143 I" '• where and other he was re- weight of i that this i dollar for imediately the squire, his chair, come with One man ■ the dollar ute" The tand active n»g, "You do you, if m, " Very jliall make with you, Soon after *cs, aufainst ercfore ad- the squire se that he ulprit was olunteercd ghout the still some -slanders, ction was h they all the morn* habitants, cnt nearly the upper and the nted with broken rn. It is e of 1000 to the population ; and two more were building when I visited the place. It will ere long be the Manchester of those parts, and one of the largest manufacturing towns in the Union. They have already the advantage of a rail-road and canal to transport their goods to New- York and Philadelphia ; and much machinery is made for exportation to the southern markets. The Passaic River is very romantic in the immediate vicinity of Paterson ; but, upon inquiring where what are called the *' Grand Falls '' were to be seen, I was much disappointed to find that they were actually in sight and very unimportant, the stream being diverted on three levels for the supply of the mills. There were but about 100 gallons per minute falling over a precipice of 70 feet into a dark and narrow gulf, over which a bridge ho.! been thrown. Some few years since, an American, of the name of Patch, leaped irom a spot very near it into the chasm beneath, with the intention, as was stated, of com- mitting suicide; but, finding himself without injury in the water, he made from that time a trade by taking a similar leap from most of tho falls in the States ; and at length met his doatii. in 182S), by striking against some sunken rocks at the falls of the Clencsee, in the town of Ro- chester. Tho water power which these falls aHbrd is st) valuable as to produce an income of 25,000 dollars pel annum to the |)roprietor. Having ascertained that I could not obtain any other conveyance to Easton. on niy route to the coal mines, than a heavy cnnol boat, which would not arrive in less thon three days, although only si.xty miles, I returned to New- York, notwithstanding the alarming accounts of the in- crcose of cholera, on the Itith of July. Tho city borea very different appearance from that which it presented when [ had landed ten days previously, or even when I had departed for i'aterson. At that time only the timid had fled to the watering places on tho ffeacoast, or the Catskill Mountains on the banks of the Hudson. Since thon every one who could afford means oppearoA to havo followed their example. The public gardens and theatres were closed, and in many streets entire rows of houses were deserted, their late occuponts having fled 144 ▲ StTBALTERN's rCRLOVOH. Ih^i from the dreadful pestilence. A steam-vessel on the Hudson carried away 700 passengers at one time, and yet refused to take many who were anxious to escape. The gay shops in Broadway were closed by half past eighl in the evening ; the facetious auctioneer had no audience; and only a solitary individual was at intervals seen hurrying down the street, as if upon some urgent business. The bustle of Wall-street had almost ceased and tmdes'-people of every description complained that bankruptcy must certainly come upon them, if the general Eanic continued. The vast shoals of travellers who had een hurrving towards the north, to escape the more un- healthy climate of the south, were met here by a more dreaded enemy than even the yellow fever, ana had all returned to their homes, or betaken themselves to th« springs in Virginia. The hotels were comparatively empty. The earl and countess Belruore hud arrived from Jamaica for the express purpose of travelling through thu United States ; but after making a stay of four or five days at the hotel, and one short excursion up the tludson, they proceeded to England liy the first packet which sailed. The Americans, 1 had frequent occasion to observe, are an easily excited people, and even destitute of that moral courage which is so requisite in times of personal or na- tional calamity. The panic and excitement upon this occasion were much augmented by the daily prints, which not content with merely taking notice of cases in round numbers, mentioned every alarming incident they could Eossibly collect; and even the names, the streets, the num- er of ihe house, and the medical men who attended th« patients, were duly inserted. As an instance of the extra- ordinary dread entertained of the rnalndy, a respectabltt printer in Philadelphia comtnitttd suicide bv taking a quantity of laudanum ; and said to those around him, who were attempting to save his life, that all eflbrts would b« fxuitli'tts.and, if the physicians prepared an antidote, they could not make him take it; that "he had heard tha cholera was in Uuebec, and, being thoroughly convinced that it would spread over the whole continent of Arn»- rica, he had come to the determination of not suffering an attack of it himself, or seeing hii wife and childrcu A sitbaltern's furlovoh. :4g sel on the ) time, and to escape. r half past er had no It intervals I mo urgent lost ceased ained that he general '8 who had e more un- by a more nu had nil [ves to thtt iparatively rived from hrough thu )r five days idson, they lich sailed. )serve, are that moral anal or na- upon this iits, which s in round they could I, thu num- tunded th« the extra- spectablv tuking a him, who would bt dote, they leard th« convinced of Am»> RufTering childrcu die before him." Unfortunately, too, a great schism pre- vailed amongst the medical men, who were either jealous of each other's practice, or disagreed in the views they took of the disease. The board of health refused to pub- lish the reports of cases sent in by an eminent practitioner in the city, who had proceeded to Quebec upon the first appearance of the cholera there, to ascertain the nature of it. This so incensed him that he withdrew his name from amongst the members composing the board ; and, others refusing to make any returns, an order was issued by those in power that any medical man who did not make a return of cases should be fined forty dollars. It was hoped, too, that the fear of this penalty would act as a check upon the quack doctors (or steam doctors, as the Americans call them,) who flocked into the city from all quarters, and put in practice the aystem from which they derive their name — hot-baths and cayenne pepper for every complaint, from a cold and sore throat to the vellow-fever. The some difltrence of opinion pervaded yen the acts of Congress, who, ever jealous of the Pre- sident's authority, could not come to any decision about appointin^y a day of fast and humiliation. The motion had been made to apply to tho President to order a day ; but it was rejected, some members contending that the Pre- sident had no right to order a fast, and that the observance of one was optional with every one. The President, in an- swer to an application from the Committee of the General Synod in Now- York, for the appointment of a general fast, said, " I am constrained to declino the designation of any period or mode as proper for the public manifesta- tion of this reliance. I could not do otherwise without transcending the limits prescribed by the constitution for the President, nor without feeling thot \ might in some degree disturb the security which religion now enjoys in this country, in its complete separation from tho political concerns of tho general government, " It is the province of tho pulpits, and the state tribunals, to recommend tho time and mode by which the people may best attest their reliance on the protecting orm of the Almighty in times of great distress.' Tho connnitteo then npj)lied to tho Governor of the ▼01. I, — N. \ 14« ▲ BVBALTERN's rURLOUOH. State, who replied, * * * * " As fiisting, humUi&- tion, and prayer, are religious rites, so the recommenda* tion of a day for that purpose is an appeal to the religious sentiments of the community, and should, in my opinion, proceed from an authority which has its influence over the consciences of men, rather than their civil obligations. • ••«•• " I cannot here refrain from the remark, and I hope it will be received with indulgence, that the more scrupu- loi&ly the religious authorities of the land follow the indi- cations of the public will, as pointed out in her constitu- tions, the more likely will they be to have that influence which is essential to crown with success their labours for the melioration of the condition of the human race." In many parts of the town the streets were watered w'(h chloride of lime, in which, as an antidote, great faith was placed. Upon every subject, the Americans divide themselves into numerous parties, all differing in some trifle from each other ; upon this occasion there v/ere con- tagionists, non-contagionists, contingent contagionists, in- fectionists, and non-infectionists. There were many who asserted that the disease had its origin in the air, and that if a piece of raw meat were suspended at a certain height it would immediately become putrid. The experi- ment was actually tried at the mast-head of a. ship in the harbour : but, upon being brought down again in a few hours, tne expectations of the most sangume upon the subject were much disappointed in finding it in the same state as when put up. Others looked for the origin of the disease from the earth — the water — the comet; and it was even gravely asserted that the sun did not give its customary light. There were some who would not eat meat, anu others who would not eat vegetables; some who would not drink any thing except water, and others who would only take "anti-thoiera,*' as they termed bran- dy and port wine, the temperate soothed their fears, by crying out that only the dissolute and dirty would fall victims to it, and every post and tree in the city was la- belled with "Unit dram-drinking if you would not have the cholera." Those who had been in the habit of dram- drinking were at a loii how to proceed ; one party told ▲ subaltern's fvrlouoh. 147 some them they were certain to contract the disease, and an- other assured them that, if they were to abstain suddenly from their former habits, there would be no hope for them; and, at all events, they would be bad subjects for it, when attacked. Some were for clothing warm; but an alarm was immediately given, by the opposite party, that excess in clothing was as injurious as excess in drinking. It was no wonder, then, that nearly 100,000 of the inha- bitants fled into the country, and many of them out of the reach of medical assistance fell victims to the disease, which they might probably have otherwise escaped. The second evening afler my return, I walked down to the battery; and although it was a most bewitching scene, as the sun set mildly and beautifully on the opposite side of the bay, and the bright moon rose majestically in the deep blue sky, still only a stranger or two were seen, leanmg over the rails at the edge of the pier. At last I caught the general infection of fear myself (thouffh I had often been an eye-witness of the ravages of the disease in other lands, without any such sensation,) and the reflection that if I were attacked by it I might be car- ried off to some public hospital, unknown, and almost uncared for, made me think it would bo more prudent to remove to a healthier part of the country. Curiosity alone had brought me to New- York, and I had been there a fortnight already without any probability of being gratified with a sight of any thing interestmg ; two gentlemen, whose acquaintance I was just making, were suddenly carried off by the disease, and my only remain- ing friend had sailed for England: I therefore determin- ed to continue my tour, and, if possible, return at a busier and gayer time. 148 A subaltern's fualouoh. yj ■^.t i«'/lw"- lntsfl^P CHAPTER X. The flying rumours gathered as they roU'd, Scarce any tale was sooner heard than told ; And all who told it added something new, fitH&^i And all who heard it made enlargements too ; it In ev'ry ear it spread, on ev'ry tongue it grew. | Thus flying east and west, and north and south, ^ News travelled with increase from mouth to mouth. Pope. al sj al aJ Satire lashes vice into reformation. 'r,u Drtdbn. .. Mrs. Trollope states, in her " Domestic Manners of the Americans," that much angry feeling was excited throughout the United States by the appeaiance of Cap- tain Hall's travels in that country ; probably but little imagining that she herself as an authoress should fifiv& such umbrage to the republicans, and that the gallant Captain's works should sink into comparative insignifi- cance before her lashing pen. It was during my resi- dency in New- York that her first publication was re- printed, and the commotion it created amongst (he good citizens is truly inconceivable. The Tariflf ahd Bank Bill were alike forgotten, and the tug of war was hard, whether the " Domestic Manners," or the cholera, which burst upon them simultaneously, should be the more en- grossing topic of conversation. Atevery corner ofthestreet, at the tioor of every petty retailer of information for the people, a large placard mot the eye with, "For sale here, witli platen. Domestic Manners of the Americans, by Mrs. Trollope." At every table d'h6te, on board of every steam-boat, in every stage-coach, and 'v\ all societies, the first question was, *' Have you read Mrs. Trollope?" And one half of the people wou'' bo seen with a red or blue half-bound volume in their hand, which you might vouch for being the odious work ; and the more it was abused the more rapidly did the printers issue new editions. 1 never could ascertain the reason why the / merican edition appeared without the name of its publisher ; whether it ^"i! A SUBALTBRN's rURLOUOH. 149 arose from the fear of subjecting himself to serious eon- sequences for printing a work which spoke so unfitvour- ably of his country, or that he was ashamed of publicly acknowledging the preface, in which he laboured to prove that Mrs. Trollope and Captain "All" (as he was &ce- tiously pleased to write the name, as being the true Eng- lish pronunciation) were one and the same person,— an opimon which soon gained ground, and I was assured by many intelligent people that there was not the slightest doubt but "that Captain Hall had written every word of it; Mrs. Trollope might probably have furnished notes for it, but certainly nothing more; no one who had read the two works, and observed the great similarity of ex- pression and opinions, could for a moment doubt the author's identity, and every one was well aware that he had been sent out by the Quarterly Revi6w." Never were two poor authors so abused: every newspaper for two months teemed with some violent remarks, and persona- lities, which were substituted for refutations, thus apparent- ly verifying the justice of the saying, that "Blunt truths more mischief than nice falsehoods do;" nor was this kind of criticism confined merely to editors of daily newspapers ; but even people who had some pre- tensions to literary talent fell mto the same error. Mr. Dunlap, in his late history of the American stage, confi- dently states that Captain Hall was the author of the work in question ; and Mr. Paulding, who ranks high as an author amongst his countrymen, in his late novel of "West- ward Ho I " exerts himself, as much, as possible, to hold up Captain Hall to the ridicule of the Americans, merely because he differs in opinion from them; forget- ting that " *Tis with our Judgments as our watches, none ^ Go Just alike, yet euch behoves his own." Though the extract I allude to is long, yet I transcribe it, OS serving two purposes ; one to show the soreness of 160 A subaltern's fvrlovoh the Americans, and the other to give a specimen of the Western provincialisms. "Well, then. Captain, if he v(ron'tsing, suppose you tell us another story," quoth Cherub Spooney. "Ay, do now, Captain; tell us the story of the strange cretur you picked up going down the river," said an- other. " Ah ! now do, Massa Cappin Sam," quoth Blackey. " Well, I'll tell you how it was. We had hauled in the Broad-horn close ashore to wood; wind was upstream, ?o we couldn't make much headway any how. Bill told the nigger to cook a few steaks off Clumsy — that was what we called the bear I shot the day before. V^ell, while we were a — woodmg — " " That story's as long as the Mississippi," said one. " Shut pan, and sing dumb, or I'll throw you into the drink," exclaimed Spooney. "Why, I heard that story before," " Well, supposing you did, I didn't, go on Cap- tain," "Well, as I was saying, Spoon, the nigger — " " I tink he made call 'um gemman of colour," mutter- ed Blackey. " The nigger went to cook some bear while we were wooding, so that we might have something to go upon. When we came back, what kind of a varment do you think we started in the cane-brake?" '• I reckon an alligator," said Blackey. " Hold your tongue, you beauty, or you shall smell brimstone through a nail hole," cried Spooney; "go a-head, so a-head. Captain." " Well, as I was savmg, we started the drollest varment, fierhans, you ever did see. Its face was covered with hair, ike a bull buffalo, all but a little place for his eyes to see through. It looked mighty skeery, as though it thought itself a gone-sucker, and calculated we were ffoing to eat it, before we killed it ; but we carried it aboard the Broad- Korn, and took compassion on the |)oor thing. I slapped It on the back, and told it to stand on its hind legs, and I wish I may run on a sawyer if it didn't turn out to be a live dandy." "Had It a tail?" A SUBALTERN S FURLOUGH. 11^1 9n of the 3 you tell 3 strange said an- llackey. lauled in tp stream, Bill told that was ell, while id one. 1 into the on Cap- ' muttei'- we were go upon. It do you lall smell ey; "go varment, tvith hair, yes to see t thought ing to eat le Broad- I slapped 9gs, and I It to be a " I'll wool lightning out of you, Bill, if you interrupt me." " That's actionable in New-Orleans." " Ha, ha, whoop! wake snakes — goa-head, go a-head, and don't be so rantankerous," shouted the audienqe. " I swear, if he once gets my tail up, he'll find I'm from the forks of the roaring river, and a bit of a screamer," said Captain Hugg. " Well, go a-head — go a-head, — ^tell us about the dandy, — ha I ha I ha I I should like to have seen it when it stood on its hind legs — what did it say ?" " Why, I asked what they called such queer things where it came from, and it said Basil ; and that the Cap- tain of the steam-boat nad put it ashore, because it insisted on going into the ladies* cabin. — Well, some of us called it summer savory, some catnip, some sweet Basil, and we had high fun with the cretur, and laughed till we were tired. And then we set him on a barrel forked end downwards." " Yough ! yough ! yough I" ejaculated Blackey, burst- ing into one of his indescribable laughs. '• No laughing in the ranks there — throw that nigger overboard, if he laughs before I come to the right place, and then you may all begin. Well, then, I began to ask him all about himself, and he told me he was a gicat tra- veller, and that he had been so far north that the north- star was south of him ; and then he asked me if 1 knew any thing of navigation, and the use of the globes. " To be sure I do," said I, " aint they made for people to live in ?" Then he inquired if I ever heard of Herschel, or Hisshel, I forgot which, and I told him I knew him as well as a squirrel knows a hickory-nut from an acorn." " He's dead," said the queer cretur. " No, no," says I, " that won't do, there's no mistake in Shavetail, you may swear. I saw a pedlar with some splendid sausages made of red flannel, and turnips, go by our house, and I changed with him some v/ooden bacon hams. He comes from Litchfield, where Herschel lived, and did'nt say a word about it. Here he made a note in his book, and I begun to smoke him for one of those fellows that drive a sort of a trade of making books li IttS A subaltirn's fvrlovoh. about old Kentuck and the western country : so I thought I'd set him barking up the wrong tree a little, and I told him some stories that were enough to set the Mississippi a-fire ; but he put them all down in his book. One of my men was listening, and he sung out, " Well, Sam, you do take the rag off the bush, that's sartin ;" and I was fearful dandy would find out I was smoking him, so I jumped up, and told Tom a short horse was soon curried, and I'd knock him into a cocked hat if he said another word, and that broke up the conversation. " Next morning we stopped to wood a little below New Madrid, and the dandy who seemed one of the curiousest creturs you ever saw, and was poking his nose every where, like a dog smelling out a trail, went with me a little way into a cane-brake, where we met a woman living under a board-shed, with four or five children. Dandy asked her if she was all alone ; she said her husband had gone up to Yellow Banks to look for better land. Then he wanted to know what she had to eat, and she said, nothing but sweet pumpkins. " What, no meat?" said he. " No, nothing but sweet pumpkins." " Well," said dandv, " I never saw any thing half so bad as this in the old countries," and then he put his hand in his pocket, and gave her a pickatlon. " Thank you," said she, " as I am a living woman, I 've tasted no meat for the last fortnight — nothing but venison and wild turkey." The d — 1 you ha'int," said Dandy ; and want- ed to get the pickatlon back again. " What a wild-goose of a fellow, not to know that nothing is called meat in these parts but salt-pork and beef. He 's a pretty hand to write books of travels," said Spooney. " I wish I may be forced to pass the old sycamore root up stream twice a day, if I'd give the Mississippi navi- gator for a whole raft of such creturs." " But what did you do with him at last. Captain?" said another. " Why, I got tired of making fun of the ring-tail roarer, and happening to meet the steam-boat, Daniel Boone, Captain Ijansdale, coming down stream, just as •^" A subaltern's furlouoh. 15S said she had smashed a broad horn, and the owner was sitting on the top of it, singing, ;i' ' '* Hail Columbia, happy land, Ifla'intruin»drilbe .'» 1 persuaded the Captain to let the Dandy come on board again, on his promising to keep out of the ladies' cabin — So we shook hands ; and " I wish I might be smash'd too if I wouldn't sooner hunt such a raccoon than the fattest buck that ever broke bread in old Kentuck." This is but a mild specimen of the bitter feeling which was exhibited against the gallant Captain ; and I sincerely give it as my opinion that neither he nor Mrs. TroUojje could with safety make their personal appearance again in the United States. Never was there so extremely sen- sitive a person as brother Jonathan. He lashes himself into a violent rage, if any one doubts that his own dear land is not the abode of all that is estimable. Mere ap- proval will not do for him ; it must be the most unquali- fied approbation ; and he thinks he is in duty bound to consider any national reflection a personal insult, and to resent it accordingly. Thus it has ever been in his wars with England, which were carried on with greater ani- mosity than any of our continental struggles. Thus, also (to descend 40 minor affairs,) can alone be explained their conduct towards Kean» Anderson, and others, where the whole nation resented what was only a private ouarrel. Although I should not wish to identify myself with Mrs. TroUope's opinions and sentiments, inasmuch as she evidently is a writer, who, in drawing a tolerable likeness, has given a broad caricature of the Americans, and most unjustly impressed those who have not visited the United States with the imagination that no gentlemen are to be met with there, yet I must think her " Domes- tic Manners" will do good amongst a certain class of people. The effects had even begun to show themselves before I quitted the country ; and I record the following anecdote, in order that, if tliese poor pages ever meet the eye of the witty and much abused authoress, she may congratulate herself on having already worked a partial 154 A subaltern's rURLOVOH. reform. When Miss Kemble made her first appearance at the Park Theatre, in New- York, the house was erowded to excess: and a gentleman in the boxes, turn- ing round between the acts of the play to speak to some one who sat in the bench behind him, displayed rather more of his back to the pit than was thought quite ortho- dox. This was no sooner observed than a low murmur arose amongst the insulted part of the audience, which presently burst forth into loud cries of '* TroUope I" '* TroUope!" "turn him out," "throw him over," &c., and continued for several minutes, accompanied by the most discordant noises, until the offending person assum- ed a less objectionable position. I will bear witness that I have frequently seen as much want of decorum in our theatres as I ever did in the American ; and think that our bar-rooms and ordinaries in country inns, and pas- sengers on a stage-coach, might with as much justice be taken as samples by which a foreigner might form his estimate of English gentlemen as the inmates of steam- vessels, canal-boats, and lodging-houses, should be of American gentlemen. That the Americans generally have many unpleasant customs, no sensible man in the country will deny ; and if ringing the changes upon to- bacco chewing and smoking, dram-drinking, and spitting, perpetually in their ears, will be of any service towards working a reformation, no English traveller will ever spare them ; and no man could have more strongly ex- pressed his abhorrence of such filthy habits than I did during my sojourn in the States. Though the long extract I have given from Mr. Pauld- ing's work should be considered as a good specimen of western provincialisms, yet not an American, let him be Yankee or Southerner, from the banks of the Hudson or the Mississippi, but flatters himself that he speaks more correct English than we illiterate sons of the mother isle. If you ask a Canadian in what part of the globe the purest French is spoken, he will reply, " upon the shores of the St. Lawrence," and assign as a reason for such being the case that a patois was introduced in the old country when the canaille gained the ascendency during the Re- volution of 1792, and that the correct language fitlling , ▲ 8UBAI.TVRN'S FVRLOVOH. 166 tpearance 3U8e was zes, tum- c to some ed rather ite ortho- murmur :e, which rollope !" irer," &c., ;d by the m assum- ess that I im in our link that and pas- justice be form his of steam- ild be of B^enerally lan in the 3 upon to- i spitting, 3 towards will ever ongly ex- han I did with the princes and nobles, Canada alone, which hat not been subject to any such convulsions, retains the language in its original purity. Incredible as it may appear, I was frequently told by casual acquaintance in the States, " Well, I should have imagined you to be an American, you have not got the English brogue, and aspirate the letter A, when speaking." And once I was actually told, by a fellow-passenger in the stage coach from Alexandria to Winchester, " Really I should never have thought you to be from the old country, you pronounce your words so well, and have not got the ium-vp note /" This same "turn-up nose," somewhat approaching to the pug, is, I find, one of the characteristic marks of an English- man in American eyes : and they apply the term " Cock- ney" as indiscriminately to us as ^fe do that of" Yankee" to them. Whatever may be their opinion of the ma/mer in which we natives of Great Britain speak the ^.lother- tongue, I can affirm that the nasal twang, which Ame- ricans, of every class, possess in some degree, is very grating and disagreeable to the ears of an Englishman." '; .! ■ 1 ■• :\K~..- i>\ I-. - U It. Pauld- jcimen of Bt him be [udson or aks more Qther isle, he purest res of the ich being 1 country g the Re- « foiling, 1 1 t ^» . . ■.-•il ' ■ i ..« ,v. • . :*> Mi'.'. ;■, ^•■'t.v\\, and diicovered thrre ladies staiuiing at the miranct- A tall eldorly one, the mother of the other two, surveyed me with a most haujjhty frown (which, tln»ii;.jh n(it at all inv £ roving the natuml Ix auty of her dark countenance, would aTO been invaluable to a tragedy (pieen.) hh 1 uujttcred aomothing about "u mistake." AAer darting anolhei \ A SOBAXTERN's rORLODOH 160 on rooms) tnmenced principal appointed (it for the was held n in 1717. idia Com- as bestow- ges in the lien study the settle- 8, when a 1 suburbs, SI. It con- ed thickly :cord witn and white J- rooms in w- Ho VCD ; ndjoinin/^ 10. I WM iishahillc. n 1 heiird pi" while inn half- iniind vrut u knock (!xt room 1 sat in ir " Arc- I ho next- i'|Ming ablu to put it upon the New-Brunswickers, whu havo tbfir residence itskirta of d on the sat towns illed with iw-York, ad to the block-tin in, a long but fifty was very we v/ero he gentltt- 3 box and niokingfl [•). but was ironce. as it easy in niii't four n of intcn ind found ry object \y truvoLs ' coaches, indiiig in if a kin for -ricans hh int^sun of '11 r on thu correctly llio Now- licin, 'I'hf si(lei»orth including 1 bo odious northern V lying tu lM)ing ablu mvQ their A SUBALTERNS PVRLOUOH, 16t own proper by-name, make a virtue of necessity, and wear the title with a good grace, frequently prefacmg the con- versation with '* We Yankees are a curious 'quisitive set, ain't we?" And (that being granted) make a dead point at all your secrets. Knickerbocker tells us that "the name of Yankies, which in the Mais-Tchusaeg (or Massachusett language) signifies silent men,^^ was a waggish appellation bestov\ ed by the aborigines of the land upon the first settlers, who kept up such a joyful clamour, for the space of one whole year after their arrival in America, " that they frightened every bird and beast out of the neighbourhood, and so completely dumb-founded tertain fish, which abound on their coast, that they have been called dumb fish ever since." Other authorities say, it is a corruption of the word " English." The Yankees (iifTer much in personal appearance and disposition from the southerners : the latter, like their climnti', are fiery, warm-hearted, and generous, and display a greater re- spect for the customs of the mother country than the former, who are cool spoculo.tors, intent upon gain alone. But little good-will exists between these two portions of the Union, their interests in mercantile matters so directly clashing, and what (like the Tariff) is a safeguard to the manul'uctures of the nortii is little better than ruin to the south. I thought that the sotithornor had generally a fresher colour, and was of a stouter habit of body, than the Yankee, who is well described in the words of his own national Melody : — •• A Ya»knc boy is trim tuul tall, And never over I'm, sir, • ••«•« Ho'a nlwtiym out on trniiiiit^-dny, CommciH'omrni, (»r rlcctiim; At truck nnil inulc h<'kuow»iho wny Orthrivuij[ to peril f.tiiiti. Yiuilu'c JuDille dundy," &c. Having gained an umiMcnce four miles from Hartford, we hud a magnificent view of the town with its numerous I'oines, the t nssinir sails upon the Connecticut River, and the light yellow corn fields cuvoring the wliulo eitcnl of 'Vi 16» A subaltern's furlough 1% i (he valley toa range of forest-crowned hills, twenty mile? distant. Passing the Insane Asylum, a plain but neat building on the outskirts of the town, we drovp up m thf City Hoiol, situated in a small squan^ opp ;snc the State House, and kept by a most attentive l.indlord. ' had but just stepped off" the coach. ?ii>ds»if ri my bac'" gage fairly housed, when, hearing drains at a dif,iauoe, I walked to the corner of the stro«>t, and .^aw the students of the collugH. between sixty und seventy in number, etjuipped asrir.'hers, vvitii light green frocks, white trow- ilers, green boimets, and ostrich feathers, inarching dt vn it; their olHcors distinguished by wearing a sword and sasli. The whole body had a very neat and .striking ap- peal mce; each archer carried i lou'v bow \x\ his ii\ u\, und a quiver of arrows at his back. 1 could huv\! almost fan- ci.d myseli in the Forest of Arden, or Merry Sher- wood, insiead of in one of the largest cities in the Unit- ed States, whore the very last si y, lit I should have ex- poclud would havG been a company of archers in Lin- coln Green. During the night an alarm of fire was given, which im- mediately set every bell in church a»id chapel ringing, anda night-cupped head was protruded fromevery window in the street, vociferatii^f "Fire! Fire!" so loudly that I at first conceived it must be in the hotel, and, but half- awake, sprang out of bed in double-quick time, whereas it was quite at the other extremity of the town. The engines rolled and thundered over the rough pavement in quick succession, and, instead of being drawn by hor- ses, men and boys who volunteered there services for the mere sake, I believe, of increasing the uproar, were yok- ed to them ; while the superintendants, who continued shouting through their long tin trumpets to urge them on, produced a most hideous noise, a "clangor tubarum," which would have broken the charm of the Seven Sleep- ers themselves, or aroused the giants from any on- chanted castle in Christendom. Thanks, however, to my scaling the hills at Now-llaven, I was soon again in fi sound slumber. The following day being Sunday, I attended service at Ihi) Protestant Episcopal Church, which was the finest f,^ ■"^ A SUBALTERN S FURLOUGH. 103 specimen of solid architecture I had seen. Being built of a dark coloured stone in imitation of the Gothic style, it already possessed a venerable and antique air, which the brick churches and white painted wooden towers will not acquire in less than a century. The tower was not finished, but, when carried to the height intended it will become a great ornament to the town, and a monument of the spirit of the congregation, who erected it entirely by private subscription. Most of the American churches have their towers at the eastern end, which is a great delras- lion to their interior beauty, from not having the large, light, chancel window, which is found in all English re- gious edifices; and none of them possesses that air of so- lidity without, or solemn grandeur within, which distin- guishes the ecclesiastical buildings of the old world. The inhabitants of Hartford appear strictly attentive to their religious ob.servances. There are nine or ten churches to 8500 inhabitants ; and, on walking out in the afternoon, there was literally not one person to be scon in the streets. Feeling ratbor ashamed at being apparently the only ab- sentee from divine service, I proceeded a short distance out of the town to the Deaf and Dumb Asylum, which was the first establishment of the kind in the States, and is partly conducted by a gentleman who has tlie missfortune to be atHicted himself in the same manner. Ttc building is a very extensive one, situated on an rminence overlook- ing the town, and generally contains from sixty to seven- ty inmates, it was a lovely afternoon, and as I sat upon tnegrjiss, gazing upon the town and river beneath, whence neither tho hum of voices nor the sound of any one stirring arose, and not a living being was even to be seen iu )ssing the long straight streets, or standing at a door or window, 1 thought I had never before seen a day so truly sot anart as u day of rest, nor one, 1 would believe, so strictly Kept. In Dctober, 1087, Sir Edmund Andross, (lovernor of the Now-Engla».d States (who committed so many arbi- trary acts during his administration,) proceeded to Mart- ford with a detacliment of troops, and, entering the House of Assembly when in Session, demanded the Charter of Connecticut, declaring the Colonial Uovernment to b« 104 i SUBALTKRM S FURLOTTOH. deposed ; the Assembly protracted the debates till even- ing, when the Charter was laid upon the table, and, at a preconcerted signal, the lights being extinguished, a Captain Wadsworth, seizing the Charter, sprung out of the window, and, under cover of the dark night, secreted it in the hollow of an oak, where it lay concealed for ieveral years, until the accession of William, Prince of Orange, to the throne of Great Britain, when the Colo- nists resumed their Charter, which continued in force until 1818, when they adopted a new constitution. The old House of Assembly is still pointed out in rear of the Epis- copal Church, and the Charter Oak retains its fine broad- spreading branches in front of the pleasure-grounds of Mr. Wyllis, at the southern outskirts of the town. The Connecticut River, on whoso right bank the town stands, ic about 300 yards broad, and connected with the largo manufacturing village of East Hartford, one mile distant, by a bridge of seven arches, at which the sloop naviga- tion ceases. The town would be a very handsome one, if a little more attention were paid to the cleanliness of the streets ; but, like most American towns, the dirt was six inches deep in them. Grass, rank docks, and other weeds, were growing on every side of the State House and one half the square, which was cut up in ejetj di- rection, after a heavy shower of rain, by deep ruts and innumerable water-courses. A SDBALTERN d FURLOUGH. 1« CHAPTER XII. The Lacedemonians, forbidding all access of strangers into their eoasts, are, in that respect, deservedly blamed, as being enemiee to that hoepitality which, for common humanity's sake, all the natiom QU earth should embrace. HOOKBR. Why must I Afric's sable children see Vended for slaves, though formed by Nature free, The nameless tortures cruel minds mvcnt. Those to subject whom Nature equal meant ? Sa?aob. The whole course of hit argumentation comes to nothing. Adduob. Proceeding in the coach from Hartford across the Con- necticut River, we passed over an undulating country to Mansfield, twenty-four miles distant, where a silk factory has been lately established. Much silk in grown in tho vicinity of the vil'ige, the worms being kept in long shedi neatly arranged with shelves; and the mulberry-trees in every direction were laden with the youn;,' guardians of the insects picking the leaves. From this place we en- tered a more hilly country, the face of which was densely covered with rocks and large stones. Where fields had been cleared, they were not more than three or four acres m extent, enclosed with stone fences, and for forty miles the scenery much resemMed many parts of the Peak of Derbyshire. Manufactories of various kinds were scat- tered thickly up in every stream; and at the pretty littlo village of Scituate, a very extensive comb establishment, employing upwards of 100 workmen, had been lately opened with every prospect of success. Tho State of Connecticut, though possessing a soil generally fertile, increases in the numnur of its inhabitants more slowly than any other in tho union, thirty years only giving an addition of 38,000 piople. This has arisen from so many of the young men migrating to the western regions, it being said that this state and the neighbouring one of Massachusetts send a greater proportion across theAllt* 166 1. STTBALTIRn's rCRLOUOH. ghany Mountains than any other. AfteT a tedious journey of fifteen hours, we arrived at Providence, pleasantly si- tuated on both sides of the river of the same name. On the eastern bank, it is buih at the foot of a range jdC heights which run parallel with the stream, and upon the summit of them are the two large tasteless buildings of the Brown University. An Englishman's ideas of a col- lege are associated with cloisters, antique piles, and black- lettered volumes, and he would fix the seat of the genius of learning in some venerable pile of building which pos- sessed an air of grandeur. FIc could scarcely reconcile to himself a four-storied, red-painted, brick house as her abode; and would pardon her for taking alarm and fleeing from such a spot, where too her votaries are distinguished by no classical garb. I believe it is rather the case with this College, which does not bear so high a name as that at Hartford or New-Haven, or Cambridge ; but, of all the public buildings in America, I thought the colleges wer« trhe most tasteless. Steam-vessels and sloops navigate the river up to the bridges, which connect the two towns ; where the stream IS cpnsiderably contracted by the piers which have been thrown out, but immediately above them it expands again into a fine cove or bay of half a mile in width, with neat houses encircling it. The town containing between 16,000 and 17,000 inhabitants is a manufacturing place of consi<- derable importance, and printed calicoes of very durable •olours are struck off In the cotton works many very young children are employed ; but there were proposi- tions (as in England^ by Mr. Sadler) to limit the number of working hours. At Pawtuckct, four miles from the town on the Seekhonk River, there are twelve cotton, and a variety of other mills. 1 walked there over the mo*t passable road I had as yet seen, and saw many wagons laden with the raw material, which had been landed at Providence, on their way to the flourishing manufacto- ries. A largo new Almshouse is situated upon the same range of hills as the College, built by the bequest of Mr. Dexter, a second Mr. Girard, who also bequeathed an extensive farm iu the vicinity of the town for some other lihuritable purpose, and a fine plot of land to be used as k 80BALTERN S tURLOroH. 167 a public parade ground. The town is the most exten- sive one m the State of Rhode-Island, and was first set- tled in 1636, by Roger Williams, a minister of Salem in Massachusetts, from which colony he had been banished on account of heretical opinions ; the person who was appointed to dispute with him before the general court being unable to convince him, he was sentenced to depart out of the jurisdiction within six weeks, and removed with his family to Mooshawsic, where he commenced a plantation, and called it Providence. Visiting England eight years afterwards, he obtained a free charter of in- corporation for Providence and Rhode-Island plantations, the latter having been commenced by William Codding- ton in 1638; and in 1663 a royal charter was granted to them by Charles II., which governs the state to this day, there being no written constitution as in the other States of the Union. The election for governor was tak- ing place during the time I was in the state, and the vot- ing was viva voce. The streets of the town are kept very clean, and the private dwellings are generally re- markably neat and elegant. The Arcade is also a hand- some structure, nearly 260 feet in length, with two front* supported by six massive columns of granite, the shaft of each being a single block from 23 to 21 feet high. Th« interior consists of three tiers of shops, and the balco- nies are protected by a highly ornamented iron balus- trade. During my stay in Providenco, a steamer arrived from New- York with passengers, who had not been a:lo\ved to land at Newport on the sea-const, nor would tUe au- thorities permit them to enter Providence, unless they performed quarantine three days ; btit gave them full per- mission at the same time to land elsewln-re on the river's banks, on condition that they did not cjiter the tov/n in loss than ten days, which if they set aside, they w uuld be subject to a heavy penalty, whereas I had entered by land without any questions being asked, or any one uppe^ring to trouble himself about the stage-coach passengers. The road from Providence to Bristol, at the hend of the Naraganset Bay, is through a pleasing open country; but the crops ev«ry where appeared exceedingly poor ; i 1«S A subaltern's FURLOVG/; many indeed were scarcely worth gathering, and would apparently not yield more than six bushels per acT& The principal produce of the land in the immediate vicinity of Bristol was onions, which are shipped off in vast quanti- ties to New- York and other large ports in the States Though the day I travelled between the towns was a fine hay-making day, yet the road was thronged with the farmers who were riding in to vote for the governor's election. It was one in which great interest was taken, there being three candidates for the office (one of whom was supported by the Anti-masons ;) and, it being requi- site that the successful one should have a majority of the whole number of votes, the two former elections had foil- ed, and I saw afterwards by the public prints that even the third, and, I believe the fourth, had also been unsuc- cessful in appointing one. Two miles below Bristol, the passengers cross from the mainland to Rhode Island, over an arm of the bay three-quarters of a mile wide, in a ferry-boat, worked by four horses, who tread upon a horizontal wheel which is connected with the paddles, and impel the boat rapidly through the water. It was blowing rather fresh, and, there being a considerable swell the poor animals could with great difficulty keep on their legs. A short distance to the left of the Ferry is Mount Hope, a conical hill, with a small summer- house on the summit. It was there that King Philip, of the Naraganset tribe of Indians, a brave and intrepid warrior, fell, through the treachery of one of his own tribe, who guided Captain Church with a detachment of soldiers to his place of encampment in 1676. He was a most inveterate enemy of the whites, and at one time se- riously endangered the very existence of these colonies. A(^er his death, resistance, with any prospect of success, was perceived by the Indians to be hopeless, and the tribes on the shores of the Atlantic, one by one, submitted to the sway of the English. During the three years' war waged by Philip against the colonies, the flower of their strength had fallen, " Every eleventh family was house- leas, and every eleventh soldier had sunk to his grave." The island is hilly, but all the ground is in a state of cultivation, and there are many large and excellent iarmc ▲ SUBALTERN S FURLOUGB. jm d wouid sra The icinity of it quanti- le States, kras a fine with the )vernor'« as taken, of whom ng requi- ity of the had iail- hat even n unsuc- Bristol, e Island, wide, in id upon a paddles, It was isiderable ulty keep he Ferry summer- Philip, of i intrepid his own ;hment of He was a B time se- colonies. f success, , and the submitted 'ears' war n' of their as house- is grave." a state of lent farm* sc&ttered on the sides of the road. The one which had attained the highest state of cultivation was the properly of an English gentleman, who had been settled there only a few years, and had chosen a pretty retired spot, near the water's edge, for his house and gardens. Twelve miles from the Ferry, we arrived within sight of New- port, on the opposite side of the island; it is situated o?) the side of an eminence rising gradually from the head of a circular bay, which affords a most capacious and ex- cellent harbour. Just as we arrived at some old-fashion- ed and dirty, but picturesque, windmills at the entrance to the town, a rope stretched across the road, with a sentry box at one end of it, and two citizens on guard with large pine sticks in their hands, brought us to a halt, and ona of them began to cross-examine me (being the only pas- senger) with the air of a man " Drest in a little brief authority," as to where I came from ; and, upon hearing I had qnii- ted New- York six days previously, he informed me that I could not enter Newport until 1 had been ten days ab- sent from that city. AH my remonstrances that I had travelled through two entire States, and visited the prin- cipal towns in them since I had left it without any ob- jections being raised, were of no avail. He proffered me a Testament, saying he should have no objection to pass me in, if I would take an oath that I hao been absent the length of time required ; which begging to decline doing, I had no alternative but to jump off the coach, which im- mediately proceeded into the town. The citizen sentry then produced a dirty scrap of paper on which he request- ed me to write my name and place of abode. I then sounded him, to discover whether ne would allow me to walk through the town for the purpose of seeing it.promising that I would return again in three hours ; but the law of parole was quite unintelligible to him : he was obstinate and faith- ful to his trust, saying that, for his own part, " he did not fear me: ho would as soon sleep wiiii iruiasnot; but the inhabitants — old and young, men tvv ., * men, were tarna- tionly frightened." I thanked bini I' - iis good will, and began to reconnoitre the outskirts oi . .u [Ancc over a stone VOL. T. — p. 1^ MO A SUBALtKRN's FVRLOUOR. wall which flanked the road: but I suppose he imagined [ had some intention of skulking in during the night; for he hinted slightly that there was a penalty of 100 dollars if any one was discovered entering the town privily. A crowd of men and boys had begun to collect by this time and thinking it more than probable that they might hunt me down as they would a mad dog, I began to retrace my steps towards Bristol. After proceeding a mile upon the road, I turned across the fields to an old redoubt on the summit of a hill, which overlooked the bay, and sat down to admire the scene, the beauty of which might probobly have been heightened from the circumstance of my not being allowed to take a closer survey of it It had been a kind of promised land to me from the time I had quitted New- York ; and I had thought witlj pleasure of treading over the spots which had been the scenos of so much real as well as fictitious life. The town a|ipoared calculated for 0000 or 7000 inhabitants, and built round a circular bay, fronting the south-west, the houses rising in amphitheatrical form from the water up to the Numtnit of a range of heights, which skirted the bay ot a quarter of a mile distance, wliile, on the various points and headlands, the lofty white columns of the light-houses reared themselves on high, and every commanding position was covered with dark frowning batteries and forts. The distant hills on the opposite side of the bay were dimmed M'ith that light haze so peculiar to southerly winds in a warm climate, and, over and above them, might be seen the dark blue waves fading away in the distimce, until both sea and sky were blended into one. The very redoubt upon which I had taken my station had been in Mirn possessed by contending armies; and every foot of grouncf, us fiir as the eye could reach, had been severely contested, It was h('ro that the British army, under ( Jcnerf'l I'igot, might have been captured, but for the want of energy on :he part of the French Admiral D'Estainij, who failed to co-operate in the attack on the Amerinin (Jl«'neral Sullivan, in AugUNt, I7?N. The same bay, too, had been the principal scene in the " lied Rover," one of Cooper's most interesting^ novels; nnd now there were two vessois lying at anchor in it, which, A. subaltern's furlough 171 though probably not possessing so much attraction as the Rover's ship and the Bristol merchantman, were by no means devoid of interest. One of them was a packet ship which had sailed from New- York only a few days pre- viously, bound for Europe, with a cargo of cotton, and many passengers ; but had taken fire at sea, and had put into Newport for assistance. Arriving there after the cargo had been on fire twelve hours, the inhabitants, with the same feeling of humanity which induced them to ar- rest travellers in their progress by land, would not allow a single passenger to come on shore, thoui,'^h there had not been any symptoms whatever of disease on board, but solely becaust; they had not been ten days absent from New- York. They had, however, 1 must do them th^ justice to say, suHicii'nt good-feeling still remaining to attempt extinguishing the fire, and, severul engines being put on board lighters, six feet of water was thrown into the hold, the passengers being rescued from tlie suffo- cating heat by a brig which received them on board A few days after, a steamer arrived from New York for the purpose of towing the injured vessel buck again to port, and, her fuel being exhnusted, the crew were not allowed to land at Newport for a fresh supply. To this conduct, that at New-Havi'n may serve as a sei-oir, where the gates wore op«^n to every one, and the ladies, with that charitable fueling for which American females are so distinguished, sent upwards of I'^OO suits of clothes, in acMition to a sum of money, for the use of the poor people at Mon- treal, in Fiower -Canada, upon the first breaking out of the disease in that city. It nppi'urs to be tl.i' inti'ntion of the American Ciovern motit to render the harbour inipregiiuble. Fort Adams, which is building upon a point of land, and connected, with the town by a narrow neck, was commenced five years since, and in likely to take three more to finish it though 300 vorkmi'n are kept in employ the annual expenditure upon it is nearly 100,000 doUari. Fort Woolcott is situated upon an iaiand in the centre of the harbour, between Port Adams and tho town. There im Another fort up.rds in leni.'th, with a draw-hridye in lln; centre for the tuivi'iraiiun of \e,'^se|,s into iNbtuni llopi' IJay. 'J'o guard f.!ie pas's, n sniiill block-bouse and brea.^iwork have been thrown up at the Ijhode-lslanij eiirl of the pier; and the lnw'ghts above tlui small village, at the opposite .side, are i: ••ered with old revidntionary redoubts. Alter ascend- i ig tln'.^ie heights, a splendid view pre.senlN itself o( iVlount Hope, tite nume. >us creeks and rivulets of Narn- ^HUiot ii'iy, the town of JUristol, with many viiluges and ▲ SOBAT.TBRIf'a rURLOUOH 178 white cottages interspersed amongst the trees, the country fur a distance of fifty miles being varied with every kind of laitdscape. From the Seaconnet, we passed through a broken and uninteresting country, to the small town of Tiverton, where are manufactories of printed calicoes ; and a few miles farther to Fall River, another manufac- turing place of flourishing appearance. By the time we had arrived there, the heat of the sun was so oppressive that I sought shelter from its rays within the coach, and placed myself in the centre seat opposite to an elderly and a young Quaker, as the former was saying, " Voung men can be convinced — their opinii is are not y(!\ formed — they have no prejudices, no contlicting interests to contend with. But old men like me are quite the reverse: they have formed their opinions, and will not change them, nor will they listen to the voice of reason, and I truly think there are not twelve old men in Fall River who rank on the anti-slavery side." In expecta- tion of hearing something interesting, I paid particular attention to the following conversation — " More than that," said the young man. " Not more than twelve decided opponents to slavery," answered the other. There are plenty of thy lukewarm characters — men, who, if thou ask them the question direct, will uay, ' let it bo done by degrees; not while we live.' Now, go to a school of cnildren, say 100, and represent slavery to them in its true light ; they will ail cry out, ' let it bo abolished immediately ;' but tliy old men isay, 'Oht it is as with a drunkard, if he abstain from dnnv i" too rtud- dunly, ho will surely die: no! it must tupii oH' by de- grees, as it were " " Well, and they are right in having tln>ir own opi- nions upon the subjuct," said u sliarpri>titiir*fd, dark, and aged, but fiery looking man, who mil woxt to »nc, "and not submitting to the sentiments of every itinerant preacher they hear." " But they know nothing of slavery ; now, I hnva seen plenty of it," " Where ?" " Why, in Maryland, in Columbia, ond in Virginia ** " But have you leen it in Carolina?" ti 11 874 ▲ sdbaltirn'b furlough. " No, I have not." " Then you know nothing about it, nor have you any idoii what slavery is." " What ! its miseries and horrors V " Miseries! No! — its pleasures and its happiness." " Pleasures?" " Yes, pleasures ; they are much happier mid more contented than you and I ; they have not half the cares ;inen Cain kill thiu!M.)f !i )>hy.«iognonusl; but my scrutiny produced nothinj^ for his frafun'S betokened ueilher crijelty norany rioious nrofn'nsity. The dead silence was ul lawt broken by the old hdy .sayiuL' to tlic hint spenluT \vlio!s<: counte- nance she had hern ev;uniiiinjr over my shoulder (or sumo tim(!. " .\re you INfr. S f " Ve.s, MiViim!" " Ah' how do you do? Many k tlic .Kdlar';} worth I have bought of you IJon't you nuietnlier Miss that used to be? I) is thirty-five years sinci' we met " and the old • roncM ri'iioved ilnir recollections of days loni,' j^one by. The (tiiaUor .stuik hack in hisrteat.and le;niin<,'[ his hwid against tlic conch rnu.scd fiu'sorue miruite:-!, when the con- rersation (laif.Mng he rallied a;jain with — "J.}ut, friend, I Jjave nadc couverls ineviiy town I have visited—" "(')nveii.'<' aye, you uii;f|it ujaKeconverlsfoi any thing now J MMch is iho miirch of mind that every one thinks Vi A subaltern's rVKLOUOH. t^f/tfM^/l himself wiser than his father, and anything now, however mad or absurd the scheme may be, is eagerly swallowed. Why, you might convert one half the human race to mur* der the other, if you would but propose it : any mad scheme finds numerous converts. A few years since, at Bristol here, a man was considered worse than a heretic if he was not a Mason, and now, such is the change in people's sentiments, and Anti-masonry is carried to such a pi.ch, that they would cut every Mason's throat for a mere trifle — " " I have heard as much upon the other side of the question," answered the Quaker, '* and with some truth I believe" (alluding to Morgan.*) This was evidently touching upon a tender point, for the dark man did not say any thing. The Q,uaker now addressed himself to the young man, saying, " Thou hast read Gamsin's work on Colonization?" " No, 1 have not." " They miglit as well give them arsenic at once as send them there," again commenced the slaver. " Aye, now I like to converse with thee upon a subject on which both agree — " " I nevLi .substitute theory for practice, nor talk about things J do nut understand — " I 'ill iP» In* * Williiim Morran wiis a printer, reiitUng at Batavia in tiie state of New-York, ana piil>li«h*;a what Unvc ber.n culled tlif secrets of iniisonry, buiiij^ liimsilf u inenihtir of iliut s<»cioly. A short time ut'itir the iippoHrunc' of his pamphlet hr wus niissin^, and nuthinf^ certiiiii rtispcrtiiiu; liiw fate la known to thiis day. It was aMO«rtatnod, upon tlic trial of si>nit< HUH|)(;ciod pcrHons, that uc had been car- r;-d nwiiy by force fimn liis house (luririf^ the ni{j;ht, and was siibsfy •lucnily cimfiriod in a hi "ik-housc wi 'in ilic fort of Niiif^arn, on tho Anieiicu) aliore of Lake Ontario. As niiifhi bo exfiected, a f^rcnt txi'iteinent wax created throut^hout the SlulCH, and in some placet even arts of p(>rMi>na! violrnce werr cotriniitteti u(»on the Masons, who were n<*«MW«d of haviny; nutrdc red .Moruan. In every part of the * lion . . tnisonir societicN were furmeii ; there arc now anti- musix.a' newspiiiKiN, anti inaMon*c almaiiairs, and even aiiti-manonk cand datci« fur tiie hiu;lt in (>i prtiHidcnl anl tht-y are opjioscd to Ma.sonry. Many Masoiii r»niMincod the sociriy of which they were mcinbrr*, and the number of those puopio who have arrayed llienis«dv«-s on the side of the unti* masonic parly is such as now to form a poworAd politioal on|;uic. k bvbaltb&n's furlodou. irr '• But thou was talking of Liberia, Friend !" " Well, I said it was murder to send the negroes there: the settlement is located on the worst spot of the whole coast of Africa ; they are poor helpless beings, and when they arrive there they are not inured to the climate, and die by thousands." The Q,uaker here took out his tablets and said, " Friend, thy name ?" " Why, Samuel S , of street, Boston, opposite the . All Boston know mo as well as they do the old spire — " *• Well, Friend, I want—" * Oh, I don t care what you want — " " 1 want till! privilcj^c of addressing a letter to thee upon the subject of coloni/ulion, for ihy answer — " " ril answer you, 1 don't care; 1 have been amongst forty priests at once. 1 belonw Yorkers for runniuij; uj) nnd down, «])rcading the cholera ihroui^h thu couuiry, " jor nothing ( ould ever eouvim-e hiui that it was not contiii,''iou3. In the East Indies, however, they thoui'ht nothiiii.', of it; for the Caj)tHitis v( ships had lold him that they liad been attacked two or three liuus by it iu (Jahuitta, hut alwa3rs came clear nil' l)y keepinff u bottle of brandy and somo luudamirn at their bedsicK', and taiiini'' a dose when they ielt the attack coiuin;,' on. nnd ( ontinuinjf it at intervals until cured." Al(liouj.'h I knew he was labouring under B false imnression with rejjurd to the cholera being thought lii;mly of in ('alcutta, and ditlered with him in upinion as to confaijion. 1 deemcMl it prudent not to make any objcrvution upon (he latter part of the subject, I i «i t ' m^ 178 A SUBALTERN S rVRLOVOH, I ■I lii'j'' being so lately from New- York, and only remarked that •' such being the case, how would the Temperance So- cieties retain their influence over the people, if they form- ed an idea that brandy would cure the disease V The little old woman sprang up sharply, "A man came to me the other day with a book, and asked me to aflix my name. I said, no ; I will not sign my name to any thing I do not know ; he told me to read, and I looked into the book, and found it was a Temperance Society Register ; oh, sir, said I, I thank you, I know what is good for me without being dictated to ; and if I feel thirsty, and some spirits and water were standing near me, I should think it cruel to debar myself a draught. I am seventy-two years of age, and old women, like me, require a stimulus and my own good sense will tell me when I have taken enough : I gave it him in short-hand, I'll warrant you." We had now arrived at the pretty town of Taunton, and, changing coaches, I was deprived of a company which had afforded me much amusement, and, thinking it a good* specimen of coach conversation, noted it down while the baggage was removing. My fellow-passengers were now much the reverse of the last : immediately we had left the town, they all leaned back in their seats, and closed their eyes. Once only did the slaver, who siill accompanied me, endeavour to break the dead silence by observing that '• we should now keep on the turnpike the rest of the journey ;" but, no one answering him, he also followed the general example, and [, though there were nine inside passengers, having se- cured a seat near the window, renewed my examination of the surrounding country, or watched the dark rolling clouds of a gathering thunder-storm. The road we tra- velled was certainly excellent, and no wonder as the whole country was covered more or less with stone, and the walls of the inclosurcs made immoderately thick (from 4 to 6 feet) for the purpose of ridding the ground. There wa3 mdeed, a sutficient quantity of rock upon the land (o jus- tify p p»*ce of wit by a Yankee, who, some few days atter- wardft. was n t'hniu -e travellir with me over the same de- scription o( ctiuntry After gazing fur a length of time in apparent astiMiMhment at the thick walb and tho mass of hai air coi "V "I sh( thii vel gei wo ao( riv( ly: Yc Ho Sta an] wit ne^ tiot hot A SUBiLTtRN 8 TVRLOVGU. no hard materials whrch covered every acre, he said, with au air of well-feigned simplicity, "Well, I wonder where they could have got all the stones to huild such thick walls." "Why, from the fields to be sure," said a surly old farmer. " La ! did they indeed?" answered the other; "really I ithould never have missed them." To me this was some- thing new ; but judging from the faces of my fellow-tra- vellers, and the Yankee's failure in attempting to create a general laugh, it was not original. The country was woody and undulating, increasing in picturesque beauty and population as we approached Boston, where we ar- rived at half-past seven: and I considered myself especial- ly fortunate, as so many people had flecl from New- York to this city, in obtaining room at the Tremont House, the fiiiest and best-conducted hotel in the United States. The building itself is not inferior in beauty to any in Boston, and the reading-room is well supplied with not only the principal American and Canadian newspapers, but also European and American publica- tions, Of which I could never get a sight in any other hotel in America. ■ ■ iw A Subaltern's FTritLouoB. CHAPTER Xni Athens of Italy ! SOTHEBT. f^' The city of Boston is built upon a peninsula, which is joined to the main land by a very narrow neck on the southern side ; it contains about 70,000 inhabitants, and vies with any of its southern neighbours in the situation and beauty of its public and private dwellings. In 1630, at its foundation, the Indian name was Shawmut, which was changed to Trimountain, from the three hills upon which it is now built; subsequently it received its present name, jn honour of a minister who emigrated from Boston in lift- colnshire. Upon the other sides of the peninsula, corr^ munication is kept up with the mainland by several strong wooden bridges varying in length from 1500 to 3500 feet, and on its western side by a pier of solid materials 1 ~ mils in length, and above 80 feet in width. The bay is a most magnificent one, and equals that of New- York, but in a different style of beauty. The Boston bay is on a much moregrancfand extensive scale containing 75 square mii)B« and studded with more than 100 islands and rocks, the only ship channel being between Forts Warren and Iiv dependence on Governors and Castle islands. The land which almost encircles the bay is high and cultivated, and numerous towns and villages are scattered over it. When entering the harbour from sea, I think it much more beautifnl than New- York. The city ri.ses in a much prettier and more showy form upon its three hills, and the whole is surmounted by the lofty dome of the State House, But then there is no view from any part of Boston to be compared with the bewitching one from the battery in New- York ox\ a still summer's eveninj?. As to liti.'rary character, it is the vVthens of the western world; the number of its literary publio.uions is very great, being newspapers daily, 4 three times a week, 8 twice a week, and 10 weekly ; 2 weekly magazines, 2 semi-monthly, 1 1 monthly (principally religious.) 4 every two months, 6 quarterly, and 1 semi-annually; and ,1 A ^UBALTBRN S FURLOUGH. 1«1 ! "% ntew-year annuals ; — in addition to which the British Q,uarterly Review is re-printed. As an historical spot, it ranks far above all others in the west, having been the birth-place of American Independence ; and, the city having arrived to maturity before that eVent took place, it more resembles an English one than any other in the States, I had become rather wearry of straig-ht streets, which, though in some respects convenient, are tiresomely monotonous to a stranger, and was glad to be once again walking in those of a description I h;ul been most accus- tomed to. Theenvirons are more i _; alsolhan those of Philadelphia and New York ; i v being inter- sected with delightful rides, ever hich affords some fine view. The " common" in which the State Houst is situated is an open park, containing 75 acres of broken and abrupt ground, with a promenade and double row of fine trees roundit. It was reserved in perpetuum by the first settlers for a parade-ground, or other public purposes, and is sur- rounded upon three sides by elegant private dwellings and several churches, the fourth side being open to a wide bay. There is a fine drooping old elm in the centre of it, near a serpentine sheet of water, which the inhabitants are taking evrjry possible pains to preserve, by binding the large, broad, spreading branches, and eonnecting them witheach other by strong belts and bars of iron. The State House, at one corner of the common, is on elevated ground, 30 feet higher than the street, from which a broad flight of steps leads to the great hall of 50 feet in length and breadth, and 20 high.which, with the treasurer's, ad- jutant, and quarter-master general's offices, occupies the lower story. In a building attached to the basement story is a marble statue of Washington, executed by Chantrey at a cost of 15,000 dollars (3100/. sterling,) and consi- dered, by those who knew the original at the time of life it is intended to represent, a most striking and admirable likeness. The figure is concealed by the Roman toga, supported over the breast by the left hand ; while the right, pendent at the side, holds a scroll ; it is placed upon a high pedestal, which (proh pudor !) is surrounded on every side by the stains of squirted tobacco juice. It is well that u VOL. 1. — Q. ii! IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) i.o i^iu m ■u lU 112.2 Z lU 1.1 ■MUW \> FhotograiJiic ^Sciences CorporatiQn 31 WmT MAIN ITRIIT WIMTIR.N.Y. I4IM (7U)l7a>4>03 ^^^ ^ ;\ 183 ▲ BABALTSRN's rVRLOUOH. •trongiron railing prevents visitors from approaching with* in less than seven feet, or the statue itself would be barely sacred from such a filthy pollution. The second story con- tains th6 fine and spacious Representative's Room, and Se- nate Chamber; from the dome, which is 230 feet above the level of the 8ea,a mostexter.dive view presents itself of the beautiful harbour and surrounding country. The exterior of the building, at a distance, is a striking object ; but, upon closer inspection, it is found to be constructed merely of the common brick, painted white. The entrance being through an arched front, which supports a colonnade of Corinthian columns, extending 94 feet, the full length of the centre of the building, has a handsome appearance, but the two wings, 40 feet each in length, look extremely bare, and might be much improved in architectural beauty. The Mason's Hall, on the opposite side of the Common, isa fine granite building, with Gothic windows and towers : and the Park Church near it has a highly ornamental and light spire. The New England Museum, which I had heard was the best in the States, contained a very poor collection ; every thing in it appeared mere trash, excepting a Venus by Canova, two pintings by Vernet, and one by Opie. The Americans nave a singular taste for wax figures in their museums; I had seen them exhibited at New- York, but should have given the Boston poople credit for possess- ing better taste. In this museum they were most wretched compositions, and some of thoni disgusting subjects. One represented a man (who hod been lately executed for the crime) in the act of murdering another as he slept in bed. Others were " Clueen Caroline of England,'' the " Princess Charlotte," "Siamese) twins," &c. ; and another was absurdly ridiculous : it represented the Goddess of America weeping over the tomb of Washington, unon which was an inscription, tolling every reader, " whether an American or not, to behold with reverence and regret the tomb which contained the remains of the truest pa- triot, the best relative, and the kindest friend." The tomb was no more a model of the one at Mount Vernon thun it wnff of the mausoleum of Mydur Ali at Serinp^npiituut ; and tho goddess had such a ruei'ul dirty uountenunco, from ▲ subaltern's furlough. 163 the dcimp which had caused the dust to collect in long streaks upon it, like the stripes of a zebra, that it was next to an impossibility to look at the figure without bursting into a fit of laughter. This same goddess, too, appears a great favourite in the Museum, as there was a large daub of a painting in one of the rooms, representing a female in the attitude of holding a cup to an eagle which was hovering over her head, with the following inscription ; " The goddess of America giving nourishment to the bald eagle, trampling the key of the Bastile under foot, and the British fleet leaving Boston," about which the light- ning is playing, and shivering the topsails of the men-of- war in a most terrific manner. The Fanouil Hall is an interesting old building, from the circumstance of its being the place where Hancock, Adams, and other revolutionaiy orators, addressed the populace and excited them to take up arms, after a small party of British soldiers had fired in their own de- fen(*e upon some citizens, who (to quote the words of the American biographer) ^'had aa$ailed the troops with balli of$now and other weapon$J^ The original building, com- menced in 1740, was thegifl of a gentleman of the name of Faneuil to the city of Boston, but was partially de- stroyed by fire twenty years afterwards, and repaired in 1763. The lower story is now occupied by shops, but the hall is still in use tot public meetings. Between it and the bay is the Faneuil Hall Market, 630 feet in length, and 60 in width, built entirely of granite, upon ground reclaimed from the sea. The interior is divided into 188 fltalls of most capacious dimensions, each furnished with a large sash window, and kept remarkably neat and clean : some even had smartly framed prints and other decora tions in them. They are also divided according to the fol lowing order : — 14 for mutton, lamb, veal, and poultry 46 for beef; 19 for pork, lamb, mutton, and poultry 4 for butter and cheese ; 19 for vegetables ; 3 for poultry and venison ; and 20 for fish. The cellar story is occupied for stores and provisions, and the second ground story for two great halli, the centre of the building being sur- mounted by a dome. On each side of the market-houi«, at tt6 and lOO feet distant, are two fine rows of excellent , ihops, uniformly built of granite, and being of the same 18^ it svbactsrn's rVRtOVOH. length as the market, they present a remarkably handsome appearance. In rear of the Athensbum, which contains a well-selected library of 27,000 volumes and a collection of medals amounting to about 15,000, is the Gallery of Fine Arts ; the lower story of the building is occupied by the Medical Society's Library, and.the philosophical appara- tus of the Mechanics* Institution; the upper by the exhibi- tion of paintings, in which there are two very fine venera- ble heads of Washington and his wife, by Stuart, the only original portraits of them by that artist in America ; they are upon plain canvass, and considered striking likenesses, but the pictures are in a very unfinished state, the figures not being even traced om. In tlie Navy-yard, which is at Charlestown (built on another peninsula, connected with Boston by bridges, and containing 7000 inhabitants,^ a most excellent Dry Dock is constructing. It is the only one in the country, and is formed of hewn cranite upwards of TOO feet in length and 80 in width; the chamber intended for line-of-battle ships to lie in is 200 feet in length, by t8 or 20 in depth. It has double gates, an outer one being required to bieak the motion of the sea. Two line-of-battle ships and a large frigate were drawn up under cover of the sheds, and three other vessels of war lay alongside the pier. The vessels on the stocks were in the some state of forwardness as those at the other Navy-yards, and could be prepared for sea in a few weuks. Not a workman was employed about any of three line-of-battle ships and four frigates which I saw on the stocks at Washington, Philadelphia, Brook- lyn, and Charlestown, though much work was in progress connected with other branches of the navy. Within a short distance of the Navy-yavd is Breed's Hill, i i which tho memorable battle of the 17th of June. 17 'as fought; and ffenerally known by the name of Buiikt. o tlill, which lies Haifa mile to the north west, at thi' entrance of the nar* , row neck of the peninsula. Beinu sixty feet higher than Breed's Hill, it was the intention oi the American general to defend it ; but the officer entrusted with tho charge of the troops, through some mistake, led them to the one on the point of the peninsula, within range of the British batteries. upon Copp's Hill in Boston. The redoubt whicb< k SDBALTERN'8 FURLOVOHi 165 they thtew up during the night, being attacked the follow- ing day by the royal troops under the command of Ge« nerals Howe and Pigot, wascarried with great slaughter, after a most determined resistance on the part of the re^ volutionists. In the redoubt, on the summit of the hill, and on the spot where General Warren fell, a monument was commenced on the 17th of June, 1826 ; the corner stone was laid by Lafayette, but was subsequently taken up and relaid, the foundation not being deep enough to resist the action of the frost. For the last three or four years no farther progress has been made, though the entire side of the hill is covered with the requisite materials ; want of funds is the reason advanced for not finishing it ; but a stranger would imagine that such a city as Boston might in itself contribute more than there(}uisitesum: at present it is but a monument of the inhabitants' want of spirit. The design is upon a grand scale ; an obelisk of granite, 50 feet in diameter at the base, and 320 feet in height. No one would wish to deprive the Americana of the honour of their victories ; but I never met one yet who did not claim Bunker's Hill as a splendid triumph over the British arms. In arguing the matter, I always re- ferred them to their own histories of the war, which have the candour to acknowledge that the provincialists retir* ed from the position, aAer making a resistance even longer than prudence admitted. The works of the Americans to this day prove how ably they blockaded the town, and a scries of strong redoubts and entrenchments may be easily traced for a distance of fifteen miles, from Dor- chester HeiQ[hts on the murgin of the Bay to Winter Hill on the Mystic River. Two miles from Charlestown is Harvard College, which was founded in 1H37, and took its name from its first great benefactor, a minister, who bequeathed nearly 800/. to it. The general Court of Massacnusetts had ap- propriated the sum of 400/. towards its commencement in 103l>, and the small but pretty town in which it is situat- ed was called Cambridge, from many of the colonists hav- ing been educated at that university in England. It is more richly endowed than any other in the States, and, having property to the amount of about 000,000 dollars id6 A sobaltern'b ¥VKL ( 186)000/. ), is considered the most efficient for its purpose. A considerable income is derived from the bridges lead- ing into the city, the proprietors of some of them being bound by their charters to pay a certain annuity to the college for the loss of the income derived from the ferries, which were its property. The halls, six in number, stand within an inclosure of eight oi ten acres, thickly planted with trees. The university is a fine granite building, and of more modern date than the rest, which are of brick, atid have rather an air of anticuiity, arising from the thick wooden window sashes, small square panes of glass, the numerous attics, and roof surmounted by a wooden- baU cony, or platform and railing. The mill-dam across Charles River's Bay is one of th© most interesting objects near Boston ; it is a continuation of Beacon-street, which forms one side of the Common, and connects the city with Brookline. The piers is of solid materials, and \l mile in length, cutting ofl' upwards of 000 acreA of land over which the tide*formerIy flowed, and by which means a great water-power has been ob- tained. A second dam has been thrown at right angles from it to a point of land in Roxbury, dividing the 600 acres into two reservoirs of rather unequal proportions; and several mills have been erected upon this second dam, whose wheels are kept in motion by sluice-ways from the upper reservoir. The long pier in the upper reservoir is furnishud with six pair of floodgates, which, moving upon easy pivots, are opened at high water by the force of the tide, and close again at the ebb. The lower reser- voir is also furnished with similar floodgates, which open at low and close at high wotcr. Thus the mills have a fall of 14 feet from the upper reservoir (which is reple- nished every tide) into tne lower one, which lets off the waste water at the lowest ebb. Charles River, also, flows into tho upper reservoir, and supplies it so abundantly that when I whs at the floodi;ates about half-ebb a vast quantity of superfluous water was rushing over them. The cost of the pier was 350,000 dollars (7:),0C0/.) but does not appear to be very profitable stock, there not be- ing more than twelve or fourteen mills, although ther« A SUBALTERN'S FURLOUGH. 197 is space for one hundred upon it, and it has been finished eleven years. The Tremont Theatre, immediately opposite the hotel, and a very ornamental building, had closed for the season when I arrived; but, the fanaticism for which the New- Englanders were formerly so barbarously notorious hav- ing soAened down to true religious principles, the town now supports two or three theatres, though the first was built only thirty-six years since. Even at the present day such innocent amusements are forbidden by law in some of the States, west of the Alleghany Mountains. One afternoon seeing a funeral enter the Granary Burial-ground, adjoining the Tremont hotel, so called from the public bread store having formerly stood there, I followed it, and, walking up to a lofty granite obelisk surounded by trees, discovered it was to the memory of Dr. Franklin's parents; it bore the following inscrip- tion : — FRANKLIN. " J08IAH Franklik, und Auiah his wife, lie here interred. They lived lovingly together in wedlock 65 years, and without an estutc, or any gainful employment, by constant labour and honest industry, maintained a large family comfortably, Snd brought up thirteen children and seven grand-children i*- spectably ; 80^ from this instance, reader, bo encouraged todiligence in thy ciilling, and distrust not Providence. Ho was a pious and prudent man. She a discreet and virtuous woman. Their youngest son, in fllinl regard to their memories, piacM this stone. J. F. born 165A, died 1744, JE. 89. A. P. — 1667, — 1768, — 88. The original inscription having been nearly nbliterati.d, a number of citlKens erected this monument as a mark of respect for tht U- luitrious author. MDCCOXXVII." Turning round, immediately I had copied the abov«, which could not have occupied mo five minutes, to my f reat surprise the funeral party had disappeared, and tht I i K' I .'.! IBS subaltern's FURLOUOtt. gates were agfain locked; so I had no alternative but to climb the wall, and leap down some six or seven feet into the street, my sudden appearance in it astonishing some of the passers by. The materials for building at Boston are excellent, there being almost inexhaustible quarries of granite at the small town of duincy (the birth place of two of the Presidents of the United States,) about nine miles from the city. The day I left the citv, a melancholy accident occured to a party of four gentlemen from the Tremont hotel, upon the inclined railway connected with the quar- ries, by the chain to which the car was attached sudden* ly breaking when it had arrived within a short distance of the summit : the carriage descended with amazing ve- locity until it struck some obstacle at the bottom, by which they were all thrown out with such violencie that one was killed upon the spot, and the limbs of the other three were severely fractured. Brattle-street Church, where I attended service, was occupied as a barrack during the siege, and Governor Hancock's name, who was one of its benefactors, is in- scribed upon two of the corner-stones of the tower, with the date of 27th July, 1772. One of the inscriptions bears the marks of having been nearly erased by the bayonets of the British ; and a nine-pounder shot still remains in the tower where it struck, close to one of the windows. It was fired from the American lines the evening before the city was evacuated, and evidently intended for Ge- neral Gage's quarters, which were in a house opposite the church. Boston is often called "the paradise of clergymen," and never did a place possess such a proportion of churches; including Charlestown, it has not fewer than six- ty ; their style of architecture is generally neat. Trinity Church, which has not been lonff built, is a handsome and substantial edifice, and King s Chapel ^or the stone- church, as some of the republicans call it,) m which the British Governor's pew still remains, more closely ap- proach the English style of places for sacred worship than any others I sn\v. The hospitals and charitable societies are very nume- i. SUBALTERN'S flTRLOVOH. 18t mtto tinto some rotts. One of the latter is very creditable to the British inhabitants of the city : it was established for the purpose of giving advice to emigrants upon their arrival in the country, and to render pecuniary assistance to those who may require it, or have been reduced to poverty by the failure of their enterprise. Though established only fif- teen years it has given relief to more than a thousand British subjects, the funds being created by annual sub. scriptions of two dollars and upwards. The Massachu- setts' General Hospital, which was commenced about the same time by private subscriptions, is a fine building^neaz one of the Charlestown bridges, and its interior economy well arranged. The origin of the hospital was the be- quest by a gentleman of a large sum of money, which was added to by a general subscription throughout the state, and so far exceeded the amount requireid that the committee built a lunatic asylum at Charlestown with th© surplus. Several of the private subscriptions amounted to from 1000 to 5O0O dollars, and one even to 20,000. Leaving Boston on the 26th July through Brighton and Newton Lower-Falls, and to Westborough, over a fi^e sheet of water by means of a floating bridge, I arrived fit the pretty town of Worcester late in the evening. Th© road ran through a country of rather improved fertility, and every stream was taken advantage of by some manu* factory. Engineers were also busy along the whole line of it in surveying and marking out a railway which was projected from Boston to Albany, 160 miles, and thus a connected line of communication would be opened be- tween Lake Erie and the Atlantic at Boston. From Wot« cester to Northampton the road passes through a fine, bold country, but rocky and difficult of cultivation ; the hi^fh lands and sides of the hills being set apart for pasture, and the valleys and along the banks of the rivulets, where the soil was ofa more fertile quality, for the growth of grain. This State, with Connecticut and Pennsylvania, has the reputation of being better farmed than any other; the average produce being from 25 to 30 bushels of Indian corn, and from 16 to 20 of wheat It struck me that the schools were much more numerous than in the other States I had visited, every district and village possessing 190 A subaltern's furlough. one, which generally occupied a spot on the road side ; the children were also remarkable for their decorum of manners, bowing and making courtesies to the passengers as the coach passed. I observed the same respect paid to well-dressed people in most parts of the New-England States, and also in the western part of the State of New- York. In the first code which was passed by Connecti- cut in 1639, six years after the first settlement of the co- lony, it was ordered that every village of fifty families should maintain a good school for reading and writing; and the same law is also established in Massachusetts. We had a charming view of the fine country, with Am- herst College upon an eminence, from the summit of a hill a few miles before arriving at the village of Hadley, where the regicide judges lived after their retreat had been dis- covered at New-Haven. It is related that when the village was attacked, during Philip's bloody war of Itt75, it would have probably shared the fate of Brookfield and other towns through which we passed on the road from Boston, but for the timely appearance of a venerable stranger, who ibgr bis skill in military tactics and encouragement to the troops repulsed the Indians. His immediate disappearance after the retreat of the enemy induced the superstitious inhabitants t consider Hhat he was their guardian angel, and had been expnessly sent to their assistance. It was Colonel GoflTe, who, in the emergency of the case, had ventured to leave his place of concealment in the cellar of the minister's house. Between the village and the Connecticut river, two miles distant, are rich and beautiful meadows, unconfined by fences, but well planted with fruit trees, and being overflowed by the spring freshets, which leave a deposit, the land fs as productive as any in the State. A wooden bridge half a mile ia length, crosses the river into the prettiest of American towns, Northampton. Nowhere did I see such beautiful villages as in New England, of which Concord in New Hampshire, Worcester and Northamp- ton, rank pre-eminent. The situation of this last is a charming one, in a rich country, upon a noble river, and •team navigation to the ocean. The streets are unlike any thing English. Frame houses possess a neatness A subaltern's purlovoh. 191 and cleanliness of appearance which it is impossible to impart to our heavy town abodes ; and, as the material of which they are built can be moulded into more elegant forms, the American houses are generally ornamented with light balconies and porticos, supported by columns of the Doric or Corinthian order. I thought Northamp- ton the most delightful and enviable place I had ever seen; it is the very realization of a "rus inurbe" the streets being so thickly planted with trees of a primeval growth that their boughs are almost interwoven across the road, and the neat private dwellings and shops beneath them appear like a series of cottages and gardens. The town has been settled nearly 180 years, and contains above 2000 inhabitants. On the opposite side of the river, which is crossed at South Hadley by a horse ferry, two miles distant, is Mount Holyoke, 1070 feet above the level of the river, and a favourite resort of travellers and parties of pleasure. Seven carriages, filled principally with ladies, arrived at the foot of the mount at the same time as myself The road winds along the side of it through a dense forest of trees, until within 400 feet of the summit, where i^ is necessary to dismount and clamber over rough loose stones and logs of wood for the remain- ing distance. But the scene which bursts upon the spec- tator's view, as he steps upon the bare black rock on the summit — a scene of sublime beauty, of which but an in- adequate description could be conveyed — amply repays him for his trouble and fatigue. A more charming day could not have been desired : it was one of those clear Ame- rican atmospheres which are unknown in our own hazy clime, with just sufficient light floating clouds to throw a momentary shadow over parts of the rich vale, which lay spread out beneath in all the various hues of a quickly ripening harvest. Innumerable white houses, ana spires of churches, were seen scattered amongst the trees and along the banks of the smooth but rapid Connecticut ^up which a solitary steamer was slowly creeping,) which river in its fantastic and capricious windings returned within a few yards of the same spot, after watering two or three miles of the vale — o^, after being concealed at intervals by the hills and woods, would again appear Yds A 6UBALTfeRN*S rVRLO'VOll Krith its silvery surface glistening amidst the dark foM&ffi at the distance of many miles. These objects, and above all, the high and rocky mountains, contrasted with the smiling vmleys, altogether formed one of the most mag* nificent panoramas in the world. Places 160 miles apart from each other were distinctly visible. I soon recog*^ nized the bluff rocks near New-Haven, at eighty miles distance, though only 400 feet in height, and could ea- sily trace their rugged and bold outline lipon the clear horizo^n. I had carried my pencils and sketch-book up with me; but did not even presume to take them from my pocket. So, after having feasted my eyes for the space of an hour I went into the small frame house which is on the sum> mit, for something more substantial. The occupant, or rather tenant, as he pays a rent of 100 dollars per annum for the spot of ground, might be an old sailor, from th« extravagant price he charges for refreshments ; but, in my opinion, his money is well-earned, as he ascends the mountain daily from the village at its foot. The table in the room was covered with a number of books, mis- named albums, in which every visitor, who has been eithef in a sentimental, witty, or meditative mood, has thought proper to record the workings of his mind, which wen* generally bombastic descriptions of the view, winding up with a moral lecture. I sympathized deeply with one poor poet, who had departed from the usual line, with *' O great CMympus, kit Northampton's pride, How hot it is to travel up thy side ! Hail mighty mount, grand ueucon of our sphere ! I wonder hbsv the d — 1 1 got here !'• But many Smiths and Thompsons, more ambitious of transmitting their n^mes to remotest posterity, had with laudable zeal engraven their names upon the hard rock. The descent is even more difficult than the ascent, being so precimtous. When I regained the spot where I had tied my horse, an4 found it quietly standing there, I could hot but admire the complete manner in which he was trained. Arriving at the skirts of the wood, and imagin- ing that, from this point, I could take a good sketch of ▲ subaltern's rVRLOVOB. m llie rich vale, with Northampton, and* mountain in the Wck-ground, I dismounted, and placing the bridle over a post in the fence, sat down upon the grass, and com- menced the preliminary operations ; but, hearing a noise I turned round and perceived that my well-trained steed which evidently had not been accustomed to this second part of the day s performance, had broken the bridle, and was galloping on at full speed. Gathering up my pen- cils and rubber, I pursued, and at last succeeded in driv- ing him up into the angle of a worm-fence, where he took up a most impregnable position, defending it as reso- lutely with his heels. To add to my discomfiture, some ladies with whom I had been conversing on the summit of the mountain came down at the moment I was busily engaged in reconnoitring the ground, prior to making an attack to the best possible advantage; and seeing them laughing heartily, I felt myself in honour bound (lest they should imagine that I had been thrown) to walk up and explain the merits of the case to them. After much manoeuvring, I succeeded in securing him, and, tying the bridle on with my handkerchief, returned to Northampton without the intended sketch. Proceeding west, the road passes through a mountain- ous and only partialljr cleared country, with fine groves of noble hemlock, which appeared to be fast diminishing in number from the bark being used for tanning leather. We were five hours and a half upon the road from North- ampton to Worthington, though only nineteen miles. From Pittsfield (where an agricultural show has been established upwards of twenty years, and takes place an- nually in October, the road ascends a hill of considera- ble height. Being formed on the side of the hill, the foundation on the outer edge is made with trees laid cl6se together, covered with earth, and no protection for a car- riage against falling over the side, but some weak rails, generally composed of small trees laid horizontally in the fork of others fixed upright in the ground, form- ing a very inefficient fence against the precipice close to which the coach passes. I congratulated myself upon arriving safely at the summit with a fine view of the CatskilT Mountains in the distance, and the village in the VOL. I. — R. IM A SUBALTERN 8 IVRLOUOR valley of Lebanon, two miles beneath us. The road was however, even more steep than on the other side we as- cended; and having a hea/y load on the coach, and as usual in America, no slipper on the wheel, we descended the hill with such frightful speed that, whirling round a sharp turn (where the road too had an inclination out- wards,) the vehicle lost its equilibrium, the passengers screamed out and over it went. I would not at that mo- ment have given half a dollar to insure all our lives. I saw the tops of the trees far below, and thought nothing could save us from perching amongst their boughs. The rails gave way with a crash, when I was surprised by a sudden and violent shock, occasioned by the coach falling on the friendly stump of a tree which checked us in our course. The vehicle in part overhanc^ing the precipice, carpet bags and mail bags, trunks and hat boxes were to be seen rolling down the hill to the depth 'of 160 feet. Reguluji of old could not have had a more uncomfortable descent in his barrel than we should have had, if the coach had been two or three feet farther on either side of the stump. There were eight passengers of no light weight inside, and I was one of those who were undermost. A strong voice called out above me, •• Never mind, there's no one hurt." '• Thank you," said a smothered tone, " but there a'int 'casion to speak for ma, I guess." As soon as I could extricate myself from the confused mass of arms and legs, and scramble out of one of the windows I began to shako myself to discover what broken limbs 1 had ; but finding only a sprained thumb, ditto leg, and one or two contusions on the ribs, and that none of my companions were much more ii^ured, I began to searcn for my baggage. Wo had just raised the shattered coach again, when somu people who had seen it upset from the Lebanon springs j^nlloped up, expecting to find half the pns.sen- ffcrs killed ; m an hour more I was in the Columbia hall hotel. A^w -'• ▲ SUBALTERN^ FURLOVOH 196 CHAPTER XIV. By y6ur prieathood, tell me what you are ! DONNI. At Manchester, in England, this burning truth bistfan, When Christ made his appearance in blessed Mother Ann. A few at first received it, and did their lusts forsake, And soon their testimony brought on a mighty shake. For Mother's safe protection, good angels flew before, Towards the land of promise, Columbia's happy shore ; Hail thou victorious GospeL and that auspicious day When Mother safely landed in North America ! " Memorial to Mothir Ann." The company at the Lebanon springs during the season IS made up of the same kind of people as at Cneltenham, or any of our fashionable watermg places. Some come to get rid of their daughters ; others to get rid of their complaints ; others, again, to avoid the sickness of the south ; and the rest are composed of travellers, fortune- hunters, pleasure seekers, and the odds and ends of society. The Shakers* village, two miles distant, proves, however, a great attraction. On the 29th of July, I at- tended their Sunday meeting, which was held in a large buildins; by the road side, containing a finely proportioned room of 80 by 60 feet, with arched ceiling, well calculated for sound, and a beautifully white floor, with scarcely a knot upon its surface. There were two doors in the front of the room, the gentlemen visitors entering at the one and the ladies at the other ; while the members of the Society made their appearance separately also, the men by a door at the south, and the women by one at the no^-th end of the buildinff. Elevated seats for the visitors occupied one side of the room, a rail dividing the two sexes. 1 sat very impatiently for three-quarters of an hour before the Society assembled, when thoT occupied two rows of benches facing each other, a slight opening between two boards in the floor forming the boundary line The men were dressed in drab coats, quaker fi^shion, but with a rolling collar, old-fashioned dark waist- 106 ▲ subaltern's rURLOUOH. coats reaching as low as the hips, and gray trowsers of striped cotton or linen, the hair cut short in front, and al- lowed to grow a considerable length at the back of the head ; the women in white gowns, with large muslin caps which concealed their profile, and high-heeled shoes. Both sexes entered with a singular kind of springing step, as if walking upon the toes. The total number of members, including two people of colour, might have been 860, of which 130 were males. Amongst them were 30 or 40 children from ten to fifteen years of age ; the rest were from thirty to seventy : but I scarcely ob* served any who appeared between those two periods. Most of them entered without their coats, and the day beinff warm, all had their waistcoats unbuttoned, so as to display a clean long white neckcloth and shirt, with a narrow piece of green riband encirclinff the arm above the elbow. The service commenced by the whole society rising ai^d removing the benches to the side of the room. Both sexes then advanced towards the line of demarcation in a close column, showing a front of 16 by 8 deep, but in oblique lines, so that the feet of the two people on the inner flank were within a few inches of the boundary line, while those on the outer were six paces apart. An elder, stepping out, addressed them in a few words, standing with his back to the wall, his feet upon the line, and fronting the open space between the two parties. He spoke m so Iowa tone of voice that I could scarcely catch the import of his words, but understood him to say that *' they nad assembled there to pray," and recommending ** suitable exercise;" when, resuming his place, the members sang a hymn, moving their feet in time with the air, which was a strange composition, equally unin* telligible and monotonous as an Indian cnant at the feast of the Mohorum, or a Burman boat song as I have heard it on the Irawaddi, to which it bore no slight re* semblance. When it was concluded, they knelt in silence for a few minutes, and, after rising, another elder address* ed us, saying, " He trusted we should behave with pro- priety ana decency, as decent people ought, and recollect that we were in a house of worship, though we were not believers of the same Atith : an address, mdeed that wat A SUBALTKRN't 7 ILOVOH. 197 much required; for I could n- divest myself of the idea that we were in a theatre, and, had any one set the exam- ple, I have but little doubt there would have been a bois- terous round of applause. In truth we were but mere spectators : none took any part in the service, but re- mained as immoveable and attentive to the proceedings before them as they would if viewing any novelty in a Slace of public amusement. The rest of the men now [vested themselves of their coats, hanging them upon pegs in the wall, and each of the women laid the white handkerchief she had held in her hand upon the benches ; indications that they were about to set to in good earnest. Two rows of about forty persons stood with their backs to the wall, the remainder forming a column fronting them at some distance. The former party struck up a lively air, with some words attached to it, fall that I could distinguish were, " I will be truly good,'' frecjuently re- peated,) and the latter commenced dancing in correct time, advancing three steps ; then balancing three, and retiring again, advanced as before, turning round at in- tervals in the tune in a style which a quadrille dancer might even be proud of. The singers throughout the time kept their arms close to their bodies, with the lower part of them projecting out, and moving their hands up and down (I hope I shall be excused for making an ab- surd but striking simile,) like so many kangaroos stand- ing upon their hind legs. Upon the whole, it was a most singular scone : old and young were dancing away with- out their coats, as if it had been a matter of life and death ; while the room, containing not fewer than six or seven hundred people, was hot to suffocation. Though the women exerted themselves most laboriously, they were (owing to their dress, I presume) as pale ana ghast- ly as so many shroudiid bodies or living corpses, — an ippearanco they wished to assume, I shoiud imagine, as not being very inviting to the eyes of " the world's peo- ple," as they term us oUi-fnshioncd folks. I overheard one of a party of younff men sitting in rear of me, who could not at all contain themselves, " he had snen an Egyptian mummy look handsomer than any of them." 1 could not, however, agree with him upon that score ; m A 80BALTCRN*! FVRLOVOH. for there were two or three pair of very pretty dark tyea, with some finely-formed features. One young giri, in particular, about eighteen or twenty years of age, who Said much more attention to the spectators than to her evotions, would doubtless have been well pleased to n- gain her former place in the world. She was in the last row of females, so that no one could overlook her mo- tions; and all the young people were similarly disposed of Those who formed the first row, and who were con- fronted face to face with the men, were the oldest and ugliest of the party : a dangerous post like this was not assigned to young people, with such eyes as interpreters, an elopement havmg occasionally talcen place, much to the dismay of the elders. . A respectable, middle-aged man, who had received the visitors and shown them to their seats with great civility, took no part in the per- formance of the above ceremonies, but passed his time in observing the effect such a singular show had upon the audienbe. After the Society had finished their first dance and song, he came up directly in front of me, and said, " he had seen two or tnree young men talking and laugh- ing, as if they were in a theatre or ball-room." All eyes were turned tnatanter in my direction ; but, fortunately for my credit, the speaker particularized them, and I dis- covered they were the •' Egyptian Mummy" party. He continued his lecture by telling them, "if they wished to laugh, to walk out upon the floor, and allow every one to see them ; if they had any thing to say, let every one hear what it was; that the rest of the visitors had behaved respectably and with propriety, and had his thanks for to doing; but that, for these young men, they conducted themselves worse than heathens, who have some respect for the religion of others; that they deserved reprimand- ing, and that ho reprimanded them accordingly." The The young men looked much abashed, and took nn early opportunity of retiring. The Society afterwords formed ft column of live in front, with fourteen members in the centre of tho room, who sang «omo words to o tune like " Ynnkfo doodle," the colnmu stepping offnt quick time, and marchinj? round the room os correctly as any well- drilled battalion, changing step whun necessary, and, if jt.\ A SVBALTIRN's rVRLOUOB 190 any one fell out in front, his place was immediately oc* cupied by some one from tho rear. They beat time by moving their hands up and down as before described, clapping them in certain parts of the tune. After thui marching round several times^ they halted, and, the inner files of two (kcing about, a brisk air was' struck uj;>, and they moved off affain in different directions, circling round the room, haltiiig and singing in the slow parts of the air ; then quickening their pace almost to a run at the more lively parts. Altogether 1 scarcely ever saw so dif. ficult or so well-performed a field day. They had been evidently well arilled, or they coula not have acquired such skill in manoeuvring ; for there was such a series of marching and countermarching, slow step, auick step, and double quick step, advancing and retiring, form- ing open column and close column, perpendicular lines and oolique lines, that it was sufficient to puzxle and confound the clearest head of the lookers on. Afler a hard hour's work, the first speaker, who had requested us " to behave with decency," again came for- ward, and spoke to the following effect : " Friends, I wish to say a few words to you. No doubt what you have seen to-day appears vastly strange — a mode of worshipping the Almighty altogether new to you ; and I am net sur- prised that It should appear strange, ' The way of the Lord is foolishness with man.' I asked your attention and good conduct before we commenced ; some few have not behaved well — far from it indeed, but I am not even surprized at that. They probably despised us and laughed at us in scorn and derision. TVc, however, are satisfied : we weli know that we are in the right jath, that the Lora is pleased and is reconciled with us. Works speak for themselves, and the tree is known by its fruit ; we there- fore foar not the taunts of men. There are, however, so many sects, so many various forms of relij^ion, so many crying out ' this is the right way,' and ' this is the ri^hl way,' that those seeking the truth scarcely know which way to turn ; but if you wish to be saved, if anyof you feel you have need of salvation (and 'the physician is only re- quired by the sick') it is hen onlu to be round — thii is th« onlv true path ; amongst these onlu, these the true disciples SNM A tUBALTIRN's VURLOUOH of Christ, who follow his glorious exainole in taking up a dailv cross, and denying themselves tne things of this world. I have no doubt some of you despise us, and that all of you profess to be religious, and all ruarljf determine upon repenting of your sins, and leading anew life; but day after day is tms hour of reformation put ofi! It is delayed time after time until some more convenient op* portunity. We desire your happiness, we pray for your good, but we cannot flatter vou — not one of you mil be eaved, unless you abstain Kom the lust of the flesh, all sin and worldly desires, and shun the eye, the pride of life — the eye, the pride of life." — The speaker here be- came quite violent, stampinff with his feet, and holding out his clenched hand while ne repeated the last sentence, lookinfif hard at the lady spectators. " Whence arises all sin, all deadly and barbarous wars? — whence this sick- ness which now desolates the land ? Let those, then, who wish to be saved, forsake those things which sepa- rate the ?oul from God. Cease to do evil, and vou will learn to do good ; imitate us in taking Christ for a pat- tern, and you will then assuredly find salvation." His address lasted about twenty minutes, and was de- livered with great energy ; but he vms an illiterate man, and could scarcely speak correct English — evidentlv la- bouring, too, under o-reat difflculty from want of words to express himself, and his whole discourse abounded with tautology. I was rather alarmed lest he should observe me takmg notes of his lecture; for, had he only cast eyes upon me, I should have received no gentle reprimand. After another song, the meeting broke up, having lasted an hour and a half I had some conversation immediately afterwards with one of the elders, who appeared a sensible well-informed man. He stated that the Society at this village consisted of 600 people, but that not more than a third ever at- tended service together, excepting once a year, when all assembled. In answer to my inquiries, he said that they had received an addition of 100 members within the last two years, many of whom were English. I had observed two very stout, ruddy faced, farmer-looking men, who, he if aid, had only just arrived from my native country. One ▲ SUBALTERN'S FURLOUGH. 801 was the rery j^rototype of Friar Tuck, and it would be a considerable time before he exchanged his fiit cheeks for the long demure face of the rest of the Society. The other danced round the room, swinging his hands about, and bellowing at ihe full extent of his voice, as if he was still tripping it at some English village wake. 'Tis said '*tnere is nothing new under the sun ;" but it seems strange that such fanaticism should exist with so much zeal and good religious feeling. The village is remarkable for the neatness and cleanli- ness of the houses. The school is well conducted, and the children educated in it generally possess a superior education to those elsewhere. After acquiring the age of maturity, they are under no obligation to remain with the Society, but are free to return to the world ; nor are they allowed rashly to enlist under the banners of " the be< lievers," but must seriously take the matter into consi* deration, and even undergo a noviciate of some months, when, if still of the same opinion, they are admitted and enjoy the same privileges as the other members. At any time indeed they may withdraw, but cannot claim any compensation for the time they may have worked upon the lands of the Society, nor, should they have thrown S-operty into the common stock, can they reclaim it, ough none that have as yet withdrawn have gone away empty-handed. The principal rules of the Society are celibacy, non-interference with politics, peace with all man* kind, and paving to every man his due ; nor will thoy be answerable tor the debts of any of the Society, or admit any one as a member who has not honestly discharged all his pecuniary debts. No one, except in cose of sick* ness or infirmity, is allowed to become a burthen on the Society; but all must work, and all property is in common, the fruits of their labour being thrown into a general fund. The women are employed in knitting gloves, making Ain* oy ornaments, and spinning, while the men follow various trades, the goods being exposed for sale at the trustee's office : every article is of the best quality, but the price is exceedingly high. The woman who sold me what few tilings I bought used as many persuasives os the most ecperieuced shopkeeper in England, with the true "will i,' I I 90H A aVBiLLTBRN's FURLOVftH. you look at this, sir) — this is an excellent article " and *' these gloves wear remarkably well; you had better take a pair, sir." They possess about 30(K) acres of well-cul- tivated land adjoining the village, and extensive gardsns for rearing seeds, which produce a considerable income, being in great demand throughout the States. Th^ So- ciety is governed by two elders of each sex, elected by the members. Their duty is to give information to candid inquirers, and to admit those who desire to unite them- selves to the Society ; also occasionally to preach the gospel. The entire body is divided into fiumilies from 80 to 100 members each, who again appoint two elders as their head, whose duty it is to manage the temporal con- cerns of the family. Their houses are large, commo- dious, and substantial brick buildings, four stories in height. The Society is also divided into three classes : 1st, those who do not assent to the rule of celibacy, but re- aide at a distance from thevillage with their own families attending worship, and otherwise conforming to the rules, ddly, Those who are members, but can return to the world's people whenever they think fit; and 3dly, those who, vowing to remain members in perpetuum, have en- tirely given themselves up as followers of the faith. They all live in a remarkably comfortable manner, even well, in the sense of the world, with whose people, however, they will not eat in company; but, when some of them rode up to the springs in a car, they showed that they possessed a taste for the good things of this life, as well as the rest of mankind, by sitting dovvn, taking a glass of brandy and water, smoking, and conversing cheermlly. Two or three backsiidings have occurred amongst the young members, who have eloped, proving they were not invulnerable to the shafts of that little urchin Cupid ; and I shrewdly suspect that many others would not be at all backward in following the same example, did but an opportunity occur. The sect, however, gains ground considerably, and there are not fewer than 6000 Shakers in the United States, though it is but fifty-nine years since Mrs. Lee, or *' Mother Ann," as she is called, emigrated from England 0he wit9 a native of Manchester, and married to a black- A BVBALTBRN'b rVRLOVOH. 203 smith in that town, and is considered the founder of the sect, though several people had formed themselves into a Society following the same mode of worship as early as 1747- She was an illiterate woman, unable either to read or write. The cruel persecutions she suffered in England on account of her religious opinions induced her to embark, with her husband and others of the same per- suasion for America, in 1774, where she established herself | near Albany, twenty-five miles from Lebanon, removing to the latter place some few years af^er, and dying in 1784, in her forty-eighth year. Lebanon is now the head of the Shaking church. That such a sect is not well cal- culated for a young and thinly inhabited country is self- evident ; for though by their sobriety, good &ith, honest and upright conduct, they set an example to the rest of mankmd worthy of imitation, and most of their regu- lations are founded upon highly moral and admirable principles, yet others are fallacious, and the argument upon which they rest is altogether untenable. They hold that the millennium has commenced, and that all the hu- man race is to be extinct by conforming to their first great precept of celibacy. Without such a fundamental rule, indeed, such a Society could not long exist. Pro- fessing to be close imitators of Christ, they are far from it. "nie Saviour of the world went about doing good, exposing Himself to the ingratitude of those He served, and at last, for their sakes, suffering an ignominious and painful death ; while they, who pretend to take Him as a pattern, lead an easy and comfortable life, and seem chiefly occupied in adding to their wordly riches, while their charity is bounded by the chain of hills which en- circle their settlement. That such a Society should exist for a day, in the present intellectual state of the world, is truly astonishing; but "nil admirari" appears to be the motto of common sense. The Society is composed chiefly of ignorant and illiterate people, and of many who have been disappointed in life, and have thus withdrawn themselves from the rest of mankind, unable to bear up and strive against the adversities of their lot as true Christians. The temperature of the water at the wells is 78° Fah-^ 904 ▲ SC&ALTERM's rVRLOVOR. renheit ; it is pleasant to the taste, and, being devoid of ,' almost every medicinal quality or saline taste, is used as common beverage. From chemical analysis, two quarts are said to contain grain. Muriate of lime . , . 1.00. Muriate of soda . . . 0.75. Sulphate of lime ... 1.60. Carbonate of lime . . 0.67. It boils up in the gardens of the hotel in sufficient quan* tity to supply the the requisite baths, and is afterwards used for setting in motion the wheels of three manu&c* tories. I was much amused by seeing a large, party of ladies and gentlemen, fresh arrivals, assemble round the spring one evening, tasting the water and passing their opinion upon its merits, some even refusing to put the glass to their lips, fearing the effects of a draught, when they had been taking plentiful potions of the same at the diiinler table. The evenings were usually passed in dancing except on Saturday, the Sabbath commencing with some of the New I Englanders at sunset on the preceding day. The band consisted of two negroes playmg on violins, and a third upon a bass. The leader of the sable trio (a barber, by the bye, composing part of the establishment of the house) acted as a kind of maitre du ballet, crying out " Ba> lanciey !" — " tan your mtners !" — " La's shen I" and other jargon, utterly unintelligible even to those who were ac- Suainted with the figure of every (quadrille. The ladies' ancinff was a composition of walking, running, and shuf* fling; tne gentlemen acquitted themselves a«t0e//as gen- tlemen generally do. I overheard one, who priued him* self a good deal on his manner of twirling round the room« say that he had "the best waltzing master in Paris, last winter." Amongst other resources for killing time at the springs, « nine-pins bore a prominent part. I accompanied some gentlemen to the alley one day for the purposeof playing, when, our number on each side being unequal, one of the party (a young collegian from New-Haven) invited a gentlemanly'looking man to join us in a Tuboer; he con- k CVBALTIRK't FURIOVOU^ 5M6 oidof led as luarts settled to play a single game after some hesitation, and came off winner. At dinner I heard a voice familiar to my ear say, from behind my chair, " What will you take. Sir ?" and turning round, saw our friend of the morning acting in capacity of waiter ; he certainly possessed a more intellectual countenance than two-thirds of the peo- pie at table. Feeling myself sufficiently recovered to undergo the dislocating motion of the road, and all my acquaintance at the springs taking their departure, I also stepped into the coach on the morning of the 1st of August, and, being the only passenger, imagined I should have a quiet, easy jour- ney, but soon found myself egregiously mistaken. There not being sufficient weight to steady the vehicle on its clumsy springs, it was tossed to and fro like a ship in a gale of wind. Wc passed through the small manuiactur* ing towns of Nassau and Alvia. Some singular signs in the latter attracted my attention ; one especially, of " Miss Simms, Tailoress,'*^ emblazoned in large characters upon a board against the house-side, struck me as a novel mode of a lady earning a livelihood. The entrance to the city of Troy, twenty-five miles from Lebanon, through an excavated rock, which forms part of the classically-named Mount Ida, is exceedingly pretty The city, containing about 12,000 inhabitants, occupie.s an alluvial plain of some extent between the mount and the Hudson River. Having some apare time, I walked through several of the streets, and visited the Episcopal Church, which has a very tasteful Gothic tower: one of the prettiest specimens of architecture I saw in the Unit- ed States; but the body of the church, not being built in unison with it, gives the edifice the air of a piece of patch-work An elegant and large Court-house was completed, with the exception of its portico, in a street adjoining the church ; but it bore too strong a resemblanoM to the United States* Banl'- at Philadelphia, of which l had since seen so many fac-similes, to have many charms for me. The building was entirely of white mar- ble, and modelled after the temple of Theseus at Athenn The gallant " Trojans," as the inhabitants call themselves, were partaking of the New- York panic, and leaving th(i VOL. I. — 8. « 206 1 SVBALTBRN'S rVRLOVOJI. eity in crowds, on account of few cases of cholera heing reported. The river, which is about a quarter of a mile wide, is crossed by a horse-feiry to the village of Watervliet, where "Mother Ann" originally established herself; and a few miles farther the road passes the houses of some married Shakers, belonging to the Niskayuna settlement, three miles to the south-west. From this place to Schenectady the country is dull, uninteresting in point of scenery, and devoid of habitations ; but now, having gained the banks of the Mohawk River, a rich alluvial soil presents itself There is but little worthy of notice in the town, excepting Union College, on an eminence near the road from Troy, Only two large buildings, forming part of what is intended, are at present erected; but several more are to be immediately added, and, the adjoining grounds being spacious, it promises to become a pretty spot. The college has been very liberally endowed by the State'to the amount of 300,000 dollars, and the num- ber of students at this time is about 200. Dr. Nott, the President, is not only a good classical scholar, but an ex- cellent and persevering mechanic. Some of his inven- tions have even gained a considerable name in England, amongst which is an improvement in hot air stoves for heating cathedrals and large buildings. He has expend- ed also large sums of money in experiments upon steam- vessels ; several of which are constructing upon \iis plan of having twenty small boilers, instead of two or four large ones, and are considered safer than those generally in use, and equally swift. After passing two hours iti Schenectady, I entered the packet boat on the Erie Ca- nal, and proceeded at the rate of four miles an hour, on a line parallel with the Mohawk. This immense work, which connects the waters of the Hudson with those of Lake Erie, was commenced in 1817, at the suggestion of De Witt Clinton, at that time Governor of the State of New-York. It was then looked upon u3 a visionary scheme, and called in derision *' Clinton's big ditch ;" yet, notwithstanding considerable opposition, he succeeded in carrying his project into effect, well knowing the in- estimable benefiti which would arise, and the enormous A >VBALTBRN^t FVRLOVOH 357 Tevenae which would accrue to the State from its con- struction. It was not, however, finished until eight years after its commencement, at an expense of a million and a half sterling ; but the income already arising from it is 250,000/. annually, and, in four years hence, the stock will be redeemed. It is 363 miles long, 40 feet wide at the top, 28 at the bottom, with 4 feet depth of water, and a slight inclination of half an inch in a mile from the lake, which is 568 feet higher than the Hudson. The packet boats, as on the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, are large and well furnished with excellent sleeping berths, and the charge very reasonable, being only three cents (lifrf.) per mile, breakfast and dinner being provided on equally mo- derate terms ; so that the travelling is rendered more agreeable and almost as speedy as upon the rough turn- pikes. I varied my mode of travelling by leaving the boat sometimes at the locks, and walking on, being able at a moderate pace to keep a-head of it. Upon arriving at the first lock, we found more than twenty boats waiting for their turn to pass through; but all were obliged to give way to our vessel, which, paying a higher toll, claimed priority of passage. The legality of this preference did not. however, appear to be at all comprehended by the pas- sengers in the other boats, nor did they submit to it with- out murmuring, thinking (as they said) that all boats " were alike free and equal." We had only ten passen- gers, although there was ample accommodation for forty. Having walked several iniles along the towing-path dur- ing the day, I was in a sound sleep soon afler taking possession of the berth allotted to me. The locks being 90 feet in length and 15 in breadth, and the boats 80 by 14, some little inconvenience arises to those people who are not sound sleepers, from the impossibility of steering the boat to sucii a nicety as to avoid strikmg heavily against the walls. We experienced an hour's delay dur- ing the night, from the horses of a vessel a-head of us breaking loose, and galloping down upoti our train which, throwing their driver head foremost into the canal, follow- ed the example of the others by breaking the tow rope and M . --■f ;f ,T!(f.-'JW4T''r « '966 A svbaltirn's WVRLOVOn, scampering off, leaving the man rolling about, half stunned, in the water. In the morning we had a dense fog, not uncommon on the banks of the Mohawk, and which, as is frequently the case elsewhere, wos the forerunner of a very hot day. The country through which we passed was pretty well diversified with hills and rich meadows of Indian corn on the banks of the stream, and the farmers were every where employed in reaping or cradling* the grain on the uplands. As the canal approaches the Little Falls of the Mohawk, fifty miles from Schenectady, the scenery im- E roves, and has some claims to the picturesque. I had eard so much in praise of it that I stepped out of the boat at the first lock, half a mile from the village, not only for the purpose of viewing but of sketching some of thi» far-famed scenery, and walked past it all, momentarily expecting to come upon something excessively grand and aublime, so much had 1 been deceived by exaggerated description ! Although very pretty, no part of it can vie with Matlock in Derbyshire. I'here is one bend in the canal which winds round the rocky mount, and under •omo dnrk, bleak, impending crugs, with the noisy tor- rent of the Mohawk washing its bnse, and the spires of the village churches with a fine aqueduct visible tli rough the excavation, which would form a pretty skitch, but nothing to warront the overdrawn descriptions given me. Having to pasn through five locks in succession, we had time to cross the aqueduct to the village on the opposite •ide of the river, y ^ich is becoming a manufacturing town of some importance, from the great water-nowerofibrded by the Falls. Its progress anu prosperity nave been con- ■idorably retarded for some years, owing the most valuable and useful ground being tfie property of a gentleman in England, wno did not dispose of it until lost year, when ♦ A term uwid for mowing the whent with a scytho, which hn« five nirnes of wood proir.nliii^ from th<> •liafl, ho ns to form it frumo iiiiniW to a pcrson'M iliigora nt Ihebnrk of tlio scythe: tliis cradle re- tain* the straw nfior it is out in tlic snriiv pf)Nition ns when growing, which, bfljng thrown on the ground with a Jerk, lies with all the eard in one direouon, and ready ror the binder ; long practice it re(|ntr«<| to uao the cradle expertly. k BVBALTfeRK^S VVRLOUOH. iM it was purchased by a company, who are proceeding ra- pidly in the construction of numerous manufactories. Large pieces of rock in the river here present a singular appearance, from being worn perfectly hollow and round like a caldron, the shell or rim, as it were, beinff reduced in many parts to a few inches in thickness. Other rocks are bored through in circles with as smooth a surface as if they had been chiselled or worked out with an auger. These effects are supposed to have been produced by small pebbles having lodged in an orifice in the rock, nnd been agitated by the eddies and force of the current, until they increasea the opening sufficiently to admit lar- ger stones, which, in process of time, formed these sin- gular excavations. From the Little Falls, the canal passes through Her- kimer or German Flats, a fine rich tract of country, with farms varying from 150 to 200 acres, at about 100 dollars per acre, yielding from 36 to 30 bushels of wheat, or from (K) to 100 bushels of Indian corn. At Frankfort, a few miles further, it does not exceed from 20 to 60 dollars, the soil appearing rich and fertile, but in a poor state of cultivation. The farming of the Dutch on the Flats forms a striking contrast to that of their slovenly neighbours. At this last village, '*tho long level" commences, the canal runningadistaiiceof sixty-nine miles to the town of Sy- racuse, without a single intervening lock. At five o'clock in the afternoon we entered Utica, eighty miles from Schenectady, having been twenty-two hours on our journey, and stepped from thecnnal into the United l^tates hotel, where we were accommodated with excellent ro^ms ^n / tuo A tUBALTlRir'* rURLODOH. . K. CHAPTER XV. Ohr what a FM wm Uiere, my oountrymen. Shaupiaks. Ha VINO hired one of the four-wheeled carriages known at Philadelphia as a " dearborn," in the eastern States as a "carryall, and in Utica as a "wagon," a friend (Mr. B.) and myself started at eight o'clock on the 3d of August upon an excursion to the Trenton Falls. The road being rough and mountainous, and the day excessiveiv hot, we pulled up at a small tavern, eight miles from the town, to give the horse some water. While I was holding the bucket, mine host come out, and after looking on quietly for some time without tendering his assistance, ne ob- served that we " had better let the beast stand in the flhade a minute or two until it became cool, and then it would proceed more cleverly on the journey." I under- »tood him immediately, and, determining to accept the challenge, led the horse into the shade of the house, when the following conversation ensued, much to the amuse- ment of my companion, who did nut at first comprehend our host's manoiuvre. Landlord. " You are from the southward, I guess." Myaelf. " No— from Utica." "Aye, but you don't keep there, I reckon." " No, in the southward." > "Aye, I guessed so; but whereabouts ?" " Oh t south of Wnshington," "Ah I pretty sickly there now?" " No, pretty smort." " But there's tarnntion little travelling now; lost (all (his hero road was quite unpnssnble, but now I havebe«n fixing it mjrself, expecting company, and no one comes." *< You will have them all hoie when the cholera panio has subsided a little." " I don't know that; I heard a gentleman, who had boon in the south, say the other day that there was vtry liUlo money there now; the southerners wuuld'nt carta A •C*.ALTIlirS rdRLOVOH. itii fig for the cholera, they'd clear out tarnation aoon if they had plenty of money to spare ; a'int it so ?" I had now put one foot on the step of our vehicle, but mine host was not yet satisfied, so he followed me up with — " But you are going to the west, I expect 9" " Perhaps we may." " Aye, you came down the canal." ••Yes." •' That's fine travelling ; that's what I like ; you push along 80 slick, there's no chance of getting one's neck broke as there is aboard those stages on the rough turn- pikes ; if the boat sinks, one's only up to one's knees in water. You'll see the Foils?" •* We are going there now ; which is the way ?'* So, receiving the necessary directions, we wished this true specimen of tin American pot-house keeper, good morning, und drove on, subsequently finding his parting words propht'tic. Though the Yankees are so noto- riously uiquisitive, yet there is nothing disrespectful in their mnnncr; nor did I «'ver feel annoyed by their ask- ing such pryini,' questions, generally leadinc" them "con- siderably "n the wrong trail," as they woiilcl say, or else, havincf satisfied them, commencing n cross-examinotion, to which they always submitted with good grace. AfU'V a pleasant ride of fourteen miles, we arrived at tho hotel, a short distanco from the village of Trenton, and proceeded immediately to view the Falls, which com- mence within *-J()0 yiirds of the hous«', though entirely concealed from it by n thick intervening forest. To see them to advantage, it is necessary to descend a rocky prs- cipico nearly 100 feet perpendicular, into the ravine along wliich the «)urk stream winds its course. Scarcely any thing can be conceived more grand or picturesque than the firi't view of the surrounding objects aAur the visitor has gained the rocky, and, at this season, dry bed of the winter's torrent. I have seen many falls, but none pos- sessing such a variety of scenery or differing so much in tlie formation of the cataract as these; nnd of their sub> limity hut a very fiiint idea can be conveyed from descrip- tion. The impetuous rush of water (luring succossivt agss has worked a bed for itself through a ridgo of limt - /) iiii k IVBALTIRM's fVRLOVOH atone rocks, which extends from th« Mohawk to the northward as &r as the St. Lawrence ; but in several places it appears to have encountered a reef of harder materials, which has been able to withstand the force of the torrent. There are several of these ledges, occupying an extent of about two miles, over which the stream is precipitated. Of these the High Falls are the finest, be- ing 100 feet in height, including a small intervening slope, which breaks the perpendicular fall, and, dividing it into two cataracts, renders it more picturesque than if falling in one unbroken sheet. The Americans possess a most singular taste for marring the beauty of every place which can boast of any thing like scenery, by introducing a bar-room into the most romantic and conspicuous spot. Consequently there js a little white, painted-wooden shanty perched upon the very brow of tlie High Fall, from which all kinds of li- quors are distributed to the Yankee admirers of nature, after they have undergone the overpowering fatigue of walking 400 yards from the hotel. It proved an insur- mountable barrier to the further progress of a large party, who had flocked round me, passing the most candid and unconcerned opinions possible upon my efforts at delineat- ing the scenery. Numerous fossil organic remains arc visible in the lofty banks, which bound the ravine ; and the formation of the singular holes in the rocks, similar to those at the Little Falls of the Mohawk, is here seen actually in process. Many are formed by the backwater of the rapids. One called the "Rocky Heart," from its striking resemblance to the common representation of the seat of life, has been made by two of these eddies. The water rushing over a slight mil proceeds on its course for 15 or 20 feet, when arriving ot a narrow pass, the bottom or point of the heart as it were, it separates in the centre, returning back to the Fall on each side of the river's bed, and hns thus washed away the rock into a circular chasm. Adjoining is a natural well, called "Jacob's Kettle," about «i.v feet deep, and three in diameter. The bottom is co- T«red to some depth with round pebbles, which hare been deposited there during the floous, and been employed in forming the kettle. A subaltern's rVRtOUOH. 318 The width of the ravine, through which the stream takes its course, varies from one to three hundred yards. At the lower end, where the bed is formed of a smooth level rock, walking is as safe and agreeable as upon any well* laid {)avement: but at the upper it contracts to a narrow pass, and, the rocks rising in a smooth perpendicular mass, the passage is rendered rather dangerous ; and few people attempt to pass the Rocky Heart, the path not exceeding six inches m width, the water being of a pitchy blackness, forty feet deep. I explored to the next point beyond, but, the scenery appearing much the same, 1 thought further risk unnecessary, especially as lu rning round upon so small a pivot was very inconvenient and difficult. The West Canada Creek, after emerging from this ravine, pursues its course some miles farther, and joins the Mohawk at the village of Herkimer. Having passed some very agreeable hours at this en- chantingspot, we again stepped intoourdenrborn, carryall, or wagon, and, turning our backs upon Trenton ond its delightful sconn y, arrived at the sinnmit of a long hill five miles from Utica, without any adventures, or incident, worth recording. Upon gaining this height, the sun was drawing nigh to the horizon, and casting a mellowed tint over the extensive landscape, which was beautifully inter- spersed with all the requisites to form an attractive scene. [ was about expressing my admiration, when seeing the long steep descent down which 1, as whin, was to guide our vehicle, my thoughts were immediately diverted else- where, and 1 observed (having the upset at Lebanon upper* most in my imaginatiun) that " 1 should not like to de- scend such a hill in a heavy coach," My companion answering that "the Americans desnised dragclmmsand slippers," 1 was aboiu to exemplify tne truthof his remark by giving him a full and true account of my misfortimes the preceding week, when 1 felt the carriage pressed too much upon tne horse, ond ottempted to check it, but in vain ; for, owing to some accident or mistake at the hotel, a strap upon (he collar of the harness had given away, so that the horse, unable to keep the carriage oflf its legs, b«* eame frightened and set off at full gnljop, kicking most Tiolently, to the imminent dan^r of our legs Mr. B. lifted •/ 314 ▲ SUBALTBRH's VVRIOVOH. his upon the seat in the first instance, and then, wisely thinking " discretion the better part of valour," lifted hii whole body out behind (knocking my hat over my eyes in the hurry of its movements,) but, not being able to relin- quish his hold of the vehicle immediately, he cut up the rough road, with his knees, like a plough, for a considerable distance; or, as he afterwards mo reclassically compared it, like Hector dragged by the car of Achilles round the walls of Troy. When freed from his additional weight, I was carried along with the rapidity of a whirlwind; the foot- board splintering in all directions from the incessant bat- tering of the horse's heels. Abroad deep ditch ran upon either side of the road, so, perceiving if I attempted to overturn my«eif in either direction I should be clashed with great violence upon the ground, and remembering the cautious advice Phaeton received from the old gentleman, his father, when he drove the fiery car, "medio tutissimus iftis," I kept in the middle of the road, pulling hard upon the ri'ins to prevent the horse falling down. I knew that a serious obstacle opposed me at the foot of the hill, in the shape of a narrow bridge over a deep and broad ravine, with a deep stream, where I might even meet with the fate of the above worthy himself; so I dashed the horse at a high rail and fence at a turn of the road, where a tempo- rary bridge crossed the ditch. He seemed to compre- hend me ; for over we went, after a vast heaving and roU- in:,^ a kind of tottering doubt whether we should capsize or not, which would have ejected any thorough landsman from his seat. The strong wall brought us to a sudden «i»eck. I was from my seat in an instant, at the head of the horse, who was striving to scramble over it ; but he soon desisted, having, like myself, had quite enough of such work in the Inst half mile. Mr. B. was still faraway, peer- h\^ through the clouds of dust, to see what had become of me, fearing the result of my rapid descent. Ho was much aut and bruised, as was the horse from kicking the wagon, and vice vena. I alone escaped uninjured, being but a suf- ferer in the purse, from the compensation wo were obliged to make the owner of the steed and rehicle, for injuriei received, In my case the names of the two places " Leba- non Shakers," and *' Trenton Falls," are incongruous ; they A subaltern's fURldtOH/ 315 shbuld be the " Trenton Shaken,'* and " Lebanon FaH$ ,-" as such I shall ever remember them, and with them th« recollection of my shaking in the wagon, and upsetting in the coach, will ahvays be associated. The above accident detained us a few days at Utica, Mr. B. being too unwell to proceed on his journey ; but the cause could scarcely be regretted, since we had the good fortune to make the acquaintance of an eminent barrister residing in the town, who had been one of our fellow-passengers from Schenectady, and from whom we received much kind attention. The town or city of Uticn, as I believe it is now called, occupies a gentle slope, rising to the west, from the banks of the Mohawk, and until the commencement of the canal was an inconsiderable place, with a population of about 3000. Since the completion of that work, it has aug- mented to 10,000 souls, and is daily on the increase. The line of canal, which eight years since was on the outskirts, now passes directly through the centre of the city, giving it a ploasing appearance, to which the innumerable wooden bridges with their light open railing greatly contribute. Tlie inhabitants are well aware of its rising importance, piedictiug already that the State Government will be re- moved from Albany, ano .Iiat the future laws will emanate from their cnpitol, whose site they have marked out in i\ souare at the upper end of the city, on a rising eminence, whence its dome will be seen by tfie surrounding country for forty miles. The streets are also laid out in a style befitting the capital of the most populous State in the Union. As a central situation it is more convenient than Albany, which is on the veiy confines of the State, and three hundred miles from the inhabitants of the western parts of it. A stranger, seeing no manufactories or large mercantile establishments in Utica, finds it difhcult to ae> count for its rapid increase, until he discovers that every stream from the neighbouring hills is covered with such speculations, and the margin of every creek is peopled. The goods being transported from the town, it derives all the benefit, without any of the inconvcnienco, arising from numerous manufactories. At Whiteiborough, in the ricinity of tbt city, is the 216 ▲ SUBALTERN'S rURLOVOH. singular but laudable " Oneida Institution of Science and Industry," which, similar to some institutions in Swit- zerland, combines learning with manual labour. It was first established by a clergyman in bad health, who, open- ing a small school ten years since, discovered that, by the pupils' working for a few hours daily, they earned suffi- cient money to defray the expense of their education. Since that time it has been much encouraged and had several benefactors. There is a farm, containing upwards of one hundred acres, attached to it, upon which the students may be seen working for three or four hours daily; and. two years' produce will pay their board for that time. It is principally intended for those designed for the Church, but some are aldo educated for other pro- fessions. The merit of the institution, independently of that derived from the system, is, that young men of ta- lent may obtain an education here who cannot afford to go to more expensive establishments. Upon the whole, from the prevalence of mercantile pursuits, there art- but few places for classical education in the States, compar- ed with England. On Sunday, the 6th of August, we attended divine ser- vice ut the Ddtch Reformed Protestant Church, the min- ister of which, Mr. Bcthune, a Scotch gentleman, is in high repute as ancloquent and a powerful preacher. We were much pleased with his manner which was tliat of the majo- rity of American ecclesiastics, and preferred it to that of the English. The sermon being delivered in a more familiar and colloquial style, and with great earnestness of man- ner, was well calculated to rivet the attention of the con- gregation. In America the compact is between the con- gregation and minister, as between master and serva»'t, or tradesman and customer, so long as they agree and suit each other. The clergyman's salary in small towns is ge- nerally IOOO,dollars (210/.) per annum, which is sufficient for people who are expected to debar themselves the active {mrsuits of the rest oi mankind. But in cities and popu- ous places, where the duty is more severe, it varies from 1600 to 8600, which is raised by a tax upon tbe congre- gation, or (as in New- York) from grants of land nmde prior to the Revolution. In a Presbyterian Church, which k SUBALTERN 8 FURLOUOM. 217 we attended in the afternoon, the pews were originally sold at 280 each, and the annual tax was 19 dollars and 60 cents, or 4/. sterling, the organist and leader of the orchestra alone receiving small salaries, in addition to the minister. The floor of this church was on an inclined plane, so that each pew was more elevated than the one in front, the pulpit being under the organ-loft at the lower end of the building. After service, we visited the Sun- day school on the ground-ftoor under the church, where, from the minister having made frequent allusions to " Samuel James Mills, the Founder of Sabbath Schools," we expected to see one of a superior order, but were dis- appointed. There seemed great room for improvement. The school consisted of about 180 boys, and a voluntary teacher to each class of six or eight boys. Before we 4pparted, the superintendant (an Editor of a Newspaper) requested us to address the children, but appeared satisfied with an answer, that " our qualifications were not in that line." For my own part, I was rather at a loss to com- prehend his meaning, until he rose and delivered a long extempore prayer for the prosperity of the school. The State of New- York has a permanent school-fund, of the enormous amount of a million and a half of dollars, which originally arose from the sale of land ; and the pro- ceeds, being laid out to interest, in time accumulated to so large a sum that the annual distribution is now 120,000 dollars, and as much more is raised in the State by contri- butions ; so that nearly a quarter of a million is yearly expended by this one State in promoting knowledge amonffst the people, very few of wnom have not received a useful education. Connecticut is the only State in the Union which possesses the same powerful means: its fund arose from a vague charter granted by the King of Eng- land, soon after the establishment of the American colo- nies, to Lord Say and Sele and Lord Brook in 1631, by which the State of Connecticut was bounded, east by the Naraganset River, south by Long Island Sound, north by Massachusetts, and extended west to the Pacific Ocean. By this document it claimed the right of extending iti rule over tracts of land which were unexplored at the time the charter was granted, and which included a consider- VOL. I. — T. 218 A subaltern's FURLOUaH. able portion of Pennsylvania and New- York. These tw6 States resisted the claim, but compromised the matter after the Rerolution, by obtaining for Connecticnt the grant of certain lands in Ohio, which, being sold, produced Uie sum of 1,200,000 dollars. This sum was, in the first instance^ to be appropriated for the propagation of the Gospel, but subsequently was formed into a school-fund ; and thus one of the smallest States in the Union distri- butes an annual sum amongst the several districts, for the support of education, considerably exceeding the State tax on the inhabitants ; and the most singular instance is presented of a Government, after all its expenses have been defrayed, returning to the citizens more than the amount they have been taxed. In those districts which receive assistance from this fund, it is required that the same amount should be raised by contribution. New- York imitated Connecticut in adopting the same system, and ordaining that the proceeds of all unsold or unap- propriated lands should be added to the school-fund, which will increase it at least to the amount of another million of dollars. In Massachusetts much attention is paid to edu- cation, and numerous schools are established throughout all the New-England States, the necessary fu^ids being annually raised in districts. On the 6th of August we proceeded on our journey through New Hartford, a small village four miles from Utica, and two or three from Hamilton College, incorpo- rated in 1821, and so called after the unfortunate general. We obtained a good view of its white buildings, pleasantly situated on a rising ground above the village of Clinton. We arrived at the manufacturing village of Manchester, nine miles from Utica, in an hour and ten minutes, being at the quickest rate we had yet travelled upon American turnpikes, and accordingly anticipated a continuation of such rapid progress ; but were soon undeceived, for the innkeeper, not expecting the mail so soon, had made no preparations for breakfast, and three quaiters of an hoar elapsed before the beefsteaks and coffee made their appear- ance upon the table. At the village of Oneida Castle we obtained the first sight of some Tuscarora Indiani, who were standing by the roadside, wrapt up in their blankets. A SUBALTERN S FURLOUOH. 919 though a burning sun was shining, looking composedly, and apparently without curiosity, at the coach as it whirled along. There was an extensive settlement of log huts with an Episcopal Church belonging to the tribe, on a plain half a mile from the turnpike ; and a circular grove of trees where their councils were formerly held, and where they now receive their annual allowance from the State, to which all land they wish to dispose of must be sold, not having the power to grant a title-deed to indivi- duals. During the last year, fifty of the tribe with their Episcopolian Pastor, a man of liberal education, having sold their lands, migrated to Green Bay on Lake Michigan. In the summer season their time is employed in tilling the ground in the Reservation, or in cutting fuel from the extensive forest in rear of their village. In winter many of them proceed to the hunting grounds three or four hundred miles in the west, where they collect an abundance of skins, from the sale of which they might realize a considerable sum of monej'' ; but like all savages, or semi-barbarians, they are much addicted to drink, and barter their hardly-gained spoils for a small quantity of spirituous liquors. Twenty-five miles further, at Onon- daga Hollow, where there is a tribe of that name, some women came up to the conch, offering smpjl articles of their own manufacture for sale ; they could speak Ellg^lish Very fluently, as can most of the Indians in those tribes which have much intercourse with the "pale faces." The frontier war, which had but lately broken out, was much deprecated by most Americans, who asserted that their Go- vernment wns the aggressor. To a foreigner the American policy towards the Indians appears most cruel and inhu- man, every possible advantage being taken to dispossets the rightful owners of the soil of their property. The Indian character is noble and generous, when well treated, but, when goaded as they have been to desperation, it is no wonder that their treatment of the white prisoners who fall into their hands should be barbarous. Ameri- cans have been found to retaliate such cruelties ; and the public prints at this time were filled with late accounts of another "glorious victory," in which some volunteers or militia men had brought three scalps into camp i ^'- 390 ▲ subaltern's FURIOUOH. The towns of Onondaga Hollow and Onondaga Hill, were of some importance during the late war, and rivals in growth and prosperity, being situated in a grain country, and the great deposits of com and other requisites for the aimy on the frontier. But, alas ! their day has gone by ; the sunshine of their greatness and prosperity is for ever overclouded. The houses are almost tenantless, and of the arsenal nothing is left but the name ; the canal, run- ning within three miles, gave them the coupde grace. The sooner the road is diverted from the present route the more secure will the lives of all travellers become; for of all hills to ascend or descend the one near Onondaga Hollow is the most frightful. The extensive and fine view of Syracuse, Salina with its salt vats, Onondaga Lake, the town of Liverpool, with the thickly wooded country be- tween it and Oneida Lake in the extreme distance, scarcely compensate for the risk of ascending it in a heavy coach. Our progress was much delayed by the delivery of the mail bag at every small hamlet on the road. The letters in A}nerica, instead of being put into separate bags for each town as in England, are carried m one huge leather case, which the postmaster is allowed to detain ten minutes, so that he may pick his letters out of the general mass. The coachman (there being no guard) drives up to the office, sometimes a small tavern, and throws the bag, about the size of a flour sack, upon the hard pavement, or muddy road as most convenient ; it is then trailed along into the house, and, being unlocked, the lower end is elevated, and out tumble all the letters, newspapers, and pamphlets, in a heap upon the floor. At the little village of Lenox, I had the curiosity to look into the bar for the purpose of seeing the mode of sorting letters, and witnessed a scene which could never an«wer in any other country. The sorters consisted of an old grey-headed man, at least seventy five years of age, an old woman, " with spectacles on nose," the old gentle- man's equal in point of years, and a great, fat, ruddy- faced damsel of twenty-five, backed by half a dozen dirty little barefooted urchins, who were all down upon their knees on the floor, overhauling the huge pile befor9 A BiniALTERN S VURLOVOH. 331 it them, flinging thoie letters which were for their office into a distant corner of the room, amongst sundry wet mops, brushes, molasses barrels, &c.; and those which were for other towns on our route were again bagged in the same genile style, part having to undergo the same process every fifth mile of our day's journey, excepting at theofficoat Onondaga Hill, where the postmaster, be- ing an attorney-at-law, managed to detain us only two minutes. Many of these offices, costing the Government an annual sum of 200 or 300 dollars for the postmaster's salary, do not receive half that amount in letters One man assured me that sometimes his month's receipts did not exceed six dollars. No revenue being required from the post-office establishment, the offices in large towns furnish funds for extending the mail line of com- "munication. The surplus funds of that at New- York are enormous ; but, for the last three years, the expendi- ture upon the mails has much exceeded the receipts throughout the States. In 1790, there were only seventy- five post-offices ; at this time, there are 9000, and 1 15,000 miles of mail communication ; and the postage on letters from Boston to Baltimore, a distance little under 400 miles, is only 9d. sterling. At Marcellus the coach stopped at an inn, of which the landlord seemed quite an original. He was sitting in the bar, without his coat ant^ neckcloth, reading a newspaper, and his feet stretched iialf across the top of iTio table, round which several of his guests were enjoy- ing " a drink " and a mouthful of the Virginia weed. Hearing one of the passetigoi.s address him by the title of " Doctor," I observed " he was an elegant specimen of a medical man." " Ah, but," said my fellow-travel- Ur, " he's one of the smartest physicians in the State, I'll assure you ;" certainly not a literal description, ac- cording to the English acceptation of the word ; for he was one of the shabbiest-looking men I ever cast eyes on. At sunset, we reached the beautiful little village of Ska- neateles, situated at the head of a romantic lake, sixteen miles long and nearly two wide, of the same nam& While delayed here for some time to " shift hordes," and for the mail to undergo another examination, the S32 A aOBiXTBRll's ruRLovoa. passengers stood on th« margin of the lake, admiring its clear and unruffled surface, save here and there where a slight ripple was caused by the slow movement of one or two small scullers, as they changed their fishing berth for some spot which woula appear more favourable for their diversion. Gardens and cultivated fields ex- tended to the water's edge, and numerous neat white houses scattered about upon the range of low hills orna- mented either bank. While gazing on its beauties, a thunder-storm suddenly burst over us, with a heavy squall of wind ; and ere we could regain the coach the wnole scene was changed. The lake was now perfectly black, and its disturbed surface with a small and troubled ripple, occasioned by the violent gust, formed a strong and somewhat unpleasing contrast to its late placid and mild appearance. At half-past eight we arrived at the American hotel in Auburn, rejoiced that the fatigues of the day were over, having had scarcely 200 yards of level ground during the last twenty miles. Wo had passed, too, through the strangest medley of named towns imaginable. It ap- peared almost as if the founders had collected them from all quarters of the globe indifferently, discarding many of the fine-sounding, significant, old Indian names, and substituting some gleaned from ancient Greece or Italy, interspersed with one from Cockney land, or perhaps a genuine Yankceism. The following is the correct order in which we saw the towns during our journey of this day. 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