V -; v: 
 
 
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 GEIFT OF 
 Miss Dorothy Valantine 
 
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<&l)t JFamilg Sonriat./ B3 
 
 A VISIT 
 
 TO THE PRINCIPAL 
 
 CITIES OF THE WESTERN CONTINENT: 
 
 EMBRACING AN ACCOUNT OF THEIR 
 
 SITUATION, ORIGIN, PLAN, EXTENT, 
 
 INHABITANTS, MANNERS, CUSTOMS, AND AMUSEMENTS, 
 
 PUBLIC WORKS, INSTITUTIONS, EDIFICES, &c. 
 TOGETHER WITH SKETCHES OF HISTORICAL EVENTS. 
 
 BY C. A. GOODRICH. 
 
 ILLUSTRATED WITH ENGRAVINGS. 
 
 PHILADELPHIA : 
 
 J. W. BRADLEY, 48 NORTH FOURTH STREET 
 
 1848. 
 
x^v 
 
 V\ 
 
 Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1848, by 
 
 CASE, TIFFANY AND CO., 
 
 in the Clerk's office of the District Court of Connecticut. 
 
 A~^ <Uip£Z6y r^^H^u5<* 
 
t-JLl 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 A distinguished senator in our American Congress, some years since, 
 in the course of one of his speeches, when speaking of the commercial 
 enterprise of our countrymen, related the following curious incident: 
 " A ship which had been built at Pittsburg was freighted and cleared 
 from that place for Leghorn. On her art-ival at the place of her destina- 
 tion, the master presented his papers to the proper officers, who would 
 not credit them ; but said to him, ' Sir, your papers are forged. There 
 is no such place as Pittsburg in the world ! Your vessel must be con- 
 fiscated ! ' The trembling captain laid before the officer a map of the 
 United States — directed him to the Gulf of Mexico — pointed out to him 
 the mouth of the Mississippi — led him a thousand miles up to the mouth 
 of the Ohio, and thence another thousand up to Pittsburg. • There, sir, 
 is the port whence my vessel cleared.' " 
 
 The ignorance of the Leghorn officer of the customs was quite par* 
 donable, since in relation to a new country, and to its far distant and 
 quite inland ports of entry, he might not have had an opportunity to in- 
 form himself. But, whatever mortification he experienced, it must have 
 been far less than that of a certain English nobleman, who, during his 
 travels in Italy, was shown a church, which he so much admired for its 
 elegance of structure, as to request permission to take a sketch of it. 
 " Oh ! " said the gentleman, who accompanied him, and was showing 
 him the building, — " You have no occasion to put yourself to that 
 trouble ; the model was taken from a church in London, the very place 
 where you reside." Surprised and confused, his lordship desired to 
 know what edifice like it London could contain, which had escaped his 
 observation. He was told that it was St. Step/ten's, Walbrook, near the 
 Royal Exchange. It is further added, that his lordship had no sooner 
 arrived in London, than he went to take a view of that beautiful monu- 
 ment of architecture, which is esteemed Sir Christopher Wren's mas- 
 terpiece, before he saw any of his friends, or returned to his own 
 home. 
 
 The author has introduced these humble anecdotes by way of illus- 
 trating the importance of a knowledge of the world, which may be 
 
 •z "» f> s~% *^*~^-M "4 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 inferred from the first— and especially of one's own country, and what 
 of improvements it contains, which is strikingly exhibited in the 
 second. 
 
 It is indeed true, that in older countries, where the arts have had 
 longer time to ripen, and wealth to increase, the traveller will find 
 greater and more numerous objects of curiosity, than in a country, 
 which, like our own, has recently sprung into existence, and where as 
 yet the wealth of the people is employed rather in expansion than in 
 tasteful improvement. 
 
 Yet, with a little more than two centuries gone over our heads, since 
 the planting of the first colony in America, and while a good portion of 
 that period has been spent in clearing our forests, and providing the 
 means of subsistence, advances have been made in literature, in the 
 arts, in architecture, &c, creditable to the taste, genius, and enterprise 
 of our countrymen. We have, indeed, no cities, which can compare 
 with several in the eastern hemisphere — no monuments like theirs — no 
 palaces, nor baronial castles— nor a hundred other objects of taste and 
 curiosity. But, in the settlements of a wilderness, stretching hundreds 
 and even thousands of miles, on every side— in the erection of towns 
 and cities — in the manufacture of articles of taste and fancy — in the 
 variety and expansion of commerce — in the patronage given to the fine 
 arts — in the elegance and even grandeur of some of our public edifices, 
 we have exceeded all anticipations, and are without a parallel, consider- 
 ing the infancy of our country, in the history of nations. 
 
 For centuries after the invasion, London, that world in miniature, 
 bore no comparison to New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, or Boston. 
 Westminster Abbey was the labor of half a century, and was com- 
 pleted at the distance of more than one thousand years from the founda- 
 tion of the city in which it stands. St. Paul's — that monument of taste 
 and wealth — was finished less than one hundred years ago. 
 
 The marvel then is, not that America has achieved so little, but that 
 she has accomplished so much. Foreigners, w T ho have travelled 
 through our country, have been wont to indulge in illiberal criticisms, 
 comparing our cities, our public buildings, our specimens of the fine 
 arts, &c, with those which they have seen beyond the waters, in 
 countries which have been settled for centuries, and where princes and 
 noblemen have lavished their millions upon these and similar objects, 
 gathered from unwarrantable and oppressive taxation. But how absurd 
 the comparison ! When America shall have attained a similar age — 
 when her forests shall have been felled — when her wealth shall have 
 increased, and it is rapidly rolling up — when her enterprise and genius 
 shall become concentrated, and be applied to works of taste and mag- 
 nificence, we shall doubtless see in her works, objects as grand, and 
 monuments as splendid and enduring, as are now the boast of countries 
 
NTRODUCTION. 
 
 which were grown to manhood, when she first came on to the stage. 
 The amateur may find as much to admire, as he now does in London, 
 in Paris, in Rome, or was once admired in Athens, in Thebes, or 
 Tadmor of the Desert. 
 
 But already our country presents objects sufficient to command the 
 admiration and gratify the taste and curiosity of her citizens. Were 
 these better known, they would be more appreciated. Persona] obser- 
 vation is always more gratifying, and makes deeper and more lasting im- 
 pressions, than verbal descriptions. But there are a multitude, who 
 enjoy not only no opportunity for foreign travel, but have neither the 
 means nor the time to examine the various objects of interest in their 
 own land. They visit such as are in their immediate neighborhood, 
 and must depend upon written statements for the rest. Hence, who- 
 ever furnishes a correct and candid description of objects at a distance, 
 performs for this numerous class a valuable service. 
 
 With this object in view, the author has prepared the present work. 
 It is designed not for the traveller, who has had the advantage of a per- 
 sonal visit to the places described, but for those who have not enjoyed, 
 and are not likely to enjoy that privilege. The attempt, it is believed, 
 is new, at least so far as to bring into a single volume, and independent 
 of other subjects, a view of the cities of the American continent. It 
 is offered only as an approximation to what is confessedly a desideratum 
 among the books, which are found in the families of our country. 
 
 The object of the work is two-fold — to furnish a book of rational enter- 
 tainment — one which may pleasantly occupy for a few weeks the leisure 
 hours and long evenings, when severer toils and more engrossing occupa- 
 tions are necessarily remitted ; and secondly, and primarily, to present 
 an opportunity to the younger classes of society, to become more ex- 
 tensively acquainted with the chief places of the land, and the interest- 
 ing objects which they contain. As was noticed in the prospectus — 
 cities are, in every country, and justly, objects of curiosity and attrac- 
 tion. They are usually centres of wealth, influence and fashion. They 
 are emporiums of trade and commerce — the theatres of pleasure and 
 amusement — the seats and patrons of the fine arts — the workshops of 
 articles of taste and fancy — the localities for rich and splendid speci- 
 mens of architecture. Here, also, may be seen, in profitable contrast, 
 society in its different materials, forms and conditions — the native and 
 the foreigner — the wealthy and the poor — the industrious and the idle — 
 the sober and the dissipated — the serious and the gay. From a view of 
 mankind thus relatively situated, and yet differently circumstanced, 
 important lessons regarding manners, morals, and duty, may be gather- 
 ed. The more we know of our country — of her history — of her govern- 
 ment — the genius of her inhabitants — their enterprise — the institutions, 
 
Vlll INTRODUCTION. 
 
 which they have founded — the cities, which they have planted — the 
 public works, which they have projected and accomplished, the greater 
 will be our admiration, and the stronger our patriotic feeling. At the 
 same time, such knowledge will furnish us with topics of useful and 
 enlightened conversation. We shall also be better prepared to travel 
 abroad, if that privilege and pleasure be our good fortune, and better 
 qualified to estimate the value and correctness of the many works per- 
 taining to our country, which issue from the press — the workmanship 
 of foreigners, who have not in all cases been disposed to do America 
 or Americans justice. 
 
CONTENTS 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 NORTH AMERICA. 
 
 CANADA.— Quebec. 
 
 Anecdote of Dean Swift; Situation of" Quebec ; Origin; Appearance; Harbor; 
 Public Edifices ; Mr. Duncan^s visit t*o the Ursulme Convent ; Fortifications ; Re- 
 duction by Wolf ; Death of Wolf; Reflections; Assault under Montgomery; his 
 death ; Character. 
 
 MONTREAL. 
 
 Mode of travelling between Montreal and Quebec ; Situation of Montreal ; Ap- 
 pearance ; Dress and Manners of the Citizens ; Merchants ; Edifices ; French 
 Church ; Visit of Mr. Duncan to it ; Society ; Military Events ; Anecdote of Ethan 
 Allen. 
 
 UNITED STATES. 
 
 MASSACHUSETTS.— Boston. 
 
 Settlement of Boston ; Situation ; The Mall ; State House ; Tremont House ; 
 
 Dinner Scene ; Faneuil Hall ; Population ; Government ; Literary and Educational 
 
 Institutions ; Harvard College ; Mount Auburn ; Characteristics of the Citizens ; 
 
 A Caricature ; Patriotism ; Revolutionary Incidents ; Destruction of Tea. 
 
 CHARLESTOWN. 
 Settlement ; Situation ; Public Works ; State Prison ; Battle of Bunker Hill ; 
 Ceremonies at Laying the Corner Stone of Bunker Hill Monument ; Webster's 
 Address on the occasion. 
 
 MAINE.— Portland. 
 Situation ; Harbor; Ports; Public Edifices; Character of the Inhabitants; Sav- 
 age Depredations ; Attack of Captain Mowatt. 
 
 NEW HAMPSHIRE.— Portsmouth. 
 Situation ; Population ; Appearance ; Harbor ; Forts ; Public Buildings ; Bridges ; 
 Settlement ; Story of a Hermit. 
 
 VERMONT.— Vergennes. 
 Settlement ; Situation ; Population ; Commodore McDonough's Flotilla. 
 
 BURLINGTON. 
 
 Delightful Situation ; Vermont University ; President Dwight's description of the 
 surrounding scenery. 
 
 CONNECTICUT.— Hartford. 
 
 Original Settlers ; their Journey to Connecticut ; Distress of the Colonies ; Re- 
 moval of Mr. Hooker ; Gloomy state of the Colony ; Invasion of the Pequot country ; 
 Amusing extracts from the Hartford Colony Laws ; Situation of Hartford ; Descrip- 
 tion ; State House ; Asylum for the Deaf and Dumb; Retreat for the Insane ; Wash- 
 ington College ; Election Day. 
 
 NEW HAVEN. 
 
 First knowledge of the English of the place ; Arrival of Mr. Eaton and his Asso- 
 ciates ; Situation of New Haven ; Description of the city ; Surrounding Scenery ; 
 Adventures of Goffe and Whalley ; Col. Dixwell ; Cemetery ; Character of the cit- 
 izens ; Public Edifices ; Yale College ; New Township ; Fair Haven ; Dragon Point ; 
 Extracts from the early Code of Laws ; Attack of the British, 1779 ; Sufferings of 
 President Daggett. 
 
 MIDDLETOWN. 
 
 Origin of the Settlement; Account of Sowheag, an Indian Sachem; Beautiful 
 situation of the city ; Wesleyan University ; Upper Middletown. 
 
 NORWICH. 
 First settlement of Norwich ; Situation of the city ; Scenery ; Water privileges ; 
 Burying-ground of Uncas ; Origin of Sachem's Plain ; Uncas and Miantonimoh ; 
 Subsequent History of Uncas. 
 
NEW LONDON. 
 Settlement of New London ; Situation ; Description ; Forts ; Burning of New 
 London by Arnold ; Anecdotes of the Rogerines. 
 
 RHODE ISLAND.— Providence. 
 Situation of Providence ; Public buildings ; Blackstone Canal ; Boston and Prov- 
 idence Rail Road ; Character of the Citizens ; Roger Williams ; Birth ; Early His- 
 tory : Removal to^merica : Settlement at Salem ; Expulsion from the Colony ; 
 Founds Providence ; Family of Mr. Williams ; Visits England and procures a char- 
 ter ; Difficulties with the Indians ; Death of Mr. Williams ; Character. 
 
 NEW YORK.— New York. 
 
 Discovery of New York by Verrazzano, 1524 ; By Hudson, 1609 ; Incidents of his 
 voyage ; Settlement by the Dutch ; Notices of the first Dutch settlers ; Houses ; 
 Cleanliness ; Curious domestic operations ; Parties ; Manners ; Festivals of the 
 Dutch ; Dress ; Furniture ; New York in 1640 ; In subsequent years ; Population ; 
 Situation of the city ; Approach to it ; Ha»bor ; Broadway ; City Hall : Park ; Bat- 
 tery ; Churches ; Literary and other Institutions ; Masonic Hall ; New Custom 
 House ; Schools ; Papers ; Health of the city ; Temperature ; Languages ; Cooper's 
 account of the Market ; Fruits; Style of Living; Domestic comfort; Description 
 of a house in Broadway belonging to a gentleman of fortune; Carriaees ; Military 
 events ; Retreat through Long Island ; Evacuation of the city ; Residence of the 
 British officers. Brooklyn.— Local advantages ; Rapid Growth ; Literary and Sci- 
 entific Institutions ; Navy Yard ; Greenwood Cemetery ; Harbor ; Atlantic Dock. 
 ALBANY. 
 
 Situation ; Original settlement ; Dutch architecture ; Change effected in its in- 
 habitants ; Plan of the city ; Capitol and other edifices ; Commercial advantages of 
 Albany ; Opening of the Erie Canal. 
 
 HUDSON. 
 
 Situation of Hudson ; Present state ; Whale fishery ; Population. 
 
 TROY. 
 
 Situation ; Business portion of the city ; Public buildings ; Female Seminary ; 
 Rensselaer School ; Character ; Commerce ; Flour manufacture. 
 
 SCHENECTADY. 
 Origin of the name ; Situation of the city ; Architecture ; Union College ; Canal- 
 ing operations ; Early History ; Indian massacre of 1690. 
 
 UTICA. 
 
 Situation of the city ; Hugh White, the first, settler ; Thrilling incident respecting 
 his family ; Progress of Utica ; Population ; Prospects. 
 
 ROCHESTER. 
 
 Recent settlement ; Historical facts relating to its settlement ; Adventure of Enos 
 Stone ; Religious festival of the Seneca3 ; state of Rochester in 1814 ; Military tac- 
 tics of an American officer ; Commencement of its prosperity ; Character of its set- 
 tlers ; Ecclesiastical History; Literary establishments; Business style of Archi- 
 tecture ; Water power of the Genesee : Canal trade of Rochester ; History of the 
 flour trade. 
 
 BUFFALO. 
 
 Situation : Beauty of the surrounding scenery ; Destroyed in 1814 ; Thrift; Des- 
 cription of the city ; Black Rock ; Lines of communication ; Seneca Reservation ; 
 Red Jacket; Oratory of this chieftain ; Anecdotes. 
 
 NEW JERSEY.— Trenton. 
 
 Settlement; Kalm's description of Trenton in 1748; Situation; Present state; 
 Capture of one thousand Hessians, by Washington in 1776 ; Consequences of this 
 victory. 
 
 PENNSYLVANIA.— Philadelphia. 
 
 Philadelphia prior to the Revolution ; Character of the inhabitants by different 
 travellers ; Philadelphia and New York compared ; Commercial advantages ; First 
 impressions ; Penn's Purchase ; Regularity of the city ; Market street ; other streets ; 
 Public bttlldingB ; Old State House; Bank of Pennsylvania; Bank of the United 
 States; Churches; Jewish synagogues ; Charitable and Literary institutions ; Girard 
 College : Fair Mount Water Works ; Peale's Museum ; Academy of Fine Arts ; Li- 
 braries ; Philadelphia press ; Pennsylvania University ; American Philosophical So- 
 ciety ; Character by Mr. Hodgson ; Early History ; Arrival of Penn ; Conference 
 with the Indians ; The treaty Elm tree ; Penn's early residence ; Shippen's house ; 
 First Church ; Franklin's account of the early inhabitants ; Customs before the Rev- 
 olution ; Wedding entertainments ; Diet; Dress; Various reminiscences. 
 
 MARYLAND.— Baltimore. 
 Rapid growth of Baltimore ; Effect of the late war upon Baltimore ; Speculations 
 of 1818; Situation and plan of the city ; Merchants Exchange ; Catholic Cathedral ; 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 XI 
 
 Socinian Chapel ; Washington Monument ; Battle Monument ; Trade of Baltimore j 
 Flour Mills 5 Attack of the British, in 1814. 
 
 DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.— Washington. 
 Situation of Washington ; Anecdote of Gen. Washington ; Cession of the District 
 by Maryland and Virginia ; Removal of the government in 1800 ; Progress of the city 
 prior to 1814 ; Effect of burning the Capitol ; Plan of the city : Description of the 
 Capitol; Senate Chamber ; Representatives' Hall} Rotunda} Paintings} Library; 
 Supreme Court; President's House ; Dinnerparties; Offices; State of Society ; Lit- 
 erary taste ; Amusements ; Invasion of Washington ; Destruction of the National 
 edifices; Mount Vernon ; Tomb of Washington ; Visit of Lafayette ; Last hours of 
 Washington ; Character of Washington, by Lord Brougham. 
 GEORGETOWN. 
 Situation ; Population ; Society ; Public Institutions ; Convent of Visitation. 
 
 ALEXANDRIA. 
 Situation} Harbor j Commerce. # 
 
 VIRGINIA— Richmond. 
 Situation ; General description ; Burning of the Theatre in 1811. 
 
 NORTH CAROLINA— Raleigh. 
 Origin of its name; Situation ; Brief description. 
 
 SOUTH CAROLINA— Charleston. 
 Situation ; Account of Charleston, by Capt. B. Hall ; Remarks, by F. Hall ; Un- 
 healthiness ; Extract from the Duke of Saxe Weimar's travels ; Rice Mill ; Popula- 
 tion ; Character; Manners; Attack on Charleston, 1776; Gallant defence of Fort 
 Moultrie ; Heroic Achievement of Sergeant Jasper. 
 
 GEORGIA— Savannah. 
 Situation ; Plan of the cijy ; Business ; Commencement of Savannah by Gen. Ogle- 
 thorpe ; Mary Musgrove and Thomas Bosomvvorth ; Difficulties produced by them ; 
 Revolutionary incidents; Siege of Savannah ; Enterprise of six Americans. 
 FLORIDA— St. Augustine. 
 Settlement ; Situation ; Plan of the city ; Fort Mason ; Population ; Character; 
 Schools ; Resort for invalids ; Yellow Fever } Cultivation of the Orange } Patgo ; 
 Pozey dance. 
 
 LOUISIANA— New Orleans. 
 Imposing view of New Orleans ; Situation; Extent; Style of Buildings; Plan; 
 Cathedral ; Churches ; Charitable Institutions ; Population ; Character of Citizens ; 
 Health; Water; Commerce; Market; Influence; Police; Balize ; Breaches in 
 the Levee ; Battle of New Orleans. 
 
 KENTUCKY— Lexington. 
 Settlements; Appearance of the city ; Transylvania University ; Public edifices. 
 
 LOUISVILLE. 
 Commercial importance of Louisville ; Public buildings ; Inhabitants; Canal. 
 
 OHIO.— Cincinnati. 
 Situation ; Rapid Settlement ; Admirable position of Cincinnati ; General plan of 
 the city ; Public buildings ; Manufactures; Commerce; Population; Schools; Pork 
 establishments. 
 
 MISSOURI— St. Louis. 
 Situation ; Recent settlement ; Rapid advancement ; Future prospects. 
 
 MEXICO. 
 
 VERA CRUZ. 
 
 Introductory remarks ; Approach to Vera Cruz ; Castle of St. Juan d'UUoa ; Re- 
 cent destruction of it by the French ; Port of Vera Cruz ; Description of the city ; 
 Unhealthiness } Society ; 'Population. 
 
 PUEBLA. 
 
 Situation ; Population ; Description ; Religious edifices ; Carriages ; Market ; 
 Manufactures. 
 
 CHOLULA. 
 
 Situation ; Population } Manufactures ; Celebrated temple. 
 MEXICO. 
 
 Situation ; Invasion of Cortes, 1519 ; Armament ; Conduct at Vera Cruz ; At- 
 tempted interview with Montezuma ; Resistance to this proposal ; Character of 
 Montezuma; Indecision of the Emperor ; Cunning of Cortes ; Progress of the In- 
 vaders ; Conference between Montezuma and Cortes ; Description of the City by 
 Cortes ; Access to it ; Temples ; Montezuma II. ; Splendor of his Court ; Sacri- 
 fices ; Gladiatorial Sacrifice ; Games ; Fliers ; Powers of Hercules } Measures of 
 Cortes to extend his power ; Montezuma seized ; Execution of Q.ualpopoca ; Artful 
 
Xll CONTENTS. 
 
 expedient of Cortes to secure the command of the lake ; Critical situation of Cortes ; 
 Attack upon the inhabitants ; Retreat of Cortes and death of Montezuma ; Re-ap- 
 pearance of Cortes ; Death of Guatimozin ; Capture of the city ; Modern Mexico ; 
 Situation ; Humboldt's estimate of Mexico ; Plaza Major ; Cathedral ; Palace ; 
 Botanical Garden ; Churches ; Palace of the Inquisition; Hospital of Jesus; Present 
 state of the arts ; University ; Intelligence of the people ; Almeda or Promenade ; 
 Pasco Nuevo ; Police ; Population. 
 
 GUANAXUATO. 
 Situation ; Description ; Population ; Gold and Silver mines ; Inhabitants. 
 
 GUATEMALA— Guatemala. 
 Conquest of Guatemala ; Situation ; Old Guatemala ; Calamities of the old city ; 
 Earthquakes; Epidemics ; Destruction ; Founding of the new City ; Scenery ; Ap- 
 pearance ; Plaza, or Market place ; Aqueducts ; Houses ; Smoking ; Domestic oc- 
 cupations ; Costumes; Marriage customs ; Funerals; State of society ; Wretched 
 character of the Police. 
 
 SOUTH AMERICA. 
 
 BRAZIL. — St. Sebastian, or Rio de Janeiro. 
 .Situation ; First Settlement ; Harbor ; Style of Architecture ; Nuisances ; Des- 
 cription of the City ; Churches'; Cathedral; Royal Palace ; Aqueduct; Manners; 
 Ladies ; Shopkeepers ; Superstitious observances ; Barbers ; Post-office ; Ad- 
 ministration of justice ; Instance of Assassination ; Police ; Executions ; Com- 
 merce ; Manufactures ; Exports ; Coffee ; Sugar ; Population. 
 BAHIA. 
 Situation ; Trade ; General description ; Late improvements ; Society ; Dress ; 
 Amusements. 
 
 COLOMBIA.— Bogota. 
 Situation; Appearance; Public buildings ; Principal streets ; Plaza; Sale of dif- 
 ferent commodities ; Environs ; General routine ; Priests ; Population : Climate ; 
 Cataract of Tequendama. 
 
 CARACCAS. 
 Lay Guayra, the port of Caraccas ; Road to Caraccas ; Mr. Semple's Journey; 
 Situation of Caraccas ; Description ; Public Edifices ; Population ; Awful convul- 
 sion of 1812 ; Extent of the Desolation. 
 
 NEW VALENCIA. 
 
 Situation; Advantageous Position ; Population; Character; Description. 
 
 PUERTO CABELLO. 
 
 Importance; Situation; Harbor; Unhealthiness ; Bay of Burburata. 
 
 CARTHAGENA. 
 
 Bay and Port; Situation of the City ; Description; Strength; Population; Trades; 
 Women of Color; History; Climate. ■—»■«* > 
 
 BOLIVIA.— Chuquisaca. 
 Situation ; Population ; Climate ; Public Buildings. 
 POTOSI. 
 
 Situation ; Population ; Elevation ; Mines ; Mint ; Climate ; Market ; Singular 
 custom ; La Paz ; Oropeza ; Oruro. 
 
 PERU.— Lima. 
 
 r r pl l t"Si C n If l? t ! ie , Por i °. f , L ™ a 5 Road 5 Appearance of Lima; Inhabitants; 
 AHvin^l % 5 Cathedral ; Par,sl * Churches ; University ; Colleges Inquisition 
 A ha rnr^VtL A p^ SeVe ?T SOn; Pfl " theon 5 La«ry and Dissipation'; Abandoned 
 character of the Priests ; Houses ; Streets ; Climate ; Earthquakes ; Dress. 
 
 cusco. 
 
 Situation ; Houses ; Population ; Antiquity. 
 
 ARECIUIPA. 
 Situation ; Population ; General remarks. 
 
 TRUXILLO. 
 
 Situation ; Extent ; Streets ; Dress and Customs. 
 
 BUENOS AYRES.-Buenos Ayres. 
 Name ; Situation ; Population; Houses; Inhabitants: Gauchos • Ox waeons • 
 Fruits; Market ; Plaza ; Shops ; Appearance ; Dress ; Churches. ' g ' 
 
 CHILE.— Santiago. 
 
 Mf„r ; T P ;,^rfrE n do Z i ,rave ' ,erai r '^ m ™> *»—>i «— i 
 
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 
 
 Falls of Niagara, — Frontispiece. page. 
 
 View of Quebec, from the Harbor, ----- X vi. 
 
 View of Montreal, from the St. Lawrence, - - - - 34 
 
 Place d'Arms, Montreal, 41 
 
 View of Boston and Bunker Hill, from Chelsea, - - - 49 
 
 Park street church and Trinity church, Boston, 55 
 Bowdoin Square church, Tremont House, Faneuil Hall, 
 
 ^ Hospital, and King's Chapel, Boston, - - - - 56 
 
 View of Boston, from Dorchester Heights, 69 
 
 Washington's Head-quarters at Cambridge, - - - - 73 
 
 Portrait of General Stark, 77 
 
 Portrait of General Howe, and of General Burgoyne, - - 80 
 
 View of Bunker Hill Monument, 83 
 
 Retreat for the Insane at Hartford, 102 
 
 Wadsworth Atheneum, Hartford, - - - - - 116 
 
 View of Yale College and Park, New Haven, - - - 124 
 
 Portrait of Sowheag, the Great Sachem, - 145 
 
 View of New London, -------- l£2 
 
 First Baptist Church, Providence, 173 
 
 View of New York, from Weehawken, - 190 
 
 Portrait of Verrazzeno, -------- 195 
 
 View of New York, from the Harbor, - 211 
 
 View of the Park and City Hall, New York, - - - 215 
 
 Custom House, New York, - 219 
 
 Trinity Church, New York, 222 
 
 View of the City of Albany, 239 
 
 View of the City of Utica, 251 
 
 View of the*Genesse Falls, at Rochester, - 267 
 
 Washington crossing the Delaware at Trenton, - - 284 
 
 View of Philadelphia, from Camden, 289 
 
 Portrait of William Penn, 294 
 
Xiv LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 
 
 PAGE. 
 
 Artist's Fund Hall, Philadelphia, 297 
 
 Portrait of Stephen Girard, 301 
 
 Girard College, 306 
 
 Suspension Bridge over the Schuylkill River, at Philadelphia, 309 
 Franklin entering Philadelphia. Franklin founding the 
 
 Philadelphia Library, 314 
 
 United States Mint, Philadelphia, 317 
 
 Washington Monument, Baltimore, 339 
 
 Bombardment of Fort McHenry, 345 
 
 Full length Portrait of General Washington, - - 350 
 
 Capitol at Washington, --,.---- 355 
 
 President's House at Washington, 362 
 
 View of Mount Vernon, 374 
 
 View of Fort Washington, 379 
 
 View of the Old Tomb of Washington, - - - - 333 
 
 View of the New Tomb of Washington, - 383 
 
 Portrait of Count D'Estaing, - 418 
 
 Gen. Jackson relieving the wounded after the Battle of N. O. 445 
 
 View of the Mammoth Cave, Kentucky, ... - 449 
 
 View of Vera Cruz, - - 464 
 
 View of Puebla de los Angelos, 470 
 
 View of Jalapa, 476 
 
 Pyramid of Cholula, 479 
 
 View of the City of Mexico, 482 
 
 Portrait of Cortez, * 486 
 
 View of the Great Square in the city of Mexico, - 493 
 
 Common Sacrifice, -- - - - - - - 499 
 
 Gladiatorial Sacrifice, _._._.- 502 
 
 Mexican Feats of Activity— The Fliers, ... - 505 
 
 Mexican Feats of Activity — The Dancers, ... 508 
 
 Montezuma chained by order of Cortez. Retreat of Cortez, 512 
 
 Portrait of Sandoval, 516 
 
 View of the Interior of a Mexican House, ... 520 
 
 Group on the Stone of Sacrifices, 524 
 
 View of Chapultepec, the fortress which commands the city 
 
 of Mexico, _..---.-- 532 
 
 Portrait of Alvarado, 538 
 
 View of Rio Janeiro, .-.----- 552 
 
 Arrieros, or Carriers, -------- 574 
 
 Portrait of Pizarro, -------- 606 
 

 kfl&IOili STREET 
 
 THE 
 
 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 NORTH AMERICA. 
 
 CANADA.— QUEBEC. 
 
 It is somewhere related of the eccentric Dean Swift, that 
 in one of his pedestrian journeys to Holyhead, he stopped 
 at the sign of the Crown, in a place called Church Stratton, 
 and ordered dinner. But, not loving to digest a good meal 
 alone, he inquired of" mine host," who was a good humored 
 and obliging man, whether there was not some agreeable per- 
 son in the town, whom he could invite to share a good din- 
 ner with him. The landlord, on casting about, suggested 
 the curate, Mr. Jones, " who," he said, " was a very com- 
 panionable man, and would have no objection," he dare say, 
 " to spend a few hours, with a gentleman of his (the Dean's) 
 appearance." 
 
 The Dean being quite pleased with the recommendation, 
 desired the landlord to wait upon Mr. Jones, with his com- 
 pliments, and say that a traveller would be glad to be favor- 
 ed with his company, at the Crown, if it was agreeable. 
 
 It happened to be the lecture day of the curate ; but he, 
 thinking that his duty to the stranger and his people might 
 both be performed, accepted the invitation ; and at the hour 
 named, sat down to partake of the hospitality of his new 
 friend, whose name continued still unknown to him. 
 
 On the arrival of three o'clock, the curate felt obliged to 
 excuse himself, to attend divine service at the church. Upon 
 this intimation, the Dean replied, that he would do himself 
 2 
 
18 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 QUEBEC. 
 
 the pleasure to attend also, and hoped to see his clerical 
 friend again, after service. 
 
 When the two gentlemen found themselves once more at 
 the Crown, the Dean began to compliment Mr. Jones, on the 
 delivery of a very appropriate sermon ; and remarked " that 
 it must have cost him some time and attention, to compose 
 such a discourse." 
 
 The curate replied, that his duty was rather laborious, as 
 he also served another parish church, at some distance, and 
 therefore he could pay less attention than he could wish to 
 the composition of his sermons. 
 
 " Well," said the Dean, " you have a fine talent at deliv- 
 ery, and it is well you have ; — my sermon, which you preach- 
 ed this afternoon, cost me a great deal of labor, but you 
 spoke it admirably." 
 
 The curate's countenance fell. 
 
 " However, my good friend," continued the Dean, — 
 " don't be alarmed — you have so good a talent at delivery, 
 that I hereby declare, you have done more honor to my ser- 
 mon, than I could have done myself; and now, by way of 
 compromising matters between us, you must accept this 
 half guinea." 
 
 It will readily occur to our readers, that the author of the 
 following work, is in circumstances, not altogether dissimi- 
 lar to those of the curate. For, not having had the advan- 
 tage of a personal visit to a moiety of the places, which he 
 proposes to describe, he will have to depend upon the pub- 
 lished accounts of travellers, who have been more fortunate. 
 But while he avoids the sin into which the curate fell, in at- 
 tempting to conceal his plagiarism, he hopes to merit some- 
 what of the praise bestowed by the comic Dean, by making 
 his descriptions appear better in this volume, than they do 
 even in the works of the actual travellers themselves. This 
 he will attempt, by enlargement, in case of deficiency, and 
 abridgment, in case of prolixity. And while for the " hon- 
 or" thus done to several authors, he might, perhaps, in 
 courtesy, expect from them a " half guinea," he will be con- 
 tent to receive it from any, who will do him the honor, to 
 purchase the volume. 
 
 Without further detention, by way of exordium, he begs 
 leave to introduce his travelling companions to the ancient 
 and celebrated capital of the Canadas — Quebec. 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 19 
 
 QUEBEC. 
 
 This city is situated in the lower Province of British 
 America, on the north-west side of the river St. Lawrence, 
 180 miles below Montreal ; 400 miles from the sea ; 700 
 west-by-north from Halifax ; and 740 from Washington. 
 
 The city was founded on the third of July, 1608, by Sam- 
 uel de Champlain, geographer to the king. He commenced 
 building on Cape Diamond. In 1629, it was taken by the 
 English ; but was esteemed of so little value, that it was re- 
 stored to the French in 1632. It continued in the hands of 
 private adventurers, or trading companies, till 1633 ; when 
 it was made a royal government, and became a regular and 
 important colony. It was again taken by the British in 
 1759, and with the whole country, was confirmed to them by 
 treaty, in 1763. Since that time, it has been the capital of 
 the British Provinces. 
 
 Quebec occupies the extremity of a promontory, formed 
 by the rivers St. Lawrence and St. Charles. The latter of 
 which, coming down from the northern hills, flows for a 
 time nearly at right angles to the former ; it then makes an 
 abrupt bend towards the east, and gradually inclines down- 
 ward, till the two streams unite before the rocky cape upon 
 which Quebec stands. The city is thus surrounded with 
 water on all but one side. 
 
 The appearance of Cluebec, as you approach it coming 
 down from Montreal, by steamboat, is very imposing. The 
 banks, for some distance above Wolfe's cove — so called, 
 from being the spot, whence General Wolfe and his army 
 ascended the heights of Abraham — are covered, observes 
 Mr. Duncan, with brush-wood, and on the beach below 
 white houses are scattered, at short intervals. The fortifi- 
 cations of the city come gradually into prospect ; first, are 
 seen two of the Martello towers, which like gigantic senti- 
 nels keep watch over the celebrated plains ; then, the re- 
 doubts around the citadel, on the summit of Cape Diamond, 
 slowly develop their strength; embrasures, cannon, and loop 
 holes, successively presenting themselves. Over one battery 
 appears the mast and yard of a telegraph ; and close to the 
 brow of the steep rock, 345 feet above the waters of the 
 river, is the flagstaff and banner of the citadel. At the very 
 bottom of the steep, and apparently covering the very scanty 
 portion of ground which is saved from the encroachment of 
 the river, are the numerous buildings of the lower town of 
 
20 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 QUEBEC. 
 
 Quebec, with the wharfs, which have been projected into 
 the stream, and vessels of various kinds crowding around 
 them. On the right hand bank, and a little lower than the 
 city, Point Levi, covered with buildings, and sloping up more 
 gradually from the river, stretches out, so as considerably to 
 contract the channel. Before you is the ample bay, four 
 miles in length, with the island of Orleans for its back 
 ground, while to the right and left and all around, are nu- 
 merous merchantmen, and an occasional man-of-war ; some 
 of them recently from the ports of Britain, and others wait- 
 ing a wind, to waft them to its shores. 
 
 The harbor is said to be one of the grandest imaginable, 
 strongly resembling the Bay of Naples. It is capable of ac- 
 commodating one hundred sail of the line. The tide rises 
 about 17 feet in common tides, and 23 in spring tides. The 
 common depth of the water is 2S fathoms. Above the city, 
 the St. Lawrence is 12 miles wide ; but here it contracts it- 
 self suddenly to the width of one mile. From this circum- 
 stance, according to some authorities, the city derives its 
 name Quebeio or Quebec, signifying in the Algonquin lan- 
 guage, contraction. On disembarking at the wharfs, it is 
 sometimes necessary to ascend by a sloping plank 40 or 50 
 feet long. 
 
 To a traveller from the United States every thing around 
 him, on entering this city, wears a new and foreign aspect. 
 " Buildings of wood and even of brick," says Professor Sil- 
 liman, " are almost entirely unknown. Stone, either rough 
 from the quarry, or covered with white cement, or hewn ac- 
 cording to the taste and condition of the proprietor, is al- 
 most the only material for building ; roofs, in many in- 
 stances, and generally on the better sort of buildings, glitter- 
 ing with tin plate, with which they are neatly covered ; and 
 turrets and steeples, pouring a flood of light from the same 
 substance : these are among the first things that strike the 
 eyes of a stranger, entering the city of Quebec." 
 
 On looking round upon the inhabitants, " he sees a new 
 population, and, to a great extent, a completely foreign peo- 
 ple, with French faces and French costume ; the French 
 language salutes his ear, as the common tongue of the 
 streets and shops : in short, he perceives that even in the 
 very capital, there is only a sprinkling of English popula- 
 tion ; it is still a French city ; and the cathedral, the exten- 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 21 
 
 QUEBEC. 
 
 sive college of the Jesuits, now used for barracks, and 
 most of the public buildings and private houses are French. 
 He sees troops mingled, here and there, with the citizens ; 
 he perceives the British uniform, and the German, in the 
 British service, which remind him that the country has mas- 
 ters different from the mass of its population ; and although 
 the military are, obviously, not subjects of terror to the citi- 
 zens, the first impression borders on melancholy, when we 
 see these memorials of an empire fallen, and of an empire 
 risen in its stead. Sixty years have done little towards ob- 
 literating the GalHc features of the country. Trumpets and 
 bugles, and French horns now startle us with a sudden burst 
 of martial music, and we can hardly believe that we are not 
 arrived in a fortified town of Europe." 
 
 " For an American city," observes the same traveller, 
 " Quebec is certainly a very peculiar place. 
 
 " A military town — containing about twenty [now thirty] 
 thousand inhabitants — most compactly and permanently 
 built — stone its sole material — environed, as to its most im- 
 portant parts, by walls and gates — and defended by numer- 
 ous heavy cannon — garrisoned by troops, having the arms, 
 the costume, the music, the discipline of Europe — foreign in 
 language, feature, and origin, from most of those whom they 
 are sent to defend — founded upon a rock, and in its highest 
 parts, overlooking a great extent of country — between three 
 and four hundred miles from the ocean — in the midst of a 
 great continent — and yet displaying fleets of foreign mer- 
 chantmen, in its fine capacious bay — and shewing all the 
 bustle of a crowded sea-port — its streets narrow — populous 
 and winding up and down almost mountainous declivities — 
 situated in the latitude of the finest parts of Europe — exhib- 
 iting in its environs, the beauties of an European capital — 
 and yet in winter smarting with the cold of Siberia — gov- 
 erned by" a people, of different language and habits, from the 
 mass of the population — opposed in religion, and yet leaving 
 that population without taxes, and in the full enjoyment of 
 every privilege, civil and religious ; such are some of the 
 most prominent features, which strike a stranger in the city 
 of Quebec."* 
 
 The streets of the city are very narrow, and crowded with 
 
 * Silliman's Tour. 
 
22 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 QUEBEC 
 
 high stone houses ; numerous cars drive furiously along be- 
 tween the granaries and the wharfs, the carmen standing in 
 their vehicles, and scolding in loud and angry French, when 
 their progress is stopped at a narrow pass. The foot path is 
 in general very dirty, from the almost constant nitration of 
 water from the rock above ; and the jolting of comers and 
 goers so constant and annoying, that none but those who 
 have business to detain them, are likely to spend much time 
 in the lower town. 
 
 To men in trade, however, this is the nucleus of Quebec ; 
 the Exchange, the Custom House, the banking offices, with 
 the counting houses, stores, and granaries, of the principal 
 merchants, are all collected in close juxtaposition, into a few 
 narrow streets, or lanes, which encircle the bottom of the 
 rocky precipice, and intervene between it and the river. 
 The greater part of the ground, upon which the lower town 
 stands, has been gained by encroachment upon the channel 
 of the St. Lawrence, and the same process is still going for- 
 ward to extend the habitable limits. 
 
 The approach from the lower to the upper town, is by 
 Mountain street, as it is most appropriately named, lying in 
 a kind of natural cleft in the brow of the precipice. This 
 street, after crossing for a time the face of the hill, like a 
 sheep walk, makes an angular turn, and goes right up the 
 acclivity, where the ascent is least precipitous. The upper 
 town is the seat of government, and the principal residence 
 of the military. The peculiar situation occasions great ir- 
 regularity, and unevenness in the streets. These are gener- 
 ally well paved. The breadth of the principal one is thirty- 
 two feet ; that of others only from twenty-four to twenty- 
 seven feet. 
 
 Among the principal buildings, says Lieutenant Hall, the 
 Government house, or Castle of St. Louis, may take prece- 
 dence. It occupies the site of an old French fortress, which 
 covered four acres, and formed nearly a parallelogram. In 
 1808, seven thousand pounds were appropriated for its re- 
 pair, and embellishment, and an additional sum, at a subse- 
 quent period. It is a thin blue building, which seems quiv- 
 ering on the verge of the precipice, overlooking the lower 
 town, and at least two hundred and fifty feet above it. Its 
 front resembles that of a respectable gentleman's house in 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 23 
 
 QUEBEC. 
 
 England ; the interior contains comfortable family apart- 
 ments. For occasions of public festivity, there is another 
 building, on the opposite side of the court-yard, much re- 
 sembling a decayed gaol. The furniture is inherited and 
 paid for by each successive governor. The grand entrance 
 to the Chatteau is flanked, on one side, by this grim moul- 
 dering pile, and on the other, by stables, with their appro- 
 priate dung-hills. There is a small garden on the bank of 
 the river, commanding, as does the Chatteau itself, an inter- 
 esting view of the opposite shore of the St. Lawrence. 
 
 The public buildings, besides the Castle of St. Louis, are 
 the Hotel Dieu, the Convent of Ursulines, the Monastery of 
 the Jesuits, now used for barracks, the Cathedrals, Catholic 
 and Protestant, the Scotch Church, the lower town Church, 
 the Court House, the Seminary, the new Gaol, and the ar- 
 tillery barracks : there are also a Place D'Armes, a Parade, 
 and an Esplanade. 
 
 The Court House is a modern stone building, one hun- 
 dred and thirty-six feet by forty-four, with a handsome and 
 regular front. 
 
 The Protestant Cathedral is the handsomest modern build- 
 ing in the city. It is built of stone, and is one hundred and 
 thirty-six feet long, by seventy-five broad. It occupies 
 ground nearly as high as any in the place, and is seen at a 
 great distance. 
 
 The Catholic Cathedral is likewise built of stone ; is two 
 hundred and sixteen feet long, and one hundred and eight 
 broad. It is full of pictures and images, and in it are still 
 displayed, with no inconsiderable degree of splendor, the en- 
 ticing ceremonies of the Romish worship, n 
 
 There are several charitable Catholic institutions in 
 Quebec : the principal of these is the ' Hotel Dieu,' founded 
 in 1637, by the Duchess D'Aiguillon, (sister to Cardinal 
 Richelieu,) for the poor sick. The establishment consists 
 of a superior and thirty-six nuns. The principal building is 
 three hundred and eighty-three feet long, by fifty broad. 
 This establishment is highly commended for the humanity, 
 comfort, cleanliness and good arrangement, which prevail 
 in it. 
 
 The Ursuline Convent, founded in 1639, for the education 
 of female children, stands within the city. It is a square 
 whose side is one hundred and twelve feet. 
 
 Mr. Duncan gives the following account of a visit, which 
 
24 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 QUEBEC. 
 
 he made to this convent in 1819, permission having been 
 obtained by a friend for that purpose. " On ringing the 
 bell for admittance, three nuns made their appearance, to 
 whom we handed the order for our admittance. They told 
 us, however, that the Pere D — was that moment in the 
 chapel, hearing confession, and that they should be obliged 
 to detain us without, till he returned. 
 
 " In a few minutes his reverence made his appearance, 
 having entered the convent by a private passage ; the door 
 was then unlocked, and we were admitted. The Mere Su- 
 perieure was waiting to receive us ; a jolly, fresh looking 
 woman, rather above the ordinary height, of a dignified car- 
 riage, and apparently about thirty-five, or forty years of age. 
 We had no sooner changed bows with the ladies, than the 
 usual question was put to me by the Mere Superieure, 
 1 Parlez vous Franpais, Monsieur ? ' Finding, however, 
 that I was rather lame at this, she frankly waived ceremony, 
 and addressed me in English, which she spoke so well, that 
 I could not keep from suspecting that she was of an English 
 family. 
 
 " We were conducted first into the room, in which the 
 nuns hear the service of the chapel; a plain apartment, with 
 an altar and a few pictures. From it we were taken into a 
 kind of parlor, where all the religieuses, except those who 
 were engaged in the school-rooms, were waiting to receive 
 us. They were ranged in a line opposite the door, and im- 
 mediately on our entering, bowed and smiled most graciously, 
 and without the slightest appearance of formality or demure- 
 ness. At one end of the row were four interesting young 
 creatures wearing white veils ; these were in their noviciate, 
 and Pere D — informed us that they wore the white veil two 
 years, before assuming the vows and the black one. Beside 
 them were three, who had been invested with the black veil 
 only a few weeks before ; had I visited Quebec a little sooner, 
 I might have witnessed the ceremony, for it is always public. 
 I was told that these three were only from eighteen to 
 twenty-four years of age ; they seemed not at all°dull, but 
 laughed and talked as good humoredly as any. The four 
 novices seemed to be the only demure individuals among the 
 whole ; they bowed to us like the rest, but relaxed not a 
 muscle of their countenance. 
 
 " The dress of the Ursulines is dismal in the extreme. 
 A long black robe of bombasin with very wide sleeves; a 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 25 
 
 QUEBEC. 
 
 black veil tied round the forehead, and thrown back over 
 the shoulder ; a piece of stiff starched linen covering the 
 breast, and tied down by strings passing under the arms ; the 
 forehead hid by a piece of linen, which covers the eyebrows, 
 and a corresponding bandage brought down under the chin, 
 so as to conceal the ears and part of both cheeks : — all that 
 is elegant and graceful in the human figure is thus com- 
 pletely concealed ; and the poor creatures are in shape and 
 color not very unlike so many walking coffins. Some of 
 them wore a leathern belt at the waist, with a rosary, and 
 cross hanging from it. The dress of the novices differs in 
 nothing from that of the others, excepting the color of the 
 veil ; which, by the way, is not made use of to conceal the 
 features, but is in all cases thrown back over the shoulders. 
 The aspect of the nuns was more interesting than that of 
 the Soeurs Gris at Montreal. Some of the young ones 
 might, I dare say, have been thought pretty, had they worn 
 a less ghastly dress ; a few of the others had something of 
 the grandmother aspect, but some, and the Mere Superieure 
 in particular, had pleasing features, and lady-like deportment. 
 
 "About half a dozen of the nuns accompanied us from 
 room to room, each of whom showed the utmost inclination 
 to enter into conversation with us. We saw three school 
 rooms, all full of neatly dressed girls at their tasks, with two 
 nuns in each as teachers ; two of these were devoted to 
 children of the poorer classes, who are educated at a very 
 small annual sum; the other was for the daughters of those 
 who could afford to pay more liberally. Whenever we en- 
 tered, the whole rose from their seats and courtesied, con- 
 tinuing to stand still, till we left the room. In passing from 
 one room to another we were conducted through a pretty 
 extensive garden ; the wall which surrounds it is not high, 
 and were the sisters disposed to make off, it would present 
 no serious obstacle. 
 
 " From the schools, we were conducted to the kitchen, 
 and dining hall. The kitchen has a pump well within it, 
 and the chimney is of ample size, somewhat resembling those 
 of an old baronial castle. The dining hall is floored with 
 bricks of an octagon shape, and covered with a kind of red 
 varnish, which they told us was cow's blood. Long tables 
 of deal surround the hall, with a drawer for each individual, 
 containing a knife, fork, and spoon ; all exceedingly clean 
 and neat. Two of the nuns, in succession, wait upon the 
 
26 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 QUEBEC. 
 
 others. Passing through a gallery, which led I believe to 
 sleeping apartments, I remarked over each of the doors an 
 inscription in French ; over one of them, ' Pour un moment 
 de travail, une eternite de repos. 1 Before taking leave, some 
 little ornaments of neatly wrought bark-work were exhibited 
 to us, of which I purchased one or two. 
 
 " We had been about an hour within, when a bell rang, 
 which Pere D — gave us to understand was the signal for 
 our departure. The nuns conducted us to the door, which 
 I attempted to open, but found it locked ; the Superieure, 
 before producing the key, joked us very good humoredly at 
 the unusual predicament, in which we found ourselves. The 
 parting was as courteous and polite, as could well be ; we 
 did not indeed shake hands, but no ladies could have pro- 
 nounced a more affable and unceremonious ' Bon jour, 
 
 Messieurs ! Bon jour. 
 
 » "# 
 
 Quebec may be considered the " Gibraltar " of America, 
 being better fortified by nature and art, than any other town 
 on the American continent. These fortifications, Mr. Dun- 
 can thus describes : 
 
 " On the south and east, the precipice of rock, on which 
 the city stands, is in most places perfectly inaccessible, while 
 the more practicable points admit of easy and effectual de- 
 fence. On the north, the banks of the St. Charles are low, 
 shallow, and muddy ; effectually securing the town from the 
 approach of ships of war, or the erection of hostile works ; 
 both of which, besides, would, in this situation, be under 
 the fire of the batteries along the brow of the rock. The 
 only vulnerable point is on the west, adjoining to the Plains 
 of Abraham. 
 
 " The citadel, upon the highest part of Cape Diamond, 
 may be said to be the nucleus of the works, which have been 
 erected to protect this side of Quebec. No strangers, unless 
 by very rare and special permission from the highest authori- 
 ties, nor in general any but the military, are permitted to 
 enter the citadel. I understand, however, that there is really 
 nothing extraordinary to be seen. Its defences are of the 
 strongest kind, its guns of the largest calibre ; and magazines 
 are embraced within its circuit, which might enable the gar- 
 rison to make a final stand, even were the whole range of 
 
 * Duncan's Travels. 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 27 
 
 QUEBEC. 
 
 the outer works reduced by an enemy. The highest point 
 within the citadel is Brock's battery, which was erected 
 during the last war, and commands, it is said, all the works on 
 this side of the town. From the citadel, which is immedi- 
 ately over the St. Lawrence, enormous walls cross the plain, 
 extending down towards the St. Charles. These walls have 
 all the additional aid of outer-works, ditch, glacis, and cov- 
 ered way. Strong bastions project at intervals; and in 
 whatever direction you look, heavy cannon converge, so as 
 to meet the assailant at every turn, both with a direct and 
 cross tire. There are two gates on this side, St. John's and 
 St. Louis's; but every approach to them is fortified with such 
 jealous care, that one cannot conceive a possibility of their 
 ever being entered, but by consent of the garrison. The 
 wall at each gate is said to be about fifty feet in thickness. 
 Within the walls, and between the two gates, is a fine 
 sloping bank, or esplanade of considerable extent. Other bat- 
 teries and lines of defence are continued round the brow of 
 the rock, on both sides, towards the lower town ; but, ex- 
 cepting in the neighborhood of the Prescott gate, there ap- 
 pears to be comparatively little occasion for them. Between 
 this gate and the St. Charles, is the grand battery, command- 
 ing the bay and a greater part of the harbor. 
 
 " Upon the whole, Quebec may be regarded as pretty 
 nearly impregnable. The walls are so high that escalade is 
 hopeless; so thick, that a breach seems impracticable; and 
 while Britain retains its naval superiority in the river, block- 
 ade is out of the question. The length and severity of the 
 winter, also, act as a powerful auxiliary, for field operations 
 could scarcely then be carried on. I have heard it indeed 
 said, that, in the winter nights, the sentinels on the ramparts 
 are relieved every fifteen minutes, so overpowering is the 
 intensity of the cold." 
 
 Quebec has been the theatre, at different times, of several 
 interesting and important military operations. 
 
 In 1759, while Canada was yet in possession of the French, 
 an attempt was made by the English under General Wolfe, 
 for its reduction. The place was at that time strong by na- 
 ture, and fortified by art. An attempt to reduce it must 
 have appeared chimerical to any one, but to Mr. Pitt, then 
 prime minister of England. He indeed well knew the dan- 
 ger of the enterprise ; but, at the same time, he knew the 
 
28 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 QUEBEC. 
 
 qualifications of Wolfe, as leader of the arduous expedition. 
 The assistants of Wolfe, Monckton, Townshend, and Mur- 
 ray were, like himself, young, ardent, and emulous of mili- 
 tary glory. Early in the season, he sailed from Halifax with 
 8000 troops ; and about the last of June landed the whole 
 army, on the island of Orleans, a few miles below Quebec. 
 From this position, a near and distinct view could be taken 
 of the obstacles to be surmounted, and even the bold and 
 sanguine mind of Wolfe perceived more to fear, than to hope 
 for, in the enterprise. 
 
 His attention was first drawn to Point Levi, on the bank 
 of the river, opposite Quebec, and from that position he 
 cannonaded the town. Some injury was done to the houses, 
 but his cannon were too far distant to make any impression 
 upon the works of the enemy. He resolved to quit this post, 
 and to land below Montmorency, and, passing that river, to 
 attack the French General in his intrenchments. He suc- 
 ceeded in landing his troops, and with a portion of his army 
 crossed the Montmorency. A partial engagement took place, 
 in which the French obtained the advantage. Relinquishing 
 this plan, he then determined, in concert with the Admiral, 
 to destroy the French shipping and magazines. Two at- 
 tempts were unsuccessful ; a third was more fortunate ; yet, 
 but little was effected. Deeply impressed with the disasters 
 at Montmorency, his extreme chagrin affected his spirits, 
 preyed upon his delicate frame, and at length brought him 
 to a sick bed. Before he had sufficiently recovered, he pro- 
 ceeded to put into execution a plan, which he had matured 
 on that sick bed. This was to proceed up the river, gain 
 the heights of Abraham, and draw Montcalm to a general 
 engagement. 
 
 The difficulties attending this enterprise were numerous. 
 The current was rapid, the shore shelving, the only landing 
 place so narrow that it might easily be missed in the dark, 
 and the steep above such as troops, even when unopposed, 
 could not ascend without difficulty. Yet the plan, though 
 bold and hazardous, was well adapted to the desperate situa- 
 tion of affairs, and was determined on. 
 
 "On the twelfth of September," observes Professor Silli- 
 man, " one hour after midnight, General Wolfe, with his ar- 
 my, leaving the ships, embarked in boats, and silently dropped 
 down with the current, intending to land a league above 
 Cape Diamond, and thus to gain the heights of Abraham. 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 29 
 
 QUEBEC. 
 
 But owing to the rapidity of the current, they fell below their 
 intended place, and disembarked at what is now called Wolfe's 
 Cove, a mile, or a mile and a half, above the city. This 
 operation was a most critical one — they had to navigate in 
 silence, down a most rapid stream — to hit upon the right 
 place for landing, which, in the dark, might be easily mis- 
 taken — the shore was shelving, and scarcely practicable, even 
 without opposition. Doubtless, it was this combination of 
 circumstances, which lulled the vigilance of the wary and 
 observing Montcalm : he thought such an enterprise abso- 
 lutely impracticable, and therefore had stationed only senti- 
 nels and picket guards along this precipitous shore." 
 
 No one, who did not possess the resolution and daring 
 spirit of Wolfe, would have attempted so hazardous an ad- 
 venture. On reaching the shore, Wolfe leaped from the 
 boat, but observing the forbidding appearance of the preci- 
 pice full of rugged projections, he whispered to an officer, 
 who stood by, " I don't believe there is any possibility of get- 
 ting up, but you must do your endeavor." Fired with the 
 zeal which animated their commander, the troops began pull- 
 ing themselves up by means of the boughs, stumps of trees, 
 and projections of rocks. It was an hour before the dawn 
 of day. By daylight they were formed and in perfect prepar- 
 ation for battle. 
 
 Montcalm, at first could not believe that the English had 
 ascended the heights. When convinced of the fact, he com- 
 prehended the full advantage they had gained. He saw that 
 a battle was inevitable, and prepared for it, with promptness 
 and courage. Leaving his camp at Montmorency, he ad- 
 vanced towards the English army, which was formed in or- 
 der of battle to receive him. The French advanced briskly. 
 The English reserved their fire, until the enemy were near, 
 and then gave it with decisive effect. Early in the engage- 
 ment, Wolfe was wounded in the wrist ; but preserving his 
 composure, he continued to encourage his troops. Soon af- 
 ter, he received a shot in the groin. This painful wound he 
 also concealed, placed himself at the head of the grenadiers, 
 and was leading them to charge, when he received a third 
 and mortal wound. Undismayed by the fall of their General, 
 the English continued their exertions under Monckton, who 
 in a short time, was himself wounded, and the command de- 
 volved upon Townshend. About the same time Montcalm 
 received a mortal wound, and the second in command also 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 QUEBEC. 
 
 fell. The left wing and centre of the French gave way. 
 Part were driven into Quebec, and part over the river St. 
 Charles. 
 
 On receiving his mortal wound, "Wolfe was conveyed into 
 the rear, where, careless about himself, he discovered in the 
 agonies of death, the most anxious solicitude concerning the 
 fate of the day. From extreme faintness, he had reclined 
 his head on the arm of an officer, but was soon aroused by 
 the cry of " They fly, they fly! " " Who fly ? " exclaimed 
 the dying hero. " The French," answered his attendant. 
 " Then," said he, " I die contented; " and immediately ex- 
 pired. 
 
 Montcalm survived long enough to write a letter with his 
 own hand to the English General, recommending the French 
 prisoners to his humanity. When informed that his wound 
 was mortal, he expressed his satisfaction, that he should not 
 live to see the fall of Quebec. Five days after the battle, 
 the city surrendered. 
 
 All the incidents of the battle were distinctly seen from 
 the walls of duebec. It was a thrilling scene. More than a 
 thousand French in an hour or two fell on this field of car- 
 nage, either killed, or wounded. The killed and wounded 
 of the English were about half of this number. 
 
 What melancholy reflections are excited by such horrors 
 of war! What bitterness of spirit — what deadly revenge, in 
 the bosoms of contending armies! While we admire the 
 military enthusiasm and intrepidity of generals and soldiers, in 
 such a scene as this, who does not mourn over such needless 
 waste of life? Who does not feel his heart sink, at the ex- 
 ultation of the dying hero over the death of his foes, in the 
 moment that he was ascending to the tribunal of God 1 Hap- 
 py that day for the world, when the confused noise of the 
 battle of the warrior will be heard no more, and garments 
 shall no more be seen rolled in blood. No undue censure is 
 designed to be cast upon Wolfe, Montcalm, or the soldiers 
 under their command ; but only to pour forth that regret, 
 which the heart of tenderness feels in the view of the need- 
 less death in the field of battle of those, who, by their talents 
 and influence were pre-eminently fitted for the advancement 
 of the best interests of men, and the diffusion of the peacea- 
 ble religion of Christ. 
 
 In the early part of the Revolutionary war of the United 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. fg 
 
 QUEBEC. 
 
 States with Great Britain, Quebec was again the scene of 
 military operations. General Richard Montgomery, who had 
 fought with Wolfe in the battle of Quebec in 1759, had, af- 
 ter that event, taken up his residence in the colony of New 
 York ; and, on the breaking out of the war, had espoused 
 the American cause. In 1775, he was appointed a general 
 in the Northern army ; and, on the indisposition of General 
 Schuyler, took the chief command. Soon after this, he re- 
 duced several forts, and took possession of Montreal. On re- 
 ceiving the submission of this latter place, he pushed on to- 
 wards Quebec. 
 
 In the mean time, Colonel Arnold had been detached from 
 the camp before Boston, at the head of 1,000 men, with or- 
 ders to march on Quebec, by way of the river Kennebec. 
 Through an unexplored route of 300 miles — through 
 swamps and woods, over mountains and precipices, and amid 
 hardships and trials of a most uncommon character, did this 
 general, and his resolute troops work their way ; and, at the 
 expiration of thirty-one days, encamped on the southern 
 banks of the St. Lawrence, opposite Quebec. 
 
 The sudden and unexpected appearance of such a hostile 
 force threw the inhabitants of the city into great alarm ; and 
 could Arnold have crossed the river immediately, it would 
 probably have fallen into his hands. Boats, however, were 
 not in readiness, and several days were consumed, in pre- 
 paring a sufficient number. At length, he made the passage 
 — ascended the heights of Abraham, at the spot where Wolfe 
 and his enthusiastic troops had ascended before him. The 
 inhabitants and garrison of Quebec had had time to recover 
 their courage, and to put the city in a state of defence. To 
 Arnold's summons to surrender, the only reply was a firing at 
 his flags. Being in no condition to undertake a siege, he 
 withdrew his troops twenty miles up the river, and awaited 
 the arrival of Montgomery. 
 
 On the arrival of the latter — their united forces not ex- 
 ceeding a thousand men — a descent was again made upon the 
 city. But their artillery made no impression upon the fortifi- 
 cations, and a whole month was spent without any success. 
 In this state, it was determined to make an assault. " The 
 American camp was on the plains of Abraham. Four points 
 of attack were agreed on — two feints against the walls of the 
 upper town, one at St. John's gate, and the other near a cit- 
 adel, while two real assaults were to be directed against two 
 
32 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 QUEBEC. 
 
 other points, both in the lower town, but situated on opposite 
 sides. 
 
 " General Arnold led a party from the plains of Abraham, 
 around by the river Charles, and assaulted the lower town, 
 on that side. In the mean time, General Montgomery ap- 
 proached under Cape Diamond. 
 
 " The pass at the foot of Cape Diamond was probably, 
 then, much narrower and more difficult than at present. 
 The attempt was made at five o'clock, on the morning of 
 December 31, 1775, in the midst of a Canadian winter, and 
 of a violent snow-storm, and of darkness. The path, narrow 
 and difficult at best, was then so much obstructed by enor- 
 mous masses of ice, piled on each other, as to render the 
 way almost impassable. Montgomery's party were therefore 
 obliged to proceed in a narrow file, till they reached a pick- 
 eted block-house, which formed the first barrier.. The Gen- 
 eral assisted with his own hands, in cutting down and re- 
 moving the pickets, and the Canadian guards, stationed for 
 its defence, having thrown away their arms, fled, after a 
 harmless random fire. The next barrier was much more form- 
 idable ; it was a small battery, whose cannon were loaded 
 with grape shot, and as General Montgomery, with Captains 
 Cheesman and Macpherson, the latter of whom was his aid, 
 and others of the bravest of his party, were pressing forward 
 towards this barrier — a discharge of grape shot killed the 
 General, and most of those near his person, and terminated 
 the assault on that side of the town. It is said that this sec- 
 ond barrier had also been abandoned, but that one or two 
 persons returning to it, seized a slow match, and applied it 
 to the gun, when the advancing party were not more than for- 
 ty yards from it. This occurrence has been sometimes dif- 
 ferently related. Some American gentlemen who were at 
 Quebec about sixteen years since, saw a man, who asserted 
 that he was the person, who touched off the cannon, and what 
 is very remarkable, he was a New Englander. He related 
 that the barrier was abandoned, and the party who had been 
 stationed at it were in full flight ; but as it occurred to him, 
 that there was a loaded cannon, he turned and discharged it 
 at random, and then ran."* 
 
 On the fall of Montgomery, signals were made to Arnold's 
 party, by means of rockets, that all was lost. On the re- 
 
 * Silliman'a Tour to Quebec. 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 35 
 
 MONTREAL. 
 
 turn of light, the body of General Montgomery was found, 
 and near him one of his aids, with several other distinguished 
 officers, besides privates, either killed or wounded. 
 
 The death of Montgomery was deeply lamented, both in 
 Europe and America. All enmity to him seemed to expire 
 with his life, and the respect to his private character pre- 
 vailed over all other considerations; his dead body received 
 every possible mark of distinction from the victors, and was 
 interred in Quebec, with all the military honors due to a 
 brave soldier. Congress directed a monument to be erected 
 to his memory, expressive of their sense of his high patriot- 
 ism, and heroic conduct. This monument stands in front of 
 St. Paul's Church in the city of New York. In 1818, at 
 the expense of that State, his remains were removed to that 
 city, and now repose near the monument. 
 
 MONTREAL. 
 
 From Quebec to Montreal, the distance is 180 miles. 
 The customary mode of travelling between these two cities 
 was until within a few years by means of Calashes,* along 
 the bank of the river, where there was a regular establish- 
 ment of post houses, under government regulation. The 
 usual mode of conveyance now is by means of steamboats, 
 which will probably, as they carry goods as well as passen- 
 gers, soon supersede almost entirely the arrival of square 
 rigged vessels at Montreal. The fare up the river, it is believ- 
 ed, is usually somewhat higher than the fare down the river ; 
 
 * " The Calash is not unlike an American chaise or gig, but is built 
 much stouter, and with or without a top ; the horse is much farther from 
 the body of the carriage, and this allows room for the driver, whose seat 
 rests on the front or foot board of that part of the vehicle in which we 
 ride ; this foot board, after sloping in the usual manner, then rises per- 
 pendicularly, to such a height as to sustain the seat ; high sides are also 
 furnished to the part where the feet rest in a common chaise, and thus 
 children and baggage are secured from falling out. The calash carries 
 two grown persons on the seat within, besides the driver, who is often a 
 man ; his seat, and the board which supports it, fall, by means of hinges, 
 when the passengers are to get in, and the board and seat are then 
 hooked up again to their place when the driver mounts." — Tour be- 
 tween Hartford and Quebec. 
 
36 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 MONTREAL. 
 
 the difference is occasioned by the increased length of time, 
 which it usually requires to stem the current. 
 
 Montreal is built upon an island of the same name, about 
 32 miles in length. The site of the town was originally 
 fixed upon by Jaques Cartier, who in 1635, or '36, first sail- 
 ed thus far up the St. Lawrence. It was then occupied by 
 an Indian village. The city was begun in 1640, when a few 
 houses were built. The place was originally called Ville 
 Marie. There seems however, says Mr. Silliman, to have 
 been one error in locating the future city. It was meant to 
 be at the head of navigation ; it is literally so ; and ships 
 can go up to the very city, although it is not natural to do it 
 with vessels of more than a hundred and fifty tons. Vessels 
 drawing fifteen feet of water, can lie at Market gate, high 
 up in the city ; the general depth of water in the harbor is from 
 three to four and a half fathoms. Unfortunately, however, 
 the rapid of St. Mary, at the extreme end of the town, or 
 rather, near one of its suburbs, is so powerful an obstacle, 
 that nothing but a very strong wind will force a vessel 
 through, when not impelled by any other power. 
 
 The city and its suburbs, according to Mr. Duncan, ex- 
 tend for nearly two miles, along the northern, or rather the 
 western bank of the St. Lawrence ; for the course of the 
 river takes a bend here, and runs very nearly from south to 
 north. From the opposite bank, the town has a showy ap- 
 pearance, and in summer the circumjacent scenery is ex- 
 ceedingly beautiful. Behind and to the left of the city, rises 
 the mountain, from which it originally took its name ; not 
 a conical eminence, but a swelling semicircular ridge, with 
 its concave surface towards the stream, and placed like a 
 rampart behind a city, to shield it in winter from the un- 
 kindly blast. A dense forest covers the greater part of the 
 hill, except where space has been cleared for a few neatly 
 built mansion houses, whose bright tin roofs glitter in the 
 sunbeams. Behind one of the most remote of these, a mon- 
 umental column rises from among the trees. Between the 
 bottom of the eminence and the spires of the city, a thin 
 blue smoke ascends from part of the suburbs, which the sink- 
 ing of the ground conceals from view. In front of its dark 
 colored outline are the tall masts of merchantmen from the 
 Thames, the Mersey, and the Clyde ; huge steamboats with 
 double chimneys ; river craft of all sizes ; and enormous 
 rafts of timber. In the middle of the stream reposes the 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 37 
 
 MONTREAL. 
 
 island of St. Helena, encircled by a group of smaller 
 ones ; while the unceasing sound of a small rapid, which 
 surrounds them, falls gently on the ear. To the right and 
 left rolls the majestic flood of the St. Lawrence, about two 
 miles in width, and although yet five hundred miles from the 
 ocean, capable of floating on its surface vessels of six or 
 seven hundred tons burden. 
 
 The city, unfortunately, does not gain much upon you, 
 by a nearer inspection. The streets are for the greater part 
 most inconveniently narrow, and the foot walks in many 
 places encumbered with cellar doors, and other projections. 
 The dark colored limestone of which the houses are built, 
 has a dull effect, and the massive iron shutters, folded back 
 from almost every window and door, considerably increase 
 the gloom. The bright tin which covers the spires and roofs, 
 has decided utility to recommend it, but in a warm sunshine its 
 reflection is painful to the eyes, and at all times it has an air 
 of flaunting vulgarity. Blue slate harmonizes much more 
 agreeably with the azure of the sky, but it will not stand, as 
 I have been told, the intense cold which prevails in winter. 
 The tin is put on in rows, not parallel, but obliquely to the 
 eaves of the house, the nails which fasten it are carefully 
 overlapped, and no where is the slightest degree of rust to 
 be seen. 
 
 Between the older part of the city and the mountain, some 
 wider streets have been laid out, which will greatly improve 
 the general features of Montreal ; and I have been astonished 
 to observe on my second visit, the great number of buildings 
 which have started up, in various directions, since the pe- 
 riod of my first visit. The town is obviously increasing with 
 rapidity, and a number of very splendid mansions have lately 
 been erected on the slope of the mountain, which would be 
 regarded as magnificent residences, even by the wealthy mer- 
 chants of the mother country. 
 
 The population of Montreal, continues the same author, 
 notwithstanding the mixture of British merchants, has still 
 an aspect decidedly French, and that language assails your 
 ear in every quarter. The dress of the lower orders is some- 
 what peculiar. The women and children have a kind of 
 quaint formality, in the shape of their clothes ; the men, in 
 place of a hat, wear a red or blue nightcap, of a thick tex- 
 ture, with a party-colored worsted sash around their waist, 
 
38 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 MONTREAL. 
 
 and shoes fashioned like the Indian moccasins, but of thick- 
 er leather. They are great smokers, and seldom to be seen 
 without a small black pipe in their mouths, not unlike the 
 Scotch cutty. The politeness of the common people is quite 
 characteristic of their descent, and a couple of carmen can- 
 not address each other on the street without pulling off their 
 caps, and " Bon jour, Monsieur.' 1 The Romish priests, who 
 are seen gliding quietly along, are habited in a close black 
 robe, buttoned up in front, with a small scull-cap under an 
 ordinary hat, and the lappet of a small black band, with white 
 edges, depending below the chin. The students of the Sem- 
 inary wear a long blue surtout, with seams of white cloth, 
 and a sash of colored worsted round the waist, gathered into 
 a knot in front. 
 
 Besides the varieties of costume to which I have alluded, a 
 few Indians are almost always in the streets, from the Caugh- 
 nawaga village. Some of them have a squalid and dirty ap- 
 pearance, but others, and more particularly the females, are 
 very decently attired : I have indeed seen some of them with 
 an ample mantle of fine blue cloth, over garments of India 
 silk. They are fond of silver ornaments, and have generally 
 a broad ring round their hats, and a large disk perforated 
 with holes, hanging on their breast. I saw a group the 
 other day sitting near the old market, one of whom had an in- 
 fant suspended at her back, strapped down like an Indian 
 mummy to a piece of board. This singular cradle has a pro- 
 jection to defend the child's head, and is adorned with col- 
 ored cloth and beads. I have seen two or three children 
 swathed in this way, none of whom seemed at all impatient 
 of the confinement. 
 
 Of the merchants of Montreal, I believe the greater pro- 
 portion are Scotchmen. A few Englishmen mingle with 
 them, and there are also a considerable number of Ameri- 
 cans, from the New England States, who are distinguished 
 by characteristic shrewdness and perseverance, which have 
 made the natives of that part of the Union so noted, through- 
 out the rest of the country. So far as I have been able to 
 discover, the utmost harmony prevails between them and 
 those, who are by birth subjects of our sovereign. I dined 
 at a gentleman's house who had thus become voluntarily 
 subject to the laws of our native country ; he said that he 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 39 
 
 MONTREAL. 
 
 could not discover that his liberty had been at all abridged by 
 the change.* 
 
 Montreal possesses a few public buildings, civil, military, 
 and ecclesiastical ; the neatest of which, for none of them 
 can be called elegant, are the new Court House and the Gaol. 
 Behind the Court House is the Champ de Mars ; a very level 
 piece of ground of considerable extent, which is a favorite 
 promenade in the summer evenings, and the principal scene 
 of military displays. Opposite to the Gaol, is a monument to 
 the memory of Lord Nelson, consisting of a Doric column, 
 springing from a square pedestal, and surmounted with a statue 
 of the Admiral. Upon the four sides of the pedestal are bas- 
 so-relievo representations of his principal achievements, sur- 
 rounded with inscriptions and allegorical figures. The col- 
 umn is of stone, the statue and bas-reliefs of composition. 
 It stands at the top of a pretty steep street, at right angles to 
 the river. His lordship looks towards the river, because the 
 best view of the monument is obtained from the bottom of 
 the declivity ; but it unfortunately happens that the principal 
 street of the city passes behind him, and he has consequently 
 turned his back upon it, and all it contains. 
 
 The Episcopal Church, a recent erection, was intended 
 to be a splendid one, with a towering spire ; but the where- 
 withal was exhausted ere the spire grew up ; and for the 
 present, a covering of boards serves to indicate where it is 
 intended to be. 
 
 The Hotel Dieu, founded in 1644, is three hundred and 
 twenty-four feet in front, by four hundred and sixty-eight 
 deep ; it is attended by thirty-six nuns, who administer to the 
 sick and diseased of both sexes. 
 
 The Convent of La Congregation de Notre Dame, forms 
 a range of buildings, two hundred and thirty-four feet in 
 front, by four hundred and thirty-three : the object of this 
 institution is female instruction. 
 
 The General Hospital, or Convent of the Grey Sisters, was 
 founded in 1750 : it occupies a space along the little river 
 St. Pierre, of six hundred and seventy-eight feet, and is a 
 refuge for the infirm poor and invalids. 
 
 The Cathedral of Notre Dame is one hundred and forty- 
 four feet by ninety-four ; this church we thought in some 
 respects more splendid in the interior, but less grand, than 
 
 * Duncan's Travels. 
 
40 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 MONTREAL. 
 
 that at Quebec. It contains, among other things, a gigantic 
 wooden image of the Saviour on the cross. The Cathedral 
 stands completely in the street of Notre Dame, across the 
 Place D'Arms, and entirely obstructs the view up and down 
 the street. This church is, on the outside, rude and un- 
 sightly. 
 
 The Seminary of St. Sulspice, occupies three sides of a 
 square, and is one hundred and thirty-two feet by ninety, 
 with spacious gardens. It was founded about 1657. 
 
 The new College, or Petit SeminaTre, is in the Recollet 
 suburbs ; it is two hundred and ten feet, by forty-five, with 
 a wing at each end of one hundred and eighty-six feet by for- 
 ty-five ; it is an appendage of the other seminary, and de- 
 signed to extend its usefulness, by enlarging its accommoda- 
 tions. 
 
 There is near the mountain of Montreal, another append- 
 age of the seminary. It appears to be about a mile from the 
 town — it is a considerable stone building, surrounded by a 
 massy wall, which encloses extensive gardens, &,c. This 
 place was formerly called Chateau desSigneurs de Montreal ; 
 but now it has the appellation of La Maison des Pretres. It 
 is a place of recreation, resorted to, once a week, by both the 
 superiors and pupils of the seminary. 
 
 The principal French Church, according to Mr. Duncan, 
 is open throughout the whole week, from an early hour till 
 late in the evening ; and a number of Canadians may at all 
 times be seen kneeling and offering prayers before the altars, 
 of which there are four or five. Around the sides of the 
 church are several confessionals, where you see others upon 
 their knees, whispering through a grating, behind which the 
 priest is seated. 
 
 " The external appearance of this church is exceedingly 
 plain. The roof and spire are covered with tin ; and a 
 cipher formed by the letters A and M, appears on various 
 places, which is to be interpreted ' Ave Maria.' The inte- 
 rior is gaudy and glittering in the extreme, and around the 
 walls are several pictures, a few of which are apparently of 
 considerable merit. The church is dedicated to the Virgin 
 Mary, of whom a pretty large statue occupies a recess, im- 
 mediately above the principal altar. Encircling this altar 
 are four fluted Corinthian columns, supporting a semicircu- 
 lar frieze and cornice, from which springs a scroll work, 
 terminated by a large French crown ; the whole glowing in 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 43 
 
 MONTREAL. 
 
 bright green and gold. Upon the altar are as usual a cruci- 
 fix, large candlesticks, and boquets of artificial flowers ; be- 
 fore it, suspended from the roof, is a small oil lamp, which 
 is kept perpetually burning. On both sides of the elevated 
 platform, on which the altar stands, are seats for some of the 
 higher orders of clergy. On the left side, considerably ele- 
 vated, is a huge crucifix of barbarous workmanship. 
 
 " I have frequently stepped into this church to see what 
 was going forward. One .day I learned that two new bells 
 were to be placed in the steeple, and that, preparatory to 
 this, they were to be baptized ! This was a sight not to be 
 missed, and I accordingly took care to be in church, at 
 the hour appointed. The bells were suspended near the 
 centre of the church, from a temporary wooden erection, 
 and near them were a table and some chairs. Soon after we 
 had assembled, a door near the upper end of the church was 
 thrown open, and forth issued a procession of priests, pre- 
 ceded by two boys in white robes, carrying a pair of enor- 
 mous candles, in candlesticks of corresponding dimensions, 
 and two behind carrying a little silver vessel of oil, and water 
 in a silver vase. The priests were variously attired, some in 
 black, others in white, and a few in gorgeous robes of silk 
 and gold. 
 
 " The boys placed the candlesticks on the table near the 
 bells, and the priests bestowed themselves in the chairs, 
 around the table, or on the seats, which surrounded the prin- 
 cipal altar ; prayers were then chanted, after which an old 
 ecclesiastic in white ascended the pulpit, and addressed the 
 congregation, in a pretty long French oration. My knowl- 
 edge of the language was too limited to admit of my fully un- 
 derstanding the old gentleman's address, but I was informed 
 by those who did, that it was intended to impress the minds of 
 his auditors with the solemnity of the approaching cere- 
 mony ; and I doubt not that he thought we much needed 
 some such admonition, for the aspect of the congregation 
 was by no means very devout. There was a great crowd 
 present, and with many, as with myself, curiosity seemed to 
 be the most active principle, for they scrambled upon the tops 
 of the pews, and pushed one another so tumultuously, that 
 the old priest twice stopped his address to rebuke us, and on 
 one occasion clapped his hands very angrily, and threatened 
 to suspend the ceremony. I must in justice add, that a great 
 number of the auditors were not Canadians. 
 
44 
 
 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 MONTREAL. 
 
 " Descending from the rostrum, he was invested with a 
 robe of gaudier colors, and having pronounced a solemn ben- 
 ediction upon the water in the vase, he dipped a brush in it 
 and made the sign of the cross upon each bell, inside and 
 out, accompanying it with the solemn words, '. In nomine 
 Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancte ! ' Other two then set 
 to work, and completed what he had begun, brushing the 
 bells all over, and then with snow-white towels wiping them 
 dry. Some oil was then consecrated, with which the sign of 
 the cross was made on a variety of places on each bell, and 
 then carefully wiped dry with a little cotton. A silver cen- 
 ser with live coals was next produced, into which some in- 
 cense was thrown ; and, after being waved three times in the 
 air, it was held under each bell, till they were quite filled 
 with the odorous fumes. 
 
 " Two old gentlemen and their venerable spouses now 
 came forward, and one pair was stationed at each bell. 
 These were the godfathers and godmothers of the new mem- 
 bers of the holy church ; and after having answered some 
 questions to the satisfaction of the priests, they had the honor 
 of bestowing names on their godchildren. This, it seems, 
 is an honor which is much coveted, and is only conceded to 
 those who are able and willing to pay handsomely for the 
 distinction. The oldest priest now took hold of the clapper, 
 and tolled each befl three times, which was immediately re- 
 peated by each of the sponsors. The old couples now pro- 
 duced presents for their bantlings ; first a large roll of linen 
 for each bell, which was swathed round it by the officiating 
 priests; then rolls of crimson silk, one of which was rich- 
 ly figured, succeeded by laces of fringes; and the whole was 
 bound on by a splendid allowance of white silk riband. The 
 ceremony was now wound up by a short prayer or two, 
 chanted by the priests, when the large candlesticks were 
 again elevated, and the whole fraternity retired as they had 
 entered." 
 
 M'Culloch regards the Roman Catholic cathedral, opened 
 in 1829, as "superior to any other church in British America. 
 It is of Gothic architecture, 225 feet in length by 134 feet in 
 breadth. It is faced with stone, and roofed with tin, and has 
 six towers, of which the three belonging to the main front are 
 220 feet in height. On the roof is a promenade, 76 feet in 
 length by 20 in breadth, elevated 120 feet. The principal 
 window is 64 feet in height by 32 in breadth. The interior 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 45 
 
 MONTREAL. 
 
 is capable of accommodating between 10,000 and 12,000 per- 
 sons, who may disperse by numerous outlets in five or six 
 minutes. It comprises seven convenient chapels and nine 
 spacious aisles." 
 
 Montreal is the centre of the commerce between Canada 
 and the United States, carried on by Lake Champlain and the 
 Hudson ; and not only is it the resort of all the adjacent coun- 
 try, but most of the business done in Quebec is carried on by 
 branches from the Montreal houses. In 1838, 98 ships, of 
 the aggregate burden of 22,289 tons, entered, a&d 99 ships, 
 burden 21,901 tons, left the port; and the amount has been 
 considerably augmented since that time. Formerly this city 
 was the head-quarters of the fur-trade, but its interest in it has 
 greatly declined. It has, however, iron foundries, distilleries, 
 breweries, soap, candle, and tobacco manufactories ; several 
 ship-building establishments, &c. ; and various articles of 
 hardware, linseed oil, floor-cloth, &c, are also made there. 
 
 As to the society of Montreal and the style of living 
 which prevails, strangers are very likely to differ somewhat 
 in their opinions. If you wish to enjoy good eating, danc- 
 ing, music, and gayety, you will find abundance of all. If 
 literary society is your choice, you will discover but little ; 
 and if religious, still less. I was particularly struck with 
 the extent to which card playing and the dice box abound ; 
 they seem indeed to be almost the only resource in an even- 
 ing party, if it is not professedly a dancing one. That the 
 citizens of Montreal are hospitable and kind in their atten- 
 tion to a stranger, I bear my willing and most grateful testi- 
 mony ; but unless the traveller is prepared to enjoy such ex- 
 pedients for recreation, he must lay his account with being 
 occasionally somewhat singular in company.* 
 
 During the war of the Revolution several attempts were 
 made upon different points in Canada, by the Americans. 
 In November, 1775, Colonel Allen and Major Brown under- 
 cook an expedition against Montreal. Allen found boats 
 ready for him at Longueville, and crossed the river in the 
 night, below Montreal. Here Brown was to have joined 
 
 * Duncan's Travels. 
 
46 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 MONTREAL. 
 
 him with his troops, but missed his way, and Allen was left, 
 with a small force, in the neighborhood of the city. 
 
 It was just sunrise. The murmur of the city was heard 
 at a few miles distance, and by and by the roll of the Eng- 
 lish drums came upon the ear. The Americans now saw 
 that they were discovered. Before long, a column of British 
 infantry came marching down the bank of the river. There 
 was an almost breathless silence in Allen's small band, as 
 they came up. Even Allen himself stood fast, and gazed at 
 them. 
 
 " To thfc boats ! to the boats ! " cried a dozen of his sol- 
 diers; "there's a thousand of them." "Silence! every 
 man of ye," roared Allen, brandishing a huge horse pistol, 
 " the first man that turns his back upon the red coats, shall 
 smell gunpowder." They were satisfied with this arrange- 
 ment, on the whole, examined their rifles, and stood ready 
 for the onset. 
 
 " Stand your ground, boys ! " shouted Allen. A party of 
 British soldiers were moving towards them from the main 
 body, at double quick time. " Let them come ! " cried a 
 tall, fine looking hunter at his side ; " let them come ! " He 
 brought his rifle to his eye as he spoke. 
 
 " Fire ! " shouted the British officer, and instantly the 
 hunter dropped dead at the feet of Allen. His hardy fol- 
 lowers shrunk back. They were sprinkled with the blood 
 of the poor hunter. " Fire ! fire ! " shouted Allen, with a 
 voice of thunder. They fired, and a hot skirmish com- 
 menced. Several of the English fell, and several of the 
 Americans ; others fled. Some defended themselves behind 
 rocks and trees. Allen was at last left alone, surrounded, 
 and compelled to surrender. He brushed a few tears away 
 for the fate of his friend, the young hunter, and marched on 
 with the English. 
 
 He was kept a prisoner more than two years, and then 
 was exchanged for some English officer, whom the Ameri- 
 cans had taken. The irons put upon him were so fastened 
 about him, and so heavy, that, for a long time, he could lie 
 down only on his back. A chest was his seat by day, and 
 his bed by night. 
 
 He was sent to England, to be tried as a prisoner of state, 
 not as a fair and open enemy, but as a rebel. At this time, 
 all the Americans were called rebels, and the English used 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 47 
 
 MONTREAL. 
 
 to speak of hanging great numbers of them, when the war 
 was over. 
 
 Allen was a man of very large frame, and prodigious 
 strength. He possessed great courage, and was much in- 
 clined to daring enterprise. His reputation, it seems, had 
 gone before him to England ; and he was, therefore, kept in 
 very close confinement. The people were as much afraid 
 of him, as if he had been a whale, or a sea serpent. They 
 sometimes used to come and see him in his prison ; but they 
 were very shy, and if he so much as turned round, they 
 would run away like a flock of startled sheep. 
 
UNITED STATES 
 
 MASSACHUSETTS. 
 
 BOSTON. 
 
 Boston, the largest city in the New England States, and 
 the capital of Massachusetts, may boast of what may be 
 called in America, antiquity. It is now more than two hun- 
 dred years old, the first settlement of it by the English 
 having been made in the year 1630. The place was called 
 Shawmut by the Indians, and Trimountain by the English 
 settlers. The name Boston was given to it by Mr. Cotton, 
 its first minister, who came from Boston, in England. For 
 more than half a century after Governor Winthrop had laid 
 the foundation of the city of the pilgrims, Philadelphia was 
 a forest ; and New York was an insignificant village long 
 after its rival had become a great commercial town. 
 
 The latitude of Boston is 42° 22' 23" N. and longitude 
 70° 58' 53" W. from London. It is situated 300 miles south- 
 east of Montreal ; 300 north-east from Philadelphia, and 436 
 from Washington. 
 
 The city is built on an irregular peninsula, nearly two 
 miles in length, at the bottom of Massachusetts Bay, and 
 united to the main land by an isthmus more than a mile in 
 length. The harbor is safe and commodious, capable of 
 allowing 500 vessels to ride at anchor ; yet the mouth is so 
 narrow as scarcely to admit two ships abreast. The en- 
 trance is defended by two forts. The town has outgrown 
 the limits of its natural position ; and Charlestown upon an 
 opposite peninsula, and South Boston upon the main land, 
 may be regarded as integral parts of the city. " Circum- 
 scribed, however, as they are," says Mr. Duncan, " the cit 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. ft 
 
 izens have had the good taste to reserve a park of upwards 
 of forty acres, upon which no buildings have been allowed 
 to encroach. The Mall, as this is called, is surrounded 
 with spreading elms, and is the finest within the limits of 
 any considerable town in the United States." This obvious 
 ornament has been strangely overlooked in the larger Amer- 
 ican cities, notwithstanding the abundance of elbow-room, 
 which all of them enjoy. The streets in the old town, with a 
 few exceptions, are, according to Dr. Dwight, " narrow, 
 crooked and disagreeable. The settlers appear to have 
 built, where they wished, where a vote permitted, or where 
 danger, or necessity forced them to build. The streets 
 strike the eye of a traveller, as if intended to be mere 
 passages from one neighborhood to another, — the result of 
 casualty, not of contrivance," — just like a European city. 
 Indeed, almost all the great cities in the world have been 
 formed in a similar manner. London, Paris, Amsterdam, 
 Moscow, Constantinople, &c. are all principally built on 
 wretched streets and with a deplorable confusion. " It is 
 remarkable," says Dr. Dwight, " that the scheme of forming 
 public squares, so beautiful, and in great towns so conducive 
 to health, should have been almost entirely forgotten. Noth- 
 ing is so cheerful, so delightful, or so susceptible of the com- 
 bined elegancies of nature and art. On these open grounds, 
 the inhabitants might always find sweet air, charming walks, 
 fountains refreshing the atmosphere, trees excluding the sun, 
 and, together with fine flowering shrubs, presenting to the 
 eye, the most ornamental objects found in the country. 
 Here, also, youth and little children might enjoy those sports, 
 those voluntary indulgencies, which, in fresh air, are, pecu- 
 liarly to them, the sources of health and the prolongation of 
 life. Yet many large cities are utterly destitute of these ap- 
 pendages ; and in no city are they so numerous, as the taste 
 for beauty, and a regard for health, compel us to wish." 
 
 " The people of New York and Philadelphia," says this 
 learned traveller, " to a great extent, live in hired houses, 
 which have been erected by professional builders ; whereas, 
 the citizens of Boston have very generally lived in houses 
 of their own, which each individual has built according to 
 his own taste or ability. Many of the modern houses in 
 Boston, however, are superior to every other American city. 
 Houses of stone are interspersed in great numbers through 
 
52 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 most parts of the town ; but in West Boston, and still more 
 on Mount Vernon, (the modern name of Beacon Hill,) they 
 appear to peculiar advantage. Previously to 1776, the lat- 
 ter spot was almost absolutely a waste. In that year, it was 
 purchased by three Boston gentlemen, by whom, at a great 
 expense, the ground was levelled, its steep western declivity 
 cut down, and a field of nearly thirty acres converted into 
 one of the most beautiful building grounds in the world." 
 In splendor of building and nobleness of situation, this West 
 End of Boston is not " within many degrees of a rival" on 
 this side of the Atlantic. 
 
 Boston struck Mr. Duncan, as having altogether more of 
 the appearance of an English town than New York, Many 
 of the buildings are of a fine white granite, and most of the 
 others are of brick. The streets are very compactly built ; 
 and although many of them are narrow and crooked, all ex- 
 hibit a degree of order and cleanliness, which will in vain be 
 looked for in most other large towns. 
 
 On a finely rising ground at the upper part of the Mall, 
 stands the State House, a building of humbler pretensions, 
 as to size and materials, than the New York City Hall, but 
 in situation and architectural outline, greatly superior. It is 
 nearly a square ; in front is a lofty, projecting colonnade of 
 the Corinthian order, with twelve columns, springing from a 
 piazza of rusticated stone, but unhappily bearing only a balus- 
 trade, over which rises a small attic story with a pediment; 
 and overtopping all is a large circular dome, terminating 
 with a small square lantern, from which a most commanding 
 view is obtained of the surrounding country. In a niche 
 erected for the purpose, on the lower floor, stands Chantry's 
 statue of Washington, a fine specimen of sculpture : it cost 
 $16,000. In front is Boston Bay, studded with nearly forty 
 islands, with fortifications and a lighthouse ; the shores 
 which surround its ample basin, advancing and receding 
 with most capricious irregularity, and forming numerous 
 capes and peninsulas, on one of the largest of which the city 
 stands. The vast amphitheatre round the bay, exhibits a 
 country richly variegated with hill and valley, immense for- 
 ests and cultivated ground, and sprinkled with above twenty 
 little towns of snowy whiteness, among which a dozen of 
 spires may be counted. " The view from the dome of the 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 53 
 
 State House," remarks a writer, " is said not to be exceeded 
 by that from the Castle Hill of Edinburgh, or that of the Bay 
 of Naples from the castle of St. Elmo." 
 
 Beside the State House, already mentioned, the other pub- 
 lic buildings of Boston are such as we might expect to find 
 in a place abounding in wealth, and architectural taste and 
 skill. 
 
 " Descending from the State House," observes Mr. Good- 
 rich, in his Universal Geography, " towards the mercantile 
 part of the city, the Tremont House attracts our attention ; 
 this is a spacious and splendid hotel, unsurpassed for ele- 
 gance of structure, and the style of its accommodations. 
 The front of the pile is duincy granite, ornamented with a 
 fine portico ; the wings are brick, with stone basements, and, 
 with the front, form three sides of a quadrangle ; the num- 
 ber of apartments contained in the whole is 180." A late 
 English traveller, in describing the internal arrangement of 
 this institution, remarks as follows : " Let the reader reflect, 
 that here are two public tables daily, one for men resident in 
 the house, together with many gentlemen of the city, who 
 regularly dine here ; the other for ladies of families, who 
 have not private apartments : of the latter there are a dozen, 
 consisting of two or more chambers attached to each par- 
 lor ; these are seldom unoccupied, and have also to be pro- 
 vided for ; add to all this an occasional dinner or supper to 
 large public parties, and he will then be enabled to appreci- 
 ate the difficulties and to do justice to the system, which 
 works with the regularity of a clock. 
 
 A commodious and expensive Custom House has recently 
 been finished by the United States government, and is now 
 occupied for business. It was projected prior to 1840. It is 
 said to have cost one million of dollars. On the north end of 
 the first floor of the building from its entrance, the easterly 
 side is the office of the Assistant Treasurer — a branch of the 
 Sub-Treasury. The vault for the reception of the public 
 funds is very capacious and well secured. On the opposite 
 side of the same projection are the offices of the Measurers 
 and Markers. At the other end of the building are the rooms 
 for the Inspectors, Weighers and Guagers. A wide stairway 
 from each side of the entrance-hall leads to the office in the 
 principal story, and the main hall or rotundo. On the north 
 end are the offices of the Collector and Naval Officer ; at the 
 opposite end are those of the Surveyor and Public Store- 
 
54 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 keeper. In the Hall the principal business of the collecting 
 department, embracing all the clerkships, is transacted : there 
 are some twenty desks, all filled. On either end, are the 
 desks of the Deputy Collectors, in one corner is the Cashier, 
 and on the opposite side is the office of the Registary. The 
 Warehouse office is in another corner. The whole number 
 connected with this Custom House is about 125. It is a fine 
 building, and does great credit to the government. It is al- 
 ready predicted, however, that it will in a few years be alto- 
 gether too small for the accomplishment of the amount of 
 business which it will be desirable to transact under its roof. 
 
 Boston is rapidly increasing in wealth and population, and 
 the communications with the north and west open a scene of 
 prosperity which has seldom been witnessed by the sea-ports 
 of the old world. Its enterprise is fast gaining upon that of 
 the great commercial metropolis of the United States. 
 
 At a short distance from the Tremont, stands an ancient 
 edifice called the Stone Chapel, with its square tower and 
 massive colonnade, producing a noble effect by the simple 
 dignity of its architecture. In an opposite direction, on 
 the same street, and fronting the Mall, is St. PauVs Church, 
 a granite edifice in the Doric style, with a facade of free 
 stone, comprising a portico of six pillars. This church is 
 one of the finest in the United States ; the simplicity of its 
 exterior is peculiarly striking. The stone structure on 
 Church Green, with its octagonal shape and tall spire, though 
 of a fantastical design, has its admirers. The Parte Street 
 Church, at the head of the Mall, attracts attention, by the 
 height of its steeple. The Old South, in the centre of a 
 busy district, is beheld with interest, from its historical asso- 
 ciations. The tower of the Brattle Street Church, still ex- 
 hibits in its front, the cannon ball shot into it from the bat- 
 teries of the besiegers, in 1775. 
 
 Trinity Church, in Summer street, a massy structure of 
 rough granite, with a lofty square tower, affords a grand and 
 imposing specimen of mixed gothic architecture. The 
 Church in Bowdoin street, a gothic edifice of rough stone, 
 has the same effect, on a somewhat smaller scale. 
 
 The largest building in the city is Faneuil Market, a 
 granite structure, two stories in height, and 536 feet long. 
 The centre has a dome, and at each end is a portico of four 
 columns, each of an entire stone. This is the most elegant 
 market in the United States, and probably in the world ; on 
 
immi 
 
 PARK STREET CHURCH. 
 
 TRINITY CHURCH. 
 
sags 
 
 BOWDOIN SQUARE CHURCH. 
 
 Tremont House. 
 
 Faneuil Hall. 
 
 Hospital. 
 
 King's Chapel. 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 57 
 
 either hand it fronts on a spacious street, one 65 and the 
 other 102 feet in width, both showing a solid front of stone 
 stores of uniform height and appearance. Old Faneuil Hall 
 stands west of this spot ; s it is a lofty brick edifice, and the 
 spacious galleries of its interior still witness the throngs and 
 the oratory of popular meetings. Painting and repairs have 
 a little modernized the aspect of this venerable pile The 
 Old State House, now the City Hall, is another relic of an- 
 cient architecture, and the scene of many events in revolu- 
 tionary history. 
 
 The wharfs of Boston surpass those of any seaport of 
 the United States, for size and convenience. Long Wharf, 
 at the bottom of State street, is 1,650 feet long, and has a 
 line of lofty brick stores nearly its whole extent. Central 
 Wharf is 1,240 feet in length, 150 wide, and contains 54 stores 
 in a single pile, with a spacious observatory in the centre, 
 where telegraphic signals are received from the islands in the 
 bay. India Wharf has a double row of stores, six stories high; 
 all these wharfs have spacious docks, and wide and con- 
 venient landings, carriage ways, &lc. 
 
 The Massachusetts General Hospital is a beautiful stone 
 edifice, much commended for the convenience of its interior 
 arrangements. The Houses of Industry and Correction, on 
 the peninsula of South Boston, but within the city limits, are 
 of stone, each 220 feet long, and of an uniform architecture. 
 The new Court-house, constructed of hewn Quincy granite, 
 is 176 feet long, 54 feet wide, and 57 feet high ; and the north 
 and south fronts are adorned with Grecian Doric porticoes, of 
 four columns, which weigh 25 tons each. The interior has 
 four court-rooms, each 50 by 40 feet, besides various public 
 offices. 
 
 An elegant Merchants' Exchange, with a fine reading- 
 room, has been recently erected in State street ; and besides 
 accommodations for the post office, and for several insurance 
 and brokers' offices, affords many conveniences for the mer- 
 cantile community. 
 
 Within a few years, the business, wealth and population 
 of Boston have been greatly augmented by reason of the 
 several Railroads which enter it at various points, especially 
 the Great Eastern and Western Railroads. 
 
 The population of Boston in 1845 was 120,000, and has 
 since been rapidly increasing. 
 
58 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 Until 1821, Boston retained the denomination of a town, 
 and continued to be governed by a body of selectmen, ac- 
 cording to the ancient New England custom. Since that 
 period, it has had a city government, consisting of a Mayor, 
 eight Aldermen, and a Common Council of forty-eight mem- 
 bers, all chosen annually in January.* 
 
 Boston is honorably pre-eminent in the number of its lit- 
 erary and educational institutions. The public schools are 
 maintained by a tax ; and as every person has a right to send 
 his children to these establishments, the poor obtain educa- 
 tion almost gratis. The rich mostly prefer sending their 
 children to private academies. The public schools are un- 
 der the inspection of a committee of gentlemen, annually 
 chosen, whose duty it is to visit them once in three months. 
 " The Bostonians are very proud, and perhaps justly so," re- 
 marks Captain Basil Hall, " of this system of public instruc- 
 tion." Boston is rich in public libraries, among which that of 
 the Athenaeum, a literary institution incorporated in 1817, 
 claims pre-eminence. In works on American history, the col- 
 lection is said to be unrivalled. A museum is attached to it. 
 The other literary societies of Boston are the American 
 Academy of Arts and Sciences ; the American Antiquarian 
 Society ; the Massachusetts Medical Society ; the Massa- 
 chusetts Historical Society ; and the Massachusetts Agri- 
 cultural Society. Its charitable associations are not less 
 numerous. Among these are a Bible Society for Massachu- 
 setts ; several Missionary Societies; an Institution for the 
 relief of the widows and children of deceased ministers; a 
 Humane Society for the relief of distressed seamen ; and a 
 Female Asylum. 
 
 Harvard College, although situated in Cambridge, three 
 miles from Boston, is so naturally associated with the capi- 
 tal, that we shall speak of it in this place. It is the most an- 
 cient, and most amply endowed collegiate institution in the 
 Union. The foundation of it was laid in the year 1636, by 
 the appropriation of c£400 for the purpose of a public school, 
 by the General Court of the infant colony. In 1638, the 
 Rev. John Harvard, of Charlestown, bequeathed to it one 
 half of his property, amounting to nearly .£800. The institu- 
 
 * Goodrich's Universal Geography. 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 59 
 
 tion was now dignified with the name of Harvard College ; 
 and the town, which had hitherto been called Newtown, was 
 named Cambridge, in honor of that seat of science in Eng- 
 land, at which a great number of the principal colonists had 
 received their education. Thus, remarks Dr. Dwight, " with- 
 in ten years after the little flock, which commenced the set- 
 tlement of Massachusetts, landed at Salem, and within 
 eighteen years after the first foot was set on the shore of 
 Plymouth, a college was endowed by them and established." 
 In 1650, the first charter was granted by a General Court, 
 constituting the President and Fellows of the College a cor- 
 porate body. This charter was confirmed by the Constitution 
 of the State, when the style of " the University in Cam- 
 bridge," was first legally given. The professorships of divinity 
 and of mathematics and natural philosophy were founded by 
 Mr. Thomas Hollis, a merchant of London, 1722 and 1726 ; 
 that of Hebrew, by the Hon. Thomas Hancock, an eminent 
 merchant of Boston, in 1765. Other professorships have 
 been added, from time to time, by subsequent benefactors. 
 They now amount to upwards of twenty, including the Med- 
 ical Department, which is an integral part of the Institution ; 
 although, for the greater convenience of medical students, 
 it occupies buildings in Boston. The University now com- 
 prises five colleges, and a new hall, (erected in 1814, at the 
 expense of nearly ,£17,000,) containing the chapel, lecture 
 rooms, dining rooms, and kitchen : this hall, which is of fine 
 white granite, is reckoned the handsomest building in 
 Massachusetts. The building stands in an enclosed plain, 
 fourteen acres in extent, sheltered on three sides by forest 
 trees, and in the immediate vicinity of an extensive common. 
 The library, containing upwards of 40,000 volumes, is the 
 best in the United States. The philosophical apparatus is 
 also valuable. The museum has been enriched by a collec- 
 tion of mineralogical specimens, principally presented by Dr. 
 Letsom of London, and the Paris Committee of Public Safety. 
 There is also a valuable collection of anatomical wax models, 
 the workmanship of Italian artists. The academical course 
 is completed in four years. 
 
 " The literary and scientific reputation of Harvard Uni- 
 versity," says Mr. Duncan, " stands very high ; and except 
 Yale College, none in this country can contest with it the 
 
pre-eminence." Its means of usefulness have recently been 
 materially augmented by the establishment of additional pro- 
 fessorships, for which liberal provision has been made. 
 
 Mount Auburn Cemetery also belongs to Boston, being a place 
 of burial for such of the inhabitants of the capital as are dis- 
 posed by purchase to become interested in it. It is on the 
 western line of Cambridge, stretching into Watertown, and 
 nearly four and a half miles westerly of north of the city. 
 It was consecrated as a place of repose for the dead, with 
 appropriate ceremonies, September 24th, 1831. 
 
 The lot originally comprised seventy-two acres, but by an 
 after purchase was increased to one hundred and ten acres. 
 The entrance on the north front of the cemetery is through 
 a massive gate-way, taken from an Egyptian model, and 
 chiseled in a very superior manner from Quincy granite, and 
 cost ten thousand dollars. The whole length of the north 
 line has an imposing cast-iron fence, erected at a cost of fif- 
 teen thousand dollars. 
 
 The highest mound in the cemetery is one hundred and 
 twenty-five feet above the level of the river Charles, which 
 meanders along its south-eastern boundary; on this mound it 
 is the design to erect a tower sixty feet high, which will afford 
 an interesting position for an extended view of the surrounding 
 scenery : — it being then at an elevation of one hundred and 
 eighty-five feet. 
 
 The land is excellent, clothed with a fine growth of trees, 
 and beautifully undulated with a constant succession of hill 
 and dale, affording quiet retreats and pleasant look-outs. The 
 paths are laid out in involving lines, which constitutes one of 
 its most pleasing arrangements. It is one of the most inter- 
 esting spots of public utility and beauty about the city, 
 for the stranger to look on, or the reflecting mind of man to 
 dwell upon. Here repose the remains not only of many of 
 the eminent citizens of Boston and vicinity, but of distinguished 
 strangers, who have fallen in their midst. Among the latter 
 may be mentioned the name of one familiar to all — the cele- 
 brated phrenologist Dr. Spurzheim, over whose dust the 
 liberal and philanthropic hand has erected a chaste, yet beau- 
 tiful and enduring monument. 
 
 The first person interred in this ground was the amiable 
 Hannah Adams. A neat monument has been erected to her 
 memory, on which is the following inscription : 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 61 
 
 BOSTON. 
 
 TO 
 
 HANNAH ADAMS, 
 
 HISTORIAN OF THE JEWS, 
 
 AND 
 
 REVIEWER OF THE CHRISTIAN SECTS, 
 
 THIS MONUMENT IS ERECTED 
 
 BY HER FEMALE FRIENDS. 
 
 FIRST TENANT 
 
 OF MOUNT AUBURN. 
 
 SHE DIED DEC. 15, 1831. 
 
 AGED 76. 
 
 " The enterprising spirit by which the Bostonians, and the 
 NewEnglanders generally, are distinguished, has character- 
 ized them from the very foundation of the colony ; and it 
 formed one topic of eloquent panegyric in the splendid ora- 
 tion of Burke, on moving his famous Resolutions of Concil- 
 iation with the Colonies."* " Look," said he, " at the man- 
 ner in which the people of New England have of late carried 
 on the whale fishery. Whilst we follow them among the 
 tumbling mountains of ice, and behold them penetrating into 
 the deepest frozen recesses of Hudson's Bay and Davis's 
 Straits, — whilst we are looking for them beneath the arctic 
 circle, we hear that they have pierced into the opposite re- 
 gion of polar cold ; that they are at the antipodes, and en- 
 gaged under the frozen serpent of the South. Falkland 
 Island, which seemed too remote and romantic for the grasp 
 of national ambition, is but a stage and resting-place, in the 
 progress of their victorious industry. Nor is the equinoctial 
 heat more discouraging to them, than the accumulated winter 
 of both the poles. We know that whilst some of them draw 
 the line and strike the harpoon, on the coast of Africa, 
 others run the longitude, and pursue the gigantic game along 
 the coast of Brazil. No sea, but what is vexed by their 
 fisheries. No climate, that is not witness to their toils. 
 Neither the perseverance of Holland, nor the activity of 
 France, nor the dexterous and firm sagacity of English en- 
 terprise, ever carried this most perilous mode of hard indus- 
 try to the extent, to which it has been pushed by this recent 
 
 * Dwight's Travels. 
 
62 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 people ; a people who are still, as it were, but in the gristle, 
 and not yet hardened into the bone of manhood."* 
 
 It is curious enough to compare with this splendid en- 
 comium upon the adventurous spirit of mercantile enterprise, 
 the caricature of the New Englander drawn by an American 
 writer, in which the same general lineaments are, neverthe- 
 less, preserved. " These Yankees are certainly a very strange 
 race of people. You will see them with their eel skins upon 
 their hair, to save the expense of barbers, and their ear-rings 
 in their ears, to improve their sight — to see how to cheat 
 you better, I suppose. They would sooner die than part 
 with one of these ornaments — unless you pay them well for 
 it. At the same time, they live upon nothing. A rasher of 
 pork is a feast for them, even on holidays. Their favorite 
 drink is switchel, or molasses and water, which, they tell you, 
 is better than burgundy or champagne. They are, however, 
 better taught than fed, and make the finest, boldest sailors in 
 the world. They can sail to the North Pole in an egg shell, 
 if the ice does not break it. Indeed, they are seamen by 
 birth, and box the compass in their cradles. You know our 
 genteel laziness unfits us (Virginians) for the drudgery of 
 commerce ; so we leave it all to the Yankees. The crafting 
 part of them come to us at all seasons in their sloops and 
 schooners, bringing a miscellaneous cargo of all sorts of no- 
 tions — not metaphysical, but material — such as cheese, but- 
 ter, potatoes, cranberries, onions, beets, coffins ; — you smile, 
 but it is a fact, that, understanding some years ago that the 
 yellow fever was raging with great violence, some of them 
 very charitably risked their own lives, to bring us a large 
 quantity of ready-made coffins, of all sizes, in nests, one 
 within another, to supply customers at a moment's warning ; 
 an insult we have hardly forgiven them yet. You will see 
 them sailing up into all our bays, rivers, and creeks ; wherever 
 the water runs. As the winter comes on, they creep into 
 some little harbor, where they anchor their vessels, and open 
 store on board, retailing out their articles of every kind, to 
 the poor countrymen, who come to buy. Towards the spring, 
 they sail away with a load of planks or shingles, which they 
 often get very cheap. Indeed, the whole race of Yankee 
 
 * Burke's Speeches, vol. 1, p. 284. 
 
FAMILY TOURIST 63 
 
 seamen are certainly the most enterprising people in the 
 world. They are in all quarters of the globe, where a penny 
 is to be made. In short, they love money a little better than 
 their own lives. What is worst, they are not always very 
 nice about the means of making it, but are ready to break 
 the laws like cobwebs, whenever it suits their interest."* 
 
 " This," remarks Lieutenant Hall, " is a caricature — in- 
 tentionally a caricature ; but we have introduced it for the 
 purpose of showing what pleasant things have been said of 
 the Yankees. Still the Virginian satire is not without its 
 justice, in respect to some, whose birthplace was the land 
 of the puritan fathers. To be correctly judged of, the New 
 Englanders should be seen at /tome." " I feel a pride and 
 pleasure," says Mr. Carey, in his Olive Branch, " in doing 
 justice to the yeomanry of the Eastern States : they will not 
 suffer in a comparison with the same class of men in any part 
 of the world. They are upright, sober, orderly, and regular ; 
 shrewd, intelligent, and well informed ; and I believe there 
 is not a greater degree of native urbanity among the yeomanry 
 of any other country, under the canopy of heaven." These 
 traits of character, so highly and justly commended by Mr. 
 Carey, are applicable to the citizens of Boston. 
 
 Perhaps no people on the globe are more attached to their 
 country, are more jealous of its honor, or more watchful in 
 respect to its constitution, and institutions, than the people 
 of Boston. They were among the first in their resistance to 
 British tyranny, and foremost in all the great measures which 
 led to the triumph of American liberty. As early as 1760, 
 an attempt was made by the British government to enforce 
 an act, by which duties were laid on foreign sugar and mo- 
 lasses. This act being considered oppressive, had, in some 
 instances, been supposed to be evaded. " Writs of assist- 
 ance," or search warrants, were therefore offered to the cus- 
 tom house officers, with a view to search for those articles, 
 supposed to be secreted. This measure roused the people, 
 and for the purpose of opposing the issuing of these writs, 
 they employed two eminent lawyers, Oxenbridge Thatcher, 
 and James Otis, to appear before the court in their behalf. 
 John Adams said, " That on this occasion, Otis was a flame 
 of fire ! — every one of the immense audience, who heard him 
 
 * Letters from Virginia. 
 
64 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 in his defence of American rights, went away ready to take 
 arms against writs of assistance. Then and there was the 
 first scene of opposition to the arbitrary claim of Great Brit- 
 ain ; then and there American independence was born." 
 
 In 1765, Lord Grenville introduced into the British par- 
 liament his famous project for taxing America, to commence 
 with duties on stamps. This excited throughout the colo- 
 nies a burst of indignant feeling; but in no place greater 
 heart-burnings than in Boston. Measures were pursued by 
 the patriotic populace, which were considered unwarrantable 
 by the more reflecting; but they evinced the spirit and 
 character of the people of those days. The stamp act was 
 expected to go into operation on the 1st of November ; but 
 in August preceding, the excited feeling of the inhabitants 
 broke out into open violence. " After burning the effigy of 
 Mr. Oliver, the proposed distributor of stamps, the populace 
 assembled at his house, broke his windows, and destroyed 
 his furniture. Mr. Oliver then formally pledged himself to 
 have no concern in the execution of the obnoxious statute. 
 The houses of an officer of the court of admiralty, and of 
 one of the custom house officers, were entered, and their 
 effects purloined. But the greatest damage was done in the 
 mansion house of Lieutenant Governor Hutchinson, whose 
 loss in furniture, plate, fixtures, and money, was very con- 
 siderable, and was a chief item in the claims which Great 
 Britain afterwards made against Massachusetts, for remuner- 
 ating those who suffered, in attempting to enforce this act 
 of its legislature." 
 
 On the arrival of the 1st of November, " the great, the 
 important day," its dawn was ushered in by the tolling of the 
 bells of the city, as for a funeral. Many of the shops and 
 stores were shut. Effigies of the men who supported the act, 
 were paraded about the streets, and carried to a gallows 
 erected on Boston neck, where, after being suspended for 
 some time, they were cut down and torn to pieces, amid the 
 shouts and acclamations of thousands. 
 
 In 1708, " non-importation agreements" were entered into 
 by several of the colonies, in regard to articles on which du- 
 ties had been laid. Tea being one, the East India Company 
 soon found a large quantity accumulated in their warehouses. 
 This they found it necessary to sell, to save themselves from 
 bankruptcy; and, accordingly, large shipments were made 
 to America, with the hope that the people of the colonies, in 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 65 
 
 spite of all private associations, and patriotic agreements, 
 would purchase an article, which, from long habit and ex- 
 tensive use, had become almost a necessary of life. 
 
 Long before the ships arrived, however, with the tea, ar- 
 rangements were made to avert the threatened mischief. 
 That which arrived in Philadelphia and New York, was 
 sent back to England in the same ships that brought it. In 
 Charleston it was landed, and was ruined in damp ware- 
 houses. In Boston another fate awaited it. 
 
 Two of the vessels with the tea arrived on Saturday, No- 
 vember 27th. On Monday following, a meeting of citizens 
 was called, and a vote passed with acclamations, " that the 
 tea shall not be landed, that no duty shall be paid, and that 
 it shall be sent back in the same bottoms." At the same 
 time, resolutions were passed, calling on the consignees, 
 among whom were two sons of Governor Hutchinson, to de- 
 cline the charge of it. A guard of twenty-five men were ap- 
 pointed to protect it, and prevent its being landed ; and then 
 the meeting was adjourned to the next day, to hear the an- 
 swer of the consignees. 
 
 That answer was, that they would not send it back, but 
 would store it. A proclamation from the governor, ordering 
 the people to disperse, was read by the sheriff, which was 
 received with one universal hiss. Votes were again passed, 
 prohibiting the tea to be landed. 
 
 " On the fifteenth of December, another meeting was held 
 at the Old South Church, when Mr. Rotch, the owner of the 
 largest parcel of tea, attended ; and after much difficulty, he 
 was persuaded to apply to the custom house for a clearance, 
 and the meeting adjourned, to hear the result, till the next 
 morning. Ten gentlemen accompanied him to the custom 
 house, and the clearance was refused, in a peremptory man- 
 ner. A vote of the meeting was then passed, ordering him 
 to protest against this refusal, and a deputation was sent with 
 him to Governor Hutchinson, who was at his country seat on 
 Milton Hill, seven miles from Boston, to entreat him to grant 
 a pass, that the vessel might leave the harbor. 
 
 "In the mean time, various speeches were made in the 
 meeting, to keep the people together, which were said to 
 amount to six or seven thousand persons. Mr. John Rowe, 
 an eminent merchant and patriotic citizen, who was, doubt- 
 less, in the secret of the measures that were to be taken in 
 the last resort, hinted in the form of an inquiry, ■ Who 
 5 
 
66 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 knows how tea will mix with salt water t ' which was re- 
 ceived with applause. At length, about sundown, the depu- 
 tation returned from the governor, with the refusal to grant 
 the pass. A few minutes after, a band of eighteen or twenty 
 young men, who had been prepared for the event, went by 
 the meeting-house, giving a shout. It was echoed by some 
 within ; others exclaimed, ' the Mohawks are come ! ' The 
 assembly broke up, and a part of it followed this body of 
 young men to Griffin's wharf, (now called Liverpool wharf,) 
 on the south side of the town. 
 
 " Three different parties, composed of trustworthy per- 
 sons, many of whom in after life were among the most re- 
 spectable citizens of the town, had been prepared, in con- 
 formity to the resolves of the political leaders, to act as cir- 
 cumstances should require. One or two of these parties 
 wore a kind of Indian disguise. They were seventy or 
 eighty in all ; and, when every attempt had failed to have the 
 tea returned, and the final refusal of the governor to inter- 
 fere was received, it was immediately made known to them, 
 and they proceeded at once to throw the obnoxious mer- 
 chandise into the water. This was done with as much good 
 order and regularity, as if the tea had been discharged in the 
 ordinary way. The chests were hoisted upon the decks, 
 broken open, and their contents emptied over the side of the 
 ship into the channel. A large crowd of people was col- 
 lected, who were quiet spectators of the operation, which 
 was completed in the course of the evening ; and after the 
 work was finished, the actors and spectators calmly retired 
 to their several homes. 
 
 " Of all the tea, which was three hundred and forty-two 
 chests, the whole quantity saved is contained in a small vial 
 still in existence. One of the operators, on his return home, 
 found his shoes filled with it; this he put into a bottle, and 
 sealed up. Not a pound of the tea was purloined. One of 
 the persons engaged in the business, who wished to preserve 
 too large a specimen, was observed by some of his com- 
 panions to have the pockets of his coat a little distended. 
 This was treated as an accident, which was remedied, how- 
 ever, in a good natured way, without resistance, by the appli- 
 cation of a knife across the waist of the coat, which left a 
 garment, that has, in later times, been called a spencer, and 
 the part separated was thrown overboard, to accompany its 
 kindred tea. The most scrupulous care was taken, that none 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 69 
 
 CHARLESTOWN. 
 
 of it should be secreted. The shores of the harbor, at high 
 water mark, were lined with it the next day, as with other 
 worthless weeds. A chest, containing a few pounds, floated 
 into a creek in Dorchester, where it was discovered, brought 
 into town, and publicly committed to the flames." 
 
 CHARLESTOWN. 
 
 Charlestown is an appendage, or suburb of Boston ; yet 
 it was founded a year earlier than the latter. In 1629, the 
 inhabitants of Salem, being dissatisfied with the location, to 
 the number of 100, removed under the direction of Mr. 
 Graves, to Mishawun, to which by consent they gave the 
 name of Charlestown. Mr. Graves laid out the town in 
 two acre lots, one of which he assigned to each inhabitant ; 
 and afterwards he built a good house for the accommodation 
 of those who were soon to come over to New England.* 
 
 The more compact part of the town is built on a peninsula, 
 the centre of which is occupied by Bunker Hill. The houses 
 stand on the eastern and southern slope of the hill, and along 
 its base. The main street is a mile in length, and there is a 
 spacious and handsome square in the southern part. It is a 
 pleasant but irregular town, and the views of the city, with 
 the harbor and the neighboring country, which are exhibited 
 from the elevated parts, are exceedingly beautiful. 
 
 There are several public works at Charlestown, of interest, 
 among which may be mentioned the United States Navy 
 Yard. It occupies 60 acres of ground, and comprises a 
 marine hospital, warehouse, arsenal, powder magazine, and a 
 superintendent's house, all of brick, with two large wooden 
 houses to shelter frigates and sloops of war, on the stocks. 
 The dry dock is the finest in the United States. It cost 
 rising half a million of dollars. 
 
 On the western side of the peninsula, at the water's edge, 
 stands the Massachusetts State Prison. It has been recently 
 rebuilt on the Auburn plan, with 300 cells, and reorganized 
 at an expense of $86,000. The Massachusetts Insane Hos- 
 
 * Holmes. 
 
70 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 CHARLESTOWN. 
 
 pital stands upon a beautiful eminence in the western part of 
 Charlestown, without the peninsula, and consists of several 
 piles of buildings. 
 
 Charlestown is memorable for the battle of Bunker Hill, 
 so called, which was fought June 17, 1775. It was the first 
 regular battle fought in the Revolutionary war, and served 
 to give an impulse to the Americans in their struggle, which 
 they did not forget, till victory crowned their arms, in the 
 final battle of Yorktown. 
 
 Bunker and Breed's Hill, are two eminences in Charles- 
 town. "On the 10th of June, Colonel Prescott received 
 orders to fortify Bunker's Hill ; but on viewing that emi- 
 nence, he saw at once, that it was an ineligible spot; and he 
 looked along to the right, and found that a spur of that hill, 
 which was now called Breed's Hill, was the most proper 
 situation, in every respect, for a battle ground. Consider- 
 ing that they were within the limits of their orders, Prescott 
 and Colonel Gridley, the engineers, began a redoubt on the 
 right of Breed's Hill. It was about one hundred and forty 
 feet square, with two open passages for ingress and egress. 
 On the left of the redoubt, running north-easterly, was a 
 breastwork of sods, not much over four feet high ; but not, 
 as has been stated, extending to Mystic river ; it did not 
 extend one quarter of the way to it. The line from this 
 breastwork was made of two post and rail fences, placed 
 about four feet apart, in parallel lines, and between them 
 was trode the newly mown grass, making quite as good a 
 screen for the militia, as the redoubt or the breastwork. 
 
 General Ward, who commanded the American army, con- 
 cluding from the firing from Copp's Hill, in Boston, at the 
 early dawn of the morning of the 17th, that the British would 
 make a struggle to get possession of the works, offered to 
 relieve Prescott and his men ; but they unanimously declined 
 the offer, but earnestly insisted on reinforcements. These 
 were reluctantly given, as the commander in chief thought 
 that an attack on his camp was contemplated ; and in such 
 case, his camp at Cambridge, indifferently fortified as it 
 was, would be a better place for a general action, than 
 Bunker's Hill. 
 
 " Early in the morning, from the battery on Copp's Hill, 
 one of the men in or near the redoubt was shot, and was in- 
 stantly buried on the spot ; but although the roar of the 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 73 
 
 CHARLESTOWN. 
 
 cannon from Copp's Hill was incessant, no further damage 
 was done by their shots ; and in aid of this battery, the 
 Lively, a man-of-war, was brought to bear, and in fact she 
 began the cannonade. 
 
 " General Gage, wishing to drive the provincials from the 
 hill, sent Major General Howe and Brigadier General Pigot, 
 with ten companies of grenadiers, and ten of light infantry, 
 with some artillery, to perform this service. These generals, 
 reconnoitering the American forces, on their arrival at Nor- 
 ton's Point, thought best to wait the reinforcement from 
 Boston. For these, Howe waited from about noon till three 
 o'clock, P. M. before the battle was commenced. The British 
 began a slow march up the hill in two lines, stopping at 
 times to give the artillery a chance to play. But the angle 
 of elevation was such, that it did but little execution. The 
 provincials wasted no ammunition ; they had but a scanty 
 supply. They were ordered to put four buck shots to a 
 bullet, and to reserve their fire until the enemy were at blank 
 point shot distance. At this moment they poured in upon 
 the approaching foe a most destructive volley. The effect 
 was not more destructive than appalling. The British 
 soldiery expecting nothing but random shots from undisci- 
 plined militia, were astonished at such deadly fires, and their 
 line was broken in confusion. Some companies had not 
 twenty soldiers fit for duty, when they were about to rally. 
 The British officers had the greatest difficulty to bring their 
 troops into line again. At length, they came up a second 
 time towards the works, but with some wavering, and in less 
 than fifteen minutes, their line broke in still greater confu- 
 sion than before. Clinton saw this from Boston, and hasten- 
 ed over to assist Howe. Both the generals addressed the 
 soldiers ; called to mind their former wreaths of glory, and 
 the everlasting disgrace of being beaten by raw militia. 
 Howe swore to them, that he would never survive the dis- 
 grace, if they were conquered that day. By this time, 
 Charlestown, consisting of four hundred houses, was in a 
 blaze. This Clinton had done to terrify the neighboring 
 army. On the third attack, they were under the necessity 
 of resorting to skill, not daring to put it on the score of 
 bravery a third time. Pigot, with a considerable force, took 
 a circuitous route around the south side of the hill, and 
 came upon the south-western angle of the redoubt, and in- 
 stantly scaled the slight works. Pitcairn was with him, and 
 
74 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 CHARLESTOWN. 
 
 was shot through the body as he was about to leap into the 
 redoubt. Pigot, being a short man, was lifted by his soldiers 
 on to the sods, and jumped into the area without harm. 
 The provincials were now attacked on the east and on the 
 west; their ammunition was exhausted, and they had but 
 few or no bayonets ; and after beating their assailants 
 awhile with the buts of their guns, Prescott ordered a retreat. 
 Those at the breast work and in the redoubt retreated, 
 and those at the rail fence followed, over Charlestown neck 
 northward. 
 
 " Until the commencement of the retreat, but few of the 
 Americans had been killed. Their unwillingness to leave the 
 ground at the proper time, was the cause of the considerable 
 number of killed and wounded. Captain Knowlton, having 
 a fine company near Mystic river, moved up in good order, 
 and covered the retreat of the Americans. The battle was 
 ended between five and six o'clock. The wind during the 
 fight, was brisk and westerly, and drove the smoke directly 
 in the face of the enemy ; but as the smoke rose over the 
 heads of the British, the Americans, as it were, looking 
 under the cloud, saw where to fire. Prescott was during the 
 fight in the redoubt ; the other portion of the Massachusetts 
 militia at the breastworks. The New Hampshire troops, 
 under Stark, Dearborn, and others, were at the rail fence. 
 They were marching from their native State towards Cam- 
 bridge, and went on to the battle ground by their own im- 
 pulses, not having received any orders from the commander 
 in chief. 
 
 '* The British had between three and four thousand in the 
 fight. They acknowledged ten hundred and fifty-four killed 
 and wounded, with a great proportion of officers. Their 
 number was most unquestionably larger ; for they brought 
 between three and four hundred of the slain, and buried 
 them in the corner of the new burying ground at the bottom 
 of the common in Boston. The others were buried on 
 Breed's Hill, where they fell. 
 
 " The Americans had fifteen hundred in the fight, but 
 perhaps there were a few more at times, for volunteers came 
 on to the ground, expended their powder, and retreated, 
 when they could do no more service to the cause. The 
 provincials had one hundred and thirty-nine killed, and three 
 hundred and fourteen wounded and missing. The officers 
 who fell on the American side were, Colonel Gardner of 
 
GENERAL HOWE. 
 
 GENERAL BURGOYNE. 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 79 
 
 CHARLESTOWN. 
 
 Cambridge, Lieutenant Colonel Parker of Chelmsford, and 
 Majors Moore and M'Crary, — all men of distinction and 
 value, and heroes in the cause, — with Major Joseph Warren. 
 " General Burgoyne was all the time, during the battle, 
 seated in the belfry of the North Church of Boston, a most 
 commanding position, to watch the movements of either 
 party. His letter describing the scene was, at that period, 
 considered as one of very graphic power, but is too general 
 to give the historian much information. Warren assumed 
 no command on that day. He had been commissioned as a 
 major general by the Provincial Congress, but four days 
 previous, and had not taken any command; nor had he, in 
 fact, been sworn into office, except, as every one had an 
 oath in heaven, to live free, or die. Warren was, at the 
 moment of his fall, president of the Provincial Congress, and 
 chairman of the committee of safety. He had put some one 
 into the chair, and mounted his horse at Watertown, where 
 the legislature was in session, to come and encourage his 
 fellow citizens in the fight. When he entered the redoubt, 
 Prescott offered him the command, but he declined it, say- 
 ing, ' I come to learn icar, under an experienced soldier, not 
 to take any command' He was the martyr of that day's 
 glory. His death was felt as a calamity to the cause and to 
 the nation. He was in the prime of life, being only thirty- 
 five years of age, with a spirit as bold and dauntless, as was 
 ever blazoned in legends, or recorded in history. He was a 
 prudent, cautious, but fearless statesman; made to govern 
 men, and to breathe into them a portion of his own heroic 
 soul. His eloquence was of high order ; his voice was fine, 
 and of great compass, and he modulated it at will. His ap- 
 pearance had the air of a soldier, — graceful and command- 
 ing, united to the manners of a finished gentleman. The 
 British thought that his life was of the utmost importance to 
 the American army ; of so much importance, that they would 
 no longer hold together after his fall. They sadly mistook 
 the men they had to deal with. His blood was not shed in 
 vain ; it cried from the ground for vengeance ; and his name 
 became a watchword in the hour of peril and glory. The 
 name of the humblest individual, who perished in that fight, 
 will be remembered by the town, or parish from whence he 
 came, and be generally enrolled on the books of the corpo- 
 ration. Young, substantial yeomen, or industrious me- 
 chanics, they were owners of the soil for which they fought. 
 
80 FAMILY TOURIST, 
 
 CHARLESTOWN. 
 
 The battle scene was imposing } — the ground was in the im- 
 mediate neighborhood of a city, whose inhabitants were 
 watching the progress of events, anxious for their nearest 
 friends ; — the roar of cannon from ships of war, and from 
 floating and stationary batteries, followed, or commingled 
 with incessant volleys of musketry — a well built and com- 
 pact town, seen in one mass of flames, — and all this but the 
 commencement of troubles, — was a sight appalling to every 
 American, and seemed to shake even the enemy, in both 
 mind and body. The British troops, in considerable num- 
 bers, occupied the hill that night, and enlarged the redoubt 
 to nearly twice its original extent ; yet they did not venture 
 to light their fires, but labored by the sinking, flickering 
 lights, which shot up from the smouldering ruins of Charles- 
 town. For the Americans, struggling for liberty, the event 
 of this battle was most fortunate. Their troops had done 
 enough for honor ; enough to produce an impression of their 
 prowess on the minds of their enemies : enough to give them 
 confidence in themselves; and to show that they had learnt 
 something in the way of preparing themselves to correct 
 the errors of judgment in planning a fight. They suffered 
 enough to feel their loss deeply, and yet not sufficiently in any 
 way to weaken their forces. The wound received was too 
 deep to be healed at once ; the sight was too awful to be soon 
 forgotten."* 
 
 A monument designed to perpetuate the memory of this 
 event, most memorable, perhaps, in the struggle of the 
 Americans for liberty, was commenced June 17th, 1825. It 
 stands on the southern brow of the eminence, immediately 
 overlooking the town, upon a commanding site. It is a plain 
 obelisk of grey granite, and its height is 220 feet ; the base 
 is 30 feet square. 
 
 The ceremony of laying the corner stone of this monu- 
 ment was grand and imposing. The following account is 
 given by Levasseur, the private secretary of the illustrious 
 Fayette, the latter of whom was present on the sublime oc- 
 casion. 
 
 " The sun rose clear, on the fiftieth anniversary of Bun- 
 ker's Hill ; and thousands of voices, joined with the cheer- 
 ful sound of bells and the roar of artillery, saluted him with 
 
 * Hinton's United States. 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 83 
 
 CHARLESTOWN. 
 
 their patriotic shouts. At seven, A. M. passing through this 
 crowd, which was excited by glorious recollections of the 
 17th of June, 1775, General Lafayette proceeded to the grand 
 lodge of Massachusetts, where deputations from the grand 
 lodges of Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Connecti- 
 cut, Vermont, and New Jersey, were assembled, with the 
 officers of the chapters of the Knights Templars, to receive 
 and compliment him. 
 
 " At ten o'clock, 2000 free masons, sixteen companies of 
 volunteer infantry, a corps of mounted militia, with the dif- 
 ferent corporations, and the civil and military authorities, 
 proceeded to the State House, where the procession was 
 formed under the inspection of General Lyman ; while the 
 Grand Masters of the Masonic order went for General La- 
 fayette, who had returned to the house of Mr. Lloyd, on 
 leaving the lodge. 
 
 " At half-past ten, the procession began to move : it con- 
 sisted of about 7,000 persons ; two hundred officers and 
 soldiers of the revolution marched in front, and forty vet- 
 erans, glorious relics of the battle of Bunker's Hill, followed 
 them in eight open carriages. They were decorated with a 
 broad riband, on which was this inscription : — ' 17th June, 
 1775.' Some of them had on their shoulders the cartridge 
 belts they had worn on that memorable day: and one of 
 them who had been a drummer, still bore the drum with 
 which he had several times rallied the American battalions, 
 when broken by the English columns. Behind them march- 
 ed a long line of persons formed of the numerous subscribers 
 to the monument, six abreast, and 2,000 masons, clad in 
 rich ornaments, and bearing the instruments and symbols of 
 their order. Last came General Lafayette, in an elegant 
 carriage, drawn by six beautiful white horses. Next behind 
 him followed a long line of coaches, in which were his son, 
 his secretary, the governor of Massachusetts and his staff; 
 finally, a great number of persons of distinction, natives and 
 strangers. This column proceeded, with the sound of music 
 and ringing of bells, through the midst of 200,000 citizens, 
 who had assembled from all the States of the Union ; while 
 the General was at intervals saluted by artillery and general 
 acclamations. He arrived at Bunker's Hill at half-past 
 twelve, and the whole crowd was soon ranged in regular 
 order on the hill, where the monument was to be erected, to 
 
84 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 CHARLESTOWN. 
 
 witness the national gratitude expressed to the first heroes 
 of the revolution. 
 
 " The humble pyramid erected in former times, over the 
 remains of Warren and his companions, which we had seen 
 on our first visit to Bunker's Hill, had disappeared. From 
 the largest piece of wood it contained, a cane had been 
 formed, which was mounted with gold, and bore an inscrip- 
 tion referring to its origin, and stating that it had been pre- 
 sented by the Masons of Charlestown to General Lafayette, 
 who accepted it as a precious relic of the American revolu- 
 tion. A large excavation which had been made at that place, 
 showed that the new monument was to be raised on the same 
 spot. 
 
 " A few moments after we had taken our places around 
 that excavation, and silence had been obtained throughout 
 the numerous crowd that surrounded, awaiting the ceremony 
 in solemn silence, the Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of 
 Massachusetts, accompanied by the principal dignitaries of 
 the order, brother Lafayette, Mr. Webster, and the principal 
 architect, proceeded to lay the 1 first stone of the monument, 
 with the forms prescribed by the Masonic order. In an iron 
 chest were placed medals, pieces of money, and a silver 
 plate, on which was engraved the order of ceremonies. This 
 box was placed under the stone, on which the Grand Master 
 poured wheat, oil, and wine ; while the Rev. Mr. Allen, the 
 chaplain of the day, pronounced the benediction. The Ma- 
 sonic command to finish the monument was then given, and 
 a salute of artillery announced that this part of the ceremony 
 was accomplished. 
 
 " The procession then moved to a vast amphitheatre, 
 formed on the north-eastern declivity of the hill. At the 
 centre of its base was raised a covered platform, from which 
 the orator of the day was to raise his voice, and address an 
 audience of 15,000 persons assembled in the amphitheatre. 
 All the revolutionary officers and soldiers, several of whom 
 had come from great distances to witness this solemnity, 
 were seated opposite the stage, the survivors of Bunker's 
 Hill forming a little group in their front. At the head of 
 that party was placed, in a large chair, the only surviving 
 general of the revolution, Lafayette. Immediately behind 
 were 2,000 ladies, brilliantly dressed, who seemed to form a 
 guard of honor for those venerable old men, and to protect 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 85 
 
 CHARLESTOWN. 
 
 them from the tumultuous throng of the crowd. Beyond 
 the ladies, more than 10,000 persons were seated on the nu- 
 merous benches which were placed on the side of the hill, 
 the top of which was crowned with upwards of 39,000 spec- 
 tators, who, although beyond the reach of the orator's voice, 
 stood motionless, and in the most profound silence. After 
 the agitation which necessarily accompanies the movements 
 of so large a crowd had been tranquilized, the melodious 
 sound of a large choir of singers was heard, who were con- 
 cealed behind the stage, and raised a patriotic and religious 
 song, the deep melody of which agreeably prepared the minds 
 of all for the impressions of eloquence. This music was 
 succeeded by a prayer from Dr. Thaxter ; and when the 
 venerable pastor, who had had the honor of fighting at 
 Bunker's Hill, presented himself before the assembly, with 
 his white locks falling in long silver curls on his shoulders; 
 when he raised towards heaven his hands enfeebled by age, 
 and with a voice still strong, implored the benedictions of 
 the Almighty on the proceedings of that day, the whole audi- 
 ence seemed penetrated with inexpressible emotions. At 
 length, the orator of the day, Mr. Webster, presented himself 
 in his turn ; his tall stature, his athletic form, the noble 
 expression of his countenance, and the fire of his eye, per- 
 fectly harmonized with the solemnity of the scene. Mr. 
 Webster, who had been for a long time rendered popular by 
 the charms of his eloquence, was welcomed by the assembly 
 with every expression of pleasure. The murmur of satisfac- 
 tion with which he was saluted, ascended from the base of 
 the hill to the summit, and prevented him for a few instants 
 from beginning his discourse. 
 
 " During his discourse, the orator was sometimes inter- 
 rupted by bursts of applause from the audience, who could 
 not repress the expression of their sympathetic feelings, when 
 Mr. Webster addressed the revolutionary veterans, and Gen. 
 Lafayette, and while they, uncovering their venerable heads, 
 arose to receive the thanks which were offered them in the 
 name of the people. A hymn sung in choir by the whole as- 
 sembly, succeeded this speech, and terminated the second 
 part of the ceremony. 
 
 " At the signal given by a field piece, the procession form- 
 ed anew, mounted the hill, and went to seat themselves at a 
 banquet prepared on the summit. There, under an im- 
 mense wooden covering, 4,000 persons took their places 
 
86 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 CHARLESTOWN. 
 
 without confusion. The tables were spread with so much 
 art, that the voice of the president, and all those who offered 
 toasts, or made speeches, were easily heard, not only by the 
 company, but also by a great number of spectators, stationed 
 without. The names of Warren, the orator of the day, and 
 the guest of the nation, were proposed by turns during the 
 repast. Before leaving the table, the General rose to return 
 thanks to the members of the monument association, and 
 expressed himself in these terms: 
 
 " I will now ask your attention, only to thank you in the 
 name of my revolutionary companions in arms, as well as in 
 my own name, gentlemen, for the testimonies of esteem and 
 affection, I may say filial affection, with which we have been 
 this day loaded. We offer you our best wishes for the pres- 
 ervation of republican liberty and equality, self-government, 
 and happy union between the States of the confederation ; 
 objects for which we fought and bled, — for it is on them 
 that the hopes of mankind now rest. Permit me to give you 
 the following toast : ' Bunker's Hill, and the Holy Resist- 
 ance to oppression, which has freed the American hem- 
 isphere ; — the anniversary toast at the jubilee of the next 
 half century shall be : Europe Disenthralled ! ' This toast 
 was received with transport ; and immediately after, the 
 company returned to the city."* 
 
 In the course of his brilliant oration, already alluded to, 
 Mr. Webster, turning to the war-worn and scar-bearing sur- 
 vivors of that day's battle, ranged in order before him, thus 
 addressed them : 
 
 " Venerable men ! You have come down to us, from a 
 former generation. Heaven has generously lengthened out 
 your lives, that you might behold this joyous day. You are 
 now, where you stood, fifty years ago, this very hour, with 
 your brothers, and your neighbors, shoulder to shoulder, in 
 the strife for your country. Behold, how altered ! The same 
 heavens are indeed over your heads; the same ocean rolls at 
 your feet; but all else, how changed. 
 
 " You hear now no roar of hostile cannon — you see no 
 mixed volumes of smoke and flame, rising from burning 
 Charlestown. The ground strewed with the dead and the 
 dying ; the impetuous charge ; the steady and successful re- 
 
 * Levasseur's Journal. 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 87 
 
 CHARLESTOWN. 
 
 pulse ; the loud call to repeated assaults ; the summoning of 
 all that is manly to repeated resistance ; a thousand bosoms 
 freely and fearlessly bared in an instant to whatever of terror 
 there may be in war and death ; — all these you have wit- 
 nessed, but you witness them no more. 
 
 " All is peace. The heights of yonder metropolis, its 
 towers and roofs, which you then saw filled with wives and 
 children and countrymen in distress and terror, and looking 
 with unutterable emotions for the issue of the combat, have 
 presented you to-day with a sight of its whole happy popu- 
 lation come out to welcome and greet you with an universal 
 jubilee. Yonder proud ships, by a felicity of position, ap- 
 propriately lying at the foot of this mount, and seeming 
 fondly to cling around it, are not means of annoyance to 
 you, but your country's own means of distinction and de- 
 fence. 
 
 " All is peace ; and God has granted you this sight of 
 your country's happiness, ere you slumber in the grave for- 
 ever. He has allowed you to behold and to partake the 
 reward of your patriotic toils ; and he has allowed us, your 
 sons and countrymen, to meet you here, and in the name of 
 the present generation, in the name of your country, in the 
 name of liberty, to thank you ! 
 
 " But, alas ! you are not all here ! Time and the sword 
 have thinned your ranks. Prescott, Putnam, Stark, Brooks, 
 Read, Pomeroy, Bridge! our eyes seek for you in vain, 
 amidst this broken band. You are gathered to your fathers, 
 and live only in your country in her grateful remembrance, 
 and your own bright example. But let us not too much 
 grieve that you have met the common fate of men. You 
 lived, at least, long enough to know that your work had 
 been nobly and successfully accomplished. You lived to see 
 your country's independence established, and to sheathe 
 your swords from war. On the light of Liberty you saw 
 arise the light of Peace, like 
 
 1 another morn, 
 Risen on mid- noon ;' — 
 
 and the sky, on which you closed your eyes, was cloudless ! 
 " But — ah ! — Him ! the first great martyr in this great 
 cause ! Him ! the premature victim of his own self-de- 
 voting heart ! Him ! the head of our civil councils, and the 
 
88 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 CHARLESTOWN. 
 
 destined leader of our military bands; whom nothing 
 brought hither, but the unquenchable fire of his own spirit ! 
 Him ! cut off by Providence, in the hour of overwhelming 
 anxiety and thick gloom ; falling, ere he. saw the star of his 
 country rise ; pouring out his generous blood, like water, 
 before he knew whether it would fertilize a land of freedom 
 or of bondage ! how shall I struggle with the emotions that 
 stifle the utterance of thy name ! Our poor work may perish ; 
 but thine shall endure ! This monument may moulder 
 away ; the solid ground it rests upon may sink down to a 
 level with the sea ; but thy memory shall not fail ! Where- 
 soever among men a heart shall be found, that beats to the 
 transports of patriotism and liberty, its aspirations shall be 
 to claim kindred with thy spirit ! 
 
 " But the scene, amidst which we stand, does not permit 
 us to confine our thoughts, or our sympathies, to those fear- 
 less spirits, who hazarded or lost their lives, on this conse- 
 crated spot. We have the happiness to rejoice here in the 
 presence of a most worthy representation of the survivors of 
 the whole Revolutionary army. 
 
 " Veterans ! You are the remnant of many a well-fought 
 field. You bring with you marks of honor from Trenton, 
 and Monmouth, from Yorktown, Camden, Bennington, and 
 Saratoga. Veterans of half a Century ! When in your 
 youthful days, you put every thing at hazard in your coun- 
 try's cause, good as that cause was, and sanguine as youth 
 is, still your fondest hopes did not stretch onward to an hour 
 like this ! At a period, to which you could not reasonably 
 have expected to arrive ; at a moment of national prosperity, 
 such as you could never have foreseen ; you are now met, 
 here, to enjoy the fellowship of old soldiers, and to receive 
 the overflowings of an universal gratitude. 
 
 " But your agitated countenances and your heaving 
 breasts inform me, that even this is not an unmixed joy. I 
 perceive that a tumult of contending feelings rushes upon 
 you. The images of the dead, as well as the persons of the 
 living, throng to your embraces. The scene overwhelms 
 you, and I turn from it. May the Father of all mercies 
 smile upon your declining years, and bless them ! And 
 when you shall here have exchanged your embraces ; when 
 you shall once more have pressed the hands, which have 
 been so often extended to give succor in adversity, or grasped 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 89 
 
 CHARLESTOWN. 
 
 in the exultation of victory ; then look abroad into this 
 lovely land, which your young valor defended, and mark 
 the happiness with which it is filled ; yea, look abroad into 
 the whole earth, and see what a name you have contributed 
 to give to your country, and what a praise you have added to 
 freedom, and then rejoice in the sympathy and gratitude, 
 which beam upon your last days from the improved condition 
 of mankind."* 
 
 To the foregoing account of the ceremonies observed on 
 laying the corner-stone of this splendid obelisk, it may be 
 added, that after long and vexatious delays, it was completed 
 July 23d, 1842. It consists of 90 courses of hewn stone, 84 
 above the base and 6 below it. There are a number of win- 
 dows in the structure, closed with iron shutters, besides nu- 
 merous apertures. The ladies of Boston, by a fair and other 
 donations, raised a large sum, which insured the completion 
 of the monument. The entire cost of the structure was 
 $119,800, of which the ladies raised at their fair $32,000. 
 
 On the 17th of June, 1843, the anniversary of the battle, 
 the completion of the monument was celebrated in a splendid 
 manner, in the presence of the President of the United States, 
 the heads of department, and an immense concourse of citi- 
 zens, when an address was delivered on the occasion by Hon. 
 Daniel Webster, late Secretary of State of the U. States. 
 
 This monument is annually visited, as it should be, by 
 thousands. Besides the associations which a view of it is 
 calculated to kindle up in the soul, a view of the surrounding 
 scenery from its top is among the most beautiful and sublime 
 in the United States. Boston, its harbour and environs, with 
 the more distant country, embracing mountain scenery, are 
 spread out to the eye of the beholder in a prospect most en- 
 chanting. Who that has stood on that height, and, looking 
 down on the soil whence it rises, remembering that the blood 
 of his sires was there freely shed to purchase liberty — the 
 freedom of his country — does not almost wish to abide there ? 
 At least, how refreshing to the patriot is the air there inhaled I 
 How delightful to his soul the prospect he then takes in ! 
 
 * Address at the laying of the Corner Stone of the Bunker Hill 
 Monument. 
 
90 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 LOWELL. 
 
 Lowell is situated on the west side of the Merrimac river, 
 just above its confluence with the Concord river, and occupies 
 the precise spot once called " Wamesit," the famous capital 
 or head-quarters of the Pawtucket tribe of Indians. The 
 remains of the Indian ditch which once environed Wamesit, 
 are still traceable, and are nearly coincident with the present 
 boundaries of the city of Lowell. 
 
 When first discovered by the whites, Wamesit contained a 
 population of 3000 souls, but as early as 1674 they had 
 dwindled away before the tide of the approaching whites, to 
 a mere handful. In 1725 they had wholly disappeared, and 
 the place remained unnoticed and obscure, settled only by a 
 sparse population of farmers. 
 
 In 1792, an act of incorporation was obtained by Dudley 
 A. Tyng and others for the purpose of constructing a canal 
 around the Pawtucket Falls, in order to render more safe the 
 descent of lumber-rafts. The canal was only a mile and a 
 half long, with a descent of 32 feet by four locks; but being 
 the first canal ever constructed in this country, is, as such, 
 entitled to notice in our history. The first boat passed 
 through the canal in 1797. 
 
 In 1804 the Middlesex canal was completed, connecting 
 the Merrimac above the Falls, with the city of Boston ; and 
 although these canals have subsequently become the source 
 and fountain-head of the unexampled prosperity of Lowell, 
 they were not originally designed to subserve manufacturing 
 purposes, nor does the idea of applying this immense water- 
 power to any other use than the transportation of merchan- 
 dise, seems to have entered the mind of any one until some 
 twenty-three years later. One humble cotton-mill, built of 
 wood, at an expense of 2500 dollars, a saw and grist-mill, 
 and a small powder-mill, were all that pertained to Lowell, 
 as a manufacturing place, down to the year 1823. 
 
 In 1822 the Merrimac Manufacturing Company were incor- 
 porated, and commenced the erection of cotton mills, and in 
 November, 1823, produced the first fabrics from their looms. 
 
 The success of this company called the attention of capi- 
 talists to the immense water privileges which could here be 
 made available, and in 1825 the Hamilton Company was incor- 
 porated, and commenced laying the foundation of their mills. 
 The first stage-coach which ever run regularly to Lowell, 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 91 
 
 commenced in 1822; and the first public worship, since the 
 apostle Elliot preached there to the Indians, was in 1824. 
 In 1825 the first church, a large stone edifice, was built by 
 the Merrimac Company. The place was originally named by 
 the whites East Chelmsford, and in 1820 contained but 200 
 inhabitants. In 1826, on the 1st of March, it was incorporated 
 as a town, under its present name, with a population exceeding 
 2500. The first bank, " The Lowell Bank,' 7 was established 
 1828, with a capital of $100,000 ; and in the same year the 
 Appleton Manufacturing Company and the Lowell Manufac- 
 turing Company were established. In 1829 an Institution for 
 Savings was chartered ; and in 1832 the Western or Suf- 
 folk canal was constructed, at an expense of $70,000. The 
 Suffolk, Tremont and Lawrence Manufacturing Companies 
 were established in 1831, as also the Railroad Bank, with a 
 capital of $800,000. The Middlesex Manufacturing Com- 
 pany and a Bleaching Company went into operation about the 
 same time ; and in 1835 another canal was constructed, the 
 Boot Manufacturing Company established, and a Railroad 
 opened to the city of Boston. 
 
 Meantime, other buildings had been erected with a corres- 
 ponding rapidity ; streets, blocks, and squares had sprung up, 
 as if by magic; churches, school-houses, and public edifices 
 had been erected ; and an unparalleled increase of population 
 and wealth had marked its course. The town contained, as 
 stated, in 1820 but 200 inhabitants, and in 1826 about 2,500. 
 In 1828 the population was 3,532 ; in 1832, 10,244 ; and in 
 1836 it was incorporated as a city, with a population of 17,633. 
 
 The present population is over 30,000, one-third of which 
 are operatives, viz : about 7,000 females and 3,000 males. 
 There are 33 mills, (besides calico print-works, bleacheries, 
 and divers other manufacturing and mechanical establish- 
 ments,) from which are turned out weekly 1,459,100 yards 
 of cloth — or 75,868,000 yards yearly. There are also 
 manufactured annually 14,000,000 yards of calico. More 
 thau $1,500,000 are paid out annually for labor, a portion of 
 which is invested by the operatives in the purchase of shares 
 of the capital stock of the companies, thereby becoming 
 themselves stockholders. 
 
 There is probably no place in New England, or in the 
 world, where the business of manufacturing is conducted 
 with more regard to the great interests and rights of all 
 concerned than at Lowell. 
 
MAINE 
 
 i 
 
 PORTLAND. 
 
 This city is beautifully situated, on an elevated peninsula, 
 in Casco Bay, 118 miles N. N. E. from Boston ; 542 from 
 Washington ; and 258 S. of Quebec. The peninsula re- 
 sembles the form of a saddle : the principal part of the 
 houses being erected on the seat. The situation is hand- 
 some : the harbor is a beautiful piece of water spreading on 
 the south-east, and the cove, smaller, but scarcely less beau- 
 tiful, on the north-west. This cove at the time of ebb be- 
 comes a pond. A bridge, thrown over the outlet, connects 
 Portland with the main land in this direction. The penin- 
 sula is universally handsome. The site of the town is an 
 easy, elegant arched slope. The principal streets run par- 
 allel with the length of the peninsula, and are crossed by 
 others nearly at right angles. Like those of most other 
 towns in this country, they are destitute of that exact regu- 
 larity, both in their position and direction, which would have 
 rendered them entirely beautiful. 
 
 The situation of Portland is probably as healthy as any in 
 New England. The slope, on which it is built, furnishes 
 every where a ready passage for all the water, and the hap- 
 piest means of keeping the town perfectly clean. Nothing 
 can stagnate here without pains-taking. The air cannot but 
 be sweet. The wells furnish an ample supply of pure and 
 fine water. Accordingly, the inhabitants enjoy as uninter- 
 rupted health, as those of any place, of the same size, in the 
 United States. 
 
 The harbor is safe, capacious, and rarely frozen. It is 
 sufficiently deep to admit ships of the line. The wharfs of 
 no great length, reach to the channel. No American town 
 is more entirely commercial ; and, of course, none is more 
 sprightly. Lumber, fish, and ships, are the principal materi- 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 93 
 
 PORTLAND. 
 
 als of their commerce.* Numerous islands are in the bay 
 to the east, on two of which are forts, which defend the en- 
 trance of the harbor ; Fort Preble on Bang's island, and 
 Fort Scammel, a blockhouse, on House island. Fort Bur- 
 rows stands under the observatory bluff, on the water's edge. 
 Between 50,000 and 60,000 tons of shipping belong to this 
 port, consisting of a large number of ships, brigs, schooners, 
 sloops, and steamboats and other craft. 
 
 Many of the private buildings of Portland are handsome, 
 and some elegant. An appearance of neatness and good 
 taste reigns throughout the place. The public buildings are 
 in good style, and appropriate to the present state and pros- 
 perity of the place. Among the finest public edifices are 
 the Court House, and Custom House. The city contains 
 sixteen churches. The people are distinguished for their love 
 of order ; many of them are eminent for their piety. In their 
 manners, they are pleasing, and quite hospitable in their feel- 
 ings. " A traveller," observes* a traveller, " cannot easily 
 visit them without carrying away a very advantageous im- 
 pression of their character." Education is well attended to, 
 and there are numerous schools, some of which are of a high 
 character. 
 
 Portland was formerly called Falmouth. It was incor- 
 porated as a town in 1786, and as a city in 1832. This place 
 suffered considerably during the early Indian wars. In 1676, 
 an attack was made on the inhabitants by a body of savages, 
 who captured or destroyed thirty of their number, and com- 
 pelled the remainder to flee for safety to a neighboring island. f 
 
 In 1689, the savages renewed their attacks on this region ; 
 but by the means of the enterprise of Colonel Church, who 
 was sent to defend it, a large body of savages, aided by a 
 party of French, was defeated. But the next spring, the In- 
 dians appeared at Falmouth, and three forts in the town fell 
 into their hands. One hundred of the inhabitants were made 
 prisoners, and the town was destroyed. The slain remained 
 unburied until the following year, when Colonel Church ap- 
 peared, and consigned them to the grave. 
 
 During the .revolutionary war, Falmouth was the scene of 
 
 * Dwight's Travels. t Hubbard. 
 
94 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 PORTLAND. 
 
 an outrage, which fired the American people with indigna- 
 tion. Captain Mowat, the commander of a British sloop of 
 war, had often come on shore at Portland, where he had 
 always received marked attention from the inhabitants. But 
 after the battles of Lexington and Breed's Hill, the regard 
 of the Americans for the British had somewhat cooled ; and, 
 on one occasion, when Mowat visited the town, he received 
 some personal insult from several strangers, who happened 
 to be in the place. This was regretted and reprobated by 
 the principal inhabitants. 
 
 Mowat resenting the insult, which consisted in a temporary 
 arrest, immediately sailed for Boston, for the purpose of ob- 
 taining permission to destroy the place. Admiral Greaves 
 consenting, Mowat, on the 18th of November, 1775, ap- 
 peared before the town, and by a messenger, informed the 
 inhabitants of his design. A respectful remonstrance was 
 sent to him, in which he was reminded of the former hospi- 
 tality and politeness of the people towards him. But no 
 other indulgence could be obtained, but a respite till the next 
 morning. In this short interval, most of the inhabitants re- 
 moved, and some of their effects were conveyed to a place 
 of safety. 
 
 In the morning, the British vessels opened their fire upon 
 the town, and continued the work of devastation, till they 
 had reduced all the public buildings (except the Congrega- 
 tional church) and one hundred and thirty dwelling houses 
 to ashes. One hundred and sixty families were thus driven 
 to find an asylum from the winter, in a country thinly in- 
 habited, and whose inhabitants were poorly able to furnish 
 either subsistence, or even a shelter. The name of Mowat 
 is inscribed on the pages of American history, and will de- 
 scend down, while type, ink, and paper last, with the unen- 
 viable reputation of a second Erostratus. 
 
 Within a few years a railroad communication has been 
 opened between Portland and Boston; and another, which 
 will prove of vast importance, is in contemplation between 
 Pordand and Montreal. 
 
NEW HAMPSHIRE 
 
 PORTSMOUTH. 
 
 Portsmouth, although not incorporated as a city, is by 
 far the most populous, and important town in New Hamp- 
 shire. It is the only seaport in the State. It is built on a 
 beautiful peninsula on the north side of Piscataqua river ; 
 united with the main land by a narrow isthmus on the north- 
 west, and by a bridge over a small inlet on the south. The 
 surface of the peninsula is uneven and beautiful. As seen 
 from the tower of the steeple, the opposite shore of Kittery, 
 from which it is divided by the above river, the river itself, 
 the harbor, the ocean, the points, the islands, the town, and 
 the adjacent country, form an assemblage of beautiful objects 
 not often surpassed. It lies about three miles from the 
 ocean — 55 N. and E. from Boston ; 58 S. W. of Portland ; 
 and 491 from Washington. 
 
 The population exceeds 9,000, chiefly collected near the 
 harbor on a hill adjoining. Like most other New England 
 towns, the houses are chiefly of wood ; but it contains some 
 elegant buildings. Being compactly built, it has suffered 
 severely by several fires within a few years, the most recent 
 and destructive of which took place in December, 1813, by 
 which a large proportion of the buildings was destroyed. 
 Their place, however, has been supplied, and the appearance 
 of the town improved. 
 
 The harbor is one of the finest in the world, completely 
 land-locked, never frozen, and accessible to the largest ships. 
 Its tides are high and rapid. The channel, at low water, is 
 40 feet in depth. It is defended by Fort Constitution on 
 Great Island ; Fort M'Clary opposite ; Fort Sullivan on Tre- 
 pethen Island ; and Fort Washington on Pierce's Island. 
 The two latter were garrisoned during the late war. 
 
 Portsmouth contains seven churches, some of which may 
 be said to be elegant ; a court house, gaol, six banks, mar- 
 
96 
 
 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 PORTSMOUTH. 
 
 kets, an academy, athenaeum, 280 stores, &,c. Two bridges 
 were built to connect with Kittery, Maine, in 1822, across 
 the Piscataqua, the channel of which is broad, and the cur- 
 rent rapid at particular times of the tide. The lcjng bridge 
 is 1,750 feet in length, extended across water varying 
 from 43 to 45 feet in depth at low tide, a distance of 900 
 feet, and crosses an island in the river. A water company 
 was formed and commenced operations in 1799, which sup- 
 plies all the streets with good water, brought a distance of 
 three miles. On Great Island is a lighthouse. On Conti- 
 nental Island, which is owned by the United States, is a navy 
 yard belonging to government ; and on Badger's Island was 
 constructed the first ship-of-the-line in America. It was 
 built during the Revolution, and named the North America. 
 Portsmouth was settled in 1623, by a company of which 
 Sir Ferdinando Gorges was an associate, and was incorpo- 
 rated by Massachusetts in 1653, while New Hampshire was 
 a colony. It is remarkable that during the long and bloody 
 wars, by which most other parts of this State suffered, this 
 place was entirely exempted. From the time that New 
 Hampshire became a separate government, in 1680, to the 
 American Revolution, the Legislature held its sessions in 
 this town ; but since that period they have met at Concord, 
 Exeter, &,c. 
 
 Some years since, there died in this place a hermit, at the 
 advanced age of 82 years. He lived on a farm, sufficient in 
 extent and fertility to have supported a large family ; but he 
 had imbibed the idea, that he should live to spend the whole, 
 exercising the greatest economy. For more than twenty 
 years he dwelt entirely alone, in a hut, which scarcely any 
 one would have deemed decent for a barn. He made his 
 own garments, which were in a fashion peculiar to himself. 
 He tilled his land, milked his cows, and made his butter and 
 cheese ; but subsisted principally on potatoes and milk. 
 Owing no doubt to his abstemious and temperate mode of liv- 
 ing, he exhibited at the age of eighty-two, a face freer from 
 wrinkles than is generally seen in those of fifty. 
 
 His mother lived to be more than an hundred years of age. 
 When she was one hundred and two, some people visited 
 her on a certain day ; and while they were with her, the bell 
 was heard to toll for a funeral. The old lady burst into 
 tears, and said, " When will the bell toll for me 1 It seems 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 97 
 
 PORTSMOUTH, 
 
 that the bell will never toll for me ; I am afraid that I shall 
 never die ! " 
 
 Though repeatedly invited to repair to some of the neigh- 
 bors, to spend the winter, where he might be comfortable, 
 this hermit absolutely declined ; alleging that he had every 
 thing he wanted. He would not suffer any one to spend a 
 niorht in his house, or to take care of him in his last illness. 
 For several weeks before his death, he was in a feeble state 
 of health; but with those comfortable accommodations, 
 which were abundantly in his power, he might have perhaps 
 lived to the age of his mother. 
 
 During an extreme cold night, in which the thermometer 
 fell to four degrees below cipher, he became so chilled, that 
 he was unable to rise in the morning, and soon expired. 
 He had no shirt to his back, according to his usual custom, 
 and his only covering for the night, besides an old tattered 
 cloth garb, was a small ragged blanket ; and his bed was a 
 parcel of straw. 
 
m 
 
 VERMONT 
 
 VERGENNES. 
 
 This is the only incorporated city in the State of Vermont. 
 The act of incorporation passed the legislature in 1788. Its 
 settlement commenced in 1766, by emigrants from Mas- 
 sachusetts and Connecticut. Its progress in trade and pop- 
 ulation has probably not corresponded to the expectations 
 of its inhabitants, at the time it was vested with city privi- 
 leges. 
 
 It lies on the Otter Creek, at the head of navigation, and 
 embraces an area of 400 rods by 480. The creek here falls 
 thirty feet, and affords many good mill sites, some of which 
 are occupied. The largest vessels which navigate Lake 
 Champlain are able to come within seven miles of Ver- 
 gennes. The shores on either side are bold and often pic- 
 turesque; but the channel is very crooked. The surround- 
 ing country is quite fertile, and considerable produce finds 
 its way to market through this port. The place is advanta- 
 geously situated for ship building. The population does not 
 much exceed one thousand. In this port, Commodore Mc- 
 Donough's flotilla, which so signally sustained the honor of 
 America on Lake Champlain, in an engagement with a su- 
 perior British force, was fitted out in 1814. 
 
 But although Vermont cannot boast of cities of size, pop- 
 ulation, and wealth, like many of her sister States, she has 
 several finely situated, well built and thriving towns, of 
 which perhaps the most distinguished is 
 
 BURLINGTON. 
 
 Burlington stands on a most beautiful harbor, on the east 
 side of Lake Champlain, near the mouth of Onion river. It 
 is on elevated ground, commanding a noble view of the lake 
 and adjacent country. It carries on a considerable trade 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 99 
 
 BURLINGTON. 
 
 Almost all the vessels which navigate the lake are owned 
 here. Many of the private houses are in beautiful taste, 
 with large gardens. Here are the public buildings of the 
 county, an academy, banks, &c. The population is about 
 four thousand. 
 
 The Vermont University is located at Burlington. It was 
 incorporated in 1791, but did not go into operation till 
 1800 ; it has been liberally patronized by the State. It has 
 libraries of more than 9,000 volumes, and a philosophical 
 apparatus that is tolerably complete. The funds consist 
 principally of lands, amounting to about 30,000 acres, and 
 yielding, at present, an income of about 2,500 dollars. On 
 the 27th of May, 1824, a large college edifice, erected in 
 1801, was unfortunately destroyed by fire ; but the. library 
 and part of the philosophical apparatus were saved. Since 
 that time, three brick edifices have been erected, two of 
 them containing rooms for students ; the other containing a 
 chapel and other public rooms. 
 
 " Splendor of landscape," remarks Dr. Dwight, " is the 
 peculiar boast of Burlington. Lake Champlain, here six- 
 teen miles wide, extends fifty miles northward, and forty 
 southward, before it reaches Crown Point, and throughout 
 a great part of this magnificent expansion is visible at Bur- 
 lington. In its bosom are encircled many beautiful islands ; 
 three of them, North and South Hero, and La Motte, suf- 
 ficiently large to contain, the first and last, one township 
 each, the other, two ; forming, together with the township of 
 Alburgh, on the point between the bay of Misciscoui and the 
 river St. John, the county of Grand Isle. A numerous train 
 of these islands are here in full view. In the interior, 
 among the other interesting objects, the range of the Green 
 Mountains, with its train of lofty summits, commences in 
 the south with the utmost stretch of the eye ; and limiting, 
 on the east, one third of the horizon, declines far northward, 
 until it becomes apparently blended with the surface. On 
 the west, beyond the immense field of glass, formed by the 
 waters of the lake, extends the opposite shore from its first 
 appearance at the south, until it vanishes from the eye in the 
 north-west, at the distance of forty miles. Twelve or fifteen 
 miles from this shore ascends the first range of western 
 mountains ; about fifteen or twenty miles further, the second 
 
 ± 
 
100 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 BURLINGTON. 
 
 range ; and, at about the same distance, the third. The two 
 former commence a few miles south of the head of Lake 
 George ; one on the eastern, and the other on the western 
 side of this water. Where the third commences, I am ig- 
 norant. The termination of all these ranges is not far from 
 the latitude of Plattsburg. The prospect of these mountains 
 is superlatively noble. The rise of the first range from the 
 lake, the ascent of the second far above it, and the still 
 loftier elevation of the third, diffuse a magnificence over the 
 whole, which mocks description. Three of the summits, 
 hitherto without a name, are peculiarly distinguished for their 
 sublimity. Among those of the Green Mountains there are 
 two, in the fullest view from this spot, superior even to these. 
 One of them, named the Camel's Rump, the Camel's Back, 
 and the Camel ; the other the Mountain of Mansfield. The 
 latter of these, was by the following expedient proved, not 
 long since, to be higher than the former. A hunter, who 
 had ascended to its highest point, put into his piece a small 
 ball ; and pointing it to the apex of the Camel, the ball rolled 
 out. Both of them are, however, very lofty ; higher, as I 
 believe, than Killington Peak, notwithstanding the deference 
 with which I regard the estimates of Doctor Williams. The 
 peculiar form of the Camel's Back invests this mountain 
 with a sublimity entirely superior to any other in the 
 State." * 
 
 *Dwight's Travels. 
 
CONNECTICUT 
 
 HARTFORD. 
 
 * 
 
 The original English settlers of Hartford were a distin- 
 guished band of pilgrims, principally from the county of 
 Essex, in England. In 1632, a considerable portion of them 
 emigrated to America, and first settled at Mount Wollaston, 
 now Quincy, near Boston. But during the same year, they 
 were ordered by the court to Newtown, since called Cam- 
 bridge. In the course of the following year, they were join- 
 ed by the Rev. Thomas Hooker, their former minister, in 
 England, who, to escape " fines and imprisonment," had 
 been obliged to take refuge in Holland for three years. On 
 landing at Boston, Mr. Hooker proceeded to Newtown, 
 where, finding himself in the midst of a joyful and affection- 
 ate people, he was filled with joy himself. He embraced 
 them with open arms, saying, in the language of the apostle, 
 " Now I live, if ye stand fast in the Lord." With Mr. 
 Hooker came over the famous Mr. John Cotton, Mr. John 
 Haynes, afterwards governor of Connecticut, Mr. GofF, and 
 two hundred passengers of importance to the colony. On 
 the 11th of October of this year, the eighth Church was 
 gathered on the American soil, and the pastor, Mr. Hooker, 
 and the teacher, Mr. Stone, were ordained with appropriate 
 services. 
 
 Accessions to the little colony at Newtown continuing to 
 be made, as also to those who had settled at Dorchester and 
 Watertown, it was deemed essential to the comfort of the 
 three settlements to remove to some more commodious place. 
 In the summer of 1634, six men were despatched from " the 
 towns in the Bay," to examine the lands on the "Quonchta- 
 cut," as the river was called by the Indians, or the "fresh 
 river" as denominated by the English. The report of these 
 " spies," of the commodiousness of the place, and the fruit- 
 fulness of the soil, was so favorable, that a resolution was 
 
104 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 HARTFORD. 
 
 adopted by the people of the above towns, " forthwith to 
 begin several plantations there." 
 
 On making application to the court for liberty to remove, 
 an unexpected opposition arose, because they had it in view 
 to plant a colony in Connecticut, independent of that of 
 Massachusetts. The debate in the court was long and spirit- 
 ed ; and the application, for that session, rejected. This 
 caused considerable excitement, not only in the general 
 court, but in the colony, to allay which, Mr. Cotton was re- 
 quested to preach on the subject. 
 
 The next May, 1635, the people of Newtown renewed 
 their application to the court, for liberty to remove ; which, 
 after some delay, was granted, upon consideration that they 
 should continue under the jurisdiction of Massachusetts. 
 
 Matters being thus arranged, " on the 15th of October, 
 about sixty men, women, and children, with their horses, 
 cattle, and swine, commenced their journey from Massachu- 
 setts, through the wilderness, to the Connecticut river. After 
 a tedious and difficult journey, through swamps and rivers, 
 over mountains and rough grounds, which were passed with 
 great difficulty and fatigue, they arrived safely at the places 
 of their respective destination. They were so long on their 
 journey, and so much time and pains were spent in passing 
 the river, and in getting over their cattle, that after all their^^ 
 exertions, winter came upon them before they were prepared.^ 
 This was an occasion of great distress and damage to the 
 plantations. 
 
 " The winter set in this year much sooner than usual, and 
 the weather was stormy and severe. By the 15th of Novem- 
 ber, Connecticut river was frozen over, and the snow was so 
 deep, and the season so tempestuous, that a considerable 
 number of the cattle, which had been driven on from Massa- 
 chusetts, could not be brought across the river. The people 
 had so little time to prepare their huts and houses, and to 
 erect sheds and shelters for their cattle, that the sufferings 
 of man and beast were extreme. Indeed, the hardships and 
 distresses of the first planters of Connecticut scarcely admit 
 of description. To carry much provision, or much furni- 
 ture, through a pathless wilderness, was impracticable. 
 Their principal provisions and household furniture were, 
 therefore, put on board several small vessels, which, by reason 
 of delays and the tempestuousness of the season, were either 
 cast away, or did not arrive. Several vessels were wrecked 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 1Q5 
 
 HARTFORD. 
 
 on the coast of New England, by the violence of the storms. 
 Two shallops, laden with goods, from Boston to Connecticut, 
 in October, were cast away on Brown's island, near the 
 Gurnet's nose ; and the men with every thing on board, were 
 lost. A vessel with six of the Connecticut people on board, 
 which sailed from the river for Boston, early in November, 
 was, about the middle of the month, cast away in Manamet 
 Bay. The men got on shore, and after wandering ten days 
 in deep snow and a severe season, without meeting any hu- 
 man being, arrived, nearly spent with cold and fatigue, at 
 New Plymouth. 
 
 " By the last of November, or beginning of December, 
 provisions generally failed in the settlements on the river, 
 and famine and death looked the inhabitants sternly in the 
 face. Some of them, driven by hunger, attempted their way, 
 in this severe season, through the wilderness, from Connec- 
 ticut to Massachusetts. Of thirteen in one company, who 
 made this attempt, one, in passing the rivers, fell through the 
 ice, and was drowned. The other twelve were ten days on 
 their journey, and would all have perished, had it not been 
 for the assistance of the Indians. 
 
 " Indeed such was the distress in general, that by the 3d 
 and 4th of December, a considerable part of the new settlers 
 [ere obliged to abandon their habitations. Seventy persons, 
 len, women, and children, were necessitated, in the extrem- 
 ity of winter, to go down to the mouth of the river, to meet 
 their provisions, as the only expedient to preserve their lives. 
 Not meeting with the vessels which they expected, they all 
 went on board the Rebecca, a vessel of about sixty tons. 
 This, two days before, was frozen in, twenty miles up the 
 river ; but by the falling of a small rain and the influence of 
 the tide, the ice became so broken and was so far removed, 
 that she was enabled to get out. She ran, however, upon 
 the bar, and the people were forced to unlade her to get 
 her off. She wasreladed, and in five days reached Boston. 
 Had it not been for these providential circumstances, the 
 people must have perished with famine. 
 
 " The people who kept their stations on the river suffered 
 in an extreme degree. After all the help they were able to 
 obtain, by hunting, and from the Indians, they were obliged 
 to subsist on acorns, malt and grains. 
 
 " Numbers of the cattle, which could not be got over the 
 river before winter, lived through without any thing but what 
 
106 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 HARTFORD. 
 
 they found in the woods and meadows. They wintered as 
 well or better than those which were brought over, and for 
 which all the provision was made, and pains taken, of 
 which the owners were capable. However, a great number 
 of cattle perished. The Dorchester, or Windsor people, lost 
 in this single article about two hundred pounds sterling. 
 Their other losses were very considerable. 
 
 " It is difficult to describe, or even to conceive, the ap- 
 prehensions and distresses of a people, in the circumstances 
 of our venerable ancestors, during this doleful winter. All 
 the horrors of a dreary wilderness spread themselves around 
 them. They were compassed with numerous, fierce, and 
 cruel tribes of wild and savage men, who could have swal- 
 lowed up parents and children, at pleasure, in their feeble 
 and distressed condition. They had neither bread for them- 
 selves nor children, neither habitations nor clothing con- 
 venient for them. Whatever emergency might happen, they 
 were cut off, both by land and water, from any succor or re- 
 treat. What self denial, firmness, and magnanimity are 
 necessary for such enterprises ! How distressful, in the be- 
 ginning, was the condition of those now fair and opulent 
 towns on Connecticut river ! 
 
 " For a few years after the settlements on the river com- 
 menced, they bore the same name with the towns in MasstfM| 
 chusetts, whence the first settlers came. 
 
 " The Connecticut planters, at first settled under the gen- 
 eral government of Massachusetts, but they held courts of 
 their own, which consisted of two principal men from each 
 town ; and, on great and extraordinary occasions, these were 
 joined with committees, as they were called, consisting of 
 three men from each town. These courts had power to 
 transact all the common affairs of the colony, and with their 
 committees, had the power of making war and peace, and 
 treaties of alliance and friendship with the natives within the 
 colony. 
 
 " The first court in Connecticut was holden at Newtown, 
 April 26th, 1636. It consisted of Roger Ludlow, Esquire, 
 Mr. John Steel, Mr. William Swain, Mr. William Phelps, 
 Mr. William Westwood, and Mr. Andrew Ward. Mr. Lud- 
 low had been one of the magistrates of Massachusetts in 
 1630, and in 1631 had been chosen lieutenant governor of 
 that colony. At this court it was ordered that the inhabit- 
 ants should not sell guns nor ammunition to the Indians. 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 107 
 
 HARTFORD. 
 
 Various other affairs were also transacted relative to the good 
 order, settlement, and defence of these infant towns. 
 
 " Several of the principal gentlemen interested in the set- 
 tlement of Connecticut, Mr. John Haynes, who at this time 
 was governor of Massachusetts, Mr. Henry Wolcott, Mr. 
 Wells, the ministers of the churches, and others, had not 
 yet removed into the colony. As soon as the spring ad- 
 vanced, and the travelling would admit, the hardy men be- 
 gan to return from Massachusetts to their habitations on 
 the river. No sooner were buds, leaves, and grass so grown, 
 that cattle could live in the woods, and obstructions removed 
 from the river, so that vessels could go up with provisions 
 and furniture, than the people began to return, in large 
 companies, to Connecticut. Many, who had not removed the 
 last year, prepared, with all convenient despatch, for a jour- 
 ney to the new settlements upon the river. 
 
 " About the beginning of June, Mr. Hooker, Mr. Stone, 
 and about one hundred men, women, and children, took their 
 departure from Cambridge, and travelled more than a hun- 
 dred miles, through a hideous and trackless wilderness, to 
 Hartford. They had no guide but their compass ; and made 
 their way over mountains, through swamps, thickets, and 
 rivers, which were not passable but with great difficulty. 
 a They had no cover but the heavens, nor any lodgings but 
 those which simple nature afforded them. They drove with 
 them a hundred and sixty head of cattle, and by the way, 
 subsisted on the milk of their cows. Mrs. Hooker was borne 
 through the wilderness upon a litter. The people generally 
 carried their packs, arms, and some utensils. They were 
 nearly a fortnight on their journey. 
 
 11 This adventure was the more remarkable, as many of 
 this company were persons of figure, who had lived, in Eng- 
 land, in honor, affluence, and delicacy, and were strangers to 
 fatigue and danger."* 
 
 Such. is a brief account of the original settlement of the 
 English, at Hartford, Windsor, and Wethersfield. Weth- 
 ersfield, however, is the oldest town in the State, a few huts 
 having been erected there in 1634, in which a small number 
 of individuals contrived to winter. 
 
 The Indian name of Hartford was Suckiaug. The Sa- 
 chem of the place was Sunckquasson, who gave a deed, about 
 the year 1636, to Samuel Stone and William Goodwin, who 
 
 * Trumbull's History of Connecticut. 
 
108 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 HARTFORD. 
 
 appear to have acted in behalf of the first settlers. In 1670, 
 the soil was again purchased of the Indians, the evidence of 
 the first purchase being considered imperfect. Hartford 
 retained the name of Newtown till February, 1637, when, 
 by order of the court, it was changed to the former name, 
 in honor of Mr. Stone, who was born at Hartford in England. 
 
 " For a time, the affairs of the people of the three settle- 
 ments, Hartford, Windsor, and Wethersfield, wore a most 
 gloomy aspect. They had sustained great losses in cattle 
 and goods in the preceding years, and even this year they 
 were unfortunate with respect to their cattle. They had 
 no hay, but what they cut from the spontaneous productions 
 of an uncultivated country. To make good English meadow 
 was a work of time. The wild, coarse grass, which the 
 people cut, was often mowed too late, and but poorly made. 
 They did not always cut a sufficient quantity of this poor 
 hay. They had no corn or provender with which they could 
 feed them ; and amidst the multiplicity of affairs, which, at 
 their first settlement, demanded their attention, they could 
 not provide such shelters for them as were necessary, during 
 the long and severe winters of this northern climate. From 
 an union of these circumstances, some of their cattle were 
 lost, and those which lived through winter were uncommonly 
 poor, and many of the cows lost their young. Notwith- 
 standing all the exertions the people had made the preceding 
 summer, they had not been able, in the multiplicity of their 
 affairs, and under the inconveniences, to raise a sufficiency 
 of provision. Their provisions were not only very coarse, 
 but very dear and scanty. The people were not only inex- 
 perienced in the husbandry of the country, but they had but 
 fe«)xen or ploughs. They performed almost the whole cul- 
 ture of the earth with their hoes. This rendered it both 
 exceedingly slow and laborious. 
 
 " The inhabitants of Hartford, as also those of the infant 
 settlements in their vicinity, were regarded with jealousy by 
 the Indians in their immediate neighborhood, and even at a 
 distance. 
 
 " They waylaid the white man in his path through the 
 woods. They seized upon him while at work in the field. 
 They cut him down with their tomahawks at the door of his 
 own house. The question was to be settled, whether our 
 forefathers should abandon the country, or meet and con- 
 quer this terrible foe. They determined on the latter. On 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 109 
 
 HARTFORD. 
 
 the first of May, just eighteen months after the settlement was 
 begun, and when there were only eight hundred souls in the 
 colony, the Court met, and resolved upon an offensive war 
 against the Pequots, the powerful tribe inhabiting the country 
 around New London and Stonington, and which were evident- 
 ly plotting the destruction of the colony. On the 10th, ninety 
 men were drafted from the three settlements, and ready for 
 the expedition. Embarked on board three little floats that 
 were to convey them down the river, they received the exhor- 
 tation and blessing of their venerated pastor, Mr. Hooker. 
 1 Your cause,' said he, ' is the cause of heaven ; the enemy 
 have blasphemed your God, and slain his servants; you are 
 only the ministers of his justice. March, then, with Chris- 
 tian courage in the strength of the Lord ; march with faith 
 in his divine promises ; and soon your swords shall find 
 your enemies, soon they shall fall like leaves of the forest 
 under your feet.' So it proved. 
 
 " Mr. Stone went as Chaplain. On the fifteenth, they 
 were at the mouth of the river, whence they sent back twen- 
 ty of their number to guard their own defenceless homes. 
 On the morning of the 28th, the little army, consisting of 
 seventy-seven Englishmen, and a party of Narragansett and 
 Mohegan Indians was before the fort of the Pequots at 
 Mystic. , The day was near dawning. A dog bays the 
 alarm. It is too late. The Englishmen's musketry and 
 broadswords are upon them, and their last hour has come. 
 The brave Captain Mason, with a party of his equally brave 
 men, rushes in at the east end of the fort, and carries the 
 battle into the huts of the savages, just roused from sleep. 
 The conflict is terrible, and, for a moment, the victory hangs 
 in suspense ; till Mason, seizing a firebrand, cries, ' we 
 must burn them,' and throws it among the mats of their 
 cabins. Instantly they are in flames. The assailants retire 
 and surround the fort, and the fire finishes the work. In one 
 short hour the battle is over; six hundred Indians are slain, 
 and the power of the most formidable foe of the English 
 is annihilated. Our men left the scene of action just as 
 the sun had risen ; embarked on board their vessels, which, 
 just at that crisis, entered the Pequot harbor to receive them ; 
 and, in three days, were at their homes, with only two of 
 their number killed, and about twenty wounded."* 
 
 * Dr. Hawes's Centennial Address. 
 
HO FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 HARTFORD. 
 
 The early records of Hartford contain many laws and reg- 
 ulations passed in their general town meeting, which in the 
 wisdom of the fathers were deemed important for the welfare 
 of their little community ; but which to us, at the present 
 day, would appear almost puerile, especially, if due allow- 
 ance is not made for their primitive manners and peculiar 
 circumstances. A few extracts from these records follow : 
 
 1635. — It is ordered, that there shall be a guard of . . . 
 men, to attend with their arms fixed, and two shot of powder 
 and shot, at least .... every public meeting for religious 
 use, with two sergeants to oversee the same, and to keep out 
 
 one of them sentinel and the said guard to be freed 
 
 from boarding, and to have seats provided near the meeting 
 house door, and the sergeants repair to the magistrates for 
 a warrant for the due execution thereof. 
 
 It is ordered, that every inhabitant which hath not free- 
 dom from the whole to be absent, shall make his personal 
 appearance at every general meeting of the whole town, 
 having sufficient warning ; and whosoever fails to appear at 
 the time and place appointed, shall pay sixpence for every 
 such default ; but if he shall have lawful excuse, it shall be 
 repaid him again ; or whosoever departs away from the meet- 
 ing before it be ended, without liberty from the whole, shall 
 pay the likewise. 
 
 It is ordered, that whosoever borrows the town chain, shall 
 pay two pence a day, for every day they keep the same, and 
 pay for mending, if it be broken in their use. 
 
 It is ordered, that there shall be a set meeting of all the 
 townsmen together the first Thursday of every month, by 
 nine o'clock in the forenoon, so that if any inhabitant have 
 any business with them, he may repair unto them ; and 
 whosoever of them do not meet at the time and place set, to 
 forfeit two shillings and sixpence for every default. 
 
 The 17th September, 1640 — It is ordered, that 
 
 Woodward shall spend his time about killing of wolves, and 
 for his encouragement he shall have four shillings and six- 
 pence for his board, in case he kill not a wolf, or a deer in 
 the week ; but if he kill a wolf or a deer, he is to pay for 
 his board himself; and if he kill .... to have it for two 
 pence a pound. This order is made for a month before he 
 begins. It is further ordered, that if any person hath lost 
 any thing that he desireth should be cried in a public meet- 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. If J 
 
 HARTFORD. 
 
 ing, he shall pay for crying of it two pence to Thomas 
 Woodford, to be paid before it be cried ; and the crier shall 
 have a book of the things that he crieth. 
 
 At a general Town Meeting in April, 1643 — It was or- 
 dered, That Mr. Andrews should teach the children in the 
 school one year next ensuing, from the 25th of March, 1643, 
 and that he shall have for his pains .£16 ; and therefore the 
 townsmen shall go and inquire who will engage themselves 
 to send their children ; and all that do so shall pay for one 
 quarter at the least, and for more if they do send them, after 
 the proportion of twenty shillings the year ; and if they go 
 any weeks more than an even quarter, they shall pay six- 
 pence a week ; and if any would send their children, and are 
 not able to pay for their teaching, they shall give notice of it 
 to the townsmen, and they shall pay it at the town's charge ; 
 and Mr. Andrews shall keep the account between the 
 children's schooling and himself, and send notice of the times 
 of payment and demand it ; and if his wages doth not come 
 in so, then the townsmen must collect and pay it ; or if the en- 
 gagements come not to sixteen pounds, then they shall pay 
 what is wanting, at the town's charges. 
 
 At a general Town Meeting, October 30th, 1643 — It was 
 ordered, That if any boy shall be taken playing, or misbe- 
 having himself, in the time of public services, whether in the 
 
 meeting house or about the walls by two witnesses, 
 
 for the first time shall be examined and punished at the pres- 
 ent, publicly, before the assembly depart ; and if any shall 
 be the second time taken faulty, on witness, shall be account- 
 ed Further, it is ordered, if the parents or master 
 
 shall desire to correct his boy, he shall have liberty the first 
 time to do the same. 
 
 It was further ordered, in the same general meeting that 
 there should be a bell rung by the watch every morning, an 
 hour before daybreak, and that they are appointed by the 
 constables for that purpose ; shall begin at the bridge, and so 
 ring the bell all the way forth and back from Master Moody's 
 
 (Wyllys Hill) to John Pratt's and that they shall be 
 
 in every house, one up, and .... some lights within one 
 quarter of an hour after the end of the bell ringing .... if 
 they can .... the bell is rung before the time appointed, 
 then to be up with lights as before mentioned, half an hour 
 before daybreak, and for default herein is to forfeit one shil- 
 
112 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 HARTFORD. 
 
 ling and sixpence, to be to him that finds him faulty, and 
 sixpence to the town.* 
 
 Hartford was not incorporated as a city, till 1784, nearly 
 a century and a half from its settlement. It lies upon the 
 bank of Connecticut river, 50 miles from its mouth. It is 
 110 N. E. from New York, and 100 W. S. W. from Boston. 
 Its lat. is 41° 45' N., and long. 4° 15' E. from Washington. 
 The limits of the city extend somewhat more than a mile 
 upon the river, and about three fourths of a mile in breadth. 
 The position of the city is quite pleasant. The prospect 
 from the State House, or any other considerable elevation, 
 is delightful, especially in the latter part of the spring months, 
 when the uncommonly fertile country around has put on its 
 appropriate attire. Few scenes are more enchanting — the 
 river, which at this season is considerably swollen, coming 
 down from the north, and sweeping rapidly by the city — 
 while the proud steamboat is seen laboring up against the 
 current, or just swinging off from the dock, turns with the 
 descending tide, and dashes like the war horse down the im- 
 petuous flood. 
 
 The city is rather irregularly laid out, and is divided at 
 the south part by Mill, or Little river. Until within a few 
 years the southern portion of the city has been neglected ; 
 but several fine mansion houses have recently been erected 
 in this quarter, which now promises to rival, if not excel, 
 the other portions of the city. From the nature of the soil, 
 the streets must always, in the spring season of the year, be 
 liable to mud ; but they are annually improving. The first 
 efficient effort to improve Main street, was made in 1790, or 
 1791, " when the town voted to cover it with stone, and an- 
 nually appropriated a tax of four pence on the pound for that 
 purpose for several years." A vast expense has been incurred 
 to improve the streets, especially Main street, greatly to the 
 credit of the authorities of the city. 
 
 The city is well built, and contains many elegant public 
 and private edifices. The State House, in which are the 
 public offices of the State, is surmounted with a cupola, and 
 is a handsome and spacious building. It is " fifty feet in 
 width, fifty in height, and one hundred and thirty in length. 
 
 * Historical Collections. 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 113 
 
 HARTFORD. 
 
 The first story is twenty feet high, of dark brown freestone, 
 with circular breaks over each window. The second story 
 is twenty, and the third ten feet high ; and the division 
 between them is marked by a band of freestone. From each 
 front, finished with iron gates, projects an open arcade, six- 
 teen feet wide and forty long. The one on the west sup- 
 ports a second and third story, enclosed and finished, like the 
 rest of the building. On the eastern one stands a Doric por- 
 tico, thirty feet high, often columns, built of brick, and stuc- 
 coed white. On the first floor of the south wing are four 
 rooms, occupied as offices by the Treasurer and Comptrol- 
 ler. The north contains the court room, of forty feet diam- 
 eter. Within it is a row of Doric fluted columns, ten feet 
 from the wall, supporting the floor of the Representatives' 
 room, which is as large as the one below, and thirty feet high, 
 including the second and third stories. Ionic pilasters are 
 between each window, whose entablature and balustrade 
 reach to the bottom of the attic windows, and on the south 
 side of the room form the front of a gallery supported by 
 fluted columns. The council chamber occupies the south 
 wing on the same floor ; is of the same size, as the one last 
 described ; and differs from it only in being without a gal- 
 lery, and having in the place of pilasters Corinthian columns, 
 whose capitals are without their appropriate leaves. A 
 double flight of stairs from the west end of the area below, 
 communicates to the hall, which is the entrance to the two 
 large rooms. The hall is forty feet by twenty-five, and twen- 
 ty high. At its^east end are windows, opening from the floor 
 to the portico ; and at the west are doors, communicating 
 with the Secretary's office, and with the spiral stair case, 
 which leads to the gallery, and to committee rooms in the 
 third story, over the Hall and the Secretary's office."* With- 
 in a few years, the appearance of this edifice has been great- 
 ly improved. 
 
 The City Hall, built for city purposes, is also spacious 
 and elegant. It has two fronts, with porticos, supported 
 each by six columns. The effect of this building, however, 
 is in a great measure lost, from its confined position ; on a 
 somewhat higher elevation, and with open grounds around it, 
 it would produce great effect, and be much more ornamental 
 to the city. 
 
 * Dwight's Travels. 
 
114 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 HARTFORD. 
 
 " The city has fourteen places of public worship : four for 
 Congregationalists, two Episcopal, two Baptist, one Methodist, 
 one Unitarian, one Universalist, one Roman Catholic, and two 
 African ; several of these are very handsome, and the Epis- 
 copal, a Gothic edifice, is much admired for its elegance. 
 There are five banks, and a bank for savings ; three fire and 
 marine insurance offices, an arsenal, museum, three mar- 
 kets," &,c. 
 
 In the immediate vicinity, are located the American Asy- 
 lum for the Deaf and Dumb, the Retreat for the Insane, and 
 Trinity College. 
 
 The Asylum was founded by an association of gentlemen 
 in Hartford, in 1815. " Their attention was called to this 
 important charity, by a case of deafness in the family of one 
 of their number. An interesting child of the late Dr. Cogs- 
 well, who had lost her hearing at the age of two years, and 
 her speech soon after, was, under Providence, the cause of 
 its establishment. Her father, ever ready to sympathize with 
 the afflicted, and prompt to relieve human suffering, embraced 
 in his plans for the education of his own daughter, all who 
 might be similarly unfortunate. The co-operation of the be- 
 nevolent was easily secured, and measures were taken to ob- 
 tain from Europe a knowledge of the difficult art, unknown 
 in this country, of teaching written language through the 
 medium of signs, to the deaf and dumb. For this purpose, 
 the Rev. Thomas H. Gallaudet visited England and Scotland, 
 and applied at the institutions in those countries for instruc- 
 tion in their system, but meeting with unexpected difficulties, 
 he repaired to France, and obtained at the Royal Institution 
 at Paris, those qualifications for an instructor of the deaf and 
 dumb, which a selfish and mistaken policy had refused him 
 in Great Britain. Accompanied by Mr. Samuel Clerc, him- 
 self deaf and dumb, and for several years a successful teach- 
 er under the Abbe Sicard, Mr. Gallaudet returned to this 
 country in August, 1816. The Asylum had, in May 
 preceding, been incorporated by the State Legislature. Some 
 months were spent by Messrs. Gallaudet and Clerc, in ob- 
 taining funds for the benefit of the Institution, and in the 
 spring of 1817, the Asylum was opened for the reception 
 of those for whom it was designed, and the course of in- 
 struction commenced with seven pupils. 
 
 " In 1819, Congress granted the Institution a township 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 117 
 
 HARTFORD. 
 
 of land in Alabama, the proceeds of which have been in- 
 vested as a permanent fund. The principal building was 
 erected in 1820, and the pupils removed to it in the spring 
 of the following year. It is one hundred and thirty feet long, 
 fifty feet wide, and, including the basement, four stories high. 
 Other buildings have been subsequently erected, as the in- 
 creasing number of pupils made it necessary; the principal 
 of which is a dining hall and workshops for the male pupils. 
 Attached to the Institution are eight or ten acres of land, 
 which afford ample room for exercise and the cultivation 
 of vegetables and fruits for the pupils. 
 
 " Wadsworth Atheneum," named after Daniel Wadsworth, 
 Esq., who gave the spot on which it stands, besides a large 
 sum towards its erection, is an ornament to the city. It oc- 
 cupies a commanding situation on Main street. The material 
 used in its construction is light grey granite. The style of 
 architecture is Gothic, of the castellated character. It is 
 divided into three equal compartments, one of which is occu- 
 pied as a library of the "Young Men's Institute," compre- 
 hending at present about 10,000 volumes. Another room, 
 appropriated to the Fine Arts, contains paintings in history, 
 landscape, and portrait, with a department for sculpture. A 
 third compartment accommodates the archives of the Connec- 
 ticut Historical Society, which comprises 5,000 volumes, be- 
 sides multitudes of pamphlets and manuscripts. 
 
 " The Retreat for the Insane commenced its operations 
 on the 15th of April, 1824. The edifice is situated on a 
 commanding eminence, at the distance of a mile and a quar- 
 ter, in a south-westerly direction, from the State House, in 
 Hartford. The elevation overlooks an ample range of fer- 
 tile country, presenting on every side a most interesting land- 
 scape, adorned with every beauty of rural scenery, that can 
 be found in rich and cultivated fields, and meadows of un- 
 rivalled verdure ; in extensive groves and picturesque groups 
 of forest, fruit and ornamental trees ; and above all, in the 
 charming diversity of level, sloping and undulating surfaces 
 terminating by distant hills, and more distant mountains. 
 
 11 The city of Hartford is conspicuously seen on the left, 
 and in different directions, five flourishing villages, rendered 
 nearly continuous by numerous intervening farm houses. 
 On the east, the prospect is enlivened by the passing and re- 
 passing of carriages and travellers, on the two principal 
 
118 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 HARTFORD. 
 
 thoroughfares of the country, that extend along the front of 
 the building, one at the distance of fifty or sixty rods, the 
 other within three-fourths of a mile. Still farther eastward, 
 but within a mile and a half, the prospect is frequently en- 
 livened by the splendid show of passing steamboats, and the 
 white sails of various water craft, plying up and down the 
 Connecticut river, which is distinctly seen in many long 
 windings. 
 
 " The edifice for the accommodation of the patients, and 
 those who have the care of them, is constructed of unhewn 
 freestone, covered with a smooth white water proof cement. 
 Its style of architecture is perfectly plain and simple, and in- 
 terests only by its symmetrical beauty, and perhaps by the 
 idea it impresses of durability and strength, derived from the 
 massy solidity of its materials — yet notwithstanding these, its 
 general aspect is remarkably airy and cheerful, from the am- 
 plitude of its lights, and the brilliant whiteness of its exterior. 
 The whole building is divided into commodious and spacious 
 apartments, adapted to various descriptions of cases, accor- 
 ding to their sex, nature and disease, habits of life and the 
 wishes of their friends. The male and female apartments 
 are entirely separated, and either sex is completely secluded 
 from the view of the other. Rooms are provided in both 
 male and female apartments, for the accommodation of the 
 sick, where they are removed from any annoyance, and can 
 continually receive the kind attentions of their immediate re- 
 lations and friends. Attached to the buildings, are about 
 seventeen acres of excellent land, the principal part of which 
 is laid out in walks, ornamental grounds, and extensive gar- 
 dens. With each wing and block of the building, is con- 
 nected a court yard encompassed by high fences, and 
 handsomely laid out, designed to afford the benefit of exer- 
 cise, pastime, and fresh air to those who cannot safely be al- 
 lowed to range abroad. 
 
 " Connected with the Institution, there are horses and 
 carriages, which are appropriated exclusively to the benefit 
 of the patients, and which afford them much pleasant exer- 
 cise and amusement. The male patients frequently employ 
 themselves in the garden, and amuse themselves at the back- 
 gammon board, draughts, and the like. The female pa- 
 tients employ themselves in sewing, knitting, drawing, paint- 
 ing, playing on the piano, and other amusements. The va- 
 rious exercises and amusements are adapted to the age, sex, 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 119 
 
 HARTFORD. 
 
 and former habits of the patients ; and in all cases the two 
 sexes are kept entirely separate. There is a library in the 
 Retreat, composed of light and agreeable works, and several 
 periodicals and newspapers are constantly taken, for the 
 perusal of which the inmates manifest much fondness. [On 
 the Sabbath, those that are in a proper condition, attend re- 
 ligious service, conducted by the Rev. Mr. Gallaudet, at pres- 
 ent, 1848, chaplain to the Institution.] Every thing con- 
 nected with the Institution is designed to make it a pleasant 
 and agreeable residence for all its inmates.'** 
 
 Trinity College was founded in 1826. It has three edi- 
 fices of freestone ; two 148 feet long by 43 wide, and four 
 stories high, containing 48 rooms ; the other 87 feet by 55, 
 and three stories high, containing the chapel, library, miner- 
 alogical cabinet, philosophical chamber, laboratory and re- 
 citation rooms. There are 5,000 volumes in the college 
 library, and 2,500 in the libraries of the different societies. 
 A complete philosophical apparatus, cabinet of minerals, 
 and botanical garden and green house, belong to the institu- 
 tion. The faculty consists of a president, six professors, and 
 two tutors. Students about 60. Commencement first 
 Thursday in August. f 
 
 There are two fine bridges in the city — one across the Mill 
 or Little river connecting the northern and southern por- 
 tions of the city. This is built of freestone, and is 100 feet 
 wide, supported by a single arch, seven feet in thickness at the 
 base, and three feet three inches at the centre ; the chord or 
 span of which is 104 feet. The elevation from the bed of 
 the river to the top of the arch is 30 feet. Another bridge 
 across the Connecticut river, 1,000 feet long, and which 
 cost over $100,000, unites the city with East Hartford. 
 Hartford is advantageously situated for business. An ex- 
 tensive and wealthy district surrounds it. Steamboats, in 
 the open season, daily communicate between it and New 
 York, and smaller steamboats, some for passengers and 
 others for towing flat boats, ascend the river — the former to 
 Springfield, and the latter as far as Wells's river, 220 miles 
 above the city. The coasting trade is considerable ; the for- 
 
 * American Magazine, vol. 1, 1835. 
 
120 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 HARTFORD. 
 
 eign trade not extensive. The manufactures of the city ex- 
 ceed $900,000 per annum. More than twice as many books 
 are published here annually as are manufactured in any other 
 place of equal population in the United States. The popula- 
 tion within the limits of the city in September, 1835, was 
 nine thousand and eight hundred. 
 
 The State Assembly meets alternately at Hartford and 
 New Haven on the first Wednesday of May — the odd years 
 at the former place. Anterior to the adoption of the Con- 
 stitution in 1818, " Election Day " was marked by various 
 ceremonies, which rendered the day one of great gathering and 
 high festivity. Most of these, however, have been gradually 
 dispensed with. The clergy, who were formerly dined at the 
 public expense, have no longer that provision made for them. 
 The Governor's Guards have met with a similar deprivation. 
 The Election Sermon is heard no more, and for several years 
 the members of the Assembly, who were wont to march in 
 solemn and dignified procession to the house of God, have 
 formed no procession at all. 
 
 Several travellers have described the ceremonies of Elec- 
 tion day, as they were observed in the " olden time," till the 
 era spoken of above. We select the following from Ken- 
 dall's Travels, 1808, as a substantially correct account of 
 these days, which were wont to infuse animation into the man 
 of threescore years and ten, and filled the stripling with joys, 
 which he felt but once in a year. 
 
 " I reached Hartford," says this traveller, " at noon, on 
 Wednesday, the 19th of May, 1807. The city is on the 
 west bank of the Connecticut, fifty miles above its mouth. 
 The governor, whose family residence is on the east side of 
 the river, at some distance from Hartford, was expected to 
 arrive in the evening. This gentleman, whose name is Jona- 
 than Trumbull, is the son of the late governor Jonathan 
 Trumbull; and though the election is annual, he has himself 
 been three or four years in office, and will almost certainly 
 so continue during the remainder of his life. It was known 
 that the votes at this time were in his favor. 
 
 " The governor has volunteer companies of guards, both 
 horse and foot. In the afternoon the horse were drawn up 
 on the bank of the river, to receive him, and escort him to 
 his lodgings. He came before sunset, and the fineness of 
 the evening, the beauty of the river, the respectable appear- 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 121 
 
 HARTFORD. 
 
 ance of the governor, and of the troop, the dignity of the oc- 
 casion, and the decorum observed, united to gratify the spec- 
 tators. The color of the clothes of the troops was blue. 
 The governor, though on horseback, was dressed in black, 
 but he wore a cockade in a hat, which I did not like the 
 less, because it was in the form rather of the old school than 
 of the new. 
 
 "In the morning, the foot guards were paraded in front of 
 the State House, where they afterwards remained under 
 arms, while the troop of horse occupied the street which is 
 on the south side of the building. The clothing of the foot 
 was scarlet, with white waistcoats and pantaloons ; and 
 their appearance and demeanor were military. 
 
 " The day was fine, and the apartments and galleries of 
 the State House afforded an agreeable place of meeting, in 
 which the members of the Assembly and others awaited the 
 coming of the governor. At about eleven o'clock, his ex- 
 cellency entered the State House, and shortly after took his 
 place at the head of a procession, which was made to a meet- 
 ing house or church, at something less than half a mile dis- 
 tant. The procession was on foot, and was composed of the 
 person of the governor, together with the lieutenant gover- 
 nor, assistants, high sheriffs, members of the lower house of 
 the assembly, and, unless with accidental exceptions, all the 
 clergy of the State. It was preceded by the foot guards, and 
 followed by the horse ; and attended by gazers, that, consid- 
 ering the size and population of the city, may be said to have 
 been numerous. The church, which from its situation is 
 called the South Meeting House, is a small one, and was re- 
 sorted to on this occasion, only because that more ordinari- 
 ly used was at this time rebuilding. The edifice is of wood, 
 alike unornamented within and without ; and when filled, there 
 was still presented to the eye nothing but what had the plainest 
 appearance. The military remained in the street, with the ex- 
 ception of a few officers, to whom no place of honor or dis- 
 tinction was assigned ; neither the governor nor other 
 magistrates were accompanied with any insignia of office ; 
 the clergy had no canonical costume, and there were no fe- 
 males in the church, except a few, (rather more than twenty 
 in number,) who were stationed by themselves in a gallery op- 
 posite the pulpit, in quality of singers. A decent order was 
 the highest characteristic that presented itself. 
 
 " The pulpit, or, as it is here called, the desk, was filled 
 
122 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 HARTFORD. 
 
 by three, if not four clergymen; a number by its form and 
 dimensions it was able to accommodate. Of these, one 
 opened the service with a prayer, another delivered a ser- 
 mon, a third made a concluding prayer, and a fourth pro- 
 nounced a benediction. Several hymns were sung ; and 
 among others, an occasional one. The total number of 
 singers was between forty and fifty. 
 
 " The sermon, as will be supposed, touched upon mat- 
 ters of government. When all was finished, the procession 
 returned to the State House. The clergy who walked were 
 about a hundred in number. 
 
 " It was in the two bodies of guards alone, that any suita- 
 ble approach to magnificence discovered itself. The gov- 
 ernor was full dressed, in a suit of black ; but the lieutenant 
 governor wore riding boots. All, however, was consistently 
 plain, and in unison with itself, except the dress swords, 
 which were worn by high sheriffs, along with their village 
 habiliments, and of which the fashion and the materials 
 were marvelously diversified. Arrived in front of the 
 State House, the military formed on each side of the street ; 
 and as the governor passed them, presented arms. The sev- 
 eral parts of the procession now separated, each to a dinner 
 prepared for itself at an adjoining inn ; the governor, lieu- 
 tenant governor, and assistants to their table, the clergy to 
 a second, and the representatives to a third. The time of 
 day was about two in the afternoon. 
 
 " Only a short time elapsed before business was resumed, 
 or rather at length commenced. The General Assembly 
 met in the council room, and the written votes being exam- 
 ined and counted, the names of the public officers elected 
 were formally declared. They were in every instance the 
 same as those which had been successful the preceding year. 
 
 " This done, the lieutenant governor administered the 
 oath to the governor elect, who, being sworn, proceeded to 
 administer their respective oaths to the lieutenant governor 
 and the rest ; and here terminated the affairs of the election 
 day. Soon after six o'clock, the military fired three feu de 
 joies, and were then dismissed. 
 
 " On the evening following that of election day, there is 
 an annual ball at Hartford, called the election ball ; and on 
 the succeeding Monday, a second, which is more select. 
 The election day is a holiday throughout the State ; and even 
 the whole remainder of the week is regarded in a similar 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 125 
 
 NEW HAVEN. 
 
 light. Servants and others are now indemnified for the loss 
 of the festivals of Christmas, Easter, and Whitsuntide, which 
 the principles of their Church deny them. Families ex- 
 change visits, and treat their guests with slices of election 
 cake ; and thus preserve some portion of the luxuries of the 
 forgotten feast of the Epiphany. The whole day, like the 
 morning, and like the evening which preceded it, was fine. 
 In Hartford, the degree of bustle was sufficient to give an 
 air of importance to the scene ; a scene that, taken altogether, 
 was not unfitted to leave on the mind a pleasing and respect- 
 ful impression." 
 
 NEW HAVEN. 
 
 The first knowledge which the English appear to have ob- 
 tained of the beautiful territory, on which New Haven stands, 
 was in the year 1637, when, in the prosecution of the Pe- 
 quot war, a party of English troops pursued Sassacus, the 
 great sachem of that tribe, and his warriors, in their flight, 
 as far as Fairfield. It is not improbable that the spot had 
 been previously visited by the Dutch, from New York. No 
 attempt, however, had been made by them to settle. It was 
 still in possession of an Indian tribe, called the Quinnipiacs, 
 which name seems to have been given, not only to the terri- 
 tory itself, but also to the river, now called Wallingford 
 river, and which forms the eastern boundary of the township. 
 
 On the 30th of March, 1638, a small colony, led by Mr. 
 Davenport, Mr. Prudden, Mr. Samuel Eaton, and Theophi- 
 lus Eaton, Esq. sailed from Boston, for Quinnipiac. After 
 a fortnight's voyage, they reached their destined port. The 
 first Sabbath after their arrival, the people assembled under 
 a large spreading oak. Here they invoked the blessing of 
 that God who had preserved them amid the perils of the 
 deep, and here they listened to such directions and exhorta- 
 tions as their pious minister, Mr. Davenport, thought pertin- 
 ent to their state. 
 
 In November following, Theophilus Eaton, Esq., Mr. 
 Davenport, and the other English planters, entered into arti- 
 cles of agreement with Momauguin, sole sachem of Q-uinni- 
 
126 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 NEW HAVEN. 
 
 piac, by which the said sachem transferred the territory to 
 the English, for which the latter agreed to protect the sachem 
 and his Indians, and gave twelve coats of English cloth, 
 twelve alchemy spoons, twelve hatchets, twelve hoes, two 
 dozen of knives, twelve porringers, and four cases of French 
 knives and scissors. 
 
 The New Haven colonies were, perhaps, the most wealthy 
 company, which emigrated to New England. The tract of 
 land selected for their residence was singularly level, and 
 beautiful, and susceptible of being laid out in regular 
 squares. The centre of the town was occupied by a large 
 square, which was encompassed by nine others. 
 
 The city lies at the head of a harbor, which sets up four 
 miles from Long Island Sound. Its latitude is 40° 18' north ; 
 longitude 72° 56' west. It is 76 miles from New York ; 34 
 from Hartford ; 134 from Boston ; and 301 from Wash- 
 ington. 
 
 " There is nothing in Britain," says Mr. Duncan, " that 
 bears any resemblance to a New England town, and it is not 
 easy to convey an idea of its singular neatness. The houses 
 are generally of wood, painted white, and decorated with 
 Venetian blinds, of a brilliant green. The solid framework 
 of the walls is covered externally with thin planks, called by 
 Americans, clapboards, which overlap each other from the 
 eaves downwards, and serve effectually to exclude rain. The 
 roofs are covered with shingles, which are thin slips of wood, 
 put on like slates, and painted with a dark blue. The buildings 
 are, in general, about two stories in height ; the door is dec- 
 orated with a neat portico ; and very frequently a projecting 
 piazza, most grateful in hot weather, with benches under it, 
 extends along the whole front of the house. Mouldings and 
 minute decorations of various kinds are carried round the 
 principal projections. A garden is not unfrequent behind, 
 and a neat wooden railing in front, inclosing a grass plot 
 and a few trees. Such houses would soon look rusty and 
 weather-beaten were they in our climate ; but they enjoy here 
 a purer atmosphere, and the smoke of coal fire is unknown. 
 The painting is renewed once a year, which serves to preserve 
 the wood for a long time. The churches, or meeting houses, 
 as they are more generally called, are, in the smaller towns, al- 
 so of wood, and with the addition of a steeple and a gilt weath- 
 ercock, resemble very much the other buildings. In the 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 127 
 
 NEW HAVEN. 
 
 large towns they are of brick or stone, but retain generally 
 the green Venetian blinds upon the windows. The streets 
 are wide, and run off, at right angles to each other, from a 
 large open "square, covered with green turf, in the centre of 
 the town ; the churches, townhouse, and an inn or two not 
 unfrequently front this green. Gravel walks skirt many of 
 the streets, and occasionally rows of limes or poplars. The 
 agreeable succession of gardens, grass plots, trees, foot 
 walks, and buildings, gives an air of rural quietness to the 
 town ; and the open space which frequently intervenes be- 
 tween one house and another, prevents much of the danger 
 which would otherwise arise from fire. Every thing be- 
 tokens an unusual share of homely simplicity and comfort, 
 and the absence at once of great riches and of great poverty. 
 
 " New Haven possesses most of the distinctive peculiari- 
 ties which I have now noticed, but combines with them 
 much of what we usually consider inseparable from a town. 
 The churches, and a great many of the dwelling houses, are 
 of brick, a few even of stone,* and two or three of the streets 
 are closely built. The numerous buildings of Yale College, 
 all of brick, and constructed with a regularity and neatness, 
 complete its claims to superiority. 
 
 " The country round New Haven is very picturesque. 
 Behind the town, at a distance of about two miles, is an am- 
 phitheatre of rugged hills, not unlike some of our Scottish 
 scenery ; in front is an inlet from Long Island Sound, afford- 
 ing a safe and commodious harbor ; to the right and left, a 
 richly cultivated country, relieved by patches of forest; and, 
 in wide expanse before it, the blue waves of the sea rolling 
 in magnificence. Two large precipices, called East and 
 West Rock, 400 feet high, and about two miles apart, form 
 
 * The original churches in New Haven are described by Dr. Dwight, 
 as " barely decent structures ; " but in 1812, all the congregations voted 
 that they would take down their churches, and build new ones. Accord- 
 ingly, two of them commenced the work in 1813, and a third in 1814. 
 These three are all placed on the western side of Temple street, which is 
 100 feet wide, facing an open square. " The Presbyterian churches are 
 of Grecian architecture. The Episcopal church is a Gothic building, 
 the only correct specimen, it is believed, in the United States. Few 
 structures devoted to the same purpose, on this side the Atlantic, are 
 equally handsome." In one of the Congregational or Presbyterian 
 churches, Mr. Duncan says, an organ has been introduced, but with a 
 special stipulation that no voluntary shall be allowed to break in upon 
 the solemnity of worship. 
 
128 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 NEW HAVEN. 
 
 part of the semicircular range. They are prominent features 
 in the landscape ; and events in the annals of our native 
 country, with which they are associated, impart to them that 
 traditional charm, which is so often wanting in American 
 scenery. In the fastnesses of these rocks, some of the regi- 
 cides of Charles I. found shelter from their pursuers, when 
 the agents of his profligate son hunted them for their lives." 
 
 Of the individuals referred to, President Dwight has 
 communicated some highly interesting particulars. About 
 three miles N. E. from Northampton, in the Connecticut 
 valley, and 90 miles from due W. of Boston, is the little town 
 of Hadley. " In this town," says the learned writer, " re- 
 sided for fifteen or sixteen years the celebrated regicides, 
 Goffe and Whalley. They came hither in the year 1654, 
 and lived in the house of the Rev. Mr. Russell, the minister. 
 Whalley died in his house. Some years since, the house 
 was pulled down by Mr. Gaylord, the proprietor, when the 
 bones of Whalley were found buried just without the cellar 
 wall, in a kind of tomb of mason work, and covered with 
 flags of hewn stone. After his decease, Goffe quitted Had- 
 ley, and went into Connecticut, and afterwards, according to 
 tradition, to the neighborhood of New York. Here he is 
 said to have lived some time, and the better to disguise him- 
 self, to have carried vegetables at times to market. It is 
 said, that, having been discovered here, he retired secretly to 
 the colony of Rhode Island, and there lived with the son of 
 Whalley, the remainder of his life." The following story has 
 been traditionally conveyed down among the inhabitants of 
 Hadley : 
 
 " In the course of Philip's war, which involved almost all 
 the Indian tribes in New England, and, among others, those 
 in the neighborhood of this town, the inhabitants thought it 
 proper to observe the 1st of September, 1675, as a day of 
 fasting and prayer. While they were in the church, and em- 
 ployed in their worship, they were surprised by a band of 
 savages. The people instantly betook themselves to their 
 arms, which, according to the custom of the times, they had 
 carried with them to the church ; and, rushing out, attacked 
 their invaders. The panic under which they began the con- 
 flict, was, however, so great, and their number was so dispro- 
 portioned to that of their enemies, that they fought doubtfully 
 at first, and in a short time began evidently to give way. At 
 this moment, an ancient man, with hoary locks, of a most 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 129 
 
 NEW HAVEN. 
 
 venerable and dignified aspect, and in address widely differ- 
 ing from that of the inhabitants, appeared suddenly at their 
 head, and with a firm voice and an example of undaunted 
 resolfttion, reanimated their courage, led them again to the 
 conflict, and totally routed the savages. When the battle 
 was ended, the stranger disappeared, and no one knew 
 whence he had come, or whither he had gone. The relief 
 was so timely, so sudden, so unexpected, so providential ; 
 the appearance and retreat of him, who had furnished it, 
 were so unaccountable ; his person was so dignified and 
 commanding, his resolution so superior, and his interference 
 so decisive, that the inhabitants, without any uncommon ex- 
 ercise of credulity, readily believed him to be an angel sent 
 from heaven for their preservation. Nor was this opinion 
 seriously controverted, until it was discovered, years after- 
 wards, that Goffe and Whalley had been lodged in the house 
 of Mr. Russell. Then it was known that their deliverer was 
 Goffe ; Whalley having become superannuated some time 
 before the event took place. There is an obscure and very 
 doubtful tradition, that Goffe also was buried here." 
 
 Colonel Dixwell, another of the king's judges, we learn 
 from other authority, found shelter also in America. " He 
 visited his fellow exiles in their concealment, and being him- 
 self unknown, settled and married at New Haven, under the 
 name of James Dowds. By that name, he signed his will, 
 but there he adds to it his own. His tombstone is shewn at 
 New Haven with only the initials ' J. D. Esq. deceased 
 March 18th, in the 82d year of his age, 1683.' Another stone, 
 with the initials ' E. W. Esqr.' is traditionally supposed to 
 mark the grave of Whalley : — if it be so, his bones must 
 have been removed there by Dixwell ; an affecting act of pi- 
 ous friendship." 
 
 " I have seen both the gravestones alluded to," says Mr. 
 Duncan ; " they still stand in the old burying ground, be- 
 hind one of the churches. The inscription on the first is in 
 rude characters, and is thus arranged : 
 
 J. D. ESQ. 
 
 DECEASED MARCH YE 
 
 18 IN YE 82d YEAR OP 
 
 HIS AGE, 1688-9. 
 
 The other stone, which has been supposed to commem- 
 9 
 
130 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 NEW HAVEN. 
 
 orate Whalley, must have been erected over some other per- 
 son whose name and history have been lost ; for the date, 
 which has generally been read, 1688 is, in reality, 1658. The 
 mistake has arisen from a slight injury which the stone* has* 
 received, and which has imparted to the figure 5 something 
 of the shape of 8, although it is still quite possible to deci- 
 pher its original form. None of these relics will long survive. 
 The ancient burying ground is no longer used ; the fence 
 round it has gone to decay ; and the moss-grown gravestones 
 are rapidly disappearing under the dilapidating attacks of 
 idlers, who are daily defacing these frail memorials of the 
 dust, which sleep below. 
 
 11 The new cemetery, which has sprung from the ashes of 
 the old one, in simplicity of arrangement, and elegance of 
 monumental decoration, leaves at a great distance all others 
 that I have any where seen. It is in shape an oblong square, 
 divided by a regular succession of avenues, crossing each 
 other at right angles, and skirted by rows of Lombardy 
 poplars. The divisions, which are thus formed, are subdi- 
 vided into spaces sufficient for family burying places, which 
 are surrounded with a neat wooden railing, painted white. 
 There is scarcely a grave, which has not a monument of one 
 kind or other ; and with the exception of those transferred 
 from the old burying ground, they are almost universally of 
 white or green marble. Some of those of white marble were 
 executed in Italy. The gTeen marble is found about two 
 miles off, and is thought by some to bear a close resemblance 
 to the verd antique. The monuments consist of obelisks, 
 tables, and upright slabs at the head and foot of the grave. 
 The obelisks are ranged in the centre of the principal sub- 
 division, in parallel rows, and at right angles to each other. 
 The inscriptions, which are cut on the white marble, are 
 generally painted black ; those on the green are gilt, and 
 have a very rich effect. 
 
 " While the monuments in the old burying ground seem 
 devoted to ruin, those in the new one, although accessible 
 to every passenger, are treated with the most scrupulous re- 
 spect. A neat fence surrounds the cemetery ; but open- 
 ings are left at regular intervals, from which numerous foot 
 walks cross the ground. The soil is composed of a light 
 sand, and shoots from the poplars are springing up so numer- 
 ously, that they threaten to overrun it. Except the slight 
 wooden railing, there is no kind of fence round the graves 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 131 
 
 NEW HAVEN. 
 
 they are altogether free from those unsightly cages of cast 
 iron, by which our burying grounds in Glasgow are dis- 
 figured, and the enclosures are not defaced by those quaint 
 emblems of mortality and grief, which so often, with us, be- 
 tray the bad taste of the proprietors. A becoming respect is 
 shewn to the memory of the departed ; and an air of im- 
 pressive solemnity pervades the whole enclosure, which is not 
 counteracted by any of those lugubrious, and not unfre- 
 quently ludicrous allegorical devices, and misapplied quota- 
 tions from Scripture, which meet us at every step in our more 
 ancient repositories of the dead. I have visited every shrine 
 in Westminster Abbey, and have heard the marble hearted 
 verger dole out, in monotonous cadence, the dreary cata- 
 logue of names, which are entombed and commemorated 
 there. The damp of the long drawn aisles chilled me to 
 the heart ; and I trod over the ashes of monarchs, barons, 
 and crusading knights, whose sculptured figures, scattered 
 around, were covered with the mutilations and dust of many 
 generations ; yet I doubt whether sympathy with my kindred 
 dust was as strongly excited there, as in the burying ground 
 at New Haven."* 
 
 The population of New Haven is about 15,000. By 
 these the New England character, Mr. Duncan remarks, is 
 very favorably exhibited. The simplicity and sincerity of 
 the ancient Puritans may still be seen strongly marked in 
 their descendants. Plain and frugal in their domestic habits, 
 they exhibit little of that artificial polish, which, like varnish, 
 frequently disguises very worthless materials, and a stranger 
 is not mortified by professions without services, and show 
 without substance. 
 
 The area occupied by the city is probably as large as 
 that which usually contains a city of six times the number 
 of inhabitants in Europe. Many of the houses have court 
 yards in front, and gardens in the rear. The former are or- 
 namented with trees and shrubs ; the latter are filled with 
 fruit trees, flowers and culinary vegetables. The houses are 
 generally two stories high, built of wood, in a neat, hand- 
 some, but not expensive style. Many of those recently 
 erected, however, are good and substantial edifices of brick 
 
 * Duncan's Travels. 
 
132 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 NEW HAVEN. 
 
 and stone. The public edifices are, the college building ; 
 twelve churches, viz. six Congregational, two Episcopal, two 
 Methodists, one Baptist, and one Roman Catholic ; a Ton- 
 tine, a State House, a Gaol, four Banks, a Custom House, 
 and a State Hospital. 
 
 The chief ornament and attraction of New Haven re- 
 mains to be noticed, — its college, the rival of Harvard Uni- 
 versity in literary respectability, and honorably distinguished 
 from it by the orthodoxy of its religious character. The 
 buildings of Yale College make a conspicuous appearance, 
 when entering the town eastward ; and the effect is consid- 
 erably heightened by three churches, which stand at a little 
 distance in front, in a parallel line. The ground between 
 the college and the churches, is neatly divided and enclosed 
 and ornamented with trees. Including passage ways the 
 principal edifices present a front of upwards of 800 feet. 
 The buildings are chiefly constructed of brick, and consist 
 of five spacious edifices, each four stories high, one hundred 
 and four feet by forty, containing thirty-two studies ; a chapel 
 for religious worship, and ordinary public exhibitions ; a 
 Lyceum, containing the library and recitation rooms ; an 
 Athenaeum ; a Chemical Laboratory ; an extensive stone 
 Dining Hall, containing also in the upper story, apartments 
 for the mineralogical cabinet ; a separate Dining Hall for 
 Theological Students ; a dwelling house for the President ; 
 a large stone building occupied by the medical department ; 
 and the Trumbull Gallery, a neat and appropriate building 
 erected as a repository for the valuable historical and other 
 paintings of Col. Trumbull. 
 
 Yale College was originally established at Saybrook, in 
 the year 1700, and was incorporated by the colonial legisla- 
 ture in the following year. The project of establishing a 
 college in Connecticut, appears to have been seriously enter- 
 tained fifty years before; but it was checked, Dr. Dwight in- 
 forms us, by well founded circumstances by the people of 
 Massachusetts, who justly urged that the whole population 
 of New England was scarcely sufficient to support one in- 
 stitution of this nature, and that the establishment of a second 
 would endanger the prosperity of both ; these objections 
 put a stop to the design for the time ; it was not, however, lost 
 sight of. In 1718, the infant Institution was removed by the 
 Trustees to New Haven. It was originally intended simply 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 133 
 
 NEW HAVEN. 
 
 for the education of young men for the ministry : but, as it 
 gathered strength from individual liberality and public pat- 
 ronage, the range of its plan of study was gradually extended, 
 until it now embraces the more essential parts of a complete 
 literary, scientific, and medical education. 
 
 The college received its name, in commemoration of the 
 beneficence of the Honorable Elihu Yale, a son of one of the 
 first settlers, who went to England in early life, and thence 
 to India, where he became governor to Madras ; and on his 
 return to England, he was elected governor of the East In- 
 dia Company. From this gentleman the college received 
 donations at various times, between 1714 and 1718, to the 
 amount of £500 sterling; and a short time before his death, 
 he directed another benefaction to the same amount to be 
 transmitted, but it was never received. Another of its early 
 benefactors was the celebrated Dean Berkeley, afterwards 
 Bishop of Cloyne, who came to America in 1732, for the pur- 
 pose of establishing a college in the island of Bermuda ; a pro- 
 ject to which he nobly sacrificed considerable property, as well 
 as time and labor. His efforts being frustrated by the failure of 
 the promised support from government, he presented to this 
 Institution a farm which he had purchased in Rhode Island, 
 and afterwards transmitted to it from England a very valua- 
 ble collection of books — " the finest that ever came together 
 at one time into America." Sir Isaac Newton, and many 
 other distinguished men, presented their works to the library. 
 
 Although founded under the sanction of the colonial legis- 
 lature, and partly endowed by it, the college was for a long 
 time indebted for its support chiefly to individual patronage : 
 the whole amount bestowed by the colonial legislature, 
 during the first ninety years of its existence, did not much 
 exceed <£4,500 sterling. But when the Federal Government 
 was consolidated, a grant was made, in 1792, to Yale Col- 
 lege, out of a fund created by uncollected arrears of war tax- 
 es, by which ultimately 60,000 dollars were realized. 
 
 The library of the college has recently been much en- 
 larged by the addition of many valuable volumes, selected by 
 Prof. Kingsley, who visited Europe with reference to that 
 selection. The libraries of the different societies receive fre- 
 quent additions; At present the libraries belonging to the 
 institution form an aggregate of from 30,000 to 40,000 vol- 
 umes. The college possesses the riches mineralogical cabinet 
 on the continent. This cabinet originally belonged to Colonel 
 
134 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 NEW HAVEN. 
 
 George Gibbs, who deposited it in this seminary in 1811. It 
 contained 24,000 specimens. In 1825 it was purchased of 
 Colonel Gibbs, at the price of $20,000 ; of which sum the 
 officers of Yale College, and the citizens of New Haven, 
 contributed ten thousand dollars ; the citizens of New York, 
 three thousand dollars; the alumni of South Carolina seven 
 hundred dollars, and an individual five hundred dollars. 
 Several thousand specimens, chiefly domestic, have since 
 been added by various donors. 
 
 To the east of the original city, but within the nine ori- 
 ginal squares and Mill river, lies the New Township. Within 
 a few years, this part of the city has rapidly increased. Still 
 further east, at the distance of two miles, but within the 
 present city limits, is Fair Haven. It is on both sides of the 
 Quinnipiac, and contains about 1,000 inhabitants. It is cele- 
 brated for its oyster business, which is conducted on a large 
 scale, as appears from a recent statement of a public journal. 
 From the 19th of September, 1846, to the 25th of May, 1847, 
 a period of about 8 months, there were imported 231 cargoes 
 of oysters. These cargoes contained 313,266 bushels, and 
 were sold for the sum of $123,944 55. In addition to this, 
 there were 16 cargoes which were spoiled by the warm 
 weather — amounting to 31,300 bushels, and worth $11,000. 
 There were also caught during the winter of 1846-7, in New 
 Haven harbor and the Quinnipiac river, 25,000 bushels, val- 
 ued at $8,333 33— making in the whole 399,565 bushels of 
 oysters, and amounting in value to $143,278. Many of the 
 oysters brought here are laid down in beds, and a r e taken up 
 when grown larger and when demanded. A large portion 
 of the neighboring towns, especially those on the line of the 
 railroad, are also plentifully supplied with oysters from this 
 quarter — they being easily transported, either in kegs or in 
 the shell, in any required quantity. 
 
 " There is a large amount of excellent stone for building 
 and other purposes, found in thfe village ; and the getting it 
 out during the spring and summer season receives consider- 
 able attention. For several years past the quantity quarried 
 has averaged about 300,000 solid feet. — The manufacture of 
 lime from oyster-shells has been a source of great advantage 
 also ; and it is said that one person engaged in the business 
 calculates upon making at least 200,000 bushels annually." 
 " The population, and business in general, is constantly in- 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 135 
 
 NEW HAVEN. 
 
 creasing, and there is every promise of this being one of the 
 most prosperous villages in the State." " This place was 
 formerly called Dragon, from a sandy point of that name, 
 about forty rods below the bridge, on the eastern side of the 
 river. The tradition is, that at the time of the first settle- 
 ment of New Haven, this point was a place of resort for seals, 
 which lay here and basked themselves in the sun. At that 
 time these animals were called dragons ; hence the name 
 Dragon Point." 
 
 The first settlers of New Haven had, for several years, no 
 written code of laws. " The word of God," it was ordered, 
 " should be the only rule for ordinary affairs of government 
 in that commonwealth." But they had a court, which held 
 its sessions, as was necessary, before which all matters rela- 
 tive to the town, and its inhabitants, were brought, and a de- 
 cision had thereon, according to the nature and circum- 
 stances of the case. Hence the ancient records of New 
 Haven, like those of Hartford and several of the Massachu- 
 setts towns, exhibit much that is sufficiently curious. The 
 original settlers were a people of great simplicity — but all 
 their public acts evince no small respect for the word and 
 authority of God, and singular and self denying efforts to 
 promote good order and sound morality. A few extracts 
 from the New Haven records, at this early period, will cor- 
 roborate the above remarks. 
 
 At a Court held at New Haven, A. D. 1643. — Andrew 
 Low, jun., for breaking into Mr. Ling's house, where he 
 brake open a cupboard and took from thence some strong 
 water, and 6d. in money, and ransackt the house from roome 
 to roome, and left open the doors, for which fact being com- 
 mitted to prison, brake forth and escaped, and still remains 
 horrible obstinate and rebellious against his parents, and in- 
 corrigible under all the means to reclaim him. Whereupon 
 it was ordered that he shall be as severely whipt as the rule 
 will bear, and work with his father as a prisoner, with a lock 
 upon his leg so that he may not escape. 
 
 Dec. 30, 1651. — It was proposed that some safer way 
 might be found out to Connecticote, that the danger of East 
 river may be avoyded. The new waye was desired to be 
 viewed againe, as William Bradley offered to lend his can- 
 now to lie in the East river, if the town will find ropes to 
 draw it to and agayne. 
 
136 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 NEW HAVEN. 
 
 A Court holden 3d November, 1639. — It was ordered that 
 Mr. Hopkins shall have two hogsheads of lime for his pres- 
 ent use, and as much more as will finish his house as he 
 now intends itt, he thinking that two hogsheads more will 
 serve. 
 
 It is ordered, that a meeting house shall be built forthwith, 
 fifty foote square; and that the carpenters shall fall timber 
 where they can find it, till allotment be layed out, and men 
 know their proprietyes. 
 
 It is ordered, that Mr. Greyson and Mr. Evance shall have 
 fower dayes liberty after this day to square their timber, be- 
 fore the former order shall take hold of them. 
 
 It is ordered, that Mr. Eaton, Mr. Davenport, Robert 
 Newman, Matthew Gilbert, Captain Turner and Thomas 
 Flugill, shall from henceforward have the disposing of all 
 house lotts, yett undisposed of about this towne, to such 
 persons as they shall judge meete for the good of the planta- 
 tion ; and thatt none come to dwell as planters here, without 
 their consent and allowance, whether they come in by pur- 
 chase or otherwise. 
 
 It is ordered, that every one that bares armes shall be 
 completely furnished with arms, (viz.) a muskett, a sword, 
 bandaleers, a rest ; a pound of powder ; 20 bullets fitted to 
 their muskett, or 4 pound of pistol shott, or swan shott at 
 least, and be ready to show them in the market place upon 
 Monday the 16th of this monthe, before Captaine Turner and 
 Lieutenant Seely, under the penalty of 20s. fine for every de- 
 fault or absence. 
 
 4th December, 1639. — It was ordered, that Thomas Saule 
 shall agree with Goodman Spinnage before the next Court, 
 or else the Court will determine the difference between 
 them. 
 
 Roger Duhurst and James Stewart are enjoyned to 
 make double restitution to John Cockerill for five pounds 
 and seventeen shillings which they stole out of his chist on 
 the Lord's day in the meeting time, and they being servants 
 to the said Cockerill, for which aggravation they were whip- 
 ped also. 
 
 Thomas Manchester servant to Mr. Perry, being accused 
 by his master for being druncke, and for giving his master 
 uncomely language, for which his master having given him 
 some correction, the Court (onely) caused him to be sett in 
 the stocks for a certain time. 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 137 
 
 NEW HAVEN. 
 
 Nicholas Tamer, servant to the said Mr. Perry, for drunk- 
 enness and abusing his master in words, was whipped. 
 
 A General Court, 4th January, 1639 — It is agreed by 
 the town, and accordingly ordered by the Court, that the 
 Neck shall be planted or sowen for the tearme of seaven 
 yeares, and thatt John Brockett shall goe about laying it out, 
 for which and all difference betwixt party and party aboute 
 ground formerly broke up and planted by English there, 
 shall be arbitrated by indifferent men, which shall be chosen 
 to that end. 
 
 It is ordered, that some speedy course shall be taken to 
 keepe hogs out of the Neck. 
 
 It is ordered, that a convenient way to the Hay-place be 
 left common for all the towne. 
 
 It is ordered, that no cattell belonging to this towne shall 
 go without a keeper after the first of May next. 
 
 A Court holden February, 5th, 1639. — It is ordered that 
 brother Andrewes, brother Kimberly, William Ives, and Sar- 
 geant Beckley, shall assist Mr. Ling to ripen Goodman Tap's 
 business against the next Courte, concerning his demands 
 for certain moneyes which he disbursed for bringing cattell 
 from the Bay, appertaining to divers persons. 
 
 It is ordered, that brother Andrewes shall detaine so much 
 of Robert Champion, his wages in his hands, as may secure 
 a debt of .£3 which Mr. Mouland demaunds of the said 
 Robert. 
 
 It is ordered, that Mr Mouland shall pay to Mr. Perry 20s. 
 which he owes him. 
 
 It is ordered, that Mr. Wilks shaJl pay 5 bushels and a 
 halfe of Indian come to Thomas Buckingham, for corne de- 
 stroyed by Mr. Wilks his hogs. 
 
 Isaiah, Captain Turner's man, fined £5 for being drunke 
 on the Lord's day. 
 
 William Bloomfield, Mr. Malbon's man, was sett in the 
 stocks for prophaning the Lord's day, and stealing wine from 
 his master, which he drunk and gave to others. 
 
 Ellice, Mr. Eaton's boy, was whipped for stealing a sow 
 and a goate from his master and selling them. 
 
 David Anderson was whipped for being drunke. 
 
 John Fenner, accused of being drunk with strong waters, 
 was acquitted, it appearing to be of infirmity, and occasioned 
 by the extremity of the cold. 
 
138 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 NEW HAVEN. 
 
 Mr. Mouland accused of being drunke, but nott clearly 
 proved, was respited. 
 
 Peter Brown, licensed to bake to sell, so long as he gives 
 no offence in it justly. 
 
 18th February, 1639. — John Charles forbidden to draw 
 wine, because there hath been much disorder by itt. 
 
 Goodman Love was whipped and sent out of the planta- 
 tion, being not only a disorderly person himselfe, butt an en- 
 courager of others to disorderly drinking meetings. 
 
 George Spencer being prophane and disorderly in his 
 whole conversation, and an abettor of others to sin, and 
 drawing others into a conspiracie to carry away the cock to 
 Virginia, was whipped and sent out of the plantation. 
 
 John Proute, Hen. Brasier, and Will. Bromfield, was whip- 
 ped for joyning in the aforesaid conspiracie, and the said 
 Hen. and Will, were ordered to weare irons during the magis- 
 trate's pleasure. 
 
 At a General Court held the 1st of the 1th month, 1640. 
 — It was ordered that none of this plantation shall either seH 
 or lett a lott to any stranger, for yeares, without allowance 
 from the Courte. 
 
 A Court held at Neio Haven, Hie 3d of the 7th month, 
 1642. — Matthew Wilson, for killing a dog of Mr. Perry's 
 willfully and disorderly, fined 20s. for his disorder, and or- 
 dered to pay 20s. damage to Mr. Perry, which 40s. Edward 
 Chipperfield undertook to see pay'd by the last of September 
 next. 
 
 8 month 1642. — It was ordered, that whosoever finds any 
 things that are lost shall deliver them to the Marshall, to be 
 kept safe till the owner shall challenge them. 
 
 2 November 1642. — Jervas Boykin is orderde to pay unto 
 George Badcocke the sum of 20s. for taking his cannow 
 without leave. 
 
 It is ordered, that those who have ffarmes at the river called 
 stony River, shall have liberty to make a sluice in the river 
 for their own convenience. 
 
 7th December, 1642. — Fforasmuch as John Owen hath had 
 some damage done in his corne by hogs occasioned through 
 the neglect of Mr. Lamberton, John Bud and Will Preston, 
 in not making up their fence in season, it is therefore or- 
 dered, thatt the said Mr. Lamberton, John Bud and Will 
 Preston shall make satisfaction to the said John Owen for the 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 139 
 
 NEW HAVEN. 
 
 damage done; (viz.) eight days worke and two pecks of 
 corne, which is to be pay'd according to the several appor- 
 tions of ffence unset up respectively.* 
 
 During the war of the Revolution, New Haven was at- 
 tacked by a considerable body of the British, who took pos- 
 session of the town, and committed numerous acts of vio- 
 lence on the inhabitants. This attack was made on Monday, 
 July 5th, 1779, the day on which the citizens were to have 
 assembled to commemorate the Declaration of Indepen- 
 dence. The Connecticut Journal of July 7th, gives the fol- 
 lowing account of the ingress of the British and their pro- 
 ceedings : 
 
 " About two o'clock on the morning of the 5th instant, a 
 fleet consisting of the Camilla and Scorpion men-of-war, with 
 tenders, transports, &,c. to the number of 48, commanded 
 by Commodore Sir George Collier, anchored off West Ha- 
 ven. They had on board about 3000 land forces, command- 
 ed by Major General Tryon ; about 1500 of whom, under 
 Brigadier General Garth, landed about sunrise on West Haven 
 point. The town being alarmed, all the preparation which 
 the confusion and distress of the inhabitants, and a 
 necessary care of their families would permit, was made for 
 resistance. The West Bridge on Milford road was taken up, 
 and several fieldpieces were carried thither, and some slight 
 works thrown up for the defence of that pass. The division 
 under General Garth being landed, immediately began their 
 march towards the town. The first opposition was made by 
 about twenty-five of the inhabitants, to an advanced party of 
 the enemy of two companies of light infantry. These, 
 though advancing on the height of Milford hill, were attacked 
 with great spirit by the handful of our people, and driven 
 back almost to West Haven, and one of them was taken pris- 
 oner. The enemy then advanced in their main body, with 
 strong flanking parties, and two fieldpieces ; and finding a 
 smart fire kept up from our fieldpieces at the bridge afore- 
 said, chose not to force an entrance to the town by that, the 
 usual road, but to make a circuitous march of nine miles, in 
 order to enter by the Derby road. In this march our small 
 party on Milford hill, now increased to perhaps 150, pro- 
 
 * Historical Collections. 
 
140 
 
 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 NEW HAVEN. 
 
 miscuously collected from several companies of the militia, 
 had a small encounter with the enemy's flank near the Mil- 
 ford road, in which was killed their adjutant, Campbell, the 
 loss of whom they lamented with much apparent sensibility. 
 Our people on the hill, being obliged by superior numbers, to 
 give way, kept up a continual fire on the enemy, and galled 
 them much, through all their march to Thomson's bridge 
 on the Derby road. In the mean time, those who were post- 
 ed at the West bridge, perceiving the movements of the en- 
 emy, and also that another large body of them had landed at 
 the South End, on the east side of the harbor, quitted the 
 bridge and marched thence to oppose the enemy at Thom- 
 son's bridge. But by the time they had reached the bank of 
 the river, the enemy were in possession of the bridge, and 
 the places at which the river is here fordable : yet having re- 
 ceived a small accession of strength by the coming in of the 
 militia, they gave the enemy a smart fire from two fieldpieces 
 and small arms, which continued with little abatement, till 
 the enemy were in possession of the town, or through the 
 town across the Neck bridge. Th§ enemy entered the town 
 between 12 and ] o'clock. In the mean time, the division 
 of the enemy, before mentioned to have landed at the 
 South End, which was under the immediate command of 
 General Tryon, was bravely resisted by a small party of men, 
 with one fieldpiece, who, besides other execution, killed an 
 officer of the enemy, in one of the boats at their landing. 
 This division marched up by land, and attacked the fort at 
 Black Rock ; at the same time, their shipping drew up, and 
 attacked it from the harbor. The fort had only nineteen 
 men, and three pieces of artillery, yet was defended as long 
 as reason or valor dictated, and then the men made good 
 their retreat. 
 
 "The town being now in full possession of the enemy, it 
 was, notwithstanding the subjoined proclamation, delivered up, 
 except a few instances of protection, to promiscuous plunder ; 
 in which, besides robbing the inhabitants of their watches, 
 money, plate, buckles, clothing, bedding, and provisions, 
 they broke and destroyed their household furniture to a 
 very great amount. Some families lost every thing their 
 houses contained : many have now neither food, nor clothes to 
 shift. 
 
 " A body of militia sufficient to penetrate the town, could 
 not be collected that evening : we were obliged therefore to 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 141 
 
 NEW HAVEN. 
 
 content ourselves with giving the enemy every annoyance in 
 our power, which was done with great spirit for most of the 
 afternoon at and about the Ditch corner. 
 
 " Early on Tuesday morning, the enemy unexpectedly and 
 with the utmost stillness and despatch, called in their guards, 
 and retreated to their boats, carrying with them a number of 
 the inhabitants captive, most, if not all of whom, were taken 
 without arms, and a few who chose to accompany them. 
 Part of them went on board their fleet, and part crossed over 
 to General Tryon at East Haven. On Tuesday afternoon, 
 the militia collected in such numbers, and crowded so close 
 upon General Tryon, that he thought best to retreat on 
 board his fleet, and set sail to the westward. 
 
 " The loss of the enemy is unknown ; but for many reasons 
 it is supposed to be considerable, and includes some officers 
 whom they lament, besides Adjutant Campbell. Ours, by 
 the best information we can obtain, is 27 killed, and 19 
 wounded. As many of our dead upon examination appeared 
 to have been wounded with shot, but not mortally, and after- 
 wards to have been killed with bayonets, this demonstrated 
 the true reason why the number of the dead exceeded that 
 of the wounded, to be that being wounded and falling into 
 the enemy's, hands, they were afterwards killed. A further 
 confirmation of this charge is, that we have full and direct 
 testimony, which affirms that General Garth declared to one 
 of our militia, who was wounded and taken, that " he was sorry 
 his men had not killed him, instead of taking him, and that 
 he would not have his men give quarter to one militia man, 
 taken in arms." 
 
 " Although in this expedition, it must be confessed to the 
 credit of the Britons that they have not done all the mischief 
 in their power, yet, the brutal ravishment of women, the wan- 
 ton and malicious destruction of property, the burning of the 
 stores upon the wharf, and eight houses in East Haven ; the 
 beating, stabbing, and insulting of the Rev. Dr. Daggett, af- 
 ter he was made a prisoner, the mortally wounding of Mr. 
 Beers, senior, in his own door, and otherways abusing him ; 
 the murdering of the very aged and helpless Mr. English in 
 his own house, and the beating and finally cutting out the 
 tongue of and then killing a distracted man, are sufficient 
 proofs that they were really Britons" 
 
 In the preceding account of this wanton attack upon an 
 
142 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 NEW HAVEN. 
 
 unoffending town, allusion has been made to their abusive 
 treatment of Dr. Daggett, the aged and venerable president of 
 Yale College. Not long afterwards he published an account 
 of the transaction, under his own signature, and to the truth 
 of which he made oath before a magistrate. The following 
 is from the original, which is in the office of the Secretary of 
 State at Hartford. 
 
 " An account of the cruelties and barbarities, which I re- 
 ceived from the British soldiers, after I had surrendered my- 
 self a prisoner into their hands. — It is needless to relate all the 
 leading circumstances, which threw me in their way. It may 
 be sufficient to observe, that on Monday morning the 5th inst. 
 the town of New Haven was justly alarmed, with very threat- 
 ening appearances of a speedy invasion from the enemy. 
 Numbers went out armed to oppose them ; I among the rest, 
 took the station assigned me upon Milford hill, but was soon 
 directed to quit it, and retire further north as the motion of 
 the enemy required. Having gone as far as I supposed was 
 sufficient, I turned down the hill to gain a little covert of 
 bushes, which I had in my eye ; but to my great surprise, I saw 
 the enemy much nearer than I expected, their advanced guards 
 being little more than 20 rods distant, plain open ground be- 
 tween us. They instantly fired upon me, which they con- 
 tinued, till I had run a dozen rods, discharging not less than 
 15 or 20 balls at me alone ; however, through the preserving 
 providence of God, I escaped them all unhurt, and gained the 
 little covert at which 1 aimed, which concealed me from 
 their view, while I could plainly see them through the weeds 
 and bushes, advancing towards me within about 12 rods. I 
 singled out one of them, took aim, and fired upon him ; I 
 loaded my musket again, but determined not to discharge it 
 any more, and as I saw I could not escape from them, 1 de- 
 termined to surrender myself a prisoner. I begged for quar- 
 ters, and that they would spare my life. They drew near 
 to me, I think two only in number, one on my right hand, the 
 other on my left, the fury of infernals glowing in their faces, 
 they called me a damned old Rebel, and swore they would kill 
 me instantly. They demanded, what did you fire upon us for ? 
 I replied, because it is the exercise of war. Then one made 
 a pass at me with his bayonet, as if he designed to thrust it 
 through my body. With my hand I tossed it up from its di- 
 rection, and sprung in so near to him that he could not hurt 
 me with his bayonet. I still continued pleading and beg- 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 143 
 
 NEW HAVEN. 
 
 ging for my life, with the utmost importunity, using every 
 argument in my power to mollify them, and induce them to 
 desist from their murderous purpose. One of them gave me 
 four gashes on my head with the edge of his bayonet, to the 
 skull bone, which caused a plentiful effusion of blood. The 
 other gave me three pricks with the point of his bayonet, but 
 they were no more than skin deep. But what is a thousand 
 times worse than all that has been related, is the blows and 
 bruises they gave me with the heavy barrels of their guns on 
 my bowels, by which I was knocked down once, or more, and 
 almost deprived of life; by which bruises, I have been al- 
 most confined to my bed ever since. These scenes might 
 take up about two minutes of time. They seemed to desist a 
 little time from their design of murder, after which they stript 
 me of my shoe and knee buckles, and also my stock buckle. 
 Their avarice further led them to rob me of my pocket hand- 
 kerchief, and a little old tobacco box. They then bade me 
 inarch towards the main body, which was about twelve rods 
 distant, where some officers soon inquired of me who I was; 
 I gave them my name, station and character, and begged 
 their protection, that I might not be any more abused or hurt 
 by the soldiers. They promised me their protection. But I 
 was robbed of my shoes, and was committed to one of the 
 most unfeeling savages that ever breathed. They then drove 
 me with the main body, a hasty march of five miles or more. 
 I was insulted in the most shocking manner by the ruffian 
 soldiers, many of which came at me with fixed bayonets, and 
 swore that they would kill me on the spot. They damned 
 me, and those that took me, because they spared my life. 
 Thus amidst a thousand insults, my infernal driver hastened 
 me along faster than my strength would admit in the extreme 
 heat of the day, weakened as I was by my wounds and the 
 loss of blood, which at a moderate computation could not be 
 less than one quart. And when I failed in some degree 
 through faintness, he would strike me on the back with a 
 heavy walking staff, and kick me behind with his foot. 
 At length by the supporting power of God, I arrived at the 
 green in New Haven. But my life was almost spent, the 
 world around me several times appearing as dark as mid- 
 night. I obtained leave of an officer to be carried into the 
 widow Lyman's and laid upon a bed, where I lay the rest of 
 the day, and succeeding night, in such acute and excrucia- 
 ting pain as I never felt before." 
 
144 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 MIDDLETOWN. 
 
 MIDDLETOWN. 
 
 The Indian name of Middletown was Mattabesett, a name 
 which a small river emptying into the Connecticut north of 
 the city, still retains. The attention of the English was 
 first drawn to this fine location, as a place of settlement, in 
 1650, at which time a committee was appointed to explore 
 the lands. It is not a little singular that they should have 
 estimated the fertility of this remarkably fertile region so 
 low, as to report that subsistence might be obtained in it for 
 fifteen families. In the course of the same year a small set- 
 tlement was commenced near the Connecticut river, north 
 and south of the little river, but the inhabitants soon in- 
 creased to such a number, as to be invested with town privi- 
 leges in 1652. The following year, the place took the 
 name of Middletown. In 1654, there we're probably about 
 thirty families ; in 1670 the number was only fifty-two. The 
 principal planters were from England, Hartford and Weth- 
 ersfield ; but the greater number were from Hartford. Con- 
 siderable accessions were made from Rowley, Chelmsford, 
 and Woburn, in Massachusetts. 
 
 " A portion of the lands in Middletown, were given by 
 Sowheag, the great Sachem of Mattabesett, to John Haynes, 
 for some time governor of Connecticut, probably before any 
 settlement was made in the town. On the 21st of January, 
 1662, Sepunnemo and other chiefs, knowing the gifts of 
 Sowheag to Mr. Haynes, sold to Samuel Wyllys, and others, 
 doubtless as agents of the colony or town, all the remaining 
 lands in Middletown, including Chatham, extending six miles 
 east of the river, and as far west as the Court had granted 
 the bounds of the town ; excepting 300 acres, which they 
 reserved for the heirs of Sowheag and Mattabesett Indians, 
 to be laid out east of the river; and a tract on the west side, 
 previously laid out for Sawsean, to remain for his heirs for- 
 ever. A reservation also appears to have been in the neigh- 
 borhood, now called Newfield, where the Indians held lands 
 as late as 1713. 
 
 " Sowheag was a powerful Sachem. His fort or castle 
 was on the high ground in the west part of the city of Mid- 
 dletown, still called from this circumstance, Indian hill, 
 about three-fourths of a mile N. W. of the Court House, 
 where he was able, by means of his whistle, to call around 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 147 
 
 MIDDLETOWN. 
 
 him many warriors, it is said to the number of 500, whose 
 wigwams were thick on both sides of the Connecticut east- 
 ward. His dominions extended not only over these and 
 other Indians in Middletown and Chatham, but over the 
 Piquay, or Wethersfield Indians, whose sagamore, Sequin, 
 was subject to him ; and as a part of the original township 
 of New Haven was purchased of Montowese, Sowheag's son, 
 it is probable that his dominion embraced some of the In- 
 dians in that town. 
 
 " Although Sowheag gave lands to Gov. Haynes, he may 
 be considered as a base and treacherous man. In April, 
 1637, some of his Indians aided the Pequots in their incur- 
 sion into that town, when they surprised and killed six men. 
 Sowheag entertained the murderers, and treated the people 
 of Wethersfield in a haughty and insulting manner. It seems, 
 however, that the people of Wethersfield had previously of- 
 fered him some provocation. On hearing of their differ- 
 ences, the General Court were disposed to forgive him, and 
 appointed a committee to compromise all differences with 
 him. But he totally refused to give up the murderers, and 
 continued his outrages against the English. The Court of 
 Connecticut therefore, in August, 1639, determined to send 
 one hundred men to Mattabesett, and take the delinquents 
 by force. They notified their friends of New Haven of 
 their determination, both that they might receive their ap- 
 probation, in an enterprise of such general concern, and that 
 they might make the necessary arrangements for defending 
 their own plantations. Gov. Eaton and his council viewed 
 it important that the murderers should be brought to justice, 
 but in existing circumstances, deemed the measure proposed 
 for doing it inexpedient, and dissuaded the Connecticut col- 
 ony from hostile measures."* 
 
 The city of Middletown, which was incorporated in 1754, 
 is built on a beautiful declivity along the western bank of the 
 Connecticut river, where the stream suddenly expands, and 
 makes a bend in its course, so as to present the appearance 
 of a small lake with high sloping and cultivated shores. It 
 is built mostly upon eight streets ; the principal street, how- 
 ever, is Main street, which runs north and south, and is 
 about a mile in length. The streets and walks are shaded 
 
 * Connecticut Historical Collections. 
 
148 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 MIDDLETOWN. 
 
 with elms, and linden or lime trees. Much taste has been 
 displayed by the citizens about their residences in the col- 
 lection of choice shrubs and plants. Main street is elevated 
 from 45 to 50 feet above the level of the river. Indian or 
 Sowheag hill, one mile from the river, is 227 feet above its 
 level. The base of the Wesleyan University Lyceum is 160 
 feet above the river, being distant five-eighths of a mile. 
 The value of articles manufactured in this place yearly is es- 
 timated at $700,000. The coasting trade of Middletown is 
 extensive ; its foreign trade is considerable. The width of 
 the river opposite the city varies from 97 to 80 rods ; it is 
 navigable to this city for vessels drawing ten feet of water. 
 
 " The Wesleyan University," says Mr. Barber in his His- 
 torical Collections, " was founded in 1831, and is an institu- 
 tion of great promise, under the patronage of the Methodist 
 Episcopal Church. The college buildings are finely situated 
 on an eminence, about half a mile from the river, commanding 
 a view of the town, some of the neighboring villages, and a 
 fine prospect of a most fruitful surrounding country. The 
 college buildings were originally built for, and occupied by, 
 the American Literary, Scientific and Military Academy, 
 under the care of Captain Partridge. The Academy having 
 failed in its operations, the buildings were vacated, and left 
 on the hands of the proprietors. At this time, several an- 
 nual conferences of the Methodist Episcopal Church were 
 preparing to establish a college under the patronage of said 
 Church, and were holding the privilege of location in the 
 market, for the purpose of securing a liberal local subscrip- 
 tion. To secure this privilege, the proprietors of the Acad- 
 emy offered their building as a gratuity, for the use of a col- 
 lege or university forever, on condition that there should be 
 an additional endowment raised of $40,000. The citizens 
 of Middletown and its vicinity, with a commendable zeal, by 
 a public grant, and by private subscriptions, pledged about 
 $18,000 of the endowment. These offers, together with the 
 other local advantages, fixed the University in its present 
 location." This University is at the present time in a 
 flourishing condition. Its Philosophical and Astronomical 
 apparatus has recently been increased by an expenditure of 
 about $6,000, — and an addition of about one hundred in- 
 struments. " The prospects in and around the city," says 
 Dr. Dwight, " are in an uncommon degree delightful. On 
 the west, at the distance of four or five miles, rise to the 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. I49 
 
 NORWICH. 
 
 height of eight hundred feet, the mountains of the Middle- 
 town range. An undulating country, ornamented with farms, 
 groves, and well appearing houses, extends from their base 
 to the river. Directly south recedes from the river, which 
 here bends several miles to the East, near the lower ex- 
 tremity of the city, a spacious and beautiful valley, bordered 
 on the Eastern side by hills, ascending with an easy, ele- 
 gant acclivity several miles, to such a height as frequently to 
 be called mountains, and diversified with a rich variety of 
 agricultural scenery. 
 
 " Immediately north lies an extensive interval, through 
 which runs a large mill stream. Beyond it, at the distance 
 of three miles, appears in full view, on the southern declivi- 
 ty of a fine eminence, the handsome village called Upper 
 Middletown. The river, a noble stream half a mile in 
 breadth, winds in delightful prospect directly beneath this 
 complication of elegant objects, eight or ten miles, losing it- 
 self, at the lower limit, by passing through the range of hills 
 already mentioned. 
 
 " Beyond the river rise the fine slopes of Chatham, cov- 
 ered with all the varieties of culture, orchard, grove and for- 
 est; and interspersed with well appearing farm houses. 
 These grounds, and indeed the whole assemblage and ar- 
 rangement of the objects, which form the landscape, are 
 fashioned with an exquisite hand, and delight the eye of 
 every traveller."* 
 
 NORWICH. 
 
 The proprietor of the land upon which Norwich stands, 
 was Uncas, sachem of the Mohegans, a tribe of Indians, 
 which had their residence in this neighborhood. Frequent 
 wars were waged by Uncas and the Narragansetts, during 
 one of which, the latter besieged the Mohegan chief in his 
 fort, until his provisions were nearly exhausted. Perceiving 
 that unless speedy relief was had, he and his men must per- 
 ish, he contrived to communicate to the English scouts, sent 
 out from Saybrook fort, the danger he was in, and urgently 
 
 * Dwight's Travels. 
 
150 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 besought assistance. And as an inducement to the English to 
 interfere, he represented the great danger they would be in, 
 from the hostile Narragansetts, should the latter succeed in 
 their design. 
 
 No sooner was the situation of Uncas made known to the 
 garrison at Saybrook, than one Thomas Leffingwell, an en- 
 sign at Saybrook, and an enterprising and bold man, loaded 
 a canoe with beef, corn, and peas, and under cover of night, 
 paddled from Saybrook to the Thames, on entering which, 
 he had the address to place the whole in the fort. The en- 
 emy soon perceiving that Uncas was relieved, raised the 
 siege. For this service, Uncas gave Leffingwell a deed of 
 a great part, if not of the whole, town of Norwich. In June, 
 1659, Uncas. with his two sons, Owaneco and Attawanhood, 
 by a more formal and authentic deed, made over to Leffing- 
 well, John Mason, Esquire, the Rev. James Fitch, and oth- 
 ers, consisting of thirty-five proprietors, the whole town of 
 Norwich, which is about nine miles square. The company, 
 at this time, gave Uncas and his sons about <£70, as a further 
 compensation, for so large and fine a tract. 
 
 "In the spring of 1660, preparations were made to com- 
 mence a settlement by the Rev. James Fitch, who, with the 
 principal part of his Church and congregation, removed from 
 Saybrook, and planted the town of Norwich. Three or four 
 planters joined them from New London, and two or three 
 from the towns of Plymouth and Marshfield, in Massachu- 
 setts. In 1663, the General Assembly ordered that the deed 
 should be recorded. The limits were afterwards ascertained, 
 and the town received a patent for the whole. 
 
 "The Mohegans were a great defence, and of essential 
 service to the town for many years. They kept out their 
 scouts and spies, and so constantly watched their enemies, 
 that they gave the earliest notice of their approach, and 
 were a continual defence against them. For this purpose, 
 in times of danger, they often moved and pitched their wig- 
 wams near the town, and were a great terror to the enemy. 
 Once the hostile Indians came near the town, upon the 
 Sabbath, with a design to make a descent upon it ; but on 
 viewing it from an eminence, and seeing the Mohegan huts, 
 they were intimidated, and retired without doing the least 
 damage."* 
 
 Trumbull's History of Connecticut. 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 151 
 
 NORWICH. 
 
 The city of Norwich, formerly called Chelsea, or Nor- 
 wich Landing, lies at the head of navigation of the Thames. 
 The principal part of the city is built on the southern de- 
 clivity of a high and rocky hill. The houses rise in tiers 
 one above another. The approach to the city from the south 
 presents one of the most beautiful, interesting, and romantic 
 prospects in the State. For a considerable distance down 
 the river, the buildings which are mostly painted white, appear 
 in full view, and in contrast with the deep green foliage 
 crossing the rocky and elevated banks of the river, give a 
 picturesque variety to the scene, forming on the water a de- 
 lightful approach to the city. 
 
 In respect to its water privileges, Norwich is the second 
 town in New England. About one mile to the east of the 
 Landing is the flourishing village of Greenville, which owes 
 its birth to the extensive water power of the immediate 
 neighborhood. Here a dam has been thrown across the 
 Shetucket, whose waters are capable of carrying 60,000 
 spindles. Several large factories have already been erected, 
 and others are said to be in contemplation, on an extended 
 scale. The Chelsea Manufacturing Company here owns the 
 most extensive paper-mill in the State. Large quantities of 
 paper are furnished by this company, as well as by factories 
 owned by two gentlemen, by the name of Hubbard, for the 
 New York market. The first paper manufactured in Con- 
 necticut, was made in this town by Colonel Christopher Lef- 
 fingwell. 
 
 Within the precincts of this town is the royal burying 
 grouod of the celebrated Uncas. It is situated on an elevated 
 bank, on the northern edge of a grove, near the falls of the 
 Yantic, a tributary of the Thames, and about one mile from 
 the entrance of that river into the latter. Little did Uncas 
 dream, that the busy hum of large manufacturing establish- 
 ments would ever be heard nearly over the graves of his de- 
 scendants. But here the well finished mansion has taken 
 the place of the wigwam ; and the hands of civilized man 
 are turning off his works of art and usefulness, where once 
 flourished the tomahawk, and once sounded the war-whoop. 
 Yet the memory of this savage friend is still kindly cherished 
 by his successors on the soil. The foundation stone to a 
 monument to Uncas was laid during the tour of the late 
 President Jackson into New England, at which ceremony 
 
152 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 NORWICH. 
 
 that " military chieftain " was present, and in which he as- 
 sisted. Other monuments would well become the same 
 hands to perpetuate the memory of other equally " noble 
 souls" who have been driven to lay their bones in lands far 
 from their fathers' sepulchres. Several monuments of the 
 royal line of the Uncases, Mr. Barber informs us, are still 
 to be seen. He has given us the following inscriptions, 
 copied on the spot : 
 
 " Here lies y e body of Pompi Uncas, son of Benjamin and 
 Ann Uncas, and of y e royal blood, who died May y e 1st, 1740, 
 in the 2lst year of his age." 
 
 " Here lies Sa?n Uncas, the 2d and beloved son of his 
 father, John Uncas, who was the grandson of Uncas, grand 
 sachem of Mohegan, the darling of his mother, being daughter 
 of said Uncas, grand sachem. He died July 31st, 1741, in 
 the 28th year of his age." 
 
 The following inscription is said to have been on a monu- 
 ment formerly standing here in memory of Samuel Uncas : 
 
 For beauty, wit, for sterling sense, 
 
 For temper mild, for eloquence, 
 
 For courage bold, for things waureegan,* 
 
 He was the glory of Mohegan — 
 
 Whose death has caused great lamentation, 
 
 Both to y e English and y e Indian Nation. 
 
 In the eastern part of the town of Norwich is a place, 
 which is to this day known by the name of " Sachem's 
 Plain" It derived its name from a memorable battle fought 
 in the year 1643, between Uncas and Miantonimoh — the 
 former, sachem of the Mohegans — the latter, sachem of the 
 Narragansetts. These chiefs and their respective tribes 
 were perpetually at war ; but the English had obtained a 
 pledge from Miantonimoh, that he would engage in no hos- 
 tile movement without consulting them. " Contrary, how- 
 ever, to his agreement, Miantonimoh without proclaiming 
 war, or giving Uncas the least information, raised an army 
 of nine hundred or a thousand men, and marched against 
 him. Uncas's spies discovered the army at some distance, 
 
 * Waureegan signifies clothes, household furniture, &c. of a costly 
 description. 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 153 
 
 and gave him intelligence. He was unprepared ; but rally- 
 ing between four and five hundred of his bravest men, he 
 told them they must by no means suffer Miantonimoh to 
 come into their town ; but must go and fight him on his way. 
 Having marched three or four miles, the armies met upon a 
 large plain. When they had advanced within fair bow shot 
 of each other, Uncas had recourse to a stratagem, with which 
 he previously acquainted his warriors. He desired a parley, 
 and both armies halted in the face of each other. Uncas, 
 gallantly advancing in the front of his men, addressed Mian- 
 tonimoh to this effect : ' You have a number of stout men 
 with you, and so have I with me. It is a great pity that such 
 brave warriors should be killed in a private quarrel between 
 us only. Come like a man, as you profess to be, and let us 
 fight it out. If you kill me, my men shall be yours; but if I 
 kill you, your men shall be mine.' Miantonimoh replied, 
 4 My men came to fight, and they shall fight.' Uncas falling 
 instantly upon the ground, his men discharged a shower of 
 arrows upon the Narragansetts ; and without a moment's in- 
 terval, rushing upon them, in the most furious manner, with 
 their hideous Indian yell, put them immediately to flight. 
 The Mohegans pursued the enemy with the same fury and 
 eagerness, with which they commenced the action. The 
 Narragansetts were driven down rocks and precipices, and 
 chased like a doe by the huntsman. Among others, Mian- 
 tonimoh was exceedingly pressed. Some of Uncas' s bravest 
 men, who were most light of foot, coming up with him, 
 twitched him back, impeding his flight, and passed him, that 
 Uncas might take him. Uncas was a stout man, and rushing 
 forward, like a lion greedy of his prey, seized him by his 
 shoulder. He knew Uncas, and saw that he was now in the 
 power of the man whom he had hated, and by all means at- 
 tempted to destroy ; but he sat down sullen, and spake not a 
 word. Uncas gave the Indian whoop and called up his men, 
 who were behind, to his assistance. The victory was com- 
 plete. About thirty of the Narragansetts were slain, and a 
 much greater number wounded. Among the latter was a 
 brother of Miantonimoh, and two sons of Canonicus, a chief 
 sachem of the Narragansett Indians. The brother of Mian- 
 tonimoh was not only wounded, but armed with a coat of 
 mail, both which retarded his flight. Two of Miantonimoh's 
 captains, who formerly were Uncas's men, but had treacher- 
 ously deserted him, discovering his situation, took him and 
 
154 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 carried him to Uncas, expecting in this way to reconcile 
 themselves to their sachem. But Uncas and his men slew 
 them. Miantonimoh made no request, either for himself or 
 his men ; but continued in the same sullen, speechless mood. 
 Uncas therefore demanded of him, why he would not speak. 
 Said he, ' Had you taken me, I should have besought you 
 for my life.' Uncas, for the present, spared his life, though 
 he would not ask it, and returned with great triumph to 
 Mohegan, carrying the Narragansett sachem, as an illustrious 
 trophy of victory.' ' 
 
 Intelligence of the capture of Miantonimoh having reached 
 the English, Uncas was ordered by them to take his prisoner 
 to Hartford, to advise with the governor and magistrates 
 what should be done with him. 
 
 The governor and magistrates were of opinion, that as 
 there was no open war between them and the Narragansetts, 
 it was not prudent for them to intermeddle with the quarrel ; 
 but advised, that the whole affair should be referred to the 
 commissioners of the United Colonies, at their meeting in 
 September. 
 
 How long Miantonimoh continued speechless does not 
 appear ; but it is certain, that when he came to Hartford, his 
 mouth was opened. He most earnestly pleaded to be left 
 in the custody of the English. He probably expected more 
 safety and better treatment with them, than with Uncas. 
 Uncas consented to leave him at Hartford, but insisted that 
 he should be kept as his prisoner. He was therefore kept, 
 under guard, at Hartford, until the meeting of the com- 
 missioners. 
 
 On the 7th of September the commissioners met at Bos- 
 ton. Before them was laid the case of the two contending 
 chiefs, upon which they finally resolved, " That as it was 
 evident that Uncas could not be safe, while Miantonimoh 
 lived, but that, either by secret treachery or open force, his 
 life would be continually in danger, he might justly put such 
 a false and blood-thirsty enemy to death." They determined 
 Uncas should not do it in any of the English plantations, but 
 in his own jurisdiction. At the same time, they advised that 
 no torture or cruelty, but all mercy and moderation be exer- 
 cised in the manner of his execution. 
 
 Immediately upon the return of the commissioners of 
 Connecticut and New Haven, Uncas, with a competent num- 
 ber of his most trusty men, was ordered to repair forthwith 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 155 
 
 NORWICH. 
 
 to Hartford. He was made acquainted with the determina- 
 tion of the commissioners, and received his prisoner, march- 
 ed with him to the spot where he had been taken. At the 
 instant they arrived on the ground, one of Uncas's men, who 
 marched behind Miantonimoh, split his head with a hatchet, 
 killing him at a single stroke. He was probably unacquaint- 
 ed with his fate, and knew not by what means he fell. Uncas 
 cut out a large piece of his shoulder and ate it in savage tri- 
 umph. He said, " It was the sweetest meat he ever ate ; it 
 made his heart strong." 
 
 The Mohegans, by order of Uncas, buried him at the 
 place of his execution, and erected a great heap or pillar 
 upon his grave. Two Englishmen were sent with Uncas, to 
 see that the execution was done, and to prevent all torture 
 and cruelty in the manner of its performance. Connecticut 
 and New Haven, agreeably to the direction of the commis- 
 sioners, sent a party of soldiers to Mohegan, to defend Un- 
 cas against any assault which might be made upon him, by 
 the Narragansetts, in consequence of the execution of their 
 sachem.* 
 
 Miantonimoh was buried on the spot where he was slain. 
 But a few years since, a large heap of stones, thrown to- 
 gether by the wandering Indians, according to the custom 
 of their country, and as a melancholy mark of the love that 
 the Narragansetts had for their fallen chief, lay on his grave ; 
 but the despicable cupidity of some people in that vicinity, 
 has removed them to make common stone wall, as it saved 
 them the trouble of gathering stones for that purpose. The 
 spot of his sepulture is, however, yet known.t 
 
 Some additional particulars of this renowned chief of the 
 Mohegans will doubtless interest our friends. The Mohegan 
 tribe appears to have been originally a part of the Pequot 
 nation — a tribe inveterate towards the English, and the terror 
 of the Indian tribes in the vicinity. At the time the English 
 settled Connecticut, Uncas was chief sachem of the Mohe- 
 gan tribe. He had been, it is thought, a war-captain under 
 Sassacus. At this time, however, he was in open rebellion 
 against that chief; but he possessed little influence, and un- 
 aided, must soon have been brought to terms by the haughty 
 and warlike Sassacus. 
 
 * Trumbull. t Mass. His. Collections, vol. 3. 
 
156 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 Uncas perceived the advantage of friendship to the Eng- 
 lish. He was probably sincere in his good will — but con- 
 nected with this was his own interest. He was ever faithful 
 to them, although they at first doubted his fidelity. Governor 
 Wolcott thus speaks of him :* 
 
 'Twas here [at Hartford] that Uncas did the army meet, 
 With many stout Mohegans at his feet. 
 He to the general [Masont] goes, and doth declare, 
 He came for our assistance in the war. 
 
 He was that Sagamore, whom great Sassacus's rage 
 Had hitherto kept under vassalage. 
 But weary of his great severity, 
 He now revolts and to the English fly. 
 With cheerful air our captain him embraces, 
 And him, and his chief men with titles graces : 
 But over them preserved a jealous eye, 
 Lest all this might be done in treachery. 
 
 It reflects credit upon Mason, that he was thus wary of a 
 stranger ; but he soon became convinced that of whatever 
 other good traits of character Uncas might be destitute, he 
 was not wanting in fidelity. " The Mohegans embarked 
 with Mason's ninety men, on board a pink or pinnace and 
 a shallop, both of which, the water being low in the river, 
 [Connecticut,] fell aground several times. The Indians dis- 
 liked this new species of navigation, and especially so much 
 of it as pertained to the flats and sands ; and Uncas was still 
 more impatient to recommend himself by an active com- 
 mencement of the war. He therefore requested that he and 
 his men might be set on shore, promising to join Mason 
 again at Saybrook. His request was granted ; and he not 
 only redeemed his promise, but, meeting a considerable par- 
 ty of Pequots on the route, he attacked them with great spir- 
 it, and killed seven of their number — 'which,' says Captain 
 Mason, * we looked at as a special Providence; for, before, 
 we were somewhat doubtful of his fidelity.' " 
 
 This good opinion was daily confirmed by the Sachem's 
 conversation and conduct. " Indeed," says Captain Mason, 
 " he was a great friend, and did great service. — I shall nev- 
 
 * Wolcott's " Poetical Account of Mr. Winthrop's agency in obtain- 
 ing a Charter for Connecticut." 
 
 t This was Captain Mason, who led the Connecticut forces against 
 Mystic Fort, soon after the settlement of the Colony. 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 157 
 
 NORWICH. 
 
 er forget him." At the commencement of the campaign, 
 the various Indians who engaged in it were in high glee. — 
 They gathered into a ring, and one by one made solemn 
 protestations how gallantly they would demean themselves, 
 and how many men they would kill. But Uncas said very 
 little, until Mason inquired of him what these Indians would 
 do. " Nothing," answered he gravely ; " the Narragansetts 
 will leave you to a man. I can only say for myself, that I 
 never will." And he never did. The Narragansetts, who 
 had vaunted themselves on the example they should be 
 obliged to set the English, to encourage them in their attack 
 upon the enemy, soon fell into the back ground, and many of 
 them returned home."* The Indians, and especially the 
 Narragansetts, were " horribly afraid" of the Pequots. But 
 Uncas appears to have had courage, which never forsook 
 him, for after the real success which attended the assault of 
 the English upon Mystic Fort, and the utter destruction 
 which was caused among the Narragansetts, while most of 
 the Indians who had remained till after the assault, now de- 
 serted, or at last disappeared, under a fear of falling in with 
 the wandering Pequots, Uncas remained steadfast and un- 
 flinching." 
 
 " A small harbor" continues Mr. Thatcher, " in the south- 
 western part of the town of Guilford, in Connecticut, has to 
 this day a name derived from one of his achievements. He 
 and his Mohegans, with a few of the English, having under- 
 taken, when the enemy fled westward, to scour the shores 
 near the sea for the purpose of cutting off stragglers, came 
 up with a Pequot Sachem, and a few men, not far from this 
 harbor, and pursued them. As the south side of the harbor 
 is formed by a long narrow neck of land, the Pequots went 
 out upon that point, hoping that their pursuers would pass 
 them. But Uncas, perceiving the stratagem, ordered some 
 of his men to give chase, which the enemy observing, swam 
 over the mouth of the harbor. There they were waylayed, 
 and taken as they landed. A council being held, and the 
 Sachem sentenced to death, Uncas himself is said to have 
 shot him with an arrow, cut off his head, and set it up in the 
 crotch of a large oak tree near the water. The skull re- 
 mained there many years, and the name of the " Sachem's 
 Head " has been ever since attached to the harbor. t 
 
 * Thatcher's Indian Biography, 
 t History of Guilford, Mass. Hist. Coll. 
 
158 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 " The remuneration to Uncas for the part he took in this 
 war, was a portion of the Pequot territory, (which he after- 
 wards sold to the English,) and 100 captives of that tribe ; 
 and this with the honor of having subdued his real Pequot 
 rival, and the reputation of being upon the most flattering 
 and favorable terms of intercourse with the English, made 
 him at once a character of high dignity, and of no little in- 
 fluence. Indians began to collect around him from neighbor- 
 ing tribes, and he could now muster four or five hundred 
 warriors. The colony of Connecticut treated with him and 
 made him presents, and permitted him to exercise dominion, 
 and to give deeds of territory, in all respects like an inde- 
 pendent and sovereign authority, while he enjoyed at the 
 same time, the benefit of their personal patronage and the 
 protection of his tribe from their enemies. 
 
 " In July, 1638, Uncas visited in person the authorities of 
 Massachusetts, at Boston — the only visit of mere ceremony, 
 which is recorded of him in history. 
 
 " He came attended by thirty-seven men, and accompanied 
 by Gov. Haynes, whom he had called upon by the way. He 
 offered the Governor of Massachusetts a present of twenty 
 fathoms of wampum, which being in open court the council 
 thought fit to refuse it, ' till he had given satisfaction about 
 the Pequots he kept,' &,c. ; upon this, he appeared much de- 
 jected, and even affected to apprehend that his life was in 
 danger. But he was not long at a loss. Evidence was pro- 
 duced, which counteracted the main suspicions that rested 
 upon him ; and he promised to submit his controversy with 
 the Narragansetts to English arbitration, and to follow any 
 arrangement they should make as to his Pequots. 
 
 " The present was now accepted, and about half an hour 
 afterwards, he went to the Governor, and addressed him in 
 the following terms : ' This heart '—he said, laying his hand 
 on his breast — • is not mine, but yours. I have no men. 
 They are all yours. Command me any hard thing — I will 
 do it. I will not believe any Indian's words against the 
 English. If any man shall kill an Englishman, I will put 
 him to death, were he never so dear to me.' The Governor 
 gave him a handsome red coat, defrayed the expenses of his 
 visit, and furnished him with provisions for his return jour- 
 ney, and a general letter of protection — and so ' he departed 
 very joyful.' " 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 159 
 
 NORWICH. 
 
 According to Mr. Thatcher, to whose narrative we are in- 
 debted for the above sketches, " Uncas was in less favor with 
 the English, towards the latter part of his life, than for- 
 merly. He did not come to an open rupture with them at 
 any time ; and his subjects, though frequently insolent, were 
 never hostile. Their last services during the life of Uncas, 
 were during Philip's war, when a party of them was com- 
 manded by Onecho, a son of Uncas, and by other Sachems. 
 The father was then too old a man to endure much more 
 labor and weariness." 
 
 " It has been stated that Uncas was at last convinced of 
 the truth of Christianity, and that he died in the faith. The 
 only proof of it is derived, it is believed, from the following 
 anecdote : 
 
 " In the summer of 1676, a great drought prevailed 
 throughout New England, which was extremely severe in 
 the Mohegan country. The corn was dried up in August, 
 and the fruit and leaves fell from the trees, as in autumn. 
 The Indians were alarmed, but knew not what to do. Ac- 
 cording to custom, they applied to their Powahs, to inter- 
 cede with the Great Spirit, for rain, after their manner ; but 
 these men labored in vain. They went to the English set- 
 tlement at Norwich, and Uncas went with them. He told 
 Mr. Fitch, the clergyman at that place, that it was a hard 
 case with them — the Powahs could do them no service — they 
 must apply to the English God. Mr. Fitch appointed a fast 
 day, at these and other suggestions. The weather on that 
 occasion was clear, but about sunset, at the close of the reli- 
 gious services, some clouds arose. The next day also was 
 cloudy. Uncas now went up to the house of Mr. Fitch with 
 many Indians, and lamented the great want of rain. * If 
 God shall send it,' said Mr. Fitch, ' will you not attribute it 
 to your Powahs 1 ' ' No,' answered the Sachem ; ' we have 
 done our utmost, but all in vain.' The clergyman then told 
 him, that if he would make the declaration before the In- 
 dians, they should see what God would do for them. Uncas 
 then made a speech to the Indians, confessing with particu- 
 lar emphasis, that if God should grant this favor, it could not 
 be in consequence of their powawing, but must be ascribed 
 to the clergyman's prayers. Of the sequel we only know, 
 that upon the day following, there was so copious a rain that 
 the river rose more than two feet."* 
 
 Thatcher's Indian Biography. 
 
160 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 NORWICH. 
 
 In the opinion of Mr. Fitch, Uncas gave no good evidence 
 of faith in the Gospel. He with other chiefs did indeed for 
 a time, appear to give attention to preaching, but they at 
 length not only withdrew themselves, but discouraged the 
 Indians from an attendance upon the ministry of the word 
 of God. Mr. Gookin characterizes Uncas, but perhaps se- 
 verely, as an old, wicked, and wilful man; a drunkard, and 
 otherwise very vicious, who has always been an opposer 
 and underminer of praying to God. " It is to be feared, 
 that excepting his fidelity to the English, and this trait of 
 character was highly honorable to him, he had no qualities, 
 which entitled him to that respect, which for a time he 
 enjoyed." 
 
 The last we hear of Uncas is in 1680, when he must have 
 been a very old man, yet even at this advanced age he was 
 enjoying good health, and considerable vigor of constitution. 
 A remnant of his tribe still exists in the neighborhood of 
 Norwich. They own a reservation of about three thousand 
 acres of land. They are the only natives of the numerous 
 tribes which were once spread over the State. The last 
 Sachem of the tribe was Isaiah Uncas, who was once a 
 pupil in the celebrated school of Dr. Wheelock, at Lebanon. 
 The following epitaph, copied by President Stiles from a 
 grave-stone in the old Indian burial ground at Mohegan, in- 
 dicates the end of the genealogy : 
 
 Here lies the body of Sunseeto, 
 
 Own son to Uncas, grandson to Oneko, 
 
 Who were the famous Sachems of Mohegan ; 
 
 But now they are all dead, I think it is Werheegen* 
 
 The Mohegan Indians still preserve some of the peculiar 
 customs of their ancestors. " On the 16th of October, 1827," 
 says Mrs. Huntington, in a letter to Dr. Holmes, " the Rev. 
 Mr. Palmer of this city, was invited to attend the funeral of 
 an Indian child, which was to be deposited in the ' Shantup 
 burying ground.' In approaching the ground, the relics of 
 two Indians, and also two spoons, were seen lying beside it. 
 Expressing a wish to obtain them, Mr. P. received no im- 
 mediate answer, until a youth of their company had whis- 
 pered something in every ear from the oldest to the young- 
 est. At the close of the exercises, with great formality, the 
 
 1 Ml is well" or Good 
 s war. 
 
 * Werheegen was a Mohegan term signifying 
 iws. Oneko, or Onecho, commanded in Philip' 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 163 
 
 NEW LONDON. 
 
 young Indian replied, your request is granted ! In answer 
 to the inquiry why two skeletons were found in the ground, 
 an old woman replied, it was an Indian and Squaw; and in- 
 formed him farther that according to their custom, the bodies 
 were deposited in an upright position, within a circular grave, 
 and a pot of succotash between them, the fragments of which 
 were found. The decayed stump of a large tree covering 
 the relics, indicated the antiquity of the grave."* 
 
 NEW LONDON. 
 
 The settlement of New London was begun by the English 
 in 1646 ; but a part of those who entered upon the lands this 
 year, soon became discouraged, and left the place. The 
 following year, however, Mr. Richard Blinman, a man of 
 energy and enterprise, who had been a minister in England, 
 removed from Gloucester to the new settlement : in conse- 
 quence of which a considerable addition was made to the 
 number who had kept their station. In 1648, the number 
 of settlers had so increased, that the inhabitants consisted 
 of more than fifty families. Some of the principal men were 
 John Winthrop, Esquire, the Rev. Mr. Blinman, Thomas 
 Minot, Samuel ^othrop, Robert Allyn, and James Avery. 
 For their encouragement, the General Court granted them a 
 three years' exemption from all colonial taxation. Mr. Win- 
 throp was authorized to superintend the affairs of the planta- 
 tion. The next year, a court was appointed for the trial of 
 small causes. The judges were Mr. Winthrop, Thomas Mi- 
 not, and Samuel Lothrop. The Indian name of the place 
 was Nameaug, alias Towawog. In 1654, the whole tract, 
 now comprised within the towns of New London andGroton, 
 was called Pequot, from the name of the harbor, and origi- 
 nal inhabitants. By this it was known for about four years. 
 On the 24th of March, 1658, the assembly passed an act re- 
 specting it, which is so curious, and expressive of the feeling 
 of our ancestors towards their native country, as to render it 
 worthy of publication : 
 
 * Holmes's Annals. 
 
164 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 NEW LONDON. 
 
 " Whereas it hath been the commendable practice of the 
 inhabitants of all the colonies of these parts, that as this coun- 
 try hath its denomination from our dear native country of 
 England, and thence is called New England ; so the planters, 
 in their first settling of most new plantations, have given 
 names to those plantations of some cities and towns in Eng- 
 land, thereby intending to keep up and leave to posterity the 
 memorial of several places of note there, as Boston, Hartford, 
 Windsor, York, Ipswich, Braintree, Exeter; this court con- 
 sidering, that there hath yet no place in any of the colonies, 
 been named in memory of the city of London, there being a 
 new plantation within this jurisdiction of Connecticut, settled 
 upon that fair river Mohegan, in the Pequot country, being 
 an excellent harbor, and a- fit and convenient place for fu- 
 ture trade, it being also the only place which the English 
 in these parts have possessed by conquest, and that upon a 
 very just war, upon that great and warlike people, the Pe- 
 quots, that therefore they might thereby leave to posterity 
 the memory of that renowned city of London, from whence 
 we had our transportation, have thought fit, in honor to that 
 famous city, to call the said plantation New London." 
 
 The name of the riv^er was also changed and called the 
 Thames.* 
 
 New London is situated on the west bank of the Thames, 
 three miles from Long Island Sound. As a town, it is the 
 smallest in the State, being but four miles in length from 
 north to south, and on an average about three-fourths of a 
 mile in breadth. It is the semi-seat of justice for the coun- 
 ty, and a port of entry. It is 42 miles south-east from Hart- 
 ford, and 53 east from New Haven. 
 
 The city is situated on a declivity, which descends east 
 and south. From the summit of the hill in the rear of the 
 most populous part of the city, a beautiful prospect of the 
 surrounding country presents itself. The principal streets 
 are parallel with the river ; and are crossed by others nearly 
 at right angles ; but without any regularity, either in the 
 distances, or their direction. The natural surface of the 
 ground is uneven, and abounds with granite rocks. The 
 houses are less beautiful, and in less thorough repair, than 
 one would suppose, considering the wealth of the inhabitants. 
 
 Trumbull's History of Connecticut. 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 165 
 
 NEW LONDON. 
 
 Before the Revolution, the commerce of the place was con- 
 siderable — but subsequently it sensibly declined. A spirit 
 of enterprise has, however, within a few years, been mani- 
 fested — the coasting and foreign trade has revived — a steam- 
 boat communication with New York has been opened — and 
 the whale fishery is carried on extensively and profitably. A 
 capital of a million and a half of dollars is devoted to this 
 latter business, and not less than thirty ships, which give em- 
 ployment to 1,600 seamen, are engaged in this adventurous 
 business. Several vessels are also engaged in sealing. In 
 consequence of this enterprise, and the profits which have 
 grown out of it, considerable improvements have been made 
 in the city. Some fine buildings have been erected, and the 
 streets have been straightened and levelled. 
 
 " The fish market," says Dr. Dwight, " is believed to be 
 the best, except that of Newport, in the United States. A 
 considerable part of the fish sold in New York are supplied 
 by the fishermen of New London, from the waters in its 
 neighborhood." 
 
 The harbor is reported to be one of the best on the whole 
 coast of the United States. It is three miles long, and vessels 
 of almost any size find in it sufficient water, and good and 
 safe anchoring ground. During the extreme cold in Janu- 
 ary, 1835, while the navigation of the harbor of New York 
 was closed with ice, the harbor of New London remained 
 open and unobstructed. 
 
 New London contains a court-house, jail, custom-house, 
 three banks, two markets, nine churches, sixty stores, two 
 insurance offices, seven hundred and fifty dwellings, three 
 printing-presses, and about 7,000 inhabitants. The register- 
 ed tonnage in 1840 exceeded 44,000 tons, including several 
 vessels engaged in the whaling business. 
 
 The city is defended by two forts. Fort Trumbull and 
 Fort Griswold. The former stands on the New London 
 side of the Thames, about a mile below the city. It is sit- 
 uated on the extremity of a peninsula, extending eastward 
 into the river. It was built during the Revolutionary war, 
 under the superintendence of Colonel John Ely, of Say- 
 brook. Fort Griswold is on the east side of the Thames, on 
 a commanding eminence, opposite the city, in the town of 
 Groton. It is not at present garrisoned, and is considerably 
 out of repair. 
 
166 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 NEW LONDON. 
 
 Towards the close of the Revolutionary war, a most dis- 
 graceful attack was made upon New London by a body of 
 British troops, under command of the ever infamous Bene- 
 dict Arnold. The attack was made September 6th, 1781. 
 The Editor of the Connecticut Gazette, printed at New 
 London, on the day after, gave the following account of the 
 transaction, in his columns : 
 
 M About daybreak on Thursday morning last, 24 sail of 
 the enemy's shipping appeared to the westward of this harbor, 
 which by many were supposed to be a plundering party after 
 stock; alarm guns were immediately fired, but the discharge 
 of cannon in the harbor has become so frequent of late, that 
 theyanswered little or no purpose. The defenceless state 
 of the fortifications and the town are obvious to our readers; 
 a few of the inhabitants, who were equipped, advanced to- 
 wards the place, where the enemy were thought likely to 
 make their landing, and manoeuvred on the heights adjacent, 
 until the enemy about nine o'clock landed in two divisions, 
 and about 800 men each, one of them at Brown's farm 
 near the lighthouse, the other at Groton Point : the division 
 that landed near the lighthouse, marched up the road, keep- 
 ing up large flanking parties, who were attacked in different 
 places on their march by the inhabitants, who had spirit 
 and resolution to oppose their progress. The main body of 
 the enemy proceeded to the town, set fire to the stores on 
 the beach, and immediately after to the dwelling houses lying 
 on Mill Cove. The scattered fire of our little parties, un- 
 supported by our neighbors more distant, galled them so that 
 they soon began to retire, setting fire promiscuously on their 
 way. The fire from the stores communicated to the shipping 
 that lay at the wharfs, and a number were burnt ; others 
 swung to single fast, and remained unhurt. 
 
 " At four o'clock, they began to quit the town with great 
 precipitation, and were pursued by our brave citizens with 
 the spirit and ardor of veterans, and driven on board their 
 boats. Five of the enemy were killed, and about twenty 
 wounded; among the latter is a Hessian captain, who is a 
 prisoner, as are seven others. We lost four killed, and ten 
 or twelve wounded, some mortally. 
 
 " The most valuable part of the town is reduced to ashes, 
 and all the stores. Fort Trumbull, not being tenable on the 
 land side, was evacuated as the enemy advanced, and the 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 167 
 
 NEW LONDON. 
 
 few men in it crossed the river to Fort Griswold, on Groton 
 Hill, which was soon after invested by the division that land- 
 ed on that point : the fort having in it only about 120 men, 
 chiefly militia, hastily collected ; they defended it with the 
 greatest resolution and bravery, and once repulsed the enemy : 
 but the fort being out of repair, could not be defended by 
 such a handful of men, though brave and determined, against 
 so superior a number ; and after having a number of their 
 party killed and wounded, they found that further resist- 
 ance would be in vain, and resigned the fort. Immediately 
 on the surrendry, the valiant Colonel Ledyard, whose fate 
 in a particular manner is much lamented, and 70 other offi- 
 cers and men, were murdered, most of whom were heads of 
 families. The enemy lost a Major, Montgomery, and 40 
 officers and men in the attack, who were found buried near 
 the fort : the wounded were carried off. 
 
 " Soon after the enemy got possession of the fort, they set 
 fire to and burnt a considerable number of dwelling houses 
 and stores on Groton bank, and embarked about sunset, 
 taking with them sundry inhabitants of New London and 
 Groton. A Colonel Eyre, who commanded the division at 
 Groton, was wounded, and it is said died on board the fleet 
 the night they embarked. About 15 sail of vessels, with the 
 effects of the inhabitants, retreated up the river on the ap- 
 pearance of the enemy, and were saved, and four others re- 
 mained in the harbor unhurt. The troops were commanded 
 by that infamous traitor, Benedict Arnold, who headed the 
 division which marched up to the town. By this calamity it 
 is judged that more than one hundred families are deprived 
 of their habitations, and most of their all. This neighbor- 
 hood feel sensibly the loss of so many deserving citizens, 
 and though deceased, cannot but be highly indebted to them, 
 for their spirit and bravery in their exertions and manly 
 opposition to the merciless enemies of our country, in their 
 last moments. 
 
 11 The following savage action, committed by the troops, 
 who subdued Fort Griswold, on Groton Hill, on Thursday 
 last, ought to be recorded to their eternal infamy. Soon 
 after the surrender of the fort, they loaded a wagon with our 
 wounded men, by order of their officers, and set the wagon 
 off from the top of the hill, which is long and very steep. 
 The wagon went a considerable distance with great force, 
 till it was suddenly stopped by a tree ; the shock was so great 
 
168 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 NEW LONDON. 
 
 to these faint and bleeding men, that some of them died in- 
 stantly. The officers ordered the men to fire on the wagon, 
 while it was running." 
 
 The buildings burnt at New London in this expedition by 
 the British troops, were 65 dwelling houses containing 97 
 families, 31 stores, 18 shops, 20 barns, and 9 public and 
 other buildings, among which were the Court House, Gaol, 
 and Church — in all 143. 
 
 " In many instances, where houses were situated at a great 
 distance from any stores, and contained nothing but house- 
 hold furniture, they were set on fire, notwithstanding the 
 earnest cries and entreaties of the women and children in 
 them, who were threatened with being burnt in them, if they 
 did not instantly leave them. Indeed two houses were 
 bought off for c£10 each, of an officer who appeared to be a 
 Captain, upon condition, however, that he should not be 
 made known ; and where the houses were not burnt, they 
 were chiefly plundered of all that could be carried off. At the 
 harbor's mouth, the houses of poor fishermen were stripped 
 of all their furniture of every kind, the poor people having 
 nothing but the clothes that they had." 
 
 About the year 1720, a sect arose in New London, called, 
 from their leader, Rogerenes. The following account of this 
 people is from Dr. Trumbull's History of Connecticut, second 
 volume. 
 
 " The Rogerenes were a sort of Quakers, who had their 
 origin and name from one John Rogers, of New London. 
 He was a man of unbounded ambition, and wished to be 
 something more than common men. One Case and one 
 Banks, two lewd men, called singing Quakers, coming 
 through the colony singing and dancing, accompanied with 
 a number of women to assist them in their musical exer- 
 cises ; and especially to proclaim how their lips dropped 
 with myrrh and honey, fell in company with John, and at 
 once made a convert of him to their religion. He, in a high 
 degree imbibed their spirit and ever retained it. Notwith- 
 standing, it was not long after, before he commenced a 
 seventh-day Baptist. After maintaining the opinion of this 
 sect for a short time, he returned again to Quakerism. To 
 gratify his pride, and that he might appear as the head of a 
 peculiar sect, he differed in several points from the Quakers; 
 particularly, that there were three ordinances of religious 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 169 
 
 NEW LONDON. 
 
 use, baptism, the Lord's supper, and imposition of hands. 
 To make himself more eminent, as the head of a new sect, 
 he commenced preacher of his peculiar scheme, and without 
 any kind of ordination, administered baptism to his followers. 
 The madness, immodesty, and tumultuous conduct of Rog- 
 ers, and those who followed him, at this day, is hardly con- 
 ceivable. It seemed to be their study and delight to violate 
 the Sabbath, insult magistrates and ministers, and to trample 
 on all law and authority, human and divine. They would 
 come, on the Lord's day, into the most public assemblies 
 nearly or quite naked, and in the time of public worship, 
 behave in a wild and tumultuous manner, crying out, and 
 charging the most venerable ministers with lies and false 
 doctrines. They would labor upon the Lord's day, drive 
 carts by places of public worship, and from town to town, 
 apparently on purpose to disturb Christians and Christian 
 assemblies. They seemed to take pains to violate the laws 
 in the presence of officers, that they might be complained of, 
 and have an opportunity to insult the laws, the courts, and 
 all civil authority. 
 
 " A particular instance of their conduct on a certain occa- 
 sion, when Rogers was indicted for a high misdemeanor, 
 may serve as a specimen of their spirit and conduct in gen- 
 eral. The crime for which he was indicted, and the manner 
 of his own and his followers' conduct, will appear from 
 the following extract from ' Pratt's Historical Account of 
 Quakerism.' 
 
 " ' It was his manner to rush into the assembly on the 
 Lord's day, in the time of God's worship, in a very boister- 
 ous way, and to charge the minister with lies and false doc- 
 trine ; and to scream, shout, stamp, &c. by which he offered 
 insufferable molestations to the worship and people of God. 
 And this was his manner in the court also, when he pleased, 
 or had a mind to make himself sport, and he would laugh at 
 it, when he had done, until his sides shook. 
 
 "'I saw him once brought to court for such a disturb- 
 ance, committed on the Sabbath. He had contrived the 
 matter so as to be just without the door, when he was called 
 to answer ; upon which he rushed into court with a pro- 
 digious noise ; his features and gestures expressed more fury 
 than I ever saw in a distracted person of any sort, and I so- 
 berly think, that if a legion of devils had pushed him in 
 
170 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 NEW LONDON. 
 
 headlong, his entrance had not been more horrid and ghastly, 
 nor have seemed more preternatural. 
 
 " '^(Vhen he came to the bar, he demanded of the court 
 what their business was with him ? The indictment was or- 
 dered to be read. To this he pleaded not guilty, after a new 
 mode : for as the clerk read, sometimes at the end of a sen- 
 tence, and sometimes at the beginning, he would cry out, 
 That's a cursed lie ; and anon, That's a devilish lie ; till at 
 length a number of his followers, of both sexes, tuned their 
 pipes, and screamed, roared, shouted, and stamped to that 
 degree of noise, that it was impossible to hear the clerk 
 read.' 
 
 " He professed to be a most holy man, guided in all his 
 conversation by the Holy Ghost, so that, for the course of 
 twenty years, he had lived without the commission of one 
 sin. Yet he was almost constantly committing such gross 
 offences. He was divorced from an amiable wife for forni- 
 cation and supposed beastiality. The latter he often con- 
 fessed out of court. When he had occasion, he took to his 
 bed a maid, whom he had purchased, and after she had borne 
 him two children, he put her away. He suffered a long im- 
 prisonment, upon a strong suspicion that he was an accom- 
 plice in burning the meeting house at New London. He 
 once sat upon the gallows, upon a conviction of blasphemy. 
 For these and the like instances, he and his followers suffer- 
 ed the penalties of the law ; but for his religion, neither he 
 nor his followers suffered any thing, any further than it led 
 them to such misdemeanors as are punishable by the laws 
 of all Christian nations."* 
 
 " Many anecdotes are related concerning this singular 
 people, one of which is the following. Among other viola- 
 tions of law and order by the Rogerenes, they took to them- 
 selves wives, without complying with the requirements of law 
 and decency. One day, as Governor Saltonstall was sitting 
 in his room smoking his pipe, a man by the name of Gurdon, 
 with a woman, came in, and addressing the Governor said, 
 ' Sir, I have married this woman, and that too without the 
 authority of your magistrates and ministers.' The Governor 
 turned round, took the pipe out of his mouth, and in a stern 
 voice said, 'Gurdon, have you taken this woman for your 
 
 * Trumbull. 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 171 
 
 NEW LONDON. 
 
 wife 1 ' Gurdon replied, ' Yes, I have.' The Governor 
 turned to the woman, and inquired, ' Madam, have you taken 
 this man for your husband 1 ' She replied, ' Indeed, sir, I 
 have.' ' Well, then,' said the Governor, ' by authority of, 
 and according to the laws of Connecticut, I pronounce you 
 lawfully wedded, husband and wife.' Gurdon was aston- 
 ished, and, after a pause, replied, ' Thou art a cunning 
 creature.' 
 
 " It is said to be contrary to the tenets of the Rogerenes 
 to employ physicians, or to use medicines in case of sick- 
 ness. The following method of preserving a clear conscience 
 in this respect, is related upon good authority. A number 
 of these people were afflicted by a certain cutaneous disor- 
 der, and their principles forbidding them the use of medi- 
 cines, they were at a loss what to do. After deliberating 
 upon the subject, they came to the conclusion that this 
 disorder, (or whatever else it might be called,) could not 
 come under the head of bodily infirmity. It was determined 
 that the itch might be considered as a noxious animal, 
 which they might innocently destroy. They accordingly 
 made use of the usual remedies found efficacious for this 
 disorder." 
 
 " A considerable number of the descendants of the Rog- 
 erenes still reside in Groton, New London, and its vicinity. 
 Many years since, a person by the name of Watrous, one of 
 this sect, wrote and published a book called ' The Battle 
 Axe.' Such was the nature of this publication, that he could 
 find no printer who was willing to print it. Determined, 
 however, that his book should be published, Watrous pro- 
 cured a printing press and types, and printed the work him- 
 self. This book is said to be a curiosity, from the nature of 
 the work, and from the typographical execution. So little 
 faith have this people in other denominations of Christians 
 around them, that quite recently they would not suffer 
 any of their people to assist as carpenters or otherwise, in 
 the construction of a new church, lately erected in New 
 London."* 
 
 * Connecticut Historical Collections. 
 
RHODE ISLAND. 
 
 PROVIDENCE. 
 
 This is the second city in New England in point of popu- 
 lation, wealth, and business. It stands on Providence river, 
 at the head of Narragansett Bay, 35 miles from the ocean ; 
 42 south-west from Boston ; 190 north-east of New York ; 
 and 394 north-east from Washington. The town is built on 
 both sides of the river, the two parts being connected by two 
 handsome bridges. The new town, on the west side of the 
 river, has all the bustle and liveliness, and displays the flour- 
 ishing appearance of a commercial city. The hill on the 
 opposite side, or East Providence, is chiefly occupied by 
 private mansions beautifully situated, and adorned with gar- 
 dens and court yards. 
 
 Providence is well laid out, and viewed from several emi- 
 nences within the city, or from the bay, its appearance is fine 
 and imposing. The calamities, which it has several times 
 suffered by storms, floods, and particularly an extensive fire 
 in 1801, and the great storm of 1815, when 500 buildings 
 were destroyed, have ultimately tended to the improvement 
 of the city, in its streets and buildings. These are mostly 
 of wood, and are uniformly neat ; there are many, however, 
 of brick, granite, &c, which are spacious and elegant, and 
 finely situated. 
 
 The public buildings are numerous, and several of them 
 very handsome. The college edifices belonging to Brown 
 University occupy the summit of a hill, which overlooks 
 every part of the town, the cove, and the country beyond it, 
 the river with the regions on both sides ; together with ex- 
 tensive tracts to the north and east. The prospect is a noble 
 one ; but is sensibly impaired by the sterility of the soil in 
 the western quarter, and is not a little deficient in fine varie- 
 ties of surface. This Institution was established in 1764, 
 and was originally stationed at Warren, where the first com- 
 mencement was held in 1769. The next year it was held in 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 175 
 
 PROVIDENCE. 
 
 Providence. It has now the name of Brown University, 
 given it in honor of Nicholas Brown, Esq. who has been its 
 most liberal benefactor. Under its distinguished President 
 and able faculty, it enjoys a high reputation among the lit- 
 erary institutions of New England. The corporation is com- 
 posed of two boards : one of Fellows ; the other of Trustees. 
 The former consists of twelve, including the President; of 
 whom eight are required by the charter to be Baptists. 
 The latter consists of thirty-six ; of whom twenty-two must 
 be Baptists ; five Quakers ; five Episcopalians ; and four 
 Congregationalists. The philosophical and chemical appara- 
 tus is extensive. The several libraries, including that of the 
 college, contain from 15,000 to 20,000 volumes, embracing 
 numerous rare and valuable publications. 
 
 The Arcade, extending from Westminster street to Wey- 
 bosset, is the handsomest building of the kind in the country. 
 It is 226 feet long, and three stories high, with twenty-eight 
 rooms on each floor. It has a front on each street consist- 
 ing of an Ionic portico 72 feet wide, and colonnades of six 
 columns each 25 feet high, the shafts of which are single 
 blocks 22 feet in length. This building was completed in 
 1828, at a cost of $130,000. 
 
 There are fourteen churches in the city, some of which 
 are handsome specimens of architecture ; particularly two 
 Congregational churches, a Baptist, and an Episcopal church. 
 
 Providence is well situated for commercial enterprise. 
 The river, which divides the town nearly in the centre, is 
 navigable for vessels of 900 tons burden. The foreign and 
 coasting trade are both extensive, as the commerce of the 
 State, which was formerly concentrated at Newport, is now 
 chiefly transferred to this place. Several lines of packets, 
 besides other vessels, run regularly to different parts of the 
 United States, and the facilities for internal communication 
 are numerous. 
 
 A canal, extending from Providence to Worcester, called 
 the Blackstone canal, was opened some years since, from 
 which important advantages were expected ; but it has disap- 
 pointed the expectations of its projectors, and has in a great 
 measure been superseded by a railroad between these places. 
 A railroad also connects Providence with Stonington, which 
 has a line of steamboats to New York. 
 
176 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 PROVIDENCE. 
 
 An important Rail Road was opened between this city 
 and Boston in 1835. Its distance is 41 miles. The track 
 is a single one. The amount of capital that had been paid 
 m in November, 1836, was $1,250,000, and on this sum at 
 that time a dividend of four per cent. Two trains of cars 
 for passengers pass through each way daily, Sundays ex- 
 cepted ; and another train, called the steamboat train, which 
 is connected with the New York and Providence steamboat 
 line, conveys passengers to and from Providence every day, 
 on which the steamboat arrives at and departs from Provi- 
 dence. The time usually occupied in passing the whole 
 distance between Boston and Providence, is about two hours 
 and fifteen minutes. 
 
 The citizens of Providence are distinguished in general 
 for their intelligence, enterprise, liberality, and courteous 
 manners. They have exhibited no small pride in rendering 
 their city pleasant and beautiful. An honorable testimony 
 is borne to the morals of Providence by the late President 
 Dwight. He remarks : " The morals of Providence are 
 probably superior to those of any other town in this State. 
 The usual order of things, with respect to morality, seems 
 here to be inverted. In most other States the country is 
 more virtuous than the city. Here, a general, and honor- 
 able, regard to morality, and a general performance of its 
 duties, such as is found in other respectable towns of this 
 country, appears to prevail. Many years have not elapsed 
 since the market, the street, and the wharfs, were little less 
 frequented on the Sabbath, than on other days. Y r ou will 
 remember, that the Sabbath in this State is neither regarded 
 by the laws, nor sanctioned by any general religious ob- 
 servance. We saw a few carts entering the town ; but 
 were informed, that the number had yearly decreased for a 
 considerable time, and that the inhabitants were strongly, as 
 well as generally, opposed to this indecent intrusion." 
 
 The founder of Providence was Roger Williams, a man 
 who figured in the early history of the colony of Massachu- 
 setts, and about whose religious tenets and conduct the most 
 contradictory statements have been made. Injustice has 
 doubtless been done him ; yet, it is not improbable from his 
 excitable and ardent feelings — from his well known courage 
 and firmness, that he might have in his language and con- 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 177 
 
 PROVIDENCE. 
 
 duct given occasion to his contemporaries to feel towards 
 him some unkindness ; yet no apology can be offered for 
 their great severity towards him. His intimate relation to 
 the city about which we are writing, will justify a brief no- 
 tice of the principal events of his life, which we gather from 
 a late Memoir of his life by Professor Knowles. 
 
 The early history of Mr. Williams is traditionary. It is 
 said that even the records of the Church, which he founded 
 at Providence, contain no notice of him earlier than 1675. 
 
 He was born in Wales, probably in 1599. The place of 
 his birth and the character of his parents are not known. 
 From a remark in one of his books, it appears probable that 
 he became pious in early life. " That his parents were in 
 humble life, and that his disposition was pious and thought- 
 ful, may be inferred," says his biographer, " from an inci- 
 dent, which is related concerning him, and which, if true, 
 had a great share in determining his future course. It is 
 said, that the famous lawyer, Sir Edward Coke, observed 
 him one day, during public worship, taking notes of the dis- 
 course. His curiosity was excited, and he requested the 
 boy to show him his notes. Sir Edward was so favorably 
 impressed by the evidences of talent, which these exhibited, 
 that he requested the parents of young Williams to intrust 
 their son to his care. He placed him, as the tradition runs, 
 at the University of Oxford, where he drank deeply at the 
 fountains of learning. His writings testify that his educa- 
 tion was liberal, according to the taste of those times, when 
 logic and the classics formed the chief objects of study at 
 the Universities." 
 
 After leaving Oxford, he commenced the study of law; but 
 rinding theology more agreeable to his taste, he directed his 
 attention to that ; and, at length, received Episcopal orders. 
 For a time, he had charge of a parish in England. 
 
 For the same reasons, which impelled so many of the 
 English clergy to abandon their native land, for the wilds 
 of America, Roger Williams, no doubt, emigrated to the 
 same place of refuge. The time of his emigration was De- 
 cember 1st, 1630, at which time he embarked at Bristol, in 
 the ship Lyon, Capt. William Pierce. His wife accompa- 
 nied him. Governor Winthrop thus records the arrival of 
 this vessel. 
 
 " Feb. 5. The ship Lyon, Mr. William Pierce, master, 
 arrived at Nantasket. She brought Mr. Williams, a godly 
 12 
 
178 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 PROVIDENCE. 
 
 minister, with his wife, Mr. Throgmorton, Perkins, and oth- 
 ers, with their wives and children, about twenty passengers, 
 and about two hundred tons of goods. She set sail from 
 Bristol, December 1st. She had a very tempestuous pas- 
 sage, yet through God's mercy, all her people came safe, 
 except Way, his son, who fell from the spritsail yard in a 
 tempest, and could not be recovered, though he kept in 
 sight near a quarter of an hour; her goods also came all in 
 good condition." 
 
 Shortly after Mr. Williams's arrival he was invited by the 
 Church in Salem to become an assistant to Mr. Sheldon, as 
 teacher in the place of the accomplished Higginson, who 
 had died a few months before. This invitation he accepted, 
 and commenced his ministry in that town. The civil author- 
 ity, however, interfered on the ground that Mr. Williams had 
 refused to join with the congregation at Boston, because 
 they would not make a public declaration of their repent- 
 ance, for having held communion with the Churches of Eng- 
 land, while they lived there; and besides, had declared his 
 opinion, that the magistrate might not punish a breach of 
 the Sabbath, nor any other offence, as it was a breach of the 
 first table ; therefore they marvelled they would choose him 
 without advising with the Council; and withal desiring that 
 they would forbear to proceed till they had conferred about it. 
 
 We are not told precisely in what terms, and to what ex- 
 tent he wished the members of the Boston Church to express 
 their repentance by their conduct. In this requirement, he 
 probably forgot his own principles of liberty of conscience ; 
 but in regard to the other charge, that the civil magistrate 
 has 'no right to control the consciences of men, he was right 
 in point of principle, although perhaps too strong in express- 
 ion. Notwithstanding the interference of the court, the 
 Church at Salem considered it her right to select her own 
 pastor ; and accordingly, Mr. Williams entered upon the du- 
 ties of a minister among them. His situation, however, was 
 rendered unpleasant by the persecution of enemies, in con- 
 sequence of which he was obliged to retire to Plymouth. 
 Here he became an assistant to Mr. Ralph Smith, the pastor 
 of the Church there. After a residence at Plymouth of two 
 years, he returned to Salem, and resumed his labors, as an 
 assistant to Mr. Sheldon ; on the death of this gentleman, 
 which occurred in 1634, Mr. Williams was invited to be- 
 come the teacher of the Church. The magistrates sent a 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 179 
 
 PROVIDENCE. 
 
 request that they would not ordain him ; but the Church 
 persisted, and Mr. Williams was regularly introduced to the 
 office of teacher. 
 
 In 1635, Mr. Williams was summoned to appear before 
 the general court to answer to the following " dangerous 
 opinions" said to be held by him, viz : 1. That the magis- 
 trate ought not to punish the breach of the first table, other- 
 wise than in such cases as did disturb the civil peace. 2. 
 That he ought not to tender an oath to an unregenerate man. 
 3. That a man ought not to pray with such, though wife, 
 child, &,c. 4. That a man ought not to give thanks after 
 sacrament, nor after meat," &c. 
 
 In respect to the first of these charges, Mr. Williams never 
 held it to be wrong for the civil magistrate to punish breaches 
 of the first table, when they disturbed the civil peace, but 
 only that they had no right to force the consciences of men. 
 In respect to the second charge, we are not informed of the 
 precise views of Mr. Williams respecting oaths. It seems 
 probable, however, that he considered an oath to be an act 
 so entirely religious, as to feel that an irreligious man could 
 not sincerely take one. In this he was probably biased by 
 a wrong judgment, as he was also in denying the propriety 
 of uniting in religious worship with the unregenerate. The 
 fourth charge was unworthy the framers of it. 
 
 We cannot enter into this subject with more particularity. 
 Mr. Williams doubtless held opinions, which were at vari- 
 ance with the received opinions of the day, and in respect to 
 some of which he appears not to have exercised a sound 
 judgment ; yet he was far from meriting the severe censures 
 which were passed upon him. Some of those censures his 
 judges deserved themselves ; for in some points in which 
 they condemned Mr. Williams, they deserved condemnation 
 themselves. 
 
 In October, 1635, Mr. Williams was called before the 
 court for the last time. Mr. Hooker was chosen to dispute 
 with him, but not being able to reduce him from any of his 
 errors, the court sentenced him to depart out of their juris- 
 diction, within six weeks, all the ministers, save one, ap- 
 proving the sentence. 
 
 Mr. Williams received permission to remain at Salem till 
 spring ; but because he would not agree not to refrain in his 
 own house, from uttering his opinions, the Court ordered to 
 
180 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 PROVIDENCE. 
 
 send him to England. Accordingly a warrant was sent to him 
 to repair to Boston, to go on board a ship, there ready to sail. 
 But he replied, that he could not come without hazard to his 
 life. Whereupon a pinnace was despatched to apprehend 
 him, and take him on board the ship in Nantasket Bay ; but 
 when the commissioner sent for this purpose came to his 
 house, he found Mr. Williams had gone to some unknown 
 place, three days before. It appears that Gov. Winthrop had 
 privately advised him to leave, as a measure which the pub- 
 lic peace required. 
 
 The departure of Mr. Williams was about the middle of 
 January, 1635-6. It is not certain that any one accompa- 
 nied him, though a number of persons joined him soon after. 
 He proceeded south towards Narragansett Bay. The 
 weather was severe, and his sufferings were great. 
 
 It appears that he visited Ousamequin, sachem of Pokano- 
 ket, who resided at Mount Hope, near the present town of 
 Bristol, R. I. From him he obtained a grant of land, now 
 included in the town of Seekonk, in Massachusetts. This 
 territory was within the limits of the Plymouth colony. Not- 
 withstanding this, with the assistance of friends, he erected 
 a habitation, and here probably hoped to live in peace. In 
 a short time, however, he received a letter from Mr. Wins- 
 low, governor of Plymouth, kindly apprising him of his en- 
 croachment on the territory of Plymouth, and advising him 
 to remove. 
 
 He immediately resolved to comply with the advice. He 
 accordingly embarked in a canoe with five others, and pro- 
 ceeded down the stream. As they approached the little cove, 
 near Tockwotten, now India Point, they were saluted by a 
 company of Indians, with the friendly interrogation, " What 
 cheer," a common English phrase, which they had learned 
 from the colonists. At this spot, they probably went on 
 shore, but they did not long remain there. They passed 
 around India Point and Fox Point, and proceeded up the 
 river on the west side of the peninsula, to a spot near the 
 mouth of the Moshassuck river. Tradition reports, that Mr. 
 Williams landed near a spring, which remains till this day. 
 At this spot, the settlement of Rhode Island commenced : 
 
 " O call it holy ground, 
 
 The soil where first they trod. 
 They have left unstained, what there they found, 
 Freedom to worship God." 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 181 
 
 PROVIDENCE. 
 
 To the town here founded, Mr. Williams, with his habit- 
 ual piety, and in grateful remembrance of God's merciful 
 Providence to him in his distress, gave the name of Provi- 
 dence. 
 
 His removal from Seekonk is fixed by his biographers 
 about the middle of June, 1636. The exact dav is un- 
 known. 
 
 The spot where Mr. Williams and his companions landed 
 was within the jurisdiction of the Narragansett Indians. 
 The Sachems of this tribe were Canonicus, and his nephew 
 Miantonimoh. The former was an old man, and he proba- 
 bly associated with him his young nephew, as better fitted to 
 sustain the toils and cares of royalty. Their residence is 
 said by Gookin to have been about Narragansett Bay, and 
 on the island of Canonicut. 
 
 The first object of Mr. Williams would naturally be, to 
 obtain from the sachems a grant of land for his new colony. 
 He visited them, and received a verbal cession of the terri- 
 tory, which, two years afterwards, was formally conveyed to 
 him by deed.* 
 
 The lands thus ceded to Mr. Williams, he conveyed to 
 twelve men, who accompanied, or soon joined him, reserving 
 for himself an equal part only. ' From these he exacted no 
 remuneration. 
 
 Mrs. Williams and her two children are supposed to have 
 come from Salem to Providence in the summer of 1636, in 
 company with several persons, who wished to join their ex- 
 iled pastor. 
 
 The family of Mr. Williams was now dependent on his ex- 
 
 * It reflects great credit on Canonicus, that he received Mr. Williams 
 with so much cordiality, and treated him, as Mr. Thatcher remarks, with 
 a hospitality worthy of an emperor. " At first, indeed, the savage chief- 
 tain was suspicious of his visiter's motives ; and he was none the more 
 prepossessed in his favor, from his subjects having recently suffered ex- 
 cessively from a formidable epidemic, which he supposed to have been 
 introduced by the English." Mr. Williams has himself given an account 
 of his interview with the chief. u At my first coming among them, 
 Caunounicus (morosus ceque ac barbarus senex) was very sour, and ac- 
 cused the English and myself of sending the plague among them, and 
 threatening to kill him especially." Soon after, however, he not only 
 permitted the refugee and the poor wanderers, who had followed him 
 from Salem, to have a resting place in his domain, but gave them all 
 " the neck of land lying between the mouths of the Pawtucket and 
 Moshassuck rivers, that they might sit down in peace upon it forever." 
 
182 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 PROVIDENCK. 
 
 ertion for support. No supplies could be derived from Mas- 
 sachusetts. The natives were unable to afford much aid. It 
 is probable that Mr. Williams had nearly expended all his 
 funds, in the support of his family during his absence, and 
 in the negotiations with the Indians. Of his poverty, there is 
 evidence, in a touching incident, mentioned in his letter to 
 Major Mason. It is alike honorable to all the parties : " It 
 pleased the Father of Spirits to touch many hearts, dear to 
 him, with many relentings ; amongst which, that great and 
 pious soul, Mr. Winslow, melted, and kindly visited me at 
 Providence, and put a piece of gold into the hands of my 
 wife, for our supply." 
 
 In a deed, which was enrolled January 29, 1667, Mr. 
 Williams says, that he planted, with his own hands, at his 
 first coming, the two Indian fields, Whatcheer and Saxifrax 
 Hill, which he had purchased of the natives. Thus was he 
 forced, as at many other times, to resort to manual labor for 
 his subsistence. In his reply to Mr. Cotton, he says : " It 
 is not unknown to many witnesses, in Plymouth, Salem, and 
 Providence, that the discusser's time hath not been spent 
 (though as much as any others whosoever) altogether in 
 spiritual labors and public exercises of the word ; but day 
 and night, at home and abroad, on the land and the water, at 
 the hoe, at the oar — for bread." But he sustained all his 
 labors and hardships with a patient spirit and with a steadfast 
 adherence to his principles. 
 
 His house was, undoubtedly, erected near the spot where 
 he landed, and a few rods eastward of the celebrated spring. 
 Here the wanderer found a resting place. This was his 
 home for more than forty years. Here he died, and near the 
 site of his dwelling his ashes were deposited. 
 
 It would be an interesting effort of the imagination, to 
 contrast the situation of Providence, at the time of the set- 
 tlement, with the present condition of that beautiful and 
 flourishing town. Where now are busy streets, and ample 
 warehouses, and elegant mansions, and a population of near- 
 ly 23,000 souls, were, at that time, dense forests, and a few 
 scattered Indian families. How astonishing is the change ! 
 Roger Williams himself, with all his vigor of imagination, 
 and his ardent temperament, could not have anticipated the 
 expansion of his little settlement to its present amplitude, 
 beauty, and strength. The glorious vision could not have 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 183 
 
 PROVIDENCE. 
 
 visited his mind ; but he acted under the power of that pro- 
 phetic faith, which assured him of success, in his efforts for 
 the welfare of men. He looked beyond the present, to the 
 bright future, and was confident that his principles, though 
 then misunderstood and rejected, would ultimately triumph. 
 
 In 1643, Mr. Williams was intrusted with an important 
 agency. The settlement at Providence and on Rhode Island 
 had continued to increase for several years. They had 
 hitherto been distinct, but their principles and interests were 
 so similar, that an alliance as one colony became manifestly 
 expedient. The necessity of a charter from the government 
 of England, was apparent, to protect them from the en- 
 croachments of the other colonies, and to give a sanction and 
 authority to their government. A committee was appointed 
 at an Assembly in Newport, September 19, 1642, with in- 
 structions to procure a charter. This committee intrusted 
 the agency to Mr. Williams, who, on behalf of that colony 
 and his own, agreed to visit England, on this important 
 errand. 
 
 He accordingly left his family, and proceeded to Manhat- 
 tan, (New York,) to embark for England. It would have 
 been more convenient and agreeable to sail from Boston, but 
 Mr. Williams was not permitted to enter the territories of 
 Massachusetts, notwithstanding the good service which he 
 had performed for them in their hour of need. 
 
 In 1644, he returned to America, having accomplished 
 the object of his mission. His return to Providence was 
 greeted by a voluntary expression of the attachment and 
 gratitude of its inhabitants, which is one of the most satis- 
 factory testimonies to his character. They met him at 
 Seekonk, with fourteen canoes, and carried him across the 
 river to Providence. This simple act of respect must have 
 been highly grateful to his feelings. It does equal honor to 
 him, and to his fellow citizens, who thus showed themselves 
 capable of estimating, in a manner worthy of freemen, the 
 services of a friend and public benefactor. 
 
 We may suppose that Mr. Williams, after his return, im- 
 mediately endeavored to carry into operation the charter, 
 which he had procured with so much labor and expense 
 But it was a work which required time, to bring the inhabit- 
 ants of the several settlements at Providence, Newport, 
 Portsmouth, and Warwick, to agree on a form of govern- 
 
184 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 PROVIDENCE. 
 
 ment, and unite as one colony. The charter prescribed no 
 form of civil polity, and it was accordingly necessary to 
 manage the negotiations between the towns with much deli- 
 cacy and skill. 
 
 Our limits forbid us to notice the incidents of Mr. Wil- 
 liams's life from the above date to the year 1676, excepting 
 to mention that in 1654, he was chosen president of the col- 
 ony, which office he held till 1657. 
 
 1676 was memorable in New England for king Philip's 
 war, so called. It spread over the whole of this territory, 
 and threatened for a while the destruction of the colonies. 
 
 Many of the inhabitants of Providence and of other 
 towns, removed to Newport fnr safety ; but a considerable 
 number remained, among whom was Mr. Williams, though it 
 seems his wife and family removed to the Island. 
 
 Mr. Williams was very active, notwithstanding his age. 
 He accepted a military commission, and the title " Captain 
 Roger Williams" appears on the records. It certainly dis- 
 played spirit and patriotism in a man of seventy-seven years, 
 to buckle on his armor for the defence of his home and his 
 fellow citizens. He sent the following proposition to the 
 town : " I pray the town, in the sense of the late bloody 
 practices of the natives, to give leave to so many as can 
 agree with William Field, to bestow some charge upon for- 
 tifying his house, for security to women and children. Also 
 to give me leave, and so many as shall agree, to put up some 
 defence on the hill, between the mill and the highway, for 
 the like safety of the women and children in that part of the 
 town." This proposal was signed by eleven persons, who 
 subscribed various sums, to defray the expense. The high- 
 est subscription was two pounds six shillings, except that of 
 Mr. Williams, which was ten pounds, though we may pre- 
 sume he was not the richest man among them. 
 
 A garrison was established at Providence by the General 
 Assembly, with seven men, under the command of Captain 
 Arthur Fenner, with a provision, however, that it should 
 " not eclipse Captain Williams's power in the exercise of the 
 trainbands there." 
 
 The town was attacked by the Indians, on the 29th of 
 March, 1676, and twenty-nine houses were burnt, among 
 which was that in which the records of the town were kept. 
 These were thrown into the mill pond, and afterwards re- 
 covered, though much injured. 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 185 
 
 PROVIDENCE. 
 
 It is said that when the Indians approached Providence, 
 Mr. Williams took his staff, and went out to meet them on 
 the heights north of the cove. He remonstrated with the 
 sachems, and Warned them of the power and vengeance of 
 the English. " Massachusetts," said he, " can raise thousands 
 of men at this moment, and if you kill them, the king of 
 England will supply their place as fast as they fall." " Well," 
 answered one of the chieftains, " let them come. We are 
 ready for them. But as for you, brother Williams, you are 
 a good man. You have been kind to us many years. Not 
 a hair of your head shall be touched." 
 
 Mr. Williams lived to his 84th year, but of the immediate 
 cause of his death, or the exact time of this event, we are 
 not informed. 
 
 In regard to his family, little is now known. His wife is 
 supposed to have survived him, but when and where she died, 
 we do not know. It is nearly certain that he left no will, 
 and had but little property to bequeath. He had six children. 
 Joseph, the last, lived for several years, on a farm in Crans- 
 ton, three or four miles from Providence, where he died, 
 August 17th, 1724, in the eighty-first year of his age, and 
 was buried in the family burying ground, on the farm, where 
 his grave-stone now stands, with this inscription : 
 
 " Here lies the body of Joseph Williams, Esq., son of 
 Roger Williams, Esq., who was the first white man that came 
 to Providence. He was born 1644. He died August 17th, 
 1724, in the eighty-first year of his age : 
 
 In king Philip's war, he courageously went through, 
 And the native Indians he bravely did subdue, 
 And now he's gone down to the grave, and he will be no more, 
 Until it please Almighty God his body to restore, 
 Into some proper shape, as he think fit to be, 
 Perhaps like a grain of wheat, as Paul sets forth you see. 
 {Corinthians, 1st book, 15th chapter, 37th verse.) " 
 
 His biographer, Professor Knowles,* to whom the author 
 is indebted for the foregoing facts, gives the following sum- 
 mary of Mr. Williams's character. " His mental faculties 
 were of a high order. His mind was strong, original, and 
 
 * Memoir of Roger Williams, &c. by James D. Knowles. 
 
186 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 PROVIDENCE. 
 
 independent. The clearness with which he discerned the 
 true principles of religious liberty, and the steadiness with 
 which he maintained them, in opposition to the general 
 theory and practice of that age, show a superior intellect. 
 Few men are far in advance of their cotemporaries ; and this 
 is a wise arrangement of Providence, for such men are not 
 so immediately useful, as many others of inferior powers. 
 They are not understood — they offend the prejudices, and 
 wound the self-love of men. Their influence is of the nature 
 of prophecy. They plant principles, which are of slow 
 growth, but which will eventually produce rich fruit. Such 
 individuals must be content to live for posterity. They must 
 be steadfast in upholding the truth, though amid ingratitude 
 and opposition, cheered by the bright prospect of future 
 triumph. 
 
 " Mr. Williams was of this class of men, and his .station 
 in that class is a proof of the elevation and vigor of his 
 mind. 
 
 " It is an evidence, also, of superior moral qualities. It 
 requires a spirit of self-sacrifice, a pure love of truth, a 
 benevolent zeal for the welfare of mankind, an elevation 
 above selfish ends. All these traits of character Mr. Williams 
 possessed. He was sincerely pious. Love to God dwelt 
 habitually in his soul, and controlled his feelings and his ac- 
 tions. In his books and letters, every topic takes a hue from 
 his piety. His magnanimous forgiveness of injuries, his 
 zeal for the welfare of all who sought his aid, his. untiring 
 benevolence towards the hapless savages, his patriotic and 
 self-denying toil for the prosperity of his colony, all show 
 the efficacy and fervor of those religious principles which 
 governed him. Mr. Callender said of him, ' Mr. Williams 
 appears, by the whole course and tenor of his life and con- 
 duct here, to have been one of the most disinterested men 
 that ever lived, a most pious and heavenly minded soul.' Dr. 
 Bentley says, ' In Salem every body loved Mr. Williams. 
 He had no personal enemies, under any pretence. All 
 valued his friendship. Kind treatment could. win him, but 
 opposition could not conquer him. He was not afraid to 
 stand alone for truth against the world, and he had address 
 enough with his firmness, never to be forsaken by the friends 
 he had ever gained. He had always a tenderness of con- 
 science, and feared every offence against moral truth. He 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 187 
 
 PROVIDENCE. 
 
 breathed the purest devotion. He was a friend of human 
 nature, forgiving, upright, and pious. He understood the 
 Indians better than any man of his age. He made not so 
 many converts, but he made more sincere friends.' 
 
 11 His religious principles were those of Calvin. His 
 views of the ordinances of the Gospel were, undoubtedly, 
 after his baptism, those now held by the Baptists. But he did 
 not acknowledge himself as belonging to any denomination; 
 because he believed, that there are now neither true churches, 
 nor persons authorized to administer the ordinances. 
 
 " His political principles were decidedly in favor of the 
 rights of the people. He not only displayed them in the 
 civil constitution ofhis colony, but he repeatedly stated them 
 in his books. Such passages as the following contain his 
 political creed : 
 
 " ' Kings and magistrates must be considered invested with 
 no more power than the people betrust them with.' ' The 
 sovereign power of all civil authority is founded in the con- 
 sent of the people.' 
 
 " The faults of Mr. Williams sprung, in part, from the 
 imperfection of human nature, and in part from his temper- 
 ament, and the constitution of his mind. He was ardent, 
 and his imagination was the most active of his intellectual 
 faculties. He sometimes adopted opinions, rather by a sud- 
 den bound of the imagination, than by a regular process of 
 reasoning. His ardor, and his conscientiousness and fearless 
 love of truth, impelled him to act on his opinions with a 
 degree of energy and firmness which exposed him to the 
 charge of obstinacy. Such a man will occasionally fall into 
 error, and into rapid transitions, which give to his conduct the 
 appearance of inconsistency. This was the case with Mr. 
 Williams, in some ofhis actions, but the inconsistency never 
 affected his great principles. These he never abandoned for 
 a moment. His course was steadily onward, like that of a 
 planet, though disturbing causes occasionally produced slight 
 eccentricities. 
 
 " In his domestic relations, he seems to have been amiable 
 and happy. His expressions of attachment to his family 
 prove the strength of his conjugal and paternal affection. 
 His children grew up to maturity. A numerous posterity 
 have arisen to bless his memory, and to feel pleasure in the 
 contemplation of his character and the diffusion of his fame. 
 
188 
 
 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 PROVIDENCE. 
 
 " He is dead, but his principles survive, and are destined 
 to spread over the earth. The State which he founded is 
 his monument. Her sons, when asked for a record of Roger 
 Williams, may point to her history, unstained by a single act 
 of persecution ; to her prosperity, her perfect freedom, her 
 tranquil happiness ; and may reply, in the spirit of the epi- 
 taph on the tomb of Sir Christopher Wren, in St. Paul's 
 Cathedral, * Look around,' — 
 
 ' Si monumentum quseris, circumspice.' " 
 
NEW YORK 
 
 NEW YORK. 
 
 Before proceeding to a description of New York, the 
 present commercial capital of the United States, we have 
 divers historical matters, with which to entertain our fellow 
 travellers, touching the discovery of the place, and the early 
 settlement of the city, with sketches of the manners and 
 customs of the primitive settlers. 
 
 " The first European feet that ever trod on any part of 
 the territory, now included within the State of New York, 
 were probably," says Dr. Miller,* " Verrazzano, and his 
 crew, who appear to have visited the harbor of New York, 
 in 1524. The description which this navigator gives of a 
 harbor into which he put — of the islands which he saw in 
 it — of the river which he ascended, corresponds with the 
 harbor of New York, the islands Staten and Manhatten, 
 and the river, afterwards called the Hudson. Dr. Belknap 
 says the harbor which Verrazzano entered, " by his descrip- 
 tion, must be that of New York." Others have considered 
 the whole account as agreeing with the harbor of Newport, 
 in Rhode Island. f The weight of authority, however, lies 
 
 * Miller's Historical Discourse, 1809. 
 t That noted historian, Diedrich Knickerbocker, has decided that Ver- 
 razzano never made the above discovery, for the following potent rea- 
 sons : 1st. M Because, on strict examination, it will be found," says he, 
 " that the description given by him applies as well to the bay of New 
 York as it does to my nightcap." 2d. " Because he was a Florentine, 
 and the Florentines having filched away the laurels from the brows of 
 the immortal Columbus, and bestowed them on their officious townsman, 
 Amerigo Vespuci, they may be suspected of an attempt to rob the illus- 
 trious Hudson of the credit of his discovery." 3d. " I award," says he, 
 " my decision in favor of the pretensions of Hendrick Hudson, inas- 
 much as his expedition sailed from Holland — being truly and absolutely 
 a Dutch enterprise," — and as if in truth, like the Squire of the knight of 
 La Mancha, he would " heap proof upon the shoulders of demonstra- 
 tion," he adds — " though all the proofs in the world were introduced on 
 the other side, I would set them at nought, as undeserving my atten- 
 tion." — " Thus, therefore" he concludes, " the title of Hendrick Hud- 
 son to his renowned discovery is fully vindicated." 
 
192 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 NEW YORK. 
 
 in favor of the former opinion. If so, the merit of the dis- 
 covery is due to Verrazzano, and the date of that discovery 
 is the spring of 1524. This navigator was a Florentine, in 
 the service of Francis I. of France. At this time he was 
 on a voyage of discovery. He first made the American 
 coast, near Wilmington, North Carolina. From this point, 
 he sailed south as far as Georgia, after which he directed his 
 course north, and entered, as we have stated, the harbor of 
 New York. 
 
 In this harbor, according to his own account, he staid 
 about fifteen days. He and his men frequently went on 
 shore to obtain supplies, and to see the country. He says 
 expressly : " Sometimes our men stayed two or three daies 
 on a little island neere the ship for divers necessaries." And 
 again, " we were oftentimes within the land five or six 
 leagues, which we found as pleasant as is possible to declare, 
 very apt for any kind of husbandry, of corne, wine, and 
 oyle. We entered afterwards into the woods, which we 
 found so great and thicke, that any army, were it never so 
 great, might have hid itselfe therein ; the trees whereof are 
 okes, cipresse trees, and other sortes unknovven in Europe." 
 
 Verrazzano returned to France in July. He gave to the 
 whole country, whose coast he had explored, the name of 
 New France. It is distressing to add, that in a subsequent 
 voyage, according to some authorities, Verrazzano was cut 
 to pieces by the savages, who murdered him and others, who 
 had gone ashore, in the sight of those who remained on 
 board the ship, the latter being unable to rescue them. 
 
 From this time nearly a century elapsed before the least 
 addition was made to the knowledge of this part of the 
 American Continent. 
 
 In 1609, however, Henry Hudson arrived on the Ameri- 
 can coast. Hudson was an Englishman. He had in years 
 previous, under the patronage of some English merchants, 
 made two voyages, with the hope of discovering a passage to 
 India by the north ; but failing in his object, he had return- 
 ed to England. Thence he proceeded to Holland, and en- 
 gaged in the service of the Dutch East India Company. By 
 the latter he was furnished with a small ship, called the Half- 
 Moon, manned by twenty men, and with which he left Am- 
 sterdam on the 4th, and the Texel on the 6th, of April, 
 1609. 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 193 
 
 NEW YORK. 
 
 An account of the voyage of Verrazzano had been pub- 
 lished nine years before this of Hudson ; but there is no evi- 
 dence of his having seen it. Hence he is entitled to the 
 merit of an original discoverer. He appears to have first 
 landed where Portland (Maine) now stands, and to have re- 
 mained on shore six days. Thence pursuing a southerly 
 course, he reached Chesapeake Bay, whence he again coast- 
 ed northward, and on the 3d of Sept. anchored within Sandy 
 Hook. 
 
 " The next day, the 4th of September, he sent a boat on 
 shore for the purpose of fishing. The tradition is, that his 
 men first landed on Coney island, which lies near to Long 
 Island, and now makes a part of King's County. On the 
 same day, the natives came on board of his ship, as she lay 
 at anchor, conducting themselves with great apparent friend- 
 liness, and discovering a strong disposition to barter the 
 produce of their country for knives, beads, clothes, and other 
 articles of a similar kind. The next day, the 5th of Sep- 
 tember, Hudson again sent his boat on shore, for the pur- 
 pose, as appears from the journal, of exploring and sound- 
 ing the waters lying to the south, within Sandy Hook, and 
 forming what is now called the Horse-Shoe. Here the boat's 
 crew landed, and penetrated some distance into the woods, 
 in what is now Monmouth county, in New Jersey. They 
 were well received by the natives, who presented them very 
 kindly with, what the journal calls, " green tobacco," and 
 also with " dried courants,"* which are represented as hav- 
 ing been found in great plenty and of a very excellent quality. 
 
 "On the 6th of September, Hudson sent a boat, manned 
 with five hands, to explore what appeared to be the mouth 
 of the river, at the distance of about four leagues from the 
 ship. This was no doubt the strait between Long and 
 Statcn islands, generally called the Narroics. Here the 
 writer of the journal observes, " a good depth of water was 
 found," and, within, a large opening and a narrow river to 
 the west, in which it is evident he refers to what is now call- 
 ed the Kills, or the channels between Bergen Neck, and 
 Statcn island. In exploring the bay, and the adjacent wa- 
 ters, the boat's crew spent the whole day. Ort their way, in 
 returning to the ship, towards night, they were attacked by 
 
 * These were probably whortleberries, or some other wild berries, of 
 a similar kind, which the Indians were accustomed to dry. 
 13 
 
194 
 
 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 NEW YORK. 
 
 the natives in two canoes; the one carrying fourteen men, 
 the other twelve. A skirmish ensued, in which one of Hud- 
 son's men, named John Colman, was killed, by an arrow, 
 which struck him in the throat, and two more wounded. — 
 The next day, the remains of Colman was interred on a point 
 of land not far from the ship, which from that circumstance 
 received the name of Colman' s Point ; and which was prob- 
 ably the same that is now called Sandy Hooky* 
 
 On the 11th of September, Hudson entered the river, 
 which bears his name, from which time to the 22d, he con- 
 tinued to ascend it. The ship reached a point somewhat 
 above where the city of Hudson now stands. From this 
 place, Hudson despatched a boat, which ascended as far as 
 the present site of Albany. On the 23d, he began to de- 
 scend the river, and on the 4th of October, he left it, and 
 immediately stood out to sea, proceeding directly for Eu- 
 rope, where he arrived on the 7th of November following. — 
 Like his predecessor Verrazzano, he also came to a misera- 
 ble end. During a subsequent voyage, commenced in 1610, 
 a spirit of mutiny appeared among his crew, a majority of 
 whom took the command of the ship from Hudson, whom, 
 with his son, and seven others, they put into a boat, and 
 abandoned them to their fate. No further tidings were ever 
 heard of them. 
 
 By virtue of this discovery, both the Dutch and English 
 gave the name of Hudson to the river. As a place of set- 
 tlement, the former were soon attracted to the territory. — 
 Owing, it is said, to the hostility of the Indians near the 
 mouth of the river, a fort and trading house were first erect- 
 ed, 1614, near the spot where Albany now stands. To- 
 wards the close of the same year, or in the course of the 
 next, a small trading house and fort were erected on Man- 
 hattani island, and called New Amsterdam. This was the 
 commencement of the city of New York. 
 
 The city, as well as the State of New York, continued in 
 possession of the Dutch, with the exception of a few years, 
 until the peace of 1664, when it came under the British do- 
 minion. During the period the Dutch possessed it, the style 
 of architecture, dress, manners, customs, — all were of course 
 
 * Miller's Historical Discourse, 1809. 
 
 t This was the Indian name of the island. 
 
196 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 NEW YORK. 
 
 Dutch. The following amusing notices of some of these 
 subjects are given us by that amusing chronicler of the "old- 
 en time," Diedrich Knickerbocker : 
 
 " The houses of the higher classes," says he, " were gen- 
 erally constructed of wood, excepting the gable end, which 
 was of small black and yellow Dutch bricks, and always 
 faced on the street, as our ancestors, like their descendants, 
 were very muclrgiven.ta outward show, and were noted for 
 putting the best leg foremost. The house was always fur- 
 nished with abundance of large doors, and small windows on 
 every floor: the date of its erection was curiously designated 
 by iron figures on the front, and on the top of the roof was 
 perched a fierce little weathercock, to let the family into the 
 important secret, which way the wind blew. These, like 
 the weathercocks on the tops of our steeples, pointed so ma- 
 ny different ways, that every man could have a wind to his 
 mind ; — the most staunch and loyal citizens, however, always 
 went according to the weathercock on the top of the Gov- 
 ernor's house, which was certainly the most correct, as he 
 had a trusty servant employed every morning to climb up 
 and set it to the right quarter. 
 
 " In those good days of simplicity and sunshine, a pas- 
 sion for cleanliness was the leading principle in domestic 
 economy, and the universal test of an able housewife — a 
 character which formed the utmost ambition of our unen- 
 lightened grandmothers. The front door was never opened 
 except on marriages, funerals, new-year's days, the festival 
 of St. Nicholas, or some such great occasion. It was orna- 
 mented with a gorgeous brass knocker, curiously wrought, 
 sometimes in the device of a dog, and sometimes of a lion's 
 head, and was daily burnished with such religious zeal, that 
 it was oft-times worn out by the very precautions taken for 
 its preservation. The whole house was constantly in a state 
 of inundation, under the discipline of mops and brooms and 
 scrubbing-brushes ; and the good housewives of those days 
 were a kind of amphibious animal, delighting exceedingly to 
 be dabbling in water — insomuch that an historian of the day 
 gravely tells us, that many of his townswomen grew to have 
 webbed fingers like unto a duck ; and some of them, he had 
 little doubt, could the matter be examined into, would be 
 found to have the tails of mermaids — but this I look upon to 
 be a mere sport of fancy, or, what is worse, a wilful mis- 
 representation. 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 197 
 
 NEW YORK. 
 
 " The grand parlor was the sanctum sanctorum, where 
 the passion for cleaning was indulged without control. In 
 this sacred apartment, no one was permitted to enter, ex- 
 cepting the mistress and her confidential maid, who visited 
 it once a week, for the purpose of giving it a thorough clean- 
 ing and putting things to rights — always taking the precau- 
 tion of leaving their shoes at the door, and entering devoutly 
 on their feet. After scrubbing the fjoor, sprinkling it with 
 fine white sand, which was curiously stroked into angles, and 
 curves, and rhomboids, with a broom — after washing the 
 windows, rubbing and polishing the furniture, and putting a 
 new bunch of evergreens in the fireplace — the window-shut- 
 ters were again closed to keep out the flies, and the room 
 carefully locked up, until the revolution of time brought 
 round the weekly cleaning day. 
 
 " As to the family, they always entered in at the gate, and 
 most generally lived in the kitchen. To have seen a numer- 
 ous household assembled around the fire, one would have 
 imagined that he was transported back to those happy days 
 of primeval simplicity, which float before our imagination 
 like golden visions. The fire-places were of a truly patri- 
 archal magnitude, where the whole family, old and young, 
 master and servant, black and white, nay, even the cat and 
 dog, enjoyed a community of privilege, and had each a right 
 to a corner. Here the old burgher would sit in perfect si- 
 lence, puffing his pipe, looking in the fire with half-shut eyes, 
 and thinking of nothing for hours together ; the goede vrouw 
 on the opposite side would employ herself diligently in spin- 
 ning yarn or knitting stockings. The young folks would 
 crowd round the hearth, listening with breathless attention 
 to some old crone of a negro, who was the oracle of the 
 family, and who, perched like a raven in a corner of the 
 chimney, would croak forth for a long winter afternoon a 
 string of incredible stories about New England witches — 
 grisly ghosts, horses without heads — and hairbreadth es- 
 capes, and bloody encounters among the Indians. 
 
 " In those happy days a well regulated family always rose 
 with the dawn, dined at eleven, and went to bed at sundown. 
 Dinner was invariably a private meal, and the fat old burgh- 
 ers showed incontestible symptoms of disapprobation and un- 
 easiness at being surprised by a visit from a neighbor on such 
 occasions. But though our worthy ancestors were thus sin- 
 gularly averse to giving dinners, yet they kept up the social 
 
198 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 NEW YORK. 
 
 bands of intimacy by occasional banquetings, called tea- 
 parties. 
 
 " These fashionable parties were generally confined to 
 the higher classes, or noblesse, that is to say, such as kept 
 their own cows, and drove their own wagons. The com- 
 pany commonly assembled at three o'clock, and went away 
 about six, unless it was in winter time, when the fashionable 
 hours were a little earlier, that the ladies might get home 
 before dark. The tea-table was crowned with a huge earth- 
 en dish, well stored with slices of fat pork, fried brown, cut 
 up into morsels, and swimming in gravy. The company 
 being seated around the genial board, and each furnished 
 with a fork, evinced their dexterity in launching at the fat- 
 test pieces in this mighty dish — in much the same manner 
 as sailors harpoon porpoises at sea, or our Indians spear sal- 
 mon in the lakes. Sometimes the table was graced with 
 immense apple-pies, or saucers full of preserved peaches and 
 pears ; but it was always sure to boast of an enormous dish 
 of balls of sweetened dough, fried in hog's fat, and called 
 doughnuts, or oly keoks — a delicious kind of cake, at pres- 
 ent scarce known in the city, excepting in genuine Dutch 
 families. 
 
 " The tea was served out of a majestic delf teapot, orna- 
 mented with paintings of fat little Dutch shepherds and 
 shepherdesses tending pigs — with boats sailing in the air, 
 and houses built in the clouds, and sundry other ingenious 
 Dutch fantasies. The beaux distinguished themselves by 
 their adroitness in replenishing this pot from a huge copper 
 tea-kettle, which would have made the pigmy macaronies of 
 these degenerate days sweat merely to look at it. To sweet- 
 en the beverage, a lump of sugar was laid beside each cup 
 — and the company alternately nibbled and sipped with great 
 decorum, until an improvement was introduced by a shrewd 
 and economical old lady, which was to suspend a large lump 
 directly over the tea-table, by a string from the ceiling, so 
 that it could be swung from mouth to mouth — an ingenious 
 expedient, which is still kept up by some families in Albany ; 
 but which prevails without exception in Communipiaw, Ber- 
 gen, Flat Bush, and all our uncontaminated Dutch villages. 
 
 " At these primitive tea-parties the utmost propriety and 
 dignity of deportment prevailed. No flirting nor coquet- 
 ting — no gambling of old ladies, nor hoyden chattering and 
 romping of younger ones — no self-satisfied struttings of 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 199 
 
 NEW YORK. 
 
 wealthy gentlemen, with their brains in their pockets — nor 
 amusing conceits, and monkey Mivertisements of smart 
 young gentlemen with no brains at all. On the contrary, 
 the young ladies seated themselves demurely in their rush- 
 bottomed chairs, and knit their own woollen stockings ; nor 
 ever opened their lips, excepting to say, yah Mynher, or yah 
 ya Vronw, to any question that was asked them ; behaving, 
 in all things, like decent, well educated damsels. As to the 
 gentlemen, each of them tranquilly smoked his pipe, and 
 seemed lost in contemplation of the blue and white tiles 
 with which the fire-places were decorated ; wherein sundry 
 passages of Scripture were piously portrayed — Tobit and his 
 dog figured to great advantage ; Haman swung conspicuous- 
 ly on his gibbet, and Jonah appeared most manfully bound- 
 ing out of a whale, like Harlequin through a barrel of fire. 
 
 " The parties broke up without noise and without confu- 
 sion. They were carried home by their own carriages, that 
 is to say, by the vehicles nature had provided them, except- 
 ing such of the wealthy as could afford to keep a wagon. — 
 The gentlemen gallantly attended their fair ones to their res- 
 pective abodes, and took leave of them with a hearty smack 
 at the door : which, as it was an established piece of eti- 
 quette, done in perfect simplicity and honesty of heart, occa- 
 sioned no scandal at that time, nor should it at present — if 
 our great-grandfathers approved of the custom, it would ar- 
 gue a great want of reverence in their descendants to say a 
 word against it."* 
 
 Another writer, who has also garnered up a merry mass of 
 facts in relation to the manners and customs of the Dutch in 
 the " olden time," gives us the following description. 
 
 " The Dutch kept five festivals of peculiar notoriety, in 
 the year : Kerstydt, (Christmas) ; Nieuwjar, (New Year) ; 
 a great day of cake, Paas, (the Passover) ; Pinxter, (i. e. 
 Whitsuntide) ; and San Claas, (i. e. Saint Nicholas, or 
 Christ-kinkle day). The negroes on Long Island on some 
 of those days came in great crowds to Brooklyn and held 
 their field frolics." Nieuwjar or New Year's day is still ob- 
 served with much good feeling and hospitality both at New 
 York and Albany ; especially among the descendants of the 
 primitive stock. 
 
 " It was the general practice of families in middle life to 
 
 * History of New York, by Diedrich Knickerbocker. 
 
200 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 NEW YORK. 
 
 spin, and make much of their domestic wear at home. — 
 Short gowns and petticoats were the general in-door 
 dresses. 
 
 " Young women who dressed gay to go abroad to visit, or 
 to church, never failed to take off that dress and put on their 
 homemade, as soon as they got home ; even on Sunday even- 
 ings, when they expected company, or even their beaux, it 
 was their best recommendation to seem thus frugal and 
 ready for any domestic avocation. The boys and young 
 men of a family always changed their dress for a common 
 dress in the same way. There was no custom of offering 
 drink to their guests ; when punch was offered, it was in 
 great bowls. 
 
 " Dutch dances were very common; the supper on such 
 occasions was hot chocolate and bread. 
 
 " The negroes used to dance in the markets, using torn- 
 tons, horns, &c. for music. 
 
 " None of the stores or tradesmen's shops then aimed at 
 any rivalry as now. There were no glaring allurements at 
 windows, no over-reaching signs, no big bulk windows; they 
 were content to sell things at honest profits, and to trust to 
 an earned reputation for their share of business. 
 
 " Many aged persons have spoken to me of the former 
 delightful practice of families sitting out on their ' stoops' 
 in the shades of the evening, and their saluting the passing 
 friends, or talking across the narrow streets with neighbors. 
 It was one of the grand links of union in the Knickerbocker 
 social compact. It endeared, and made social neighbors ; 
 made intercourse on easy terms; it was only to say, come, 
 sit down. It helped the young to easy introductions, and 
 made courtships of readier attainment. 
 
 " I give some facts to illustrate the above remarks, de- 
 duced from the family B with which I am personally 
 
 acquainted. It shows primitive Dutch manners. His grand- 
 father died at the age of sixty-three, in 1782, holding the 
 office of alderman eleven years, and once chosen mayor and 
 declined. Such a man, in easy circumstances in life, fol- 
 lowing the true Dutch ton, had all his family to breakfast, all 
 the year round, at daylight. Before the breakfast he univer- 
 sally smoked his pipe. His family always dined at twelve 
 exactly, at that time the kettle was invariably set on the fire 
 for tea, of Bohea, which was always as punctually furnished 
 at three o'clock. Then the old people went abroad on pur- 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 201 
 
 NEW YORK. 
 
 pose to visit relatives, changing the families each night in 
 succession, over and over again all the year round. The 
 regale at every such house was expected as matter of course 
 to be chocolate supper, and soft waffles. 
 
 " Afterwards, when green tea came in as a new luxury, 
 loaf sugar also came with it; this was broken in large lumps 
 and laid severally by each cup, and was nibbled or bitten as 
 needed ! 
 
 " The family before referred to actually continued the 
 practice till as late as seventeen years ago, with a steady de- 
 termination in the patriarch to resist the modern innovation 
 of dissolved sugar, while he lived. 
 
 " While they occupied the stoops in the evening, you 
 could see every here and there an old Knickerbocker with 
 his long pipe, fuming away his cares, and ready on any oc- 
 casion to offer another for the use of any passing friend who 
 would sit down and join him. The ideal picture has every 
 lineament of contented comfort and cheerful repose. Some- 
 thing much more composed and happy than the bustling 
 anxiety of ' over business' in the moderns. 
 
 " The cleanliness of Dutch housewifery was always ex- 
 treme ; every thing had to submit to scrubbing and scouring ; 
 dirt in no form could be endured by them : and dear as water 
 was in the city, where it was generally sold, still it was in per- 
 petual requisition. It was their honest pride to see a well 
 furnished dresser, showing copper and pewter in shining 
 splendor, as if for ornament, rather than for use. 
 
 " It was common in families then to cleanse their own 
 chimneys without the aid of hired sweeps ; and all trades- 
 men, &c. were accustomed to saw their own fuel. No man 
 in middle circumstances of life ever scrupled to carry home 
 his one cwt. of meal from the market ; it would have been 
 his shame to have avoided it."* 
 
 In respect to the apparel of those days, the author above 
 cited observes : " Men wore three-square or cocked hats, 
 and wigs; coats with large cuffs, big skirts lined and stiffen- 
 ed with buckram. None ever saw a crown higher than the 
 head. The coat of a beau had three or four large plaits in 
 the skirts, wadding almost like a coverlet to keep them 
 smooth ; cuffs very large, up to the elbows, open below and 
 inclined down, with lead therein ; the capes were thin and 
 
 * Watson's Historic Tales of olden time. 
 
202 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 NEW YORK. 
 
 low, so as readily to expose the close plaited neck-stock of 
 fine linen cambric, and the large silver stock-buckle on the 
 back of the neck ; shirts with hand ruffles, sleeves finely 
 plaited, breeches close fitted, with silver, stone, or paste gem 
 buckles ; shoes or pumps with silver buckles of various sizes 
 and patterns ; thread, worsted, and silk stockings ; the poorer 
 class wore sheep and buckskin breeches close set to the 
 limbs. Gold and silver sleeve buttons, set with stones or 
 paste of various colors and kinds, adorned the wrists of the 
 shirts of all classes. The very boys often wore wigs ; and 
 their dresses in general were similar to those of the men. 
 
 " The women wore caps, (a bare head was never seen,) 
 stiff stays, hoops from six inches to two feet on each side ; 
 high heeled shoes of black stuff, with white silk or thread 
 stockings ; and in the miry times of the winter they wore 
 clogs, gala shoes, or patterns. 
 
 " As soon as wigs were abandoned, and the natural hair 
 was cherished, it became the mode to dress it by plaiting it, 
 by queuing and clubbing, or by wearing it in a black silk 
 sack or bag, adorned with a large black rose. 
 
 " In time, the powder with which wigs and the natural 
 hair had been severally adorned, was run into disrepute 
 (about 28 or 30 years ago) by the then strange innovation of 
 ' Brutus heads ; ' not only then discarding the long cherished 
 powder and perfume, and tortured frizzle-work, but also lit- 
 erally becoming ' round heads ' by cropping off all the pen- 
 dent graces of ties, bobs, clubs, queus, &c. The hardy 
 beaux who first encountered public opinion by appearing 
 abroad unpowdered and cropt, had many starers. The old 
 men, for a time, obstinately persisted in adherence to the old 
 regime ; but death thinned their ranks, and use and preva- 
 lence of numbers at length gave countenance to modern 
 usage. 
 
 " From various reminiscents, we glean that laced ruffles 
 depending over the hand, was a mark of indispensable gen- 
 tility. The coat and breeches were generally desirable of 
 the same material — of ' broadcloth ' for winter, and of silk 
 camlet for summer. No kind of cotton fabrics were then 
 in use, or known. Hose were, therefore, of thread or silk 
 in summer, and fine worsted in winter ; shoes were square- 
 toed, and were often ' double channelled.' To these suc- 
 ceeded sharp toes, as piked as possible. A When wigs were 
 universally worn, grey wigs were powdered ; and for that 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 203 
 
 NEW YORK. 
 
 purpose sent in a wooden box frequently to the barber to 
 be dressed on his blockhead. But ' brown wigs,' so called, 
 were exempted from the white disguise. Coats of red 
 cloth, even by boys, were considerably worn ; and plush 
 breeches, and plush vests of various colors, shining and 
 smooth, were in common use. Everlasting, made of worsted, 
 was a fabric of great use for breeches, and sometimes for 
 vests. The vest had great depending pocket flaps, and the 
 breeches were short above 'the stride, because the art, since 
 devised, of suspending them by suspenders, was then un- 
 known. It was then the test and even the pride of a well- 
 formed man, that he could by his natural form readily keep 
 his breeches above his hips, and his stockings, without 
 gartering, above the calf of his leg. With the queus be- 
 longed frizzled side-locks and tout pies, formed of the 
 natural hair, or, in defect of a long tie, a splice was added to 
 it. Such was the general passion for the longest possible 
 whip of hair, that sailors and boatmen, to make it grow 
 most, used to tie theirs in eel skins. Nothing like sur- 
 touts were known ; but they had coating or cloth great- 
 coats, or blue cloth and brown camlet cloaks, with green 
 baize lining to the latter. In the time of the American 
 war, many of the American officers introduced the use of 
 Dutch blankets for great-coats. The sailors used to wear 
 hats of glazed leather, or woollen thrums, called chapeaus; 
 and their ' small clothes,' as we now call them, were im- 
 mensely wide *■ petticoat-breeches.' The working men in 
 the country wore the same form, having no falling-flaps, 
 but slits in front ; and they were so full in girth, that they 
 ordinarily changed the rear to the front, when the seat be- 
 came prematurely worn out. At the same time numerous 
 working men and boys, and all tradesmen, wore leather 
 breeches and leather aprons. 
 
 " Some of the peculiarities of the female dress were 
 these, to wit : Ancient ladies are still alive, who often had 
 their hair tortured for hours at a sitting, in getting up for 
 a dress occasion, the proper crisped curls of a hair curler. 
 This formidable outfit of head-work was next succeeded 
 by ' rollers,' over which the hair was combed above the 
 forehead. These were again superseded by 'cushions' 
 and artificial curled work, which could be sent to the bar- 
 ber's block, like a wig, ' to be dressed,' leaving the lady at 
 home to pursue other objects. 
 
204 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 NEW YORK. 
 
 "When the ladies first began to lay off their cumbrous 
 hoops, they supplied their place with successive substitutes, 
 such as these, to wit : first came ' bishops,' a thing stuffed or 
 padded with horsehair; then succeeded a smaller affair, un- 
 der the name of Cue de Paris, also padded with horsehair. 
 
 11 Among other articles of female wear, we may name 
 the following, to wit : Once they wore a ' skimmer-hat f 
 made of a fabric which shone like silver tinsel ; it was of a 
 very small flat crown and big brim, not unlike the present 
 Leghorn flats. Another hat, not unlike it in shape, was 
 made of woven horsehair, wove in flowers, and called 
 1 horsehair bonnets,' an article which might be again use- 
 fully introduced for children's wear, as an enduring hat for 
 long service. I have seen what was called a bath-bonnet, 
 made of black satin, and so constructed to lay in folds, 
 that it could be set upon, like a chapeau bras; a good arti- 
 cle now for travelling ladies. The ' muskmelon-bonnet ,' used 
 before the Revolution, had numerous whalebone stiffeners 
 in the crown, set an inch apart, in parallel lines, and pre- 
 senting ridges to the eye between the bones. The next 
 bonnet was the ' whalebone-bonnet? having only the bones 
 in the front as stiffeners. A ' calash-bonnet' was always 
 formed of green silk ; it was worn abroad, covering the 
 head, but when in rooms it could fall back in folds like the 
 springs of a calash or gig top ; to keep it over the head, it 
 was drawn up by a cord always held in the hand of the 
 wearer. The ' wagon-bonnet,' always of black silk, was 
 an article exclusively in use among the Friends, and was 
 deemed to look, on the head, not unlike the top of the 
 1 Jersey wagons,' and having a pendent piece of like silk 
 hanging from the bonnet and covering the shoulders. The 
 only straw wear was that called the ' straw Cheshire bonnet,' 
 worn generally by old people. 
 
 " The ladies once wore ' hallow breasted stays? which were 
 exploded as injurious to the health. Then came the use of 
 straight stays. Even little girls wore such stays. At one 
 time the gowns worn had no fronts; the design was to dis- 
 play a finely quilted Marseilles, silk, or satin petticoat, and a 
 worked stomacher on the waist. In other dresses, a white apron 
 was the mode; all wore large pockets under their gowns. 
 Among the caps was the ■ queen's nightcap? the same 
 always worn by Lady Washington. The ■ cushion headdress * 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 205 
 
 NEW YORK. 
 
 was of gauze, stiffened out in cylindrical form, with white 
 spiral wire. The border of the cap was called the balcony. 
 
 " Formerly there were no sideboards, and when they were 
 first introduced after the Revolution, they were much smaller 
 and less expensive than now. Formerly they had couches of 
 worsted damask, and only in very affluent families, in lieu of 
 what we call sofas, or lounges. Plain people used settees and 
 settles, — the latter had a bed concealed in the seat, and by 
 folding the top of it outwards to the front, it exposed the 
 bed, and widened the place for the bed to be spread upon it." 
 
 In those days, " there were no Windsor chairs : and fan- 
 cy chairs are still more modern. Their chairs of the gen- 
 teelest kind were of mahogany or red walnut, (once a great 
 substitute for mahogany in all kinds of furniture, tables, &c.) 
 or else they were of rush bottom, and made of maple posts 
 and slats, with high backs and perpendicular. Instead of 
 japanned waiters as now, they had mahogany tea boards, and 
 round tea tables, which being turned on an axle underneath 
 the centre, stood upright, like an expanded fan or palm-leaf, 
 in the corner. Another corner was occupied by a beaufet, 
 which was a corner closet with a glass door, in which all the 
 china of the family was intended to be displayed, for orna- 
 ment as well as use. A conspicuous article in the collection 
 was always a great china punchbowl, which furnished a fre- 
 quent and grateful beverage, — for wine drinking was then 
 much less in vogue. China teacups and saucers were then 
 about half their present size ; and china teapots and coffee- 
 pots, with silver nozzles, was a mark of superior finery. 
 The sham of plated ware was not then known, and all who 
 showed a silver surface had the massive metal too. This 
 occurred in the wealthy families, in little coffee and tea- 
 pots ; and a silver tankard for good sugared toddy, was above 
 vulgar entertainment. Where we now use earthen ware, 
 they then used delf ware, imported from England ; and in- 
 stead of queens ware, (then unknown,) pewter platters and 
 porringers, made to shine along a 'dresser,' were universal. 
 Some, and especially the country people, ate their meals from 
 wooden trenchers. Gilded looking-glasses and picture 
 frames of golden glare were unknown; and both, much small- 
 er than now, were used. Small pictures painted on glass, 
 with black mouldings for frames, with a scanty touch of gold 
 leaf in the corners, was the adornment of a parlor. The 
 
206 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 NEW YORK. 
 
 looking-glasses in two plates, if large, had either glass frames 
 figured with flowers engraved thereon, or were of scalloped 
 mahogany — painted white or black, with here and there some 
 touches of gold. Every householder in that day, deemed it es- 
 sential to his convenience and comfort to have an ample chest 
 of drawers, in his parlor or sitting room, in which the linen 
 and clothes of the family were always of ready access. It 
 was no sin to rummage them before company. These draw- 
 ers were sometimes nearly as high as the ceiling. At other 
 times they had a writing desk about the centre, with a fall- 
 ing lid to write upon when let down. A great high clock 
 case reaching to the ceiling, occupied another corner ; and 
 a fourth corner was appropriated to the chimney place. 
 They then had no carpets on their floors, and no paper on 
 their walls. The silver sand on the floor was drawn into a 
 variety of fanciful figures and twirls of the sweeping brush, 
 and much skill and even pride was displayed therein in the 
 devices and arrangement. They had then no argand or other 
 lamps in parlors, but dipt candles, in brass or copper candle- 
 sticks, was usually good enough for common use ; and those 
 who occasionally used mould candles, made them at home in 
 little tin frames, casting four to six candles in each. A glass 
 lantern with square sides furnished the entry lights in the 
 houses of the affluent. Bedsteads then were made, if fine, 
 of carved mahogany, of slender dimensions ; but, for com- 
 mon purposes, or for the families of good tradesmen, they 
 were of poplar, and always painted green. It was a matter 
 of universal concern to have them low enough to answer the 
 purpose of repose for sick or dying persons — a provision so 
 necessary for such possible events, now so little regarded by 
 the modern practice of ascending to a bed by steps, like 
 clambering up to a haymow. 
 
 " A lady giving me the reminiscences of her early life, 
 thus speaks of things as they were before the war of Inde- 
 pendence : — Marble mantels and folding doors were not then 
 known ; and well enough we enjoyed ourselves without sofas, 
 carpets or girandoles. A white floor sprinkled with clean 
 white sand, large tables and heavy high back chairs of wal- 
 nut or mahogany, decorated a parlor genteely enough for any 
 body. Sometimes a carpet, not however covering the whole 
 floor, was seen upon the dining room. This was a show 
 parlor up stairs, not used but upon gala occasions, and then 
 not to dine in. Pewter plates and dishes were in general 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 207 
 
 NEW YORK. 
 
 use. China on dinner tables was a great rarity. Plate, 
 more or less, was seen in most families of easy circum- 
 stances, not indeed in all the various shapes that have since 
 been invented, but in massive silver waiters, bowls, tankards, 
 cans, &c. Glass tumblers were scarcely seen. Punch, the 
 most common beverage, was drunk by the company from one 
 large bowl of silver or china; and beer from a tankard of 
 silver. 
 
 " The use of stoves was not known in primitive times, 
 neither in families nor churches. Their fireplaces were as 
 large again as the present, with much plainer mantel pieces. 
 In lieu of marble plates around the sides and top of the fire- 
 places, it was adorned with china Dutch tile, pictured with 
 sundry Scripture pieces. Dr. Franklin first invented the 
 1 open stove,' called also the ' Franklin stove,' after which as 
 fuel became scarce, the better economy of the ' ten plate 
 stove ' was adopted. 
 
 " The most splendid looking carriage ever exhibited 
 among us was that used, as befitting the character of that 
 chief of men, General Washington, while acting as President 
 of the United States. It was very large, so as to make four 
 horses, at least, an almost necessary appendage. It was oc- 
 casionally drawn by six horses, Virginia bays. It was cream 
 co'lored, globular in its shape, ornamented with cupids, sup- 
 porting festoons, and wreaths of flowers, emblematically ar- 
 ranged along the pannel work ; — the whole neatly covered 
 with best watch glass. It was of English construction. 
 
 " Some twenty or thirty years before the period of the 
 Revolution, the steeds most prized for the saddle were pacers, 
 since so odious deemed. To this end the breed was propa- 
 gated with much care. The Narragansett pacers of Rhode 
 Island were in such repute, that they were sent for, at much 
 trouble and expense, by some few, who were choice in their 
 selections. It may amuse the present generation to peruse 
 the history of one such horse, spoken of in the letter of 
 Rip Van Dam of New York, in the year 1711, which I have 
 seen. It states the fact of the trouble he had taken to pro- 
 cure him such a horse. He was shipped from Rhode Island 
 in a sloop, from which he jumped overboard, when under sail, 
 and swam ashore to his former home. He arrived at New 
 York in 14 days' passage, much reduced in flesh and Spirit. 
 He cost <£32, and his freight 50 shillings. This writer, Rip 
 Van Dam, was a great personage, he having been President 
 
208 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 NEW YORK. 
 
 of the Council in 1731 ; and on the death of Governor Mont- 
 gomery, that year, he was governor ex-officio, of New York. 
 His mural monument is now to be seen in St. Paul's 
 Church."* 
 
 When the Dutch first established themselves on the island, 
 its surface presented a very irregular appearance. In some 
 places, the ground rose into craggy hills; in other parts were 
 low, hollow and marshy swamps. By great labor and ex- 
 pense, that part on which the city is built has been nearly 
 levelled and the marshes filled up. In 1640, New York was a 
 mere village, and the dwelling houses were few, low, and strag- 
 gling. The most prominent buildings were then, according 
 to its erudite and right pleasant historian Diedrich Knicker- 
 bocker, " the Fort, the Church of St. Nicholas, the Gaol, the 
 Governor's house, the Gallows, the Pillory, the West India 
 Store, and the City Tavern," of which there are now no re- 
 mains. 
 
 In 1665, the inhabitants of New York were incorporated 
 under the care of a Mayor, five Aldermen, and a Sheriff. 
 Until this time the city was ruled by a Scout, Burgomasters, 
 and Schipens. The first Mayor after the conquest was 
 Thomas Willet, Esq., an Englishman. At the time of the 
 conquest in 1664, the town was composed of a few miserable 
 houses, and the whole in such a mean condition, according 
 to a letter of Nicholas to the Duke of York, that not one sol- 
 dier had lain in sheets, or in any other bed than canvass and 
 straw. Some of the houses, however, were handsomely built 
 of brick and stone, and in part covered with red and black 
 tiles. 
 
 In 1678, the houses, according to Sir Edmund Andros, 
 were three hundred and forty-three, and the population, as 
 there were found to be ten on an average for each house, was 
 3430 souls. At this time, a merchant worth .£1000, was a 
 good substantial merchant, and a planter worth half that in 
 moveables, was accounted rich. " There may have lately 
 traded in that colony," says Andros, " in a year, from ten to 
 fifteen ships or vessels, upon an average of 100 tons each, 
 English, New England, and of our own built." 
 
 In 1686, the city was first regularly incorporated by a char- 
 ter. The shipping belonging to the city had increased to 
 nine*or ten three mast vessels of about 80 or 90 tons ; 200 or 
 
 * Watson's Historic Tales of Olden Time. 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 209 
 
 NEW YORK. 
 
 300 ketches or barks of about 40 tons, and about 20 sloops 
 of 25 tons. 
 
 In 1693, the first printing press was erected in the city, by 
 William Bradford, who was appointed printer to the govern- 
 ment. The first book from his press was a small folio vol- 
 ume of the Laws of the Colony. 
 
 In 1690, the city contained 594 houses, and 6000 inhab- 
 itants. The shipping consisted of 40 ships, 62 sloops, and 
 60 boats.* 
 
 Nearly a century from the above date, or in 1790, the in- 
 habitants were only about 33,000, including more than 2000 
 slaves. 
 
 From the preceding facts, it is quite apparent that for a 
 series of years, the city of New York was surprisingly slow 
 in its growth ; but by a settlement of the interior of the State, 
 and the opening of the navigation of the great Lakes, it has, 
 within a few years, received an impulse, which, added to the 
 other advantages, has established its present and secured its 
 future pre-eminence. The population of the city at the pres- 
 ent time, 1847, is more than twelve times what it was in 1790. 
 At the same time, the annual increase of its commerce is so 
 great, that statements made in respect to it in any one year, 
 would be found exceedingly defective the year succeeding. 
 Let this be our apology for omitting such statistics, in rela- 
 tion to this and other subjects, bearing upon the growth of 
 this " London of America." It may be added, also, in this 
 place, that so many pages have been devoted to the earlier 
 history of the city, that our allotted space will require a 
 somewhat partial view of New York as it now is. 
 
 The Hudson, or North river, flows by the city on the 
 western side ; a narrow part of Long Island Sound familiarly 
 termed the East river, washes it upon the other ; while in 
 front, a noble bay expands between the shores of Long 
 Island and New Jersey, in which the united navies of the 
 world might spread their canvass. Below the bay are the 
 Narrows, formed by the heights, which jut forward with a 
 fine sweeping bend, giving a circular form to the magnificent 
 basin, and facilitating the defence of the harbor. At various 
 points above and below them are forts , of such imposing 
 
 * Holmes's Annals, passim. 
 14 
 
210 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 NEW YORK. 
 
 strength, that it seems impossible that any naval armament 
 can reach the city, unless with the co-operation of a power- 
 ful land force. Ice very rarely, now, obstructs the naviga- 
 tion ; and about twenty miles from the city, the Atlantic 
 opens to the vessels, without a rock or island to annoy 
 them. 
 
 11 Approaching the city at sunset," says a traveller, " I 
 shall not soon forget the impression, which its gay appear- 
 ance made upon me. Passing slowly round its southern 
 point, formed by the confluence of the Hudson with what 
 is called the East river, we admired at our leisure the striking 
 panorama which encircled us. Immediately in our front, 
 was the battery, with its little fort and its public walks, di- 
 versified with trees, impending over the water, numberless 
 well dressed figures gliding through the foliage, or standing 
 to admire our nearing vessel. In the back ground, the neat- 
 ly painted houses, receding into distance ; the spiry tops 
 of poplars piercing above the roofs, and marking the line of 
 the streets. The city gradually enlarging from the battery, 
 as from the apex of a triangle, the eye followed, on one side, 
 the broad channel of the Hudson and picturesque coast ot 
 Jersey, at first sprinkled with villages and little villas, their 
 white walls just glancing in the distance through thick beds 
 of trees, and afterwards rising into abrupt precipices, now 
 crowned with wood, now jutting forward in bare walls of 
 rock. To the right, the more winding waters of the East 
 river, bounded, on the one side by the wooded heights of 
 Brooklyn and the varied shores of Long Island, and on the 
 other, by quays and warehouses, scarcely discernible through 
 the forest of masts, that were covered, as far as the eye 
 could reach. Behind us stretched the broad expanse of the 
 bay, whose islets, crowned with turreted forts, their colors 
 streaming from their flagstaff's, slept on the still and glowing 
 waters, in dark or sunny spots, as they variously caught or 
 shunned the gaze of the sinking sun. It was a glorious 
 scene, and we almost caught the enthusiasm of our compan- 
 ions, who, as they hailed their native city, pronounced it the 
 fairest in the world."* 
 
 " The harbor of New York," says another traveller, to 
 whom we are indebted for the most distinct description of 
 this city, " is one of the best in the country, and capable of 
 
 * Views of Society in America. 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 213 
 
 NEW YORK. 
 
 almost unlimited extension. The wharfs skirt both sides of 
 the island, and piers project at right angles into the 
 stream, leaving intermediate slips, which have many of the 
 advantages of wet docks, and are free from several of their in- 
 conveniences. 
 
 " The tides rise and fall about six feet, but there is always 
 water enough abreast of the piers to float the largest merchant- 
 men. They do not, however, enjoy the advantage of dry 
 docks, for the tide does not ebb sufficiently to empty them, and 
 mechanical means have not yet been resorted to ; but vessels 
 which need repair, are keeled down in shallow water, first upon 
 the one side, and then upon the other. Masts surround the 
 city like reeds on the margin of a pool ; and when one passes 
 along the wharfs, and witnesses the never ceasing opera- 
 tions of loading and discharging, warping out and hauling in, 
 vessels of every description arriving and sailing with every 
 breeze that blows, together with the bustling of shippers, 
 custom house officers, sailors and carmen, he cannot but be im- 
 pressed with the great extent of the commerce which can sup- 
 ply such extensive means with such unceasing employment."* 
 
 While nature has done much for this city in regard to its 
 pleasant and advantageous situation, art has done its propor- 
 tion in the way of ornamental architecture. There are some 
 fine buildings, but excepting the City Hall, there are few which 
 merit particular notice. " The streets in the lower and older 
 part of the city," says Mr. Duncan, " are very narrow and 
 crooked, and, what is more immediately inexcusable, are 
 kept in -very bad order. Garbage and litter of almost every 
 kind are thrown out upon the pavement, where a multitude 
 of hogs of all ages riot in abundance. The footwalks are 
 encumbered with projecting steps and cellar doors, lamp- 
 posts, pumpvvells, and occasionally poplar trees ; and where 
 any open space occurs, barrels, packing boxes, and wheel- 
 barrows, are not unfrequently piled up. No town affords 
 greater facilities for subterraneous drains, for the ground 
 slopes on both sides from the centre to the water ; and no 
 town that I ever saw, stands in so much need of them. The 
 more modern streets are greatly superior in every respect ; 
 they are in general wide and straight, and the footwalks are 
 comparatively free from projections and encumbrances." 
 
 * Duncan's Travels, vol. 1. p. 29. 
 
214 
 
 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 NEW YORK. 
 
 The city is lighted throughout, but indifferently, except in 
 the principal streets ; in many places the feeble glimmerings 
 of the solitary oil lamp struggle past two stately trees, which 
 stand like sentinels to defend it. 
 
 "Broadway, the principal street, runs in a straight line 
 from the battery to its extremity in Bloomingdale road. It 
 measures three miles in length, and is about eighty feet in 
 width. It occupies in general the highest part on which the 
 city stands, and for two miles it is compactly built ; the houses 
 are chiefly brick, but there is still a considerable mixture of 
 wooden ones. 
 
 " The early Dutch settlers," continues Mr. Duncan, " im- 
 ported bricks from Holland to construct their dwellings; and 
 a few of these houses still remain. They are one story in 
 height, with the gable end to the street, and a little iron 
 weathercock perched upon the top of it. The British set- 
 tlers laid tj}e surrounding forests under contribution for 
 building materials ; and a considerable proportion of the older 
 part of the city is still constructed of wood. Frequent and 
 destructive fires were the natural consequence of this sys- 
 tem ; and these are, still, every winter, grubbing out a few 
 of the remaining wooden tenements. The erection of wood- 
 en houses is now prohibited, and the brick ones which suc- 
 ceed them are built with great neatness. The bricks are 
 made of very fine clay, which affords a very close and smooth 
 grain ; and the buildings are always showily painted, either 
 of a bright red with white lines upon the seams, or of a clean 
 looking yellow. In many of the more recent ones,- the lin- 
 tels and steps are of marble. Stone buildings are very 
 rare." 
 
 The City Hall, which stands on the north side of the 
 Park, a triangular enclosure in the centre of the city, is a 
 splendid edifice, almost entirely of white marble. It is 216 
 feet long, and 105 broad. The architecti%e, however, is 
 thought by many to be faulty. The internal arrangement is 
 inconvenient ; the basement story, which is of red freestone, 
 impairs the simplicity and gives it a patched and party-col- 
 ored appearance. The building is an oblong square, with 
 projecting wings, two stories in height beside the base- 
 ment ; with a portico of half the height between the wings, 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 217 
 
 NEW YORK. 
 
 and a kind of lantern dome, supporting a figure of justice. 
 The portico consists of sixteen Ionic columns, springing 
 from a handsome flight of steps, but unhappily surmounted 
 with a balustraded balcony in place of a pediment In the 
 front, there are no fewer than between sixty and seventy 
 windows : some of them flat, and others arched, and a few 
 with intervening Corinthian pilasters. The prevailing de- 
 fect is the absence of simplicity and grandeur. The por- 
 tico, in relation to the building, is exceeding dwarfish ; and 
 the windows, with their minute ornaments, break down the 
 whole into too much detail ; the injudicious use of red stone 
 also, in the basement story, materially diminishes the apparent 
 height. The principal entrance is by the portico in front : with- 
 in is a handsome lobby, with a marble stair of elegant propor- 
 tions, leading to the second story ; and from a circular railed 
 gallery at the landing place ten marble columns arise, support- 
 ing the dome. The apartments of the building are appropri- 
 ated to the use of the Common Council of the city, and the 
 different Courts of Law. The chair occupied by the Mayor 
 in the Council-room, is the same in which Washington sat, 
 when presiding at the first Congress of the United States ; 
 and a full length portrait of this great man, with those of 
 some others of the Revolutionary chiefs, adorn the walls. 
 In the other rooms, there is a profusion of portraits of offi- 
 cers who distinguished themselves during the recent conflict. 
 It is remarkable, that in this building there is no room at all 
 adapted for the purpose of a popular meeting. 
 
 It is impossible, within the compass of a few pages, to give 
 the reader any adequate idea of the city — so numerous are 
 its objects of interest and curiosity. We can only glance at 
 a few of the more prominent. 
 
 Among the more important public grounds, we may mention 
 the Battery, a favorite promenade, lying in the form of a cres- 
 cent, containing 11 acres, beautifully laid out with green plots 
 and gravelled walks. It commands a view of the noble bay, 
 with its islands, and the adjacent shores of New Jersey and 
 Long and Staten Islands. Castle Garden is built on a mole, 
 and is connected with the battery by a bridge. The Bowling 
 Green, at the Southern termination of Broadway, is an ellip- 
 tical area, 220 feet long and 140 feet broad, inclosed by an 
 iron fence. It was established before the American revolu- 
 
218 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 NEW YORK. 
 
 tion ; and formerly contained a leaden statue of George III., 
 which was converted into bullets during that period, and its 
 place is now occupied by a romantic fountain, supplied by 
 the Croton water- works. The Park, called in early times the 
 Commons, is a triangular area, of about 10 3-4 acres, and 
 within it are the City Hall, the old Alms-house buildings, and 
 a Rotundo, the latter formerly occupied by the post office, but 
 now used as a place of exhibition by the Academy of Fine 
 Arts. Towards the lower end of the Park is a public fount- 
 ain, the water of which, when thrown in a single stream, as- 
 cends to the height of about 70 feet. Hudson Square, or St. 
 John's Parjc, is private property, belonging to Trinity Church 
 corporation ; it contains four acres ; has a public fountain ; 
 and is perhaps the most ornamental spot in the city. Union 
 Square, at the northern extremity of Broadway, has a fine iron 
 fence around it, and a handsome fountain near its centre. 
 
 New York has some superb public buildings. We have 
 already spoken of the City Hall. The Merchants' Exchange 
 would be perhaps equally imposing with that, had it an equally 
 imposing situation. It covers the whole space between Wall, 
 William, Exchange, and South William streets, and is built 
 of blue Quincy granite. The cost of this building, including 
 the ground, is estimated at $1,800,000. The Custom House 
 is a splendid building, constructed in the Doric order of Gre- 
 cian architecture. It stands at the head of Broad street, front- 
 ing on Wall, and extending along Nassau to Pine street, oc- 
 cupying the site of the old Federal Hall, in which General 
 Washington was inaugurated. It cost, with the ground and 
 furniture, $1,175,000. The Halls of Justice occupies the 
 whole space between Centre, Elm, Leonard, and Franklin 
 streets, and is a unique and beautiful building, of Egyptian 
 architecture. This building, though handsome of its kind, 
 has a heavy and gloomy aspect, which has acquired for it the 
 name of the Egyptian Tombs. It is constructed of a light- 
 coloured granite from Hallowell, Maine. 
 
 The number of churches in New York is about 200, not a 
 few of which are beautiful and costly structures. The most 
 expensive is Trinity Church, at the head of Wall street, front- 
 ing on Broadway: it is 193 feet on the outside, 84 feet wide, 
 with a spire 264 feet high ; and the interior is finished in a 
 style of great magnificence. After Trinity, Grace Church, 
 nearly two miles and a half north, is perhaps the most splen- 
 did, belonging to the Episcopalians ; St. Paul's, in Broadway 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 221 
 
 NEW YORK. 
 
 and St. John's, in Varick street, are, however, imposing edi- 
 fices. The Unitarians have two elegant Gothic structures in 
 Broadway — the "Church of the Messiah," between Fourth 
 and Fifth streets, and the " Church of the Divine Unity," be- 
 tween Spring and Prince streets — besides three less pretend- 
 ing edifices in other sections of the city. The Roman Cath- 
 olics have likewise several fine churches or chapels. Of the 
 Presbyterian churches, though many of them are peculiarly 
 neat and convenient, few of them have any thing imposing in 
 their external appearance. — Perhaps there is no circumstance 
 that more strikingly shows the progress of the population 
 towards the northern part of the city, than the removal of 
 churches ; but few being now standing below the City Hall. 
 
 New York contains several important literary institutions. 
 The oldest is Columbia College, which was chartered in 1754 
 by George II. The college edifice is situated on a beautiful 
 square, between Chapel, Church, and Murray streets. The 
 funds are about $200,000, and the income between $ 7,000 
 and #8,000 : its libraries contain about 14,000 volumes. — The 
 University of the City of New York stands on Washington 
 square, and has a fine edifice of white marble, in the Gothic 
 style of English collegiate architecture, which makes a very 
 picturesque appearance. It was founded in 1831. — To the 
 foregoing we may add the General Theological Seminary of 
 the Episcopal Church, the New York Theological Seminary, 
 and the Rutgers Female Institute ; all of which are flourishing 
 institutions, but we cannot give them a particular description. 
 There are numerous other similar establishments, which are 
 proof of the enterprise and benevolence of the citizens : such 
 as the New York Hospital, the Eye Infirmary, the Lunatic 
 Asylum, the Deaf and Dumb Asylum, the Institution for the 
 Blind, &c. 
 
 The New York Society Library is an old institution, founded 
 in 1754, and has a handsome edifice on Broadway. Its library 
 contains nearly 40,000 volumes, and is open daily. — The His- 
 torical Society has a library of 12,000 volumes, located in the 
 University. — Clinton Hall Association, founded in 1830, owns 
 the hall, corner of Beekman and Nassau streets, containing 
 the Mercantile Library, designed for the benefit of Merchants' 
 Clerks, and comprising more than 20,000 vols. — The Appren- 
 tices' Library contains 12,000 vols. — Besides these, there are 
 many others, of less importance. 
 
 The city participates in the munificent fund of the State, 
 
TRINITY CHURCH. 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 223 
 
 NEW YORK. 
 
 appropriated to the advancement of common education, and 
 numerous public schools, under the superintendence of able 
 and experienced teachers, are located in different sections, 
 well calculated to diffuse their benefits among all classes of 
 the inhabitants. 
 
 Of all the public works undertaken by the city, the most 
 splendid and expensive is the Croton Waterworks. It was at 
 first estimated that it would cost between five and six millions 
 of dollars; and at the city charter election of 1835, the citi- 
 zens were required to vote for or against the enterprise. The 
 whole number of votes given was 17,330, of which 5,963 
 were against it, and 11,367 in favor of it. It was happy that 
 the cost was not exactly foreknown ; otherwise the plan would 
 probably have failed. But, its advantages having been expe- 
 rienced, few, if any regret its construction, although it has 
 cost the city about $12,000,000. The aqueduct commences 
 at the Croton river, five miles from Hudson river, in West- 
 chester county. The dam is 250 feet long; 70 feet wide at 
 the bottom, 7 feet at the top, and 40 feet high, built of stone 
 and cement. It creates a pond 5 miles long, covering a sur- 
 face of 400 acres. From the dam the aqueduct proceeds to 
 Harlem river, a distance of 33 miles ; it .. built of stone, 
 brick, and cement ; arched over and under ; 6 feet 3 inches 
 wide at the bottom, 7 feet 8 inches at the top of the side-walls, 
 and 8 feet 5 inches high. It has a descent of 13 1-4 inches 
 per mile, and will discharge 60,000,000 of gallons in 24 hours. 
 It crosses Harlem river on a magnificent stone bridge, 1,450 
 feet long, with 15 piers, eight of them 80 feet span, and seven 
 of 50 feet span, 114 feet above tide-water to the top. The 
 receiving reservoir is at 80th street, 33 miles from the Croton 
 dam, covering 35 acres, and containing 150,000,000 of gallons. 
 The water is conveyed to the distributing reservoir on Mur- 
 ray's hill, in iron pipes ; this reservoir covers 4 acres, and is 
 constructed of stone and cement ; it is 43 feet high above the 
 street, and holds 20,000,000 of gallons. Thence the water is 
 conveyed to every part of the city in iron pipes, laid beneath 
 the ground. There are several beautiful fountains supplied 
 from this source, which are both useful and ornamental. 
 
 New York will compare favorably, in regard to health, 
 with any city of its size in the world ; its situation giving it 
 many advantages for salubrity of air and cleanliness. 
 
 The average temperature of the city throughout the year 
 is stated at 55^ of Fah. In winter, the thermometer is rarely 
 
224 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 NEW YORK. 
 
 lower than 15 or 20 degrees below the freezing point; some- 
 times the mercury falls to zero, and it has been observed at 
 from two to six degrees below it. The temperature of the 
 summer is seldom higher than 80 or 84 degrees. However, 
 the changes are frequent, and often great. 
 
 There are 25 banks in the city, with an aggregate capital 
 of nearly $28,000,000 ; 22 fire insurance companies, with a 
 capital of about $6,000,000 ; several marine insurance com- 
 panies, with a capital of about $3,000,000 ; 4 savings' banks ; 
 15 markets ; 6 theatres ; 2 opera-houses ; an amphitheatre ; 
 and a very extensive museum, embracing upwards of five 
 hundred thousand natural and artificial curiosities, collected 
 from every region of the known world. 
 
 Morse describes New York, forty years ago, as "the 
 gayest place in America." " The ladies," he says, " in the 
 richness and brilliancy of their dress, are not equalled in any 
 city of the United States, not even in Charleston, which has 
 heretofore been called the centre of the beau monde. In 
 point of sociability and hospitality," he adds, " New York 
 is hardly exceeded by any town " in the Union. With re- 
 gard to their love of literature, and their patronage of the 
 arts and sciences, inquiries could not then be answered quite 
 satisfactorily. Dr. Dwight bears a similar testimony to the 
 hospitality, by which its inhabitants are distinguished. " Ta- 
 bles are spread here," he says, " with a luxury, that must, I 
 think, satisfy the demands of any epicure. The economy 
 of the inhabitants is, I think, less remarkable and less uni- 
 versal than their industry. The furniture and carriages of 
 many of the inhabitants are rich and beautiful. Until lately 
 almost all the coaches were private property. Hackney 
 coaches are now employed in considerable numbers. The 
 general attachment to learning is less vigorous in this city 
 than in Boston, commerce having originally taken a more 
 entire possession of the minds of its inhabitants. The charac- 
 ter of New York, however, has for some time been materially 
 changing in this respect. Wealth, also, in a much higher 
 degree than good sense can justify, is considered as con- 
 ferring importance and distinction on the owners." 
 
 The languages spoken in this city are very various. 
 When passing through the streets, you will hear English, 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 225 
 
 NEW YORK. 
 
 French, Dutch, and German, and all the various brogues 
 spoken by the numerous nations, when imperfectly acquaint- 
 ed with the English tongue. It is computed, that one third 
 of the inhabitants are either natives of New England, or de- 
 scendants of those who have emigrated from the northern 
 States. Not more than a third of the population is, strictly 
 speaking, native to this State ; and the proportion of Euro- 
 peans of various nations is probably larger than in any other 
 city in the Union. 
 
 According to Mr. Cooper, the " products of nature " 
 abound in the markets in New York, and are quite equal and 
 in some articles superior to those which are found even in 
 the capital of France itself. " It is difficult," he says, " to 
 name fish, fowl, or beast, that is not, in its proper person, or 
 in some species nearly allied to it, to be obtained in the 
 markets in New York. Offish alone, a gentleman has named 
 between 70 and 80 varieties, all of which are edible and 
 most of which are excellent. Of fowls there is a great va- 
 riety. I have had a list, nearly or quite as long as the cata- 
 logue of fishes, placed before me, and it would do your di- 
 gestive powers good to hear some of the semi-barbarous 
 epicures of this provincial town expatiate on the merits of 
 grouse, canvasbacks, brants, plover, wild turkeys, and all 
 the et cater as, of the collection. In respect to the more vul- 
 gar products of regular agriculture, I shall say nothing. They 
 are to be found here, as elsewhere, with the exception, that, 
 as a great deal is still left to nature, perfection and variety in 
 vegetables is not as much attended to as in the vicinity of 
 older and larger places. But of the game, I may speak with 
 confidence ; for, little as I have yet seen of it, at this particu- 
 lar season, one mouthful is sufficient to prove that there is a 
 difference between a partridge and a hen, greater than what 
 is demonstrated by the single fact that one sleeps on a roost, 
 and the other in a tree." 
 
 " Of the fruits," continues Mr. Cooper, "I can speak of 
 my own knowledge. The situation of New York is singu- 
 larly felicitous in this respect. In consequence of the great 
 range of the thermometer, there is scarce a fruit, which will 
 endure the frost, that is not found in a state nearly approach- 
 ing to perfection. Indeed, either owing to the freshness of 
 the soil, or to the genial influence of the sun, or to both, 
 there is an extraordinary flavor imparted to most of the ani- 
 mal and vegetable food which I have tasted. In short, so 
 15 
 
226 . FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 NEW YORK. 
 
 far as my observation has extended, the sun imparts a flavor 
 to every grass, plant, or fruit here, that must be tasted, 
 and tasted with discrimination, in order to be appreciated. 
 Yet man has done but little to improve these inestimable 
 advantages. There is no extraordinary show of fruits in the 
 public market-places. Peaches, cherries, melons, and a few 
 others of the common sorts, it is true, abound ; but the 
 Americans appear not to be disposed to make much sacrifice 
 of time, or money, to the cultivation of the rarer sorts. 
 
 " I cannot close this subject, however, without making one 
 remark on the nature of a peculiar difference that I have 
 noticed between the fruits of this country, and those of your 
 own capital in particular. A French peach is juicy, and, 
 when you first bring it in contact with your palate, sweet, but 
 it leaves behind it a cold, watery, and almost sour taste. It 
 is for this reason so often eaten with sugar. An American 
 is exceedingly apt to laugh, if he sees ripe fruit of any sort 
 eaten with any thing sweet. The peaches here leave behind 
 a warm, rich, and delicious taste. You, who, as a Parisian, 
 say so much for, and think so much of, your gout, may be 
 disposed to be incredulous, when I tell you these people 
 would positively reject the best melon that ever appears on 
 your table. There is a little one, to be picked up in the mar- 
 kets here for a few sous, say twelve at the utmost, that ex- 
 ceeds any thing of its kind, that I have admitted into the 
 sanctuary of my mouth. I want terms to describe it. It is 
 firm, and yet tender ; juicy, without a particle of the cold 
 watery taste we know, and of an incomparable flavor and 
 sweetness. Its equal can only be found in the Crimea, or 
 the adjacent parts of Turkey, and perhaps in Persia. The 
 Americans admit that it is the only melon that can appear 
 on the table of one who understands the difference between 
 eating and tasting, and to me it seems to have been especially 
 created for an epicure. In the gardens of the gentlemen 
 you find not only a greater variety, but, a few common fruits 
 excepted, a far better quality than in the markets. I have 
 tasted a great many old acquaintances, transplanted from the 
 eastern to the western hemisphere, and I declare I do not re- 
 member one that has not been benefitted by the change, in 
 flavor, though not always in appearance. 
 
 " Owing to the facility and constancy of intercourse with 
 the Southern States, the fruits of the tropics are found here, 
 not quite as fresh, certainly, as when first culled from the 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 227 
 
 NEW YORK. 
 
 plant itself, but well flavored, and in absolute contact with 
 the products of the temperate zones. Pine-apples, large, 
 rich, golden, and good, are sold from twelve to twenty-five 
 sous ; delicious oranges are hawked in the streets much 
 cheaper than a tolerable apple can be bought in the shops of 
 Paris, and bannanas, yams, watermelons, &,c. are as common 
 as need be in the markets. It is this extraordinary combina- 
 tion of the effects of different climates, the union of heat 
 and cold, and of commercial facilities, added to the rare 
 bounties of nature, that incline me to think the empire of 
 gastronomy will, sooner or later, be transferred to this spot. 
 At present it must be confessed that the science is lament- 
 ably defective, and, after all, perhaps, it is in those places 
 where nature has been most liberal that man is apt to content 
 himself, without which no perfect enjoyment in any branch 
 of human indulgence can exist. 
 
 " Passing from the means of gratification possessed by 
 these people, we will turn our attention, for a moment, to 
 the manner in which they are improved. The style of living 
 of all the Americans, in the Northern States, is essentially 
 English. As might be expected in a country where labor is 
 comparatively high, and the fortunes, though great, still not 
 often so princely as in the mother country, the upper classes 
 live in a more simple form, wanting some of the most refined 
 improvements of high English life, and yet indulging, under 
 favor of their climate, situation, and great commercial free- 
 dom, in perhaps a greater combination of luxury and comfort 
 than any other people of the world. In respect to comfort 
 itself there is scarce any known in England, that is not to be 
 found here ; the point of difference is in its frequency. You 
 are, therefore, to deduct rather in the amount of English 
 comfort, than in its quality ; and you are not to descend far 
 below the refinements at all, since all the substantial of that 
 comfort, which makes England so remarkable in Europe, are 
 to be found equally in America. There are points, perhaps, 
 even in the latter, in which the Englishman (rarely very 
 much disposed to complacency) would complain in America; 
 and there are, certainly, others, on which the American 
 (who has a cast of the family likeness) would boldly vent his 
 spleen in England. I am of opinion the two nations might 
 benefit a good deal by a critical examination of each other. 
 Indeed, I think the American has, and does, daily profit by 
 
228 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 NEW YORK. 
 
 his observation, though I scarce know whether his kinsman 
 is yet disposed to admit that he can learn by the study of a 
 people so new, so remote, and so little known, as those of the 
 United States. 
 
 11 After you descend below the middle classes in society, 
 there is no comparison to be drawn between the condition of 
 the American and that of the native of England, or of any 
 other place. I have seen misery here, it is true, and filth, 
 and squalid, abject poverty, always in the cities, however; 
 but it is rare ; that is, rare, indeed, to what I have been ac- 
 customed to see in Europe. At first, I confess there was a 
 feeling of disappointment came over me at seeing it at all ; 
 but reflection convinced me of the impossibility of literally 
 bringing all men to a state in which they might profit by the 
 advantages of their condition. Cadwallader, also, who has 
 a silent, significant manner of conveying truths, has unde- 
 ceived me more than once, when I have been on the very 
 threshold of an error. I remember that one day, while I 
 stood contemplating, in the suburbs of this city, a scene of 
 misery that one might not have expected to witness out of 
 Europe, he advanced to the door of the dreary hovel I gazed 
 at, and asked the inhabitants how long they had resided in 
 America. The answer proved that he had not deceived him- 
 self as to the birthplace of its luckless tenants. In this man- 
 ner, in more than a dozen instances, he has proved that his 
 own country has not given birth to the vice and idleness, 
 which here could alone entail such want. In perhaps as 
 many more instances, he has passed on, shaking his head at 
 my request that he would examine the causes, admitting frank- 
 ly that he saw the subjects were natives. It is astonishing 
 how accurate his eye is in making this distinction. I do not 
 know that he has been deceived in a solitary instance. Where 
 misery is so rare, it is a vast deal to admit, that perhaps half 
 of its objects are the victims of a different system than that 
 under which it is exhibited. 
 
 " There is something exceedingly attractive in the exhi- 
 bition of neatness and domestic comfort which one sees 
 throughout this country. I think the brilliancy of the cli- 
 mate, the freshness of the plants, and the exterior ornaments 
 of the houses, contribute to the charm. There is a species 
 of second-rate genteel houses, that abound in New York, 
 into which I have looked, when passing, with the utmost 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 229 
 
 NEW YORK. 
 
 pleasure. They have, as usual, a story that is half sunk in 
 the earth, receiving light from an area, and two floors above. 
 The tenants of these buildings are chiefly merchants, or pro- 
 fessional men, in moderate circumstances, who pay rents of 
 from 300 to 500 dollars a year. You know that no Ameri- 
 can, who is at all comfortable in life, will share his dwelling 
 with another. Each has his own roof, and his own little 
 yard. These buildings are finished, and exceedingly well 
 finished too, to the attics; containing, on the average, six 
 rooms, besides offices, and servants' apartments. The furni- 
 ture of these houses is often elegant, and always neat. Ma- 
 hogany abounds here, and is commonly used for all the prin- 
 cipal articles, and very frequently for doors, railings of stairs, 
 &c. &.c. Indeed the whole world contributes to their lux- 
 ury. French clocks, English and Brussels carpets, curtains 
 from Lyons and the Indies, alabaster from France and Italy, 
 marble of their own, and from Italy, and, in short, every 
 ornament below the rarest that is known in every other 
 country in Christendom, and frequently out of it, is put 
 within the reach of the American of moderate means, by the 
 facilities of their trade. In that classical taste, which has 
 been so happily communicated to your French artizans, their 
 own are, without doubt, miserably deficient ; but they are 
 .good imitators, and there is no scarcity of models. While 
 in consequence of want of taste or want of wealth, the 
 Americans possess, in very few instances, any one of the ar- 
 ticles that contribute to the grace of life in the same per- 
 fection as they are known in some one other country, they 
 enjoy, by means of their unfettered trade, a combination of 
 the same species of luxuries, in a less advanced state, that is 
 found no where else. They often, nay, almost always, fail 
 in particular excellence, but they possess an aggregate of 
 approximate perfection that is unrivalled, perhaps, even in 
 England ; certainly if we descend below the very highest 
 classes in the latter country. 
 
 "But there are hundreds, I believe I might almost say 
 thousands, of houses in New York, of pretensions altogether 
 superior to those just named. A particular description of 
 one belonging to a friend of Cadwallader, by whose favor I 
 was permitted to examine it, may serve to give you an 
 idea of the whole of its class. The proprietor is a gentle- 
 man of the first society of the country, and of what is here 
 called an easy fortune, though hundreds of his neighbors 
 
230 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 NEW YORK. 
 
 enjoy the goods of this world in a far greater degree than 
 himself. 
 
 " The dwelling of Mr. is on the Broadway, one of 
 
 the principal streets, that runs on the height of land along 
 the centre of the island, for the distance of about two miles. 
 It is the fashionable mall of the city, and certainly, forgayety, 
 the beauty and grace of the beings who throng it, and above 
 all, the glorious sun, that seems to reign here three days out 
 of four, it may safely challenge competition with most if not 
 any of the promenades of the old world. The house in 
 question occupies, I should think, a front of about thirty-four 
 feet on the Broadway, and extends into the rear between 
 sixty and seventy more. There are no additions, the build- 
 ing ascending from the ground to its attics in the same pro- 
 portions. The exterior necessarily presents a narrow, ill-ar- 
 ranged fafade, that puts architectural beauty a good deal at 
 defiance. The most that can be done with such a front is 
 to abstain from inappropriate ornament, and to aim at such 
 an effect as shall convey a proper idea of the more substan- 
 tial comforts, and the neatness that predominate within. The 
 building is of brick, painted and lined, and modestly orna- 
 mented, in very good taste, with caps, sills, cornices, &,c. &c. 
 in the dark red freestone of the country. The house is of 
 four stories; the lower, or rez de chaussee, being half sunk, 
 as is very usual, below the surface of the ground, and the 
 three upper possessing elevations in proportion to the height 
 of the edifice. The door is at one of the corners of the front, 
 and is nearly on a level with the windows of the first floor, 
 which may commence at the distance of about a dozen feet 
 above the pavement of the street. To reach this door, it is 
 necessary to mount a flight of steep, inconvenient steps, also 
 in freestone, which compensate, in a slight degree, for the 
 pain of the ascent, by their admirable neatness, and the per- 
 fect order of their iron rails and glittering brass ornaments. 
 The entrance is into a little vestibule, which may be some 
 twelve feet long, by eight in width. This apartment is en- 
 tirely unfurnished, and appears only constructed to shelter 
 visiters, while the servant is approaching to admit them 
 through the inner door. The general excellence of the 
 climate, and perhaps the custom of the country, have, as yet, 
 prevented the Americans from providing a proper place for 
 the reception of the servants of their guests : they rarely 
 wait, unless during the short calls, and then it is always in 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 231 
 
 NEW YORK. 
 
 the street. As visiters are never announced, and as but one 
 family occupies the same building, there is little occasion, 
 unless to assist in unrobing, for a servant to attend his master 
 or mistress within the outer door. From the vestibule, the 
 entrance is into a long, narrow, high, and handsome corridor, 
 at the farther extremity of which are the principal stairs. 
 This corridor, or passage, as it is called here, is carpeted, 
 lighted with a handsome lamp, has a table, and a few chairs, 
 and, in short, is just as unlike a French corridor as any 
 thing of the sort can very well be. From this passage, you 
 enter the rooms on the first floor : you ascend to the upper, 
 and descend to the lower story, and you have egress from 
 and ingress to the house by its front and rear. The first 
 floor is occupied by two rooms that communicate by double 
 doors. These apartments are nearly equal in size, and, sub- 
 tracting the space occupied by the passage, and two little 
 china closets, that partially separate them, they cover the 
 whole area of the house. Each room is lighted by two win- 
 dows ; is sufficiently high ; has stuccoed ceiling and cornices 
 in white; hangings of light, airy, French paper; curtains in 
 silk and muslin ; mantel pieces of carved figures in white 
 marble, (Italian in manufacture, I should think ;) Brussels 
 carpets ; large mirrors ; chairs, sofas, and tables, in mahog- 
 any ; chandeliers ; beautiful, neat, and highly wrought grates 
 in the fireplaces, of home work ; candelabras, lustres, foe. &,c, 
 much as one sees them all over Europe. In one of the rooms, 
 however, is a spacious, heavy, ill-looking sideboard, in ma- 
 hogany, groaning with plate, knife and spoon cases, all 
 handsome enough I allow, but sadly out of place, where they 
 are seen. Here is the first great defect that I find in the or- 
 dering of American domestic economy The eating or 
 dining room is almost invariably the best one in the house. 
 The custom is certainly of English origin, and takes its rise 
 in the habit of sitting an hour or two after the cloth is re- 
 moved, picking nuts, drinking wine, chatting, yawning, and 
 gazing about the apartment. The first great improvement 
 to be made in the household of these people is to substitute 
 taste for prodigality in their tables ; and the second, I think, 
 will be to choose an apartment for their meals, that shall be 
 convenient to the offices suited to the habits of the family, 
 plain in its ornaments, and removed from the ordinary occu- 
 pations of those who are to enjoy it. In some houses this is 
 already partially effected ; but as a rule, I am persuaded that 
 
232 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 NEW YOBK. 
 
 the American guest, who should find himself introduced into 
 a salle d manger, as plain as that in which a French duke 
 usually takes his repast, would not think his host a man who 
 sufficiently understood the fitness of things. I have heard 
 it said that the occupant of the White House* gives his 
 dinners in one of these plain rooms, and that the meanness 
 of Congress is much laughed at, because they do not order 
 one better furnished for him. Certes, if Congress never 
 showed a worse taste than this, they might safely challenge 
 criticism. As the President, or his wife, directs these mat- 
 ters, I suppose, however, the great national council is alto- 
 gether innocent of the innovation. 
 
 " You ascend, by means of the stairs at the end of the 
 passage, into what is here called the second story, but which, 
 from the equivocal character of the basement, it is difficult to 
 name correctly. This ascent is necessarily narrow, crowd- 
 ed, and inconvenient. The beautiful railings in mahogany 
 and brass, and the admirable neatness of every part of an 
 American house of any pretension, would serve to reconcile 
 one to a thousand defects. As respects this cardinal point, 
 I think there is little difference between the English and the 
 Americans, at least so far as I have yet seen the latter ; but 
 the glorious sun of this climate illuminates every thing to 
 such a degree, as to lend a quality of brightness that is rarely 
 known in Britain. You know that a diamond will hardly 
 glitter in London. It must also be remembered that an 
 American house is kept in this order by the aid of, perhaps, 
 one third of the domestics that would be employed in the 
 mother country. 
 
 " On the second floor, (or perhaps you will get a better 
 
 idea, if I call it the first,) of the house of Mr. , there is 
 
 a spacious saloon, which occupies the whole length of the 
 building, and possesses a corresponding breadth. This apart- 
 ment, being exclusively that of the mistress of the mansion, 
 is furnished with rather more delicacy than those below. 
 The curtains are in blue India damask, the chairs and sofa 
 of the same colored silk, and other things are made to cor- 
 respond. The library of the husband is on the same floor, 
 and between the two there is a room used as a bedchamber. 
 The third story is appropriated to the sleeping rooms of the 
 family ; the attic to the same purpose for the servants, and 
 
 *The President of the United States. 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 233 
 
 NEW YORK. 
 
 the basement contains a nursery and the usual offices. The 
 whole building is finished with great neatness, and with a 
 solidity and accuracy of workmanship that it is rare to meet 
 in Europe out of England. The doors of the better rooms 
 are of massive mahogany, and wherever wood is employed it 
 is used with great taste and skill. All the mantel pieces are 
 marble, all the floors are carpeted, and all the walls are fin- 
 ished in a firm smooth cement. 
 
 "I have been thus minute in my account, because in de- 
 scribing the house of Mr. , I am persuaded that I con- 
 vey a general idea of those of all the upper classes in the 
 northern section of this country. There are, certainly, much 
 larger and more pretending buildings than his, in New York, 
 and many far richer and more highly wrought ; but this is 
 the habitation of an American in the very best society, 
 who is in easy circumstances, of extensive and high con- 
 nections, and who receives a fair proportion of his ac- 
 quaintances. 
 
 " You will also see by what I have written, that the Amer- 
 icans have not yet adopted a style of architecture of their 
 own. Their houses are still essentially English, though 
 neither the winters nor the summers of their climate would 
 seem to recommend them. There is, however, something in 
 the opposite character of the two seasons, to render a choice 
 difficult. A people in whose country the heats of Florence 
 and the colds of St. Petersburg, periodically prevail, may 
 well hesitate between a marble fountain, and a Russian stove. 
 I am not certain that, considering their pursuits, and the pe- 
 culiarity of climate, they are very wrong in their present 
 habits. But I shall forever protest against the use of carpets, 
 while the thermometer is at 90°, nor shall I soon cease to 
 declaim against those hideous excrescences called stoops. 
 Beautiful, fragrant, and cool India mats are, notwithstanding, 
 much in use in midsummer, in the better houses. Still, 
 with all my efforts, I have not been able to find a room to 
 sleep in, that is not fortified with a Brussels, or a double Eng- 
 lish ingrain. The perspiration stands on my forehead, while 
 I write of them ! Another defect in the American establish- 
 ment is the want of cabinets de toilette. They are certainly 
 to be found in a few houses, but I have occupied a bedroom 
 five and twenty feet square, in a house otherwise convenient, 
 that had not under its roof a single apartment of the sort. 
 
 v 
 
234 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 NEW YORK. 
 
 This is truly a sad prodigality of room, though space be un- 
 questionably so very desirable in a warm climate. 
 
 " I should think about the same proportion of the inhabit- 
 ants keep carriages here as in France. But the ordinary 
 coaches of the stands in New York are quite as good, and 
 often far better than those voitures de remise that one usually 
 gets by the day in Paris. There is even a still better class 
 of coaches to be ordered by the day, or hour, from the 
 stables, which are much used by the inhabitants. The equi- 
 pages of this city, with the exception of liveries, and heraldic 
 blazonries, are very much like those of your own mighty 
 capital. When I first landed, coming as I did from England, 
 I thought the coaches so exceedingly light as to be mean ; 
 but, too experienced a traveller to be precipitate, I waited 
 for the old impressions to lose a little of their influence, be- 
 fore an opinion was formed, and in a short time I came to 
 see their beauties. Cadwallader told me that when he first 
 arrived in England, he was amazed at the clumsiness of the 
 English vehicles, but that time, by rendering them familiar, 
 soon changed his opinion. We went together lately to ex- 
 amine a coach from London, which its owner had abandoned, 
 either in distaste, or because he found it unsuited to the 
 country, and really it was calculated to renew all the original 
 opinions of my friend. I have heard of an American, who 
 carried to England one of the light vehicles of his country, 
 and after it had arrived, he was positively ashamed to exhibit 
 it among its ponderous rivals. In this manner do we all be- 
 come the subjects of a capricious and varying taste, that is 
 miserably dependent on habit; a fact simple as it is, which 
 might teach moderation and modesty to all young travellers, 
 and rather less dogmatism than is commonly found among 
 some that are older."* 
 
 During a principal part of the Revolutionary war, the city 
 of New York was in possession, and the head quarters, of 
 the British. Boston was evacuated by the British, March 
 17th, 1776. About the middle of April following, General 
 Washington, expecting an attempt on the part of the British, 
 to take possession of the city of New York, himself fixed his 
 
 * Notices of the Americans. 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 235 
 
 NEW YORK. 
 
 head quarters in that city, where the greater part of his 
 troops rendezvoused. A portion of the American army, 
 amounting to about 15,000, were posted on Long Island, 
 across East river, at the distance of about a mile from the 
 city. On the 12th of August, the British General Howe, 
 landed his troops, estimated at about 24,000 men, at Graves- 
 end Bay to the right of the Narrows. On the 26th, an en- 
 gagement between these two armies occurred, in which the 
 Americans were routed. In consequence of this defeat, and 
 the American troops being destitute of shelter from severe 
 and heavy rains, and at the same time being greatly fatigued 
 and dispirited, Gen. Washington determined to withdraw his 
 troops from the island. " This retreat," says Dr. Holmes, 
 " was to have commenced at eight o'clock on the night of 
 the 28th ; but a strong north-east wind and a rapid tide 
 caused a delay of several hours. In this extremity, Heaven 
 remarkably favored the fugitive army. A south-west wind 
 springing up at eleven, essentially facilitated its passage from 
 the island to the city ; and a thick fog hanging over Long 
 Island from about two in the morning, concealed its move- 
 ments from the enemy, who were so near that the sound of 
 their pickaxes and shovels was heard. In about half an hour 
 after, the fog cleared away, and the enemy were seen taking 
 possession of the American lines. General Washington, as 
 far as possible, inspected every thing. From the commence- 
 ment of the action on the morning of the 26th, until the 
 troops were safely across East river, he never closed his eyes, 
 and was almost constantly on horseback. His wisdom and 
 vigilance, with the interposing favor of Divine Providence, 
 saved the army from destruction."* 
 
 Immediately after the victory on Long Island, the British 
 made dispositions to attack New York. Under an appre- 
 hension that the place was indefensible, it was decided in a 
 council of general officers that it was inexpedient to attempt 
 to hold possession. Accordingly, the American army was 
 withdrawn with an inconsiderable loss of men ; but all the 
 heavy artillery, and a large portion of the baggage, provision, 
 and military stores, was unavoidably abandoned. On the 
 1 5th of September the British troops entered and took pos- 
 session of the city. 
 
 " Within a few days, a fire broke out at a place where a 
 
 * Holmes's Annah. 
 
236 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 party of British sailors had been frolicking, which spread 
 with unexampled fury. The buildings were then chiefly cov- 
 ered with shingles ; the weather had been extremely dry for 
 some days ; a strong southerly wind prevailed at the time ; 
 and it broke out about one o'clock in the morning, at a sea- 
 son when the town was almost empty of its citizens — and 
 the engines and pumps were chiefly out of order. About 
 one thousand buildings were destroyed, and but for the ex- 
 ertions of the sailors and soldiers with engines from the fleet, 
 the whole city must have been reduced to ashes." 
 
 The British continued to hold possession of the city until 
 the 25th of November, 1783, on which day they evacuated 
 it ; and on the same day, the American army entered. On 
 the following Sabbath, divine service was performed at King's 
 Chapel, by the Rev. Dr. Rogers, who delivered a well adapt- 
 ed discourse to a thronged and deeply affected assembly. 
 The fireworks on the evening of the next Tuesday, probably 
 exceeded any exhibition of the kind, ever witnessed in Amer- 
 ica. The last and not the least interesting spectacle was 
 seen in passing down the harbor, — the British fleet, lying 
 peaceably at anchor above Sandy Hook, ready to transport 
 the troops to their own shores. 
 
 BROOKLYN. 
 
 This city is situated on the west end of Long Island, oppo- 
 site the south part of the city of New York, and probably de- 
 serves to hold a second rank, in reference to population and 
 commercial importance, with any in the state. There are* 
 four ferries established between New Y'ork and Brooklyn, 
 well provided with numerous and commodious steamboats, 
 which render the communication as easy as it would be by- 
 bridges. The average width of the river, at the three upper 
 ferries, is about 700 yards ; but at the lower or South ferry 
 it is upwards of 1300 yards ; the time of crossing is from four 
 to five minutes. The fine water, pure air, and pleasant pros- 
 pects of Brooklyn, render it a favorite place of residence to 
 persons doing business in New York, and it is nearer to the 
 business centres of the latter than residences in the upper part 
 of the city. 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 237 
 
 BROOKLYN. 
 
 Some idea may be formed of the rapid growth of Brooklyn 
 from the fact, that in 1810 the population was only about 
 4,000 ; since which time it has more than doubled every ten 
 years, and now numbers nearly 100,000. The city, as char- 
 tered, has the same extent as the original township, which is 
 six miles long, and four miles wide at its utmost breadth ; 
 and all this great extent has been laid out into streets, the 
 corner-posts of which have been permanently fixed. 
 
 There are probably a greater number of churches here, of 
 various denominations, than in any other city in the Union of 
 the same size. There are also several elegant edifices occu- 
 pied by banking and insurance companies. 
 
 The city has a number of literary and scientific institutions 
 of a high order : among the principal of which are Brooklyn 
 Institute, formed by the union of the " Apprentices' Library 
 Association," the "Brooklyn Lyceum," and the "City Libra- 
 ry ;" the Lyceum of Natural History ; the Hamilton Literary 
 and the Franklin Literary Associations ; and several acade- 
 mies and female seminaries of distinction. There are also 
 a number of public schools, well taught and attended. 
 
 A navy-yard, of about forty acres, is located at the Walla- 
 bout, and well provided with all necessaries for constructing 
 the largest class of vessels. Connected with the yard is a 
 Naval Lyceum, composed of officers of the U. S. navy, and 
 possessing a large library and museum. A dry dock is in 
 progress here, which will cost an immense sum, but probably 
 be of great utility when completed. 
 
 About 200 acres of land, delightfully situated in the south 
 part of the city, has been inclosed as a place of repose for the 
 dead. It is called the Greenwood Cemetery, and comprises 
 every variety of surface, capable of being beautified to suit 
 the tastes of the numerous individuals who have purchased 
 lots therein. Already it affords grateful displays of romantic 
 shrubbery, annuals, and evergreens, and contains several 
 splendid monuments. 
 
 The harbor is extensive, and its depth sufficient to allow the 
 largest vessels to come to its wharves. The Atlantic dock, 
 at the southern extremity of the city, is a stupendous work, 
 and a highly creditable evidence of the enterprise and wealth 
 of its proprietors. 
 
 The Long Island railroad commences at the South ferry, 
 and extends 100 miles to Greenport, forming part of a chain 
 of daily communication with Boston. 
 
238 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 ALBANY. 
 
 Albany is situated on the west bank of the Hudson, near 
 the head of tide water, 160 miles from New York. It is 
 the seat of government of the State of New York, and in point 
 of wealth, population, trade, and resources, the second city 
 in the State. 
 
 It is a current opinion, that during his voyage in 1609, 
 Hudson himself ascended the river as far as the present site 
 of Albany. This is incorrect. The navigator himself pro- 
 ceeded to a point, a little above where the city of Hudson* 
 now stands, whence he despatched a boat to explore the river 
 still higher up. The boat reached the present site of Albany, 
 and returned. 
 
 In 1614, a fort and trading house were erected near the 
 spot on which Albany now stands, which was called Fort 
 Orange. The precise location of these appears to have been 
 a small island in the river, about half a mile below the present 
 site. It is probable that a village was commenced soon af- 
 terwards, on the present site of the city. The Indian name 
 of the spot was Skenectadea. The village was at first called 
 by the Dutch Beverwych ; then Fort Orange, and afterwards 
 Williamstadt. It received the name of Albany, at the time 
 of the English conquest in 1664, in honor of the Duke of 
 York and Albany, brother of Charles II. Next to James- 
 
 * While the ship lay at anchor, it is related, that Hudson and his 
 crew, for the purpose of making an experiment on the temper of the In- 
 dians, attempted to make a number of their principal men drunk. But, 
 though they " were all merry," as the journalist expresses it, only one 
 of them appears to have been completely intoxicated. This phenome- 
 non excited great surprise and alarm among his companions. They 
 knew not what to make of it. And it was not until the next day, when 
 he had completely recovered, that they became composed and satisfied. 
 This, so far as we know, is the first instance of intoxication by ardent 
 spirits among the Indians, on this part of the American continent. It 
 is very remarkable, that among the Six JYations, there is a tradition still 
 very distinctly preserved, of a scene of intoxication, which occurred 
 with a company of the natives, when the first ship arrived. Happy for 
 these sons of the forest, and their " red brethren " in all the land, so far 
 as this maddening poison is concerned, had Columbus never made his 
 otherwise fortunate and glorious discovery of these western shores. 
 Well may the Indians of America ask, as asked an Indian of Levasseur 
 in one of the Western States — " Have the white people any God ? 
 Will his vengeance always sleep ? Will he never take pity on poor 
 Indians ? " 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 241 
 
 town, in Virginia, it is the oldest settlement in the United 
 States. The Indian name of the North, or Hudson river, 
 was Cahohatatea. 
 
 Albany, like New York, was settled by the Dutch, and 
 for many years afterwards the inhabitants were almost with- 
 out exception descendants from the original settlers. The 
 houses were almost all built in the Dutch manner ; standing 
 endwise upon the street, with high, sharp roofs, small windows, 
 and low ceilings. The appearance of these houses was or- 
 dinary, dull, and disagreeable. The first house ever erected 
 in the place was standing a few years since, and is perhaps 
 to this day. It was built of bricks, which were imported 
 from Holland. Every house almost had its stoop, or porch, 
 in which the Dutch gentlemen delighted to pass their leisure 
 hours with a pipe in their mouths. This custom is noticed 
 by Professor Kalrn in his travels, in 1749. " The street 
 doors," says he, " are generally in the middle of the houses, 
 and on both sides are seats, in which, during fair weather, 
 the people sit and spend almost the whole day, especially on 
 those which are in the shadow of their houses. In the 
 evening these seats are covered with people of both sexes ; 
 but this is rather troublesome, as those who pass by are 
 obliged to greet every body, unless they shock the politeness 
 of the inhabitants of this town." 
 
 A great change, however, has taken place in Albany. The 
 population has essentially altered. From its being Dutch in 
 its inhabitants — its buildings — its manners and customs, like 
 New York, the general aspect of the place has changed. 
 One sees, here and there, yet standing, the Dutch tenement, 
 on each side of which perhaps is a modern mansion, with 
 its lofty roof — its large windows — its granite, or marble ex- 
 terior — its pillars, et cetera, — all in contrast with the humble, 
 singular, and unsightly tabernacle of the sojourners from 
 Holland, or their descendants. The population which has 
 come in are in part from New England, a shrewd, money- 
 making generation — whom the Dutch citizens regarded for 
 years with no small jealousy ; but with whom at length, an- 
 cient prejudices having given way, they are on terms of good 
 neighborhood, and even cordiality. The distinctions in so- 
 ciety in this place, some twenty or thirty years since, were, 
 perhaps, as great as in any place on the continent ; but the 
 increase of New England people, and of others, has had a 
 16 
 
242 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 tendency to obliterate in a measure those strong and well-de- 
 fined lines, which were formerly drawn by the wealthy and 
 ancient Dutch families, and which were kept visible and dis- 
 tinctive as long as their influence availed. 
 
 The streets of Albany are, in a loose sense, parallel and 
 right angled to the river. Market, Pearl, and State streets, 
 the principal ones, are straight and handsome. The two 
 former are parallel to the river ; the latter meets them at 
 right angles. The streets are now paved, and the travelling 
 easy ; but years since, owing to the clayey character of the 
 soil, they were so encumbered with mud, that in wet seasons, 
 it was not uncommon for wagons to sink so deep as to need 
 the power of Hercules to extricate them. 
 
 The first appearance of the city is not prepossessing to a 
 stranger ; but there is considerable taste displayed in the con- 
 struction of many of the buildings, both public and private. 
 The Capitol, or State House, occupies a commanding posi- 
 tion, being situated at the head of State street, which rises 
 in a straight course from the river to the brow of a hill 220 
 feet. It is a stone edifice, 115 feet in length, and 90 in 
 width, and 50 feet high. In the front is an Ionic portico, 
 with columns 33 feet in height. The public square, ad- 
 joining the capitol, is adorned with beautiful walks and 
 avenues. From this point there is a beautiful view of Green- 
 bush, on the opposite side of the river, famous for many 
 years as a cantonment. During the late war it presented a 
 bustling appearance, but the lines of barracks, which were 
 capable of accommodating 10,000 men, are deserted and 
 solitary. 
 
 The Academy, long a distinguished and well endowed in- 
 stitution, is just north of the capitol. It is the handsomest 
 building in the city. It is of stone, three stories high, and 
 presents a front of 90 feet. The State Hall, the Albany 
 Farmers' and Mechanics' Bank, and the Museum, are also 
 splendid edifices. The collection of the latter is one of the 
 best in the United States. 
 
 The position of Albany for commerce is exceedingly eli- 
 gible, being situated near the head of sloop navigation in the 
 Hudson river. The opening of the Erie canal has given a 
 great impulse to Albany. It has become a vast thoroughfare 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 243 
 
 for travellers of every description, whether in pursuit of for- 
 tune or pleasure, bound north and west. Here centres, 
 preparatory to being shipped for New York, an immense 
 amount of productions from the fertile regions of the West. 
 It must long continue to enjoy its present advantages, and 
 these will probably proportionally increase with the growing 
 enterprise of the western world. 
 
 At Albany, the canal terminates in a basin. This is 
 formed by an artificial pier 80 feet in width, and 4,300 feet 
 long ; it is connected with the shore by draw bridges, and 
 covered with stores, in which immense quantities of lumber 
 and merchandise are deposited. The basin contains a sur- 
 face of 32 acres. 
 
 The completion of the canal, so far as to connect its 
 waters with those of the Hudson, was a joyful day for this 
 city. The marriage ceremony, if we may so term it, took 
 place on the 23d of October, 1823. The lock which forms 
 the communication between the canal and basin was on this 
 day, for the first time opened ; and the waters of the West, 
 with those of the river from the north and south, for the first 
 time, embraced each other. The transition of the first boats 
 was celebrated with some ceremony. 
 
 " Large committees from New York, and from other 
 places on the canal route, attended at Albany. The New 
 York committee was headed by Mr. William Bayard. Mr. 
 James was the chairman of the Albany committee of citizens. 
 These gentlemen had on all occasions given the full weight 
 of their long established and respectable characters in favor 
 of the execution of the canals. 
 
 " The pencil could not do justice to the scene presented 
 on the fine autumnal morning, when the Albany lock was 
 first opened. Numerous steamboats and river vessels, 
 splendidly dressed, decorated the beautiful amphitheatre 
 formed by the hills, which border the valley of the Hudson, 
 at this place : the river winding its bright stream far from 
 the north, and losing itself in the distance at the south : — 
 the islands it embraced ; — the woods variegated by the ap- 
 proach of winter, a beauty peculiar to our climate ; — the 
 wreathed arches, and other embellishments, which had been 
 erected for the occasion, were all objects of admiration. A 
 line of canal boats, with colors flying, bands of music, and 
 crowded with people, were seen coming from the north, and 
 seemed to glide over the level grounds, which hid the waters 
 
244 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 of the canal for some distance, as if they were moved by en- 
 chantment. 
 
 " The first boat which entered the lock was the De Witt 
 Clinton, having on board Governor Yates, the mayor and 
 corporation of Albany, the canal commissioners and engi- 
 neers, the committees, and other citizens. Several other boats 
 succeeded. One (not the least interesting object in the 
 scene) was filled with ladies. The cap-stone of the lock 
 was laid with masonic ceremonies, by the fraternity, who ap- 
 peared in great numbers and grand costume. 
 
 " The waters of the west, and of the ocean, were then 
 mingled by Dr. Mitchell, who pronounced an epithalamium 
 upon the union of the river and the lakes, after which the 
 lock gates were opened, and the De Witt Clinton majestically 
 sunk upon the bosom of the Hudson. 
 
 " She was then towed by a long line of barges, past the 
 steamboats and other vessels, to a wharf at the upper end of 
 the city, where those gentlemen, who were embarked on 
 board the canal boats, landed and joined a military and civic 
 procession, which was conducted to a large stage, fancifully 
 decorated, erected in front of the capitol. Here the canal 
 commissioners received a congratulatory address from Charles 
 E. Dudley, Esquire, Mayor of Albany, which was answered 
 by Mr. Clinton, as president of the board of commissioners. 
 The Albany committee was addressed by Mr. Bayard, which 
 was returned by Mr. James, and the day concluded with a 
 banquet, at which it might be said, with as much propriety 
 as it could be said in relation to any other festive board, 
 that there was ' the feast of reason and the flow of soul.' "* 
 
 HUDSON. 
 
 This city is very properly named after the navigator of 
 1609, as a little above this spot, or opposite to it, Hudson 
 moored his ship, and lay at anchor while a boat was despatch- 
 ed to explore the river higher up. 
 
 The city is situated on the east side of the river, 27 miles 
 
 * Colden'8 Memoir. 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 245 
 
 below Albany. It stands on a plain rising from the river, 
 where the banks are 50 or 60 feet in height ; this plain ter- 
 minates in the east at the foot of an elevation which rises 
 several hundred feet, overlooking the river and country for 
 many miles around. Hudson is one of the most important 
 places on the river, and is at present increasing in business 
 and wealth; it maintains the third rank in the State for 
 manufactures, and is regularly built with streets at right an- 
 gles. From a beautiful promenade in the upper part of the 
 town, a delightful prospect is presented of the river and 
 the Catskill mountains ; the opposite bank of the Hudson 
 is charmingly diversified with villages, farms, and country 
 seats. 
 
 For several years after its settlement, it was in a very 
 flourishing state ; but subsequently its prosperity was checked. 
 An impulse has recently been given to it, by means of several 
 large and valuable manufactories, situated on two creeks, 
 the one of which, Claverack creek, flows on the eastern side 
 of the town — and Abram's, or Factory creek, on the northern 
 side. The whale fishery has lately been attempted with great 
 spirit, and several ships have returned, after highly success- 
 ful voyages, to reward the owners for their enterprise and 
 adventure. The population of Hudson in 1840 was 5,670. 
 
 TROY. 
 
 The city of Troy is situated on the east side of the Hud- 
 son at the termination of its tide and navigable waters, one 
 hundred and sixty-six miles north of the city of New York, 
 and six north of Albany. It was incorporated in 1806. 
 
 That part of the city limits which is most populous, and 
 now nearly covered with buildings, is situate on a nearly 
 level plain, which rises abruptly from the river to the height 
 of about 25 feet, extending about one and a half miles in 
 length along the river, and about half a mile back. Dock 
 and River streets meander with the river ; the other seven 
 north and south streets are straight, and 60 feet broad, 
 with a like number of narrow streets, called alleys, passing 
 through the middle of each block. These are crossed with 
 other streets at right angles extending from the river easterly 
 
246 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 River street is the great street of business. The large 
 stores or warehouses, built on the west side, are mostly of 
 brick or stone, and, being built on the bank or rise from the 
 river, are from four and a half to six and a half stories high 
 on the side joining the wharfs, and two and a half to three 
 and a half stories on the East or River street side. On the 
 east side of River street, as also in First, Second, Third, and 
 Fourth streets, the houses and stores are mostly handsome 
 modern brick buildings. Among the public buildings en- 
 titled to particular notice, are St. Paul's Church and the City 
 Hall, or County Court House ; the latter built in imitation 
 of the ancient temple of Theseus in Greece, and, like its 
 prototype, entirely of marble, excepting the covering of the 
 roof which is of copper, and excepting also that this has pil- 
 lars in front. It is 103 feet long and 60 broad, with side 
 walls 50 feet in height, and for elegance, simplicity and du- 
 rability, is strikingly appropriate. 
 
 St. Paul's Church is built in Gothic style, of bushham- 
 mered, dark colored, secondary, limestone, 113 feet long, 70 
 broad, with side walls 42 feet high, presenting the appear- 
 ance of great strength, durability, and fine finish. 
 
 Troy is distinguished for its literary institutions. Here is 
 situated a Female Seminary, intended for young ladies, in all 
 the higher branches of education, which for a series of years 
 was under the care of Mrs. Emma Willard, a lady of fine 
 understanding and attainments, and who to these qualifications 
 unites great energy and perseverance. To her untiring 
 labors and felicitous management, this seminary is indebted 
 for its great reputation. It has been patronized by gentlemen 
 from perhaps every State in the Union, and here numerous 
 young ladies have enjoyed advantages not, perhaps, to be 
 found at any similar institution in the country. Although 
 Mrs. Willard has (some time since) relinquished the charge 
 of this seminary, it still continues to maintain its high 
 reputation. 
 
 This city is also the location of the Rensselaer school — 
 named after the Hon. Stephen Van Rensselaer of Albany, 
 through whose liberality it was munificently endowed. It is 
 designed to instruct young men in all the modern arts and 
 sciences, and more especially chemistry and geology as bear- 
 ing upon the arts and agriculture. 
 
 The inhabitants of Troy were principally from New Eng- 
 land. If the original settlers were not distinguished for their 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 247 
 
 SCHENECTADY. 
 
 literary character, they have ever sustained a high reputation 
 for their industry and success in business. Many are now 
 very wealthy. Society has rapidly advanced. Great liberality 
 is exhibited in the way of public improvements. Troy is a 
 beautiful spot, and considering its thrift, its industry, its en- 
 ergetic and enterprising population, and its yearly improving 
 state of society, it is among the most desirable residences in 
 the State of New York. 
 
 The Erie canal here enters the Hudson, giving to the 
 place many of the advantages which Albany enjoys, in con- 
 sequence of that magnificent channel of intercourse with the 
 West. Immense quantities of lumber, flour, grain, wool, 
 beef, pork, &,c. besides manufactured goods, are shipped to 
 New York, New Jersey, and Boston. Steamboats daily as- 
 cend and descend the Hudson, from this place, while a great 
 number of passage, or " packet" boats, and freight, or " line" 
 boats, as they are called, are continually arriving and de- 
 parting. The manufacture of flour here amounts to one or 
 two hundred thousand barrels. Its other manufacturing 
 establishments are numerous, and on an extensive scale. 
 
 SCHENECTADY. 
 
 The name of this city is said to be of Indian origin, being 
 derived from Schenectadea, or Pine-Wood Landing, a phrase 
 used by the Indians to designate a considerable extent of 
 country, of which the present city of Schenectady forms a 
 part. The name of the spot on which Schenectady stands 
 was Ohnowalagantle. 
 
 The city is pleasantly situated, on a fertile plain on the 
 south-east side of the Mohawk river. It is fifteen and a half 
 miles north-west from Albany. It is bounded, on the east 
 and south-east, by a range of hills of moderate elevation, and 
 of rather a light sandy soil. On the west of the city and 
 the Mohawk, the country is spread out into considerable ex- 
 tensive flats, possessing a soil of great fertility, and under a 
 high state of cultivation. 
 
 The city is laid out with great regularity ; most of its 
 streets intersecting each other at right angles, and dividing 
 the area into squares. 
 
248 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 SCHENECTADY. 
 
 The houses are, for the most part, constructed of brick ; 
 and though, owing to the great intervals of time at which 
 some of them were built, there has been so great a mixture 
 of the ancient and modern styles of architecture as greatly 
 to impair the beauty of the city, reviewed as a whole, yet 
 many private houses have an air of much comfort and ele- 
 gance. The ancient edifices are, however, yearly being dis- 
 placed, and their sites are occupying with buildings in more 
 modern style. 
 
 Union College, for its importance as a literary institution, 
 deserves particular notice. It is situated east of the com- 
 pact part of the city, on an eminence which affords, particu- 
 larly on the west, an extensive and delightful prospect. The 
 city, flanked, on the north-east and south-west, by luxuriant 
 meadows and pasture land — beyond these, on the west, the 
 beautiful Mohawk, gliding calmly along — farther on, the 
 rich and variegated flats, terminated by a range of regular 
 and not very high hills — form, when beheld from the College, 
 one of the most charming landscapes in nature. 
 
 Union College was incorporated in 1794, and was so 
 named from the union of several religious denominations in 
 its establishment. 
 
 The plan of the College edifices, as drawn by M. Ramee, 
 a celebrated French architect, for its beauty and adaptation 
 to the purposes for which it was designed, is highly credita- 
 ble to the taste and judgment of that artist. Only two of the 
 eight large edifices of the original plan, have yet been com- 
 pleted. These afford rooms for the accommodation of about 
 200 students, and tenements for the families of the President 
 and Professors. 
 
 The institution possesses a library, cabinet, philosophical 
 and chemical apparatus, &c. Besides a president, it has 10 
 professors; about 2,300 alumni, of whom 350 have been 
 ministers of the gospel. The College enjoys a high reputa- 
 tion under its distinguished president, Dr. Nott. In the libra- 
 ries are about 13,500 volumes, of which that of the College 
 contains about 5,000. 
 
 The Erie Canal crosses the north part near the Hudson, 
 but on account of the circuitous route, and the numerous 
 locks between this place and Albany, much of the navigation 
 stops here. Packet boats run hence in numerous lines to 
 Utica, and on as far as Buffalo, and many still extend to 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 249 
 
 SCHENECTADY. 
 
 Albany. Thus a vast amount of merchandise annually 
 passes through the city. The Albany and Schenectady rail 
 road greatly facilitates the communication with the Hudson ; 
 and this with the Saratoga and Schenectady rail road, have 
 rendered Schenectady the great thoroughfare for travellers 
 to the springs. Numerous lines of stage coaches also pass 
 through this city. Recently a rail road connecting this city 
 with Utica, has been constructed along the valley of the Mo- 
 hawk. The passage, 80 miles, is performed in four hours. 
 
 Schenectady is more interesting from the associations of 
 its early history, than for its present magnitude, or im- 
 portance, as a city. It is one of the oldest Dutch settlements 
 in the State of New York. Its early inhabitants suffered all 
 the miseries and hardships that can be supposed to have at- 
 tended upon their exposed situation and slender means of 
 subsistence. Not powerful by their number ; at a consider- 
 able distance from their civilized countrymen ; with scarce- 
 ly any thing for their defence ; they were almost continually, 
 during many years, falling victims to savage treachery and 
 barbarity. 
 
 " In the year 1690, Schenectady was destroyed by a party 
 of Canadian French and Indians, most of them Mohawks, 
 whom the French had seduced from their attachment to the 
 English. This party consisted of three hundred men, and 
 was one of three, sent by Count De Frontenac to distress 
 the British colonies. The other two proceeded against 
 New Hampshire, and the Province of Maine, where one of 
 them, under Hertel De Rouville, destroyed Dover. The 
 body, which attacked Schenectady, was commanded, ac- 
 cording to Colden, by Monsieur De Ourville ; according to 
 Dr. Trumbull, (for which he quoted the letters of Colonel 
 Schuyler and Captain Bull,) by D'Aillebout, DeMantel, and 
 Le Moyn. The Mohawks were, or had lately been inhabi- 
 tants of Caghnawaga, a village up the river, about 25 miles 
 from Schenectady. Of course, they had been familiarly ac- 
 quainted with the town, and often entertained by its citizens. 
 The French were chiefly what are called Indian traders. 
 They arrived in the neighborhood on the 8th of February, 
 when the season was so cold, and the snow so deep, that it 
 was thought to be impossible for an enemy to approach. 
 The French commander sent some of the Indians, as spies, 
 to discover the state of the town. These men were seen 
 
250 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 lurking in the neighborhood ; and this fact was publicly an- 
 nounced ; but the people were so satisfied of their safety, 
 that they paid no regard to the information. Not even a 
 sentinel was employed to watch the advent of the supposed 
 enemy. This negligence was fatal to them. The French 
 afterwards confessed, that they were so reduced by cold, 
 hunger, and fatigue, as to have formed the resolution to sur- 
 render themselves prisoners, if they found the least prepara- 
 tion for resistance. But, learning from the spies, that the 
 town was perfectly defenceless and secure, they marched 
 into its centre the following evening, raised the war-whoop ; 
 and, having divided themselves into little parties, broke 
 open the houses, set them on fire, and butchered every man, 
 woman and child, on whom they could lay hands. No 
 tongue, says Colonel Schuyler, can express the cruelties 
 which they committed. Some of the inhabitants sought for 
 safety in flight ; and ran naked through the snow into the 
 fields and forests. Others endeavored to hide themselves 
 within the town from the fury of their murderers ; but were 
 forced from their retreats by the flames, and either killed or 
 carried into captivity. Sixty-three were butchered in this in- 
 human manner. Twenty-seven more were made prisoners. 
 Of those who escaped, twenty-five lost their limbs by the 
 severity of the cold."* 
 
 UTICA. 
 
 The city of Utica stands on the south side of the Mo- 
 hawk, in the north-east part of the charming valley, which 
 is made by the river Mohawk, the Oriskany and the Sa- 
 daghqueda or Saquoit (saw-qua) creeks. It was formerly 
 called Old Fort Schuyler, from a military post of that name 
 established here, to complete the chain of communication 
 between Fort Stanwix (from which it was distant about six- 
 teen miles north-east) and Schenectady. 
 
 This tract of country, now so delightful and so exuber- 
 ant, does not appear to have attracted the attention of the 
 
 * Dwight's Travels, vol. 2. 
 

 
 
 
 
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FAMILY TOURIST. 253 
 
 Dutch sufficiently to form a settlement in it, since it is well 
 known to have remained an unbroken wilderness, till the 
 year 1784, when Hugh White, an emigrant from Middle- 
 town, in Connecticut, with the spirit and courage which 
 had a few years before characterized Boon, of Kentucky, 
 first planted himself in the neighborhood. He entered a 
 log habitation at the present village of Whitesborough, 
 about four miles west of Old Fort Schuyler, and in what 
 was then known as the county of Montgomery, embracing 
 the whole region west of the county of Albany. In two or 
 three years after, the towns of Clinton and New Hartford 
 were begun to be settled by emigrants from the eastern 
 States ; and, in the year 1789, John Post, Uriah Alverson, 
 Stephen Potter, and others, formed a settlement at Old 
 Fort Schuyler, the prosperity of which was soon deter- 
 mined by laying out a road through the extensive wilder- 
 ness from Canandaigua, " The Chosen Place" (now Can- 
 andaigua,) to the Mohawk. This road was opened in 1796, 
 and intersected the river near Old Fort Schuyler. The 
 settlement now increased rapidly, and two years afterwards 
 it was incorporated as a village, with its present name, 
 Utica. For many years the country around went by the 
 name of Whitestown, after Mr. White, and to this day, by 
 the aged, it is spoken of only as the " Whitestown Country." 
 
 An incident occurred in the family of Mr. White, soon 
 after his settlement at the West, which is still related by the 
 family, and which in the original form was told to Colonel 
 McKenney, by a son of Mr. White, and by the former has 
 been sketched in his " Tour to the Lakes." 
 
 " One evening, while Mr. White, the father, was absent, 
 and only Mrs. White, her little son and daughter, were at 
 home, they were alarmed on seeing in the woods three In- 
 dians coming in the direction of the house ; but on per- 
 ceiving one of them to be Skenandoah, who was known to 
 them, their fears were in a measure quieted. On arriving, 
 they addressed the mother, and said, ' We have called to 
 ask you for your little daughter to take home with us to- 
 night ! ' The request startled Mrs. White — she knew not 
 what answer to give ; for it was part of the business of Mr. 
 White on all occasions, to conciliate the Indians, and by all 
 the means in his power. To refuse the request, she feared 
 would excite them ; and to grant it, would be to jeopard the 
 
254 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 liberty, if not the life of her child ! At the critical moment, 
 and while the Indians were waiting for a reply, the father 
 came in. The request was repeated to him, when he instant- 
 ly granted it. The mother was overwhelmed with surprise, 
 and felt all the horrors that may be conceived under such 
 circumstances. But she was silent. The little girl was 
 brought out, and delivered over to these Indians, who lived 
 some ten or twelve miles distant. They took her by the 
 hand and led her through the woods, stopping only long 
 enough to say, ' when the sun is so high in the morning,' 
 pointing to a certain elevation in the heavens, ' we will re- 
 turn her.' Mrs. White had heard that Indians were base 
 and treacherous; and considered her little daughter as 
 having been given in sacrifice to save the family. Mr. W. 
 explained his reason for yielding up the child ; but the 
 mother, still anxious and doubting, gave way only to grief. 
 The night was long and sleepless. The day at last broke, 
 but upon eyes that had not been closed, and brought with 
 it increased anxiety. The sun rose — and the anxiety of 
 the family rose with it. At last he reached the point in the 
 heavens, which had been referred to for the period of the 
 child's return, when the anxious and afflicted mother ex- 
 claimed, — * there they are!' Skenandoah and his com- 
 panions, faithful to their promise, were on the spot, and the 
 little girl, gay and smiling, and dressed out in all the finery 
 of which an Indian lodge could boast, delighted both with 
 her visit and her trinkets. 
 
 " You may feel anxious to know," observes Colonel Mc- 
 Kenney, addressing himself to a friend, " what was the ob- 
 ject of those Indians, in this extraordinary movement. I 
 will tell you. Mr. White had gone among them, and settled 
 in their country. He had promised to be friendly — he had 
 smoked the pipe of peace with these people, a most sacred 
 and binding obligation with them, and which they never vio- 
 late. But so had others, and these promises and that pledge 
 in them had been alike disregarded. There was no founda- 
 tion left for their confidence ; ' the white man,' said they, ' is 
 deceitful.' Their object was to test the confidence of this 
 family in them ; and this was their method of deciding the 
 question. ' Give us your child ! ' If, as they doubtless 
 reasoned among themselves, they trust us with their daughter, 
 they will prove that they have confidence in us : and we will 
 then know how to trust them. If they refuse our request, 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 255 
 
 then we shall know that they doubt our sincerity, and this 
 will convince us that they have none themselves. Mr. White 
 fortunately understood the Indian character ; but had not had 
 their object explained to him. This was a secret with the 
 Indians. But he knew that their confidence, when once es- 
 tablished, is ever after hard to be shaken ; and concluded, as 
 a rational man would, that to show confidence in them, was 
 the most direct way to secure it for himself. But the hazard 
 was great; the trial was severe; and not unlike the demand 
 of old, made by the Master of Life to Abraham, to * take his 
 son, his only son Isaac, and offer him,' &c. 
 
 " From that hour the family experienced nothing but a 
 succession of the kindest offices on the part of the Indians, 
 and one uninterrupted scene of friendship ; and so united 
 did the Indians become in all the interests of the family, that 
 they stood always ready to promote them ; and as to security, 
 they never felt more secure than when surrounded by these 
 people. Skenandoah, in particular, continued intimate with 
 this family to his death. Mr. White died in 1812, at the age 
 of 80 years. He was a venerable man, respected and be- 
 loved by all who knew him."* 
 
 From the period when Utica was incorporated, until the 
 completion of the middle section of the Erie canal, its aug- 
 mentation, though substantial, was not remarkably rapid. In 
 1813, it numbered only 1,700 inhabitants. It was, however, 
 the centre of intercourse between the lakes and the cities of 
 Schenectady and Albany ; the Mohawk river affording a tol- 
 erable communication with the former place. The great 
 western turnpike from Albany to Buffalo, also offered great 
 facilities for inland commerce, and Utica became the deposit 
 of products of the northern, southern, and western back 
 country. But when the great channel of intercourse 
 between lake Erie and the Hudson river approached its con- 
 summation, the business, wealth, and population of the place 
 rapidly increased, and it is now become one of the most 
 flourishing and substantial towns in the State. 
 
 In the year 1793, the first mail west of Canajoharie was 
 transported, by Simeon Pool, from that place to Whitestown, 
 in pursuance of an arrangement of the Post Office Depart- 
 
 * McKenney's Tour to the Lakes. 
 
256 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 ment, that the inhabitants along the route should convey it 
 at their own expense. The distance was fifty miles, and 
 twenty-eight hours were allowed the post-rider to complete 
 it. This contract soon passed into the hands of the late 
 Jason Parker, Esq., a man of much enterprise, who was the 
 founder of the great lines of stages, which now traverse this 
 country in every direction. To his activity, Utica is largely 
 indebted for her extraordinary facilities of intercourse with 
 every part of the State. At the time of his decease, in 1830, 
 there were twelve weekly, semi-weekly, or daily lines run- 
 ning southerly and northerly. One hundred and eight regu- 
 lar stages left the place, and about sixty mails arrived and 
 departed, weekly. In addition to these conveyances by land 
 for the mails and travellers, there are several lines of packet 
 boats on the Erie canal, which leave Utica daily for Schenec- 
 tady ; and also several for Buffalo, and intermediate places 
 on the route. These boats are commodious and pleasant, 
 accommodating comfortably from thirty-five to forty pas- 
 sengers.* 
 
 The canal level is 425 feet above the tide water at Albany. 
 The central street of the city is distant from Albany, by 
 post-road, 96 miles; by the canal, 110 miles : from Buffalo, 
 on lake Erie, by the post-road, 202 miles ; by the canal, 
 253 : from Oswego, the southern port of lake Ontario, with 
 which it communicates by the Erie and Oswego and Erie 
 canals, 84 miles. The city is nearly the geographical centre 
 of the State. In 1794, the place contained nineteen fami- 
 lies : in 1830, the return from the census was 8,500. Its 
 present population is estimated at 14,000. The city charter 
 was granted by the legislature of the State, February, 1832. 
 The charter is remarkable for being the first ever granted in 
 the State, in which the licensing of shops for retailing ardent 
 spirit is expressly prohibited. The city is regularly built ; 
 its streets are broad, straight and commodious, and the build- 
 ings generally handsome. Few places have increased with 
 greater rapidity ; or for its size, or age, contains more 
 wealth, or more institutions which have for their object the 
 relief of the poor, the improvement of morals, or the 
 cultivation of literature and science. A vast quantity of 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 257 
 
 ROCHESTER. 
 
 cotton and woollen goods are yearly manufactured in the 
 immediate vicinity. The canal commerce of Utica alone is 
 extensive, while the tolls paid on clearances received at and 
 passing Utica are annually about one million of dollars. The 
 principal manufacturing district is the beautiful valley of the 
 Sadaghqueda — a territory of ten miles square, having Utica 
 for its north-east corner, and the river Mohawk for its north- 
 erly line. Here, on the stream from which the valley takes 
 its name, are several large cotton manufacturing establish- 
 ments, which produce annually cloth of more than half a 
 million of dollars in value. Connected with these factories 
 are others of various kinds. 
 
 At Utica is located a Lunatic Asylum, which is a State 
 institution. It was opened for the admission of patients in 
 1843, and is under the control of a board of managers, ap- 
 pointed by the Senate, upon the nomination of the Governor. 
 It is among the best constructed institutions for the insane in 
 the world ; and is capable of accommodating 500 patients, 
 enabling them to be divided into 12 classes or families for 
 each sex, exclusive of a large chapel, shops, school-rooms, 
 and hospitals. Attached to the asylum is an excellent farm, 
 of about 140 acres, and perhaps no similar institution has ex- 
 hibited more beneficial results of its management. 
 
 ROCHESTER. 
 
 In the progress of our travels, we have arrived at a spot, 
 which, had we visited it in 1810 — thirty- eight years since — 
 not a single house should we have found standing upon it. 
 The Indian may have encamped upon the ground, and pos- 
 sibly may have erected his temporary wigwam there, beside 
 the flowing waters of the Genesee, to listen to the " eternal 
 bass" of the neighboring cataract ; but the white man had 
 not reared his more substantial habitation, or begun those 
 improvements, which his skill and industry and perseverance 
 have since so magnificently wrought. Or, had we delayed 
 our visit till 1812, we should have found " but two frame 
 dwellings here, small and rude enough, — one of which yet 
 remains to remind us of the change since the period when 
 the occupants of those shantees had to contend against wild 
 17 
 
258 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 ROCHESTER. 
 
 beasts,* for the scanty crop of corn first raised in a tract now 
 included in the heart of the city." But, selecting some ap- 
 propriate elevation, cast your eyes abroad, and here you see 
 a city has risen, as it were, in a night, embracing a popula- 
 tion of • 0,000 souls ; and their number is increasing every 
 day, — while habitations, stores, shops, manufactories, by 
 hundreds, are annually erecting, to accommodate the " im- 
 migrants" to this Western Metropolis. 
 
 * In a valuable and highly interesting work, " Sketches of Rochester — 
 by Henry O'Reilly," — to which work the author in this place ac- 
 knowledges his indebtedness for whatever may be interesting in rela- 
 tion to this city — the following sketches of a thrilling adventure is 
 given in illustration of the remark quoted above : 
 
 Two frame buildings had been erected, one of which was occupied by 
 Isaac Stone, the other by Enos Stone. 
 
 " It was in the fall of 1811, that Enos Stone had a patch of corn, about 
 six acres in extent. His corn patch was on the east and south sides of 
 his little dwelling, which stood near the bank of the river, beside the 
 fording place. Provisions were exceedingly scarce, and not to be had 
 at any price, except to prevent starvation. Mr.'Stone looked upon his 
 cornfield with anxiety, knowing well the extent of his dependence upon 
 it for the then approaching winter. Towards the ripening of the precious 
 crop, he found that much would be lost from the depredations of the 
 wild beasts ; and at length he began to tremble for the whole field, when 
 he found that a she bear had commenced devastations upon it, destroy- 
 ing far more than she devoured. For a while he kept her at bay by 
 leaving out his dog ; till, at length, the emboldened creature would 
 chase the dog even to the door step. Finding that something must be 
 done ; that he could not hope for half a crop, if such depredations con- 
 tinued ; and that he could not sleep with such an animal prowling about 
 his dwelling ; Mr. Stone turned out with a boy and a trusty gun, to at- 
 tack the intruder, about two o'clock, one morning. The bear then took 
 refuge in a tree, whence she was soon dislodged by the smoke of a fire 
 kindled beneath. She fell near Mr. Stone, and after a short contest with 
 him and his boy and dog, fled to another tree. She was dislodged from 
 this and three other trees by kindling fires beneath — when, more pow- 
 der being obtained from a neighbor, (the first two shots proving ineffect- 
 ual, and exhausting all his own powder,) Mr. Stone had the satisfaction 
 of seeing his annoyer disabled to such a degree as to fall from the tree. 
 But, though fallen, the bear was unconquered still ; and, when no longer 
 able to stand, the ferocious brute fought upon her haunches, like that 
 redoubted soldier, who, 
 
 * When his legs were cutted off, did fight upon the stumps ! ' 
 
 She kept the dog at bay, and parried the blows of her assailants, with a 
 degree of skill not unworthy of a professional boxer. But her shaggy 
 hide soon became the trophy of him whose cornfield she had measurably 
 devastated." 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 259 
 
 ROCHESTER. 
 
 In 1810, Rochester was a desert. " The first allotments 
 for a village were made in 1812 ; when Nathaniel Rochester, 
 Charles H. Carroll, and William Fitzhurgh, surveyed the 
 ' Hundred Acre Tract ' for settlement, under the name of 
 1 Rochester.' The above tract, according to the work al- 
 ready cited, was land which two men by the name of Phelps 
 and Gorham deeded to Indian Allen in 1790, on considera- 
 tion of having a mill erected to accommodate the few settlers 
 in the surrounding country. It was part of a larger tract of 
 twelve by twenty-four miles, on the west side of the Genesee, 
 which Phelps and Gorham had previously obtained from the 
 Indians for the purpose of a mill-yard ! It had passed from 
 Allen into the possession of Sir William Pultney, from the 
 agent of whose estate (Charles Williamson) it was purchased 
 in 1812, for $ 17 50 per acre, by the persons who thus made 
 arrangements for founding a village upon it." 
 
 " Two other tracts adjoining the mill-lot, and laid out also 
 in 1812, together with a tract laid out in 1816, were in- 
 cluded with the primitive settlement in the boundaries as - - 
 signed to Rochester by the law which created it a village in 
 1817. Some of the land on the east side of the Genesee, in 
 Rochester, (the Hundred Acre Tract being on the west side,) 
 was sold by Phelps and Gorham, in 1790, for eighteen pence 
 an acre." 
 
 " In 1813,* there were three houses built and occupied 
 
 * It is related by the author of " Sketches of Rochester," as an evi- 
 dence of the condition of the place the above year, that the Senecas 
 here held, in the month of January, their feast of" Sacrifice and Thanks- 
 giving." It was indeed their last — the winding up of those pagan and 
 unhallowed rites, which perhaps for centuries had been observed — of- 
 ferings to the god of this world, and evidence of the ignorance and de- 
 basement to which they had sunk. In a few years, on this very spot, 
 the temples of the Living God would point their spires to heaven, and 
 thousands within their consecrated walls would offer the " sacrifice" of 
 penitential sorrow for sin, and a song of '• thanksgiving" for deliver- 
 ance from the bondage of the prince of darkness. 
 
 The Author thus describes the ceremonial of the Senecas : 
 ** Preparations were made at the council-house, or other place of meet- 
 ing, for the accommodation of the tribe during the ceremonial. Nine 
 days was the period, and two white dogs the number and kind of ani- 
 mals formerly required for the festival ; though in these latter days of 
 reform and retrenchment, (for the prevailing spirit had reached even the 
 wigwams and the altars of the Senecas,) the time has been curtailed to 
 seven or five days, and a single dog was made the scape-goat to bear 
 
260 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 ROCHESTER. 
 
 on the west side of the river ; these, excepting a mill-race 
 opened by Rochester & Co., were the only improvements in 
 these parts, during the above year. 
 
 In the spring of 1814 — the war between the United States 
 and Great Britain being in progress — Sir James Yeo, with a 
 fleet of thirteen vessels, appeared off the mouth of the Gen- 
 esee, threatening the destruction of the rude improvements 
 in and around Rochester. Messengers were despatched to 
 
 away the sin of the tribe ! Two dogs, as nearly white as could be pro- 
 cured, were usually selected from those belonging to the tribe ; and 
 were carefully killed at the door of the council-house by means of 
 strangulation ; for a wound in the animal or an affusion of blood would 
 spoil the victim for the sacrificial purpose. The dogs were then fan- 
 tastically painted with various colors, decorated with feathers, and sus- 
 pended about twenty feet high, at the council-house or near the centre 
 of the camp. The ceremonial is then commenced, and the five, seven, 
 or nine days of its continuance are marked by feasting and dancing, as 
 well as by sacrifice and consultation. Two select bands, one of men 
 and another of women, ornamented with trinkets and feathers, and each 
 person furnished with an ear of corn in the right hand, dance in a circle 
 around the council-fire, which is kindled for the occasion, and regulate 
 their steps by rude music. Hence they proceed to every wigwam 
 in the camp; and, in like manner, dance in a circle around each fire. 
 Afterward, on another day, several men clothe themselves in the skins 
 of wild beasts, cover their faces with hideous masks, and their hands 
 with the shell of the tortoise, and in this garb they go among the wig- 
 wams, making horrid noises, taking the fuel from the fire, and scattering 
 the embers and ashes about the floor, for the purpose of driving away 
 evil spirits. The persons performing these operations are supposed not 
 only to drive off the evil spirit, but to concentrate within themselves all 
 the sins of the tribe. These sins are afterwards all transferred into one of 
 their own number, who, by some magical dexterity or sleight-of-hand, 
 works off from himself into the dogs the concentrated wickedness of the 
 tribe ! The scape-goat dogs are then placed on a pile of wood, to which fire 
 is applied, while the surrounding crowd throw tobacco or other incense 
 upon the flame, the scent of which is deemed to co-operate with the 
 sacrifice of the animals, in conciliating the favor of Nauwanew or the 
 Great Spirit. When the dogs are partly consumed, one is taken off 
 and put into a large kettle, with vegetables of various kinds, and all 
 around devour the contents of the ' reeking caldron.' After this, the 
 Indians perform the dances of war and peace, and smoke the calumet : 
 then, free from wickedness, they repair to their respective places of 
 ab^de, prepared for the events of the new year. 
 
 " The wild spot where these pagan rites were performed only twenty- 
 six years ago, has been transformed for the purposes of civilized man, 
 and is now surrounded or covered by some of the fairest mansions and 
 the noblest temples of Western New York." — Whence, one naturally 
 asks, did the Senecas derive this ceremonial ? Could it be that it was 
 handed down by tradition, through some untraceable channel, from the 
 days of him who received the " ceremonial law" on the top of Sinai? 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 261 
 
 ROCHESTER. 
 
 arouse the people in the surrounding country, for defence 
 against the threatened attack. 
 
 " At this time, there were but thirty-three people in Roch- 
 ester capable of bearing arms. This little band threw up a 
 breastwork called Fort Bender, near the Deep Hollow, be- 
 side the Lower Falls, and hurried down to the junction of the 
 Genesee and lake Ontario, five miles north of the present 
 city limits, where the enemy threatened to land ; leaving be- 
 hind them two old men, with some young lads, to remove 
 the women and children into the woods, in case the British 
 should attempt to land for the capture of the provisions, and 
 destruction of the bridge at Rochester, &c. Francis Brown 
 and Elisha Ely acted as captains, and Isaac W. Stone, as 
 Major, of the Rochester forces, which were strengthened by 
 the additions that could be made from this thinly settled re- 
 gion. Though the equipments and discipline of these troops 
 would not form a brilliant picture for a warlike eye, their 
 very awkwardness in those points, coupled as it was with 
 their sagacity and courage, accomplished more, perhaps,than 
 could have been effected by a larger force of regular troops, 
 bedizzened with the trappings of military pomp. The mili- 
 tia thus hastily collected were marched and countermarched, 
 disappearing in the woods at one point, and suddenly emerg- 
 ing elsewhere, so as to impress the enemy with the belief 
 that the force collected for defence was far greater than it ac- 
 tually was. (The circumstances here related are substan- 
 tially as mentioned to the writer by one who was then and is 
 now a resident of Rochester.) An officer with a flag of 
 truce was sent from the British fleet. A militia officer 
 marched down with ten of the most soldierlike men to re- 
 ceive him on Lighthouse Point. These militia men carried 
 their guns upright, as might be consistent with their plan of 
 being ready for action by keeping hold of the triggers ! The 
 British officer was astonished : he ' looked unutterable 
 things.' ' Sir,' said he, 'do you receive a flag of truce un- 
 der arms, with cocked triggers ? ' ' Excuse me, excuse me, 
 sir : we backwoodsmen are not well versed in military tac- 
 tics,' replied the American officer, who promptly sought to 
 rectify his error by ordering his men to 'ground arms ! ' — 
 The Briton was still more astonished ; and, after delivering a 
 brief message, immediately departed for the fleet, indicating 
 by his countenance a suspicion that the ignorance of tactics, 
 which he had witnessed, was all feigned for the occasion, so 
 
262 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 ROCHESTER. 
 
 as to deceive the British Commodore into a snare ! Shortly 
 afterwards, on the same day, another officer came ashore with 
 a flag of truce for farther parley, as the British were evident- 
 ly too suspicious of stratagem to attempt a hostile landing, 
 if there was any possibility of compromising for the spoils. 
 Capt. Francis Brown was deputed with a guard to receive 
 the last flag of truce. The British officer looked suspicious- 
 ly upon him and upon his guard ; and after some conversa- 
 tion, familiarly grasped the pantaloons of Capt. B. about the 
 knee, remarking, as he firmly handled it, ' Your cloth is too 
 good to be spoiled by such a bungling tailor,' alluding to the 
 width and clumsy aspect of that garment. Brown was quick- 
 witted, as well as resolute, and replied jocosely, that he was 
 prevented from dressing fashionably by his haste that morn- 
 ing, to salute such distinguished visiters ! The Briton ob- 
 viously imagined that Brown was a regular officer of the 
 American army, whose regimentals were masked by clumsy 
 over clothes. The proposition was then made, that, if the 
 Americans would deliver up the provisions and military 
 stores, which might be in and around Rochester, or 
 Charlotte, Sir James Yeo would spare the settlements 
 from destruction. 'Will you comply with the officer?' 
 'Blood knee deepjirst!' was the emphatic reply of Francis 
 Brown. 
 
 11 While this parley was in progress, an American officer, 
 with his staff, returning from the Niagara frontier, was acci- 
 dentally seen passing from one wooded point to another; 
 and this with other circumstances, afforded to the British, 
 ' confirmation strong' that their suspicions were well found- 
 ed ; that there was a considerable American army collected ; 
 and that the Yankee officers pretended ignorance for the pur- 
 pose of entrapping ashore the Commodore and his forces ! 
 The return of the last flag to the fleet was followed by a vig- 
 orous attack in bombs and balls, while the compliment was 
 spiritedly returned, not without some effect on at least one 
 of the vessels, by a rusty old six pounder, which had been 
 furnished and mounted on a log for the important occasion. 
 After a few hours spent in this unavailing manner, Admiral 
 Yeo run down to Pultneyville, about 20 miles eastward of 
 Genesee river, where, on learning how they had been outwit- 
 ted and deterred from landing by such a handful of militia, 
 their mortification could scarcely restrain all hands from a 
 hearty laugh at the ' Yankee trick.' " 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 263 
 
 ROCHESTER. 
 
 On the close of the war, during which an effectual stop 
 had been put to nearly every begun and certainly every con- 
 templated improvement, the courage, enterprise, and indus- 
 try of the interested again revived. 
 
 ""In 1815, Hervey Ely, Josiah Bissell, and Elisha Ely, fin- 
 ished the 'red mill,' (afterwards called the Hydraulic Build- 
 ing, and now burnt,) Samuel Hildreth, of Pittsford, com- 
 menced running a stage with a mail twice a week between 
 Rochester and Canandaigua; and a private weekly mail 
 route was established between Rochester and Lewiston, de- 
 pendent for support on the income of the post-offices on the 
 route. 
 
 "In 1816, the first religious society (Presbyterian) was 
 formed, consisting of 16 members — a small paper, called the 
 Rochester Gazette, was commenced — a mill-race was finish- 
 ed by Brown and Mumford, and a cotton factory was com- 
 menced on the Frankfort Tract, — a tavern was opened by 
 Abelard Reynolds on the ' Hundred Acre Tract,' Buffalo 
 street — a commencement was made in the business of pur- 
 chasing produce from the neighboring country. The popu- 
 lation, numbering 331 at the beginning of the year, was not 
 ascertained at the close." 
 
 The real prosperity of Rochester may be said to take date 
 in 1817, at which time it was invested with village privileges 
 by an act of the Legislature ; and so rapidly had it in- 
 creased by 1834, that it was deemed important to its welfare, 
 to be erected into a city. Accordingly, this latter year, it 
 received a charter. The first mayor was Jonathan Child, 
 who, on the occasion of his inauguration, among other re- 
 marks, made the following on the growth and prosperity of 
 the city : 
 
 " The rapid progress which our place has made, from a 
 wilderness to an incorporated city," said the Mayor, " author- 
 izes each of our citizens proudly to reflect upon the agency 
 he has had in bringing about this great and interesting 
 change. Rochester, we all know, has had little aid in its 
 permanent improvement from foreign capital. It has been 
 settled and built, for the most part, by mechanics, and mer- 
 chants, whose capital was Economy, Industry, and Perse- 
 verance. It is their labor and skill, which has converted a 
 wilderness into a city; and to them, surely, this must be a 
 day of pride and joy. They have founded and reared a city 
 
264 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 ROCHESTER. 
 
 before they have passed the meridian of life. In other coun- 
 tries and times, the city of Rochester would have been the 
 result of the labor and accumulations of successive genera- 
 tions ; but the men who felled the forest, that grew on 
 the spot where we are assembled, are sitting at the coun- 
 cil board of our city. Well, then, may we indulge an 
 honest pride, as we look back upon our history, and let the 
 review elevate our hopes, and animate our exertions. To- 
 gether we have struggled through the hardships of an infant 
 settlement, and the embarrassments of straitened circumstan- 
 ces ; and together let us rejoice and be happy, in the glorious 
 reward that has crowned our labors." 
 
 "The formation of religious institutions was commenced 
 about the year 1816, when there were about 331 inhabitants, 
 by the organization of a Church and the settlement of a cler- 
 gyman, — Rev. Comfort Williams. The communicants of 
 this first Church were but sixteen in number, and these were 
 scattered about the country — some of them residing on the 
 Ridge Road in the town of Brighton and Greece. The first 
 permanent religious edifices were erected about 1822, — the 
 three previously erected having been temporary buildings 
 of wood. The few years which have passed since then have 
 been wonderfully eventful in its ecclesiastical affairs. — 
 There are now not less than twenty-two religious societies, 
 whose structures embellish the appearance of the city, while 
 their spirituality extends a hallowed influence over its social 
 relations. Seminaries and societies of value in literature 
 and science, and Sabbath schools effecting much good with 
 little means, indicate that there are here actively in opera- 
 tion such causes as have rendered New-England celebrated 
 in the annals of education — illustrious in the empire of the 
 mind." 
 
 The people of Rochester, appreciating the importance of 
 education, as intimately connected with the order, industry, 
 and morality of their city, have with laudable zeal and on a 
 liberal scale, furnished the means of intellectual improve- 
 ment. There is the Rochester High School — the Roches- 
 ter Female Academy — the Alexander Street Female Semi- 
 nary, each of which has a handsome and commodious build- 
 ing, and able and accomplished instructors — besides which 
 there are eighteen select schools, and thirteen common 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 265 
 
 ROCHESTER. 
 
 schools, and not less than twenty Sabbath schools. The 
 benefits of the higher schools are taken advantage of by the 
 surrounding country, and pupils even from Canada resort 
 here for instruction. 
 
 " The business of Rochester may be estimated by a few 
 facts. This city is interested by a larger extent than any 
 other in the carrying trade of the Erie canal, — the great 
 thoroughfare between the seaboard and the inland waters. 
 About one half of the whole amount of stock in all the trans- 
 portation lines on that water way is owned or controlled by 
 its citizens. Rochester is to the canal what Buffalo is to 
 the lakes. The staple product is remarkable for its quanti- 
 ty as well as quality. The celebrity of the Genesee wheat 
 is increased by the skill with which it is here prepared for 
 market. Rochester is already, not merely the best, but the 
 largest flour manufactory in the world. 
 
 " In various departments of manufactures, such as edge 
 tools, carpeting, fire-engines, firearms, cloths, leather, paper, 
 pianos, &c, considerable energy is manifested. 
 
 11 The style of the structures, public and private, is indica- 
 tive of the good sense and correct taste of the citizens. It 
 may readily be inferred, that among a people so prosperous 
 in business of such varied and important character, the com- 
 forts of good dwellings and tastefully arranged premises are 
 largely appreciated and enjoyed. A degree of architectural 
 taste and solid construction has been strikingly evinced in 
 most of the larger dwellings erected within a few years past. 
 The smaller buildings, which men of moderate means are en- 
 couraged to erect through the facilities of obtaining suitable 
 materials, are generally neat and comfortable. Instead of 
 wooden buildings, such as might be expected in a newly set- 
 tled ' wooden country,' — buildings cheaply erected and 
 serving well enough perhaps for a generation, — the congre- 
 gations have generally preferred to erect massive edifices, 
 chiefly of stone — distinguished for size and beauty as well 
 as solidity. 
 
 " The public edifices and most of the manufactories and 
 stores are erected of stone or brick. The law has for some 
 years forbidden the construction of wooden buildings within 
 certain limits ; and care is used to render fire proof some of 
 the most valuable structures. 
 
266 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 ROCHESTER. 
 
 " The immense facilities, for trade and intercourse fur- 
 nished to Rochester by canals and rail roads, and the benefits 
 flowing from the navigation of the Genesee river, and lake On- 
 tario, may be estimated by any one who is capable of compre- 
 hending the range of improvement now in progress, as well 
 as that already completed. Within three years, if not in 
 two, chains of rail roads will be completed so as to unite 
 Rochester in that way, with the Atlantic, and with a vast 
 territory in the west. The enlargement of the Erie canal, 
 and the construction of the Genesee Valley canal, to be 
 completed in three or four years, will form a new era in our 
 prosperous history — giving invaluable impulses to all branch- 
 es of our business. The works of the general government 
 for improving our intercourse by steamboats with Ontario, 
 have rendered the Port of Rochester an excellent harbor for 
 the largest vessel of the lakes, and will soon be completed 
 at an additional cost of about $ 160,000. The great aque- 
 duct, with its appendages, for the enlarged Erie canal across 
 the Genesee, will also be completed in a couple of years, at an 
 expense to the state of nearly half a million of dollars. The 
 works on all the important improvements now connected 
 with the city, will incidentally prove of great value in various 
 ways." 
 
 We have not yet spoken of the natural advantages which 
 have most essentially contributed to the sudden and deep 
 rooted prosperity of Rochester. The water power of the 
 Genesee may be considered illimitable for all practical pur- 
 poses, when we view the facilities for employing it to the great- 
 est advantage. It may be used at various points along the 
 banks, on both sides of the river, for a space of two miles, 
 between the north and south lines of the city. Within that 
 distance, the aggregate amount of the different falls and 
 rapids of the Genesee is about 260 feet, or a hundred feet 
 more than the perpendicular height of Niagara falls.* 
 
 *" Calculations have been made that the quantity of water generally 
 passing in the Genesee river at Rochester, is about 20,000 cubic feet 
 per minute. The water power has also been estimated as equal to 
 about two thousand steam engines of twenty horse power ; and, esti- 
 mating horse power as valued in England, it has been computed that the 
 hydraulic privileges at Rochester may be made worth ten millions of 
 dollars per annum. Those who made their calculations more than a 
 dozen years ago, did not include more than one half the fall within the 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
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FAMILY TOURIST. 269 
 
 ROCHESTER. 
 
 On these falls and rapids are many large flouring-mills, 
 not surpassed in the world, and numerous other hydraulic 
 works. It is estimated that, independent of the capital invest- 
 ed in the construction of these mills, it requires $2,000,000 
 annually to keep them in operation, and that they produce 
 annually to the amount of $3,500,000. Rochester is finely 
 situated for commerce. Vessels come up the Genesee river 
 from Lake Ontario to Carthage, two and a half miles below 
 the centre of the city, where steamboats arrive and depart 
 daily, and to which there is a railroad from the city- The 
 river is boatable above the city for forty-five miles to Mount 
 Morris. The Erie canal passes centrally through the city r 
 giving it access on the east to Albany, and thence by the 
 Hudson river to New York city ; and west to Buffalo, and 
 thence to the upper lakes and the various regions connected 
 with them by canals. The chain of railroads from Boston 
 to Buffalo passes through it, and gives it a ready access to 
 both these places, and to all others on the route. These 
 facilities for transportation have completed the advantages 
 derived from its immense water-power and the eminently 
 rich agricultural region by which it is surrounded ; which, 
 if it does not yield a sufficiency of wheat for the supply of its 
 
 city limits — for the city includes double the amount of fall, which was 
 contained within the village limits. So that, even by the calculations 
 heretofore made, the value of our water power might be estimated at 
 about double what was formerly stated. But the increased skill with 
 which the water privileges are now being improved — the extent of the 
 fall permitting the water to be used over and over again, in some cases 
 three or four times on the same lot, if required — renders idle all calcula- 
 tions of specific value. With falls and rapids causing a descent of 
 260 feet within the city limits, the water power of the Genesee at 
 Rochester may, for all practical purposes, be considered illimitable. 
 
 " The greatest flood ever known in the Genesee river, occurred in 
 the fall of 1835. Nothing equal to it has occurred within the knowledge 
 of the earliest settlers in Rochester and its vicinity. Although it was 
 unprecedented, it may find frequent parallels; for, as the country 
 becomes better cleared, the water (from the rain or thawing snow) 
 will more suddenly find its way to the river than could be the case from 
 wild land. The influence exercised on the character of many streams 
 by the improvements of the country, is a subject worthy of attention. 
 
 " The greatness of the flood of 1835 may be inferred from the fact, 
 that the quantity of water which then passed, was estimated at two mil- 
 lions one hundred and sixty-four thousand cubic feet per minute ! Im- 
 agination may picture better than pen describe the foaming and roaring 
 of such a mighty flood washing over rapids and falls, forming at Roches- 
 ter a descent about one hundred feet higher than the perpendicular pitch 
 of Niagara."— Sketches of Rochester. 
 
270 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 ROCHESTER. 
 
 mills, it can readily be obtained from the great wheat-growing 
 State of Ohio and the other fertile States of the West. 
 
 Few places on the western continent exhibit such evidences 
 of rapid growth as Rochester. A few statistics will satisfy 
 the reader of the truth of this declaration. Taking the censu < 
 of 1840 as the basis of our statements, we find that there were 
 266 retail dry goods and other stores, with an aggregate capi- 
 tal of $1,238,000. Two lumber-yards, with a capital of 
 $30,000 ; 404 men engaged in the business of internal trans- 
 portation, with 71 butchers, packers, &c, employing a capital 
 of $156,000 ; 53 persons produced machinery to the amount 
 of $48,000; 25 persons manufactured hardware and cutlery 
 to the amount of $5,000 ; 10 persons manufactured 250 small 
 arms ; 14 persons manufactured the precious metals to the 
 amount of $8,000 ; 75 persons manufactured metals to the 
 amount of $95,000; 116 persons produced granite and mar- 
 ble to the amount of $57,000, with a capital of $7,000 ; 4 
 persons manufactured granite and marble to the amount of 
 $5,000 ; 49 persons made bricks and lime to the amount of 
 $14,000 ; 4 fulling-mills and 4 woolen factories employed 
 69 persons, producing to the amount of $50,000, with a capital 
 of $58,016; 1 cotton-mill, with 3,000 spindles, employed 80 
 persons, producing to the amount of $40,000, with a capital 
 of $50,000 ; 58 persons manufactured tobacco to the amount 
 of $73,000, with a capital of $16,000; hats and caps were 
 manufactured to the amount of $44,900, and straw bonnets 
 to the amount of $1,600 — the whole employing 196 persons, 
 and a capital of $22,625 ; 3 tanneries produced 3760 sides 
 of sole-leather and 5,200 sides of upper-leather, employing 
 165 persons and a capital of $128,500; saddlery and other 
 manufactures of leather, produced to the amount of $246,000, 
 with a capital of $50,725; 11 persons produced soap and 
 candles to the amount of $33,500 ; 3 distilleries produced 
 195,000 gallons of distilled spirits, and 3 breweries 204,960 
 gallons of beer — the whole employing 37 persons, and a cap- 
 ital of $60,300 ; 21 persons produced drugs and paints to \h*i 
 amount of $42,000, and turpentine and varnish of $450, wrh 
 a capital of $45,500 ; 2 persons produced glass to the amou::t 
 of $3,000, with a capital of $1,000; 1 pottery, employing ft 
 persons, produced to the amount of $3,500, with a capital of 
 $1,500 ; 16 persons produced confectionary to the amount of 
 $22,700, with a capital of $6,750 ; 2 paper-mills, employing 
 27 persons, produced to the amount of $35,000, with a capital 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 271 
 
 ROCHESTER. 
 
 of $22,500 ; 1 rope-walk, employing 6 persons, produced 
 cordage to the amount of $7,000, with a capital of $5,500 ; 4 
 persons manufactured musical instruments to the amount of 
 $5,000, with a capital of $5,000 ; 84 persons manufactured 
 carriages and wagons to the amount of $70,000, with a capital 
 of $35,500 ; 22 flouring-mills produced 311,665 barrels of 
 flour, and with 8 saw-mills and 1 oil-mill employed 256 per- 
 sons, producing to the amount of $1,841,975, with a capital 
 of $945,000; vessels were built to the amount of $74,200; 
 284 manufactured furniture to the amount of $41,700, with 
 a capital of $113,400 ; 9 printing offices, 1 bindery, 4 daily, 
 5 weekly newspapers, and 2 periodicals, employed 82 persons 
 and a capital of $32,500; 61 brick and 68 wooden houses 
 were builded, employing 418 persons, and cost $401,270. 
 The total employed in manufacturing was $1,963,017. 
 
 Such was Rochester a few years since ; but could the sta- 
 tistics of her manufactures, &c, be accurately stated at this 
 present moment, what an advance would she probably exhibit! 
 No other place in the United States, excepting perhaps Low- 
 ell, in Massachusetts, could furnish another such instance of 
 thrift and expansion. And all this has been the creation of 
 little more than thirty years. In 1813, as we have already 
 stated, three houses were erected ; but at that time no one 
 anticipated such a marvellous growth, and, as an evidence of 
 this, we may remark, that only a few years before, when a 
 proposal was made to the legislature of the State to build a 
 bridge across the Genesee river, it was strongly opposed — a 
 member remarking, " that it was a God-forsaken place, inhab- 
 ited only by straggling trappers, through which neither man 
 nor beast could gallop without fear of starvation or fever and 
 ague." The act to build the bridge passed, but was repro- 
 bated by many, as an extravagant waste of the public money 
 on "such an outlandish and unfrequented spot." But, like 
 the opposers of the Erie canal, many of them probably lived 
 to acknowledge their error.* 
 
 To what we have said of Rochester, we may add, briefly, 
 in respect to several objects of interest in its immediate vicin- 
 ity. The Geneva, which passes through the city, has a fall 
 of nearly 100 feet near the northern extremity. Some years 
 since a singular adventurer, by the name of Sam Patch, made 
 these falls the theatre of his daring exploits. He had experi- 
 
 * M'Culloch's Geographical Dictionary. 
 
272 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 ROCHESTIR. 
 
 mented in other places ; and having come off successful, he 
 conceived the bold and wild project of casting himself down 
 from these heights into the water below. It is not within the 
 writer's recollection how many safe plunges he made, but in 
 repeated instances it was announced that on a certain day he 
 would amuse the public by some such, feat. Thousands were 
 naturally attracted to the spot. The city and neighbouring 
 country were moved ; and how long this most unjustifiable 
 course would have been pursued — countenanced as it was by 
 a curious and unthinking population — it is impossible to say, 
 had not the foolish adventurer's exploits suddenly terminated 
 in an awful catastrophe, which ended his life. A grand 
 plunge had been announced, to exceed in several particulars 
 all that had preceded. The day came, and on the banks of 
 the river a multitude had gathered. At the appointed hour, 
 Patch was ready, and the plunge was made. But it was im- 
 mediately apparent to the horrified spectator, that some evil 
 had befallen him. In previous descents he had braced him- 
 self firmly, and went down feet first, and with the straightness 
 and velocity of an arrow ; but now his motions soon became 
 oscillating — his limbs relaxed — his arms swung by his side — 
 his legs spread — and he fell upon the water a dead man ; or, 
 if perchance life still remained, it became immediately extinct 
 by the violence of the fall. And Bum, which has destroyed 
 so many countless thousands of other immortal beings, was 
 the cause of his death ! That he was a drunkard, the writer 
 cannot affirm ; but that morning, it is said, he had indulged 
 in several glasses,* on the invitation of persons who had come 
 to witness his exploit. Thus was a human being — capable, 
 probably, of accomplishing much good in the world — brought 
 to an untimely death by tempting Providence, urged on as he 
 was by a thoughtless and curious multitude. 
 
 From Rochester the Genesee pursues its way to Lake On- 
 tario, through a deep and, in some places, an awful chasm. 
 At Carthage there is another fall, the descent of which is 70 
 feet in a few yards. The cataract has evidently been retiring 
 for ages, as the gulf below the falls, with its high, perpendic- 
 ular, and rugged banks, is sufficient testimony. 
 
 It must be apparent that few places in this country enjoy 
 such natural advantages as Rochester ; but natural advan- 
 tages alone do not create a city, and such a city : there must 
 be enterprise, skill, perseverance ; and these, it is evident, the 
 population which have clustered to this spot must have pos- 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 273 
 
 sessed in no ordinary degree. Rochester will one day be, in 
 respect to Western New York, what New York herself is to 
 Eastern. Indeed, we may now inquire — using the language 
 of the book, which has enabled us to spread out so charming 
 a view of the thrift and prosperity of the place — " What 
 citizen of Rochester can find any cause for envying the 
 growth or prosperity of any other city, either • Down East,' 
 or in the ■ Far West t ' " 
 
 BUFFALO. 
 
 Buffalo is situated at the east end of lake Erie, and at the 
 head of Niagara river. " As one approaches the city," ob- 
 serves Mr. Greenwood, " a wide spread sheet of water opens 
 to the sight. If the traveller has never seen the ocean, 
 he may here imagine that he sees it. If he has, he will 
 say that it is a sea view that lies before him. As he looks 
 to the west, the horizon only bounds the liquid expanse ; and 
 it is not till he descends to the shore, and marks the peculiar 
 quiet and exact level of the even and sleeping lake, that he 
 will find any thing to remind him that he is not on the coast 
 of the salt and swelling sea." 
 
 Buffalo is west of Albany 284 miles, and distant from 
 Washington 376. Like Rochester, it is of recent origin. 
 
 In 1814, during the late war, it was entirely destroyed by 
 the British, excepting a single house — that of a widow lady. 
 This destruction was by way of retaliation, for the burning 
 of Newark, in Upper Canada, by the Americans. At this 
 time, however, it contained only about 100 houses. Its 
 prosperity dates since the completion of the Erie canal ; 
 and, from that completion, its prosperity has been rapid and 
 surprising. Rochester has, indeed, outstripped it; but from 
 its position, it is designed to increase, forming as it does, 
 and as it must continue to be, the grand emporium of the 
 lake commerce. The Buffalo creek affords mill sites of 
 great importance, and a canal has lately been formed from 
 the falls to the town, on which are important hydraulic 
 works. The harbor of Buffalo is furnished with a lighthouse 
 at the entrance, and has been much improved by art. For- 
 merly, the sand of the lake washed in, and obstructed its 
 18 
 
274 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 mouth ; this has been in a measure prevented by the con- 
 struction of a pier extending into the lake 1000 feet. Buf- 
 falo is a place of great life, enterprise, and activity. Its 
 harbor is thronged with steamboats, and all manner of water 
 craft, as its streets are with travellers, emigrants, and men of 
 business. Lines of steamboats connect this place with De- 
 troit and Cleaveland, touching at the intervening ports. 
 Thousands and ten thousands of emigrants, travellers, and 
 men of business, enter Buffalo, and depart on board her 
 steamboats for the " far west ;" while a vast amount of pro- 
 duce is shipped westward, and thousands of bushels of wheat, 
 and barrels of flour, and other articles, are sent eastward by 
 the Erie canal. 
 
 The main street of Buffalo runs along the ridge of the 
 hill, which overlooks lake Erie, and is ornamented with sev- 
 eral fine blocks of brick stores, handsome dwelling houses, 
 together with several public buildings. The Eagle Hotel is 
 a noble building, finished in the best style. Several of the 
 churches are handsome structures, and present a fine appear- 
 ance. A large piece of ground has been left in the middle of 
 the town for a public square. A walk has also been laid out 
 on the brow of the hill towards the lake. This is called the 
 Terrace, and affords a charming view of the lake, the harbor, 
 and the canal to Black Rock. 
 
 The canal to Black Rock K'es along the shore of the lake. 
 About half a mile from Buffalo, while the workmen were en- 
 gaged in the process of excavation, they struck upon a bed 
 of old and half decayed trees. Into this bed they penetrated 
 to the depth of six feet, and along a line of nearly half a 
 mile. In many of the trees and branches was found the grain 
 of the wood in a state of preservation. But the greater part 
 was a black mass of matter, which, on being dried, burnt 
 with great readiness. In some places ashes and coals were 
 found ; and some of the logs appeared to have been washed 
 and rolled by the waters of the lake before they were 
 buried.* 
 
 Black Rock, where terminates the canal in a basin, is a 
 pleasant village, situated on the margin of Niagara river, 
 three miles from Buffalo. For a few years, it was very 
 flourishing, while it was expected to become an important 
 
 * Northern Traveller. 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 275 
 
 BUFFALO. 
 
 place ; but the capital and business have since been transfer- 
 red chiefly to Buffalo. 
 
 Situated as Buffalo is, it is apparent that it enjoys advan- 
 tages, to which but few western towns for many years will 
 probably be able to lay claim. It is, and is likely to remain, 
 a grand point of communication between the Atlantic and 
 the lakes. By the gr%at canal, it communicates with New 
 York ; by the Welland and Rideau canals, with lake Onta- 
 rio and Montreal ; and by lake Erie and the Erie and Ohio 
 canal, with the Ohio and Mississippi valley. 
 
 Near Buffalo is the " Seneca Reservation" — a valuable 
 tract of land, guaranteed to the Senecas, the westernmost 
 tribe in the confederacy of the Five Nations. They were 
 formerly considered the most numerous and powerful tribe, 
 and preserved their superiority until the fatal defeat they re- 
 ceived from General Schuyler, in 1778, since which they 
 have made a less conspicuous figure. 
 
 In a small log house, in a retired situation, about four miles 
 from Buffalo, there lived a few years since, Red Jacket, a 
 chief more famous, perhaps, than any other belonging to this 
 tribe. 
 
 During the Revolutionary war, Red Jacket was opposed 
 to the Americans, as was his tribe. In 1784, however, a 
 treaty was made with some of the Six Nations at a council 
 held at Fort Stanwix. At that council, Lafayette was 
 present. During his late visit to the United States, he saw 
 Red Jacket at Buffalo. The latter reminded the General of 
 the above council. " And where," asked Lafayette, " is 
 the young warrior, who so eloquently opposed the burying 
 of the tomahawk 1 " " He is before you," answered the 
 chief. " Ah!" — he added with a melancholy air, and strip- 
 ping off a handkerchief from his bald head, — " Time has 
 made bad work with me — but you, I perceive," — and here he 
 narrowly reconnoitered the General's wig — " You have hair 
 enough left yet ! " 
 
 A few years subsequent to the negotiation referred to on 
 this occasion, Red Jacket had an interview with General 
 Washington, who gave him a silver medal, which he wore 
 ever afterwards, and is said to have named him " the Flower 
 of the Forest." But the Senecas were again hostile soon 
 
276 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 afterwards, and it was only at the expense of an expedition, 
 which ravaged their territory far and wide, that this haughty 
 people were at length subdued into any thing like a state of 
 composure. Red Jacket is believed to have been second to 
 none of his countrymen in his opposition to the American 
 interest, down to that period ; but a peace was granted upon 
 liberal terms — some complaints of the Indians were adjusted — 
 a system of protection was devised for their benefit — and 
 thenceforth, both they and he were quite friendly in most in- 
 stances, and faithful to their engagements in all.* 
 
 Red Jacket was distinguished for his oratorical powers. 
 Once, when some inquiries were made respecting his deeds 
 of blood, which are sometimes supposed to constitute the char- 
 acter of an Indian, he exclaimed " A Warrior ! I am an 
 Orator ! — I was born an Orator ! " 
 
 Red Jacket always strenuously opposed the introduction 
 of Christianity among his tribe. On a certain occasion, a 
 council of his tribe was convened at Buffalo, at the request 
 of a missionary from Massachusetts, with a view of recom- 
 mending himself to them in his religious capacity. The 
 missionary made a speech to the Indians, explaining to them 
 the objects for which they had come together, in conclusion 
 of which, he wished to hear their objections, if they had any 
 to make. Having spent some time in consultation among 
 themselves, Red Jacket expressed the result in a speech, 
 as follows : 
 
 " Friend and brother ! " — he began — " It was the will of 
 the Great Spirit that we should meet together this day. He 
 orders all things, and he has given us a fine day for our coun- 
 cil. He has taken his garment from before the sun, and 
 caused it to shine with brightness upon us. Our eyes are 
 opened that we see clearly. Our ears are unstopped that 
 we have been able to hear distinctly the words you have 
 spoken. For all these favors we thank the Great Spirit, and 
 him only. 
 
 " Brother ! — This council fire was kindled by you. It 
 was at your request that we came together at this time. We 
 have listened with attention to what you have said. You re- 
 quested us to speak our minds freely. This gives us great 
 joy, for we now consider that we stand upright before you, 
 
 * Thatcher's Indian Biography. 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 277 
 
 and can speak what we think. All have heard your voice, 
 and all speak to you as one man. Our minds are agreed. 
 
 " Brother ! — You say you want an answer to your talk 
 before you leave this place. It is right you should have one, 
 as you are a great distance from home, and we do not wish to 
 detain you. But we will first look back a little, and tell you 
 what our fathers have told us, and what we have heard from 
 the white people. 
 
 " Brother ! — Listen to what we say. There was a time 
 when our forefathers owned this great island.* Their seats 
 extended from the rising to the setting sun. The Great 
 Spirit had made it for the use of Indians. He had created 
 the buffalo, the deer, and other animals for food. He made 
 the bear and the beaver, and their skins served us for clothing. 
 He had scattered them over the country, and taught us how 
 to take them. He had caused the earth to produce corn for 
 bread. All this he had done for his red children, because 
 he loved them. If we had any disputes about hunting 
 grounds, they were generally settled without the shedding of 
 much blood. But an evil day came upon us. Your fore- 
 fathers crossed the great waters, and landed on this island. 
 Their numbers were small. They found friends and not en- 
 emies. They told us they had fled from their own country, 
 for fear of wicked men, and had come here to enjoy their 
 religion. They asked for a small seat. We took pity on 
 them, granted their request, and they sat down amongst us. 
 We gave them corn and meat. They gave us poisont in 
 return. The white people had now found our country. 
 Tidings were carried back, and more came amongst us. 
 Yet we did not fear them. We took them to be friends. 
 They called us brothers. We believed them, and gave them 
 a larger seat. At length their numbers had greatly increased. 
 They wanted more land. They wanted our country. Our 
 eyes were opened, and our minds became uneasy. Wars 
 took place. Indians were hired to fight against Indians, and 
 many of our people were destroyed. They also brought 
 strong liquors among us. It was strong and powerful, and 
 has slain thousands. 
 
 " Brother ! — Our seats were once large, and yours were 
 
 * Meaning the Continent — a common belief and expression among 
 the Indians. 
 
 t Spirituous liquor. 
 
278 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 very small. You have now become a great people, and we 
 have scarcely a place left to spread our blankets. You have 
 got our country, but are not satisfied. You want to force 
 your religion upon us. 
 
 " Brother ! — Continue to listen. You say that you are 
 sent to instruct us how to worship the Great Spirit, agreea- 
 bly to his mind ; and if we do not take hold of the religion 
 which you white people teach, we shall be unhappy hereaf- 
 ter. You say that you are right, and we are lost. How do 
 we know this to be true? We understand that your religion 
 is written in a book. If it was intended for us as well as 
 for you, why has not the Great Spirit given it to us; and 
 not only to us, but why did he not give to our forefathers the 
 knowledge of that book, with the means of understanding it 
 rightly? We only know what you tell us about it. How 
 shall we know when to believe, being so often deceived by 
 the white people ? 
 
 " Brother ! — You say there is but one way to worship and 
 serve the Great Spirit. If there is but one religion, why do 
 you white people differ so much about it ? Why not all 
 agree, as you can all read the book ? 
 
 " Brother ! — We do not understand these things. We are 
 told that your religion was given to your forefathers, and has 
 been handed down from father to son. We also have a re- 
 ligion, which was given to our forefathers, and has been 
 handed down to us, their children. We worship that way. 
 It teaches us to be thankful for all the favors we receive, to 
 love each other, and to be united. We never quarrel about 
 religion. 
 
 "Brother! — The Great Spirit has made us all. But he 
 has made a great difference between his white and red chil- 
 dren. He has given us a different complexion and different 
 customs. To you he has given the arts ; to these he has not 
 opened our eyes. We know these things to be true. Since 
 he has made so great a difference between us in other 
 things, why may we not conclude that he has given us a dif- 
 ferent religion, according to our understanding ? The Great 
 Spirit does right. He knows what is best for his children. 
 We are satisfied. 
 
 " Brother ! — We do not wish to destroy your religion, or 
 take it from you. We only want to enjoy our own. 
 
 " Brother ! — You say you have not come to get our land 
 or our money, but to enlighten our minds. I will now tell 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 279 
 
 BUFFALO. 
 
 you that I have been at your meetings, and saw you collect- 
 ing money from the meeting. I cannot tell what this money 
 was intended for, but suppose it was for your minister ; and 
 if we should conform to your way of thinking, perhaps you 
 may want some from us. 
 
 " Brother ! — We are told that you have been preaching to 
 white people in this place. These people are our neighbors. 
 We are acquainted with them. We will wait a little while, 
 and see what effect your preaching has upon them. If we 
 find it does them good, and makes them honest, and less 
 disposed to cheat Indians, we will then consider again what 
 you have said. 
 
 " Brother ! — You have now heard our answer to your talk, 
 and this is all we have to say at present. As we are going 
 to part, we will come and take you by the hand, and hope 
 the Great Spirit will protect you on your journey, and return 
 you safe to your friends." 
 
 This was emphatically a pagan speech; but, independent 
 of the lamentable hostility evinced towards Christianity, 
 there were embodied in it not a few solemn and pointed 
 truths. On another occasion it is related that a young cler- 
 gyman attempted to enlighten this chief through the medium 
 of an Indian interpreter, named Jack Berry, — for Red Jacket, 
 though he understood the English language, was ever re- 
 luctant to speak it. " Brother ! " — said Jack, in behalf of 
 the chief,- — " if you white people murdered the Saviour, 
 make it up yourselves. We had nothing to do with it. If 
 he had come among us, we should have treated him better." 
 
 During the last war with England, Col. Snelling, a gallant 
 officer of the American army, stationed on the Niagara 
 frontier, shewed some peculiarly gratifying attentions to Red 
 Jacket. The former being, soon afterwards, ordered to 
 Governor's Island, the chief came to bid him farewell. 
 " Brother," said he, " I hear you are going to a place called 
 Governor's Island. I hope you will be a governor yourself. 
 I am told you whites consider children a blessing. I hope 
 you will have one thousand at least. Above all, wherever 
 you go, I hope you will never find whiskey more than two 
 shillings a quart." 
 
 During the concluding years of Red Jacket's life, he be- 
 came a victim to intemperance. In consequence of his 
 
280 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 habits, in 1827 he was deprived of his civil rank, by his na- 
 tion. Subsequently, however, he was restored to his former 
 rank, in consequence, it is said, of an address he made in a 
 council of chiefs, marked with all the fire and eloquence 
 of his better days. 
 
 He visited the Atlantic cities for the last time, as late as 
 the spring of 1829. He was now more than 70 years of 
 age. Years had done much to waste the vigor of his con- 
 stitution, but intemperance more. " He died in January, 
 1830, at the Seneca Village, near Buffalo, where his funeral 
 took place on the 21st of the month. It was attended by all 
 parties of his own tribe, and by many Americans, drawn to- 
 gether by a curiosity to witness the obsequies. His body 
 was removed from his cabin into the mission house, where 
 religious services were performed. In these the pagans 
 took but little interest. Wrapped in profound and solemn 
 thought, they, however, patiently awaited their termination. 
 Some of them arose, and successively addressed their coun- 
 trymen in their own language. They recounted the exploits 
 and virtues of him, whose remains they were now about to 
 bear to his last home. They remembered his own prophetic 
 appeal — " Who shall take my place among my people ? " 
 They thought of the ancient glory of their nation ; and they 
 looked around them on its miserable remnant. The im- 
 pression was irresistible. Tears trickled down the cheeks 
 of the grave comrades of the dead. 
 
 " Well might they weep! He that lay before them was 
 indeed the ' last of the Senecas.' The strong warrior's arm 
 was mouldering in the dust, and the eye of the orator was 
 cold and motionless forever."* 
 
 * Thatcher's Indian Biography. 
 
NEW JERSEY 
 
 TRENTON. 
 
 Trenton was founded a few years prior to 1720, by an 
 enterprising trader of the name of William Trent, after 
 whom the place was named. Previously to his settlement, 
 the place bore the name of Littleworth, indicative, probably, 
 of the little estimation in which it was held. 
 
 In 1748, the Swedish traveller Kalm visited this place ; 
 he represents it as a long, narrow town, containing about 
 100 houses. At that time, the principal occupation of the 
 inhabitants was the transportation of passengers and goods 
 from Philadelphia to New York, or from the latter to the 
 former place. Vessels called yachts plied between Tren- 
 ton and Philadelphia. Each passenger paid one and six- 
 pence, besides a charge for his baggage. Provision was 
 made by the traveller for his own support during the pas- 
 
 Trenton was incorporated in 1792. It is the capital of 
 the State, and is situated on the east bank of the Delaware, 
 at the head of steamboat and sloop navigation. It is 60 
 miles south-west of New York ; 30 north of Philadelphia ; 
 and 166 north-east of Washington. The town is of consid- 
 erable size and importance. The principal streets are regu- 
 larly laid out, and contain many handsome houses, and nu- 
 merous stores. The Delaware and Raritan canal, extending 
 from Trenton to New Brunswick, crosses the city, and is 
 here joined by a feeder, which enters the river above the 
 falls. These falls afford water power for extensive manufac- 
 turing privileges. 
 
 The villages of Mill-hill, Bloomsbury, and Lamberton, ex- 
 tending a mile and a half down the Delaware, are suburbs of 
 the city, and, with Trenton proper, contain 1,000 houses and 
 6,000 inhabitants. The population of the city is about 4,000. 
 
 The Philadelphia steamboats ply daily between that city 
 
282 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 and Trenton — one from Lamberton,and others from Blooms- 
 bury. Stages run three times a day by the rail road to New- 
 York and Philadelphia. 
 
 For some years, Trenton was far from being in a flourish- 
 ing state ; but recently, new life has been imparted to the 
 business and enterprise of the place — the population is some- 
 what increasing, and an air of thrift and industry pervades 
 the city. 
 
 Trenton is memorable in the annals of the Revolutionary 
 war for the capture, on the 25th of December, 1776, of 1000 
 Hessians, by the Americans, with the loss of scarcely a man 
 on their side. 
 
 This victory was the more remarkable^ as it was effected 
 at a period in the American war, when the British cause 
 seemed to be triumphant on every side, and the loyalists 
 were anticipating triumph to themselves, and a speedy ter- 
 mination in their favor, of the contest in which they were 
 engaged. 
 
 General Washington had been compelled to abandon 
 Long Island, and to retire from New York. Forts Wash- 
 ington and Lee had been surrendered, with a garrison of 
 between two and three thousand men. From White Plains, 
 Washington had been obliged to retreat to Newark, and from 
 this latter place to Brunswick, Princeton, Trenton, and 
 from Trenton to the Pennsylvania side of the Delaware, 
 while the pursuit of the enemy was so much urged, that the 
 rear of the American army was often in sight of the proud 
 and pursuing foe. Every day seemed to usher in some new 
 calamity, and the cause of America appeared to be hasten- 
 ing to irretrievable ruin. The most discreet no longer dis- 
 sembled that the close of the war was at hand, and that the 
 hour was come, in which the colonies were about to resume 
 the yoke. 
 
 " In the midst of this gloom and depression, Washington 
 alone was not discouraged. His constancy was an object 
 of admiration. Far from betraying any symptoms of hesita- 
 tion or fear, he showed himself to his dejected soldiers, with 
 a serene countenance, and radiant, as it were, with a certain 
 hope of a better fortune." It was apparent, however, to 
 him, that a crisis had arrived, when by some bold and well 
 directed movement, his waning fortune must, if possible, be 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 285 
 
 retrieved — one by which a strong and exulting foe should re- 
 ceive a sufficient check to give time to the fallen countenances 
 of the Americans to rise once more, and their hopes to take 
 the place of despondency and discouragement. On looking 
 round upon the different points where portions of the British 
 army were stationed, his eye fell upon Trenton, where Colo- 
 nel Ralle, a Hessian officer of great merit, was cantoned, 
 with his brigade of infantry, and a detachment of English 
 dragoons, the whole consisting of a corps of 1400 or 1500 
 men. This division he determined to attack, and in order 
 to make his attack with more order and effect, he divided his 
 army, which consisted almost entirely of the Militia of 
 Pennsylvania and Virginia, into three corps, the first and 
 most considerable of which was to pass the Delaware at 
 Mackenky's ferry, about nine miles above Trenton. The 
 Commander in Chief, accompanied by Generals Sullivan and 
 Greene, had reserved to himself the conduct of this corps, to 
 which a few pieces of artillery were attached. It was des- 
 tined to attack Trenton. The second division, under the 
 command of General Irwin, was directed to cross at Tren- 
 ton ferry, about a mile below the village of this name, and 
 having reached the left bank, to seize, without loss of time, 
 the bridge over the river Assumpink, in order to intercept 
 the retreat of the enemy, when he should be dislodged from 
 Trenton, by the division under Washington. Finally, the 
 third corps, commanded by General Cadwallader, was order- 
 ed to pass the river at Bristol, and proceed to take post at 
 Burlington. The night of Christmas was appointed for the 
 expedition. The dispositions being made, according to the 
 plan above mentioned, the Americans proceeded with ad- 
 mirable order and silence towards the Delaware. The 
 chiefs exhorted their soldiers to be firm and valiant, to wash 
 out the stains of Long Island, of New York, and of New 
 Jersey ; they represented to them the necessity, the glory, 
 and the brilliant fruits of victory ; they incessantly reminded 
 them that this night was about to decide the fate of their 
 country. An extreme ardor manifested itself throughout 
 their ranks. The three columns arrived in the dusk of the 
 evening at the bank of the river. Washington had hoped 
 that the passage of the troops, and transportation of artillery, 
 might have been effectuated before midnight, so as to have 
 time to reach the destined points by break of day, and to 
 
286 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 surprise the enemy at Trenton. But the cold was so intense, 
 and the river so obstructed with floating ice, that it was im- 
 possible to cross and to land the artillery earlier than four in 
 the morning. All the troops having at length gained the 
 left bank, the first corps was parted into two divisions, one 
 of which, turning to the right, marched towards Trenton, by 
 the road which lies along the river ; the other, guided by 
 Washington in person, took the upper or Pennington road. 
 The distance, by either route, being nearly equal, it was 
 hoped that the two columns might arrive at the same time. It 
 was enjoined them to engage in combat without any delay, and 
 after having driven in the outposts, to fall immediately upon 
 the main body of the enemy, at Trenton, without giving him 
 time to recover from his surprise. They exerted all their 
 efforts to arrive before day ; but the thick fog, and a mist 
 mingled with sleet, which rendered the road slippery, re- 
 tarded their march. The two divisions, however, reached 
 Trenton at eight o'clock. Notwithstanding so many ob- 
 stacles, and the hour already so late, the Hessians of Col- 
 onel Ralle had no suspicion of the approach of the en- 
 emy."* 
 
 Colonel Ralle, however, did what he was able. Hastily 
 drawing out his Hessians, he advanced to encounter the 
 enemy in the open field : but he was mortally wounded in 
 the first onset ; and the Americans charging the Germans 
 with great fury, the latter betook themselves to flight, leaving 
 upon the field six pieces of light artillery. They attempted 
 to escape by the road of Princeton, but Washington per- 
 ceiving their design, despatched several companies to pre- 
 occupy the road, who received the fugitives in front. Thus 
 surrounded on every side, the German regiments of Ralle, 
 of Anspach, and of Knyphausen, were constrained to lay 
 down their arms, and surrender at discretion. The loss of 
 the Hessians, in killed and wounded, amounted to only thirty 
 or forty ; but the number of prisoners was at first upwards 
 of nine hundred, and even exceeded one thousand, when 
 all those were collected who had concealed themselves in 
 the houses. 
 
 Washington soon after marched his prisoners to Philadel- 
 phia, where through the streets of the city they were pa- 
 
 * Botto. 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 287 
 
 raded with a sort of triumphal pomp, followed by their arms 
 and banners. 
 
 This victory of Trenton was properly the salvation of 
 America. It was the turning point from depression to ele- 
 vation — from retreat to pursuit — from discomfiture to vic- 
 tory. From this time, the spirit of the nation was roused — 
 confidence was restored — and, in the sequel, the reign of 
 tyranny was terminated, and that of liberty established. 
 
PENNSYLVANIA 
 
 PHILADELPHIA. 
 
 Prior to the Revolution, Philadelphia ranked as the first 
 city in the American colonies, in point of population, wealth, 
 and importance ; and as the "seat of the first Congress, it 
 claimed the honors of a capital. These, it has been com- 
 pelled to surrender to the Federal City, while New York has 
 outstripped it as a commercial emporium, both in its ton- 
 nage, and its population. In the amount of its shipping, 
 Philadelphia is now the third city in the Union; in popula- 
 tion, the second; but, in the variety, extent, and excellence 
 of its manufactures, it is still the first. Boston has been 
 styled " the literary capital " of the United States, so far as 
 regards native publications, although the reprinting of 
 European works is carried on to a greater extent in Philadel- 
 phia. If the former city was " the cradle of the Revolution," 
 the latter was its nursery. New York has been called the 
 American London ; Boston the Liverpool, (it might rather 
 be styled the Edinburgh,) of America; but Philadelphia can 
 be compared to no English or European city. In its archi- 
 tectural plan, it is unique ; in its heterogeneous and motley 
 population, its character is properly and truly American. By 
 some travellers, Philadelphia has been said to be less distin- 
 guished for the hospitality of its inhabitants than some other 
 cities, and therefore a less agreeable and cheerful residence 
 for a stranger. This is the statement of both Mr. Duncan, 
 and Mr. Howison ; but Capt. Basil Hall says, " the greatest 
 pleasure of its inhabitants appears to lie in giving a hearty 
 and most hospitable reception to strangers," — " properly in- 
 troduced" All, however, unite on the other hand, that the 
 Philadelphians are distinguished for their quietness, piety, 
 and morality. 
 
 The higher classes are said to be better informed and 
 more refined in their manners, than those of New York, and 
 entertain fewer national prejudices. If less ardent and 
 sprightly, they are also less versatile and factious than those 
 of Boston. M The lower ranks,"says Mr. Howison, " appear 
 

 
 
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FAMILY TOURIST. 291 
 
 PHILADELPHIA. 
 
 to have a remarkable respect for religion and propriety of con- 
 duct ; and I believe ' that crimes and violations of law are 
 more rare in Philadelphia, than in any other city of equal 
 population in the world.' " 
 
 No two cities within a hundred miles of each other, re- 
 marks the traveller just cited, can differ more than New 
 York and Philadelphia. " The latter has far less appear- 
 ance of bustle in it, than the former ; and the people one 
 sees in its streets are even more sedate and respectable in 
 their looks, than the same class of persons in New York. 
 Philadelphia contains no street that equals Broadway, in 
 splendor and variety, but it possesses some superior in regu- 
 larity and elegance. Chestnut street, which is the finest and 
 most fashionable part of the city, comprehends many divisions 
 that will bear a comparison with the best parts of the New 
 Town of Edinburgh ; and the interior of the houses is pro- 
 portionably tasteful and commodious. The High street is 
 the great place of business ; and in it is a market which, I 
 suppose, for the quantity and variety of articles it affords, is 
 not exceeded by any in the world, being about half a mile in 
 length." 
 
 The position of Philadelphia, although not equal to that 
 of New York, is well chosen, and unites many natural ad- 
 vantages. The city stands upon an isthmus about two miles 
 wide, between the Delaware and the Schuylkill, five miles 
 above their confluence, and 126 miles from the sea. Its port 
 is excellent, although liable to the inconvenience of being 
 occasionally shut for a few weeks in the winter by the ice, 
 notwithstanding that it lies under the parallel of 39° 57' N. 
 This interruption of its communication with the sea, occurs 
 less'frequently, however, than formerly, and lasts for a shorter 
 time ; and as the surrounding country becomes cleared of 
 its forests, the severity of the winter, there is reason to believe, 
 will be to a still further degree mitigated.* 
 
 The course of the two rivers at the city, is very nearly N 
 and S., but, almost immediately above, they diverge, the Del- 
 aware bending to the N. E., and the Schuylkill to the 
 N. W., thus materially facilitating the commercial commu- 
 nication with the interior of the State, and with New Jer- 
 
 * Modern Traveller. 
 
292 
 
 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 PHILADELPHIA. 
 
 sey. Both rivers are navigable up to the city, by the largest 
 merchantmen. The Delaware is here about a mile in 
 width ; the tide rises and falls about six feet, and vessels of 
 about 1200 tons can come up to the wharfs. It is naviga- 
 ble by large sloops, and steamboats to Trenton, about 30 
 miles above. The Schuylkill, although, above the city, 
 comparatively shallow and disturbed by rapids, was always 
 navigable by small vessels and rafts to a considerable dis- 
 tance ; and through the spirited exertions of a company 
 formed in 1815, the navigation has been so greatly im- 
 proved and artificially extended, that boats loaded with pro- 
 duce ascend to the coal-mines of Mount Carbon, beyond the 
 Blue Mountains, a distance of 110 miles, 64 of which are 
 canal, overcoming, a fall of 588 feet, by means of 28 dams, and 
 120 locks. A branch undertaken by the Union Canal Com- 
 pany, connects the Susquehanna with the Schuylkill at Read- 
 ing. 
 
 The first appearance of the city, stretching along the 
 bank of the Delaware " in magnificent extent," Mr. Howi- 
 son thought " very imposing." Ships of every description 
 are seen at anchor in the river, and give the city a commer- 
 cial and busy aspect. Mr. Duncan, (who visited it in 1818,) 
 says : " The appearance of the city from the river is by no 
 means imposing ; rather the opposite. The ground is gen- 
 erally level, and the mass of buildings presents a dull, heavy 
 uniformity. Most of those along the bank are by no means 
 elegant, and only a solitary steeple rises above the dense 
 horizon." Thus travellers differ ; less widely, however, 
 in meaning, than in words ; for, while there is nothing 
 imposing, in the sense of deceptive, in the first view of the 
 city, nothing picturesque in its site, nor magnificent in its 
 architectural character, it is very conceivable that its " un- 
 broken aggregate of buildings," with all the signs of mer- 
 cantile wealth and bustle, must derive a sort of grandeur 
 from its very extent and from the ideas connected with the 
 moving scene. 
 
 " The aspect of the city, however," continues Mr. Dun- 
 can, " improves amazingly when you enter the streets, which 
 are wide, straight, and clean, and, with only one exception, 
 cross each other at right angles. The houses are generally 
 of painted brick ; but some of the more modern have a flight 
 of marble steps in front ; and the lintels of the doors and 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 295 
 
 PHILADELPHIA. 
 
 windows, and even the sidewalk in front, are of the same 
 beautiful materials."* 
 
 When Penn laid out the ground for his city, he intended 
 that it should occupy a parallelogram, one mile in width, 
 between the two rivers, and that the buildings should be 
 kept within the parallel lines, till the intervening space was 
 filled. But the inhabitants found that the bank of the Dela- 
 ware was a more desirable situation than that of the Schuyl- 
 kill ; and, in consequence, buildings have stretched along 
 the former river, above and below the assigned boundary, 
 till the city is here about four miles long, while the streets 
 are not compactly built much further than half way across 
 to the other river. On both banks of the Schuylkill, how- 
 ever, a considerable number of buildings have been erected. 
 The populous suburb on the Delaware, to the south of the 
 original boundary, is called Southwark ; that to the north, 
 the Northern Liberties; and closer to the river Kensington. t 
 
 " Market street, 100 feet wide, stretches through the cen- 
 tre of the city, from the one river to the other ; it is crossed 
 rather nearer the Schuylkill than midway, by Broad street, 
 113 feet wide, and the other streets are at right angles to 
 one or other of these. The cross streets are from 50 to 60 
 feet wide. Those running parallel to the rivers are, with 
 a quaker-like simplicity, (which, however, affords a stranger 
 
 * Duncan's Travels. 
 
 t " The venerable elm, under which, according to tradition, Penn ne- 
 gotiated his celebrated treaty with the Indians, stood at Kensington ; and 
 the decayed trunk, after being spared by the British army in the Revo- 
 lutionary war, and weathering many a hard gale, was at last levelled a 
 few years ago in a hurricane. Portions of it are now eagerly sought af- 
 ter by relic hunters, to be converted, like the Cruickstone Yew, and 
 the rafters of Alio way Kirk, into snuff boxes and other toys. I lately 
 discovered in an old Baltimore newspaper, what is said to be a copy of 
 Penn's treaty ; it is in the form of an indenture, and the following are 
 the articles which it specifies as having been given to the Indians, in ex- 
 change for the ground between the two rivers, ' as far as a man can ride 
 in two days with a horse : ' 20 guns, 20 fathoms matchcoat, 20 fathoms 
 stroudwater. 20 blankets, 20 kettles, 20 pounds powder, 100 bars lead, 
 40 tomahawks, 100 knives, 40 pairs stockings, 1 barrel beer, 20 pounds 
 red lead, 100 fathoms wampum, 30 glass bottles, 30 pewter spoons, 100 
 awl-blades, 300 tobacco pipes, 100 hands tobacco, 20 tobacco tongs, 20 
 steels, 300 flints, 30 pairs scissors, 30 combs, 60 looking glasses, 200 
 needles, 1 skipple salt, 30 pounds sugar, 5 gallons molasses, 20 tobacco 
 boxes, 100 jews-harps, 20 hoes, 30 gimblets, 30 wooden screw boxes, 
 100 strings of beads. This curious document does not appear in Clark- 
 son's Life of Penn." — Mease s Picture of Philadelphia. 
 
296 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 PHILADELPHIA. 
 
 important facilities in finding his way,) named North 
 and South, Front, Second, Third, Fourth, and so on, as 
 they recede from each river. Those parallel to Market 
 street are, with more elegance, named after the various kinds 
 of timber with which the ground was formerly covered ; 
 Vine, Sassafras, Mulberry, Chestnut, Walnut, Spruce, Pine, 
 and Cedar. Water street, between Front street and the 
 Delaware, which should have been called Mud lane, and 
 the wharfs project into the stream, are deviations from the 
 original plan of the city. Dock street, the only crooked one 
 in the city, was originally the bed of the sluggish stream, 
 which generated noxious air, and was a few years ago arched 
 over." 
 
 Not many wooden houses are now to be seen in the streets ; 
 the greater part were extirpated by fires, which, on different 
 occasions, spread dreadful havoc ; and since 1796, their 
 erection has been prohibited. The sidewalks are wide and 
 less encumbered than those of New York. Many of them 
 are skirted with Lombardy poplars. In hot weather, numer- 
 ous awnings are stretched along in front of the stores, the 
 footwalks are cooled by frequent ablutions with water, and 
 the atmosphere has a freshness and purity very uncommon 
 in so large a city. 
 
 Market street, which, to correspond to its situation, 
 should have been the most elegant in the city, is disfigured 
 by along, covered piazza in the centre, of the plainest pos- 
 sible appearance, under which the venders of meat, fish, 
 poultry, vegetables, fruit, earthen and wooden ware, expose 
 their commodities for sale ; and on either side are carts and 
 wheelbarrows, loaded with additional supplies. Upon the 
 whole, however, the streets are much superior to the mass 
 of those in New York, although, individually, not one of them 
 can be compared with Broadway, nor is there a walk or a 
 prospect equal to what the Battery affords. 
 
 Philadelphia abounds in public buildings, which attract 
 the attention of the stranger, either on account of interest- 
 ing historical associations, or for their architectural superi- 
 ority. 
 
 Of the former kind may be mentioned the old State House, 
 which is now called Independence Hall, and from whence 
 the Declaration of Independence issued. It is in Chestnut 
 street, built of brick, comprising a centre and two wings, 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 299 
 
 PHILADELPHIA. 
 
 and has undergone no material alteration, since its erection. 
 It has a venerable appearance. It is surmounted by a cu- 
 pola, having a clock, the dial of which is glass, and which is 
 illuminated at night until ten or eleven o'clock, showing the 
 hour and minutes, until that time. The front is a consider- 
 able distance back from the street, the approach being paved 
 to the curbstone with brick, and two elegant rows of trees 
 extending its wholelength. East of the main entrance, in the 
 front room, the sessions of the congress were held, and the 
 question of independence was decided. 
 
 "The banking house of the late Mr. Girard," remarks 
 Mr. Duncan, "presents an elegant front, almost entirely of 
 white marble. A lofty Corinthian portico, of fluted columns 
 rises from a flight of steps to the full height of the building, 
 and corresponding pilasters are extended on both sides. 
 The Bank of Pennsylvania is a still more perfect structure, 
 and makes a nearer approach to classical models than any 
 that I have ever seen. The whole building, including even 
 the roof, is of white marble. Its form is a parallelogram, 125 
 feet long, and 51 feet broad ; at each end is a flight of steps 
 supporting a chaste Ionic portico of six columns, with an en- 
 tablature and pediment. The entablature is carried round 
 the building, but the sides are otherwise plain. Under the 
 portico, the Grecian character has been carefully preserved, 
 and in neither is there any opening but a single door in the 
 centre. 
 
 " This magnificent edifice is said to have been designed 
 from a temple at Athens ; and the very remarkable correct- 
 ness of its principal features, combined with the appropriate 
 and beautiful material of which it is composed, produce a 
 most pleasing effect on the spectator's mind, and forcibly 
 impress him with the sad inferiority of modern decoration, 
 to the simple elegance of Grecian models. The situation 
 which this noble edifice occupies is low and confined, and 
 materially injures its effect." The first stone was laid in 
 April, 1799, and the whole completed in 1801. 
 
 The building erected for the former Bank of the United 
 States, recently purchased for the Government, and now oc- 
 cupied as a Custom House, is an elegant structure, on the 
 plan of the Parthenon at Athens, so far as it could be consist- 
 ently with the different purpose for which it was designed. 
 
300 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 PHILADELPHIA. 
 
 It is esteemed the purest specimen of Grecian architecture in 
 the country, and has been and will long be admired for its 
 beautiful and elaborate finish. The front is a portico, the 
 full height of the building, consisting of eight Doric columns, 
 twenty-seven feet in height and four feet and a half in diam- 
 eter, rising from a flight of steps, and supporting a correspond- 
 ing entablature and pediment, all of the Pennsylvania white 
 marble. The interior arrangements, while used as a bank, 
 are thus described : 
 
 " The door of entrance opens into a large vestibule, with 
 circular ends embracing the transfer and loan offices on the 
 right and left, together with a commodious lobby leading 
 to the banking room. The vestibule ceiling is a prolonged 
 panelled dome, divided into three compartments by bands, 
 enriched with the quilloches springing from a projecting 
 impost, containing a sunken frette. The pavement is inlaid 
 with American and Italian marble throughout. The bank- 
 ing room occupies the centre of the building, being 48 feet 
 wide, and 81 feet in length. A double range of six fluted 
 marble columns, 22 inches in diameter, form a screen or 
 gallery for the clerks' desks, which are placed within the in- 
 tercolumniations. These columns are of the Ionic order, 
 with a full entablature and blocking course, on which the 
 great central and lateral arches are supported. The cen- 
 tral arch, being semi-cylindrical, is 28 feet in diameter, and 
 81 feet in length. The ceiling is 35 feet from the floor to 
 the crown of the arch. An Isthmian wreath, carved in one 
 entire block of Pennsylvanian marble, surrounds the clock 
 face, which occupies the space of the first pannel over the 
 entablature in the centre, the design of which is copied from 
 the reverse of an antique gem, found at Corinth, and de- 
 scribed by Stewart. The tellers' counters are of marble, 
 forming panelled pedestals, across each end of the banking 
 room. 
 
 "The stockholders' room is a parallelogram of 50 feet by 
 28, having a groin arched ceiling. The banking room is 
 amply warmed by two cast iron furnaces, lined with brick, 
 being simply erected within an air chamber, through which 
 the external atmosphere passes, and becomes heated by the 
 furnace. It then rises through the arch into a circular cast 
 iron pedestal, perforated on the sides, out of which it is suf- 
 fered to escape into the room. The whole body of the build- 
 ing is arched in a bomb proof manner, from the cellar to the 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 303 
 
 PHILADELPHIA. 
 
 roof, which is covered with copper. All the groin arches are 
 girdled at the springing line with iron straps, passing round 
 within the body of the division walls."* 
 
 There is a third bank, the oldest in the United States, 
 called the Bank of North America ; the establishment of 
 which, in 1781, aided by the exertions of its originator, Mr. 
 Morris, is believed to have been the means of saving the 
 public treasury from bankruptcy. The banking house, 
 however, is only a plain brick building, recently rough cast, 
 on the northern side of Chestnut street. A fourth, the Bank 
 of Pennsylvania, is described as " a neat and correct speci- 
 men of the Gothic style of architecture. " There is also a 
 Masonic Hall in the same style. These buildings, Mr. Dun- 
 can says, " are necessarily on a small scale, and the fatal in- 
 congruity of red brick walls with white marble buttresses and 
 pinnacles must strike every one who has seen an ancient 
 Gothic building."! To remedy this, the Gothic bank has 
 been recently rough cast and colored in imitation of marble. 
 
 There are one hundred and forty-four places of worship 
 in Philadelphia. Most of these are neat, but plain edifices. 
 It is only within a few years that a taste for architectural 
 decoration has been introduced. One of the Baptist church- 
 es is mentioned by Lieutenant Hall, as having some claim 
 to elegance of design. " It has a rotunda surmounted with 
 a dome, which is lighted by a lantern 20 feet in diameter ; 
 there is a projection to the street in the form of wings, sepa- 
 rated by an Ionic collonnade, which forms the entrance, and 
 is crowned with two cupolas ; the whole is of brick ; the di- 
 ameter of the rotunda is 90 feet. The walls are 50 feet from 
 the ground, and are surmounted with three steps before the 
 swell of the dome, which rises at an angle of 45°. The 
 building is calculated to hold 2500 persons."^ The first 
 
 * Carey and Lea's Philadelphia, in 1824, pp. 76, 79. The foundation 
 stone of this beautiful edifice was laid in April, 1819, and it was fin- 
 ished in "IWvM * ' ' 
 
 t The Masonic Hall," says Lieutenant Hall, " is an awkward com- 
 bination of brick and marble in the Gothic style ; that is plentifully 
 tricked and jounced with niches, pinnacles, and battlements, and a spire 
 80 feet high The Philadelphia Bank is in the same ridiculous taste, 
 bating the absurdity of the spire."— F. Hall, pp. 217, 218. 
 
 t F.Hall, p. 217. 
 
304 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 PHILADELPHIA. 
 
 Presbyterian church, in Washington square, built in 1822, 
 is said to be on the model of the Ionic temple on the Ilys- 
 sus ; it is of brick, coated with mortar, painted in imitation 
 of marble. The roof is surmounted with a cupola, in 
 which is a bell.* St. Andrew's Church, in Eighth street, 
 is also a Grecian edifice : " the front is intended to be a copy 
 of the portico of the temple of Bacchus at Teos ; the inte- 
 rior is of a correspondent character, and highly decorated." 
 This church, which is 130 feet long, by 65, was consecrated 
 for the Episcopal worship, in May 1823.f St. Stephen's, 
 in Tenth street, consecrated in the same year, is described 
 as one of the most perfect specimens of Gothic architecture 
 in the country. Christ Church, in Second street, rebuilt 
 in 1727, has a steeple 190 feet high, which was for a long 
 time the only one of which Philadelphia could boast, with a 
 ring of eight bells. 
 
 A second Jewish synagogue has been recently erected, 
 40 feet in front, 70 feet in depth, and two stories in height, 
 " built in the Egyptian style, of stone from the falls of the 
 Schuylkill. The principal entrance is through an elevated 
 doorway formed with inclined jambs supporting a large coved 
 cornice, in which is sculptured the globe and wings. The 
 interior embraces two semi-circular blocks of seats, display- 
 ing to the north and south of the ark and altar. The dome 
 is supported with Egyptian columns copied from the temple 
 at Tentyra, and is formed by semi-circular archivolts, join- 
 ing a richly panelled segment extending over the ark and 
 altar. In the centre of the dome is a lantern which gives 
 light to the altar. The ark is situated in the east side, im- 
 mediately opposite the altar, and is neatly decorated with 
 pilasters, supporting a second cornice, enriched with the 
 globe and wings, together with a marble tablet, containing 
 the ten commandments in Hebrew. It is approached by a 
 flight of steps between cheek-blocks, which support two hand- 
 some tripods, crowned with lamps. The galleries are semi- 
 circular, extending round the northern and southern sides of 
 the building, and are supported by the columns which extend 
 to the dome."| One scarcely knows at which circumstance 
 to admire the most, that a Jewish synagogue should be erect- 
 
 * Philadelphia, in 1824, p. 49. t Ibid, 
 t Philadelphia, in 1824, p. 55. 
 
i:!.,;!;-;;.!^,/:, 1 ' :'::;>!:.:■,' .;:',:i..-;, 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 307 
 
 PHILADELPHIA. 
 
 ed on the model of a heathen temple, or that this whimsical 
 combination of incongruous styles and emblems, sacred and 
 profane, Egyptian columns, and the airy dome, should be met 
 with in the city of Penn."* 
 
 For the benevolent disposition of its citizens and for the 
 number, variety, and extent of its charitable and literary 
 institutions, Philadelphia has long been distinguished. 
 Among these may be mentioned the Pennsylvania Hospital, 
 founded in 1750, the buildings of which occupy an entire 
 square ; the university, Girard college, the medical college, 
 the almshouse, the dispensaries, Friends' asylum for the 
 insane, humane society, orphans' and indigent widows' and 
 single women's asylum, the institution for the deaf and 
 dumb, and the abolition, savings fund, and fuel saving socie- 
 ties, besides many others. Some of these are worthy of fur- 
 ther notice. The institution for the deaf and dumb was es- 
 tablished in 1820, and incorporated the next year, with a grant 
 of $8,000 from the State, and a liberal appropriation for 
 the support of indigent pupils from Pennsylvania. The 
 building is of granite, was erected in 1824, is 96 feet in 
 front by 63 in depth, and is a chaste and beautiful speci- 
 men of architecture. Most of the pupils are supported by 
 funds derived from the State ; some by the States of Mary- 
 land and New Jersey, and others by their friends. The Uni- 
 versity of Pennsylvania has a flourishing medical school con- 
 nected with it, having usually from 400 to 500 students. It 
 has an extensive anatomical museum and cabinet of natural 
 history, and no medical institution has enjoyed a higher repu- 
 tation throughout the country. The city is well supplied 
 with public schools and academies, some of which are well 
 endowed. — Some years since, it received a munificent be- 
 quest, for the establishment of a college for orphans, by the 
 will of the late Stephen Girard. This gentleman, who died 
 in 1831, by his will bequeathed the sum of two millions 
 of dollars to the corporation of the city, in trust for the 
 endowment of an orphan college. The site selected by Mr. 
 Girard for this object is one and a quarter miles from the 
 city, on the Ridge road, at a place called Peel Hill. It con- 
 tains forty-five acres of land, upon which, by the terms of the 
 will, buildings are to be erected for the accommodation of 
 
 * Modern Traveller. 
 
308 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 PHILADELPHIA. 
 
 300 pupils, together with those necessary for the teachers, 
 and for other purposes. The corner-stone of this college was 
 laid on the 4th of July, 1833, and the whole has since been 
 completed. The centre building is 218 feet long by 160 feet 
 wide, and is surrounded by 34 columns of the Corinthian 
 order, with beautiful columns, supporting an entablature : 
 each column, including its capital and base, is 55 feet high 
 and 6 feet in diameter. There are four rooms, 50 feet square, 
 on each floor, and the third floor is lighted by a skylight, con- 
 structed on a level with the roof. No wood is used through- 
 out the building, excepting for the doors, and it is warmed by 
 means of furnaces in the cellar. There are four other build- 
 ings, two on each side of the one just described, 128 feet long 
 by 52 feet wide, and two stories high above the basement, 
 which are designed for the residence and accommodation of 
 the professors and pupils. Upwards of $1,000,000 have been 
 expended upon the buildings alone ; but it is very questiona- 
 ble whether these splendid preparations were necessary to 
 promote the objects in view. M'Culloch expresses the opin- 
 ion that less expensive buildings would have been better cal- 
 culated to teach the orphans economy, to say nothing more ; 
 and in this opinion every disinterested person must readily 
 coincide. 
 
 Of the public works of Philadelphia, there are none of 
 which its inhabitants are more justly proud, than those at 
 Fair Mount, by which the city is supplied with water of the 
 best quality, and in the greatest plenty. Fair Mount is in 
 the rear of the city, upon the bank of the Schuylkill, the 
 neighborhood of which affords some romantic scenery. 
 The reservoirs are situated on the top of a hill rising from 
 the river, a part of it perpendicular rock, to the height of 
 100 feet. The ascent from the river to the reservoirs is by 
 a flight of substantial wooden steps, with resting places, 
 over one of which is a temple. The reservoirs, which are 
 surrounded with paling, outside of which is a gravelled 
 walk, contain upwards of twelve millions of gallons, sup- 
 plying the city through 72J miles of pipes. The water was 
 formerly forced to the reservoirs by steam, which is no longer 
 used ; it is now raised by machinery propelled by the Schuyl- 
 kill. The machinery is simple, and is turned by large water- 
 wheels, of which there are five, one of them of iron, and twen- 
 ty-four tons in weight. If all are in motion, they will raise 
 seven millions of gallons in twenty-four hours. To turn 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 311 
 
 PHILADELPHIA. 
 
 them, the Schuylkill has been dammed its whole breadth, 
 by which the water is thrown back into a reservoir lock, 
 whence it is admitted as it is required to operate upon the 
 wheels, and is discharged into the river below the dam. 
 The whole expense of these works, including the cost of 
 works abandoned, was $1,783,000. The water thus circu- 
 lated through the city, is not only sufficient for every family, 
 but is used to wash the streets. It is of immense service in 
 case of fire, as it is only necessary to screw the hose to the 
 hydrants, which are placed at convenient distances, to secure 
 a constant stream of sufficient force to reach any ordinary 
 height.* 
 
 Peale's Museum, originally a private collection, but now 
 under the direction of public trustees, is rising into im- 
 portance. The grand attraction, Mr. Duncan tells us, is the 
 gigantic skeleton of the mastodon or mammoth. " A human 
 being shrinks into insignificance, beside the bony fabric of 
 this enormous antediluvian. The skeleton of the mam- 
 moth resembles very much that of the elephant, carrying, 
 like it, two great tusks in front. The principal difference 
 is found in the grinders ; which in the elephant are flat on 
 the top, with enamel penetrating the whole material, but, in 
 the mammoth, they rise into ridges, or processes, as anato- 
 mists term them, somewhat as in those of sheep, with the 
 enamel of the form of an outer crust or case, enveloping 
 but not penetrating the bone. Some naturalists have sup- 
 posed from this peculiarity, that the mammoth was a car- 
 nivorous animal; but a scientific gentleman remarks to me, 
 that this is impossible, as it has, like the elephant, no front 
 teeth, and its neck is too short, and its tusks too long, to 
 have admitted of its holding and devouring its prey, as car- 
 nivorous animals do. He thinks it probable that it lived 
 upon shrubs and the smaller branches of trees, for crushing 
 which the grinders seem to be well adapted. It only occurs 
 to me, in reply to this remark, that the enormous trunk of 
 the mammoth may have served to catch and crush the small- 
 er animals, and convey them to his mouth. Conjecture, 
 however, in such cases, is both unavailing and unimportant ; 
 it is sufficient that we have in the existence of these bones 
 unanswerable demonstration that in earlier times an animal 
 
 * Hinton's United States. 
 
312 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 PHILADELPHIA. 
 
 has existed, much more enormous in bulk than the largest 
 that is now known to tread the globe. This skeleton, 
 which is, I believe, not so large as some others that have 
 been found, is 11 feet high over the shoulders, and measures 
 31 feet from the extremity of the tusks to the end of the tail, 
 following the curve. It was found in 1801, in a marl pit in 
 the State of New York ; others have been found near 
 the licks, or salt springs, in the State of Ohio. The skele- 
 ton is nearly entire, except in the cartilaginous parts which 
 are supplied by cork." 
 
 " An Academy of the Fine Arts was founded here in 
 1805. It was shortly after incorporated by the legislature, 
 and a building was erected with suitable apartments for 
 study and exhibition rooms. One of the apartments con- 
 tains a few specimens of antique sculpture, and casts of 
 most of the celebrated statues. Among the modern speci- 
 mens is a bust of Washington, by Canova ; and one of 
 West, by Chantrey. The painting room is more richly 
 stored, and can boast, if the catalogue is correct, of several 
 paintings by old masters ; among which are three by Titian ; 
 one by Raphael ; one by Correggio, which is said to have 
 been executed for Charles III. of Spain, and was purchased 
 for <£34 ; three by Rubens ; one by Dominichino ; one by 
 Teniers ; one by Vandyke ; one by Paul Veronese ; one by 
 Rembrandt ; four by Murillo ; and three by Salvator Rosa. 
 These are but a k\v of the old paintings, and, among a crowd 
 of moderns, are some of great merit by native artists, the chief 
 of whom appear to be Allston and Lesslie. From Allston's 
 pencil, is a beautiful picture of the dead man raised to life by 
 touching the bones of the prophet Elisha; and by Lesslie is 
 a painting, which I thought excellent, exhibiting William of 
 Deloraine unhorsed and wounded by Lord Cranstoun. His 
 goblin attendant has seated himself on the warrior's helmet, 
 and opened the mysterious book to devour its contents; 
 while an airy phantom, like the spirit of a storm, stretching 
 downwards behind him, extends his arm to prostrate the over 
 curious imp by the side of the bleeding moss-trooper." 
 
 Philadelphia has several valuable and extensive libraries. 
 That of the Philosophical Society has 15,000 volumes, many 
 of which are rare. The Franklin Institute has 2,000 mem- 
 bers and several thousand volumes, with an extensive reading- 
 room. The Academy of Natural Science has 9,000 volumes. 
 
FRANKLIN ENTERING PHILADELPHIA. 
 
 FRANKLIN FOUNDING PHILADELPHIA LIBRARY. 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 315 
 
 PHILADELPHIA. 
 
 The Philadelphia Library, founded in 1731, through the 
 influence of Dr. Franklin, contains upwards of 30,000 well- 
 selected volumes, embracing almost every branch of knowl- 
 edge; to which the Legonian Library, of 11,000 volumes, 
 mostly rare classical works, has been added. The Atheneurn. 
 incorporated in 1815, contains the periodicals of the day and 
 a library of several thousand volumes. The Mercantile Li- 
 brary contains 8,000 volumes, mainly relating to commercial 
 and kindred subjects ; and also sustains popular lectures on 
 such branches of knowledge as are likely to be most useful 
 to its patrons. The Apprentices' Library, formed by dona- 
 tions from all classes of citizens, contains 14,000 volumes, 
 well calculated to improve the minds of both sexes. 
 
 In a literary point of view, Philadelphia cannot yet com- 
 pete with Boston ; nor in the finest and most accurate speci- 
 mens of typography. In this latter respect, Boston has 
 improved greatly within a few years. Yet the Philadelphia 
 press has issued several highly finished works. In the ac- 
 tivity of its press, however, Philadelphia exceeds any other 
 place in the Union. Some few years since, it was stated 
 in a New York paper, that " the new novel, Peveril of the 
 Peak, was received from England in New York on Mon- 
 day, at ten, A. M., and was printed, published, and sold on 
 Tuesday, within twenty-eight hours after the same was re- 
 ceived. Another English copy of the same work was re- 
 ceived per the Custom House, New York, at 12 o'clock on 
 Wednesday ; at 1 o'clock forwarded to Philadelphia, by the 
 mail. In Philadelphia, it was printed on Thursday, and on 
 Friday 2,000 copies were put in boards by six o'clock in the 
 morning. The English copy of Moore's Loves of the Angels 
 was taken out of the Custom House in New York on a Mon- 
 day morning in February last, at 11 o'clock, A. M. ; was im- 
 mediately sent to Philadelphia; and 250 copies of the work 
 printed, were received at New York on Thursday following 
 by 8 o'clock, A. M., and the same copies were sold and cir- 
 culated that afternoon." It is only within a few years, how- 
 ever, that the business of republishing so large a proportion 
 of the English books of value, has been undertaken. In 
 1786, four booksellers thought an edition of the New Testa- 
 ment for schools, a work of risk, not to be determined up- 
 on till after long deliberation. Four years after, one of these 
 booksellers (Mr. Dobson,a Scotchman) took courage to under- 
 take a republication of the Encyclopaedia Britannica. When 
 
316 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 PHILADELPHIA. 
 
 the first half volume was published, he had but 246 sub- 
 scribers. They increased, however, so rapidly, that 2,000 
 copies were thrown off of the second volume; the first was 
 soon reprinted; and in a short time, he soon found it diffi- 
 cult to procure the requisite number of printers and engravers 
 to carry forward the work with sufficient rapidity. Since 
 then, Rees's Cyclopaedia, Brewster's Edinburgh Encyclopae- 
 dia, Nicholson's Encyclopaedia, Pinkerton's Vovages and 
 Travels, Gill's Bible, Scott's Bible, (two editions,) East's Re- 
 ports, Vesey's Reports, the British Poets, (fifty volumes,) and 
 several other heavy works, have been reprinted at Philadel- 
 phia ; together with various editions of Shakspeare, Hume and 
 Smollet, &,c. Among the native publications have appeared, 
 Wilson's Ornithology, nine volumes imperial quarto; Bar- 
 ton's American Botany, five volumes quarto ; and Marshall's 
 Life of Washington. For the copy of the latter work, the 
 sum of $60,000 was paid. The first standing quarto Eng- 
 lish Bible was set up by Matthew Garey, in Philadelphia, in 
 1804 ; and is still, it is said, the only standing quarto Bible 
 of separate types. 
 
 The United States mint was founded in 1790, and the busi- 
 ness of coining commenced in 1793, in the building occupied 
 at present by the Apprentices' Library. In 1830 it was re- 
 moved to the fine building it now occupies in Chestnut street. 
 The edifice is of white marble, the north front 123 feet long, 
 with a portico 60 feet long, of six Ionic columns, and a similar 
 portico on the south front. — The whole amount of coinage," 
 since its establishment in 1793 to December, 1842, was 
 255,087,171 pieces, of the value of $85,873,052 50. The 
 gold deposited for coinage, derived from mines in the States 
 of Virginia, North and South Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, 
 and Alabama, has amounted to more than $6,000,000. The 
 first deposit from these States was in 1824, and has of late 
 years been materially increased in amount by gold found in 
 other portions of the country. Besides what is received here, 
 a considerable portion of the precious metal finds its way to a 
 branch mint at New Orleans, which was established a few 
 years siace for the purpose of affording facilities to our im- 
 mense southern and western territory. 
 
 The American Philosophical Society, so well known to 
 the learned in Europe for its valuable " Transactions," was 
 founded chiefly by the exertions of Dr. Franklin, and still 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 319 
 
 PHILADELPHIA. 
 
 maintains its high character. Its library is very valuable, 
 comprising the most complete collection extant of die Me- 
 moirs and Transactions of the various learned Institutions 
 in the Old World, (kept up to the date of the latest publica- 
 tions,) and an extensive collection of historical documents 
 relating to the United States. " Besides the Philosophical 
 Society," Captain B. Hall remarks, " there are various learn- 
 ed bodies in Philadelphia, of which I shall merely say, that I 
 have seen few similar institutions elsewhere, managed with a 
 more earnest desire to pursue knowledge for its own sake. 
 The inhabitants of Philadelphia, indeed, appear to have more 
 leisure on their hands, than those of any city in the Union ; 
 and accordingly, scientific and literary pursuits are there 
 cultivated with much steadiness and success. This circum- 
 stance imparts a peculiar character to the style of thought 
 and of conversation in that city, sufficiently obvious to dis- 
 tinguish the inhabitants from those of most other parts of 
 America." The wealthy conversaziones, called the Wistar 
 parties, (from their founder, the late Dr. Wistar, President 
 of the Philosophical Society,) consisting of most of the men 
 of letters and science or general information in the city, are 
 maintained with much spirit, and, to a stranger properly in- 
 troduced, form a most agreeable feature of the society of 
 Philadelphia. 
 
 Philadelphia has been characterized as " the centre of the 
 social world in America." It is, undoubtedly, as another 
 writer remarks, " the focus of intelligence, as well as of 
 wealth and business in this part of the Union." Before 
 taking leave of it, we shall take the liberty of introducing 
 some remarks of a traveller who designed to be candid (Mr. 
 Hodgson.) Although his observations are somewhat of a 
 general character, some of them, it will be perceived, have 
 special reference to the good people of the city of " Brother- 
 ly Love.*' 
 
 11 If, in opposition to their republican principles, we divide 
 the Americans into classes, the first class will comprehend 
 what are termed the Revolutionary Heroes, who hold a sort 
 of patent nobility undisputed by the bitterest enemies of aris- 
 tocracy. Their numbers, indeed, are few; but they have 
 too many peculiar features to be comprised in the descrip- 
 tion of any other class of their countrymen. Many of them 
 were educated in England ; and even those who never trav* 
 
320 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 PHILADELPHIA. 
 
 elled, had generally the advantage of the best English socie- 
 ty, either colonial or military. They were formed in the 
 English school; were imbued with English; and, however 
 active they were in resisting the encroachments of the moth- 
 er country, they are, many of them at least, delighted to 
 trace their descent to English families of rank, and to boast 
 of the pure English blood which flows in their veins. In 
 the families of these patricians, in which I have spent many 
 agreeable hours, I met with nothing to remind me that I was 
 not in the society of that class of our well-educated country 
 gentlemen, who occasionally visit the metropolis, and 
 mingle in fashionable or political life. The old gentlemen 
 of this class, are indeed gentlemen of the old school ; and the 
 young ladies are particularly agreeable, refined, accomplish- 
 ed, intelligent, and well-bred. 
 
 " The second class may include the leading political char- 
 acters of the present day, the more eminent lawyers, the well- 
 educated merchants and agriculturists, and the most respect- 
 able of the novi homines of every profession. It will thus 
 comprise the mass of the good society of America; the first 
 class, which comprehends the best, being very limited, sui 
 generis, and about to expire with the present generation. 
 The manners of this second class are less polished than 
 those of the corresponding class in England, and their edu- 
 cation is neither so regular nor so classical ; but their intel- 
 lects are as actively exercised, and their information at least 
 as general, although less scientific and profound. The 
 young ladies of this class are lively, modest, and unreserved; 
 easy in their manners, and rather gay and social in their dis- 
 positions : at the same time they are very observant of the 
 rules of female propriety ; and if they ever displease, it is 
 from indifference, rather than from either bashfulness or ef- 
 frontery. Their appearance is generally genteel and agreea- 
 ble ; their figure is almost universally good, and they dress 
 remarkably well, — in this city, (Philadelphia,) indeed, more 
 to my taste than in almost any place I recollect. For this, 
 they are indebted, partly to the short passages from Europe, 
 which waft across the Atlantic the latest fashions from Lon- 
 don and Paris ; partly to their accommodating tariff, which 
 places within their reach all the most elegant materials for 
 dress, which American enterprise can collect in the four 
 quarters of the globe ; and partly to the simplicity of the 
 Quaker costume, which has had a happy and sensible influ- 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 S21 
 
 PHILADELPHIA. 
 
 ence on the taste and habits of the community at large. 
 Their tone of voice, which is a little shrill, and their mode 
 of pronouncing a few particular words, are the peculiarities 
 of manner which, I think, would be most remarked upon in 
 the best society in England. Generally speaking, also, the 
 style of female education in America is less favorable to 
 solid acquirements than with us. The young ladies here go 
 earlier into society than in England, and enter sooner into 
 married life ; they have not, therefore, the same opportuni- 
 ties for maturing their taste, expanding their intellect, and ac- 
 quiring a rich store of well-arranged and digested knowledge 
 as those have, who have devoted to improvement the longer 
 interval, which climate or custom has, with us, interposed 
 between the nursery and the drawing-room. In the highest 
 class, especially in Carolina, there are many exceptions to 
 this general remark ; and among the young ladies of Boston, 
 there appeared to me to be, if less of refinement than in the 
 Carolinians, yet, a very agreeable union of domestic habits 
 and literary taste, and great kindness and simplicity of man- 
 ners. 
 
 " The third class may comprehend all below the second, 
 for in a country where some would, perhaps, resent the idea 
 of a second class, this division is sufficiently minute. This 
 class will include the largest proportion of the American 
 population ; and it is distinguished from the corresponding 
 classes of my countrymen, (the little farmers, innkeepers, 
 shopkeepers, clerks, mechanics, servants, and laborers,) by 
 greater acuteness and intelligence, more regular habits of 
 reading, a wider range of ideas, and a greater freedom from 
 prejudices, provincialism, and vulgarity. It is distinguished, 
 also, by greater coldness of manner ; and this is the first of 
 the charges against the nation, generally, on which I shall 
 remark. 
 
 " As respects the highest classes, I think this charge is, 
 in a great measure, unfounded : their reception of a stranger 
 at least, appeared to me as frank and as warm as in England. 
 To that part of the population which I have included in the 
 third class, the charge attaches with strict propriety ; and in 
 many cases, their coldness amounts to the English ' cut 
 direct.' At first, it incommoded me excessively, especially 
 in the women in the country, who showed it the most ; and 
 I have sometimes been disposed to ride on, not in the best 
 temper, when arriving at an inn after a long stage before 
 21 
 
322 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 PHILADELPHIA. 
 
 breakfast, and asking very civilly, ' can we have breakfast 
 here 1 ' I have received a shrill ' I reckon so,' from a cold 
 female figure, that went on with its employments, without 
 deigning to look at us, or to put any thing in motion to 
 verify its reckoning. In due time, however, the bread was 
 baked, the chicken killed, and both made their appearance, 
 with their constant companions, even in the wildest part of 
 America, ham, eggs, and coffee. The automaton then took 
 its place; and if I had been an automaton also, the charm 
 would have remained unbroken : but I do not remember an 
 instance in which the figure did not converse with good 
 humor before I rose. Very often, however, our reception 
 was warm and friendly; and the wife, or daughter, who 
 poured out my coffee, was frank, well-bred, obliging, and 
 conversible. The coldness of the men, also, I found to be 
 confined principally to their manners, and to indicate no in- 
 disposition to be sociable and accommodating. On the con- 
 trary, in a route of more than seven thousand miles, of which 
 I travelled nearly two thousand on horseback, and the rest 
 in steamboats, and stages, I have found the various classes 
 as accommodating and obliging as in England : sometimes, 
 I confess I have thought more so. Some parts of Georgia 
 and the Carolinas, might suggest a slight qualification of this 
 remark ; while East Tennessee and the valley of the Shenan- 
 doah might almost claim a warmer eulogy. In the course 
 of my route, I have met with only one instance of personal 
 rudeness, and that too slight to be mentioned, except for the 
 sake of literal accuracy. My servant's impressions cor- 
 respond to mine. On questioning him at the termination of 
 our route, he said, * he thought the Americans quite as ready 
 to serve us, and one another, as the English ; and that they 
 were continually expressing their surprise to find English- 
 men so civil.' Now our civility was nothing more than 
 would naturally be suggested by a recollection of the insti- 
 tutions of the country through which we were travelling, 
 and a general desire to be pleased with friendly intentions, 
 however manifested. The coldness of manner in the Amer- 
 icans, however, is a great defect, and must prejudice travel- 
 lers till they understand it a little."* 
 
 We shall conclude our account of Philadelphia with 
 some notices of its early history. In 1681, Charles II. 
 
 * Hodgson. 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 323 
 
 PHILADELPHIA. 
 
 granted to William Perm a patent for the territory of Penn- 
 sylvania in consideration of his father's services, and of a 
 debt due to him from the crown. It was his own intention 
 to call the territory New Wales ; but the under secretary 
 had inserted the name Pennsylvania, and would not change 
 it even to Sylvania, which Penn proposed, and to do which 
 he offered a doceur of twenty guineas. At length Penn 
 went to the king and requested the change made — but the 
 king declined, and established the present name. 
 
 In September, Penn sailed in the Welcome for his newly 
 acquired territory ; but soon after commencing the voyage, 
 the smallpox appeared and swept off thirty of the passen- 
 gers. The rest arrived in safety at the expiration of six 
 weeks, and Penn landed at Chester. He was received with 
 great hospitality with his friends at the " Essex House," 
 then the residence of Robert Wade. This house stood 
 about two hundred yards from Chester creek, near the mar- 
 gin of the Delaware, and on a plain of about fifteen feet 
 above tide water. Near the house by the river side stood 
 several lofty white pines, three of which remain at the 
 present day, and thence ranging down the Delaware stood 
 a large row of lofty walnut trees, of which a few still sur- 
 vive. 
 
 Essex House had its south-east gable end fronting to the 
 river Delaware, and its south-west front upon Essex street ; 
 its back piazza ranged in a line with Chester creek, which 
 separated the house and farm from the town of Chester ; 
 all vestiges of the house are now gone, but the facts of its 
 location and position have been told to me by some aged 
 persons who had once seen it. The iron vane once upon 
 it was preserved several years, with the design of replacing 
 it upon a renewed building once intended there. 
 
 Penn and his immediate friends came up in an open boat 
 or barge from Chester, and landed at what was called " the 
 Blue Anchor Tavern" owned by one Guest. It was a new 
 house, and then in building. 
 
 The whole scene was active, animating and cheering. 
 On the shore were gathered, to cheer his arrival, most of 
 the few inhabitants who had preceded him. The busy 
 builders, who had been occupied at the construction of 
 Guest's house, and at the connecting line of " Budd's long 
 row," all forsook their labors to join in the general greet- 
 ings. The Indians, too, aware by previous signals of his 
 
 Jj 
 
324 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 PHILADELPHIA. 
 
 approach, were seen in the throng, or some, more reserved- 
 ly apart, waited the salutation of the guest, while others, 
 hastening to the scene, could be seen paddling their canoes 
 down the smooth waters of the creek. 
 
 The above tradition has been confirmed by several intelli- 
 gent and respectable persons, especially by a Mrs. Preston, 
 who, according to Watson, in his " Annals" was present 
 on the occasion, and used to say she admired the affability 
 and condescension of the Governor, especially his manner 
 of entering into the spirit and feeling of the Indians: he 
 walked with them, sat down on the ground with them, ate 
 with them of their roasted acorns and hominy: when they 
 got up to exercise and express their joy by hopping and 
 jumping, he finally sprung up, and beat them all. I will 
 not pretend, says Mr. Watson, to vouch for this story ; we 
 give it as we received it from honest informants, who cer- 
 tainly believed it themselves. It was a measure harmless 
 in the abstract ; and as a courtesy to the Indians, may have 
 been a fine stroke of policy in winning their regard. He 
 was young enough to have been gay ; being then only thirty- 
 eight years of age. And one of the old journalists has left 
 on record, that he was naturally prone to cheerfulness, for a 
 grave public Friend, especially in the eye of those of them 
 who held " religion harsh, intolerant, austere."* 
 
 Not long after his arrival, Penn held his famous confer- 
 ence with the Indians, designing to ratify in person the 
 terms of purchase and treaty of friendship, which his com- 
 missioners had concluded with the natives. He proceeded, 
 therefore, accompanied by some friends, and young people 
 of both sexes, to a place called Coaquannoc, the site of the 
 city, which he afterwards founded under the name of Phila- 
 delphia, (Brotherly Love.) On arriving there, he found 
 the sachems and their tribes already assembling : they filled 
 the woods as far as the eye could reach, and had a formi- 
 dable appearance, both from their number and their arms. 
 The white men were a mere handful, without weapons of 
 any kind ; " so that dismay and terror had come upon them, 
 had they not confided in the righteousness of their cause." 
 The spot upon which the council was held, is a little high- 
 er up, and was then named Shackamaxon : it is now occu- 
 pied by the houses of Kensington, which may be consider- 
 
 * Watson's Annals. 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 325 
 
 PHILADELPHIA. 
 
 ed as a suburb of Philadelphia. Here stood an elm of pro- 
 digious size, to which the leaders on each side repaired, 
 approaching each other under its wide-spreading branches.* 
 William Penn appeared in his usual dress, without sword or 
 staff, or any other insignia than a sky blue sash of silk net- 
 work. This sash is still in existence in England. On his 
 right hand was Col. Markham, his relation and secretary ; 
 on his left, his friend Pierson ; and he was followed by a 
 train of Quakers. Before him were carried various arti- 
 cles of merchandise, which, when they came near the 
 sachems, were spread on the ground. In his hand he held 
 a roll of parchment, containing the confirmation of the 
 Treaty of Purchase and Amity. The chief sachem, on 
 Penn's approach, put upon his own head a sort of chaplet, 
 in which appeared a small horn, the emblem of kingly pow- 
 er ; and whenever the chief, who had a right to wear it, 
 put it on, the place was considered as sacred, and the per- 
 sons of all present as inviolable. The Indians, on this 
 sign, threw down their bows and arrows, and seated them- 
 selves round their chiefs in a semi-circle. The chief sachem 
 then announced, by means of an interpreter, that the 
 natives were ready to hear the " white chief." Upon this, 
 Penn made a declaration of his pacific intentions, and un- 
 
 * The tree thus memorable was blown over on the 3d of March, 1810: 
 the blow was not deemed generally prevalent, nor strong. In its case, 
 the root was wrenched and the trunk broken off: it fell on Saturday 
 night, and Sunday many hundreds of people visited it. In its form it 
 was remarkably wide spread, but not lofty ; its main branch inclining 
 towards the river measured 150 feet in length ; its girth around the trunk 
 was 24 feet, and its age, as it was counted by the inspection of its circles 
 of annual growth, was 283 years. While it stood, the Methodists and 
 Baptists often held their summer meetings under its shade. When it 
 had fallen, several took their measures to secure some of the wood as 
 relics. An arm-chair was made from it,and presented to Dr. Rush ; a 
 part of it is constructed into something memorable and enduring at Penn's 
 Park in England. A marble monument has been erected near the site 
 of the original tree to perpetuate its memory, with the following four 
 inscriptions on its four sides, to wit : 
 
 Treaty Ground 
 
 of 
 
 William Penn, 
 
 and the 
 
 Indian Nations, 
 
 1682. 
 Unbroken Faith. 
 
 William Penn, 
 Born 1644. 
 Died 1718. 
 
 Placed by the 
 Penn Society, 
 A. D. 1827, 
 
 to mark 
 
 the Site of 
 
 the 
 
 Great Elm Tree 
 
 Pennsylvania 
 
 founded 
 
 1681. 
 
 by Deeds of Peace. 
 
326 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 PHILADELPHIA. 
 
 rolling the parchment, explained, article by article, the 
 conditions of the purchase and compact. He then paid 
 them for the land, and made them many presents besides, 
 and concluded the ceremony, by presenting the parchment 
 to the chief sachem, desiring him to preserve it carefully 
 for three generations. 
 
 Having thus fairly purchased the land of the natives, he 
 ordered a regular survey of it, during which he pitched upon 
 Coaquannoc, as the most noble and commodious place for 
 his new city. This being determined upon, and a plan 
 formed, a map was made of it, and the name of " Philadel- 
 phia " given to it, in token of that principle of brotherly 
 love which he wished might forever characterize his new do- 
 minions. Several houses were erected upon the spot the 
 same year. During the year 1683, about one hundred houses 
 were erected ; and such was the popularity of Penn, and 
 such the encouragement given to new settlers, that before 
 the expiration of 1684, the city embraced nearly 300 houses.* 
 The population of the city and suburbs, according to the cen- 
 sus of 1840, was 228,691. 
 
 The early history of Philadelphia, is replete with interest- 
 ing facts and associations. Fortunately, within a few years 
 a gentleman well qualified for the task has presented the 
 public with a highly interesting volume, entitled " Annals 
 of Philadelphia" " designed," as he remarks, " to revive 
 the recollections and the peculiar traits and characteristics 
 of the olden time." To this volume the author is indebted 
 for the remaining pages of this article, gathered out of some 
 seven or eight hundred pages, and for which he here makes 
 this specific acknowledgment. 
 
 11 The city residence of Penn was the Slate Roof House, 
 which is still standing at the south-east corner of Norris's 
 alley and Second street, but it has undergone great altera- 
 tions. It was originally built for Samuel Carpenter. During 
 his second visit in 1700, Penn and his family occupied this 
 house, and here within a month after his arrival was born 
 John Penn, the only one of the race ever born in the country." 
 11 To that house therefore," says Mr. Watson, " humble, de- 
 generated, and altered in aspect as it now is, we are to ap- 
 
 * Life of Penn. 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 327 
 
 PHILADELPHIA. 
 
 propriate all our conceptions of Penn's employments, medi- 
 tations, hopes, fears, &c, while acting as Governor and pro- 
 prietary among us. In those doors he went in and out — up 
 and down those stairs he passed — in those chambers he re- 
 posed — in those parlors he dined or regaled his friends — 
 through those gardens he sauntered. His wife, his daughter 
 Laetitia, his family, and his servants, were there. In short, 
 to those who can think and feel, the place '• is filled with local 
 impressions.' " 
 
 " This house, after Penn's return to England, became the 
 residence of Governor Logan, and, some time after him, of 
 Governor Hamilton. For many years preceding the war of 
 Independence, it was deemed a superior boarding house. 
 While it held its rank as such, it was honored with the com- 
 pany, and finally with the funeral honors of General Forbes, 
 successor to General Braddock, who died in the house in 
 1759. The pomp of his funeral from that house surpassed 
 all the simple inhabitants had before seen in their city. His 
 horse was led before the procession, richly caparisoned, — 
 the whole conducted in all ' the pomp of war,' with funeral 
 dirges, and a military array with arms reversed. 
 
 " In 1764, it was occupied as a distinguished boarding 
 house by the widow Graydon, mother of Captain Graydon of 
 Carlisle, who has left us his amusing ' Memoirs of 60 years 
 life in Pennsylvania.' There his mother, as he informs us, 
 had a great many gentry as lodgers. He describes the old 
 house as very much of a castle in its construction, although 
 built originally for a Friend. ' It was a singular old-fash- 
 ioned structure, laid out in the style of a fortification, with 
 abundance of angles both salient and re-entering. Its two 
 wings projected to the street in the manner of bastions, to 
 which the main building, retreating from 16 to 18 feet, served 
 for a curtain. John Adams and other members of the first 
 Congress had their lodgings in the Slate House.' 
 
 " ' Shippen's House,' or ' Shippey's Great House,' was 
 another venerable edifice. For many years after its con- 
 struction, it was beautifully situated and surrounded with 
 rural beauty, being originally, on a small eminence, with a 
 tall row of yellow pines in its rear, a full orchard of best 
 fruit trees close by, overlooking the rising city, beyond the 
 Dock creek, and having on its front view a beautiful green 
 
328 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 PHILADELPHIA. 
 
 lawn, gently sloping to the then pleasant Dock creek, and 
 draw bridge, and the whole prospect unobstructed to the 
 Delaware and the Jersey shore. It was indeed a princely 
 place for that day, and caused the honest heart of Gabriel 
 Thomas, to overflow at its recollection, as he spoke of it in 
 the year 1698, saying of it, that ' Edward Shippen, who lives 
 near the capital city, has an orchard and gardens adjoining 
 to his great house that equals any I have ever seen, being a 
 very famous and pleasant summer house, erected in the mid- 
 dle of his garden, and abounding with tulips, carnations, 
 roses, lilies, &,c, with many wild plants of the country be- 
 sides.' 
 
 " Such was the place enjoyed by Edward Shippen, the 
 first Mayor, under the regular charter of the year 1700. 
 Shippen was a Friend, from England, who had suffered ' for 
 truth's and Friend's sake,' at Boston, by a public punishment 
 from the misguided rulers there. Possessing such a man- 
 sion and the means to be hospitable, he made it the temporary 
 residence of William Penn and his family, for about a month, 
 when they arrived in 1699. About the year 1720 it was 
 held by Governor Keith, and in 1756 it became the residence 
 of Governor Denny. As it usually bore the name of ' the 
 Governor's house,' in after times, it was probably occupied 
 by other rulers. 
 
 " The first church in Philadelphia was erected in 1695. 
 It was a one-story wooden chapel, built under the auspices 
 of the Rev. Mr. Clayton. The ceiling was so low, that a 
 tall person could touch it. The bell was hung in the crotch 
 of a tree close by. When the second church was erected on 
 the same spot, the structure was so much larger, that the 
 walls of the smaller were left standing, and the worship was 
 continued in it till the other was roofed and nearly finished." 
 The present Christ church, built of brick, was founded in 
 1727. The steeple, however, was not finished till 1754, at 
 a cost of c£2l00, and the bells were purchased in England, 
 at a cost of <£900, — they were brought out, freight free, in 
 the ship Matilda, Captain Budden ; and as a compliment to 
 his generosity, as often as he arrived in subsequent years, 
 the bells put forth a merry peal to announce their gratitude. 
 The whole weight of the bells was said to be 8000 lbs. — 
 the tenor bell weighed 1800 lbs. They were cast by Lester 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 329 
 
 PHILADELPHIA. 
 
 and Pack, men of moat note in their day. They were hung 
 here by Nicholas Nicholson, a native of Yorkshire, in an en- 
 tirely new manner. 
 
 " These bells, heavy as they were in mounting, had to be 
 taken down in the year 1777, by the Commissary General of 
 military stores, to keep them from falling into the hands of 
 the British, for military purposes; they were again returned 
 and hung after the evacuation of the city. 
 
 " When the bells were yet a novelty, they excited very 
 great interest to hear them chime and ring tunes. They 
 used to ring the night before markets ; and on such occa- 
 sions numbers of persons would go from villages like Ger- 
 mantown, halfway to the city, to listen to the peals of merry 
 music. 
 
 " The first time the bells were tolled was long remember- 
 ed, as being for the occasion of Governor Anthony Palmer's 
 wife, the mother of 21 children, all of whom died with con- 
 sumption ! The ringing was also doubly memorable in having 
 caused the death of one of the ringers, by his ignorance and 
 ill-judged management of the bell-rope. 
 
 " The Hon. Charles Thompson said he well remembered 
 being present, when a man fell from a high elevation on the 
 steeple, down to the ground unhurt ! While he was up, some 
 commotion occurred in the crowd below, and he turning his 
 head and body backwards to look, gave occasion to the wind 
 to pass between him and the steeple, and so forced him to 
 let go his hold by the hands, and he fell ! What horrors he 
 must have felt in his terrified thoughts, during his rapid de- 
 scent ! ' Mercy he sought, and mercy found,' — for he fell, 
 providentially and strangely enough, into a large mass of 
 mortar, and his great fall was harmless." 
 
 In respect to the state of society among the early inhab- 
 itants of Philadelphia, Mr. Watson observes, that "they were 
 distinguished for a frank and generous hospitality. They 
 made many entertainments, but they were devoid of glare 
 and show, and always abundant and good. 
 
 " Dr. Franklin, describing the state of the people about 
 the year 1752, says they were all loyal, and submitted wil- 
 lingly to the government of the crown, or paid for defence 
 cheerfully. ' They were led by a thread. They not only 
 had a respect, but an affection for Great Britain, for its 
 laws, its customs, and its manners, and even a fondness for 
 
PHILADELPHIA. 
 
 its fashions, — not yet subsided. Natives of Great Britain 
 were always treated with particular regard ; and, to be " an 
 Old England man " gave a kind of rank and respect among 
 us.' 
 
 " The old people all testify that the young of their youth 
 were much more reserved, and held under much more re- 
 straint in the presence of their elders and parents than now. 
 Bashfulness and modesty in trie young were then regarded as 
 virtues ; and the present freedom before the aged was not 
 then countenanced. Young lovers then listened and took 
 sidelong glances, when before their parents or elders. 
 
 " It was the custom for the younger part of the family, 
 and especially of the female part, to dress up neatly towards 
 the close of the day, and sit in the street porch. Sometimes 
 they would go from porch to porch in neighborhoods, and 
 sit and converse. Tea was such a rarity, that it was 
 measured out for the teapots in small hand-scales. After- 
 noon visits were not made, as now, at night, but at so early 
 an hour as to permit matrons to go home, and see their 
 children put to bed. 
 
 " Before the Revolution, no hired man or woman wore 
 any shoes so fine as calfskin ; coarse neats leather was their 
 every day wear. Men and women then hired by the year, — 
 men got 16 to £20, and a servant woman 8 to .£10. Out of 
 that it was their custom to lay up money, to buy before their 
 marriage a bed and bedding, silver teaspoons, and a spinning 
 wheel, &-c. 
 
 " Among the rough amusements of men, might be men- 
 tioned, shooting, fishing, and sailing parties. These were 
 frequent, as also mutton clubs, fishing, house and country 
 parties were much indulged in by respectable citizens. Great 
 sociability prevailed among all classes of citizens, until the 
 strife with Great Britain sent 'every man to his own ways;' 
 then discord and acrimony ensued, and the previously gen- 
 eral friendly intercourse never returned. We afterwards 
 grew another and enlarged people. 
 
 " Our girls in the daytime used to attend the work of the 
 family, and in the evening paraded in their porch at the 
 door. Some of them, however, even then, read novels, and 
 walked without business abroad. Those who had not house- 
 work, employed themselves in their accomplishments, such as 
 making shell-work, cornucopiaes, working of pocket books, 
 with a close, strong-stitched needlework. 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 331 
 
 PHILADELPHIA. 
 
 " The ladies seventy years ago, were much accustomed to 
 ride on horseback for recreation. It was quite common to 
 see genteel ladies riding, with jockey caps. 
 
 " Boarding schools for girls were not known in Philadel- 
 phia until about the time of the Revolution, nor had they 
 any separate schools for writing and ciphering, but were 
 taught in common with boys. The ornamental parts of 
 female education were bestowed, but geography and gram- 
 mar were never regarded for them, until a certain Mr. Hor- 
 ton — thanks to his name ! — proposed to teach those sci- 
 ences to young ladies. Similar institutions afterwards grew 
 into favor. 
 
 " It was usual in the Gazettes of 1760, to 70, to an- 
 nounce marriages in words like these, to wit : ' Miss Betsey 
 Lawrence, or Miss Elizabeth Caton, a most agreeable lady, 
 with a large or a handsome fortune.' 
 
 " In still earlier times, marriages had to be promulged by 
 affixing the intentions of the parties on the court house or 
 meeting house door ; and when the act was solemnized, they 
 should have at least twelve subscribing witnesses. The act 
 which imposed it was passed in 1700. 
 
 "The wedding entertainments of olden times were very 
 expensive and harassing to the wedded. The house of the 
 parent would be filled with company to dine ; the same 
 company would stay to tea and to supper. For two days, 
 punch was dealt out in profusion. The gentlemen saw the 
 groom on the first floor, and then ascended to the second, 
 wlrere they saw the bride ; there every gentleman, even to 
 one hundred in a day, kissed her ! Even the plain Friends 
 submitted to these things. I have known rich families, 
 which had 120 persons to dine — the same who had signed 
 their certificate of marriage at the monthly meeting ; these 
 also partook of tea and supper. As they formally passed 
 the meeting twice, the same entertainment was repeated. 
 Two days the male friends would call and take punch, and 
 all would kiss the bride. Besides this, the married pair for 
 two entire weeks saw large tea parties at their home, having 
 in attendance every night the groomsman and bridemaids. 
 To avoid expense and trouble, Friends have since made it 
 sufficient to pass but one meeting. When these marriage 
 entertainments were made, it was expected also that punch, 
 cakes, and meats should be sent out very generally in the 
 
332 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 PHILADELPHIA. 
 
 neighborhood, even to those who were not visiters in the 
 family ! 
 
 " Of articles and rules of diet, so far as it differed from 
 ours, in the earliest time, we may mention coffee, as a bev- 
 erage, was used but rarely ; chocolate for morning and 
 evening, or thickened milk for children. Cookery in general 
 was plainer than now. In the country, morning and evening 
 repasts were generally made of milk, having bread boiled 
 therein, or else thickened with pop-robins, — things made up 
 of flour and eggs into a batter, and so dropt in with the boil- 
 ing milk. 
 
 " A lady of my acquaintance thus describes the recol- 
 lections of her early days, preceding the war of Independ- 
 ence. Dress was discriminate and appropriate, both as re- 
 garded the season and the character of the wearer. Ladies 
 never wore the same dresses at work and on visits ; they 
 sat at home, or went out in the morning, in chintz ; bro- 
 cades, satins, and mantuas were reserved for evening or 
 dinner parties. Robes or negligees, as they were called, 
 were always worn in full dress. Muslins were not worn at 
 all. Little Misses at a dancing school ball (for these were 
 almost the only fetes that fell to their share in the days of 
 discrimination) were dressed in frocks of lawn or cambric. 
 Worsted was then thought dress enough for common days. 
 
 " As a universal fact it may be remarked, that no other 
 color than black was ever made for ladies' bonnets, when 
 formed of silk or satin. Fancy colors were unknown, and 
 white bonnets of silk fabric had never been seen. The 
 first innovation remembered was the bringing in of blue 
 bonnets. 
 
 " The time was, when the plainest woman among the 
 Friends (now so averse to fancy colors) wore their colored 
 silk aprons, say, of green or blue, &lc. This was at a time 
 when the gay wore white aprons. In time, white aprons 
 were disused by the gentry, and then the Friends left off 
 their colored ones and used the white ! The same old 
 ladies, among Friends whom we can remember as wearers 
 of the white aprons, wore also large white beaver hats, with 
 scarcely the sign of a crown, and which was indeed confined 
 to the head by silk cords tied under the chin. Eight dollars 
 would buy such a hat, when beaver fur was more plentiful. 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 333 
 
 PHILADELPHIA. 
 
 They lasted such ladies almost a whole life of wear. They 
 showed no fur. 
 
 " Very decent women went abroad and to churches with 
 check aprons. I have seen those who kept their coach in 
 my time to bear them to church, who told me they went on 
 foot with a check apron to the Arch street Presbyterian 
 meeting in their youth. Then all hired women wore short 
 gowns and petticoats of domestic fabric, and could be in- 
 stantly known as such whenever seen abroad. 
 
 " In the former days, it was not uncommon to see aged 
 persons with large silver buttons to their coats and vests — 
 it was a mark of wealth. Some had the initials of their 
 names engraved on each button. Sometimes they were 
 made out of real quarter dollars, with the coinage impression 
 still retained, — these were used for the coats, and the eleven- 
 penny-bits for vests and breeches. My father wore an 
 entire suit decorated with conch-shell buttons, silver 
 mounted. 
 
 " The articles of dress in those early times would at the 
 present day not be recognized by their names. The fol- 
 lowing is an advertisement for the year 1745. — For sale, 
 
 " ' Tandems, isinghams, nuns, bag and gulix, (these all 
 mean shirting,) huckabacks, (a figured worsted for women's 
 gowns,) quilted humhums, turketees, grassets, single allo- 
 peens, children's stays, jumps and bodice, whalebone and 
 iron busks, men's new market caps, silk and worsted wove 
 patterns for breeches, allibanes, dickmansoy, cushloes, chuck- 
 loes, cuttanees, crimson dannador, chain'd soosees, lemonees, 
 byrampauts, moree, naffermamy, saxlingham, prunelloe, bar- 
 ragons, druggets, florettas,' &c. &c. 
 
 " Before the Revolution, no hired men or women wore 
 any shoes so fine as calf skin ; that kind was the exclusive 
 property of the gentry ; the servants wore coarse neat leather. 
 The calf skin shoe then had a white rand of sheep skin 
 stitched into the top edge of the sole, which they preserved 
 white as a dress shoe as long as possible. 
 
 " It was very common for children and working women 
 to wear beads made of Job's tears, a berry of a shrub. 
 They used them for economy, and said it prevented several 
 diseases. 
 
 " Until the period of the Revolution, every person who 
 wore a fur hat, had it always of entire beaver. Every ap- 
 prentice, at receiving his ' freedom/ received a real beaver, 
 
334 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 PHILADELPHIA. 
 
 at a cost of six dollars. Their every day hats were of 
 wool, called felts. What were called roram hats, being fur 
 faced upon wool felts, came into use directly after the 
 peace, and excited much surprise, as to the invention. Gen- 
 tlemen's hats, of entire beaver, universally cost eight dollars. 
 
 " The use of lace veils to ladies' faces is but a modern 
 fashion, not of more than twenty to thirty years standing. 
 Now they wear black, white, and green, — the last only lately 
 introduced as summer veil. In olden time, none wore a veil 
 but as a mark and badge of mourning, and then, as now, of 
 crape in preference to lace. 
 
 " Ancient ladies remembered a time in their early life, 
 when the ladies wore blue stockings and party-colored clocks 
 of very striking appearance. May not that fashion, as an 
 extreme ton of the upper circle in life, explain the adoption 
 of the term — * Blue-stocking Club ? ' I have seen in pos- 
 session of Samuel Coates, Esq., the wedding silk stockings 
 ofihis grandmother, of a lively green, and great red clocks. 
 My grandmother wore in winter, very fine worsted green 
 stockings with a gay clock surmounted with a bunch of 
 tulips. 
 
 " The late President Thomas Jefferson, when in Philadel- 
 phia, on his first mission abroad, was dressed in the garb of 
 his day after this manner, to wit : he wore a long waisted 
 white cloth coat, scarlet breeches and vest, a cocked hat, with 
 a black cockade. 
 
 " Even spectacles, permanently useful as they are, have 
 been subject to the caprice of fashion. Now they are oc- 
 casionally seen of gold — a thing I never saw in my youth ; 
 neither did I ever see one young man with spectacles — now 
 so numerous ! A purblind or half-sighted youth then deemed 
 it his positive disparagement to be so regarded. Such would 
 have rather run against a street post six times a day, than 
 have been seen with them ! Indeed, in early olden time 
 they had not the art of using temple spectacles. Old Mrs. 
 Shoemaker, who died in 1825, at the age of 95, said she 
 had lived many years in Philadelphia before she ever saw 
 temple spectacles — a name then given as a new discovery, 
 but now so common as to have lost its distinctive charac- 
 ter. In her early years, the only spectacles she ever saw 
 were called ' bridge spectacles,' without any side support- 
 ers, and held on the nose solely by nipping the bridge of 
 the nose. 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 335 
 
 PHILADELPHIA. 
 
 " My grandmother wore a black velvet mask in winter, 
 with a silver mouth-piece to keep it on, by retaining it in 
 the mouth. I have been told that green ones have been 
 used in summer for some few ladies, for riding in the sun on 
 horseback. 
 
 " Ladies formerly wore cloaks as their chief over-coats ; 
 they were used with some changes of form under the succes- 
 sive names of roquelaurs, capuchins, and cardinals. 
 
 " In Mrs. Shoemaker's time, above named, they had no 
 knowledge of umbrellas to keep off rain, but she had seen 
 some few use kitisols — an article as small as present parasols 
 now. They were entirely to keep off rain from ladies. They 
 were of oiled muslin, and of various colors. They were 
 imported from India by way of England. They must, how- 
 ever, have been but rare, as they never appear in any adver- 
 tisements. 
 
 " Dr. Chancellor, and the Rev. Mr. Duche, were the first 
 persons in Philadelphia, who were seen to wear umbrellas to 
 keep off the rain. They were of oiled linen, very coarse 
 and clumsy, with ratan sticks. Before their time, some 
 doctors and ministers used an oiled linen cape, hooked round 
 their shoulders, looking not unlike the big coat capes, now 
 in use, and then called a roquelaur. It was only used for se- 
 vere storms. 
 
 " About the year 1771, the first efforts were made in 
 Philadelphia to introduce the use of umbrellas in summer, 
 as a defence from the sun. They were then scouted in the 
 public gazettes, as a ridiculous effeminacy. On the other 
 hand, the physicians recommended them, to keep off verti- 
 goes, epilepsies, sore eyes, fevers, &c. Finally, as the doc- 
 tors were the chief patrons, Doctor Chancellor and Doctor 
 Morgan, with the Rev. Parson Duche, were the first persons, 
 who had the hardihood to be so singular, as to wear um- 
 brellas in sunshine. Mr. Bingham, when he returned from 
 the West Indies, where he had amassed a great fortune in 
 the Revolution, appeared abroad in the streets attended by a 
 mulatto boy bearing his umbrella. But his example did not 
 take, and he desisted from its use."* 
 
 * Watson's Historic Tales of Olden Time. 
 
336 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 PITTSBURGH. 
 
 PITTSBURGH. 
 
 This city, which justly ranks among the most flourishing 
 in the country, occupies the former site of the once-celebrated 
 French fort Du Quesne, where the immortal Washington in 
 1755 first displayed that prowess and military skill which 
 subsequently so greatly contributed to the success of the 
 American arms during our revolutionary struggle. It is a 
 remarkable fact that the population of this place has nearly 
 doubled every ten years, dating back from 1810, when it 
 numbered 4,768; and at the last census it was upwards of 
 10^,000. 
 
 The city is situated at the confluence of the Alleghany and 
 Monongahela rivers, which by their union here form the Ohio 
 river, a navigable stream to the gulf of Mexico through the 
 Mississippi. The streets are laid out in lines running paral- 
 lel with both rivers, and are crossed at right angles by others, 
 which meet obliquely a short distance back from the Alle- 
 ghany. Extensive bridges are built across both rivers, and 
 several ferries afford easy communication with the suburbs 
 and surrounding towns. The harbour is chiefly on the Mo- 
 nongahela, owing to its superior depth of water, and there are 
 about one hundred steamboats, of various capacities, now 
 engaged directly in connection with the business of this place. 
 Bituminous coal abounds in the vicinity, and adds much to 
 facilities of manufacturing ; it also produces a brilliant gas, 
 with which the city is lighted at a comparatively small ex- 
 pense. The citizens are supplied with fine water from the 
 Alleghany, raised by a steam-engine, capable of raising from 
 three to four millions of gallons daily ; it is conducted through 
 the several streets in iron pipes. 
 
 The Pennsylvania canal, which here crosses the Alleghany 
 by an aqueduct, has been a source of great benefit to Pitts- 
 burgh, by facilitating the travel on this route, and reducing 
 the time and expense of communication with Philadelphia and 
 other places to less than one half the rates charged previous 
 to its completion. 
 
 The first steamboat on the Western waters was built at 
 Pittsburgh in 1811, and materially changed the character of 
 trade in that section of country ; as, previous to its introduc- 
 tion, a trip to and from New Orleans was the work of a whole 
 season, but now it requires only a few weeks. 
 
FAMILY TOURIST: 337 
 
 PITTSBURGH: 
 
 This city, which has deservedly acquired the name of the 
 "Birmingham of America," is also styled by Mr. M'Culloch 
 a a great workshop and industrious hive." Among the public 
 buildings, the Court House stands most prominent ; it is a 
 magnificent Grecian Doric structure, 165 feet long and 100 
 feet wide, surmounted by a dome 37 feet at the base and 148 
 feet above the level of the street. There are about fifty 
 churches, of various denominations, in the city and precincts, 
 including a splendid Catholic cathedral, located on Grant's 
 hill, near the Western University of Pennsylvania. There 
 are also several public libraries ; a museum, theatre, and 
 market-houses; and two large hotels, (the Monongahela and 
 Exchange,) which are creditably conducted. 
 
 Pittsburgh has suffered materially from several destructive 
 fires. In April, 1845, a large portion of the city, embracing 
 many of the most valuable public and private edifices, was 
 destroyed ; but since then 609 buildings have been erected 
 in the district burned over, which are much larger and better 
 adapted to business purposes than those formerly occupying 
 the same ground. It is well said, in the Gazette, that "there 
 are few cities in the Union, of corresponding means, where 
 such rapid advancements have been made in business and in 
 buildings." 
 
 22 
 
MARYLAND. 
 
 BALTIMORE. 
 
 Baltimore, the largest city in Maryland, though not the 
 seat of government, has had the most rapid growth of any 
 town of the same size in the Union. In 1787, it contained 
 only 1955 houses, including its port ; the number of stores 
 was 152, and of churches nine, belonging to as many sects. 
 In 1789, the number of inhabitants was between 10,000 and 
 11,000; of whom, not more than one in five, Dr. Morse 
 states, attended public worship of any kind, notwithstanding 
 the variety that courted their choice. There were many re- 
 spectable families who lived genteely ; but the bulk of the 
 population, recently collected from all quarters of the globe, 
 bent on the pursuit of wealth, and varying alike in their 
 habits, manners, and creed, were "unsocial, unimproved, 
 and inhospitable." In 1790, the number of inhabitants was 
 13,503; the amount of shipping, 13,564 tons. In 1800, the 
 population had doubled ; in ten years more, it had risen to 
 46,555, including 10,343 blacks; in 1820, to 62,627, and 
 the tonnage was 68,674. It now ranks as the third city in 
 commercial importance in the United States, and the fifth also 
 in population, containing more than one hundred thousand 
 inhabitants. This is an increase of numbers perhaps un- 
 paralleled, unless Rochester be an exception, the place having 
 been raised from a town to a city as late as the last day of 
 the year 1796. 
 
 During the war with England, in 1812, the commerce of 
 Baltimore, like that of every other part of the country, par- 
 took of the fluctuations of the times. Her merchants suffer- 
 ed, however, less than most other places. After the peace 
 with England in 1815, the merchants of Baltimore resumed 
 their former commercial operations. The effect on the city 
 was sudden and most encouraging: a rapid influx of popula- 
 tion immediately followed : activity pervaded every class of 
 society and every branch of industry : the vessels belonging 
 to the port, which had been scattered in various parts of the 
 United States, during the war, were now called home ; a 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 341 
 
 BALTIMORE. 
 
 considerable accession to the tonnage had taken place. The 
 trade to China, Batavia, Bengal, and other parts of Asia was 
 resumed : the intercourse with Europe was briskly renewed, 
 and the accumulated produce of the country was quickly 
 despatched to the proper markets. European imports, and 
 particularly British manufactures, were introduced in the 
 greatest abundance, and it may be doubted, whether, at any 
 period, the business of Baltimore was more active, or its ap- 
 parent prosperity more flattering than for the three years 
 succeeding the war. Real estate rose to a higher value than 
 it had been known to possess before. Numerous dwelling 
 houses were erected, to accommodate the increasing popula- 
 tion, and rents became exorbitant. 
 
 " But this delusive prosperity was not peculiar to Balti- 
 more ; the whole country was drawn into the snare ; and 
 the combination of causes which led to it, arising from the 
 great changes in the state of this country and Europe, as well 
 as its general and fatal consequences, are too well known to 
 be dwelt upon here. Baltimore suffered more than any other 
 city. Business was curtailed ; property fell in value ; and 
 when the stock of the Bank of the United States, then at an 
 exaggerated and unparalleled nominal value, fell nearly one 
 third of that value, in the space of a few weeks, which it did 
 in 1818, the consummation ruined many, who had incau- 
 tiously adventured their whole fortunes in the speculation. 
 A principal part of the active commercial capital was with- 
 drawn from its accustomed channels ; several of the most 
 enterprizing merchants were deprived of their means, and 
 even those who escaped the storm, were terrified at the 
 shock, and became doubtful, hesitating, timid, and inactive. 
 This may with truth be said to have been the darkest period 
 in the history of Baltimore. But the principle of vitality 
 and increase is still strong within her, and although she has 
 risen but slowly from her reverses, she has still risen and 
 continues to rise."* 
 
 With this brief historical account of Baltimore, we next 
 proceed to give some account of the city itself. It stands 
 on the top of a small bay in the river Patapsco, 14 miles 
 from the Chesapeake, and consists of two portions, nearly a 
 mile asunder, the upper of which is, properly speaking, the 
 
 * Picture of Baltimore, 1832. 
 
342 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 BALTIMORE. 
 
 town, and the lower, called Fell's Point, is the harbor. The 
 water comes up to the town, but it is shallow, and in general 
 none but coasters go past the point. The bay is formed and 
 protected by a peninsular tongue of land, which stretches 
 downwards into the river : the entrance is narrow, and is 
 completely commanded by a fort, which sustained a heavy 
 bombardment during the last war. 
 
 The town is built with considerable regularity, upon por- 
 tions of three hills and their intervening valleys ; many of 
 the streets cross each other at right angles, and they are in 
 general, spacious and well paved. A large proportion of the 
 buildings are of brick ; the more ancient, in consequence 
 of inattention to painting, have rather a gloomy aspect ; but 
 the modern ones resemble in every respect those of New 
 York and Philadelphia. The public buildings and monu- 
 ments indicate by their splendor, great wealth and enterprize 
 in the inhabitants. Some of these buildings merit a particu- 
 lar notice. 
 
 The Merchants' Exchange, which was begun in 1815, is 
 one of the objects most worthy of the notice of a stranger 
 visiting Baltimore. It has a front of 255 feet ; its depth 141 ; 
 its general form in plan is that of the letter H ; but the two 
 wings toward the west have not yet been erected. It is four 
 stories in height, including the basement, which is vaulted 
 throughout. It contains a hall 86 feet in length, lighted 
 from a dome 90 feet above the floor. The colonnades are 
 to the east and west, and are composed each of six Ionic 
 columns, the shafts of which are single blocks of Italian mar- 
 ble, and their design and proportion are the closest imitation 
 of the purest Grecian model. The dome contains in its 
 centre a repeating vane, which, moving with that on the sum- 
 mit of the dome, discovers the direction of the wind to the 
 merchants in the hall. 
 
 The Catholic Cathedral is another splendid edifice, built 
 in the Ionic style, 190 feet long and 177 feet wide, sur- 
 mounted by a dome and a cross which rise to the height of 
 127 feet. It is remarkable throughout for the chaste sim- 
 plicity of its design, and the beautiful proportion of all its 
 parts. It contains by far the largest organ in the United 
 States ; it has 6,000 pipes and 36 stops. The edifice con- 
 tains several fine paintings — one, the Descent from the Cross, 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 343 
 
 BALTIMORE. 
 
 painted by Paulin Guerin, a present of Louis XVI. to the 
 Archbishop : another represents St. Louis burying his offi- 
 cers and soldiers, slain before Tunis. St. Louis could find 
 no one to bury them, for fear of contagion ; but that he- 
 roic prince could not bear to see the bodies of so many brave 
 men exposed to be devoured by hyenas and birds of prey. 
 To encourage his army, he began the work of charity, ac- 
 companied by his armor-bearer and chaplain. He is repre- 
 sented as holding the corpse of an officer, his relation, which 
 he lays down in a rude grave made in the sand. This valu- 
 able painting is by the celebrated Steuben. Charles X., 
 when king of France, presented it to the Cathedral. 
 
 The Socinian chapel is a more lightsome and tasteful 
 fabric, and although not a large building, is said to have cost 
 100,000 dollars. The interior is profusely decorated. The 
 pulpit is of polished marble, of various colors, with a bap- 
 tismal font before it of the same material ; upon the wall be- 
 hind are two white marble slabs, resembling the tables of the 
 law in the ancient picture of Moses, upon which are in- 
 scribed a few texts of Scripture. The ends of the pews are 
 beautifully carved and bronzed, in imitation of the antique. 
 The ceiling is covered with rich stuccoed work, and in the 
 gallery is a large organ, the front of which is very tastefully 
 finished in the form of an ancient lyre. The effect of the 
 whole is splendid. 
 
 Besides the above, St. Paul's Church, the Court House, and 
 the Union Bank, are all elegant. 
 
 Baltimore contains several public monuments, from which 
 it is sometimes called the " Monumental City." One of 
 these, called the Washington Monument, was commenced in 
 1815. It occupies the point of a rising ground, a little above 
 the city, at the intersection of Charles and Monument streets. 
 It is a Doric column, upon a square base, and surmounted 
 by a pedestal, upon which is placed a colossal statue of 
 Washington. The base is fifty feet square, and is elevated 
 twenty feet: the column, to the feet of the statue, is one 
 hundred and sixty feet ; and the statue is thirteen feet in 
 height. The statue is the design and work of Causici, and 
 represents Washington at the instant when he resigned his 
 commission (after the Revolution) into the hands from which 
 he had received it. 
 
344 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 BALTIMORE. 
 
 Another monument called the " Battle Monument," is de- 
 signed to commemorate the battle of North Point, when the 
 British army made a " demonstration" upon Baltimore in 
 the year 1814. The Battle Monument was erected by the 
 survivors, to the memory of those who fell : and the corner 
 stone was laid on the first anniversary of the battle, on the 
 12th of September, 1815, with all the ceremonies usual 
 upon such occasions. 
 
 The Baltimore Monument was designed by Maximilian 
 Godefroy, and stands in Calvert street, near Fayette street, 
 upon what was once the site of the " Old Court House," but 
 which is now called Monument Square. An Egyptian base, 
 raised to the height of about four feet from the pavement of 
 the street, is surmounted by a column, representing a fasces, 
 upon the bands of which are placed, in bronze letters, the 
 names of those who fell. On each angle of the base are 
 griffins, and the lower part of the column is ornamented 
 with basso-relievos, representing part of the occurrences of 
 the 12th of September, 1814; the whole being crowned by 
 a statue of the city, with the eagle at her side, 'holding a 
 laurel wreath suspended in her uplifted hand. The monu- 
 ment is surrounded by an iron railing, to preserve it from 
 injury ; and at each corner are lamps of gas, whose brilliant 
 illumination of the spotless marble presents a most striking 
 effect at night. The entire height of the Monument is fifty- 
 two feet two inches.* 
 
 On the south side of the plinth, at the base of the 
 column : 
 
 BATTLE 
 
 OF NORTH POINT, 
 
 12TH SEPTEMBER, A. D. 1814 J 
 
 AND OF THE INDEPENDENCE OF THE UNITED STATES 
 
 THE THIRTY-NINTH. 
 
 On the north side of the plinth : 
 
 BOMBARDMENT 
 
 OF FORT M'HENRY, 
 
 12TH SEPTEMBER, A. D. 1814 \ 
 
 AND OF THE INDEPENDENCE OF THE UNITED STATES 
 
 THE THIRTY-NINTH. 
 
 * Picture of Baltimore. 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 347 
 
 BALTIMORE. 
 
 Baltimore is the third or fourth city, in point of commerce, 
 in the United States. As a market for tobacco, it is second 
 to no other, and it is the greatest flour market in the world. 
 In 1840 there were inspected 764,115 barrels and 31,606 
 half-barrels of flour. Its tonnage at that time was 76,022. 
 Its literary and scientific institutions are various and respect- 
 able, and its manufactures are scarcely less extensive than its 
 commerce. Several railroads connect it with the surrounding 
 country. The Baltimore and Port Deposite railroad extends 
 36 miles, to Havre de Grace, and there connects with a 
 chain of railroads to Philadelphia. A branch of the Baltimore 
 and Ohio railroad extends to Washington City. 
 
 The Duke of Saxe Weimar, during a stay in Baltimore, 
 visited one of the celebrated flour mills of that city. He 
 thus speaks of it : M The machine which moves the wheels 
 was made by Bolton and Watt, of Soho, in England, and is 
 of sixty horse power. This mill has eight pair of stones, 
 of which there are commonly but four worked at a time ; 
 most of the work, which in general is done by men, is per- 
 formed by machinery connected with the steam-engine ; a 
 long and horizontal chest leads from the interior of the mill 
 to the wharf, where the vessels with grain lie ; from the 
 vessel, the wheat is poured in one of the extremities of the 
 chest, or rather channel, along whose whole length a spiral 
 screw runs, which by turning brings the grain to a large 
 reservoir in the mill. By another piece of machinery, the 
 wheat is conveyed to the upper part of the house, and 
 thrown into a wire cylinder, where it is perfectly fanned, 
 and is thence conducted to the hoppers ; the flour falls into 
 a common reservoir, whence it is conveyed to a bolting ma- 
 chine. The fine flour passes through a trough to a place 
 where it is spread by a horizontally revolving rake, to be 
 cooled ; after this it runs by a spout to the ground floor, 
 where it is packed in oaken barrels. A workman fills the 
 barrel with a shovel, pushes it on an iron ring forming part 
 of a scale, to weigh it, underneath a wooden block, which, 
 acted upon by a lever, presses the flour into the barrel : this 
 block, after being sponged in the common way, is again 
 ready for use. Two hundred barrels of superfine flour can 
 be furnished daily by this mill, which works night and day : 
 twelve workmen are sufficient to attend to all the operations. 
 The owner said he could do with fewer, but was unwilling to 
 dismiss them. The engine has three boilers; one is unem- 
 
348 
 
 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 BALTIMORE. 
 
 ployed, to be cleaned, and be in reserve in case of an ac- 
 cident ; from the roof of the mill there is a fine prospect 
 over the city and harbor."* 
 
 In our notice of the city of Washington, an account will 
 be found of the invasion of that city by the British, in 
 August of 1814. The success of his attack on the metrop- 
 olis, encouraged General Ross to undertake an expedition 
 against Baltimore. On the 12th of September, he landed 
 5000 men at North Point, about fourteen miles from the 
 city. No opposition was offered to the debarkation, but ef- 
 fective preparations had been made for the defence of the 
 city, and General Stryker, with 3,000 men, was despatched 
 to retard the progress of the invaders. The advanced par- 
 ties met about eight miles from the city. In the skirmish 
 which ensued, General Ross, who had incautiously ridden to 
 the front to ascertain whence the firing originated, was mor- 
 tally wounded by a shot from a rifleman. The command 
 devolved on Colonel Brooke, under whom the British ad- 
 vanced to meet the main detachment. The battle was 
 better congested than the affair of Bladensburgh. The 
 American line was not shaken by either the musketry or the 
 artillery, and did not yield, wntil an engagement commenced 
 with the bayonet. As soon, however, as their left gave way, 
 the whole army fell into confusion, and a complete rout en- 
 sued. On the following day, the British came in sight of 
 the lines of Baltimore, defended by from 15,000 to 20,000, 
 and a large train of artillery. To attack these in front, 
 would have been exposing the assailants to tremendous 
 slaughter ; it was therefore determined to carry Fort M'Hen- 
 ry on the extreme left of the entrenchments, and close to 
 the bank on the river Patapsco. It was necessary, however, 
 that the guns of the fort should be silenced by the fire of 
 the shipping, but so many difficulties, natural and artificial, 
 were found to be interposed, that the large ships could not 
 get up. Deprived of the co-operation of the naval force, the 
 British commander was unable to prosecute the enterprise, 
 and the troops were withdrawn. They returned unmolested 
 to North Point, and, the next day, re-embarked. The death 
 of General Ross seemed to have broken up their plan of 
 operation, and the fleet soon afterwards left Chesapeake 
 Bay, and separated. 
 
 Duke of Saxe Weimar's Travels. 
 
. W v « xN v A \\ \W>A>1 'v\\ 
 
 GEN. WASHINGTON. 
 
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. 
 
 WASHINGTON. 
 
 Washington, the seat of government of the United 
 States, stands in the centre of the District of Columbia, upon 
 the north bank of the Potomac, between the river and one 
 of its tributaries, called the East Branch. The Capitol at 
 Washington, from which American Geographers often com- 
 pute their meridian, is 38° 58' north lat. and 76° 55' 30" 
 west long, from Greenwich. The city is about 120 miles 
 from the junction of the Potomac with the Chesapeake, 
 and about 250 miles from the sea. The principal branch of 
 the river flows down from the west, and unites with the 
 smaller one from the eastward, in front of the city. Ships 
 of war of the largest size can float in safety three or four 
 miles above the junction of the streams. It was expected 
 that this situation would have been found to be particularly 
 favorable to commercial enterprise, and consequently that 
 the population would rapidly increase; hitherto, however, 
 these hopes have not been realized. 
 
 The selection of the site of Washington, as the seat of 
 government, was mainly attributable to Gen. Washington ; 
 but the spot was not selected, until he had made laborious 
 and interesting investigations of the surrounding country. 
 
 The following anecdote is related by Mr. Custis. " The 
 canoe, or pirogue, in which Gen. Washington and a party of 
 friends made the first survey of the Potomac, to ascertain 
 the practicability of a navigation above tide water, was hol- 
 lowed out of a large poplar tree, under the direction of Col. 
 Johnson, of Frederick county, Maryland. This humble bark 
 was placed upon a wagon, hauled to the margin of the Mo- 
 nocacy, launched into the stream, and there received its 
 honored freight. 
 
 The General was accompanied, in the interesting and im- 
 portant reconnoissance, by Colonel (the late Governor) John- 
 son, of Maryland, one of the first Commissioners of the 
 City of Washington, and several other gentlemen. At night 
 
352 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 WASHINGTON. 
 
 fall, it was usual for the party to land and seek quarters of 
 some of the planters, or farmers, who lived near the banks 
 of the river, in all the pride and comfort of all old-fashioned 
 kindliness and hospitality. 
 
 Putting up for the night, at a respectable farmer's, the 
 General and two Johnsons were shown into a room having 
 but two beds. " Come, gentlemen," said the Chief, " who 
 will be my bedfellow?" Both declined. Col. Johnson 
 often afterwards declared — " Greatly as I should have felt 
 honored by such distinction, yet the awe and reverence 
 which I always felt in the presence of that admirable man 
 prevented my approaching him so nearly." 
 
 The district which includes Washington, Georgetown, 
 and Alexandria, was ceded to the United States by Mary- 
 land and Virginia, — by the former in 1788 ; the latter in 
 1789. On the 16th of July, 1790, Congress passed an act 
 authorizing the President to appoint three commissioners to 
 make the selection of a proper location. For this purpose, 
 the President issued his proclamation in 1791. " By an act 
 of May, 1796, the commissioners were authorized to borrow 
 money for the advancement of the buildings, and to pledge 
 the lots that had been given to the United States, as well as 
 the faith of the government, to refund the loan. In 1798, 
 an act was passed, supplementary to the aforesaid act, to 
 hasten the progress of the public improvements. So far 
 were the public buildings finished, that, in April, 1800, an 
 act was passed authorizing the President to remove, with all 
 the departments, from Philadelphia to the Federal City, 
 which had been previously named, the City of Washington, 
 in honor of the President; and in pursuance of this act the 
 government was removed, and commenced operations in the 
 city, the first day of December, 1800. It cannot be denied 
 but that the character, wishes and influence of Washington, 
 had no small share in fixing the seat of government. Like 
 all other of his plans, it has proved to have been dictated by 
 wisdom, justice, and forecast ; for the site is one of the 
 finest in the world for a city. From the hill on which 
 stands the Capitol, the most noble view presents itself to the 
 eye of the beholder that the imagination could paint. From 
 the north, round to the south, a circular line of high 
 grounds is seen, making within them the interior of an im- 
 mense amphitheatre, which, it is said, resembles the appear- 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 353 
 
 WASHINGTON. 
 
 ance of Rome from some of the elevations in or near the 
 " Eternal City" The east view is extensive, but not bound- 
 ed by high lands; the horizon sinks with the power of vis- 
 ion. On the south, the broad and peaceful Potomac is seen 
 for many miles, extending to Alexandria, and even to Mount 
 Vernon. The whole panorama is bold, magnificent, pictur- 
 esque, and yet soft and beautiful ; it only requires the moral 
 consecration of long past events, the massy piles of ancient 
 grandeur, the deep and solemn recollections of the mighty 
 dead, to make the impression, at this view from the capitol, 
 such as crowds on the mind, when one views the Vatican, 
 or domes of St. Peter.* 
 
 Soon after the site of Washington was fixed upon, the 
 territory from all quarters became the subject of speculation. 
 By this means a fictitious value was given to the lands, which 
 served to retard the growth of the city. The whole con- 
 cern was badly managed. The dwelling houses which were 
 erected were small and inconvenient. For some years, great 
 doubts were entertained, whether it would continue long to be 
 the seat of government. Such was the state of things up to 
 1814, when the burning of the capitol and of the president's 
 house by the British, settled the question. " When Con- 
 gress next assembled," observes the author already cited, 
 " the subject of rebuilding these edifices came before that 
 body, and the question as to the removal of the legislature 
 was necessarily discussed. An effort was made for the re- 
 moval of the seat of government. The national feeling, 
 however, co-operated with other considerations, to influence 
 the decision ; it was voted not to remove, and the requisite 
 amount was enthusiastically voted to efface the memorials of 
 British triumph. From this time, the corporation of the 
 city seemed to be animated with a new soul, and individuals, 
 relieved from the fear of change, risked all they had in real 
 estate. Landed property arose in value, and hope, energy, 
 and active business, took the place of despair, listlessness, 
 and wasting and repining indolence. New streets were 
 opened, dwelling houses and stores were then erected. The 
 trade came to the city, the boarders left Georgetown, and 
 came to Washington, and a new face was put on every thing 
 in the city : churches were built, institutions of learning 
 
 * Sketches of Public Characters. 
 23 
 
354 
 
 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 WASHINGTON. 
 
 arose, and large, if not ample provision was made for other 
 necessary improvements on the face of nature. This work 
 has been going on ever since the close of the war ; but it 
 must be pleasant to the citizens of Washington to reflect, 
 when all things are taken into consideration, that they are 
 not indebted to the government, in equity, for one dollar for 
 all their grants and favors ; but that in truth, the government 
 is indebted to the city, for more than a million of dollars, 
 putting a fair value on the property now owned by the Uni- 
 ted States within the city, which cost them nothing. Bless- 
 ings are said to come in clusters ; for as soon as the city 
 began to flourish, it became healthy. The low grounds 
 were drained, and the fever and ague, once prevalent, is now 
 rarely known among the evils of Washington ; and at pres- 
 ent the city is decidedly as healthy as any in the United 
 States, or perhaps in the world. The water of Washington 
 is of the best quality, and can be brought to every door in the 
 greatest abundance at a very moderate expense." 
 
 The original plan of the city was on a most extensive 
 scale. A parallelogram more than four miles and a half 
 long, and two miles broad, was regularly divided into streets, 
 avenues, and squares : and should the anticipations of its 
 founders be realized, this will, after all, be but the nucleus 
 of the future metropolis. The streets are laid out towards 
 the cardinal points, crossing each other at right angles ; the 
 avenues intersect these diagonally, so as to avoid the tire- 
 some sameness which is observable in the streets of Philadel- 
 phia, and extensive squares are to be placed at the crossings 
 of these transverse lines. The avenues are from 130 to 160 
 feet wide ; the streets from 80 to 110. 
 
 The Capitol is a large and magnificent building of white 
 free stone, 352 feet long, in the shape of a cross, with the 
 Representatives' Hall and the Senate Chamber in the two 
 wings, and a spacious rotunda in the centre. It covers an 
 acre and a half, and 1,820 feet of ground. It has cost the 
 United States nearly three millions of dollars. The square 
 on which the Capitol stands, contains more than twenty acres, 
 and is laid out in a handsome style, and is filling up with 
 trees and shrubbery in a flourishing state. The dome of this 
 building is the third in point of size in the world ; next to St. 
 Paul's, and before St. Sophia's. 
 
 The Representatives' Hall is semi-circular, 95 feet in 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 357 
 
 WASHINGTON. 
 
 length, and 60 in height. Along its circumference are placed 
 fourteen marble columns, reaching to the vaulted dome, 
 and fancifully tied together under the cornice by festoons of 
 red damask. The gallery for the public, which is raised 
 about twenty feet above the floor of the house, extends along 
 the whole circuit, behind these columns. In the centre, be- 
 low, sits the speaker, from whose chair seven passages radi- 
 ate to the circumference, whilst the members sit in concentric 
 rows facing the speaker ; the whole arrangement being not 
 unlike in form to that of half a spider's web. Every member 
 has a snug, stuffed, comfortable arm-chair allotted to him, 
 besides a writing-desk furnished with all the apparatus of 
 paper, pens and ink, and a drawer underneath, of which he 
 keeps the key. 
 
 This noble room, or more properly amphitheatre, is not 
 well adapted for hearing. Were it actually a theatre, and 
 the audience seated where the members are placed, while the 
 actors addressed them from the corridor or open space behind 
 the speaker's chair, along the diameter of the semi-circle, it 
 might do very well ; because the speaker, when addressing 
 the house from the chair, was heard distinctly enough by the 
 members. It was always difficult, however, for any member 
 of the house to make himself heard. 
 
 The Senate Chamber is similar in form to that of the Hall 
 of Representatives, but of course it is much smaller ; the di- 
 ameter of the semi-circle being only 75 feet. 
 
 " These beautiful chambers," observes an English travel- 
 ler, " are calculated to make an impression very favorable to 
 the dignity of the deliberative assemblies which occupy them ; 
 and the general appearance of the members does not mate- 
 rially impair it. Many of them have the appearance of Eng- 
 lish country gentlemen ; and a considerable portion of them 
 are lawyers, who carry in their faces those marks of intellec- 
 tual exertion, which seem to plead some apology for having 
 sacrificed little to the graces. Some of the members from the 
 western country, indeed, would look a little queer in our 
 House of Commons. The proceedings, both of the Senate 
 and the House of Representatives, seem to be conducted with 
 great order and decorum, and with a courtesy and attention 
 to the feelings of ' honorable gentlemen,' which I was not 
 prepared to expect. The style of their best speakers is flu- 
 
358 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 WASHINGTON. 
 
 ent, forcible, and perspicuous ; and in cases where it is not 
 possible that their arguments should be sound, they seldom 
 fail to be specious and acute. My friend, who would, I be- 
 lieve, be considered the first authority on the subject, told 
 me, that he considered their two prominent faults to be, a 
 proneness to engage in dissertation, and to pursue the inves- 
 tigation of a difficult question, which had been started inci- 
 dentally in the course of the debate, without ascertaining 
 whether its solution was absolutely necessary to the original 
 discussion. He regards the frequent change of members 
 in the House of Representatives as inimical to the acquisition 
 of that knowledge, or the formation of those habits, so de- 
 sirable in a deliberative assembly; and deprecates the custom 
 into which they have fallen, of referring every thing to com- 
 mittees, as tending in effect to leave to the decision of a few, 
 many questions, which ought to be argued upon general prin- 
 ciples, by the House at large. 
 
 " It is usual for ladies to attend when any interesting de- 
 bate is expected. Ordinarily, they are admitted only into 
 the gallery ; but instances have occurred, when they have 
 been allowed a seat on the floor. The reporters for the 
 newspapers have a place assigned them behind the speaker's 
 chair. Except when some remarkably good speaker has 
 ' possession of the floor,' the members, instead of attending 
 to what is spoken, are busied in conversation, in writing let- 
 ters, rapping the sand off the wet ink with their knuckles, 
 rustling the countless newspapers which deluge the house, 
 locking or unlocking their drawers, or moving up and down 
 the avenues which divide the ranges of seats, and kicking 
 before them, at every step, printed reports, letter covers, and 
 other documents strewed on the floor. A couple of active 
 little boys are always seen, running to and fro with armfuls 
 of papers, or carrying slips of writing from members to the 
 chair, or from member to member. Whenever any one rises 
 to speak, who, there is any reason to infer, from experience, 
 or from internal evidence, will be lengthy, one of these little 
 mercuries flies off for a glass of water, which he places on the 
 orator's desk/' 
 
 The Rotunda occupies the centre, and is 96 feet in diam- 
 eter, and 96 feet high. This is the principal entrance from 
 the east portico and west stair, and leads to the legislative 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 359 
 
 WASHINGTON. 
 
 hall and library. The panels of the circular walls are appro- 
 priated to paintings and bas-relievos, or historical subjects, by 
 different artists. 
 
 Over the west door of the dome is a group in bas-relief, 
 representing the preservation of Captain John Smith from 
 the wrath of Powhattan by the kind interference of his 
 daughter Pocahontas. This is the work of an Italian art- 
 ist, by the name of Capelano ; but he has represented his 
 Indians as Italians, and his intended child of the forest an 
 Italian queen. Notwithstanding its defects, the work at- 
 tracts much attention and admiration. Over the east door 
 is a representation of the landing of the pilgrims at Plymouth 
 in 1620. The Indians on the rocks, the boat, the shore, 
 the sea, are all well executed, but the artist mistook in 
 giving the adventurers the hat of the ancient pilgrim, and 
 the dress also. The sculptor was Causici. Over the north 
 door is a sculpture of William Penn in the act of making 
 his treaty with the Indians in 1680. In the sculpture 
 itself there is neither beauty nor attraction — the spirit of 
 the piece arises only from the moral sublimity of the sub- 
 ject. 
 
 On the panels between the doors are several fine heads — 
 one of Columbus, which is thought to be something near 
 a true likeness, bearing a strong resemblance to some fine 
 pictures of him. The head of Sir Walter Raleigh is a fine 
 one, resembling the best prints of him. The heads of La 
 Salle and Sebastian Cabot, although rough statuary, have 
 considerable expression and life in them. Over the great 
 eastern door there is a head of Washington, which is ad- 
 mired by many, and is certainly a specimen of very good 
 proficiency in the art. In addition to these, the Rotunda 
 contains four splendid pictures from Revolutionary subjects, 
 painted by order of the government of the United States, by 
 Colonel Trumbull. These are — 1. Declaration of Indepen- 
 dence. 2. Surrender of General Burgoyne. 3. Surrender 
 of the British army at Yorktown. 4. Resignation of Gen- 
 eral Washington at Annapolis. More appropriate embellish- 
 ments for the halls of the national legislature could not have 
 been devised. These paintings are valuable for the faithful 
 portraits they furnish. Some critics have found fault with 
 the grouping of the figures, and the apparent stiffness of the 
 principal officers ; but there is a redeeming virtue in the de- 
 
360 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 WASHINGTON. 
 
 sign, sufficient to confer real and everlasting value on the 
 paintings. 
 
 Passing from the Rotunda, westerly, along the gallery of 
 the principal stairs, the library room door presents itself. This 
 room is 92 feet long, by 34 wide, and 36 high. It is divided 
 into twelve arched alcoves, ornamented with fluted pilasters, 
 copied from the pillars in the celebrated Octagon Tower at 
 Athens. The first Congressional Library, which was se- 
 lected under the direction of Mr. Gallatin, Dr. Mitchell, and 
 others, consisted of about three thousand volumes, and was 
 burnt by the British, at the close of the last war. The to- 
 tal loss of the library induced Mr. Jefferson to offer his val- 
 uable collection, comprising about 10,000 volumes, which 
 was immediately purchased, though an objection was made 
 to the infidel character of some of the volumes, and the too 
 great number of Bibles, which it contained. It has since 
 been considerably increased. 
 
 The apartment for the accommodation of the Supreme 
 Court, on the basement story of the north wing, immedi- 
 ately below the Senate room, is of a semi-circular shape, with 
 the windows to the east to admit the light, which enters 
 awkwardly and feebly, at the backs of the judges on the bench. 
 The arches, in the ceiling, diverge like the radii of a circle, 
 from a point over the justice-seat, to the circumference. On 
 the wall is an emblem of justice holding her scales, in bold re- 
 lief, and also a figure of fame, crowned with the rising sun, 
 and pointing to the Constitution of the United States. The 
 members of the bar are conveniently accommodated with seats 
 and desks in the body of the apartment ; and the visiters are 
 furnished with rows of benches on the right and left wings of 
 the centre of the court. 
 
 " This room," remarks the author of Sketches of Pub- 
 lic Characters, " is one of deep interest to every lover of 
 his country. To see seven quiet, good-looking men, covered 
 with a slight robe of black, without enough of the insignia of 
 office to tell them from so many pall-bearers, sitting together, 
 listening to the arguments of men from every State in the 
 Union, on great and important questions of municipal, civil, 
 and international law ; and thus without any emotion or ex- 
 citement, settling all the conflicting opinions that have grown 
 up in this republic since its formation, is a specimen of the 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 363 
 
 WASHINGTON. 
 
 moral sublime, unequalled in the annals of civil or ecclesias- 
 tical history. These oracles of the Delphic cave have as yet 
 been free from the corruptions or fear of executive power, and 
 uninfluenced by party strife in the halls of legislation. As long 
 as this sanctuary is unassailed, and talents and integrity are 
 selected and maintained in this branch of government, so 
 long will it be the palladium of American liberties ; but wo 
 betide the hour when political rancor shall come within these 
 walls to poison the fountains of justice, or to weaken her arm. 
 The bickerings above them, in the senate chamber, may pass 
 away, and the many boisterous and idle speeches be forgot- 
 ten, while the country is safe; but once pollute this hall, and 
 the guardian genius of the liberties of this country will leave 
 it forever/ ' 
 
 The President's house is a magnificent mansion. " It 
 stands near the centre of one of the largest squares of the 
 city, on an eminence nearly a mile and a half west from the 
 Capitol. The building is of the Ionic order, with a southern 
 and a northern point. It is one hundred and seventy-five 
 feet long, and eighty-five in width ; it has two lofty stories 
 above the basement. There are thirty-one rooms of consid- 
 erable size, within the walls. As you enter the north door, 
 there is a fine large hall, called the entrance hall. At the 
 left of this is the eastern room, whose length is the width of 
 the house, making a room in the clear eighty feet in length, 
 forty feet in width, and twenty-eight in height, with four fire- 
 places, two of them of elegant marble jambs, mantel-pieces, 
 &/C. From the south of the hall, you enter the elliptical 
 room, whiaJi is the general audience room on levee nights. 
 The east room was intended for a general audience room, 
 and the elliptical room to receive foreign ambassadors and 
 public functionaries, on occasions of ceremony ; but the east 
 room not having been furnished until lately, the elliptical 
 room has been used for all public ceremonies. East of the 
 elliptical room is the Green Drawing Room ; this is of a 
 medium size for such an edifice. On the west of the ellipti- 
 cal room is the Yellow Drawing Room ; on the west from 
 this is the large Dining Room, of a fine size; and farther 
 west still is the small Dining Room; and beyond this is the 
 Porter's Room. 
 
 " The north front of the 'upper story contains six rooms 
 for various purposes. The south front has seven rooms ; the 
 
364 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 WASHINGTON. 
 
 ante-chambers, the audience chamber, and ladies' parlor ; this 
 is directly over the elliptical room, and of the same size of 
 that. The basement story contains eleven rooms, kitchen, 
 pantry, butler's room, &c. These are cool and convenient 
 in the summer, and warm in the winter, from the massy walls 
 of the edifice. 
 
 " Some of the furniture of the house is elegant, but in 
 general it looks much abused from the crowds of careless 
 visiters. The ladies' parlor may be said to be superbly fur- 
 nished, but this remark does not extend to many other rooms. 
 Within twelve years past, Congress have expended eighty 
 thousand dollars in furnishing this mansion, and there was 
 some old furniture of the former stocks. Some portion of 
 the plate is elegant, and is now worth twenty thousand dol- 
 lars, or more. 
 
 11 The ornaments are sparse and not of high order. In 
 the second south-east room, there is a map of Virginia, a 
 portrait of Bolivar, a bust of Washington, and one of Amer- 
 icus Vespucius. These latter ornaments are very good 
 specimens of the arts. In the third room, the ante-chamber, 
 there is an engraving of the Declaration of Independence, in 
 a gilt frame. In the yellow drawing room is a portrait of 
 Washington, from the pencil of Stuart. In this room is a 
 French piano, which, it is said, cannot be kept in tune. In 
 the days of omens, when Memnon's harp responded to the 
 rays of the sun, or ^Eolus first breathed among the reeds, this 
 might be thought to have a mysterious bearing on the jars 
 of the cabinet councils, or at least a Greek poet would have 
 said that the genius of the place was not always happy and 
 tuneful. This palace belongs to the people, and should be 
 adorned with the best specimens of the fine arts the country 
 can produce. The works of the great painters should hang 
 upon the walls, and those of their sculptors fill every niche. 
 To the tenants of this house, it cannot be of much im- 
 portance, for to them it is only a caravansera, where they 
 throw down their wallets to cast a horoscope to lay spirits, 
 and raise spells, and their hour comes, and they take up their 
 march, without restoration to health or a forgiveness of their 
 sins. Such is the omnipotence of the public mind in a free 
 government. The whole square, except a few spaces for 
 iron gates, is surrounded by a substantial stone wall, of ex- 
 cellent masonry. The four public offices of the Secretaries 
 are within these walls. The view from the north front is 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 365 
 
 WASHINGTON. 
 
 extensive and beautiful, but from the south front it is more 
 extensive and still more resplendent, embracing in its range 
 a lovely prospect of the Potomac. 
 
 " The site of the house is elevated about sixty feet above 
 the river, and the descent is quite gradual to it. On the 
 south-eastern side of the wall, there is a stone arch for a gate- 
 way ; it looks, from the antiquity of the style and the color 
 of the material of which it is made, as if it had stood centu- 
 ries, defying the climate. Two large ancient weeping wil- 
 lows, one on each side of the arch, add much to its venera- 
 ble appearance. These trees have not grown up since the 
 date of the federal constitution. They are older than the 
 city charter. They were provincial seedlings, now national 
 monuments. It is said that an accomplished lady of the 
 Great House, in former days, when congratulated upon her 
 elevation, remarked with a smile, * I don't know that there 
 is much cause for congratulation ; the President of the United 
 States generally comes in at the iron gate, and goes out at 
 the weeping willows.' "* 
 
 It belongs to this place to give some account of the usages 
 and ceremonies of the interior of this house. We speak only 
 of those which are public, and about which the world has 
 some curiosity. 
 
 During the session of Congress, the President has frequent 
 dinner parties. Mr. Cooper gives the following account of a 
 dinner to which he was invited, during the administration of 
 President Monroe. 
 
 " On this occasion, we were honored with the presence of 
 Mrs. Monroe, and two or three of her female relatives. 
 Crossing the hall, we were admitted to a drawing room, in 
 which most of the company were already assembled. The 
 hour was six. By far the greater part of the guests were 
 men, and perhaps two-thirds were members of Congress. It 
 is unnecessary to describe a company that was composed of 
 a very fair representation of the whole country, the very 
 lowest classes always excepted. There was great gravity of 
 mien in most of the company, and neither any very marked 
 exhibition, nor any positively striking want, of grace of man- 
 ner. The conversation was common-place, and a little 
 sombre, though two or three men of the world got around 
 
 * Sketches of Public Characters. 
 
366 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 WASHINGTON. 
 
 the ladies, where the battle of words was maintained with 
 sufficient spirit. I do not know that it differed materially 
 from a reunion any where else. To me the entertainment 
 had rather a cold than a formal air. When dinner was an- 
 nounced, the oldest Senator present, (there were two, and 
 seniority of service is meant,) took Mrs. Monroe and led her 
 to the table. The rest of the party followed without much 
 order. The President took a lady, as usual, and preceded 
 the rest of the guests. 
 
 " The drawing room was an apartment of a good size, and 
 of just proportions. It might have been about as large as a 
 better sort of Paris salon, in a private hotel. It was furnish- 
 ed in a mixed style, partly English and partly French, a cus- 
 tom that prevails a good deal, in all the fashions of this 
 country. It was neat, sufficiently rich, without being at all 
 magnificent, and, on the whole, was very much like a similar 
 apartment in the house of a man of rank and fortune in 
 Europe. The dining room was in a better taste than is 
 common here, being quite simple, and but little furnished. 
 The table was large and rather handsome. The service was 
 in china, as is uniformly the case, plate being exceedingly 
 rare, if at all used. There was, however, a rich plateau, 
 and a great abundance of the smaller articles of table plate. 
 The cloth, napkins, &,c. &c, were fine and beautiful. 
 
 " The dinner was served in the French style, a little 
 Americanized. The dishes were handed round, though 
 some of the guests, appearing to prefer their own customs, 
 very coolly helped themselves to what they found at hand. 
 Of attendants there were a good many. They were neatly 
 dressed, out of livery, and sufficient. To conclude, the whole 
 entertainment might have passed for a better sort of European 
 dinner party, at which the guests were too numerous for 
 general or very agreeable discourse, and some of them too 
 new to be entirely at their ease. Mrs. Monroe arose, at 
 the end of the dessert, and withdrew, attended by two or 
 three of the most gallant of the company. No sooner was 
 his wife's back turned, than the President re-seated himself, 
 inviting his guests to imitate the action. After allowing his 
 guests sufficient time to renew, in a few glasses, the recol- 
 lections of similar enjoyments of their own, he arose himself, 
 giving the hint to his company, that it was time to join the 
 ladies. In the drawing room, coffee was served, and every 
 body left the house before nine. 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 367 
 
 WASHINGTON. 
 
 " On the succeeding Wednesday, Mrs. Monroe opened 
 her doors to all the world. No invitation was necessary, 
 it being the usage for the wife of the President to receive 
 company once a fortnight during the session, without dis- 
 tinction of persons. 
 
 " We reached the White House at nine. The court (or 
 rather the grounds) was filled with carriages, and the com- 
 pany was arriving in great lumbers. On this occasion two 
 or three additional drawing rooms were opened, though the 
 frugality of Congress has prevented them from finishing the 
 principal reception room of the building. I will acknowledge 
 the same sort of surprise that I felt at the Castle Garden 
 fete, at finding the assemblage so respectable, in air, dress, 
 and deportment. Determined to know exactly in which view 
 to consider this ceremony, I gave my companion no peace 
 until every thing was explained. 
 
 " The evening at the White House, or the drawing room, 
 as it is sometimes pleasantly called, is in fact a collection of 
 all classes of people, who choose to go to the trouble and 
 expense of appearing in dresses suited to an ordinary evening 
 party. I am not sure that even dress is much regarded ; for 
 I certainly saw a good many there in boots. The females 
 were all neatly and properly attired, though few were orna- 
 mented with jewelry. Of course the poorer and laboring 
 classes of the community would find little or no pleasure in 
 such a scene. They consequently stay away. The infamous, 
 if known, would not be admitted : for it is a peculiar conse- 
 quence of the high tone of morals in this country, that grave 
 and notorious offenders rarely presume to violate the public 
 feeling by invading society. Perhaps if Washington were a 
 large town, the ' evenings' could not exist; but as it is, no 
 inconvenience is experienced. 
 
 11 Squeezing through the crowd, we achieved a passage to 
 a part of the room, where Mrs. Monroe was standing, sur- 
 rounded by a bevy of female friends. After making our bow 
 here, we sought the President. The latter had posted him- 
 self at the top of the room, where he remained most of the 
 evening, shaking hands with all who approached. Near him 
 stood all the Secretaries, and a great number of the most 
 distinguished men of the nation. Individuals of importance 
 from all parts of the Union were also here, and were em- 
 ployed in the manner usual to such scenes. 
 
 M Besides these, one meets here a variety of people in 
 
368 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 WASHINGTON. 
 
 other conditions of life. I have known a cartman leave his 
 horse in the street, and go into the reception room to shake 
 hands with the President. He offended the good sense of all 
 present, because it was not thought decent that a laborer 
 should come in a dirty dress on such an occasion ; but 
 while he made a trifling mistake in this particular, he 
 Droved how well he understood the difference between gov- 
 ernment and society. He knew the levee was a sort of 
 homage paid to political equality in the person of the first 
 magistrate, but he would not have presumed to enter the 
 house of the same person as a private individual, without 
 being invited, or without a reasonable excuse in the way of 
 business. 
 
 "There are, no doubt, individuals, who mistake the char- 
 acter of these assemblies, but the great majority do not. They 
 are simple, a periodical acknowledgment, that there is no 
 legal barrier to the advancement of any one to the first asso- 
 ciation in the Union. You perceive there are no masters of 
 ceremonies, no ushers, no announcing, nor indeed any let or 
 hindrance to the ingress of all who please to come ; and yet 
 how few, in comparison to the whole number who might en- 
 ter, do actually appear. If there is any man in Washington 
 so dull as to suppose equality means a right to thrust himself 
 into any company he pleases, it is probable he satisfies him- 
 self by boasting that he can go to the White House once a 
 fortnight as well as a governor or any body else." 
 
 " At the distance of about 200 yards, on the east of the 
 President's house, are situated two buildings for the depart- 
 ments of State, and of the Treasury, and at the same dis- 
 tance on the west, are others for the War and Navy depart- 
 ments. These buildings are all of the same dimensions and 
 construction ; they are 160 feet long, and 55 wide, of brick, 
 two stories in height ; they are divided in their length by a 
 broad passage, with rooms on each side and a spacious stair- 
 case in the centre. The two most northerly buildings are 
 ornamented with an Ionic portico of six columns, and pedi- 
 ment ; and every observer must be convinced that the two 
 other buildings require some such finish on their south points 
 to make them complete. The grounds about these offices 
 have been graduated and planted, of late years; and the 
 shrubbery begins to make a pleasing appearance. 
 
 " In walking through these offices, a reflecting visiter can- 
 not fail to be impressed with favorable ideas of the system 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 369 
 
 WASHINGTON. 
 
 and order with which the affairs of this great people are con- 
 ducted. The heads of departments, with 250 clerks, of every 
 grade, occupy these buildings. They exhibit no sinecure 
 places, but are all engaged in the business of their employ- 
 ments, and with as little of relaxation as is compatible with a 
 due attention to health." 
 
 There are other objects of interest and curiosity in Wash- 
 ington, a notice of which we are obliged to omit, by reason 
 of the unexpected length to which this article has been ex- 
 tended. The state of society at Washington, however, de- 
 mands a brief notice. " In many respects," remarks Mr. 
 Hodgson, " Washington reminded me very much of a water- 
 ing place. Scarcely any of the members reside here, except 
 while Congress is sitting ; and then they are in lodgings. 
 The ladies who accompany their fathers or husbands, to see 
 a little of the world, are situated very much as they would be 
 at Harrowgate, or Cheltenham ; and there are usually many 
 strangers in pursuit of entertainment. It is the residence 
 also of the foreign ministers, and the heads of the depart- 
 ments of Government. All this gives rise to much dissipa- 
 tion. On some of the evenings there are routs at the houses 
 of one or other of the ministers of the corps diplomatique, 
 and the rest are generally anticipated by one or two invita- 
 tions. All, however, complain that this routine becomes 
 very dull before the session closes, as they meet almost the 
 same persons every evening, and the sober ones will seldom 
 go out above two or three times a week. Families who are 
 acquainted with each other, often board together at the large 
 taverns ; and the members who are bachelors for the time 
 being, form messes, at the private boarding-houses, where 
 they are often in very close, and sometimes very shabby 
 quarters. I think quite the majority of the members go to 
 the Capitol in hackney coaches ; and as the ground has been 
 covered with snow, I have several times seen a sledge and 
 four, with eight or ten senators from Georgetown, in the 
 neighborhood. 
 
 " The literary taste of the inhabitants now does them 
 credit, and it is every day growing better. The visiters find 
 but little time to devote to reading, and their previous ac- 
 quirements are sufficient for all the demands of the occasion ; 
 and to the honor of the country, I speak of the ladies more 
 particularly, these are sufficient for their purpose. In some 
 of the prettiest, a close observer will see the lisp or drawl of 
 24 
 
370 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 WASHINGTON. 
 
 the drawing room conversation, which is only a manner put 
 on for the time. In the moments of intoxicated vanity, from 
 admiration and flattery, even the political philosopher looks 
 wise and straightens up ; and can youth and beauty be ex- 
 pected to be more firm or insensible 1 The diplomatic corps 
 of Washington have not, in former years, done much either 
 to enrich, embellish, or enlighten the city. Those who have 
 been sent here in former times, have, with some honorable 
 exceptions, been of a secondary order of diplomatists, with 
 their equipage and parties, and after making a dash, have 
 hardly been heard of again. Many of them, no doubt, were 
 men of talents ; but there was no opportunity of displaying 
 their intellectual powers here. The corps are now, however, 
 very respectable."* 
 
 " During the session of Congress," the same writer con- 
 tinues, " the amusements of Washington, absorb no small 
 portion of the attention of the visiters, as well as members. 
 Political struggles possess a sort of dramatic influence on so- 
 ciety ; not that the theatre is very well attended ; but for the 
 short time it is kept open, it finds a very tolerable support, 
 when the press of visiters is great. The President's levees, 
 and the parties of the Secretaries, foreign ministers, heads 
 of Bureaus, and those citizens, who can afford to make par- 
 ties, are frequent, and well attended. At these parties are 
 collected the most distinguished men, not only of the nation, 
 but many foreigners of note. 
 
 "The visiters who do not think of distinction, like well 
 enough to see what is passing, and they find easy access to 
 the social circles, and mingle in the throng, to see and ex- 
 amine for themselves. It is not difficult to get an intro- 
 duction to men of importance, and to pass a social half hour 
 with them. These routs are rather to be remembered, than 
 enjoyed at the moment. These parties are so crowded as to 
 level all distinctions. Governors, generals, judges, and po- 
 litical managers, whose influence is something in a little dis- 
 trict, are all lost in this congregation. Orators, whose 
 speeches were fine at home, and doubtless raised a most no- 
 ble flame among their political partisans, are astonished at 
 being overlooked ; and poets, whose works have been printed 
 on wire-wove and hot-pressed paper, and sent to the ladies' 
 toilets in silk and morocco binding, are mortified that not 
 
 * Sketches of Public Characters. 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 371 
 
 WASHINGTON. 
 
 even a belle lisps a line of their works, or ever whispers 
 their names. The traveller, who has seen every kingdom 
 on which the sun looks down, is put precisely on a par 
 with him who has just come down from the mountains, or 
 out of the West, or from the East. Fashion is the bed of 
 Procrustes, and all are suited to its dimensions. A whiskered 
 dandy, a black-stocked, officer-like looking man, and a 
 quizzing-glass allache, are all moving about, regardless of 
 those they jostle or qrowd. If you inquire who it is that 
 pushes you out of the way to get at a partner for the waltz, 
 nobody can tell you, and perhaps he hardly could himself, if 
 you were to ask him who he was : no matter, he seems gen- 
 teel, and that is sufficient for the hour. The waltz goes on, 
 much to the gratification of the exquisites ; for belles — aye, 
 grave matrons, are swimming round in the dance, if Dervise- 
 like whirling can be called dancing; and you see blowsy im- 
 pudence and simpering familiarity gazing with Asiatic volup- 
 tuousness upon seemingly unsuspecting innocence, made 
 giddy by unnatural motion, or unmeaning flattery."* 
 
 Allusion has been made in the preceding pages, to an in- 
 vasion of Washington by the British during the last war of 
 the Americans with that power. In the beginning of August,. 
 1814, a British squadron of between fifty and sixty sail, ar- 
 rived in the Chesapeake ; of this force several frigates and 
 bomb vessels were ordered to ascend the Potomac ; another 
 division under Sir Peter Parker, was directed to threaten 
 Baltimore ; the main body ascended the Patuxent as far as 
 Benedict, where on the 19th of August, 5000 men com- 
 manded by General Ross, were landed. 
 
 In the meanwhile General Winder, who had command of 
 the American military district, somewhat anticipated the de- 
 signs of the enemy ; but, still, not certain of their object, had 
 called upon the militia to repair to his standard. But the 
 call was by no means responded to, according to the exigency 
 of the case. On the 22d, not more than 2000 had assembled. 
 At the head of these and of 1000 regulars, he took a position 
 not far from the enemy, intending to prevent their progress 
 into the country. 
 
 General Ross with his forces commenced his march to- 
 wards Washington, the Americans retiring before him. At 
 
 * Sketches of Public Character. 
 
372 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 WASHINGTON. 
 
 Bladensburgh, six miles from "Washington, a battle was fought, 
 General Winder commanding the American force — and 
 Commodore Bafney a small flotilla. The British were com- 
 manded by Major General Ross, and Rear Admiral Cock- 
 burn. The Americans were repulsed, and the British ad- 
 vanced towards the capital. A body of militia had been as- 
 sembled in this emergency ; but the President and heads of 
 departments, on reviewing the force brought out for defence, 
 despaired of success, and dispersed. General Ross, at the 
 head of about seven hundred men, took possession of Wash- 
 ington, and burned the Capitol or Senate house, the Presi- 
 dent's house, and the public offices, the arsenal, the navy 
 yard, and the bridge over the Potomac. The loss of the 
 British in this expedition was nearly a thousand men, in 
 killed, wounded, and missing ; the loss of the Americans was 
 ten or twelve killed, and thirty or forty wounded. Commo- 
 dore Barney's horse was killed under him, and himself 
 wounded in the thigh and taken prisoner ; but he was parolled 
 on the field of battle for his bravery. 
 
 The destruction of the national edifices, a British writer 
 remarks, " has reflected a very ' equivocal glory ' upon its 
 perpetrators. It was a wanton and useless outrage upon the 
 feelings of the nation." And, says an intelligent British 
 traveller, " Of all the errors committed on our part during 
 that unhappy war, this was undoubtedly the greatest. Setting 
 aside the question as to its abstract defensibility, on the 
 ground of retaliation or otherwise, it is obvious, that it was in 
 the highest degree impolitic ; because its immediate effect, 
 as might have been anticipated, was to break down party 
 spirit among the Americans, and to unite them as one man, 
 in support of the measures of government. The firebrand 
 was no sooner applied to their Chief Magistrate's Palace, and 
 the National Senate House, than thousands, who had from 
 the beginning maintained a systematic opposition to the con- 
 test, at once came forward and took up arms to maintain it : 
 their national feelings were roused into powerful excitement, 
 and they joined in one loud voice of execration, at the de- 
 struction of their national edifices. Our ministers, had such 
 been their object, could not have devised a more effectual 
 way of strengthening Mr. Madison's hands. Had our troops 
 recorded their triumph upon the front walls of the buildings, 
 and left them uninjured, the indignant feeling of humiliation 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 375 
 
 WASHINGTOxV. 
 
 would have wreaked itself on those by whose imbecility the 
 capture of the city had been occasioned, and who escaped so 
 nimbly, when it fell into the enemy's hands. The burning 
 of the buildings saved Mr. Madison. A thirst for revenge of 
 the insult overcame every other feeling ; and the war became 
 thenceforward, what it had not been before, decidedly popu- 
 lar and national." 
 
 Among the objects in the vicinity of Washington which 
 are of especial interest to every American, is Mount Vernon, 
 the celebrated seat of General Washington ; bequeathed by 
 him to the Hon. Bushrod Washington, the General's nephew, 
 and lately one of the Judges of the Supreme Court. No one 
 who visits Washington, will fail to visit Mount Vernon ; and 
 no one who describes the former, needs any apology for de- 
 scribing the latter. This celebrated spot is 8 miles from 
 Alexandria, and 15 from Washington. We avail ourselves 
 of Mr. Duncan's account of the seat and sepulchre of the 
 father of his country. 
 
 " At the bottom of the avenue to Mount Vernon, tjie gate 
 was opened to us by an old negro, who had survived the 
 master of his youth, and who now receives from many a vis- 
 iter, substantial tokens of the universal respect, which is en- 
 tertained for his memory. The avenue is narrow, and in 
 bad order ; it has indeed more the air of a neglected country 
 road, than the approach to a gentleman's residence. The 
 mansion-house, an old-fashioned building of two stories, sur- 
 mounted with a small turret and weathercock, stands on an 
 elevated situation, on the western bank of the Potomac; it is 
 built of wood, but the walls are plastered in imitation of rus- 
 ticated freestone. The back part of the house is to the 
 river ; at the other side are two small wings at right angles 
 to the principal building, and connected by piazzas, which 
 bend towards them, so as to form a kind of irregular crescent. 
 Opposite the hall door is a semi-circular grass plot, surrounded 
 with a gravel walk, and shaded on both sides by lofty trees : 
 two beautiful chestnuts were pointed out to me, which sprang 
 from nuts planted by the General's own hand. On the two 
 sides are the vegetable and flower gardens, in the latter of 
 which is a green-house. 
 
 "The mansion-house was originally built by Washington's 
 uncle, who had served in the British navy under Admiral 
 Vernon, and who commemorated his regard for his com- 
 
376 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 WASHINGTON. 
 
 manding officer, by the name which he gave to his estate. 
 Some partial alterations were made on the house by the 
 General ; but report says, that he subsequently regretted that 
 he did not entirely rebuild it. It is an old-fashioned, per- 
 haps not a very comfortable residence, according to modern 
 ideas of comfort ; but it ought now to be considered sacred, 
 and have the most unremitting care bestowed on its preserva- 
 tion. He will be worse than a Vandal who presumes to pull 
 it down. In the hall hangs a picture of the Bastile, and in a 
 small glass case above it, is an ancient key, which formerly 
 turned the bolt of one of the dreary locks in that house of 
 sighs. It was sent out to Washington by the Marquis La- 
 fayette, after the destruction of the Bastile, as an inscription 
 affixed, in his hand-writing, records. Over the mantel-piece 
 is a framed miniature of the General, which was cut out of a 
 piece of common earthen ware. It is a singular fact, that 
 this is regarded by the family as the most accurate likeness 
 that exists. The general contour of his face is well ascer- 
 tained, and there is a strong similarity in most of the por- 
 traits ; yet those who knew him best, agree that there was a 
 certain expression in his countenance, which is quite wanting 
 even in Stuart's painting, and in the engraving which was 
 executed from it. This very ordinary kind of daub, which 
 was broken out of a common pitcher, and probably executed 
 by some potter's apprentice, is said to possess more of this 
 intellectual characteristic, than any of the other portraits. 
 
 " At the back of the house, a lofty piazza stretches along 
 the whole length of the building ; and before it, the ground 
 slopes rapidly towards the river, and soon becomes quite pre- 
 cipitous. On the bank is a small tea house, which affords 
 a most commanding view of the surrounding scenery. The 
 Potomac widens into a bay before you, and, bending round 
 the base of Mount Vernon, seems almost to insulate the 
 promontory on which it stands ; then sweeping in the op- 
 posite direction round the projecting shore of Maryland, and 
 lost for a time in its vast forest, it reappears in noble ex- 
 panse about ten miles below, with the sunbeams flashing 
 from its surface, and rolling its mighty current into the yet 
 more ample bosom of the Chesapeake. 
 
 "A little to the right of the tea-house, and nearer to the 
 edge of the bank, is the tomb of Washington. Here, under 
 the peaceful shade of oaks and cedars, lies all that earth con- 
 tains of him, by whose energy and patriotism the United 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 377 
 
 WASHINGTON. 
 
 States became a nation ! No venerable cathedral rears its 
 arches over his remains ; no sumptuous mausoleum embalms 
 his memory. 
 
 * Si monumentum queeris, circumspice ! ' 
 
 His country is his monument ; his country's liberty his only 
 panegyric. 
 
 " Washington in his will designated the spot in which 
 he wished to be interred, and particularly directed that his 
 body should not afterwards be removed. The cemetery is 
 nothing more than a plain brick vault, almost level with the 
 ground ; it is encircled by venerable oaks, and some beauti- 
 ful red cedars in the mould which covers the roof. Visiters 
 were formerly allowed to see the interior, but some person 
 having had the rudeness to strip part of the cloth from the 
 coffin, all access to it is now forbidden. Subsequently to 
 this prohibition, the servant who had been entrusted with 
 the key, conceived the horrible idea of robbing the vault, 
 for the purpose of carrying off the body to Britain, to ex- 
 hibit for money ! His intention was happily discovered, 
 and the nefarious outrage prevented. It is difficult, indeed, 
 to imagine how it could have been carried into effect, with- 
 out immediate detection ; but the projector must have been 
 a fool to suppose that such atrocity would have been coun- 
 tenanced in Britain, or that he would have been permitted 
 for a single day to carry on so abominable a trade. 
 
 " The State of Virginia applied to the relatives of the 
 General, for permission to remove the body to Richmond, 
 to erect a monument over it, and it is said that, notwith- 
 standing the specific injunctions of the will, the family 
 were persuaded to consent to this proposal. Several years, 
 however, have since elapsed ; and as no provision has yet 
 been made for carrying the proposed plan into effect, it is 
 generally believed that no claim will be founded upon that 
 permission. Congress, it is reported, wish to transfer the 
 body to the seat of government, and to entomb it under 
 the centre dome of the capitol. If it be ever removed 
 from its present situation, certainly the capitol is its only 
 suitable resting place. No individual State should be 
 allowed to possess a deposit, which, if the family relinquish 
 it, is undoubtedly the property of the nation, and should 
 pass into no other guardianship. Beyond all question, 
 
378 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 WASHINGTON. 
 
 however, the proper place for Washington's ashes is where 
 they are. The secluded spot harmonizes with every idea 
 which we have formed of his character, while the powerful 
 influence of local associations, gives vividness to our con- 
 ceptions, and intensity to our emotions. In the capitol, 
 every thing would have an opposite tendency. It is a 
 building which Washington never saw, and which is no 
 way connected with his personal history : it has once been 
 reduced to ashes ; and what would in all probability have 
 been the fate of the body had the removal taken place be- 
 fore that event? In visiting the tomb of Nelson, in the 
 vaults of St. Paul's, it is not the wondrous achievements 
 of the hero which chiefly occupy our thoughts ; there is 
 nothing in those damp and dismal caverns, which is at all 
 in harmony with such recollections. An attendant pilots 
 you, by the yellow glimmering of a tallow candle, through 
 tartarean darkness, to the quarry of granite under which 
 he is buried; and while wandering round it, your thoughts 
 are engrossed with the opening which was made in the 
 floor of the church to lower the coffin through, and of the 
 prodigious labor it must have cost to pile up over it such 
 ponderous masses of stone. Nelson you scarcely think of; 
 your ideas are all engaged about those who buried him. 
 At Mount Vernon no such distraction takes place. You 
 look around upon scenery which Washington, often con- 
 templated ; you tread the turf over which he walked ; you 
 see the gardens in which he amused himself; the trees 
 which he planted ; the house, the rooms, the chair, which 
 he occupied ; and the humble vault which he himself chose 
 for the repose of his dust. Every thing is consistent ; the ef- 
 fect is harmonious and powerful. Mount Vernon alone 
 should be Washington's grave." 
 
 "On the opposite bank of the Potomac, and a very little 
 way further up, is a small intrenchment, named Fort Wash- 
 ington, which commands the channel of the river. Had it 
 been vigorously defended when our vessels went up the 
 river to Alexandria, it is believed that it might have arrested 
 their progress. When our troops, however, were on their 
 march to Washington, the officer who commanded it blew it 
 up and made off". There was no sufficient cause for such a 
 proceeding ; yet it is said that he obeyed to the letter the or- 
 ders of his superior officer. I was quite gratified to hear 
 from a gentleman of Judge Washington's family, that when 
 
^*— ai — ^_j ^__ .- . rtaiiiillii'iiiiiin 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 381 
 
 WASHINGTON. 
 
 the British ships of war passed Mount Vernon, they honored 
 the memory of the departed hero, by lowering their foretop- 
 sails, and their bands, as another gentleman informed me, 
 played Washington's march. That was indeed a manifesta- 
 tion of most correct and honorable feeling on the part of the 
 commanding officer. 
 
 " I have mentioned that the avenue to Mount Vernon 
 had a neglected appearance; I am sorry to acid that similar 
 neglect pervades other parts of the establishment. The 
 flower-garden and green-house are nearly gone to decay ; the 
 tea-house on the bank of the river is almost in ruins ; in- 
 deed, its upper story, from which a more extensive view may 
 be obtained, is at present inaccessible, for the ladder to it 
 retains but one foot at top and another at bottom. Even 
 the door of the vault is to all appearance so crazy, that I 
 think a kick would go far to knock it to pieces. It is painful 
 to observe such an air of desolation in so interesting a 
 spot, and I would cherish the hope that it will speedily be 
 removed."* 
 
 During the visit of Lafayette to the United States, he paid 
 a visit to Mount Vernon and the tomb of Washington, which 
 is thus described by Mr. Lavasseur : 
 
 " After a voyage of two hours the guns of Fort Washing- 
 ton announced that we were approaching the last abode of 
 the father of his country. At this solemn signal, to which 
 the military band accompanying us responded by plaintive 
 strains, we went on deck, and the venerable soil of Mount 
 Vernon was before us ; at this view an involuntary and 
 spontaneous movement made us kneel. We landed in boats, 
 and trod upon the ground so often worn by the feet of 
 Washington. A carriage received Gen. Lafayette, and the 
 other visiters silently ascended the precipitous path, which 
 conducted to the solitary habitation of Mount Vernon. In 
 re-entering beneath this hospitable roof, which had sheltered 
 him when the reign of terror tore him violently from his 
 country and family, George Lafayette felt his heart sink 
 within him at no more finding him, whose paternal care 
 had softened his misfortunes, whose example and wise coun- 
 sel inspired his youthful mind with those generous sentiments 
 which at present render him an example of good citizenship, 
 a model to parents and husbands, the most devoted of sons, 
 
 * Duncan's Travels. 
 
382 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 WASHINGTON. 
 
 the most stable of friends. His father again sought with 
 emotion for every thing which reminded him of the compan- 
 ion of his glorious toils. 
 
 " Three nephews of General Washington took Lafayette, 
 his son, and myself, to conduct us to the tomb of their un- 
 cle ; our numerous companions remained in the house ; in a 
 few minutes after, the cannon of the Tort, thundering anew, 
 announced that Lafayette rendered homage to the ashes of 
 "Washington. Simple and modest as he was during life, the 
 tomb of the citizen hero is scarcely perceived amid the 
 sombre cypresses by which it is surrounded : a vault slightly 
 elevated and sodded over, a wooden door without inscrip- 
 tion, some withered and some green garlands, indicate to the 
 traveller who visits this spot, the place where rests in peace 
 the puissant arms which broke the chains of his country. 
 As we approached, the door was opened ; Lafayette descend- 
 ed alone into the vault, and a few minutes after re-appeared, 
 with his eyes overflowing with tears. He took his son and 
 me by the hand, and led us into the tomb, where by a sign 
 he indicated the coffin of his paternal friend, alongside- of 
 which was that of his companion in life, united to him forever \ 
 in the grave. We knelt reverentially, near his coffin, which we 
 respectfully saluted with our lips; rising, we threw ourselves 
 into the arms of Lafayette, and mingled our tears with his. 
 
 " In leaving the vault, we were met by the three nephews 
 of Washington: one of them, Mr. Custis, presented General 
 Lafayette with a gold ring, containing some of the hair of 
 the great man, and we returned to the house, where our 
 companions awaited us. An hour was devoted to visiting the 
 house and grounds, which at present belong to a nephew of 
 Washington, who bears the same name, and is one of the 
 judges of the Supreme Court of the United States. He has 
 made no alteration in the property left him by his uncle, for 
 whose memory he entertains the most profound and tender 
 respect. George Lafayette assured us that every thing in 
 the house was as he saw it twenty-eight years ago. He 
 found, in the place where Washington himself had left it, the 
 principal key of the Bastile, which was sent him by Lafayette, 
 at the time this monument of despotism was destroyed. The 
 note sent with the key is still carefully preserved." 
 
 Washington closed his useful and eventful life on the night 
 of the 14th Dec, 1799. The following account of his last 
 hours is from " Custis's Recollections : " 
 
OLD TOMB OF WASHINGTON. 
 
 NEW TOMB OF WASHINGTON. 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 385 
 
 WASHINGTON. 
 
 " On the morning of the thirteenth, the General was en- 
 gaged in making some improvement in front of Mount Ver- 
 non. As was usual with him, he carried his own compass, 
 noted his observations, and marked out the ground. The 
 day became rainy, with sleet, and the improver remained so 
 long exposed to the inclemency of the weather, as to be con- 
 siderably wetted before his return to the house. About one 
 o'clock he was seized with chillness and nausea, but having 
 changed his clothes, he sat down to his in-door work — there 
 being no moment of his time for which he had not provided 
 an appropriate employment. 
 
 " At night, on joining his family circle, the General com- 
 plained of slight indisposition, and, after a single cup of tea, 
 repaired to his library, where he remained writing until be- 
 tween eleven and twelve o'clock. Mrs. Washington retired 
 about the usual family hour, but became alarmed at not hear- 
 ing the accustomed sound of the library door, as it closed for 
 the night, and gave signal for rest in the well-regulated man- 
 sion, she arose again and continued sitting up, in much anx- 
 iety and suspense. At length the well-known step was 
 heard on the stair, and upon the General's entering his cham- 
 ber, the lady chided him for staying up so late, knowing him- 
 self to be unwell ; to which Washington made this memorable 
 reply : ' I came as soon as my business was accomplished. 
 You well know, that, through a long life, it has been my un- 
 varied rule never to put off till the morrow the duties which 
 should be performed to-day.' 
 
 " Having first covered up the fire with care, the man of 
 mighty labors sought repose ; but it came not as it had long 
 been wont to do, to comfort and restore, after the many and 
 earnest occupations of the well-spent day. The night was 
 spent in feverish restlessness and pain. ' Tired nature's 
 sweet restorer, balmy sleep,' was destined no more to visit 
 his couch ; yet the manly sufferer uttered no complaint, 
 would permit no one to be disturbed in their rest on his ac- 
 count, and it was only at daybreak he would consent that 
 the overseer might be called in, and bleeding resorted to. 
 A vein was opened, but without affording relief. Couriers 
 were despatched to summon Dr. Craik, the family physician, 
 and Drs. Dick and Brown, as consulting physicians, all of 
 whom came with speed. The proper remedies were admin- 
 istered, but without producing their healing effects, while the 
 patient, yielding to the anxious looks of all around him, waived 
 25 
 
386 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 WASHINGTON. 
 
 his usual objections to medicines, and took those which were 
 prescribed, without hesitation or remark. The medical gen- 
 tlemen spared not their skill, and all the resources of their 
 art were exhausted, in unwearied endeavors to preserve this 
 noblest work of nature. 
 
 " The night approached — the last night of Washington ; 
 the weather became severely cold, while the group gathered 
 nearer to the couch of the sufferer, watching with intense 
 anxiety for the slightest dawning of hope. He spoke but little. 
 To the respectful and affectionate inquiries of an old family 
 servant, as she smoothed down his pillow, how he felt him- 
 self, he answered, ' I am very ill.' To Dr. Craik, his earliest 
 companion in arms, longest tried and bosom friend, he ob- 
 served, ' I am dying, sir, — but am not afraid to die.' To 
 Mrs. Washington, he said, ' Go to my escritoire, and in the 
 private drawer you will find two papers, — bring them to me.' 
 They were brought. He continued : ' These are my wills 
 — preserve this one, and burn the other.' Which was ac- 
 cordingly done. Calling to Col. Lear, he said, ■ Let my 
 corpse be kept the usual period of three days.' " 
 
 The patient bore his acute suffering with manly fortitude 
 and perfect resignation to the Divine will — while, as the 
 night advanced, it became evident that he was sinking, and 
 he seemed fully aware that his " hour was nigh." He in- 
 quired the time, and it was answered, a few moments to 
 twelve. He spoke no more, — the hand of death was upon 
 him, and he was conscious that his " hour was come." With 
 surprising self-possession, he prepared to die. Composing 
 his form at length, and folding his arms upon his bosom, 
 without a sigh, without a groan, the father of his country 
 expired, gently, as though an infant died. Nor pang nor 
 struggle told when the noble spirit took its noiseless flight ; 
 while so tranquil appeared the manly features in the repose 
 of death, that some moments had passed ere those around 
 could believe the patriarch was no more. 
 
 " It may be asked, and why was the ministry of religion 
 wanting to shed its peaceful and benign lustre upon the last 
 hours of Washington 1 Why was he, to whom the observance 
 of sacred things were ever primary duties through life, 
 without their consolations in his last moments ? We an- 
 swer, circumstances did not permit. It was but for a little 
 while that the disease assumed so threatening a character as 
 to forbid the encouragement of hope, yet to stay that sum- 
 mons which none may refuse, to give farther days to him, 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 387 
 
 WASHINGTON. 
 
 whose ' time-honored life ' was so dear to mankind, prayer 
 was not wanting to the Throne of Grace. — Close to the couch 
 of the sufferer, resting her head upon that ancient book, 
 with which she had been wont to hold pious communion, a 
 portion of every day, for more than half a century, was the 
 venerable consort ; absorbed in silent prayer, and from which 
 she only rose when the mourning group prepared to bear 
 her from the chamber of the dead. Such were the last hours 
 of Washington ! " 
 
 The following tribute to the exalted virtues of this illus- 
 trious man, from the pen of Lord Brougham, may with pro- 
 priety close this brief notice of one who was " first in war — 
 first in peace — and first in the hearts of his countrymen." 
 
 " How grateful the relief which the friend of mankind, 
 the lover of virtue, experiences, when, turning from the 
 contemplation of such a character, [Napoleon,] his eye 
 rests upon the greatest of our own or of any other age ; the 
 only one upon whom an epithet so thoughtlessly lavished by 
 men to foster the crimes of their worst enemies, may indeed 
 be innocently and justly bestowed ! In Washington we truly 
 behold a marvellous contrast to almost every one of the en- 
 dowments and the vices, which we have been contemplating ; 
 and which are so well fitted to excite a mingled admiration, 
 and sorrow, and abhorrence. With none of that brilliant 
 genius which dazzles ordinary minds; with not even any re- 
 markable quickness of apprehension ; with knowledge less 
 than almost all persons in the middle ranks, and many well- 
 educated of the humbler classes possess ; this eminent person is 
 presented to our observation clothed in attributes as modest, as 
 unpretending, as little calculated to strike or astonish, as if 
 he had passed unknown through some secluded region of pri- 
 vate life. But he had a judgment sure and sound; a steadi- 
 ness of mind which never suffered any passion, or even any 
 feeling, to ruffle its calm ; a strength of understanding, 
 which worked rather than forced its way through all obsta- 
 cles, — removing or avoiding rather than overleaping them. 
 His courage, whether in battle or in council, was as perfect 
 as might be expected from this pure and steady temper of soul. 
 A perfectly just man, with a thoroughly firm resolution never 
 to be misled by others, any more than by others overawed ; 
 never to be seduced or betrayed, or hurried away by his own 
 weakness or self-delusions, any more than by other men's 
 arts ; nor ever to be disheartened by the most complicated dif- 
 
388 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 WASHINGTON. 
 
 Acuities, any more than to be spoiled on the giddy heights of 
 fortune — such was this great man — whether we regard him 
 as sustaining alone the whole weight of campaigns, all but 
 desperate, or gloriously terminating a just warfare by his re- 
 sources and his courage — presiding over the jarring ele- 
 ments of political councils, alike deaf to the storms of all 
 extremes — or directing the formation of a new government 
 for a great people, the first time that so vast an experiment 
 had ever been tried by man — or finally retiring from the su- 
 preme power to which his virtue had raised him over the 
 nation he had created, and whose destinies he had guided as 
 long as his aid was required — retiring from the veneration 
 of all parties, of all nations, of all mankind, in order that 
 the rights of men might be conserved, and that his example 
 might never be appealed to by vulgar tyrants. This is the 
 consummate glory of the great American ; a triumphant 
 warrior where the most sanguine had a right to despair ; a 
 successful ruler in all the difficulties of a course wholly un- 
 tried ; but a warrior, whose sword only left its sheath when 
 the first law of our nature commanded it to be drawn ; and 
 a ruler who, having tasted of supreme power, gently and un- 
 ostentatiously desired that the cup might pass from him, nor 
 would suffer more to wet his lips than the most solemn and 
 sacred duty to his country and his God required ! 
 
 " To his latest breath did this great patriot maintain the 
 noble character of a captain, the patron of peace; and a 
 statesman, the friend of justice. Dying, he bequeathed to 
 his heirs the sword, which he had worn in the war of lib- 
 erty, charging them '. never to take it from the scabbard 
 but in self-defence, or in defence of their country and her 
 freedom ; and commanding them, that when it should thus 
 be drawn, they should never sheathe it, never give it up, but 
 prefer falling with it in their hands to the relinquishment 
 thereof,' — words, the majesty and simple eloquence of 
 which are not surpassed in the oratory of Athens and Rome. 
 It will be the duty of the historian and the sage in all ages, 
 to omit no occasion of commemorating this illustrious man ; 
 and until time shall be no more, will a test of the progress 
 which our race has made in wisdom and in virtue be derived 
 from the veneration paid to the immortal name of Wash- 
 ington."* 
 
 Edinburgh Review, Oct., 1838. 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 389 
 
 GEORGETOWN. 
 
 GEORGETOWN. 
 
 Georgetown may be considered as a suburb, or part of the 
 metropolis, being separated from it by a narrow stream 
 called Rock creek. It is about three miles west of the 
 Capitol. The position of the town is remarkably salubrious, 
 and it has at all times escaped those summer epidemics 
 that have prevailed some years in the adjacent country. 
 It is handsomely situated on a succession of hills, rising 
 gradually from the river and creek, to which all its streets 
 incline, so that every considerable rain thoroughly cleanses 
 them of all impurity. The houses are chiefly of brick, and 
 there are many elegant villas in different parts. The popu- 
 lation is between 8,000 and 10,000. It is a thriving place, 
 and has considerable commerce. Tobacco and flour are 
 its chief articles of exportation. During the session of Con- 
 gress, it is the residence of a considerable number of that 
 body. The society is represented as enlightened and agree- 
 able. The Chesapeake and Ohio canal leaves the Potomac 
 at this place, and a bridge crosses the road. 
 
 In respect to public institutions, the two which attract 
 most attention, are the College, and the Convent of Visita- 
 tion. The former was established 50 years since. In 1815, 
 it was made a University by Congress. It is under the di- 
 rection of the Roman Catholics. The College buildings 
 are delightfully situated on an eminence that commands a 
 fair prospect all around. It has a respectable library, and 
 the system of education is said to be enlightened and liberal. 
 
 The Convent of Visitation is under the direction of about 
 60 nuns, who devote themselves to religious duties and the 
 education of females. A large number of children are 
 taught gratuitously ; but the most valuable part of the estab- 
 lishment is the boarding-school for young ladies. A writer 
 whom we have before quoted, has the following language 
 respecting the instructors in this institution, and the system 
 of education pursued. " The sisters themselves are highly 
 educated, in every branch of science, and in all the current 
 and fashionable literature of the age, as well as in the pro- 
 found ethics, and the sublime doctrines of the Christian 
 religion. In this institution the great evil of most schools is 
 avoided ; this evil is, to make one person teach many 
 
390 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 ALEXANDRIA. 
 
 branches, and of course no one can be profound in all. 
 Here, each sister selects her department, and never walks 
 out of it ; six or seven, therefore, are united as instructors 
 in the same branch, and the indisposition of one or two 
 does not interfere with the course of instruction in any 
 branch. 
 
 ** The languages are here taught with great accuracy, and 
 with a pure, lady-like, and natural accent, the charm of 
 polished society. The system of education extends to the 
 minute duties of housewifery, and the pupils graduate with 
 a thorough acquaintance with the science of the kitchen and 
 mysteries of the culinary art, without which no woman can 
 be said to be accomplished." 
 
 ALEXANDRIA. 
 
 Alexandria, formerly called Belhaven, is a commercial 
 town of considerable activity, seven miles south of Wash- 
 ington, on the opposite side of the Potomac. The river is 
 here a mile wide, and 30 feet deep. The harbor is capacious, 
 and vessels of the largest size can float alongside the wharfs, 
 a row of which extends along the river the whole length of 
 the city. The town is compactly built on the plan of Phil- 
 adelphia ; the streets are wide, deeply paved, kept clean, and 
 are better lighted at night than most American towns. Ar- 
 ticles of export are flour, biscuits, and tobacco ; fish and 
 lumber are, however, shipped in considerable quantities. It 
 is said that 200,000 barrels of flour have been inspected 
 here in the course of a single year. The biscuits or crack- 
 ers are quite celebrated, and are shipped in large quantities 
 to all parts of the United States, and even to the West India 
 Islands. Baltimore has had the same withering effect on the 
 commerce of Alexandria, that New York has exercised on 
 its seaport vicinity. The population exceeds 8,000 
 
 Alexandria, at the request of its citizens, has recently been 
 restored to the jurisdiction of Virginia, which in 1790 ceded 
 it to the United States, as a part of the seat of the Federal 
 government. 
 
VIRGINIA. 
 
 RICHMOND. 
 
 Richmond, the political metropolis of Virginia, is situated 
 on the north bank of the James river, between fifty and six- 
 ty miles above City point ; 150 miles above the mouth of the 
 river, and 123 south-west from Washington. It is at the head 
 of tide water ; though the river has been rendered boatable 
 220 miles above the city. It is just below the falls, and op- 
 posite to Manchester, with which it is connected by bridges. 
 The population, in 1840, was 20,153. 
 
 The situation of Richmond is highly picturesque and 
 healthful, and it is a flourishing commercial city. Most of 
 the houses are of brick, and many of them are elegant. 
 Its public buildings are very commodious, and in good 
 style, and it has considerable manufactures. The falls ex- 
 tend nearly six miles, in which the river descends eighty 
 feet. A canal passes round these falls, and the river is 
 navigable for batteaux 220 miles above them. The city is 
 thus connected with a very extensive back country, that is 
 highly productive of wheat, corn, hemp, tobacco, and coal. 
 Vessels drawing ten feet of water come to Rockets, just 
 below the city, and those drawing fifteen feet ascend to 
 Warwick, five miles below Richmond. The inland, coast- 
 ing, and foreign trade of Richmond, are extensive and in- 
 creasing, and the city possesses great advantages as a 
 healthy and pleasant place of residence. It has good 
 schools, and convenient houses of worship for many re- 
 ligious denominations. The Virginia armory is an exten- 
 sive establishment, and capable of supplying the State with 
 
392 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 RICHMOND. 
 
 arms. The new court house is a very spacious and elegant 
 building. The capitol has a very commanding situation on 
 Shockoe hill.* 
 
 In 1811, December 26, a most awful catastrophe befel a 
 portion of the citizens of Richmond during the sudden con- 
 flagration of the theatre. The house was uncommonly full 
 at the time ; not less than 600 persons were present. The cur- 
 tain rose on the second act of a pantomime ; the orchestra 
 was in full chorus ; a performer came on to open the scene ; 
 when sparks of fire began to fall on the back part of the stage, 
 and Mr. Robertson came, waving his hand first to the ceiling, 
 then exclaiming, " the house is on fire ! " The cry of jire ! 
 Jire ! passed rapidly through the house ; and the scene of 
 horror and distress that followed, baffles all description. All 
 flew from their seats. Cries and shrieks filled the house. 
 Many persons were trodden under foot ; several were thrown 
 back from the windows, from which they were endeavouring 
 to leap. The stairways were blocked up, and the smoke 
 threatened instant suffocation. Many leaped from the win- 
 dows of the first story, and were saved ; some from the second 
 windows; others were shockingly burnt. The fire flew 
 with amazing rapidity ; and within ten minutes after it caught 
 the whole house was wrapped in flames. Nearly 70 persons 
 perished in the conflagration ; and a considerable number af- 
 terwards expired, in consequence of the injuries they re- 
 ceived. Among those who perished in the flames was George 
 W. Smith, governor of Virginia, and Abraham B. Venable, 
 president of the Bank of Virginia. The first had, but a 
 few days before, been placed in the chair of government ; 
 the last had very honorably filled several high stations, and 
 had been in the House of Representatives, and in the 
 Senate of the United States, during the most interesting 
 periods. 
 
 Pursuant to an ordinance of the common council of the 
 city of Richmond, the remains of those who perished in 
 the fire were deposited in the area, which had been inclosed 
 within the walls of the theatre ; an area which was to be 
 encompassed by a wall five feet high. The interment was 
 made on Sunday, the 30th, when a mournful procession 
 
 * Encyclopaedia Americana. 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 393 
 
 RICHMOND. 
 
 moved to the sepulchral spot. The remains were chiefly in- 
 closed in two large mahogany boxes, and were deposited in 
 the centre of the place where the pit stood. The city was 
 bathed in tears. On this spot of agony and desolation, the 
 citizens have, with great propriety, erected a church, called 
 the Monumental Church, with a monument in front, com- 
 memorative of the melancholy event.* 
 
 Since the foregoing catastrophe, another theatre has been 
 erected, but it is not extensively patronized. The city water- 
 works are among the most splendid and useful establishments 
 of the city: they were commenced in 1830, and cost about 
 $120,000. Richmond contains 16 churches, some of which 
 are large and elegant structures. There are three bafiks, 
 two of which occupy different rooms in the same fine build- 
 ing. Richmond has considerable commerce, and its manu- 
 factures are varied and extensive. Its exports principally 
 consist of flour, tobacco, and coal ; the total of which amount 
 annually to about $6,000,000. The capital employed in 
 manufactures is nearly $1,400,000. 
 
 * Holmes's Annals. 
 
NORTH CAROLINA 
 
 RALEIGH. 
 
 Raleigh, the political metropolis of North Carolina, de- 
 rives its name from Sir Walter Raleigh, a distinguished war- 
 rior, statesman, and writer, who nourished in the reigns of 
 Elizabeth and James I., and who, in 1584, projected a plan 
 for the discovery and settlement of the territory north of the 
 gulf of Mexico. The discoveries made under his auspices 
 terminated, in after years, in the settlement of Virginia, and 
 the neighboring States. With great propriety does the South 
 contain a city bearing his name. He was one of the most 
 distinguished men of his age. A well-known act of gal- 
 lantry increased his favor at court. Elizabeth the queen, in 
 a walk among a crowd of courtiers, having come to a spot 
 where the path was obstructed by mire, Raleigh immediately 
 took off his rich plush cloak and spread it on the ground for 
 a footcloth. 
 
 The city thus called after this gallant knight, is a hand- 
 some interior town, near the centre of North Carolina, six 
 miles west of the Neuse, 164 miles south-west of Rich- 
 mond, and 288 from Washington. It contains thirteen pub- 
 lic buildings, five houses of public worship, and about 3,000 
 inhabitants, of whom half are slaves. Union square, in the 
 centre of the town, containing ten acres, is a public ground, 
 highly ornamental to the city. Four streets extend from it, 
 dividing the town into four parts. In 1831, the splendid 
 State House in this town was destroyed by fire. The beauti- 
 ful marble statue of Washington, by Canova, the great Ital- 
 ian artist, which cost the State 25,000 dollars, was placed in 
 the State House, and was supposed at first irreparably des- 
 troyed. It has since been discovered to be less injured than 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 395 
 
 was imagined. The artist is dead, and it is a source of mel- 
 ancholy regret, that this chef cPouvre can never be restored 
 to its pristine beauty. There are two flourishing academies 
 in this town. The most beautiful materials for building 
 abound in its vicinity.* 
 
 * Flint's Geography of Mississippi Valley. 
 
 
SOUTH CAROLINA 
 
 CHARLESTON. 
 
 Charleston, the commercial metropolis of South Caro- 
 lina, and formerly the seat of government, is a fine looking 
 city, standing on a dead level with the sea in front, at the 
 distance of seven miles; and two noble rivers, the Ashley 
 and the Cooper, inclosing it on a wide peninsula, called the 
 neck. The present city was founded in 1680, old Charles- 
 ton being at this time abandoned, on account of the un- 
 healthiness of its situation. The old town lay upon the 
 banks of the Ashley river, and was founded in 1670 by Gov- 
 ernor William Sayle. It has a neat and safe harbor, but its 
 entrance is somewhat obstructed by a bar. 
 
 The city is regularly built, and the streets cross each other 
 at right angles. The smallest streets are paved. All have 
 brick sidewalks. The paving stone is imported from the 
 northern States, on which account it is an expensive article, 
 and the paving of the streets can only be gradually effected. 
 In the streets are a row of trees, consisting principally of 
 the Pride of India, planted on each side along the outer edge 
 of the foot pavement ; a fashion common to most of the 
 southern towns of America. " What gives Charleston, 
 however, its peculiar character," Captain B. Hall adds, " is 
 the veranda, or piazza, which embraces most of the houses 
 on their southern side, and frequently, also, on those which 
 face the east and west. These are not clumsily put on, but 
 constructed in a light oriental style, extending from the 
 ground to the very top, so that the rooms on each story en- 
 joy the advantage of a shady open walk. Except in the 
 busy, commercial parts of the town, where building ground 
 is too precious to be so employed, the houses are surround- 
 ed with a garden crowded with shrubs and flowers of all 
 kinds, shaded by double and treble rows of orange trees ; 
 each establishment being generally encircled with hedges, 
 of a deep green, covered over with the most brilliant show 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 397 
 
 CHARLESTON. 
 
 imaginable, of large white roses, fully as broad as my hand. 
 The houses, which stand in the midst of these luxurious 
 pleasure grounds, are built of every form and size, generally 
 painted white, with railed terraces on the tops ; and every 
 house, or very nearly every one, and certainly every church 
 spire, of which there are a great number, has a lightning 
 rod."* 
 
 Another writer, F. Hall, remarks, that " Streets unpaved 
 and narrow, small wooden houses, from among which rise, 
 in every quarter of the town, stately mansions, surrounded, 
 from top to bottom, with broad verandas, and standing within 
 little gardens full of orange-trees, palm-trees, and magnolias, 
 are features which give Charleston an expression belonging 
 to the South of Europe, rather than to the Teutonic cities of 
 the North. Perhaps, taking into view its large black popu- 
 lation, and glowing temperature in January, it is not very 
 unlike some of the cities on the Mediterranean coast of Af- 
 rica. In other respects it is a noble monument of what 
 human effort can effect. Its soil is a barren, burning sand, 
 with a river on each side, overflowing into pestilential marsh- 
 es, which exhale a contagion so pernicious as to render sleep- 
 ing a single night within its influence, during the summer 
 months, an experiment of the greatest hazard. 
 
 " Yet Charleston is deemed more salubrious than any 
 other part of the low country of the United States ; and 
 during the sickly season, it is the resort even of rich planters 
 from the West Indies. But Charleston itself is no place of 
 refuge during the hottest part of the season. All the inhab- 
 itants, who can afford it, then flee to a barren sand-bank in 
 the harbor, called Sullivan's Island, containing one well and 
 a few palmettoes ; where they dwell in miserable wooden 
 tenements, trembling in every storm, lest their hiding places 
 should be blown from over their heads, or deluged by an in- 
 undation from the sea. Many migrate to the mountains, to 
 Ballston or Saratoga, or to other parts of the Northern 
 States."t 
 
 When those who decide on spending the summer in the 
 city, are once settled there, it is deemed in the highest de- 
 gree hazardous to sleep a single night in the country. " The 
 experiment," says Mr. Hodgson, " is sometimes made, and 
 
 * B. Hall's Travels. t F. Hall's Travels. 
 
898 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 CHARLESTON. 
 
 occasionally with impunity ; but all my informants concurred 
 in assuring me, that fatal consequences might generally be 
 expected. The natives, however, may pass to and fro between 
 the city and Sullivan's Island, (seven miles distant,) without 
 risk. Of late years, it has been discovered, that there are 
 certain healthy spots, even in the country, during the most 
 sickly months. These are in the pine barrens, at a distance 
 from the swamps. To be safe in them, it is necessary that 
 the land be as barren as possible, and that not a tree be cut 
 down, except to leave room for the house. Even a little 
 garden, it is considered, would entail some risk. I saw 
 several of these retreats, which are occupied by the over- 
 seers of plantations."* These remarks apply to the natives 
 whose apprehensions are confined to " the country fever," a 
 species of ague. After the age of ten or fifteen years, they 
 are generally proof against the yellow, or " stranger's fever." 
 But the probability would be greatly against a stranger's es- 
 caping the fatal effects of the latter, who should remain either 
 in Charleston or Savannah during the sickly season. 
 
 It is only, therefore, during a few months in the year, that 
 Charleston is inhabited by the better class of its citizens. 
 The races, which usually take place in February, are the 
 signal for the principal families to visit their town houses, 
 for three or four weeks, assembling from their planta- 
 tions, at a distance of from 30 to 150 miles. During this 
 short season of gayety, there is a perpetual round of visits. 
 Early in March, they return to the retirement of their planta- 
 tions, often accompanied by the strangers with whom they 
 have made acquaintance. They remain there till about the 
 beginning of June, when they return to the city, or start on 
 their summer excursion. By those who remain prisoners in 
 Charleston, the first black frost is looked for with great anx- 
 iety towards October ; after which, they may, with safety, 
 return to their plantations, where they remain till the re- 
 turn of February. " In passing through the city at that 
 season, when all is ornamented and gay, and the climate pure 
 and delicious, it is melancholy," remarks Mr. Hodgson, " to 
 think of the stillness which will soon pervade its streets, when 
 the heats will almost suspend all intercourse among the na- 
 tives, and when the stranger who has been so rash as to re- 
 main in this infected region, will move with fearful and 
 
 * Hodgson'* Travels. 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 399 
 
 CHARLESTON. 
 
 trembling steps, his imagination filled with apparitions of the 
 1 pestilence that walketh in darkness/ and his heart sicken- 
 ed with * the destruction that wasteth at noon day.' M 
 
 " Charleston keeps in pay a company of police soldiers, 
 who during the night occupy several posts. They have their 
 guard-house near Jones's hotel, and I was startled to hear 
 the retreat and reveille beat there. This corps owes it sup- 
 port to the fear of the negroes. At nine o'clock in the 
 evening a bell is sounded ; and after this no negro can ven- 
 ture abroad without a written permission from his master, 
 or he will immediately be thrown into prison, nor can his 
 owner obtain his release till next day, and then only by the 
 payment of a fine. Should the master refuse to pay this fine, 
 then the slave receives twenty-five lashes, and a receipt, with 
 which he is sent back to his master." 
 
 The Duke of Saxe Weimar, who spent some time in 
 Charleston, in 1825, visiting several of the public buildings 
 and institutions of the city, thus describes it : " The market 
 consists of five houses, in a long street ending upon the 
 harbor, and resembles somewhat those of the Philadelphia 
 market. The quantity of the most beautiful tropical fruit 
 therein arranged, oranges from Florida, pistachios, and large 
 excellent pineapples from Cuba, interested me much. These 
 large and delicious fruit cost only twelve and a half cents 
 each, of course a dollar for eight. There were nuts of vari- 
 ous descriptions ; many sorts of potatoes, cabbages, and 
 white and red radishes. Fish were not presented in so great 
 a variety as I expected. Of shell fish, I saw oysters only, 
 which are roasted in the shell at market, and consumed by 
 the negroes with great avidity. Upon the roofs of the market 
 houses sat a number of buzzards, which are supported by 
 offals. It is a species of vulture, black, with a naked head. 
 Seen from a distance, they resemble turkeys, for which 
 reason they are denominated turkey-buzzards. They are 
 not only suffered as very useful animals, but there is a fine of 
 five dollars for the killing of one of these birds. A pair of 
 these creatures were so tame that they crept about in the 
 meat market among the feet of the buyers." 
 
 " The Orphan House," continues the same writer, " is a 
 brick building, three stories high, erected by voluntary con- 
 tributions, and in it, one hundred and thirty-six children of 
 
400 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 CHARLESTON. 
 
 both sexes are supported. I was surprised at the exceeding 
 cleanliness pervading the whole establishment. The chil- 
 dren sleep upon the floor, and the girls and sick only are 
 allowed mattresses; the boys have a woollen coverlet, in 
 which they wrap themselves. I was informed that this was 
 done for fear of vermin. A very nourishing diet, and a truly 
 maternal care, preserve the children healthy. At their 
 twelfth year, they are provided for abroad, to enable them to 
 earn their own subsistence. Many of the boys enter into 
 the United States Navy, and it has been reported to me that 
 two of the pupils of this institution have attained the rank 
 of officers. Behind the house is a moderately large chapel, 
 in the midst of the garden. The clergy of all Christian 
 professions can hold divine service here every Sunday after- 
 noon ; in the mornings, the service in turn is taken charge 
 of by a superintendent. In front of the building is a large 
 open square. In it stands an ill-preserved statue of Lord 
 Chatham, which was erected by the then colony of South 
 Carolina, before the breaking out of the American Revolu- 
 tion, in memory of that great man, in gratitude for the op- 
 position he maintained against colonial taxation. An in- 
 scription on the statue mentions this. During the siege, it 
 stood at the corner of the street, near the city hall. There 
 it lost an arm by one of the first English balls that struck 
 the city." 
 
 The Duke had the opportunity of inspecting a rice mill 
 in the vicinity of the city. He thus speaks on the subject 
 of rice, and the manner of cleaning it. " Rice is known as 
 the staple article of produce of the lowlands in South Caro- 
 lina, and yet there was no mill hitherto to free the rice from 
 its husk, and to prepare it for use or export. This mill is 
 situated near the river Ashley. The schooner that conveys 
 the rice from the plantation, lies directly before it, a cart is 
 taken on board the vessel, filled with rice, and by means of 
 an inclined plane, drawn into the mill, where it is deposited. 
 Hence the rice is drawn to the upper story, in which it is 
 cleared of dust by a fan, and passed between two large mill- 
 stones, which frees the hull from the grain. It is then 
 placed in a cylinder of bolting cloth. By this it is further 
 cleaned from all hull. Now it comes into the trough, where 
 it is beaten by heavy hammers faced with tin, and by that 
 means is completely cleaned. It is once more conveyed into 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 401 
 
 CHARLESTON. 
 
 a bolting cylinder, where, by another series of revolu- 
 tions, it is freed from the slightest, dust, and shook through a 
 tube into the tierces placed for packing. The tierces stand 
 upon a trundle, which whirls round, while a hammer con- 
 tinually strikes upon it. Each tierce in this way receives 
 six hundred pounds of rice. The machinery is to be set in 
 motion in future by a steam machine of twenty-four horse 
 power." 
 
 In 1787, Charleston contained 1600 houses, and a popula- 
 tion of 15,000 souls, viz : 9,600 whites, and 5,400 negroes. 
 The public buildings at that time consisted of the State 
 House, the Exchange, the Armory, the Poor House, two 
 large Churches for Episcopalians, two for Congregation alists, 
 one for Scotch Presbyterians, two for Baptists, one Metho- 
 dist, one German Lutheran, one French Protestant, one 
 Quakers' Meeting House ; and two Synagogues, one for 
 Portuguese, the other for German Jews. There were up- 
 wards of 1000 Roman Catholics at that time in Charleston, 
 but they had no building for worship. In 1820, the popula- 
 tion of the city was estimated at 24,780 souls. Twenty 
 years later, 1840, the number had increased to only about 
 29,000. 
 
 " Charleston," says Mr. Hodgson, " has enjoyed the repu- 
 tation of containing the most polished circle of society of 
 any city in the United States, the very beau monde of Amer- 
 ica ; and not wholly, it should seem, without reason." Mr. 
 Hodgson says that the best society there, though not very ex- 
 tensive, is much superior to any that he had previously met 
 with. " It consists of a few patrician families, who form a 
 select circle, into which the novi homines, unless distinguish- 
 ed by great personal merit, find it extremely difficult to gain 
 admission. Strangers well introduced, and of personal 
 respectability, are received with much liberality and atten- 
 tion. Many of the old gentlemen were educated at English 
 colleges, and retain something of their original attachment 
 to the mother country, notwithstanding their sensibility to 
 recent calumny and misrepresentation. Their manners are 
 extremely agreeable, resembling the more polished of our 
 country gentlemen, and are formed on the model of what in 
 England we call ■ the old school.' They are, however, the 
 last of their generation, and will leave a blank much to be 
 26 
 
402 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 CHARLESTON. 
 
 deplored, when they pass away. The young ladies of the 
 patrician families are delicate, refined, and intelligent, rather 
 distant and reserved to strangers, but frank and affable to 
 those who are familiarly introduced to them by their fathers 
 and brothers. They go very early into company, are fre- 
 quently married at sixteen or eighteen years of age, and gen- 
 erally under twenty, and have retired from the vortex of gay 
 society before even the fashionable part of my fair country- 
 women would formerly have entered it. They often lament 
 that the high standard of manners to which they have been 
 accustomed, seems doomed to perish with the generations of 
 their fathers. The fact is, that the absence of the privileges 
 of primogeniture, and the consequent repeated subdivisions 
 of property, are gradually effecting a change in the structure 
 of society in South Carolina, and will shortly efface its most 
 interesting and characteristic features." 
 
 The military events connected with the places which we 
 describe, form an interesting portion of our volume. And 
 among the most exciting scenes of the Revolutionary history 
 of our country, we may reckon the attack on Charleston 
 during the campaign of 1776. 
 
 In the beginning of this year, a fleet under Sir Peter Par- 
 ker, and two thousand five hundred troops commanded by 
 Earl Cornwallis, were despatched upon an expedition against 
 the Southern Colonies. About the beginning of May, the 
 first fleet arrived off Cape Fear. Here, being joined by 
 General Clinton, it was determined to attempt the reduction 
 of Charleston. This was considered no difficult operation ; 
 and with the fall of this, the entire province, it was foreseen, 
 would fall into British hands. 
 
 The plan was no sooner decided, than the English pre- 
 pared to put it in execution. But the Carolinians had neg- 
 lected nothing to secure themselves the means of defending 
 their province, and particularly their capital. The chiefs 
 of the people had taken particular care to fortify Sullivan's 
 Island, situated on the part of the sea, at the distance of six 
 miles from the point of land formed by the confluence of 
 the two rivers, Ashley and Cooper, and upon which the city 
 of Charleston is built. This island so commands the chan- 
 nel, which leads to the port, that the vessels which would 
 enter it, must pass under the cannon of Fort Moultrie. It 
 had recently been armed with thirty-six pieces of heavy 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 403 
 
 CHARLESTON. 
 
 cannon, and twenty-six pieces of inferior calibre. The fort 
 itself was constructed of a species of wood of the country, 
 which the inhabitants denominated Palmetto, and is so 
 spongy and soft, that the ball is deprived by it of its impetus, 
 and lodges within it without causing splinters. The militia 
 of all the province were called in haste to the defence of the 
 city. In the space of a few days the garrison amounted to 
 six thousand men, if not perfectly disciplined, at least full 
 of ardor. 
 
 The regiment on pay, of South Carolina, was sent to 
 guard Fort Johnson, situated in James Island, three miles 
 from Charleston, and which commanded the whole breadth 
 of the channel. 
 
 The second and third regiments occupied Sullivan's 
 Island. William Moultrie, who commanded the second 
 regiment, was charged with the defence of the fort, which 
 afterwards, from his gallant defence of it, was called by his 
 name. The rest of the troops were distributed in the most 
 important posts ; the roads which led to the sea were ob- 
 structed by abatis, the warehouses of the coast demolished, 
 and intrenchments erected upon the shore. 
 
 There was not an inhabitant who had not in hand either 
 arms, or the spade, or the pickaxe. The blacks, who had 
 been called in from the country, admirably seconded the 
 whites in all their labors of fortification. The chief com- 
 mand belonged to General Lee, who possesseckthe entire 
 confidence of the troops and of the people : none rivalled 
 hirn in devotion to the common cause. The hatred he had 
 long borne towards the English government, the love of 
 glory, and the desire of answering the universal expectation, 
 continually excited his natural ardor. Rutledge, a man of 
 great influence in the province, also manifested the most ac- 
 tive zeal in animating the inhabitants to defend themselves. 
 His example and exhortations obtained the most happy re- 
 sults. Every one was at his post, expecting the enemy with 
 intrepid confidence. Meanwhile the British fleet appeared, 
 and cast anchor at the north of Sullivan's Island. 
 
 The ships of war were the Bristol and Experiment, of fifty 
 guns ; four frigates, the Active, the Acteon, the Solebay, and 
 the Syren,of twenty-eight ; the Sphynx,ot twenty, the Friend- 
 ship, of twenty-two, two smaller vessels, of eight ; and the 
 Thunder, a bomb ketch. 
 
 It was very difficult, especially for the larger ships, to pass 
 
404 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 CHARLESTON. 
 
 the bar, which is found at the entrance of the channel at 
 Charleston. 
 
 It was not without extreme fatigue, that the English suc- 
 ceeded in crossing it with the Bristol and the Experiment, 
 even after they had lightened them of their artillery, and a 
 great part of their lading. They struck, and it was thought 
 they would bilge immediately ; but the skill of the officers, 
 and the efforts of the sailors, at length preserved them. The 
 intention of the English was to reduce Fort Moultrie, in or- 
 der, afterwards to attack the city without obstacle. General 
 Clinton issued a proclamation, which he sent into the city by 
 a flag : he therein reminded the inhabitants of the subversion 
 of all laws; of the tyranny established in the hands of the 
 Congress, the committees, and other unconstitutional author- 
 ities ; he gave them a last admonition before proceeding to 
 extremities ; he exhorted them to avert from their heads, by 
 a prompt return to obedience, the vengeance of a powerful 
 and irritated nation. He offered pardon at the same time, 
 to all those who should lay down arms and submit immedi- 
 ately. 
 
 This summons produced no effect whatever. 
 
 The English generals had arranged their attack in the fol- 
 lowing manner. The ships were to cannonade Fort Moul- 
 trie in front, while a corps of troops, fanded for this purpose 
 on Long Island, to the east of Sullivan's Island, should cross 
 the narrovf arm of the sea that separates them, and which 
 was believed fordable. This corps would then have pressed 
 the fort on the part of the land, which was much less strong- 
 ly fortified. This plan offered them so fair a prospect of 
 success, that General Lee himself, having doubts whether 
 the fort could be defended, recommended that it should be 
 evacuated, and that all efforts should be concentrated for the 
 defence of the city. But the inhabitants, who dreaded bombs 
 out of measure, resolved to attempt, by all means, the 
 defence of the fort. 
 
 All the preparations being completed on the one part, 
 and on the other, on the morning of the twenty-eighth of 
 June, the ketch Thunder, protected by another vessel, took 
 post, and began to throw bombs into Fort Moultrie, while 
 the rest of the squadron advanced. 
 
 About eleven o'clock, the Bristol, the Experiment, the 
 Active, and the Solebay, having formed in line, opened a 
 violent fire against the fort. The Sphynx, the Acteon, and 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 405 
 
 CHARLESTON. 
 
 the Syren, went to take their stations to the west, between 
 the point of Sullivan's Tsland and the city, partly to be able 
 to sweep the interior of the works, and partly to interrupt all 
 communication between the island and the main land, which 
 would deprive the garrison of the means of retreat, prevent 
 them from receiving succors of men and of munitions, and 
 prohibit the Carolinians from annoying the besiegers by fire- 
 ships or other engines of war. The unskilfulness of the pilots 
 caused the miscarriage of these dispositions ; the three ves- 
 sels struck upon a bank named the middle grounds ; two of 
 them, by the exertions of the mariners, were again set afloat, 
 but not without having received considerable damage. 
 Whether on account of the hour, already become late, or in 
 consequence of this damage, they were no longer in a situa- 
 tion to execute the orders of the captains. As to the Acteon, 
 she was totally stranded, and the next morning burned. 
 During this time, the first four vessels had kept up a furious 
 cannonade against the fort, which was returned with equal 
 vivacity. The Thunder, after having discharged upwards of 
 sixty bombs, found herself so disabled that she discontinued 
 her fire ; but the others maintained it ; and if the attack was 
 vigorous, the defence was not feeble. The English them- 
 selves were constrained to admire the intrepidity of the 
 Americans, in so hot an action. 
 
 The garrison of the fort, which consisted onlyjn militia, 
 and a few soldiers of the line, displayed an incredible cool- 
 ness and gallantry, in the service of their artillery, in the 
 midst of the tempest of balls which was hailed upon them by 
 the enemy's squadron. The Americans aimed with an ex- 
 treme precision. The English ships suffered excessively, 
 and their loss in men was not inconsiderable. The Bristol, 
 especially being damaged in all her rigging, was for some 
 time so exposed to the fire of the batteries, that she nar- 
 rowly escaped being sunk. Captain Morris, who command- 
 ed the Acteon, had already received several wounds, and the 
 greater part of his men were killed ; left almost alone upon 
 the deck, he refused to be carried below, until a ball took 
 off one of his legs, and then was removed without hope of 
 life. The admiral himself, Peter Parker, received a severe 
 contusion. 
 
 Lord Campbell, who a little before was governor of the 
 province, was mortally wounded. 
 
 The loss of the garrison was very inconsiderable ; never- 
 
406 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 CHARLESTON. 
 
 theless their fire slackened, and at length ceased altogether. 
 Their ammunition was exhausted, and the English considered 
 their victory as already secure. But the Americans soon 
 succored the fort, and the cannonade was renewed with the 
 same fury as at first. It continued till seven o'clock in the 
 evening. 
 
 The English then perceiving the inutility of their attack, 
 and the deplorable state of their vessels, and not seeing the 
 corps make its appearance, which was to have come upon 
 that part of Long Island, determined to abandon the enter- 
 prise. 
 
 Generals Clinton and Cornwallis would have crossed the 
 arm of the sea, which separates the two neighboring islands, 
 in order to attack Fort Moultrie on the land side, as it had 
 been concerted, but the water was found too deep, and the 
 ford impracticable ; this, at least, they alleged. On the 
 other hand, even though they should have succeeded in sur- 
 mounting these obstacles, it is probable they would have 
 found others more formidable still upon the shores of Sulli- 
 van's Island. Colonel Thompson, at the head of three hun- 
 dred grenadiers of his regiment ; Colonel Clark, with two 
 hundred soldiers of North Carolina; Colonel Horry, follow- 
 ed by two hundred militia of South Carolina, and Racoon's 
 company of riflemen, with some pieces of artillery, had oc- 
 cupied the posts situated at the eastern extremity of the 
 island. It is therefore credible, that it was more the prepar- 
 ations of defence made by the Americans, than the diffi- 
 culty of the ford, which prevented the English generals 
 from attempting the passage. Can it be supposed that offi- 
 cers so experienced, should have continued nine whole days 
 in Long Island, without having caused the depths of the 
 waters to be sounded, and ascertaining, long before the time 
 of the action, whether they were fordable or not ? 
 
 It appears equally difficult to comprehend how, after 
 having discovered either that the ford was impracticable, or 
 the position of the Americans impregnable, the English 
 should have remained inactive in Long Island, instead of 
 endeavoring to land upon some other parts of Sullivan's 
 Island, by means of the boats they had assembled. This 
 circumstance presents several points which it is impossible 
 to explain. However it may be, the English retired during 
 the night, and the following morning their ships were already 
 at the distance of two miles from the island. A few days 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 407 
 
 CHARLESTON. 
 
 after, having re-embarked their troops, they made sail for 
 New York, where the army, increased by all the reinforce- 
 ments it had received from England, expected General 
 Howe. 
 
 Such was the issue of the attack on Fort Moultrie by the 
 English. It placed the affairs of South Carolina, for the 
 present, in a state of security. The fort itself received 
 little injury, either because the balls of the enemy passed 
 above it, or because the spongy wood, of which it was con- 
 structed, diminished their effect. 
 
 This battle was remarkable on the side of the Americans 
 for some of those traits of obstinate courage, which are the 
 usual results of the fermentation of minds in the midst of 
 political revolutions. Among others it is recorded, that a 
 sergeant of grenadiers, named Jasper, on seeing the staff 
 of the American standard cut by a ball, sprung after it to 
 the ground, and fastened it to the rammer of a cannon : then 
 mounting upon the parapet, hoisted it anew amidst the most 
 violent fire of the enemy. President Rutledge presented 
 him with a sword, complimenting him highly and publicly.* 
 
 A subsequent incident in the life of Sergeant Jasper, as not 
 only illustrating his bravery, but also the tenderness and hu- 
 manity of his heart, may properly follow the record of the 
 above heroic achievement. Jasper had a brother, who had 
 joined the British, and who held a similar rank in the army. 
 To this brother he was warmly attached, and actually ven- 
 tured into the British garrison at Ebenezer to see him. 
 His brother was exceedingly alarmed, lest he should be 
 seized and hung as an American spy ; for his name was well 
 known to many of the British officers. "Do not trouble 
 yourself, said Jasper ; "I am no longer an American sol- 
 dier." 
 
 11 Thank God for that, William," exclaimed his brother, 
 heartily shaking him by the hand ; " and now only say the 
 word, my boy, and here is a commission for you, with regi- 
 mentals and gold to boot, to fight for his majesty, king 
 George." 
 
 Jasper shook his head, and observed, that though there 
 was but little encouragement to fight for his country, he 
 could not find it in his heart to fight against her. And 
 there the conversation ended. After staying two or three 
 
 *Botta 
 
408 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 CHARLESTON. 
 
 days with his brother, inspecting and hearing all that he 
 could, he took his leave, returned to the American camp, by 
 a circuitous route, and told General Lincoln all that he had 
 seen. 
 
 Soon after he made another trip to the English garrison, 
 taking with him his particular friend, Sergeant Newton, 
 who was a young man of great strength and courage. His 
 brother received him with his usual cordiality ; and he and 
 his friend spent several days at the British fort without 
 giving the least alarm. On the morning of the third day, 
 his brother observed that he had bad news to tell him. 
 
 " Aye ! what is it 1 " asked William. 
 
 " Why," replied his brother, " here are ten or a dozen 
 American prisoners, brought in this morning, as deserters 
 from Savannah, whither they are to be sent immediately ; 
 and, from what I can learn, it will be apt to go hard with 
 them, — for it seems they have all taken the king's bounty." 
 
 " Let us see them," said Jasper. So his brother took him 
 and his friend Newton to see them. It was indeed a melan- 
 choly sight, to see the poor fellows handcuffed upon the 
 ground. But when the eye rested on a young woman, wife 
 of one of the prisoners, with her child, a sweet little boy of 
 five years, all pity for the male prisoners was forgotten. — 
 Her humble garb showed that she was poor ; but her deep 
 distress, and sympathy with her unfortunate husband, proved 
 that she was rich in conjugal love, more precious than all 
 gold. She generally sat on the ground opposite to her 
 husband, with her little boy leaning on her lap, and her 
 coal black hair spreading in long, neglected tresses on her 
 neck and bosom. Sometimes she would sit, silent as a statue 
 of grief, her eyes fixed upon the earth : then she would start 
 with a convulsive throb, and gaze on her husband's face 
 with looks as piercing sad, as if she already saw him strug- 
 gling in the halter, herself a widow, and her son an orphan. 
 While the child, distressed by his mother's anguish, added 
 to the pathos of the scene, by the artless tears of childish 
 suffering. Though Jasper and Newton were undaunted in 
 the field of battle, their feelings were subdued by such heart- 
 stirring misery. As they walked out into the neighboring 
 wood, the tears stood in the eyes of both. Jasper first 
 broke silence. " Newton," said he, " my days have been 
 but few ; but I believe their course is nearly finished." 
 
 " Why so, Jasper f " 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 409 
 
 CHARLESTON. • 
 
 " Why, I feel that I must rescue those poor prisoners, or 
 die with them , otherwise the remembrance of that poor 
 woman and her child will haunt me to my grave." 
 
 " That is exactly what I feel too," replied Newton ; " and 
 here is my hand and heart to stand by you, my brave friend, 
 to the last drop. Thank God, a man can die but once ; and 
 why should we fear to leave this life in the way of our 
 duty?" 
 
 The friends embraced each other, and entered into the 
 necessary arrangements, for fulfilling their desperate reso- 
 lution. 
 
 Immediately after breakfast, the prisoners were sent on 
 their way to Savannah, under the guard of a sergeant and 
 corporal, with eight men. They had not been gone long, 
 before Jasper, accompanied by his friend Newton, took 
 leave of his brother, and set out on some pretended errand 
 to the upper country. They had scarcely got out of sight 
 of Ebenezer, before they struck into the woods, and pushed 
 hard after the prisoners, and their guard, whom they closely 
 dogged for several miles, anxiously watching an opportunity 
 to make a blow. The hope, indeed, seemed extravagant ; 
 for what could two unarmed men do against ten, equipped 
 with loaded muskets and bayonets 1 However, unable to 
 give up their countrymen, our heroes still travelled on. 
 
 About two miles from Savannah, there is a famous spring 
 generally called the Spa, well known to travellers, who 
 often stopped there to quench their thirst. " Perhaps" said 
 Jasper, " the guard may stop there." Hastening on through 
 the woods, they gained the Spa, as their last hope, and there 
 concealed themselves among the thick bushes that grew 
 around the spring. Presently, the mournful procession came 
 in sight of the spring, where the sergeant ordered a halt. 
 Hope sprung afresh in the bosoms of our heroes, though no 
 doubt mixed with great alarms ; for " it was a fearful odds." 
 The corporal, with his guard of four men, conducted the 
 prisoners to the spring, while the sergeant, with the other 
 four, having grounded their arms near the road, brought up 
 the rear. The prisoners, wearied with their long walk, 
 were permitted to rest themselves on the earth. Poor Mrs. 
 Jones as usual took her seat opposite to her husband, and 
 her little boy overcome with fatigue fell asleep in her lap. — 
 Two of the corporal's men were ordered to keep guard, and 
 the other two to give the prisoners drink out of their can- 
 
410 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 CHARLESTON. 
 
 teens. These last approached the spring, where our heroes 
 lay concealed, and, resting their muskets against a pine tree, 
 dipped up water. Having drank themselves, they turned 
 away with replenished canteens, to give to the prisoners 
 also. " Now, Newton, is our time," said Jasper. Then 
 bursting like lions from their concealment, they snatched 
 up the two muskets that were resting against the pine, and 
 in an instant, shot down the two soldiers who were upon 
 guard. It was now a contest who should get the loaded mus- 
 kets that fell from the hands of the slain ; for by this time a 
 couple of brave Englishmen, recovering from their momenta- 
 ry panic, had sprung and seized upon the muskets ; but before 
 they could use them, the swift-handed Americans, with club- 
 bed guns, levelled a final blow at the heads of their brave an- 
 tagonists. The tender bones of the skull gave way, and down 
 they sunk, pale and quivering, without a groan. Then has- 
 tily seizing the muskets, which had thus a second time 
 fallen from the hands of the slain, they flew between their 
 surviving enemies and their weapons, grounded near the 
 road, and ordered them to surrender ; which they instantly 
 did. They then snapped the handcuffs of the prisoners, and 
 armed them with muskets. 
 
 At the commencement of the fight, poor Mrs. Jones had 
 fallen to the earth in a swoon, and her little son stood 
 screaming piteously over her. But, when she recovered, 
 and saw her husband and his friends freed from their fetters, 
 she behaved like one frantic with joy. She sprung to her 
 husband's bosom, and with her arms round his neck, sobbed 
 out, " my husband is safe, — bless God, my husband is safe." 
 Then, snatching up her child, she pressed him to her heart, 
 as she exclaimed, " thank God ! my son has a father yet." 
 Then kneeling at the feet of Jasper and Newton, she pressed 
 their hands vehemently, but in the fulness of her heart, she 
 could only say, " God bless you ! God Almighty bless you ! " 
 
 For fear of being re-taken by the English, our heroes 
 seized the arms and regimentals of the dead, and with their 
 friends and captive foes, re-crossed the Savannah, and safely 
 joined the American army, at Parisburgh, to the inexpressi- 
 ble astonishment and joy of all.* 
 
 * American Anecdotes. 
 
GEORGIA. 
 
 SAVANNAH. 
 
 The city of Savannah is situated on the south bank of 
 the Savannah river, 18 miles above its mouth. It is 100 
 miles south-west of Charleston, and 662 south-by-west of 
 Washington. It is elevated about 40 feet above the river, 
 a sandy bluff rising abruptly about that distance from it. — 
 The site of the city is nearly level ; it is very regularly 
 laid out, the streets crossing each other at right angles. — 
 Many of these are wide, and with public squares, 10 in 
 number, are planted with handsome trees. The place was 
 formerly very unhealthy ; of late years this has much im- 
 proved, a change which is attributed in some degree to a 
 new mode, recently adopted in the cultivation of rice in 
 the vicinity. Since the great conflagration of 1820, when 
 a large portion of the city was destroyed, it has been princi- 
 pally rebuilt, and many handsome, and some elegant build- 
 ings have been erected. Among the public and conspicu- 
 ous buildings of the city, are the exchange ; two banks ; 
 13 churches, one of which, built of granite, is very splen- 
 did ; a court-house, hospital, jail, poor-house, theatre, and 
 an academy. Many of the private dwellings are very ele- 
 gant. There are several benevolent institutions in the place. 
 The business of Savannah is very considerable, and it has 
 some commerce. Vessels of 14 feet draught come to the 
 wharfs, and a great portion of the imports and exports of the 
 State are laden and unladen here. Cotton, rice, sugar, and 
 tobacco, are the most valuable staples, and the annual amount 
 exported, particularly of the two former, is very heavy. — 
 The export of cotton in 1843 was nearly three hundred thou- 
 sand bales. 
 
 The settlement of Savannah and of Georgia itself was 
 commenced in 1733, by General Oglethorpe, an active and 
 worthy philanthropist, who led a colony of 113 to com- 
 mence a settlement in that territory. They first landed in 
 
412 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 SAVANNAH. 
 
 Charleston, by whose citizens they were cordially received, 
 and who supplied them with provisions and boats to convey 
 them to their place of destination. Yamacrau Bluff, since 
 called Savannah, from the Indian name of the river, was se- 
 lected as the most eligible place for a settlement, and a 
 treaty being held with the Creek Indians, a large tract of 
 land was obtained by cession. The next year, between 500 
 and 600 emigrants arrived, to each of whom was assigned a 
 portion of the uncleared territory. But it was soon found 
 that these people, who were the refuse of cities, having 
 been rendered poor by idleness, or irresolute by poverty, 
 were not fitted to fell the mighty groves of Georgia. A 
 race more hardy and enterprising was required for clearing 
 the wilderness. The Trustees therefore issued fresh propo- 
 sals, inviting settlers who had not, by poverty or persecution, 
 been rendered objects of compassion, and offering to all 
 who should repair to the colony, 50 acres of land. In con- 
 sequence of this offer, more than 400 persons from Scot- 
 land, Switzerland, and Germany, arrived in 1735. 
 
 At the time Oglethorpe landed, he found the territory 
 possessed by Indians. The tribe at Yamacrau was incon- 
 siderable, but the interior Indians were more powerful. — 
 Deeming it expedient to unite all the Indians he was able in 
 a treaty, he employed an Indian, or rather half-breed woman 
 by the name of Musgrove, and who could speak both the 
 English and Creek languages : perceiving that she had some 
 influence amongst the Indians, and might be made useful as 
 an interpreter in forming treaties of alliance with them, he 
 first purchased her friendship with presents, and then allow- 
 ed her a salary of one hundred pounds a year, as a reward 
 for her services. By her assistance, he summoned a pretty 
 general meeting of the chiefs, to hold a Congress with him, 
 at Savannah, in order to procure their consent to the peace- 
 able settlements of his colony. At this Congress, when fifty 
 chiefs were present, Oglethorpe represented to them the 
 great power, wisdom and wealth of the English nation, and 
 the many advantages that would accrue to the Indians in 
 general, from a connection and friendship with them ; and 
 as they had plenty of lands, he hoped they would freely 
 resign a share of them to his people, who had come to settle 
 amongst them, for their benefit and instruction. After 
 having distributed some presents, which was considered as 
 a necessary preliminary to a treaty of peace and friendship, 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 413 
 
 SAVANNAH. 
 
 an agreement was entered into, and Tomochichi, in the 
 name of the Creek Nation, addressed him with the follow- 
 ing speech : 
 
 " Here is a little present ; I give you a Buffalo Skin 
 adorned on the inside with the head and feathers of an eagle, 
 which I desire you to accept, because the eagle is an 
 emblem of speed, and the buffalo of strength : the English 
 are swift as the bird, and strong as the beast ; since like the 
 former, they flew over vast seas to the uttermost parts of 
 the earth ; and like the latter, they are so strong that 
 nothing can withstand them : the feathers of the eagle are 
 soft, signifying love ; the buffalo's skin is warm, and signi- 
 fies protection : therefore, I hope the English will love and 
 protect their little families." 
 
 Oglethorpe accepted the present, a treaty was concluded 
 to the satisfaction of both parties, the colonists appeared 
 satisfied with their condition, and every thing appeared to 
 promise prosperity to the new colony. 
 
 Among the Georgia settlers was a man by the name of 
 Thomas Bosomworth, a chaplain in the regiment of Ogle- 
 thorpe. It appears that he was an artful and avaricious 
 man. In 1747, he laid a plan, either to destroy the colony, 
 or acquire a fortune. Among a number of Indians present 
 at Frederica, a small English settlement, not far from Sa- 
 vannah, in December, was an Indian king by the name of 
 Malatche. Bosomworth suggested to him the idea of being 
 crowned in imperial form, by those of his tribe, who were 
 with him : accordingly a paper was drawn up, filled with 
 royal ceremonies, acknowledging Malatche Opiya Meco to 
 be the rightful, natural prince and emperor of the domin- 
 ions of the Creek Nation ; vesting him with powers to 
 make laws, frame treaties, declare war, convey lands, and 
 transact all affairs relating to the nation ; binding themselves 
 on the part of their several towns, to abide by and fulfil all 
 his contracts and engagements. This paper being signed 
 and sealed by the pretended kings and chiefs, and witnessed 
 in due form, Malatche requested that a copy of it might be 
 sent over to the king of England, for his sanction, and to 
 have it put on record among the archives of his great ally. 
 
 Bosomworth had thus accomplished an important object. 
 He had some time before married Mary Musgrove, the half- 
 breed Indian already mentioned. He now drew up a deed 
 of conveyance in the common form, from Malatche Opiya 
 
414 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 SAVANNAH. 
 
 Meco, emperor of the Upper and Lower Creek Nations, to 
 Thomas and Mary Bosomworth, of the colony of Georgia, 
 " for, and in consideration of ten pieces of stroud, twelve 
 pieces of duffles, two hundred weight of powder, two hun- 
 dred weight of lead, twenty guns, twelve pair of pistols, and 
 one hundred weight of vermilion ; warranting and defend- 
 ing to the said Thomas and Mary, all those tracts of land, 
 known by the names of Hussoope, or Ossabaw, Cowleygee, 
 or St. Catherines, and Sapelo islands, with their appurte- 
 nances, &,c, to the said Thomas and Mary his wife, their heirs 
 and assigns, as long as the sun shall shine, or the waters 
 run in the rivers, forever. Signed on the 4th day of the 
 windy moon, corresponding with the 14th of December." 
 
 His next object was to induce Mary to claim to be the 
 elder sister of Malatche, and of having descended in a ma- 
 ternal line from an Indian king, who held from nature the 
 whole territories of the Creeks; and Bosomworth now per- 
 suaded her to assert her right to them, as superior not only 
 to the trustees, but also to that of the king. 
 
 Accordingly, Mary assumed the title of an independent 
 empress. A meeting of the Creeks was summoned, before 
 which she set forth her claims. The Indians became fired 
 through her eloquence, and escorted her towards Savannah 
 to prosecute her claim. 
 
 A messenger was despatched to notify the president and 
 council of the royal family's approach. On receiving this 
 intelligence, the council felt embarrassed. Mary was an 
 artful and eloquent woman ; the English were few in number, 
 and small their means of defence. The militia were or- 
 dered under arms. Captain Noble Jones, at the head of a 
 troop, was despatched to prevent if possible their entrance 
 into Savannah armed. Having met them, he ordered them 
 to stop and lay down their arms. At first they refused ; but 
 his determined appearance at length prevailed, and they laid 
 aside their arms, upon which Thomas Bosomworth, in his 
 canonical robes, with his queen by his side, followed by the 
 king and chiefs, marched into the town. 
 
 The inhabitants were struck with terror at the sight of 
 this ferocious tribe of savages. When they advanced up to 
 the parade, they found the militia drawn up under arms to 
 receive them, by whom they were saluted with fifteen can- 
 nons, and conducted to the president's house. Bosomworth 
 being ordered to withdraw, the Indian chiefs, in a friendly 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 415 
 
 SAVANNAH. 
 
 manner, were requested to declare their intention in paying 
 this visit in so large a body, without being sent for by any 
 person in authority : the warriors, as they had been instruct- 
 ted, answered that Mary was to speak for them, and that 
 they would abide by whatever she said ; that they had heard 
 that she was to be sent like a captive over the great waters, 
 and they were come to know on 'what account they were to 
 lose their queen ; that they intended no harm, and begged 
 that their arms might be restored to them ; and after con- 
 sulting with Bosomworth and his wife, they would return 
 and amicably settle all public affairs. To please them, their 
 guns were returned, but strict orders were issued to allow 
 them no ammunition, until the council should see more 
 clearly into their dark designs. On the day following, the 
 Indians having had some private conferences with Mary, 
 were observed, with sullen countenances, to march in a tu- 
 multuous manner through the streets, evidencing a hostile 
 temper, apparently determined on mischief: all the men 
 being obliged to mount guard, the women and children were 
 terrified and afraid to remain in the houses by themselves, 
 expecting every moment to be murdered and scalped. — 
 During this confusion, a false rumor was circulated, that 
 they had cut off president Stephen's head with a tomahawk, 
 which so exasperated the inhabitants that it was with diffi- 
 culty the officers could restrain the troops from firing 
 upon the savages : perhaps the exercise of the greatest pru- 
 dence was never more requisite to save the town from being 
 deluged with blood. Orders were given to lay hold on 
 Bosomworth, to whom it was insinuated that he was marked 
 as the first victim in case of extremities; and he was carried 
 out of the way, and closely confined, upon which Mary, his 
 beloved queen, became outrageous and frantic, and threat- 
 ened the thunder of her vengeance against the magistrates, 
 and the whole colony : she ordered all white persons to 
 depart immediately from her territories, and at their peril to 
 refuse ; she cursed Oglethorpe, and his fraudulent treaties, 
 and, furiously stamping her foot upon the earth, swore by 
 her Maker, that the whole globe should know that the 
 ground she stood upon was her own. To prevent any as- 
 cendancy by bribes over the chiefs and warriors, she kept 
 the leading men constantly under her eye, and would not 
 suffer them to utter a sentence on public affairs, but in her 
 presence. 
 
416 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 SAVANNAH. 
 
 The president finding no peaceable agreement could be 
 made with the Indians, while under the baleful influence of 
 their pretended queen, ordered her to be seized and con- 
 fined. To allay the storm of indignation excited by this, a 
 feast was made for the Indians, at which the evil designs of 
 Bosomworth were unfolded in a speech by the president. — 
 This had a temporary effect. Even Malatche seemed satis- 
 fied. But wishing to see Bosomworth and his wife alone for 
 a few minutes, the artful couple again seduced the aged 
 chief, who returned to the council full of indignation, insist- 
 ing on the rights of the queen. Upon this, the president 
 rose, and in a short but plain address, so set forth the impo- 
 sitions of Bosomworth and Mary, that the Indians said they 
 were satisfied ; their eyes were opened, and they now offer- 
 ed to smoke the pipe of peace. Accordingly pipes and rum 
 were brought, and they joined hand in hand and smoked to- 
 gether. Presents were distributed, and all appeared satisfied 
 and happy. 
 
 But in the midst of this friendly interview, Mary, who by 
 some means had contrived to escape, rushed in like a fury, 
 and insultingly told the president that she would soon con- 
 vince him that the Indians were her people, and that he had 
 no business with them. 
 
 The president advised her quietly to retire to her lodg- 
 ings, or he would send her to prison. Upon this Malatche 
 took fire ; and swinging his arms, declared that no one 
 should touch the queen. The house was filled in a moment 
 with tumult; every Indian having his tomahawk in his hand, 
 and the president and council expecting nothing but instant 
 death. At this critical juncture, Captain Noble Jones with 
 his guard interposed, and required the Indians to surrender. 
 They did so with great reluctance. Mary was conveyed to 
 a safe place. Bosomworth was sent for ; but for a time 
 treated the council with great indignity. At length, through 
 the interposition of Bosomworth's brother, the difficulty was 
 settled. This rash and wicked man was forgiven, and the 
 idle claims of Mary were relinquished. 
 
 They were, however, afterwards renewed ; Bosomworth 
 himself instituted a suit in England, founded upon his deed 
 from the Indians. This case was in the courts of Great 
 Britain twelve years. In 1759, a decision was made at the 
 court of St. James, granting to Bosomworth and his wife 
 the Island of St. Catherines. Bosomworth and Mary took 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 417 
 
 SAVANNAH. 
 
 possession of the island. There, some time after, Mary 
 died, upon which Bosomworth married his chambermaid. 
 
 Finally, the remains of these two were deposited in the 
 same grave-yard, on the island for which they had so long 
 contended.* 
 
 Like most other maritime towns, Savannah suffered during 
 the Revolutionary war. In December, 1778, it fell into the 
 hands of the British. The American officer to whom, at this 
 time, the defence of Georgia was committed, was General 
 Howe. His force consisted of about 600 regular troops, and 
 a few hundred militia; the British force consisted of about 
 2000 men, who, under Lieutenant Colonel Campbell, had 
 embarked in November from New York, on board a fleet, 
 commanded by Hyde Park. With this great disparity, it 
 was impossible for the Americans to withstand the assail- 
 ants, and after a short but desperate, and, on the part of the 
 Americans, sanguinary struggle, the town and fort fell under 
 British power. Upwards of 600 Americans were killed ; 38 
 officers and 415 privates were made prisoners. No less 
 than 48 cannon, 23 mortars, besides a considerable quantity 
 of ammunition, stores, provision, and also the shipping in the 
 river, became the possession of the conquerors. 
 
 In 1779, a request was sent to Count D'Estaing, by Gen- 
 eral Lincoln, at this time commanding the American army 
 in the southern department, to assist in an effort to retake 
 Savannah. D'Estaing with his fleet was in the West Indies ; 
 but not being needed there, he listened to the proposal, and 
 soon after sailed for the coast of Georgia, with his fleet, consist- 
 ing of 20 sail of the line — two of fifty guns, and 11 frigates. 
 
 As soon as the arrival was known, General Lincoln, with 
 the army under his command, marched for Savannah ; and 
 orders were given for the militia of Georgia and South Caro- 
 lina, to rendezvous near the same place. The British,to pre- 
 pare for their defence, employed great numbers by day and 
 night, in strengthening and extending their lines, while the 
 American militia, sanguine in the hope of expelling the enemy 
 from their southern possessions, turned out with unusual 
 alacrity. Before the arrival of General Lincoln, Count 
 D'Estaing demanded a surrender of the town to the arms of 
 
 * M' Call's History of Georgia. 
 27 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 419 
 
 SAVANNAH. 
 
 France. Provost asked a suspension of hostilities 24 hours, 
 for preparing terms; and the request was incautiously 
 granted. Before the stipulated time had elapsed, Lieutenant 
 Colonel Maitland, with about 800 men, after struggling with 
 great difficulties, arrived from Beaufort, and joined the royal 
 army at Savannah. The arrival of so considerable a rein- 
 forcement of chosen troops, and especially the presence of 
 the officer who commanded them, in whose zeal, ability, 
 and military experience, much confidence was justly placed 
 by the army, inspired the garrison in Savannah with new 
 animation ; and an answer was returned to the Count, that 
 the town would be defended to the last extremity. The zeal 
 and ardor of both officers and men rose with the occasion ; 
 and new defences were daily constructed under the masterly 
 direction of an able engineer, Captain Moncrieff. 
 
 On the morning of the 4th of October, the batteries of the 
 besiegers were opened with 9 mortars, 37 pieces of cannon 
 from the land side, and 15 from the water. It being at length 
 ascertained, that considerable time would be necessary to 
 reduce the garrison by regular approaches, it was determined 
 to make an assault. In pursuance of this determination, on 
 the 9th of October, while two feints were made with the 
 militia, a real attack was made on Spring Hill battery, just 
 as daylight appeared, with two columns, consisting of 3500 
 French troops, 600 continentals, and 350 of the inhabitants 
 of Charleston. The principal of these columns, commanded 
 by D'Estaing and General Lincoln, marched up boldly to 
 the lines ; but a heavy and well-directed fire from the gal- 
 lies threw the front of the column into confusion. The 
 places of those who fell being instantly supplied by others, 
 it still moved on until it reached a redoubt, when the con- 
 test became more fierce and desperate. Captain Towse fell 
 in defending the gate of his redoubt, with his sword plunged 
 in the body of the third assailant, whom he had slain with 
 his own hand, and a French and an American standard 
 were for an instant planted on the parapet ; but the as- 
 sailants, after sustaining the enemy's fire fifty-five minutes, 
 were ordered to retreat. Of the French, 637, and of the 
 continentals and militia, 241, were killed or wounded. Im- 
 mediately after this unsuccessful assault, the militia almost 
 universally went to their homes, and Count D'Estaing, re- 
 embarking his troops and artillery, left the continent. 
 
420 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 SAVANNAH. 
 
 This assault is judged to have been unadvisable ; but this 
 measure was forced on D'Estaing by his marine officers, who 
 remonstrated against his continuing to risk the French fleet 
 on a dangerous coast, in the hurricane season, and at such 
 a distance from the shore, as to be endangered by a British 
 squadron. " In a few days, the lines of the besiegers might 
 have been carried, by regular approaches, into the works of 
 the besieged." Count Pulaski was mortally wounded in this 
 assault ; and Congress resolved, that a monument should be 
 erected to his memory. He was a Polander of high birth, 
 who with a few men had carried off king Stanilaus from the 
 middle of his capital. The king, after being some time a 
 prisoner, made his escape ; and soon after declared Pulaski 
 an outlaw. Thus proscribed, he came to America, and 
 offered his services to Congress, which honored him with the 
 rank of brigadier general. 
 
 Just before the siege of Savannah, an enterprise was 
 achieved by six Americans, remarkable for the address and 
 daring intrepidity, with which it was planned and executed. 
 Captain French, of the British army, with about one hun- 
 dred men, had taken post on the Ogeeche river, where were 
 also forty sailors on board of five British vessels, four of 
 which were armed, the largest mounting fourteen guns. 
 Colonel John White, of the Georgia line, with Captain El- 
 holm and four other persons, one of whom was the Colonel's 
 servant, after kindling at night a number of fires, exhibiting 
 the parade of a large encampment, and using other strata- 
 gems, peremptorily summoned the British commander to 
 surrender. Captain French, in order to save his men from 
 being cut to pieces, by a force which he supposed to be su- 
 perior to his own, surrendered (1st of October) without the 
 smallest resistance. Colonel White having thus far succeeded, 
 pretended he must keep back his troops, lest their animosity, 
 already stifled by great exertions, should break out, and in- 
 discriminate slaughter take place in defiance of his authority ; 
 and therefore he would commit his prisoners to three guides, 
 who would conduct them safely to good quarters. This 
 humane attention of White was thankfully received. He 
 immediately ordered three of his attendants to proceed with 
 the prisoners, who moved off with celerity, anxious to get 
 away, lest the fury of White's corps, believed to be at hand, 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 421 
 
 SAVANNAH. 
 
 might break out, desirous as he was to restrain it. White, 
 with the two men retained by him, repaired, as he announced 
 to his guides and prisoners, to his troops, for the purpose of 
 proceeding in the rear. He then employed himself in col- 
 lecting the militia of the neighborhood, with whom he over- 
 took his guides and prisoners. 
 
 This affair, says Gen. H. Lee, in his memoirs, approaches 
 too near the marvellous to have been admitted by him, had 
 it not been uniformly accredited, and never contradicted. 
 
FLORIDA 
 
 ST. AUGUSTINE. 
 
 St. Augusttne, according to Colonel Williams, is the 
 oldest city in the present limits of the United States. It was 
 first settled by the Spaniards, under Pedro Mendez, in 1564. 
 It is situate two miles back from the Atlantic shore, near the 
 southern point of a peninsula, nearly surrounded by water ; 
 defended from the surf by Anastasia Island, which is not 
 high enough to obstruct the sea breezes, or a view of the 
 ocean. The situation is peculiarly serene, healthy, and 
 pleasant. The site was originally a shell hammock, scarcely 
 twelve feet higher than the surface of the sea. The soil, al- 
 though sandy, is rich in calcareous and vegetable deposites, 
 finely calculated for horticultural pursuits. The town is, in 
 fact, embosomed in a grove of orange trees.* Abundance 
 of fresh water is found near the surface of the ground, which, 
 although it is not so pure as that of the country, is used 
 without any inconvenience for all the purposes of drinking, 
 cooking, and washing. The climate of St. Augustine is 
 probably equal to any on earth. Snow is almost unknown, 
 and frosts are felt in one or two months only of the year, and 
 many winters pass without discovering a mark of frost. In the 
 summer season, the air is tempered daily by the sea breezes, 
 while the land breezes render the evenings cool and pleasant. 
 Heavy rains are frequent during the summer months, but 
 from October to May, the air is usually temperate, and the 
 sky serene. 
 
 In form, the town is a parallelogram, fronting to the east, 
 on Matanzas sound, which spreads itself half a mile in 
 width between the town and Anastasia Island, forming a 
 harbor sufficiently capacious to contain a large fleet in per- 
 fect safety. From the old magazine on the south to the 
 gate way on the north side of the city, the distance is about 
 one mile, and from the Matanzas to the St. Sebastian's on 
 
 * 1834, before the great frost. 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 423 
 
 ST. AUGUSTINE. 
 
 the west, is about three-fourths of a mile. Not more than 
 one half of this extent is compactly built. It contains up- 
 wards of three hundred houses, more than half of which are 
 built of shell stone, called by the Spaniards coquina. Most 
 of the old houses are two stories high, the lower floor of 
 which is tabby ;• in some instances the upper floor and roof 
 are of the same material. These are now generally removed, 
 on account of their great weight, from the upper parts of the 
 buildings. The principal streets cross each other at right 
 angles, but they are narrow, and many of them crooked. A 
 fine large square opens from the Matanzas into the eastern 
 part of the town, in the centre of which stands a monument, 
 dedicated to the constitution of the Spanish Cortez. On the 
 west side of the public square, where the old government 
 house formerly stood, in the centre of the botanic garden, 
 enclosed by high walls, a neat court-house has been erected. 
 It is two stories high, in form of an L. It is built of coquina 
 stone, and contains, besides the hall of justice, and jury 
 rooms, apartments for all the public offices of the district. 
 On the north stands a splendid Catholic church, and the ruins 
 of an old custom-house, which was burnt down in January, 
 1825. On the south side are several elegant dwelling-houses, 
 and the new Trinity church, a very neat edifice of the Gothic 
 order. In front of the harbor stands a neat market place ; 
 dwelling-houses and orange groves fill up the intervening 
 spaces round the square, which give it rather a rural than 
 commercial appearance. 
 
 Fort Mason stands at the north end of the town, directly 
 opposite to the entrance of the harbor, which it perfectly 
 commands. It is built after the system of Vauban, and is 
 said to be a very good specimen of military architecture. 
 It is a trapezium, with bastions at each corner. The walls 
 are twenty-one feet high. The whole work is casemated, 
 and bomb proof. The ditch is forty feet wide. The covered 
 
 * Tabby is formed by mixing a quantity of lime with the fine coquina 
 shell, cast on shore by the tide. These materials are with fresh water 
 mixed into a stiff mortar, and then spread from four to six inches thick, 
 either on the ground, or on a flooring of boards. It is then beat with a 
 heavy stamper, similar to that used by pavers, to smooth their work. 
 When beat till no more water appears on the surface, it is left to dry. 
 It is then in substance very similar to the coquina rock, except that the 
 surface, by beating, becomes very smooth. 
 
424 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 ST. AUGUSTINE. 
 
 way, glacis, ravelin, and place of arms are entire, but the 
 water batteries are giving way to the tides, which are rap- 
 idly undermining its base, and require immediate repairs. 
 The fort is calculated to contain one thousand fighting men, 
 and formerly mounted seventy pieces of heavy ordnance. 
 They are at present dismounted. A small part of the fort is 
 still occupied as an arsenal ; the balance is used as a jail for 
 criminals. 
 
 A sea wall seven feet high, and five feet thick, was ex- 
 tended from the fort to the public square. This wall has 
 been rebuilt, at the expense of $50,000, under the superin- 
 tendence of Mr. Daney, late of the army, and will be ex- 
 tended in front of the whole city, to check the inroads daily 
 made by the tides. Great injury has already been sustained, 
 by one or two eastern gales, for want of this barrier. 
 
 In the south part of the town, fronting the Matanzas, the 
 barracks occupy an important situation. It is erected on the 
 ruins of an old pile of buildings, formerly constructed by the 
 Franciscan order of Friars, as the head quarters of their 
 fraternity. The vessel which brought their General and 
 principal men from Cuba, was wrecked on the coast, in sight 
 of their dwelling, and the passengers and crew all per- 
 ished. Since that time, it has been occupied as a barracks, 
 successively by the Spaniards and British, until it was de- 
 stroyed by fire. Since the change of government, it has 
 been rebuilt at an expense of twenty-five thousand dollars. 
 An extensive garden is attached to the building, which 
 affords, at times, abundant vegetables for the troops stationed 
 there. 
 
 The city contains 1739 inhabitants, of which 498 are 
 males, 519 females, 151 colored persons free, and 571 
 slaves. Of this population, nearly one half are natives of 
 the United States; the balance are descendants of the Min- 
 rocan families introduced by Dr. Turnbull — Spaniards, 
 French, English, Greeks, and Italians, who are all rapidly 
 amalgamating into one people, and will, ere long, assume a 
 general national character. They are social and friendly in 
 their manners, kind and hospitable to strangers, industrious 
 and frugal in their habits, fond of amusement, void of intem- 
 perance and public spirit, but content with their situation. 
 The religion of at least one half of the inhabitants is Roman 
 Catholic; the balance, who profess any religion, are Presby- 
 terians, Episcopalians, and Methodists. 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 425 
 
 ST. AUGUSTINE. 
 
 The market is rather scantily supplied with meat and veg- 
 etables. Fish are abundant, of various kinds, and finely 
 flavored. Fowls are rather dear and scarce. 
 
 Of schools there are few, and in the whole department of 
 education, there is great room for improvement. Schools 
 established on a liberal foundation, are needed ; such would 
 enable the poor as well as the rich to receive instruction ; 
 and above all, the children of the old inhabitants should be 
 encouraged to attend the same schools as the Americans, 
 that their habits and manners may the sooner become 
 united. 
 
 Directly behind the town, an inlet of salt water enters 
 from the southern marshes, and extends nearly to the north 
 ditch. It is called Mary Sanches Creek. The space be- 
 tween this and the Matanzas river, is divided into squares 
 of irregular dimensions. The western division, between the 
 creek and St. Sebastian's river, is laid off into lots of differ- 
 ent size, from two to twenty acres. Most of these are cov- 
 ered with fruit trees, such as mulberry, plum, peach, fig, 
 pomegranate, and oranges. Across the creek, an excellent 
 stone causeway is erected. The St. Sebastian's is crossed by 
 a bridge 500 feet long, and a causeway is extended over the 
 marshes, about seven hundred yards. The soil of the city 
 and neighborhood is excellent for horticultural improve- 
 ments, and much of it is cultivated in gardens, as well as 
 groves. The timber which was originally abundant around 
 the city, has in a long course of years, been cut off to a con- 
 siderable distance. Wood and fencing materials are conse- 
 quently scarce and dear. Most of the lumber used here is 
 brought from northern ports. This renders building expen- 
 sive. Notwithstanding this circumstance, the inhabitants are 
 beginning to repair most of the old dwellings, and to erect 
 some new and elegant buildings. The Presbyterian church, 
 in the south part of the town, has lately been inclosed, and 
 finished in a plain but neat style. A small Methodist church 
 was built in 1813, on Charlotte street. 
 
 St. Augustine has become a place of great resort for in- 
 valids, affected by pulmonary and bronchial complaints. To 
 this circumstance and the sale of oranges, the place owes 
 its prosperity. The accommodations for strangers are rapidly 
 improving, and it is believed, that in a short time, persons 
 
426 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 ST. AUGUSTINE. 
 
 of the first rank will be under no necessity for visiting 
 Italy, or the south of France, for the improvement of their 
 health, as our climate is equally salubrious, and the con- 
 veniences and luxuries of life may easily be obtained, when it 
 is known that they will be required. 
 
 In 1821, St. Augustine was visited with the yellow fever. 
 It broke out in several old buildings situated in the back 
 part of the city, which had for a long time been closed up, 
 their owners having retired to Havana. On the cession of 
 the country to the United States, a sudden increase of popu- 
 lation occasioned these houses to be thrown open, and rented 
 to strangers. One of them was hired late in October to 
 several American officers ; three of them fell immediate 
 victims to the fatal disease. In some instances, the sickness 
 commenced in vessels lying in the harbor, which had 
 brought fruit from Cuba. One of these had on the voyage 
 lost the Captain, and most of the crew, by sickness. Some 
 early cases of fever were traced to other vessels. In most 
 cases, however, the sickness seemed to originate in the place 
 of its operation. Since that period, St. Augustine has been 
 distinguished as one of the most healthy spots in the United 
 States. 
 
 In the vicinity of St. Augustine, great attention is paid to 
 the cultivation of the orange. Indeed orange groves are ex- 
 tending to every part of the eastern coast ; 2,000,000 are 
 annually shipped from St. Augustine. Oranges form the 
 staple commodity of the country. The western and middle 
 part of the Territory are too cold for the successful produc- 
 tion of this fruit. The China orange tree requires a rich 
 sandy soil. It produces fruit in about seven years from the 
 seed. By ingrafting, this period may be shortened two or 
 three years. The tree grows larger here than in the West 
 Indies. One hundred is as many as can grow profitably on 
 an acre. When full grown, they will usually average 500 to 
 the tree, each year, and they are worth $7 50 per thousand, 
 which would amount to $375 per acre. Some groves pro- 
 duce much more than that. One tree in Mr. Alvarez's 
 grove has produced more than 6000 in one year. A grove 
 is, on the whole, a valuable property. The care and atten- 
 tion necessary in pruning and manuring, bears a small pro- 
 portion to the labor necessary in raising crops. It is neces- 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 427 
 
 ST. AUGUSTINE. 
 
 sary to keep the head of the tree pruned often, so as to 
 throw the weight of vegetation to the extremity of the limbs. 
 No moss is suffered to grow on the bark. The ground about 
 them is kept clear of weeds and grass, and the roots are an- 
 nually manured. The frost of the winter of 1835 destroyed 
 all the China orange trees, and most other fruit trees in 
 Florida, as far south as the 28th degree of latitude. South 
 of that, the wild orange and lime groves were injured but not 
 destroyed. 
 
 Col. Williams thus describes the amusements of Florida, 
 in general, and of St. Augustine in particular. Balls are the 
 most common amusements of the Floridians. The Patgo of 
 West Florida, is rather the introduction to a dance. A 
 wooden bird is fixed on a pole and carried through the city, 
 by some slave; on presenting it to the ladies, they make an 
 offering of a piece of ribbon, of any length or color that hap- 
 pens to suit their fancy or convenience. This is fixed to the 
 bird, which soon becomes decked in a gaudy and abundant 
 plumage. A time and place is then set apart for the fair 
 patrons of the Patgo to assemble, who are usually gallantly 
 attended by their beaux, with rifles or fowling-pieces. The 
 Patgo is set up at a proper distance, and shot at, the fortu- 
 nate marksman who first succeeds in striking it, is pro- 
 claimed king of the entertainment. The Patgo becomes his 
 property, by right of conquest, and is, by him, presented to 
 the fair lady of his choice, who by accepting the present 
 becomes queen of the festivities ; his majesty then becomes 
 entitled to the enviable privilege of paying the expense of 
 the entertainment, over which he with his royal consort 
 presides. 
 
 The Posey dance, of St. Augustine, is introduced in a dif- 
 ferent manner, but results in the same amusement. The 
 females of a family, no matter what their rank or station in 
 life may be, erect in a room of their house a neat little altar, lit 
 up with candles, and dressed with pots and festoons of flowers. 
 This is understood by the gentlemen as a polite invitation 
 to call and admire the taste of the fair architects. It is con- 
 tinued for several successive evenings ; in the meantime, the 
 lady selects from her visiters some happy beau, whom she 
 delights to honor, and presents him with a boquet of choice 
 
428 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 ST. AUGUSTINE. 
 
 flowers. ' His gallantry is then put to the test : should he 
 choose to decline the proffered honor, he has only to pay 
 the expense of lighting up the altar. But if he accepts the 
 full dignity offered him, he is king of the ball, which shortly 
 after succeeds, and the posey lass becomes queen, as a mat- 
 ter of course. The posey ball is a mixed assembly. People 
 of all ranks meet here on a level, yet so far as we have been 
 acquainted with them, they have been conducted with the 
 nicest decorum, and even with politeness and grace.* 
 
 * Williams's " Territory of Florida.' 
 
LOUISIANA 
 
 NEW ORLEANS. 
 
 New Orleans, the wet grave,* says the Modern Travel- 
 ler, where the hopes of thousands are buried, — for eighty 
 years the wretched asylum for the outcasts of France and 
 Spain, who could not venture a hundred paces beyond its 
 gates, without utterly sinking to the breast in mud, or being 
 attacked by alligators, — has become, in the space of some 
 twenty or thirty years, one of the most beautiful cities of the 
 Union, inhabited by 50,000 persons, who trade with half the 
 world. The view (approaching the city from the interior) 
 is splendid beyond description, when you pass down the 
 stream, which is here a mile broad, rolling its immense vol- 
 ume of waters in a bed, more than 150 feet deep, and, as if 
 conscious of its strength, appearing to look quietly on the 
 bustle of the inhabitants of man. Both its banks are lined 
 with charming sugar plantations, from the midst of which 
 rises the airy mansion of the wealthy planter, surrounded 
 with orange, banana, lime, and fig trees, the growth of a 
 climate approaching to the torrid zone. In the rear you 
 discover the cabins of the negroes and the sugar houses, 
 and just at the entrance of the port, groups of smaller houses, 
 as if erected for the purpose of concealing the prospect of 
 the town. As soon as the steamboats pass these outports, 
 New Orleans, in the form of a half moon, appears in all its 
 splendor. The river having run for four or five miles in a 
 southern direction, here suddenly takes an eastern course, 
 which it pursues for two miles, thus forming a semi-circular 
 bend. A single glance exhibits to view the harbor, the 
 vessels at anchor, and the city, situated as it were at the 
 feet of the passenger. The first object that presents itself, 
 is the dirty and uncouth backwoods flat boat. Hams, ears 
 
 * " Water is found two feet below the surface. Those who cannot 
 afford to procure a vault for the dead, are literally compelled to deposite 
 them in the water." 
 
430 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 NEW ORLEANS. 
 
 of corn, apples, whiskey barrels, are stowed upon it, or are 
 fixed to poles to direct the attention of the buyers. Close 
 by, are the rather more decent keel-boats, with cotton, furs, 
 whiskey, flour. Next, the elegant steamboat, which by its 
 hissing and repeated sounds, announces either its arrival or 
 departure ; sending forth immense columns of black smoke 
 that form into long clouds above the city. Farther on are 
 the smaller merchant vessels, the sloops and schooners from 
 the Havana, Vera Cruz, Tampico ; then the brigs; and 
 lastly, the elegant ships, appearing like a forest of masts.* 
 
 The city of New Orleans occupies the left bank of the 
 Mississippi river, 105 miles by the channel "above its mouth, 
 and by the course of the river, 322 miles from Natchez, 
 1,005 from the mouth of the Ohio, 1,200 below the mouth of 
 the Missouri, 1,175 from St. Louis, 1,350 from Louisville, 
 1,500 from Cincinnati, 1,780 from Pittsburgh, and by post 
 road, 1,203 miles south-west Washington. The site of the city 
 is on an inclined plane, the declivity falling very gently from 
 the margin of the river. Hence when the Mississippi is in 
 full flood, the surface of the water is from one to three feet 
 above the streets of the city ; but at low water, it is from 
 seven to nine feet below them. To prevent constant inun- 
 dation, a levee or embankment fronts the city, similar to that 
 extending on both sides of the Mississippi, above and below 
 New Orleans; differing only in breadth and solidity. The tides 
 do not reach here ; and the rise of the river, (which is a mile 
 in width opposite the city,) during the highest floods is about 
 12 feet above low water mark. 
 
 The city occupies an oblong area, or parallelogram, ex- 
 tending 3,960 feet along the eastern bank of the Mississippi, 
 and 2,000 feet towards the swamp. This is the old city, or 
 New Orleans, properly so called. Above the city are the 
 suburbs called Fauxburgs. These are St. Mary, Delor An- 
 nunciation, Nuns, Lafayette, and Livauday ; below the city 
 are those of Marigny, Daumois, Da Clovet and Washington. 
 In the rear of the city is also another, but detached suburb, 
 on bayou St. John. 
 
 No one can observe the position of New Orleans, on a 
 map, and not be impressed with a conviction of the extraor- 
 
 * Modern Traveller. 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 43 1 
 
 NEW ORLEANS. 
 
 dinary advantages which it possesses, as a commercial capi- 
 tal. The boat navigation above it is probably twice as great 
 as that of any other city on the globe. The Mississippi, 
 with its tributaries, affords a navigable steamboat commu- 
 nication through a fertile country of more than 20,000 miles ; 
 numerous bayous communicate with other parts of the State ; 
 and besides the natural channel of the river, it has a com- 
 munication by sloops and other small vessels with lake Pon- 
 chartrain, and the connected lakes ; with the opposite Flori- 
 da shore, with Mobile, Pensacola, and the whole gulf shore, 
 east and west. " Not a few vessels, clear from the basin for 
 the Atlantic and Mexican ports. The basin is scarcely dis- 
 tant a quarter of a mile from the ship landing on the Missis- 
 sippi. A person on the basin wharf can see the masts of the 
 vessels, lying on the shore of the levee, and yet a vessel sail- 
 ing from the basin, would have to sail through the lakes 
 along the gulf shore and up the Mississippi, some hundreds 
 of miles, to arrive at so little distance from her former posi- 
 tion. Even the commerce and shipping of the basin would 
 be sufficient for the support of a considerable city. There 
 is an incorporation to connect the lake with the Mississippi, 
 by a canal, directly from one to the other. A most neces- 
 sary and important canal is also contemplated, for connect- 
 ing Attakapas with the city. Nature has almost completed 
 the line of communication. At present the bayous Pla- 
 quemine and Lafourche, furnish that communication. Al- 
 though steamboats run between Opelousas and Attakapas, 
 by these routes and the Teche, yet the mouths of these ba- 
 yous are liable to be choked with timber, and the navigation 
 is generally attended with some difficulty, and is moreover 
 circuitous. There are so many communications by water, 
 between New Orleans and the lower part of Louisiana, ac- 
 cessible by the smaller boats, that all of them are only known 
 to people who have been in habits for a long time of ex- 
 ploring them for the sake of finding new and shorter routes 
 to their destination."* 
 
 " The wooden buildings of which the city was formerly 
 in a great measure composed, have given place to buildings 
 of brick. The city, properly so called, and the Fauxbourg 
 St. Mary, are compactly and substantially built. In the 
 
 * Flint's History and Geography of the Valley of the Mississippi. 
 
432 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 NEW ORLEANS. 
 
 city, the French and Spanish styles of building predominate. 
 The houses are stuccoed externally, and this stucco, of a 
 white or yellow color, strikes the eye more pleasantly than 
 the dull and sombre red brick. There can be no question 
 but the American mode of building is more commodious, 
 solid, and durable ; but the latter mode has the prefer- 
 ence, in its general effect upon the eye. To an American, 
 viewing them for the first time, there is something fantastic 
 and unique in the appearance of the city streets, which wears 
 a resemblance to European, French, and Spanish towns, 
 rather than American. The Fauxbourg St. Mary, and many 
 other parts of the city, are built after the American fashion, 
 and have nothing in their appearance different from an At- 
 lantic town. 
 
 "The city contains six complete squares; each square 
 having a front of 819 feet in length. Each square is di- 
 vided into 12 lots. Few of the streets, except Canal street, 
 are more than 40 feet wide. The names of the principal 
 streets are Levee, Chartres, Royal, Burgundy, Dauphine, 
 Toulouse, &c. The public buildings are the Town House, 
 at the north-west corner of Chartres and St. Peter's streets ; 
 the Hospital, standing in the suburb St. Mary, opposite the 
 square, between Dauphine and Burgundy streets; the Cathe- 
 dral Church of St. Louis, in front of Orleans street, upon 
 Chartres street ; the Convent of Ursuline nuns, upon Ursu- 
 line street, between Levee and Chartres streets ; the Bar- 
 racks, upon Garrison and Levee streets; the Custom House, 
 in front of the square, between Canal and Levee streets ; 
 the Market House, upon the Levee, in front of the square, 
 between St. Anne and Du Maine streets; Orleans Bank, 
 upon Conti, between Chartres and Royal streets ; Louisiana 
 Bank, upon Royal, between Conti and St. Louis streets ; 
 Planter's Bank, south-west corner of Conti and Royal 
 streets; Government House, north-west corner of Levee and 
 Toulouse streets ; District Court of the United States, be- 
 tween Du Maine and Philippe streets ; and the Water 
 Works of Levee street, in front of the square, between Ur- 
 suline and St. Philip streets. A very large and splendid 
 building is fitted up for the State Bank. The French 
 Theatre is in the city, and the American in the Fauxbourg 
 St. Mary. The Presbyterian Church is also in this Faux- 
 bourg. 
 
 " The Cathedral stands at the head of a spacious square, 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 433 
 
 NEW ORLEANS. 
 
 400 feet from the river. The huilding is of brick, extend- 
 ing 90 feet on the street, and 120 back of it. The roof is 
 covered, as are most of the French and Spanish houses, 
 with hollow tile, and is supported by ten plastered brick 
 columns. It has four towers, of which one contains two 
 bells. It has an organ, and is finished within with great 
 massiveness and simplicity. It is an imposing fabric, and 
 the interior seems calculated to excite religious feeling. 
 Under its stone pavements are deposited the illustrious dead. 
 In the niches and recesses are the figures of the saints, in 
 their appropriate dress, and with those pale and unearthly 
 countenances which are so much in keeping with the com- 
 mon ideas entertained of them. The walls are so thick, 
 that though in the very centre of business, you hear only a 
 confused whisper within, and are almost as still as in the 
 centre of a forest. You go but a few paces from the crowds 
 that are pressing along Levee street, and from the rattle of 
 carriages that are stationed near this place, and you find 
 yourself in a kind of vaulted apartment, and in perfect still- 
 ness. The tapers are burning, and some few are always 
 kneeling within in silent prayer. Images of death, of the 
 invisible world, and of eternity, surround you. The dead 
 sleep under your feet. You are in the midst of life, and yet 
 there reigns here a perpetual tranquillity. A new Catholic 
 church has been recently erected. 
 
 " The Presbyterian church is of brick, and is a very large 
 and handsome building. The Episcopal church is small, 
 but light and neat in its structure. The Mariner's church 
 was much needed, and is a respectable building. The prison 
 and the French theatre are very large, and externally disa- 
 greeable. The American theatre, in the Fauxbourg St. 
 Mary, is a neat and commodious building. The Charity 
 Hospital, though not a very beautiful building, has a moral 
 beauty of the highest order. It is probably one of the most 
 efficient and useful charities in the country. New Orleans 
 is exposed to greater varieties of human misery, vice, dis- 
 ease, and want, than any other American town. Here 
 misery and disease find a home, clean apartments, faithful 
 nursing, and excellent medical attendance. Under this roof 
 more miserable objects have been sheltered, more have been 
 dismissed cured, and more have been carried to their long 
 home, than from any other hospital among us. 
 28 
 
434 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 NEW ORLEANS. 
 
 "The college is a respectable building, and has had am- 
 ple endowments ; but has done little as yet for the literature 
 of the country. There is a convent of Ursuline nuns, who 
 receive day scholars and boarders for the various branches 
 of rudimental education. The Female Orphan Asylum is a 
 most interesting charity, dating its efficient operations from 
 the late Mr. Poydras. It has commonly 70 or 80 destitute 
 female children, under sober and discreet instructresses, all 
 plainly and neatly clad, and constantly occupied, either in 
 acquiring the rudiments of education, or of needle-work. 
 They are dressed in plain uniforms, and worship part of the 
 Sabbath day in the Catholic, and part in the Protestant 
 church. An institution of a similar character for boys, and 
 endowed also by the benevolent Poydras, is now in opera- 
 tion. 
 
 " There are a number of other charitable institutions in 
 this city, of respectable character ; and when the epidemic, 
 yellow fever, visits it, the manner in which the inhabitants 
 bestow charity, nursing, shelter, and medical aid to the sick, 
 is worthy of all praise. A library, for the use of the poorer 
 reading young men of the city, has been instituted, and in 
 the extent of her efficient and useful charities, New Orleans 
 is not far behind her Atlantic sisters. There are fewer 
 churches in the city, than in any other town of the same 
 size in the United States. There are but three Catholic 
 places of worship, one Presbyterian, two Episcopalian, a 
 Mariner's church, a Baptist, and a Methodist place of wor- 
 ship. Very little observance of the Sabbath, as northern peo- 
 ple estimate it, is seen in this city. It is well known, that the 
 forms of the Catholic worship do not forbid amusements on 
 the Sabbath "* 
 
 When the United States took possession of New Orleans 
 in 1803, the city contained 1000 houses, and 8000 inhabitants. 
 In 1820 the population amounted to 27,000; in 1821, to 
 29,000 ; in 1822, to 32,000 ; in 1826, to nearly 40,000 ; in 
 1840 to 102,193 ; and it is rapidly increasing, in a far greater 
 degree than any other Southern city. 
 
 Notwithstanding it is more than 100 miles from the sea, 
 the city is considered a seaport, and " consuls from every 
 nation having commercial intercourse with it, reside there ; 
 
 * Flint's Valley of the Mississippi. 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 435 
 
 NEW ORLEANS. 
 
 from England, Russia, Prussia, Denmark, Sweden, Ham- 
 burgh, the Netherlands, France, Spain, Portugal, Sardinia, 
 and the South American Republics." 
 
 The population of the city is, of course, of the most mot- 
 ley description, and of every complexion, from the shades 
 of brown and yellow to jet black. Americans from every 
 State, from Maine to Georgia, form about three eighths of the 
 population of the city and State ; and among them are some 
 of the wealthiest families in Louisiana. The French are 
 still numerous. They include many respectable merchants, 
 lawyers, and physicians; but the greater part are adventurers, 
 who fill up the humble professions of dancing-master, mu- 
 sician, hair-dresser, and the like. The watchmen and lamp- 
 lighters are Germans, — the unhappy remnant of a numer- 
 ous body of emigrants, who arrived from Europe about 
 sixteen years ago, destitute of the smallest resources, and who, 
 having lost more than half their comrades during the passage, 
 were sold as " white slaves," or, as they are called, " redemp- 
 tioners," the moment they landed. Hundreds of these 
 people fell victims to the yellow fever between 1814 and 
 1822 ; and their degrading habits of inebriety tend rapidly to 
 thin their numbers. The fishermen are chiefly Spaniards. 
 The free colored people consist partly of emancipated slaves; 
 but chiefly mulattoes, the offspring of the dissolute French 
 Creoles. 
 
 Heterogeneous as the population is, in manners, languages, 
 and principles, they all agree in one point, — the pursuit of 
 money. Americans, English, French, Germans, Spaniards, 
 all come hither to make money, and to stay only as long as 
 money is to be made. The Yankee commission merchants, 
 who reside here during the winter, retire to the north in the 
 month of May. About half the inhabitants only, it is sup- 
 posed, are regularly settled here. The better American fam- 
 ilies, as soon as they have amassed a fortune, answering to 
 their expectations, prefer removing to the north. These cir- 
 cumstances will explain why New Orleans, one of the wealth- 
 iest cities in the Union, is so far behind every other in its 
 public establishments. 
 
 " During six months of the year, Louisiana affords a de- 
 lightful residence. In June, the heats become oppressive ; 
 not a breath of air is to be felt ; the mosquitoes appear in 
 millions ; and nothing can be more disagreeable than 
 their buzzing sound and their painful sting, — except that 
 
436 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 NEW ORLEANS. 
 
 of the millipedes, which is still more painful. In July, the 
 heat increases. August, September, and October are dan- 
 gerous months in New Orleans. * A deep silence reigns 
 during this season in the city. Most of the stores are shut 
 up ; no one is to be seen in the streets during the day, ex- 
 cept negroes and people of color ; no carriage, except the 
 funeral hearse. At the approach of evening, the inhabit- 
 ants pour forth to enjoy the air upon the Levee.' The yel- 
 low fever, however, has not made its appearance for sev- 
 eral years ; and it is hoped that when the pestilential swamps 
 behind the city are drained, the city will become not less 
 healthy than other places in the same latitude. In winter, 
 the climate is extremely variable. In 1823, a severe frost 
 killed nearly all the orange trees. During some winters, 
 the thermometer has fallen to 16° or 15°, and the streets 
 have repeatedly been covered with snow, while the ponds 
 and bayous have been frozen. Other winters have been 
 as remarkable for their warmth ; and no mean estimate can 
 give a correct idea of the uncertain and varying tempera- 
 ture." 
 
 " Much has been said abroad," remarks the author of the 
 " Valley of the Mississippi," " in regard to the unhealthiness 
 of this city, and the danger of a residence here for an unac- 
 climated person has been exaggerated. This circumstance, 
 more than all others, has retarded the increase of the city. 
 Unhappily, when the dogstar is in the sky, there is but too 
 much probability, that the epidemic will sweep the place 
 with the besom of destruction. Hundreds of unacclimated 
 poor from the north, and more than all, from Ireland, fall 
 victims to it. 
 
 " The supply of the excellent water of the Mississippi, 
 by the waterworks now in operation, is very inadequate. It 
 is contemplated to extend the means of supply. No city in 
 the Union can be furnished more cheaply and easily. Were 
 the supply equal to washing the streets in every direction, it 
 would tend more to the preservation of the public health, in 
 all probability, than any other conservative means that could 
 be employed ; and it is a matter of surprise, that such a sim- 
 ple and obvious measure has not already been adopted. It 
 is believed, that every street, which has the least inclination 
 of descent, might be kept clean by the healthy water of the 
 Mississippi, at a less expense than is requisite for watering 
 Cincinnati. Very great improvements have been recently 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 437 
 
 NEW ORLEANS. 
 
 made, and are constantly making, in paving the city, in re- 
 moving the wooden sewers, and replacing them by those of 
 stone. The low places, where the water used to stagnate, are 
 drained or rilled up. Tracts of swamp about the town are 
 draining, or filling up ; and this work, constantly pursued, 
 will, probably, contribute more to the salubrity of the city, 
 than all the other efforts to this end united. 
 
 " The commerce of this city is immense, and constantly 
 increasing. There have been counted in the harbor, 1,500 
 flat boats at a time. Steamboats are coming and departing 
 every hour ; and it is not uncommon to see 50 lying in the 
 harbor at a time. A forest of masts is constantly seen 
 along the levee, except in the sultry months. There are 
 often 5,000 or 6,000 boatmen from the upper country here ; 
 and it is not uncommon to see 40 vessels advertised for 
 Liverpool and Havre. No place in the United States has 
 so much activity and bustle of commerce crowded into so 
 small a space, in the months of February and March. During 
 the season of bringing in the cotton crop, whole streets 
 are barricaded with cotton bales. The amount of domes- 
 tic exports from this city exceeds forty millions of dol- 
 lars a year, being greater than that of any other city of the 
 Union, except New York, and nearly equalling that. The 
 greatest items that make this amount, are sugar and cot- 
 ton. 
 
 " It is believed, that it will not be long before the great and 
 opulent city of New Orleans will commence, on a scale com- 
 mensurate with her resources and enterprise, a system of re- 
 claiming the immense swamps, in the midst of which she is 
 placed, by navigable canals. 
 
 "The facilities of getting a passage from this city either 
 to Europe, Mexico, the Atlantic cities, or the interior, are 
 very great. You need seldom remain many days, without 
 an opportunity to embark in any direction. Steamboats 
 are constantly advertising for Louisville, and all the different 
 points on the waters of the Mississippi and Ohio : -and a 
 passage in the beautiful steamboats that now ply on 'these 
 waters, is both rapid, cheap, and delightful. 
 
 " The market is ordinarily cheap and abundant ; and by 
 seizing opportunities, the articles of life may be had as cheap 
 as in any other town in the United States. Corn, potatoes, 
 pork, and flour, are sometimes so low, as scarcely to pay the 
 cost of transportation from the upper country. The produc- 
 
438 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 NEW ORLEANS. 
 
 tions of all climes find their way hither; and for fruits and 
 vegetables, few places can exceed it. On a pleasant March 
 morning, perhaps half of the city is seen in the market. The 
 crowd covers half a mile in extent. The negroes, mulattoes, 
 French, Spanish, and Germans, are all crying their several 
 articles in their several tongues. In the midst of a confusion 
 of languages, like that of Babel, 'unification, un picalion,' is 
 the most distinguishable. 
 
 " This city necessarily exercises a great moral influence 
 over all the western country. There is no distinguished 
 merchant, planter, or farmer, in the Mississippi valley, but 
 what has made at least one trip to this place. Here they 
 witness acting at the French and American theatres. Here 
 they go to inspect, if not to take part in the pursuits of the 
 * roulette, and temple of fortune.' Here they come from 
 the remote and isolated parts of the west, to see the ■ city 
 lions,' and learn the ways of men in great towns ; and 
 they necessarily carry back an impression, from what they 
 have seen and heard. It is of conceivable importance to 
 the western country, that New Orleans should be enlight- 
 ened, moral, and religious. It has a numerous and respect- 
 able corps of professional men, and issues a considerable 
 number of well-edited papers. 
 
 ** The police of the city is at once mild and energetic. 
 Notwithstanding the multifarious character of the people, 
 collected from every country and climate ; notwithstanding 
 the multitude of boatmen and sailors; notwithstanding the 
 mass of people that rush along its streets is of the most 
 incongruous materials, there are fewer broils and quarrels 
 here, than in almost any other city. The municipal and 
 criminal courts are prompt in administering justice ; and 
 larcenies and broils are effectually punished without any 
 just grounds of the ■ law's delay.' On the whole, the 
 morals of those people, who profess to have any degree of 
 self-respect, are not behind those of the other cities of the 
 Union."* 
 
 From New Orleans to the Balize or mouth of the Mis- 
 sissippi, is about 100 miles, as already stated. Here a 
 great number of pilots are stationed. From this wretched 
 place, i. e. their stations, says Captain Basil Hall, planted in 
 
 * Flint. 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 439 
 
 NEW. ORLEANS. 
 
 the midst of a boundless swamp, no firm land is in sight, 
 nor is there any within 50 or 60 miles of it. There are 
 about twenty buildings, six of them dwelling-houses, be- 
 tween which the intercourse is carried on exclusively by 
 means of rude log causeys or bridges laid over the slime and 
 water. It is impossible to walk ten yards in any direction, 
 without sinking up to the neck in a mudhole or quicksand ; 
 so that, for all the purposes of locomotion, the inhabitants 
 might as well be at sea. In the middle of this half 
 drowned village, there stands " a rickety look-out house," 
 from the top of which an extensive view is commanded, 
 indescribably dreary, yet not without interest. " We could 
 discover," says this traveller, " several of the passes, (or out- 
 lets,) and great numbers of bayous, or natural canals, creep- 
 ing among the marshes slowly to the sea, which occupied 
 about one third of the horizon on the south. On the 
 east and west, the marshes extended as far as the eye could 
 reach, bristling with roots, trunks, and branches of trees. 
 In the spring, when the freshes or floods come down, 
 they bring along with them millions of trunks of trees, 
 technically called logs, (owing to the falling in of the river 
 bunks.) 
 
 " In February and the beginning of March, the quantity 
 of these logs is so great, that not only the river itself, but 
 the sea for several miles off is completely coated over with 
 them, and it requires some skill in the pilot to get through. 
 The whole ground (if the loose, muddy soil can be so 
 called) appeared to be formed of layers of these logs matted 
 together into a net-work, or rather a gigantic raft of rough 
 timbers, many yards, and perhaps fathoms, in depth, over 
 hundreds of square leagues. These enormous rafts, which 
 settle on the mud as the waters subside, are cemented to- 
 gether by fresh deposits. In a short time a rank sort of 
 cane or reed springs up, which helps to keep them together. 
 This is called a cane-brake ; a wild, hopeless-looking, im- 
 passable marsh. These reeds, by retarding the flow of the 
 river, collect the mud of the next season, and by the pro- 
 cess of their own decay, lend their share to form the alluvial 
 soil of the Delta. Fresh logs, and fresh mud, and new 
 crops of cane, go on forming for a certain course of years. 
 At length a stunted shrub takes root, and grows up in these 
 slushy territories, the empire of the alligators, who delight 
 to flounder about in the creeks of bayous, which cut across 
 
440 
 
 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 NEW ORLEANS. 
 
 the Delta in every direction. When these trees grow up, 
 they collect more soil about them, and land somewhat firmer 
 is concocted, as we advance from the region of swamps to 
 that of marshes. The intruder, man, now begins his opera- 
 tions, by banking out the stream, and taking the further 
 management of the soil into his own hands. The fertility 
 of such spots exceeds that of any other part of the world. 
 Of course, all the seashores or skirts of the Delta are unin- 
 habited, and must for a long time continue in a state of use- 
 less marshes, till fresh deposits raise the level a few feet more. 
 The lowest sugar plantation on the Mississippi, that I saw, 
 was 40 miles below New Orleans, or about 60 miles from 
 the sea. And I should imagine that a belt of uninhabitable 
 marsh, from 50 to 100 miles in width, fringes the whole of 
 that part of the coast."* 
 
 In his subsequent voyage up the Mississippi, when be- 
 tween 50 and 60 miles above New Orleans, this Traveller 
 had the satisfaction of witnessing one of those formidable 
 breaches in the Levee or embankment, which are called cre- 
 vasses.f " The river was tumbling through the opening 
 with a head or fall of four or five feet, in a tumultuous 
 manner, resembling one of the St. Lawrence rapids. This 
 boiling, or rather surf-like appearance — for it rose and fell 
 in snow-white ridges or short waves — did not spread itself 
 far to the right or left, (which at first surprised me,) but 
 gushed nearly at right angles to the parent river, straight for- 
 ward, across the cultivated fields into the forest growing in 
 the boundless morass lying beyond the cleared strips of land. 
 There was something peculiarly striking in this casual 
 stream, — a mere drop from the great Mississippi, which in 
 many other countries might almost have claimed the name 
 of a river, — leaping, and writhing, and foaming along, with 
 a sound exactly like that of breakers on a reef, through the 
 middle of a village, among trees, over the tops of sugar plan- 
 tations, and at last losing itself in a great cypress swamp. 
 
 " The Levee or embankment was completely carried away 
 
 * Basil Hall's Travels. 
 
 t Many crevasses are believed to have been caused by the holes of 
 water rats ; for the soil is so loose, that if the water once gets vent, so 
 as to dribble through the smallest pipe, it is impossible to say of what 
 magnitude the opening may become before morning. 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 441 
 
 NEW ORLEANS. 
 
 at this place, for a distance of 100 or perhaps 150 yards. I 
 could not help being surprised, indeed, that any portion of 
 these frail barriers ever stood at all, for they seemed generally 
 not more than two or three feet wide at top, and ten or 
 twelve at the base ; and altogether so slender in appearance, 
 that I expected every minute to see fresh crevasses formed. 
 During the greater part of that day, the surface of the water 
 along which we were moving, could not be less than six or 
 eight feet above the level of the ground on both sides. The 
 district of country which lies adjacent to the Mississippi, in 
 the lower parts of Louisiana, is every where thickly peopled 
 by sugar planters, whose showy houses, gay piazzas, thrifty 
 gardens, and numerous slave villages, all clean and neat, 
 gave an exceedingly thriving air to the river scenery." 
 
 During the last war with Great Britain, New Orleans was 
 the scene of a battle between the Americans and British, 
 which for its signal triumph on the one hand, and signal 
 defeat on the other, has rarely been equalled. It was unfor- 
 tunately fought after the preliminaries of a treaty had been 
 signed at Ghent ; but the tidings of this mutual adjustment 
 of difficulties, which would have prevented such carnage, 
 and saved many a gallant officer and veteran soldier, had 
 not reached the country. The above treaty was signed Dec. 
 24th, 1814, — the battle was fought on the 8th of January, 
 1815. 
 
 Sometime previously the British had evidently been turn- 
 ing their attention towards New Orleans. Having intima- 
 tion of their design, Gen. Jackson, then commanding in 
 that vicinity, marched his troops upon New Orleans, where 
 he arrived on the 2d of December. Having reviewed a 
 corps of volunteers, the day of his arrival, he immediately 
 proceeded to visit every post in the neighborhood, to give 
 orders for adding fortifications, and establishing defensive 
 works and outposts, in every spot where the enemy might 
 be expected, as there was the greatest uncertainty where a 
 landing would be made : he mingled with the citizens and 
 infused into the greater part his own spirit and energy. By 
 his presence and exhortations, they were animated to exer- 
 tions of which before they were not supposed to be capable. 
 All who could wield a spade, or carry a musket, were either 
 put to work upon the fortifications, or trained in the art of 
 defending them. The Mississippi, upon the eastern bank of 
 
442 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 NEW ORLEANS. 
 
 which New Orleans stands, flows to the ocean in several 
 channels ; one leaving the main stream above the city, runs 
 east of it, and forms in its course Lake Ponchartrain, and 
 lake Borgne. Early in December, the British entered this 
 channel with a force of about eight thousand men, a part of 
 whom had just left the shores of the Chesapeake, the remain- 
 der having arrived direct from England. A small squadron 
 of gun-boats, under Lieutenant Jones, was despatched to op- 
 pose their passage into the lake. These were met by a su- 
 perior force, and after a spirited conflict, in which the killed 
 and wounded of the British exceeded the whole number of 
 the Americans, they were compelled to surrender. The loss 
 of the gun-boats left no means of watching the movements 
 of the enemy, or of ascertaining where the landing would 
 be made. Orders were given for increased vigilance at 
 every post ; the people of color were formed into a battal- 
 ion ; the offer of the Barratarians to volunteer, on condition 
 of a pardon for previous offences, if they conducted them- 
 selves with bravery and fidelity, was accepted. Gen. Jack- 
 son, after applying to the legislature to suspend the act of 
 kabeus corpus, and finding that they were consuming these 
 extreme moments in discussion, proclaimed martial law, and 
 from that moment his means became more commensurate 
 with the weight of responsibility he had to sustain. 
 
 On the 22d, the British having landed, took a position 
 near the main channel of the river, about eight miles below 
 the city. In the evening of the 23d, General Jackson made 
 a sudden and furious attack upon the camp. They were 
 thrown into disorder ; but they soon rallied, and fought with 
 a bravery, at least equal to that of the assailants. Satisfied 
 with the advantage first gained, he withdrew his troops, for- 
 tified a strong position four miles below New Orleans, and 
 supported it by batteries erected on the west bank of the 
 river. On the 28th of December, and the 1st of January, 
 vigorous but unsuccessful attacks were made upon these for- 
 tifications by the English. In the mean time, both armies had 
 received re-inforcements ; and General Sir E. Packenham, 
 the British commander, resolved to exert all his strength in a 
 combined attack upon the American positions, on both sides 
 of the river. With almost incredible industry, he caused a 
 canal, leading from a creek emptying itself into lake Borgne 
 to the main channel of the Mississippi, to be dug, that he 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 443 
 
 NEW ORLEANS. 
 
 might remove a part of his boats and artillery to that river. 
 On the 7th of January, from the movements observed in the 
 British camp, a speedy attack was anticipated. This was 
 made early on the 8th. The British troops, formed in a 
 close column of about sixty men in front, the men shoulder- 
 ing their muskets, all carrying fascines, and some with lad- 
 ders, advanced towards the American fortifications, from 
 whence an incessant fire was kept up on the column, which 
 continued to advance, until the musketry of the troops of 
 Tennessee and Kentucky, joined with the fire of the artillery, 
 began to make an impression on it, which soon threw it into 
 confusion. For some time, the British officers succeeded in 
 animating the courage of their troops, making them advance 
 obliquely to the left, to avoid the fire of a battery, every dis- 
 charge from which opened the column, and mowed down 
 whole files, which were almost instantaneously replaced by 
 new troops coming up close after the first ; but these also 
 shared the same fate, until at last, after twenty-five minutes' 
 continued firing, through which a few platoons advanced to 
 the edge of the ditch, the column entirely broke, and part 
 of the troops dispersed, and ran to take shelter among the 
 bushes on the right. 
 
 The rest retired to the ditch, where they had been when 
 first perceived, four hundred yards from the American lines. 
 There the officers with some difficulty rallied their troops, 
 and again drew them up for a second attack, the soldiers 
 having laid down their knapsacks at the edge of the ditch, 
 that they might be less encumbered. And now, for the sec- 
 ond time, the column, recruited with the troops that formed 
 the rear, advanced. Again it was received with the same 
 galling fire from the musketry and artillery, till it at last 
 broke again, and retired in the utmost confusion. In vain 
 did the officers now endeavor, as before, to revive the cour- 
 age of their men ; to no purpose did they strike them with 
 the flat of their swords, to force them to advance : they 
 were insensible of every thing but danger, and saw nothing 
 but death, which had struck so many of their comrades. The 
 attack had hardly begun, when the British commander in 
 chief, Sir Edward Packenham, fell a victim to his own in- 
 trepidity, while endeavoring to animate his troops with ardor 
 for the assault. Soon after his fall, two other generals, Keane 
 and Gibbs, were carried off the field of battle, dangerously 
 
444 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 NEW ORLEANS. 
 
 wounded. A great number of officers of rank had fallen : 
 the ground over which the column had marched was strewed 
 with the dead and wounded. Such slaughter on their side, 
 with scarcely any loss on the American, spread consterna- 
 tion through the British ranks, as they were now convinced 
 of the impossibility of carrying the lines, and saw that even 
 to advance was certain death. Some of the British troops 
 had penetrated into the wood toward the extremity of the 
 American line, to make a false attack, or to ascertain wheth- 
 er a real one were practicable. These, the troops under Gen- 
 eral Coffee had no sooner perceived, than they opened on 
 them a brisk fire with their rifles, which made them retire. 
 The greater part of those who, on the columns being re- 
 pulsed, had taken shelter in the thickets, only escaped the bat- 
 teries to be killed by the musketry. During the whole hour 
 that the attack lasted, the American fire did not slacken for 
 a single moment. By half after eight in the morning, the 
 fire of the musketry had ceased. The whole plain on the 
 left, as also the side of the river, from the road to the edge 
 of the water, was covered with the British soldiers who had 
 fallen. About four hundred wounded prisoners were taken, 
 and at least double that number of wounded men escaped 
 into the British camp ; and a space of ground extending 
 from the ditch of the American lines to that on which the 
 enemy drew up his troops, two hundred and fifty yards in 
 length, by about two hundred in bread'th, was literally cov- 
 ered with men, either dead or severely wounded. Perhaps a 
 greater disparity of loss never occurred ; that of the British, in 
 killed, wounded, and prisoners, in this attack, which was not 
 made with sufficient judgment, and which, besides, was em- 
 barrassed by unforeseen circumstances, was upwards of two 
 thousand men ; the killed and wounded of the Americans 
 was only thirteen ! 
 
 The events of the day on the west side of the river pre- 
 sents a striking instance of the uncertainty of military cal- 
 culations. There the Americans were thrice the number of 
 their assailants, and were protected by intrenchments ; but 
 they ingloriously fled. They were closely pursued, until the 
 British party received intelligence of the defeat of the main 
 army, withdrew from pursuit, and re-crossed the river. — 
 They then returned and re-assumed possession of their in- 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 447 
 
 NEW ORLEANS. 
 
 trenchments. General Lambert, upon whom the command 
 of the British army had devolved, having lost all hopes of 
 success, repaired to his shipping. In his retreat he was 
 not molested ; General Jackson wisely resolving to haz- 
 ard nothing that he had gained in attempting to gain still 
 more.* 
 
 'Hinton's United States. 
 
KENTUCKY 
 
 LEXINGTON. 
 
 Lexington was one of the earliest settlements in Ken- 
 tucky ; in 1785, it had assumed the appearance of a village, 
 but its early growth was much impeded by Indian warfare, so 
 that in 1805, it contained but 50 houses, and about 350 in- 
 habitants. Its name was given to it by some hunters, who were 
 encamping on the spot on which the city now stands, when 
 the news of- the battle of Lexington was brought to them, 
 upon which they immediately decided to give it the name of 
 that place, where the struggle for American liberty first 
 commenced. 
 
 The town buildings, in general, are handsome, and some 
 of them are magnificent. Few towns in the West, or else- 
 where, are more delightfully situated. Its environs have a 
 singular softness and amenity of landscape, and the town 
 wears an air of neatness, opulence, and repose, indicating 
 leisure and studiousness, rather than the bustle of business 
 and commerce. It is situated in the centre of a proverbially 
 rich and populous country. The frequency of handsome 
 villas and ornamented rural mansions imparts the impression 
 of vicinity to an opulent metropolis. A beautiful branch of 
 the Elkhorn runs through the city, and supplies it with water. 
 The main street is a mile and a quarter in length, and 80 
 feet wide, well paved ; and the principal roads leading from 
 it to the country are McAdamized to some distance. In the 
 centre of the town is the public square, surrounded by hand- 
 some buildings. In this square is the market house, which 
 is amply supplied with all the products of the State. The 
 inhabitants are cheerful, intelligent, conversable, and noted 
 for their hospitality to strangers. The professional men are 
 distinguished for their attainments in their several walks, 
 and many distinguished and eminent men have had their 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 449 
 
 LOUISVILLE. 
 
 origin here. The University, with its professors, and stu- 
 dents, and the numerous distinguished strangers that are vis- 
 iting here, during the summer months, add to the attractions 
 of the city. The people are addicted to giving parties ; and 
 the tone of society is fashionable and pleasant. Strangers, 
 in general, are much pleased with a temporary sojourn in 
 this city, which conveys high ideas of the refinement and 
 taste of the country. There are now much larger towns in 
 the West ; but none presenting more beauty and intelligence. 
 The stranger, on finding himself in the midst of its polished 
 and interesting society, cannot but be carried back by the 
 strong contrast, to the time, when the patriarchal hunters of 
 Kentucky, reclining on their buffalo robes around their even- 
 ing fires, canopied by the lofty trees and the stars, gave it 
 the name it bears, by patriotic acclamation.* 
 
 The Transylvania University is located in Lexington, and 
 enjoys a high reputation among the collegiate institutions of 
 the West. It was founded in 1798, and re-organized in 
 1818. The buildings are on an eminence contiguous to the 
 town, and generally commodious. The several libraries at- 
 tached to the Institution contain 14,000 volumes. There 
 are several schools in the city, which are in deservedly high 
 reputation. 
 
 The other public edifices are, a handsome and spacious 
 Court House, a large Masonic Hall, and eleven churches, 
 in which all the denominations of Christianity are rep- 
 resented. The State Lunatic Asylum is a spacious and 
 very commodious building. The population, in 1843, was 
 
 LOUISVILLE. 
 
 This place began to be settled in 1778, at which time, 
 and for a few subsequent years, it was constantly harassed 
 by the Indians. In 1780, it was made a town by an act of 
 
 * Flint's Geography. 
 
 29 
 
450 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 LOUISVILLE. 
 
 the Virginia legislature, it being then a part of that State. 
 In the following year, a fort was built and garrisoned, and a 
 check given to Indian depredations. 
 
 In a commercial point of view, Louisville is far the most 
 important town in the State. The main street is nearly a 
 mile in length, and is as noble, as compact, and has as much 
 the air of a maritime town, as any street in the western 
 country. It is situated on an extensive sloping plain, be- 
 low the mouth of the Beargrass, about a quarter of a mile 
 above the principal declivity of the falls. The three prin- 
 cipal streets are parallel with the river, and command fine 
 views of the villages and the beautiful country on the op- 
 posite shore. 
 
 The public buildings are a court house, jail, poorhouse, 
 and workhouse, powder magazine, marine hospital, city 
 schoolhouse, twenty-five churches for^he prevalent denomina- 
 tions of the country, Washington Hall, Columbian Inn, and 
 several other respectable hotels; a City Hall, five banking- 
 houses, and a theatre. In addition to these, might be enume- 
 rated the Jefferson Cotton Factory, an iron foundry, several 
 steam-mills, fire and marine insurance company offices, &c. 
 
 The Marine Hospital is a conspicuous and showy building. 
 The free Public School House is a noble edifice, taking into 
 view its object. It was commenced in 1829, as a kind of 
 model school for a general system of free schools ; and was 
 built at an expense of 7,500 dollars. It is intended to ac- 
 commodate 700 or 800 pupils. 
 
 The position of this city is 38° 18' north, and 5° 42' west 
 from Washington. It contained in 1800, 600 inhabitants ; 
 in 1810, 1,350; 1820, 4,012; 1830, 10,336; and by the 
 census of 1840, 21,210. 
 
 The greatest fall in the Ohio is just below this city. In 
 high stages of water, the rocks and shallows are all covered, 
 and boats pass without perceiving them. But this stage of 
 water does not occur, on an average, more than two months 
 in a year, rendering it necessary at all other times, that boats 
 from the lower country should stop here. The falls equally 
 arrested boats from above. Consequently freights intended 
 for the country above were required, at a great expense of 
 time, delay, and factorage, to be unloaded, transported by 
 land round the falls, and reloaded in boats above. Large 
 steamboats from New Orleans, though belonging to the 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 451 
 
 LOUISVILLE. 
 
 upper country, were obliged to lie by through the summer 
 at Portland. 
 
 To remedy these inconveniences, the Louisville and Port- 
 land canal round the falls has been completed. It over- 
 comes the ascent of twenty-two feet by five locks. The first 
 steamboat that passed through the canal was the Uncas, 
 December 21, 1829. 
 
 It is two miles in length, and the excavation 40 feet in 
 depth. A part of this depth is cut from solid limestone. 
 It is on a scale to admit steamboats and vessels of the largest 
 size. From the nature of the country, and the great differ- 
 ence between the highest and lowest stage of the work, 
 amounting to nearly sixty feet, it is necessarily a work of 
 great magnitude, having cost more than any other similar 
 extent of canal work in the United States. There are vari- 
 ous opinions, in reference to the bearings of this work upon 
 the future prosperity of Louisville. Great part of the im- 
 portant and lucrative business of factorage will be super- 
 seded ; and as boats can ascend from Louisville to Cincin- 
 nati, with at least as great a draft of water as is allowed by 
 the depth of the water from Louisville to the mouth of the 
 Ohio, most of the boats from the Mississippi, that used to be 
 arrested at the falls, will pass on to the country above. But 
 other bearings of utility to this place, not yet contemplated, 
 will probably grow out of the increased activity, given by 
 the canal, to business and commerce. No axiom is better 
 established than that every part of the country, so connect- 
 ed as the whole coast of the Ohio, flourishes and increases 
 with every other part. If the country above and below be 
 flourishing, so also will be Louisville. Besides, this important 
 town has intrinsic resources, which will not fail to make it a 
 great place. More steamboats are up in New Orleans for it 
 than any other ; and, except during the season of ice, or of 
 extremely low water, there seldom elapses a week, without 
 an arrival from New Orleans. The gun of the arrivino- or 
 departing steamboats is heard at every hour of the day and 
 night ; and no person has an adequate idea of the business 
 and bustle of Louisville, until he has arrived at the town. 
 The county of which this town is the county seat, is one of 
 the most fertile and best settled in the State. The town 
 was formerly subject to frequent attacks of endemic sick- 
 ness, in the summer and autumn, owing to stagnant waters 
 
452 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 LOUISVILLE. 
 
 in its vicinity. The ponds and marshes have been in a 
 great measure drained ; and the health of the town has 
 improved in consequence. It has been for some years near- 
 ly as healthy as any other town in the same latitude on the 
 Ohio.* 
 
 The Mammoth Cave. — The greatest curiosity in Kentucky 
 is the Mammoth Cave, in Edmondson county, on the road to 
 Nashville, and one hundred and thirty-eight miles from Lex- 
 ington. The depth of this cavern is sixty or seventy feet; 
 and, although it has been explored nine or ten miles, it con- 
 tains numerous windings, running deep into the earth, which 
 have never yet been visited. The first impression which a 
 sight of this immense cavern leaves upon the mind, is that of 
 awe. Its vast proportions, its wide-stretching roof, its dark 
 openings and colossal figures, strike the mind with astonish- 
 ment, and for a while remove it from the contemplation of 
 little things. Some of the incrustations of this cave, are re- 
 markable, not only for immense size, but for the singularity 
 and often terribleness of their forms ; but most of them seem 
 to want the variety and beauty observed in the stalactites of 
 Antiparos and other celebrated excavations. The earth in 
 the vicinity is strongly impregnated with saltpetre, and large 
 quantities of that article are manufactured from it. 
 
 * Flint's Geography. 
 
 
OHIO. 
 
 CINCINNATI. 
 
 Cincinnati, sometimes called the " Queen of the West," 
 is situated on the north shore of the Ohio, in latitude 39° 6' 
 30" north, and in longitude 7° 24' 45" west from Washing- 
 ton ; 450 miles distant from Pittsburgh by the course of the 
 river ; 860 from New Orleans, and 850 from New York, by* 
 way of the Erie and New York canal. 
 
 The outlines of this city were laid out as early as 1789, on 
 the site of old Fort Washington ; but very little was done 
 towards its improvement till several years afterward. In- 
 deed, forty years ago the population scarcely numbered 1,000 ; 
 and it is hardly more than twenty years since attention was 
 first directed to its great and growing importance ; within that 
 brief period, however, Cincinnati has gained a rank enjoyed 
 by few other cities in this country. 
 
 The position of Cincinnati is admirable, occupying " a 
 beautiful vale," says Mr. Flint, " twelve miles in circumference, 
 created by an elliptical sweep of the Ohio hills. Those of 
 them that have not been laid bare by the unsparing axe, are 
 beautifully wooded to their summits ; and by the swell and 
 indentation of their waving outline, present the most grace- 
 ful and charming forms. From the summit of any of these 
 hills, the towns spreads a panoramic map of exquisite paint- 
 ing. The eye traces every street, with its smokes, fixtures, 
 and moving life, from which all the roughness of inception, 
 softened by distance, appears. The noble establishments, 
 the handsome mansions, the extending masses of buildings, 
 the numerous manufactures, propelling their columns of 
 black smoke aloft, the boat yards, the bustling inhabitants, with 
 the hundred teams and drays, the Ohio, winding along the 
 southern limit, and itself enlivened bypassing crafts, and 
 stately steamboats, rounding to the shoreyor departing from 
 it, the villages of Newport and Covington, with their showy 
 houses and manufactories on the Kentucky bank of the Ohio, 
 taken together, offer such a picture of beauty, wealth, progress 
 
456 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 CINCINNATI. 
 
 and fresh advance, as few landscapes in any country can 
 surpass. Its first settlement was in 1789, but it was not 
 until 1808, that a considerable part of the present town plot 
 that surrounded Fort Washington, and belonged to the 
 government, was sold in lots. 
 
 " A more eligible position for a town can scarcely be im- 
 agined. The chief area consists of two parallel plains, the 
 one elevated sixty feet above the other, and descending to it 
 by a gentle and graduated slope, affording admirable facilities 
 for washing the town by every considerable rain, and sloping 
 it to the eye in the graceful form of an amphitheatre, and 
 at the same time furnishing it with every pleasing variety of 
 site for building. One of the chief beauties of this city is 
 obvious to every eye, which, however, we have not seen re- 
 corded. The streets crossing each other at right angles, and 
 being straight and uninterrupted, present vistas, bounded by 
 the wooded acclivities of the surrounding hills. By a well 
 known optical illusion, these swelling hill sides, seen through 
 a vista, narrowing in apparent width in proportion to its dis- 
 tance from the eve, fill the angle of vision, and preclude the 
 perception of any distance between the termination of the 
 street and the commencement of the hills. In consequence, 
 through whatever street the beholder looks, it seems to be 
 closed by a gate of verdure, and to terminate in a forest. 
 
 " Seven of the streets are sixty-six feet wide, and three 
 hundred and ninety-six feet apart, intersected by streets of 
 the same width and distance, at right angles. One entire 
 square, and the fraction of another, are reserved in central 
 parts of the city, for public buildings. The- city buildings 
 cover an irregular area, nearest the form of a parallelogram. 
 The central parts are compactly built with houses and stores, 
 that would ornament any town. The most showy quarters, 
 are Main, Broadway, and Fourth streets, westward from its 
 intersection with Main. 
 
 Among the public buildings of Cincinnati is the Court 
 House, on Main street : it is a spacious building, 56 by 60 
 feet, and 120 feet high to the top of the dome. The edifice 
 of the Franklin and Lafayette banks, on the north side of 
 Third street, has a splendid portico of Grecian Doric columns, 
 four feet and a half in diameter, extending through the entire 
 front of the building, after the model of the Parthenon at 
 Athens, and has a front of 79 feet and a depth of 69 feet. The 
 ascent to the portico from the street is by nine steps, which, 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 457 
 
 CINCINNATI. 
 
 as well as the*columns and entablature of the portico, are of 
 beautiful gray freestone. This edifice is truly classical and 
 magnificent. The First Presbyterian church, on Main street, 
 is a handsome brick edifice ; but the Second church, belong- 
 ing to the same denomination, excels it in beauty. The Unit- 
 arian church is a singularly neat one. The interior of the 
 Roman Catholic is striking. The First Methodist church is 
 a spacious building, and the First Baptist church is a very 
 neat edifice. Other churches make a neat and respectable 
 appearance. 
 
 There are forty-three churches in Cincinnati ; four market- 
 houses, one of them 500 feet long; a United States' Land 
 Office; a theatre, and a museum. 
 
 The city contains many literary and charitable institutions. 
 The Cincinnati College was founded in '1819, and has fine 
 grounds and a valuable building. Woodward College derives 
 its name from its founder; it is now respectable, and destined 
 to increase. The Roman Catholics have a college, not yet 
 chartered, called Xavier College: it has about one hundred 
 students, and four or five thousand volumes in its libraries. 
 Lane Seminary, a Presbyterian theological institution, is lo- 
 cated at Walnut hills, two miles from the centre of the city : 
 it went into operation in 1833, and has three professors, and 
 more than 10,000 volumes in its library : there is no charge 
 for tuition. This is an important institution, and its salutary 
 influence will be long and widely felt. The Medical College 
 of Ohio was chartered in 1825 : it has a large and commodi- 
 ous building, and furnishes many facilities to those who resort 
 to it for a medical education. The Mechanics' Institute was 
 chartered in 1828, for the improvement of mechanics in sci- 
 entific knowledge, by means of popular lectures and other 
 facilities for instruction: it has a valuable philosophical and 
 chemical apparatus. The bazaar formerly erected by Mrs. 
 Trollope has been purchased, and a fair is annually held for 
 the benefit of this institution, at which western manufactures 
 and western artists exhibit their respective commodities. 
 
 The common free schools of Cincinnati are of a high order, 
 and every possible advantage is furnished the pupils who at- 
 tend them. Great efforts are also made to render the High 
 Schools in every way conducive to the objects proposed by 
 them. There are several libraries, which deserve a passing 
 notice : — The Young Men's Mercantile Library Association 
 has its library (containing 3,500 volumes) and reading-rooms 
 
458 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 CINCINNATI. 
 
 in Cincinnati College. The Apprentices' Library contains 
 2,200 volumes. — What other city of the same age can show 
 such a number of institutions designed for the cultivation and 
 expansion of the minds of its citizens! It must be remem- 
 bered that Cincinnati, although early settled, scarcely excited 
 any attention until it was chartered in 1819 ; since which time 
 it has increased with a rapidity which has far outstripped the 
 most vivid imaginings of its founders. 
 
 The charitable institutions of this city are numerous and 
 respectable. The Cincinnati Orphan Asylum has a fine build- 
 ing in Elm street, which cost $18,000. Attached to it is a 
 library and well-organized school. The Roman Catholics 
 have two Orphan Asylums. Besides these, is the Commercial 
 Hospital and Lunatic Asylum of Ohio, incorporated in 1821 : 
 eleven hundred patients have been admitted into this institu- 
 tion in a single year. 
 
 The city is well supplied by water from the Ohio river by 
 means of a steam-engine of forty-horse power, which forces 
 the water to reservoirs 150 feet above low-water mark: these 
 reservoirs will contain 1,600,000 gallons. Until 1839, these 
 works were private property : they were at that time pur- 
 chased by the city. 
 
 Manufactures of almost every kind have greatly increased 
 within a few years. In the absence of water-power, resort is 
 had to the steam-engine ; yet great advantage is derived from 
 the surplus water of the Miami canal, which affords 3,000 
 cubic feet per minute, adequate to carry sixty pairs of mill- 
 stones. A still greater power is expected from the Cincinnati 
 and Whitewater canals. 
 
 There are five incorporated banks, whose aggregate capital 
 is $5,800,000, besides two unincorporated banks and a bank 
 for savings. There are eight insurance and seven fire-engine 
 companies, and thirty-four public cisterns. 
 
 Cincinnati is distinguished above all other places in the 
 Union for its pork establishments. In 1834-5, 160,000 hogs 
 were killed; and in 1836, with those brought into the city 
 from other places, 180,000; which, when prepared for ex- 
 portation, amounted to $3,172,000. The average time occu- 
 pied in knocking down a hog, bleeding, scalding, scraping, 
 and stringing up, is about one minute and a quarter. At 
 several of the packing-houses, they are able to receive the 
 hogs from the slaughter-house, cut them up, assort the meat, 
 pack, brine, and cooper 250 or 300 barrels of pork in one 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 459 
 
 CINCINNATI. 
 
 day, and have it ready for shipment ; at the same time pre- 
 pare 200 kegs of lard : the lard is rendered in large kettles, 
 set in the cellar, which is commonly paved with hrick. Large 
 smoke-houses are attached to these establishments, in whicg 
 200,000 or 300,000 pounds of meat can be smoked at a time. 
 Such are some of the establishments at the West. They ex- 
 hibit proof complete of vast enterprise on the part of the pro- 
 jectors, and the wonderful capacity of that territory for the 
 supply — we might almost say of the world. 
 
 The facilities for communication with the surrounding 
 country are already numerous, and are yearly increasing. 
 The Miami canal is finished 83 miles to Piqua, and will ere 
 long be extended to Defiance, where it is to unite with the 
 Wabash and Erie canal. The Whitewater canal extends 70 
 miles, to Cambridge, in Indiana, on the national road ; it is in 
 rapid progress, and will command the trade of eastern Indiana. 
 The Little Miami road will extend to Springfield. But we 
 may not further specify. The total length of the canals, rail- 
 roads, and turnpikes, either completed or projected, is 1,125 
 miles; and will cost, it is estimated, $12,000,000 — one half 
 of which has already been expended. 
 
 To the preceding account we may here add some statistics, 
 principally gleaned from " M'Culloch's Geographical Dic- 
 tionary," which will serve to exhibit the progress of this 
 remarkable place. In the year 1840 there were in this city 
 42 foreign commercial and 36 commission-houses, with a 
 capital of $5,200,000; 1035 retail stores, with a capital of 
 $12,877,000; 19 lumber-yards, with a capital of $133,000; 
 245 persons were engaged in internal transportation, who, 
 with 790 butchers, packers, &c, employed a capital of 
 $4,071,930 ; manufactures of leather, as saddleries, &c, 
 capital $552,000; 13 binderies, 32 printing offices, produced 
 3,800 daily papers, 33,100 weekly, 1,800 semi- weekly, and 
 17,200 periodicals, with a capital of $226,000 ; but it is safe 
 to calculate that this last branch of business has nearly been 
 doubled since 1840. In short, the estimated capital then em- 
 ployed in manufactures was $7,469,912; but by a later and 
 more particular enumeration, it appears that the manufactures 
 of Cincinnati, of all kinds, employ 10,647 persons, a capital 
 of $14,541,842, and produce articles to the value of $17,- 
 432,670. This includes a portion, though not the principal, 
 manufactures of the adjoining villages of Fulton, Newport, 
 and Covington. The trade of Cincinnati embraces the country 
 
460 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 CINCINNATI. 
 
 from the Ohio river to the lakes, north and south, and from 
 the Scioto to the Wabash rivers, east and west. The Ohio 
 river line in Kentucky, for fifty miles down, and up as far as 
 the boundary between that State and Virginia, make their 
 purchases here, and its manufactures are sent into the upper 
 and lower Mississippi country. 
 
 Few places in the country are more healthy than Cincin- 
 nati, although the climate is more variable than on the Atlan- 
 tic coast in the same latitude. The extreme range of the 
 thermometer of late has been from four to ninety-six degrees 
 of Fahrenheit ; the greatest range occurs in February and 
 March, and the least in July and August, the mean daily 
 range being a little over fifteen degrees. 
 
 The inhabitants are from every State in the Union, and from 
 various countries in Europe. Besides natives of Ohio, Penn- 
 sylvania and New Jersey have furnished the greatest number; 
 but many are from New York, Virginia, Maryland, and New 
 England. Nearly one-third of the adult population are Ger- 
 mans; but England, Ireland, Scotland, and France, have 
 furnished considerable number*. 
 
MISSOURI. 
 
 ST. LOUIS. 
 
 St. Louis is the chief town of Missouri, and the largest 
 and most commercial place west of the Mississippi. It is 
 situated 18 miles, by water, below the junction of the Mis- 
 souri ; 30 miles below that of the Illinois, 200 above the 
 Ohio, 1180 above New Orleans, and 897 from Washington. 
 Mr. Flint thus speaks of it. " Nature seldom offers a more 
 delightful site for a town. In many respects, it resembles 
 that of Albany, in New York. It is on a kind of second 
 bottom, that rises gently from the water to a second bank. 
 The ascent to this is not at all precipitous. Having sur- 
 mounted this bank, an extensive plain opens to view. In the 
 immediate vicinity of the town, this plain is covered with 
 bushes and shrub oaks. Beyond is an extensive belt of 
 grassy plain, or naked prairie. The timber within nine or 
 ten miles, has been cut away for fuel. In summer, the eye 
 reposes with pleasure upon this sweep of verdure, bounded 
 on the verge of the horizon with forests. But in winter the 
 prospect is bleak and desolate. The eye always dwells with 
 delight upon the level bottom and the noble forest upon the 
 opposite shore of the river. In 1814 there were but few 
 American houses in the place. There were a few stone 
 houses covered with plaster. The circular stone forts be- 
 yond the town, white with plaster and the hoariness of age, 
 together with the whiteness of the houses in general, from 
 the French fashion of annual whitewashing, gave the town a 
 romantic and imposing appearance, when seen from a dis- 
 tance. With the exception of two or three aristocratic es- 
 tablishments, when contemplated near at hand, the houses 
 were mean, frail and uncomfortable establishments. The 
 streets were narrow and dirty, and it was, in fact, a disagree- 
 able town. A new impulse was given to the town by Amer- 
 ican laws, enterprise, and occupancy ; and its recent rapid 
 growth would seem to indicate that it is destined to hold an 
 enviable rank among the larger class of cities. 
 
462 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 The thickly-settled parts of St. Louis extend a mile and a 
 half along the river, with half that breadth. Front street is 
 open on the side towards the river, and on the other side is a 
 range of warehouses, four stories high, built of limestone, 
 which have a very commanding appearance, and are the seat 
 of a large business. In First street, the wholesale and retail 
 dry goods stores are located ; and in the streets immediately 
 back of this are the artisans and tradesmen. It contains many 
 neat and some elegant buildings. The more recent houses 
 are built of brick, of an excellent quality, made in the imme- 
 diate vicinity ; some are of stone, quarried on the spot, and 
 are generally whitewashed. Many of the residences, particu- 
 larly in the back parts of the place, have spacious and beau- 
 tiful gardens attached to them. 
 
 There are several respectable, and even elegant public 
 buildings : the City Hall belongs to this class : it is of brick]; 
 the basement is occupied as a market. There is another 
 market in the north part of the city. — The Court House is in 
 the middle of a public square, near the centre of the city ; the 
 Presbyterian church occupies an eligible site on the high 
 ground of the city, and is a large and well-finished building, 
 surrounded with ornamental trees. The Unitarians have a 
 large church, of tasteful architecture. The Roman Catholic 
 cathedral is a large and splendid edifice: in its steeple is a 
 peal of six bells, the three largest of which weigh from 1,600 
 to 2,000 pounds each : the front of the building is of polished 
 freestone, with a portico of four massive Doric columns ; the 
 interior is splendidly finished and furnished, and contains 
 several elegant paintings by celebrated masters. The city 
 now has between twenty and thirty churches. There is a 
 United States' Land Office, a theatre, and a concert-hall. 
 There are also several literary and benevolent institutions in 
 the city. The St. Louis University, under the direction of 
 the Roman Catholics, has a spacious building, which cost 
 $30,000. The Western Academy of Science has an exten- 
 sive museum of natural history, mineralogy, &c, and is in a 
 condition which affords flattering prospects of its future use- 
 fulness and prosperity ; and the same may be said of several 
 other thriving schools and academies. 
 
 Whoever observes the position of St. Louis, will see that it 
 is very favorable for its becoming a town of supply of merchan- 
 dise to a vast tract of country. In the centre of the Missis- 
 sippi valley, commanding the trade of Missouri, the Upper Mis- 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 4G3 
 
 ST. LOUIS. 
 
 sissippi, and the Illinois, the capital of a very extensive fur 
 trade, and the depot for as rich lead mines as are in the 
 world, it must necessarily become a large town. It has one 
 obvious advantage over any town on the Ohio. Steamboats 
 can come to St. Louis from New Orleans, at the lowest 
 stages of the water. It is very common for travellers from 
 the Atlantic country, who are bound in the autumn to New 
 Orleans, to take passage from Cincinnati, across the country, 
 to St. Louis, in order to avail themselves of the advantage 
 of a direct passage to New Orleans in a steamboat. The 
 lowness of the water in the Ohio, and the difficulty of pass- 
 ing over the falls at Louisville, render a direct steamboat 
 passage from Cincinnati to New Orleans, at that season of 
 the year, an uncommon occurrence. A great number of 
 keel boats and river crafts of all descriptions, bound to all 
 points of the boatable waters of the Mississippi, are seen at 
 all seasons, lying in the harbor of St. Louis. Miners, trap- 
 pers, hunters, adventurers, emigrants, and people of all 
 characters and languages, with all kinds of views and objects, 
 meet here, and in pursuit of their various projects, scatter 
 hence to the remotest points of the valley. It still furnishes 
 a temporary home to desperate and abandoned characters, 
 who hope, in crossing the Mississippi, to fly beyond law 
 and conscience. The character of the permanent inhabit- 
 ants is respectable. Good regulations of every sort are ad- 
 vancing. The Sabbath is respected ; and a wholesome po- 
 lice is establishing. Such a stream of emigrants is contin- 
 ually pouring in, and the people have so learned the habit 
 of distrust, that hospitality to strangers is not a character- 
 istic of the people." * 
 
 Flint's Geography. 
 
MEXICO 
 
 VERA CRUZ. 
 
 The friends who accompany us in our peregrinations, 
 have one advantage over real travellers, on this " mundane 
 sphere," — they can terminate their journey at any point they 
 please; and whether one hundred or a thousand miles dis- 
 tant, have only to close their " guide book," to find them- 
 selves at home. This suggestion, it is hoped, will induce 
 our friends to accompany us still longer. Our destination is 
 to other lands than our own. There are other human beings 
 besides ourselves, differing from us in their persons, their 
 dress, their manners, their modes of thought, their habita- 
 tions ; in short, in particulars, as the modern advertisement 
 runs, " too numerous to mention." 
 
 It is not our intention to enter into a formal disquisition 
 upon the importance and uses of travelling. Suffice it to 
 say, that without a knowledge of mankind in other countries, 
 and under different circumstances from our own, gathered 
 either from personal knowledge, or through the recorded ob- 
 servations of others, we shall fail of those enlarged and liber- 
 al views, which the study of mankind is calculated to impart, 
 and put a lower estimate upon our own country than what she 
 deserves. No American ever travels abroad but that sighs 
 for the land of his birth, and gives the preference to its gov- 
 ernment, its laws and institutions, upon the whole, over those 
 of any and every country on the globe. 
 
 Will our readers then accompany us ? Our immediate des- 
 tination is Mexico. From our present position, which we 
 will suppose to be New Orleans, we might proceed across the 
 country, taking Texas, which has of late been the theatre of 
 highly exciting scenes, in our route, but as our immediate ob- 
 ject is to look upon the crowded habitations, the splendid ed- 
 ifices, and to listen to the busy hum of the populous city, 
 none of which she yet has, we shall enter Mexico by a differ- 
 ent route. About one thousand miles, or, perhaps some one 
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FAMILY TOURIST. 467 
 
 VERA CRUZ. 
 
 Orleans, across the Gulf of Mexico, lies the city of Vera Cruz,* 
 rendered famous as being the place at which Cortes first 
 landed in 1519, and through whose enterprise and astonish- 
 ing daring, Mexico, or New Spain, became an appendage to 
 the crown of Castile. 
 
 We will suppose the voyage compassed, and that we are 
 already approaching the harbor of Vera Cruz. The city itself, 
 — with its red and white cupolas, towers and battlements, and 
 the strong castle of St. Juan d'Ulloa,t which commands the 
 port, having 300 pieces of cannon, — makes a splendid ap- 
 pearance from the water. The city is situated 200 miles 
 east-by-south of Mexico. 
 
 The port of Vera Cruz is the only one on this coast, 
 which can receive a man-of-war. It is easy of access, and 
 can accommodate about 100 merchant vessels, but very inse- 
 cure, being open to the much dreaded northerly winds ; 
 while the holding-ground is so bad, that no vessel is deemed 
 secure, unless made fast to rings fixed for the purpose, in 
 the castle wall. Vera Cruz is the great seaport of Mexico, 
 
 * The name Villa Rica de la Vera Cruz, or the rich town of the 
 true cross, was given to the place by Cortes, who landed his army 
 here at the time of his invasion. 
 
 t This celebrated castle, once considered impregnable, was suc- 
 cessfully attacked by a French squadron in 1839, under command of 
 Rear Admiral C. Baudin. After a vigorous resistance, it capitulated, 
 but not long after was restored to the Mexicans. During the present 
 war between the United States and Mexico, both the city of Vera 
 Cruz and the castle were taken possession of by the American army 
 under General Scott, aided by a squadron under Commodore Perry. 
 The investment of the city was effected on the 13th of March, 1847. 
 On the 22d, the bombardment was commenced, and, with some inter- 
 missions, was continued to the 26th, when the Governor offered to 
 surrender both city and castle into the hands of the Americans. It 
 may here be added, that from Vera Cruz the American forces at length 
 took up their march towards Mexico, the capital. At a mountain 
 pass, called Cerro Gordo, on the road to Jalapa, about 60 miles from 
 Vera Cruz, a strong Mexican force, under Santa Anna, was encoun- 
 tered, which, however, after a most sanguinary contest, was obliged 
 to give way, with great loss in killed and wounded; thus allowing 
 General Scott and his army to proceed. Possession was subsequently 
 taken of Puebla, and other places of inferior note. Recently the gal- 
 lant general and his small force, after a most determined resistance, 
 have entered the capital, and the American flag is now waving tri- 
 umphantly over the "halls of the Montezumas." 
 
468 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 VERA CRUZ. 
 
 and the place through which almost all the trade between 
 that country and Europe and the United States is carried 
 on. The mole, or landing place, is a low pier, of solid 
 masonry. " I had scarcely put my foot upon it," says Mr. 
 Bullock, " when I observed it was partially paved with pigs 
 of iron, each bearing the broad arrow of the king of England, 
 which I afterwards learned were part of the ballast of an 
 English frigate, left in order to enable her to return with a 
 larger quantity of specie. Thus, the first step an English- 
 man takes in New Spain, is upon what once was English 
 property." The city is beautifully and regularly built, and 
 the streets are so extremely neat and clean, that, on the first 
 view of the interior, the traveller is at a loss to account for 
 its extreme unhealthiness. But buzzards, and other birds 
 of the vulture species, may be observed hovering over the 
 town, and perching on the house-tops ; a sure indication 
 that animal putrefaction is going forward. Mr. Bullock, 
 (who visited Mexico in March, 1823,) thus describes the 
 appearance of the city. 
 
 " Many of the houses of Vera Cruz are large, some three 
 stories high, built in the old Spanish or Moorish style, and 
 generally enclosing a square court, with covered galleries. 
 They have flat roofs, glass windows, and are well adapted to 
 the climate ; most of them have balconies of wood in front, 
 and the interior arrangement is the same as in Old Spain. 
 The whole town, as well as the castle, is built of coral, and 
 the lime that forms the cement is of the same material ; it is 
 used for the roofs and foot pavement, and it is so hard, that 
 in some places it receives, from friction, a polish like mar- 
 ble. There is one tolerably good square, of which the gov- 
 ernment house forms one side, and the principal church the 
 other. The footpaths are frequently under piazzas, a great 
 accommodation to passengers, protecting them from the 
 sultry heat of the sun, and the heavy rains, which descend 
 in torrents in the wet season. 
 
 " Sixteen cupolas or domes are counted from the sea, but 
 only six churches are now in use. Indeed, nearly all the 
 churches, monasteries, and nunneries here, have been aban- 
 doned, and are fast falling into decay, since the place has 
 been lost to the Spaniards. Nothing is more repulsive to 
 strangers accustomed to the bustle of European cities, than 
 the gloomy deathlike appearance of the place. Of any other 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 471 
 
 VERA CRUZ. 
 
 city it is considered a disgrace to say, that grass grows in 
 the streets ; but here it would be a compliment, for no vege- 
 tation is to be observed even for miles around, and fish is 
 the only article of provision not brought from a distance. 
 The only water fit to drink, is what falls from the clouds, 
 and is preserved in tanks ; that from the castle and the con- 
 vent of Franciscans being the best. Though the markets 
 are tolerably well supplied by the Indians, living at the hotels 
 is expensive, and very uncomfortable. Provisions are dear, 
 with the exception of fish, which, as already stated, is in 
 abundance, and good. Some beautiful and curious oysters 
 are found here, the largest and finest flavored I ever met 
 with. Milk is scarcely to be had, as not a cow is kept 
 within many miles; and what is, perhaps, peculiar to Vera 
 Cruz, there is not a garden seen near it. The absence of 
 vegetation attests at once the poverty of the soil, and the in- 
 salubrity of the climate. I know not whether prejudice may 
 not have influenced my decision, but to me, Vera Cruz ap- 
 pears the most disagreeable place on earth ; and its charac- 
 ter of being the most unhealthy spot in the world, naturally 
 makes the stranger shudder every hour he remains within its 
 walls, surrounded by arid sands, extensive swamps, and sa- 
 vannahs, the exhalations from which are only removed by 
 strong winds." It is extremely subject to the yellow fever, 
 which generally commences its ravages when the mean tem- 
 perature rises to 75°. In December, January, and February, 
 it generally disappears. 
 
 " Society here, as may be anticipated, is extremely con- 
 fined, and morality at a very low ebb. Few of the European 
 merchants, whom the hopes of gain have allured to reside 
 here, are married. One class of the occupants will excite 
 some surprise in persons unacquainted with tropical regions; 
 I mean the carrion vultures. They are as tame in the 
 streets as domestic fowls ; and, like the dogs from the moun- 
 tains at Lisbon, act as the scavengers of the place, very 
 speedily clearing away whatever filth may be left. Their senses 
 of smell and sight are very acute. While I was preserving 
 some fishes in an apartment at the top of the hotel, the sur- 
 rounding roofs were crowded with anxious expectants ; and 
 when the offal was thrown out, it was, with much conten- 
 tion, greedily consumed. They are on good terms with 
 the dogs, and the two animals may frequently be seen de- 
 
472 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 vouring the same carcass. They pass the night on the roofs 
 of the churches, where I have sometimes observed several 
 hundreds."* 
 
 Humboldt, who visited Vera Cruz in 1802, states the resi- 
 dent population, exclusive of the militia and seafaring peo- 
 ple, at 16,000. Other and later authorities state the popula- 
 tion at 30,000. 
 
 PUEBLA. 
 
 With this brief account of Vera Cruz, we shall satisfy 
 ourselves, and we trust our fellow travellers, anxious to press 
 forward to the capital, distant about 200 miles north-west- 
 erly. But as the common route is by Puebla, a hundred 
 and ten miles west-by-south from Vera Cruz, we shall stop 
 at this latter place, sufficiently to survey its objects of high- 
 est interest. 
 
 Puebla, or to give it its full title, La Puebla de los Angeles, 
 is reckoned next to Mexico, Guanaxuato, and the Havan- 
 nah, the most considerable city in Spanish America, being 
 more populous, according to Humboldt, than Lima, Quito, 
 Santa Fe, or Caraccas. Its population, in 1803, was esti- 
 mated at 67,800 ; and although it appears to have declined 
 since that time, it still amounts, according to the best au- 
 thorities, to 60,000. It was one of the few towns founded 
 by the Europeans. It was commenced in 1531. "The 
 site," says the author of Notes on Mexico, " does credit to 
 the taste and judgment of its founders. It is built on the 
 south side of a hill, that is wooded to its summit. The sur- 
 rounding plain is cultivated with wheat, barley, Indian corn, 
 and all the fruits of Europe, and is highly productive. This 
 plain is surrounded by a chain of hills, presenting alternately 
 cultivated fields and luxuriant forests ; and the view is ter- 
 minated by the volcanoes of Puebla, clothed in perpetual 
 snows."t The city is compactly and uniformly built. The 
 streets, though not very wide, are straight, intersecting each 
 
 * Six Months' Residence in Mexico. By W. Bullock. 
 t Notes on Mexico, by a citizen of the United States, (Mr. Poinsett.) 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 475 
 
 other at right angles, and are very ornamentally paved with 
 large stones in a diamond shaped pattern ; there are broad 
 footpaths on each side, which are kept remarkably clean. 
 The houses are all of stone, spacious and commodious, gen- 
 erally of two stories, with flat roofs. The fronts of many of 
 them are inlaid with painted tiles, highly glazed like the 
 Dutch tile, some forming pictures, and having the appearance 
 of rich mosaic. Others have their fronts gaudily and fantas- 
 tically painted in fresco, similar to the houses of Genoa. The 
 bishop's palace is covered over in this way with red tiles. 
 Most of them have iron balconies in front, very elegantly 
 constructed. Every house has, for the most part, a square 
 court, in the centre, with open galleries running round it, 
 the ballustrades of which are covered with porcelain pots of 
 flowering plants, producing a most pleasing effect. The 
 apartments are spacious and lofty, with plastered walls, paint- 
 ed in distemper,* the floors tiled much like those of France, 
 and uncovered : carpets are not in use, nor are they neces- 
 sary in this fine climate. Almost every sitting room has a 
 wax model of the Saviour, or of some saint, or the picture 
 of the Virgin of Guadaloupe, or of a Magdalen, or of the 
 Crucifixion ; the frames are often of silver. Most of the resi- 
 dences have a fountain of fine water, which is conveyed in 
 earthen pipes, — a great luxury in the warm season. The 
 family of the proprietor usually reside in the upper story, the 
 ground floor being occupied with shops, warehouses, or 
 offices, and the first story by servants. 
 
 But it is in the splendor of its churches and other religious 
 edifices, and in the richness of their endowments, that Puebla, 
 according to Mr. Bullock, claims to take the first rank 
 among the cities of the Christian world. It contains no fewer 
 than sixty-nine churches, nine monasteries, thirteen nunne- 
 ries, and twenty-three colleges ; " the most sumptuous," 
 says this traveller, " that I have ever seen. Those of Milan, 
 Genoa, and Rome, are built in better taste; but, in expen- 
 sive interior decorations, the quantity and value of the orna- 
 ments of the altar, and the richness of the vestments, they 
 
 * This is a mode of painting in which the colors are mixed in some- 
 thing besides oil and water. When colors are mixed with size, whites 
 of eggs, or other unctuous or glutinous matter, and not with oil, it is said 
 to be done in distemper. — IVeoster. 
 
476 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 are far surpassed by the churches of Puebla and Mexico." 
 The cathedral forms one side of the great square ; on the 
 opposite side stands the cabildo, or town hall ; and the sides 
 are occupied with shops under arcades, the whole gaudily 
 painted. The exterior of the cathedral has nothing about it 
 very ornamental, or remarkable, but its interior furniture is 
 rich beyond description. The high altar is strikingly 
 splendid. Mr. Bullock describes it as a most superb sanctu- 
 ary of exquisite workmanship, and states, that it had been 
 but lately finished by an Italian artist, from Roman designs, 
 but executed in Mexico and of native materials. It occu- 
 pies a considerable part of the cathedral, and reaches into 
 the dome. " The platform which is raised some feet above 
 the level of the rest of the church, is inlaid with marble of 
 different colors. The interior of it is appropriated as a 
 cemetery of the bishops of Puebla. The walls are of black 
 and white marble, and the whole is vaulted with an elliptic 
 arch. The canopy which rests on this platform is support- 
 ed by eight double marble columns, the effect of which is 
 destroyed by brass ornaments and gilded capitals. The ceil- 
 ing of the canopy is highly ornamented with stucco and gold. 
 The custodia is of variegated marble; the front of embossed 
 silver, and so constructed as to slide down and show the 
 Host to the congregation. The custodia itself is surrounded 
 by five bronze figures. In front of this altar is suspended an 
 enormous lamp of massive gold and silver, very beautifully 
 wrought. The pulpit near it is cut out of a mass of carbo- 
 nate of lime, which is found near Puebla ; it receives a high 
 polish and is semi-transparent. A row of lofty columns sup- 
 porting the arches, runs round the whole interior of the 
 building. The sanctuaries are numerous and are ornamented 
 with a profusion of gilding, and some bad paintings. In the 
 midst of this splendor, miserable, half-naked Indians are to 
 be seen wandering about, or kneeling at the shrine of some 
 favorite saint, forming a singular and painful contrast to the 
 magnificence of the temple." 
 
 The bishop's palace contains a tolerable library. The 
 room is 200 feet long by 45 wide, and is " well furnished 
 with books, mostly in vellum bindings," They are chiefly 
 Spanish, with a few in French, and one, Mr. Bullock says, in 
 English ; but he gives no fuller account of it, than that it is 
 
 J 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 477 
 
 " the life of one of the kings of England." A Bible in 
 Spanish, with plates, was exhibited as a " great curiosity." 
 One part of the library consists of controversial divinity, 
 but the perusal of this portion is prohibited even to the 
 clergy. There is also a very good collection of pictures in 
 this palace. 
 
 Among the other religious edifices visited by the English 
 traveller, he enumerates the church of San Felipe Neri, one 
 of the largest buildings in the city, with the magnificent 
 hospicio, attached to it, which contains some " excellent 
 paintings," and is "finished with solid silver and gold cru- 
 cifixes ; " the church of La Santo Spiritu, formerly belonged 
 to the Jesuit's College, a large building in good architectural 
 taste ; the church and monastery of St. Augustine, " one of 
 the first class, with a square, high-raised altar of silver, orna- 
 mented with marble statues as large as life, and the sacristy 
 superbly decorated ; " and the church and monastery of St. 
 Dominick, which have also their silver altar, and " near the 
 rails are two dogs of the same metal, the size of life, on pe- 
 destals of gold and silver." The dome of this church is 
 covered with painted and gilt tiles. The little church of the 
 convent of St. Monica, deserves also to be mentioned, we are 
 told, for the richness of its vaulted roof, and walls encrusted 
 with elaborate carvings ; it also contains a few pictures, 
 statues, and silver ornaments. 
 
 Puebla is governed by four alcaldes, and sixteen subordi- 
 nate magistrates. The police, Mr. Bullock says, seems to be 
 well regulated. That many of the inhabitants are wealthy, is 
 attested by their equipages and retinues. " Handsome car- 
 riages, drawn by mules richly caparisoned, and attended by 
 servants in showy liveries, parade the streets and almedas, or 
 public walks, particularly on Sundays and holydays; but the 
 promenade is not worthy of so fine a city, and loses much of 
 its interest in the eyes of Europeans, by the almost total ab- 
 sence of females, except such as are in their carriages. 
 Handsome hackney coaches, drawn by mules, stand ready 
 for hire in the great square." There the market is held, 
 which is well supplied with every article of food, except 
 fish, which must be obtained from a great distance, and is 
 sent enclosed in coarse paste pies, half baked, to preserve 
 it. Poultry is plentiful and cheap, and the tropical fruits are 
 
478 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 supplied from the tierras calientcs. Indeed the necessaries, 
 and most of the luxuries of life, may be obtained at a reason- 
 able rate. 
 
 Puebla was once celebrated for its manufactory of coarse 
 woollens ; but this branch of industry has greatly fallen off. 
 The manufacture of glass, has of late been so much improved, 
 that they are stated already to rival England, in the tex- 
 ture and color of their glass. Their coarse and red earthen 
 ware is also excellent, but their machinery is very rude, and 
 no clay fit for porcelain has hitherto been discovered in the 
 country. Soap is a considerable article of trade, being sent 
 from Puebla to most parts of Mexico. One class of the in- 
 habitants, Mr. Bullock omits to notice : like the capital, 
 Puebla has its lazzaroni. The custom of begging in the 
 streets existed in Mexico, before the conquest ; and Cortes 
 speaks of the Indians begging like rational beings, as an evi- 
 dence of their civilization. " And in fact," remarks the 
 American, " it was the greatest he could have given : a peo- 
 ple in the hunter state, never beg or give in charity." In 
 times of scarcity, the old and infirm are sometimes killed from 
 compassion.* 
 
 CHOLULA. 
 
 This city lies about 60 miles east of Mexico, and out of 
 the usual route from Puebla to the former place. In the 
 time of Cortes, it contained, according to his account, 
 40,000 houses, independent of the adjoining villages or sub- 
 urbs, which he computed at as many more. Its commerce 
 consisted in manufactures of cotton, gems, and plates of 
 clay, and it was much famed for its jewellers and potters. 
 Cortes mentions that he counted more than four hundred 
 temples in and about the city. 
 
 The temple, however, which is the most ancient and most 
 celebrated of all the Mexican temples, lies to the east of this 
 city. It is now in ruins. The length of its base is 1,423 
 feet, and its height 173. This base is almost double that of 
 the great pyramid of Cheops in Egypt. At a distance, the 
 
 * Modern Traveller. — Mexico. 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 483 
 
 appearance that it now assumes, is that of a natural conical 
 hill, wooded, and crowned with a small church ; but as the 
 traveller approaches it, its pyramidal form becomes distin- 
 guishable, together with the four stories into which it is 
 shaped, although covered with vegetation, the prickly pear, 
 the nopal, and the cypress. It appears to have been con- 
 structed exactly in the direction of the four cardinal points. 
 It is built of unburnt bricks and clay, in alternate layers. 
 In making the present road from Puebla to Mexico, between 
 twenty and thirty years ago, the first story was cut through, 
 so that an eighth part remained isolated like a heap of bricks. 
 In making this opening, a square chamber was discovered in 
 the interior of the pyramid, built of stone, and supported by 
 beams of cypress wood. The chamber contained two skele- 
 tons, some idols of basalt, and a number of vases curiously 
 varnished and painted. No pains were taken to preserve the 
 objects ; but it is said to have been carefully ascertained that 
 this chamber had no outlet. The ascent to the platform is 
 by a flight of 120 steps. 
 
 As our principal object in speaking of Cholula, was to no- 
 tice this curious and magnificent relic of antiquity, we shall 
 only further observe, that the city itself, owing probably to 
 its proximity to Puebla, has greatly declined. It still occu- 
 pies, according to Mr. Bullock, a large space of ground, and 
 contains many regular and broad streets. Humboldt states 
 its population in 1802, at 16,000, while the former traveller 
 places it at 6,000. 
 
 But we will detain our companions no longer from a more 
 extended account, which we propose to give of the ancient 
 and celebrated capital of New Spain. 
 
 MEXICO. 
 
 Mexico, the next city to which we shall introduce our 
 fellow travellers, is the capital of a country, bearing the same 
 name. It is situated midway between the Gulf of Mexico 
 and the Pacific ocean. Latitude, 19° 26' north. Longitude, 
 90° 5' west. It has attracted much attention, not only on 
 account of the beauty of its situation, but the interesting 
 
484 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 historical incidents which pertain to it. Its history has the 
 interest of romance. A rapid sketch of this, before giving a 
 description of modern Mexico, will doubtless interest the 
 companions of our wanderings. 
 
 The city appears to have been founded by the Mexicans, 
 in 1325, at which time it bore the name of Tenochtitlan. It 
 was originally built on a group of islands, in the lake Tez- 
 cuco, which lay in a delightful valley, 70 leagues in circum- 
 ference, and elevated more than 7,000 feet above the level 
 of the sea. 
 
 Only twenty-seven years after the discovery of the New 
 World by Columbus, that is in 1519, Cortes, a Spanish ad- 
 venturer, landed in Mexico, then called New Spain, and in 
 the following year, took possession of the city. His fleet 
 consisted of eleven vessels, the largest of which was of only 
 100 tons ; three were of 70 or 80 tons, and the rest were 
 open barks. His army consisted of but 508 soldiers, in- 
 cluding sixteen horsemen, with ten small fieldpieces, four fal- 
 conets, and 109 seamen, or artificers. Such was the slender 
 and ill-provided train, with which, says Dr. Robertson, 
 Cortes made war upon a monarch, whose dominions were 
 more extensive than all the kingdom subject to the Spanish 
 crown. 
 
 Cortes landed at St. Juan d'Ulloa, to which place he gave 
 the name of Vera Cruz. To the governor of the province 
 he announced himself as an ambassador from Don Carlos of 
 Austria, King of Castile, the greatest monarch of the East; 
 and that he was entrusted with proposals of such moment, 
 that he could impart them to none but the emperor Monte- 
 zuma himself; he therefore required them to conduct him 
 into the presence of their master. The Mexican authorities 
 could not conceal their uneasiness at this request ; but, to 
 soften their refusal, they first ordered the presents to be 
 brought in, which they had prepared, with a view to concil- 
 iate the good will of the strangers. They consisted of fine 
 cotton cloth, plumes of various colors, and ornaments of 
 wrought gold and silver. The display of these served only 
 to stimulate in the Spaniards the lust of conquest ; and when 
 Teutile proceeded to dissuade Cortes from visiting the capi- 
 tal, he replied in a haughty and determined tone, that kings 
 never refused to receive the embassies of other princes ; and 
 insisted on their acquainting Montezuma with his arrival. 
 During this interview, some native artists had been diligently 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 485 
 
 employed in delineating upon white cotton cloths, representa- 
 tions of the ships, horses, artillery, soldiers, and every thing 
 else belonging to the strangers, which struck them as re- 
 markable. Cortes, having notice of this, and learning that 
 these pictures were to be despatched to Montezuma, resolved 
 to give further employment to the skill of these painters, and 
 to strengthen the impression made on the minds of these na- 
 tive chiefs, by the exhibition of a sham fight. Mounting his 
 horse, he ordered the trumpets to sound an alarm, and the 
 troops, forming into two bodies, skirmished in a martial 
 manner. The Mexicans looked on in silent amazement, 
 especially at the agility with which the cavalry performed 
 their evolutions; for, "observing the obedient fierceness of 
 those beasts," says De Solis, " they began to think there was 
 something more than natural in those men that managed 
 them. But, when, at a signal given by Cortes, the firearms, 
 and then the artillery was discharged, some fell to the ground, 
 others fled, and those who had most presence of mind, affect- 
 ed admiration to dissemble their fear." Cortes dismissed his 
 guests with some trifling presents. To Montezuma himself, 
 he sent some glass, a Holland shirt, a cap of crimson velvet 
 adorned with a gold medal, and a tapestry chair. Though 
 the capital was 200 miles distant, the pictures and presents 
 were forwarded to the sovereign, and his answer was return- 
 ed in a few days. Montezuma, it seems, had couriers posted 
 at convenient distances along the principal roads, by which 
 means intelligence was transmitted to the capital with aston- 
 ishing rapidity. His answer was a refusal to allow of the 
 nearer approach of the foreigners ; but this, too, was intro- 
 duced with a conciliatory present to the Spanish general, ex- 
 pressive at once of the monarch's magnificence and his fears. 
 It consisted of specimens of the manufactures of the country ; 
 cotton stuffs, so fine and of so delicate a texture, as to re- 
 semble silk ; pictures of animals, trees, and other natural 
 objects, formed with feathers of different colors most ingeni- 
 ously disposed ; two large circular plates, one of gold, repre- 
 senting the sun; the other of silver, representing the moon ; 
 with a variety of golden ornaments, and precious stones. 
 Cortes received all these with an appearance of the pro- 
 foundest respect, but, to the consternation of the Mexicans, 
 represented that, with every wish to show his obedience to 
 their monarch, it was impossible for him to leave the country, 
 consistently with his duly to his own sovereign, until he had 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 487 
 
 been admitted into the presence of the Prince, whom he had 
 been appointed to visit in his name. 
 
 The firmness, says Dr. Robertson, with which Cortes ad- 
 hered to his original proposal, should naturally have brought 
 the negotiation between him and Montezuma to a speedy 
 issue, as it seemed to leave the Mexican monarch no choice, 
 but either to receive him with confidence as a friend, or to 
 oppose him openly as an enemy. The latter was what might 
 have been expected from a haughty prince, in possession of 
 extensive power. The Mexican empire, at this period, was 
 at a pitch of grandeur to which no society ever attained in 
 so short a period. Though it had subsisted, according to 
 their own traditions, only 130 years, its dominion extended 
 from the north to the south sea, over territories stretching, 
 with some small interruption, above five hundred leagues 
 from east to west, and more than two hundred from north to 
 south, comprehending provinces not inferior in fertility, pop- 
 ulation, and opulence, to any in the torrid zone. The people 
 were warlike and enterprising; the authority of the monarch 
 unbounded, and his revenues considerable. If, with the 
 forces which might have been suddenly assembled in such an 
 empire, Montezuma had fallen upon the Spaniards, while 
 encamped on a barren, unhealthy coast, unsupported by any 
 ally, without a place of retreat, and destitute of provisions, 
 it seems impossible, even with all the advantages of their su- 
 perior discipline and arms, that they could have stood the 
 shock, and they must either have perished in such an unequal 
 contest, or have abandoned the enterprise. 
 
 As the power of Montezuma enabled him to take this 
 spirited part, his own dispositions were such as seemed natu- 
 rally to prompt him to it. Of all the princes, who had 
 swayed the Mexican sceptre, he was the most haughty, the 
 most violent, and the most impatient of control. His subjects 
 looked up to him with awe, and his enemies with terror. 
 The former he governed with unexampled rigor, but they 
 were impressed with such an opinion of his capacity, as 
 commanded their respect; and by many victories over the 
 latter, he had spread far the dread of his arms, and had 
 added several considerable provinces to his dominions. But, 
 though his talents might be suited to the transactions of a 
 state so imperfectly polished as the Mexican empire, and 
 sufficient to conduct them while in their accustomed course, 
 
488 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 they were altogether inadequate to a conjuncture so extra- 
 ordinary, and did not qualify him either to judge with the dis- 
 cernment, or to act with the decision, requisite in such a 
 trying emergence. 
 
 From the moment that the Spaniards appeared on his 
 coast, he discovered symptoms of timidity and embarrassment. 
 Instead of taking such resolutions as the consciousness of 
 his own power, or the memory of his former exploits, might 
 have inspired, he deliberated with an anxiety and hesitation, 
 which did not escape the notice of his meanest courtiers. 
 The perplexity and discomposure of Montezuma's mind, 
 upon this occasion, as well as the general dismay of his sub- 
 jects, were not owing wholly to the impression which the 
 Spaniards had made by the novelty of their appearance, and 
 the terror of their arms. Its origin may be traced up to a 
 more remote source. There was an opinion, if we may be- 
 lieve the earliest and most authentic Spanish historians, 
 almost universal among the Americans, that some dreadful 
 calamity was impending over their heads, from a race of 
 formidable invaders, who should come from regions towards 
 the rising sun, to overrun and desolate their country. 
 Whether this disquieting apprehension flowed from the 
 memory of some natural calamity, which had afflicted that 
 part of the globe, and impressed the minds of the inhabitants 
 with superstitious fears and forebodings, or whether it was 
 an imagination accidentally suggested by the astonishment, 
 which the first sight of a new race of men occasioned, it is 
 impossible to determine. But, as the Mexicans were more 
 prone to superstition than any people in the new world, 
 they were more deeply affected by the appearance of the 
 Spaniards, whom their credulity instantly represented as the 
 instrument destined to bring about this fatal revolution which 
 they dreaded. Under these circumstances, it ceases to be in- 
 credible that a handful of adventurers should alarm the mon- 
 arch of a great empire, and all his subjects. 
 
 Notwithstanding the influence of this impression, when the 
 messenger arrived from the Spanish camp, with an account 
 that the leader of the strangers, adhering to his original de- 
 mand, refused to obey the order enjoining him to leave the 
 country, Montezuma assumed some degree of resolution, 
 and, in a transport of rage natural to a fierce prince, unac- 
 customed to meet with any opposition to his will, he threaten- 
 ed to sacrifice those presumptuous men to his gods. But 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 489 
 
 his doubts and fears quickly returned, and instead of issuing 
 orders to carry his threats into execution, he again called 
 his ministers to confer, and offer their advice. Feeble and 
 temporising measures will always be the result, when men 
 assemble to deliberate, in a situation where they ought to 
 act. The Mexican counsellors took no effectual measures 
 for expelling such troublesome intruders, and were satisfied 
 with issuing a more positive injunction, requiring them to 
 leave the country; but this they preposterously accompanied 
 with a present of such value, as proved a fresh inducement to 
 remain there. 
 
 The definitive orders of Montezuma at length were re- 
 ceived by a messenger, that the Spaniards should leave the 
 country. Cortes, however, had no intention of surrendering 
 an object, which addressed itself so strongly to his avarice 
 and ambition ; and by cunning and artifice, for which he was 
 distinguished, roused his soldiers to such a pitch of enthusi- 
 asm, as to demand of him to be conducted towards the capi- 
 tal of the empire. 
 
 Cortes did not allow his men time to cool, but immediately 
 set about carrying his design into execution. 
 
 Proceeding from the coast where they landed, and in their 
 progress achieving an easy victory over the country through 
 which they passed, about the first of November they came in 
 sight of the vast plain of Mexico, in which stood the capital 
 of the renowned -Montezuma. " When they first beheld this 
 prospect," says Dr. Robertson, " one of the most striking 
 and beautiful on the face of the earth ; when they observed 
 fertile and cultivated fields stretching further than the eye 
 could reach ; when they saw a lake resembling the sea in ex- 
 tent, encompassed by large towns, and discovered the capital 
 rising upon an island in the middle, adorned with temples 
 and turrets ; the scene so far exceeded their imagination, 
 that some believed the powerful descriptions of romance were 
 realized, and that its enchanted palaces and gilded domes 
 were presented to their sight; others could hardly persuade 
 themselves that this wonderful spectacle was any thing more 
 than a dream. As they advanced, their doubts were re- 
 moved, but their amazement increased. They were now 
 fully satisfied, that the country was rich beyond any concep- 
 tion which they had formed of it, and flattered themselves, 
 that, at length, they should obtain ample recompense for all 
 their services and sufferings." 
 
490 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 " When they drew near the city, about a thousand persons, 
 who appeared to be of distinction, came forth to meet them, 
 adorned with plumes, and clad in mantles of fine cotton. 
 They announced the approach of Montezuma himself, and 
 soon after his harbingers came in sight. There appeared 
 first two hundred persons in a uniform dress, with large 
 plumes of feathers, alike in fashion, marching two and two, 
 in deep silence, barefooted, with their eyes fixed on the 
 ground. These were followed by a company of higher rank, 
 in their most showy apparel, in the midst of whom was Mon- 
 tezuma, in a chair or litter, richly ornamented with gold, 
 and feathers of various colors. Four of his principal favorites 
 carried him on their shoulders ; others supported a canopy 
 of curious workmanship over his head. Before him marched 
 three officers with rods of gold in their hands, which they 
 lifted up on high at certain intervals, at which signal all the 
 people bowed their heads, and hid their faces, as unworthy 
 to look on so great a monarch. When he drew near, Cor- 
 tes dismounted, advancing towards him with officious haste, 
 and in a respectful posture. At the same time, Montezuma 
 alighted from his chair, and, leaning on the arms of two of 
 his near relations, approached with a slow and stately pace, 
 his attendants covering the street with cotton cloths, that he 
 might not touch the ground. Cortes accosted him with pro- 
 found reverence, after the European fashion. He returned the 
 salutation according to the mode of his country, by touching 
 the earth with his hand, and then kissing it." 
 
 Montezuma conducted Cortes to the quarters which he 
 had prepared for his reception, and immediately took leave 
 of him, with a politeness not unworthy of a court more re- 
 fined. " You are now," says he, " with your brothers in 
 your own house ; refresh yourselves after your fatigue, and 
 be happy until I return." The place allotted to the 
 Spaniards for their lodging, was a house built by the father 
 of Montezuma. It was surrounded by a stone wall with 
 towers at proper distances, which served for defence as well 
 as ornament ; and its apartments and courts were so large, 
 as to accommodate both the Spaniards and their Indian 
 allies. 
 
 In the evening, Montezuma returned to visit his guests, 
 with the same pomp as in the first interview, bringing pres- 
 ents of great value not only to Cortes and his officers, but 
 even to the private men. A long conference ensued, in 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 491 
 
 the course of which Montezuma informed Cortes that it 
 was an established tradition among the Mexicans, that 
 their ancestors came originally from a remote region, and 
 conquered the pioneers now subject to his dominion ; that 
 after they were settled there, the great captain who con- 
 ducted this colony, returned to his own country, promising 
 that at some future period his descendants should visit them, 
 assume the government, and reform their constitutional laws ; 
 that from what he had seen and heard of Cortes and his fol- 
 lowers, he was convinced that they were the very persons 
 whose appearance the Mexican traditions and prophecies 
 taught them to expect ; that accordingly he had received 
 them not as strangers, but as relations of the same blood and 
 parentage, and desired that they might consider themselves 
 as masters in his dominions. 
 
 Nothing could have been more grateful to the crafty 
 Cortes, and he was not backward in improving this tradition- 
 ary acknowledgment to his advantage, and so framed his dis- 
 course as to strengthen the belief, which Montezuma had 
 formed concerning the origin of the Spaniards. 
 
 Several days were now employed in viewing the city ; 
 the appearance of which, so far superior in the order of its 
 buildings, and the number of its inhabitants, to any place the 
 Spaniards had beheld in America, and yet so little resembling 
 the structure of an European city, filled them with sur- 
 prise and admiration. 
 
 In a letter addressed to the emperor Charles V., in 
 1520, Cortes thus describes it : " The great city of Te- 
 mixtitan (a corruption of the true name of Tonoctitlan) is 
 situated in the midst of the salt water lake, which has its 
 tides like the sea; and from the city to the continent there 
 are two leagues, whichever way we wish to enter. Four 
 dikes lead to the city : they are made by the hand of man, 
 and are of the breadth of two lances. The city is as large 
 as Seville or Cordova. The streets, (I merely speak of the 
 principal ones,) are very narrow and very long ; some are 
 half dry and half occupied by navigable canals, furnished 
 with very well constructed wooden bridges, broad enough 
 for ten men on horseback to pass at the same time. The 
 market place, twice as large as that of Seville, is surround- 
 ed with an immense portico, under which are exposed for 
 sale all sorts of merchandise, eatables, ornaments made of 
 gold, silver, lead, pewter, precious stones, bones, shells, and 
 
492 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 feathers ; delf ware, leather, and spun cotton. We find 
 hewn stone, tiles, and timber fit for building. There are 
 lanes for game, others for roots and garden fruits ; there are 
 houses where barbers shave the head, (with razors made of 
 obsidian ;) and there are houses resembling our apothecary 
 shops, where prepared medicines, unguents, and plasters are 
 sold. The market abounds with so many things, that I am 
 unable to name them all to your highness. To avoid confu- 
 sion, every species of merchandise is sold in a separate lane ; 
 every thing is sold by the yard ; but nothing has hitherto 
 been seen to be weighed in the market. In the midst of the 
 great square is a house which I shall call l'Audicucia, in 
 which ten or twelve persons sit constantly for determining 
 any disputes which may arise respecting the sale of goods. 
 There are other persons who mix continually with the crowd, 
 to see that a just price is asked. We have seen them break 
 the false measures, which they had seized from the mer- 
 chants." 
 
 The access to the city from the continent, was by three 
 great dikes or causeways, formed of stones and earth, about 
 thirty feet in breadth. That on the west extended a mile 
 and a half; that on the north-west, three miles ; that on the 
 south, six miles. On the east, there was no causeway, owing 
 to the great depth of the lake in that direction, and the 
 city could only be approached by canoes. In each of these 
 causeways were openings at proper intervals, through which 
 the waters flowed, and over these were laid beams of timber 
 covered with earth. 
 
 The city was adorned with numerous temples, one of 
 which, the Teacalli, or great temple of Mexitti, was par- 
 ticularly distinguished. This was a truncated pyramid, 120 
 feet high, and 318 square at its base, situated in the midst 
 of a vast inclosure of walls, and consisting of five stories. 
 When seen from a distance, it appeared an enormous cube, 
 with small altars covered with wooden cupolas on the top. 
 The point where these cupolas terminated, was 177 feet 
 above the pavement of the inclosure. The material of which 
 the pyramid was built, is supposed to have been clay, faced 
 with a porous stone, resembling pumice stone, hard and 
 smooth, but easily destructible. Humboldt considers this 
 edifice as bearing a strong resemblance in form to the tem- 
 ple or tower of Babel, which was dedicated to Jupiter Be- 
 

 
 
 
 
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FAMILY TOURIST. 495 
 
 lus. This temple was finished and dedica' in the year 
 1486, at which time, according to Torqu*; ada, 72,324 
 human beings, who had been taken prisoner in war, were 
 sacrificed. The public buildings and house jf the nobles 
 were of stone ; those of the common peo e were partly 
 constructed of wood, and partly of a spongy cone, light and 
 easily broken. The population of the city at the time of the 
 conquest by Cortes, is variously estimated from sixty thousand 
 to a million and a half. The former is the estimate of Dr. 
 Robertson. 
 
 Montezuma II., who was the reigning monarch, at the 
 time of the expedition of Cortes, and who held his court 
 within the city, was esteemed a person of great bravery, but 
 exceedingly fond of pomp and power. He was elected to 
 the throne in 1502. The ceremony of his coronation was 
 performed with greater pomp than had ever before been 
 witnessed in Mexico. The altars streamed with the blood 
 of human victims offered in his barbarous sacrifices. The 
 pageantry of his royal household exceeded that of the prin- 
 ces of the east. Every morning six hundred feudatory 
 lords and nobles were required to pay court to him. " They 
 passed the whole day in the ante-chamber, where none of 
 their servants were permitted to enter, conversing in a low 
 voice, and waiting the order of their sovereign. The ser- 
 vants who accompanied these lords, were so numerous as to 
 occupy three small courts of the palace, and many waited in 
 the streets. The women about the court were not less in 
 number, including those of rank, servants, and slaves. All 
 this numerous female tribe lived shut up in a kind of se- 
 raglio, under the care of some noble matrons, who watched 
 over their conduct, as these kings were extremely jealous, 
 and every piece of misconduct which happened in the pal- 
 ace, however slight, was severely punished. Of these women, 
 the king retained those who pleased him ; the others he 
 gave away as a recompense for the services of his vassals. 
 All the feudatories of the crown were obliged to reside for 
 some months of the year at the court ; and at their return to 
 their states, to leave their sons or brothers behind them as 
 hostages, which the king demanded as a security for their 
 fidelity ; on which account they were required to keep houses 
 in Mexico. 
 
496 
 
 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 The forms and ceremonials introduced at court, were 
 another effec of the despotism of Montezuma. No one 
 could enter t! 5 palace, either to serve the king, or to confer 
 with him on iy business, without pulling off his shoes and 
 stockings at L 3 gate. No person was allowed to appear 
 before the k'u[ in any pompous dress, as it was deemed a 
 want of respec> to majesty ; consequently the greatest lords, 
 excepting the . earest relations of the king, stripped them- 
 selves of the rich dress which they wore, or at least covered 
 it with one rao'e ordinary, to show their humility before 
 him. All pers( ns on entering the hall of audience, and be- 
 fore speaking to the king, made three bows, saying at the 
 first, " lord; " at the second, " my lord ; " and at the third, 
 " great lord." Ti ey spoke low and with the head inclined, 
 and received the answers which the king gave them, by 
 means of his secretaries, as attentively and humbly, as if it 
 had been the voice of an oracle. In taking leave, no person 
 ever turned his back upon the throne. 
 
 The audience hall served also for his dining room. The 
 table was a large pillow, and his seat, a low chair. The 
 tablecloth, napkins, and towels were of cotton, but very 
 fine, white, and always perfectly clean. The kitchen uten- 
 sils were of the earthen ware of Cholula; but none of these 
 things were served him more than once, as immediately af- 
 terwards he gave them to one of his nobles. The cups in 
 which they prepared his chocolate and other drinks of the 
 cocoa, were of gold, or some beautiful seashell, or naturally 
 formed vessels curiously varnished. He had gold plate, 
 but it was used only on certain festivals, in the temple. 
 The number and variety of dishes at his table amazed the 
 Spaniards, who saw them. The conqueror Cortes says, 
 that they covered the floor of a great hall, and that there 
 were dishes of every kind of game, fish, fruit, and herbs of 
 that country. Three or four hundred noble youths carried 
 this dinner in form, presented it as soon as the king sat down 
 to table, and immediately retired ; and, that it might not grow 
 cold, every dish was accompanied with its chafing-dish. 
 The king marked, with a rod which he had in his hand, the 
 meats which he chose, and the rest were distributed among 
 the nobles, who were in the ante-chamber. Before he sat 
 down, four of the most beautiful women of his seraglio pre- 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 497 
 
 sented water to him to wash his hands, and continued stand- 
 ing all the time of his dinner, together with six of his princi- 
 pal ministers, and his carver. 
 
 As soon as the king sat down to table, the carver shut the 
 door of the hall, that none of the other nobles might see 
 him eat. The ministers stood at a distance, and kept a 
 profound silence, unless when they made answer to what 
 the king said. The carver and the four women served the 
 dishes to him, besides two others, who brought him bread 
 made of maize, baked with eggs. He frequently heard 
 music during the time of his meal, and was entertained 
 with the humorous sayings of some deformed men, whom 
 he kept out of mere state. He showed much satisfaction 
 in hearing them, and observed, that amongst their jests, they 
 frequently pronounced some important truth; When dinner 
 was over he took tobacco mixed with liquid amber, in a pipe 
 or reed beautifully varnished, and with the smoke of it put 
 himself to sleep. 
 
 After having slept a little, upon the same low chair, he 
 gave audience, and listened attentively to all that was com- 
 municated to him, and answered every one by his ministers 
 or secretaries. After giving audience, he was entertained 
 with music, being much delighted with hearing the glorious 
 actions of his ancestors sung. At other times, he amused 
 himself with seeing various games played. When he went 
 abroad, he was carried on the shoulders of the nobles, in a 
 litter covered with rich canopy, attended by a numerous retir 
 nue of courtiers; and wherever he passed, every person 
 stopped with their eyes shut, as if they feared to be dazzled 
 with the splendor of majesty. When he alighted from the 
 litter, to walk on foot, they spread carpets, that he might not 
 touch the earth with his feet. 
 
 The grandeur and magnificence of his palaces, houses of 
 pleasure, woods, and gardens, were correspondent to this 
 majesty. The palace of his usual residence was a vast edi- 
 fice of stone and lime, which had twenty doors to the public 
 squares and streets; three great courts, in one of which was 
 a beautiful fountain ; several halls, and more than a hun- 
 dred chambers. Some of the apartments had walls of mar- 
 ble, and other valuable kinds of stone. The beams were of 
 cedar, cypress, and other excellent woods, well finished and 
 carved. Among the halls, there was one so large, that, ac- 
 
 32 
 
498 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 cording to the testimony of an eyewitness of veracity, it 
 could contain three thousand people. Besides this palace, 
 he had others, both within and without the capital. In 
 Mexico, besides the seraglio for his wives, there was lodging 
 for all his ministers and counsellors, and all the officers of 
 his household and court ; and also accommodation for for- 
 eign lords, who arrived there, and particularly for the two 
 allied kings. 
 
 The great temple to which allusion has already been 
 made, occupied the centre of the city, and was enclosed with 
 a wall of a square form, between which and the temple, 
 Cortes affirms, a town of five hundred houses might have 
 been built. Numerous priests were attached to this temple. 
 Their dress did not differ from that of the common people, 
 except a black cotton mantle, which they wore in the man- 
 ner of a veil upon their heads. The monastic priests 
 were clothed in black. They never shaved, but twisted 
 their beards with thick cotton cords, and bedaubed them with 
 ink. 
 
 Among other services, which they performed, was that of 
 effecting their sacrifices, which consisted chiefly of human 
 victims. In general the victims suffered death by having 
 their breasts opened ; but others were drowned in the lake, 
 others died of hunger, shut up in the caverns of the moun- 
 tains, and some fell in the gladiatorial sacrifice. The usual 
 place of offering was the temple, in the upper area of which 
 stood the altar destined for ordinary sacrifices. v The altar 
 of the great temple of Mexico, was a green stone convex 
 above, about three feet high, as many broad, and more than 
 five feet long. A victim who was to be sacrificed, was ex- 
 tended upon the altar, four priests held his legs and arms, 
 and another kept his head firm with a wooden instrument, 
 made in form of a coiled serpent, which was put about his 
 neck. The inhuman Topiltzin, or chief priest, then ap- 
 proached, and with a cutting knife, made of flint, dexter- 
 ously opened his breast, and tore out his heart, which, while 
 yet palpitating, he offered to the sun, and afterwards threw 
 it at the feet of the particular idol to which the sacrifice was 
 made. If the victim was a prisoner of war, the officer or 
 soldier to whom the prisoner belonged, carried the body to 
 his house, to be boiled and dressed, as an entertainment to 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 503 
 
 his friends. If the victim was a slave purchased for sacri- 
 fice, the proprietor carried off the body from the altar for the 
 same purpose. 
 
 The most celebrated sacrifice among the Mexicans was 
 that called by the Spaniards the gladiatorial. Only prison- 
 ers who were renowned for their bravery were permitted to 
 die by it. The prisoner was placed on a large round stone, 
 in figure like a millstone. He was armed with a shield and 
 a short sword, and tied by one foot. A Mexican officer or 
 soldier, better accoutred in arms, mounted to combat with 
 him. Usually a dreadful contest succeeded. If the prisoner 
 was vanquished, he was carried, dead or alive, to the altar of 
 the common sacrifices, where his heart was taken out, while 
 the victor was applauded by the assembly, and rewarded by 
 the king with some military honor. If the prisoner succeed- 
 ed in conquering six different combatants, he was granted 
 his life, set at liberty, and returned with glory to his native 
 country. 
 
 The number of human victims which were annually sacri- 
 ficed on the altars of Mexico, and in different places of the 
 empire, is said to have amounted to 20,000. Some writers 
 affirm that this number were sacrificed in the capital alone. 
 For many years the most bloody wars, the most inhuman 
 sacrifices and cannibal feasts, had disgraced the city and em- 
 pire, and had long cried to Heaven for its avenging justice 
 upon the authors of these most awful crimes. In Cortes 
 we seem to see the unconscious minister of the Divine wrath 
 upon the guilty Montezuma, his officers and priests. Not 
 that Cortes can be justified in the violent methods to which 
 he resorted; he obviously had no intention of fulfilling the 
 Divine will, and become the minisiter of Heaven's ven- 
 geance; but however guilty he may have been, we cannot 
 fail to see that the retributions of the infinite God were just 
 upon a king and people who were laden with such guilt. 
 
 Cortes and his companions, according to the Abbe Clavi- 
 gero, discovered among the Mexicans various games and feats, 
 which were practised by way of amusement, and at the same 
 time to give agility to their limbs, and accustom them to the 
 fatigues of war. We shall notice but two which are thus de- 
 scribed by the above historian. 
 
 "The exhibition of the fliers, which was made on great 
 
 # 
 
504 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 festivals, and particularly in secular years, was, though of 
 less public benefit, more celebrated than all others. They 
 sought in the woods for an extremely lofty tree, which, af- 
 ter stripping it of its branches and bark, they brought to 
 the city and placed in the centre of some large square. 
 They cased the front of the tree in a wooden cylinder, which, 
 on account of some resemblance in its shape, the Spaniards 
 called a mortar. From this cylinder hung some strong ropes 
 which served to support a square frame. In the space be- 
 tween the cylinder and the frame, they fixed four other thick 
 ropes, which they twisted as many times round the tree as 
 there were revolutions to be made by the fliers. These 
 ropes were drawn through four holes, made in the middle of 
 the four planks of which the frame consisted. The four 
 principal fliers, disguised like eagles, herons, and other 
 birds, mounted the tree with great agility, by means of a 
 rope which was laced about it from the ground up to the 
 frame ; from the frame they mounted one at a time succes- 
 sively upon the cylinder, and having danced there a little, 
 they tied themselves round with the ends of the ropes, which 
 were drawn through the holes of the frame, and launch- 
 ing with a spring from it, began their flight with their wings 
 expanded. The action of their bodies put the frame and 
 cylinder in motion ; the frame, by its revolutions, gradually 
 untwisted the cords by which the fliers swung ; so that as the 
 ropes lengthened, they made so much the greater circles in 
 their flight. Whilst these four were flying, a fifth danced 
 upon the cylinder, beating a little drum, or waving a flag, 
 without the smallest apprehension of the danger he was in of 
 being precipitated from such a height. The others who 
 were upon the frame, (there having been ten or twelve per- 
 sons generally who mounted,) as soon as they saw the fliers 
 in their last revolution, precipitated themselves, in order to 
 reach the ground at the same time, amid the acclamations of 
 the populace. Those who precipitated themselves in this 
 manner by the ropes, that they might make a still greater 
 display of their agility, frequently passed from one rope 
 to another, at that part where, on account of the little dis- 
 tance there was between them, it was possible for them to 
 do so. 
 
 The exercises also which, in some countries, are called 
 the powers of Hercules, were extremely common among 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 509 
 
 them. One man began to dance; another, placed upright on 
 his shoulders, accompanied him in his movements ; while a 
 third, standing upright on the head of the second, danced 
 and displayed other instances of agility. They placed also 
 a beam upon the shoulders of two dancers, while a third 
 danced upon the end of it. The first Spaniards, who were 
 witnesses of these and other exhibitions of the Mexicans, 
 were so much astonished at their agility, that they suspected 
 some supernatural power assisted them, forgetting to make a 
 due allowance for the progress of human genius, and assist- 
 ed by application and labor. 
 
 Although Montezuma had in effect surrendered the city, 
 and also his dominions, into the hands of Cortes, as has al- 
 ready been noticed, the latter began to feel that his situa- 
 tion was perilous. A single turn of circumstances might 
 expose both himself and his followers to ruin. His only 
 means of securing the advantage, which he had obtained, 
 seemed to lie in obtaining possession of the person of 
 Montezuma. This measure, however, startled the more 
 timid of his followers; but their objections were soon over- 
 ruled by the more pressing considerations of necessity. A 
 pretext for this act of hostility soon presented itself. Mes- 
 sengers arrived from Vera Cruz, where Cortes had left a 
 small garrison, informing Cortes, that Qualpopoca, one 
 of Montezuma's generals, had attacked it, and had mortally 
 wounded the commander of the garrison with seven of his 
 men. 
 
 On receiving this intelligence, mortifying and alarming to 
 Cortes, the latter, accompanied by several of his officers, 
 sought an interview with Montezuma. Thirty chosen men 
 followed, not in regular order, but sauntering at some dis- 
 tance, as if they had no object but curiosity. The remain- 
 der of his troops were ordered under arms, ready to sally out 
 on the first alarm. On being admitted to the presence of 
 Montezuma, the Mexican attendants retiring as usual, Cor- 
 tes informed the monarch of the assault upon the garrison, 
 and demanded an explanation. Montezuma asserted his 
 own innocence, and as a proof of it gave orders instantly to 
 bring Qualpopoca and his accomplices, prisoners to Mexi- 
 co. Cortes replied that it would be more convincing proof 
 of the monarch's innocence, if he would remove from his pal- 
 ace, and take up his residence for a time in the Spanish 
 
510 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 quarters. To this strange proposal, Montezuma at first, 
 through indignation, could hardly reply, but at length he 
 haughtily answered, " That persons of his rank were not ac- 
 customed voluntarily to give up themselves as prisoners ; 
 and were he mean enough to do so, his subjects would not 
 permit such an affront to be offered to their sovereign ! " 
 Cortes, unwilling to employ force, endeavored alternately to 
 soothe and to intimidate him. The altercation became 
 warm, and having continued above three hours, Velasquiz 
 de Leon, an impetuous and gallant young man, exclaimed 
 with impatience, " Why waste more time in vain ? Let us 
 either seize him instantly, or stab him to the heart." The 
 threatening voice and fierce gestures, with which these words 
 were uttered, struck Montezuma. The Spaniards, he was 
 sensible had now proceeded so far, as left him no hope that 
 they would recede. His own danger was imminent, the neces- 
 sity unavoidable. He saw both, and abandoning himself to 
 his fate, complied with their request. 
 
 His officers were called. He communicated to them his 
 resolution. Though astonished and afflicted, they presumed 
 not to question the will of their master, but carried him 
 in silent pomp, all bathed in tears, to the Spanish quarters. 
 When it was known that the strangers were conveying away 
 the emperor, the people broke out with the wildest transports 
 of grief and rage, threatening the Spaniards with immediate 
 destruction, as the punishment justly due to their impious 
 audacity. But as soon as Montezuma appeared, with a seem- 
 ing gayety of countenance, and waved his hand, the tumult 
 was hushed ; and upon his declaring it to be of his own choice, 
 that he went to reside for some time among his new friends, 
 the multitude, taught to revere every intimation of their sove- 
 reign's pleasure, quietly dispersed. 
 
 Thus was a powerful prince seized by a few strangers in 
 the midst of his capital, at noonday, and carried off as a 
 prisoner, without opposition, or bloodshed. History con- 
 tains nothing parallel to this event, either with respect 
 to the temerity of the attempt, or the success of the execu- 
 tion. 
 
 Montezuma was received in the Spanish quarters with 
 all the ceremonious respect which Cortes had promised. 
 He was attended by his own domestics, and served with his 
 usual state. His principal officers had free access to him, 
 and he carried on every function of government, as if he 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 511 
 
 had been at perfect liberty. The Spaniards, however, 
 watched him with the scrupulous vigilance, which was natural 
 in guarding so important a prize, endeavoring at the same 
 time to soothe and reconcile him to his situation, by every 
 external demonstration as regards attachment. But from 
 captive princes the hour of humiliation and suffering is 
 never far distant, Qualpopoca, his son, and five of the prin- 
 cipal officers who served under him, were brought prisoners 
 to the capital, in consequence of the orders which Montezu- 
 ma had issued. The emperor gave them up to Cortes, that 
 he might inquire into the nature of their crimes, and deter- 
 mine their punishment. They were formally tried by a Span- 
 ish court-martial ; and, though they had acted no other part 
 than what became loyal subjects and brave men, in obeying 
 the orders of their lawful sovereign, and in opposing the in- 
 vaders of their country, they were condemned to be burnt 
 alive. The execution of such atrocious deeds is seldom 
 long suspended. The unhappy victims were instantly led 
 forth. The pile on which they were laid, was composed of 
 the weapons collected in the royal magazine for the public 
 defence. 
 
 Just before dualpopoca was led out to suffer, Cortes 
 entered the apartment of Montezuma, followed by some of 
 his officers, and a soldier carrying a pair of fetters ; and ap- 
 proaching the monarch with a stern countenance, told him, 
 that as the persons who were now to undergo the punish- 
 ment which they merited, had charged him as the cause of 
 the outrage committed, it was necessary that he likewise 
 should make atonement for that guilt ; then turning away 
 abruptly, without waiting for a reply, commanded the sol- 
 diers to clap the fetters on his legs. The orders were in- 
 stantly executed. The disconsolate monarch, trained up 
 with an idea that his person was sacred and inviolable, and 
 considering this profanation of it as the prelude of immediate 
 death, broke out into loud lamentations and complaints. 
 His attendants, speechless with horror, fell at his feet, 
 bathing them with tears ; and bearing up the fetters in their 
 hands, endeavored with officious tenderness to lighten their 
 pressure. Nor did their grief and despondency abate, until 
 Cortes returned from the execution, and, with a cheerful 
 countenance ordered the fetters to be taken off. As Mon- 
 tezuma's spirits had sunk with unmanly dejection, they now 
 
MONTEZUMA CHAINED BY ORDER OF CORTEZ. 
 
 RETREAT OF CORTEZ. 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 513 
 
 rose into indecent joy ; and with an unbecoming transition, 
 he passed at once from the anguish of despair to transports 
 of gratitude and expressions of fondness towards his de- 
 liverer. 
 
 The spirit of Montezuma was now not only overawed, but 
 subdued. During six months that Cortes remained in Mex- 
 ico, the monarch continued in the Spanish quarters, with 
 an appearance of satisfaction and even tranquillity. His min- 
 isters and officers attended him as usual. The affairs of the 
 government were conducted in his name. But Cortes was 
 the real ruler of the empire, and he took every precaution 
 to strengthen and fortify his power. One thing, however, 
 was wanting to complete his security. He wished to have such 
 a command of the lake, as might insure a retreat, should the 
 Mexicans suddenly arm themselves against him, and break 
 down the bridges or causeways, in order to enclose him in 
 the city. 
 
 In order to obtain this, without giving disgust to the em- 
 peror or his court, Cortes artfully influenced the curiosity 
 of the Indians with accounts of the Spanish shipping, and 
 those floating palaces that moved with such velocity on the 
 water, without the assistance of oars ; and when he found 
 that the monarch himself was extremely desirous of seeing 
 such a novelty, he gave him to understand, that nothing was 
 wanting to his gratification besides a few necessaries from 
 Vera Cruz, for that he had workmen in his army capable 
 of building such vessels. The bait took with Montezuma; 
 and he gave immediate orders that all his people should as- 
 sist Cortes in whatever he should direct concerning the 
 shipping. By this means, in a few days, two brigantines were 
 got ready, full rigged and equipped ; and Montezuma was 
 invited on board, to make the first trial of their sailing, of 
 which he could form no idea. Accordingly he embarked 
 for this purpose, and gave orders for a great hunting upon 
 the water, in order that all his people might be diverted with 
 the novelty presented by the Spaniards. On the day ap- 
 pointed, the royal equipage was ready early in the morning ; 
 and the lake was covered with a multitude of boats and ca- 
 noes loaded with people. The Mexicans had augmented 
 the number of their rowers on board the royal barges, with 
 an intention to disgrace the Spanish vessels, which they re- 
 garded as clumsy, unwieldy, and heavy. But they were soon 
 undeceived ; a fresh gale starting up, the brigantines hoisted 
 33 
 
514 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 sail, to the utter astonishment of all the spectators, and soon 
 left all the canoes behind ; while the monarch exulted in the 
 victory of the Spaniards, without once considering that now 
 he had effectually riveted his own chains. 
 
 Cortes having obtained this important point, next insisted 
 that Montezuma should acknowledge himself a vassal to 
 the crown of Castile. With this requisition, humiliating 
 as it was, Montezuma complied. But when Cortes attempt- 
 ed to alter the religion of the monarch, and his people, and 
 began to throw down the idols in the great temple, the 
 priests took up arms, and the whole city, at their instigation, 
 rose in defence of their gods. In order to appease the tu- 
 mult, Cortes was obliged to desist from the attempt, and soon 
 after was informed by the emperor that his gods demanded 
 that he and his followers should instantly depart from the 
 empire. 
 
 Several other circumstances united to render the situation 
 of Cortes critical and dangerous, and it was judged advisa- 
 ble both by himself and his officers, to retire from the city. 
 This he now did, leaving a hundred and fifty men as a gar- 
 rison to guard the capital, and the captive emperor. Soon 
 after the departure of Cortes, Alvarado, the commander of 
 the Spanish garrison, attacked the inhabitants, during one 
 of their solemn festivals, in the very court of their great 
 temple, and massacred great numbers. This atrocious 
 outrage raised the whole population against them — their two 
 brigantines were seized and destroyed — their magazine of 
 provisions was reduced to ashes, and several of the Span- 
 ish soldiers were killed and wounded. Messengers were 
 immediately despatched to Cortes, who, at the head of his 
 Spaniards and an auxiliary force of two thousand Flasca- 
 laus, returned to the capital. The haughty conduct of Cor- 
 tes on his return, so exasperated the Mexicans, that they re- 
 newed the assault on the Spaniards with undaunted courage 
 and implacable ferocity. At every discharge of the Span- 
 ish artillery, multitudes of the Mexicans fell ; but at length 
 Cortes was obliged to retreat, and, moreover, was himself 
 wounded in the hand. 
 
 On renewing the assault the next morning, the Mexicans 
 were grieved and astonished to behold their captive sovereign 
 advancing towards them, and to hear him exhorting them 
 to cease from hostilities. A sullen murmur of disapproba- 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 515 
 
 / 
 
 tion succeeded to his discourse, which at length broke out 
 into the most furious rage : flights of arrows and volleys of 
 stones were poured on the ramparts ; and before the Spanish 
 soldiers appointed to guard Montezuma had time to cover 
 him with their shields, he was wounded with two arrows, 
 and a stone which struck him on the temple brought him to 
 the ground. On seeing their monarch fall, the Mexicans, 
 horror struck, fled with precipitation. Montezuma, scorning 
 to survive this last humiliation, tore from his wounds the 
 bandages which the Spaniards had applied to them, and with 
 Indian constancy refused all nourishment, till death speedily 
 terminated his sufferings. 
 
 The death of their captive rendered a retreat on the 
 part of the Spaniards, a measure indispensable. From 
 this time, for the following six months, the tide of fortune 
 appeared to turn against Cortes. His retreat was rendered 
 painful and hazardous by the exasperated Mexicans, who 
 in every possible manner annoyed him, and on several oc- 
 casions nearly succeeded in the utter destruction of him- 
 self and followers. In December, however, his prospects 
 brightened. Accessions had been made to his numbers, so 
 that he still mustered 550 infantry, of whom four score 
 were armed with muskets or crossbows, 40 horsemen, and 
 nine fieldpieces. At the head of these, together with 
 10,000 Indians, he once more took up his march towards 
 Mexico. 
 
 On the death of Montezuma, the Mexicans had raised his 
 brother Quctlavaca to the throne, under whose direction 
 those spirited measures were adopted, which had issued in the 
 expulsion of the Spaniards. Under his direction, the capital 
 and kingdom were put in a state of defence; but in the 
 midst of his sagacious arrangements, Quetlavaca was cut off 
 by the smallpox. In his stead, the Mexicans elected Guati- 
 mozin, (Quauhtemotzin,) his nephew, and the son-in-law of 
 Montezuma, who, by his bravery, sufficiently justified their 
 choice. 
 
 On entering the Mexican territories, Cortes proceeded 
 to Tezcuco, the second city in the empire, situated on the 
 banks of the lake, about twenty miles from Tenochtitlan. 
 Here he established his head quarters, and proceeded to 
 attack successively several of the towns situated round the 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 517 
 
 lake, compelling them to submit to the Spanish crown, or 
 reducing them to ruins. In the mean while, several brig- 
 antines were preparing with the ultimate design of making 
 an attack upon the capital itself. Siege at length was laid 
 to the place, and on the third of July a general assault was 
 made with a view to take the city by storm. In this day's 
 action, however, Cortes was out-manoeuvred by the Mexicans, 
 and the rout of the Spaniards was complete. While en- 
 deavoring to save his men, Cortes himself was laid hold of 
 by some of the Mexicans, who were hurrying him off in tri- 
 umph, when two of his officers rescued him at the expense of 
 their own lives ; but he received several dangerous wounds, 
 before he could break loose. 
 
 The situation of Cortes was, for a time, dispiriting ; but, 
 at length, for reasons not all explained, Indians to the 
 number of many thousands flocked to his standard, and 
 signally increased his force. In the mean while, the stores 
 which Guatimozin had laid up, were exhausted by the mul- 
 titudes, who had crowded into the capital to defend their 
 sovereign, and the temples of their gods ; and the brigan- 
 tines rendered it almost impossible to convey to the be- 
 sieged any supply. Infected distempers now attacked the 
 crowded and famished population, and filled up the meas- 
 ure of their sufferings. Yet still, the haughty spirit of the 
 Mexican monarch rejected with scorn every overture of 
 peace; and every inch of ground was disputed with the in- 
 vaders, till three-fourths of the city had been laid in ruins. 
 Not before then, was Guatimozin persuaded to attempt his 
 escape. To facilitate this measure, they endeavored to 
 amuse Cortes with overtures of submission ; but Sandoval 
 had orders to watch every movement of the enemy. Ob- 
 serving some large canoes rowing across the lake with ex- 
 traordinary rapidity, he instantly gave the signal to chase, and 
 the swift sailing brigantine soon overtook them, and was 
 preparing to fire, when at once the rowers dropped their oars, 
 while all on board, with loud cries, conjured him to forbear, as 
 the emperor was there. The Spaniards eagerly seized their 
 prize, who preserved a dignified composure, and, when con- 
 ducted to Cortes, manifested in his deportment, neither the 
 sullen fierceness of a barbarian, nor the dejection of the sup- 
 pliant. The historians have put into his mouth* on this oc- 
 casion, a speech breathing the Roman heroism : " I have 
 
518 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 done what became a monarch. I have defended my people to 
 the last extremity. Nothing now remains but to die. Take 
 this dagger, (laying his hand on one which Cortes wore,) 
 plant it in my breast, and put an end to a life, which can no 
 longer be of use." 
 
 As soon as the fate of their monarch was known, the 
 resistance of the Mexicans ceased, and on the thirtieth of 
 August, after a siege of seventy-five days, Cortes took 
 possession of what remained of Tenochtitlan. But little 
 booty was found amid the ruins of the city. Under a sus- 
 picion that Guatimozin had large treasures concealed, 
 Cortes subjected the captive monarch and his chief favor- 
 ite to torture for the purpose of forcing from them a dis- 
 closure. Overcome by the agony, the minister is said to 
 have besought his master for permission to reveal the se- 
 cret. Guatimozin sternly replied : " Am I reposing on abed 
 of flowers ? " And by this reproach, the favorite in silence 
 expired. Guatimozin was released from the torture, but 
 soon after, on a pretended charge of having secretly conspired 
 to excite a revolt, he was hung upon a tree, and, according to 
 Humboldt, was hung by his feet to lengthen out his torments. 
 
 Cortes took immediate measures to rebuild the capital, on 
 a magnificent plan, and by the year 1524, such was the con- 
 course of native assistants employed by him, that the new 
 city numbered 30,000 inhabitants. 
 
 Having completed our account of the ancient Mexico, 
 with such historical incidents relating to it as are most in- 
 teresting, we shall proceed to introduce our fellow travellers 
 to the modern Mexico. 
 
 Tenochtitlan was built, as has already been mentioned, 
 on a group of islands, in the midst of a lake. The present 
 city occupies nearly the same place with the ancient ; yet, 
 owing to the diminution of the lake Tezcuco, its centre is 
 nearly 15,000 feet distant from that lake. The surround- 
 ing lakes appear to have been on the decrease, long before 
 the arrival of the Spaniards; but since that period the waters 
 have dried up more rapidly, owing to several causes, but 
 chiefly to a deep cut or drain, by which the waters which for- 
 merly flowed into the lake Tezcuco have been directed to 
 another course. 
 
INTERIOR OF A MEXICAN HOUSE. 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 521 
 
 " Mexico," says Humboldt, " is undoubtedly one of the 
 finest cities ever built by Europeans in either hemisphere. 
 With the exception of Petersburg, Berlin, Philadelphia, 
 and some quarters of Westminster, there does not exist a 
 city of the same extent, which can be compared with the 
 capital of New Spain, for the uniform level of the ground 
 on which it stands, for the regularity and breadth of the 
 streets, and the extent of the public places. The architec- 
 ture is generally of a very pure style ; aud there are even 
 edifices of very beautiful structure. The exterior of the 
 houses is not loaded with ornament. Two sorts of hewn 
 stone are used, which give to the Mexican buildings an air 
 of solidity, and sometimes of magnificence. There are none 
 of those wooden balconies and galleries to be seen, which 
 disfigure so much all the European cities in botli the Indies. 
 The ballustrades and gates are all of Biscay iron, ornament- 
 ed with bronze ; and the houses, instead of roofs, have ter- 
 races, like those in Italy, and other southern countries 
 
 However, it must be agreed, that it is much less from the 
 grandeur and beauty of the public buildings, than from the 
 breadth and straightness of its streets, and from its uniform 
 regularity, its extent, and its position, that the capital at- 
 tracts the admiration of Europeans." 
 
 Many of the streets, Mr. Bullock states, are nearly two 
 miles in length, perfectly level and straight, and with the ends 
 terminating in a view of the mountains that surround the 
 valley. The houses are, in general, of a uniform height, most 
 of them having three stories, each from fifteen to twenty 
 feet high. The fronts of most of the houses, like those of 
 Puebla, are painted in distemper, white, crimson, brown, or 
 light green ; and, owing to the dryness of the atmosphere, 
 they retain their beauty unimpaired many years. Some have 
 inscriptions upon them taken from scripture, or stanzas ad- 
 dressed to the Virgin. Numbers of houses are entirely 
 covered with glazed porcelain, in a variety of elegant designs 
 and patterns, often with subjects from sacred history, giving 
 the whole a rich and mosaic-like appearance. The walls of 
 the great staircases are frequently covered in the same man- 
 ner, and mixed with a profusion of gilding, which, in con- 
 trast with the blue and white porcelain, has really a splendid 
 effect. The walls of several of the churches are finished in 
 the same manner. 
 
 The Plaza Major, or grand square, is one of the first that 
 
522 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 is to be seen in any metropolis. The east side is occupied 
 by the cathedral ; the north, by the splendid palace of the 
 viceroy ; the south, by a fine row of houses, in the centre of 
 which is the palace of the Marquess de Valle, (Cortes,) now 
 called the Casa del Estado ; and the west has a range of 
 buildings, with a piazza in front, consisting of many good 
 shops, public offices, granaries, &c. About the centre of 
 the square is a colossal equestrian statue of Charles IV., on 
 a pedestal of Mexican marble ; said to be the finest specimen 
 of casting in the new world. 
 
 The Cathedral, which stands on the ruins of the great 
 teocalli, or temple of the god Mexitli, is a somewhat hetero- 
 geneous edifice. The front is very singular. One part of 
 it is low, and of bad Gothic architecture ; the other part, 
 which is of recent construction, is in the Italian style, and 
 has much symmetry and beauty. Its two handsome towers 
 are ornamented with pilasters and statues. " The interior 
 is imposing, — larger, loftier, and more magnificent than the 
 cathedral of Puebla. The distribution is the same, but the 
 great altar not quite so rich. The dome is bold, and is 
 painted with great taste. The sanctuaries contain some tol- 
 erable paintings, and are neatly ornamented. On the whole, 
 this church would do credit to any city in Europe." It is 
 about 500 feet in length. " On entering," says Mr. Bullock, 
 ** I felt something like disappointment, notwithstanding the 
 extent and magnificence of the interior. The centre is 
 nearly filled by the ponderous erections, which entirely ob- 
 struct its otherwise fine appearance, and the high altar is, as 
 well as that in the cathedral of Puebla, too large for the 
 place it occupies. Like most of the churches in this country, 
 it is loaded with a profusion of massive carved and gilt orna- 
 ments, pictures, and painted statues. Many of the smaller 
 paintings appeared to be of value, and works of the old 
 Spanish and Italian masters ; but they are so placed, and in 
 such an obscure light, that it is not possible to judge de- 
 cisively of their merit. There are in the apartments ad- 
 joining the cathedral, allegorical and sacred subjects, pic- 
 tures of a prodigious size, and of considerable skill in their 
 composition and design, though few of them are executed by 
 masters held in estimation in Europe.* 
 
 " The high altar and its appendages are enclosed by a 
 
 * Notes on Mexico. 
 
GROUP ON THE STONE OF SACRIFICES. 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 525 
 
 massive railing, of great extent, of cast metal, said to have 
 been founded in China, from models sent from Mexico. 
 The figures which ornament it are very numerous, but of 
 poor execution and design. The metal, resembling brass, is 
 said to be of such value, on account of the gold it contains, 
 that a silversmith of Mexico is said to have made an offer to 
 the bishop to, construct a new rail of solid silver, of the 
 same weight, in exchange for it. 
 
 " Divine service is celebrated here with great magnifi- 
 cence. Mass is regularly said every half hour, from daylight 
 till one o'clock, exclusive of the high mass, and other occa- 
 sional masses. In no place are religious ceremonies ob- 
 served with greater pomp, or splendor. The procession 
 which I saw from this cathedral, far exceeded, in order and 
 regularity, in the grandeur of the vestments, in the costliness 
 and value of the sacred ornaments, and in gold and silver, 
 any thing I ever witnessed. The processions of Rome, or 
 any other city of Europe, suffer much in the comparison." 
 
 Within the enclosure of the cathedral, (which is of stone 
 pillars and chains,) and sunk in the earth, so that the surface 
 alone is visible, is the remarkable stone called the Stone of 
 Sacrifices. It was found, together with a great number of 
 idols, and other remains of Aztec sculpture, in December, 
 1790, in digging twenty or thirty feet deep, in order to level 
 the great square. It is of porphyry, about nine feet broad, or 
 twenty-five in circumference, of a cylindrical form. In the 
 centre is a head in relief, surrounded by twenty groups of 
 two figures each, all represented in the same attitude ; and 
 one of the figures is always the same, — a warrior with his 
 right hand resting on the helmet of a man, who is offering 
 him flowers in token of submission. The other figure, sup- 
 posed to be a vanquished warrior, wears the dress of the na- 
 tion to which he belongs, and behind him is a hieroglyphic, 
 denoting the conquered province. In the upper surface of 
 the stone, there is a groove of some depth, which is thought 
 to have been designed to let the blood of the victims run off. 
 
 The Palace, or Government house, is described by Mr. 
 Bullock as a truly magnificent building. " It is nearly 
 square; its front measuring several hundred feet. In its in- 
 terior are four large square courts, round which most of the 
 public offices are distributed, together with the prison, the 
 mint, the barracks, and the botanic garden." The mint. 
 
526 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 " the largest and richest in the whole world," and the house 
 of separation of the gold and silver, of the ingots and aurif- 
 erous silver, are among the chief objects of interest to a 
 stranger. The works of the mint consist of ten sets of roll- 
 ers, moved by sixty mules, to press out the bars to the re- 
 quired size : fifty-two circular cutters ; nine adjusting ta- 
 bles : twenty milling-machines and stamping-presses ; and 
 five mills for amalgamating the filings and sweepings. Each 
 stamping-press is said to be capable of coining upwards of 
 15,000 dollars in ten hours, so that they are able to manu- 
 facture daily from 14 to 15,000 marcs of silver. The silver 
 produced in all the mines of Europe together would not suf- 
 fice, Humboldt states, to employ the mint of Mexico more 
 than fifteen days. The operations, however, are performed 
 in a very awkward manner, and the machinery is very imper- 
 fect. " At present (1823) about 200 workmen are employ- 
 ed; but when the mines were in full operation, 400 men 
 were engaged, and 80,000 dollars per diem were coined here, 
 independently of what was done by the other mints."* 
 Humboldt has given a table of the annual coinage from 1690 
 to 1803 inclusive, from which it appears, that the total 
 amount of gold and silver which passed through the mint of 
 Mexico, within that period, (114 years,) was 1,353,452,020 
 piastres, equal to <£284,224,924 sterling. Another table, 
 furnished by the author of " Notes on Mexico," giving an 
 account of the coinage of gold, and silver, and copper, 
 from 1802 to 1821 inclusive, presents a total of 303,319,928 
 dollars. 
 
 The Botanical Garden, which occupies one of the courts 
 of the Viceroy's palace is very small, but it is extremely 
 rich in rare and interesting productions. " Though situ- 
 ated," says Mr. Bullock, " in the centre of a large and pop- 
 ulous city, every vegetable production seems in perfect health 
 and vigor. It affords to the stranger a most delightful re- 
 treat from the midday sun ; to the botanist, or admirer of the 
 works of nature, a treat not to be met with elsewhere in New 
 Spain, or perhaps in the world. It is handsomely laid out 
 in, the Spanish fashion, with flagged walks, bordered with 
 elegant large pots of flowers. The walks are rendered cool 
 by the creeping plants that are trained over them. They 
 
 * Humboldt. 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 527 
 
 diverge from a large stone basin in the centre, constantly 
 supplied by a fountain with water, which, in small rivulets, 
 spreads itself over every part of this little paradise, imparting 
 freshness and life to thousands of elegant plants and flowers, 
 unknown to the eye of the European, but which here, in a 
 climate of eternal spring, in the open air, bloom and send 
 forth their fragrance without the assistance of man, and pro- 
 duce a very different appearance from the dwarfish, sickly 
 exotics of our hothouses, which, with every possible care and 
 attention, with difficulty linger a few years, without repro- 
 ducing their species. Apples, pears, peaches, quinces, and 
 other European fruits flourish here, in company with bananas, 
 avocatas, and the most delicious sapotas I ever tasted. The 
 celebrated hand-tree, which has excited so much attention 
 among botanists, is in great perfection here." 
 
 To describe all the public buildings in Mexico, would re- 
 quire a separate publication. An American gentleman 
 counted one hundred and five cupolas, spires and domes, 
 within the limits of the city; and there are said to be fifty- 
 six churches, besides the cathedral.* " The convents are 
 thirty-eight in number ; twenty-three of monks, and fifteen 
 of nuns. The Franciscan convent is an immense establish- 
 ment, with an annual income of <£21,000, arising principally 
 from alms. Its church is a fine one, and, as well as the nu- 
 merous apartments, courts, and cloisters, of the monastery, 
 which form a perfect labyrinth, is covered with large paint- 
 ings, describing the miracles and life of the saint. The 
 church of San Domingo, which is attached to the Dominican 
 monastery, is splendidly ornamented. The capitals of the 
 columns and the sanctuaries in the interior are richly gilded, 
 and the whole has an aspect of magnificence. The convent 
 is of great extent, and contains a numerous collection of 
 pictures and statues. In the paved yard, or court, in front 
 of the church, we were shown a large flat stone, with a 
 square hole in its centre, in which, my informant told me, 
 was fixed the stake to which the victims of the Inquisition 
 were formerly fastened, previously to their being burnt. 
 The tribunal was, till its abolition by the ex-emperor, in 1820, 
 under the jurisdiction of the Dominicans." 
 
 Notes on Mexico. / 
 
528 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 "The Palace of the Inquisition is on the opposite side of 
 the street, and near the place of execution. In this house, 
 persons accused of ecclesiastical crimes, were confined. I 
 had been told, previously to my arrival in Mexico, of its hor- 
 rible subterraneous cells, in which the wretched captives 
 were imprisoned ; but this must evidently have been an ex- 
 aggeration, as no subterranean places ever existed in the city 
 of Mexico, nor ever can exist, as whenever the ground is ex- 
 cavated, even for a few feet, water instantly springs up. . In 
 the great square, while I was digging for the purpose of 
 taking a cast of the sacrificial stone, at only three feet, we 
 were obliged to employ persons constantly to lade out the 
 water. This palace is very elegant, and exhibits little or no 
 appearance of the purposes for which it was intended. It 
 was occupied as a polytechnical school at the time I was in 
 the city, but was then on sale. 
 
 " In front of the churches, and in the neighborhood of 
 them," adds this traveller, " we saw an unusual number of 
 beggars ; and they openly exposed their disgusting sores and 
 deformities, to excite our compassion. No city in Italy con- 
 tains so many miserable beggars, and no town in the world 
 so many blind. This is, I think, to be attributed to constant 
 exposure, want, and the excessive use of ardent spirits. 
 Many are blind from the effects of the smallpox, which be- 
 fore the introduction of vaccination, raged frequently in 
 this country, and was a fatal disease. 
 
 The Hospital of Jesus, or de Los Naturales, founded by 
 Cortes, deserves to rank among the most interesting objects 
 in the capital. It is for the maintenance of children and old 
 people, and now unites two separate foundations. " This 
 establishment," says Humboldt, M in which both order and 
 cleanliness may be seen, but little industry, has a revenue of 
 250,000 francs (,£10,470 sterling.) In one of the rooms are 
 several family portraits, among which, one of the great cap- 
 tain himself. Here, too, is shown " the identical embroid- 
 ered standard under which he wrested the empire from the 
 unfortunate Montezuma ;" also a massive mahogany table 
 which belonged to Cortes. In the chapel, a strong iron-bound 
 chest is exhibited, containing the bones of the conqueror of 
 New Spain. Mr. Bullock was allowed to inspect them, and 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 529 
 
 he attentively examined, he says, the cranium ; but all he 
 was enabled to infer from it, was, that the person of Cortes 
 must have been small. 
 
 Mr. Bullock gives a deplorable account of the present 
 state of the arts in Mexico. " Not one landscape or archi- 
 tectural painter," he says, " remains in this great city ; and 
 the only few artists are those who copy religious subjects for 
 the churches, and some who attempt portraits, but they are de- 
 plorably bad. The principal employment for the pencil 
 seems to be in the decorations of coach bodies, and the 
 heads of wooden bedsteads; and in the metropolis, a few 
 pictures of the Infant Saviour, the Virgin, Magdalen, St. 
 Joseph, St. Anthony, or St. Cuthbert, are the only produc- 
 tions of modern painters which are to be met with. Of the 
 myriads of pictures with which the churches, convents, 
 cloisters, &c. &c. are crowded, I saw few worth the expense 
 of removing. The churches and cathedrals may, amongst 
 the great numbers with which they are encumbered, have 
 some good ones, and I am inclined to think they have; but 
 the quantity of light admitted into these superb temples is 
 too little, even in the brightest day, to render it practicable 
 to discover their merits. They are lost to the world in the 
 sacred gloom that pervades the place. The public, too, are 
 prevented from a near approach by clumsy railings ; but 
 from what information I was able to obtain by peeping 
 through, it appeared to me that some of the finest produc- 
 tions of the Italian and Spanish schools may be here buried 
 in oblivion." 
 
 We must not omit to notice the University and the public 
 library, although both the edifice and the collection are pro- 
 nounced by Humboldt to be unworthy of so great and an- 
 cient an establishment. The university was founded in 1551. 
 The building is very spacious, and the institution is said to 
 be well endowed : there have been as many as 200 students 
 at one time, but there were in 1832 very few. Besides the 
 university, there are inferior and several large schools under 
 the direction of the regular clergy. 
 
 " Most of the people in the cities," says the American 
 
 Traveller, " can read and write. I would not be understood 
 
 as including the leperos ; but I have frequently remarked 
 
 men clothed in the garb of extreme poverty, reading the 
 
 34 
 
530 
 
 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 gazettes in the street. Of these there are three published 
 every other day in the week, which are sold for twelve and 
 a half cents apiece ; and pamphlets and loose sheets are 
 hawked about at a reasonable rate. There are several book- 
 sellers' shops, which are but scantily supplied with books. 
 The booksellers have hitherto labored under all the disadvan- 
 tages of the prohibitory system of the Roman Catholic 
 church, but are now endeavoring to furnish themselves with 
 the best modern works. The few books to be found in the 
 shops are extravagantly dear. There are several valuable 
 private libraries ; and many Creole gentlemen, who have 
 visited Europe, have a taste both for literature and the fine 
 arts. This is certainly more rare among those who have 
 never been out of their own country. The means of educa- 
 tion are more limited under the colonial system, and liberal 
 studies were discouraged. The Latin language, law, theol- 
 ogy, and philosophy, were taught in the colleges, and only 
 so much of the latter as the clergy thought might be taught 
 with safety. To give some idea of the influence of this class 
 in the city of Mexico, I will merely observe, that there are 
 five hundred and fifty secular, and sixteen hundred and forty- 
 six regular clergy. Humboldt says, that, in the twenty-three 
 convents of monks in the capital, there are twelve hundred 
 individuals, of whom five hundred and eighty are priests and 
 choristers ; and, in the fifteen convents of nuns, there are 
 two thousand one hundred individuals, of whom about nine 
 hundred are professed nuns." 
 
 The children of the nobility and wealthy inhabitants are 
 principally taught at home. The places of public instruc- 
 tion in the greatest repute, are the Seminario and San Ilde- 
 fonza. Lancasterian schools were established in the capital 
 by the emperor ; and his ex-majesty assured Mr. Bullock, 
 that it was his intention to extend them throughout the 
 provinces. " There are now," says this traveller, " three or 
 four daily papers (1823;) but they contain very little infor- 
 mation ; they are only just beginning to insert advertise- 
 ments gratis, in the same manner as they were in England 
 at the commencement of our newspapers." 
 
 The Almeda, or public promenade, situated on the north 
 side of the city, did not appear to this traveller worthy of 
 the other establishments. It is laid out in paved walks, di- 
 verging from different centres, with fountains and statues " in 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 533 
 
 very bad taste and worse execution." The roads are wide 
 enough to admit the passage of carriages, and it is much 
 frequented on Sundays and festivals. There is a fountain in 
 the centre supplied with water from the great aqueduct lead- 
 ing from Sante Fe to the city. The water is carried along 
 in trenches, so as to water the plants and trees, and is then 
 discharged into the lake. This aqueduct, which passes 
 close by the Altneda, is 33,464 feet in length. It is sup- 
 ported on arches of brick and stone, plastered over. The 
 springs of Santa Fe, are near the chain of mountains that 
 separate the valley of Mexico from the Lerma and Toluca. 
 Another aqueduct, 10,826 feet in length, conducts the water 
 of Chapoltepec to the city. The arches of this aqueduct, 
 904 in number, are nine feet six inches apart ; the columns 
 are four feet thick, and the width is about six feet six inches. 
 The column of water is two feet three inches wide, and two 
 feet deep. 
 
 There is another drive or ride called the Paseo Nuevo, a 
 broad road, raised about three feet above the meadow 
 land that surrounds the city, and planted on both sides with 
 a species of willow, " a tall, stiff, conical tree, resembling 
 the Lombardy poplar." It is about two miles long, and ter- 
 minates suddenly near a bridge and gate, through which 
 passes the canal of Chalco. The American writer describes 
 it as he saw it, crowded with carriages; "some whirling 
 rapidly along, and others drawn up round the open circle in 
 the middle of the road, where ladies amuse themselves for 
 hours, examining the equipages that roll by, and nodding, 
 smiling, and shaking their fans, at their acquaintances as 
 they pass. This constitutes the afternoon's amusement of 
 the wealthy. The bodies of their coaches are large, but of 
 very good form, and well painted ; a little too fine, as will 
 be thought, when I add, that Guido's Aurora frequently 
 adorns the middle pannel. The carriage is very clumsy ; 
 from the axle of the fore, to that of the hind wheel, the dis- 
 tance is not less than twelve feet ; and there is moreover, a 
 projection of two or three feet before and behind, on which 
 are fastened the leathers that suspend the coach. They are 
 very easy vehicles to ride in." 
 
 Humboldt represents the city of Mexico as distinguished 
 for its excellent police. " The streets, for the most part, 
 
534 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 GUANAXUATO. 
 
 have very broad pavements; and they are clean and well 
 lighted. These advantages are the fruits of the activity of 
 the Count de Revillagigedo, who found the capital extremely 
 dirty." If in this respect, however, the police is good, in 
 our usual sense of the term it is far otherwise. " The por- 
 ter of our house," says the American citizen, " seeing me go 
 out in the evening, when I first arrived, without being armed, 
 remonstrated on what he was pleased to call my rashness ; and 
 on inquiry I found that it was deemed imprudent to do so. 
 I was told that robberies and assassinations were frequent, 
 and that not fewer than 1200 assassinations had been com- 
 mitted since the entrance of the revolutionary army into the 
 capital. On looking over the journals of the first junta, I 
 perceive that these disorders were a frequent subject of de- 
 bate, and were attributed to the soldiery. I could not learn 
 that any of them had been detected and punished. The city, 
 notwithstanding, is lighted, and guarded by watchmen ; the 
 lamps are furnished with reverberators, and many of the 
 streets are better lighted than those of New York or Phil- 
 adelphia." 
 
 The population of the capital, in 1802, was estimated by 
 Humboldt at 137,000 souls ; of whom 2,500 were Euro- 
 peans; 65,000 Creoles ; 26,500 mestizoes, (many of them 
 almost as white as the preceding classes ;) 10,000 mulattoes; 
 and 33,000 copper-colored natives. Of this number, nearly 
 3,000 were clergy, monks, and nuns. A subsequent census 
 made the population amount to 160,000 souls. 
 
 GUANAXUATO. 
 
 This city is situated 140 miles north-west of Mexico. It 
 was founded by the Spaniards, in 1543, and was invested 
 with the privileges of a city in 1741. Although it stands 
 nearly 7,000 feet above the sea, it is entirely screened from 
 view by the windings of a narrow defile, which leads into the 
 recesses of the mountain ; and when the traveller at length 
 finds himself introduced into the city, he has no idea of its 
 extent, one part being so hidden from another, that,viewed from 
 the streets, it appears to be a small town. It is only by as- 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 535 
 
 GUANAXUATO. 
 
 cending the heights, on the opposite side, that a view is 
 gained of the whole valley, broken into ravines, along the 
 sides of which the town is built. Surveyed from this point, 
 the novelty of its situation strikes the stranger with aston- 
 ishment. In some places it is seen, spreading out into the 
 form of an amphitheatre ; in others stretching along a narrow 
 ridge ; while the ranges of habitations, accommodated to the 
 broken ground, pjesent the most fantastic groups. 
 
 The streets are narrow, crooked, and winding, running 
 across open spaces, which cannot be called squares, for they 
 are irregular and of indescribable forms, most of them filled 
 with market stalls. They are spacious, and well built of 
 hewn stone, but the fronts are painted with the gayest colors : 
 light green is the favorite, but some are painted white, green, 
 and red, which, at the time the author of Notes on Mexico 
 visited Guanaxuato,(1822) were the national colors of Mexico. 
 
 According to Humboldt, the population of the city was 
 41,000; in the suburbs and mines surrounding it, 29,600 : 
 total, 70,600. But from a census taken in May, 1822, the 
 inhabitants of the city appear to have amounted only to 
 15,379, and the total population only to 35,733 ; being a 
 diminution of one half. 
 
 Guanaxuato is chiefly celebrated for its gold and silver 
 mines, being the most productive in the world. The first 
 mine began to be worked in 1548, but for a considerable 
 time they attracted but little attention. From 1676 to 1803, 
 they produced gold and silver to the value of 12,720,061 lbs. 
 troy. In 1803, there were employed on the works 5,000 
 workmen, 1,896 grinding-mills, and 14,618 mules. There 
 have been years so productive, that the net profit of the two 
 proprietors of the single mine of Valenciana amounted to the 
 sum of .£250,000 sterling. When the proprietor began to 
 work the vein of Guanaxuato above the ravine of San Xavier, 
 goats were feeding on the very hill which ten years after- 
 wards was covered with a town of 7 or 8,000 inhabitants. 
 
 The inhabitants of the city are represented as lively, in- 
 telligent, and well informed, besides being extremely hospita- 
 ble and friendly. In common, however, with the inhabitants 
 of most mining districts, they are passionately fond of 
 gambling. The author whom we have already quoted, re- 
 presents the commandant of the city as a great amateur of 
 cockfighting ; and he remarks that he was not a little an- 
 noyed one morning by the continual crowing of more than a 
 
536 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 GUANAXUATO. 
 
 hundred cocks, the property of this worthy person, which, 
 tied by one leg, were arranged along the pavement on both 
 sides of the street: they were to be exhibited at the ensuing 
 Christmas. " In all the towns and villages of Mexico," he 
 says " cockfighting is the favorite diversion of the people. 
 Rich and poor, men and women, frequent the pits, and 
 sometimes stake all they are worth on the issue of a battle 
 fought by two cocks armed with shashers."* 
 
 Guanaxuato is liable to two serious inconveniences from 
 its peculiarity of situation. During the rainy season, it is 
 exposed to injury from the violent torrents that rush from 
 the mountains down the barranca, or ravine, in which the city 
 stands, in their passage to the plain of Celaya. Large sums 
 have been expended on works to restrain these torrents 
 within a channel, notwithstanding which, accidents happen 
 almost every year. On the other hand, the only water in the 
 city, is that which is contained in the cisterns belonging to 
 the wealthy inhabitants. About two miles from the town, 
 however, there are deep ravines, which, by means of dams, 
 are made to serve as reservoirs : the water is brought into 
 the city on the backs of asses, and sold at six cents a load. 
 
GUATEMALA 
 
 GUATEMALA. 
 
 The country of which Guatemala is the capital, was con- 
 quered by Pedro de Alvarado, an officer who accompanied 
 Cortes into New Spain, and who was sent by the latter to 
 take possession of Guatemala, and receive the subjection of 
 the native kings. Alvarado left Mexico on the 13th of Nov. 
 1523, accompanied by 300 Spaniards, and a powerful body 
 of Indian auxiliaries. The conquest, though less difficult 
 than that of Mexico, was not effected without considerable 
 bloodshed. The conquest may be dated from May, 1524, at 
 which time a decisive victory was obtained. 
 
 In November, 1527, a city was commenced by Alvarado, de- 
 signed as the capital of the new government. It was situated 
 upon the skirt of the mountain called the Volcan de Agua, 
 about three leagues from the present city. This continued 
 to be the principal town till 1541, when it was overwhelmed 
 by a mountain torrent, which destroyed most of the buildings, 
 and a greater part of the inhabitants, among whom was the 
 widow of Alvarado. After this calamity, the principal sur- 
 vivors resolved to remove the capital about a league farther, 
 where it would be more secure from inundations from the 
 neighboring hills. Here they founded the city called Old 
 Guatemala, or La Antigua, on the 22d of October, 1541, 
 and immediately proceeded to erect convents, hospitals, 
 churches, a university, and other public buildings. 
 
 This city stood in a delightful valley, shut in by mountains 
 and hills of perpetual verdure, and encompassed by meadows 
 and lands, which supplied pasturage to large herds of cattle. 
 Two rivers ran through the valley, and supplied the gardens 
 and meadows, the farms and country houses with every con- 
 venience for irrigation. The climate was delightful, and a 
 perpetual spring presented its varied and perpetual bounties. 
 
 But this city was destined to successive calamities more 
 disastrous, perhaps, than is recorded of any other city on the 
 globe. 
 
I 
 
 l\ 
 
 ALVARADO. 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 539 
 
 GUATEMALA. 
 
 In 1558, an epidemic disorder, attended with a violent 
 bleeding at the nose, swept away great numbers of the in- 
 habitants. Four earthquakes, each of which seriously 
 damaged many of the principal buildings, occurred between 
 1565 and 1581. On the 27th of December, of this latter year, 
 the population was again alarmed by the volcano, which be- 
 gan to emit fire ; and so great was the quantity of ashes 
 thrown out, and spread in the air, that the sun was entirely 
 obscured, and artificial light was necessary in the city at mid- 
 day. Processions were formed to implore the Divine inter- 
 cession ; people confessed themselves aloud in the streets, 
 being persuaded they were on the point of suffering some 
 awful visitation of Providence. A northerly wind, however, 
 at last relieved them from their fears, by dispersing the ashes 
 towards the Pacific ocean, and again allowing them to view 
 the splendor of the sun. On the 14th of January, 1582, the 
 mountain vomited fire with great force for 24 hours succes- 
 sively. " The years 1585-6 were dreadful in the extreme. 
 On January 16th, of the former, earthquakes were felt, and 
 they continued through that and the following year so fre- 
 quently, that not an interval of eight days elapsed, during 
 the whole period, without a shock more or less violent. 
 Fire issued incessantly, for months together, from the moun- 
 tain, and greatly increased the general consternation. The 
 most disastrous of these eruptions took place on the 23d of 
 December, 1586, when the major part of the city again be- 
 came a heap of ruins, burying under them many of the un- 
 fortunate inhabitants : the earth shook with such violence 
 that the tops of the high ridges were torn off, and deep 
 chasms formed in various parts of the level ground ! " * 
 
 From this time to 1651, the city was visited with pestilence 
 and earthquakes, which destroyed great numbers. On the 
 18th of February, 1651, about one o'clock, afternoon, a most 
 extraordinary subterranean noise was heard, and imme- 
 diately followed by three violent shocks, at very short inter- 
 vals from each other, which threw down many buildings, and 
 damaged others ; the tiles from the roofs of the houses were 
 dispersed in all directions, like light straws by a gust of 
 wind; the bells of the churches were rung by the vibrations, 
 masses of rock were detached from the mountains; and even 
 the wild beasts were so terrified, that, losing their natural 
 instinct, they quitted their retreats, and sought shelter from 
 
 Modern Traveller. 
 
540 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 GUATEMALA. 
 
 the habitations of men. Among these, a lion of great size 
 and fierceness entered the city, on the southern side, and 
 advanced into the middle of it : he tore down a paper fixed 
 against one of the consistorial houses, and retreated by the 
 streets on the north side. These shocks were repeated fre- 
 quently until the 13th of April. 
 
 " The year 1686 brought with it another dreadful epidem- 
 ic, which, in three months, swept away a tenth part of the 
 inhabitants. Some of them died suddenly ; others expired 
 under the most acute pains of the head, breast, and bowels. 
 No remedy was discovered, that could check its destructive 
 progress, although many of the deceased were opened, to 
 endeavor by that means, to come at the cause of the disor- 
 der. So great was the number of the infected, that there 
 was not a sufficient number of priests to administer to them 
 the religious rites. The bells were no longer tolled for the 
 dead, individually, and the corpses were buried en masse in 
 a common grave. From the capital, the pestilence spread 
 to the neighboring villages, and thence to the more remote 
 ones, causing dreadful havoc, particularly among the most 
 robust inhabitants. 
 
 " Again, the year 1717 was memorable : on the night of 
 August 27th, the mountain began to emit flames, attended 
 by a continued subterranean rumbling noise. On the night 
 of the 28th, the eruption increased to great violence, and 
 very much alarmed the inhabitants. The images of saints 
 were carried in procession, public prayers were put up, day 
 after day ; but the terrifying eruption still continued, and 
 was followed by frequent shocks, at intervals, for more than 
 four months. At last, on the night of September 29th, the 
 fate of Guatemala appeared to be decided, and inevitable 
 destruction was apprehended to be at hand. Great was the 
 ruin among the public edifices ; many of the houses were 
 thrown down, and nearly all that remained were dreadfully 
 injured, but the greatest devastation was seen in the church- 
 es. The inhabitants, from what they actually saw, and from 
 what their terrors suggested to them, expected the total sub- 
 version of the place; and nearly all sought refuge in the vil- 
 lages adjacent. After this disaster, they solicited permission 
 of the government to remove to any other spot that might be 
 judged less exposed to the effects of the volcano ; but, by the 
 time the council of the Indies transmitted a license for the 
 removal, they had recovered from the panic, returned to their 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 541 
 
 GUATEMALA. 
 
 dilapidated dwellings, had repaired a great part of the city, 
 and no longer thought of making the transfer. 
 
 " But at length the day which was to seal the doom of this 
 ill-fated spot arrived, — the 13th of December, 1773. As 
 early as the month of May, some few slight shocks were per- 
 ceived ; and on the 11th of June a very violent one took 
 place. Its duration was considerable; many houses and 
 several churches were much injured ; during the whole of 
 the night, the shocks were repeated at short intervals, and 
 for some days afterwards, with less frequency. About four 
 o'clock, on the afternoon of July 29th, a tremendous vibra- 
 tion was felt, and shortly after began the dreadful convul- 
 sion that decided the fate of the unfortunate city. It is dif- 
 ficult, even for those who were witnesses of this terrible ca- 
 tastrophe, to describe its duration, or the variety of its undu- 
 lation, so entirely did terror and the apprehension of imme- 
 diate annihilation, absorb all powers of reflection. For sev- 
 eral days these shocks continued, and sometimes in such 
 quick succession, that many took place in the short space of 
 fifteen minutes. On the 7th of September there was another, 
 which threw down most of the buildings that were damaged 
 on the 29th of July ; and on the 13th of December, one still 
 more violent terminated the work of destruction." 
 
 It was now that the inhabitants, wearied with rebuilding, 
 resolved upon removing their situation from the volcanoes, 
 the prolific source of all their miseries. After several ex- 
 aminations a part of the Valley of Mexico, ten leagues from 
 the site of their ruined city, was fixed upon, and here rose the 
 present, or New Guatemala, situated in latitude 14° 37' north, 
 and longitude 90° 30' west — 90 miles from the Atlantic; 
 26 from the Pacific ; and 400 from the city of Mexico. 
 
 " The valley is watered," says Mr. Dunn, in his " Guatema- 
 la," " by several streams and lakes, which conduce to its fer- 
 tility, and the city is surrounded by numerous small villages, 
 which regularly supply its market with the various fruits and 
 vegetables of the country. In point of situation it is cer- 
 tainly inferior to the old city. The scenery is not so roman- 
 tic, nor are the lands immediately adjoining so well culti- 
 vated, yet still it is rich enough in natural beauties to bear, in 
 this respect, comparison with almost any other city in the 
 world. 
 
 " Owing to the style in which the houses are built, it oc- 
 cupies a very considerable portion of ground, and appears to 
 
542 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 GUATEMALA. 
 
 an European eye, when viewed from a little distance, much 
 more populous and extensive than it really is. It contains 
 about sixty manazanes, or squares, of houses, formed by the 
 intersection of streets at right angles, which vary in extent 
 from 150 to 350 yards in front, and these are arranged so as 
 to form one large square. On each side of the city, as the 
 suburbs have increased, other houses have been erected, 
 without much regard to uniformity. The streets are mostly 
 broad, but wretchedly paved, with a considerable declivity on 
 each side, which forms a gutter in the middle, so that after a 
 heavy shower of rain, they are almost impassable from the 
 sudden stream of water ; at other times the sharp-pointed 
 and ill-arranged pebbles extort groans from the unhappy suf- 
 ferer, who, in light shoes, is doomed to undergo the misera- 
 ble penance of passing over them. 
 
 " In walking through the city, the first thought that strikes 
 a stranger, is, that Guatemala is one of the dullest places he 
 ever entered. This melancholy appearance is occasioned 
 by the way in which the houses are built. Consisting of 
 only one story, and occupying a great deal of ground, they 
 present to the street only a series of whitewashed walls and 
 red tiled roofs, with here and there a window, carefully 
 guarded by large bars of iron, and a pair of massy folding 
 doors, studded on the outside with heavy nails, thus giving 
 to it, at the best of times, more of the appearance of a de- 
 serted than an inhabited city. 
 
 " The plaza, or market place, is a square of about 150 
 yards each way, with a fountain in the middle, and besides 
 the daily market is occupied by numerous temporary shops 
 or stalls, and surrounded by buildings, offices, and shops. 
 Projecting piazzas form a covered walk on three sides, un- 
 der which trifling articles are exposed for sale. The public 
 buildings are numerous, and consist of an university, five 
 convents, four nunneries, a cathedral, four parish churches, 
 and fifteen other churches or chapels of minor importance ; 
 besides a treasury, mint, and other government offices. 
 Most of these are in a good style of architecture, and some 
 of them judiciously decorated. In comparison with the 
 churches of Puebla and Mexico, they may possess few at- 
 tractions, but remembering the circumstances under which 
 they were built, they do credit to the taste of those who su- 
 perintended their erection. 
 
 " That which chiefly distinguishes Guatemala from the 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 543 
 
 GUATEMALA. 
 
 other cities of the New World, is its numerous and beautiful 
 aqueducts and pilas for the regular distribution of water all 
 over the metropolis. From a fine spring, which rises in the 
 mountains, at one league and a half south-east of the city, 
 the stream is conducted by means of pipes into no less than 
 twelve public reservoirs, from which it is again carried into 
 every private house, regularly supplying, sometimes one, and 
 oftentimes two or more pilas or stone baths with excellent 
 water. This aqueduct must have cost an immensity of labor 
 to complete, being brought in some places over valleys, upon 
 ranges of arches, and in others under ground by means of 
 tunnels. 
 
 " The public fountains and reservoirs are many of them 
 of superior workmanship, and ornament the streets in which 
 they are placed. Most of these have rows of troughs con- 
 nected with them, in which those of the lower classes, who 
 have not water in their houses, wash their linen. It is 
 amusing to see sometimes thirty or forty women busily em- 
 ployed in this manner, and most industriously rubbing the 
 piece of cloth they wish to clean, against a stone, a plan 
 which is universally pursued, although manifestly to the 
 speedy destruction of the article undergoing the operation. 
 But like many other good housewives, the Gautemalian ladies 
 have their prejudices, and will not be persuaded that hot 
 water is preferable to cold, and would remove the necessity 
 of such rough treatment. 
 
 " The houses of the respectable citizens are well built, and 
 commodiously arranged. A description of one will give an 
 idea of the rest. Let us enter, then, at that great folding- 
 door, looking like an inn gate, with blank walls on each side. 
 We open it, and immediately find ourselves in a large square 
 court-yard, in the middle of which is an orange-tree in full 
 bloom. All around it is a covered walk or piazza, raised 
 about a foot from the ground, the roof supported by wooden 
 pillars. Under this piazza are seven or eight doors, leading 
 into different apartments, each one having an interior com- 
 munication with the rest, and all of course on the ground 
 floor, stairs being almost unknown in Guatemala. The first 
 room will probably be a common chamber, the next a sala or 
 drawingroom, furnished with ten or a dozen antique chairs, 
 an old-fashioned settee, with a slip of mat before it for a car- 
 pet, and two small dressing-tables, placed at an immense dis- 
 tance from one another, each holding the image of a saint 
 
544 
 
 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 GUATEMALA. 
 
 carefully enclosed in glass. Three or four pictures will 
 adorn the clean whitewashed walls, and two lamps, cased in 
 silver, will be hanging from a roof in which all the native 
 beams are to be seen, with here and there a straggling cob- 
 web. The floor, like that of all the rest of the rooms, will be 
 paved with red tiles, its cleanliness. depending upon the civili- 
 zation of its owner. 
 
 '* From hence we pass into a third apartment, probably 
 the chief bed-chamber, serving also for a daily sitting-room, 
 in which to receive visiters. It will contain a handsome 
 bed, a large mahogany wardrobe, a few chairs, and a cup- 
 board with glass doors, in which may be seen carefully ar- 
 ranged all the stock of china, from the blue wash-hand-ba- 
 sin down to the diminutive coffee-cup, till lately a more valu- 
 ble property than a similar service of silver. By the side of 
 the bed will hang an image of the Saviour on the cross, un- 
 der a little scarlet canopy, and on a small table in another 
 corner will be placed St. Joseph, or the Virgin. The two 
 next rooms will have little furniture besides a bed, a chair, 
 and an image. We shall therefore pass on into the comedor 
 or dining-room, which will contain only one large oak table 
 (a fixture) and seven or eight common wooden chairs. Next 
 to this will be the cocina, in one corner a large baking oven 
 of an open shape, and in the middle of the room a mass of 
 solid brick work, three or four feet high, containing six or 
 seven cavities for small charcoal fires, and conveniences for 
 preparing the thousand different stews which are compound- 
 ed in a Spanish kitchen. To the right of this, will be an in- 
 ner yard with its pila or cistern of water, and further on, the 
 stables, with a second for the use of the cattle. The remain- 
 ing apartments will be occupied according to the property or 
 family of the owner, and this is a fair description of a respect- 
 able house, letting for a rent equal to about <£80 a year, Eng- 
 lish money, in the city of New Guatemala." 
 
 The immoderate use of tobacco by both sexes is thus noticed 
 by Mr. Dunn. " In private or in public — alone or in socie- 
 ty, the Guatemalian must have his cigar, and the lady her ci- 
 garrito* His proudest accomplishment is to strike a light 
 
 * A diminutive cigar, made by rolling a small portion of tobacco in 
 the leaf of maize : ten of these are esteemed equal to a common cigar, 
 called for the sake of distinction, purros. 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 545 
 
 GUATEMALA. 
 
 with his pocket match, neatly cased in silver, and present his 
 lighted cigar to her genteelly, and she in return permits him 
 to spit in every corner of her room, without molestation. A 
 gentleman consumes daily from fifteen to twenty jjurros, and 
 a lady of moderate pretensions to celebrity, fifty cigarritos. 
 No business can be transacted, no bargain made without ex- 
 changing the cigar, arid both in the streets and public places 
 of amusement, the ladies are to be seen smoking as com- 
 posedly as in their own houses." 
 
 The following amusing account is given by the same au- 
 thor, of the occupations of a domestic man during one day. 
 " At six he rises, and if it be one of their numerous feast 
 days, accompanies his wife to mass, at which, rich and 
 poor, master and servants, indiscriminately kneel without 
 distinction of rank or place. Returning about seven, they 
 take chocolate, which answers to our breakfast, with this ex- 
 ception, that it is not made a social meal. Each one enters 
 the corridor at the hour most agreeable to himself, and is 
 then supplied with his cup of chocolate, made very thick and 
 sweet, which, with a small loaf of bread, an egg, a little fried 
 meat, and a glass of clear spring water, serves him till dinner. 
 
 "At this hour, during the warmer months, the habit of 
 bathing, for which the houses afford so many conveniences, 
 is very general, but in any other way the inhabitants appear 
 to have the greatest aversion to the application of water. 
 For weeks together the most respectable inhabitants never 
 wash their hands, faces, or teeth, and the slightest sickness 
 serves as a pretext for delaying the operation as well as that of 
 shaving, frequently for months ; so that you have only to 
 look at a gentleman's beard to know how long he has had a 
 cold, or to a lady's face to discover when she last fancied 
 herself indisposed. 
 
 " From ten to twelve are the usual hours for morning 
 calls, and receiving visits. These possess in general the 
 same characteristics as in other parts of the world. Friends 
 meet as lovingly, talk as scandalously, hate each other as 
 cordially, and lie as gracefully here, as in the most polished 
 cities of civilized Europe. The only points of difference 
 are, that the ladies shout out their observations in the high- 
 est rule of the gamut, becloud each other's beauties with the 
 fumes of tobacco, and part with an embrace as cordial as the 
 majority of modern English kiss. These parties generally 
 meet in the ladies' bedroom, the gentlemen dressed ' a la 
 35 
 
546 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 GUATEMALA. 
 
 Inglesa,' with coats cut any thing but anatomically, and the 
 ladies in black silk, with lace mantilla for the head, splendid- 
 ly-worked silk stockings, and shoes almost diminutive enough 
 for the Empress of China. 
 
 " Modesty and prudery are here understood to be synony- 
 mous, and subjects are freely discussed in mixed parties, to 
 which common delicacy would seem to forbid the slightest 
 allusion. 
 
 " At one they dine on soup, rice, vegetables, and meat of 
 various kinds, cooked in as many different ways, with dulces 
 or sweetmeats for a dessert, of which about 200 sorts are pre- 
 pared. Fish frequently appears towards the close of the meal, 
 and fruit is introduced before the cloth is drawn. Scarcely 
 any wine is drank. In many of the most respectable families 
 it does not even make its appearance on the table. The 
 whole concludes with a recitation miscalled a thanksgiving. 
 
 " From the corridor each individual adjourns to his bed- 
 room, to take the siesta and digest his dinner. So universal 
 is the practice, that from two to three the streets are deserted. 
 Old and young, masters and servants, are alike reclining on 
 beds and sofas. The very domestic animals at this hour 
 are to be seen stretching themselves in the sun, and, par- 
 taking of the infection, ' join the general troop of sleep.' 
 Between three and four, things begin to revive, and first one 
 and then another, yawning, rubs his eyes, and strolls to the 
 clock to see how time has passed during his slumbers. To- 
 wards four the corridor again becomes frequented for choco- 
 late, after which the occupations of the day are once more 
 resumed. 
 
 " Let us then take a walk into the street and see what is 
 passing there. The daily market is about over, and contains 
 only a few stragglers, buying at a cheaper rate the refuse of the 
 day's sales ; ten or a dozen half naked Indians are basking 
 in the sun ; three or four soldiers are reclining against the 
 pillars of the piazzas humming a revolutionary air; and a lit- 
 tle further on are two or three devoted Catholics, most de- 
 voutly kneeling before the image of a saint, and apparently 
 in a state of the most perfect abstraction. In a little while 
 the tinkling of a bell is heard, notifying the approach of the 
 Vaticum. Instantly high and low, poor and rich, are on their 
 knees ; till, as its feeble sound dies in the distance, one by 
 one they rise and pursue their way. 
 
 " The costume of the street varies little from that of the 
 house. The ladies who in the morning are to be seen only 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 547 
 
 GUATEMALA. 
 
 in black, now parade the streets in dashing silk gowns, and 
 without any covering for the head, while the fashionable 
 beaux lounge by their sides in printed cotton jackets and 
 Spanish cloaks, with one end carelessly thrown over the 
 right shoulder. The shops, although generally well supplied 
 with goods, possess no attractions. All are without windows, 
 and nothing is displayed ; the open doorway being half cov- 
 ered with cloth to keep out the sun. 
 
 " Returning to our temporary home, as the evening sets 
 in, we find the gentlemen just come back from an excursion 
 to the suburbs, on their pacing mules or horses ; each rider 
 seated on a saddle rising three or four inches before and be- 
 hind, and armed with an enormous pair of silver spurs. Be- 
 fore the animal is a large skin of some shaggy coated animal, 
 hanging down to the heavy Spanish box stirrup, or still heavier 
 or indescribable one of iron, over which lies the long ta- 
 per end of the bridle, made of narrow slips of hide twisted 
 into a cord, and so long as to serve the purposes of a whip. 
 To this is affixed an enormous bit, under which the poor 
 beast writhes, and is effectually subdued. 
 
 " By about seven o'clock the last gleam of twilight has 
 disappeared, and the servants enter with the lights, reciting 
 most devoutly the ' Bendito,' which may be thus translated: 
 ' Blessed and praised be the holy sacrament of the altar for- 
 ever and ever.' In another hour the sala has assumed its 
 evening character ; cloaks and swords occupy the corner of 
 the room — a small table at the farther end is surrounded by 
 a party busily employed at ' monte,' (a game of cards,) 
 amidst clouds of smoke, — and at the other end some lady, 
 regardless of the noisy tongues of the gambler, is playing a 
 popular air on a wretched marimba, or still worse piano, 
 accompanying it with her voice. The miserable light yield- 
 ed by two thin, long-wicked tallow candles, in massive silver 
 candlesticks, throws a gloom over the apartment, strangely 
 in contrast with the light-hearted gayety of its occupants. 
 Formal parties are rare ; friends drop in towards the evening 
 without ceremony, amuse themselves for an hour or two, and 
 retire generally without taking any kind of refreshment. 
 
 "About ten o'clock the different members of the family sit 
 down to a supper, differing little from the dinner, eat heartily 
 of its various dishes, and with stomachs loaded to a degree 
 that would make most people tremble for fear of apoplexy, 
 retire to bed, and in half an hour are all soundly asleep. In 
 the more religious families, recitations of about a quarter of 
 
548 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 GUATEMALA. 
 
 an hour in length, and mostly to the Virgin, are practised on 
 those evenings when there are no visiters. 
 
 " Marrying and giving in marriage here, as in other coun- 
 tries, is distinguished by peculiar customs. When the con- 
 sent of parents has been obtained, if the lover have no pre- 
 vious establishment, the parents of the lady place in it, at 
 their own expense, a handsome bed, and plentiful supply of 
 household linen. This having been done, the intended 
 bridegroom, on the day previous to the celebration of the 
 nuptials, sends to his future wife, dresses, jewels and orna- 
 ments, in proportion to his wealth. The ceremony is gener- 
 ally performed before daylight on the following morning, and 
 all attendant expenses are paid by the parents of the bride. 
 The newly married couple then adjourn to the house of the 
 lady's father, where they reside for fifteen or twenty days. 
 
 11 The other rites of the Church are conducted in the same 
 way as in other Catholic countries. Funerals are very expen- 
 sive, owing not only to the number of individuals who take 
 part in the ceremony, but also to the splendid dresses in 
 which bodies are interred. The wealthy throw away consider- 
 able sums in the indulgence of foolish vanity, and not unfre- 
 quently expend a sum equal to c£50 sterling upon the inter- 
 ment of a new-born infant. 
 
 " The most splendid funeral I witnessed in Guatemala," 
 continues Mr. Dunn, " was that of a rich Canonigo. The 
 friars of the different convents, two by two, led the proces- 
 sion, one bearing a massy silver cross, and the others 
 lighted wax candles, the canonigos and the doctors following 
 in their robes. After the bier, walked the priests and curas, 
 two by two, the chief of the state, the friends of the late 
 canon, and the principal military officers. Between the 
 house of the deceased and the place of interment, a distance 
 of about 500 yards, were arranged at equal distances in the 
 street, four large tables covered with black cloth, and hold- 
 ing six immense wax candles in massy silver candlesticks. On 
 each of these, the body, extended upon a splendid bier 
 and clothed in the richest robes, was placed. The proces- 
 sion formed around it, a mass was sung, and holy water 
 thrown upon the body by one of the doctors, after which the 
 whole moved on to the next resting place, where the same 
 formalities were observed. On its arrival at the cathedral, 
 the body was placed in the middle aisle, the members of the 
 procession ranged themselves on either side, with their light- 
 ed tapers, — crowds of spectators knelt in front, and other 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 549 
 
 GUATEMALA. 
 
 crowds stood in silence behind, as with one consent, every 
 voice began to sing the solemn mass. This imposing cere- 
 mony lasted for some hours, after which the corpse was depos- 
 ited in one of the vaults below the cathedral. 
 
 " The lower orders bury in the ' Santo Campo,' or conse- 
 crated ground, behind the cathedral, where many simple me- 
 morials to the dead have been erected. After the funeral, an 
 ' almoneda,' something like an auction, takes place of the 
 goods of the deceased. The .'arious articles of furniture are 
 arranged in the room, and ticketed with a small paper, on 
 which is written the lowest number of dollars for which the 
 article can be disposed of. An Indian is then placed at the 
 window near the street, proclaiming with a loud voice the al- 
 moneda within. The public then enter to view the goods, 
 and any one choosing an article at the affixed price is per- 
 mitted to take it, after it has been publicly exposed to the of- 
 fers of a higher bidder. If after three days, any of the arti- 
 cles remain unsold, they are reticketed at two thirds of the 
 former price." 
 
 According to Mr. Dunn, the state of society in Guatemala 
 is wretched in the extreme. " The pure and simple sweets of 
 domestic life, with its thousand tendernesses, and its gentle 
 affections, are here exchanged for the feverish joys of a dissi- 
 pated hour ; and the peaceful home of love is converted into 
 a theatre of mutual accusations and recriminations. 
 
 " Among the lower orders this loose and vicious life leads 
 to excesses, which, unrestrained by a vigilant police, produce 
 the most melancholy consequences. The men generally car- 
 ry a large knife stuck in the belt against the back, and the 
 women a similar one, fastened in the garter of the stocking. 
 These on every trifling occasion they draw, and the result is 
 often fatal. Not a day passes in which some one or other 
 does not stain his hands in the blood of a fellow-creature. 
 On feast days and on Sundays, the average number killed is 
 from four to five. From the number admitted into the hos- 
 pital of St. Juan de Dios, it appears that in the year 1827, 
 near 1,500 were stabbed in drunken quarrels, of whom from 3 
 to 400 died. Of these, probably fifty or sixty were assassi- 
 nated secretly, without having any opportunity of defence. 
 
 " The police, if such a thing can be said to exist, takes 
 notice of those events, and it would seem fabulous to relate, 
 were it not confirmed by the most respectable testimony, that 
 
550 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 GUATEMALA. 
 
 there is at liberty in Guatemala, at the present moment, more 
 than one, of whom it is known that they have murdered 
 several individuals. The respectable inhabitants defend them- 
 selves by carrying swords or pocket pistols in the evening, 
 and are rarely molested ; while the lower orders avenge the 
 death of their relatives, by taking away the life of the murder- 
 er, the first convenient opportunity. 
 
 "A circumstance of this kind occurred while I was re- 
 siding at Guatemala, very near to the house in which I lived. 
 About four o'clock in the afternoon, a poor man was ob- 
 served lying dead in the street, who had evidently been mur- 
 dered. For some time, no notice was taken of him ; at 
 length he was carried by some passers by to the hospital, and 
 it was immediately known that he had been killed by a shoe- 
 maker, who resided near, and whose brother had fallen some 
 months ago, by the hand of the deceased. This man had 
 now absented himself, but no means were used for his appre- 
 hension. A few shoulders were shrugged, a few ' que basti- 
 mas ' (what a pity !) uttered, and there the matter ended. 
 The shoemaker returned in a few days, resumed his occupa- 
 tions, and remains still undisturbed, unless some other has in 
 turn, passed him to his final account. 
 
 " The only offences noticed are political ones, and in these 
 cases the soldiers act as civil officers. Of their suitability, 
 one melancholy instance fell under my observation. A lieu- 
 tenant of infantry, and eight soldiers, were despatched to take 
 a man prisoner, who had committed some offence against 
 the State. They entered the room in which he was sitting 
 alone, about nine o'clock, in the evening. He immediately 
 blew out the candle, and fired a pistol at the officer, whom 
 he wounded. The eight soldiers report that their muskets 
 missed fire : it is only known that in the confusion the pris- 
 oner escaped, and has not since been heard of. A suspicion 
 having arisen a kw days afterwards, that he was concealed 
 in Guatemala, a second detachment was sent to capture him. 
 The party mistook a discharged postman, who was in the 
 house, for their prisoner : the poor fellow resisted with a 
 sword, and was immediately killed. Not content with pass- 
 ing five or six bullets through him, they pierced him with 
 their bayonets, in order to assure themselves of his death, and 
 for this feat the leader of the detachment was raised from a 
 lieutenant to the rank of a captain. After this, no further 
 search was made for the real delinquent, and in two or three 
 days the whole affair was forgotten." 
 
Iiiili 
 
SOUTH AMERICA 
 
 BRAZIL 
 
 ST. SEBASTIAN, OR RIO DE JANEIRO. 
 
 The city of St. Sebastian, now called, Rio, or Rio de Jan- 
 eiro, the capital of the empire of Brazil, is situated on the 
 western shore of the great bay from which it takes its name. 
 This bay was discovered on the 1st of January, 1531, by 
 Martin Alphonso de Souza, who, supposing that the fine ex- 
 panse of water was only the estuary of some great river, like 
 the mouth of the Amazon, or Oronoko, called it Rio de Jan- 
 eiro, or River of January. This very improper name the 
 bay and river retain, and also the city itself. 
 
 For many years, this fine harbor remained unnoticed, but 
 in the year 1558, Nicholas Villegaynon, a Frenchman, was 
 employed by the leaders of the Hugonots in France, to take 
 charge of a colony of their persecuted people, assigned to 
 settle at Rio. Two clergymen of that persuasion were se- 
 lected at Guiana, with fourteen students in divinity, to act as 
 pastors for the present, and supply future congregations, as 
 they should be wanted. There was, therefore, every reason 
 to hope that the reformation would take root here, and in 
 process of time fill the south, as well as the north of the new 
 world, with a Protestant people. But Villegaynon seems 
 to have been utterly unworthy of his trust. He commenced 
 a persecution against these unfortunate men, who had left 
 their own country for conscience sake, till he drove many of 
 them from this place also. Some requested permission to re- 
 turn to Europe, and he provided a vessel so badly found, that 
 they refused to embark, and were persecuted to death on the 
 island. 
 
 Meanwhile the Portuguese, jealous of this encroachment, 
 and alarmed at the progress of these strangers of the new 
 faith, sent an armament from Bahia to dispossess them. 
 Unable to make an effectual resistance, the colonists were 
 
554 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 ST. SEBASTIAN, OR RIO DE JANEIRO. 
 
 driven from their settlement, and their fortress was taken, and 
 demolished. 
 
 In 1567, Catharine, who governed the kingdom of Spain 
 as regent during the minority of Sebastian, directed a city to 
 be built on the spot, where it now stands, and to be called 
 St. Sebastian. 
 
 In 1808, the royal family of Portugal, being obliged to 
 abandon Europe, in consequence of the invasion of their 
 country, took up their residence at Rio, where they con- 
 tinued till 1821. This circumstance conferred on the city 
 great advantages, and contributed more than all other causes 
 to its growth and prosperity. 
 
 The harbor of Rio is one of the most capacious, com- 
 modious, and beautiful in the world. The immediate back- 
 ground of the city, is formed by beautiful green hills, cov- 
 ered with woods, and interspersed with villas and convents ; 
 while the foreground is enlivened by the vessels of all nations. 
 The bay contains nearly a hundred islands. From either 
 shore rise lofty and well-clad mountains, terminating, in some 
 places, in abrupt precipices of the wildest and most romantic 
 forms. At their base, white cottages and houses are scat- 
 tered amid patches of cultivation, and narrow valleys of 
 orange-trees wind among the mountains. Every little emi- 
 nence has its church or its port ; and innumerable boats flit- 
 ting about the bay, and mingling with the shipping, add ani- 
 mation and interest to the scene. The air is soft, the sky 
 generally cloudless, and every breeze bears over the calm 
 waters the fragrance of the orange and the lemon. Such is 
 the glowing language in which modern travellers describe the 
 first appearance of the Brazilian capital. 
 
 Far more has been done for this beautiful portion of the 
 new world by nature, than by man. The style of architec- 
 ture in Rio is, in general, mean, resembling that of the old 
 part of Lisbon; and though this town has always ranked as 
 the most important in Brazil, or as second only to Bahia, at 
 the time that the latter was the seat of government, yet, it is 
 only since the emigration of the court, that it has assumed 
 the character of a European city. Some idea of what Rio 
 was, may be gathered from the improvements, which are 
 mentioned by Mr. Luccock, as having taken place at the pe- 
 riod of his second visit to the capital in 1813, in the course 
 of the preceding five years. The city had been greatly en- 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 555 
 
 ST. SEBASTIAN, OR RIO DE JANEIRO. 
 
 larged ; the old streets greatly improved in cleanliness, and the 
 houses in neatness ; the roads cleared and widened ; and vil- 
 las and gardens had begun to adorn the vicinity. " An in- 
 crease of domestic comfort," he adds, " had arisen from the 
 establishment of a market for cattle without the city, and of 
 several markets for vegetables and fruit within it ; from a more 
 abundant and regular supply of fish, and the more free use 
 of mutton; from greater care with respect to the quality of 
 meat, and the cleanliness of the places where it was slaughter- 
 ed and exposed for sale. Craftsmen of different descriptions 
 had made their appearance ; among them, so many smiths, 
 that it was no longer difficult to get a horse shod. Mills for 
 grinding corn had been much improved, and bread was come 
 more into use. Charcoal was manufactured, and, for cook- 
 ing, introduced into the houses. Nuisances were more read- 
 ily removed, and even scavengers were now and then seen 
 in the streets." 
 
 Among the nuisances which had been removed, were the 
 gloomy projections from the upper windows, called jealousies, 
 which have given way, by the king's command, for open bal- 
 conies. These jealousies were raised on platforms of stone, 
 two and a half feet broad, and extended to the top of the 
 window. They were formed of lattice work of a fanciful 
 pattern, divided into pannels, or compartments, some of which 
 were fitted up with hinges at the top, so as to form a sort of 
 flap, which when opened a little way, allowed persons in the 
 balcony to look down into the street, without being seen them- 
 selves. They gave to the fronts of the houses a dull, heavy 
 and suspicious appearance. The ostensible motive for their 
 removal was to improve the appearance of the city ; the real 
 cause was said to be an apprehension that, sooner or later, these 
 jealousies might become ambuscades for assassins, who un- 
 seen and unsuspected, might thence discharge the fatal bullet. 
 
 To pursue the description of the capital : the streets, 
 which are straight and narrow, are paved with granite, and 
 are now provided with a raised pavement for the foot pas- 
 sengers ; but they are very sparingly lighted, and hardly 
 more than a few hours in the night, by the lamps placed be- 
 fore the images of the Virgin. The houses, which are gen- 
 erally of two stories, and low and narrow in proportion to 
 their depth, are, for the most part, built of blocks of granite : 
 the upper story, however, is often of wood. The thresholds, 
 door posts, lintels, and window frames, are of massy granite, 
 or feltspar, brought from Bahia, in a state ready for use. 
 
556 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 ST. SEBASTIAN, OR RIO DE JANEIRO. 
 
 The roofs are universally covered with semitubular tiles. 
 The lower story is commonly occupied by the shop and 
 warehouse ; the second, (and third, if there be one,) by the 
 family apartments, to which there are long and narrow pas- 
 sages taken from the ground floor, and communicating with 
 the street. In the outskirts of the town the streets are un- 
 paved, and the houses are of only one floor, low, small, and 
 dirty, with the doors and windows of lattice-work, opening 
 outward to the annoyance of passengers. The rents of 
 houses are nearly as high as they are in London.* 
 
 The houses are all numbered, says Walsh, in a more con- 
 venient manner than ours. The odd numbers are marked 
 on the right hand side, and the even on the left : the passen- 
 ger being always supposed to have his face towards the 
 palace. This greatly abridges inquiry, as you always know the 
 side of the street on which the house you want is to be found. 
 Formerly, the only light afforded to passengers at night pro- 
 ceeded from the tapers burning before the shrines of saints 
 at the corners of streets. Lamps, however, are now sufficient- 
 ly numerous, and the town is as well provided as most cities 
 on the continent of Europe. 
 
 Among the annoyances, observes this same traveller, 
 which teaze a stranger in the streets of Rio, is the everlast- 
 ing creaking of carts. The wheels are heavy blocks of 
 wood, fixed to the extremities of a thick axle, and they turn 
 both together The extensive friction of the large revolving 
 surface, which is never greased, against the shafts of the ma- 
 chine carrying a heavy load, not only increases the difficulty 
 of draught, but causes a creaking sound, quite intolerable to 
 unused ears. Every proprietor of a vehicle, offending in 
 this way, is liable to a fine of six milreis ; but they will not 
 prevent by any precaution, for they say the bullocks will not 
 draw kindly without the noise they are accustomed to ; and as 
 this is a general prejudice, no one will exact the fine, except 
 the emperor himself, who is anxious to put an end to the ab- 
 surd nuisance. He always stops the creaking cart, levies the 
 penalty, and puts the amount into his pocket. t 
 
 Churches and convents are almost the only public buildings 
 in Rio, that deserve notice. Among the former, those of 
 Da Candelaria, S. Francisco, and Sta-Paula, are in the best 
 
 * Notes on Rio de Janeiro, &c, by John Luccock. 
 t Walsh's Brazil. 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 557 
 
 ST. SEBASTIAN, OR RIO DE JANEIRO. 
 
 style of architecture ; but that of Nossa Senhora da Gloria is 
 the most striking from its situation. 
 
 " The cathedral," says Mr. Luccock, " in point of rank 
 the first religious edifice in Rio, is situated on a lofty and 
 pleasant hill, south of the town. It occupies a spot cele- 
 brated in the history of Brazil, and is very properly dedi- 
 cated to St. Sebastian. The church, which seems to have 
 been erected at two different periods, is a low, plain, sub- 
 stantial building, of an oblong form, with two small turrets, 
 but without windows. The entrance is from the east, and 
 fronts the altar. Within, the walls are whitewashed, unor- 
 namented, and dirty. The altar, also, is as plain as the 
 church ; and the whole evinces that it has profited little by 
 any predilection of the great or wealthy. The orchestra is 
 at the east end, and is awkwardly crowded towards the ceil- 
 ing. Around are traces of considerable foundations much 
 overgrown with brushwood." None of the churches have 
 either any fine paintings or works of sculpture, but only rich 
 gilding. The religious establishments comprise three mon- 
 asteries, Benedictine, Franciscan, and Carmelite ; a Fran- 
 ciscan nunnery ; a nunnery of Theresans ; an hospice, of the 
 almoners of the Holy Land ; a miscricordia, with its hos- 
 pital ; a foundling hospital, founded in 1738 ; (which, within 
 sixty years from that period, received nearly 5000 infants ;) 
 and a recolhimento for female orphans born in wedlock and 
 of white parents, where they remain till they are portioned 
 off in marriage from the funds of this munificent institu- 
 tion ; together with some smaller monastic and charitable in- 
 stitutions. 
 
 11 The royal palace skirts the beach, and is seen to great 
 advantage from the principal landing place, which is within 
 sixty yards of the doors. It is small, ill constructed, and 
 inconvenient. The palace of the bishop, which stands on 
 a high hill north of the city, is superior to that of the royal 
 family. The custom-house is a miserable building. The 
 inns are abominably bad. The new mint, the naval and 
 military arsenals, are called magnificent buildings, but they 
 present a very poor appearance to the eye of a European." 
 
 Though, in proportion to the size and wants of the city, 
 Rio has but a scanty supply of water, there are several pub- 
 lic fountains, and new ones are continually being erected. 
 The aqueduct by which these fountains are supplied, is a 
 noble work, and is described by Dr. Von Spix, as the purest 
 
558 
 
 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 ST. SEBASTIAN, OR RIO DE JANEIRO. 
 
 piece of architecture of which the city can at present boast. 
 It was completed in the year 1740, and is an imitation of the 
 one at Lisbon, erected by John V. " It consists," Mr. Luc- 
 cock says, " of two walls about six feet high, arched over, 
 with sufficient space for workmen to enter it occasionally, 
 and pass through its whole length. At suitable intervals 
 there are openings for the admission of light and air. Within 
 is laid the canal, about eighteen inches wide, twenty-four 
 deep, and three miles long. It commences at the bottom of 
 the lofty conical peak of the Corcovado, where the waters 
 flowing from that mountain are collected into a covered reser- 
 voir, and thence conveyed into the canal. Their course 
 from the summit is through deep and shady woods, and the 
 canal is defended from the sunbeams ; and thus, until they 
 reach the city, little of their freshness is lost." 
 
 The manners of the people of Rio, though not polished, 
 are kind and cordial. Mr. Walsh thus describes the minis- 
 try and other distinguished Brazilians, whom he met at the 
 house of the Austrian plenipotentiary. * " They were men 
 generally of low stature, and had not the least appearance or 
 pretension of a similar class in Europe. The greater number 
 had been engaged in business, and being men of opulence 
 when the separation of the countries took place, naturally 
 stepped into those situations formerly occupied by strangers 
 of rank from the parent country. They were men of the 
 plainest manners, laughing, good humored, and accessible, 
 like common-council-men at a London feast. Their dress, 
 however, was rich and expensive ; and some of them wore 
 large golden keys, attached like small swords to their sides, 
 intimating that they performed the office of chamberlain to 
 his majesty." 
 
 Shortly after, Mr. Walsh had an opportunity of seeing 
 the ladies, who composed the beau monde of Rio, dancing 
 waltzes and quadrilles. They, like the men, were of re- 
 markably low stature, with sallow complexions, and dark eyes 
 and hair. The latter were dressed remarkably high, and 
 ornamented with various productions of the country; among 
 these were the shells of a very beautiful species of beetle, of 
 a rich, vivid green, more bright and lustrous than the finest 
 emerald. They danced well, and their manners were very 
 affable and unaffected. 
 
 " The shopkeepers of Rio," adds the same writer, " are 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 559 
 
 ST. SEBASTIAN, OR RIO DE JANEIRO. 
 
 rather repulsive in their address, and so little disposed to take 
 trouble, that a customer is often induced to leave the shop 
 by the careless way in which he is treated. They are very 
 fond of sedentary games of chance, such as cards and 
 draughts, and often engage at them on their counters. I 
 have sometimes gone in at those times to purchase an article, 
 and the people were so interested in their game, that they 
 would not leave it to attend to me, and sell their goods. 
 They are, however, honest and correct in their dealings, and 
 bear good moral characters. Their charity is boundless, as 
 appears by the sums expended on different objects by the 
 brotherhoods, which they form. They are, as far as I have 
 heard, generally speaking, good fathers and husbands, and 
 their families are brought up with strictness and propriety. 
 It is pleasing to see them walking out together, the corpu- 
 lent parents going before, and the children and domestics 
 following in their orders. The women are fond of black, 
 wear no caps, but a black veil is generally thrown over their 
 bare heads, which hang down below their bosom and back ; 
 and as it is generally worked and spotted, it makes their 
 faces look at a little distance as if they were covered with 
 black patches. They always wear silk stockings and shoes, 
 and are particularly neat and careful in the decorations of 
 their feet and legs, which are generally small and well shaped. 
 The boys of this rank are remarkably obliging ; when I saw 
 any thing among them that seemed curious, and I expressed 
 a wish to look at it, they always pressed it on my acceptance 
 with great good nature, and seemed pleased at an opportunity 
 of gratifying me. 
 
 " The Brazilians in any difficulty or danger, make vows 
 to perform certain acts, in token of their gratitude to Provi- 
 dence if they are extricated. These vows they religiously 
 keep, and they are sometimes productive of great unhappi- 
 ness. The patrona, or master of a boat, in which I used to 
 cross the bay, was a remarkably good-looking man. He 
 was once overtaken by a storm in the same place, and made 
 a solemn vow, that if he reached the shore, he would marry 
 the first disengaged woman he met. He faithfully kept his 
 word ; connected himself with a person he knew nothing 
 about, who proved to be a vile character, and his domestic 
 comforts are forever embittered. 
 
 " They are not indisposed to hospitality, and they con- 
 stantly accept invitations from strangers, but seldom ask them 
 in return. This arises from the exceeding deficiency of their 
 
560 
 
 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 ST. SEBASTIAN, OR RIO DE JANEIRO. 
 
 domestic economy. A Brazilian never keeps a store of any 
 thing in his house ; but even those of the highest rank send 
 to a neighboring vender for whatever they want, in the small- 
 est quantities, and only when they want it. They never pur- 
 chase more at a time than a pint of wine, or a few ounces of 
 sugar or coffee, and this, they say is, because if they laid in 
 a store, it would be impossible to prevent their slaves from 
 getting at, and consuming it. When the slave goes for the 
 article, he takes up any thing he can lay his hand on to carry 
 it in. I have often seen one of them returning from avenda 
 with a china tureen full of charcoal under his arm, and a 
 silver cup on his head holding a few loose candles. 
 
 " The avocations of barbers are also very various. They 
 vend and prepare tortoise-shell to make combs. They bleed 
 and draw teeth as usual, and so far are only employed in 
 business connected with their calling, as barber-surgeons. 
 But besides that, they exclusively mend silk stockings, and 
 are remarkable for the neatness with which they sole and 
 vamp them. I never passed a barber's shop that I did not see 
 him, when not otherwise engaged, with a black silk stocking 
 drawn on one arm, and his other employed in mending it. 
 They are, besides, the musicians of the country, and are 
 hired also to play at church doors during festivals. All per- 
 sons who compose the bands on these occasions are barbers. 
 Over the middle of every shop is an arch, on which are sus- 
 pended the different articles for sale. In a barber's shop, 
 the arch is always hung round with musical instruments. 
 This association of trades was formerly the usage in Eng- 
 land, when the lute and cithern was always found in a bar- 
 ber's shop, to amuse .the customers of better condition, who 
 came to be trimmed, as they are now presented with a news- 
 paper ; or sometimes to alleviate the pains of a wound, which 
 the barber, in his avocation of surgeon, was probing and 
 dressing. But the remains of those customs which have en- 
 tirely gone out in Europe, still linger in America, among the 
 descendants of those who originally brought them over. 
 
 " It is highly creditable to the citizens of Rio, that no 
 native beggars are ever seen in their streets. The only per- 
 sons of that class I ever was accosted by, were foreign sailors, 
 particularly English and North Americans, who often at- 
 tacked me, complaining rudely that they were out of em- 
 ployment ; they had all the appearance of being worthless, 
 intemperate fellows, whose poverty was their own fault. All 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 561 
 
 ST. SEBASTIAN, OR RIO DE JANEIRO. 
 
 the natives in distress are fed and clothed by the different 
 brotherhoods of citizens, or by the convents ; and it is a 
 pleasing sight to see the steps of religious edifices filled, at 
 stated times, with poor people disabled by age or infirmity, 
 and the good Samaritans walking among them, distributing 
 food and raiment as they require it. 
 
 " It is also to be commended, that no women of bad 
 character are ever seen in the streets, either by day or night, 
 so as to be known as such. The decency and decorum of 
 this large town, in this respect, is particularly striking to 
 those who have been accustomed to the awful display of 
 licentiousness, which besets them in the streets and public 
 places of Paris and London. 
 
 " The post-office is held immediately under the hall of the 
 chamber of deputies, and is part of the same building. The 
 post leaves Rio every ten days, for the different remote 
 places in the interior. Mail coaches are of course unknown, 
 but I have frequently met the post on the road. It is carried 
 by two negroes, with poles in their hands, and a long port- 
 manteau strapped across each of their backs. They travel 
 on foot, at the rate of a league or four miles an hour. They 
 proceed without any guard, and with a feeling of such per- 
 fect security, that I have seen their portmanteaus of letters 
 lying by the road side, without any one to watch them, while 
 they themselves had gone to some distant raucho or escuda 
 to get refreshment, yet I never heard that the mail had been 
 robbed. 
 
 " When it arrives at the post-office in Rio, the letters are 
 not sent abroad, except to mercantile houses, which pay a 
 certain sum for the advantage; other letters are advertised. 
 The office is a large hall, on the ground floor, and is hung 
 round with boards, on which are written the names of places 
 from which letters come, at the head of a column ; and un- 
 derneath, the names of persons to whom they are addressed. 
 The columns are numbered; and when a person expects a 
 letter, he applies, not to the office, but to the board, and if 
 he finds his name there, he takes the number opposite to it, 
 which he presents at the office ; and he gets, not a letter di- 
 rected to his address, but one correspondent to the number 
 he asks for, which is often for another person. When any 
 mistake arises, and he gives his name, a parcel of letters is 
 presented to him, and he takes which he pleases. 
 36 
 
562 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 ST. SEBASTIAN, OR RIO DE JANEIRO. 
 
 " The administration of justice in Brazil is perhaps the 
 greatest grievance under which the people lahor ; and the 
 emperor's frightful picture of it, in recommending it to the 
 consideration of the Chambers, was not exaggerated. The 
 judges have but a small stipend of about three hundred 
 milreis, and they expend an income of ten thousand ; the 
 difference is made up by the most notorious and undisguised 
 bribery, in which there is no delicacy used, and little con- 
 cealment practised. A respectable merchant informed me, 
 he had just gained an important but hopeless suit, by bribing 
 the judge who tried it, with an English carriage, and he was 
 not ashamed to drive about in this public proof of his cor- 
 ruption. There is one tribunal, however, to which the peo- 
 ple have access, which is above the suspicion of such merce- 
 nary influence, and that is the throne of the emperor himself. 
 On every Saturday morning a public levee is held, where 
 the humblest individual in society may in person claim re- 
 dress. The only qualification required for admission is, that 
 the applicant shall come in with a cocked hat. If he cannot 
 command one, he leaves such as he has behind him at the 
 door, and boldly approaches the throne, where he is heard 
 and redressed. 
 
 " Some very extraordinary scenes take place on these oc- 
 casions. I shall mention one of the many, which I heard. 
 A well-known character, of considerable rank and conse- 
 quence, had become enamored of the wife of a Juiz da Fora, 
 who rejected his addresses. Shortly after, her husband was 
 assassinated, and this act was attributed to him, who supposed 
 her attachment to her husband had stood in the way of his 
 illicit suit. Under this impression, the widow immediately 
 repaired to court to seek redress at this public levee. As 
 soon as she was admitted, she threw herself at the feet of 
 Dom John VI., told her story, and demanded justice, which 
 the monarch immediately promised her. Engaged at this 
 time in very embarrassing affairs, the king overlooked the 
 circumstance, and forgot his promise ; when the widow ap- 
 peared before him again in deep mourning. Struck with 
 this circumstance, he now confirmed his assurance with an 
 oath, that she should have justice ; but the friends of the 
 accused being at that time about the person of the king, it 
 is supposed his attention was again turned purposely from 
 the subject. A third time the widow appeared, and taking 
 from under her veil a shroud, she displayed and shook it be- 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 563 
 
 ST. SEBASTIAN, OR RIO DE JANEIRO. 
 
 fore him, told him, in the bitterest language, he must soon 
 come to wear it, and bade him call to mind what was the 
 punishment reserved in the next world for perjured sove- 
 reigns, who denied justice to their subjects. The well-mean- 
 ing, but timid monarch, was deeply affected by this denun- 
 ciation, and in great horror of mind, assured her of imme- 
 diate redress; but the widow died in a very short time after; 
 Dom John was recalled to Portugal, and the affair was never 
 investigated. 
 
 "The police are a large body, dressed like soldiers, with 
 blue jackets and cross belts of buff leather, and resemble 
 exactly the gend'armes of France. They are not distin- 
 guished either for temperance or proper conduct, and they 
 are the only natives I ever saw drunk. If an outrage is com- 
 mitted, they seize, not the man who perpetrated it, who gen- 
 erally has time to escape, but the person they find nearest 
 the spot, who is only accidentally passing. A man was ridden 
 over by a horse, just at. our door, and brought into the hall 
 in a dangerous state. The police came up and seized a 
 gentlemanly person, who was walking by at the time. It 
 was in vain he pleaded he could not ride over the man, for 
 he had no horse. He was, nevertheless, dragged off to the 
 police house. 
 
 " Some curious circumstances attend the execution of a 
 criminal here. When he is condemned, he is taken under 
 the protection of the irmandade of the misericordia, and 
 placed by them in a capella for three days, where he is vis- 
 ited by persons, who provide all comforts and conveniences 
 for his unfortunate situation ; and among other things, they 
 prepare for him a shirt. The number eleven is a proverbial 
 offence, when applied to an individual, both at Lisbon and 
 Rio. At the former, to say of another, that he is a man de 
 onze lettras, is an insult, because the name of a very odious 
 character is spelled with eleven letters. At the latter, it is 
 regarded as equally offensive to say, he is a man de onze 
 varas, 'of eleven ells,' as it implies a man condemned to an 
 ignominious death ; the last preparation for which is, putting 
 on his shroud or shirt of eleven yards. The irmandade also 
 provide the cord by which he is executed. This last they 
 sometimes immerse in some strong acid, by which it is cor- 
 roded, and rendered so incapable of supporting a weight that 
 it frequently breaks before the criminal is dead. When this 
 
564 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 ST. SEBASTIAN, OR RIO DE JANEIRO. 
 
 happens, they step in, wave a standard over the body, and 
 claim it as their right. This is admitted, and they are al- 
 lowed to bear it away, and so frequently restore suspended 
 animation. 
 
 " There are many persons in Rio, who realize considerable 
 income by taming refractory slaves. A shoemaker of this 
 class lately purchased two. He was a man of the most un- 
 relenting severity, and treated them so cruelly, that they fell 
 on him one evening in his shop, with their knives, and killed 
 him. There was something in the affair, that interested the 
 irmandade to so great a degree, that, in a fit of mistaken 
 mercy, they offered the widow eight contos, if she would not 
 prosecute the slaves. The attachment of women in Brazil 
 to the memory of their husbands is proverbially strong; so 
 she rejected every offer, and surrendered the assassins to jus- 
 tice. In all executions, it is the practice for the executioner 
 to stand on the ladder above the criminals ; and when the 
 clergyman comes to the sentence in the creed, ' I believe in 
 Jesus Christ,' the ladder is turned, the hangman leaps on 
 the culprit's neck, and they swing off together. On this oc- 
 casion the rope, which had been previously prepared, imme- 
 diately broke, with the double weight, and both fell to the 
 ground. The irmandade now stepped in, waved their flag, 
 and demanded the body. The juiz, who presided, was a de- 
 termined man ; he told them to take the body if they pleased, 
 as it was their right, but first he would order the head and 
 hands to be chopped off. As this would totally defeat their 
 object, they declined removing the man, and he was again 
 hanged up, taken down apparently dead, and lay beside the 
 gallows, while the sentence of the law was executed on his 
 companion ; but before this was concluded, animation re- 
 turned, and he was observed to kick and struggle on the 
 ground. He was again, therefore, tied up till life was en- 
 tirely extinct; and is perhaps the only person on record, who 
 was thus executed three times for the same offence. 
 
 " The Brazilians were greatly shocked at this ; and when 
 the widow, who was reduced to poverty by her husband's 
 death, went to solicit alms to purchase prayers for the repose 
 of his soul, she was very coldly received by every one. 
 They forgot her disinterestedness, in refusing a large sum 
 to compromise the murder of her husband, they only remem- 
 bered her unchristian feeling of revenge, they said, on his 
 murderers." 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 565 
 
 ST. SEBASTIAN, OR RIO DE JANEIRO. 
 
 The commerce of Rio, has increased with unexampled 
 rapidity. When first opened to the enterprise of foreigners, 
 many articles were exported, without any regard to their 
 adaptation to the climate or the wants of the people. Mr. 
 Walsh thus notices some of the ludicrous mistakes which 
 were made by commercial men. " A large supply of warm 
 blankets, warming-pans to heat them, and, to complete the 
 climax of absurdity, skates, to enable the Brazilians to enjoy 
 wholesome exercise on the ice, in a region where a particle 
 of frost or a flake of snow were never seen, were shipped to 
 Rio. However ridiculous and wasteful this may seem, the 
 articles were not lost. The people did not suffocate them- 
 selves with woollen coverlets, where they sometimes found 
 a cotton sheet too heavy and warm ; they did not lay the 
 blankets, therefore, on their own beds, but in the beds of their 
 auriferous rivers, and lavras, or gold washings. Here the 
 long elastic wool entangled and intercepted the grains of gold 
 that came down, till they became saturated, and so literally 
 converted the blanket into a Golden Fleece. They had 
 formerly used hides with the hair on, for the same purpose, 
 and when the supply of blankets was exhausted, they return- 
 ed to hides again. In the same way they applied the warm- 
 ing-pans to the uses of their engenhos, or sugar-house : they 
 knocked off the lids, and the bottoms made excellent skim- 
 mers, to collect the scum on the surface of the boiling sugar. 
 Even the apparently hopeless and inconvertible skate was 
 turned to a useful purpose. Then, as well as now, there was 
 nothing in the country so scarce as wrought iron, for shoe- 
 ing mules and horses, and though perradors,or smiths, are to 
 be met at every sancho, perraduras, or shoes, are seldom to 
 be had. When the people, therefore, found they could not 
 use those contrivances on their own, they applied them to 
 their horses' feet; and many an animal has actually travelled 
 on English skates, from Rio to Villa Rica. Such of them 
 as were of well-tempered steel were hammered into facas, or 
 knives ; and a gentleman told me, he found the iron of a 
 skate in its original shape, forming the latch of a door in a 
 village in the interior. 
 
 "Next to the manufactured goods, flour is the great arti- 
 cle of importation to an infant State, as incapable hitherto of 
 growing the one as of making the other. From eighty to 
 ninety thousand barrels of flour are annually consumed at 
 Rio and its dependencies, which are almost exclusively sup- 
 
566 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 ST. SEBASTIAN, OR RIO DE JANEIRO. 
 
 plied from the United States. Dried fish also is consumed 
 in great quantities, as the great article of food in Lent, and 
 on fast days, and nearly the whole of it is sent by the Eng- 
 lish from the banks of Newfoundland. Beeswax from the 
 coast of Africa, for different religious purposes, is in immense 
 demand, but it is generally brought in Brazilian ships. Soap 
 is also much prized, that of the country being of a very vile 
 quality, and generally like soft yellow clay. These, with 
 Russian canvass and cordage, Swedish iron, Catalonia wine, 
 the great consumption of the people, and India goods, form 
 the principal imports." 
 
 The great exports of the country are coffee, sugar, hides, 
 horns, tobacco, cotton, and ipecacuanha. 
 
 Coffee is gathered twice in the year, in February and Au- 
 gust, and comes to market in greatest abundance and of the 
 best quality from July to December. It is purchased from 
 the planters by a class of intermediate traders, who pack it 
 in bags, containing five arrobas, or 160 lbs., and is thus sold 
 to the merchant ; full confidence is placed in the weight, as 
 no instance has occurred when it was found defective, and 
 the custom-house receives the duty without re-weighing. 
 This is certainly creditable to the honesty of the Brazilians. 
 In 1828, there were 58,871,360 lbs. exported. 
 
 Two qualities of sugars are known; one from Campos, in 
 the north, the other from Santos, in the south. They are 
 brought in coasting vessels, in boxes weighing about 2,000 lbs. 
 and deposited in trapixes, or public stores; a large quantity 
 is also made in the district of Rio. In 1828, there were 
 19,126 cases, 465 boxes, and 13,867 barrels exported. 
 
 Hides and horns come from Rio Grande and the flat 
 llanos on the shores of the Rio de la Plata. On the vast and 
 fertile Campos of Brazil, there are none,either wild or tame. 
 In 1828, 208,277 hides, and a proportionable quantity of 
 horns were exported. 
 
 It is at present impossible to obtain an accurate estimate 
 of the people of Rio. Before the arrival of the king, it is 
 thought by some not to have exceeded 50,000 souls. Mr. 
 Walsh estimates the number at 150,000, of whom two-thirds 
 at least are blacks. In this estimate Mr. Henderson ill his 
 recent work on Brazil concurs. Later writers put it at 
 200,000. 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 567 
 
 BAHIA. 
 
 The city of St. Salvador, better known by the name of 
 Bahia, is, with the exception of Rio, the largest and most 
 flourishing city in Brazil. It stands on a bay of the same 
 name, which contains above a hundred islands. Many of 
 these are cultivated and inhabited. Perhaps the whole world 
 does not contain a livelier or more splendid scene than this 
 beautiful bay, spotted with islands, swarming with vessels of 
 all sizes, from the smallest canoe to the largest merchantman, 
 and echoing to the sounds of music and festivity. It is a 
 place of great trade. In 1816, five hundred nineteen vessels 
 entered the bay, and four hundred eighty-one left it. Of the 
 articles of export, sugar is the first in importance, tobacco 
 second, and cotton third. Other articles are rum, rice, 
 coffee, whale oil, hides, tallow, and wood. It is said that 
 full 800 launches and smacks of different sizes arrive daily, 
 bringing vegetables, upon which the people chiefly subsist. 
 The coffee is not esteemed so fine as that of Rio. The 
 bananas are the finest in America. 
 
 Including its suburbs, Bahia extends four miles from north 
 to south, and its population is estimated at above 100,000, 
 more than two-thirds of whom are mulattoes or negroes, the 
 proportion of slaves, (to use Mr. Southey's expression,) being 
 fearfully great. 
 
 According to Mr. Lindley, Bahia stands on the right side 
 of the bay, where the land, at a small distance from the shore, 
 rises steeply, to a high ridgy hill, on the summit of which 
 the city is erected, with the exception of a single street that 
 ranges parallel to the beach : from the inequality of the 
 ground and the plantations interspersed, it occupies a con- 
 siderable space. The buildings are chiefly of the seventeenth 
 century, ill constructed, and, from the slightness of the ma- 
 terials, rapidly decaying, which diminishes the effect of many 
 of them that once were sumptuous. As in all Catholic cities, 
 the churches are the most distinguished edifices, and those 
 on which the greatest attention and expense were originally 
 lavished ; the cathedral is large, but falling into ruins ; 
 while the college and archiepiscopal palace (or rather house) 
 adjoining, are kept in thorough repair : they were all, at the 
 period of their erection, spacious buildings, and have a proud 
 
568 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 station on the summit of the hill, commanding the bay and 
 surrounding country. The grand church of the ex-jesuits 
 is by far the most elegant structure of the city. It is com- 
 posed entirely of European marble, imported for the pur- 
 pose, at an immense cost, while the internal ornaments are 
 superfluously rich : the rails of the altar are of cast brass, 
 the whole of the wood work is inlaid with tortoise-shell, and 
 the grand chancel, and several other communion recesses, 
 (diverging from the side aisles,) with their respective altars, 
 are loaded with gildings, paintings, images, and a profusion 
 of other decorations. % 
 
 The streets are confined and narrow, wretchedly paved, 
 never cleaned, and therefore disgustingly dirty. The backs 
 of several of them are receptacles of filth, which, exposed to 
 so extreme a heat, would affect severely the health of the in- 
 habitants, but for the salubrious air that prevails, in conse- 
 quence of the elevated situation of the place.* 
 
 Things appear not to have been much improved in 1821, 
 nearly twenty years later, when Bahia was visited by an in- 
 telligent female traveller. Mrs. Graham landed at the arsenal 
 or dock-yard. " The street into which we proceeded through 
 the arsenal gate," she says, " forms, at this place, the breadth 
 of the whole lower town of Bahia, and is, without exception, 
 the filthiest place I ever was in. It is extremely narrow ; 
 yet, all the working artificers bring their benches and tools 
 into the streets. In the interstices between them, along the 
 walls, are fruit-sellers, venders of sausages, black puddings, 
 fried fish, oil and sugar cakes, negroes platting hats or mats, 
 caderas, (a kind of sedan-chair,) with their beavers, dogs, 
 pigs, and poultry, without partition or distinction ; and as 
 the gutter runs in the middle of the street, every thing is 
 thrown there from the different stalls, as well as from the 
 windows, and there the animals live and feed ! In this street" 
 (called the Praya) " are the warehouses and country houses 
 of the merchants, both native and foreign. The buildings 
 are high, but neither so airy nor so handsome as those of 
 Pemambuco."t 
 
 The society of Bahia has been deemed superior to that of 
 Rio. " In their intercourse with foreigners," says Mr. 
 Lindley, " far less hauteur is seen in Bahia than in any other 
 I 
 * Lindley's Authentic Narrative. * Graham's Journal. 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 569 
 
 part of the coast." Nothing, however, can be much more 
 degraded than the state both of manners and morals. With 
 regard to the former, we shall here avail ourselves of Mrs. 
 Graham's lively narrative ; she is describing a tour of morn- 
 ing visits. " In the first place, the houses for the most part, 
 are disgustingly dirty. The lower story usually consists of 
 cells for slaves, stabling, &.c. ; the staircases are narrow and 
 dark, and at more than one house, we waited in a passage, 
 while the servants ran to open the doors and windows of the 
 sitting-rooms, and to call their mistresses, who were enjoy- 
 ing their undress in their own apartments. When they ap- 
 peared, I could scarce believe that one half were gentle- 
 women. As they wear neither stay nor bodice, the figure 
 becomes almost indecently slovenly after very early youth ; 
 and this is the more disgusting, as they are very thinly clad, 
 wear no neck handkerchiefs, and scarcely any sleeves. Then, 
 in this hot climate, it is unpleasant to see dark cottons and 
 stuffs, without any white linen, near the skin ; hair black, ill 
 combed, and dishevelled, or knotted unbecomingly, or, still 
 worse, en papillote, and the whole person bearing an un- 
 washed appearance. When, at any of the houses, the bustle 
 of opening the cobwebbed windows and assembling the 
 family was over, in two or three instances, the servants had 
 to remove the dishes of sugar mandior, and other provisions, 
 which had been left in the best rooms to dry. There is 
 usually a sofa at each end of the room, and to the right and 
 left, a long file of chairs, which look as if they never could 
 be moved out of their place. Between the two sets of seats 
 is a space which, I am told, is often used for dancing; and, 
 in every house, I saw either a guitar or piano, and generally 
 both. Prints and pictures, the latter the worst daubs I ever 
 saw, decorate the halls pretty generally ; and there are be- 
 sides, crucifixes and other things of the kind. Some houses, 
 however, are more neatly arranged. One, I think, belonging 
 to a captain of the navy, was papered, the floors laid with 
 mat, and the tables ornamented with pretty porcelain, Indian 
 and French ; the lady, too, was neatly dressed in a French 
 wrapper. Another house, belonging to one of the judges, 
 was also clean, and of a more stately appearance than the 
 rest, though the inhabitant was neither richer nor of higher 
 rank. Glass chandeliers were suspended from the roof, and 
 handsome mirrors were intermixed with the prints and pic- 
 tures. A good deal of handsome china was displayed round 
 
570 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 the room ; but the jars, as well as the chairs and tables, seemed 
 to form an inseparable part of the walls." 
 
 The gentlemen dress as in Lisbon, with an excess of em- 
 broidery, and spangles on their waistcoats, and lace on their 
 linen, and their shoe and knee buckles often of solid gold. 
 But, at home, these gala clothes are laid aside for a gown or 
 thin jacket, or merely a shirt and drawers. The usual dress 
 of the ladies is a single petticoat over a chemise, the latter 
 generally of the thinnest muslin, much worked and orna- 
 mented, and so full at the bosom as to drop over the shoulders 
 on the slightest movement. " This violation of feminine 
 delicacy," says Mr. Lindley, " appears the more disgusting, 
 as the complexion of the Brazilians is in general very indif- 
 ferent, approaching to an obscure tawny color. Stockings 
 are scarcely ever used ; and during the rainy season, which 
 is to them cold, they shuffle about in a pair of slippers, dressed 
 in a thick blue and white cotton wrapper, or a woollen great 
 coat faced with shag. When attending mass, a deep black 
 silk mantle, worn over the head, conceals the transparent 
 costume beneath. On some public occasions and visits of 
 ceremony, a few ladies of rank adopt the European dress." 
 This has probably come more extensively into vogue. In a 
 large party of well-dressed women whom Mrs. Graham met, 
 she had great difficulty, she says, in recognizing the slatterns 
 of the morning. "The Senhoras were all dressed after the 
 French fashion : corset, Jichu, garniture, all was proper, and 
 even elegant, and there was a great display of jewels." Edu- 
 cation is at the lowest ebb. The men, Mrs. Graham says, 
 divide nearly their whole time between the counting-house 
 and the gaming-table. M Of those who read on political sub- 
 jects, most are disciples of Voltaire ; and they outgo his 
 doctrines on politics, and equal his indecency as to religion." 
 There is a considerable number of English residents at Bahia, 
 who have a chapel and a chaplain, which, together with a 
 hospital for English sailors, are supported by a contribution 
 fund. " They are hospitable and sociable among each other," 
 says Mrs. Graham, " and often dine together ; the ladies love 
 music and dancing, and some of the men gamble as much as 
 the Portuguese. Upon the whole, society is at a low, very 
 low scale here among the English." 
 
 The chief amusements of the citizens, says Mr. Lindley, 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 571 
 
 are the feasts of the different saints, professions of nuns, 
 sumptuous funerals, the holy or passion week, &c, which 
 are all celebrated in rotation, with grand ceremonies, a full 
 concert, and frequent processions. " On such occasions, the 
 streets are swept and strewed with white sand and flowers ; 
 the windows are illuminated ; and the processions, lighted 
 by a great number of tapers borne by the faithful, move on- 
 ward, to the sound of bells and fireworks, towards the church 
 prepared for their reception. The burials are conducted 
 likewise at night, by the light of torches and flambeaus. 
 Music forms an important part of these religious festivities. 
 The Portuguese are a musical people, and the negroes also 
 are passionately fond of music. The ' city wayts ' are all 
 negroes, and they have always a full band ready for service, 
 which finds constant employ from public or private devotion." 
 " Every Portuguese," remarks Mr. Southey, " has his saint, 
 every saint has his day, and on every saint's day, some of 
 his votaries summon the musicians to celebrate the festival, 
 and accompany them to the church or chapel of the idol, 
 frequently by water." " It is also a custom," Mr. Lindley 
 says, " with the European merchant ships to have music on 
 their arrival, at departure, and on the first day of taking in 
 cargo, which repeatedly gives us a little concert, and sounds 
 charmingly from the water. These musicians are trained by 
 the different barber-surgeons of the city, who are of the same 
 color, and have been itinerant musicians from time imme- 
 morial. Numerous as these swarthy sons of harmony are, 
 they find constant employment, not only as above mentioned, 
 but also at the entrance of the churches on celebrations 
 of festivals, where they sit playing lively pieces, regardless of 
 the solemnities going on within. 
 
COL OMBIA. 
 
 BOGOTA. 
 
 This city, which, during the reign of the Spaniards in 
 South America, was more commonly called Santa Fe, but 
 since the independence of the country, Bogota, is situated on 
 a spacious and fertile plain, on the most easterly ridge of the 
 Andes, in latitude 4° 10' north, and longitude 73° 50', at an 
 elevation of upwards of 8000 feet. It was founded by Que- 
 sada, in 1538, who built twelve huts in honor of the twelve 
 apostles, on the skirts of the two mountains called Mont- 
 serrat and Guadaloupe. It was created a city in 1548. It 
 was formerly the capital of New Grenada. From its ex- 
 treme boundaries it extends about a mile in length, and in 
 its widest part about half a mile in breadth. The streets are 
 generally narrow, but regular ; all of them are paved, and 
 the principal ones have footpaths. " When seen from the 
 mountains at the back, the city has a very pretty effect. The 
 streets built at right angles, present an appearance of great 
 regularity, and have a stream of water constantly flowing 
 down the middle ; there are also several handsome public 
 fountains. Great as is the extent of the city, «the churches 
 and convents cover nearly one half the ground. Many of 
 the convents are in part, and others wholly deserted, since 
 the Revolution. The ground that some of them cover is 
 immense." There are nine monasteries and three nun- 
 neries. 
 
 In respect to the public buildings, and indeed to the 
 houses generally, elegance has been obliged to be sacrificed 
 to solidity, on account of earthquakes, to which the city is 
 liable. The architecture of some, however, is handsome. 
 The cathedral is a fine looking building ; but its magnifi- 
 cence is not so great as the treasures it possesses are valua- 
 ble. " One statue of the Virgin alone, out of the many 
 which adorn the altars, is ornamented with 1,358 diamonds, 
 1,295 emeralds, 59 amethysts, one topaz, one hyacinth, 372 
 
ARRIEROS, OR CARRIERS. 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 575 
 
 pearls, and its pedestal is enriched with 609 amethysts ; the 
 artist was paid 4,000 piastres for his labors." 
 
 The palace, the ancient residence of the viceroys, now oc- 
 cupied by the president of the republic, is nothing more than 
 a house with a flat roof. Its dependencies are two adjoining 
 houses much lower, but ornamented with galleries. The 
 palace of the deputies is a large house, situated at the corner 
 of a street, the ground floor of which is let out in shops for 
 the selling of brandy. Across the street is the palace of 
 the senate, which is still more simple than that of the repre- 
 sentatives. The mint is a large plain building. 
 
 The principal streets are the Calle Real, and the San 
 Juan de dios. The former has a footway on both sides of the 
 road, and is well paved ; and, as there arc no carts, or vehi- 
 cles of any description, the traffic being hitherto carried on 
 exclusively by mules, it does not require frequent repair. 
 The ground floors of the houses are occupied by shops, with 
 one story above, each habitation having a large wooden bal- 
 cony, painted green. These two streets, which lead to the 
 alameda, are the chief resorts of the loungers and fashiona- 
 bles of Bogota. At one extremity of the Calle Real is the 
 principal Plaza, where the daily market is held. " This 
 spacious square is paved in the usual excellent style through- 
 out, and the method of paving in compartments, by lines of 
 stones on the edge, and the compartment filled with pavement 
 of round stones, though it was not intended for the purpose, 
 becomes of some use in the apportionment of space to the 
 dealers in various commodities; there are neither tables, 
 chairs, stools, counters, or chests visible in this square ; all 
 commodities are displayed on the naked pavement, or, where 
 the articles require it, on coarse cloths spread upon the 
 space regulated. — Here are seen the manufactured products 
 of all parts of the globe, Japan and China, India, Persia, 
 France, England, Germany, Italy, and Holland ; and, though 
 last, not least, the United States, or their favorite America 
 del Norte. On different platforms, apportioned out by 
 proper officers, or clerks of the market, or deputies of the 
 alcades, are seen piles of every kind of cotton, woollen, 
 silk, and linen manufactures : calicoes of India and England, 
 the silks of Asia, Italy and France ; the coarse linen fabrics 
 of Russia, Saxony, Silesia, and Holland; the finer linens of 
 England, Ireland, France, and Holland ; the broad coarse 
 checks of Germany, and their English successful imitations. 
 
576 
 
 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 " In other parts of the plaza, fruit and vegetable produc- 
 tions of every description, were placed in piles on the pave- 
 ment, or in capacious or small baskets. Another part was 
 appropriated to fowls of various kinds, &>c. 
 
 " But it is in the Calle Real, that the richest and finest 
 commodities are exposed for sale, in spacious shops, which 
 occupy the ground floor of all the houses on both sides of 
 that busy street. Here the finest jewelry, cutlery, millinery, 
 and clothing for both sexes are collected, and from thence 
 dispersed over all the countries west, south and east, for 
 some hundred miles, and beyond Quito. Native crystals, 
 the topaz of various hues from Brazil, the emeralds of the 
 country in deeper or paler tints, wrought and rude, the dia- 
 monds, and rubies, and amethysts of Asia, glitter alongside 
 the artificial gems of Paris ; and the fine wrought gold fila- 
 gree of the native workmen, which rivals that of the eastern 
 Archipelago."* 
 
 In the neighborhood of Bogota are some very agreeable 
 walks, which, although shaded by willows, and ornamented 
 by rose-trees and the beautiful cardamindum, are little fre- 
 quented ; the preference being given to a few select streets, 
 the trottoirs of which offer a commodious promenade, as 
 from them, gentlemen on horseback may be seen traversing 
 the town at full gallop. The greater part of these horsemen 
 are bedizened with gold, and glittering in military uniforms; 
 some with round hats ornamented with plumes of feathers, 
 others with cocked ones, and a still greater number wearing 
 shakos and helmets. Although their own appearance is up- 
 on the whole striking, that of their horses, which resemble 
 Norman poneys, is so wretched as to lessen the effect con- 
 siderably. 
 
 The general routine of the day at Bogota, commences 
 with mass, which is attended by females and old men. The 
 men, in general, we are told, do not give themselves much 
 trouble on this score, unless they have some particular object 
 in view, more attractive than devotion. The greater part 
 of the day, the ladies lounge on their sofas. At half-past five, 
 they attend the almeda, whence they return to receive visits 
 till between nine and ten o'clock, at which hour they retire. 
 Tertulias, or evening parties, balls, masquerades, and the 
 numerous religious processions, are their chief amusements. 
 
 * Duane's Visit to Colombia 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 577 
 
 The capital is at present full of priests, monks and cler- 
 gy, in consequence of a decree abolishing all monasteries, 
 which did not contain above a certain number, and directing 
 their inhabitants to reside in Bogota. This is considered as 
 a stroke of policy, having for its object not merely to apply 
 the revenues of the suppressed monasteries to the exigencies 
 of the State, but to bring the clerical body more immedi- 
 ately under the eye of Government, and counteract the more 
 easily their disposition to political intrigue. It is not easy, 
 M. Mollien says, to say what are the political opinions of the 
 inhabitants of Bogota. Like all those who reside in capitals, 
 they are oppositionists, because they see the machine of 
 government too near ; but, after having given the revolution- 
 ary impulse, this capital will, for the future, receive it from 
 the provinces. 
 
 The population of Bogota is said to have amounted, in 
 1800, to 21,464 inhabitants, exclusive of strangers and beg- 
 gars, whose residence was not known. The births exceeded 
 the deaths in the same year, by 247. The present popula- 
 tion is estimated at from 30 to 35,000 souls. There exists 
 a difference of opinion as to the superior eligibility of the 
 site of the two capitals — Bogota and Caraccas. The author 
 of Letters from Colombia gives his decided opinion in favor 
 of the former. The climate here is more congenial to Eng- 
 lish constitutions, and is favorable to great bodily exertion. 
 The extreme rarity of the atmosphere, however, owing to 
 the great elevation of the plain, is at first very oppressive to 
 strangers, occasioning a difficulty of breathing, and an un- 
 pleasant sensation at the chest. After a few days, this sub- 
 sides The seasons here are divided into rainy and dry, 
 forming two winters and two summers. The dry season be- 
 gins with the solstices ; the wet, with the equinoxes, varying 
 ten or fifteen days. March, April, May, September, Octo- 
 ber, November, are each reckoned winter months, during 
 which fall almost incessant rains. The mornings, from day- 
 break to eight o'clock, are then piercing cold, the thermom- 
 eter frequently down to 47°. though it in general keeps be- 
 tween 58° and 03°. In summer, during the warmest time, 
 it varies from 68° to 70°. June, July, and August are 
 showery. N. N. W. winds invariably bring storms. But, 
 during the dry season, the heavens are for the most part 
 beautifully serene and unclouded, and the dews are so light, 
 37 
 
578 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 that the usual lounge of the inhabitants is by moonlight. 
 Upon the whole, the climate may be salubrious. Epidemics 
 are unknown, and the diseases to which the natives are sub- 
 ject, are attributable to other causes than the air.* 
 
 As the Cataract of Tequendama excites the curiosity of 
 all visiters to Bogota, our fellow tourists will of course ex- 
 pect us to show them this celebrated work of nature. This 
 we shall do with the assistance of a very competent guide, 
 whose services we have already had occasion to use. 
 
 " No painting," says Col. Duane, " can convey any ade- 
 quate idea of this extraordinary work of nature : and, how- 
 ever circumstantial a verbal description may be, the idea of 
 what is there seen cannot be but imperfectly expressed. I 
 am not at all surprised, that none of the descriptions I had 
 read of this cataract, conveyed to my perceptions any thing 
 like what it really is. It cannot be seen with advantage at 
 one place ; contiguous to the first bound of the river, the 
 basin above, and the roll of the flood over the perpendicular 
 steep upon the vast platform, are all clearly visible ; but the 
 whole volume of the stream tumbling to the deep can only 
 be partially and imperfectly seen there. We took another 
 station on the north side of the chasm, so that the sun's 
 beams, then about eleven o'clock, crossed the line of the 
 cataract obliquely ; from this point we could see about a 
 third of the descending volume of water; but we could not 
 perceive the bottom. While we stood in this position, this 
 sublime object was never perhaps seen to more advantage. 
 The water was discolored by the yellow earth over which it 
 flowed ; and when the torrent dashed upon the forty feet 
 platform beneath it, the cloud of vapor, as it rose, illumined 
 by the blaze of an ardent sun, gave an incessant glow of 
 brilliant golden glory. Description by no means conveys a 
 sufficient idea of the object : it seemed a halo with a disk of 
 floating transparent gold, of perhaps twenty feet diameter, 
 the exterior vapor exhibiting prismatic shades incessantly 
 changing, renewing in new forms, and on the outer verge 
 condensing in drops, which fell in showers like tears. The 
 mind is beguiled, and time passes unfelt in the intensity of 
 admiration and awful sublimity of this spectacle, which on 
 every aspect presents new beauties and astonishment. Re- 
 turning to the verge of the cataract, I was induced to place 
 
 * For other particulars respecting Bogota, see " Universal Traveller." 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 579 
 
 myself on my breast to look into the chasm, and I succeed- 
 ed, with new emotions of admiration. Those who are re- 
 puted to have measured the depth, which is by no means dif 
 ficult, have differed from three to eight feet ; but the average 
 of the computation gives 164 or 165 feet, which, as far as 
 my eye is competent to judge, I believe to be near the true 
 depth. I leaned over the perpendicular wall — it is to all ap- 
 pearance a wall of regularly wrought and horizontally laid 
 and ranged gray grit stone — and 1 could see the foam of the 
 torrent agitate the basin below, where the rocks, rounded on 
 their tops by the beating of the waters, were seen as if 
 emerging from the waves of foam, like the play of otters, 
 while the stream of the torrent itself, brilliant in its own ac- 
 tion, appeared reduced to the size of the spout from a fire- 
 engine. 
 
 11 But, sublime as these views truly are, with the forests 
 rising on each side, from the crevice, into lofty sloping hills, 
 perhaps the most extraordinary peculiarities are yet to be 
 noticed. I know no mode by which the idea of its charac- 
 ter and figure, may be conceived, but that of the reader form- 
 ing to himself the idea of a gap or opening in the face of a 
 mountain 200 feet high, and about sixty feet broad, at the 
 foot of which a flood of 10 or 15 yards broad gushes through 
 the gap, at the height of more than 7,000 feet above the 
 ocean, rolling over rugged precipices till it unites with the 
 river Tocayma, one of the tributaries of the Magdalena. 
 This is the aspect at the debouch in the valley below. As- 
 cending then to the point from which the Funza thus issues, 
 and entering the crevice from its west or open end, and 
 groping along the rocky and difficult side of this gap ; the 
 overhanging trees no longer cover the space ; but a lane, if 
 I may so call it, of three-fourths of a mile long, formed by 
 two walls, perpendicular and parallel, induces the surprised 
 spectator to ask if these walls be not the work of art ? if man 
 with the chisel and the hammer, the trowel, the level, and the 
 plumb-line, have not wrought them ? Those walls stand 
 parallel, and distant about fifty feet, and about 170 feet per- 
 pendicular height, as uniformly fair on their faces as the best 
 masonry of the Capitol. Their summits are only the feet 
 of the forests, and the stream that has tumbled as it were 
 from the great storehouse of the heavens, starts from the 
 body of the foam, as if frighted by its own noise. 
 
 " But there is still another extraordinary feature of those 
 walls. In looking over the lofty brink from above, I could 
 
580 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 discern, by a dark light-glimmer, that the volume of the 
 water, in its plunge over the mound, on the table of its first 
 bound, left a space arched, or the quarter of an arc beneath; 
 at the second bound, the arching was not so forward : either 
 the impulse was not so great behind, or its own gravity 
 brought it, after a curve of about a sixth of the circle, head- 
 long down, keeping its volume, but casting out its brilliant 
 spray, and, forming, by its action on the air, a never-ceasing 
 shower, the more aeriform vapor rising in clouds, and making 
 a play of sunbeams, with alternately refracted and suppressed 
 prismatic lights over the abyss below. The opportunity of 
 seeing behind and beneath the column of the cataract, ex- 
 poses the structure of the wall over which it pours ; and 
 adds, by the regularity of its form, to the wonders of this 
 place. It is, like the sides, perpendicular, and meets the 
 sides, forming as exact rectangles as any architectural 
 structure."* 
 
 CARACCAS. 
 
 We shall precede our account of Caraccas with a brief 
 notice of its port, La Guayra. It is a roadstead, open to 
 the north and east, and slightly sheltered to the west by 
 Cape Blanco. But for this cape, it would have no preten- 
 sions whatever to be called a port ; and as it is, those pre- 
 tensions are very slight. Vessels anchor in from six and 
 seven to five-and-twenty and thirty fathoms, according to 
 their distance from shore, with a bottom generally of 
 white sand. The worm is very destructive to the bottoms 
 of such vessels as are not coppered. There is almost con- 
 stantly a swell, which is sometimes so violent as to prevent 
 all intercourse with the shore for several days together ; and 
 the lading is at all times taken in with difficulty. " It is a 
 singular spectacle," says an English traveller with whom we 
 shall now join company, " when the air is perfectly calm, 
 to see upon the beach a continued line of high breakers, 
 which succeed each other incessantly, and descend with a 
 roaring which is heard far up the valleys. On account of 
 
 * Duane'a Visit to Colombia. 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 581 
 
 CARACCAS. 
 
 this surf, the wharf of La Guayra, which is of wood, and up- 
 wards of 160 feet in length, stands in need of continual re- 
 pair."* 
 
 The town is irregularly and badly built, the lower street 
 in a line parallel with the beach, and most of the others 
 stretching up the side of the mountain, at the foot of which 
 the town is built, and along the high bank of a ravine in 
 which flows a small stream. After heavy rains this becomes 
 for a short time an impassable torrent, and has sometimes 
 even overflowed its lofty banks, to the great danger of the 
 lower part of the town. The only public building of any 
 consequence is the custom-house, which is large and com- 
 modious. The church has nothing in it remarkable ; " nor 
 is there, indeed," adds Mr. Semple, " in the whole place, 
 an object worthy of detaining the traveller a single hour." 
 This gentleman visited La Guayra in 1810. Two years af- 
 ter, the earthquake which visited Caraccas reduced La 
 Guayra to little better than a heap of ruins ; and according to 
 the statement of a recent traveller, it had not recovered so 
 lately as February, 1823, from the effects of the dire visita- 
 tion. It is described as presenting a most dismal aspect, 
 and the coast was covered with wrecks. A violent swell 
 from the north-east had, in the preceding month, cast on shore 
 every vessel that was lying off the port, except one, and no 
 fewer than fourteen hulks were then on the beach. f Yet the 
 commerce carried on with La Guayra is considerable, and, 
 as this writer states, is daily increasing both with Great 
 Britain and North America. 
 
 The road from the port to Caraccas, resembles the pas- 
 sages over the Alps. " It is infinitely finer," Humboldt says, 
 " than that from Honda to Bogota, or from Guayaquil to 
 Quito, and is even kept in better order than the ancient 
 road from Vera Cruz to Perote. With good mules, it re- 
 quires but three hours to ascend, and only two to return. 
 With loaded mules or on foot, the journey occupies from 
 four to five hours. The elevation of Caraccas is but a third 
 of that of Mexico, Quito, or Bogota; and among all the 
 capitals of Spanish America which enjoy a cool and de- 
 licious climate in the midst of the torrid zone, Caraccas 
 stands nearest to the coast." For the first mile, the road 
 continues along the shore to Macuta, (or Maiquetia,) a neat 
 
 * Semple's Sketch of Caraccas. 
 t Letters from Colombia. 
 
582 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 CARACCAS. 
 
 and pleasant village, where most of the wealthier inhabitants 
 of La Guayra have houses. Here, the mountains recede a 
 little from the shore, leaving a small opening, better adapted, 
 Mr. Semple says, for the situation of the port than the rude 
 spot on which it has been built. The road then turns to 
 the left, and ascends to a considerable height, through a 
 deep clay or rich mould, which, in rainy weather, would be 
 impassable, were not the road in many places paved. In the 
 steepest parts, it ascends by zigzags, but is sometimes so nar- 
 row that two loaded mules cannot pass each other, and the 
 banks are high and steep on each side. " Woe betide the 
 traveller," says Mr. Semple, of whose description we shall 
 now avail ourselves, "who in these passes, meets a line of 
 mules loaded with planks, which stretch transversely almost 
 from side to side. He must either turn about his horse's 
 head, or pass them with the utmost caution, at the risk of 
 having his ribs encountered by a long succession of rough 
 boards, which, at every swerve of the mules, scoop out long 
 grooves in the clayey banks. 
 
 " We continued constantly to ascend. On the road was 
 the stone body of the statue of a saint, on a miserable low 
 sledge, which had been with great difficulty brought thus 
 far, when the project seemed to have been abandoned in 
 despair, as it continued here for several months. The 
 head, we were informed, had already reached Caraccas, 
 where it was impatiently waiting the arrival of the body to 
 be joined to it, and reared on high as an object of venera- 
 tion to surrounding multitudes.. The stoppage of this 
 statue marked the increasing difficulties of the ascent. From 
 clay, the road changed in many parts to rugged rock, which 
 appears not merely to have been thus purposely left, but to 
 have been formed in its present state. At the height of 
 about a thousand feet, we begin to breathe already a lighter 
 and cooler air ; and, turning back, enjoy the view of Ma- 
 cuta and the coast beneath our feet. We see the white 
 breakers along the shore and hear their noise, which now 
 sounds like a hollow murmur among the woods, which be- 
 gin to crown the steeps. Opposite to us is a high and steep 
 hill, covered with vegetation, and all the deep hollow be- 
 tween is dark with trees. Here and there spots are cleared 
 away, plantations are formed, and the experienced eye can 
 distinguish the various hues of the fields of coffee, sugar, or 
 maize. We pass also from time to time, two or three mis- 
 erable huts, where the muleteers are accustomed to stop 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 583 
 
 and refresh themselves. In this manner we continue to 
 ascend, the mountains still rising steep before us, till we ar- 
 rive at a drawbridge over a deep cut made across the nar- 
 row ridge upon which we have been advancing. On each 
 side are deep valleys, clothed with tall trees and thick un- 
 derwood, through which is no path. This point is de- 
 fended by two or three guns and a few soldiers, and forms 
 the first military obstacle to the march of an enemy. In its 
 present state, it is by no means formidable, but a very little 
 care might render it so. Having passed this, the steepness 
 increases, so that the mules, and even the foot traveller, 
 can proceed only by crossing obliquely from side to side; 
 and even that is attended with difficulty after rain or heavy 
 dews, on account of the smooth round stones with which 
 the road is paved. But the great and enlivening change ex- 
 perienced in the state of the atmosphere, removes all diffi- 
 culties. Never, within the tropics, had I before breathed 
 so pure and so cool an air. Instead of the stifling heat of 
 the coast, where the slightest exertion was attended with 
 profuse perspiration, I walked fast for joy, and thought my- 
 self in England. It was four o'clock in the afternoon when 
 I left La Guayra, and it was now become dark, when I 
 reached La Venta, (the inn,) a poor house, but well known 
 upon the road as being about half way between Caraccas 
 and the Port. It is situated at the height of about 3,600 
 English feet above the level of the sea, at which elevation 
 the heat is never oppressive. Here, having supped and 
 drunk large draughts of delicious cold water, I repaired to 
 sleep, unmolested by heat or mosquitoes. Being still warm 
 with my walk and my supper, I cared little that the frame 
 on which I lay down was unprovided with a single article of 
 covering ; but, about midnight I awoke, shivering with 
 cold, and astonished at a sensation so unexpected. At three 
 o'clock, it being a fine moonlight morning, we resumed our 
 journey, having still a considerable distance to ascend, 
 although the worst of the road was now past. In an hour, 
 we had passed the highest point of the road, and proceeded 
 along an uneven ridge of two or three miles before begin- 
 ning to descend towards the valley of Caraccas. On the 
 summit of the highest hill above the road is a fort, which 
 completes the military defences on the side of La Guayra. 
 This fort is visible only from certain points somewhat dis- 
 tant, as we wind close round the base of the hill on which 
 it stands without seeing any vestiges of it. When we had 
 
584 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 CARACCAS. 
 
 passed the ridge, and were descending towards Caraccas, 
 the day began to dawn. Never had I seen a more inter- 
 esting prospect. A valley upwards of twenty miles in 
 length, enclosed by lofty mountains, unfolded itself by de- 
 grees to my eyes. A small river, which runs through the 
 whole length of it, was marked by a line of mist along the 
 bottom of the valley ; while the large white clouds, which 
 here and there lingered on the sides of the hills, began to 
 be tinged with the first beams of light. Beneath my feet 
 was the town of Caraccas, although only its church towers 
 were visible, rising above the light mist in which it lay buried. 
 Presently the bells, began to chime, and I heard all their 
 changes distinctly, although, following the windings of the 
 road, I had still four miles to descend, whilst, in a straight 
 line, the distance did not appear more than one. At the 
 foot of the hill is a gate, where a guard and officers are 
 stationed, to examine the permits for merchandise, and 
 sometimes the passports of strangers. Within this is an 
 open space, before reaching the town, which we entered 
 about six o'clock. After passing the first row of houses, I 
 was struck with the neatness and regularity of most of the 
 streets, which were well paved, and far superior to any thing 
 I had yet seen in the West Indies. In the principal posada, 
 (inn,) kept by a Genoese, 1 found every accommodation that 
 could be reasonably expected. And, indeed, for some days, 
 the constant sensation of refreshing coolness in the mornings 
 and evenings, as well as throughout the night, was of itself a 
 luxury which seemed to have all the charms of novelty, and 
 left no room for petty complaints. 
 
 Caraccas, or as it is called at length, Santiago de Leon 
 de Caraccas, is situated in latitude 10° 36' north ; longi- 
 tude 67° 4' west ; at an elevation of nearly 2,500 feet 
 above the level of the sea, at the entrance of the plain of 
 Chacao, which extends above twenty miles east and west, 
 and varies from six to seven in breadth. It is watered by 
 the river Guayra. The ground on which the town is built 
 slopes regularly down to the Guayra, which bounds it on 
 the south ; the custom-house being 400 and the Plaza 
 Mayor nearly 200 feet above the bed of the river. The de- 
 clivity is not so rapid as to prevent carriages from going 
 about the town, but the inhabitants make little use of them. 
 
 The city is built in the Spanish fashion; the streets, 
 which are in general a hundred yards wide, crossing at right 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 585 
 
 angles, divide the whole town into square portions called 
 quadras, which here and there are left to form open squares. 
 The Plaza Mayor has the cathedral on the east side, the 
 college on the south, and the prison on the west ; but it is 
 disfigured by ranges of low shops, which form a sort of 
 inner square. Here is held the fruit, vegetable, and fish 
 market, where the banana, the pineapple, and the sapa- 
 dillo, are mingled with the apple, the pear, and the potatoe, 
 the product of every zone, with the fish peculiar to the 
 tropical seas. Caraccas contains eight churches, three 
 convents, two nunneries, three hospitals, and a theatre that 
 will contain from 20 to 25,000 persons. The pit, in which 
 the seats for the men are separate from those allotted to the 
 female part of the audience, is left uncovered, and there 
 may be seen at once the actors and the stars. Nothing, 
 as may be supposed, can be more contemptible than the 
 performances. The cathedral is heavily built and badly 
 planned ; it is 250 feet long by 75 broad, and its walls are 
 36 feet high. Four ranges of columns, six in each range, 
 without beauty or proportion, support the roof; but, to 
 compensate for the inelegance of the architecture, the 
 brick steeple contained the only public clock in the city. 
 The most splendid church, in point of the richness of its 
 ornaments, was that of Alta Gracia, built at the expense 
 of the people of color, as that of La Candelaria was by 
 the Islenos from the Canaries. The church of the Dom- 
 inicans boast of a curious " historical picture," represent- 
 ing the Virgin suckling the sainted founder of their order, 
 a grey-beard monk, to whom a physician had prescribed 
 woman's milk for a violent pain in his breast. Besides 
 the two nunneries of Conception and Carmel, there is a 
 much more useful institution for the education of young fe- 
 males, belonging to the congregation of Las Educandas. The 
 college, the only public institution for the education of young 
 men, was founded by the Archbishop of Antonio Gonzales 
 d'Acuna, so lately as 1778, and was erected into a universi- 
 ty, by permission of the Pope, in 1792. In this university, 
 reading and writing are first taught. Three Latin professors 
 teach enough of that language to enable their scholars to 
 read mass and study Dunn Scotus. A professor of medicine 
 lectures on anatomy, &,c, by aid of a skeleton and some 
 preparations in wax. Four professors are occupied in teach- 
 ing theology, and one the canon law. One is charged with 
 the exposition of the Roman law, the Castilian laws, the 
 
586 FAMILY TOLR1ST. 
 
 code of the Indies, and " all other laws ; " and finally, there 
 is a professor of vocal church music. " The routine of 
 education," says Mr. Semple^ " is such as may be supposed 
 to have been in Spain two hundred years ago ; a few com-* 
 mon Latin authors, catechisms, and the Lives of Saints, 
 being the chief studies." 
 
 In 1807, the population amounted to 47,228 persons, of 
 all colors ; of whom, according to M. Dupons, " the whites 
 formed nearly one-fourth, the slaves a third, the Indians a 
 twentieth, and the freed persons the rest." M. Humboldt, 
 however, states that, of 45,000 persons, which the best-in- 
 formed inhabitants believed it to contain in 1800, 18,000 
 were whites, and 27,000 persons of color. The census of 
 1778 had made the number amount to nearly 32,000. 
 Since then, it had continued to increase ; and in 1810, the 
 city contained, according to M. Lavaysse, 50,000 souls; the 
 population of the whole province being 496,772. Such was 
 about the number, when, by the great earthquake of the 
 26th of March, 1812, 12,000 inhabitants were buried under 
 the ruins of their nouses ; and the political commotions 
 which succeeded that catastrophe have reduced the number 
 of inhabitants to less than 20,000 souls. More than half 
 the town is now in ruins. "The houses of Caraccas," says 
 a recent traveller, " once so rich in the costliness of their 
 furniture and decorations, can now barely boast of the com- 
 monest articles of convenience ; and it is with the utmost 
 difficulty that a table, chair, or bedstead, can at present be 
 procured. That part which is nearest the mountain, 
 presents a continued mass of ruins. For the full space of 
 a mile, the streets are overgrown with weeds, and are entire- 
 ly uninhabited." 
 
 " On approaching the guard-house of the barrier, to pay 
 the toll exacted from travellers, I was struck," says another 
 writer, " with the wretchedness of its appearance, the filth 
 which surrounded it, and the squalid figures of the sol- 
 diery, whose small stature, dirty, ragged clothing, half pol- 
 ished muskets, and lack of shoes and stockings, afforded 
 the most convincing proofs of the exhausted and miserable 
 state to which the intestine war had reduced this fine coun- 
 try. From this barrier, the road lies along the ridge to the 
 entrance of the town, where the first objects that attracted 
 my attention was a church on my left, which had been shat- 
 tered by the earthquake. The walls only of the nave stood 
 erect, although split in some places, and partly concealed 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 587 
 
 by the wild vegetation, which, in this country, seems ever 
 ready to take advantage of the desertion of any spot to 
 recover it from human usurpation. The central tower had 
 not entirely fallen, but stood deeply rent from the top, in a 
 leaning position, threatening destruction to all within its 
 reach. Many similar scenes of dilapidation characterized 
 this part of the town, roofless and shattered walls, leaning 
 with various degrees of inclination, being met with at every 
 step. A little further on, symptoms of renovation appear, 
 in a few houses which are building ; and at length, on 
 reaching the southern part, few traces of the calamity are 
 seen, the houses generally remaining entire, with merely 
 occasional flaws in the walls. These are chiefly built of 
 sun-dried clay or mud (tapia) beaten down between wood- 
 en frames. The roofs are of tile, and the walls white- 
 washed." 
 
 In 1812, this city by an awful convulsion, was over- 
 whelmed. As early as December, 1811, a shock had been 
 felt at Caraccas ; but the inhabitants rested from that time 
 in security till the 7th and 8th of February, 1812, when 
 the earth was day and night in perpetual oscillation. A 
 great drought prevailed at this period, throughout the prov- 
 ince. Not a drop of rain had fallen at Caraccas, or for 
 ninety leagues round, during the five months which preceded 
 the destruction of the capital. The 26th of March, the fatal 
 day, was remarkably hot, the air was calm, the sky uncloud- 
 ed. It was Holy Thursday, and a great part of the popula- 
 tion was assembled in the churches. Nothing seemed to pre- 
 sage the calamities of the day. At seven minutes after four 
 in the afternoon, the first shock was felt ; it was sufficiently 
 powerful to make the bells of the churches toll j it lasted five 
 or six seconds, during which time the ground was in a con- 
 tinual undulating movement, and seemed to heave up like a 
 boiling liquid. The danger was thought to be past, when a 
 tremendous subterranean noise was heard, resembling the roll- 
 ing of thunder, but louder, and of longer continuance than 
 that heard within the tropics in time of storms. This noise 
 preceded a perpendicular motion of three or four seconds, 
 followed by an undulatory movement somewhat longer. The 
 shocks were in opposite directions, from north to south, and 
 from east to west. Nothing could resist the movement from 
 beneath upward, and the undulations crossing each other. 
 The town of Caraccas was entirely overthrown. 
 
 Thousands of the inhabitants, (between 9 and 10,000,) 
 
588 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 CARACCAS. 
 
 were buried under the ruins of the houses and churches. 
 The procession had not yet set out, but the crowd was so 
 great in the churches, that nearly 3 or 4,000 persons were 
 crushed by the fall of their vaulted roofs. The explosion 
 was stronger towards the north, in that part of the town 
 situate nearest the mountain of Avila and the Silla. The 
 churches of La Trinidad and Alta Gracia, which were more 
 than 150 feet high, and the naves of which were supported 
 by pillars of twelve or fifteen feet in diameter, left a mass of 
 ruins scarcely exceeding five or six feet in elevation. The 
 sinking of the ruins has been so considerable, that there 
 now scarcely remain any vestiges of pillars or columns. 
 The barracks, called El Quartet de San Carlos, situate fur- 
 ther north of the church of the Trinity, on the road from 
 the custom-house de la Pastora, almost entirely disappeared. 
 A regiment of troops of the line, that was assembled under 
 arms, ready to join the procession, was, with the exception 
 of a few men, buried under the ruins of this great edifice. 
 Nine-tenths of the fine town of Caraccas were entirely de- 
 stroyed. The walls of the houses that were not thrown down 
 as those of the street San Juan, near the Capuchin Hos- 
 pital, were cracked in such a manner, that it was impossible 
 to run the risk of inhabiting them. The effects of the 
 earthquake were somewhat less violent in the western and 
 southern parts of the city, between the principal square and 
 the ravine of Caraguata. There the cathedral, supported 
 by enormous buttresses, remains standing. Estimating at 
 9 or 10,000 the number of the dead in the city of Caraccas, 
 we do not include those unhappy persons who, dangerously 
 wounded, perished several months after for want of food, 
 and proper care. The night of Holy Thursday presented 
 the most distressing scene of desolation and sorrow. A 
 thick cloud of dust, which, rising above the ruins darkened 
 the sky like a fog, had settled on the ground. No shock 
 was felt, and never was a night more calm or more serene. 
 The moon, nearly full, illuminated the rounded domes of 
 the Silla, and the aspect of the sky formed a perfect contrast 
 to that of the earth, covered with the dead, and heaped with 
 ruins. Mothers were seen bearing in their arms their chil- 
 dren, whom they hoped to recall to life. Desolate families 
 wandered through the city, seeking a brother, a husband, 
 a friend of whose fate they were ignorant, and whom they 
 believed to be lost in the crowd. The people pressed along 
 the streets, which could no more be recognized but by long 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 589 
 
 CARACCAS. 
 
 lines of ruins. All the calamities experienced in the great 
 catastrophe of Lisbon, Messina, Lima, and Riobamba, were 
 renewed on the fatal day of the 26th of March, 1812. The 
 wounded, buried under the ruins, implored by their cries, 
 the helps of the passers-by, and nearly two thousand were 
 dug out. Never was pity displayed in a more affecting 
 manner ; never had it been seen more ingenuously active, 
 than in the efforts employed to save the miserable victims 
 whose groans reached the ear. Implements for digging and 
 clearing away the ruins were entirely wanting ; and the peo- 
 ple were obliged to use their, bare hands to disinter the 
 living. The wounded, as well as the sick, who had escaped 
 from the hospitals, were laid on the banks of the small river 
 Guayra. They found no shelter but the foliage of trees. 
 Beds, linen to dress the wounds, instruments of surgery, 
 medicines, and objects of the most urgent necessity were 
 buried under the ruins. Every thing, even food, was want- 
 ed during the first days. Water became alike scarce 
 in the interior of the city. The commotion of the earth 
 had choked up the springs that supplied them ; and it be- 
 came necessary, in order to have water, to go down to the 
 river Guayra, which was considerably swelled ; and then, 
 vessels to convey the water were wanting. There remained 
 a duty to be fulfilled toward the dead, enjoined at once by 
 piety and the dread of infection. It being impossible to in- 
 ter so many thousand corpses, half buried under the ruins, 
 Commissaries were appointed to burn the bodies; and, for 
 this purpose, funeral piles were erected between the heaps 
 of ruins. This ceremony lasted several days. Amid so 
 many public calamities, the people devoted themselves to 
 those religious duties which they thought were the most fit- 
 ted to appease the wrath of Heaven. Some, assembling in 
 procession, sung funeral hymns; others in a state of distrac- 
 tion, confessed themselves aloud in the streets. In this 
 town was now repeated what had been remarked in the 
 province of Quito, after the tremendous earthquake of 1797 ; 
 a number of marriages were contracted by persons, who had 
 neglected for many years to sanction their union by the sa- 
 cerdotal benediction. Children found parents by whom they 
 had never till then been acknowledged ; restitutions were 
 promised by persons, who had never been accused of fraud ; 
 and families who had long been enemies, were drawn to- 
 gether by the tie of common calamity. If this feeling 
 seemed to calm the passions of some, and open the heart 
 
590 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 CARACCAS. 
 
 to pity, it had a contrary effect on others, rendering them 
 more rigid and inhuman. In great calamities, vulgar minds 
 preserve less goodness than strength. Misfortune acts in 
 the same manner as the pursuits of literature and the study of 
 nature, their happy influence is felt only by a few, giving 
 more ardor to sentiment, more elevation to the thoughts, and 
 more benevolence to the disposition. 
 
 This catastrophe, which spread desolation over the city, 
 and buried thousands in less than a minute beneath the earth, 
 was not confined to Caraccas. Several considerable towns 
 and villages shared in the calamity. In La Guayra the num- 
 ber of the dead exceeded 4,000. The shock was felt in the 
 kingdom of New Grenada, as far as Santa Fe de Bogota, 
 180 leagues from Caraccas. Fifteen or eighteen hours after 
 the great catastrophe, the ground remained tranquil. The 
 night, as we have already observed, was fine and calm, and the 
 commotions did not re-commence till after the 27th. They 
 were then attended with a very loud and long-continued sub- 
 terranean noise, (bramido.) The inhabitants of Caraccas 
 wandered into the country ; but the villages and farms having 
 suffered as much as the town, they could find no shelter till 
 they were beyond the mountains of Los Teques, in the val- 
 leys of Aragua, and in the Llanos or Savannas. No less 
 than fifteen oscillations were often felt in one day. On the 
 5th of April, there was almost as violent an earthquake as 
 that which overthrew the capital. During several hours, the 
 ground was in a state of perpetual undulation. 
 
 From the beginning of 1811, to 1813, the west area, lying 
 between the parallels of 5° and 36° N., and the meridians 
 of 29° an<J 89° W., was shaken by almost simultaneous 
 commotions, the effect of subterranean fires. On the 30th 
 of January, a sub-marine volcano appeared near the island 
 of St. Michael, one of the Azores, where the sea was sixty 
 fathoms deep. This new islet was at first nothing more than 
 a shoal. On the 15th of January, an eruption, which last- 
 ed six days, enlarged its extent, and elevated it to the height 
 of fifty fathoms above the sea. This new land, of which 
 formal possession was taken in the name of the British 
 Government, was 900 toises in diameter. It received the 
 name of Sarbrina Island, — a name not less ominous than ap- 
 propriate : Sarbrina has again descended " to Amphitrite's bow- 
 er." — the island has been again swallowed up by the ocean.* 
 
 * Humboldt. 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 591 
 
 NEW VALENCIA. 
 
 NEW VALENCIA. 
 
 This city stands about three miles west of the lake of 
 Valencia, a beautiful sheet of water, 1,300 feet above the 
 level of the sea, and extended 30 miles long, and about 12 
 broad. It is said to resemble Loch Lomond in the num- 
 ber of small islands scattered over its bosom, amounting to 
 twenty-seven. But the mountains around it have not the 
 wild and rugged character of those which border the Scot- 
 tish lake. 
 
 The city of New Valencia is twelve years older than 
 Caraccas, having been founded in the year 1555, by Alonzo 
 Diaz Morena, as a station on which to advance on the valley 
 of Caraccas. It was at first dependent on Burburata, which 
 is now nothing more than a place of embarkation for mules. 
 Its advantageous position, as a centre of communication be- 
 tween Puerto Cabello and the inland towns, has raised it into 
 a place of considerable importance. At the time of Hum- 
 boldt's visit, the population was only between 6,000 and 
 7,000 souls ; but, in 1810, it amounted to upwards of 10,000. 
 " The inhabitants," says M. Lavaysse, " are nearly all Cre- 
 oles the descendants of ancient Biscayan and Canary fami- 
 lies. There is great industry and comfort in this town. It 
 is as large as a European town of 24,000 souls, because the 
 greater part of the houses have only a ground floor, and 
 many of them have gardens. Fifty years ago, its inhabitants 
 passed for the most indolent in the country. They pretend- 
 ed to be descended from the ancient conquerors, and could 
 not conceive it possible for them to exercise any other 
 function than the military profession, or to cultivate the land, 
 without degrading themselves. Thus, they lived in the 
 most abject misery, on a singularly fertile soil. Their ideas 
 have since completely changed ; they have applied themselves 
 to agriculture and commerce, and the grounds in the neigh- 
 borhood, are well cultivated. Valencia is the centre of a 
 considerable trade between Caraccas and Puerto Cabello." 
 Humboldt states, that, when he was there, many of the 
 whites, especially of the poorer sort, would forsake their 
 houses, and pass the greater part of the year in their little 
 plantations of indigo and cotton, where they might venture 
 to work with their own hands : " which, according to the in- 
 veterate prejudices of that country, would be a disgrace to 
 them in town." The industry of the inhabitants was begin- 
 
592 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 NEW VALENCIA. 
 
 ning to awake, and the cultivation of cotton had considerably 
 augmented, since Puerto Cabello had been opened, as a 
 puerto mayor, to vessels direct from the mother country. 
 
 There is nothing striking, according to Mr. Semple, in 
 the appearance of the town. Some of the streets, he says, 
 are tolerably well built, but the houses are mostly low and 
 irregular, and the principal church, which stands on the 
 eastern side of the great square, is by no means equal to that 
 of La Victoria, either in its size or its proportions. The 
 streets are very broad ; the dimensions of the plaza mayor 
 are "excessive;" and, the houses being low, the dispropor- 
 tion between the population and the space which the town 
 occupies, is still greater than at Caraccas. The author of 
 Letters from Colombia thus describes the appearance which 
 it presented in 1823, at the time that it was the head-quar- 
 ters of the patriot army investing Puerto Cabello. There 
 were then about two thousand troops in the town, among 
 whom were most of the English who had survived the 
 several campaigns. " The entrance to the town is by a good 
 bridge of three arches, built of stone and brick, and described 
 as the best by far of any in the Republic. The Glorieta at- 
 tached to it, is a large circular seat, enclosing an area where 
 the inhabitants meet in the evening for dancing and festivity. 
 This is, in fact, the only public promenade. Of the few 
 benefits bestowed on the country by the Spaniards, this is 
 one. The bridge and Glorieta were erected by Morales, not 
 many years since. The town contains many large houses, 
 the best of which are occupied by the military: a greater 
 number are in ruins, presenting a further memento of the 
 ravages committed by the earthquake. The population is not 
 proportioned to its present size. In this, as well as in respect 
 to its resources, the prolonged and harassing war has left 
 behind it most melancholy memorials." 
 
 It has been regretted, and "perhaps justly," Humboldt 
 says, " that Valencia was not made the capital, instead of 
 Caraccas, under the colonial government. Its situation, in 
 a plain, on the banks of a lake, recalls to mind the position 
 of Mexico. When we reflect on the easy communication, 
 which the valleys of Aragua furnish with Llanos, and the 
 rivers that flow into the Oronoco, and recognize the possibil- 
 ity of opening an inland navigation, by the Rio Pao and the 
 Portuguesa, as far as the mouths of the Oronoco, the Cassi- 
 quire and the Amazon, — it will appear, that the capital of the 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 593 
 
 PUERTO CABELLO. 
 
 vast provinces of Venezuela would have been better placed 
 near the fine harbor of Puerto Cabello, beneath a pure and 
 serene sky, than near the unsheltered road of La Guayra, in a 
 temperate, but constantly foggy valley. Situated near the king- 
 dom ofNevv Grenada, and between the fertile corn lands of La 
 Victoria and Barquesimeto, the city of Valencia ought to have 
 prospered ; but notwithstanding these advantages, it has been 
 unable to maintain the contest with Caraccas, which, during 
 two centuries, has drawn away a great number of its inhabi- 
 tants." 
 
 " The advantages of the situation have one drawback, 
 however, in the incredible number of ants which infest the 
 spot where Valencia is placed. Their excavations resem- 
 ble subterraneous canals, which, in the rainy season, are rilled 
 with water, and become very dangerous to the buildings, by 
 occasioning a sinking of the ground. To set against this, 
 there is an opening (abra) in the cordillera of the coast in 
 the meridian of Valencia, by which a cooling sea-breeze pen- 
 etrates into the valley every evening : the breeze rises regu- 
 larly two or three hours after sunset." 
 
 PUERTO CABELLO. 
 
 Puerto Cabello is, next to Carthagena, the most important 
 fortified place on this coast. It stands in latitude 10° 28' 
 north ; longitude 69° 10' west. The town is quite modern. 
 The port, Humboldt says, is one of the finest in the world; 
 art has had scarcely any thing to add to the advantages which 
 the nature of the spot presents. It is thus described by the 
 English traveller : " Puerto Cabello stands upon a small neck 
 of land, which has been cut through, and thus formed into 
 an artificial island. A bridge crosses this cut, and affords 
 entrance to the original city, which is small, but tolerably 
 well built and fortified. The harbor is formed by a low 
 island to the north-west, and banks covered with mangrove 
 trees, which shelter it on every side. It is deep and capa- 
 cious. An excellent wharf, faced with stone, allows vessels 
 of a large burden being laid close alongside of it ; and as 
 they can be easily and securely fastened to the shore, anchors 
 are here seldom necessary. To this circumstance, in which 
 88 
 
594 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 PUERTO CABELLO. 
 
 it resembles the harbor of Curacoa, Puerto Cabello is said to 
 owe its name, as implying that vessels may there be secured 
 by a single hair. The island is strongly fortified ; and the 
 batteries, being low and mounted with heavy cannon, are ca- 
 pable of making a good defence. Towards the land, the 
 works are not so strong, and the whole is within reach of 
 bomb shot from the first heights to the southward of the 
 town ; some of which are fortified. 
 
 " This harbor and La Guayra form a striking contrast. 
 Here vessels lie, as in a small smooth lake, while the waves 
 break high upon the outside of the island and along the shore. 
 In return for this, the worm makes great ravages in the bot- 
 tom of such ships as are not coppered. In no part of the world 
 is it more destructive ; and a small vessel, left unattended, in 
 a very few months, would founder at her moorings from this 
 cause alone. 
 
 " The plain in which Puerto Cabello stands, is bounded 
 on the south by mountains, and on the north by the sea, and is 
 nowhere more than two miles in breadth. To the west, a small 
 river descends from the mountains, and empties itself into 
 the sea. To the south-east of the town, the flats are annual- 
 ly flooded by the rain : and the exhalations from them are 
 very probably the cause of the destructive fevers which so 
 frequently rage here in the summer and autumn months. 
 Few strangers can then visit this port with impunity, or at 
 least without great danger ; and there have been instances of 
 vessels losing the greater part of their crews in a very short 
 time. This, however, has not prevented the rapid increase 
 of the place, which was originally confined within the works 
 upon the small peninsula, out of which no houses were for 
 some time allowed to be built. At first, low huts were erect- 
 ed, under the express condition of being demolished in case 
 of an enemy's approach ; and in a long interval of years, 
 during which no hostile force appeared, these huts were grad- 
 ually enlarged and increased. The suburbs now exceed the 
 town in population and extent, but still retain their low and 
 mean appearance, and are subject to the original stipulations 
 in case of danger. A great proportion of the houses have no 
 upper, story ; and the population being almost entirely col- 
 ored, the stranger is more apt to consider the whole as a 
 large Indian village, than as part of a European settlement. 
 
 " About a league to the westward of Puerto Cabello is the 
 small bay of Burburata, used as a port previously to the es- 
 tablishment of the former. The road to it leads across the 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 595 
 
 CARTHAGENA. 
 
 marshy plain of Puerto Cabello, to the sides of the hills, along 
 which it winds for some time, until it again crosses a sandy 
 flat, and brings us to the opening of the valley of Burburata. 
 The bottom of this valley is level, or very gently sloped to- 
 wards the sea, and consists of a deep, rich mould, every 
 where covered with banana trees, mimosas, triplaris, and 
 plantations of sugar, coffee, and cocoa. The latter are easily 
 distinguished by the tall erithrynas which shade the cacao 
 thco broma, and are covered with clusters of red flowers. 
 As they rise with a straight stem, they permit a free circula- 
 tion of air beneath, while their tufted tops effectually exclude 
 the scorching rays of the sun. Houses and clusters of huts 
 are scattered about among the trees, and a kind of church 
 marks what may be considered as the centre of the village 
 of Burburata. A small stream serves to irrigate the numer- 
 ous plantations. The population is entirely a colored race, 
 in which is a great proportion of Indian blood. The air of 
 the valley is moist and hot, and snakes abound in the lux- 
 uriant herbage which every where covers the soil. One of 
 these crossed my path, and another, large and yellow, with 
 dark spots, lay basking beneath a bush, into which he glided 
 on my approach. Mountains, covered with wood, enclose 
 this fertile flat on every side, except a small opening towards 
 the sea. Here, lower down, was formerly the principal port 
 on the coast. Vessels drawing ten or twelve feet of water 
 can anchor in a bight near the shore : the bottom is a fine 
 white sand : and Burburata is still the chief port from which 
 the mules, horses, and cattle of Venezuela, are exported to 
 Jamaica and other islands of the West Indies." 
 
 CARTHAGENA. 
 
 In November, 1822, M. G. Mollien, a French traveller, 
 already known to the public by his travels in the interior of 
 Africa, landed at Carthagena. The port is a magnificent 
 one. The bay is one of the largest and best on the whole 
 coast, extending two leagues and a half from north to south ; 
 it has capital anchorage, though the many shallows at the 
 entrance require a careful steerage, and being completely 
 land-locked, is so smooth, that vessels ride here as on a river. 
 
596 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 CARTHAGENA. 
 
 The bay abounds with fish and excellent turtles. Sharks are 
 so numerous as to render bathing highly dangerous, and they 
 have been known to attack even boats. The Indian name 
 of the place was Calamari, which signifies, we are told by 
 Alcedo, the land of cray fish. The city is built on a small 
 peninsula, originally a sandy island, but now connected with 
 the continent by an artificial neck of land. It has a suburb, 
 called Xiximani, almost as large as the city, built on another 
 island, and communicating with it by means of a wooden 
 bridge. Both the city and the suburbs are surrounded with 
 strong fortifications of freestone. At a short distance 
 from the town, on the main land, is a hill commanding 
 these fortifications, on which is a strong fort. This em- 
 inence, which is about 150 feet high, communicates on the 
 east with a range of more elevated hills, terminating in a 
 summit 550 feet above the sea, on which stands the Augus- 
 tinian monastery of Nuestra Senhora de la Popa. The 
 height of La Popa is not fortified, which, says Capt. Coch- 
 rane, is unaccountable, as it has several times been the cause 
 of the fall of Carthagena, without almost a single shot being 
 fired. The Colombians have now some idea of fortifying it. 
 I found lying there a large brass eighteen pounder, that had 
 been brought by Morillo, and the remains of a fascine and 
 mud battery, erected by Bolivar, when he attacked Cartha- 
 gena. Had Admiral Vernon landed a kxv cannon, and had 
 them dragged here by a body of seamen, he must have cap- 
 tured the place, as the possessors of this point will always be 
 masters of the city. On the summit, at the western extremi- 
 ty, is the Augustin convent of Nuestra Senhora de la Popa, 
 which was formerly very rich. I saw the room where Boli- 
 var was sitting during the siege, when a shot entering at the 
 window, shattered the shutter, passed over his head, struck 
 the wall, bounded back, and then, striking the side wall, 
 bounced out at another window, without doing Bolivar any 
 injury. The monastery is now almost in ruins, and is ten- 
 anted by one solitary friar, who occasionally makes a little 
 money by letting one or two rooms to people who wish to 
 enjoy cooler air than that of the town, which would be in- 
 sufferable were it not for an almost constant sea breeze. 
 
 The town produces by no means a pleasing impression, in 
 contrast with the cheerful seaports of the United States, 
 from which the French traveller had recently sailed. Car- 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 597 
 
 CARTHAGENA. 
 
 thagena,in fact, he says, presents the melancholy aspect of 
 a cloister. Long galleries, short and clumsy columns, streets 
 narrow and dark, from the too great projection of the ter- 
 races, which almost prevent the admission of daylight; the 
 greater part of the houses dirty, full of smoke, poverty 
 stricken, and sheltering beings still more filthy, black, and 
 miserable : such is the picture at first presented by a city 
 adorned with the name of the rival of Rome. However, on 
 entering the houses, their construction, singular at first 
 sight, appears afterwards to be well contrived, the object 
 being to admit the circulation of fresh air. The rooms are 
 nothing but immense vestibules, in which the cool air, un- 
 fortunately so rare, might be respired with the utmost de- 
 light, were it not for the stings of thousands of insects, and 
 for the bats, whose bites are not only more painful, but are 
 even said to be venomous. A table, half a dozen wooden 
 chairs, a mat bed, a large jar, and two candlesticks, general- 
 ly compose the whole stock of furniture of these habitations, 
 which are built of brick, and covered in with tiles. Two 
 sieges which Carthagena has undergone, have ruined the re- 
 sources of a majority of its inhabitants. 
 
 Carthagena is very strong, and of vast extent. Nine 
 thousand men, at least, would be required to defend it at all 
 points. The immense cisterns contained within its walls, 
 are justly objects of admiration ; and the water preserved in 
 them is excellent. Carthagena is, therefore, rather a forti- 
 fied than a commercial town, and will entirely cease to be 
 the latter, when it is no longer the entrepot of Panama. At 
 a distance of 200 leagues from the equator, its temperature 
 is hot and unhealthy, and the yellow fever makes frequent 
 ravages there. The population of Carthagena, about 18,000 
 souls, is, for the most part, composed of people of color, the 
 greater proportion of whom are sailors or fishermen. Many 
 keep shops for the sale of mercery or eatables, others follow 
 useful trades : they display a nascent industry, which, to 
 prosper, requires, perhaps, only encouragement and emula- 
 tion. Their shell works are beautiful. They are skilful jew- 
 ellers, good carpenters, excellent shoemakers, tolerable tai- 
 lors, indifferent joiners, blacksmiths rather than whitesmiths, 
 masons destitute of all ideas of proportion, and bad painters, 
 but impassioned musicians. The dangers of the sea, and 
 an industry often praised and always well paid, have inspired 
 the people of color with a pride which often gives occasion 
 for complaint. Their petulance and vivacity form a singular 
 
598 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 CARTHAGENA. 
 
 contrast with the indifference and mildness of those who are 
 called whites; so that, notwithstanding their idleness, they ap- 
 pear active and laborious. The contraband trade is ex- 
 clusively confined to them, and the heartiness with which 
 they engage in it, is a reproach to those whose duty it is to 
 put a stop to the illicit traffic. 
 
 The women of color, the offspring of negresses and white 
 men, are tall, and much more agreeable than the mulattoes 
 of our Antilles, who are generally too corpulent: daughters 
 of the Indians and negroes, their physiognomy possesses 
 greater delicacy and expression. If, on the one hand, the 
 races become more enervated under the tropics as they be- 
 come fairer, on the other, their personal appearance is im- 
 proved. Thus it is, that the female mulattoes are very in- 
 ferior in beauty to the whites, and lose much when seen near 
 them, which often happens with the Spaniards, in whose 
 churches there are no privileged places, as in those of the 
 United States. With the Spaniards, all pray to God in com- 
 mon, without regard to color ; and an insurrection would 
 doubtless be the consequence, should the following notice 
 be officially affixed to the church doors : To-day instruction 
 for men of color. 
 
 Carthagena was founded by Pedro de Heredia, in 1533. 
 It was made an episcopal city in 1534. Owing to its fine 
 situation, it soon attracted the attention of foreigners, par- 
 ticularly the French. It was sacked byaCorsican pirate 
 in 1544. In 1583, Sir Francis Drake, after pillaging it, set 
 it on fire, but it was rescued from the flames by a ransom of 
 120,000 ducats, paid him by the neighboring colonies. It 
 was invaded and pillaged a third time, by the French, in 
 1697. In the year 1741, it was invested by the English, un- 
 der Admiral Vernon and Sir Charles Ogle, who succeeded 
 in destroying the forts ; but, owing, as it is said, to a misunder- 
 standing between the naval and military commanders, and a 
 mortality among the troops, the enterprise was precipitately 
 abandoned with considerable loss. It has suffered much in 
 the revolutionary contest. The climate is very hot, especial- 
 ly during the rainy season, which lasts from May to Novem- 
 ber, and is attended by a continued succession of tempests 
 and thunder-storms. The streets have then the appearance 
 of rivers, and all the cisterns and tanks are filled, to which 
 the inhabitants are indebted for their only supply of sweet 
 water. From December to April, the weather is fine, and 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 599 
 
 CHUQ.UISACA. 
 
 the heat is tempered by north-east winds. The black vomit 
 is almost as fatal here to strangers as at Vera Cruz. The in- 
 habitants are very subject to leprosy. Bats are so numerous 
 that they cover the streets in an evening, in clouds, and 
 there is not a house in which these nocturnal visiters are not 
 found. Beetles, centipedes, scorpions, niguas, and mor- 
 cielagos, are among the insect annoyances of the place ; be- 
 sides which, Alcedo mentions the culebrilla, which breeds 
 under the skin, causing a swelling, which often terminates 
 in gangrene, and produces convulsions. Merchandise is 
 very liable to be destroyed by the moth. The inhabitants 
 have in general a very unhealthy appearance, and yet there 
 are said to be many instances of longevity. It stands in lat- 
 itude 10° 26' north ; longitude 75° 26' west. 
 
 BOLIVIA 
 
 CHUQUISACA. 
 
 Chuquisaca is the capital of Bolivia. It was formerly 
 called La Plata, (the silver river,) or Charcas, being the cap- 
 ital of Los Charcas, an extensive province, comprehending 
 all the south-east part of Peru. According to Alcedo, it 
 stands in latitude 19° 31' south ; 290 leagues from Cuzco. 
 The population is variously estimated. According to Mr. 
 Miller, it contains 18,000 souls. It was founded in 1539, by 
 one of Pizarro's captains. It stands in a small plain, sur- 
 rounded with eminences, which defend it from the inclemen- 
 cy of the winds. The climate is mild, but, during the win- 
 ter, dreadful tempests are not unusual, and the rains of long 
 continuance. The city is supplied with water from several 
 public fountains by means of aqueducts. The best houses 
 are only one story in height, but roomy, with delightful gar- 
 dens. There is a large and handsome cathedral, adorned 
 
600 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 with fine furniture and some beautiful paintings; there are 
 also, besides another parochial church, five monastic estab- 
 lishments, all spacious buildings with splendid churches, a 
 conventual hospital, three nunneries, and a royal university. 
 Latitude, 19° 30' south. Longitude, 66° 46' west. 
 
 POTOSI. 
 
 Potosi is situated about 15,000 feet above the level of the 
 sea, in the province of Porco, in lat. 19° 51', and Ion. 60° 31' 
 of Cadiz. Upon the accidental discovery of its mineral 
 riches in 1545,* it became a mine station, but was at length 
 made a town, and afterwards the capital of the intendency. 
 In 1611, Potosi contained 150,000 inhabitants, a great part 
 of whom were miners. In 1825, owing to the check given 
 to the working of the mines, and the shocks sustained by 
 the wealthy establishments during the Revolution, the popu- 
 lation is said to have been reduced to 8,000. 
 
 The traveller, on approaching Potosi, from whatever side 
 he may come, emerges from deep mountain ravines, and dis- 
 covers the town at the foot of the celebrated argentiferous 
 Cerro, which is a conical hill about three leagues in circum- 
 ference at the base. Its summit is more than 2,000 feet 
 above the town, and consequently 17,000 feet above the level 
 of the sea. It appears to be of volcanic origin, and its sides 
 are marked with spots of various hues, such as dark green, 
 orange, grey and red. Above 5,000 mine mouths or levels 
 have been opened on the mountain. Of these, only fifty or 
 sixty are now worked. The rest are stopped up, are inun- 
 dated, or have fallen in. The upper portion of the mountain 
 is so completely honey-combed, that it may be considered as 
 nearly worked out. The lower part, above one third of the 
 cone, has hardly been touched, in consequence of the num- 
 ber of springs which impede the workings. 
 
 * The story told respecting their discovery, is, that an Indian, who 
 was pursuing some wild goats up the mountains, on coming to a very 
 steep part, laid hold of a small shrub, to assist him to climb up ; the 
 shrub gave way from its roots, and discovered a mass of fine silver 
 among the clods. 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 601 
 
 The surrounding country is also metalliferous. Silver of 
 great fineness abounds in a hill called Guayna Potosi, (Young 
 Potosi,) close to the Cerro, but which cannot be worked, on 
 account of numerous springs being met with at no great dis- 
 tance from the surface. The ore is pulverized in mills, 
 worked with overshot wheels, turned by streamlets conduct- 
 ed from lakes or pools in the mountains, from one to ten 
 miles distance from the city. The most considerable of 
 those lakes are formed by dams built across the ravines. 
 The water is sparingly let out by a sluice in the daytime, but 
 never at night, and sometimes not oftener than twice a week, 
 according to the supply. Some of the larger pools are fed 
 by tributary ones, situated in higher recesses of the same 
 mountains. People are constantly employed as lake keep- 
 ers, to attend to the sluices, and to repair damages. In very 
 dry seasons, it has happened, that a scarcity of water has 
 caused the mills to stand still. This inconvenience might 
 be obviated, if the channels were paved, and the lakes prop- 
 erly cleaned out. 
 
 The town of Potosi is built on uneven ground. It has a 
 spacious square in the centre. The government house, the 
 town house, and the jail, under the same roof, occupy one 
 side ; the treasury, and government officers another ; a con- 
 vent and an unfinished church the third ; and private resi- 
 dences the fourth. Extensive suburbs, once tenanted by In- 
 dians and miners, are now without an inhabitant, and the 
 vestiges of the streets are all that remain. 
 
 Among the most remarkable public edifices is the mint, 
 substantially built of stone, upon a plan admirably adapted to 
 the purposes for which it was designed. It cost 1,148,000 
 dollars, including the machinery. It contains spacious apart- 
 ments for the superintendent and a few of the principal 
 officers.* 
 
 The climate of Potosi is disagreeable. The rays of the 
 sun are scorchingly hot at noon, while in the shade, and at 
 
 * The first mint was built in 1572 ; the present edifice in 1751. Up to 
 the latter date, the money coined at Potosi consisted of flat, angular 
 pieces of silver or gold, bearing the Spanish arms, and a figure denoting 
 their value. They are often called Buccaneer dollars, and are the 
 " pieces of eight," frequently mentioned in the history of those marine 
 freebooters. The annual coinage has, in the most productive years, 
 amounted to five millions of dollars in silver, and 36,800 doubloons in 
 gold. 
 
602 
 
 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 night, the air is piercingly cold. The country for three 
 leagues around is so completely barren, that a blade of vegeta- 
 tion is not to be seen, with the exception of a plant called 
 quinuali, which is a remedy against the puna, (difficulty of 
 respiration.) 
 
 The market of Potosi is one of the best supplied in South 
 America, though some articles of great consumption are 
 furnished from very distant provinces. Wine, brandy, and 
 oil are brought from the Puertos Intermedios, and flour £rom 
 Cochabamba. Mules, asses, and llamas are the only means 
 of transport. The necessaries, as well as the luxuries of life 
 are exorbitantly dear. Formerly, many Indian families 
 took up their abode in huts and caves near the mines on the 
 Cerro, and descended to the town only on a Saturday night, 
 to receive their wages, and to purchase a weekly supply of 
 provisions. Many of these often remained to squander their 
 earnings in dissipation, drunkenness, or gambling ; and 
 passed great part of the night playing the guitar, and singing 
 at the doors of the tippling shops. 
 
 A singular custom, which probably originated in the in- 
 dulgence of early mine owners still prevails. Between Satur- 
 day night and Monday morning, the Cerro literally becomes 
 the property of such persons as choose to work upon their 
 own account. During that time, the boldest master would 
 not venture to visit his own mines. They who thus take pos- 
 session are called caxchas, and generally sell the produce of 
 Sunday to their own masters. Independently of the ore thus 
 abstracted, the caxchas did considerable mischief by neglect- 
 ing the proper precautions as they excavated. If they met 
 with a more than usually rich vein in the course of the week, 
 it was passed over, and cunningly reserved for the following 
 Sunday. Very strong measures were therefore taken to 
 abolish the custom ; but every effort proved unsuccessful. 
 The caxchas defended their privilege by force of arms, and 
 by hurling down large stones upon their assailants. So 
 watchful are they, that it once happened that fifteen or twen- 
 ty llamas, richly laden with silver ore, were seized on the de- 
 scent, because they had left the mine after the hour at which 
 the caxcha privilege commenced. Neither llamas nor drivers 
 were ever heard of again. 
 
 Although Potosi was the last town in Peru that became 
 independent, it was the first to raise a monument to its liber- 
 ators ; for, previously to Bolivar's arrival in 1825, an obelisk, 
 sixty feet high, was erected in the principal square. 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 603 
 
 Besides the preceding cities there are others which in this 
 connection may be briefly noticed. 
 
 La Paz, situated in lat. 16° 29' S. is distant from Potosi 
 350 miles by the road, and contains, according to Holmes, 
 20,000 inhabitants. It lies in a ravine, so deep, narrow, and 
 steep, that it is quite concealed from the view of the travel- 
 ler, till he arrives almost directly over it. He sees, of a sud- 
 den, as he is proceeding, a vast gulf at his feet, in the bot- 
 tom of which appears a town very regularly built, as it seems, 
 with packs of cards. " The coup d'coil of La Paz conveys 
 precisely this idea ; the red tiled roofs and white fronts of 
 the houses answering admirably for hearts and diamonds, 
 whilst the smoked roofs and dingy mud walls of the Indian 
 ranchos answer equally well for spades and clubs. Through 
 this fairy town may be faintly seen, winding with occasional 
 interruptions, a silver thread, marked with specks of frothy 
 white, which, upon approaching, proves to be a mountain 
 torrent, leaping from rock to rock, and sweeping through 
 the valley. In casting an eye farther round, you perceive 
 squares and patches of every shade of green and yellow; 
 fruit and vegetables, and crops of every kind, in all their 
 stages, from the act of sowing to that of gathering in, trees 
 bearing fruit, and at the same time putting forth buds and 
 blossoms, and the whole scene teeming with luxuriance and 
 beauty. Yet, on raising the eyes from the lap of this fruitful 
 Eden, they rest on the widest contrast in the realms of na- 
 ture. Naked and arid rocks rise in mural precipices around ; 
 high above these, mountains beaten by furious tempests 
 frown in all the blackness of sterility ; higher still, the tops 
 of others, reposing in the regions of eternal snow, glisten with 
 undiminished splendor in the presence of a tropical sun. 
 After a descent of three miles, you reach the bottom of the 
 ravine ; and instead of rinding La Paz built on a flat, as you 
 supposed from the summit overhanging the abyss, you find 
 it really built on hills with some of its streets extremely 
 steep. The torrent which waters the ravine is a head branch 
 of the mighty Beni, or main stream of the Maranon ; and in 
 falls of rain, forces along huge masses of rock, with large 
 grains of gold. It is the great emporium of Peru, as all the 
 merchandise from the Pacific is conveyed thither, then car- 
 ried off by merchants, great and small, to the towns and vil- 
 lages in the interior. 
 
604 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 OROPEZA ORURO. 
 
 Oropeza, or Cochabamba, is the capital of the rich and 
 fertile district of Cochabamba, and is so called from the 
 gold found in its vicinity. It lies in. a fertile valley, near 
 the source of the Rio Grande, the head branch of the Ma- 
 deira. The district being the very granary of Bolivia, this 
 city drives a great trade in grain, fruits and vegetables ; and 
 contains 17,000 inhabitants, amongst which are many rich 
 and noble families. 
 
 Oruro was once a place of note, with 8,000 inhabitants, 
 but now reduced to less than one half, from the destruction 
 of the tin and silver mines in its vicinity, which formerly 
 supported a brisk and extensive commerce, but now nearly 
 extinct from want of those resources, which were absorbed 
 by the all-consuming evils of civil war. The tin mines 
 were long famous, and those of silver were once among the 
 most productive in Peru. But, of late years, being aban- 
 doned, they have filled with water, which they have neither ma- 
 chinery to employ, nor money for applying any other method 
 to carry it oft. Here were many families of enormous 
 wealth. Rodriguez, the late head of one of these, was propri- 
 etor of a famous silver mine in the vicinity, so productive, that 
 he discarded from his house all articles of glass, delft, or 
 crockery ware, and replaced them by others made from the 
 silver of his mine. Utensils of the most common use, as 
 well as those of luxury and ornament, such as pier-tables in 
 the principal apartments, frames of pictures and of mirrors, 
 footstools, pots, and pans, were all of silver. Said a native 
 to Semple, who was there in 1827, — " Do you see that trough 
 in the court yard ? " (pointing to a very large stone trough for 
 watering mules and other animals,) — " I do assure you that 
 Rodriguez had two of much larger size for the same pur- 
 pose, of pure and solid silver ; and before the revolution, there 
 were three or four houses in Oruro, that could boast of 
 having quite as much." Oruro is 180 miles north of Potosi, 
 in a barren and level plain, bounded west by the snow-cov- 
 ered Andes.* 
 
 * Goodrich's Universal Geography. 
 
PERU 
 
 LIMA. 
 
 Lima, the capital of Peru, was founded by Pizarro, in 
 1535. It is situated on the western coast, about two 
 leagues from the ocean, and 30 from the Cordilleras : lati- 
 tude, 12° 2' south ; longitude, 76° 58' west. It stands in the 
 midst of the spacious and delightful valley of Rimac, the 
 name of an idol formerly worshipped by the Peruvians, and 
 supposed to have been corrupted by the Spanish pronuncia- 
 tion into Lima. A river of the same name passes close by 
 the city on the north, watering the valley by numerous ca- 
 nals, and falling into the sea near Callao. This latter is the 
 port of Lima. On approaching the anchorage at Callao, the 
 numerous spires and domes of Lima are seen to the left of 
 the town of Callao, giving to the city an air decidedly orien- 
 tal. The prospect, at sunset, Mr. Miller tells us, is particu- 
 larly interesting ; for when twilight has already thrown the 
 landscape of the plain into deep shade, the domes of the city 
 are still gilded by the departing sun ; and when these are 
 also become shrouded in darkness, the peaks of the mountains 
 continue for some time to be illumined by his lingering beams. 
 
 Callao was itself formerly a city, and a place of some 
 beauty. But at present the houses make but an indifferent 
 appearance, being only about twenty feet high, divided into 
 two stories, with mud walls and flat roofs. The ground 
 floors form a row of small shops, open in front, and the up- 
 per stories an uncouth corridor. The slightness of their 
 construction is sufficiently explained by two circumstances ; 
 the frequency of earthquakes, and rain being unknown. 
 The city of Callao (for such was the title conferred upon it 
 in 1671) was entirely destroyed by the earthquake of 1746, 
 which laid three-fourths of the capital in ruins. By that 
 terrible convulsion, upwards of 3,000 people are said to have 
 perished at Callao alone. The city stood at a short distance to 
 the southward of the present town ; and on a calm dav, the 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 607 
 
 ruins may yet be seen under water, at that part of the bay 
 called the Mar Braba, (rough sea,) where a sentry is placed 
 on the beach, for the purpose of taking charge of any treas- 
 ure that may be washed ashore, which not unfrequently hap- 
 pens. In Alcedo's Dictionary, it is stated, that, of 3,000 
 inhabitants, only one man was left to record the dreadful ca- 
 tastrophe. Mr. Stevenson, however, became acquainted with 
 an old mulatto, who was one of the three or four who were 
 saved. He told me (says Mr. S.) that he was sitting on some 
 timber, which had been landed from a ship in the bay, at the 
 time that the great wave of the sea rolled in, and buried the 
 city ; and that he was carried, clinging to the log, near to the 
 chapel, a distance of three miles. The island of San Loren- 
 zo is said to have been separated from the main land by this 
 convulsion. It is between two and three miles in circuit, 
 the soil mere sand and black rock. 
 
 From Callao to Lima is six miles, and a good road. But 
 two miles, however, of this road has been finished as it was 
 begun. Commencing at a noble gateway at the entrance 
 of the city, it has a double row of lofty willows on each 
 side, shading the footwalk. A small stream of water runs 
 by each walk, irrigating the willows, and nourishing num- 
 berless weeds and flowers. This promenade is also fur- 
 nished with stone benches every hundred yards : and at about 
 every mile is a large circle formed of walls of brick and stone, 
 four feet high, with stone seats around it, . for carriages to 
 turn in with greater ease than on the road. It was the in- 
 tention of the Viceroy to carry the road down to Callao in 
 the same style ; but only the carriage road is finished, which 
 has a parapet of brick on each side to keep together the ma- 
 terials. Half way between the port and the city stands a 
 very neatly built chapel, with a small cloister attached to it, 
 dedicated to our Lady of Mount Carmel, the protectress 
 of seamen. Near it, is a house at which are sold good 
 brandy and wine, which is the more frequented of the two. 
 On approaching the city, the soil improves; large vegetable 
 gardens and fields of lucern and maize are seen ; and close 
 to the city walls are extensive orchards of tropical fruits, all 
 irrigated by canals from the river Rimac. The gateway is a 
 tripple arch of brick, stuccoed, with cornices, mouldings, 
 and pillars of stone. The dilapidated insignia of the crown 
 
608 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 of Spain, over the gate, now serve as an emblem of the fall of 
 its empire. 
 
 Immediately on passing the gateway, the stranger is struck 
 with the contrast which the interior of the city presents to 
 the grandeur of the approach and distant view. He finds 
 himself in a long, dirty street of low houses, with small shops, 
 having their goods placed on tables at the doors, — no glass win- 
 dows, no display of articles of commerce, — the people of all 
 colors, from the black African to the white and florid Biscayan. 
 In some parts of the city, however, are to be seen a number of 
 smart shops, exhibiting a rich display of French silks and 
 jewelry, and British goods of every description. The Eng- 
 lish costume is now quite prevalent in Lima, mingled with 
 the French ; while the fair Limenas have a dress peculiar to 
 themselves. Everywhere, the streets are full of bustle ; and 
 when a church procession or some other object of interest 
 draws together the various classes of the population, in some 
 of the public squares, the groups which are formed, present 
 altogether a motley and extraordinary appearance, well de- 
 scribed by Mr. Mathison. " Priests, in rich sacerdotal vest- 
 ments; friars, of various orders, Franciscan, Benedictine, 
 Dominican, and others, many of whose portly persons and 
 ruddy countenances belie the austerity of their profession ; 
 men dressed up as nuns, with black veils and masks, selling 
 little waxen images of the Virgin ; women of all classes, — 
 some in shawls and hats, others with the showy saya (petti- 
 coat) and black silk manto, so put on as carefully to conceal 
 the face and expose the person ; blacks and mulattoes, male 
 and female; and Indians, whose squalid, hideous features 
 bear no resemblance to the pictures which imagination is 
 wont to draw of their ancestors, ' the gentle children of the 
 sun ; ' loaded mules and asses, with their attendant peons, 
 just arrived from the port; country Creoles of both sexes, on 
 horseback, mounted and equipped alike; carriages (here 
 termed valencins) made and painted in the Spanish fashion, 
 and filled with smartly dressed ladies, their black servants and 
 postilions, bedecked in the most tawdry liveries ; cavaliers 
 of all nations, and patriot officers in gay uniforms, — some on 
 foot, courting the attention of the fair beholders, others 
 showing off the paces of their prancing steeds ; venders of 
 ice and chica, (a favorite Peruvian drink ;) beggars, im- 
 ploring alms in the name of the Virgin and all the saints of the 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 609 
 
 Romish calendar ; — these, and other innumerable objects, 
 during the procession, and for some hours afterwards, con- 
 tribute to enliven and diversify the scene."* 
 
 The great square of Lima is an elevation of 480 feet 
 above the sea. The figure of the city is described by Alce- 
 do as triangular. Mr. Stevenson says, it approaches to a 
 semicircle, having the river for its diameter. It is two miles 
 long, from east to west, and one and a quarter broad, from 
 the bridge to the wall. It is, for the most part, divided into 
 squares, (quadras,) of which there are 157; and there are 
 said to be 355 streets, all built at right angles, and generally 
 about twenty-five feet wide. Those running east and west 
 have a small stream of water flowing down them ; and the 
 Rimac passes through a part of the town. On the other side 
 of the river is the suburb of San Lazaro, which is inhabited 
 by the less respectable part of the community. Lima is 
 stated to contain nearly 4,000 houses, four large monasteries, 
 with numerous dependent convental and collegiate establish- 
 ments, fifteen nunneries, and four beaterios ; and a population, 
 probably of 50,000 souls. 
 
 The city received from Pizarro the name of Los Keyes, 
 or the city of Kings. It is surrounded (except towards the 
 river) with a wall of sun-dried bricks, about ten feet thick 
 at the bottom, and eight at the top, forming a beautiful prom- 
 enade round two thirds of the city. Its average height is 
 twelve feet, with a parapet of three feet. It is flanked with 
 thirty-four bastions, but without embrasures. There are 
 seven gates, and three posterns, which are closed every night 
 at eleven, and opened at four, A. M. This wall of enclosure, 
 rather than of defence, was built by the Viceroy, the Duke 
 de la Palata, in 1685, and repaired in 1808. At the south- 
 eastern extremity of the city is a small citadel, called Santa 
 Catalina, in which are the artillery barracks and a military 
 depot. 
 
 The plaga mayor or principal square, has, on the eastern 
 side, the cathedral, a very handsome pile ; to the north of 
 which is the sagrario, or principal parish church, having a 
 very beautiful facade ; and adjoining it is the archiepiscopal 
 palace, which surpasses in appearance every other building 
 in the square. Green balconies run along the front, on 
 
 * Mathison's Visit to Brazil, Chili, and Peru. 
 39 
 
each side of an arched gateway leading into the patio ; but 
 the lower part is disgraced with a row of small shops, the 
 nearest one to the sagrario being a pulperia, (grog-shop.) 
 Under the area of the cathedral, which is ten feet above the 
 level of the square, there is also a range of shops. On the 
 north side is the Viceroy's palace, the lower part of which 
 is in like manner concealed by a range of shops and stalls; 
 and over these runs a long gallery with tiers of seats for the 
 accommodation of the inhabitants when there is any fete 
 in the square. At the north-western corner is a gallery for 
 the family of the Viceroy, which, on days of ceremony, was 
 fitted up with green velvet hangings. The south side of 
 the square is formed by a row of private houses, but with an 
 arcade or piazza in front, occupied with the shops of dra- 
 pers and mercers. On the north side is the cabildo, or 
 town hall, a building very much in the Chinese style ; and 
 under it is the city jail. In the centre of the square 
 is a beautiful brass fountain, erected in 1653, the water 
 of which is the best in Lima ; and at all hours of the 
 day, water-carriers are busily employed in conveying it 
 to all parts of the city. In this square is held the principal 
 market 
 
 The interior of the cathedral is very rich. The walls and 
 floor are of good freestone, and the roof, which is beautiful- 
 ly pannelled and carved in compartments, is supported by 
 arches springing from a double row of neat square pillars of 
 stone work. All these, on festivals, are covered with hang- 
 ings of crimson velvet, fringed with the richest gold lace; 
 but in Passion week, purple velvet hangings are substituted. 
 The high altar has a most magnificent appearance. It is of 
 the Corinthian order; the columns, cornices, and mouldings 
 are cased with pure silver ; and over it is a celestial crown 
 of silver gilt ; the sacrorium in the centre is richly orna- 
 mented with chased silver-work. The custodium is of gold, 
 delicately wrought, and enriched with a profusion of dia- 
 monds and other precious stones : from the pedestal to the 
 points of the rays, it measures seven feet, and is too heavy 
 to be lifted by a person of ordinary strength. The front of 
 the altar table is of embossed silver, very beautiful. The 
 front of the choir is closed by tastefully wrought palisades of 
 iron, gilt, with large gates of the same. The stalls are of 
 carved cedar. There are two organs of fine tone, and the 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 611 
 
 choral music is very good. On grand festivals, the coup d'oeil 
 is very imposing. The high altar is then illuminated with 
 more than a thousand wax tapers. The large silver candel- 
 abra, each weighing upwards of a hundred pounds, the su- 
 perb silver branches and lamps, and the splendid service of 
 plate on the left of the altar, have a most magnificent effect. 
 
 The archbishop, in his costly pontifical robes, is seen 
 kneeling under a canopy of crimson velvet, with a reclina- 
 toryand cushions of the same material. A number of assist- 
 ing priests, in their robes of ceremony, fill the presbytery ; 
 next to which, leading towards the choir, are seats covered: 
 with velvet, on the left for the officers of state and the cor- 
 poration, on the right for the judges, who attend in full cos- 
 tume. In the centre, in front of the altar, a state chair 
 covered with crimson velvet was appropriated to the Viceroy, 
 when he attended in state, having on each side, three halber- 
 diers of his body-guard ; while behind him stood his chaplain, 
 chamberlain, groom, the captain of the body-guard, and four 
 pages in waiting. Three times during mass, one of the aco- 
 lites used to descend from the presbytery with a censer, and 
 bow to the Viceroy, who stood up amid a cloud of smoke : the 
 acolite bowed as he retired, and the Viceroy again knelt down. 
 
 At the back of the high altar is a chapel dedicated to St.. 
 Francis Xavier, in which are effigies of two archbishops in 
 white marble, kneeling. This chapel is the vault where the 
 archbishops of Lima were formerly buried ; but it is now 
 closed, and the bodies of the primates are at present carried 
 to the Pantheon, the common burial-place, where the first 
 corpse interred was that of Archbishop La Reguera, which 
 was exhumed for the purpose. 
 
 The interior of the sagrario is very splendid. The roof 
 is lofty and beautifully pannelled, and in the centre is a cu- 
 pola resting upon the four corners formed by the intersec- 
 tion of the cross aisle. The part of the high altars are splen- 
 didly carved, varnished and gilt. Great part of the high al- 
 tar is cased with silver, and the custodium is of gold, richly 
 set with diamonds and gems. The foot is incased with 
 silver. 
 
 The parish churches of Lima have nothing to recommend 
 them to particular notice. Of the conventual churches, 
 those belonging to the principal houses are remarkably rich. 
 That of San Domingo, about 100 yards from the plap a may- 
 or, is truly magnificent, and its tower is the loftiest in the 
 
612 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 city. It is about 180 feet high, built chiefly of bajareque, 
 (wood work and plaster.) The roof of the church is support- 
 ed by a double row of light pillars, painted and gilt, the ceil- 
 ing is divided into pannels by gilt mouldings, and the large 
 central pannels exhibit some good paintings in fresco. The 
 high altar is ornamented with Ionic columns varnished in 
 imitation of marble, with gilt capitals and mouldings. At 
 the foot of the presbytery, on the right, stands the silver al- 
 tar of our Lady of the Rosary. This altar, Mr. Stephenson 
 says, exceeds any other in Lima, both in richness and ef- 
 fect. It is entirely covered with pure silver. Its elegant 
 fluted columns, highly-finished embossed pedestals, capitals, 
 and cornices, some of them doubly gilt, are superb. In the 
 centre of the altar is the niche of the Madonna, of exquisite 
 workmanship : the interior contains a transparent painting 
 of a temple, the light being admitted to it by a window at 
 the back of the altar. The effigy is gorgeously dressed ; the 
 crown is a cluster of diamonds and other precious gems, 
 and the drapery is of the richest brocades, laces, and em- 
 broidery ; the rosary is a string of large pearls of the finest 
 orient. Such is the abundance, or rather profusion, of 
 drapery, that the same dress is never continued two days to- 
 gether throughout the year. 
 
 Before the niche, fifteen large wax tapers are continually 
 burning in silver sockets ; and in a semicircle before the al- 
 tar are suspended by massive silver chains, curiously wrought, 
 fourteen large, heavy lamps, kept constantly lighted, with 
 olive oil. Besides these, are, similarly suspended, eight 
 fancifully wrought silver bird-cages, whose inmates, in thrill- 
 ing notes, join the peeling tones of the organ and the sacred 
 chants of divine worship. Four splendid silver chandeliers 
 hang opposite the altar, each containing fifteen wax tapers; 
 below are ranged six heavy silver candelabra, six feet high, 
 and six tables cased in silver, each supporting a large silver 
 branch with seven tapers ; also four urns of the same pre- 
 cious metal, filled with perfumed spirits, which are always 
 burning on festivals, and emit scents from the most costly 
 drugs and spices ; the whole being surrounded with fuming 
 pastillas, held by silver cherubim. On those days when the 
 festivals of the Virgin Mary are celebrated, and particularly 
 at the feast of the Rosary, the sumptuous appearance of this 
 altar exceeds all description : at that time, during nine days, 
 more than a thousand tapers blaze, and the chanting and 
 music of the choir are uninterrupted. At the celebration 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 61 g 
 
 of these feasts, many miracles are pretended to be wrought 
 by the Madonna, and many absurd legends are related from 
 the pulpit. 
 
 On the left of the high altar stands one dedicated to Saint 
 Rose ; it is highly ornamented, and has a large urn contain- 
 ing an effigy of the saint, in a reclining posture, of white 
 marble and good sculpture. On each side of the church are 
 six altars, colored and varnished in imitation of different 
 marbles, lapis lazuli, &-c, with gilt mouldings, cornices, and 
 other embellishments. The choir is over the entrance at the 
 principal porch ; it is capacious, and has two good organs. 
 The music belonging to the church, is all painted on vellum 
 by a lay brother of the order ; and some of the books are 
 ably done. Three of the cloisters are very good ; the prin- 
 cipal one is elegant ; it has two ranges of cells, and the pil- 
 lars and arches are of stone, of fine workmanship. The 
 lower part of the walls is covered with Dutch tiles, exhibiting 
 sketches from the life of St. Dominick, &,c. Above are 
 large indifferently-executed paintings of the life and mira- 
 cles of the tutelary saints : they are generally concealed by 
 pannelled shutters, which are opened on holidays, and festi- 
 vals. At the angles of this cloister are small altars, with busts 
 and effigies, most of them in bad style. The lower cloisters 
 are paved with freestone flags ; the upper ones with bricks. 
 Some of the cells are richly furnished, and display more deli- 
 cate attention to luxury than rigid observance of monastic 
 austerity. The library contains a great number of books on 
 theology and morality. On the wall of the stairs leading from 
 the cloister to the choir is a fine painting of Christ in the 
 sepulchre. The rents of this convent amount to about 
 80,000 dollars annually. Belonging to this order is the sanc- 
 tuary of Saint Rose, she having been a beata or devotee of 
 the order. In the small chapel are several relics of the 
 saint.* 
 
 We shall not attempt a minute description of the churches, 
 chapels, convents and hospitals of Lima. They are quite 
 numerous, and in some of the former there is great display 
 of ornaments and paintings. Some of the latter are said to 
 be beautiful. 
 
 The University of Lima was founded in 1749, by a bull of 
 Pius V. It is a handsome building, with several good halls 
 
 * Stevenson's Twenty Years Residence in South America 
 
614 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 and an extensive library. Besides the university there are 
 several colleges — the royal college of San Carlos, founded 
 by the Jesuits for secular studies; the college Del Principe, 
 where young Indian caciques are educated for the church; 
 the medical college of San Fernando, the college of San 
 Toribio, an ecclesiastical seminary ; and a nautical academy 
 in what was the palace of the Viceroy. The respective cos- 
 tumes of the collegians are not a little singular. The dress 
 of the students of San Carlos is a full suit of black, with a 
 cocked hat and dress sword; that of Del Principe is a full 
 suit of green, with a crimson shoulder ribbon, and also a 
 cocked hat; that of San Fernando is a full suit of blue, with 
 yellow buttons and collar trimmed with gold lace ; and that of 
 San Toribio, an almond-colored gown, (called the opa,) very 
 wide at the bottom, and made like a poncho, with a scarf of 
 pale blue cloth, and a square bonnet of black cloth. 
 
 The preceding description, for which we are indebted to 
 the volumes of Mr. Stevenson, will give an idea of what Li- 
 ma was in the days of its wealth and pride, when it was the 
 richest city of South America. This traveller arrived in 
 that city, in 1811, during the viceroyalty of Abascal ; and 
 during his stay there, the act of the Cortes was received, 
 abolishing the Inquisition. A short time before, he had 
 been cited before that dread tribunal for rashly engaging 
 in a dispute with a Dominican friar ; he had now the op- 
 portunity of paying a second visit, under very different 
 circumstances, in company with some friends who had ob- 
 tained the Viceroy's permission to explore the empty den 
 of the monster. His account of the visit must not be sup- 
 pressed. 
 
 "The doors of the hall being opened, many entered, who 
 were not invited, and seeing nothing in a posture of defence, 
 the first victims to our fury were the tables and chairs : 
 these were soon demolished ; after which some persons laid 
 hold of the velvet curtains of the canopy, and dragged them 
 so forcibly, that canopy and crucifix came down with a hor- 
 rid crash. The crucifix was rescued from the ruins of in- 
 quisitorial state, and its head was discovered to be movea- 
 ble. A ladder was found to have been secreted behind the 
 canopy, and thus the whole mystery of this miraculous im- 
 age became explained : a man was concealed on the ladder 
 by the curtains of the canopy, and by introducing his hand 
 through a hole, he moved the head, so as to make it not con- 
 sent or shake dissent. In how many instances may ap- 
 
peals to this imposture have caused an innocent man to own 
 himself guilty of crimes he never dreamed of! Overawed 
 by fear, and condemned as was believed by a miracle, false- 
 hood would supply the place of truth ; and innocence, if 
 timid, confess itself sinful. Every one was now exasperated 
 with rage, and ' there are yet victims in the cells,' was uni- 
 versally murmured. ' A search ! a search ! ' was the cry, 
 and the door leading to the interior was quickly broken 
 through. The next we found was called del secret o : the 
 word secret stimulated curiosity, and the door was instantly 
 burst open. It led to the archives. Here were heaped upon 
 shelves, papers containing the written cases of those who 
 had been accused or tried ; and here I read the name of many 
 a friend, who little imagined that his conduct had been scruti- 
 nized by the holy tribunal, or that his name had been recorded 
 in so awful a place. Some who were present, discovered 
 their own names on the rack, and pocketed the papers. I 
 put aside fifteen cases, and took them home with me ; but 
 they were not of great importance. Four for blasphemy, 
 bore a sentence, which was three months' seclusion in aeon- 
 vent, a general confession, and different penances — all se- 
 cret. The others were accusations of friars, solicitantes in 
 confessione, two of whom I knew, and, though some danger 
 attended the disclosure, I told them afterwards what I had 
 seen. Prohibited books in abundance were in the room, and 
 many found future owners. To our great surprise, we met with 
 a quantity of printed cotton handkerchiefs. These, alas ! had 
 incurred the displeasure of the Inquisition, because a figure 
 of religion, holding a chalice in one hand, and across in the 
 other, was stamped in the centre ; placed there, perhaps, by 
 some unwary manufacturer, who thought such a devout in- 
 signia would insure purchasers, but who forgot the heinous- 
 ness of blowing the nose or spitting upon the cross. To 
 prevent such a crime, this religious tribunal had taken the 
 wares by wholesale, omitting to pay their value to the owner, 
 who might consider himself fortunate in not having his shop 
 removed to the sacred house. Leaving this room, we forced 
 our way into another, which, to our astonishment and in- 
 dignation, was that of torture. In the centre stood a strong 
 table, about eight feetlong and seven feet broad ; at one end of 
 which was an iron collar, opening in the middle horizontal- 
 ly, for the reception of the neck of the victim ; on each side 
 of the collar were also thick straps with buckles, for inclosing 
 the arms near to the body ; and on the sides of the table were 
 
616 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 leather straps with buckles for the wrists, connected with 
 cords under the table, made fast to the axle of an horizontal 
 wheel ; at the other end were two more straps for the ankles, 
 with ropes similarly fixed to the wheels. Thus it was obvi- 
 ous, that a human being might be extended on the table, and, 
 by turning the wheel, might be stretched in both directions 
 at the same time, without any risk of hanging ; for that ef- 
 fect was prevented by the two straps under his arms close to 
 the body ; but every joint might be dislocated. After we had 
 discovered the diabolical use of this piece of machinery, 
 every one shuddered, and involuntarily looked towards the 
 door, as if apprehensive that it would close upon him. At 
 first, curses were muttered, but they were soon changed into 
 loud imprecations against the inventors and practisers of such 
 torments ; and blessings were showered on the Cortes for 
 having abolished this tribunal of arch tyranny. We next ex- 
 amined a vertical pillory, placed against the wall ; it had one 
 large and two smaller holes; on opening it, by lifting up the 
 one half, we perceived apertures in the wall, and the pur- 
 poses of the machine were soon ascertained. An offender 
 having his neck and wrists secured in the holes of the pil- 
 lory, and his head and hands hidden in the wall, could be 
 flogged by the lay brothers of St. Dominick without being 
 known by them ; and thus any accidental discovery was 
 avoided. Scourges of different materials were hanging on 
 the wall ; some of knotted cord, not a few of which were 
 hardened with blood ; others were of wire chain, with points 
 and rowels like those of spurs ; these, too, were clotted with 
 blood. We also found tormentors, made of netted wire, 
 the points of every mesh projecting about one eighth of an inch 
 inward, the outside being covered with leather, and having 
 strings to tie them on. Some of these tormentors were of a 
 sufficient size for the waist, others for the thighs, the legs, 
 and arms. The walls were likewise adorned with shirts of 
 horsehair, which could not be considered as a very comfort- 
 able habit after a severe flagellation ; with human bones, 
 having a string at each end, to gag those who made too free 
 a use of their tongues ; and with nippers, made of cane, for 
 the same purpose. These nippers consisted of two slips of 
 cane, tied at the ends ; by opening in the middle when they 
 were put into the mouth, and fastened behind the head, in 
 the same manner as the bones, they pressed forcibly upon 
 the tongue. In a drawer were a great many finger-screws ; 
 they were small semicircular pieces of iron, in the form of 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 617 
 
 crescents, having a screw at one end, so that they could be 
 fixed on the fingers, and screwed to any degree, even till the 
 nails were crushed and the bones broken. On viewing these 
 implements of torture, who could find an excuse for the mon- 
 sters, who would use them to establish the faith which was 
 taught, by precept and example, by the mild, the meek, the 
 holy Jesus ! May he who would not curse them in the bit- 
 terness of wrath, fall into their merciless hands ! The rack 
 and the pillory were soon demolished ; for such was the fury 
 of more than a hundred persons, who had gained admittance, 
 that, had they been constructed of iron, they could not have 
 resisted the violence and determination of the assailants. In 
 one corner stood a wooden horse, painted white : it was con- 
 ceived to be another instrument of torture, and was instantly 
 broken to pieces ; but I was afterwards informed, that a vic- 
 tim of the Inquisition, who had been burnt at the stake, was 
 subsequently declared innocent of the charges preferred 
 against him ; when, as an atonement for his death, his inno- 
 cence was publicly announced, and his effigy dressed in 
 white, and mounted on this horse, was paraded about the 
 streets of Lima. Some said, that the individual suffered in 
 Spain, and that, by a decree of the inquisitor-general, this 
 farce was performed in every part of the Spanish dominions, 
 where a tribunal existed. We proceeded to the cells, but 
 found them all open and empty : they were small, but not 
 uncomfortable as places of confinement. Some had a small 
 yard attached ; others more solitary, had none. The last 
 person known to have been confined was a naval officer, an 
 Andalusian, who was exiled in 1812, to Boca China." 
 
 Lima has a general cemetery called the Pantheon, situated 
 on the outside of the walls ; it is sufficiently large to contain 
 all the dead bodies for six years without removal : when this 
 becomes necessary, the bones are taken out of the niches, 
 and placed in the osariums. Many of the rich families have 
 purchased allotments for family vaults, having their names 
 inscribed above. The building is a square inclosure, divided 
 into several sections ; in the walls are niches, each sufficient 
 to hold a corpse ; and the divisions are also formed by double 
 rows of niches, built one above another, some of them eight 
 stories high, the fronts being open. The walks are planted 
 with many aromatics and evergreens. In the centre is a 
 small chapel, or rather altar with a roof: its form is octagon- 
 
618 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 al, so that eight priests can celebrate mass at the same 
 time. The corpse is put into the niche with the feet fore- 
 most ; if in a coffin, which seldom happens, except among 
 the richer classes, the lid is removed, and a quantity of un- 
 slacked lime being thrown on each body, its decay is very 
 rapid. For the conveyance of the dead, several hearses, of 
 different descriptions, are provided, belonging to the Pan- 
 theon : they are not permitted to traverse the streets after 
 twelve o'clock in the day. 
 
 Before the establishment of this cemetery, all the dead 
 were buried in the churches, or rather, placed in vaults, many 
 of which had wooden trap-doors, opening in the floors ; and, 
 notwithstanding the plentiful use of lime, the stench and 
 other disgusting effects were sometimes almost insufferable. 
 When the first nun was to be carried to the Pantheon, great 
 opposition was made by the sisterhood ; but the Viceroy sent 
 a file of soldiers, and enforced the interment of the corpse 
 in the general cemetery. 
 
 At the entrance of the burying-ground is a chapel, deco- 
 rated with an image of our Saviour, in the sepulchre, large 
 as life, and so painted, Mr. Mathison tellsus, as to excite in- 
 describable horror. English feelings cannot be easily recon- 
 ciled to the mode of burial here adopted ; and the loathsome 
 effluvia is quite sufficient to deter from my lengthened " med- 
 itations among the tombs." Another very offensive practice, 
 which is very common, is that of bringing the bodies of poor 
 people, whose friends cannot afford the expenses of a cof- 
 fin and regular conveyance, and throwing them uncere- 
 moniously over the walls of the cemetery, where they lie un- 
 til thepersons in attendance are prepared to bury them. In 
 the morning, a number of corpses may be often seen exposed 
 to full view in this way, as if they were no better than dead 
 dogs or cats.* 
 
 Lima has been proverbially distinguished for the luxury 
 and dissipation of its citizens, although, as to the degree of 
 vice that prevails, testimonies differ. Lieutenant Brand, 
 who visited Lima in 1827, says, " The priests in Lima are 
 disgusting. Many have I seen absolutely drunk in the 
 streets ; and I wish this was the worst thing I have to say of 
 them. In their processions, I have witnessed scenes shock- 
 ing to human nature. In carrying the Virgin Mary through 
 the streets, twelve females, supposed to be virgins, are se- 
 
 Mathison's Visit, &c. 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 619 
 
 lected to carry frankincense before her. These women are 
 now generally female slaves of the most abandoned descrip- 
 tion. These women as they proceed before the Virgin, are 
 screaming and hallooing with all their might, at the same 
 time throwing up the incense to her. The priests are sing- 
 ing psalms, and I have seen them, in many of these proces- 
 sions, absolutely drunk while singing their psalms, and, be- 
 tween every verse, laughing and talking with the women. 
 On the arrival of the Virgin at the church, the scene becomes 
 more like a riot than a religious procession. Being once in 
 a church when a procession entered, I could not imagine 
 what in the world was the matter, such screaming, halloo- 
 ing, hooting, and roaring as I never heard in my life, were 
 set up ; immediately the Virgin made her appearance. The 
 boys outside were huzzaing and throwing fireworks within, 
 which occasioned a scene of tumult impossible to describe. 
 When this uproar had subsided a little, a beautiful deep- 
 toned organ vibrated through the many aisles of the mag- 
 nificent Santo Domingo, and the finest sacred music I ever 
 heard was chanted by the choir of singers. Between each 
 cadence, had a pin dropped, it might have been heard 
 throughout the crowded church, which, but a minute before, 
 was all uproar and confusion. Alas ! as I came away, I 
 could not but think, what a mixture of frenzy, bigotry, and 
 mockery of religion was all this! "* 
 
 As regards the deference of the people for the clergy, and 
 their reverence for the rites of the church, a considerable 
 change has been produced by the revolution. From having 
 formerly submitted to the most absurd bigotry and super- 
 stition, even so far as to kneel in the streets to a priest pass- 
 ing, some of the rising generation are inclined to scoff at re- 
 ligion, and ridicule the priesthood. There is, probably, not 
 more infidelity or irreligion than before, but it can now more 
 openly discover itself. 
 
 " The general aspect of the houses in Lima," remarks 
 Mr. Stevenson, " is novel to an Englishman on his first 
 arrival. Those of the inferior classes have but one floor, and 
 none exceed two. The low houses have a mean appearance, 
 too, from their having no windows in front. If the front be 
 on a line with the street, they have only a door ; and if they 
 have a small court-yard, (patio,) a large, heavy door opens 
 into the street. Some of the nouses of the richer classes 
 
 Brand's Journal of a Visit to Peru 
 
620 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 have simply the ground floor ; but there is a patio before 
 the house, and the entrance from the street is through a 
 heavy arched doorway, with coachhouse on one side ; over 
 this is a small room with a balcony and trellis windows open- 
 ing to the street. Part of these houses have neat green bal- 
 conies in front, but very few of the windows are glazed. 
 Havi'ng capacious patios, large doors, and ornamented win- 
 dows, besides painted porticos and walls, with neat corri- 
 dors, their appearance from the street is exceedingly hand- 
 some. In some, there is a prospect of a garden through the 
 small glazed folding doors of two or three apartments : this 
 garden is either real or painted, and contributes very much 
 to enliven the scenery. The patios in summer have large 
 awnings drawn over them, which produce an agreeable shade ; 
 but the flat roofs, without any ornaments in front, present an 
 appearance not at all pleasing. If to this we add the same- 
 ness of the many dead walls of the convents and nunneries, 
 some of the streets must naturally look very gloomy. 
 
 " The outer walls of the houses are generally built of 
 adobes as far as the first floor, and the division walls are al- 
 ways formed of canes plastered over on each side : this is 
 called quincha. The upper story is made, first of a frame- 
 work of wood ; canes are afterwards nailed or lashed with 
 leather thongs on each side the frame-work ; they are then 
 plastered over, and the walls are called bajareque. These 
 additions so considerably increase their bulk, that they 
 seem to be composed of very solid materials, both with re- 
 spect to the thickness which they exhibit, and the cornices 
 and other ornaments which adorn them. Porticos, arches, 
 mouldings, &,c, at the doorways, are generally formed of 
 the same materials. Canes bound together and covered 
 with clay, are substituted also for pillars, as well as for other 
 architectural ornaments, some of which, being well executed 
 and colored like stone, a stranger, at first sight, easily sup- 
 poses them to be built of the materials they are intended to 
 imitate. The roofs, being flat, are constructed of rafters 
 laid across and covered with cane, or cane mats, with a lay- 
 er of clay, sufficient to intercept the rays of the sun, and to 
 guard against the fogs. Many of the better sort of houses 
 have the roofs covered with large, thin baked bricks, on 
 which the inhabitants can walk. These asoteas (as they 
 are called) are very useful, and are often overspread with 
 flowers and plants in pots : they also serve for drying clothes 
 and other similar purposes. Among the higher classes, the 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. (J21 
 
 ceilings are generally of pannel work, ornamented with a 
 profusion of carving ; but among the lower, they are often 
 of a coarse cotton cloth, nailed to the rafters, and white- 
 washed, or painted in imitation of pannel work. In sev- 
 eral of the meaner, however, the canes or mats are visible. 
 
 " Some of the churches have their principal walls and pil- 
 lars of stone; others of adobes and bajareque. The towers 
 are generally of the latter work, bound together with large 
 beams of Guayaquil wood; the spires are commonly of wood 
 work, cased over with planks, and painted in imitation of 
 stone, with mouldings, cornices, and other ornaments, either 
 of wood or stucco. In large buildings of every description, 
 there is generally a great proportion of timber, keeping up a 
 connection from the foundation to the roof; thus, there is 
 less danger from the shocks of earthquakes, than if they 
 were built of brick or more solid materials; for the whole 
 building yields to the motion, and the foundation being com- 
 bined with the roof and other parts, the whole moves at the 
 same time, and is not so easily thrown down." 
 
 The streets of Lima are paved, but badly lighted, and are 
 patrolled by watchmen who vociferate " Ave Maria puris- 
 si ma ! Viva la I* atria ! " and a serene, or cloudy sky. 
 The shallow stream of water, two feet in width, which runs 
 through the centre of the principal streets, contributes much 
 to carry off impurities. In the less frequented parts of 
 the city, however, the eye is offended by unsightly proofs 
 of the total inattention of the police to general cleanliness. 
 Lieutenant Brand describes Lima as the dirtiest city in 
 South America. The servants who are principally slaves, 
 will come to the stream of water that runs through the 
 middle, and wash fish, leaving the entrails on the sides rot- 
 ting in the sun, until they are devoured by immense birds, 
 called turkey buzzards, that are constantly to be seen de- 
 vouring the various nuisances with which the streets are in- 
 fested.* 
 
 Lima enjoys one of the most delightful climates in the 
 world. To persons, at least, who have been accustomed to 
 
 * Lieutenant MaW, on the other hand, says, the principal streets are 
 clean, and appeared to be swept every morning. Lieutenant Brand, 
 was sadly annoyed by the prevailing uncleanness. The men of Lima 
 he describes as dirty and indolent beyond all others in South America, 
 smoking: from morning till night; and the public offices he always 
 found filled with smoke, and the floors disgustingly dirty. 
 
622 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 the scorching sun and suffocating heat of Bahia, on the op- 
 posite side of the continent, or to those of Carthagena, the 
 mild and equable climate of Lima, Mr. Stevenson says, is 
 as surprising as it is agreeable. The heat of the sun in 
 summer is mitigated by a canopy of clouds, which constant- 
 ly hangs over Lima ; and although not perceptible from the 
 city, yet, when seen from an elevated situation in the moun- 
 tains, they appear, somewhat like the smoke floating in the 
 atmosphere of large towns where coal is burned. During 
 the winter months, from April or May to November, damp 
 fogs (called garuas) almost constantly prevail, which chill 
 the air, and moisten the ground sufficiently to render the pave- 
 ment slippery ; and during the other part of the year, they 
 take place at the changes of the moon. These mists arise 
 with the morning breeze, which blows from the westward ; 
 and in the middle of the day, during the summer, they are 
 dissipated by the sun's power. In the evening, a south-east- 
 erly land breeze brings them again forward. During the 
 winter months, the sun is often obscured for several succeed- 
 ing days. While the valley of the Rimac is thus kept in 
 the most fertile state by these wet fogs, the rain falls with 
 great violence in the neighboring sierra, accompanied with 
 much thunder. This peculiarity of climate is confined to 
 those parts of Lower Peru where the Cordilleras approach 
 the Pacific. At Guayaquil, pn the contrary, where the dis- 
 tance between the mountains and the sea is considerable, 
 the rains are heavy, and mists of rare occurrence. 
 
 Although Lima is free from the terrific visitation of 
 storms, it is subject to the still more dreadful phenomena of 
 earthquakes. Shocks are felt every year, particularly after 
 the mists disperse, and the summer sun begins to heat the 
 earth. They are commonly felt two or three hours after 
 sunset, or a little before sunrise; and their direction has 
 generally been from south to north. The most violent 
 have taken place at intervals of about fifty years. Those 
 which have produced the most disastrous consequences at Li- 
 ma, occurred in the years 1586, 1630, 1687, 1746, and 1806. 
 It has been remarked, says Mr. Stevenson, that the vegeta- 
 ble world suffers very much by a great shock. The country 
 about Lima, and all that range of coast, were particularly af- 
 fected by that which happened in 1687. The crops of wheat, 
 maize, and other grain, were entirely destroyed ; and,for sev- 
 eral years afterwards, the ground was totally unproductive. 
 At that period, wheat was first brought from Chili, which 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 623 
 
 country has ever since been considered the granary of Lima, 
 Guayaquil, and Panama. Mr. Caldcleugh, adverting to this 
 current statement, suggests as a probable explanation of the 
 phenomena, that the streams and springs may be affected by 
 the motion of the earth, so that certain localities may be ren- 
 dered sterile which were previously fertile, while others 
 may have gained in the same ratio. The climate of Lower 
 Peru, he remarks, owing to the heat, could never have been 
 very favorable to the growth of wheat. It is remarkable 
 that the great earthquakes of 1687 and 1746 were succeeded 
 by rain ; and after the violent shock of 1806, the streets 
 of Lima were almost inundated for several days, a circum- 
 stance which must have completed the ruin and terror of 
 the inhabitants. 
 
 The majority of the men of Lima, says Mr. Miller, have 
 the appearance of being feeble and emaciated. These 
 physical effects are certainly not attributable to climate alone, 
 but may be ascribed also to the general dissoluteness which 
 characterize the old regime : in proof of which, those who 
 have latterly grown to maturity, showed themselves, during 
 the campaigns, to be hardy, enterprising, and infinitely supe- 
 rior to their predecessors, who had been taught to cringe to 
 Spanish satraps, and to familiarize their minds with every 
 species of meanness. Hence, the duplicity, dishonesty, shame- 
 ful political inconsistency, and total want of public spirit, 
 evinced by some few who have attained office since the over- 
 throw of the all-debasing European despotism. From the 
 rising generation in Peru, higher expectations may be formed. 
 The youth generally possess great natural vivacity as well as 
 talent, and are impelled by an honest ambition to render 
 themselves useful to their country. The climate of Lima 
 seems to be favorable to the quickening of the intellectual 
 faculties. 
 
 The traveller who has given the most favorable account of 
 the people of Lima, (although he is not very partial, and 
 scarcely just towards the old Spaniards,) is Mr. Stevenson. 
 A Creole of Lima, he says, partakes in many respects of the 
 character of an Andalusian ; he is lively, generous, and care- 
 less of to-morrow ; fond of dress and variety ; slow to revenge 
 injuries, and willing to forget them. Of all his vices, dissipa- 
 tion certainly is the greatest. His conversation is quick and 
 pointed. That of the fair sex is extremely gay and witty, 
 giving them an open frankness, which some foreigners have 
 been pleased to term levity, or something a little more dis- 
 
624 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 honorable, attaching the epithet immoral to their general 
 character. This traveller chivalrously defends the ladies of 
 Lima against this imputation ; asserting that the female Cre- 
 oles are generally kind mothers and faithful wives ; that con- 
 jugal and paternal affection, filial piety, beneficence, gener- 
 osity, good nature, and hospitality, are the inmates of almost 
 every house. The testimonies and opinions of foreign visi- 
 ters are to be received with caution, whether they incline to 
 a favorable or an uncandid view of the state of society. But 
 there is a well-known proverbial description of the Peruvian 
 capital, which will probably be thought to have some truth for 
 its foundation. Lima has been styled " the heaven of women, 
 the purgatory of husbands, and the hell of asses." The first 
 expression is explained as referring to the power the ladies 
 exercise, and the consideration they enjoy : the second does 
 not favor the representation, that conjugal happiness is very 
 general. 
 
 With regard to the personal attractions of the Limenas, 
 our authorities equally differ. Lieutenant Brand represents 
 their walking dress as indelicate and disgusting; and he 
 would infer from their very costume the extreme laxity of 
 morals. We shall give Mr. Stevenson's account of this sin- 
 gular costume. 
 
 " The walking dress of the females of all descriptions 
 is the saya y manto. The former is a petticoat of velvet, 
 satin, or stuff, generally black or of a cinnamon color, plait- 
 ed in very small folds, and rather elastic ; it sits close to the 
 body, and shows its shape to the utmost possible advantage. At 
 the bottom, it is too narrow to allow the wearer to step for- 
 ward freely; but the short step rather adds to, than deprives 
 her of a graceful air. This part of the dress is often taste- 
 fully ornamented round the bottom with lace, fringes, span- 
 gles, pearls, artificial flowers, or whatever may be considered 
 fashionable. Among ladies of the higher order, the saya is of 
 different colors, purple, pale blue, lead color, or striped. The 
 manto is a hood of thin black silk, drawn round the waist, and 
 then carried over the head ; by closing it before, they can hide 
 the whole of the face, one eye alone being visible : sometimes 
 they show half the face, but this depends on the choice of the 
 wearer. A fine shawl or handkerchief, hanging down before, 
 a rosary in the hand, silk stockings, and satin shoes, complete 
 the costume. 
 
 " The hood is, undoubtedly, derived from the Moors ; 
 and to a stranger, it has a very curious appearance ; how- 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. . 625 
 
 ever, I confess that I became so reconciled to the sight, that I 
 thought, and still think it, both handsome and genteel. This 
 dress is peculiar to Lima ; indeed, I never saw it worn any 
 where else in South America. It is certainly very con- 
 venient; for, at a moment's notice, a lady can, without the 
 necessity of changing her under dress, put on her saya y 
 manto t and go out ; and no female will walk in the street in 
 any other in the day time. For the evening promenade, an 
 English dress is often adopted ; but in general, a large shawl 
 is thrown over the head, and a hat is worn over all. Be- 
 tween the folds of the shawl it is not uncommon to perceive 
 a lighted cigar ; for, although several of the fair sex are ad- 
 dicted to smoking, none of them choose to practise it 
 openly. 
 
 " When the ladies appear on public occasions, at the thea- 
 tre, bull circus, and pascos, (promenades,) they are dressed 
 in the English or French costume; but they are always very 
 anxious to exhibit a profusion of jewelry, to which they are 
 particularly partial. A lady in Lima would much rather 
 possess an extensive collection of precious gems than a gay 
 equipage. They are immoderately fond of perfumes, and 
 spare no expense in procuring them. It is a well-known 
 fact that many poor females attend at the archbishop's gate, 
 and, after receiving a pittance, immediately purchase with 
 the money aqua rica, or some other scented water. Even the 
 ladies, not content with the natural fragrance of flowers, 
 often add to it and spoil it by sprinkling them with lavender 
 water, spirits of musk, or ambergris, and often by fumigating 
 them with gum benzoin, musk, and amber, particularly the 
 mistura, which is a compound of jessamine, wall flowers, 
 orange flowers, and others, picked from the stalks. Small 
 apples and green limes are also filled with slices of cinna- 
 mon and cloves. The mixture is generally to be found on a 
 salver at a lady's toilet. They will distribute it among their 
 friends, by asking for a pocket handkerchief, tying up a 
 small quantity in the corner, and sprinkling it with some per- 
 fume, expecting the compliment 'that it is most delicately 
 seasoned.' "* 
 
 " The custom of wearing these veils, or going tapada, (as 
 it is called,) which the Spaniards adopted from the Moors, 
 has been interdicted in Spain, under heavy penalties, by re- 
 peated edicts, but always without effect ; and in 1609, an 
 
 * Stevenson's Twenty Years' Residence. 
 40 
 
026 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 attempt was made to enforce the prohibition at Lima, but 
 the Viceroy discouraged it as impracticable. The ladies, 
 Mr. Caldcleugh tells us, advance many substantial and un- 
 answerable reasons for not changing this custom. The 
 sun scorches their faces, and they would be prevented from 
 visiting the sick, and performing charitable actions without 
 publicity. The freedom allowed by it, another traveller as- 
 sures us, is almost unbounded. They live, in fact, when 
 abroad, in a perpetual masquerade, nothing affording them 
 more amusement than to deceive their acquaintance, by 
 passing themselves off as strangers, or to watch their move- 
 ments, and listen to their conversation, unobserved. At pub- 
 lic places, and on occasions such as that above described, 
 they permit any gentlemen of genteel exterior to address 
 them, and converse, without previous introduction. They 
 even stop at the windows of rooms on the ground floor, and 
 converse with, or pay gentlemen visits in their own houses, 
 two or three of them together ; but, in that case, always 
 without discovering themselves, and checking any attempt to 
 remove the silken mask, which would, indeed, be immediate- 
 ly resented as an unpardonable insult."* 
 
 CUSCO. 
 
 Cusco,or Cuzco, the most ancient city of Peru, is situated 
 amid the Andes, on the skirts of various mountains, 184 
 leagues from Lima, and 290 from Buenos Ayres. 
 
 Most of the houses are of stone. They are well construct- 
 ed, laid out in regular proportions, and covered with tiles 
 of a bright red color. The apartments are spacious and 
 finely decorated ; the mouldings of the doors are gilt, and the 
 other ornaments and furniture are in a style corresponding to 
 the elegance of the buildings, and the good taste for which 
 the inhabitants are so generally noted. The population of 
 this city is estimated by Alcedo at 26,000, it having suffered 
 greatly by a pestilence in 1720. But Mr. Miller states, that 
 in 1S25, it contained above 40,000 inhabitants. Three- 
 fourths of the inhabitants are stated to be Indians, who are 
 
 * Mathison's Visit. 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 627 
 
 occupied chiefly in the manufacture of baize, cotton, and 
 leather, likewise of ordinary cloth, and a kind of linen used 
 chiefly as clothing by the poor, saddles, floor carpets, galloon 
 of gold, silver, and silk parchment, and other preparations 
 from various skins. The natives, who are of an ingenious 
 disposition, are also said to have a taste for painting, and to 
 excel in the arts of embroidery and engraving. They are, in 
 general, a very diligent, industrious people. 
 
 Cusco is an episcopal city, and its bishop is suffragan to 
 the archbishop of Lima. The members of the cathedral 
 chapter, besides the bishop, are five dignitaries, viz. the dejm, 
 archdean, chanter, rector, and treasurer ; two canons by 
 competition; a magistrate and penitentiary ; three canons by 
 presentation ; and two prebendaries. The cathedral is a 
 large, rich and handsome edifice, built entirely of stone. It 
 is smaller than that of Lima, but is by some preferred to it, in 
 point of the architecture. 
 
 The city of Cusco, as it is the most ancient, so, in point 
 of extent, it is still the second in the viceroyalty of Peru, 
 being only inferior to Lima, and so little inferior, that as the 
 latter may be called the maritime capital of that viceroyal- 
 ty, the former may be considered as its inland metropolis. 
 Proudly situated amongst the surrounding Andes, and boast- 
 ing of an origin that reaches back to a remote antiquity, it 
 may justly lay claim to the dignity of a capital. Its north 
 and west sides are surrounded by the mountain of the for- 
 tress, and others, called by the general name Sanca ; on the 
 south it borders on a plain, in which there are several beau- 
 tiful walks. The fortress which gives its name to the moun- 
 tain, situated towards the north and the west of the city, is 
 still to be traced in its ruins. These occur in the heights 
 contiguous to the northern part of the city, and are the re- 
 mains of the famous fort built by the Incas for their defence. 
 Their design when they erected this edifice, appears to have 
 been to inclose the whole mountain with a prodigious wall, 
 of such construction as might render the ascent of it abso- 
 lutely impracticable to an enemy, at the same time that it 
 might be easily defended from within. This wall was en- 
 tirely of freestone, and, like all the other works of the Incas, 
 was strongly built, being particularly remarkable for its di- 
 mensions, and the magnitude of the stones of which it is com- 
 posed, as well as the art with which they were combined. The 
 stones, which form the principal part of the work, are indeed 
 
628 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 of such vast size, that it is difficult to conceive how they 
 could have been brought thither from the quarries, by the 
 bare strength of men, unassisted by the use of machines. One 
 of them, which is still lying on the ground, and which seems 
 not to have been applied to the use intended, is called La 
 Cansado, or the troublesome, in allusion probably to the la- 
 bor with which its removal was effected. The interstices 
 between those enormous masses were filled with smaller 
 stones, which are so closely joined, that a very narrow in- 
 spection is necessary for perceiving that the whole is not a 
 single block of stone. It may well appear surprising, how 
 materials so vast and shapeless, and of so irregular a super- 
 fices as those which enter into this building, could be knit 
 together, and laid one upon another with such nicety, inde- 
 pendently of the use of mortar or any other combining sub- 
 stance ; and yet more without the knowledge, on the part ot 
 those by whom the building was erected, even of iron or 
 steel, or the simplest mechanical powers. The outward 
 wall of this fortress is still standing, but the internal works, 
 which consist of apartments and two other walls, are for the 
 most part in ruins. A subterranean passage of singular 
 construction, led from the fortress to the palace of the In- 
 cas. In these the walls were cut very crooked, admitting 
 for a certain space only one person to pass at a time, and 
 this sideways, while shortly afterwards two might pass abreast. 
 The egress was by a rock worked in the same narrow man- 
 ner on the other side ; the whole being upon a plan which, 
 by enabling a single person to defend himself with ease 
 against a great number, seemed well calculated to afford 
 security against any sudden assault. The whole of these 
 ruins, together with the fragments of a pavement of stone, 
 built also by order of the Incas, and which led to the place 
 where Lima now stands, are certainly no mean monuments 
 of ancient art. The baths also, of which the one is of 
 cold, and the other of warm water, are not undeserving of 
 attention. 
 
 Cusco is, in point of antiquity, coeval with the empire of 
 the Incas. It was founded by the first Inca, Manco Capac, 
 (i. e. rich in virtue,) as the seat and capital of his empire. 
 This prince is supposed to have reigned in the 12th or 13th 
 century. It was in the month of October, 1534, that Don 
 Francisco Pizarro entered this city, and took possession of 
 it in the name of Charles V. emperor and king of Spain 
 This was followed by a siege on the part of Inca Manco, 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 629 
 
 AREQUIPA. 
 
 who laid great part of it in ashes, but, without dislodging the 
 Spaniards. Manco Capac was crowned here with the per- 
 mission of Pizarro ; but having been afterwards defeated by 
 the Spaniards, he retired to the mountains, and is supposed to 
 have died, about the year 1553. The commerce of Cusco 
 consists chiefly of the very large quantity of sugar made 
 in the neighboring jurisdictions, the inhabitants of which have 
 many sugar plantations.* 
 
 AREQUIPA. 
 
 Arequipa is the capital of a province of the same name. 
 It is a large and well-built city, containing from 30,000 to 
 40,000 inhabitants. It stands in a plain, watered by the 
 Chile, about 20 leagues from the coast, in latitude 16° 16' 
 south ; longitude 72° west. It is about 217 leagues south- 
 east of Lima, and 60 southwest of Cusco. At a distance of 
 six or eight miles east of the city is a conical mountain, the 
 base of which may be about five leagues in circumference ; 
 on the summit is a crater, which throws out smoke, unac- 
 companied by flame or cinders. A column of thin vapor was 
 issuing from the volcano during the whole time the patriots 
 occupied Arequipa ; this had continued for some time. The 
 mountain, being part of the foreground of the Andes, does 
 not appear very lofty to the eye ; but some Englishmen who 
 climbed it, spent two days in making an excursion to the 
 summit ; a task which has seldom been accomplished, owing 
 to the difficulties of the ascent. The river Chile flows 
 through the city, and is crossed by a handsome stone bridge. 
 The walls of the cathedral, the convents, and churches, and 
 even of the houses, are of stone, and of great thickness, in 
 order to provide against great earthquakes, which are very 
 frequent, and sometimes very destructive. Four times, Ul- 
 loa states, by these dreadful convulsions, the city has been 
 laid in ruins. The first occurred in 1582 ; the second, ac- 
 companied with an eruption of the volcano, in February, 
 1600 ; the third, in 1604 ; and the fourth, in 1725. Besides 
 these, the earthquakes of 1687, 1732, 173S, 1785, and 1819 
 were scarcely less violent. 
 
 * Edinburgh Encyclopaedia. 
 
630 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 TRUXILLO BUENOS AYRES. 
 
 TRUXILLO. 
 
 The city of Truxillo is situated in latitude 8° 6' south, 
 about half a league from the sea, in the valley of Chimu. 
 It is surrounded with a wall of sun-dried bricks, about five 
 feet thick, and ten in height, with a parapet above it, and 
 fifteen bastions. There are five gates, leading to as many 
 roads. The circumference of the city is about a league and 
 a half. The streets are broad, and cross at right angles, with 
 a plaza mayor in the centre, according to the universal plan 
 of Spanish towns. Few of the houses are more than one 
 floor in height, owing to the frequency of earthquakes. The 
 best are built, like those of Lima, with an interior patio, the 
 principal rooms being spacious and lofty, with ceilings of red 
 cedar, richly carved. There is an alameda, or promenade, 
 forming part of the Huanchaco road. Besides the cathedral, 
 there are three parochial churches, and eight or nine con- 
 ventual churches, there being four monasteries, a college, 
 (formerly belonging to the Jesuits,) a hospital of Our Lady 
 of Bethlehem, (Bethlemites,) and two nunneries. The 
 women, in their dress and customs, follow very nearly those 
 of Lima. Great numbers of chaises are seen here, there not 
 being a family of credit without one, as the sandy soil is 
 very troublesome in walking. The population is under 
 9,000 souls. Several British merchants, and some North 
 Americans, are among the residents. 
 
 BUENOS AYRES 
 
 BUENOS AYRES. 
 
 Buenos Ayres was founded in 1534. It received its 
 name on account of the salubrity of its climate. It is sit- 
 uated on the western shore of the Plata, about two hundred 
 miles from its mouth. Estimated population 100,000. It 
 extends north and south about two miles, including the sub- 
 urbs, and is in general about half a mile wide, — rather more 
 in the centre. The streets are straight and regular, unpaved 
 in the middle, but with raised footpaths on each side. " The 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 631 
 
 BUENOS AYRES. 
 
 houses," observes Mr. Brackenridge, " are pretty generally 
 two stories high, with flat roofs, and, for the most part, plas- 
 tered on the outside ; which, without doubt, at first improved 
 their appearance; but by time and neglect, they have be- 
 come somewhat shabby. There are no elegant rows of 
 buildings, as in Philadelphia, or New York ; but many are 
 spacious, and all take up more ground than with us. The 
 reason of this is, that they have large open courts, or veran- 
 das, both in front and rear, which are called patios. These 
 patios are not like our yards, enclosed by a wall or railing; 
 their dwellings, for the most part, properly compose three 
 connected buildings, forming as many sides of a square ; the 
 wall of the adjoining house making up the fourth. In the 
 centre of the front building there is a gateway, and the 
 rooms on either hand, as we enter, are in general occupied 
 as places of business, or merchants' counting-rooms; the 
 rear building is usually the dining-room, while that on the 
 left, or right, (as it may happen,) is the sitting-room or par- 
 lor. The patio is usually paved with brick, and sometimes 
 with marble, and is a cool and delightful place. Grape-vines 
 are planted round the walls, which, in the proper season, are 
 loaded with fruit. The houses have as little wood as possi- 
 ble about them ; both the first and second floor having brick 
 pavements ; fire-engines are therefore unknown ; and to the 
 conflagrations which so often devastate our large cities, the 
 people are entire strangers. There are no chimneys but 
 those of kitchens. At all the windows, there is a light iron 
 grating, which projects about one foot. 
 
 " But little attention is paid to the cleanliness of the 
 streets ; in one of the front streets, where there was no pave- 
 ment, I observed several mud-holes; into these, dead cats and 
 dogs are sometimes thrown, from too much indolence to car- 
 ry them out of the way. The sidewalks are very narrow, 
 and in bad repair ; this is better than at Rio Janeiro, where 
 there are none at all. I observed, however, as I went along, 
 a number of convicts, as I took them to be, engaged in 
 mending the bad places, already mentioned. In these par- 
 ticulars, I was very much reminded of New Orleans; in 
 fact, in many other points, I observed a striking resemblance 
 between the two cities. I can say but little for the police, 
 when compared to our towns ; but this place manifests a still 
 greater superiority over Rio Janeiro ; and many important 
 improvements, that have been introduced within a few years 
 past, were pointed out to me. I should like to see, how- 
 
632 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 BUENOS AYRES. 
 
 ever, some trouble bestowed in cleaning those streets that 
 are paved, and in paving the rest, as well as in freeing the 
 fronts of their houses from the quantity of dust collected, 
 wherever it can find a resting place." 
 
 " But it is time to speak of the inhabitants of the city, and 
 of the people who frequent it. And here, whether illusion 
 or reality, I shall not take upon me to say, — but certain it is, 
 I had not walked far, before I felt myself in a land of free- 
 dom. There was an independence, an ingenuousness in the 
 carriage, and an expression in the countenances of those I met, 
 which reminded me of my own country; an air of freedom 
 breathed about them, which I shall not attempt to describe. 
 
 " I saw nothing but the plainness and simplicity of repub- 
 licanism ; in the streets, there were none but plain citizens, 
 and citizen soldiers ; some of the latter, perhaps, showing 
 a little of the coxcomb, and others exhibiting rather a militia 
 appearance, not the less agreeable to me on that account. 
 In fact, I could almost have fancied myself in one of our 
 towns, judging by the dress and appearance of the people 
 whom I met. Nothing can be more different than the pop- 
 ulation of this place from that of Rio. I saw no one bear- 
 ing the insignia of nobility, except an old crazy man, fol- 
 lowed by a train of roguish boys. There were no palan- 
 quins, or rattling equipages ; in these matters there was 
 much less luxury and splendor than with us. The females, 
 instead of being immured by jealousy, are permitted to walk 
 abroad and breathe the air. The supreme director has no 
 grooms, gentlemen of the bedchamber, nor any of the train 
 which appertains to royalty, nor has his wife any maids of 
 honor; his household is much more plain than most of the 
 private gentlemen of fortune in our own country : it is true, 
 when he rides out to his country seat, thirty miles off, he is 
 accompanied by half a dozen horsemen, perhaps a necessary 
 precaution, considering the times, and which may be dis- 
 pensed with on the return of peace ; or perhaps, a remnant 
 of anti-republican barbarity, which will be purged away by 
 the sun of a more enlightened age ; indeed, I am informed, 
 that the present director lives in a style of much greater sim- 
 plicity than any of his predecessors. 
 
 " If I were to stop here, however, I should not give a faith- 
 ful picture of the appearance to a stranger, of the population 
 of Buenos Ayres ; the mixture of negroes and mulattoes is by 
 no means remarkable, not as great, perhaps, as in Baltimore ; 
 and the proportion of military, such as we might have seen in 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 633 
 
 BUENOS AYRES. 
 
 one of our towns during the last war, with the exception of 
 the black troops, which in this city constitute a principal part 
 of the regular force. But there are other figures, which enter 
 into the picture, and give a different cast to the whole from 
 any thing I have seen. The modern European and North 
 American civilization, and I will add South American, 
 which differs but little from the others, was set off by a 
 strange mixture of antiquity, and aboriginal rudeness. — 
 Buenos Ayres may very justly be compared to the bust of a 
 very beautiful female, placed upon a pedestal of rude un- 
 shapen stone. Great numbers of gauchos, and other coun- 
 try people, are seen in the streets, and always on horseback ; 
 and as there prevails a universal passion for riding, the num- 
 ber of horses is very great. The European mode of capari- 
 soning is occasionally seen, but most usually the bridle, 
 saddle, &c. would be regarded as curiosities by us. The stir- 
 rups of the gauchos are so small, as to admit a little more 
 than the big toe of the rider, who makes a very grotesque 
 figure with his long flowing poncho. This is a kind of striped 
 cotton or woollen rug, of the manufacture of the coun- 
 try, fine or coarse, according to the purse of the wearer, with 
 nothing but a slit in the middle, through which the head is 
 thrust; it hangs down perfectly loose, resembling somewhat 
 a wagoner's frock. In rain, it answers the purpose of a big 
 coat, and in hot weather, is placed on the saddle. It is also 
 used for sleeping on, as the Indians do their blankets. It is 
 possible, after all, that this singularity of dress, may not 
 make any great difference in the man. There is nothing re- 
 markable in the complexion of features, excepting when there 
 happens to be a little dash of the Indian. There is more of 
 indolence, and vacancy, (if I may use the word,) in the ex- 
 pression of their countenances, and an uncouth wildness of 
 their appearance;, but it. must be remembered, that we 
 also of the north, are reproached by Europeans for our care- 
 lessness of time, and our lazy habits. These gauchos I gen- 
 erally observed clustered about the pulperi as, or grog-shops, 
 of which there are great numbers in the city and suburbs: 
 these people frequently drink and carouse on horseback, while 
 the horses of those that are dismounted continue to stand 
 still, without being fastened, as they are all taught to do, and 
 champing the bit. These carousing groups would afford ex- 
 cellent subjects for Flemish painters. The horses, though 
 not of a large size, are all finely formed : I do not recollect 
 
634 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 BUENOS AYKES. 
 
 a single instance, in which I did not remark good limbs, and 
 head, and neck. The gauchos are often barefooted and bare- 
 legged ; or, instead of boots, make use of the skin of the hind 
 legs of the horse; the joint answering the purpose of a heel, 
 and furnishing a very cheap kind of suwarrow. 
 
 " Besides the clumsy carts, of which I have before spoken, 
 and the class of people which I have just described, my at- 
 tention was much attracted by the appearance of the great 
 ox-wagons, used with the trade in the interior. They are of 
 an enormous size, and are the most clumsy contrivance im- 
 aginable. Five or six of these in a line, are sometimes seen 
 groaning along the street, the wheels making a noise like the 
 gates on the hinges of Milton's pandemonium. The wagon- 
 ers use no tar to prevent them from making this harsh 
 noise, as they say it is music to the oxen. These fire, in 
 general, uncommonly large, and the finest that I ever saw. 
 Their yokes, in proportion, are as Donderous as the wagon, 
 and in drawing, nothing is used l>ut the raw hide strongly 
 twisted. In fact, this is the only kind of gears, or traces 
 used for all descriptions of carriages. To each of these 
 enormous wagons there are, generally, at least three drivers. 
 One sits in the wagon, with a long rod or goad in his hand, 
 and above his head, suspended in slings, there is a bamboo 
 or cane, at least thirty feet in length, as supple as a fishing- 
 rod, so that it can, occasionally, be used to quicken the 
 pace of the foremost pair of oxen, which are fastened to the 
 first by a long trace of twisted hide. The interval between 
 the different pairs of oxen, is rendered necessary by the diffi- 
 culty of crossing small rivers, whose bottoms are bad, and 
 which are subject to sudden rises. Another driver takes his 
 seat on the yoke, between the heads of the second pair of 
 oxen, being also armed with a goad, with its point turned 
 backwards: there was something extremely ludicrous to me 
 in the appearance of this last, and nothing but a folded sheep- 
 skin to sit upon ; yet content, or rather inanity, was pictured 
 in his countenance. Besides these two, there is a third on 
 horseback, armed in the same manner. If such an exhibi- 
 tion were to pass through one of our streets, with its slow 
 and solemn movement, and musical groanings, I doubt not but 
 it would attract as much attention as half a dozen elephants. 
 
 " As this is the fruit season, a great number of people were 
 crying peaches, up and down the street, on horseback, with 
 large panniers made of the raw hide of oxen, on each side. 
 Milk, in large tin canisters, was cried about in the same way, 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 635 
 
 BUENOS AYRES. 
 
 and as they were carried in a tolerable trot, I expected every 
 moment to hear the cry changed to that of butter. As I 
 moved along towards the great square, a part of which is 
 the principal market place, (immediately in front of the cas- 
 tle, or government house,) there appeared to be a great 
 throng of people. I met some priests and friars, but by no 
 means as many as I expected, and nothing like the number 
 I met at Rio Janeiro. There are, perhaps, fewer monasteries 
 and convents in Buenos Ayres, than in any Spanish town in 
 the world. But as things are very much judged of by com- 
 parison, it is highly probable that if I had not touched at the 
 place before mentioned, and had come directly herefrom one 
 of our cities, I should have considered the number of regular 
 and secular clergy very considerable. It must be con- 
 stantly kept in view, that in order to judge of these people 
 fairly, we are to compare them with Spanish or Portuguese, 
 and look at what they have been, not to the state of things 
 in the United States. The dress of the seculars when in 
 their canonicals, is like that of the episcopal clergy, except 
 that they wear a broad quaker hat. The monks and friars 
 are easily distinguished by their habit of coarse cloth or 
 flannel, girt round the waist, and with a cowl or hood be- 
 hind. In speaking of the Catholic clergy, we, who know lit- 
 tle about them, are very much in the habit of confounding 
 these two classes. They are very different, both in character 
 and appearance. The seculars are, necessarily, men of ed- 
 ucation, and living and mingling in society, participate in 
 the feelings of the people, and cannot avoid taking part in 
 temporal affairs. The monks, on the contrary, are grega- 
 rious ; not dispersed through society, but shut up in their 
 convents and monasteries, and not permitted to mingle in 
 the affairs of the world. From the first, it is natural to ex- 
 pect liberality and intelligence, as well as' from other Chris- 
 tian clergy ; but in the latter, it would not be surprising to 
 find superstition and ignorance. 
 
 " On approaching the market-place, as it was still early 
 in the day, I found that the crowd had not entirely dispersed. 
 There is no market-house or stalls, except in the meat mar- 
 ket, situated on one corner of the square, which fronts on 
 the plaza. Every thing offered for sale, was spread on the 
 ground. I can say but little in favor of the appearance of 
 cleanliness ; dirt and filth appeared to have a prescriptive 
 right here. One who had never seen any other than a Phil- 
 adelphia market, can form no idea of the condition of this 
 
636 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 BUENOS AYRES. 
 
 - — 
 
 place. To make amends, it is admirably supplied with all 
 the necessaries and delicacies that an abundant and fruit- 
 ful country can afford. Beef, mutton, fowls, game, &,c. with 
 a variety of excellent fish, were here in great plenty, and for 
 prices, which, in our markets, would be considered very 
 low. Beef, particularly, is exceedingly cheap, and of a su- 
 perior quality ; it is the universal dish, chiefly roasted. 
 Absolute want is scarcely known in this country, any more 
 than with us. As I passed by the hucksters' stalls, they pre- 
 sented a much richer display than any I had been accustomed 
 to see. Here apples, grapes, oranges, pomegranates, peaches, 
 figs, pineapples, watermelons, were mingled in fair profusion. 
 
 " The plaza, or great square, is at least twice as large as 
 the state-house yard in Philadelphia, and is unequally divided 
 into two parts, by an edifice long and low, which serves as a 
 kind of bazaar, or place of shops, with a corridor on each 
 side the whole length, which often serves as a shelter for the 
 market people. At these shops, or stores, which are pretty 
 well supplied, they can make their purchases, without the 
 trouble of wandering through the town. The space between 
 this and the fort, is that appropriated for the market. The 
 opposite side, which is much larger, is a hind of place 
 d' amies ; and fronting the building just spoken of, and which 
 intercepts the view of the fort, there is a very fine edifice, 
 called the cabildo, or town-house, somewhat resembling that 
 of New Orleans, but much larger. In this building the 
 courts hold their sessions, and the offices are kept. The 
 city council, or cabildo, also sits here, and business of all 
 kinds relating to the police, is here transacted. Near the 
 centre of the square, a neat pyramid has been erected, com- 
 memorative of the revolution, with four emblematic figures, 
 one at each corner, representing justice, science, liberty, and 
 America ; the whole enclosed with a light railing. 
 
 " The shops, or stores, as far as I observed, in my peram- 
 bulations through the city, are all on a very small scale, 
 and make no show, as in our towns. There are but few 
 signs, and those belonging chiefly to foreigners ; such as 
 sastre, lotero, sapatero, &c, de Londres; tailor, bootmaker, 
 shoemaker, from London. The greater part of the trades, 
 which are now flourishing here, particularly hatters, black- 
 smiths, and many others that I might enumerate, have been 
 established since the revolution ; the journeymen mechanics 
 are chiefly half Indians and mulattoes. The wages of an 
 American or English journeyman are higher than in any 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 637 
 
 BUENOS AYRES. 
 
 part of the world : fifteen hundred or two thousand dollars per 
 annum, I am told, are very commonly given. There are other 
 squares through the town, besides the one already mentioned, 
 in which the markets are held. There are also large yards, 
 or corrals, which belong to the city, and are hired to individu- 
 als for the purpose of confining droves of cattle. I observed 
 several large wood-yards, in which there were immense piles 
 of peach limbs, tied into bundles or faggots, together with 
 timber and fire-wood brought from Paraguay, or the Brazils. 
 " The day after we arrived was Sunday, and the streets 
 were crowded with people. I was very frequently reminded 
 of my old place of residence, New Orleans, with the ex- 
 ception that the proportion of colored people is comparatively 
 very small; but amongst the lower classes I remarked a great 
 many of Indian extraction; this was discoverable in the 
 complexion and features. The inhabitants generally are a 
 shade browner than those of North America; but I saw a 
 great many with good complexions. They are a handsome 
 people. They have nothing in their appearance and char- 
 acter, of that dark, jealous, and revengeful disposition, we 
 have been in the habit of attributing to Spaniards. The 
 men dress pretty much as we do ; but the women are fond 
 of wearing black, when they go abroad. The fashion of 
 dress, in both sexes, I am informed, has undergone great im- 
 provement, since their free intercourse with strangers. The 
 old Spaniards, of whom there are considerable numbers, are 
 easily distinguished by their darker complexion, the studied 
 shabbiness of their dress, and the morose and surly expres- 
 sion of countenance ; this arises from their being treated as 
 a sort of Jews, by those whom they were wont to consider 
 as greatly their inferiors. They are also distinguished by 
 not mounting the blue and white cockade, which is univer- 
 sally worn by the citizens of the Republic. The same num- 
 ber of Chinese, could scarcely form a class more distinct 
 from the rest of the community. There can hardly be a 
 greater affront to an American del Sud, than to call him a 
 Spaniard. A young fellow told me, in a jesting way, that 
 the monks, friars, and Spaniards, were generally old, and 
 would soon die off, which he said was a great consolation."* 
 
 * Brackenridge on South America. 
 
CHILE 
 
 SANTIAGO. 
 
 Santiago de Chile, the capital of Chile, originally called 
 New Estramadura, was founded in the year 1541, by the fa- 
 mous Pedro de Valdivia. It is situated in a pleasant and 
 extensive plain, elevated, according to Caldcleugh, 2951 feet 
 above the level of the Pacific. The plain is watered by the 
 rivers Maypo, and Maypocho. The port of Santiago is Val- 
 paraiso, on a bay of the Pacific, 90 miles distant, in a south- 
 erly direction. The lat. of the capital is 33° 16* S., Ion. 69° 
 48' W. Travellers represent it to be one of the finest cities 
 in South America, in point of " structure, convenience, and 
 healthfulness," but as to local situation it is inferior to Lima 
 and Buenos Ayres. Its distance from the ocean must be a 
 serious inconvenience. Valparaiso, its port, has an excel- 
 lent harbor ; but its great distance, and through a country 
 uneven, must render intercourse between the two places dif- 
 ficult. It is a more regularly built city and more cleanly 
 than either the above, but neither so elegant or imposing. 
 
 " The Plaza or great square," says Mr. Caldcleugh, 
 "stands nearly in the middle of the city; it occupies the 
 space of a whole quadra. The buildings on the north-west 
 side are the directorial mansion, the palace of government, 
 the prison, and chamber of justice. On the south-west side 
 stands the cathedral and the old palace of the bishop, now 
 occupied by the Estado Mayor ; on the south-east side are a 
 number of little shops, under a heavy looking piazza, while 
 the story above is divided into private dwellings and gambling 
 houses : the north-eastern side is wholly occupied by private 
 residences, among which is the English hotel. 
 
 *' The palace is a handsome, capacious building of two 
 stories, arranged round a large quadrangle; the lower range 
 contains the armory, treasury, and some other public offices ; 
 the upper story contains the great hall of audience, the of- 
 fices of the ministers of state, war, finance, and the tribunal 
 of accounts. The Directorial residence is on the ground 
 
FAMILY TOURIST. 639 
 
 floor; it consists of a handsome suit of rooms, well furnish- 
 ed. The presidio is a building of two stories, the lower be- 
 ing occupied as a prison ; the upper contains the offices and 
 halls of the court of justice, and of the municipal corpora- 
 tion, or cabildo. These edifices are built in the ordinary 
 bad style of Moorish architecture. The palace is by far the 
 best specimen of architecture, and is the most imposing. 
 All these buildings are of brick, plastered and whitewashed, 
 the pedestals of the pilasters alone being of red porphyry. 
 
 " The cathedral is the only stone building in the city. Its 
 front was never half finished, but, judging from the wing that 
 is completed, the design must have been of the better order 
 of Moorish architecture ; it is ornamental, but heavy. It is 
 built of a kind of limestone quarried from the hill of San Do- 
 mingo, in the Chenita suburb. Notwithstanding the genial 
 climate, the stone is fast shivering to decay, though it is 
 quite a new structure. The bishop's palace is a heavy, de- 
 cayed building ; and the houses before alluded to, with the 
 piazzas, are so dilapidated from age, that apprehensions are 
 entertained that they will fall or be overthrown by the first 
 earthquake that happens. In the centre of the square is an 
 ornamental fountain of brass, furnished with water by a sub- 
 terraneous aqueduct, immediately from the river. The town 
 is chiefly supplied with water carried hence for sale, in bar- 
 rels of ten gallons, two of which are a mule's load : it is sold 
 at a medio, or three pence the barrel. 
 
 " The Consulado is a spacious building; it stands in front 
 of the Jesuits' church, and is built of brick, plastered and 
 whitewashed. Here, the Consulado, or commercial tribunal, 
 meets, and the senate and the national congress also hold 
 their sittings. On one side of a small space in front of the 
 Consulado, is the theatre, which is externally a miserable 
 building ; on the other side is the custom-house, a large and 
 very capacious building, the lower story being occupied as 
 custom-house warehouses, the upper story, by the custom- 
 house and other public offices. The Mint is the largest 
 building in the city; it occupies a whole quadra, and is sit- 
 uated in the Coneda, its front facing a shabby street. It 
 consists of three quadrangular courts, round which the of- 
 fices and salas are arranged. The fa9ade in front consists of 
 a series of heavy pilasters, surrounded with a rude cornice, 
 having above it a long, ponderous balustrade of bad work- 
 manship ; in the centre is a large arched portico, or entrance 
 
640 FAMILY TOURIST. 
 
 SANTIAGO. 
 
 gate, with massive pillars close to the wall on each side sup- 
 porting nothing ; the whole is of plain brick, and presents a 
 paltry appearance. In the centre of each side of the front 
 quadrangle, whence the principal entrance doors and pas- 
 sages lead to the other part of the building, are two lofty 
 massive pillars, projecting some distance from the door-way, 
 and supported upon tall thin pediments; they have nothing 
 above them but a piece of cornice, of no greater width than 
 their diameters, which cornices form a projecting extension 
 of the architecture of the door-way. It is a very ugly and 
 heavy structure, yet the Chilenos point out the Mint as the 
 great ornament and boast of their city, fancying there does 
 not exist in the world any building equal to it. A foreign- 
 er who visits South America, if he wishes to keep on good 
 terms with the natives, must forget all he has left behind him 
 in Europe, and bring his taste to a level with that of the 
 Creoles. Compared, therefore, with the present skill of the 
 Chilenos, the Mint is a masterpiece of bricklayer's work, 
 among a people accustomed to build with scarcely any other 
 materials than irregularly-shaped sun-dried bricks, cemented| 
 together with mud. The Mint, as well as the other public 
 buildings, were constructed by bricklayers sent out from 
 Spain for the express purpose. The brick work of the 
 house is good, but the design and arrangement are as bad as 
 can be well conceived. 
 
 " The town and suburbs are divided into five parishes. 
 The canadilla belonging to Saint Isidore, one division of the 
 city, and chuchunco forming the parish of St. Ann : another 
 portion of the city belongs to St. Paul ; the western chimba 
 forms that of Estampa; the eastern chimba, St. Francis. 
 All the parish churches are mean structures, but those of the 
 convents present some of the best buildings in the city : that 
 of San Domingo, in the street of that name ; that of the Je- 
 suits, which is remarkable for its curiously-formed painted 
 exterior : its tower is constructed altogether of timber, the 
 better to resist the shocks of earthquakes, which have fre- 
 quently overturned the steeples of the churches." * 
 
 * Caldcleugh's Travels in South America. 
 
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