LANDS OF THESLAVE AND THE FREE: OR, Cuba, the United States, and Canada. BY CAPTAIN THE HON. HENRY A. MURRAY, R. N. [Illustration: Entrance to a Coffee Planter's Residence. ] 1857. "He gave us only over beast, fish, fowl, Dominion absolute; that right we hold By his donation; but man over man He made not lord. " MILTON. "Gone, gone--sold and gone, To the rice-swamp, dank and lone; There no mother's eye is near them, There no mother's ear can hear them; Never, when the torturing lash Seams their backs with many a gash, Shall a mother's kindness bless them, Or a mother's arms caress them. " WHITTIER. "LA CURIOSIDAD NUNCA SE ENFADA DE SABER. "[A] ANTONIO PEREZ "Oh, give me liberty! For were even Paradise my prison, Still I would long to leap the crystal walls. " DRYDEN. "A happy bit hame this arrld[*] warld wad be, If men, whan they're here, would make shift to agree, And ilk said to his neebor in cottage an' hall, 'Come, gie me your hand, we are brethren all. '" [Transcribers note *: illegible] ROBERT NICOL. TO NIF, NASUS, AND CO. , THESE VOLUMES Are Dedicated AS A TOKEN OF THE SINCERE AND AFFECTIONATE REGARD OF THEIR OBEDIENT SERVANT, HENRY A. MURRAY. LONDON, JUNE 1ST, 1855. SECOND AND CHEAP EDITION. * * * * * The encouragement of friends, and the opinions expressed by a largemajority of those publications that considered the former edition worthyof notice, have induced me to cut out many passages which might possiblynot interest the general reader, in order that I might send it forth tothe public in a more cheap and popular form. Writing upon such a subject as the United States, her constitution, andher institutions, there was necessarily some danger of a taint ofpolitical partisanship. I trust, however, I may he considered to haveredeemed the pledge I made of writing "free from political bias, " when Ihave found favour in the pages of two publications so opposite in theirpolitics as the _Westminster Review_ and the _Press_. One weekly paper with pretensions to literary criticism (the_Athenaeum_, September 15, 1855) did me the honour of making me theobject of its unmeasured censure; but, as I was forewarned that mysuccess would interfere with the prospects of one of its contributors, Iwas prepared for its animadversions, though most certainly I did notanticipate the good fortune of a zeal so totally void of discretion, that the animus which guided the critic's pen should be too transparentto impose upon even a child. Conceive a would-be critic, after various spasmodic efforts at severity, selecting from among many _comprehensive_ measures suggested by me forthe future emancipation, and for the present benefit, of the slave, theproposition of "a proper instrument for flogging, to be established bylaw, " and _that_ with the evident intention of throwing ridicule on theidea. If the critic were occasionally subject to the discipline of thevarious instruments used for the punishment of the negro, his instinctwould soon teach him that which appears to be at present beyond thegrasp of his intellect, viz. , the difference between a cow-hide and adog-whip; and if he knew anything of his own country, he could scarcelybe ignorant that the instruments used for corporal punishment in army, navy, and prisons, are established by law or by a custom, as strong aslaw. But enough of this Athenian Reviewer, I offer for his reflectionthe old story, "Let her alone, poor thing; it amuses her, and does me noharm. " The next time he tries to sling a stone, I hope he will not againcrack his own skull in the clumsy endeavour. "Ill nature blended-with cold blood Will make a critic sound and good. This useful lesson hence we learn, Bad wine to good sound vinegar will turn. "OLD PAMPHLET. I now launch my barque upon a wider ocean than before. The public mustdecide whether her sails shall flap listlessly against the masts, orswell before a stiff and prosperous breeze. H. A. M. CONTENTS. A CHAPTER GRATIS AND EXPLANATORY CHAPTER I. _Make Ready--Fire--Departure_. FROM LONDON TO NEW YORK. PreparationsLIVERPOOL--Embarkation ScenesScenes on BoardCAPE RACEPilotNEW YORK CHAPTER II. _Land of Stars and Stripes_. AT NEW YORK. The First ViewCustom HouseFerry BoatFirst ImpressionsHospitalityAmerican HotelsBar and BarbersBridal ChamberPaddy WaiterFeeding SystemStreets and BuildingsPortrait HatterAdvertisementsLoafing in Broadway CHAPTER III. _Sights and Amusements_. AT NEW YORK. Yacht Club and Dinner. Railway Society to LONG ISLANDRace StandTrotting MatchMetallic CoffinAmerican HorseHack Cabs and DriversOmnibusesCity Railway CarsTravelling Railway CarsTickets for LuggageLocomotiveSuggestions for Railway Companies CHAPTER IV. _A Day on the North River_. FROM NEW YORK TO GENESEO. Embark in Steamer on HudsonPassengers and AnecdotesScenery of RiverALBANY--DisembarkA Hint for TravellersPopulation and ProsperityRailway through TownProfessor of SoapCANANDAIGUA--Hospitality. Early EducationOpposite SystemDrive across Country--Snake Fences and SceneryChurches--a Hint for the HighlandsCheap Bait--GENESEO CHAPTER V. _Geneseo_. AT GENESEO Absence of Animal Life--Early RisingView from the Terrace--Work of the PioneerFarm and System, Wages, &c. A Drive--Family SceneLAKE CANESUSPlank road. Toll gates, &c. Scotch Pikeman CHAPTER VI. _Stirring Scenes and Strange Sights_. FROM GENESEO TO NEW YORK. A Drive to BATAVIA--Railway WarningBuffalo Railway Station and Yankee CabbyProsperity and ContrastNIAGARAROCHESTERA Live BloomerAdvantage proved by ContrastReflections on Old FashionsPleasant Night CHAPTER VII. _Construction and Destruction_. AT NEW YORK. Cutter Yacht, "Black Maria"Dinner on BoardToddy and ChowderProsperity--Croton AqueductDestruction of DogsDrive on the Bloomingdale RoadA Storm CHAPTER VIII. _South and West_. FROM NEW YORK TO LOUISVILLE. Ticket StationPHILADELPHIA--ConvenienceLuggage left behindBALTIMORE--MAXWELL POINTCanvas-back DucksTolling for DucksStart by Rail--A FixHARRISBURGH--The Whittling ColonelStart again. Pleasant CompanyInclined Planes--Canal BoatCoaching ComfortPITTSBURGRailing through Forest, and ReflectionsCLEVELAND--Mud-walkTo Sleep or not to SleepCINCINNATI--Statistics and EducationPorkopolis and PigsA bloody SceneShips at MariettaOHIO--Levee and LiteratureEmbark on Steamer--Black StewardessIbrahim Pacha and Fat CHAPTER IX. _Scenes Ashore and Afloat_. FROM LOUISVILLE TO ST. LOUIS. Fabrication of the Republican BonbonWood MachineryA Nine-inside CoachHuman PolecatBreakfast and Cigar _versus_ FoetorFerry Crossing--Travelling BeastsOld Bell's and Old BellCross Country Drive--SceneryThe Mammoth CaveOld Bell and the MailPleasant CompanionsRural LavatoryFat Boy and Circus IntelligenceLOUISVILLE and AdviceOhio--A Bet at the BarA Dinner Scene and a LadyDessert and ToothpicksEvening RecreationCAIRO--Its ProspectsST. LOUIS--Its Prosperity CHAPTER X. _River Scenes_. FROM ST. LOUIS TO NEW ORLEANS. MISSISSIPPI--Good-natured WeaknessMississippi _v_. MissouriStale Anecdote revivedMarriage CertificateFolly--Description of SteamerInspection Farce describedCorporal Punishment--IllustrationCaptain of Mizen Top _v_. White NiggerSceneryMississippi--Good nightScreecher & Burster--A RaceCaptain leaves usBed--Alarm--WreckBrutal HeartlessnessRiver WreckersNEW ORLEANSWrecks, Causes and RemediesAnecdotes of Blood CHAPTER XI. _New Orleans_. FROM NEW ORLEANS TO HAVANA. Situation and BustleCotton, Tobacco and SugarSteamers, and WagesStreets, Hotels, &cA Friend in Need. Neighbourhood, Shell-roadSociety and RemarksRough-and-Tumble--Lola MontezA Presbyterian ChurchThe Gold ManAutocracy of the PoliceLaw--Boys and ProcessionsDuel Penalties--Stafford House AddressClubsSpanish Consul and PassportParting CadeauPilot DodgePurser SmithSneezing Dangerous--Selecting a CompanionHAVANA CHAPTER XII. _The Queen of the Antilles_. AT CUBA. VolanteLively FuneralA Light to a CigarEvening AmusementTrip to MATANZAS--El CaseroSlave PlantationSugar MakingLuxuriant VegetationPunic Faith and Cuban CrueltyH. M. S. "Vestal"BriberyAdmiralty WisdomCigars and ManufactoryPopulation--ChineseLaws of Domicile--Police and SlaveryIncrease of Slaves and ProduceTobacco, Games, and LotteriesCuban JokesSketch of GovernorsThe Future of Cuba? CHAPTER XIII. _Change of Dynasty_. FROM CUBA TO BALTIMORE. KEY POINTVulgar HebrewCHARLESTON, WASHINGTONNight and MorningCongress and InaugurationGeneral Jackson and ChangesCabmen and CityShopman and DrinkingLevees and BuildingsBALTIMORE and TerrapinThe DramaProgress--Fire Companies CHAPTER XIV. _Philadelphia and Richmond_. FROM BALTIMORE TO RICHMOND. PHILADELPHIA and Hospitality. Streets--MintGerard CollegeHigh SchoolA Jail and a Cure for the TurbulentLunatic AsylumNEW YORK and EmbarkA Wild PaddyCHARLESTON ArrivalHotel and HospitalityClimate and BuildingsCommercial ProsperityFire CompaniesMiniature WEST POINT (_Vide_ Note)WILMINGTON Railway AccidentPETERBOROUGH and my HatRICHMOND Scenery and ProsperityPowhattan's Tree, an EpisodeA Lady FriendFire and FollyMonkey BoyGerymanderFire Company, Frolic and Reflections CHAPTER XV. _From a River to a Race-course_. FROM RICHMOND TO NEW YORK. Down the RiverWILLIAMSBURG. Old PalaceA Governor and a PaddyThe CollegeUncle Ben and his InnReflectionsSHIRLEY, Hospitality, &c. BEANDON, Hospitality, &c. Rural Election--A Cruise in a CalmChoral Warblers and Family AltarNORFOLK, Dockyard, &c. Slave Servants, a Hint to the Foreign Office_Via_ BALTIMORE to PHILADELPHIA--A Confession. Race--Mac and TacNEW YORK CHAPTER XVI. _Home of the Pilgrim Fathers_. FROM NEW YORK TO BOSTON. Off by rail--Foxhunting FireBOSTON. Buildings and HospitalityNeighbourhood and NamesThe DramaSpirit-rapping and Gulls CHAPTER XVII. _Teaching of Youth and a Model Jail_. AT BOSTON. Pilgrim FathersEducation--Expenditure--Regulations, &c. Phonetic SystemA Model Jail--Telegraph and Fire--DockyardWater Supply, Prosperity, &c. CHAPTER XVIII. _Canada_. FROM BOSTON TO QUEBEC. Railroad and SceneryMONTREAL, and a Welcome FaceGavazzi--Excitement--Mob, &c. QUEBEC and Neighbourhood Mrs. Paul and Miss PaddyFerry-boat and FriendsRebellion Losses BillMoral Courage and Administrative Ability evidenced and acknowledgedHint for MilitiaCanadian Government CHAPTER XIX. _A Trip to the Uttáwa_. FROM QUEBEC TO TORONTO. Mr. Hincks--Mr. Drummond--MONTREALUp the OTTAWAY to LACHINE, ST. ANNE'S to BYTOWN and AYLMERThe CHATS FALLSCanadian HighlandersConflagration, Rafts, Lumberers, and TeetotallersThe Struggle, the Goal, and the ReturnAYLMER ProsperityBYTOWN. Scenery and AdvantagesSlides for Lumber--Mr. MackayObject of Councillor's VisitDrive across CountryPRESCOTT and OGDENSBURGKINGSTONLAKE ONTARIO and a Nice BedTORONTO CHAPTER XX. _Colonial Education and Prosperity_. AT TORONTO. TORONTO. Population, Prosperity and BuildingsThe Normal SchoolEducation generally Canadian Prospects and Prosperity CHAPTER XXI. _A Cataract and a Celebration_. FROM TORONTO TO NEW YORK. Embark in SteamerQUEENSTOWN & LEWISTOWNA Drive, a Bait, and a LessonNIAGARA and MoonlightBATAVIA, GENESEO, and 4th JulyHawking Carriages--ROCHESTERALBANY--Hands and SandwichesDropped outside--NEW YORK CHAPTER XXII. _Education, Civil and Military_. NEW YORK AND WEST POINT. Free AcademyWEST POINT. Military AcademyAnecdote, &c. NEW YORK * * * * * Here travelling ceases, and the remaining Chapters are devoted to thediscussion of subjects which I trust may interest the reader. CHAPTER XXIII. _Watery Highways and Metallic Intercourse_. Area of Lakes, and Tonnage thereonMississippi--Produce borne and destroyedMr. Douglas and Custom HousesA Great Party DoctrineErie Canal--Barn-burners and HunkersRailways--United States and EnglandTelegraphSystems of Telegraph CHAPTER XXIV. _America's Press and England's Censor_. Issues of the PressWonderful StatisticsCharacter of the PressGreat Britain's PressLow Literature of AmericaBarefaced Robbery--_Northwood_ Specimen_English Items_ SpecimenThe Author of _English Items_SUBJECTS EXTRACTED:-- Relations with England Sixpenny Miracles Army Commissions--English Writers American Spitting Holy Places English Friends Original Sin English Manners English Church and Heraldry Devotion to Dinner ConclusionSubsequent Career of Mr. Ward--The Offence--The Scene and the DeathAcquittal and Effects CHAPTER XXV. _The Institution of Slavery_. Original GuiltNorthern FanaticsIrritation producedNorthern Friendship questionedGrounds of Southerners' Objections to the AbolitionistsEnglish AbolitionistsMrs. Stowe's OvationTreatment of SlavesIrresponsible Power and Public OpinionSources of Opinion as to Treatment of Slaves--Law--Self-interestChristianityHabitCauses of IndignationRecriminationEvidence from Authors--Press and CanadaReview of Progress of SlaverySlave Population and ValueQuestion of Freedom CHAPTER XXVI. _Hints for Master and Hopes for Slave_. PROPOSALS. Free Soil Fugitive Law Territory of RefugeTREATMENT DISCUSSED. Corporal Punishment Forfeiture and Testimony System for Ultimate Freedom The Blackest Feature in SlaveryVISIONARY DEPUTATION Inveterate Slaveholder Touchy Slaveholder, and Swaggering Bully Clerical Slave Advocate Amiable Planter Recriminator Abolitionist and Intelligent Slaveholder A frightful Question Closing ObservationsNebraska--The Christian and the Mussulman CHAPTER XXVII. _Constitution of the United States_. Plan ProposedGovernment and Qualification for OfficeElective FranchiseFrequency of ElectionsBallotEffects of Elections under the BallotRemedy proposedJohn Randolph, Sydney Smith, and ClubsPayment of Members and its EffectsScene in CongressThe JudiciaryExclusion of Cabinet from SeatsPower of PresidentElection of PresidentGovernors of States, and Power of PardonConclusion and Testimony of Bishop Hopkins CHAPTER XXVIII. _The Church, the School, and the Law_. Church StatisticsAmerican Episcopal Prayer-BookMethodist Episcopacy and Presbyterian MusicWhat exists at HomeIsmite ConventionEducation Statistics and College ExpensesPray read this--Law for Conveyance of Land CHAPTER XXIX. _Inventions and Inveighings_. What is a Bay?Dr. King--Fulton and SteamTelegraph and American ModestyReaping MachineOpinion of a BordererAmerican IngenuityFire-arms and Militia CHAPTER XXX. _Adverse Influences_. The 4th JulyMr. Douglas and CongressMiss Willard and John MitchellWho are the Antipathists? CHAPTER XXXI. _Olla Podrida_. American VanityAmerican SensitivenessAmerican MoralsTerritory and PopulationEffect of Early EducationPhases of LibertyStrikesIntelligenceEnergy'Cuteness and EggsEnterprise--Lord-huntingHospitality--Political PartiesKnow-nothingsThe FutureMy EndeavourMy WarningLord Holland, Hope, and Farewell NOTES. EXTENT OF TELEGRAPH IN THE UNITED KINGDOMA SHORT SKETCH OF THE PROGRESS OF FIRE-ARMS FOOTNOTES: [Footnote A: "THE INQUIRING MIND WEARIES NOT IN THE PURSUIT OF KNOWLEDGE. " ANTONIO PEREZ. (_Translation_)] EXPLANATORY LIST OF PLATES. VIGNETTE OF THE ENTRANCE TO A COFFEE PLANTER'S RESIDENCE RAILWAY CARRIAGE LOCOMOTIVE CUTTER YACHT "MARIA" The following are the dimensions referred to in the text as being on the original engraving:-- Tonnage by displacement 137 tons Length on deck 110 feet Breadth of beam 26-1/2 " Depth of hold 8-1/4 " Length of mast 91 " Length of boom 95 " Length of gaff 50 feet Length of jibboom 70 " Length of bowsprit on board 27 " Diameter of bowsprit 24 in. Diameter of boom 26 in. MAP OF CROTON AQUEDUCT This map is accurately copied from Mr. Schramke's scientific work, but the reader is requested to understand that the lines drawn at right angles over the whole of Manhattan Island represent what the city of New York is intended to be. At present its limits scarcely pass _No. 1. Distributing Reservoir_. STEWARDESS OF THE "LADY FRANKLIN" This print may possibly be a little exaggerated. A MISSISSIPPI STEAMER This print is raised out of all proportion, for the purpose of giving a better idea of the scenes on board, than the limits of the sheet would otherwise have permitted. If the cabin on the deck of the Hudson River steamer were raised upon pillars about 15 or 20 feet high, it would convey a tolerably accurate impression of the proper proportions. THE NEW ST. CHARLES HOTEL, NEW ORLEANS EL CASERO, OR THE PARISH HAWKER IN CUBA THE GERARD COLLEGE, PHILADELPHIA NORMAL SCHOOL, TORONTO A great portion of the ground adjoining is now given up to agricultural experimental purposes. HUDSON RIVER STEAMER, 1200 TONS The dimensions are:-- Length 325 feet Breadth 38 " Depth of hold 11 " Width of cylinder. 5 ft. 10 in. Length of stroke. 14 feet Diameter of wheel. 40 " MAP OF THE UNITED STATES A CHAPTER, _Gratis and Explanatory_. What is the use of a preface? Who wants a preface? Nay, more--what is apreface? Who can define it? That which it is most unlike is themathematical myth called a point, which may be said to have neitherlength nor breadth, and consequently no existence; whereas a prefacegenerally has extreme length, all the breadth the printer can give it, and an universal existence. But if prefaces cannot be described with mathematical accuracy, theyadmit of classification with most unmathematical inaccuracy. First, youhave a large class which may be called CLAIMERS. Ex. : One claims acertain degree of consideration, upon the ground that it is the author'sfirst effort; a second claims indulgence, upon the ground of haste; athird claims attention, upon the ground of the magnitude and importanceof the subject, &c. &c. Another large class may be termed MAKERS. Ex. :One makes an excuse for tediousness; a second makes an apology fordelay; a third makes his endeavours plead for favourable reception, &c. Then again you have the INTERROGATOR, wherein a reader is found beforethe work is printed, convenient questions are put into his mouth, andready replies are given, to which no rejoinder is permitted. This isvery astute practice. --Then again there is the PUFFER AND CONDENSER, wherein, if matter be wanting in the work, a prefacial waggon is putbefore the chapteral pony, the former acting the part of pemican, orconcentrated essence, the latter representing the liquid necessary forcooking it; the whole forming a _potage au lecteur_, known amongprofessional men as "soldier's broth. " My own opinion on this important point is, that a book is nothing morenor less than a traveller; he is born in Fact or Fancy; he travels alonga goose-quill; then takes a cruise to a printer's. On his return thencehis health is discovered to be very bad; strong drastics are applied; heis gradually cooked up; and when convalescent, he puts on his Sundayclothes, and struts before the public. At this critical juncture upcomes the typish master of the ceremonies, Mr. Preface, and commencesintroducing him to them; but knowing that both man and woman areessentially inquisitive, he follows the example of that ancient andshrewd traveller who, by way of saving time and trouble, opened hisaddress to every stranger he accosted, in some such manner as thefollowing:--"Sir, I am Mr. ----, the son of Mr. ----, by ----, his wifeand my mother. I left ---- two days ago. I have got ---- in mycarpet-bag. I am going to ---- to see Mr. ----, and to try and purchasesome ----. " Then followed the simple question for which an answer waswanted, "Will you lend me half-a-crown?" "Tell me the road;" "Give me apinch of snuff;" or "Buy my book, " as the case might be. The stranger, gratified with his candour, became immediately prepossessed in hisfavour. I will endeavour to follow the example of that 'cute traveller, and forestall those questions which I imagine the reader--if there beone--might wish to ask. 1. Why do I select a subject on which so many abler pens have beenfrequently and lately employed?--Because it involves so many importantquestions, both socially and politically, in a field where the changesare scarcely less rapid than the ever-varying hues on the dying dolphin;and because the eyes of mankind, whether mental or visual, are asdifferent as their physiognomies; and thus those who are interested inthe subject are enabled to survey it from different points of view. 2. Do I belong to any of those homoeopathic communities called politicalparties?--I belong to none of them; I look upon all of them as so manydrugs in a national apothecary's shop. All have their useful qualities, even the most poisonous; but they are frequently combined soinjudiciously as to injure John Bull's health materially, especially asall have a strong phlebotomizing tendency, so much so, that I often seepoor John in his prostration ready to cry out, "Throw Governments to thedogs--I'll none of them!" If in my writings I appear to show on somepoints a political bias, it is only an expression of those sentimentswhich my own common sense[B] and observation have led me to entertain onthe subject under discussion, and for which I offer neither defence norapology. 3. Am I an artist?--No; I am an author and a plagiarist. Every sketch inmy book is taken from some other work, except the "Screecher, " which isfrom the artistic pen of Lady G. M. ; and the lovely form and features ofthe coloured sylph, for which I am indebted to my friend Mr. J. F. C. --Youmust not be too curious. --I consider myself justified in plagiarizinganything from anybody, if I conceive it will help to elucidate mysubject or amuse my reader, provided always I have a reasonable groundfor believing the source is one with which the general reader is notlikely to be acquainted. But when I do steal, I have the honesty toconfess it. 4. What is my book about?--It treats of an island, a confederacy and acolony; and contains events of travel, facts and thoughts concerningpeople, telegraphs, railroads, canals, steam, rivers, commercialprosperity, education, the Press, low literature, slavery, government, &c. &c. 5. What security can I offer for the pretensions advanced being madegood?--None whatever. Who takes me, must take me, like a wife, "forbetter for worse, " only he is requested to remember I possess threedistinct advantages over that lady. --First, you can look inside me aswell as out: Secondly, you can get me more easily and keep me morecheaply: Thirdly, if you quarrel with me, you can get a divorce in thefire-place or at the trunkmaker's, without going to the House of Lords. I trust I have now satisfied all the legitimate demands of curiosity. I will only further remark that in some of my observations upon, theUnited States, such as travelling and tables-d'hôte, the reader mustbear in mind that in a land of so-called equality, whenever thatprinciple is carried out, no comparison can be drawn accurately betweensimilar subjects in the Republic and in England. The society conveyed in one carriage in the States embraces the first, second, and third-class passengers of Great Britain; and the society fedat their tables-d'hôte contains all the varieties found in this country, from the pavilion to the pot-house. If we strike a mean between theextremes as the measure of comfort thus obtained, it is obvious, that inproportion as the traveller is accustomed to superior comforts in thiscountry, so will he write disparagingly of their want in the States, whereas people of the opposite extreme will with equal truth laud theirsuperior comforts. The middle man is never found, for every travellereither praises or censures. However unreasonable it might be to expectthe same refinements in a Republic of "Equal rights, " as those whichexist in some of the countries of the Old World under a system morefavourable to their development, it is not the less a traveller's dutyto record his impressions faithfully, leaving it to the reader to drawhis own conclusions. It was suggested to me to read several works lately published, andtreating of the United States; but as I was most anxious to avoid any ofthat bias which such reading would most probably have produced, I havestrictly avoiding so doing, even at the risk of repeating what othersmay have said before. I have nothing further to add in explanation. --The horses are to. --Thecoach is at the door. --Chapter one is getting in. --To all who aredisposed to accompany me in my journey, I say--Welcome! H. A. M. D 4, ALBANY, LONDON, _1st June, 1855_. FOOTNOTES: [Footnote B: Perhaps "human instinct" might be a more modestexpression. ] CHAPTER I. _"Make ready . . . Fire!" The Departure. _ The preparations for the start of a traveller on a long journey aredoubtless of every variety in quality and quantity, from the poor Arab, whose wife carries his house as well as all his goods--or perhaps Ishould rather say, from Sir Charles Napier of Scinde with his oneflannel waistcoat and his piece of brown soap--up to the owners of theDover waggon-looking "_fourgon_" who carry with them for a week's tripenough to last a century. My weakness, reader, is, I believe, a verycommon one, i. E. , a desire to have everything, and yet carry scarceanything. The difficulties of this arrangement are very perplexing to yourservant, if you have one, as in my case. First you put out everyconceivable article on the bed or floor, and then with an air ofself-denial you say, "There, that will be enough;" and when you find anadditional portmanteau lugged out, you ask with an air of astonishment(which may well astonish the servant), "What on earth are you going todo with that?" "To put your things into it, sir, " is the very natural, reply; so, after a good deal of "Confound it, what a bore, " &c. , it endsin everything being again unpacked, a fresh lot thrown aside, and a newpacking commenced; and believe me, reader, the oftener you repeat thisdiscarding operation, the more pleasantly you will travel. I speak fromexperience, having, during my wanderings, lost everything by shipwreck, and thus been forced to pass through all the stages of quantity, till Ionce more burdened myself as unnecessarily as at starting. It was a lovely September morning in 1852, when, having put my trapsthrough the purging process twice, and still having enough forhalf-a-dozen people, I took my place in the early train fromEuston-square for Liverpool, where I was soon housed in the Adelphi. Ayoung American friend, who was going out in the same steamer on thefollowing morning, proposed a little walk before the shades of eveningclosed in, as he had seen nothing of the city. Off we started, full ofintentions never to be realized: I stepped into a cutler's shop to buy aknife; a nice-looking girl in the middle of her teens, placed one or twobefore me; I felt a nudge behind, and a voice whispered in my ear, "ByGeorge, what a pretty hand!" It was perfectly true; and so convinced wasmy friend of the fact, that he kept repeating it in my ear. When mypurchase was completed, and the pretty hand retired, my friend exhibitedsymptoms of a strong internal struggle: it was too much for him. At lasthe burst out with, "Have you any scissors?"--Aside to me, "What a prettylittle hand!"--Then came a demand for bodkins, then for needles, thenfor knives, lastly for thimbles, which my friend observed were toolarge, and begged might be tried on her taper fingers. He had become soenthusiastic, and his asides to me were so rapid, that I believe hewould have bought anything which those dear little hands had touched. Paterfamilias, who, while poring over his ledger, had evidently had hisears open, now became alarmed at the reduction that was going on in hisstock, and consequently came forward to scrutinize the mysteriouspurchaser. I heard a voice muttering "Confound that old fellow!" as thedutiful daughter modestly gave place to papa; a Bank of England tennerpassed from my friend's smallclothes to the cutler's small till, and ahalf-crown _vice versa_. When we got to the door it was pitch dark; andthus ended our lionizing of the public buildings of Liverpool. On the way back to the hotel, as my companion was thinking aloud, Iheard him alternately muttering in soft tones, "What a pretty hand, " andthen, in harsh and hasty tones, '"Confound, " . . . "crusty old fellow;"and reflecting thereon, I came to the conclusion that if the expressionsindicated weakness, they indicated that pardonable civilizing weakness, susceptibility to the charms of beauty; and I consequently thought morekindly of my future fellow-traveller. In the evening we were joined bymy brother and a young officer of the Household Brigade, who were to befellow-passengers in our trip across the Atlantic. Early morning witnessed a procession of hackney coaches, laden as thoughwe were bent on permanent emigration. Arrived at the quay, a small, wretched-looking steamer was lying alongside, to receive us and ourgoods for transport to the leviathan lying in mid-channel, with hersteam up ready for a start. The operation of disposing of the passengers' luggage in this wretchedlittle tea-kettle was amusing enough in its way. Everybody wantedeverybody else's traps to be put down, below, and their own little this, and little that, kept up: one group, a man, wife, and child, particularly engaged my attention; the age of the child, independent ofthe dialogue, showed that the honeymoon was passed. WIFE. --"Now, William, my dear, _do_ keep that little box up!" HUSBAND. --"Hi! there; keep that hat-box of mine up!" (_Aside_, ) "Nevermind your box, my dear, _it_ wont hurt. " WIFE. --"Oh, William, there's my little cap-box going down! it will bebroken, in pieces. " HUSBAND. --"Oh! don't be afraid, my dear, they'll take care of it. Stop, my man, that's my desk; give it me here, " &c. &c. The dialogue was brought to a sudden stop by the frantic yell of thejuvenile pledge of their affections, whose years had not yet reached twofigures; a compact little iron-bound box had fallen on his toe, and thepoor little urchin's pilliloo, pilliloo, was pitiful. Mamma beganhugging and kissing, while papa offered that handy consolation of, "Never mind, that's a good boy; don't cry. " In the meantime, the Jackshad profited by the squall, and, when it ceased, the happy couple hadthe satisfaction of seeing all their precious boxes buried deep in thehold. The stream of luggage having stopped, and the human cargo being all onboard, we speedily cast off our lashings, and started: fortunately, itwas fine weather, for, had there been rain, our ricketty tea-kettlewould have afforded us no protection whatever. On reaching theleviathan, the passengers rushed up hastily, and, armed withwalking-sticks or umbrellas, planted themselves like sentries on thedeck. As the Jacks came tumbling up with the luggage, shouts of "Hi!that's mine, " rent the air; and if Jack, in the hurry and confusion, didnot attend to the cry, out would dart one or other with umbrella orstick, as the case might be, and harpoon him under the fifth rib; for, with a heavy burden on his head and shoulders, necessarily supported byboth hands, defence was impossible. I must say, Jack took it all in goodhumour, and filing a bill "STOMACH _v_. RIBS, " left it to Old Neptune toobtain restitution for injuries inflicted on his sons. I believe thosewho have once settled their accounts with that sea-deity are not moreanxious to be brought into his court again, than those who have enjoyedthe prolonged luxury of a suit in Chancery. Everything must have an end; so, the mail agent arriving with his postalcargo, on goes the steam, and off goes the "Africa, " Captain Harrison. "Some wave the hand, and some begin to cry, Some take a weed, and nodding, say good-bye. " I am now fairly off for New York, with a brother and two friends; wehave each pinned our card to the red table-cover in the saloon, toindicate our permanent positions at the festive board during the voyage. Unless there is some peculiarity in arrangement or circumstance, allvoyages resemble each other so much, that I may well spare you thedullness of repetition. Stewards will occasionally upset a soup-plate, and it will sometimes fall inside the waistcoat of a "swell, " whotravelling for the first time, thinks it requisite to "get himself up"as if going to the Opera. People under the influence of some internaland irresistible agency, will occasionally spring from the table with anenergy that is but too soon painfully exhausted, upsetting a few sidedishes as their feet catch the corner of the cloth. Others will rise, and try to look dignified and composed, the hypocrisy whereof isunpleasantly revealed ere they reach the door of the saloon; others eatand drink with an ever-increasing vigour, which proves irresistibly thetruth of the saying, "_L'appétit vient en mangeant_. " Heads that walkederect, puffing cigars like human chimneys in the Mersey, hang listlessand 'baccoless in the Channel (Mem. , "Pride goes before a fall"). Ladies, whose rosy cheeks and bright eyes, dimmed with the parting tear, had, as they waved the last adieu, told of buoyant health and spirits, gather mysteriously to the sides of the vessel, ready for any emergency, or lie helpless in their berths, resigning themselves to the ubiquitousstewardess, indifferent even to death itself. Others, again, whoseinteriors have been casehardened by Old Neptune, patrol the deck, and, if the passengers are numerous, congratulate each other in the mostheartless manner by the observation, "There'll be plenty of room in thesaloon, if this jolly breeze continues!" All these things are familiar to most travellers, suffice it, therefore, to say, that on the present occasion Old Neptune was in a good humour, "the jolly breeze" did not last long, nor was it ever very jolly. MyAmerican friend and the Household Brigade-man tried very hard to makeout that they felt sick at first, but I believe I succeeded inconvincing them that it was all imagination, for they both came steadilyto meals, and between them and my brother, who has the appetite of aPawnee when at sea, I found that a modest man like myself got but"monkey's allowance" of the champagne which I had prescribed as amedicine, erroneously imagining that those internal qualms usuallyproduced by a sea voyage would have enabled me to enjoy the lion'sshare. We saw nothing during the voyage but a few strange sail and a couple oficebergs, the latter very beautiful when seen in the distance, with thesea smooth as a mirror, and the sun's rays striking upon them. I feltvery thankful the picture was not reversed; the idea of running yournose against an iceberg, in the middle of a dark night, with a heavygale blowing and sea running, was anything but pleasant. In due time we made Cape Race. I merely mention the fact for the purposeof observing that the captain, and others to whom I have spoken since, unanimously agree in condemning the position of the lighthouse; first, as not being placed on the point a vessel from Europe would make, inasmuch as that point is further north and east; and secondly, becausevessels coasting northwards are not clear of danger if they trend awaywestward after passing the light. There may be some advantages to theimmediate neighbourhood, but, for the general purposes of navigation, its position is a mistake, and has, on more than one occasion, been verynearly the cause of the wreck of one of our large steamers[C]. Early on the morning of the tenth day I heard voices outside my cabinsaying, "Well, they've got the pilot on board, " _ergo_, we must benearing our haven. In the Channel at home you know a pilot by afoul-weather hat, a pea-coat, broad shoulders, and weather-beatencheeks; here, the captain had told me that I could always know them by apolished beaver and a satin or silk waistcoat. When I got on deck, sureenough there was the beaver hat and the silk vest, but what struck memost, was the wearer, a slim youth, hardly out of his teens. In thedistance, the New York pilot-boat, a build rendered famous by theachievements of the "America, " at Cowes, lay on the water like a duck, with her canvas white as snow, and taut as a deal board. The perfectease and nonchalance of the young pilot amused me immensely, and allwent on smoothly enough till the shades of evening closed in upon us; atwhich time, entering the Narrows, the satin-vested youth felt himselfquite nonplused, despite his taking off his beaver, and trying toscratch for knowledge; in short, had it not been for Captain Harrison, who is a first-rate seaman and navigator, as all who ever sail with himare ready to testify, we might have remained out all night: fortunately, his superior skill got us safe in, and no easy task I assure you is it, either to find the channel, or to thread your way through hosts ofshipping, in one of these leviathan steamers. I confess I formed a very low estimate of New York pilots, which was notheightened by one of the mates showing me an embossed card, with hisaddress, which our pilot had presented to him, accompanied with aninvitation to come to a _soirée_. As the mystery was subsequentlysolved, I had better give you the solution thereof at once, and not letthe corps of New York pilots lie under the ban of condemnation in yourminds as long as they did in mine. It turned out that the pert littleyouth was not an authorized pilot, but merely schooling for it; andthat, when the steamer hove in sight, the true pilots were asleep, andhe would not allow them to be called, but quietly slipped away in theboat, and came on board of us to try his 'prentice hand; the pilots ofNew York are, I believe, a most able and efficient body of men. Here I am, reader, at New York, a new country, a new hemisphere, andpitch dark, save the lights reflected in the water from the town oneither side. All of a sudden a single toll of a bell, then another, andfrom the lights in the windows you discover a large wooden house isadrift. On inquiry, you ascertain it is merely one of their mammothferry-boats; that is something to think of, so you go to bed atmidnight, and dream what it will really look like in the morning. FOOTNOTES: [Footnote C: I believe another lighthouse is to be erected on the properheadland. ] CHAPTER II. _The Land of Stars and Stripes. _ The sun had aired the opening day before I appeared on deck. What ascene! There was scarce a zephyr to ripple the noble Hudson, or theglorious bay; the latter, land-locked save where lost in the distantocean; the former skirted by the great Babylon of America on one side, and the lovely wooded banks of Hoboken on the other. The lofty westernhills formed a sharp yet graceful bend in the stream, round which afleet of small craft, with rakish hulls and snowy sails, were stealingquietly and softly, like black swans with white wings; the stillness andrepose were only broken by the occasional trumpet blast of some gianthigh-pressure steamer, as she dashed past them with lightning speed. Suddenly a floating island appeared in the bend of the river; closerexamination proved it to be a steamer, with from twenty to twenty-fivelarge boats secured alongside, many of them laden at Buffalo, and comingby the Erie Canal to the ocean. Around me was shipping of every kind andclime; enormous ferry-boats radiating in all directions; forests ofmasts along the wharves; flags of every colour and nation flying; thedingy old storehouses of the wealthy Wall-street neighbourhood, and thelofty buildings of the newer parts of the town; everything had somethingnovel in its character, but all was stamped with go-aheadism. Thisglorious panorama, seen through the bright medium of a rosy morn and acloudless sky, has left an enjoyable impression which time can neverefface. But although everything was strange, I could not feel myselfabroad, so strong is the power of language. Taking leave of our worthy and able skipper, we landed on the soil ofthe giant Republic at Jersey city, where the wharves, &c. , of the Cunardline are established, they not having been able to procure sufficientspace on the New York side. The first thing we ran our heads againstwas, of course, the Custom-house; but you must not imagine, gentlereader, that a Custom-house officer in America is that mysteriouscompound of detective police and high-bred ferret which you too oftenmeet with in the Old World. He did not consider it requisite to tumbleeverything out on the floor, and put you to every possibleinconvenience, by way of exhibiting his importance; satisfied on thatpoint himself, he impressed you with it by simple courtesy, thus gainingrespect where the pompous inquisitive type of the animal would haveexcited ill-will and contempt. Thank heaven, the increasedinter-communication, consequent upon steam-power, has very muchcivilized that, until lately, barbarian portion of the European family;nor do I attempt to deny that the contiguity of the nations, and the fargreater number of articles paying duty, facilitating and increasingsmuggling, render a certain degree of ferretishness a little morerequisite on the part of the operator, and a little more patiencerequisite on the part of the victim. A very few minutes polished our party off, and found us on board of theferry-boat; none of your little fiddling things, where a donkey-cart andan organ-boy can hardly find standing-room, but a good clearhundred-feet gangway, twelve or fourteen feet broad, on each side of theengine, and a covered cabin outside each gangway, extending half thelength of the vessel; a platform accommodating itself to the rise andfall of the water, enables you to drive on board with perfect ease, while the little kind of basin into which you run on either side, beingformed of strong piles fastened only at the bottom, yields to the vesselas she strikes, and entirely does away with any concussion. I may hereadd, that during my whole travels in the States, I found nothing moreperfect in construction and arrangement than the ferries and theirboats, the charges for which are most moderate, varying according todistances, and ranging from one halfpenny upwards. It is difficult to say what struck me most forcibly on landing at NewYork; barring the universality of the Saxon tongue, I should have beenpuzzled to decide in what part of the world I was. The forest of masts, and bustle on the quays, reminded me of the great sea-port of Liverpool:but scarce had I left the quays, when the placards of business on thedifferent stories reminded me of Edinburgh. A few minutes more, and Ipassed one of their large streets, justly called "Avenues, " the rows oftrees on each side reminding me of the _Alamedas_ in the Spanish towns;but the confusion of my ideas was completed when the hackney coach wasbrought to a standstill, to allow a huge railway carriage to cross ourbows, the said carriage being drawn by four horses, and capable ofcontaining fifty people. At last, with my brain in a whirl, I alighted at Putnam's hotel, wheremy kind friend, Mr. W. Duncan, had prepared rooms for our party; nor didhis zeal in our behalf stop here, for he claimed the privilege of beingthe first to offer hospitality, and had already prepared a mostexcellent spread for us at the far-famed _Café Delmonico_, where wefound everything of the best: oysters, varying from the "native" size upto the large American oyster, the size of a small leg of Welshmutton--mind, I say a small leg--the latter wonderful to look at, andpleasant to the taste, though far inferior to the sweet little "native. " Here I saw for the first time a fish called "the sheep's head, " which isunknown, I believe, on our side of the Atlantic. It derives its namefrom having teeth exactly like those of a sheep, and is a most excellentfish wherewith to console themselves for the want of the turbot, whichis never seen in the American waters. Reader, I am not going to inflictupon you a bill of fare; I merely mention the giant oyster and thesheep's head, because they are peculiar to the country; and if nearly myfirst observations on America are gastronomic, it is not because Iidolize my little interior, though I confess to having a strongpredilection in favour of its being well supplied; but it is becauseduring the whole time I was in the United States, --from my friend D. , who thus welcomed me on my arrival, to Mr. R. Phelps, in whose houseI lived like a tame cat previous to re-embarking for oldEngland, --wherever I went I found hospitality a prominent feature in theAmerican character. Having enjoyed a very pleasant evening, and employed the night insleeping off the fumes of sociability, I awoke, for the first time, inone of the splendid American hotels; and here, perhaps, it may be aswell to say a few words about them, as their enormous size makes themalmost a national peculiarity. The largest hotel in New York, when I arrived, was the Metropolitan, inthe centre of which is a theatre; since then, the St. Nicholas has beenbuilt, which is about a hundred yards square, five stories high, andwill accommodate, when completed, about a thousand people. Generallyspeaking, a large hotel has a ladies' entrance on one side, which isquite indispensable, as the hall entrance is invariably filled withsmokers; all the ground floor front, except this hall and areading-room, is let out as shops: there are two dining-saloons, one ofwhich is set apart for ladies and their friends, and to this the vagrantbachelor is not admitted, except he be acquainted with some of theladies, or receive permission from the master of the house. The greatentrance is liberally supplied with an abundance of chairs, benches, &c. , and decorated with capacious spittoons, and a stove which glowsred-hot in the winter. Newspapers, of the thinnest substance and themost microscopic type, and from every part of the Union, are scatteredabout in profusion; the human species of every kind may be seenvariously occupied--groups talking, others roasting over the stove, manycracking peanuts, many more smoking, and making the pavement, by theirunited labours, an uncouth mosaic of expectoration and nutshells, variedoccasionally with cigar ashes and discarded stumps. Here and there yousee a pair of Wellington-booted legs dangling over the back of onechair, while the owner thereof is supporting his centre of gravity onanother. One feature is common to them all--busy-ness; whether they aretalking, or reading, or cracking nuts, a peculiar energy shows the mindis working. Further inside is the counter for the clerks who appoint therooms to the travellers, as they enter their names in a book; on longstools close by is the corps of servants, while in full sight of allstands the "Annunciator, " that invaluable specimen of Americanmechanical ingenuity, by which, if any bell is pulled in any room, oneloud stroke is heard, and the number of the room disclosed, in whichstate it remains until replaced; so that if everybody had left the hall, the first person returning would see at once what bells had been rungduring his absence, and the numbers of the rooms they belonged to. Whythis admirable contrivance has not been introduced into this country, Icannot conceive. The bar is one of the most--if not the most--important departments inthe hotel; comparatively nothing is drunk at dinner, but the moment themeal is over, the bar becomes assailed by applicants; moreover, frommorning to midnight, there is a continuous succession of customers; notmerely the lodgers and their friends, but any parties passing along thestreet, who feel disposed, walk into the bar of any hotel, and get "adrink. " The money taken at a popular bar in the course of a day is, Ibelieve, perfectly fabulous. Scarcely less important than the bar is the barber's shop. Nothingstruck me more forcibly than an American under the razor or brush: inany and every other circumstance of life full of activity and energy, under the razor or brush he is the picture of indolence andhelplessness. Indifferent usually to luxury, he here exhausts hisingenuity to obtain it; shrinking usually from the touch of a nigger asfrom the venomed tooth of a serpent, he here is seen resigning his noseto the digital custody of that sable operator, and placing his throat athis mercy, or revelling in titillary ecstasy from his manipulations withthe hog's bristles;--all this he enjoys in a semi-recumbent position, obtained from an easy chair and a high stool, wherein he lieswith a steadiness which courts prolongation--life-like, yetimmoveable--suggesting the idea of an Egyptian corpse newly embalmed. Never shaving myself more than once a fortnight, and then requiring nosoap and water, and having cut my own hair for nearly twenty years, Inever thought of going through the experiment, which I have sinceregretted; for, many a time and oft have I stood, in wonder, gazing atthis strange anomaly of character, and searching in vain for a firstcause. The barber's shop at the St. Nicholas is the most luxurious inNew York, and I believe every room has its own brush, glass, &c. , similarly numbered in the shop. The crowning peculiarity of the new hotels is "The Bridal Chamber;" thewant of delicacy that suggested the idea is only equalled by the want oftaste with which it is carried out. Fancy a modest girl, having said"Yes, " and sealed the assertion in the solemn services of the Church, retiring to the bridal chamber of the St. Nicholas! In the first place, retiring to an hotel would appear to her a contradiction in terms; butwhat would be her feelings when she found the walls of her apartmentfurnished with fluted white silk and satin, and in the centre of theroom a matrimonial couch, hung with white silk curtains, and blazingwith a bright jet of gas from each bed-post! The doors of thesleeping-rooms are often fitted with a very ingenious lock, having aseparate bolt and keyhole on each side, totally disconnected, andconsequently, as they can only be opened from the same side they arefastened, no person, though possessed of a skeleton key, is able toenter. The ominous warning, "Lock your door at night, " which is usuallyhung up, coupled with the promiscuous society frequently met in largehotels, renders it most advisable to use every precaution. Many hotels have a Bible in each bed-room, the gift of some religiouscommunity in the city; those that I saw during my travels were mostfrequently from the Presbyterians. Having given you some details of an American first-class hotel in alarge city, you will perhaps be better able to realize the giganticnature of these establishments when I tell you that in some of them, during the season, they consume, in one way and another, DAILY, fromfifteen hundred to two thousand pounds of meats, and from forty-five tofifty pounds of tea, coffee, &c. , and ice by the ton, and have a corpsof one hundred and fifty servants of all kinds. Washing is done in thehotel with a rapidity little short of marvellous. You can get a shirtwell washed, and ready to put on, in nearly the same space of time as anAmerican usually passes under the barber's hands. The living at thesehotels is profuse to a degree, but, generally speaking, mostdisagreeable: first, because the meal is devoured with a rapidity whicha pack of fox-hounds, after a week's fast, might in vain attempt torival; and, secondly, because it is impossible to serve up dinners forhundreds without nine-tenths thereof being cold. The best of the largehotels I dined at in New York, as regards _cuisine_, &c. , was decidedlythe New York Hotel; but by far the most comfortable was the one I livedin--Putnam's, Union-square--which was much smaller and quite new, besides being removed from the racket of Broadway. The increased intercourse with this country is evidently producing amost improving effect in many of the necessary and unmentionablecomforts of this civilized age, which you find to predominate chiefly inthose cities that have most direct intercourse with us; but as you gofurther west, these comforts are most disagreeably deficient. One pointin which the hotels fail universally is attendance; it is theirmisfortune, not their fault; for the moment a little money is realizedby a servant, he sets up in some business, or migrates westward. Theconsequence is, that the field of service is left almost entirely to theIrish and the negro, and between the two--after nearly a year'sexperience thereof--I am puzzled to say in whose favour the balance is. I remember poor Paddy, one morning, having answered the HouseholdBrigade man's bell, was told to get some warm water. He went away, andforgot all about it. Of course, the bell rang again; and, on Paddyanswering it, he was asked-- "Did I not tell you to get me some warm water?" "You did, your honour. " "Then, why have you not brought it?" "Can't tell, your honour. " "Well, go and get it at once. " Paddy left the room, and waited outside the door scratching his head. Inabout a quarter of an hour a knock was heard:-- "Come in!" Paddy's head appeared, and, with a most inquiring voice, he said-- "Is it warm water to dhrink you want, your honour?" _Ex uno_, &c. Another inconvenience in their hotels is the necessity of either livingat the public table, or going to the enormous expense of private rooms;the comfort of a quiet table to yourself in a coffee-room is quiteunknown. There is no doubt that sitting down at a table-d'hôte is aready way to ascertain the manners, tone of conversation, and, partly, the habits of thought, of a nation, especially when, as in the UnitedStates, it is the habitual resort of everybody; but truth obliges me toconfess that, after a very short experience of it, I found the old adageapplicable, "A little of it goes a great way;" and I longed for thecleanliness, noiselessness, and comfort of an English coffee-room, though its table be not loaded with equal variety and profusion. The American system is doubtless the best for the hotelkeeper, as thereare manifest advantages in feeding masses at once, over feeding the samenumber in detail. A mess of twenty officers, on board a man-of-war, willlive better on two pounds each a month than one individual could onthree times that sum. It is the want of giving this difference dueconsideration which raises, from time to time, a crusade against thehotels at home, by instituting comparisons with those of the UnitedStates. If people want to have hotels as cheap as they are in America, they must use them as much, and submit to fixed hours and a mixture ofevery variety of cultivation of mind and cleanliness of person--whichchange is not likely, I trust, to take place in my day. It is a curiousfact, that when the proprietor of the Adelphi, at Liverpool--inconsequence of a remonstrance made by some American, gentlemen as to hischarges--suggested to them that they should name their own hour and dinetogether, in which case his charges would be greatly diminished, theywould not hear of such a thing, and wanted to know why they should beforced to dine either all together, or at one particular hour. AnAmerican gentleman, with whom I am acquainted, told me that, when hefirst came over to England, the feeling of solitude, while breakfastingalone, at his table in Morley's coffee-room, was quite overpowering. "Now, " he added, "I look forward to my quiet breakfast and the paperevery morning with the greatest pleasure, and only wonder how I can havelived so long, and been so utterly ignorant of such simple enjoyment. " Ihave thought it better to make these observations thus early, althoughit must be obvious they are the results of my subsequent experience, andI feel I ought to apologize for their lengthiness. There is comparatively little difficulty in finding your way about NewYork, or, indeed, most American towns, except it be in the old partsthereof, which are as full of twists, creeks, and names as our own. Thenewer part of the town is divided into avenues running nearly parallelwith the Hudson; the streets cross them at right angles, and both aresimply numbered; the masses of buildings which these sections form arevery nearly uniform in area, and are termed blocks. The great place forlounging, or loafing, as they term it--is Broadway, which may be said tobisect New York longitudinally; the shops are very good, but, generallyspeaking, painfully alike, wearying the eye with sameness, when thenovelty has worn off: the rivalry which exists as to the _luxe_ offitting up some of these shops is inconceivable. I remember going into an ice-saloon, just before I embarked for England;the room on the ground-floor was one hundred and fifty feet long byforty broad; rows of pillars on each side were loaded to the mostoutrageous extent with carving and gilding, and the ceiling was tomatch; below that was another room, a little smaller, and rather lessgaudy; both were crowded with the most tag-rag and bob-tail mixture ofpeople. The houses are built of brick, and generally have steps up to them, bywhich arrangement the area receives much more light; and many peoplewith very fine large houses live almost exclusively in these basements, only using the other apartments for some swell party: the better classof houses, large hotels, and some of the shops, have their fronts facedwith stone of a reddish brown, which has a warm and pleasant appearance. The famous "Astor House" is faced with granite, and the basement is ofsolid granite. The most remarkable among the new buildings is themagnificent store of Mr. Stewart--one of the largest, I believe, in theworld: it has upwards of one hundred and fifty feet frontage onBroadway, and runs back nearly the same distance: is five stories high, besides the basement; its front is faced with white marble, and itcontains nearly every marketable commodity except eatables. If you wantanything, in New York, except a dinner, go to Stewart's, and it is tento one you find it, and always of the newest kind and pattern; for thishuge establishment clears out every year, and refills with everything ofthe newest and best. Goods are annually sold here to the amount ofupwards of a million sterling--a sum which I should imagine was hardlyexceeded by any establishment of a similar nature except Morison's inLondon, which, I believe, averages one and a half million. Some idea ofthe size of this store may be formed, from the fact that four hundredgas burners are required to light it up. Mr. Stewart, I was informed, was educated for a more intellectual career than the keeper of a store, on however grand a scale; but circumstances induced him to change hispursuits, and as he started with scarce any capital, the success whichhas attended him in business cannot but make one regret that the worldhas lost the benefit which might have been anticipated from the sameenergy and ability, if it had been applied to subjects of a higherclass. I will now offer a few observations on the state of the streets. Theassertion has been made by some writer--I really know not who--that NewYork is one of the dirtiest places in the world. To this I must give amost unqualified denial. No person conversant with many of the largeprovincial towns in England and Scotland, can conscientiously "throw avery large stone" at New York; for though much is doing among us toimprove and sweeten--chiefly, thanks to the scourge of epidemics--I fearthat in too many places we are still on this point "living in glasshouses. " Doubtless, New York is infinitely dirtier than London, asLondon at present is far less clean than Paris has become under the ruleof the Third Napoleon. I fully admit that it is not so clean as itshould be, considering that the sum nominally spent on cleansing thestreets amounts to very nearly sixty thousand pounds a year, a sum equalto one pound for every ten inhabitants; but the solution of this problemmust be looked for in the system of election to the corporation offices, on which topic I propose to make a few observations in some futureportion of these pages. While on the subject of streets, I cannot helpremarking that it always struck me as very curious that so intelligent apeople as the Americans never adopted the simple plan of using sweepingcarts, which many of their countrymen must have seen working in London. If not thoroughly efficient, their ingenuity might have made them so;and, at all events, they effect a great saving of human labour. Butthere is a nuisance in the streets of New York, especially in the lowerand business part of the town, which must be palpable to everyvisitor--I mean the obstructions on the pavement; and that, be itobserved, in spite of laws passed for the prevention thereof, butrendered nugatory from maladministration. In many places, you will see aman occupying the whole pavement opposite his store with leviathan boxesand bales, for apparently an indefinite period, inasmuch as I have seenthe same things occupying the same place day after day, and forcingevery passer-by off the pavement. This information may console some ofour own communities who are labouring under the gnawing and painfuldisease of a similar corrupt and inefficient administration. Amid the variety of shops, the stranger cannot fail to be struck withthe wonderful number of oyster-saloons stuck down on the basement, anddaguerreotypists perched in the sky-line: their name is legion;everybody eats oysters, and everybody seems to take everybody else'sportrait. To such an extent is this mania for delineating the 'humanface divine' carried, that a hatter in Chatham-street has made no smallprofit by advertising that, in addition to supplying hats at the sameprice as his rivals, he will take the portrait of the purchaser, and fixit inside thereof gratis. This was too irresistible; so off I went, and, selecting my two dollar beaver on the ground-floor, walked up to a sixfoot square garret room, where the sun did its work as quick as light, after which the liberal artist, with that flattering propensity whichbelongs to the profession, threw in the roseate hues of youth by the aidof a little brick-dust. I handed him my dust in return, and walked awaywith myself on my head, where myself may still be daily seen, atravelled and travelling advertisement of Chatham-street enterprise. Our American friends deal largely in newspaper puffs, and as some ofthem are amusing enough, I select the following as specimens of their"Moses and Son" style:-- ANOTHER DREADFUL ACCIDENT. --OH, MA! I MET WITH A DREADFUL ACCIDENT!--The other night, while dancing with cousin Frank, I dropped my Breastpin and Ear-Ring on the floor and broke them all to pieces--Never mind, my dear. Just take them to ---- Jewellery Store. You can get them made as good as new again! GRATIFYING NEWS. --We have just learned, with real pleasure, that the _seedy_ young man who sprained his back whilst trying to "raise the wind" is fast recovering, in consequence of judiciously applying the Mustang Liniment. It is to be hoped he will soon be entirely cured, and that the next time he undertakes it, he will take an _upright_ position, and not adopt the _stooping_ posture. This precaution, we have no doubt, will ensure success. This Liniment can be had of ----. Even, marriage and death are not exempt from the fantastic advertisingstyle. On Friday, June 10, by the Rev. Mr. ----, after a severe and long-protracted courtship, which they bore with Christian fortitude and resignation, solely sustained and comforted, under all misgivings, by their sincere and confiding belief in the promise of a rich, and living inheritance in another state, Mr. ---- to Miss ----, all of this city. On April 4, of congestion of the brain, F---- E----, son of J---- and M---- C. D----, aged fourteen months. His remains were taken to G---- for interment yesterday. List! heard you that angel say, As he waved his little wing, "Come, Freddy, come away, Learn of me a song to sing!" The most gigantic advertiser--if the _New York Daily Sun_ is to betrusted for information--is Professor Holloway, so well known in thiscountry. According to that paper, he advertises in thirteen hundredpapers in the United States, and has expended, in different parts of theworld, the enormous sum of nearly half a million sterling, solely forthat purpose. But, reader, there are more interesting objects to dwell upon thanthese. If you will only "loaf" up and down Broadway on a fine afternoon, you will see some of the neatest feet, some of the prettiest hands, someof the brightest eyes, and some of the sweetest smiles the wildestbeauty-dreamer ever beheld in his most rapturous visions; had they butgood figures, they would excite envy on the Alamedas of Andalusia; inshort, they are the veriest little ducks in the world, and dress withParisian perfection. No wonder, then, reader, when I tell you that"loafing" up and down Broadway is a favourite occupation with the youngmen who have leisure hours to spare. So attractive did my young friendof the Household Brigade find it, that it was with difficulty he wasever induced to forego his daily pilgrimage. Alas! poor fellow, thosedays are gone--he has since been "caught, " and another now claims hisundivided adoration. CHAPTER III. _Sights and Amusements_. There is a very pleasant yacht club at New York, the festive assemblywhereof is held at Hoboken. Having received a hospitable invite, Igladly availed myself of it, and, crossing the Hudson, a short walkbrought me and my chaperon to the club-house--no palatial edifice, but arustic cottage, with one large room and a kitchen attached, andbeautifully situated a few yards from the water's edge, on the woodybank of Hoboken, and on one of the most graceful bends of the river. Itcommands a splendid view, while perfectly cozy in itself, and is, "parexcellence, " the place for a pic-nic. The property belongs to CommodoreStevens, who is well known to English yachting gentlemen, not only fromhis having "taken the shine out of them" at Cowes, but also for hisamiability and hospitality. On my arrival, I found a host of bachelors, and wedded men _en garçon_, ready to greet me with a hearty welcome. The room was very comfortable, but as unfurnished as those who like to smoke could desire; in fact, barring the table and its burden, the chairs and their occupiers, theremainder of the furniture consisted of models of all the yachts of theclub. The only exception was that of the Commodore's triumphant "BlackMaria, " of which extraordinary vessel I purpose speaking more fullyhereafter. One of the peculiar customs of the club is, that two members, whose capabilities are beyond dispute, are appointed, one to make thesoup, called "chowder, " the other the punch--or "toddy, " as it is heretermed, --both of these being excellent in their way, and different inmany respects from any similar article at home. The proper recipe forthe same shall be forthcoming when I give details of the "Black Maria. " Our party was a very jovial one, as I think parties generally are whencomposed of those who are much _on_ the water. Such people naturallylook upon a leak as very lubberly and unprofessional, and thereforescrupulously avoid letting _in_ any water, supplying its place withsomething more cheery, under the enlivening influence whereof, those whowould be puzzled to decide whether a hand-organ was playing "Hail, Columbia!" or "Pop goes the Weasel, " lose all false modesty as to theirmusical powers, and become royally (I beg majesty's pardon) vocal. Choruses receive the additional charm of variety from each vocalistgiving his tongue "universal suffrage" as to power, matter, and melody;everybody evinces a happy independence, and if, as the chorus isbeginning, an unlucky wight finds his cigar just going out, he takes afew puffs to save the precious fire, and then starts off Derby pace tocatch up his vocal colleagues, blending ten notes into one in hisfrantic chase. To any one who delights in the opera, this description might suggest aslight idea of discord, but to one who has enjoyed a midshipman's berthit recals some of the cheeriest days of his life; as I heard the joyousshouts, I felt my grey lank hairs getting black and curly again (?). Donot imagine this merry scene was the produce of any excess; we were assober as judges, though we felt their gravity would have been out ofplace; but when some choice spirit--and there was more than onesuch--with the soul of melody in him, took the field, we left him tomake all the running himself, and smoked our cigars with increasedvigour, shrouding him in the curling cloud to prevent any nervoushesitation. Everything, however, must have an end, and as the hour for the lastferry-boat was fast approaching, the voice of melody was hushed in thehall, to echo through the groves of Hoboken and o'er the waters of theHudson, as we strolled from the club-house to the ferry, and thence tobed. Among other "lions" to be seen, my curiosity was excited by the news ofa trotting match, to come off at Long Island: some friend was everready, so off we started for Brooklyn Ferry, whence we went by railway. In the olden time these races were as fashionable at New York as Ascotor Epsom are in England; all the _élite_ of both sexes filled the stand, and the whole scene was lively and gay. Various circumstances, which allwho know the turf are aware it is liable to, rendered gentlemen sodisgusted with it at Long Island, that they discontinued sending horsesto run, and gradually gave up going themselves, and it is now left allbut entirely to the "rowdies, "--_alias_ mob. The railway carriage into which we got contained about forty of theseworthies, all with cigars in their mouths, and exhibiting many strangevarieties of features and costume. In the passage up and down the middleof the carriage; ragged juvenile vendors of lollipops and peanuts keptpatrolling and crying out their respective goods, for which they found aready market; suddenly another youth entered, and, dispensing a fly-leafright and left as he passed along to each passenger, disappeared at theother door. At first, I took him for an itinerant advertiser of someYankee "Moses and Son, " or of some of those medicinal quacks who striveto rob youth by lies calculated to excite their fears. Judge myastonishment, then, when on looking at the paper, I found it was hymnshe was distributing. A short ride brought us close to the course, and, as I alighted, there was the active distributor freely dispensing onevery side, everybody accepting, many reading, but all hurrying on tothe ground. Having paid a good round sum as entrance to the stand, I was ratherdisappointed at nearly breaking my neck, when endeavouring to takeadvantage of my privilege, for my foot well-nigh went through a hole inthe flooring. Never was anything more wretched-looking in this world. Itwas difficult to believe, that a few years back, this stand had beenfilled with magnates of the "upper ten thousand" and stars of beauty:there it was before me, with its broken benches, scarce a whole plank inthe floor, and wherever there was one, it was covered with old cigarstumps, shells of peanuts, orange-peel, &c. When, however, I found thatseven people constituted the number of spectators in the stand, itsdilapidation was more easily explained, especially when I discoveredthat access, with a little activity, was easily obtainable at the sides_gratis_--a fact soon proved by the inroad of a few "rowdies, " and theubiquitous vendors of lollipops and peanuts, headed by the perseveringdistributor of hymns. Let us turn now from the dreary stand to the scene below. Therace-course is a two-mile distance, perfectly level, on a smooth andstoneless road, and forming a complete circle--light trotting waggonsare driving about in the centre, taking it easy at sixteen miles anhour; outside are groups of "rowdies. " making their hooks and lookingout for greenhorns--an article not so readily found at Long Island as atEpsom. The race is to be "under the saddle, " and the long list of competitorswhich had been announced has dwindled down to the old and far-famed LadySuffolk and the young and unfamed Tacony. A stir among the "rowdies" is seen, followed by the appearance "on theboards" of Lady Suffolk. I gazed in wonder as I saw her--a smallpony-looking animal--moving her legs as though they were in splints, andas if six miles an hour was far beyond her powers; soon after, Taconycame forward, the picture of a good bony post-horse, destitute of anybeauty, but looking full of good stuff. The riders have no distinctivedress; a pair of Wellington boots are pulled on outside the trousers, sharp spurs are on the heels--rough and ready looking birds these. Thewinning-post is opposite the stand, the umpire is there with a dealboard in his hand, a whack on the side of the stand "summons to horse, "and another summons to "start. " The start is from the distance-post, soas to let the horses get into the full swing of their pace by the timethey reach the winning-post, when, if they are fairly up together, thecry "Off" is given; if it be not given, they try again. When speaking ofthe time in which the mile is completed, the fact of its commencing atfull speed should always be borne in mind: sometimes false starts aremade by one party, on purpose to try and irritate the temper of theadversary's horse; and in the same way, if a man feels he has fullcommand of his own horse, he will yell like a wild Indian, as he nearshis adversary, to make him "break up"--or go into a gallop; and, as theyare all trained to speed more by voice than by spur, he very oftensucceeds, and of course the adversary loses much ground by pulling upinto a trot again. On the present occasion there was no false start; the echo of the secondwhack was still in the car as they reached the winning-post neck andneck. "Off" was the word, and away they went. It certainly wasmarvellous to see how dear old Lady Suffolk and her stiff legs flewround the course; one might have fancied she had been fed on lightning, so quick did she move them, but with wonderfully short steps. Tack, onthe contrary, looked as if he had been dieted on India-rubber balls:every time he raised a hind leg it seemed to shoot his own length a-headof himself; if he could have made his steps as quick as the old lady, hemight have done a mile in a minute nearly. Presently, Tacony breaks up, and, ere he pulls into a trot, a long gap is left. Shouts of "LadySuffolk, Lady Suffolk wins!" rend the air; a few seconds more, and thegiant strides of Tacony lessen the gap at every step: they reach thedistance-post neck and neck; "Tacony wins!" is the cry, and true enoughit is--by a length. Young blood beats old blood--India-rubber balls"whip" lightning. Time, five minutes. The usual excitement and disputing follow, the usual time elapses--whacknumber one is heard, all ready--whack number two, on they come, snafflebridles, pulling at their horses' mouths as though they would pull thebit right through to the tips of their tails. "Off" is the cry: awaythey go again; Tacony breaks up--again a gap, which huge stridesspeedily close up--again Tacony wins. Time, five minutes five seconds. All is over, rush to the cars, &c. Remarks:--first, the pace is at therate of twenty-four miles an hour; second, the clear old lady, who wasonly beaten by a length, is long out of her teens; is it not wonderful, and is she not glorious in her defeat? Fancy Dowager Lady L---- taking apedestrian fit, and running a race along Rotten Row with some "fastyoung man;" what would you say, if she clutched his coat-tail as hetouched the winning-post? Truly, that dear old Lady Suffolk is amarvellous quadruped. Reader, as you do not care to go back again withthe Rowdies and Co. , we will suppose ourselves returned to New York, andI can only hope you have not been bored with your day's amusement. Among the extraordinary fancies of this extraordinary race--who are everpanting for something new, even if it be a new territory--the moststrange is the metallic coffin: the grave is no protection against theirmania for novelty. In the windows of a shop in Broadway, this strange, and to my mind revolting, article may be seen, shaped like a mummy, fitting hermetically tight, and with a plate of glass to reveal thefeatures of the inanimate inmate. I have certainly read of thedisconsolate lover who, on the death of her who ungratefully refused toreciprocate his affection, disinterred her body by stealth, suppliedhimself with scanty provision, and embarking in a small boat, launchedforth upon the wide waters, to watch her gradual decomposition tillstarvation found them one common grave. I also knew an officer, who, having stuffed an old and faithful dog, and placed him on themantel-piece, when his only child died soon after, earnestly entreated asurgeon to stuff the child, that he might place it beside the faithfuldog. Nevertheless, I cannot believe that such aberrations of humanintellect are sufficiently frequent to make the Patent Metallic CoffinCompany a popular or profitable affair. An important feature in a populous town is the means of conveyance, which here, in addition to hack cabs and omnibuses, includes railwaycarriages. I would observe, once for all, that the horses of America, asa whole, may be classed as enduring, wiry, and active hacks. You do notsee anything to compare with some of the beautiful nags that "RottenRow" or Melton exhibits; but, on the other hand, you rarely see thelumbering, lolloping, heavy brutes so common in this country. Then, again, a horse in this country is groomed and turned out in a stylewhich I never saw in America, and therefore shows to much greateradvantage, in spite of the Yankee sometimes ornamenting his head withhairs from his tail; while on the other hand, though an Englishmanconsiders a pair of nags that will go a mile in five minutes a greatprize, no man in America who is a horse fancier would look at a pairthat could not do the same distance in four; nor would he think themworth speaking about, if they could not do the distance in a very fewseconds over three minutes. On one side of the water, pace is almost theonly object; on the other side, shape and appearance are weightymatters. The habits of the Americans being essentially gregarious, and businessteaching the truism that a cent saved is a cent gained, hackney coachesare comparatively little used by the men; for it must be remembered thatidlers in this country are an invisible minority of the community! Thenatural consequence is, that they are clean and expensive. The driversare charmingly independent and undeniably free-and-easy birds, but notmeaning to be uncivil. One of them showed his independence by asking twodollars one night for a three-mile drive home to the hotel. I inquiredof the master, and found the proper charge was a dollar and a half;but, on my sending out the same, Jarvey was too proud to confess he waswrong, and, refusing the money, drove off--nor did I ever hear more ofhim. Their free-and-easiness can never be better exemplified than in the oldanecdote told of so many people, from an ex-prince of France, downward;viz. , the prince having ordered a hack cab, was standing at the door ofthe hotel, smoking his cigar, and waiting for its arrival. When Cabbydrove up, judging from the appearance of the prince that he was "thefare, " he said, "Are you the chap that sent for a cab?" And, beinganswered with an affirmative smile, he said, "Well, get in; I guess I'mthe gentleman that's to drive you. " The next means of conveyance to be spoken of is the omnibus. I was toldby a friend who had made inquiries on the subject, that there wereupwards of a thousand, and that they pay twenty-two per cent. They areinfinitely better than ours, simply because they are broader: the mostrotund embodiment of an alderman after a turtle-soup dinner, even if hehad--to use the emphatic language of Mr. Weller--been "swellin'wisibly, " could pass up the centre without inconvenience to thepassengers on either side; and as a good dividend is a thing not to bedespised, they do not employ a "cad" behind. The door shuts by a straprunning along the roof, with a noose in the end, which Jehu puts on hisfoot. Any one wishing to alight pulls the strap; Jehu stops; and, pokinghis nose to a pigeon-hole place in the roof, takes the silver fare; and, slipping the noose, the door is open to the human "fare. " Doubtless, this effects a very great saving, and, dispensing with a cad in thiscountry might enable the fares to be lowered; but I question if there benot very many objections to our adopting the plan; and I should missvery much that personification of pertness and civility, with hisinquisitive eye, and the eccentric and perpetual gyrations of his forefinger, which ever and anon stiffens in a skyward point, as though underthe magic influence of some unseen electro-biologist whose decree hadgone forth--"You can't move your finger, sir, you can't; no, you can't. "I have only one grudge against the omnibuses in New York--and that is, their monopoly of Broadway, which would really have a very fine andimposing appearance were it not for them: they destroy all theeffect, and you gradually begin to think it is the Strand grown wider, despite of the magnificent palaces, hotels, &c. , which adorn it on eachside. [Illustration: A RAILWAY CARRIAGE. ] The last means of conveyance to be mentioned is the railway carriage, which--the city being built on a perfect flat--is admirably adapted forlocomotion. The rails are laid down in a broad avenue on each side ofBroadway, and the cars are drawn by horses, some two, some four. Thosethat are used for the simple town business have only two horses, andwill hold about twenty-four passengers; the others run from the lowerend of the town to a place where the engine is waiting for them outside. The town railway-car may be called a long omnibus, low on the wheels, broad, airy, and clean inside, and, excessively convenient for gettingin and out. There is a break at both ends, one under the charge of Jehu, the other under the charge of the guard; so that, though trotting alongat a good pace, they are very easily stopped. When they get to the endof the journey, the horses change ends, thus avoiding the necessity ofany turning, the space required for which would have made a greatdifference in the expense. For a busy, bustling city, on a flat, it isunquestionably by far the best conveyance, on account of carrying somany, and being so handy for ingress and egress. There was a strong push made to get one laid down in Broadway, andcorporation jobbery had nearly succeeded. For my own part, did I live inBroadway, if they would lay down a single line of rail, with shunters atintervals, to enable the cars to pass one another, and fix regular hoursfor running, I should infinitely prefer it to the unlimited army ofomnibuses that now block up the street; but I fancy the interests of thelatter are too deeply involved to be readily resigned. Before leaving the subject of railway carriages, I may as well give youa description of the travelling cars in ordinary use. They are forty-two feet long, nine and a half wide, from six to six anda half feet high, and carry from fifty to sixty passengers. Each seat isthree feet four inches long, placed at right angles to the window, andhas a reversible back. There is a passage through the centre of the car, between the rows of seats. In winter, a stove is always burning in eachcarriage; and in one of them there is generally a small roompartitioned off, containing a water-closet, &c. A door is placed ateach extremity, outside which there is a platform whereon the break isfixed. These carriages are supported at each end by four wheels, ofthirty-three inches diameter, fitted together in a frame-work, andmoving on a pivot, whereby to enable them to take more easily any sharpbend in the road. Their weight is from ten to twelve tons, and theircost from 400l. To 450l. Sterling. The system of coupling adopted isalike rude and uncomfortable; instead of screwing the carriages tightlyup against the buffers, as is the practice in England, they are simplyhooked together, thus subjecting the passengers to a succession of jerkswhen starting, and consequently producing an equal number of concussionswhen the train stops. From the foregoing sketch, it will be seen that the narrowness of theseats is such as to prevent its two occupants--if of ordinarydimensions--from sitting together without rubbing shoulders. It willalso be observed, that the passage through the centre of the carriagesenables any one to pass with ease throughout the whole length of thetrain. This is a privilege of which the mercurial blood and inquisitivemind of the American take unlimited advantage, rendering the journey onecontinued slamming of doors, which, if the homoeopathic principle becorrect, would prove an infallible cure for headache, could the soundonly be triturated, and passed through the finest sieve, so as to reachthe tympanum in infinitesimal doses. But, alas! it is administeredwholesale, and with such power, that almost before the ear catches thesound, it is vibrating in the tendon Achilles. It is said by some, thatsalmon get accustomed to crimping; and I suppose that, in like manner, the American tympanum gets accustomed to this abominable clatter andnoise. The luggage-van is generally placed between the carriages and theengine. And here it is essential I should make some observations withreference to the ticket system which is universally adopted in America. Every passenger is furnished with brass tickets, numbered, and aduplicate is attached to each article of luggage. No luggage isdelivered without the passenger producing the ticket corresponding tothat on the article claimed, the Company being responsible for any loss. This system is peculiarly suited to the habits of the Americanpeople, inasmuch as nine-tenths of them, if not more, upon arriving atthe end of their journey, invariably go to some hotel; and as eachestablishment, besides providing an omnibus for the convenience of itscustomers, has an agent ready to look after luggage, the traveller hasmerely to give his ticket to that functionary, thus saving himself allfurther trouble. [Illustration: THE LOCOMOTIVE. ] The last, but not the least important, object connected with railways, remains yet to be mentioned--viz. , the locomotive. Its driving-wheelsare generally six feet and a half in diameter, the cylinder is sixteeninches in diameter, and has a stroke of twenty-two inches. But the pointto which I wish to call especial attention, is the very sensibleprovision made for the comfort of the engineer and stokers, who arethoroughly protected by a weather-proof compartment, the sides whereof, being made of glass, enable them to exercise more effective vigilancethan they possibly could do if they were exposed in the heartless mannerprevalent in this country. From my subsequent experience in the railway travelling of the UnitedStates, I am induced to offer the following suggestions for theconsideration of our legislature. First, for the protection of the old, the helpless, or the desirous, an act should be passed, compelling everyrailway company to supply tickets for luggage to each passenger applyingfor them, provided that the said application be made within a givenperiod previous to the departure of the train; this ticket to insure thedelivery of the luggage at the proper station, and to the proper owner. Secondly, an act compelling railway companies to afford efficientprotection from the weather to the engineer and stokers of every train, holding the chairman and board of directors responsible in the heaviestpenalties for every accident that may occur where this simple and humaneprovision is neglected. Thirdly, an act requiring some system of communication between guard, passengers, and engineer. The following rude method strikes me as soobvious, that I wonder it has not been tried, until some bettersubstitute be found. Let the guard's seat project in all trains--as itnow does in some--beyond the carriages, thus enabling him to see thewhole length of one side of the train; carry the foot-board and thehand-rail half way across the space between the carriages, by whichsimple means the guard could walk outside from one end of the train tothe other, thus supervising everything, and gathering in the tickets _enroute_, instead of inconveniencing the public, as at present, bydetaining the train many minutes for that purpose. [D] Next, fit every carriage with two strong metal pipes, running just overthe doors, and projecting a foot or so beyond the length of thecarriage, the end of the pipe to have a raised collar, by which means anelastic gutta percha tube could connect the pipes while the carriageswere being attached; a branch tube of gutta percha should then be ledfrom the pipe on one side into each compartment, so that any passenger, by blowing through it, would sound a whistle in the place appropriatedto the guard. On the opposite side, the pipes would be solely forcommunication between the guard and engine-driver. Should the length ofany train be found too great for such communication, surely it werebetter to sacrifice an extra guard's salary, than trifle with human lifein the way we have hitherto done. Each engine should have a secondwhistle, with a trumpet tone, similar to that employed in America, to beused in case of _danger_, the ordinary one being employed, as atpresent, only to give warning of approach. With these sagacious hints for the consideration of my countrymen, Ipostpone for the present the subject of railways, and, in excuse for thelength of my remarks, have only to plead a desire to make railwaytravelling in England more safe, and my future wanderings moreintelligible. I have much more to say with regard to New York and itsneighbourhood; but not wishing to overdose the reader at once, I shallreturn to the subject in the pages, as I did to the place in mysubsequent travels. FOOTNOTES: [Footnote D: This power of supervision, on the part of the guard, mightalso act as an effective check upon the operations of those swindlinggamblers who infest many of our railroads--especially the express trainsof the Edinburgh and Glasgow--in which, owing to no stoppage takingplace, they exercise their villanous calling with comparative impunity. ] CHAPTER IV. _A Day on the North River_. Early one fine morning in October, a four-seated fly might have beenseen at the door of Putnam's hotel, on the roof of which was being pileda Babel of luggage, the inside being already full. Into another vehicle, our party--i. E. , three of us--entered, and ere long both the carriageswere on the banks of the river, where the steamer was puffing away, impatient for a start. The hawsers were soon cast off, and we launchedforth on the bosom of the glorious Hudson, whose unruffled surfaceblazed like liquid fire beneath the rays of the rising sun. I purposelyabstain from saying anything of the vessel, as she was an old one, and avery bad specimen. The newer and better class of vessel, I shall have todescribe hereafter. On leaving New York, the northern banks of the river are dotted in everydirection with neat little villas, the great want being turf, to whichthe American climate is an inveterate foe. Abreast of one of thesevillas, all around me is now smiling with peace and gladness; alas! howdifferent was the scene but a few months previous; then, strugglingbodies strewed the noble stream, and the hills and groves resounded withthe bitterest cries of human agony, as one of the leviathan steamers, wrapped in a fierce and fiery mantle, hurried her living cargo to aburning or a watery grave. We had a motley collection of passengers, but were not overcrowded. Ofcourse, there was a Paddy on board. Where can one go without meeting oneof that migratory portion of our race! There he was, with his "shockingbad hat, " his freckled face, his bright eye, and his shrewd expression, smoking his old "dudeen, " and gazing at the new world around him. Butwho shall say his thoughts were not in some wretched hovel in the landof his birth, and his heart beating with the noble determination, thatwhen his industry met its reward, those who had shared his sorrows inthe crowded land of his fathers, should partake of his success in thethinly-tenanted home of his adoption. Good luck to you, Paddy, with allmy heart! I was rather amused by a story I heard, of a newly-arrived Paddyemigrant, who, having got a little money, of course wanted a littlewhisky. On going to the bar to ask the price, he was toldthree-halfpence. "For how much?" quoth Paddy. The bottle was handed tohim, and he was told to take as much as he liked. Paddy's joy knew nobounds at this liberality, and, unable to contain his ecstasy, he rushedto the door to communicate the good news to his companions, which he didin the following racy sentence: "Mike! Mike, my sowl! com' an' haf adhrink--only thruppence for both of us, an' the botthel in yer ownfisht!" One unfortunate fellow on board had lost a letter of recommendation, andwas in great distress in consequence. I hope he succeeded in replacingit better than a servant-girl is said to have done, under similarcircumstances, who--as the old story goes--having applied to the captainof the vessel, received the following doubtful recommendation at thehand of that functionary: "This is to certify that Kate Flannagan had agood character when she embarked at New York, but she lost it on boardthe steamer coming up. Jeremiah Peascod, Captain. " The scenery of the Hudson has been so well described, and so justlyeulogized, that I need say little on that score. In short, no words canconvey an adequate impression of the gorgeousness of the forest tints inNorth America during the autumn. The foliage is inconceivably beautifuland varied, from the broad and brightly dark purple leaf of the maple, to the delicate and pale sere leaf of the poplar, all blendingharmoniously with the deep green of their brethren in whom the vital sapstill flows in full vigour. I have heard people compare the Hudson andthe Rhine. I cannot conceive two streams more totally dissimilar--thedistinctive features of one being wild forest scenery, glowing withever-changing hues, and suggestive of a new world; and those of theother, the wild and craggy cliff capped with beetling fortresses, andbanks fringed with picturesque villages and towns, all telling of feudaltimes and an old world. I should as soon think of comparing the castleof Heidelberg, on its lofty hill with Buckingham Palace, in itsmetropolitan hole. --But to return to the Hudson. In various places you will see tramways from the top of the banks downto the water; these are for the purpose of shooting down the ice, fromthe lakes and ponds above, to supply the New York market. The ice-housesare made on a slope, and fronting as much north as possible. They arebuilt of wood, and doubled, the space between which--about a foot and ahalf--is filled with bark, tanned. In a bend of the river, I saw theindications of something like the forming of a dock, or basin; and, oninquiry, was told it was the work of a Company who imagined they haddiscovered where the famous pirate Kidd had buried his treasure. TheCompany found to their cost, that it was they who were burying theirtreasure, instead of Captain Kidd who had buried his; so, havingrealized their mare's-nest, they gave it up. One of the most beautiful"bits" on the Hudson is West Point; but, as I purpose visiting it at myleisure hereafter, I pass it by at present without further comment. There are every now and then, especially on the southern bank, largeplots, which, at a distance, look exactly like Turkish cemeteries. Onnearing them, you find that the old destroyer, Time, has expended allthe soil sufficiently to allow the bare rock to peep through, and thedisconsolate forest has retired in consequence, leaving only the funeralcypress to give silent expression to its affliction. Hark! what sound isthat? Dinner! A look at the company was not as _appétissant_ as a glassof bitters, but a peep at the _tout-ensemble_ was fatal; so, patience tothe journey's end. Accordingly, I consoled myself with a cigar and thesurrounding scenery; no hard task either, with two good friends to helpyou. On we went, passing little villages busy as bees, and some lookingas fresh as if they had been built over-night. At last, a little beforedusk, Albany hove in sight. As we neared the wharf, it became alive withPaddy cabmen and porters of every age: the former, brandishing theirwhips, made such a rush on board when we got within jumping distance, that one would have thought they had come to storm the vessel. We tookit coolly, allowing the rush of passengers to land first; and then, having engaged two "broths of boys" with hackney coaches, we drove up tothe Congress Hall Hotel, where, thanks to our young American cicerone, we were very soon comfortably lodged, with a jolly good dinner beforeus. I may as well explain why it was thanks to our friend that we werecomfortably lodged. 'Throughout the whole length and breadth of the Republic, the people aregregarious, and go everywhere in flocks; consequently, on the arrival ofrailway train or steamer, 'buses from the various hotels are always inwaiting, and speedily filled. No sooner does the 'bus pull up, than arush is made by each one to the book lying on the counter, that he mayinscribe his name as soon as possible, and secure a bedroom. The duty ofallotting the apartments generally devolves upon the head clerk, orchief assistant; but as, from the locomotive propensities of thepopulation, he has a very extensive acquaintance, and knows not how soonsome of them may be arriving, he billets the unknown in the mostout-of-the-way rooms; for the run upon all the decent hotels is sogreat, that courtesy is scarce needed to insure custom. Not that theyare uncivil; but the confusion caused by an arrival is so great, and themass of travellers are so indifferent to the comfort or the attentionwhich one meets with in a decent hotel in this country, that, actingfrom habit, they begin by roosting their guests, like crows, at the topof the tree. To obviate this inconvenience, I would suggest, for the benefit offuture travellers, the plan I found on many occasions so successfulmyself, in my subsequent journeys; which is, whenever you arecomfortably lodged in any hotel, to take a letter from the proprietor tothe next you wish to stop at. They give it you most readily, and on manyoccasions I found the advantage of it. They all know one another; and inthis way you might travel all through the Union. Dinner is over--the events of the day have been discussed 'mid fragrantclouds, and we are asleep in the capital of the State of New York. We were obliged to be astir early in the morning, so as to be in timefor the railway; consequently, our lionizing of the city consistedchiefly in smoking a cigar at the front-door. The town is prettilysituated on the banks of the Hudson, and at its confluence with the Eriecanal. It is one of the few towns in the Republic which enjoys aRoyalist name, having been called after the Duke of York and Albany, and is a very thriving place, with a steadily increasing population, already amounting to sixty thousand; and some idea of its prosperity maybe formed from the fact of its receiving, by the Erie canal, annually, goods to the value of near six millions sterling. Some years ago it wasscourged by an awful fire; but it has risen, like a phoenix, from itsashes, and profited materially by the chastisement. The chief objectionI had to the town was the paving of the streets, which was abominable, and full of holes, any of them large enough to bury a hippopotamus, andthreatening dislocation of some joint at every step; thus clearlyproving that the contract for the paving was in the hands of thesurgeons. On similar grounds, it has often occurred to me that theproprietors of the London cabs must be chiefly hatters. Our descent from the hotel to the railway station was as lively as thatof a parched pea on a red-hot frying-pan, but it was effected withoutany injury requiring the assistance of the paving-surgeons, and by thetime our luggage was ticketed the train had arrived: some tumbled out, others tumbled in; the kettle hissed, and off we went, the first fewhundred yards of our journey being along the street. Not beingaccustomed to see a train going in full cry through the streets, Iexpected every minute to hear a dying squeak, as some of the littleurchins came out, jumping and playing close to the cars; but they seemto be protected by a kind of instinct; and I believe it would be as easyto drive a train over a cock-sparrow as over a Yankee boy. At last weemerged from the town, and went steaming away merrily over the country. Our companions inside were a motley group of all classes. By goodfortune, we found a spare seat on which to put our cloaks, &c. , whichwas a luxury rarely enjoyed in my future travels, being generallyobliged to carry them on my knee, as the American cars are usually sofull that there is seldom a vacant place on which to lay them. Our route lay partly along the line of the Mohawk, on the banks of whichis situated the lovely village of Rockton, or Little Falls, where thegushing stream is compressed between two beautifully wooded cliffs, affording a water-power which has been turned to good account by theestablishment of mills. At this point the Erie canal is cut for twomiles through the solid rock, and its unruffled waters, contrastingwith the boiling river struggling through the narrow gorge, look likestreams of Peace and Passion flowing and struggling side by side. As the"iron horse" hurries us onward, the ears are assailed, amid the wildmajesty of Nature, with the puny cockneyisms of "Rome, " "Syracuse, " &c. Such absurdities are ridiculous enough in our suburban villas; but tofind them substituted for the glorious old Indian names, is positivelypainful. Among other passengers in the train, was a man conspicuous among hisfellows for clean hide and clean dimity; on inquiry, I was told he was aProfessor. He looked rather young for a professorial chair, and furtherinvestigation confused me still more, for I found he was a _Professor ofSoap_. At last, I ascertained that he had earned his title by goingabout the country lecturing upon, and exhibiting in his person, thevaluable qualities of his detergent treasures, through which peripateticadvertisement he had succeeded in realizing dollars and honours. Theoratory of some of these Professors is, I am told, of an order beforewhich the eloquence of a Demosthenes would shrink abashed, if success isadmitted as the test; for, only put them at the corner of a street inany town, and I have no fears of binding myself to eat every cake theydo not sell before they quit their oratorical platform. The soapy oratorquitted the train at Auburn, and soon after, the vandalism of "Rome" and"Syracuse" was atoned for by the more appropriate and euphonical oldIndian names of "Cayuga" and "Canandaigua. " On reaching the station of the latter, an old and kind friend to mybrother, when he first visited America, was waiting to welcome us to hishouse, which was about a quarter of a mile distant, and a mostcomfortable establishment it proved, in every way. Our worthy host was aScotchman by birth, and though he had passed nearly half a century inthe United States, he was as thoroughly Scotch in all his ways as if hehad just arrived from his native land; and while enjoying hishospitalities, you might have fancied yourself in a Highland laird's oldfamily mansion. In all his kind attentions, he was most ably assisted byhis amiable lady. Everything I had seen hitherto was invested with anair of newness, looking as if of yesterday: here, the old furniture andthe fashion thereof, even its very arrangement, all told of days longbygone, and seemed to say, "We are heir-looms. " When you went upstairs, the old Bible on your bedroom table, with its worn cover, well-thumbedleaves, and its large paper-mark, browned by the hand of Time, againproclaimed, "I am an heir-loom, " and challenged your respect; and worthycompanions they all were to mine host and his lady, who, while theywarmed your heart with their cheerful and unostentatious hospitality, also commanded your respect by the way they dispensed it. The following day our route lay across country, out of the line of stageor rail; so a vehicle had to be got, which my young American cicerone, under the guidance of mine host, very soon arranged; and in due time, along, slight, open cart, with the seats slung to the sides, drove to thedoor, with four neat greys, that might have made "Tommy Onslow's" mouthwater. While they are putting in the luggage, I may as well give you a sketchof how the young idea is sometimes taught to shoot in this country. Time--early morning. Paterfamilias at the door, smoking a cigar--a ladof ten years of age appears. "I say, father, can I have Two-forty?[E] I want to go down to the farm, to see my cattle fed!" Scarce had leave been obtained, before a cry was heard in anotherquarter. "Hallo, Jemmy! what's the matter now? Wont Shelty go?" The youth so addressed was about six, and sitting in a little lowfour-wheeled carriage, whacking away at a Shetland-looking pony, with acoat, every hair of which was long enough for a horse's tail. Thedifficulty was soon discovered, for it was an old trick of Shelty tolift one leg outside the shaft, and strike for wages, if he wasn'tpleased. "Get out, Jemmy, I'll set him right;" and accordingly, Shelty's legwas lifted inside, and Paterfamilias commenced lunging him round andround before the door. After a few circles he said, "Now then, Jemmy, get in again; he's all right now. " The infant Jehu mounts, and of course commences pitching into Shelty, alike vigorously and harmlessly; off they go at score. " "Where are you going, Jemmy?" "What--say--father?" No words are lost. "Where are you going, Jemmy?" "Going to get some turnips for my pigs;" and Jemmy disappeared in a bendof the road. On inquiry, I found Jemmy used often to go miles from home in this way, and was as well known in the neighbourhood as his father. On another occasion, I remember seeing three lads, the oldest abouttwelve, starting off in a four-wheeled cart, armed with an old gun. "Where are you going, there?" "To shoot pigeons. " "What's that sticking out of your pocket?" "A loaded pistol;" and off they went at full swing. Thinks I to myself, if those lads don't break their necks, or blow theirbrains out, they will learn to take care of themselves; and I began toreflect whether this was the way they were taught to love independence. Now for a sketch of the other sex. Two horses come to the doorside-saddled. Out rush, and on jump, two girls under twelve. Young Ten, upon his Two-forty, is the chaperon. "Take care!" says an anxiousparent. "Oh, I'm not afraid, mother;" and away they go, galloping aboutthe park as if they were Persians. My mind turned involuntarilyhomewards, and I drew a picture from life. A faithful nurse stands atthe door; a young lady about twelve is mounting; a groom is on anotherhorse, with a leading-rein strong enough to hold a line-of-battle shipin a gale of wind. The old nurse takes as long packing the young lady asif she were about to make a tour of the globe; sundry whispers are goingon all the time, the purport of which is easily guessed. At last allexcuses are exhausted, and off they go. The lady's nag jog-trots alittle; the nurse's voice is heard--"Walk, walk, that's a dear! walktill you're comfortable in the saddle. William, mind you don't let gothe rein; is it strong enough?" William smothers a laugh; the processionmoves funereally, the faithful nurse watching it with an expressionbetokening intense anxiety. "Take care, that's a dear!" and then, as theobject of her solicitude disappears among the trees, she draws a longsigh; a mutter is heard--"some accident" are the only wordsdistinguishable; a bang of the door follows, and the affectionate nurseis--what?--probably wiping her eyes in the passage. Here are two systems which may be said to vary a little, and mightrequire my consideration, were it not that I have no daughters, partlyowing, doubtless, to the primary deficiency of a wife. At all events, Ihave at present no time for further reflections; for the waggon iswaiting at the door, the traps are all in, and there stand mine host andhis lady, as ready to speed the parting as they were to welcome thecoming guest. A hearty shake of the hand, and farewell to HospitalityHall. May no cloud ever shade the happiness of its worthy inmates! As we drive on, I may as well tell you that Canandaigua is a beautifullittle village, situated on a slope descending towards a lake of thesame name, and therefore commanding a lovely view--for when is a sheetof water not lovely? There are some very pretty little villas in theupper part of the village, which is a long broad street, with trees oneither side, and is peopled by a cozy little community of about fourthousand. Here we are in the open country. What is the first noveltythat strikes the eye?--the snake fences; and a tickler they would proveto any hot-headed Melton gentleman who might try to sky over them. Theyare from six to seven feet high--sometimes higher--and are formed bylaying long split logs one over another diagonally, by which simpleprocess the necessity of nails or uprights is avoided; and as wood isdirt-cheap, the additional length caused by their diagonal constructionis of no importance;--but, being all loose, they are as awkward to leapas a swing-bar, which those who have once got a cropper at, are notanxious to try again. It is at all times a cheery thing to go bowling along behind a spicyteam, but especially so when traversing a wild and half-cultivatedcountry, where everything around you is strange to the eye, and wherethe vastness of space conveys a feeling of grandeur; nor is it the lessenjoyable when the scenery is decked in the rich attire of autumn, andseen through the medium of a clear and cloudless sky. Then, again, thereis something peculiarly pleasing while gazing at the great extent ofrich timbered land, in reflecting that it is crying aloud for thestalwart arm of man, and pointing to the girdle of waving fields whichsurround it, to assure that stalwart arm that industry will meet a surereward. Poverty may well hide her head in shame amid such scenes asthese, for it can only be the fruit of wilful indolence. The farm cottages are all built of wood, painted white, and look asclean and fresh as so many new-built model dairies. The neat littlechurches, too, appeared as bright as though the painters had left themthe evening before. And here I must remark a convenience attached tothem, which it might be well to imitate in those of our own churcheswhich are situated in out-of-the-way districts, such as the Highlands ofScotland, where many of the congregation have to come from aconsiderable distance. The convenience I allude to is simply a long, broad shed, open all one side of its length, and fitted with rings, &c. , for tethering the horses of those who, from fancy, distance, age, orsickness, are unwilling or unable to come on foot. The expense would bebut small, and the advantage great. Onward speed our dapper greys, freshas four-year-olds; and the further we go, the better they seem to likeit. The only bait they get is five minutes' breathing time, and a greatbucket of water, which they seem to relish as much as if it were amagnum of iced champagne. The avenue before us leads into Geneseo, theplace of our destination, where my kind friend, Mr. Wadsworth, waswaiting to welcome us to his charming little country-place, situatedjust outside the village. 'And what a beautiful place is this sameGeneseo! But, for the present, we must discharge our faithful greys--seeour new friends, old and young--enjoy a better bait than our nags did atthe half-way house, indulge in the fragrant Havana, and retire to roost. To-morrow we will talk of the scenery. FOOTNOTES: [Footnote E: As a similar expression occurs frequently in this work, thereader is requested to remember that it is a common custom in America toname a horse according to the time in which he can trot a mile. The boyevidently had a visionary idea in his mind that the little hack he wasasking permission to ride, had accomplished the feat of trotting a milein two minutes and forty seconds. ] CHAPTER V. _Geneseo_. It is a lovely bright autumn morning, with a pure blue sky, and a pearlyatmosphere through which scarce a zephyr is stealing; the boughs of thetrees hang motionless; my window is open; but, how strange the perfectstillness! No warbling note comes from the feathered tribe to greet therising sun, and sing, with untaught voice, their Maker's praise; eventhe ubiquitous house-sparrow is neither seen nor heard. How strange thiscomparative absence of animal life in a country which, having been sorecently intruded upon by the destroyer--man--one would expect to findsuperabundantly populated with those animals, against which he does notmake war either for his use or amusement. Nevertheless, so it is; and Ihave often strolled about for hours in the woods, in perfect solitude, with no sound to meet the ear--no life to catch the eye. But I amwandering from the house too soon;--a jolly scream in the nurseryreminds me that, at all events, there is animal life within, and thatthe possessor thereof has no disease of the lungs. Let us now speed to breakfast; for folk are early in the New World, anddo not lie a-bed all the forenoon, thinking how to waste the afternoon, and then, when the afternoon comes, try and relieve the tedium thereofby cooking up some project to get over the _ennui_ of the evening. Whatever else you may deny the American, this one virtue you must allowhim. He is, emphatically, an early riser; as much so as our ownmost gracious Sovereign, whose example, if followed by hersubjects--especially some in the metropolis--would do more to destroyLondon hells, and improve London health, than the Legislature, or Sir B. Hall, and all the College of Surgeons, can ever hope to effect among thepost-meridian drones. Breakfast was speedily despatched, and Senor Cabaños y Carvajal followedas a matter of course. While reducing him to ashes, and luxuriating inthe clouds which proclaim his certain though lingering death, we wentout upon the terrace before the house to wish good speed to my twocompanions who were just starting, and to enjoy a view of the far-famedvale of Genesee. Far as the eye could see, with no bounds save the powerof its vision, was one wide expanse of varied beauty. The dark foresthues were relieved by the rich tints of the waving corn; neat littlecottages peeped out in every direction. Here and there, a village, withits taper steeples, recalled the bounteous Hand "that giveth us allthings richly to enjoy. " Below my feet was beautifully undulating parkground, magnificently timbered, through which peeped the river, brightas silver beneath the rays of an unclouded sun, whose beams, streamingat the same time on a field of the rich-coloured pumpkin, burnished eachlike a ball of molten gold. All around was richness, beauty, andabundance. The descendant of a Wellington or a Washington, while contemplating theglorious deeds of an illustrious ancestor, and recalling the adorationof a grateful country, may justly feel his breast swelling with prideand emulation; but while I was enjoying this scene, there stood one atmy side within whom also such emotions might be as fully and justlystirred--for there are great men to be found in less conspicuous, thoughnot less useful spheres of life. A son who knew its history enjoyed withme this goodly scene. His father was the first bold pioneer. The rutmade by the wheel of his rude cart, drawn by two oxen, was the firstimpress made by civilization in the whole of this rich and far-famedvalley. A brother shared with him his early toils and privations; theirown hands raised the log-hut--their new home in the wilderness. Ere theybroke ground, the boundless forest howled around a stray party ofIndians, come to hunt, or to pasture their flocks on the few open plotsskirting the river: all else was waste and solitude. One brother diedcomparatively early; but the father of mine host lived long to enjoy thefruit of his labours. He lived to see industry and self-denialmetamorphose that forest and its straggling Indian band into a landbursting with the rich fruits of the soil, and buzzing with a busy hiveof human energy and intelligence. Yes; and he lived to see temple aftertemple, raised for the pure worship of the True God, supplant theignorance and idolatry which reigned undisturbed at his first coming. Say, then, reader, has not the son of such a father just cause forpride--a solemn call to emulation? The patriarchal founder of his familyand their fortunes has left an imperishable monument of his greatness inthe prosperity of this rich vale; and Providence has blessed hisindividual energies and forethought with an unusual amount of thisworld's good things. "Honour and fame--industry and wealth, " areinscribed on the banner of his life, and the son is worthily fightingunder the paternal standard. The park grounds below the house bearevidence of his appreciation of the beauties of scenery, in the tastewith which he has performed that difficult task of selecting the groupsof trees requisite for landscape, while cutting down a forest; and themost cursory view of his library can leave no doubt that his was ahighly-cultivated mind. I will add no more, lest I be led insensibly totrench upon the privacy of domestic life. I now propose to give a slight sketch of his farm, so as to convey, tothose interested, an idea of the general system of agriculture adoptedin the Northern States; and if the reader think the subject dull, a turnof the leaf will prove a simple remedy. The extent farmed is 2000 acres, of which 400 are in wood, 400 inmeadow, 400 under plough, and 800 in pasture. On the wheat lands, summerfallow, wheat, and clover pasture, form the three years' rotation. Insummer fallow, the clover is sometimes ploughed in, and sometimes fedoff, according to the wants of the soil and the farm. Alluvial lands arecultivated in Indian corn from five to ten years successively, and thenlaid down in grass indeterminately from three to forty years. Wheat--sometimes broadcast, sometimes drilled--is put in as near aspossible the 1st of September, and cut from the 10th to the 20th ofJuly. Clover-seed is sown during March in wheat, and left till thefollowing year. Wheat stubble is pastured slightly; the clover, ifmowed, is cut in the middle of June; if pastured, the cattle are turnedin about the 1st of May. Pumpkins are raised with the Indian corn, and hogs fattened on them;during the summer they are turned into clover pasture. Indian corn andpumpkins are planted in May, and harvested in October; the leaf andstalk of the Indian corn are cut up for fodder, and very much liked. Oats and barley are not extensively cultivated. The average crop of Indian corn is from fifty to sixty bushels, and ofwheat, from twenty-five to thirty per acre. The pasture land supportsone head to one and one-third acre. Grass-fattened cattle go to marketfrom September to November, fetching 2-1/4d. Per lb. Live weight, or4-1/2d. Per lb. For beef alone. Cattle are kept upon hay and strawfrom the middle of November to 1st of May, if intended for fatteningupon grass; but, if intended for spring market, they are fed on Indiancorn-meal in addition. Sheep are kept on hay exclusively, from themiddle of November to the 1st of April. A good specimen of Durham ox, three and a half years old, weighs 1500 lbs. Live weight. The farm isprovided with large scales for weighing hay, cattle, &c. , and soarranged, that one hundred head can easily be weighed in two hours. No manure is used, except farm-pen and gypsum; the former is generallyapplied to Indian corn and meadow land. The gypsum is thrown, a bushelto the acre, on each crop of wheat and clover--cost of gypsum, tenshillings for twenty bushels. A mowing machine, with two or three horsesand one man, can cut, in one day, twelve acres of heavy meadow land, ifit stand up; but if laid at all, from six to ten. The number of menemployed on the farm is, six for six months, twelve for three months, and twenty-five for three months. Ten horses and five yoke of oxen arekept for farm purposes. The common waggon used weighs eighthundredweight, and holds fifty bushels. Sometimes they are tenhundredweight, and hold one hundred and five bushels. The wages of the farm servants are:--For those engaged by the year, 2l. 10s. A month; for six months, 2l. 18s. 6d. A month; forthree months, 3l. 11s. A month--besides board and lodging, on theformer of which they are not likely to find their bones peeping throughtheir skin. They have meat three times a day--pork five days, and muttontwo days in the week--a capital pie at dinner; tea and sugar twice aday; milk _ad libitum_; vegetables twice a day; butter usually threetimes a day; no spirits nor beer are allowed. The meals are all cookedat the farm, and the overseer eats with the men, and receives from75l. To 125l. A year, besides board and lodging for his family, whokeep the farm-house. When every expense is paid, mine host netts aclear six per cent. On his farm, and I think you will allow that he maygo to bed at night with little fear of the nightmare of a starvinglabourer disturbing his slumbers. Not that he troubles sleep much, forhe is the nearest thing to perpetual motion I ever saw, not exceptingeven the armadillo at the Zoological Gardens, and he has more "irons inthe fire" than there were bayonet-points before Sevastopol. The village contains a population of two thousand inhabitants, andconsists of a few streets, the principal of which runs along a terrace, which, being a continuation of the one on which we were lately standing, commands the same lovely view. But, small as is the village, it has fourchurches, an academy, two banks, two newspaper offices, and a telegraphoffice. What a slow coach you are, John Bull! One day I was taking a drive with an amiable couple, who, having beenmarried sixteen or seventeen years, had got well over the mysteriousinfluences of honeymoonism. The husband was acting Jarvey, and I wasinside with madame. The roads being in some places very bad, and neitherthe lady nor myself being feather-weight, the springs were frequentlybrought down upon one another with a very disagreeable jerk. The ladyremonstrated: "John, I declare these springs are worn out, and the carriage itself islittle better. " "Now, Susan, what's the good of your talking that way; you know they areperfectly good, my dear. " "Oh, John! you know what I say is true, and that the carriage has neverbeen touched since we married. " "My dear, if I prove to you one of your assertions is wrong, I supposeyou will be ready to grant the others may be equally incorrect. " "Well, what then?" said the unsuspecting wife. "Why, my dear, I'll prove to you the springs are in perfectly goodorder, " said the malicious husband, who descried a most abominable bitof road ready for his purpose; and, suiting the action to the word, heput his spicy nags into a hand-canter. Bang went the springs together;and, despite of all the laws of gravitation, madame and I kept bobbingup and down, and into one another's laps. "Oh, John, stop! stop!" "No, no, my dear, I shall go on till you're perfectly satisfied withthe goodness of the springs and the soundness of the carriage. " Resistance was useless; John was determined, and the horses would nothave tired in a week; so the victim had nothing for it but to cry_peccavi_, upon which John moderated his pace gradually, and our elasticbounds ceased correspondingly, until we settled once more firmly on ourrespective cushions; then John turned round, and, with a mixedexpression of malice and generosity, said, "Well, my dear, I do thinkthe carriage wants a new lining, but you must admit they are really goodsprings. " And the curtain fell on this little scene in the drama of"Sixteen Years after Marriage. " May the happy couple live to re-enactthe same sixty years after marriage! Our drive brought us to the shore of Lake Canesus, and a lovely scene itwas; the banks were in many places timbered to the water's edge by thevirgin forest, now radiant with the rich autumnal tints; the afternoonsun shone forth in all its glory from a cloudless sky, on a ripp'lesslake, which, like a burnished mirror, reflected with all thetruthfulness of nature the gorgeous scene above; and as you gazed on theazure abyss below, it kept receding and receding till the wearied sightof the creature was lost in the fathomless depths of the work of hisAlmighty Creator. Who has not for the moment imagined that he couldrealise the infinity of space, as, when gazing at some bright star, hestrives to measure the distance of the blue curtain spread behind, which, ever receding, so mocks the efforts of the ambitious eye, thatits powers become bewildered in the unfathomable depths of immensity;but I am not sure whether such feelings do not come home to one morepowerfully when the eye gazes on the same object through the medium ofreflection;--for, as with the bounties of the Creator, so with thewonders of His creation--man is too prone to undervalue them inproportion to the frequency with which they are spread before him; andthus the deep azure vault, so often seen in the firmament above, is lesslikely to attract his attention and engage his meditations, than whenthe same glorious scene lies mirrored beneath his feet. This charming lake has comparatively little cultivation on its borders;two or three cottages, and a few cattle grazing, are the only signs thatman is asserting his dominion over the wilderness. One of thesecottages belongs to a member of the Wadsworth family, who owns someextent of land in the neighbourhood, and who has built a nice littleboat for sailing about in the summer season. I may as well mention inthis place, that the roofing generally used for cottages is a woodentile called "shingle, " which is very cheap--twelve-and-sixpencepurchasing enough to cover a thousand feet. While driving about in this neighbourhood, I saw, for the first time, what is termed a "plank-road, "--a system which has been introduced intothe United States from Canada. The method of construction is verysimple, consisting of two stringers of oak two inches square, acrosswhich are laid three-inch planks eight feet long, and generally ofhemlock or pine. No spiking of the planks into the stringers isrequired, and a thin layer of sand or soil being placed over all, theroad is made; and, as the material for construction is carried along asthe work progresses, the rapidity of execution is astonishing. Whencompleted, it is as smooth as a bowling-green. The only objection I everheard to these roads is, that the jarring sensation produced by them isvery injurious to the horses' legs; but it can hardly be thought that, if the cart were up to the axle and the horse up to the belly-band in agood clay soil, any advantage would be derived from such a primitivestate of things. Taking an average, the roads may be said to last fromeight to ten years, and cost about £330 a mile. Those in Canada areoften made much broader, so as to enable two vehicles to pass abreast, and their cost is a little above £400 a mile. The toll here is aboutthree-farthings a mile per horse. They have had the good sense to avoidthe ridiculous wheel-tollage to which we adhere at home with a tenacityonly equalled by its folly, as if a two-wheeled cart, with a ton weightof cargo, drawn by a Barclay and Perkinser, did not cut up a road muchmore than the little four-wheel carriage of the clergyman's wife, drawnby a cob pony, and laden with a tin of soup or a piece of flannel forsome suffering parishioner. But as our ancestors adopted this system "inthe year dot, before one was invented, " I suppose we shall bequeath theprecious legacy to our latest posterity, unless some "Rebecca League, "similar to Taffy's a few years since, be got up on a grand nationalscale, in which case tolls may, perhaps, be included in the tariff offree-trade. Until that auspicious event take place, --for I confess to anever-increasing antipathy to paying any gate, --we might profit in someof our bleak and dreary districts by copying the simple arrangementadopted at many American tolls, which consists of throwing a coveredarchway over the road; so that if you have to unbutton half-a-dozencoats in a snow-storm to find a sixpence, you are not necessitated tobutton-in a bucketful of snow, which, though it may cool the body, has avery opposite effect on the temper. It is bad enough in England; but any one who wishes to enjoy it toperfection had better take a drive from Stirling, crossing the Forth, when, if he select his road happily, he may have the satisfaction ofpaying half-a-dozen tolls in nearly as many minutes, on the plea thatthis piece of ground, the size of a cocked-hat-box, --and that piece, thesize of a cabbage-garden, --and so on, belong to different counties; andhis amusement may derive additional zest if he be fortunate enough tofind the same tollman there whom I met some years ago. When passing histoll in a driving snow-storm that penetrated even to the very marrow, Ipulled up a few yards beyond the gate, upon which he came out verysulkily, took the half-crown I tendered him, and, walking deliberatelyback, placed the change on the post of the gate, and said, --"If ye want'ut, ye may take 'ut; it's no my place to walk half a mile o' the roadto gie folk their change;" after which courteous address he disappeared, banging his door to with a sound that fell on the ear very like "Putthat in your pipe and smoke it. " Precious work I had, with a heavydog-cart, no servant, and a hack whose mouth was case-hardened. I wouldwillingly have given it up; but I knew the brute (the man, not thehorse) would very soon have got drunk upon it; so I persevered until Isucceeded, and then went on my road full of thoughts which are, I fear, totally unfit to be committed to paper. Reader, I must ask you to forgive my wanderings on the banks of theForth. I hasten back to Geneseo, and pack up ready for to-morrow'sstart, for the days I had spent with my kind host and his merry familyhad slipped by so pleasantly I had quite lost count of them. There wasbut one cloud to our enjoyment--one sad blank in the family group: mysister-in-law, in whose charming society I had fondly hoped to make myfirst visit to the scenes of her early youth, had been recently summonedto a better world; and the void her absence made in that family circle, of which she was both the radiating and the centring point of affection, was too deeply felt for aught but time ever to eradicate. CHAPTER VI. _Stirring Scenes and Strange Sights_. My host having kindly lent me his carriage and a pair of wiry nags, Istarted for Batavia to meet the railway. The distance was about thirtymiles, and the road in many places execrable--in one part so bad that wehad to go through a quarter of a mile of wood, as it was absolutelyimpassable;--yet, despite all these hindrances, and without pressing thehorses in the least, we completed the distance in the three hours, including from five to ten minutes at a half-way house, where we gavethem the usual American bait of a bucket of cold water; and when wearrived they were as fresh as four-year-olds, and quite ready to returnif need had been. I saw nothing worth remarking during the drive. Therewas plenty of cultivated land; and plenty of waste, waiting to rewardthe labourer. All the little villages had their daguerreotype shopsexcept one, and there the deficiency was supplied by a perambulatingartist in a tented cart. When a railway crosses the road, you are expected to see it, --the onlywarning being a large painted board, inscribed "Look out for the Train. "If it be dark, I suppose you are expected to guess it; but it must beremembered that this is the country of all countries where every personis required to look after himself. The train coming up soon after myarrival, I went on to Buffalo, amid a railway mixture oftag-rag-and-bobtail, squalling infancy and expectorating manhood. Onarriving at the terminus, I engaged a cab, and, after waiting half anhour, I found that Jarvey was trying to pick up some other "fare, " notthinking myself and my servant a sufficient cargo to pay well. I triedto find a railway official; but I might almost as well have looked for aflea in a flower-garden--no badges, no distinctive marks, the stationfull of all the riff-raff of the town;--it was hopeless. At last, by alucky accident, I saw a man step into a small office, so I bolted afterhim, like a terrier after a badger, but I could not draw him; he knewnothing about the cabs--he was busy--nay, in short, he would not bebothered. Having experienced this beautiful specimen of Buffalo railwaymanagement, I returned to the open air and lit my cigar. After sometime, Cabby, having found that no other "fare" was to be had, condescended to tell me he was ready; so in I got, and drove to thehotel, on entering which I nearly broke my neck over a pyramid of boxes, all looking of one family. They turned out to be the property of Mr. G. V. Brooke, the actor, who had just arrived "to star it" at Buffalo. Supper being ready, as it always is on the arrival of the evening train, I repaired thither, and found the usual wondrous medley which theAmerican tables d'hôte exhibit, the usual deafening clatter, the usualprofusion of eatables, the usual rapidity of action, and the usualdisagreeable odour which is consequent upon such a mass of humanity andfood combined. Being tolerably tired, I very soon retired to roost. What a wondrous place is this Buffalo!--what a type of American activityand enterprise! I had visited it in the year 1826, and then it had onlythree thousand inhabitants. The theatre, I remember, amused meimmensely, the stage and accommodation for spectators barely occupyingan area of twenty-five feet square. Mr. G. V. Brooke's boxes, at thattime, would have filled the whole house; and here they are in 1852, drawing our metropolitan stars to their boards. Their population hasincreased twenty-fold, and now exceeds sixty thousand; a splendidharbour, a lighthouse, piers, breakwater, &c. , have been constructed, and the place is daily increasing. Churches rear their spiry steeples inevery direction. Banks and insurance offices are scattered broadcast. Educational, literary, and benevolent establishments abound, and upwardsof a dozen newspapers are published. Land which, during my visit in1826, you might almost have had for the asking, is now selling at twohundred guineas the foot of frontage for building. Even during the lastten years, the duties collected at the port have increased from £1000 tonearly £14, 000. In the year 1852 upwards of four thousand vessels, representing a million and a half of tonnage, cleared at the harbour, and goods to the value of nearly seven millions sterling arrived fromthe lakes, the greater portion of the cargoes being grain. The value ofgoods annually delivered by Erie Canal is eight millions. Never was amore energetic hive of humanity than these "Buffalo lads;" and they aregoing ahead every day, racing pace. Now, John Bull, come with me to the cliff outside the town, andoverhanging the Niagara river. Look across the stream, to the Canadashore, and you will see a few houses and a few people. There they havebeen, for aught I know, since the creation. The town(!) is calledWaterloo, and the couple of dozen inhabitants, despite the rich fruitsof industry on which they may gaze daily, seem to regard industry as afrightful scourge to be studiously avoided. Their soil is as rich as, ifnot richer than, that on the opposite shore: the same lake is spreadbefore them, and the same river runs by their doors. It does, indeed, look hopeless, where such an example, constantly under their eyes, failsto stir them up to action. But, perhaps, you will say, you think you seea movement among the "dry bones. " True, my dear Bull, there is now amovement; but, if you inquire, you will find it is a Buffalo movement. It is their energy, activity, and enterprise which, is making a railwayto run across Canada to Goderich, by which means they will save, fortraffic, the whole length of Lake Erie, and half that of Lake Huron, forall produce coming from the North of Michigan, Wisconsin, &c. Sothoroughly is it American enterprise, that, although the terminus of therailway is at Waterloo, the name is ignored; and Buffalo enterprisehaving carried forward the work, it is styled the "Buffalo, Brentford, and Goderich Line. " Truly, John Bull, your colony shows very badly bythe side of this same Buffalo. Let us hope increasing intercourse mayinfuse a little vitality into them. The train is starting for Niagara, and I am in it, endeavouring to recalthe impressions of 1826, which, being but very dim, my anticipationspartake of the charm of novelty. While in the middle of a seventh heavenof picturative fancy, the screeching of the break announces thejourney's end. As I emerge from the motley group of fellow-passengers, asound, as of very distant thunder heard through ears stuffed withcotton, is all that announces the neighbourhood of the giant cataract. Afly is speedily obtained, and off I start for the hotel on the Canadianside. Our drive took us along the eastern bank till we reached thesuspension-bridge which spans the cliffs of the river. Across thisgossamer causeway, vehicles are required to walk, under a heavy penaltyfor any breach of this rule. The vibration when walking is not verygreat; but, going at a quick pace, it would undoubtedly be considerable, and might eventually loosen those fastenings on which the aerial pathwaydepends. Arrived at the other side, I was quite taken aback on beingstopped by an official. I found he was merely a _pro formâ_ custom-houseofficer. Not having been schooled in the Old World, he showed none ofthe ferret, and in a few seconds I was again trotting southwards alongthe western bank to the Clifton House Hotel. The dull work of life isdone, the cab is paid, my room is engaged, and there I am, on thebalcony, alone, with the roaring of the cataract in my ears and themighty cataract itself before my eyes. What were my first impressions?--That is a difficult question. Certainly, I did not share that feeling of disappointment which somepeople take pains to express. Such people, if they had dreamt that anunknown friend had left them 100, 000l. , would feel disappointed if heawoke and found a legacy of 90, 000l. Lying on their table; or, perhaps, they give expression to their feelings, by way of inducing thepublic to suppose that their fertile imaginations conceived somethingfar grander than this most glorious work of Nature. If a man propose togo to Niagara for mere beauty, he had better stay at home and look at alily through a microscope; if to hear a mighty noise, he had better gowhere the anchors are forged in Portsmouth dockyard; if to see a mightystruggle of waters, he had better take a cruise, on board a pilot-boat, in the Bay of Biscay, during an equinoctial gale; but, if he be contentto see the most glorious cataract his Maker has placed upon our globe;if, in a stupendous work of Nature, he have a soul to recognise theAlmighty Workman; and if, while gazing thereon, he can travel fromNature up to Nature's God; then, let him go to Niagara, in fullassurance of enjoying one of the grandest and most solemnizing scenesthat this earth affords. It wants but one qualification to be perfectand complete; that, it had originally when fresh from the hands of itsDivine Maker; and of that man has rifled it--I mean solitude. --Palacehotels are very convenient things; energy and enterprise are veryvaluable qualities, and natural features of American character which Iadmire; but, seeing how universally everything is sacrificed to theuseful and dollar-making, I dread to contemplate the future: for visionsrise before me of the woodman's axe levelling the forest timber on GoatIsland, which at present shrouds the town; and fancy pictures a line ofvillas, shops, and mills, ending in a huge hotel, at the edge of thecataract. I trust my vision may never be realized. But my hopes aresmall; for I invariably observed that, in clearing ground, scarce anyattention had been paid to aught else but the best method of getting thebest return for the labour bestowed. Now, reader, I have not told you as yet what my impressions were, as Istood on the balcony gazing at Niagara; and, I pray you take notoffence, when I add that I have not the slightest intention of trying torecord them. Writing frankly, as I feel, I have said enough for you toglean something of the turn they took, and to see that they wereimpressions which a pen is too feeble an agent adequately to express. Ishall not tax your patience with Table Rock and Goat Island points ofview, American and Canadian falls, the respective beauties of theStraight Line and the Horse-shoe; I do not purpose clothing you inMackintosh, and dragging you with trembling steps along the slimypathway between the Falls and the rock, to gaze on the sun through theroaring and rolling flood; nor will I draw upon your nerves by a detailof the hair-breadth escapes of Mr. Bumptious and Mrs. Positive, who, when they got half-way along the said path, were seized with panic, andonly escaped a header into the boiling caldron by lying flat on theirstomachs until the rest of the party had lionized the whole distance, when the guide returned and hauled them out by the heels, like drownedrats out of a sink-hole; nor will I ask you to walk five miles with me, to see the wooden hut, built over a sulphur spring within ten feet ofthe river, and which is lit by the sulphuretted hydrogen gas thereof, led through a simple tube. All these, and the rapids above, and the whirlpool below, and thefour-and-a-half million horse-power of the Falls, have been so oftendescribed by abler pens and more fertile imaginations, that the effortwould be a failure and the result a bore. I have in my possession a collection from the various albums atNiagara; it opens with the following lines by Lord Morpeth, now Earl ofCarlisle-- "There's nothing great or bright, thou glorious Fall! Thou may'st not to the fancy's sense recal; The thunder-riven cloud, the lightning's leap, The stirring of the chambers of the deep, Earth's emerald green, and many-tinted dyes, The fleecy whiteness of the upper skies, The tread of armies thickening as they come, The boom of cannon and the beat of drum, The brow of beauty and the form of grace, The passion and the prowess of our race, The song of Homer in its loftiest hour, The unresisted sweep of human power, Britannia's trident on the azure sea, America's young shout of liberty! Oh! may the waves that madden in thy deep, There spend their rage, nor climb the encircling steep, -- And till the conflict of thy surges cease, The nations on thy banks repose in peace!" There are other effusions equally creditable to their authors; but thereis also a mass of rubbish, from which I will only inflict two specimens. One, evidently from the pen of a Cockney; and the other, the poeticalinspiration of a free and enlightened. Cockney poet-- "Next to the bliss of seeing Sarah, Is that of seeing Niagara. " Free and enlightened-- "Of all the roaring, pouring, Spraying streams that dash, Niagara is Number One, All to immortal smash!" Not desiring to appear to as great disadvantage as either of the twolast-quoted writers, I decline the attempt; and, while saving myself, spare the public. I think, reader, that I have a claim upon your gratitude for notexpatiating at greater length upon a theme from which it were easy tofill chapter upon chapter; for, if you are generous, you will throw aveil over the selfish reasons that have produced so happy a result. Iwill only add one piece of advice, which is, if the pleasure ofvisiting Niagara would be enhanced by a full larder and a ruck ofpeople, go there "during the season;" but if your pleasure would begreater in visiting it when the hotel is empty, even though the larderbe nearly in the same state, follow my example, and go later in theyear, by which means you will partially obtain that quiet, withoutwhich, I freely confess, I never care to look upon "The Falls" again. A formidable rival to this magnificent fall of water has-been discoveredby that indefatigable traveller, Dr. Livingston. It is called theMosiotunya Falls, which are thus described:--"They occur, " we read("Outlines of Dr. Livingston's Missionary Journeys, " p. 19), "in themost southerly part of the Zambese. Although previously unvisited by anyEuropean, Dr. Livingston had often heard of these smoke-resoundingfalls, which, with points of striking difference from Niagara, are, ifpossible, more remarkable and not less sublime than that noble cataract. He was therefore anxious to inspect them, and on the 20th of November, 1855, he reached Kalai, a place eight miles west of the Falls. Onarriving at the latter, he found that this natural phenomenon was causedby the sudden contraction, or rather compression, of the river, hereabout 1000 yards broad, which urges its ponderous mass through a narrowrent in the basaltic rock of not more than twenty-five yards, and down adeep cleft, but a little wider, into a basin or trough about thirtyyards in diameter, lying at a depth of thirty-five yards. Into thisnarrow receptacle the vast river precipitated itself. When Dr. Livingston visited the spot, the Zambese flowed through its narrowestchannel, and its waters were at their lowest. The effect, however, ofits sudden contraction and fall was in the highest degree sublime, and, from the point at which he surveyed it, appalling. For, not satisfiedwith a distant view of the opening through its rocky barrier, and of thecolumns of vapour rushing up for 300 to 400 feet, forming a spreadingcloud, and then falling in perpetual rain, he engaged a native, withnerves as strong as his own and expert in the management of the canoe, to paddle him down the river, here heaving, eddying, and fretting, as ifreluctant to approach the gorge and hurl itself down the precipice to anislet immediately above the fall, and from one point of which he couldlook over its edge into the foaming caldron below, mark the mad whirlof its waters, and stand in the very focus of its vapoury columns andits deafening roar. But unique and magnificent as was the cataract whenDr. Livingston beheld it, the reports of others, and the inference drawnby himself, satisfied him that the spectacle was tame compared with whatoccurs during the rainy season, when the river flows between banks manymiles apart, and still forces its augmented waters through the samefissure into the same trough. At these times the columns of spray may beseen, and the sound heard ten or twelve miles distant. " My traps are all in the ferry-boat: I have crossed the river, been woundup the opposite bank, paid my fare, and am hissing away for Rochester. What thoughts does Rochester give rise to? If you are a commercial man, you will conjure up visions of activity and enterprise; if you are aninquirer into mysteries and manners, your dreams will be of"spirit-rapping and Bloomers. " Coming fresh from Buffalo, I confess Iwas rather interested in the latter. But here I am at the place itself, and lodged in an hotel wonderfully handy to the station; and before thefront door thereof railways are interlaced like the meshes of afisherman's net. Having no conversable companion, I take to my everfaithful and silent friend, the fragrant cigar, and start for a stroll. There is a bookseller's shop at the corner; I almost invariably feeltempted to stop when passing a depôt for literature, especially in astrange place; but on the present occasion a Brobdignagian notice caughtmy eye, and gave me a queer sensation inside my waistcoat--"Awful smashamong the Banks!" Below, in more Lilliputian characters, followed a listof names. I had just obtained notes of different banks for my travellingexpenses, and I knew not how many thereof might belong to the bankruptlist before me; a short examination sufficed, and with a quieted mind, Icontinued my stroll and my cigar. The progress of Rochester has not been so rapid as that of Buffalo; in1826 they made a pretty fair start, and at present Rochester has only alittle above forty thousand, while, as we said a few pages back, Buffalohas sixty thousand. Rochester has the disadvantage of not being builtquite on the lake, as Buffalo may be said to be; moreover, the carryingon Lake Ontario is not so great as on Lake Erie. Both towns enjoy therich advantages of the Erie canal, and Rochester is benefited bywater-power in a way Buffalo is not. Genesee river, in a distance ofthree miles, falls nearly two hundred and thirty feet, and has threecascades, the greatest of which is upwards of one hundred feet; thispower has not been overlooked by the Rochesterians, who have establishedenormous flour-mills in consequence, using up annually three millionbushels of wheat. As one of the Genesee falls was close to the town, Ibent my steps thither; the roads were more than ankle deep in mud, and Ihad some difficulty in getting to the spot; when there, the drearynakedness of the banks and the matter-of-factism of a huge mill, chasedeven the very thought of beauty from my mind: whether man stripped thebanks, or Nature, I cannot say, but I should rather "guess" it was man. I was puddling back full of disappointment, and had just got upon thewooden pavement, which is a trottoir upon the plank-road system, when Isaw a strange sail ahead, with rather a novel rig; could it be?--no!yes!--no! yes!--yes, by George! a real, living Rochester Bloomer wassteering straight for me. She was walking arm-in-arm with a man wholooked at a distance awfully dirty; upon closer examination, I found theeffect was produced by his wearing all his face-hair close clipped, likea hunter's coat in the season: but I had but little time to spare upon_him_--the Bloomer was the star of attraction: on she came with a prettyface, dark hair, eyes to match, and a good figure; she wore a blackbeaver hat, low crown, and broad brim; round the hat was tied, in alarge bow, a bright red ribbon: under a black silk polka, which fittedto perfection, she had a pair of chocolate-coloured pantaloons, hangingloosely and gathered in above the ankles, and a neat pair of little feetwere cased in a sensible pair of boots, light, but at the same timesubstantial. A gap occurring in the trottoir, and the roads beingshockingly muddy, I was curious to see how Bloomer faced the difficulty;it never seemed to give her a moment's thought: she went straight at it, and reached the opposite side with just as much ease as her companion. Now, reader, let us change the scene and bring before you one with whichyou are probably not unfamiliar. Place--A muddy crossing near a parishschool. Time--Play hours. _Dramatis personae_--An old lady and twentyschool-boys. Scene--The old lady comes sailing along the footways, doing for nothing that for which sweepers are paid; arrived at thecrossing, a cold shudder comes over her as she gazes in despair at thesea of mud she must traverse; behold now the frantic efforts she ismaking to gather up the endless mass of gown, petticoats, andauxiliaries with which custom and fashion have smothered her; her handscan scarcely grasp the puckers and the folds; at last she makes a start, exhibiting a beautifully filled pair of snow-white stockings; on shegoes, the journey is half over; suddenly a score of urchin voices areheard in chorus, "Twig her legs, twig her legs. " The irate dame turnsround to reprove them by words, or wither them with a glance; but alas!in her indignation she raises a threatening hand, forgetful of theimportant duties it was fulfilling, and down go gown, petticoats, andauxiliaries in the filthy mire; the boys of course roar withdelight--it's the jolliest fun they have had for many a day; the oldlady gathers up her bundle in haste, and reaches the opposite side witha filthy dress and a furious temper. Let any mind, unwarped by prejudiceand untrammelled by custom, decide whether the costume of the RochesterBloomer or of the old lady be the more sensible. I grant that I have placed before you the two extremes, and I should beas sorry to see my fair friends in "cut o' knee" kilts, as I now am tosee them in "sweep-the-ground gowns, " &c. "But, " cries one, "you willaim a blow at female delicacy!" A blow, indeed! when all that femaledelicacy has to depend upon is the issue of a struggle between pants andpetticoats, it will need no further blow: it is pure matter of fashionand custom. Do not girls wear a Bloomer constantly till they arefourteen or fifteen, then generally commence the longer dress? And whatreason can be given but custom, which, in so many articles of dress, isever changing? How long is it since the dressing of ladies' hair forCourt was a work of such absurd labour and nicety, that but few artistswere equal to the task, and, consequently, having to attend so manycustomers, ladies were often obliged to have their hair dressed the daybefore, and sit up all night that the coiffure might remain perfect? Orhow long is it since ladies at Court used to move about like humanballoons, with gowns hooped out to such an extent that it was a work oflabour and dexterity to get in and out of a carriage; trains, &c. , tomatch? Hundreds of people, now living, can not only remember thesethings, but can remember also the outcry with which the proposal ofchange was received. Delicacy, indeed! I should be glad to know what ourworthy grandmammas would think of the delicacy of the present generationof ladies, could they but see them going about with nothing but anoyster-shell bonnet stuck at the back of their heads! Take anotherremnant of barbarism, handed down to us in the shape of powder. Mastershave taken care of themselves, and got rid of the abomination; so haveupper servants; but so wedded are some people to the habit, that theystill continue to pay a poll-tax of 1l. 3s. 6d. For the pleasureof powdering and plastering their footmen's heads, as if they had justescaped from a flour-mill and passed a greasy hand over their hair: willany one deny, that the money spent in the tax would promote "John's"comfort and cleanliness much more, if expended in good baths, brownWindsor, and small-tooth combs. Pardon me, reader, I feel that there is no analogy between a Bloomer anda small-tooth comb; it is from following out the principle of recordingthe reflections which what I saw gave rise to, that I have thus wanderedback to the old country; with your permission, we are again atRochester, and the Bloomer has gone out of sight round the corner. The shades of evening having closed in upon me, I retired to roost. Myhead was snugly bedded in my pillow; I was in that charmingly doubtfulstate in which thoughts and dreams have become imperceptibly blended. Suddenly there was a trumpet-blast, loud as a thunder-clap, followed bybells ringing as rapidly as those of the churches in Malta; as thesedied away, the hum of human voices and the tread of human feet along thepassages followed, and then all was once more hushed in silence. Iturned over, gave the clothes an extra jerk, and again sought the landof dreams. Vain and delusive hope!--trains seemed starting or arrivingevery half-hour, and the whole night was spent 'mid the soothingvarieties of mineral trumpets and bells, and animal hoofs and tongues, till from sheer exhaustion, about five A. M. , I dropped off into asnooze, which an early start rendered it necessary to cut short soonafter seven. Mem. --What a nice thing it is to put up at an hotel quite handy to arailway station. Reader, you are doubtless aware that Rochester is on Lake Ontario, and aconsiderable distance from New York; but I must nevertheless beg you totransport yourself to the latter place, without going through thehumdrum travelling routine of--stopped here, stopped there, ate here, ate there, which constituted the main features of my hasty journeythither, undertaken for the purpose of seeing my brother off, on hisreturn to Europe, which duty bringing me within the yachting waters ofNew York, I think this a legitimate place for a chapter on the "BlackMaria. " CHAPTER VII. _Construction and Destruction_. The "Black Maria" is a vessel so unique in every respect, that the mostdetailed description of her cannot but be most interesting to allyachting men; and, so far from apologizing for the length of myobservations, I would rather crave indulgence for the scanty informationwhich this chapter will afford; but as it must prove pre-eminently dullto those who are ignorant of such matters, I would entreat them to passit over, lest, getting through the first page, their ideas becomebewildered, and, voting me a bore, they throw down the book, subjoininga malediction upon my poor innocent head. The following notes were furnished me by Commodore Stevens and hisbrother, who were the designers and builders of this extraordinaryyacht, and I therefore can vouch for their accuracy. In case the term "centre-board" should be unknown to my reader, it maybe as well to explain that it means a board passing longitudinallythrough the keel, above which a strong water-tight case is fixed for itsreception; it is raised and lowered by hand or by machinery, accordingto its weight. The advantages proposed by the centre-board are--thestability it gives to the vessel on a wind when let down; the resistanceit removes if, when running before the wind, it be raised; the smalldraught of water which the vessel requires, thereby enabling her to keepclose in-shore out of the influence of strong tides, &c. ; and, lastly, the facility for getting afloat again, by merely raising thecentre-board, should she take the ground. To proceed with the notes:-- THE CUTTER YACHT "BLACK MARIA. " Displacement, 145 tons. Draught of water on straight keel, 5 feet 2 inches. Length of straight keel, 60 feet, then running away in a curving lineupwards, till at the bow it draws 10 inches. Length of centre-board, 24 feet. Total depth of ditto, 15 feet; weight, 7 tons. Foremost end of ditto, about 8 feet abaft the foremost end of straightkeel. When let down, it descends 10 feet at the further end, and 8 feet at theforemost. It is made of oak, with sufficient lead let in to make itsink. By an ingenious mechanical contrivance one man is enabled to raiseand lower it with perfect facility. There is another centre-board abaft, about 10 feet from the stern, whichis 8 feet long, with a total depth of 9 feet, and, when down, extending5 feet below the keel. Length over all, 113 feet. The extreme beam is 26-1/2 feet at 40 feet from the rudder-post runningaft to about 19 feet at taffrail; forward, it decreases about 20 incheswhen abreast of mast, thence runs away sharp to about four feet at thebow. The mainmast is placed about 5 feet abaft the end of straight keel; itis 92 feet long, housing 8 feet: the diameter in the partners is 32inches, tapering off to 23 inches at the hounds. The mast is made ofwhite pine, the centre of it is bored out, for the lowest twenty feetabout 12 inches diameter--the next 20 feet, 10 inches diameter--the next20 feet, 8 inches, and the remainder 7 inches. This was done to make themast lighter, and, by the circulation of air, enable it to seasonitself. The main boom is 95 feet long[F] and made like a cask. The staves are 31in number, of white pine, 2-1/4 inches thick; the staves are ofdifferent lengths, so as to vary the points at which they respectivelyabut. The extreme length of boom is obtained by two lengths of thestaves; small cogs of wood are let in at intervals, half in one staveand half in its neighbour, so as to keep them from drawing, the wholebound together with strong hoops fitted with screws. The extremediameter of the boom is 26 inches where the sheets are fixed, taperingoff at the jaws, and 13 inches at the boom end. To give additionalsupport to the boom, an iron outrigger, extending about 3 feet on eachside thereof, is fixed where the boom-sheets are placed, and a strongiron brace extends from the jaws through the outrigger to the boomend. The gaff is of spruce, 61 feet long and 9 inches diameter. The bowsprit is of white pine, 38 feet long, 18 of which is outboard;the remainder comes under the deck, is let in to each beam, and abutsagainst the bitts: it is 24 inches diameter, and bored out like themast, from 10 inches diameter at the heel to 7 at the end. The jibboomis made of two pieces of yellow pine, grooved out and hooped together;it is about 70 feet long and about 8 inches in diameter; the foot of thejib is laced to this spar on hooks (when required). The mainsail is made with the seams horizontal, to avoid the resistanceperpendicular seams in so large a sail would offer to the wind. It hasbeen calculated that the resistance of perpendicular seams, in a sail ofthis size, is equal to that of a plank 10 inches broad and 60 feet long, placed on end broadside to the wind; the luff of the sail is 66 feet;the foot, 93; the head, 50; the head and foot of the sail are laced tobattens under gaff and on boom; the luff is brought to the mast by acontrivance as original as it is perfect; two battens are fixed onafterpart of the mast, about an inch and a half apart, the inner partsshod with iron, and rather broader than the exterior opening. To eacheyelet-hole of the sail a strong brass-plate is fixed, having 4 rollerstraversing fore and aft, and 2 transversely; these plates, as the sailgoes up, are slipped into the grooves of the battens, the rollerspreventing friction, and the battens keeping the luff fixed to the aftercentre line of the mast--without this ingenious arrangement the hugemast would, if on a wind, becalm at least three feet of the sail--threelazy-jacks are fitted to support the huge mass of canvas when loweringthe sail. The jib is 69 feet in the hoist, and 70 in the foot. The bobstays are of solid iron, running 8 feet on each side of the keel, and going through a strong iron cap over the bowsprit end, where, astrong iron washer being put on, they are securely fixed with a nut. It will be seen that there is a slight discrepancy between some of themeasurements which I have given, and those which are marked on theprint; I place confidence in those I have received direct from thefountain-head; the difference is, however, so trifling, as scarce toneed any notice. I regret omitting to obtain the length of theafter-leech of the mainsail, and of the head of the jib; but I think theprint, which I believe to be very accurate, would justify me inconcluding that the former is about 110 feet and the latter about 120feet. [Illustration: THE BLACK MARIA. ] Assuming those calculations to be correct--and they cannot be very farwrong--the mainsail would contain about 5790 square feet, and the jibabout 2100 square feet. When it is remembered that the largest sail inthe British Navy only contains 5480 square feet, some conception may beformed of their gigantic proportions. The gallant commodore was kind enough to trip his anchor and give me ashort cruise. Unfortunately, there was scarcely a breath of wind; buteven under the influence of such scanty propelling power, the way sheshot through the water, like a dolphin in full cry, was perfectlymarvellous; and the ease with which she came round, and the incredibledistance she shot ahead in stays, was, if possible, more astonishingstill; she steered as easy as a jolly-boat; or if, when running, a puffmade her refractory, by dropping the after centre-board she became asdocile as a lamb. My only regret was that I could not see her under thehigh pressure of a good snorter. Of course, any salt-water fish willhave long since discovered that this wonderful yacht is a leviathanplaything, and totally unfit to withstand the most moderate gale, especially if any sea were running. What she might do if she weresparred, as other vessels of her tonnage usually are, I cannot pretendto say; but my yachting friends need never expect to see her, with herpresent rig, re-enacting the "America, " hurling friendly defiance at theR. Y. C. , and carrying off the crown of victory in their own waters. But if any of my Cowes friends are anxious to test the powers of the"Maria, " the gallant commodore will be happy to accommodate them, and--as he expressed it to me--will further rejoice at having anopportunity of returning some of the many hospitalities which made hisshort stay in England so agreeable to him. The only complaint I heardhim make of the rules of the yachting at Cowes, was the want of somerestriction as to vessels entering shallow water, by which omission ayacht with a light draught of water is enabled sometimes to draw aheadof her competitors by simply hugging the land out of the full swing ofthe tide, while others are forced, from their deeper draught of water, to struggle against its full force. As, in my humble opinion, theobservation is a perfectly just one, I insert it here for theconsideration of those whom it may concern. The accommodation on board is not nearly so good as in an English yacht, partly owing to the little height between decks, consequent upon hervery small draught of water, and partly owing to the great space takenup by the case for the centre-board; besides which, it should beremembered that a yacht is not used as a home in America in the same wayas in England. The great, and, I might almost say, the only quality, transatlantic yachtsmen care about is speed; and I think my yachtingfriends at Cowes must admit that they have proved that they know how toattain their end, and that Mr. Steers, the builder of the "America, " issecond to none in his craft; unless the "Black Maria" some future dayassume a practicable rig, and, crossing the Atlantic, earn the victor'slaurels, in which case Steers will have to yield the palm to the worthyfraternity, who are at one and the same time the owners, builders, andsailers of the subject of this chapter. I believe it is very generally considered that the wind-up of a day'ssport is by no means the least enjoyable portion of the twenty-fourhours, when it comes in the shape of good fellowship and good cheer; andupon the present occasion we had both alike undeniable of their kind. The commodore's cellar is as rich a rarity in its way as the Bernalcollection, and, from the movement of the corks, I should imagine it wasupon an equally large scale. I do not purpose inflicting a bill of fareupon you; but, having, in the foregoing pages, made a promise to furnishthe proper recipe for Toddy and Chowder, I consider this the properplace to redeem that promise, under the guidance of my hospitable host, who initiated me fully into the mysteries of mixture, proportion, &c. , by making both before me. Whether it is of great importance to adhere exactly to the recipes, Icannot pretend to say; the soup was pronounced on all hands to be mostexcellent, and some of the knowing ones declared it was unusually good. We afterwards found out a good reason for its superior excellence. Itappears that the commodore had given some instructions to the steward, which he evidently had not understood, for, upon asking that functionarytowards the end of dinner for a bottle of fine old Madeira which hadbeen kept back as a bonnebouche, he gave a wild stare-of astonishment, and said he had put it all into the chowder. This little addition, I cantestify, most certainly did not spoil it. The toddy was not subject toany such unwarrantable addition; and, if I may judge from the quantitytaken by my neighbours, they all found it as delicious a drink as I didmyself. _Recipes_. TODDY. --4 tumblers of water: 1 ditto, sugar: peel of 5 lemons, anddessert spoon of the juice: add a few pieces of peach and pine-apple, and some strawberries. Quarter of an hour before use, throw in 2tumblers of old rum and a lump or two of block ice. CHOWDER. --Saucepan ready, frizzle pork and onions till quite brown; puta layer at bottom of the saucepan--saucerful;--on that, a layer ofmashed potatoes--soup-plateful;--on that, raw sea-bass, [G] cut in lumps4 lbs. ;--on that, pork and onions as before;--add half a nutmeg, spoonful of mace, spoonful of cloves, and double that quantity of thymeand summer savory; another layer of mashed potatoes, 3 or 4 Crackers, [H]half a bottle of ketchup, half a bottle of claret, a liberal pinch ofblack, and a small pinch of red pepper. Just cover this with boilingwater, and put it on the fire till the fish is cooked. The gallant commodore and his brother are now employed in building aniron bomb-proof floating battery, four hundred feet long, intended as aharbour defence. What guns she is destined to mount is a question whichhas not been definitively settled. In so large a community as that of New York, the supply of water forms asubject of the highest importance, especially when the rapid increase ofthe population is taken into account. Some conception of thisextraordinary increase may be formed from the statistical fact that thecity, which in the year of Independence contained only 35, 000inhabitants, has now 850, 000, if the suburbs are included; nearly4000 vessels enter the port annually, bearing merchandise valued at25, 500, 000l. , and bringing 300, 000 emigrants, of whom one-third areIrish and one-third German. The tonnage of New York is upwards of amillion, or equal to one-fourth of that of the whole Union: the businessof the city gives employment to upwards of fifty banks. Religion isrepresented by 250 churches, of which 46 are Presbyterian, and 45 areEpiscopalian. The Press sends forth 155 papers, of which 14 arepublished daily and 58 weekly. This short sketch will suffice to show that the city required a supplyof water upon a gigantic scale. The difficulties were increased by thesituation of the town, which is built upon the eastern extremity of anisland--Manhattan--fourteen miles long and two broad, the highest pointof which is but two hundred and thirty-eight feet above the level of thesea. Various plans for supplying water had been attempted withoutsuccess, and the health of the population was suffering so much inconsequence, that at last American energy, which here had been longdormant, rose like a giant refreshed and commenced that imperishablemonument, the Croton aqueduct. [I] It is impossible to convey any idea of this stupendous work withoutfigures; but I will endeavour to draw upon your patience as little aspossible. My authority is a work published by Mr. Schramke in English, French, and German, and full of explanatory details and plans, &c. Mr. Schramke being one of the corps of engineers employed upon the work, Iconclude his statements are peculiarly accurate. Long discussions, patient investigations, and careful surveys, combined to fix theposition for commencing operations upon the Croton river, forty and ahalf miles from New York, and five miles below a small lake of the samename. All the preliminaries had been hitherto carried on under thesuperintendence of Major Douglas, professor of engineering at theMilitary Academy at West Point; but, owing to some disagreements, Mr. J. B. Jervis was the engineer eventually selected to carry out theundertaking. It is but just to mention his name, as the skill exhibitedentitles him to lasting fame. By the construction of a substantialdam, the water was raised 40 feet, and a collecting reservoir formed, of500, 000, 000 gallons, above the level that would allow the aqueduct todischarge 35, 000, 000 gallons a day. This stupendous work consists of acovered way seven feet broad and eight feet and a half high; in itscourse it has to pass through sixteen tunnellings, forming an aggregateof nearly 7000 feet; to cross the river Harlem by a bridge 1450 feetlong and 114 feet above tide water, and to span various valleys. Thereceiving reservoir outside the town gives a water surface of 31 acres, and contains 150, 000, 000 gallons; it is divided into two separatecompartments, so that either may be emptied for cleansing or repair. From this point the water is carried on, by three 36-inch pipes, to thedistributing reservoir, which is 386 feet square and 42 feet deep, butfilled generally to the depth of 38 feet, and then holding 21, 000, 000gallons. From this point it radiates throughout the city by means of 134miles of pipes, varying in size from 4 to 36 inches. There is an averagefall of 14 inches in the mile; and the supply, if required, can beincreased to 60, 000, 000 gallons daily. The total cost was 2, 500, 000l. ;the revenue derived from it is 100, 000l. A year, moderate-sized housespaying 2l. , and others in proportion. [Illustration: PLAN OF THE CROTON AQUEDUCT. (_From Schramke's Description of the New York Croton Aqueduct_. )] In conclusion, I would observe that this grand work is entitled tonotice from the skill displayed by the engineers, the quantity of thesupply, and the quality of the article, which latter is nearly as goodas sherry cobbler--not quite. If my reader has been inveigled intoreading the foregoing details, and has got bored thereby, a gallon ofCroton water is an admirable antidote; but, as that may not beavailable, I would suggest a cobbler, and another page or two; thelatter upon the principle adopted by indiscreet drinkers, of "taking ahair of the dog that bit them. " The concluding passage of the last paragraph reminds me of a practicewhich, I have no doubt, the intense heat of a New York summer rendersvery advisable, if not absolutely necessary--viz. , the canine_auto-da-fé_, which takes place in July. The heart sickens at thethought of the wholesale murder of "man's most faithful companion, " andthe feeling increases when you read that sometimes more than a thousanddogs fall victims to the law in one season; but that very fact is thestrongest point which can be urged in its justifications for the dry hotatmosphere of the summer affords a ready stepping-stone to hydrophobia, and the larger the canine family, the greater the danger of that fearfuland incurable disease. Upon a certain day, the mayor of New York offers the usual reward of2s. For every dog, which, having been found unmuzzled in the streets, is brought to the canine pound. However judicious this municipalregulation may be, it cannot fail to strike the reader as offering onemost objectionable feature, in the golden harvest which it enables thoseastute rogues, the dog-stealers, to reap. Any one conversant with theirresistible nostrums possessed by those rascals, can readily understandwhat an extensive field is hereby opened up to them; and, if one canform a just opinion by comparing the number of dogs one habitually meetsin the streets with the multitude that are reputed to fall victims underthe official mandate, they certainly make the most of their opportunity. To any admirer of the race, the inside of the pound must be a mostpainful and revolting spectacle: there may be seen, lying side by side, "dignity and impudence, " the fearless bull and the timid spaniel, thebloated pug and the friendly Newfoundland, the woolly lap-dog and thewhining cur; some growling in defiance, some whimpering in misery, somelooking imploringly--their intelligent eyes challenging present sympathyon the ground of past fidelity--all, all in vain: the hour that summonsthe Mussulman to prayer, equally silently tolls their death-knell; yonglorious sun, setting in a flood of fire, lights them to their untimelygrave; one ruthless hand holds the unconscious head, another with deadlyaim smashes the skull and scatters the brain--man's faithful friend is acorpse. Owners are allowed to reclaim their property before sunset, on paymentof the 2s. Reward; the best-looking dogs are sometimes kept for two orthree days, as purchasers are frequently found. The price, after thefirst day, is, the killer's fee and the food given, in addition to theoriginal reward; altogether, it rarely exceeds 8s. The owner has topurchase like any other person. The bodies are all taken away to beboiled down for their fat, and the skins go to the tanners. Let us nowturn from this disgusting subject to something more agreeable. I have already alluded to the great fancy Americans have for trotters. The best place to see "turns out" is the Bloomingdale road, which runsout of New York, nearly parallel with the Hudson, and separated from itonly by the country villas, &c. , built on the banks of that noblestream. This drive may be called a purely democratic "Rotten-row, " asregards its being the favourite resort; but there the similarity ceases. To the one, people go to lounge, meet friends, and breathe fresh air onhorseback; to the other, people go with a fixed determination to passeverybody, and on wheels. To the one, people go before dinner; to theother, after. A friend of mine having offered me a feed, and a seat behind a pair ofthree-minuters, the offer was too good to be refused. The operation ofgetting into one of these four-wheel waggons, looks perplexing enough, as the only rest for the feet, which appears, is the cap of the axle;but, upon pulling the horses' heads into the middle of the street, andthus locking the fore-wheels, a stop is discovered, which renders theprocess easy. It is difficult to say which is the more remarkable, thelightness of the waggon, or the lightness of the harness; either issufficient to give a nervous feeling of insufficiency to a stranger whotrusts himself to them for the first time; but experience proves boththeir sufficiency and their advantage. In due time, we reached the outerlimits of the town; struggling competitors soon appeared, and, in spiteof dust as plentiful as a plague of locusts, every challenge wasaccepted; a fair pass once made, the victor was satisfied, and resumed amore moderate pace. We had already given one or two the go-by, when weheard a clattering of hoofs close behind us, and the well-known cry, "G'lang. " My friend let out his three-minuters, but ere they reachedtheir speed, the foe was well on our bow, and there he kept, bidding usdefiance. It is, doubtless, very exciting to drive at the rate of twentymiles an hour, and though the horses' hoofs throw more gravel down yourthroat in five minutes than would suffice a poultry-yard for a week, onedoes not think of it at the time. On we flew; our foe on two wheels and single harness every now and thenletting us get abreast of him, and then shooting ahead like an arrowfrom a bow. A few trials showed us the struggle was useless: we had todeal with a regular "pacer, " and--as I have elsewhere remarked--theirspeed is greater than that of any fair trotter, although so fatiguingthat they are unable to keep it up for any great distance; but as we hadalready turned the bottom of the car into a gravel-pit, we did not thinkit worth while to continue the amusement. The reason may be asked whythese waggons have such low splashboards as to admit all the gravel? Thereason is simple. Go-ahead is the great desideratum, and they are keptlow to enable you to watch the horses' hind legs; by doing which, aknowing Jehu can discover when they are about to break into a gallop, and can handle "the ribands" accordingly. A tremendous storm brewing to windward, cut short our intended drive;and, putting the nags to their best pace, we barely succeeded inobtaining shelter ere it burst upon us; and such a pelter as it camedown, who ever saw? It seemed as though the countless hosts of heavenhad been mustered with barrels, not buckets, of water, and as they upsetthem on the poor devoted earth, a regular hurricane came to the rescue, and swept them eastward to the ocean. The sky, from time to time, wasone blaze of sheet lightning, and during the intervals, forked flashesshot through the darkness like fiery serpents striking their prey. Thisstorm, if short, was at all events magnificently grand, and wesubsequently found it had been terribly destructive also; boats on theHudson had been capsized and driven ashore, houses had been unroofed, and forest trees split like penny canes. The inn where we had taken shelter was fortunately not touched, nor wereany of the trees which surrounded it. Beautifully situated on a highbank, sloping down to the Hudson, full of fine old timber; it hadbelonged to some English noble--I forget his name--in the old colonialtimes; now, it was a favourite baiting-place for the frequenters of theBloomingdale road, and dispensed the most undeniably good republicandrinks, cobblers, cock-tails, slings, and hail-storms, with other moresubstantial and excellent things to match. The storm being over, weunhitched the horses, and returned to town at a more sober pace; norwere we much troubled with dust during the drive home. Lest the reader should get wearied with so long a stay at New York, Inow propose to shift the scene for his amusement, and hope he willaccompany me in my wanderings. If, during the operation, he occasionallyfinds me tedious in any details uninteresting to him, I trust that ajudicious skipping of a few leaves will bring us again into agreeablecompanionship. FOOTNOTES: [Footnote F: The largest boom in the Navy is 72 feet long, and 16-1/2inches in diameter; the largest mast is 127 feet 3 inches long, and 42inches diameter; the largest yard is 111 feet long, and 26-1/2 inchesdiameter. ] [Footnote G: Turbot is a good substitute for sea-bass. ] [Footnote H: A small American biscuit made of best flour. ] [Footnote I: _Vide_ sketch of Aqueduct. ] CHAPTER VIII. _South and West_. Being anxious to visit the southern parts of this Empire State, andhaving found an agreeable companion, we fixed upon an early day inNovember for our start; and although I anticipated much pleasure fromthe scenery and places of interest which my proposed trip would carry methrough, I could not blind myself to the sad fact, that the gorgeousmantle of autumn had fallen from the forest, and left in its stead thedreary nakedness of winter. The time I could allot to the journey wasunfortunately so short, that, except of one or two of the leadingplaces, I could not hope to have more than literally a flying sight, andshould therefore be insensibly compelled to receive many impressionsfrom the travelling society among which the Fates threw me. Eight o'clock in the morning found us both at the Jersey ferry, whereour tickets for Baltimore--both for man and luggage--were to beobtained. It was a pelting snow-storm, and the luggage-ticketing had tobe performed _al fresco_, which, combined with the total want of orderso prevalent in the railway establishments in this country, made itanything but an agreeable operation. Our individual tickets wereobtained under shelter, but in an office of such Lilliputian dimensions, that the ordinary press of passengers made it like a theatrical squeezeon a Jenny Lind night; only with this lamentable difference--that thetheatrical squeeze was a prelude to all that could charm the senses, whereas the ticket squeeze was, I knew but too well, the precursor of aday of most uncomfortable travelling. Having our tickets, we crossed the ever-glorious Hudson, and, landing atJersey City, had the pleasure of "puddling it up" through the snow tothe railway carriages. There they were, with the red-hot stove andpoisonous atmosphere, as usual; so my friend and I, selecting acushionless "smoking-car, " where the windows would at all events beopen, seated ourselves on the hard boards of resignation, lit the taperyweed of consolation, and shrouded ourselves in its fragrant clouds. Onwe went, hissing through the snow-storm, till the waters of the Delawarebrought us to a stand-still; then, changing to a steamer, we crossed thebroad stream, on which to save time, they served dinner, and almostbefore it was ended we had reached Philadelphia, where 'busses were inwaiting to take us to the railway. I may as well mention here, that oneof the various ways in which the glorious liberty of the country showsitself, is the deliberate manner in which 'busses and stages stop in themiddle of the muddiest roads, in the worst weather, so that you may getthoroughly well muddied and soaked in effecting your entry. Equality, Isuppose, requires that if the coachman is to be wet and uncomfortable, the passengers should be brought as near as possible to the same state. The 'busses being all ready, off we started, and just reached the trainin time; for, being a mail-train, it could not wait, though we had paidour fares all through to Baltimore. Soon after our departure, I heardtwo neighbours conversing between the intervals of the clouds ofVirginia which they puffed assiduously. Says one, "I guess all thebaggage is left behind. " The friend, after a long draw at his weed, threw out a cloud sufficient to cover the rock of Gibraltar, andreplied, with the most philosophical composure, "I guess it aintnurthin' else. " My friend and I puffed vigorously, and lookedinquiringly at each other, as much as to say, "Can our luggage be leftbehind?" Soon the conductor appeared to _viser_ the tickets: he wouldsolve our doubts. --"I say, conductor, is our luggage which came from NewYork, left behind?" "Ay, I guess it is, every stick of it; and if youhad been ten minutes later, I guess you might have stayed with it; it'llcome on to-night, and be at Baltimore to-morrow morning about half-pastfour; if you'll give me your tickets, and tell me what hotel you aregoing to, I'll have it sent up. " Upon inquiry, we found this was a verycommon event, nor did anybody seem to think it a subject worth takingpains to have rectified, though the smallest amount of common sense andcommon arrangement might easily obviate it. And why this indifference?Because, first it would cost a few cents; secondly, it doesn't affectthe majority, who travel with a small hand-bag only; thirdly, therailway across New Jersey is a monopoly, and therefore people must takethat road or none; and lastly, from the observations I elicited in thecourse of examining my witnesses, it appeared to me that the jealousyand rivalry existing between New Jersey, New York, and Philadelphia, have some little effect; at all events, it is an ignoble affair that itis suffered to remain. I have, however, no doubt that time will remedythis, as I trust it will many of the other inconveniences and wants ofarrangement which the whole railway system in this country is at presentsubject to. --To return from my digression. On we went, and soon crossed the Campbell-immortalized Susquehana. Whatever beauties there were, the elements effectually concealed; andafter a day's journey, which, for aught we saw, might as well have beenover the Shrap Falls, half-past six P. M. Landed us in Baltimore, wherewe safely received our luggage the following morning. A letter of introduction to a friend soon surrounded us with kindness inthis hospitable city. My object in stopping here was merely to enjoy alittle of the far-famed canvas-back duck shooting and eating, as Ipurposed revisiting these parts early in spring, when I should have moreleisure. No sooner were our wishes known than one of our kind friendsimmediately offered to drive us down to Maxwell Point, which is part ofa large property belonging to General Cadwallader, and is situated inone of the endless inlets with which Chesapeake Bay abounds. All beingarranged, our friend appeared in a light waggon, with a pair of spicytrotters before it. The road out was dreary and uninteresting enough;but when we left it, and turned into a waggon way through an extensiveforest, I could not but feel what a lovely ride or drive it must be inthe more genial seasons of the year, when the freshness of spring andsummer, or the richness of autumn, clothes the dense wood with itsbeauties. A short and pleasant drive brought us to a ferry, by which wecrossed over to the famous Point, thereby avoiding the long round whichwe otherwise must have made. The waters were alive with duck in everydirection; it reminded me forcibly of the Lake Menzaleh, near Damietta, the only place where I had ever before seen such a duckery. The sporting ground is part of a property belonging to GeneralCadwallader, and is leased to a club of gentlemen; they have built avery snug little shooting-box, where they leave their guns and_matériel_ for sport, running down occasionally from Baltimore for a dayor two, when opportunity offers, and enjoying themselves in true pic-nicstyle. [J] The real time for good sport is from the middle of October tothe middle of November, and what produces the sport is, the ducksshifting their feeding-ground, in performing which operation they crossover this long point. As the season gets later, the birds do not shifttheir ground so frequently; and, moreover, getting scared by the eternalcannonade which is kept up, they fly very high when they do cross. Thebest times are daybreak and just before dark; but even then, if theweather is not favourable, they pass but scantily. My friend warned meof this, as the season for good sport was already passed, though onlythe nineteenth of November, and he did not wish me to be disappointed. We landed on the Point about half-past four P. M. , and immediatelyprepared for mischief, though those who had been there during the daygave us little encouragement. The _modus operandi_ is very simply told. You dress yourself in the mostinvisible colours, and, armed with a huge duck-gun--double or single, asyou like--you proceed to your post, which is termed here a "blind. " Itis a kind of box, about four feet high, with three sides and no top; abench is fixed inside, on which to sit and place your loading gear. These blinds are fixed in the centre line of the long point, and aboutfifty yards apart. One side of the point they call "Bay, " and the other"River. " The sportsmen look out carefully from side to side, and themoment any ducks are seen in motion, the cry is given "bay" or "river, "according to the side from which they are approaching. Each sportsman, the moment he "views the ducks, " crouches down in his blind as much outof sight as possible, waiting till they are nearly overhead, then, rising with his murderous weapon, lets drive at them the moment theyhave passed. As they usually fly very high, their thick downy coatingwould turn any shots directed against them, on their approach. In thisway, during a favourable day in the early part of the season, a mixed"file and platoon" firing of glorious _coups de roi_ is kept upincessantly. We were very unfortunate that evening, as but few duckswere in motion, and those few passed at so great a height, that, although the large A. A. Rattled against them from a ponderous Purdeywhich a friend had lent me, they declined coming down. I had onlysucceeded in getting one during my two hours' watching, when darknessforced me to beat a retreat. But who shall presume to attempt a description of the luscious birds asthey come in by pairs, "hot and hot?" A dozen of the members of the clubare assembled; a hearty and hospitable welcome greets the stranger--awelcome so warm that he cannot feel he is a stranger; every face isradiant with health, every lip moist with appetite; an unmistakeablefragrance reaches the nostrils--no further summons to the festive sceneis needed. The first and minor act of soup being over, the "smokingpair" come in, and are placed before the president. In goes thefork;--gracious! how the juice spouts out. The dry dish swims; oneskilful dash with the knife on each side, the victim is severed in threeparts, streaming with richness, and whetting the appetite to absolutegreediness. But there is an old adage which says, "All is not gold thatglitters. " Can this be a deception? The first piece you put in yourmouth, as it melts away on the palate, dissipates the thought, and youunhesitatingly pronounce it the most delicious morsel you ever tasted. In they come, hot and hot; and, like Oliver, you ask for more, but withbetter success. Your host, when he sees you flagging, urges, "one" morecut. You hesitate, thinking a couple of ducks a very fair allowance. Hereplies, --"'Pon my word, it's such light food; you can eat a dozen!" Ajovial son of Aesculapius, on whom Father Time had set his mark, thoughhe has left his conviviality in all the freshness of youth, is appealedto. He declares, positively, that he knows nothing so easy of digestionas a canvas-back duck; and he eats away jollily up to his assertion. Howvery catching it is!--each fresh arrival from the kitchen brings a freshappetite to the party. "One down, t'other come on, " is the order of theday. Those who read, may say "Gormandizer!" But many such, believe me, if placed behind three, or even four, of these luscious birds, cookedwith the artistic accuracy of the Maxwell Point _cuisine_, would leavea cat but sorry pickings, especially when the bottle passes freely, andjovial friends cheer you on. Of course, I do not allude to such peopleas enjoy that "soaked oakum, " called "bouilli. " To offer a well-cookedcanvas-back duck to them, would, indeed, be casting pearlsbefore--something. Neither would it suit the fastidious taste of thosewho, not being able to discern the difference between juice and blood, cook all flavour and nourishment out of their meats, and luxuriate onthe chippy substance which is left. --But time rolls on; cigars and toddyhave followed; and, as we must be at our posts ere dawn, to Bedfordshirewe go. Ere the day had dawned, a hasty cup of coffee prepared us for themorning's sport; and, lighting the friendly weed, we groped our way toour respective blinds, full of hope and thirsting for blood. Alas! theFates were not propitious; but few birds crossed, and those mostly outof range. However, I managed to bag half a dozen before I was summonedto nine o'clock breakfast, a meal at which, it is needless to say, the"glorious bird" was plentifully distributed. After breakfast, I amusedmyself with a telescope, watching the ducks diving and fighting for thewild celery which covers the bottom of these creeks and bays, and whichis generally supposed to give the birds their rich and peculiar flavour. They know the powers of a duck-gun to a T; and, keeping beyond itsrange, they come as close as possible to feed, the water being, ofcourse, shallower, and the celery more easily obtained. Our time beinglimited, we were reluctantly constrained to bid adieu to our kind andhospitable entertainers, of whose friendly welcome and good cheer Iretain the most lively recollections. Crossing the bay in a small boat, we re-entered the light carriage, andwere soon "tooling away" merrily to Baltimore. On the road, our friendamused us with accounts of two different methods adopted in these watersfor getting ducks for the pot. One method is, to find a bay where theducks are plentiful, and tolerably near the shore; and then, concealingyourself as near the water's edge as possible, you take a stick, on theend of which you tie a handkerchief, and keep waving it steadilybackwards and forwards. The other method is to employ a dog in lieu ofthe stick and handkerchief. They have a regular breed for the purpose, about the size of a large Skye terrier, and of a sandy colour. You keepthrowing pebbles to the water's edge, which the dog follows; and thus heis ever running to and fro. In either case, the ducks, having somethingof the woman in their composition, gradually swim in, to ascertain themeaning or cause of these mysterious movements; and, once arrived withinrange, the sportsman rises suddenly, and, as the scared birds get on thewing, they receive the penalty of their curiosity in a murderousdischarge. These two methods they call "tolling;" and most effectualthey prove for supplying the market. Different nations exhibit different methods of ingenuity for the captureof game, &c. I remember being struck, when in Egypt, with the artfulplan employed for catching ducks and flamingos, on Lake Menzaleh; whichis, for the huntsman to put a gourd on his head, pierced sufficiently tosee through, and by means of which, --the rest of his body beingthoroughly immersed in water, --he approaches his game so easily, thatthe first notice they have thereof is the unpleasant sensation theyexperience as his hand closes upon their legs in the depths of thewater. Of the town, &c. , of Baltimore, I hope to tell you something more on myreturn. We will therefore proceed at once to the railway station, andtake our places for Pittsburg. It is a drizzly, snowy morning, a kind ofmoisture that laughs at so-called waterproofs, and would penetrate anair-pump. As there was no smoking-car, we were constrained to enteranother; and off we started. At first, the atmosphere was bearable; butsoon, alas! too soon, every window was closed; the stove glowed red-hot;the tough-hided natives gathered round it, and, deluging it withexpectorated showers of real Virginian juice, the hissing and stenchbecame insufferable. I had no resource but to open my window, and letthe driving sleet drench one side of me, while the other was baking;thus, one cheek was in an ice-house, and the other in an oven. At noonwe came to "a fix;" the railway bridge across to Harrisburg had brokendown. There was nothing for it but patience; and, in due time, it wasrewarded by the arrival of three omnibuses and a luggage-van. As therewere about eighty people in the train, it became a difficult task toknow how to pack, for the same wretched weather continued, and nobodycourted an outside place, with drenched clothes wherein to continue thejourney. At last, however, it was managed, something on theherrings-in-a-barrel principle. I had one lady in my lap, and a darlingunwashed pledge of her affection on each foot. We counted twenty-sixheads, in all; and we jolted away, as fast as the snow would let us, tocatch the Philadelphia train, which was to pick us up here. We managed to arrive about an hour and a half after it had passed; and, therefore, no alternative remained but to adjourn to the little inn, andfortify ourselves for the trial with such good things as mine host ofthe "Culverley" could produce. It had now settled down to a regular fallof snow, and we began to feel anxious about the chances of proceeding. Harrisburg may be very pretty and interesting in fine weather, but itwas a desolately dreary place to anticipate being snowed-up at inwinter, although situated on the banks of the lovely Susquehana:accordingly, I asked mine host when the next train would pass. Hereplied, with grammatical accuracy, "It should pass about four to-morrowmorning; but when it will I am puzzled to say. --What's your opinion, Colonel?" he added; and, turning round, I observed the distinguishedmilitary authority seated on one chair, and his legs gracefully pendentover the back of another. In his sword-hand, he wielded a smallclasp-knife, which did the alternate duty of a toothpick and awhittler, [K] for which latter amusement he kept a small stick in hisleft hand to operate upon; and the floor bore testimony to his untiringzeal. When the important question was propounded to him, he ceased fromhis whittling labours, and, burying the blade deep between his ivories, looked out of the window with an authoritative air, apparentlyendeavouring, first, to ascertain what depth of snow was on the ground, and then, by an upward glance, to calculate how much more was likely tofollow. Having duly weighed these points, and having perfected thechannel between his ivories, he sucked the friendly blade, and replied, with a stoical indifference--which, considering my anxiety, might almostbe styled heartless--"I guess, if it goes on snowing like this, you'llhave no cars here to-morrow at all. " Then, craning up to the heavens, asif seeking for the confirmation of a more terrible prophecy, he added, "By the looks of it, I think the gem'men may be fixed here for a week. "Having delivered himself of the foregoing consolatory observation, andduly discharged a shower of Virginia juice on the floor, the militaryauthority resumed his whittling labours with increased vigour. Hisoccupation involuntarily carried my mind across the water to acountry-house, where I had so often seen an old blind friend amusinghimself, by tearing up paper into small pieces, to make pillows for thepoor. If the gallant Colonel would only substitute this occupation forwhittling, what good might he not do in Harrisburg! I am happy to say that my Job's comforter turned out a false prophet;snow soon gave place to sleet, and sleet to rain, and before midnightthe muck was complete. Next morning, at three, we got into the 'bus, andsoon after four the cars came in, and we found ourselves once more _enroute_ for Pittsburg. I think this was about the most disagreeable day'sjourney I ever had. The mixture of human and metallic heat, the chorusof infantine squallers--who kept responding to one another from allparts of the car, like so many dogs in an eastern city--and theintervals filled up by the hissing on the stove of the Virginia juice, were unpleasant enough; but even the elements combined against us. Therain and the snow were fighting together, and producing that slushinessof atmosphere which obscures all scenery; added to which, theunfortunate foreknowledge that we were doomed to fifteen or sixteenhours of these combinations of misery, made it indeed a wretched day. Myonly resource was to open a window, which the moment I attempted, ahulking fellow, swaddled up in coats and comforters, and bursting withhealth, begged it might be closed as "It was so cold:" the thermometer, I am sure, was ranging, within the car, from ninety to a hundreddegrees. He then tried to hector and bully, and finding that of no use, he appealed to the guard. I claimed my right, and further pleaded thenecessity of fresh air, not merely for comfort, but for very life. As myfriend expressed the same sentiments, the cantankerous Hector was leftto sulk; and I must own to a malicious satisfaction, when, soon after, two ladies came in, and seating themselves on the bench abreast of mine, opened their window, and placed Hector in a thorough draught, which, while gall and wormwood to him, was balm of Gilead to me. As I freelycriticise American habits, &c. , during my travels, it is but just Ishould state, that Hector was the only one of his countrymen I ever metwho was wilfully offensive and seemed to wish to insult. The engineering on this road was so contrived, that we had to go throughan operation, which to me was quite novel--viz. , being dragged by wireropes up one of the Alleghany hills, and eased down the other side. Theextreme height is sixteen hundred feet; and it is accomplished by fivedifferent stationary engines, each placed on a separate inclined plane, the highest of which is two thousand six hundred feet above the level ofthe sea. The want of proper arrangement and sufficient hands made this amost dilatory and tedious operation. Upon asking why so 'cute andgo-ahead a people had tolerated such bad engineering originally, andsuch dilatory arrangements up to the present hour, I was answered, "Oh, sir, that's easily explained; it is a government road and a monopoly, but another road is nearly completed, by which all this will be avoided;and, as it is in the hands of a company, there will be no delaythen. "--How curious it is, the way governments mess such things whenthey undertake them! I could not help thinking of the difference betweenour own government mails from Marseilles to Malta, &c. , and the glorioussteamers of the Peninsular and Oriental Company, that carry on the samemails from Malta. --But to return from my digression. I was astonished to see a thing like a piece of a canal-boat descendingone of these inclined planes on a truck; nor was my astonishmentdiminished when I found that it really was part of a canal-boat, andthat the remaining portions were following in the rear. The boats aremade, some in three, some in five compartments; and, being merelyforelocked together, are easily carried across the hill, from the canalon one side to the continuation thereof on the other. [L] A few hours after quitting these planes, we came to the end of therailway, and had to coach it over a ten-mile break in the line. It wasone of those wretched wet days which is said to make even an oldinhabitant of Argyleshire look despondingly, --in which county, it willbe remembered that, after six weeks' incessant wet, an Englishtraveller, on asking a shepherd boy whether it always rained there, received the consoling reply of, "No, sir--it sometimes snaws. " Theground was from eight to eighteen inches deep in filthy mud; the oldnine-inside stages--of which more anon--were waiting ready; and as therewere several ladies in the cars, I thought the stages might be inducedto draw up close to the scantily-covered platform to take up thepassengers; but no such idea entered their heads. I imagine such anindication of civilization would have been at variance with theirrepublican notions of liberty; and the fair ones had no alternative butto pull their garments up to the altitude of those of a ballet-dancer, and to bury their neat feet and well-turned ankles deep, deep, deep inthe filthy mire. But what made this conduct irresistiblyludicrous--though painful to any gentleman to witness--was the mockeryof make-believe gallantry exhibited, in seating all the ladies beforeany gentleman was allowed to enter; the upshot of which was, that theygradually created a comparatively beaten path for the gentlemen to getin by. One pull of the rein and one grain of manners would have enabledeverybody to enter clean and dry; yet so habituated do the betterclasses appear to have become to this phase of democracy, that no oneremonstrated on behalf of the ladies or himself. The packing completed, a jolting ride brought us again to the railwaycars; and in a few hours more--amid the cries of famishing babes andsleepy children, the "hush-hushes" of affectionate mammas, the bustle ofgathering packages, and the expiring heat of the poisonous stove--wereached the young Birmingham of America about 10 P. M. , and soon foundrest in a comfortable bed, at a comfortable hotel. If you wish a good idea of Pittsburg, you should go to Birmingham, andreduce its size, in your imagination, to one-fourth the reality; afterwhich, let the streets of this creation of your fancy be "top-dressed"about a foot deep with equal proportions of clay and coal-dust; then tryto realize in your mind the effect which a week's violent strugglebetween Messrs. Snow and Sleet would produce, and you will thus beenabled to enjoy some idea of the charming scene which Pittsburgpresented on the day of my visit. But if this young Birmingham has somuch in common with the elder, there is one grand feature it possesseswhich the other wants. The Ohio and Monongahela rivers form the delta onwhich it is built, and on the bosom of the former the fruits of itslabour are borne down to New Orleans, _viâ_ the Mississippi--a distanceof two thousand and twenty-five miles exactly. Coal and iron abound inthe neighbourhood; they are as handy, in reality, as the Egyptian geeseare in the legend, where they are stated to fly about ready roasted, crying, "Come and eat me!" Perhaps, then, you will ask, why is the townnot larger, and the business not more active? The answer is simple. Theprice of labour is so high, that they cannot compote with the parentrival; and the _ad valorem_ duty on iron, though it may bring in arevenue to the government, is no protection to the home trade. Whatchanges emigration from the Old World may eventually produce, time alonecan decide; but it requires no prophetic vision to foresee that theundeveloped mineral riches of this continent must some day be workedwith telling effect upon England's trade. I must not deceive you into abelief that the Ohio is always navigable. So far from that being thecase, I understand that, for weeks and months even, it is constantlyfordable. As late as the 23rd of November, the large passage-boats wereunable to make regular passages, owing to their so frequently gettingaground; and the consequence was, that we were doomed to prosecute ourjourney to Cincinnati by railroad, to my infinite--but, as my friendsaid, not inexpressible--regret. Noon found us at the station, taking the last bite of fresh air beforewe entered the travelling oven. Fortunately, the weather was ratherfiner than it had been, and more windows were open. There is somethingsolemn and grand in traversing, with the speed of the wind, miles andmiles of the desolate forest. Sometimes you pass a whole hour withoutany--the slightest--sign of animal life: not a bird, nor a beast, nor abeing. The hissing train rattles along; the trumpet-tongued whistle--orrather horn--booms far away in the breeze, and finds no echo; the giantmonarchs of the forest line the road on either side, like a guard ofTitans, their nodding heads inquiring, as it were curiously, why theirranks were thinned, and what strange meteor is that which, with clatterand roar, rushes past, disturbing their peaceful solitude. Patience mynoble friends; patience, I say. A few short years more, and many of you, like your deceased brethren, will bend your proud heads level with thedust, and those giant limbs, which now kiss the summer sun and dare thewinter's blast, will feed that insatiate meteor's stomach, or cracklebeneath some adventurous pioneer's soup-kettle. But, never mind; likegood soldiers in a good cause, you will sacrifice yourselves for thepublic good; and possibly some of you may be carved into figures ofhonour, and dance triumphantly on the surge's crest in the advance postof glory on a dashing clipper's bows, girt with a band on which isinscribed, in letters of gold, the imperishable name of Washington orFranklin. Being of a generous disposition, I have thrown out these hints in thehopes some needy American author may make his fortune, and immortalizehis country, by writing "The Life and Adventures of the Forest Monarch;"or, as the public like mystery, he might make a good hit by entitling it"The Child of the Woods that danced on the Wave. " Swift has immortalizeda tub; other authors have endeavoured to immortalize a shilling, and ahalfpenny. Let that great country which professes to be able to "whipcreation" take a noble subject worthy of such high pretensions. Here we are at Cleveland; and, "by the powers of Mercury"--thisexpletive originated, I believe, with a proud barometer, --it is rainingcats and dogs and a host of inferior animals. Everybody seems veryimpatient, for all are getting out, and yet we have not reached thestation, --no; and they don't mean to get there at present. Possession isnine points of the law, and another train is ensconced there. Wood, ofcourse, is so dear in this country, and railroads give such lowinterest--varying from six to forty per cent. --that they can't afford tohave sufficient shedding. Well, out we get. Touters from the hotels cryout lustily. We hear the name of the house to which we are bound, andprepare to follow. The touter carries a lantern of that ingenious sizewhich helps to make the darkness more visible; two steps, and you areover the ankles in mud. "Show a light, boy. " He turns round, and, placing his lantern close to the ground, you see at a glance the horridtruth revealed--you are in a perfect mud swamp; so, tuck up yourtrowsers, and wade away to the omnibuses, about a quarter of a mile off. Gracious me! there are two ladies, with their dresses hitched up likekilts, sliding and floundering through the slushy road. How miserablethey must be, poor things! Not the least; they are both tittering andgiggling merrily; they are accustomed to it, and habit is second nature. A man from the Old World of advanced civilization--in these matters ofminor comforts, at least--will soon learn to conduct himself upon theprinciple, that where ignorance is bliss, wisdom becomes folly. Laughing, like love, is catching; so these two jolly ladies put me in agood humour, and I laughed my way to the 'bus half up to my knees inmud. After all, it made it lighter work than growling, and go I must; sothank you, ladies, for the cheering example. Hot tea soon washes away from a thirsty and wearied soul the remembranceof muddy boots, and a good Havana soothes the wounded spirit. Afterenjoying both, I retired to rest, as I hoped, for we had to make anearly start in the morning. Scarce was I in bed, ere the house rangagain with laughing and romping just outside my door; black and white, old and young, male and female, all seemed chorusing together--feetclattered, passages echoed--it was a very Babel of noise and confusion. What strange beings we are! Not two hours before, I had said and feltthat laughing was catching; now, although the merry chirp of youthmingled with it, I wished the whole party at the residence of an oldgentleman whose name I care not to mention. May we not truly say ofourselves what the housemaid says of the missing article--"Really, sir, I don't know nothing at all about it?" A few hours before, I wasjoining in the laugh as I waded nearly knee-deep in mud, and now I waslying in a comfortable bed grinding my teeth at the same joyous sounds. It took three messages to the proprietor, before order was restored andI was asleep. In the morning, I found that the cause of all the rumpuswas a marriage that had taken place in the hotel; and the master andmistress being happy, the servants caught the joyous infection, and gotthe children to share it with them. I must not be understood to cast anyreflections upon the happy pair, when I say that the marriage took placein the morning, and that the children were laughing at night, forremember, I never inquired into the parentage of the little ducks. Onlearning the truth, I was rejoiced to feel that they had not gone to theresidence of the old gentleman before alluded to, and I made resolutionsto restrain my temper in future. After a night's rest, with a cup of hot_café au lait_ before you, how easy and pleasant good resolutions are. Having finished a hasty breakfast, we tumbled into an omnibus, packedlike herrings in a barrel, for our number was "Legion, " and the omnibuswas "Zoar. " Off we went to the railway; such a mass of mud I never saw. Is it from this peculiarity that the city takes its name? This, however, does not prevent it from being a very thriving place, and destined, Ibelieve, to be a town of considerable importance, as soon as the grainand mineral wealth of Michigan, Wisconsin, &c. , get more fullydeveloped, and when the new canal pours the commerce of Lake Superiorinto Lake Erie. Cleveland is situated on the slope of a hill commandinga beautiful and extensive view; the latter I was told, for as it rainedincessantly, I had no opportunity of judging. Here we are at thestation, i. E. , two hundred yards off it, which we are allowed to walk, so as to damp ourselves pleasantly before we start. Places taken, in weget; we move a few hundred yards, and come to a stand-still, waiting foranother train, which allows us the excitement of suspense for nearly anhour and a half, and then we really start for Cincinnati. The cars havethe usual attractions formerly enumerated: grin and bear it is the orderof the day; scenery is shrouded in mist, night closes in with her sablemantle, and about eleven we reach the hotel, where, by the blessing ofa happy contrast, we soon forget the wretched day's work we have gonethrough. Here we are in the "Queen City of the West, " the rapid rise whereof isastounding. By a statistical work, I find that in 1800 it numbered only750 inhabitants; in 1840, 46, 338--1850, 115, 438: these calculationsmerely include its corporate limits. If the suburbs be added, thepopulation will reach 150, 000: of which number only about 3000 arecoloured. The Americans constitute 54 per cent. ; Germans, 28; English, 16; other foreigners, 2 per cent. Of the population. They have 102schools, and 357 teachers, and 20, 737 pupils are yearly instructed bythese means. Of these schools 19 are free, instructing 12, 240 pupils, not in mere writing and reading, but rising in the scale to "algebra, grammar, history, composition, declamation, music, drawing, " &c. Theannual cost of these schools is between 13, 000l. And 14, 000l. Thereis also a "Central School, " where the higher branches of literature andscience are taught to those who have time and talent; in short, a "FreeCollege. " According to the ordinance for the North-Western territory of 1787, "religion, morality, and knowledge being necessary to good governmentand the happiness of mankind, schools and the means of education shallfor ever be encouraged. " Congress, in pursuance of this laudable object, "has reserved one thirty-sixth part of all public lands for the supportof education in the States in which the lands lie; besides which, it hasadded endowments for numerous universities, &c. " We have seen that thepublic schools in this city cost 13, 500l. , of which sum they receivefrom the State fund above alluded to 1500l. , the remainder beingraised by a direct tax upon the property of the city, and increased fromtime to time in proportion to the wants of the schools. One of theschools is for coloured children, and contains 360 pupils. There are 91churches and 4 synagogues, and the population is thus classed--Jews, 3per cent. ; Roman Catholics, 35; Protestant, 62. The Press is representedby 12 daily and 20 weekly papers. From these statistics, dry though theymay appear, one must confess that the means of education and religiousinstruction are provided for in a manner that reflects the highestcredit on this "Queen City of the West. " It is chiefly owing to the untiring perseverance of Mr. Longworth, thatthey have partially succeeded in producing wine. As far as I couldascertain, they made about fifty thousand gallons a year. The wine iscalled "Catawba, " from the grape, and is made both still and sparkling. Thanks to the kind hospitality of a friend, I was enabled to taste thebest of each. I found the still wine rather thin and tart, but, as theweather was very cold, that need not affect the truth of my friend'sassertion, that in summer it was a very pleasant beverage. The sparklingwine was much more palatable, and reminded me of a very superior kind ofperry. They cannot afford to sell it on the spot under four shillings abottle, and of course the hotels double that price immediately. I thinkthere can be no doubt that a decided improvement must be made in itbefore it can become valuable enough to find its way into the Europeanmarket; although I must confess that, as it is, I should be most happyto see it supplant the poisonous liquids called champagne which appearat our "suppers, " and at many of our hotels. The "Burnet House" is the principal hotel here, and afforded me everycomfort I could have expected, not the least being the satisfaction Iderived from the sight of the proprietor, who, in the spotlesscleanliness of his person and his "dimity, " and surrounded by hosts ofhis travelling inmates--myself among the number--stood forth in boldrelief, like a snowball in a coal-hole. But we must now visit the great lion of the place, whence the cityobtains the _sobriquet_ of "Porkopolis, " i. E. , the _auto da fé_ of theunclean animal. We will stroll down and begin at the beginning; butfirst let me warn you, if your nerves are at all delicate, to pass thisdescription over, for, though perfectly true, it is very horrid. "Poorpiggy must die" is a very old saying; whence it came I cannot tell; butwere it not for its great antiquity, Cincinnati might claim the honour. Let us however to the deadly work! The post of slaughter is at the outskirts of the town, and as youapproach it, the squeaking of endless droves proceeding to their doomfills the air, and in wet weather the muck they make is beyonddescription, as the roads and streets are carelessly made, and ascarelessly left to fate. When we were within a couple of hundred yardsof the slaughter-house, they were absolutely knee-deep, and, there beingno trottoir, we were compelled to wait till an empty cart came by, when, for a small consideration, Jonathan ferried us through the mud-pond. Behind the house is the large pen in which the pigs are first gathered, and hence they are driven up an inclined plane into a small partitionabout twelve feet square, capable of containing from ten to fifteen pigsat once. In this inclosure stands the executioner, armed with ahammer, --something in shape like that used to break stones for the roadsin England--his shirt-sleeves turned up, so that nothing may impede thefree use of his brawny arms. The time arrived, down comes the hammerwith deadly accuracy on the forehead of poor piggy, generally killingbut sometimes only stunning him, in which case, as he awakes toconsciousness in the scalding caldron, his struggles are frightful tolook at, but happily very short. A trap-hatch opens at the side of thisenclosure, through which the corpses are thrust into the sticking-room, whence the blood flows into tanks beneath, to be sold, together with thehoofs and hair, to the manufacturers of prussiate of potash and Prussianblue. Thence they are pushed down an inclined plane into a troughcontaining a thousand gallons of boiling water, and broad enough to takein piggy lengthways. By the time they have passed down this caldron, they are ready for scraping, for which purpose a large table is joinedon to the lower end of the caldron, and on which they are artisticallythrown. Five men stand in a row on each side of the table, armed withscrapers, and, as piggy passes down, he gets scraped cleaner andcleaner, till the last polishes him as smooth as a yearling baby. Havingthus reached the lower end of the table, there are a quantity of hooksfitted to strong wooden arms, which revolve round a stout pillar, andwhich, in describing the circle, plumb the lower end of the table. Onthese piggy is hooked, and the operation of cutting open and cleansingis performed--at the rate of three a minute--by operators steeped inblood, and standing in an ocean of the same, despite the eternal bucketsof water with which a host of boys keep deluging the floor. Theseoperations finished, piggy is hung up on hooks to cool, and, whensufficiently so, he is removed thence to the other end of the building, ready for sending to the preparing-houses, whither he and his defunctbrethren are convoyed in carts, open at the side, and containing aboutthirty pigs each. The whole of this part of the town during porking season is alive withthese carts, and we will now follow one, so that we may see how piggy isfinally disposed of. The cart ascends the hill till it comes to a lineof buildings with the canal running at the back thereof; a huge andsolid block lies ready for the corpse, and at each side appear a pair ofbrawny arms grasping a long cleaver made scimitar-shape; smaller tablesare around, and artists with sharp knives attend thereat. Piggy isbrought in from the cart, and laid on the solid block; one blow of thescimitar-shaped cleaver severs his head, which is thrown aside and soldin the town, chiefly, I believe, to Germans, though of course a Hebrewmight purchase if he had a fancy therefor. The head off, two blows severhim lengthways; the hams, the shoulders, and the rib-pieces fly off at ablow each, and it has been stated that "two hands, in less than thirteenhours, cut up eight hundred and fifty hogs, averaging over two hundredpounds each, two others placing them on the blocks for the purpose. Allthese hogs were weighed singly on the scales, in the course of elevenhours. Another hand trimmed the hams--seventeen hundred pieces--as fastas they were separated from the carcasses. The hogs were thus cut up anddisposed of at the rate of more than one to the minute. " Knifemen thencome into play, cutting out the inner fat, and trimming the hams neatly, to send across the way for careful curing; the other parts are put inthe pickle-barrels, except the fat, which, after carefully removing allthe small pieces of meat that the first hasty cutting may have left, isthrown into a boiling caldron to be melted down into lard. Barring thetime taken up in the transit from the slaughter-house to thesecutting-up stores, and the time he hangs to cool, it may be safelyasserted, that from the moment piggy gets his first blow till hiscarcass is curing and his fat boiling into lard, not more than fiveminutes elapse. A table of piggy statistics for one year may not be uninteresting to myreader, or, at all events, to an Irish pig-driver:-- 180, 000 Barrels of Pork, 196 lbs. Each 35, 280, 000 lbs. Bacon 25, 000, 000 No. 1 Lard 16, 500, 000 Star Candles, made by Hydraulic pressure. 2, 500, 000 Bar Soap 6, 200, 000 Fancy Soap, &c. 8, 800, 000 ---------- 94, 280, 000Besides Lard Oil, 1, 200, 000 gallons. Some idea of the activity exhibited may be formed, when I tell you thatthe season for these labours averages only ten weeks, beginning with thesecond week in November and closing in January; and that the annualnumber cured at Cincinnati is about 500, 000 head, and the value of theseanimals when cured, &c. , was estimated in 1851 at about 1, 155, 000l. What touching statistics the foregoing would be for a Hebrew or aMussulman! The wonder to me is, that the former can locate in such anunclean atmosphere; at all events, I hold it as a sure sign that thereis money to be made. They are very proud of their beef here, and it is very good; for theypossess all the best English breeds, both here and across the river inKentucky. They stall-feed very fat, no doubt; but though generally verygood, I have never, in any part of the States, tasted beef equal to thebest in England. All the fat is on the outside; it is never marbled asthe best beef is with us. The price is very moderate, being aboutfourpence a pound. Monongahela whisky is a most important article of manufacture in theneighbourhood, being produced annually to the value of 560, 000l. Thereare forty-four foundries, one-third of which are employed in thestove-trade; as many as a thousand stoves have been made in one day. Thevalue of foundry products is estimated at 725, 000l. Annually. If commerce be the true wealth and prosperity of a nation, there neverwas a nation in the history of the world that possessed by nature theadvantages which this country enjoys. Take the map, and look at theposition of this city; nay, go two hundred miles higher up, to Marietta. From that port, which is nearly two thousand miles from the ocean, the"Muskingum, " a barque of three hundred and fifty tons, went laden withprovisions, direct to Liverpool, in 1845, and various other vessels havesince that time been built at Cincinnati; one, a vessel of eight hundredand fifty tons, called the "Minnesota:" in short, there is quite anactive business going on; shipbuilders from Maine coming here to carryon their trade--wood, labour, and lodging being much cheaper than onthe Eastern coast. It is now time to continue our journey, and as the water is high enough, we will embark on the "Ohio, " and steam away to Louisville. The placeyou embark from is called the levee: and as all the large towns on theriver have a levee, I may as well explain the term at once. It isnothing more nor less than the sloping off of the banks of a river, andthen paving them, by which operation two objects are gained:--first, thebanks are secured from the inroads of the stream; secondly, the boatsare thereby enabled at all times to land passengers and cargo withperfect facility. These levees extend the whole length of the town, andare lined with steamers of all kinds and classes, but all built on asimilar plan; and the number of them gives sure indication of thecommercial activity of Cincinnati. When a steamer is about to start, book-pedlers crowd on board with baskets full of their--generallyspeaking--trashy ware. Sometimes these pedlers are grown-up men, butgenerally boys about twelve or fourteen years of age. On going up to oneof these latter, what was my astonishment to find in his basket, volumeafter volume of publications such as Holywell-street scarce ever daredto exhibit; these he offered and commended with the most unblushingeffrontery. The first lad having such a collection, I thought I wouldlook at the others, to see if their baskets were similarly supplied; Ifound them all alike without exception, I then became curious to know ifthese debauched little urchins found any purchasers, and, to ascertainthe fact, I ensconced myself among some of the freight, and watched oneof them. Presently a passenger came up, and these books were brought tohis notice: he looked cautiously round, and, thinking himselfunobserved, he began to examine them. The lad, finding the bait hadtaken, then looked cautiously round on his side, and stealthily drew twomore books from his breast, evidently of the same kind, and it isreasonable to suppose infinitely worse. After a careful examination ofthe various volumes, the passenger pulled out his purse, paid his money, and walked off with eight of these Holywell-street publications, takingthem immediately into his cabin. I saw one or two more purchasers, before I left my concealment. And now I may as well observe, that thesale of those works is not confined to one place; wherever I went onboard a steamer, I was sure to find boys with baskets of books, andamong them many of the kind above alluded to. In talking to an Americangentleman on this subject, he told me that it was indeed but too commona practice, although by law nominally prohibited; and he further added, that once asking a vendor why he had such blackguard books which nobodywould buy, he took up one of the worst, and said, "Why, sir, this bookis so eagerly sought after, that I have the utmost difficulty in keepingup the requisite supply. " It is a melancholy reflection, that in acountry where education is at every one's door, and poverty at no one's, such unblushing exhibitions of immorality should exist. We embarked in the "Lady Franklin, " and were soon "floating down theriver of the O-hi-o. " The banks are undulating, and prettilyinterspersed with cottage villas, which peep out from the woods, and areclotted about the more cultivated parts; but, despite this, the drearymantle of winter threw a cold churlishness over everything. The boat Ishall describe hereafter, when I have seen more of them, for theirgeneral features are the same; but there was a specimen of the fair sexon board, to whom I must introduce you, as I may never see her likeagain. The main piece was the counterpart of a large steamer's funnel cut offat about four feet two inches high, a most perfect cylinder, and of adark greyish hue: a sombre coloured riband supported a ditto colouredapron. If asked where this was fastened, I suppose she would havereplied, "Round the waist, to be sure;" yet, if Lord Rosse's telescopehad been applied, no such break in the smooth surface of the cylindercould have been descried. The arms hung down on either side like thefunnel of a cabin stove, exciting the greatest wonder and the liveliestcuriosity to know how the skin of the shoulder obtained the elasticityrequisite to exhibit such a phenomenon. On the top of the cylinder wasa beautifully polished ebony pedestal, about two inches high on oneside, tapering away to nothing at the other, so that whatever might beplaced thereon, would lie at an angle of forty-five degrees. Thispedestal did duty for a neck; and upon it was placed a thing which, viewed as a whole, resembled a demijohn. The lower part was pillowed onthe cylinder, no gleam of light ever penetrating between the two. Uponthe upper surface, at a proper distance from the extremity, two lipsappeared, very like two pieces of raw beefsteak picked up off a dustyroad. While wrapt in admiration of this interesting spot, the owner thereofwas seized with a desire to yawn, to obtain which luxury it wasrequisite to throw back the demijohn into nearly a horizontal line, soas to relieve the lower end from its pressure on the cylinder. The aidof both hands was called in to assist in supporting her intellectualdepository. This feat accomplished, a roseate gulf was revealed, whichwould have made the stout heart of Quintus Curtius quail ere he took theawful plunge. Time or contest had removed the ivory obstructions in thecentre, but the shores on each side of the gulf were terrificallyiron-bound, and appeared equal to crushing the hardest granite; theshinbone of an ox would have been to her like an oyster to ordinarymortals. She revelled in this luxurious operation so long, that I beganto fear she was suffering from the antipodes to a lockjaw, and that shewas unable to close the chasm; but at last the demijohn rose slowly andsolemnly from the horizontal, the gulf gradually closed until, obtainingthe old angle of forty-five degrees, the two dusty pieces of beefsteakonce more stood sentry over the abyss. Prosecuting my observations alongthe upper surface, I next came to the proboscis, which suggested theidea of a Bologna sausage after a passage through a cotton-press. Alongthe upper part, the limits were invisible, so beautifully did it blendwith the sable cheek on each side; but the lower part seemed to havebeen outside the press during the process, and therefore to haveobtained unusual rotundity, thanks to which two nostrils appeared, whichwould, for size, have excited the envy of the best bred Arab that wasever foaled; and the division between them was nearly equal to that ofthe horse. I longed to hear her sneeze; it must have been somethingquite appallingly grand. Continuing my examination, I was forced to theconclusion that the poor delicate creature was bilious; for the darkeyes gleamed from their round yellow beds like pieces of cannel-coal setin a gum-cistus. The forehead was a splendid prairie of flat table-land, beyond which stretched a jungle of curly locks, like horse-hair readypicked for stuffing sofas, and being tied tightly round near the apex, the neck of the bottle was formed, and the demijohn complete. [Illustration: STEWARDESS OF "THE LADY FRANKLIN"] I was very curious to see this twenty-five stone sylph in motion, andespecially anxious to have an opportunity of examining the pedestals bywhich she was supported and set in motion. After a little patience, Iwas gratified to a certain extent, as the stately mass was summoned toher duties. By careful observation, I discovered the pedestals resembledflounders, out of which grew, from their centre, two cylinders, theankles deeply imbedded therein, and in no way disturbing the smoothsurface. All higher information was of course wrapt in the mystery ofconjecture; but from the waddling gait and the shoulders working to andfro at every step, the concealed cylinders doubtless increased in sizeto such an extent, that the passing one before the other was a task ofconsiderable difficulty; and if the motion was not dignified, it wasimposingly slow, and seemed to call all the energies of the variousmembers into action to accomplish its end. Even the demijohn rolled asif it were on a pivot, nodding grandly as the mighty stewardess of the"Franklin" proceeded to obey the summons. I watched her receding form, and felt that I had never before thoroughly realized the meaning of an"armsful of joy, " and I could not but wonder who was the happy possessorof this great blessing. Ibrahim Pacha, when in England, was said to have had an intense desireto purchase two ladies, one aristocratic, the other horticultural, thesolidity of these ladies being their great point of attraction in hisestimation. Had he but seen my lovely stewardess, I am sure he wouldinstantly have given up negotiations for both, could he thereby havehoped to obtain such a massive treasure as the "Sylph of the'Franklin. '" FOOTNOTES: [Footnote J: Since I was there, General Cadwallader has taken the placeinto his own hands. ] [Footnote K: In case the expression is new to the reader, I beg toinform him that to "whittle" is to cut little chips of wood--if, whenthe fit comes on, no stick is available, the table is sometimes operatedon. ] [Footnote L: I believe the plan of making the canal-boats in sections isoriginal; but the idea of dragging them up inclines to avoid expenses oflockage, &c. , is of old date, having been practised as far back as 1792, upon a canal in the neighbourhood of Colebrook Dale, where the boatswere raised by stationary engines up two inclines, one of 207 feet, andthe other of 126 feet. I believe this is the first instance of theadoption of this plan, and the engineers were Messrs. Reynolds andWilliams. The American inclines being so much greater, the dividing theboat into sections appears to me an improvement. ] CHAPTER IX. _Scenes Ashore and Afloat_. A trip on a muddy river, whose banks are fringed with a leafless forestresembling a huge store of Brobdignagian stable brooms, may befavourable to reflection; but, if description be attempted, there isdanger lest the brooms sweep the ideas into the muddy water of dulness. Out of consideration therefore to the reader, we will suppose ourselvesdisembarked at Louisville, with the intention of travelling inland tovisit the leviathan wonder--the would-be rival to Niagara, --yclept "TheMammoth Cave. " Its distance from Louisville is ninety-five miles. Thereis no such thing as a relay of horses to be met with--at all events, itis problematical; therefore, as the roads were execrable, we wereinformed it would take us two long days, and our informant stronglyadvised us to go by the mail, which only employs twenty-one hours tomake the ninety-five miles' journey. There was no help for it; so, witha sigh of sad expectation, I resigned myself to my fate, of which I hadexperienced a short foretaste on my way to Pittsburg. I then inquiredwhat lions the town offered to interest a traveller. I found there waslittle in that way, unless I wished to go through the pig-killing, scalding, and cutting process again; but stomach and imaginationrebelled at the bare thought of a second edition of the bloody scene, soI was fain to content myself with the novelty of the tobacco pressing;and, as tobacco is the favourite _bonbon_ of the country, I may as welldescribe the process which the precious vegetable goes through ere itmingles with the human saliva. A due admixture of whites and blacks assemble together, and, damping thetobacco, extract all the large stems and fibres, which are thencarefully laid aside ready for export to Europe, there to be cooked upfor the noses of monarchs, old maids, and all others who aspire to thehonour and glory of carrying a box--not forgetting those who carry it inthe waistcoat-pocket, and funnel it up the nose with a goose-quill. Howbeautifully simple and unanswerable is the oft-told tale, of the replyof a testy old gentleman who hated snuff as much as a certain elderlyperson is said to hate holy-water--when offered a pinch by an"extensive" young man with an elaborate gold-box. "Sir, " said theindignant patriarch, "I never take the filthy stuff! If the Almighty hadintended my nostrils for a dust-pan, he would have turned them the otherway. "--But I wander from the subject. We will leave the fibre to findits way to Europe and its noses, and follow the leaf to America and itsmouths. In another apartment niggers and whites re-pick the fibres outmore carefully, and then roll up the pure loaf in a cylindrical shape, according to the measure provided for the purpose. It is then taken toanother apartment, and placed in duly prepared compartments under astrong screw-press, by which operation it is transformed from a loosecylinder to a well squashed parallelogram. It is hard work, and theswarthy descendants of Ham look as if they were in a vapour-bath, anddoubtless bedew the leaf with superfluous heat. After the first pressing, it goes to a more artistic old negro, who, with two buckets of water--one like pea-soup, the other as dark as ifsome of his children had been boiled down in it--and armed with a spongeof most uninviting appearance, applies these liquids with mostscientific touch, thereby managing to change the colour, and marble it, darken it, or lighten it, so as to suit the various tastes. Thisoperation completed, and perspiring negroes screwing down frantically, it is forced into the box prepared for its reception, which is imbeddedin a strong iron-bound outer case during the process, to prevent themore fragile one from bursting under the pressure. All this over, andthe top fixed, a master-painter covers it with red and black paint, recording its virtues and its charms. What a pity it could not lie inits snug bed for ever! But, alas! fate and the transatlantic Anglo-Saxonhave decreed otherwise. Too short are its slumbers, too soon it burstsagain, to suffer fresh pressure under the molars of the free andenlightened, and to fall in filthy showers over the length and breadthof the land, deluging every house and every vehicle to a degree thatmust be seen to be believed, and filling the stranger with much wonder, but far more disgust. I really think it must be chewing tobacco whichmakes the Americans so much more restless, so much more like armadillosthan any other nation. It often has excited my wonder, how the moreintelligent and civilized portion of the community, who do not generallyindulge in the loathsome practice, can reconcile themselves to theannoyance of it as kindly as they do. Habit and necessity are powerfulmasters. Having finished this exhibition--which, by the way, kept me sneezing allthe time--I went next to see a steam sawing, planing, and fitting mill. Labour being very expensive, these establishments are invaluable here;such an establishment as I saw could supply, from the raw wood in logs, all the doors and window-frames of "Stafford House" in three days, barring the polish and paint. If Mr. Cubitt is not up to this machinery, this hint may be the means of making his fortune double itself in"quarter-less no time. "[M] As we knew that our journey to-morrow must beinexpressibly tedious, we beat an early retreat, requesting a cup of hottea or coffee might be ready for us half an hour before our departure. Poor simple creatures that we were, to expect such a thing! The free andenlightened get their breakfast after being two hours _en route_, andcan do without anything before starting--_ergo_, we must do the same:thus, though there were literally servants enough in the house to form asubstantial militia regiment, a cup of tea was impossible to be obtainedfor love or money. All we had for it was to bury our disappointment insleep. Soon after three the next morning we were roused from our slumbers, and, finishing our toilet, cheered our insides with an unadulterated draughtfrom the Ohio. All outside the door was dark, cheerless, solitary, andstill. Presently the silence was broken by some violent puffs from apenny trumpet. "Dat's de mayle, massa, " said a nigger in the hall, accompanying his observation with a mysterious grin, evidently meant toconvey the idea, "You'll have enough of her before you've done. " Up shecame to the door--I believe, by custom if not by grammar, a man-of-warand a mail-coach are shes--a heavy, lumbering machine, with springs, &c. , apparently intended for scaling the Rocky Mountains. The insidewas about three feet broad and five feet long, and was intended for theconvenience (?) of nine people, the three who occupied the centre seathaving a moveable leather strap to support their backs. Outside, therewas one seat by the coachman; and if the correspondence was not great, three more might sit behind the coachman, in all the full enjoyment of asplendidly cramped position. The sides of the carriage were made ofleather, and fitted with buttons, for the purpose of opening in summer. Being a nasty drizzling morning, we got inside, with our two servants, and found we had it all to ourselves. "I am sure this is comfortableenough, " observed my companion, who was one of the mildest and mostcontented of human beings. "Too good to last long, " thought I. The penny trumpet sounds, and off we go--not on our journey, but allover the town to the different hotels, to pick up live freight. Iheartily hoped they might all oversleep themselves that morning. Alas!no such luck. Jonathan and a weasel are two animals that are very rarelycaught napping. Passengers kept coming in until we were six, and"comfortable enough" became a misnomer. A furious blast of the tin tube, with a few spicy impromptu variations, portended something important, and, as we pulled up, we saw it was the post-office; but, murder ofmurders! we saw four more passengers! One got up outside; another wasfollowing; Jarvey stopped him, with--"I guess there aint no room up herefor you; the mail's a-coming here. " The door opened, --the three dampbodkins in line commenced their assault, --the last came between mycompanion and myself, I could not see much of him, it was so dark;but--woe is me!--there are other senses besides sight, and myunfortunate nostrils drank in a most foetid polecatty odour, everincreasing as he drew nearer and nearer. Room to sit there was none;but, at the blast of the tube, the rattle over the pitty pavement soonshook the obnoxious animal down between us, squeezing the poisonousexhalation out of him at each successive jolt. As dawn rose, we saw hewas a German, and doubtless the poor fellow was very hard-up for money, and had been feeding for some time past on putrid pork. As for his hideand his linen, it would have been an unwarrantable tax upon his memoryto have asked him when they had last come in contact with soap andwater. My stomach felt like the Bay of Biscay in an equinoctial gale, and I heartily wished I could have dispensed with the two holes at thebottom of my nose. I dreaded asking how far he was going; but anotherpassenger--under the influence of the human nosegay he was constrainedto inhale--summed up the courage to pop the question, and received areply which extinguished in my breast the last flickering ray of Hope'sdim taper--"Sair, I vosh go to Nashveele. " Only conceive the horror ofbeing squashed into such a neighbour for twenty-one long hours, and overa road that necessarily kept jerking the unwashed and polecatty headinto your face ten times in a minute! Who that has bowels of compassionbut must commiserate me in such "untoward circumstances?" Although we had left the hotel at four, it was five before we left thetown, and about seven before we unpacked for breakfast, nine miles outof town. The stench of my neighbour had effectually banished all idea ofeating or drinking from my mind; so I walked up and down outside, smoking my cigar, and thinking "What can I do?" At last, the bright ideastruck me--I will get in next time with my cigar; what if we are nineherrings in the barrel?--everybody smokes in this country--they won'tobject--and I think, by keeping the steam well up, I can neutralize alittle of the polecat. So when the time came for starting, I got my bigcigar-case, &c. , out on my knees--as getting at your pockets, when oncepacked, was impossible--and entering boldly with my weed at highpressure, down I sat. We all gradually shook into our places. Very soona passenger looked me steadily in the face; he evidently was going tospeak; I quailed inwardly, dreading he was going to object to the smellof smoke. Oh, joyous sight! a cigar appeared between his fingers, andthe re-assuring words came forth--"A light, sir, if you please. " I nevergave one more readily in my life. Gradually, passenger after passengerproduced cigars; the aroma filled the coach, and the fragrance of theweed triumphed over the foetor of the polecat. Six insides out of ninehard at it, and four of them with knock-me-down Virginia tobacco, thesingle human odour could not contend against such powerful odds; as wellmight a musquito sneeze against thunder. I always loved a cigar; buthere I learnt its true value in a desperate emergency. On we went, puffing, pumping, and jolting, till at last we came to astand on the banks of a river. As there was a reasonable probability ofthe mail shooting into the stream on its descent, we were told to getout, on doing which we found ourselves pleasantly situated about a footdeep in mud; the mail got down safe into an open ferry-boat with twooars, and space for passengers before the horses or behind the coach. The ferry was but for a few minutes, and we then had to ascend anotherbank of mud, at the top of which we retook our seats in the mail, bringing with us in the aggregate, about a hundredweight of fine claysoil, with which additional cargo we continued our journey. One o'clockbrought us to Elizabeth Town, and dinner; the latter was very primitive, tough, and greasy. Once more we entered our cells, and continued our route, the bad roadgetting worse and worse, rarely allowing us to go out of a walk. Two ofour fellow-passengers managed to make themselves as offensive aspossible. They seemed to be travelling bagmen of the lowest class. Conversation they had none, but by way of appearing witty, they keptrepeating over and over again some four or five stories, laughing at oneanother's tales, which were either blasphemous or beastly--so much so, that I would most willingly have compounded for two more human polecatsin lieu of them. I must say, that although all classes mix together inpublic conveyances, this was the first time I had ever found peopleconduct themselves in so disgusting a manner. We soon came to anotherriver, and getting out, enjoyed a second mud walk, bringing in with usas before a rich cargo of clay soil; and after a continuous andincreasing jolting, which threatened momentary and universaldislocation, we arrived, after a drive of twenty-one hours, at ourjourney's end--i. E. , at "Old Bell's, " so called from the proprietor ofthe inn. Here we were to pass the night, or rather the remainder of it, the mail going on to Nashville, and taking our foetid bodkin on with it. But, alas! the two more disagreeable passengers before alluded toremained, as they had suddenly made up their minds to stay and visit theMammoth Cave. Old Bell is a venerable specimen of seventy odd years of age, and hasbeen here, I believe, half a century nearly. One of his daughters, I amtold, is very pretty. She is married to a senator of the United States, and keeps one of the most agreeable houses in Washington. The oldgentleman is said to be worth some money, but he evidently is determinedto die in harness. As regularly as the mail arrives, about one in themorning, so regularly does he turn out and welcome the passengers with aglass of mixed honey, brandy, and water. The beverage and the donorreminded me forcibly of "Old Crerer, " and the "Athole Brose, " with whichhe always welcomed those who visited him in his Highland cottage. Havinggot beds to ourselves--after repeated requests to roost two in a nest, as the house was small--I soon tumbled into my lair, and in the blessedforgetfulness of sleep the miseries of the day became mingled with thethings that were. The next morning, after breakfast, we got a conveyanceto take the party over to the Cave, a distance of seven miles. One mayreally say there is no road. For at least one half of the way there isnothing but a rugged track of rock and roots of trees, ever threateningthe springs of the carriage and the limbs of the passenger withfrightful fractures. However, by walking over the worst of it, youprotect the latter and save the former, thus rendering accidents of rareoccurrence. The hotel is a straggling building, chiefly ground floor, and with averandah all round. The air is deliriously pure, and in summer it mustbe lovely. It is situated on a plateau, from the extremity of which thebank descends to the Green River. On both sides is the wild forest, andround the giant trunks the enamoured vine twines itself with theaffectionate pertinacity of a hungry boa-constrictor, and boars its headin triumph to the topmost branches. But vegetable life is not like aVenus who, "when unadorned, is adorned the most;" and, the forest havingcast off its summer attire, presents an uninviting aspect in the coldnudity of winter. When the virgin foliage of spring appears, and ripensinto the full verdure of summer, the shade of these banks must bedelicious; the broad-leaved and loving vine extending its matrimonialembrace as freely and universally through the forest as Joe Smith andhis brethren do theirs among the ladies at the Salt Lake; and whenautumn arrives, with those gorgeous glowing tints unknown to the OldWorld, the scene must be altogether lovely; then the admirer of nature, floating between the banks on the light-green bosom of the stream below, and watching the ever-changing tints, as the sun dropped softly into hiscouch in the west, would enjoy a feast that memory might in vain try toexhaust itself in recalling. There are guides appointed who provide lanterns and torches for visitorswho wish to examine the Mammoth Cave; and its interior is such alabyrinth, that, without their aid, the task would be a dangerous one. Rough clothing is provided at the hotel, the excursion being one ofscramble and difficulty. Thus prepared, we started on our exploring expedition, passing at theentry the remnants of old saltpetre works, which were established hereduring the struggle at New Orleans. The extent of this cave would rendera detail tedious, as there are comparatively few objects of interest. The greatest marvel is a breed of small white fish without eyes, severalof which are always to be seen. Like all similar places, it varies insize in the most arbitrary manner. At one minute you are struggling forspace, and suddenly you emerge upon a Gothic-looking hall, full ofgracefully pendent stalactites. Again you proceed along corridors, atone time lofty, at another threatening your head, if pride do not giveway to humility. Then you come to rivers, of which there are two. At onetime you are rowing under a magnificent vault, and then, anon, you areforced to lie flat down in the boat, or leave your head behind you, asyou float through a passage, the roof whereof grazes the gunwale of theboat. My guide informed me that there was a peculiarity in these riversnobody could satisfactorily account for, viz. , that the more it rained, the lower these waters fell. I expect the problem resembled that whichis attributed to King Charles, viz. , "How it was, that if a dead fishwas put into a vessel full of water it immediately overflowed, but that, if a live fish was put in, it did not do so;" and I have some suspicionthe solution is the same in both cases. Among other strange places, isone which rejoices in the name of "Fat Man's Misery. " At one minute thefeet get fixed as in the stocks; at another, the upper portion of thebody is called upon to make a right angle with the lower; even then, aprojecting point of the rock above will sometimes prod you upon theupturned angle, in endeavouring to save which, by a too rapid act ofhumility, you knock all the skin off the more vulnerable knee. Emergingfrom this difficulty, and, perhaps, rising too hastily, a crack on thehead closes your eyes, filling them with a vision of forked lightning. Recovering from this agreeable sensation, you find a gap like the edgeof a razor, in going through which, you feel the buttons of yourwaistcoat rubbing against your backbone. It certainly would be no badhalf-hour's recreation to watch a rotund Lord Mayor, followed by a courtof aldermen to match, forcing their way through this pass after a turtledinner. The last place I shall mention is the one which, to me, afforded thegreatest pleasure: it is a large hall, in which, after being placed in aparticular position, the guide retires to a distance, taking with himall the lights; and knowing by experience what portion of them toconceal, bids you, when he is ready, look overhead. In a few seconds ithas the appearance of the sky upon a dark night; but, as the eye becomesaccustomed to the darkness, small spots are seen like stars; and theykeep increasing till the vaulted roof has the appearance of a lovelystar-light night. I never saw a more pleasing or perfect illusion. Itwould be difficult to estimate correctly the size of the Mammoth Cave. The American gazetteers say it extends ten or twelve miles, and haslateral branches, which, altogether, amount to forty miles. It is, Iimagine, second in size only to the Cacuhuainilpa, in Mexico, which, ifthe accounts given are accurate, would take half a dozen such as theMammoth inside. I fear it is almost superfluous to inform the reader, that the Anglo-Saxon keeps up his unenviable character for disfiguringevery place he visits; and you consequently see the names of Smith, Brown, Snooks, &c. , smoked on the rocks in all directions--anappropriate sooty record of a barbarous practice. [N] Having enjoyed two days in exploring this "gigantic freak of Nature, "we commenced our return about half-past four in the afternoon, so as toget over the break-neck track before dark. Old Bell[O] welcomed us asusual with his honey, brandy, and water. He then prepared us somedinner, as we wished to snatch a few hours' sleep before commencing ourreturn to Louisville, with its twenty-one hours of pleasure. Abouthalf-past ten at night, a blast in the breeze, mixed with a confusedslushy sound, as sixteen hoofs plashed in the mud, rang the knell in ourears, "Your time has come!" I anxiously looked as the mail pulled up inthe middle of the road opposite to the door--they always allow thepassengers the privilege of wading through the mud to the door of theinn--to see if by any chance it was empty, having been told that but fewpeople comparatively travelled the back route--no wonder, if they couldhelp it. Alas! the steam on the window announced, with fatal certainty, some humanities inside. The door opened; out they came, one, two, three, four. It was a small coach, with three seats, having only space for twopersons on each, thus leaving places inside for my friend and myself. "Any room outside, there?" "Room for one, sir!" There was no help for it, and we were therefore obliged to leave oneservant behind, to follow next night. Horses changed, honey-toddy all drank, in we got into the centre seat. "What is this all round?" "Thick drugget, sir; they nail it round inwinter to keep the cold out. "--Thank Heaven, it is only nailed at thebottom. Suffocation began; down goes my window. Presently asixteen-stone kind of overgrown Pickwickian "Fat Boy, " sitting oppositeme, exclaims aloud, with a polar shudder, "Ugh! it's very cold!" andfinding I was inattentive, he added, "Don't you find it very cold?" "Me, sir? I'm nearly fainting from heat, " I replied; and then, in charity, Ilent him a heavy full-sized Inverness plaid, in which he speedilyenveloped his fat carcass. What with the plaids, and his five inchesdeep of fat, his bones must have been in a vapour bath. The other_vis-à-vis_ was a source of uneasiness to me on a different score. Hekept up a perpetual expectorating discharge; and, as my open windowwas the only outlet, and it did not come that way, I naturally feltanxious for my clothes. Daylight gradually dawned upon the scene, andthen the ingenuity of my friend was made manifest in a way calculated tomove any stomach not hardened by American travelling. Whenever he hadexpressed the maximum quantity of juice from the tobacco, the druggetlining was moved sufficiently for him to discharge his cargo against theinside of the carriage; after which, the drugget was replaced, and theeffect of the discharge concealed thereby. This drugget lining must havebeen invaluable to him; for upon another occasion, it did duty for apocket-handkerchief. I must say, that when I saw the otherwiserespectable appearance of the culprit, his filthy practices astoundedme. Behind us were two gentlemen who were returning to Louisville, andwhom we found very agreeable. We stopped for breakfast at a wayside pot-house sort of place; but, before feasting, we wanted to wash ourselves. The conveniences for thatpurpose were a jug, a basin, and a piece of soap, on a bench in the opencourt, which, as it was raining pretty smartly, was a very ingeniousmethod of dissuasion, particularly as your pocket-handkerchief, or thesleeve of your shirt, had to supply the place of a towel. The meal wasas dissuasive as the washing arrangements, and I was glad when thetrumpet summoned us to coach. I made an effort to sleep, for whichpurpose I closed my eyes, but in vain; however, the expectorating_vis-à-vis, _ who was also a chilly bird, thought he had caught menapping, and said to his fat neighbour, --"I say, the old gentleman'sasleep, pull up the window. " The fat 'un did so, and I kept perfectlyquiet. In a few minutes I began to breathe heavily, and then, awaking asit were with a groan, I complained of suffocation, and, dashing down thewindow, poked out my head and panted for fresh air: they were very civilall the rest of the journey, and never asked for the window to be shutagain. In the course of the day, I found out that the fat boy oppositewas connected with a circus company, and from him I gleaned something oftheir history, which I hope may not be uninteresting to the reader. Each company has a puffer, or advertiser, who is sent on a week beforethe company, to get bills printed, and see them posted up anddistributed to the best advantage, in the places at which the companyintend to perform. This was the fat boy's occupation, and for it hereceived eight pounds a month and his travelling expenses. His company consisted of seventy-five bipeds and one hundred andtwenty-five quadrupeds. Of the bipeds, twelve were performers, two beingwomen; the pay varied from sixteen pounds a month to the chief Amazonianlady, down as low as five pounds a month to the least efficient of thecorps. They work all the year round, sucking their cents from the Northin summer, and from the South in winter. They carry everything withthem, except it may be fuel and provisions. Each has his special dutyappointed. After acting at night they retire to their tents to sleep, and the proper people take the circus-tent down, and start at once forthe next place they are to appear at; the performers and their tent-menrise early in the morning, and start so as to reach the ground abouteleven; they then rest and prepare, so as to be ready, after the peopleof the village have dined, to give their first performance; then theyrest and refresh ready for their evening repetition. Some companies usedto make their own gas, but experience has proved that wax-lights aresweeter and cheaper in the long run, so gas making is nearly exploded. After this second performance they retire to rest; the circus tent-menstrike and pack the tent, then start off for the next place ofexhibition, the actors and their tents following as before mentioned:thus they go on throughout the year, bipeds and quadrupeds scarcely everentering a house. There are numbers of these circus companies in the States, of which thelargest is the one to which Van Amburgh is attached, and which, the fatboy told me, is about three times the size of his own--Van Amburghtaking always upwards of a dozen cages of his wild beasts. The work, hesays, is very hard, but the money comes in pretty freely, which I canreadily believe, as the bump of Inquisitiveness grows here with aluxuriance unknown elsewhere, and is only exceeded by its sister bump ofAcquisitiveness, which two organs constitute audience and actors. I give you no account of scenery on the road for two reasons: first, because there are no striking features to relieve the alternations ofrude cultivation and ruder forest; and secondly, because in winter, Nature being despoiled of the life-giving lines of herbage and foliage, a sketch of dreariness would be all that truth could permit. I willtherefore beg you to consider the twenty-one hours past, and Louisvillereached in safety, where hot tea and "trimmings"--as the astute youngSamivel hath it--soon restored us from the fatigues of a snail-pacedjourney, over the most abominable road a man can imagine, although it isthe mail route between the flourishing towns of Louisville andNashville. Should any ambitious spirit feel a burning desire to visitthe Mammoth Cave, let me advise him to slake the said flame with thewaters of Patience, and take for his motto--"I bide my time. " Snoringhas been the order of the day in these parts for many years; but thekettle-screaming roads of the North have at last disturbed the Southernslumberers, and, like giants refreshed, they are now working vigorouslyat their own kettle, which will soon hiss all the way from Louisville toNashville. Till then, I say, Patience. --One of our companions in thestage very kindly offered to take us to the club, which is newly formedhere, and which, if not large, is very comfortable. I mention this asone among the many instances which have occurred to me while travellingin this country, of the desire exhibited by the better classes to showcivility and attention to any gentleman who they observe is a strangeramong them. The following morning we were obliged to continue our route, for whichpurpose it was necessary to embark two miles below the town, as theriver was not high enough to allow the steamers to pass over a kind ofbar called "The Falls. " The road was one continuous bog of foot-deepmud, but that difficulty concerned the horses, and they got over it withperfect ease, despite the heavy drag. Once more we were floating downthe Ohio, and, curiously enough, in, another "Franklin;" but she couldnot boast of such a massive cylindrical stewardess as her sisterpossessed. A host of people, as usual, were gathered round the bar, drinking, smoking, and arguing. Jonathan is "first-chop" at an argument. Two of them were hard at it as I walked up. Says the Colonel--"I tell you, Major, it is more than a hundred miles. " Major--"Well, but I tell you, Colonel, it aint not no such thing. " Colonel--"But, sir'ree, I know it is. " Judge--"Well, Colonel, I tell you what it is; I reckon you're wrong. " Colonel--getting evidently excited--"No, sir'ree, I aint, and, "--holdingout a brawny hand capable of scrunching a nine-pound shot into infantpap--"darned if I wont lay you, or any other gentleman, six Kentuckyniggers to a julep I'm right. " After offering these tremendous odds, he travelled his fiery eagle eyesfrom the major to the judge, and from the judge to the major, toascertain which of them would have it; and as they were silent, heextended the radius of his glance to the company around, chucking hishead, and looking out of the corner of his eye, from time to time, towards major and judge with a triumphant sneer, as much as to say, "I've fixed you, anyhow. " The argument was over; whether the major andthe judge were right about the distance, or not, I cannot decide; but ifthe bet, when accepted, had to be ratified in the grasp of the muscularhand which the colonel extended, they were decidedly right in notaccepting it, as some painful surgical operation must have followed sucha crushing and dislocation as his gripe inevitably portended. I would assoon have put my hand between the rollers of a cane-press. The feeding arrangements for the humanities on board were, ifdisagreeable, sufficiently amusing once in a way. A table extends nearlythe whole length of the gentlemen's saloon; on each side are ranged lowwooden straight-back arm-chairs, of a breadth well suited for the ghost_qui n'avait pas de quoi_. But the unfortunate man who happened to bevery well supplied therewith, ran considerable risk of finding the chaira permanent appendage. At the sound of the bell, all the seats beingarranged opposite the respective places, the men rush forward and placethemselves behind the said chairs, and, like true cavaliers, stand theretill the ladies are seated. I was standing waiting among the rest, andgetting impatient as time flew on. One lady had not yet arrived. At lastthe steward came with the said article on his arm, and having depositedher in the seat nearly opposite mine, at a knowing wink from him, asecond steward sounded another bell, and the men dropped into theirseats like magic. Soup having been already served, the spoons rattledaway furiously. I was wondering who the lady--all females are ladieshere--could be, for whom we had been so long waiting, and who hadeventually come in with the steward, or gentleman--all men are gentlemenhere--in so friendly a manner. She did not appear burdened with anyrefined manners, but, judge of my astonishment when, after she had gotquit of her soup-plate and was waiting for her next helping, I observedthe lady poking the point of her knife into a sweet dish near her, andsucking off the precious morsel she had captured, which interestingoperation she kept repeating till her roast turkey arrived. There was anair of such perfect innocence about her, as she was employed in thesucking process, that you could not help feeling she was unconscious anyeye fixed upon her could find her occupation offensive or extraordinary. A gentleman seated near me next attracted my attention. They had helpedhim to a piece of meat the size and shape of a Holborn-hillpaving-stone. How insulted he must be at having his plate filled in thatway. Look! look! how he seizes vegetable after vegetable, building hisplate all round, like a fortification, the junk of beef in the middleforming the citadel. It would have taken Napoleon a whole day to havecaptured such a fortress; but, remember, poor Napoleon did not belong tothe nation that can "whip creation. " See how Jonathan batters downbastion after bastion! Now he stops!--his piercing eye scrutinizesaround!--a pie is seen! With raised body and lengthened arm, he pounceson it, and drags it under the guns of his fortress. Knives and forks arescarce--his own will do very well. A breach is made--the pastry parapetis thrown at the foot of the half-demolished citadel; spoons are not athand, the knife plunges into the abyss, the fork follows--'tis a chickenpie--pillage ensues; all the white meat is captured, the dish is raisedon high, from the horizontal it is turned to the "slantindicular, " andthe citadel is deluged in the shower. "Catch who can, " is not confinedto school-boys, I see. I was curious to witness the end of this attack, and, as he had enough to occupy his ivories for half an hour--if theydid not give in before--I turned quietly to my own affairs, and beganeating my dinner; but, curiosity is impatient. In a few minutes, Iturned back to gaze on the fortress. By Jupiter Tonans! the plate laybefore him, clean as if a cat had licked it; and, having succeeded incapturing another plate, he was organizing on this new plateau variousbattalions of sweets, for which he skirmished around with incomparableskill. The parade-ground being full, I expected to see an instant attack; buthe was too knowing to be caught napping in that way. He looked around, and with a masterly eye scanned apples, oranges, and nuts. The twoformer he selected with great judgment; the latter he brought home inquantities sufficient to secure plenty of good ones. Then pouncing upona pair of nutcrackers, and extending them like a chevaux-de-frise roundhis prizes, he began his onslaught upon the battalion of sweets beforehim. The great general now set seriously to work. Scarce had he commenced, when an innocent young man, who had finished his sweets and wasmeditating an attack on some nuts, espied the crackers lying idle beforethe gastronomic general, and said, "Will you lend me the nutcrackers, sir?" The great general raised his head, and gave the youth one of thosepiercing looks with which Napoleon used to galvanize all askers ofimpertinent questions. The youth, understanding the refusal conveyed inthat terrible glance, had however enough courage to add, "You don't wantthem, sir!" This was too much to bear in silence; so he replied withawful distinctness, "But I reckon I shall, sir!" Then dropping his headto the original position, he balanced a large piece of pumpkin-pie onthe point of his knife, and gallantly charged with it down his throat. Poor youth! a neighbour relieved his distress, and saved his ivories. Nearly a quarter of an hour has elapsed; dinner is all over, the nutsare all cracked and put in the pockets, and away the company go eitherto the other end of the saloon, where the stove is placed, round whichthey eat their nuts and smoke their cigars, or to drink at the bar. Whenthe smoking is over, clasp-knives are opened. Don't be alarmed; there isno bloodshed intended, although half a dozen people strolling about withthese weapons may appear ominous. Watch their faces; the lower part oftheir cheeks goes in with high-sucking pressure, then swells again, andthe active tongue sweeps with restless energy along and around theivory barriers within its range. In vain--in vain it strives todispossess the intruders; rebellious particles of nut burrow deepbetween the ivories, like rabbits in an old stone dike. The knife comesto the rescue, and, plunging fearlessly into the dark abyss, the victoryis won. Then the victors commence chewing _à l'outrance, _ andexpectorate on the red-hot stove, till it hisses like a steam-engine, orelse they deluge the floor until there is no alternative but thick shoesor damp feet. The fumes of every known alcohol exhale from the bar, andmix with the head-bursting fragrance of the strongest "Warginny. " Someseek safety in flight; others luxuriate in the poisonous atmosphere, andscream out, like deeply-injured men, if any door by chance be left open. Behold! the table is laid again for dinner; piles of food keep comingin; the company arrive--some in coats, some in waistcoats only; some incoloured shirts, some in red flannel shirts; one, with sleeves turned upto the elbow. "Who on earth are these?" I ask, in my ignorance. "Oh!those, I guess, are the officers of the ship. " Truly, they are "free, "but whether "enlightened" also I had no opportunity of ascertaining. Ashort ten minutes, and they are all scattered, and the piles of foodwith them. Once more I look, and, behold! the table is again preparing. Who can this be for? Doubts are speedily solved, as a mixture of niggersand whites sit down to the festive hoard; it is the boys--_alias_waiters--whose turn has come at last. Their meal over, the spare leavesof the table are removed, half a dozen square tables dot the centre lineof the saloon, and all is comparatively quiet. This process takes placeat every meal--8 A. M. , 1 P. M. , and 5 P. M. --with the most rigidpunctuality. Fancy my distress one evening, when, on opening my cabin-door, I behelda fellow-creature doubled up at the entry of the door opposite. Ithought the poor sufferer had a fit of cholera, and I was expecting eachinstant to hear his screams; but hearing nothing, I examined the personin question more minutely. It was merely a gentleman, who haddispossessed himself of his jacket, waistcoat, trousers, and boots, notforgetting his stockings; and then deliberately planting his chair inthe open entry of the door, and gathering up one foot on the seatthereof, was amusing himself by cutting and picking the hornyexcrescences of his pedal digits, for the benefit of the passengers inthe gentlemen's saloon; and, unfortunately, you could not be sure thathis hands would be washed before he sat next to you at breakfast in themorning, --for I can testify that I have, over and over again, sat nextto people, on these Western waters, whose hands were scarce fit to takecoals out of a scuttle. There is nothing I have here set down but what actually passed under myown eye. You will, of course, find gentlemen on board, and many whosemanners there is nothing to complain of, and whose conversation is bothinstructive and amusing; but you evidently are liable to find others torealize the picture I have given of scenes in the gentlemen's saloon, and, unless you have some acquaintance among the ladies, their saloon isas sacred from a gentleman as the Sultan's harem. And whence comes allthis, except from that famous bugbear "equality?" Is there any realgentleman throughout the Empire State who would, in his heart, approveof this ridiculous hustling together of well-bred and ill-bred? But itpleases the masses, and they must submit to this incongruous herding andfeeding, like the hungry dogs of a "Dotheboys Hall" kennel. It may be useful information for the traveller, and is only fair to theMississippi boat proprietors, to observe, that if you succeed in gettinga passage in a perfectly new boat, there is always more care, moresafety, better living, and better company. In all the boats there is onebrush and comb for the use of the passengers. By the aid of steam and stream, we at last reached Cairo, which is onthe southern bank of the Ohio and the eastern of the Mississippi; itsadvantageous position has not passed unnoticed, but much money has beenthrown away upon it, owing to the company's not sitting down andcounting the cost before they began. There can be no question that, geographically, it is _par excellence_ the site for the largest inlandtown of America, situated as it is at the confluence of the two giantarteries; and not merely is its position so excellent but mountains ofcoal are in its neighbourhood. The difficulty which has to be contendedagainst is the inundation of these rivers. Former speculators built uplevees; but either from want of pluck or purse, they were inefficientlyconstructed; the Mississippi overflowed them and overwhelmed thespeculators. Latterly, however, another company has taken the task inhand, and having sufficient capital, it embraces the coal mines as wellas the site, &c. , of the new town, to which the coal will of course bebrought by rail, and thus be enabled to supply the steamers on bothrivers at the cheapest rate, and considerably less than one-third theprice of wood; and if the indefatigable Swede's calorie-engine shouldever become practicable, every steamer will easily carry sufficient coalfrom Cairo to last till her return; in short, I think it requires noprophetic eye to foresee that Cairo in fifty years, if the Unioncontinues, will be one of the greatest, most important, and mostflourishing inland towns in America; and curiously enough, this effectwill be essentially brought about by the British capital embarked in theenterprise. A few hours' run up the river brought us to St. Louis, whose nose, Iprophesy, is to be put out of joint by Cairo some future day. Nevertheless, what a wonderful place is this same St. Louis; its rapidincrease is almost as extraordinary as that of Cincinnati, and perhapsmore so, when you consider, not only that it is further west by hundredsof miles, but that it has to contend with the overflowing of theMississippi, which has, on more than one occasion, risen to the firstfloor of the houses and stores built on the edge of the levee;fortunately, the greater part of the town, being built on higher ground, escapes the ruinous periodical duckings. It is situated seven hundredand fifty miles below the falls of St. Anthony, and twelve hundred milesabove New Orleans. Le Clede and his party appreciated the value of its position as early as1764, and named it in honour of Louis the Fifteenth. Subsequently it wastransferred to the Spaniards, in 1768: however, it made but littleprogress until it passed into the hands of the United States, in 1804. The energy of the American character soon changed the face of affairs, and there are now 3000 steam-boats arriving annually, which I believe tobe a greater number than there were inhabitants at the date of itscession to them. But the more active impulse seems to have commenced in1830, at which time the population was under 7000, since which date ithas so rapidly increased, that in 1852 its population was bordering on100, 000. The natives of the United States form about one-half of thecommunity, and those of Germany one-fourth; the remainder are chieflyIrish. There are twenty newspapers, of which four are published inGerman. There are forty churches, one-fourth of which are RomanCatholic, and a liberal provision is made for education; the materialprosperity of this thriving community is evidenced by the fact, that theannual value of the produce of their manufacturing-establishmentsexceeds 3, 000, 000l. ; flour-mills, sugar refineries, and carpenters, contributing more largely than other occupations; after which come thetailors, thanks probably to the Germans, who appear to have a strongpredilection for this trade, at which there are more hands employed thanat any other. FOOTNOTES: [Footnote M: Messrs. Wallis and Whitworth, in their Report on theIndustry of the United States, remark at Chapter V. --"In no branch ofmanufacture does the application of labour-saving machinery produce, bysimple means, more important results than in the working of wood. "] [Footnote N: Since my return to England, I have seen it asserted, by acorrespondent in the _Morning Chronicle_, that Colonel Crogan, ofLouisville, purchased this cave for 2000l. , and that, shortly after, he was offered 20, 000l. For his bargain. It is further stated that, in his will, he tied it up in his family for two generations. If thislatter be true, it proves that entails are not quite unknown even in theDemocratic Republic. ] [Footnote O: I have heard, since my return to England, that old Mr. Bellis dead. ] CHAPTER X. _River Scenes_. I felt very anxious to make an excursion from St. Louis, and get alittle shooting, either to the north-west or down near Cairo, wherethere are deer; but my companion was dying to get to New Orleans, andstrongly urged me not to delay, "fiddling after sport. " I always lookedupon myself as a model of good-natured easiness, ever ready to sacrificeself for a friend; but I have been told by some intimates, that such isnot my character, and some have even said, "You're a obstinate follow. "If they were wrong, I suffered enough for my easiness; if they wereright, I must have yielded the only time that I ought to have been firm;at all events, I gave up my shooting expedition, which I had intended tooccupy the time with till a first-class boat started for New Orleans;and, in an evil hour, I allowed myself to be inveigled on board the"Western World. " The steam was up, and we were soon bowling down theleviathan artery of the North American continent. Why the said arteryshould keep the name of the Mississippi, I cannot explain; for, not onlyis the Missouri the larger river above the confluence, but theMississippi is a clear stream, with solid, and, in some instances, granite-bound shores, and perfectly free from "snags;" whereas theMissouri has muddy banks, and revels in snags, which, as many have sadlyexperienced, is the case with the stream on which they are bornethroughout its whole length, thereby fully evincing its true parentage, and painfully exhibiting its just right to be termed Missouri; but therights of men and women are difficult enough to settle, without enteringinto the rights of rivers, although from them, as from men and women, flow both good and evil. A truce to rights, then, especially in this"Far West, " where every one is obliged to maintain his own for himself. This river is one of the places assigned as the scene of theconversation between the philosopher and the boatman--a tale so old, that it had probably died out before some of my younger readers wereborn; I therefore insert it for their benefit exclusively. --Aphilosopher, having arrived at a ferry, entered a boat, rowed by one ofthose rare articles in this enlightened Republic--a man without anyeducation. PHILOSOPHER _(loquitur). _--Can you write? BOATMAN. --I guess I can't. PHILOSOPHER. --How sad! why, you've lost one-third of your life! Ofcourse you can read? BOATMAN, --Well, I guess I can't that neither. PHILOSOPHER. --Good gracious me! why, you've lost two-thirds of yourlife. When the conversation had proceeded thus far, the boatman discoveredthat, in listening to his learned passenger, he had neglected thatvigilance which the danger of the river rendered indispensable. Thestream was hurrying them into a most frightful snag; escape washopeless; so the boatman opened the conversation with this startlingquestion: BOATMAN. --Can you swim, sir? PHILOSOPHER. --No, that I can't. BOATMAN. --Then, I guess, you've lost all your life. Ere the sentence was finished, the boat upset; the sturdy rowerstruggled manfully, and reached the shore in safety. On looking round, nought was to be seen of the philosopher save his hat, floating down toNew Orleans. The boatman sat down on the bank, reflecting on the fate ofthe philosopher; and, as the beaver disappeared in the bend of theriver, he rose up and gave vent to his reflections in the followingterms: "I guess that gentleman was never taught much of the useful;learning is a good thing in its place, but I guess swimming is the thingon the Mississippi, fix it how you will. " As I have alluded to that _rara avis_ in the United States, a totallyuneducated man, I may as well give an amusing specimen of the productionof another Western, whose studies were evidently in their infancy. It isa certificate of marriage, and runs thus:-- "State of Illenois Peoria County ss "To all the world Greeting. Know ye that John Smith and Peggy Myres is hereby certified to go together and do as old folks does, anywhere inside coperas precinct, and when my commission comes I am to marry em good, and date em back to _kivver accidents_. "O---- M---- R---- [ss] "Justice of the Peace. " Let us now return to the "Western World. " Having committed the indiscretion of taking my passage on board of her, the next step I took--i. E. , paying for it--was worse, and proclaimedme a griffin. The old stagers know these waters too well to think ofpaying before they are at, or about, the end of their journey. Having, however, both taken and paid for my passage, and committed what oldmaids and sailors would call the audacious folly of starting upon aFriday, I may as well give you a description of the boat. The river at many places and in many seasons being very low, thesesteamers are built as light as possible; in short, I believe they arebuilt as light as any company can be found to insure them. Above thenatural load-line they flam out like the rim of a washing-basin, so asto give breadth for the superstructure; on the deck is placed the engineand appurtenances, fuel, &c. ; whatever is not so occupied is forfreight. This deck is open all round, and has pillars placed atconvenient distances, about fifteen to twenty feet high, to support thecabin deck. The cabin deck is occupied in the centre by a saloon, extending nearly the whole length of the vessel, with sleepingcabins--two beds in each--opening off it on both sides. The saloon isentered from forward; about one-third of its length at the after-end isshut off by doors, forming the ladies' sanctum, which is provided withsofas, arm-chairs, piano, &c. ; about one-fifth of the length at theforemost-end, but not separated in any way, is the smoking-place, withthe bar quite handy, and the stove in the centre. The floor of thisplace may with propriety be termed the great expectorating deposit, owing to the inducements it offers for centralization, though, ofcourse, no creek or cranny of the vessel is free from this Americantobacco-tax--if I may presume so to dignify and designate it. Havingthus taken off one-third and one-fifth, the remaining portion is the"gentlemen's share"--how many 'eenths it may be, I leave to fractionalcalculators. Their average size is about sixteen feet broad, and fromseven and a half to eight and a half feet high; the centre part isfurther raised about eighteen inches, having glass along the sidesthereof, to give light; they are always well painted and elaboratelygilt--in some vessels, such as the "Eclipse, " of Louisville, they arequite gorgeous. The cabins are about six feet by seven, the same heightas the saloon, and lit by a door on the outside part, the upper portionof which is glass, protected, if required, by folding _jalousies_, intended chiefly for summer use. Outside these cabins a gallery runsround, covered at the top, and about four feet broad, and with entriesto the main cabin on each side. The box which covers the paddle-wheel, &c. , helps to make a break in this gallery, separating the gentlemenfrom the ladies. Some boats have a narrow passage connecting the two galleries, butfitted with a _grille_ door, to prevent intrusion into the haremgallery; before, the paddle-box, on one side, is the steward's pantry, and on the other, that indispensable luxury to an American, the barber'sshop; where, at all hours of the day, the free and enlightened, mountedon throne-like chairs and lofty footstools, stretch their carcases atfull length, to enjoy the tweaking of their noses and the scraping oftheir chins, by the artistic nigger who officiates. This distinguishedofficial is also the solo dispenser of the luxury of oysters, upon whichfish the Anglo-Saxon in this hemisphere is intensely ravenous. It looksfunny enough to a stranger, to see a notice hung up (generally near thebar), "Oysters to be had in the barber's saloon. " Everything is saloonin America. Above this saloon deck, and its auxiliaries of barber-shop, gallery, &c. , is the hurricane-deck, whereon is a small collection ofcabins for the captain, pilots, &c. --there are always two of the latter, and their pay each, the captain told me, is forty pounds a month--andtowering above these cabins is the wheel-house, lit all round by largewindows, whence all orders to the engineers are readily transmitted bythe sound of a good bell. The remainder of the deck--which is, infact, only the roof of the saloon-cabins and gallery--is open to allthose who feel disposed to admire distant views under the soothinginfluence of an eternal shower of wood-cinders and soot. These vesselsvary in breadth from thirty-five to fifty feet, and from one hundred andfifty to--the "Eclipse"--three hundred and sixty-five feet in length;the saloons extending the whole length, except about thirty feet at eachend. They have obtained the name of "palace-steamers, " and at a _coupd'oeil_ they appear to deserve it, for they are grand and imposing, bothoutside and inside; but many an European who has travelled in them willagree with me in the assertion, that they might, with more propriety, betermed "palace sepulchres;" not merely from the loss of life to whichtheir constant disasters give rise, but also from the contrast betweenthe grandeur outside and the uncleanliness within, of which latter Ihave already given a sketch in my trip from Louisville. Some idea may be formed of their solidity, when I tell you they are onlycalculated to last five years; but at the end of three, it is generallyadmitted that they have paid for themselves, with good interest. I giveyou this, on the information derived from a captain who was sole owner, and I have also heard many others repeat the same thing; and yet the"Eclipse" cost 120, 000 dollars, or about 25, 000l. In the saloon youwill always see an account of the goodness of the hull and the soundnessof the boilers hung up, and duly attested by the proper inspectors ofthe same. The way these duties of the inspectors are performed makes ita perfect farce, at least on most occasions. The inspector comes on board; the captain and engineer see him, and, ofcourse, they shake hands, for here everybody shakes hands with everybodythe moment they meet, if only for the first time; the only variationbeing in the words addressed: if for the first time, it may runthus:--"Sir, I'm happy to make your acquaintance;" which may be repliedto by an additional squeeze, and perhaps a "Sir, I reciprocate. "N. B. --Hats off always the first time. If it is a previous acquaintance, then a "Glad to see you, sir, " is sufficient. --But to return from thisdigression. The captain and engineer greet the inspector--"I s'poseyou're come to look at our bilers, sir?" "Yes, sir, I am. " The partiesall instinctively drawing nearer and nearer to the bar. "Well, sir, let's have a drink. "--"Well, sir, let's. "--"A cigar, sir?"--"Thank'ee, sir!" Parties smoke and drink. Ingeniously enough, the required documentand pen and ink are all lying handy: the obdurate heart of the inspectoris quite melted by kindness. "Well, sir, I s'pose your bilers are allright?"--"I guess they are that, sir, and nurthin else; you can't go andfor to bust them bilers of mine, fix it anyhow you will; you can't that, I do assure you, sir. "--What inspector can doubt such clearevidence. --"Take another glass, sir, do. "--"Thank'ee, I'll sign thispaper first. " The inspection is over, all except the "glass" and the"'bacco, " which continue to flow and fume. The skippers of these boatsare rough enough; but I always found them very civil, plain spoken, andready to give all the information in their power; and many of them haveconfessed to me that the inspection was but too often conducted in themanner above described. There is little to interest in the account of a trip down the river. Thestyle of society met with on board these vessels, I have already givenyou a sketch of; it may sometimes be better, and sometimes worse. One ofmy "messmates" in this boat, was a young fellow who had been secondcaptain of the mizen-top on board of H. M. S. "Vengeance;" but not likingthe style of discipline, especially--as he said--the irritatingsubstitutes for flogging which have been introduced of late years intothe Navy, to suit the mawkish sensibility of public opinion in England, as well as the clamours of the all-ruling Press, he took the firstopportunity of running away, to seek his fortune in the Far West. Heobserved to me one day, "Those chaps who kick up such a devil of a rowabout flogging in the Navy, whatever their intentions may be, are noreal friends to the sailor or the service. " As a slight illustration of the truth of his remarks, I may here observethat a purser in the American Navy, in which service they have latelyabolished flogging, told me, that soon after the paying off of aline-of-battle ship in which he had been serving, he happened to meetfifty of his old shipmates in the port, and asking them what they weregoing to do, they told him they were about to embark for England, totake service in the English Navy; for said they, "Since corporalpunishment has been abolished, the good men have to do all the work, andthat wont pay. " Only three of the fifty had ever been in the Englishservice. There can be no doubt that many gentlemen of sensitive minds, seeing the names of their brother officers dragged before the public, through the House of Commons or the columns of an anonymous Press, endeavour to keep up discipline by other means, which annoy Jack farmore, or else, slackening the bonds of discipline, leave all the work tobe done by the willing and the good; anything, rather than be branded asa tyrant in every quarter of the globe by an anonymous assailant, knowing full well that, however explicit a denial may be inserted, tenpeople will read the charge for every one that reads its contradiction. But I am wandering from my young friend, the captain of the mizen-top. If he did not look very well "got up" in his red shirt, at all events hewas clean in his person, thus forming a pleasing contrast to a youngchap who came in the evening, and seated himself on the table, where Iwas playing a game at écarté with my companion. His hands absolutelyappeared the hands of a nigger, though his voice was the voice of awhite; travelling my eyes up to and beyond his face, I found it was allin keeping; his hair looked like an Indian jungle. If some one couldonly have caught him by the heels, and swung him round and round on acarding machine, like a handful of hemp, it would have improved himimmensely; especially if, after going through that process, he had beenpassed between two of the pigs through the scalding-trough atCincinnati. Among others of our fellow-voyagers, we found one or twovery agreeable and intelligent American gentlemen, who, though moreaccustomed to the _désagréments_ of travel, were fully alive to it, andexpressed their disgust in the freest manner. Let us now turn from company to scenery. --What is there to be said onthis latter subject? Truly it is nought but sameness on a giganticscale. What there is of grand is all in the imagination, or rather thereflection, that you are on the bosom of the largest artery of commercein the world. What meets the eye is an average breadth of from half amile to a mile of muddy water, tenanted by uprooted trees, and bristlingwith formidable snags. On either side a continuous forest confines theview, thus depriving the scene of that solemn grandeur which thehorizonless desert or the boundless main is calculated to inspire. Thesigns of human life, like angels' visits, are few and far between. Nobeast is seen in the forest, no bird in the air, except from time totime a flight of water-fowl. At times the eye is gratified by aconvocation of wild swans, geese, and ducks, assembled in conclave uponthe edge of some bank; or, if perchance at sunrise or sunset you happento come to some broad bend of the river, the gorgeous rays light up itssurface till it appears a lake of liquid fire, rendered brighter by thesurrounding darkness of the dense and leafless forest. Occasionally thetrumpet-toned pipe of the engine--fit music for the woods--bursts forth;but there are no mountains or valleys to echo its strains far and wide. The grenadier ranks of vegetable life, standing like sentries along themargin of the stream, refuse it either an entry or an answer, and therude voice of mechanism finds a speedy and certain sepulture in themuddy banks. This savage refusal of Nature to hold converse isoccasionally relieved by the sight of a log hut, surrounded with cordsof wood[P] prepared for sale to the steamers. At other times a fewstraggling huts, and piles of goods ready for transport, vary the scene. Sometimes you come to a real village, and there you generally find anold steamer doing duty for wharf-boat and hotel, in case of passengerslanding at unseasonable hours of the night. Thanks also to the greatcommercial activity of the larger towns above, the monotony of the riveris occasionally relieved by the sight of steam-boats, barges, coal-boats, salt-boats, &c. Now and then one's heart is cheered andone's spirits fortified by the sight of a vessel or two that has beensnagged, and which the indignant stream appears to have left there as agentle hint for travellers. Thus the day passes on, and, when night closes in, you bid adieu to yourfriends, not with "Pleasant dreams to you!" but with a kind ofmysterious smile, and a "I hope we sha'n't be snagged to-night!" Youthen retire to your cabin, and . . . What you do there depends onyourself; but a man whose mind is not sobered when travelling on thesewaters is not to be envied. When you leave your cabin in the morning, as you enter the saloon, youfancy a cask of spirits has burst. A little observation will show youyour mistake, and the cause of it; which is merely that the free andenlightened are taking their morning drink at the bar. Truly they are awonderful race; or, as they themselves sometimes express it, "We are atall nation, sir; a big people. " Though they drink on all occasions, whether from sociability or self-indulgence, and at all times, from rosymorn to dewy eve, and long after;--though breath and clothes are "alive"with the odour of alcohol, you will scarcely ever see a passenger drunk. Cards are also going all day long, and there is generally aFancy-man--or blackleg--ready to oblige a friend. These card-playingsare conducted quietly enough at present; but an old traveller told me heremembered, some fifteen years ago, when things were very different, andwhen every player came armed with a pistol and bowie-knife, by which alllittle difficulties as to an odd trick or a bet were speedily settled onthe spot. In those days the sun never rose and set without witnessingone or more of these exciting little adjustments of difficulties, withwhich the bystanders were too good judges ever to interfere. In fact, they seem to have been considered as merely pleasing little breaks inthe monotony of the trip. As it may interest some of _my_ readers, I will endeavour to retail fortheir amusement a sketch which was given me of a scene of boat-racing inthe olden time. The "Screecher" was a vessel belonging to Louisville, having a cargo of wild Kentuckians and other passengers on board, amongwhom was an old lady, who, having bought a winter stock of bacon, pork, &c. , was returning to her home on the banks of the Mississippi. The"Burster" was a St. Louis boat, having on board a lot of wildback-woodsmen, &c. The two rivals met at the confluence of the Ohio andthe Mississippi. Beat or burst was the alternative. Victory hung in onescale; in the other, defeat and death. The "Screecher" was a littleahead; gradually the "Burster" closes. The silence of a death-struggleprevails. The Screechers put on more wood, and place more weight on thesafety-valve; she bounds ahead. Slowly, but surely, the "Burster" drawsnearer. The captain of the "Screecher" looks wistfully at the fires, forthe boilers are well-nigh worn out. The "Burster" is almost abreast. Theenraged Kentuckians gather round the captain, and, in fury, ask--"Whydon't you put more weight on?" CAPTAIN--"Boilers are done; can't bear it nohow. " KENTUCKIANS--"Can't bear it? You chicken-hearted coward--" Knives are drawn, pistols click, a hundred voices exclaim, "Get on ityourself, or I'll bury this knife below your outer skin. " Their eyesgleam--their hands are raised for the deadly blow. Wild boys, theseKentuckians; the captain knows it too well. A choice of deaths is beforehim; excitement decides--he mounts the breach. The "Screecher" shootsthrough the waters, quivering from head to stern. The Kentucky boys yellwith delight and defiance. Again the "Burster" closes on her rival. Kentuckians brandish their knives, and call to the negroes, who arealready half-roasted, "Pile on the wood; pile like agony; I'll ram anigger into the fire for every foot the 'Burster' gains. " Soon a cry ofexultation is heard on board the "Burster, " as she shoots up close toher rival. The enraged Kentuckians shout out, "Oil, I swear!--oil, byall creation!" "I smell it!" exclaims the old lady with the store ofbacon. Her eyes flash fire; a few words to her slaves Pompey and Caesar, and casks of bacon, smashed quick as thought, lay before the furnace. Init all goes; the "Screecher" is wild; the captain bounds up and downlike a parched pea on a filing-pan; once more she flies ahead of herrival "like a streak of greased lightning. " Suddenly--horror ofhorrors!--the river throbs beneath; the forest trees quake like aspenleaves; the voice of many thunders rends the air; clouds of splintersand human limbs darken the sky. The "Burster" is blown to atoms! Thecaptain jumps down, and joins the wild Kentucky boys in a yell ofvictory, through the bass notes of which may be heard the shrill voiceof the old lady, crying, "I did it, I did it--it's all my bacon!" The struggle over, and the excitement passed, they return and pick upsuch portions of the human frame as may be found worth preserving. --Toresume. Our captain was overtaken by a telegraphic message, requiring hisappearance on a certain day to answer a charge of libel. From what Icould glean, it seems that the captain, considering himself cheated by aperson with whom he had been transacting business, took the liberty ofsaying to him, "Well, you're a darned infernal rascal, fix it anyhow youwill!" The insulted person sued for 2500 dollars damages, and thecaptain was obliged to leave us, that he might go and defend his cause. He was a good type of a "hard-a-weather-bird, " and I was sorry to seehim obliged to quit the ship. I told him so, adding, that if he desertedus, we should be sure to get snagged, or something worse. Hereplied, --"Oh, no, sir; I guess you'll be safe enough; I shall leave myclerk in charge; he's been a captain of these boats; you'll be rightenough, sir. " And away he went ashore at Memphis, leaving us to continueour course to New Orleans. Night came on, and we all toddled off to roost. I am habitually a verysound sleeper, dropping off the moment I turn in, and never awaking tilldaylight. On this occasion, however, I awoke about two o'clock A. M. , and, do what I would, I could not coax myself to sleep again. Whiletossing from side to side, I felt the vessel strike as if gentlytouching a bank; and wood being a good conductor of sound, I heard thewater, as it were, gurgling in. My first idea was, "We are snagged;"then, remembering how slight the concussion had been, I calmed my fearsand turned over on my side, determined to bottle off a little more sleepif possible. Scarce had the thought crossed the threshold of my mind, when men with hasty steps rushed into the saloon, banging frantically atthe cabin-doors, and the piercing cry was heard--"Turn out! turnout!--we're sinking!" Passengers flew from their beds, and opened theirdoors to get what scanty light the lamps in the saloon might afford. Amysterious and solemn silence prevailed; all was action; no time forwords; dress, catch up what you can, and bolt for your life. As I got tothe side of the vessel, I saw a steamer alongside, and felt the boat Iwas in careening over. A neighbour, in fear and desperation, caught holdof me as a drowning man catches at a straw; no time for complimentsthis, when it is neck or nothing; so, by a right-hander in the pit ofthe stomach, I got quit of his clutch, and, throwing my desk over to theother boat, I grasped the wooden fender and slid down. Thank God, I wassafe!--my companion was already safe also. It was about half-past four A. M. , a drizzly, wet morning, quite dark, except the flame of the torches. A plank was got on board of the sinkingboat, along which more passengers and even some luggage were saved. Thecrew of the sound boat had hard work to keep people from trying toreturn and save their luggage, thus risking not only their own lives butat the same time impeding the escape of others. From the gallery aboveI was looking down upon the wreck, lit up by the lurid light of somedozen torches, when, with a crash like thunder, she went clean over andbroke into a thousand pieces; eighty head of cattle, fastened by thehorns, vainly struggled to escape a watery grave. It was indeed aterrific and awful scene to witness. From the first striking till shewent to pieces, not a quarter of an hour had elapsed; but who was saved?Who knew, and--alas! that I must add--who cared? The crew worked hard enough to rescue all, and to them be every creditfor their exertions; but the indifference exhibited by those who hadbeen snatched from the jaws of death was absolutely appalling. Themoment they escaped, they found their way to the bar and the stove, andthere they were smoking, drinking, and passing the ribald jest, evenbefore the wreck had gone to pieces, or the fate of one-half of theircompanions been ascertained. Yet there was a scene before their eyessufficient, one would have imagined, to have softened the hardest heartand made the most thoughtless think. There, among them, at the verystove round which they were gathered, stood one with a haggard eye andvacant gaze, and at his feet clung two half-naked infants; a quarter ofan hour before he was a hale man, a husband, with five children; now, hewas an idiot and a widower, with two. No tear dimmed his eye, no traceof grief was to be read in his countenance; though the two pledges ofthe love of one now no more hung helplessly round his legs, he heededthem not; they sought a father's smile--they found an idiot's stare. They cried: was it for their mother's embrace, or did they miss theirbrother and sisters? Not even the piteous cry of motherless infancycould light one spark of emotion in the widowed husband's breast--allwas one awful blank of idiocy. A wife and three children, buried beneathpiles of freight, had found a wretched grave; his heart and his reasonhad fled after them--never, apparently, to return. Surely this was a scene pre-eminently calculated to excite in those whowore, by their very escape, living monuments of God's mercy, the deepestfeelings of gratitude and commiseration; yet, there stood the pooridiot, as if he had not been; and the jest, the glass, and cigar went onwith as much indifference as if the party had just come out of atheatre, instead of having providentially escaped from a strugglebetween life and death. A more perfect exhibition of heartlessnesscannot be conceived, nor do I believe any other part of the world couldproduce its equal. The immediate cause of the wreck was the steamer "H. R. W. Hill" runninginto us, owing to misunderstanding the bell signal; most providentiallyshe caught alongside of us after striking; if she had not done so, Godalone knows who could have been saved. As far as I could ascertain, allthe first-class passengers were saved. Do not stare at the wordfirst-class, for although in this country of so-called equality nodifference of classes is acknowledged, poor helpless emigrants are takenas deck-passengers, and, as freight is the great object, no space is setapart for them; they are stowed away among the cargo as best they canbe, with no avenue of escape in case of accidents, and with theadditional prospect of being buried beneath bales and barrels. I believefifteen passengers perished in this way: one poor English-woman amongthe deck-passengers fought her way through the freight, and, after beingnearly drowned and trampled to death under the hoofs of the cattle, succeeded in escaping. A slave-merchant with a dozen negroes managed tosave all of them, inasmuch as, being valuable, he had them stowed awayin a better place. The moment the wreck was completed, we proceeded upthe river, wasting no time in trying to save any part of the cargo orluggage. My own position was anything but a pleasant one, though I trustI was truly thankful for my preservation. I found I had managed to throwmy desk between the two steamers, and it was therefore irrecoverablylost, with all my papers, letters of credit, journal, &c. I had alsolost everything else except what T had on, --rifle, guns, clothes, --allwere gone. A few things, such as money, watch, note-book, which I alwayskept in my pockets, were all my stock in trade. Fortunately, my friendhad saved his papers, and thus our identity could be established at NewOrleans. In the course of a few hours we saw a fine steamer coming downthe river, in which we embarked, and again pursued our journey south. In the afternoon we passed several pieces of the wreck: the shores werecovered with the casks of pork and mustang liniment which had formed agreat part of our freight. At one place, a large portion of the wreck, was made fast ashore, and being plundered by the settlers on the bank;boxes and trunks were all broken open and cleaned out; little boats wereflying across the river full of pork and other prizes: it was anuniversal scramble in all directions, and appeared to be considered aslawful plunder by them as if they had been Cornish wreckers. It washopeless to try and recover anything, so we continued our journey, andleft our goods to the tender mercies of the landsharks on the banks. Having lost all my papers, I was obliged to forego the pleasure I hadanticipated from a visit to Natchez, or rather to the gentlemen andplantations in the neighbourhood. As you approach the lower part of the river, signs of human life becomemore frequent; the forest recedes, the banks of the river are leveed up, and legions of Uncle Tom's Cabins stud the banks; some, clustered nearthe more luxurious but still simple building wherein dwells theproprietor, surrounded by orange groves and the rich flowers and foliageof southern climes. These little spots appear like bright oases in theotherwise dreary, uninteresting flats, which extend from the banks oneither side; yet it is only as a scene they are uninteresting; as areality, they have a peculiar interest. On these Hats the negro slaveexpends his labour and closes his life, and from the bitter of hiscareer the white man draws the sweet luxury of his own. How few reflectupon this, even for as many seconds as it takes to melt the clarifiedlump in the smoking bohea. But here we are at La Fayette, which is theupper or American end of New Orleans, where steamers always stop ifthere are any cattle on board, which being our case, we preferredlanding and taking an omnibus, to waiting for the discharge of thelive-stock. Half an hour brought us to the St. Louis Hotel, and thereyou may sit down a minute or two while I make some observations on thesteaming in Western rivers. The whole system and management is a most grievous reproach to theAmerican nation. I speak not of the architecture, which is good, nor ofthe absurd inconsistency in uniting such palatial appearance with suchabsolute discomfort, which perhaps, with their institutions and ideas, it would be very difficult to remedy. My observations refer more tothat by which human life is endangered, and the valuable produce ofhuman labour recklessly destroyed. The following extract from aLouisville paper will more than justify any animadversions which I maymake:-- DISASTERS ON WESTERN RIVERS. --The Louisville _Courier_ has published a list of disasters on Western waters during the year 1852. It is a formidable one, embracing 78 steam-boats, 4 barges, 73 coal-boats, 3 salt-boats, and 4 others, flat-boats. It appears that 47 boats were lost by being snagged, 16 by explosions, 4 were burnt, and the others lost by collision and other mishaps. The greatest number of lives lost by one disaster was the explosion of the "Saluda, " 100. The total loss of life exceeds 400 persons. [Q] Here is a list of one hundred and sixty-two vessels of different kinds, and four hundred human beings, lost in one year; of which vessels itappears forty-six were snagged. You will naturally ask here, whatprecautions are taken to avoid such frightful casualties? The answer isshort--None. They had a few boats employed once to raise the snags, butthe thirst for annexation ran them into a war, and the money was wantedfor that purpose. The Westerns say they are ridden over by the Easterns, and that Government will do nothing for them. [R] It is not for me to decide the reasons, but the fact is but too clear, that in a country boasting of its wealth, its power, its resources, andnot burdened with one farthing of debt, not a cent is being expended inmaking the slightest endeavours to remove the dangers of this giganticartery of commerce. And what would be the cost of this national object?The captains of the boats told me that two dozen snag-boats in threeyears would clear the river; and that half that number could keep itclear; yet, rather than vote the money requisite, they exhibit anational indifference to the safety of life and property such as, I mayconfidently affirm, cannot be found in any other civilized nation. Avery small tax on the steamers would pay the expenses; but the Westernssay, and say with truth, "This is not a local, this is a national question. Government builds lighthouses, harbours, &c. , for the eastern board, andwe are entitled to the same care for our commerce. " A navigation of twothousand miles is most certainly as thoroughly a national question as aseaboard is. It should also be remembered that, if the navigabletributaries be added, the total presents an unbroken highway of internalcommerce amounting to 16, 700 miles--a distance which, it has beenremarked, "is sufficient to encircle Europe and leave a remnant whichwould span the Atlantic. " Next on the list comes the "explosions. " I have already given you anaccount of how the so-called examinations are too often made. Surelythese inspections might be signed upon oath before a magistrate; and assurely, I should hope, men might be found who would not perjurethemselves. The burnt vessels are few in number, and more than one casehas, I believe, been tried on suspicion of being set fire tointentionally. The last on the list is "collisions, &c. " By the "&c. , " I suppose, ismount vessels which, having run on the river till they wore only fit forfirewood, still continued "just one more trip;" and then, of course, theslightest concussion, either on a bank or a floating log, would breakthem up like a chip basket. The examination on this point is conductedlike that of the boilers, and the same remedy might readily be applied. I think, however, that the greater number of losses from collisions, &c. , may be chiefly ascribed to the collisions. The cause of thesecollisions is easily understood, when you are informed that vesselsmeeting indicate the side they intend to take by sounding a bell. Theyhave no fixed rule, like vessels meeting at sea. The sound of the tollof the second bell may easily be blended with the first, if it be struckhurriedly, which in cases of danger is more than probable; or, the soundof a single toll may find an echo and be mistaken for two tolls. Thecollision we met with was caused by this very misunderstanding; atleast, so the captains mutually explained it. The reason given me forthis unsettled system was, that, owing to banks and currents, vesselscould not always take the same side. Supposing this to be so, still, amore correct indication of the side intended to be taken might beobtained by lights kept burning for that purpose in a box with asliding front, removeable at pleasure by a line leading to thewheel-house, in the same way as the lanyard of the bell is at presentfitted; and a further palpable advantage would be obtained by obligingvessels meeting in the night to stop the engines and pass at "slowspeed. " In addition to these precautions, a stout cork fender, extendinground the bows some ten feet on each side, and fixed every night atdark, would materially lessen the chances of destruction, even ifcollision did take place. There is, however, another cause of accident which the Louisville paperdoes not allude to, and that is overloading. We started about two and ahalf feet out of the water when leaving St. Louis, and, long before wemet with our accident, we had taken in cargo till we were scarce fiveinches above the river. Not only do they cram the lower or freight deck, but the gallery outside the saloons and cabins is filled till all theuse and comfort thereof is destroyed, and scarce a passage along them tobe obtained. Seeing the accidents such reckless freighting mustnecessarily give rise to, what more simple than obliging every vessel tohave a float or loading line painted from stem to stern at a certainelevation, making the captain and owners liable to a heavy penalty ifthe said line be brought below the water by the freight. There is oneother point which I may as well notice here, and that is the manner inwhich these boats are allowed to carry deck-passengers. There is noclear portion of deck for them, and they are driven by necessity amongthe bales and boxes of freight, with no avenue of escape in case ofaccident. These are the people who suffer in cases of snagging andcollision, &c. These hardy sons of toil, migrating with their families, are all but penniless, and therefore, despite all vaunt of equality, they are friendless. Had every deck-passenger that has perished in theagony of a crushing and drowning death been a Member of Senate orCongress, the Government would have interfered long ere this; but thesemiserable wretches perish in their agony, and there is no one to re-echothat cry in the halls of Congress. They are chiefly poor emigrants, andplenty more will come to fill their places. If the Government took any such steps as those above recommended, thefear of losing insurance by neglecting them would tend greatly to makethem respected. Companies would insure at a lower rate, and all partieswould be gainers in the long run; for, if the Government obtained nopecuniary profit, it would gain in national character by the removal ofa reproach such as no other commercial country at the present daylabours under. There is, moreover, a moral point of view to be taken of thisquestion--viz. , "the recklessness of human life engendered by things asthey are. " The anecdotes which one hears are of themselves sufficient to leavelittle doubt on this point. Take, for instance, the following:--A vesselhaving been blown up during the high pressure of a race, among thewitnesses called was one who thus replied to the questions put to him:-- EXAMINER. --"Were you on board when the accident took place?" WITNESS. --"I guess I was, and nurthing else. " EXAMINER. --"Was the captain sober?" WITNESS. --"Can't tell that, nohow. " EXAMINER. --"Did you not see the captain during the day?" WITNESS. --"I guess I did. " EXAMINER. --"Then can, you not state your opinion whether he was drunk ornot?" WITNESS. --"I guess I had not much time for observation; he was not onboard when I saw him. " EXAMINER. --"When did you see him, then?" WITNESS. --"As I was coming down, I passed the gentleman going up. " The court, of course, was highly amused at his coolness, and calledanother witness. --But let us turn from this fictitious anecdote to fact. It was only the other day that I read in a Louisville paper of agentleman going into the Gait-house Hotel, and deliberately shooting atanother in the dining-saloon when full of people, missing his aim, andthe hall lodging in the back of a stranger's chair who was quietlysitting at his dinner. Again, I read of an occurrence--at Memphis, Ithink--equally outrageous. A man hard pressed by creditors, who hadassembled at his house and were urgent in their demands, called to themto keep back, and upon their still pressing on, he seized a bowie-knifein each hand, and rushed among them, stabbing and ripping right andleft, till checked in his mad career of assassination by a creditor, inself-defence, burying a cleaver in his skull. In a Natchez paper I read as follows:--"Levi Tarver, formerly a residentof Atala county, was recently killed in Texas. Tarver interrupted agentleman on the highway; high words ensued, when Tarver gave thegentleman the lie; whereupon the latter drew a bowie-knife, andcompletely severed, at one blow, Levi's head from his body. " In a St. Louis paper, I read of a German, Hoffman by name, who wassupposed by Baker to be too intimate with his wife, and who wasconsequently desired to discontinue his visits. Hoffman remonstrated inhis reply, assuring the husband that his suspicions were groundless. Ashort time after he received a letter from Mrs. Baker, requesting him tocall upon her: he obeyed the summons, and was shown into her bedroom atthe hotel. The moment he got there, Mrs. Baker pulled two pistols fromunder the pillow, and discharged both at his head. Hoffman rushed out ofthe house; scarce was he in the street, when Mr. Baker and three otherruffians pounced upon him, dragged him back to the hotel, and placedguards at the door to prevent any further ingress from the street. Theythen stripped him perfectly naked, lashed him with cow-hides till therewas scarce a sound piece of flesh in his body, dashing cold water overhim at intervals, and then recommencing their barbarities. When tired ofthis brutality, they emasculated their wretched victim with a commontable-knife. And who were these ruffians? Were they uneducated villains, whom poverty and distress had hardened into crime? Far from it. Mr. Baker was the owner of a grocery store; of the others, one was theproprietor of the St. Charles hotel, New Bremen; the second was a younglawyer, the third was a clerk in the "Planter's House. " Can the sinks ofignorance and vice in any community present a more bloody scene ofbrutality than was here deliberately enacted, by educated people inrespectable positions, in the middle of the day? What can be thought ofthe value of human life, when I add that all these miscreants werebailed? These are merely the accounts which have met my eye in the naturalcourse of reading the newspaper, for I can most truthfully declare Ihave not taken the slightest trouble to hunt them up. The following, which bears upon the same point, was related to me in the course ofconversation at dinner, and it occurred in New Orleans. Mr. A. Treads onMr. B. 's too several times; Mr. B. Kicks Mr. A. Down stairs, and this ata respectable evening party. Now what does Mr. A. Do? He goes outsideand borrows a bowie-knife from a hack-cabman, then returns to the party, watches and follows Mr. B. To the room where the hats and cloaks wereplaced, seizes a favourable moment, and rips Mr. B. 's bowels open. He istried for murder, with evidence sufficient to hang a dozen men; and, tothe astonishment of even the Westerns themselves, he is acquitted. Thesefacts occurred not many years since, and they were narrated to me by agentleman who was at the party. When two members of the Legislature disgraced the halls at Washington, by descending into the political arena with pistols and bowie-knives, and there entering into deadly conflict, were they not two Westernmembers? Now, what do these occurrences prove? Certainly not that allWesterns are bloodthirsty, for many of them are the most kind, quiet, and amiable men I have ever met; but, when taken in connexion with thefree use of the bowie-knife, they afford strong evidence that there is ageneral and extraordinary recklessness of human life; and surely, commonsense and experience would both endorse the assertion, that habituatingmen to bloody disputes or fatal accidents has a tendency to harden bothactors and spectators into utter indifference. And what is the whole ofthe Western river navigation but one daily--I might almost say, continual--scene of accidents and loss of life, tending to nourish thosevery feelings which it is the duty of every government to use allpossible means to allay and humanize? The heartless apathy with which all classes of society, with scarceindividual exceptions, speak of these events is quite revolting to astranger, and a manifest proof of the injurious moral effect offamiliarizing people with such horrors. The bowie-knife, the revolver, and the river accidents, mutually act and react upon each other, and nomoral improvement can reasonably be expected until some great change beeffected. Government can interfere with the accidents;--deadly weaponsare, to a certain extent, still necessary for self-protection. Let ushope, then, that something will ore long be done to prevent disasterspregnant with so many evils to the community, and reflecting so stronglyon the United States as a nation. [S] Having gone off at a tangent, likea boomerang, I had better, like the same weapon, return whence Istarted--in military language, "as you was. " FOOTNOTES: [Footnote P: On the Mississippi a cord contains one definite quantity, being a pile 1 feet high, 4 feet broad, and 8 feet long, and does notvary in size in the same absurd manner as it does in various parts ofEngland: the price paid is from eight to thirteen shillings, increasingas you descend the river. ] [Footnote Q: A committee of the United States calculated that, in 1846, the losses on the Mississippi amounted to 500, 000l. ; and as commerce hasincreased enormously, while precautions have remained all but stagnant, I think it may be fairly estimated, that the annual losses at thepresent day amount to at least 750, 000l. ] [Footnote R: _Vide_ chapter on "Watery Highways. "] [Footnote S: Since writing the above, some more stringent regulations asto inspection have appeared, similar to those advocated in the text; butthey contain nothing respecting loading, steering, &c. In fact, they aregeneral laws, having 110 especial bearing on Western waters. ] CHAPTER XI. _New Orleans_. New Orleans is a surprising evidence of what men will endure, whencheered by the hopes of an ever-flowing tide of all-mighty dollars andcents. It is situated on a marsh, and bounded by the river on one side, and on the other by a continuation of the marsh on which it is built, beyond which extends a forest swamp. All sewerage and drainage issuperficial--more generally covered in, but in very many places draggingits sluggish stream, under the broad light of day, along the edges ofthe footway. The chief business is, of course, in those streets skirtingthe river; and at this season--December--when the cotton and sugar maniais at its height, the bustle and activity is marvellous. Streets arepiled in every direction with mounds of cotton, which rise as high asthe roofs; storehouses are bursting with bales; steam and hydraulicpresses hiss in your ear at every tenth step, and beneath their powerthe downy fibre is compressed into a substance as hard as Aberdeengranite, which semi-nude negroes bind, roll, and wheel in alldirections, the exertion keeping them in perpetual self-supplying animalsteam-baths. Gigantic mules arrive incessantly, dragging fresh freightfor pressure; while others as incessantly depart, bearing freight forembarkation to Europe. If a pair of cotton socks could be made vocal, what a tale of sorrow and labour their history would reveal, from thenigger who picked with a sigh to the maiden who donned with a smile. Some idea may be formed of the extent of this branch of trade, from thestatistical fact that last year the export amounted to 1, 435, 815bales[T]--or, in round numbers, one and a half millions--which was anincrease of half a million upon the exports of the preceding twelvemonths. Tobacco is also an article of great export, and amounted lastyear to 94, 000 hogsheads, being an increase of two-thirds upon theprevious twelve months. The great staple produce of the neighbourhood issugar and molasses. In good years, fifty gallons of molasses go to athousand pounds of sugar; but, when the maturity of the cane is impededby late rains, as was the case last year, seventy gallons go to thethousand pounds of sugar. Thus, in 1853, 10, 500, 000 gallons of molasseswere produced, representing 210, 000, 000 pounds of sugar; while, in 1854, 18, 300, 000 gallons of molasses were produced, being nearly double theproduce of the preceding year, but representing only 261, 500, 000 poundsof sugar, --owing, as before explained, to the wet weather. Some generalidea of the commercial activity of New Orleans may be formed from thefollowing statistics for 1853:--2266 vessels, representing 911, 000 tons, entered New Orleans; and 2202 vessels, representing 930, 000 tons, cleared. Now, of course, the greater portion--or I might almost say the whole--ofthe goods exported reach New Orleans by the Mississippi, and thereforejustify the assertion that the safe navigation of that river is, in thefullest sense of the term, a national and not a local interest, bearingas it does on its bosom an essential portion of the industrial produceof eleven different States of the Union. It is quite astounding to see the legions of steamers from the uppercountry which are congregated here; for miles and miles the levee formsone unbroken line of them, all lying with their noses on shore--no roomfor broadsides. On arriving, piled up with goods mountain high, scarcedoes a bow touch the levee, when swarms of Irish and niggers rush down, and the mountainous pile is landed, and then dragged off by sturdy mulesto its destination. Scarce is she cleared, when the same hardy sons oftoil build another mountainous pile on board; the bell rings, passengersrun, and she is facing the current and the dangers of the snaggyMississippi. The labour of loading and unloading steamers is, as you maysuppose, very severe, and is done for the most part by niggers andIrishmen. The average wages are from 7l. To 8l. Per month; but, intimes of great pressure from sudden demand, &c. , they rise as high asfrom. 12l. To 14l. Per month, which was the case just before myarrival. The same wages are paid to those who embark in the steamers toload and unload at the different stations on the river. Every day isa working day; and as, by the law, the slave has his Sunday to himselfto earn what he can, the master who hires him out on the river issupposed to give him one-seventh of the wages earned; but I believe theyonly receive one-seventh of the ordinary wages--i. E. , 1l. Per month. [Illustration: THE NEW ST. CHARLES HOTEL, NEW ORLEANS. ] Let us now turn from the shipping to the town. In the old, or Frenchpart, the streets are generally very narrow; but in the American, or theLa Fayette quarter, they are very broad, and, whether from indolence orsome other reason, badly paved and worse cleansed; nevertheless, if thestreets are dirty and muddy, the houses have the advantage of beingairy. There are no buildings of any importance except the newCustom-house, and, of course, the hotels. The St. Louis is at presentthe largest; but the St. Charles, which is being rebuilt, was, and willagain be, the hotel pride of New Orleans. [U] They are both enormousestablishments, well arranged, and, with the locomotive propensities ofthe people, sure to be well filled during the winter months, at whichperiod only they are open. When I arrived at the St. Louis, it was sofull that the only room I could get was like a large Newfoundland dog'skennel, with but little light and less air. The hotel was originallybuilt for an Exchange, and the rotundo in the centre is one of thefinest pieces of architecture in the States. It is a lofty, vaultedhall, eighty feet in diameter, with an aisle running all round, supported by a row of fine pillars fifty feet in height; the dome risesnearly as many-feet more, and has a large skylight in the centre; thesides thereof are ornamented by well-executed works in _chiaroscuro_, representing various successful actions gained during the struggle forindependence, and several of the leading men who figured during thateventful period. A great portion of the aisle is occupied by theall-important bar, where drinks flow as freely as the river outside; butthere is another feature in the aisles which contrasts strangely withthe pictorial ornaments round the dome above--a succession of platformsare to be seen, on which human flesh and blood is exposed to publicauction, and the champions of the equal rights of man are thus made toendorse, as it were, the sale of their fellow-creatures. I had only been in the hotel one day when a gentleman to whom I had aletter kindly offered me a room in his house. The offer was tootempting, so I left my kennel without delay, and in my new quartersfound every comfort and a hearty welcome, rendered more acceptable fromthe agreeable society which it included, and the tender nursing Ireceived at the hands of one of the young ladies during the week I wasconfined to the house by illness. Among all the kind and hospitablefriends I met with in my travels, none have a stronger claim on mygrateful recollection than Mr. Egerton and his family. When able to getout, I took a drive with mine host: as you may easily imagine, there isnot much scenery to be found in a marsh bounded by a forest swamp, butthe effect is very curious; all the trees are covered with Spanish moss, a long, dark, fibrous substance which hangs gracefully down from everybough and twig; it is often used for stuffing beds, pillows, &e. Thismost solemn drapery gave the forest the appearance of a legion of mutemourners attending the funeral of some beloved patriarch, and one feltdisposed to admire the patience with which they stood, with their feetin the wet, their heads nodding to and fro as if distracted with grief, and their fibrous weeds quivering, as though convulsed with theintensity of agony. The open space around is a kind of convalescentmarsh; that is, canals and deep ditch drains have been opened allthrough it, and into these the waters of the marsh flow, as a token ofgratitude for the delicate little attention; at the same time, theadjacent soil, freed from its liquid encumbrance, courts the attractivecharms of the sun, and has already risen from two and a half to threeand a half feet above its marshy level. The extremity of this open space furthest from the town has beenappropriately fixed upon as the site of various cemeteries. Thelugubrious forest is enough to give a man the blue devils, and theditches and drains into which the sewers, &c. , of the town are pumped, dragging their sluggish and all but stagnant course under a broilingsummer gun, are sufficient to prepare most mortals for the calm reposetowards which the cypress and the cenotaph beckon them with greedywelcome. The open space I have been describing is the "Hyde Park" and"Rotten Row" of New Orleans, and the drive round it is one of the bestroads I ever travelled; it is called the "Shell Road, " from thetop-dressing thereof being entirely composed of small shells, which soonbind together and make it as smooth as a bowling-green. The Two-fortytrotters--when there are any--come out here in the afternoon, and showoff their paces, and if you fail in finding any of that first flight, atall events you are pretty sure to see some good teams, that can hug thethree minutes very closely. Custom is second nature, and necessity isthe autocrat of autocrats, which even the free and enlightened mustobey; the consequence is, that the inhabitants of New Orleans lookforward to the Shell-road ride, or drive, with as much interest andsatisfaction as our metropolitan swells do to the Serpentine or the Row. Having had our drive, let us now say a few words about the society. Inthe first place, you will not see such grand houses as in New York; butat the same time it is to be observed, that the tenants here occupy andenjoy all their houses, while in New York, as I have before observed, the owners of many of the finest residences live almost exclusively inthe basements thereof. This more social system at New Orleans, I aminclined to attribute essentially to the French--or Creole--habits withwhich society is leavened, and into which, it appears to me, theAmericans naturally and fortunately drop. On the other hand, the rivalrywhich too often taints a money-making community has found its way here. If A. Gives a party which costs 200l. , B. Will try and get up one at300l. , and so on. This false pride--foolish enough anywhere--is morestriking in New Orleans, from the fact that the houses are notcalculated for such displays, and when they are attempted, it involvesunfurnishing bed-rooms and upsetting the whole establishment. I shouldadd they are comparatively rare, perhaps as rare as those parties whichare sometimes given in London at the expense of six weeks' fasting, inorder that the donor's name and the swells who attended the festivescene may go forth to the world in the fashionable column of the_Morning Post_. Whenever they do occur, they are invariably attendedwith some such observations as the following:-- "What did Mrs. B. 's party cost last night?" "Not less than 300l. " "Well, I'm sure they have not the means to afford such extravagantexpense; and I suppose the bed-rooms upstairs were all cleared out?" "Oh, yes! three of them. " "Well I know that house, and, fix it how you will, if they cleared outthree bed-rooms, I'm sure they must have slept on the sofas or thetables. I declare it's worse than foolish--it's wicked to have so muchpride, " &c. If those who thus indulged their vanity, only heard one-half of theobservations made by those who accent their hospitalities, or who striveto get invitations and cannot, they would speedily give up their folly;but money is the great Juggernaut, at the feet of which all the nationsof the earth fall down and worship; whether it be the coronets thatbowed themselves down in the temple of the Railway King in Hyde Park, who could afford the expense; or the free and enlightened who do homagein Mrs. ----'s temple at New Orleans, though perhaps she could notafford the expense; one thing is clear--where the money is spent, therewill the masses be gathered together. General society is, however, moresober and sociable, many families opening their houses one day in theweek to all their friends. The difference of caste is going out fast:the Creoles found that their intermarriages were gradually introducing arace as effete as the Bourbons appear to be in France; they are nowtherefore very sensibly seeking alliances with the go-ahead blood of theAnglo-Saxon, which will gradually absorb them entirely, and I expectthat but little Trench will be spoken in New Orleans by the year 1900. Another advantage of the Creole element, is the taste it appears to havegiven for French wines. As far as I am capable of judging, the claret, champagne, and sauterne which I tasted here were superior in quality andmore generally in use than I ever found them in any other city. Thehours of dinner vary from half-past three to half-past five, and anunostentatious hospitality usually prevails. Servants here are expensive articles. In the hotels you find Irishmenalmost exclusively, and their wages vary from 2l. 8s. To 10l. Permonth. In private houses, women's wages range from 2l. 8s. To 4l. And men's from 6l. To 8l. The month. The residents who find itinconvenient to go to the north during the summer, cross the lake totheir country villas at Passe Christianne, a pretty enough little place, far cooler and more shady than the town, and where they get bathing, &c. A small steamer carries you across in a few hours; but competition ismuch wanted, for their charges are treble those of the boats in thenorth, and the accommodation poor in comparison. When crossing over in the steamer, I overheard a conversation whichshowed how early in life savage ideas are imbibed here. Two lads, theeldest about fifteen, had gone over from New Orleans to shoot ducks. They were both very gentlemanly-looking boys, and evidently attendingsome school. Their conversation of course turned upon fighting--when didschoolboys meet that it was not so? At last, the younger lad said-- "Well, what do you think of Mike Maloney?", "Oh! Mike is very good withhis fists; but I can whip him right off at rough-and-tumble. " Now, what is "rough-and-tumble?" It consists of clawing, scratching, kicking, hair-pulling, and every other atrocity, for which, I am happyto think, a boy at an English school would be well flogged by themaster, and sent to Coventry by his companions. Yet, here was as nice alooking lad as one could wish to see, evidently the son of well-to-doparents, glorying in this savage, and, as we should call it, cowardlyaccomplishment. I merely mention this to show how early the mind istutored to feelings which doubtless help to pave the way for thebowie-knife in more mature years. The theatres at New Orleans are neat and airy. Lola Montez succeeded increating a great _furore_, at last. I say "at last, " because, as therereally is nothing in her acting above mediocrity, she received noespecial encouragement at first, although she had chosen her own careerin Bavaria as the subject in which to make her _débût. _ She waited withconsiderable tact till she was approaching those scenes in which the mobtriumph over order; and then, pretending to discover a cabal in themeagre applause she was receiving, she stopped in the middle of heracting, and, her eyes flashing fire, her face beaming brass, and hervoice wild with well-assumed indignation, she cried--"I'm anxious to domy best to please the company; but if this cabal continues, I mustretire!" The effect was electric. Thunders of applause followed, and"Bravo, Lolly!" resounded through the theatre, from the nigger-girl inthe upper gallery to the octogenarian in the pit. When the clamour hadsubsided, some spicy attacks on kingcraft and the nobles followed mostopportunely; the shouts were redoubled; her victory was complete. Whenthe piece was over, she came forward to assure the company that thescenes she had been enacting were all facts in which she had, inreality, played the same part she had been representing that evening. Thunders of "Go it, Lolly! you're a game 'un, and nurthin' else!" rangall through the house as she retired, bowing. She did not appear in thecharacter of "bowie-knifing a policeman at Berlin;" and of course sheomitted some scenes said to have taken place during interviews with theking, and in which her conduct might not have been considered, strictlyspeaking, quite correct. She obtained further notoriety after mydeparture, by kicking and cuffing a prompter, and calling the proprietora d--d scoundrel, a d--d liar, and a d--d thief, for which she wascommitted for trial. I may as well mention here, that the theatre waswell attended by ladies. This fact must satisfy every unprejudiced mindhow utterly devoid of foundation is the rumour of the ladies of Americaputting the legs of their pianofortes in petticoats, that theirsensitive delicacy may not receive too rude a shock. Besides thetheatres here, there is also an opera, the music of which, vocal andinstrumental, is very second-rate. Nevertheless, I think it is highly tothe credit of New Orleans that they support one at all, and sincerely doI wish them better success. The town is liberally supplied with churches of all denominations. Iwent one Sunday to a Presbyterian church, and was much struck on myentry at seeing all the congregation reading newspapers. Seating myselfin my pew, I found a paper lying alongside of me, and, taking it up, Idiscovered it was a religious paper, full of anecdotes and experiences, &c. , and was supplied _gratis_ to the congregation. There were muchshorter prayers than in Scotland, more reading of the Bible, the sameamount of singing, but performed by a choir accompanied by an organ, thecongregation joining but little. The sermon was about the usual lengthof one in Scotland, lasting about an hour, and extemporized from notes. The preacher was eloquent, and possessed of a strong voice, which hegave the reins to in a manner which would have captivated the wildestHighlander. The discourse delivered was in aid of foreign missions, andthe method he adopted in dealing with it was--first, powerfully toattack monarchical forms of government and priestly influence, by whichsoft solder he seemed to win his way to their republican hearts; andfrom this position, he secondly set to work and fed their vanity freely, by glowing encomiums on their national deeds and greatness, and thesuperior perfections of their glorious constitution; whence he deduced, thirdly, that the Almighty had more especially committed to them thegreat work of evangelizing mankind. This discourse sounded like thepolitical essay of an able enthusiast, and fell strangely on my earsfrom the lips of a Christian minister, whose province, I had always beentaught to consider, was rather to foster humility than to inflamevanity. It is to be presumed he knew his congregation well, and feltthat he was treading the surest road to their dollars and cents. Among other curiosities in this town is a human one, known as the GoldenMan, from the quantity of that metal with which he bedizens waistcoat, fingers, &c. During my stay at New Orleans, he appeared decked with suchan astounding gem, that it called forth the following notice from thepress:-- ANOTHER RING. --The "gold" individual who exhibits himself and any quantity of golden ornaments, of Sunday mornings, in the vicinity of the Verandah and City Hotels, will shortly appear with a new wonder wherewith to astonish the natives. One would think that he had already ornaments enough to satisfy any mortal; but he, it appears, is not of the stuff every-day people are made of, and he could not rest satisfied until his fingers boasted another ring. The new prodigy is, like its predecessors, of pure solid gold. It is worth 500 dollars, and weighs nearly, if not quite, a pound. This small treasure is intended for the owner's "little" finger. It is the work of Mr. Melon, jeweller and goldsmith, on Camp-street, and is adorned with small carved figures, standing out in bold relief, and of very diminutive size, yet distinct and expressive. The right outer surface represents the flight of Joseph, the Virgin, and the infant Jesus into Egypt. Joseph, bearing a palm-branch, leads the way, the Virgin follows, seated on a donkey, and holding the Saviour in her lap. On the left outer edge of the ring is seen the prophet Daniel, standing between two lions. The prophet has not got a blue umbrella under his arm to distinguish him from the lions. The face of the ring exhibits an excellent design of the crucifixion, with the three crosses and the Saviour and the two thieves suspended thereto. This ring is certainly a curiosity. There is a strong body of police here, and some of their powers areautocratically autocratic: thus, a person once committed as a vagrant isliable to be re-imprisoned by them if met in the street unemployed. Now, as it is impossible to expect that people in business will take thetrouble to hunt up vagrants, what can be conceived more cruellyarbitrary than preventing them from hunting up places for themselves?Yet such is the law in this democratic city. [V] A gentleman told me of avagrant once coming to him and asking for employment, and, on hisdeclining to employ him, begging to be allowed to lie concealed in hisstore during the day, lest the police should re-imprison him before hecould get on board one of the steamers to take him up the river to tryhis fortunes elsewhere. At the same time, a person in good circumstancesgetting into difficulties can generally manage to buy his way out. The authorities, on the return of Christmas, having come to theconclusion that the letting off of magazines of crackers in the streetsby the juvenile population was a practice attended with muchinconvenience and danger to those who were riding and driving, gaveorders that it should be discontinued. The order was complied with insome places, but in others the youngsters set it at defiance. It willhardly be credited that, in a nation boasting of its intelligence andproud of its education, the press should take part with the youngsters, and censure the magistrates for their sensible orders. Yet such was thecase at New Orleans. The press abused the authorities for interferingwith the innocent amusements of the children, and expressed theirsatisfaction at the latter having asserted their independence andsuccessfully defied the law. The same want of intelligence was exhibitedby the press in censuring the authorities for discontinuing theprocessions on the anniversary of the Battle of New Orleans--"a ceremonycalculated to excite the courage and patriotism of the people. " Theyseem to lose sight of the fact, that it is a reflection on the courageof their countrymen to suppose that they require such processions toanimate their patriotism, and that the continuance of such publicdemonstrations parading the streets betokens rather pride of past deedsthan confidence in their power to re-enact them. Although suchdemonstrations may be readily excused, or even reasonably encouraged, inan infant community struggling for liberty, they are childish andundignified in a powerful nation. What would be more ridiculous thanScotland having grand processions on the anniversary of Bannockburn, orEngland on that of Waterloo? Moreover, in a political point of view, itshould not be lost sight of, that if such demonstrations have any effectat all on the community, it must be that of reviving hostile feelingstowards those to whom they are united most closely by the ties of blood, sense, and--though last, not least--cents. I merely mention thesetrivial things to show the punyizing effects which the democraticelement has on the press. Formerly, duels were as innumerable here as bales of cotton; they haveconsiderably decreased latterly, one cause of which has been, the Stateof Louisiana passing a law by which any person engaging in a duel is atonce deprived of his vote, and disabled from holding any stateemployment. John Bull may profit by this hint. I was much amused, during my stay at New Orleans, by hearing the remarksof the natives upon the anti-slavery meeting at Stafford House, of whichthe papers were then full. If the poor duchess and her lady allies hadbeen fiends, there could scarcely have been more indignation at her"presumptuous interference" and "mock humility. " Her "sisters, indeed!as if she would not be too proud to stretch out her hand to any one ofthem, " &c. Then another would break out with, "I should like to know bywhat right she presumes to interfere with us and offer advice? If shewants to do good, she has opportunities enough of exercising her charityin London. Let any one read _The Times_, and then visit a plantationhere, and say whether the negroes are not happier and better off thanone-half of the lower classes in England, " &c. If every animadversionwhich the duchess and her colleagues' kind intentions and inoffensivewording of them called forth in America had been a pebble, and if theyhad all been gathered together, the monument of old Cheops at Ghizehwould have sunk into insignificance when contrasted with the giganticmass; in short, no one unacquainted with the sensitiveness of theAmerican character can form a conception of the violent state ofindignation which followed the perusal of the proceedings of that smallconclave of English lady philanthropists. Mrs. Jones, Smith, Adams, andBrown might have had their meeting on the same subject without producingmuch excitement; but when the aristocratic element was introduced, itacted as a spark in a barrel of gunpowder. As an illustration of theexcitement produced, I subjoin an extract from one of their dailypapers, under the heading of "Mrs. Stowe in Great Britain:"-- "The principles of free government developed here, and urging our people on with unexampled rapidity in the career of wealth and greatness, have always been subjects of alarm to monarchs and aristocracies--of pleasure and hope to the people. It has, of course, been the object of the former to blacken us in every conceivable way, and to make us detestable in the eyes of the world. There has been nothing since the revolution so well calculated to advance this end, as the exhibition which Mrs. Stowe is making in England. "It is because they have a deep and abiding hostility to this country, and to republicanism in general, that the aristocracy, not only of England, but of all Europe, have seized with so much avidity upon _Uncle Tom_, and have been at so much pains to procure a triumphal march for its author through all the regions she may choose to visit. They are delighted to see a native of the United States--of that republic which has taught that a people can flourish without an aristocracy or a monarch--of that republic, the example of whose prosperity was gradually undermining thrones and digging a pit for privileged classes--describing her country as the worst, the most abandoned, the most detestable that ever existed. Royalty draws a long breath, and privilege recovers from its fears. Among the people of the continent, especially among the Germans, Italians, and Russians, there are thousands who believe that murder is but a pastime here--that the bowie-knife and pistol are used upon any provocation--that, in fact, we are a nation of assassins, without law, without morality, and without religion. They are taught to believe these things by their newspapers, which, published under the eye of Government, allow no intelligence but of murders, bowie-knife fights, &c. , coming from America, to appear in their columns. By these, therefore, only is America known to their readers; and they are very careful to instil the belief, that if America is a land of murderers, it is so because it has had the folly to establish a republican form of government. "These ideas are very general in England, even where the hostility is greater than it is on the Continent. To British avarice we owe slavery in this country. To British hatred we owe the encouragement of anti-slavery agitation now. The vile hypocrisy which has characterised the whole proceeding is not the least objectionable part of it. The English care not one farthing about slavery. If they did, why do they keep it up in such a terrific form in their own country? Where was there ever true charity that did not begin at home? It is because there is a deep-rooted hostility to this country pervading the whole British mind, that these things have taken place. " The wounded sensitiveness, however, which the foregoing paragraphexhibits, found some consolation from an article which appeared in _TheTimes_. They poured over its lines with intense delight, soothingthemselves with each animadversion it made upon the meeting, anddeducing from the whole--though how, I could never understand--that theyhad found in the columns of that journal a powerful advocate forslavery. Thus was peace restored within their indignant breasts, andperhaps a war with the ladies of the British aristocracy averted. Of twofacts, however, I feel perfectly certain; one is, that theanimadversions made in America will not in the least degree impair herGrace's healthy condition; and the other is, that the meeting held atStafford House will in no way improve the condition of the negro. There are two or three clubs established here, into one of whichstrangers are admitted as visitors, but the one which is considered the"first chop" does not admit strangers, except by regular ballot; onereason, I believe, for their objecting to strangers, is the immensenumber of them, and the quality of the article. Their ideas of anEnglish gentleman, if formed from the mass of English they see in thiscity, must be sufficiently small: there is a preponderating portion ofthe "cotton bagman, " many of whom seek to make themselves important bytalking large. Although probably more than nine out of ten never have"thrown their leg" over anything except a bale of cotton, since theinnocent days of the rocking-horse, they try to impress Jonathan bypulling up their shirt-collar consequentially, and informing him, --"WhenI was in England, I was used to 'unt with the Dook's 'ounds; first-rate, sir, first-rate style--no 'ats, all 'unting-caps. " Then, passing hisleft thumb down one side of his cheek, his fingers making a parallelcourse down the opposite cheek, with an important air and an expressionindicative of great intimacy, he would condescendingly add, --"The Dookwasn't a bad chap, after all: he used to give me a capital weed now andthen. " With this style of John Bull in numerical ascendency, you cannotwonder at the club-doors not being freely opened to "the Dook'sfriends, " or at the character of an English gentleman being imperfectlyunderstood. Time hurries on, a passport must be obtained, and that done, it must be_viséd_ before the Spanish consul, as Cuba is my destination. TheFilibusteros seem to have frightened this functionary out of hisproprieties. A Spaniard is proverbially proud and courteous--the presentspecimen was neither; perhaps the reason may have been that I was anEnglishman, and that the English consul had done all his work for him_gratis_ when the Filibustero rows obliged him to fly. Kindness is athing which the Spaniards as a nation find it very difficult to forgive. However, I got his signature, which was far more valuable than hiscourtesy; most of his countrymen would have given me both, but the onesufficed on the present occasion. Portmanteaus are packed--my time iscome. Adieu, New Orleans!--adieu, kind host and amiable family, and a thousandthanks for the happy days I spent under your roof. Adieu, all yehospitable friends, not forgetting my worthy countryman the Britishconsul. The ocean teapot is hissing, the bell rings, friends cry, kiss, and smoke--handkerchiefs flutter in the breeze, a few parting gifts arethrown on board by friends who arrive just too late; one big-whiskeredfellow with bushy moustache picks up the parting _cadeau_--gracious me!he opens it, and discloses a paper bag of lollipops; another unfolds aprecious roll of chewing tobacco. Verily, extremes do meet. The"Cherokee" is off, and I'm aboard. Down we go, sugar plantationsstudding either shore; those past, flat dreary banks succeed; ships ofall nations are coming up and going down by the aid of tugboats; twolarge vessels look unpleasantly "fixed"--they are John Bull andJonathan, brothers in misfortune and both on a bank. "I guess the pilots will make a good thing out of that job!" says myneighbour. -- "Pilots!" I exclaimed, "how can that be? I should think they stood afair chance of losing their licence. " "Ah! sir, we don't fix things that way here; the pilots are too 'cute, sir. " Upon inquiry, I found that, as the banks were continuallyshifting, it was, as my friend said, very difficult "to fix thepilots, "--a fact which these worthies take every advantage of, for thepurpose of driving a most profitable trade in the following manner. Pilot goes to tug and says, "What do you charge for getting a ship off?"The price understood, a division of the spoil is easily agreed upon. Away goes the pilot, runs the ship on shore on the freshest sandbank, curses the Mississippi and everything else in creation; a tug comes upvery opportunely, a tidy bargain is concluded; the unfortunate pilotforfeits 100l. , his pilotage from the ship, and consoles himself thefollowing evening by pocketing 500l. From the tugman as his share of thespoil, and then starts off again in search of another victim. Such, Iwas informed by practical people, is a common feature in the pilotage ofthese waters, and such it appears likely to continue. The "Cherokee" is one of those vessels which belong to Mr. Law, of whomI could get no information, expect that he had sprung up like a mushroomto wealth and Filibustero notoriety. He is also the custodian, Ibelieve, of the three hundred thousand stand of arms ordered by Kossuthfor the purpose of "whipping" Russia and Austria, and establishing theRepublic of Hungary, unless by accident he found brains enough to becomea Hungarian Louis Napoleon; but Mr. Law's other vessel, called the"Crescent City, " and the Cuban Black Douglas, yclept "Purser Smith, " areperhaps better known. Peradventure, you imagine this latter to be a wildhyena-looking man, with radiant red hair, fiery ferret eyes, and hispockets swelled out with revolutionary documents for the benefit of thediscontented Cubans; but I can inform you, on the best authority, suchis not the case, for he was purser of the "Cherokee" this voyage. Helooks neither wild nor rabid, and is a grey-headed man, about fiftyyears of age, with a dash of the Israelite in his appearance: he may orhe may not have Filibustero predilections--I did not presume to makeinquiry on the subject. And here I cannot but remark upon the childishconduct of the parties concerned in the ridiculous "Crescent City andCuba question, " although, having taken the view they did, the Spaniardswere of course perfectly right in maintaining it. It was unworthy ofthe Spanish nation to take notice of the arrival of so uninfluential aperson as Purser Smith; and it was imprudent, inasmuch as it made him aperson of importance, and gave the party with whom he was supposed to beconnected a peg to hang grievances upon, and thus added to theirstrength. It was equally unworthy of Mr. Law, when objection was made, and a notification sent that Mr. Smith would not be admitted nor thevessel that carried him, to persist in a course of conduct obnoxious toa friendly power; and it was imprudent, when it must have been obviousthat he could not carry his point; thereby eventually adding strength tothe Spanish authority. When, all the fuss and vapour was made by Mr. Lawand his friends, they seemed to have forgotten the old adage, "Peoplewho live in glass houses should not throw stones. " President Filmore, inhis statesmanlike observations, when the subject was brought before him, could not help delicately alluding to Charleston, a city of America. Americans at Charleston claim to exercise the right--what a prostitutionof the term right!--of imprisoning any of the free subjects of anothernation who may enter their ports, if they are men of colour. Thus, if acaptain arrives in a ship with twenty men, of whom ten are black, he isinstantly robbed of half his crew during his whole stay in the harbour;and on what plea is this done? Is any previous offence charged againstthem? None whatever. The only plea is that it is a municipal regulationwhich their slave population renders indispensable. In other words, itis done lest the sacred truth should spread, that man has no right tobind his fellow-man in the fetters of slavery. [W] Was there ever such a farce as for a nation that tolerates such amunicipal regulation as this to take umbrage at any of their citizensbeing, on strong suspicions of unfriendly feeling, denied entry into anyport? Why, if there was a Chartist riot in monarchical England, and theports thereof were closed against the sailors of republican America, they could have no just cause of offence, so long as the presentmunicipal law of Charleston exists. What lawful boast of freedom canthere ever be, where contact with freemen is dreaded, be their skinsblack or any colour of the rainbow? Why can England offer an asylum tothe turbulent and unfortunate of all countries and climes?--Because sheis perfectly free! Don't be angry, my dear Anglo-Saxon brother; youknow, "if what I say bayn't true, there's no snakes in Warginny. " I feelsure you regret it; but then why call forth the observations, bysupporting the childish obstinacy in the "Crescent City" affair. However, as the housemaids say, in making up quarrels, "Let bygones bebygones. " Spain has maintained her rights; you have satisfied her, andquiet Mr. Smith enters the Havana periodically, without disturbing theGovernor's sleep or exciting the hopes of the malcontents. May we neversee the Great Empire States in such an undignified position again! Here we are still in the "Cherokee;" she is calculated to hold somehundreds of passengers. Thank God! there are only some sixty on board;but I do not feel equally grateful for their allowing me to pay doubleprice for a cabin to myself when two-thirds of them are empty, not tomention that the single fare is eight guineas. She is a regular old tubof a boat; the cabins are profitably fitted with three beds in each, oneabove the other; the consequence is, that if you wish to sneeze atnight, you must turn on your side, or you'll break your nose against thebed above you in the little jerk that usually accompanies thesternutatory process. The feeding on board is the worst I eversaw--tough, cold, and greasy, the whole unpleasantly accompanied withdirt. Having parted from my travelling companion at New Orleans, one of myfirst endeavours was, by the aid of physiognomy, to discover somepassenger on whom it might suit me to inflict my society. Casting myeyes around, they soon lit upon a fair-haired youth with a countenanceto match, the expression thereof bespeaking kindness and intelligence;and when, upon further examination, I saw the most indubitable andagreeable evidence that his person and apparel were on the mostsuccessful and intimate terms with soap and water, I pounced upon himwithout delay, and soon found that he was a German gentleman travellingwith his brother-in-law, and they both had assumed an _incognito_, beingdesirous of avoiding that curious observation which, had their realposition in life been known, they would most inevitably have beensubject to. Reader, be not you too curious, for I cannot withdraw theveil they chose to travel under; suffice it to know, their society addedmuch to my enjoyment, both on the passage and at the Havana. The sailingof the vessel is so ingeniously managed, that you arrive at theharbour's mouth just after sunset, and are consequently allowed theprivilege of waiting outside all night, no vessels except men-of-warbeing allowed to enter between sunset and daybreak. The hopes of themorrow were our only consolation, until at early dawn we ran through thenarrow battery-girt entrance, and dropped anchor in the land-lockedharbour of Havana. [Illustration] FOOTNOTES: [Footnote T: This was written in January, 1853. --The bale may be roughlyestimated at 450 lbs. ] [Footnote U: This hotel has long since been re-opened. ] [Footnote V: All large cities in America must of necessity bedemocratic. ] [Footnote W: I have since heard that the Charleston authorities allowthe captains of vessels to keep their coloured crew on board, underpenalty of a heavy fine in case they land. ] CHAPTER XII. _The Queen of the Antilles_. It was a lovely morning, not a cloud in the sky; the harbour was assmooth as a mirror, and bright with the rays of a sun which had reachedthat height at which--in tropical climates--it gilds and gladdens thescene without scorching the spectator; the quay was lined with shipsloading and unloading; small boats were flying about in every direction;all around was gay and fresh, but the filthy steamer was still beneathme. I lost no time in calling a skiff alongside; then, shaking the dustfrom off my feet, I was soon pulling away for the shore. As a matter of course, the Custom-house is the landing-place, and thegreat object of search seems to be for Filibustero papers, or bookswhich advocate that cause. Having passed this ordeal, you take yourfirst drive in the national vehicle of the island, which rejoices in theappellation of a "Volante, " a name given it, I suppose, in bittersarcasm; a "Tortugante" would have been far more appropriate, inasmuchas the pace resembles that of a tortoise far more than that of a bird. Imay here as well describe one of the best, of which, in spite of its gayappearance, I feel sure the bare sight would have broken the heart of"Humanity Dick of Galway. " From the point of the shaft to the axle of the wheel measures fifteenfeet, and as the wheel varies in diameter from six to seven feet, it ofcourse extends three feet beyond the axle. The body is something like aswell private cab, the leather at the back being moveable, so as toadmit air, and a curtain is fitted in front joining the head of the caband the splash-board, for the sake of shade, if needed; this body issuspended on strong leather springs, attached to the axle at one end, and to a strengthening-piece across the shafts, seven and a half feetdistance from the axle, at the other. The point of the shaft is fittedwith rings, by which it hangs on the back-pad of the horse, whose headnecessarily extends about four feet beyond; thus you will observe, thatfrom the outer tire of the wheel to the horse's nose occupies at leasttwenty-two feet, and that the poor little animal has the weight of thecarriage lying on him at the end of a lever fifteen feet long. Owing totheir great length, it is excessively difficult to turn them; a "TommyOnslow" would cut in and out with a four-in-hand fifteen miles an hour, where the poor Volante would come to a regular fix--if the horses inCuba came into power, they would burn every one of them the next minute. It must however be admitted that they are excessively easy to ride in, and peculiarly suited to a country with bad roads, besides being thegayest-looking vehicles imaginable; the boxes of the wheels, the ends ofthe axle, the springs for the head, the bar to keep the feet off thesplash-board, the steps, the points of the fastenings of carriage andharness are all silvered and kept bright. Nor does the use of theprecious metal stop here; the niggers who bestride the poor horses areput into high jack-boots fitted with plated buckles and huge spurs, bothequally brilliant. These niggers have a most comical appearance; theywear a skull-cap, or a handkerchief under a gold-banded hat; some wear ared short-tailed jacket, the seams and the front of the collar coveredwith bright yellow, on which are dispersed innumerable emblazonments ofheraldry, even to the very tails, which I should hardly have expected tofind thus gaily decorated, --it may have been from this practice we havederived the expression of the seat of honour. The jack-boots they wearsometimes fit very tight to the legs, in which case poor Sambo has toroll up his pants till they assume the appearance of small bolsters tiedround the knee, presenting a most ludicrous caricature. The poor littlehorses are all hog-maned, and their tails are neatly plaited down thewhole length, the point thereof being then tied up to the crupper, sothat they are as badly off as a certain class of British sheep-dog. Thisis probably an ancient custom, originating from a deputation of flieswaiting upon the authorities, and binding themselves by treaty to leavethe bipeds in peace if they would allow them the unmolested torture ofthe quadruped. If the owner wishes to "make a splash, " another horse, equally silvered, is harnessed abreast, something like the Russian Furieux; and in thecountry, where the roads on the plantations are execrable, and quiteimpassable for any spring carriage, a third horse is often added, thepostilion always riding the near, or left-hand horse. The body of thecarriage is comfortably cushioned, and lined with bright gay colours, and generally has a stunning piece of carpet for a rug. Such is theCuban Volante, in which the Hidalgos and the Corazoncitas with glowinglustrous eyes roll about in soft undulating motion from place to place;and, believe me, such a Volante, tenanted by fairy forms lightly andgaily dressed, with a pleasant smile on their lips and an encyclopediaof language beaming from the orbs above, would arrest the attention ofthe most inveterate old bachelor that ever lived; nay, it might possiblygive birth to a deep penitential sigh and a host of good and sensibleresolutions. Ordinary Volantes are the same style of thing, only not sogay, and the usual pace is from three to five and a half miles an hour, always allowing five minutes for turning at the corner of every street. If you are curious to know why I am in such a hurry to describe aVolante, as if it were the great feature of Cuba, the reason is, simply, that my first act on landing was to get into one of the said vehiclesand drive to the hotel. The horses are generally very neat and compact, and about the size of avery small English hack. For riding there are two kinds--the Spanish, which goes at the "rack" or amble pace, and the American, which goes theregular pace; the broad foreheads, short heads, and open nostrils showplenty of good breeding. The charges both for horses and Volante, if youwish to go out of the town, are, like everything else in Cuba, ridiculously exorbitant. An American here is doing a tolerably goodbusiness in letting horses and carriages. For a short evening drive, wehad the pleasure of paying him thirty-five shillings. He says his bestcustomers are a gang of healthy young priests, whom he takes out nearlydaily to a retired country village famous for the youth and beauty ofits fair sex, and who appear to be very dutiful daughters of the Church, as they are said to appreciate and profit by the kind visits of theseexcellent young men and their zealous labours of love. There is a very good view of the town from the top of the hotel[X]. Mostof the houses have both flat and sloping roofs, the latter covered withconcave red tiles, cemented together with white, thus giving them astrange freckled appearance; while in many cases the dust and dew haveproduced a little soil, upon which a spontaneous growth of shrubbery hassprung up; the flat roofs have usually a collection of little urn-shapedturrets round the battlement, between which are stretched clothes-lines. Here the ebony daughters of Eve, with their bullet-heads and polishedfaces and necks, may be seen at all hours hanging up washed clothes, their capacious mouths ornamented with long cigars, at which they puffaway like steam-engines. One of the first sights I witnessed was a funeral, but not the solemn, imposing ceremony which that word conveys to English ears. The sides ofthe hearse and the upper part of the coffin were made of glass; insidelay a little girl, six or seven years old, dressed as if going to awedding, and decorated with gay flowers. Volantes followed, bearing themourners--or the rejoicers; I know not which is the more correct term. One or two were attired in black, but generally the colours were gay;some were quietly smoking cigars, which it is to be hoped they did thatthe ashes at the end thereof might afford them food for profitablereflection. Custom is said to be second nature, and I suppose, therefore, one could get habituated to this system if brought up underit; but, seen for the first time, it is more calculated to excitefeelings of curiosity than solemnity. Doubtless, some fond parent'sheart was bleeding deeply, and tears such as a mother only can shed wereflowing freely, despite the gay bridal appearance of the whole ceremony. On my return to the hotel, I found the Press--if the slavish tool of agovernment can justly be designated by such a term--full of remarks uponthe new British Ministry[Y], many of which were amusing enough; theyshowed a certain knowledge of political parties in England, and laughedgood-humouredly at the bundling together in one faggot of suchdifferently-seasoned sticks. Even the name of the Secretary of theAdmiralty was honoured by them with a notice, in which they scorned tolook upon him as a wild democrat. They criticised the great Peel's tailgoing over in a body to the enemy's camp and placing themselves at thehead of the troops; but what puzzled them most was, how _aquellos Grey'stan famosos por el nepotismo_ had not formed part of the ministry. Iconfess they were not more puzzled than I was to account for themysterious combination; the only solution whereof which presented itselfto my mind, was the supposition that power has the same influence onpublic men that lollipops have on the juvenile population, and that theone and the other are ready to sacrifice a great deal to obtainpossession of the luscious morsel. However, as we live in an age ofmiracles, we may yet see even a rope of sand, mud, and steel-filings, hold together. --Pardon this digression, and let us back to Cuba. The Cubans usually dine about half-past three; after dinner some go tothe _Paseo_ in their Volantes, others lounge on the quay or gather roundthe military band before the Governor-General's palace. Look at that manwith swarthy countenance, dark hair, and bright eyes--he is seated on a stone bench listening to the music; a preserved bladder full oftobacco is open before him, a small piece of thin paper is in his hand;quick as thought a cigarette is made, and the tobacco returned to hispocket. Now he rises, and walks towards a gentleman who is smoking; whenclose, he raises his right hand, which holds the cigarette, nearly levelwith his chin, then gracefully throwing his hand forward, accompaniesthe act with the simple word _Favor_; having taken his light, the sameaction is repeated, followed by a courteous inclination of the head as afaintly expressed _Gracias_ escapes his lips. In this man you have atype of a very essential portion of the male population. Reader, it isno use your trying to imitate him; the whole scene, is peculiar to theSpaniard, in its every act, movement and expression. Old Hippo at theZoological might as well try to rival the grace of a Taglioni. The promenade over, many spend their evenings at billiards, dominoes, &c. , adjourning from time to time to some _café_ for the purpose ofeating ices or sucking goodies, and where any trifling conversation ordispute is carried on with so much vivacity, both of tongue and offingers, that the uninitiated become alarmed with apprehensions of someserious quarrel. Others again, who are ladies' men, or of domestichabits, either go home or meet at some friend's house, where they allsit in the front room on the ground-floor, with the windows wide open tothe street, from which they are separated only by a few perpendiculariron bars. Yankee rocking-chairs and cane chairs are placed abreast ofthese windows, and facing each other like lines of sentinels; there theychat, smoke cigars, or suck their fingers, according to their sex andfancy. Occasionally a merry laugh is heard, but I cannot say it is verygeneral. Sometimes they dance, which with them is a slow undulatingmovement, suited to a marble floor and a thermometer at eighty degrees. At a small village in the neighbourhood I saw a nigger hall, --the dancewas precisely the same, being a mixture of country-dance and waltz; andI can assure you, Sambo and his ebony partner acquitted themselvesadmirably: they were all well dressed, looked very jolly andcomfortable, and were by no means uproarious. You must not imagine, from my observations on the fair tenant of theVolante, that this is a land of beauty--far from it: one feature ofbeauty, and one only, is general--good eyes: with that exception, itis rare; but there are some few lovely daughters of Eve that would makethe mouth of a marble statue water. Old age here is anything butattractive, either producing a mountainous obesity, or a skeleton onwhich the loose dried skin hangs in countless wrinkles. But such isgenerally the case in warm climates, as far as my observation goes. Anyone wishing to verify these remarks, has only to go on the Paseo alittle before sunset upon a Sunday evening, when he will be sure to meetnine-tenths of the population and the Volantes all in gayest attire. Theweather on my arrival was very wet, and I was therefore unable to gointo the country for some days; but having cleared up, I got my passportand took a trip into the interior. [Illustration: "EL CASERO, " THE PARISH HAWKER IN CUBA. ] The railway cars are built on the American models, i. E. , long cars, capable of containing about forty or fifty people; but they have had thegood sense to establish first, second, and third-class carriages; and, at the end of each first-class carriage, there is a partition, shuttingoff eight seats, so that any party wishing to be private can easily beso. They travel at a very fair pace, but waste much time at thestopping-places, and whole hours at junctions. By one of theseconveyances I went to Matanzas, which is very prettily situated in alovely bay. There is a ridge, about three miles from the town, which iscalled the Cumbre, from the summit whereof you obtain a beautiful viewof the valley of the Yumuri, so called from a river of that name, andconcerning which there is a legend that it is famous for the slaughterof the Indians by the Spaniards; a legend which, too probably, rests onthe foundation of truth, if we are to judge by the barbarities whichdimmed the brilliancy of all their western conquests. The valley is nowfruitful in sugar-canes, and surrounded with hills and woods; and the_coup-d'oeil, _ when seen in the quick changing lights and shadows of thesetting sun, is quite, enchanting. Continuing our ride, we crossed thevalley as the moon was beginning to throw her dubious and silvery lightupon the cane fields. A light breeze springing up, their flowery headsswayed to and fro like waving plumes, while their long leaves, strikingone against the other, swept like a mournful sigh across the vale, asthough Nature were offering its tribute of compassion to the fetteredsons of Adam that had helped to give it birth. There is a very important personage frequently met with in Cuba, who iscalled _El Casero_--in other words, the parish commissariat pedler. Hetravels on horseback, seated between two huge panniers, and goes roundto all the cottages collecting what they wish to sell, and selling whatthey wish to buy, and every one who addresses him on business he styles, in reply, _Caserita_. This pedlering system may be very primitive, butit doubtless is a great convenience to the rural population, especiallyin an island which is so deficient in roads and communication. In short, I consider _El Casero_ the representative of so useful and peculiar aclass of the community, that I have honoured him with a wood-cut whereinhe is seen bargaining with a negress for fowls, or _viceversâ_, --whichever the reader prefers, --for not being the artist, Icannot undertake to decide which idea he meant to convey. There is nothing in the town of Matanzas worth seeing except the viewsof it and around it. The population amounts to about twenty-fivethousand, and the shipping always helps to give it a gay appearance. Mychief object in visiting these parts was to see something of the sugarplantations in the island; but as they resemble each other in essentialfeatures, I shall merely describe one of the best, which I visited whenretracing my steps to Havana, and which belongs to one of the mostwealthy men in the island. On driving up to it, you see a large airyhouse, --windows and doors all open, a tall chimney rearing its proudhead in another building, and a kind of barrack-looking building roundabout. The hospitable owner appears to delight in having an opportunityof showing kindness to strangers. He speaks English fluently; but alas!the ladies do not; so we must look up our old rusty armoury of Spanish, and take the field with what courage we may. Kindness and good-willsmooth all difficulties, and we feel astonished how well we get on; inshort, if we stay here too long we shall get vain, and think we reallycan speak Spanish, --we must dine, we must stay, we must make the houseour own, and truly I rejoiced that it was so. The house had everycomfort, the society every charm, and the welcome was as warm as it wasunostentatious. We--for you must know our party was four in number--mostdecidedly lit upon our legs, and the cuisine and the cellar lenteffectual aid. The proprietor is an elderly man, and the son, who hastravelled a good deal in Europe, manages the properties, which consistof several plantations, and employ about twelve hundred slaves. Thesound of the lash is rarely heard, and the negroes are all healthy andhappy-looking; several of them have means to purchase their liberty, butprefer their present lot. A doctor is kept on the estate for them; theirhouses are clean and decent; there is an airy hospital for them if sick, and there is a large nursery, with three old women who are appointed totake charge during the day of all children too young to work: at nightthey go to their respective families. On the whole property there wasonly one man under punishment, and he was placed to work in chains forhaving fired one of his master's buildings, which he was supposed tohave been led to do, owing to his master refusing to allow him to takehis infant home to his new wife till it was weaned; his former wife haddied in child-bed, and he wished to rear it on arrowroot, &c. This themaster--having found a good wet nurse for it--would not permit. The manhad generally borne a very good character, and the master, whose_entourage_ bears strong testimony to his kind rule, seized theopportunity of my visit to let him free at my request, as he had alreadybeen working four months in chains similar to those convicts sometimeswear; thus were three parties gratified by this act of grace. It is well known that there are various ways of making sugar; but as themethod adopted on this plantation contains all the newest improvements, I may as well give a short detail of the process as I witnessed it. Thecane when brought from the field is placed between two heavy rollers, worked by steam, and the juice falls into a conductor below--thesquashed cane being carried away to dry for fuel--whence it is raised bywhat is termed a "_monte jus_" into a tank above the "clarifier, " whichis a copper boiler, with iron jacket and steam between. A properproportion of lime is introduced, sufficient to neutralize the acidity. When brought to the boiling-point the steam is shut off, and the liquidsubsides. This operation is one of the most important in the wholeprocess; from the clarifier it is run through an animal charcoalfilterer, which, by its chemical properties, purifies it; from thefilterer it runs into a tank, whence it is pumped up above thecondensers, i. E. , tubes, about fifteen in number, laid horizontally, one above the other, and containing the steam from the vacuum pans. Thecold juice in falling over these hot tubes, condenses the steam-therein, and at the same time evaporates the water, which is always aconsiderable ingredient in the juice of the cane; the liquor then passesinto a vacuum pan, which is fitted with a bull's-eye on one side, and acorresponding bull's-eye with a lamp on the opposite side, by which theprocess can be watched. Having boiled here sufficiently, it passesthrough a second filtration of animal charcoal, and then returns to asecond vacuum pan, where it is boiled to the point of granulation; it isthen run off into heaters below, whence it is ladled into moulds of anirregular conical shape, in which it is left to cool and to drain offany molasses that remain; when cooled it is taken to the purging-house. The house where the operations which we have been describing were goingon, was two hundred yards long, forty yards broad, and built of solidcedar and mahogany. In the purging-house, these moulds are all ranged with the point of thecone down, and gutters below. A layer of moist clay, about two inchesdeep, is then placed upon the sugar at the broad end of the cone, and, by the gradual percolation of its thick liquid, carries off theremaining impurities. When this operation is finished, the cones arebrought out, and the sugar contained therein is divided into threeparts, the apex of the cone being the least pure, the middle ratherbetter, and the base the most pure and looking very white. This latterportion is then placed upon strong wooden troughs, about six or eightfeet square. There, negroes and negresses break it up with long polesarmed with hard-wood head, trampling it under their delicate pettitoesto such an extent as to give rise to the question whether sugar-tongsare not a useless invention. When well smashed and trodden, it is packedin boxes, and starts forth on its journeys; a very large proportion goesto Spain. The two least pure portions are sent to Europe, to be thererefined. Such is a rough sketch of the sugar-making process, as I sawit. All the machinery was English, and the proprietor had a corps ofEnglish engineers, three in number, to superintend the work. In ourroadless trips to various parts of the plantation, we found theadvantage of the Volante, before described; and though three horseswere harnessed, they had in many places enough to do. We stayed a coupleof days with our kind and hospitable friends, and then returned toHavana. No pen can convey the least idea of the wonderful luxuriance ofvegetation which charms the eye at every step. There is a richness ofcolour and a fatness of substance in the foliage of every tree and shrubwhich I never met with before in any of my travels. The stately palm, with its smooth white stem glittering in the sunbeams like a column ofburnished silver; the waving bamboo growing in little clumps, andnodding in the gentle breeze with all the graceful appearance of agigantic ostrich plume; groves of the mango, with its deep and darkfoliage defying the sun's rays; the guava, growing at its feet, like aninfant of the same family; the mammee--or _abricot de St. Domingue_--with its rich green fruit hanging in clusters, and a foliagerivalling the mango; the dark and feathery tamarind; the light andgraceful indigo; the slow-growing arrowroot, with its palmy and featheryleaves spreading like a tender rampart round its precious fruit;boundless fields of the rich sugar-cane; acres of the luscious pineapple; groves of banana and plantain; forests of cedar and mahogany;flowers of every hue and shade; the very jungle netted over with thecreeping convolvulus, --these, and a thousand others, of whichfortunately for the reader I know not the names, are continuallybursting on the scene with equal profusion and variety, bearing lovelytestimony to the richness of the soil and the mildness of the climate. Alas! that this fair isle should be at one and the same time the richestgem in the crown of Spain, and the foulest blot on her escutcheon. Hertreaties are violated with worse than Punic faith, and here horrors havebeen enacted which would make the blood of a Nero curdle in his veins. Do you ask, how are treaties violated? When slaves are brought here byour cruisers, Spain is bound by treaty to apprentice them out for threeyears, so as to teach them how to earn a living, and then to free them. My dear John Bull, you will be sorry to hear, that despite the activityof our squadron for the suppression of slavery, that faithless countrywhich owes a national existence to oceans of British treasure, and theblood of the finest army the great Wellington ever led, has theunparalleled audacity to make us slave carriers to Cuba. Yes, thousandsof those who, if honour and truth were to be found in the Government ofSpain, would now be free, are here to be seen pining away their lives inthe galling and accursed chains of slavery, a living reproach toEngland, and a black monument of Spanish faith. Yes, John Bull, I repeatthe fact; thousands of negroes are bound here in hopeless fetters, thatwere brought here under the British flag. And, that there may be nodoubt of the wilfulness with which the Cuban authorities disregard theirsolemn obligations, it is a notorious fact, that in a country wherepassports and police abound in every direction, so that a negro cannotmove from his own home, upwards of a hundred were landed in the lastyear, 1852, from one vessel, at a place only thirty-five miles from theHavana, and marched in three days across the island to--where do youthink?--to some Creole's, or to some needy official's estate? no suchthing; but, as if to stamp infamy on Spain, at the highest step of theladder, they were marched to the Queen Mother's estate. If this be notwickedness in high places, what is? The slave trade flourishesluxuriantly here with the connivance of authority; and what makes thematter worse is, that the wealth accumulated by this dishonesty andnational perjury is but too generally--and I think too justly--believedto be the mainspring of that corruption at home for which Spain standspre-eminent among the nations of the earth. I will now give you a sketchof the cruelties which have been enacted here; and, although an oldstory, I do not think it is very generally known. When General O'Donnell obtained the captain-generalship of Cuba, whetherhis object was to obtain honours from Spain for quelling aninsurrection, or whether he was deceived, I cannot decide; but animaginary insurrection was got up, and a military court was sent inevery direction throughout the island. These courts were to obtain allinformation as to the insurrection, and, of course, to flog the negroestill they confessed. Unfledged ensigns would come with their guard upona plantation, and despite the owner's assurance that there was nofeeling of insubordination among the negroes, they would set to workflogging right and left, till in agony the poor negro would saysomething which would be used to criminate some other, who in turnwould be flogged till in agony he made some assertion; and so it wenton, till the blood-thirsty young officer was satiated. On one plantationa negro lad had been always brought up with one of the sons of theproprietor, and was, in fact, quite a pet in the family. One of thesemilitary courts visited the plantation, and insisted upon flogging thispet slave till he confessed what he never knew. In vain his masterstrove to convince the officer of his perfect innocence; he would notlisten, and the poor lad was tied up, and received seven hundred lashes, during which punishment some remarks he made in the writhings of hisagony were noted down, and he was shot at Matanzas for the same. Themaster's son, who was forced to witness this barbarity inflicted uponthe constant companion of his early youth, never recovered the shock, and died the following year insane. The streets of Matanzas were in some places running with negro blood. Aneye-witness told me that near the village of Guinés he saw a negroflogged with an aloe-leaf till both hip-bones were perfectly bare; andthere is little doubt that 1500 slaves died under the lash. You willperhaps be surprised, most excellent John Bull, when I tell you that thecruelties did not stop at the negroes, but extended even to whites whoclaimed British protection. One of them was chained to a log of wood inthe open air for a hundred days and a hundred nights, despite thestrongest remonstrances on the part of the British authorities, and waseventually unchained, to die two days after in jail. Several others wereimprisoned and cruelly treated; and when this reign of terror, worthyeven of Spain in her bloodiest days, was over, and their case wasinquired into, they were perfectly exonerated, and a compensation wasawarded them. This was in 1844. Some of them have since died from thetreatment they then received; and, if I am correctly informed, Spain--byway of keeping up her character--has not paid to those who survive onefarthing of the sum awarded. Volumes might be filled with the atrocitiesof 1844; but the foregoing is enough of the sickening subject. When Icall to mind the many amiable and high-minded Spaniards I have met, thenational conduct of Spain becomes indeed a mystery. But to return topresent times. H. M. S. "Vestal, " commanded by that active young officer, Captain C. B. Hamilton, was stationed at Cuba for the suppression of slavery, &c. Shehad been watching some suspicious vessels in the harbour for a longtime; but as they showed no symptoms of moving, she unbent sails andcommenced painting, &c. A day or two after, as daylight broke, thesuspicious vessels were missing from the harbour. The "Vestal"immediately slipped, and, getting the ferry-boat to tow her outside, commenced a chase, and the next day succeeded in capturing four vessels. Of course they were brought into Havana, to be tried at the Mixed Courtthere; three, I believe, were condemned, but the fourth, called the"Emilia Arrogante" is the one to which I wish to call your attention, because she, though the most palpably guilty, belonged to wealthy peoplein the island, and therefore, of course, was comparatively safe. Whentaken, the slave-deck which she had on board was carefully put into itsplace, and every plank and beam exactly fitted, as was witnessed andtestified to by several of the "Vestal's" officers; yet, will youbelieve it, when given up to the local authorities, they either burnt ormade away with this only but all-sufficient evidence, so that it becameimpossible for the Court to condemn her. It is curious to hear the open way people speak of the bribery of theofficials in the island, and the consequent endless smuggling that goeson. A captain of a merchant-vessel told me that in certain articles, which, for obvious reasons, I omit to mention, it is impossible to tradeexcept by smuggling; so universal is the practice, that he would beundersold fifty per cent. He mentioned an instance, when the properduties amounted to 1200l. , the broker went to the official andobtained a false entry by which he only paid 400l. Duty, and thisfavour cost him an additional 400l. Bribe to the official, thus saving400l. This he assured me, after being several years trading to Cuba, was the necessary practice of the small traders; nobody in Cuba is sohigh that a bribe does not reach him, from the Captain-General, who ishandsomely paid for breaking his country's plighted faith in permittingthe landing of negroes, down to the smallest unpaid official. Withtwo-thirds the excuse is, "We are so ill-paid, we must take bribes;"with the other third the excuse is, "It is the custom of the island. "Spain could formerly boast pre-eminence in barbarity--she has nowattained to pre-eminence in official corruption; but the day must come, though it may yet be distant, when her noble sons of toil will burst thefetters of ignorance in which they are bound, and rescue their fair landfrom the paltry nothingness of position which it occupies among thenations of Europe, despite many generous and noble hearts which evennow, in her degradation, are to be found blushing over present realitiesand striving to live on past recollections. There were some British men-of-war lying in the harbour; and as my twoGerman friends were anxious to see the great-gun exercise, I went onboard with these gentlemen to witness the drill, with which they weremuch pleased. After it was over, and the ship's company had gone todinner, they wished to smoke a cigar, the whiffs of Jack's pipe havingreached their olfactories. Great was their astonishment, and infinite mydisgust, when we were walked forward to the galley to enjoy our weed, tofind the crew smoking on the opposite side. It is astonishing to thinkthat, with so much to be improved and attended to in the Navy, theauthorities in Whitehall-place should fiddle-faddle away precious timein framing regulations about smoking, for the officers; and, instead ofleaving the place to be fixed by the captain of each vessel, and holdinghim responsible, should name a place which, it is not too much to say, scarce one captain in ten thinks of confining his officers to, for theobvious reason that discipline is better preserved by keeping theofficers and men apart during such occupations, --and, moreover, thatsending officers to the kitchen to smoke is unnecessarily offensive. These same orders existed thirty years ago; and, as it was well knownthey were never attended to, except by some anti-smoking captain, whoused them as an excuse, the Admiralty very wisely rescinded an orderwhich, by being all but universally disregarded, tended to weaken theweight and authority of all other orders; and after the word "galley, "they then added, "or such other place as the captain shall appoint. "After some years, however, so little was there of greater importance toengage their attention in naval affairs, that this sensible order wasrescinded, and the original one renewed in full force, and, of course, with similar bad effect, as only those captains who detest smoking--aninvisible minority--or those who look for promotion from scrupulousobedience to insignificant details--an equally invisible minority--actup to the said instructions. Nevertheless, so important an element innaval warfare is smoking now considered, that in the printed formsupplied to admirals for the inspection of vessels under their command, as to "State and Preparation for Battle, " one of the first questions is, "Are the orders relative to smoking attended to?" If I am not muchmisinformed, when Admiral Collier was appointed to the Channel squadron, he repaired to the Admiralty, and told the First Lord that he had smokedin his own cabin for twenty years, and that he could not forego thatpleasure. The First Lord is said to have laughed, and made the sensibleremark, "Of course you'll do as you like;" thereby showing, in myopinion, his just sense of the ridiculousness of such a childishregulation. So much for folly _redivivus_. While on the subject of smoking, I may as well say a few words uponcigar manufacture. In the first place, all the best tobacco grows at thelower end of the island, and is therefore called "_Vuelta abajo_. " Anidea has found its way into England, that it is impossible to makecigars at home as well as at the Havana; and the reason given is, thetobacco is made up at Havana during its first damping, and that, havingto be re-damped in England, it loses thereby its rich flavour and aroma. Now, this is a most egregious mistake; for in some of the best houseshere you will find tobacco two and even four years old, which is not yetworked up into cigars, and which, consequently, has to be re-damped forthat purpose. If this be so, perhaps you will ask how is it thatBritish-made cigars are never so good as those from Havana? There aretwo very good reasons for this--the one certain, the other probable. Theprobable one is, that the best makers in Havana, whose brand is theirfortune--such as Cabaños y Carvajal--will be jealous of sending thebest tobacco out of the country, lest, being forced to use inferiortobacco, they might lose their good name; and the other reason is, thatcigars improve in flavour considerably by a sea voyage. So fully is thisfact recognised here, that many merchants pay the duty of threeshillings a thousand to embark their cigars in some of the West Indiasteamers, and then have them carried about for a month or so, therebyinvolving a further payment for freight; and they all expressthemselves as amply repaid by the improvement thereby effected in theircigars. Nevertheless, many old Cubans prefer smoking cigars the sameweek that they are made. At the same time, if any honest tobacconist inEngland chose to hoist the standard of "small profit and plenty of it, "he might make very good Havana tobacco cigars, at 50 per cent. Profit, under 16s. Per 100. Thus--duty, 3s. 6_d_; tobacco, 5s. ; freight anddues, &c. , 6d. ; making up, 1s. 6d. --absolute cost of cigars, 10s. 6d. Per 100; 50 per cent. Profit thereon, 5s. 3d. ; total, 15s. 9d. For this sum a better article could be supplied than is ordinarilyobtained at prices varying from 25s. To 30s. But 50 per cent. Profit will not satisfy the British tobacconist when hefinds John Bull willing to give him 100 per cent. He therefore makes thecigars at the prices above-mentioned, puts them into old boxes with somepet brand upon them, and sells them as the genuine article. John Bull isindebted for this extortionate charge to the supreme wisdom of theLegislature, which has established a 3s. 6d. Duty on the pound ofunmanufactured tobacco, and a 9s. Duty on manufactured; instead offixing one duty for manufactured and unmanufactured, and making thedifference thereof depend upon the quality--lowering the duty upon thetobacco used by the poor to 2s. 6d. , and establishing on all thebetter kinds a uniform rate, say 6s. Or 7s. The revenue, I believe, would gain, and the public have a better protection against the fraud ofwhich they are now all but universal victims. But to return to Havana. The price paid for making cigars varies from 8s. To 80s. A thousand, the average being about 15s. A certain quality of tobacco is made upinto cigars, and from time to time they are handed over to the examiner, who divides them into three separate classes, the difference beingmerely in the make thereof. A second division then takes place, regulated by the colour of the outside wrapper, making the distinctionof "light" or "brown. " Now, the three classes first noticed, you willobserve, are precisely the same tobacco; but knowing how the public aregulled by the appearance, the prices are very different. Thus, takingthe brand of Cabaños y Carvajal _Prensados_, his first, or prettiest, are 6l. 8s. Per 1000; his second are 5l. 12s. ; and his third are5l. ; and yet no real difference of quality exists. The cigars of whichI speak are of the very best quality, and the dearest brand in Havana. Now, let us see what they cost put into the tobacconist's shop inLondon:--32 dollars is 180s. ; duty, 90s. ; export at Havana, 3s. ;freight and extra expenses, say 7s. --making 230s. A thousand, or23s. A hundred, for the dearest and best Havana cigars, London size. But three-fourths of the cigars which leave the Havana for England donot cost more than 3l. 4s. Per thousand, which would bring theircost price to the tobacconist down to 16s. 5d. The public know whatthey pay, and can make their own reflections. There is another class of cigar known in England as "Plantations, " herecalled "Vegueros. " They are of the richest tobacco, and are all made inthe country by the sable ladies of the island, who use no tables to workat, if report speaks truth; and as both hands are indispensable in theprocess of rolling, what they roll upon must be left to the imagination. It will not do to be too fastidious in this world. Cooks finger thedainty cutlets, and keep dipping their fingers into the rich sauces, andsucking them, to ascertain their progress, and yet the feasters relishthe savoury dish not one whit the less; so smokers relish the Veguero, though on what rolled modesty forbids me to mention, --nor do theyhesitate to press between their lips the rich "Regalia, " though itsbeautifully-finished point has been perfected by an indefinite number ofpassages of the negro's forefinger from the fragrant weed to his ownrosy tongue. Men must not be too nice; but I think in the abovedescription a fair objection is to be found to ladies smoking. With regard to the population of Cuba, the authorities, of course, wishto give currency to the idea that the whites are the most numerous. Having asked one of these officials who had the best means of knowing, he told me there were 550, 000 whites and 450, 000 negroes; butprosecuting my inquiries in a far more reliable quarter, I found therewere 600, 000 slaves, 200, 000 free, and only 500, 000 whites, --thus makingthe coloured population as eight to five. The military force in theisland consists of 20, 000, of which 18, 000 are infantry, 1000 cavalry, and 1000 artillery[Z]. The demand for labour in the island is so great, that a speculation has been entered into by a mercantile house here tobring 6000 Chinese. The speculator has already disposed of them at24l. A-head; they are to serve for five years, and receive fourshillings a day, and they find their own way back. The cost of bringingthem is calculated at 10l. A head, --thus leaving 14l. Gain on each, which, multiplied by 6000, gives 84, 000l. Profit to thespeculator, --barring, of course, losses from deaths and casualties onthe journey. Chinese have already been tried here, and they proveadmirably suited to all the mechanical labour, but far inferior to thenegroes in the fields. I find that people in the Havana can he humbugged as well as John Bull. A Chinese botanist came here, and bethought him of trying his skill as adoctor. Everybody became mad to consult him; no street was ever socrowded as the one he lived in, since Berners-street on the day of thehoax. He got a barrel of flour, or some other innocuous powder, packedup in little paper parcels, and thus armed he received his patients. Onentering, he felt the pulse with becoming silence and gravity; at lasthe said, "Great fire. " He then put his hand on the ganglionic centre, from which he radiated to the circumjacent parts, and then, frowningdeep thought, he observed, "Belly great swell; much wind; pain allround. " His examination being thus accomplished, he handed the patient apaper of the innocuous powder, pocketed sixteen shillings, and dismissedhim. This scene, without any variety in observation, examination, prescription, or fee, was going on for two months, at the expiration ofwhich time he re-embarked for China with 8000l. As I believe that comparatively little is known in England of the lawsexisting in Cuba with respect to domicile, police, slavery, &c. , I shalldevote a few pages to the subject, which, in some of its details, isamusing enough. No person is allowed to land on the island without apassport from the place whence he arrives, and a _fiador_, or surety, inthe island, who undertakes to supply the authorities with information ofthe place of his residence for one year; nor can he remain in the islandmore than three months without a "domiciliary ticket. " People of colourarriving in any vessel are to be sent to a government deposit; if themaster prefers to keep them on board he may, but in that case he isliable to a fine of 200l. If any of them land on the island; after acertain hour in the evening all gatherings in the street are put a stopto, and everybody is required to carry a lantern about with him; thehierarchy and "swells"--_personas de distincion_--being alone exempt. All purchases made from slaves or children or doubtful parties are atthe risk of the purchaser, who is liable not merely to repay the pricegiven, but is further subject to a heavy fine: no bad law either. Anyboy between the ages of ten and sixteen who may be found in the streetsas a vagrant may be taken before the president of the _Seccion deIndustria de la Real Sociedad Economica_, by whom he is articled out toa master of the trade he wishes to learn. No place of education can beopened without the teacher thereof has been duly licensed. No game ofchance is allowed in any shop or tavern, except in billiard-saloons andcoffee-houses, where draughts and dominoes, chess and backgammon aretolerated. After a certain fixed hour of the night, no person is allowedto drive about in a Volante with the head up, unless it rains or thesitter be an invalid; the penalty is fifteen shillings. No privateindividual is allowed to give a ball or a concert without permission ofthe authorities. Fancy Londonderry House going to the Londonpolice-office to get permission for a quadrille or a concert. Howpleasant! The specific gravity of milk is accurately calculated, and buta moderate margin allowed for pump mixture; should that margin beexceeded, or any adulteration discovered, the whole is forfeited to somecharitable institution. If such a salutary law existed in London, pigs'brains would fall in the market, and I should not see so many milk-pailsat the spring during my early morning walks to the Serpentine. Among the regulations for health, the following are to be found. Noprivate hospital or infirmary is to be opened without a governmentlicence. All keepers of hotels, coffee or eating houses, &c. , are boundto keep their kitchen "battery" well tinned inside, under a heavypenalty of 3l. 10s. For every utensil which may be foundinsufficiently tinned, besides any further liabilities to which they maybe subject for accidents arising from neglect thereof. Every shop isobliged to keep a vessel with water at the threshold of the outer door, to assist in avoiding hydrophobia. All houses that threaten to tumbledown must be rebuilt, and if the owner is unable to bear the expense, he must sell the house to some one who can bear it. Another clause, after pointing out the proper places for bathing, enjoins a pair ofbathing breeches, under a penalty of fifteen shillings for each offence;the particular cut is not specified. Let those who object to put convexfig-leaves over the little cherubs, and other similar works of art atthe Crystal Palace, take a lesson from the foregoing, and clothe themall in Cuba pants as soon as possible; scenes are generally moreinteresting when the imagination is partially called into play. Boys, both little and big, are kept in order by a fine of fifteen shillingsfor every stone they throw, besides paying in full for all damage causedthereby. No one is allowed to carry a stick more than one inch indiameter under a penalty of twelve shillings; but all white people areallowed to carry swords, provided they are carried openly and in theirscabbards. The foregoing are sufficient to convey to the reader some idea of theban of pains and penalties under which a resident is placed; at the sametime it may be as well to inform him, that, except those enactmentswhich bear upon espionage, they are about as much attended to as thelaws with regard to the introduction of slaves, respecting which latterI will now give you a few of the regulations. Slave owners are bound to give their slaves three meals a-day, and thesubstance thereof must be eleven ounces of meat or salt-fish, fourounces of bread, and farinaceous vegetables equal to six plantains;besides this, they are bound to give them two suits of clothes--allspecified--yearly. Alas! how appropriate is the slang phrase "Don't youwish you may get 'em?" So beautifully motherly is Spain regarding herslaves, that the very substance of infants' clothes under three years ofage is prescribed; another substance from three to six; then comes aninjunction that from six to fourteen the girls are to be shirted and theboys breeched. I am sure this super-parental solicitude upon the part ofthe Government must be admitted to be most touching. By anotherregulation, the working time is limited from nine to ten hours daily, except in the harvest or sugar season, during which time the workinghours are eighteen a-day. No slave under sixteen or over sixty can beemployed on task-work, or at any age at a work not suited to his or herstrength and sex. Old slaves must be kept by their master, and cannot be freed for thepurpose of getting rid of the support of them. Upon a plantation, thehouses must be built on a dry position, well ventilated, and the sexeskept apart, and a proper hospital provided for them. By another law, marriage is inculcated on moral grounds, and the master of the slave isrequired to purchase the wife, so that they may both be under one roof;if he declines the honour, then the owner of the wife is to purchase thehusband; and if that fails, a third party is to buy both: failing allthese efforts, the law appears non-plused, and leaves their fate toProvidence. If the wife has any children under three years of age, theymust be sold with her. The law can compel an owner to sell any slaveupon whom he may be proved to have exercised cruelty; should any partyoffer him the price he demands, he may close the bargain at once, but ifthey do not agree, his value is to be appraised by two arbiters, onechosen by each party, and if either decline naming an arbiter, a lawofficer acts _ex officio_. Any slave producing fifty dollars (tenpounds) as a portion of his ransom-money, the master is obliged to fix aprice upon him, at which his ransom may be purchased; he then becomes a_coartado_, and whatever sums he can save his master is bound to receivein part payment, and, should he be sold, the price must not exceed theprice originally named, after subtracting therefrom the amount he hasadvanced for his ransom. Each successive purchaser must buy him subjectto these conditions. In all disputes as to original price or completionof the ransom, the Government appoints a law officer on behalf of theslave. The punishments of the slave are imprisonment, stocks, &c. ; whenthe lash is used, the number of stripes is limited to twenty-five. The few regulations I have quoted are sufficient to show how carefullythe law has fenced-in the slave from bad treatment. I believe the lawsof no other country in regard to slaves are so merciful, exceptingalways Peru; but, alas! though the law is as fair as the outside of thewhited sepulchre, the practice is as foul as the inside thereof; nor canone ever expect that it should be otherwise, when we see that, followingthe example of the treaty-breaking, slave-importing Queen Mother, everyofficial, from the highest government authority down to the lowest pettycustom-house officer, exposes his honesty daily in the dirty market ofbribery. A short summary of the increase of slave population may be interesting, as showing that the charges made against the Cubans of only keeping upthe numbers of the slaves by importation is not quite correct. In theyear 1835 a treaty was made with Spain, renewing the abolition of slavetraffic, to which she had assented in 1817 by words which her subsequentdeeds belied. At this latter date, the slave population amounted to290, 000, since which period she has proved the value of plighted faithby introducing upwards of 100, 000 slaves, which would bring the total upto 390, 000. The present slave population, I have before remarked, amounts to 600, 000, which would give as the increase by births duringnearly twenty years, 210, 000. If we take into consideration the ravagesof epidemics, and the serious additional labour caused by the longduration of the sugar harvest, we may fairly conclude, as far asincrease by birth is admitted as evidence, that the treatment of slavesin Cuba will stand comparison with that of the slave in the UnitedStates, especially when it is borne in mind that the addition of slaveterritory in the latter has made the breeding of slaves a regularbusiness. The increase of the produce of Cuba may very naturally be ascribed tothe augmentation of slave labour, and to the improvements in machinery;but there is another cause which is very apt to be overlooked, though Ithink there can be no doubt it has exercised the most powerful influencein producing that result: I allude to the comparative monopoly of thesugar trade, which the events of late years have thrown into her hands. When England manumitted the 750, 000 slaves in the neighbouring islands, the natural law of reaction came into play, and the negro who had beenforced to work hard, now chose to take his ease, and his absolutenecessities were all that he cared to supply: a little labour sufficedfor that, and he consequently became in his turn almost the master. Theblack population, unprepared in any way for the sudden change, becameday by day more idle and vicious, the taxes of the islands increased, and the circulation issued by the banks decreased in an equally fearfulratio. When sugar the produce of slave labour was admitted into England, a short time after the emancipation, upon the same terms as the produceof the free islands, as a natural consequence, the latter, who couldonly command labour at high wages and for uncertain time, were totallyunable to compete with the cheap labour and long hours of work in Cuba;nearly every proprietor in our West India colonies feel into deepdistress, --some became totally ruined. One property which had cost118, 000l. , so totally lost its value, owing to these changes in thelaw, that its price fell to 16, 000l. In Demerara, the sugar producesank from 104, 000, 000 lbs. To 61, 000, 000 lbs. , and coffee from 9, 000, 000lbs. To 91, 000 lbs. , while 1, 500, 000 lbs. Of cotton disappearedentirely. These are no fictions, they are plain facts, borne testimony to in manyinstances by the governors of the colonies; and I might quote aninfinite number of similar statements, all tending to prove the rapidgrowth of idleness and vice in the emancipated slaves, and the equallyrapid ruin of the unfortunate proprietor. The principles upon which welegislated when removing the sugar duties is a mystery to me, unless Iaccept the solution, so degrading to the nation, "that humanity is asecondary consideration to _£ s. D. _, and that justice goes for nothing. "If such were not the principles on which we legislated, there never wasa more complete failure. Not content with demoralizing the slave andruining the owner, by our hasty and ill-matured plan of emancipation, wegave the latter a dirty kick when he was falling, by removing the littleprotection we had all put pledged our national faith that he shouldretain; and thus it was we threw nearly the whole West India sugar tradeinto the hands of Cuba, stimulating her energy, increasing her produce, and clinching the fetters of the slave with that hardest holding of allrivets--the doubled value of his labour. Perhaps my reader may say I am taking a party and political view of thequestion. I repudiate the charge _in toto_: I have nothing to do withpolitics: I merely state facts, which I consider it requisite should bebrought forward, in order that the increase of Cuban produce may not beattributed to erroneous causes. For this purpose it was necessary toshow that the ruin we have brought upon the free West Indian colonies isthe chief cause of the increased and increasing prosperity of theirslave rival; at the same time, it is but just to remark, that theestablishment of many American houses in Cuba has doubtless had someeffect in adding to the commercial activity of the island. I have, in the preceding pages, shown the retrogression of some parts ofthe West Indies, since the passing of the Emancipation and Sugar-DutyActs. Let me now take a cursory view of the progression of Cuba duringthe same period. --Annual produce-- Previous to Emancipation. 1852. Sugar 300, 000, 000 lbs. -- 620, 000, 000 lbs. Molasses 125, 000, 000 " -- 220, 000, 000 " Leaf Tobacco 6, 000, 000 " -- 10, 000, 000 " Coffee 30, 000, 000 " -- 19, 000, 000 " The sugar manufactories during that time had also increased from eighthundred to upwards of sixteen hundred. Can any one calmly compare thismarvellous progression of Cuba with the equally astounding retrogressionof our Antilles, and fail to come to the irresistible conclusion thatthe prosperity of the one is intimately connected with the distress ofthe other. While stating the annual produce of tobacco, I should observe thatupwards of 180, 000, 000 of cigars, and nearly 2, 000, 000 boxes ofcigarettes, were exported in 1852, independent of the tobacco-leafbefore mentioned. Professor J. F. W. Johnston, in that curious and ablework entitled _Chemistry of Common Life_, styles tobacco "the firstsubject in the vegetable kingdom in the power of its service toman, "--some of my lady friends, I fear, will not approve of thisopinion, --and he further asserts that 4, 500, 000, 000 lbs. Thereof areannually dispersed throughout the earth, which, at twopence the pound, would realize the enormous sum of 37, 000, 000l. If smoking may be called the popular enjoyment of the island, billiardsand dominoes may be called the popular games, and the lottery thepopular excitement. There are generally fifteen ordinary lotteries, andtwo extraordinary, every year. The ordinary consist of 32, 000l. Paid, and 24, 000l. Thereof as prizes. There are 238 prizes, the highestbeing 600l. , and the lowest 40l. The extraordinary consist of54, 400l. Paid, of which 40, 800l. Are drawn as prizes. There are 206prizes, the highest of which is 20, 000l. , and the lowest 40l. ; fromwhich it will appear, according to Cocker, that the sums drawn annuallyas prizes are very nearly 150, 000l. Less than the sums paid. Prettypickings for Government! As may naturally be supposed, the excitementproduced by this constitutional gambling--which has its nearestcounterpart in our own Stock Exchange--is quite intense; and as the timefor drawing approaches, people may be seen in all the _cafés_ and publicplaces, hawking and auctioning the billets at premium, like so manyBarnums with Jenny Lind tickets. One curious feature in the lotterieshere is the interest the niggers take in them. To understand this, Imust explain to you that the coloured population are composed of variousAfrican tribes, and each tribe keeps comparatively separate from theothers; they then form a kind of club among their own tribe, for thepurpose of purchasing the freedom of some of their enslaved brethren, who, I believe, receive assistance in proportion as they contribute tothe funds, and bear such a character as shall interpose no obstacle totheir ransom being permitted. A portion of their funds is frequentlyemployed in the purchase of lottery-tickets, and a deep spirit ofgambling is the natural consequence; for though the stake entered isdollars, the prize, if won, is freedom. These lotteries date back to1812; and if they have always been kept up as before explained, theymust have contributed something like ten millions sterling to theGovernment during their forty years' working. A friend told me of a shameful instance of injustice connected withthese lotteries. A poor slave who had saved enough money to buy aticket, did so; and, drawing a small prize, immediately went off to hismaster, and presented it to him as a part of his redemption-money. Themaster having ascertained how he obtained it, explained to him that, asa slave, he could not hold property; he then quietly pocketed it, andsent poor Sambo about his business. What a beautiful commentary this ison the law respecting Coartados, which I inserted a few pages back. Imust, however, remark that, from the inquiries I made, and from my ownobservations of their countenances and amusements, the impression lefton my mind is, that the slaves are quite as happy here as in the UnitedStates; the only disadvantage that they labour under being, that thesugar harvest and manufacture last much longer in Cuba, and the labourthereof is by far the hardest drain upon the endurance of the slave. Thefree negroes I consider fully as well off as those in the SouthernStates, and immeasurably more comfortable than those who are domiciledin the Northern or Free States of the Union. The number of free negroesin Cuba amounts to one-fourth of the whole coloured population, while inthe United States it only amounts to one-ninth--proving the greatfacilities for obtaining freedom which the island offers, or the highercultivation of the negro, which makes him strive for it morelaboriously. I will not attempt to draw any comparison between thescenes of horror with which, doubtless, both parties are chargeable, butwhich, for obvious reasons, are carefully concealed from the traveller'seye. Among the curious anomalies of some people, is that of a dislike to becalled by the national name, if they have a local one. The islandersfeel quite affronted if you call them Españoles; and a native of OldSpain would feel even more affronted if you called him a Cubano or anHavanero. The appellations are as mutually offensive as were in theolden times those of Southron and Scot, although Cuba is eternallymaking a boast of her loyalty. The manner of a Cuban is as stiff andhidalgoish as that of any old Spaniard; in fact, so far as my shortacquaintance with the mother country and the colony enables me to judge, I see little or no difference. Some of them, however, have a dash of funabout them, as the two following little squibs will show. It appears that a certain Conde de ----, who had lately been decorated, was a most notorious rogue; in consequence of which, some wag chalked upon his door in large letters, during the night, the following lines, which, of course, were in everybody's mouth soon after the sun hadrisen:-- En el tiempo de las barbaras naciones A los ladrones se les colgaban en cruces; Pero hoy en el siglo de las luces A los ladrones se les cuelgan cruces. A play upon words is at all times a hopeless task to transfer to anotherlanguage; nevertheless, for the benefit of those who are unacquaintedwith Spanish, I will convey the idea as well as I can in English;-- Hang the thief on the cross was the ancient decree; But the cross on the thief now suspended we see. The idea is of very ancient date, and equally well known in Italy andSpain; but I believe the Spanish verses given above are original. The following was written upon a wealthy man who lived like a hermit, and was reported to be very averse to paying for anything. He had, tothe astonishment of everybody, given a grand entertainment the nightbefore. On his door appeared-- "El Marquis de C---- Hace lo que debe Y debe por lo que hace. " It is useless to try and carry this into Saxon. In drawing it from theSpanish well, the bottom must come out of the translationary bucket. Thebest version I can offer is-- "He gives a party, which he ought to do, But, doing that, he _does_ his tradesmen too. " I am aware my English version is tame and insipid, though, perhaps, notquite as much so as a translation I once met with of the sentence withwhich it was said Timoleon, Duc de Brissac, used to apostrophize himselfbefore the looking-glass every morning. The original runs thus:--"Timoleon, Duc de Brissac, Dieu t'a fait gentilhomme, le roi t'a faitduc, fais toi la barbe, pour faire quelque chose. " The translation wascharmingly ridiculous, and ran thus:--"Timoleon, Duke of Brissac, Providence made you a gentleman; the king gave you a dukedom; shaveyourself by way of doing something. "--But I wander terribly. Reader, youmust excuse me. I one day asked an intelligent friend, long resident in the island, whether any of the governors had ever done any good to the island, orwhether they were all satisfied by filling their pockets with handsomebribes. He told me that the first governor-general who had rendered realservice to the people was Tacon. On his arrival, the whole place was soinfested with rogues and villains that neither property nor even lifewas secure after dusk. Gambling, drunkenness, and vice of every kindrode rampant. He gave all evil-doers one week's warning, at theexpiration of which all who could not give a satisfactory account ofthemselves were to be severely punished. Long accustomed to idlethreats, they treated his warning with utter indifference; but they soonfound their mistake, to their cost. Inflexible in purpose, iron-handedin rule, unswerving in justice, he treated nobles, clergy, and commonersalike, and, before the fortnight was concluded, twelve hundred were inbanishment or in durance vile. Their accomplices in guilt stood aghastat this new order of things, and, foreseeing their fate, either bolted, reformed, or fell victims to it, and Havana became as quiet and orderlyas a church-parade. Shops, stores, and houses sprung up in everydirection. A magnificent opera-house was built outside the town, on theGrand Paseo, and named after the governor-general; nothing can exceedthe lightness, airiness, and taste of the interior. I never saw itsequal in any building of a similar nature, and it is in every respectmost perfectly adapted to this lovely climate. The next governor-general who seems to have left any permanent mark ofusefulness is Valdes, whom I suppose I may be allowed to call theirmodern Lycurgus. It was during his rule that the laws were weeded andimproved, and eventually produced in a clear and simple form. Thepatience he must have exhibited in this laborious occupation isevidenced by the minuteness of the details entered into, descending, aswe have seen, even to the pants of bathers and the bibs of the infantnigger, but, by some unaccountable omission, giving no instructions asto the tuckers of their mammas. If Tacon was feared and respected, Valdes was beloved; and each appears to have fairly earned thereputation he obtained. Valdes was succeeded by O'Donnell, whose rulewas inaugurated in negro blood. Frightful hurricanes soon followed, andwere probably sent in mercy to purify the island from the pollutions ofsuffering and slaughter. During the rule of his successor, Roncali, therebel Lopez appears on the stage. The American campaign in Mexico hadstirred up a military ardour which extended to the rowdies, and apiratical expedition was undertaken, with Lopez at the head. He hadacquired a name for courage in the Spanish army, and was much liked bymany of them, partly from indulging in the unofficer-like practice ofgambling and drinking with officers and men. His first attempt at alanding was ludicrously hopeless, and he was very glad to re-embarkwith a whole skin; but he was not the man to allow one failure todishearten him, for, independent of his courage, he had a feeling ofrevenge to gratify. [AA] Having recruited his forces, he landed thefollowing year, 1851, with a stronger and better-equipped force ofAmerican piratical brigands, and succeeded in stirring up a few Cubansto rebellion. He maintained himself for a few days, struggling with acourage worthy of a better cause. The pirates were defeated; Lopez wasmade prisoner, and died by the garotte, at Havana, on the 1st ofSeptember. Others also of the band paid the penalty of the law; and theruffian crew, who escaped to the United States, now constitute a kind ofnucleus for the "Lone Star, " "Filibustero, " and other such pests of thecommunity to gather round, being ready at any moment to start on abuccaneering expedition, if they can only find another Lopez ass enoughto lead them. Concha became governor-general just before Lopez' last expedition, andthe order for his execution was a most painful task for poor Concha, whohad been for many years an intimate friend of his. Concha appears tohave left an excellent name behind him. I always heard him called "thehonest governor. " He introduced a great many reforms into the civilcode, and established a great many schools and scientific and literarysocieties. During my stay in the island, his successor, Cañedo, was thegovernor-general. Whenever I made inquiries about him, the mostfavourable answer I could get was, a chuck-up of the head, a slight"p'tt" with the lips, and an expression of the eyes indicating the sightof a most unpleasant object. The three combined required no dictionaryof the Academy to interpret. [AB] The future of this rich and lovely island, who can predict? It is talkedof by its powerful neighbours as "the sick man. " Filibustero vultureshover above it as though it were already a putrid corpse inviting theirdescent; young America points to it with the absorbing index of"manifest destiny;" gold is offered for it; Ostend conferences are heldabout it; the most sober senators cry respecting it--"Patience, when thepear is ripe, it must drop into our lap. " Old Spain--torn by faction, and ruined by corruption--supports its tottering treasury from it. Thus, plundered by friends, coveted by neighbours, and assailed by pirates, itlies like a helpless anatomical subject, with the ocean for adissecting-table, on one side whereof stands a mother sucking its blood, and on the other "Lone Stars" gashing its limbs, while in thebackground, a young and vigorous republic is seen anxiously waiting forthe whole carcass. If I ask, "Where shall vitality be sought?" Echoanswers "Where?" If I ask, "Where shall I look for hope?" the verybreath of the question extinguishes the flickering taper. Who, then, canshadow forth the fate that is reserved for this tropical gem of theocean, where all around is so dark and louring?. . . A low voice, borne ona western breeze, whispers in my ear--"I guess I can. " Cuba, farewell! [Note: The subsequent squabbles between the Cuban authorities and theUnited States have taken place long since my departure, and are toocomplicated to enter into without more accurate information than Ipossess. ] FOOTNOTES: [Footnote X: I put up at "The Havana House, " where I found everythingvery clean, and the proprietor, an American, very civil. It is now keptby his son. ] [Footnote Y: This was written in January, 1853. ] [Footnote Z: The Filibustero movement in the United States has causedSpain to increase her military force considerably. ] [Footnote AA: When first suspected of treason, he had been hunted withdogs like a wild beast, and, with considerable difficulty, escaped toAmerica. ] [Footnote AB: Those who desire more detailed information respecting Cubawill find it in a work entitled _La Reine des Antilles_. Par LE VICOMTEGUSTAVE D'HARPONVILLE. 1850. ] CHAPTER XIII. _Change of Dynasty_. The month of February was drawing to a close, when I took my passage onboard the "Isabel, " bound for Charleston. A small coin removed alldifficulty about embarking luggage, cigars, &c. ; the kettle was boiling, hands shook violently, bells rang rapidly, non-passengers flew down toshore-boats; round go the wheels, waving go the kerchiefs, and down fallthe tears. The "Isabel" bounds o'er the ripp'less waters; forts anddungeons, as we gaze astern, fade from the view; an indistinct shade isall by which the eye can recal the lovely isle of Cuba; and, lest memoryshould fail, the piles of oranges, about four feet square, all round theupper-deck, are ready to refresh it. How different the "Isabel" from the"Cherokee!" Mr. Law might do well to take a cruise in the former; and, if he had any emulation, he would sell all his dirty old tubs forfirewood, and invest the proceeds in the "Isabel" style of vessel. Landa-head!--a flourishing little village appears, with watch-towers high asminarets. What can all this mean? This is a thriving, happy community, fixed on the most dreary andunhealthy-looking point imaginable, and deriving all their wealth andhappiness from the misfortunes of others. It is Key West, a village ofwreckers, who, doubtless, pray earnestly for a continuance and increaseof the changing currents, which are eternally drifting some ill-fatedbarque on the ever-growing banks and coral reefs of these treacherousand dangerous waters; the lofty watch-towers are their Pisgah, and thestranded barques their Land of Promise. The sight of one is doubtless asrefreshing to their sight as the clustering grapes of Eschol were to thewandering Israelites of old. So thoroughly does the wrecking spiritpervade this little community, that they remind one of the "Old JoeMiller, " which gives an account of a clergyman who, seeing all hiscongregation rise from their seats at the joyous cry of, "A wreck! awreck!" called them to order with an irresistible voice of thunder, anddeliberately commencing to despoil himself of his surplice, added, "Gentlemen, a fair start, if you please!" We picked up a couple of captains here, whose ships had tasted thesebitter waters, and who were on their road to New York to try and makethe best of a bad job. We had some very agreeable companions on board;but we had others very much the contrary, conspicuous among whom was anundeniable Hebrew but no Nathanael. He was one of those pompous loudtalkers, whose every word and work bespoke vulgarity in its mostobnoxious form, and whose obtuseness in matters of manners was so greatthat nothing short of the point of your shoe could have made himunderstand how offensive he was. He spoke of courts in Europe, and ofthe Vice-regal court in Ireland, as though he had the _entrée_ of themall; which it was palpable to the most superficial observer he nevercould have had, except possibly when, armed with a dingy bag on hisshoulder and an "Ol clo'" on his lips, he sought an investment incast-off garments. He was taking cigars, which, from their quantity, were evidently for sale; and as the American Government is very liberalin allowing passengers to enter cigars, never--I believe--refusing anyone the privilege of five hundred, he was beating up for friends who hadno cigars to divide his speculations among, so as to avoid the duty; atlast his arrangements were completed, and his mind at ease. On entering the port of Charleston he got up the box containing histreasures, and was about to open it, when, to my intense delight andamusement, an officer of the ship stayed his hasty hand. "What's thatfor?" exclaimed the wrathful Israelite. "I guess that box is in themanifest, " was the calm reply, "and you can't touch it till it goes tothe custom-house. " Jonathan had "done" the Hebrew; and besides the duty, he had the pleasure of paying freight on them also; while, to add to hissatisfaction, he enjoyed the sight of all the other passengers takingtheir five hundred or so unmolested, while compelled to pay duty onevery cigar himself. But we must leave the Jew, the "Isabel"--ay, Charleston itself. "Hurry hurry, bubble bubble, toil and trouble!"Washington must be reached before the 4th of March, or we shall not seethe Senate and the other House in session. Steamer and rail; on wedash. The boiling horse checks his speed; the inconveniences of thejourney are all forgotten: we are at Washington, and the all-absorbingthought is, "Where shall we get a bed?" My companion[AC] and myself drove about from hotel to boarding-house, from boarding-house to hotel, and from hotel to the Capitol, seeking aresting-place in vain. Every chink and cranny was crammed; thereading-rooms of the hotels had from one to two dozen stretcher beds ineach of them. 'Twas getting on for midnight; Hope's taper was flickeringfaintly, when a police-officer came to the rescue, and recommended us totry a small boarding-house at which he was himself lodging. There, as anespecial favour, we got two beds put into a room where another lodgerwas already snoring; but fatigue and sleep soon obliterated that factfrom our remembrance. Next morning, while lying in a half doze, I heardsomething like the upsetting of a jug near my bedside, and then, a soundlike mopping up; suspicious of my company, I opened my eyes, and lo!there was the owner of the third bed, deliberately mopping up thecontents of the jug he had upset over the carpet, with--what do youthink? His handkerchief? oh, no--his coat-tails? oh, no--a spare towel?oh, no; the savage, with the most placid indifference, was mopping it upwith my sponge! He expressed so much astonishment when I remonstrated, that I supposed the poor man must have been in the habit of using hisown sponge for such purposes, and my ire subsided gradually as he wrungout the sponge by an endless succession of vigorous squeezes, accompanying each with a word of apology. So much for my first night atWashington. We will pass over breakfast, and away to the Capitol. There it stands, on a rising knoll, commanding an extensive panoramic view of the townand surrounding country. The building is on a grand scale, and facedwith marble, which, glittering in the sunbeams, gives it a very imposingappearance; but the increasing wants of this increasing Republic havecaused two wings to be added, which are now in the course ofconstruction. Entrance to the Senate and House of Representatives wasafforded to us with that readiness and courtesy which strangersinvariably experience. But, alas! the mighty spirits who had, by theirpower of eloquence, so often charmed and spell-bound the tenants of thesenate chamber--where were they? The grave had but recently closed overthe last of those giant spirits; Webster was no more! Like all similarbodies, they put off and put off, till, in the last few days of thesession, a quantity of business is hustled through, and thus no scope isleft for eloquent speeches; all is matter of fact, and a verybusiness-looking body they appeared, each senator with his desk andpapers before him; and when anything was to be said, it was expressed inplain, unadorned language, and free from hesitation. The onlyopportunity offered for eloquence was, after the inauguration, on thediscussion of the Clayton-Bulwer Treaty. I will not say that thevenerable senator for Delaware--Mr. Clayton--was eloquent, but he wasvery clear both in language and delivery, and his bearing altogethershowed the honest conviction of a man who knew he was in the right, andwas certain he would be ultimately so judged. His principal antagonistwas the senator for Illinois--Mr. Douglas--one of the stars of the YoungAmerican party, and an aspirant to the presidential honours of theRepublic. He is a stout-built man, rather short, with a massiveoverhanging forehead. When he rose, he did so with the evidentconsciousness that the gallery above him was filled with many of hispolitical school, and thrusting both hands well into the bottom of hisbreeches pockets, he commenced his oration with an air of greatself-confidence, occasionally drawing one hand from its concealment toaid his oratory by significant gesture. He made an excellentclap-trap--or, as they term it in America, Buncombe--speech, aiding andemphasizing, by energetic shakings of the forefinger, such passages ashe thought would tell in the gallery above; his voice was loud andclear, his language blunt and fluent, and amusingly replete with "daresand daren't;" "England's in the wrong, and she knows it;" if theoriginal treaty, by which America was to have had the canal exclusively, had been concluded, "America would have had a rod to hold over all thenations. " Then came "manifest destiny;" then the mare's nest called"Monroe doctrine;" then more Buncombe about England; and then . . . He satdown--satisfied, no doubt, that he had very considerably increased hischances for the "tenancy of the White House. " I regretted much not being able to hear Mr. Everett speak, for I believehe is admitted on all hands to be the most eloquent and classical oratorwithin the precincts of the senate at the present moment; but I wasobliged to leave Washington before he addressed the assembly. Theabsence of all signs of approbation or disapprobation, while a senatoris addressing the House, gives a coldness to the debate, and I shouldthink must have a damping effect upon the enthusiasm of the speaker. The"Hear hears" and "cheers" of friends, and the "Oh ohs" or "laughter" ofopponents, certainly give an air of much greater excitement to thescene, and act as an encouragement to the orator. But such exclamationsare not allowed either in the Senate or the House of Representatives. The chamber of the latter is of course much larger than that of theSenators, and, as far as I can judge, a bad room to hear in. When thenew wings are finished, they will move into one of them, and theirpresent chamber is, I believe, to be a library. I had no opportunity ofhearing any of the oratory of this house, as they were merely hustling afew money and minor bills through, previous to the inauguration, whichclosed their session. They also have each a desk and chair; but withtheir increasing numbers I fear that any room large enough to affordthem such accommodation must be bad for speaking in. --Let us now turn tothe great event of the day, i. E. , the Inauguration. The senators are all in their places; ministers of foreign Powers andtheir suites are seated on the row of benches under the gallery; theexpectant masses are waiting outside; voices are suddenly hushed, andall eyes turned towards the door of the senate-chamber; the herald walksin, and says, "The President Elect of the United States. " The chosen ofhis country appears with as little form or ceremony as a gentlemanwalking into an ordinary drawing-room. All rise as he enters. I watched the man of the day as he proceeded to his seat on the floorof the senate. There was neither pride in his eye nor nervousness in hisstep, but a calm and dignified composure, well fitted to his highposition, as though gratified ambition were duly tempered by a deepsense of responsibility. The procession moved out in order to a platformin front of the Capitol, the late able president walking side by sidewith his untried successor, and apparently as calm in resigning officeas his successor appeared to be in entering upon it. Of the inauguralspeech I shall say nothing, as all who care to read it have done so longsince. But one thing should always be remembered, and that is, that thepopular candidates here are all compelled to "do a little Buncombe, " andtherefore, under the circumstances, I think it must be admitted therewas as little as was possible. That speech tolled the knell, for thepresent at least, of the Whig party, and ushered in the reign of GeneralPierce and the Democrats. Since these lines were penned, the "chosen of the nation" has passedthrough his ordeal of four years' administration; and, whatever privatevirtues may have adorned his character, I imagine the unanimous voice ofhis countrymen would unhesitatingly declare, that so utterly inefficienta man never filled the presidential chair. He has been succeeded by Mr. Buchanan, who was well known as the accredited Minister to the Court ofSt. James's, and who also made himself ludicrously conspicuous as one ofthe famous Ostend manifesto party. However, his talents are undoubted, and his public career renders it probable that, warned by the failure ofhis predecessor, his presidency will reflect more credit upon theRepublic than that of Mr. Pierce. Mr. B. 's inaugural address has beenpublished in this country, and is, in its way, a contradictorycuriosity. He urges, in diplomacy, "frankness and clearness;" while, tohis fellow-citizens, he offers some very wily diplomatic sentences. Munroe doctrine and manifest destiny are not named; but they areshadowed forth in language worthy of a Talleyrand. First, he glories inhis country having never extended its territory by the sword(?); he thenproceeds to say--what everybody says in anticipation of conquest, annexation, or absorption--"Our past history forbids that, in future, weshould acquire territory, unless this be sanctioned by the laws ofjustice and honour" (two very elastic laws among nations). "Acting onthis principle, no nation will have a right to interfere, or tocomplain if, in the progress of events, we shall still further extendour possessions. " Leaving these frank and clear sentences to theconsideration of the reader, we return from the digression. The crowd outside was very orderly, but by no means so numerous as I hadexpected; I estimated them at 8000; but a friend who was with me, andwell versed in such matters, calculated the numbers at nearly 10, 000, but certainly, he said, not more. The penny Press, by way of doinghonour to their new ruler, boldly fixed the numbers at 40, 000--that wastheir bit of Buncombe. One cause, probably, of the crowd not beinggreater, was the drizzling snow, which doubtlessly induced many to besatisfied with seeing the procession pass along Pennsylvania Avenue. I cannot help remarking here, how little some of their eminent men knowof England. A senator, of great and just reputation, came to me duringthe ceremony, and said, "There is one thing which must strike you asvery remarkable, and that is, that we have no soldiers here to keeporder upon an occasion of such political importance. " He was evidentlyunaware that, not only was such the case invariably in England, but thatsoldiers are confined to barracks, or even removed during the excitementof elections. There is no doubt that the falsehoods and exaggerationswith which the Press here teems, in matters referring to England, aresufficiently glaring to be almost self-confuting; but if they can sowarp the mind of an enlightened senator, how is it to be wondered atthat, among the masses, many suck in all such trash as if it were Gospeltruth, and look upon England as little else than a land of despotism;but of that, more anon. The changing of presidents in this countryresembles, practically speaking, the changing of a premier in England;but, thank Heaven! the changing of a premier in England does not involvethe same changes as does the changing of a president here. I believe it was General Jackson who first introduced the practice of awholesale sweeping out of opponents from all situations, however small;and this bright idea has been religiously acted upon by all succeedingpresidents. The smallest clerkships, twopenny-halfpenny postmastershipsin unheard-of villages--all, all that can be dispensed with, must makeway for the friends of the incomers to power. Fancy a new premier inEngland making a clean sweep of nine-tenths of the clerks, &c. , at theTreasury, Foreign-office, Post-office, Custom-house, Dockyards, &c. , &c. Conceive the jobbing such a system must lead to, not to mention thecomparative inefficiency it must produce in the said departments, andthe ridiculous labour it throws upon the dispensers of these gifts ofplace. The following quotation may be taken as a sample:-- OUR CUSTOM-HOUSE--WHAT A HAUL. --The _New Hampshire Patriot_, in an article on proscription, thus refers to the merciless decapitation of the Democrats of our Custom-house, by Mr. Collector Maxwell:-- "Take the New York Custom-house as a sample. There are 626 officers there, exclusive of labourers; and it appears from the records that, since the Whigs came into power, 427 removals have been there made. And to show the greediness of the Whig applicants for the spoils, it need only be stated that, on the very day the collector was sworn into office he made forty-two removals. He made six before he was sworn. In thirty days from the time of his entrance upon his duties he removed 220 persons; and, in the course of a few months, he had made such a clean sweep, that only sixty-two Democrats remained in office, with 564 Whigs! A like sweep was made in other custom-houses; and so clean work did this 'anti-proscription' administration make in the offices, that a Democrat could scarcely be found in an office which a Whig could be found to take. " This is ominous, for the 564 Whigs to be turned over to the charity of the new collector. Alas! the Democrats are hungry--hard shells and soft shells--and charity begins at home. In the course of the coming month we may anticipate a large emigration from the custom-house to California and Australia. What a blessing to ejected office-holders that they can fall back upon the gold mines! Such is the beautiful working of our beneficent institutions! What a magnificent country! As a proof of the excitement which these changes produce, I rememberperfectly there being ten to one more fuss and telegraphing betweenWashington and New York, as to who should be collector at the latterport, than would exist between London and Paris if a revolution was infull swing at the latter. To this absurd system may no doubt be partlyattributed the frequent irregularities of their inland postage; but itis an evil which, as far as I can judge from observation andconversation, will continue till, with an increasing population andincrease of business, necessity re-establishes the old and better orderof things. Political partisanship is so strong that nothing butimperative necessity can alter it. The cabmen here, as in every other place I ever visited, make strenuousefforts to do the new comers. They tried it on me; so, to show them howknowing I was, I quoted their legitimate fares. "Ah, sir, " says Cabby, "that's very well; but, you see, we charges more at times like these. " Ireplied, "You've no right to raise your charges; by what authority doyou do it?" "Oh, sir, we meet together and agree what is the properthing. " "But, " says I, "the authorities are the people to settle thosethings. " "The authorities don't know nothing at all about it; we canmanage our own matters better than they. " And they all stoutly stuck totheir own charges, the effect of which was that I scarcely saw a dozencabs employed during the ten days I was there. Nothing could exceed the crowd in the streets, in the hotels, andeverywhere; the whole atmosphere was alive with the smoke of thefragrant weed, and all the hotels were afloat with the juice thereof. The city has repeatedly been called the City of Magnificent Distances;but anything so far behind its fellow cities cannot well be imagined. Itsounds incredible--nevertheless, it is a fact--that, except from theCapitol to the "White House, " there is not a street-light of any kind, or a watchman. I lost my way one evening, and wandered all over the townfor two hours, without seeing light or guardian of any kind. I supposethis is intended as a proof of the honest and orderly conduct of theinhabitants, but I fear it must also be taken as a proof of theirpoverty or want of energy. Whatever the reason may be, it certainly is areflection on the liberality of the Government, that the capital of thisGreat Union should be the worst paved, worst lit, and worst guarded inthe whole Republic. The system of sweeping changes on the election of a new president tendsmaterially to stop any increase of householders, the uncertain tenure ofoffice making the _employés_ prefer clustering in hotels andboarding-houses to entering on a short career of housekeeping, whichwill, of course, militate against any steady increase of the city, andthus diminish the tax-payers. There are several hotels, but they willnot stand the least comparison with those in any of the leading towns ofthe Union. Like the hotels in London, they are crammed during theseason--i. E. , session--and during the rest of the year arecomparatively empty, and consequently do not pay very well; but theyare not the only establishments that make hay during the session; ifreport speaks truly, the bars and gambling-houses reap an immenseharvest from the representatives of the people in both houses ofcongress. I amused myself here, as I often had done in other towns, by taking acigar in some decent-looking shop, and then having a chat with theowner. On this occasion the subject of conversation was drinking in theStates. He said, in reply to a question I put to him, "Sir, a gentlemanmust live a long time in the country before he can form the slightestidea of the frightful extent to which drinking is carried, even by thedecently educated and well-to-do classes. I do not say that nine-tenthsof the people die drunk, but I firmly believe that with that proportiondeath has been very materially hastened from perpetual drinks. It is oneof the greatest curses of this country, and I cannot say that I believeit to be on the decrease. " One reason, doubtless, why it is sopernicious, is the constant habit of drinking before breakfast. That hewas correct in his per-centage, I do not pretend to say; but I certainlyhave seen enough of the practice to feel sure it must have a mostpernicious effect on very many. To what extent it is carried on by thelowest classes I had no opportunity of judging. The following observations, however, made by so high an authority as Mr. Everett, must be admitted as a convincing proof that education has notbeen able to cope effectually with drunkenness. Speaking of ardentspirits, he says:-- "What has it done in ten years in the States of America? First, it has cost the nation a direct expense of 120, 000, 000l. Secondly, it has cost the nation an indirect expense of 120, 000, 000l. Thirdly, it has destroyed 300, 000 lives. Fourthly, it has sent 100, 000 children to the poor-house. Fifthly, it has consigned at least 150, 000 persons to jails and penitentiaries. Sixthly, it has made at least a thousand maniacs. Seventhly, it has instigated to the commission of at least fifteen hundred murders. Eighthly, it has caused 2000 persons to commit suicide. Ninthly, it has burnt or otherwise destroyed property to the amount of 2, 000, 000l. Tenthly, it has made 200, 000 widows, and 1, 000, 000 of orphan children. " When I turn from the contemplation of this sad picture, and think howmany fall victims to the same vice in my own country, I cannot helpfeeling that the "myriad-minded poet" wrote the following lines as anespecial warning and legacy to the Anglo-Saxon and the Celt:-- "Oh, that men should put an enemy in their mouths to steal away their brains! that we should, with joy, pleasance, revel, and applause, transform ourselves into beasts!" I was very sorry time did not admit of my witnessing one of the newpresident's levees, as I much wished to see the olla podrida ofattendants. It must be a quaint scene; the hack-cabman who drives you tothe door will get a boy to look after his shay, and go in with you;tag-rag and bob-tail, and all their family, go in precisely as theylike; neither soap nor brush is a necessary prelude. By late accountsfrom America, it appears that at Mr. Pierce's last levee a gentlemancharged another with picking his pocket: the latter went next day with afriend to explain the mistake, which the former refusing to accept, hewas struck by the accused, and, in return, shot him dead on the spot. Apleasant state of society for the metropolis of a civilized community!How changed since the days of Washington and knee-breeches! It shouldhowever be mentioned as highly creditable to the masses, that theyrarely take advantage of their rights. The building is the size of amoderately wealthy country gentleman's house in England, and has one ortwo fine reception-rooms; between it and the water a monument is beingraised to Washington. I fear it will be a sad failure; the main shaft orcolumn suggests the idea of a semaphore station, round the base whereofthe goodly things of sculpture are to be clustered. As far as I couldglean from conversation with Americans, they seem themselves toanticipate anything but success. The finest buildings here are the Capitol, Patent-office, andPost-office. Of these the Patent-office, which is modelled after theParthenon, is the only one that has any pretensions to architecture. Ifear the Anglo-Saxon of these later days, whether in the old country orhere, is destined to leave no solid traces of architecturaltaste--_vide_ National Gallery, London, and Post-office, Washington. Having seen the lions of Washington, and enjoyed the hospitalities ofour able and agreeable minister, I again trusted myself to the ironhorse, and started for Baltimore. During my residence in Washington, Ihad revelled latterly in the comfort of a lodging free from the horrorsof American inns. Profiting by this experience, I had applied to afriend at Baltimore to engage me rooms in some quiet place there; bythis precaution I got into Guy's, in Monument-square. He keeps arestaurant, but has a few beds for friends or old customers. I foundmyself most comfortably housed, and the living of the cleanest and thebest; besides which, my kind friends gave me the _entrée_ of the Club, which was almost next door. The hospitalities of which I had enjoyed aforetaste in November last, now thickened upon me, and though the seasonof Lent had put a stop to large and general parties, enough was stillleft to make my stay very agreeable. The town is beautifully situated on undulating ground, commanding alovely view of the hay; the streets are of a rational breadth, the townis rapidly increasing, the new buildings are all large and airy, andeverything indicates prosperity. The cuisine of Baltimore has a veryhigh, and, as far as I can judge, a very just reputation; not merelyMaxwell Point canvas-back ducks, but the famous Terrapin also, lendtheir aid to the enjoyment of the inner man. In fact, so famous is theTerrapin, that a wicked wag detailed to me an account of a highlyimproper scene which he said took place once in the Episcopal Churchhere, viz. , a gentleman who had a powerful voice and generally led theresponses, had his heart and mind so full of the luscious little animal, that by a sad fatality he substituted "Terrapin" for "Seraphin" in theresponse; and so far was any one from remarking it, that the wholecongregation repeated the mistake after him. The curly twinkle in theeye with which my friend told me the story, leaves an impression in mymind that it may be an exaggeration. While here, I observed a play-bill with "The White Slave of England"printed on it, evidently intended as a set-off against the dramatizingof "Uncle Tom" in London, at some of our penny theatres. Of course Iwent to see it, and never laughed more in all my life. The theatre was about the size of a six-stalled stable, and full ofrowdies, &c. --no ladies; our party had a private-box. The tragedy opensby revealing the under-ground of a coal-pit in England, where is seen afainting girl, &c. &c. : the girl is, of course, well licked by a driver;an explosion takes place; dead and dying bodies are heaped together, the driver says, "D---- 'em, let 'em lie; we'll get plenty more from thepoor-house. " These mines belong to a Lord Overstone; an American arriveswith a negro servant, whom he leaves to seek his own amusement. He thencalls on Lord Overstone, and obtains permission to visit the mines;there he finds the girl alluded to above all but dying, and, of course, rescues her. In the meantime, the nigger calls on Lord Overstone as aforeign prince, is immensely _fêted_, the Duchess of Southernblack andher friend Lady Cunning are invited to meet his Royal Highness; therescued girl is claimed as a slave by Lord Overstone; philanthropicJonathan, after some difficulty, succeeds in keeping her, having firstordered Lord Overstone's servants to the right-about with all theswagger of a northern negro-driver. It appears that Jonathan wasformerly a boy in the mines himself, and had conceived an affection forthis girl. Lord Overstone finds out that Jonathan has papers requisitefor him to prove his right to his property; he starts with his familyfor America, to visit him on his plantation. There the niggers exhibit aparadise such as never was; nearly the first person is his RoyalHighness the nigger servant. Lady Overstone faints when he comes up toshake hands. Business proceeds; Lord Overstone bullies, --Jonathan is themilk of mildness. At last it turns out the girl is a daughter of LordOverstone, and that the Yankee is the owner by right of Lord Overstone'sproperty. He delivers a Buncombe speech, resigning his rights, andenlarging on the higher privilege of being in the land of truefreedom--a slave plantation. The audience scream frantically, Lord andLady Overstone go back humbled, and the curtain falls on one of the mostabsurd farces I ever saw; not the least absurd part being Jonathanrefusing to take possession of his inheritance of 17, 000l. A-year. Truly, "Diogenes in his tub" is nothing to "Jonathan in his sugar-cask. " The population of Maryland has increased in whites and free negroes, anddecreased in slaves, between the years 1800 and 1852, in the followingmanner:-- Whites. Free Negroes. Slaves. 1800 216, 000 8, 000 103, 000 1852 500, 000 74, 008 90, 000. The state has nearly a thousand educational establishments; and thereare sixty daily and weekly papers for the instruction of the community. Baltimore has a population of 140, 000 whites, 25, 000 free blacks, 3000slaves. Among this population are nearly 30, 000 Germans and 20, 000Irish. The value of the industrial establishments of the city isestimated at considerably above 4, 000, 000l. From the above, I leavethe reader to judge of its prosperity. The people in Baltimore who enjoy the widest--if not the mostenviable--reputation, are the fire companies. They are all volunteer, and their engines are admirable. They are all jealous as Kilkenny catsof one another, and when they come together, they scarcely ever lose anopportunity of getting up a bloody fight. They are even accused of doingoccasionally a little bit of arson, so as to get the chance of a row. The people composing the companies are almost entirely rowdies, andapparently of any age above sixteen: when extinguishing fires, theyexhibit a courage and reckless daring that cannot be surpassed, and theyare never so happy as when the excitement of danger is at its highest. Their numbers are so great, that they materially affect the elections ofall candidates for city offices; the style of persons chosen, may hencebe easily guessed. The cup of confusion is fast filling up; and unlesssome knowing hands can make a hole in the bottom and drain off thedregs, the overflow will be frightful. FOOTNOTES: [Footnote AC: I had had the good fortune to pick up an agreeablecompanion on board the "Isabel"--the brother of one of our mostdistinguished members of the House of Commons--who, like myself, hadbeen visiting Cuba, and was hastening to Washington, to be present atthe inauguration of the President Elect, and with him I spent many verypleasant days. ] CHAPTER XIV. _Philadelphia and Richmond_. Having spent a very pleasant time at Baltimore, I took rail forPhiladelphia, the city of "loving brotherhood, " being provided withletters to several most amiable families in that town. I took up myabode at Parkinson's--a restaurant in Chestnut-street--where I found thepeople very civil and the house very clean; but I saw little of theinside of the house, except at bed and breakfast time. The hospitalityfor which this city is proverbial soon made me as much at home as if Ihad been a resident there all my life. Dinner-party upon dinner-partysucceeded each other like waves of the ocean; the tables groaned underprecious vintages of Madeira, dating back all but to the Flood. I havenever before or since tasted such delicious wine, and in such profusion, and everybody stuck to it with such leech-like tenacity. On oneoccasion, having sat down to dinner at two o'clock, I found myselfgetting up from table half an hour after midnight, and quite as fresh aswhen I had sat down. There was no possibility of leaving the hospitableold General's mahogany. [AD] One kind friend, Mr. C. H. Fisher, insistedthat I must make his house my hotel, either he or his wife were alwaysat dinner at four o'clock, and my cover was always laid. The society ofhis amiable lady and himself made it too tempting an offer to refuse, and I need scarcely say, it added much to the pleasure of my stay inPhiladelphia. The same kind friend had also a seat for me always in hisbox at the opera, where that most charming and lady-like of actresses, the Countess Rossi, [AE] with her sweet voice, was gushing forthsoft melody to crammed houses. On every side I met nothing butkindness. Happening one day at dinner to mention incidentally, that Ithought the butter unworthy of the reputation of Philadelphia--for itprofesses to stand pre-eminent in dairy produce--two ladies presentexclaimed, "Well!" and accompanied the expression by a look of activebenevolence. The next morning, as I was sitting down to breakfast, aplate arrived from each of the rivals in kindness; the dew of themorning was on the green leaf, and underneath, such butter as my mouthwaters at the remembrance of, and thus it continued during my wholestay. The club doors, with all its conveniences--and to a solitarystranger they are very great--were thrown open to me: in short, myfriends left me nothing to wish, except that my time had permitted me alonger enjoyment of their hospitalities. The streets of Philadelphia, which run north and south from theSchuylkill to the Delaware, are named after the trees, a row whereofgrow on each side; but whether from a poetic spirit, or to aid thememory, some of the names are changed, that the following couplet, embracing the eight principal ones, may form a handy guide to thestranger or the resident:-- "Chestnut, walnut, spruce, and pine, Market, arch, race, and vine. " Mulberry, and sassafras, and juniper, would have dished the poetry. Thecross-streets are all called by numbers; thus any domicile is readilyfound. The principal traverse street is an exception, being called"Broad;" it looks its name well, and extends beyond the town into thecountry: strange as it may seem to those who associate stiff whitebonnets, stiff coat-collars, and broad-brimmed hats, with Philadelphia, on the extremity of this street every Sunday afternoon, all the famoustrotters may be seen dashing along at three-minute pace. The countryround about is pretty and undulating, and the better-to-do inhabitantsof Philadelphia have very snug little country places, in which theychiefly reside during the summer, and to which, at other seasons, theyoften adjourn upon the Saturday, to enjoy the quiet of Sunday in thecountry. One of the first objects of interest I went to visit was the Mint, thelabours of which are of course immensely increased since the working ofthe Californian mines. Men are coming in every day with gold in greateror lesser quantities; it is first assayed, and the per-centage for thiswork being deducted, the value is paid in coin to the owner. While I wasthere, I saw a wiry-looking fellow arrive, in bright hat and brightersatin waistcoat, with a beard as bushy as an Indian jungle, and as redas the furnace into which his precious burden was to be thrown. Twosmall leather bags were carefully taken out of a waist-belt, theircontents emptied into a tin can, a number placed in the can, and acorresponding number given him--no words spoken: in two days he wouldreturn, and, producing his number, receive value in coin. The dust wouldall have gone into a good-sized coffee-cup. I asked the officer aboutthe value. "400l. , sir. " He had left a New England state some eightmonths previous, and was going home to invest in land. What strikes a stranger most on entering the Mint, is the absence of allextra defence round it; the building appears as open as any Londonhouse. The process is, of course, essentially the same as elsewhere; butI was astonished when the director told me that the parties employed inthe establishment are never searched on leaving, though the value ofhundreds of thousands of dollars is daily passing through their hands inevery shape. The water in which the workmen wash their hands runs into atank below, and from this water, value to the amount of from 60l. To80l. Is extracted annually. The sweepings, &c. , after the most carefulsifting, are packed in casks and sold--chiefly, I believe, to EuropeanJews--for 4000l. Annually. The only peculiarity in the PhiladelphianMint is a frame-work for counting the number of pieces coined, by whichingenious contrivance--rendered necessary by Californian pressure--oneman does the work of from twenty to thirty. The operation of weighingthe several pieces of coin being of a delicate nature, it is confided tothe hands of the fair sex, who occupy a room to themselves, where eachdaughter of Eve sits with the gravity of a Chancellor opposite adelicate pair of scales. Most parts of the establishment are open to thepublic from ten till two, and they are only excluded from those portionsof the building where intrusion would impede the operations in progress. This city, like most others in America, is liberally supplied withwater. Magnificent basins are built in a natural mound at Fairmount, nearly opposite an old family mansion of the Barings, and the water isforced up into these basins from the river by powerful water-wheels, worked by the said river, which is dammed up for the purpose ofobtaining sufficient fall, as the stream is sometimes very low. Perhaps the most interesting, and certainly the most imposing sight inthe neighbourhood of Philadelphia, is "The Gerard College. " So singularand successful a career as that of the founder deserves a slight record. Stephen Gerard was born of French parents, at Bordeaux, the 21st of May, 1750, and his home--owing to his mother's place having soon been filledby a step-mother--appears to have left no pleasant reminiscences. Atfourteen years of age he took to the sea. Subsequently, as master andpart owner of a small vessel, he arrived, in the year 1777, atPhiladelphia for the first time, and commenced business as a merchant;but it appears that in 1786, he took command of one of his own vessels, leaving the management of his mercantile house to his brother. Returningin 1788, he dissolved partnership with his brother, and bade a finaladieu to the sea. In the year 1793, the yellow fever raged with fury atPhiladelphia; as the ravage increased, the people fled aghast. Ahospital was organized at Bush Hill, in the neighbourhood, but all wasconfusion, for none could be found to face the dreaded enemy, tillStephen Gerard and Peter Helm boldly volunteered their services at therisk of their lives. Stephen Gerard was married, but his wife wasconsigned to an asylum in 1790, after various ineffectual efforts forher cure; there she remained till her death, in 1815. His mercantilepursuits prospered in every direction, and he soon became one of themost wealthy and influential men in the community; he was possessed of avigorous constitution, and was extremely regular and abstemious in hishabits. In 1830 he was knocked down by a passing vehicle as he wascrossing the street; by this accident he was severely injured in thehead, from which he was slowly recovering, when, in 1831, he was seizedwith violent influenza, and ultimately pneumonia, of which he died, the26th of December, aged eighty-one. His character appears to have been a curious compound. The assiduitywith which he amassed wealth, coupled with his abstemious habits, andhis old knee-breeches patched all over--and still to be seen in thecollege--strongly bespoke the miser; while his contributions to publicworks, and his liberal transactions in money matters, led to an oppositeconclusion; and from his noble conduct during the yellow fever it isreasonable to infer he was a humane man. I do not wish to judge peopleuncharitably, but, I must say, I can allow but little credit to a manwho legacies the bulk of his fortune away from his relations when he canno longer enjoy it himself. Mr. Gerard had very many relatives; let ussee how he provided for them. The _résumé_ of his will may be thusstated: he died worth 1, 500, 000l. , and thus disposes of it:-- Erection and endowment of college £400, 000 Different institutions of charity 23, 200 To his relatives and next of kin 28, 000 City of Philadelphia, for improvements 100, 000 Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, for internal improvements 60, 000 Sundry friends, &c. 13, 000 The residue left to the city of Philadelphia, for improvement andmaintenance of his college, the establishment of better police, and toimprove the city and diminish taxation. Thus, out of a fortune of onemillion and a half, he leaves his relatives 28, 000l. Charity, in thisinstance, can scarcely be said to have begun at home. A certain increase of property to the amount of 60, 000l. Having takenplace since the date of his will, a suit was instituted by theheirs-at-law to recover the same; in which, I am happy to say, they weresuccessful. Perhaps one of the most extraordinary clauses in his will is thefollowing, viz. :-- "_I enjoin and require that no ecclesiastic, missionary, or Minister ofany sect whatsoever, shall ever hold or exercise any station or dutywhatever in the said college; nor shall any such person ever be admittedfor any purpose, or as a visitor, within the premises appropriated tothe purposes of the said college. _" The general design of the college is taken from the Madeleine. Thirty-four columns surround it, each column six feet in diameter andfifty feet high, made of marble, and weighing 103 tons, and costing whenplaced 2600l. Some idea of the massiveness of the building may beformed from the fact that, measuring 111 feet by 169 feet, and 59 ofheight, the weight of material employed is estimated at 76, 594-1/2 tons. The effect of the whole is grand and graceful; and although as an orphanasylum much money has been needlessly turned from its charitable uses, as a building it does credit to the architect and all employed upon it, and is, beyond all comparison, the best specimen of architecture I haveseen in the States. [Illustration: Gerard College, Philadelphia] The number of orphans receiving instruction is three hundred and one;they are cleanly and comfortably lodged, and well-boarded; their agesaverage from ten to fourteen and a half, and the upper classes of theschool are taught conic sections, geometry, chemistry, naturalphilosophy, navigation, astronomy, mechanics, physical geography, &c. While in the school vein, I visited one appropriated to four hundredfree negroes, whom I found of all ages, from five to fifty, males andfemales being kept separate. The master told me that he found the boystolerably sharp, but very cunning, and always finding some excuse forirregular attendance. The mistress said she found the girls very docile, and the parents very anxious, but too soon satisfied with the firststages of progress. The patience and pains I saw one of the teachersexhibiting in the process of enlightening the little woolly heads wasmost creditable. Having finished the negro school, I got a letter to the principal of theHigh School, Professor Hart, by whom I was kindly shown over thatadmirable institution, which is also free; but, before proceeding to anyobservations on the High School, it may be interesting to know somethingof the entire provision for instruction which exists in the city andcounty of Philadelphia. The number of schools is 256, teachers 727, scholars 45, 383. The teachers are principally females--646; of scholars, the males rather preponderate. The annual expense of theseestablishments is 66, 500l. , and the average cost of each pupil is26s. No pupil can be admitted into the High School without producingsatisfactory testimonials from the inferior schools, as well as passingthe requisite examination; the consequence of this arrangement is a vastimprovement in the inferior schools, as bad conduct there wouldeffectually bar their entry to the High School. The average age ofentry is fourteen, and a lad is required to stay five years before hecan take his degree as Master of Arts, one indispensable requisite forwhich is moral character. The school numbers about 500 of all kinds andpositions in society, from the hopes of the tinsmith to the heir of thetoga'd judge. The instruction is of so high an order that no private establishment cancompete with it; in short, it may be said to embrace a very fair collegeeducation. Read the following list of professors: the Principal, who isalso Professor of Moral, Mental, and Political Science; Professor ofPractical Mathematics; of Theoretical Science and Astronomy; of Historyand Belles-Lettres; of Natural History; of Latin and Greek; of Frenchand Spanish; of Drawing, Writing, and Book-keeping; of Chemistry andNatural Philosophy; and three assistants. The highest salary received bythese professors is 270l. A-year, except that of Mr. Hart thePrincipal, which is 400l. ; and in him all the responsibilities centre. This is the only school where I ever knew the old Saxon regularlytaught. Instruction is given in various other studies not enumerated inthe Professors' list; thus, in the class under the Professor of NaturalHistory, botany, and anatomy, and such medical information as may beuseful on any of the emergencies of every-day life are taught. No booksare brought to this class; the instruction is entirely by lecture, andthe subjects treated are explained by beautifully-executedtransparencies, placed before a window by day, and before a bright jetof gas by night, and thus visible easily to all. The readiness withwhich I heard the pupils in this class answer the questions propoundedto them showed the interest they took in the subject, and was aconclusive proof of the efficiency of the system of instruction pursued;they dived into the arcana of human and vegetable life with an ease thatbore the most satisfactory testimony to the skill of the instructor andthe attention of the pupils. There is a plan adopted at this school which I never saw before, andwhich Professor Hart told me was most admirable in its results. At theend of every three-quarters of an hour all the doors and windows in thehouse are opened simultaneously; the bell is then rung twice: at thefirst sound, all lectures, recitations, and exercises cease, and thestudents put their books, caps, &c. , in readiness to move; at the secondsound, all the classes move simultaneously from the room in which theyhave been studying to the room in which the next course of study is tobe followed. The building is so arranged, that in passing from one roomto another, they have to pass through the court round the house. Thisoperation takes three minutes, and is repeated about eight times a-day, during which intervals all the doors and windows are open, thusthoroughly ventilating the rooms; but there is a further advantage, which is thus described in the Report, --"These movements are found veryuseful in giving periodically a fresh impulse both to the bodies and tothe minds of the students, and in interrupting almost mechanically thedull monotony which is apt to befall school hours. " The Principal toldme, that, from careful observation, he looked upon this as one of themost valuable regulations in the establishment, and that it wasdifficult to rate its advantages too highly, the freshness of mind whichit brought infinitely outweighing any loss of time, interruption, &c. Ispent three interesting hours in this admirable institution. The next establishment I visited was of a very different description;i. E. , the jail of solitary confinement. I much wished to have seensome of the prisoners who had been confined for a length of time, butfrom some informality in the letter I brought, the guardian did not feelauthorized to break through the regulations. The prisoners are sometimesconfined here for twelve years; they are kept totally separate, but theyare allowed to occupy themselves at different trades, &c. , in theircells. My guide told me he had never seen any of them become the leastidiotic or light-headed from long confinement. Their cells were cleanand airy, and some had a little eight-feet-square garden attached; theirfood was both plentiful and good, and discipline was preserved by therod of diet; "but, " says the guide, "if they become very troublesomeand obstinate we" . . . What d'ye think?. . . "give them a shower-bath;"criminals here seem to hate fresh water as much as the tenants of thepoor-houses in England do. The jail seems very well adapted forescaping; but I suppose the rifle-armed sentries at the angles of thewall keep them in sufficient awe, as I was told they very rarely getaway. The number confined was two hundred and eighty. The last place I visited was the Lunatic Asylum, which appears admirablyplaced and admirably conducted. The situation commands a view of twopublic roads, where the bustle and stir of life are continually passingbefore their eyes, and with no visible fence intervening, the groundbeing so undulating and wooded as effectually to conceal the barrier. The grounds are pleasantly laid out in walks, gardens, hothouses, &c. ; acomfortable reading-room and ten-pin alley[AF] are provided on eachside, one for the males, the other for the females. The rooms anddormitories are large and airy, and carriages and horses are ready forsuch as the physician recommends should take that exercise. The comfortof the inmates appeared fully equal to that of any similar establishmentI have visited, and the position far superior, for there was no visiblebarrier between them and the open country. But Time says to the traveller what the policeman says to the gatheringcrowd, "Move on, if you please, sir; move on. " Obey is the word. Kindfriends are left behind, the kettle hisses, the iron horse snorts, theHudson is passed, New York is gained, the journey is behind me, bread, butter, and Bohea before me. "Go on, " says Time. The Charleston steamer, "James Adger, " is bursting to be off. Introduced to the agents, theyintroduced me to the skipper. The skipper seems to think I am hisfather; he insists upon my occupying his cabin--a jolly room, big enoughto polka in--fifteen feet square. Thanks, most excellent skipper, "mayyour shadow never be less"--it is substantial enough now. Do you ask whyI go to New York from Philadelphia to reach Charleston? The reply issimple:--to avoid the purgatory of an American railway, and to enjoy thelife-giving breezes "that sweep o'er the ocean wave. " The skipper wasa regular trump; the service was clean, and we fed like fighting-cocks. The weather was fine, the ship a clipping good one, passengers few, butwith just enough 'bacco-juice flying about the decks to remind me whereI was. One of our company was a charming rarity in his way. He was an IrishYankee, aged eighty-three. A more perfect Paddy never existed; and so, of course, he talked about fighting, and began detailing to me thevarious frays in which "we whipt the Britishers. " By way of chaffinghim, I said, "No wonder; they were Anglo-Saxon blood, brought theircourage from England, and were not only fighting at home, but with ahalter round their necks. " The old veteran got furious, cursed Englandand the Saxon blood, from Harold to the present hour; he then proved tohis own satisfaction that all the great men in America, and all thesoldiers, were Celts. "It was the Celts, sir, that whipt the Britishers;and, ould as I am, sure I'd like to take 20, 000 men over to the ouldcounthree, and free it from the bloodthirsty villins, the Saxon brutes. "If poor O'Brien had had half the fire of this old Yankee Paddy, he neverwould have been caught snoozing among the old widow's cabbages. I reallythought the old gentleman would have burst outright, or collapsed fromreaction; but it passed over like a white squall, and left the originaloctogenarian calm behind. The darkness of the third evening has closedin upon us, the struggling stream is bellowing for release, hawsers areflying about, boys running from them, and men after them; the good"James Adger" is coquetting about with those well-known young ladies, the Misses "Bakkur and Ternahed;" James seems determined to enjoy it foran unusually prolonged period this evening; but, like everything else, it must have an end, and at last good James lies snugly in his berth, alongside the wharf at Charleston. Cabmen and touters offer an infinityof services; passengers radiate--my Yankee Paddy, it is to be hoped, went to an ice-saloon. Your humble servant went to a boarding-house keptby a most worthy old lady, but where flies occupied one half the house, and the filthiest negro-boys the other. Several respectable people, outof regard to the old lady, were performing the penance of residing inher house: a trip on hot ashes from Dan to Beersheba would have beenluxury by comparison. I resigned myself and got reconciled, as I saw thesincere desire of the dear old girl to make me as comfortable as shecould; and by learning to eat my meals with my eyes shut, I got ontolerably well. But scarce had I set foot in this establishment which Ihave been describing, ere kind friends sprang up to greet me and offerme the use of their club-room, which was just opposite myboarding-house; and as this was only the prelude to endless othercivilities, my lodging saw very little of me; which may be easilyimagined, when it is recollected how famous Charleston is, not only forthe good living which it affords, but for the liberal hospitality withwhich it is dispensed. A letter to one gentleman becomes, like magic, an"Open Sesame" to all the cellars and society in the place; and the onlypoint in dispute is, who can show you most kindness. The town is conveniently situated between the Ashley and Cooper rivers, with a population of 25, 000 whites and the same number of blacks; it isa mixture of all that is lovely and annoying. The houses have mostlylittle gardens attached to them, sparkling with tropical flowers, andthe streets are shaded with avenues of trees. This is all very lovely tolook upon; but when you go out to enjoy a stroll, if the air is still, abeefsteak would frizzle on the crown of your hat; and if there is theslightest breeze, the sandy dust, like an Egyptian _khamseen_, laughs atall precautions, blinding your eyes, stuffing your nose, filling yourmouth, and bringing your hide to a state which I can find no othercomparison for but that of a box intended to represent a stone pedestal, and which, when the paint has half dried, is sprinkled with sand toperfect the delusion. Thus you can understand the lovely and theannoying of which I have spoken. When the inhabitants wish to take adrive, there is a plank road about six miles long, which enables them toenjoy this luxury. If they are not content with this road, they mustseek their pleasure with the carriages up to their axles in sand. Thereare three old royalist buildings still standing--viz. , the Episcopalchurch, the Court-house, and the Exchange. The first reminds one warmlyof the dear old parish church in England, with its heavy oak pulpit andthe square family pews, and it sobers the mind as it leads the memory tothose days when, if the church was not full of activity, it was not fullof strife--when parishioners were not brought to loggerheads as to thecolour of the preacher's gown--when there was no triangular duel (_vide_Marryat) as to candles, no candles, and lit candles--when, in short, ifthere was but moderate zeal about the substance, there was noquarrelling about the shadows of religion; and if we were not blessedwith the zeal of a Bennet, we were not cursed with the strife of aBarnabas. At the time the colonists kicked us out of this place, by wayof not going empty-handed, we bagged the church-bells as atrophy--(query, is not robbing a church sacrilege?)--and they eventuallyfound their way into a merchant's store in England, where they remainedfor years. Not long since, having been ferreted out, they were replacedin their original position, and now summon the Republicans of thenineteenth century to their devotions as lustily as they did theRoyalists in the eighteenth. There is nothing remarkable in the twoother buildings, except their antiquity, and the associations arisingtherefrom. [AG] One of the most striking sights here is the turn-out of the FireCompanies on any gala day. They consist of eight companies, of onehundred each; their engines are brilliantly got up, and decoratedtastefully with flowers; banners flying; the men, in gay butbusiness-like uniform, dragging their engines about, and bands playingaway joyously before them. The peculiarity of the Charleston firemen isthat, instead of being composed of all the rowdies of the town, as isoften the case in the large eastern cities, they are, generallyspeaking, the most respectable people in the community. This may partlybe accounted for by the militia service being so hard, and the finesfor the neglect of the same so heavy, from which all those serving inthe Fire Companies are exempt. [AH] The South Carolinians, inanticipation of any insurrection among the negroes, or in case of beingdriven into secession by success attending the efforts of theAbolitionists, have very prudently established a little miniature WestPoint institution, [AI] where lads from fifteen to twenty receive athorough military education, and then retire into private life andfollow any pursuits they choose. By this means the nucleus of militaryofficers requisite for an army is obtained, and the frequent drilling ofthe militia forms a solid groundwork for that latter, should the hour ofnecessity unfortunately arrive. The gay time of Charleston is during theraces, which take place in February, and have a considerable reputation, although, perhaps, not quite so high as they had some few years back. Ihave never seen any of their racing studs; but, as they import fromEngland some of the finest stallions that come into the market, and asthe breed of horse in America is very active and enduring, their racers, it is to be presumed, make a very good show. Having impregnated my system with turtle, terrapin, mint-julep, andMadeira--the latter such as only America can show--I bade adieu to mykind and hospitable friends, and started for Virginia. The first part ofthe journey--i. E. , as far as Wilmington--I performed in a wretchedlittle steamer, anything but seaworthy, with horrid cribs, three oneabove the other, to sleep in, and a motley mixture of passengers, asusual. No particular incident occurred; and having fine weather, weescaped wrecking or putting back. On ascending the river to Wilmington, you see royal--I beg pardon, republican--sturgeons jumping about in alldirections, and of all sizes, from three to five feet in length. Wereached the town in time to catch the train, and off we started. Whenabout six miles on our journey, a curious motion of the carriages, addedto their "slantingdicular" position and accompanied by a slight scream, proclaimed that we were off the rails. Thank God! no lives were lost orlimbs broken. The first person that I saw jump from the train was aSpanish colonel, who shot out with an activity far beyond his years, hugging to his bosom a beloved fiddle, which was the joy of his heart, and about the safety of which he was evidently as anxious as about hisown. He sat down by the side of the carriages, a ludicrous picture ofalarm and composure combined. He was on his way to England with theintention of presenting some musical compositions to the Queen, andpossibly had a floating idea he might do a bit of Paganini before HerGracious Majesty. Gradually, all the party unkenneled; and it was thendiscovered that, had we run off the rails a few yards further on, weshould have had a nasty cropper down a thirty-feet bank; fortunately, weran off on the level, and merely stuck in the sand. Upon inquiry as to the cause of the accident, I ascertained that it wasin consequence of a point for turning off on to another set of railsbeing broken. Upon examining the said point, I found it was as worn androtten as time could make it. I mentioned this to the engineer, who toldme he was perfectly aware of it, and had reported it to thesuperintendent a fortnight before, but that he--the superintendent--hadguessed it would do very well for some time yet; consequently, theengineer always went slower when approaching the spot, to avoid, ifpossible, an accident. By this precaution we had been saved the capsizeover the bank, which otherwise would inevitably have been our fate. Thus, for the sake of twenty shillings, they had smashed an engine, doing damage to the amount of twenty pounds at least, besides riskingthe lives of all the passengers. What was to be done? There was nothingfor it but to go back to Wilmington, chew the cud of disgust, and hopethe rascally superintendent might break every bone in his body the firstfavourable opportunity. This done, and a night's rest over, we againtempted fate, and continued our journey, which for a long time ranthrough large pine-forests, every member of which community was a victimof laceration, inflicted on him for the purpose of drawing off hislife's blood, which dribbled into a box at the root, and, when full, wascarried off to make turpentine. Arrived at Peterborough, we found the population so far behind theAmerican age, that they would not allow a railroad to pass through theirtown; we were consequently constrained to shift into omnibuses, anddrive some three miles to the station on the other side. As this tripwas peculiarly barren of incident, it may gratify the reader to beinformed, that in the confusion of shifting from one station to theother I lost my best and only hat. I hope this simple record will bereceived as conclusive evidence of the monotony and dullness of thejourney. I do not mention it to excite sympathy, for I am happy to saythat I have since purchased a new and a better one; and in case my oldone is found, I hereby will and bequeath the same to the mayor ofPeterborough, his heirs and successors, hoping that they may wear noother until a railroad round or through the town connects the termini. Again we mount the iron horse--time flies--light mingles withdarkness--and at nine o'clock I alight at the Royal Exchange Hotel, Richmond. Soap and water, tea and bed, follow in quick succession, andthen comes the land of dreams and oblivion. Richmond is a lovely spot, situated on the northern bank of James River, one hundred and fifty miles from the sea, and is the capital ofVirginia. It contains nearly 30, 000 inhabitants of whom 1000 are slaves. Being built upon several hills, it is free from the eternal sameness oflevel and regularity of lines which tire the eye so much in New York, Philadelphia, &c. , and its site resembles more that of Boston orBaltimore. The James River is navigable for small vessels as high asRichmond; but just above the town there is a barrier which arrests alikethe navigator's course and the traveller's eye. This barrier is calledthe Rapids, and is a most beautiful feature in the scenery. The Rapids are about three-quarters of a mile in extent, having a fallof more than one hundred feet in that distance. The stream is broad, andinterspersed with endless little wooded islands and rocks, around andabove which it dashes the spray and foam in its impetuous descent. Theclimate is lovely, the atmosphere pearly; and when, from the heightabove, you look down upon the panorama spread beneath your feet, itrecalls to the mind the beautiful view so many of us must havefrequently been entranced with, while inhaling the meditative weed andstrolling along Richmond-terrace on a summer afternoon, gazing on oldFather Thames glowing in the rays of a setting sun, and looking doublybright from the sombre shade of the venerable timber which fringes themargin of this sluggish stream. Pardon this digression; those only whohave wandered so far away can feel the indefinite, indescribablepleasure with which one grasps at anything that recals the home of one'saffections, the scenes of early days, and the dear friends who are stillenjoying them. The best place for reviewing the Rapids is from the drive leading to theCemetery, which here, as in most large American towns, is one of theprettiest spots in the neighbourhood; but the Rapids are not onlyornamental, they are eminently useful. They afford a water-power toseveral mills, one of which, the Gallego Flour-Mill, is a splendidestablishment, six stories high, nearly one hundred feet square, andcapable of sending out daily 1200 barrels of flour. The flour is of verysuperior quality, the brand fetching a higher price than that of mostothers in the country. There are also rolling-mills, cotton and tobaccofactories; the latter of course in great quantities, as tobacco is oneof the chief products of the state, and rapidly increasing. The produceentered in Richmond, which in 1851 was under 16, 000 hogsheads, in 1852amounted to more than 24, 000, and is now very probably above 30, 000. Virginia has the honour of being the first State that raised cotton, thecultivation whereof was commenced in the year 1662. Let us pass on to the hill at the eastern extremity of the city, commanding a panoramic view of the river below the town, and all thesurrounding country. One spot arrests the attention, a spot closed withthe deepest and most romantic interest. A solitary tree, to which nosacrilegious hand has yet dared to apply the axe, stands a few milesdown the river, on the same side as the town, and marks the site of thelodge of the venerable old chieftain, Powhattan, when as yet the colonywas in its infancy, and when the Indian and the white man--the spoilerand the spoiled--were looking at each other with mutual distrust, deepfear on one side and dark foreboding on the other. The Indian is nomore; and nought remains as a memorial of this chief who once ruled thisfertile land with absolute sway, except this solitary tree;--and what anepisode in the history of colonization does that tree recal! Who canforget that, when despair was the Colonists' daily bread, when noughtbut the energy and genius of Smith--a man of very ordinary name, but ofno ordinary character--kept hope flickering in its socket, an attack ofIndians made him a prisoner, and left them hopeless. Then, how romanticthe tale of his captivity! He betrayed no fear, but retained perfectself-possession; and remembering how easy their superstitious mindscould be worked upon, he drew forth, and with great solemnity commencedlooking steadily at his pocket-compass, and thence to heaven, alternating between the two, until he impressed them with a feeling ofawe, as though he were a superior being communing with the Great Spirit. This feeling gradually wearing off, the captors insisted upon his death, as an expiation for the many injuries they had experienced at the handsof the whites. The tribe meet, the block is prepared, the captive's neckis laid ready, the upraised tomahawk, held by a brawny Indian arm, whoseevery muscle quivers with revenge, glitters in the sunbeams; swarthyfigures around, thirsting for blood, anxiously await the sacrifice ofthe victim, already too long delayed. Hope has fled from the captive'sbreast, and he is communing in earnest with the Great Spirit into whosepresence he is about to be so sadly and speedily ushered. Suddenly ashriek is heard! At that well-known voice the savage arm falls helplessat its side, as, stretched upon the neck of the despairing captive, liesthe lovely daughter of Powhattan, with tearful eye, and all the wildenergy of her race, vowing she will not survive the butchery of herkindest friend. Ruthless hands would tear her away, and complete thebloody tragedy. Who dares lay even a finger upon the noble daughter oftheir adored chief? They stand abashed, revenge and doubt striving intheir hearts; the eloquence of love and mercy pleading irresistibly fromthe eyes of Pocahontas. The tomahawk, upraised by man's revenge for thework of a captive's death, descends, when moved by woman's tears, to cuta captive's bonds. Callous indeed must that man's heart be, who can gaze upon the spotwhere the noble Pocahontas--reared among savages, 'mid the solemngrandeur of the forest, and beneath, the broad canopy of heaven, with noGospel light to guide and soften--received the holy impulses of love andmercy fresh from her Maker's hand; and how gratifying to remember, thatshe who had thus early imbibed these sacred feelings, became soon aftera convert to Christianity. Alas! how short her Christian career. Marrying Mr. J. Rolfe, she died in childbirth ere she had reached hertwenty-fifth year, and from her many of the oldest families in Virginiaat this day have their origin. Virginia, as is well known, has alwaysbeen considered an aristocratic State; and it is a kind of joke--inallusion to this Indian origin--for other States to speak disparaginglyof the F. F. Vs. --_alias_ first families of Virginia. Let those who sneer, seek carefully amid their musty ancestral rolls for a nobler heart thanthat of Pocahontas, the joy of Powhattan's house and the pride of allhis tribe. How strange, that a scene so well known as the foregoing, anda life so adventurous as that of Smith, has never yet engaged the pen ofa Cooper or a Bulwer! One of my friends in New York had given me a letter to a gentleman inRichmond, at whose house I called soon after my arrival, as my stay wasnecessarily short. He was out in the country, at his plantation. Thisdisappointment I endeavoured to rectify by enclosing the letter; butwhen I had done so, Sambo could not tell me how to address it, as he wasin ignorance both of the place and its distance. In this dilemma, andwhile ransacking my brain-box how to remedy the difficulty, a lady camein, and having passed me, Sambo--grinning through a _chevaux-de-frise_of snow-white ivories--informed me that was "his Missus. " I instantlysent the letter in to her to receive its direction, and in lieu of myletter received an immediate summons to walk in. Nothing could be morelady-like and cordial than the reception she gave me. Shy as I am, sheimmediately put me quite at my ease; in less than a quarter of an hour Ifelt I was in the society of an old friend; and during my stay inRichmond, each day found me in the same snug corner of the sofa, nearthe fire, enjoying the society of one of the most amiable and agreeableladies it has ever been my good fortune to meet. The husband soonreturned from the plantation, and then all the hospitalities of thehouse were as much at my disposal as if it had been my own, and one orthe other of these kind friends, if not both, daily lionized me overRichmond or its neighbourhood. I feel sure, that any of my countrymenwho have visited this city when Mr. And Mrs. Stanard were staying intown, will readily hear testimony to their kind hospitality andagreeable society. There are various public buildings here, among the most conspicuous ofwhich is the Capitol, built in the great public square, and from itssummit commanding a splendid panoramic view. There are also about thirtychurches, one of which, the Monumental Church--which isEpiscopalian--stands upon ground of melancholy recollections; for here, in 1811, stood the theatre, which during that year was utterly consumedby a fire, in which the governor and scores of other human beingsperished. One great cause of the destruction of life was, having thedoors of the building fitted to open inwards--a custom, the folly ofwhich is only equalled by its universality. At the cry of fire, the rushto the doors was so great that it was impossible to open them, owing tothe pressure. The only avenues of escape were the windows, in retreatingthrough which, the greater number of those few who succeeded in escapingsuffered the most serious injuries. How is this absurd practice of doorsopening inwards to be stopped? What think you if Insurance Companieswould combine, and make people forfeit their insurance if they enteredany public building whose doors were so fitted; or perhaps theChancellor of the Exchequer might bring in a bill to levy a very heavytax on all public buildings the doors of which opened in this dangerousmanner, and containing a stringent clause compelling managers and allparties concerned to support the widows and orphans, and pay thedoctors' fees, arising from accidents caused therefrom. Alas! I fearuntil--as Sydney Smith would say--we reduce a few cabinet ministers anda leading member or two of the House of Peers to cinders, we shall go onin our folly, because our ancestors did so before us. Among other places I went to was the public billiard-room, and onentering, my sympathies were immediately aroused by seeing a lad aboutthirteen or fourteen, with a very extensive flaming choker on, abovewhich was a frightful large swelling. Not being a medical man, I wasvery much puzzled when I saw the said swelling move about like a pennyroll in a monkey's cheek; presently the sympathy fled, and the puzzlewas solved, as a shower of 'bacco juice deluged the floor. Poor boy! itmust have taken him an hour's hard work to have got the abominable massin, and it could only have been done by instalments: the size it hadreached would have broken any jaw to remove in the lump; but he seemedto have no idea of parting with his treasure, which, to do him justice, he rolled about with as much ease as if he had had a monkey-teacherbefore him from his cradle; nor did it prevent his betting away in astyle that quite astonished a steady old gentleman like myself. The State of Virginia, like all the other States of the Union, isundergoing the increasing pressure of democracy:[AJ] one of itsfeatures--which is peculiarly obnoxious to the more sober-minded of thecommunity--is the new arrangement for the division of the electoraldistricts, and which goes by the name of "Gerymander. " In the early daysof the Republic, all divisions were made by straight lines, or as nearstraight as possible; but that fair and natural mode of division is notconsidered by the autocratic democracy as sufficiently favourable totheir views; and the consequence is, that other divisions have beensubstituted, most irregular in shape, so as if possible to annihilateentirely the already weakened opposition. This operation, my informanttold me, acquired a kind of celebrity in Massachusetts some years ago;and, in the discussions upon the subject in their State legislature, oneof the speakers is said to have compared some of these arbitrarydivisions to a salamander which, in their outline they somewhatresembled. The governor of the State was of the democratic party, andtherefore supporting and encouraging these changes, and his name was"Gery;" so a wag interrupted the speaker, exclaiming, "Don't saysalamander; call it Gerymander, "--by which name it has been known sincethat day. I may here as well mention a little occurrence I witnessed, which, however pleasant it may have been to the democratic rowdies enacting it, must have been anything but agreeable to those operated upon. A firecompany was out trying its engine and hoses, and followed of course by asquad of the idle and unwashed. Arrived at the market-place, they triedits range; that appeared satisfactory enough; but the idea seems tohave struck the man who held the hose-end, that range without good aimwas useless: he accordingly looked round for a target, and a glass coachpassing by at the time, it struck him as peculiarly suited for hisexperiment. Two elderly females were inside, and a white Jehu on thebox. In the most deliberate manner he pointed his weapon, amidstencouraging shouts from bystanders, and increasing zeal on the part ofthe pumpers; lucidly the windows were closed, or the ladies would havebeen drenched; as it was, the gushing stream rattled against thecarriage, then fixed itself steadily upon poor Jehu, frightening thehorses and nearly knocking him off the box. Naturally enough Jehu washighly incensed, and pulled up; then getting off the box, he walked upto his assailants, who received him with shouts of laughter; the horses, left without a ruler, started off at a gallop, Jehu ran after them, butluckily another person and myself rushed up, and stopped them before anyaccident occurred. All this took place at noonday, and not a voice was raised against it. If I had presumed to interfere with this liberty of the subject, thechances are I should have been tied to one of the posts of themarket-place and made to stand target for an hour. It must be a charmingthing when the masses rule supreme. Fancy St. James's-street, upon adrawing-room day, full of a pleasant little water-dispensing communitysuch as this;--what cheers they would raise as a good shot took off someJarvy's cocked-hat and bob-wig, or sent his eighteen-inch-diameterbouquet flying into the street!--then what fun to play upon the paddedcalves and silk stockings of Patagonian John, as he stood behind!--andonly imagine the immense excitement, if by good luck they could smashsome window and deluge a live aristocrat! What a nice thing a puredemocracy must be! how the majority must enjoy themselves! how theminority must rejoice at the mild rule of bone over brain! What aglorious idea, equality! only excelled by that gigantic conception ofMessrs. Cobden and Co. , yclept the Peace Society, upon which such abloody comment was enacted before Sevastopol. FOOTNOTES: [Footnote AD: General Cadwallader, whose hospitality is well known toall strangers visiting Philadelphia. ] [Footnote AE: Alas! she has since met a melancholy death, beingaccidentally poisoned in Mexico, on the 18th of June, 1854; but her fameis as imperishable as her life was stainless. ] [Footnote AF: The origin of ten-pins is amusing enough, and is asfollows:--The State having passed an act, during a time when religiousfervour was at high pressure, prohibiting nine-pin alleys, a tenth pinwas added, and the law evaded. In the meantime, high pressure went belowthe boiling point, and the ten-pin alley remains to this day, anamusement for the people, and a warning to indiscreet legislators. ] [Footnote AG: The commercial prosperity of South Carolina appears to beincreasing steadily, if not rapidly. The cotton produce was-- In 1847. In 1852. Bales, main land 336, 562 472, 338 Ditto, sea islands 13, 529 20, 500 ------- ------- Total 350, 091 492, 838 ------- ------- Rice in 1847 146, 260 tierces. Do. In 1852 137, 497 ditto. The average value of the bale (450lbs. ) of main land cotton is from6l. To 8l. Sterling; of the sea-island cotton, from 30_l_ to 36l. Sterling. The average price of a tierce of rice (600lbs. ) is from 3l. 5s. To 4l. ] [Footnote AH: Independent of the enormous charge of fifty per cent. Onthe taxes you pay, there is also a small fine for each parade missed. ] [Footnote AI: _Vide_ chapter on "Military Education. "] [Footnote AJ: _Vide_ chapter on "The Constitution. "] CHAPTER XV. _From a River to a Racecourse_. Having enjoyed as much of the hospitalities of my kind friends as timepermitted, I obtained a letter of introduction, and, embarking in asteamer, started for Williamsburg, so called after King William III. Onour way down, we picked up as healthy and jolly a set of little ducks intheir 'teens as one could wish to see. On inquiring what this aggregateof rosy cheeks and sunny smiles represented, I was informed they werethe sum total of a ladies' school at Williamsburg--and a very charmingsum total they were. Having a day's holiday, they had come up by theearly steamer to pic-nic on the banks, and were now returning tochronology and crotchet-work, or whatever else their studies might be. Landing at King's Mills, a "'bus" took us all up to Williamsburg, adistance of three or four miles, one half of which was over as dreary aroad as need be, and the other through a shady forest grove. This old city is composed of a straight street, at one end of which isthe establishment occupied by the rosy cheeks of whom we have beenspeaking, and which is very neat and clean-looking; at the otherend--only with half a mile of country intervening--is the college. Oneach side of the said street is a crescent of detached houses, with acommon before them. The population is 1500, and has not varied--as faras I could learn--in the memory of the oldest inhabitant. I naturallyfelt very much interest in visiting this place, as it was originally theseat of the royal government, and my grandfather had been the lastgovernor of the state. The body of the old palace was burnt down byaccident, while occupied by French troops, in 1782. The foundations, which were six feet thick, are still traceable, although most of thebricks have been used for the buildings in the neighbourhood. Theoutlines of the old garden and its terraces may also be traced, and avery charming spot it must have been. There are two beautifullime-trees in a thriving state, which, I was told, he had plantedhimself from seeds he had brought from home. His thoughts were evidentlyon that far-off home when he planted them; for, as to positionrelatively to each other and distance from the old palace, theyprecisely coincide with two beneath which many of my early days werepassed, at the old family mansion of Glenfinarl, on Loch Fine, which hassince become the property of Mr. Douglas. There is an old ditch in the neighbourhood, which goes by the name ofLord Dunmore's Ditch. The history which my informant gave me thereof isabsurd enough, and there is a negro of the name of Isaac still livingwho remembers all the circumstances. It appears that Lord Dunmore, having found fault with an Irish labourer for not doing sufficient work, Paddy replied, "'Faith, if 'twas yer 'onnur that had the shpade in yerhand, maybe one-half would satisfy yer 'onnur. " The Governor, whohappened to be a man of iron frame, and not at all averse to a joke, immediately took up Paddy's challenge, and replied, "Paddy, I'll workfour hours against you in a ditch for a month's wages. " The combatantsset to work the following morning, and at the end of four hours Paddywas obliged to confess himself beaten, and the result of mygrandfather's labours goes by the name of Lord Dunmore's Ditch to thisday. The only parts of the old palace still standing are the two wings, oneof which is now the parsonage, and the other a school, which is kept byan Englishman, educated at one of our universities, and living here forhis health. This place is both a well-chosen and a favourite localityfor schools, being situated upon a high plateau of land, with JamesRiver on one side and York River on the other; consequently, the air ispeculiarly healthy and pure. The most imposing, if not the most useful, of the scholasticestablishments is the college, which was founded by William and Mary inthe year 1692. It contains a very fair library of old books, butcomparatively few additions appear to have been made in latter years. The building bears every internal mark of neglect and dilapidation, defaced walls, broken plaster, &c. Upon entering the lecture-room, aquantity of eighteen-inch square boxes full of moisture suggest the ideaof a rainy day and a roofless chamber. Be not deceived: these aremerely receptacles for the discharge of the students' 'bacco juice; andthe surrounding floor gives painful demonstration that their freespirits scorn the trammels of eighteen-inch boundaries, howeverprofusely supplied. From what causes I cannot say, but the college hasbeen all but deserted until lately. The present authorities are strivingto infuse into it a little vitality of usefulness. With these simplefacts before me, it was amusing to read, in an American gazetteer of theday, that the college "is at present in a flourishing condition. " In front of the college there is an enclosed green, and in the centre astatue, erected in honour of one of the old royal governors, Berkeley, Lord Bowtetort. Whether from a desire to exhibit their anti-aristocraticsentiments, or from innate Vandalism, or from a childish wish to exhibitindependence by doing mischief, the said statue is the pistol-mark forthe students, who have exhibited their skill as marksmen by its totalmutilation, in spite of all remonstrances from the authorities. Thecollege was formerly surrounded by magnificent elms, but a few yearssince a blight came which destroyed every one of them, leaving thebuilding in a desert-like nakedness. The inn at Williamsburg is amiserable building, but it is kept by as kind-hearted, jolly oldJohn-Bull-looking landlord as ever was seen, and who rejoices in thename of Uncle Ben. Meat is difficult to get at, as there are nobutchers; the cream and butter are, however, both plentiful andexcellent. The house is almost entirely overshadowed by one magnificentelm, which has fortunately escaped the blight that annihilated nearlyall its fellows. After the hustle of most American cities, there was to me an unspeakablecharm in the quiet of this place. Sitting at the inn-door, before youlies the open green, with its daisies and buttercups; horses and cattleare peaceably grazing; in the background are the remaining wings of theold palace; to your left stands the old village church, built withbricks brought from England, and long since mellowed by the hand oftime, around which the clinging ivy throws the venerable mantle of itsdark and massive foliage. Now, the summoning church-bell tolls itssolemn note; school children, with merry laugh and light step, cross thecommon; the village is astir, and a human tide is setting towards itssacred portals: all, all speaks to the heart and to the imagination ofhappy days and happy scenes in a far-off land. You close your eyes, thebetter to realize the dream which fancy is painting. When they open uponthe reality again, the illusion is dispelled by the sight of a brawnynegro, with a grin on his face which threatens to split his ears, jogging merrily along the street with a huge piece of sturgeon for hisSunday feast. My friends, however, left me little time to indulge in acontemplative mood, for good old Madeira, a hearty welcome, and a strollabout and around the place, filled up the day; while the fragrant weedand the social circle occupied no small portion of the evening. Havingspent a few but very pleasant days here, I took leave of my hospitablefriends--not forgetting that jovial soul, Uncle Ben; then embarking in asteamer, and armed with a solitary letter of introduction, I started offto visit a plantation on the banks of James River. A planter's home, like the good Highland laird's, seems made of Indiarubber. Without writing to inquire whether the house is full, or yourcompany agreeable, you consider the former improbable and the lattercertain. When you approach your victim, a signal is thrown out; theanswer is a boat; in you get, bag and baggage; you land at the foot ofhis lawn or of some little adjoining pier, and thus apparently forceyourself upon his hospitality. Reader, if it is ever your good fortuneto be dropped with a letter of introduction at Shirley, one glance fromthe eye of the amiable host and hostess, accompanied by a real shake ofthe hand, satisfy you beyond doubt you are truly and heartily welcome. Aplanter's house on James River reminds one in many ways of the oldcountry. The building is old, the bricks are of the brownest red, and inmany places concealed by ivy of colonial birth; a few venerable monarchsof the forest throw their ample shade over the greensward, which slopesgently down to the water. The garden, the stables, the farm-yard, theold gates, the time-honoured hues of everything, --all is so differentfrom the new facing and new painting which prevails throughout theNorth, that you feel you are among other elements; and if you go insidethe house, the thoughts also turn homeward irresistibly as the eyewanders from object to object. The mahogany table and the olddining-room chairs, bright with that dark ebony polish of time whichhuman ingenuity vainly endeavours to imitate; the solid bookcases, withtheir quaint gothic-windowly-arranged glass-doors, behind which, in calmand dusty repose, lie heavy patriarchal-looking tomes on the lowershelves, forming a sold basis above which to place lighter and lessscholastic literature; an arm-chair, that might have held the invadingCaesar, and must have been second-hand in the days of the conqueringWilliam; a carpet, over whose chequered face the great Raleigh mighthave strolled in deep contemplation; a rug, on whose surface generationsof spinsters might have watched the purrings of their pet Toms or gazedon the glutinous eyes and inhaled the loaded breeze that came from thefat and fragrant Pug: whichever way the eye turned, whatever directionthe imagination took, the conviction forced upon the mind was, that youwere in an inheritance, and that what the wisdom and energy of onegeneration had gathered together, succeeding generations had not yetscattered to the winds by the withering blast of infinitesimal division. With the imagination thus forcibly filled with home and itsassociations, you involuntarily feel disposed to take a stroll on thelawn; but on reaching the door, your ears are assailed by wild shouts ofinfantine laughter, and, raising your eyes, you behold a dozen littleblack imps skylarking about in every direction, their fat faces, brighteyes, and sunny smiles beaming forth joyousness and health. Home and itsvarying visions fly at the sight, giving place to the reality that youare on a slave plantation. Of the slaves I shall say nothing here beyondthe general fact that they appeared healthy, well fed, and well clothedon all the plantations I visited. Having enjoyed the hospitalities ofShirley for a few days, it was agreed that I should make a descent uponanother property lower down the river. So, bidding adieu to my goodfriends at Shirley, I embarked once more on the steamer, and was landedat the pier of Brandon, in the most deluging rain imaginable. A walk ofa quarter of a mile brought me to the door like a drowned rat, a notefrom my Shirley friends secured me an immediate and cordial welcome. Brandon is perhaps the plantation which is more thoroughly kept up thanany other on the James River, and which consequently has altered less. I am alluding now to the house and grounds about, not to the plantationat large; for I believe the proprietor at Shirley is reckoned A1 as afarmer. I have before alluded to the blight which destroyed so many fineelms on both shores of the James River. The withering insect appeared atBrandon; but the lady of the house soon proved that she knew the use oftobacco as well as the men, by turning a few hogsheads of the said weedinto water, making thereby a murderous decoction, with which, by theintervention of a fire-engine, she utterly annihilated the countlesshosts of the all-but invisible enemy, and thus saved some of the finestelms I ever saw in my life, under the shade of which the old familymansion had enjoyed shelter from many a summer's sun. Brandon is theonly place I visited where the destroyer had not left marks of hisravages. The lawn is beautifully laid out, and in the style of one ofour country villas of the olden time, giving every assurance of comfortand every feeling of repose. The tropical richness and brightness ofleaf and flower added an inexpressible charm to them, as they stood outin bold relief against the pure and cloudless air around, so differentfrom that indistinct outline which is but too common in our moistatmosphere. Then there was the graceful and weeping willow, thetrembling aspen, the wild ivy, its white bloom tinged as with maiden'sblush; the broad-leafed catalpa; the magnolia, rich in foliage and inflower; while scattered around were beds of bright and lovely colours. The extremes of this charming view were bounded, either by the venerablemansion over whose roof the patriarchal elms of which we have beenspeaking threw their cool and welcome shade, or by the broad streamwhose bosom was ever and anon enlivened with some trim barque orrapid-gliding steamer, and whose farther shore was wooded to the water'sedge. There is one of the finest China rose-trees here I ever beheld; itcovers a space of forty feet square, being led over on trellis-work, andit might extend much beyond that distance: it is one mass of flowersevery year. Unfortunately, I was a week too late to see it in its glory;but the withered flowers gave ample evidence how splendid it must havebeen. In one of my drives, I went to see an election which took place in theneighbourhood. The road for some distance lay through a forest full ofmagnificent timber; but, like most forest timber, that which gives it amarketable value destroys its picturesque effect. A few noblestems--however poor their heads--have a fine effect when surrounded byothers which have had elbow-room; but a forest of stems, withLilliputian heads--great though the girth of the stem may be--conveysrather the idea of Brobdingnagian piles driven in by giants, andexhibiting the last flickerings of vitality in a few puny sprouts attheir summit. The underwood was enlivened by shrubs of every shade andhue, the wild flowering ivy predominating. The carriage-springs weretested by an occasional drop of the wheels into a pit-hole, on mergingfrom which you came sometimes to a hundred yards of rut of dimensionssimilar to those of military approaches to a citadel; nevertheless, Ienjoyed my drive excessively. The place of election was a romantic spotnear a saw-mill, at the edge of what, in a gentleman's park in England, would be called a pretty little lake, styled in America a small pond. Aseach party arrived, the horse was hitched to the bough of some tree, andthe company divided itself into various knots; a good deal of tobaccowas expended in smoke and juice; there was little excitement; all werejolly and friendly; and, in short, the general scene conveyed the ideaof a gathering together for field-preaching; but that was speedilyreplaced by the idea of a pleasant pic-nic of country farmers, as adashing charge was made by the whole _posse comitatus_ upon a long tablewhich was placed under a fine old elm, and lay groaning beneath theweight of substantial meat and drink. As for drunkenness, they were allas sober as washerwomen. So much for a rural election-scene in Virginia. By way of making time pass agreeably, it was proposed to take a sail ina very nice yacht, called "The Breeze, " which belonged to a neighbouringplanter. We all embarked, in the cool of the evening, and the merrylaugh would soon have told you the fair sex was fairly represented. Unfortunately, the night was so still that not a breath rippled thesurface of the river, except as some inquisitive zephyr came curlingalong the stream, filling us with hope, and then, having satisfied itscuriosity, suddenly disappeared, as though in mockery of our distress. The name of the yacht afforded ample field for punning, which wascruelly taken advantage of by all of us; and if our cruise was not along one, at all events it was very pleasant, and full of fun andfrolic. Pale Cinthia was throwing her soft and silvery light over theeastern horizon before we landed. Walking up the lawn, the scene was altogether lovely; the fine treesaround were absolutely alive with myriads of fire-flies. These brightand living lights, darting to and fro 'mid the dark foliage, formed themost beautiful illumination imaginable--at one time clustering into aball of glowing fire, at another streaking away in a line of lightningflame; then, bursting into countless sparks, they would for a momentdisappear in the depths of their sombre bower, to come forth again insome more varied and more lovely form. Pleasant indeed were the hours I passed here; lovely was the climate, beautiful was the landscape, hearty was the welcome: every day foundsome little plan prepared to make their hospitality more pleasant to thestranger; nature herself seemed to delight in aiding their efforts, forthough I arrived in a deluge, I scarce ever saw a cloud afterwards. Asthe morning light stole through my open window in undimmed transparency, the robin, the blue-bird, the mocking-bird, the hosts of choralwarblers, held their early oratorio in the patriarchal elms. Ifunskilled in music's science, they were unfettered by its laws, andhymned forth their wild and varied notes as though calling upon man toadmire and adore the greatness and the goodness of his Maker, and to "Shake off dull sloth, and early rise, To pay his morning sacrifice. " If such were their appeal, it was not made in vain; for both morning andevening--both here and at Shirley--every member and visitor gatheredround the family altar, the services of which were performed with equalcheerfulness and reverence. I felt as if I could have lingered on and onin this charming spot, and amid such warm hospitality, an indefiniteperiod; it was indeed with sincere regret I was obliged to bid adieu tomy agreeable hosts, and once more embark on board the steamer. The river James lacks entirely those features that give grandeur toscenery; the river, it is true, by its tortuous windings, every now andthen presents a broad sheet of water; the banks are also prettilywooded; but there is a great sameness, and a total absence of thatmountain scenery so indispensable to grandeur. The only thing thatrelieves the eye is a glimpse, from time to time, of some lovely spotlike the one I have just been describing; but such charming villas, likeangel's visits, are "few and far between. " Here we are, at Norfolk. Howdifferent is this same Norfolk from the other eastern ports I havevisited!--there all is bustle, activity, and increase, --here all isdreariness, desolation, and stagnation. It is, without exception, themost uninteresting town I ever set foot in; the only thing that gives ita semblance of vitality is its proximity to the dockyard, and theconsequent appearance of officers in uniform; but in spite of thisimpression, which a two-days' residence confirmed me in, I was told, ongood authority, that it is thriving and improving. By the statisticswhich our consul, Mr. James, was kind enough to furnish me, it appearsthat 1847 was the great year of its commercial activity, its imports inthat year valuing 94, 000l. , and its exports 364, 000l. In 1852, theimports were under 25, 000l. And the exports a little more than81, 000l. , which is certainly, by a comparison with the average of theten years preceding, an evidence of decreasing, rather than increasing, commercial prosperity. Its population is 16, 000; and that smallnumber--when it is remembered that it is the port of entry for the greatstate of Virginia--is a strong argument against its asserted prosperity. Not long before my arrival they had been visited with a perfect delugeof rain, accompanied with a waterspout, which evidently had whirled upsome of the ponds in the neighbourhood; for quantities of cat-fish fellduring the storm, one of which, measuring ten inches, a friend told mehe had himself picked up at a considerable distance from any water. The only real object of interest at Norfolk is the dockyard, which ofcourse I visited. Mr. James was kind enough to accompany me, and it isneedless to say we were treated with the utmost courtesy, and everyfacility afforded us for seeing everything of interest, after which weenjoyed an excellent lunch at the superintendent's. They were building asplendid frigate, intended to carry 58-inch guns; her length was 250feet, and her breadth of beam 48. Whether the manifest advantages ofsteam will induce them to change her into a screw frigate, I cannot say. The dockyard was very clean and the buildings airy. Steam, saw-mills, &c. , were in full play, and anchors forging under Nasmyth's hammer, Ifound them making large masts of four pieces--one length and noscarfings--the root part of the tree forming the mast-head, and a verylarge air-hole running up and down the centre. The object of thisair-hole is to allow the mast to season itself; the reader may rememberthat the mast of the "Black Maria" is made the same way. As far as Iknow, this is a plan we have not yet tried in our dockyards. I find thatthey use metallic boats far more than we do. I saw some that hadreturned after being four years in commission, which were perfectlysound. To say that I saw fine boats and spars here, would be like atraveller remarking he saw a great many coals at Newcastle. All wastewood not used in the yard is given away every Saturday to any old womanwho will come and take it; and no searching of people employed in thedockyard is ever thought of. The cattle employed in and for the dockyardhave a most splendid airy stable, and are kept as neat and clean as ifin a drawing-room. Materials are abundant; but naturally there is littlebustle and activity when compared to that which exists in a Britishyard. Their small navy can hardly find them enough work to keep their"hands in;" but doubtless the first knell of the accursed tocsin of war, while it gave them enough to do, would soon fill their dockyards withable and willing hands to do it. Commodore Ringold's surveyingexpedition, consisting of a corvette, schooner, steamer, &c. , wasfitting out for service, and most liberally and admirably were theysupplied with all requisites and comforts for their important duties. During my stay I enjoyed the kind hospitalities of our consul, Mr. G. P. E. James, who is so well known to the literary world. He wasindulging the good people of Norfolk with lectures, which seem to be allthe fashion with the Anglo-Saxon race wherever they are gatheredtogether. The subject which I heard him treat of was "The Novelists, "handling some favourites with severity and others with a gentler touch, and winding up with a glowing and just eulogy upon the author of _MyNovel_. Altogether I spent a very pleasant hour and a half. I may here mention a regulation of the Foreign-office, which, howevernecessary it may be considered, every one must admit presses very hardlyon British _employés_ in the Slave States. I allude to the regulation bywhich officials are prevented from employing other people's slaves astheir servants. White men soon earn enough money to be enabled to setup in some trade, business, or farm, and, as service is looked downupon, they seize the first opportunity of quitting it, even althoughtheir comforts may be diminished by the change. Free negroes won'tserve, and the official must not employ a slave; thus, a gentleman sentout to look after the interest of his country, and in his own person touphold its dignity, must either submit to the dictation and extortion ofhis white servant--if even then he can keep him--or he may be calledupon suddenly, some fine morning, to do all the work of housemaid, John, cook, and knife and button boy, to the neglect of those duties he wasappointed by his country to perform, unless he be a married man with alarge family, in which case he may perhaps delegate to them thehonourable occupations, above named. Surely there is something a littlepuritanical in the prohibition. To hold a slave is one thing, but toemploy the labour of one who is a slave, and over whose hopes of freedomyou have no control, is quite another thing; and I hold that, under theactual circumstances, the employment of another's slave could never heso distorted in argument as to bring home a charge of connivance in asystem we so thoroughly repudiate. Go to the East, follow in imagination your ambassadors, ministers, andconsular authorities. Behold them on the most friendly terms--orstriving to be so--with people in high places, who are but too oftenrevelling in crimes, with the very name of which they would scorn evento pollute their lips; and I would ask, did such a monstrous absurdityever enter into any one's head as to doubt from these amicable relationswhether the Government of this country or its agents repudiated suchabomination of abominations? If for political purposes you submit tothis latter, while for commercial purposes you refuse to tolerate theformer, surely you are straining at a black gnat while swallowing abeastly camel. Such, good people of the Foreign-office, is my decidedview of the case; and if you profit by the hint, you will do what Ibelieve no public body ever did yet. Perhaps, therefore, the idea ofsetting the fashion may possibly induce you to reconsider and rectify anabsurdity, which, while no inconvenience to you, is often a very greatone to those you employ. It is wonderful, the difference in the viewtaken of affairs by actors on the spot and spectators at a distance. Aman who sees a fellow-creature half crushed to death and crippled forlife by some horrible accident, is too often satisfied with little morethan a passing "Good gracious!" but if, on his returning homeward, somegigantic waggon-wheel scrunch the mere tip of his toes, or annihilate abare inch of his nose, his ideas of the reality of an accident becomeimmensely enlarged. Let the Foreign Secretary try for a couple of days some such _régime_ asthe following:-- 5 A. M. Light fires, fetch water, and put kettle on. 6 " Dust room and make beds. 7 " Clean shoes, polish knives, and sand kitchen. 7:30 " Market for dinner. 8:30 " Breakfast. 9 " To Downing-street, light fires, and dust office. 10 " Sit down comfortably(?) to work. 1:30 P. M. Off to coal-hole for more coals. 4 " Sweep up, and go home. 5 " Off coat, up sleeves, and cook. 6:30 " Eat dinner. 7 " Wash up. 8 " Light your pipe, walk to window, and see your colleague over the way, with a couple of Patagonian footmen flying about amid a dozen guests, while, to give additional zest to your feelings of enjoyment, a couple of buxom lassies are peeping out of the attics, and singing like crickets. 9 " Make your own reflections upon the Government that dooms you to personal servitude, while your colleague is allowed purchaseable service. Sleep over the same, and repeat the foregoing _régime_ on the second day; and, filled with the happy influences so much cause for gratitude must inspire, give reflection her full tether, and sleep over her again. On the third morning, let your heart and brain dictate a despatch upon the subject of your reflections to all public servants in slave-holding communities, and, while repudiating slavery, you will find no difficulty in employing the services of the slave, under peculiar circumstances, and with proper restrictions. I embarked from Norfolk per steamer for Baltimore, and thence by railthrough Philadelphia to New York. I took a day's hospitality among mykind friends at Baltimore. At Philadelphia I was in such a hurry to passon, that I exhibited what I fear many will consider a symptom ofinveterate bachelorship; but truth bids me not attempt to cloak mydelinquency. Hear my confession:-- My friend Mr. Fisher, whose hospitality I had drawn most largely uponduring my previous stay, invited me to come and pay him and his charminglady a visit, at a delightful country house of his a few miles out oftown. Oh, no! that was impossible; my time was so limited; I had so muchto see in the north and Canada. In vain he urged, with hearty warmth, that I should spend only one night: it was quite impossible--quite. Thatpoint being thoroughly settled, he said, "It is a great pity you are sopressed for time, because the trotting champion, 'Mac, ' runs against aformidable antagonist, 'Tacony, ' to-morrow. " In half an hour I was inhis waggon, and in an hour and a half I was enjoying the warm greetingof his amiable wife in their country-house, the blush of shame and aguilty conscience tinging my cheeks as each word of welcome passed fromher lips or flashed from her speaking eyes. Why did I thus act? Could Isay, in truth, "'Twas not that I love thee less, but that I love Taconymore?" Far from it. Was it that I was steeped in ingratitude? I trustnot. Ladies, oh, ladies!--lovely creatures that you are--think not soharshly of a penitent bachelor. You have all read of one of your sexthrough whom Evil--which takes its name from, her--first came uponearth, and you know the motive power of that act was--curiosity. I pleadguilty to that motive power on the present occasion; and, while throwingmyself unreservedly on your clemency, I freely offer myself as a targetfor the censure of each one among you who, in the purity of truth cansay, "I never felt such an influence in all my life. " Reader, rememberyou cannot be one of these, for the simple fact of casting your eyesover this page affords sufficient presumptive evidence for any court oflaw to bring you in guilty of a curiosity to know what the writer has tosay. --To resume. The race-course at Philadelphia is a road on a perfect level, and acircle of one mile; every stone is carefully removed, and it looks assmooth and clean as a swept floor. The stand commands a perfect view ofthe course; but its neglected appearance shows clearly thattrotting-matches here are not as fashionable as they used to be, thoughfar better attended than at New York. Upon the present occasion theexcitement was intense; you could detect it even in the increased vigourwith which the smoking and spitting was carried on. An antagonist hadbeen found bold enough to measure speed with "Mac"--the great Mac who, while "Whipping creation, " was also said never to have let out his fullspeed. He was thorough-bred, about fifteen and a half hands, and lighterbuilt than my raw-boned friend Tacony, and he had lately been sold for1600l. So sure did people apparently feel of Mac's easy victory, thateven betting was out of the question. Unlike the Long Island affair, theriders appeared in jockey attire, and the whole thing was far better gotup. Ladies, however, had long ceased to grace such scenes. Various false starts were made, all on the part of Mac, who, trusting tothe bottom of blood, apparently endeavoured to ruffle Tacony's temperand weary him out a little. How futile were the efforts the sequelplainly showed. At length a start was effected, and away they went, Tacony with his hind legs as far apart as the centre arch of WestminsterBridge, and with strides that would almost clear the Bridgewater Canal. Mac's rider soon found that, in trying to ginger Tacony's temper, he hadpeppered his own horse's, for he broke-up into a gallop twice. OldTacony and his rider had evidently got intimate since I had seen them atNew York, and they now thoroughly understood each other. On he went, with giant strides; Mac fought bravely for the van, but could not gethis nose beyond Tacony's saddle-girth at the winning-post--time, 2m. 25-1/2s. Then, followed the usual race-course accompaniments of cheers, squabbles, growling, laughing, betting, drinking, &c. The public werenot convinced. Mac was still the favourite; the champion chaplet was notthus hastily to be plucked from his hitherto victorious brows. Half anhour's rest brought them again to the starting-post, where Mac repeatedhis old tactics, and with similar bad success. Nothing could ruffleTacony, or produce one false step: he flew round the course, everystride like the ricochet of a 32lb. Shot; his adversary broke-up againand again, losing both his temper and his place, and barely saved hisdistance, as the gallant Tacony--his rider with a slack rein, andpatting him on the neck--reached the winning-post--time, 2m. 25s. Theshouts were long and loud; such time had never been made before by fairtrotting, and Tacony evidently could have done it in two, if not threeseconds less. The fastest pacing ever accomplished before was 2m. 13s. , and the fastest trotting 2m. 26s. The triumph was complete; Tacony noblywon the victorious garland; and as long as he and his rider go together, it will take, if not a rum 'un to look at, at all events a d----l togo, ere he be forced to resign his championship. The race over, waggons on two wheels and waggons on four wheels, withtrotters in them capable of going the mile in from 2m. 40s. To 3m. 20s. , began to shoot about in every direction, and your ears were assailed onall sides with "G'lang, g'lang!" and occasionally a frantic yell, towhich some Jehu would give utterance by way of making some horse thatwas passing him "break-up. " Thus ended the famous race between Mac andTac, which, by the way, gave me an opportunity of having a little funwith some of my American friends, as I condoled with them on theirchampion being beaten by a British subject; for, strange to say, Tac isa Canadian horse. I therefore of course expressed the charitable wishthat an American horse might be found some day equal to the task ofwearing the champion trotting crown(!)--I beg pardon, not crown, but, I suppose, cap of liberty. I need scarce say that it is not so much thehorse as the perfect teaming that produces the result; and all Tac'straining is exclusively American, and received in a place not very farfrom Philadelphia, from which he gets his name. A friend gave me a liftinto Philadelphia, whence the iron horse speedily bore me to the greatrepublican Babylon, New York. CHAPTER XVI. _Home of the Pilgrim Fathers_. Having made the necessary preparations, I again put myself behind theboiling kettle, _en route_ to the republican Athens. The day wasintensely hot; even the natives required the windows open, and the dustbeing very lively, we soon became as powdered as a party going down tothe Derby in the ante-railway days. My curiosity was excited on the way, by seeing a body of men looking like a regiment of fox-hunters--all wellgot up, fine stout fellows--who entered, and filled two of thecarriages. On inquiring who kept the hounds, and if they had good runs, a sly smile stole across my friend's cheek as he told me they weremerely the firemen of the city going to fraternize with the ditto dittoof Boston. It stupidly never occurred to me to ask him whether anyprovision was made in case of a quiet little fire developing itselfduring their absence, for their number was legion, and as active, daring, orderly-looking fellows as ever I set eyes upon. Jolly apopleticaldermen of our capital may forsake the green fat of their soup-makingdeity, to be feasted by their Parisian fraternity, without inconvenienceto anybody, except it be to their fellow-passengers in the steamer upontheir return, if they have been over-fed and have not tempest-triedorgans of digestion. But a useful body like firemen migrating should, Iconfess, have suggested to me the propriety of asking what substituteswere left to perform, if need be, their useful duties; not having doneso, I am constrained to leave this important point in its presentpainful obscurity. A thundering whistle and a cloud of steam announce the top is off thekettle, and that we have reached Boston. Wishing to take my own luggagein a hackney, I found that, however valuable for security the ticketingsystem may be, it was, under circumstances like mine at present, painfully trying to patience. In three-quarters of an hour, however, Imanaged to get hold of it, and then, by way of improving my temper, Iascertained that one of my boxes was in a state of "pretty considerableall mighty smash. " At last I got off with my goods and chattels, andhaving seen quite enough of the American palace-hotels and theirbountifully-spread tables, and of the unrivalled energy with which themeals are despatched; remembering, also, how frequently the drum of myears had been distracted by the eternal rattling and crackling of platesand dishes for a couple of hundred people, and how my olfactories hadsuffered from the mixed odours of the kitchen produce, I declined goingto the palatial Revere House, which is one of the best hotels in theUnion, and put up at a house of less pretensions, where I found bothquiet and comfort. To write a description of Boston, when so many others have done so farbetter than I can pretend to do, and when voluminous gazetteers recordalmost every particular, would be drawing most unreasonably upon thepatience of a reader, and might further be considered as inferring adoubt of his acquaintance with, I might almost say, a hackneyed subject. I shall, therefore, only inflict a few short observations to refresh hismemory. The most striking feature in Boston, to my mind, is the commonor park, inasmuch as it is the only piece of ground in or attached toany city which I saw deserving the name of a park. It was originally atown cow-pasture, and called the Tower Fields. The size is about fiftyacres; it is surrounded with an iron fencing, and, although not large, the lay of the ground is very pretty. It contains some very fine oldtrees, which every traveller in America must know are a great rarity inthe neighbourhood of any populous town. It is overlooked by theState-house, which is built upon Beacon Hill, just outside the highestextremity of the park, and from the top of which a splendid panoramicview of the whole town and neighbourhood is obtained. The State-house isa fine building in itself, and contains one of Chantrey's bestworks--the statue of Washington. The most interesting building inBoston, to the Americans, is, undoubtedly, Faneuil Hall, called also the"Cradle of Liberty. " Within those walls the stern oratory of noblehearts striving to be free, and daring to strike for it, was listened toby thousands, in whose breasts a ready response was found, and who, catching the glowing enthusiasm of the orators, determined rather to berebels and free than subjects and slaves: the sequel is matter ofhistory. I shall not tax the temper of my reader by going through any furtherlist of the public buildings, which are sufficiently known to those whotake an interest in this flourishing community; but I must hasten toapologize for my ingratitude in not sooner acknowledging that mostpleasing feature in every traveller's experience in America, which, Ineed hardly say, is hospitality. Scarce was my half-smashed box landed at the hotel, when my youngAmerican friend, who came from England with our party, appeared towelcome me--perhaps to atone for the lion's share of champagne he hadenjoyed at our table on board the steamer. Then he introduced me toanother, and another introduced me to another another, and anotheranother introduced me to another another another, and so on, till Ibegan to feel I must know the _élite_ of Boston. Club-doors flew open, champagne-corks flew out, cicerones, pedal and vehicular, were everready to guide me by day and feed me by night; and though there are nodrones in a Yankee hive, so thoroughly did they dedicate themselves tomy comfort and amusement, that a person ignorant of the true state ofthings might have fancied they were as idle and occupationless as thecigar-puffers who adorn some of our metropolitan-club steps, the envy ofpassing butcher-boys and the liberal distributors of cigar-ends tounwashed youths who hang about ready to pounce upon the delicious andrejected morsels. Among other gentlemen whose acquaintance I had thepleasure of making, and whose hospitalities, of course, I enjoyed, I maymention Mr. Prescott and Mr. Ticknor, the former highly appreciated inthe old country, and both so widely known and so justly esteemed in theworld of literature. As I consider such men public property, I make noapology for using their names, while in so doing I feel I am bestconveying to the reader some idea of the society which a traveller meetswith in Yankee Athens. The town has one charm to me, which it shares in common with Baltimore. Not only is it built on undulating ground, but there are old partsremaining, whereby the eye is relieved from the tiring monotony of broadand straight streets, while the newer parts form a pleasing variety, andbear gratifying evidence of the increasing wealth of its intelligentand industrious population. Then, again, the neighbourhood of the townhas a charm for a wanderer from the old country; the roads areexcellent, the fields and gardens are tidied up, creepers are led up thecottage walls, suburban villas abound, everything looks more clean, more_soigné_, more snug, more filled and settled than the neighbourhood ofany other city I visited in America, and thus forces back upon the mindassociations and reflections of dear old home. Having enjoyed a visit to a friend in one of the suburban villas inland, to which he drove me in his light waggon, another vehicular ciceroneinsisted that I should drive out to his uncle's, and spend a day at hismarine villa, about twelve miles distant. I joyfully assented to sopleasant a proposition, and, "hitching a three-forty before a lightwaggon"--as the term is in America--we were soon bowling away merrilyalong a capital road. A pleasant drive of nine miles brought us to alittle town called Lynn, after Lynn Regis in England, from which placesome of the early settlers came. How often has the traveller to regretthe annihilation of the wild old Indian names, and the substitution ofappellatives from every creek and corner of the older continents; withPoquanum, Sagamore, Wenepoykin, with Susquehanna, Wyoming, Miami, and athousand other such of every length and sound, all cut-and-dried tohand, it is more than a pity to see so great a country plagiarizing insuch a wholesale manner Pekins, Cantons, Turing, Troys, Carmels, Emmauses, Cairos, and a myriad other such borrowed plumes, plucked fromEurope, Asia, and Africa, and hustled higgledy-piggledy side by side, without a single element or association to justify the uncalled-forrobbery. Forgive me, reader, --all this digression comes from my wishing Lynn hadkept its old Indian name of Saugus; from such little acorns will suchgreat oak-trees spring. --To resume. The said town of Lynn suppliesunderstandings to a very respectable number of human beings, and may becalled a gigantic shoemaker's shop, everything being on the giganticscale in America. It employs 11, 000, out of its total population of14, 000, in that trade, and produces annually nearly 5, 000, 000 of women'sand children's boots, shoes, and gaiters, investing in the business acapital amounting to 250, 000l. Moses and Son, Hyam and Co. , Nicolland Co. , and the whole of the three-halfpence-a-shirt-payingcapitalists, can show nothing like my shoemakers' shop, "fix it how youwill, "--as they say in the Great Republic. The three-forty trotter soon left boots, shoes, and all behind, anddeposited us at the door of the uncle's villa, where a friendly handwelcomed us to its hospitalities. It was very prettily situated upon acliff overlooking Massachusetts Bay, in which said cliff a zigzagstepway was cut down to the water, for the convenience of bathing. Thegrounds were nicely laid out and planted, and promised in time to bewell wooded, if the ocean breeze driving upon them did not lay anembargo upon their growth, in the same heartless manner as it does uponthe west coast of Scotland, where, the moment a tree gets higher than amop handle, its top becomes curved over by the gales, with the samegraceful sweep as that which a successful stable-boy gives a birch broomafter a day's soaking. I hope, for my hospitable friend's sake, it maynot prove true in his case; but I saw an ostrich-feathery curve upon thetops of some of his trees, which looked ominous. Having spent a verypleasant day, and enjoyed good cheer and good company, Three-forty wasagain "hitched to;" joined hands announced the parting moment hadarrived; wreaths of smoke from fragrant Havanas ascended like incensefrom the shrine of Adieu; "G'lang"--the note of advance--was sounded;Three-forty sprang to the word of command; friends, shoes, andshoemakers were soon tailed of; and ere long your humble servant wasnestling his nose in his pillow at Boston. Hearing that the drama was investing its talent in Abolitionism, I wentone evening to the theatre, to see if I could extract as much fun fromthe metropolis of a free state as I had previously obtained from thecapital of slave-holding Maryland; for I knew the Americans, both Northand South, were as ticklish as young ladies. I found very much the samestyle of thing as at Baltimore, except that her abolitionist highness, the Duchess of Southernblack, did not appear on the stage by deputy; butas an atonement for the omission, you had a genuine Yankee abolitionist;poor Uncle Tom and his fraternity were duly licked and bullied by acouple of heartless Southern nigger-drivers; and while their victimswere writhing in agony, a genuine abolitionist comes on the stage andwhops the two nigger-drivers, amid shouts of applause. The suppliantSoutherners, midst sobs and tears, plead for mercy, and in vain, untilthe happy thought occurs to one of them, to break forth into a wondroustale of the atrocities inflicted upon the starving and naked slaves ofEnglish mines and factories, proving by contrast the superior happinessof the nigger and the greater mercifulness of his treatment. Theindignant abolitionist drops the upraised cowhide, the sobs and tears ofthe Southerners cease, the whole house thunders forth the ecstasy of itsdelight, the curtain drops, and the enchanted audience adjourn to theoyster saloons, vividly impressed with British brutality, the charms ofslavery, and the superiority of Abolitionism. How strange, that in a country like this, boasting of its education, andcertainly with every facility for its prosecution--how strange, that inthe very Athens of the Republic, the deluded masses should exhibit ascomplete ignorance as you could find in the gallery of anytwopenny-halfpenny metropolitan theatre of the old country! Another of the lions of Boston which I determined to witness, ifpossible, was "spirit-rapping. " A friend undertook the arrangement forme; but so fully were the hours of the exhibitor taken up, that it wasfive days before we could obtain a spare hour. At length the timearrived, and, fortified with a good dinner and a skinful of "MummCabinet, " we proceeded to the witch's den. The witch was a clean anddecent-looking girl about twenty, rather thin, and apparently veryexhausted; gradually a party of ten assembled, and we gathered round thewitch's table. The majority were ladies--those adorers of themarvellous! The names of friends were called for; the ladies took thealphabet, and running over it with the point of a pencil, the spiritrapped as the wished-for letter was reached. John Davis was soon spelt, each letter probably having been indicated by the tremulous touch ofaffectionate hope. Harriet Mercer was then rapped out by the obligingspirit. The pencil and the alphabet were then handed to me, and thespirit being asked if it would answer my inquiries, and a mostsatisfactory "Yes" being rapped out, I proceeded to put its powers tothe test. I concentrated my thoughts upon a Mr. L---- and his shop inFleet-street, with both of which being thoroughly familiar I had nodifficulty in fixing my attention upon them. The pencil was put inmotion, powerful rappings were heard as it touched the D. I kept mygravity, and went on again and again, till the name of the illustriousduke, whose death the civilized world was then deploring with everytoken of respect, was fully spelt out. The witch was in despair; shetried again and again to summon the rebellious spirit, but it would notcome. At last, a gentleman present, and who evidently was an _habitué_of the witch's den, proposed that the refractory spirit should be askedif any of the company were objectionable to it. This being done, arattling "Yes" came forth, upon which each person asked in succession, "Am I objectionable to you?" There was a dead silence until it came tomy friend and myself, to each of whom it gave a most rappingly emphatic"Yes. " Accordingly, we rose and left the field to those whose greatergullibility rendered them more plastic objects for working upon. Neverin my life did I witness greater humbug; and yet so intense was theanxiety of the Boston public to witness the miracle, that during all theday and half the night the spirit was being invoked by the witch, intowhose pockets were pouring the dollars of thousands of greater gabiesthan myself, for many went away believers, receiving the first germs ofimpressions which led them to a Lunatic Asylum, or an early grave, asvarious statistics in America prove most painfully. To show the extent to which belief in these absurdities goes, I subjoinan extract from a paper, by which it appears that even the solemnitiesof a funeral cannot sober the minds of their deluded followers. Mr. Calvin R. Brown--better known as the husband of Mrs. Anne L. Fish, afamous "spirit medium" in New York--having died, we read the followingnotice of the funeral:--"After prayer, the Rev. S. Brittan delivered anaddress, in which he dwelt with much earnestness upon the superiority ofthe life of the spirit, as compared with that of the body. At variouspoints in his address there were rappings, sometimes apparently on thebottom of the coffin, and at others upon the floor, as if in response tothe sentiments uttered. After concluding his address, Professor Brittanread a communication purporting to have come from the deceased after hisentrance into the spirit world. While it was being read, the reporterstates that the rappings were distinctly heard. Several friends thensang, "Come, ye disconsolate, " after which the Rev. Mr. Denning made afew remarks, during which the rappings were more audible than before. Other ceremonies closed the funeral. The whole party, preachers, physicians, and all, were spiritualists, " &c. But I have before me a letter written by Judge Edmonds, which is a morepainful exemplification of the insanity superinduced by giving way tothese absurdities; in that document you will find him deliberatelystating, that he saw heavy tables flying about without touch, like theleaves in autumn; bells walking off shelves and ringing themselves, &c. Also, you will find him classing among his co-believers "Doctors, lawyers, clergymen, a Protestant bishop, a learned and reverendpresident of a college, judges of higher courts, members of congress, foreign ambassadors (I hope not Mr. Crampton), and ex-members of theUnited States Senate. " The ladies of the old country will, no doubt, be astonished to hear thattheir sisters of the younger country have medical colleges in variousStates; but, I believe, mostly in the northern ones. To what extenttheir studies in the healing art are carried, I cannot precisely informthem; it most probably will not stop at combinations of salts and senna, or spreading plasters--for which previous nursery practice with breadand butter might eminently qualify them. How deeply they will dive intothe mysteries of anatomy, unravelling the tangled web of veins andarteries, and mastering the intricacies of the ganglionic centre; or howfar they will practise the subjugation of their feelings, whether onlyenough to whip off some pet finger and darling little toe, or whethersufficiently to perform more important operations, even such as SydneySmith declared a courageous little prime minister was ready to undertakeat a minute's notice; these are questions which I cannot answer: but onething is clear, the wedge is entered. How far it will be driven in, timemust show. [AK] FOOTNOTES: [Footnote AK: The Massachusetts Legislature, in a recent session, appropriated funds to the New England Female Medical College, located inBoston, to pay forty students for five years; and I have since observedin a Boston paper that there are twenty lady physicians, who, confiningthemselves to midwifery and diseases of their own sex, have a fairpractice, and enjoy the confidence of the families they visit. ] CHAPTER XVII. _Teaching of Youth, and a Model Jail_. I must now turn to a more important and interesting feature of Boston, viz. , education. We all remember how the religious persecution in thereign of Elizabeth, fettering men's consciences, drove a devoted band ofdeep-thinking Christians into caves of concealment, and how, after muchperil, they escaped in 1609, in the reign of James the First, toAmsterdam, under the leadership of the noble-hearted J. Robinson, where, after sighing long for a return beneath the flag of the country of theirbirth, they obtained a charter from the Virginia Company. The firstdivision of them embarked on board "The Mayflower, " a small vessel of180 tons, and sailed from Plymouth, 6th September, 1620, landing intheir new and barren home upon the 11th of December. These were thesturdy champions of liberty of conscience, from whom the New Englandersmay be said to have sprung, and who have leavened the whole communitywith their energy and indomitable spirit: such men knew how toappreciate education, as the leveller of oppression and the bulwark offreedom; and it is, therefore, no wonder that the American Republicrecognises them as the worthy pioneers of that noble feature in theirinstitutions--free education, supplied to all by the State. Let us, then, see how far their descendants are treading in theirfootsteps upon this point. I speak of Boston and its 150, 000inhabitants, not of the State. And first, it is important to observe, that the strict provisions of the State requirements would be met bythree schools, and three teachers with assistants, whose salaries wouldamount to 900l. The actual provision made by this energetic community, is, --Schools: 1 Latin, 1 English, 22 grammar, 194 primary, --total forsalaries, 37, 000l. And that it may not be supposed the salaries aregreat prizes, it is important to remark, that there are 65 maleteachers, and about 300 female teachers. The highest paid arehead-masters of Latin and English schools, 490l. ; sub-masters of same, and head-masters of grammar, 300l. ; ushers, assistants, &c. , from50l. To 160l. ; and female teachers, from 45l. To 60l. , with5l. Additional for care of the rooms. All the primary schools have female teachers; and the feeling isstrongly in favour of females for instructing the very young, theirpatience and kindness being less likely to foster feelings of dread anddislike. The total amount of taxes raised in the city is, in round numbers, 250, 000l. ; of which 65, 000l. , or more than one-fourth, is devoted toschools. The total value of all public school estates of Boston, up toMay, 1851, was 260, 000l. ; and the salary of the head-master is, withina few pounds, equal to that of the governor of the State. Say, then, reader, has some portion of the spirit of the Pilgrim Fathersdescended to the present generation, or not?--a population of 150, 000devoting 260, 000l. To education. Wherever parents are unable to provide books, &c. , the children aresupplied with the use of them _gratis_. All corporal punishment isstrongly discouraged, but not prohibited; and all inflictions thereofare recorded for the information of the Visiting Board. Having omittedto make personal inquiries on the spot, I obtained, through the kindnessof Mr. Ticknor, answers to the following questions on the point ofreligious instruction:-- 1. "Are the pupils at your normal schools obliged to receive religiousinstruction from some minister, and to attend some place of worship; ormay they, if they prefer, receive no such instruction, and attend nochurch?" "The State has put the normal schools under the charge of the Board ofEducation, with no special law or instructions. The Board of Educationendeavours to act on exactly the same principles as those which the lawhas laid down with respect to the common schools. The Board requiresthat the pupils of the normal schools attend some place of worship, thepupil making his own choice. These schools are opened every morning withreading the Scriptures, singing, and prayer. The moral conduct of thepupils is carefully watched over, and instruction is given in respect tothe best methods of training the young in religion and morals. Thereligious teaching is ethical, not doctrinal. " 2. "Are the children at your common schools obliged to receive somereligious instruction, or if their parents express a wish they shouldnot receive any at school, is the wish complied with?" "The law requires all teachers to instruct their pupils 'in theprinciples of piety, ' and forbids any sectarian books to be introducedinto the public schools. The school committees of each town prescribethe class-books to be used, and commonly make the Bible one of thosebooks. The teacher is expected to follow the law in respect to teachingthe principles of piety, without any instruction from the schoolcommittee, and is almost always allowed to do this in his own way, unless he is guilty of some impropriety, in which case the schoolcommittee interferes. He usually has devotional exercises at the openingof the school, and reads the Scriptures, or causes them to be read, asan act of worship, whether they are prescribed by the committee or not. Many teachers take that occasion to remark upon topics of morality, andthereby aim to prevent misconduct. Indeed, the Bible is much relied onas a means of discipline rather for preventing wrong-doing, than forcorrecting it. "No minister, as such, gives religious instruction in any of our publicschools. Ministers are commonly on the school committees, and whenvisiting the schools, as committees, exhort the children to goodbehaviour, and to a religious life. "No cases are known of parents wishing their children to be excused fromsuch religious instruction, except with the Catholics, who desire thattheir children be excused from the devotional exercises, especially fromreading the Protestant version of the Bible. Even this is very rarewhere the teacher himself reads the Scriptures in connexion with otherdevotional exercises. It occurs most frequently where the children arerequired to use the Bible themselves, either in devotional exercises orin a reading lesson. But those wishes are not often regarded, becausethe committee has a legal right to prescribe the Bible as a school-book, and to require all the pupils to comply with all the regulations of theschool. In some few instances, committees have thought it expedient toallow the Douay version to be used by Catholic children; but it amountsto nothing, as it is an abstract point started by the priests, for whichparents care but little; besides, it is objected that the Douay versionwith its glosses is 'a sectarian book, ' whereas the common Englishversion without note or comment is not. " Scholars desirous of entering the higher schools are generally requiredto pass through the lower, and bring therefrom certificates of capacityand conduct. In the statute of the State, with reference to education, all professors, tutors, instructors, &c. , are enjoined to impress uponthe minds of those committed to their charge "the principles of piety, justice, a sacred regard to truth, and love of their country. " Among thevarious subjects in connexion with education, in which instruction isgiven in these schools, it may be as well to mention one, which, Ibelieve, is all but totally neglected in England. By legislativeenactment, section 2, "All school-teachers shall hereafter be examinedin their knowledge of the elementary principles of physiology andhygiène, and their ability to give instructions in the same. " The School Committee consists of two members from each of the twelvewards of the city, chosen annually, and assisted by the Mayor andPresident of the Common Council. The average expense of each scholar atthe primary schools is 25s. Per annum, at the higher schools threeguineas. Under the foregoing system, 12, 000 children are instructedannually at the primary schools, and 10, 000 at the higher schools, whichaggregate of 22, 000 will give an attendance of nearly 70 per cent. Uponall children between the ages of five and fifteen, to whom the avenuesof knowledge, from the lisping letters of infancy to the highestbranches of philosophy, are freely opened. Through the kindness of Mr. B. Seaver, the Mayor of Boston, I wasenabled to visit several of these schools, the cleanliness of which, aswell as their good ventilation, was most satisfactory. The plan adoptedhere, of having the stools made of iron and screwed on to the floor, with a wooden seat fixed on the top for each pupil, and a separate deskfor every two, struck me as admirably calculated to improve ventilationand check sky-larking and noise. The number of public schools in thewhole State is 4056, which are open for seven months and a half in theyear, and the average attendance of scholars is 145, 000; besides which, there are 749 private schools, with 16, 000 scholars. It is a curiousfact, and bears strong testimony to the efficiency of the publicschools, that while they have increased by 69 during the year, theprivate schools have decreased by 36. The foregoing sketch is from theofficial Reports, printed at Boston in 1853. In addition to these schools, there are four colleges, three theologicalseminaries, and two medical schools. Of these I shall only notice one ofthe colleges, which I visited, and which enjoys a high reputation--viz. , Harvard College, or Cambridge, as it is sometimes called, from thevillage where it is situated. The history of this college is a wholesomeproof how a small institution, if duly fostered by a nation, mayeventually repay future generations with liberal interest. Establishedin 1636, by a vote of 400l. , it obtained the name of Harvard, from thebequeathment by a reverend gentleman of that name, A. D. 1638, of the sumof 780l. And 300 volumes. Its property now amounts to upwards of100, 000l. , and it is divided into five departments--collegiate, law, medical, theological, and scientific--affording education to 652students, of whom one half are undergraduates. There are forty-fiveinstructors, all men of unquestionable attainments, and capable ofleading the students up to the highest steps of every branch ofknowledge; the necessary expenses of a student are about 45l. A year;the fee for a master of arts, including the diploma, is 1l. Sterling. Meritorious students, whose circumstances require it, are allowed, atthe discretion of the Faculty, to be absent for thirteen weeks, including the winter vacation, for the purpose of teaching schools. Parents who think their sons unable to take care of their own money, maysend it to a patron duly appointed by the college, who will then pay allbills and keep the accounts, receiving, as compensation two and a halfper cent. I think the expenses of this establishment will astonish thosewho have had to "pay the piper" for a smart young man at Oxford, as muchas the said young man would have been astonished, had his allowance, while there, been paid into the hands of some prudent and trustypatron. Tandems and tin horns would have been rather at a discount--_cumpluribus aliis_. The college has a look of antiquity, which is particularly pleasant in aland where almost everything is spick-and-span new; but the rooms Ithought low and stuffy, and the walls and passages had a neglectedplaster-broken appearance. There are some very fine old trees in thegreen, which, throwing their shade over the time-worn building, help togive it a venerable appearance. A new school of science has just beenbuilt by the liberality of Mr. Lawrence, [AL] late Minister of the UnitedStates in this country; and I may add that the wealth and prosperity ofthe college are almost entirely due to private liberality. As the phonetic system of education has been made a subject of so muchdiscussion in the United States, I make no apology for inserting thefollowing lengthy observations thereon. A joint committee on education, appointed to inquire into its merits by the Senate, in 1851, reportedthat there was evidence tending to show--"That it will enable the pupilto learn to read phonetically in one-tenth of the time ordinarilyemployed. That it will enable the learner to read the common type inone-fourth of the time necessary according to the usual mode ofinstruction. That its acquisition leads the pupil to the correctpronunciation of every word. That it will present to the missionary asuperior alphabet for the representation of hitherto unwrittenlanguages, " &c. A similar committee, to whom the question was referredby the House of Representatives in 1852, state that during the past yearthe system had been tried in twelve public schools, and that, accordingto the testimony of the teachers, children evinced greater attachment totheir books, and learnt to read with comparative ease; and they concludetheir report in these words:--"Impressed with the importance of thephonetic system, which, if primarily learnt, according to the testimonypresented, would save two years of time to each of the two hundredthousand children in the State, the committee would recommend to schoolcommittees and teachers, the introduction of the phonetic system ofinstruction into all the primary schools of the State, for the purposeof teaching the reading and spelling of the common orthography, with anenunciation which can rarely be secured by the usual method, and with asaving of time and labour to both teachers and pupils, which will enablethe latter to advance in physical and moral education alone until theyare six years of age, without any permanent loss in the information theywill ultimately obtain. " One gentleman of the minority of the committee sent in a very strongreport condemning the system. He declares "the system is nothing but anabsurd attempt to mystify and perplex a subject, which ought to be leftplain and clear to the common apprehensions of common men. " Further onhe states, "No human ingenuity can show a reason for believing that theway to learn the true alphabet, is first to study a false alphabet; thatthe way to speak words rightly, is to begin by spelling them wrong; thatthe way to teach the right use of a letter, is to begin by giving afalse account of a letter. Yet the phonetic system, so far as it isanything, is precisely this. " Then, again, with reference to the eightspecimen scholars, taken from a school of fifty, and who were exhibited, he observes, "they were the same as those who were examined a year ago;nothing is said of the other forty-two. It is not necessary to sayanything more of the character of such evidence as this;" and he windsup by observing: "Such a mode of instruction would, in his opinion, waste both the time and the labour employed upon it, and complicate andembarrass a study, which in its true shape is perfectly simple andclear. " The following old anecdote would rather tend to prove thatspelling and reading were not either "simple or clear" to a Lancashirejudge, who, having asked the name of a witness, and not catching theword exactly, desired him to spell it, which he proceeded to dothus:--"O double T, I double U, E double L, double U, double O, D. " Thelearned judge laid down his pen in astonishment, and after two or threeunsuccessful efforts, at last declared he was unable to record it--sopuzzled was he with the "simple" spelling of that clear name--OttiwellWood. In the _Massachusetts Teacher_ of January, 1853, there is the report ofa committee, in which they state "that children taught solely by thephonetic system, and only twenty minutes each day, outstripped all theircompeers. " They further add, that "the phonetic system, thus beneficialin its effects, has been introduced into one hundred and nineteen publicand five private schools, and that they have reason to believe, that nocommittee ever appointed to examine its merits have ever reportedadverse to it;" and they conclude by strongly "recommending teachers totest the merits of the System by actual trial in their schools. " Thenagain, in the following number of their journal, they strongly condemnthe system as both useless and impracticable. Having carefully weighed the arguments on both sides, I am led to theconclusion, that the objections of those who condemn the system arepartly owing to the fact, that while reaching their present advancedstate of knowledge, they have entirely forgotten their own struggles, and are thus insensibly led to overlook the confusion and difficultywhich must ever arise in the infant mind, where similar combinationsproduce similar sounds. An infant mind is incapable of graspingdifferences, but understands readily simple facts; if what meets the eyerepresent a certain fixed sound, the infant readily acquires that sound;but if the eye rest on _o, u, g, h, _ as a combination, and the endeavouris made to teach him the endless varieties of sound produced thereby, his little mind becomes puzzled, his ideas of truth become confused, hismemory becomes distrusted, and his powers of reading become retarded bythe time occupied in the--to him--most uninteresting task of learning ahost of unmeaning sounds. The inevitable consequence is that the poorlittle victim becomes disheartened, rendering a considerable amount ofadditional trouble and--which is far more difficult to find--patiencenecessary upon the part of the teacher. Common sense points out, that the reading of phonetic words must be moreeasily learnt than the reading of the aphonetic words, of which ourlanguage is essentially composed. The real question is simplythis, --Does the infant mind advance with such rapidity under phoneticteaching, as to enable it at a certain age to transfer its powers toorthodox orthography, and reach a given point of knowledge therein, with less trouble, and in a shorter space of time, than those infantsdo who are educated upon the old system? If phonetic teaching has thiseffect, it is an inestimable boon, and if not, it is a completehumbug. [AM] It should also be borne in mind, that the same argumentswhich hold good in the case of infants will apply also, in a greatdegree, to adults who wish to learn to read, and to foreignerscommencing the study of our language. Whether any further use ofphonetics is either desirable or practicable, would be a discussion outof place in these pages. When any startling novelty is proposed, enthusiasts carry their advocacyof it so far as often to injure the cause they wish to serve: on theother hand, too many of the educated portion of the community are sostrenuously opposed to innovation, as to raise difficulties rather thanremove them. Has not the common sense of the age been long calling forchanges in the law of partnership, divorce, &c. , and is not somedifficulty always arising? Has not the commercial world been cryingaloud for decimal coinage and decimal weights and measures, and are noteducated men constantly finding some objections, and will they notcontinue to do so, until some giant mind springs up able to grasp theherculean task, and force the boon upon the community? Were notsteamboats and railways long opposed as being little better than insanevisions? Did not Doctor Lardner prove to demonstration that railwaycarriages could never go more than twenty miles an hour, owing to thelaws of resistance, friction, &c. , and did not Brunel take the breathout of him, and the pith out of his arguments, by carrying the learneddemonstrator with him on a locomotive, and whisking him ten miles out ofLondon in as many minutes? When I see that among so intelligent andpractical a people as the New Englanders--a people whose thoughts andenergies are so largely devoted to education--one hundred and nineteenschools have adopted the phonetic system, I cannot but look back to theinfancy of steam, and conclude, that there must be more advantages inthat system than its opponents seem disposed to allow it to possess. The Committee of Council on Education in England, to whom the fundsset apart for educational purposes are, intrusted, authorized theprinting of phonetic books for schools some years since; but authorizingbooks without training masters to teach them, is about as useful asputting engines into a ship, without supplying engineers to work them. Besides which, their phonetic system was in itself confusing andobjectionable; they have also informed the public, that the system, invarious forms, is almost universally adopted in the elementary schoolsof Holland, Prussia, and Germany. [AN] I should also mention that other systems have been tried both in Englandand Scotland, and that those teachers who employ them speak highly oftheir advantages, especially in the latter country. I have now a paperbefore me, called _The Reading Reformer_, in which I find the followingsentence, which tends to show that the system is approved of in Francein the highest quarters:--"The phonetic method of primary instruction isused in the 5th regiment of the line, the 12th Light, the Penitentiaryof St. Germain, and the House of Correction for young prisoners. TheMinister of War has ordered that French should be taught by this methodto the young Arabs, in the three schools of Algiers, Oran, andPhilipville. " One great mistake has been made by the champions of this mode ofteaching, which is more fatal to its success, in my opinion, than anydifficulty raised by its opponents, and that is the adoption by eachchampion of his own phonetic alphabet; and for which he claims asuperiority over the alphabets of others. The absurdity of thisperpetual strife must be palpable. If a Fireworshipper were to beconverted, what hopes of success would there be if a Mormonite and aMussulman were placed on one side of him, and a Free Kirk man and aJesuit on the other? The public, as regards phonetic teaching, areprecisely in that Fireworshipper's position. Reader, you must form yourown opinion: I offer none. And now, with your permission, we will quitthe region of speculation and return to sober fact. One of the most striking buildings I visited during my stay at Bostonwas the jail; the airiness and cleanliness were both perfect, and thearrangement was to me totally novel. Independent of the ground outside, which is walled all round, the jail itself is built under a large outercase, affording abundance of light and ventilation. This outer buildingforms a corridor all round the jail, affording protection to the keepersfrom all weathers, and thus enables them to keep an efficient watch overthe inmates. Supposing any prisoner to escape from his cell, he is stillhemmed in by this outer case, which has only one door, so situated thatno one can approach it without being seen from a considerable distance;and, even if these difficulties be overcome, the outer wall common toall prisons still remains. As far as I could learn, no prisoner has everbeen able to force his way out. At night a blaze of gas in the outerhall lights all the dormitories and the corridor which runs roundoutside the jail, thus rendering escape as difficult at night as inbroad daylight. Water is freely supplied to every room on every storey, and means of bathing are arranged in various parts of the building. School-rooms, private rooms, and a chapel are all contained within thisleviathan outer case. In short, to those who take an interest inimproving the airiness of jails and the security of prisoners, thisbuilding is well worth the most careful examination; and I trust we maysome day profit by the improvements which the ingenuity of the NewEnglanders has here exhibited, for the frequent escapes from our jailsprove that some change is requisite. The Bostonians have applied the telegraph to a most important use, which, I believe, we have totally overlooked in England. The town isdivided into sections, in each of which are a certain number ofstations; all of these latter have a telegraph-office, communicatingwith one grand central office, by which means they explain where thefire is. The central office immediately indicates to every section theinformation thus obtained by the ringing of alarm-bells; and, by thismethod, every fire-station in the city is informed of the locality ofthe danger within a few minutes after its occurrence. The naval arsenal at Boston is moderate in size, kept very clean; butwhen I visited it there were little signs of activity or life. They haveonly three building sheds, in one of which a vessel has been in progressfor twenty years; the other two are vacant. The principal feature is therope-walk, which is 1640 feet long, and worked by steam-power. The United States, being on friendly terms with England, and so farremoved from Europe and its politics and its disturbances, payscomparatively little attention to the navy, which is small, whenconsidered in reference to the size and wealth of the country and theextent of its seaboard. The convention for the amendment of the constitution being in session, Iwas enabled, through the kindness of Mr. Sumner, the senator for theState, to witness their proceedings, which were conducted with becomingdignity. The speakers, if not eloquent, at least adhered to the subjectunder discussion, in a manner some of the wordy and wandering gentlemenin our House of Commons might imitate with advantage. The supply of water for the town is brought from Lake Cochitnate, adistance of twenty miles; and the length of piping in connexion with itis upwards of 100 miles. The State authorized a city debt of 900, 000l. For the necessary expenses of the undertaking and purchase of theground, &c. The annual receipts amount to 36, 000l. , which will, ofcourse, increase with the population. Dwelling-houses pay from 1l. Ashigh as 15l. Tax, according to their consumption. The average dailyexpenditure in 1853 was about 7, 000, 000 gallons, or nearly 50 gallonsper head. Before leaving Boston, I may as well give some evidence of theprosperity of the State. In the year 1830, the population was 600, 000;at the present date it is 1, 000, 000. The exports of domestic produce, which in 1844 amounted to 1, 275, 000l. , now amount to upwards of2, 830, 000l. ; and the imports, which at the former period amounted to4, 000, 000l. , now amount to nearly 7, 000, 000l. The population ofBoston has increased 600 per cent. During the present century. Lowell, which is the great Manchester of Massachusetts, has increased itspopulation from 6500 in 1830 to nearly 40, 000 at the present date; andthe capital invested, which in 1823 was only 500, 000l. , is now nearly2, 700, 000l. I do not wish to weary my readers with statistics, andtherefore trust I have said enough to convey a tolerable impression ofthe go-aheadism of these hardy and energetic descendants of the PilgrimFathers; and, for the same reasons, I have not made any observationsupon their valuable libraries, hospitals, houses of industry, reformation, &c. , the former of which are so largely indebted to privatemunificence. But before taking my leave of Boston, I must notice thegreat pleasure I derived from hearing in all quarters the favourableimpression which Lord Elgin's visit, on the occasion of opening therailway in 1851, had produced. His eloquence and urbanity was a constanttheme of conversation with many of my friends, who generally wound up bysaying, "A few such visits as that of the Railway Jubilee would do moreto cement the good feeling between the two countries than the diplomacyof centuries could effect. " I must here add, that upon my visitingQuebec, I found that the same cordial feeling of fellowship had beenproduced on the Canadian mind, by the brotherly reception they had metwith upon that memorable occasion. Farewell to Boston! but not farewellto the pleasing recollection of the many happy hours I spent, nor of themany kind friends whose acquaintance I enjoyed there, and which I hopeon same future occasion to renew and improve. FOOTNOTES: [Footnote AL: Such gifts during the lifetime of the donor, are in myestimation, better evidences of liberality and zeal in a cause, than themost munificent bequests even of a Stephen Gerard, who only gave what hecould no longer enjoy. ] [Footnote AM: A _Vide_ observation by Mr. H. Mann, chap. 20. ] [Footnote AN: The expense of printing proper books is sometimesmentioned as an objection, on account of requiring new types for the newsounds taught. No expense can outweigh the value of a change by whicheducation can be facilitated; but even this difficulty has been obviatedby Major Beniowski's plan. He obtains the new symbols requisite bysimply inverting a certain number of letters for that purpose. ] CHAPTER XVIII. _Canada_. Early morning found me seated in the cars on my way to Quebec. Not beinga good hand at description of scenery, this railway travelling is agreat boon to my unfortunate reader--if he have got thus far. A Nubianclothed in castor-oil, and descending from the heavens by a slipperyseat upon a rainbow, might as well attempt to describe the beauties ofour sphere as the caged traveller at the tail of the boiling kettleattempt to convey much idea of the scenery he passes through. Not merelydo the scrunching squeaks of the break, the blasty trumpet whistle, theslamming of doors, and the squalling of children bewilder his brain andbedeafen his ears, but the iron tyrant enchains and confuses his eyes. Abeautiful village rivets his attention, --bang he goes into the tunneledbowels of the earth; a magnificent panorama enchants his sight as heemerges from the realms of darkness; he calls to a neighbour to sharethe enjoyment of the lovely scene with him; the last sounds of the callhave not died away, ere he finds himself wedged in between twoembankments, with nought else but the sky for the eye to rest on. Is itany wonder, then--nay, rather, is it not an evidence oftruthfulness--that I find the record of my journey thus described in mynote-book:--"7-1/2 A. M. , Fizz, fizz; hiss, hiss--wavingfields--undulating ground--sky--varied tints of green--cottages, cattle, humanities--bridges, bays, rivers, dust, and heat--Rouse's Point, 7-1/2P. M. " At this point we got out of the cage and embarked in a steamer. The shroud of night hung heavily around us, and the lights of Montrealand its suburbs, reflected in the unruffled stream, shone all thebrighter from the density of the surrounding darkness, and formed abrilliant illumination. In half an hour I was comfortably housed in thehotel, where, to my agreeable surprise, I met one of my countrywomen, whose many charms had made her a theme of much admiration at Washington, where I first had the pleasure of making her acquaintance. Any one who, wandering far from home, finds himself surrounded withutter strangers, will partially understand the pleasure I enjoyed atfinding one face I had looked upon before; but to understand it fully, they must know the face I was then gazing upon. Don't be curious, reader, as to whom it belonged, for I have no intention of enlighteningyou, further than to say it belonged to her and her husband. Twelvehours of railway makes me sleepy; it's my nature, and I can't help it, so I trust I may be excused, when I confess that I very soon exchangedthe smile of beauty for the snore of Morpheus. What my dreams were, itconcerns nobody to know. The magnificent brow of hill which overhangs Montreal was named in 1535Mont Royal, by the famous Jacques Cartier, in honour of his royalmaster; the French settlement which arose a century after, in theneighbourhood of the Indian village of Hochelaga, assumed the name ofthe hill, and has at last shaken down into its present combination. WhatGoths, not to preserve the Indian name which savours of the land and ofantiquity, instead of substituting a French concoction! With regard tothe site of the town, there is no doubt it is on the island now calledMontreal; but where that island is situated may be considered an openquestion; the river Ottawa runs into the St. Lawrence at the westernextremity of the island, and the question is, whether the water on thenorthern shore is the Ottawa or the St. Lawrence; upon which dependswhether the island is in the St. Lawrence, or between the St. Lawrenceand the Ottawa. Not wishing to deprive either of their finger in thepie, I should give my verdict in favour of the latter opinion; but Ileave it an open question to the reader. The population of the town isincreasing rapidly, no doubt owing in great measure to emigration. In1849 it was 48, 000, in 1851, 58, 000. The great majority are of theChurch of Rome, 41, 000; of the Church of England there are 4000; theother denominations are in small numbers. At the time I arrived, the town was full of gloom and excitement, forit was but a few days previous that the Roman Catholics endeavoured tomurder Gavazzi, while delivering one of his anti-Romanistic lectures, which, whatever their merits or demerits, were most certainly veryinjudicious, considering the elements of which the population ofMontreal is composed; and it cannot be denied, that Signor Gavazzi'slectures upon sacred subjects are delivered in a style partaking so muchof the theatrical, that a person ignorant of the language of hisaddress, might readily suppose that he was taking off John Kemble andListon alternately, and therefore the uneducated Irish emigrants mightvery well conclude his sole object was to turn their creed intoridicule. I certainly never heard or saw a person, lecturing on sacredsubjects, whose tone and manner were so ridiculously yet painfully atvariance with the solemnity due to such a theme. The excitementproduced, the constant calling out of the military, and the melancholysequel, are too recent and well known to require recapitulation here. Itis but just to the French Romanists to state, that as a body theyrepudiated and took no part in the villanous attempt upon Gavazzi'slife; the assailants were almost exclusively Irish Romanists, who formnearly one-fifth of the population. Would that they could leaven theirfaith with those Christian virtues of peacefulness and moderation whichshine so creditably in their co-religionists of French origin. While touching upon the subject of the military being called out in aidof the civil power, I am reminded of a passage extracted from somejournal which a friend showed me, and which I consider so wellexpressed, that I make no apology for giving it at length. "THE MOB. --The mob is a demon fierce and ungovernable. It will not listen to reason: it will not be influenced by fear, or pity, or self-preservation. It has no sense of justice. Its energy is exerted in frenzied fits; its forbearance is apathy or ignorance. It is a grievous error to suppose that this cruel, this worthless hydra has any political feeling. In its triumph, it breaks windows; in its anger, it breaks heads. Gratify it, and it creates a disturbance; disappoint it, and it grows furious; attempt to appease it, and it becomes outrageous; meet it boldly, and it turns away. It is accessible to no feeling but one of personal suffering; it submits to no argument but that of the strong hand. The point of the bayonet convinces; the edge of the sabre speaks keenly; the noise of musketry is listened to with respect; the roar of artillery is unanswerable. How deep, how grievous, how burdensome is the responsibility that lies on him who would rouse this fury from its den! It is astonishing, it is too little known, how much individual character is lost in the aggregate character of a multitude. Men may be rational, moderate, peaceful, loyal, and sober, as individuals; yet heap them by the thousand, and in the very progress of congregation, loyalty, quietness, moderation, and reason evaporate, and a multitude of rational beings is an unreasonable and intemperate being--a wild, infuriated monster, which may be driven, but not led, except to mischief--which has an appetite for blood, and a savage joy in destruction, for the mere gratification of destroying. " The various fires with which the city has been visited, howeverdistressing to the sufferers, have not been without their good effect, of which the eye has most satisfactory evidence in the numerous publicand other buildings now built of stone. The only monument in the city isone which was raised to Nelson. Whether the memory of the hero haspassed away, or the ravages of the weather call too heavily on thepublic purse, I cannot say; but it would be more creditable to the townto remove it entirely, than to allow it to remain in its presentdisgraceful state. It is reported that its restoration is to be effectedby private subscription; if so, more shame to the authorities. As nay first object was to reach Quebec, I only stayed one day atMontreal, which I employed in driving about to see what changes hadtaken place in the town and neighbourhood since my former visit in 1826. I started by steamer in the evening, and arrived early the next morning. Is there any scene more glorious to look upon than that which greets theeye from the citadel at Quebec? The only scene I know more glorious isRio Janeiro, which I believe to be by far the grandest in the world; butthe Rio lacks the associations of Quebec. Who can ever forget thatbeneath its walls two chieftains, the bravest of the brave, fell on thesame battle-field--the one in the arms of victory, the other in defenceof his country and her honour? The spot where our hero fell is marked bya pillar thus simply inscribed:-- HERE DIED WOLFE, VICTORIOUS. Nor has the noble foe been forgotten, though for a long time unnoticed. In the year 1827, the Earl of Dalhousie being Governor-General, amonument was raised in Quebec to Wolfe and Montcalm; and the death theyboth met at the post of honour is commemorated on the same column, --acolumn on which an Englishman may gaze with pride and a Frenchmanwithout a blush. The following words, forming part of the inscription, Ithink well worthy of insertion: "Military prowess gave them a commondeath, History a common fame, Posterity a common monument. " It is a curious fact, that when the foundation-stone was laid, an oldsoldier from Ross-shire, the last living veteran of the gallant band whofought under Wolfe, was present at the ceremony, being then in hisninety-fifth year. Everybody who has seen or read of Quebec mustremember the magnificent towering rock overhanging the river, on thesummit of which the citadel is placed, forming at once the chiefstronghold of its defence, and the grandest feature of its scenery. Butperhaps everybody does not know that to this same glorious feature thecity owes its name. The puny exclamation of Jacques Cartier's Normanpilot upon beholding it was, "_Que bec_!" and this expression ofadmiration has buried, in all but total oblivion, the old Algonquin nameof Stadacona. What a pity that old pilot was not born dumb. The increase of population here does not seem, to be very rapid. In1844, it was about 36, 000; now, it is little more than 42, 000. There canbe no doubt that the severity of the climate is one great cause of sosmall an increase. When it is remembered that the average arrival of thefirst vessel after the breaking up of the ice is between the last weekof April and the first week in May, this need not he much wondered at. The Governor-General's residence, is removed from the town, and abeautiful little country villa, called Spencer Wood, has been assignedhim in lieu. It is situated on the banks of the river, about half a mileinland; the only objection to it is, that the size thereof is notsufficient for vice-regal entertainments; but a very slight additionwould remedy that defect. In all other respects it is a charming place, as I can gratefully testify. The drives and sights around the city aretoo well known to need much notice from me. Montmorenci, with its frozen cone in winter, is one of the chiefresorts for pic-nickers in their sleighs. The trackless path over thefrozen snow during the season is as full of life as Windsor park was inthe old Ascot days. Bright eyes beaming from rosy cheeks, and halfburied in furs, anxiously watch for the excitement of a capsize, andlaugh merrily as the mixed tenants of some sleigh are seen rolling overone another in most ludicrous confusion; the sun shines brightly, thebells ring cheerily, all is jollity and fun, and a misanthrope would beas much out of his element in one of these pic-nics as a bear in aballet. The falls of Lorette afford another pleasant excursion, not forgettingold Paul and his wife--a venerable Indian chief and his squaw--whom Ivisited, and the cleanliness of whose cottage I had great pleasure incomplimenting him upon, as also upon his various medals, which extendedfrom Château Gai down to the Exhibition of 1851. He appeared as muchstruck with my venerable appearance as I was with his; for, upon beingasked my age, he bestowed a searching glance from head to foot, and thengravely replied, "Seventy-five. " I rebelled against his decision, andappealed to his wife, who kindly took my part, and after a steady gaze, said, "Oh, Paul! that gentleman is not more than seventy-two. " It was invain I tried to satisfy them, that thirty summers would have to passover my head before I reached that honourable time of life. However, itis not only Indians who miscalculate age, for a young lady, fresh fromIreland, having the same question put to her, said "Sixty;" and uponbeing told she was seventeen years out in her calculation, she replied, with painful coolness, "Which way?" I never felt a confirmed oldbachelor till I heard that awful "Which way?" The roads round about in all directions are admirable; not so if youcross the river to the Falls of the Chaudière; but the abomination ofabominations is the ferry-boat, and the facilities, or rather obstacles, for entering and exiting. To any one who has seen the New Yorkferry-boats, and all the conveniences connected with them, the contrastis painfully humiliating. In the one case you drive on board as readilyas into a court-yard, and find plenty of room when you get there; in theother, you have half a dozen men holding horses and carriages, screamingin all directions, and more time is wasted in embarking than a Yankeeboat would employ to deposit you safely on the other side; and it wouldpuzzle a Philadelphia lawyer to decide which is the more abominable, theexit or the entry. Nevertheless, the traveller will find himselfcompensated for all his troubles--especially if the horse and carriagebe a friend's--by the lovely drive which takes him to the ChaudièreFalls, a trip I had the pleasure of making in company with a jolly partyof good fellows belonging to the 72nd Highlanders, then in garrison atQuebec, and whose hospitalities during my stay I gratefully remember. If, however, an Englishman feels humiliated in crossing the Quebecferry, he feels a compensating satisfaction upon entering the QuebecLegislative Council Chamber, which in its aspect of cleanliness, furniture, &c. , has an appearance of refinement far superior to that atWashington. As they were not sitting during my stay in Canada, I had noopportunity of drawing any comparison on their different modes ofcarrying on public business. I had heard so much during my absence fromEngland of the famous Rebellion Losses Bill, and all the obloquy whichhad been heaped upon the Governor-General in consequence, that I wasvery anxious to get some insight into the true state of the case, although perhaps the justification of the Earl of Elgin's conduct by SirRobert Peel ought to have satisfied me. I soon became convinced that in this, as in most similar cases, theviolence of party spirit had clouded truth; and the bitterness ofdefeat, in minds thus prejudiced, had sought relief in the too-commonchannels of violence and abuse. However much to be deplored, I fear thatthe foregoing opinions will be found, on most occasions of politicalexcitement, to be true. The old party, who may be said to have enjoyedthe undisguised support of the Queen's representatives from timeimmemorial, were not likely to feel very well disposed to Lord Elgin, when they found that he was determined to identify himself with noparticular party, but that, being sent to govern Canadaconstitutionally, he was resolved to follow the example of hissovereign, and give his confidence and assistance to whichever partyproved, by its majority, to be the legitimate representative of theopinions of the governed, at the same time ever upholding the right anddignity of the Crown. This was, of course, a first step in unpopularitywith the party who, long triumphant, now found themselves in a minority;then, again, it must be remembered that a majority which had for so manyyears been out of power was not likely, in the excitement of victory, toexercise such moderation as would be calculated to soothe the irritatedfeelings of their opponents, who, they considered, had enjoyed too longthe colonial loaves and fishes. With all these elements at work, it is not to be wondered at that aquestion which admitted of misinterpretation should be greedily laidhold of, and that, thus misinterpreted, the passions of the mob shouldbe successfully roused. I believe there is little question that theGovernment brought forward the Rebellion Losses Bill in the Senate in amanner, if not arrogant, at all events most offensive, and thus addedfuel to the flames; but, viewed dispassionately, what is the truth ofthis far-famed bill? It was framed upon the precedent of that for thepayment of similar losses in Upper Canada on a previous occasion, and Ibelieve the very same commissioners were appointed to carry out itsprovisions. It received the sanction of the Governor-General in the sameway as all other bills, and was never smuggled through, as the irritatedopposition and infuriated mobs would have us believe. TheGovernor-General clearly states that it never was intended in any way"to compensate the losses of persons guilty of the heinous crime oftreason, " and the names of the commissioners appointed to decide uponthe claims of the sufferers might alone have been a sufficient guaranteethat such an abominable idea was never entertained. Without mentioningothers, take Colonel W. C. Hanson: schooled in the field of honour andpatriotism, whose courage has been tried in many a bloody struggleduring the Peninsular war, and is attested by the honourable badges thatadorn his breast. Is a recreant rebel likely to find sympathy in thatbreast which for half a century stood unchallenged for loyalty andtruth? What do his letters, as one of the commissioners, prove beyondthe shadow of a doubt? I have them now before me; and, so far fromclaims being hastily admitted, I find the gallant old soldier constantlyadvocating the cause of some claimant whom the commissioners declined toindemnify, but never yet have I seen his name as opposed to anycompensation granted; possessing that still more noble quality which isever the lovely handmaid of true courage, his voice is raised again andagain for mercy. I could quote from numerous letters of this veteran, extracts similar tothe following:--The claimants were inhabitants of St. Benoit, someportion of which population had been in arms as rebels, but upon theapproach of the Queen's troops they had all laid down their arms. As tothe facts of the case, Colonel Hanson writes to Lord Seaton, whoreplies:--"The soldiers were regularly put up in the village by theQuartermaster-General's department, and strict orders were issued toeach officer to protect the inhabitants and their property; Lieut. -Col. Townsend to remain in the village of St. Benoit for its protection, theremainder of the troops to return to Montreal. The utmost compassion andconsideration should be felt for the families of the sufferers plungedinto affliction by the reckless conduct of their relatives; every houseinjured or destroyed at St. Benoit was a wanton destruction, perpetratedin defiance of guards placed to protect property. " Thus writes LordSeaton. Colonel Hanson, after quoting the above, proceeds to state thatthe evidence before the commissioners proves that "immediately afterLieut. -Col. Townsend assembled his regiment for the purpose of marchingback to Montreal, the volunteers from the northern townships commencedplundering the village, carrying off the whole of the effects belongingto the inhabitants, burning the church, and nearly every house in thevillage . . . Wilfully and wantonly destroying houses, and in manyinstances burning valuable barns and granaries. . . . Therefore I humblypretend that every such individual who thus suffered should beindemnified, as his loss was a wanton destruction of the dwellings, buildings, property, and effects of the said inhabitants. " Yet such wasthe jealous way in which the commissioners excluded all doubtfulclaimants, that Colonel Hanson found himself in a minority upon theconsideration of the foregoing claims, and, as a man of honour andanxious for justice, felt it his duty to address a letter to theGovernor-General upon the subject, from which letter, bearing dateJanuary, 1852, the foregoing extracts have been taken. I have very many of such complaints of justice being withheld fromclaimants, in the opinion of the gallant colonel, now lying before me, but "_ex uno disce omnes_. " I have read a great portion of the Report, and the conclusion is irresistibly forced upon my mind, that everythingwhich could possibly be brought to assume the slightest shade ofrebellion was made fatal to an applicant's claim; but if anything werewanting to satisfy my mind that the vilifiers of the "Losses Bill" hadnot any ground of complaint against the measure, it would be found inthe fact, that among its various opponents to whom I spoke, they one andall exclaimed, "Look at the case of Nelson, absolutely a rebel in arms, and his claims listened to!" This was their invariable reply; and, untilI made inquiry, it looked very bad. But what was the real state of thecase? Simply that Nelson, having been ruined by his rebellion, manyloyal and faithful subjects to whom he owed debts suffered for hisfaults; and the money awarded for the losses sustained by the rebel wentto pay the loyal debtors, except a small portion which was granted tohis wife, who was well known to be strongly opposed to the course he hadpursued, and who had lost considerable property which she held in herown right. I say that the fact of Nelson's case being always brought upas the great enormity carried more conviction to my mind of the utterweakness of the opponents' cause than anything else; and it also provedto me how ignorant many of them were of the truth, for several of themwho vilified the Bill, the Government, and the Governor-General, had notthe slightest idea, till I informed them, how the Nelson award wasapplied. There is no doubt that the atrocities of which Montreal was the sceneconstitute the most discreditable features in modern Canadian history, and which, it is to be hoped, the instigators to and actors in are longsince fully ashamed of; nor can the temper and judgment of theGovernor-General on this trying occasion be too highly extolled. When itwas imperative to dissolve the Parliament, he foresaw that his not doingso in person would be misconstrued by his enemies, and that he would bebranded by them with that most galling of all accusations to a nobleheart--cowardice. With a high-minded sense of duty, he put all suchpersonal considerations aside. There were two courses open to him: one, to call out the military, and in their safe keeping dissolve theAssembly; the other, to depute the Commander of the Forces to performthat duty. The former must have produced a collision with the populace, and the blood of many whom he believed to be as loyal as he knew theywere misguided and excited would have flowed freely; the latter, heforesaw, would be misconstrued into an act of personal cowardice, but heknew it would prevent a flow of blood, the remembrance of which wouldkeep alive the bitterest elements of political animosity for years tocome. With true patriotism, he sacrificed himself at the shrine of thecountry he was sent to govern, preferring to be the subject of the mostgalling accusations rather than shed unnecessarily one drop of the bloodof those committed to his rule. During the whole of Lord Elgin's able and prosperous administration, Ican scarcely conceive any one act of his to which he can look back withmore satisfaction, than this triumph of his judgment over his feelings, when he offered up just pride and dignity on the altar of mercy, andretired to Quebec. A shallow-pated fellow, who had probably figuredpersonally in the outrages of that period, in talking to me on thesubject, thus described it, --"he bolted off in a funk to Quebec;" anddoubtless hundreds of others, as shallow-pated as himself, had been madeto believe such was the case, and vituperation being the easiest of allignoble occupations, they had probably done their best to circulate thepaltry slander. Lord Elgin, however, needs no goose-quill defender; theunprecedented increasing prosperity of the colony under hisadministration is the most valuable testimony he could desire. It is notevery governor who, on his arrival, finding a colony in confusion andrebellion, has the satisfaction, on his resignation of office, ofleaving harmony and loyalty in their place, and the revenue during thesame period increased from 400, 000l. To 1, 500, 000l. : and if anydoubt ever rested upon his mind as to whether his services were approvedof and appreciated at home, it must have been removed in the mostgratifying manner, when, upon a public dinner being given him at theLondon Tavern, 1854, all shades of politicals gathered readily to do himhonour; and while the chairman, Lord John Russell, was eulogizing histalents and his administration, five other colonial and ex-colonialministers were present at the same board to endorse the compliment; theAmerican Minister also bearing his testimony to the happy growth ofgood feeling between the two countries, which Lord Elgin had sosuccessfully fostered and developed. I cannot recal to my memory anyother instance of so great an honour having been paid to a colonialgovernor. I was astonished to find so little had been done in Canada for theorganization of a militia force, especially when their republicanneighbours afford them an example of so much activity and efficiency inthat department. It may not be desirable as yet for the colony toestablish any military school, such as West Point; but it might beagreeable and advantageous to the colonists, if we allowed a givennumber of young men to be educated at each of our military colleges inEngland; those only being eligible, who, by a severe examination, hadproved their capabilities, and whose conduct at the places of theireducation had been noted as exemplary. By such simple means, a certainamount of military knowledge would gradually be diffused amongst thecolonists, which would render them more efficient to repress internaltroubles or repel foreign aggression. As it may be interesting to some of my readers, I shall here give aslight sketch of the Canadian parliaments. The Legislative Assembly, orHouse of Commons, is composed of eighty-four members, being forty-twofor each province. The qualification for membership is 500l. , and thefranchise 40s. Freehold, or 7l. 10s. The householder; it is alsogranted to wealthy leaseholders and to farmers renting largely; the termis for four years, and members are paid 1l. Per day while sitting, and6d. Per mile travelling expenses. The Legislative Council consists offorty members, and is named by the Crown for life. The Cabinet, orExecutive Council, are ten in number, and selected from both Houses bythe Governor-General. Their Chancellor of the Exchequer is the PrimeMinister. The Canadians wish to do away with the qualification formembers of the Assembly, retaining the qualification for the franchise, and to increase the number of members to sixty-five for each province. They also desire to supersede the nomination of the Crown, and to makethe Legislative Council elective, [AO] with a property qualification of1000l. , thirty members for each province; these latter to be electedfor six years. With regard to the proposed change in the Legislative Council, I confessI look upon its supposed advantages--if carried out--with considerabledoubt, inasmuch as the electors being the same as those for the otherChamber, it will become merely a lower house, elected for a longerperiod, and will lose that prestige which might have been obtained byexacting a higher qualification from the electors. Then, again, I thinkthe period for which they are elected decidedly too short, being fullyconvinced that an increase in duration will usually produce an increasein the respectability of the candidates offering themselves forelection; an opinion in which I am fully borne out by many of the wisestheads who assisted in framing the government of the United States, andwho deplored excessively the shortness of the period for which thesenators were elected. [AP] I cannot believe, either, that the removingthe power of nomination entirely from the Crown will prove beneficial tothe colony. Had the experiment been commenced with the Crown resigningthe nomination of one-half of the members, I think it would have beenmore prudent, and would have helped to keep alive those feelings ofassociation with, and loyalty to, the Crown which I am fully certain themajority of the Canadians deeply feel; a phalanx of senators, removedfrom all the sinister influences of the periodical simoons common to allcountries would thus have been retained, and the Governor-General wouldhave had the power of calling the highest talent and patriotism to hiscouncils, in those times of political excitement when the passions ofelectors are too likely to be enlisted in favour of voluble agitators, who have neither cash nor character to lose. However, as these questionsare to be decided, as far as this country is concerned, by those whoprobably care but little for my opinions, and as the question is not onelikely to interest the general reader, I shall not dilate further uponit. FOOTNOTES: [Footnote AO: Since my return to England the proposed increase in theLegislative Assembly has taken place. The Imperial Government has alsoempowered the colony to alter the constitution of the LegislativeCouncil, and to render it elective if they thought proper so to do. ] [Footnote AP: _Vide_ Chapter on the "Constitution of the UnitedStates. "] CHAPTER XIX. _A Trip to the Uttawa_. Having spent a fortnight in the enjoyment of lovely scenery and warmhospitality, and taken a last and lingering gaze at the gloriouspanoramic view from the citadel, I embarked once more on the St. Lawrence. It was evening; and, as the moon rose bright and clear, thewooded banks and silvered stream formed as charming a picture as the eyeof man could wish to rest upon. Morning found us at Montreal. Among myfellow-passengers were two members of the Cabinet, or Executive Council, Mr. Hincks and Mr. Drummond, both on their way to the Ottawa, thecommercial importance of that river to the prosperity of the colonyhaving induced them to take the trip with a view of ascertaining, byactual observation and examination, what steps were most advisable toimprove its navigation. My intention was to start at once for Kingston; but when they kindlyasked me to accompany them, I joyfully accepted, and an hour after Ilanded at Montreal I was on the rail with my friends, hissing away toLachine, where the chief office of the Hudson's Bay Company is fixed. There we embarked in a steamer on Lake St. Louis, which is a strugglingcompound of the dark brown Ottawa and the light blue St. Lawrence. Thelake was studded with islands, and the scenery rendered peculiarlylovely by the ever-changing lights and shades from the rising sun. Wesoon left the St. Lawrence compound and reached that part of theOttawa[AQ] which the poet has immortalized by his beautiful "CanadianBoat Song. " St. Anne's is a small village, and the rapids being impassable in lowwater they have built a lock to enable steamers to ascend; butfortunately, when we passed, there was sufficient water, and we steamedup the song-famed rapids, above which the river spreads out into theLake of the Two Mountains. It is proposed to build a railway bridge forthe main trunk line, just above the rapids. How utterly the whizzing, whistling kettle spoils the poetry of scenery, undeniable though itsutility be! There is no doubt that the Lake of the Two Mountains hasmany great beauties; but, whatever they may be, a merciless storm ofrain effectually curtained them from us, and we traversed the whole laketo Point Fortune in a mist worthy of the Western Highlands. There wetook coach, as the locks at Carillon are not yet large enough forfull-sized steamers to pass. The road was alike good and uninteresting, running by the side of the canal, whose banks were here and thereenlivened by groups of wild flowers. A stage of twelve miles brought us to Grenville, where we again tooksteamer on the Ottawa, and, the weather being finer, we had anopportunity of enjoying the scenery, which is very peculiar. It has noneof the wild features of grandeur which one associates with comparativelyunknown streams, in a country where all is gigantesque. There is nothingmountainous or craggy, but the banks and hills at the back beingluxuriously wooded, and conveying the idea of being well tenanted, theabsence of human habitations seems unnatural, and gives the solitude anair of mystery, only broken at long intervals by a bowered cottage or awreath of smoke. The most remarkable building is the French château ofM. Papineau, very prettily situated on the northern bank, commanding anextensive view of the river, and looking in its isolation as though itsoccupant was a second Robinson Crusoe, and monarch of all he surveyed. Night soon buried all scenery in its sable mantle, and, after sixtymiles steaming, we reached Bytown, where we found friends andconveyances ready to take us over to Aylmer, there to sleep preparatoryto a further excursion up the river early in the morning. As thedistance was only eight miles, we were soon at Mr. Egan's hospitableboard, from which we speedily retired to rest, so as to be ready for themorrow's trip. Early dawn found us on hoard and steaming merrily up the gloriousstream, which, spreading out very widely, has been lakefied, and iscalled Lake Chaudière and Du Chêne, thus named, I suppose, because thewater is cold and there are few oaks to be seen. Be that as it may, thescenery, though possessing neither striking features nor variety, isvery pretty and cheerful. A quantity of lovely little villas stud thebanks, some ensconced snugly in cosy nooks, others standing out boldlyupon the rich greensward; and, for a background, you have full-bosomedhills, rich in forest monarchs, clad in their dense and dark mantles. Suddenly the scene changes, the Chats Falls burst upon the sight; andwell does the magnificent view repay the traveller for any difficulty hemay have had in his endeavours to reach this spot. About three milesabove the rocky and well-wooded island that creates the falls, the rivercontracts very considerably, and in its rushing impetuosity seems asthough it were determined to sweep the whole island into the lake below;then there appears to have been a compromise between the indignantstream and the obstinate island, and the latter seems to have offered upa great portion of its timber at the shrine of Peace, and to havefurther granted various rights of way to its excited neighbour. Theriver seems to have taken advantage of both these concessions verylargely, but it appears that in nature, as it often occurs in politics, concessions only breed increased demands, and the ungrateful Ottawa, while sweeping away forest timber and baring the granite rock in a dozendifferent channels, thunders its foaming waters along with an angryvoice, ever crying "More, more. " I never saw anything more beautiful than these falls. They are generallyfrom twenty to forty feet broad, and about the same in height; but fromthe shape of the island you cannot see them all at once; and as yousteam along there is a continual succession of them, each revealing somenew beauty. It was at this place that I, for the first time, saw a slidefor the descent of lumber, to which I shall have to refer hereafter. Formany years the porterage of goods across this island to the Ottawaabove--which is called Lake Chats--was a work of much difficulty andexpense. Mr. E. , with that enterprise and energy which mark hischaracter, got two friends of kindred spirit to join him, and made arailway across, about three miles and a half long. It is a single line, constructed upon piles, and the car is rattled over at a jolly pace bytwo spicy ponies. As the piles are in some places from twenty to thirtyfeet in the air, it looks nervous work; and if one of the ponies bolted, it might produce a serious accident; but they seem aware of the danger, and trot away as steadily as an engine, if not quite so rapidly. On reaching the north-western end of the island, another steamer waswaiting for us, and we again breasted the stream of the Ottawa. Afterpassing the first three miles, which, as before mentioned, are verynarrow, and thus produce that additional impetus which ends in thelovely Chats Falls, the river opens out into the Lake. The shores arelow and with a gentle rise, and there is comparatively little appearanceof agricultural activity, the settler having found the ground at theback of the rise better suited for farming purposes. Some distance up the lake, and close to its margin, is the farm of Mr. McDonnell, thus forming an exception to the general rule. His residenceis an excessively pretty cottage, commanding a grand panoramic view. Here we stopped to pay a visit to the energetic old Highlander and hisfamily, and to enjoy his hospitalities. If he is to be taken as aspecimen of the salubrity of the climate, I never saw so healthy aplace. He came here as a lad to push his fortunes, with nothing but agood axe and a stout heart. He has left fifty summers far behind him; helooks the embodiment of health, and he carries his six feet two inchesin a way that might well excite the envy of a model drill-sergeant; andwhen he took my hand to welcome me, I felt all my little bonesscrunching under his iron grasp, as if they were so many bits of pith. I could not help contrasting the heartiness of his welcome with the twostiff fingers which in highly-civilized life are so often profferedeither from pride or indifference; and though he did very nearly make mecry "Enough!" I would a thousand times rather suffer and enjoy hishearty grasp than the cold formality of conventional humbug. The hardyold pioneer has realized a very comfortable independence, and he told mehis only neighbours were a band of his countrymen at the back of thehill, who speak Gaelic exclusively and scarce know a word of English. They mostly came out with "The Macnab, " but from time to time they arerefreshed by arrivals from the Old Country. Having a long day's work before us, we were enabled to make but a shortstay, so, bidding him and his family a sincere good-bye and good speed, we renewed our journey. We soon came in sight of the black stumpymonuments of one of the most disastrous conflagrations which evervictimized a forest. Some idea may be formed of the ravages of the"devouring element, " from the simple fact that it all but totallyconsumed every stick of timber covering a space of forty-five miles bytwenty-five; and the value of what was thus destroyed may be partiallyestimated, when it is considered that one good raft of timber is worthfrom three to five thousand pounds. These rafts, which are seen dottedabout the lake in every direction, have a very pretty effect, with theirlittle distinguishing flags floating in the breeze, some from the top ofa pole, some from the top of the little shanty in which their hardynavigators live; and a dreary, fatiguing, and dangerous career it mustbe; but Providence, in his mercy, has so constituted man, that habitgrows into a new nature; and these hardy sons of creation sing asmerrily, smile as cheerfully, smoke as calmly, and unquestionably sleepas soundly, as any veteran in idleness, though pampered with luxuries, and with a balance at his banker's which he is at a loss how tosquander. These sons of toil bear practical testimony to the truth of what thelate lamented Sir J. Franklin always declared to be his conviction, fromlong experience, viz. , that the use of spirits is enfeebling rather thaninvigorating to those who have to work in the most severe climates. TheLumberers are nearly all teetotallers, and I am told they declare thatthey find their health bettered, their endurance strengthened, theirmuscles hardened, and their spirits enlivened by the change. If this beso, and if we find that the natives of warm climates are, as a mass, also teetotallers, and that when they forsake their temperance coloursthey deteriorate and eventually disappear, I fear we must come to theconclusion, that however delicious iced champagne or sherry-cobbler maybe, or however enjoyable "a long pull at the pewter-pot, " they are notin any way necessary to health or cheerfulness, and that, like allactions, they have their reactions, and thus create a desire for theirrepetition, until by habit they become a second nature, to the greatcomfort and consolation of worthy wine-merchants and fashionable medicalmen, whose balance-sheets would suffer about equally by thediscontinuance of their use; not to mention the sad effects of theirmisuse, as daily exhibited in police reports and other features, ifpossible worse, which the records of "hells" would reveal. So strong does the passion become, that I know of a lady who weighsnearly a ton, and is proud of displaying more of her precious substancethan society generally approves of, in whom the taste "for a wee drop"is so strong, that, to enable her to gratify it more freely, she has thepleasure of paying two medical men a guinea each daily, to stave off aslong as they can its insidious attacks upon her gigantic frame. You mustnot, however, suppose that I am a teetotaller. I have tried it, andnever found myself better than while practising it; still I never lose achance if a bottle of iced champagne is circulating, for I confess--Ilove it dearly. Pardon this digression. --We are again on the Ottawa; as we advance, theriver narrows and becomes studded with little islands covered with wildshrubs and forest trees, from whose stiff unyielding boughs the morepliant shoots droop playfully into the foaming stream below, like thechildren of Gravity coquetting with the family of Passion. Of coursethese islands form rapids in every direction: we soon, approach the oneselected as the channel in which to try our strength. On we dashboldly--down rushes the stream with a roar of defiance; arrived midway, a deadly struggle ensues between boiling water and running water; wetremble in the balance of victory--the rushing waters triumph; we sounda retreat, which is put in practice with the caution of a Xenophon, anddown we glide into the stiller waters below. Poke the fires, --pile the coals! Again we dash onwards--again we reachmidway--again the moment of struggle--again the ignominy ofdefeat--again the council of war in the stiller waters below. We nowsummon all our energies, determined that defeat shall but nerve us togreater exertion. We go lower down, so as to obtain greater initialvelocity; the fires are made to glow one spotless mass of living heat. Again the charge is sounded: on we rush, our little boat throbbing fromstem to stern; again the angry waters roar defiance--again the deadlystruggle--again for a moment we tremble in the balance of victory. Suddenly a universal shout of triumph is heard, and as the joyous cheersdie in echoes through the forest, we are breasting the smoother watersof the Ottawa above the rapids. This is all very well on paper, but I assure you it was a time ofintense excitement to us; if in the moment of deadly struggle the tillerropes had broken, or the helmsman had made one false turn of the wheel, we might have got across the boiling rapids, and then good-bye tosublunary friends; our bones might have been floating past Quebec beforethe news of our destruction had reached it. The Ottawa is by no means the only channel in these parts for conveyingthe produce of the lumberer's toil: there are tributaries innumerable, affording hundreds of miles of raft navigation; so that an almostindefinite field for their labour is open, and years, if not centuries, must elapse before the population can increase sufficiently to effectany very material inroad on these all but inexhaustible forests. After proceeding a few miles beyond the scene of our late severestruggle, we reached the little village of Portage du Fort, above whichthe rapids are perfectly impassable. The inhabitants of this little wildforest community are not very numerous, as may be supposed, and the onlyobject of interest is a flour-mill, which supplies the lumberers formany miles, both above and below. Our little steamer being unable toascend higher, we were compelled to make a Scotchman's cruise ofit--"There and bock agin. " So, turning our head eastward, we bowledalong merrily with the stream, dashing down our late antagonist like aflash of lightning, then across the lake, and through a fleet ofbannered rafts, till we landed on the Chats Falls Island, where we foundour ponies ready to whisk us along the mid-air railway. Re-embarking onthe steamer of the morning, we found a capital dinner ready for us, andere the shades of evening had closed in, we were once more enjoying thehospitalities of Aylmer. Aylmer has only a population of 1100 inhabitants, but they are not idle. The house of Mr. E. Does business with the lumberers to the tune of200, 000l. Annually, and supplies them with 15, 000 lb. Of tea everyyear. Grog-shops are at a discount in these parts. The increasingprosperity of this neighbourhood is mainly owing to the energy andenterprise of Mr. Egan and his friend M. Aumond. It was by these twogentlemen that the steam-boats were put on the lakes, and the rail madeacross the island. Everybody feels how much the facility of conveyancehas increased the prosperity of this locality; and the value of Mr. E. 'sservices is honourably recognised, by his unopposed election as therepresentative of the district. Having had a good night's rest, andtaken in a substantial breakfast, we started off on our return toBytown, which city may he considered as the headquarters of thelumberers. The ground upon which the greater part of Bytown stands was offered someyears since to a servant, as payment for a debt of 70l. ; he found thebargain so bad, that he tried to get out of it. The value of the sameland is now estimated at 200, 000l. !!! As late as 1826, there was notone stone put upon another; now the population is 10, 000, and steadilyincreasing. Nothing can exceed the beauty of the panoramic view from theverge of the Barrack Hill, which is a dark, frowning, perpendicular rockseveral hundred feet high. To the west are the Chaudière Falls, 200 feetbroad and 60 feet high, irregular in shape, and broken here and there byrocks, around which the rapids leap in unceasing frenzy, ere they taketheir last plunge into the maddened gulf below, thence rolling theirdark waters beneath your feet. Below the falls the river is spanned by avery light and beautiful suspension-bridge. This part of the scene isenlivened by the continual descent of timber-rafts rushing down theslides, skilfully guided by their hardy and experienced navigators. Around you is a splendid expanse of waving field and sombre forest, faras the eye can stretch, and bounded towards the north by mountainslooming and half lost in distance, whence comes the mighty Gatineau--awatery highway for forest treasure, threading its course like a streamof liquid silver as the sun's rays dance upon its bosom, --the wholeforming one of the most beautiful panoramas imaginable. No place was ever better calculated for the capital of a great country. Bordering upon Upper and Lower Canada, only twelve hours from Montreal, easily capable of defence, with a trade increasing in value as rapidlyas the source thereof is inexhaustible, at the confluence of two riverswhose banks are alike rich in timber and arable land--requiring butnineteen miles of lockage to unite the St. Lawrence, the Ottawa, and theGatineau with the boundless inland lakes of America--possessing themagnificent Rideau Canal, which affords a ready transport down toKingston on Lake Ontario--rich with scenery, unsurpassed in beauty andgrandeur, and enjoying a climate as healthy as any the world canproduce, --Nature seems to have marked out Bytown as the site for aCanadian metropolis. In short, were I a prophet instead of a traveller, I should boldly predict that such it must be some day, if Canada remainunited and independent. I must here explain the slides for lumber, before alluded to. In daysgone by, all lumber was shot down the rapids, to find its way as best itcould, the natural consequence being that large quantities wereirrecoverably lost. It occurred to Mr. Wright that this waste of toiland timber might be obviated, and he accordingly, after great labour andexpense, succeeded in inventing what is termed a slide--in other words, an inclined wooden frame--upon which a certain number of the huge logsthat compose a portion of a raft can be floated down together in perfectsecurity, under the guidance of one or two expert men. The inventionanswered admirably, as is proved by the fact that, through itsinstrumentality, timber which formerly took two seasons to reach Quebec, now does so in five months. Like many other inventors, I fear Mr. Wrighthas not received justice at the hands of the Government, who, bybuilding slides of their own, and granting advantages to those who usethem, have thus removed the traffic from Mr. Wright's--an injusticewhich it is to be hoped it is not too late to repair; at all events, theImperial Legislature, which felt bound to vote 4000l. To a man thatinvented a machine for making little holes between penny stamps, on theground of commercial utility, must agree with me that it is unworthy ofa lumbering colony to neglect the claims of a man whose invention hasproved to be a benefit to the lumber trade, absolutely beyondcalculation. The chief proprietor at Bytown is the Hon. Mr. Mackay, and of his careerin Canada he may indeed be justly proud. Arriving in the country as alabourer without a friend, he has, by his integrity and intellectualcapability, fought his way up nobly to the highest position in thecolony, and is one of the most respected members of the LegislativeCouncil. Nor has he, while battling for senatorial honours, neglectedhis more material interests, and the energy he has brought to bear uponthem has been rewarded to his heart's desire. He has a charming littlecountry place, called Rideau Hall, about three miles out of town, and isthe owner of several carding, saw, and flour mills, besides anextensive cloth factory, from the produce of which I am at this momentmost comfortably clad. Mr. Mackay's career may fairly be termed a usefulcolonial monument, to encourage the aspirations of noble ambition, andto scourge the consciences of those drones who always see "a lion in theway. " We had the pleasure of enjoying his hospitalities at a grandbreakfast which he gave in honour of my two travelling friends, whowere, I believe, the first members of the Executive Council that hadbeen here for very many years. One object of their present visit was to ascertain, from personalobservation and inquiry, how far it was desirable the Government shouldgrant money for the purpose of making any of the locks requisite toconnect the Ottawa, &c. , with Montreal and Quebec. I cannot for aninstant doubt their being most thoroughly convinced both of its perfectpracticability and of its immense importance. It only requires theconstruction of nineteen miles of canal, to complete an unbroken watercommunication from Quebec to the Ottawa and all its gigantictributaries, extending even to Lake Temiscaming; and if a canal were cutfrom this latter to Lake Nipissing, the communication would then becomplete through the heart of Canada across all the inland ocean watersof the American continent, and thence to New York _viâ_ Erie Canal andHudson, or to New Orleans _viâ_ Illinois Canal, River, and Mississippi. Already 50, 000l. Have been, voted for this purpose, and this firstinstalment is mainly due to the energy of Mr. Egan. As a mark of respectfor their representative, he was to be honoured with a public dinner, atwhich my two companions of the Executive Council were to attend. Unfortunately, my time was limited, and I was obliged to declineparticipating in the compliment which Mr. Egan had so well earned; so, bidding adieu to my friends, and casting one last and lingering glanceat that glorious panorama--the remembrance of which time can neverefface, I got into an open shay, and began prosecuting my solitary waytowards Prescott. I left the hotel as the guests were all arriving, and the fumes of thecoming feast proclaiming in the most appetizing way the object of theirmeeting. I had two hours' daylight still left, and thus was enabled tosee a little of that part of the neighbourhood, which alone wasconcealed when standing on the Barrack-hill. The more I saw of it, themore convinced was I of the peculiar adaptation of Bytown for a greatcity; the ground is admirably suited for building, and possesses awater-power which is inexhaustible. My road, as may naturally besupposed in a new country, lay through alternations of forest andcultivation; if it was not well macadamized, at least it was far betterthan I had expected, and there is some pleasure in being agreeablydisappointed, and able to jog along without eternally bumping in somedeep rut, which shakes the ash off your cigar inside your waistcoat. Here and there, of course, I came across a break-neck tract, but thatonly made the contrast more enjoyable. At half-past twelve at night the little horses began to feel the effectsof six hours' work, so I stopped at a tolerably miserable wayside innfor four hours, which was distributed between washing, feeding, andsleeping. Sharp work, but I was anxious to catch the steamer; so, snatching what rest I could out of that brief period, and hoping thehorses had done the same, I was again _en route_ at 5 A. M. , and by greatexertions reached Prescott in good time to learn that the steamer hadstarted half an hour before my arrival. I consoled myself, as well as Icould, with a washing basin, a teapot, and auxiliaries. I then went tolook at the town, which consists of about three streets, and 3000inhabitants; so that operation was accomplished without trouble, interest, or much loss of time. Ascertaining that if I went over toOgdensburg, I could catch a steamer at 2 P. M. , I ferried acrossinstanter, wishing to get a look at Brother Jonathan's town beforestarting. A comparison between the two was not flattering to my nationalvanity. Instead of finding a population of 3000, with no indication ofprogress, I found a population of 8000, with go-aheadism in allquarters; large houses, large streets, and active prosperity stamped oneverything. Doubtless this disparity is greatly owing to the railway, bywhich the latter is connected with the whole State of New York, and alsofrom the want of reciprocity. Nevertheless, there is a stamp of energyat Ogdensburg, which the most careless observer cannot but see iswanting at Prescott. Mr. Parish is the great proprietor at the former of these towns, and issaid to be a man of considerable wealth, which he appears to beemploying alike usefully and profitably--viz. , in reclaiming from thelake a piece of land, about four hundred square yards, adjoining therailway terminus, by which means vessels will be able to unload readilyon his new wharf; the reclaimed ground will thereby acquire an enormousvalue for storehouses. Having finished my observations, and been well baked by a verticalsun, I embarked at 2 P. M. Lovely weather and lovely scenery. The village of Brockville is very prettily situated on the banks of thelake, and is considered one of the prettiest towns in Canada. Continuingour course, numberless neat little villages and lovely villas appearfrom time to time; but when fairly on the Lake of The Thousand Isles, the scenery is altogether charming, and some new beauty is constantlybursting into view. Upon the present occasion the scene was renderedmore striking by the perfect reflection of all the islands upon theburnished bosom of the glassy lake. We reached Cape Vincent towardsevening, and, changing into another steamer, landed safely at Kingstonabout ten at night, where, finding a young artillery friend, I was soonimmersed in that most absorbing of all pleasures to one long fromhome--viz. , talking over old friends and old scenes, until you feel asthough you were among both of them. Night, however, has its claims uponman, and, being honest, I discharged my obligation by going to bed asthe tell-tale clock struck three. Kingston is but a small place, though once of considerable importance. The population is about 12, 000. In the year 1841, Lord Sydenham havingremoved the seat of Government from Toronto to Kingston, the inhabitantsexpended large sums of money in the expectation that it would socontinue; but, in 1844, it was removed back again, and consequently avery heavy loss was incurred by those who had laid out their money. Itis this eternal shifting about of the seat of Government--thedisadvantage of which must be manifest to every one--that makes me hopeBytown, the position of which is so central, may some day be decidedupon as the city to enjoy that honour permanently. However much Kingstonmay be recovering itself, and I was told it is, I must confess that, despite its cathedral, colleges, university, and other fine buildings, which it undoubtedly possesses, the grass in the streets and lanes, thepigs and the cows feeding about in all directions, made me feel ashamed, especially when I thought of young Ogdensburg, which I had so latelyleft. Taking into consideration the extent of lake communication whichit enjoys, and that by the magnificent Rideau Canal the whole country ofthe Ottawa is open to it, I must say that I consider the state ofKingston the strongest reflection upon the energy and enterprise of thepopulation. The finest view is from the citadel, which commands asplendid panoramic expanse; the fortifications are in good repair, andgarrisoned by Canadian Rifles and a few Royal Artillerymen. One of theobjects I should have had most interest in visiting was the ProvincialPenitentiary, the arrangements of which, I had heard, were admirable;but, as I had no time to see them, the reader is saved the details. At 3 P. M. , I was again steaming away on Lake Ontario, which soon spreadsout into an open sea. The boat was tolerably good and clean, and thefood to match, but it was served down below; the cabin was thereforevery stuffy. I selected a bed with great care, and in due time got intoit, quite delighted with my carefully-chosen position, and soon buriedmy nose in the pillow, full of peaceful hopes. Luckless mortal! scarcehad my nose extracted the cold from its contact with the pillow-case, when a sound came rushing forth with a violence which shook not only meand my bed, but the whole cabin. The tale is soon told. I had built mynest at the muzzle of the whistle of the engine, and, as they made apoint of screeching forth the moment anything appeared in sight, you mayguess that I had a pleasant night of it, and have scrupulously avoidedrepeating the experiment in any subsequent steam excursions. Havingnobody to blame but myself, I lost the little satisfaction I might havehad in abusing somebody else, and calling him a stupid ass for makingsuch a choice. However, as a matter of justice, I abused myself, and thepoint being beyond dispute, no rejoinder was put in. Pleased with thecandour of my confession, I caught such snatches of rest as the engineerand his whistle in mercy vouchsafed me--the next morning we were inToronto. * * * * * NOTE. --The Bytown mentioned in the foregoing chapter is now calledOttawa, and is a candidate, in conjunction with Montreal and Toronto, for the honour of permanent metropolitanism. FOOTNOTES: [Footnote AQ: Originally Uttàwa, wherein Moore has shown alike his goodtaste and respect for antiquity by adhering to the original and morebeautiful name. ] CHAPTER XX. _Colonial Education and Prosperity_. Toronto is prettily situated, and looks flourishing and prosperous; theway in which property is increasing in value here is wonderful, and thehits some people have made are quite fabulous. A property which had beenbought for 30, 000l. , was, within a month--before even the price waspaid in full--resold in lots for 100, 000l. The position of the town isadmirably adapted for a great commercial city: it possesses a secureharbour; it is situated on a lake about 190 miles long by 50 broad;thence the St. Lawrence carries its produce to the ocean, and the RideauCanal connects it with the lumberers' home on the Ottawa; the main trunkline of railway, which will extend from the western point of the colonyto Halifax, passes through it; a local line, traversing some of therichest land in Canada, is now in progress to Lake Simcoe and LakeHuron; one iron horse already affords it communication withWaterloo--nearly opposite Buffalo--whence produce descends by the ErieCanal and the Hudson to New York: besides all which advantages, itenjoys at present the privilege of being one of the seats of governmentand the radiating point of education. Surely, then, if any town in UpperCanada ought to flourish, it is Toronto; nor is there, I trust, anyreason to doubt that it will become a most wealthy and important place. The influence of the young railways is already beginning to be felt: thepopulation, which in 1851 was only 25, 000, amounted in 1853 to upwardsof 30, 000, and is still rapidly increasing. Having been fortunate enoughto make the acquaintance of Mr. Cumberland, the chief engineer of theline of railway to Lake Simcoe, he was kind enough to ask me toaccompany him to that lake on a trip of inspection, an offer of which Igladly availed myself. I was delighted to find that the Canadians hadsufficient good sense to patronize first and second class carriages;and, also, that they have begun to make their own carriages andlocomotives. The rails appeared very solidly laid down, and the roadfenced off; but, despite the fences, an inquisitive cow managed to geton the line, and was very near being made beef of in consequence. Theprogress of cultivation gave the most satisfactory evidence ofincreasing prosperity, while the virgin forest-land told what a richharvest was still in store for the industrious emigrant. Ever and anon you saw on the cleared ground that feature so peculiar toAmerican scenery, a patriarchal remnant of the once dense forest, asdestitute of branches as the early Adam was of small-clothes, his barksabled by the flames, the few summit leaves--which alone indicatedvitality--scarce more in number than the centuries he could boast, andtrembling, as it were, at their perilous weight and doubtful tenure, while around him stood stumps more sabled, on whom the flames had donemore deadly work, the whole--when the poetry had passed away--remindingone of a black Paterfamilias standing proudly in the centre of hisnigger brood. There is a good iron-foundry established here, which turns out someexcellent engines. Some of the public buildings are also fine; but, there being unfortunately no quarries in the neighbourhood, they arebuilt of brick. The Lunatic Asylum is one of the best; but it issurrounded with a high prison-looking wall, which I believe modernexperience condemns strongly as exercising a baneful influence upon theunfortunate patients. If it be so, let us hope it may be enclosed bysomething more light, airy, and open. Several of the churches are very fine. I visited the Episcopal Church, which has been burnt down three times; and on my remarking to thearchitect the apparent clumsiness of the pews, which destroyed theeffect inside, he smiled, and told me that by the contract he wasobliged to replace them exactly as before. I told him I thought it was aspecimen of conservatism run mad, to which he fully assented. TrinityEpiscopal College is one of the finest edifices in the neighbourhood; atpresent it contains only thirty-five students, but it is to be hoped itssphere of usefulness may be extended as its funds increase. It has thefoundation of a very good library, which is rapidly extending; theUniversity of Cambridge sent them out a magnificent addition of 3000volumes. The last building I shall mention is the Normal School, tovisit which was one of my chief objects in stopping at Toronto. [Illustration: THE NORMAL SCHOOL, TORONTO] The ceremony of laying the foundation-stone of this building wasinaugurated with all due solemnity, and under the auspices of the ablerepresentative of our gracious Queen, on the 2nd of July, 1851. In hiseloquent speech on that memorable occasion, when referring to thedifficulties on the question of religious instruction, the followingbeautiful passage occurs:-- "I understand, sir, that while the varying views and opinions of a mixed religious society are scrupulously respected, while every semblance of dictation is carefully avoided, it is desired, it is earnestly recommended, it is confidently expected and hoped, that every child who attends our common schools shall learn there that he is a being who has an interest in eternity as well as in time; that he has a Father towards whom he stands in a closer and more affecting and more endearing relationship than to any earthly father, and that Father is in heaven; that he has a hope far transcending every earthly hope--a hope full of immortality--the hope, namely, that that Father's kingdom may come; that he has a duty which, like the sun in our celestial system, stands in the centre of his moral obligations, shedding upon them a hallowing light which they in their turn reflect and absorb, --the duty of striving to prove by his life and conversation the sincerity of his prayer that that Father's will may be done upon earth as it is in heaven. I understand, sir, that upon the broad and solemn platform which is raised upon that good foundation, we invite the ministers of religion of all denominations--the _de facto_ spiritual guides of the people of the country--to take their stand along with us; that, so far from hampering or impeding them in the exercise of their sacred functions, we ask, and we beg them to take the children--the lambs of the flock which are committed to their care--aside, and lead them to those pastures and streams where they will find, as they believe it, the food of life and the waters of consolation. * * * * * "Permit me in conclusion, to say, both as an humble Christian man and as the head of the civil government of the province, that it gives me unfeigned pleasure to perceive that the youth of this country, of all denominations, who are destined in their maturer years to meet in the discharge of the duties of civil life upon terms of perfect civil and religious equality--I say it gives me pleasure to hear and to know that they are receiving an education which is fitted so well to qualify them for the discharge of these important duties, and that while their hearts are yet tender and their affections yet green and young, they are associated under conditions which are likely to promote among them the growth of those truly Christian graces--mutual respect, forbearance, and charity. " The position of the building is well chosen, being surrounded withcultivated ground sufficiently extensive to be usefully employed inillustrating the lectures given on vegetable physiology and agriculturalchemistry. The rooms are all very lofty, airy, and scrupulously clean. Anotice at the entrance warns you--"The dirty practice of spitting notallowed in this building;" and as far as eye could discern, the noticeis rigidly obeyed. I was told that a specific had been found to cure thefilthy habit. I mention it for the benefit of hotel-keepers andrailway-conductors, in all places where such a relic of barbarism maystill find a welcome. On a certain occasion, the lecturer havingreceived undeniable proof that one of the students had violated theabove-mentioned regulation, stopped in the middle of one of hissublimest flights, repeated sonorously the notice, called the culprit byname, informed him that his endeavour to dissipate his filth intoinfinity by the sole of his shoe was useless, and ordered him forthwithto take his handkerchief out and wipe it up clean. Disobedience wasexpulsion: with crimson cheek he expiated his offence by obedience tothe order, and doubtless during the hushed silence in which he completedhis labour, he became a confirmed anti-expectorationist. Great attention is very properly paid to cleanliness, inasmuch as ifthese young men, who are destined to teach others, acquire filthyhabits, they naturally encourage the same vice in their pupils, and thusmay be almost said to nationalize it. All the tables and stools arefitted like those in the schools of the United States, which is animmense improvement on the one long-desk and long form to match, whichpredominate all but universally at home. The instruction given isessentially by lecture and questioning; and I was particularly struckwith the quiet modulated tones in which the answers were given, andwhich clearly proved how much pains were taken upon this apparentlytrifling, but really very important, point. [AR] You heard no harshdeclamation grating on your ear; and, on the other hand, you were notlulled to sleep by dreary, dull monotony. There are two small schools attached to the establishment, for theseNormal aspirants, male and female, to practise upon, when consideredsufficiently qualified. Those thus employed during my visit seemed tosucceed admirably, for I never saw more merry, cheerful faces, which Iconsider one of the best tests of a master's efficiency. The littlegirls, taking a fancy for music, purchased among themselves a cottagepiano, which, being their own instrument, I have no doubt increasedtheir interest in the study amazingly. The boys have a kind of gymnasiumunder a shed, which, when released from school, they rush to with anavidity only equalled by that which the reader may have experienced inhis early days when catching sight of a pastry-cook's shop immediatelyafter receiving his first tip. [AS] I believe that to this establishment, which was founded in 1846, belongsthe honour of being the Pioneer Normal School in the Western Hemisphere. But while giving due credit to the Governor-General and the Governmentfor their leading parts in its foundation, it should never be forgotten, how much indebted the establishment is to the unwearying zeal andpatient investigations of Dr. Ryerson, the chief superintendent ofschools in Canada. This gentleman carefully examined the various systemsand internal arrangement of scholastic establishments, not only all overthe States, but in every country of the Old World, selecting from eachthose features which seemed to produce the most comfort, the bestinstruction, and the greatest harmony. The result of his inquiries Isubjoin from his own pen:-- "Our system of public elementary instruction is eclectic, and is, to a considerable extent, derived from four sources. The conclusions at which the present head of the department arrived during his observations and investigations of 1845, were, firstly: That the machinery, or law part of the system, in the State of New York, was the best upon the whole, appearing, however, defective in the intricacy of some of its details, in the absence of an efficient provision for the visitation and inspection of schools, the examination of teachers, religious instruction, and uniform text-books for the schools. Secondly. That the principle of supporting schools in the State of Massachusetts was the best, supporting them all according to property, and opening them to all without distinction; but that the application of this principle should not be made by the requirements of state or provincial statute, but at the discretion and by the action, from year to year, of the inhabitants in each school municipality--thus avoiding the objection which might be made against an uniform coercive law on this point, and the possible indifference which might in some instances be induced by the provisions of such a law--independent of local choice and action. Thirdly: That the series of elementary text-books, prepared by experienced teachers, and revised and published under the sanction of the National Board of Education in Ireland, were, as a whole, the best adapted to schools in Upper Canada--having long been tested, having been translated into several languages of the continent of Europe, and having been introduced more extensively than any other series of text-books into the schools of England and Scotland. Fourthly: That the system of normal-school training of teachers, and the principles and modes of teaching which were found to exist in Germany, and which have been largely introduced into other countries, were incomparably the best--the system which makes school-teaching a profession, which, at every stage, and in every branch of knowledge, teaches things and not merely words, which unfolds and illustrates the principles of rules, rather than assuming and resting upon their verbal authority, which develops all the mental faculties instead of only cultivating and loading the memory--a system which is solid rather than showy, practical rather than ostentatious, which prompts to independent thinking and action rather than to servile imitation. "Such are the sources from which the principal features of the school system in Upper Canada have been derived, though the application of each of them has been modified by the local circumstances of our country. There is another feature, or rather cardinal principle of it, which is rather indigenous than exotic, which is wanting in the educational systems of some countries, and which is made the occasion and instrument of invidious distinctions and unnatural proscriptions in other countries; we mean the principle of not only making Christianity the basis of the system, and the pervading element of all its parts, but of recognising and combining in their official character, all the clergy of the land, with their people, in its practical operations--maintaining absolute parental supremacy in the religious instruction of their children, and upon this principle providing for it according to the circumstances, and under the auspices of the elected trustee-representatives of each school municipality. The clergy of the country have access to each of its schools; and we know of no instance in which the school has been made the place of religious discord; but many instances, especially on occasions of quarterly public examinations, in which the school has witnessed the assemblage and friendly intercourse of clergy of various religious persuasions, and thus become the radiating centre of a spirit of Christian charity and potent co-operation in the primary work of a people's civilization and happiness. " With reference to religious instruction at the normal schools, Dr. Ryerson has kindly furnished me with the following statement:--"A partof each Friday afternoon is set apart for this purpose, and a roomallowed for the minister of each of the religious persuasions of thestudents, to give instruction to the members of his church, who arerequired to attend, as also to attend the service of such church atleast once every Sunday. Hitherto we have found no difficulty, reluctance, or neglect, in giving full effect to this system. " The only difficulty in these matters that I have heard of, is a longdispute with the Roman Catholic bishop of Toronto; but such an event onemust be prepared for when dealing with a church which claimsinfallibility. I have no doubt the tact and moderation of Dr. Ryersonhave ere this thrown oil on the troubled waters, and restored theharmony which existed between the former Roman bishop and the reverenddoctor. To those who take an interest in education, the report of thesystem used in Canada, drawn up by Dr. Ryerson, and printed by order ofthe Legislative Assembly, will afford much pleasure and information. Itis, of course, far too large a subject to enter upon in these pages, containing, as it does, so vast an amount of matter worthy of seriousreflection. I will, however, indulge such of my friends as were taughtto read in the last century, with a quotation from page 67, which willprobably astonish them. Mr. Horace Mann, so long the able Secretary of the Board of Education inMassachusetts, after pointing out the absurdity of worrying a child'slife out, in teaching the A B C, &c. , and their doubtful andoften-varying sounds utterly destitute of meaning, instead of wordswhich have distinct sounds and distinct meaning, thus windsup:--"Learning his letters, therefore, gives him no new sound; it evenrestricts his attention to a small number of those he already knows. Sofar, then, the learning of his letters contracts his practice; and wereit not for keeping up his former habits of speaking, at home and in theplayground, the teacher, during the six months or year in which heconfines him to the twenty-six sounds of the alphabet, would pretty neardeprive him of the faculty of speech. " This extract, from the pen of one who has devoted so much talent andpatient investigation to the subject of education, entitles it to theserious consideration of all those who are in any way connected with thesame subject in this country, where the old A B C cramming all butuniversally prevails. --But to return to Upper Canada and its schools. Some estimate of the value of its scholastic establishments may beformed from the fact, that while its sphere of usefulness is rapidlyextending, it has already reached the following honourable position: Thepopulation of Upper Canada is close upon 1, 000, 000; the number ofchildren between the ages of 5 and 16 is 263, 000; the number of childrenon the rolls of the common school establishments is 179, 587; and thegrand total of money available for these glorious purposes, is170, 000l. I feel conscious that I have by no means done full justiceto this important subject; but the limits of a work like this render itimpossible so to do. Let it suffice to say, that Upper Canada isinferior to none of its neighbouring rivals, as regards the quality ofinstruction given; and that it is rapidly treading on the heels of themost liberal of them, as regards the amount raised for its support. Thenormal school, I conceive to be a model as nearly perfect as humanagency has yet achieved; and the chemical and agricultural lecturesthere given, and practically illustrated on the small farm adjoining thebuilding, cannot fail to produce most useful and important results in ayoung uncultivated country possessing the richest soil imaginable. TheGovernor-General and the Government deserve every credit for the supportand encouragement they have given to education; but, if I may draw acomparison without being invidious, I would repeat, that it is to theunusual zeal and energy of Dr. Ryerson, to his great powers ofdiscriminating and selecting what he found most valuable in thecountless methods he examined, and to his combination and adaptation ofthem, that the colony is mainly indebted for its present admirablesystem. Well may Upper Canada be proud of her educational achievements, and in her past exertions read a hopeful earnest of a yet more noblefuture. [AT] But it is not in education alone that Canada has been shadowing forth anoble career. Emancipated from maternal apron-strings by aconstitutional self-government, and aided by the superior administrativepowers of the Earl of Elgin, she has exhibited an innate vitality whichhad so long been smothered by Imperial misrule as to cause a doubt ofits existence; and if she has not shown it by the birth of populouscities, she has proved it by a more general and diffusive prosperity. Arevenue quadrupled in four years needs no Chicagos or Buffalos toendorse the colony's claims to energy and progress. Internalimprovements have also been undertaken on a large scale: railways arethreading their iron bands through waste and forest, and connecting inone link all the North American colonies; the tubular bridge at Montrealwill be the most stupendous work yet undertaken by engineering skill;canals are making a safe way for commerce, where a year or two back theroaring rapid threw its angry barrier. Population, especially in UpperCanada, is marching forward with hasty strides; the value of property isfast increasing; loyalty has supplanted discontent and rebellion; animperial baby has become a princely colony, with as national anexistence as any kingdom of the Old World. [AU] These are facts uponwhich the colonists may, and do, look with feelings of both pride andsatisfaction; and none can more justly contemplate them with suchemotions, than those through whose administrative talents theseprosperous results have been produced, out of a state of chaos, in eightshort years. Dissatisfied men there ever will be among a largecommunity, and therefore questions of independence and annexation willbe mooted from time to time; but it seems hardly probable that a colonywhich enjoys an almost independent nationality would ever be disposed toresign that proud position, and to swamp her individuality among thethirty-three free and slave States of the adjoining Republic. At allevents, the colony, by her conduct with reference to the present war, has shown that she is filled with a spirit of loyalty, devotion, andsympathy as true, as fervent, and as deep as those which animate all theother subjects of our beloved Sovereign. Farewell, Canada! May the sun of prosperity, which has been rising uponyou steadily for eight years, rise higher and higher, and never knoweither a cloud or a meridian! Canada, adieu! FOOTNOTES: [Footnote AR: My observations at various schools in the United Statessatisfied me that no attention is paid by the teachers to the tone ofvoice in which the boys give their answers. ] [Footnote AS: The females are regularly taught calisthenics, and theboys gymnastics, by a professor. ] [Footnote AT: These remarks were made in 1853. The report for the year1854 is now lying before me, by which I find that the attendance hasincreased to 194, 376; and the money raised has also increased in asimilar ratio, being at that date 199, 674l. ] [Footnote AU: Population of Canada 1841, 1, 156, 139 } Increase, Ditto ditto 1851, 1, 842, 265 } 59. 34 percent. Population of Upper Canada 1841, 405, 357 } Increase, Ditto ditto 1851, 952, 004 } 104. 57 percent The increase of the United States from 1840 to 1850 was only 37. 77 percent. Wheat crop, Upper Canada 1841, 3, 221, 991 bushels. Ditto ditto 1851, 12, 692, 852 ditto, Wheat crop, Lower Canada 1841, 1, 021, 405 bushels. Ditto ditto 1851, 3, 326, 190 ditto. This table is taken from an able statement sent by the Governor-Generalto the Colonial Office, dated Quebec, Dec. 22, 1852. ] CHAPTER XXI. _A Cataract and a Celebration_. The convulsive efforts of the truant steam, echoing across the harbour, told me I had little time to lose: so, bidding farewell to friends, Ihurried down to the quay, and was soon bowling over a lake as smooth andpolished as the bald head of age. The pat of every float in the wheel, as it struck in the water, echoed with individual distinctness, and thehubbub created thereby, in the otherwise unruffled lake, left its tracevisible on the mirrory surface for so great a distance as to justify adisputatious man in questioning whether the term "trackless way" wasapplicable to the course a vessel had passed over. Here we are, steamingaway merrily for Niagara. There is nothing interesting in scenery until you come to the entranceof the river, on the opposite sides of which stand Lewistown andQueenstown, and above the latter the ruthlessly mutilated remains of themonument to the gallant Brock. The miscreant who perpetrated the vileact in 1841, has since fallen into the clutches of the law, and hasdone--and, for aught I know, is now doing--penance in the New YorkState Prison at Auburn. I believe the Government are at last repairingit;--better late than never. The precipitous banks on either sideclearly indicate they are the silent and persevering work of theever-rolling stream, and leave no doubt upon any reflecting mind thatthey must lead to some fall or cataract, though no reflection can fullyrealize the giant cataract of Niagara. There are several country places on the banks, and the whole appearancebespeaks comfort and civilization. Far away in the distance is to beseen the suspension-bridge, high in mid-air, and straight as the arrow'sflight. On either bank rival railroads are in progress; that on theCanada side is protected from the yawning abyss by a wall calculated todefy the power of steam. The boat touches at Queenstown, and thenceproceeds to Lewistown, where a stage is waiting for Niagara City. Nobotherations of custom-house--what a blessing! The distance to ride isseven miles, and the time one hour; but in the United States, you areaware, every chap will "do as he best pleases;" consequently, there is alittle information to be obtained from the fresh arrival, a cock-tailwith a friend or two, a quiet piling on of luggage, &c. ; all this takesa long half-hour, and away we go with four tough little nags. Atremendous long hill warms their hides and cools their mettle, though byno means expending it. On we go, merrily; Jehu, a free-and-easy, well-informed companion, guessing at certainties and calculating onfacts. At last we reach a spring by the roadside, the steam rising from theflanks of the team like mist from a marsh. What do I see? Number one nagwith a pailful of water, swigging away like a Glasgow baillie at a bowlof punch. He drains it dry with a rapidity which says "More, more!" andsure enough they keep on giving pail after pail, till he has taken inenough to burst the tough hide of a rhinoceros. I naturally concludedthe horse was an invalid, or a culprit who had got drunk, and that theywere mixing the liquor "black list" fashion, to save his intestines andto improve his manners; but no--round goes the pailman to every nag, drenching each to the bursting point. "Ain't you afraid, " I said, "of killing the poor beasts by giving themsuch a lot of water?" "I guess if I was, I shouldn't give it 'em, " was the terse reply. Upon making further inquiries into this mysterious treatment, he told methat it was a sulphur spring, and that all tired horses having exhibitedan avidity for it far greater than for common water, the instinct of theanimal had been given a fair trial, and subsequent experience had soratified that instinct that it had become a "known fact. " An intelligentAmerican, sitting at the feet of a quadruped Gamaliel, humbly learningfrom his instincts, should teach the bigots of every class and clime tolet their prejudices hang more loosely upon them. But half an hour haspassed, and Jehu is again on the box, the nags as fresh as daisies, andas full as a corncob. Half an hour more lands us at Niagara. Avoidingthe hum of men, I took refuge for the night in a snug little cottagehandy to the railway, and, having deposited my traps, started on amoonlight trip. I need scarce say whither. Men of the highest and loftiest minds, men of the humblest and simplestminds, the poet and the philosopher, the shepherd and the Christian, have alike borne testimony to the fact, that the solitude of night tendsto solemnize and elevate the thoughts. How greatly must this effect beincreased when aided by the contemplation of so grand a work of natureas Niagara! In the broad blaze of a noonday sun, the power of suchcontemplation is weakened by the forced admixture of the earthlyelement, interspersed as the scene is with the habitations and works ofman. But, in the hushed repose of night, man stands, as it were, morealone with his Maker. The mere admirer of the picturesque or the grandwill find much to interest and charm him; but may there not arise in theChristian's mind far deeper and higher thoughts to feed hiscontemplation? In the cataract's mighty roar may he not hear a voiceproclaiming the anger of an unreconciled God? May not the soft beams ofthe silvery moon above awaken thoughts of the mercies of a pardoningGod? And as he views those beams, veiled, as it wore, in tears by therising spray, may he not think of Him and his tears, through whom alonethose mercies flow to man? May not yon mist rising heavenward recal hisglorious hopes through an ascended Saviour; and as it falls againperpetually and imperceptibly, may it not typify the dew of the HolySpirit--ever invisible, ever descending--the blessed fruit of that HolyAscension? And if the mind be thus insensibly led into such a train ofthought, may not the deep and rugged cliff, worn away by centuriesunnumbered by man, shadow forth to him ideas of that past Eternity, compared to which they are but as a span; and may not the rollingstream, sweeping onward in rapid and unceasing flight into the abyssbeneath his feet, fill his soul with the contemplation of Time's flight, which, alike rapid and continuous, is ever bearing him nearer and nearerto the brink of that future Eternity in which all his highest andbrightest hopes will be more than realized in the enjoyment of ahappiness such as "eye hath not seen nor ear heard, neither hath itentered into the heart of man to conceive. " Say, then, reader, is notevery element of thought which can arise between a Christian and hisCreator symbolled forth here in equal beauty and grandeur? One, indeed, is wanting, which, alas! none of Nature's works but man can supply--thatsad element, which those who search their own hearts the deepest willfeel the most. --I feel I have departed from the legitimate subject oftravels; let the majesty of the scene plead my excuse. Adieu, Niagara. Early next morning I put myself into a railway car, and in due timereached Batavia. On my arrival, being rather hungry, I made a modestrequest for a little brandy and some biscuits; fancy my astonishmentwhen the "help" said, "I guess we only give meals at the fixed hours. "As I disapproved very much of such an unreasonable and ridiculousrefusal, I sought out the chief, and, preferring my modest request tohim, was readily supplied with my simple luncheon. In the meantime alight fly had been prepared, and off I started for Geneseo. The roadpresented the usual features of rich cultivated land, a dash of wildforest, a bit of bog, and ruts like drains; and each hamlet or villageexhibited a permanent or an ambulating daguerreotype shop. Four hourshoused me with my kind and hospitable friends at Geneseo. As the chances of travel had brought me to a small country village atthe time of the annual celebration of the 4th of July, I was unable towitness the ceremony on the grand scale in which it is conducted in thelarge cities of the Union; and, as I think it is frequently accompaniedwith circumstances which are entitled to some consideration, I shallrevert, in a subsequent chapter, to those points which appear to mecalculated to act upon the national character. On the present occasion Iwas delighted to find that, although people all "liquored" freely, therewas scarcely any drunkenness; at all events, they had their little bitof fun, such as we see at fairs at home. By way of enabling those whohave a turn for the facetious to share in their jokes, I insert a coupleof specimens:-- "ORDER OF THE DAY. "The vast multitude will be assembled on the Public Square, in rear of the Candy Factory, under the direction of Marshal JOHN A. DITTO, where they will be formed in procession in the following order: "1. Officers of the Day, in their stocking feet. "2. Revolutionary Relics, under the direction of the venerable G. W. S. Mattocks. "3. Soldiers of the last War, looking for Bounty Land Warrants. "4. The Mayor and Common Council, drawn in a Willow Wagon, by the Force of Habit. "5. Officers of the Hoodoos, drawn by 13 Shanghai Chickens, and driven by Joe Garlinghouse's Shanghai Quail. "6. The Bologna Guards, in new dress, counting their money. "7. The Ancient Fire Company expecting their treasurer to chuck 42$ 50 under their windows. "The procession will then march to the grove in rear of Smith Scovell's barn, where the following exercises will take place:-- "1. The reading of the Declaration of Independence--by the Tinker, Dan. "2. Oration--by Bill Garrison. "3. Hymn--There was three Crows sit on a Tree--by the Hoodo Choir. "4. Benediction--by Elder Bibbins. "After which the multitude will repair to Charley Babcock's old stand for Refreshments. "_Bill of Fare. --_1. Mud Turtle Soup. 2. Boiled Eggs, hard. 3. Pea-nuts. 4. Boiled Eggs, soft. 5. More Pea-nuts. "_Dessert. _--Scotch Herring, dried. 2. Do. Do. , dead. 3. Do. , done brown. 4. Sardines, by special request. "_Wines and Liquors_. --Hugh Doty's Rattle-Belly Pop. 2. Hide-and-go-Seek (a new brand). "Precisely at 4 o'clock, P. M. , the Double Oven Air Calorie Engine, attached to a splendidly decorated Wheel barrow, will make an excursion, on the _Conhocton Valley Switch_, to the old Hemp Factory and back. It is expected that the President and Directors will go over the Road, and they are to have the first chance, strictly under the direction of the '_Rolling Stock_. ' "Hail, ye freeborn Sons of Happy America. 'Arouse, Git up, and Git!' _Music_--Loud Fifing during the day. "June, 1853. "By Order of COMMITTEE. " * * * * * "CLEAR THE TRACK FOR THE LIGHTNING LINE OF MALE AND FEMALE STAGES!!! "From Perry to Geneseo and back in a Flash. "BAGGAGE, PERSONS, AND EYESIGHT AT RISK OF OWNERS, AND NO QUESTIONS ANSWERED. "--Having bought out the valuable rights of young Master James Howard in this Line, the subscriber will streak it daily between Perry and Geneseo, for the conveyance of Uncle Sam's Mails and Family; leaving Perry before the Crows wake up in the morning, and arriving at the first house on this side Geneseo about the same time; returning, leave Geneseo after the Crows have gone to roost, and reach Perry in time to join them. Passengers will please to keep their mouths shut for fear they should lose their teeth. No Smoking allowed for fear of fretting the Horses; no Talking lest it wake the Driver. Fare to suit passengers. "The public's very much obliged servant, &c. &c. " A quiet and simple stage of rough wood was put up at one end of thevillage, close to the Court-house, from whence the Declaration ofIndependence was read, after which a flowery orator--summoned for theoccasion, and who travels about to different villages in different yearswith his well-digested oration--addressed the multitude. Of coursesimiles and figures of rhetoric were lugged in by the heels in everysentence, as is the all but universal practice on such occasions inevery part of the world. The moral of his speech was in the maindecidedly good, and he urged upon his audience strongly, "the undyingadvantages of cultivating pluck and education" in preference to "dollarsand shrewdness. " All went off in a very orderly manner, and in theevening there were fireworks and a village ball. It was at once a wildand interesting sight during the fireworks; the mixture of men, women, and children, some walking, some carried, some riding, some driving;empty buggies, some with horses, some without, tied all round; straydogs looking for masters as hopelessly as old maids seeking for theirspectacles when raised above their eyes and forgotten. Fire companiesparading ready for any emergency; the son of mine host tugging away atthe rope of the engine in his red shirt, like a juvenile Atlas, as proudas Lucifer, as pleased as Punch. All busy, all excited, all happy; noglimpse of poverty to mar the scene; all come with one voice and oneheart to celebrate the glorious anniversary of the birth of a nation, whose past gigantic strides, unparalleled though they be, areinsufficient to enable any mind to realize what future is in store forher, if she only prove true to herself. Leave-takings do not interest the public, so the reader will besatisfied to know that two days after found me in an open carriage on myway to Rochester. The road lay entirely through cultivated land, and hadno peculiar features. The only thing I saw worth noticing, was two menin a light four-wheel one-horse shay, attached to which were at least adozen others, some on two wheels, some on four. I of course thoughtthey were some country productions going to a city manufacturer. Whatwas my astonishment at finding upon inquiry, that it was merely anAmerican phase of hawking. The driver told me that these people will goaway from home for weeks together, trying to sell their novel ware athamlet, village, farm-house, &c. , and that some of the shrewdest ofthem, the genuine Sam Slick breed, manage to make a good thing of it. The shades of evening closed in upon me as I alighted at a verycomfortable hotel at Rochester. The amiable Morpheus soon claimed me ashis own, nor was I well pleased when ruthlessly dragged from his softembrace at 6-1/2 A. M. The following morning; but railways will not waitfor Morpheus or any other deity of fancy or fiction; so, making the bestuse I could of a tub of water and a beefsteak, and calming my temperwith a fragrant weed, I was soon ensconced in one of their cars, apassenger to New York. On reaching Albany, we crossed the river and threw ourselves into thecars of the Hudson River Railway, which, running close to the marginnearly all the way, gives you an ever-varying view of the charmingscenery of this magnificent stream. Yankee industry was mostdisagreeably prominent at several of the stations, in the shape of abevy of unwashed urchins parading the cars with baskets of the eternalpea-nut and various varieties of lollipop, lemonade, &c. , all crying outtheir wares, and finding as ready a sale for them as they would at anyschool in England. The baiting-place was not very tempting; we allhuddled into one room, where everything was hurry and confusion: besideswhich, the appetite was not strengthened by the sight of hands--whoseowners seemed to have "registered a vow in heaven, " to forego the use ofsoap--turning over the sandwiches, one after another, until they hadmade their selection. However, the majority approve of the system; andas no thought is given to the minority, "if you don't like it, you maylump it. " But the more permanent inconvenience of this railroad is one for whichthe majority cannot be held responsible, i. E. , it runs three-fourthsof the way over a bed of granite, and often between cuts in the solidgranite rock, the noise therefore is perfectly stunning; and when tothis you add the echoing nature of their long wooden cars, destitute ofanything to check the vibrations of sound, except the human cargo andthe cushions they sit upon, and when you add further the eternalslamming of the doors at each end by the superintending conductor andthe inquisitive portion of the passengers, you may well conceive thatthis combination is enough to rouse the slumbers of the dead, and rackthe brains of the living. At the same time, I must allow that this lineruns the best pace and keeps the best time of any in the Union. On reaching the outskirts of New York, I asked, "Is this the properplace for me to get out at?" And being answered in the affirmative, Ialighted, and found myself in a broad open street. Scarce had I set myfoot on the ground, when I saw the train going on again, and thereforeasked for my luggage. After a few questions and answers, I ascertainedit had gone on in the train about three miles further; and the onlyconsolation I got, was being told, "I guess you'd best have gone ontoo. " However, all troubles must have an end; so getting into a hackney, I drove to my hospitable friend Phelps' house, where, under theinfluence of glorious old Madeira--P. Had just finished dinner--and mostundeniable claret, the past was soon buried in the present; and by thetime I had knocked the first ash off one of his best "_prensados_, " thestray luggage returned from the involuntary trip it had made on its ownaccount. What a goodly cheery thing is hospitality, when it flows purefrom a warm heart; nor does it lose aught in my estimation when viewedthrough the medium of a first-rate cellar and the social "Havana. " Time progresses--small hours approach--the front door shuts behind someof the guests--six-foot-two of animal life may be seen going up-stairswith a bed-candle; the latter is soon out, and your humble servant issnug in the former. --Reader, good-night! CHAPTER XXII. _Education, Civil and Military_. Having said so much of education in other cities, I will only observe, that in regard to common schools, New York is on a par with most of herrivals in this noble strife for superiority; but I must ask those whoare interested in the subject to give me their attention while I enterinto a few details connected with their admirable Free Academy. Theobject of this institution is to combine--under one system and under oneroof--high school, academy, polytechnic, and college, and to furnish asgood an education as can be obtained by passing through each of thoseplaces of instruction separately. All this free of cost! A sum of 10, 000l. Was authorized for the building, and 4000l. Annually for its support. The course of instruction is divided intothirteen departments, with a professor at the head of each, aided bytutors where necessary; the whole under a principal, with a salary of500l. A year, who is at the same time professor of moral, intellectual, and political philosophy. The salaries of the otherprofessors average 300l. A year, those of the tutors 100l. Thecourse of study embraces all that is taught at the four different placesof education before-named. The student is allowed to make his selectionbetween the classical languages and the modern--French, Spanish, andGerman. The whole course occupies five years. The requisites foradmission are, that the applicant be thirteen years old, living in thecity of New York, and have attended the common schools for eighteenmonths; besides which he is required to pass a moderate examination. Thenumber of students at present is about 350, but they will doubtlessincrease. If to the annual expenses of the institution be added theinterest at six per cent, on the outlay, the instruction given will befound to cost the inconceivably small sum of 13l. 5s. Per scholar, including books, stationery, and etceteras. Mr. S. B. Ruggles was kind enough to introduce me to Mr. Horace Webster, by whom I was shown over the whole establishment. The cleanliness andgood ventilation certainly exceeded that of any other similarestablishment which I had visited in the United States. There is a verygood library containing 3000 volumes, besides 8000 which are used astext-books, or books of reference. Many publishers supplied therequisite books at reduced prices, which, as long as they retain theignominious position of the literary pirates of the world, I supposethey can afford to do without inconvenience. There is also a finestudio, full of casts from the best models, and copies of the Elginmarbles presented by Mr. Leap. Instruments of the best quality aboundfor the explanation of all the sciences taught. In one of the rooms which I entered there was an examination going on. The subject was astronomy, and it was the first class. I wasparticularly struck with the very clear manner in which the lad underexamination replied to the questions put to him, and I began to suspectit was merely something he had learnt by rote; but the professor dodgedhim about in such a heartless manner with his "whys" and his"wherefores, " his "how do you knows" and "how do you proves, " that Iquite trembled for the victim. Vain fears on my part; nothing could puthim out; he seemed as much at home as the professor, and answered allthe questions propounded to him in language as clear and simple as thatwhich the great Faraday employs to instruct his eager listeners at theRoyal Institution. Not once could the professor make him trip during thelong half-hour of his searching examination. Having remarked that theappearance of the student was rather that of a labouring than of awealthy stock, I asked the principal who he was. "That, sir, " repliedMr. Webster, "is one of our best students, and he is the son of a poorjourneyman blacksmith. " New York may point with just pride to her Free Academy, and say, "Inour city the struggling efforts of genius are never cramped by the chillblast of poverty, for within those walls the avenues to the highestbranches of literature and science are opened without charge to thehumblest and most destitute of our citizens. " I spent several hours inthis most admirable and interesting institution, so ably presided overby Mr. Horace Webster, through whose kindness I was provided with thefull details of all its workings. It would seem that the best class ofschools for young ladies are not very numerous, for the papers announcedthe other day that Mrs. Okill had realized 250, 000 dollars by herestablishment, which could hardly have been the case in the face of goodopposition. A few days afterwards Mr. Ruggles offered to accompany me in a visit Iwished to make to the National Military College of West Point. I gladlyaccepted his proffered kindness, and in due time we were rattling awayover the granite-bottomed railroad, along the banks of the Hudson. Closeto the station we found a small ferry-boat, ready to take us across tothe southern bank. On landing at West Point, "my pipe was immediatelyput out" by a summary order from a sentry on the wharf. Dropping a tearof sorrow through a parting whiff, and hurling the precious stump intothe still waters of the little bay, I followed my cicerone up the hill, and soon found myself in the presence of one of the professors, throughwhose assistance we were enabled thoroughly to lionize every department. As many of my military friends who have visited West Point have spokento me in terms of the highest admiration of the institution, I proposeentering more into detail than I otherwise might have thought requisite;and I trust that, as military education is engaging a great deal ofpublic interest, the following observations may be found worthy ofattention. The candidates for admission are nominated by the members of Congress, one for each congressional district, in addition to which the Presidentof the United States has the nomination of forty from the Republic atlarge. [AV] The requisites for admission are--the passing a very easyexamination, being a bachelor between the ages of sixteen andtwenty-one, and having no physical defect. The pay of each cadet isabout five pounds a month, of which his board takes two pounds, and8s. 6d. Is laid aside monthly, whereby to form a fund to assist himin the expenses of equipment upon leaving. The balance provides for hisdress and other expenses, and a treasurer is appointed to superintendand keep the accounts. The routine of duty prescribed is thefollowing:--Rise at 5 A. M. In summer, and 5-1/2 in winter; double up bedand mattress, &c. , and study till 7; then fall in and go to breakfast;at 7-1/2, guard-mounting--twenty-four cadets are on guard every day; at8, study; at 1 o'clock, break up, fall in, and go to dinner, which theyrise from at the word of command, and are then free till 2. From 2 P. M. To 4, study; at 4, drill for one hour and a half, after which they arefree till sunset; at sunset, parade in front of the barracks, anddelinquents' names called over; then follows supper, after which thecadets are free till 8, at which time there is a call to quarters, andevery cadet is required to retire to his own room and study till 9-1/2, when the tattoo is beat; at 10, there is a roll of the drum, at soundwhereof every light must be out and every student in bed. The cadets are organized into a battalion of four companies; theofficers and non-commissioned officers are all appointed by thesuperintendent, from a list submitted to him by the commandant ofcadets, the selection being made from those most advanced in theirstudies and most exemplary in their conduct; they perform in everyparticular the same duties as those of the officers and privates of aregiment; they have divisions and sub-divisions, with superintendentcadets attached to each, regular orderlies who sweep and clean out theroom, furniture, &c. : guards are regularly mounted, an officer of theday duly appointed, and all the duties of a regular barrack punctuallyperformed, even to the sentinels being supplied with ball-cartridge atnight. Their uniform is of grey cloth, and their hair is kept a closecrop; neither whiskers nor moustache are tolerated, and liquor andtobacco are strictly prohibited. The punishments consist of privation ofrecreation, extra duty, reprimand, arrest or confinement to room ortent, confinement to light or dark prison, dismission with privilege ofresigning, and public dismission; the former of these are at the will ofthe superintendent--confinement to prison and dismission are by sentenceof a court-martial. The course of studies pursued are classed under twelve heads:--1. Infantry tactics and military police; 2. Mathematics; 3. French; 4. Drawing; 5. Chemistry, mineralogy, and geology; 6. Natural andexperimental philosophy; 7. Artillery tactics, science of gunnery, andthe duties of the military laboratory; 8. Cavalry tactics; 9. The useof the sword; 10. Practical military engineering; 11. Grammar, geography, ethics, &c. ; 12. Military and civil engineering, and thescience of war. In the preceding pages we have seen that ten hours are daily devoted tostudy, besides an hour and a half to drill; and thus, while the brain isseverely taxed, but little leisure is left to get into those minorscrapes so prevalent at most public schools. There is a most minute system of merit and demerit established;everything good and everything bad has a specific value in numbers anddecimals, which is accurately recorded against the owners thereof in thereports made for each year. The cadet appears to be expected to improvein conduct as well as knowledge; for, according to the rules, after hisfirst year is completed, the number expressing his absolute demerit isincreased by one-sixth during the second year, by one-third during thethird year, and by one-half during the fourth year. Thus, suppose acertain number of faults to be represented by the sum of 36, if faultswhich those figures represent are committed during the second year ofthe cadet's course, one-sixth would be added, and his name appear on thedemerit list with 42 against it; if in the third year, one-third wouldbe added to the 36, and 48 would be placed against his name; and ifduring the fourth year, one-half would be added, and 54 would appearagainst it. It will thus be seen that, supposing offences of equal valueto be committed by the cadet in his first year and by another in hisfourth year, the figures of demerit against the latter would be one-halfmore than those placed against the name of the cadet in his first year. A demerit conduct roll is made out each year, and a copy sent to the WarDepartment. There is also a general merit roll of proficiency and good conduct sentto the same department, an abstract whereof, with demerit added, is sentto the parents or guardians in a printed book containing the names ofall the cadets, by which they can at once see the relative position oftheir son or ward. The following tables will explain the system adoptedfor ascertaining the merit, demerit, and qualifications of thestudents:-- DEMERIT. _Degree of Criminality of Offences, arranged in Classes_. 1. Mutinous conduct 10 2. Disobedience of orders of military superior 8 3. Visiting in study hours 5 4. Absence from drill 4 5. Idleness in academy 3 6. Inattention under arms 2 7. Late at roll call 1 _Form of Conduct Roll made up for the yearly examination_. The column marked "Class" indicates number of years student has been inthe academy. Name. Class. Demerit. H. L. 1 5 C. P. 3 10 W. K. M. 2 192 _A particular case to exemplify the manner of obtaining the numbers inthe column of demerit_:-- Cadet W. K. M. Was charged with 48 delinquencies, to wit: of the second class of offences, 2, which being multiplied by 8, the number expressing the degree of criminality of an offence of that class, is 16 Of the 3rd class 3 multiplied by 5 15 4th " 13 " 4 52 5th " 10 " 3 30 6th " 11 " 2 22 7th " 9 " 1 9 ---- 144 The Cadet being a member of the 2nd class, add 1/3 48 ---- Total demerit 192 The following list of Cadets is attached to the Army Register inconformity with a regulation for the Government of the United StatesMilitary Academy, requiring the names of the most distinguished Cadets, not exceeding five in each class, to be reported for this purpose ateach annual examination:-- _Reported at the Examination in June_, 18--. No. Names. Appointed Science and Art in which each Cadet from particularly excels. 1 First Class. Mass. Civil and Military Engineering, Ethics, G. L. A. Mineralogy and Geology, Infantry Tactics, Artillery, Natural and Experimental Philosophy, Chemistry, Drawing, Mathematics, French and English Studies. 2 J. St. C. M. Pa. Civil and Military Engineering, Ethics, Mineralogy and Geology, Infantry Tactics, Artillery, Natural and Experimental Philosophy, Chemistry, Drawing, Mathematics, and French. _"General Merit Roll, " sent also to the War Office. _ Names A B C Mathematics 300. 0 295. 3 276. 7 French 98. 7 97. 5 69. 1 English Studies 100. 0 89. 5 98. 9 Philosophy 300. 0 295. 6 278. 2 Chemistry 150. 0 147. 5 145. 1 Drawing 91. 3 100. 0 94. 2 Engineering 300. 0 285. 3 290. 2 Ethics 200. 0 193. 4 186. 9 Mineralogy & Geology 100. 0 96. 7 98. 2 Infantry Tactics 150. 0 147. 5 137. 8 Artillery 158. 0 145. 1 147. 5 Conduct 297. 3 293. 8 294. 5 General Merit 2237. 3 2187. 2 2117. 3 _"Official Register of the Cadets" at West Point, printed yearly. _ Order of general merit 1 2 3 Names T. L. C. N. C. A. G. H. M. State At large Tenn. Pa. Date of Admission July 1, 1848 do. Do. Age at date of admission Years / Months 17 / 1 18 / 7 16 / 8 Order of merit in their respective Studies Engineering 1 2 3 Ethics 3 4 2 Mineral. & Geol. 1 2 4 Infantry Tactics 1 2 5 Artillery 2 1 3 Demerit of the Year 39 18 73 A board with the marks of demerit is always publicly hung up, so thateach cadet may know the exact length of his tether, for if the numbersamount to 200 he is dismissed. I have dwelt very lengthily upon thesystem adopted of recording and publishing the merit and demerit of thestudents, because I was informed of the admirable effect produced by it. As far as I can judge, it certainly appears not only an admirable meansof enabling the War-office to estimate character, but the greatpublicity given to it must act as a powerful stimulus to exertion andgood conduct. A portion of the cadets are instructed every day in fencing and riding. When well advanced in the latter, they are taught spearing rings orstuffed heads at the gallop, and the same with the sword. Theriding-school is perfectly abominable, being dark, full of pillars, andmost completely out of harmony with all the rest of the establishment, which is excellent in every detail. On Sundays all the cadets attendchurch, unless excused on conscientious motives, and with the approvalof their parents. The minister is selected by the President, and may beof any denomination. I was told that an Episcopalian had been mostfrequently chosen. The present minister is, I believe, a Presbyterian. During the months of July and August the cadets all turn out of theirbarracks, pitch their tents, and live regular camp life--only going tothe barracks to eat their meals. During the time they are tented, theeducation is exclusively military practice; the same hours are kept asin the barracks; the tents are boarded, and two cadets sleep in each. They are all pitched with scrupulous accuracy, and they are obliged tokeep their camp as clean as a new pin--performing among themselves everyduty of a complete regiment--cleaning their own shoes, fetching theirown water, &c. They were all in tents at the time of my visit, and Ifear not particularly comfortable, for there had been two days andnights' hard rain, and the wet mattresses were courting the warm rays ofthe afternoon sun. Whatever jobbery is attempted in the selection ofcandidates for admission to the Academy, is soon corrected by theAcademy itself; for, though the entrance examination is simple to adegree, the subsequent examinations are very severe, and those whocannot come up to the mark get notice to quit; and the unerringtell-tale column of demerit soon obliges the turbulent to "clear out. " The result of this system is, that when I saw them under arms, theirsoldierlike appearance struck me very much; and the effect produced uponthem by discipline was very marked. You might almost guess the time theyhad been there by their gentlemanly bearing, a quality which they do notreadily lose; for the officers of the American army who have beeneducated at West Point, enjoy a universal reputation for intelligenceand gentlemanly bearing wherever they are to be met with. The discipline here is no fiction; they do not play at soldiers; theyall work their way up from the ranks, performing every duty of eachrank, and the most rigid obedience is exacted. In the calculations fordemerit, while idleness in the Academy obtains a mark of three, disobedience to a superior officer is marked eight. There is no bullyingthought of here; the captain of his company would as soon think ofbullying the cadet private as a captain of a regiment of the line wouldof bullying any private under his command. An officer who had been formany years connected with West Point, told me that among all the duelswhich unfortunately are so prevalent in the United States, he had nevereither known or heard of one between any two gentlemen who had receivedtheir education at this Academy--tricks, of course, are sometimesplayed, but nothing oppressive is ever thought of. I did hear a story of a cadet, who, by way of a joke, came and tried totake away the musket of a wiry young Kentuckian, who was planted sentryfor the first time; but he found a military ardour he had littleanticipated; for the novice sentry gave him a crack on the side of thehead that turned him round, and before he could recover himself, he felta couple of inches of cold steel running into the bank situated at thejuncture of the hips and the back-bone; and thus not only did he suffertotal defeat and an ignominious wound, but he earned a large figure onthe demerit roll. From the way the story was told to me, I imagine it isa solitary instance of such an outrage being attempted; for one of thefirst things they seek to inculcate is a military spirit, and the youngKentuckian at all events proved that he had caught the spirit; nor canit be denied that the method he took to impress it upon his assailant, as a fundamental principle of action, was equally sharp and striking. Happening to be on the ground at the hour of dinner, I saw them allmarched off to their great dining-ball, where the table was wellsupplied with meat, vegetables, and pudding; it was all substantial andgood, but the _tout-ensemble_ was decidedly very rough. If the intentionis to complete the soldier life by making them live like well-fedprivates of the line, the object is attained; but I should be disposedto think, they might dispense with a good deal of the roughness of thestyle with great advantage; though doubtless, where the generalarrangements are so good, they have their own reasons for keeping it asit is. I paid a visit in the course of the afternoon to thefencing-room; but being the hour of recreation, I found about thirtylusty cadets, votaries to Terpsichore, all waltzing and polking merrilyto a fiddle, ably wielded by their instructor: as their capabilitieswere various, the confusion was great, and the master bewildered; butthey all seemed heartily enjoying themselves. The professors and military instructors, &c. , have each a smallcomfortable house with garden attached, and in the immediate vicinity ofthe Academy. There is a comfortable hotel, which in the summer months isconstantly filled with the friends and relatives of the cadets; andoccasionally they get permission to give a little _soirée dansante_ inthe fencing-room. The hotel is prohibited from selling any spirituousliquors, wines, &c. The Government property at West Point consists of about three thousandacres: the Academy, professors' houses, hotel, &c. , are built upon alarge plateau, commanding a magnificent view of the Hudson both ways. The day I was there, the scene was quite lovely; the noble stream was assmooth as a mirror; a fleet of rakish schooners lay helpless, theirsnow-white sails hanging listlessly in the calm; and, as the clearwaters reflected everything with unerring truthfulness, another fleetappeared beneath, lying keel to keel with those that floated on thesurface. With such beautiful scenery, and so far removed from the bustleand strife of cities, I cannot conceive any situation better adaptedfor health and study, pleasure and exercise. The great day of the year is that of the annual review of the cadets bya board of gentlemen belonging to the different States of the Union, andappointed by the Secretary of War; it takes place early in June, Ibelieve, and consequently before the cadets take the tented field. Theexamination goes on in the library hall, which is a very fine room, andhung with portraits of some of their leading men; the library is a veryfair one, and the cadets have always easy access to it, to assist themin their studies. I could have spent many more hours here with muchpleasure, but the setting sun warned us no time was to be lost if wewished to save the train; so, bidding adieu, to the friends who had sokindly afforded me every assistance in accomplishing the object of myvisit, I returned to the great Babylon, after one of the mostinteresting and gratifying days I had spent in America. [AW] FOOTNOTES: [Footnote AV: By the published class-list the numbers at present are224. ] [Footnote AW: An account of a visit to this Academy, from the pen of SirJ. Alexander, is published in Golburn's _United Service Magazine, _September, 1854. ] CHAPTER XXIII. _Watery Highways and Metallic Intercourse. _ There is perhaps scarcely any feature in which the United States differmore from the nations of the Old World, than in the unlimited extent oftheir navigable waters, the value of which has been incalculablyincreased by the introduction of steam. By massing these waterstogether, we shall be the better able to appreciate their importance;but in endeavouring to do this, I can only offer an approximation as tothe size of the lakes, from the want of any official information, in theabsence of which I am forced to take my data from authorities thatsometimes differ widely. I trust the following statement will be foundsufficiently accurate to convey a tolerably correct idea. The seaboard on each ocean may be estimated at 1500 miles; theMississippi and its tributaries, at 17, 000 miles; Lake Ontario, at 190miles by 50; Lake Erie, at 260 miles by 60; Lake Huron, at 200 miles by70; the Georgian Bay, at 160 miles, one half whereof is about 50 broad;Lake Michigan, at 350 miles by 60; and Lake Superior, at 400 miles by160, containing 32, 000 square miles, and almost capable of floatingEngland, if its soil were as buoyant as its credit. All the lakescombined contain about 100, 000 square miles. The rate at which thetonnage upon them is increasing, appears quite fabulous. In 1840 itamounted to 75, 000 tons, from which it had risen in 1850 to 216, 000tons. Besides the foregoing, there are the eastern rivers, and the deepbays on the ocean board. Leaving, however, these latter out of thequestion, let us endeavour to realize in one sum the extent of soilbenefited by this bountiful provision of Providence; to do which it isnecessary to calculate both sides of the rivers and the shores of thelakes, which, of course, must be of greater extent than double thelength of the lakes: nevertheless, if we estimate them at only double, we shall find that there are 40, 120 miles washed by their navigablewaters; and by the constitution of the Union these waters are declaredto be "common property, for ever free, without any tax, duty, or impostwhatever. " The Americans are not free from the infirmities of human nature; andhaving got a "good thing" among them, in process of time it became abone of contention, which it still remains: the Whigs contending thatthe navigable waters having been declared by the constitution "for everfree, " are national waters, and as such, entitled to have all necessaryimprovements made at the expense of the Union; their opponentsasserting, that rivers and harbours are not national, but local, andthat their improvements should be exclusively committed to therespective States. This latter opinion sounds strange indeed, when it isremembered that the Mississippi and its tributaries bathe the shores ofsome thirteen States, carrying on their bosoms produce annually valuedat 55, 000, 000l. Sterling, of which 500, 000l. Is utterly destroyedfrom the want of any sufficient steps to remove the dangers ofnavigation. [AX] Mr. Ruggles has always been a bold and able advocate of the Whigdoctrine of nationality; and, in a lecture delivered by him upon thesubject, he states that during the recent struggle to pass the River andHarbour Bill through the Senate, Mr. Douglas, a popular democrat fromIllinois, offered as a substitute an amendment giving the consent ofCongress "to the levy of local tonnage dues, not only by each of theseparate States, but even by the authorities of any city or town. " Onecan hardly conceive any man of the most ordinary intellect deliberatelyproposing to inflict upon his country the curse of an unlimited legionof custom-houses, arresting commerce in every bend of the river and inevery bay of the sea; yet such was the case, though happily theproposition was not carried. How inferior does the narrow mind whichmade the above proposition in 1848 appear, when placed beside theprescient mind which in 1787 proposed and carried, "That navigablewaters should be for ever free from any tax or impost whatever!" One of the most extraordinary instances of routine folly which I everread or heard of, and which, among so practical and unroutiney apeople as the Americans, appears all but incredible, is thefollowing:--Congress having resisted the Harbour Improvement Bill, butacknowledged its duties as to certain lights and beacons, "Ordered, thata beacon should be placed on a rock in the harbour of New Haven. Theengineer reported, that the cost of removing the rock would be less thanthe cost of erecting the beacon; but the President was firm--a greatparty doctrine was involved, and the rock remains to uphold thebeacon--a naked pole, with an empty barrel at its head--a suitable typeof the whole class of constitutional obstructions. "[AY] The State of New York may fairly claim the credit of having executed oneof the most--if not the most--valuable public works in the Union--theErie Canal. At the time of its first proposal, it received the moststubborn opposition, especially from that portion of the democraticparty known by the appellation of "Barn-burners, " whose creed is thusdescribed in a pamphlet before me:--"All accumulations of wealth orpower, whether in associations, corporate bodies, public works, or inthe state itself, are anti-democratic and dangerous. . . . The constructionof public works tends to engender a race of demagogues, who are sure tolead the people into debt and difficulty, " &c. The origin of their nameI have not ascertained. Another party, possessing the equally euphonical name of "Old Hunkers, "are thus described:--"Standing midway between this wing of the Democracyand the Whig party, is that portion who have taken upon themselves thecomfortable title of 'Old Hunkers. ' The etymological origin of thisepithet is already lost in obscurity. They embrace a considerableportion of our citizens who are engaged in banking and other activebusiness, but at the same time decided lovers of political place andpower. At heart they believe in progress, and are in favour of a liberalprosecution of works of improvement, but most generally disguise it, inorder to win the Barn-burners' votes. They are by no means deficientin intelligence or private worth, but are deeply skilled in politicaltactics; and their creed, if it is rightly understood, is that publicworks ought to be 'judiciously' prosecuted, provided they themselves canfill all the offices of profit or honour connected with theiradministration. "[AZ] Such is the description given of these two parties by the pen of apolitical opponent, who found in them the greatest obstacles to theenlargement of the canal. The name of De Witt Clinton will ever be associated with this great anduseful work, by which the whole commerce of the ocean lakes is pouredinto the Hudson, and thence to the Atlantic. After eight years' hardstruggle, and the insane but undivided opposition of the city of NewYork, the law for the construction of the canal was passed in the year1817. One opponent to the undertaking, when the difficulty of supplyingwater was started as an objection, assisted his friend by theobservation, "Give yourself no trouble--the tears of our constituentswill fill it. " Many others opposed the act on the ground that, bybringing the produce of the States on the lake shores so easily to NewYork, the property of the State would be depreciated; which appears tome, in other words, to be--they opposed it on the ground of its utility. Others again grounded their objections on the doubt that the revenueraised by the tolls would be sufficient to justify the expense. Fortunately, however, the act was carried; and in seven years, thecanal, though not quite completed, was receiving tolls to the amount ofupwards of 50, 000l. In 1836 the canal debt was paid, and producevalued at 13, 000, 000l. --of which 10, 000, 000l. Belonged to the Stateof New York--was carried through it; the tolls had risen to 320, 000l. Per annum, and 80, 000l. Of that sum was voted to be appropriated tothe general purposes of the State, the total cost having been under oneand a half million sterling. One might imagine that such triumphant success would have made the Stateready to vote any reasonable sum of money to enlarge it if required;but the old opponents took the field in force when the proposition wasmade. Even after a certain sum had been granted, and a contract enteredinto, they rescinded the grant and paid a forfeit to the contractor of15, 000l. It was in vain that the injury to commerce, resulting fromthe small dimensions of the canal, [BA] was represented to them; it wasin vain that statistics were laid before them, showing that the7, 000, 000 miles traversed by the 4500 canal-boats might, if the proposedenlargement took place, reduce the distance traversed to two millions ofmiles, and the boats employed to 1500; Barn-burners triumphed, and itwas decided that the enlargements should only be made out of the surplusproceeds of the tolls and freight; by which arrangement this vastcommercial advantage will be delayed for many years, unless the fruitsof the canal increase more rapidly than even their present wonderfulstrides can lead one to anticipate, although amounting at this presentday to upwards of 1, 000, 000l. Yearly. [BB] Such is a short epitome of acanal through which, when the Sault St. Marie Channel between LakesSuperior and Huron is completed, an unbroken watery highway will bearthe rich produce of the West from beyond the 90° meridian of longitudeto the Atlantic Ocean. [BC] Although the Erie is perhaps the canal which bears the most valuablefreight, it is by no means the greatest undertaking of the kind in theUnion. The Chesapeake and Ohio canal, uniting Washington and Pittsburg, has nearly 400 locks, and is tunnelled four miles through theAlleghanies; and the Pennsylvania canal, as we have already seen in aformer chapter, runs to the foot of the same ridge, and being unable totunnel, uses boats in compartments, and drags them by stationary enginesacross the mountains. Nothing daunts American energy. If the people areonce set upon having a canal, go ahead it must; "can't" is an unknownexpression. [BD] However important the works we have been considering may be to theUnited States, there can be no doubt that railways are infinitely moreso; I therefore trust the following remarks upon them may have someinterest. By the statement of the last Census, it appears that there are no lessthan 13, 266 miles of railroad in operation, and 12, 681 in progress, giving a total of nearly 26, 000 miles; the cost of those which arecompleted amounts to a little less than 75, 000, 000l. , and the estimatefor those in progress is a little above 44, 000, 000l. We thus see thatthe United States will possess 26, 000 miles of railroad, at the cost ofabout 120, 000, 000l. In England we have 8068 miles of railway, and thecost of these amounts to 273, 860, 000l. , or at the rate of 34, 020l. Per mile. This extraordinary difference between the results produced andthe expenses incurred requires some little explanation. By the Censusreport, I learn that the average expense of the railways varies indifferent parts of the Union; those in the northern, or New EnglandStates, costing 9250l. Per mile; those in the middle States, 8000l. ;and those in the southern and western States, 4000l. Per mile. Therailway from Charleston to Augusta, on the Savannah River, only cost1350l. Per mile. From the above we see clearly that the expenses oftheir railways are materially affected by density of population and theconsequent value of land, by the comparative absence of forest to supplymaterial, and by the value of labour. If these three causes produce suchmaterial differences in a country comparatively unoccupied like theUnited States, it is but natural to expect that they should be felt withinfinitely more force in England. Moreover, as it has been well observedby Captain D. Galton, R. E. , [BE] "railways originated in England, andtherefore the experience which is always required to perfect a newsystem has been chiefly acquired in this country, and has increased thecost of our own railways for the benefit of our neighbours. "--Someconception may be formed of the irregular nature of the expense on thelines in England from the statement subjoined, also taken from the samepaper, viz. :-- Name of Railway. Land and Total Cost Compensation. Works. Rails. Per Mile. £ £ £ £ London } and } 113, 500 98, 000 1, 000 253, 000[BF] Blackwall } Leicester } and } 1, 000 5, 700 700 8, 700[BF] Swannington } From the table on the opposite page, it will be seen that the cost ofconstruction and engineering expenses amounted to 35, 526, 535l. Out of45, 051, 217l. Taking the railways quoted as representing a fair averageof the whole, we ascertain that more than one-fourth of the expense ofour railways is incurred for extras comparatively unknown in the UnitedStates. At a general meeting of the London and North Western, in 1854, Mr. Glyn mentioned as a fact, that a chairman of a certain line, ingiving evidence, had stated that a competition for the privilege ofmaking 28 miles of railway had cost 250, 000l. Such an item ofexpenditure can hardly enter into the cost of a railway in a country asthinly populated as the Republic. There are also two other importantfacts which are apt to be overlooked: first, that a great portion of therailways in the United States are single lines; and secondly, that thelabour performed is of a far less solid and enduring character. A mostcompetent civil engineer told me that the slovenly and insecure natureof many of the railway works in the United States was perfectlyinconceivable, and most unquestionably would not stand the inspectionrequired in England. A friend of mine has travelled upon a railway inAmerica, between Washington and Virginia, of which a great portion wascomposed of merely a wooden rail with a bar of iron screwed on to thesurface. [BG] The carriages are also far less expensive and comfortable;a carriage in the United States, which carries fifty people, weighstwelve tons, and costs 450l. ; in England it may be fairly asserted, that for every fifty people in a mixed train there is a carriage weightof eighteen tons, at a cost of 1500l. The following Table, extracted from a Return moved for by LordBrougham, may help to give a better general idea of the reason why ourRailroads have been so costly:-- Name of London & Great Midland, South Eastern Total Railway. North Western, and 12 and 6 Western, and 3 branches branches and 12 branches branches Length/Miles 433 215-3/4 449-1/4 198-1/2 1296-1/2 Cost of Con- struction. £ 13, 302, 313 6, 961, 011 9, 064, 089 5, 375, 366 34, 702, 779 Conveyance and Law Charges. £ 143, 479 105, 269 119, 344 138, 034 506, 128 Cost of Land. £ 3, 153, 226 1, 132, 964 1, 764, 582 1, 458, 627 7, 509, 399 Parliamentary Expenses. £ 555, 698 245, 139 287, 853 420, 467 1, 509, 157 Engineering and Sur- veying. £ 289, 698 201, 909 216, 110 116, 039 823, 756 Total Cost. £ 17, 444, 414 8, 646, 292 11, 451, 978 7, 508, 533 45, 051, 217 When all the foregoing facts are taken into consideration, it mustappear clear to the reader, that until the efficiency of the work done, the actual number of miles of rail laid down, and the comfort enjoyedare ascertained, any comparison of the relative expenses of therespective railways must be alike useless and erroneous; at the sametime, it can scarcely be denied that it is impossible to give theRepublic too much credit for the energy, engineering skill, and economywith which they have railway-netted the whole continent. Much remainsfor them to do in the way of organizing the corps of officials, and inthe erection of proper stations, sufficient at all events, to protecttravellers from the weather, for which too common neglect the abundanceof wood and their admirable machinery leave them without excuse; notthat we are without sin ourselves in this last particular. The uncoveredstation at Warrington is a disgrace to the wealthy London and NorthWestern Company, and the inconveniences for changing trains at Gretnajunction is even more disreputable; but these form the rare exceptions, and as a general rule, there cannot be the slightest comparison betweenthe admirably arranged corps of railway servants in England, and thesame class of men in the States; nor between the excellent stations inthis country, and the wretched counterpart thereof in the Republic. Increased intercourse with Europe will, it is to be hoped, graduallymodify these defects; but as long as they continue the absurd system ofrunning only one class of carriage, the incongruous hustling together ofhumanities must totally prevent the travelling in America being ascomfortable as that in the Old World. Let us now turn from that which carries our bodies at the rate offorty miles an hour, to that last giant stride of science by which ourwords are carried quick as thought itself--the Telegraph. The Americanssoon discovered that this invention was calculated to be peculiarlyuseful to them, owing to their enormous extent of territory; and havingcome to this conclusion, their energy soon stretched the electricmessenger throughout the length and breadth of the land, and by the lastCensus the telegraphic lines extend 16, 735 miles, and the length ofwires employed amounts to 23, 281. _The Seventh Census_ gives the expenseof construction as 30l. Per mile. [BH] The systems in use are Morse's, House's, and Bain's; the two former of American invention, the latterimported from this country. Of these three the system most generallyemployed is Morse's, the others being only worked upon about 2000 mileseach. It would be out of place to enter into any scientific explanationof their different methods in these pages; suffice it to say, that allthree record their messages on ribands of paper; Morse employing a kindof short-hand symbol which indents the paper; Bain, a set of symbolswhich by chemical agency discolour the paper instead of indenting it;and House printing Roman letters in full by the discolouring process. Those who wish for details and explanations, will find them in the worksof Dr. Lardner and others on the Telegraph. The following anecdote will give some idea of the rapidity with whichthey work. A house in New York expected a synopsis of commercial news bythe steamer from Liverpool. A swift boat was sent down to wait for thesteamer at the quarantine ground. Immediately the steamer arrived, thesynopsis was thrown into the boat, and away she went as fast as oars andsails could carry her to New York. The news was immediately telegraphedto New Orleans and its receipt acknowledged back in three hours and fiveminutes, and before the steamer that brought it was lashed alongside herwharf. The distance to New Orleans by telegraph is about 2000 miles. Themost extensive purchases are frequently made at a thousand milesdistance by the medium of the telegraph. Some brokers in Wall-streetaverage from six to ten messages per day throughout the year. I rememberhearing of a young officer, at Niagara Falls, who, finding himself lowin the purse, telegraphed to New York for credit, and before he hadfinished his breakfast the money was brought to him. Cypher is verygenerally used for two reasons; first, to obtain the secrecy which isfrequently essential to commercial affairs; and secondly, that bywell-organized cypher a few words are sufficient to convey a longsentence. Among other proposed improvements is one to transmit the signature ofindividuals, maps and plans, and even the outlines of the human face, soas to aid in the apprehension of rogues, &c. By a table of precedence, Government messages, and messages for the furtherance of justice anddetection of criminals, are first attended to; then follow notices ofdeath, or calls to a dying bed; after which, is the Press, if the newsbe important; if not, it takes its turn with the general, commercial, and other news. The wires in America scorn the railway apron-strings inwhich they are led about in this country. They thread their independentcourse through forests, along highways and byways, through streets, overroofs of houses, --everybody welcomes them, --appearance bows down at theshrine of utility, and in the smallest villages these winged messengersare seen dropping their communicative wires into the post-office, orinto some grocer's shop where a 'cute lad picks up all the passinginformation--which is not in cypher--and probably retails it with anamount of compound interest commensurate with the trouble he has takento obtain it. There is no doubt that many of these village stations arenot sure means of communication, partly perhaps from carelessness, andpartly from the trunk arteries having more important matter to transmit, and elbowing their weaker neighbours out of the field. Their gradualincrease is, however, a sufficient proof that the population find themuseful, despite the disadvantages they labour under. In some instances, they have shown a zeal without discretion, for a friend of mine, latelyarrived from the Far West, informs me, that in many places the wires maybe seen broken, and the poles tumbling down for miles and milestogether, the use of the telegraph not being sufficient even to pay forthe keeping up. This fact should be borne in mind when we give them thefull benefit of the 16, 735 miles according to their own statement in_The Seventh Census_. The very low tariff of charge renders the use of the telegraph universalthroughout the Union. In Messrs. Whitworth's and Wallis's report, theymention an instance of a manufacturer in New York, who had his office inone part of the town and his works in an opposite direction, and who, tokeep up a direct communication between the two, erected a telegraph athis own expense, obtaining leave to carry it along over the tops of theintervening houses without any difficulty. The tariff alluded to abovewill of course vary according to the extent of the useful pressure ofcompetition. I subjoin two of their charges as an example. FromWashington to Baltimore is forty miles, and the charge is 10d. For tenwords. From New York to New Orleans is two thousand miles, and thecharge for ten words is ten shillings. It must be remembered that theseten words are exclusive of the names and addresses of the partiessending and receiving the message. The extent to which the telegraph is used in the United States, inducedthose interested in the matter in England to send over for the mostcompetent and practical person that could be obtained, with the view ofascertaining how far any portion of the system employed by them might bebeneficially introduced into our country. The American system is that ofthe complete circuit, and therefore requiring only one wire; and thepatent of Bain was the one experimented with, as requiring the slightestintensity of current. After considerable expense incurred in trials, theAmerican system was found decidedly inferior to our own, solely owing tothe humidity of our climate, which, after repeated trials, has beenfound to require a far more perfect insulation than is necessary eitherin the United States or on the Continent, and therefore requiring agreater outlay of capital in bringing the telegraphic wire into apractical working state; 260 miles is the greatest length that a batteryis equal to working in this country in the worst weather. Bain's system was formerly not sufficiently perfected to worksatisfactorily in our climate; recent improvements are removing thoseobjections, and the employment of it is now rapidly increasing. Theadvantages that Bain's possesses over Morse's are twofold: first, theintensity of current required to work it is lighter; and secondly, thediscoloration it produces is far more easily read than the indentationsof Morse's. The advantage Morse's possesses over Bain's is, that thelatter requires damp paper to be always ready for working, which theformer does not. The advantage Cook and Wheatstone's[BI] possesses overboth the former is, that it does not demand the same skilled hands towind and adjust the machine and prepare the paper; it is always ready athand, and only needs attention at long intervals, for which reasons itis more generally employed at all minor and intermediate stations; itsdisadvantages are, that it does not trace the message, and consequentlyleaves no telegraphic record for reference, and it requires two wires, while Bain's or Morse's employs but one; the intensity of the currentrequired to work it is the same as Bain's, and rather less than Morse's. All three admit of messages going the whole length of the line beingread at all intermediate stations. The proportion of work capable ofbeing done by Bain's, as compared with Cook and Wheatstone's, is: Bain'sand one wire = 3; Cook and Wheatstone's and two wires = 5. But if Bain'shad a second wire, a second set of clerks would be requisite to attendto it. The errors from the tracing telegraph are less than those fromthe magnetic needle; but the difference is very trifling. No extra clerkis wanted by Cook and Wheatstone's, as all messages are written out by amanifold writer. Every message sent by telegraph in England has aduplicate copy sent by rail to the "Clearing Office, " at Lothbury, to becompared with the original; thanks to which precaution, clerks keeptheir eyes open, and the public are efficiently protected from errors. How strange it is, that with the manifest utility of the telegraph incase of fire, and the ease with which it could be adapted to thatpurpose--as it has now been for some years in Boston--the authoritiestake no steps to obtain its invaluable services. The alarm of fire canbe transmitted to every district of London at the small cost of 350l. A-year. The most competent parties are ready to undertake the contract;but it is too large a sum for a poor little village, with only 2, 500, 000of inhabitants, and not losing more than 500, 000l. Annually by fires, to expend. The sums spent at St. Stephen's in giving old gentlemencolds, and in making those of all ages sneeze from underfoot snuff--inother words, the attempt at ventilation, which is totally useless--hascost the country more than would be necessary to supply this vastmetropolis with telegraphic wire communication for a century. In conclusion, I must state that in this country several establishmentsand individuals have their own private telegraphs, in a similar mannerto that referred to at New York, and many more would do the same, didnot vested interests interfere. FOOTNOTES: [Footnote AX: _Vide_ observations on this subject in Chapter X. ] [Footnote AY: Extract from lecture delivered by S. B. Ruggles, at NewYork, October, 1852. ] [Footnote AZ: This extract is from a lecture by S. B. Ruggles to thecitizens of Rochester, October, 1849. ] [Footnote BA: The neighbouring colony "whips" the Republic in canals. Vessels from 350 to 400 tons can pass the St. Lawrence and WellandCanals. Nothing above 75 tons can use the Erie Canal. ] [Footnote BB: The governor of the State, in his annual message, 1854, calls attention to the fact, that the toll on the canals is rapidlydecreasing, and will be seriously imperilled if steps are not taken toenlarge it. ] [Footnote BC: By the Illinois and Michigan Canal the ocean lakescommunicate with the Mississippi; and when the channel is made by LakeNipissing, there will be an unbroken watercourse between New Orleans, New York, Bytown, and Quebec. ] [Footnote BD: There are upwards of 5000 miles of canal in America. ] [Footnote BE: _Vide_ an able paper on railways, written by that officerand published in that valuable work, _Aide Mémoire to the MilitarySciences_; or for fuller particulars the reader is referred to Report onthe Railways of the United States, by Capt. Douglas Galton, R. N. , recently issued. ] [Footnote BF: This is without the expenses arising from law andparliamentary proceedings. ] [Footnote BG: I believe the railway from Charleston to Savannah wasentirely laid down on this plan. ] [Footnote BH: Mr. Jones, in his _Historical Sketch of the ElectricTelegraph_, makes the calculation 40l. A mile, and estimates that, toerect them durably, would cost 100l. A mile. ] [Footnote BI: Having alluded in the text to the systems of Morse, Bain, and House, I must apologize for omitting to add, that the system of Cookand Wheatstone consists simply of a deflecting needle--or needles--whichbeing acted upon by the currents, are, according to the manipulations ofthe operator, made to indicate the required letters by a certain numberof ticks to the right or left. ] CHAPTER XXIV. _America's Press and England's Censor. _ In treating of a free country, the Press must ever be considered asoccupying too important an influence to be passed over in silence. Itherefore propose dedicating a few pages to the subject. The followingTable, arranged from information given in the Census Report of 1850, isthe latest account within my reach:-- _Newspapers Published. _ Daily Tri-Weekly Semi-Weekly Weekly 254 115 31 1902 Printed Printed Printed Printed Annually Annually Annually Annually 235, 119, 966 11, 811, 140 5, 565, 176 153, 120, 708 Semi-Monthly Monthly Quarterly 95 100 19 Printed Printed Printed Annually Annually Annually 11, 703, 480 8, 887, 803 103, 500 _General Classification. _ Literary and Neutral and Political Religious Scientific Miscellaneous Independent 568 88 1630 191 53 Printed Printed Printed Printed Printed Annually Annually Annually Annually Annually 77, 877, 276 88, 023, 953 221, 844, 133 33, 645, 484 4, 893, 932 Total number of newspapers and periodicals, 2526; and copies printedannually, 426, 409, 978. The minute accuracy of the number of copies issued annually is a pieceof startling information: the Republic is most famous for statistics, but how, without any stamp to test the accuracy of the issues, they haveascertained the units while dealing with hundreds of millions is astatistical prodigy that throws the calculating genius of a Babbage andthe miraculous powers of Herr Döbler and Anderson into the shade. I cantherefore no more pretend to explain the method they employ forstatistics, than I can the system adopted by Herr Döbler to mend platesby firing pistols at them. The exact quantity of reliance that can beplaced upon them, I must leave to my reader's judgment. As a general rule, it may be said that the literary, religious, andscientific portions of the Press are printed on good paper, and providedwith useful matter, reflecting credit on the projectors andcontributors. I wish I could say the same of the political Press; buttruth compels me to give a far different account of their publications:they certainly partake more of the "cheap and nasty" style. The paper isgenerally abominable, the type is so small as to be painful to the eyes, and would almost lead one to suppose it had been adopted at thesuggestion of a conclave of 'cute oculists: the style of language inattacking adversaries is very low: the terms employed are painfullycoarse, and there is a total absence of dignity; besides which they areprofuse caterers to the vanity of the nation. I do not say there are noexceptions; I merely speak generally, and as they came under my own eye, while travelling through the whole length of the States. At the sametime, in justice, it must be stated, that they contain a great deal ofcommercial information for the very small price they cost, some of thembeing as low as one halfpenny in price. I do not endorse the following extract, nor do I give it as the opinionwhich editors entertain generally of each other, but rather to show thelanguage in which adverse opinions are expressed. It is taken from thecolumns of the _The Liberator_:--"We have been in the editorial harnessfor more than a quarter of a century, and, during that period, have hadevery facility to ascertain the character of the American Press, inregard to every form that has struggled for the ascendency during thatperiod; and we soberly aver, as our conviction, that a majority of theproprietors and editors of public journals more justly deserve a placein the penitentiaries of the land than the inmates of those placesgenerally. No felons are more lost to shame, no liars are sounscrupulous, no calumniators are so malignant and satanic. "--Thelanguage of the foregoing is doubtless unmistakeably clear, but I thinkthe style can hardly be thought defensible. On general topics ofinterest, if nothing occurs to stir the writer's bile, or if the themebe not calculated to excite the vanity of their countrymen, the languageusually employed is perhaps a little metaphorical, but is at the sametime grammatical and sufficiently clear; and, I believe, that as ageneral principle they expend liberally for information, andconsequently the whole Republic may be said to be kept well informed onall passing events of interest. If we turn for a moment from considering the American Press, to take aslight glimpse at our own, how startling does the difference appear!Great Britain, Ireland, and the Channel Islands, with a populationexceeding that of the United States, and with wealth immeasurablygreater, produce 624 papers, and of these comparatively few are daily;only 180 issue above 100, 000 copies annually, only 32 circulate above500, 000, and only 12 above 1, 000, 000. It has further been stated, thatthere are 75 towns returning 115 members, and representing 1, 500, 000 ofthe population, without any local paper at all. The information respecting the Press in England is derived from _TheSixth Annual Report of the Association for promoting the Repeal of theTaxes on Knowledge_, and _The Newspaper Press Directory_. The issuessubjoined are taken from the Return ordered by the House of Commons, ofnewspaper stamps, which is "_A Return of the Number of Newspaper Stampsat one penny, issued to Newspapers in England, Wales, Scotland andIreland, for the year_ 1854. " _In England. _ The Times 15, 975, 739 The News of the World 5, 673, 525 Illustrated London News 5, 627, 866 Lloyd's Weekly Newspaper 5, 572, 897 Weekly Times 3, 902, 169 Reynold's Weekly 2, 496, 256 Morning Advertiser 2, 392, 780 Weekly Dispatch 1, 982, 933 Daily News 1, 485, 099 Bell's Life in London 1, 161, 000 Morning Herald 1, 159, 000 Manchester Guardian 1, 066, 575 Liverpool Mercury 912, 000 Morning Chronicle 873, 500 The Globe 850, 000 The Express 841, 342 Morning Post 832, 500 The Sun 825, 000 Evening Mail 800, 000 Leeds Mercury 735, 500 Stamford Mercury 689, 000 Birmingham Journal 650, 750 Shipping Gazette 628, 000 Weekly Messenger 625, 500 _In Scotland. _ North British Advertiser 802, 000 Glasgow Saturday Post 727, 000 North British Mail 565, 000 Glasgow Herald 541, 000 _In Ireland. _ The Telegraph 959, 000 Saunders's News Letter 756, 000 Daily Express 748, 000 General Advertiser 598, 000 Various reasons may be given for this great difference between the Pressof the two countries. Many are disposed to attribute it, very naturally, to the Government stamp, and the securities which are required; some, tothe machinery of Government of this country being necessarily socomplicated by ancient rights and privileges, and the difficulties ofraising a revenue, whereof the item of interest on the national debtalone amounts to nearly 30, 000, 000l. ; while others, again planting onefoot of the Press compass in London, show that a half circle with aradius of five hundred miles brings nearly the whole community withintwenty-four hours' post of the metropolis, in which the best informationand the most able writers are to be found, thereby rendering itquestionable if local papers, in any numbers, would obtain sufficientcirculation to enable the editors to retain the services of men oftalent, or to procure valuable general information, without wholesaleplagiarism from their giant metropolitan rivals. Besides, it must heremembered that in America, each State, being independent, requires aseparate press of its own, while the union of all the States renders itnecessary that the proceedings in each of the others should be known, inorder that the constitutional limits within which they are permitted toexercise their independence, may be constantly and jealously watched;from which cause it will be seen that there is a very simple reason forthe Republic requiring comparatively far more papers than this country, though by no means accounting for the very great disproportion existing. While, however, I readily admit that the newspapers of Great Britainare greatly inferior in numbers, I am bound in justice to add, that theyare decidedly superior in tone and character. I am not defending thewholesale manner in which, when it suits their purpose, they drag anunfortunate individual before the public, and crucify him on theanonymous editorial WE, which is at one and the same time theirdeadliest weapon and their surest shield. Such acts all honest men mustalike deplore and condemn; but it must be admitted that the languagethey employ is more in accordance with the courtesies of civilized life, than that used by the Press of the Republic under similar circumstances;and if, in a time of excitement and hope, they do sometimes cater forthe vanity of John Bull, they more generally employ their powers to"take him down a peg;" and every newspaper which has sought forpopularity in the muddy waters of scurrility, has--to use an Orientalproverb--"eaten its own dirt, and died a putrid death. " Let me now turn from the Press to the literature of the United States. Of the higher order of publications, it is needless to say anything inthese pages. Irving, Prescott, Ticknor, Stephens, Longfellow, Hawthorne, and writers of that stamp, are an honour to any country, and are as wellknown in England as they are in America, consequently any encomium frommy pen is as unnecessary as it would be presumptuous. The literature on which I propose to comment, is that which I mayreasonably presume to be the popular literature of the masses, becauseit is the staple commodity for sale on all railways and steamboats. Ineed not refer again to the most objectionable works, inasmuch as thevery fact of their being sold by stealth proves that, however numeroustheir purchasers, they are at all events an outrage on public opinion. Imade a point of always purchasing whatever books appeared to me to beselling most freely among my fellow-travellers, and I am sorry to saythat the mass of trash I thus became possessed of was perfectlyinconceivable, and the most vulgar abuse of this country was decidedlyat a premium. But their language was of itself so penny-a-liny, thatthey might have lain for weeks on the book-shelf at an ordinaryrailway-station in England--price, _gratis_--and nobody but a trunkmakeror a grocer would have been at the trouble of removing them. Not content, however, with writing trash, they do not scruple todeceive the public in the most barefaced way by deliberate falsehood. Ihave in my possession two of these specimens of honesty, purchasedsolely from seeing my brother's name as the author, which of course Iknew perfectly well to be false, and which they doubtless put therebecause the American public had received favourably the volumes hereally had written. Of the contents of these works attributed to him Iwill only say, the rubbish was worthy of the robber. I would not conveythe idea that all the books offered for sale are of this calibre; thereare also magazines and other works, some of which are both interestingand well-written. If I found no quick sale going on, I generallyselected some work treating of either England or the English, so as toascertain the popular shape in which my countrymen were represented. One work which I got hold of, called _Northwood_, amused me much: Ithere found the Englishman living under a belief that the Americans werelittle better than savages and Pagans, and quite overcome at theextraordinary scene of a household meeting together for domesticworship, which of course was never heard of in England. This littlescene affords a charming opportunity for "buttering up" New Englandpiety at the cheap expense of a libel upon the old country. He then istaken to hear a sermon, where for his special benefit, I suppose, thepreacher expatiates on the glorious field of Bunker's Hill, foretellsEngland's decline, and generously promises our countrymen a home inAmerica when they are quite "used up. " The Englishman is quite overcomewith the eloquence and sympathy of the Church militant preacher, whosediscourse being composed by the authoress, I may fairly conclude isgiven as a model of New England oratory in her estimation. Justicerequires I should add, that the sermons I heard during my stay in thoseStates were on religious topics, and not on revolutionary war. Perhaps it may be said that _Northwood_ was written some years ago, Iwill therefore pass from it to what at the present day appears to beconsidered a _chef d'oeuvre_ among the popular style of works of which Ihave been speaking. I ground my opinion of the high estimation in whichit is held from the flattering encomiums passed upon it by the Pressthroughout the whole Republic from Boston to New Orleans. Boston stylesit a "_vigorous volume;"_ Philadelphia, a "_delightful treat;"_ NewYork, "_interesting and instructive;"_ Albany admires the Author's"_keen discriminating powers;"_ Detroit, "a _lively and racy style;" TheChristian Advocate_ styles it "_a skinning operation"_ and then adds, itis a "_retort courteous"_ to Uncle Tommyism; Rochester honours theauthor with the appellation of "_the most chivalrous American that evercrossed the Atlantic. "_ New Orleans winds up a long paragraph with thefollowing magnificent burst of editorial eloquence:--"_The work isessentially American. It is the type, the representative, _ THE AGGREGATEOUTBURST OF THE GREAT AMERICAN HEART, _so well expressed, so admirablyrevealing the sentiment of our whole people_--_with the exception ofsome puling lovers he speaks of-_--_that it will find sympathy in themind of every true son of the soil. "_ The work thus heralded over theRepublic with such perfect _e pluribus unum_ concord is entitled_English Items;_ and the embodiment of the "_aggregate outburst of thegreat American heart"_ is a Mr. Matthew F. Ward, whose work is sentforth to the public from one of the most respectable publishers in NewYork--D. Appleton and Co. , Broadway. Before I present the reader specimens of ore from this valuable mine Imust make a few observations. The author is the son of one of thewealthiest families in Kentucky, a man of education and travel, and hasappeared before the public in a work entitled _The Three Continents:_ Ihave given extracts from the opinions of the Press at greater lengththan I otherwise should have done, because I think after the reader hasfollowed me through a short review of _English Items, _ he will see whatstrong internal testimony they bear to the truth of my previousobservations. I would also remark that I am not at all thin-skinned asto travellers giving vent to their true feelings with regard to my owncountry. All countries have their weaknesses, their follies, and theirwickednesses. Public opinion in England, taken as a whole, is decidedlygood, and therefore the more the wrong is laid bare the more hope forits correction; but, while admitting this right in its fullest extent, it is under two conditions: one that the author speak the truth, theother that his language be not an outrage on decency or good manners. Now then, come forth, _thou aggregate outburst of the great Americanheart_![BJ] Speak for thyself--let the public be thy judge. The following extracts are from the chapter on "Our Individual Relationswith England, " the chaste style whereof must gratify the reader:--"I amsorry to observe that it is becoming more and more the fashion, especially among travelled Americans, to pet the British beast; . . . Instead of treating him like other refractory brutes, theypusillanimously strive to soothe him by a forbearance he cannotappreciate; . . . Beasts are ruled through fear, not kindness: theysubmissively lick the hand that wields the lash. " Then followinstructions for his treatment, so terrible as to make future touriststo America tremble:--"Seize him fearlessly by the throat, and oncestrangle him into involuntary silence, and the British lion willhereafter be as fawning as he has been hitherto spiteful. " He theninforms his countrymen that the English "cannot appreciate the retiringnature of true gentility . . . Nor can they realize how a nation can failto be blustering except from cowardice. " Towards the conclusion of thechapter he explains that "hard blows are the only logic the Englishunderstand;" and then, lest the important fact should be forgotten, heclothes the sentiment in the following burst of genuine _American_eloquence:--"To affect their understandings, we must punch their heads. "So much for the chapter on "Our Individual Relations with England, "which promise to be of so friendly a nature that future travellers hadbetter take with them a supply of bandages, lint, and diachylon plaster, so as to be ready for the new _genuine American_ process of intellectualexpansion. Another chapter is dedicated to "Sixpenny Miracles in England, " which ischiefly composed of _réchauffées_ from our own press, and with which thereader is probably familiar; but there are some passages sufficientlyamusing for quotation:--"English officials are invariably impertinent, from the policeman at the corner to the minister in Downing-street . . . A stranger might suppose them paid to insult, rather than to oblige . . . From the clerk at the railway depôt to the secretary of the office wherea man is compelled to go about passports, the same laconic rudeness isobservable. " How the _American mind_ must have been galled, when acabinet minister said, "not at home" to a free and enlightened citizen, who, on a levee day at the White House, can follow his ownhackney-coachman into the august presence of the President elect. Conceive him strolling up Charing Cross, then suddenly stopping in themiddle of the pavement, wrapt in thought as to whether he should cowhidethe insulting minister, or give him a chance at twenty yards with arevolving carbine. Ere the knotty point is settled in his mind, a voicefrom beneath a hat with an oilskin top sounds in his ear, "Move on, sir, don't stop the pathway!" Imagine the sensations of a sovereign citizenof a sovereign state, being subject to such indignities from stipendiaryministers and paid police. Who can wonder that he conceives it the dutyof government so to regulate public offices, &c. , "as to protect notonly its own subjects, but strangers, from the insults of theseimpertinent hirelings. " The bile of the author rises with his subject, and a few pages further on he throws it off in the following beautifulsentence:--"Better would it be for the honour of the English nation ifthey had been born in the degradation, as they are endued with thepropensities, of the modern Egyptians. " At last, among other "sixpenny miracles, " he arrives at the ZoologicalGardens, --the beauty of arrangement, the grandness of the scale, &c. , strike him forcibly; but his keen inquiring mind, and his accuratelyrecording pen, have enabled him to afford his countrymen informationwhich most of my co-members in the said Society were previouslyunconscious of. He tells them, "It is under control of the EnglishGovernment, and subject to the same degradation as Westminster, St. Paul's, &c. "--Starting from this basis, which only wants truth to makeit solid, he complains of "the meanness of reducing the nation to thecondition of a common showman;" the trifling mistake of confoundingpublic and private property moves his democratic _chivalry_, and hetakes up the cudgels for the masses. I almost fear to give the sentencepublicity, lest it should shake the Ministry, and be a rallying-pointfor Filibustero Chartists. My anticipation of but a moderate circulationfor this work must plead my excuse for not withholding it. "TheGovernment basely use, without permission, the authority of the people'sname, to make them sharers in a disgrace for which they alone areresponsible. A stranger, in paying his shilling for admission into anexhibition, which has been dubbed nation (by whom?) in contradistinctionfrom another in the Surrey Gardens, very naturally suspects that thepeople are partners in this contemptible transaction. . . . The Englishpeople are compelled to pay for the ignominy with which their despoticrulers have loaded them. " Having got his foot into this mare's nest, hefinds an egg a little further on, which he thus hatches for the Americanpublic: "Englishmen not only regard eating as the most inestimableblessing of life, when they enjoy it themselves, but they are alwaysintensely delighted to see it going on. The Government charge an extrashilling at the Zoological Gardens on the days that the animals are fedin public; but, as much as an Englishman dislikes spending money, theextraordinary attraction never fails to draw, " &c. From the Gardens he visits Chelsea Hospital, where his _keendiscriminating powers_ having been sharpened by the demand for ashilling--the chief object of which demand is to protect the pensionersfrom perpetual intrusion--he bursts forth in a sublime magnificoKentuckyo flight of eloquence: "Sordid barbarians might degrade thewonderful monuments of their more civilized ancestors by chargingvisitors to see them; but to drag from their lowly retreat these maimedand shattered victims of national ambition, to be stared at, andwondered at, like caged beasts, is an outrage against humanity that evensavages would shrink from. " And then, a little further on, he makes thefollowing profound reflection, which no doubt appears to the _Americanmind_ peculiarly appropriate to Chelsea Hospital: "Cringing to thegreat, obsequious to the high, the dwarfed souls of Englishmen have nowide extending sympathy for the humble, no soothing pity for the lowly, "&c. It would probably astonish some of the readers who have been gulledby his book, could they but know that the sum paid by Great Britain forthe support and pension of her veterans by sea and land costs annuallynearly enough to buy, equip, and pay the whole army and navy of theUnited States. [BK] The next "sixpenny miracle" he visits is Chatsworth, which calls forththe following _vigorous_ attack on sundry gentlemen, clothed in theauthor's peculiarly _lively and racy_ language: "The showy magnificenceof Chatsworth, Blenheim, and the gloomy grandeur of Warwick and AlnwickCastles, serve to remind us, like the glittering shell of the tortoise, what worthless and insignificant animals often inhabit the most splendidmansions. " He follows up this general castigation of the owners of theabove properties with the infliction of a special cowhiding upon theDuke of Devonshire, who, he says, "would, no doubt, be very reluctantfrankly to confess to the world, that although he had the vanity toaffect liberality, he was too penurious to bear the expense of it. Likethe ostrich, he sticks his head in the sand, and imagines himself in theprofoundest concealment. " He then begs the reader to understand, that hedoes not mean to intimate "that any portion of the large amountscollected at the doors of Chatsworth actually goes into the pocket ofHis Grace, but they are, nevertheless, remarkably convenient indefraying the expense of a large household of servants. . . . The idea of aprivate gentleman of wealth and rank deriving a profit from theexhibition of his grounds must be equally revolting to all classes. "These truthful observations are followed by a description of thegardens; and the whole is wound up in the following _chivalrous andgenuine American_ reflection: "Does it not appear extraordinary that aman dwelling in a spot of such fairy loveliness should retain andindulge the most grovelling instincts of human nature's lowest grade?"What a _delightful treat_ these passages must be to the rowdyAmericans, and how the Duke must writhe under--what _The ChristianAdvocate_ lauds as--the _skinning operation _of the renowned Americanchampion![BL] The Press-bespattered author then proceeds to make some observations onvarious subjects, in a similar vein of chaste language, lighting at lastupon the system of the sale of army commissions. His vigour is so greatupon this point, that had he only been in the House of Commons when thesubject was under consideration, his eloquence must have hurled the"hireling ministers" headlong from the government. I can fancy themsitting pale and trembling as the giant orator thus addressed the House:"She speculates in glory as a petty hucksterer does in rancid cheese;but the many who hate, and the few who despise England, cannot exultover her baseness in selling commissions in her own army. There is adegree of degradation which changes scorn into pity, and makes ussincerely sympathize with those whom we most heartily despise. " Theannexed extract from his observations on English writers on America isan equally elegant specimen of _genuine American feeling:_--"When theability to calumniate is the only power which has survived the gradualencroachment of bowels upon intellect in Great Britain, it would be apity to rob the English even of this miserable evidence of mind . . . Shegloats over us with that sort of appetizing tenderness which might besupposed to have animated a sow that had eaten her nine farrow. " Thesubjoined sentiment, if it rested with the author to verify, woulddoubtless be true; and I suppose it is the paragraph which earned forhis work the laudations of _The Christian Advocate:_--"Mutual enmity isthe only feeling which can ever exist between the two nations. . . . Shegave us no assistance in our rise. . . . She must expect none from us inher decline. " How frightful is the contemplation of this omnipotent and_Christian_ threat! It is worthy of the consideration of my countrymenwhether they had not better try and bribe the great Matt. Ward to usehis influence in obtaining them recognition as American territory. Thehonour of being admitted as a sovereign state is too great to be hopedfor. He has already discovered signs of our decay, and therefore informsthe reader that "the weaker rival ever nurses the bitterest hate. " Thisinformation is followed by extracts from various English writerscommenting upon America, at one of whom he gets so indignant, that hesuggests as an appropriate _American_ translation of the F. R. S. Which isadded to the author's name, "First Royal Scavenger. " He then gets into a fever about the remarks made by travellers upon whatthey conceive to be the filthy practice of indiscriminate spitting. Hebecomes quite furious because he has never found any work in which "anupstart inlander has ever preached a crusade against the Turks becausethey did not introduce knives and forks at their tables, " &c. EvenScripture--and this, be it remembered, by the sanction of _The ChristianAdvocate_--is blasphemously quoted to extenuate the American practice ofexpectoration. "What, after all, is there so unbearably revolting aboutspitting? Our Saviour, in one of his early miracles, 'spat upon theground and made clay of the spittle, and anointed the eyes of the blindman with the clay. And he said unto him, Go wash in the pool of Siloam. He went his way therefore and washed, and came seeing. ' I have with acrowd of pilgrims gone down to drink from this very pool, for the waterhad borrowed new virtue from the miracle. " He then states his stronginclination to learn to chew tobacco in order to show his contempt forthe opinions of travellers. What a beautiful picture to contemplate--apopular author with a quid of Virginia before him; Nausea drawing itback with one hand, and Vengeance bringing it forward with the other!Suddenly a bright idea strikes him: others may do what he dare not; sohe makes the following stirring appeal to his countrymen: "Let us spitout courageously before the whole world . . . Let us spit fearlessly andprofusely. Spitting on ordinary occasions may be regarded by a portionof my countrymen as a luxury: it becomes a duty in the presence of anEnglishman. Let us spit around him--above him--beneath him--everywherebut on him, that he may become perfectly familiar with the habit in allits phases. I would make it the first law of hospitality to anEnglishman, that every tobacco-twist should be called into requisition, and every spittoon be flooded, in order thoroughly to initiate him intothe mysteries of chewing. Leave no room for imagination to work. Onlyspit him once into a state of friendly familiarity with the barbarouscustom, " &c. What a splendid conception!--the population of a wholecontinent organized under the expectorating banner of the illustriousMatt. Ward: field-days twice a week; ammunition supplied _gratis;_liberal prizes to the best marksmen. The imagination is perfectlybewildered in the contemplation of so majestic an _aggregate outburst ofthe great American_ mouth. I would only suggest that they should gatherround the margin of Lake Superior, lest in their hospitableentertainment of the "upstart islanders" they destroyed the vegetationof the whole continent. In another chapter he informs his countrymen that the four hundred andthirty nobles in England speak and act for the nation; his knowledge ofhistory, or his love of truth, ignoring that little community called theHouse of Commons. Bankers and wealthy men come under the ban of hiscondemnation, as having no time for "enlightened amusements;" he then, with that truthfulness which makes him so safe a guide to his readers, adds that "they were never known to manifest a friendship, except forthe warehouse cat; they have no time to talk, and never write except onbusiness; all hours are office-hours to them, except those they devoteto dinner and sleep; they know nothing, they love nothing, and hope fornothing beyond the four walls of their counting-room; nobody knows them, nobody loves them; they are too mean to make friends, and too silent tomake acquaintances, " &c. What very interesting information this must befor Messrs. Baring and their co-fraternity! In another part of this volume, the author becomes suddenly impressedwith deep reverence for the holy localities of the East, and he fallsfoul of Dr. Clarke for his scepticism on these points, winding up hisremarks in the following beautiful Kentucky vein:--"A monster soatrocious could only have been a Goth or an Englishman. " How fortunatefor his countryman, Dr. Robinson, that he had never heard of his threelearned tomes on the same subject! though, perhaps, scepticism in anAmerican, in his discriminating mind, would have been deep eruditioncorrecting the upstart islanders. The great interest which he evincesfor holy localities--accompanied as it is by an expression of horror atsome English traveller, who, he asserts, thought that David picked uphis pebbles in a brook between Jordan and the Dead Sea, whereas he knewit was in an opposite direction--doubtless earned for him the patronageof _The Christian Advocate_; and the pious indignation he expresses atan Englishman telling him he would get a good dinner at Mount Carmel, isa beautiful illustration of his religious feelings. The curious part of this portion of Mr. Ward's book is, that havingpreviously informed his countrymen, in every variety of Americanphraseology, that the English are composed of every abominable compoundwhich can exist in human nature, he selects them as his companions, andcourts their friendship to enjoy the pleasure of betraying it. Ofcourse, if one is to judge by former statements made in the volume, which are so palpably and ridiculously false, one may reasonablyconclude that truth is equally disregarded here; but it looks to merather as if my countrymen had discovered his cloven hoof, as well ashis overweening vanity and pretensions, and, when he got pompouslyclassical, in his trip through Greece, they amused themselves at hisexpense by suggesting that the Acropolis "was a capital place forlunch;" Parnassus, "a regular sell;" Thermopylae, "great forwater-cresses. " Passing on from his companions--one of whom was a fellowof Oxford, and the other a captain in Her Majesty's service--he becomesgrandly Byronic, and consequently quite frantic at the idea of Mr. A. Tennyson supplanting him! "Byron and Tennyson!--what an unholy allianceof names!--what sinful juxtaposition! He who could seriously compare theinsipid effusions of Mr. Tennyson with the mighty genius of Byron, mightcommit the sacrilege of likening the tricks of Professor Anderson to themiracles of Our Saviour. " Having delivered himself of this pious burst, he proceeds to acastigation of the English for their observations on the nasal twang ofhis countrymen, and also for their criticism upon the sense in whichsundry adjectives are used; and, to show the superior purity of theAmerican language, he informs the reader that in England "the mostelegant and refined talk constantly of "fried 'am" . . . They seem veryreluctant to _h_acknowledge this peculiarly _h_exceptionable 'abit, and_h_insist that _h_it _h_is confined to the low and _h_ignorant of thecountry. " He then gets indignant that we call "stone" "stun, " andmeasure the gravity of flesh and blood thereby. "To unsophisticatedears, 21 stone 6 pounds sounds infinitely less than three hundredpounds, which weight is a fair average of the avoirdupois density of theSir Tunbelly Clumsies of the middle and upper classes. " From this elegant sentence he passes on to the evils of idleness, intreating of which he supplies _The Christian Advocate_ with the truecause of original sin. "Does any one imagine that the forbidden fruitwould ever have been tasted if Adam had been daily occupied in tillingthe earth, and Eve, like a good housewife, in darning fig-leaf apronsfor herself and her husband? Never!" The observation would lead one toimagine that the Bible was a scarce article in Kentucky. He passes onfrom Adam to the banker and merchant of the present day, and informs thereader that they command a high respect in society, but it would bedeemed a shocking misapplication of terms to speak of any of them asgentlemen. After which truthful statement, he enters into a longdefinition of a gentleman, as though he thought his countrymen totallyignorant on that point: he gets quite _chivalrous_ in his description:"He ought to touch his hat to his opponent with whom he was about toengage in mortal combat. "[BM] After which remark he communicates twopieces of information--the one as true as the other is modest:"Politeness is deemed lessening to the position of a gentleman inEngland; in America it is thought his proudest boast. " Of course he onlyalludes to manner; his writings prove at every page that _genuineAmerican feeling_ dispenses with it in language. His politeness, Isuppose, may be described in the words Junius applied tofriendship:--"The insidious smile upon the cheek should warn you of thecanker in the heart. " By way of encouraging civility, he informs thereader that an Englishman "never appears so disgusting as when heattempts to be especially kind; . . . In affecting to oblige, he becomesinsulting. " He confesses, however, "I have known others in America whomyou would never suspect of being Englishmen--they were such goodfellows; but they had been early transplanted from England. If the soundoranges be removed from a barrel in which decay has commenced, they maybe saved; but if suffered to remain, they are all soon reduced to thesame disgusting state. " His discriminating powers next penetrate some of the deep mysteries ofanimal nature: he discovers that the peculiarities of the bullock andthe sheep have been gradually absorbed into the national character, asfar as conversation is concerned. "They have not become woolly, nor dothey wear horns, but the nobility are eternally bellowing forth theastounding deeds of their ancestors, whilst the muttonish middle classesbleat a timorous approval. . . . Such subjects constitute their fund ofamusing small talk, " &c. From the foregoing elegant description ofconversation, he passes onwards to the subject of gentility, anddescribes a young honourable, on board a steamer, who refused to shut awindow when asked by a sick and suffering lady, telling the husband, "hecould not consent to be suffocated though his wife was sick. " And havingcooked up the story, he gives the following charming reason for hisconduct: "He dreaded the possibility of compromising his own positionand that of his noble family at home by obliging an ordinary person. " Heafterwards touches upon English visitors to America, who, he says, "generally come among us in the undisguised nakedness of theirvulgarity. Wholly freed from the restraints imposed upon them at home bythe different grades in society, they indolently luxuriate in theinherent brutality of their nature. They constantly violate not only allrules of decorum, but the laws of decency itself. . . . They abuse ourhospitality, insult our peculiar institutions, set at defiance all therefinements of life, and return home, lamenting the social anarchy ofAmerica, and retailing their own indecent conduct as the ordinarycustoms of the country. . . . The pranks which, in a backwoods American, would be stigmatized as shocking obscenity, become, when perpetrated bya rich Englishman, charming evidence of sportive humour, " &c. A considerable portion of the volume is dedicated to Church matters; forwhich subject the meek and lowly style which characterizes his writingpre-eminently qualifies him, and to which, doubtless, he is indebted forthe patronage of _The Christian Advocate_. I shall only indulge thereader with the following beautiful description of the EstablishedChurch:--"It is a bloated, unsightly mass of formalities, hypocrisy, bigotry, and selfishness, without a single charitable impulse or piousaspiration. " After this touching display of _genuine American feeling_, he draws the picture of a clergyman in language so opposite, that one isreminded of a certain mysterious personage, usually represented withcloven feet, and who is said to be very apt at quoting Scripture. Heraldry and ancestry succeed the Church in gaining a notice from hispen; and his researches have gone so deep, that one is led toimagine--despite his declarations of contempt--that he looks forward tobecoming some day The Most Noble the Duke of Arkansas and Mississippi, with a second title of Viscount de' Tucky and Ohio;[BN] the "de"suggestive of his descent from _The Three Continents_. One of the mostremarkable discoveries he has made, is, that "the soap-makers and thebrewers are the compounders of the great staple commodities ofconsumption in Great Britain, and therefore surpass even Charles himselfin the number of their additions to the Peerage. " This valuable hintshould not be lost upon those employed in these useful occupations, ashope is calculated to stimulate zeal and ambition. The last quotations I propose making from this _vigorous volume_ aretaken from the seventh chapter, headed, "English Devotion to Dinner. " Onthis subject the author seems to have had his _keen discriminatingpowers_ peculiarly sharpened; and the observations made are in most_lively and racy style_, and--according to the Press--perfectly_courteous_. The Englishman "is never free till armed with a knife andfork; indeed, he is never completely himself without them[BO] . . . Whichmay he as properly considered integral portions of an Englishman, asclaws are of a cat; . . . They are not original even in their gluttony;. . . They owe to a foreign nation the mean privilege of bestialindulgence; . . . They make a run into Scotland for the sake of oatmealcakes, and sojourn amongst the wild beauties of Switzerland in order tobe convenient to goat's milk. . . . Like other carnivorous animals, anEnglishman is always surly over his meals. Morose at all times, hebecomes unbearably so at that interesting period of the day, when hissoul appears to cower among plates and dishes; . . . Though he gorges hisfood with the silent deliberation of the anaconda, yet, in descantingupon the delicacies of the last capital dinner, he makes an approach toanimation altogether unusual to him; . . . When, upon such auspiciousoccasions, he does go off into something like gaiety, there is suchfearful quivering of vast jelly mounds of flesh, something sosupernaturally tremendous in his efforts, that, like the recoil of anoverloaded musket, he never fails to astound those who happen to be nearhim. " But his _keen observation_ has discovered a practice beforedinner, which, being introduced into the centre of various censures, mayalso be fairly supposed to be considered by him and his friends of thePress as most objectionable, and as forming one of the aggregate _Items_which constitute the English beast. "For dinner, he bathes, rubs, anddresses. " How filthy! Yet be not too hard upon him, reader, for thisobservation; I have travelled in his neighbourhood, on the Mississippisteamers, and I can, therefore, well understand how the novelty of theoperation must have struck him with astonishment, and how repugnant thepractice must have been to his habits. Among other important facts connected with this great question, his_discriminating_ mind has ascertained that an Englishman "makes it arule to enjoy a dinner at his own expense as little as possible. " Armedwith this important discovery, he lets drive the following Americanshell, thus shivering to atoms the whole framework of our society. Thenation may tremble as it reads these withering words of Kentuckyeloquence:--"When it is remembered that of all the vices, avarice ismost apt to corrupt the heart, and gluttony has the greatest tendency tobrutalize the mind, it no longer continues surprising that anEnglishman has become a proverb of meanness from Paris to Jerusalem. Thehatred and contempt of all classes of society as necessarily attend himin his wanderings as his own shadow. . . . Equally repulsive to every gradeof society, he stands isolated and alone, a solitary monument of thedegradation of which human nature is capable. " Feeling that ordinary language is insufficient to convey his _courteous_and _chivalrous_ sentiments, he ransacks natural history in search of asublime metaphor: his triumphant success he records in this beautifullyexpressed sentence--"The dilating power of the anaconda and the gizzardof the cassowary are the highest objects of his ambition. " But neitherordinary language nor metaphor can satisfy his lofty aspirations: itrequires something higher, it requires an embodiment of _genuineAmerican feeling, vigorous yet courteous_; his giant intellect risesequal to the task. He warns my countrymen "to use expletives oven withthe danger of being diffuse, rather than be so blunt and so vulgar;" andthen--by way, I suppose, of showing them how to be sarcastic withoutbeing either blunt or vulgar--he delivers himself of the followingmagnificent bursts:--"If guts could perform the function of brains, Greece's seven wise men would cease to be proverbial, for England wouldpresent to the world twenty-seven millions of sages. . . . To eat, todrink, to look greasy, and to grow fat, appear to constitute, in theiropinion, the career of a worthy British subject. . . . The lover never askshis fair one if she admires Donizetti's compositions, but tenderlyinquires if she loves beef-steak pies. This sordid vice of greediness israpidly brutalizing natures not originally spiritual; every otherpassion is sinking, oppressed by flabby folds of fat, into helplessness. All the mental energies are crushed beneath the oily mass. Sensibilityis smothered in, the feculent steams of roast beef, and delicacy stainedby the waste drippings of porter. The brain is slowly softening intoblubber, and the liver is gradually encroaching upon the heart. All thenobler impulses of man are yielding to those animal propensities whichmust soon render Englishmen beasts in all save form alone. " I have now finished my _Elegant Extracts_ from the work of Mr. Ward. Thereader can judge for himself of Boston's "_vigorous volume_, " ofPhiladelphia's "_delightful treat_, " of Rochester's "_chivalrous andgenuine Amercan feeling_, " of The Christian Advocate's "_retortcourteous_, " and of New Orleans' "_aggregate outburst of the greatAmerican heart_, " &c. These compliments from the Press derive additionalvalue from the following passage in the work they eulogize. Pages 96, 97, Mr. Ward writes: "It is the labour of every author so to adapt hisstyle and sentiments to the tastes of his readers, as most probably tosecure their approbation. . . . The consciousness that his success is sowholly dependent on their approval, will make him, without his beingaware of it, adapt his ideas to theirs. " And the New Orleans Pressendorses all the author's sentiments, and insults American gentlemen andAmerican intelligence, by asserting that it "_admirably reveals thesentiments of the whole people, and will find sympathy in the mind ofevery true son of the soil_. " Before taking a final leave of _English Items_, I owe some apology tothe reader for the length at which I have quoted from it. My only excuseis, that I desired to show the grounds upon which I spoke disparaginglyof a portion of the Press, and of the low popular literature of thecountry. I might have quoted from various works instead of one; but if Ihad done so, it might fairly have been said that I selected an isolatedpassage for a particular purpose; or else, had I quoted largely, I mighthave been justly charged with being tedious. Besides which, tocorroborate my assertions regarding the Press, I should have been boundto give their opinion also upon each book from which I quoted; and, beyond all these reasons, I felt that the generality of the works of lowliterature which I came across were from the pen of people with far lesseducation than the author I selected, who, as I have before remarked, belongs to one of the wealthiest families in Kentucky, and for whom, consequently, neither the want of education nor the want ofopportunities of mixing in respectable society--had he wished to doso--can be offered as the slightest extenuation. [BP] I feel also that I owe some apology to my American friends for draggingsuch a work before the public; but I trust they will find sufficientexcuse for my doing so, in the explanation thus afforded, of the way themind of Young America gets poisoned, and which will also partly accountfor the abuse of this country that is continually appearing in theirPress. I feel sure there is hardly a gentleman in America, whoseacquaintance I had the pleasure of making, who would read even the firsttwenty pages of the book; and I am in justice hound to say, that amongall the works of a similar class which I saw, _English Items_ enjoysunapproachable pre-eminence in misrepresentation and vulgarity, besidesbeing peculiarly contemptible, from the false being mixed up with manytrue statements of various evils and iniquities still existing inEngland, and which, being quoted from our own Press, are calculated togive the currency of truth to the whole work, among that mass of hiscountrymen who, with all their intelligence, are utterly ignorant ofEngland, either socially or politically. The subsequent career of this censor of English manners and morals istoo remarkable to be passed over in silence. I therefore now proceed togive you a short epitome of it, as a specimen of morals and manners inKentucky, as exhibited by him, and his trial. My information is takenfrom the details of the trial published at full length, a copy of whichI obtained in consequence of the extraordinary accounts of thetransaction which I read in the papers. Professor Butler had formerlybeen tutor in the family of the Wards, and was equally esteemed by themand the public of Louisville generally. At the time of the followingoccurrence the Professor was Principal of the High School in that city. One of the boys at the school was William--brother of Mr. Matt. F. Ward:it appears that in the opinion of the Professor the boy had been guiltyof eating nuts in the school and denying it, for which offence he wascalled out and whipped, as the master told him, for telling a lie. Whether the charge or the punishment was just is not a point of anymoment, though I must say the testimony goes far to justify both. William goes home, complains to his brother Matt. F. , not so much of theseverity of the punishment, as of being called a liar. The elder brotherbecomes highly indignant, and determines to go to the Professor anddemand an apology. It must be remembered that the father was all thistime in Louisville, and of course the natural person to have made anyremonstrance with his old friend the Professor. Matt. F. 's family remindhim that he is very weakly, and that one of the masters at the school isan enemy of his. They therefore beg of him to be calm, and to take hisintermediate brother Robert with him, in case of accidents. He consents. He then goes to the gun-store of Messrs. Dixon and Gilmore, andpurchases of the latter, about 9 A. M. , two small pocket-pistols, threeinches long in the barrel. These he gets Mr. Gilmore to load, butpurchases no further ammunition. After this he proceeds with his brotherRobert, who is armed with a bowie-knife, to the school. Not wishing tobe unjust to Mr. Matt. F. Ward, I give the statement of the subsequentoccurrence in the words of his brother Robert's evidence in court. [BQ] "On entering the school-room, [BR] Matt. Asked for Butler. He came. Matt. Remarked, I wish to have a talk with you. Butler said, Come into myprivate room. Matt. Said, No; here is the place. Mr. Butler nodded. Matt. Said, What are your ideas of justice? Which is the worst, the boywho begs chestnuts, and throws the shells on the floor, and lies aboutit, or my brother who gives them to him? Mr. Butler said he would nothe interrogated, putting his pencil in his pocket and buttoning up hiscoat. Matt, repeated the question. Butler said, There is no such boyhere. Matt. Said, That settles the matter: you called my brother a liar, and for that I must have an apology. Butler said he had no apology tomake. Is your mind made up? said Matt. Butler said it was. Then, saidMatt. , you must hear my opinion of you. You are a d----d scoundrel anda coward. Butler then struck Matt. Twice, and pushed him back againstthe door. Matt. Drew his pistol and fired. Butler held his hand on himfor a moment. As the pistol fired, Sturgus[BS] came to the door. I drewmy knife, and told him to stand back. " Thus was Professor Butler, Principal of the High School of Louisville, shot by the author of_English Items_, with a pistol bought and loaded only an hour and a halfprevious, in broad daylight, and in the middle of his scholars. TheProfessor died during the night. The details of the trial are quite unique as to the language employed byjury, counsel, and evidence; but I purposely abstain from makingextracts, though I could easily quote passages sufficiently ridiculousand amusing, and others which leave a painful impression of the state oflaw in Kentucky. My reason for abstaining is, that if I quoted at all, Iought to do so at greater length than the limits of a book of travelswould justify: suffice it that I inform you that Mr. Matthew F. Ward wastried and acquitted. When the result of the trial was made known, an indignation meeting washeld in Louisville, presided over by General Thomas Strange, at whichvarious resolutions were passed unanimously. The first was in thefollowing terms:--"Resolved--That the verdict of the jury, recentlyrendered in the Hardin County Court, by which Matt. F. Ward was declaredinnocent of any crime in the killing of William H. G. Butler, is inopposition to all the evidence in the case, contrary to our ideas ofpublic justice, and subversive of the fundamental principles of personalsecurity guaranteed to us by the constitution of the State. "Secondly: Resolved--That the published evidence given on the trial ofMatt. F. Ward shows, beyond all question, that a most estimable citizen, and a most amiable, moral, and peaceable man has been wantonly andcruelly killed while in the performance of his regular and responsibleduties as a teacher of youth; and, notwithstanding the verdict of acorrupt and venal jury, the deliberate judgment of the heart andconscience of this community pronounces that killing to be murder. " Thecommittee appointed by the meeting also requested Mr. Wolfe, one of thecounsel for the prisoner, to resign his seat in the State Senate, andthe Honourable Mr. Crittenden, another counsel, to resign his place inthe Senate of the United States; effigies of the two brothers Ward wereburnt, and a public subscription opened to raise a monument to themurdered Professor. I cannot, of course, decide how far the conclusionsof the committee are just, as I do not pretend to know Kentucky law. Ihave, however, given the trial to members of the Bar in this countryaccustomed to deal with such cases, and they have without hesitationasserted that not one man in ten who has been hanged in England has beencondemned on more conclusive evidence. It is also apparent that in someparts of the Union the same opinion prevails, as the following paragraphfrom the _New York Daily Times_ will clearly show:--"The trial isremoved from the scene of the homicide, so that the prisoners shall Dotbe tried by those who knew them best, but is taken to a distant country. The Press is forbidden, against all law and right, to publish a reportof the proceedings while the trial is in progress. Every particle ofevidence in regard to Butler's character is excluded; while a perfectarmy of witnesses--clergymen, colonels, members of Congress, editors, cabinet officers, &c. , who had enjoyed the social intimacy of theWards--testified ostentatiously to the prisoner's mildness of temper, declaring him, with anxious and undisguised exaggeration, to be gentleand amiable to a fault. All these preparations, laboriously made andsteadily followed up, were for the purpose, not of determining thetruth, which is the only proper object of judicial inquiry--not ofascertaining accurately and truly whether Matthew Ward did or did notmurder Butler--but to secure impunity for his act. This whole drama wasenacted to induce the jury to affirm a falsehood; and it has succeeded. We do not believe John J. Crittenden entertains in his heart the shadowof a doubt that Butler was murdered: we do not believe that a single manon that jury believes that the man they have acquitted is innocent ofthe crime laid to his charge. We regard the issue of this trial as ofthe gravest importance: it proves that in one State of this Union, wealth is stronger than justice; that Kentucky's most distinguished sonstake to their hearts and shield with all their power a murderer who hasmoney and social position at his command; and that under their auspices, legal tribunals and the most solemn forms of justice have been made toconfer impunity on one of the blackest and most wanton murders which theannals of crime record. " I add no comment, leaving the reader to make his own, deductions, and Ionly hope, if the foregoing lines should ever meet the eye of a citizenbelonging to the sovereign State of Kentucky, they may stir him up toamend the law or to purify the juries. FOOTNOTES: [Footnote BJ: The reader is requested to remember that all the wordsprinted in italics--while dealing with _English Items_--are so done toshow that they are quotations from the eulogies of the American press. They are as thoroughly repudiated by me as they must be by everyAmerican gentleman. ] [Footnote BK: Did Mr. Ward ever read any account in the gazettes of hisown country, of the poor soldiers going to "Washington to procure landwarrants, and after being detained there till they were reduced tobeggary, receiving no attention? Let me commend the following letter, taken from the press of his own country, dated July 6, 1853, andaddressed to the President:-- "DEAR SIR, --_In the humblest tone do I implore your charity for threecents, to enable me to procure something to eat. _ Pray be so kind, andreceive the grateful thanks of your humble supplicant of ShenandoahCounty, Va. "] [Footnote BL: The reader will be astonished to know that these remarksare from the pen of a Kentucky man; in which State there is a large holein the ground, made by Providence, and called "The Mammoth Cave;" it issituated on private property, and for the privilege of lionizing it, youpay 10s. So carefully is it watched, that no one is even allowed tomake a plan of it, lest some entrance should be found available on theadjoining property. ] [Footnote BM: I must beg the reader to remember this last sentence whenhe comes to the interview between the Kentucky author and his oldfriend, the schoolmaster. ] [Footnote BN: Kentucky is the State of his birth and family, Arkansasthe State of his adoption, and "The Three Continents" the fruit of hispen. ] [Footnote BO: The reader will find that, in his interview with theschoolmaster, his brother was "completely himself" with a bowie-knifeonly. ] [Footnote BP: One other instance I must give of the coolness with whichan American writer can pen the most glaring falsehood; _vide_ "EnglishTraits, " by R. W. Emerson. I might quote many fake impressions conveyed, but I shall confine myself to one of his observations upon a religioussubject, where at least decency might have made him respect truth. Atpage 126 I find the following sentence:--"They put up no Socraticprayer, _much less any saintly prayer, for the Queen's mind_; askneither for light nor right, but say bluntly, 'grant her in health andwealth long to live. '" Now, I will not ask whether the author of thispassage ever saw our Book of Common Prayer, because printing the wordsin inverted commas is proof sufficient; nor will I go out of my way toshow the _many_ prayers put up for the bestowal of purely spiritualblessings; but, when I find the previous sentence to the one quoted byhim to be as follows, "Endow her plenteously with heavenly gifts, " whatcan I say of such a writer? Either that by heavenly gifts he understandsdollars and cents, or that he has wilfully sacrificed religious truth atthe shrine of democratic popularity. Having placed him on these twohorns of a dilemma, I leave him to arrange his seat. ] [Footnote BQ: Of course the evidence of the brother is the _mostfavourable_ to Mr. M. F. W. That the trial produces. ] [Footnote BR: It appears in evidence that the scene described took placeabout half-past ten A. M. ] [Footnote BS: Mr. Sturgus is the master who was supposed to beunfriendly to Mr. Matthew F. Ward. ] CHAPTER XXV. _The Institution of Slavery. _ There is one subject which no person who pretends to convey to thereader the honest thoughts and impressions which occupied his mindduring his travels in this vast Republic, can pass over in silence; andthat subject, I need scarcely observe, is Slavery. It is an institutionwhich deserves most serious consideration; for while a general unity ofsentiment binds the various States together in a manner that justifiesthe national motto, "_E pluribus unum_, " the question of slavery hangsfearfully over their Union; and the thread by which it is suspended ismore uncertain than the fragile hair of the sword of Damocles, for it isdependent upon the angry passions of angry man. So true do I feel this to be, that were I a citizen of one of the FreeStates of America, I might hesitate before I committed my opinions tothe Press. I trust, however, that I may so treat the subject that nocause for ill-blood may be given. Unquestionably, the origin of the evilis wholly with the mother country. We entered into the diabolicaltraffic of our fellow-creatures, and forced the wretched negro upon aland which had never before received the impress of a slave's foot; andthis we did despite all the remonstrances of the outraged and indignantcolonists; and with this revolting sin upon our shoulders, it is butnatural we should feel deeply interested in the sable ivy-shoot weplanted, and which now covers the whole southern front of the statelyedifice of the Giant Republic. Time was when a Newcastle collier mighthave carried the sable shoot back to the soil whence it had been stolen;now, the keels of many nations combined would scarce suffice to move therapid growth. But, while at England's door lies the original guilt, America has sinceput the solemn seal of her paternity upon it; every foot of land which, in the rapid career of her aggrandisement, has been sullied with thefootsteps of the slave for the first time, mars the beauty of the capof liberty, and plants a slave-trader's star in the banner of thenation. She is only doing a century later what we wickedly did a centurybefore--viz. , planting slavery on a soil hitherto free, and enlargingthe market for the sale of flesh and blood. The futile excuse sometimesoffered, that they were merely moved from one part to another of thesame country, cannot be admitted; or, if it be, upon the same principleall the Free States might return again to slavery. If it be no sin tointroduce slavery into a free Sovereign State, then was England not soguilty in the first instance, for she sent slaves from a land ofignorance, cruelty, and idolatry, to an enlightened and Christiancolony. It is in vain for either England or the United States to shirkthe guilty responsibility of introducing slaves on free soil. Englandhas the additional guilt of having acted against the wishes of thecolonists; the United States has the additional guilt of increasingslave territory a century later, and when the philanthropists of everycountry were busied in endeavours to solve the problem, "How can slaverybe abolished?" Without dwelling further upon respective guilt, I will at once proceedto review the crusades which have been made against the institution, andthe hopes of the slave under it; after which, I will offer forconsideration such proposals as appear to me worthy the attention of allthe true friends of the negro, whether owners or not. While thustreating the subject, I beg to observe that I fully recognise eachindividual State as possessing plenipotentiary powers within the limitsof that constitution by which they are all bound together: and I trustthat, in any observations I may make, no one expression will be somisconstrued as to give offence; for I know full well the stupendousdifficulties with which the whole question is surrounded, and I feel itis one which should be approached only in a true spirit of charity andkindness towards the much-maligned gentlemen of the South. I open the question by asking--what is the meaning of the cry raised bythe fanatics of the North--the abolition crusaders? In words, it isfreedom to the slave; in fact, it is spoliation of their neighbours. Hadthe proposition come from wild Arabs who live in houses they carry ontheir backs, and feed on the milk of flocks that pasture at their side, I might have comprehended the modest proposal; but coming from thosewhose energy for business is proverbial, and whose acuteness in allmatters of dollars and cents is unsurpassed, if equalled, by theshrewdest Hebrew of the Hebrews, I confess it is beyond my punyimagination to fathom. Were it accompanied with any pecuniary offeradequate to the sacrifice proposed, I might be able to comprehend it:but for those, or the descendants of those, who, as they found whitelabour more profitable, sold their sable brethren to their southernneighbours, and thus easily and profitably removed slavery from theirborders, --for those, I say, to turn round and preach a crusade for theemancipation of the negro, in homilies of contumely, with the voice ofself-righteousness, exhibits a degree of assurance that cannot besurpassed. Had they known as much of human nature as of the laws ofprofit and loss, they might have foreseen that in every epithet heapedupon their southern countrymen, they were riveting a fresh bolt in theslave's fetters. On what plea did the American colony rebel? Was it not, as a broad principle, the right of self-government? Does not theirconstitution allow independent action to each State, subject only tocertain obligations, binding alike on all? If those are complied with, on what principle of patriotism or honour do individuals or societieshurl torches of discord among their southern co-citizens? No person who has watched or inquired into the social state of theslaves during the present century, can fail to have observed that muchhas been done to improve their condition among the respectable holdersthereof, both as regards common education and religious instruction; atthe same time, they will perceive that the first law ofnature--self-preservation--compelled them to make common educationpenal, as soon as fanatical abolitionists inundated the country withfirebrand pamphlets. No American can deny, that when an oppressed peoplefeel their chains galling to them, they have a right to follow theexample of the colonists, and strike for freedom. This right doubtlessbelongs to the negro, and these inflammable publications were calculatedto lead them on to make the effort. But what reflecting mind can fail toforesee the horrors consequent upon such a hopeless endeavour? Moreespecially must it have presented itself to the mind of theslave-masters; and could they, with sure visions before their eyes ofthe fearful sacrifice of human life, the breaking-up of whatever goodfeeling now exists between master and slave, and the inauguration of areign of terror and unmitigated severity--could they, I say, with suchconsequences staring them in the face, have taken a more mild, sensible, and merciful step than checking that education, through theinstrumentality of which, the abolitionists were hastening forward soawful a catastrophe? The following extract may suffice to prove the irritation produced bythe abolitionists in Virginia, though, of course, I do not pretend toinsinuate that the respectable portion of the community in that Statewould endorse its barbarous ravings:-- "SLAVERY IN THE SCHOOL-ROOM. --The (American) _Richmond Examiner_, inconnexion with the recent trial of Ward of Kentucky, has the followingtheory on the extinction of schoolmasters in general:--'The South hasfor years been overrun with hordes of illiterate, unprincipled graduatesof the Yankee free schools (those hot-beds of self-conceit andignorance), who have, by dint of unblushing impudence, establishedthemselves as schoolmasters in our midst. So odious are some of these"itinerant ignoramuses" to the people of the South; so full ofabolitionism and concealed incendiarism are many of this class; so fullof guile, fraud, and deceit, --that the deliberate shooting one of themdown, in the act of poisoning the minds of our slaves or our children, we think, if regarded as homicide at all, should always be deemedperfectly justifiable; and we imagine the propriety of shooting anabolition schoolmaster, when caught tampering with our slaves, has neverbeen questioned by any intelligent Southern man. This we take to be theunwritten common law of the South, and we deem it advisable topromulgate the law, that it may be copied into all the abolition papers, thundered at by the three thousand New England preachers, and read withpeculiar emphasis, and terrible upturning of eyes, by Garrison, at thenext meeting of the anti-slavery party at Faneuil Hall. We repeat, thatthe shooting of itinerant abolition schoolmasters is frequently acreditable and laudable act, entitling a respectable Southern man to, atleast, a seat in the Legislature or a place in the Common Council. Letall Yankee schoolmasters who propose invading the South, endowed with astrong nasal twang, a long scriptural name, and Webster's lexicographicbook of abominations, seek some more congenial land, where their ownlives will be more secure than in the "vile and homicidal Slave States. "We shall be glad if the ravings of the abolition press about the Wardacquittal shall have this effect. '" We now see that the abolitionists have rendered the education of thenegro, with a view to his ultimate fitness for freedom orself-government, utterly impracticable, however anxious the slave-ownermight have otherwise been to instruct him. Thus, by their imprudentviolence, they have effectually closed the educational pathway toemancipation. It should not either be forgotten that the Southerners mayhave seen good reason to doubt the Christian sincerity of those whoclamoured so loudly for loosening the fetters of the slaves. The freedslaves in the Northern States must have frequently been seen by them, year after year, as they went for "the season" to the watering-places, and could they observe much in his position there to induce the beliefthat the Northerners are the friends of the negro? In some cities, hemust not drive a coach or a car; in others, he must not enter a publicconveyance; in places of amusement, he is separated from his whitefriend; even in the house of that God with whom "there is no respect ofpersons, " he is partitioned off as if he were an unclean animal; in someStates he is not admitted at all. With such evidences of friendship for the negro, might they not questionthe honesty of Northern champions of emancipation? Could they reallyplace confidence in the philanthropic professions of those who treat thenegro as an outcast, and force on him a life of wretchedness instead ofstriving to raise him in the social scale? If a negro had the intellectof a Newton--if he were clothed in purple and fine linen, and if he camefresh from an Oriental bath, and fragrant as "Araby's spices, " aNortherner would prefer sitting down with a pole-cat--he would ratherpluck a living coal from the fire than grasp the hand of the worthiestnegro that ever stepped. Whoever sees a negro in the North smile at theapproach of the white man? Who has not seen a worthy planter orslave-owner returning from a short absence, greeted with smiles inabundance, or perhaps receiving a broad grin of pride and pleasure asthe worthy owner gave his hand to some old faithful slave? I think I have shown, in the foregoing remarks, that the Southern hasthree solid and distinct grounds of objection to the Free Statesabolitionist. First, --The natural spirit of man, which rebels againstwholesale vituperation and calumny. Secondly, --The obstacle they haveplaced in the way of giving the slave simple education, by introducingmost inflammable pamphlets. Thirdly, --The questionable sincerity oftheir professed sympathy for the slave, as evidenced by the antipathythey exhibit towards the free negro, and by the palpable fact that he isfar worse off in a free than in a slave State. The same objection cannot justly be taken against English abolitionists, because they act and think chiefly upon the evidence furnished byAmerican hands; besides which, slavery in the West Indian colonies wasfelt by the majority of the nation to be so dark a stain upon ournational character, that, although burdened with a debt such as theworld never before dreamt of, the sum of 20, 000, 000l. Was readilyvoted for the purposes of emancipation. Whether the method in which theprovisions of the act were carried out was very wise or painfullyfaulty, we need not stop to inquire: the object was a noble one, and thesacrifice was worthy of the object. With all the feelings of that discussion fresh in the public mind, it isno wonder that philanthropists, reading the accounts published byAmerican authors of the horrors of slavery, should band themselvestogether for the purpose of urging America in a friendly tone to followGreat Britain's noble example, and to profit by any errors she hadcommitted as to the method of carrying emancipation into effect. I amquite aware a slaveholder may reply, "This is all very good; but I musthave a word with you, good gentlemen of England, as to sincerity. If youhold slavery so damnable a sin, why do you so greedily covet the fruitsof the wages of that sin? The demand of your markets for slave produceenhances the value of the slave, and in so doing clenches another nailin the coffin, of his hopes. " I confess I can give no reply, except thehumiliating confession which, if the feeling of the nation is to be readin its Parliamentary acts, amounts to this--"We have removed slaveryfrom our own soil, and we don't care a farthing if all the rest of theworld are slaves, provided only we can get cheap cotton and sugar, &c. Mammon! Mammon! Mammon! is ever the presiding deity of the Anglo-Saxonrace, whether in the Old or the New World. There can be no doubt that the reception of Mrs. Beecher Stowe's workand person in England was very galling to many a Southerner, andnaturally so; because it conveyed a tacit endorsement of all herassertions as to the horrors of the slavery system. When I first read_Uncle Tom_, I said, "This will rather tend to rivet than to loosen thefetters of the slave, rousing the indignation of all the South againsther and her associates. " Everything I have since seen, heard, and read, only tends to confirm my original impression. While I would readily giveMrs. Stowe a chaplet of laurel as a clever authoress, I could neveraward her a faded leaf as the negro's friend. There can be no doubt thatMrs. Beecher Stowe has had no small share in the abolition excitementwhich has been raging in the States, and which has made Kansas thebattle-field of civil war; but the effect of this agitation has gonefarther: owing to husting speeches and other occurrences, the negro'smind has been filled with visionary hopes of liberty; insurrections havebeen planned, and, worse still, insurrections have been imagined. Infear for life and property, torture worthy of the worst days of theInquisition has been resorted to, to extort confession from those whohad nothing to confess. Some died silent martyrs; others, in theiragony, accused falsely the first negro whose name came to their memory;thus, injustice bred injustice, and it is estimated that not less than athousand wretched victims have closed their lives in agony. One whiteman, who was found encouraging revolt, and therefore merited punishmentof the severest kind, was sentenced, in that land of equality, to 900lashes, and died under the infliction--a sight that would have gladdenedthe eyes of Bloody Jeffreys. And why all these horrors? I distinctlysay, --thanks to the rabid Abolitionists. Let me now for a moment touch upon the treatment of slaves. The farms ofthe wealthy planters, and the chapels with negro minister and negrocongregation, bear bright evidence to the fact that negroes have theirbodily and spiritual wants attended to, not forgetting also the oralteaching they often receive from the wife of the planter. But is thatsystem universal? Those who would answer that question truthfully neednot travel to the Southern States for documentary evidence. Is any humanbeing fit to be trusted with absolute power over one of hisfellow-creatures, however deeply his public reputation and his balanceat the banker's may be benefited by the most moderate kindness to them?If every man were a Howard or a Wilberforce, and every woman a Fry or aNightingale, the truth would be ever the same, and they would be thefirst to acknowledge it. --Man is unfit for irresponsible power. Now the only bar before which the proprietor of slaves is likely to bearraigned, is the bar of public opinion; and the influence which thatknowledge will have upon his conduct is exactly in the inverse ratio toits need; for the hardened brute, upon whom its influence is mostwanted, is the very person who, if he can escape lynching, isindifferent to public opinion. No Southerner can be affronted, if I saythat he is not more Christian, kind-hearted, and mild-tempered than hisfellow-man in the Northern States, in France, or in England; and yet howconstantly do we find citizens of those communities evincingunrestrained passions in the most brutal acts, and that with theknowledge that the law is hanging over their heads, and that theirvictims can give evidence against them; whereas, in the Slave States, provided the eye of a white man is excluded, there is scarce a limit tothe torture which a savage monster may inflict upon the helpless slave, whose word cannot be received in evidence. It is as absurd to judge ofthe condition of the slave by visiting an amiable planter and his lady, as it would be to judge of the clothing, feeding, and comfort of ourlabouring population by calling at the town-house of the Duke ofWell-to-do and carefully noting the worthy who fills an arm-chair like asentry-box, and is yclept the porter. Look at him, with his hairpowdered and fattened down to the head; behold him as the bell rings, using his arms as levers to force his rotundity out of its case; thenobserve the pedestals on which he endeavours to walk; one might imaginehe had been tapped for the dropsy half-a-dozen times, and that all thewater had run into the calves of his legs. Is that a type of the poorerclasses? Where, then, are we to look for true data on which to form an opinion ofthe treatment of the slave?--Simply by studying human nature andweighing human passions, and then inquiring by what laws they are heldin check. Now, as to the laws, they amount to nothing, inasmuch as slaveevidence is not admissible, and the possibility of any oppression, evento death itself, must frequently be, without any fear of punishment, inthe hands of the owner. If law, then, affords the negro no efficientprotection from human passions, where are we to look for it in humannature, except it be in the influences of Christianity, self-interest, or public opinion? The last of these, we have seen, is upon asliding-scale of an inefficiency which increases in proportion to thenecessity for its influence, and is therefore all but impotent for good. Let us now consider self-interest. Will any one assert thatself-interest is sufficient to restrain anger? How many a hasty worddoes man utter, or how many a hasty act does man commit, under theinfluence of passion he cannot or will not restrain--and that among hisequals, who may be able to resent it, or in the face of law ready toavenge it! How prone are we all, if things go wrong from some fault ofour own, to lose our temper and try to throw the blame on others, ratherthan admit the failure to be our own fault! Without dwelling upon theserious injury people often do to themselves by unrestrained passion, think for a moment of the treatment frequently inflicted upon the pooranimals over whom they rule absolute. Is not kindness to a horse theinterest as well as the duty of the owner? and yet how often is he theunfortunate victim of the owner's rage or cruel disposition, whilefaithfully and willingly expending all his powers in the service of histyrant master! If these things be so among equals, or comparativeequals, and also in man's dealings with the lower orders of thecreation, what chance has the poor slave, with the arm of legislativejustice paralysed, and an arm nerved with human passion his only hope ofmercy?--for self-defence, that first law of nature, is the highest crimehe can be guilty of: and, while considering the mercenary view ofself-interest, let it not be forgotten that an awful amount of humansuffering is quite compatible with unimpaired health, and that a slavemay be frequently under the lash and yet fully able to do his day'swork. The last influence we have to consider is indeed the brightest and bestof all--Christianity: high on the brotherly arch of man's duty to hisfellow-man, and forming its enduring keystone, we read, traced byJehovah in imperishable letters, radiant with love, "Do unto others asyou would that they should do unto you;" "Love thy neighbour asthyself. " Surely it needs no words of mine to show, that a faithfulhistory of the most Christian country in the most Christian times theworld ever witnessed, would contain, fearful evidence of the cruelty ofman setting at nought the above blessed precept. Nay, more--I questionif, viewed in its entire fulness, there is any one single command inScripture more habitually disregarded. Proverbs are generally supposedto be a condensation of facts or experiences. Whence comes "Every onefor himself, and God for us all"? or, the more vulgar one, "Go ahead, and the d----l take the hindmost?" What are they but concentrations ofthe fact that selfishness is man's ruling passion? What are most lawsmade for, but to restrain men by human penalties from a broach of thelaw of love? and, if these laws be needful in communities, all themembers of which are equal in the eyes of the law, and even then befound inefficient for their purpose, as may be daily witnessed in everycountry, who will say that the influence of Christianity is sufficientprotection to the poor slave? There is only one other influence that I shall mention--that is habit;it acts for and against the slave. Thus, the kind and good, brought upamong slaves, very often nursed by them, and grown up in the continualpresence of their gentleness and faithfulness, repay them withunmeasured kindness, and a sympathy in all their sickness and theirsorrows, to a degree which I feel quite certain the most tender-heartedChristian breathing could never equal, if landed among slaves, for thefirst time, at years of maturity. The Christian planter's wife ordaughter may be seen sitting up at night, cooking, nursing, tending anold sick and helpless slave, with nearly, if not quite, the sameaffectionate care she would bestow upon a sick relation, the veryfriendlessness of the negro stimulating the benevolent heart. This is, indeed, the bright side of the influence of habit. --But the other sideis not less true; and there the effect is, that a coarse, brutal mind, trained up among those it can bully with impunity, acquires aheartlessness and indifference to the negro's wants and sufferings, thatgrow with the wretched possessor's growth. This is the dark side of theinfluence of habit. Let two examples suffice, both of which I have upon the very bestauthority. A faithful slave, having grown up with his master's risingfamily, obtained his freedom as a reward for his fidelity, and wasentrusted with the management of the property; realizing some money, hebecame the owner of slaves himself, from among whom he selected hiswife, and to all of whom he showed the greatest consideration. Sometime after, lying upon his deathbed, he made his will, in which hebequeathed his wife and all his other negroes to his old master, givingas his reason, that, from his own lively recollections of his master'sunvarying kindness to himself and the other slaves, he felt certain thatin so doing he was taking the best means in his power of securing theirfuture happiness. What stronger evidence of the growth of kindness inthe master's heart could possibly be desired? Here, then, is the effectof habit in a benevolent owner. --Now, turn to the opposite picture. Alady of New Orleans was accustomed to strip and flog a slave for thepleasure of witnessing sufferings which she endeavoured to render moreacute by rubbing soft soap into the broken skin. Here you have theeffect of habit upon a brutal mind. To the credit of New Orleans be it recorded, that the knowledge of thisatrocity having come to white ears, her house was broken open, everyarticle it contained pulled out in the street and burnt, and, had shenot succeeded in eluding search, the she-devil would have been mostassuredly reduced to ashes with her own goods. America became too hotfor her, and Providence alone knows the demon's cave of concealment. Having thus passed in review the various influences bearing upon thetreatment of the slave, and seen how utterly inadequate they are toprotect him from ill-treatment, who can wonder that the tales of real orsupposed cruelty inflicted upon slaves by the Southerners are receivedwith indignation by both parties in the States?--the virtuous and kindmaster, indignant at the thought of being included in the category ofmonsters, and the real savage, if possible, still more indignant, because his conscience brings home to his seared heart the truthfulnessof the picture, even if it be overdrawn almost to caricature. And hereit is curious to observe the different action of these two parties: theformer, in the consciousness of a kind heart and a real desire for thenegro's good, calmly states what has been done and is doing for thenegro, and throws a natural veil of doubt over horrors so utterlyrepulsive to the feelings that their existence is discredited; thelatter, with a shallowness which Providence sometimes attaches to guilt, aware that some such accusations come too painfully and truthfullyhome, pronounce their own condemnation by their line ofdefence--recrimination. Take, for example, the following extract from an article in a SlaveState paper, entitled "A Sequel to Uncle Tom's Cabin, " and in whichQueen Victoria, under the guidance of a "genius, " has the condition ofher subjects laid bare before her. After various other paragraphs of asimilar nature comes the following:-- "The sky was obscured by the smoke of hundreds of small chimneys andvast edifices, stretching in lines for miles and miles. The latter werecrowded with women and children, young in years, but withered in formand feature. The countenances of the men were as colourless as the whitefabric in their looms; their eyes sparkled with intelligence, but it waschiefly the intelligence of suffering, of privation, of keen sense ofwrong, of inability to be better, of rankling hatred against existinginstitutions, and a furtive wish that some hideous calamity would burythem all in one common, undistinguishable ruin. "'Are these the people? groaned the Queen, as the cold damp of more thanmortal agony moistened her marble forehead. "'Not all of them!" sounded the voice in her ear, so sharply that herMajesty looked up eagerly, and saw written, in letters of fire, on thepalace wall:-- "'1. Every twelfth person in your dominions is a pauper, daily receivingparochial relief. "'2. Every twentieth person in your dominions is a destitute wanderer, with no roof but the sky--no home but a prison. They are the Ishmaelitesof modern society; every one's hand is against them, and their hands areagainst every one. "'3. There are in Freeland 10, 743, 747 females; divide that number by500, 000, and you will find that every twentieth woman in your dominionsis--Oh! horror piled on horror!--a harlot!'" Then follows the scene of a disconsolate female throwing herself over abridge, the whole winding up with this charming piece of information, addressed by the genius to her Majesty:-- "In your own land, liberty, the absence of which in another is deplored, is, in its most god-like development, but a name--unless that may betermed liberty which practically is but vulgar license--license to workfrom rosy morn to dark midnight for the most scanty pittances--licenseto store up wealth in the hands and for the benefit of the few--licenseto bellow lustily for rival politicians--license to send children toragged schools--license to sot in the ale-house--license to grow lumpishand brutal--license to neglect the offices of religion, to swear, tolie, to blaspheme--license to steal, to pander unchecked to the coarsestappetites, to fawn and slaver over the little great ones of theearth--license to creep like a worm through life, or bound through itlike a wild beast; and, last and most precious of all--for it isuntaxed--license to starve, to rot, to die, and be buried in a foetidpauper's grave, on which the sweet-smelling flowers, sent to strew thepathway of man and woman with beauty, love, and hope, will refuse togrow, much less bloom. " Setting aside all exaggerations, who does not recognise in the foregoingquotations "the galled jade wincing"? Were the writer a kind owner ofslaves, he might have replied to _Uncle Tom's Cabin_ by facts ofhabitual kindness to them, sufficient to prove that the authoress hadentered into the region of romance; but in his recrimination heunconsciously displays the cloven hoof, and leaves no doubt on the mindthat he writes under the impulse of a bitterly-accusing monitor within. It would be wasting time to point out the difference between a systemwhich binds millions of its people in bondage to their fellow-man, amaster's sovereign will their only practical protection, and a systemwhich not only makes all its subjects equal in the eye of the law, andfree to seek their fortunes wherever they list, but which is for everstriving to mitigate the distress that is invariably attendant upon anovercrowded population. Even granting that his assertions were not onlytrue, but that they were entirely produced by tyrannical enactments, what justification would England's sins be for America's crimes? Supposethe House of Commons and the Lords Temporal and Spiritual obtained theroyal sanction to an act for kidnapping boys and grilling them daily fora table-d'hôte in their respective legislative assemblies, would such anatrocity--or any worse atrocity, if such be possible--in any respectalter the question of right and wrong between master and slave? Let anycharge of cruelty or injustice in England be advanced on its own simplegrounds, and, wherever it comes from, it will find plenty of people, Iam proud and happy to say, ready to inquire into it and to work hard forits removal; but when it comes in the shape of recrimination, who canfail to recognise an accusing conscience striving to throw the cloak ofother people's sins over the abominations which that conscience is everringing in the writer's ears at home. I must, however, state that, in speaking of the sufferings or injuriesto which the slave is liable, I am not proclaiming them merely on theauthority of Northern abolitionists, or on the deductions which I havedrawn from human nature; many travellers have made similar charges. MissBremer writes:--"I beheld the old slave hunted to death because he daredto visit his wife--beheld him mangled, beaten, recaptured, fling himselfinto the water of the Black River, over which he was retaken into thepower of his hard master--and the law was silent. I beheld a young womanstruck, for a hasty word, upon the temples, so that she fell downdead!--and the law was silent. I heard the law, through its jury, adjudicate between a white man and a black, and sentence the latter tobe flogged when the former was guilty--and they who were honest amongthe jurymen in vain opposed the verdict. I beheld here on the shores ofthe Mississippi, only a few months since, a young negro girl fly fromthe maltreatment of her master, and he was a professor of religion, andfling herself into the river. "--_Homes of the New World. _ Would MissBremer write these things for the press, as occurring under her own eye, if they were not true? Then, again, the Press itself in the South bears witness to what everyone must admit to be an inhuman practice. How often must the reader of aSouthern States' paper see children of the tenderest age, sometimes evenunder a year old, advertised for public sale! Did any one every take upthe New Orleans paper without seeing more than one such advertisement asthe following?-- 150 NEGROES FOE SALE. Just arrived, and for sale, at my old stand, No. 7, Moreau-street, Third Municipality, one hundred and fifty young and likely NEGROES, consisting of field-hands, house servants, and mechanics. They will be sold on reasonable terms for good paper or cash. Persons wishing to purchase will find it to their advantage to give me a call. [Sep. 30--6m. ] Wm. F. TALBOTT. What happiness can the slave enjoy among a community where such anadvertisement as the following can be tolerated, or, worse still, when, as in the present instance, it is sent forth under the sanction of thelaw? The advertisement is taken from a paper published at Wilmington, North Carolina. $225 REWARD. --STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA, NEW HANOVER COUNTY. --_Whereas_, complaint upon, oath hath this day been made to us, two of the Justices of the Peace for the State and County aforesaid, by BENJAMIN HALLET, of the said county, that two certain male slaves belonging to him, named LOTT, aged about twenty-two years, five feet four or five inches high, and black, formerly belonging to LOTT WILLIAMS, of Onslow county; and BOB, aged about sixteen years, five feet high, and black; have absented themselves from their said master's service, and are supposed to be lurking about this county, committing acts of felony and other misdeeds. These are, therefore, in the name of the State aforesaid, to command the slaves forthwith to return home to their masters; and we do hereby, by virtue of the Act of the General Assembly in such cases made and provided, intimate and declare that _if the said_ LOTT and BOB _do not return home and surrender themselves, _ immediately after the publication of these presents, that ANY PERSON MAY KILL AND DESTROY THE SAID SLAVES, by such means as he or they may think fit, without accusation or impeachment of any crime or offence for so doing, and without incurring any penalty or forfeiture thereby. Given under our hands and seals, this 28th day of February, 1853. W. N. PEDEN, J. P. , [Seal] W. C. BETTENCOURT, J. P. , [Seal. ] $225 REWARD. --TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS will be given for negro LOTT, EITHER DEAD OR ALIVE; and TWENTY-FIVE DOLLARS FOR BOB'S HEAD, delivered to the subscriber in the town of Wilmington. BENJAMIN HALLET. March 2nd, 1853. There is another evidence of a want of happiness among the slaves, which, though silent and unheard, challenges contradiction: I mean theannual escape of from one to two thousand into Canada, in spite not onlyof the natural difficulties and privations of the journey, but also ofthe fearful dread of the consequences of re-capture. Doubtless some ofthese may be fleeing from the dread of just punishment for offencesagainst the law, but none can doubt that many more are endeavouring toescape from what they feel to be cruelty, injustice, and oppression. I do not wish to pander to a morbid appetite for horrors by gatheringtogether under one view all the various tales of woe and misery which Ihave heard of, known, or seen. I think I have said enough to prove toany unprejudiced person that such things do and must ever exist underthe institution of slavery; and that, although the statements of rabidabolitionists are often the most unwarranted exaggerations, the all buttotal denial of their occurrence by the slave-owners is also notcorrect. The conviction forced upon my own mind, after much thought andinquiry on this most interesting topic is, that there are many darkclouds of cruelty in a sky which is bright with much of the truest andkindest sympathy for the poor slave. I now propose to take a short review of the progress and real state ofslavery, and I will commence by giving _in extenso_ an enactment whichmaterially affects the negro, and, as I have before observed, has morethan once threatened the Republic with disunion:-- Section 2. --Privileges of Citizens. --Clause 3. "No person held toservice or labour in one state under the laws thereof, escaping toanother, shall in consequence of any law or regulation therein bedischarged from such service or labour, but shall be delivered up onclaim of the party to whom such service or labour may be due. " Of course the word "slave" would have read strangely among a communitywho set themselves up as the champions of the "equal rights of man;" butit is clear that, according to this clause in the constitution whichbinds the Republic together, every free state is compelled to assist inthe recapture of a fugitive slave. What was the exact number of slaves at the date of this law being passedI have not the means of ascertaining: at the beginning of this centuryit was under 900, 000; in the Census of 1850 they had increased to3, 200, 000. [BT] There were originally 13 States. At present there are31, besides territory not yet incorporated into States. The Slave Statesare 15, or nearly half. Thus much for increase of slaves and the slavesoil. But, it will naturally be asked, how did it happen that, as theadditional soil was incorporated, the sable workmen appeared as if bymagic? The answer is very simple. The demand regulated the supply, andslave breeding became a most important feature in the system: thus thewants of the more southern States became regularly lessened by largedrafts from Maryland, Kentucky, and Virginia. Anybody desirous oftesting the truth of this statement will find statistical data to assisthim in an unpretending volume by Marshall Hall, M. D. , &c. , _On TwofoldSlavery, _ which I read with much interest, although I cannot agree withhim in everything. [BV] I am aware that residents in these breeding States are to be found whowould scorn to utter a wilful falsehood, and who deny this propagationof the human chattel for the flesh market; but there can be little doubtthat the unbiased seeker after truth will find that such is the case. And why not? Why should those who make their livelihood by traffickingin the flesh of their fellow-creatures hesitate to increase theirprofits by paying attention to the breeding of them? These facts do notcome under the general traveller's eye, because, armed with letters ofintroduction, he consorts more with worthy slave-owners, who, occupiedwith the welfare of those around and dependent upon them, know littleof the world beyond; in the same way as in England, a Christian familymay be an example of patriarchal simplicity and of apostolic zeal andlove, and yet beyond the circle of their action, though not very farfrom its circumference, the greatest distress and perhaps cruelty mayabound. How many of the dark spots on our community has the single zealof the Earl of Shaftesbury forced upon the public mind, of which we wereutterly ignorant, though living in the midst of them. The degradedfemale drudge in a coal-pit, the agonized infant in a chimney, and thedeath-wrought child in a factory--each and all bear testimony to howmuch of suffering may exist while surrounded by those whose lives arespent in Christian charity. And so it is in every community, SlaveStates included. Christian hearts, pregnant with zeal and love, arediffusing blessings around them; and, occupied with their noble work, they know little of the dark places that hang on their borders. TheSouthern planter and his lady may be filled with the love of St. John, and radiate the beams thereof on every man, woman, and child under theirguardianship, and then, "measuring other people's corn by their ownlovely bushel, " they may well hesitate to believe in the existence of aprofligate breeding Pandemonium within the precincts of their immediatecountry. Yet, alas! there can be little doubt that it does exist. Let us now fix our attention on the actual facts of the case which allparties admit. First, we have a slave population of 3, 200, 000. I think, if I estimate their marketable value at 80_l_ a head, I shall beconsiderably below the truth. That gives us in human flesh, 250, 000, 000l. Secondly, let us take the product of their labour. TheSlave States raise annually-- Rice 215, 000, 000 lbs. Tobacco 185, 000, 000 " Sugar 248, 000, 000 " Cotton 1, 000, 000, 000 " Molasses 12, 000, 000 gallons. Indian Corn. 368, 000, 000 bushels. Estimating these at a lower value than they have ever fallen to, youhave here represented 80, 000, 000l. Sterling of annual produce fromthe muscle and sinew of the slave. [BW] Surely the wildest enthusiast, did he but ponder over these facts, could not fail to pause ere hemounted the breach, shouting the rabid war-cry of abolition, whichinvolves a capital of 250, 000, 000_l_, and an annual produce of80, 000, 000l. The misery which an instantaneous deliverance of the slave would causeby the all but certain loss of the greater portion of the products aboveenumerated, must be apparent to the least reflecting mind. If any suchschemer exist, he would do well to study the history of our West Indiaislands from the period of their sudden emancipation, especially sincefree-trade admitted slave produce on equal terms with the produce offree labour. Complaints of utter ruin are loud and constant from theproprietors in nearly every island; they state, and state with truth, that it is impossible for free labour at a high price, and which canonly be got perhaps for six hours a day, to compete with the steadyslave work of twelve hours a day; and they show that slaveholdingcommunities have materially increased their products, which can onlyhave been effected by a further taxing of the slave's powers, or a vastincrease of fresh human material. [BX] But they further complain that thenegro himself is sadly retrograding. "They attend less to theinstruction of their religious teachers; they pay less attention to theeducation of their children; vice and immorality are on the increase, "&c. --_Petition to the Imperial Parliament from St. George's, Jamaica, _July, 1852. I might multiply such statements from nearly every island, and quote theauthority of even some of their governors to the same effect; but theabove are sufficient for my purpose. They prove three most importantfacts for consideration, when treating the question of Slavery. First, that you may ruin the planter. Secondly, that you may free--withoutbenefiting--the slave. Thirdly, that each State, as it becomes free, tends to give additional value to the property of those States whichchoose to hold on to slavery; and all these results may occur despitethe wisdom (?) of senators, and an indemnity of 20, 000, 000l. Surely, then, the Southern planter may well assert that he sees notsufficient inducement to follow our hasty wholesale example. But whilesuch convictions are forced upon him, he will be a degenerate son ofenergetic sires, if he be so scared at our ill-success as to fear tolook for some better path to the same noble object; and there is onemost important consideration which should impel him, while avoiding allrash haste, to brook no dangerous delay; that consideration is, that thedifficulty of dealing with the question is increasing with fearfulrapidity, for the slave population has nearly quadrupled itself sincethe beginning of the century. The capital involved is, we have seen, gigantic; but the question of numbers is by far the most perplexing todeal with, in a social point of view. The white population of the SlaveStates is, in rough numbers, 6, 000, 000; the slave population is morethan 3, 000, 000, and the free blacks 250, 000. Does any sane man believethat, if slavery had existed in Great Britain, and that the slaves hadconstituted one-third of the population, we should have attempted toremove the black bar from our escutcheon, by the same rapid and summaryprocess which we adopted to free the negro in our colonies? An American writer on Slavery has said, and I think most justly, "thattwo distinct races of people, nearly equal in numbers, and unlike incolour, manners, habits, feelings and state of civilization to such adegree that amalgamation is impossible, cannot dwell together in thesame community unless the one be in subjection to the other. " So fullyam I convinced of the truth of this statement, and so certain am I thatevery one who has been in a Slave State must be satisfied of the truthof it, that I feel sure, if the South freed every slave to-morrow, not aweek would elapse before each State in the Union without exception wouldpass stringent laws to prevent them settling within their borders; evenat this moment such a law exists in some States. With all these difficulties constantly before them, who can wonder thata kind-hearted planter, while gazing on the cheerful and happy faces ofhis well-fed and well-housed slaves, should look distrustfully atemancipation, and strive to justify to his conscience opposition to anyplan, however gradual, which leads thereto. Nevertheless, howeversatisfied in his mind that the slaves are kindly treated, and thatharshness even is never used, he cannot contemplate the institution froma sufficient distance to be beyond its influences, without feeling thatemancipation is the goal towards which his thoughts should ever bend, and that in proportion as the steps towards it must be gradual, soshould they speedily commence. But how? Washington, while confessing hismost earnest desire for abolition, declares his conviction that "it canonly be effected by legislative authority. " The next chapter will detail such propositions as, in my humble opinion, appear most worthy of the consideration of the Legislature, with a viewto the gradual removal of the black star from the striped banner. FOOTNOTES: [Footnote BT: _List of States and Territories forming the Confederation. Those marked_ S. _are Slave-holding States. _ STATES. New Hampshire Massachusetts Rhode Island Connecticut New York New Jersey[BU] Pennsylvania S. Delaware S. Maryland S. Virginia S. North Carolina S. South Carolina S. Georgia NEW STATES. Vermont 1791 S. Kentucky 1792 S. Tennessee 1796 Ohio 1802 S. Louisiana 1812 Indiana 1816 S. Mississippi 1817 Illinois 1818 S. Alabama 1819 Maine 1820 S. Missouri 1821 S. Arkansas 1836 Michigan 1837 S. Florida 1845 S. Texas 1845 Iowa 1846 Wisconsin 1848 California 1850 DISTRICT. S. Columbia 1791 TERRITORIES. Oregon 1848 Minnesota 1849 S. Kansas 1855 S. Utah 1850 New Mexico 1850 Nebraska 1853] [Footnote BU: I believe the last slave has been removed from NewJersey. --H. A. M. ] [Footnote BV: Between 1810 and 1850 the slave population in Virginia hasonly increased from 392, 000 to 470, 000, while in Tennessee it hasincreased from 44, 000 to 240, 000; and in Louisiana, from 35, 000 to240, 000. ] [Footnote BW: I take no notice of the various other valuable productionsof these States: they may fairly represent the produce of the whiteman's labour. ] [Footnote BX: _Vide_ ch. Xii. , "The Queen of the Antilles. "] CHAPTER XXVI. _Hints for Master--Hopes for Slave. _ I will now suggest certain proposals, [BY] in the hope that while theycan do no harm, they may by chance lead to some good result. The firstproposal is a very old one, and only made by me now, because I considerit of primary importance--I mean a "Free-Soil" bill. I advocate it upontwo distinct grounds--the one affecting the Republic, the other theslave. The Republic sanctions and carries on the slave-trade byintroducing the institution into land hitherto free, and the slavethroughout the Union has his fetters tightened by the enhancement of hisvalue; but the great Channing has so fully and ably argued the truth ofthese evils, when treating of the annexation of Texas, that none but thewilfully blind can fail to be convinced; in short, if Slavery is to beintroduced into land hitherto free, it is perhaps questionable if it benot better to send for the ill-used and degraded slave from Africa, andleave the more elevated slave in his comparatively happy home in the OldSlave States; the plea may be used for bettering the condition of theformer, but that plea cannot be used for the latter. The next proposal is one which, if it came from the South, would, Isuppose, have the support of all the kind masters in those States, andmost assuredly would find no opposition in the North, --I mean theexpulsion from the Constitution of that law by which fugitive slaves areforced to be given up. If the proposal came from the North, it wouldnaturally excite ill-feeling in the South, after all the angry passionswhich abolition crusading has set in action; but the South might easilypropose it: and when we see the accounts of the affectionate attachmentof the slaves to their masters, and of the kindness with which they aretreated, in proportion, as such statements are correct, so will itfollow as a consequence, that none but those who are driven to it bycruelty will wish to leave their snug homes and families, to seek forpeace in the chilly winters of the North. And surely the slaves who arevictims of cruelty, every kind-hearted slave-master would rejoice to seeescaping; it would only be the compulsory giving up of fugitives, exceptfor criminal offences, which would be expunged; each individual Statewould be able, if desirous, to enter into any mutual arrangement withany other State, according to their respective necessities. Thisproposal has two advantages: one, that it removes a bone of bittercontention ever ready to be thrown down between the North and the South;and the other, that it opens a small loophole for the oppressed toescape from the oppressor. The next proposal I have to make, is one which, as every year makes itmore difficult, merits immediate attention, --and that is, the providinga territory of refuge. No one for a moment can doubt that the foundationof Liberia was an act of truly philanthropic intent, reflecting creditupon all parties concerned in it; but it must, I fear, be acknowledgedthat it is totally unequal to the object in view. No further evidence ofthis need he adduced, than the simple fact, that, for every negro sentto Liberia, nearer twenty than ten are born in the States. DamePartington's effort to sweep back the incoming tide with a hair-broompromised better hopes of success; a brigade of energetic firemen woulddrain off Lake Superior in a much shorter space of time than Liberiancolonization would remove one-third of the slave population. The schemeis in the right direction, but as insufficient to overcome thedifficulty as a popgun is to breach a fortified city; the only method ofeffectually enabling the system of colonization to be carried out, is--in my humble opinion--by setting apart some portion of theunoccupied territory of the Union as a negro colony. In making theselection, a suitable climate should be considered, in justice to thehealth of the negro, as it is clear, from the fate of those who fly frompersecution to Canada, that they are unable to resist cold; andproximity to the ocean is desirable, as affording a cheap conveyance forthose who become manumitted: the expense of a passage to Liberia is onegreat obstacle to its utility. The quantity of land required for such a purpose would be very small;and stringent regulations as to the negro leaving the territory sogranted, would effectually prevent any inconvenience to the neighbouringStates. I have before shown that the comparative number of whites andblacks--whites 6, 000, 000, and blacks 3, 000, 000--renders it all but, ifnot quite, impossible for the two races to live together free. I havealso shown that the Northern States either refuse to admit them, or passsuch laws respecting them, that slavery under a good master is aparadise by comparison. I have further shown that Liberia is, from itsdistance, so expensive for their removal, as to be of but littleassistance, and Canada too often proves an early grave. If, then, thesedifficulties present themselves with a population of 3, 000, 000 slaves, and if they are increasing their numbers rapidly--which statistics fullyprove to be the case--it is clear that these difficulties must augmentin a corresponding ratio, until at last they will become insurmountable. I therefore come to the conclusion, either that territory must be setapart in America itself for the negro's home, or that the black bar ofslavery must deface the escutcheon of the Republic for ever. I now propose to make a few remarks on the treatment of slaves. As tothe nature of that treatment, I have already given my calm and unbiasedopinion. My present observations refer to corporal punishment, and theimplements for the infliction thereof. Of the latter I have seen four;of course there may be many others; I speak only of those that have comeunder my own eye. The four I have seen are first, the commonhunting-whip, which is too well known to require description. Secondly, the cowhide--its name expresses its substance--when wet, it is rolled uptightly and allowed to dry, by which process it becomes as hard as theraw hide commonly seen in this country; its shape is that of aracing-whip, and its length from four to five feet. Thirdly, the strap, i. E. , a piece off the end of a stiff heavy horse's trace, and aboutthree or three-and-a-half feet in length. Fourthly, the paddle; i. E. , a piece of white oak about an inch thick all through, the handle abouttwo inches broad, and rather more than two feet long, the blade aboutnine inches long by four and a quarter broad. The two latter implementsI found, upon inquiry, were of modern date, and the reason of theirintroduction was, that the marks of the punishment inflicted therebybecame more speedily effaced; and as upon the sale of a slave, if, whenexamined, marks of punishment are clearly developed, his price suffersfrom the impression of his being obstreperous, the above-named articlesof punishment came into favour. The foregoing observations--without entering into the respective meritsof the four instruments--are sufficient to prove that no one definiteimplement for corporal punishment is established by law, and, consequently, that any enactment appointing a limit to the number ofstripes which may he given is an absurdity, however well intended. Fortystripes, is, I believe, the authorized number. A certain number ofblows, if given with a dog-whip, would inflict no injury beyond themomentary pain, whereas the same number inflicted with a heavywalking-stick might lame a man for life. Again, I know of no law in theStates prohibiting the corporal punishment of any slave, of whatever ageor sex; at all events, grown-up girls and mothers of families are doomedto have their persons exposed to receive its infliction. Of this latterfact, I am positive, though I cannot say whether the practice is generalor of rare occurrence. I have entered rather fully into a description of the implements ofpunishment, to show the grounds upon which I make the followingproposals:--First, that a proper instrument for flogging be authorizedby law, and that the employment of any other be severely punished. Secondly, that the number of lashes a master may inflict, or order to beinflicted, be reduced to a minimum, and that while a greater number oflashes are permitted for grave offences, they be only administered onthe authority of a jury or a given number of magistrates. Thirdly, thatcommon decency be no longer outraged by any girl above fifteen receivingcorporal punishment. [BZ] Fourthly, that by State enactment--as it nowsometimes is by municipal regulation--no master in any town be permittedto inflict corporal punishment on a slave above fifteen; those who havepassed that age to be sent to the jail, or some authorized place, toreceive their punishment, a faithful record whereof, including slave andowner's names, to be kept. My reasons for this proposal are, that a manwill frequently punish on the spur of the moment, when a littlereflection would subdue his anger, and save the culprit. Also, that itis my firm conviction that a great portion of the cruelty of whichslaves are the victims, is caused by half-educated owners of one or twoslaves, who are chiefly to be found in towns, and upon whom such a lawmight operate as a wholesome check. Such a law would doubtless be goodin all cases, but the distances of plantations from towns would renderit impossible to be carried out; and I am sorry to say, I have nosuggestion to make by which the slaves on plantations might beprotected, in those cases where the absence of the owners leaves thementirely at the mercy of the driver, which I believe the cause of by farthe greatest amount of suffering they endure, though I trust manydrivers are just and merciful. Fifthly, that the law by which negroescan hold slaves should immediately be abolished. The white man holding aslave is bad enough, but nothing can justify the toleration of the negroholding his own flesh and blood in fetters, especially when the door ofEducation is hermetically sealed against him. In addition to the foregoing suggestions for the regulation ofpunishment, I would propose that any master proved guilty of inflictingor tolerating gross cruelty upon a slave, should forfeit every slave hemay possess to the State, and be rendered incapable of again holdingthem, and that copies of such decisions be sent to each county in theState. In connexion with this subject, there is another point ofconsiderable importance--viz. , the testimony of slaves. As matters nowstand, or are likely to stand for some time to come, there appearinsuperable objections to the testimony of a slave being received on apar with that of a white man, and this constitutes one of the greatestdifficulties in enabling the negro to obtain justice for any injury hemay have sustained. It appears to me, however, that a considerableportion of this difficulty might he removed by admitting a certainnumber of slaves--say three--to constitute one witness. Cross-examination would easily detect either combination or falsehood, and a severe punishment attached to such an offence would act as apowerful antidote to its commission. Until some system is arranged forreceiving negro evidence in some shape, he must continue the hopelessvictim of frequent injustice. The next subject I propose to consider is a legalized system, havingfor its object the freedom of the slave. To accomplish this, I wouldsuggest that the State should fix a fair scale of prices, at which theslave might purchase his freedom, one price for males and another forfemales under twenty, and a similar arrangement of price between theages of twenty and fifty, after which age the slave to be free, andreceive some fixed assistance, either from the State or the master, asmight be thought most just and expedient. To enable the slave to takeadvantage of the privilege of purchasing his freedom, it would berequisite that the State should have banks appointed in which he mightdeposit his savings at fair interest; but to enable him to havesomething to deposit, it is also requisite that some law should bepassed compelling owners to allow a slave certain portions of time towork out for himself, or if preferred, to work for the master, receivingthe ordinary wages for the time so employed, and this, of course, inaddition to the Sunday. As, however, among so many masters, some will becruel and do their utmost to negative any merciful laws which the Statemay enact, I would for the protection of the slave propose that, if hefeel discontented with the treatment of his master, he be allowed toclaim the right of being publicly sold, upon giving a certain number ofdays' warning of such desire on his part; or if he can find anyslave-owner who will give the price fixed by law--as beforesuggested--and is willing to take him, his master to be bound to deliverhim up. With regard to the sale of slaves, I think humanity will justifyme in proposing that no slave under fifteen years of ago be sold ortransferred to another owner without the parents also; and secondly, that husband and wife be never sold or transferred separately, except itbe by their own consent. However rarely such separations may take placeat present, there is no law to prevent the cruel act, and I have everyreason to believe it takes place much oftener than many of mykind-hearted plantation friends would he ready to admit. Looking forward to the gradual, but ultimately total abolition ofslavery, I would next suggest that, after a certain date--say tenyears--every slave, upon reaching thirty years of age, be apprenticed byhis master to some trade or occupation for five years, at the expirationof which time he be free; after another fixed period--say tenyears--all slaves above twenty years of age be similarly treated; andafter a third period, I would propose that the United States shouldfollow the noble example long since set them by _Peru_, and make it anintegral part of their constitution that "_no one is born a slave in theRepublic. "_ The next proposal I have to make is one which I cannot but hope that allAmericans will fell the propriety of, inasmuch as the present system is, in my estimation, one of the blackest features of the institution we areconsidering. I allude to the slavery of Americans themselves. In nearlyevery civilized nation in the world, blood is considered to run in thefather's line, and although illegitimacy forfeits inheritance, it neverforfeits citizenship. How is it in the United States? _There the whiteman's offspring is to be seen in fetters--the blood of the free in themarket of the slave. _ No one can have travelled in the Southern Stateswithout having this sad fact forced upon his observation. Over and overagain have I seen features, dark if you will, but which showedunmistakeably the white man's share in their parentage. Nay, more--Ihave seen slaves that in Europe would pass for German blondes. Cananything be imagined more horrible than a free nation trafficking in theblood of its co-citizens? Is it not a diabolical premium on iniquity, that the fruit of sin can be sold for the benefit of the sinner? Thoughthe bare idea may well nauseate the kind and benevolent among theSoutherners, the proof of parentage is stamped by Providence on thefeatures of the victims, and their slavery is incontrovertible evidencethat the offspring of Columbia's sons may be sold at human shambles. Even in Mussulman law, the offspring of the slave girl by her master isdeclared free; and shall it be said that the followers of Christ are, inany point of mercy, behind the followers of the false prophet? Myproposition, then, is, that every slave who is not of pure Africanblood, and who has reached, or shall reach, the age of thirty, beapprenticed to some trade for five years, and then become free; and thatall who shall subsequently be so born, be free from their birth, and ofcourse, that the mother who is proved thus to have been the victim ofthe white man's passion be manumitted as well as her child. I make no proposal about the spiritual instruction of the slave, as Ibelieve that as much is given at present as any legislative enactmentwould be likely to procure; but I have one more suggestion to make, andit is one without which I fear any number of acts which might be passedfor the benefit of the slave would lose the greater portion of theirvalue. That suggestion is, the appointment of a sufficient number ofofficers, selected from persons known to be friendly to the slave, towhom the duty of seeing the enactments strictly carried out should bedelegated. While ruminating on the foregoing pages, a kind of vision passed beforemy mind. I beheld a deputation of Republicans--among whom was onelady--approaching me. Having stated that they had read my remarks uponSlavery, I immediately became impressed in their favour, and could notrefuse the audience they requested. I soon found the deputationconsisted of people of totally different views, and consequently eachaddressed me separately. The first was an old gentleman, and a determined advocate of theinstitution. He said, "Your remarks are all bosh; the African race wereborn slaves, and have been so for centuries, and are fit for nothingelse. "--I replied, "I am quite aware of the effect of breeding; we havea race of dog in England which, from their progenitors of manysuccessive generations having had their tails cut off in puppyhood, nowbreed their species without tails; nay, more--what are all our sportingdogs, but evidence of the same fact? A pointer puppy standsinstinctively at game, and a young hound will run a fox; take thetrouble, for many generations, to teach the hound to point and thepointer to run, and their two instincts will become entirely changed. The fact, sir, is that the African having been bred a slave for so manygenerations is one great cause of his lower order of intellect; breedhim free and educate him, and you will find the same result in him as inthe dog. "--He was about to reply when another of the deputation rose andreminded him they had agreed to make but one observation each, and toreceive one answer. I rejoiced at this arrangement, as it saved metrouble and gave me the last word. A very touchy little slaveholder next addressed me, saying, "Pray, sir, why can't you leave us alone, and mind your own business?"--I replied, "As for leaving you alone, I am quite ready to do so when you have leftthe negro alone; but as for exclusively attending to my own business, that would be far too dull; besides, it is human nature to interferewith other people's affairs, and I can't go against nature. "--Heretired, biting his lip, and as the door closed, I thought I heard thewords "Meddling ass!"--but I wont be sure. Next came a swaggering bully of a slave-driver, evidently bred in theNorth. He said, "This, sir, is a free country; why mayn't every masterwallop his own nigger?"--I thought it best to cut him short; so I said, "Because, if freedom is perfect, such a permission would involve itsopposite--viz. , that every nigger may wallop his own master; and yourantecedents, I guess, might make such a law peculiarly objectionable toyou personally. "--He retired, eyeing first me and then his cowhide in avery significant manner. The next spokesman was a clerical slaveholder, with a very stiff andvery white neckcloth, hair straight and long, and a sanctified, reproof-ful voice. "Sir, " said he, "why endeavour to disturb aninstitution that Scripture sanctions, and which provides so large afield for the ministrations of kindness and sympathy--two of the mosttender Christian virtues?" A crocodile tear dropped like a full stop tofinish his sentence. Irascibility and astonishment were strugglingwithin me, when I heard his speech; but memory brought St. Paul to myaid, who reminded me he had before written certain words to theCorinthian Church--"Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light;therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed, "&e. Thereupon I became calmer, and replied, "Sir, you are perfectlyaware that our Saviour's mission was to the heart of man, and not to theinstitutions of man. Did He not instruct his subjugated countrymen topay tribute to Caesar? and did He not set the example in his own person?Did He not instruct his disciples in the same breath, 'Fear God! honourthe king?'--and is it not elsewhere written, 'But I say unto you, thatye resist not evil?' You are also perfectly aware that the Americancolonies refused to pay tribute to their Caesar, refused to honour theirking, and did resist the evil. Now, sir, these things being so, you arecompelled to admit one of two alternatives--either the whole of yourcountrymen are rebels against the Most High, and therefore aliens fromGod, or else, as I before said, the mission of the Gospel is to thehearts and not to the institutions of man. I see, sir, by the way youwinced under the term 'rebel, ' that you accept the latter alternative. If, then, it be addressed to the heart of man, it is through thatchannel--as it becomes enlarged by those virtues of which you spoke, kindness and sympathy--that human institutions are to become modified tosuit the growing intelligence and growing wants of the human race, thegolden rule for man's guidance being, Do as you would be done by. Bekind enough, sir, to look at Mr. Sambo Caesar working under the lash ina Carolina rice swamp; behold Mrs. Sambo Caesar torn from his bosom, andworking under the same coercive banner in Maryland; and little MasterPompey, the only pledge of their affections, on his way to Texas. Is notthis a beautiful comment on the Divine command, 'Love thy neighbour asthyself?' Permit me, sir, with all due respect, to urge you not to restsatisfied with preaching Christian resignation to the slave, andChristian kindness to the owner, but to seize every opportunity offearlessly asserting that slavery is at variance with the spirit of theGospel, and therefore that it behoves all Christians so to modify andchange the laws respecting it, as gradually to lead to its totalextinction. Good morning. "--The reverend gentleman, who during thelatter part of my observations had buried his hands in the bottom of histail pockets, no sooner saw that I had finished my remarks, than hehastily withdrew his hands, exhibiting in one a Testament, in the othera Concordance; he evidently was rampant for controversy, but the nextdeputy, who thought I had already devoted an unfair proportion of timeto the minister, reminded him of the regulations, and he was obliged toretire, another deputy opening the door for him, as both his hands werefull. The deputy who next rose to address me was accompanied by the lady, whom, of course, I begged to be seated. The husband--for such he provedto be--then spoke as follows:--"Sir, my wife and I have been inpossession of a plantation for nearly twenty years. During all thatperiod the rod has scarcely ever been used, except occasionally to someturbulent little boy. We have built cottages for our slaves; we allowthem to breed poultry, which we purchase from them; old slaves arecarefully nurtured and exempt from labour; the sick have the best ofmedical attendance, and are in many cases ministered to by my wife anddaughter; the practical truths of Christianity are regularly taught tothem; and every slave, I am sure, looks upon me and my family as histruest friends. This happy state, this patriarchal relationship, yourproposals, if carried out, would completely overthrow. " He was thensilent, and his wife bowed an assent to the observations he had made. Myheart was touched with the picture of the little negro paradise which hehad given, and I replied, as mildly as possible, "The sketch you have soadmirably drawn, and every word of which I fully believe, is indeed onewhich might dispose me to abandon my proposals for change, did any onewhich I had made interfere with the continuance of your benevolent rule, as long as slavery exists; but I must call your attention to animportant fact which you, I fear, have quite overlooked during yourtwenty years of kind rule. To be brief--the cheerful homes of your happynegro families can afford no possible consolation to the less fortunatenegroes whose wives and children are torn from their bosoms and sold inseparate lots to different parts of the Union; nor will the knowledgethat on your plantation the rod only falls occasionally on someturbulent child, be any comfort to grown-up negroes and negresses whilewrithing under thirty or forty stripes from the cowhide or paddle. Continue, most excellent people, your present merciful rule; strive tosecure to every negro the same treatment; and if you find thatimpossible, join the honourable ranks of the temperate and gradualabolitionist and colonizer. " They listened patiently to my observations, smiled quietly at the vanity which they thought the last sentenceexhibited, and retired. Scarce had the last charming couple disappeared, when a deputy arose, the antipodes of the last speaker; his manner was so arrogant, Iinstantly suspected his ignorance, and his observations showed suchpainful sensitiveness, that they were evidently the production of anaccusing conscience. His parentage I could not ascertain accurately;but, being a slight judge of horseflesh, I should suspect he was by"Slave-bully" out of "Kantankerousina, "--a breed by no means rare inAmerica, but thought very little of by the knowing ones. On referring tothe list, I found he was entered as "Recriminator, " and that the rest ofthe deputation had refused to give him a warranty. He sprang up withangry activity; he placed his left hand on his breast, the right hand heextended with cataleptic rigidity, and with an expression of countenancewhich I can only compare to that of an injured female of spotlessvirtue, he began, "You, sir--yes, I say, you, sir--you presume to speakof the slave--you, sir, who come from a nation of slaves, whose rampantaristocrats feed on the blood of their serfs, where title is anotherword for villany, and treads honesty beneath its iron heel! You, sir, you offer suggestions for the benefit of a country whose prosperityexcites your jealousy, and whose institutions arouse mingled feelings ofhatred and fear! Go home, sir--go home! no more of your cantinghypocrisy about the lusty negro! go home, sir, I say! enrich your ownpoor, clothe your naked, and feed your own starving--the negro here isbetter off than most of them! Imitate the example of this free andenlightened nation, where every citizen is an independent sovereign;send your royalty and, aristocracy to all mighty smash, raise the cap ofLiberty on the lofty pole of Democracy, and let the sinews of men obtaintheir just triumphs over the flimsy rubbish of intellect and capital!Tyranny alone makes differences. All men are equal!"--He concluded hisharangue just in time to save a fit, for it was given with all the fussand fury of a penny theatre King Richard; in fact, I felt at one timestrongly inclined to call for "a horse, " but, having accepted thedeputation, I was bound to treat its members with courtesy; so Ireplied, "Sir, your elegantly expressed opinions of royalty, &c. , require nothing but ordinary knowledge to show their absurdity, so Iwill not detain you by dwelling on that subject; but, sir, youstudiously avoid alluding to the condition of the slave, and, by seekingfor a fault elsewhere, endeavour to throw a cloak over the subject ofthis meeting. You tell me the poor in England need much clothing andfood--that is very true; but, sir, if every pauper had a fur cloak and around of beef, I cannot see the advantage the negro would derivetherefrom. Again, sir, you say the negro is better off than many of ourpoor; so he is far better off than many of the drunken rowdies of yourown large towns; yet I have never heard it suggested that they should betransformed into slaves, by way of bettering their condition. Take myadvice, sir; before you throw stones, he sure that there is not a paneof glass in your Cap of Liberty big enough for 3, 000, 000 of slaves tolook through. And pray, sir, do not forget, 'Tyranny alone makesdifferences. All men are equal!'" A slam of the door announced the departure and the temper ofRecriminator, and it also brought upon his feet another deputy who hadkept hitherto quite in the background. He evidently was anxious for aprivate audience, but that being impossible, he whispered in my ear, "Sir, I am an abolitionist, slick straight off; and all I have got tosay is, that you are a soap-suddy, milk-and-water friend to the slave, fix it how you will. " Seeing he was impatient to be off, I whispered tohim in reply, "Sir, there is an old prayer that has often been utteredwith great sincerity, and is probably being so uttered now by more thanone intelligent slave: it is this, 'Good Lord, save me from my friends. 'The exertions of your party, sir, remind me much of those of a man whowent to pull a friend out of the mud, but, by a zeal without discretion, he jumped on his friend's head, and stuck him faster than ever. " When he disappeared, I was in hopes it was all over; but a verymild-tempered looking man, with a broad intelligent forehead, got up, and, approaching me in the most friendly manner, said, "Sir, I bothadmit and deplore the evil of the institution you have been discussing, but its stupendous difficulties require a much longer residence thanyours has been to fathom them; and until they are fully fathomed, theremedies proposed must be in many cases very unsuitable, uncalled for, and insufficient. However, sir, I accept your remarks in the samefriendly spirit as, I am sure, you have offered them. Permit me, at thesame time, as one many years your senior, to say that, in consideringyour proposals, I shall separate the chaff--of which there is a gooddeal--from the wheat--of which there is some little; the latter I shallgather into my mind's garner, and I trust it will fall on good soil. " Itook the old gentleman's hand and shook it warmly, and, as he retired, Imade up my mind he was the sensible slave-owner. I was about to leave the scene, quite delighted that the ordeal wasover, when, to my horror, I heard a strong Northern voice calling outlustily, "Stranger, I guess I have a word for you. " On turning round Ibeheld a man with a keen Hebrew eye, an Alleghany ridge nose, and a chinlike the rounded half of a French roll. I was evidently alone with a'cute man of dollars and cents. On my fronting him, he said, withSpartan brevity, "Who's to pay?" Conceive, O reader! my consternation atbeing called upon to explain who was to make compensation for thesweeping away--to a considerable extent, at all events--of whatrepresented, in human flesh, 250, 000, 000l. , and in the produce of itslabour 80, 000, 000l. Annually! Answer I must; so, putting on an Exchequery expression, I said, "Sir, ifa national stain is to be washed out, the nation are in honour bound topay for the soap. England has set you a noble example under similarcircumstances, and the zeal of the abolitionists will, no doubt, makethem tax themselves double; but as for suggesting to you by what tax themoney is to be raised, you must excuse me, sir. I am a Britisher, andremembering how skittish you were some years ago about a little stampand tea affair, I think I may fairly decline answering your questionmore in detail; a burnt child dreads the fire. "--The 'cute mandisappeared and took the vision with him; in its place came the realityof 2 A. M. And the candles flickering in their sockets. Reader, I have now done with the question of the gradual improvement andultimate emancipation of the slave. The public institutions of anycountry are legitimate subjects of comment for the traveller, and inproportion as his own countrymen feel an interest in them, so is itnatural he should comment on them at greater or less length. I have, therefore, dwelt at large upon this subject, from the conviction that itis one in which the deepest interest is felt at home; and I trust that Ihave so treated it as to give no just cause of offence to any one, whether English or American. I hope I have impressed my own countrymen with some idea of the giganticobstacles that present themselves, of which I will but recapitulatethree;--the enormous pecuniary interests involved; the social difficultyarising from the amount of negro population; and, though last not least, the perplexing problem--if Washington's opinion, that "Slavery can onlycease by legislative authority, " is received--how Congress can legislatefor independent and sovereign States beyond the limits of theConstitution by which they are mutually bound to each other. I feel surethat much of the rabid outcry, the ovation of Mrs. B. Stowe, and othersimilar exhibitions, have arisen from an all but total ignorance of thetrue facts of the case. This ignorance it has been my object to dispel;and I unhesitatingly declare that the emancipation of the negroesthroughout the Southern States, if it took place to-morrow, would be thegreatest curse the white man could inflict upon them. I also trust thatI may have shadowed forth some useful idea, to assist my Southernfriends in overtaking a gangrene which lies at their heart's core, andwhich every reflecting mind must see is eating into their vitals withfearful rapidity. My last and not my least sincere hope is, that someone among the many suggestions I have offered for the negro's presentbenefit, may be found available to mitigate the undoubted sufferings andcruel injustice of which those with bad masters must frequently be thevictims. Should I succeed in even one solitary instance, I shall feelmore than repaid for the many hours of thought and trouble I have spentover the intricate problem--the best road from Slavery to Emancipation. Since writing the foregoing, 20, 000, 000 freemen, by the decision oftheir representatives at Washington, have hung another negro's shackleon their pole of Liberty (?). Kansas is enslaved--freedom isdishonoured. As a proof how easily those who are brought up under theinstitution of Slavery blind themselves to the most simple facts, Mr. Badger, the senator for North Carolina, after eulogizing the treatmentof slaves, and enlarging upon the affection between them and theirmasters, stated that, if Nebraska was not declared a Slave State[CA] itwould preclude him, should he wish to settle there, from taking with himhis "old mammy, "--the negro woman who had nursed him in infancy. Mr. Wade, from Ohio, replied, "that the senator was labouring under amistake; there was nothing to prevent his taking his beloved mammywith him, though Nebraska remained free, except it were that he couldnot sell her when he got there. " Let the Christian learn charity from the despised Mussulman. Read thefollowing proclamation:-- "From the Servant of God, the Mushir Ahmed Basha Bey, Prince of the Tunisian dominions. "To our ally, Sir Thomas Reade, Consul-General of the British Government at Tunis. "The servitude imposed on a part of the human kind whom God has created is a very cruel thing, and our heart shrinks from it. "It never ceased to be the object of our attention for years past, which we employed in adopting such proper means as could bring us to its extirpation, as is well known to you. Now, therefore, we have thought proper to publish that we have abolished men's slavery in all our dominions, inasmuch as we regard all slaves who are on our territory as free, and do not recognise the legality of their being kept as a property. We have sent the necessary orders to all the governors of our Tunisian kingdom, and inform you thereof, in order that you may know that all slaves that shall touch our territory, by sea or by land, shall become free. "May you live under the protection of God! "Written in Moharrem, 1262. " (23rd of January, 1846. ) What a bitter satire upon the vaunted "Land of Liberty" have her sonsenacted since the Mahometan Prince penned the above! Not only has theslave territory been nearly doubled in the present century; but by arecent decision of the Supreme Court, every law which _has been_ passedby Congress restricting slavery, is pronounced contrary to theconstitution, and therefore invalid. Congress is declared powerless toprohibit slavery from any portion of the Federal Territory, or toauthorize the inhabitants to do so; the African race, whether slave orfree, are declared not to be citizens, and consequently to beincompetent to sue in the United States' Courts, and the slave-owner ispronounced authorized to carry his rights into every corner of theUnion, despite the decrees of Congress or the will of the inhabitants. In short, in the year 1857, upwards of eighty years after Washington andhis noble band declared--and at the point of the sword won--theirindependence, and after so many States have purified their shields fromthe negro's blood, the highest tribunal in the Republic has decreed thatthe rights of the slave-owner extend to every inch of the Federal soil, and that by their Constitution _the United States is a Slave Republic. _ What will the end be? A few short years have rolled past since theforegoing remarks were penned, and in that interval the question ofSlavery has again made the Union tremble to its uttermost borders. Thecloud, not bigger than a man's hand, was sped by President Pierce'sadministration to the new State of Kansas, and ere long it burst in adeluge of ruffianism and blood; the halls of Congress were dishonouredby the violent assault which Mr. Brookes (a Southern senator) made uponMr. Sumner of Massachusetts; the Press spread far and wide theignominious fact, that the ladies of his State presented the assailantwith a cane, inscribed "Hit him again!" the State itself endorsed hisact by re-electing him unanimously; North and South are ranged in bitterhostility; in each large meetings have advocated a separation, in termsof rancour and enmity; and it is to be feared the Union does not possessa man of sufficient weight and character to spread oil over the troubledwaters. How will "Manifest Destiny" unfold itself, and what will the endbe?--The cup must fill first. FOOTNOTES: [Footnote BY: Many of my suggestions, the reader will observe, are drawnfrom the Cuba code. ] [Footnote BZ: In Peru, the maximum of stripes the law permits to beinflicted is twelve; and girls above fourteen, married women, fathers ofchildren, and old men, are exempt from the lash. ] [Footnote CA: At the time of the discussion, the Nebraska territoryincluded Nebraska and Kansas] CHAPTER XXVII. _Constitution of United States. _ The most important subject that claims the attention of the traveller inany country that pretends to education or civilization, is undoubtedlyits Constitution. The reader cannot expect--and most probably would notwish--to find, in a work like this, any elaborate account of thegovernment of so vast and varied a republic as that of the UnitedStates. Those who wish thoroughly to grasp so very extensive a topicmust study the history of each individual State from its foundation;must watch the changes each has undergone, noting the effect produced;and must carefully pore over the writings of the great men whooriginally planned--if I may so express myself--the Republic, and mustdive deep into the learned and valuable tomes of Story, Kent, &c. Thosewho are content with more moderate information, will find a great deal, very ably condensed, in a volume by Mr. Tremenheere. To the reader, Ipretend to offer nothing but a glance at such elements as appear to memost useful and interesting; and in so doing, I shall freely borrow suchquotations from Mr. Tremenheere's references to Story and Kent as Iconceive may help to elucidate my subject, not having those authors athand to refer to. The Government of the United States consists of three departments, --theExecutive, Legislative, and Judicial; or the President, the House ofRepresentatives and Senate, and the Judicial Courts. The President andVice-President are chosen by an elective body from all the States, thesaid body being selected by popular vote in each State. TheVice-President is _ex officio_ Speaker or President of the Senate, andin case of the chief dying, he becomes for the remainder of the term thePresident of the United States. They are elected for 4 years, but may bere-elected indefinitely. Should the votes be equal, the House ofRepresentatives selects the President from the three on the list whohave most votes, and the Senate selects the Vice in the same way. Thequalifications for President and Vice are--native born, 35 years of age, and 14 years' residence in the States. The salary of the President isabout 5100l. A year, and a residence at Washington, called "The WhiteHouse. " The salary of the Vice-President is 1680l. A year. There arefive Secretaries, --State, Interior, Treasury, War, Navy, and aPostmaster-General; the Attorney-General also forms part of the Cabinet. These officials also receive the same salary. The Senate is composed oftwo members from each State, irrespective of population, so as not toswamp the small States. The election is by the Legislature of eachState, and for 6 years; one-third of their number go out every 2 years. The qualification for a senator is that he should be 30 years of age, have been 9 years a citizen, and living in the State for which he iselected. The House of Representatives originally consisted of one memberfor a certain amount of population, and as the increase in populationwas very rapid, the number of Representatives increased as a matter ofcourse. In 1843, it was one member for every 70, 000 of population, but, to prevent the body from becoming unmanageable owing to numbers, in 1853the House was limited to 234 Representatives, elected _pro ratâ_ to theseveral States. Slaves are reckoned in the proportion of three-fifths oftheir number. The preliminary steps are, that every 10 years a census istaken, after which a bill is passed by Congress, apportioning number ofrepresentatives to each State, according to its population. This done, each State passes a law, districting the State according to the numberof members assigned it, and each district elects its own representativefor Congress. The election is for 2 years, and the qualification is 7years a citizen, 25 years of age, and living in the State. The salary isthe same as that of a senator. The names of members composing a divisionon any question in either house, are not printed unless they aredemanded by one-fifth of the members present. One of the clauses oftheir Constitution is very original, and runs thus:--"Each House maydetermine the rules of its proceedings, punish its members fordisorderly behaviour, and, with the concurrence of two-thirds, expel amember. " All impeachments are tried in the Senate, and a majority of two-thirdsis requisite for a conviction. If the President be on trial, the ChiefJustice, or head of the Supreme Court, presides. While power of trialrests with the Senate, the power of impeachment rests solely with theHouse of Representatives. In addition to the ordinary functions of anUpper House, the Senate has also what is called "an Executive Session, "which is held with closed doors; at this Session all treaties and highappointments are discussed, and the appointments are not held to bevalid till ratified by them. Whenever fresh land becomes sufficientlypopulous, the general Government admit it as territory, and appoint anadministration. This was the case with Nebraska and Kansas in 1853; andthe "Missouri Compromise" (which confined slavery south of the 36º 3'parallel of latitude) having been repealed, it became optional with themto adopt slavery or not. Kansas fought barbarously for the dishonourableprivilege, and with temporary success: Nebraska has declined the honouras yet. The interests of territories are watched over at Washington bydelegates in the House of Representatives, who have a seat, but no vote. This sensible arrangement might, in my humble opinion, be adopted inthis country with reference to our colonies, whose wants at present haveno interpreter intimately acquainted with colonial affairs in eitherbranch of the Legislature. Each State in the Union has its own Governor, House of Representatives, Senate, and Judiciary, and is in every respect a sovereign State--theylike the word as much as they pretend to dislike the reality--actingperfectly independently within its limits, except in such cases as weremutually agreed upon by the terms of the Union, and to some of which weshall refer by and by. This sovereignty of individual States renders theelective franchise different in different States. At the date of the first elections after the Declaration ofIndependence, no State admitted mere citizenship as a qualification forthe elective franchise. The great men who appeared upon the stage atthat period, profiting by the experience of past ages, threw certainguards around the franchise in every State in the Union, varying indifferent States, but all bearing unmistakeable testimony to the fact, that a perfect democracy was not the basis on which they evercontemplated building up the Republic. A few short years have rolled by;the 13 States are increased to 33, and according to Mr. Tremenheere, "agrave departure from the theory of the Constitution, as it existed inthe eyes and expectations of its careful and prudent founders, has takenplace, in the gradual lowering throughout nearly all the States of theUnion, and the entire abandonment in two-thirds of them, of thosequalifications for the exercise of the franchise which existed when theConstitution was adopted. " In one State--Illinois--aliens beingresidents are entitled to vote. Now, if the great men of 1776 thoughtsafeguards around the franchise wise and prudent in their day, beforethe great tide of emigration had set in to the westward, and when thepopulation was only 4, 000, 000, what would they say, could they but risefrom their graves and see how their successors have thrown down theprudent barriers they had raised, and laid the franchise bare tocitizenship, now that the Union numbers 23, 000, 000 souls, and that thetide of emigration is daily flooding them with hordes of thediscontented and turbulent from every country in the Old World? But perhaps it may be said that I, as an Englishman, am prejudicedagainst republican institutions in any shape; let me, then, quote you anauthority which every educated American will respect. Mr. Justice Kentsays, "The progress and impulse of popular opinion, is rapidlydestroying every constitutional check, every conservative element, intended by the sages who framed the earliest American Constitutions assafeguards against the abuses of popular suffrage. " Let us turn toanother equally eminent American authority, Mr. Justice Story. "It mightbe urged, that it is far from being clear, upon reasoning or experience, that uniformity in the composition of a representative body is eitherdesirable or expedient, founded in sounder policy, or more promotive ofthe general good, than a mixed system, embracing, representing, andcombining distinct interests, classes, and opinions. In England, theHouse of Commons, as a representative body, is founded upon no uniformprinciple, either of numbers, or classes, or places; . . . And in everysystem of reform which has found public favour in that country, many ofthese diversities have been embodied from choice, as important checksupon undue legislation, as facilitating the representation of differentinterests and different opinions, and as thus securing, by awell-balanced and intelligent representation of all the various classesof society, a permanent protection of the public liberties of thepeople, and a firm security of the private rights of persons andproperty. " Thus far I have quoted the opinions of the highest American authoritiesupon the franchise. And, as far as the lowering it in England affords usany light, I would wish some unbiased and competent person to inform thepublic, whether--whatever other benefit it may have procured to thecommunity--it has increased or decreased bribery and corruption; and howthe balance between advantage and disadvantage will stand, in referenceto the community at large, by a further lowering of the franchise inthis country; and also to what extent--if any--it can be lowered, without throwing all but unlimited power into the hands of the masses, and thus destroying that balance of the different interests of thecommunity which are--thank God--still represented, and which, if oncelost, would reduce our beloved Sovereign to the position of a gaudypuppet, and the House of Lords to a mere cypher, and be as certainlyfollowed by all the horrors of a revolution, and all the evils of acorrupt democracy. How easy is it to find politicians ever ready tosniff the incense of popularity at the plausible shrine of a descendingfranchise!--how difficult to find those who, while granting what is justand prudent, have the wisdom to plan, and the courage to dare, measuresto arrest a mobular avalanche! With regard to the frequency of elections, I will only insert thefollowing sentence from Mr. Justice Story, as, I believe, public opinionin this country is all but universal in its condemnation: "Men, to actwith vigour and effect, . . . Must not be hurried on to their conclusionsby the passions of elections has a tendency to create agitation anddissensions in the public mind, to nourish factions and encouragerestlessness, to favour rash innovations in domestic legislation andpublic policy, and to produce violent and sudden changes in theadministration of public affairs, founded upon temporary excitements andprejudices: . . . It operates also as a great discouragement upon suitablecandidates offering themselves for the public service . . . The period ofservice ought, therefore, to bear some proportion to the variety ofknowledge and practical skill which the duties of the stationdemand. "--If any annual-parliament maniac still exist, let him profit bythese words of wisdom from the pen of a republican, dipped in the ink ofPrudence and Patriotism; and in the marked difference between the Houseof Representatives and the Senate Chamber--the former of whom areelected for two, the latter for six years--let him behold the mostincontrovertible living proof's of their truth. John Jay, one of themost able men of America, writing to Washington, expresses his wish thatthe Upper House, or Senate, should be elected for life. I will now turn to a topic which probably interests the British publicmore than any other--except the franchise--I mean the Ballot. So muchhas been said about the coercion of voters by those on whom they aredependent, and so much disgraceful jobbery at elections in this countryhas been laid bare, that if the Ballot were really a panacea for theevil, every patriot should exert his utmost energies to forward theintroduction of so essential a measure. In reading any American documentwhere the word "ballot" is used, it must be remembered that, unless theword "secret" precede it, the meaning is merely voting by an open pieceof paper on which the name of the candidate is printed, and which he mayenclose in an envelope or not, as he chooses. It is, therefore, onlywith the secret ballot we have to deal at present; for although thepower to vote secretly exists, it is obvious, that unless secret votingis made compulsory, it affords no protection to those who are in aposition to be bribed or coerced, inasmuch as those who did bribe orcoerce would insist upon the vote so obtained being given openly. It will perhaps astonish an Englishman to be told that "secret" ballotis all but unknown in the United States. Nevertheless, such is the case. An act was passed some four years ago in Massachusetts requiringsecrecy; and what was the effect of this act? A large body of theelectors met together to denounce with indignation any attempt atenforcing that which they repudiated as unworthy of freemen. So strongwas this feeling that in 1853, the act which enforced it was repealed, and in the convention called to discuss the revision of theirConstitution--according to Mr. Tremenheere--although the democraticparty were in a great majority, the effort to impose secrecy was thrownout by a majority of 5000[CB]. A friend of mine, who took considerable interest in this question, waspresent at the elections for the State of Massachusetts, and when, atthe same time, a popular vote was to be taken on the proposed revisionof the Constitution; this latter was by special enactment madecompulsorily secret. How far this object was attained, the followingstatement will show. As the voters came up to the polling-place, ticketswere offered them by the agents of the opposite parties, in a large roomfull of people. The voters selected whichever ticket they preferred, inthe presence of the whole room, and then, in compliance with the termsof the enactment, they sealed it up in an envelope before depositing itin the voting-box. So much for compulsory secrecy. Of course on thisoccasion, as on all electioneering occasions, the voters might haveconcealed their votes, had they chosen so to do. The only States, that I am aware of, where secrecy is enjoined by laware New York and Indiana; and in the former of these I can mostcertainly testify, from personal observation, that in many instances, ifnot in most, it is a dead letter. I never met a soul who, in talkingabout politics, ever thought of concealing his sentiments. I amtherefore forced to the conclusion that secrecy only exists among thevery lowest; and here it may be as well to introduce the opinions of theGovernor of this important State. Mr. Washington Hunt, in his Message ofJanuary 7, 1851, says, "The alarming increase of bribery in our popularelections demands your serious attention. The preservation of ourliberties depends on the purity of the elective franchise, and itsindependent exercise by the citizen, and I trust you will adopt suchmeasures as shall effectually protect the ballot-box from all corruptinginfluences. " If any efforts were made to stay the tide of corruption, the message ofthe same Governor the following year will enable you to judge of theirsuccess. In his address on the 6th of January, 1852, this paragraphoccurs: "The increase of corrupt practices in our elections has become asubject of general and just complaint: it is represented that in somelocalities the suffrages of considerable numbers of voters have beenopenly purchased with money. We owe it to ourselves and to posterity, and to the free institutions which we have inherited, to crush thishateful evil in its infancy, before it attains sufficient growth toendanger our political system. The honest and independent exercise ofthe right of suffrage is a vital principle in the theory ofrepresentative government. It is the only enduring foundation for arepublic. Not only should the law punish every violation of thisprinciple as a crime against the integrity of the State, but any personconcerned in giving or receiving any pecuniary consideration for a voteshould, upon challenge, be deprived of the privilege of voting. I submitthe subject to your consideration, in the hope that additional remediesmay be prescribed and enforced. "--The two foregoing extracts do equalcredit to the head and heart of Governor Hunt; but what a picture dothey portray of the effects of secret voting! Let us now turn from Governor Hunt, and see what the Press says on thesubject. The _New York Herald_, which if not highly esteemed is at leastwidely circulated, thus writes in the month of May, 1852:--"Look at theproceedings on Thursday last in the 19th Ward. Voters carried to theballot-boxes in scores of waggons from, various localities; and, inother wards, hundreds of democrats voting for Scott and for Fillmore, men ignorant and steeped in crime, picked up in all the purlieus of thecity and purchased at a dollar a head; and some, it is said, so low ashalf a dollar, to deposit in the ballot-box a vote they had neverseen. "--The article then goes on to explain the methods employed atelections--viz. , a lazy fellow who wont work, brawls, and drinks, andspouts, and defames every honest man in the ward, till he becomes asemi-deity among the riff-raff, then "his position is found out by thosewho want to use him. He is for sale to the highest bidder, either todefeat his own party by treachery, or to procure a nomination for anyscoundrel who will pay for it. He has no politics of any kind. He hasrascality to sell, and there are those who are willing to purchase it, in order that they may traffic in it, and sell it to themselves again ata very high profit. . . . We have heard of a case in one of the Lower Wardsof the city, in which one man got, at the time of the late democraticconventions, the enormous sum of two thousand dollars, out of which itis said he bribed the majority of the electors and kept the balance forhimself. " A few paragraphs further on he suggests remedies for the evil;--and whatdo you suppose they are? First, that honest people should not leavepolitics to the riff-raff. Secondly, "there ought to be a registrationestablished, by which no man could sail under false colours, or deposita vote at a primary election, unless he belonged to the ward, andbelonged to the party to which he professed to belong. " Conceive thestate to which secret voting has reduced the wealthy and intelligentcity of New York; absolutely, a return to open voting is consideredinsufficient to reach the vitals of the evil which secrecy has broughtabout. Here we have proposed as a remedy _the compulsory register ofpolitical sentiments_; and to prove that things are not mending, in the"Retrospect of the year 1852, " which forms a leading article in the samejournal at the commencement of 1853, after a lengthy panegyric upon thestate of America, &c. , during 1852, he winds up with these most seriousdrawbacks to the previous eulogy: "if we are bound to admit with crimsonblush that crime is sadly on the increase, and that our municipalinstitutions have reached the lowest depths of inefficiency and infamy, these but remind us that the work which 1852 has bravely carried on isnot yet achieved. "--I would wish carefully to guard against beingunderstood to endorse the violent language employed by the _New YorkHerald_. I am aware how unsafe a guide the Press ever is in times ofpolitical excitement; but after making every reasonable allowance, enough remains to prove the tendency of the secret ballot, corroboratedas it is by the authoritative message of the Governor of the State. Let us now turn for a moment to that most witty and amusing writer, Sydney Smith. In speaking of Mr. Grote's proposal for the ballot, theauthor says, "He tells us that the bold cannot be free, and bids usseek for liberty by clothing ourselves in the mask of falsehood, andtrampling on the cross of truth;"--and further on, towards the end ofthe pamphlet, he quotes an authority that Americans must respect--"OldJohn Randolph, the American orator, was asked one day, at a dinner-partyin London, whether the ballot prevailed in his State of Virginia? 'Iscarcely believe, ' he said, 'we have such a fool in all Virginia as tomention even the vote by ballot; and I do not hesitate to say that theadoption of the ballot would make any nation a set of scoundrels if itdid not find them so. '"--John Randolph was right; he felt that it wasnot necessary that a people should be false in order to be free. Universal hypocrisy would be the consequence of ballot. We should soonsay, on deliberation, what David only asserted in his haste, that "allmen are liars. "[CC]--How strangely prophetic the opinion of JohnRandolph appears, when read by the light of the _New York Herald_ of1852. It has always appeared to me that the argument in favour of ballot whichis drawn from its use in clubs, if it prove anything at all, is ratheragainst than for it; its value there arises from the fact of theindependence of the members, which enables any member if asked by therejected candidate how he had voted, to decline giving any answerwithout fear of consequences. Were he dependent, he must either deny theblack-ball he gave, had he so voted, or, confessing the fact, he mustsuffer for it, and silence would be sure to be construed into ablack-ball: therefore, before ballot could be of any value to aconstituency, they must be independent; and if independent, there wouldbe no need of the ballot. Of course secrecy could be obtained byfalsehood. Moreover, the object of it in a club is to keep out of aselect society not only those who are considered absolutely offensive, but many with whom, though you might like to meet them in generalsociety, you do not think it desirable to be on more intimate terms; andeven in a club, who will deny that it is often used to gratify privatemalice, and frequently, when candidates are numerous, are black-ballsput in to hasten forward the election of friends? While freelyconfessing and deeply regretting the disgraceful jobbery and briberywhich an inquiry into our own elections too often reveals, we ought tobe thankful for the light of experience which a contemplation of theelective system of the United States affords, warning us as it does thatan imprudent lowering of the franchise and a recourse to the secretballot do but aggravate the evils they were intended to cure. Before weproceed to lower our franchise, should we not do wisely to try anddevise some means for obtaining the votes of those already entitled tovote? Many an honest and industrious artisan at present entitled to avote will not come to the poll on account of the violence which--if notof the mobular party--he may be subject to; his family depend on hisexertions for their daily bread--a broken limb, or any such accidenthappening to him, may bring the whole family to deep distress, if not tothe workhouse. It appears by the _Edinburgh Review_ of October, 1852, that at a previous general election, 40 per cent, of those possessingthe privilege did not poll their votes. A hasty lowering of thefranchise would certainly increase that number, and thus while losingmore votes of the peaceful and industrious citizens, we should beincreasing those of the more turbulent, and of those who are excited bydesigning demagogues. But to return to the United States. In the former edition I omitted toexplain that "a Congress" meant a Parliament for two years--the term forwhich the representatives are elected. One of the sessions is from thefirst Monday in December to about the end of August, and is called thelong session; the other commences the same day, and sits till the 4thMarch, and is called the short session; but, besides these regularsittings, there may be extra sessions as often as the President thinksfit to assemble Congress. At the time I was in the States, by a fictionvery agreeable to the members, if Congress closed the session on Monday, and the President ordered its reassembling on Tuesday, the members weresupposed to be at their respective homes, and received mileage paymentaccordingly. This snug little bonus was called "constructive mileage. " In the year 1856 an act was passed fixing the payment of members at1260l. Each for their services in each Congress of two years, andabolishing the constructive mileage job. The only deduction from theabove is that made for non-attendance of members. The payment is thusarranged:--Each member receives 1l. 13s. 6d. For every day heattends in Congress; the whole number of days a session lasts arecalculated at the above rate, and the difference between that amount and630l. (the half of 1260l. ) is a bonus given, at the end of the firstyear's session, and is in lieu of all further payments for any extrasessions which the President may think it advisable to call during theyear. It will thus be seen that each member receives the same sum, minus1l. 13s. 6d. For every day's non-attendance. Mileage is allowed at the rate of 1l. 13s. 6d. . For every twentymiles distance to and fro, but only for one session each; year. Theadvantage Texas and Californian members obtain from this liberalallowance is obvious, and its injustice is felt by those who live in theneighbouring States to Washington. Now, as travelling, in most parts of the Union, is at the rate of lessthan 2d. A mile, and living at the rate of two and a half dollars(10s. 6d. ) a day, it is obvious that the situation of arepresentative is advantageous in a pecuniary point of view to those whowish to make a trade of politics. A member coming from a distance, sayof 200 miles, and attending 120 days, would have a clear balance ofabout 150l. Left for the rest of the year; and a member from Texaswould clear about 500l. How far such a measure is wise, and brings themost desirable men into the public service, let their own countrymentell. Mr. Venables, of North Carolina, in a speech at Richmond, Virginia(quoted by Mr. Tremenheere) says, "With money enough, any bill can becarried through Congress. " No nation--and, least of all, so verysensitive a nation as the United States--would pass an act which couldpossibly throw a cloud of doubt over the integrity of itsrepresentatives were there not some imperative necessity; the actreferred to below will be found in page 363 of _Appendix_ toTremenheere's _Constitution of the United States_, one clause of whichruns thus:--"That any senator or representative in Congress who, afterthe passage of this act . . . Shall receive any gratuity, or any share of, or interest in, any claim from any claimant against the United States, &c. , on conviction shall pay a fine not exceeding 5000 dollars(1000l. ), suffer imprisonment in the Penitentiary, not exceeding oneyear, or both, as the court in its discretion shall adjudge. " Anotherclause follows, against the knowing and wilful destruction of publicdocuments; another, against any individual who shall tempt any member ofthe Senate or House of Representatives with bribe of any kind toinfluence his vote, and against members accepting the same. This actbears date Feb. 26, 1853, and certainly proves that Mr. Venables'assertion had some solid foundation in truth. It will be remembered by some that Collins, finding the Cunard line ofsteamers, when supported by Government, too strong for him to contendagainst, applied to Congress for a Government grant. In obtaining thatgrant, I do not pretend to say that he, or any one on his behalf, usedbribery or corruption, when he took round one of his magnificent vesselsto Washington, and feasted Congress on board in a most champagnelystyle; but this I know, that many Americans were most indignant at theproceeding, for, coupled with the act above referred to, it could notbut excite suspicion; and I feel sure, if Cunard had brought round oneof his splendid steamers to the Thames, and there feasted theLegislature while his obtaining a Government grant was under discussion, he could not have taken a more effectual method to mar his object. _Lafemme de César ne doit pas être suspecte_. Thus, then, as far as we canjudge of any advantage to be derived from payment of members, we can seenothing to induce us to adopt such a system; and, if I mistake not, theAmerican himself feels disposed to give it up, believing that thestandard of the representative will be raised thereby. We will now make a few remarks upon a body peculiar to America, andknown as "the Lobby. " But, first, I would observe that, by a rule inboth Houses, changeable at pleasure, ex-members of Congress, ministers, secretaries of legation, &c. , are allowed the privilege of coming withinthe bar to hear debates; and of the people so privileged the Lobby ischiefly composed. They have no counterpart in this country, but mayperhaps be said to have a faint and distant resemblance to ourParliamentary agents, and they are in no way recognised by Congress. Their work consists in endeavouring to force all members who purposepresenting public or private bills to employ them, which, of course, involves a "consideration;" and, as their name is "Legion, " and theirmotto on this point "unanimity, " they are enabled, owing to theirinfluence with the members, to throw the greatest possible obstructionin the way of most bills which are not passed through their "greasedpalms. " The result need not be described. The correspondent of the_Times_, who, if report he correct, has held the highest situations acitizen of the United States can hold, states, in a letter to be foundin that journal, on the 27th January 1857, that the Minnesota Land Billhad been said, in the House of Representatives, to be supported bybribery, and that one member openly avowed in his seat that he had beenoffered 1500 dollars for his vote in favour of the bill. The consequencewas an inquiry into the alleged charge, and doubtless it will affect theweight of the Lobby. He adds--"The Lobby has, no doubt, great influenceon the Legislature, but it is not yet all-powerful. " In estimating theeffect of a vote, it must be remembered that there are only 234 membersin the House of Representatives, and 62 in the Senate; and, to give someidea of the interests concerned, the correspondent states--"It isscarcely an exaggeration to say that the Federal Congress at Washingtonhas a disposing power over twice the amount of national property subjectto the votes of the Parliament at Westminster. " Those who feel aninterest in this subject I would strongly urge to read the whole of thevery able letter alluded to. I have before spoken of the very great readiness with which any strangergains admittance to Congress to listen to the debates. As a broadfeature, I believe their discussions are carried on in a sober, practical, business-like manner; nevertheless, most outrageous sceneshave occurred. I subjoin the following extract, not from any onesentence it contains, but from its continuity, as a proof that the toneof the House is not worthy of the dignity of so great a country. Amember of any community may get up and use the most gross and offensivelanguage; but if the offender be immediately called to order, and madeto retract the offensive expressions, the community thus vindicates itscharacter. Should, however, the most gross and offensive language beused by two members for any length of time without any interference, reprobation, retraction, or punishment, the community as a body mustfairly be considered, by their silence, as endorsing such conduct. The extract is taken from that widely circulating journal, "the_Illustrated London News_:-- "In the House of Representatives at Washington, on the 11th ult. , thefollowing amusing but disgraceful scene occurred between two of themembers--Messrs. Stanly and Giddings. The former having charged thelatter with uttering a falsehood, the following conversation ensued:-- "Mr. Stanly: 'It is usual for one who has no regard for the decencies oflife to relieve himself from responsibility by pronouncing statementsfalse, and it is characteristic of the man who sneaked away from thisHouse, and took his pay for work which he did not do. "Mr. Giddings: 'When the gentleman descends to low vulgarity, I cannotfollow him, I protest against Dough-faces prompting the gentleman fromSouth Carolina. "Mr. Stanly: 'It is the business of a scavenger to have anything to dowith him, and I will have to wash my hands after handling him; but thething has to be done, as he has thrust himself on us as a kind ofcensor. It is a small business for me, and I don't know how I candescend any lower than to take hold of the hon. Member for Ohio. (Cry of'Good. ') "Mr. Giddings: 'Will you hear me? "Mr. Stanly: 'Nobody wants to hear you, but I will indulge you. "Mr. Giddings: 'The gentleman is barking up the wrong tree. "Mr. Stanly: 'The galled jade winces again. "Mr. Giddings: 'The gentleman sha'n't crack the overseer's lash to putme down. "Mr. Stanly: 'I hope that the gentleman will not gnash his teeth sohard; he might hurt himself. Who is here playing the overseer over whitemen--who but he, who is throwing his filthy gall and assailing everybodyas Northern Whig Dough-faces, and what he calls the vile slave-holders?He is the only man who acts in that way. We don't raise the overseer'slash over our slaves in North Carolina. If that member was in thesouthern country, nobody would own him as a black man with a whiteskin--(laughter)--but he would be suffered to run wild as a free negro, and in the course of three weeks he would be brought up to thewhipping-post and lashed, for stealing or slandering his neighbours. (Laughter. ) If I say that he is a gentleman, I tell a falsehood. "The Speaker (to Mr. Stanly)--'Will the gentleman suspend for a moment? "Mr. Stanly: 'We ought to suspend that fellow (pointing to Mr. Giddings)by the neck. (Laughter. ) "Mr. Giddings: 'The gentleman from North Carolina reminds me of the boywho turned round so fast that the hind part of his breeches was on bothsides. (Laughter. ) The gentleman says that I was at Norristown, too; butwhere was he and the members of the House? Why, drinking their grog. (Laughter. ) "Mr. Stanly: 'I charge the official reporters not to let his (Mr. Giddings') felonious hand touch one word of what I say, for we know howhe on a former occasion misrepresented my colleague from the Orangedistrict, and his own colleague from the Chillicothe district, havingaltered his own speech after he got to his room with his colouredfriends. (Laughter. ) He talks about my associates: but has anybody everseen him in private decent company? Free negroes may call to see him. Hedoes not let his right hand know what his left doeth. He alludes to myabsence; but I have not set myself up as a standard. I don't say I'malways in the house as I ought to be. He says we were here drinking ourgrog during Christmas times. Where was he? In Philadelphia, drinkingbeer and eating oysters with free negroes. (Laughter. ) Which was thebest off? Judge ye. (Laughter. ) He thinks he was better off than wewere. [Mr. Stanly paused, and, looking towards Mr. Preston King, who wasstanding near Sir. Giddings, remarked, raising his voice to a higherpitch, "Help him out; he needs a little more poison. " (Voices, "Ha, ha!Good! Ha, ha!")] I quit this subject in disgust. I find that I have beenin a dissecting-room, cutting up a dead dog. I will treat him as aninsane man, who was never taught the decencies of life, proprieties ofconduct--whose associations show that he never mingled with gentlemen. Let him rave on till doomsday. ' "The conversation then ceased. " Any one who has seen much of American gentlemen, must know that suchlanguage as the above contains would be reprobated by them fully asstrongly as by any gentleman in this country. To doubt that would be todo them a gross injustice. Does not, therefore, the recurrence of suchscenes go far to prove, that the advance of ultra-democratic principleshas the effect of lowering the tone of the Representative Chamber, andthat men of liberal education and gentlemanly bearing do not constitutethe majority in that House? In the days of Washington, would any memberhave dared to use, or would any other member have for a momenttolerated, such language? It is but justice to say, that the tone of theSenate Chamber is far more dignified; and many who have been members ofthat body have established a world-wide reputation both as orators andstatesmen. Let us now turn for a few minutes to that important subject, theJudiciary of the States, one peculiar feature of which is, its being aco-ordinate branch of the Legislature. The Supreme Court of the UnitedStates is the highest tribunal in the country; it consists of a ChiefJustice and eight associate Justices, the Attorney-General, a reporter, and a clerk. All questions affecting foreign ambassadors, consuls, &c. , are tried before this court; and it is a final court of appeal in casesinvolving constitutional questions, and various others, too long toenumerate here. It has even the power of annulling the acts of theFederal Congress at Washington, if such acts are contrary to theConstitution. The following article in the Constitution regulates the terms upon whichalone any change may be made, and which is of so peculiar andconservative a character that I insert it in full:-- "ARTICLE V. --_Power of Amendment_. "The Congress, whenever two-thirds of both Houses shall deem it necessary, shall propose amendments to this Constitution, or, on the application of the Legislatures of two-thirds of the several States, shall call a convention for proposing amendments, which, in either case, shall be valid to all intents and purposes, as part of this Constitution, when ratified by the Legislatures of three-fourths of the several States, or by conventions in three-fourths thereof, as the one or the other mode of ratification may be proposed by the Congress; provided that no amendment which may be made prior to the year one thousand eight hundred and eight, shall in any manner affect the first and fourth clauses in the ninth section of the first article, and that no State, without its consent, shall be deprived of its equal suffrage in the Senate. " The foregoing article is a remarkable instance of prudence andforethought, and acts as the strongest safeguard against hasty measures, which in times of great excitement may sometimes obtain a majority thatwould afterwards be regretted by all parties. If the principle involvedin any question is really felt to be of vital importance, the majoritycan dissolve the Union if they consider the object in view worth thesacrifice. The salary of the Chief Justice is about 1050l. A-year. This court is, I believe, invariably composed of men of the highest talent andintegrity; their appointment is from the President, and endorsed by theSenate, and their tenure of office is "during good behaviour. "[CD] Therehas, fortunately, been no change in the manner or term of theseappointments; but, in the different States, the democratic mania hasremoved the old landmarks of prudence bequeathed to them by theirfathers. Mr. Tremenheere tells, that in 1833 only 5 States out of the 24had adopted the principle of electing Judges, and appointing them for aterm of years; in 1844, 12 States out of the 29 had adopted theprinciple; and in 1853, 22 out of the 31 States had come to the sameresolution. We surely have in these facts a most important warning ofthe danger of introducing too much of the democratic element into theconstitution of any country. Reflect, if but for a moment, on the dangerto the community, where the selection of the Judges of the land may beguided by political rancour or public clamour; the bare knowledge thatsuch may be the case, even if the purity of the masses be so great asnot to admit of such sinister influence, the bare possibility, I say, iscalculated to lower the respect in which it is most desirable thejudiciary should ever be held, [CE] and to deter the most pure andhigh-minded citizens from offering their services. The salaries of theJudges range from 250l. To 400l. A-year. The next point to which I would call attention, is to be found in Art. I. , sect. 6, of the Constitution of the United States, the last clauseof which runs thus:--"No person holding any office under the UnitedStates shall be a member of either House during his continuance inoffice. " This was probably one of the most extraordinary blunders suchan able body of men as the framers of the Constitution ever made; and iftheir object was to guard against corruption, and the undue influence ofthe leading men of the country, it has most signally failed, as the Actbefore referred to, of February, 1853, fully testifies. Only conceivethe effect of excluding all the Cabinet and high functionaries fromseats in the Lords and Commons; conceive the great statesmen of thiscountry being obliged to hand over the introduction of most importantmeasures, and the defence and explanation of them, to other hands. Onthis point, Mr. Justice Story remarks: "Thus, that open and publicresponsibility for measures, which properly belongs to the executive inall governments, especially in a republican government, as its greatestsecurity and strength, is completely done away. The executive iscompelled to resort to secret and unseen influence, --to privateinterviews and private arrangements, --to accomplish its own appropriatepurposes, instead of proposing and sustaining its own duties andmeasures by a bold and manly appeal to the nation in the face of itsrepresentatives. One consequence of this state of things is, that therenever can be traced home to the executive any responsibility for themeasures which are planned and carried at its suggestion. Anotherconsequence will be--if it has not yet been--that measures will beadopted or defeated by private intrigues, political combinations, irresponsible recommendations, by all the blandishments of office, andall the deadening weight of silent patronage; . . . Ministers may concealor evade any expression of their opinions. " In charity it should be presumed that in all nations which possessanything worthy of the name of free institutions, the ablest men of thepolitical majority constitute the Cabinet; and, by the enactment we areconsidering, all this talent is excluded from the councils of thenation, whereas all the talent of the Opposition may be there arrayedagainst their measures. I confess it is beyond my penetration, to seehow this can be reconciled to justice or common sense; in no oneprinciple of their Government did they more completely ignore the wisdomand experience of the mother country, and in the object they had in viewthey appear to have most completely failed. It is but fair to thedemocrats to say it is no act of theirs; they inherited the misfortune, and are likely to keep it, as it is one of the fundamental principles oftheir Constitution, and they have a salutary dread--much to theirpraise--of tinkering up any flaw they find in that document, lest inmending one hole they make two. They have, as a nation, so greatlyprospered under its combined enactments, and possess such an unlimitedindependence in their individual States, that although the exclusion ofthe Cabinet is now very generally admitted to be an error, I saw noinclination to moot the question; probably, lest other questionsaffecting the slave and non-slave-holding States might be brought on theboards, and again disturb the bonds of union. Another very remarkable--and in a Republic anomalous--feature in thegovernment, is the power of the President, who, by the Constitution, isenabled during his four years' tenure of office to rule in totalopposition to the majority, obstructing all the measures they may bringforward, unless the majority amounts to two-thirds in both Houses ofCongress. Article I. , section 7, clause 2, runs thus:--"Every bill which shallhave passed the House of Representatives and the Senate shall, beforeit become a law, be presented to the President of the United States; ifhe approves, he shall sign it, but if not, he shall return it with hisobjections to that House in which it shall have originated, who shallenter the objections at large on their journal, and proceed tore-consider it. If after such re-consideration two-thirds of that Houseshall agree to pass the bill, it shall be sent, together with theobjections, to the other House, by which it shall likewise bere-considered, and if approved by two-thirds of that House, it shallbecome a law, " &c. This power of the President has been used by Washington, Jackson, Tyler, and Polk; particularly by Tyler, who opposed the wishes of the majorityeven when those wishes were backed by his own ministry. During thediscussions on the Constitution, many of the wisest heads at thateventful period desired to establish the Presidency for life, buteventually the term of four years was agreed upon; and if such powers ofobstructing the wishes of a majority were to accompany the office, itcertainly was a prudent conclusion they arrived at. In a denselypopulated community like Great Britain, such powers, whether in thehands of the sovereign or the ministers, would produce a revolution inmuch less time than four years. It may, however, be questioned, whetherthese powers are not productive of evil, by rendering necessary suchfrequent elections for the Presidency. On this point, Mr. Justice Storystates: "The inconvenience of such frequently recurring elections of thechief magistrate, by generating factions, combining intrigues, andagitating the public mind, seems not hitherto to have attracted as muchattention, as it deserves. " And Chancellor Kent remarks, that "theelection of a supreme executive magistrate for a whole nation affects somany interests, addresses itself so strongly to popular passions, andholds out such powerful temptations to ambition, that it necessarilybecomes a strong trial to public virtue, and even hazardous to publictranquillity. " There is another evil which attends these frequent elections of thechief magistrate--namely, the enormous patronage at his disposal, andthe mass of jobbery and corruption to which the exercise of it almostinvariably leads. Besides the appointment of nearly ever military, naval, civil, judicial, and revenue-collecting official--some of thesesubject, it is true to the approval of the Senate--Mr. Justice Storyremarks, that with regard to inferior offices "his patronage probablyincludes ninety-nine out of every hundred of the lucrative offices ofthe government. " His great rival in patronage is the Postmaster-General, who has power to appoint and remove all deputy-postmasters, which, asthe number of post-offices is 22, 688, amounts to something considerable. This power was doubtless intended for the public good, and in order thatincompetent or inefficient persons should be removed. To the honour ofWashington, it is recorded that during his eight years' Presidency onlynine removals took place. To President Jackson they are indebted, as Ihave before remarked, for the introduction of the present corruptsystem. According to Justice Story, on his entering office he removed233 _employés_; since then, the snowball has been steadily increasingtill the present moment; it has now reached an amount which it wouldrequire Mr. Babbage's machine to calculate. Who can doubt that such vastpatronage, has far more influence in the selection of a President, thanany personal qualification for the high and important post? Nothingcould prove more clearly that such influences are paramount to allothers than the last election. There were eight candidates on thedemocratic side, of whom General Pierce was not one; all the eight hadtheir special friends, and each party was loth to lose the chance ofpatronage which their friend's election might reasonably lead them tohope for. Thus they fought so vigorously that there was no chance of anyone having the requisite number of votes, i. E. , a majority of thewhole number polled. The Convention being deputed by the different States to select from thecandidates already in the field, how do they get out of the difficultyat the eleventh hour? They take upon themselves to nominate a candidatefor the Presidential chair, who was not fettered by any particularfollowers, and from whom all parties hoped they would receive some shareof the loaves and fishes as a reward for their support. The electorsendorsed the new selection of the Convention, and General Pierce, latelycommanding a brigade in the Mexican war, was elected by a mostastounding majority. Scarcely any President was ever elected with suchall-but unanimity, and the Press was equally undivided in its praises. Every paper I read, in every place I passed through, was full of themost unbounded eulogy. But mark the change a few months made. Beforethe end of the year, one-half of that Press, which had bespattered himwith such fulsome adulation during the honeymoon of which hisinauguration was the centre, were filling their columns with long andloud complaints, if not abuse. And what was the chief burden of theirinvective? It was the manner in which he distributed his patronage. Inshort, they were discontented with the share they received of the loavesand fishes, and thus the target of their adulation during the summer ofhope, became the butt for their abuse in the winter of disappointment. There is another subject connected with these elections, which speakswith warning voice against the presumable advantage of democracy. Iwould not be misunderstood as casting the slightest reflection upon theamiable qualities, intellectual powers, or administrative talents of anyAmerican citizen who has been raised to the Presidency during lateryears. Let any candid reader, however, whether English or American, lookat the following lists of Presidents since the Constitution, and hecannot fail to observe that while the franchise was restricted in nearlyevery State, those called to that high post were the marked men of thehighest talent in the country--men whose reputation and abilities werepatent to the whole community; while, with the increase of democracy, those selected during later years are men who, whatever their virtuesand capabilities, were comparatively unknown. In the case of GeneralFranklin Pierce, he was never even named by the community; but, as wehave shown, was selected by the Convention at the eleventh hour, as acompromise of political partisanship. Let us not forget, that while someof the later Presidents were elected, Calhoun, Clay, and Webster--whosenames are the just pride of the Republic, and household words in everyfamily--were passed over. [CF] Surely these simple facts may afford ussubject for profitable reflection. We will now pass on from the Governor of the Republic to the Governorsof individual States. Their salaries vary in different States, and rangefrom 300l. To 2000l. A-year. Their election is in some States by thepeople, in others by the legislature: their term of office varies; insome States the election is annual, and in all for a very limitedperiod; and under them each separate State has its own House ofRepresentatives and its Senate. The chief power, which resides in theGovernor alone, is that of pardon; and here we may observe, that it isonly reasonable to suppose that so enlightened a community as the UnitedStates would not for any considerable number of years have tolerated themost flagrant abuse of such a power as that of pardon; and consequentlythat if it be found that such abuse do now exist, it must have grownwith the ever-growing democratic element. Mr. Tremenheere quotes largely from a work by Dr. Lieber, Professor ofPolitical Philosophy in the State College of South Carolina. Amongothers of a similar character, the following passage occurs:--"Iconsider the indiscriminate pardoning so frequent in many parts of theUnited States, one of the most hostile things, now at work in ourcountry, to a perfect government of law. " He elsewhere states "that theNew York Committee had ascertained that there are men who make a regulartrade of procuring pardons for convicts by which they supportthemselves. " Further on he says, "To this statement we have now to addthe still more appalling fact, which we would pass over in silence ifour duty permitted it, that but a short time ago the Governor of a largeState--a State among the foremost in prison discipline--was openly andwidely accused of taking money for his pardons. We have it not in ourpower to state whether this be true or not, but it is obvious that astate of things which allows suspicions and charges so degrading and soruinous to a healthy condition, ought not to be borne with. " He thensubjoins this note:--"While these sheets are going through the press, the papers report that the Governor of a large State has pardoned thirtycriminals, among whom were some of the worst characters, at one stroke, on leaving the gubernatorial chair. "--Among the conclusions Dr. Lieberdraws on this point, is the following astounding one--"That theexecutive in our country is so situated that, in the ordinary course ofthings, it cannot be expected of him that he will resist the abuse; atleast, that he will not resist it in many cases. " The foregoing extracts are certainly entitled to no small weight when itis remembered they come from the pen of a republican professor, writingupon "Civil Liberty and Self-government. " I do not pretend to say thatsuch gross cases as those referred to by him came within my cognizanceduring my travels, but I most certainly did hear charges made againstgovernors, in more than one instance, of granting pardons throughcorrupt influence. I have now given a cursory review of the leading features in theexecutive of the United States; and I have endeavoured, while doing so, to point out the effects which the gradual inroads of the democraticelement have produced. The subject is one of the deepest interest to usas Englishmen, inasmuch as it is the duty of every government toenlarge, as far as is consistent with the welfare of the nation, theliberty of the subject. The foregoing remarks on the constitution of theUnited States appear to me conclusive as to one fact--viz. , that thedemocratic element may be introduced so largely as that, despite a highstandard of national education and worldly prosperity, its influencewill produce the most pernicious effect upon the government of thecountry. This truth cannot be too strongly brought forward, for undoubtedlychange is the mania of the day; and as, in a free country, allconstitutional changes must have a liberal tendency, it behoves ourlegislators to study deeply and patiently the effect produced upon anycountry whose constitution is more democratic than our own, so as toenable them, while steadily advancing with the age, to know when thewell-being of their country requires them, as true patriots, to resistthose measures which threaten injury to the social fabric committed totheir guidance. No field can afford them more profitable subjects forreflection than the United States. Independent of the fact that herinstitutions are more democratic than our own, she possesses naturaladvantages that enable her to carry them out, such as we do not; and, therefore, the British statesman may always study her career withprofit when any great liberal movement is being agitated in his owncountry. Lest any one should be disposed to imagine that the statements I havemade, or the deductions I have drawn, are merely the prejudices of atraveller brought up under a constitutional monarchy, I will add apassage showing the conclusions at which one of the ablest men inAmerica has arrived. Bishop Hopkins, in an address delivered before the House of Convocationof Trinity College, Hartford, after eulogizing the wisdom andpatriotism, of the founders of his country, as being "the wise masterbuilders of the noblest republic in the world, " asks what is its presentstate after seventy years' brief experience? Behold the reply:--"First, then, we hear on every side the charge of political corruption. Briberyis practised in all our elections. The spoils of office are expected asa matter of course by the victorious party. The President of the UnitedStates dares not be impartial; for, if he were, he would lose theconfidence of his friends without gaining the confidence of his enemies. The oldest statesmen, and the most prominent, cannot follow the dictatesof their own judgment and conscience without being reproached as thoughthey were laying a trap for the presidential chair. The very laws ofCongress are set down as the results of personal venality or ambition. The House of Representatives, or even the Senate Chamber, are disgracedevery year by fierce passion and violent denunciation. The barbarous andunchristian duel is anticipated as quite inevitable unless it be avertedby explanations which may satisfy worldly honour, in utter contempt ofall religious principle. And no member of either House can go to theperformance of his public duties with any security that he may not beinsulted by coarse invective before the day is closed. Yet our rulersare never weary of lauding the character of Washington, as if they werequite convinced that the time had passed by when they might be expectedto verify the language of praise by the act of imitation. When we lookinto the other classes of the community, the same charge of venality andcorruption meets us again. Our merchants are accused of all sorts ofdishonest management; our brokers, of stock-jobbing; our city aldermen, of bribery; our lawyers, of knavery; our justices, of complicity withthe guilty. The same worship of Mammon seems to govern the whole, andthe current phrase, 'the almighty dollar, ' is a sad but powerfulexponent of the universal sin which involves the mass of ourpopulation. " Being perfectly aware what a "glass house" of corruption we ourselvesare living in, I do not quote the foregoing by way of "throwing astone, " but insert it merely as a warning of the direction in which weshould not seek for an advance in purification. FOOTNOTES: [Footnote CB: Why is it that, in our yearly debate in Parliament, and inall the journals of the day, from the _Times_ down even to the _MorningAdvertiser_, the United States are always quoted as a republic where theballot succeeds, when there is no excuse for the most commonly educatedman being ignorant of the fact, that the ballot, as understood in thiscountry, does not exist among them? To their honour be it said, theyhold secret voting in sovereign contempt. ] [Footnote CC: _The Ballot_, by the Rev. SYDNEY SMITH. 1839. ] [Footnote CD: This expression, both in America and England, istantamount to--for life. ] [Footnote CE: _Vide ante_, opinion of New York Press upon the trial ofMatthew F. Ward. ] [Footnote CF: G. Washington 1789 J. Adams 1797 T. Jefferson 1801 J. Madison 1809 J. Munroe 1817 J. Q. Adams 1825 A. Jackson 1829 M. Van Buren 1837 W. H. Harrison 1841 J. Tyler 1841 J. K. Polk 1845 Z. Taylor 1849 M. Fillmore 1850 F. Pierce 1853] CHAPTER XXVIII. _The Church, the School, and the Law. _ Although the Church has no connexion with the State, it must ever be amost important element in any Christian community. I therefore furnish atable of the various denominations, so as to enable the reader, at aglance, to get the particular information he may desire. Some of thedenominations given in this table are, of course, again divided intoother sects, such as "Reformed Methodists, " "Episcopal Methodists, ""Wesleyan Methodists, " "Six Principle Baptists, " "Seventh-Day Baptists, ""Anti-mission Baptists, " &c. Denominations. Number of Aggregate Total Value Churches. Accommodation. Of Church Property. £ Baptists 8791 3, 130, 878 2, 295, 590 Christian 812 296, 050 177, 621 Congregational 1674 795, 177 1, 674, 532 Dutch Reformed 324 181, 986 860, 313 Episcopal 1422 625, 213 2, 365, 013 Free 361 108, 605 52, 973 Friends 714 282, 823 359, 071 German Reformed 327 156, 932 29, 024 Jewish 31 16, 575 78, 036 Lutheran 1203 531, 100 602, 205 Mennonite 110 29, 900 19, 791 Methodist 12, 467 4, 209, 333 3, 073, 700 Moravian 331 112, 185 93, 002 Presbyterian 4584 2, 040, 316 3, 017, 675 Roman Catholic 1112 620, 950 1, 884, 505 Swedenborgian 15 5, 070 22, 701 Tunker 52 35, 075 9, 665 Union 619 213, 552 144, 913 Unitarian 243 137, 367 686, 305 Universalist 494 205, 462 371, 073 Minor Sects 325 115, 347 155, 815 Total 36, 011 13, 849, 896 £17, 973, 523 If the foregoing table may be taken as indicative of the wholepopulation, it will be seen that one person out of every three is aMethodist, and only one in every twenty-two is a Romanist; but what ismore worthy of remark is, the provision which, under the voluntarysystem, has been made for public worship. We here see accommodation provided for 14, 000, 000 in a population of23, 000, 000--of which 3, 000, 000 are slaves. At the same time, it mustalso be observed, that all these churches are not necessarily suppliedwith ministers. Their support being dependent upon their congregation, it will occasionally happen that a minister gets starved out, and sometime may elapse before a successor is appointed; the inconvenience ofwhich contingency occurring is obvious. More than one such case cameunder my own observation when travelling through the country. With regard to the distribution of the churches, the only peculiarity Iobserve is, that the Unitarian community appear to be nearly allgathered into one spot, and that spot the Land of the Pilgrim Fathers, and the State that is considered foremost in education. Out of 243churches, 163 are situated in Massachusetts. I have never heard anyreason given for this curious fact; doubtless the great talents ofChanning tended to swell their numbers, but could hardly account for theextraordinary proportion established in this State. In proportion to its numbers, it will be seen that the Episcopal is thewealthiest of all Churches; and yet we find complaint made of theinsufficiency of the support for their ministers. Bishop Eastburn, ofMassachusetts, in a pastoral letter, states that in his diocese"respectable parents will not bring up their children to the clericalprofession, because the salaries hardly keep people from starving. " Howfar this is true generally, or whether confined to his ownneighbourhood, I cannot say. The Episcopal Church in America is freefrom the violent factions that have distracted and thrown obloquy uponthe sister church in this country. The puerile struggle about surplices, and candles, and steps up to altars, and Brussels lace offerings, appearto have attracted little attention among those in America, whosetheological views assimilate with the extreme high party in England: andI never heard, during my residence in the States, any of that violentand uncharitable language with which discussions on religious topics toofrequently abound in this country; nor is the Episcopal community by anymeans so divided as it is here. The Bishop of New Zealand is far nearertheir type than the controversial prelate of Exeter. The Book of Common Prayer, as arranged by Convention in 1790, is wellworthy of notice, and, in many points, of imitation. These pages are notthe proper place for a theological discussion, and my only reason fortouching upon the subject at all is, that the public voice is constantlycalling for some modification of the great length of our present Sundayservices, and I therefore conclude that the following observations maybe interesting to some of my readers. The leading points of retrenchment are--removing all repetitions, suchas the Lord's Prayer, the Creed, and the Collect for the day; a portionof the close of the Litany is omitted at the discretion of the minister. The Communion Service is not read every Sunday. I suppose the Churchauthorizes this omission at the discretion of the minister, as I haveattended service on more than one occasion when the Communion was notread; when read, Our Lord's commandment, Matthew xxii. 37-40, followsthe Commandments of the Old Testament, and a short Collect, followed bythe Collect, Epistle, and Gospel for the day, finish that portion of theservice. Independent of the regular Psalms, for the day, there are tenseparate short collections, any one of which the minister may substitutefor the proper Psalms, and the Gloria Patri is only said after the lastPsalm. The leading features of difference from our own "Common Prayer" are asfollow:--They appoint proper Second Lessons for the Sunday, instead ofleaving them, to the chance of the Calendar--they place the Nicene andApostles' Creed side by side, and leave the minister to select which heprefers, and to use, if he think proper, the word "Hades" instead ofHell. They remove the Athanasian Creed entirely from the Prayer Book, leaving to the minister to explain the mysteries which that creed sosummarily disposes of. When it is considered how many Episcopalians areopposed to its damnatory clauses, and how much more nearly the othercreeds resemble that model of simplicity, the Lord's Prayer, they appearto have exercised a sound discretion in this excision. Fewdeep-thinking people, I imagine, can have heard the children of theparish school reading the responses of that creed after the minister, without pain. Lest the passing opinion of a traveller upon the subject be deemed hastyor irreverent, I beg to quote Bishop Tomline's opinion. He says--"Greatobjections have been made to the clauses which denounce eternaldamnation against those who do not believe the faith as here stated; andit certainly is to be lamented that assertions of so peremptory anature, unexplained and unqualified, should have been used in any humancomposition. . . . Though I firmly believe that the doctrines of this creedare all founded on Scripture, I cannot but conceive it to be bothunnecessary and presumptuous to say that, "except every one do keep themwhole and undefiled, without doubt he shall perish everlastingly. " Mr. Wheatley also, when writing on the Creed, says, that the third andfourth verses constitute the creed, and that what follows "requires ourassent no more than a sermon does, which is made to prove or illustratea text. "--To resume. They have proper prayers and thanksgivings for individuals who desiretheir use, instead of, as with us, introducing a few words into theordinary service. They have provided a liberal collection of psalms andhymns for singing in church, and no others are allowed to be used. Eachpsalm and hymn has the Gloria Patri suited to it marked at thebeginning. The inconvenience of the total want of such a provision inour Church is most palpable. Not long before I went to America, I wasattending a parish church in the country, where a great proportion ofthe psalms and hymns used were the minister's own composition, and if Irecollect right, the book cost half-a-crown. I came up to town, and Ifound my parish church there had a selection under the sanction of theBishop of London. Since my return from America, I have gone to the sameLondon church, under the same Bishop, and I have found a totallydifferent book in use. --The foregoing are the principal alterations inthe Sunday services. The alterations in the other services are chiefly the following:--In thefull Communion Service, the word "condemnation" is substituted for"damnation, " in the notice of intimation. The whole of the damnatoryclause in the exhortation, from the word "unworthily" to "sundry kindsof death, " is expunged. The first prayer in our Church after thereception, is modified by them into an oblation and invocation, andprecedes the reception. The remainder of the service is nearly the sameas our own. They have removed the objectionable opening of the Marriage Service;but, not content with that, they have also removed the whole of theservice which follows the minister's blessing after the marriage ispronounced, and thus reduced it to a five minutes' ceremony. While onthis subject, I may as well observe that, from inquiries I made, Ibelieve but few of those marriages take place by which husband and wifeare prevented from kneeling at the same altar, by which their highestinterests can never be a subject of mutual discussion, and by whichchildren are either brought up without any fixed religious ideas at all, or else a compromise is entered into, and the girls are educated in onechurch and the boys in another. In short, I believe the Romanists inAmerica marry but rarely out of the pale of their own church. I cannotsay what the law of divorce is, but it appears to offer far greaterfacilities than would be approved of in England. A gentleman mentionedtwo cases to me, in one of which the divorce was obtained by the wifewithout the husband being aware of it, although living in the sameState; in the other, the wife returned to the State from which herhusband had taken her, and there obtained a divorce without hisknowledge. --To return from this digression. In the Visitation of theSick they have removed that individual absolution of the minister, thewording of which is so objectionable that, if I am rightly informed, itis rarely used by ministers in England. In the Burial of the Dead, theyhave changed the two concluding prayers in those sentences which referto the deceased. The Commination they have entirely expunged. They haveadded a full service for Visitation of Prisoners, and a HarvestThanksgiving; and they have provided a form of morning and eveningprayer for families. The foregoing constitute the leading points of difference. Of coursethere are many minor ones which are merely verbal, such, for instance, as their expunging the scriptural quotation of "King of kings, Lord oflords, " from the prayer for the President, probably out of deference tothe prejudices of the Republicans, for which omission they havepartially atoned by the substitution of the grander expression of "onlyRuler of the Universe, " in lieu of the more limited term "only Ruler ofPrinces. " To enter into all these verbal changes would be alike tediousand useless. Enough, I trust, has been written to convey a general ideaof the most striking and interesting points of difference. Other churches transplanted to this hemisphere seem to differ from theparent stock most essentially. Thus I find in the almanack for 1853, "Methodist Episcopal Church (North) 3984 ministers, and 662, 315communicants, " and below them "Methodist Episcopal Church (South)"without any return of statistics. I regret not being able to give thereader any history of this occidental hierarchy. I do not even know theEpiscopacizing process they go through, whether it is entirely lay orentirely clerical, or whether it is a fusion of the two. At first Iimagined it was a Wesleyan offshoot, but I can find no indication ofthat fact; and, moreover, the Wesleyan is a very small body, numbering600 ministers and 20, 000 communicants. I only allude to it because itappears to me a totally novel feature in Dissenting bodies--asunderstood in England. Another curious change produced by this Westernclimate is, that it turns all my Presbyterian friends instrumentallymusical. I do not remember entering any of their churches withoutfinding an organ, and in many instances a very good choir. Although Iapprove highly of the euphonious improvement, I feel sure that many ofmy countrymen in the extreme north would rather see a picturerepresenting Satan in Abraham's bosom inside their kirk than any musicalinstrument. Such is the force of habit and prejudice. The extent to which the churches in America have increased is doubtlessmost creditable to the community, when it is remembered that all thevarious denominations are supported voluntarily. Nor is their number theonly point worthy of notice: the buildings themselves have all, someecclesiastical appearance, and many of them are fine specimens ofarchitecture. Besides which, they are always kept clean and in goodorder; you will never find those unsightly barns, and still less thedilapidation which is often met with in the mother land. I have myselfbeen in a church at home where the flooring was all worn away, andgravel from the outside substituted, and where the seats were so ricketythat a fall might be anticipated at any moment. The parishioners werepoor Highlanders, it is true, but the owner of the soil was a man ofconsiderable wealth. I have, since my return to England, been into a beautiful old parishchurch in one of the midland counties; the building was in a mostdeplorable state of dilapidation, and the communion-rail formed amusic-stand, while inside were placed an orchestra of two fiddles and abass-viol. The minister received, for the first three years heofficiated, the exorbitant remuneration of thirty pounds a year; sincewhich time he has taken the duties of parish schoolmaster, the salary ofwhich, increased by a small sum from Queen Anne's Bounty, enables him tokeep body and soul together. But of course the school engrossed all histime, except what was necessary to prepare his discourses, and hisparishioners were unavoidably and totally neglected, till dissentingministers came to the rescue. As a natural consequence, they soonfollowed the ministers who made them the objects of their care, and whenI attended this beautiful old parish church, the congregation, independent of the orchestra and the parish school, consisted of elevensouls, three of whom came from the minister's own house. You might seekin vain to parallel such a case throughout the whole Republic. I now propose to make a few observations about disbelief in the UnitedStates. On this point I have no statistics to refer to, nor do I believesuch exist. I therefore can form no idea of its extent; but the open wayin which some parties not only express their doubts of the authenticityof Scripture, but dispute every doctrine which it contains, and openlyproclaim it the enemy of man, is worthy of some notice. An IsmiteConvention was held for many days at Hartford, in one of the New EnglandStates (Connecticut) where, I suppose, education may be considered asuniversal as in any other State in the Union. The meeting was considered of sufficient importance to occupy dailyseveral columns of one of the New York leading journals, and to employ aspecial reporter. It is thus headed--"MEETING OF PHILOSOPHERS, THEOLOGIANS, THINKERS, STRONG-MINDED WOMEN, SPIRITUAL RAPPERS, ATHEISTS, AND NEGROES. " Details of this Convention would be tootedious; I propose only giving a few of their resolutions. Resolved--"That the Bible, in some parts of the Old and New Testament, sanctions injustice, concubinage, prostitution, oppression, war, plunder, and wholesale murder, and, therefore, that the Bible as awhole, originated, [CG] is false, and injurious to the social andspiritual growth of man. " After which the chairman goes on to prove (?)it is purely human, &c. Another resolution reiterates the former, andadds that "the time has come to declare its untruthfulness, and tounmask those who are guilty of its imposture. " Then follows a resolutionfor the especial consideration of slave-owners:--"Resolved--That it isthe climax of audacity and impiety for this nation to receive the Bibleas the inspired Word of God, and then to make it a penal offence to giveit to any of the millions who are held as chattel slaves on its soil, thus conspiring to make them miserable here and hereafter. " Then followsa charitable resolution, declaring their belief that all the clergy"would readily burn the Bible to-morrow if public sentiment demandedit. " One of the orators brings the Bible to the bar of geology, andthere condemns it, and recommends "that the Hindoos should establish amission to enlighten Christians of this and other countries. He believedthat the priesthood and the Bible were opposed to all liberty andprogress, and the deadliest enemies of mankind. " Another member of this blasphemous band becomes highly indignant becausethe orthodox clergymen--who probably remembered that "evilcommunications corrupt good manners"--would not meet them on theirinfidel platform, and he presents a resolution declaring that "by theirabsence, they had openly declared their infidelity to their professionsof theological faith, and had thus confessed the weakness and folly oftheir arrogant assumptions, and proved that they loved popular favourmore than common good; and they are therefore moral cowards, phariseesof this nineteenth century, seeking to enslave more and more the mind ofman, " &c. Another orator then proposes a resolution, to the effect thatthe spirit and genius of Bible religion is not a system of salvationfrom sin and its effects, but a system of damnation into sin and itseffects; that it is the friend of moral and spiritual slavery, andtherefore "the foe of human mental and spiritual liberty. " Subsequentlya strong-minded woman, called Mrs. Rose, appeared on the platform amidconsiderable uproar, followed by extinguishing the gas and singingsongs. After a severe struggle, the lady managed to express hersentiments in these mild and Christian terms:--"The Church is upon yourneck. Do you want to be free? Then trample the Church, the priest, andthe Bible under your feet. "--The last day's proceeding closed by a rowin the gallery, owing to a fight, in which a dirk had been drawn; andthen the Convention adjourned till the following year. The reader must not imagine that I state this as an indication of thetone of religious feeling in the New England States, --far from it; butit appears to me a fact worth noticing, that a Convention of such anature and magnitude, and considered of sufficient importance to employthe special reporter of a leading journal of New York, should by anypossibility assemble for days and days together, and give vent to suchblasphemous sentiments among a people so liberally educated and so amplysupplied with means of religious instruction. I only hope that theinfidelity of the whole Republic was gathered into that one assembly, and that having met in so uncongenial an atmosphere, they all returnedto their homes impregnated with some of the purer atmosphere of thegreat majority of the people. The subject of Education naturally follows the Church; but, on thispoint, any attempt at accuracy is hopeless. Whether it be from thevariety of school systems in the different States, or from some innatedefect in the measures taken to obtain information, I cannot pretend tosay; but the discrepancies between the statements made are so great, that I can only pretend to give a moderate approximation to the truth, which is the more to be regretted, as the means provided for educationthroughout the length and breadth of the Republic constitute one of itsnoblest features. In rough numbers, they may be thus stated:-- Schools. Number. Instructors. Pupils. Public 81, 000 92, 000 4, 000, 000 Colleges 220 1500 20, 000 Academies, & others 6, 000 12, 000 261, 000 Of the above colleges, theology claims 44, medicine 37, law 16. Among the expenses of the various colleges, which I can refer to, I findUniversity College, Virginia--the terms of which occupy 44 weeks--is themost expensive. The annual charges for a student are thefollowing:--College expenses, 40l. ; board, 22l. ; washing, fuel, andlights, 4l. --in all, 70l. It is obvious that no provision is heremade for champagne suppers, hunters, tandems, and other "necessaries, "of our University students, including a few "auxiliaries, " in the shapeof I O U's, for red coats, top-boots, Hudson's regalias, and mysteriousjewellery bills for articles that men don't wear. Doubtless some papaswould prefer the Virginian bill of fare; but then, they must rememberthat the republican lads go to college to learn something, whereas manypapas send their first-born hopes to Oxford and Cambridge to savethemselves trouble, and to keep the youths out of mischief during theawkward period of life yclept "hobbledehoyhood. " How they succeed ispretty well known to themselves, and probably their bankers have someidea also; yet, with all these drawbacks, who will deny that those seatsof learning turn out annually some of the most manly and high-minded, and some of the best educated and most industrious, young men in thecountry? Having entered into some of the details of education at various placesduring my travels, I shall not trespass on the reader's patience bydwelling further on the subject, except to call attention to thefollowing important regulation with regard to children in factories; andI most sincerely hope it may reach the eye of Lord Shaftesbury, or someother of his coadjutors in the noble work of the protection andeducation of helpless youth. The regulation exists in some shape orother in many States. I subjoin the wording of it from that ofMassachusetts:-- _"No child under the age of fifteen years shall be employed in anymanufacturing establishment, unless such child shall have attended somepublic or private day-school, where instruction is given by a teacherqualified according to law to teach orthography, reading, writing, English grammar, geography, arithmetic, and good behaviour, at least oneterm of eleven weeks of the twelve months next preceding the time ofsuch employment, and for the same period during any and every twelvemonths in which such child shall be so employed. "_ Although my salt-fish friends are probably very familiar withsea-lawyers, the general reader may be astonished to see any allusion tolaw made by a sea-captain. I therefore beg to inform him, that thefollowing observations on a most interesting point are furnished me by afriend who is legitimately at home in that complicated business, and whodevoted much attention to the study of the method by which land isconveyed in the United States with so much ease and so little expense:-- "In America all conveyances of land, whether absolute or by way ofmortgage only, are, with the exception of some chattel interests, required to be registered within a fixed or a reasonable time aftertheir execution. Registration is constructive notice to all the world;if not registered, a deed is only valid against the parties to it andthe heirs and devisees of the grantor. Generally, however, noticeobtained by a purchaser previous to his purchase, will, if clearlyproved, prevent his taking the advantage, though he may have beenbeforehand in registering his own title. "By the old laws of Massachusetts, all deeds of conveyance were requiredto be recorded, 'that neither creditors might be defrauded, nor courtstroubled with vexatious suits and endless contentions. ' In consequenceof the number of registers established in each county--and theexcellence of their arrangements, no inconvenience results from theaccumulation of deeds, notwithstanding the early period to which they goback. In register for Suffolk county, Massachusetts, are to be seencopies of deeds from 1640 down to the present time. They are bound up in640 volumes, and do not as yet take up much space. They have latelymultiplied in an increasing ratio, the volumes having risen from 250 totheir present number in the last 25 years. "The register for Philadelphia county, Pennsylvania, contains within amoderate compass deeds from 1683 downwards. They are referred to byindices on the following plan: All deeds made within a certain time, andin which the name of the grantor commences with the same letter of thealphabet, are bound up in one volume; thus, a volume marked "H1820-1847, " contains all deeds executed between those years by grantorswhose names begin with H. One index volume contains the names of allgrantors between those years in alphabetical order, another that of allgrantees, and both refer to volume and page of the books of deeds. Athird index gives the names of grantors and grantees, arrangedchronologically, according to the year in which the deed they wereparties to was executed. "The original deed remain in the possession of the proprietors, but areof secondary importance. They are written in a plain, legible hand onpaper, parchment being seldom used. The signatures of the parties are ofcourse requisite; but the seal, which is essential to a deed in England, is in many States dispensed with. The custom of registering obviates thenecessity for those long recitals that so swell out an Englishconveyance, and the shortest possible forms of covenants are preferred. The American conveyance only witnesses that the grantor conveys theproperty therein described, which, or part of which, was conveyed to himby such a one by a deed of such a date, and a marginal note states thevolume and page where the deed thus mentioned is to be seen. "The advantages of registration are, --greater security of title, andbrevity and economy in conveyances. The example of the United Statesshows that there is nothing in the Anglo-Saxon laws of real property torender such a system impracticable. Several of the most eminent lawyersin Boston declared, that their registration was found to work easily andsafely; the only change desired was by a few, who expressed a wish thatmore registers should be established, as, one for every district, instead of for every county. They all expressed their astonishment thata similar plan had not long ago been adopted in England. They admittedthat dealings with property were more simple in America, where strictsettlements are either not allowed, or not generally in use, butmaintained that the real obstacles to a registration in this countrylie not so much in the difficulty of carrying it out, as in theprejudices of landowners, the self-interest of lawyers, and thesuperstitious dread entertained by John Bull generally of anything towhich he is unaccustomed. "[CH] I am no lawyer, as I observed before, and therefore I do not pretend topass an opinion on the details of the foregoing remarks; but of theresults produced by their system, I certainly can speak, for I have seenproperty transferred without the slightest trouble, and for a fewshillings, which, owing to the amount involved, and the complicationsconnected with it, would, if transferred in this country, have kept thefirm of Screw, Skinflint, and Stickem hard at work for mouths, and whenfinished, would have required a week to make up the bill of costs, &c. FOOTNOTES: [Footnote CG: I suppose originated _from the Deity_ isintended. --H. A. M. ] [Footnote CH: Communicated to me by Mr. J. G. Dodson, son of the RightHonourable Sir J. Dodson, Dean of the Arches, &c. ] CHAPTER XXIX. _Inventions and Inveighings. --Palquam qui meruit ferat. _ Writing about law makes one litigious; so I seize this opportunity formaking a few observations on American claims. I am not going to open thequestion of the Bay of Fundy, &c. , fisheries; because British liberalityhas resigned a right, the retention of which was a source of continualirritation to our republican neighbours. I must, however, quote a fewlines from the work of their able Chancellor, Kent, to show how fullyjustified we were in claiming the sovereignty of the Bay of Fundy. Ifthe Chancellor's work on the Law of Nations is consulted, it will befound that he points out to his countrymen their right to thesovereignty of lines stretching "from Cape Anne to Cape Cod, Nantucketto Montauck Point, thence to the Capes of the Delaware, and _from theSouth Cape of Florida to the Mississippi. "_ With such wholesale claimsasserted on their part, it would require something more than modestassurance to dispute England's right to the Bay of Fundy. But mylitigation with the Republic is respecting some of their claims toinventions, which they put forward in so barefaced a manner, that theunwary or the uninquiring--which two sections of the human familyconstitute the great majority--are constantly misled into a belief oftheir truth; and the citizens of the Republic would do well to remember, that by putting forward unwarrantable pretensions to some discoveries, they afford just grounds for questioning their lawful claims to others. The first I shall mention is with reference to Fulton and steam. Mr. Charles King, the President of Columbia College, in a lecture deliveredbefore the Mechanics' Institute, Broadway, New York, in December, 1851, claims for Fulton "the application of a known force _in a new manner, and to new and before unthought-of purposes_. " Now what are the realfacts? James Watt, in 1769, patented the double-acting engine, whichwas the first step by which the steam-engine was made capable of beingused to propel a vessel. In 1780, James Pickard patented what is noother than the present connecting rod and crank, and a fly-wheel, thesecond and last great improvement in the steam-engine, which enabled itto be of service in propelling vessels. [CI] In 1785, William Symingtontook out a patent, by which he obtained, with economy of fuel, a moreperfect method of condensation of steam and a more perfect vacuum. In 1787, Mr. Miller, of Dalswinton, a gentleman who had spent a fortuneof nearly 30, 000l. In ship-building experiments, was urged by Mr. Taylor to try and apply the power of steam to vessels. William Symingtonwas applied to, with the view of knowing if he could apply his engine toone of Mr. Miller's boats, which he accordingly did, and propelled alittle pleasure vessel on the lake at Dalswinton, at the rate of fivemiles an hour, on the 14th November, 1788. In the following year, Mr. Symington made a double engine for a boat to be tried upon the Forth andClyde Canal; and in the month of December, 1789, this trial-vessel waspropelled at the rate of six and a half miles an hour. Lord Dundas, whowas a large proprietor in the Forth and Clyde Canal, employed Symingtonto make experiments in 1801. The result of these trials was theconstruction of the "Charlotte Dundas, " the first practical steam-boatever built. The engines of this vessel combined the patents beforementioned of Watt, Pickard, and Symington, which combinations--made bythe latter patentee--constitute the present system of steam navigation. The "Charlotte Dundas" made her trial trip in March, 1802, and sosatisfactory was the trial, that the Duke of Bridgewater ordered eightboats of Symington, for the purpose of running on his canal. The Duke ofBridgewater died immediately after; and the Forth and Clyde proprietors, owing to the injury caused to the banks, discontinued the use of theboat. The foregoing observations prove that if any one individual canclaim the merit of inventing the steam-engine, that man is WilliamSymington, who, combining previous inventions with his own patent, constructed the engine as at present in use. At the same time, everycredit is due to Mr. Miller, who first afforded Symington theopportunity of putting his ingenuity to the test. [Illustration: HUDSON RIVER STEAMER. ] Let us now look at Mr. Fulton's part in the transaction. In 1801 hevisited Scotland, and was present at one of the experiments making bySymington on the canal, and from him he obtained permission to make fullsketches and notes of both boat and apparatus. The fact is sworn to onoath of the presence of an American gentleman, who called himself Mr. Fulton, during the experiments; and further evidence is found in thefact that the engines he ordered of Messrs. Boulton and Watt for the"Clermont" were precisely of the same dimensions as those in the"Charlotte Dundas, " with the exception of two inches more diameter inthe piston; and the patent of Fulton dates from 1809--twenty years afterSymington had propelled a boat by steam on Lake Dalswinton, and eightyears after he had himself taken sketches of Symington's engines in theForth and Clyde canal-boat. Beyond the foregoing evidence, there is the testimony of Mr. Bell that, at Fulton's request, he sent him information, plans, &c. , of Mr. Miller's first experiments. The long and the short of the story isclearly this:--Mr. Fulton was a shrewd and clever engineer. He came toEngland, copied the steam-engine which Symington had combined--one canhardly say invented--and then returned to his own country, and appliedit successfully, for which the Republic ought to be thankful to him, andto honour his name; but, for a president of a college lecturing before amechanics' society, to call Fulton the inventor "of applying a knownforce _in a new manner and to new and before unthought-of purposes, "_exhibits an ignorance or an assurance, for neither of which theslightest excuse can be made. [CJ] With equal accuracy Mr. King informs the mechanics that "Colonel JohnStevens had clearly worked out in his own mind, long before anylocomotive was constructed in Europe, the theory of such an applicationof steam, and the actual form in which it could be advantageously made, as well as the cost of constructing and working a railway for the use oflocomotives. " If this were true, how does it happen that the son of theColonel, an able and ingenious mechanician, came over to GeorgeStephenson, at Liverpool, to learn what he was doing, and to orderengines from him; but Mr. King out-herods Herod, for he claims on behalfof the Colonel, the working of Steam expansively in 1815, for which Watthad taken out a patent thirty-five years before. If presidents ofcolleges in America cannot in their lectures deal more closely withfacts, the instruction given within the walls of the college will comeunder very unfavourable suspicions. In conclusion, I will only add a few remarks as to ocean steamers, onwhich subject, as on the invention of the engine, there is considerabledifficulty in awarding the honours to any single individual. TheAmericans were the first to employ steamers along the coast, and the"Savannah, " built by them in 1819, was the first vessel that crossed theocean employing steam in any way as an assistant. But in her the steamwas a very small auxiliary power, and upon the sails the vessel mainlydepended. She cannot, therefore, fairly be called an ocean steamer. The"Enterprise, " a vessel of 500 tons burden, with two 120 horse-powerengines, started from London for Calcutta, touching at the Cape of GoodHope, about the year 1826; and may be fairly considered as the firstvessel that made an ocean journey essentially dependent on steam. Subsequently the "Royal William, " built at Quebec, after running betweenthat port and Halifax from 1831 to 1833, started in the fall of thelatter year for Falmouth; and to her belongs the honour of being thefirst _bonâ fide_ paddle-wheel steamer that crossed the Atlantic. Shewas afterwards sold to the Portuguese government, and fitted up as aman-of-war steamer, under the name of the "Doña Isabella. " If, however, it be asked, where oceanic communication took its rise, unquestionably that honour belongs to Bristol and the "Great Western, " asteamer of 210 feet in length, 1240 tons, fitted with two engines of 210horse-power each. This vessel started on the 8th of March, 1838, underthe command of Captain Hosken, reached New York in thirteen days tenhours, and made the return passage in fifteen days. Since that dateocean steamers and steam companies have risen up like mushrooms. Englandand America have established a kind of weekly Derby, Cunard entering onehorse and Collins the other. Unquestionably the Americans have beenpioneers in improving the build, and a rivalry has sprung up which is asuseful as it is honourable. The English boats adhere to a greater proportion of sail, in case ofaccidents to the engine; the Americans carry less sail than we do, forthe sake of increasing the speed. As to relative comfort on board thetwo boats, an American gentleman, who had made several voyages, told methe only difference he ever discovered was, the same as exists betweenthe hotels of the respective countries. --To return to litigation. Another claim frequently set up in America is the invention of thetelegraph. Even in the Census Report--which I suppose may be considereda Government work--I read the following:--"It is to American ingenuitythat we owe the practical application of the telegraph. While the honouris due to Professor Morse for the practical application and successfulprosecution of the telegraph, it is mainly owing to the researches anddiscoveries of Professor Henry, and other scientific Americans, that hewas enabled to perfect so valuable an invention. " It is difficult toconceive a more unblushing piece of effrontery than the foregoingsentence, which proclaims throughout the Union that the electrictelegraph in its practical working is the invention of one American, andin its scientific details the invention of other Americans, neither ofwhich assertions has truth for its basis, and consequently thesuperstructure is a fiction--the only available excuse for which wouldbe, that the writer had never heard of what was going on in Europe. Hadhe taken the least trouble to inquire into the subject before he wrote, he never would--it is to be hoped--have so grossly deceived hiscountrymen. He might have easily ascertained that such men as Oersted, Ampère, Arago, Sturgeon, had mastered in detail the various scientificdifficulties that stood in the way of the accomplishment of thelong-desired object; and he might also have known that Cooke in Englandand Stienhiel in Germany had both overcome the practical difficultiesbefore Professor Morse had enlightened the Republic with his system, which--like Bain's--is simply another method of producing the sameresult--i. E. , telegraphic communication. Mr. Cooke took out his patent in conjunction with Professor Wheatstone, whose attention had long been turned to this subject, and whose name hasbeen so much before the public, that not a few persons attribute thetelegraph to him exclusively. There was, indeed, some dispute betweenthem as to their respective claims, and the matter was referred to SirI. Brunel and Professor Daniell for arbitration. The burden of theirdecision was, that Mr. Cooke was entitled to stand alone as thegentleman to whom Great Britain is indebted for having practicallyintroduced and carried out the telegraph as a useful undertaking;Professor Wheatstone's profound and successful researches having alreadyprepared the public to receive it. --So much for the justice of theAmerican claim to the invention, which, like steam, has been the produceof many heads, and was brought into practical use first by Cooke, thenby Stienhiel in Germany, and lastly by Morse in America. Another invention of which the public have heard no little discussionlately is the reaping machine. To the American nation doubtless belongsthe credit of forcing it into notice and into use; but as for any claimto the invention, it is equally certain they have none. That honour isdue solely to the Rev. Patrick Bell, a Scotch minister in the presbyteryof Arbroath. He first tried his reaping machine in August, 1828, at hisfather's farm on Lord Airlie's estate, where it has been in yearly useever since; and in October he exhibited it at the Highland Society'smeeting at Glasgow. The principle upon which his first machine was madediffers in nothing from those making at this hour; and, as some of thepeople employed on his father's farm migrated to America, it is onlyreasonable to suppose they carried sufficient information with them toexplain the machine. American ingenuity soon copied, and American energysoon gave an impulse to, Mr. Bell's machine, for which, though denyingthem the invention, we ought not to deny them our thanks. But while I thus explain the unwarrantable claims which Americans haveset forth, I must not allow John Bull to lay the flattering unction tohis soul that none of his claimed discoveries are disputed on the otherside of the Atlantic, I have seen a _Book of Facts_ printed in America, which charges us with more than one geographical robbery in the ArcticSeas, in which regions, it is well known, American enterprise andsympathy have been most nobly employed. As I am incapable of balancingthe respective claims, I leave that subject to the Hydrographer's officeof the two countries. The citizens of the Republic have but little idea of the injuriouseffects which the putting forward unwarrantable claims has upon theirjust claims. I have now before me a letter from a seafaring man who hasspent a quarter of a century upon the borders of the United States; heis writing on the subject of their claims to the invention of steam, andhe winds up in these words:--"They are with this, as they are withevery other thing to which either merit or virtue is attached--the soleand only proprietors and originators, and say both the one and the otherare unknown out of the universal Yankee nation. " I do not endorse thesentiment, but I quote it to show the effect produced on some minds bythe unfounded claims they have put forward. They have ingenuity and invention enough legitimately belonging to themfor any nation to be justly proud of, without plucking peacock'sfeathers from others, and sending them throughout the length and breadthof the Republic as the plumage of the American eagle. How many usefulinventions have they not made in machinery for working wood? Is notEngland daily importing some new improvement therein from the Americanshores? Look again at their perfect and beautiful invention for themanufacture of seamless bags, by Mr. Cyrus Baldwin, and which he has atwork at the Stark Mills. There are 126 looms in operation, allself-acting and each one making 47 bags daily; the bags are a littlemore than three and a half feet long, and chiefly used, I believe, forflour and grain. When they are finished, sewing-machines are at hand, which can hem at the rate of 650 bags each daily. This same gentlemanhas also adapted his looms to the making hoses for water, of which hecan complete 1000 feet a day by the experimental loom now in use, and itis more than probable these hoses will entirely supersede the use of theleather ones, being little more than one-tenth the price, and notrequiring any expense to keep in order. Another and very important purpose to which their ingenuity has appliedmachinery is, the manufacture of fire-arms. It has long been a matter ofsurprise to me, why so obvious and useful an application of machinerywas neglected by the Government at home. The advantages of being able totransfer all screws, springs, nipples, hammers, &c. , from one musket toanother, are so manifest to the most infantine comprehension, that Isuppose they considered it beneath their notice; nor can I make out thatthey have duly inquired into the various breech-loading systems used inthe States, some of which they have been testing in their Navy foryears. As, however, we are beginning to copy their application ofmachinery, I dare say the next generation will take up the question ofbreech-loading arms. A few observations on the Militia appear to follow naturally afterremarks on fire-arms. According to the most reliable information which Ihave been able to obtain, every able-bodied male between 18 and 40 yearsof age is liable to militia service. Those who do not serve are subjectto a fine, varying in different States, from 3s. Upwards; which sumhelps to pay those who do duty. The pay of a private while on duty isabout 10s. A-day, and that of officers in proportion. Formerly, theyonly turned out two days in the year; now I believe, they generally turnout ten, and in some of the cities twenty, days annually. The personsexcused from militia service, are the clergy, medical men, firecompanies, and those who have held a commission for three years. Eachregiment settles its own uniform; and it is a strange sight to seecompanies in French, German, and Highland uniforms, all marching gailythrough the streets. The day of firing at a mark is quite a fête; they parade the town, withthe target untouched, on their road to the ground: there they commencefiring, at 100 yards; if the bull's-eye be not sufficiently riddled, they get closer and closer, until, perforated and in shreds, it scarcehangs together as they return through the town bearing it aloft intriumph, and followed by all the washed, half-washed, and unwashedaspirants to military glory. I believe the good sense of the people is endeavouring to break throughthe system of nationalizing the companies into French, German, Highland, &c. , believing that keeping up such distinctions is more calculated toproduce discord than harmony. How long it will be before they succeed ineradicating these separate nationalities, I cannot pretend to say. With respect to their numbers, I cannot give any accurate information. _The American Almanack_--generally a very useful source ofinformation--puts them down at 2, 202, 113; which is evidently a littlebit of Buncombe, as those figures represent very nearly the wholeable-bodied men in the Republic between the ages of 18 and 40. As theyare liable to be called on, the _Almanack_ puts them down as thoughregularly enrolled; their real numbers I leave to the fertility of theimagination. In the same authority, I find the officers calculated at76, 920, of which 765 are generals. These numbers, I imagine, must also gothrough a powerful process of subtraction before the exact truth wouldbe arrived at, although I believe there are twice 765 citizens who enjoythe titular honour. One fact, however, is beyond doubt; they have a large militia, accustomed to, and fond of, using fire-arms; and those who feel disposedto approach their shores with hostile intentions, will find the oldScotch motto applicable to them in its fullest sense, -- "Nemo me impune lacessit. " FOOTNOTES: [Footnote CI: The Marquis de Jouffroy is said to have worked a boat bysteam on the Seine in 1781; but the Revolution breaking out, he appearsto have been unable to complete his invention. ] [Footnote CJ: The foregoing details are essentially extracted from awork by Mr. Woodcroft, professor of machinery at University College, London; who, after proving that the previous inventions of hiscountrymen were combined together, for the first time, in the boatengined by Symington, thus clearly and summarily disposes of thepretensions put forward in favour of Fulton:--"In fact, if theseinventions separately, or as a combination, were removed out of Fulton'sboat, nothing would be left but the hull; and if the hull could then bedivested of that peculiarity of form, admitted to have been derived fromColonel Beaufoy's experiments, _all that would remain would be the hullof a boat of ordinary construction. "_] CHAPTER XXX. _Adverse Influences. _ I now come to the consideration of the annual celebration of the 4thJuly, an event which presents itself to my mind under two oppositeaspects, the one beneficial, the other injurious. If contemplated as anation's grateful acknowledgment to Providence for the successfultermination of an arduous struggle for independence, it assumes anaspect at once dignified and Christian; but if into its celebrationother elements enter which are calculated to nourish hostile feelingstowards those who have long ceased to reciprocate such unworthysentiments, in that case I think its aspect may be fairly termed bothinjurious and unchristian. Let me then call your attention to the method of celebration. Itconsists of three parts:--First, the reading of the Declaration ofIndependence; secondly, an oration on the subject; lastly, processionand jollification. Now what is the Declaration of Independence? It is a document whichdetails their views of the oppression and injustice which justifiedtheir rebellion against the mother country. The clauses are too numerousto quote in full, but I subjoin a few, that the reader may form his ownopinion. Speaking of the sovereign of Great Britain, they say he hasprotected "armed troops among us, by a mock trial, from punishment forany murders which they should commit on the inhabitants of these States. He has plundered our seas, ravaged our coasts, burnt our towns, anddestroyed the lives of our people. He is, at this time, transportinglarge armies of foreign mercenaries to complete the works of death, desolation, and tyranny, already begun, with circumstances of crueltyand perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totallyunworthy the head of a civilized nation. He has constrained ourfellow-citizens taken captive on the high seas, to bear arms againsttheir country, to become the executioners of their friends and brethren, or to fall themselves by their hands. He has excited domesticinsurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on theinhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian savages, whose knownrule of warfare is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes, and conditions. In every stage of these oppressions, we have petitionedfor redress in the most humble terms; our repeated petitions have beenanswered only by repeated injury. A prince whose character is thusmarked by every act which may define a tyrant, is unfit to be the rulerof a free people. " I pause not to ask if any of these charges are correct or not: grantthem accuracy in every statement, nay more, admit that they wereeminently calculated to stir up the feelings of the colonists, and toinflame that spirit which was requisite to make their struggle forindependence justifiable and successful, and that they were thereforecalled for by the emergencies of the day;--but nearly eighty years haverolled over since that Declaration was penned; there is no successsought for now which renders such appeals necessary, and surely it isnot for the purpose of justifying their rebellion that they are made. Where then is the good to be derived from such declarations? Is thereany misgiving in the Republic as to sentiments of patriotism or pluck?Surely none. But who can help seeing the evil to which they lead? Theseannual recapitulations of old grievances, buried beneath nearly acentury, must tend to excite hostile feelings towards England. Conceivefor one moment France reading annually a declaration of independencefrom British arms on the anniversary of their recapture of Calais, andengrossing in that document every injustice or atrocity which theEnglish perpetrated during their rule; not to mention the undignifiednature of such a course, who can doubt that it would be pre-eminentlycalculated to generate those hostile feelings which it is the boundenduty of all civilized States to allay? In short, what does it so muchresemble as the system by which, in barbarous days long since past, theHighland clans used to perpetuate their feuds. If a Christian communitycannot glory in and commemorate national independence without suchadjuncts, such a ceremony would, in my humble opinion, be more honouredin the breach than in the observance. Among other pernicious influences, I should mention that the Irishcelebrate the battle of the Boyne annually in order to prevent theirnational angry passions from subsiding. Not the least curious featuresin these same Paddies is the fact that, while cursing England for hertreatment of Ireland, they all unite as one man in favour of Slavery. Mr. Mitchell, the escaped convict, is said to have expressed his opinionthat a plantation on the Alabama river with fifty sleek slaves, was the_beau idéal_ of a terrestrial paradise. If he be a bachelor, and stillentertain the same sentiments, I would recommend him to take "Thestewardess of the Lady Franklin" as the sharer of his joys. With regard to the orations pronounced, the one I heard at Geneseo hadnothing that struck me as in any way lending itself to those feelings Ihave so freely censured; but it is not always so. I have before me nowan epitome of a speech made by the Honourable D. S. Dickenson, atSyracuse, on July 4th, 1853. Being an honourable, it is not unfair tosuppose him--mind, I say to suppose him--a man of superior attainment, selected by a well-educated people. The epitome is headed "VigorousDiscussion and Patriotic Sentiments. " I only quote one passage, which Icould almost fancy Matthew Ward, the hero of the Louisville school-room, had written; it runs thus--"The eloquent orator then went on for nearlyhalf an hour in a strain of withering sarcasm and invective, exposingthe shameless and wicked oppressions of England in her collieries, inher factories, in her oppression of Ireland; denouncing her as a nationwhose history was written in oppression and blood (_greatapplause_. )"--It is difficult to believe that the chosen representativeof an intelligent community should thus speak of that nation to whichhis own country is indebted for nearly every valuable institution shepossesses; but when such ridiculous vituperation is received with shoutsof applause from the gaping rowdies who throng around him, does it notclearly demonstrate the truth of my previous statements as to theeffects which the celebration of the 4th of July, as now observed, maynaturally lead to? I say, may lead to, because I would fain hope, forthe sake of the credit and dignity of the Republic, that suchdisreputable orations are rare exceptions. But that such feelings of aversion to the mother country are generatedamong the masses, is proved indirectly in another quarter--viz. , Congress. During the debate on the Clayton-Bulwer treaty, a Mr. Douglas, to whom I have before alluded, and who may be considered as therepresentative of the rabid and rowdy portion of the community, thusexpresses himself with regard to England: "It is impossible she can loveus, --I do not blame her for not loving us, --sir, we have wounded hervanity and humbled her pride, --she can never forgive us. But for us, shewould be the first Power on the face of the earth, --but for us, shewould have the prospect of maintaining that proud position which sheheld for so long a period. We are in her way. She is jealous of us; andjealousy forbids the idea of friendship. England does not love us; shecannot love us, and we cannot love her either. We have some things inthe past to remember that are not agreeable. She has more in the presentto humiliate her that she cannot forgive. "--After which expressions, thepoor little man, as though he had not the slightest conception of themeaning of the words he was using, adds the following sentence, deprecating all he had previously uttered: "I do not wish to administerto the feeling of jealousy and rivalry that exists between us andEngland. I wish to soften and smooth it down as much as possible. " On a subsequent occasion, Mr. Butler, senator for South Carolina, whohonestly did deprecate such language as the foregoing, referred, by wayof contrast, to the many constitutional principles the Republic hadderived from England, and also to the valuable literature which she hadproduced, and by which the Republic had benefited. Upon which, poor Mr. Douglas got furious, and asserted, that "Every English book circulatedcontains lurking and insidious slanders and libels upon the character ofour people and the institutions and policy of our Government. "--He thendiscovered that abolitionism began, in England, and that "she keeps hermissionaries perambulating this country, delivering lectures andscattering abroad incendiary publications, designed to exciteprejudices, hate, and strife between the different sections of theUnion. "--He then, with Illinois truthfulness, hints at _Uncle Tom'sCabin_, as though it were English literature, and which, he says, "isdesigned to stir up treason and insurrection around his--Mr. Butler's--fireside, " &c. --He returns to the charge, and asserts, withequal accuracy, "Millions are being expended to distribute _Uncle Tom'sCabin_ throughout the world, with the view of combining the fanaticism, ignorance, and hatred of all the nations of the earth in a commoncrusade against the peculiar institutions of the State and section ofthis Union represented by the senator from South Carolina. " One mightalmost imagine that the copy of Webster's Dictionary, which Mr. Douglashas in his library--if he possess such a thing--has omitted an oldEnglish word, spelt T R U T H. But the point I wish to call the reader's especial attention to, is, that the little senator's rabid rhapsody was received with shouts ofgallery applause, which, as I have before observed, is an exhibition ofsentiment not allowed in the Senate to either members of Congress orgallery. Yet, so thoroughly had he expressed the feelings of the saidrowdies, that they could not resist the unlawful burst of approval. Mr. Butler of course replied to his absurd arguments; but my object is notdiscussion. I only allude to the subject at all for the purpose ofproving my previous assertion, that within the walls of Congress itself, elements calculated to engender feelings of animosity towards GreatBritain are to be found at work. It is this deep-seated consciousness ofguilt that makes that portion of the citizens of the Republic sosensitive with regard to the observations which proceed from thiscountry. Americans like Mr. Butler, who maintain the dignity of theircountry without descending to paltry popularity-hunting calumny, canafford to read any criticisms which may come from across the water withas much calmness as American remarks are read here. Such men have noaccusing conscience gnawing at their vitals. If the population of thetwo countries were fed upon Judge Douglas's venomous diet, ere long, like the Kilkenny cats, nothing but the tails would be left. I have felt it imperative to make these remarks, that my countrymen mayunderstand why they so constantly find the strongest symptoms ofhostility to England in a certain class of American writers. Even in thetext-books for children, you can detect the same animus working. MissWillard, in her _History of the United States_, narrates that six Indianchiefs came to Colonel Washington, the grandfather of the founder ofthe Republic, to treat for peace. The treachery to, and cold-bloodedmurder of, these poor Indians she disposes of thus:--"He _wrongfully_put them to death. " General Clinton's conduct, in the prosecution of hisduties to his country, which never displayed any such revolting act, shedescribes as reviving in a civilized age "_barbarous atrocities_. "--Takeanother instance of amiable sentiments towards England, as exhibited bythe Common Council of New York, who voted 200l. To entertain JohnMitchell, the convict who had escaped from custody. The Mayor addresseshim in the following terms:--"When, sir, you were silenced by restraint, overpowered by brutal force, and foreign bayonets were employed on yourown soil to suppress truth and to bind upon your limbs and mind theshackles of slavery, we sympathized with you in your adversity. We hatedthe tyrant and loved the victim. And when, sir, after the semblance of atrial, you were condemned and hurried as a felon from your home, yourcountry, and your friends, to a distant land, we were filled withindignation, and pledged a deeper hatred towards the enemies ofman. "--Mr. Mitchell, in reply, confesses himself from earliest youth atraitor to his country, and honours the British Government with thefollowing epithets: "I say to them that they are not a government atall, but a gang of conspirators, of robbers, of murderers. " Thesesentiments were received by the multitude around with "great applause. "Considering how many causes for exciting ill-will exist, the only wonderis that, when so large a portion of the Republicans are utterly ignorantof the truth as regards England, the feeling is not more hostile. It is needless to assert, that the feelings of jealousy and animosityascribed to England by Mr. Douglas, exist only in the disorderedimagination of his own brain and of those of the deluded gulls whofollow in his train: for I am proud to say no similar undignified andantagonistic elements are at work here; and, if any attempt were made tointroduce them, the good sense of the country would unite with one voiceto cry them down. I defy all the educated, ignorant, or rabid populationof the Republic to bring forward any instance where, either in thecelebration of any ceremony, the orations of any senator, or themeetings of any corporation, such unworthy and contemptible animositytowards the United States has ever been shadowed forth. I must not, however, allow the reader to understand from the foregoingremark that there is an universal national antipathy to England;although, whenever she is brought into juxtaposition with the Republic, it may appear very strongly developed. The most erroneous impressionswere at the time this was written, abroad among my countrymen, inrespect of American sympathies with Russia. Filibusteros, rabidannexationists, inveterate Slaveholders, and Rowdies of every class, towhich might have been added a few ignoble minds who made the grave ofconscience a "stump" from which to pour forth Buncombe speeches to catchephemeral popularity, constituted the body in America who sympathisedwith Russia. All the intelligence of the North, and a great portion ofthat of the South, felt the deepest interest in our success, not merelyas descendants of the mother country, but also because they recognisedthe war in which we were engaged as a struggle in the cause of liberty. We could not suffer ourselves to be deceived by the Filibustero Press, nor by the accounts we read of vessels laden with arms carrying them toRussia. Those were no more proofs of the national feeling, than thebuilding of slave-clippers every year at Baltimore is a proof that thenation wishes to encourage the slave-trade. The true feeling of a nationmust be sought for far deeper than in the superficial clamour ofpolitical demagogues, backed though it be by the applause of gapingcrowds whose worst passions are pandered to for the sake of a transientbreath of popularity. CHAPTER XXXI. _Olla Podrida. _ The preceding observations lead naturally to a few observations uponAmerican character in a national point of view; for in treating of soexceedingly varied a community, combining as it does nearly every nationof the Old World, it would be beyond the limits of a work like this toenter into details on so complicated a subject. As I prefer commencing with the objectionable points, and winding upwith the more favourable, I shall first name Vanity as a great nationalfeature. The fulsome adulation with which the Press bespatters itsreaders, throughout the length and breadth of the Union, wherever anycomparisons are drawn with other nations, is so great that the masseshave become perfectly deluded; and being so far removed from the nationsof the Old World, and knowing, consequently, nothing of them exceptthrough the columns of a vanity-feeding Press, they receive the mostexaggerated statements as though they were Gospel truths--little awarehow supremely ridiculous the vaunting which they read with delight makesthem appear in the eyes of other people. I insert the following extract from the Press, as one instance amongmany of the vain and ridiculous style of some of their editorialleaders. It is taken from the _New York Herald_--one of the mostwidely-circulated papers in the Union, but one which, I am bound injustice to say, is held in contempt[CK] by the more intelligent portionof the community. Speaking of Mrs. B. Stowe's reception in England, hesays:--"She proves herself quite an American in her intercourse with theEnglish aristocracy. Her self-possession, ease, and independence ofmanner were quite undisturbed in the presence of the proud duchessesand fraughty dames of the titled English nobility. They expectedtimidity and fear, and reverence for their titles, in an untitledperson, and they found themselves disappointed. Mrs. Stowe felt herselftheir equal in social life, and acted among them as she felt. This, above all other things, has caused a great astonishment in the highercircles in favour of American women, for in fact it is a qualitypeculiarly distinguishing an American woman, that she can be and is aduchess among duchesses. " Even in the simple article of diplomatic dress we see the same featurepeeping out. Vanity may be discovered as readily in singularity, howeversimple, as in the naked savage who struts about as proud as a peacock, with no covering but a gold-laced cocked hat on his head and abrass-mounted sword at his side. When civilized society agrees upon somedistinctive uniform for diplomatic service, who can fail to observe thelurking vanity that dictated the abolition of it by the Republic?--notto mention the absurdity of wearing a sword in plain clothes. The onlyparallel it has among bipeds, that I know of, is a master-at-arms onboard a ship, with a cane by his side; but then he carries a weaponwhich he is supposed to use. The Minister of the Republic carries aweapon for ornament only. In quadruped life, it reminds me of a poodleclosely shaved all over, except a little tuft at the end of his tail, the sword and the tuft recalling to mind the fact that the respectivepossessors have been shorn of something. Firmly convinced, from my earliest schoolboy days, of the intimateconnexion which exists between boasting and bullying, I had long blushedto feel how pre-eminent my own country was in the ignoble practice; buta more intimate acquaintance with the United States has thoroughlysatisfied me that that pre-eminence justly belongs to the greatRepublic. But it is not merely in national matters that this feelingexhibits itself; you observe it in ordinary life as well, by the intenselove shown for titles; nobody is contented until he obtain some rank. Iam aware this is a feature inseparable from democracy. Everybody youmeet is Captain, Colonel, General, Honourable, Judge, or something; andif they cannot obtain it legitimately, they obtain it by courtesy, orsometimes facetiously, like a gentleman I have before alluded to, whoobtained the rank of judge because he was a connoisseur in wine. Inthese, and a thousand other ways, the love of vanity stands nationallyrevealed. I do not think Americans are aware what injustice they do themselves bythis love of high-sounding titles. [CL] For instance, in a paper beforeme, I see a Deputy Sheriff calling on the mob to resist the law; I seeGovernor Bigler authorizing General King to call out the military, onenaturally supposes to keep order; but observe he calls Mr. Walker, ofErie, a traitor and a scoundrel; of the directors and managers of therailroad, he says, "We will whip them, will whip them, will bury them sodeep electricity can't reach them--we will whip them--we will whip theg--ts out of them!" &c. --Now, judging of these people by their titles, as recognised by the rest of the civilized world, what a disgrace to thehigher classes of Americans is the foregoing! But anybody who reallyknows the title system of the Republic will at once see that the oratorwas a mere rowdy. Thus they suffer for their vanity. It pervades everyclass of the whole community, from the rowdy, who talks of "whippingcreation, " to the pulpit orator, who often heralds forth past success tofeed the insatiable appetite: in short, it has become a nationaldisease; and were it not for the safety-valve formed by the unmeasuredterms of mutual vituperation they heap upon each other on occasions ofdomestic squabbles, their fate would assuredly be that of the frog inthe fable. In the medical world, it is said no one has a cold without fever; and Ithink it may with equal truth be asserted of the national world, nonations are vain without being afflicted with sensitiveness: at allevents, it is true as regards the United States. No maiden in her teensis so ticklishly sensitive as the Americans. I do not refer merely tothat portion of the community of which I have selected Mr. Douglas, ofIllinois, as the type; I allude also to the far higher order ofintelligence with which the Republic abounds. There is a touchinessabout them all with respect to national and local questions which Inever saw equalled: in fact, the few sheets of their Press which reachthis country are alone sufficient to convince any one on that point; forin a free country the Press may always be fairly considered, to acertain extent, as the reflex of the public mind. I suppose it is withnations as with individuals, and that each are alike blind to their ownfailings. In no other way can I account for the Republic overlooking soentirely the sensitiveness of others. Take for instance the appointmentof M. Soulé--a Frenchman naturalized in America--as minister to thecourt of Spain. I do not say that he was a Filibustero, but he wasuniversally supposed to be identified with that party; and if he werenot so identified, he showed a puerile ignorance of the requirements ofa Minister, quite beyond conception, when he received a serenade of fivethousand people at New York, who came in procession, bearing aloft theaccompanying transparencies, he being at the time accredited to his newministry. On the first transparency was the following motto:-- A STAR. PIERCE. SOULÉ. CUBA. On the second banner:-- YOUNG AMERICA AND YOUNG CUBA. Free thought and free speech for the Cubans. 'Tis no flight of fancy, for Cuba must be, and 'tis Written by fate, an isle Great and free. O pray, ye doomed tyrants, Your fate's not far: A dread Order now watches you, -- It is the Lone Star. On the third banner:-- Cuba must and shall be free. The Antilles Flower, The true Key of the Gulf, Must be plucked from the Crown Of the Old Spanish Wolf. Monumental representation--a tomb and a weeping willow. On the tomb werethe words-- LOPEZ AND CRITTENDEN, AGUERO AND ARMATERO. They and their companions are not forgotten. M. Soulé accepts the compliment, and makes a speech, in which he informshis audience that he cannot believe "that this mighty nation can bechained now within the narrow limits which fettered the young Republicof America, " &c. Change the scene, and let any American judge in the following supposedand parallel case. Imagine expeditions fitted out in England, in spiteof Government, to free the slaves in the Southern States; imagine aLopez termination to the affair, and the rowdy blood of England formingother Filibustero expeditions; then imagine the Hon. Mr. Tenderheartidentifying himself with them, and receiving an appointment as ministerto Washington; after which, imagine him serenaded at St. James's bythousands of people bearing transparencies, the first representing anaked woman under the slave-driver's lash; the second, containing somesuch verses as "The Antilles Flower, " &c. ; for instance:-- "The slaves must be plucked From the chains that now gall 'em, Though American wolves An inferior race call 'em. " Let the minister accept the serenade, and address the multitude, declaring "that this mighty nation can no longer be chained down topassive interference, " &c. Let me ask any American how the Hon. Mr. Tenderheart would be received at Washington, particularly if a few daysafter he took a shot at his French colleague because another personinsulted him in that gentleman's house?--I ask, what would Americans sayif such a line of conduct were to be pursued towards them? I might gofurther, and suppose that a conclave of English Ministers met at Quebec, and discussed the question as to how far the flourishing town ofBuffalo, so close on the frontier, was calculated to endanger the peaceand prosperity of Canada, and then imagine them winding up their reportwith this clause--If it be so--"then by every law, human and divine, weshall be justified in wresting it from its present owners. " The Americanwho penned that sentence must possess a copy of the Scriptures unknownto the rest of the world. Surely America must imagine she has themonopoly of all the sensitiveness in the world, or she would never haveacted by Spain as she has done. How humiliated must she feel whilecontemplating the contrast between her act in appointing the minister, and Spain's demeanour in her silent and dignified reception of him! This same sensitiveness peeps out in small things as well as great, especially where England is concerned: thus, one writer discovers thatthe Americans speak French better than the English; probably he infersit from having met a London Cit who had run over to Paris for a quietSunday, and who asked him "_Moosyere, savvay voo oo ey lay Toolureeze?"_Another discovers that American society is much more sought after thanEnglish; that Americans are more agreeable, more intelligent, moreliberal, &c. ; but the comparison is always with England or the English. And why all this? Simply because it feeds the morbid appetite of manyRepublican citizens, which the pure truth would not. This sensitiveness also shows itself in the way they watch the opinionsof their country expressed by _The Times_, or by any largely circulatingpaper. I remember an American colonel who had been through the wholeMexican war, saying to me one day, "I assure you the Mexican troops arethe most contemptible soldiers in the world; I would rather a thousandto one face them than half the number of Camanche Indians. "--The objectof this remark was to show on what slight and insufficient grounds _TheTimes_ had spoken of the United States as a great military nation sincethe Mexican war. An article giving them due credit for a successfulcampaign was easily magnified beyond its intended proportions, and mygallant friend was modestly disclaiming so high-sounding an appellation;but such evidently was the construction which he felt his countrymen hadput upon it. I turn now for a few moments to the question of Morals; and here, again, it is of course only in a wholesale manner I can treat of the subject. As far as my inquiries enable me to judge, I find the same elementsproducing the same results here as in England. Wherever masses areclustered together most largely, there vice runs as rampant as inEngland; nay, I have the authority of a lecture delivered at theMaryland Institute, for saying that it is even worse in many places. After describing various instances of lawless conduct, the lecturercontinues thus: "Such lawlessness as I have described is not toleratedin any other part of the world, and would not be tolerated here for amoment, but for the criminal apathy of our citizens generally, and thetruckling, on the part of our politicians and public officers, for thevotes of the very men whom they know to be violating and trampling onthe laws. "--In illustration, he states, "In every part of Europe inwhich I have travelled, --in England, Holland, France, Germany, Switzerland, and Italy; under all the different systems of religion andforms of government; in the large cities, and the small towns andvillages; in the highways and byways, --I found better public order, moredecorum, where bodies of men were assembled together, and less tendencyto rowdyism, pugilism, and violence, than there is in most parts of thiscountry. In this general statement of the fact, all unprejudicedtravellers will, I suppose concur. "--Further on, he draws a comparisonfavourable to London; and, with regard to the Police in our metropolis, he says, "A more respectable and finer-looking body of men it would bedifficult to find in any country. A stranger may apply to one forinformation, with a certainty of receiving a polite and intelligentanswer, " &c. --I only quote the last paragraph, in case Mr. Matt. Wardshould see these pages, and that he may know how the Police behavetowards those who know how to conduct themselves. [CM] The lecturer goes on to complain of the depravity of youth. He thenattacks the dispensation of the law, pointing out many instances oftheir mal-administration. He then proceeds to attack the fire companies;he admits their courage and daring, but points out at the same timetheir lawlessness. He says--speaking of Philadelphia--"Almost everycompany has its war-song, breathing the most barbarous and bloodthirstysentiments towards some rival association, and describing the glory ofthe fireman to the destruction of his enemy's apparatus, or worse yet, his life. "--He gives the following list of the terrific names of thecompanies: "Hornets, Snappers, Blood-reds, Bed-bugs, Rock-boys, Buffaloes, Skimmers, Scrougers, Revengers, Knockers, Black-hawks, Pirate-boys, Kill-devils. " After which he gives the following specimen, of their songs, written by a "Bluffer and Red-devil:"-- "INDEPENDENT HOSE SONG. "We're the saucy Hyena-boys of George's-street, as all knows; We can whip the Penn and Globe, likewise the Carroll Hose; We'll whip the three together, the Bed-bugs and South Penn throw in for ease; We do run our carriage among our foes, and run her where we please. "You'd better hush your blowing, Globe, if you know when you are well; For if we take your engine again, we'll smash her all to hell. Here is luck to the Bluffers, and all honest boys of that name; Here is to the Hyenas and Red-devils, that no one can tame. " He subsequently points out the evils of allowing political passions toguide citizens in the selection of officers, and declares, "that personsare elected to, and now fill, important offices in Baltimore, to whom noresponsible trust in private life would be confided by the very men whovoted for them. "[CN] With regard to the actual commission of crime, andthe due punishment of the offenders, he draws the following comparisonbetween London and Baltimore: "The population of the former is 13 timesgreater than that of the latter; but the number of arrests is as 1 to7, --in other words, the commission of crime, in proportion to numbers, was 46 per cent. Greater than in London. Then, to show the inefficiencyof the law, he proceeds to state, that the commitments for trial wereonly 29 per cent. Greater, and that, even of those committed, manyescaped just punishment. Of course, the large cities in America are theonly places in which any comparison can be made with this country; but, while doing so, the tide of emigration, which helps to fill up theirnumbers, must not be lost sight of, or we should judge them unfairly. With regard to the masses that are spread over the length and breadth ofthe land, I certainly have never seen nor heard anything that need makeEngland ashamed of the comparison. It would not be equitable to judge bymere numbers, --you must also bring into the balance the comparativestate of affluence and independence of the respective parties; for whocan doubt that distress is one of the great causes of crime? Even in thewealthy State of New York, I find an account of the following outrage, committed upon a Mr. Lawrence, when serving a summons upon hisaggressor, Mr. Deitz: "He found Mr. Deitz near the house, and handed himthe papers. Deitz took them and read them, when he threw them on theground, --seized Lawrence by the throat, calling him a d----d scoundrel, for coming to serve papers on him. He then called to his family to blowa horn, when a man, named Hollenbeck, who was at work for Deitz as amason, interceded for Lawrence, who managed to get away, and started offon a run. Deitz followed in pursuit, knocked Lawrence down, and held himuntil four men in disguise made their appearance. They then tied hishands behind him, and took him to a small piece of bush near by, --thentore off his coat, vest, and cravat, and with a jack-knife cut off hishair, occasionally cutting his scalp, --and, remarking that they had aplaster that would heal it up, they tarred his head and body, and pouredtar into his boots. After exhausting all their ingenuity this way, eachcut a stick, and whipped him until they got tired. They then tied hishands before him, and started him for the house, each of them kickinghim at every step. They made him take the papers back, but took themaway again;--when, after knocking him down again, they left him, and hesucceeded in reaching the residence of George Beckers last evening. Hislegs, hands, arms, and face are badly bruised. "--If we travel West andSouth, we shall doubtless find that morality is far more lax than inEngland; but what can you expect where gentlemen, even senators forStates, go out to fight bloody duels with rifles at twenty paces, whilecrowds of spectators are looking on? Where the Americans have the advantage over our population is, first andforemost, in possessing a boundless extent of territory which gives arich return for comparatively little labour, and where, if labour iswanted, the scarcity of the article insures its commanding a high price. Compare England for one moment with two of the oldest American States, and therefore the most thickly populated:-- Square Miles. Inhabitants. England contains 50, 000 17, 923, 000 New York " 46, 000 3, 097, 000 Pennsylvania " 46, 000 2, 311, 786 We here see, that if we take the most populous States in the Union, theproportion is nearly 6 to 1 in favour of America; but, if we mass thewhole, we shall find-- Square Miles. Inhabitants. Great Britain and Ireland contain 120, 000 27, 400, 000United States 3, 500, 000 23, 192, 000 This would bring the proportion of population to extent of territory, inrough numbers:-- Great Britain and Ireland 228 inhabitants to the square mile. United States 7 " " " In other words, Great Britain is 32 times as thickly populated as theRepublic. If these facts are borne in mind, I confess that thecommission of crime in Great Britain appears to me proportionally farsmaller than in the States, notwithstanding all the advantages of thefree and liberal education which is within their reach. I cannot but think that the general system of training youth in theRepublic has a most prejudicial effect, in many instances, on theirafter-life. In their noble zeal for the education of the brain, theyappear to me to lose sight almost entirely of the necessity ofdisciplining the mind to that obedience to authority, which lays thefoundation of self-control and respect for the laws of the land. Nationally speaking, there is scarcely such a thing as a lad in thewhole Union. A boy in the States hardly gets over the novelty of thatportion of his dress which marks the difference of sex, ere his mottois: "I don't care; I shall do what I best please:" in short, he is madea man before he ceases to be a boy; he consequently becomes unable toexercise that restraint which better discipline might have taught him, and the acts of his after-life are thus more likely to be influenced bypassion and self-will than by reason or reflection. I find in thelecture from which I have already quoted, the following paragraph, which, as I consider it illustrative of my last observation, I insert atlength. "But the most alarming feature in the condition of things, not only in the city, but elsewhere throughout the country, is the lawlessness of the youth. The most striking illustration of this which I have seen is taken from a Cincinnati paper of last January. It seems that in the course of a few days one hundred applications had been made by parents in that city to have their own children sent to the House of Refuge. The particulars of one case, which happened a short time before, are given:--a boy, twelve years of age, was brought before the Mayor's Court by his father, who stated that the family were absolutely afraid the youth would take their lives, and that he had purchased a pistol for the purpose of shooting the housekeeper. A double-barrelled pistol was produced in court, which the police-officer had taken from the boy, who avowed that he had bought it for the purpose stated. The mayor sent the boy to the House of Refuge. " I now pass on to the question of Liberty in the United States. If byliberty be understood the will of the greater number ruling the State orregulating its laws, certainly they have more liberty than England; butif by liberty be understood that balance of power and adaptation of thelaws to the various interests of the whole community, combined with thedue execution, of them against offenders of whatever class, then Iconsider that there is unquestionably more liberty in England, in spiteof the restrictions by which the franchise is limited--nay, rather Ishould say, in consequence of those very restrictions; for I believethey tend to secure the services of more liberal, high-minded, andindependent representatives than any country--however highly educatedits population may be--would return under a system of universalsuffrage. I do not intend to convey in the foregoing observation, anyopinion as to how far it is desirable, or otherwise, to modify therestrictions at present existing in England; it is obvious they shouldkeep pace with the growing intelligence of the community, inasmuch as, if they do not, popular agitation is readily excited, and violentchanges are forced by ignorant passion, going far beyond those whicheducated prudence and a sense of justice ought to have broughtforward. --Prevention is better than cure. Mr. Everett, in a letter dated July 25, 1853, after observing that ithas long been the boast of England that she is the great city of refugefor the rest of Europe, adds, "it is the prouder boast of the UnitedStates, that they are, and ever have been, an asylum for the rest of theworld, including Great Britain herself:" he then goes on to say, "nocitizen has ever been driven into banishment. "--This is bravely said byan able son of the "Land of Liberty;" but when he penned it, he appearsto have forgotten that there are upwards of three millions of his ownfellow-creatures held in the galling shackles of hopeless slavery by thecitizens of that land of which he makes so proud a boast; and that fromone to two thousand of the wretched victims escape annually to theBritish colony adjoining, which is their sole city of refuge on thewhole North American continent. Doubtless Mr. Everett's countrymen donot sufficiently know this startling point of difference, or they wouldhesitate in accepting such a boast. So ignorant are some of hiscountrymen of the real truth as regards the citizens of Great Britain, that a friend of mine was asked by a well-educated and otherwiseintelligent son of the Republic, "Is it really true that all the land inEngland belongs to the Queen?" While on the subject of liberty, it is well to observe one or twocurious ways in which it may be said to be controlled in America. Ifany gentleman wished to set up a marked livery for his servants, hecould not do so without being the subject of animadversions in the rowdyPress, styling him a would-be aristocrat. But perhaps the mostextraordinary vagary is the Yankee notion that service is degrading; theconsequence of which is that you very rarely see a Yankee servant; andif by chance you find one on a farm, he insists on living and eatingwith the overseer. So jealous are they of the appearance of service, that on many of the railways there was considerable difficulty ingetting the guard, or conductor, to wear a riband on his hat designatinghis office, and none of the people attached to the railway station willput on any livery or uniform by which they can be known. I wonder if itever occurs to these sons of the Republic, that in thus acting they arestriking at the very root of their vaunted equal rights of man, andspreading a broader base of aristocracy than even the Old World canproduce. Servants, of course, there must be in every community, and itis ridiculous to suppose that American gentlemen ever did, or ever will, live with their housemaids, cooks, and button-boys; and if this be so, and that Americans consider such service as degrading, is it notperfectly clear that the sons of the soil set themselves up as nobles, and look upon the emigrants--on whom the duties of service chieflydevolve--in the light of serfs? I may, while discussing service, as well touch upon the subject ofstrikes. The Press in America is very ready to pass strictures on thelow rate of wages in this country, such as the three-ha'pennyshirt-makers, and a host of other ill-paid and hard-worked poor. Everyhumane man must regret to see the pressure of competition producing suchdisgraceful results; but my American friends, if they look carefullyinto their own country, will see that they act in precisely the sameway, as far as they are able; in short, that they get labour as cheap asthey can. Fortunately for the poor emigrant, the want of hands is sogreat, that they can insure a decent remuneration for their work; butthe proof that the Anglo-Saxon in America is no better than the rest ofthe world in this respect, is to be found in the fact that strikes forhigher wages also take place among them. I remember once reading in thesame paper of the strike of three different interests; one of which wasthat indispensable body, the hotel-waiters. The negroes even joined withthe whites, and they gained their point; they knew the true theory ofstrikes, and made their move "when the market was rising. " The hotelswere increasing their charges, and they merely wanted their share of theprosperity. I now propose to consider one of the brightest features in the nationalcharacter--Intelligence. Irresistible testimony is borne to theirappreciation of the value of education, not merely by the multitudes ofschools of all kinds, and by the numbers that attend them, but also bythat arrangement of which they may be so justly proud, and which opensthe door to every branch of study to their poorest citizens free ofexpense. No praise is too high for such a noble national institution asthe school system of the Republic. How far it may be advisable to bringall the various classes of the community together at that early age whenhabits which affect after-life are so readily acquired, is anotherquestion. Though the roughness of the many may derive advantage fromcontact with the polish of the few, it appears to me more than probablethat the polish of the few will be influenced far more considerably bythe roughness of the many. I cannot, therefore, but imagine that theuniversal admixture of all classes of society in early infancy mustoperate prejudicially to that advancement in the refinements ofcivilization which tends to give a superior tone to the society of everycountry. It must not, however, be imagined that the intelligenceobtained at these schools is confined to those subjects which arerequisite for making dollars and cents. People of this country, judgingof the Republicans by the general accounts given of them through thePress, can have little idea of the extent to which the old standardworks of the mother-country are read; but there is an intelligentportion of our own nation to be found among the booksellers, who canenlighten them on this point. I have been told by several of them, notonly that old editions of our best authors are rapidly being bought upby citizens of the United States, but that in making their purchasesthey exhibit an intimate acquaintance with them far greater than theyfind generally among Englishmen, and which proves how thoroughly theyare appreciated by them. Then again, with reference to their own country; it is impossible forany one to travel among them without being struck with the universalintelligence they possess as to its constitution, its politics, itslaws, and all general subjects connected with its prosperity or itsrequirements; and if they do not always convey their information in themost classical language, at all events they convey it in clear andunmistakeable terms. The Constitution of their country is regularlytaught at their schools; and doubtless it is owing to this early insightinto the latent springs by which the machinery of Government is worked, that their future appetite for more minute details becomes whetted. Iquestion very much if every boy, on leaving a high school in the UnitedStates, does not know far more of the institutions of his country thannine-tenths of the members of the British House of Commons do of theirs. At the same time it should not be forgotten, that the complicationswhich have grown up with a nationality of centuries render the study farmore difficult in this country, than it possibly can, be in the giantRepublic of yesterday. And in the same way taxation in England, of which30, 000, 000l. Is due as interest on debt before the State receives onefarthing for its disbursements, is one of the most intricate questionsto be understood even by enlarged minds; whereas in the United States, scarcely any taxation exists, and the little that does, creates asurplus revenue which they often appear at a loss to know how to get ridof. Doubtless, the intelligence of the community sometimes exhibits itselfin a 'cuteness which I am not prepared to defend. A clear apprehensionof their immediate material interests has produced repudiation oflegitimate obligations; but those days are, nationally speaking, I hope, gone by, and many of their merchants stand as high in the estimation ofthe commercial world as it is possible to desire. At the same time, itis equally true that the spirit of commercial gambling has risen to apoint in the States far above what it ever has in this country, --except, perhaps, during the Railway epidemic; and the number of failures islamentably great. With their intelligence they combine an enterprise that knows nonational parallel. This quality, aided by their law of limitedliability, has doubtless tended to urge forward many works and schemesfrom which the Union is deriving, and has derived, great wealth andadvantage; at the same time it has opened the door for the unscrupulousand the shrewd to come in and play high stakes with small capital--inplaying which reckless game, while some become millionaires othersbecome bankrupts. This latter state is a matter of comparativeunimportance in a country like the Republic, where the field is sogreat, and a livelihood easily attainable until some opening occurs, when they are as ready to rush into it again as if they had been foaledat Niagara, and had sucked in the impetuosity of its cataract. There is one shape that their enterprise takes which it would indeed bewell for us to imitate, and that is early rising. I quite blush for mycountry when I think what a "Castle of Indolence" we are in thatrespect, especially those who have not the slightest excuse for it. Onwhat principle the classes of society in England who are masters oftheir own time, turn night into day, waste millions yearly in oil andwax, and sleep away the most fresh and healthy hours of the morning, forno other visible purpose but to enable themselves to pass the night inthe most stuffy and unhealthy atmosphere, is beyond my comprehension. One thing is certain: it has a tendency to enervate both body and mind, and were it not for the revivifying effects produced by a winterresidence in the country, where gentlemen take to field sports, andladies to razeed dresses, sensible shoes, and constitutional walks, themortality among our "upper ten thousand" would, I believe, be frightful. In America, the "boys" get up so early, that it is said they frequently"catch the birds by their tails as they are going to roost;" and it isno doubt owing to this that they are so 'cute. Talk about "catching aweasel asleep, " let me see any of my metropolitan drone friends who cancatch a Yankee boy asleep! It is not, however, merely to early rising that they owe their'cuteness. A total absence of idleness, and the fact of being constantlythrown on their own resources in cases of minor difficulty, aidmaterially in sharpening their wits. You may see these latter influencesoperating in the difference between soldiers and sailors, when placed insituations where they have to shift for themselves. Some of theiranecdotes bearing upon 'cuteness are amusing enough. I will give one asan illustration. --Owing to some unknown cause, there was a great dearthof eggs in one of the New England States, and they consequently roseconsiderably in price. It immediately occurred to a farmer's wife, that, if she could in any way increase the produce of her hens, it would be asource of great gain to her; she accordingly fitted the bottom of eachlaying hen's bed with a spring, and fixed a basin underneath, capable ofholding two eggs. In due time, the hens laid; but as each hen, afterlaying, missed the warmth of the precious deposit, she got up to look ifit was all right. To her astonishment, no egg was to be seen. "Bless mysoul!" says the hen, "well, I declare I thought I had laid an egg. Isuppose I must be mistaken;" and down she went to fulfil her dutiesagain. Once more she rose to verify her success. No egg was there. "Well, I vow, " quoth Mrs. Hen, "they must be playing me some trick: I'llhave one more shot, and, if I don't succeed, I shall give it up. " Againshe returned to her labours, and the two eggs that had passed into thebasin below supporting the base of her bed, success crowned her efforts, and she exclaimed, "Well, I have done it this time at all events!" The'cute wife kept her counsel, and said nothing, either to the hens or toher neighbours, and thus realized a comfortable little bag ofdollars. --I give the anecdote as narrated to me, and I must confess Inever saw the operation, or heard the remarks of the outwitted hens. Iinsert it lest in these days of agricultural distress (?) any farmer'swife be disposed to make a trial of a similar experiment. [CO] I proceed to consider the energy of the Republicans, a quality in whichthey may challenge comparison with the world. No enterprise is too greatfor them to undertake, and no hardship too severe for them to endure. A Yankee will start off with his household gods, and seek a new home inthe wilderness, with less fuss than a Cockney would make about packingup a basket of grub to go and pic-nic in Richmond Park. It is the spiritof adventure that has enabled them to cover a whole continent in theincredible manner which the map of the United States shows. The greatdrawback to this phase of their energy is the total absence it exhibitsof those ties of home to which we so fondly cling in the old country. Ifwe were a nation of Yankees, I feel persuaded that in five years weshould not have ten millions of inhabitants. No Yankee can exist withoutelbow-room, except it be the more degraded and rowdy portion of thecommunity, who find a more congenial atmosphere in those sinks of viceinseparable from large towns. This migratory spirit has caused them toexhibit their energy and enterprise in those countless miles of rail andtelegraph, which bring the citizens of the most distant States into easycommunication with Washington and the Eastern cities. The difficulty ofprocuring labour is no doubt one cause of the very inefficient way inwhich many of these works are performed; and it also disables them forexecuting gigantic works with the speed and certainty that suchoperations are completed in England. The miniature Crystal Palace at NewYork afforded a convincing proof of what I have stated; for although itwas little more than a quarter of the size of the one in Hyde Park, theywere utterly foiled in their endeavours to prepare it in time. Inrevenge for that failure, the Press tried to console the natives byenlarging on the superior attraction of hippodromes, ice-saloons, andpenny shows, with which it was surrounded, and contrasting them with the"gloomy grandeur" of the palace in London. Gloomy grandeur is, Isuppose, the Yankee way of expressing the finest park in any city in theworld. Among other remarks on Americans, I have heard many of my countrymensay, "Look how they run after lords!"--It is quite true; a live lord isa comparative novelty, and they run after him in the same way as peoplein England run after an Indian prince, or any pretentious Oriental: itis an Anglo-Saxon mania. Not very long ago, a friend of mine found aSyrian swaggering about town, _fêted_ everywhere, as though he were thegreatest man of the day; and who should the Syrian nabob turn out to be, but a man he had employed as a servant in the East, and whom he had beenobliged to get bastinadoed for petty theft. In England we run after weknow not whom; in America, if a lord be run after, there is at allevents a strong presumption in favour of his being at least a gentleman. We toady our Indian swells, and they toady their English swells; and Itrust, for our sake, that in so doing they have a decided advantage overus. I have also heard some of my countrymen observe, as to theirhospitality, "Oh! it's very well; but if you went there as often as Ido, you would see how soon their hospitality wears off. " Who on earthever heard such an unreasonable remark! Because a man, in the fulness ofhospitality, dedicates his time, his money, and his convenience towelcome a stranger, of whose character and of whose sociability he knowsnothing whatever, is he therefore bound to be saddled with thatacquaintance as often as the traveller chooses to visit the AmericanContinent? Is not the very idea preposterous? No man in the world ismore ready to welcome the stranger than the American; but if thestranger revisit the same places, the courtesy and hospitality hereceives must, in justice, depend upon the impression which his companyhas left on those upon whom he inflicted it. No doubt the scanty numberof travellers enables Americans to exercise more universal hospitalitythan they could do if the country were filled with strangers in the sameway as Great Britain is. The increased travelling of late years hasnecessarily made a marked difference on that point among ourselves, anddoubtless it may hereafter act upon the United States; but the man whodoes not admit hospitality to be a most distinctive feature of theRepublic, at the present time, must indeed be rotten in the brain or theheart. With regard to the political character of the Union, it is very much inthe same state as that of England. The two original parties were Whigand Democrat, the former being synonymous with the Tory party in thiscountry--i. E. , an honest body of men, who, in their earnest endeavoursto keep the coach straight, put the drag on so often that the horses getrestive sometimes, and start off at score when they feel the wheelclogged. The Democrats are more nearly represented by a compound ofWhig and Radical--i. E. , a body of men who, in their energeticexertions to make the coach go, don't trouble themselves much about theroad, and look upon the drag as a piece of antiquated humbug. Sometimesthis carelessness also leads to the team-bolting; but in the Statesthere is so much open country that they may run away for miles withoutan upset; whereas in England, when this difficulty occurs, the ribandsare generally handed over to the Jarvey of the opposite party. This oldstate of affairs is entirely changed in both hemispheres; each party ismore or less broken up, and in neither country is there at present anydistinct body sufficiently numerous to form a strong government. In consequence of these disruptions, it may be imagined how difficult itwould be to give any accurate description of the different pieces ofcrockery that constitute the political "service. " Formerly, the twocries of "Protection to Home Manufacture" and "Free Trade" were thedistinct rallying points. At present there are Slaveholders, SlaveryExtension, Free-soil, Abolitionist, Annexationist, and Heaven aloneknows how many more parties, on the question of Slavery alone, intowhich the Democratic or dominant party is divided, independent of thoseother general political divisions which must necessarily exist in solarge and varied a community. From the foregoing you will observe that, to say a man is a Democrat conveys no distinct idea of his politicsexcept that he is not a Whig; and the Whigs also have their divisions onthe Slave question. But there is a party lately come into the field, and called theKnow-nothings, which requires a special notice. Their ostensibleprinciples have been published in the leading journals of this country, and carry a certain degree of reason upon the face of them, the leadingfeatures being that they are a secret society banded together for thepurpose of opposing the priestly influence of the Humanists in politicalmatters: for prolonging the period requisite to obtain the rights ofcitizenship; and for the support of the native-born American inopposition to all other candidates for any public situation that may becontested. Such is the substance of their manifesto. Their opponents saythat they are sheer humbugs, and brought into life by a few oldpolitical hacks for their own selfish ends. Owing to the factions inthe old Whig and Democratic parties, their opponents believe they maysucceed for a year or two, but they prophesy their speedy and totaldisruption. Time will show--I am no prophet. There is one point in theircharter, however, that I cannot believe will ever succeed--viz. , naturalization or citizenship. Congress would be loth to pass any lawthat might tend to turn the stream of emigration into another channel, such as Australia or Canada; and individual States would be equally lothto pass such a local law for the same reason, inasmuch as if they did, the emigrants would move on to those States where they obtained mostspeedily the rights of citizens. The crusade against the Romanists isalso so opposed to the spirit of a constitution which professes theprinciple of the equal rights of man, that it is more than probable theymay ere long divide upon the unsolvable question of how to draw the lineof demarcation between the influence of the priest and the opinion ofhis flock. As far, therefore, as I am capable of judging, I do notbelieve they have a sufficiently broad and distinct basis to stand upon, and I think also that the fact of their being a secret society willrather hasten their end than otherwise. The last point I shall allude to is the future prospects of theRepublic; a question which doubtless is veiled in much obscurity. Theblack cloud of the South hangs perpetually over their heads, ever fromtime to time threatening to burst upon them. In the Free States manyfeel strongly the degradation of being forced to aid in the capture ofthe fugitive slave; and the aversion to the repulsive task is increasingrather than decreasing. The citizens have on many occasions risen inmasses against those who were executing the law, and the military havebeen brought into collision with them in defending the authorities. Thedread of breaking up the Union alone prevents that clause being struckout from the Constitution, by which they are compelled not merely torestore but to hunt up the fugitive. The "Freesoilers" also feelindignant at seeing their nation turning virgin soil into a land ofSlavery; the Nebraska Bill has strengthened that feeling considerably. The Abolitionists are subject to constant fits of rabidity whichincrease intensity with each successive attack. Thousands and thousandsof Northerns, who writhe under the feeling that their star-spangledbanner is crossed with the stripes of the slave, turn back to thehistory of their country, and recalling to mind the glorious deeds thattheir ancestors have accomplished under that flag, their heartsrespond--"The Union for ever!" But perhaps the strongest feeling in the Republic which tends to keepthings quiet, is that the intelligence of the community of the North, who are opposed both to slavery and to the fugitive law, foresee that ifthose objects are only to be obtained at the price of separation fromthe South, greater evils would probably accrue than those they areanxious to remove. However peaceably a separation might be made inappearance, it could never take place without the most bitter feelingsof animosity. Junius describes the intensity of the feeling, by saying, "He hated me as much as if he had once been my friend;" and so it wouldassuredly prove. Squabbles would breed quarrels, and quarrels would growinto wars; the comparative harmony of a continent would be broken up, and standing armies and fleets become as necessary in the New World asthey unfortunately are in the Old. If the South are determined toperpetuate Slavery, the only way it will ever cease to stain the Unionis by the force of public opinion, and by the immigration of the whiteman gradually driving the negro southwards from State to State. As hisvalue decreases, breeding for the market will gradually cease; and hemay eventually die out if the millennium does not interfere with theprocess. Another, possible cause for division in the Union may come fromCalifornia, in which State a feeble cry has already been heard of--"aWestern Republic. " The facility of intercourse afforded by railroadsseems likely to stop the swelling of that cry; but if California didseparate, it would not be attended with those evils which a disruptionof the Southern States would inevitably produce. The only other chanceof a division in the Republic which I can conceive possible is, in theevent of a long war with any great maritime power, for ends which onlyaffected one particular portion of the States; in which case theirresistible influence of the all mighty dollar might come into powerfulaction. The wealth of America is her commerce; whatever checks that, checks the pulsations of her vitality; and unless her honour wasthoroughly compromised in the struggle, neither North nor South would bedisposed to prolong a ruinous struggle for the sole benefit of theother. The prospects of such a contingency may, I trust, be deemedvisionary. France is not likely to come in contact with the Union; andthe only other maritime nation is Great Britain, whose interests are soidentified with peace, that it is hardly possible she should encourageany other than the most friendly relations. Neither party could gainanything by a war, and both parties would inevitably suffer immensely;and although I fear there is but too strong evidence, that many ignobleminds in the Republic make blustering speeches, and strive to excitehostile feelings, the real intelligence and wealth of the Statesrepudiate the unworthy sentiment, and deprecate any acts that couldpossibly lead to a collision between the two countries. Besides allwhich, there is that strong affinity between _£. S. D. _ and dollars andcents, whereby so strong an influence is exercised over that commercialbody which constitutes no unimportant portion of the wealth andintelligence of both nations. If the views I have taken be correct, it is indeed impossible toforeshadow the future of the United States; centuries must elapse ere itcan become sufficiently peopled to test the adaptation of its presentform of government to a thickly populated country; in the meantime, there seems scarcely a limit to her increase in wealth and prosperity. Her present gigantic stride among the nations of the world appears butan invisible atom, if compared with the boundless resources sheencircles within her borders, not the least important of which is thatmass of energy and intelligence she is, year by year, sowing broadcastthroughout the length and breadth of the land, the Church and the Schoolever following in the train, and reproducing those elements to which sheowes her present proud position. My task is now done. I have endeavoured, in the preceding pages, toconvey some general idea of the places I visited, and of the objectswhich appeared to me most worthy of notice. I have touched but lightlyon Cuba, and I have not dwelt at any great length on the prosperous andrising colony of Canada. My remarks have been chiefly on the UnitedStates, which, differing in so many points from, the country of herbirth, and occupying so conspicuous a place among the nations, presentedthe most extended field for observation and comment. I have on alloccasions stated plainly the impressions produced upon my mind. I havefreely remarked upon all those topics which, being public, I conceive tobe the legitimate field for a traveller's criticism; where I havepraised, or where I have condemned, I have equally endeavoured toexplain my reasons. I have called attention to facts and opinionsconnected with my own country, where I thought similar points in theRepublic might help to throw light upon them. Lastly, I have endeavouredto explain the various causes by which hostile feelings towards thiscountry are engendered and spread abroad among a certain portion of thecommunity; and I have stated my firm conviction, that the majority ofthe highest order of intelligence and character entertain a sinceredesire to perpetuate our present friendly relations. In conclusion, I would observe, that the opinions and feelings of anation should not be hastily drawn from the writings of a passingtraveller, or from the casual leaders of a Free Press. Man is ever proneto find fault with his neighbour, because the so doing involves a latentclaim to superior intelligence in himself; but a man may condemn manythings in a nation, while holding the nation itself in high esteem. Theworld is a large society, --a traveller is but one of the company, whoconverses through the Press; and as, in the smaller circles, conversation would die or freeze if nothing were stated but what couldbe mathematically proved, so would volumes of travels come to anuntimely end, if they never passed beyond the dull boundary of facts. Inboth cases, opinions are the life of conversation; because, as no twopeople agree, they provoke discussion, through the openings of which, astruth oozes out, wise men catch it, leaving the refuse to theunreflecting. The late Lord Holland, who was equally remarkable for his kindness andhis intelligence, is said to have observed, "I never met a man so greata fool, but what I could learn something from him. " Reader, I am boundto confess his Lordship never met me; but I cannot take my leave withoutexpressing a hope, that you will not be less fortunate than thatamiable Peer. And now, farewell, thou Giant Republic! I have long since left thyshores; but I have brought with me, and fondly cherish, the recollectionof the many pleasant days I spent within thy borders, and of all thosefriends whose unceasing hospitality and kindness tracked my path withoutintermission. I care not for the Filibusteros and Russian sympathizers;I know that the heart of the intelligence of thy people beats withfriendly pulsations, to which that of my own countrymen readilyresponds. All we should, and I trust all we do, mutually desire, is, toencourage an honourable and increasing rivalry in arts, science, commerce, and good-will. He who would disturb our amicable relations, behe Briton or American, is unworthy of the name of a man; for he is a foeto Liberty--Humanity--and Christianity. FOOTNOTES: [Footnote CK: The _New York Herald_ is edited by two renegade Britishsubjects, one of whom was, I am told, formerly a writer in a scurrilouspublication in this country. ] [Footnote CL: It has been cited as an example of their fondness forgrand-sounding titles, that while, by the Census of Great Britain, therewere only 2, 328 physicians to 15, 163 surgeons, in the United Statesthere were 40, 564 physicians to only 191 surgeons. ] [Footnote CM: _Vide_ chapter entitled "America's Press and England'sCensor. "] [Footnote CN: One of the few cases in which perhaps there is anadvantage in the masses voting, is where a question of public advantageis brought forward, to which many and powerful local interests ormonopolies are opposed. Take, for instance, the supply of London withgood water, which the most utter dunderhead must admit to be mostdesirable; yet the influence of vested interests is so strong that itstwo millions of inhabitants seem destined to be poisoned for centuries, and the lanes and courts will, in all probability, continue as arid asthe desert during the same period. --London, look at New York and blush!] [Footnote CO: While on the subject of eggs, I would ask my reader, didyou ever, while eating the said article, find your patience sorely triedas each mouthful was being taken from its shell, and dipped carefullyinto the salt? If you have ever felt the inconvenience of this tediousprocess, let me suggest to you a simple remedy. After opening the egg, and taking out one spoonful, put in enough salt for the whole, and thenon the top thereof pour a few drops of water; the saline liquid willpervade the whole nutritious substance, and thus render unnecessarythose annoying transits above named, which make an egg as great anuisance at the breakfast-table as a bore in society. Who first took outa patent for this dodge I cannot say, but I suppose it must have been aNew Englander. ] NOTES. NOTE I. _Extent of Telegraph in the United Kingdom. _ Miles. Miles of Wire. ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH COMPANY. 5, 070 Under ground 5, 000 Above ground 20, 700 MAGNETIC TELEGRAPH COMPANY. 1, 740 Under ground 6, 180 Above ground 4, 076 SUBMARINE TELEGRAPH COMPANY. 400 Under ground 2, 740 Above ground -- BRITISH TELEGRAPH COMPANY. 1, 000[CP] Under ground 2, 755 Above ground 3, 218 IRISH TELEGRAPH COMPANY. 88 Under ground 176 Above ground -- ---- ---- Total 8, 298 Total 44, 845 Of the foregoing, 534 miles are submarine, employing 1100 miles of wire. The cost of putting up a telegraph was originally 105l. Per mile fortwo wires. Experience now enables it to be done for 50l. , and that ina far more durable and efficient manner than is practised in the UnitedStates. The cost of laying down a submarine telegraph is stated to beabout 230l. Per mile for six wires, and 110l. For single wires. One feature in which the telegraphs of Great Britain differ materiallyfrom those of America and all other countries, is, the great extent ofunderground lines. There are nearly 17, 000 miles of wire placedunderground in England, the cost of which is six times greater than thatof overground lines; but it has the inestimable advantage of being neverinterrupted by changes of weather or by accidents, while the cost of itsmaintenance is extremely small. This fact must be borne in mind, whenwe come to consider the relative expense of the transmission of messagesin England and the States. In the foregoing lines we have shown, that England possesses, miles ofline, 8, 298; miles of wire, 44, 845; the United States possesses, milesof lines, 16, 735; miles of wire, 23, 281. We thus see, that the telegraph in the United States extends over morethan twice as much ground as the British lines; while on the other handthe system of telegraph in England is so much more fully developed, thatnearly double the quantity of wire is in actual use. On the Englishlines, which are in the hands of three companies only, from 25, 000 to30, 000 miles are worked on Cook and Wheatstone's system; 10, 000 on themagnetic system--without batteries;--3000 on Bain's chemicalprinciple--which is rapidly extending;--and the remainder on Morse'splan. The price of the transmission of messages is less in America than inEngland, especially if we regard the distance of transmission. InAmerica a message is limited to ten words; in England to twenty words;and the message is delivered free within a certain distance from thestation. In both countries the names and addresses of the sender and receiver aresent free of charge. The average cost of transmission from London toevery station in Great Britain is 13/10 of a penny per word per 100miles. The average cost from Washington to all the principal towns inAmerica is about 6/10 of a penny per word per 100 miles. The ordinaryscale of charges for twenty words in England is 1s. For fifty milesand under; 2s. 6d. Between fifty miles and 100 miles; all distancesbeyond that, 5s. With a few exceptions, where there is greatcompetition. Having received the foregoing statement from a mostcompetent authority, its accuracy may be confidently relied upon. In conclusion, I would observe that the competition which is graduallygrowing up in this country must eventually compel a reduction of thepresent charges; but even before that desirable opposition arrives, thecompanies would, in my humble opinion, exercise a wise and profitablediscretion by modifying their present system of charges. Originally theaddresses of both parties were included in the number of words allowed;that absurdity is now given up, but one scarcely less ridiculous stillremains--viz. , twenty words being the shortest message upon which theircharges are based. A merchant in New York can send a message to NewOrleans, a distance of 2000 miles, and transact important business inten words--say "Buy me a thousand bales of cotton--ship to Liverpool;"but if I want to telegraph from Windsor to London a distance of twentymiles, "Send me my portmanteau, " I must pay for twenty words. Surelytelegraph companies would show a sound discretion by lowering the scaleto ten words, and charging two-thirds of the present price for twenty. Opposition would soon compel such a manifestly useful change; but, independent of all coercion, I believe those companies that strive themost to meet the reasonable demands of the public will always show thebest balance-sheet at the end of the year. --Thirteenpence is more thanone shilling. NOTE II. _A short Sketch of the Progress of Fire-arms. _ The first clear notice which we have of rifles is in the year 1498, nearly 120 years after the invention of gunpowder was known to Europe. The Chinese, I believe, claim the invention 3000 years before theCreation. The first rifle-maker was one Zugler, in Germany, and hisoriginal object appears to have been merely to make the balls moreragged, so as to inflict more serious wounds; a result produced beforethat time by biting and hacking the balls. This appears clearly to havebeen the intention, inasmuch as the cuts were made perfectly straight inthe first instance. The accurate dates of the introduction of thevarious twists I have not been able to ascertain. I can find no mention of breech-loading arms before the reign of HenryVIII. , since which time they have been constantly used in China andother parts of the East. In 1839, they were, I understand, extensivelyused in Norway. A breech-loading carbine, lately brought across to thiscountry from America as the invention of Mr. Sharpe, was patented by aMr. Melville, of London, as far back as 1838. I understand Mr. Sharpe'scarbine was tried at Woolwich not long ago, and found to clog, owing tothe expansion of the metal from consecutive firing. Nor has anybreech-loading weapon hitherto introduced been able to make its way intoextensive practical use, although the Americans have constantly usedthem in their navy for some years past. To return to ancienttimes. --There is a matchlock in the Tower of London with one barrel anda revolving breech cylinder which was made in the fifteenth century, andthere is a pistol on a similar plan, and dating from Henry VIII. , whichmay be seen in the Rotunda at Woolwich. The cylinders of both of theseweapons were worked by hand. The old matchlock, invented in 1471, gave way to a substitute scarcelyless clumsy, and known by the initiated as the wheel-lock, the ignitiontaking place by the motion of the steel wheel against a fixed flintplaced in the midst of the priming. This crude idea originated in 1530, and reigned undisputed until the invention of the common old flint andsteel, about the year 1692, when this latter became lord paramount, which it still remains with some infatuated old gentlemen, in spite ofthe beautiful discovery of the application of fulminating powder, as ameans of producing the discharge. Mr. Forsyth patented this invention in 1807, but, whether from prejudiceor want of perfection in its application, no general use was made of thecopper cap until it was introduced among sportsmen by Mr. Egg, in 1818, and subsequently Mr. J. Manton patented his percussion tubes for asimilar purpose. The use of the copper cap in the army dates 1842, ornearly a quarter of a century after its manifest advantages had beenapparent to the rest of the community. Previous to this invention it was impossible to make revolving weaponspractically available for general use. The public are indebted to Mr. Jones for the ingenious mechanism bywhich continuous pressure on the trigger causes both the revolution ofthe barrels and the discharge of the piece; this patent goes back to1829-1830. Colonel Colt first endeavoured to make a number of barrelsrevolve by raising the hammer, but the weight of the barrels suggested areturn to the old rotatory cylinder, for which he took out a patent in1835; and in 1836 he took out another patent for obtaining the rotatorymotion by drawing back the trigger, and he subsequently introduced theaddition of a lever ramrod fixed on to the barrel. Col. Colt came to theconclusion that the hammer-revolving cylinder was the more usefularticle, inasmuch as it enabled the person using it to take a moresteady aim than with the other, which, revolving and firing by theaction of the trigger, the moment of explosion could not be dependedupon. To Col. Colt belongs the honour of so combining obsolete andmodern inventions, and superadding such improvements of his own, as toproduce the first practical and really serviceable weapon. Since then Messrs. Dean and Adams, in 1852, revived the old invention ofthe trigger-revolving cylinder, which has the advantage of onlyrequiring one hand to fire, but which is immeasurably inferior whereaccuracy of aim is wanted. Mr. Tranter, in 1853, patented a newinvention, which, by employing a double trigger, combines the advantagesof Colt and avoids the drawbacks of Dean and Adams. By a side-wind hehas also adapted that invaluable application of Colt's--a fixed leverramrod. Many other patents are springing up daily, too numerous tomention, and too similar to admit of easy definition. To return to rifles. --It is well known that the ordinary rifle in useuntil late years was the seven-grooved, with a spherical ball, and thetwo-grooved, with a zone bullet; the latter an invention known as theBrunswick rifle; and imported from Berlin about 1836. It was upon thisweapon Mr. Lancaster proceeded to make some very ingenious experiments, widening the grooves gradually until at last they met, and an ellipticbore rifle was produced, for which he obtained a patent in July, 1850;but upon investigation it would be proved that Mr. Lancaster's patentwas invalid, inasmuch as the elliptical bore rifle is of so ancient adate that it is mentioned in _Scloppetaria_--a work printed in 1808--aseven then obsolete; the details, methods, and instruments for theirfabrication are fully described therein; and I have seen a rifle of thiskind, made by "Dumazin, à Paris, " which is at least a century old; it isnow in the possession of the Duke of Athole. Mr. Lancaster is entitledto the credit of bringing into practical use what others had thrown onone side as valueless. From rifles I turn to balls, in which the chief feature of improvementis the introduction of the conical shape. The question of a conical ballwith a saucer base is fully discussed in _Scloppetaria_, but nopractical result seems to have been before the public until MonsieurDelvigue, in 1828, employed a solid conical ball, which, resting on thebreech clear of the powder, he expanded by several blows with the ramrodsufficiently to make it take the grooves. Colonel Thouvenin introduced asteel spire into the breech, upon which the ball being forced, itexpanded more readily. This spire is called the "tige. " Colonel Tamisiercut three rings into the cylindrical surface of the bullet, tofacilitate the expansion and improve its flight. These threecombinations constitute the _Carabine à Tige_ now in general use in theFrench army. Captain Minié--in, I believe, 1850--dispensed with thetige, and employed a conical hollow in the ball; into which, introducingan iron cup, the explosion of the powder produced the expansionrequisite. As Captain Minié has made no change in the rifle, exceptremoving a tige which was only lately introduced, it is certainly anextraordinary Irishism to call his conical ball a Minié rifle; it waspartially adopted in England as early as 1851. Why his invention has notbeen taken up in France, I cannot say. Miraculous to remark, the British Government for once appear to haveappreciated a useful invention, and various experiments with the Miniéball were carried on with an energy so unusual as to be startling. Itbeing discovered that the iron cup had various disadvantages, besidesbeing a compound article, a tornado of inventions rushed in upon theGovernment with every variety of modification. The successful competitorof this countless host was Mr. Pritchett, who, while dispensing with thecup entirely, produced the most satisfactory results with a simpleconical bullet imperceptibly saucered out in the base, and which is nowthe generally adopted bullet in Her Majesty's service. The reader willrecognise in Mr. Pritchett's bullet a small modification of the conicalball alluded to in _Scloppetaria_ nearly fifty years ago. Through the kindness of a friend, I have been able to get someinformation as to the vexed question of the Minié ball, which militatesagainst some of the claims of the French captain, if invention be one. The character of the friend through whom I have been put incorrespondence with the gentleman named below, I feel to be a sufficientguarantee for the truthfulness of the statements which I here subjoin. [Illustration] Mr. Stanton, a proprietor of collieries at Newcastle-on-Tyne, conceivedthe idea that if a bullet were made to receive the projectile force inthe interior of the bullet, but beyond the centre of gravity, it wouldcontinue its flight without deviation. Having satisfied himself of thetruth of this theory, he sent the mould to the Board of Ordnance on the20th of January, 1797, and received a reply the following month, statingthat upon trial it was found to be less accurate in its flight and lesspowerful in its penetration than the round bullet then in use. They alsoinformed Mr. Stanton that there were some conical balls in therepository which had been deposited there by the late Lieutenant-GeneralParker, and which, having more solidity, were superior to those sent byMr. Stanton, thus proving that the idea of a conical expanding ball isof very ancient date. The mould sent to the Ordnance by Mr. Stanton wastaken from a wooden model, of which the accompanying is an exactdiagram, and which is in the possession of Mr. Stanton, solicitor, atNewcastle, the son of the originator. Evidence is afforded that Mr. Boyda banker, and Mr. Stanton, sen. , both tried the ball with very differentsuccess to that obtained at Woolwich; but this need excite noastonishment, as every sportsman is aware of the wonderful difference inthe accuracy with which smooth-bored fire-arms carry balls, and forwhich no satisfactory reason has ever been advanced. Mr. Kell wassubsequently present when his friend Mr. Stanton, jun. , had balls madeon his father's principle for a pair of Wogden's pistols thirty yearsago; the result is reported as satisfactory. In 1829, Mr. Kell conceived the idea of applying the principle torifles, for which purpose he had a mould made by Mr. Thomas Bulcraig. Mr. Kell altered the original ball in two points; he made the sidesstronger, and he formed the front of the ball conoidical instead ofhemispherical. I have the ball made from that mould now lying before me, and it is precisely the same as the Minié ball without the iron cup, which we have shown in the preceding pages is totally unnecessary. Thisball has been constantly in use by Mr. Kell and others until the presentday; it is the first application of a conical expanding ball to riflesthat I can find on record, and whatever credit is due to the person whotransferred the expanding ball from a smooth bore wherein it wasuseless, to a rifle wherein it is now proved to be invaluable, belongs, as far as I can trace the application back, to Mr. Kell, A. D. 1829. In 1830, Mr. Kell employed Mr. Greener, then a gunmaker at Newcastle, tomake him a mould for a double pea rifle, and he left in Mr. Greener'shands one of the balls made for the Wogden pistol, and one of those madeby Mr. Bulcraig, to assist him in so doing. It appears that Mr. Greenermust have been satisfied with the success attending Mr. Kell'sapplication of the conical ball to a rifle, for some years after, inAugust, 1836, he applied to the Ordnance for permission to have a trialof the conical ball made; this was granted, and the experiment wasconducted under Major Walcott of the Royal Artillery, on the sands nearTynemouth Castle, the firing party consisting of a company of the 60thRifles. Mr. Greener having failed to bring a target, to test thesuperior penetrating power of his balls, the ordinary Artillery targetwas used. Mr. Greener's ball had a conical plug of lead in the hollow, for the purpose of producing the expansion when driven home by the forceof the powder. After firing several rounds at two hundred yards, onlyone ball of Mr. Greener's, which had struck the target, was found tohave the plug driven home, the others had all lost their plugs. The sameeffect was produced when firing into a sand-bank. A trial was then madeat 350 yards; the spherical balls and the conical balls both went hometo the target, but only one of the latter penetrated. The objections pointed out to the conical ball were: the frequent lossof the plug, by which its weight was diminished; the inconvenience ofhaving a hall composed of two separate parts; the difficulty of loadingif the plug was not placed accurately in the centre; and the danger ofthe plug losing its place in consequence of being put in loosely, especially when carried about for any length of time in acartridge. --Mr. Greener loaded the rifles during the trial with the balland powder separate, not in cartridge. --The advantage admitted was, merely, rapidity of loading if the plug was fairly placed: nosuperiority of range appears to have been produced over the rifles usedby the 60th Regiment. Mr. Greener solicited another trial, but afterthe report of Major Walcott, the Select Committee considering the ball"useless and chimerical, " no further trial was accorded. The conicalball question was thus once more doomed to oblivion. In process of time the fabulous ranges of the "_Carabine à Tige_" wereheard of, and when it was ascertained that the French riflemen pottedthe gunners on the ramparts of Rome with such rapidity that they couldnot stand to their guns before a rifle nearly a mile distant, the coneshape once more turned up, and Captain Minié came forward as thechampion of the old expanding ball. The toscin of war was sounded in theEast; the public were crying aloud for British arms to be put upon anequality with those of foreign armies; the veterans who had earned theirlaurels under poor old "Brown Bess" stuck faithfully to her in herdeath-struggle, and dropped a tear over the triumph of new-fanglednotions. In the middle of last century Lieutenant-General Parker's ball wasthrown aside; at the end of the century, Mr. Stanton's shared the samefate; Mr. Greener's followed in 1836 with equal ill success; CaptainMinié's had a short reign, and was in turn superseded by the more solidand superior ball now in use, and for which the country is indebted tothe experimental perseverance of Mr. Pritchett; and if ever thingsobtain their right names, the weapon of the British army will be calledthe Pritchett ball and not the Minié rifle; but as the world persists incalling the Missouri the Mississippi, I suppose the British public willbehave equally shabbily by Mr. Pritchett. The reader will judge forhimself of the respective credit due to the various persons throughwhose ingenuity we have at length succeeded in obtaining the presentefficient ball, the wounds from which are more frightful than pen canportray. There is, however, one lesson which we should learn from the greatopposition there has been to the introduction of the conical ball, andthat is, the advantage of remodelling the department to which suchinventions are referred. The foregoing remarks appear to me conclusiveevidence that the testing of fire-arms should not be left to age andexperience alone. Prejudice is all but inseparable from age--young andfresh blood is a powerful auxiliary. What I would suggest is, that thereshould be a special examination to qualify officers of the engineers andartillery to sit in judgment on so important a subject as arms andmissiles; and I would then propose that two officers of the formercorps, and five of the latter, be selected from those below the rank offield-officer, to form a separate and junior Board, and that each Boardshould send in its own report. The method of selection which I wouldsuggest is by ballot or vote of those Officers of the same rank in theirrespective corps; for I feel sure that those who live most together arethe best acquainted with one another's talents. If two Boards areobjectionable, form one Board, of which one-half shall be of the juniorrank; and if they be equally divided in opinion, let the higherauthority appoint an umpire and order a second trial. Remember how long the now all-but-forgotten "Brown Bess" kept the fieldagainst the adversary which has since proved her immeasurable superior;and let the future prove that past experience has not been entirelythrown away. Trials may be troublesome, but officers are paid for takingtrouble; and the ingenuity of inventors will always be quickened inproportion to the conviction that their inventions will receive a fulland unprejudiced trial; and that, if their first shot at the target ofSuccess be an outside ringer, they will not be denied a chance ofthrowing another in the Bull's-eye. Since the foregoing remarks went to press, it appears that the Pritchettball has been found wanting, both in England and in the Crimea; itsflight is said to be irregular, and the deposit of lead in the barrel sogreat that after thirty rounds the charge cannot be got down. If this beso, it is only one more proof of the necessity for some improvement inthe Board appointed to judge of and superintend warlike missiles. When Mr. Pritchett had perfected his ball, it was tried in thethree-groove rifle, for which it was intended, with the mostsatisfactory results, and was fired an indefinite number of timeswithout the slightest difficulty. It appears, however, that thissuccessful trial was not sufficient to satisfy the new-born zeal of theauthorities. Accordingly, a conclave of gunmakers was consulted previousto the order for manufacturing being sent to Enfield; but with a depthof wisdom far beyond human penetration, they never asked the opinion ofMr. Pritchett, who had made the rifle which had carried the ball sosatisfactorily. The wise men decided that it would be an improvement if the grooves weredeepened--a strange decision, when all the experience of the day tendsto prove that the shallower the groove the better. Down went the order;the improved rifles were made as fast as possible, and in the month ofMarch they went to the seat of war. May is hardly passed by, and the sadfact discovered in the Crimea is echoed back on our shores, that afterthirty rounds the soldiers may right about face or trust to cold steel. I think my youngest boy--if I had one--would have suggested testing theimprovement before indulging the army with the weapon. Perhaps theauthorities went on the principle that a rifle is a rifle, and a ball isa ball, and therefore that it must be all right. It might as well besaid a chancellor is a chancellor, and a black dose is a black dose;therefore, because an able Aesculapius had prescribed a draught whichhad proved eminently useful to bilious Benjamin, it must agree equallywell with lymphatic William. --Never mind, my dear John Bull, sixpencemore in the pound Income-tax will remedy the little oversight. Three years have elapsed since these observations were penned, andbehold a giant competitor has entered the field, threatening utterannihilation to the three-groove (or Enfield) rifle and the Pritchettball. Mr. Whitworth (whose mechanical powers have realized an accuracyalmost fabulous), after a long course of experiments made at theGovernment's expence, has produced a rifle with an hexagonal box andball, the correctness of which, at 1100 yards, has proved nearly equalto that of the Enfield at 500 yards, and possessing a penetrating powerof wonderful superiority; the Enfield rifle ball scarcely penetrated 13half-inch Elm planks. Whitworth's hexagonal ball penetrated 33, andburied itself in the solid block of wood behind. It remains to be seenwhether this formidable weapon can be made at such a price as to renderit available for military purposes. The hexagonal bore is not a newinvention, some of the Russians having used it in the late Balticcampaign; but it is doubtless Mr. Whitworth's wonderful accuracy ofconstruction that is destined to give it celebrity, by arming it with apower and correctness it wanted before. [CQ] An explosive ball has alsobeen introduced by Colonel Jacob of Eastern celebrity, which from itsgreater flight will prove, when perfected, a more deadly arm than theold spherical explosive ball invented and forgotten years ago. With thedaily improvements in science, we may soon expect to see Colonel Jacob'sin general use, unless the same principle applied to Whitworth'shexagonal ball should be found preferable. * * * * * To those who are amateurs of the rifle, I would recommend a pamphlet, written by Chapman, and published in New York; it is chiefly intendedfor those who delight in the infantine or octogenarian amusement ofpeppering a target, but it also contains many points of interest. Amongother subjects discussed are the following:--The quantity of twistrequisite in a rifle barrel--the gaining twist, as opposed to Mr. Greener, and the decreasing twist--the size of ball best suited todifferent distances--the swedge, by which a ball, being cast ratherlarger than requisite, is compressed into a more solid mass--the powderto use, decreasing in size of the grain in proportion to the diminishinglength of barrel--the loading muzzle, by which the lips of the groovesare preserved as sharp as a razor, &c. The pamphlet can easily beprocured through Messrs. Appleton, of New York and London. THE END. [Illustration] FOOTNOTES: [Footnote CP: The miles of distance may not be quite exact, but themiles of wire may be depended upon. ] [Footnote CQ: The trial between the Enfield and the Whitworth riflescannot be yet considered conclusive, as there was a difference in thebore of the rifles, and also Mr. Whitworth used a different kind of ballfor penetration to that used for long range. ]