Travels in North America in the years 1827 and 1828

Preface

. The chief object I had in view in visiting Ame rica was to see things with my own eyes, in order to ascertain, by personal inspection, how far the sentiments prevalent in England with respect to that country were correct or otherwise. To avoid all undue influence, I considered it best to defer reading the works of preceding travellers, until I should have formed my own opi nions on the subject; but I found so much plea sure during the journey, from the freshness of original and unbiassed observation, that on my return I resolved to persevere in this self-denial somewhat longer, that my narrative also might be derived, as far as possible, from those local sources of information which had fallen within the reach of my own inquiries. The habits of an active professional life having put it out of my power to study in the closet many ofthe subjects discussed in these volumes, 1 have endeavoured, in touching them, to supply the want of reading, by availing myself of a pretty exten sive acquaintance with the actual workings of numerous other political and moral experiments, which chance has thrown in my way in different quarters of the globe. What might have been the effect of combining the experience of others, with the result of my

PREFACE.

. own researches, I cannot pretend to say. On the present occasion, I have merely endeavoured to describe things as I saw them, and to add such reflections as were suggested on the spot, or have since arisen in my mind. As considerable misconception appears to prevail in England respecting the financial affairs of the United States, I have taken pains to collect authentic accounts of the revenue and expendi ture of that country. The details, as far as I have obtained them, are given in a tabular form at the end of the second volume. During the journey, I had opportunities of making some sketches with the Camera Lucida, an instrument invented by the late Dr. Wollaston. But I have thought it best, instead of encumber ing this work with drawings of such slender pre tensions, to publish, in a separate form, a selec tion of those which appeared most characteristic.

I beg leave, before parting, to say one word to my kind friends on the other side of the Atlantic. I have studiously avoided mentioning circumstances, or even making allusions, calculated to give pain to any person; and although I dare scarcely hope that my account will be very po pular in America, I shall deeply lament having written on the subject at all, if these pages shall be thought to contain a single expression inconsistent with the gratitude, which, in common with my family, I must ever feel for the attention and hospitality we received from the Americans, or with the hearty good-will we bear to every indi vidual whom we met with in their widely extended country. I M) 61 Edinburgh, 15th June, 1829. CONTENTS OF VOLUME FIRST.

Chapter I

On Tuesday morning the 17th of April 1827, I embarked at Liverpool, with my wife and child, on board the good ship Florida, whereof Mr. John Tinkham was master, and sailed for America, with a light fair wind, which carried us about one-third of the way across the Atlantic. And at sunset on the loth of May, after a voyage of twenty-eight days, we passed Sandy Hook Light-house, at the entrance of the harbour of New York. The proper day of sailing from England, according to the regulations of the weekly packets, was the 16th of the monthbut owing to some difficulty about collecting the crew, we lost twenty-four precious hours, at the commencement of an easterly wind. Another ship, however, better prepared, warped out of the clock, proceeded to sea on that day, and by this apparently trivial advantage, contrived to get into what seamen call a vein of wind, and arrived nine days before us: thus showing that in nautical, as well as in other matters, it is well to take time by the forelock; a lesson we resolved to profit by in our future journey.

It was quite dark before the ship was brought to an anchor, off the town of New,Yilrfci so that we missed seeing the beauties of the approach, described to us in terms of great rapture by some of the passengers, to whom the scene was not new. In strictness, it was not altogether new to me; for I had gone over the same ground some two or three and-twenty years before, when a midshipman of the Lean der, Flag-ship, ofthe Halifax station. But my recollections were so vague and indistinct, and every thing appeared so much altered, that I could scarcely recognise at first many objects, which, after a little time, were revived, or seemed to be revived, in my memory, where they must have slept for nearly a quarter of a century. Vol. i. I had reason to fancy, however, that a still more important change had taken place in my feelings, with respect to the country I was revisiting.

And it is perhaps right to state, thus early, what were my sentiments and opinions at these two distant periods. In former days, I confess I was not very well disposed to the Americans; a feeling shared with all my companions on board, and probably also with most of my superiors. But as the duties of a varied service, in after years, threw me far from the source at which these national antipathies had been imbibed, they appeared gradually to dissipate themselves, in proportion as my acquaintance with other countries was extended, and I had learned to think better of mankind in general. Thus, in process of time, I came to view with regret the prevalence in others of those hos tile sentiments I had myself relinquished. My next anx iety naturally was, to persuade others, that there really were no just grounds for the mutual hostility so manifestly existing between America and England.

To speak more correctly, I could not help believing, that, in spite ofthe great differences in the geographical and political situation of the two countries, there must still be so many circumstances in which they agreed, that if the merits of both were respectively explained, there would spring up more cordiality between them; a state of things which I took it for granted must be advantageous to both countries. These speculative views, were further confirmed by the report of the Americans 1 met with from time to time, all of whom gave the most animating and unqualified praise to their country and its institutions; accompanied, invariably, by vehement denunciations against the whole race of tra vellers, whose statements they represented as being, with out exception, false and slanderous, and consequently, as doing their country no justice.

So much, indeed, was I persuaded of the truth of these statements, that, from a desire to think well of the country, I avoided reading any of the Travels in question, and rather chose to form my opinions mainly from the accounts of the Americans them selves. At length, on the occurrence of an interval of profes sional leisure, I resolved to investigate this interesting sub ject for myself; for 1 found very few people in England of my way of thinking. Accordingly I set out for America, with the confident expectation, not only of finding ample materials for justifying these favourable impressions adopt ed from the Americans, but of being able, by a fair statement of the facts of the case, to soften in some degree the asperity of that ill-will, of which it was impossible to deny the existence, and which was looked upon by many persons in both countries as a serious international evil.

Probably, therefore, there seldom was a traveller who visited a foreign land in a more kindly spirit. I was really desirous of seeing every thing, relating to the people, country, and institutions, in the most favourable light; and was resolved to use my best endeavours to represent to my countrymen what was good, in colours which might incline them to think the Americans more worthy of regard and confi dence, than they generally were esteemed in England. It was also part of my project, if possible, to convince the Americans themselves, that the English were willing to think well of them, and were siucerely anxious to be on good terms, if they could only see just grounds for a change of sentiment. Such were the hopes aud wishes with which I landed in America. A thousand years would not wipe out the recollection ol our first breakfast at New York.

At eight o'clock we hurried from the packet, and though certainly I most devoutly love the sea, which has been my home for more than half my life, I must honestly acknowledge having leaped on shore with a light heart, after four weeks of confinement. Few naval officers, I suspect, be they ever so fond of theii business afloat, ever come to relish another ship, after com manding one of their own. The Florida, our good packet, during the night had been drawn alongside of the wharf, so that we had nothing more to do than step on shore, stow ourselves into a hackney coach, and drive off. This carriage was of the nicest de scription, open both in front, and at the sides, and was drawn by small, sleek, high-bred horses, driven by a mulat to, whose broken lingo reminded me of the West Indies. As we passed along, many things recalled the sea-ports of England to my thoughts, although abundant indications of another country lay on all hands.

The signs over the shop doors were written in English; but the language we heard spoken was different in tone from what we had been accustomed to. Still it was English. Yet there was more or less of a foreign air in all we saw, especially about the dress and gait of the men. Negroes and negresses also were seen in abundance on the wharfs. The form of most of the wheeled carriages was novel; and we encountered several covered vehicles, on which was written in large characters, ICE. I was amused by observing over one of the stores, as the shops are called, a great, staring, well wigged figure painted on the sign, under which was writ ten, Lord Eldox. A skinny row of white law books ex plained the mystery. The whole seemed at times, more like a dream than a sober reality. For there was so much about it that looked like England, that we half fancied our selves back again; and yet there was quite enough to show in the next instant, that it was a very different country.

This indistinct, dreamy kind of feeling, lasted for several days; after which it gradually faded away before a different set of impressions, which will be described in their turn. But I am quite forgetting the glorious breakfast! We had asked merely for some fresh sliad, a fish reported to be excellent, as indeed it proved. But a great steaming, juicy beefsteak, also made its appearance, flanked by a dish of mutton cutlets. The Shad is a native of the American waters, I believe exclusively, and if so, it is almost worthy of a voyage across the Atlantic to make its acquaintance. To these viands were added a splendid arrangement of snow white rolls, regiments of hot toast, with oceans of tea and coffee. I have not much title, they tell me, to the name of gourmand, or epicure; nevertheless, I do frankly plead guilty to having made upon this occasion a most enormous breakfast; as if resolved to make up at one unconscionable meal, the eight-and-twenty preceding unsatisfactory diur nal operations of this nature, which had intervened since our leaving the good cheer of Liverpool.

No ship, indeed, could be more bountifully supplied than our packet; but, alas for the sea! manage it as you will, the contrast between it and the shore, I am sorry to say, is very great. Nothing but shame, I suspect, prevented me from exhausting the patience of the panting waiters, by further demands for toast, rolls, and fish; and I rose at last with the hungry edge of appetite taken off, not entirely blunted. The luxury of silver forks and spoons, Indian china tea-cups, a da mask table-cloth, in rooms free from any close, tarry, pitchy, remainder-biscuit smell, space to turn about in, soft seats to loll upon, and firm ground on which to stand, with the addition of the aforesaid magnificent meal, formed alto gether, whether from contrast or from intrinsic excellence, as lively a picture of Mahomet's sensual paradise as could be imagined.

In the course of the morning I walked to the Custom House with a very obliging person for whom I had brought letters; and it is due to the public functionaries of that es tablishment to say, that I do not remember having been more civilly treated in the teasing matter of trunks and boxes, in any one of the numerous countries in which ] have had to undergo the tormenting ordeal of being over hauled. My friend merely stated, that I came to America as a traveller, without any view to trade, and that the lug gage specified in the list contained nothing but wearing ap parel. A few magical words were then written by the col lector to the examining officer, upon producing which every thing was permitted to pass in the most agreeable stylepos sible, so that not a fold of any part of our finery was disturbed, or even looked at.

It affords me great pleasure to have it in my power to state, that in our subsequent long and varied journey, we always met with the same obliging disposition on the part of the public officers. I can say the same thing of most of the other persons to whom we had occasion to apply for assistance — due allowance being made for those differences of manners, and of habits, incident to the various degrees of civilization with which we chose, of our own free will to bring ourselves in contact. We soon found there were different modes of living at the great hotels in New York. An immense table d'hote was laid every day at three o'clock, for guests who did not lodge in the house, but merely took their meals there. I have seen from sixty to a hundred persons seated at one of those tables. There was also a smaller and less public dinner for the boarders in the house.

If any of these persons, however, chose to incur the additional expense of a private parlour, which was about two dollars, or nine shillings a day extra, they might have their meals separately. On the 17th of May, at eight o'clock, which is the breakfast hour at New York, we went down to the room where the other lodgers were already assembled to the number of twelve or fourteen. Our main object was to get acquainted with some of the natives, and this, we imagined, would be the easiest thing in the world. But our familiar designs were all frustrated by the imperturbable silence and gravity of the company. At dinner, which was at three o'clock, we were again baffled by the same cold and civil but very unsociable formality. All attempts to set conversation in motion proved abortive; for each person seemed intent exclusively on the professed business of the meeting, and having despatched, in all haste, what sustenance was re quired, and in solemn silence, rose and departed.

It might have been thought we had assembled rather for the purpose of £* inhuming the body of some departed friend, than of merrily keeping alive the existing generation. A young American naval officer, with whom I had formed a most agreeable and useful friendship, was good enough to accompany me after breakfast to the dock-yard, or, as it is more correctly called, the navy-yard — for there are no docks in America — at Brooklyn on Long Island. We had to cross two ferries in the course of the day, in double or twin-boats, worked by steam, with the paddle wheel in the centre. The most curious thing I saw during this agreea ble ramble, was a floating wharf, made of wood, the inner end of which was attached to the edge of the quay, by means -of strong hinges, while the outer end, supported on a large air vessel, or float, rose and sunk with the tide.

At high water the wharf stood on a level with the shore; but when it fell, the surface of the wharf had a considerable in clination, though not more than could be easily overcome by the carriages and carts, which drove in and out of the ferry-boat at all times, with nearly equal facility. The officers of the navy-yard were most kind and atten tive, and showed every thing I wished to see, without the slightest reserve, and with such entire frankness, that I felt no scruple in examining the whole establishment. Amongst other things, I of course visited the great steam frigate, the Fulton, intended, I believe, as a floating bat tery for the defence of New York. This singular vessel is of the double construction, with a paddle-wheel in the mid dle, placed beyond the reach of shot. The machinery is also secured in like manner, by a screen of oak, independently of the ship's bends or sides, which are five feet in thickness, formed of successive lavers of thick planks, disposed alternately lengthwise and vertically.

This wooden wall affords a defence, as I am told by engineers, not per vious even to a cannon-shot fired at point blank distance. I afterwards went over several line-of-battle ships and fri gates, most of them constructed of live oak, a timber which grow> only in the southern states, and is admirably suited to such purposes, from its durability and strength. I called in the course of the morning on Mr. De Witt Clinton, the governor of the State of New York. I was no less surprised than pleased with the affability of his man ners, and the obliging interest he took in my journey; for I had happened to hear him described only by persons op potpd to him in politics, and I had not yet learnt to dis trui f such reports of men so distinguished in public life as the late Mr. Clinton. He offered me introductions to various parts of the country, and undertook to assist my re searches; a promise which he fulfilled to the very hour of his death, about a year afterwards.

The high personal esteem I felt for Mr. Clinton, and the respect in which, in common with so many of his country men, and all strangers who had the advantage of his ac quaintance, I must ever hold his memory, induce me to make an exception to the rule I have laid down, not to men tion by name, or by personal allusion, any of my private friends in America. It is very true, there is often consi derable difficulty, as well as inconvenience, in adhering to this restriction, and often much loss perhaps, on the score of authority. I have, however, seen, in the course of my life, so much pain caused by the intrusive nature of such remarks, whether of praise or of censure, that I think it best, in order to avoid all cause of offence, to say nothing, direct or indirect, which can implicate personally any one with whom I have made acquaintance in America.

My observations, therefore, whether laudatory or otherwise, I have confined as much as possible to those broad features which characterize the country generally. It is difficult to adhere to this prudent rule, without at the same time neglecting one of the duties of a traveller, at least if any description of manners is expected at his hands. For how is he to furnish his pictures of society without going into company, and by reporting what he sees there, acting more or less the ungenerous part of a spy? — The Americans, indeed, assured me again and again, that they had no sort of objection to this scrutiny, provided it were made with fairness and clue allowances for them, and the results reporteil without flippancy, or sarcasm, or odi ous anil wanton comparisons. As a proof of their sinceri ty, they not unfrequentlv urged me to speak fairly out in (heir presence, and to give my opinions fully upon all I saw, public and private.

The question, "What do you think of us upon the whole?" was accordingly put to me every day, and almost in every company. But 1 am sorry that truth compels me to add, that whenever the reply which (his abrupt and rather startling question elicited, was not one of unqualified praise, a certain painful degree of dis satisfaction was produced. My reason for being sorry is, that it prevents me from writing with the freedom which might be used in treating of any other country, in none of which does there exist such an excessive, and universal sen sitiveness as to the opinions entertained of them by the English. It may be remarked in passing, that they appear to care less for what is said of them by other foreigners; but it was not until I had studied this curious feature in the American character long and attentively, and in all parts of their country, that I came to a satisfactory explanation of it.

With respect to any notice of public affairs, or even to those broad characteristics of domestic manners, which lie fairly open to every man's observation, there need be no scruples, because I have reason to believe that no sensible American will find fault with this. He may think me quite wrong, or much prejudiced; but I shall take good care to prevent its being said with truth, that I have betrayed any confidence. And, at all events, whatever may be thought or felt in consequence of my strictures, of this I am sure, that every American I conversed with, will do me the justice to recollect that I have not held one language in his country, and another in my own; for every word I now publish to the world, I have repeatedly and openly spoken in company in all parts of the United States. Or, if there be any difference between the language I there used in con versation, and that in which I now write, I am sure it will not be found to consist in overstatement, but rather the contrary.

It often occasioned me much regret to witness the disappointment I was causing, by this absence of reserve on every subject whereupon I was interrogated. It will also be in the recollection of many of my friends in America, that when I expressed my doubts and fears as to the expediency of speaking out in this way, they always strenuous ly urged me to continue the same frankness throughout the journey; assuring me, that their countrymen, however na tional, ancl however fond of their institutions, would much prefer hearing them openly attacked to their faces, than in siduously commended, till a more convenient season should arrive for reprobating what they held dear. Accordingly, I took them at their word, and persevered throughout the journey, and never once qualified or disguised my senti ments.

And here I must do the Americans the justice to say, that they invariably took my remarks in good part, though my opinions, I could see, were often not very flat tering. I should fain hope, therefore, that a similar" spirit of candour will now meet with equal indulgence, when more deliberately expressed, in strict accordance with their own repeated injunctions, that I should state matters exact ly as they appeared to me. I have no motive, and can have no motive, to misrepresent things in America; still less to wound the feelings of any person in a country where I was received with such uniform kindness and hospitality, and towards which, as a nation, I undoubtedly felt the greatest good-will on first landing. If I no longer feel altogether as I did towards that eountr}*, the change is accompanied by far more sor row than any other feeling; and the reluctance with which I now take up my pen to trace the gradual destruction of my best hopes on the subject, is most sincere, and such as nothing short of a conviction of its being a duty to my own country could overcome.

In what this duty consists will be seen in the sequel; and though at this moment 1 scarcely hope to receive much, if any sympathy, in America, the time must one day come, when, if I be right, that sympa thy will be cordially granted me. I have thought it best, thus early, to enter a protest, as it may be called, against the charge of my writing with any tiling approaching to malice prepense against America. I tell simply what I conscientiously believe to be the truth; of course not the whole truth, but assuredly nothing but the truth, and without the slightest shade of ill-will to any mortal, in that country, or indeed without any thing but good-will to the nation generally, except what may spring from differences of opinion on public grounds. Be all this, however, as it may, we were greatly flatter ed by the kindness of our reception at New York; and I only regretted that my abstemious habits did so little jus tice, in return, to the goodly suppers of oyster-soup, ham, salads, lobsters, ices, and jellies, to say nothing of the champagne, rich old Madeira, fruits, ancl sweetmeats, and various other good things, which were handed round at all the parties with little intermission, in a style truly hospitable and liberal.

It is often useful in travelling, to record at the instant (hose trivial but peculiar circumstances, which first strike (he eye of a stranger, since, in a short time, they become so familiar as entirely to escape attention. On this princi ple, I amused myself one morning by noting down a few of the signs over the shop doors. The following may, per haps, interest some people. Flour and Feed Store — Cheap Store — Clothing Store — Cake Store and Bakery — Wine and Tea Store, all explain themselves. Leather and Finding Store, puzzled me at first. I learned, upon inquiry, that finding means the tape and other finishings of shoes and boots. Uncurrent Notes Bought, required investigation likewise. It seems that of late years many town and country banks had failed, or fallen into such bad repute, that their notes were not held as good payment by the ge nerality of people; while other persons, knowing exactly how the case stood, were enabled to turn their knowledge to account, and thus to make a profit by buying up the de preciated paper.

Liberty Street Amos Street Thirty-First Street Avenue A, are all more or less characteristic. The following is a literal copy of the sign before the inn door at Brooklyn, all the places named being on Long Island. Coe S. Dowling's Stage & Livery Stable. Horses and Carriages to be let. Flat Bush and Bath — Hempstead — Jerusalem — Hempstead Harbour — Cow Neck — Westbury — Mosque toe Cove — Jericho — Oyster Bay — Huntington — Eastwoods — Dixhill — Babylon and Islip, Stage House. At two o'clock in the morning of the 20th of May, I was awakened by loud cries of Fire! fire! and started out of bed, half dreaming that we were still at sea, and the packet in flames. In a few minutes the deep rumbling sound of the engines was heard, mingling in a most alarming way with the cheers of the firemen, the loud rapping of the watchmen at the doors and window-shutters of the sleep ing citizens, and various other symptoms of momentous danger, and the necessity of hot haste.

So much had been said to me of the activity ancl skill of the New York firemen, that I was anxious to see them in actual operation; and accordingly, having dressed myself quickly, I ran clown stairs. Before I reached the outer door, however, the noise had well-nigh ceased; the engines were trundling slowly back again, and the people grum bling, not without reason, at having been dragged out ot bed to no purpose. Of this number I certainly was one, but more from what I had lost seeing than from any other cause. I was scarcely well asleep again, before a second and far more furious alarm, brought all the world to the windows. The church bells were clanging violently on all hands, and the ear could readily catch, every now and then, a fresh sound chiming in with the uproar with much musical discord, and all speaking in tones of such vehemence as satis fied me that now there would be no disappointment.

On opening the street door, I saw in the east a tall co lumn of black smoke, curling and writhing across the cold morning sky, like a great snake attempting to catch the moon, which, in her last quarter, was moving quietly along, as if careless of the increasing tumult which was fast spreading over the city. On the top of the City Hall, one of the finest of the numerous public buildings which adorn New York, a fire war den or watchman is constantly stationed, whose duty when the alarm is given, is to hoist a lantern at the extremity of a long arm attached to the steeple, and to direct it towards the fire, as a sort of beacon, to instruct the engines what course to steer. There was something singularly striking in this contrivance, which looked as if a great giant, with a blood-red finger, had been posted in the midst of the city, to warn the citizens of their danger.