Travels in the United States, etc, during 1849 and 1850

Preface

. I left England fully determined against writing a book of travels, nay, I would not even keep a Journal during our wanderings, lest I should be tempted to jot down, and ultimately to publish, my impressions of the society and institutions in those countries which it was our good fortune to visit ; but since our return to England, friends, to whose better judgment I am bound to defer, have pressed me so strongly to print the letters which I had written during our excursion, that I have consented to do so after adding somewhat, to give them the usual narrative form, and dividing them into chapters. This will account for the familiar tone of the Work, and for occasional repetitions. For the politician or philosopher these a VI

PREFACE.

. pages will, I fear, have little or no interest ; written familiarly to relatives and friends at home, their staple is the gossip of travel ; and if they amuse that large class to whom gossip is welcome, and tend in any way to strengthen kindly feelings in the breasts of my English readers towards the people from whom their wandering countrywoman received so much and such constant courtesy and hospitality, I shall not regret giving to the world this Work. Belvoir Castle. April, 1851. PAGE CONTENTS TO VOL. I.

Chapter I

Arrival at New York. — First view of Broadway. — Summer costume of the ladies. — Description of New York. — Its suburbs and islands. — Its fortifications. — Prepare to start for Niagara 1

Chapter II

Detained at Albany. — Wreck of the "Empire " steamer. — American indifference to human life. — The theatrical riot and massacre caused by Mr. Forrest's Jealousy of Macready. — Sympathy of the lady for the captain of the "Empire." — High-sounding names of towns. — The Hudson. — Hotels at Albany. — Description of Albany 9

Chapter III

Difficulty of conveying the impression caused by a first view of the Falls of Niagara. — An Attempt to do so — The Falls described. — A thunder-storm over the Great Cataracts. — The Rainbow. — Kindnesss and cour tesy of the Americans. — Their spirit of enterprise. — Luxurious appointments of American steamers. — The CONTENTS. VIII PAGE 18 dimensions of the Falls.— Goat Island. — Quantity of water precipitated over the Falls. — Grand and Navy Islands

Chapter IV

Port Talbot. — Canadian carriages. — Vast extent of American woods. — The hotel at Port Stanley. — Lake Erie. — Mr. A and his family. — Col. Talbot, the "Last of the Mohicans." — Instance of the memory of North American Indians. — Another story of the same kind. — A recurrence to Niagara. — A second thunder storm. — American forests. — Lake Erie by sunset. — The maple, and the sugar made from it. — Coldness of Canadian winters ........ 31

Chapter V

Return to New York.— Courtesy and hospitality of the Americans. — Butterflies and humming-birds. — Rail roads through American forests. — Rapid progress of American civilization. — Port Stanley. — Captain Bawbee. — Description of Buffalo. — Trading facilities of that city. — The United States' Military Academy. — Monument to Kosciusko. — His garden. — West Point. — The Traitor Arnold, and Major Andre. — Constitution Island. — Oppressive heat of the weather ...... 40

Chapter VI

Boston.— The Park. — The Tremont Hotel. — Its luxurious appointments. — Mr. and Mrs. Abbott Lawrence. — The " Book of the World." — Description of Boston ; the bridges. — Their immense length. — The Western Avenue. — Boston harbour. — Anticipated rejoicings on the Anniversary of American Independence. — Boston CONTENTS. IX PAGE 70 newspapers and reviews. — Supply of water to the city. — Its docks and wharves. — Public buildings. — The State House. — The Custom House. — The Athenæum. — The Exchange and the Lowell Institute. — The crowded stores. — Constant alarm of fires 50

Chapter VII

Plans for the future. — Musical taste of the New Englanders. — Cholera in New York. — Transparency of the American atmosphere. — American newspapers. — Their personalities. — A signal instance. — Mrs. S. M of New York and her family. — Miss G of Boston. — The loud talking ascribed to American ladies. — The town of Gloucester. — Its trade 63

Chapter VIII

Return to Boston. — Fire-engines and their horses. — The cradle of American Liberty. — Faneuil Hall. — Boston prohibition of street-smoking. — Statue of Washington in the State House. — Anecdote connected with it. — A drum preserved in the State House. — Visit to Cambridge. — Mount Auburn. — Harvard University. — Professors Pierce, Silliman, Guyon, Sparks, and Agassiz. — Live coral insects preserved by Professor Agassiz. — Reflec tions suggested by them. — Museum of Professor Agassiz.

Chapter IX

Plymouth. — The Pilgrim-Fathers. — Mrs. Warren, a descendant of one of the Pilgrims. — Visit from Mr. Prescott the Historian. — Graves of the Pilgrim-Fathers. — Visits from Daniel Webster and from Mr. N. P. Willis. — Samoset the Indian Chief. — Energy of the Pilgrim- Fathers — Altered face of their country . . .81 CONTENTS. X PAGE b7 103

Chapter X

Green Harbour, the seat of Daniel Webster.— His guests.— Description of his mansion.— The militia gene ral.—Enterprise of American lady-travellers.— An in stance.—Mrs. C from China.— Great Intellectual powers of Mr. Webster.— A storm.—" My Kingdom for a Pin."— Anecdote of Lady .— The Sole American with an Aristocratic Title— Extraordinary popularity of Mr. Webster in New England.— Anecdote of Mr. Web ster.—That statesman and Mr. Clay never Presidents of the United States.— A cause assigned.— Appointment of illiterate political postmastmers. — Mode of living at Green Harbour ....••••

Chapter XI

Visit to Mr. and Mrs. Prescott at Nahant.— Paucity of trees there. — A magnificent water-melon. — Beauty of Boston Harbour.— Poetical additional names given to American cities. — New Bedford. — Its population and trade. — Delicate politeness of a descendant of William Penn. — Martha's vineyard. — The hostess, her son and daughter. — Woodsville. — Naushon. — Its loveliness. — The one grave. — Reflection suggested by it. — An ancient place of Indian sepulture. — Verses suggested by Naushon.

Chapter XII

The Blind Asylum at Boston and Laura Bridgeman. — New Haven, the "City of Elms."— Yale College. — Its objects of science and art. — Professor Silliman, jun. — Governor Yale. — His epitaph. — His English connexions. — Black domestic servants. — Two opinions of them. — A sable Count D'Orsay. — The American character. — Scenery about New Haven. — Katydids, tree-frogs, and crickets. — Connecticut Yankees ...... CONTENTS. XI PAGB

Chapter XIII

Bridgeport. — The Irish housemaid. — Ultra-Republicans even in America. — The Great Croton Aqueduct described. —Supply of water to New York. — New York trotters. — Dehnonico's hotel. — Excursion with American friends. — Glorious scenery of Staten's Island. — Greenwood cemetery. — Its extent, scenery, and monuments. — Miss Lynch the poetess, and Frederika Bremer . . . 130

Chapter XIV

Philadelphia. — Incessant uproar in that city. — Its Custom-House and cemeteries. — Baltimore. — Battle and Washington monuments. — The catholic cathedral. — The merchants' shot tower Its trade and commerce. — Its increase and population. — Baltimore clippers Barnum's hotel. — Sensitiveness of Americans to cold. — The deaf gentleman and his stentorian friend. — Anthracite coal fires 139

Chapter XV

The City of Washington. — Pensylvania-Avenue. — The " City of Magnificent Distances." — The stentorian gen tleman and his hogs. — The Capitol described Monu ment to Washington.— The Navy Yard. — Georgetown. — A digression to Tunis. — Public Buildings. — The Post office.—The Patent Office.— The Treasury.— The Pre sident's Mansion.— The "White House." — Visit to General Taylor, the late President His daughter, Mrs. Bliss. — Appearance of General Taylor. — His affabi lity. — His conversation. — Invitation to the authoress. — Heat of the weather in November .... CONTENTS. PAGE

Chapter XVI

Discomforts of travelling over the Alleghanies. — Mr, Clay. — Pittsburg as sable as Sheffield. — Its population. — Visit to a glass factory and iron foundry. — A dingy vehicle. — Factories and foundries in Pittsburg. — The Ohio. — The new suspension bridge at Wheeling. — Accidents to steamers caused by it. — Courtesy of the captains and clerks of steamers. — Cincinnati. — German and Irish immigrants compared. — Verses addressed to emigrants ......... 160

Chapter XVII

Description of Louisville. — Its trade and natural productions. — Its soil and rivers. — The Kentucky caves. — A visit to one. — Its avenues, domes, cataracts, pits, and rivers. — A sea in it. — The vociferous bats. — Echoes of the cave. — The cave once the residence of consumptive patients. — The eyeless fish. — The narrow path and the fat Englishman. — Vast extent of the cave. — Verses suggested by it . . . . . . . . .170

Chapter XVIII

A conversation in a coach. — A loquacious gentleman. — The other passenger. — His appearance. — An American argument touching the potency of money to make a gentleman. — An exhibition of genuine feeling. — A Ken tuckian's notion of England. — The slight value set on human life in America. — The duel. — Pigs paramount in Louisville. — Herds of swine on the Alleghanies. — The hotel-keeper and the Kentucky cave. — Danger attending a visit to the caves ....... CONTENTS. XIII

Chapter XIX

The steamer from Louisville. — The Passengers. — The lady in the turban, and her refractory charges. — A family of another description. — The Lilliputian Liston and his model grandmamma. — The Sonnambula of a stewardess. — St. Louis. — Ravages of the cholera in that city. — Rapid growth of St. Louis. — Vast number of German immigrants. — Progress of American civilization. — Prairie hunting. — Frequency of steamboat accidents on the Mississippi 197

Chapter XX

The Mississippi. — Its impression upon the Author. — Its banks. — The immense forests seen from it. — Its varied scenery. — The Mississippi by night. — Hosts of floating trees. — Steamer " snagged." — Visit to the late President's cotton plantation. — His slaves. — Interesting Negro children. — Shanty of Mr. Taylor, the President's son. — An aged slave. — His extreme politeness. — The black valet of Mr. Taylor. — The immediate Slave Abo lition question. — Instances of ill-treatment of slaves. — Persecution of musquitoes 209

Chapter XXI

The St. Charles Hotel at New Orleans. — The Swedish Waiter and Jenny Lind. — Oppressive heat in December in New Orleans. — Vast quantities of cotton. — The pro bable future aspect of the banks of the Mississippi. — Commerce of New Orleans. — The city. — Its port. — Its inhabitants. — Its churches. — The city subject to inunda tions. — Places of sepulture above ground. — Wreck of the Louisiana steamer. — Wonderful capabilities of the valley vol. I. a CONTENTS. PAGE 229 of the Mississippi. — The Americans not extravagant when they describe the resources of their country. — Alli gators. — The Red River.— The artificial embankments of the Mississippi at New Orleans.— Their insecurity .

Chapter XXII

Mobile. — Lake Ponchartrain. — An Indian encampment. — The Indians and their squaws. — Chumpa girls. — Some account of Mobile. — Its harbour. — Festival of the new year. — Rival musical processions. — The magnolia grove. — Manner of life of the Indians. — Manifold mi series attending waiting for steamers. — Madame L V . — Mr. Clay. — Preparing to start for Mexico. — Madame L V 's old black slave. — Her remem brance of Washington. — Verses on Madame L V 's deceased children ...... 246

Chapter XXIII

Boston as a commercial city. — Its wharves Its shipping Its trade. — The India wharf. — American boys. — The present and future of America The fashionable quarter of Boston. — American ladies and gentlemen. — Young America. — Boston the metropolis of Railroads. — Gallantry and patience of American travellers. — Fresh Pond, Wenham Lake ice. — Mr. Prescott's town house. — Libraries, and literary and philosophical institutions in Boston. — Its periodical literature. — Its charities. — Its patronage of the arts. — Power's sculptures. — Frequency of fires in American Cities. — General appearance of Boston CONTENTS. XV PAGE 279

Chapter XXIV

Bustle in the streets of New York.— Trinity Church. — Wall Street. — The Park. — The shops in Broadway. — Traffic in Broadway. — Irish and German emigrants. — Wharves of New York. — Its shipping. — The Astor House Hotel. — The Exchange. — the Custom House. — Theatres. — The City Hall.— The chair of Washington.— Churches. — Benevolent, literary, and scientific institutions. — Squares, mansions. — Foreigners in New York. — Sympathy between America and Russia. — Those two nations. — Anecdote of an American in Russia. — Pearl Street. — Military companies in New York. — The militia. — The firemen. — The electric telegraph in America. — The Battery. — The Hall of Justice. — The Bowery NARRATIVE OF TRAVELS IN THE UNITED STATES, &c. IN 1849-50.

Chapter I. Arrival At New York

— FIRST VIEW OF BROAOWAY. — SUM- MER COSTUME OF THE LADIES. — DESCRIPTION OF NEW YORK. ITS SUBURBS AND ISLANDS. — ITS FORTIFICATIONS. PRE- PARE TO START FOR NIAGARA. The Bay of New York looked beautiful on the morning of our arrival (May 16th, 1849). It was a bright, warm, splendid morning ; the sun shone gloriously, and the sky reminded me of Italy. We took leave of Captain Judkins, the obliging and excellent captain of " The Canada ;" but before we went on shore, we witnessed the disembarkation of the mails — it is quite an interesting spectacle. There were about thirty thousand letters — white-winged VOL. I. B messengers of peace ! — one could not but rejoice at the sight. Those numerous letters of business, of friendship, of mutual interest, seemed so many links uniting the two coun tries in a concord not to be easily, if ever, broken.

One of the first things that struck us on arriving in the city of New York — the Em press City of the West — was, of course, Broad way. It is a noble street, and has a thoroughly bustling, lively, and somewhat de mocratic air. New York is certainly handsome, and yet there is something about it that gives one the idea of a half-finished city, and this even in Broadway itself ; for the street was literally littered with all imaginable rubbish which, we should imagine from appearances, is usually shot in that celebrated thoroughfare ; indeed it seems a sort of preserve for this species of game. Piles of timber, mounds of bricks, mountains of packing-cases, pyramids of stones, and stacks of goods, were observable on all sides. The New Yorkers themselves grumble much at the inconvenience, and their newspapers often contain pathetic remonstrances with the authorities, for allowing such obstructions to crowd the thoroughfare.

Besides this, it appears from their published ASTOR HOUSE. 3 complaints, that their streets are very much too often torn up for sewage purposes, &c, and, in short, that this tiresome performance is frequently unnecessarily encored, without their consent, and certainly to their manifest inconvenience. They ask if their time is to be taken up (as their streets are) continually, by having to stop every two or three steps, and sit down on the next door-step to take the paving-stones out of their boots ? Cart loads of these same paving-stones, adding to the confusion, were to be seen on all sides, and sometimes felt, as our handsome, heavy, crimson-velvet-lined, hired vehicle (rather a warm-looking lining for New York, near the beginning of June), swayed from side to side, and rolled and rattled ponderously along.

We went to the Astor House, or rather Astor Town, for its size is prodigious : there we had comfortable bed-rooms, and a nice sitting room ; and we dined in private ; — and I was glad to find no objection was made to this arrangement. There is a perfect colony of Irish at the Astor House ; but till the accent betrayed them, I took the waiters, at first, for French or German, so carefully had they followed the example of their American fellow citizens (of whom, be it remembered, I had B as yet beheld next to nothing), and were so be-bearded, imperialled, and, I believe, in many instances, mustachioed too, that Paddy seemed quite transmogrified into a " whiskered Pandoor or a fierce hussar," which seemed unnecessary for the peaceful occupation of laying knives,— not without forks,— and hand-* ing cream-ices.

What a glorious sunny day it was! We had a glimpse of busy Broadway from our windows. We soon saw some evidence of the warmth of a New York summer, in the pro fusion of light cool bonnets furnished with broad and deeply-hanging curtains, shading and cohering the throat and part of the shoulders, — a very sensible costume for hot weather. The fashion, or the custom, just now seems to be for all the ladies to wear large white shawls. I never beheld such a number of white shawls mustered before, I think : the female part of the population seem all vouee au blanc. It had rather too table-clothy an appearance, and from its frequency, the snowy shawl became quite tiresome ; besides, they made one think of " weird white women,'1 sheeted spectres, and Abdel-Kader's scouring Arabs, in their " bernooses."

This is, I dare say, however, only a temporary fancy ■ and SITUATION OF NEW YORK. 5 probably, when I return to New York, they (the shawls, not the wearers thereof) will all have been swept away, like so many light fleecy clouds, to the four winds of heaven. I will say but little of New York itself now, as this is only a flying visit, and I shall return, ere long — merely observing, en passant, that everything around me betokens energy, in dustry, and prosperity, and also the impetuous go-aheadiness, which will hardly allow time for completing all that is begun, or for con triving that order and comfort which should keep pace with improvement and innovation. New York is situated on Manhattan Island, at the confluence of the bright and beautiful Hudson, with the east river (or strait of Long Island).

It is the centre of an imposing panorama, and is screened from the tumultuous ocean by an assemblage of intervening, protect ing islands. Its harbour is safe, easy of access, very spacious, and is said to be capable of accommodating the combined navies of the world. This noble harbour occupies a sweeping circuit of twenty-five miles : on every side it is gracefully bounded by ever-varying scenery, country seats, and scattered hamlets, while the above-mentioned lovely islands shine like precious jewels on its radiant bosom. The busy metropolis of the United States has almost constant communication, by steam and sailing-packets, with all the sea-ports of America, Asia, Africa, Europe, the East and West Indies, and the islands of the Pacific. Its progress in commerce, population, and wealth is indeed astonishing.

The population in 1800 was 60,489; in 1820, 123,706; in 1840, 312,710 ; and in 1849, 400,000. Manhattan Island is thirteen and a-half miles long from north to south, ranging from half a mile to somewhat more than two miles in width — the greatest width being at Eighty-eighth Street, and it contains about twenty-two square miles. Incessant communication is kept up between the city and its picturesque, prosperous, and rapidly increasing suburbs, by means of steam ferry-boats, the Harlem railroad, and omnibuses ; the fares being exceed ingly reasonable, and the accommodations ex tremely good. In approaching New York from " The Nar rows," one can hardly fail to be struck by the beauty of the bay : the scenery on its shore, as I have already mentioned, is very striking. The outer harbour, or bay, extends from the " Narrows " to Sandy Hook, where is a light house at the distance of eighteen miles from DEFENCES OF NEW YORK. the city.

In the harbour, adjoining the city, are Bedlow's, Governor's, and Ellis's islands, all of them strongly fortified. The first, and most important, includes seventy acres of ground, and is situated three thousand two hundred feet from the battery. Fort Co lumbus occupies its centre, and on the north east point is Castle William, a round tower six hundred feet in circumference and sixty feet high, with three tiers of guns. There is a battery likewise, on the north-west side, com manding the entrance through Buttermilk Channel, a strait which separates it from Brooklyn, Long Island. In addition to these fortifications, New York harbour is well defended by similar works on Bedlow's and Ellis's islands ; at the Narrows, on the Long Island shore, by Fort Hamilton and Fort Lafayette (formerly Fort Diamond), which is built on a reef of rocks about two hundred yards from the shore ; and on Staten Island, opposite, by Fort Tompkin and Fort Richmond.

Here the " Narrows " is about two thirds of a mile wide. The entrance from the Sound, on the East River, is defended by Fort Schuyler, on Throg's Neck. So much for the defences of the great em porium and metropolis of the United States, and so much for itself for the present — for I am off to the great Niagara. Every facility for our journey has been afforded us by the kindness of the English Consul and Mrs. Bar clay, who have amiably given me all the neces sary instructions, directions, &c. It may easily be guessed how eagerly I long to hear and see the waters of Erie, Superior, Huron, and Mi chigan, all thundering down one mighty steep in their awful greatness and power ! DETENTION AT ALBANY. 9

Chapter II. Detained At Albany

WRECK OF THE " EMPIRE" STEAMER. AMERICAN INDIFFERENCE TO HUMAN LIFE. THE THEATRICAL RIOT AND MASSACRE CAUSED BY MR. FORREST' S JEALOUSY OF MACREADY. SYMPATHY OF THE LADY FOR THE CAPTAIN OF THE "EMPIRE." HIGH SOUNDING NAMES OF TOWNS. THE HUDSON. — HOTELS AT ALBANY. — DESCRIPTION OF ALBANY. We came to the handsome town of Albany in a fast and beautifully-decorated steamer; but we might almost as well have been on board a slow one, as we find we cannot go on till to-morrow to Buffalo. The steamboats and railroads do not communicate as con veniently as they might do for travellers, and I hear this is done expressly to please the hotel-keepers, by forcing travellers to remain a night at Albany. I was much disappointed ; and so full were my thoughts of the great cataract, that I might well expect to have a nightmare of Niagara to-night, which would not be a pleasant introduction, or preface of an introduction to " the Falls."

The Hudson is a beauteous river ; but, in B the midst of its loveliness, it was very triste to come upon the wreck of the splendid " Empire " steamer, which was lost two nights before we started. I believe she ran foul of a large merchant vessel in the dark, and went down very shortly afterwards. Numbers of lives were lost ; many dead bodies had been picked up, and as soon as they can penetrate into her sleeping cabins they expect to find many more. They were slowly attempt ing to raise the steamer when we passed. Then was I a second time struck by the American indifference to human life, which I had before observed at New York. The first time, it was on occasion of the frightful mas sacre of citizens at the miserable theatrical row occasioned by Mr. Forrest's professional jealousy of our Macready.

It seemed to ex cite wonderfully little horror, indignation, or regret. One or two of the newspapers kept up an agitation about the matter ; but I do not think I have yet heard a single person stigma tize the shooting some five-and-twenty citizens on such an occasion, as uncalled for or severe. I have heard some say it was perfectly right ; and that it was a pity so few nad paid the penalty of their misconduct ; I heard even harsher things said than that, but forbear to WRECK OF THE " EMPIRE." 11 repeat them, lest it should be thought that I exaggerate. After all, I believe most of those who suf fered were merely idle spectators, drawn there by curiosity, or mixed by chance in the crowd. However, that is very often the case in less severe encounters between the mob and the preservers of order.

When I expressed my horror at such a frightful massacre in the streets of a peaceful city, I found none to sympathise with such sentiments, if I except the columns of the Herald. In the crowded steamer, where one heard people talking over the topics of the day, I do not remember to have once heard the subject alluded to, though the affair had so recently happened. What a sensation would such a slaughter have excited in London ! When we passed the melancholy wreck of the ill-starred " Empire," whose fate had caused the destruction of so many lives, scarcely any one manifested any interest in the catastrophe. They sauntered to that side of the vessel in crowds — to look very indifferently, it appeared to me, at the mournful spectacle, as they might and would have done at any other sight. Yet in addition to the great number of corpses that had already been found, it was almost certain that the still submerged cabins were so many coffins ; and those who were prosecuting the melancholy search were constantly, we were told, finding fresh bodies in different parts of the vessel.

The only person who seemed to me at all to feel any commiseration and regret was a lady who stood near me, and all hers was re served exclusively for the captain of the ill fated steamer, who was her cousin, and who, however, was alive and safe. But, she said, some people blamed him, which was very hard, as it was no fault of his ; and he had been quite " sick," she assured me, ever since, from the annoyance he had undergone. Thus the only one who was pitied, it seemed, was one who survived. She added, however, he was much shocked at all that had happened. It was really consolatory to hear, that there was such a thing as compassion, in this busy, go ahead world of the west, for unfortunates, who had been so suddenly and unexpectedly launched into eternity ; for one began, almost unconsciously, to lower even one's own opinion of the value of existence, and to think life a very twopenny-halfpenny possession after all.

I will not be sure, however, but that what so shocked the captain, was the amount of pro- AMERICAN INDIFFERENCE TO LIFE. perty lost ; but I would not too curiously in quire touching the point, preferring to think the sorrow arose from more humane feelings. Whence arises this indifference to human life in so flourishing and prosperous a commu nity 1 One has always understood that ex istence is of little account in China, because the over-crowded, half-starved, hard-worked, oppressed, and tyrannized-over population, are so wretched in this world, that any change must, they feel, be a beneficial one for them ; but how different is the case here 1 Yet true it is that they are tyrannized over by a very despotic taskmaster, and a very exacting and spirit-grinding ruler, — Mammon ; and I can well imagine, that ceaseless toil in his ser vice, with all the cares and troubles incident to it, must make a man find life somewhat of a wearisome burden.

Indeed, money-getting, which is certainly in most countries a great business, appears here to me almost a battle. It seems as if they must win, do or die, and the dead on the field are trodden under foot by their eager comrades and competitors, hurrying onward, and having no time to stay, however they might be disposed. That they are a very kind-hearted people, I fully believe ; but to make money seems a sort of duty in America — the great object of living ; and this paramount feeling, to a certain extent, like Aaron's rod, swallows up all the rest. On our road to Niagara, to-morrow, we shall come to a great many very high-sounding places : Rome, Syracuse, Egypt, Athens, Geneva, Utica, Amsterdam, Batavia, and Palmyra, amongst them, I believe. A noble line of places indeed, and worthy of forming the road to the great, glorious Niagara, if their actual state, circumstances, and proportion harmonized with their pretensions.

What a pity the Americans do not choose Indian names for their rising towns and cities, which are generally as sonorous and noble-sounding as they are impressive and poetical ! Setting aside the inadequacy of the towns in general, for the present at least, to do justice to such splendid appellations, and the sometimes ridiculous juxtaposition in which they are placed with regard to each other (the most different, and distant, and hostile places in the Old World being forced into a sort of happy-family brotherhood in the New), in their immediate neighbourhood are too often found other flourishing villages and towns rejoicing in the very homely designations of Smithsville, Brownsville, Onion, Jacksonstown, &c. In one place I see they have an infant HOTELS AT ALBANY. 15 Troy (not the one almost close to this place, but some diminutive rival) — then Highgate, Canaan, Guildhall, Milton, Hyde Park, and Columbia, are all tolerably near to one an other ; but I believe this is nothing to the greater incongruities which the West presents in its more out-of-the-way districts.

We were quite charmed with the extreme beauty of the Hudson and its banks, especially at West Point. I shall not go into any par ticulars on the subject till my return, but only say the river reminded me of the Rhine in many parts, minus the old feudal castles. When we arrived at Albany we first tried a very handsome-looking hotel in a high situa tion, from whence I thought we should have a fine view, which our driver recommended, the one I had been advised to go to in New York being quite full. It was closed, and this, I suppose, our cunning driver knew right well, but it gave him the opportunity of asking about twice as much more for our short but rather steep drive, as we had paid for our passage the whole way from New York ; the one being remarkably cheap, the other rather more remarkably dear.