Journal of a tour through the United States and Canada, made during the years 1837-38

Front matter

OF

A TOUR

THROUGH

Preface

THE contents of the following pages are really what their title imports—the hasty Memoranda, set down at my earliest convenience, in relation to such matters as seemed worthy of notice during each day of my sojourn in the New World; and as it has been my wish, that they should continue to convey the actual impression left upon my mind at the time by the incidents that presented themselves, I have been careful, in revising the original manuscript, to make only such additions to it, as seemed necessary, in order to develope more fully the meaning of those passages which appeared obscure, or to supply omissions as to matters of detail which struck me upon the subsequent perusal of my Notes.

Under such circumstances, I have naturally felt reluctant to offer to the world under my name a production of a character so immature, and as there

a2

1v PREFACE.

seems in reality but little difference between the wide distribution of an unpublished work, and the act of its publication, I have purposely confined the impression of this little volume to the number of one hundred copies.

Tt has therefore appeared to me, that in a Work of such limited circulation, no greater degree of delicacy was called for in mentioning the names of the individuals with whom I had been thrown into contact, than ought in propriety to have been observed respecting them, in the general intercourse of society, or in one’s correspondence with private friends.

As however I should have acted in this respect difierently, had my Notes been designed for publication, it is my hope, that if they should chance to share the fate, which has befallen so many Works, both bad and good, written by Englishmen on the United States, and be seized upon hereafter, without my sanction, by some American Publisher, the latter will at least have the good taste to omit, in his Edition, the names of individuals, moving only in a private circle, which occur im the course of my Narrative.

If it be moreover inquired, why I should have been at the pains and expense of printing for distribution amongst friends, a production confessedly of too slender pretensions to be deemed worthy of being offered to the public—it may be replied, that I cherished, in the first place, a natural wish to shew,

(PREFACE. Vv that I had reaped some fruits during so long an absence from the scene of my duties at home—that I was likewise actuated by a desire to afford a kind of answer to the embarrassing question so often put to me since my return, “ What do you think of the United States ?’—and that, independently of these motives, | have been also encouraged to this step by the favourable reception which, if I may judge from a newspaper sent to me by a friend in Philadelphia, has been experienced by the Preface to my little “ Sketch of the Geology of North America,” embodying, as it does, in a few brief sentences, those impressions with respect to the people, of which the © present Journal may be regarded as supplying the groundwork and the justification.

It has, I own, been my ambition to shew, that the citizens of the United States are capable of receiving without displeasure a view of their manners given by an Englishman, whose position in the Old World is one certainly not calculated to impart to him an undue bias in favour of popular rule ; who, devoted to that Constitution in Church and State, which was fixed by the glorious Revolution of 1688, and averse to any further changes in either, excepting such as may be called for by the different aspect which society has since assumed, or are manifestly involved in the principles then established, is as little disposed to overlook the evil workings of a democracy in another country, as he would be to welcome its v1 PREFACE.

approaches in his own; but who nevertheless abhors the idea of exaggerating the defects of a kindred nation for the sake of disparaging their Institutions ; is willing to make for their real failings such allowances, as the peculiar circumstances of their condition seem in candour to demand; and has endeavoured, as much as possible, to avoid the unfairness of measuring the position, in the scale of civilisation, of a new and a distant people, by an exclusively European standard.

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JOURNAL.

July 27, 1837.—On board the Packet Ship Mediator.

Pee been now seven days on the Atlantic, and a little recovered from the effects of those horrors which most landsmen have to encounter, when first launched upon the wide ocean, I sit down to indite my Journal, which, if it should serve no other purpose hereafter, will at least be the means during the voyage of whiling away many a heavy hour ; and may serve also as an introduction to those notes which I intend during my sojourn in the New World, to continue if possible from day to day.

As yet, we have been the sport of the winds and waves, suffering grievously, without the satisfaction of making much progress—but the good ship has acquitted herself, as a vessel ought, which was built to be presented to the Sovereign of the greatest

| of maritime nations, himself a seaman, as a token of gratitude from the United States for his royal services in the capacity of

Mediator, when General Jackson and Louis Philippe threatened to go-te-loggerheads. Why Jonathan, whilst he allowed the vessel to retain her name, degraded her from her high destiny to the rank of a common packet ship, to receive humble persons like ourselves, deponent sayeth not—nor does it much matter. She is, however, one of the most elegant and commodious of the noble class of vessels to which she belongs, and is provided for our comfort with a captain who looks a thorough seaman— equal to every emergency. I find myself fortunate also in my fellow passengers, whether English or American: amongst the B former are, Mr. Draper, the solicitor general, of Upper Canada, who, as [ understand, has worked his way up to that high post solely by his talents and assiduity, and is evidently a superior person. Secondly, Major Bonnycastle, of the Engineers,* whom I find to be the son of the late Professor of Astronomy at Woolwich, the author of several standard works. Thirdly, his brother, a civilian, who being left a widower with one fine boy, is going to join his brothers in America, one of whom, the major, is in the Canadian service, whilst the other holds a professorship in the University founded by Jefferson, in Virginia. Both are agreeable and intellectual persons, the former having seen much of service, the latter well acquainted with modern languages and literature.

There are, likewise, two Thespians bent on trying their fortunes in the New World, the one by the name of Horncastle, a young man of a cultivated mind, and some vocal talent—the other, Mr. Williams, a comic singer, who has already made us at times forget our miseries by his fun and drollery.

Nor have I any reason to complain of the generality of the American class of passengers, amongst whom, I may mention the amiable family of the Motleys, from Boston, and a son of John Harrison Otis, the eminent Federalist, of the same city, a young man of intelligence and gentlemanlike address, but evincing the length of his absence from his native country by his Parisian air—and, above all, by the possession of a wellgrown moustache, calculated, no doubt, to do execution on the continent, but which, nevertheless, the merciless decree of fashion will, I understand, consign to destruction, so soon as he reaches the confines of New England. We have, also, on board, the celebrated Commodore Rogers, of the American navy, the wreck of a fine seaman, but now debilitated in constitution and shaken in intellect; in whom, however, the ruling bee has been evinced, almost as it were in the ribs of death,

y the fact of his having undertaken, in the present state of his health and infirmities, unattended, except by a black servant, a voyage of pleasure to the Old Country, from which he is now on his return, shortly, as is manifest, to deposit his bones within his native land.t But the most talented and in some respects the most agreeable person amongst them is Mr. Duer, of New York, the friend of Senior and Archbishop Whately, who, judging from the little intercourse I have yet had with him, seems a hard-headed and sagacious person, whoselegal avocations have not prevented him from attaining an extensive acquaintance with general literature. Of ladies, there are but few on

* Now Sir R. Bonnycastle, author of “ Canada, in 1841.” t+ He died the winter following, at Washington, board, and these chiefly from the United States, but the roughness of the weather has hitherto chiefly confined them to their cabin.

August 2nd.—As sickness wears off, I begin to find, more and more, that the great problem on board ship is, how to kill time. There is, fortunately, amongst our cabin passengers no propensity for gambling, such as might serve to give a zest to thé otherwise tedious monotony of games of chance—chess requires too much thought to become a frequent and popular occupation—and shuffle-board, the only cut-door amusement, if I may so term it, at the best not a very attractive one, is practicable only when the deck happens to be pretty steady.

I contrive to keep the enemy at bay during one portion of the day by a course of observations, on the temperature both of the air and water—on the intensity of the sun’s radiation, as

\ determined by Herschel’s actinometer—and, on the dryness of _ thé atmosphere, by comparison between the indications afforded _ by the dry and wet bulb thermometers.”

Perhaps, fortunate for the undisturbed prosecution of these experiments, that there should be on board a kind of rival philosopher, in the person of a Mr. Swaim, of the United

States, who, having purchased-in-London a grand electro-mag- - netic apparatus, and being likewise addicted to flying electrical kites, acts himself as a sort of conductor, to draw off attention from my meteorological experiments, to his own more attractive exhibitions.f

I fear, however, I have given him mortal offence to day by delivering a verdict against him, when appealed to by the passengers, as to the harmlessness of his drawing down electricity from the clouds. I confess, I do not feel sufficient confidence m his science, to be willing to trust him with so dangerous a plaything as his electrical kite might prove in unskilful hands.

In addition to these observations, I also make my servant draw up for me every day a bucket full of the sea water, with which a quart bottle is regularly filled, and this, after being corked, sealed, and ticketed with the date, latitude, and longitude in which it was brought up, is set aside in a box for future examination. I shall also occasionally obtain samples of the water from a considerable depth, by means of the instrument of my invention which is described and figured in the Transactions of the Society of Arts.

* For a summary of these observatiorls, see appended.

+ He is the person alluded to in Mr. Horncastle’s lines, “ On board the Mediator,” as the “ Learned Pundit,” and is the son of the inventor of a patent medicine, which enjoys as great a celebrity in the New World, as Morrison’s Pills do in the Old.

+ I was thus enabled, on my return to England, in 1838, to obtain

B 2

Such are my expedients for wiling away time—in behalf of the other passengers, however, who have no such means of the following results, indicating a pretty uniform rate of increase in the saltness of the sea, as we recede from either coast :—

THE QUANTITY OF SALT IN SEA WATER. asic eS GF ES ee eS Se OES Proportion of solid Sp. gravity of | matter in 506 grains the water. |obtained by evaporation ina water bath

Locality. Latitude. | Longitude.

difference.

* strenua inértia”’ to exercise themselves upon, a suggestion has been thrown out for their relief, which seems to promise well. It is proposed that a Journal shall be brought out twice a week, filled with contributions, in verse and prose, from the various cabin passengers; and it is to go by the imposing title of the Atlantic Gazette, or Mediatorial Galaxy—Mr. Motley, senior, a quondam senator of the State of Massachusetts, and therefore yclept an honourable, having condescended to confer the dignity of his name and title on the functions of its editor.

August 3rd.—The first number of this important publication has to-day made its appearance, and has been voted by acclamation to possess merit of a very superlative order.

To be sure, we are most of us contributors in one shape or other to its columns, and may therefore be excused for feeling a parent’s fondness for our progeny.

The Editor, however, wisely considering the motley character of the expected contributors to his Journal, collected as they are

To this I will take the opportunity of appending the results of my examination of certain specimens of sea water, which were collected from other localities, viz. :—

And of subjoining those obtained some years ago, by Dr. Marcet, as reported in the Philosophical Transactions, viz. :—

Bo from both sides of the Atlantic, deserves credit for the tact he has displayed in selecting a topic for discussion, which seems-.__ not calculated to engender or to call forth any latent party or national animosities— }

“ An onion will do well for such a shift.”

But his drift is best explained in the following introductory address which he has put forth :—

“ THE EDITOR TO HIS READERS.

*‘ It may reasonably be expected upon the first appearance of a periodical, such as now claims the attention and patronage of an indulgent public, that the editor should avow in summary terms his political views, and his notions on matters and things in general.

“* On these subjects he forbears at this time to make any avowals or professions, reserving to himself the right, in common with his fellowsubjects and fellow-citizens, to express his sentiments from time to time as circumstances may to him seem meet and proper.

“ But upon one topic vastly more interesting and absorbing than perhaps all others, he feels that he cannot be too explicit or too energetic.

“* He owes it to his ancestors—he owes it to his coadjutors—he owes it to the past, the present, and the coming generations of men, and of freemen—to take unequivocal, and he would fain hope, impregnable ground. The great question to which the editor alludes, and which doubtless is anticipated by his readers, is, ‘ Ingyons or no Ingyons ?’ that is emphatically the question.

“The editor on this point, avoiding all circumlocution, comes to the scratch at once. He avows himself distinctly, undisguisedly, unequivocalbly, and unalterably, an Ingyonist of the deepest dye and richest flavour. Ingyons in all their shapes, in all their phases, in all their essences, he will advocate at all hazards.

“« Perish the Atlantic in dust and ashes, perish the Mediatorial Galaxy, with all its present and hoped for brilliancy and glory—but live, long live, and for ever live,—Ingyons and Liberty !”

There is also some humour in Mr. Horncastle’s song, “ On board the Mediator,”’ which appeared in the same number.—

*¢ Sone.—On BOARD THE MEDIATOR.

** When first I thought I’d like to be A young United Stater, Thinks I, I’d better go to sea, On board the Mediator.

“For Pd been down to Kitty’s Dock, Just to investigate her, And found all things uncommon snug On board the Mediator.

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“ So straight I went to Captain C—— He wasn’t no abator, And there I stumpt the precious tin Aboard the Mediator.

“¢ Thinks I, a bit of good salt beef And mealy kidney tater, Will be the prog as I shall get Aboard the Mediator.

<¢ But Bobby Peel, nor Mister Bunn, Nor Dan the Agitator, Would ever dream how things are done On board the Mediator.

“¢ We’ve niggers clad in calicos, Handy as any waiter, Wot makes the soup, and brings it up, On board the Mediator.

“* The captain heads the table top, A rig’lar fine first rater— And don’t he push the wine about, Onboard the Mediator ?

“ There’s shampain twice a week, d’ye see, And hosheons of the crathur— And brandy punch, and good bohee, On board the Mediator.

“* A learned pundit too, is here, A fine young demonstrator, Who sends up kites, and loses ’em Aboard the Mediator.

Whose up to snuff, and something more, Aboard the Mediator.

*¢ And blooming samples of the sex, Stern life’s ameliator, Whose beaming smiles the soul perplex, Aboard the Mediator.

“¢ In short, there’s all sorts of delights, I’m no equivocator—

And squalls by day, ditto by nights, Aboard the Mediator.

“ If any point I overlook, Forgive the enumerator, His head has béen so very much shook, Aboard the Mediator.”

In order to contribute my quota to the general stock,

I sent them some lines, in imitation of Wordsworth, which I once indited on a favourite cat :—

“ OnE To A FAVOURITE Cat.

“ Chubby ! thou surely art, I wean, A puss of most majestic mien, So stately all thy paces ; With such a philosophic air Thou seek’st thy professorial chair, And so demure thy face is.

“‘ For as thou sitt’st, thine eye seems fraught With such intensity of thought— That superhuman knowledge Would seem to breathe in every mew, And learning yet undreamt by you, Who teach in hall and college.

‘* And when in solemn taciturnity, Thine eye seems wandering through eternity— What happiness were mine, Could I then catch the thoughts that flow, Thoughts such as ne’er were hatched below, But in a brain like thine.

“Oh! then throughout the livelong day With thee I’d sit, and purr away In ecstasy sublime ; Since from thy face, as from a book, I’d drink in science at each look, Nor fear the lapse of time.”

August 5.—The Gazette seems to improve in interest. ‘The subject of Onions serves as the seasoning to many a friendly controversy, both in verse and prose. Mr, Duer has sent us an amusing parody upon the ordinary style of newspaper correspondence, in an invective against onion eating, which I regret to find too long for insertion in my journal. I must make room, however, for the facetious lines which Mr. Horncastle has contributed, in imitation of Phillips’ favourite Song of the Sea :—

“Sone :—THE ONION.

Tune:— The Sea.

I

<¢ The root, the root, the bulbous root, The young, the strong, the sweet to boot ; Inevery tiny plot of ground The Ingion is certain to be found.

Tis pickled in jars for home supplies, Or on the rumpsteak tempting lies.

I’m for the root, I’m for the root,

Upon this theme I can’t be mute,

With its green above, and its white below, And fragrance wheresoe’er it grow.

If a salad be drest without its aid,

No matter, no matter, ’d blow up the maid.

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<T love, oh, how I love to walk Thinking of nothing, and chewing a stalk. When rabbits are boil’d, and mutton is hash’d, They both should be smother’d in onions, well mash’d. An Ingion when clapp’d to a widow’s eye, For her darling duck will tears supply, I ne’er sat down to a roasted goose, But I lov’d, oh, Onion, thy savory juice, And backward flew from her brawny breast, Like a bird that seeketh her mother’s nest, And my mother, I’m sure, she was fond of thee, For I’m marked with an Ingion upon my knee.