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ENG

THE

ENGLISHWOMAN IN AMERICA.

LONDON:
JOHN MUERAT, ALBEMARLE STREET.

1856.

The riylit of Travtlatiim is meriied.

LONDON: PUINTRD BY W. CWWES AND SON'S, STASfKOKI) OTRKET
AND CHAUINC! CROSS. '

0 0 N T E N T S.

CHAPTER r.

Prefatory and explanatorv - Tl,n

actual - The ,MinL, ^ ^.^ ^^'^'i^* ~ '^^'' ^^"timontal - The
unwelcome co,m>aaiun ~^ '"^^''^T -- Practical joking- Vu

Ti,„ ,1 ^'^'''"— American r.Mti-mf;c,., m,. %, .^. '^^

TJie departure ^ _''"^"~- '^"^encan patriotism-

The first view —

Page 1

CHAPTER II.

An inhospitable reception -TT., IT , ,

- Disappointed expectatic^ff: The * . '''" ^^^--^- The heat
Blue A^oses miglit be - Wh^it tl,/ F -^-pai-tod — What the
its capabilities 1 The ro 1 : 1^ ,i:r "" ''''~''^^^ ^-"tia and
" A mght journey and a Hi^hhrnl c?" """"['"''' ~ ^ *^^ di""^^ -
A joyful reunion . ° '"^^ '"^^" " ^^ "'^^^tical catastrophe _

. U

CHAPTER III.

ular ignorance — The rr.,„ i

trajted- A wooden cl^iS!!^,;:;;^;^-^"--- and winter con-
- Gossip - '' Blowin-time " - t ^if ^*"'^' T' ^^^^^ consequences

^'^nt nuisance -Colonial societv \ ' ^^^^gy-The ser-

premier - Agrarian outrage - 1 ~ • " ;;7"'"S Pa^'ty - An island
Peace-An Indian coquette-CoX V ^rr'-"^ P'P« «^
-A novel mode of lobsfp.fi.i ^ 'r '^'^''*^'''*^^-^'^ missionary

in the wood.-starv io?i;S':;;r^r"''"' ^^^^-^- - y

-cl a Highland welcome -H:;;':;!rf/.^,r ''' ^^^^^^^^^^

' • • 3G

a 2

CONTENTS.

CIIArTEll IV.

From St. dicovgc's Cross to tlie Stars and Stripes — Unpunctuality —
Inconipctenco — A wretched iiiglit — Colonial curiosity — The
fashions — A night in a buffalo robe — A stage journey — A queer
character — Politics — Cheinistr^ — Mathematics — Rotten bridges
— A midnight arrival — Colouiiil ignorance — Yankee conceit —
What teu-horse power chaps can do — The pestilence — The city
on the rock — New Brunswick — Steamboat peculiarities — doing
ahead in the eating line — A storm — Stepping ashore . Pago 59

CHAPTER V.

First experiences of American freedom — The "striped pig" and
" Dusty Ben " — A country mouse — What the cars are like —
Beauties of New England — The land of apples — A Mammoth
hotel — The rusty inkstand exiled — Eloquent eyes — Alone in a
crowd .......... 90

CHAPTER VI.

A suspected bill — A friend in need — All aboard for the Westei'n cars

— The wings of the wind — American politeness — A loquacious
conductor — Three minutes for refreshments — A conversation on
politics — A confession — The emigi'ant car — Beauties of the woods

— A forest on fire — Dangers of the cars — The Queen City of the
West ......,.., 104

CHAPTER VII.

The Queen City continued — Its beauties — Its inhabitants, human
and equine — An American church — '^^^lere chairs and bedsteads
come from — Pigs and pork — A peep into Kentucky — Popular
opinions respecting slavery — The curse of America . .116

C0NTENT3.

CIIAPTER Vlir.

The hickory stick — Chawing up ruina — A forest scene — A curious
questioner — Hard and soft wholls — Dangers of a fen-y — The west-
ern prairies — Xocttirnal (h;tontiou — Tlio Wild West and the Father
of liivers — breakfast in a shed — What is au alligator? — Physiog-
nomy, and its usjs — The ladies' parloiir — A Chicago hotel, ita
inmates and its horrors — 'A water-drinking people — The Prairie
City — Progress of the West Page 133

CHArTER IX.

A vexatious incident — John EuU enraged — Wrman'a rights — Alli-
gators become hosses — A po2)ular host — Military display — A
mirth-provoking gun — Grave reminiscences — Attractions of the
fair — Past and present — A floating palace — Black companions —
A black baby — Externals of LuilUlo — The flag of England . 159

CHAPTER X.

The Place of Council — Its progress and its people — English hearts —
"Sebastopol is takeu" — Squibs and crackers — A ship on her
beam-ends — Selfishness — A mongrel city — A Scot — Constancy
rewarded — Monetary difficulties — Detention on a bridge — A
Canadian homestead — Life in the clearings — The bush on fire —
A word on farming — The "bee "and its produce — Eccentricities
of Mr. Haldimands — A ride on a troop-horse — Scotch patriotism —
Au English church — The servant nuisance — Richard Cobdeu 182

human
dsteads
Popular
. 116

CHAPTER XI.

" Pve seen nothing" — A disappointment — Incongruities — Hotel
gaieties and "doing Niagara" — Irish drosky-drivers — "The Hell
of Waters " — Beauties of Niagara — The picnic party — The white
canoe — A cold shower-bath — "The Thunder of Waters" — A magic
word — "The Whirlpool" — Story of "Bloody Run" — Yankee
opinions of English ladies — A metamorphosis — The nigger guide
— A tei'rible situation — Tennination Rock — Impressions of
Niagara — Juvenile precocity — A midnight journey — Street ad-
ventures in Hamilton . . . . . . .216

CONTENTS.

ClIAl'TKR Xir.

A scene at starting — That doar littlo Harry — Tho old lady and tho
race — Ruinung tho Ifapids — An aside — Snow and discomfort —
A now country — An exteniporidod ball — Adventure with a madman
— Shooting tho cataract — First appearance of Montreal — Its cha-
racteristics— Quebec in a fog — "Muffins" — Quebec giiieties —
Tho pestilence — Kestlessncss — St. Louis and St. Koch — The
shady side — Dark dens — External characteristics — Lord Elgin —
Mistaking a senator ....... Page 239

CTIAPTEr. XTTT.

The IIou.se of ("ommons — Canadian gallantry — The constitntiou —
Mr. Ilincks — The ex-rebol — Parties and leaders — A street row —
Repeated disappoiutmcuts — The "habitaus" — Their houses and
their virtues — A stationary people — Progress and its effects —
Muntmorenci — The natural staircase — Tho Indian sunmier —
Lorette — • Tho old people — Beauties of Quebec — The John
diunn — Fear and its cousequeuces — A gloomyjourney . 270

CIIAPTER XIV.

Concluding remarks on Canada — Territory — Climate — Capabilities —
Railways and canals — Advantages for emigrants — Notices of emi-
gration — Government — The franchise — Revenue — Popidation —
Keligion — Education — The press — Literature — Observations in

conclusion

29.")

CIIAPTER XV.

Preliminary remarks on re-entering the States — Americanisms — A
little slang — Liquoring up — Eccentricities in dress — A 'cute
chap down east — Conversation on eating — A Kentucky gal —
Lake Champlaiu — Delaval's — A noisy serenade — Albany — Beauties
of the Hudson — The Empire City 321

rr»NTi;NTs.

!V(ly aiul tho

li.scomfort —
Jh a niiulman
il — Its chu-
c giiietles —
!.'ch — The
ard J*'.lgin —
. Page 239

stitutiou —
ireet row —
houses and
s efTects —
sniuuicr —
•The John
. 276

CHAPTER XVI.

I'ositiou of New York — Externals of the city — ( 'onveyanoe.i — Mal-
iidiiiini.stnition — Tlio stores — The hotels — ('urioHities of tin-
liu.spital — llaggi'd achools — Tiio had Look — Monster schools —
Auuisenients and oyster saloons — M<instrosities — A restaurant —
Dwelling-houses — Equipages — Palaces — Dress — Figiues — Man-
m.,.8 — Education — Domestic habits — The ladies — The genthuien

Society — Receptions — Anti-English feeling — Autograjihs —

The buckram Englishman Page ;'>:!4

CUAl'TKi; XVII.

The cemetery — Its beauties — The " Potter's Field " — The graves of
children — Monumental eccentricities — Arrival of emigrants —
Their reception — Poor dwellings — The dangerous class — The
elect- lis — The riots — Characteristics of the streets — Journey
to i'loston — The sights of Boston — Longfellow — Cambridge Uni-
versity .......... l<7*>

CHAITEK XVII 1.

Origin of the Constitution — The Executive — Congress — Local Legis-
latures— The army and navy — Justice — Slavery — Political cor-
ruption— The foreign element — Absence uf i)rinciple — Associations
— The Know-nothings — The press and its power — Keligion —
The church — The clergy . 4o:>

il'ilitios —
:ea of emi-
ulation —
'ations in
. 295

CHAPTER XIX.

General remarks continued — The common schools — Their defect —
Difficulties — Management of the schools — The free academy —
liailways — Telegraphs — Poverty — Literature — Advantages for
emigrants — Difficulties of emigrants — Peace or war — Concluding
observations ......... 4.'52

^ras — A

A 'cute

:y gi^l —

Beauties

. 321

CHAFTEU XX.

The America — A gloomy departure — An ugly night — Morning
at Halifax — Our new passengers — Babies — ("aptain Leitch — A
day at sea — Clippers and steamers — A storm — An Atlantic
moonlight — Unpleasant sensations — A gale — Inkermann — Con.
elusion .......... 450

r 1

:% f

Till']

ENGLISHWOMAN IN AMERICA.*

CnAPTEIJ T.

Prefatory and explanatory — Tho voyage out — The sontiinoutal — The
actual — The oblivious — The medley — I'raetical joking — An
unwelcome comimnion — Amorlcau patriotism — The first view —
The departure.

As a general dislike of prefaces is unmistakeably evi-
denced by their uncut leaves, and as unknown readers
could scarcely be induced to read a book by the most
cogent re])resentations of an unknown author, and as
apologies for "rushing into print" are too trite and
insincere to have any effect, I will merely prefix a few
explanatory remarks to my first chapter.

Circumstances which it is unnecessary to dwell upon
led me across the Atlantic with some relatives ; and on
my return, I was requested by numerous friends to give
an account of my travels. As this volume has been
written with a view to their gratification, there is far
more of personal narrative than is likely to interest the
general reader.

* It is necessary to state that this volume is not by the Authoress of
the ' EmjUshu-omun in Russiu.'

TREFATORY REMARKS.

Chap. I.

With respect to tlie people of tlic United States, I have
given those impressions whiv-h as a traveller I formed ; if
they are more favourable than those of some of my pre-
decessors, the difference may arise from my having taken
out many excellent introductions, which afforded me
greater facilities of seeing the best society in the States
than are usually possessed by those who travel merely to
see the country.

AVhere I have offered any opinions upon the effect
produced by the institutions of America, or upon any
great national question, I have done so with extreme
diffidence, giving impressions rather than conclusijns,
feeling the great injustice of drawing general inferences
from partial premises, as well as the impossibility of
rightly estimating cause and effect during a brief resid
ence in the United States. I have endeavoured to give
a faithful picture of what I saw and heard, avoiding the
beaten track as much as possible, and dwelling principally
on those things in which 1 knew that my friends were
most interested.

Previously to visiting the United States, I had read most
of the American travels which had been published ; yet
from experience I can say that even those who read most
on the Americans know little of them, from the disposition
which leads travellers to seize and dwell upon the ludi-
crous points which continually present themselves.

We know that there is a vast continent across the
Atlantic, first discovered by a Genoese sailing under
the Spanish flag, and that for many years past it lias
swallowed uj) thousands of the luirdiest of our population.
Although our feelings are not particularly fraternal, we

Chap. I.

PREFATORY REMARKS.

cites, I have
. formed ; if
of my pre-
aving taken
ifForded me
1 the States
el merely to

I the cffeet

r upon any

ith extreme

conchisijns,

1 inferences

ossibility of

brief resid

ired to give

voiding the

principally

lends were

1 read most

lished ; yet
read most
disposition

n the liidi-

'es.

across the
ing imder

)ast it has
)opulation.
iternal, we

give the people inhabiting this continent the national cog-
nomen oi ^' Brother Jonathan" while we name individuals
" Yanhees.^^ We know that they are famous for smoking,
spitting, "gouging," and bowie-knives — for monster
hotels, steamboat explosions, railway collisions, and re-
pudiated debts. It is believed also that this nation is
renowned for keei)ing three millions of Africans in
slavery — for wooden nutmegs, paper money, and"filli-
buster " expeditions — for carrying out nationally and
individually the maxim

" That they may take who have the power,
And they may keep who cau.''

I went to the States with that amount of prejudice which
seems the birthright of every English person, but I found
that, under the knowledge of the Americans which can be
attained by a traveller mixing in society in every grade,
these prejudices gradually melted away. I found much
which is worthy of commendation, even of imitation :
that there is much which is very reprehensible, is not to
be wondered at in a country which for years has been
made a "cave of Adullam" — a refuco for those who
have " left their country for their country's good " —
a receptacle for the barbarous, the degraded, and the
vicious of all other nations. It must never be forgotten
tlint the noble, the learned, and the wealthy have shrunk
from the United States ; her broad lands have been
peopled to a great extent by those whose stalwart arms
have been their only possession.

Is it surprising, considering these antecedents, that
much of arrogance, coarseness, and vulgarity should be

B 2

rilEFATORY REMARKS.

Chap. I.

met with ? Is it not rather surprising, that a traveller
sliould meet with so little to annoy — so few obvious de-
partures from the rules of propriety ?

An Englishman bears with patienee any ridicule which
foreigners cast u})on him. John IJuU never laughs so
loudly as when he laughs "^t himself; but the Americans
are nationally sensitive, and cannot endure that good-
humoured raillery which jest? at their weaknesses and
foibles. Hence candid and even favourable statements
of the tntth by English travellers are received with a
perfect outcry by the Americans ; and the phrases,
" shameful misstatements," " violation of the rights of
hospitality," &c., are on every lip.

Most assuredly that spirit of envious rivalry and depre-
ciating criticism in which many English travellers have
written, is greatly to be deprecated, no less than the tone
of servile adulation which some writers have adopted ;
but our American neighbours must recollect that they
provoked both the virulent spirit and the hostile carica-
ture by the way in which some of their most popular
writers of travels have led an ungencious onslaught
against our institutions and people, ar.-' the bitter tone in
which their newspaper press, headed by the Tribune,
indulges towards the British nation.

Having made these few remarks, I must state that at
the time of my visit to the States I had no intention of
recording my " experiences " in print ; and as my notes
taken at the time were few and meagre, and have been
elaborated from memory, some inaccuracies have occurred
which it will not take a keen eye to detect. These must
be set down to want of correct information rather than

CiiAr. I.

traveller
'ious (le-

ile wliich
umhs so
mcricans
at good-
sses and
atements
1 with a
phrases,
rights of

id depre-
lers liave
1 the tone
adopted ;
hat they
carica-

popuUu'

)nshiught

tone in

Tribune,

that at
ention of
my notes
ive heen
occurred
:se must
ler than

Chap. I.

rREFATORY RE^rARKS.

-i

to wilful misrepresentation. The statistical information
given is taken from works compiled by the Americans
themselves. The few matters on which I write which
did not come under my own ohservation, I learned from
trustworthy persons who have been long resident in the
country.

Of Canada it is scarcely necessary to speak here. Per-
haps an Englisfh writer may be inclined to adopt too eulo-
gistic a tone in speaking of that noble and loyal colony, in
which British institutions are undergoing a Transatlantic
trial, and where a free people is protected by British
laws. There are, doubtless, some English readers who
will be interested in the brief notices which I have given
of its people, its society, and its astonishing capabilities.*

The notes from which this volume is taken were written
in the lands of which it treats : they have been amplified
and corrected in the genial atmosphere of an English
home. I will not offer hackneyed apologies for its very
numerous faults and deficiencies ; but will conclude these
tedious but necessary introductory remarks with the sin-
cere hope that my readers may receive one hundredth
part of the pleasure from the ])erusal of this volume
which I experienced among the scenes and peoj)le of
which it is too imperfect a record.

Although bi-weekly steamers ply between England and
the States, and many mercantile men cross the Atlantic

* I must here record my grateful acknowledgments to f\ gentleman
in a prominent public position in Canada, wlio has furnished me witli
much valuable information wliich I should not otherwise have
obtained.

--^... ,.^^.,

THE EMBAEKATION.

Chap. I.

twice annually on business, and think nothing of it, the
voyage seems an important event when undertaken for the
first time. Friends living in inland counties, and those
who have been sea-sick in crossing the straits of Dover,
exaggerate the dangers and discomforts of ocean travel-
ling, and shake their heads knowingly about fogs and
icebergs.

Then tliere are a certain number of boxes to be
packed, and a very uncertain number of things to fill
them, while clothing has to be provided suitable to a
tropical summer, and a winter within the arctic circle.
But a variety of minor arrangements, and even an inde-
finite number of leave-takings, cannot be indefinitely pro-
longed ; and at eight o'clock on a Saturday morning in
1854, 1 found myself with my friends on the landing-stage
at Liverpool.

AVhatever sentimental feelings one might be inclined
to indulge in on leaving the shores of England were
usefully and instantaneously annihilated by the discomfort
and crush in the Satellite steam-tender, in which the
passengers were conveyed, helplessly huddled together
like a flock of sheep, to the Canada, an 1 850-ton paddle-
wheel steamer of the Cunard line, which was moored in
the centre of the Mersey.

An investigation into the state-rooms, and the recital
of disappointed expectations consequent on the discovery
of their very small dimensions, the rescue of " regulation"
portmanteaus from sailors who were running off with
them, and the indulgence of that errant curiosity which
glances at everything and rests on nothing, occupied the
time before the arrival of the mail-boat with about two

■3

Chap. I.

Chap, T.

THE START.

r it, the
1 for the
[id those
: Dover,
I travel-
:bgs and

s to be
:s to fill
ble to a
10 circle,
an inde-
tely pro-
trning in
ng-stage

inclined
md were
scomfort
lich the
together
paddle-
oored in

le recital
iiscovery
[ulation"
off with
ty which
pied the
jout two

tons of letters and nevvspapers, which were consigned to
tlie mail-room with incredible rapidity.

Then friends were abru])tly dismissed — two guns were
lired — the lashings were cast oil" — the stars and stripes
flaunted gaily from the 'fore — the captain and pilot took
their places on the paddle-boxes — the bell rang — our huge
paddle-wheels revolved, and, to use the words in which
the same event was chronicled by the daily press,
" The Cimard royal mail steamer Canada, Captain Stone,
left the Mersey this morning for Boston and Halifax,
conveying the usual mails ; with one hundred and sixty-
eight passengers, and a large cargo on freight."

It was an auspiciously commenced voyage as far as
appearances went. The summer sun shone brightly —
the waves of the Mersey were crisp and foam-capped —
and the fields of England had never worn a brighter
green. The fleet of merchant-ships through which we
passed was not without an interest. There were timber-
ships, huge and square-sided, unmistakeably from Quebec
or Miramichi — green high-sterned Dutch galliots — Ame-
rican ships with long black hulls and tall raking masts —
and those far-famed " Black Ball " clippers, the Marco
Folo and the Champion of the Seas, — in short, the ships
of all nations, with their marked and distinguishing pecu-
liarities. But the most interesting object of all was the
screw troop-ship Himalaya^ which was embarking the
Scots Greys for the Crimea — that regiment which has
since earned so glorious but fatal a celebrity on the
Id of Balaklava.

blood)

It is to be supposed that to tl

lose w

were crossmi

the Atlantic for the first time to the western hemisphere

Ill''

MEANS OF KILLING TIME.

Chap. I.

there was some degree of excitement, and that regret
was among the feelings with which they saw the coast of
England become a faint cloud on tlie horizon ; but soon
oblivion stole over the intellects of most of the passengers,
leaving one absorbing feeling of disgust, first to the
viands, next to those who could partake of them, and
lastly to everything connected with the sea. Fortunately
this state of things only lasted for two days, as the
weather was very calm, and we ran with studding-sails
set before a fair wind as far as tlie Nova Scotian coast.

The genius of Idleness presided over us all. There
were five ample meals every day, and people ate, and
walked till they could eat again ; while some, extended on
sofas, slept over odd volumes of novels from the ship's
library, and others played at chess, cards, or backgammon
from morning to night. Some of the more active spirits
played " shuffle -boards," which kept the deck in an
uproar ; while others enjoyed the dolce far niente in their
berths, except when the bell summoned to meals. There
were weather-wise people, who smoked round the funnel
all day, and prophesied foul winds every night ; and perti-
nacious querists, who asked the captain every hour or two
when we should reach Halifax. Some betted on the
" run," and others on the time of reaching port i in short,
every expedient was resorted to by which time could be
killed.

We had about twenty English passengers ; the rest
were Canadians, Americans, Jews, Germans, Dutch,
French, Californians, Spaniards, and Bavarians. Strict
equality was preserved in this heterogeneous assembly.
An Irish pork- merchant was seated at dinner next a Jew,

Chap. I.

PRACTICAL JOKING.

beat regret
lie coast of
; but soon
jassengers,
rst to the
tbeni, and
•"ortunately
ys, as the
dding-sails
.n coast.
,11. There
3 ate, and
xtended on

the ship's
ckgammon
tive spirits
ck in an
nte in their

s. Tliere
the funnel

and perti-
our or two
ed on the
in short,
could be

the rest
, Dutch,
lis. Strict
assembly.
!xt a Jew,

who regarded tlic ])ig in toto as an abomination — a lady,
a scion of a ducal family, found lierself next to a French
cook ffoinc; out to a San Francis*. tUi ea*' ^2;-liouse — an
officer, going out to higli command at Halifax, was seated
next a rough Californian, who wore "nuggets" of gold
for buttons ; and there were contrasts even stronger than
tlicse. The most cons])icuous of our fellow-voyagers was
the editor of an American pajier, who was writing a series
of clever but scurrilous articles on England, from materials
gleaned in a three weeks' tour !

Some of the Americans were very fond of practical
jokes, but these were rather of a stupid description.
There was a Spanish gentleman who used to promenade
the deck with a dignity worthy of the Cid Rodrigo, ad-
dressing everybody he met with the question, *■'' Parlez-
vous Fraui^ais^ Munsieur 9 " and at the end of the voyage
his stock of English only amounted to "Dice? Sixpence."
One day at dinner this gentleman requested a French-
speaking Californian to tell him how to ask for du pain
in English. " My donkeys," was the prompt re})ly, and
the joke was winked down the table, wbile tlie Spaniard
was hammering away at " My donkeys" till he got the
pronunciation perfect. The waiter came round, and the
unhappy man, in confident but mellifluous tones, pointing
to the bread, asked for " My donkeys."

Comic drinking-songs, and satires on the English, the
latter to the tune of ' Yankee Doodle,' were sung in the
saloon in the evenings round large bowls of punch, and
had the effect of keeping many of the ladies on deck,
when a refuge from the cold and spray would have been
desirable ; but with this exception the conduct of the

B 3

J!'

ii
iS

A FEMALE ATHEIST.

Chap. I.

passengers on the whole was marked by fur more pro-
priety than could have been exj)ected from so mixed a
company. If the captain had been more of a disciplina-
rian, even this annoyance might have been avoided.

I had the misfortune of having for my companion in
my state-room an ]']nglishwoman who had resided for
some years at New York, and who combined in herself
the disagreeable qualities of both nations. She was in a
frequent state of intoxication, and kept gin, brandy, and
beer in her bci'th. AVhether sober or not, she was equally
voluble ; and as her language was not only inelegant, but
replete with coarseness and profanity, the annoyance was
almost insupportable. She was a professed atheist, and
as such justly an object of commiseration, the weakness
of her unbelief being clearly manifested by the frequency
with which she denied the existence of a God.

On one day, as I was reading my Bible, she exclaimed
with a profane expression, " I wish you'd pitch that book
overboard, it 's enough to sink the ship ;" the contradic-
tion implied in the words showing the weakness of her
atheism, which, while it promises a man the impunity of
non-existence, and degrades him to desire it, very fre-
quently seduces him to live as an infidel, but to die a ter-
rified and despairing believer.

It was a very uneventful voyage. The foul winds pro-
phesied never blew, the icebergs kept far away to the
northward, the excitement of flight from Russian pri-
vateers was exchanged for the sight of one harmless mer-
chantman ; even the fogs off Newfoundland turned out
complete mytJis.

On the seventh day out the bets on the hour of our

Cii.vr. I.

more pro-
3 mixed a
disciplina-
:led.

npanion in

L'sided for

in herself

0 was in a
landy, and
i^as equally
iegant, but
3yance was
theist, and
e weakness

1 frequency

exclaimed

1 that book

contradic-

less of her

mjjunity of

very fre-

die a ter-

winds pro-
vay to the
issian pri-
nless mer-
urned out

our of our

ClIAI'. I.

AMERICAN PATRIOTISM.

arrival at Halifax increased in number and magnitude,
and a lottery was started ; on the eighth we passed Cape
Race, and spoke the steamer Asia; our rigg'ng was
tightened, and our railings polished ; and in nine d^iys and
five honrs from Liverpool we huided on the shores of the
New World. The day previous to our landing was a
Sunday, and I was })leased to observe the decorum which
pervaded the ship. Service was conducted with propriety
in the morning ; a large proportion of the passengers
read their Vibles or other religious books; punch, chess,
and cards were banished from the saloon ; and though
we had almost as many creeds as nationalities, and some
had no creed at all, yet those who might ridicule the ob-
servance of the Sabbath themselves, avoided any proceed-
ings calculated to shock what they might term the preju-
dices of others.

On the next day we had a slight head wind for the first
time ; most of the passengers were sea-sick, and those
who were not so were promenading the wet, sooty deck in
the rain, in a uniform of oilskin coats and caps. The
sea and sky were both of a leaden colour ; and as there
was nothing to enliven the prospect but the gambols of
some very uncouth-looking porpoises, I was lying half
asleep on a settee, when I was roused by the voice of a
kind-hearted Yankee skipper, saying, " Come, get up ;
there 's a glorious country and no mistake ; a great coun-
try, a progressive country, the greatest country under
the sun." The honest sailor was rubbing his hands with
delight as he spoke, his broad, open countenance beaming
with a perfect glow of satisfaction. I looked in the direc-
tion indicated by his finger, and beheld, not the lofty

lii

' t

■^

ARRIVAL AT HALIFAX.

ClIAI'. I.

pinnacled dill's of the " Pilgrim Fathers," but a low
gloomy coast, looming through a mist.

1 already began to a])preeiate the hearty enthusiasm
with which Americans always speak of tlieir country, de-
signated as it is by us by the names " National vanity,"
and " Boastfulness." This esprit dii jmijs, although it
is sometimes carried to a ridiculous extent, is greatly to
be preferred to the abusive manner in whici; an English-
man accustoms himself to speak of the glorious country
to which he appears to feel it a disgi'ace to belong. It
does one good to hear an American discourse on America,
his panegyric generally concluding with the words,
" We're the greatest peo])le on the face of the earth."

At dusk, after steaming during the whole day along
the low green coast of Nova Scotia, we were just outside
the heads of Halifax harbour, and the setting sun was
bathing the low, pine-clad hills of America in floods of
purple light. A pilot came off to offer his services, but
was rejected, and to my delight he hailed in a pure
English accent, which sounded like a friendly welcome.
The captain took his place on the paddle-box, and our
speed was slackened. Two guns were fired, and their
echoes rolled for many a mile among the low, purple hills,
from which a soft, fragrant scent of pines was borne to us
on the evening breeze, reminding me of the far-distant
mountains of Scotland. The tiny waves rippled towards
us like diamonds, the moon and stars shone brilliantly
from a summer sky, and the white smoke from our guns
floated away in silver clouds.

People were tumbling over each other in their haste,
and making impossible demands, each one being anxious

■£•-

CnAi'. I.
Ut a low

itliusicism
uitry, dc-
,1 vanity,"
tliough it
greatly to
1 Englisli-
s country
;long. It
America,
le words,
arth."
day along
[st outside
y sun was
floods of
•vices, but
n a pure
welcome.
, and our
and their
pie hills,
3rne to us
ar-distant
towards
jrilliantly
our guns

Chap. 1,

THE LANDING.

to lij ve his luggage produced lirst, though the said lug-
cajre mijrht he at the bottom of the hold ; babies, as
hahios always do, persisted in crying just at the wrong
time ; articles essential to the toilet were missing, and
sixpences or half-sovereigns had found their way into
impossible crevices. Invitations were given, cards ex-
clicinged, elderly ladies imthinidngly promised to make
errant expeditions to visit agreeable acquaintances in
California, and by the time the last words had been
spoken we were safely moored at Cunard's wharf.

The evening gun boomed from the citadel. I heard
the well-known British bugle ; I saw the familiar scarlet
of our troops ; tiie voices which vociferated were English ;
the physiognomies had the Anglo-Saxon cast and com-
plexion ; and on the shores of the western hemisphere I
felt myself at home. Yet, as I sprang from the boat, and
set my foot for the first time on American soil, I was
vexed that these familiar sights and sounds should de-
prive me of the pleasurable feeling of excitement which
I had expected to experience under such novel circum-
stances.

eir haste,
anxious

I M

riUST MOMENTS ASIIOIIE.

Cir.vp. II.

CHAPTER II.

An inhospitiiblo reception — Hnlifiix and the Blue Noses — The heat —
Dinappointed expectations — Tlio great departed — ^Vllat the Bluo
Noaes might bo ■ — What the coach was not — Nova Scotia and its
capabilities — The roads and tlieir aiuioyances — A tea dinner — A
night jonrney and a Higldaud cabin — A nautical catastrophe —
A joyful reunion.

The Curuird steamers are powerful, punctual, and safe,
their cuisine excellent, their arrangements admirable, till
they reach Halifax, which is usually the destination of
many of the passengers. I will su])pose that the voyage
has been propitious, and our guns have thundered forth
the announcement that the news of the Old World has
reached the New ; that the stewards have been fee'd and
the captain complimented ; and that we have parted on
the best possible terms with the Company, the ship, and our
fellow-passengers. The steamer generally remains for
two or three hours at Halifax to coal, and unship a portion
of her cargo, and there is a very natural desire on the
part of the passengers to leave what to many is at best
a floating })rison, and set foot on firm ground, even for
an hour. Those who, like ourselves, land at Halifax for
the interior, are anxious to obtain rooms at the hotel, and
all who have nothing else to do hurry to the ice-shop,
where the luxury of a tumbler of raspberry-cream ice
can be obtained for threepence. Besides the hurried

Chap. IT.

SCENE ON LANDINO,

rush of thoso who with tlioso var'u'd ohjocts in viow \cnvc
tlie stojinior, thoro aro crowds of iiiconiors in tho shape of
porters, visitors, and coallieavers, and passengers for tlie
States, wlio prefer tlie comfort and kjiown jmnctuaUty of
tlie Royal Mail steamers to the delay, dangt'r, and uncer-
tainty of the intercolonial route, though the expense of
the former is nearly douhle. There are the friends of
the passengm's, and numhers of persons who seem ])articu-
larly well ac([uainted with the purser, who bring fruits,
vegetables, meat, poultry, and lobsters.

From this description it may bo imagined that there is
a motley and considerable crowd ; but it will scarcely be
imagined that there is only one regulation, which is, that
no persons may enter or depart till the mail-bags have
been landed. The wharf is small and at night unlighted,
and the scene which ensued on our landing about eight
o'clock in the evening reminded me, not by contrast, but
resemblance, of descriptions wliich travellers give of the
disembarkation at Alexandria. Directly that the board
was laid from the Canada to the wharf a rush both in
and out took place, in which I was separated from my
relations, and should have fallen had not a friend, used
to the scene of disorder, come to my assistance.

The wharf was dirty, unlighted, and under repair,
covered with heaps and full of holes. My friend was
carrying three parcels, when three or four men made a
rush at us, seized them from him, and were only com-
pelled to relinquish them by some sharp physical argu-
ments. A large gateway, lighted by one feeble oil-lamp
at the head of the wharf, was then opened, and the crowd
pent up behind it came pouring down the sloping road.

mtmrn

STREETS OF HALIFAX.

Chap. II.

There wvas a simultaneous rush of trucks, hand-carts,
waggons, and cars, their horses at full trot or canter, two
of them rushing against the gravel-heap on which I was
standing, where they were uj)set. Struggling, shouting,
beating, and scuffling, the drivers all forced their way
upon the wharf, regardless of cries from the ladies and
threats from the gentlemen, for all the passengers had
landed and were fighting their way to an ice-shop. Por-
ters were scuffling with each other for the possession of
portmanteaus, wheels were locked, and drivers were vehe-
mently expostulating in the rich brogue of Erin ; people
were jostling each other in their haste, or diving into the
dimly-lighted custom-house, and it must have been fully
half an hour before we had extricated ourselves from this
chaos of mismanagement and disorder, by scrambling over
gravel-iieaps and piles of timber, into the dirty, unlighted
streets of Halifax.

Dirty they were then, though the weather was very
dry, for oyster-shells, fish heads and bones, potato-skins,
and cabbage-stalks littered the roads ; but dirt?/ was a
word which does not give the faintest description of the
almost impassable state in which I found them, when I
waded through them ankle-deep in mud some months
afterwards.

We took apartments for two days at the Waverley
House, a most comfortless place, yet the best inn at
Halifax. Three hours after we landed, the Canada fired
her guns, and steamed off to Boston ; and as I saw her
coloured lights disappear round the heads of the harbour,
I did not feel the slightest regret at having taken leave
of her for ever.

All til

ClIAP. II,

WANT OF ENTEIirRISE.

We remained for two days at Halifax, and saw the
little which was worth seeing in the Nova-Scotian capital.
I was disappointed to find the description of the lassitude
and want of enterprise of the Nova-Scotians, given by
Judge Halliburton, so painfully correct. Halifax pos-
sesses one of the deepest and most commodious harbours
in the world, and is so safe that ships need no other guide
into it than their charts. There are several small forti-
fied islands at its mouth, which assist in its defence with-
out impeding the navigation. These formidable forts
protect the entrance, and defend the largest naval depot
which we possess in North America. The town itself,
which contains about 25,000 people, is on a small penin-
sula, and stands on a slope rising from the water's edge
to the citadel, which is heavily armed, and amply sufficient
for every purpose of defence. There are very great
natural advantages in the neighbourhood, lime, coal,
slate, and minerals being abundant, added to which Hali-
fax is the nearest port to Europe.

Yet it must be confessed that the Nova-Scotians are
far behind, not only their neighbours in the States, but
their fellow-subjects in Canada and New Brunswick.
There are capacious wharfs and roomy warehouses, yet
one laments over the absence of everything like trade
and business. With the finest harbour in North America,
with a country abounding in minerals, and coasts swarm-
ing with fish, the Nova-Scotians appear to have expunged
the word progress from their dictionary — still live in
shingle houses, in streets without side walks, rear long-
legged ponies, and talk largely about railroads, which
they seem as if they would never complete, because they

INTENSE HEAT.

Chap. II.

trust more to the House of Assembly tlian to their own
energies. Consequently their astute and enterprising
neighbours the Yankees, the acute speculators of Massa-
chusetts and Connecticut, have seized upon the traffic
wh'ch they have allowed to escape them, and have di-
verted it to the thriving town of Portland in Maine.
The day after we landed was one of intense heat, the
thermometer stood at 93° in the shade. The rays of a
summer sun scorched the shingle roof of our hotel, and,
penetrating the thin plank walls, made the interior of the
house perfectly unbearable. There were neither sun-
shades nor Venetian blinds, and not a tree to shade the
square white wooden house from an almost tropical heat.

When I came into the parlour I found Colonel H

stretched on the sofa, almost expiring with heat, my
cousin standing panting before the window in his shirt-
sleeves, and liis little boy lying moaning on the hearth-
rug, with his shoes off, and his complexion like that of a
Red Indian. One of our party had been promenading
the broiling streets of Halifax without his coat ! A gen-
tleman from one of the Channel Islands, of unsophisticated
manners and excellent disposition, who had landed with
us en route to a town on the Gulf of St. Lawrence, had
fancied our North American colonies for ever " locked in
regions of thick-ribbed ice," and consequently was abun-
dantly provided with warm clothing of every description.
With this he was prepared to face a thermometer at
twenty degrees belov/ zero.

But when he found a torrid sun, and the thermometer
at 93° in the shade, his courage failed him, and, with all
his preconceived ideas overthrown by the burning ex-

Chap. II.

INDIANS.

perience of one (lay, despair seized on him, and his ex-
pressions of horror and astonishment were coupled with
lamentations over the green Utility of Jersey. The
colonel was obliged to report himself at head-quarters in
his full uniform, which was evidently tight and hot ; and
after changing his apparel three times in the day, appa-
rently without being a gainer, he went out to make
certain meteorological inquiries, among others if 93° were
a common temperature.

The conclusion he arrived at was, that the " climate
alternates between the heat of India and the cold of
Lapland."

We braved the heat at noonday in a stroll through the
town, for, from the perfect dryness of the atmosphere, it
is not of an oppressive nature. I saw few whites in the
streets at this hour. Tiiere were a great many Indians
lying by the door-steps, having disposed of their baskets,
besoms, and raspberries, by the sale of which they make
a scanty livelihood. The men, with their jet-black hair,
rich complexions, and dark liquid brown eyes, were almost
invariably handsome ; and the women, whose beauty
departs before they are twenty, were something in the
" Meg Merinlics " style.

When the French first colonised this country, they
called it " Acadie." The tribes of the Mic-Mac Indians
peopled its forests, and, among the dark woods which
then surrounded Halifax, they worshipped the Great
Spirit, and hunted the moose-deer. Their birch-bark
wigwams peeped from among the trees, their squaws
urged their light canoes over the broad deep harbour,
and their wise men spoke to them of the " happy hunting-

■^

iiii'i

f»;

THE ABORIGINES.

Chap. II.

groiinds." The French destroyed them not, and gave
them a corrupted form of Christianity, inciting their pas-
sions against the English by telling them that they were
the people who had crucified the Saviour. Better had it
beer for them if battle or pestilence had swept them at
once away.

The Mic-Macs were a fierce and warlike people, too
proud to mingle with an alien race — too restless and
active to conform to tlie settled habits of civilization.
Too proud to avail themselves of its advantages, they
learned its vices, and, as the snow-wreaths in spring, they
melted away before the poisonous " fire-water," and the
deadly curse of the white man's wars. They had wel-
comed the '* pale faces " to the " land of the setting
sun," and withered up before them, smitten by their
crimes.

Almost destitute of tradition, their history involved in
obscurity, their broad lands filled with their unknown and
nameless graves, these mighty races have passed away ;
they could not pass into slavery, therefore they must die.

At some future day z mighty voice may ask of those
who have thus wronged the Indian, " AVhere is now thy
brother ? " It is true that frequently we arrived loo late
to save them as a race from degradation and dispersion ;
but as they heavily tottered along to their last home,
under the burden of the woes which contact with civili-
zation ever entails upon the aborigines, we might have
spoken to them the tidings of " peace on earth and good
will to men" — of a Saviour " who hath abolished death,
and hath brought life and immortality to light through
his gospel."

Chap. II.

APPEARANCE OF HALIFAX.

Far away amid the thunders of Niagara, surrounded
by a perpetual rainbow, Iris Island contains almost the
only known burying-place of the race of red men. Pro-
bably the simple Indians who buried their dead in a place
of such difficult access, and sacred to the Great Spirit,
did so from a wish that none might ever disturb their
ashes. None can tell how long those interred there have
slept their last long sleep, but the ruthless hands of the
white men have profaned the last resting-place of the
departed race.

There were also numerous blacks in the streets, and,
if I might judge from the brilliant colours and good
quality of their clothing, they must gain a pretty good
living by their industry. A large number of these blacks
and their parents were carried away from the States by
one of our admirals in the war of 1812, and landed at
Halifax.

The capital of Nova Scotia looks like a town of cards,
nearly all the buildings being of wood. There are
wooden houses, wooden churches, wooden wharfs, wooden
slates, and, if there are side walks, they are of wood also.
I was pleased at a distance with the appearance of two
churches, one of them a Gothic edifice, but on nearer in-
spection 1 found them to be of wood, and took refuge in
the substantial masonry of the really handsome Province
Building and Government House. We went up to the
citadel, which crowns the hill, and is composed of an
agglomeration of granite walls, fosses, and casemates,
mounds, ditches, barracks, and water-tanks.

If i was pleased with the familiar uniforms of the
artillerymen who lounged about the bai'racks, I was far

ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH,

Chap. II.

;,■!

more so with the view from the citadel. It was a soft
summer evening, and, seen through the transparent at-
mosphere, everytliing looked unnaturally near. The
large town of Haliftix sloped down to a lake-like harbour,
about two miles wide, dotted with islands ; and ranges of
picturesque country spangled with white cottages lay on
the other side. The lake or firth reminded me of the
Gareloch, and boats were sailing about in all directions
before the evening breeze. From tangled coppices of
birch and fir proceeded the tinkle of the bells of
numerous cows, and, mingled with the hum of the city,
the strains of a military band rose from the streets to
our ears.

With so many natural advantages, and such capa-
bilities for improvement, I cannot but regret the unhappy
quarrels and maladministration which threaten to leave
the noble colony of Nova Scotia an incubus and excres-
cence on her flourishing and progressive neighbours,
Canada and New Brunswick. From the talk about rail-
ways, steamers, and the House of Assembly, it is pleasant
to turn to the one thing which has been really done,
namely, the establishment of an electric telegraph line to
St. John, and thence to the States. By means of this
system of wires, which is rough and inexpensive to a
degree which in England we should scarcely believe, the
news brought by the English mail steamer is known at
Boston, New York, New Orleans, Cincinnati, and all the
great American cities, before it has had time to reach the
environs of Halifax itself.

The telegraph costs about 20/. per mile, and the wires
are generally supported on the undressed stems of pines,

Chap. II.

THE STAGE-COACII.

but are often carried from tree to tree along miserable
roads, or through the deep recesses of the forests.

The stores in Halifax are pretty good, all manu-
factured articles being sold at an advance on English
prices. Books alone are cheap and abundant, being the
American editions of pirated English works.

On the morning when we left Halifax I was awakened
by the roll of the British drum and the stirring strains of
the Highland bagpipe. Keady equipped for the tedious
journey before us, from Halifax to Pictou in the north of
the colony, I was at the inn -door at six, watching the
fruitless attempts of the men to pile our mountain of
luggage on the coach.

Do not let the word coach coniure up a vision of " the
good old times" a dashing mail with a well-groorncd team
of active bays, harness all " spick and span," a gentle-
manly-looking coachman, and a guard in military scarlet,
the whole affair rattling along the road at a pace of ten
miles an hour.

The vehicle in which we performed a journey of 120
miles in 20 hours deserves a description. It consisted of
a huge coach-body, slung upon two thick leather straps ;
the sides were open, and the places where windows ought
to have been were screened by heavy curtains of tarnished
moose-deer hide. Inside were four cross-seats, intended
to accommodate twelve persons, who were very imper-
fectly sheltered from the weather. Behind was a large
rack for luggage, and at the back of the driving-seat was
a bench which held three persons. The stage was painted
scarlet, but looked as if it had not been washed for a year.
The team of six strong white horses was driven by a

(

ii<

NOVA S'^'^-IA,

Chap. II.

Yankee, remarkable only for his silence. About a ton of
luggage was packed on and behind the stage, and two
open portmanteaus were left behind without the slightest
risk to their contents.

Twelve people and a baby were with some difficulty
stowed in the stage, and the few interstices were filled up
with baskets, bundles, and packages. The coachman
whipped his horses, and we rattled down the uneven
streets of Halifax to a steam ferry-boat, which conveyed
the stage across to Dartmouth, and was so well arranged
that the six horses had not to alter their positions.

Our road lay for many miles over a barren, rocky, un-
dulating country, covered with var and spruce trees, with
an undergrowth of raspberry, wild rhododendron, and
alder. We passed a chain of lakes extending for sixteen
miles, their length varying from one to three miles, and
their shores covered with forests of gloomy pine. People
are very apt to say that Nova Scotia is sterile and barren,
because they have not penetrated into the interior. It is
certainly rather difficult of access, but I was by no means
sorry that my route lay through it. The coast of Nova
Scotia is barren, and bears a very distinct re?v.mblance to
the east of Scotland. The climate, though severe in
winter and very foggy, is favourable both to health and
vegetation The peach and grape ripen in the open air,
and the cultivation of corn and potatoes amply repays the
cultivator. A great part of the country is still covered
with wood, evidently a second growth, for, wherever the
trees of the fir tribe are cut down or destroyed by fire,
hard-wood trees spring up.

So among the maple, the American elm, and the

Ch\p. II.

ClIAP. 11.

AND ITS CArABILITIES.

a ton of
ind two
slightest

lifficulty
filled up
oachman
uneven
conveyed
arranged

oeky, un-
•ecs, with
ron, and
3r sixteen
niles, and
People
A barren,
.or. It is
[no means
of Nova
iblance to
Isevere in
jalth and
open air,
jepays the
|l covered
:rever the
^d by fire,

and the

pnrplo-])l()ss()nicd sumach, the huge scorched and leafless
steins of pines would tlu'ow up their giant arms as if to
tell of sumo former conflagration. In clearings among
these woods, slopes of ground are to be seen covered with
crops of oats and maize, varied with potatoes and pump-
kins. Wherever tiie ground is unusually ])oor on the
surfiice, mineral treasures abound. There are beds of
coal of vast thickness ; iron in various forms is in pro-
fusion, and the supply of gypsum is inexhaustible. Many
parts of the country are very suitable for cattle- rearing,
and there are "water privih'ges" without end in the
shape of numerous rivers. I have seldom seen finer
country in the colonies than the large tract of cleared
undulating land about Truro, and I am told that it is
far exceeded by that in the neighbourhood of Windsor.
Wherever apple-trees were planted they seemed to flourish,
and the size and flavour of their fruit evidences a short,
hot summer. While the interior of the country is so
fertile, and is susceptible of a high degree of improve-
ment, it is scarcely fair in the Nova-Scotians to account
for their backwardness by pointing strangers to their
sterile and iron-bound coast. But they are a moral,
hardy, and loyal people .; none of our colonial fellow-
subjects are more attached to the British crown, or more
ready to take up arms in its defence.

I was greatly pleased with much that I heard, and
with the little I saw of the Nova-Scotians. They seemed
temperate, sturdy, and independent, and the specimens
we had of them in the stage were civil, agreeable, and
intelligent.

After passing the pretty little village of Dartmouth,

A COARSE BREAKFAST.

Chap. II.

\vc camo upon some wigw.ims of bircli-]){irk among tho
troes. Somo squaws, witli jjiipooses stra])p('(l upon tlu?ir
backs, starc'd vacantly at us as wo ]/assed, and one littlo
barefooted Indian, witb a lack of apparel which showed
his finely mouivk'd form to the best advantage, ran by
the side of the coach for two or three miles, bribed by

C0])p

ers

whiel

1 were occasion

fdly tl

u'own to hnn.

A dreary stage of eighteen miles brought us to Shultze's,
a road-sid(; inn by a very pretty lake, where we were told
the " coach hrca/ffastcd.'^ A\'hether Transatlantic coaches
can perform tin-, to us, unknown feat, I cannot pretend
to say, but u-c breakfasted. A very coarse repast was
prej)ared for us, consisting of stewed salt veal, country
cheese, rancid salt butter, fried eggs, and barley bread ;
but we wei-e too hungry to find fault either with it, or witb
the charge made for it, which equalled that at a London
hotel. Our Yankee coachman, a man of monosyllables,
sat next to me, and I was pleased to sec that he regaled
himself on tea instead of spirits.

We packed ourselves into the stage again witb great
difficulty, and how the forty-eight limbs fared was sliown
by the painful sensations experienced for several succeed-
ing days. All the passengers, however, were in perfectly
good humoin-, and amused each other during the eleven
hours spent in this painful way. At an average speed
of six miles an hour we travelled over roads of various
descriptions, plank, corduroy, and sand ; up long heavy
hills, and through swam])s swarming with mosquitoes.

Every one has heard of corduroy roads, but how few
have experienced their miseries ! They are generally
used for traversing swampy ground, and are formed of

HAP. If.

ROADS AND ERIDOKS.

1 Gfrccat

si 1 own

iccccd-

i-fectly

eleven

speed

Ivarious

heavy

'jWiiull J line-trees de|)nved of their hnuiches, which are laid
||cross \\h) track aloiiji^ide each other. The wear and
§Bav of travelling soon separates thc.-e, leaving gaps
Jietween ; and when, added to this, one trunk rots away,
'■tid another sinks down into the swamp, and another tilts
uj), you may imagine such a jolting as only leather
springs could bear. On the very worst roads, fil' A with
deej) holes, or covered with small granite houldei'^, the
st;igo only swings on the stra})s. Ordinary sjjrings, he-
sides dislocating the joints of the passengers, would be
wrenched and broken after a few miles travelling.

Even as we were, faces soniv^times came into rather
close proximity to each other and to the side railings,
and heads sustained very unph^asant collisions. The
amiable man who was so disa])])ointed with the American
climate suffered very much from the journey. He said
he had thought a French diligence the climax of dis-
comf rt, but a " stage was misery, oh torture !" Each
time that we had rather a worse jolt than usual the poor
man groaned, which always drew forth a chorus of
laughter, to which he submitted most good-humouredly.
Occasionally he would ask the time, when some one
would point nudiciously to his watch, remarking, " Twelve
hours more," or " Fifteen hours more," when he would
look up with an ex])ression of despair. The bridges
wore a very un-English feature. Over the small streams
or brooks they consisted of three pines covered with
planks, without any parapet — with sometimes a plank
out, and sometimes a hole m the middle. Over large
streams they were wooden erections of a most peculiar
kind, with high parapets; their insecurity being evi-

c 2

■^

CARK TAKEN OF HORSES.

ClIAI'. II.

.; i

!l!

donced by tlio notice, " Walk your liorscs, acconling to
law," — H notice; generally disreganled by our coacliinan,
as lie trotted his horses over the shaking and rattling
fabric.

We ])assc(l several small stream?!, and one of a large
size, the Shubenacadie, a wide, slow, muddy river,
flowing through willows and hedges, like th:; rivers in the
fen districts of England. At the mouth of the Shubena-
cadie the tides rise and fall forty feet.

In Nova Scotia the animals seemed to be more care-
fully lodged tlian the peoj)le. Wherever we changed
horses, we drove into a lofty shed, opening into a largo
stable with a boarded floor scrupulously clean, generally
containing twenty horses. The rigour of the climate in
winter necessitates such careful provision for the suj)port
of animal life. The coachman went into the stable and
chose his team, which was brought out, and then a scene
of kicking, biting, and screaming ensued, ended by the
most furious kickers being })ut to the wheel ; and after a
certain amount of talking, and settling the mail-bags, the
ponderous vehicle moved off again, the leaders always
rearing for the firot few yards.

For sixty miles we were passing through woodi", the
trees sometimes burned and charred for several miles,
and the ground all blackened round them. We saw very
few clearings, and those there were consisted merely of a
few acres of land, separated from the forest by rude
*' snake-fences." Stumps cf trees blackened by fire stood
up among the oat-crops ; bui, though they look extremely
untidy, they are an unavoidable evil for two or three
years, till the large roots decay.

Chap. II.

ClIAIV

rUKVAlLLXG TKM I'K U ANXE.

cconling to
' conc'liiiwin,
nd nittling

3 of a larcje
ifldy river,
ivor* ill the
13 Sliubeiia-

inoiv Ciire-
0 I'liangod
II to n large
generally
eliinate in
lie sii])port
■table and
-'n a scene
d by the
d after a
-bags, the
rs always

oodi', the
al miles,
saw very
irely of a
by rude
fire stood
xtromely
or three

^ Eleven honrs jiassed by not at all wearisoincly to me,
thouiiii my eousins and their children sutl'ercd much from

»| cram)) and fatigue, and at five, after an ascent of three
hours, we began to descend towards a Uirge tract (»f culti-
vated undulating country, in the centre of which is
situated a large settlement called 'J'ruro. There, at a
wretched hostelry, we stoi)i)ed to dine, but the meal by no
means answered to our English ideas of dinner. A cup
of tea was jdaced by each jilate ; and after the company,
principally consisting of agricultural i=ettlers, had made a
substantial meal of mutton, ami the jiotatoes for which
the country is famous, they solaced themselves with this
beverage. No intoxicating li([uor was jdaced upon the
table,* and I observed the same temperate habits at the
inns in New Ih-unswick, the city of St. John not ex-
cepted. It was a great j)leasure to me to find that
the intemjierance so notoriously prevalent among a

.j similar class in England was so completely discouraged.

-; in Nova S(.'otia. The tea was not tempting to an

, English palate ; it was stewed, and sweetened with

; molasses.

While wc were waiting for a fresh stage and horses,
several waggons came up, laden with lawyers, store-
keepers, and ship-carpenters, who with their families were
flying from the cholera at St. John, New Brunswick.

I enjoyed the next fifty miles exceedingly, as I tra-
velled outside on the driving-seat, with plenty of room to

* I write merely of what fell under my own observation, for there
has been so much spirit-drinking in Nova Scotia, that the legislature
has deemed it cxi)cdient to introduce the "Maine Law,'' with its strin-
gent and somewhat arbitrary provisions.

A YOUTHFUL DRIVER.

Chap. II.

ii;

!l|fi

'{ ^

,! i !

ili'. ■(

1 1 i

expatiate. The coaclinian was a very intelligent settler,
pressed into the service, because Jengro, the French Ca-
nadian driver, had indulged in a fit of intoxication in
opposition to a temperance meeting held at Truro the
evening before.

Our driver had not tasted spirits for thirty years, and
finds that a cup of hot tea at the end of a cold journey
is a better stimulant than a glass of grog.

It vvas just six o'clock \\hen we lc;ft Truro ; the shades
of evening were closing round us, and our road lay over
fifty miles of nearly uninhabited country ; but tlu;re was
so much to learn and hear, that we kept up an animated
and unHairaina; conversation hour after hour. The hist
cleared laud v^as passed by seven, and we entered the
forest, beginning a long and tedious ascent of eight miles.
At a post-house in the wood we changed horses, and put
on some lanterns, not for the purpose of assisting our-
selves, but to guide the boy-di*iver of a waggon or
" extra," who, having the responsibility of conducting four
horses, came clattering close behiiid us. The road was
hilly, and often ran along the very edge of steep decli-
vities, and our driver, who did not know it well, and was
besides a cautious man, drove at a most moderate pace.

Not so the youthful Jehu of the light vehicle behind.
lie came desperately on, cracking his whip, shouting
" G'huig, Gee'p," rattling down hill, and galloping up,
and wdiirling round corners, in spite of the warning
"Steady, whoa!" addressed to him by our careful escort.
Once the rattling behind entirely ceased, and we stopped,
our driver being anxious for the safetv of his own team,
as well as for the- nine passengers who were committed

Chap. II.

ClIAP. II.

NAXCY STUART.

iiit settler,
reiich Ca-
ication in
rruro the

'ears, and
journey

le sliades
lay over
liere was
animated
Tlie la^t
ered the
;lit miles,
and put
ting our-
ggon or
:ting four
'oad was
'P decll-
and was
; pace,
behind,
sliouting
ping up,
warnincr
1 escort.
5toj)pe(l,
n team,
innitted

on ;i (lark night to the care of a l)oy of tiiiiteen. The
waggon soon came clattering on again, and remained in
disagreeably close proximity to us till we ari'ived at
Pictou.

At ton o'clock, after another long ascent, we stopped
to water the horses, and get some refreshment, at a shanty
kept by an old Highland woman, well known as ^' JVanci/
Sfiiarf (if' the JMountain.'^ Here two or three of us got
off, and a comfortable meal was soon provided, consisting
of tea, milk, oat-cake, butter, and cranberry and rasj)-
berry jam. This meal we shared with some handsome,
gloomy-looking, bonneted Highlanders, and some large
ugly dogs. The room was })icturesque enough, with
blackened ral'ters, deer and cow horns hung round it, and
a cheerful log fire. After tea I spoke to Nancy in
her native tongue, which so delighted her, that I could
not induce her to accept anything for my meal. On
finding that I knew her birthplace in the Highlands, she
became ([uite talkative, and on wishing her good bye
with the words " Oiche mliaitli dhnihh ; Ijcannaclul
luibh!''* she gave my hand a true Highland grasp with
both of hers ; a grasp bringing back visions of home and
friends, and " tin* bonnie North countrie."

A wild drive we had from this place to Pictou.
The road lay through forests which might have been
sown at the beginning of time. Huge hendocks threw
high their giant arms, and from between their dark stems
gleamed the bark of the silver birch. Elm, beech, and
maple fiourished ; I missed alone the oak of England.

* Go. J night ; blesriiugs bo with you.

■ I

'■i* .

"^^-T ^*

i -i

PICTOU.

Chap. II.

The sok»mn silence of tliese patlilcss roads was broken
only hy tlie note of the distant bull-frog; meteors fell in
streams of fire, the crescent moon occat>ionally gleamed
behind clouds from which the li^htninff flashed almost
continually, and the absence of any familiar faces made
me realize at length that I was a stranger in a strange
land.

After the subject of the colony had been exhausted, I
amused the coachman with anecdotes of the supernatural —
stories of ghosts, wraiths, apparitions, and second sight ;
but he professed himself a disbeliever, and I thought I
had failed to make any impression on him, till at last he
started at the crackling of ca twig, and the gleaming
whiteness of a silver birch. He would have liked the
stories better, he confessed at length, if the night had. not
been quite so dark.

The silence of the forest was so solemn, that, remem-
bering the last of the Mohicans, we should not have been
the least surprised if an Indian war-whoop had burst
upon our startled ears.

We were travelling over the possessions of the Red men.

Nothing more formidable occurred than the finding of
three tipsy men laid upon the road ; and our coachman
had to .alight and remove them before the vehicle could
proceed.

We reached Pictou at a quarter past two on a very
chilly starlight morning, and by means of the rude tele-
graph, which runs along the road, comfortable rooms had
been taken for us at an inn of average cleanliness.

Here we met with a storekeeper from Prince Edward
Island, and he told us that the parents of my cousins,

i'lu,

Chap. H.

Chap. II.

LOSS OF THE " FAIRY QUEEX."

IS broken
rs fell in
gleamed
i'l almost
ces made
a strange

lusted, I
at Ural —
ul sight;
louojit I
t last he
gleaming
iked the
had not

remem-
ive been
d burst

-ed men.
iding of
achman
3 Could

a vci'y
le tele-
ms had

Id ward
ousins.

,-■?:

whom we were about to visit, knew nothing whatever of
our intended arrival, and supposed their children to be in
Germany.

As a colonial dinner is an aggregate of dinner and tea,
so a colonial breakfast is a curious complication of break-
fast and dinner, combining, I think, the advantages of
both. It is only an extension of the Highland breakfast ;
fish of several sorts, meat, eggs, and potatoes, buckwheat
fritters and Johnny cake, being served with the tea and
coffee.

Pictou may be a flourishing town some day : it has
extensive coal-mines ; one seam of coal is said to be thirty
feet thick. At present it is a most insignificant place,
and the water of the harbour is very shallow. The
distance from Pictou to Charlotte Town, Prince Edward
Island, is sixty miles, and by this route, through ISova
Scotia and across Northumberland Strait, the English
mail is transmitted once a fortnight.

A fearful catastrophe happened to the Fairy Queen, a
small mail steamer plying between these ports, not long
ago. By some carelessness, she sprang a leak and sank ;
the captain and crew escaping to Pictou in the ship's
boats, which were large enough to have saved all the
passengers. Here they arrived, and related the story of
the wreck, in the hope that no human voice would ever
tell of their barbarity and cowardice. Several perished
with the ill-fated vessel, among whom were Dr. Mac-
kenzie, a promising young officer, and two young ladies,
one of whom was coming to England to be married. A
few of the passengers floated off on the upper d(?ck and
reached the land in safety, to bear a terrible testimony

c 3

it-

V >

: I

! ' ■

j I .pi

NORTIIUMBEr LAND STRAIT.

Chap. II.

to tlic inhumanity which h-d left their companions to
perish. A voice from the dead could not have struck
greater horror into the heart of the craven captain than
did that of those whom he never expected to meet till
the sea should give up her dead. The captain was com-
mitted for manslaughter, but escaped the punishment
due to his offence, though popular indignation was
strongly excited against him. We were told to be on
board the Ladij le Marcliant by twelve o'clock, and
endured four hours' detention on her broiling deck, with-
out any more substantial sustenance than was aflbrded to
lis by some pine-apples. AVe were five hours in crossing
Northumberland Strait — five hours of the greatest pos-
sible discomfort. We had a head-wind and a rough
chopping sea, which caused the little steamer to pitch
mimercifully. After gaining a distant view of Cape
Brecon Island, I lay down on a mattress on deck, in spite
of the persecutions of an animated friend, who kindly
endeavoured to rouse me to take a first view of Prince
Edward Island.

When at last, in the comparative calmness of the
entrance to Charlotte Town harbour, I stood up to look
about me, I could not help admiring the peaceful beauty
of the scene. Far in the distance were the sterile cliffs
of Nova Scotia and the tumbling surges of the Atlantic,
while on three sides we were surrounded by land so low
that the trees upon it seemed almost growing out of the
water. The soil was the rich red of Devonshire, the trees
were of a brilliant green, and sylvan lawns ran up amongst
them. The light canoes of the aborigines glided grace-
fully on the water, or lay high and dry on the beach j

Chap. II.

ARllIVAL AT CIIAllLOTTE TOWN.

npanions to
have struck
captain than
to moot till
II was com-
punislmient
nation was
i to be on
clock, and
deck, with-
affbrded to
in crossing
latest pos-
i a rough
r to pitch
of Cape
:k, in spite
'ho kindly
rince

ofP-

tss of the
ip to look
'ul beauty
3rile cliffs

Atlantic,
nd so low
•ut of the

the trees
) amongst
id grace-
J beach ;

and two or three miles ahead the spires and houses of the
capital of the island lent additional cheerfulness to the
prospect.

^y^i were speedily moored at the wharf, and my cousins,
after an absence of eight years, were anxiously looking
round for some familiar faces among the throng on the
shore, Tiiey had purposely avoided giving any intima-
tion to their parents of their intended arrival, lest any-
thing should occur to prevent the visit ; therefore they
were entirely unexpected. But, led by the true instinct of
natural affection, they were speedily recognised by those
of their relatives who were on the wharf, and many a
joyful meeting followed which must amply have com-
pensated for the dreary separation of years.

It was in an old-English looking, red brick mansion,
encircled by plantations of thriving firs — warmly welcomed
by relations whom I had never seen, for the sake of those
who had been my long-tried friends — surrounded by
hearts rejoicing in the blessings of unexpected re-union,
and by faces radiant with affection and happiness — that
I spent my first evening in the *■ Garden of British
America."

'^.

rorULAR IGNORANCE.

Chap. III.

CHArTER III.

Popular ignorance — The garden island — Summer and winter con-
trasted — A wooden capital — Island politics, and their consequences

— Gossip — " Blowin-tiine " — Keligiou and the clergy— The sei'-
vant nuisance — Colonial society — An evening party — An island
premier — Agrarian outrage — A visit to the Indians — The pipe of
peace — An Indian coquette — Country hospitality — A missionary

— A novel mode of lobster-fishing — Uncivilised life — Far away in
the woods — Starvation and dishonesty — An old Highlander and a
Highland welcome — Hopes for the future.

I WAS showing a collection of autographs to a gentleman
at a party in a well-known Canadian city, when the
volume opened upon the majestic signature of Cromwell.
I paused as I pointed to it, expecting a burst of enthu-
siasm. " ?r/io is Cromwell V he asked; an ignorance
which I should have believed counterfeit had it not been
too painfully and obviously genuine.

A yeoman friend in England, on being told that I had
arrived safely at Boston, after encountering great danger
in a gale, " reckoned that it ivas somewhere down in Lin-
colnshirey

With these instances of ignorance, and many more
which I could name, fresh in my recollection, I am not at
all surprised that few persons should be acquainted with
the locality of a spot of earth so comparatively obscure as
Prince Edward Island. AVhen I named my destination
to my friends prior to my dejjarture from England, it was

ClIAP. III.

winter con-
conscqueuces
- The ser-

— An island

- The pipe of
iV missionary
Far away in
lander and a

gentleman
when the
I^romvvell.
of enthu-
ignorance
not been

lat I had
it danger
« in Lin-

ny more
m not at
ited with
Jscure as
stination
d, it was

<M-

'■■ii

CiiAP. HI.

TRIXCE ED"\VARD ISLAND.

siippn?cd by some that I was going to the Pacific, and
by otliers that I was going to the north-west coast of
America, while one or two, on consulting their maps,
found no such island indicated in the part of the ocean
where I described it to be placed.

Now, Prince Edward Island is the abode of seventy
thousand human beings. It had a garrison, though now
the loyalty of its inhabitants is considered a sufficient
protection. It has a Governor, a House of Assembly, a
Legislative Council, and a Constitution. It has a wooden
Government House, and a stone Province Building. It
has a town of six thousand people, and an extensive ship-
building trade, and, lastly, it has a prime minister. As it
has not been tourist-ridden, like Canada or the States, and
is a terra incofjnita to many who are tolerably familiar with
the rest of our North American possessions, I must briefly
describe it, though I am neither writing a guide-book nor
an emigrant's directory.

This island was discovered by Sebastian Cabot in 1497,
and more than two centuries afterwards received the name
of St. John, by which it is still designated in old maps.
It received the name of Prince Edward Island in com-
pliment to the illustrious father of our Queen, who
bestowed great attention upon it. It has been the arena
of numerous conflicts during the endless wars between the
French and English. Its aboriginal inhabitants have
here, as in other places, melted away before the whites.
About three hundred remain, earning a scanty living by
shooting and fishing, and profess the Romish faith.

This island is 140 miles in length, and at its widest
part 34 in breadth. It is intersected by creeks; every

1 (

m'.

CHARACTER OF THE COUNTRY.

ClIAl'. III.

i|!!

part of its coast is indented by the fierce flood of the Gulf
of St. Lawrence, and no })art of it is more tlian nine miles
distant from some arm of the sea. It bears the name
throughout tlie Britii-li provinces of the "Garden of British
America." That this title has been justly bestowed, none
who have ever visited it in summer will deny,

"While Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and the banks of
the St. Lawrence are brown, even where most fci'^ile, this
island is clothed in brilliant green. I suppose that the
most elevated land in it is less than 400 feet above the
level of the sea ; there is not a rock in any part of it, and
the stones which may be very occasionally })icked up in
the recesses of the forest cause nmch speculation in the
minds of the curious and scientific. The features of this
country are as soft as the soil. The land is everywhere
gently imdulating, and, while anything like a hill is
unknown, it has been lifficult to find a piece of ground
suflliciently level for a cricket-field. The north shore is
extremely pretty ; it has small villages, green clearings,
fine harbours, with the trees growing down to the water's
edge, and shady streams.

Th3 land is very suitable for agricultural purposes, as
also for the rearing of sheep ; but the island is totally
destitute of mineral wealth. It is highly favoured iu
climate. The intense heat of a North American summer
is here tempered by a cool sea-breeze ; fogs are almost
unknown, and the air is dry and bracing. Instances of
longevity are very common ; fever and consumption are
seldom met with, and the cholera has never visited its
shores. AVages are high, and employment abundant ;
land is cheap and tolerably productive ; but though a

'.m

Cum: III.

:)ftlie Gulf

nine miles

the name

n of British

)wed, none

[) banks of
ci-Hle, this
?. that the
above the

of it, and
^ed up in
on in the
es of this

oryvvhere
a hill is
f ground

shore is
leariniis,
e water's

poses, as
s totally
)ured in
summer
! almost
uices of
ion are
sited its
jndant ;
ough a

CirAr. TIT.

SUMMER AND WINTER.

'•-<£■
W

'•,y,.

conii)(!ti'ncc may always bo obtained, I never board of
any one becoming rich through agricu'Hu-al jjursuits.
Shipbuilding is the great trade of the island, and the
m().-;t })r{)fitable one. Everywhere, even twenty miles
inland, and up among the woods, t-hips may be seen in
cour.-ie of construction. These vessels are sold in England
and in the neighbouring colonies ; but year by year, as its
trade increases, the island rc([uires a greater number for
its own use.

In siunmer, the island is a very agreeable residence ;
the sandy roads are j)assable, and it has a bi-weekly
communication with the neighbouring continent. Shooting
and fishing may be enjoyed in abundance, and the Indians
are always ready to lend assistance in these sports. Bears,
which ustd to be a great attraction to the more adven-
turous class of sportsmen, are, however, rapidly disap-
pearing.

In winter, I cannot conceive a more dull cheerless, and
desolate place than Prince Edward Isla'id. About the
beginninfT of December steam communication with the
continent ceases, and those who are leaving the island
hurry their departure. Large stocks of fuel are laid in,
the harbour is deserted by the ship})ing, and all out-door
occupations gradually cease. Before Christmas the frost
commences, the snow frequently lies six feet deep, and
soon the liarbours and the adjacent ocean freeze, and the
island is literally " locked in regions of thick-ribbed ice "
for six long months. Once a fortnight during the winter
an ice-boat crosses Northumberland Strait, at great
hazard, where it is only nine miles wide, conveying the
English mail j but sometimes all the circumstances are

t]
^

.*i

km."

Bill

r
liii 'Ifl

CHARLOTTE TOWN.

Chap. III.

not favourable, and tlio letters arc delayed for a month —
the poor islanders being locked meanwhile in their ice-
bound prison, ignorant of the events which may be con-
vulsing the world. Charlotte Town, the capital of the
island and the seat of govc^rninent, is very prettily
situated on a capacious harbour, which ivas defended by
several heavy guns. It is a town of shingles, but looks
very well from the sea. AVith the exception of Quebec,
it is considered the prettiest town in British America; but
while Quebec is a city built on a rock, Charlotte Town
closely borders upon a marsh, and its drainage has been
very much neglected.

There are several commons in the town, the grass of
which is of a peculiarly brilliant green, and, as these
are surrounded by houses, they give it a cheerful Jippear-
ance. The houses are small, and the stores by no means
pretentious. The streets are unlighted, and destitute of
side walks ; there is not an attempt at paving, and the
grips across them are something fearful. " Hold on " is
a caution as frequently given as absolutely necessary. I
have travelled over miles of corduroy road in a springless
waggon, and in a lumber waggon, drawn by oxen, where
there was no road at all, but I never experienced any-
thing like the merciless joint-dislocating jolting which I
met with in Charlotte Town. This island metropolis has
two or three weekly papers of opposite sides in politics,
which vie with each other in gross personalities and scur-
rilous abuse.

The colony has "responsible government," a Governor,
a Legislative Council, and a House of Assembly, and
storms in politics are not at all unfrequent. The members

Chai'. hi.

a month —
1 tiioir ice-
ay be con-
ital of the
7 l)rettily
.'fended by

but looks
)f Quebec,
erica; but
otte Town

has been

; grass of
as these
d appear-
no means
istitute of
. and the
d on " is
S:?ary. I
pringless
n, where
ed any-
which I
polis has
politics,
lid scur-

uvernor,
ly, and
lembers

Chap. III. TOUTICS AND TnEIR COXSEQUENCES.

of the Lower House are elected by nearly univor.<al suf-
frage, and it is considered necesj-ary that the "rroniier"
should have a majority in it. This House is said to be
on a par with Irish poor-law guardian meetings for low
personalities and vehement vituperation.

The genius of Discord nuist look complacently on this
land. Politics have been a fruitful source of quarrels,
nii.sri'presentation, alienation, and division. The o})])osi-
tion parties are locally designated ^^ snatckcrs''^ and
" snarlcrs,'^ and no love is lost between the two. It is
broadly affirmed that half the ])eople on the island do not
S])eak to the other half. And, worse than all, religious
diUcrences have been brought up as engines wherewith to
wreak political animosities. I never saw a community in
whii'h peo])le appeared to hate each other so cordially.
The flim<y veil of etifpiette does not conceal the pointed,
sneer, the malicious inuendo, the malignant backbiting,
and tlu! unfounded slander. Some of the forms of society
are observed in the island — that extreme of civilisation
vulgarly called ^^ cutting^' is common; morning calls are
punctiliously paid and returned, and there are occa-
sional balls and tea-parties. Quebec is described as
being the hottest and coldest town in the world, Paris
the gayest, London the richest ; but I should think that
Charlotte Town may bear away the palm for being the
most gossiping.

There is a general and daily flitting about of its
inhabitants after news of their neighbours — all that is said
and done within a three-mile circle is reported, and, of
course, a great deal of what has neither been said, nor
done. There are certain people whose business it is to

1 1

FEAll OF GHOSTS.

CUAl'. III.

mako luiscliicf, and inlsii'liicf-inakiug is a cairiiig in which
it docs not recjniro much wit to be sneccssfid.

The inliahitants are a sturdy race, more than ono-lialf
of tluMu heing of Scotch (k'sccnt. Th(;y arc j)i-ovcntcd
from attaining settled hu.-incss-like hahits by the long
winter, which puts a slop to all out-door employment.
'J'liis period, when annisement is the only thing thought
of, is called in the colonies " blowin-time." All the
country is covered with snow, and the inhabitants
have nothing to do but ^leigh about, play ball on the
ice, drive the young ladies to (juilting frolics and snow
picnics, drink brandy-and-watcr, and j)lay at whist for
sixpenny ])oints.

The further you go from Charlotte Town, the more
primitive and hospitable the jjcople become ; they warmly
welcome a stranger, and seem ha})py, moral, and con-
tented. This island is the only place in the New World
where I met with any who believed in the supernatural.
One evening I had been telling some very harndess ghost
stwMes to a party by moonlight, and one of my auditors,
a very clever girl, fancied during the night that she saw
something stirring in her bed-room. In the idea that the
ghost would attack her head rather than her feet, she tied
up her feet in her bonnct-de-miit^ put them u})on the
pillow, and her head under the quilt — a novel way of
cheating a spiritual visitant.

There are numerous religious denominations in the
colony, all enjoying the same privileges, or the absence of
any. I am not acquainted with the number belonging to
each, but would suppose the Roman Catholics to be the
most dominant, fi'om the way in which their church towers

liiiii'

w\ I

;nl(,

CiiAr. III.

Tin: SERVANT NUISANCE

i;iii oiic-half
0 i)rL'vc'ntcd
)y tliu long
3inp!oyinent.
iiig tlionght
." All the

iiiliabitaiits
ball on tlio
3 and snow
t whist for

tlio more
icy warmly
, and con-
("ew A\^orld
pernatural.
doss ghost
y auditors,
t ahti saw
a that the
t, fclie tied
npon the
d way of

IS in tho
hsencc of
anging to
to be the
ill towers

over tlio whole town. There are about eleven Ejiisi-opa-
lian I'lergyuuMi, overworked and underpaid. Mo.-t of
these arc under the entire control of the Bi-dioj) of Nova
fe'eotia, and are removable at his will and jjleasure. This
iri// l>i,Nh()i) Blnney exercises in a very capricious and
arbitrary manner.

Some of tiii'se cleigymen are very excellent and labo-
rious m(>n. I may particularise Dr. .Jenkins, for many
years chief minister of Charlotte Town, who.-e jm-ty,
learning, and C-hristian spirit would render him an orna-
ment to the C-hurch of Kngland in any locality. Even
among the clergy, some things might seem rather peculiar
to a person fresh from England. A clergyman coming to
a pause in his sermon, one of his auditors from the tloor
called up " Pro])itiation ; " the preacher thanked him,
took the wortl, and went on with his discourse.

The difficulty of procuring servants, which is felt from
the Government House downwards, is one of the great
objections to this colony. The few tlu're are know nothing
of any individual de})artment of work, — for instance, there
are neither cooks nor housemaids, they are strictly
" //e/^w," — the mistress being expected to take more than
her fair share of the work. They (;ome in and go out
when they please, and, if anything dissatisfies them, they
ask for their wages, and depart the same day, in the
certainty that their labour will command a higher price
in the United States. It is not an uneonunon thing for
a gentleman to be obliged to do the work of gardener,
errand-boy, and groom. A servant left at an hour's
notice, saying, " she had never been so insulted before,"
because her master requested her to put on shoes when

'^-

'■.*'

ffil'

<ii

!| P

';;

^.\

,1
-III

COLONIAL SOCIETY.

Chap. III.

she waited at table ; and a gentleman was obliged to lie
in bed because his servant bad taken all his shirts to the
wash, and had left them while she went to a " frolic " with
her lover.

The upper class of society in the island is rather ex-
clusive, but it is difficult to say what qualification entitles
a man to be received into "society." The entree at
Government House is not sufficient; but a uniform is
powerful, and wealth is onmipotent. The present go-
vernor, Mr. Dominiek Daly, is a man of great suavity of
manner. lie has a large amount of Jincxsc, wiiicli is
needful in a colony where ])eople like the suj)})osition that
they gov( rn themselves, but where it is absolutely neces-
sary that a firm hand should hold the reins. The island
is prospering under its new form of " res])onsible govern-
ment ;" its revenue is increasing ; it is out of debt ; and
Mr. Daly, whose tenure of power has been very short, will
without doubt considerably develop its resources. Mrs.
Daly is an invalid, but her kindness makes her deservedly
poj)ular, together with her amiable and affable daughters,
the elder of whom is one of the most beautiful girls whom
I saw in the colonies.

I remained six weeks in this island, being detained by
the cholera, which was ravaging Canada and the States.
I spent the greater part of this time at the house of
Captain Swabey, a near relation of my father's, at
whose house 1 received every hospitality and kindness.
Captain Swaoey is one of the most influential inhabitants
of the island, as, since the withdrawal of the troops, the
direction of its defences has been intrusttid to him, in con-
sideration of his long experience in active service. He

Chap. III.

THE TREMTER.

ithor ex-
11 entitles
c^itree at
lifbrni is
sent go-
uavity of
which is
tion that
\y ncces-
le island
govern-
bt; and
tort, will
Mrs.
?ervedly
ighters,
s whom

ined by
States,
ouso of
^r's, at
ndness.
il)itants
)ps, the
in cou-
Ile

■':«:

served in the land forces which assisted Nelson at the
sie"-e of (\)nenhai!;en. He afterwards served wuth dis-
tinction throngh the Peninsular war, and, after receiving a
ball in the knee at Vittoria, closed his military career at
the battle of Waterloo. It is not a little singular that
Mr. Ilensley, another of the principal inhabitants, and a
near neighbour of Ca])tain Swabey's, fought at Copen-
hagen under Lord Nelson, where part of his cheek-bone
was shot away.

While I was there, the governor gave his first party, to
which, as a necessary matter of etiquette, all who had
left cards at Government Ilous^e were invited. I was told
that I should not see such a curious mixture anywhere
else, cither in the States or in the colonies. There were
about a huiulred and fifty persons present, including
all the officers of the garrison and customs, and the
members of the government. The "prime minister," the
lion. George Coles, whose name is already well known
in the colonies, was there in all the novel glories of office
and *' red-tapeism."

I cannot say that this gentleman looked at all care-
worn ; indeed the cares of office, even in England, have
ceased to be onerous, if one may judge from the ease with
which a premier of seventy performs upcm the parliamentary
stage ; but Mr. Coles looked particularly the reverse.
He is justified in his complacent appearance, for he has a
majority in the house, a requisite scarcely deemed essential
in England, and the finances of the colony are flourishing
under his administration. He is a self-made and self-
educated man, and by his own energy, industry, and per-
severance, has raised himself to tlie position which he now

.If

■:i^

'\\>i

I'Vl

II. 1

'./

V P

ilil!

''.<

!'■

ii '

STATE OF SOCIETY.

Cii.u". III.

liolds ; and if his inanncrs have not all the finis-li of polite
society, and if he does sometimes say "Me and the
governor," his energy is not less to he admired.

Anotlier member of the government appeared in a
yellow waij^tcoat and brown frock-coat ; but where there
were a great many persons of an inferior class it was only
surprising that there should be so few inaccuracies either
in dress or deportment. There were some very pretty
women, and almost all were dressed with simplicity and
good taste. The island does not afford a band, but a
pianist and violinist played most perseveringly, and the
amusements were kept u}) with untiring spirit till four
in the morning.

The governor and his family behaved most affably to
their guests, and I was glad to observe that in such a very
mixed company not the slightest vidgarity of manner was
perceptible.

It may be remarked, however, that society is not on so
safe a footing as in England. Such things as duels, but
of a very bloodless nature, have been known : people
occasionally horsewhip and kick each other ; and if a
gentleman indulges in the pa^^^time of breaking the windows
of another gentleman, he receives a bullet for his pains.
Some time ago, a gentleman connected with a noble
family in Scotland, emigrated to the island with a large
number of his countrymen, to whom he promised advan-
tajreous arrangements with reirard to land. lie was known

Co C

by the name of Traeadie. After his tenants had made a
large outlay ujwn their farm?, Traeadie did not fulfil his
agreements, and the dissatisfaction soon broke forth into
open outrage.

■'m

'^M

ClIAl-, III.

Chap. III.

AN UNrorri.AR I.AXDLOED.

of polite
and tlie

cd in a
!rc tlicre
was only
OS either
y i)retty
icitv and
[1, but a
and the
till four

ffably to
li a very
mer was

Dt on so
lels, but
: people
nd if a
windows
is pains.
a noble

a large
I advan-
s known

made a
ulfd his
rtli into

Con.~i)iracies were formed against him, his cows and
carts were destroyed, and night after night the country
was lighted by the flames of his barns and mills. At
length he gave loaded nuis^kets to some of his farm-boys,
telling them to shoot any one they saw upon his premises
after d-.isk. The same evening he went into his orchard,
and was standing with his watch in his hand waiting to set
it by the evening gun, when the boys fired, and he fell
scerely wounded. AVhen he recovered from this, he was
ridinn out one cvcnlna, when he was shot through the hat
and hip by men on each side of the road, and fell welter-
ing in blood. So detested was he, that several persons
])assed by without rendering him any assistance. At
lengtli one of his own tenantry, coming by, took him into
Charlotte Town in a cart, but was obliged shortly after-
wards to leave the island, to escape from the vengeance
which would have overtaken the succourer of a tyrant.
Tracadie was shot at five or six different times. Shortly
after my arrival in the island, he went to place his daughter
in a convent at Quebec, and died there of the cholera.

One day, with a party of youthful friends, I crossed the
Hillsboro' Creek, to visit the Indians. We had a large
heavy boat, with cumbrous oars, very ill balanced, and a
most inefficient crew, two of them being boys either very
idle or very ignorant, and, as they kept tumbling back-
wards over the thwarts, one gentleman and I were left to
do all the work. On our way we came upon an Tndian
in a bark canoe, and spent much of our strength in an in-
eflectual race with him, succeeding in nothinc but in
getting aground. We had very great diflSculty 'u landing,

1 :>*'
»' ■■,

\ \

I''

<31

I: t;

•111 1^

f .. .

'(^

•I,' i't

, VISIT TO THE INDIANS.

Chap. III.

and two pretty squaws indulged in hearty laughter at our
numerous failures.

After scrambling through a wood, we came upon an
Indian village, consisting of fifteen wigwams. These are
made of poles, tied together at the uj)per end, and are
thatched with large pieces of birch-hark. A hole is
always left at the top to let out the smoke, and the whole
space occupied by this primitive dwelling is not larger
than a large circular dining-table. Large fierce dogs,
and uncouth, terrified-looking, lank-haired children, very
scantily clothed, abounded by these abodes. We went
into one, crawling through an aperture in the baik. A
fire was burning in the middle, over which was suspended
a kettle of fish. The wigwam was full of men and squaws,
and babies, or "papooses," tightly strapped into little
trays of wood. Some were waking, others sleeping, but
none were employed, though in several of the ca?nj)s I saw
the materials for baskets and bead-work. The eyes of all
were magnificent, and the young women very handsome,
their dark complexions and splendid hair being in many
instances set oflf by a scarlet handkerchief thrown loosely
round the head.

We braved the ferocity of numerous dogs, and looked
into eight of these abodes ; Mr. Kenjins, from the kind
use he makes of his medical knowledge, being a great
favourite with the Indians, particularly with the young
squaws, who seemed thoroughly to understand all the arts
of coquetry. We were going into one wigwam when a
surly old man opposed our entrance, holding out a cala-
bash, vociferous voices from the interior calling out,

CliAP. III.

jlitcr at our

le upon an
Those are
id, and are
A hole is
1 th(j whole
not larger
erce dogs,
dren, very
We went
bark. A
suspended
nd squaws,
into little
eping, but
i7nj)s I saw
eyes of all
handsome,

I in many
vvn loosely

nd looked

the kind

5 a great

he young

II the arts
n when a
it a cala-
ling out,

'"i

CirAP. III.

AN INDIAN COQUETTE.

" Ninepcnce, ninepenee I" The memory of Uiwas and
Magna rose before me, and I sighed over the degencM-acy
of the race. These people are mendicant and loquacious.
When you go in, they begin a list of things which they
want — blankets, powder, tobacco, &c. ; always concluding
with, " Tea, for God's sake !" for they have renounced
the worship of the Great Spirit for a corrupted form of
Christianity.

\\ o, were received in one camp by two very handsome
squaws, mother and daughter, who spoke broken English,
and were very neat and clean. The floor was thickly
strewn with the young shoots of the var, and we sat down
with them for half an hour. The younger squaw, a girl
of sixteen, was very handsome and coquettish. She had
a beautiful cap, worked in beads, which she would not put
on at the request of any of the ladies ; but directly Mr.
Kenjins hinted a wish to that effect, she placed it
coquettishly on her head, and certainly looked most be-
witching. Though only sixteen, she had been married
two years, and had recently lost her twins. Mr. Kenjins
asked her the meaning of an Indian phrase. She replied
in broken English, " What one little boy say to one little
girl : I love you." *' I suppose your husband said so to
vou before you were married ? " Yes, and he say so
now," she replied, and both she and her mother laughed
long and uncontrollably. These Indians retain few of
their ancient characteri.-tics, except their dark coi\iplexionx
and their comfortless nomade wjiy of living. They are
not represented in the Legislative Assembly.

Very dillerent are the Indians of Central America, the
fierce Sioux, (?onianches, and Blackfeet. In Canada

^.W'

-yj

',•"<,.
'•S'

THE rirE of peace.

ClIAI'. III.

-'i'

\\ est I saw a race (lifforlng in appearance from the Mo-
hawks and Mic-Macs, and retaining to a certain extent
their ancient customs. Among these tribes I entered a
wigwam, and was received in sullen silence. I seated
myself on the floor with about eight Indians ; still not a
word was spoken. A short pipe was then lighted and
ofiiM'cd to me. I took, as })reviously directed, a few
whiffs of the fragrant weed, and then the pipe was passed
round the circle, after which the oldest man present began
to speak.* This pipe is the celebrated calumet, or pipe of
peace, and it is considered even among the fiercest tribes
as a sacred obligation.

A week before I left Prince Edward Island I went for
a tour of five days in the north-west of the island with
Mr. and Miss Kenjins. This was a delightful change, an
uninterrupted stream of novelty and enjoyment. It was a
relief from Charlotte Town, with its gossiping morning
calls, its malicious stories, its political puerilities, its end-
less discussions on servants, turnips, and plovers ; it was
a bound into a region of genuine kindness and primitive
hospitality.

AV^e left Charlotte Town early on a brilliant morning, in
a light waggon, suitably attired for " roughing it in the
bush." Our wardrobes, a draught-board, and a number
of books (which we never read), were packed into a carpet-
bag of most diminutive proportions. AVe took large
bufialo robes with us, in case we should not be able to pro-

''' ''"Why liaa our white sister visited the Migwam." of her red
lavthreu ?" was tl.e salutation with which they broke silence — a ques-
tion rather difficult to answer.

II ; >«

ClIAI". III.

II the Mo-
tain extent

entered a
I seated

still not a
glited and
'd, a few
k'as passed
ent began
or pipe of
est tribes

went for
land with
lange, an

It was a
morninff

its end-

; it was
)riniitive

■ning, in
; in the
number

carpet-
k large

to pro-

lier red
— ii ques-

ClIAP. III.

IIOS)''"' VLITY,

cure a better shelter for the night than a barn. We were
for the time being perfectly congenial, and determined on
thoroughly enjoying ourselves. We sang, and rowed,
and fished, and laughed, and made others laugh, and
were perfectly happy, never knowing and scarcely caring
where we should obtain shelter for the night. Our first
day's dinner was some cold meat and bread, eaten in a
wood, our horse eating his oats by our side ; and we made
drinking-cups, in Indian fashion, of birch-tree bark —
cups of Tantalus, pi'operly s])eaking, for very little of the
water reached our lips. A^ hile engaged in drawing some
from a stream, the branch on which I leaned gave way,
and I fell into the water, a mishap vvhich amused my
companions so much that they could not help me out.

After a journey of thirty miles our further course was
stopped by a wide river, with low wooded hills and pro-
montories, but there was no ferry-boat, so, putting up our
horse in a settler's barn, we sat on the beach till a cranky,
leaky boat, covered with fish-scales, was with some diffi-
culty launched, and a man took us across the beautiful
stream. This kindly individual came for us again the
next morning, and would accept nothing but our thanks
for his trouble. The settler in whose barn we had left our
horse fed him well with oats, and was equally generous.
The people in this })art of the island are principally emi-
grants from the north of Scotland, who thus carry High-
land hospitality with them to their .distant homes. After
a long walk through a wood, we came upon a little church,
with a small house near it, and craved a night's hos-
pitality. The church was one of those strongholds of
religion and loyalty which I rejoice to see in the colonies.

D 2

^■i

rf,'

.!it3

■ Ii

I V

'■m

•i!

i .5

'll 1

ilWi

THE MISSIONARY.

Chap. III.

There, Sabbath after Sabbath, tlic inhabitcints of this
peaceful locality worship in the pure faith of their fore-
fathers : here, wlien " life's fitful fever " is over, they
sleep in the hallowed ground around these sacred walls.
Nor could a more peaceful resting-place be desired : from
the graveyard one could catch distant glimpses of the
Gulf of St. Lawrence, and tall pine-trees flung their d.'ii k
shadows over the low green graves.

Leaving our friends in the house, we went down to a
small creek running up into the woods, the most formid-
able " loiff/er fences" not interce})ting our progress. After
some ineffectual attempts to gain possession of a log-
canoe, we launched a leaky boat, and went out towards
the sea. Tlie purple beams of the setting sun fell upon
the dark pine woods, and lay in long lines upon the
calm waters of the Gulf of St, Lawrence. It was a glo-
rious evening, and the scene was {imong the fairest which
I saw in the New World. On our return we found our
host, the missionary, returned from his walk of twenty-
two miles, and a rej)ast of tea, wheaten scones, raspberries,
and cream, awaited us. This good man left England
twenty-five years ago, and lived for twenty in one of the
most desolate parfs of Newfoundland. Yet he has re-
tained his vivid interest in England, and kept us up till a
late hour talking over its church and peojde. Contented
in his isolated position, which is not without its severe
hardships, this good missionary pursues his useful course
unnoticed by the world as it bustles along ; his sole earthly
wish seems to be that he may return to England to die.

The next morning at seven we left his humble liome,
where such hospitality had awaited us. and he accompanied

ClfAP. III.

Its of this
tlieir fore-
over, tliey
!red walls,
ired : from
SOS of the
tlieir d.'iik

down to a
st foriiiid-
sji. After
of a loff-
t towards
fell upon
upon the
as a glo-
est which
bund our
F twentv-
spberries,
England
e of the
! has re-
up till a
ontented
s severe
il course
! earthly
o die.
e home,
iipanied

ClIAl'. III.

LORSTEU-FISlIIXr,.

us to the river. He returned to his honourable work— I
shortly afterwards went to the United States— another
of the party is with the Turkish army in the Crimea— and
the youngest is married in a distant land. For several
hours we i)assed through lovely scenery, on one of the
loveliest mornings 1 ever saw. We stopjjcd at the hut of
an old Highland woman, who was " tcrriblij f/Iad" to see
us, and gave us some milk ; and we came up with a sturdy
little barefooted urchin of eight years old, carrying a
basket. *' NMiat's your name ?" we asked. *' M?'.
Crozicr,'" was the bold and complacent reply.

At noon we reached St. Eleanor's, rather a large vil-
lage, where we met with great hospitality for two days at
the house of a keeper of a small store, who had married
the lively and accomplished daughter of an English cler-
gyman. The two Irish servant-girls were ill, but she
said she should be delighted to receive us if we would
help her to do the household work. The same afternoon
we drove to the house of a shipbuilder at a little hamlet
called Greenshore, and went out lobster-fishing in his
beautiful boat. The way of fishing for these creatures
was a novel one to me, but so easy that a mere novice
may be very successful. We tied sinks to mackerel, and
let them down in six fathoms water. We gently raised
them now and then, and, if we felt anything pulling the
bait, raised it slowly up. Gently, gently, or the fisb sus-
pects foul play; but soon, just under the surface, I saw
an immense lobster, and one of the gentlemen caught it
by the tail and threw it into the boat. We fished for an
hour, and caught fifteen of these esteemed creatures,
which we took to the house in a wheelbarrow. At nicht

.'V'

-hi: ■

AX EVKXIXO TARTY.

Chap. III.

we drove to St. I']U\iiior*.<, taking some of our spoil with
us, and iiniiiediately adjourned to tlio kitflion, a large,
unfinished plaee bnilt of logs, with a day floor and hugi>
snioke-stained rafters. ^Va sat hy a large stove in the
centre, and looked as if we had never known civilised life.
Miss K(!njins and I sat on either side of the fireplace in
broad-brimmed straw hats, Mrs. Maecallnmmore in front,
warming the feet of the unhappy baby, who had beeu a
j)assive spectatcn* of the fishing ; the three gentlemen
stood round in easy attitudes, these, be it remembered,
holding glass'^s of brandy and water ; and the two invalid
servants stood behind, occasionally uttering suppressed
shrieks as Mr. Oppe took one out of a heap of lobsters
and threw it into a caldron of boiling water on the stove.
This strange scene was illuminated by a blazing pine-
knot. Mr. Kenjins laughingly reminded me of the ele-
gant drawing-room in which he last saw me in England —
" Look on this picture and on tbat."

On the Sunday we crossed the Grand River, on a day
so stormy that the ferryman would not take the " scow "
across. We rowed ourselves over in a crazy boat, which
seemed about to fill and sink when we got to the middle
of the river, and attended service at Port Hill, one of the
most desolate-looking places I ever saw. We saw Lenox
Island, where on St. Ann's day all the island Lidian^-
meet and go through ceremonies with the Romish priests.

We remained for part of the next day with our hospi-
table friends at St. Eleanor's, and set out on an exj)loring
expedition in search of a spring which Mr. K. remem-
bered in his childish days. Wc went down to a lonely
cabin to make inquiries, and were told that " none but

ClIAP. III.

1' Spoil witli
n, a l.'ipge,
and lium.
ovo in tlie
viiisod life,
ii'oplaco in
V in front,
lad been a
gentlemen
nendjered,
wo invalid
suppressed
)f lobsters
the stove,
5ing })ine-
'f the elo-
^ngbind —

on a day

3 " SCOW "

»at, wbicii
le middle
)ne of the
Lw Lenox
i Indi.ans
h priests,
nr hospi-
!xj)loring
remem-
a lonely
one but

;ii\i'.

the old people knew of it — it was far away in tiie woods.'
Ilcrc \v;i!s mystery ; so, leaving the waggon, into the woods
we went to seek for it, and far away in the woods we found
it, and now others besides the " old people" know of it.

We struck into the f)rest, an old, untrodden forest,
where generations of trees had rotted away, and strange
flowers and lichens grew, and bats flew past us in the
artiticial darkness ; and tiiere were snakes too, ugly
spotted things, which hissed at us, an'd j)ut out their
double tongues, and then coiled themselves away in the
dim recesses of the forest. But on we went, climbing
with difticalty over prostrate firs, or breaking through
matted juni])er, and still the spring was not, though we
were " far away in the woods." But still we climbed on,
through swamp and jungle, till we tore our dresses to
pieces, and our hats got pulled oft' in a tree and some of
our hair with them ; but at last we rcNiched the spring. It
was such a scene as one might have dreamed of in some
forest in a fabulous Elysium. It was a large, deep l)asin
of pure white sand, covered with clear water, and seven
powerful springs, each about a foot high, rose from it ;
and trees had fallen over it, and were cov(;red with briaht
green moss, and others bent over it ready to fall; and
above them the tall hemlocks shut out the liglit, except
where a few stray beams glittered on the {)ure transparent
water.

And here it lay in lonely beauty, as it had done for
centuries, probably known only to the old peojde and to
the wandering Indians. In enterprising England a town
would have been built round it, and we should have had
cheap excursions to the " Baths of St. Eleanor's."

la-

■ )
■ i' :

■ ^-i^

A IIALF-STAIIVKI) rAIlTY.

ClIAl'. III.

Tn tlio ov(.'nlng wc? w»Mit to the liouso of Mi*. Oppo at
BeiK([iiL', l)ut not tiiidiiig liim at lionio wo presunu'd on
colonial iu)sj)itality s^o far as to pnt our liorso in tlio i-tal)lo
and unpack our clothes ; and when Mr. Oppe returned
lie found us playing at draughts, and joined us in a hearty
laugh at our coolness. Our fifth and last day's journey
was a long one of forty niilej, yet near Cape Traverse
our horse ran away down a steep hill, and across a long
wooden hridge without a parapet, thereby placing our
lives in iuuuinent jeopardy. After travelling for several
hours we cauie to a lone house, where we hoped to get
some refreshment both for ourselves and the horse, but
found the house locked^ a remarkable fact, as in this island
robbery is almost unknown. We were quite exhausted
with hunger, and our hearts sank when we found every
door and window cloaed. We then, as an act of mercy,
stole a sheaf of oats from a neighbouring field, and cut the
ears off for the horse with our penknives, after which we,
in absolute hunger, ate as many grains as we could clean
from the husks, and some fern, which we found very bitter.
We looked, very much like a group of vagrants sitting
by the road-side, the possession of the oats being disputed
with us by five lean pigs. When after another hour we
really succeeded in getting something more suitable for
human beings, we ate like famished creatures.

AVliile I was walking up a long hill, I passed a neat
cabin in a garden of pian))kins, placed in a situation ap-
parently chosen from its extreme picturesqueness. Seeing
an old man, in a suit of grey frieze and a hlue bonnet,
standing at the gate, I addressed him with the words,
" Cia mar thasibli an diugh.^^ " Slan gu rohh math

Cii.u'. III.

Oj)j)(« at
wuwd on
tlie i-tiihle
rotuniL'd
a lieartv
s journey
Travei'se

153 a lonrr

cing our
r several
d to get
orse, but
lis island
xhausted
id every
f mercy,
1 cut the
hich we,
lid clean
•y bitter.
5 sittinff

lisputed
hour we
able for

a neat
tion ap-

Seeing
bonnet,

words,
^i math

of/dibh. Cm mar tJmsihh anfrin"* was the delighted re])ly,
afM'oinpnnied with a hearty shake of both hands. Ih^ wjis
from Siii/ort, in the IjjIc of Skye, and, tiiough he had
attained e()ini)etence in th(^ land of his adoption, he
mourned the absence of his native; heather. He ai^ked
me the usual Highland question, " Tell me the news ;'*
and I told him all that I could recollect of those with
whom he was familiar. He spoke of the (yUchuUin Hills,
and the stern beautv of J.och Corruisk, with tears in liis
eyes. " Ah," he said, " I have no wish but to see them
once again. Who is the lady with you — the lily?" he
asked, for he spoke English imperfectly, and preferred his
own poetical tongue. " May your path be always bright,
lady !" he said, as he shook my hand warmly at parting ;
" and ye'll come and see me when ye come again, and
bring me tales from the old country." The simple wish
of Donnuil Dhu has often recurred to me in the midst of
gayer scenes and companions. It brought to mind me-
mories of many a hearty welcome received in the old
man's Highland home, and of those whose eyes were then
looking upon the Cuchullin Hills.

After this expedition, where so much kindness had been
experienced, Charlotte Town did not appear more delight-
ful than before, and, though sorry to take leave of many
kind relatives and friends, I was glad that only one more
day remained to me in the island.

I cordially wish its people every prosperity. They are
loyal, moral, and independent, and their sympathies with

* " How are you to-day ?" " Very well, thauk you. I hope you
are well."

D 3

■■•■■•,

FUTURE OF rrjNCE EDWARD ISLAND. Chai'. III.

England have lately been evidenced by their liberal con-
tributions to the Patriotic Fund. When their trade and
commerce shall have been extended, and when a more
suitable plan has been adopted for the i^u})port of reli-
gion ; when large portions of waste land have been
brought under cultivation, and local resonrces have been
farther developed, ])eople will be too much occuj)ied with
their own affairs to busy themselves, as now, cither with
the affairs of others, or with the puerile politics of so
small a ccmuiuuiity ; and then the island "1 deserve the
title which has been bestowed on it, '' ..v Garden of
British America J"

'« 1 1

r-n .,

Il V

CifAP. II r.

ral Con-
rad e and

a more
: of reli-
ve been
ve been
iod with
itM" with
s of so

rvo the

•den of

From St. George's Cross to the Stars nnd Stripes — Uupunctuulity
Incoiiipetc'iice — A wretoliod iiii^Iit — CulDiiiiil curiosity — Tlie
fiishious — A nif^'lit in a huflUlo robe — A statue j<nu'tiey — A queer
cliaracter — I'oiitics — Chemistry — Matliematic.s — li'otten bridges
— A ini(hiiglit arrival — Coh>iiial ignoi-auce — Yaiilcee conceit — Wiiat
ten-horso power chaps can do — The ])estih>nco — Tli3 city on tlie
rock — New IJrun.swick — Steand)oat peculiarities — Going ahead
in tlie eating line — A storm — Stepping ashore.

Tjie ravi.ges of the cliolera having in some degree ceased,
1 left Prince Edward Ishmd for the United States, and
decided to endure the delays and inconveniences of the
intercolonial route for the purpose of seeing something
of New Brunswick on my way to Boston.

The journey from the island to the States is in itself
by no means an easy one, and is rendered still more diffi-
cult by the want of arrangement on the part of those who
conduct the transit of travellers. The inhabitants of our
eastern colonies do not iniderfttand the value of time,
consequently the uncertain arrivals and departures of the
Ladtf Lc Marchant furnish matter for numerous specu-
lations. From some circumstances which had occurred
within my knowledge — one being that the captain of this
steamer had forf/otten to call for the continental mails —
I did not attach much importance to the various times
which were fixed definitely for her sailing between the
hours of four and ten.

A cloudy, gloomy night had succeeded to the bright

•■V ,. *

j3j '

•i;

if,

■'^^

•'■'..1

■ .", '

kib '

'.V-'.

ii',

■•;■ »

-?.-;

ri'

A SCENE OF BUNGLING,

Chap. IV.

if.

.11

. ' '^

V ■■!

!.' ir,

■■ -^

'4\

;•!

if^

■' :||

' M;

!• t

blaze of an August day. and miilnigiit was fast approadi-
ing boforo tbe signal-beil I'aiig. Two friends iict'om-
})anied nie as far as li<'de(|ue, and, besides the gentleman
under whose escort 1 was to travel, then; were twelve
island gentlemen and two ladies, all supposed to l)e bound,
like myself, for Boston. All separate individualities were,
however, lost amid the confusion of bear-skin and water-
proof coats and the inipenetral>le darkness which brooded
both on wharf and steamer.

An amusing scene of bungling marked our departure
from Charlotte Town. The captain, a sturdy old North-
umbrian seaman, thorougiily understood his business ;
but the owners of the ship comj)elled him to share its
management with a very ])ertinaei(>us j)ilot, and the con-
flicting orders given, an ' the want of harra<my in the
actions produced, gave i . to many reflections on the
evils of divided responsibility. On ti»e night in question
some mysterious s})ell seemed to bind us to the shores of
Prince Edward Island. In an attempt to get the steamer
oflT she ran stern foremost upon the bows})rit of a
schooner, then broke one of the piles of the wharf to
pieces, crushing her fender to »toms at the same time.
Some persons on the pier, comp«»sionating our hel|)less-
ncss, attempted to stave the ship orfF with long ])oles, but
this well-nieant attem})t failed, as did several others, until
some one suggested to the captahi the very simple expe-
dient of working tii«' enjSjiiK^s, when the steamer moved
slowly away, smashing th»^ bulwarks of a new brig, and
soon in the dark and nuirky atmosjjfaer- the few lights of
Charlotte Town ceased to be vusible.

The compass was then rerjuir«»i, but tine matches in the

-m

il>»

ClIAI'. IV.

i])])roac-li-
acc'om-
ntloiiian
e ts\olve
'0 bound,
ies were,
(1 water-
fji'oodcd

'parture

I Xoi-th-

usiuoss ;
nu'G its

tiie con-
in the
on the
uestion

lores of

?toainer

; of a

barf to

3 time,

Ipless-

tJs, but

?, until
expe-

inoved

3»

and

jilts of

in the

Chai'. IV,

A VrRETCIIED NIGHT.

Wife

slilp liung fire ; and wlien a passenger at length produced
a light, it was discovered that the lamj) in the binnacle
was without that essential article, oil. jMeanwhile no one
had ascertained wliat had caused tbe heavy smash at the
outset, and certain timid persons, in the idea that a hole
had been knocked in the ship's side, were in continual
apprehension, that she would fill and sink. To drown all
such gloomy ajiticipations we sang several songs, among
others the a])propriate one, " Isle of Beauty, fare thee
well." The voices rapidly grew more faint and spiritless
as we stood farther out to sea, a failure which miglit have
been attributed to m'ief at leavin" old friends on the
chance of making new ones, had not hints and questions
been speedily interchanged, such as " Do you like the
sea?" " Are you feeling comfortable?" "Would you
prefer being downstairs?" — and the like.

Cloaks and pillows became more thought of than either
songs or friends ; indefinable sensations of melancholy
rendered the merriest of the party silent, and a perfect
deluge of rain rendered a retreat into the lower regions
a precautionary measure which even the bc'iest were
content to adopt. Below, in addition to the close over-
powering odour of cabins without any ventilation, the
smell of the bilge-water was sufficient in itself to produce
nausea. The dark den called the ladies' cabin, which
was by no means clean, was the sleeping abode of twelve
people in various stages of discomfort, and two babies.

1 spent a very comfortless four hours, and went on deck
at dawn to find a thick fog, a heavy rain, the boards
swimming with soot and water, and one man cowering at
the wheel. Most of the gentlemen, induced by the dis-

rn,

in-

■; ' 'J

1 Ml

£i

t 1

I •(!

REDEQUE.

Chap. IV.

comfort to bo early risers, came up before we reached
Bedeque, in oilskin caps, coats, and leggings, wearing
that expression on their physiognomies peculiar to Anglo-
Saxons in the rain.

The K s wished me to go ashore here, but the

skipper, who seemed to have been born with an objection
on the tip of his tongue, dissuaded me, as the rain was
falling heavily, and the boat was a quarter full of water ;
but as my clothes ccmld not be more thoroughly satu-
rated than they were, I landed ; and even at the early
hour of six we found a blazing log-fire in the ship-
builder's hospitable house, and " Biddy," more the
"Biddy" of an Irish novelist than a servant in real life,
with her merry face, rich brogue, and potato-cakes, wel-
comed us with many expressions of commiseration for our
drowned plight.

Who that has ever experienced the miseries of a
voyage in a dirty, crowded, and ill-ventilated little
steamer, has not also appreciated the pleasure of getting
upon the land even for a few minutes ? The consciousness
of the absence of suffocating sensations, and of the com-
fort of a floor which does not move under the feet — of
space, and cleanliness, and warmth — soon produce an
oblivion of all past miseries ; but if the voyage has not
terminated, and the relief is only temporary, it enhances
the dread of future ones to such an extent that, when
the captain came to the door to fetch me, I had to rouse
all my energies before I could leave a blazing fire to
battle with cold and rain again. The offer of a cup of
tea, which I would have supposed irresistible, would not
induce him to permit me to finish my breakfast, but at

Chap. IV,

reached

Anglo-

ClIAP. IV.

VO'V AGE CONTIXITED.

lengtli his better nature prevailed, and ho consented to
send the boat a second time.

After allowing my pocket to be filled with "notions"
by the generous " Biddy," I took leave of Miss Kenjins,
who is good, clever, and agreeable enough to redeem the
youiig-lidyliood of the island — nor was there enough of
pleasant promise for the future to compensate for the
regret 1 felt at leaving those wlio had received a stranger
with such kindness and hospitality.

I jumped into the boat, where I stood with my feet in
the water, in company with several gentlemen with drip-
ping umbrellas, whose marked want of nasal develop?nent
rendered Disraeli's description of " flat-nosed Franks "
peculiarly appropriate. The rain poured down as rain
never pours in England ; and under these very dispiriting
circumstances I began my travels over the North Ameri-
can continent.

I went down to my miserable berth, and vainly tried to
sleep, the discomfort and mismanagement which prevailed
leading my thoughts by force of contrast to the order,
cleanliness, and regularity of the inimitable line of
s'eamers on the West Highland coast. AVherever the
means of locomotion are concerned, these colonies are
very far behind either the " old country " or their enter-
prising neighbours in Canada ; and at present they do
not appear conscious of the deficiencies which ar-; sternly
forced upon a traveller's observation.

The prospect which appeared through the door was not
calculated to please, as it consisted of a low, dark, and
suffbcating cabin, filled with men in suits of oilskin,
existing in a steamy atmosphere, loided with the odours

^%fl:l

1*.}

.V'

SIIEDIAC.

Chap. IV.

h\ ;>i'i '\

of india-rubber, to1)acco, and spirits. The stewardess
was ill, and my conipanions were groaning ; unheeded
babies were crying ; and the only pleasing feature in the
scene was the gruff old pilot, ubiquitous in kindness, ever
performing some act of humanity. At one moment he
was holding smelling-salts to some exhausted lady — at
another carrying down a poor Irishwoman, who, though
a steerage passenger, should not, he said, be left to perish
from cold and hunger — and again, feeding some crying
baby with bread and milk. My clothes were completely
saturated, and his good offices probably saved me from a
severe illness by covering me up with a blanket.

At twelve we reached Shediac in New Brunswick, a
place from which an enormous quantity of timber is
annually exported. It is a village in a marsh, on a large
bay surrounded by low wooded hills, and presents every
appearance of unheaithiness. Huge square-sided ship.,
English^ Dutch, and Austrian, were swallowing up rafts
of pine which kept arriving from the shore. The water
on this coast is shallow, and, though our steamer was
not of more than 150 tons burthen, we were obliged to
anchor nearly two miles from shore.

Shediac had recently been visited by the cholera, and
there was an infectious melancholy about its aspect,
which, coupled with the fact that I was wet, cold, and
weary, and with the discovery that my escort and I had
not two ideas in common, had a tendency to produce any-
thing but a lively frame of mind.

We and our luggage were unceremoniously trundled
into two large boats, some of the gentlemen, 1 am sorry
to say, forcing their way into the first, in order to secure

at.*ii

Chap, iv

CHA1>. IV

THE LANDIXO-PLACE.

cry 1 no-

for tlioniselves inside places in tlie stage. An American
gentleman offered our rowers a dollar if they could gain
the shore first, but they failed in doing so, and these very
ungallant individuals hired the first waggon, and drove
off at fall speed to the Bend on the Petticodiac river,
confident in the success of their scheme. What was their
surprise and mortification to find that a gentleman of our
party, who said he was " an old stager, and up to a dodge
or two," had leisurely telegraphed from Shediac for nine
places ! Tims, on their arrival at the Bend, the delinquents
found that, besides being both censured and laughed at
for their selfishness, they had lost their places, their dinners,
and their tempers.

As we were rowing to shore, the captain told us that
our worst difficulty was yet to come — an insuperable one,
he added, to corpulent persons. There was no landing-
place for boats, or indeed for anything, at low water, and
we had to climb up a wharf ten feet high, formed of huge
round logs })laced a foot apart from each other, and
slippery with sea-grass. It is really incredible that, at a
place through which a considerable traffic passes, as being
on the high road from Prince Edward Island to the
United States, there should be a more inconvenient
landing-j)Iace than I ever saw at a Highland village.

Large, high, springless waggons were waiting for us on
this wharf, which, after jolting us along a bad road for
s(mie distance, deposited us at the door of the inn at
Shediac, where we came for the first time upon the track
of the cholera, which had recently devastated all the
places along our route. Here we had a substantial
dinner of a very homely description, and, as in Nova

§'

'}■■>

h
■' Mi

'?;^

.■i.;t'

^f'

^l^

COLONIAL CITJOSTTY.

Cii.vr. IV.

i ;^

Scotin, a cup of toa sweetened with molasses was placed
by each plate, instead of any intoxicating hcvenigc.

After this meal I went into the " house-room," or
parlour, a general " rendezvous " of lady visitors, babies,
unmannerly children, Irish servant-girls with tangled
hair and bare feet, colonial gossips, " cute " urchins, and
not unfrequently of those curious-looking beings, jiauper-
emigrant lads from Erin, who do a little of everything
and nothing well, denominated stable-helps.

Hero I was assailed with a host of questions as to my
country, objects in travelling, &c., and I speedily found
that being from the " old country " gave me a status in
the eyes of the colonial ladies. I was requested to take
off my cloak to display the pattern of my dress, and the
performance of a very inefficient country modiste passed
off as the latest Parisian fashion. My bonnet and cloak
were subjected to a like scrutiny, and the pattern of the
dress was taken, after which I was allowed to resume my
seat.

Interrogatories about England followed, and I was
asked if I had seen the queen ? The hostess " guessed "
that sue must be a " tall grand lady," and one pretty
damsel that " she must dress beautiful, and always vear
the crown out of doors." I am afraid that I rather less-
ened the estimation in which our gracious liege lady was
held 1)} her subjects when I replied that she dressed very
simply on ordinary occasions ; had never, I believed, worn
the crown since her coronation, and was very little above
my he'ght. They inquired about the royal children, but
evinced more curiosity about the princess-royal than with
respect to the heir to the throne.

Ciiw, IV

'«^s placed
igo.

•oom," 01-
•i^, babies,
tangled
J'j'is, and
JJciuper-
'^'O'tliinff

Chap. IV.

THE NEW lUH'XSWICKERS.

? to

y found
^fafus in

to take
and the

I>assed
J cloak

of the
me my

One of the querists had been at Boston, but guessed
that " London must be a pretty considerable toucli
iiigher," iNIost, bosvever, could only comj)are it in idea
with St. John, N. B., and listened with the greatest
appearance of interest to the wonders which I narrated
of the extent, wealth, and magnificence of the British
metropolis. Altogether I was favourably ini^> essed by
their intelligence, and during my short journey through
New Brunswick I formed a higher opinion of the unedu-
cated settlers in this province than of those in Nova
Scotia. They are very desirous to possess a reputation
for being, to use their borrowed phraseology, " Knowing
'coons, with their eye-teeth well cut." It would be well
if they borrowed from their neighbours, the Yankees,
something more useful than their slang, which renders
the vernacular of the province rather repulsive. The
spirit of enterprise, which has done so much for the ad-
jacent state of 3Iaine, has not yet displayed itself in New
Brunswick in the completion of any works of practical
utility; and tlumgh the soil in many places has great
natural capabilities, these have not been taken du2
advantage of.

There are two modes of reaching St. John f"om
Shediac, one by stage, the other by steamer; and the
ladies and children, fearful of the fatigue of a land
journey, remained to take the steamer from the Bend.
I resolved to stay under Mr. Sandford's escort, and go
by land, one of my objects being to see as much of the
country as possible ; also my late experiences of colonial
steamboat travelling had not been so agreeable as to
induce me to brave the storms of the Bay of Fundy in a

■'i '.

A. I -ft'

i i

A WAfiOOX JOrUNEY.

Chap. IV.

crazy vessel, wliicli had been injured only two nights*
before by a collision in a race. On the night on which
some of Tny companions sailed the Creoles engines were
disabled, and she remained in a helpless condition for
four hours, so I had a very fortunate escape.

Taking leave of the amusingly miscellaneous party in
the " house-room," I left Shediac for the Bend, in com-
pany with seven persons from Prince Edward Island, in
a waggon drawn by two ponies, and driven by the land-
lord, a shrewd specimen of a colonist.

This mode of transit deserves a passing notice. The
waggon consisted of an oblong shallow wooden tray on
four wheels ; on this were placed three boards resting on
high unsteady props, and the machine was destitute of
springs. The ponies were thin, shaggy, broken-kneed
beings, under fourteen hands high, with harness of a most
meagre description, and its coht^sive qualities seemed very
small, if I might judge from the frequency with which
the driver alighted to repair its parts with pieces of twine,
with which his pockets were stored, I suppose in antici-
pation of such occasions.

These poor little animals took nearly four hours to go
fourteen miles, and even this rate of progression was only
kept up by the help of continual admonitions from a stout
leather thong.

It was a dismal evening, very like one in England at
the end of November — the air cold and damp — and 1
found the chill from wet clothes and an east wind any-
thing but agreeable. The country also was extremely un-
inviting, and I thought its aspect more gloomy than that of
Nova Scotia. Sometimes we traversed swamps swarming

It'

wo niglitj<

on wliicli

;in(»s were

iition for

i party in

in com-

sland, in

ho land-

te. The
tray on
sting on
itute of
n-kneed
■ a most
ed very
b which
P twine,
antici-

I to go
IS only
1 stout

ind at
and I
I any-
y un-
hat of
minor

Cir.u'. IV.

THE BEND.

witli bnlltrog.-!, on corduroy roads wliicii nearly jolted us
out of the vehicle, then dreary levels abounding in spindly
hacnietac, hemlock, and birch-trees ; next we would go
down into a cedar-swamp alive with mosquitoes. Dense
forests, impassable morasses, and sedgy streams always
bounded the immediate prosj)ect, and the clearings were
few and far between. Nor was the conversation of my
comj)anions calcidated to beguile a tedious journey ; it
was on *■'• s,iatchiiii/s,'' '' siiarliiif/s,'' and other puerilities
of island politics, corn, sugar, and molasses.

About dusk we reached the Bend, a dismal piece of
alluvial swampy-looking land, drained by a wide, muddy
river, called the Petticodiae, along the shore of which a
considerable shij)building vilhige is located. The tide
here rises and falls twenty-four feet, and sixty at the
mouth of the river, in the Bay of Fundy. It was a dis-
piriting view — acres of mud bare at low water, and miles
of swamp covered with rank coarse grass, intersected by
tide-streams, which are continually crossed on rotten
wooden bridges without parapets. This place had re-
cently been haunted by fever and cholera.

As there was a slight incline into the village, our
miserable ponies connnenced a shambling trot, the noise
of which brought numerous idlers to the inn-door to
inquire the news. This inn was a rambling, unpainted
erection of wood, opj)osite to a " cash, credit, and barter
store," kept by an enterprising Caledonian — an additional
proof of the saying which ascribes ubi(juity to " Scots,
Newcastle grindstones, and Birmingham buttons." A
tidy, bustling landlady, very American in her phraseo-
logy, but kind in her way, took me under her especial

y*-'

■ I-'

»■}•

■■■'' ^

;f-

i':,''^

i--!?

/■,

'■^'- 1

;■ ■•• ■■•'J >f'

INN AT THE BEND.

Chap. IV.

' i

> '.

, '■(

] .•■

I 1

protoctlun, as forty men were staying in tlie house, and
there was an astonisliing paucity of the softer sex ; indeed,
in all my subsequent travels I met with an undue and
rather disagreeable preponderance of the " lords of the
creation."

Not being inrlined to sit in the " parlour " with a very
motley company, I accompanied the hostes^s into the
kitchen, and tat by the fire upon a chouping-bloik, the
most luxurious seat in the a})artment. Two shoeless
Irish girls were my other companions, and one of them,
hearing that I was from England, inquired if I were
acquainted with "one Mike Donovan, of Skibbereen !"
The landlady's daughter was also there, a little, sharp-
visaged, precocious torment of three years old, who spilt
my ink and lost my thimble ; and then, coming up to me,
said, " Well, stranger, I guess you're kinder tired." She
very unceremoniously detached my watch from my chain,
and, looking at it quite with the eye uf a connoisseur,
"guessed it must have cost a pretty high figure" I After
she had filled my purse with ink, for which misdemeanour
her mother offered no apology, I looked into the tea-room,
which presented the curious spectacle of forty men, in-
cluding a number of ship-carpenters of highly respectable
appearance, taking tea in the silent, business-like way in
which Transatlantic meals are generally despatched. My
own meal, which the landlady evidently intended should
be a very luxurious one, consisted of stewed tea, sweet-
ened with molasses, soft cheese instead of butter, and
dark rye-bread.

The inn was so full that my hostess said she could not
give me a bed — rather an unwelcome announcement to a

.#.'

Chap. IV.

ouse, and
; intleet],
kIuo and
ds of the

tli a very
into tlie
•lotk, the

slioeless
of tlieni,

I were
bereen !"
?, sharp-
ivho spilt
p to me,
i." She
y chain,
loisseur.
After
iieanour
a- room,
lien, in-
jectable

way in
J. My

should

sweet-
er, and

lid not
nt to a

Chap. IV.

A STACK JOUUNEV.

wayworn traveller— and with considerable c()nii)lacency
she took me int(» a large, whitewashed, carpetless room,
furnished with one chair, a small table, and my valise.
She gave me two huHaK) robes, and left me, hojjing I
should be comfortable ! llather disposed to (piarrel with
a iir.rdship whieli shortly afterwards I shoulil have laughed
at. I rolled up my cloak fur a pillow, wrapped myself in
a burt'alo-skin, and slept as soundly as on the most luxu-
rious couch. I was roused early by a general thumj)ing
and clattering, and, making the hasty toilette which one is
comj)elled to do when destitute of ai)pliances, 1 found the
stage at the early hour of six ready at the door ; and, to
my surprise, the coachman was mulfled up in furs, and
the morning was intensely cold.

This vehicle was of the J^ame construction as that which
1 have already described in Nova Scotia ; but, being nar-
rower, was infinitely more uncomfortable. Seven gentle-
men and two ladies went inside, in a space where six
would have been disagreeably crowded. Mr. Sandford
preferred the outside, where he could smoke his cigar
without molestation. The road was very hilly, and several
tinn;s our progress was turned into retrogression, for the
hordes invariably refused to go up hill, probably, poor
things ! because they felt their inability to drag the
loaded wain up the steep declivities which we continually
met with. The passengers were therefore frequently
called upon to get out and walk — a very agreeable recre-
ation, for the ice was the thickness of a penny ; the ther-
mometer stood at 35° ; there was a piercing north-east
wind ; and though the sun shone from a cloudless sky,
his rays had scarcely any power. We breakfasted at

\ 'is'

AN EXLTfiTITEXED COMrANIOX.

CllAI'. IV.

'■ifi

:> ' :

\l K

'ii,V-

eight, cat .a little wayside inn, .and then travelled till
midnight with scarcely any cessation.

The way wonld have heen very tedious had it not
heen enlivened by the eccentricities of Mr. Latham, an
English passenger. After breakfast the conversation in
the stage was pretty general, led by the individual afore-
said, who lectured and pj-cac/ied^ rather than conversed.
Few subjects were untouched by his eloquence ; he spoke
with e(iual ease on a difficult point in theology, and on
the conformation of the sun. He lectured on politics,
astronomy, chemi.<try, and anatomy with great fluency
and equal incorrectness. In describing the circulation of
the blood, he said, " It 's a purely niet;ij)hysical subject ;"
and the answering remark, " It is the most purely
physical," made him vehemently angry. lie spoke of the
sun by saying, " I 've studied the sun ; I know it as well
as I do this field ; it 's a dark body with a luminotis
atmosphere, and a climate more agreeable than that of
the earth "— thus announcing as a fact what has been
timidly put forward as a theory only by our greatest
astronomers.

Politics soon came on the fajn's, when he attacked
British institutions violently, with an equa^ amount of
ignorance and presumption, making such glaring mis-
statements that I felt bound to contradict them ; when he,
not liking to be lowered in the estimation of his com-
panions, contested the points in a way which closely
bordered upon rudeness.

He made likewise a very pedantic display of scientific
knowledge, in virtue of an occasional attendance at meet-
ings of mechanics' institutes, and asked the gentlemen —

CnAi'. IV.
illed till

i\ it not

ham, iin

ijition in

al afore-

invorsed.

le spoke

', and on

politics,

tlucncy

lation of

iubject ;"

purely

ke of the

t as well

uminons

I that ''f

us been

greatest

ittacked
lount of
ng niis-
vhen he,
lis coni-
closely

clentific
it meet-
emen —

Chap. IV.

CIm^fISTIlY.

for "We're all gwatlenien lM*ro "— numennif' questions,
to which they could n^ n^ply, when one of the party took
courage to ask him why tin* bunied. " Oh, because of
the hydrogen in the air, of course," was the complacent
aus^wer. " I beg your pardon, t>iit there is no li}drogen
in atmo«])herie air." — " There 1« : I know the air well : it
is compof^c-d otMi-lialf of iiydrogfei), the other half of
nitrogen and oxygen." "You're .*i>rdy cfvnfounding it
with water. " — •" No, I am as well a<*r|uaint«'(l with the
composition of water as with tliat of air it is ccmtposed
of the same gases, only in difterent [jroportions." This
was too monstrous, and his opj)onent, /hile contradicting
the statement, could not avoid a hea«''v lauj^li at its
absurdity, in which the others joined without knowing Nshy,
which so raised the choler of tl:'s irascible gentltMiian, that
it was most difficult to smooth matters. lie cootendel
that he was right and the otlxM' wrong ; that his proposi-
tions were held by all chemists of eminence on both .-ides
of the water ; that, though he had not verified the elements
of these fluids by analysis, he wj»5 perfectly ac(|iiainted
with their nature ; that the composition of air was a uiore
theory, but that his opponent's view was not held by anv
sAvaHS of note. The latter merely replied, " Wiien you
next light a candle you ma> oe thankful that there is no
hydrogen in the air;" after which there was a temporary
cessation of hostilities.

But towarils night, being still unwarned by the dis-
comfitures of the morning- he propounded some (piestions
which his com])anions could not answer ; among which
was, " Why are there black sheei)?" l^'*^^ '"' would
have solved this ditficult problem in natural history, I do

'i:'^

mv^

:4-

H ''^

■ I-

\¥^.yf

MATHEMATICS.

Chap. IV.

not know. Mystification sat on all faces, when llic inili-
vidual who had before attacked Mr. Latliam's misstate-
ments, took up tlie defence of the puzzled colonists by
volwntecring to answer the (juestion if he would explain
how " impossible roots enter ecjuations." No reply was
given to this, when, on some of the gentlemen urging
him, j)(nhai)s rather mischievously, to answer, he retorted
angrily, — " I 'm master of mathematics as well as of otlier
sciences ; but I see there 's an intention to make fun of
me. I don't choose to be made a butt of, and I'll show
you tliat 1 can be as savage as other people. ' This
threat had the effect of producnig a total silence for the
remainder of the journey ; but Mr. Latham took an
opportunity of exj)laining to me that in this speech he
intended i.o })ersonal allusion, but had found it necessary
to check the ill-timed mirth in the stage. In spite of his
})resumption and pedantry, he never lost an opportunity
of showing kindness. I saw him last in the very extremity
of terror, during a violent gale off the coast of Maine.

For the first fifty miles after leaving the Bend, our road
lay through country as solitary and wild as could be con-
ceiveu — high hills, covered with endless forests of small
growth. I looked in vain for the gigantic trees so cele-
brated by travellers in America. If they ever grew in
this region, they now, in the shnpe of shij)s, are to be
found on every ;-ea where England's flag waves. Occa-
sionally the smoke of an Indian wigwam would rise in a
thin blue cloud from among the dark foliage of the hem-
lock ; and by the })rimitive habitaticm one of the aboriginal
possessors of the soil might be seen, in tattered habili-
ments, cleaning a gun or repairing a bark canoe, scarcely

ClIAI'. IV.

ilic iiuli-
nisstate-
nists by
i Gxphiiu
L'})ly was
1 urging
rotor ted
of otlier
;o inn of
I'll hhov.
" This
.! for the
took an
icecli he
ecessary
te of his
ortunity
itreniity
line.
)ii»' roail

be con-
)f small

so cole-

grew m

CiiAi-. IV. ADVANTAGP]S OF NEW PRUNSWICK.

3 to be
Occa-
se in a
le heui-
original
habili-
acarcely

•;?

deigning an apathetic glance at those whom the appliances
of civilisation and scic^iice had jdaced so immeasurably
above him. Then a squaw, with a papoose strapped upon
her back, would peep at us from behind a tree ; or a half-
clothed urchin would pursue us for coppers, contrasting
str.ingely with the majesty of Uncas, or the sublimity of
Chiiirfdchgook ; portraits which it is very doubtful if
C\)oj)er ev(;r took from life.

In the f(^w places where the land had been cleared the
cultivation was tolerable and the houses comfortable,
surrounded generally by cattle-sheds and rich crops of
Tartarian oat?. 'J'he jjotatoes ajipeared to be free from
disease, and the i)unipki)i crr.p was evidently abundant
and in good condition. Sussex Valley, along which we
passed for thirty miles, is gn^en, wooded, and smilingly
fertile, being watered by a clear rapid river. The nume-
rous hay-meadows, and the neat appearance of the cirable
land, reminded me of England. It is sur))rising, con-
sidering the advantages possessed l>y New Brunswick,
that it has not been a more favourite resort of emic^rants.
It seems to me that one great reason of thiis must be the
ditficulty and expense of land-travelling, as the ])rovince
is destitute of the means of internal communication in
the shape of railways and canals. It contains several
navigable rivers, and the tracts of country near the St.
Jolm, the Petticodiac, and the Miramichi rivers are very
fertile, and adapted for cultiv.'tion. The lakes and minor
streams in the interior of the province are also surrounded
by rich land, and the ca))acious bays along the coast
abound with fissh. New Brunswick possesses " res]>on.-ible
government," and has a Governor, an Executive (Jouncil,

E 2

,«7

■ I < >l

.k./'<

i'rt.

'• ^

i:^

'^m

■, f^ '

•-.*3

iit

:' i

■i
I

"ti

if I

■i!

I 'I
'II

i'l

ill'

EMIGRANTS.

ClfAP. IV.

a Legislative Council, and a ITouse of Assembly. Exce])i
tliat certain CApj^nsos of defenc > &c., are Imrnc by the
home government, which would jirotcct the colony in thi'
event ot any predatory incursions on tlie part of tlie Ame-
ricans, it has all the advantages of being an independent
nation ; and it is believed that the Hecij)rocity Treaty,
recently concluded with the United States, will prove of
great commercial benefit.

Yet the nund)er of emim-ants who have souQ-ht its
shores is comparatively small, and these arrivals were
almost exclusively of the labouring classes, attracted In
the extraordinarily high rates of wages, and were chiefly
absf>rbed by mechanical employments. The numbers
landed in 1853 were 3702, and, in 1854, 3618. Witii
respect to the general affairs of New Brunswick, it is very
satisfactory to observe that the ])rovincial revenue has
increased to upwards of 200,000/. per annum.

Fredericton, a town of about UOOO inhabitants, on tho
St. John river, by which it has a daily communication
with the city of St. John, 90 miles distant, by steam.er, is
the capital and seat of government. New Brunswick has
considerable mineral wealth ; coal and iron are abundant,
and the climate is less foggy than that of Nova Scotia :
but these great natural advantages are suffered to lio
nearly dormant. The colonists are very hardy and ex-
tremely loyal ; but the vice of drinking, so prevalent in
northern climates, has recently called for legislative inter-
ference.

We stopped at the end of every stage of eighteen miles
to change horses, and at one of the little inns an old
man brought to the door of the stage a very pretty, inte-

Chap. TV.

. Exce])t
ne by tln'
:)ny in tin."
tlie Ame-
dopondcnt
ty Treaty,
'. prove of

sought it.<
vals were
racted by
[3re cbiefly
numbers
8. Witli
, it is very
r'enuo has

ts, on the
luiiication
teauier, is
iswiek has
abundant,
'ii Scotia ;
ed to be
y and ex-
vaient in
;ive inter-

een miles
IS an old
3tty, inte-

ClIAP. IV.

IIOMMAGE AUX DAMES.

resting-looking girl of fifteen years old, and placed her
under my care, retiuesting me to " see her safely to her
home in St. John, and not allow any of tiie gentlemen to
be rude to her." The latter part of the instructions was
very easy to fulfil, as, whatever faults the colonists pos-
sess, they are extremely respectful in their manners to
ladies. But a difficulty arose, or rather what would have
been a difficulty in England, for the stage was full both
inside and out, and all the passengers were desirous to
reach Boston as speedily as possible. However, a gentle-
man from New England, seeing the auxiety of the young
girl to reach St. John, got out of the stage, and actually
remained at the little roadside inn for one whole day and
two nights, in order to accommodate a stranger. This
act of kindness was performed at great personal incon-
venience, and the gentleman who showed it did not appear
to attach the slightest merit to it. The novelty of it made
a strong impression upon me, and it fully bore out all
that I had read or heard of the almost exaggerated defer-
ence to ladies which custom requires from American
gentlemen.

After darkness came on, the tedium of a journey of
twenty hours, performed while sitting in a very cramped
posture, was almost insupportable, and the monotony of it
was only broken by the number of wooden bridges which
we crossed, and the driver's admonition, " Bridge dan-
gerous ; passengers get out and walk." The night was
very cold and frosty, and so productive of aguish chills,
that I was not at all sorry for the compelled pedes-
trianism entailed upon me by the insecure state of these
bridges.

.'♦ 'J

, • " -til

■.\\r

AMERICAN "IIELrS."

Chap. IV.

■■(• 4

yjM^

I 'Vk

, ,1

My young cluirgo seomt'd extremely timid while cross-
ing them, and uttered a few suppressed shrieks when
curious splitting noises, apparently proceeding from the
woodwork, broke the stillness ; nor was I altogether sur-
prised at her emotions when, as we were walking over ji
bridge nearly half a mile in length, I was told that a coach
and six hrrces had di!-."ti)peared through it a fortnight
before, at the cost of several broken limbs.

AVhile crossing the St. John, near the pretty town of
Hampton, one of our lead(!rs put both his fore feet into a
hole, and was with difficulty extricated.

Precisely at midnight the stage clattered down the steej)
streets of the city of St. John, to which the ravages of the
cholera had recently given such a terrible celebrity. After
a fruitless ])ilgrimage to three hotels, we were at length
rec<j;ve(' atWaverley House, having accomplished a journey
of one hundred miles in twenty hours I On ringing my
bell, it was answered by a rough porter, and I soon found
that waifinf/ chami)ermaids are not essential at Trans-
atlantic hotels ; anil the female servants, or rather helps,
are of a very superior class. A friend of mine, on leaving
an hotel at Niagara, offered a douceur in the shape of halt"
a dollar to one of these, but she drew herself up, and
|)roudly replied, "American ladies do not receive money
from gi'Utlemijn." Hav-ng left my keys at the Bend, I
found my valise a useless incumbrance, rather annoying
after a week of travelling.

We spent the Sunday at St. John, and, the oj)portune
arrival of my keys enabling me to don S(mie habiliments
suited to the day, I went to the church, where the service,
with the excc{)tion of the sermon, was very well performed.

if»

ClIAI'. IV.

>ilc cross-
oks when

from the
ether siir-
ig over a
It a coach

fortniglit

y town of
eet into a

the steep
;es of the

. After
at lengtli
a journey
iging my
•on found
it Trans-
lier lieljjs,
n leaving
pe of half

up, and
e money

Bend, I
annoying

})portune
biliments
i service,
rfornied.

Chap. IV.

CHOLERA.

A solemn thanksgiving for the removal of the cholera was
read, and was rendered very impressive by the fact that
most of the congregation were in new mourning. The
Angel of Death had long hovered over the doomed city,
which lost rather more than a tenth of its popidation from
a disease which in the hot summer of America is nearly as
fatal and terrible as the plague. All who could leave the
town fled ; hut many carried the disease with them, and
died uj)on the road. The hotels, shipyards, and stores
were closed, bodies rudely nailed up in boards were hurried
about the streets, and met with hasty burial outside the
city, before vital warmth had fled ; the lioly ties of natural
art'ection were disregarded, and the dying were left alone
to me(;t the King of Terrors, none remaining to close
their eyes ; the ominous clang of the death-bell was heard
both night and day, and a dense brown fog was snpposed
to brood over the city, which for five weeks was the abode
of the dying and the dead.

A temporary regard for religion was produced among
the inhabitants of St. John by the visit of the pestilence ;
it was scarcely possible for the most sceptical not to re-
cognise the overruling providence of God : and I have
seldom seen more external respect for the Sabbath and the
ordinances of religion than in this city.

Tile j)rcp()n(ierance of the lougher sex was very strongly
marked at W'averley House. Fifty gentlemen sat down
to dinner, and only three ladies, inclusive of the landlady.
Fifty-tiiree cups of tea graced the Uible, which was like-
wise ornamented with six boih . legs of mutton, numerous
dishes of splendid potatoes, and corn-cobs, squash, and
pum})kin-pie, in true colonial abundance.

• >'

*; ■»■

',-(<•;

..'U'.

>i.

i'..:'
I.

■■'■■; f't'^i

■■■■.--v4'«.'t , :
> ,■• .;!"? J. *:

ii i

COLONIAL IGNORANCE.

Chap. IV.

hrl '

I cannot forbear giving a conversation wliich took place
at a meal at this inn, as it is very characteristic of the
style of persons whom one continually meets with in
travelling in these colonies: "I guess you're from the
Old Country?" commenced my vis-d-vis ; to which recog-
nition of my nationality I humbly bo-.^cd. " What do you
think of us here down east?" " I have been so short a time
in these provinces, that 1 cannot form any just opinion."
" Oh, but you must have formed some ; we like to know
what Old Country folks think of us." Thus asked, I
could not avoid making some rej)ly, and said, " I think
there is a great want of systematic enterprise in these
colonies ; you do not avail yourselves of the great natural
advantages which you possess." " ^^ ell, the fact is, old
fother Jackey Bull ought to help us, or let us go off on
our own hook right entirely." " You have responsible
government, and, to use your own ])hrase, you are on
' your own hook' in all but the name." " Well, I guess
as we are ; ware a hug chalk above the Yankees^ though
them is fellers as thinks nobody's got their eye teeth cut
but themselves."

Th(« self-complacent Ignorance with which this remark
was made was ludicrous in the extreme. He began
again : " ^^'hat do you think of Nova Scotia and the
' Blue Noses' ? Halifax is a grand place, sure/?/ /" " At
Halifax I found the best inn such a one as no respect-
able American would condescend to sleep at, and a town
of shingles, with scarcely any sidewalks. The people
were talking largely of railways and steamers, yet I
travelled by the mail to Truro and Pictou in a conveyance
that would scarcely have been tolerated in England two

JSL.

ClI.M'. IV.

YANKEE CONCEIT.

centuries ago. Tlie people of Halifax possess the finest
harbour in North America, yet they have no docks, and
scarcely any shipping. The Nova-Scotians, it is known,
have iron, coal, slate, limestone, and freestone, and their
shores swarm with fish, yet they spend their time in talking
about railways, docks, and the House of Assembly, and
end by walking about doing nothing."

" Yes," chimed in a Rost(jii sea-captain, who had been
our fellow-passenger from Euroj)e, and prided himself
upon being a " thorough-going down-e.aster," " it takes as
long for a Blue Nose to i)ut on his hat as for one of our
free and enlightened citizens to go from Bosting to New
Orlcens. If we don't whip all creation it's a pity I AVhy,
stranger, if you were to go to Connecticut, and tell 'era
what you've been telling this ere child, they'd guess you'd
been with Colonel Crockett"

" Well, I proceeded, in answer to another question
from the New-Brunswicker, " if you wish to go to the
north of your own province, you require to go round Nova
Scotia by sea. I understand that a railway to the Bay
of (Jhaleur has been talked about, but I su])pose it has
ended where it began ; and, for want of a railway to
Halifax, even the Canadian traffic has K^en diverted to
Portland."

" We want to invest some of our surplus revenue,"'
said the captain. " It '11 be a good spec who« Congress
buys these vx^Kniies ; some of our ten-h<>4>ie power chaps
will come d\)wn, and, before you couKl whistle • Yankee
Doodle,' we Ml have a canal to Bi»,y Varte, with a town
as big as Xewlmven at each etui. The Blue Noses will
look kinder stroakcU then, I guess." The New-Bruns-

E 3

1 1

1 t

Ifiii

"i ■>

/. 'i

X. «

III

NEW BRUNSWICK.

ClIAl'. IV.

wicker retorted, witli some fierceness, that the liandful of
Hritisili troo})s at I'Vederictoii could " chaw up" the whole
American army ; and the conversation continued for
some time longer in the same hoastful and exaggerated
strain on each side, hut the ahove is a specimen of colo-
nial arrogance and American conceit.

The population of New Brunswick in 1851 was
193,800; but it is now over 210,000, and will likely
increase rapidly, should the contemplated extension of
the railway system to the province ever take place ; as in
that case the route to both the Canadas by the port of
St. John will probably supersede every other. The spa-
cious harbour of St. John has a sufficient depth of water
for vessels of the largest class, and its tide-fall of about
25 feet effectually prevents it from being frozen in the
winter.

The timber trade is a most important source of wealth
to the colony — the timber floated down the St. John
alone, in the season of 1852, was of the value of 405,208/.
sterling. The saw-mills, of which by the last census
there were 584, gave employment to 4302 hands. By
the same census there were 87 ships, with an average
burthen of 400 tons each, built in the year in which it
was taken, and the number has been on the increase since.
These colonial-built vessels are gradually acquiring a
very high reputation ; some of our finest clippers, includ-
ing one or two belonging to the celebrated " White Star"
line, are by the St. John builders. Perhaps, with the
single exception of Canada West, no colony offers such
varied inducements to emigrants.

I saw as much of St. John as possible, and on a fine

,.^

Sta-"

Chap. TV.

CITY OF ST. JOIIX.

83-

(lay was favcmrably imprcsscMl with it. It well (kviM-vos
its (•((giionuMi, "Tiio City of tlip Rocli," being situ.-itod
on a high, hliill', rocky poninsiula, hacked on tlie liuid-sidc
by steep bamMi iiills. The liarhoiir is well sheltered ;ind
caj)aeious, ami the suspt-nsioii bridge above the falLs viry
l)ictures(nie. The streets are steep, wide, and well paved,
and the store.s are more j)retentious than those of Halifax.
There i.s also a very handsome scjuare, with a more re-
spectable fountain in it than those which excite the
ridicule of foreigners in front of our National Gallery.
It is a })lace where a large amount of business is dcme,
and the shipyards alone give employment to several
thousand persons.

Yet the lower parts of the town are dirty in the ex-
treme. I visited some of the streets mrdv the water
before the cholera had quite disappeared from them, nor
did I wonder that the pestilence should linger in places
so appropriate to itself; for the roadways were strewn to
a depth of several inches with sawdust, emitting a foul
decomposing smell, and in which lean pigs were ruutwg
and fighting.

Yet St. John wears a lively aspect. You sec a thou-
sand boatmen, raftmen, and millmen, some warping dingy
scows, others loading huge square-sided ships ; busy
gangs of men in fustian jackets, engaged in running off
the newly sawed timber ; and the streets bustling with
storekeepers, lumber-merchants, and market-men ; all
combining to produce a chaos of activity very uncommon
in the towns of our North American colonies. But too
often, murky-looking wharfs, storehouses, and half-dis-
mantled ships, are enveloped in drizzling fog — the fog

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Chap. IV.

rendered yet more impenetrable by the fumes of coal-tar
and sawdust; and the lower streets swarm with a demo-
ralised population. Y(jt the people of St. John are so
far beyond the people of Halifax, that I heartily wish
them success and a railroad.

The air was ringing with the clang of a thousand saws
and hammers, when, at seven on the morning of a brilliant
August day, we walked through the swarming streets
bordering upon the harbo'^r to the Ornevorg steamer,
belonging to the United States, built for Long Island
Sound, but now used as a coasting steamer. All my
preconceived notions of a steamer were here at fault. If
it were like anything in nature, it was like Noah's ark,
or, to come to something post-diluvian, one of those
covered hulks, or " ships in ordinary," which are to be
seen at Portsmouth and Devonport.

She was totally unlike an English ship, painted entirely
white, without masts, with two small black funnels along-
side each other ; and several erections one above another
for decks, containing multitudes of windows about two
feet square. The fabric seemed kept together by two
large beams, which added to the top-heavy appearance of
the whole affair. We entered by the paddle-box (which
was within the outer casing of the ship), in company with
a great crowd, into a Irrge square uncarpeted apartment,
called the " Hall," with offices at the sides for the sale of
railway and dinner tickets. Separated from this by a
curtain is the ladies' saloon, a large and almost too airy
apartment extending from the Ilall to the stern of the
ship, well furnished with sofas, rocking-chairs, and marble
tables. A row of berths runs along the side, hung with

Chap. IV.

DINNER ON BOARD.

festooned drapery of satin damask, the curtains ^leing of
muslin, embroidered with rose-coloured braid.

Above this is the general saloon, a large, handsomely
furnislied room, with state rooms running down eacli side,
and opening upon a small deck fourteen feet long, also
covered ; the roof of this and of the saloon, forming the
real or hurricane deck of the ship, closed to passengers,
and twelve feet above which works the beam of the
engine. Below the Hall, running the whole length of
the ship, is the gentlemen's cabin, containing 170 berths.
This is lighted by artificial light, and is used for meals.
An enclcsure for the engine occupies the centre, but is
very small, as the machinery of a high-pressure engine is
without the encumbrances of condenser and air-pump.
The engines drove the unwieldy fabric through the calm
water at the rate of fifteen miles an hour. I have been
thus minute in my description, because this one will
serve for all the steamers in which I subsequently tra-
velled in the United States and Canada.

The city of St. John looked magnificent on its lofty
steep ; and for some time we had some very fine coast
scenery ; lofty granite cliff's rising abruptly from the
water, clothed with forests, the sea adjoining them so
deep, that we passed them, as proved by actual demon-
stration, within a stone's throw. At one we arrived at
Eastport, in Maine, a thriving-looking place, and dinner
was served while we were quiescent at the wharf. The
stewardess hunted up all the females in the ship, and,
preceding them down stairs, placed them at the head of
the table ; then, and not an instant before, were the gen-
tlemen allowed to appear, who made a most obstreperous

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RELATIVE VALUE OF MONEY.

CiiAr. IV

3 i , I «ii

!i M

rii?li at tlie viands. There were about 200 people
seated in a fetid and dimly- lighted apartment, at a
table covered over with odoriferous viands — pork stuffed
with onions, boiled legs of mutton, boiled chickens and
turkeys, roast geese, beef-steaks, yams, tomatoes, squash,
mush, corn-cobs, johnny cake, and those endless dishes
of pastry to which the American palate is so partial. I
was just finishing a plate of soup when a waiter touched
me on the shoulder — " Dinner ticket, or fifty cents ;" and
almost before I had comprehended the mysteries of Ame-
rican money sufficiently to pay, other people were eating
their dessert. So simple, however, is the coinage of the
United States, that in two days I understood it as well as
our own. Five dollars equal an English sovereign, and
one hundred cents make a dollar, and with this very
moderate amount of knowledge one can conduct one's
pecuniary affairs all over the Union. The simplicity of
the calculation was quite a relief to me after the relative
values of the English sovereign in the colonies, which had
greatly perplexed me : 25^. Gd. in New Brunswick, 255.
in Nova Scotia, and 305. in Prince Edward Island. I
sat on deck till five', when I went down to my berth. As
the evening closed in gloomily, the sea grew coarser, and
I heard the captain say, "We are likely to have a very
fresh night of it." A t seven a wave went down the com-
panion-way, and washed half the tea-things off" the table,
and before I fell asleep, the mate put his head through
the curtain to say, " It's a rough niglit, ladies, but there's
no danger ;" a left-handed way of giving courage, which
of course frightened the timid. About eleven I was
awoke by confused cries, and in my dawning conscious-

itill

Chap. IV.

A STOR^r.

noss everything seemed going to ])ieces. The curtain was
undrawn, and I could see tlie liall continually swept by
the waves.

Everything in our saloon was loose ; rocking-chairs
were careerln"; about the floor and coming into collision ;
the stewardess, half-dressed, was crawling about from
berth to berth, answering the inquiries of terrified ladies,
and the shij) was groaning and straining heavily ; but
I slept again, till awoke at midnight by a man's voice
shouting " Get up, ladies, and dress, but don't come out
till you're called ; the gale 's very heavy." Then fol-

'm lowed a scene. People, helpless in illness a moment

before, sj)rang out of their berths and hastily huddled on
their clothes ; mothers caught hold of their infants with
a convulsive grasp ; some screamed, others sat down in

'^^ apathy, while not a faw addressed agonised supplications

to that God, too often neglected in times of health and
safety, to save them in their supposed extremity.

Crash went the lamp, which was suspended from the
ceiling, as a huge wave struck the ship, making her reel
and stagger, and shrieks of terror followed this event,
which left us in almost total darkness. Rush came
another heavy wave, sweeping up the saloon, carrying
chairs and stools before it, and as rapidly retiring. The
hall was full of men, clinging to the supports, each catch-
ing the infectious fear from his neighbour. Wave after
wave now struck the ship. I heard the captain say the
sea was making a clean breach over her, and order the
deck-load overboard. Shortly after, the water, sweeping
in from above, put out the engine-fires, and, as she
settled down continually in the trough of the sea, and

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>'f.

A STORM.

Chap. IV.

lay trembling there as though she would never rise again,
even in my ignorance I knew that she had " no way on
her" and was at the mercy of the wa:ers. I now under-
stood the meaning of " blowing great guns." The wind
sounded like continual discharges of heavy artillery, and
the waves, as they struck the ship, felt like cannon-balls.
I could not get up and dress, for, being in the top berth, I
was unable to get out in consequence of the rolling of the
ship, and so, being unable to mend matters, I lay quietly,
the whole passing before me as a scene. I had several
times been called on to anticipate death from illness ; but
here, as I heard the men outside say, " She 's going
down, she 's water-logged, she can't hold together,"
there was a different prospect of sinking down among the
long trailing weeds in the cold, deep waters of the At-
lantic. Towards three o'clock, a wave, striking the ship,
threw me against a projecting beam of the side, cutting
my head severely and st aiming me, and 1 remained in-
sensible for three hours. We continued in great danger
for ten hours, many expecting each moment to be their
last, but in the morning the gale moderated, and by most
strenuous exertions at the pumps the water was kept
down till assistance was rendered, which enabled us about
one o'clock to reach the friendly harbour of Portland
in Maine, with considerable damage and both our boats
stove. Deep thankfulness was expressed by many at such
an unlooked-for termination of the night's terrors and ad-
ventures ; many the resolutions expressed not to trust the
sea again.

We were speedily moored to the wharf at Portland,
amid a forest of masts; the stars and stripes flaunted

Chap. IV.

ARRIVAL AT TORTLAXD.

gaily overhead in concert with the American eagle ; and
as I stepped upon those shores on which the sanguine
suppose that the Anglo-Saxon race is to renew the vigour
of its youth, I felt that a new era of my existence had

begun.

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AMERICAN FREEDOM.

Chap. V.

CIIArTEli V.

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First experiences of American freedom — The "striped pig" and "Dusty
Ben" — A country mouse — What tlie cars are like — Keauties of
Ne . • England — The land of apples — A Manmioth hotel — The
rusty inkstand exiled — Eloquent eyes — Alone in a crowd.

The city of Portland, with its busy streets, and crowded
wharfs, and handsome buildings, and railway depots,
rising as it does on the barren coast of the sterile State
of Maine, fully bears out the first part of an assertion
which I had already heard made by Americans, " We 're
a great people, the greatest nation on the face of the earth."
A polite custom-house officer asked me if I had any-
thing contraband in my trunks, and on my reply in the
negative they were permitted to pass without even the
formality of being uncorded. " Enlightened citizens"
they are truly, I thought, and, with the pleasant conscious-
ness of being in a pel feetly free country, where every one
can do as he pleases, I entered an hotel near the water
and sat down in the ladies' parlour. I had not tasted
food for twenty-five hours, my clothes were cold and wet,
a severe cut was on my temple, and I felt thoroughly ex-
hausted. These circumstances, I thought, justified me
in ringing the bell and asking for a glass of wine. Visions
of the agreeable refreshment which would be produced by
the juice of the grape appeared simultaneously with the
waiter. I made the request, and he brusquely replied,

•f I

■■f

ClIAl'. V.

MAINE LAW.

"You can't liave it, it's contrary to law." In my half-
drowned and faint condition the refusal a))pcared tanta-
mount to positive cruelty, and I rememhered that I had
come in contact with the celebrated " Maine Larv.'' That
the inhabitants of the State of Maine are not ^^free^^ was
thus placed practically before me at once. Whether they
are '•'■ enlir/htenecV I doubted at the time, but leave the
question of the prohibition of fermented liquors to be de-
cide<l by abler social economists than myself.

I was hereafter informed that to those who go down
stairs, and ask to see the " striijed pig^'* wine and spirits are
produced ; that a request to speak with " Dustt/ Bei^
has a like effect, and that, on asking for " sarsaparilla" at
certain stores in the town, the desired stimulant can be
obtained. Indeed it is said that the consumption of this
drug is greater in Maine than in all the other States put
together. But in justice to this highly respectable State,
I must add that the drunkenness which forced this strin-
gent measure upon the legislature was among the thou-
sands of English and Irish emigrants who annually land
at Portland. My only companion here was a rosy-
cheeked, simple country girl, who was going to Kenne-
bunk, and, never having been from home before, had not
the slightest idea what to do. Presuming on my anti-
quated appearance, she asked me " to take care of her,
to get her ticket for her, for she dare'nt ask those men
for it, and to let her sit by me in the car." She said she
was so frightened with something she'd seen that she
didn't know how she should go in the cars. I asked her
what it was. " Oh," she said, " it was a great thing,
bright red, with I don't know how many wheels, and a

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RAIIAVAY CAHS.

Chap. V.

iii't;

large l)lack top, and bright shining things moving about
all over it, and smoke and steam coming out of it, and it
made such an awful noise it seemed to shake the earth."

At half-past three we entered the cars in a long shed,
where there were no officials in uniform as in England,
and we found our way in as we could. " All aboard !"
is the signal for taking places, but on this occasion a loud
shout of " Tumble in for your lives !" greeted my amused
ears, succeeded by " Go a-head !" and off we went, the
engineer tolling a heavy bell to notify our a{)proach to
the passengers in tlie streets along which loe passed.
America has certainly flourished under her motto "Go
a-head !" but the cautious " All right !" of an English
guard, who waits to start till he is sure of his ground
being clear, gives one more confidence. I never expe-
rienced the same amount of fear which is expressed by
Dunn and other writers, for, on comparing the number of
accidents with the number of miles of railway open in
America, I did not find the disadvantage in point of
safety on her side. The cars are a complete novelty to
an English eye. They are twenty-five feet long, and
hold about sixty persons ; they have twelve windows on
either side, and two and a door at each end ; a passage
runs down the middle, with chairs to hold two each on
either side. There is a small saloon for ladies with
babies at one end, and a filter containing a constant
supply of iced water. There are rings along the roof
for a rope which passes through each car to the engine,
so that anything wrong can be communicated instantly to
the engineer. Every car has eight solid wheels, four
being placed close together at each end, all of which can

ClIAI'. V,

TRAVELLING ARRAXGEMEXTS.

be locked by two powerful breaks. At each end of every
car is a platform, and ])assenger8 are "prohibited from
standing npon it at tlieir peril," as also from passing from
car to car while the train is in motion ; but as no penalty
attaches to this law, it is incessantly and continuously
violated, " free and enlightened citizens " being at per-
fect liberty to imperil their own necks ; and " poor,
ignorant, beriighted liritishers " soon learn to follow their
exam})le. Persons are for ever passing backwards and
forwards, exclusive of the conductor whose business it is,
and water-carriciS, book, bonbon, and peach venders.
No person connected with these railways vv'ears a distin-
guishing dress, and the stations, or " depots " as they are
called, are generally of the meanest description, mere
wooden sheds, with a ticket-office very difficult to dis-
cover. If you are so fortunate as to find a man standing
at the door of the ba^^'gage-car, he attaches copper })late3
to your trunks, with a number and the name of the place
you are going to upon them, giving you labels with cor-
responding numbers. By this excellent arrangement, in
going a very long journey, in which you are obliged to
change cars several times, and cross rivers and lakes in
steamers, you are relieved of all responsibility, and only
require at the end to give your checks to the hotel-porter,
who regains your baggage without any trouble on your
part.

This plan would be worthily imitated at our termini in
England, where I have frequently seen " unprotected
females " in the last stage of frenzy at being pushed out
of the way, while some persons unknown are running off
with their possessions.

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RAILWAY TUAVKLLING.

CirAP. V.

When you roach a (kj)6t, as there are no railway
porters, numerous men chunour to take your effects to
an hotel, but, as many of these are thieves, it is neces-
sary to be very careful in only selecting those who have
hotel-badges on tlieir hats.

An emigrant-car is attached to each train, but there is
only one class : thus it may hapjjen that you have on one
side the President of the Great Republic, and on the
other the fientleinan who blacked your shoes in the morn-
ing. The Americans, however, have too much respect
for themselves and the.r companions to travel except in
good clothes, and this mingling of all ranks is far from
being disagreeable, particularly to a stranger like myself,
one of whose objects was to see things in their everyday
dress. A\'e must be well aware that in many parts of
England it would be difficult for a lady to travel unat-
tended in a second-class, imjjossible in a third-class car-
riage ; yet I travelled several thousand miles in America,
frequently alone, from the house of one friend to another's,
and never met with anything approaching to incivility ;
and I have often heard it stated that a lady, no matter
what her youth or attractions might be, could travel alone
through every State in the Union, and never meet with
anything but attention and respect.

I have had considerable experience of the cars, having
travelled from the Atlantic to the Mississippi, and from
the Mississippi to the St. Lawrence, and found the com-
pany so agreeable in its way, and the cars themselves so
easy, well ventilated, and comfortable, that, were it not
for the disgusting practice of sj)itting upon the floors in
which the lower classes of Americans indulge, I should

Cnvr. V.

UEAUTIES OF NEW ENGLAND.

greatly j)r(>fer them to our own exclusive carriages, de-
noininat'jd in the States " \von scntrij-hoxvs." W'l'll, wc
are seated in the cars ; a man shouts " Go a-head ! " and
we are otf', the engint; ringing its heavy bell, and thus
begin my experiences of American travel.

I found myself in company with eleven gentlemen and
a lady from Prince Edward Island, whom a strange
gregarious instinct had thus drawn together. The engine
gave a hollow groan, very unlike our cheerful whistle,
and, soon moving through the town, we reached the open
country.

Fair was the country that we passed through in the
States of Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts. Oh
very fair ! smilinj]', cultivated, and green, like England,
hut far happier ; for slavery which disgraces the New
World, and poverty which desolates the Old, are nowhere
to be seen.

There were many farmhouses surrounded by the
nearly finished harvest, with verandahs covered with
vines and roses ; and patriarchal-looking family groups
seated under them, engaged in different employments,
and enjoying the sunset, for here it was gorgeous summer.
And there were smaller houses of wood painted white,
with bright green jalousies, in gardens of pumpkins, and
surrounded by orchards. Apples seemed almost to grow
wild ; there were as many orchards as corn-fields, and
apple and pear trees grew in the very hedgerows.

And such apples ! not like our small, sour, flavourless
things, but like some southern fruit ; huge balls, red and
yellow, such as are caricatured in wood, weighing down
the fine large trees. There were heaps of ap])les on the

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BEAUTIES OF NEW ENGLAND.

Chap. V.

} '« '• • 5 r

ground, and horses and cows were eating them in the
fields, and rows of freight-cars at all the stations were
laden with them, and little boys were selling them in the
ears ; In short, where were they not ? There were smiling
fields with verdant hedgerows between them, unlike the
untidy snake-fences of the colonies, and meadows like
parks, dotted over with trees, and woods filled with
sumach and scarlet maple, and rapid streams hurrying
over white pebbles, and villages of green-jalousied houses,
with churches and spires, for here all places of worship
have spires ; and the mellow light of a declining sun
streamed over this varied scene of happiness, pros])erity,
and comfort ; and for a moment I thought — O traitorous
thought! -that the New England was fairer than the
Old.

Nor were the more material evidences of prosperity
wanting, for we passed through several large towns near
the coast — Newbury Port, Salem, and Portsmouth — with
populations varying from 30,000 to 50,000 souls. They
seemed bustling, thriving places, with handsome stores,
which we had an opportunity of observing, as in the States
the cars run right into the streets along the carriage-way,
traffic being merely diverted from the track while the cars
are upon it.

i^Cost of the railways in the States have only one track
or line of rails, with occasional sidings at the stations
for the cars to pass each other. A fence is by no means
a matter of necessity, and two or three animals are
destroyed every day from straying on the line. The
engines, which are nearly twice the size of ours, with a
covered enclosure for the engineer and stoker, carry

Ciur. V.

MORE " FREEDOM."

hirgo fejidcrs or guards in front, to lift inciinibrancos from
the track. At eight o'clock we found ourselves passing
over water, and between long rows of gas-lights, and
shortly afterwards the cars stopped at Boston, the xVthens
of America. Giving our baggage-checks to the porter
of the American House, we drove to that immense hotel,
where I remained for one night. It was crammed from
the very basesnent to the most undesirable locality nearest
the moon ; I believe it had seven hundred inmates. I
had arranged to travel to Cincinnati, and from thence to
Toronto, with Mr. and Mrs. Walrence, but on reaching
Tioston I found that they feared fever and cholera, and,
^eaving me to travel alone from Albany, would meet me
at Chicago. Under these circumstances I remained with
my 'sland friends for one night at this establishment, a
stranger in a land where I had few accjuaintances, though
I was well armed with letters of introduction. One of
these was to Mr. Amy, a highly respected merchant of
Boston, who had previously informed me by letter of the
best route to the States, and I immediately despatched a
note to him, but he was absent at his country-house, and
I was left to analyse the feeling of isolation inseparable
from being alone in a crowd. Having received the key
of my room, I took my supper in an immense hall, calcu-
lated for dining 400 persons. I next went into the ladies'
parlour, and felt rather out of place among so numy richly
dressed female? ; for as I was proceeding to write a letter,
a porter came in and told me that writing was not allowed
in that saloon. " Freedom again," thought I. On look-
ing round I did feel that my antiquated goose-quill and
rusty-looking inkstand were rather out of place. The

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AMERICAN HOTELS.

Chap. V

.1 '

i i'

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carpet of the room was of richly flowered Victoria pile,
rendering the heaviest footstep noiseless ; the tables were
marble on gilded pedestals, the couches covered with gold
brocade. At a piano of rich workmanship an elegantly
dressed lady was seated, singing " And will you love me
always ? " — a question apparently satisfactorily answered
by the speaking eyes of a bearded Southerner, who was
turning over the pages for her. A ^ountain of antique
workmanship threw up a Jet (Veau of iced water, scented
with eau de Cologne; and the whole was li,'^hted by four
splendid chandeliers interminably reflected, for the walls
were mirrors divided by marble pillars. The room
seemed appropriate to the purposes to which it was
devoted — music, needlework, conversation, and flu'ting.
With the single exception of the rule against writing in
the ladies' saloon, a visitor at these immense establish-
ments is at perfect liberty to do as he pleases, provided
he pays the moderate charge of two dollars, or 8s. a day.
This includes, even at the best hotels, a splendid table
d'/iote, a comfortable bedroom, liif^hts, attendance, and
society in abundance. From the servants one meets with
great attention, not combined with deference of manner,
still less with that obsequiousness which informs you by a
suggestive bow, at the end of your visit, that it has been
meted out with reference to the prob.ible amount of half-
sovereigns, shillings, and sixpences at your disposal.

It will not be out of place here to give a sketch of the
peculiarities of the American hotel system, which con-
stitutes such a distinctive feature of life in the States, and
is a requirement arising out of the enormous extent of
their territory, and the nomade life led by vast numbers

CilAl'. V.

THE AMERICAN HOUSE.

of the most restless and energetic people under tlie
sun.

" People will turn hastily over the pages wlien they
come to this " was the remark of a lively critic on reading
this announcement ; but while I promise my readers that
hotels shall only be described once, I could not reconcile
it to myself not to give them information on " Things as
they are in America," when I had an opportunity of
acquiring it.

The American House at Boston, which is a fair specimen
of the best class of hotels in the States, though more
frequented by mercantile men than by tourists, is built of
grey granite, with a frontage to the street of 100 feet.
Tiie ground floor to the front is occupied by retail stores,
in the centre of which a lofty double doorway denotes the
entrance, marked in a more characteristic manner by
groups of gentlemen smoking before it. This opens into
a lofty and very spacious hall, with a chequered floor of
black and white marble ; there are lounges against the
vail, covered over with buflfalo-skins ; and, except at
meal-times, this capacious apartment is a scene of endless
busy life, from two to three hundred gentlemen constantly
thronging it, smoking at the door, lounging on the
settees, reading the newspapers, standing in animated
groups discussing commercial matters, arriving, or de-
parting. Piles of luggage, in which one sees with dismay
one's light travelling valise crushed under a gigantic
trunk, occupy the centre ; porters seated on a form wait
for orders ; peripatetic individuals walk to and fro ; a
confused Babel of voices is ever ascending to the galleries
above ; and at the door, hacks, like the " eilwayon " of

F 2

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100

THE AMERICAN HOUSE.

Chap. V.

I,' i^

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II !

Germany, are ever deposiliug fresh arrivals. There is
besides this a private entrance for ladies. Opposite the
entrance is a counter, where four or P e clerks constantly
attend, under the superintendence of a cashier, to whom
all applications for rooms are personally made. I went
up to this functionary, wrote my name in a book, he
placed a nimiber against it, and, giving me a key with a
corresponding number attached, I followed a porter down
a long corridor, and up to a small clean room on the third
story, where to all intents and purposes my identity was
lost — merged in a mere numeral. At another side of the
hall is the bar, a handsomely decorated apartment, where
lovers of such beverages can procure " toddy," " night-
caps," " mint julep," " gin sling," &c. On the door of ray
very neat and comfortable bed-room was a printed state-
ment of the rules, times of meals, and charge per diem.
I believe there are nearly 300 rooms in this house, some
of them being bed-rooms as large and commodious as in a
private mansion in England.

On the level of the entrance is a magnificent eating
saloon, principally devoted to male guests, and which is
80 feet long. Upstairs is a large room furnished with a
rare combination of splendour and taste, called " The
Ladies' Ordinary," where fomilies, ladies, and their in-
vited guest-j take their meals. Breakfast is at the early
hour of seven, and remains on the table till nine ; dinner
is at one, and tea at six. At these meals " every delicacy
of the season " is served in profusion ; the daily bill of
fare would do credit to a banquet at the Mansion House ;
the chef de cuisine is generally French, and an epicure
would find ample scope for the gratification of his palate.

1 a
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ite.

CiiAr. V.

AMERICAN HOTELS.

101

If people persist in taking their meals in a separate
apartment, they are obliged to ])ay dearly for the indul-
gence of their exclusiveness. Tliere are more than 100
waiters, and the ladies at table are always served first, and
to the best pieces.

Though it is not part of the hotel system, I cannot
forbear mentioning the rapidity with which the Americans
despatch their meals. My next neighbour has frequently
risen from his seat after a substantial and varied dinner
while I was sending away my soup-plate. The effect of
this at a tahk-fV hote, where 400 or GOO sit down to dine,
is un})leasant, for the swing-door is incessantly in motion.
Indeed, the utter absence of repose is almost the first
thing which strikes a stranger. The incessant sound of
bells and gongs, the rolling of hacks to and from the
door, the arrivals and de])artures every minute, the tram-
pling of innumerable feet, the flirting and talking in every
corridor, make these immense hotels more like a human
beehive than anything else.

The drawing-rooms are always kept very hot by huge
fires of anthracite coal, and the doors are left open to
neutralise the effect. The temperance at table filled me
With surprise. I very seldom saw any beverage but pnre
iced-water. There are conveniences of all descriptions
for the use of the guests. 'J'he wires of the electric tele-
graph, constantly attended by a clerk, run into the lu tel ;
porters are ever ready to take your messages into the
town ; pens, paper, and ink await you in recesses in
the lobbies ; a man is ever at hand to clean and brush
soiled boots— in short, there is every contrivance for

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A' I,' ; . ' • • •

102

amehican hotels.

Chap. V.

W ill

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if*

abridging your labour in mounting up stairs. But the
method of avoiding the confusion and din of two or three
hundred bells must not be omitted. All the wires from
the different rooms centre at one bell, which is located in
a case in the lobby, with the mechanism seen on one side
through a sheet of plate-glass. The other side of the
case is covered with numbers in rows. By each number
is a small straight piece of brass, which drops and hangs
down when the bell is sounded, displaying the number to
the attention of the clerk, who sends a waiter to the
apartment, and places the piece of brass in its former
position.

Steam laundries are connected with all the large
hotels. At American House the laundry is under the
management of a clerk, who records all the minor details.
The linen is cleansed in a churn-like machine moved by
steam, and wrung by a novel application of the principle
of centrifugal force ; after which the articles are dried by
being passed through currents of hot air, so that they
are washed and ironed in the space of a few minutes.
The charge varies from six to ten shillings a dozen.
There are also suites of hot and cold baths, and barbers'
shops.

Before I understood the mysteries of these hotels, I
used to be surprised to see gentlemen travelling without
even carpet-bag.5, but it soon appeared that razors and
hair-brushes were superfluous, and that the possessor of
one shirt might always pass as the owner of half a dozen,
for, while taking a bath, the magic laundry would re-
produce the article in its pristine glories of whiteness and

' \\\

CiiAr. V.

AMERICAN HOTELS.

103

starch. Every attontion to the comfort and luxury of the
guest is paid at American House, and its spirited pro-
prietor, Mr. Rice, deserves the patronage which the tr
veiling public so liberally bestow upon him. On ringing
my bell it was answered by a gar^'on, and it is rather
curious seldom or never to see a chambermaid.

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104

A SUSPECTED BILL.

CllAI-. VI.

CHAPTER VI.

A susjiecced bill — A fiiond in need — All aboard for the Western cars
— The wings of tho wind — American politencps — A Inquacioua
conductor — Tlirce minutes for refreshments — A conversation
on jiolitics — A confession — The emigrant car — Ueauties of the
woods — A forest on fire — Dangers of the cars — The Queen City
of the West.

I ROSE the morning after my arrival at five, Imping to
leave Boston for Cineinnati by the Licjhtning Express^
wliich left at eight. But on summoning the cashier (or
rather rc<incsti)\<) his attendance, for one never summons
any one in the States), and showing him my hill of ex-
change drawn on Barclay and Company of London, he
looked at me, then at it, suspiciously, as if doubting
whether the possessor of such a little wayworn port-
manteau could be the bona fide owner of such a sum as
the figures represented. " There's so much bad paper
going about, we can't possibly accommodate yon," was
the discouraging reply ; so I was compelled patiently to
submit to the detention.

I breakfasted at seven in the ladies' ordinary, without
exchanging a syllable with any one, and soon after my
kind friend, Mr. Amy, called upon me. lie proved
himself a friend indeed, and his kindness gave me at
once a favourable impression of the Americans. First im-
pressions are not always correct, but I am happy to say
they were fully borne out in this instance by the uniform

Chap. VI.

A FIIIEXD IN NEED.

105

kindness and liospitallty wliich I c.xporitMicrd during my
wliole tour. Mr. Amy soon ])rocured me tlie money for
my bill, all in five-dollar notes, and I was glad to find tlu;
exchange greatly in favour of England, lie gave mo
much information about my route, and various cautions
which I found very useful, and then drove me in a
light " waggon " round the antiquated streets of Boston,
crowded with the material evidences of prosperity, to his
pretty villa three miles distant, in one of those villages of
ornamental dwellinghopscs which render the aj)})earance
of the environs of Boston peculiarly attractive. I saw a
good deal of the town in my drive, but, as I returned to
it before leaving the States, I srhall defer my defcnj)tion
of it, and request ray readers to dash away at once with me
to the " far west," the goal alike of the traveller and the
adventurer, and the El Dorado of the emigrant's misty
ideas.

Leaving American House with its hall swarming like
a hive of bees, I drove to the depot in a hack with several
fellow-passengers, Mr. Amy, who was executing a com-
mission for me in the town, having promised to meet me
there, but, he being detained, I arrived alone, and was
deposited among piles of luggage, in a perfect Babel of
men vociferating, " Where are you for?" " Lightning
Express ! " "All aboard for the Western cars," &c.
Some one pounced upon my trunks, and was proceeding
to weigh them, when the stage-driver stepped forward and
said, " It's a lady's luggage," upon which he relinquished
his intention. He also took my ticket for me, handed me
to the cars, and then withdrew, wishing me a pleiisant

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RAILWAY CONVENIENCES.

Chap. VI.

journey, his prompt civility having assisted me greatly in
the chaotic confusion wliich attends the departure of a
train in America. The cars hy wliich I left were gua-
ranteed to take people to Cincinnciti, a distance of 1000
miles, in 40 hours, allowing time for refreshments ! 1
was to tnvel hy five different lines of railway, hut this
part of the railway system is so well arranged that I only
took a ticket once, rather a curious document — a strip of
paper half a yard long, with passes for five different roads
upon it ; thus, whenever I came upon a fresh line, the
conductor tore off a piece, giving me a ticket in ex-
change. Tickets arc not only to he procured at the sta-
tions, but at several offices in every town, in all the steam-
boats, and in the cars themselves. For the latter luxury^
for such it must certainly be considered, as it enables one
to step into the cars at the last moment without any
preliminaries, one only pays five cents extra.

The engine tolled its heavy bell, and soon we were
amid the beauties of New England ; rocky hills, small
lakfjs, rapid streams, and trees distorted into every variety
of tlje picturesque. At the next station from Boston the
Walrences joined me. We were to travel together, with
our ulterior destination a settlement in Canada West,
but they would not go to Cincinnati ; there were lions in
the street ; cholera and yellow fever, they said, were
raging ; in short, they left me at Springfield, to find my
way in a strange country as best I might ; our rendez-
vous to be Chicago.

At Springfield I obtained the first seat in the car, gene-
rally the object of most undignified elbowing, and had

Chap. VI.

AMERICAN POLITENESS.

107

space to admire the beauties among which wc passed.
For many miles we travelled through a narrow gorge, be-
tween very high precipitous hills, clothed with wood up to
their summits ; those still higher rising behind them, while
the track ran along the very edge of a clear rushing river.
The darkness which soon came on was only enlivened by
the sparks from the wood fire of the engine, so numerous
and continuous as to look like a display of fireworks.
Just before we reached Albany a very respectable-looking
man got into the car, and, as his manners were very quiet
and civil, we entered into conversation about the trade and
manufactures of the neighbourhood. When we got out of
the cars on the east side of the river, he said he was going
no farther, but, as I was alone, he would go across with
me, and see me safe into the cars on the other side. He
also offered to carry my reticule and umbrella, and look
after my luggage. His civility so excited my suspicions
of his honesty, that I did not trust my luggage or reticule
out of my sight, mindful of a notice posted up at all the
stations, "Beware of swindlers, pickpockets, and luggage-
thieves."

We emerged from the cars upon the side of the Hudson
river, in a sea of mud, where, had not my friend offered
me his arm, as Americans of every class invariably do to
an " unprotected female" in a crowd, I should have oeen
borne down and crushed by the shoals of knapsack-carry-
ing pedestrians and truck-pushing porters who swarmed
down upon the dirty wharf. The transit across occupied
fully ten minutes, in consequence of the numerous times
the engine had to be reversed, to avoid running over the

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AMKllICAN rOMTKXKSS.

ClIAI'. VI.

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small craft wliicli infist this stream. !My volimto-'r escort
took mo tliroujili a crowd tliroimh \vhi{;li I could not liavo
fou!:d my way alone, and put mo into tho cars which
started from tho side of a street in All)any, requesting the
conductor, whose; countenance instantly prepossessed me
in his favour, to pay me every attention on tin; route.
He remained with me until the cars started, and told me
that when lie saw ladies travelling alone he always
made a point of assisting them. I shook hands with
iiim at ])arting, feeling real regret at lo.sing so kind
and intelligent a companion. This man was a working

engmeer.

Some time afterwards, while travelling for two suc-
cessive days and nights in an unsettled district in the
west, on the second night, fairly overcome with fatigue,
and unahle, from the crowded state of the car, to rest my
feet on the seat in front, I tried unsuccessfully to make u
pillow for my head hy rolling up my cloak, which attempts
being perceived hy a working mechanic, he accosted me
thus : " Stranger, I guess you're almost used up ? Maybe
you'd be more comfortable if you could rest your head."
Without further parley he spoke to his companion, a man
in a similar grade in society ; they both gave up their
seats, and rolled a coat round the arm of the chair, which
formed a very comfortable sofji ; and these two men stood
for an hour and a half, to give me the advantage of it,
apparently without any idea that they were performing a
deed of kindness. I met continually with these acts of
hearty unostentatious good nature. I mention these in
justice to the lower classes of the United States, whose

if ■ w

Chap. VI. STOpriXO FOR " Jli:!' UESIIMKNTS."

lOU

rnggo(

1 exti'riors ami uncoutli viMMiacular roiuK'r tluMn
peculiarly liable to bo niisiuidorsitood.

The coiuluctor (luite verifiod the good opinion which I
had formed of hini. He tun;ed a chair into a sofa, and
lent ine a buffalo robe (for, hot though the day had been,
the nigiit was intensely cold), and several times brought
me a cup of tea. ^\'e were talking on the peculiarities
and amount of the breakage ])ower on the Anu'rican lines
as compared with ours, and the interest of tiie suljject
made him forget to signal the engine-driver t;» stop at a
station. The conversation concluded, he looked out of
the window. " Dear me," he said, " we ought to have
stopped three miles back ; likely there was no one to get
out !"

At midnight I awoke shivering with cold, having taken
nothing for twelve hours ; but at two we stopped at
something called by courtesy a station, and the announce-
ment was made, " Cars stop three minutes for refresh-
ments." I got out ; it was pitch dark ; but I, with a
young lady, followed a lantern into a frame-shed floored
by the bare earth. Visions of Swindon and Wolverton
rose before me, as I saw a long table supported on rude
trestles, bearing several cups of steaming tea, while a
dirty boy was opening and frizzling oysters by a wood
fire on the floor. I swallowed a cup of scalding tea;
some oysters were put upon my plate ; " Six cents" was
shouted by a nasal voice in my ear, and, while hunting
for the required sum, "All aboard" warned me to be
quick ; and, jumping into the cars just as they were in
motion, I left my untasted supper on my plate. After
" Show your tickets," frequently accompanied by a shake,

• *

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110

BREAKFAST AT ROCHESTER.

Chap. VI.

had roused me several times from a sound sleep, we
arrived at Rochester, an important town on the Gennessee
Falls, surrounded hy extensive clearing!?, then covered
with hoar frost.

Here we were told to get out, as there were twenty
minutes for breakfast. Bat whither shonld we go when we
had got out ? We were at the junction of several streets,
and five engines, with cars attached, were snorting and
moving about. After we had run the gauntlet of all these,
I found men ringing bells, and negroes rushing about,
tumbling over each other, striking gongs, and all sliouting
" The cheapest house in all the world — house for all
nations — a splendcriferous breakfast for 20 cents !" and
the like. At length, seemg an unassuming placard, " Hot
breakfast, 25 cents," I ventured in, but an infusion of
mint was served instead of the China leaf; and I should be
afraid to pronounce upon the antecedents of the steaks.
The next place of importance we reached was Buffalo, a
large thriving town on the south shore of Lake Erie.
There had been an election for Congress at some neigh-
bouring place the day before, and my vis-a-vis, the editor
of a Buffalo paper, was arguing vociferously with a man
on my right.

At length he began to talk to me very vivaciously on
politics, and concluded by asking me what I thought
of the late elections. Wishing to put an end to the con-
versation, which had become tedious, I replied that I was
from England. " English ! you surprise me !" he said ;
" you've not the English accent at all." " What do you
think of our government ?" was his next question. " Con-
sidering that you started free, and had to form your insti-

Chap. VT.

POLITICS— A CONFESSION.

Ill

tutions in an enlightened age, that you had the estimable
parts of our constitution to copy from, while its faults vvero
before you to serve as beacons, I think your constitution
ought to be nearer perfection than it is." "I think our
constitution is as near perfection as anything human can
be ; we are the most free, enlightened, and progressive
people under the sun," he answered, rather hotly ; but in
a few minutes resuming the conversation with his former
companion, I overheard him say, " I think I shall give up
politics altogether ; / don't believe ice have a sinr/le public
man who is not corrupt." " A melancholy result of a per-
fect constitution, and a humiliating confession for an
American," I observed.

The conversations in the cars are well worth a tra-
veller's attention. Tlioy are very frequently on politics,
but often one hears stories such as the world has become
familiarised with from the early pages of Barnum's Auto-
biography, abounding in racy anecdote, broad humour,
and cunning imposition. At Erie we changed cars, and
I saw numerous emigrants sitting on large blue boxes,
looking disconsolately about them ; the Irish physiognomy
being the most predominant. They are generally so
dirty that they travel by themselves in d partially lighted
van, called the Emigrants' car, for a most trifling pay-
ment. I once got into one by mistake, and was almost
sickened by the smell of tobacco, spirits, dirty fustian, and
old leather, which assailed my olfactory organs. Leaving
Erie, beyond which the lake of the same name stretched
to the distant horizon, blue and calm like a tideless sea,
we entered the huge forests on the south shore, through
which we passed, I suppose, for more than 100 miles.

>^'' -

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'" II

: 'i-'i

112

BEAUTIES OF TUE WOODS.

Chap. VI.

My next noiglihor.r was a stalwart, bronzed Kentucky
farmer, in a palm-leaf hat, who, strange to say, never
made any demonstrations with his bowie-knife, and, having
been a lumberer in these forests, pointed out all the
objects of interest.

The monotonous sublimity of there primeval woods far
exceeded my preconceived ideas. We were locked in
among gigantic trees of all descriptions, their huge stems
frequently rising without a branch for a hundred feet ;
then breaking into a crown of the most luxuriant foliage.
There were walnut, hickory, elm, maple, beeoh, oak,
pine, and hemlock trees, with many others whicli I did
not know, and the only undergrowth, a tropical-looking
plant, with huge leaves, and berries like bunches of
purple grapes. Though it was the noon of an unclouded
sun, all was dark, and still, and lonely ; no birds twittered
from the branches ; no animals enlivened the gloomy
shades ; no trace of man or of his works was there, except
the two iron rails on which we flew along, unfenced from
the forest, and those trembling electric wires, which
will only cease to speak with the extinction of man
himself.

Very occasionally we would come upon a log shanty,
that most picturesque of human habitations ; the walls
formed of large logs, with the interstices filled up with
clay, and the roof of rudely sawn boards, projecting one
or two feet, and kept in their places by logs placed upon
them. Windows and doors there were none, but, where
a door was not, I generally saw four or five shoeless,
ragged urchins, whose light tangled hair and general
aspect were sufficient to denote their nationality. Some-

ity,
ills
ith
me
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ere

JSS,

Iral
le-

chai", vr.

A FOREST ON FIRE.

113

times these cabins would be surrounded by a little patch
of cleared land, prolific in Indian corn and pumpkins ;
the brilliant orange of the latter contrasting with the
charred stumps among which tliey grew ; but more fre-
quently the lumberer supported himself solely by his axe.
These dwellings are suggestive, for they are erected by
the pioneers of civilization ; and if the future progress of
America be equal in rapidity to its past, in another fifty
years tlie forests will have been converted into lumber
and firewood — rich and populous cities will have replaced
the cabins and shanties — and the children of the urchins
who gazed vacantly upon the cars will have asserted their
claims to a voice in the councils of the nation.

The rays of the sun never penetrate the forest, and
evening was deepening the gloom of the artificial twilight,
when gradually we became enveloped in a glare, redder,
fiercer, thcin that of moonlight ; and looking ahead I saw
the forest on fire, and that we were rushing into the
flames. " Close the windows, thenj's a fire a-head," said
the conductor ; and after obeying this commonplace direc-
tion, many of the passengers returned to the slumbers
which had been so unseasonably disturbed. On, on we
rushed — the flames encircled us round — we were enveloped
in clouds of stifling smoke — crack, crash went the trees —
a blazing stem fell across the line — the fender of the
engine pushed it aside— the flames hissed like tongues of
fire, and then, leaping like serpents, would rush up to the
top of the largest tree, and it would blaze like a pine-
knot, There seemed no egress ; but in a few minutes
the raging, roaring conflagration was left bel.md. A
forest on fire from a distance looks very much like

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114

.1AILWAY DANGER.^

ClIAP. VI.

lil

' Punch's' picture of a naval review ; a near view is the
height of sublimity.

The dangers of the cars, to my inexperience, seemed
by no means over with the escape from being roasted
alive. A few miles from Cleveland they rushed down a
steep incline, apparently into Lake Erie ; but in reality
upon a platform supported on piles, so narrow that the
edges of the cars hung over it, so that I saw nothing but
water. A gale was blowing, and drove the surf upon the
platform, and the spray against the windows, giving such
a feeling of insecurity, that for a moment I wished myself
in one of our " 'coon sentry-boxco." The cars were very
full after leaving Cleveland, but I contrived to sleep
soundly till awakened by the intense cold which attends
dawn.

It was a glorious morning. The rosy light streamed
over hills covered with gigantic trees, and park-like glades
watered by the fair Ohio. There were bowers of myrtle,
and vineyards ready for the vintage, and the rich aro-
matic scent wafted from groves of blossoming magnolias
told me that we were in a different clime, and had
reached the ijunny south. And before us, placed within
a perfect amphitheatre of swelling hills, reposed a huge
city, whose countless spires reflected the beams of the
morning sun — the creation of yesterday— Cincinnati, the
" Queen City of the West" I drove straight to Burnet
House, almost the finest edifice in the town, and after
travelling a thousand miles in forty-two hours, without
either water or a hair-brush, it was the greatest possible
luxury to be able to remove the accumulations of soot,
dust, and cinders of two days and nights. I spent three

11 •;■'■; I

'•''"'■'

Chap. VI.

CINCINNATI.

days at Clifton, a romantic village three miles from Cin-
cinnati, at the hospitable house of Dr. M'llvaine, the
Bishop of Ohio ; but it would be an ill return for the
kindness which I there experienced to give details of my
visit, or gratify curiosity by describing family life in one
of the " homes of the New World."

■fi^

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-■■•■ Wfll'

IIG

CIXCIXXATI— ITS BEAUTIES.

Chap. VII.

CHAPTER VII.

'li

IT • *

The Queen City continued — Its beauties — Its inhabitants human and
equine — An A'laerican ehurcli — Wliere chairs and bedsteads come
from — Pigs and pork — A peep into Kentucky — Pojiular opinions
respecting slavery — The curse of An^ erica.

TuE important towns in the United States bear desig-
nations of a more poetical nature than miglit be expected
from so commercial a people. New York is the Empire
City — Philadelphia the City of Brotherly Love — Cleve-
land the Forest City — Chicago the Prairie City — and
Cincinnati the Queen City of the AVest. These names
are no less appropriate than poetical, and none more so
than that ap])lied to Cincinnati. The view from any of
the terraced heights round the town is magnificent. I
saw it first bathed in the mellow light of a declining sun.
Hill beyond hill, clothed with the rich verdure of an
almost tropical clime, slopes of vineyards just ready for
the wine-press,* magnolias with their fragrant blossoms,

* Grapes are grown in such profusion in the Southern and Western
States, that I have seen damaged bunches thrown to the pigs.
Americans find it difficult to understand how highly this fruit is prized
in England. An American lady, when dining at Apsley House, ob-
served that the Duke of Wellington 'vas cutting up a cluster of grapes
into small bunches, .ind she wondered that this illustrious man should
give himself such unnecessary trouble. When the servant handed
round the plate containing these, she took them all, and could not
account for the amused and even censuring looks of some of the other
guests, till she heard that it was expected that she should have helped
herself to one bunch only of the hothouse treasure.

. t

Istern

.pigs-
Irized

ob-

fapes

jould

tided

not

>ther

ilped

Chap. VII.

CIXCIXNATI— CLIMATE.

117

and that queen of trees the beautiful ilantlms, tlie " tree
of heaven " as it is called ; and everywhere foliage so
luxuriant that it looked as if autumn and decay C(.uld
never come. And in a hollow near us hiy the huge city,
so full of life, its busy hum rising to the height where I
stood ; and 200 feet below, the beautiful cemetery, where
its dead await the morning of the resurrection. Yet,
while contrasting the trees and atmosj)here here with the
comparatively stunted, puny foliage of England, and the
cliilly skies of a northern clime, I thought with Cowper
respecting my own dear, but far distant laud —

"England, with all thy faults I love thee still —
My country ! —

I would not yet exchange thy sullen skies,
And fields without a flower, for warmer E' >nce
With all her vines, nor for Ausonia's groves,
Her golden fruitage, or her myrtle bowers."

The change in the climate was great from that in which
I had shivered a week before, with a thermometer at
33° in the sun ; yet I did not find it oppressive here at
105° in the shade, owing to the excessive dryness of the
air. The sallow complexions of the New Englanders
were also exchanged for the fat ruddy faces of the people
of Ohio, the " Buclieijes^'' as their neighbours designate
them. The town of Cincinnati, situated on the navigable
stream of the Ohio, 1600 miles from the sea, is one of
the most remarkable monuments of the progress of the
West. A second Glasgow in appearance, the houses
built substantially of red brick, six stories high — huge
sign-boards outside each floor denoting the occupation of
its owner or lessee — heavily-laden drays rumbling along

t.'

■ ' , y"i

^'■■v^ ,,..

'?V

118

CINCINNATI— ITS INHABITAN'»'S. Chap. VII.

i !

the streets — quays at which steamboats of fairy archi-
tecture are ever lying — massive warehouses and rich
stores — the side walks a perfect throng of foot-passengers
— the roadways crowded with light carriages, horsemen
with palmetto hats and high-peaked saddles, galloping
about on the magnificent hordes of Kentucky— an air of
life, wealth, bustle, and progress — are some of the cha-
racteristics of a city which stands upon ground where
sixty years ago an unarmed white man would have been
tomahawked as he stood. The human aspect is also
curious. Palmetto hats, light blouses, and white trow-
sers form the prevailing costume even of the clergy,
while Germans smoke chibouks and luxuriate in their
shirt-sleeves — southerners, with the enervated look arising
from residence in a hot climate, lounge about the streets
— dark-browed Mexicans, in sombreras and high slashed
boots, dash about on small active horses with Mamelouk
bits — rovers and adventurers from California and the
Far West, with massive rings in their ears, swagger about
in a manner which shows their country and calling, and
females richly dressed are seen driving and walking about,
from the fair-complexioned European to the negress or
mulatto. The windows of the stores are arranged with
articles of gaudy attire and heavy jewellery, suited to the
barbaric taste of many of their customers ; but inside I
was surprised to find the richest and most elegant manu-
factures of Paris and London. A bookseller's store, an
aggregate of two or three of our largest, indicated that
the culture of the mind was not neglected.

The number of carriages, invariably drawn by two
horses, astonished me. They were the " red horses'* of

fe, an
that

two

w" of

CUAP. VII.

POPULATION.

119

Kentucky and the jet black of Ohio, splendid, proud-
looking animals, looking as if they could never tire or
die. Except tlie " trotting ba&kets " and light waggons,
principally driven by "swells" or " Young Americans,"
all the vehicles were covered, to preserve their inmates
from the intense heat of the sun. In the evening hun-
dreds, if not thousands, of carriages are to be seen in the
cemetery and along the roads, some of the German
ladies driving in low dresses and short sleeves. As every-
body who has one hundred yards to go drives or rides,
rings are fastened to all the side walks in the town to
tether the horses to. Many of the streets are planted
with the ilanthus-tree, and frequently one comes upon
churches of tasteful architecture, with fretted spires
pointing to heaven.

I went upon the Ohio, lessened by long drought into
a narrow stream, in a most commodious high-pressure
steamboat, and deemed myself happy in returning un-
injured ; for beautiful and fairy-like as these vessels are,
between their own explosive qualities and the " snags and
sawyers" of the rivers, their average existence is only
five years !

Cincinnati in 1800 was a wooden village of 750 in-
habitants; it is now a substantially- built brick town, con-
taining 200,000 people, and thousands of fresh settlers
are added every year. There are nearly 50,000 Ger-
mans, and I believe 40,000 Irish, who distinctly keep up
their national characteristics. The Germans almost
monopolise the handicraft trades, where they find a fruit-
ful field for their genius and industry ; the Irish are here,
as everywhere, hewers of wood and dra'- ers of water ;

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120

CiEIOfANS TX CINCINNATI.

Chap. VII.

r! i

tlioy can do nothing but dig, and stddoni riso in tlio social
scale ; the Germans, as at liomo, arc a thinking, scep-
tical, theorising ])eo|)le: in politics, Socialists— in religion.
Atheists. The Irish are still the willing and ignorant
tools of an ambitious and despotic priesthood. And in a
land wluM'e no man is called to account for his principles,
unless they proceed to j)hysical development, these errors
grow and luxuriate. The Germans, in that part of the
town almost devoted to themselves, have succeeded in
practically abolishing the Sabbath, as they utterly ignore
that divine institution even as a day of rest, keeping their
stores open the whole day. The creeds which they pro-
fess are 'Socialism" and " Universalism," and at stated
periods they assemble to I'ear political harangues, and
address invocations to universal deity. Skilled, educated,
and intellectual, they are daily incieasing in numbers,
wealth, and political importance, and constitute an in-
fluence of which the Americans themselves are afraid.

The Irish are a turbulent class, for ever appealing to
physical force, influencing the elections, and carrying out
their "clan feuds" and " faction fights." The Germans,
finding it a land like their own, of corn and vineyards,
have named the streets in their locality in Cincinnati after
their towns in the Old World, to which in idea one is fre-
quently carried back.

On Sunday, after passing through this continental
portion of the lown, I found all was order and decorum
in the strictly American part, where the whole population
seemed to attend worship of one form or another. The
church which 1 attended was the most beautiful place of
worship I ever saw ; it had neither the hallowed but com-

Chap. VII.

AN AMEUICAN CIIURCU.

121

fortless antiquity of our village cl.urtthc!?, nor tlio glare
and crush of our urban toMiples ; it was of light Nor-
man architecture, and lighted hy windows of rich stained
glass. The pews were wide, the backs low, and the doors
and mouldings were of polished oak ; the cushions and
linings were of crimson damask, and light fans for ical
use were hung in each pow. The pulpit and reading-
desk, both of carved oak and of a tulip shape, were placed
in front of the communion-rails, on a spacious platform
ascended by three steps — this, the steps, and the aisles of
the church were carpeted with beautiful Kidderminster
carpeting. The singing and chanting were of a very
superior description, being managed, as also a very fine-
toned organ, by the young ladies and gentlemen of the
congregation. The ladies were more richly dressed and
in brighter colours than the English, and many of them
in their features and complexions bore evident traces of
African and Spanish blood. The gentlemen universally
wore the moustache and beard, and generally blue or
green frock-coats, the collars turned over with velvet.
The res})onses were repeated without the assistance of a
clerk, and the whole service was conducted with decorum
and effect.

The same favourable descrijjtion may apply generally
to the churches of different denominations in the United
States ; coldness and discomfort are not considered as
incentives to devotion ; and the houses of worship are ever
crowded with regular and decorous worshippers.

Cincinnati is the outpost of manufacturing civilization,
though large, important, but at present unfinished cities
are rapidly springing up several hundred miles farther to

I-

W-'^mM

1. 1

•'.!.■:

•; i>

ill

122

MAXUFACTUItKS.

CitAV. VI [.

the \vc'.-t. It liJis ivmiliir fri'ij'lit stcainers to Now C)r-
leans, St. Louis, luid other ])liU't'.s on tlie Missouri and
Missi.-.-ippi ; to Wliocling and Pittsburgli, and tlicnco by
railway to tlio gn;at Atlantic cities, Philadelphia and
Baltiuioro, wliih; it is connected with the Canadian lakes
l»y railway and canal to (Cleveland. Till I thcn'oughly
understood that (.'incinnati is the centre of a circle em-
hraciiig the poj)ulons towns of the south, and the in-
creasing pojndatioHs of the lake countries and the western
territories, with their ever-growing demand for the fruits
of nijinufacturing industry, I could not understand the
utility of the va>^t establishments for the production of
household goods which arrest the attention of the visitor
to the Queen City. There is a furniture establishment
in Baker Stn^et, London, which employs perhaps eighty
hands, and we are ratine inclined to boast of it, but we
must keep silence when we hear of a factory as large as
a Manchester cotton-mill, five stories high, where 260
hands are constantly employed in making chairs, tables,
and bedsteads.

At the factory of Mitchell and Rammelsberg conunon
chairs are the principal manufacture, and are turned out
at the rate of 2500 a week, worth from 1/. to 5/. a dozen.
Rocking-chairs, which are on.y made in perfection in the
States, are fabricated here, also chests of drawers, of
which 2000 are made annually. Baby-rocking cribs, in
which the brains of the youth of America are early
liabituated to perpetual restlessness, are manufactured
here in surprising quantities. The "-vorkmen at this fac-
tory (most of whom are native Americans and Germans,
the English and. Scotch being rejected on account of their

nimon
out
ozcn.
in the
rs, of
3S, in
early
itured
s fac-
mans,
their

ClIAl-. VII.

MAXl'FACTl'RKS.

123

intcnipcrance) earn from 12 to 14 dollars a week. At
another faetory 1000 hcMlsteads, worth from 1/. to 5/.
each, are completed every week. There; are vast hoot
and shoe factories, which would have shod our wiiolo
Crimean army in a week, at one of which tlie owiu r pays
60,000 dollars or 12,000/. in wages annually ! It con-
sumes 5000 pounds weight of hoot-nails ))er annum !
The manufactories of locks and guns, tools, and carriages,
with countless other appliances of civilized life, are on a
similarly large scale. Their jtroducts are to he fonnd
among the sugar })lantations of the soi;th, the diggers of
California, the settlers in Oregon, in the; infant cities of
the far West, the tent of the hunter, and the shanty of
the emigrant ; in one word, wherever demand and supply
can be placed in conjunction.

And while the demand is ever increasing as the tide
of emigration rolls westward, so the inventive brains of
the Americans are ever discovering some mechanical
means of abridging manual labour, which seldom or ever
meets the demand. The saws, axes, and indeed all cutting
tools made at respectable establishments in the States, are
said to be superior to ours. On going into a hardware
store at Hamilton in Uj)per Canada, I saw some English
spades and axes, and I suppose my face expressed some
of the admiration which my British pride led me to feel ;
for the owner, taking up some spades and cutting-tools
of Cincinnati manufacture, said, " We can only sell these ;
the others are bad workmanship, and won't stand two days'
hard work."

Articles of English manufacture are not seen in con-
siderable quantities in the wholesale stores, and even the

o 2

'.'< '. ■ I

^ ;■'* \

.; ■'■'i

.».i

'»v

•■-;>

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. !

121

LIBRARIES — RELIGIOUS SECTS. Chap. VII.

I I

;,i

import of fon'in,n wines has been considerably diniinisbod
by the increasingly successful culture of the grape in
Oliio, 130,000 gallons of wine having been produced in
the course of the year. Wines resembling hock, claret,
and champagne are nuule, and good judges speak very
highly of them.

(Cincinnati is famous for its public libraries and reading-
rooms. The Young 3Ien's Mercantile Library Associa-
tion has a very hand-ome suite of rooms ojjcned as
libraries and reading-rooms, the number of books amount-
ing to 1G,000, these, with upwards of 100 newspapers,
being well selected by a managing committee ; none of
our English works of good repute being a-wanting. The
facility with which English books are reprinted in Ame-
rica, and the immense circulation which they attain in
consequence of their cheapness, greatly increases the
responsibility which rests upon our authors as to the
direction which they give, whether for good or evil, to the
intelligent and inquiring minds of the youth of America —
minds ceaselessly occupied, both in religion and politics,
in investigation and intjuiry — in overturning old systems
before they have devised new ones.

I believe that the most important religious denomina-
tions in Cinciimati are the Episcopalian, the Baptist, and
the Wesleyan. Tlie first is under the superintendence of
the learned and ])ious Bishop M'llvaine, whose apostolic
and untiring labours have greatly advanced the cause of
religion in the State of Ohio. Tliere is a remarkable ab-
sence of sectarian spirit, and the ministers of all orthodox
denominations act in harmonious combination for the
iieneral good.

ClIAl-. VII.

PIGS AND rORK.

125

*■' i

pmiua-
ist, and

!nce of
lostolic
liiise of

lie ab-
Itliodox

in- the

But after describing tlie beauty of lier street?, lier
astoiiii^biug progress, and the spleiuh)ur of lier shops, I
must not close this chajjter without stating thai the Queen
City bears the less elegant name of P()rkoj)olis ; tliat swine,
lean, gaunt, and vicious-looking, riot through her streets;
and that, on coming out of the most splendid stores, on^^
stumbles over these disgusting intruders. Cincinnati is
the city of pigs. As there is a railway system and a hotel
system, so there is also a jnt/ st/stcm, by which this jdace
is marked out from any other. Huge (juantities of these
useful animals are reared after harvest in the corn-fields
of Ohio, and on the beech-mast and acorns of its gigantic
forests. At a particular time of year they arrive by
thousands — brought in droves and steamers to the number
of 500,000 — to meet their doom, when it is said tliat the
Ohio runs red with blood ! There are huge slaughter-
houses behind the town, something on the plan of the
abattoirs of Paris — large wooden buildings, with nume-
rous pens, from whence the pigs march in single file along
a narrow passage, to an apartment where each, on his
entrance, receives a blow with a hammer, which deprives
him of consciousness, and in a short time, by means of
numerous hands, and a well-managed caldron system, he
is cut up ready fo'* pickling. The day on which a pig is
killed in England constitutes an era in the family history
of the year, and sijueals of a terrific description announce
the event to the neighbourhood. There is not time or
opportunity for such a process at Porkopolls, and the first
notification which the inhabitants receive of the massacre
is the thousand barrels of pork on tlie tpiays, ready to be
conveyed to tlie Atlantic cities, for exportation to the

"v'.': ".;../ ^'.v

y-'

■;•»

I i !

"iffl

12G

A PEEP INTO KENTUCKY.

CiiAr. VII.

European markets. At one establishment 12,000 pigs
are killed, pickled, and packed every fall ; and in the
whole neighbourhood, as 1 have heard in the cars, the
" hog crop" is as much a subject of discussion and specu-
lation as the cotton crop of Alabama, the hop-picking of
Kent, or the harvest in England.

Kentucky, the land, by reputation, of "red horses,
bowie-knives, and gouging," is only separated from Ohio
by the river Ohio ; and on a day when the thermometer
stood at 103^ in the shade I went to the town of Covington.
Marked, wide, and almost inestimable, is the difference
between the free state of Ohio and the slave-state of Ken-
tucky, They have the same soil, the same climate, and
precisely the same natural advantages ; yet the total ab-
sence of progress, if not the apj)earance of retrogression
and decay, the loungers in the streets, and the peculiar
appearance of the slaves, afford a contrast to the bustle on
the opposite side of the river, which would strike the
most unobservant. I was credibly informed that property
of the same real value was worth 300 dollars in Ken-
tucky and 3000 in Ohio I Free emigrants and workmen
will not settle in Kentucky, where they would be brought
into contact with compulsory slave-labour ; thus the de-
velopment of industry is retarded, and the difference will
become more apparent every year, till possibly some
great changes will be forced upon the legislature. Few
English people will forget the impression made upon them
by the Hrst sight of a slave — a being created in the image
of God, yet the bond fide })roperty of his fellow-man.
The first I saw was an African female, the slave of a lady
from Floridii, with a complexion black as the law which

ics

lie de-

!0 will

some

Few

them

|image

i-man.

lady

which

CilAl'. VII.

SLAVERY.

127

hold her in cai)tivlty. The subject of slavery is one which
has lately been brought so prominently before the Jiritish
people by Mrs. Beecher Stowe, that I h^hall be pardoned
for making a few remarks upon it. Powerfully written as
the book is, and nnich as I ailmire the benevolent intentions
of the writer, I am told that the effect of the ,nlunu' hns
been prejudical, and this assertion is borne out by persons
well acquainted with the subject in the free states. xV
gentlemaM very eminent in his country, as having de-
voted himself from his youth to the cause of abolition, as
a steadfast pursuer of one grand princi})le, togetlur with
Oiher persons, say that " ' Uncle Tom's Cabin' had thrown
the cause back for many years !"* The excitement on
the subject still continues in England, though it foimd a
safety-valve in the Stafford ILmse manifesto, and the
received impression, which no force of fact can alter, is,
that slave-owners are divided into but two classes — bru-
tulised depraved " Ztrj/rce.?," or enthusiastic, visionary
'•St. Chill's^' — the former, of course, predominati'^g.

Slavery, though under modifications which rendered it
little more than the apprenticeshi}) of our day, was per-
mitted under the Mosaic dispensation ; but it is con-
trary to the whole tenor of Christianity ; and a system
which lowers man as an intellectual and rcsi)onsible
being is no less nmrally than politically wrong. That it
is a political mistake is ])lainly evidenced by the retarded

* It must bo observed that I do not offer any opinion of my own
upon ' Uncle Tom's Cabin,' or iiiK)n the estimation in which it is held
in the United States ; but in order to answer questions which have
frequently been put to me upon the subject, I have just given tin. sub-
stance of the remarks which have been made upon it by abulitii'uists in
the >«'ortheru States.

1 !■ : *i>- \

* 'fte ^

. • " ' *

i ':^rWV4

• ;'>■■

128

SLAVERY.

Chap. VII,

i-B

• i,'

development and apparent decay of the Southern States,
as compared with the ceaseless material ])rogress of the
North and West. It cannot be doubted that in Ala-
bama, Florida, and Louisiana, " Legrees" are to be found,
for cruelty is inherent in base natures ; we have " Lc(jrees"
in our factories and coal-pits; but in England their most
terrible excesses are restrained by the strong arm of law,
which, iclicu appealed to, extends its protection to the
feeblest and most helpless. What then must such men
become in the isolated cotton or sugar plantations of the
South, distant from the restraints which public opinion
exercises, and where the evidence of a slave is inadmissible
in a court of justice ? The full extent of the cruelties
practised will never be known, until revealed at the solemn
tribunal of the last day. But we dare not hope that such
men are rare, though circumstances of self-interest com-
bine to form a class of slave-ownors of a higher grade.
These are men who look upon their slaves as we do upon
our cows and horses — as mere animal property, of greater
or less value according to the care which is taken of
them. The sla^^es of these persons are well clothed,
lodged, and fed ; they are not overworked, and dancing,
singing, and other amusements, which increase health and
cheerfulness, are actively promoted. But the system is
one which has for its object the transformation of reason
into instinct— the lowering of a rational being into a
machine scarcely more intelligent in appearance than
some of our own ingeniously-contrived steam-engines.
Religious teaching is withheld, reading is forbidden, and
the instruction of a slave in it punished as a crime, lest he
snould learn that freedom is his birthright.

3st he

Chap. VI L

SLAVERY,

120

A third and very liirge class of slave-owners is to be
found, who, having inherited their property in slaves, want
the means of judiciously emancipating them. The negroes
are not in a condition to receive freedom in the reckless
way in which some abolitionists propose to bestow it
upon them. They must be prepared for it by instruction
in the precepts of religion, by education, and by the re-
ception of those principles of self-reliance, without which
they liave not the moral perception requisite to enable
them to appreciate the blessings of freedom ; and this
very ignorance and obtuseness is one of the most telling
arguments against the system which produces it. The
want of this previous preparation has been frequently
shown, particularly in Kentucky, where whole bodies of
emancipated slaves, after a few days' experience of their new
condition, have en reated for a return to servitude. These
slave-owners of whom I now speak deeply deplore the cir-
cumstances under which they are placed, and, while wanting
the spirit of self-sacrifice, and the moral courage, which
would lead them, by manumitting their slaves, to enter
into a novel competition with slave-labour on oth i' estates,
do their best to ameliorate the condition in which the
Africans are placed, encouraging them, by the sale of
little articles of their own manufacture, to purchase their
freedom, which is granted at a very reduced rate. I had
opportunities of conversing with several of these freed
negroes, and they all expressed attachment to their late
owners, and spoke of the mildness with which they were
treated, saying that the great threat made use of was to
send them " down south.""

The slaves in the northern slave States are a thought-

G 3

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»..'(«■

.■■?''

■s

%■.

■: •■• •

?.!.'

130

SLAVERY.

CiiAi'. VIT.

less, hiippy sot, spending tlioir evenings in dancing or
singing to the banj.i ; and ' Oli, carry me back to Old
Virginny,' or ' Susainiah, don't you cry for me,' may be
heard on summer (>venings rising from the maize and
tobacco grounds of Kentucky. Yet, whether natui'ally
humane instincts may lead to merciful treatment of the
slave, or the same resnlt l)e accomplished by the rigorous
censorship of public o])inion in the border States, apart
from the abstract (piestion of slavery, that system is
greatly to he reprobated which gives poiccr loithoiit re-
spoiisibility, and permits the temporal, yes, the eternal
well-being of another to depend upon the will and caprice
of a man, when the victim of his injustice is d(*}>rived of
the power of appcfil to an earthly tribunal. Instances of
severe treatment on one side, and of kindness on the other,
cannot fairly be brought as argununits for or against the
system ; it must be jnstified or condemned by the unde-
viating law of moral right as laid down in divine revela-
tion. Slavery existed in 1850 in 15 out of iil States,
the number of slaves being 3,204,345, connected by sym-
])athy and blood with 433,043 coloured persons, nomi-
nally free, but who occupy a social position of the lowest
grade. It is probable that this number will increase, as
it has hitherto done, in a geometrical ratio, which will
give 6,000,000, in 1875, of a people daugerous from num-
bers merely, but doubly, trebly so in their consciousness
of oppression, and in the passions which may incite them
to a terrible revenge. America boasts of freedom, and of
such a progress as the world has never seen before ; but
while the tide of tiie Anglo-Saxon race rolls across her
continent, and while we contem])late with pleasure a

ClIAl'. VII.

SLAVERY.

1 :' 1

vast nation govciuKnl l)y free institutions, and profoss^ing a
pure faith, a hand, faintly seen at present, but dcf^tincd
ere long to force itself uj)on the attention of all, points to
the euii)ires of a by-gone civilisation, and shows that they
had their periods in vvhieii to ris(?, flourish, and decay, and
that slavery was the main cause of that decay. The
exasperating reproaches addressed to the Americans, in
ignorance of the real difficulties of dealing with the case,
have done much harm in inciting that jwpular clamour
which hurries on reckless legislation. The i)roblem is one
which occupies the attention of thinking and Christian
men on both sides of the Atlantic, but still remains a
gigantic evil for philanthropists to mourn over, and for
politicians to correct.

An unexceptional censure ought not to be pronounced
without a more complete knowledge of the subject than
can be gained from novels and news})a})ers ; still less ought
this censure to extend to America as a whole, for the
people of the Northern States are more ardent abolition-
ists than ourselves — more consistent, in fact, for they have
no white slaves, no oppressed factory children, th(' cry of
whose wrongs ascends daily into the ears of an avenging
Judge. Still, blame must attach to them for the way in
which they place the coloured people in an inferior social
position, a rigid system of exclusivencss shutting them
out from the usual places of amusement and education.
It must not be forgotten that England bequeathed this
system to her colonies, though she has nobly blotted it
out from those which still own her sway ; that it is encou-
raged by the cotton lords of Preston and Manchester ;
and that the great measure of negro enianci])atioii was

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' ■'"•*' 1 -. ■','■■'' ' i 'Pi'T.

":'r-ir

132

SLAVERY.

ClIAP. VII.

il"

carried, not by the violent declamation and ignorant rail-
ings of men who songht poj)ularIty by exciting the pas-
sions of the mnltitude, but by the persevering exertions
and practical (Christian philanthropy of Mr. Wilberforce
and his coadjutors. It is naturally to be expected that a
person writing a book on America would offer some re-
marks up(m this subject, and raise a voice, however feeble,
against so gigantic an evil. The conclusions which I have
stated in the foregoing pages are derived from a careful
com])arison and study of facts which I have learned from
eminent speakers and writers both in favour of and against
the slave-system.

'■"*'!

Ciivp. VIII.

THE IIICKOTIY STICK.

133

CIIArTER VIII.

The liicknry stick — Chawinj^ up ruins — A forest scene — A cvn'ious
questioner — Hard and soft slicUs — ] )anKoi's of a ferry — Tlie west-
ern prairies — Nocturnal detention — The Wild West and tlio Father
of Kivers — Breakfast in a shed — What is an alli<j;ator ? — Thy-
siognomy, and its uses — Tiie hidies' parlour — A Cliicago hotel, its
inmates and its horrors — A water-drinking peo2)lo — The I'rairie
City — Progi-ess of the West. >

A BRIGHT September sun glittered upon the spires of
Cincinnati us I reluctantly bade it adieu, and set out in
the early morning by the cars to join my travelling com-
panions, meaning to make as long a detour as possible,
or, as a " down-ea.-it" lady might say, to " make a pretty
considerable circumlocution" Fortunately I had ;not
with some friends, well acquainted with the country, who
offered to take me round a much larger circle than I had
contemplated ; and with a feeling of excitement such as
I had not before experienced, we started for the Missis-
sippi and the western prairies en route to Detroit.

Bishop M'llvaine, anxious that a very valued friend of
his in England should possess something from Ohio, had
cut down a small sapling, which, when divested of its
branches and otherwise trimmed, made a very formidable-
looking bludgeon or cudgel, nearly four feet long. This
being too lengthy for n:y trunks was tied to my umbrella,
and on this day in the cars excited no little curiosity,
several persons eyeing it, then me, as if wondering in

..'■■•■•t

CHAWING LT RUINS.

ClIAI'. VIII.

wlint roliitlon wo stood to each otlior. Finally tlioy took
it up, iiiimitcly ox.nnlning it, and taj)ping it as if to seo
wlietlier anything wcro thoroin concealed. It caused me
niucli ainusenuMit, and, from its size, some annoyance, till
at lengtli, wishing to leave it in my room at a Toronto
hotel while I went for a visit of a few djiys, the waiter
brought it down to the door, asking me " if I wished to
take the cudf/cl?^^ After this I had it shortened, and it
travelled in my trunk to New York, where it was given
to a carver to be fasliioned into a walking-stick ; and, un-
less the tradesman ])layed a Yankee trick, and substituted
another, it is now, after surviving many dangers by sea
and land, in the possession of the gentleman for whom it
was intended.

Souie amusing remarks were made upon England by
some of the " Buckeyes," as the inhabitants of Ohio arc
called. On trying to persuade a lady to go with me to
St. Louis, I observed that it was onlt/ five hundred miles.
" Five hundred miles I" she replied ; "why, you'd tumble
off your paltry island into the sea before you got so far !"
Another lady, who got into the cars at some distance
from Cincinnati, could not understand the value which we
set upon ruins. " We should chaw them up," she said,
"make roads or bridges of them, unless Barnum trans-
ported them to bia museum : we would never keep them
on our own hook as you do." " You value them your-
selves," I answered ; " any one would be * lynchecV who
removed a stone of Ticonderoga." It was an unfortu-
nate speech, for she archly replied, " Our only ruins are
British fortification?, and we go to see them because they
remind us that we whipped the nation which whips all the

CirAP. VIIT.

STATK OF OTTTO.

135

world." The Americans, 1)()\v('V(M', tliougli tlioy may talk
so, would give anything if tliey could appropriate a Kenil-
wortli C.^istle, or a Melrose or a Tintern Abbey, with
its covering of ivy, and make it sustain some episode
of their hijitory. But thougli they can make railways,
ivy is beyond them, and the j)urple heather disdains the
soil of the New World. A very amusing ticket was
given me on the Mad River line. It bore the com-
mand, " Stick this check in your ," the blank being

filled up with a little engraving of a hat ; consequently
I saw all the gentlemen with small pink embellishments to
the covering of their heads.

We passed through a large and very beautiful portion
of the State of Ohio : the soil, wherever cultivated, teem-
ing with crops, and elsewhere with a vegetation no less
beautiful than luxuriant ; a mixture of small weed prai-
ries, and forests of splendid timber. Extensive districts
of Ohio are still without inhabitants, yet its energetic
people have constructed within a period of five years ha.lf
as many miles of railroad as the whole of Great Britain
contains ; they are a ^^ r/reat ;;<?oy^/e," they do " ^/o a-hcad"
these Yankees. The newly cleared soil is too rich for
wheat for many years ; it grows Indian corn for thirty
in succesfc^ion, without any manure. Its present popula-
tion is under three millions, and it is estimated that it
would support a population of ten millions, almost entirely
in agricultural pursuits. Wo were going a-head, and in
a few hours arrived at Forest, the junction of the Clyde,
Mad River, and Indiana lines.

Away with all English ideas which may be conjured up
by the word junction — the labyrinth of iron rails, the

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A (il'KRIST.

ClIAP. VIII,

smart policcninn ui tlio points, tlio liandsoinc station, and
clofjjant rcri-e.-lmu'ut-roonis. lion? was a dcnso toicst,
with merely a clearing round tlio rails, a small slianty tor
tluMnan who cuts wood for the engine, and two sidings
for the trains coming in different directions. There was
not even a platform for j)assengers, who, to the nund»er of
two or threi* hundred, were standing on the clearing,
resting against the stnm|)s of trees. And yet for a W'W
minutes every day the bustle of life j)ervades this hmely
8i)ot, for hero moot travellers from east, west, and south ;
the careworn merchant from the Atlantic cities, and the
hardy trapper from the; western prairies. Wo hero
changed cars for those of the Indianajjolis lino, and, nearly
at the same time with throo other trains, plunged into the
depths of the forest.

" You 're from down oast, I guess ?" said a sharp nasal
voice behind mo. — This was a supposition first made in
the Portland cars, when I was at a loss to know what
distinguishing and palpable peculiarity marked me as
a " down-oast'M'." Better informed now, I replied,
" I am." " Going west ?"— " Yes." " Travelling
alone ?" — " No." " Was you raised down east ?" —
" No, in the Old Country." " In the little old island ?
well, you are kinder glad to leave it, I guess? Are you
a widow ?" — " No." " Are you travelling on business ?"
— " No." " AVhat business do you follow ?"— " None."
"Well, now, what are you travelling for?" — "Health
and pleasure." " Well, now, I guess you 're pretty con-
siderable rich. Coming to settle out west, I 8up})ose ?"
— " No, I 'm going back at the end of the fall." " Well,
now, if that's not a pretty tough hickory-nut ! I guess

as
ied,
ing

.- 'r

CllAP. VIII.

TALES FOR STUANUKUS.

\\\1

you l^ritiahors art! tlu' (luecivst critiurri as ovtT was
raised T' I coiisidoriMl myself (piite fortunate to liave
fallen in with sucli a (juerist, for the Americans are
usually too mueh taken up with their own husiness to
trouhle themselves about yours, beyond sueii ([ue.-tions
as, "Are you bound west, stranger?" or, "You're from
down east, I guess." " Why do you take me for a
(lown-eastcr /^ 1 asked once. " Ik'cause you speak like
one," was the reply ; the frecpient suj)j)osition that I was
a New luiglander being ni^arly as bad as being told that
I " had not the English accent at all." I was glad to be
taken for an American, as it gave n)e a better ojtportunity
of seeing things as they really are. An English person
goin^ about staring and (juestioning, with a note-book in
his hand, is considered " fair game," and consequently is
"cj'armncd" on all sii'ijects; stories of petticoated table-
legs, and fabulous horrors of the bowie-knife, being
among the smallest of the absurdities swallowed.

Our party consisted of five persons besides myself, two
elderly gentlemen, the niece of one of them, and a young
married couple. They knew the governor of Indiana,
and a candidate for the proud position of Senator, also
our fellow travellers ; and the conversation assumed a
political character ; in fact, they held a long parliament,
for I think the discussion lasted for three hours. Extra-
ordinary, and to me unintelligible names, were bandied
backwards and forwards ; I heard of " Silver Grays," but
my companions were not discussing a breed of fowls ; and
of " Hard Shells," and " Soft Shells," but the merits
of eggs were not the topic. " Whigs and Democrats "
seemed to be analogous to our Radicals, and " Know-

V ^l:■

». < '.

l.'.«

■ .•:.•.,• 1

-A

138

da:nGers of a ferry.

Chap. VIII.

tl'

Nothings " to be a respectable and constitutional party.
Whatever minor difterenccs my companions had, they all
seemed agreed in hating the " Nebraska men " (the ad-
vocates of an extension of slavery), who one would have
thought, from the epithets applied to them, were a set of
thieves and cut-throats. A gentleman whose whole life
had been s))ent in opposition to the principles which they
are bringing forward was very violent, and the pretty
young lady, Mrs. AVood, equally so.

After stopping for two hovu'S at a wayside shed, we set
out again at dark for La Fayette,* which we reached
at nine. These Western cars are crammed to over-
flowing, and, having to cross a wide stream in a ferry-
boat, the crush was so terrible, that I was nearly
knocked down ; but as American gentlemen freely use
their canes where a lady is in the case, I fared better
than some of my fellow-passengers, who had their coat-
tails torn and their toes barbarously crushed in the
crowd. The steam ferry-boat had no parapet, and the
weakest were pushed to the side ; the centre was filled up
with baggage, carts, and horses ; and ve.-sels were moored
along the river, with the warps crossing each other, to
which we had to bow continually to avoid decapitation.
When we reached the wharf, quantities of people were
waiting to go to the other side ; and directly the gang-
way-board was laid, there was a simultaneous rush of
two opposing currents, and, the insecure board slipping,

* From tlie frequent recurrence of the same uamea, the great distance
travellcil over, the short halt we made at any phice, and the absence of
a railway guide, I have been unable to give our route from Cincinnati
to Chicago with more than an approximation to correctness.

Chap. YIII.

WESTERN PRAIRIES.

l;J9

they were all precipitated into the water. Fortunately it
was not deep, so they merely underwent its cooling influ-
ences, which they bore with admirable equanimity, only
one making a bitter complaint, that he had spoiled his "^o-
to-meetins" The farther west we went, the more dangerous
the neighbourhood became. At all the American stations
there are placards warning people to beware of pickpockets ;
but from Indiana westward they bore the caution, " Bewai e
of pickpockets, swindlers, and luggage-thieves." At many
of the depots there is a general rush for the last car, for the
same reason that there is a scramble for the stern cabins
in a steamer, — viz. the explosive qualities of the boilers.

We travelled the whole of that night, our fellow-
passengers becoming more extravagant in ap})carance at
every station, and morning found us on the prairies.
Cooper influences our youthful imaginations by telling
us of the prairies — Mayne Reid makes us long to cross
them ; botanists tell us of their flowers, sportsmen of
their buffaloes* — but without seeing them few people can
form a correct idea of what they are really like.

The sun rose over a monotonous plain covered with
grass, rank, high, and silky-looking, blown before the
breeze into long, shiny waves. The sky was blue above,
and the grass a brownish green benoath ; wild pigeons
and turkeys flew over our heads ; the horizontal line had
not a single inequality ; all was hot, unsuggestive, silent,
and monotonous. This was the grass prairie.

A belt of low timber would bound the expanse, and on

• At the present time uo wild animals are to be found cast of tlie
Mississippi; so offoctiially hius civili/.iition chuuged the cluiructer of tlie
ancient hunting-grounds of the Indians. ~

■54.1

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':>

140

WESTERN rilAIRIES.

Chap. VIII.

i%. ^

iii ■ -*^

the otlier side of it a green sea would open before us,
stretching as far as the eye could reach — stationary
billows of earth, covered with short green grass, which,
waving beneath the wind, completed the oceanic illusion.
This was the rolling prairie.

Again a belt of timber, and a flat surface covered with
flowers, brilliant even at this season of the year ; though,
of the most gorgeous, nothing remained but the withered
stalks. The ground was enamelled with lilies, the heli-
anthus and cineraria flourished, and the deep-green leaves
and blue blossom of the lupin contrasted with the prickly
stem and scarlet flower of the euphorbia. For what
purpose was " the wilderness made so gay where for
years no eye sees it," but to show forth his goodness who
does vhat he will with his own ? This was the weed
prairie, more fitly termed " the Garden of God."

These three kinds of prairie were continually alter-
nating with belts of timber and small lakes ; but few
signs of population were apparent during that long day's
journey. We occasionally stopped for water at shanties
on the prairies, and took in two or three men ; but this
vast expanse of fertile soil still must remain for many
years a field for the enterprise of the European races.

Toviards evening we changed cars again, and took in
stores of refreshment for our night's journey, as little
could be procured along the route. What strange people
now cranmied the ears ! Traders, merchants, hunters,
diggers, trappers, and adventurers from every land, most
of them armed to the teeth, and not without good reason ;
for within the last few uiontlis, Indians, enraged at the
aggressions of the white men, have taken a terrible

in
Ittle
nple
Icrs,

Lost
[on;
Ithe
Ible

Chap. VIII.

PRAIRIE-MEN.

141

revenge upon western travellers. Some of their rifles
were of most costly workmanship, and were nursed with
paternal care by their possessors. On the seat in front
of me were two "prairie-men," such as arc described in
the ' Scalp-Hunters,' though of an inferior grade to St.
Vrain. Fine specimens of men they were ; tall, hand-
some, broad-chested, and athletic, with aquiline noses,
piercing grey eyes, and brown curling hair and beards.
Tlioy wore leathern jackets, slashed and embroidered,
leather smallclothes, large boots with embroidc^'ed tops,
silver spurs, and caps of scarlet cloth, worked with some-
what tarnished gold thread, doubtless the gifts of some
fair ones enamoured of the handsome physiognomies and
reckless bearing of the hunters. Dulness fled from their
presence ; they could tell stories, whistle melodies, and
sing comic songs without weariness or cessation : fortunate
were those near enough to be enlivened by their drolleries
during the tedium of a night detention. E;'ch of them
wore a leathern belt — with two pistols stuck into it — gold
earrings, and costly rings. Blithe, cheerful souls they
were, telling racy stories of Western life, chivalrous in
their manners, and free as the winds.

There were Californians dressed for the diggings, with
leather pouches for the gold- dust ; Mormons on their way
to Utah ; and restless spirits seeking for that excitement
and variety which they had sought for in vain in civilized
life ! And conveying this motley assortment of human
beings, the cars dashed along, none of their inmates
heeding each other, or perhaps Him

" who heeda and holds them all

ir.»S

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, ■ .<•

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In his large love and boundless thought."

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142

XOCTURXAL DETENTION.

Chap. VIII.

At eleven wo came to an abrupt pause upon the
prairie. After waiting quietly for some tin)e without
seeing any vestiges of a station, my friends got out to
inquire the cause of the detention, when we found that a
freight-train had broken down in front, and that we might
be detenus for some time, a mark for Indian bullets !
Refreshments were produced and clubbed together ; the
"prairie-men" told stories; the hunters looked to their
rifles, and polislied their already resplendent chasing ;
some Mexicans sang Spanish songs, a New Englander
' Yankee Doodle ;' some f/uessed, others calculated, till
at last all grew sleepy : the trappers exhausted their
stories, the singers their songs, and a Mormon, who had
been setting forth the peculiar advantages of his creed,
the patience of his auditors — till at length sonorous
sounds, emitted by numerous nasal organs, proving in-
fectious, I fell asleep to dream confusedly of ' Yankee
Doodle,' pistols, and pickpockets.

In due time I awoke ; we were stopping still, and
there was a light on our right. " AVe're at Rock Island,
I suppose ?" I asked sleepily. A laugh from my friends
and the hunters followed the question ; after which they
informed me in the most polite tones that we were where
we had been for the last five hours, namely stationary on
the prairie. The intense cold and heavy dew which
accompany an American dawn made me yet more amazed
at the characteristic patience with which the Americans
submit to an unavoidable necessity, however disagreeable.
It is true that there were complaints of cold, and heavy
sighs, but no blame was imputed to any one, and the
quiescence of my companions made me quite ashamed of

. i '

and
land,
lends
thev
here
yon
Ihich
zed
leans
ible.
lavy
the
Id of

Chap. VIII.

THE WILD WEST.

143

my English impatience. In England we sliould have
had a perfect chorus of complaints, varied by "rowing"
the conductor, abuse of the company, and resolutions to
write to the Times^ or bring up the subject of railway
mismanagement in the House of Commons. These; people
sat quietly, ate, slept, and smoked, and were thankful
when the cars at last moved off to their destination.

On we flew to the \Vest, the land of Wild Indians
and buffaloes, on the narrow rims of metal with which
this " great people " is girdling the earth. Evening suc-
ceeded noon, and twilight to the blaze of a summer day ;
the yellow sun sank cloudless behind the waves of the
rolling prairie, yet still we hurried on, only stopping
our headlong course to take in wood and water at some
nameless stations. When the sun set, it set behind the
prairie waves. I was oblivious of any changes during
the night, and at rosy dawn an ocean of long green
grass encircled us round. Still on — belts of timber di-
versify the prospect — we rush into a thick wood, and,
emerging from it, arrive at Rock Island, an unfinished-
looking settlement, which might bear the name of the
Desert City, situated at the confluence of the Rock River
and Mississippi. We stop at a little wharf, where waits
a little steamer of uncouth construction ; we step in, a
steam-whistle breaks the silence of that dewy dawn, and
at a very rapid rate we run between high wooded bluffs,
down a turbid stream, whirling in rapid eddies. We
steam for three miles, and land at a clearing contain-
ing the small settlement of Davenport. Wc had come
down the Mississippi, mightiest of rivers ! half a mile
wide seventeen hundred miles from its mouth, and were

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144

AX ALLIGATOR.

Chap. VIH.

in the far West. "Wcaggor.s with white tilts, thick-hided
oxen with heavy yokes, mettlesome steeds with high
peaked saddles, picketed to stumps of trees, lashing away
the flies with their tails ; emigrants on hlue boxes, won-
dering if this were the VA Dorado of their dreams ; arms,
accoutrements, and baggage surrounded the house or
shed where we were to breakfast. Most of our com-
panions were bound for Nebraska, Oregon, and Utah,
the most distant districts of which they would scarcely
reach with their slow-paced animals for four months ;
exposed in the mean time to the attacks of the Sioux,
Comanches, and Blackfeet.

There, in a long wooden shed with blackened rafters
and an earthen floor, we breakfasted, at seven o'clock, on
johnny-cake, squirrels, buflPalo-hump, dampers, and buck-
wheat, tea and corn spirit, with a crowd of emigrants,
hunters, and adventurers ; and soon after re-embarked
for Rock Island, our little steamer with diflficulty stem-
ming the mighty tide of the Father of Rivers. The
machinery, such as it was, was very visible, the boiler
patched in several places, and steam escaped in different
directions. I asked the captain if he were not in the
habit of " sitting upon the safety-valve," but he stoutly
denied the charge. The vernacular of this neighbour-
hood was rather startling to an English ear. " Who's
the alligator to hum?" asked a broad-shouldered Ken-
tuckian of his neighbour, pointing to a frame shanty on
the shore, which did not look to me like the abode of that
amphibious and carnivorous creature. " "Well, old alli-
gator, what's the time o' day?" asked another man,
bringing down a brawny paw, with a resounding thump.

imp,

Chap. VIII. AN UNTLEASANT NETOTIBOUR.

145

upon the Herculean shoulders of the first querist, thereby
giving me the information that in the West alliyatjr is a
designation of the genus homo; in fact, that it is cus-
tomary for a man to address his fellow-man as "old
alligator," instead of "old fellow." At eight we left
Rock Island, and, turning my unwilling steps eastward
from the land of adventure and romance, we entered the
cars for Chicago.

They were extremely crowded, and my friends, se-
curing me the only comfortable seat in one of them,
were obliged to go into the next, much to their indigna-
tion ; but protestations were of no use. The engine-bell
rang, a fearful rush followed, which resulted in ihe pas-
sage down the centre being filled with standing men ;
the conductor shouted " Go a-head," and we were off for
Lake Michigan in the " Lightning Express," warranted
to go sixty-seven miles an hour ! I had found it necessary
to study physiognomy since leaving England, and was
horrified by the appearance of my next neighbour. His
forehead was low, his deep-set and restless eyes significant
of cunning, and I at once set him down as a swindler or
pickpocket. My convictions of the truth of my inferences
were so strong, that I removed my purse, in which, how-
ever, acting by advice, I never carried more than five
dollars, from ray pocket, leaving in it only my handker-
chief and the checks for my baggage, knowing that I
could not possibly keep awake the whole morning. In
spite of my endeavours to the contrary, I soon sank into
an oblivious state, from which I awoke to the consciousness
that my companion was withdrawing his hand from my
pocket. My first impulse was to make an exclamation,

140

USES OF niYSIOGNOMY.

Chap. VIII.

'*i

! !'

my second, which I carried into execution, to ascertain
my loss ; wliieh I found to be the very alarming one of
my baggage-checks ; my whole property being thereby
placed at this vagabond's disposal, for I knew perfectly
well, that if I chiimed my trunks without my checks, thf
acute baggage- master would have set me down as a bold
swindler. The keen-eyed conductor was not in the car,
and, had he been there, the necessity for habitual sus-
picion, incidental to his position, would so far have
removed his original sentiments of generosity as to make
him turn a deaf ear to my request, and there was not one
of my fellow-travellers whose physiognomy would have
warranted me in appealing to him. So, recollecting that
my checks were marked Chicago, and seeing that the
thief s ticket bore the same name, I resolved to wait the
chapter of accidents, or the re-appearance of my friends.
I was scarcely able to decide w hether this proof of the re-
liance to be placed upon physiognomy was not an adequate
compensation for the annoyance I was experiencing, at the
probability of my hoarded treasures falling into the hands
of an adventurer.

During the morning we crossed some prairie-country,
and stopped at several stations, patches of successful cul-
tivation showing that there must be cultivators, though I
rarely saw their habitations. The cars still continued so
full that my friends could not join me, and I began to be
seriously anxious about the fate of my luggage. At
mid-day, spires and trees, and lofty blocks of building,
rising from a grass-prairie on one side, and from the blue
waters of Lake Michigan on the other, showed that we
were approaching Chicago. Along beaten tracks through

' ^'

intry,
ciil-
ighl
;d so
Ito be
At
|ding,
blue
lit we
lough

Ciur. VIII.

A CHICAGO HOTEL.

147

the grass, waggons with white tilts drawn by oxen were
proceeding west, sometimes accompanied by armed horse-
men.

AVith a whoop like an Indian war-whoop the cars ran
into a shed — they stopped — the pickpocket got up — I got
up too — the baggage-master came to the door : " This
gentleman has the checks for my baggage," said I, point-
ing to the thief. Bewildered, he took them from liis
waistcoat-pocket, gave them to the baggage-master, and
went hastily away. I had no inclination to cry " Stop
thief!" and had barely time to congratulate myself on
the fortunate impulse which had led me to say what I did,
when my friends appeared from the next car. They
were too highly amused with my recital to sympathise
at all with my feelings of annoyance, and one of them, a
gentleman filling a high situation in the East, laughed
heartily, saying, in a thoroughly American tone, " The
English ladies must be 'cute customers, if they can outwit
Yankee pickpockets."

Mearlng to stay all night at Cliicago, we drove to the
two best hotels, but, finding them full, were induced to
betake ourselves to an advertising house, the name of
which it is unnecessary to give, though it will never be
effaced from my memory. The charge advertised was a
dollar a day, and for this every comfort and advantage
were promised.

The inn was a large brick building at the corner of a
street, with nothing very unprepossessing in its external
appearance. The wooden stairs were dirty enough, and,
on ascending them to the so-called " ladles' parlour," I
found a large, meanly-furnished apartment, garnished with

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143

A CHICAGO HOTEL.

Chap. VIII.

six spittoons, wliicli, liovvovor, to my disgust, did not
prevent the floor from receiving a large (quantity of to-
bacco-juice.

Tiujre were two rifles, a ])istol, and a powder-fla^k on
the table ; two Irish emigrant women were seated (m the
floor (which swarmed with black beetles and ants), un-
dressing a screaming child ; a woman evidently in a fever
was tossing restlessly on the sofa ; two females in tarnished
Bloomer habiliments were looking out of the window ; and
other extraordinary-looking liaman beings filled the room.
1 asked for accommodation for the night, hoping that I
should find a room where I coubl sit quietly. A dirty
chambermaid took me to a room or dormitory containing
four beds. In one part of it three women were affec-
tionately and assiduously nursing a sick child ; in nother,
two were combing tangled black hair; upon which I
declared that I must have a room to myself.

The chambermaid then took me down a long, darkish
passage, and showed me a small room without a fire-
place, and only lighted by a pane of glass in the door ;
conse(|uently, it was nearly dark. There was a small bed
with a dirty buffalo-skin upon it ; I took it up, and
swarms of living creatures fell out of it, and the floor was
literally alive with them. The sight of such a room
made me feel quite ill, and it was with the greatest reluct-
ance that I de})osited my bonnet and shawl in it.

Outside the door were some medicine-bottles and other
suspicious signs of illness, and, after making some cautious
inquiries, we found that there was a case of typhus fever in
the house, also one of Asiatic cholera, and three of ague !
My friends were extremely shocked with the aspect of

Chap. VIII.

A CIIICA(;0 HOTEL.

alFairs. I beliovo that they were uinioyod that I slioiild
6ini such a sipccimon of an liotul in their country, and thoy
decided, that, cis I could not possihly remain there tor the
nigljt, I shouhl go on to Detroit ah)ne, as they were de-
tained at Cljieago on business. Tliongli I certainly
felt rather out of my element in tliis place, I was not
at all sorry for the opportunity, thus accidentally given
me, of seeing something of American society in its lowest
grade.

We went down to dinner, and only the fact of not
having tasted food for many hours could have made
me touch it in such a room. We were in a long apart-
ment, with one table down the middle, with |)lates laid for
one hundred j)eople. Every seat was occupied, these seats
being benches of somewhat uncouth workmanship. The
floor had recently been washed, and emitted a damp fetid
odour. At one side was a large fireplace, where, in spite
of the heat of the day, sundry manipulations were going
on, coming under the general name of cookery. At the
end of the room was a long leaden trough or sink, wliert!
three greasy scullery-boys without slioes, nere perpetually
engaged in washing plates, which thoy wiped upon their
aprons. The plates, howevei, 'vere not washed, only
superficially rinsed. There were four brigand-looking
waiters with prodigious beards and moustachios.

There was no great variety at table. There were
eight boiled legs of mutton, nearly raw ; six antiquated
fowls, whose legs were of the consistence of guitar-strings ;
baked pork with " onion fixings," the meat swimming in
grease ; and for vegetables, yams, corn-cobs, and scjuash.
A cup of stewed tea, sweetened with molasses, stood by

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TAIir-E-D'IIOTK AT CHICAGO.

CirAf. VIII.

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each pl.ito, and no fcniuMited lltnior of any doscription
was consiuiuMl by tlu; com))any. Tlioro were no carving-
knivos, so each })orson liarhed the joints with \\\a own, and
some of tliose present carved tlieni dexterously with
bowie-knives taken out of tlieir belts. Neither were there
salt-spoons, so everyb«)dy dipped his greasy knife into the
little j)(;wter pot containing salt. Dinner bcgnn, and after
satisfying my own hunger with the least objectionable
dish, namely "pork with onion fixings," I had leisure to
look round mo.

Every quarter of the globe had contributed to swell
that motley array, even China. Motives of interest or
adventure had drawn them all together to this extraor-
dinary outpost of civilisation, and soon would disperse
them among lands where civilisation is unknown.

As far as I could judge, we were the only representa-
tives of England. There were Scots, for Scots are always
to be found where there is any hope of honest gain — there
wen; Irish eniigrants, speaking with a rich brogue — French
traders from St. Louis — Mexicans fron Santa Fe — Cali-
fornians fitting out, and Californians coming home with
fortunes made — keen-eycnl speculators from New Eng-
land— packmen from Canada — " Prairie-men," trappers,
hunters, and adventurers of all descriptions. Many of
these wore bowie-knives or pistols in tlieir belts. The
costumes were very varied and picturesque. Two
Bloomers in very poor green iiabiliments sat opposite to
me, and did not ap})ear to attract any attention, though
Bloomerisra is ha})pily defunct in the States.

There had been three duels at Chicago in the morninc,
and one of the duellists, a swarthy, dark-browed villain.

ClIAl'. VIII.

RESPECT FOR WOMEN.

151

snt next but one to me. The quarrel originated in a
ganil)Iing-liouse, and this Mexican's ()j)j)onent was nior-
tally wounded, and there he sat, with tlie guilt of human
blood upon his hands, describing to his vis-d-vis the way
in which he had taken aim at his adversiry, and no one
seemed to think anything about it. From what I heard,
I tear duelling must have become very connnon in the
We->t, and no wonder, from the nund)er of lawless spirits
who congregate where they can be comparatively un-
fettered.

The second course consisted exclusively of pumpkin-
pies ; but when the waiters changed the plates, their way
of cleaning the knives and forks was so peculiarly disgusting,
that I did not attempt to eat anything. But I must rv-
mark that in this motley assembly there was nothing of
coarseness, and not a word of bad language — indeed, no-
thing which could offend the most fastidious cars. I must
in this respect bear very favourable testimony to the
Americans ; for, in the course of my somewhat extensive
travels in the United States, and mixing as I did very
frequently with the lower classes, I never heard any of
that language which so frequently offends the ear in
England.*

I suppose that there is no country in the world where
the presence of a lady is such a restraint upon manners
and conversation. A female, whatever her age or rank
may be, is invariably treated with deferential respect ;
and if this deference may occasionally trespass upon the

* I must not bo misunderstood hero. Profane Inngnago is only too
notoriously common in the Statefs, but custom, whicli in America is
frequently stronger than law, totally prohibits its uso before ladies.

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Chap. VIII.

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limit? of absurdity, or if the extinct chivalry of the past
ages of Europe meets with a partial revival upon the
shores of America, this extreme is vastly preferable to the
hriisquerie, if not incivility, which ladies, as I have heard,
ton often meet with in England.

The apparently temperate habits in the United States
form another very pleasing feature to dwell upon. It is
to lie feared that there is a considerable amount of
drunkenness among the English, Irish, and Germans, who
form a large portion of the American population ; ' the
temperate, tea-drinking, water-drinking habits . th^'
nativt; Americans are most remarkable. In fact, I only
saw one intoxicated person in the States, and he was a
Scotch fiddler. At the hotels, even when sitting down to
dinner in a room with four hundred persons, I never on
anv occasion saw more than two botlles of wine on the
table, and I know from experience that in many private
dwelling-houses there is no fermented liquor at all. In
the Wesi, more especially at the rude hotels where I
stop})ed, I never saw wine, beer, or spirits upon the
table ; and the spectacle gratified me exceedingly, of
seeing fierce-looking, armed, and bearded men, drinking
frecjuently in the day of that cup " which cheers, but not
inebriates." Water is a beverage which I never enjoyed
in purity and perfection before I visited America. It is
pro\ ided in abundance in the cars, the hotels, the waiting-
rooms, the steamerLi, and even the stores, in crystal
jug; or stone niters, and it is always iced. This may
be either the result or the cause of the temperance of the
people.

Ancient history tells us of a people who used to in-

Chap. VIII.

PROFANE SWEARING.

15:3

toxica te their slaves, and, while they were in that condition,
display them to their sons, to disgust them early with the
degrailing vice of drunkenness.

The emigrants who have left our shores, more particu-
larly the Irish, have voluntarily enacted the part formerly
assigned to the slaves of the Spartans. Certain it is that
their intemperance, with the evils of which the Americans
are only too well acquainted, has produced a beneficial
result, by causing a strong re-action in favour of tem-
perance principles.

The national oath of the English, which has earned for
them abroad a horrible sohrvpiet, and the execrations
which belong to the French, Italian, and Spanish nations,
are unfortunately but too well known, because they are
too often heard. Indeed, I have scarcely ever travelled
in England by coach or railway — I have; seldom driven
through a crowded street, or ridden on horseback through
([uiet agricultural villages — without hearing language in
direct defiance of the third commandment. Profanity
and drunkenness are among the crying sins of the Eng-
lish lower orders. Much has been said upon the subject
of swearing in the United States. I can only say that,
travelling in them as I have travelled in England, and
mixing with peo})le of a much lower class than I ever
was thrown among in iMigland — mixing with these people
too on terms of perfect e([ua1ity — I never heard an oath
till after I crossed the (Canadian frontier. With regard
to both these things, of course I only speak of what fell
under my own observation.

After dinner, being only too glad to escape from a
hoube wliere ^edtilouce was rife, we went out into Chicago.

II 3

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154

CHICAGO.

Chap. VIII.

L* ■''

It is a wonderful place, and tells more forcibly of the
astonishing energy and progress of the Americans than
anything I saw. Forty years ago the whole gnHnnl on
Avhich the town stands could have been bought for six
hundred dollars ; now, a person would givi^ ten tliousand
for the site of a single store. It is built on a level
prairie, only slightly elevated above the lak«? surface. It
lies on both sides of the Chicago river, about a mile above
its entrance into Lake Michigan. By the construction
of piers, a large artificial harbour has been made at the
mouth of this river.

The city has sprung up ra))idly. and is suj)plied with
all the accessories of a high state of civilisation. Chicago,
in evervthing that contributes to rcaf ^ise and aonifort will
compare favourably with any city in world. In 1830

it was a, mere trading-post, situated in the theatre of the
Black Hawk war. In 1850 its population was only :i8,(K)0
people : it has now not less than GO,(JO().* It had not a
mile of railway in 1850 ; now fourteen lines radiat<> from
it, bringing to it the trade of an area of comitry erjiuilling
150,000 s(piaro miles. One hundred heavy trains arrive
and depart from it daily. It has a commeree eomnv-n-
surate with its magnitude. It emj)loys aWut 7(),(K'X*
tons of shipping, nearly one-half being steamers and pro'
pollers. The lumber- trade, which is chiefly carried on
with Buffalo, is becomir;^ very protitable. The exportvS
of Chicago, to the East, of bread -stu'fl>' &r the fwst year,
exceeded 13,000,000 busiiels ; and a citv whieli, jp 1840,

* By the la,st census, taken in Jnno, 18ri5,*<Sie
was given at 87,0uO souls, thu.-i sliowiug tfa
27,00(t within a year.

Cnvr. VIII.

CniCAGO.

15.'i

numbered only 4000 inliiibitants, is now one of the largest
ox])orting grain-markets in the world.

Chicago is connected with th.e western rivers by a slooj)
canal — one of the most magnificent works ever undertaken.
It is also connected with the Mississippi at several points
by railroad. It is regularly laid out with wide airy
streets, much more cleanly than those of Cincinnati. Tlie
wooden houses arc fast giving place to lofty sid)stantial
structures of brick, or a stone similar in appi'arance to
white marble, and are often six stories high. These
houses, as in all business streets in the American cities,
arc disfigured, up to the third story, by large glaring
sign-boards containing the names and occupations of their
residents. The side walks arc of wood, and, wher-
ever they are made of this unsubstantial material, one
frequently finds oneself stejjping into a hole, or upon
the end of a board which tilts up under one's feet. The
houses are always let in flats, so that there are gene-
rally three stores one above another. These stones are
very handsome, those of the imtfitters particularly so,
though the quantity of goods displayed in the streets gives
them rather a barbaric appearance. I'he side walks are
literally encinnbered with bales of scarlet flannel, and
every other article of an emigrant's outfit. At the out-
fitters' stores you can buy anythi/ig, from a cart-nnil to a
revolver ; from a suit (n' oilskin to a paper of needles.
The streets present an extraordinary spectacle. Every-
thing reminds that one is standing on the very verge of
wesfcrn civilisation.

Tlie roads are crowded to an inconvenient extent with
carriages of curious construction, waggons, carts, and men

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156

CHICAGO.

ClIAP. VIII.

on horseback, and the side-walks with oagor foot-pas-
sengers. By the side of a carriage drawn by two or
three handsome horses, a creaking waggon with a white
tilt, drawn by four heavy oxen, may be seen — Mexicans
and hunters dash down the crowded streets at full gallop
on mettlesome steeds, with bits so powerful as to throw
their horses on their haunches when they meet with any
obstacle. They ride animals that look too proud to
toucli the earth, on high-peaked saddles, with pistols in
the holsters, short stirrups, and long, cruel-looking
Spanish spurs. They wear scarlet caps or palmetto hats,
and high jack-boots. Knives are stuck into their belts,
and light rifles are slnng behind them. These pic-
turesque beings — the bullock-waggons setting out for the
Far ^Vest — the medley of diffeient nations and costumes
in the streets — make the city a spectacle of great interest.

The deep hollow roar of the locomotive, and the shrill
scream from the steamboat, are heard here all day ; a
continuous stream of life ever bustles through the city,
and, standing as it does on the very verge of western
civilisation, Chicago is a vast emporium of the trade of
the districts east and west of the Mississippi.

At an office in one of the streets Mr. C took my

ticket for Toronto by railway, steamer, railway, and
steamer, only paying eight dollars and a half, or about
thirty-four shillings, for a journey of seven hundred
miles !

We returned to tea at the hotel, and found our viands
and companions just the same as at dinner. It is impos-
sible to give an idea of the " western men " to any one
who has not seen one at least as a specimen. They are

I-

Chap. VIII.

STATE OF ILLINOIS.

157

the men licfore whom the Indians melt away as grass
before the scythe. Tliey shoot them clown on the smallest
provocation, and speak of " head of Indian," as we do in
England of head of game. Their bearing is bold, reck-
less, and independent in the extreme ; they are as ready
to fight a foe as to wait upon women and children with
tender assiduity ; their very appearance says to you,
" Stranger, I belong to the greatest, most enliglitencd,
and most progressive nation on earth ; I may be the
President or a millionaire next year ; I don't care a straw
for you or any one else."

Illinois is a State which has sprung up, as if by mngic,
to be one of the most fruitful in the West. It was settled
by men from the New^ England States — men who carried
with them those characteristics which have made the New
Eiiglandor's career one of active enterprise, and successful
progress, wherever he has been. Not many years ago
the name of Illinois was nearly unknown, and on her
soil the hardy settler battled with the forest-trees for
space in which to sow his first crops. Iler roa(7s were
merely rude and often impassable tracks through forest
or prairie ; now she has in operation and course of con-
struction two thousand and seventy miles of those iron
sinews of commercial progress — railroad-, running like a
network over the State.

At seven o'clock, with a feeling of great relief, mingled
with thankfulness at having escaped untouched by the
terrible pestilence which had ravaged Chicago, I left the
hotel, more appropriately termed a " caravanserai ^^^ and
my friends placed me in the " Lightning Express," war-
ranted to go sixty-seven miles an hour.

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168

CHICAGO.

Ciur. VIII.

Unless it may be St. Louis, I fancy that (^hicago
is more worth a visit than any other of the western
cities. Even one day at it was worth a voy.ige across
the Atlantic, and a land-journey of eighteen hundred
miles.

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CUAP. IX.

DANGEROUS RAILWAYS.

159

CIIArTER IX.

A vexatious incident — John Bull onnigcfl — Woman's right.s — Alli-
gators become Ikwhos — A popular host — Military dinplay — A
mirth-provoking gnu — Grave reuiiuisccnces — Attraction^^ of the
fair — Past and present — A floating palace — Ulack companions —
A black baby —Externals of Bufialo — The flag of England,

The niglit-cars are always crowded b')tli in Canada and
the States, because people in business arc anxious to save
a day if they have any expedition to make, and, as many
of the cars arc fitted up with seats of a most comfortable
kind for night-travelling, a person accustomed to them
can sleep in them as well as on a sofa. After leaving
Chicago, they seemed about to rush with a whoop into
the moonlit waters of Lake Michigan, and in reality it
was not much better. For four miles we ran along a
plank-road supported only on piles. There was a single
track, and the carriages projecting over the whole, there
was no bridge to be seen, and we really seemed to be
going along on the water. These insecure railways are
not uncommon in the States ; the dangers of the one on
the Hudson river have been experienced by many tra-
vellers to their cost.

We ran three hundred miles through central Michigan
in ten hours, including stoppages. We dashed through
woods, across prairies, and over bridges without parapets,
at a uniform rate of progress. A boy making con-

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AN UXGALLANT ENGLISHMAN.

ClIAl'. IX.

tinual porcgrinutions with iced water alleviated the thirst
of the pas.-engers, for the night was intensely hot, and I
managed to sleep v(!ry comfortably till awoke by the
intense cold of dawn. Dnring the evening an incident
most vexatious to me occurred.

The cars were very full, and were not able to seat all
the passengers. Consequently, according to the usages
of American etiquette, the gentlemen vacated the seats
in favour of the ladies, who tOv)k possession of them in a
very ungracious manner as T thought. The gentlemen
stood in the passage down the centre. At last all but
one had given up their seats, and while stopping at a
station another lady entered.

" A seat for a lady," said the conductor, when he saw
the crowded state of the car. The one gentleman did not
stir. " A seat for a lady," repeated the man in a more
imperious tone. Still no movement on the part of the
gentleman appealed to. " A seat for a lady ; don't you
see there's a lady wanting one ?" now vociferated several
voices at once, but without producing any effect. "Get
up for this lady," said one bolder than the rest, giving
the stranger a sharp admonition on the shoulder. He
pulled his travelling cap over his eyes, and doggedly
refused to stir. There was now a regular hubbub in
the car ; American blood was up, and several gentlemen
tried to induce the offender to move.

" I'm an Englishman, and I tell you I won't be brow-
beat by you beastly Yankees. I've paid for my seat, and
1 mean to keep it," savagely shouted the offender, thus
verifying my worst suspicions.

"I thought so! — I knew it! — A regular John Bull

Chap. IX.

STATE OF MICHIGAN.

IGl

trick ! just like thcni ! " were some of the observations
made, and very mild they were, considering the aggra-
♦'ated circumstances.

Two men took the culprit by his shoulders, and the
others, pressing behind, impelled hiin to the door, amid
a chorus of groans and hisses, disposing of him finally
by placing him in the emigrant-car, installing the lady in
the vacated seat. I could almost fancy that the ^hade of
the departed Judge Lynch stood by with an approving
smile.

I was so thoroughly ashamed of my countryman, and
so afraid of my nationality being discovered, that, if
any one spoke to me, I adopted every Americanism
which I could think of in reply. The country within
fifty miles of Detroit is a pretty alternation of
prairie, wood, corn-fields, peach and appie orchards.
The maize is the staple of the country ; you sec it in
the fields ; you have corn-cobs for breakftist ; corn-
cobs, mush, and hominy for dinner ; johnny-cake for
tea ; and the very bread contains a third part of Indian
meal !

I thought the little I saw of Michigan very fertile and
pretty. It is another of the newly constituted States, and
was known until recently under the name of the *' Mi-
chigan Territory." This State is a peninsula between
the Huron and Michigan Lakes, and borders in one part
closely on Canada. It has a salubrious climate and a
fertile soil, and is rapidly becoming a very productive
State. Of late years the influx of eni5";rant8 of a
better class has been very great. The State has great

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DETROIT.

CUAl'. IX.

capabilities for saw and flour mills ; the Grand Ra}»ids
alone have a fall of fifteen feet in a mile, and afford im-
men.<e water-power.

In Michigan, human beings have ceased to be " alli-
gators" they are " hosses." Thus one man says to an-
other, " How do you do, old hoss ?" or, "What's the
time o' day, old boss ?" When I reached Detroit I was
amused when a conductor said to me, " One o' them 'ere
bosses will take your trunks," pointing as he spoke to a
group of porters.

On arriving at Detroit I met for the first time with
tokens of Briti!^h enterprise and energy, and of the grow-
ing importance of Canada West. Several persons in the
cars were going to New York, and they took the ferry at
Detroit, and went down to Niagara Bridge by the Ca-
nada Great Western Railway, as the most expeditious
route. I drove through the very pleasant streets of
Detroit to the National Hotel, where I was to join the
Walrences. Having indulged the hope of rejoining my
former travelling companions here, I was greatly disap-
pointed at finding a note from them, containing the intel-
ligence that they had been summoned by telegraph to
Toronto, to a sick relative. They requested me to join
them there, and hoped I should find no difficulty on the
journey I

It was the time of the State fair, and every room in
the inn was occupied ; but Mr. Benjamin, the very
popular host of the National, on hearing my circum-
stances, would on no account suffer me to seek another
abode, and requested a gentleman to give up his room to

Chap. IX.

TUE NATIONAL HOTEL.

103

me, which with truo Amerioan poiitenoss ho instantly did.
I cannot speak too liighly of the National Hotel, or of its
deservedly popular landlord. I found that I could not
leave Detroit hcfore the next night, and at most hotels u
lady alone would have been very uncomfortably placed.
Breakfast was over, but, as soon as I retired to my room,
the waiter appeared with an abundant repast, for which
no additional charge was made. I sat in my room the
whole day, and Mr. Benjamin came twice to my door to
know if I wanted anything, lie introduced me to a
widow lady, whose room I afterwards shared ; and when
I went down at night to the steamer, ho sent one of his
clerks with me, to save me any trouble about my luggage.
He also gave me a note to an hotol-koeper at Buffalo,
requesting him to pay me every attention, in case I
should be detained for a night on the road. The hotel
was a perfect pattern of cleanliness, elegance, and com-
fort ; and the waiters, about fifty of whom were Dutch,
attended scrupulously to every wish, actual or su})posed,
of the guests. If those pages should ever meet Mr.
Benjamin's eye, it may bo a slight gratifioation to him to
know that his kindness to a stranger has been both re-
membered and appreciated.

I had some letters of introduction to residents at De-
troit, and here, as in all other places which I visited, I
had but to sow them to reaj) a rich harvest of kindness
and hospitality. I spent two days most agreeably at
Detroit, in a very refined and intellectual circle, perfectly
free from those mannerisms which I had expected to find
in a place so distant from the coast. The concurrent
testimony of many impartial persons goes to prove that

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MTLITAIIY DISPLAY.

ClIAl'. IX.

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in every Anieriean town highly polishetl and intellectual
society is to he met with.

My hed-rooni window at the National Hotel looked into
one of the widest and most hustling streets of Detroit.
It was the day of the Stnto fair, consequently I saw the
town under a very favourahle aspect. The contents of
several special trains, and iiundreds of waggons, crowded
the streets, the "waggons'" frequently drawn hy very
handsome horses. The private carriages were of a supe-
rior cla^s to any I had previously seen in the States ; the
harness was handsome and richly plated, and elegantly
dressed ladies filled the interiors. But in amusing con-
trast, the coachmen all looked like wild Irishmen enlisted
for the occasion, and drove in a standing posture. Young
farmers, many of them dressed in the extreme of the
fashion of Young America, were dashing ahout in their
light waggons, driving tandem or span ; heavily laden
drays were proceeding at a. slower speed; and all this
traffic was carried on under the shade of fine trees.

Military hands playing 'The Star-spangled Banner,'
and ' Hail Columbia,' were constantly passing and re-
j)assing, and the w hole population seemed on the qui vive.
Squadrons of cavalry continually passed my window, the
men in gorgeous uniforms, with high waving plumes.
'J"'heir horses were very handsome, but were not at all
willing to display themselves by walking slowly, or in
rank, and the riders would seem to have been se-
lected for their corpulence, probably under the supposi-
tion that the w eight of both men and horses would tell in
a charge.

The air ' Hail Columbia ' is a very fine one, and

Ciur. IX.

AN AMUSING GUN.

105»

doubtless thrills Ainerican hearts, as ours aro thrilled by
the National Anthem. Two rej^iments of foot followed
the cavalry, one with peaeeful-looking green and wiiite
plumes, the other with horsetails dyed scarlet. The
privates had a more independent air than our own regu-
lars, and w(M*e principally the sons of respectable citizens.
They appeared to have been well drilled, and were
superior in apjjearance to onr militia ; but it must be
remembered that the militia of America constitutes the
real military force of the country, and is paid and cared
for accordingly ; the regular army oidy amounting to
ten thousand men.

A gun of the artillery followed, and the spectacle made
me laugh immoderately, though I had no one with whom
to share my amusement. It was a new-looking gun of
shining brass, perfectly innocent of the taste of gun-
powder, and mounted on a carriage suspiciously like a
timber-truck, which had once been painted. Six very
respectabltvlooking artillerymen were clustering upon
this vehicle, but they had to hold hard, for it jolted un-
mercifully. It was drawn by four horses of different
colours and sizes, and they appeared animated by the
principle of mutual repulsion. One of these was ridden
by a soldier, seated on a saddle placed so far upon the
horse's neck, that it gave him the appearance of clinging
to the mane. The liarness was shabby and travel-soiled,
and the traces were of rope, which seemed to require
continual "fixing," to judge from the frequency with
which the rider jumped off to adjust them. The artillery-
men were also continually stopping the vehicle, to re-
arrange the limber of the gun.

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DETROIT FAIR.

Chap. IX.

AVlillo I was instituting an invidious comparipon betvvoen
tins gun and our wo11-a])})()intcd, wcll-liorsod, well-manned
artillery at Woolwich, the thought suddenly flashed across
my mind that the militia forces of America beat us at
Lexington, Saratoga, and Ticonderoga. " A change
came o'er the spirit of my dream," — from the ridiculous
to the sublime was but a step ; and the grotesque guii-
carriage was instantly invested with sublimity.

Various attractions were presented at the fair. There
were liorse-races and trotting-matches ; a trotting bull
warranted to beat the fastest horse in Michigan ; and
bands of music. Phineas Taylor Rarnum presented the
spectacle of his very superior menagerie ; in one })lace a
wizard offered to show the snuiUness of the difference
between jTiciim and iuuin; the Siamese Twins in another
dlsi'layed their monstrous and inseparable union ; and
voi ulists were awaiting the couunands of the lovers of

song.

There was a large j)ieco of ground devoted to an agri-
cultural exhibition ; and here, as at hoine, Cochin China
fowls wee " the observed of all observers," and realised
fabulous prices. In a long range of booths, devoted to
the products of manufaeturiiig industry, some of the cost-
liest i)roductions of the looms of Europe were exhibited
for sale. There were peep-shows, and swings, and merry-
go-rou.nds, and hobby-iiorses, and, with so many induce-
ments offered, it will not be snpposed that holiday people
were wanting.

Suddenly, while the diversions were at their height,
anil in the midst of the intense heat, a deluge burst over
Detroit, like the breaking of a waterspout, in a few mi-

Chap. IX.

PAST AND PRESENT.

nutes turning tlie streets i-wto rivers, deep enougb in
many places to cover the f«^locks of the horse?. It
rained as it only rains in a hot climat*', and the storm
was accompanied by thnnder and lightning.. Wiingons
and carriages hurried furiously ah>ng ; :)tages Intended
to carry twelve persf^ns at six cents wtire eor.'Veying
twenty tln-ough tlie flool at a dollar each -ind ladies
drenched to the ?kin, with white dresses afKii -ilk stock-
ings the colour of mud, were hurrying alow^' over the
sli])pery side walks. An infantry regiment of milnfia took
to their heels an>'l ran off at full pelt, — and a largt body
of luavjj cavalry dashed by in a perfect liur icane of
moustaches, draggled plumes, cross-bands, giganf'^ white
gloves, and clattering sabres, clearing the streets effec-
tually.

A hundred years ago Detroit was a little French village
of wooden houses, a mere post for carrying on the fur-
trade with the Indians. S )me of these hv<usis still re-
main, dingy, many-windowed, many-gabled buildings, of
antitjue construction. Canoes laden with peltry were
perhaps the only craft which disturbed the waters of the
Detroit river.

The old times are changed, and a thriving conunercial
town of 4(),<)()0 inhabitants stands v" the site of tho
French trading-post. Handsome (piays and extensive
wharfs now line the shores of the Detroit river, and to
look at the throng of magnificent steamers and small sail-
ing-vessels lying along them, sometimes two or three
deej), one would suppose oneself at an English seaj)ort.
The street.-i, which contain very handsome .stores, are
planted with trees, and are alive with business ; and hotels.

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168

THE STEAMER "MAYFLOWER."

CllAI'. IX.

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banks, and offices appear in every direction. Altogether
Detroit is a very pleasing place, and, from its position,
bids fair to be a very important one.

I had to leave the friends whose acquaintance and
kindness rendered Detroit so agreeable to me, in the
middle of a very interesting conversation. Before ten
at night I found myself on an apparently interminable
wharf, creeping betweei cart-wheels and over bales of
wool to the Mayjioxocr steamer, which was just leaving
for Buffalo.

Passing through th<3 hall of the Mayflower, which was
rather a confused and dimly-lighted scene, I went up to
the saloon by a very handsome staircase with elaborate
bronze balustrades. My bewildered eyes surveyed a fairy
scene, an eastern palace a vision of the Arabian Nights.
I. could not have believed that such magnificence existed
in a oliip ; it impressed me much more than anything I
have seen in the palaces of Eiigland.

The Mayflower was a steam-ship of 2200 tons burthen,
hnr length 33G feet, and her extreme breadth GO. She
was of 1000 horse-power, with 81 inch cylinders, and a
stroke of 12 feet. T speak of her in the past tense, be-
cause she has since b?en totally cast away in a storm on
Lake Erie. This lake loa/s a very bad character, and
pers(ms are warned not to venture upon it at so stormy a
season of the year as September, but, had the weather
been very rough, I should not have regretted my voyage
in so splendid a steamer.

The saloon was 300 feei long ; it had an arched roof
and Gothic cornice, with a moulding below of gilded
grapes and vine-leaves. It was 10 feet high, and the

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Chap. IX,

TUE STEAMER " MAYFLOWER."

109

projections of the coiling, tlie mouldings, and the panels
of the door.-) of the statc-roop.is were all richly gilded.
About the middle there was :tn enclosure for the engine,
scarcely obstructing tlie view. This em-losure was Gothic,
to inatch the roof, and nt each end had a window of
plate-glass, G feet square, through which the mechanisin
of the engine could be seen. Tlie engine itself, being a
high-pressure one, and consequently without the incum-
brances of condenser and air-])ump, occuj)ie(l much less
room than one of ours in a ship of the same tonnage.
Every stationary part of the machinery was of polished
steel, or bronze, with elaborate castings ; a crank indi-
cator and a clock faced each other, ai.d the whole was
lighted by two large coloured lamps. These windows
were a favourite lounge of the curious and scientific.
The carpet was of rich velvet pile, in groups of brilliant
flowers, and dotted over with ohairs, sofas, and tete-n-t<'lcs
of carved walnut-wood, cushioned with the richest green
velvet : the tables were of marble with gilded pedestals.
There was a very handsome j)iano, and both it and the
tables supported massive vases of beautiful Sevres or
Dresden cliina, filled with exotic flowers. On one table
\,a3 a richly-chased silver tray, with a silver ewer of iced
water upon it. The saloon was brilliantly lighted by
eight chaiideliers with dependent glass lustres ; and at
each end two mirrors, the height of the room, prolonged
interminably the magnificent scene.

In such an apartment one would naturally expect to
see elegantly-dressed gentlemen and ladies; but im —
western men, in palmetto hats and great boots, lounged
upon the superb sofas, and negroes and negressca chat-

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170

A DISCONSOLATE MOURNER.

CiiAr. IX.

torod anil promenaded. Porcelain spittoons in consider-
able numbers garnisbed tbe floor, and tbeir o^ce was by
no means a sinecure one, even in the saloon exclusively
devoted to ladies.

I saw only one person whom I liked to speak to, among
my three hundred fellow-voyagers. This was a tall,
pale, and very ladylike person in deep mourning, with
a perfectly uninterested look, and such deep lines of
sorrow on her face, that I saw at a glance that the
world had no power to interest or please her. She sat
on the same sofa with me, and was helplessly puzzling
over the route from Buffalo to Albany with a gruff, un-
couth son, who seemed by no means disposed to aid her
in her difiiculties. As I was able to give her the in-
loru.;ition she wanted, we entered into conversation for
two hours. She soon told me her history, merely an
ordinary one, of love, bereavement, and sorrow. She
had been a widow for a year, and she said that her deso-
lation was so great that her sole wish was to die. Her
sons were taking her a tour, in the hope of raising her
s))irits, but she said she was just moved about and dressed
like a doll, that she had not one ray of comfort, and that
all shrunk from her li(){)eless and repining grief. She
asked me to tell her if any widow of my acquaintance
had been able to bear her loss with resignation ; and
when I told her of some instances among my own rela-
tions, she burst into tears and said, " I am ever arraign-
ing the wiodoni of God, and how can I hope for his con-
solations?" The task of a comforter is ever a hard one,
and in her instance it was jiarticularly FjO, to point to the
" Balm of G Head," as revealed in sacred Scripture; for

Chap, IX.

BLACK COMPANIONS.

171

a stran«Tor to show her in all kindness that comfort could
never be experienced while, as she herself owned, she was
living in the neglect of every duty both to God and man.

She seemed roused for the monieiit, and tlianked me
for the sympathy which I most sincerely felt, hoping at
the same time to renew the conversation in the morning.
VVe had a stormy night, from which she sullered so much
as to be unable to leave her berth the next day, and I
saw nothing further of her beyond a brief glimpjo v.hlch
I caught of her at Buffalo, as she was carried ashore,
looking more despairing even than the night before.

Below this saloon is the ladies' cabin, also very hand-
some, but disfigured by numerous spittoons, and beneath
this again is a small cabin with berths two deej) round
the sides ; and in this abode, as the ship was full, I took
a berth for the night with a southern lady, her two
female slaves, four negresses, and a mulatto woman,
who had just purchased their freedom in Temiessee.
These blacks were really lady-like and intelligent, and
so agreeable and naive that, although they chattered to
me till two in the morning, I was not the least tired of
them.

They wanted me to bring them all home to England,
to which tliey have been taught to look as to a land of
liberty and haj)piness ; and it was with much difficulty
that I made them understand that I should not be able
to lind employment for them. I asked one of tliem, a
very fine-looking mulatto, how long she had been married,
and her age. She replied that she was thirty-four, and
had been married twenty-one years !

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172

A GALE.

Chap. IX.

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Their black faces and woolly hair contrasted most
ludicrously with the white pillow-case. After sleeping
for a time, I was awoke by a dissonance of sounds —
groaning, straining, creaking, and the crash of waves and
roar of winds. I dressed with difficulty, and, crawling to
the window, beheld a cloudless sky, a thin, blue, stormy-
looking mist, and waves higher than I had ever seen those
on the ocean ; indeed, Lake Erie was one sheet of raging,
furious billows, which dashed about our leviathan but top-
heavy steamer as if she had been a plaything.

I saw two schooners scudding with only their foresails
set, and shortly after a vessel making signals of distress,
having lost her masts, bulwarks, and boats in tlie gale.
We wore enabled to render her very seasonable assist-
ance. I was net now surprised at the caution given by
the stewardess the previous night, namely, that the less
I undressed the better, in case of an accident.

While the gale lasted, being too much inured to rough
weather to feel alarmed, I amused myself with watching
the different effects produced by it on the feelings of
different persons. The Southern lady was frantic with
terror. First she requested me, in no very gentle tones,
to call the stewardess. I went to the abode of that func-
tionary, and found her lying on the floor sea-sick ; her
beautiful auburn hair tangled and dishevelled. " Oh !
madam, how could you sleep?" she said; "we've had
such an awful nigl.t ! I've never been so ill before."

I returned from my useless errand, and the lady then
CO fimandcd me to go instantly to the captain and ask him
to come. " lie's attending to the ship," I urged. " Go,

C::..!-. IX.

A GALE.

173

tlicn, if you've any pity, and ask liim if we shall be lost."
" There's no danger, as far as I can judge ; the engines
work regularly, and the ship obeys her helm." The 3/a?/-
Jlower gave a heavier roll than usual. ** Oh my God !
Oh Heaven !" shrieked the unhappy lady ; "forgive me !
Mercy ! mercy !'* A lull followed, in which she called
to one of her slaves for a glass of water ; but the poor
creature was too ill to move, and, seeing that her mistress
was about to grow angry, I went up to the saloon for it.
On my way to the table I nearly tumbled over a pros-
trate man, whom I had noticed the night before as con-
spicuous for his audacious and hardy bearing. *' I guess
we're going to Davy Jones," he said ; " I've been saying
my prayers all night — little good, 1 guess. I've been a
sinner too long. I've seen many a " — a groan followed.
I looked at the reckless speaker. lie was lying on the
floor, with his hat and shoes off, and his rifle beside hinj.
His ftice was ghastly, but, I verily believe, more from the
effiicts of sea-sickness than fear. He begged me, in
feeble tones, to get him some brandy ; but I could not
find anybody to give it to him, and went down with the
water.

The two slaves were as frightened as people almost
stupified by sickness could be ; but when I asked one of
the freed ncgresses if she were alarmed, she said, "Me
no fear ; if me die, me go to Jesus Christ ; if me live,
me serve him here — better to dieT*

It has been said that " poverty, sickness, all the ills of
life, are Paradise to what we fear of dc.tth " — that " it is
not that life is sweet, but that death is bitter." Here
the poet and the philosopher might have learned a lesson.

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174

THE XEGRO TEMrERA^IEXT.

Chap. IX.

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This poor, untutored nogress probably knew nothing more
" than lier Bible true ;" but i^he had that knowledge of a
future state which reason, unassisted by the light of reve-
lation, could never have learned ; she knew yet more — she
knew God as revealed in Christ, and in that knowledge,
under its highest and truest name of Faith^ she feared
not the summons which would call her into the presence
of the Judge of all. The intidel may hug his heartless
creed, which, by ignoring alike futurity and the Divine
government, makes an aimless chaos of the past, and a
gloomy obscurity of the future; but, in the "hour of
death and in the dny of judgment," the boldest atheist in
existence would thankfully exchange his failing theories
for the poor African's simple creed.

Providence, which has not endowed the negro with in-
tellectual ])owers of tlu> highest order, ha? given him an
amount oi lieurt and enthusiasm to which we are strangers.
lie is warm and ardent in his ;ittaehments, fierce in his
resentfulness, terrible in his revenge. The black troops of
our West Indian colonies, when let loose, fight with more
fury and bloodthirstiness than those of any white race.
This temperament is carried into religion, and nowhere
on eartli does our Lord tind a more loving and zealous
disciple than in Mie converted and Christianized negro.
It is indeed true that, in America only, more than three
million free-born Africans wear the chains of servitude ;
but it is no less true that in many instances the Gospel
has penetrated the shades of their Egyptian darkness,.

giving them

"A eloar c,scai)e from tyrannizing lust,
A full iuimuuity from jieual woe."

ClIAP. IX.

A BLACK BABY.

175

Many persons who have crossed the Atlantic without
annoyance are discomposed by the short chopping surges
of tliese inland seas, and the poor negresses sutlered
dreadfully from sea-sickness.

As the stewardess was upstairs, and too ill herself to
attend upon any one, I did what I ccmld for them, getting
them pillows, camj)hor, &c., only too happy that I was in
a condition to be useful. One of them, a young married
woman with a baby of three months old, was alarmingly
ill, and, as the poor infant was in danger of being seriously
injured by the rolling of the ship, 1 took it on my lap
for an hour till the gale moderated, thereby gaining the
lasting kindly remembrance of its poor mother. I am
sure that a white infant would have screamed in a most
appalling way, for, as I had never taken a baby in my
arms before, I held it in a very awkward manner ; but
the poor little black thing, wearied with its struggles on
the floor, lay very passively, every now and then turning
its little monkey-face up to mine, with a look of under-
standing and confidence which quite conciliated my good
will. It was so awfully ugly, so much like a black aj)e,
and so little like the young of the human sj)ecies, that I
was obliged while I held it to avert my eyes from it, lost
in a sudden fit of foolish prejudice and disg^ist L should
let it fall. Meanwhile, the Southern Wly was very ilK
but not too ill, I am sorr^* to sa,y, to box the ears of her
slaves.

The gale moderated about nine in the morning, leaving
a very rough, foamy sea, which reflected in a peculiarly
dazzling and disagreeable way tb« cloudloss and ])iercing
blue of the sky. The saloon lookeil as magniticent as by

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BUFFALO.

Chap. IX.

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candlo-llght, with the sunshine streaming through a
running window of stained glass.

Dinner on a plentiful scale was served at one, hut out
of 300 passengers only ahout 30 were able to avail them-
selves of it. Large glass tubs of vanilla cream-ice were
served. The voyage was peculiarly uninteresting, as we
were out of sight of land nearly the whole day ; my friend
the widow did not appear, and, when I attempted to write,
the inkstand rolled off the table. It was just sunset when
we rea(;hed Buffalo, and moored at a wharf crowded with
large steamers receiving and discharging cargo. Owing
to the gale, we were two hours too late for the Niagara
cars, and I slej)t at the Western Hotel, where I received
every attention.

Buffalo is one of the host samples of American progress.
It is a regularly laid- out and substantially built city of
(55,000 inhabitants. It is still in the vigour of youth,
for the j)resent town only dates from 1813. It stands
at the foot of Lake Erie, at the opening of the Hudson
caTial, where the commerce of the great chain of inland
lakes is condensed. It is very " going ahead ;" its in-
habitants are ever changing ; its population is composed
of all nations, with a very large proportion of Germans,
Irench, and Irish. But their national characteristics,
though not lost, are seen through a medium of pure Ame-
ricanism., They all rush about — the lethargic German
keeps pace with the energetic Yankee ; and the Irish-
man, no longer in rags, " guesses " and " spekilates "
in the brogue of Erin. Western travellers pass through
Buffalo ; tourists bound for Canada pass through Buffalo ;
the traffic of lakes, canals, and several lines of rail centres

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Chap. IX.

A ROUCn ROAD.

17:

at Buffalo ; so engines scivam, and steamers puff, all day
long. It has a groat shipbuilding trade, and to all ap-
pearance is one of the most progressive and go-ahead
cities in the Union.

I left Buffalo on a dear, frosty morfiing, hy a line
which ran between lumber-yards * on a prodigious scale
and the hard white beach of Lake Erie. Soon after
leaving the city, the lake becomes narrow and rnpid, and
finally hurries along with fearful velocity. I knew that I
was looking at the commencement of the r.ipids of Niagara,
but the cars ran into some clearings, and pres^ently stoj)ped
at a very bustling station, where a very officious man
shouted, "Niagara Falls Station!" The name grated
unpleasantly upon my ears. A man a])])eared at the door
of the car in which I was the only passenger — '' Vou for
Lcwiston, quick, this way !" and hurried me into a stage
of uncouth construction, drawn by four horses. We
jolted along the very wor:«t road I ever travelled on —
corduroy was Elysium to it. No level was observed ; it
seemed to be a mere track along waste land, running
through holes, over hillocks and stumps of trees. We
were one hour and three-quarters in going a short seven
miles. If I had been better acquainted with the neigh-
bourhood, I might, as I only found out when it was too
late, have crossed the bridge at Niagara Falls, spent three
hours in sight of Niagara, proceeding to Queenston in time
for the steamer by the Canada cars !

On our way to Lewiston we met forty of these four-
horse stages. I caught a distant view of the falls, and a

* Lumber is sawu timber.

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AX UPSET.

ClIAl". IX.

nearer one of the yet incomplete suspension bridge, which,
when finished, will bo one of the greatest triumphs of
ennrineeriiic; art.

Beyond this the scenery is very beautiful. Tlie road
runs among forest trees of luxuriant growth, and peach
and apple orchards, upon the American bank of the
Niagara river. This bank is a cliff 300 feet hiLrh, and
from the edge of the road you may throw a stone into the
boiling torrent below ; yei' the only parapet is a rotten
fence, in many places com})letely destroyed. When you
begin to descend the steep hill to Lewiston the drive is
absolutely frightful. The cumbrous vehicle creaks, jolts,
and swings, and, in spite of friction-breaks and other
appliances, gradually acquires an impetus which sends it
at full speed down the tremendous hill, and round the
sharp corner, to the hotel at Lewiston. While I was
waiting there watching the stages, and buying peaches,
of which I got six for a penny, a stage came at full speed
down the hill, with only two men on the driving-seat.
The back straps had evidently given way, and the whole
machine had a tendency to jump forward, w hen, in coming
down the steepest part of the declivity, it got a jolt, and
in the most ridiculous way turned " topsy-turvy," the
roof coming down upon the horses' backs. The men were
thrown olf unhurt, but the poor animals were very much
cut and bruised.

I crossed Lake Ontario to Toronto in the Peerless, a
very smart, safe, iron steamer, with the saloon and chief
weight below. The fittings of this beautiful little vessel
are in perfect taste. A\ e stopped for two hours at the
wliarf at Niagara, a town on the British side, protected

Chap. IX.

LAKE ONTARIO.

170

once by a now disused and dismantled fort. Tho cars at
lengtli came up, two hoars after tlieir time, and tlie
excuse given for the delay was, that they had run over a
cow !

In grim contrast to the dismantled English Fort ]Mas-
sassaqua, Fort Niagara stands on the American side, and
is a place of considerable strength. There I saw sentinels
in gi'ey uniforms, and the flag of the stars and strij)es.

Captain D — of the Peerless brought his beautiful little
vessel from the Clyde in 6000 pieces, and is ju>tly proud
of iier. I sat next him at dinner, and found that we
knew some of the same people in Scotland. Gaelic was a
further introduction ; and though so many thousand miles
away, for a moment I felt myself at home when we
spoke of the majestic Cuchullins and the heathery braes
(.if Balquidder. In the Peerless every one took wine or
liqueurs. There was no bill of fare, but a long list of
wines and spirits was placed by each plate. Instead of
being disturbed in the middle of dinner by a poke on
the shoulder, and the demand, " Dinner ticket, or fifty
cents," I was allowed to remain as long as I pleased,
and at the conclusion of the vovage a gentlemanlv lli2;h-
land purser asked me for my passage and dinner money
together.

We passed a number of brigs and schooners under full
sail, their canvass remarkable for its whiteness ; their
hulls also were snowy white. They looked as thougli
" they were drifting with the dead, to shores where all was
dumb."

Late in the evening we entered the harbour of Toronto,
which is a very capacious one, and is protected by a

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180

TORONTO.

Chap. IX,

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natural mole of sand some miles In extent. Though this
breakwater has some houses and a few trees, it is the
picture of dreary desolation.

The city of Toronto, the stronghold of Canadian learn-
ing and loyalty, presents an imposing appearance, as seen
from the water. It stands on ground sloping upwjrrds
from the lake, and manufactories, colleges, asylums, church
spires, and public buildings, the whole faced by a hand-
some line of quays, present themselves at once to the
eve.

A soft and familiar sound came off from the shore ; it
was the well-known note of the British bugle, and the flag
whose silken folds were rising and falling on the breeze
was the meteor flag of England. Long may it brave
"the battle and the breezj"! English uniforms were
glancing among the crowd on the quay, English faces sur-
rounded me, English voices rang in my ears ; the necjlifje
costumes which met my eyes were in the best style of
England. A thrill of pleasure went through my heart
on finding, more than 4000 miles from home, the charac-
teristics of my own loved land.

But I must add that there were unpleasant cha-
racteristics peculiarly English also. I could never have
landed, the confusion was so great, had not Captain D —
assisted me. One porter ran off with one trunk, another
with another, while three were fighting for the possession
of my valise, till silenced by the cane of a custom-house
officer. Tlien there was a clamorous demand for
" wharfage," and the hackman charged half a dollar for
taking me a quarter of a mile. All this somewhat damped
my ecstacies, and contrasted unfavourably with the orderly

Chap. IX.

TOROXTO.

181

and easy way in which I landed on the shore of the United
States.

At Russell's Hotel I rejoined Mr. and Mrs. Walrc^nce,
who said " they would have been extremely surprised if
a lady in theh' country had met with the slightest diffi-
culty or annoyance" in travelling alone for 700 miles !

My ecstacies were still further toned down when I woke
the next morning with my neck, hands, and face stinging
and swollen from the bites of innumerable mosquitoes.

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TORONTO.

Chap. X.

CHAPTER X.

The Place of Council — Its progress auil its people — English hearts —
" Sebastopol is taken" — Squibs and crackers — A ship on her
beani-en'ls — Selfishness — A niougi'el city — A Soot — Constancy
rewarded — Monetary difficulties — Detention on a bridge — A
Canadian homestead — Lifu in the clearings — The bush on fire —
A word on farming — The '* bee '" and its produce — Eccentricities of
Mr, Haldimands — A ride on a troop-horse — Scotcli patriotism —
An English church — The servant nuisance — Eichard Cobden.

The pooplo of Toronto informed mo, immediately on my
arrival in their city, that " Toronto is the most English
place to be met with out of England." At first I was at
a loss to understand their meaning. AVooden houses,
long streets crossing eacl' other at right tingles, and
wooden side-walks, looked very un-English to my eye.
But when I had been for a few days at Toronto, and had
become accustomed to the necessarily-unfinished appear-
ance of a town which has only enjoyed sixty years of
existence, I fully agreed with the laudatory remarks
passed upon it. The wooden houses have altogether dis-
appeared from the principal streets, and have been replaced
by substantial erections of brick and stone. The churches
are numerous, and of tasteful architecture. The public
edifices are well situated and very handsome. King
Street, the principal thoroughfare, is two miles in length,
and the side-walks are lined with handsome shops. The
outskirts of Toronto abound in villa residences, standing

Chap. X,

TORONTO.

18"

in gardens or shrubberies. The people do not run " Jiurrij
skurr?/" along the streets, but there are no idlers to be
observed. Hirsute eccentricities have also disappeared ;
the bearu is rarely seen, and the moustache is not considered
a necessary ornament. The faded careworn look of the
American ladies has given place to the bright complexion,
the dimpled smile, and the active elastic tread, so peculiarly
English. Indeed, in walking along the streets, there is
nothing to tell that one is not in England ; and if anything
were needed to complete the illusion, those sure tokens of
British civilisation, a jail and a lunatic asylum, are not
wanting.

Toronto possesses in a remarkable degree the appear-
ances of stability and progress. No town on the Western
Continent has progressed more raj)idly ; certainly none
more surely. I conversed with an old gentleman who
remembered its site when it was covered with a forest,
when the smoke of Indian wigwams ascended through
the trees, and when wild fowl crowded the waters of the
harbour. The place then bore the name of Toronto — the
Place of Council. The name was changed by tlie first
settlers to Little York, but in 1814 its euphonious name
of Toronto was again bestowcl upon it. Its population in
1801 was 33G ; it is now nearly 50,000.

Toronto is not the fungus growth, scaring and wooden,
of a temporary necessity ; it is the reiult of persevering
industry, well-applied capital, and healthy and progressive
commercial prosperity. Various railroads are in course
of construction, which will make it the exporting market
for the increasing produce of the interior ; and as the
migratory Canadian Legislature is now stationary at

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184

FALSE NEWS.

Chap. X.

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Toronto for four years, its future i)rngress will probably
be more ra])i(l tlian its past. Its wbarfs are always
crowded with freight and passenger steamers, by which
it communicates two or three times a day with the great
cities of the United States, and Quebec and Montreal.
It is the seat of Canadian learning, and, besides excel-
lent schools, possesses a university, and several theo-
logical and general seminaries. The society is said to be
highly superior. I give willing testimony in favour of this
assertion, from the little which I saw of it, but an attack
of ague prevented me from presenting my letters of intro-
duction. It is a very musical place, and at Toronto Jenny
Lind gave the only concerts with which she honoured
Canada. X large number of the inhabitants are Scotch,
which may account for the admirable way in which the
Sabbath is observed.

If I was pleased to find that the streets, the stores, the
accent, the manners were English, I was rejoiced to see
that from the highest to the lowest the hearts of the
people were English also. I was at Toronto when the
false despatch was received announcing the capture of
Sebastopol and of the Russian army. I was spending the
evening at the house of a friend, when a gentleman ran
in to say that the church bells were ringing for a great
victory ! It was but the work of a, few minutes for us to
jump into a hack, and drive at full speed to the office of
the Globe newspaper, where the report was apparently
confirmed. A great crowd in a state of eager excitement
besieged the doors, and })resently a man mounted on a
lamp-post read the words, " Sebastojwl is taken ! The
Russian Jlcet burnt ! Eighteen thousand hilled and wounded.

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Chap. X.

rATRIOTIC ENTHUSIASM.

185

Loss of the Allies^ two thousand five Jiundrcd.''^ This
news had been telegraphed from Boston, and surely the
trembling tongue of steel had never before told such a
bloody tale. One shout of " Hurrah for Old England "
burst from the crowd, and hearty English cheers were
given, which were caught up and repeated down the
crowded streets of Toronto. The shout thrilled through
my heart ; it told that the flag of England waved over
the loyal, true-hearted, and brave ; it told of attachment
to the constitution and the throne ; it told that in our
times of difficulty and danger " St. George and merry
England " would prove a gathering cry even on the pros-
perous shores of Lake Ontario. Greater enthusiasm
could not have been exhibited on the receipt of this
false but glorious news in any city at home. The bells,
which a few days before had tolled for the catastrophe of
the Arctic, now pealed forth in triumph for the victory of
the Alma. Toronto knew no rest on that night. Those
who rejoiced over a victory gained over the northern
despot were those who had successfully resisted the
despotism of a band of rebels. The streets were almost
impassable from the crowds who thronged them. Hand-
rockets exploded almost into people's eyes — serpents and
squibs were hissing and cracking over the pavements —
and people were rushing in all directions for fuel for the
different bonfires. The largest of these was opposite the
St. Lawrence Hall. It was a monster one of tar-barrels,
and lighted up the whole street, paling the sickly flame
of the gas-lamps. There was a large and accumulating
crowd round it, shouting, " Hurrah for Old England !
Down witn the Rooshians ! Three cheers for the Queen !"

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180

TORONTO HOTELS.

Chap. X.

carnl tliu \\h\ Sky-rockets were blazing higli in air,
men woro ru^iruig about firing niuskot-s, tbe small swivcU
of the steamers at the wharfs v\ere firing incessantly, and
carts with combustibles were going at full speed along
the streets, each fresh arrival being hailed with enthu-
siastic cheering. 'J here were firemen, too, in their pic-
turesque dresses, who had turned out at the first sound of
the bells, and their services were soon put in requisition,
for enthusiasm produced recklessness, and two or three
shingle-roofs were set on fire by the descent of rockets
upon them. This display of attachment to England was
not confined to the loyal and aristocratic city of Toronto ;
at Hamilton, a thriving commercial place, of suspected
American tendencies, the town-council was assembled at
the time the despatch was received, and instantly voted a
sum for an illumination.

From my jjraise of Toronto I must except the hotels,
which are of a very inferior class. I'hey are a poor imi-
tation of those in the States. Russell's Hotel, at which
I stayed for eight days, was a disagreeable contrast to
the National Hotel at Detroit, and another of some pre-
tensions, the North American, was said to be even more
comfortless. The bedrooms at Russell's swarmed with
mosquitoes ; and the waiters, who were runaway slaves,
were inattentive and uncivil.

After staying some little time with my friends at
Toronto, I went to pay a visit to some friends at Ha-
milton. The afternoon was very windy and stormy. The
lake looked very unpromising from the wharf; the island
protected the harbour, but beyond this the waves were
breaking with fury. Several persons who came down.

Chap. X.

STORM ON THE LAKE.

18:

intending to take their passage for Hamilton, were de-
terred by the threatening aspect of the weather, hut, not
having heard anything againat the character of Lake
Ontario, 1 had snfficient confidence in it to persevere in
my intention. I said to tlie captain, " I snjjpose it won't
be rongh ?" to which he replied that he could not flatter
me by saying so, adding that he had never seen so many
persons sick as m the morning. Dinner was served
immediately on our leaving the harbour, hut the number
of those who sat down, at firt^t about thirty, soon dimi-
nished to five, he others having rushed in a most mys-
terious manner to state rooms or windows. For my own
part, I cannot say that the allowed excellence of the
cuisine tempted me to make a very substantial meal, and
I was glad of an excuse for retiring to a state-room,
which I shared with a lady who had just taken leave of
her three children. This cabin was very prettily arranged,
but the movements of things were rather erratic, and my
valise gave most disagreeable manifestations of spiritual
agency.

The ship was making little way, and rolling and pitch-
ing fearfully, and, knowing how very top-heavy she was,
I did not at all like the glimpses of raging water which
I with difficulty obtained through the cabin windows. To
understand what followed it will be necessary for the
reader to recollect that the saloon and state-rooms in this
vessel formed an erection or deck-house about eight feet
high upon the deck, and that the part of the saloon
where most of the passengers were congregated, as well
as the state-room where I was sitting, were within a few
feet of the bow of the ship, and consequently exposed to

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THE Sllir ON HER BEAM-ENDS.

Citxr. X.

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tlie fury of tl)o waves. I luul sat in my state-room for
half an liour, feeling very apathetic, nnd wishing myself
anywhere but where I was, when something struck the
ship, and the wretched fabric fell over on her side.
Another and anotiier — then silence for a second, broken
only l)y the crash and roar of winds and waters. The
inner door burst oj)en, letting in an inundation of water.
My companion jumj)ed up, shrieking, " Oh, my children I
we're lost — we're lost !" and crawled, pale and trembling,
into the saloon. The vessel was lying on her side, there-
fore locomotion was .aost difficult ; but sea-sick people
were emerging from their state-rooms, shrieking, some
that they were lost — others for their children — others for
mercy ; while a group of gentlemen, less noisy, but not
less frightened, and drenched to the skin, were standing
together, with pale and ashy faces. " What is the
matter?" inquired my companion, taking hold of one of
these men. " Say your prayers, for we arc going down,"
was the brutal reply. For the first and only time during
my American travels I was really petrified with fear.
Suddenly a wave struck the hapless vessel, and with a
stunning crash broke through the thin woodwork of the
side of the saloon. I caught hold of a life-buoy which
was near me — a gentleman clutched it from me, for fright
makes some men selfish — and, breathless, I was thrown
down into the gurgling water. 1 learned then how quickly
thoughts can pass through the mind, for in those few
seconds I thought less of the anticipated death-struggle
amid the boiling surges of the lake, and of the quiet
sleep beneath its gloomy waters, than of the unsatisfactory
manner in which those at home would glean the terrible

Chap. X.

THE DANGER OVER.

180

tidings from the accident columns of u newspapor. Another
minute, and 1 was swept tln-ough the open door into a
state-room — another one of suspense, and the ship righted
as if by a superhuman effort. There seemed a respite —
there was a silence, broken only by tiie roar of winds and
waves, and with the res[)ite came hope. Shortly after, the
master of the ship apjjeared, with his hat off, and com-
pletely drenched. " Thank God, we're safe !" he said,
and returned to his duty. We had all supposed that we
had struck on a rock or wreck. I never knew the precise
nature of our danger beyond this, that the vessel had
been thrown on her beam-ends in a squall, and that, the
wind inmiediately veering round, the fury of the waves
had been spent upon her.

Many of the passengers now wished the captain to
return, but he said that he should incur greater danger in
an attempt to make the harbour of Toronto than by pro-
ceeding down the open lake. For some time nothing was
to be seen but a dense fog, a storm of sleet which quite
darkened the air, and raging waves, on which we mounted
sometimes, while at others we were buried between them.
In another hour the gale had completely subsided, and,
after we had changed our drenched habiliments, no token
remained of the previous storm but the drowned and dis-
mantled appearance of the saloon, and the resolution on
my own mind never to trust myself again on one of these
fearful lakes. I was amused to observe that those people
who had displayed the greatest symptoms of fear during
the storm were the first to protest that, " as for them,
they never thought there was any danger." The after-
noon, though cold, was extremely beautiful, but, owing to

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LAKE ONTARIO.

Chap. X.

storm in the early part of our voyage, we did not
ch Hamilton till nightfall, or throe hours after our
appointed time.

I do not like these inland lakes, or tideless fresh-water
seas, as they may more appropriately be termed. I know
Lake Ontario well ; I have crossed it twiee, and have
been up and down it five times. 1 have sojourned upon
its shores, and have seen them under the hot light of an
autumn sun, and underneath a mantle of wintry snow ;
but there is to me something j)ecnliarly oppressive about
this vast expanse of water. If the lake is rough, there
arc no harbours of refuge in which to take shelter — if
calm, the waters, though blue, pure, ahd clear, look
monotonous and dead. 'ilie very ships look lonely
things ; their hulls and sails are white, and some of them
have been known in time of cholera to drift over the lake
from day to day, with none to guide the helm. The
shores, too, are flat and uninteresting ; my eyes wearied
of following that interminable boundary of trees stretching
away to the distant horizon.

Yet Lake Ontario affords great advantages to both
Canada and the United States. The former has the large
towns of ILamilton, Toronto, and Kingston on its shores,
witii the exporting ])laces of Oakville, Credit, and Co-
bourg. The important towns of Oswego and Rochester,
with smaller ones too numerous to name, are on the
American side. This lake is five hundred miles round,
and, owing to its very great depth, never freezes, except
just along the shores. An innncnse trade is carried on
upon it, botli in steamers and sailing vessels. A ship-
canal connects Lake Ontario with Lake Erie, th.'U-eby

Chap. X.

HAMILTON.

101

overcoming the obstacle to navigation produced by the
Falls of Niagara. This stupendous work is called the
Welland Canal.

At Hamilton I received a most cordial welcome from
the friends whom I went to visit, and saw something of
the surrounding country. It is, I think, the most bust-
ling place in Canada. It is a very juvenile city, yet
already lias a population of twenty-five thousand peoj)le.
The stores and hotels are handsome, and the streets
are brilliantly lighted with gas. Hamilton has a pecu-
liarly unfinished appearance. Indications of j)rogress
meet one on every side — there are houses being built, and
houses being pulled down to make room for larger and
more substantial ones — streets are being extended, and
new ones are being staked out, and every external feature
seems to be accpiiring fresh and raj)id development.
People hurry about as if their lives depended on their
speed. " I guess " and " I calculate " are frecjucntly
heard, together with " Well posted up," and " A long
chalk ;" and locomotives and steamers whistle all day
long. Hamilton is a very Americanised place, i heard
of " grievances, independence, and annexation," and, alto-
gether, should have supposed it to be on the other side of
the boundary-line.

It is situated on a little lake, called Burlington Bay,
separated from Lake Ontario by a narrow strij) of
sandy shingle. This has been cut through, and, as two
steamers leave the pier at Hamilton at the same hour
every morning, there is a daily and very exciting race
for the first entrance into the narrow passnge. Tliis
racing is sometimes productive of very serious collisions.

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THE CAMERA OBSCURA.

Chap. X.

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The town is built upon very low and aguish ground,
at the foot of a peculiar and steep eminence, which the
inhabitants dignify with the name of the Mountain. I
ascended this mountain, which might better be called
a molehill, by a flight of a hundred and thirty steps.
The view from the top was very magnificent, but, as an
elevated building offered us one still more extensive, we
ascended to the roof by six flights of steps, to see a
camera obsciira which was ostentatiously advertised. A
very good camera obsmira might have been worth so
long an ascent in a house redolent of spirits and onions ;
but after we had reached the top, with a great expen-
diture of toil and breath, a ragged, shoeless little boy
very pompously opened the door of a small wooden
erection, and introduced us to four panes of coloured
glass, through which we viewed the town of Hamilton,
under the different aspects of spring, summer, autumn,
and winter !

Dundurn Castle, a handsome, castellated, baronial-
looking building, the residence of the present Premier,
Sir Allan M'Nab, is near Hamilton, and it has besides
some very handsome stone villa residences. There 1 sav.',
for the first and only time in the New World, beautifully
kept grass lawns, with flower-beds in the English style.
One very fine morning, when the maple-leaves were tinted
with the first scarlet of the fall, my friends took me to
see Ancaster and Dundas ; the former, an old place,
very like some of our grey, quiet Lancashire villages —
the latter a good type of the rapid development and en-
terprising spirit which arc making Canada West to rival
the States in rapidity of progress. There were bridges

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val
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Chap. X.

ANCASTER AND DUNDAS.

193

in course of construction — railway embankments swarm-
ing with labourers — macadamised roads succeeding those
of corduroy and plank — snake-fences giving place to
those of posts and rails, and stone walls — and saw and
grist mills werj springing up wherever a " water privi-
lege " could be found. Laden waggons proceeded heavily
along the roads, and the encouraging announcements of
" Cash for wheat," and " Cash for wool," were frequently
to be seen. The views were very fine as we skirted the
Mountain, but Canadian scenery is monotonous and rather
gloomy ; though the glorious tints of the American fall
give the leaves of some of the trees the appearance rather
of tropical flowers than of foliage.

Ancaster is an old place, outstripped by towns of ten
years' existence, as it has neither a port nor a river. There
was an agricultural show, and monster pum})kins and
overgrown cabbages were displayed to admiring crowds,
under the shadow of a prodigious union jack.

Dundas, a near neigliLour of Ancaster, has completely
eclipsed it. This appears to be one of the busiest little
places in Canada West. It is a collection of woollen-
mills, grist-mills, and iron-foundries ; and though, in my
preformed notions of political economy, 1 had su])posed
manufactures suited exclusively to an old country, in
which capital and labour are alike redundant, the aspect
of this place was most thriving. In one of the flour-mills
the machinery seemed as perfect as in the biscuit factory
at Portsmouth — by some ingenious mechanism the flour
was cooled, barrelled, and branded with great celerity.
At an iron-foundry I was surprised to find that steam-
engines and flour-mill machinery could not be manufac-

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194

SCOTCH TERSEVERANCE.

Chap. X.

tured fast enoiish to meet the demand. In tliis neis;!]-
boui'liood I heard rather an interesHng anecdote of what
steady perseverance can do, in the history of a Scot from
the shores of the Forth.

"^Ihis young man was a pauper boy, and was appren-
ticed to the master of an iron-foundry in Scothind, but
ran away before tlie expiration of his apprenticeship, and,
entering a ship at Glr.sgow, worked his passage across to
Quebec. Here he gained employment for some months
as a porter, and, having saved a little money, went up to
the neighbourhood of Lake Simcoe, where he became a
day labourer. Here he fell in love with his master's
daughter, who returned his affection, but her father scorn-
fully rejected the humble Scotchman's suit. Love but
added an incentive to ambition ; and obtaining work in a
neighbouring township, he increased his income by teach-
ing reading, writing, and arithmetic in the evenings. Pie
lived penuriously, denied himself even necessaries, and
carefully treasured his hoarded savings. Late one even-
ing, clothed almost in rags, he sought the house of his
lady-love, and told her that within two years he would
come to claim her hand of her father, with a waggon and
pair of horses.

Still in his ragged clothing, for it does not appear that
he had any other, he trudged to Toronto, and sought em-
ployment, his accumulated savings sewn up in the lining
of his waistcoat. He went about from person to person,
but could not obtain employment, and his waggon and
horses receded further and further in the dim perspective.
One day, while walking along at the unfinished end of
King Street West, he saw something glittering in the

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ClIAP. X.

SCOTCH PERSEVERANCE.

J95

mud, and, on taking it up, found it to be the steel snap of
a pocket-book. Tliis pocket-book contained notes to the
amount of one hundred and fifty dolhirs ; and the next
day a reward of five-and-twenty was offered to the finder
of thera. The Scotchman waited on the owner, wlio was
a tool manufacturer, and, declining the reward, asked
only for work, for " leave to toil," as Burns has expressed
it. This was granted him ; and in less than four months
he became a clerk in the establishment. His salary was
gradually raised — in the evenings he obtained employment
in writing for a lawyer, and his savings, judiciously ma-
naged, increased to such an extent, that at the end of
eighteen months he purchased a thriving farm in the
neighbourhood of London, and, as there was water-))ower
upon it, he built a grist-mill. His industry still continued
successful, and just before the two years expired he drove
in a light waggon, with two hardy Canadian horses, to
the dwelling of his former master, to claim his daughter's
hand ; though, be it remembered, he had never held any
communication with her since he parted from her in rags
two years before. At first they did not recognise the
vagrant, ragged Scotch labourer, in the well-dressed
driver and possessor of the " knowing-looking" equipage.
His altered circumstances removed all diflficulty on the
father's part — the maiden had been constant — and soon
afterwards they were married. He still continued to
prosper, and add land to land ; and three years after his
marriage sem: twenty pounds to his former master in
Scotland, as a compensation for the loss of his services.
Strange to say, the son of that very master is now em-
ployed in the mill of the runaway apprentice. Such

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MONETARY DIFFICULTIES.

ClIAf. X.

instiinccs as this, while they aiforcl encouragement to
lionost industry, show at the same time the great capa-
bilities of Canada West.

At Hamilton, where the stores are excellent, I made
several purchases, but I was extremely puzzled with the
(.^anadian currency. The States money is very con-
venient. T soon understood dollars, cents, and dimes ; hut
in the colonics I never knew what my money was worth.
In Prince Edward Island tlie sovereign is worth thirty
,-hillings ; in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia twenty-
five ; while in Canada, at the time of my visit, it was
worth twenty-four and fourpence. There your shilling is
fiftecnpence, or a quarter-dollar ; while your quarter-
dollar is a shilling. Your sixpence is sevenpence-lialf-
penny, or a " York shilling j " while your penny is a
" cop})er " of indeterminate value apparently. Compa-
ratively speaking, very little metallic money is in circula-
tion. You receive bills marked five shillings, when, to
your surprise, you can only change them for four metallic
shillings. Altogetlier in Canada I had to rely upon
people's honesty, or probably on their ignorance of my
ignorance ; for any attempts at explanation only made
" confusion worse confounded," and I seldom compre-
hended anything of a higher grade than a " York shilling."
From my stupidity about the currency, and my frequent
query, " How many dollars or cents is it?" together with
my offering dirty crumpled pieces of paper bearing such
names as Troy, Palmyra, and Geneva, which were in
fact notes of American banks which might have suspended
payment, I was constantly taken, not for an ignoramus
from the " Old Country," but for a *' genuine Down-

Cii.\r. X.

LAKE ONTARIO.

VJ]

Easter." Canadian credit is excellent ; but tlie banking
j^ysteni of the States is on a very insccare t. ♦^ing ;
some bank or other "breaks" every day, and lists of
the defaulters are posted up in the steamboats and
hotels.

Within a few days after my resolution never again to
trust myself on Lake Ontario, I sailed down it, on a very
beautiful morning, to Toronto. The royal mail steamer
Arabian raced w^ith us for the narrow entrance to the
canal which connects Burlington Bay with the main lake,
and both captains " jjiled on " to their utmost ability, but
the Arabian passed us in triumph. The morning was
so very fine, that I half forgot my dislike to Lake Ontario.
On the land side there was a succession of slightly
elevated promontories, covered with forests abounding in
recent clearings, their sombre colouring being relieved
by the brilliant blue of the lake. I saw, for the only time,
that beautiful phenomenon called the " water-mirage," by
which trees, ships, and houses are j)laced in the most
extraordinary and sometimes inverted positions. Yet
still these endless promontories stretched away, till their
distant outlines were lost in the soft blue haze of the
Indian summer. Yet there was an oppressiveness about
the tideless water and pestilential shore, and the white-
hulled ships looked like deserted punished things, whose
doom for ages was to be ceaseless sailing over these
gloomy waters.

At Toronto my kind friend Mr. Forrest met me. lie
and his wife had invited me some months before to visit
them in their distant home in the Canadian bush ; there-
fore I was not a little surprised at the equipage which

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198

DETENTION AT A BRIDGE.

Chap. X.

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awaited mc at the hotel, as I had expected to jolt for
twenty-two miles, over corduroy roads, in a lumber-
waggon. It was the most dashing vehicle which I saw
in Canada. It was a most unbush-lihc^ sporting-looking,
high, mail j)haeton, mounted by foiu' stei)S ; it had three
seats, a hood in front, and a rack for luggage behind. It
would hold eight persons. The body and wheels were
painted blight scarlet and black ; and it was drawn by a
pair of very showy-looking horses, about sixteen " hands"
high, with elegant and well-blacked harness. Mr.
Forrest looked more like a sporting English squire than
an emigrant.

We drove out of Toronto by the Lake shore road, and
I could scarcely believe we were not by the sea, for a
heavy surf was rolling and crashing upon the beach, and
no land was in sight on the opposite side. After some
time we came to a stream, with a most clumsy swing
bridge, which was open for the passage of two huge rafts
laden with flour. This proceeding had already occupied
more than an hour, as we were informed by some unfor-
tunate detenus. We waited for half an hour while the
raftmen dawdled about it, but the rafts could not get
through the surf, so they were obliged to desist. I now
reasonably supposed that they would have shut the bridge
as fast as possible, as about twenty chicles, with nume-
rous foot-passengers, were waiting on either side ; but no,
they moved it for a little distance, then smoked a bit, then
moved it a few inches and smoked again, and so on for
another half-hour, while we were exposed to a pitiless
north-east wind. They evidently enjoyed our discomfiture,
and were trying how much of annoyance we would bear

^i *

ClIAl'. X.

EMIGRANT MANNERS.

199

patiently. Fiery tempers liave to be curbed in Canada
West, for tbo same spirit vvbich at bome leads men not to
" toucb tlieir bats " to tbose above tliem in station, bere
uonld vent itself in open insolenee and arroganee, if one
requested tbem to be a little quicker in tbeir motions.
The fabric would bardly come together at all, and then
only three joists a])peared without anything to cover tbem.
This the men seemed to consider iin fait accumj)!/', and
sat down to smoke. xVt length, when it seemed inq)ossilde
to bear a longer del :ition with any semblance of patience,
they covered these joists witb some j)lanks, over which our
horses, used to })iek tlieir way, passed in safety, not, how-
ever, without overturning one of the boards, and leaving
a most dangerous gap. 'ibis was a favourable specimen
of a Canadian bridge.

The manners of the emigrants wbo settle in Canada are
far from prepossessing. AMierever I beard torrents of
slang and abuse of England ; wherever I noticed bru-
tality of manner, unaccompanied by res])ect to ladies, I
always found upon inquiry that the delinquent bad
newly arrived from the old country. Some time before
I visited America, I saw a letter from a young man who
had emigrated, containing these words : " Here I haven't
to bow and cringe to gentlemen of the aristocracy — that
is, to a man who has a better coat on than myself." I was
not prepared to find this feeling so very })revalent among
the lower classes in our own possessions. The children
are an improvement on their parents, and develop loyal
and constitutional sentiments. The Irish are the noisiest
of the enemies of England, and carrv with them to
Canada the most inveterate enmity to " Sassenach" rule.

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200

CANADIAN SCENERY.

Chai'. X.

The term ^^ shwfj-w/unif/ers^^ must have been hiveiiti'd for
those.

After some miles of very l)a(l road, vvliieh once had
been eonhiroy, we got npon a ])lank-road, upon whieli the
(h'aught is nearly as light as upon a railroad. When
these n^ads are good, the driving npon them is very easy;
when they are out of repair it is just the reverse. W
came to an Indian village of clap-board houses, built
some years ago by Government for some families of the
Six Nations who resided here with their chief; but they
disliked the advances of the white man, and their rem-
nants have removed farther to the west. We drove
for many miles through woods of the American oak, little
more than briishwood, but gorgeous in all shades of
colouring, from the scarlet of the geranium to deep
crimson and Tyrian purple. Oh ! our poor faded tints
of autumn, about which we write sentimental poetry !
Turning sharply round a bank of moss, and descending a
long hill, we entered the bush. There all my dreams of
Canadian scenery were more tlian realised. Trees grew
in every variety of the picturesque. The forest was
dark and oppressively still, and such a deadly chill came
on, that I drew my cloak closer around me. A fragrant
but heavy smell arose?, and Mr. Forrest said that we were
going down into a cedar swamp, where there was a
chill even in the hottest weather. It was very beautiful.
Emerging from this, we came upon a little whitewashed
English church, standing upon a steep knoll, with its
little spire rising through the trees ; and leaving this
behind, we turned off upon a road through very wild
country. The ground had once been cleared, but no use

ClIM'. X.

A CANADIAN HOMESTEAD.

201

liad liot'ii made of it, and it wa:? covered with charred
stumps ahout two feet high. Eeyond this appeared an
interminable busli. Mr. Forre.>t toM nie that liis iiouse
was near, and, from tlie appearance of the counti-y, I
expiH'ted to come upon a log cahiii ; hut we tm'ued into
a field, and drove under some very fine apple-trees to a
house the very perfection of elegance and comfort. It
looked as if a pretty villa from Norwood or IIamj)^-tcad
had been transpoited to this Canadiaji clearing. The
dwelling was a substantially built brick one-storied house,
with a deep green verandah surrounding it, as a protectit)n
from the snow in winter and the heat in sunnner. Apj)le-
trees, laden with richly-coloured fruit, were planted round,
and sumach-trees, in all the glorious colouring of the fall,
were oi)j)osite the front door. The very house seemed to
smile a welcome ; and seldom have I met a more cordial
one than I received from Mrs. Forrest, the kindly and
graceful hostess, who met me at the door, her pretty
simple dress of pink and white muslin contrasting
strangely with the charred stumps which were in sight,
and the long lines of gloomy bush which stood out dark
and sharp against the evening sky.

"Will you go into the drawing-room?" asked ^Frs.
Forrest. I was surprised, for I had not associated a
drawinf/-room with emigrant life in Canada ; but I
followed her along a pretty entrance-lobby, floored with
polished oak, into a lofty room, furnished with all the
elegances and luxuries of the mansion of an affluent
Englishman at home, a beautiful piano not being wanting.
It was in this house, containing every ctnnfort, and wel-
comed with the kindest hospitality, that I received my

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202

IXDEPKNDENT WORKMEN.

Chap. X.

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first inipnWions of "lifi; in tlie clearings." My liosts
wore* only rocovcriiij^ rroni the fatigues of a " tlirasliiiig-
bt'i! " of tlio (lay before, and, wliilo we were ])laying at
bagatelle, one of tlu; f/riif/cifwn assistants came to the door,
and asked if the " Boss " were at home. A lady told me
that, when she first came out, a servant asked her " How
the boss liked his shirts done?" As Mrs. Moodie had
not then enlightened the world ou the subject of settlers'
slang, the lady did not luiderstand her, and asked what
she meant by the " boss," — to which she replied, " Why,
lawk, missus, your hubby, to be sure."

I spent some time with these kind and most agreeable
friends, and returned to them after a visit to the Falls of
Niagara. My sojourn with them is among my sunniest
memories of Canada. Though my expectations were in
one sense entirely disai)])ointed on awaking to the plea-
sant consciousness of reposing on the softest of feathers, I
did not feel romance enough to wish myself on a buffalo
robe on the floor of a log-cabin. Nearly every day I
saw some operition of Canadian farming, with its diffi-
culties and pleasures. Among the former is that of
obtaining men to do the work. The wages given are
five shillings per diem, and in many cases "rations"
besides. While I was at Mr. Forrest's, two men were
sinking a well, and one coolly took up his tools and
walked away because ohIt/ half a pound of butter had
been allowed for breakfast. Mr. Forrest possesses sixty
acres of land, fifteen of which are still in bush. The
barns are very large and substantial, more so than at
home ; for no produce can be left out of doors in the
winter. There were two hundred and fifty bushels of

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ClIAF'. X.

scRA^ruLK Tiiuouoii, THE nrsii.

20:l

wlicut, tilt! produce of a " thrasliing bee," ami varioud
otlior edibles. Oxen, luige and [towert'id, ilo all tlie
draught-work on this fann, and their stable looked the
very perfection of comfort. Round the iiouse " ^nake•
fences " had given place to those of port and rail ; 1)ut a
few hundred yards away was the uncleared l)ush. The
land thus railed round hcul been cleared for some years ;
the grass is good, and the stumps few in number. Leav-
ing this, we came to the stubide of last year, where the
stunij)S were more numerous, and then to the land only
cleared in the sj)ring, covered thickly with charri'd
stumps, the soil rich and black, anil wheat s})ritiging uj)
in all directions. Beyond this there was nothing but
bush. A scramble through a bush, though very interest-
ing in its way, produces disagreeable consequences.

When the excitement of the novelty was over, and I
returned to the house, I contemplated with very woeful
feelings the inroad which had been made upon my ward-
robe— the garments torn in all directions beyond any
possibility of repair, and the shoes reduced to the con-
sistency of soaked brown paper with wading through a
bog. It was a serious consideration to me, who at that
time was travelling through the West with a very
small and very wayworn portmanteau, with Glasgow,
Torquay, Boston, Rock Island, and I know not what
besides upon it. The bush, however, for the time being,
was very enjoyable, in spite of numerous bruises and
scratches. Huge pines raised their heads to heaven,
others lay prostrate and rotting away, probably thrown
down in some tornado. In the distance numbers of
trees were lying on the ground, and men were cutting

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204

THE BUSH ON FIRE.

Chap. X.

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off their branches and burning them in ijea})S, which
slowly snioukleretl away, and sent up clouds of curling
blue smoke, which diffused itself as a thin blue veil over
the dark pines.

This bush is in dangerous proximity to Mr. Forrest's
house. Tile fire ran through it in the spring, and many
of the trees, wh'ch are still .standing, are blackened by its
effects. One night in April, after a prolonged drought,
just as the household were retiring to rest, Mr. Forrest
looked out of the window, and saw a light in the bush
scarcely bicfcjer or brighter tlian a fflow-worm. Pre-
sently it rushed up a tall pine, entwining its fiery arms
round the very highest branches. The fire burned on
for a fortnight ; tlu^y knew it must burn till rain came,
and Mr. Forrest and 'jis man never left it day or night,
all their food being carried to the bush. One night,
during a breeze, it made a sudden rush towards the
house. In a twinkling they got out the ox(M1 and plough,
and, some of the neighbours coming to their assistance,
they j)loughed up so much soil between the fire and the
stubble round the house, that it stopped ; but not before
Mr. Forrest's straw hat was biu'nt, and the hair of the oxen
singed. Mrs. Forrest meanwliile, though trembling for
her husband's safety, was occupied in wetting blankets,
and carrying them to the roof of the house, for the dry
shingles would have been ignited by a spark. On our
retiu'n, it was necessary to climb over some " snake " or
z\rr7A\<x fcuccs about six feet hii>,h. These are fences
peculiar to new countries, and though very cheap, re-
quiring neither tools nor nails, have a pejuliarly untidy
appearance. It is not thought wise to buy a farm v hich

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Chap. X.

A WORD OX FARMING.

205

Ikvs not enough bush or growing timbor for both rails and
firewood.

In clearing, of which I saw all the processes, the first
is to cut down the trees, in which difficult operation axes
of British manufacture are rendered useless after a few
hours' work. The trees are cut about two feet above
the root, and often bring others down with them in their
fall. Sometimes these trees arc split u]) at the time into
rails or firewood ; sometimes dragged to the saw-mills to
he made into lumber ; but are often piled into heaj)s and
hurnt — a necessary but prodigal waste of wood, to which
I never beciime reconciled. When the wood has been
cleared ofi^", wheat is sown among the stumps, and then
grass, which appears only to last about four years. Fire
is put on th(3 tops of these unsightly stum})s to burn
them down as much as possible, and when it is supposed,
after two or three years, that the roots have rotted in the
ground, several oxen are attached by a chain to each,
and pull it out. Generally this is dcme by means of a
" logging bee." I must explain this term, as it refers
neither to the industrious insect nor the imperial bee of
Napoleon. The very name reminds me of early rising,
healthy activity, meriiment, and a well-s})ri'ad board.

A "bee" is a necessity arising from the great scarcity
of labour in the New World. When a })erson wishes to
thrash his corn, he gives notice to eight or ten of his
neighbours, and a day is appointed on which they are to
meet at his house. For two or three days before, grand
culinary preparatit»ns are made by the hostess, and on
the preceding evening a tiible is loaded with provisions.
The morning comes, and eight or ten stalwart Saxons

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206

CANADIAN " BEES."

Chap. X.

make their appearance, ard work hard till noon, while
the lady of the house is engaged in hotter work before
the fire, in the preparation of hot meat, puddings, and
pies; for well she knows that the good humour of her
guests depends on the quantity and quality of her viands.
They come in to dinner, black (from the dust of a })ecu-
liar Canadian weed), hot, tired, hungry, and thirsty.
They eat as ro other people eat, and set all our notions
of the separability of different viands at defiance. At the
end of the day they have a very substantial supper, with
plenty of whisky, and, if everything has been satisfactory,
the convivial proceedings are prolonged till past midnight.
The giver of a " bee " is bound to attend the " bees " of
all his neighbours. A " thrashing bee " is considered
a very " slow affair " by the younger portion of the
community. There are " quilting bees," where the
thick quilts, so necessary in Canada, are fabricated;
*' apple bees," where this fruit is sliced and strung for
the winter ; " shelling bees," w^here peas in bushels are
shelled and barrelled ; and " logging bees," where the
decayed stumps in the clearings are rooted up by oxen.
At the quilting, apple, and shelling bees there are
numbers of the fair sex, and games, dancing, and merry-
making are invariably kept up till the morning.

In the winter, as in the eastern colonies, all outdoor
employments are stopped, and dancing and evening
parties of different kinds are continually given. The
whole country is like one vast road, and the fine, cold,
aurora-lighted nights are cheery with the lively sound of
the sleigh-bells, as merry parties, enveloped in furs, drive
briskly over the crisp surface of the snow.

5 t'

Chap. X.

LIFE IX THE CLEARINGS.

207

The way of life at Mr. Forrest's was poculiarly agree-
able. The breakfast-hour was nominally seven, and
afterwards Mr. Forrest went out to his farm. The one
Irish servant, who never seemed happy with her shoes on,
was capable of little else than boiling potatoes, so all the
preparations for dinner devolved upon Mrs. Forrest, who
till she came to Canada had never attempted anything
in the culinary line. I used to accompany her into the
kitchen, and learned how to solve the problem which
puzzled an English king, viz. " How apples get into a
dumpling." VVe dined at the mediaival hour of twelve,
and everything was of home raising. Fresh meat is a
rarity ; but a calf had been killed, and furnished dinners
for seven days, and the most marvellous thing was, that
each day it was dressed in a different manner, Mrs. For-
rest's skill in this respect rivalling that of Alexis Soyer.
A home -fed pig, one of eleven slaughtered on one fell
day, produced the excellent ham ; the squash and potatoes
were from the garden ; and the bread and beer were from
home-grown wheat and hops. After dinner Mr. Forrest
and I used to take lengthy rides, along wild roads, on
horses of extraordinary capabilities, and in the evening
we used to have bagatelle and reading aloud. Such was
life in the clearings. On one or two evenings some very
agreeable neighbours came in ; and in addition to baga-
telle we had puzzles, conundrums, and conjuring tricks.
One of these "neighbours" was a young married lady,
the prettiest person I had seen in America. She was a
French Canadian, and added to the graces of person and
manner for which they are famed a cleverness and
sprightliness peculiarly her own. I was very much

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208

AN UCCEXTRIC.

Chap. X.

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pleaded with tlic friendly, ngrecable society of the neigli-
bourhood. Tlicre are a great many gentlemen residing
there, with fixed incomes, who have adopted Canada as
their home becanse of the comforts which they can enjoy in
an untaxed country, and one in which it is not necessary
to keep up app arances. For instance, a gentleman does
not lose caste by grooming his own horse, or driving his
own produce to market in a lumber-wnggon ; and a lady
is not less a lady, though she may wear a dress and
bonnet of a fashion three years old.

I was surprised one morning by the phenomenon of
some morning-callers — yes, morning-callers in a Canadian
clearing. I sighed to think that such a pest and accom-
paniment of civilisation should have crossed the Atlantic.
The " callers " of that morning, the Haldimands, amused
me very much. They give themselves great airs — Canada
with them is a " wretched hole ;" the society is composed
of " boors." In a few minutes they had asked me who I
was — where I came from — what I was doing there — how
I got to know my fri(;nds' — and if I had come to live with
them. Mr. Haldimands, finding I came from England,
asked me if I knew a certain beautiful young lady, and
recounted his flirtations with her. Dukes, earls, and
viscounts flowed from his nimble tongue — " When I was
hunting with Lord this," or "AVhen I was waltzing with
Lady that." His regrets were after the Opera and
Almack's, and his height of felicity seemed to be driving
a four-in-hand diag. After expatiating to me in the
most vociferous manner on the delights of titled society,
he turned to Mrs. Forrest and said, " After the society in
which we used to niove, you may imagine how distasteful

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Chap. X.

MORNING CALLS.

209

all this is to us'' — barely a civil speech, I thought. This
eccentric individual was taking a lady, whom he consi-
dered a person of consequence, a drive in a carriage,
when a man driving a lumber-waggon kept crossing the
road in front of him, hindering his progress. Mr. Ilaldi-
niands gradually got into a towering passion, which re-
sulted in his springing out, throwing the reiiis to the lady,
and rushing furiously at the teamster with his fists squared,
shouting in a perfect scream, " Flesh and Llood can't bear
this. One of us must die !" The man whipped up his
horses and made off, and Mr. Ilaldimands tried in vain
to hush up a story which made him a})pear so superla-
tively ridiculous.

We actually paid some morning visits, and I thought
the society very agreeable and free from gossip. One of
our visits was paid to the family of one of the oldest
settlers in Canada. His place was the very perfection of
beauty ; it was built in a park formed out of a civilised
wood, the grounds extending to the verge of a precipice,
looking from which I saw the river, sometimes glittering
in the sunshine, sometimes foaming along in a wood —
just realising Mrs. Moodie's charming description of the
Otonabee. Far below, the water glittered like diamond
sparks among the dark woods ; pines had fallen into and
across it, in the way in which trees oni}' fall in America,
and no two trees were of the same tint ; the wild vine
hung over the precipice, and smothered the trees with its
clusters and tendrils ; and hurriedly in some places,
gently in others, the cold rivulet flowed down to the lake,
— no bold speculator having as yet dared to turn the
water privilege to account.

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210

AN AMUSING RIDE.

Chap. X.

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My first ride was an amusing one, for various reasons.
My riding-habit was left at Toronto, but this seemed not
to be a difficulty. Mrs. Forrest's fashionable habit and
white gauntlet-gloves fitted me beautifully ; and the diffi-
culty about a hat was at once overcome by sending to an
obliging neighbour, who politely sent a very stylish-looking
plumed riding-bat. There was a side-s.jddle and a most
elegant bridle ; indeed, the whole equipment would not
have disgraced Rotten Row. But, the horse ! My cou-
rage had to be " screwed to the sticking point " before I
could mount him. He was a very fine animal — a mag-
nificent coal-black charger sixteen hands high, with a
most determined will of his own, not broken for the saddle.
Mr. Forrest rode a splendid bay, which seldom went over
six consecutive yards of ground without performing some
erratic movement. My horse's paces were, a tremendous
trot, breaking sometimes into a furious gallop, in both
which he acted in a perfectly independent manner, any
attempts of mine to control him with my whole strength
and weight being alike useless. We came to the top of
a precipice overlooking the river, where his gyrations
were so fearful that I turned him into the bush. It ap-
peared to me a ride of imminent dangers and hair-breadth
escapes. By this beauteous river we came to a place
where rain and flood had worn the precipice into a steep
declivity, shelving towards another precipice, and my
horse, accustomed to it, took me down w here an English
donkey would scarcely have ventured. Beauty might be
written upon everything in this dell. I never saw a fairer
compound of rock, wood, and water. Above was flat and
comparatively uninteresting country ; then these preci-

Chap, X.

AN AMUSING RIDE.

211

pices, with trees growing out wherever they could find a
footing, arrayed in all the gorgeous colouring of the Ame-
rican fall. At the foot of these vvas a narrow, bright-
green savannah, with fine trees growing upon it, as though
planted by some one anxious to produce a park-like effect.
Above this, the dell contracted to the width of Dovcdale,
and through it all, the river, sometimes a foaming, brawl-
ing stream, at others fringed with flowers, and (juiescent
in deep, clear pools, pours down to the lake. After gal-
loping upon this savannah we plunged into the river,
and, after our horses had broken through a plank-bridge
at the great risk of their legs, we rode for many miles
through bush and clearing, down sandy tracks and
scratching thickets, to the })ebbly beach of Lake Ontario.

The contrast between the horses a 1 their equipments,
and the country we rode through, was somewhat singular.
The former were suitable for Ilyde Park; the latter was
mere bush-riding — climbing down precipices, fording
rapid rivers, scrambling through fences and over timber,
floundering in mud, going through the bush with hands
before us to push the branches from our faces, and, finally,
watering our horses in the blue, deep waters of Lake
Ontario — yet I never enjoyed a ride along the green
lanes of England so much as this one in the wild scenery
of Canada.

The Sundays that I spent at Mr. Forrest's were very
enjoyable, though the heat of the first was nearly insup-
portable, and the cold of the last like that of an English
Christmas in bygone years. There are multitudes of
Presbyterians in Western Canada, who worship in their
pure and simple faith with as much fervency and sincerity

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212

SCOTCH TATRIOTISM.

Chap. X.

as (lid tlioir covenanting forefathers in the days of the
persecuting Dundee ; and the quaint old Psalms, to which
they are so inucli attached, sung to the strange old tunes,
sound to them as sweet among the backwoods of Canada
as in the peaceful villages of the Lowlands, or in the
remote Highland glens, where I have often listened to
their slow and jjlaintive strains borne upon the mountain
breezes. "Are ye frae the braes of Gleneflar?" said an
old Scotchwoman to me; " v'c;<^ ye at our kirk o' Sab-
bath last, ye would na' ken the difference."

The Irishman declaims against the land he has for-
saken— the Englishman too often suffers the remembrance
of his poverty to sever the tie which binds him to the land
of his birth— but where shall we find the Scotchman in
whose breast love of his country is not a prominent feel-
ing? Whether it be the light-haired Saxon from the
South, or the dark-haired, sallow-visaged Celt from the
Highlands, driven forth by the gaunt hand of famine, all
look back to Scotland as to " t/iei?- country " — the mention
of its name kindles animation in the dim eye of age, and
causes the bounding heart of youth to leap witli enthu-
siasm. It may be that the Scotch emigrant's only remem-
brance is of the cold hut on the lone hill-side, where
years wore away in poverty and hunger, but to him it
is the dearest spot of earth. It may be that he has
attained a competence in Canada, and that its fertile
soil produces crops which the heathery braes of Scotland
would never yield — no matter, it is yet his Jiome ! — it is
the land where his fathers sleep — it is the land of his
birth ; his dreams are of the " mountain and the flood " —
of lonely lochs and mountain-girded firths ; and when the

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Cir.vp. X.

AN ENGLISH CHURCH.

2i;5

purple light on a summer evening streams over the
forest, he fancies that the s^ame heams are falling on
Morven and the Cuchullins, and that the soft sound per-
vading the air is the echo of the shepherd's pipe. To the
latest hour of his life he cherishes the idea of returning
to some homestead by a tumbling burnie. He never can
bring himself to utter to his mountain land, from the
depths of his heart, the melancholy words, " CJic til na
tuillcr*

The Episcopal church was only two miles from us,
but we were most mercilessly jolted over a jdank-road,
where many of the planks had made a descent into a sea
of mud, on the depth of whi(;h I did not attempt to spe-
culate. Even in beautiful England I never saw a prettier
sight than the assembling of the congregation. The
church is built upon a very steep little knoll, the base
of which is nearly encircled by a river. Close to it is a
long shed, in which the horses are tethered during ser-
vice, and little belligerent sounds, such as screaming and
kicking, occasionally find their way into church. The
building is light and pretty inside, very simple, but in
excellent taste ; and though there is no organ, the singing
and chanting, conducted by the younger portion of the
congregation, is on a par with some of the best in our
town churches at home. There were no persons poorly
clad, and all looked happy, sturdy, and independent.
The bright scarlet leaves of the oak and maple pressed
against the windows, giving them in the sunlight some-
thing of the appearance of stained glass ; the rippling of

* "Wo return no nore."

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214

THE SERVANT NUISANX'E.

Cit.vp. X.

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the river wfiri heard below, and round us, far, far away,
stretched the forest. Here, where the great Manitou
was once worshij)ped, a purer ftiith now reigns, and
the alU'giance of the peoj)le is more firmly established
by " the sound of the churoh-^'oing bells " than by the
bayonets of our troops. These heaven-pointing spires
are links between Canada and England ; they remind
the emigrant of the ivy-mantled church in which he was
first taught to bend his knees to his Creator, and of the
hallowed dust around its walls, where the sacred ashes of
his fathers sleep.

There is great cittachment to England among those
who are protected by her laws, and live under the shadow
of her standard of freedom. In many instances, no re-
membrances of wrongs received, of injuries sustained, of
hopeless poverty and ill-requited toil, car. sever that
holiest, most sacred of ties, which binds, until his latest
breath, the heart of the exile to his native land.

The great annoyance of which people complain in this
pleasant land is the difficulty of obtaining domestic ser-
vants, and the extraordinary specimens of humanity who
go out in this capacity. It is difficult to obtain any, and
those that are procured are solely Irish Roman Catholics,
who think it a great hardship to wear shoes, and speak of
their master as the " hossr At one house where I visited,
the servant or " help," after condescending to bring in the
dinner, took a book from the chiffonier^ and sat down on
the sofa to read it. On being remonstrated with for her
conduct, she replied that she " would not remain an hour
in a house where tho>e she helped had an objection to a
young lady's improving her mind !" At an hotel at To-

ClIAP. X.

VISIT TO TORONTO.

2 IT)

ronto, one clmniberinaid, poiiking to another, said, "That
t/ouuff lady will s^how you your rooui." I lot't Mr. For-
rest's even for three days with great regret, and after
a nine miles drive on a very wet morning, and a water
transit of two hours, found myself at Toronto, where as
usual on the wharf I was greeted by the elamorous de-
mand for " wharfage." I found the Walrences and
other agreeable acquaintances at Russell's hotel, but v/as
surprised with what I thought rather a want of discrimi-
nation on the part of all ; I was showing a valuable
collection of autographs, beginning with Cromwell, and
containing, in addition to those of several deceased and
living royal personages, valuable letters of Scott, liyron,
Wellington, Russell, Palmerston, VVilberforce, Dickens,
&c. The shades of kings, stat»ismen, and poets, might
almost have been incited to appear, when the signature
of Richard Cobden was preferred before all.

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210

REASONS FOR SEEING NIAGARA.

Cii.u'. XI.

CIIAI'TKR XT.

"I've secu uiithiii;^" — A diauppoiutinont — Iiicoiignutics — ilotol
paiotios and "doing Niagara" — IriHh drosky-drivci-H — "The Hell
of Watin'8 " — Hoautics of Niagara — The pioui(! party — Tho Whito
Canoe — A cold shower-bath — " Tho Thunder of Watcrrt" — A magic
word — "Tho Whirlpool" —Story of "Hloody Run"— Yank(!e opi-
uionrf of Knglisli ladio.s — A metaniorpho.sia — Tho nigger guide — A
terrible nituation — Termination Rock — Inijiref.-iions of Niagara —
Juvenile jjrecocity — A midnight journey — Street adventures in
Hamilton.

" Have you soLm the. Falls ?" — " No." " Then you 've
seen nothing of America." I might have seen Trenton
Falls, Genne?see Falls, tlie Falls of Montmorenci and
Lorctte ; hut I had seen nothing if I had not seen the
Falls {par excellence) of Niagara. There were divers
reasons why my friends hi the States were anxious that
I should see Niagara. One was, as I was frequently
told, that all I had seen, even to the " Prayer Eyes"
would go for nothing on my re^^rn ; for in England,
America was supposed to h^ a vast tract of country con-
taining one tovvu — New York ; and one astonishing na-
tural phenomenon, called Niagara. " See New York,
Quehec, and Niagara," was the direction 1 received
when I started upon my travels. I never could make
out how, but somehow or other, from my earliest in-
fancy, I had been familiar with the name of Niagara,
and, from the numerous pictures I had seen of it, I could,
I suppose, have sketched a very accurate likeness of the

ClIAl'

XI.

(ROSSIXd LAKK ONTAIIIO.

217

lloivo-slioo rail. Sinco 1 laiidtMl at Portland, I had
rontiiHially inot uitli jx-ojilo who went into ecstatic ni{)-
tures with Niagara; and jd'tcr |)a?>."«iiig uitliin ^iulit of its

fits rojir — after soirmcc it tl

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great centre of attraction to all jjor^ons of every class —
niv desire to see it for nivself hecanu; ahsorhinijj. Nu-
nieroiis difficnlties ha<l arisen, and at one time I had
reluctantly given up all hope of seeing it, when ^fr.
ai.d ]Mrs. Walrence kindly said, that, if I would go
with them, they would return to the east hy way of
Ni'^gara.

Bt!tween the anticipation of this event, and the din
of the rejoicings for the " captnre of S'ehastopol," I
slept very little on the night before leaving Toronto, and
was by no means sorry when the cold grey of dawn
quenched the light of tar-barrels and gas-lamps. I
crossed Lake Ontario in the iron steamer Peerless ; the
lake was rongli as usual, and, after a })ronienade of two
hours on the spray-drenched deck, I retired to the cabin,
and spent some time in dreamily wondering whether
Niagara itself would compensate for the discomforts of

the journey thither. Captain D gravely informed

me that there were "a good many cases" below, and I
never saw people so dejdorably sea-sick as in this steamer.
An Indian officer who had crossed the Line seventeen times
was sea-sick for the first time on Lake Ontario. The
short, cross, chopping seas affect most people. The only
persons in the saloou who were not discomposed by them
were two tall school-girls, who seemed to have innumer-
able whispered confidences and secrets to confide to each
other.

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FALLS OF NLU.ARA.

Cii.\i<. XL

Wo toiiclicd the wharf at Niagara, a town on the British
faille of the Niagara river — " cars for Biidalo, all aboard,"
— and jnst crossing a jjlatforni, we entered the Canada
aw?, and on the t(»i) of some frightfnl precipices, and
round some terrific cnrves, we were whirled to the Clifton
Ilonse at Niagara. T left the cars, an<l walked down
the s1o])e to the verge of the cliff; I forgot my friends,
who had called me to the hotel to lunch — I forgot evcry-
tiiing — for I was looking at the Falls of Niagara.

CIr o c?

" No more than tlii.sl — wliat sooiiiM it now
I?y that far Hood to stand ?
A tliousand streams of h)vclior flow

]>athe my own mountain land,
And thcneo o'or waste and ocean track
Their wild sweet voices call'd me back.

Tliey call'd me back to many a glade,

My childhood's haunt of plaj',
Where brightly 'mid the birchen shade

Their waters glanced away :
Tiicy call'd me with their thousand Wiwes
Lack to my fathers' hills and graves."

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The feelings which M'-s. Ilemans had attributed to
Bruce at the source of the Nile, were mine as I took my
first view of Niagara. The Ilorsc-shoe Fall at some
distance to my right was partially hidden, but directly in
front of me were the American and Crescent Falls. The
former is perfectly straight, and looked like a gigantic
mill-weir. This resemblance is further heightened by an
enormous wooden nniny-windowed fabric, said to be the
largest pa))er-mill in the United States. A whole collec-
tion of mills disfigures this romantic spot, which has
received the name of Manchester, and bids ft\ir to become
n thriving manufacturing town ! Even on the British

'■■* '

Chap. XI.

CLIFTOX HOUSE HOTEL.

219

side, where one would have hopt'd for a better state of
tilings, there is a great fungus growtli of iiiuseuuis,
curiosity-shops, taverns, and pagodas with sliining tin
cu})olas. Not far from wliere I stood, tlie nienihers of
a })icnic party were flirting and huigliing hihu'iously,
tlu'owing ciiieken-hones and peach-stones over tlie el iff,
drinking champagne and soda-water. Just as I luul
succeeded in attaining the proper degree of nuMital al)-
straction with which it is necessary to c(Mitenn)late Nia-
gara, a ragged drosky-driver came ii)), ^ Yer honour,
may he ye 're in want of a carriage ? I '11 take ye the
whole round — Goat Island, Whirlpool, r'ld IX'il's Hole —
for the matter of four dollars." Niagara made a matter
of " a round," dtdlars, and cents, was too much for my
equanimity ; and in the ho})e of losing my feelings of dis-
appointment, I went into the Clifton House, enduring
a whole volley of requests from the half-ti])sy droi«ky-
drivers who thronged the doorway.

This celebrated hotel, which is ke})t on the American
plan, is a huge white block of building, with three green
verandahs round it, and can accommodate about four
hundred pco]>le. In the summer season it is the alwde
of almost unparalleled gaiety. Here congregate tourists,
merchants, lawyers, officers, senators, wealthy soutliern(>rs,
and sallow dovvn-easters, all flying alike froui business
and heat. Here meet all ranks, those of the highest cha-
racter, and those who have no character to lose ; those
who by some fortunate accident have become possessed of
a few dollars, and those whose mine of wealth lies in the
gambling-house — all for the time being on terms of jjcr-
fect equality. Balls, in aoors and out of doors, nightly

L 2

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220

" DOING XTA'^^APvA."

CiiAr. XI.

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succccmI to ))arties and ])iciiics : tlio inoi-t novo! of wliioh
are tlioso in tlu3 beautiful garden in front of the hotel.
This garden has ppaeioiis lawns lighted by lam])S ; and
here, as in the ' jMldsuninier Night's Dream,' the visitors
danec on summer evenings to the strains of invi?il)le
musie. But at the time of mv seeond visit to the Falls
all the gaiety was over ; the men of business had returned
to the eities, the sc^utherners had fled to their sunny
homes — part of the house was shut up, and in the great
diuiuii'-room, with tables for three hundred, we sat down
to luiieh with about twenty-five persons, most of them
Amerieans and Germans of th.e most repulsive descrip-
tion. After this meal, eaten in the "five minutes all
aboard" style, we started on a sight-seeing ex))edition.
Instead of being allowed to sit quietly on Table llock,
ga/ing ujion the eataraet, the visitor, yielding to the de-
mands of a supposed neeessity, is dragged a weary
round — he must see the Falls from the front, from above,
and from below : he nnist l>;o behind them, and be
drenched by them ; he must descend spiral staircases at
the risk of his limbs, and cross ferries at that of his life :
he must visit Bloody Run, the Burning Sju'ings, and
Indian curiosity-shops, which have nothing to do with
them at all ; and when the poor wretch is thoroughly
bewildered and wearied by " doing Niaga^'a,' he is
allowed to steal quietly off to what he really came to
see — the mighty llorse-shoe Fall, with all its accompani-
ments of majesty, sublimity, and terror.

Bound tlie door of the Clifion House were about twenty
ragged, vociferous drosky -drivers, of most demoralised
aj)pearance, all clamorous for "a fare." " We want to

.rf'«='^a.

C;iAi-. XI.

SrSPENSIOX-BRIDGE.

221

go lo Goat Island; liow inucli is it?" "Five dollar?.''
"I'll tak(3 you for four dollars and a half." "No, sir,
lir's a cheat and a blackguard ; I'll take vou for four."
" I'll take you as clieap as any one," shouts a man in rags ;
" I'll take you for three." " Very well." " I'll take you
as cheap as he ; he's drunk, and his carriaj;;e isn't tit for a
l;uly to step into," shouted the man who at fir^t asketl live
dollars. Alter this thev commenced a reaular w/rAV, when
l)lows were given and received, and frecpient allusions were
made to " the bones of St. Patrick." At last our friend
ill rags succeeded in driving up to the dcxn-, anil we found
his carriage really unfit for ladies, as the stuffing in most
places was quite bare, and the step and splash-boards
were only kept in their places by pieces of rope. Th-*
sliouting and s(]uabbling were accompanied by Niagara,
whose dee}) awful thundering bass drowns; all other
sounds.

Wc (h'ove for i>vo miles along the ])recijiice bank of the
Niagara river: this precipice is 250 feet high, without a
parapet, and the green, dee}) flood rag<. • below. At the
Suspension Bridge they demanded n toll uf sixty cents,
and contem})tuously refused two five-dollar notes olfered
them by ]Mr. AValrence^ saying they were only waste
})aper. This extraordinary bridge, over whiih a train of
cars weighing 440 tons has recently })assed, has a s})an
of 800 feet, and a double roadway, the U})})er one
being used by the railway. The floor of the bridge is
230 feet above the river, and the de})th of the river
immediately under it is 250 feet I The view from it is
magnificent ; to the left the furious river, confined in a
narrow space, rushes in ra})ids to the \Vhirlpool ; and

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EEAUTIES OF NIAGARA.

C'lIAl". XI.

to the riglit tlic Ilorsc-shoc Fall pours its toiTcnt of
waters into tlio thirk and ever invisil)le abyss. AVhen
wo reached the American side we liad to declare to
a custom-house officer that wo were no smugglers ;
and then by an awful road, partly covered with stumjis,
and partly full of holes, over the one, and through the
other, our half-tipsy driver jolted us. till we wished our-
selves a thousand miles from Niagara Falls, " There
now, faith, and wasn't I nearly done for myself?" he
exclaimed, as a jolt threw him from his seat, nearly over
the dash-board.

AVe passed through the town bearing the names of
Niagara Falls and Manchester, an agglomeration of tea-
gardens, curiosity-shops, aiid monster hotels, with domes
of shining tin. We drove down a i^teep hill, and crossed
a very insecure-looking Avooden bridge to a small wooded
island, where a man with a strong na^al tvvang demanded
a toll of twenty-five cents, and anon we crossed a long
bridge over the lesser rapids.

The cloudy morning had given place to a glorious day,
abounding in varieties of light and shade ; a slight shower
had fallen, and the sparkling rain-drops hung from every
leaf and twig ; a rainbow spanned the Niagara river, and
the loaves wore the glorious scarlet and crimson tints of
the American autumn. Sun and sky were propitious ; it
was the season and the day in wdiicli to see Niagara.
Quarrelsome drosky drivers, incongruous mills, and the
thousand trum})eries of the place, were all forgotten in
the perfect beauty of the scene — in the full, the joyous
realisation of my ideas of Niagara. Beauty and terror
here formed a perfect combination. Around islets covered

Tlicro

a long

Chap. XI.

BEAUTIES OF NIAGARA.

22;J

with fair foliage of trees and vines, and carpeted with
moss untrodden by the foot of man, tlie waters, in wild
turmoil, rage and foam : rusliing on recklessly beneath
the trembling bridge on which we stood to their doomed
fall. Tills place is called " The Hell of \Vaters," and
has been the scene of more than one terrible trairedv.

This bridge took us to Iris Ishuid, so named from the
rainbows which perpetually hover round its base. Every-
thing of terrestrial beauty may be found in Ii'is Island.
It stands amid the eternal din of the waters, a barrier
between the Canadian and American Falls. It is not
more than sixty-two acres in extent, yet it has groves of
huge forest tree?, and secluded roads underneath them iu
the deepest shade, far apparently from the busy world,
yet thousand? from every part of the globe yearly tread
its walks of beauty. ^Vc stopped at the top of a dizzy
pathway, and, leaving the AVahences to purchase some
curiosities, I descended it, crossed a trembling foot-
bridge, and stood alone on Luna Island, between the
Crescent and American Falls. This beauteous and richly-
embowered little spot, which is said to tren _le, and looks
as if any wave might sweep it away, has a view of match-
less magnificence. From it can be seen the whole expanse
of the American rapids, rolling and struggling down,
chafing the sunny islets, as if jealous of their beauty.
The Canadian Fall was on my left ; away in front
stretched the scarlet woods ; the incongruities of the place
were out of sight ; and at my feet the broad sheet of the
American Fall tumbled down in terrible majesty. The
violence of the rapids cannot be imagined by one who has
not seen their resistless force. The turbulent waters are

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224

A TIIAGIC STOllY.

ClIAI'. XI.

ilmig II}) wards, as if infuriated against tliu sky. Tlio
rocks, ^vlloso jagged ))()ints are seen among tlieni, tiing off
the hurried and foamy waves, as if with siipernatm-al
strength. Nearer and nearer they come to the Fall, he-
coming every instant more agitated ; they seem to recoil
as they aj)proacli its verge ; a momentary calm folloMs,
and then, like all their predecessors, they go down the
ahyss together. There is something very exciting in this
view; one cannot lielj) investing Niagara with feelings of
human agony and a])j)rehension ; one feels a new sensation,
something neither terror, wonder, nor admiration, as one
looks at the phenomena which it displays. I have heen
surprised to see how a visit to the Falls galvanises the
most matter-of-fact person into a brief exercise of the
imaginative powers.

As the sound of the muffled drum too often accom-
panies the trumpet, so the beauty of Luna Island must
ever remain associated in my uiind with a terrible catas-
trophe which recently occurred there. Niagara was at its
gayest, and the sunnner at its hottest, when a joyous
party went to sjjend the day on Luna Island. It consisted
of a Mr. and Mrs. Do Forest, their beautiful child
" Nettie," a young man of great talent and promise,
Mr. Addington, and a few other persons. It was a fair
evening in June, when moonlight was struggling for
ascendancy with the declining beams of the setting sun.
The elders of the i)arty, being tired, re})aired to the seats
nn Iris Island t(> rest, Mr. De Forest calling to Nettie,
'' Come here, my child ; don't go near the water." " Never
mind — let her alone — I'll watch her," said Mr. Addington,
for the child was very beautiful and a great favourite,

CiiAP. xr.

AX IXDIAX LEGEXD.

225

and tlic youthful uicuibcMS of the party started for Luna
Island. Nettie pulled Addiugton's coat in her glee,
"Ah! you rogue, you're caught," said he, catching hold
of her; "shall I throw you in?"' She sprang forward
from his arms, one step too far, and fell into the roaring
rapid. "Oh, mercy! save — she's gone !" the young man
cried, and sprang into the water. He caught hold of
Nettie, and, by one or two vigorous strokes, aided by an
eddy, was brought close to the Island ; one instant more,
and his terrified companions would have been able to hiy
hold of him ; but no — the hour of both was come ; the
waves of the rapid hurried them ])ast : one ))iercing cry
came from Mr. Addington's lips, " For Jesus' sake, O save
our souls !" and, locked in each other's arnis, both were
carried over the fatal Falls. The dashinor torrent rolled
onward, unheeding that bitter despairing cry of human
agony, and the bodies of these two, hurried into eternity in
the bloom of youth, were not found for some days. Mrs.
Do Forest did not lono; survive the fate of her child.

The guide related to me another story in which my
readers may be interested, as it is one of the poetical
legends of the Indians. It took place in years now long
gone by, when the Indians worshipped the Great Spirit
v.here they beheld such a manifestation of his power.
Here, where the presence of Deity made the forest ring,
and the ground tremble, the Indians offered a living
sacrifice once a year, to be conveyed by the water spirit
to the unknown gulf. Annually, in the month of
August, the sachem gave the word, and fruits and flowers
were stowed in a white canoe, to be paddled by the fairest

maiden among the tribes.

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AX IXDIAX LEGEXD.

Chap. XI.

Tlio tribe thought itself highly honoured when its turn
came to float the blooming oliering to the shrine of the
Great Spirit, and still more honoured was the maid who
was a ilttinGj sacrifice.

Oronto, tiie proudest chief of the Senecas, had an only
child named Lena. This chief was a noted and dreaded
warrior ; over many a bloody fight his single eagle ])lumc
had waved, and ever in battle he left the red track of his
hatchet and tomahawk. Years rolled by, and every one
sent its summer otlering to the thunder god of the
then unexplored Niagara. Oronto danced at many a
feast which followed the sacrificial gift, which his tribe
had rejoicingly given in their turn. He felt not for
the fathers whose children were thus taken from their
wigwams, and committed to the grave of the roaring
waters. Calma, his wife, had fallen by a foeman's
arrow, and in the blood of his enemies he had terribly
avenged his bereavement. Fifteen years had passed since
then, and the infant which C.Vlma left had matured into a
beautiful maiden. The day of sacrifice came ; it was the
year of the Senecas, and Lena was acknowledged to
be the fairest maiden of the tribe. The moonlit hour
has come, the rejoicing dance goes on ; Oronto has,
without a tear, parted from his child, to meet her in
the happy hunting-grounds where the Great Spirit
reigns. The yell of trium})h rises from the assembled
Indians. The white canoe, loosed by the sachems,
has shot from the bank, but ere it has sped from the
shore another dancing craft has gone forth upon the
whirling water, and Loth have set out on a voyage to
eternity.

Cii Ar. XI.

CAVE OF THE WINDS.

227

Tlie lirst bears the offering;, Lena, seated amidst fruits
and flowcn's ; the seeond contains Oronto, the proud chief
of the Senecas. Both seeui to pause on the verge of tlie
descent, then together rise on the wiiirling rapids. One
mingled look of ap})rehension and affection is exchanged,
and, while the woods ring with the yells of the savages,
Oronto and Lena plunge into the abyss in their white
canoes."*

This wild legend was told me by the guide in full
view of the cataract, and seemed so real and life-like tiiat
I was somewhat startled by being accosted thus, by a
voice speaking in a sharp nasf^l down-east twang: " Well,
stranger, I guess that's the finest water-power you've
ever set eyes on." My thoughts were likewise recalled
to the fact that it was necessary to put on an oilskin dress,
and scramble down a very dilapidated staircase to the
Cave of the Winds, in order to " do " Niagara in the
"regulation manner." This cave is partly beliihd the
American Fall, and is the abode of howling v inds and
ceaseless eddies of spray. It is an extremely good
shower-bath, but the day was rather too cold to make
that luxury enjoyable. I went down another steep path,
and, after crossing a shaky foot-bridge over part of the
Grand Rapids, ascended Prospect Tower, a stone erection
45 feet high, built on the very verge of the Ilorse-shoe
Fall. It is said that people feel involuntary suicidal
intentions while standing on the balcony round tliis tower.
I did not experience them myself, possibly because my

* I have given both these anecdotes, as nearly as possible, in the
boinba-itic language in which they were related to me by the guide.

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" THE TIIUXDER OF AVATEllS.'

ClIAI'. XI.

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only cnniiKiiiiou was the lialt'-tiiK-y Iri?h drosky-tlrivfr.
The view from tliis tower is awful : the edifice has been
twice hwopt away, and ])rol)ably no strength of masonry
could permanently endure the wear of the rushing water
at its base.

Down come those beauteous billows, as if eairer for
their terribU; leap. Along the ledge over wbich they
fall they are still for one moment in a sheet of clear,
brilliant green; another, and down they fall like cataracts
(>f driven snow, chasing each other, till, roaring and hiss-
ing, they reacli the abyss, sending up a colunm of spray
100 feet in height. No existing words can describe it,
no painter can give the remotest idea of it ; it is the voice
of the Great Creator, its name signifying, in the beau-
tiful language of the Iroquois, " The Thunder of \\'aters."
Looking from this tower, above you see the Grand
Rapids, one dizzy sheet of leaping foamy billows, and
below you look, if you can, into the very caldron itself,
auil see how tlu» briurlit-arcen waves are lost in foam and
mist ; and behind you look to shore, and shudder to think
liow the frail bridge by which you came in another mo-
ment may be washed away. I felt as I came down the
trembling staircasi; that one wish of my life had been
gratified in seeing Niagara.

Some graves were recently discovered in Iris Island,
with skeletons in a sitting jiosture inside them, probably
the remains of those aboriii'inal races who here in their
ignorance worshipped the Great Sj)irit, within the sound
of his almighty voice. We paused on the bridge, and
looked once more at the islets in the rapids, and stopped
on Bath Island, lovely in itself, but desecrated by the

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ClIAl'. X[.

THE wniiiLrooL.

22U

j)r('scnco of a romarkably liirsuto Aiuorican, who keeps a
tull-liouso, with the words " Ice-ereanis" and "Indian
(.'uriosities" j)ainted in large letters ujmn it. Again
anothrr bridge, by whieli we crossed to the main land ; and
while overwhelmed at onee by the beauty and the sublimity
of the .-cene, all at onee the idea struck me that the
Yankee who called Niagara " an almighty fine water pri-
vilege" was tolerably correct in his definition, for the
water is led off in several directions for the use of large
saw and paper mills.

\\^(i made several ])urchases at an Indian curiosity-
shoj), where we paid for the articles about six times their
value, and meanwhile our driver took the opportunity of
getting " sunimat warm," which very uearly resulted in
our getting something cold, for twice, in driving over a
stump, ha all but upset us into ponds. Crosshig the
susj)ensIon-bridge we arrived at the V. R. custom-house,
where a tiresome detention usually occurs ; but a few
words spoken in Gaelic to the Scotch officer produced
a magical effect, which might have been the same
had we ])ossessed anything contraband. A drive of
three miles brought us to the whirlpool. The giant
cliffs, which rise to the height of nearly 300 feet, Avail in
the waters and confine their impetuous rush, so that their
force raises them in the middle, and hurls them up some
feet in the air. Their fury is resistless, and the bodies of
those who are carried ver the falls arc whirled round
here in a hoi'rible dan ;e, frequently till decomposition
takes ])lace. There is nothing to excite admiration about
the w'hirlpool ; the impression which it leaves on the mind
is highly un])leasing.

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V. iiAl'. XI.

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Anotlier (iisagrccalile necessity was to visit a dark, doc'i)
cliasiii in tlu! bank, a very gloomy spot. This demon-
titled eavity has never felt the iiitlnenee of a ray of light.
A massive cliff rises above it, and a narrow stream, hear-
ing the horril>io name of Bloody linn, ))ours over this
clilfinto the ch;^''m. To most minds tiiere is a strange
fascination about the terrible and mysterious, and, in
s})ite of warning looks and bescceliing gestures on the
j)art of Mr, Walrencc, who feared the effect of the story
on the weak nerves of his wife, I sat down by the chasm
and asked the origin of the name Bloody Run. I will
confess that, as I looked down into the yawning hole,
imagination lent an added horror to the tale, which was
bad cnouuh in itself.

In 175'J, while the French, who had in their pay the
Seneca Indians, liovcrcd round the l^ritish, a large supply
of provisions was forwarded from Fort Niagara to Fort
Schlosser by the latter, under the escort of a hundred
regulars. The savage chief of the Senecas, anxious to
obtain the promised reward for scalps, formed an ambus-
cade of chosen warriors, several hundred in number. The
Devil's Hole was the spot chosen — it seemed made on
purpose for the bloody ])rojcct. It was a hot, sultry day
in August, and the British, scattered and sauntered on
their toilsome way, till, overcome by fatigue or curiosity,
they sat down near the margin of the precipice. A
fearful yell arose, accompanied by a volley of bullets,
and the Indians, breaking from their cover, under the
combined influences of ferocity and " fire-water," rushed
upon their unhappy victims before they had time to stand
to their arms, and tomahawked them on the spot. Wrg-

Chap. XI.

A Mi;TA>[ouriro.<is.

2:51

gotis, lioi'scs, soldiori?, ami drivers wore then liurlcd ovoi*
tlie precipice', and tlio little stn.'auj ran into the Niagara
river a torrent purjde wiih Intinan gore. Only two
escaped to tell the terrible tale. Some years ago,
bones, arms, and broken wlieels were found among
tlie rocks, mementos of the barl)arity wliicli lias given
the little streamlet the terror-in-piring name of Bloody
Rnn.

After depositing our purchases at the Clifton House,
where the waiter warned us to ])iit them under lock and
key, I hoped that sight-seeing was over, and that at last
I should be able to gaze upon what I had really come to
visit — the Falls of Ningara. But no ; I was to be vic-
timised still further ; I must "go behind the great sheet."
Mr. and Mrs. Walrence would not go ; they saiil their
heads would not stand it, but that, as an Englisiiwoman,
go I must. Ill .imerica the ca])abilities of EngUsh ladies
are very much oven-ated. It is supposed that they go
out in all weathers, invariably walk ten miles a day, and
leap five-barred fences on horseback. Yielding to '' the
inexorable law of a stern necessity," I went to the Rock
House, and a very pleasing girl produced a suit of oiled
calico. I took off my cloak, bonnet, and dress. " Oh,"
she said, "you must change everything, it 's so vertj icd."
As, to save time, I kept demurring to taking ()li' various
articles of apparel, I always received the same rep-ly, and
finally abandoned myself to a complete change of attire.
I looked in the mirror, and beheld as complete a tatter-
demallion as one could sec begging upon an Iri>li high-
way, though there was nothing about the dress which the
most lively imagination could have tortured into the

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A PERILOUS ENTERPHISE.

Cii.vr. XL

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picturoscjiie. Tlie oxtonials of this strange cquipniLMit
consisted of an oiled calico hood, a garment like a
carter's frock, a pair of blue worsted stockings, and a
pair of India-rubber shoes much too large for nic. My
appearance M'as so comic as to excite the laughter
of my grave friends, and I had to reflect that numbers of
persons had gone out in the same attire before I could
make uj) my mind to run the gauntlet of the loiterers
round the door. Here a negro guide of most repulsive
appearance awaited me, and I waded through a perfect
sea of mud to the shaft by which people go under Table
Rock. My friends were evidently ashamed of my ap})ear-
ance, but they met me here to wish me a safe retiu'n, and,
followii g the guide, 1 dived down a spiral staircase, very
dark and very much out of re})air.

Leaving this staircase, I followed the guide along a
narrow path covered with fragments of shale, with Table
Rock above and the deep abyss below. A cold, damp
wind blew against me, succeeded by a sharp pelting rain,
and the path became more slippery and difficult. Still I
was not near the sheet of water, and felt not the slightest
dizziness. I speedily arrived at the difficult point of my
progress : heavy gusts almost blew me away ; showers of
spray nearly blinded me ; I was quite deafened and half-
drowned ; I wished to retreat, and essayed to use my
voice to stop the progress of my guide. I raised it to a
scream, but it was lost in the thunder of the cataract.
The negro saw my incertitude and extended his hand. I
shuddered even there as I took hold of it, not quite free
from the juvenile idea that " the black comes off." He

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seemed at that moment to wear the aspect of a black Imp
leadiniij me to destruction.

The path is a narrow, sli})pery lediie of rock. I am
blinded with spray, the darkening sheet of water is before
me. Shall I go on ? The spray beats against my face,
driven by the contending gusts of wind which ru:-li into
the eyes, nostrils, and mouth, and almost prevent my
progress ; the narrowing hulge is not more than a foot
wide, and the boiling gulf is seventy feet below. Yet
thousands have pursueil this way before, so why should
not I? I grasp tighter hold of the guide's hand, and pro-
ceed step by step holding down my head. The water
beats against me, the path narrows, and will only hold my
two feet abreast. I ask the guide to stop, but my voice
is drowned by the " Thunder of Waters." lie guesses
what I woidd say, and shrieks in my car, " It 's icorse
(joiiif/ hack." I make a desperate attempt : four steps
more and I am at the end of the ledge ; my breath is
taken away, and I can oidy just stand against the gusts
of wind which are driving the water against me. The
gulf is but a few inches from me, and, gasping for breath,
and drenched to the skin, I become conscious that I have
reached Termination Ruck.

Once arrived at this })lace, the clouds of driving spray
are a little thinner, and, though it is still very difficult
either to see or breathe, the magnificence of the temple,
which is here formed by the natural hend of the cataract
and the backward shelve of the precipice, makes a lusting
impression on the mind. The temple seems a fit and
awful shrine for llim who " rides on the wings of mighty
winds," and, completely shut out from man's j)uny works,

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GOING BEHIND THE SHEET.

ClIAI'. XI.

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the mind rises naturally In adoring contGmi)lation to Ilira
whose voice is heard in the '' thunder of w<atcrs." The
path was so very narrow that I had to shuffle backwards
for a few feet, and then, drenched, shivering, and breath-
less, my goloshes full of water and slipping off at every
step, I fought my way through the blinding clouds of
spray, and, climbing up the darkened staircase, again
stood on Table Rock, with water drij)})ing from my hair
and garments. It is usual for those persons who
survive the expedition to take hot brandy and water
after changing their dresses ; and it was probably from
neglecting this jjrecaution that I took such a severe
chill as afterwards produced the ague. On the whole,
this achievement is pleasanter in the remembrance than
in the act. There is nothing whatever to boast of in
having accomplished it, and nothing to regret in
leavino; it undone. I knew the danger and disajireeable-
ness of the exploit before I went, antl, had I known
that "going behind the sheet" was synonymous with
" going to Termination Rock," I should never have gone.
No person who has not a very strong head ought to
go at all, and it is by every one far better omitted, as
tiie remaining portion of Table Rock may fall at any
momerit, for which reason some of the most re>pectable
guides d<'cline to take visitors underneath it. I believe
that nn amateur ever thinks of going a second time.
After all, the front view is the only one for Niagara —
going behind the sheet is like going behind a picture-
frame.

After this we went to the top of a tower, where I had a
very good bird's-eye view of the Falls, the Rapids, and the

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ClIAP. XI.

IMPRESSIONS OF NIAGARA.

235

general aspect of the country, and then, refusing to be
victnniscd by burning spring!*, museums, prisoned eagles,
and mangy buffaloes, I left the Walrences, who were
tired, to go to the hotel, and walked down to the ferry,
and, scrambling out to the rock farthest in the water and
nearest to the cataract, I sat down completely undis-
turbed in view of the mighty fall. I was not distracted
by parasitic guides or sandwich-eating visitors ; the vile
museums, pagodas, and tea-gardens were out of sight :
the sublimity of the Falls far exceeded my expectations,
and I appreciated them the more perhaps from having
been disappointed with the first view. As I sat watching
them, a complete oblivion of everything but the falls
themselves stole over me. A person may be very learned
in statistics — he may tell you that the falls are 160 feet
high — that their whole width is nearly four-fifths of a
mile — that, according to estimate, ninety million tons of
water pass over them every hour — that they are the outlet
of several bodies of water covering one hundi'cd and fifty
thousand square miles ; but unless he has seen Niagara,
he cannot form the faintest conception of it. It was so
very like what I had expected, and yet so totally different.
I sat there watching that sea-green curve against the
sky till sunset, and then the crimson rays just fell upon
the column of spray above the Canadian Fall, turning it
a most beautiful rose-colour. The sun set ; a young
moon arose, and brilliant stars shone through the light
veil of mist, and in the darkness the cataract looked like
drifted snow. T rose at length, perfectly unconscious that
I had been watching the Falls for nearly four hours, and
that my clothes were saturated with the damp and mist.

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AMERICAN riiECOCITY.

Cii.vr. XI.

It would bo out of ])ljice to enter upon the numerous
geologieal speculations which have arisen upon the struc-
ture and recession of Niagara. It seems as if the faint
light which science has shed upon the abyss of bygone
ages were but to show that its depths must remain for
ever unlighted by human reason and research.

Tiicre was such an air of gloom about the Clifton
House that we sat in the balcony t'U the cold became
intense ; and as it was too dark to see anything but a
white object in front, I could not help regretting the
waste (as it seems) of this wonderful display going on,
when no eyes can feast upon its sublimity. In the saloon
tliere was a little fair-haired boy of seven years old, with
the intellectual faculties largely developed — indeed, so
nuich so as to be painfidly suggestive of water on the
brain. His father called him into the middle of the
room, and he repeated a long oration of Daniel AVebster's
without once halting for a word, giving to it the action
and em])hasis of the orator. This was a fair sj)ecimen of
the fre(iuent undue development of the minds of American
children.

At Niagara I finally took leave of the Walrences,
as I had many visits to pay, and near midnight left
for Hamilton, under the escort of a very kind, but
very Grandisonian Scotch gentleman. I was intensely
tired and sleei)y, and it was a very cheerless thing to
leave a warm room at midnight for an omnibus-drive of
two miles along a biul, unlighted road. There did
not aj)})ear to be any waiting-room at the bustling
station at the suspension bridge, for, alas I the hollow
scream of the locomotive is heard even above the

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CiiAi'. xr.

A MIDNIGHT JOUKNFA'.

237

thumlor of Niagara. I slept in the cars for an lionr
heforo we started, and never woke till the conductor
demanded payment of my fare in no very gentle tones.
We reached Hamilton shortly after two in the morn-
ing, in the midst of a high wind and pouring rain ; and
in company with a dozen very dirty emigrants wo
entered a lumber waggon with a canvas top, drawn by
one miserable horse. The curtains very Imperfectly kept
out the rain, and we were in continual fear of an uj)set.
At la-t the vehicle went down on one side, and all the
Irish emigrauts tumbled over each other and us, with a
profusion of " Ochs," " murders," and " spalpeens." The
driver composedly shouted to us to alight; the hole was
only deep enough to sink the vehicle to the axletree.
We got out into a very capacious lake of mud, and in
again, in very ill humour. At last tiie horse fell down
in a hole, and my Scotch friend and I got out and walked
in the rain for some distance to a very comfortable hotel,
the City Arms. The sun had scarcely warmed the world
into Making life before I was startled from my sleep by
the cry, " Six o'clock ; all aboard for the "bus at half-past,
them as goes by the Passport and llujldamler :' but it
was half-past, and I had barely time to dress before the
disagreeable shout of " All aboard !" echoed through
the house, and I hurried down stairs into an omnibus,
which held twenty-two persons inside, commodiously
seated in arm-chairs. I went down Lake Ontario in the
Ilifjldandcr ; ]Mr. Forrest met me on the wharf, and in a
few hours I was again warmly welcomed at his hospitable
house.

My relics of my visit to Niagara consisted of a few

%S-v '0!.

2;js

A " SELL."

CiiAr. XL

■It!:;'

it I

Iiulian curiosities, and a ])i'inte(l coi'tificatc filled up with
my name,* stating that I had walked for 230 feet hchind
the great fall, which statement, I was assured by an
American fellow-traveller, was " a sell right entirely, an
almighty all -fired big flam.'*

" " >:iagarii Falls, C. W.: Kogistor Office, Tabic Rock.— This is to

certify, that Mis.s ha.s passotl bcliii\d the Great Falling Sheet

of Water to Toriuination Rock, being 230 foet behind the Great Horse-

rIioc Fall. — Giv(m uudor my hand this Ifith day of , 18j4-. —

Thomas Baunktt."

}'!!

I I

Chap. XII.

LEAVING "-' PvONTO.

239

CIIArTER XII.

[':>•

;■ r .. ,

A sceue at starting — That dear little Harry — The old lady and the
race — liunnhig the Rajiid.s — An aside — Snow and discomfort —
. A now country — An extemporised ball — Adventure with a madman
— Shooting the cataract — First appearance of Montreal — Its cha-
racteristics— Qtiebec in a fog — "Muffins" — Quebec gaieties — The
pestilence — Restlessness — St, Louis and St. Iloch — Tlio shady
side — Dark dens — Exterjial characteristics — Lord Elgin — Mis-
taking a senator.

The Arabian, by vMcli I left Toronto, was inferior to
any American steamer I had travelled in. It was
crowded with both saloon and steerage passengers, bound
for Cobourg, Port Hope, and Montreal. It was very
bustling and dirty, and the carpet was plentifully sprin-
kled with tobacco-juice. The captain was very much
flustered with his imusually large living cargo, but he
was a good-hearted man, and very careful, having, to use
his own phrase, " clim-bed in at the hawse-holes, and
worked his way aft, instead of creeping in at the cabin
window with his gloves on." The stewards were dirty,
and the stewardess too smart to attend to the comforts of
the passengers.

As passengers, crates, and boxes poured in at both the
fore and aft entrances, I went out on the little slip of
deck to look at the prevalent confusion, having previously
ascertained that all my effects were secure. The scene
was a very amusing one, for, acting out the maxim that

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240

SCENE AT STARTING.

Cii.u". XII.

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" time is money," coni})arativcly few of tlic passengers
came down to the wharf more than five minutes before
tlie liour of sailing. Peo))le, among whom were a
number of " unprotected fenudes," and juveniles who
would not inove on, were entancfled amona: trucks and carts
discharging cargo — hacks, horses, crates, and barrels.
These passengers, who would find it difficult to elbow their
way unencumbered, find it next to im})ossible when their
hands are burdened with uncut books, baskets of provender,
and diminutive carpet-bags. Horses back carts against
helpless females, barrels roll upon people's toes, news-
paper hawkers puff their wares, bonbon venders push their
plaster of Paris abominations almost at ])eople's eyes, yet,
strange to say, it is very seldom that any accident occurs.
Family groups invariably arc separated, and distracted
mammas are running after children whom everybody wishes
out of the way, giving utterance to hopes that thev are
not on shore. Then the obedient papa is sent on shore
to look after " that dear little Harry," who is probably
all the time in the ladies' saloon on some child-fancier's
lap eating bonbons. ""I'lie board is drawn in — the moor-
ings are cast off — the wheels revolve — the bell rings — the
engine squeals, and away speeds the steamer down the
calm waters of Lake Ontario. Little children and in-
quisitive young ladies are knocked down or blackened in
coiling the hawser, by " hands" who, being nothing but
hands, evidently caimot say, " I beg your pardon, miss."
There were children, who always will go where they
ought not to go, running against people, and taking hold
of their clothes with sticky, smeared hands, asking com-
mercial gentlemen to spin their tops, and corpulent ladies

Chap. XII.

asscngers
cs before

were a
liles wlio
and carts

barrels,
bow tbeir
len iheir
•ovender.

5 against

;s, news-

usb tbeir

^yes, yet,

it occurs.

istracted

ly wisbcs

tliev arc

on sbore

probably

'ancier's

10 moor-

gs — tlie

own tbc

and in-

ened in

ing but

, miss.

re tbey

ng bold

ig com-

it ladies

Chap. XII.

SCENE AT STARTING.

241

to play at bide and seek. I saw one stern-visagcd gentle-
man tormented in tliis way till be looked ready to give
tbe cbild its " final quietus."* Tliere were angry people
wbo bad lost tbeir i)ortinanteaus, and were ransacking
tbe state-rooms in quest of tbem, and indolent peo})le mIio
lay on tbe sofas reading novels and cbewing tobacco.
Some gentleman, taking no beed of a printed notice,
goes to tbe ladies' cabin to see if bis wife is safe on
board, and meets witb a rebuff from tbe stewardess, who
tells blin tbat " gentlemen are not admitted," and, know-
ing that tbe sense, or, as be would say, tbe non.^cnse of
tbe community is against him, be beats a reluctant re-
treat. Everybody seems to bave lost somebody or some-
thing, but in an hour or two the ladies are deep in novels,
the gentlemen in the morning papers, tbe children have
quarrelled themselves to sleep, and the captaia has gone
to smoke by the funnel.

I sat on tbe slip of deck with a lady from Lake Supe-
rior, niece of the accomplished poetess Mrs. Hemans,
and she tried to arouse me into admiration of the shore
of Lake Ontario ; but I confess that I was too much
occupied with a race which we were running with the
American steamer Maple-leaf, to look at the flat,
gloomy, forest-fringed coast. There is an inherent love
of the excitement of a race in all human beings — even
old ladies are not exempt from it, if we may believe a
story which I beard on the Mississippi. An old lady was

* American juveniles are, generally speaking, completely destitute
of that agreeable shyness which prevents Euglifch and Scotch children
from annoying strangers.

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242

A RACE.

ClIAP. XII.

1 vi

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going down the river for the first time, and expressed to
the captain lier earn(>?t hope that there would be no
racing. Presently another boat neared them, and half
the passengers urged the captain to "y;</eo/<." The old
lady shrieked and protested, but to no purpose ; the
skipper " piled on ;" and as the race was a very long
and doubtful one, she soon became excited. The rival
boat shot ahead ; the old lady gave a side of bacon, her
sole possession, to feed the boiler fires— the boat was left
behind — she clapped her hands — it ran ahead again, and,
frantic, she seated hor^elf upon the safety-valve ! It was
again doubtful, but, lo I the antagonist boat was snof/ged^
and the lady gave a yell of perfect delight when she saw
it discomfited, and a hundred human beings struggling
in the water. Our race, however, was destitute of excite-
ment, for the Maple-leaf y^di^ a much better sailer than
ourselves.

Dinner constituted an important event in the day, and
was despatched very voraciously, though some things were
raw, others overdone, and all greasy. But the three hun-
dred people who sat down to dinner were, as some one
observed, three hundred reasons against eating anything.
I had to endure a severe attack of ague, and about nine
o'clock the stewardess gave up her room to me, and, as
she faithfully promised to call me half an hour before
we changed the boats, I slept very soundly. At five
she came in — "Get up, miss, we 're at Guananoque;
you Ve only five minutes to dress." I did dress in five
minutes, and, leaving my watch, with some very valu-
able lockets, under my pillow, hastened across a narrow
plank, half blinded by snow, into the clean, light, hand-

;iiAi«. XII.

ossed to
d be no
and half
Tlie old
)se ; the
cry long
'he rival
icon, her
was left
ain, and,
! It was
snar/^ed,
1 she saw
ruggling
af excite-
iler than

day, and
ngs were
ree hun-
orae one
vnything.
out nine

and, as
r before

At five
lanoque ;
s in five
ry valu-

narrow
it, hand-

CiiAP. XII. LAKE OF THE THOUSAND ISLANDS.

243

some steamer Neto Era. I did not allow myself to fall
asleep in the very comfortable state-room which was
provided for me by the friend with whom I was travel-
ling, but hurried upstairs with the first grey of the chilly
wintry dawn of the morning of the 18th of October.
The saloon-windows were dimmed with snow, so I went
out on deck and braved the driving wind and snow on
that inhospitable morning, for we were in the Lake of the
Thousand Islands. Travellers have written and spoken
so much of the beauty of this celebrated piece of water,
that I expected to be disappointed ; but, an contrairc, I
am almost inclined to write a rhapsody myself.

For three hours we were sailing among these beautiful
irregularly-formed islands. There are 1692 of them,
and they vary in size from mere rocks to several acres
in extent. Some of them are perfect paradises of boauty.
They form a complete labyrinth, through which the pilot
finds his way, guided by numerous beacons. Sometimes
it appeared as if there were no egress, and as if we were
running straight upon a rock, and the water is every-
where so deep, that from the deck of the steamer people
can pull the leaves from the trees. A hundred varieties
of trees and shrubs grow out of the grey lichen-covered
rocks —it seems barbarous that the paddles of a steamer
should disturb their delicate shadows. If I found this
lake so beautiful on a day in the middle of October, when
the bright autumn tints had changed into a russet brown,
and when a chill north-east wind was blowing about the
withered leaves, and the snow against the ship — and when,
more than all, I was only just recovering from ague —
what would it be on a bright sunmier-day, when the blue

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244

SNOW-STORM.

ClIAI'. XII.

of lioiivcn would bo reflected in the clear waters of the St.
Lawrence !

By nine a furious snow-storm rendered all objects in-
di^5tinct, and the fog had thickened to sucIj an extent
that wc could not see five feet ahead, so we came to an-
chor for an hour. A very excellent breakfast was de-
spatched during this time, and at ten we steamed off
again, steering by compass on a river barely a mile wide !
The JVcw Era was a boat of a remarkai)ly light draught
of water. The saloon, or deck-house, came to within
fifteen feet of the bow, and on the hurricane-deck above
there was a tower containing a double wheel, with which
the ship is steered by chains one hundred feet long.
There is a look-out place in front of this tower, generally
occupied by the pilot, a handsome, ruffian-looking French
rojjaf/cia-f with earrings in his ears. Captain Chrysler,
whose caution, urbanity, and kindness render him de-
servedly popular, seldom leaves this post of observation,
and pei'sonally pays very great attention to his ship ; for
the river St. Lawrence has as bad a reputation for destroy-
ing the vessels which navigate it as the Mississippi.

The snow was now several inches deep on deck, and,
melting near the deck-house, trickled under the doors
into the saloon. The moisture inside, also, condensed
upon the ceiling, and produced a constant shower-bath
for the whole day. Sofas and carpets were alike wet,
everybody sat in goloshes — the ladies in cloaks, the gen-
tlemen in oilskins ; the smell of the latter, and of so many
wet woollen cloth >s, in an apartment heated by stove-heat,
being almost unbearable. At twelve the fog and snow
cleared away, and revealed to view the mighty St. Law-

i I.'

ClIAI-. XII.

CAXADTAX REnKLLIOX.

245

reiicc — a rapid stream wbirUng along in Piiinll eddies
between sliglitly elevated banks dotted witb wbite bonie-
steads. We passed a gigantic raft, witb five log sbanties
upon it, near Prescott. Tiiese rafts go slowly and safely
down tbe St. Lawrence and tbe Ottawa, till tbey come to
La Cbine, wbero frequent catastropbes bappen, if one
may judge from tbe tind)cr wbicb strews tbe rocks. A
gentleman read from a newspaper tbese terrible statistics,
" borrible if true," — " Forty-four murders and seven
bundred murderous assaults bave been committed at New
York witbin tbe last six montbs." (Senmtion.) We stopped
at Prescott, one of tbe oldest towns in Canada, and sbortly
afterwards passed tbe blackened ruins of a windmill, and
some bouses beld by a band of American " synipatbisers "
during tbe rebellion in 1838, but from wbicb tbey were
dislodged by tbe cannon of tbe royal troops. Five bun-
dred American sympatbisers, rvitb several pieces of can-
non, under cover of darkness, on a lovely nigbt in May,
landed at tins place. Soon after, tbey were attacked by
a party of Englisb regubars and militiamen, wbo drove
tliem into a windmill and two strong stone bouses, wbicb
tbey loopboled, and defended tbemselves witb a pertinacity
wbicb one would bave called beroism, bad it been in a
better cause. Tbey finally surrendered, and were carried
prisoners to Kingston, wbere six of tbem were banged.
Tbeir leader, a military adventurer, a Pole of tlie name
of Von Scboultz, was the first to be executed. He fougbt
witb a skill and bravery wortby of tbe nation from wbence
he sprung, and died without complaint, except of those
who had enticed him to fight for a godless cause, under
the name of liberty.

'*•

■■■'•rmf

240

Ru^'NL^'G THE rapids.

Chap. XII.

nrightor days have since dawned upon Canada, and at
this time tlie most discontented can scarcely find the sha-
dow of a grievance to lay hold of.

As an instance of the way in which the utilitarian
er.^entials of a high state of civilisation are diffused
throughout Canada, I may mention that when we ar-
I'ived at Cornwall I was ahle to telegraph to^ Kingston for
my lost watch, and received a satisfactory answer in half
an hour.

After sailing down this mighty river at a rapir c for
feome hours, we ran the Galouse Rapids. Ru: ng ♦'.o
rapids is a favourite, and, I must add, a charming diver-
sion of adventurous travellers. There is just that slight
sense of danger which lends a zest to novelty, and it is
furnished hy the facts that some timid persons land before
coming to the rapids, and that many vessels have c<)me to
an untimely end in descending them. There is a fa-
vourite story of General Amherst, who during the war
was sent down by the river to attack Montreal, with three
hundred and fifty men, and the first intimation which the
inhabitants received of the intended surprise was through
the bodies of the ill-fated detachment, clothed in the well-
known scarlet, floating by their city, the victims of the
ignorance or treachery of the ])iIot.

One of the great pleasures which I promised myself
in my visit to Canada was from rinming these ra})ids, and
I was not disapj)ointed. At the Galouse, the river ex-
pands into a wide shallow stream, containing beautiful
islands, among which the water rushes furiously, being
broken into large waves, boiling, foaming, and whirling
round. The steamer neared the rapids — half her steam

IIP'';- .

Chap. XII.

EUXXING THE RAriDS.

247

was shut off — six men appeared at the wheel — we ghded
noiselessly along in smooth, green, deep water — the
furious waves were before us — the steamer gave one per-
ceptible downward plunge — the spray dashed over the
bows — and at a speed of twenty-five miles an hour we
hurried down the turbulent hill of waters, running so
near the islands often that escape seemed hopeless — then
guided safely away by the skill of the pilot.

The next rapid was the Longue Sault, above a U'ile in
length. The St. Lawrence is liere divided into two
channels. The one we took is called the Lost Passage ;
the Indian pilot who knew it died, and it has only been
recovered within the last five years. It is a very fine
rapid, the islands being extremely picturesque. We went
down it at dizzy speed, with all our steam on. I sup-
pose that soon after this we entered the Lower Provinco,
for the aspect of things totally changed. The villages
bore French names ; there were iiigh wooden crosses by
the water-side ; the houses were many-gabled and many-
windowed, with tiers of balconies ; and the setting sun
flashed upon Romish churches with spires of glittering
tin. Everything was marked by stagnation and retro-
gression : the people are habitaus, the clergy curi's.

We ran the Cedars, a magnificent rapid, superior in
beauty to the Grand Rapids at Niagara, and afterwards
those of the Coteau du Lac and the Split Rock, but were
obliged to anchor at La (^hine, as its celebrated cataract
can only be shot by daylight. It was cold and dark, and
nearly all the ])assengers left La (Jhinc i-v the cars for
Mimtreal, to avoid what some people consider the perilous
descent of this rapid. As both means of reaching Mont-

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248

AN exte:\[poiiised ball.

Chap. XH.

real were })rol)aLly cM|iially safe, I decided on reniaiirnig
on board, liaving secured a state-room. My companions
in the saloon were the captain's wife and a lady who
seemed decidedly JiiglUij, and totally occupied in waiting
upon a poodle lapdog. After the captain left, the stoker?
and pokers, and stewards and cooks, exteni|)orised a hall,
with the assistance of a blind Scotch liddlcr, and invited
numerous lassies, who ap'peared as if by magic fnvm a
wharf to which we were moored. I cannot say that they
tripped it " on the liylit fantastic toe," for bi'ogues mA
higidows stumped heavily on the Hoor ; but what was
wanting in elegance was amply compensated for by merri-
ment and vivacity. The conversation was rather of a
])olyglot character, being carricl on in French, Gaelic,
and English.

Throughout the night I wa^ occupied in incessant
attempts to keej) up vital warmth, and when the steward
called me at five o'clock, I found that I had been sleeping
with the window open, and that the water in the jug was
frozen. Wintry-looking stars were twinkling through a
frosty fog ; the wet hawsers were frozen j«titf on deck ; six
came, tin; hour of starting, but still tlH»re were uo signs
of moving. Railroads have not yet taugkt j)unctuai^ty to
the Canadians, but better thinys are in store for fhem.
Cold to the very Inine. 1 walked up and down the saloon
to warm myself ''he tioor was wet, and coven^d with
saturated rugs ; there were no lire* in the rftoves, and my
only resource was to lean again«*t tl*** engiB^*-cnclosurc,
and warm my frozen hands on th«' liot vmxid. T was
joined by a very old gentlenwn, wi»r». amid msKwy com-
plaints, informed me that he had stjul an attack of

riein.

. looi)

d with

md my

osure,

T was

Chap. XII.

A MADMAN.

240

apoplexy during the night, and some one, finding him
insensible, had opened the jugular vein. His lank white
hair flowed over his shoulders, and liis neckcloth and
shirt-front were smeared with blood, lie said he had
cut his wife's throat, and that her ghost was after him.
" There, there ! " he said, pointing to a corner. I looked
at liis eyes, and saw at once that I w.as in the com))any
of a madman. He then said that he was king of the i;rland
of Montreal, and that he had murdered his wife because
slie was going to betray him to the Queen of I'ngland.
He was now, he declared, going down to make a public
entrance into Montreal. After this avowal I treated
him witli the respect due to his fancied rank, till I could
call tlie stewards without exciting his suspicions. They
said that he was a confirmed lunatic, and had several
times attempted to lay violent hands upon himself. Tliey
thought he must have escaped from his keeper at Brock-
ville, and, with true madman's cunning, he had secreted
himself in the steamer. Tliey kept him under strict
surveillance till we arrived at Montreal, and frustrated
an attempt which he made to throw himself into the rapid
as we were descending it.

At seven we unmoored from the pier at I^ Chine, and
steamed over tlie calm waters of the Lac St. Louis, under
the care of a Canadian voi/arfCMr^ who acted as a sub-
ordinate to an Indian nilot, who is said to be the onlv
])crson acquainted with the passage, and whom the boats
are obliged under penalty to take. The lake narrows at
La Chine, and becomes again the St. Lawrence, which pre-
sents a most extraordinary appearance, being a hill of shal-

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250

SHOOTING THE CATARACT.

Chap. XII.

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low rushing water about a mile wide, chafing a few islands
which look ready to be carried away by it. The large
river Ottawa joins the St. Lawrence a short distance from
this, and mingles its turbid waters with that mighty flood.
The river became more and more rapid till we entered
what might be termed a sea of large, cross, leaping waves,
and raging waters, enough to engulf a small boat. The
idea of descending it in a steamer was an extraordinary
one. It is said that from the shore a vessel looks as if it
were hurrying to certain destruction. Still we hurry on,
■with eight men at the wheel— rocks appear like snags in
the middle of the stream — we dash straight down upon
rocky islets, strewn with the wrecks of rafts ; but a turn
of the wheel, and we rush by them in safety at a speed
('tis said) of thirty miles an hour, till a ragged ledge of
rock stretches across the whirling stream. Still on we go —
louder roars the flood — steeper appears the descent —
earth, sky, and water seem mingled together. I involun-
tarily took hold of the rail — the madman attempted to
jump over — i\\c flighty lady screamed and embraced more
closely her poodle-dog ; we reached the ledge — one
narrow space free from rocks appeared- — down with one
])lunge went the bow into a turmoil of foam — and we
had " shot the cataract " of La Cliine.

The exploit is one of the most agreeable which the
traveller can perform, and the thick morning mist added
to the apparent danger. We steamed for four or five
miles farther down the river, when suddenly the great
curtain of mist was rolled up as by an invisible hand, and
the scene which it revealed was Montreal.

ClIAl'. XII.

MONTREAL.

251

I never saw a city wliicb looked so magnificent from
the water. It covers a very large extent of ground, which
gently slopes upwards from the lake-like river, and is
backed by the Mountain, a precipitous hill, 700 feet in
height. It is decidedly foreign in appearance, even from
a distance. When the fog cleared away it revealed this
mountain, with the forest which covers it, all scarlet and
purple ; the blue waters of the river hurried joyously
along ; the Green and Belleisle mountains wore the rosy
tints of dawn ; the distances were bathed in a purple
glow ; and the tin roofs, lofty spires, and cupolas of Mont-
real flashed back the beams of the rising sun.

A lofty Gothic edifice, something from a distance like
A^'estminster Abbey, and handsome public buildings, with
a superb wharf a mile long, of hewn stone, present a
very imposing appearance from the water. We landed
from the first lock of a ship-canal, and I immediately drove
to the residence of the Bishop of Montreal, a house near
the mountain, in a very elevated situation, and command-
ing a magnificent view. From the Bishop and his family
I received the greatest kindness, and have very agreeable
recollections of Montreal.

It was a most curious and startling change from the
wooden erections, wide streets, and the impress of novelty
which pervaded everything I had seen in the New AVorld-
to the old stone edifices, lofty houses, narrow streets, and
tin roofs of the city of Montreal. There are iron window-
shutters, convents with grated windows and long dead
walls ; there are narrow thoroughfares, crowded with
strangely-dressed habitans, and long proces.^ions of priests.

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252

MONTREAL.

Chai'. XII.

Then the French origin of the town contrasts everywhere
with the English occupation of it. There are streets — tlie
Hue St. Genevieve, tlie Rue St. Antoine, and the Rue
St. Fran(;ois Xavier ; there are ancient customs anil feuihil
privileges ; Jesuit seminaries, and convents of the Scnirs
Gris and the Sulpicians ; priests in long black dresses ;
native carters in coats with hoods, woollen nightcaps, and
coloured sashes; and barristers pleading in the French
language. Then there are Manchester goods, in stores
kept by bustling Yankees ; soldiers lounge about in the
scarlet and rifle uniforms of England ; Presbyterian
tunes sound from jdain bald churches ; the institutions
are drawn alike from Paris and Westminster ; and the
public vehicles partake of the fashions of I isbon and Long
Acre. You hear " Place mix dames " on one side of the
street, and '''' cjlang " on the other ; and the United States
have contributed their hotel system and their slang.

Montreal is an extraordinary place. It is alive with
business and enterprising traders, with soldiers, carters,
and equipages. Through the kindness of the Bishop, I
saw everything of any interest in the town. The first
thing which attiacted my attention was the magnificent
view from the windows of the See-house, over the wide
St. Lawrence and the green mountains of Vermont ;
the next, an immense pair of elaborately-worked bronze
gates, at a villa opposite, large enough for a royal resi-
dence. The side-walks in the outskirts of the town
were still of the villanous wood, but in the streets they
were very substantial, and, like the massive stone houses,
look as if they had lasted for two hundred years, and

!i-:ii^

ve with

carters,

ishop, I

ic first

nificeiit

le wide

iiiont ;

bronze

il resi-

town

ts they

louses,

rs, and

Chap, XII.

MONTREAL.

253

might last for a thousand more. We visited, among
otlier things, some schools — one, the Normal School, an
extremely interesting one, where it is intended to train
teacher.-, 0.1 (Jhurch-of-England principles. I was very
much surprised and pleased with the amonnt of solid
information and high attainments of the children, as evi-
denced by their composition, and answers to the Bishop of
Montreal's very difficult questions. They looked sallow
and emaciated, and, contrary to what I have observed
in England, the girls seemed the most intelligent. The
Bishop has also establi-jlied a library, where, for the small
sum of four shillings a year, people can regale themselves
upon a variety of works, from the volumes of Alison, not
more ponderous in appearand! than matter, to the news-
paper literature of the day.

The furrier©' shops are by no means to be overlooked.
There were sleigh-robes of buffalo, bear, fox, wolf, and
racoon, varying in price from six to thirty guineas ; and
coats, leggings, gloves, and caps, rendered necessary by the
severity of a winter in which the thermometer oftcii stands
at thirty degrees below zero. People vie with each other
in the costliness of their furs aiid sleigh equipments; a
complete set sometimes costing as much av a hundred
guineas.

I went into the Romish cathedral, which is the largest
Gothic building in the New World. It was intended to
be very imposing — it has surcceded in being very extra-
vagant ; and if the architects intended that their work
should live in the admiration of succeeding generations,
like York Minster, Cologne, or Rouen, they have signally
failed.

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254

MONTREAL.

Chap. XII.

■X

i\n

4
•I,

Internally, tlic effect of its vast size is totally destroyed by
pews and galleries which accommodate ten thousand people.
There are some very large and very hideous paintings in
it, in a very inferior style of sign-painting. The ceiling
is painted bright blue, and the high altar was one mass of
gaudy tinsel decoration. In one corner there was a
picture of babies being devoured by pigs, and trampled
upon by horses, and underneath it was a box for offerings,
with " This is the fate of the children of China " upon it.
By it was a wooden box, hung with faded pink calico,
containing small wooden representations, in the Noah's-
ark style, of dog?, horses, and pigs, and a tall man hold-
ing up a little dog by its hind legs. This peep-show (for
I can call it nothing else) was at the same time so inex-
plicable and so ludicrous, that, to avoid shocking the
feelings of a devout-looking woman who was praying near
it by an '* eclat de rire" we hurried from the church.

I met with many sincere and devout Romanists among
the upper classes in Canada ; I know that there are
thousands among the simple hahitans ; and though, in a
thoughtless moment, the fooleries and puerilities of their
churches may excite a smile, it is a matter for the deepest
regret that so many of our fellow-subjects should be the
dupes of a despotic priesthood, and of a religion which
cannot save.

Close to the cathedral is the convent of tie Grey
Sisters, who, M'ith the most untiring zeal and kindness,
fulfil the vocations of the Sisters of Charity. There are
several other convents, some of them very strict ; and
their high walls and grated windows give Montreal a very
Continental appearance. On a lady reir.arkir.g to a

Grey
ncss,
are
and
very
to a

Chap. XII.

MONTREAL.

255

sister in one of tliese, tliat the view from the windows was
very beautiful, she replied, with a suppressed sigh., that
she had never seen it. There are some very fine public
buildings and banks ; but as I am not writing a guide-
book, I will not dilate upon their merits.

We walked round Le Champ de Mars, former.^ the
great resort of the Montreal young ladies, and along
the Rue Notre Dame, to the market-place, which is said
to be the second finest in the world, and, with its hand-
gome /flf«r/e and bright tin dome, forms one of the most
prominent objects from the water. As those dii^gnsting
disfigurements of our lilnglish streets, butchers' shops,
are not to be seen in the Canadian towns, nor, I believe
I may say, in those in the States, there is an enormous
display of meat in the Montreal market, of an appearance
by no means tempting. The scene outside was extremely
picturesque ; there were hundreds of carts with shaggy,
patient little horses in rows, with very miscellaneous
tents — cabbages and butter jostling pork and hides.
You may see here hundreds of hahitans^ who look as if
they ought to have lived a century ago — shaggy men in
fur caps and loose blue frieze coats with hoods, and with
bright sashes of coloured wool round their waists ;
women also, with hard features and bronzed con.plexions,
in large straw hats, high white caps, and noisy sabots.
On all sides a jargon of Irish, English, and French is to
be heard, the latter generally the broadest patois.

We went into the Council Chamber, the richly cushioned
seats of which looked more fitted for sleep than deli-
beration ; and T caught a glimpse of the ex-mayor, whose
timidity during a time of popular ferment occasioned a

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256

VOYAGE TO QUEBEC.

CirAP. XII.

grcjjt loss of Imman life. That popular Italian orator,
" Father Gavazzi,'^ was cngagod in denouncing tlic super-
stitions and impositions of Rome ; and on a mob evincing
symptoms of turbulence, tliis mayor gave the order to fire
to tlie troops wiio were drawn up in the streets. Scarcely
had the words passed his lips, when by one volley seven-
teen peaceful citizens (if I recollect rightly), coming out
of the Unitarian chapel, were laid low.

Montreal is a turbulent place. It is not very many
years since a mob assembled and burned down the Par-
liament IIou?e, for which exercise of the popular will the
city is disqualified from being the seat of government. I
saw something of Montreal society, which seemed to me
to be quite on a par with that in our English provincial
towns.

I loft this ancient city at seven o'clock on a very dark,
foggy evening for Quebec, the boats between the two
cities running by night, in order that the merchants, by a
happy combination of travelling with sleep, may not lose
that time which to them is money. This mode of pro-
ceeding is very annoying to tourists, who thereby lose the
far-famed beauties of the St. Lawrence. It is very ob-
noxious likewise to timid travellers, of whom there are a
large number both male and female : for collisions and
striking on rocks or shoals are accidents of such frequent
occurrence, that, out of eight steamers which began the
season, two (mly concluded it, two being disabled during
my visit to Quebec.

Scarcely had we left the wharf at Montreal when we
came into collision with a brig, and hooked her anchor
into our woodwork, which event caused a chorus of

Chai'. XII.

FIRST SIGHT OF QUE15EC.

257

screams from some l<a(lies whose voices were rather
stronger tlian tlieir nerves, and its remedy a great deal
of bad hmguage in French, (lernuin, and Engli.-ii, from
the crews of both vessels. After this we ran down to
Quebec at the rate of seventeen miles an hour, and tlie
('O)itrctcinps did not prevent even those who had jrcreamed
the loudest from partaking of a most substantial supper,
which was served at eight o'clock in the lowest story of
the ship. The JoJin Munn was u very fine boat, not at
all the worse for having sunk in the river in the summer.
I ''onsidered Quebec quite the goal of my journey, for
books, tongues, and poetry alike celebrate its beauty.
Indeed, there seems to be only one opinion about it.
From the lavish praise bestowed upon it by the eloquent
and gifted author of ' Ilochelaga ' down to the homely
encomiums pronounced by bluff sea captains, there seems
a unanimity of admiration which is rarely met with.
Even commercial travellers, absorbed in intricate calcu-
lations of dollars and cents, have been known to look up
from their books to give it an enthusiastic expression of
approval. I expected to be more pleased with it than
with anything I had seen or was to see, and was insensate
enough to rise at five o'clock and proceed into the saloon,
when of course it was too dark for another hour to see
anything. Daylight came, and from my corner by the
fire I asked the stewardess when we should be in sight of
Quebec ? She replied that we were close to it. I went
to the window, exj)ecting that a vision of beauty would
burst upon my eyes. All that I saw might be summed
up in very few words — a few sticks placed vertically,
which might be masts, and some tin spires looming through

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258

QUEHEC IN A F()(J.

Cir.vp. XII.

1:: t

a very yellow, opaque medium, Tliis wjis my Jhst view
of Quebee ; happily, on my hint tlie elements did full
justice to its beauty. Other ol»jects developed tliem-
selves as we steamed down to tlie wharf. There were
huge rafts, some three or four acres in extent, which,
having survived the ])erils which liad beset them on their
journey from the forests of the Ottawa, were now moored
along the base of the lofty clifTs which, under ti'c nan:e
of the Heights of Abraham, have a world-wide celebrity.
Tiiere were huge, square-sided, bluff-bowed, low-masted
ships, lying at anchor in interminable lines, and little,
dirty, vicious-looking steam-tugs twirling in and out
among them ; and there were grim-looking muzzles of
guns protruding through embrasures, and peripatetic fur
caps and bayonets behind parapets of very sohd masonry.

Above all, shadowing all, and steeping all, was the
thickest fog ever seen beyond the sound of Bow-bells. It
lay thick and heavy on Point Diamond, dimming the
lustre of the bayonets of the sentinels as they paced the
lofty bastions, and looked down into the abyss of fog
below. It lay yet heavier on the rapid St. Lawrence,
and dri[)ped from the spars and rigging of ships. It hung
over and enveloped the town, where, combined with
smoke, it formed a yellow canopy ; and damp and chill it
penetrated the flag of England, weigliing it down in
heavy folds, as though ominous of impending calamity.

Slowly winding our tortuous way among multitudinous
ships, all vamped in drizzling mist, we were warped to
the wharf, which was covered with a mixture of mud and
coal-dust, permeated by the universal fog. Here vehicles
of a most extraordinary nature awaited us, and, to my

'MAP. XII.

rst view
did full

1 tluMll-

re were

, Mhicli,

on tliL'ir

moored

?e naire

olobrity.

-masitt'd

d littlo,

ind out

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ehicles

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ClAI>. XII.

RUSSELL'S HOTEL.

2r)9

great surprise, they were all oj)fin. They were called
calashes, and looked something like very high gigs with
hoods and C springs. ^^'here the dash-board w.is not,
there was a little seat or perch for the driver, who with
a foot on each shaft looked in a very j)recarious position.
These conveyances have the most absurd apj)earance ;
there arc, however, a few closed vehicles, both at Montreal
and Quebec, wliich I believe are not to he found in the
civilized world elsewhere, except in a few back streets of
Lisbon. These consist of a square box on two wheels.
This box has a top, back, and front, but where the sides
ought to be there are curtains of deer-hide, which are a
very imperfect protection from wind and rain. The
driver sits on the roof, and the conveyance has a constant
tendency backwards, which is partially counteracted by a
band mider the horse's body, but oiili/ partially, and the
inexperienced denizen of the box fancies himself in a state
of constant jeopardy.

In an open calash I drove to Russell's Hotel, along
streets steeper, narrower, and dirtier than any I had ever
seen. Arrived within two hundred yards of the hotel,
we were set down in the mud. On alighting, a gentle-
man who had been my fellow-traveller politely offered to
guide me, and soon after addressed me by name. " Who
can you possibly be ?" I asked — so completely had a
beard metjimorphosed an acquaintance of five years'
standing.

Once within the hotel, I had the greatest difficulty
in finding my way about. It is composed of three of
the oldest houses in Quebec, and has no end of long
passages, dark winding staircases, and queer little rooms.

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Chap. XII.

•M

X *'

It is liauntod to a frarfnl extent by rats ; and din^ful
stories, " horrible, if true," were related in tlie parlour
of pergonal mutilations sustained by visitors. My room
was by no means in the oldest part of the bouse, yet I
used to bear nigbtly sorties made in a very systematic
manner by tbes(» quadru])ed intruders. The waiters at
Rnssell's nro complained of for tluiir incivility, b"t we
tbougbt tbem most profuse botb in tbeir civility and
attentions. Nevertheless, with all its disagreeables, Rus-
sell's is the best hotel in Quebec ; and, as a number of
the members of the Legislative Assembly live there
while Parliament meets in that city, it is very lively and

amusmg.

When my English friends Mr. and Mrs. Alderson
arrived, we saw a good deal of the town ; but it has been
so often described, that I may as well pass on to other
subjects, 'i'he glowing descriptions given of it by the
author of ' Ilochclnr/a ' must be familiar to many of my
readers. They leave noilnng to be desired, excejit the
genial glow of entbusiasnj Jind kindliness of heart which
threw a coulcur de rose over everything he saw.

'riierc arc some notions which must be unlearned in
Canada, or temporarily laid aside. At the beginning of
winter, which is the gay season in this Paris of the New
World, every unmarried gentleman, who chooses to do so,
selects a young lady to be his companion in the numerous
amusements of the time. It does not seem that any-
thing more is needed than the consent of the maiden, who,
when sine acquiesces ir. the arrangement, is called a
^^ muffin" — for the mammas were "muffins" themselves
in their dav, and cannot refuse tbeir daughters the same

mm- f

Chap. XII.

1(1 (lircriil
0 parlour
My room
use, yet I
ysteinatic
tvaiters at
', b"t; we
'ility and
lies, Rus-
lumbor of
ivo tliore
ivcly and

Alderson
has been
to other
t by the
ly of my
ce])t the
irt which

arned in
nning of
he New
to do so,
umerons
lat any-
en, who,
ailed a
mselves
tie same

CiiAr. XII.

CAN A UI AN IiEA>UTIES.

Sfil

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privilege. The gentleman is privil«^ged to take th»' young
lady about in his sleigh, to ride with her, to walk with
her, to dance with her a whole evening witiiout any re-
mark, to escort her to parties, and be her attendant on ail
occasions. When the sj)ring arrives, tlie arrangement is
at an end, and I dwl not hear that an engageMMJiit is fre-
(juently the result, or that the same couj>U' t»nter into this
agreement for two successiive winters. \^ViAm\Ay tbc rea-
son may be, that they see too miieh of caflii dtber.

This practice is almost universal at Montreal! and Que-
l)ec. On the tine, frosty, moonlight nights, \»'hen tlu»
sleigh-bells ring merrily and the crisp .- "W crackles
under the horse's feet, the gi'ntlemeu call i' take their
'' muffins" to meetings of the sleighing-clubs, or to snow-
shoe picnics, or to cham})agtie-su})pers on the ici', from
whicii they do not return till two in the morning; yet,
with all this apparent freedom of manner, the Canadian
ladies are perfectly modi'st, feminine, and ladylike ; their
simplicity of manners is great*, and probably there is no
country in the world where there is a larg.'r amount of
domestic felicity.

The beauty of the young ladiesof Canada is celebrated,
and, though on going into a large party one may not see
more than two or three who are ^-•^■•■kingly or regularly
beautiful, the font ciiseinhk is most attractive ; tlu; eyes
are invariably large and lustrous, dark and pensive, or
blue and sparkling with vivacity. Their manners and
movements are unaffected anil elegant ; they dress in ex-
(}uisitc taste ; and with a grace peculiarly their own, their
manners have a fascination and witchery »vhich is j)er-
fcctly irresistible. They generally receive their education

202

QUEBEC GAIETIES.

Chap. XII,

1/'

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at the convents, and go into society at a very early ago,
very frequently before they have seen sixteen summovs,
ami after this time the 'vvhirl of amusement preelude-
them from giving much time to literary employments.
They are by no means deeply read, and few of them play
anything more tiian modern dance music. They dance
beautifully, and so great is their passion for this amuse-
ment, j)robably derived from their French ancestors, that
married ladies frequently attend the same dancing classi's
with their children, in order to keep themselves in con-
stant practice.

At the time of my visii to Quebec there were large
parties every night, most of whicli were honoured with.
the presence of Lord I'Hgin and his suite. One of his
ai {It's- de -camp was T.ord Bury, Lord Albemarle's son, who,
on a tour through North America, became enamoured of
(Quebec. Lord Elgin's secretary was Mr. Oliphant, the
talented author of the ' Russian Shores of the Black Sea,'
who had also yielded to the fascinations of this northern
capital. And no wonder ! fur there is not a fricndli jr
place in the whole wo/ld. I went armed witli but two
letters ot 'ntroduction, and received hospitality and kind-
ness for which I can never be sufficiently grateful.

The cholera, wi kdi in America assumes nearly the
fatality and rapidity of tlie plague, had during the sum-
mer ravaged Quebe':;. It had entered and desolated
happy homes, and, not confining itself to the abodes of the
j)oor and miserable, had attacked the rich, the gifted,
and the beautiful. For long the Destroying Angel
hovered over the devoted city — neitiier age nor imlvncy
was spared, and numbers were daily hurried from tlie

i*r

TT^"'

CiAr. XII.

early ago,
summer?:,
preclude^
ployinents.
■ tliem play
'hey (lance
his amuse-
estors, that
3ing classes
^es in con-
were liirae
loured with
One of his
;'s son, who,
lamoured of
liphant, the
Black Sea,'
is northern
a friondli'ir
til but two
and kind-
ful.

nearly the
S the 3um-
[ desohitcd
)odes of the
the gifted,
Knig Angel
per infancy
from the

Chap. XII.

TnE CHOLERA.

2G3

vigour of living manhood into the silence and oblivion of
tlie grave. Vigorous people, walking along the streets,
were .suddenly seized with shiverings and cramp, and
sank down on the pavement to rise no more, sometimes
actually expiring on the cold, hard stones. Pleasure
was forgotten, business was partially suspended ; all who
could, fled ; the gloom upon the souls of the inhabitants
was heavier than the brown cloud which was supposed
to brood over the city ; and the steamers which conveyed
those who fled from the terrible pestilence arrived at
Toronto freighted with the living and the dead. Among
the terror-stricken, the dying, and the dead, the ministers
of religion pursued their holy calling, undaunted by
the terrible sights which met them everywhere — the
clergy of the different denominations vied witli each
other in their kindness and devotedness. The ))riests
of Rome then gained a double influence. Armed with
what ap])eared in the eyes of the people supernatural
powers, they knew no rest either by night or day ; they
held the cross before many a darkening eye, and spoke
to the bereaved, in the jdenitude of thoir anguish, of a
world where sorro^v and separation are alike unknown.
The heavy clang of tolling bells was hourly heard, as
the pestilence-stricken were carried to their last homes.
Medical skill availed nothing ; the " pestilence which
walketh in darkness " was only removed by Him in whose
hand are the issues of life and death.

Quebec had been free from disease for about six weeks
before I visited it ; the victims of the pestilence were
cold in their untimely graves ; the sun of prosperity
smiled 'ipon the Ibrtress-city, and its light-hearted iuha-

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IlESTLESSXESS.

Chap. XII.

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bitants luul just begun their nightly round of pleasure
and gaiety. The viceroyalty of Lord Elgin was drawing
rapidly to a close, and two parties, given every week at
Government House, affo/ded an example which the good
peoj)le of Quebec were not slow to follow. There were
musical parties, conversdziones, and picnics to the Chau-
diere and Lorette ; and people who were dancing till four
or five o'clock in the morning were vigorous enough after
ten for a gallop to Moutinorenci.

The absolute restlessness of the city astonished me
very much. Tluj uiorning seemed to begin, with fashion-
able' peojjle, with a desultory breakfast at nine o'clock, after
which some received callers, others paid visits, or walked
into the town to make trifling purchases at the stores ;
while not a few of the young ladies promenaded St. Louis
Street or the ramparts, where they were generally joined
by the officers. Several officers said to me that no
quarters in the world were so delightful as those at
Quebec. A scarlet coat finds great favour with the fair
sex at Quebec — civilians, however great their mental
qualifications, are decidedly in the background ; and I
was amused to see young ensigns, with budding mous-
taches, who had just joined their regiments, })referred
before men of high literary attainments. With balls, and
moose-hunting, and sleigh-driving, and " tarboggining,"
and, last but not least, " muff.ns," the time passes rapidly
by to them. A gentleman, who had just arrived from
England, declared that " Quebec was a horrid place, not
fit to live in." A few days after he met the same indl-
vidual to whom he had made this uncomplimentary
observation, and confided to him that ho thought Quebec

JlIAP. XII.

pleasure
drawing
week at
the good
ere were
le Chau-
; till four
igli after

shed me
fashlon-
ock, after
ir walked
D stores ;
St. Louis
lly joined
that no
those at
the fair
mental
and I
g nious-
)referred
ills, and
gining,"
rapidly
ed from
ace, not
me indi-
mentary
Quebec

Chap. XII.

ST. LOUIS AND ST. ROCH.

265

" the most delightful place in the whole world ; for, do
you know," he said, " I have got a muffin."

With the afternoon numerous riding parties are
formed, for you cannot go three miles out of Quebec
without coming to something beautiful ; and calls of a
more formal nature are paid ; a military band performs on
Durham Terrace or the Garden, which then assume the
appearance of most fiishionable promenades Tlie even-
ing is spent in the ball-room, or at small social dancing
parties, or during the winter, before ten at nigiit, in the
galleries of the House of Assend)ly ; and the morning is well
advanced before the world of Quebec is hushed in sle(*j).

Society is contained in very small limits at Quebec.
Its elite are grouped round the ramparts and in the
suburb of St. Louis. The city until recently has occu-
pied a very isolated position, and has depended upon
itself for society. It is therefore sociable, friendly., and
hospitable ; and though there is gossip — for where is it
not to be found ? — I never knew any in which there was
so little of ill-nature. The little world in the upper part
of the city is probably tiie most brilliant to be found
anywhere in so small a comj)ass. But there is a world
i)elow, another nation, seldom mentioned in the aristo-
cratic quarter of St. Louis, where vice, crime, poverty,
and misery jostle each other, as pleasure and politics do
in the upper to\vn. This is the suburb of St. Roch, in
whose tall dark houses and fetid alleys those are to be
found whose birthright is toil, who sjjcnd life in supplying
the necessities of to-day, while indulging in gloomy ap-
prehensions for to-morrow — who have not one comfort in
the past to cling to, or one hope for the future to cheer.

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ST. ROCII.

CllAl'. XII.

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St. Roch is as crowded as the upi)er town, but with a
very ditlereiit popuhition — the ])(>or, the degraded, and
the vicious. Here fever destroys its tens, and cholera its
hundreds. Here people stab eaclj other, and think
little of it. Here are narrow alleys, with high, black-
looking, stone houses, with broken windows pasted over
with paper in the lower stories, and stutled with rags in
the upper — gradations of wretchedness which I have
observed in the Cowgate and West Port at Edinburgh.
Here are shoeless women, who ([uiet their children with
ardent spirits, and brutal men, who would kill both wives
and children if they dared. Here are dust- heaps in
which pigs with long snouts are ever routing — here are
lean curs, wrangling with each other for leaner bones —
here are ditches and j)uddles, and heai)s of oyster-
shells, an(! broken crockery, and cabbage-stalks, and
fragments of hats and shoes. Here are torn notices
on the walls offering rewards for the apprehension of
thieves and nuu'tlercrs, painfully suggestive of dark deeds.
A little further are lund)er-yards and wharfs, and nuid
and sawdust, anil dealers in old nails and rags and
bones, and rotten posts and rails, and attempts at grass.
Here are old burrel-lioops, and ])atches of old sails, and
dead bushes and dead dogs, and old saucej)ans, and little
plots of ground where cal)hages and pumpkins drag on
a pining existence. zVnd then there is the river Charles,
no longer clear and blight, as when trees and hills and
flowers were u.irrored on its surface, but foul, turbid, and
polluted, with ship-yards and steam-engines and cranes
and windlasses on its margin ; and here Quebec ends.

From the rich, the fashionable, and the pleasure-seek-

;iiAi'. XII.

it with ii
led, and
lolera its
id think
1, black-
tcd over
1 rags ill

I have
iinhurgh.
Iren with
oth wives
heaps in
-here are

bones —
f oyster-
ilks, and
n notices

nsion of

i deeds,
and mud

igs and
at grass.

ails, and
d little

drag on

Charles,
ills and

bid, and

1 cranes

juds.
re-seek -

Chap. XII.

ST. IIOCII.

207

ing suburb of St. Louis few venture down into the quarter
of St Roch, save those who, at the risk of drawing in
pestilence with every breath, mindful of their duty to God
and man, enter those hideous dwellings, ministering to
minds and bodies alike diseased. My first visit to St.
Roch was on a Sunday afternoon. I had attended our
own simple and beautiful service in the morning, and
li.ad seen the celebration of vespers in the Romish cathe-
dral in the afternoon. Each church was thronned with
well-dressed persons. It was a glorious day. The; fashion-
able ])romenades were all crowded ; gay uniforms and
brilliant parasols thronged the ramparts ; horsemen were
(cUitering along St. Louis Street ; priestly processions
j)assed to and from the different churches ; nuinb(;rs of
calashes containing pleasure-parties were dashing about ;
])icnic parties were returning from Montmorenci and Lake
('liarlcs; groups of vivacious talkers, speaking in the lan-
guage of France, were at every street-corner ; Quebec had
all the appearance, so painful to an English or Scottish
eye, of a Continental sabbath,

Mr. and Mrs. Alderson and myself left this gay scene,
and the constant toll of Romish bells, for St. Roch. 'lliey
had lived peacefully in a rural part of Devonshire, and
more recently in one of the prettiest and most thriving
i)f the American cities ; and when they first breatheil the
])ollutc(l air, they were desirous to return from what
j)roini.->ed to be so peculiarly unpleasant, but kindly
yielded to my desire to see sonifthirg of the shady as
w(dl as the sunny side of Quebec.

No Sabbath-day with its hallowed accompaninu-nts
seemed to have dawned upon the inhabitants of St. Roch.

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208

ST. ROCII.

Cii.vi'. XII.

I *

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\Vo saw women with tangled hair standing in tlie strcoti-,
<and men with j)allid conntenances and bloodshot eyes
were reeling about, or sitting with their heads resting on
their hands, looking out from windows stufted with rags.
There were children too, children in nothing but the
nanii' and stature — infancy without innocence, learning to
take God's nanii; in vain with its first lisping accents,
jireparing for a maturity of suflering and shame. I
looked at these hideous houses, and hideous men and
women too, and at their still more repulsive progeny,
with sallow faces, dwarfed forms, and countenances j)re-
cocious in the intelligence of villany ; and contrasted
them with tlu; blue-eyed, rosy-cheeked infants of my
English home, who chase butterflies and weave May gar-
lands, and gather cowsli])s and buttercups ; or the sallow-
children of a Highland shantie, who devour instruction in
mud-floored huts, and con their tasks on the heathery
sides of hills.

Yet, when you breathe the poisoned air, laden with
everything noxious to heulth, and have the physical and
moral senses alike met with everything that can disgust
and offend, it ceases to be a matter of wonder that the
fair t(!nder plant of beautiful childhood refuses to grow
in such a vitiated atmosphere. Here all distinctions
between good and evil are s})eedily lost, if they were ever
known ; and men, women, and children become unnatural
in vice, in irreligion, in nianners and appearance. Such
spots as these act like catikers, yearly spreading furthei-
and further their vitiating influences, jjreparing for all
those fearful retributions in the shape of fever and pesti-
lence which continually come down. Yet, lamentable as

If, I

:ii.\i'. XII.

e stroot^.
?liot ovos
'osting on
vith rags.

but tlio

earning to

r accents,

lianio. I

men and

progeny.
LUces ])re-
•,ontrastc(l
its of my
May gar-
the sallow
t ruction in
I heathery

iden with
ysical and
an dijjgust
T that the
to grow
istinctions
were ever
unnatural
ce. Such
ng further
\<X for all
and pe«ti-
L'ntable as

Chap. Xlf.

ST. IIOCII.

21'. 9

the state of such a population is, considered nunvly witli
regard to tliis world, it becomes fearful when we recollect
that the wheels of Time are ceaselessly rolling on, bearing
how few, alas I to heaven — what myriads to hell ; and
that, when "this trembling consciousness of being, which
dings enamoured to its anguish," not because life is
sweet, but because death is bitter, is over, there reiuains,
for those who have known nothing on earth but misery
and vice, " u fearful looking for of judgment and liery
indignation," when they that have done evil "■ shall rise
to the resurrection of danuiation."

It was not that the miserable degraded appearance of
St. Roch was anything new to me; unfortunately the
same state of things exists in a far greater degree in our
large towns at home ; what did surprise me was, to find it
in the New World, and that such a gigantic evil should
have re(iiiired only two hundred years for its growth. It
seemed to me also that at Quebec the gulf which se))a-
rates the two W()rlds is greater even than that which lies
between Belgravia and Bethnal Green or St. Giles's.
The people who live in the lower town are principally
employed on the wharfs, and in the luud)er tra<le. But
uiy readers will not thank me for detainiug them in a
pestiferous atmosphere, among sui'h uivploasing scenes ;
we will therefore ascend into the High-street of »ho
city, resplendent with gorge«>us mercers' stoiws, and
articles of luxury \>t'eviM'y description. TiiixS Jstiwt and
several others weiv at this ])erio(l i>npassal>K' hv carriages,
the roadways being tunnelled, and H\\ipcd, and barri-
caded ; which curious and highly disagreeable state t)f
things was stateil to arise from the laying down of water-

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270

nCTCRE OF QUEBEC.

ClIAI-. XII,

it.

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pipes. At niglit, wlion fires wore lighted in t]w narrow-
streets, and groups of rougldy dressed Frenelnuen were
standing round tlieni, Quel)ec j)rescnted tiie appearanee
oF tii(! Faul)ourg St. Antoine after a revolution.

Quebee is a most picturescjuo city externally and inter-
nally. From the citadel, which stands on a rock more
than three hundred feet high, down to the crowded water-
side, bustling with merchants, porters, and lumbermen,
all is novel and original. Massive fortifications, with guns
grinning from the embrasures, form a very prominent
feature ; a broad glacis looks ])eaceful in its greenness ;
ramparts line the Plains of Abraham ; guards and sentries
appear in all directions ; nightfall brings with it the
challenge — " Who goes there f^ and narrow gateways
form inconvenient entrances to streets so steep that I
wondered how mortal horses could ever toil up them.
The streets are ever thronged with vehicles, particularly
with rude carts drawn by rough horses, driven by French
peasants, who move stolidly along, indifferent to the con-
tinual cry " Place aux dames." The stores generally
have French designations above them, the shopmen often
sj)eak very imperfect English ; the names of the streets
are French ; Romish churches and convents abound, and
Sisters of Charity, unwearied in their benevolence, are to
be seen visiting the afflicted.

Notices and cautions are posted up both in French and
English ; the light vivacious tones of the French Cana-
dians are everywhere heard, and from the pillar sacred to
the memory of Wolfe upon the Plains of Abraham, down
to the red-coated sentry who challenges you upon the
ramparts, everything tells of a conquered province, and

[JllAP. XII,

10 narrow
lien were
)j)earuiK'i'

uid intor-
ock luoiv
ed wator-
nberinen,
witli guns
n'omineiit
reenness ;
(1 sentries
;h it the
gateways
?p that I
up them,
rticularly
)y French
) the con-
generally
men often
10 streets
unci, and
CO, are to

ench and
ch Cana-
sacred to
im, down
upon the
ince. and

Chap. XII.

HOTEL SOCIKTY,

271

of the tiuie, not 30 very far di.^tnnt either, when the lilies
of Franco occupied tiie j)lace from which the flag of Eng-
land now so proudly waves.

I .e])ent a few days at llusseirs Hotel, which was V(M'y
full, in spite of the rats. In Canadian hotels jjooplo are
very sociable, and, as many during the season make Kus-
sell's tlunr abode, the conversation was tolerably general
at dinner. Many of the members of parliament lived
there, and they used to tell very racy and amusing stories
against each other. I heard one which was consiilered
a proof of the truth of the saying, that " the tailor makes

the gentleman." A gentleman called on a M\\ M ,

who had been appointed to a place in the government,
and in due time he went to rt^turn the visit. Meeting an
Irishman in the street, he asked, "Where does Mr,
'Smith' live?" — "It's no use your going there." "I
want to know where he lives, do you know ?" — " Faith, I

do; but it's no use your going there.'*' Mr. M ,

now getting angry, said, " I don't ask you for your
advice, I simply want to know whore Mr. ' Smith' lives."
— " Well, spalpeen, he lives down that court ; but I tell
ye it's no use your going there, for I've just boon there
myself, and he's got a many It is said that the discom-
fited senator returned home and bought a neii) hat !

Passing out by the citadel, the Plains of Abraham,
now a race-course, are entered upon ; the battle-field
being denoted by a simple monument bearing the inscrip-
tion " Here died Wolfe victorious'' Beyond this, three
miles from the city, is Spencer- Wood, the residence of
the Governor-General. It is beautifully situated, though
the house is not spacious, and is rather old-fashioned.

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272

LOUD ELGIN.

ciiAi'. xn.

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The ball-room, however, built by Lord Elgin, is a beau-
tiful room, very large, admirably proportioned, and
chastely decorated. Here a kind of vice-regal court is
held ; and during the latter months of Lord Elgin's
tenure of office, Spencer-Wood was the scene of a con-
tinued round of gaiety and hospitality. Lord Elgin was
considered extremely popular; the Reciprocity Treaty,
supposed to confer great benefits on the country, was
passed during his administration, and the resources of
Canada were prodigiously developed, and its revenue
greatly increased. Of his popularity at Quebec there
could be no question. He was attached to the Canadians,
with whom he mixed with the greatest kindness and
affability, far from his presence being considered a re-
straint at an evening party, the entrance of the Governor
and his suite was always the signal for increased animation
and livelines;ii.

The stiffiiess which was said to pervade in former times
the parties at Spencer- Wood was entirely removed by
him ; and in addition to large balls and dinner-parties, at
the time I was at Quebec he gave evening parties to
eighty or a hundred persons twice a-wcek, when the
greatest sociability prevailed; and in addition to dancing,
which was kept up on these occasions till two or three in
the morning, games such as French blindman's-bufF were
introduced, to the great delight of both old and young.
Th.e pleasure with which this innovation v as received by
the lively and mirth-loving Canadians showed the differ-
ence in character between themselves and the American
ladies. I was afterwards at a party at New York, where
a gentleman who had been at Spencer-Wood attempted

\Mm

AP. XII.

I beau-
1, and
ourt is
Elgin's
f a con-
^in was
Treaty,
ry, was
irces of
revenue
c there
ladians,
}ss and
:3d a re-
overnor
limation

r times
)ved by
ties, at
rties to
len the
ancing,
hree in
iff were

young,
ived by

differ-
Inerican
, where
empted

Cii.vp. XII.

LORD ELGIN.

27.1

to introduce one of these games, but it was received witli
gravity, and proved a signal failure. Lord Elgin cer-
tainly attained that end which is too frequently lost sight
of in society — making people enjoy themselves. Per-
sonally, I may speak with much gratitude of his kinduC'S
during a short but very severe illuess with which I was
attacked while at Spencer- Wood. Glittering epaulette.-,
scarlet uniforms, and muslin dresses whirled before my
dizzy eyes — I lost for a moment the power to articulate —
a deathly chill came over me — I shivered, staggered, and
would have fallen had I not been supported. I was
carried upstairs, feeling sure that the terrible pestilence
which I had so carefully avoided had at length seized me.
The medical man arrived at two in the morning, and
ordered the remedies which were usually employed at
Quebec, a complete envelope of mustard plasters, a i)ro-
fusion of blankets, and as much ice as I could possibly
eat. The physician told me that cholera had again
appeared in St. Roch, where I, strangely enough, had
been on two successive afternoons. So great was the
panic caused by the cholera, that, wherever it was neces-
sary to account for my disappearance. Lord Elgin did
so by saying that I was attacked with ague. Tiie means
used were blessed by a kind Providence to the removal
of the malady, and in two or three days I was able to go
about again, though I suffered severely for several sub-
sequent weeks.

From Spencer-^V'ood I went to the house of the Hon.
John Ross, f'rom whom and from Mrs. Ross I recinved
the greatest kindness — kindness which should make my
recollections of Quebec lastingly agreeable. Mr. Ross's

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274

DR. MOUXTAIX.

Chap. XII.

public situation as President of the Legislative Council
gave me an opportunity of seeing many persons whose
acquaintance 1 should not have made under otlier circum-
stances ; and as parties were given every evening but one
while I was at Quebec, to which I was invited with my
hosts, I saw as much of its society as under ordinary cir-
cumstances I should have been in a year. No position is
plea^anter than that of an English stranger in Canada,
with good introduction.s.

I received much kindness also from Dr. Mountain, the
venerable Protestant Bishop of Quebec. He is well
known as having, when Bishop of Montreal, under-
taken an adventurous journey to the Red River settle-
ments, for the purposes of ordination and confirmation.
He performed the journey in an open canoe managed
by French twyageurs and Indians. They went up the
Ottawa, then by wild lakes and rivers into Lake Huron,
through the labyrinth of islands in the Georgian Bay,
and by the Sault Sainte Marie into Lake Superior, then
an almost untraversed sheet of deep, dreary water.
Thence they went up the Rainy River, and by almost
unknown streams and lakes to their journey's end. They
generally rested at night, lighting large fires by their
tents, and were tormented by venomous insects. At the
Mission settlements on the Red River the Bishop was
received with great delight by the Christianized Indians,
who, in neat clothing and with books in their hands,
assembled at the little church. The number of persons
confirmed was 84G, and there were likewise two ordina-
tions. The stay of the Bishop at the Red River was only
three weeks, and he accomplished his enterprising journey

JlIAP. XII.

Council
lis whose
• circum-
; but one
with my
nary cir-
losition is
. Canada.

ntain, the
> is well
1, under-
er settle-
firmation.
managed
nt up the
e Huron,
^ian Bay,
ior, then
f water.
3y almost
. They
by their
At the
ishop was
1 Indians,
ir hands,
3f persons
vo ordina-
' was only
g journey

Chap. XTT.

DR. :>r0UNTAIN.

27.^.

of two thousand miles in six weeks. He is one of the
most unostentatious persons possible ; it was not until he
presented me with a volume containing an account of his
visitation that I was aware that he was the prelate with
the account of whose zeal and Christian dovotedness I had
long been familiar. He is now an aged man, and Ins
eoimtenance tells of the "love which looks kiufllv, and
the wisdom which looks soberly, on all things."

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27G

QUEBEC.

Chap. Xlll.

niAl'TEK XTIT.

i \

•,r{

111!

III

'ill

tti

The House of Commons — Cjiiiiuliau u'lvUiintry — The constitution —
Mr. Hincks — Tlio ox-reUel — TiU-tii's ami lotvk'rs — A stroet-row —
Kepeated disappointments — The "hahitan.^ '" — Their houses and
their virtues — A stationary people — Progress and its erfeets —
Montraorcnci — The natural stairoase — The Indian summer —
Loretto — The old people — I'enutics of Quebec — The John
Munn — Fear and its conse(iuences — A gloomy journey.

One of the sights of (Quebec — to mo decidedly the most
interesting one — was the House of Assembly. The Legis-
lature were burned out of their house at Montreal, and
more recently out of a very bands-ome one at Quebec — it
is to be hoped this augd. t body will bo more fortunate at
Toronto, the present place of meeting. The terajwrary
place of sitting at Quebec seemed to me perfectly adapted
for tbe purposes of hearing, seeing, and speaking.

It is a spacious apartment, with deep galleries, which
hold about five hundred, round it, which were to Quebec
what the Opera and the club-houses are to London. In
fact, these galleries wore crowded every night ; and cer-
tainly, when I was there, fully one half of their occupants
were ladies, who could see and be seen. The presence of
ladies may have an effect in preventing the use of very
intemperate language ; and though it is maliciously said
that some of the younger members speak more for the
galleries than the house, and though some gallant indi-

AP. XIII.

ClIAP. XIII.

HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY,

277

H-^'^ll

titution —
•ot't-row —
inusp.s and
, ed'ects —
uiiniier —
The John

the most
le Logis-
real, and
leboc — it
tunatc at
imi)orary
adapted

s, which
3 Quebec
don. In
and cer-
)ecupaTits
•esence of
3 of very
usly said
e for the
ant indi-

vidual may occasionally step up stairs to restore a truant
handkerchief or boa to the fair owner, the distractions
caused by their presence are very inconsiderable, and the
arrangements for their comfort are a great reflection
upon the miserable latticed liole to which lady listeners
are condemned in the English House of Commons. I must
remark, also, that the house was well warmed and ven-
tilated, without the aid of alternating siroccos and north
winds. The Speaker's chair, on a dais and covered with
a canopy, was facing us, in wdiich reclined the Speaker in
his robes. In front of hira was a table, at which sat two
black-robed clerks, and on which a hug'c mace reposed ;
and behind him was the reporters' j^allery, where the
gentlemen of the press seemed to be most comfortably
accommodated. There was a large open space in front
of this table, extending to the bar, at which were seated
the messengers of the house, and the Serg it-at-arms
with his sword. On either side of this o))en space were
four rows of handsome desks, and morocco seats, to ac-
commodate two members each, who sat as most amiable
Gemini. The floor was richly carpeted, and the desks
covered with crimson cloth, and, with the well-managed
flood of light, the room w-as very complete.

The Canadian Constitution is as nearly a transcript of
our own as anything colonial can be. The Governor
can do no wrong — he must have a responsible cabinet
taken from the members of the Legislature — his adminis-
tration must have a working majority, as in England — and
he must bow to public opinion by changing his advisers,
when the representatives of the people lose confidence in
the Government. The Legislative Council represents

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278

QUEBEC.

CiiAr. XIII.

our II()US(^ of Poors, and the Logislativo Asscinl)ly, or
Provincial rarliainont, our House of Commons. Tlie
TT])])or House is apjjointod by the Crown, under tlio advice
of the ministry of th(! day ; but as a clanioiu* has been
raised against it as yielding too readily to the (hMuands
of the Lower House, a measure has been brought in for
making its nuunbers elective for ;i term of years. If this
change were carried, coupled with others on which it
wou.'l not interest the English reader to dwell, it would
bring about an approximation of the Canadian Constitu-
tion to that of the United States.

On one night on which I had the pleasure of attending
the House, the subject under discussion was the Romish
liolidays, as connected with certain mercantile transac-
tions. It sounds dry enough, but, as the debate was
turned into an extremely interesting religious discussion,
it was well worth hocaring, and the crowded galleries re-
mained in a state of quiescence.

Mr. Hincks, the late Premier, was speaking when we
went in. He is by no means eloquent, but very pointed
in his observations, and there is an amount of logical
sequence in his speaking which is worthy of imitation
elsewhere. He is a remarkable man, and will probably
play a prominent part in the future political history of
Canada.* He is the son of a Presbyterian minister at
Cork, and emigrated to Toronto in 1832. During Lord
Durham's administration he became editor of the Ex-

'>'■]'■

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* This proguosticatiou is not likely to be realised, as the late Sir
W. i\Iolesworth has appointed Mr. Hincks to the governorship of Bar-
badoes. If the new governor possesses principle as well as t'l/cnt, this
acknowledgment of colonial merit is a step iu the right direction.

r.\r. XIII.
nhly, or

!. 'TIu'

0 advice

as l)(MMl

IcMnandr*
t in for
If this
vliich it
it would
!onstitu-

ttending
Romish
transac-
ate was
cussioii,
ries re-
hen we
pointed

logical
uitation
robahly

tory of
lister at
g Lord
he Ex-

' late Sir
p of I3ar-

thnt, this

CiiAr. XIII.

IIOU.SE OF ASSEMIILY.

279

attiincr nowsj)a])er, and entered the Parliament of the
United Provinces in 1841. lie afterwards tilled the
important position of Inspector-General of Finances, and
tinally became Prime ^linister. His administration was,
how(!ver, overturned early in 1854, and sinulry grave
charges were hroutiht acainst him. lie si)oke in favour
of the abolition of the privileges conceded to Romish
holidays, and was followed by several l''rench Canadians,
two of them of the Rouge ))arty, who ypoke against the
measure, one of them so eloquently as to remind me of
the historical (Uiys of the Girondists.

Mr. Lyon Mackenzie, who led the rebellion which was
so happily checked at Toronto, and narrowly escaped
condign punishnuMit, followed, and diverged from the
question of j)romissory notes to the Russian war and
other subjects; and when loud cries of "Question, qnes-
tion, order, order !" arose, he t(n*e up his notes, and sat
down abruptly in a most theatrical manner, amid bursts
of laughter from both floor and galleries ; for he a})j)ears
to be the privileged buffoon of the House.

The appearance of the House is rather imposing ; the
members behave with extraordinary decorum ; and to
people accustomed to the noises and unseemly inter-
ruptions which characterise the British House of Com-
mons, the silence and order of the Canadian House are very
agreeable.* Th(i members seemed to give full attention

* In ^if'^iVc to the Canadian Parliament, I must insert the following
extract from the ' Toronto (I lobe,' from which it will appear that there
are very dis^gi'aceful excei)tions to this ordinarily decorous conduct : —

" Mr. Mackenzie attempted to speak, and hold the floor for two or three
minutes, although his voice was inaudible from the kicking of desk.?,
caterwauling and snatches of songs from various parts of the house."

i' '

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280

CiUE15EC.

Chap. XIII.

;*^ :'

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ir/'^

t i

to tlic; (lobati! ; very few were writing, and none were
reading anything except Parliamentary pii])ers, an«l no
s^peaker was interrupted exc(!pt on one occasion. There
was extremely little walking about ; but I observed one
gentleman, a notorious extpiisite, cross the floor several
times, apparently with no other object than that of
displaying his fine i)erson in bowing profoundly to the
Speaker. The gentlemanly a})peiirance of the members,
taken altogether, did not escape my notice.

Sir Allan 3I'Nab, the present Premier, is the head
of a coalition ministry ; fortunately, it is not necessary
to offer any remarks upon its policy ; and Canada, follow-
ing the example of the mother-country, submits quietly
to a coalition. The opposition, which is formed of the
Liberal party, is seated opposite the Government, fronted
by Mr. Lyon Mackenzie, who gives a wavering adher-
ence to every party in succession, and is often indig-
nantly disavowed by all. The Liberals of Upper
Canada are ably led by Mr. George Brown, who excels
in a highly lucid, powerful, and perspicuous course of
reasoning, which cannot fail to produce an effect.

Then there is the Rouge party, led by the member for
Montreal, which is principally composed of very versatile
and enthusiastic Frenchmen of rather indefinite opinions
and aims, professing a creed which appears a curious
compound of Republicanism and Rationalism, The word
Latitudinarianism defines it best. There are 130 mem-
bers, divided into numerous " ists " and " ites." Most of
the members for Lower Canada are French, and, conse-
quently, the Romish party is a very powerful one in the
House. Taken as a whole, the members are loyal, and

Chap. XI II,

lone were
S and no
1. Tliere
Tvcd one
)!• several
tliat of
ly to the
iiieihbers,

the head
necessary
:i, follow-
s quietly
id of the
:, fronted
g adlier-
;n indio;-
I Uj)per
lo excels
course of

inber for
versatile
opinions

curious
'he word
>0 mem-
Most of
I, conse-

in the
yal, and

Chap. XIII.

HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY.

281

have proved their attachment to England by a vote of
20,000/. for the Patriotic Fund.

I think that all who are in the habit of reading the
debates will allow that the speaking in the House will
bear comparison with that in our House of Commons ;
and if some of the younger members in attempting the
sublime occasionally attain the ridiculous, and mistake
extravagance of expression for greatness of thought, these
are faults which time and criticism will remedy. Canada
is a great and prosperous country, and its Legislative
Assembly is very creditable to so young a community.
Bribery, corruption, and place-hunting are alleged against
this body; but as these vices are largely developed in
England, it would be bad taste to remark upon them,
j)articularly as the most ardent correctors of abuses now
reluctantly allow that they are inseparable from popular
assemblies. It is needless to speak of the Upper House,
which, as has been sarcastically remarked of our House
of Peers, is merely a " High Court of Reyist'*'y" — it re-
mains to be seen whether an elective chamber would pos-
sess greater vitality and independence.

The Speaker of the Legislative Assembly is a French-
man, and French and English are used indiscriminately
in debate. Parliamentary notices and papers are also
printed in both languages.

It was a cold, gloomy October morning, a cold east
wind rustled the russet leaves, and a heavy, dry fog
enveloped Point Diamond, when I left the bustle of
Quebec for a quiet drive to Montmorenci in a light
waggon with a very spirited little horse, a young lady

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282

QVEBEC.

CUAIV XIII,

acting

IS c'lmriotcor. Tlic littlo .animal was very iui-
])etuous, and rattled down the steej), (M'ovvded streets of
Quebec at a pace wliidi threatened to entangle onr wheels
with those of numerous carts driven by apathetic halnfaus,
who were perfectly indifferent to the admonitions " Prcnez
(/ardc " and " Phicc aux dames" delivered in heseeching
tones. We j)assed down a steep street, and through
Palace-gate, into the district of St. Roch, teeming with
Irish and. dirt, for I fear it is a fact that, wherever you
have the first, you invariably have the last. Beyond this
there was a space ' overed with mud and sawdust, where
two habitans were furiously quarrelling. One sprang
upon the other like a hyena, knocked him down, and then
attempted to bite and strangle him, amid the applause of
numerous spectators.

Leaving (,iuel)ec behind, we drove for seven miles along
a road in sight of the lesser branch of the St. Lavvrence,
which has on the other side the green and fertile island of
Orleans. The houses along this road are so numerous as
to present the appearance of a village the whole way.
Frenchmen who arrive here in summer can scarcely be-
lieve that they are not in their own sunny land ; the
external characteristics of the country are so exactly
similar. These dwellings are large, whitewashed, and
many-windowed, and are always surrounded with bal-
conies. The doors are reached by flights of steps, in order
that they may be above the level of the snow in winter.
The rooms are clean, but large and desolate-looking, and
are generally ornamented with caricatures of the Virgin
and uncouth representations of miracles. The women

ClIAl', XIII.

vory im-
stroots of
our wliools
c luthitans^
i " rrcncz
)osec'chinir
I through
ming with
n'ever you
yond this
List, where
le sprang
, and then
pplause of

liles talong
-^avvrence,
! island of
merous as
lole way.
ircely be-
and ; the
) exactly
hed, and
with bal-
, in order
in winter,
dug, and
le Virgin
e women

Chai'. XIII. IIAIHTANS AND THEIR HOUSES.

283

dress in the French styh*, and wear large straw hats out of
doors, which were the source of constant disappointments
to me, for I always expected to see a young, if not a
pretty, face under a broad brim, and these females were
remarkably ill-favoured ; their complexions hardentKl,
wrinkled, and bronzed, from the effects of hard toil, and
the extremes of iieat and cold. I heard the hum t)f
sj)inning-wheels from many of the houses, for these in-
dustrious women spin their household lincni, and the gray
homespu.i in which the men are clothed. The furniture
is antique, and made of oak, and looks as if it had
been handed down from generation to generation. The
men, largely assisted by the females, cultivate small
plots of ground, and totally disregard all modern im-
provements, riicsc French towns and villages improve
but little. Popery, that great antidote to social pro-
gress, is the creed universally professed, and generally
the only building of any pretensions is a large Komish
church with two lofty spires of polished tin. Education
is not much prized ; the desires of the simple liahitans
are limited to the attainment of a competence for life,
and this their rudely-tilled farms supply them with.
Few emigrants make this part of Canada even a tem-
porary resting ;ilace ; tiie severity of the climate, the lan-
guage, the religioi. and the laws, are all against them ;
hence, though a professor of a purer faith may well
blush to confess it, the vices which emigrants bring with
them are unknown. These peasants are among the most
harmless people under the sun ; they are moral, sober,
and contented, and zealous in the observances of their

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284

THE IIABITAXS.

ClIAP. XIII.

^^i

erroneous creed. Their children divide the land, and, as
each prefers a piece of soil adjoining the road or river,
strips of soil may occasionally he seen only a few yards
in width. Tfiey strive after happiness rather than ad-
vancement, and who shall say that they are unsuccessful
in their aim ? As their fathers lived, so they live ; each
generation has the simplicity and s iperstition of the pre-
ceding one. In the autmnn they gather in their scanty
harvest, and in the long winter they spin and dance round
their stove-sides. On Sundays and saints' days they as-
semble in crowds in their churches, dressed in the style
of a hundred years since. Their wants and wishes are
few, their manners are courteous and unsuspicious, they
hold their faith with a blind and implicit crednlity, and
on summer evenings sing the songs of France as their
fathers :rang them in bygone days on the smiling banks of
the rushing Rhone.

The road along which the dwellings of these small
farmers lie is macadamised, and occasionally a cross
stands by the roadside, at which devotees may be seen to
prostrate themselves. There is a quiet, lethargic, old-
world air about the country, contrasting strangely with
the bustling, Imrrying, restless progress of Upper Canada.
Though the condition of the hahitans is extremely un-
profitable to themselves, it affords a short rest to the
thinking and observing faculties of the stranger, over-
strained as they are with taking in and contemplating the
railroad progress of things in the New World.

AVhile we admire and wonder at the vast material
progress of Western Canada and the North-western

::iiAP. XIII.

[], and, as
or river,
few yards
than ad-
successful
ive ; each
' the pre-
sir scanty
ice round
i they as-
the style
ishes are
ous, they
iility, and
! as their
banks of

;se small
' a cross
e seen to
•gic, old-
^ely with
Canada,
nely uu-
t to the
;er, over-
ating the

material
i-western

Chap. XIII. PROGRESS AND ITS EFFECTS.

285

States of the Union, considerations fraught with alarm
will force themselves upon us. We think that great
progress is being made in England, but, without having
travelled in America, it is scarcely possible to believe
what the Anglo-Saxon race is performing upcm a new soil.
In America we do not meet with factory operatives, seam-
stresses, or clerks overworked and underpaid, toiling their
lives away in order to keep body and soul together ; but
we have people of all classes who could obtain compe-
tence and often affluence by moderate exertions, working
harder than slaves — sacrificing home enjoyments, pleasure,
and health itself to the one desire of the acquisition of
wealth. Daring speculations fail ; the struggle in un-
natural competition with men of large capital, or dis-
honourable dealings, wears out at last the overtasked
frame — life is spent in a whirl — death summons them,
and finds them unprepared. Everybody who has any
settled business is overworked. Voices of men crying for
relaxation are heard from every quarter, yet none dare to
pause in this race which they so madly run, in which
happiness and mental and bodily health are among the
least of their considerations. All are spurred on by the
real or imaginary necessities of their position, driven along
their headlong course by avarice, ambition, or eager com-
petition.

The Falls of Montmorenci, which we reached after a
drive of eight miles, are beautiful in the extreme, and,
as the day was too cold for picnic pnrties, m'c had them
all to ourselves. There is no great body of water, but
the river takes an unbroken leap of 280 feet from a black

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280

MONTMORENCI.

CnAf. XIII.

narrow fforKe. The scatlied black cliffs descend in one
sweep to the St. Lawrence, in tine contrast to the snowy
whiteness of the fall. Montmorenci gave me greater
sensations of pleasure than Niagara. There are no
mills, museums, guides, or curiosity-shops. Whatever
there is of beauty bears the fair impress of its Creator's
hand ; and if these Falls are beautiful on a late October
day, when a chill east wind was howhng through leafless
trees looming through a cold, grey fog, what must they
be in the burst of spring or the glowing luxuriance of
summer ?

We drove back for some distance, and entered a small
cabaret, where some women were diligently engaged in
spinning, and some men were superintending with intense
interest the preparation of some soupc maigre. Their
patois was scarculy intelligible, and a boy whom we took as
our guide spoke no English. After encountering some
high fences and swampy ground, we came to a narrow
rocky pathway in a wood, with bright green, moss-
covered trees, stones, and earth. On descending a rocky
bank we came to the " natural staircase," where the
rapid MontmoreUv^i forces its way through a bed of lime-
stone, the broken but extremely regular appe^'rance of
the layers being very much like wide steps. The scene
at this place is wildly beautiful. The river, frequently
only a few feet in width, sometimes foams furiously along
between precipices covered with trees, and bearing the
marks of years of attrition ; then buries itself in dark
gulfs, or rests quiescent for a moment in still black pools.

before it reaches its final 1

eap.

^,.^^J^J

llAP. Xllf.

I in one

lie snowy

greater

are no

V^hatever

Creator's

October

1 leafless

list they

riance of

1 a small

^aged in

h intense

, Their

e took as

ng some

I narrow

1, moss-

; a rocky

lere the

of Ume-

ance of

he scene

equently

ly along

ring the

in dark

jk pools,

Chap. XIII.

LORETTE.

287

The day before I left Quebec I went to the romantic
falls of Lorette, about thirteen miles from the city. It
was a beauteous day. I should have called it oppress-
ively warm, but that the air was fanned by a cool west
wind. The Indian summer had come at last ; " the Saga-
mores of the tribes had lighted their council-tires" on the
western prairies. What would we not give for such a
season ! It is the rekindling of summer, but without its
heat — it is autumn in its glories, but without its gloom.
The air is soft like the breath of May; everything is
veiled in a soft pure haze, and the sky is of a faint and
misty blue.

A mysterious fascination seemed to bind us to St.
Roch, for we kept missing our way and getting into
" streams as black as Styx." But at length the city of
Quebec, with its green glacis and frowning battlements,
was left behind, and we drove through flat country
abounding in old stone dwell ing-h(mses, old farms, and
large fields of stubble. We ncared the blue hills, and
put up our horses in the Indian village of Lorette. Beau-
tiful Lorette ! 1 must not descrihe, for I cannot, how its
river escapes from under the romantic bridge in a broad
sheet of milk-white foam, and then, contracted between
sullen barriers of rock, seeks the deep shade of the pine-
clad ])recipices, and hastens to lose itself there. It is
perfection, and beauty, and peace ; and the rocky walks
upon its forest-covered crags ml^ht be in Switzerland.

Being deserted by the gentlemen of the party, my fair
young companion and I found our way to Lorette, which
is a large village built by government for the Indians ;

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288

THE INDIANS.

Chap. XIII.

but by intermarrying with the French they have lost
nearly all their distinctive characteristics, and the next
generation will not even speak the Indian language. Here,
as in every village in Lower Canada, there is a large
Romish church, ornamented with gaudy paintings. We
visited some of the squaws, who wear the Indian dress^
and we made a few purchases. We were afterwards
beset by Indian boys with bows and arrows of clumsy
construction ; but they took excellent aim, incited by
the reward of coppers which we offered to them. It is
grievous to see the remnants of an ancient race in such a
degraded state ; the more so as I believe that there is no
intellectual inferiority as an obstacle to their improve-
ment. I saw some drawings by an Indian youth which
evinced considerable talent ; one in particular, a likeness
of Lord Elgin, was admirably executed.

I have understood that there is scarcely a greater
difference between these half-breeds and the warlike
tribes of Central America, than between them and the
Christian Indians of the Red River settlements. There
are about fourteen thousand Indians in Canada, few of
them in a state of great poverty, for they possess annui-
ties arising from the sale of their lands. They have no
incentives to exertion, and spend their time in shooting,
fishing, and drinking spirits in taverns, where they speedily
acquire the vices of the white men without their habits of
industry and enterprise. They have no idols, and seldom
enter into hostile opposition to Christianity, readily ex-
changing the worship of the Great Spirit for its tenets, as
far as convenient. It is very difficult, however, to arouse

Chap. XIII.

have lost
d the next
,ge. Here,

is a large
;ings. We
idian dress>
afterwards

of clumsy
incited by
lem. It is
e in such a
there is no
r improve-
outh which
, a likeness

a greater

he warlike

m and the

There

ada, few of

sess annui-

cy have no

Q shooting,

ey speedily

ir habits of

ind seldom

cadily ex-

s tenets, as

, to arouse

Chap. XIII.

THE SMALL-rOX.

289

them to a sense of sin, or to any idea of the inij)ort;in('e
of the world to come ; but at the same time, in no })art
of the world liave missionary labours been more blessed
than at the Red River settlements. Great changes have
passed before their eyes. Year, as it succeeds year,
sees them driven farther wt'st, as their hunting-grounds
arc absorbed by the insatiate white races. The twang
of the Indian bow, and tlu; sharj) report of the Indian
rifle, are exchanged for tli,; clink of the Inniberer's
axe and the " g'lang " of the sturdy settler. The
corn waves in luxuriant crops over land once covered
with the forest haunts of the moose, and the waters
of the lakes over which the red man paddled in his
bark canoe are now ploughed bv crowded steamers.
Where the bark dwellings of his fathers stooti, the
locomotive darts away on its iron road, and the helj)-
less Indian looks on aghast at the power and resources of
the pale-faced invaders of his soil.

The boat by which I was to leave Quebec was to sail
on the afternoon of the day on which I visited Lorette,
but was detained till the evening by the postmaster-
general, when a heavy fog came on, which prevented its
departiu'c till the next morning. The small-pox had
broken out in the city, and rumours of cholera had
reached and alarmed the gay inhabitants of St. Louis.
I never saw terror so unrestrainedly devel()i)ed as
amongj some hi dies on hearincc of the return of the
pestilence. One of them went into hysterics, and be-
came so seriou:dy ill that it was considered necessary
for her to leave Quebec the same evening. In con-
sequence of the delay of the boat, it was on a Sunday

- 4. 5

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290

BEAUTIES OF QUEBEC.

Cii.vp. xiir.

morning that I bade adieu to Quebec. I had never
travelled on a Sunday before, and should not have
done so on this occasion had it not been a matter of
necessity. I am happy to state that no boats riM on the
St. Lawrence on the Sabbath, and the enforced sailing
of the John Blaim caused a great deal of grumbling
nmong the stewards and crew. The streets were
thronged ^vith people going to early mass, and to a
epecial service held to avert the heavy judgments which
it was feared were impending over the city. The boat
was full, and many persons who were flying from the
cholera had slept on board.

I took a regretful farewell of my friends, and with
them of beautiful Quebec. I had met with much of
kindness and hospitality, but still I must confess that
the excessive gaiety and bustle of the city exercise a
depressing influence. People appear absorbed by the
fleeting pleasures of the hour ; the attractions of this
life seem to overbalance the importance of the life to
come ; and among the poor there is a large amount of sin
and sorrjw — too many who enter tin? world without a
blessing, and de})art from it without a hope. The bright
sun of the Indian summer poured down its flood of light
upon the castled steep, and a faint blue mist was diffused
over the scene of beauty. Long undulating lines showed
where the blue hills rose above the green island of
Orleans, and slept in the haze of that gorgeous season.
Not a breath of wind stirred the heavy folds of the flag
of England on the citadel, or ruffled the sleeping St.
Lawrence, or the shadows of the countless shij)s on its
surface ; and the chimes of the bells of the Romish

;nAP. XIII.

ad never
not have
matter of
VA on the
;(1 sailing
^rumbling
ets were
and to a
jnts which
The boat
from the

and with
1 much of
ufess that
exercise a
pd by the
ns of this
he life to
»unt of sin
without a
he bright
od of light
diffused
cs showed
island of
us season.

f the flag

jeping St.
ips on its
e Romish

Chap. XIII.

THE "JOIIX MUXX."

291

churches floated gently over the water. Such a morning
I have seldom seen, and Quebec lay basking in be;nity.
Surely that morning's sun shone u})on no fairer ciiy !
The genial rays of that autumn sun were tyi)ical of the
warm kind hearts r was leaving behind, who had wel-
comed a stranger to their hospitable homes ; and, as the
bell rang, and the paddles revolved in the still deep
water, a feeling of sorrow came over my heart when I
reflected that the friendly voices might never again sound
in my car, and that the sunshine which was then glitter-
ing upon the fortress-city might, to my eyes, glitter upon
it no more.

The John Miuin was a very handsome boat, fitted
up with that prodigality which I have elsewhere de-
scribed as characteristic of the American steamers ;
but in the course of investigation I came upon the
steerage, or that ])art of the middle floor whicdi is do-
voted to the poorer class of emigrants, of whom five
hundred had landed at Quebec only the day before.
The spectacle here was extremely annoying, for men,
women, and children were crowded together in an ill-
ventilated space, with kettles, saucepans, blankets, bed-
ding, and large blue boxes. There was a bar for tiie
sale of spirits, which, I fear, was very much frequented,
for towards night lucre were sounds of swearing, fight-
ing, and scuffling, proceeding from this objectionable
locality.

A day-boat was such a rare occurrence that some of
the citizens of Quebec took the journey merely to make
acquaintance with the beauties of their own river. We
passed the Heights of Abraham, and AVolfe'ii Cove,

o 2

)■'

V ■

sir,

*<;

** s. .
'■ ■'*•

--W

202

FEAR AND ITS COXSEQUENXES. Chap. XIII.

A, " , )

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ftiinoiis in history ; vvdoded slopes and hoaiitiful villas ;
the Chaudiero river, and its i)ine-liung hanks ; hut I
was so ill that even the heauty of the St. Lawrenee
coidd not detain me in the saloon, and I went down
into the ladies' cahin, where I spent the rest of the
d;.y on a sofa wrapped in blankets. A good many
of the ladies came down stairs to avoid some quad-
rilles which a French (Canadian lady was playing, and

a friend of mine, Colonel P , having told some

one that I had had the cholera, there was a good
deal of mysterious buzzing in consequence, of which I
only heard a few observations, such as — " How very im-
prudent ! " " How very wrong to come into a ])ublic
conveyance ! " " Just as we were trying to leave it
behind too ! " But I was too ill to be amused, even
Mhen one lady went so far as to remove the blanket
to look at my face. There was a very pale and
nervous-looking young lady lying on a sofa opposite,
staring fi.\edly at me. Suddenly she got up, and
asked me if 1 were very ill ? I replied that I had
been so. "She 's had the cholera, poor thing!" the
stewardess unfortunately observed. " The cholera ! "
she said, with an affrighted look ; and, hastily putting on
her bonnet, vanished from the cabin, and never came
down again. She had left Quebec because of the cholera,
having })reviously made inquiries as to whether any one
had died of it in the Jo/m Mnnn ; and now, being
brought, as she fancied, into contact with it, her imagina-
tion was so strongly affected that she was soon taken
seriously ill, and brandy and laudanum were in requi-
sition. So great was the fear of contagion, that, though

Chap. XIII.

fill villas ;
s ; but I
Lawrence
'cnt down
jst of the
00(1 many
nic qiuul-
lying, and
told sonii;
LS a good
of which I
V very im-
3 a jmldic
D leave it
used, even
;ie blanket
pale and
1 opposite,
t up, and
lat I had
ig!" the
cholera ! "
putting on
ever came
he cholera,
er any one
low, being
!r imagina-
soon taken
in requi-
at, though

ClIAf. XIII.

A (iLOOMY JOUllNEY.

21)3

the boat was so full that many people had to sleep on
sofas, no one would sliare a state-room witli me.

We were delayed by fog, and did not reach ^Tontival
till one in the morning. I found Montreal as warm and
dauij) as it had been cold and bracing on my liivt vi^it ;
hut the air was not warmer than the welcome which I
received. Kind and tempting was the invitation to pro-
long my stay at the See House ; enticing was tl)e prospect
otlered me of a visit to a seimieurie on the Ottawa : and
it was with very great reluctance that, after a sojourn of

only one day, 1 left this abode of refinement and hos})i-
talitv, and the vjilued friends who had received me with
so much kindness, for a tedious journey to New York.
I left the See House at five o'clock on the last day of
Octolier, so ill that I could scarcely speak or stand. It
was pitch-dark, and the rain was pouring in torrents.
The high wind blew out the lamp which was held at the
door ; an uni)ropitious commencement of a journey.
Something was wrong with the harness : the uncouth
vehicle was nearly upset backwards : the steam ferry-
boat was the height of cjloom, heated to a stiHiim ex-
tent, and full of people with oil-skin coats and dripping
umbrellas. We crossed the rushing Si. Lawrence just
as the yellow gas-lights of Montreal were struggling
with the pale, murky dawn of an autumn morning,
and reached the cars on the other side before it was
light enough to see objects distinctly. Here the ser-
vant who had l)een kindly sent with me left me, and
the few hours svhich were to elapse before I should join
my friends seemed to present insurmountable difficulties.
The people in the cars were French, the namc^s of the

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204

TIIK IIAIilTANS.

CiiAi'. XII r.

stations were I'Voncli, and " J*rciicz-f/ardc de Id loctnno-
ti'rc!'' ilciioted the crosffincs. How tlie Uiisscz-fairc lijihit.-
of the habUans must l)e oiitniged by the clatter of i\
steani-engliie jjassing their (hvellings at a speed of thirty-
five railes an hour ! Vet these very habitans were talking
in the most uuconi'(M-ned manner in French about a rail-
way accident in IJjjper Canada, by which forty-eight ))cr-
sons were killed ! After a journey of two hours 1 readied
House's Point, and, entering a handsome steamer on Lake
C'hami)lain, took leave of the IJritish dominions.

Before re-entering the territory of the stars and stripes,
1 will oiler a few concluding remarks on Canada.

CUAI'. XIII.

hi hwomo-
aire lijibit.-
ittcr of a

of tliivty-
,*i'e talking
loiit a rai!-
■eiglit \)vv-

1 readied
;r on Lake

md stripe.-,

rm^.

CiiAi'. XIV.

TEUniToUY or CANADA.

2'.>5

('Ii.M/Ti:i; XIV.

CoiKliKliii;^' iviHiii'k.s nn Canada — Territory — Clii'iato — Cai>aliilitiorf —
]fiiil\vay.-< imd canals — • Advnnta'^'c- 'd^r (Mni,'r:ints — Notices of
emigration — (juviTimicnt — 'J'iio framliisi.! — llovuiiiu' — I'oi'ula-
tion — lifligiou — i ".ducat inn — Tlio [ircss — I.itt'i'atni'u — Uhsorva-
tion.s in coucln.sion.

TiiK inereasing interest wliieli attaelieL< to this noble colony
fully jiistifie-s nie in devoting a chapter to a fuller account
of it.s state auvl caj)al)ilities than has yet heen given here.

Canada extends from Gaspe, on the Gulf of St. J.aw-
rence, to Lake Superior. Its shores are washed l»y the
lakes Huron, Erie, and Ontario, and by the river St.
Lawrence as far as the 45tli parallel of latitude ; from
thence the river flows through the centre of tlu^ province
to the sea. Canada is bounded on the west and south by
the Great Lakes and the United States ; to the cast by
New IJrunswick and the ocean ; and to the north by the
Hudson's ]3ay territory, though its limits in this direction
are by no means accurately defined. Canada is but a
small portion of the vast tract of country known under
the name of British America, the area of which is a ninth
part of the globe, and is considerably larger than that of
the United States, being 2,030,163,200 acres.

Canada contains 17,939,000 occupied acres of land,
only 7,300,000 of which are cultivated ; and about
137,000,000 acres are still unoccupied. Nearly the

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CANADA.

CiiAi'. XIV.

\\li()lt! (>[' llil.s vui^t tcMTitory was originally cnvcrtMl with
t'onvstj", and from tlu' nioiv disstant districts timber :still
lorms a most j)n)fltal)li! articlt; of export ; hut wliiMwer
the land i.s cleared it i.s found to he fertile in an uncom-
mon degree. It is very deficiijut in coal, but iu the
neighbourhood of Lake Superior mineral trea>ures of
great value have beeu discovered to abound.

Very erroneous ideas j)revail in England on the subject
of th(» Canatliau climate. Ly many persons it is sup-
posed that the country is for ever "locked iu regions
of thick-ribbed ice," and that skating and vsleighing are
favourite .-ununer diversions of the iuhabitants. Yet, on
the contrary, Lower Canada, or that part of the country
nearest to the moutb of the St. Lawrence, has a suunner
nearly c(iualling in heat those of tropical climates. Its
winter is long and severe, frecjuently lasting from the
beginning of December nntil Aj)ril ; but, if the ther-
mometer stands at o5^ below^ zero in January, it marks
yO^ in tlie shade in June. In the nei<>libourhood of
Quebec the cold is not nnich exceeded by that within the
polar circle, bat the dimness of the air is so gi'eat that it
is now strongly recommended for those of consumptive
tendencies. I have seen a wonderful effect produced in
the early stages of pulmonary disorders by a removal from
the damp, variable climate of Europe to the dry, bracing
atmosphere of Lower Canada. Spring is scarcely known ;
the transition from winter to suunner is very rapid ; but
the autunm or fall is a long and very delightful season.
It is not necessary to dwell further upon the Lower
Canadian climate, as, owing to circumstances hereafter
to be explained, few emigrants in any class of life

I VI'. XIV.

ud with
\)Ci' still
*1 10 rover
uiu'oni-
iii the
•iircs of

; sul)j«'('t
is sup-
rcgious
ling are
Yet, on
country
sunnner
tos. Its
roni tliu
ho thor-
t marks
hood of
thin tho
It that it
uniptivo
lucod in
val from
bracing
known ;
lid ; but
season.
Lower
.'reafter
of life

V':

Cuw. XIV

rrJMATK AM) rAIV\l:ll,lTIF.S.

20'

tnake tho Lower Province more than a tonn)orarv rostinu-
place.

From tho ea.>torn coast to tiie western boundary tho
variations in diinato arc very considerable. Tlio })enin-
sula of (>anada West eiijovs a climate as mild as that of
the; state of New \ ork. 'Vho. mean tem])erature, taken
from ten years' observation, was 44°, and the therniomt'ter
rarely falls lower than 11° below zero, while iIk^ heat in
sunnner is not o))pressive. The peach and vine matnn;
their fruit in tho neighbonrhood of F.ake Ontario, and
tobacco is very successfully ctdtivated on the ])eninsula
between Lake Erie and Lake Huron. It se(>ms that
Uj)per (^anada, free from the (>xtremes of heat and cold,
is intended to reci'ivo a Euro])ean population. Immigrants
re(iuire to become acclimatised, which they g(merally are
by an attack of ague, more or less severe ; but the country
is extraordinarily healthy ; with the exception of occa-
sional visitations of cholera, (>pidennc <liseases are un-
known, and the climate is very favoiu'able to the duration
of human life.

The capabilities of Canada arc; only now beginning to
be appreciated. It has been princi])ally known for its
vast exports of timber, but these constitute a very small
part of its wealth. Both by soil and climate Uj)per
Canada is calculated to afford a vast and annually-
increaj>ing field for agricultural and pastoral pursuits.
Wheat, barley, potatoes, turni})s, maize, hops, and
tobacco, can all be grown in perfection Canada already
exports largo quantities of wheat and flour of a very
superior description ; and it is stated that in no country of
the world is there so much wheat grown, in proportion to

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29S

C AX AD A.

Chap. XIV

tlio p()})ulatioii and the area under cultivation, as in that
part of the country west of Kingston. The grain-growing
district is almost without limit, extending as it does along
the St. Lawrence, Lal<c Erie, and Lake Ontario, to
\\'indri()r, with a vast expanse of country to the north
and west. The hops, which are an article of recent cul-
tivation, are of very su})erior nuality, and have hitherto
been })erfectly free from blight.

Vnst as are the capabilities of Canada for agricultural
pursuits, she also offers great facilities for the cnijdoy-
ment of capital in manufacturing industry, thougli it is
questionable whether it is desirable to divert labour into
these channels in a young country where it is dear and
scarce. The streams which intersect the land aflbrd an
unlimited and very economical source of power, and have
already been used to a considerable extent. Lower
Canada and the shores of the Ottawa afford enormous
supplies of white pine, and the districts about Lake Supe-
rior contain apparently inexhaustible quantities of ore,
which yields a very large percentage of cojiper. AVe
have thus in Canada about 1400 miles of territory, per-
haps the most fertile and productive ever brought uniler
the hands of the cultivator ; and as thougli Providence
had especially marked out this ])ortion of the New World
as a field for the enterprise of the European races, its
natural facilities for transit and communication are nearly
unequalled. The LTpper Lakes, the St. Lawrence, the
Ottawa, and the Saguenay, besides many rivers of lesser
note, are so many natural highways for the conveyance
of produce of every description from the uiost distant
parts of the interior to the Atlantic Ocean. "Without

■

IA1>. XIV.

s in that
-iirowiim
)cs along
tario, to
ho north
cent cul-
hithcrto

ricultnral
cni])loy-
mgli it is
bour into
dear and
afford an
and have
Lower
enormous
ake Supe-
[s, of ore,
)er. AVe
jtory, per-
^lit under
rovidenee
w World
races, its
re nearly
lence, the
of lesser
bnveyance
3t distant
AVithout

CnAi'. XIV.

RAILWAYS AND CAXAT.b.

290

these natural fticilities Canada could nevm- liav(^ ])ro-
gressed to the extraordinary extent which she has already
done.

Great as these adventitious advantages are, they have
been fm-ther increased by British energy and ent(>rpri.-^e.
15y means of ship-canals, formed to avoiil the obstrnctions
to navigation caused by the raj)ids of the St. Lawrence,
Niagara, and the Sault Sainte Marie, small vessels can
load at Liverpool and discharge their cargoes on the most
distant shores of Lake Superior. On the W'elland canal
alone, which connects Lake Erie with Lake Ontario, the
tolls taken in 1853 amounted to more than G5, ()()()/. In
the same year 19,031 passengers and l,07r),218 tons of
shipping passed through it : the tralhe on the other canals
is in like proj)ortion, and is monthly on the increase. But
an extensive railway system, to facilitate direct commu-
nication with the Atlantic at all seasons of the year, is
paving the way for a further and ra})id development of
the resources of Canada, and i'or a vast increase in her
material prosperity. Already the Great Western Com-
pany has formed a line from AVindsor, opposite Detroit^
U. S., to Toronto, passing through the important towns of
Hamilton, London, and Woodstock : a branch also con-
nects Toronto with Lake Simcoe, opening up the very
fertile tract of land in that dii'ection. Another railway
extends from Fort Erie, op])osite Buifalo, to Goderich
on Lake Huron, a distance of 158 miles. A portion of
the Grand Trunk Railway has recently been opened, and
trains now regularly run between Quebec and Montreal,
a distance of 18G miles. When this magniticent railway
is completed it will connect the cities of Quebec, Mont-

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•300

CANADA.

Cir.vp. XIY

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real, and Toronto, wliorc, joining tlio Groat Western
scheino, the whole of Upper and Lower Canada will be
connected with the great lakes and the western States of
the neighbouring republic. The main line will cross the
St. Lawrence at Montreal by a tubular bridge two miles
in length. 'I'he Grand Trunk Railway will have its
eastern terminus at Portland, in the State of Maine, be-
tween which city and Liverpool there will be regular
weekly communication. This railway is, however, em-
barrassed by certain financial difficulties, which may re-
tard for a time the completion of the gigantic undertaking.

Another railway connects the important city of Ottawa
with Prescott, on the river So. Lawrence, and has its ter-
minus o])posite to the Ogdensburgh station of the Boston
railway. Besides these there are numerous branches,
completed or in course of construction, which will open up
the industry of the whole of the interior. Some of these
lines, particularly the Great AVestern, have a large traffic
already, and ])romise to be very successful speculations.

The facilities for communication, and for the transit of
produce, arc among the most important of the advantages
which Canada holds out to emigrants, but there are others
which must not be overlooked. The healthiness of the
climate has been already remarked upon, but it is an im-
portant consideration, as the bracing atmosphere and free-
dom from diseases allow to the hardy adventurer the free
exercise of his vigour and strength.

Connnunication with England is becoming increasingly
reguhir. During the summer months screw-steamers and
sailing vessels ply between Liverj)ool and Quebec, from
whence there is cheap and easy water communication

IIAP. XIV

kVestorn
L will be
States of
^ross the
wo miles
have its
iiiiio, he-
regular
vcv, em-
may re-
M'takiiig.
1" Ottawa
,s its ter-
16 Boston
branches,
[ open lip
of these
o-e traffic
lations.
transit oi'
vantages
•e others
is of the
IS an inl-
and free-
the free

■ea singly
mers and
)ec, from
Lini cation

Chap. XIV. ADVANTAGES FOR EMIGRANTS.

301

with the districts bordering on the great lakes. From
Quebec to Windsor, a distance of nearly 1000 miles, ])as-
sengers are conveyed for the sum of 0I5., and have the
advantaue of having their bacfgage under tlieir eves
during the whole journey. The denuunl for labour in
all parts of (Canada West is great and increasing. The
wages of farm-servants are 4/. j)cr month with board :
day-labourers earn from 4.s'. to 5.'>'. })er diem, and in har-
vest lOi'., without boai'd. The wages of car])enters and
other skilled workmen vary acc(U'ding to tiieir abiliiies ;
but they range between 7.v. and l^*-. (nl. jter diem, taking
these as the highest and lowest prices.

The cost of living is c(msiderably below that in this
country ; for crockery, cutlery, &c., 50 per cent, advance
on h(nne retail prices is paid, and for clothing 50 to 75
per cent, addition on old country prices, if tlii; articles
are not of Canadian manufacture. The cost of a com-
fortable log-house with two floors, 16 feet by 24, is about
18/. ; but it must be borne in mind that very little ex-
penditure is needed on the part of the settler; his house
and barns are generally built by himself, with the assist-
ance of his neighbours ; and a man with the slightest
ingenuity or powers of imitation can also fabricate at a
most trifling expense the few articles of household furni-
ture needed at first. I have been in several log-houses
where the bcnlsteads, tablos, and chairs were all the work
of the settlers themselves, at a cost probably of a few
shillings ; and though the workmanship was rough, yet
the articles answer perfectly well for all practical })ur-
poses. Persons of sober, industrious habits, going out as
workmen to Canada, speedily acquire comfort and inde-

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302

CANADA.

Chap. XIV.

M i.ty

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pendonco. I have seen settlers who went out witliin the
hist eight years as day-labourers, now the owners of sub-
stantial homesteads, with the requisite quantity of farm-
ing-stock.

Canada West is also a most desirable locality for per-
sons of intelligence who arc possessed of a small capital.
Along the great lakes and in the Interior there are large
tracts of land yet unoccupied. The price of wild land
varies from 10s. to 10/. per acre, according to the locality.
Cleared farms, with good buihlings, in the best townships,
are worth from 10/. to 15/. an acre : these prices refer to
the lands belonging to the Canr.Ja Land Company ; the
crown lands sell at prices varying from 4^. to 7.s. Qd. per
acre, but the localities of these lands are not so desirable
in most instances. The })rice of clearing wild lands is
about 4/. 5s. per acre, but in many locations, particularly
near the railways, the sale of the timber covers the ex-
penses of clearing. As has been })reviously observed, the
soil and climate of U})per Canada are favourable to a
great variety of crops. Wheat, however, is probably the
most certain and profitable, and, with respect to cereals
and other crops, the produce of the land per acre is not
less than in England. In addition to tobacco, flax and
hemp are occupying the attention of the settlers ; and as
an annually increasing amount of capital is employed in
factories, these last are likely to prove very profitable.

In addition to the capabilities of the soil, Lake Huron
and tiie Georgian Hay present extensive resources in the
way of fish, and their borders are peculiarly desirable
locations for the emigrant population of the west of Ire-
land and the west Highlands of Scotland.

M-

■ 1

[.\i>. XIV.

[liin the
of sub-
if form-

for per-
capital.
re large
ild land
locality,
wnsliips,
refer to
my ; the
;. 6(i. per
desirable
lands is
•ticularly
p the ex-
vcd, the
le to a
)ably the
cereals
re is not
flax and
and as
)l()yed in
ble.
Huron
133 in the
lesn'able
of Ire-

Chap XIV. NOTICES OF EMIGRATION. 303

With such very great advantages, it is not surj)rising
that tiic tide of emigration should set increasingly
towards this ])art of the Ih'itish dominions. The following
is a statement of the number of persons who landed at
Qi.eboc during the last live years. The emigration re-
turns for 1855 will probably show a very considerable
increase : —

IS.'iO ?,-2,-2[)2

18.")l 41,070

ls.r2 .';0,17t5

18.'>:; ;^".,(',00

18r^i 5:5,18:5

It may be believed that the greater number of these
persons are now enjoying a plenty, many an affluence,
which their utmost exertions could not have obtained for
tiiora at home. Wherever a farmstead, surrounded by
its well -cleared acres, is seen, it is more than })robable
that the occupant is also the owner. The value of land
increases so ra{)idly, that persons who originally bought
their land in its wild state for 4s. per acre, have made
handsome fortunes by disposing of it. In Canada, tlie
farmer holds a steady and certain position ; if lie saves
money, a hundred opportunities will occur for him to make
a profitable investment ; but if, as is more fretjuently the
case, he is not rich as far as money is concerned, he has
all the comforts and luxuries which it could procure.
His land is ever increasing in value ; and in the very
worst seasons, or under accidental cii'cumstances of an
unfavourable nature, he can never know real poverty,
which is a deficiency in the necessaries of life.

But in Canada, as in the Old World, people who wish

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304

CAXADA.

Chap. XTV.

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to attain competence or wealth ninst toil hard for it. In
Canada, with all its capahilitios and advantages, there is
no royal road to riches — no Midas touch to turn every-
thing into gold. The primal curse still holds good,
" though softened into mercy ;" and those who emigrate,
expecting to work less hard for i')s. a day than at home
for l.-?. Gf/., will be miserably disappointed, for, where
high wages a-e given, hard work is required ; those must
also be disappointed who expect to live in style from off
the produce of a small Canadian farm, and those whose
imaginary dignity revolts from plough, and sj)ade, and
hoe, and those who invest borrowed capital in farming
operations. The fields of the slothful in Canada bring
forth thorns and thistles, as his fields brought them forth
in Eiifrland. Idleness is absolute ruin, and drunkenness
carries with it worse evils than at home, for the practice of
it entails a social ostracism, as well as total ruin, upon the
emigrant and his familv. The same conditions of success
are required as in England — honesty, sobriety, and in-
dustry ; with these, assisted by all the advantages which
Canada possesses, there is no man who need despair of
acquiring independence and affluence, although there is
always enoiigli of difficulty to moderate the extravagance
of exaggerated expectations.

llie Government of Canada demands a few remarks.
Within the last few years the position of this colony, with
respect to England, has been greatly changed, by mea-
sures which have received the sanction of the Imperial
Parliament. In 1847 the Imperial Government aban-
doned all control over the Canadian tariff, and the colonial
legislature now exercises supreme power over customs

,&s!'*

Chap. XIV.

>i* it. In
s, there is
rn every-
Ids good,
emigrate,
1 at home
or, where
lose must
e from off
lose whose
pade, and
n farming
ada bring
hem forth
unkenness
practice of
I, upon the
of success
^ and in-
rjes whicli
lespair of
1 there is

ravagance

remarks,
ony, with

by mea-
Imperial
nt aban-
e colonial

customs

Cii.vi'. XIV.

nOVERNMENT.

305

duties, and all matters of general nnd local taxation.
This was a very important step, and gave a vast im})uls(>
to the prosperity of Canada. Tiie colony now has all the
advantages — fi'ce from a few of the inconveniences — of
being an independent country. England retains the right
of nominating tlie Governor-General, and the Queen has
the power, rarely if ever exercised, of putting a veto upon
certain of the acts of the colonial lemslature. England
conducts all matters of war and di})l()macy, and j)rovides
a regular military establishment for the defence of
Canada ; and though she is neither required to espouse
our quarrels, or bear any jjortion of our burdens, we
should be compelled to espouse hers in any question
relating to her honour or integrity, at a lavish expenditui-e
of blood and treasure. It appears that 'he present rela-
tions in which Canada stands to England are greatlv to
her advantage, and there is liappily no desire on her part
to sever them.

The Governor-General is appointed by the Crow^n,
generally for a term of five years, but is paid ])y the pro-
vince ; he acts as viceroy, and his assent to the measures
of the Legislature is required, in order to render them
valid. His executive council, composed of the ministers
of the day, is analogous to our English Cabinet. The
governor, like our own Sovereign, must bow to the will of
a majority in the Legislature, and dismiss his ministers
when they lose the contidence of that body. The " sec nd
estate" is the Legislative Council. Tlie governor, with
the advice of his ministry, aj)points the members of tliis
body. They are chosen for life, and their number is un-
restricted. At present there are about forty members.

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30G

CANADA.

Chap. XIV.

W^'W

The functions of this council arc very similar to those of
our House of Peers, and consist, to a great extent, in
regist(M-ing the decrees of tljc Lower House.

Tlie "third estate" is denominated the House of As-
send)ly, and consists of loO members, 65 for eacli pro-
vince.* Tlie qualification for the franchise has been
placed tolerably high, and no doubt wiscdy, as, in the
absence of a better guarantee for the right use; of it, a
property qualificatvoi:, iiowever trifling in amount, has a
tendency to elevate the tone of electioneering, and to
enhance the value which is attached to a vote. The
qualification for electors is a 50/. freehold, or an annual
rent of 71. lOs. Contrary to the jjractice in the States,
where large numbers of the more respectable portion of
the community abstain from voting, in Canada the votes
are nearly all recorded at every election, and the fact that
the franchise is within the reach of every sober man gives
an added stimulus to industry.

The attempt to establish British constitutional govern-
ment on the soil of the New World is an interesting
experiment, and has yet to be tested. There are various
disturbing elements in Canada, of which we have little
experience in England ; the principal one being the diffi-
culty of legislating between what, in spite of the union,
arc two distinct nations, of different races and religions.
Tiie impossibility of reconciling the rival, and frequently
adverse claims, of the Upper and Lower Provinces, has

U*'S ■'.-;'}' 4;;

* Tlio members of tlie Legislative Council aucl the House of Assem-
bly receive six dollars ( 'J4s. sterling) a day for their attendance. The
members of the Executive Council are paid at the rate of 12Gu/. per
nunum.

■Shlh

CiiAP. XIV.

to those of
; extent, in

use of As-
each pro-
has been
as, in tlie
is(! of it, a
)unt, has a
m, and to
ote. Tlie
' an annual
the States,
; portion of
I the votes
le fact that
man gives

lal govern-

interestino;

'c various

lave little

the diffi-

le union,

religions.

Vequently

inces, lias

e of Assem-
ance. The
f 12(jU/. pov

Cii.vr. XIV.

TIIK FRAXCTIISK.

307

become a very embarrassing questi(m. The strong
social restraints, and the generally high tone of public
feeling in J'^ngland, which exercise a powerful control
over the mini^ter of the day, do not at present exist
in Canada ; neither has the pid)lic mind that nice per-
ception of moral truth which might be desired. The
population of U])per (Canada, more csj)ecially, has been
gathered from many parts of the earth, and is com-
posed of men, generally speaking, without education,
whose sole aim is the acquisition of wealth, and who
are not cemented by any connnon ties of nationality.
Under these circumstances, and b<;aring in mind the
immense political machinery which the Papacy can set to
work in Canada, the transfer of British institutions to the
colony must at present remain a matter of problematical
success. It is admitted that the fEiiliire of representative
institutions arises from the unworthiness of constituencies ;
and if the eilbrts which are made by means of education
to elevate the character of the next generation of electors
should prove fruitless, it is probable that, with the inde-
pendence of the colony, American institutions, with their
objectionable features, would follow. At present the
great difficulties to be surmounted lie in the undue power
possessed by the French Roman Catholic population, and
the Romanist influences brought to bear successfully on
the Government.

There is in Canada no direct taxation for national pur-
poses, except a mere trifle for the support of the pro-
vincial lunatic asylums, and for some other public buildings.
The provincial revenue is derived from customs duties,
public works, crown lands, excise, and bank impost The

■v:l'

^.^;n

-M '•

H ■

308

(AXADA.

CuAi'. XIV.

. t

\j'-

W.t

\ ■)!

; \

,|. hi
•.ii

■-'31'

customs duties last year ranio to 1,100,000/., tlio rov(Muie
fVoui })ul)lii' works to 12.'>,0(){)/., from lauds about tho sauio
suui, from e.xciso about 40,000/., aud IVoui the tax ou the
current notes of the banks ,'50,001 )/. J:] very county, towu-
shij), town, or iiK'orj)()rated village, (dects its own council ;
and all local objects a.'e ])rovi(led for by direct taxation
through these bodies. In these municii)alities the levying
of the local taxes is vested, and they administer the monies
collected for roads, bridges, schools, and improvements,
and the local administration of public justice.

According to the census taken in 1851, the population
of Upj)er (Canada was Ur):2.000 souls, being an increase
since 1842 of 405,1)45. That of Lower Canada amounted
to 800,000, making a total of 1,842,000 ; but if to this we
add the number of persons who have immigrated within
the last four years, we have a population of 2,012,134.

Of the population of Lower Canada, 009,000 are of
French origin. These people s})eak the French language,
and profess the lionush faith. The land is divided into
scif/ncuries ', there are feudal customs and anti(piated
])rivileges, and the laws are based upon the model of
those of old France. The progress of Lower Canada is
very tardy. The French have never made good colonists,
and tlie Romish religion acts as a drag u})on social and
national progress. The hahitans of the Lower Province,
though moral and amiable, are not and)itious, and hold
their ancient customs with a tenacity which opposes itself
to their advancement. The various changes in the tariff
made by the Imperial Government affected Lower Canada
very seriously. On comparing the rate of increase in the
population of the two provinces in the same period of

Chap. XIV,

JO rcvcmu'
t tlie saino
tax on tlio
nty, town-
11 council ;
;t taxation
ho lovyiiig
tlio luonio!?
I'ovoinonts*.

population

n incivase

amnunted

to this wo

tod within

12,134.

}0() are of

language,

vidod into

nti(|uatod

model of

Canada is

colonists,

social and

''rovinco,

and hold

)Sos itself

the tariti'

r Canada

so in the

loriod of

Chap. XIV.

rorULATloX.

a09

twelve years, we find that for TJ|)])or Canada it was 130
per cent., for Lower C'lnada only i]4: per cent. The
disparity hetween the population and the wealth of the
two provinces is annually on the increase.

The ))rogro.-s of Upper Canada is soiiiething perfectly
astonishing, and bids fair to rival, if not exceed, that of
her iiiijiuitic neighbour. Her coniinunication hetween the
Lako district and the Atlantic is jiractically more econo-
iiiical, taking the whole of the year, and, as British emi-
gration has tended chietiy to the Ui>pcr Province, the
])()pulation is of a more homogeneous character than that
of the States. The climate also is more favourable than
that of Lower (^anada. These circumstances, combined
with the inherent energy of the Anglo-Saxon races which
have ])rincipally colonised it, account in great measure
for the vast increase in the material prosj>erity of the
Upper Province as compared with the Lower.

Li 1830 the population of Ujiper Canada was 210,437
souls; in 1842, 480,055; and in 1851 it had reached
952,004. Its poj)ulation is now supposed to exceed that
of Lower Canada by 300,000 souls. It increased in nine
years about 100 per cent. In addition to the large num-
ber of emigrants who have arrived by way of Quebec, it
has received a considerable accession of po})ulation from
the United States ; 7000 persons crossed the frontier in
1854. The increase of its wealth is far more than com-
mcmsurate with that of its population. The first returns
of the assessable property of LTpper Canada were taken
in 1825, and its amount was estimated at 1,854,1)05/.
In 1845 it was estimated at 0,393,030/. ; but in seven
years after this, in 1852, it presents the astonishing

■I

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310

CANADA.

CirM'. XIV

1 V

niiioiiiit of .')7, (')•.>'), 'J3l/. ! Tlio wlu'iit. crop of Ujjpor
(.'.niad.i 111 1S41 was .'>,221,ltl)l biislicls, niul in IS.')! it
was 1 L^(')|l2,.S;■>2 ; but tlic prcstMit yi'ar, 1855, will sliow a
stai'tiiin' and almost iiicn'dihlc iiUToaso. In addition to
the wealth gained in tin; (tultivation of the soil, the settlers
are seizing upon the vast water-power whiel* tlu» country
affords, and are turning it to the most profitable pur-
jioses. Saw-mills, grist-mills, and woollen-mills start up
in every direction, in addition to tool and maehinery fac-
tories, iron-foundries, asberi(>s, and tanneries.

Towns are everywhere springing up as if by magic
along the new lines of railway and canal, and the very
villages of Uj)pcr Canada are connected by the electric
telegrajih. The value of land is ever) where increasing
as new lines of communication are formed. The town of
Jjondon, in U])per (^niada, jiresents a very remarkable
instance of rapid growth. It is surrounded by a very
rich agricultural district, and the Great \W'stern Railway
passes thnnigli it. Seven years ago this jdace was a
miserable-looking village of between two and three thou-
sand inhabitants ; now it is a flourishing town, alive with
business, and has a population of 13,000 souls. The
increase in the value of prsnerty in its vicinity will appear
almost incredible to English readers, but it is stated on
the best authority : a building-site sold in September,
1855, for 150/. per foot, which ten years ago could
have been bought for that price per acre, and ten years
earlier for as many i)ence.

In Upper Canada there appears to be at the present
time very little of that state of society which is marked
by hard struggles and lawless excesses. In every part

••I J

CiiM'. XIV.

of Uj)})!'!'

in IH')! it
will show a
addition to
the t!(>ttkn's
the country
litahlo pur-
11s start up
jhinory fac-

f hy magic

nd the very

the electric

} increasing

riie town of

reniarkahle

hy a very

}vn Railway

lace was a

three thou-

, alive with

ouls. The

will appear

stated on

|Septemher,

ago could

ten years

Ihe present

is marked

[every part

CiiAr. XIV. roPULATIoX. nil

of my travels west of Toronto 1 found a high degree of
social comfort, security to life and propi>rty, the means
for educNition ansl religions wor.-hip, ami all tin; acces-
sories of a high state of civilization, which are advantages
hronght into every locality almost sinndtancM)nsly wirii
the clearing of the land. Yet it is very apparent, even
to the casual visitor, that tln> progrt>ss ot (.\ma(la West
has only ju-t hegun. No limits can he aasigned to its
fntiu'e prosperity, and, as its cap;il>ilities hecome more
known, increasing numhers of stout hearts and strong
arms will he attracted towards it.

The immense resources of the soil under cultivation
have not yet heen developed ; the settlers are prodigal of
land, and a great portion of the occu})ied territory, destined
to hear the most luxuriant crops, is still in hush. The
magnilicent districts adjoining Lake Huron, the Georgian
Bay, and Lake SImcoe, are only just heing hrouglit into
notice; and of the fertile valley of the Ottawa, which it is
estimateil would support a poi)ulation of nine millions, very
little is known. Every circumstance that can he; hronght
forward comhines to show that Upjjer (Janada is destined
to hecome a great, a wealthy, and a prosperous country.

The census gives ?ome interesting tables relating to

the orimns of the inhabitants of Canada. I wish that I

had space to present my readers with the whole, instead

of with this brief extract : —

C'ln (Ji'dis, French origin . . . . . . . . 00"), 000

Citii:t<li(in.f, Knglisli oriyiu G.'>l,nOO

Eug'lanil ami Wales 0:'.,OiHj

Seotliiud 90,000

Irolaiul •l-27,O00

ruited States .-.fVeO

Germany lu,UO0

^ -I .

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V • .- 1;

- . ; >

r.i2

CANADA.

Chap. XIV,

'il

I ' ^

I n I'

1 1

Bosidos tlieso flit ro aro SOOO coloured person.* .and
14,000 Indians in Canada, and emigrants from every
civili&tMl coinitry in the world.

As far as roQ-ards the (Church of Enn;land, Canada, is
divided into three dioceses — Toronto, Montreal, and
Quebec — with a ])rospeet of the creation of ;i fourth,
that of Kingston. The clergy, whose duties are very
arduous and ill-requited, have been paid hy the Society
for Propagating the Gospel, and out of the ])roceeds of
the clergy reserves. The Society has, in great measure,
withdrawn its sup])ort, and recent legislative enactments
have a tendency to j)lace the Church of England in
Canada, to some extent, on the voluntary system. The
inhabitants of ('anada are fully able to support any form
of worship to which they may choose to attach themselves.
Trinity Colleije, at Toronto, is in close connexion with the
Church of England.

The Roman Catholics have enormous endowments,
including a great part of the island of Montreal, and
several valuable seigUviiries. ^ ery large sums are also
n^eeived by them from those who enter the convents, and
for baptisms, burials, and masses for the dead. The
enslaving, enervating, and retarding effects of Roman
Catholicism are nowhere better seen than in Lovv(;r
(Canada, where the })riests (^xercise despotic authority.
They have nun^erous and wealthy conventual establish-
ments, both at Quebet; and Montreal, and several Jesuit
and other seminaries. The Irish emigrants constitute the
great body of Romanists in Up})er Canada ; in the Lower
Province there are more than 740,000 adherents to this
fiith.

'«■■ "

Ch \r. XIV.

er&oiiji aud
from every

, Canada is
ntroal, and
[' a fonrtli,
is arc very

the Society

])roci>ed3 of
lit measnre,

eiiactmonts
England in
'Stem. The
rt any form

themselves.
Lion with the

ndowinents,
)ntreal, and
ms are also
)nvents, and
ad. The
of Roman
in Lo\v(n'
authority,
establish-
eral Jesuit
nstitute the
the Lower
ents to this

CiiAi'. XIV. RELIGIOX. 311)

The Presbyterians arc a very respectable, influential,
and important body in Canada, bound iirmly together by
their uniformity of worship and doctrine. Though an
Episcojjalian form of church government and a form of
worship are as obnoxious to them as at home, their oppo-
sition seldom amounts to liostility. Generally s})eakiiig,
they are very friendly in their intercourse with the zealous
and hard-working clergy of the Church of England ; and,
indeed, the com])arative absence of sectarian feeling, and
the way in which the ministers of all denominations act
in hariiionious combination ft)r the general good, is one of
the most pleasing features connected with religion in
Canada.

In Upper Canada there arc 1559 cluu'ches, for 952,000
adherents, being one place of worship for every 612 in-
habitants. Of these houses of worslii}), 226 belong to the
Church of England, 135 to the Roman Catholics, 148 to
the Presbyterians, and 471 to the Methodists. In Lower
Canada there arc 610 churches, for 890,261 adherents,
746,000 of whom are Roman (Catholics. There is therefore
in the Lower Province one place of worship for every
1459 inhabitants. These religious statistics furnish addi-
tional proof of the progress of Upper Canada. The
numbers adhering to the five most important denomina-
tions are as follows, in round numbers: —

Roman Catholics 914,000

Episcopalians 2GH.U00

Presbyterians '_';)7,UO0

Methodists 18:1, oOij

Baptists 4!t,0U0

Beside these there are more t>»an 20 sects, some of them

:*.-

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314

CANADA.

Chap. XIV.

i M

% 'Ur

holding tliG most extravagant and fanatical tenets. In
the Lower Province there are 45,000 persons belonging
to the Church of England, 33,000 are Presbyterians, and
746,000 are Roman (Jatholics. With this vast number
of Romanists in Canada, it is not surprising that under
the present system of representation, which gives an equal
number of representatives to each province, irrespective
of population, the R-oman Catholics should exercise a
very powerful influence on the colonial Parliament. This
influence is greatly to be deplored, not less socially and
politically than religiously. Popery paralyses those coun-
tries under its dominion ; and the stationary condition of
Lower Canada is mainly to be attributed to the successful
eflforts of the priests to keep up that system of ignoiancc
and terrorism, without which their power could not con-
tinue to exist.

More importance is attached generally to education in
Upper Canada than might have been supposed from the
extreme deficiencies of the first settlers. A national
system of education, on a most liberal scale, has been
oi-ganised by the Legislature, which j)resents in unfavour-
able contrast the feeble and isolated efforts made for this
object by private benevolence in England. Acting on
the principle that the first duty of government is to provide
for the education of its subjects, a uniform and universal
educational system has been put into force in Canada.

This system of public instruction is founded on the
co-operation of the Executive Government with the local
municipalities. The members of these corporations are
elected by the freeholders and householders. The system,
therefore, is strictly popular and national, as the people

'' \

Cii-vr. XIV.

tenets. In
i belonging
:er'uins, and
ast number
that under
es an equal
irrespective
exercise a
nent. This
socially and
those coun-
condition of
[le successful
[)f ignoiancc
Lild not con-
led ucation in
sed from the
A national
e, has been
in unfavour-
adc for this
Acting on
is to provide
id universal
Canada,
uled on the
th the local
orations are
The system,
5 the people

ClFAP. XIY.

EDUCATION.

'1 K

voluntarily tax themselves for its support, and, through
their elected trustees, manage the schools themselves. It
is probable that the working of this plan may exercise a
beneficial influence on the minds of the ]>eople, in training
them to thought for their offspring, as regards their best
interests. No compulsion whatever is exeic'sed by the
Legislature over the proceedings of the local municipali-
ties ; it merely offers a pecuniary grant, on the condition
of local- exertion. The children of every class of the
population have equal access to these schools, and there
is no compulsion upon the religious faith of any. Re-
ligious minorities in school municipalities have the alter-
native of separate schools, and attach considerable im-
portance to this provision. Although what we should
term religious instruction is not a part of the ccmimon
school system, it is gratifying to know that both the
Bible and Testament are read in a very large majority
of these schools, and that the number where they arc
used is annually on the increase. There are in Up])er
Canada 3127 common schools, about 1800 of which are
free, or partially free. The total amount available for
school purposes in 1853 amounted to 19'J,G74/., a magni-
ficent sura, considering the youth and comparatively thin
population of the country. The total numbt>r of pupils
in the same year was 194, 13G. But though this nundjer
appears large, the painfid fiict must alsu be stated, that
mere were 79,000 children destitute^ of the blessings of
education of any kind. The whole nundjer of teachers at
the same period was 3539, of whom 885 were Methodists,
850 were Presbyterians, G29 were Episcopaliai s, 351 were
Roman Catholics, and 194 belonged to the Baptist per-

r 2

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316

CANADA.

Chap. XIV

suasion. The inspection of schools, which is severe and
systematic, is conducted by local superintendents ap-
pointed by the different municipalities. There is a Board
of Public Instruction in each county for the examination
and licensing of teachers ; the standard of their qualifi-
cations is fixed by provincial authority. At the head of
the whole are a Council of Public Instruction and a Chief
Commissioner of Schools, both appointed by the Crown.
There are several colleges, very much on the system of
the Scotch Universities, including Trinity College at
Toronto, in connection with the Church of England, and
Knox's College, a Presbyterian theological seminary.
There are also medical colleges, both in Upper and Lower
Canada, and a chair of agriculture has been established
in University College, Toronto. From these statements it
will be seen that, from the ample provision made, a good
education can be obtained at a very small cost. There
are in Lower Canada upwards of 1100 schools.

Every town, and I believe I may with truth write every
village, has its daily and weekly papers, advocating all
shades of j)olit:cal opinion. The press in Canada is the
medium through which the people receive, first by tele-
graphic despatch, and later in full, every item of English
intelligence brought by the bi-weekly mails. Taking the
newspapers as a whole, they are far more gentlemanly in
their tone than those of the neighbouring republic, and
perhaps arc not more abusive and personal than some of
our English provincial papers. There is, however, very
great room for improvement, and no doubt, as the national
palate becomes improved by education, the morsels pre-
sented to it will be more choice. Quebec, Montreal, and

?:L'

■ 1

Chap. XIV.

jvere arid
lonts ap-
s a Board
amination
ir qualifi-
le head of
id a Chief
he Crown.

system of
College at
gland, and

seminary,
and Lower
estabhshed
atements it
ide, a good
St. There

rvrite every
ocating all
lada is the
st by tele-
of English
.^aking the
lemanly in
ublic, and
an some of
ever, very
e national
orsels pre-
treal, and

Chap. XIV.

THE TRESS.

317

Toronto have each of them several daily papers, but, as
far as I am aware, no i)aper o])enly professes republican
or annexationist views, and some of the journals advocate
in the strongest manner an attachment to British institu-
tions. The prices of these papers vary from a penny to
threepence each, and a workman would as soon think
of depriving himself of his breakfast as of his morning
journal. It is stated that thousands of the subscribers to
the newspapers are so illiterate as to depend upon their
cliildren for a knowledge of their contents. At present
few people, comparatively speaking, are more than half
educated. The knowledge of this fact lowers the tone of
the press, and circumscribes both authors and speakers,
as any allusions to history or general literature would be
very imperfectly, if at all, understood.

The merchants and lawyers of Canada have, if of
British extraction, generally received a sound and use-
ful education, which, together with the admirable way in
which they keep pace with the politics and literature
of Europe, enables them to pass very creditably in any
society. There are very good book-stores iii Canada,
particularly at Toronto, where the best English works
are to be purchased for little more than half the price
which is paid for them at home, and these are largely
read by the educated Canadians, who frequently possess
excellent libraries. Cheap American novels, often of a
very objectionable tendency, are largely circulated among
the lower classes ; but to provide them with literature of
a better character, large libraries have been formed by
local efforts, assisted by government grants. Canada as
yet possesses no literature of her own, and the literary

•-•II

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r.18

CANADA.

Chap. XIV.

man is siiiToumled 'oy difficulties. IndepcMdontly of tlio
heavy task of addressing liiniself to uneducated minds,
unable to ai)preeiate dejitli of thouglit and beauty of
language, it is not lii\ely that, v. here the absorliing passion
is the acquisition of wealth, much encouragement would
be given to the struggles of native; talent.

Canada, young as she is, has made great progress in
the mechanical arts, and some of her machiriery and pro-
ductions make a very creditable show at the Paris Ex-
hibition ; but it must be borne in mind that this is due
to the government, rather than to the enterprise of i)rivate
exhibitci's.

Jaken altogether, there is perha])s no country in the
world so prosj)erous or so favoured as Canada, after
giving full weight to the disadvantages which she pos-
sesses, in a large Roman Catholic population, an unsettled
state of society, and a mixed and im})erfectly educated
people. It is the freest land under the sun, acknowledg-
ing neither a despotic sovereign nor a tyrant populace ;
life and property are alike secure — liberty has not yet
degenerated into lawlessness — the constitution combines
the advantages of the monarchical and republican forms
of government — the Legislative Assembly, to a great
extent, represents the people — religious toleration is
enjoyed in the fullest degree — taxation and debt, which
cripple the energies and excite the disaffection of older
connnunities, are inifelt — the slave flying from bondage
in the south knows no sense of liberty or security till he
finds both on the banks of the St. Lawrence, under the
shadow of the British flag. IVee from the curse of
slavery, Canada has started untrammelled in the race

Iii.u'. XIV.

y of tlie
d minds,
eaiity of
g pjissioii
it would

ogress 111

and pro-

uns

Ex-

is is due
:)f private

ry In the
id a, after
she pos-
unsettled
educated
:novvledg-
lopulace ;
3 not yet
combines
can forms
a great
sration is
bt, which
of older
bondage
itv till he
under the
curse of
the race

■ 1 1 ■^.V

Chap. XIV.

IMMIGRATION,

319

of nations, and her progress already bids fair to outstrip
in ra})idity that of her older and gigantic ncigiibour.

Labour is what she requires, and as if to meet that
r(M]uirement, circumstances have direct(Ml the attention of
emigrants towards her — the young, the enterprising, and
the vigorous, are daily leaving the wasted shores of Scot-
land and Ireland for her fertile soil, where the laws of
England shall still protect them, and her flag shall still
wave over them. Large numbers of persons are now
leavinn; the north-east of Scotland for Canada, and these
are among the most valuable of the emigrants who seek
her shores. Tiiey carry with them the high moral sense,
the integrity, and the loyalty which characterise them at
home ; and in many cases more than this — the religious
))rinciple, and the " godliness which has promise of the
life which now is, and of that which is to come."

Taken as a ichole, the inhabitants of both provinces are
attached to England and England's rule ; they receive the
news of our reverses with sorrow, and our victories create
a hurst of enthusiasm from the shores of the St. Lawrence
to those of Lake Superior. As might be expected, the
Anglo-French alliance is extremely popular : to show the
sympatby of Canada, the Legislature made the munificent
grant of 20,000J. lo be divided between the Patriotic
Funds of both nations, and every township and village
has contributed to swell a further sum of 30,000/. to be
applied to the same object. The imperial ga.-risons in
Canada have recently been considerably diminished, and
with perfect safety ; the efforts of agitators to produce
disaffection have signally failed ; and it is stated by those
best acquainted with the temper of the })eople, that

■■<'.<■>■

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32(»

CANADA.

Chap. XIV.

(Am I

Canada will not become a separate coiuitry, except by
England's voluntary act.

At present every obstacle to licr further development
seems to be removed — her constitution has been re-
modelled within the last few years on an enlarged and
liberal basis — her religious endowments have just been
placed on a permanent footing — all the points likely
to cause a rupture with the United States have been
amicably settled — and important commercial advantages
have been obtained : the sun of prosperity shines upon
her from the Gulf of St. Lawrence to the distant shores
of the Ottawa and the Western Lakes. She requires only
for the future the blessing of God, so freely accorded
to the nations which honour Ilim, to make her great and
powerful. The future of nations, as of individuals, is
mercifully veiled in mystery ; we can trace the rise and
progress of empires, but we know not the time when they
shall droop and decay— when the wealthy and populous
cities of the Present shall be numbered with the Nineveh
and Babylon of the Past. It may be that in future years
our mighty nation shall go the way of all that have been
before it ; but whether the wise decrees of Providence
doom it to flourish or decline, we can still look with
confident hope to this noble colony in the New World,
believing that on her enlightened and happy shores, under
the influence of beneficent institutions and of a scriptural
faith, the Anglo-Saxon race may renew the vigour of its
youth, and realise in time to come the brightest hopes which
have ever been formed of England in the New World

^r}

CiiAr. XIV.
;xcopt I)y

i^elopniont
been re-
rscd and
just been
nts likely
lave been
dvantages
ines upon
\nt sbores
[uires only
accorded
great and
viduals, is
e rise and
when they
populous
e Nineveh
ture years
nave been
rovidence
look with
vv World,
res, under
scriptural
trour of its
opes which
World

Chap. XV.

rilELIMIXARY REMARKS.

321

CIIArTEPt XV.

Preliminary remarks on re-entering the States — Americanisms — A
little slang — Liquoring np — l^ccentricitios in dress — A 'cute
cliaj) down east — < "ouversation on eating — A Kentucky gal — Lake
Cliamplain — Delaval's — A noisy serenade — Albany — Beauties of
the Hudson — The Empire City.

It has been truly observed that a reliable book on the
United States yet remains to be written. The writer of
such a volume must neither be a tourist nor a temporary
resident. He must spend years in the different States,
nicely estimating the different characteristics of each, as
well as the broadly-marked shades of difference between
East, West, and South. He must trace the effect of
Republican principles upon the various races which f^rm
this vast community ; and, while analysing the prosperity
of the country, he must carefully distinguish between the
real, the fictitious, and the speculative. In England we
speak of America as " Brother Jonathan " in the singular
number, without any fraternal feeling however, and con-
sider it as one nation, possessing uniform distinguishing
characteristics. I saw less difference between Edinburgh
and Boston, than between Boston and Chicago ; the dark-
haired Celts of the west of Scotland, and the stirring
artisans of our manufacturing cities, have more in
common than the descendants of the Puritans in New
England, and the reckless, lawless inhabitants of the

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;'.22

^E-ENTERTXG TIIM STATES.

CiiAr. XV.

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r.'.'wly-settloil torritonos wc- 1 of tlio Missi-.-ip})!. It must
not 1)0 forgotten that (lie thirty-two .States of wliicli the
Union is eonii)oseil, may l)o considered in some degree
as separate eountries, each ])ossessing its g()\"rnor and
assenddy, and framing, to a consideraMe extent, its own
laws. Beyond the voice whicli each State ])osse.tses in
the Congress and Senate at V/ashington, tliere is appa-
rently little to hind this vast conimnnity together ; there
is no national form of ndigion, or state endowed church ;
IJnitarianism may be the prevailing faith in one State.
Preshyterianism in another, and Univcrsalism in a third ;
while between the Nortliern and Southern States there is
as wide a difference as between England and Russia — a
difference stamped on the very s-oil itseh", and which, in the
o])inion of some, threatens a disseverance of the Union.

Other causes also produce highly distinctive features in
the inhabitants. In the lonii-settled districts horderinc;
upon the iVtlantic, all the accompaniments and appliances
of civilisation may be met with, and a comparatively
stationary, refined, and intellectual condition of society.
Travel for foi'ty hours to the westward, and everything is
in a transition state : there are rough roads and unfinished
railroads ; foundations of cities laid in soil scarcely cleared
from the forest ; splendid hotels within sound of the
hunter's rifle and the lumberer's axe ; while the elements
of society are more chaotic than the features of the
country. Every year a tide of emigration rolls wx^stward,
not from Europe only, but from the crowded eastern
cities, forming a tangled web of races, manners, and reli-
gions which the hasty observer cannot attempt to dis-
entangle. Yet there are many external features of

IIAI'. XV.

It must
li'icli tlie
> dogriH'
■nor iind
, its own
50.-ses i)i
is appa-
ll" ; tliero
church ;
lie State.
1 a third ;
s there is
lussia — a
ieh,inthe
Union.
L'aturcs in
hordcring
ippliances
paratively
society,
irything is
unfinished
y cleared
id of the
elements
s of the
westward,
d eastern
, and reli-
ct to dis-
atures of

CitAP. XV.

AMERICANISMS.

n2.T

uniforniitv whicli tlio traveller cannot fail to lav hold of.
and which go under the general name of Americamsnis.
These are ])eculiarities of dress, manners, and j)hrase-
ology, and, to some ext(>nt, of opinion, and may he partly
produced hy the locomotive life which the yXmerican
leads, and the way in which all classes are hrought into
contact in travelling. 'Jliese peculiarities are not to he
found among the highest or the hiiihlv-edncated classes,
hut they force themselves upon the tourist to a remark-
ahie, and fre(jnently t(^ a repulsive, extent ; and it is
safer for him to narrate facts and comment upon exter-
nals, though in doing so he presents a veiy })artial and
superficial view of the jxople, than to j)resent his readers
with general inferences drawn from ])artial premises, or
with conclusions based upon imj)erfect, and often erro-
neous, data.

An entire revolution had been effected in my way of

looking at thinyjs since I landed on the shores of the New

c5 n

World. I had ceased to look for vestiges of the })ast, or
for relics of ancient magnificence, and, in place of these, I
now contemplated vast resources in a state of progressive
and almost feverish develo})ment, and, having become
accustomed to a general absence of the picturesque, had
learned to look at the practical and the utilitarian with a
high degree of interest and pleasure. The change from
the lethargy and feudalism of Lower Canada and the
gaiety of Quebec, to the activity of the New England
population, was very startling. It was not less so from
the reposeful manners and genti'emanly appearance of the
English Canadians, and the vivacity and politeness of the
French, to Yankee dress, twang, and peculiarities.

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324

SLANG.

Cii,.

.^s .

Those nppcarod, as tlio Arnoricans say, in "full l)lMst,"
(luring the few hours which T spent on Lake rhamplain.
Tiierc; were ahout a hundred passengers, including a
S{)rinivling of tlie fair sex. The amusements were story-
telling, whittling, and smoking. Fully half the stories
told hegan with, " There was a 'cute 'coon down east,"
and the hurden of nearly all was some clever act of
cheating, "sucking a gn;enhorn," as the phrase is. There
were occasional anecdotes of " hustings-up " on the
southern rivers, " making tracks " from importunate cre-
ditors, of practical jokc.-i, and glaring inij)ositions. There
was a great deal of "liquoving-up" going on the whole
time. The best story-teller was rep(>atedly called upon to
" liquor some," which was accordingly done by coj)ious
draughts of " gin-sling," but at last he declared he was a
"gone 'coon, fairly stumped," by which he meant to
express that he was tired and could do no more. This
assertion was met by encouragements to " pile on," upon
which the individual declared that he " could n't get his
steam up, he was tired some." This word some is syno-
nymous in its use with our word rathe?', or its Yankee
equivalent ^^ hinder" On this occasion some one applied
it to the boat, which he declared was " almighty dirty,
and shaky some " — a great libel, by the way. The dress
of these individuals somewhat amused me. The prevail-
ing costumes of the gentlemen were straw hats, black
dress coats remarkably shiny, tight pantaloons, and
pumps. These were worn by the sallow narrators of the
tales of successful roguery. There were a very few
hardy western men, habited in scarlet flannel shirts, and
trowsers tucked into high boots, their garments supported

!ll ..* .

1 hlM«t,"

mnplaiii.
iiding a
re story-
; stories
n east,"
• act of
. There
on the
nate cre-
Tliere
he whole
[ upon to
copious
he was a
iicant to
■e. This
n," upon
't get his
is sy no-
Yankee
e applied
ty dirty,
The dress
i prevail-
ts, black
ons, and
rs of the
very few
hirts, and
supported

Chap. XV.

A 'CUTE CILVr.

325

hy stout leathern bolts, with dependent bowie-knives ;
these told " yarns " of adventures, and dangers from
Indians, something in tlu; style of Colonel Crockett.

The ladies wore their satin or kid shoes of various
colours, of which the mud had made woeful havoc. The
stories, which called forth the aj)])lause of the company in
exact proportion to the barefaced roguery and utter
want of principle displayed in each, would not have been
worth listening to, had it not hecMi from the extraordinary
vernacular in which they were clothed, and the racy and
emphatic manner of the narrators. Some of these voted
three legs of their chairs superfluous, and balanced them-
selves on the fourtli ; while others hooked their feet on the
top of the windows, and balanced themselves on the back
legs of their chairs, in a position i^trongly suggestive of
hanging by the heels. One of the stories which excited
the most amusement lads very tamely divested of the
slang and manner of the story-teller.

A " 'cute chap down east " had a " 2'50 " black mare
(one which could perform a mile in two minntes fifty
seconds), and, being about to "make tracks," he sold her
to a gentleman for 350 dollars. In the night he stole her,
cut her tail, painted her legs white, gave her a " blaze "
on her face, sold her for 100 dollars, and decamped, send-
ing a note to the first purchaser acquainting him with
the particulars of the transaction. " 'Cute chap that ;"
" A wide-awake feller ;" " That coon had cut his eye-
teeth ;" " A smart sell that ;" were the comments made
on this roguish transaction, all the sympathy of the
listeners being on the side of the rogue.

The stories related by Barnum of the tricks and im-

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326

A FEEDING DIALOGUE.

Chap. XV.

<J i'

A. .;

II!!

iii

;1 1

positions practised by liimsclf and others are a fair
sani])le, so far as roguery goes, of those which are to l)e
lieard in liotels, steamboat.-:, and cars I have hoard men
openly l)oast, before a miscelhineous company, of acts of
dislioiiesty which in Enghmd would liave procured trans-
portation for them. Mammon is the idol wliich the people
worship ; the one desire is the acquisition of money ; the
most nefariouo trickery and bold dishonesty are invested
with a spurious dignity if they act as aids to the attain-
ment of this object. Children from their earliest years
imbibe the idea that sin is sin — oiil'/ ichcn found out.

The breakfast bell rang, and a general rush took place,
and I was left alone with two young ladies who had just
become aci^uainted, and were resolutely bent upon finding
out each other's likes and dislikes, with the intention of
vowing an eternal friendship. A gentleman who looked
as if he had come out of a ball-room came up, and with a
profusion of bows addressed them, or the prettiest of them,
thus: — "Miss, it's feeding time, I guess; what will you
eat ? " " You're very ])o-lite ; what's the ticket ? "
*' Chicken and corn-fixings, and pork with onion-fixings."
" Well, I'm hungry some ; I'll have some pig and fix-
ings." The swain retired, and brought a profusion of
viands, which elicited the remark, "Well, I guess that's
substantial, anyhow." The young ladies' appetites seemed
to be very good, for I heard the observation, " ^^'ell, you
eat considerable ; you're in full blast, I guess." " Guess I
am : its all-fired cold, and I have been an everlastin
long time off my feed." A long undertoned conversa-
tion followed this interchange of civilities, when I heard
the lady say in rather elevated tones, " You're trying to

'IIAP. XV.

a fair
•e to be
ird men

acts of
(I trans-
people

7; the
invested
! attain-

t years
ut.

k place,
bad just
1 findins
;ntion of
) looked
d with a
of them,
will yon
icket ? "
lixnigs.
and fix-
'usion of
»ss that's
> seemed
'ell, von

Guess I
verlastin
onversa-

I heard
trying to

Chap. XV.

LAKE CHA^rPLAIX.

327

rile me some ; you're piling it on a trifle too high."
"Well, I did want to put np your dander. Do tell now.
where was you raised?" "In Kentucky." "I could
have guessed that ; v/henever I &ees a splenderiferous gal,
a kinder gentle goer, and high stepper, I says to myself.
That gal's from old Kentuck, and no mistake."

This couple carried on a long conversation in the same
style of graceful badinage ; but I have given enough
of it.

Lake Champlain is extremely pretty, though it is on
rather too large a scale to ])lease an l']ngli:^h eye, being
about 150 miles long. The shores are gentle slopes,
wooded and cultivated, with the Green Mountains of
Vermont in the background. There was not a ripple
on the water, and the morning was .^'o warm and showery,
that T could have believed it to be an April day had not
the leafless trees told another tale. Whatever the boasted
beauties of Lake Chamjdain were, they veiled themselves
from Ensli^h eyes in a thick foir, through which we
steamed at half-speed, with a dismal fog-bell Incessantly
tolling.

I landed at Burlington, a thriving modern town,
prettily situated below some wooded hills, on a bay,
the margin of which is j)ure white sand. Here, as at
nearly every town, great and small, in the United States,
there was an excellent \ww\. No people have such
confidence in the future as the Americans. Vou fre-
quently find a splendid hotel surrounded by a few clap-
board houses, and may feel inclined to smih^ at the in-
congruity. The builder looks into futurity, and sees
that in two years a thriving city will need hotel accom-

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328

DELAVAL'S HOTEL.

Chap. XV.

'X li V

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modation ; and seldoni is he wrong. The American is a
gregarious animal, and it is not impossible that an hotel,
with a tahlc-(Vh6lc, may act as a magnet. Here I joined
Mr. and Mrs. Alderson, and travelled with them to
Albany, through Vermont and New York. The country
was hilly, and more suited for sheep-farming than for
corn. Water-privileges were abundant in the shape of
picturesque torrent-, and numerous mills turned their
capabilities to profitable account. Our companions were
Tatlier of a low description, many of them Germans, and
desperate tobacco-chewers. The whole floor of the car
was covered with streams of tobacco-juice, apple-cores,
grape-skins, and chestnut-husks.

We crossed the Hudson River, and spent the night at
Delaval's, at Albany. The great peculiarity of this most
comfortabl'^ hotel is, that the fifty waiters are Iri<li girls,
neatly and simply dressed. They are under a coloured
manager, and their civility and alacrity made me wonder
that the highly-j)aid services of male waiters were not
more frequently dispensed with. The railway ran along
the street in which the hotel is situated. From my bed-
room window I looked down into the funnel of a locomo-
tive, and all night long was serenaded with screams,
ringing of belU, and cries of " All aboard " and '' Go
ahead.'

Albany, tin* capital of the State of New York, is one
of the prettiest towns in th«' Union. The slope on which
it is built faces the Hudson, and is crowned by a large
state-house, the place of meeting for the legislature of the
Empire' State. The Americians repudiate the " central-
ization " principle, and for wise reasons, of which the

Chap. XV.

crican is a
t an hotel,
3 I joined

them to
ic country
; than for

shape of
'ned their
lions were
mans, and
)f the car
iple-cores,

e night at

* this most

rish girls,

1 coloured

le wonder

were not

an along

my bed-

a locomo-

screams,

and '^ Go

•k, is one
on which

a large
u'e of the

central-
hich the

Chap. XV.

ALBANY.

329

Irish form a considerable number, they almost invariably
locate the government of each state, not at the most
important or populous town, but at some inconsiderable
place, where the learned legislators are not in danger of
having their embarrassments increased by deliberating
under the coercion of a turbulent urban })opulation.
Albany has several public buildings, and a number of
conspicuous charcliLS, and is a very thriving place. The
traffic on the river between it and New York is enor-
mous. There is a perpetual stream of small vessels
up and down The Empire City receives its daily
supplies of vegetables, meat, butter, and eggs from its
neighbourhood. The Erie and Champlain canals here
meet the Hudson, and through the former the pro-
duce of the teeming West pours to the Atlantic. The
traffic is carried on in small sailing sloops and steamers.
Sometim.es a little screw-vessel of fifteen or twenty tons
may be seen to hurry, puffing and panting, up to a
large vessel and drag it down to the sea ; but gene-
rally one paddle-tug takes six vessels down, four being
towed behind and one or two lashed on either side. As
both steamers and sloops are painted white, and the
sails are perfectly dazzling in their purity, and twenty,
thirty, and forty of these flotillas may be seen in the
course of a morning, the Hudson river presents a very
animated and unique appearance. It is said that every-
body loses a portmanteau at Albany : I was more for-
tunate, and left it without having experienced the slightest
annoyance.

On the other side of the ferry a very undignified
scramble takes place for the seats on the right side of the

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TIIK HUDSON.

Chap. XV.

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cars, ns the scenery for 130 miles is pcrfeetly m;ignific(Mit.
*' Go aliead " ra|)iilly succeeded " All aboard," and we
whizzed along this most extraordinary line of railway, so
prolific in accidents that, when people leave New York hy
it, their friends fre(]uently rccjuest them to notify their
safe arrival at their destination. It nuis along the verv
verge of the river, below a steep ditf, but often is snj)-
j)orted just above the surface of the water upon a wooden
jdatform. Guide-books inform us that the t'wins which
run on this line, and the steamers which ply on the Hud-
son, are ecjually unsafe, the former from collisions and
" uj)sets," the latter from " bustings-up ;" but most
people prefer the boats, from the advantage of seeing
both sides of the rivi'r.

The sun of a November morning had just risen as I
left Albany, and in a short time beamed uj^m swelling
hills, green savannahs, and waving woods fringing the
margin of the Hudson. At Coxsackie the river expands
into a small lake, and the majestic Catsgill Mountains
rise abruptly from the western side. The scenery among
these mountains is \cvy grand and varied. Its silence
and rugged sublimitv recall the Old World : it has rockv
pinnacles and desert passes, inaccessible eminences and
yawning chasms. The world might grow populous at the
feet of the Catsjiills, but it would leave them untouched
and unprofaned in their stern majesty. From this point
for a hundred miles the eyes o\' the traveller are perfectly
steeped in beauty, which, gathering and increasing, culmi-
nates at ^Vcst Point, a lofty eminence jutting ui)on a
lake apparently witlunit any outlet. The s])urs of moun-
tain ranges wliich meet here project in precipices from

:iiAP. XV.

;nific(Mit.

jinil wi'
Iwiiy, so
York bv
fy their
tlic very

is sup-
1 wooden
lis which
he Ilud-
ions and
lit most
if seeing

■sen as I
swelling
o-ino; the
expands
>,untains
y among
s silence
las rocky
nces and
us at the
n touched
his point
perfectly
ig, culmi-
; upon a
of moun-
ices from

Chap. XV

THE III'DSOX.

001

five to fifteen hundred feet .in lieight ; trees find a ])1ace
for their roots in every rift among the rocks ; f\>stoons of
clematis and wild-vine hang in graceful draj)ery from
base to sunmiit, and the dark mountain shadows loom
over the lake-like expanse below. The hand wearies of
writing of the loveliness of this river. I saw it on a
perfect day. The Indian summer lingered, as though un-
willing that the chillv bhists of winter should blight the
loveliness of this beauteous scene. The gloom of autumn
was not there, but its glories wx're on every leaf and twig.
The bright scarlet of the mai)le vied with the brilliant
berries of the rowan, and from among the tendrils of the
creepers, which were waving in tlie sighs of the west wind,
peeped forth the deep crimson of the sumach. There were
very few signs of cultivation; the banks of the Hudson
are barren in all but beauty. The river is u succession
of small wild lakes, connected by narrow reaches, bound
for ever between abrupt preci]jlces. There are lakes
more i)eauteous than I.och Katrine, softer in their fea-
tures than Loch Achray, tiiough like both, or like the
waters which glitter beneath the blue sky of Italy.
Along their margins the woods hung in scarlet and gold —
high above towered the })urple ])eaks — the blue waters
flashed back the rays of a sun sbinin<>; from an unclouded
sky — the air was warm like June — and I think the sun-
beams of that day scarcely shone upon a fairer scene.
At mid-day the Highlands of Hud-on were left behind —
the mountains melted into hills — the river expanded into
a noble stream about a mile in width — the scarlet woods,
the silvery lakes, and the majestic Catsgills fachnl uway
in the distance ; and with a whoo}), and a roar, and

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332

NEW YORK.

CiiAi'. XV

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a clatter, the cars entered into, and proceeded at slack-
ened speed down, a long street called Tenth Avenue,
among carts, children, and pigs.

IVne enough, we were in New York, the western re-
ceptacle not only of the traveller and the energetic
merchant, but of the destitute, the friendless, the vaga-
bond, and in short of all the outpourings of Europe,
who h(^re form a conglomerate mass of evil, making
America responsible for their vices and their crimes.
Yet the usual signs of approach to an enormous city
were awanting — dwarfed trees, market-gardens, cockney
arbours, in which citizens smoke their pipes in the even-
ing, and imagine themselves in Arcadia, rows of small
houses, and a murky canopy of smoke. We had steamed
down Tenth Avenue for two or three miles, when we
came to a standstill where several streets met. The
train was taken to pieces, and to each car four horses or
mules were attached, which took us for some distance
into the very heart of the town, racing apparently with
omnibuses and carriages, till at last we were deposited in
Chambers Street, not in a station, or even under cover,
be it observed. My baggage, or " plunder " as it is
termed, had been previously disposed of, but, while
waiting with my head disagreeably near to a horse's nose,
I saw people making distracted attempts, and futile
ones as it appeared, to preserve their effects from the
clutches of numerous porters, many of them probably
thieves. To judge from appearances, many people would
mourn the loss of their portmanteaus that night.

New York deserves the name applied to Washington,
" the city of magnificent distances." I drove in a hack

Chap. XV.

at slack-
Avenue,

jstern re-
energetic
the vaga-

Europe,
, making
' crimes,
nous city
, cockney
he even-

of small
[ steamed
when we
et. The
horses or

distance
mtly with
josited in
er cover,

as it is
Lit, while
se's nose,
nd futile
from the
probably
)le would

Lshington,
n a hack

CiiAP. XV.

NEW YORK.

333

for three miles to my destination, along crowded, hand-
some streets, but I believe that I only traversed a third
part of the city.

It possesses the features of many different lands, but
it has characteristics peculiarly its own ; and as with its
suburbs it may almost bear the name of the " million-
peopled city," and as its growing influence and importance
have earned it the name of the Empire City, I need not
apologise for dwelling at some length upon it in the suc-
ceeding chapter.

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.334

NEW YORK— ITS rosrrioN.

Chap. XVI.

I! I

CJIAPTEU XYI.

,ii '

ItC

Position of New York — Externals of the city — Conveyances — Mal-
{iduiiniHtnition — The stores — The liotels — Curiosities of tlie
hospital — Ragged schools — The bad book — Monster schools —
Amusements and oyster saloons — Monstrosities — A restaurant —
Dwelling-houses — Ecjnipages — Palaces — Dress — Figures — Man-
ners — Education — Domestic habits — The ladies — The gentlemen
— Society — Receiitions — Anti-English feeling — Autographs —
The "Buckram Englislunan."

New York, from its position, population, influence, and
commerce, is worthy to be considered the metropolis of
the New AVorld. Tiie situation of it is very advan-
tageous. It is built upon Manhattan Island, which is
about thirteen miles in length by two in breadth. It has
the narrowest portion of Long Island Sound, called East
River, on its east side ; the Hudson, called the North
River, environs it in another direction ; while these two
are connected by a narrow strait, principally artificial,
denominated the Haarlem River. This insular position
of tlie city is by no means intelligible to the stranger,
but it is obvious from the top of any elevated building.
The dense part of New York already covers a large
portion of the island ; and as it dailt/ extends northward,
the whole extent of insulated ground is divided into lots,
and ma})ped out into streets.

But, not content with covering the island, which, when
Hendrick Hudson first discovered it, abounded with red

:nAi-. XVI.

,nces — M.'il-
itics of the
V Hcliools —
•estaurivut —
urea — Maii-
legentlcnieu
itogniphs —

lence, and
'tropolis of
iry advaii-
, which is
h. It has
ailed East
the North
these two
artificial,
IV position
stranger,
d huilding.
's a large
northward,
1 into lots,

hich, when
d with red

Chap. XVI.

ITS EXTERNALS.

3:15

men, who fished along its hanks and gnided their hark
canoes over the surrounding waters, New York, under
the names of Brooklyn, WiUianishurgh, and four or five
others, has spread itself on Long Island, Staten Island,
and the banks of the Hudson. Brooklyn, on Long Island,
which occupies the same position with regard to New
York that Lamheth and Southwark do to London, con-
tain? \ population of 100,000 souls. Brooklyn, Williams-
ourgh, Iloboken, and Jersey City arc the residences of a
very large portion of the merchants of New York, who
have deserted the old or Dutch j)art of the town, which
is consequently merely an aggregate of offices. Floating
platforms, moved by steam, with space in the middle
part for twelve or fourtc(>n carriages and horses, and
luxurious covered apartments, heated with steam-pipes
on either side, ply to and fro every five minutes at
the small charge of one halfpenny a passenger, and the
time occupied in crossing the ferries is often less than
that of the detention on Westminster Bridge. Besides
these large places, Staten Island and Long Island are
covered with villa residences. Including these towns,
which are in reality part of this vast city, New "^'ork
contains a population of very nearly a million ! Broad-
way, which is one of the most remarkable streets in the
world, being at once the Corso, To1(mIo, Regent Street,
and Princes Street of New Y^ork, rnns along the centre
of the city, and is crossed at right angles by innumerable
streets, which run down to the water at each side. It
would appear as if the inventive genius of the people had
been exhausted, for, after borrowing designations for their
streets from every part of the world, among which some

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336

NEW YORK.

CiiAi'. XVI.

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of the old Dutch names figure most re fresh hi gly, tlioy
have adopted the novel j)lan of numbering thera. Thus
there are ten " Avenues," which run from north to south,
and these are crossed hy streets numbered First Street,
Second Street, and so on. I believe that the skeletons
of one hundred and fifty numbered streets are in ex-
istence. The southern ))art of the town still contains a
fiiw of the old Dutch houses, and there are some sub-
stantial red-brick villas in the vicinity, inhabited by the
descendants of the old Dutch families, who are remark-
ably exclusive in their habits.

New York is decidedly a very handsome city. The
wooden houses have nearly all disappeared, together
with those of an antiquated or incongruous appearance ;
and the new streets are very regularly and substantially
built of brown stone or dark brick. The brick buildinp-
in New York is remarkably beautiful. The windows are
large, and of plate-glass, and the m hole external finish of
the houses is in a splendid but chaste style, never to be
met with in street-architecture in England. As the
houses in the city are almost universally heat-ed by air
warmed by a subterranean stove, very few chimneys are
required, and these are seldom visible above the stone
parapets which conceal the roofs. Anthracite cocil is
almost universally used, so there is an absence of that
murky, yellow canopy which disfigures English towns.
The atmosphere is remarkably dry, so that even white
marble edifices, of which there are several in the town,
suffer but little from the effects of climate.

Broadway is well j)aved, and many of the numbered
streets are not to be complained of in this respect,

lAI'. XVI.

ly, thoy
Thus
3 south,
I Street,
skeletons
i in ex-
lutalns a
)Uie sub-
d by the
remark-

ty-

Thi

together
)earance ;
(stantially
buildinpf
idows are
I finish of
3ver to be
As the
[3d by air
nueys are
he stone
cocil is
ce of that
h towns,
ven white
the town,

numbered
respect,

CiiAi'. XVI.

COXVEYAXCES.

337

hut a groat part of the eity i?* indescribably dirty, though
it is stated that the expense of cleaning it exceeds 250,000
dollars per annum. Its inunense length necessitates an
enormous nund)er of conveyances ; and in order to obviate
the obstruction to traffic which would have been caused
by providing omnibus accommodation equal to the de-
mand, the authorities have consented to a most alanninLr
inroad upon several cf the principal streets. The strangiM*
sees with surprise that dou!)le lines of rails are laid along
tlie roadways ; and while driving (juietly in a carriage,
ill! hears the sound of a warning bell, and j)resently a
railway-car, holding thirty persons, and drawn by two oi-
four horses, comes thundering (!own the street. These
rail-cars run every few minutes, and the fares are very
low. For very sufficient reasons, l^roadway is not thus
encroached upon ; and a journey from one end to tlu^
other of this marvellous street is a w'ork of time and diffi-
culty. Pack the traffic of the Strand and (^lH\npside into
Oxford Street, and still you will not have an idea of the
crush in Broadway. There are streams of scarlet and
yellow omnibuses racing in the more open parts, and lock-
ing each other's wheels in the narrower — there are helj)less
females deposited in the middle of a sea of slippery mud,
condemned to run a gauntlet between cart-wheels and
horses' hoofs — there are loaded stages hastening to and
from the huge hotels — carts and waggons laden with
merchandise — and "Young Americans" driving fast-
trotting horses, edging in and out among the crowd —
wheels are locked, horses tumble down, and persons
pressed for time are distracted. Occasionally, the wjiole
traffic of the street comes to a dead-lock, in con=equ(uice

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338

NEW YORK.

Chap. XVI.

of soino ()1).-,tructl()n or crowd, tljoro being no poruieinaii
at liand witli liis iiiccesiint cominand, *' Move on /"

Tlio liackney-ciirriagcs of Now York aro very liand-
somo, and, being drawn by two horses, liave the appear-
ance of private ecjuipages ; bnt woe to tlie stranger wlio
tru:jt.s to the inviting annonncenient that tlie fare is a
dolhir witiiin a certain circle. Bad as London cabmen
are, one wouM welcome the sight of one of them. The
New York liackmeu are licensed j)lunderers, agaim^t
whot^e extortions there is neither remedy nor appeal. They
are generally Irish, and cheat i)eoi)le with unblushing
audacity. Tlie onniibus or stage accommodation is
plentiful and excellent. A ])erson soon becomes accus-
tomed to, and enjoys, the occasional excitement of locked
wheels or a race, and these vebicles are roomy and clean.
They are sixteen inches wider than our own onniibuses,
and carry a number of passengers certainly within their
ca})aL)ilities, and the fares are fixed and very low, Gj cents
for any distance. They have windows to the sides and
front, and the spaces between are painted with very tole-
rably-executed landscapes. Tbere isMio conductor; the
driver opens ami closes the door with a strap, and the
money is handed to him through a little hole in the roof.
The lady passengers invariably give the money to a gentle-
man for this purpose, and no rule of etiquette is more
rigidly enforced than for him to obey the re(piest to do so,
generally consisting in a haughty wave of the hand. The
thousand acts of attention which gentlemen, by rigid usage,
are compelled to tender to ladies, are received by them
without the slightest acknowledgment, either by word or
gesture. To so great an extent is this nonchalance carried

Chap. XVI.
:)oli«:eman

■

ery hand-
10 {jppojir-
ingiT who
ftii'o is ii
n calfUUMi
em. Tlu!
s, against
leal. They
Li\iblushiug
odation is
lines aceus-
t of locked
and clean,
onuiibuses,
nthin their
w, Gl cents
sides and
very tole-
uctor ; the
•\p, and the
n the roof,
to a gentle-
Itte is more
>st to do so,
hand. Tlu'
•igid usage,
led by them
Iby word or
[nice carried

CiiAr. XVI.

roLTCE.

330

on tlio part of the females, that two or three newspapers
hav(; seriously taken U]> the subject, and advise the gentle-
men to withdraw from the performance of such unrequited
attentions.

Strangles frequently doubt whether Now York pos-
sesses a police ; the doubt is very justifiable, for these
guardians of the public pence are seldom forthcoming
when they arc wanted. 'I'hey are accessible to bribes,
and will investigate into crime when liberally rewarded ;
but probably in no city in the civilised world is life so
fearfully insecure. The practice of carrying concealed
arms, in the shape of stilettoes for attack, and swordsticks
for defence, if illegal, is perfectly common ; desperate
reprobates, called *' Rowdies," infest the lower part of the
town ; and terrible outrages and murderous assaults arc
matters of such nightly occurrence .as to be thought
hardly worthy of notice, even in those prints which
minister to man's depraved taste for the horrible.*

No langiiage can be too strongly expressive of censure
upon the disgraceful condition of New York. The evil
may be distinctly traced to the wretched system of politics
which prevails at the election of the mimicipal officers,
who are often literally chosen from the lowest of tlie
])Oople, and are venal and corrupt in the highest degree.

* The state of New York has improved. Mr. Feniamlo Wood, who
wa.s elected Mayor iu November, IB")!, has issued strinc^cnt rcgnlatii us
for the maintenance of order. A better police-force has been organised,
and many of the notoiious "Rowdies" and other bad characters have
been shut up on Blackwell's Island. His tenure of ofllce has ju,st
expired, and it is much to be fe.ared that the mob, which exoiL'i.'ses iin
undue influence upon the municipid elections, hiw not chosen a suc-
cessor who will interfere with its privileges.

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340

NEW YORK.

CiiAi'. XVI.

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During my visit to New York a caiulidato for one of
tliL'se offices stabbed a policeuum, who died of tlie wound.
If I niiglit judge from tlie tone of tlje public prints, and
from conversations on tlie subject, public feeling was not
niudi outraged by the act itself, but it was a convenient
stalkiiig-lurse for the other side, and the policeman's
funeral procession, which went down Broadway, was
nearly a mile in Icngih.

The ])rincipal stores are situated in Broadway ; and
although they attempt very little in the way of window
display, the interiors are sjjacious, and arranged with the
gieatest taste. An American store ib generally a ver'
extensive apartment, handsonndy decorated, the roof fre-
quently su})porred on marble pillars. The owner or clerk
is seen seated by his goods, absorbed in the morning
])aj)er — probably balancing himself on one leg of his chair,
with a s])ittoon by his side. He deigns to answer your
iu([turies, but, in })lace of the pertinacious perseverance
with which an Knglish shopman disj)lays his wares, it
S'jenis a matter of perfect inditrerence to the American
whether you purchase or no. The dra])ers' and mercers'
shops, which go by the name of "dry goods" stores, are
fdled with the costliest productions of the world. The
silks from the looms of France are to be seen side by side
with the productions of Persia and India, and all at an
advance of fully two-thirds on English prices. The " fancy
jioods" stores are among the most attractive lounws of the
city. Here Paris ligurcs to such an e.\tent, that it was
said at the time when difficulties with France were aj)pre-
hended, in consequence of the Soule affair, that " Louis
Napoleon might as well fire cannon-balls into the Palais

CiiAi'. XVI.

or one of
he wouml.
)rints, and

nr was not

uonvenient
oliconian's
Iway, Nva?«

[way ; and
of window
3d with the
illy a vei"
e roof fre-
lor or clerk
le nioming
if his cliair,
nswer your
I'rseverance
wares, it
American
d mercers'
tores, are
orld. Tlie
ide by side
I all at an
I'lu' •fancy
niges of the
that it was
were ai)i)rc-
lat " Louis
i the Palais

C'HAI<. XVI.

STORES.

341

Royal as declare war with America." Some of the
bronzes in these stores are of exquisite workmanship, and
costly china from Sevres and Dresden feasts the eyes of
the lovers of beauty in this branch of art.

Tiie American ladies wear very costly jewellery, but [
was perfectly amazed at the prices of sonu) of the articles
displayed, i saw a diamond bracelet containing one
brilliant of prodigious size and lustre. The j)rice was
25,000 dollars, or f>000/. On inquiring who would pur-
chase such a thing, the clerk rej)lied, " I guess some
southerner will buy it for his wife."

One of the sights with which tbe New York peoj)le
astonish English visitors is Stewart's dry-goods store in
liroadway, an immense square building of white marble,
six stories high, with a frontage of 300 feet. The business
done in it is stated to be above 1,500,000/. p(;r annum.
There are 400 ])eople emj)loyed at this estahlislnnent,
which has even a telegraj)h office on the premises, where
a clerk is for ever flashing dollars and cents along the
trembling wires. There were lace collars 40 guineas each,
and flounces of Valenciennes lace, half a yard deej), at
120 guineas a flounce. The damasks and brocades for
curtains and chairs were at almost fabulous prices. lew
gentlenuMi, the clerk observed, give less than 3/. per yard
for these articles. The most costly are purchased by the
hotels. I saw some brocade embroidered in gold to the
thickness of half an inch, some of which had been supplied
to the St. Nicholas Hotel at 0/. per yard ! There were
stockii7gs from a penny to a guinea a pair, and carpet-
ings from 1*'. (Sr/. to 22.v. a yard. Besides six stories
ahove ground, there were large light rooms under the

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342

NEW i^ORK.

Ca.vi-. XVI.

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l)uilau;g, and under Broadsvay itself, echoing witli tlie
roll of its 10,000 vehicles.

The hotels are among the sights of New York. Tin,'
principal are the Ai?tor House (which has a world-wide
reputation), the Metropolitan, and the St. Nicholas,: all in
Broadway. Prescott House and Irving House also afford
accommodation on a very large scale. The entrances to
these hotels invariably attract the eye of the s>tianger.
Groups of extraordinary-looking human beings are always
lounging on the door-steps, smoking, whittli'ig, and read-
ing newspapers. There are southerners sighing for their
sunny homes, smoking Havana cigars; western men, with
that dai^hing free-and-easy air which renders them unmis-
takeable; Engli^ihmen, shrouded in exclusiveness, who
look on all their neighbours as so many barbarian inti'uders
on their privacy ; and people of all nations, m buainess
has drawn to the American metropolis.

The Metiopolitan Hotel is the most imposing in ap-
pearance. It is a Idock of building with a frontage of
300 feet, and is six stories high. I believe that it can
accommodate 1300 peoj)le. The St. Nicholas is the most
superb in its decorations ; it is a magniiicent building of
white marble, and can acconmiodate 1000 visitors. Every-
thing in this edifice is on a style of princely magnilkence.
The grand entrance opens into a very fine hall with a
marb^" floor, and this is surrouiMJed with settees covewid
with the skins of wild animal . The parlours are gw-
geous in .the extreme, and there are two sii|>erb din*ng-
rooms to contain 600 poo])le each. The curtiiin.- at.d
sofa-covers in some of the parlours cost 5^. per yard, <»!«.
as has been previously named, one room u fiiriiisiJ«!l

Chap. XVf.
; with the

L>rk. Tli(>
v'orltl-wide
olas, all in
also atFoi'd
It ranees to
J ajtraugcr.
are always
and read-
g for their
I men, with
leni iinmis-
3ness. who
n intruders
m business

sing in ap-
Vontage of
that it can
is the most
building of
>rs. Ever}-
ignitieence.
lall with <i
es covered
s are gor-
■rh din'iig-

rtainr- a ■!

yard. i«i'

Chap. XVI.

HOTELS.

343

('.

!ir"t-ii.

with gold brocade purchased at 9/. per yard. About
100 married couples reside permanently at the St. Ni-
cholas ; it does not, however, bear the very best repu-
tation, as it is said to be the resort of a large number of
professed gamblers. Large as these hotels are, they are
nothuig to a monster establishment at Cape May, a
fcishionable summer resort in New Jersey. The capa-
cities of this building, the Mount Vernon Hotel, though
stated on the best authority, can scarcely be credited —
it is said to make up 3000 beds !

Owing to the high rates of house-rent and the diffi-
culty of procuring servants, together with the exorbitant
wages which they rccjuire, many married couples, and
even families, reside permanently at the hotels. Living
constantly in public, without opportunity for holding
family intercourse, and being without either homo cares
or home pleasures, Jiomade, restless, pleasure-seeking
Iiabits are induced, which have led strangers to charge
the Americans with beino; destitute of home life. That
such is the case to some extent is not to be denied ; but
this want is by no means generally observed. I have met
with family circles in the New World as united and
affectionate as those in the Old, not only in country
districts, but in the metroptdis itself; and in New Eng-
land there is probably as much of what may be termed
patriarchal life as anywhere in Europe.

The public charities of New York are on a gigantic
scale. The New York IIosj)ital, a fine stent; building
with some large trees in front, situated in Broadway,
was one which pleased me as much as any. 'I\vo of the
physicians kindly took me over the whole building, and

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344

NEW YORK.

Chap. XVI.

explained all tlio arrangenients. I believe that tlic lios-
pital contains G50 beds, and it is generally full, being
not only the receptacle for the numerous accident eases
which are of daily occurrence in New York, but for
those of a large district besides, which are conveniently
brought in by railroad. We fir-t went into the recent-
accident room, where the unhappy beings who were re-
cently hurt or operated upon were lying. Some of them
were the most piteous objects 1 ever witnessed, and the
medical men, under the im})ression that I was deeply
interested in surgery, took pains to exhibit all the horror^;.
There were a good many of the usual classes of accidents,
— broken limbs and mangled frames. There was one
poor little boy of twelve years old, whose arms had been
torn to jHeces-tby machinery ; one of them had been am-
putated on the previous day, and, while the medical men
displayed the stump, they remarked that the other must
be taken off on the next day. The poor boy groaned
with a more than childish expression of agony on his pale
features, j)robably at the thought of the life of helplessness
bi'fore him. A young Irishman had been crushed by a
railway car, and one of his legs had bee?i amputated a
few hours previously. As the surgeon altered the band-
ages he was laughing and joking, and had been singing
ever since the operation- a remarkable instance of Paddy's
unfailing lightheartedness.

But, besides these ordinary accidents, there were some
very characteristic of New York and of a New Yoik
election. In one ward there were several men who had
been stabbed the night before, two of whom were mortally
wounded. There were two men, scarcely retaining the

Chap. XVI.

the lios-
'ull, being
lent cjises
I, but for
nveniently
he recent-
1 wore re-
10 of them
[1, and tlie
va..^ deeply
lie hor^o^:^.
• accidents,
3 was one
s had been
1 been ani-
edical men
[)thor must
y groaned
on his pale
olploj^sness
Lishod by a
putated a
the band-
en singing
of Paddy's

were some
Sl^ew Yoik
n wlio had
e mortally
aming the

Chat-. XVI.

THE IIOSriTAL.

345

appearance of human beings, who had been fearfully
burned and injured by the explosion of an infernal machine.
All trace of human features had departed ; it seemed
hardly credible that such blackened, distorted, .and
mangled franu's could contain human souls I'here were
others who had received nuisket-shot wounds durinc: the;
election, and numbers of broken heads, and wounds from
knives. It was sad to know that so much of the sufTerinir
to be seen in that hospital was tlu; "csnlt of furious re-
ligious animosities, and of the unrestrained lawle?^sness of
human violence.

There was one man who had been so nearly crushed to
pieces, that it seemed marvellous that the mangled frame
could still retain its vitality. One leg was broken in three
places, and the flesh torn off from the knee to the foot ;
both arms and several ribs were also broken. Wo went
into one of the female wards, where sixteen broken legs
were being successfully treated, and I could not but ad-
mire a very simple contrivance which remedies the con-
traction which often succeeds broken limbs, and produces
permanent lameness. Two long strn])s of jdaister were
glued from above the knee to the ankle, and were then
tixed to a wooden bar, with a screw and handle, so that
the tension could be regulated at pleasure. The medical
men, in remarking upon this, observed that in England
we were very slow to adopt any American improvements
in surgery or medicine.

There were many things in this hospital which might
be imitated in Enghuid with great advantage to the pa-
tients. Each ward was clean, Skveet, and airy ; and the

Q 3

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340

NEW YORK.

Chap. XVI.

.i .

1 :;■

?f''ifi

system of heating and ventilation is very superior. The
lieating and ventilating apparatus, instead of sending forth
alternate blasts of hot and cold air, keeps up a uniform
and easily regulated temperature. A draught of cold air
is continually forced through a large apparatus of steam-
pipes, and, as it becomes vitiated in the rooms above,
passes out through ventilators placed just below the
ceiling. Our next visit was to the laundry, where two
men, three women, and, last but not least, a steam-engine
of 45- horse power, were perpetually engaged in washing
the soiled linen of the hospital. The large and rapidly-
moving cylinder which churns the linen is a common part
of a steam laundry, but the wringing machine is one of
the most beautiful practical applications of a principle in
natural philosophy that I ever saw. It consists of a large
perforated cylinder, open at the top, with a case in the
centre. This cylinder performs from 400 to 700 revo-
lutions in a minute, and, by the power of the centrifugal
force thus produced, the linen is impelled so violently
against the sides, that the moisture is forced through the
perforations, when the linen is left nearly dry.

Strange as it may appear to those who associate Ame-
rica with })lonty and comfort, there is a very large class
of persons at New York living in a state uf squalid and
abject poverty ; and in order that the children belonging
to it may receive some education, it has been found neces-
sary by the benevolent to su})plement the common school
system with ragged or industrial schools. In order not
to wound the pride of parents who are not too proud to
receive a gratuitous education for their offspring, these

HAP. XVI.

)r.

The

ing forth
uniform
f cold air
)f steam-
is above,
elow the
here two
m-engine
1 washing
I rapidly -
im(m part
is one of
•inciple in
of a large
Lj-e in the
700 revo-
entrifugal
violently
•ough the

ate x\me-
iirge class
lalid and
belonging
nd neces-
lon school
order not
proud to
ng, these

Chai-. XVI.

SCHOOLS.

347

establishments are not called Ragged Schools, but " Boys'
Meetings," and " Girls' Meetings." I visited two of
these, the first in Tompkin Square. There were about
100 children in the school, and nearly all of them wore
Irish Roman Catholics. They receive a good elementary
education, and answered the questions addressed to them
with correctness and alacrity. The Bible, of course, is not
read, but the pupils learn a Scripture catechism, and para-
phrased versions of Scripture incidents. One day, during
the absence of the teacher, one of the pupils was looking
into an English Bible, and another addressed her with the
words, " You wicked girl, you know the priest says that
you are never to open that bad book ; I will never walk
with you again." The child, on going home, j>ld her
mother, and she said that she did not think it could be
such a bad book, as the ladies who were so kind to them
rx.ad it. The child said that it was a beautiful book, and
persuaded her mother to borrow a Bil)le from a neigh-
bour ; she read it, and became a Protestant. These
children earn their clothing by a certain number of good
marks, but most of them were shoeless. Each child is
obliged to take a bath on the establishment once a-week.
Their answers in geography and history were extremely
good. In the afternoon the elder girls are employed in
tailoring and dressmaking, and receive so much work that
this brancli of the school is self-suj)porting.

I visited another industrial school, in a very bad part
of the town, adjoining the Bowery, whevc ^.he parents are
of the very worst description, and their offspring arc
vicious and unmanageable. I think that I never saw vice

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NEW YORK.

CiiAi'. XVI.

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and crime so logibly stamped iij)on tlie countenances of
children as upon tlio^e in this school. Tiie teachers find
it extremely difficult to preserve discipline at all ; and the
pilfering habits of the pupils are almost incorrigible.
They each receive a pint of excellent soup and an mi-
limited quantity of bread for dinner ; but they are dis-
contented and unthankful.

The common school system will be enlarged upon in a
succeeding chiipter ; but I cannot forbear noticing one school
wliich I vlsitt-'d. It was a lofty, four-storied building of
red brick, with considerable architectural pretensions. It
was faced with brown stone, and had a very handsome
eutrance-hall and staircase. The people of Now York
vie with each other in their hospitality to strangers, and
in showing them the objects of interest within their city
in the very best manner ; and it was under the auspices
of Dr. Wells, one of the connnissioners of education, that
I saw this admirable school, or rather educational institu-
tion. On inquiring the reason of the extraordinary height
of the balustrades, I was told that some weeks previously,
as the boys were hurriedly leaving school, forty of them
had been pushed over the staircase, out of which number
nearly the whole were killed !

In the girls' room about *J00 girls between the ages of
eight and eighteen were assembled. They were the
children of persons in every class in the city except the
very wealthiest and the poorest. All these girls were well
dressed, some of them tasteful, others fantastic, in their
appearance. There was a great deal of beauty among
the elder pupils ; I only regretted that the bright bloom

4v' '

ifAr. XVI.

lancos of
hers find

and tlic
^rrigibli*.
[ an iiii-

are dis-

ipoii in a
no school
liUling of
jions. It
landsoniu
[uw York
gors, and
their city

auspices
ition, that
il institu-

ry height
reviously,
of them
number

le ages of
were tlie
xcept the
were well
2, in their
ty among
ht bloom

Chap. XVI.

SCHOOLS.

349

which many possessed should be so evanescent. The rich
luxuriant hair, often of a beautiful auburn line, was a
peculiarity which could not be overlooked. Tliere were
about ten female teachers, the principal of whom played
some lively airs upon the piano, during which time the
pupils marched steadily in from various class-roomi*, and
took their seats at handsome maliogany desks, which
accommodated two each. No expense had been spared
in the fittings of the apartment ; the connnissioners of
education are evidently of opinion that the young do not
acquire knowledge the more speedily from being placed
on comfortless benches, without any means of resting their
weak and tired frames.

Each desk contained a drawer or cupboard ; and to
encourage those habits of order and self-reliance to which
so much weight is attached in the States, each pupil is
made responsible for the preservation and security of her
books and all implements of education. The business of
the day commenced by the whole number of girls reverently
repeating the Lord's Prayer, ^vhich, in addres^sing God as
" Our Father," ])roclaims the common bond of brother-
hood which unites the whole human race. The sound of
900 youthful voices solemnly addressing their Creator
was very beautiful and impressive. A chaj)ter from the
Bible, read aloud by the teacher, followed, and a hynui
beautifully sung, when the pupils filed off as before to the
sound of music. We next went to the elementary room,
appropriated to infants, who are not sent to the higher
school till tlieir proficiency j'eaches the standard re-
quired.

,1 VI V

' 1 , 4

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- • ■ ».

l':!t.

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350

NEW YORK.

CiiAP. XVI.

The iiifiint systom does not appear to differ materially
from ours, except that it is of a more intellectual nature.
In this room 13(H) children joined in singing a hymn. In
the hoys' rooms ahout 1000 hoys were receiving instruc-
tion under ahout 1 2 specimens of " Young America." The
restless, the almost fearful energy of the teachers surprised
me, and the alacrity of the hoys in answering questions.
In the algehra-room questions involving the most difficult
calculation on the part of the pui)ils were answered some-
times even heforc the teacher had worked them out him-
self.

Altogether, I was delighted with this school and with
the earnestness di^played by both teachers and pupils. 1
was not so well pleased with the manners of the instructors,
particularly in the boys' school. There was a boastful-
ness, an exaggeration, and a pedantry, which are by no
means necessary accompaniments of superior attainments.
The pupils have a disrespectful, familiar, and independent
air, though I understood that the punishments are more
severe than are generally approved of in English schools.
The course of instruction is very complete. Ili?tory is
especially attended to, with its bearing upon modern
politics. The teachers receive from 80/. to 300/. a year,
and very high attainments are required. Besides the
common and industrial schools, there are means of educa-
tion provided for the juvenile portion of the very large
foreign population of New York, principally German.
There are several schools held under the basements of
the churches, without any paid teachers. The ladies
of New York, to their honour be it said, undertake,

I ' t ■'■

lAP. XVI.

itorially
nature,
nn. In
instruc-
,." The
tn'prised
uestions.
diflienlt
■;d some-
tint hini-

and witli
nj)lls. 1
strnctors,
boastful-
iro by no
nnnients,
opendent
ire more
schools.
i?tory is
modern
/. a year,
Isides the
f educii-
M'y large
[German.
Iments of
lie ladies
lidertake,

Chap. XVI.

SCHOOLS.

.151

unassisted, the education of these children, a certain
number being attached to every school. Kach of these
ladies takes some hours of a day, and youth and beauty
may be seen perseveriugly engaged in this arduous but
useful task.

The sj)irit of practical benevolence which aj)pear.s to
permeate New York society is one of its most plea»inir
features. It is not only that the wealthy contribute large
sums of money to charitable objects, but they jiersonally
superintend their right distribution. No class is left
untouched by their benevolent efl'orts ; wherever suHering
and poverty are found, the hand of Christianity or phi-
lanthro))y is stretched out to relieve them. The gulf
which in most cities separates the rich from the poor has
been to some extent lessened in New York ; for numbers
of ladies and gentlemen of education and affluence visit
among the poor and vicious, seeking to raise them to a
better position.

If there are schools, emigrant hospitals, orjihan asy-
lums, and nursing institutions, to mark the good sense and
philanthropy of the people of New York, so their love of
amuseuKmt and recreation is strongly evidenced by the
numerous places where both may be j)rocured. There is
perhaps as much jdeasure-seeking as in Paris ; the search
after amusement is characterised by the same restless
energy which marks the pursuit after wealth ; and if the
Americans have little time for enjoying themselves, they
are resolved that the opportunities for doing so shall be
neither distant nor few. Thus, Broadway and its neigh-
bourhood contain more places of amusement than perhajis
any district of equal size in the world. These present

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NEW YORK.

CiiAi'. XVI.

varioty FMfficioi.t to tmihraco tlio tastes of tlio very hetero-
geneous j)0|)ulation of New York.

Tliero are three large theatre.^ ; an opera-house of
gigantic proportions, whieli is aniinally graced hy tlie
highest vocal talent of Europe ; Wood's iniui-trels, and
Christy's uiin.strels, where hlaeks perforin in unexception-
ahle style to unwearied audiences ; and comic operas.
There are alfresco cntertainnu'uts, masqu^'rades, concerts,
restaurants, and oyster saloons, l^esides all the.se, and
many more. New York contained in 1853 the amazing
numher of 5980 taverns. I'lio nuinher of places where
amusement is comhined with intellectual improvement is
small, when compared vith other cities of the same
population. There are however some very magnificent
readinir-rooms and lihraries.

The amount of oysters eaten in New York surprised
me, although there was an idea at the time of my visit
that they produced the cholera, which rather checked any
extraordinary excesses in this curious fish. In the busi-
ness streets of New York the eyes are greeted continually
with the words " Oyster Saloon," painted in large letters
on the basement story. If the stranger's curiosity is
sufficient to induce him to dive down a flight of steps into
a subterranean abode, at the first glance rather suggestive
of robbery, one favourite amusement of the people may be
seen in perfection There is a counter at (me side, where
two or three persons, frequently blacks, are bu^ily engaged
in opening oysters for their customers, who swallow them
with astonishing relish and rapidity. In a room beyond,
brightly lighted by gas, family groups are to be seen,
seated at round tables, and larger parties of friends,

IIAl'. XVI.

' hotero-
liouso of

l)V till'

r(!ls, and
^ceptidii-
j operas,
concerts,
lOfiC, and
amazing
;es where
k'enient is
he same
iiiinificent

surprised
my visit
eked any
the busi-
)ntinually
ge letters
iriosity is
steps into
uggestive
le may be
le, where
! engaged
h)w them
1 beyond,
be seen,
f friends,

Chap. XVI.

RESTAURANTS.

Ho.l

enjoying basins of stewed oysters ; whih} from some
mysterious recess tiie process of cookery

makes itself

distinctly audible. Some of these saloons are highly
respectable, while many are just the reverse. But the
consumption of oysters is by no means confined to the
saloons; in private families an oyster sujjper is frequently
a nightly occurrence ; the oysters are dressed in the par-
lour by au ingenious and not inelegant apparatus. No
great is the passion for this luxury, that the consumption
of it during the seas(m is estimated at 3500/. a-day.

There are several restaurants in the city, on the model
of those in the Palais Royal. The most superb of these,
but not by any means the most respectable^ is Taylor's,
in Broadway. It combines Eastern magnificence with
Parisian taste, and strangcn's are always expected to visit
it. It is a room about 100 ft. in length, by 22 in
height ; the roof and cornices richly carved and gilded,
the walls ornamented by superb mirrors, separated by
white marble. The floor is of marble, and a row of fluted
and polished marble pillars runs down each side. It is a
perfect blaze of decoration. There is an alcove at one
end of the apartment, filled with orange-trees, and the
air is kept refreshingly cool by a crystal fountain. Any
meal can be obtained here at any hour. On the day on
which I visited it, the one hundred marble tables which it
contains were nearly all occui)ied ; a double row of
equipages lined the street at the door ; and two or three
hundred people, many of them without bonnets and
fantastically dressed, were regaling themselves upon ices
and other elegancies in au atujosphere redolent with the
perfume of orange-flowers, and musical with the sound of

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NEW YOKK.

rii.v;-. XVI,

tricklin" writer, and the Djrlodv of musical >milV-li()Xi's.
TluM'o was a coniplote ma/c of fivsco, iniiTors, rarvliiij,
gilding, and niail.lo. A dinncM* can lie proonrod Iumc at
any lionr of day or niglit, from one sshilling and six|MMH f
up to l)alf-a-guinra, and otlier mealss in like proj.ortion.
As we niorelv went to see tlie restaurant, we ordered iees,
wliieli were served from lame reservoirs, sliining like
poli?lied silver. These were i>aid for at the time, and we
reeeived tickets in return, which were taken l)y the door-
kee])er on coming out. It might he su)>posed that
l{epul)lie;!'i simplicity would scorn so much external
display ; hut the jtlaces of puhlic entertaiinnent vie in
their splendom* with the palaces of king-.

It was almost imuossihle for a sti-aniiiM* to leavi* New
Yori. without viriting the American mnr<eum, the j)roju>rty
of Pltiiicita Trijlor llannim. Thi' history of this very
rem irlarJo man is now wtdl known, even in Mngland,
wher. irui pnl)licati(»n of his ' Antohiograj)hy' has been a
nine davs' wonder. It is said that ()0.()()() copies were
sold at New York in one day, so successful has he hecu
in keeping himself for ever before the puhlic eye. It is
paiid'ul to see h.nv far a man wIkk^^c life has been spent in
total disregard of the j)rineiples of truth and intt'grify
should iiave earned for himstdf popularity and fame.
His museum is sitnatetl in Broadway, ni-ar to the (^ity
ilall, and is a gaudy building, denoted by hug** j)aintings,
multitudes (if ilags, and a Aery noisy band. Tlie nniseum
contains nuniy objects of real interest, particularly to tlie
naturalist and geologist, intermingled with a great deal
that is spuriouh and contemptible. But this museum is
bv no means the attraction to this " Palace of Ilumbujjr."

U-^

y,'. XVI.

I'-boXt'S.
•arvinjj:,
lioro at

iix|MMH'l.'

ijortion.

iup; liko
, anil NM"
lio (loor-
c(l tl\at
oxtornal
it v'u» in

avo Now
]>r(>j)in'ty
tills viTy
I'nglaiul,
IS been a
>u's \VL»re
Is 111' boon
yo. It is

spout in

intogrity
ml I'anio.

tlio ("ity
[paintings,
1» nmsoum

i-ly to tlio
Moat «loal

nsonni is
lluinl.in*;."

t'llAP. XVI.

l)Wi:i.i,iX(;-norsi;s.

nr.ri

Tlioro is a oollootion of horrors or nionsitrosifiM's attnclKMl,
which apjK'arsto fasoinato tlio vnlgarga/f. 11*4* priiicipa'
objoots of attraclion at this tinio w<-rr, a dog with two
logs, a oow with fonr horns, and a oalf with .-*i\ loga —
disgnsting spooinions of d(>forn»ity, which ought to havf
boon destroyed, rather than preserved to gratify a niorliid
taste for the li )rribh> and erratic in nature. Kut whih-
persons of the highest station and I'dnoation in !.iij.;riid
patronised an artful .ind luiserabh' dwarf, elevi-rl) . .\bi-
bitod by a showtuan totally dostitntt* of principle, it ii* wot
surprising that the Anierlean peojde .^-lionhl «h light in y»«f
more Indeotis oxbibitioi;.-, under the same aMsj)ices.

Tlu' magnificiMico of the private dwellings of Sfw
York must not escape uu'ution, though I am comptdlecl
to withhol 1 many details that would b" iutere-ting, from
a fear of "violating the rights of hospitality." 'I'h * scpiares,
and many u[' the mnnberod streets, contain viry Miperli
housf's of a nu).-t j)U'asiug uniformity of style. They are
built •'ither of brown stoiu', or of <1 trk red briik, durai)ly
pointed, and faced with >tone. 'I'liis stylo of brick
mas(mry is extronudy ta.-.tcl'ul and beautiful. livery house;
has an outrunce-j)orch with windows of .-Jained glass, and
double doors; tlii' outer one bein<i only (dose*! at night.
The upper j)art of the imier door is made of staino(l gla-s ;
the door-lian<llos and bidl-pnlls are tnade of higiiiy-poli.>-hod
oloetro-plate ; and a hand-ome ilight cd" stone stejts, with
idegant bron/t* balnstrailes, leads uj> to the jiorch. Tho
entrance-halls are siddoni large, but tho staircases, which
are of stono, are invariably very handsomi!. 'riicse hoiiscs
are six stories high, and usually eontain three reccj)tiou-
rooias ; a dining-room, !*mall, and not striidng in appear-

'. .'II'

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i}m

''W''\A

' i

350

NEW YORK.

CiiAP. XVI.

■ >

anco in any way, as dinncM'-parties arc seldom given in
New York; a small, elegantly-furnished drawing-room,
used as a family sitting-room, and for the reception of
morning visitors ; and a magnificent rjcej)ti(tn-rooni,
furnished in tlie height of taste and elegance, for dancing,
mnsic, and evening parties.

In London the bedrooms are generally inconvenient
and uncomfortable, being sacrificed co the recej)ti()n-
rooms ; in New York this is not the case. The bedrooms
are large, lofty, and airy ; and are furnished with all t'le
appurtenances which modern luxury has been able to
devise. The profusion of marble gives a very handsome
and chaste appearance to these apartments. There are
bath-rooms generally on three floors, and hot and cold
water are laid on in every story. The houses are warmed
by air heated from a furucije at the basen)ent ; and
though in addition oj)cn fires are sometimes adopted, they
are made of anthracite coal, which emits no smoke, and
has rather the apj)earance of heated metal tlian of fuel.
Ornamental articles of Parisian taste and Italian work-
manslii]) abound in these houses; and the mouldings,
cornices, and woodwork, are all beaatifully executed.
The doorways and windows are very frequently of an
arched form, which contributes to the tasteful a])pearance
of the houses. Every species oi gaudy decoration is
strictly avoided ; the paint is generally white, with gilt
mouldings ; and the lofty rooms are either painted in
panels, or hung with paper of a very simple pattern.

The curtains and chair-covers are always of very rich
damask, frequently worth from two to three guineas a
yard ; but the richness of this, and of the gold euibroi-

*^im

6.4,: J

lAI'. XVI.

CiiAi'. XVI.

DWELLING-HOUSES.

357

rjiven in
il-rooin,
ption of
(ii-rooni,
[lancing,

nvenient
jception-
letl rooms
h all tho
able to
landsonie
'here are
and cold
; warmed
»nt ; and
ted, they
oke, and
n of fnel.
n work-
onlding.-,
xecuted.
y of an
nearance
ration is
with gilt
inted in
rn,

very rich
uincas a
I embroi-

dery, is toned down by the dark hue of th.e walnut-wood
furniture. The crirpets of tl)e recej)tio:i- rooms are gene-
rally of rich Kidderminster, or vel'et pile ; an air of
elegance and cleanliness pervades tlicse superb dwellings ;
they look the heiglit of comfort, it must be remembered
that the foregoing is not a description of a dwelling here
and there, but of fifty or sixty streets, or of 4000 or
5000 houses, those iniiabited bv merchants of average
incomes, stoiekeepers not of the wealthiest class, and
lawyers The number of .-servants kept in such mansions
as these would sound disproptsrtionately small to an
English ear. Two or three female servants only are
required. Breakfast is very early, frequently at sinen,
seldom later than eight. The families of u.jrchants in
business in the lower part of the city often dine at one,
and the gentlemen return to a combination of dinner with
tea at six. It do(?s not appear that at home luxury in
eating is much studied. It is not customary, even among
some of the wealthier inhabitants of New York, to indulge
in sumptuous equipages. " Hacks," with respectable-look-
ing drivers and })airs of lun'ses, fill the place of private
carriages, and look equally well, (^aehinen recjuire high
v/ages, and carriages are frequently injured by collision
with cnniibuses ; these are among the reasons given for
the very general use of hired vehicles.

The private jcjuipages to be seen in New York, though
roomy and comfortable, are not elegant. They are
almost invariably closed, with glass sides and front, and
are constructed with a view to keep out the intense heat
of the summer sun. The coachmen are generally blacks,
and the horses are stout animals, w ith cropped tails. Tlio

\f.

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■.» I

358

NEV/ YOP.::.

Chap. XVI.

majority iiave brckon knees, owing to the great slipperi-
ness of tlie pavements.

Altogetljer, tlie oecupants of slaves are tlie most st ^urc
of the numerous travellers dcnvn Broadway. The driver,
on liis lofty box, has more control over his lioi-ses, and, in
case of collision, the weight of his vehicle gives him an
acWantago ; and there is a general inclination, on the part
of the conductors of carriages, to give these swiftly-
moving vehicles " ample room and verge enough." Wiiile
threading the way through the intricate labyrinth of
waggons, stages, falling horses, and locked wheels, it is
highly unpleasant for the denizens of jirivate carriages to
fmd the end of a pole tlirough the back of the equipage,
or to be addressed by the coachman, "TJassa, dat big
waggon is pulling off iuy wheel."

Having given a brief description of the style of the ordi-
nary dwellings of the allluent, I w ill just ghuice at those of
the very wealthy, of which there are several in Fifth Ave-
nue, and some of the scpiares, surpassing anything I had
hitherto witnessed in royal or ducal palaces at home.
Tiie externals oi some of the?e mansions in I'ifth Avenue
are like Apsley House, and Stalford House, St. James's;
being substantially built of brown stone. At one house

which 1 visited in street, about the largest private

residence in the city, and one which is considered to
combine the greatest splendour with the greatest taste,
we entered a spacious marble hall, leading to a circular
atone staircase of great width, the l»alustrades being
figures elaborately cast in bronze. Above this staircase
was a lofty dome, decorated with paintings in fresco of
eastern scenes. There were nii^hes in the walls, some

Ar. XYI.
ilippori-

it St "ure
; driver,

{UkI, in
3 hi;n an
the part

swiftly -
' While
,rinth of
lehs it is
•rlages to
equipage,
, (lat big

• the ordi-
it those of
^ifth Ave-
in"; I had
at home.
Ih xVvenue
Jaines's ;
)ne house
t private
lidered to
est taste,
a cireular
lies being
staircase
freseo of
lis, some

CiiAP. XVf .

TALACES.

359

containing Italian statuary, and others small jets of water
pouring over artificial moss.

There were six or eight magnificent reception-rooms,
furnished in various styles — the Mediaeval, the Eliza-
bethan, the Italian, the Persian, the modern English, SiC.
'I'hcre were fountains of fairy workmanship, pictures from
the old masters, statues from Italy, '■'■ chofs-d'wuvrc" of
art : porcelain from China and Sevres ; damasks, cloth of
gold, ind hijoux from the East ; Gobelin tai)estry, tables
of malachite and agate, and " knick-knacks" of every
description. In the Mediaeval and Elizabethan aj>an-
nientri, it did not appear to me that any anachronisms had
been committed with respect to the furniture and decora-
tions. The light was subdued by passing through win-
dows of rich stained glass. I saw one table the value of
which might be about 2000 guineas. The ground was
black marble, with a wreath of flowers inlaid with very
costly gems upon it. There were flowers or bunches of
fruit, of turquoise, carbuncles, rubies, topazes, and eme-
ralds, while the leaves were of malachite, cornelian, or
agate. The eflfect produced by this lavish employment of
wealth was not very good. The bedrooms were scarcely
less magnificently furnished than the rece})tion-r()oms ;
with chairs foruied of stag-horns, tables inlaid with
agates, and hangings of Damascus cashmere, richly em-
bossed with gold. There was nothhig gaudy, profuse, or
prominent in the decorations or furniture ; everything
had evidently been selected and arranged by a ])erson of
very refined taste. Among the very beautiful works of
art was a collection of cameos, including some of Cellini's
from the antique, which were really entrancing to look upon.

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360

NEW YORK.

Chap. XVI.

Another mansion, whicli N. P. Willis justly dcscribos
as "a fairy palaco of ta-te and art," tlioufrh not so oxtcn-
sivo, was equally beautiful, and possessed a large winter-
garden. This was apjiroached by passing tlu'ough a
succession of very beautiful rooms, the walls of which
were hung with paintings which would have delighted a
counoisscur. It was a glass building with a liigh dome ;
a fine fountain was pla}ing in thy centre, and round its
marble basin were oi'ange, palm, and myrtle trees, with
others from the tropics, some of them of considerable
growth. Every part of the floor that was not of polished
white marble was thickly carpeted with small green ferns.
The (/Icam of white marble statues, from among the
clumps of orange-trees and other shrubs, was particularly
j)retty ; indeed, tiio whole had a fairy-like appearance
about it. Such mansions as these were rather at variance
with my ideas of republic/.n simplicity ; they ccmtained
apartinents which would have thrown into the shade the
finest rooms in Windsor Castle or Buckingham Palace.
It is not the custom for Americans to leave lar^e for-

tunes to their children ; their wealth is spent in great
measure in surrounding themselves with the beautiful
and the elegant in their splendid mansions; and It is pro-
bable that the adornments which have been collected with
so much expense and trouble will be dispersed at the
death of their present possessors.

I have often been asked, '" IIow do the American ladies
dress? Have they nice figures? Do they wear much
ornament? What are their manners like? Are they
highly educated ? Are they domestic?" I will answer
these questions as far as I am capable of doing so.

>"-

lAP. XVI.

^escribes
[) oxten-
; winter-
i-ough a
)f wliicli
Islitotl a
h dome ;
•ound its
■ees, with
is'ulorable
' polishoil
ecu forns.
uong the
irticulavly
ppeanmco
t variance
contained
shade the
Pahice.
Ilarge for-
in great
beautiful
it is pro-
jcted with
bd at the

lean ladies
tear much

Are they
ill answer

so.

Cii.vi'. XVI. LADIES' DRESSES AND FlGUllES.

;j<;i

In bygono times, the "good old times" of Amerieu
perhaps, large patterns, brilliant colours, exaggerated
fashions, and redundant ornament, were all ad()})ted by
the American ladies ; and without just regard to the
severity of their climate, they patronised thin dresses,
and yet thinner shoes; both being, as has been since disi-
eovered, very j)rolific sources of ill health. Fretjuent
intercourse with Europe, and the gradual progie.«s vi'
good taste, have altered this absurd style, and America,
like England, is now content to submit to the dictatiiai
of Paris in all matters of fashion. But though Paris
might dictate, it was found that American milliners had
stubborn wills of their own, so Parisian modistes were
imported along with Parisian silks, ribands, and gloves.
No dressmaker is now considered orthodox who eannut
show a prefix of Madame^ and the rage for foreign mate-
rials and workmanship of every kind is as ludicrous as in
Eimland.

Although the deee})tion jjraetised is very blameable,
there is some comfort in knowinu; that large nund)ers of
the caj)s, bonnets, mantles, and other articles of dress,
which are marked ostentatiously with the name of some
liuc in Paris, have never incurred the risks of an Atlantic
voyage. But however unworthy a devotion to fashion
may be, it is very certain tiiat the lailies of New \ ork
dress beautifully, and in very gooil taste. Although it is
rather repugnant to one's feelings to behold costly silks
and rich brocadi's s^' eeping the j)avements of Broadway,
with more effect than is produced by the dust on, it is
very certain that more beautiful toilettes are to be seen in
this celebrated thoroughfare, in one afternoon, than in

:.r

H 1

4 •

302

NEW YORK.

CiiAi'. XVI.

• I-

■ i ■ :i

;f:^ .

i • , 'Pi

Hyde Park in a week. As it is impossible to display
the productions of the millinery art in a close carriage in
a crowd, Broadway is the fashionable promenade ; and
the lightest French bonnets, tlie handsomest mantles, and
the richest flounced silk dresses, with jupons^ ribands, and
laces to correspond, are there to be seen in the afternoon.
Evening attire is very much the same as in England,
only that richer materials are worn by the young. The
harmony of colours apj)ears to be a subject studied to
some purpose, and tlie style of dress is generally adapted
to the height, comj)lexion, and figure of the wearer.

The figures of the American ladies in youth are very
sylph-like and elegant ; and this appearance is obtained
without the use of those artificial constraints so justly to
be condemned. They are almost too slight for beauty,
though this does not signify while they retain the luxu-
riant wavy hair, brilliant comj)lexion, elastic step, and
gracefulness of very early youth. But unfortunately a
girl of twenty is too apt to look faded and haggard ; and
a woman who with us would be in her bloom at thirty,
loaks passi'e, wrinkled, and old. It is then that the
sylph-like form assumes an unpleasant angularity, sug-
gestive of weariness and care. It is remarkable, however,
that ladies of recent English extraction, under exactly
the same circumstances, retain their good looks into
middle life, and advancing years produce cmbonjwinf,
instead of angularity. I was very agreeably surprised
with the beauty of the young ladies of New York ; there
is something peculiarly graceful and fascinating in their
personal ap])earance.

To judge trom the costly articles of jewellery displayed

:iiAi'.xvi.

3 display
irriage in
wle; and
itles, and
ands, and
ifternonn.
England,
ng. Tlie
itudied to
y adapted
rer.

I are very
5 obtained
J justly to
Dr beauty,
the luxu-
step, and
|tunately a
liiard ; and

ID '

at thirty,
ii that the
|arity, sug-
, however,
er exactly
looks into
nihotipoint,
surprised
rk ; there
lig in their

displayed

Chap. XVI. LADIES' DRESSES AND FIGUIIES.

3G3

in the stores, I sfiould have supposed that there was a
great rage for ornament ; but from the reply I once
received from a jeweller, on asking him who would pur-
chase a five- thousand-guinea diamond bracelet, " I guess
some Southerner will buy it for his wife," I believe that
most of these articles find their way to the South and
West, where a less-cultivated taste may be supposed to
prevail. I saw very little jewellery worn, and that was
generally of a valuable but plain description. The young
ladies appear to have adopti'd the maxim, " Beauty when
unadorned is adorned the most." Tliey study variety in
ornament rather than profusion. " AVIiat are their man-
ners like ?" is a difficult question to answer. That there
is a great difference between the manners of English and
American ladies may be inferred from some remarks made
to me by the most superior woman whom I met in America,
and one who had been in English society in London.
In naming a lady with whom she was acquainted, and
one who could scarcely be expected to be deficient in
affection towards herself, fhe said, " Her manners were
perfectly ladylike, but she seemed to talk merely because
conversation was a conventional requirement of society,
and I cannot believe that she had any heart." She
added, " I did not blame her for this ; it was merely tho
result of an English education, which stud'ously banishes
every appearance of interest or emotion. Emoti<^ is con-
demned as romantic and vulgar sensibility, interest as
enthusiasm."

The system which she ivprehended is not follow<,\l at
New York, and the result is, not tlmt the ladie* ''* wear
their hearts on their sleeves for daws to po<,'k at," but

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304

NEW YORK.

Chap. XVI.

tliiit tliey arc unafTt'ctcd, iively, and agrocaMo. Tlio re-
pose so studiously cultivatod in England, and which is
considoi'cd j)tMfect when it has hoconio listlcssnos<, apathy,
and indiiriToncc, finds no favour with our lively Transat-
hmtic ncighhours ; conseiiuontly the ladies are very iiaive
and lively, and their manners have the vivaeity without
the frivolity of the French. They say themselves that
they are not so highly educated as the hulics of Kngland.
Admirahlc as the common schools are, the seminaries for
ladies, with one or two exceptions, are very inferior to
onrs, and the early age at which the y«)ung ladies go
into societ} precludes them from completing a superior
education ; for it is scarcely to be expected that, when
their minds arc filled with the desire for conquest and
the love of admiration, they will api)ly systematically to
remedy their deficiencies. And again, some of their own
sex in the Stat(^s have so far steppcul out of woman's
proper sphere, that high attainments are rather avoided
by many from the ridicule which has been attachi>d to
the unsuitable display of them in public. The young
ladies are too apt to consider their education completed
when they are emancipated from school restranits, while
in fact only the basis of it has be(Mi laid. Music and
drawing are not much cultivated in the higher branches ;
and though many sj)(;ak the modern languages with
fluency, natural philosophy and arithmetic, which strengthen
the mental powers, are rather neglected. Yet who has
ever missed the higher education which English ladies
receive, while in the society of the lively, attractive ladies
of New Vork ? Of coui'se there are exceptions, where
active and superior minds become highly cultivated by

woniMii s

Thai-. XVI.

THE LADIES— TIIK OEXTLEMEX.

tlu'ir own purscvcring cxortittiis ; hut tlu* Mulri olFi'nil l>y
]-.i(lie.s' schools are (•oiiij)aratively insignificant.

The ladies in tlu* Ignited States a|)j)eare<l to me to he
iwtreniely doniestie. Ih)\vever fond fliey may he of ad-
miration as girls, after their early marri.iges they heeonio
dutiful wives, and afieetionate, devoted mothers. And in
a eountry where there are few faitliful attached scM'vant-;,
far more devolves uj)on the mother than Knglish ladies
have any idea of. Those amusements whicdi would witli-
draw her from home must he ahandoned ; liowever fond
she may he of travelling, she must ahide in the nursery;
and all those little attentions which in England are tiu'ued
over to the mn-se nuist he performed hy hiu'self, or under
her superintending eye. She must he the nurse of lier
children alike hy day and hy night, in sickness and in
health ; and with the attention which American ladies pay
to their hushands, their married life is hy no tneans an
idle one. Under the.se circumstances, the early fading of
their hloom is not to he wondered at, and I cannot ijut
admire the manner in which many of them cheerfully con-
form to years of anxiety and comparative seclusion, after
the homage and gaiety which seemed their natural atnios-
j)here in their early youth.

Of the gentlemen it is less easy to speak. They are
inmiersed in a whirl of husiness, often of that speculative
kind which demands a constant exercise of intense thought.
The short period which they can spend in the hosom of
their families uuist be an enjoyment and relaxation to
them ; therefore, in the absence of any statements to the
contrary', it is but right to suppose that they are affec-
tionate husbands and fathers. However actively the gen-

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NEA7 YORK.

Chap. XVI.

tlemen of New York are engaged in business pursuits,
they travel, read the papers, and often devote some time
to general literature. They look rather more pale and
careworn than the English, as the uncertainties of business
are greater in a country where speculative transactions
are carried to such an exaggerated extent. They also
indulge in eccentricities of appearance in the shape of
beards and imperials, not to speak of the " goatee" and
niousttiches of various forms. With these exceptions,
there is nothing in appearance, manner, or phraseology to
distingui^h them from gentlemen in the best Enghsh
society, except perhaps that they evince more interest and
animation in their conversation.

Tho peculiar expressions which go under the name
of Americanisms are never heard in good society, and
those disagreeable habits connected with tobacco are
equally unknown. I thought that the gentlemen were
remarkably free from mannerisms of any kind. I have
frequently heard Americans speak of the descriptions
given by Dickens and Mrs. TroUope of the slang and
disagreeable i)ractices to be met with in the States ; and
they never, on a single occasion, denied their truthfulness,
but said that these writers mistook the perpetrators of
these vulgarities for gentlemen. The gentlemen are ex-
tremely deferential and attentive in their manners to
ladies, and are hardly, I think, treated with sufficient
graciousness in return. At New York a great ni"ny are
actively engaged in philanthropic pursuits. The quiescence
of manner attained by English gentlemen, which fre-
quently approaches inanity, is seldom to be met with in
America. The exhilaratins; influences of the climate and

)'H

liiAP. XYI.

pursuits,
Dine tim(3
pale and
' business
nsactions
'hey also
shape of
itee" and
iiccptions,
eology to
; English
:erest and

the name
Liiety, and
bacco are
men were
. I have
jscriptions
ilang and
ates ; and
ithfulness,
trators of
n are ex-
anners to
sufficient
m"ny are
]uiesoence
vhich fre-
let with in
imate and

Chap. XYI.

SOCIETY.

t) .-* m

the excitement of business have a tendency to produce
animation of manner, and force and earnestness of expres-
sion. A great difference in these respects is apparent in
gentle nen from the southern States, who live in an ener-
vating climate, and whose pursuits are of a more tran-
quil nature. The dry, elastic atmosphere of the northern
States produces a restlessness which must either expend
itself in bodily or mental exertion or force of expression ;
from this probably arise the frequent use of superlatives,
and the exaggeration of language, which the more phleg-
matic English attribute to the Americans.

Since my return to England I have frequently been
asked the question, "What is society like in America?"
This word societij is one of very ambiguous meaning. It
is used in England by the titled aristocracy to distinguish
themselves, their connexions, and those whose wealth or
genius has gained them admission into their circles. But
every circle, every city, and even every country neigh-
bourhood, has what it pleases to term " society ;" and
when the members of it say of an individual, " I never
met him in society," it ostracises him, no matter how
estimable or agreeable he mny be. In England, to
" society," in each of its grades, wealth is a sure pass-
port, as has been evidenced of late years by several very
notorious instances. Thus it is extremely difficult to
answer the question, " What is New York society like ?"
It certainly is not like that which is associated in our
minds with the localities May Fair and Belgravia ; neither
can it be compared tf) the circles which form parasitically
round the millionaire : still less is it like the dulness
of country neighbourhoods. New York has its charmed

■■'• (41!
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308

NE-SV YORK.

Chap. XVI.

circle?; also; a ropnblic admits of the greatest cxclusive-
ness ; and, in the highest circles of the city, to say that
a man is not in society, is to ostracise him as in England.
It mnst be stated that some of the most agreeable
salons of New York are almost closed against foreigners.
French, Germans, and Italians, with imposing titles, have
proved how unworthily they bear them ; and this feeling
agamst strangers — I will not call it prejndic*;, for there
are sufficient grounds for it — is extended to the English,
some of whom, I regret to say, have violated the rights of
hospitality in many different ways. I have heard of such
conduct on the part of my countrymen as left me no
room for surprise that many ffimilies, whose acquaintance
would be most agreeable, strictly guard their drawing-
room from English intrusion. And, besides this, there
are those who have entered houses merely to caricature
their inmates, and have received hospitality only to ridi-
cule the manner in which it was exercised, while they
have indulged in unamiable personalities, and have not
respected the sanctity of private life.

It was through an introduction given me by a valued
English friend that I, as an English stranger, was re-
ceived with the kindest hospitality by some of those who
have been rendered thus exclusive by the bad taste and
worse conduct of foreigners. I feel, as I write, that any
remarks I make on New York society cannot be perfectly
free from bias, owing to the overwhelming kindness and
glowing hospitality which I met with in that city. I
found so much to enjoy in society, and so much to interest
and please everywhere, that when I left New York it was
with the wish that the few weeks which I was able to

i--

MAP. XVI.

:clusivo-
say that
England,
greeabli.;
rcigncrs.
les, have
[S feeling
for there
English,
rights of
d of such
't mc no
laintance
drawing-
his, there
;ancature
■f to ridi-
hile they
have not

a valued
was re-
tiose who
aste and
that any
perfectly
ness and
city. I
0 interest
rk it was
able to

Chap. XVI.

SOCIETY.

3G0

spend there could have been prolonged into as many
months.

But, to answer the question. The best society in New-
York would not suffer by comparison in any way with the
best society in England. It is not in the uj)per classes of
any nation that we must look for national characteristics
or peculiarities. Society throughout the civilized world
is, to a certain extent, cast in the same mould ; the same
laws of etiquette prevail, and the same conventionalisms
restrict in great measure the display of any individual
characteristics. Balls are doubtless the same in "so-
ciety " all over the world ; a certain amount of black
cloth, kid gloves, white muslin, epaulettes if they can be
procured, dancing, music, and ices. Every one acknow-
ledges that dinner-parties are equally dull in London and
Paris, in Calcutta and in New York, unless the next
neighbour happcms to be peculiarly agreeable. There-
fore, it is most probable that balls and dinner-parties are
in New York exactly the same as in other places, excej)t
that the latter are less numerous, and are principally
confined to gentlemen. It is not, in fact, convenient to
give dinner parties in New York ; there are not sufficient
domestics to bear the pressure of an emergency, and the
pleasure is not considered worth the trouble. If two or
three people have sufficient value for the society of the
host and hostess to come in to an ordinary dinner, at an
ordinary hour, they are welcome. If turtle and venison
were offered on such an occasion, it would have the effect
of repelling, rather than attracting, the guests, and it
would not have the effect of making them believe that their
host and hostess always lived on such luxurious viands.

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370

NEW YORK,

Chap. XVI.

% i

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As diiiner-pcirties arc nelthor deemed agreeable nor
coiiveiiieiit, and as many sensible ])eople object to the late
lionrs and general dissipation of mind produced by balls
and large dancing ])arties, a happy innovation upon old
customs has been made, and early evening receptions have
been introduced. Some of the most splendid mansions of
New York, as well as the most agreeable, are now thrown
open weekly for the reception of visitors in a social
manner. Tliese receptions difFer from what are known
by the same name in London. The crowd in which people
become wedged, in a vain attcnpt to speak to the hostess,
is as much as pos:;ible avoided ; late hours are abandoned ;
the guests, who usually arrive about eiglit, are careful
to disappear shortly after eleven, lest, Cinderella-like,
the hostess should vanish. Then, again, all the guests
feel themselves on a perfect equality, as people always
ought to do who meet in tlie same room, on the invitation
of the same hostess.*

The lady of the house adopts the old but very sensible
fadiion of introducing people to each other, which helps

J .ti

'1 3 1

'^M

' .

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^illi

* The Americans juatly ridicule tliat species of bad breeding which
leads people at parties to draw back fron\ others, from a fear tliat their
coudescensiou should fall upon ground uucousecrated by the dictatorial
fiat of "society." An amusing instance of the effect of this pride,
which occurred in England, was related. Some years ago the illus-
trious Barou Humboldt was invited to play the part of lion at the house
of a nobleman. A select circle of fashionables appeared, and among
the comi)any a man very plainly dressed and not noticeable in appear-
ance. He spoke first to one person, and then to another : some drew
themselves up with a haughty stare; others answered in monosyllables j
but all repulsed the Baron; and it was not until late in the evening,
after he had departed eai-ly, disgusted with this ungracious reception,
that these people knew that by their conduct they had lost the advan-
tage of the conversation of one of the greatest men of the age.

!|Bli!

I-

lAl', XVI.

ible nor
the late
by balls
ipou old
oils liavo
.usion? of
A- tbrowii
a social
0 known
::;h people
e hostess,
andoned ;
•e careful
rella-like,
he guests
le always
invitation

y sensible
lich helps

eding which
r tluit their
ic dictatorial
this pride,
;o the ilius-
:it the house
and anioug
e in appear-
some drew
auosyllablea;
the evening,
IS reception,
t the advan-

CiiAP. XVI.

EVENING UECEPTIONS.

371

to ])revent a good deal of stiffness. As the rooms in the
licw York houses are generally large, people sit, stand,
or walk abont as they feel inclined, or gronp themselves
round some (iiie gifted with peculiar conversational powers.
At all of these rt-unions there was a c:ri>at deal or eonver-
sation worth listening to or joining in, and, as a stranger,
I had the advantage of being introduced to every one who
was consideretl worth knowing. Poets, historians, and
raen of science are to be met with fre([uently at these
recejitions ; but they do not go as lions, but to please and
be j)lease(l ; and such men as Longfellow, Prescott, or
^Washington Irving may be seen mixing with the general
tlirong with so much honJiummie and simjdieity, that none
would fancy that in their own land they are the envy of
their age, and sustain world-wide re})ut'itions. The way
in which literary lions are exhibited in England, as essen-
tial to the eclat of fashionable parties, is considerc ' by
the Americans highly repugnant to good taste. I was
very agreeably surprised witli the unaffected manners
and extreme simidieity of men eminent in the scientific
and literary world.

Tliese evening receptions are a very happy idea ; for
people, whose business or inclinations would not jiermit
them to meet in any other way, aro thus brought to-
gether without formality or expense. The conversation
generally turned on Europe, general literature, arf,,
science, or the events of the day. I must oay that I
never heard one remark that could be painful to an
English ear made, even in jest. There was none of
that vulgar boastfulness and detraction which is to be
met with in less educated society. Most of the gentle-

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372

NEW YORK.

Chap. XVI.

I .1

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men wliom I mot, and many of the ladies, had traveHcd
in Europe, and had hrought hack higlily cultivated tastes
in art, and cosmopolitan irlea?;, which insensihly aflect the
circles in which they move.

All nj)peared to take a deep interest in the war, and in
our success. 1 heard ovr military movements in the (^rimea
criticised with some severity hy military men, some of whom
have since left for the seat of war, to watch our operations.
The conclusion of the Vienna negociations appeared to
excite some surprise. " I had no idea," an officer oo-
served to me, ''that puhlic opinion was so strong in Eng-
land as to be able to compel a minister of such strong-
Russian proclivities as Lord xVherdcen to go to war with
his old friend Nicholas." The arrangements at Bala-
klava excited very general condemnation ; people wei'c
fond of (^noting the saying attributed to a Russian officer,
" You have an army of lionn led by asses J ^

The Americans are always anxious to know nhat
opinion a stranger has formed of their country, and I
would be asked thirty times on one evening, " How do
yon like America ?" Fortunately, the kindness which I
met with rendered it impossible for me to give any but a
satisfactory re])ly. English literature was a very general
to])ic of conversation, and it is most gratifying to find how
our best English works are " familiar in their mouths as
household words," Some of the conversation on literature
was of a very brilliant order. I heard very little approxi-
mation to either wit or humour, and ladincKje is not
cultivated, or excelled iu, to the same extent as in
England.

On one occasion I was asked to exhibit a collection of

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h-J

i.vr. XVI.

Tavolltnl
lmI tastes
fleet the

r, and in
2 (^rimea
of whom
)erations.
leared to
fieer oo-
; in Eng-
h strong
war with
at I5ala-
ple were
in officer,

.)w nhat
, and I
How do
which I
nv hut a
general
find how
ouths as
iterature
ipproxi -
/e is not
it as in

ectiou of

ciiAi'. xvr.

EVENING llECErilONS.

373

autograplis, and the knowledge of English literature ])()s-
sessed hy the Americans was siiown hy the information
they had res})eeting not only our well-known authors, hut
those whose names have not an extended rejjutation even
with VIS. Tluis the works of Maitland, Ritchie, Sewell,
Browning, Ilowitt, and others seemed perfectly familiar
to them. The trendding signature of George III. excited
general interest from his connection with their own history,
and I was not a little amused to see how these rej)uh-
licans dwelt with resj)ectful attention on the decided
characters of Queen Victoria. A very characteristic
letter of Lord Byron's was read aloud, and, in return for
the pleasure they had exjierienced, several kind indivi-
duals gave me valuahle autographs of their own literati
and statesmen. Letters written hy Washington descend
as precious heirlooms in families, and so great is the
estimation in which this venerated patriot is held, that,
with all the desire to ohlige a stranger which the
Americans evince, I believe that I c(mld not have ])ur-
chased a few lines in his handwriting with my whole col-
lection.

It would be difficult to give any idea of the extremely
agreeable character of these recej)tions. They seemed to
me to be the most sensible way of seeing society that I
over met with, and might he well w^orthy of general imi-
tation in England. When I saw how sixty or a hundred
peo;de could be brought together without the inducements
of dancing, music, refreshments, or display of any kind ;
when I saw also how thoroughly they enjoyed themselves,
how some were introduced, and those who were not
entered into sprightly conversation without fear of lessen-

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NEW YORK.

C'iAP. XVI.

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ing an liiinginary dignity, I more than ever regretted the
icy coldness in wlilcli we wrap onrselves. And yet,
though we take such trouble to clothe ourselves in
this glacial dignity, nothing pleases us bc^tter than to
go to other countries and throw it off, and mix with
our fellow men and women as rational beings should,
not as if we feared cither to compromise ourselves or to
be repulsed by them. This national stiffness renders us
the laughing-stock of foreigners ; and in a certain city in
America no play was ever more successful than the
* Buckram Ejif/Hs/tmmi,* which ridiculed and caricatured
our social peculiarities.

The usages of etiquette are much the same as in
England, but people appeared to be assisted in the
enjoyment of society by them rather than trammeled.
Morning visiting is carried to a great extent, but peoj)le
call literally in the morning, before two o'clock oftener
than after. On New Year's Dav, in observance of an old
Dutch custom, the ladies remain at home, and all the
gentlemen of their acquaintance make a point of calling
upon them. Of course time will only allow of the inter-
change of the compliments of the season, where so much
so';ial duty has to be performed in one brief day, but
this pleasant custom tends to keep up old acquaintance-
ships and annihilate old feuds. It is gratifying to observe
that any known deviation from the rules of morality is
punished with exclusion from the houses of those who are
considered the leaders of New York society ; it is also
very pleasing to see that to the best circles in New York
wealth alone is not a passport. I have heard cards of
invitation to these receptions refused to foreigners bearing

J'iAP. XVI.

3tto(l the
And yet,
selves in
than to
mix witli
3 should,
vcs or to
enders us
lin city in
than the
iricatured

me as in
id in the
•ammeled.
lut people
ck oftener
of an old
id all the
of calling
the inter-
so much
day, but
aintance-
o observe
norality is
3 who are
it is also
^ew York
cards of
rs bearing

CiiAi'. XVI.

ETIQUETTE AND CUSTOMS.

37;

illustrious titles, and o persons who have the reputation
of being viillionaircs. At tiie same time, 1 have met
those of humble position and scanty means, who are
treated with distinction because of their talents or intel-
lectual powers. Yet I have never seen such a one
patronised or treated as a lion ; he is not expected to do
any homage, or pay any penalty, for his admis.-ion into
society. In thes(^ circles in New York we are >})ared the
humiliating sj)ectaele of men of genius or intellect
cringing and uneasy in the ])resence of their patronising
inferiors, whom birth or wealth may have j)laced socially
above them. Of cour.j there is society in New York
where the vulgar intluencc of money is omnipotent, and
extravagant display is fashionable ; it is of the best that
I have been speaking.

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370

NliW YORK.

CiiAi'. XVII.

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CTTArTETJ XYTT.

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The comotcry — Its 1>cmitioH — Tlic " Potter's Field " — Tlio gmvos of
cliildi'oii — Moimiuentiil cccfiitricitiua — Arrival of emigrants —
Tlicir reception — I'oor dwellings — Tlie dangerous class — The
elections — The riots — Churacteristics of the streets — Jonrney to
Boston — The sights of Boston — Longfellow — Cambridge university.

It in;iy solmii ;i siuldon transition from society to a ceme-
tery, and yet it is not an unnatural one, for many of the
citizens of New York carry their magnificence as far as
possible to the grave with them, and \nh their wealth
above their heads in superb mausoleums or costly statues.
Tlie Prrc la Chaise of the city is the Greenwood Ceme-
tery, near Brooklyn on Long Island. I saw it on the
finest and coldest of November days, when a piercing
east wind was denuding the trees of their last scarlet
honours. After encountering more than the usual crush
in Broadway, for we were rather more than an hour in
driving three miles in a stage, we crossed the Brooklyn
Ferry in one of those palace ferry-boats, where the spa-
cious rooms for passengers are heated by steam -pipes, and
the charge is only one cent, or a fraction less than a half-
penny. It was a beautiful day ; there was not a cloud
upon the sky ; the waves of the Sound and of the North
River were crisped and foam-tipped, and dashed noisily
upon the white pebbly beach. Brooklyn, Jersey, and
Hoboken rose from the water, with their green fields and

•»is'

\v. XVII,

0 frriivo-< of
uigranls —
IiihSH — Thu
Jonriu'y to
: uuivoi'rtity.

) a come-
ly of the
as far as
ir wealth
y statues.
[)d (!^eme-
it on the
piercing
51 scarlet
iual crush
n hour in
Brooklyn
the spa-
bipcs, and
Ian a half-
a cloud
the North
led noisily
I'sey, and
Ifields and

CiiAi". XVII.

THE rr,Mi:TF,UY,

377

avenues of villas; white, sniokeles?* ste;iniers were pas>ing
and repassing ; lar<];e niichored ships to.-sed upon the
waves ; and Xcw York, tiiat compound of trees, buildings,
masts, and s})ires, rose in the rear, without so much as a
single eloiul of smoke hovering over it.

A niilway runs from Brooklyn to tlu^ cemetery, with
the cars drawn hy horses, and the dead of New York are
conveniently carried to this last resting-place. The
entrance is handsome, and the numerous walls and car-
riage-drives are laid with fine gravel, and beautifully
swept. We drove to see the most interesting objects,
and the coachman seemed to take a peculiar j)ride in
pointing them out. This noble burying-ground has some
prettily diversified hill and dale scenery, and is six miles
round. The timber is very fine, and throughout art has
only been required as an assistance to nature. To this
cemetery most of the dead of New York are carried, and
after " life's fitfnl fever," in its most exaggerated form,
sleep in appropriate silence. Already several thousand
dead have been })laced here in places of sepulture vary-
ing in appearance from the most splendid and ornate to
the simplest and most obscure. There are family mauso-
leums, gloomy and sepulchral looking, in the Grecian
style ; family burying-grounds neatly enclosed by iron or
bronze railings, where white marble crosses mark the
graves ; there are tombs with epitaphs, and tombs with
statues : there are simple cenota])hs and monumental
slabs, and nameless graves marked by numbers only.

One very remarkable feature of this cemetery is the
" Potter's Field," a plot containing several acres of
ground, where strangers are buried. This is already

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378

NEW YORK,

Chap. X\ II.

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occu])iocl to a great extent. The graves are placed in
rows close together, with numbers on a small ii-on plate
to denote each. Here the shipwrecked, the pestilence-
stricken, the penniless, and friendless are buried ; and
though such a spot cannot fail to provoke sad musings,
the people of New York do not suffer any appearances
of neglect to accumulate round the last resting-place
of those who died unfriended and alone. Another feature,
not to be met with in England, strikes the stranger at first
with ludicrous images, though in reality it has more of
the pnthetic. In one part of this cemetery there are
several hundred graves of children, and these, with most
others of children of the poorer class, have toys in glass
cases placed upon them. There are playthings of many
kinds, woolly dogs and lambs, and little wooden houses,
toys which must be associated in the parents' minds with
those who made their homes glad, but who have gone
into the grave before them. One cannot but think of the
bright eyes dim, the merry laugli and infantine prattle
silent, the little hands, once so active in playful mischief,
stiff and cold ; all brought so to mind by the sight of
those toys. There is a fearful amount of mortality among
children at New York, and in several instances four or
five b»Tried in one grave told with mournful suggestive-
ness of the silence and desolation of once happy hearths.

There are a few very remarkable and somewhat fan-
tastic monuments. There is a beautiful one iu white
marble to the memory of a sea-captain's wife, with an
exact likeness of himself, in the attitude of taking an
observation, on the top. An inscription to himself is
likewise upon it, leaving only the date of his death to be

/♦■■'■

:iiAP. x\ii.

T)laced in
iron plate
pestilence-
ried ; and
1 musings,
ppearances
sting-place
er feature,
ger at first
IS more of

there are
, with most
ys in glass
rs of many
len houses,
minds with

have gone
hink of the
;ine prattle
il mischief,

le sight of

lity among

;es four or

Isuggestive-

hearths.

ewhat fan-
iii white

Ife, with an
taking an
himself is
eath to be

Chap. XVII.

THE CEMETERY.

379

added. It is said that, when this poor man returns from
a voyage, he spends one whole day in the tomb, lament-
ing his bereavement.

There is a superb monument, erected by a fireman's
company to the memory of one of their brethren, who
lost his life while nobly rescuing an infant from a burning
dwelling. His statue is on the top, with an infant in his
arms, and the implements of his profession lie below.
But by fiir the most extraordinary, and certainly one of
the lions of New York, is to a young lady who was killed
in coming home from a ball. The carriage-horses ran
away, she jumped out, and was crushed under the wheels.
She stands under a marble canopy supported by angels,
and is ^epresentf^d in her ball-dress, with a mantle thrown
over it. This monument has numerous pillars and repre-
sentations of celestial beings, and is said to have cost
about GOOO/. Several of the marble mausoleums cost
from 4000Z. to 5000/. Yet all the powerful, the wealthy,
and the poor have descended to the dust from whence
they sprung ; and here, as everywhere else, nothing can
disguise the fact that man, the feeble sport of passion
and infirmity, can only claim for his inheritance at last
the gloom of a silent grave, where he must sleep with the
dust of his fathers. I observed only one verse of Scripture
on a tombstone, and it contained the appropriate })rayer,
" So teach vs to number our days, that we may apjjly our
hearts unto wisdom.''^

Having seen the emigrants bid adieu to the Old
World, in the flurry of grief, hope, and excitement, I
was curious to see what difference a five-weeks' voyage

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380

NEW YORK.

Chap. XVIl.

would have produced in them, and in vbat condition
they would land upon the shores of America. In a
city where emigrants land at the rate of a thousand
a-day, I was not long of finding an opportunity. I wit-
nessed the deharkation upon the shore of the New AVorld
of between 600 and 700 English emigrants, who had just
arrived from Liveqmol. If they looked tearful, flurried,
and anxions when they left Liverpool, they looked tearful,
pallid, dirty, and squalid when they reached New York.
The necessary discomforts which such a nunber of
persons must experience when huddled together in a
close, damp, and ill-ventilated steerage, with very little
change of clothing, and an allowance of water insufficient
for the purposes of cleanliness, had been increased in this
instance by the presence of cholera on board of the ship.

The wharfs at New York are necessarily dirty, and
are a scene of indescribable bustle from morning to night,
with ships arriving and sailing, ships loading and unload-
ing, and emigrants pouring into the town in an almost
incessant stream. They look as if no existing power
could bring order out of such a chaos. In this crowd,
on the shores of a strange land, the emigrants found
themselves. Many were deplorably emaciated, othe i
looked vacant and stiipified. Some were ill, and some
were penniless ; but poverty and sickness are among the
best recommendations which an emigrant can bring with
him, for they place him under the immediate notice of
those estimable and overworked men, the Emigration
Commissioners, whose humanity is above all praise.
These find him an asylum in the Emigrants' Hospital,

■ »^,

:n\\\ XVII.

condition
ca. In a
thousand
y. I wit-
ew World
o bad just
1, flurried,
ed toarful,
'^ew York,
lun ber of
itber in a
very little
insufficient
ised in tbis
tbe sbip.
dirty, and
g to nigbt,
id unload-
an almost
ing power
lis crowd,
ints found
, otbe i
and some
imong the
bring with
notice of
iinigration
ill praise.
Hospital,

Chap. XVIT.

RECEPTION OF EMIGRANTS.

381

on Ward's Island, and dospatcb bini from tbence in
bcaltb, witb advice and as.-istarc(> for bis future career.
If be be in bealtb, and bavc a few dollars in bis pocket,
be becomes tbe instantaneous prey of emigrant runners,
sbarpers, and keepers of groggeries ; but of tbis more will
be said hereafter.

A great many of these immigrants were evidently from
counti-y districts, and some from Ireland ; tluTO were a
few Germans among them, and these appeared tbe least
affected by the discomforts of the voyage, and by the
novel and rather bewildering position in which they found
themselves. Tiiey probably would feel more at home on
first landing at New '^'ork than any of tbe others, for the
lower part of tbe city is to a great extent inhabited by
Germans, and at that time there were about 2000
bouses where their favourite beverage, lar/er-hccr, could
be procured.

The goods and chattels of tbe Irish appeared to consist
principally of numerous red-haired, unruly children, and
ragged-looking bundles tied round with rope. Tbe Ger-
mans were generally ruddy and stout, and took as much
care of their substantial-looking, well-corded, heavy
chests as though they contained gold. Tbe English ap-
peared pale and debilitated, and sat helpless and weary-
looking on their large blue Ijoxes. Here they found
themselves in tbe chaotic confusion of tbis million-
peopled city, not knowing whither to l/.take themselves,
and bewildered by cries of " Cheap backs ! " " All
aboard !" " (.^omc to tbe cheapest house in all tbe
world !'* and invitations of a similar description. There
were lodging-touters of evei'y gra<le of dishonesty, and

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382

NEW YORK.

Chap. XVII.

men with largo placards were hurrying among the crowd,
offering " palace " steamboats and " lightning express "
trains, to whirl them at nominal rat*' to the Elysian
Fields of the Far West. It is stated that six-tenths of
these emigrants are attacked by fever soon after their
arrival in the New World, but the provision for the
sick is commensurate with the wealth and benevolence of
New York.

Before leaving the city I was desirous to see some of
the dwellings of the poor ; I was therefore taken to what
was termed a poor quarter. One house which I visited
was approached from an entry, and contained ten rooms,
which were let to different individuals and families. On
the lowest floor was an old Irish widow, who had a cata-
ract in one eye, and, being without any means of support-
ing herself, subsisted upon a small allowance made to her
by her son, who was a carter. She was clean, but poorly
dressed, and the room was scantily furnished. Except
those who are rendered poor by their idleness and vices, it
might have been difficult to find a poorer person in the
city, I was told. Much sympathy was expressed for her,
and for those who, like her, lived in this poor quarter.
Yet the room was tolerably large, lofty, and airy, and had
a window of the ordinary size of those in English dwelling-
houses. For this room she paid four dollars or I65. per
month, a very high rent. It was such a room as in
London many a respectable clerk, with an income of 150/.
a year, would think himself fortunate in possessing.

I could not eiiter into the feelings of the benevolent
people of New York when they sympathised with the
denizens of this locality. I only wished that these gene-

Chap. XVII.

DWELLINGS OF THE POOR.

383

rous people could have seen the dens in which thousands
of our English poor live, with little light and less water,
huddled together, without respect to sex or numhers, in
small, ill-ventilated rooms. Yet New York has a district
called the Five Points, fertile in crime, fever, and misery,
which would scarcely yield the palm for vice and squalor
to St. Giles's in London, or the Saltmarket in Glasgow.
A collection of dwellings called the Mud Huts, where
many coloured people reside, is also an unpleasing feature
connected with the city. But with abundant employment,
high wages, and charities on a princely scale for those
who from accidental circumstances may occasionally
require assistance, there is no excuse for tlie squalid
wretchedness in which a considerable number of persons
have chosen to sink themselves.

It is a fact that no Golden Age exists on the other side
of the water ; that vice and crime have their penalties in
America as well as in Europe ; and that some of the
worst features of the Old World are reproduced in the
New. With all the desire that we may possess to take
a sanguine view of things, there is something peculiarly
hopeless about the condition of this class at New York,
which in such a favourable state of society, and at such
an early period of American history, has sunk so very
low. The existence of a " dangerous class " at New
York is now no longer denied. One person in seven
of the whole population came under the notice of the
authorities, either in the ranks of criminals or paupers, in
1852 ; and it is stated that last year the numbers reached
an alarming raagnitudt;, threatening danger to the peace
of society. This is scarcely surprising when we take into

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384

NEW YORK.

Chap. XVII.

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consideration the numbers of persons who land in this city
who liave been expatriated for their vices, who are flying
from the vengeance of outraged law, or who expect in
the New World to be able to do evil without fjar of
punishment.

There are the idle and the visionary, who expect to cat
without working ; penniless demagogues, unprincipled
adventurers, and the renegade outpourings of all Chris-
tendom ; together with those who are enervated and
demoralised by sickness and evil associates on board ship.
I could not help thinking, as I saw many of the newly-
arrived emigrants saunter helplessly into the groggeries,
that, after spending their money, they would remain at
New York, and help to swell the numbers of this class.
These people live by their wits, and lose the little they
have in drink. This life is worth very little to them ; and
in spite of Bible and Tract societies, and church missions,
they know very little of the life to come ; consequently
they are ready for any mischief, and v 111 imperil their
existence for a small bribe. Many or most of them are
Irish Roman. Catholics, who, having obtained the franchise
in many instances by making false affidavits, consider
themselves at libeity to use the club also.

I was at New York at the time of the elections, and
those of 1854 were attended with unusual excitement,
owing to the red-hot strife between the Irish Roman Catho-
lics and the " Know-nothings." This society, established
with the object of changing the naturalisation laws, and
curbing the power of popery, had at this period obtained
a very large share of the public attention, as uiuch from
the mystery which intended it as from the principles which

m- J

Chap, XVII.

land in this city

i, who are flying

who expect in

without fjar of

bo expect to cat
s, unprincipled
gs of all Chris-
enervated and
s on board ship.
^ of the newly-
the groggeries,
»'ould remain at
jrs of this class.
3 the little they
le to them ; and
;hurch missions,
) ; consequently
11 imperil their
)st of them are
ed the franchise
avits, consider

elections, and
al excitement,
Roman (>atho-
3ty, established
ition laws, and
)eriod obtained

as much from
irinciples which

Chap. XVII.

THE ELECTIOXS.

58')

it avowed. To the minds of all there was somethuig
attractive in a secret organisation, unknown oaths, and
nocturnal meetings ; and the success which had attended
the efforts of the Know-nothings in Massachusetts, and
others of the States, led many to watch with deep interest
the result of the elections for the Empire State. Their
candidates were not elected, but the avowed contest
between Protestantism and Popery led to considerable
loss of life. Very little notice of the riots on this occa-
sion has been taken by the English journalists, though the
local papers varied in their accounts of the numbers of
killed and wounded from 45 to 700 ! It was known that
an emeute was expected, therefore I was not surprised,
one evening early in November, to hear the alarm-bells
ringing in all directions throughout the city. It was
stated that a Know-nothing assemblage of about 10,000
persons had been held in the Park, and that, m dis-
persing, they had been fired upon by some Irishmen
called the Brigade. This was the commencement of
a sanguinary struggle for the preservation of order.
For three days a drop])ing fire of musketry was con-
tinually to be heard in New York and Williamsburgh,
and reports of great loss of life on both sides were circu-
lated. It was stated that the hospital received 170
wounded men, and that many more were carried off by
their friends. The military were called out, and, as it was
five days before quiet was restored, it is to be supposed
that many lives were lost. I saw two dead bodies myself;
and in one street or alley by the Five Points, both the side
walks and the roadway were slippery with blood. Yet
very little sensation was excited in the upper part of the

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>'EW YORK.

CiiAi'. XVII.

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town ; puo})lo went out and cauie in as usual ; business
was not interruj)te(l ; and to (juestions upon the subject
the reply was fre(piently made, " Oh, it's only an election
riot," showing how painfully common such disturbances
had become.

Ther 3 are many objects of interest in New York and
its neighbourhood, among others, the Croton aqueduct, a
work worthy of a great people. It cost about 5,000,000/.
sterling, and by it about (50,000,000 gallons of water are
daily conveyed into the city. Then there are the prisons
on Blackwell's Island, the lunatic asylums, the orphan
asylums, the docks, and many other things ; but I
willingly leave these untouched, as they have been de-
scribed by other writers. In concluding this brief and
incomplete account of New York, I may be allowed to
refer to the preface of this work, and repeat that any
descriptions which I have given of things or society are
merely " sketches," and, as such, are liable to the errors
which always attend upon hasty observation.

New York, with its novel, varied, and ever-char.ging
features, is calculated to leave a very marked impression
on a stranger's mind. In one part one can suppose it to
be a negro town ; in another, a German city ; while a
strange dreamy resemblance to Liverpool pervades the
whole. In it there is little repose for the mind, and less
for the eye, except on the Sabbath-day, which is very
well observed, considering the widely- differing creeds and
nationalities of the inhabitants. The streets are alive
with business, retail and wholesale, and present an aspect
of universal bustle. Flags are to be seen in every direc-
tion, the tall masts of ships appear above the houses;

CiiAf. XVII.

al ; business
II the subject
y an election
disturbances

!w York and

aqueduct, a

t 5,000,000/.

of water are

•e tbe prisons

, tbe orpban

ings ; but I

ive been de-

liis brief and

)e allowed to

»eat tbat any

)r society are

to tbe errors

;ver-cbanguig
;d impression
suppose it to
nty ; wbile a
[pervades tbe
^ind, and less
diicb 15 very
m creeds and
lets are alive
[cnt an aspect
every direc-
tbe bouses;

CiiAP. XVII.

ASrECT OF THE STREETS

;}87

largo square pieces of calico, witb names in scarlet or
black letters upon tbcin, bang across tbe streets, to dent)te
tbe wbereabouts of some popular candidate or "puffing"
storekeeper ; and bosts of omnibuses, backs, drays, and
railway cars at full speed, ringing bells, terrify unaccus-
tomed foot-passengers. Tbere are stores of tbe magnitude
of bazaars, " dagnerrean galleries " by bundreds, crowded
groggeries cind subterranean oyster-saloons, bnge botels,
coffee-bouses, and places of amusement; wbile tbe pave-
ments ])resent men of evc'v land and colour, red, black,
yellow, and wbite, in every variety of costume and beard,
and ladies, beautiful and ugly, ricbly dressed. Tben
tbere arc mud huts, and palatial residences, and streets
of stately dwelling-bouses, sbaded by avenues of ilantbus-
trees ; waggons discbarging goods across tbe pavements ;
sbops above and cellars below ; railway wbistles and
steamboat bells, telegra])li-wires, eigbt and ten to a })ost,
all converging towards Wall Street — tbe Lombard Street
of New York ; militia regiments in many-coloured uni-
forms, marcbing m and out of tbe city all day ; group? of
emigrants bewildered and amazed, emaciated witb dysen-
tery and sea-sickness, looking in at tbe sbop-windows ; re-
presentatives of every nation under beaven, speaking in all
eartb's Babel languages ; and as if to render tins cease-
less pageant of business, gaiety, and cbange, as far
removed from monotony as possible, tbe quick toll of tbe
fire alarm-bells may be daily heard, and tbe huge engines,
with their burnished equipments and well-trained com-
panies, may be seen to dash at full speed along the streets
to tbe scene of some brilliant conflagration. New York
is calculated to present as imposing an appearance to

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NEW YUKK.

Chap. XVII.

rii

an Eiifflisliinjin tis its antiquatod namesako docs to an
Ani(>ric'an, with its age, f«iliMu;e, :jtateliness, and decay.

The Indian summer had come and gone, and briglit
frosty weather liad succeeded it, wlien I left this city, in
which I had received kinthiess and hospitality whicii I
can never fjrget. Mr. Amy, the kind friend wlio had
first welco'.ned me to the States, was my travelling com-
panion, and at his house near Boston, in the midst of a
hapj)y family-circle, I spent the short remnant of my time
before returning to England.

We left New York just as the sun was setting, frosty
and red, and ere we had reached Newhaven it was one
of the finest winter evenings that I had ever seen. The
moisture upon the windows of the cars froze into innu-
merable fairy shapes ; the crescent moon and a thousand
stars shone brilliantly from a deep blue sky; auroras
flashed and meteors flamed, and, as the fitful light glit-
tered on many rushing gnrgling streams, I had but to
remember how very beautiful New England was, to give
form and distinctness to the numerous shapes which we
were hurrying past. I was recalling the sunny south to
mind, with its vineyards and magnolia groves, and the
many scenes of beauty that I had witnessed in America,
with all the genial kindness which I had experienced from
many who but a few months ago were strangers, when a
tipsy Scotch fiddler broke in upon my reveries by an
attempt to play ' Yankee Doodle.' It is curious how
such a thing can instantly change the nature of the
thoughts. I remembered speculations, 'cute notions,
guesses, and calculations; "All aboard," and "Go
ahead," and " Pile on, skipper ;" sharp eager faces.

*''*i

I i

' ■' >1

Chap. XVII.

loos to an
I (lec.'iy.
nnd bright
tliis city, in
ty which I
1 who had
.'Hiiig coni-
midst of a
of my time

ting, frosty
it was one
scon. The
e into innu-
a thousand
:y ; auroras
light glit-
had but to
las, to give
s which we
' south to
, and the
America,
enced from
rs, when a
ies by an
rious how
re of the
;e notions,
and "Go
ger faces,

Cii.vr. XVII.

COXNECTICUT.

'.!^0

divorsiities of bcjinb', duellist-i, ])i('ki)orkotf:, and every
sj)ocies of advoiturer.

Such rccollccti

>t out of nli

(

;ticut.

onno
uie centre and soul of what we denominate Vdii/iccism.
This state has one of the most celc'br;it'.'d educational
establishments in the Statr^., Vale (.'ollcgc at New haven,
or the City of Ehus, famous for its toleration of an annual
fight between the citizens and the students, at a noc-
turnal ^(7e in celebration of the burial of Euclid. The
phraseology and some of the moral characteristics of
Connecticut are quite peculiar. It is rcnaikable for
learning, the useful arts, successful and energetic mer-
chants and farmers ; the mythical Sam Slick, the ])riuce
of pedlars; and his living ecjual, Banunn, the j)rince of
showmen. A love of good order and a pervading reli-
gious sentiment appear to accompany great simplicity of
manners in its rural population, though the Southerne-'s,
jealous of the virtues of these New Englanders, chai-ge
upon them the manufacture of wooden nutmegs. 'J'liis
state supplies the world with wooden clocks, for which
the inhabitants of our colonies appear to have a peculiar
fancy, though at home they are called " Yankee clocks
what won't go." I have seen pedlars with curiously con-
structed waggons toiling along even among the Canadian
clearings, who are stated to belong to a race " raised "
in Connecticut. They are extremely amusing individuals,
and it is impossible to resist making an investment in
their goods, as their importunities are urged in such
ludicrous phraseology. The pedlar can accommodate
you with everything, from a clock or bible to a penny-
worth of pins, and takes rags, rabbit and squirrel skins,

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CiiAi'. XVII.

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at two cents cncli, In jKiynuMit. His knowledge of "soft
sawder and liiiuiaii iiatiir"' is as great as that of Sam
Slick, liis iniiijitahle representative ; and many a sliocde.-s
Iri^l^ girl is indneed to eliange a dollar for some trumpei-y
ornament, liy liis artful eoinpliments to her j)ersonal
attractions. lie seems at home everywhere ; talks
politic.-, guesses your needs, cracks a joke, or condoles
with you (m your misfortunes with an elongated face. lie
always contrives to drop in at dinner or tea time, for
whit'h he always apologises, but in distant settlements the
apcdogetic formulary might be left alone, for the visit of
the cosmopolitan ])edlar is ever welcome, even though he
leaves you a few dollars poorer. There is some fear of
the extinction of the race, as railways are now bringing
the most distant localities within reach of resplendent
stores with plate-glass windows.

It wanted six hours to dawn when we reached Boston ;
and the ashes of an extinguished tire in the cheerless
waiting-room at the depot gave an idea of even greater
cold than really existed. We drove through the silent
striM.'ts of Boston, and out into the country, in an open
carriage, with the thermometer numy degrees below the
freezing-point, yet the dryness of the atmosphere pre-
vented any feeling of cold. The air was pure, still, and
perfectly elastic ; a fitful aurora lighted our way, and
the iron hoofs of the fast-trotting ponies rattled cheerily
along the frozen ground. I almost regretted tlie ter-
mination of the drive, even though the pleasant villa

of , and a room lighted by a blazing wood fire,

awaited me.

The weather was perfectly delightful. Cloudless and

CiiAi. XVII.

ciiAi'. xvir.

150ST0N.

301

: I

50 of " soft
liat of Sam
y a slioelc.-is
10 tniinpcry
iiY personal
lere ; talks
or coiuloles
cl face. He
L'a time, for
:lements the
• tlie visit of
n though he
ome fear of
ow bringing
resplendent

led Boston ;
lie clieerle.ss
ven greater

the silent
in an open

below the
iphere pre-
e, still, and
way, and

;d cheerily
ed the ter-

■asant villa

wood fire,

audi ess and

golden the sini set at night ; cloudless and rosy ho rose in
the morning ; sharp and delined in outline the leaHess
trees rose against the ])iercing blue of the sky ; the frozen
ground rang to every footstep ; thin ])atthes of sn»)W
diversified the landscape ; and the healthful air braced
even invalid nerves. Boston is a very fine city, and the
whole of it, spread out as a panorama, can Ix? seen from
several neighbouring eminences. 'J'he rosy flush of a
winter dawn had scarcely left the ^ky when I saw the
town from ]3orchester Heights. IjcIow lay the city, an
aggregate of handsome streets lined with trees, stately
jmblic buildings, and church-spires, with the lofty State
House crowning the whole. Bright blue water ami
forests of masts ajjpoared to intersect the town ; green,
wooded, swelling elevations, dotted over with white villa
residences, environed it in every directi(m ; blue hills
rose far in the distance ; while to the right the bright
waters of Massachusett's bay, enlivened by the white
sails of ships and pilot-boats, completed this attractive
panorama.

Boston is built on a collection of peninsulas ; and as
certain shipowners possess wharfs far up in the town, to
which their ships must find their way, the virtue of
patience is frequently inculcated by a long detention at
drawbridges, while heavily-laden vessels are slowly warjjed
through the openings. The equanimity of the American
character surprised me liere, as it often had before ; for,
while I was devising various means of saving time, by
taking various circuitous routes, about 100 (h'tenns sub-
mitted to the delay without evincing any symptoms of
impatience. Part of Boston is built on ground reclaimed

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302

BOSTON.

CuAi-. XVIT.

from tlic sea, ami the active inliabitaiits contiiiually keep
encroaching on the water for building purposes.

'ri'is fine city appeared to greater advantage on my
second visit, after seeing New York, Cincinnati, (.'hicago,
and other of tlie American towns. In them their progress
is e\ idenced by a cccisele.^s building up and pulling down,
the consequences of which are heaps of rubbish and un-
sightly hoardings covered with bills and advertisements,
iiivinu- to the towns thus circumstanced an unfinished,
mobile, or temporary look. This is still further increased
\\ here many of the houses are of wood, and can be mov<'d
without being taken to pieces. I was riding through an
American town one afternoon, when, to my surprise, I had
to turn off upon the side walk, to avoid a house which was
coming down the street drawn by ten horses, and assisted
by as many men with levers. My horse was so perfectly
unconcerned at what was such a novel s})ectaclo to me,
that I supposed he was used to these migratory dwellings.

Boston has nothing of all this. Stately, substantial, and
handsome, it looks as if it had been begun and completed
m a day. There is a most }>leasing air of respectability
about the large stone and brick houses ; the stores are
spacious and very handsome ; and the public buildings are
durably and tastefully built. Scientific institutions, nmsic
halls, and the splendid stores possessed by the booksellers
and philosophical instrument makers, proclaim the lite-
rary and refined tastes of the inhabitants, which have
earned for their city the name of the " American x\thens."
There is an air of repose about Boston ; here, if anywhere,
one would suppose that large fortunes were realised and
enjoyed. The sleek horses do not appear to be hurried

Chap. XVII.
iiially keep

Eige on my
:i, C'liicago,
jir progress
lliiig down,
isli and un-
M'tisonients,
unfinished,
)Y Increased
n be m<)v<^d
through an
prise, I had
i which was
and assisted
?o perfectly
ich3 to me,
dwelHngs.
tautial, and
I completed
spectability
stores are
ildings are
ions, music
looksellers
the lite-
hich have
In Athens."
anywhere,
dised and
e hurried

Chap. XVII.

BOSTOX.

303

over the pavements ; there are few placards, and fewer
puffs ; the very carts are built rather to carry weight than
for speed. Yet no place which I visited looked more
thriving than Boston. Its streets are literally crammed
with vehicles, and the side walks are thronged with
passengers, but these latter are principally New Eng-
landers, of respectable appearance. 'J'hese walks are
bordered by acacia and elm trees, which seem to flouri.-h
in the most crowded thoronghfarcs, and, besides protecting
both men and horses from the intense heat, their green-
ness, which they retain till the fall, is most refreshing to the
eye. There are a great many private carriages to be seen,
as well as people on horseback. The dwelling-houses havi;
plate-glass windows and bright green jalousies ; the side
walks are of granite, and the whole has an English air.
The common, or rather the park, at Boston, is the finest
public promenade that I ever saw, about fifty acres in
extent, and ornamented with avenues of verv fine trees.
This slopes to tl»e south, and the highest part of the slope
is crowned by the State IIou.so and the handsomest private
residences in the city. Boston is very clean and orderly,
and smoking is not permitted in the streets. There is a
highly aristocratic air about it, and those who look for
objects of historical interest will not be disappointed.
There is the old Faneuil Hall, which once echoe'l to the
stormy arguments and spirit-stirring harangues of the
leaders of the Revolution. A few antiquated, many-
gabled houses, remain in its neighbourhood, each associated
with some tradition dear to the Americans. Then there
is a dark-coloured stone church, which still in common
parlance bears the name of King's Chapel. It is fitted

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BUNKER'S HILL.

CiiAi'. XVII.

witli high pews of dark variiislied oak, and the English
liturgy, slightly altered, is still used as the form of wor-
siiij). Then there is the Old South Meeting house, where
the inhabitants remonstrated with the covernor for bring-
ing in the king's troops ; and, lastly, Griffin's Wharf,
where, under the impulse of the stern concentrated will of
the New England character, the " Sons of Liberty "
boarded the English ships, and slowly and deliberately
tlirew the tea which they contained into the water of the
harbour.

I visited the Bunker's Hill monument, and was content
to take on trust the statement of the beauty of the view
from the sunnnit, as the monument, which is 221 feet in
height, is ascended by a very steep staircase. Neither
did I deny the statement made by the patriotic Americans
who were with me, that the British forces were defeated in
that place, not feeling at all sure that the naticmal pride
of our historians had not led them to tell a tale more
fluttering than true ; for

ri-

" Some say that we won,
And some say that they won,
And some say that none won at a', man."

"We visited the naval yard at Charlestown, and the
OJiio^ an old seventy-four, now used as a receiving-ship.
There was a very manifest difference between the two
sides of the main-deck of this vessel ; one was scrupulously
clean, tha other by no means so ; and, on inquiring the
reason, 1 was told that the clean side was reserved for
strangers I Although this yard scarcely deserves the
name of an arsenal, being the smallest of all which

, •

CiiAP. XVII.

ho Engli:rh
'111 of wor-
iise, where
for briiig-
n's Wliarf,
ited will of
Liberty "
lellberately
iter of the

,vas content
jf the view
221 feet in
:. Neither
Americans
defeated in
ional pride
tale more

and the
living-ship.
In the two
Irupulously
luii'ing the
Iserved for
serves the
I all which

Chap. XVII.

BOSTON.

395

America possesses, the numerons guns and the piles of
cannon-balls show that she is not unprepared for ag-
gressive or defensive war.

The Merciiants' Exchange, where every change in the
weather at New Orleans is known in a few minutes ; the
Post-Office, with its innumerable letter-boxes and endless
bustle ; the Tremont Hall, one of the finest music-halls in
the world ; the water-works, ihe Athenaeum, and the
libraries, are all worthy of a visit.

There is a museum, which we visited in the evening,
l)ut it is not creditable to the taste of the inhabitants of
this fine ci<^y. There are multitudes of casts and fossils,
and stuffed beasts and birds, and monsters, and a steam-
engine modelled in glass, which works beautifully ; but
all these thin2;s are to hide the real character of this
institution, and appeared to be passed unnoticed by a
large number of respectable-looking people who were
thronging into a theatre at the back — a very gloomy-
looking edifice, with high pews. A ])lacard announced
that Dickens' ''Hard Times,' which it a])pears from this
has been dram.itised, was about to be acted. The })Iays
are said to be highly moral, but in the melodrama religion
and buff'oonery are often intermingled ; and I confess
that I did not approve of this mode of solacing the
consciences of those who object to ordinary theatricals,
for the principle involved remains the same.

The National Theatre is considered so admirably
adapted for seeing, hearing, and accommodation, that it is
frequently visited by European architects. An American
friend took me to see it in the evening, when none are
admitted but those who are going to remain for the

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590

BOSTON.

Chap. XVII.

pcrfonnnnce. Tliis being the rule, the doorkeeper
politely oj)poaed our entrance ; but on my companion
stating that I was a stranger, he instantly admitted us,
and jjointed out the best position for seeing the edifi''o.
The theatre, which has four tiers of boxes, was handsome
in tlie extrenje, and brilliantly lighted ; but I thought it
calculated to produce the same effect of dizziness and
headache, as those who fi-ecjuent our House of Peers
experience from the glare and redundant decoration.

This wa.< one among the many instances where the
name of stranger produced a magic effect. It ;ippeared
as if doors which would not open to anything else, yielded
at once to a request urged in that sacred name. This
was the case at the Mount Auburn Cemetery, where the
gatekeeper permitted us as strangers to drive round in a
carriage, which is contrary to rule, and on no occasion
would those who so courteously obliged us accept of any
gratuity.

There is some rivalry on the part of the people of
Boston and Xe>7 York with regard to the beauty of their
cemeteries. Many travellers have pronounced the ceme-
tery of Mount Auburn to be the loveliest in the world;
but both it and that of Greenwood are so beautiful, that
it is needless to " hint a fault or hesitate a dislike" with
regard to either. Mount Auburn has verdant slopes,
and deep wild dells, and lakes shaded by forest-trees of
great size and boauty ; and so silent is it, far removed
from the din of cities, that it seems as if a single footstep
would disturb the sleep of the dead. Here the neglect-
fulness and dreariness of the outer aspect of the grave
are completely done away with, and the dead lie peace-

InAP. XVII.

Chap. XVII.

FREQUENCY OF FIRES.

307

fully under ground carpo.,ed with flowers, and s^liaded by
trees. The shnplicify of the nioiiuinents is very l)t>autiful ;
that to Spnrzhcim has merely his name upon tlu* tablet.
Fulton, Channing, and other eminent men are biu'ied
here.

New York is celebrated for frequent and mysterious
conflagrations ; so are all the American cities i:; a less
degree. This is very surprising to Etiglish })eople, many
of whom scarcely know a iire-engine by sight. I^oston,
though its substantial erections of brick and stone present
great obstacles to the progress of the devouring elenu>nt,
frequently displays these unwished-for illumination.-^, and
has some very well organized fire com])anies. These
companies, which are voluntary associations, are one of
the important features of the 8tates. The Quakers had
the credit of originating them. Being men of j)cace,
they could not bear arms in defence of their country,
and exchanged militia service for the task of extin-
guishing all the fires caused by the wilfulness or care-
lessness of their fellow-citizens, '^fliis has been no easy
task in cities built of wood, which in that dry climate,
when ignited, burns like pine-knots. Even now, fires
occur in a very unaccountable manner. At New York
my slumbers were frequently disturbed by the quick-
tolling bell, announcing the number of the district where
a fire had broken out. These fire companies have regular
organizations, and their members enjoy several inuuuni-
ties, one of which I think is, that they are not compelled
to serve as jurymen.

They are principally composed of young men, some of
them the wilder members of the first families in the cities.

■5-

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308

FIRE COMPANIES.

Cum: XVII.

i i' '^^■)-'3

i 'I'lt*

•' t'

Tlioir (Irossos arc suitaMo and picturesque, and, with the
brilliant painting and highly-polished brasses of their
hirge engines, they form one of the most imposing ])arts
of the annual pageant of the " Glorious Fourth." The
iireuian who first reaches the scene of action is caj)tain for
the night, and thi^ honour is so much coveted, as to lead
them often to wait, ready equi])j)ed, durinir the winter
nights, that they may be able to start forth at the first
sound of the bell. Tiiere is sufficient dangerous adven-
ture, and enough of thrilling incident, to give the occupa-
tion a charm in the eyes of the eager youth of the cities.
They like it far better than playing at soldiers, and are
popular in evei-y city. As their gay and glittering pro-
cessions pats along the streets, acclamations greet their
progress, and enthusiastic ladies shower flowers upon their
heads. They are generous, courageous, and ever ready
in the hour of danger. But there is a dark side to this
picture. They are said to be the foci of political en-
croachment and intrigue, and to be the centre of the
restless and turbulent spirits of all classes. So powerful
and dangerous have they become in many instances, that
it has been recently stated in an American paper, that
one of the largest and most res})ectable cities in the Union
has found it necessary to suppivss them.

The Blind Asylum is one of the noblest charitable
institutions of Boston. It is in a magnificent situation,
overlooking all the beauties of Massachusett's Bay. It
is principally interesting as being the residence of Laura
Bridgman, the deaf and blind mute, whose history has
interested so many in England. I had not an opportunity
of visiting this asylum till the morning of the day on

Chap. XVII.

LAURA BRIDGMAX.

399

which I sailed for Europo, and hud no opportunity of
conversing with this interesting girl, as she was just
leaving for the country. I saw her preceptor, Dr. ll<nve,
whose untiring exertions on lier behalf she has so wonder-
fully rewarded. He is a very lively, energetic man, and
is now devoting himself to the improvement of the con-
dition of idiots, in which already he has been extremely
successful.

Laura is an elegant-looking girl, and her features, for-
merly so vacant, are now animated and full of varying
expression. She dresses herself with great care and neat-
ness, and her fair hair is also braided by herself. There
is nothing but what is pleasing in her api)earance, as her
eyes are covered with small green shades. She is about
twenty-three, and is not so clieerful as the f rmerly was,
perhaps because her health is not good, or possildy that
she feels more keenly the deprivations under which she
labours. She is very active in her movements, and fabri-
cates numerous useful and ornamental articles, which she
disposes of for her mother's benefit. She is very useful
among the other j)upils, and is well informed witli regard
to various branches of useful knowledge. She is com-
pletely matter-of-fact in all her ideas, as Dr. Howe
studiously avoids all imagery and illustration in his in-
structions, in order not to enib;uTass her mind by complex
images. It is to be regretted that she has very few ideas
on the subject of religion.

One of the most interesting places to me in the vicinity
of Boston was the abode of General Washington. It be-
came his residence in 1775, and here he lived while the
struggle for freedom was going on in the neighbourhood.

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400

WASHINGTON'S HOUSE.

Chap. XVIT.

It is one of tliG largest villas in the vicinity of Boston,
and has side verandahs resting on wooden pillars, and a
large garden in front. Some very venerable elms adjoin
the house, and the grounds are laid out in the fashion
which prevailed at that period. The room where \\'ash-
ington penned his famous despatches is still held sacred
by the Americans. Their veneration for this renowned
champion of independence has something almost idolatrous
about it. It is very fortunate that the greatest character
in American history should be also the best. Christian,
patriot, legislator, and soldier^ he deserved his mother's
proud boast, " I know that wherever George Washington
is, he is doing his duty." His character needed no lapse
of years to shed a glory round it ; the envy of contem-
porary writers left it stainless, and succeeding historians,
with their pens dipped in gall, have not been able to sully
the lustre of a name which is one of the greatest which
that or any age has produced.

This mansion has, however, an added interest, from
being the residence of the poet Longfellow. In addition
to his celebrity as a poet, he is one of the most elegant
scholars which America has produced, and, until recently,
held the professoi-ship of modern languages at the neigh-
bouring university of Cambridge. It would be out of
place here to criticise his poetry. Although it is very
unequal and occasionally fantastic, and though in one of
his greatest poems the English language appears to dance
in chains in the hexameter, many of his shorter pieces
well upwards from the heart, in a manner which is likely
to ensure durable fame for their author. The truths
energy, and earnestness of his * Psalm of Life * and

Chap. XVII.

LONGFELLOW.

401

' Goblet of Life,' luivc urged many forward in tlie figlit,
to whom the })onderous sublimity of Milton ii> a dead
language, and the metaphysical lyrics of Tennyson are
u.iintclligible. It appeared to me, from what 1 heard,
that his fame is even greater in England than in his own
country, where it is in some danger of being eclipsed by
that of Bryant and Lowell. He is extremely courteous
to strangers, and having kindly offered, through a friend,
to show me Cand)ridge University, 1 had an opj)i;rtunity
of making his acquaintance.

I have been frequently asked to desci-ibe his personal
appearance, and disappointment has frequently been ex-
pressed at the portrait which truth comi)els me to give of
him. lie is neither tall, black-haired, nor pale ; he neither
raises his eyes habitually to heaven, nor turns down his
shirt-collar. He does not wear a look of melancholy
resignation, neither does he live in love-gilded poverty, in
a cottage embosomed in roses. On the contrary, he is
about the middle height, and is by no means thin. He
has handsome features, merry blue eyes, and a ruddy
complexion ; he lives in a large mansion, luxuriously fur-
nished ; and, besides having a large fortune, is the father
of six blooming children. In short, his appearance might
be considered jovial, were it not so extremely gentle-
manly.

Mr. Longfellow met us at the door, with that urbanity
which is so agreeable a feature in his character, and, on
being shown into a very handsome library, we were intro-
duced to Mrs. Longfellow, a lady of dignitied appearance
and graceful manner. She is well known as the Mary of
Hyperion; and after a due degree of indignation with

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LONGFELLOW.

CiiAi'. XVIL

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the author of that graceful and pootic.-il l)ook, slio re-
warded his constancy and devotion with lier hand. The
library was paneHed in the old style, and a large collec-
tion of hooks was arranged in recesses in the vail ; hut
the a])artiuent evidently served the purposes of lihrary
and boudoir, for there were .Mimerous evidences of fenuile
taste and occupation. Those who think that American
children are all precocious little men and women would
have been sur])rised to see the door boisterously thrown
open by a little blooming boy, who scrambled mirthfully
upon his father's knee, as though used to be there, and
asked him to whittle a stick for him.

It is not often that the conversation of an author is
equal in its way to his writings, therefore I expected in
Mr. Longfellow's case the disap})ointment which I did not
meet with. He touched lightly on various subjects, and
embellished each with the case and grace of an accom-
plished scholar, and, doubtless in kindly compliment to an
English visitor, related several agreeable reminiscences
of acquaintanceships formed with some of our Ufei-ati
during a brief visit to England. He spoke with much
taste and feeling of European antiquities, and of the ab-
sence of them in the New World, together with the effect
produced by the latter upon the American character. He
said that nothing could give him greater pleasure than a
second visit to Europe, but that there were " six obstacles
in the way of its taking place."

With him as a very able cicerone I had the pleasure of
visiting Cambridge University, which reminded me more
of England than anything 1 saw in America ; indeed there
are features in which it is not unlike its Enslish name-

Chap. XVII.

CAMBIUDGE UNIVERSITY.

403

sake. It has no Nowtonian or Ml'.tonian sliades, but in
another century the names ct* those who fill a living auje
with lustre will have their memorials among its academic
groves. There are several halls of dark stone or I'ed
hrick, of venerable ajjpearance, and there are avenues of
stately elms. The library is a fine Gothic edifice, and
contains some valuable manuscripts and illuminated edi-
tions of old works. There was a small copy of the four
evangelists, written in characters resembling j)rint, but so
small that it cainiot be read without a magnifying ghif^s.
This volume was the labour of a lifetime, and the trans-
criber comj)leted his useless task upon his deathbed.
While Mr. Longfellow was showing me some autographs
of American patriots, I remarked that as I was showing
some in a Canadian city, a gentleman standing by, on
seeing the signature of the Protector, asked, in the most
innocent ignorance, who Oliver Cromwell was ? A lady
answered that he was a successful rebel in the olden
time ! " If you are asked the question a second time,"
observed the poet, who doubtless fully appreciates the
greatness of Cromwell, "say that he was an eminent
brewer."

Altogether there is very much both of interest and
beauty in Boston and its environs ; and I was repeatedly
told that I should have found the society more agreeable
than that of New York. With the exception of visits
paid to the houses of Longfellow and the late Mr. Abbott
Lawrence, I did not see any of the inhabitants of Boston,
as I only spent three days in the neighbourhood ; but at
Mr. Amy's house I saw what is agreeable in any country,
more especially in a land of transition and change — a

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SOCIETY IN BOSTON.

CiiAi'. XV H.

linppy Amorlcaii liome. The ])im)J)1(' of tliis vvestoni
Athens ])ri(le tlioirijiclves ujjon tlio intellectual soeiety
and the ninnber of eniinont men whieh they possess,
amonp; whom may he natned Longfellow, ICmerson,
Lowell, Dana, and Summer. One of these at least is of
the transcendental school. 1 very much regretted that
I had not more time to devote to a city so rich in variou^^
ohiects of interest; but the northern winter had already
hegiui, and howling winds and angry seas warned me
that it was time to join my friends at Halifax, who were
desirous to cross the " vexed Atlantic " before the wea-
ther became yet more boisterous.

:nAi'. XVII.

Chap. XVIII.

AMERICAN COXSTITUTIOX.

405

CHAPTER XVIII.

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Origin of the Constitution — The Executive — Congress — Local Legis-
latures— Tlio army and navy — Justice — Slavery — Pulitical cor-
)'uj)tion — The foreign element — Al>senco of jirinciple — Associations
— The Know-nothings — The Press uuJ its power — 'Keligion —
The Church — The Clergy.

Before concluding this volume it will bo proper to offer
a few remarks upon Ameriean institutions, and sncli of*
their effects as are obvious to a temporary resident in the
States. In apology for my own incompetence, I must
again remind the reader that these are merely surface
observations, offered in accordance with the preface to
this work.

The Constitution demands the first notice. When our
American colonies succeeded in throwing off" the yoke of
England, it became necessary for them to choose a form
of govermnent. No country ever started under such
happy auspices. It had just concluded a successful
struggle with one of the greatest empires in the world ;
its attitude of independence was sympathised with by the
enthusiastic spirits of Europe, and had even gained the
respect of that upright monarch, who, on receiving the
first ambassador from his revolted colonies, addressed him
with these memorable words : — " I was the last man in
England to acknowledge the independence of America;
but, being secured, I shall be the last man in England to

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AMERICAN CONSTITUTION.

Chap. XVIII.

violate it." Tim? circumstanced, each of tlio tliirteon
States, witli the exception of Rhode Island, sent delegates
to Philadelphia to deliberate on the form of government
wliich should be adopted. This deliberative assembly of
a free j)cople presented a sublime spectacle in the eyes of
nations. After two years of consideration, and consider-
able differences of oj)inion, it was decided that the mo-
narchical traditions of the Old World were effete and
obsolete ; and accordingly a purely I{e]Rd)lican Constitu-
tion was promulgated, under which the United States
have become a rich and powerful nation. It is grati-
fying to an English person to know that the Constitution
of the States was derived in great measure from that
of England, enlarged, and divested of those which were
deemed its objectionable features. The different States
had previously possessed local assi^mblies, and gover-
nors, and the institutions connected with slavery; the
last remain to this day in pretty much the same state
as when they wei'e betiueathed by England to America.
AVashington entered upon the office of President in 1789,
and discharged its duties, as he did those of every other
station, with that high-souleJ and disinterested patriotism
which render him as worthy to be imitated as admired.

There are three authorities, the President, the Senate,
and the House of Representatives, all elected by the
j)e(»ple ; thus their acts are to a certain extent expressive
of the popular will.

The President is elected by universal suffrage, once in
four years. He receives a salary of 5000/. per annum,
and is assisted by five secretaries, who, with two other
executive officers, arc paid at the rate of 1600/. a-year.

Chap. XVIII.

CONGRESS.

407

This officer lias considerable power and enormous pa-
tronage, lie makes treaties, wljicli merely require the
ratification of the Senate ; he grants pardons, and may
place ills veto on the acts of the two other estates, pro-
vided that they have not been returned by two-thirds of
the members of the resj)ective houses.

There are sixty-two Senators, or two from eacli State.
These are elected by the local legislatures for a term of
six years, and one-third of the number retire every two
years. Kacli Senator must be thirty years of ;ige ; he
must be a resident of the State which be represents, and
he must have been naturalised for nine years.

The Lower House, or House of Hepresentatives, is
perhaps the most purely poj)ular body in the world. The
members are elected for two years by universal suffrage,
that is, by the votes of all the free male citizens of
America who have attained the age of 21. Each
member of the Lower House must have been naturalised
for seven years, and he must have passed the age of 25.
Population has been taken as tlie basis of representation,
in the following very simple manner. The number of
Representatives was fixed by Act of Congress at 233,
although a new one has recently been added for Cali-
fornia. The aggregate representative population (by the
last decennial enumeration, 21,767,673) is taken, and
divided by 233 ; and the quotient, rejecting fractions, is
the ratio of apportionment among the several States. The
representative population of each State is then ascer-
tained, and is divided by the above named ratio, and the
(juotient gives the number of representatives to each State,
'ihe State of New York, being the most populous, pos-

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CONGRESS.

Cii.vp. XVIII

sesses 33 representatives ; two of the States, namely, De-
laware and Florida, require no more than one each. On
a rough calculation, each memher represents ahout 90,000
persons. The two houses together are named Congress,
and the members of both receive S2s. per diem for their
attendance, without deduction in case of sickness, in
addition to travelling expenses. All measures of legisla-
tion and taxation must receive the approval of che Pre-
sident and the Congress, the majority in Congress
representing the popular will. Every State has its as-
sembly and governor, and to a certain extent has power
to make its own laws. The members of these assemblies,
the governors of the States, and the mayors and muni-
cipal officers of the cities, are all elected by univer al
suffrage.

No system of direct taxation is adopted in the States,
except for local purposes. The national revenue is
derived from customs duties, on many articles so high
as to amount to protective duties ; from the sale of wild
lands ; and from one or two other sources. The annual
revenue of the country is about 12,000,000Z., and. the
expenditure is under the income. The state officials are
rather poorly paid. The chief ambassadors do not re-
ceive more than 1800/. per annum, and the chief justice,
whose duties are certainly both arduous and responsible,
only receives a salary of lOOOZ. a year. The pi uioipal
items of expenditure are connected with the army and
navy, and the officers in both these services are amply
remunerated. The United States navy is not so power-
ful as might be expected from such a maritime people.
There are only twelve ships of the line and twelve first-

HAP. XVIII.

Chap. XVIII.

THE ARMY.

400

class frigates, including receiving-ships and those on the
stocks.

The standing army consists of 10,000 men, and is
regarded with some jealousy by the mass of the people.
The pay in this branch of the service varies from that of
a major-general, which is 1000/. a year, to li.at of a
private, which is about Is. Qd. a day. This last is larger
than it appears, as it is not subject to the great deduc-
tions which are made from that of an English soldier.
The real military strength of America consists of an
admirably trained militia force of about 2,200,000 men,
supj)orted at an enormous ex])ense. This hirge body is
likely to prove invincible for defensive j)urposes, as it is
composed of citizens trained to groat skill as marksmen,
and animated by the strongest patriotism ; but it is to
be hoped that it also furnishes a security against an
offensive war on a large scale, as it is scarcely likely
that any great number of men would abandon their busi-
ness and homes for any length of time for aggressive
purposes.

The higliest court of law in the United States is the
Supreme Court, which holds one annual session at Wash-
ington. It is composed of a chief justice and eight
associate justices, and is the only power not subjected
directly or indirectly to the will of the people. Tlie
United States are divided into nine judicial circuits, in
each of which a (Circuit Court is held twice a year by a
justice of the Supreme Court, a^^sis^ted by the district
judge of the State in which tlu; court sits. Tiierc is,
however, a great weakness both about the Executive and
the administration of justice, the consequence of which is,

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SOURCE OF POWER.

CiiAi'. XVIII.

that, when a lU'.'asiiro is placed u])()n tlie statute-book
which is supposed to be obnoxious to any powerful class,
a Icuf/uc is formed by })rivate individuals for the j)urpose
of enforcinij it, or in some cases it would become a dead
letter. The })owerful societies wiiich are formed to secure
the workincf of the '"'Maine Law'" will occur at once to
English readers.

Each State possesses a distinct governmental machinery
of its own, consisting of a Governor, a Senate, and a
House of Representatives. The Governor is elected by a
majority of the votes of the male citizens for a term of
years, varying in different States from one to four. The
Senators are elected for like periods, and the Representa-
tives are chosen for one or two years. I'he largest number
of K(3presentatives for any one State is 350.

Nearly all j)ower in the United States is held to a
great extent on popular sufferance ; ii emanates from the
will of the majt)rity, no matter how vicious or how igno-
rant that majority may be. In some cases this leads to a
slight alteration of the Latin axiom, Sains popnli est su-
j[)renia lex, which may be read, " the tcill of the })eople
is the supreme law." The American constitution is
admirable in theory; it enunciates the incontrovertible
principle, "x\ll men are free and equal." But unfortu-
nately, a serious disturbing element, and one which by
its indirect effects threatens to bring the machinery
of the Republic to a " dead lock," appears not to have
entered into the calculations of these political theorists.

This element is slavery, which exists in fifteen out of
thirty-one states, and it is to be feared that by a recent
act of the legislature the power to extend it is placed in

Chap. XVIII.

SLAVERY,

411

the bunds of the majority, should tliut majority declare

r it, ill the new States. The strnggle betwet-n tiie
advocates of freechjm and slavery is now convnlsing
America ; it has already led to outrage and bloodshed
in the State of Kansas, and appearances seem to indicate
a prolonged and disastrons conflict between the North and
South. The question is one which cannot be passed over
by any political })arty in the States. Perhaps it niay
not be universally known in England that slavery is a
part of the ratified Con;ftitutioii of the States, and that
the Gov>.'rnment is bound to maintain it in its integrity.
Its abolition must be procured by an im})ortant change
in the constitution, which looald shake, and )ni(/ht dislo-
cate, the vast and unwieldy Kepublic. Each State, 1
believe, has it in its power to abolish slavery within its
own limits, but the Federal Government has no power
to introduce a modification of the system in any. I'he
federal com])act binds the Government " not to meddle
with slavery in the States where it exists, to protect
the owners in tlie case of runaway slaves, and to defend
them in the event of invasion or domestic vio'; ^nce on
account of it." Thus the rights and projtertij in slaves
of the slaveholders are Icgalhf guaranteed to them hg the
Constitution of the United States. At the last census the
slaves amounted to more than 3,000,000, or about an
eighth of the population, and constitute an alien body,
neither exercising the privileges nor animated by the sen-
timents of the rest of the commonwealth. Slavery at
this moment, as it is the curse and the shame, is also the
canker of the Union. By it, by the very constitution of
a country which proudly boasts of freedom, three millions

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SLAVERY.

Chap. XVIII.

of intolUgcnt and responsible beings are reduced to the
level of mere property — property legally reclaimable, too,
in the Free States by an act called the Fugitive Slave Act.
That there are slaveholders amiable, just, and humane,
there is not a doubt ; but slavery in its practice as a
system deprives tliese millions of knowledge, takes away
from them the Bible, keeps a race in heathen ignorance
in a (!!hristian land, denies to the slaves compensation for
their labour, the rights of marriage and of thv3 ])arental
relation, which are respected even among tlie most savage
nations ; it sustains an iniquitous internal slave-trade — it
corrupts the owners, and easts a slur upon the dignity of
labour. It acts as an incubus on public improvement,
and vitiates public morals ; and it proves a very formid-
able obstacle to religion, advancement, and national
unity ; and so long as it shall remain a part of tlie
American constitution, it gives a living lie to the im-
posing declaration, " All men are free and equal."

AVhere the whole machinery of government is capable
of being changed or modified by the will of the people
while the written constitution remains, and where here-
ditary and territorial differences of opinion exist on very
im])ortant subjects, it is not surj)rising that party sjnrit
should run very high. Where the highest offices in the
State are neither lucrative enough nor permanent enough
to tempt ambition — where, in addition, their occupants
are appointed by the President merely for a short term —
and where the highest dignity frequently precedes a life-
long obscurity, the notoriety of i)arty leadership offers a
great inducement to the aspiring. Party spirit pervades
the middle and lower ranks ; every man, almost every

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lAP. XVIII.

CiiAP. XVIII.

MOB TYUANNY.

413

woman, belongs to some party or other, and aspii'Cjs to
some political influence.

Any person who takes a prominent part either in local
or general politics is attacked on the platform and Ity the
press, with a fierceness, a scurrility, and a vulgarity which
spare not even the sanctity of private life. The men of
wealth, education, and talent, who have little either to
gain or lose, and who would not yield up any carefully
adopted principle to the insensate clamour of an unbridled
populace, stand aloof from public affairs, with very few
exceptions. The men of letters, the wealthy merchants,
the successful in any profession, are not to be met with in
the political arena, and frequently abstain even from voting
at the elections. This indisposition to mix in politics
probably arises both from the coarse abuse which assails
public men, and from the admitted inability, under present
circumstances, to stem the tic e of corrupt practices, mob-
law, and intimidation, which are placing the United
States under a tyranny as severe as that of any privileged
class — the despotism of a turbulent and unenlightened
majority. Numbers are represented exclusively, and
partly in consequence, property, character, and stake in
the country are the last things which would be deemed
desirable in a candidate for popular favour.

Owing to the extraordinary influx of foreigners, an ele-
ment has been introduced which could scarcely have
entered into the views of the framers of the Constitution,
and is at this time the great hindrance to its beneficial
wrrking. The large numbers of Irish Romanists who
have emigrated to the States, and whose feelings are too
often disaffected and anti-American, evade the naturalisd-

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414

THE FOREIGN ELE^IENT.

CiiAV. XVIII.

tion laws, and, l)y surroptitionsly obtaining votes, exercise
a most mischievous influence upon the elections. Edu-
cation lias not yet so ])ermeat,ed the heterogeneous mass
of the people as to tell effectually upon their choice of
n^presentatives. The electors are caught by claptnip,
noisy declamation, and sj)ecious promises, coupled with
laudatory connnents up(m the sovereign people. As the
times for the elections approach, the candidates of the
weaker party endeavour to obtain favour and notoriety by
leading a popular cry. The declamatory vehemence with
which certain members of the democratic party endea-
voured to fasten a quarrel upon England at the close of
1855 is a specimen of the political capital which is too
often relied upon in the States.

The enormous numbers of immigrants who annually
acquire the rights of citizenship, without any other quali-
fication for the franchise than their inability to use it
aright, by their ignorance, turbulence, and often by their
viciousness, tend still further to degrade the popular
assemblies. It is useless to speculate upon the position
in which America would be without the introduction of
this terrible foreign element ; it may be admitted that
the republican form of government has not had a fair trial ;
its present state gives rise to serious doubts in the minds
of many thinking men in the States, whether it can long
continue in its present form.

The want of the elements of })ermanency in the Govern-
ment keeps many persons from entering into public life :
and it would appear that merit and distinguished talent,
when accompanied by such a competence as renders a
man independent of the emoluments of office, are by no

n\v. XVI IT.

Chap. XVIII. 3[E:\I1{ER.S OF TTTT, LEOIST.ATIOX.

s, exercise
lis. Edu-
cons mass
choice of
claptrap,
pled with
1. As the
;cs of the
(torlety hy
leiice with
rty eiidea-
le close of
lich is too

) annually
lier quali-

to use it
1 by their
J popular
e position
Auction of
itted that

fair trial ;

he minds

can long

Govern-
blic life :
id talent,
enders a
re by no

means a passport to success. '^I'ho ?traiig(M* visiting the
UnitcMl States is surjirised with the entirt? absence of
gentlemanly ftjeling in political affairs. Tliey are jier-
vaded by a coarse and repuhive vulgarity ; they are
seldom alluded to in the conversation of the upper classics :
and the ruling powtn* in this vast community is in danger
of being abandoned to corrupt agitators and noisy char-
latans. Th{> President, the iMenibers of Congress,
and to a still greater extent tlie memliers of the State
Legislatures, are the (h'h'(/atcs of a tyrannical majority
rather than the representatives of the jieople. Tlie mil-
lion succeeds in exacting an amount of cringing political
subserviency, in attempting to obtain whicli, in a like
degree, few despots have been successful.

The absence of a property qualification, the short term
for which the represciiitativcs are chosen, and the want, in
many instances, of a pecuniary independence among them,
combined with a variety of other circumstances, place the
members of the Legislatures under the direct control of
the populace ; they are its servile tools, and are subject
to its wayward impulses and its proverhial fickleness ;
hence the remarkable absence of any fixed line of policy.
Tiie public acts of America are isolated ; they appear to
be framed for the necessities of the moment, under the
influence of popular chimour or pressure ; and sometimes
seem neitlier to recognise engagements entered into in the
past, or the probable course of events in the future.
America does not possess a traditional policy, and she
does not recognise an} broad and well-defined ])rinciple
as the rule for her conduct. The national acts of s;)o-
liation or meanness wdiicli have been sanctioned by the

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410

SLAVES OF TUE MOB.

LiiAr. XVIII.

Logislatiiro may bo distinctly tnicod to tho numner in
wliicli the primary elections are conducted. It is difficult,
if not impossible, for tbe European governments to do
more tlian guess at tbe part wliicb America will take on
any great <iuestion — vvbetber, in tbe ev(Mit of a collision
between nations, sbe will observe an impartial neutrality,
or tbrow tbe weigbt of ber influence into tbe scale of
liberty or despotism.

It is to be feared tbat political morality is in a very
low state. Tbe ballot secures tbe electors from even tbe
breatb of censure by making tbem irresponsible ; few men
dare to be independent. Tbe plea of expediency is often
used in extenuation of tbe grossest political disbonesty.
To obtain political favour or position a man must stoop
very low ; be must cultivate tbe good will of tbe ignorant
and tbe vicious; be must excite and minister to tbe pas-
sions of tbe people ; be must flatter tbe bad, and assail
tbe bonourable witb unmerited opprobrium. Wbile he
makes tbe assertion tbat bis country has a monopoly of
liberty, tbe very plan whicb be is pursuing shows tbat it
is fettered by mob rule. No honourable man can use
these arts, whicb are, however, a high-road to political
eminence. It is scarcely necessary to remark upon the
effect which is produced in society generally by this poli-
tical corruption.

The want of a general and high standard of morality
is very apparent. That dishonesty which is so notoriously
and often successfully practised in political life is not ex-
cluded from the dealings of man witb man.

It is jested about under the name of " smartness," and
commended under that of " 'cuteness," till the rule be-

m^:^'

HAP. XVIII.

CiiAi'. XVIII. WANT OF MORAL PllLN'CirLE.

417

comes of frequent and i)ractical a])|)lication, tliat tlie dis-
grace attending a dislionourable transaction lies only in
its detection, — that a line of conduct which custom has
sanctioned in public life cannot be very blanieabie in
individual action.

While the avenues to distinction in public life are in
great measure closed against men of honour, wealth oilers
a sure road to eminence, and the accjuisition of it is the
great object followed. It is often sought and obtained by
means from which considerations of honesty and morality
are omitted ; but there is not, as with us, that right(!0us
censorship of public opinion which brands dishonesty with
infamy, and places the offender apart, in a splendid
leprosy, from the society to which he hoped wealth would
be a passport. If you listen to the conversation in cars,
steamboats, and hotels, you become painfully impressed
with the absence of moral truth which pervades the
country. The success of Barnum, the immense popu-
larity of his infamous autobiography, and the pride which
large numbers feel in his success, instance the perverted
moral sense which is very nmch the result of the absence
of principle in public life ; for the example of men in the
highest positions in a state must influence the masses
powerfully either for good or evil, A species of moral
obliquity pervades a large class of the community, by
which the individuals composing it are prevented from
discerning between truth and falsehood, except as either
tends to their own personal aggr uidisement. Thus truth
is at a fearful discount, and men exult in successful
roguery, as though a new revelation had authorised them
to rank it among the cardinal virtues.

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418

ASSOCIATIONS.

ClIAl'.

Tlieso nMiinrks n])j)ly to ,'i class, unfortunntoly a vory
nuiiKToiis Olio, of tlio cxistoiuM! of wliiclj none arc more
painfully (;on»i;i()tis than the good among tl;o Anioricaus
tlionisolvcs. Of the ui)por class of uiercliants, luanu-
t'u'turcM's, blii|)l)uil(U'rs, \.(.'., it wonld be difficult to speak
too liiglily. They havt; acquired a world-wide rei)Utation
for their uprightiK'ss, punctiuility, and Ijonourable d(,'al-
ings in all mercantile transactions.

The ()j)j)ression which is exercised by a tyrant majority
is one leading cause of the nvnnercnis ])olitical associations
which exist in tlie States. They are the vviNipons with
whicli the weaker side cond)ats the numerically superior
party. When a nundjcr of ])ersons hit uj)on a grievance,
real or supposed, they unite themselves into a society, and
invite delegates from other districts, ^\"ith a celerity
which can scarcely he imagined, declarations are issued
and papers established advocating party views ; public
meetings are held, and a complete organization is se-
cured, with ramifications extending all over the country.
A formidable and compact body thus arises, and it occa-
sionally haj)})ens that such a society, originating in the
weakness of a minority, becomes strong enough to dictate
a course of action to the Executive.

Of all the associations ever formed, none promised
to exercise so important an influence as that of the
Know-nothings, or the American party. It arose out
of the terrific spread of a recognised evil — namely,
the power exercised upon the Legislature by foreigners,
more especially by the Irish Romanists. The great
influx of aliens, chiefly Irish and Germans, who speedily
or unscrupulously obtain the franchise, had caused

CiiAi'. XVIII.

TTIK KNOW-NOTTTIXriS.

iniicli alarm tliroii^liout the co'.intry. Tt wns soon tlint
tlio fornuT, l)oing under tlio t(Miij)oral and spiritiial
domination of tlioir ])i'iosts, and tln'oiigli tliom und(>r
an Italian prince, were ox(M"tiiig a nio^t bani^ful iii-
flnenoo upon the rejjnhlican in-titntion- of the States.
Already in two or nif)ro States the Romanists l)ad organ-
ised themselves to interfere with the, management of
the puhlie sehools. This alarm paved the way for
the ra])id extcMision of the new i)arty, which first
made its a))poaranec before men's eyes with a secret
organization and ennrnnnis political machinery. Its
success was unprecedented. Favoured by the secri^sy
of the ballot, it succeeded in placing its nominees
in all the res])onsible offices in several of the States.
Other parties appeared paralysed, and men yielded before
a mysterious ])ower of whose real strength they were in
complete ignorance. The avowed objects of the Know-
nothings were to establish new naturalization laws, pro-
hibiting any from acquiring the franchise without a re-
sidence of twenty-one years in the States — to procure the
exclusion of Romanists from all public offices — to restore
the working of the constitution to its original purity — and
to guarantee to the nation religious freedom, a free Bible,
and free schools ; in fact, to secure to Americans the right
which they are in danger of ceasing to possess — namely,
that of governing themselves.

The objects avowed in the preliminary address M-ere
high and holy ; they stirred the patriotism of those who
writhed under the tyranny of an lieterogencous majoi-ity,
while the mystery of nocturnal meetings, and a secret

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420

THE KNOW-NOTHINGS.

Chap. XVIII.

organi/ation, conciliated tlio su})|)ort of the young and
ardent For a time a hope was aHorded of the revival
of a pure form of republican goverinnent, hut unfortu-
nately the Kn(»w-nothing party contained the elenuMits
of dissolution within itself. Some of its principles savoured
of intolerance, and of pcjrsecution for religious oi)ini(ms,
and it ignored the subject of slavery. This can never be
long excluded from any party consideration, and, though
politicians strive to evade it, the (pa^stion still recurs, and
will force itself into notice. Little more than a year after
the Know-nothings were first heard of, they cauke into
collision with the subject, in the summer of 1855, and,
after stormy dissensions at their great convention, broke
up into several branch(>s, some of which tot^dly altered or
abandoned the original objects of their association.

Their triumph was brief : some of the States in which
they were the most successful have witnessed their signal
overthrow,* and it is to ho feared that no practical good
will result from tlieir future operations. But the good
cause of constituti(mal government in America is not lost
with tlieir failure — public opinion, whenever it shall bo
fairly appealed to, will declare itself in favour of truth
and order ; the conservative principle, though dornuuit, is
yet powerful ; and, though we may smile at republican
inconsistencies, and regret the state into which republican
government has fallen, it is likely that America contains
the elements of renovation within herself, and will yet

* At several of the state elections at the close of 185.^) tlio Know-
nothiiigs succoedeil in placing iiieir nominees in public oHices, partly
by au abiiudoumeut of some of their original aims.

tAP. XVIII.

CiiAi'. XVIII.

THE I'llESS.

421

present to the world the suhliim; spectaclj; of ;i free
peopK; governing itself hy jnst laws, and rejoieing in the
purity of its original republiean institutions.

The new8paj)er pre^^s is oni? of the most extraordinary
features in the United States. Its influence is onnii-
l)resent. Every party in ridigion, polities, or morals,
speaks, not hy one, hut hy fifty organs ; and every nicely
defined shade of opinion has its voices also. Every town
of large size has from ten to twenty daily pa|)ers ; every
village has its three or four; and even a collection of
huts produces its one " daily," or two or three " weeklies."
These prints start into existence without any fiscal re-
strictions : then; is neither stamp nor paj)er duty. News-
papers are not a luxury, as with us, hut a necessary of
life. They vary in price from one halfpenny to three-
pence, and no workman who could afibrd his daily hread
would think of being without his paper. Hundreds of
them are sold in the hotels at hreakfast-time ; and in
every steamer and railway car, from the Atlantic ocean
to the western prairies, the traveller is assailed hy news-
hoys with dozens of them for sale. They are bought in
hundreds everywhere, and are greculily devoured by men,
women, and children. Almost as soon as the h;cality of
a to vn is chosen, a paper starts into life, which always
has the efilict of creating an antagonist.

The newsj)apers in the large cities spare no expense in
obtaining, either by telegraph or otherwise, the earliest in-
telligence of all that goes on in the world. Every item of
English news appears in the journals, from the movements
of the court to those of the literati ; and a weekly sum-
mary of parliamentary intelligence is always given. Any

Ml!'

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422

THE PRESS.

Chap. XVIII.

reniarkaLlo law proceedings are also succinctly detailed.
It follows, that a dweller at Cincinnati or New Orleans
is nearly as well versed in English affairs as a resident
of Birmingham, and English politics and movements in
general are very fn quent subjects of conversation. Since
the commencement of the Russian war the anxiety for
English intelligence has increased, and every item of
Crimean or Baltic news, as recorded In the letters of the
" special correspondents," is reprinted in the American
papers without abridgment, and is devoured by all classes
of readers. The great fault of most of these journals is
their gross personality ; even the privacy of domestic life
is invaded by their Argus-eyed scrutiny. The ])apers
discern everything, and, as everybody reads, no current
events, whether in j)olitics, religion, or the world at large,
are unknown to the masses. The contents of an American
j)aper are very miscellaneous. Besides the news of the
day, it contains congressional and legal reports, exciting
fiction, and rejiorts of sermons, religious discussions, and
religious anniversaries. It prys into every department of
society, and informs its readers as to the doings and con-
dition of all.

Thus every party and sect has a daily register of the
most minute ?ayings and doings, and proceedings and
progri'fn ot very other sect; and as truth and error are
continually brought before tlie masses, they have the
opportunity to know and rr)mpare. There are political
parties uii<U>c the names of \\'iiigs. Democrats, Know-
nothings Froesoilers, Fusionists, Hunkers, ^^'oolly-heads,
Dougli-faces, Hard -shells, Soft-shells, Silver-greys, and I
know not what besides; all of ti)era e.xtremely puzzling

lAP. XVIII.

detailed.
V Orleans

resident
sments in
1. Since
xicty for

item of
!rs of the
American
11 classes
urnals is
estic life
3 })a])ers

current
it large,
merican
' of the
exciting;
>ns, and
nient of
nd con-

of the
ss and
ror are
ve the
olitical
Know-
■heads,

and I
izzling

Chap. XVIII.

THE PRESS.

423

to the stranger, but of great local significance. There are
about a hundred sj-called religious denominations, from
the orthodox bodies and their subdivisions to those pro-
fessing the lawless fanaticism of Mornionism, or the
chilling dogmas of Atheism. All these parties have their
papers, and each "movement" has its organ. The
"Woman's Right Movement" and the "Spiritual Mani-
festation Movement " have several.

There is a continual multiplication of papers, corre-
sponding, not only to the increase of population, but to
that of pa?-ties and vagaries. 'I'he increasing call for
editors and writers brings persons into their ranks who
have neither the education nor the intelligence to fit them
for so important an office as the irresjwiisiblc guidance of
the people. They make up for their deficiencies in know-
ledge and talent by fiery a^.d unprincipled partisanship,
and augment the passions and prejudices of their readers
instead of placing the truth before them. The war
carried on between })a})ers of opposite principles is some-
thing perfectly terrific. The existence of many of these
prints depends on the violent passiors which they may
excite in their sujjporters, and frequently the editors are
men of the most unprincipled character. The papers
advocating the oj)inions of the different religious denomi-
nations are not exemj)t from the charge of })ersonalities
and abusive writing. No discord is so dread as that
carried o\\ under the cloak of religion, and religious jour-
nalism in tlie States is on a superlatively bitter footing.

But evil as is, to a great extent, the influence exercised
by the press, terrible as is its scrutiny, and unlimited as
is its power, destitute of principle as it is in great mea-

♦ *•■

i;"

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424

TnE PRESS.

Chap. XVIII.

sure, it has its brigiit as well as its dark side. Theories,
opinions, men, and things, are examined into and sifted
until all can understand their truth and error. The
argument of antiquity or authority is exploded and ridi-
culed, and the men who seek to sustain antiquated error
on the foundation of effete tradition are compelled to
prove it by scripture or reason. Yet such are the multi-
tudinous and tortuous ways in which everything is dis-
cussed, that multitudes of persons who hf?"e neither the
leisure nor ability to reflect for themselves know not what
to believe, and there is a very obvious absence of attach-
ment to clear and strongly defined principles. The great
circulation which the newspapers enjoy may be gathered,
without giving copious statistics, from the fact that one
out of the many New York journals has a circulation of
187,000 copies.* The New York Tribune may be con-
sidered the " leading journal " of America, but it adheres
to one set of principles, and Mr. Horace Greely, the
editor, has the credit of being a powerful advocate of the
claims of morality and humanity.

It is impossible for a stranger to form any estimate
of the influence really possessed by religion in America.
I saw nothing which led me to doubt the assertion made
by persons who have opportunities of forming an opinion,
that " America and Scotland are the two most religious
countries in the world."

* There .ire now about 400 daily newspapers in the States : their
aggregate circulation is over 800,000 copies. There are 2217 weekly
papers, with an aggregate circulation of 3,100,057 copies; and the
total aggregate circulation of all the prints is about 5,400,000 copies,
In one year about 423,000,000 copies of newspapers were printed and
circulated.

:''j V

CiiAP. XVIII.

BELIGION.

425

The Sabbath is well observed, not only, as might be
expected, in the New England States, but in the large
cities of the Union ; and even on the coasts of the Pacific
the Legislature of California has passed an act for its
better observance in that State. It is probable that, in a
country where business pursuits and keen competition are
carried to such an unheard-of extent, all classes feel the
need of rest on the seventh day, and regard the Sabbath
as a physical necessity. The churches of a\\ denomina-
tions are filled to overflowing ; the proportion of commu-
nicants to attendants is very large ; and the foreign mis-
sions, and other religious societies, are supported on a
scale of remarkable liberality.

There is no established church or dominant religious
persuasion in the States. There are no national endow-
ments ; all are on the same footing, and live or die as
they obtain the suffrages of the people. While the State
does not recognise any one form of religion, it might be
expected that she would assist the ministers of all. Such
is not the case ; and, though Government has wisely
thought it necessary to provide for the education of the
people, it has not thought it advisable to make any pro-
vision for the maintenance of religion. Every one worships
after his own fashion ; the sects are numerous and sub-
divided ; and all enjoy the blessings of a complete religious
toleration.

Strange sects have arisen, the very names of which are
scarcely known in England, and each has numerous
adherents. It may be expected that fanaticism would
run to a great height in the States. Among the 100
different denominations which are returned in the census

\ '•'

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mi-

JiiV

420

CLERGY.

Cii.vr. XVIII.

■A-3a-

tables, the following designations occnr : Mornionitcs,
Antiburgers, Believers in God, Cliildren of Peace,
Disunionists ; ])anian. Democratic Gospel, and P^benezer
Socialists ; Free Inquirers, Insjnred Church, Millerites,
Menonites, New Lights, Perfectionists, Pathonites,
Pantheists, Tunkards, Restorationists, Superalists, Cos-
mopolites, and hosts of others.

The clergy depend for their salaries upon the congre-
gations for whom they officiate, and upon private endow-
ments. The total value of church property in the United
States is estimated at 86,410,639 dollars, of which one-
half is owned in the States of Massachusetts, New York,
and Pennsylvania. The number of churches, exclusive
of those in the newly-organised territories, is about 38,000.
There is one church for every 046 of the population.
The voluntary system is acted upon by each denomina-
tion, though it is slightly modified in the E])iscopalian
church. In it, however, the bishops are elected, the
clergy are chosen by the peo})le, and its affairs are re-
gulated by a convention. It is the oldest of the deno-
minations, and is therefore entitled to the first notice.

It has 38 bishops, 1714 ministers, and 105,350 com-
municants. It hns 1422 churches, and its church property
is estimated at 11,261,970 dollars. A large number of
the educated and wealthy arc members of this body. Its
formularies, with the exception of some omissions and
alterations, are the same as those of *lie Church of Eng-
land. Some of its bishops are men of very high attain-
ments. Dr. Mcllvaine, the Bishop of Ohio, is a man of
great lenrning and piety, and is well known in England
by his theological writings.

uxv. XVII r.

Chap. XVIII.

PvELIGIOUS SECTS.

42'

nrmonitcsi,
)f PoMce,
ICbonozer
Millorites,
'atlionitcs,
ists, Cos-

0 conOTe-
te endow-
le United
lieh ono-
e-.v York,
exclusive
t 38,000.
pulation.
:)nomina-
scopalian
;ted, the

are re-
he deno-
tice.

50 corn-
property
imber of
dy. Its
ons and
of Eng-

1 attain-
man of

England

Tlio Methodists are the /gest religions body in
America. As at home, they have their strong sectional
differences, but they are very useful, and arc ])articularly
acceptable to the lower orders of society, and among the
coloured population. They possess 12,4(57 churches, (S389
ministers, and 1,672,519 communicants, and the value of
their church property exceeds 14,000,000 dollars.

The Presbyterians are perhaps the most im])ortant of
the religious bodies, as regards influence, education, and
wealth. Their stronghold is in New England. They
have 7752 congregations, 5807 ministers, and C)S0,021
communicants. Their church property is of the value
of 14,000,000 dollars.

The Baptists are very numerous. They have 8181
churches, 8525 ministers, 1,058,754 communicants, and
church property to the amount of J 0.931,382 dollars.

The Congregational ists possess 1674 churches, 1848
ministers, and 207,609 communicants. Their pro})erty is
of the value of 7,973,962 dollars.

The Roman Catholics possessed at the date of the last
census 1112 churches, and church property to the amount
of 9,000,000 dollars.

There is (church accommodation for about 1 1,000,000
persons, or considerably more than half the population.
There are 35,000 Sabbath schools, with 250,000 teachers,
and 2,500,000 scholars. Besides the large number of
churches, religious services are held in many schools and
courthouses, and even in forests and fields. The dis-
semination of the Bible is on the increase. In last year
the Bible Society distributed upwards of 11,000,000
copies. The Society for Religious Publications employed

ii^,

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428

MISSIONS.

Chap. XVIII.

,*!> '.]

I'lT)' li' *

Hi;.'!

1300 colporteurs, and ufFected sales during the year to
the amount of 526,000 dollars. The principal of the
religious societies are for the observance of the sabbath,
for temperance, anti-slavery objects, home missions, foreign
missions, &c. The last general receipts of all these so-
cieties were 3,053,535 dollars.

In the State of Massachusetts the Unitarians are a
very influential body, numbering many of the mo?t intel-
lectual and highly educated of the population. These,
however, are divided upon the amount of divinity with
which they shall invest our Lord.

The hostile spirit which animates some of the religious
journals has been already noticed. There is frequently
a good deal of rivalry between the members of the dif-
ferent sects ; but the way in which the ministers of the
orthodox denominations act harmoniously together for the
general good is one of the most pleasing features in
America. The charitable religious associations are on
a gigantic scale, and are conducted with a liberality to
which we in England are strangers. The foreign mis-
sions are on a peculiarly excellent system, and the self-
denying labours and zeal of their missionaries are fully
recognised by all who have come in contact with them.
No difficulty is experienced in obtaining money for these
objects ; it is only necessary to state that a certain sum
is required, and, without setting any begging machinery
to work, donations exceeding the amount flow in from all
quarters.

Altogether it would appear from the data which are
given that the religious state of America is far more
satisfactory than could be expected from so heterogeneous

ll.

Chap. XVIII.

RELIGIOUS REUNIONS.

420

f" .

a population. The New England States possess to a great
extent the externals of religion, find inherit in a modified
degree the principles of then* Puritiin ancestors ; and the
New Englanders have emigrated westward in large num-
bers, carrying with them to the newly settled States the
leaven of religion and morality. The churches of every
aenomination are crowded, Jind within my observation by
as many gentlemen as ladies ; but that class of aspiring
spirits, known under the name of '* Youmj America"
boasts a perfect freedom from religious observances of
every kind.

There is a creed known by tb.o name of Universal ism,
which is a compound of Antinomianism with several other
forms of error, and embraces tens of thousands within its
pale. It often verges upon the most complete Pantheism,
and is very popular with large numbers of the youth of
America.

There is a considerable amount of excitement ke])t up
by the religious bodies in the shape of public rc-unions,
congregational soirees, and the like, producing a species
of religious dissipation, very unfavourable, I should sup-
pose, to the growth of true piety. This system, besides
aiding the natural restlessness of the American character,
gives rise to a good deal of spurious religion, and shortens
the lives and impairs the usefulness of the ministers by
straining and exhausting their physical energies.

To the honour of the clergy of the United States it
must be observed that they keep remarkably clear from
party-politics, contrasting in this respect very favourably
with the priests of the (.^hurch of Rome, who throw the
weight of their influence into the scale of extreme dcmo-

430

THE VOLUNTARY SYSTEM.

Chai'. XVIII.

cracy tiiul fanatical excesses. Tlie unity of action wiiicli
their ecclesiastical system cnsinvs to them makes their
progressive increase much to be clej)recatecl.

It is owing in gr<!at measure to the efforts of the
ministers of religion that the unbending principles of
truth and right have any hold upon the masses ; th(!_,
are ever to be found on the side of rational and consti-
tutional liberty in its extreme form, as ojjposed to licence
and anarchy ; and they give the form of practical action
to the better feelings of the human mind. Amid tlie
great difficulties with which they are surrounded, owing
to the want of any tix(;d principles of right among the
masses, they are ever seeking to impress upon the public
mind that the undeviating laws of morality and truth
cannot be violated with impunity any more by millions
than by individuals, and that to nations, as to individuals,
the day of reckoning must sooner or later arrive.

'J'he voluntary system in religion, a^j it exists in its
unmodified form in America, has one st^nous attendant
evil. Where a minister depends for his income, not upon
the contributions to a common fund, as is the case in the
Free Church of Scotland, but upon the congregation unto
which he ministers, his conscience is to a dangerous
extent under the power of his hearers. In many in-
stances his uncertain pecuniary relations with them must
lead him to slur over popular sins, and keep the unpa-
latable doctrines of the Bible in the background, prac-
tically neglecting to convey to fallen and wicked man his
Creator's message, " Repent, and believe the Gospel."
It has been found impossible in the States to find a just
medium between state-support, and the apathy which in

MAI'. XVIII.

Ciur. XVIII.

THE CLERGY.

4:31

tiou which
likes tht'ir

i*ts of tlie
iicipk's of
«sos ; thoj
lul coiibti-
to licence
cal action
f\nii(l the
ed, owina;
mong tile
he public
md trutli
J millions
dividuals,

the opinion of many it has a tendency to engender, and
an unmodified voluntary system, with the subservience
and " high-pressure " which are inci(K>ntal to it.

Be this as it may, the clergy of the United States
deserve the highest honour for their high standard of
morality, the fervour of their ministrations, the zeal of
their j)racLi"e, and their abstinence from politics.

sts in its

attendant

not upon

ise in the

ition unto

langerous

many in-

lem must

he unpa-

nd, prac-

man his

Gospel."

id a just

which in

*.- '

-n

• ....m

,-■,

wmi

Hiili

'{^■^mi

kUHA

tiM

uS^

'^ll^

hnMIl^

H|i|

jfl^^K

iin

432

EDUCATIONAL STATISTICS.

CiiAi-. XIX.

CHAPTER XIX.

General roinurks continued — The common schools — Their defect —
Difficulties — Miinfigciuent of the schools — The free nciidemy —
KuilwayH — Telcf,'riii)h8 — Poverty — Literature — Advantages for
emigrants — DilhcultieH of emigrants — Peace or war — Concluding
observations.

At a tinu> when the deficiencies of our own education<al
system are so strongly felt, it may be well to give an out-
line of that pursued in tlie States. The following statistics,
taken from the last census, show that our Transatlantic
brethren have made great progress in moral and intel-
lectual interests.

At the ))eriod when the enumeration was made there
were 80,958 public schools, with 01,066 teachers, and
2,800,507 scholars; 119 colleges, with 11,003 students;
44 schools of theology; 86 schools of medicine; and 16
schools of law. Fifty millions of dollars were annually
spent for education, and the proportion of scholars to the
community was as 1 to 5.

But it is to the common-school system that the attention
should be particularly directed. I may premise that it
has one unavoidable defect, namely, the absence of religious
instruction. It wotdd be neither possible nor right to
educate the children in any denominational creed, or to
instruct them in any particular doctrinal system, but would
it not, to take the lowest ground, be both prudent and

Chap. XIX.

COMMON SCHOOLS.

4:1:1

politic to give thoiii a luiowlodgo of tlio BiMi*, as tlit; only
uiitloviuting rule and standnnl of truth and right ? May
not tho obliijuiry of moral vision, which is allowed to exist
among a large class of Americans, he in some degne
chargeable to those who have the care of tin. ir education —
who do not place before them, as a part of their instruc-
tion, those principles of trntli and morality, which, as
revealed in Holy Scripture, lay the whole universe luider
obligations to obedience ? History and observation alike
show the little influence j)ractically possessed by principles
destitute of superior authority, how small the restraiut
exercised by conscience is, and how far those may wander
into error who once desert " Life's polar star, the fear of
God." In regretting the exclusion of religious instruction
from the common-school system, tho difficulties wh.ch
be.-et the subject must not be forgotten, the multiplicity
of the sects, and the very large number of Roman
Catholics. In schools supported by a rate levied indis-
criminately on all, to form a course of instruction which
could bear tho name of a religious one, and yet meet the
views of all, and clash with the consciences and prejudices
of none, was manifestly impossible. The religious public
in the United States has felt that there was no tenable
ground between thorough religious instruction an 1 the
broadest toleration. Driven by the circumstances of their
country to accept the latter course, they have exerted
themselves to meet this omission in the public schools by
a most comprehensive Sabbath-school system. But only
a portion of the children under secular instruction in the
week attend these schools ; and it must be admitted that
to bestow intellectual culture upon the pupils, without

I *

434

COMMON SCHOOLS.

Chap. XIX.

• ..'1^

■ftil

giving them religious instruction, is to draw forth and add
to the powers of the mind, without giving it any helm to
guide it ; in other words, it is to increase the capacity,
without diminishing the propensity, to do evil.

Apart from this important consideration, the educational
system pursued in the States is worthy of the highest
praise, and of <m enlightened people in the nineteenth cen-
tury. The education is conducted at the puhlic expense,
and the pupils consequently pay no fees. Parents feel
that a free education is as much a part of the birth ' t
of their children as the protection which the law afRn to
their life and property.

The schools called common schools are supported by an
education rate, and in each State are under the adminis-
tration of a general board of education, with local boards,
elected by all who pay the rate. In the State of Massa-
chusetts alone the sum of 921,532 dollars was raised
within the year, being at the rate of very nearly a dollar
for every inhabitant. Under the supervision of the
General Board of Education in the State, schools are
erected in districts according to the educational neces-
sities of the population, which arc periodically ascertained
by a census.

To give some idea of the system adopted, I will just
give a sketch of the condition of education in the State
of New York, as being the most populous and im-
portant.

There is a " state tax," or " ai)propriation," of 800,000
dollars, and this is supplemented by a rate levied on real
and i)oi'sonal property. Taking as an authority the return
made to the Legislature for the year ending in 1854, the

Jii.vr. XIX.

Chap. XIX.

CO>[MON SCHOOLS.

435

and add
r helm to
capacity,

lucat'ional
e highest
cnth cen-
; expense,
rents feel
birth ' t
afFoL to

rted by an
3 adminis-
!al boards,
of Massa-
as raised
y a dollar
n of the
liools are
al neces-
scertained

will just

the State

and im-

If 800,000
Id on real
the return
1 1854, the

total sum expended for school purposes within the State
amounted to 2,409,248 dollars. The total number of
children in the organisc^d districts of the State was
1,150,532, of whom 862,935 were registered as being
under instruction. The general management of education
within the State is vested in a central board, with local
boards in each of the organised districts, to which the im-
mediate government and official supervision of the schools
are intrusted.

The system comprises the common schools, with their
primar}' and upper departments, a normal school for the
preparation of teachers, and a free academy. In the city
of New York there are 224 schools in the receipt of
public money, of which 25 are for coloured children, and
the number of pupils registered is given at 133,813.
These common or ward schools are extremely handsome,
and are fitted up at great expense, with every modern
improvement in heating and ventilation. Ciiildren of
every class, residing within the limits of the city, are ad-
missible without payment, as the parents of all are supposed
to be rated in proportion to their means.

There is a principal to each school, assisted by a nu-
merous and efficient staff of teachers, who in their turn
are expected to go through a course of studies at the
Normal School. The number of teachers required for
these schools is very great, as the daily attendance in
two of them exceeds 2000, The education given is so
very superior, and habits of order and proj)riety are so
admirably inculcated, that it is not uncommon ;> see the
children of wealthy storekeeper.^ side by side with those

In each school there is one large

u 2

of working mechanics.

436

COMMON SCHOOLS.

Chap. XIX.

¥r-

Hi''' ^>r'*

r •. !

R' ''

i!ii

^fjf

asseml)ly-rooni, capable of accommodating from 500 to
1000 children, and ten or twelve capacious class-rooms.
Order is one ini])ortant rule, and, that it may be acted
upon, there is no overcrowding — the ])upils being seated
at substantial mahogany desks only holding two.

The instruction given comprises all the branches of a
liberal education, witli the exception of languages. There
is no municipal Cduununity out of America in which th<>
boon of a first-rate education is so freely offered to all
as in the city of New York. There is no child of want
who may not freely receive an education which will fit
him for any office in his country. The common school is
one of the glories of America, and every citizen may be
justly proud of it. It brings together while in a pliant
condition the children of people of u^';' out origins ; and
besides diffusing knowh^lge among them, it softens the
prejudices of raci; and party, and (tarries on a continual
process of assimilation.

The Board of Education of New York has lately
thrown open several of these schools in th<* evening, aiifl
with very beneficial results. The number of pupils regis-
tered last year was 9313. Of tlicse, 34(X) were above
the age of 10 and under 21, and 1100 were above Chr
age of 21. Tiicse tntming-schools entailed an additionjj]
expense of 17,5(53 dollars; the whole expenditm-e for
school purposes in the 'ity being 430,1)82 dollars. In
the ward and evening schools of New York. 133,000
iudividuals received instruction. Each ward, or educa-
tional district, elects 2 commissioners, 2 ins] (*«^or-, and
8 trustees. Tie duties of the inspectors are ver\ aaw-nous,
as the examinations are frecpient and jievenr.

Chap. XIX.

CiiAi'. XIX.

TIIK FREE ACADEMY,

4;]-

The croAiiiiig otliicational udvantage offored by this
adiirirable system is the Free Academy. This academy
receives its })ii|)ils solely from the common schools. Every
person presenting himsidf as a candidate ninst be more
than 13 years of age, and, liaving attended a conniion
scliool for 12 montlis, he ninst produce a certificate from
the princi})al that he lias passed a good examination in
spelling, reading, writing, English grammar, arithmetic,
geography, elementary book-keeping, history of the
United States, and algebra. This institution extends to
the pupils in the c(mimon schools the advantage of a free
education in those higher departments of learning which
cannot be acquired without considerable expense in any
other college. The yearly examination of candidates for
admission takes place immediately after the common
school examinations in July. There arc at present nearly
()00 students under the tuition of 14 j)rofessors, and as
many tutors as may be required. The course of study
extends over a period of 5 years, and is very complete
and severe. Owing to the principle adopted in their
selection, the pupils, representing every social and pecu-
niary grade in society, present a very high degree of
scholarship and ability. In this academy the vestiges of
antagonism between the higher and lower classes are swept
away. Indeed, the poor man will feel that he has a
greater interest in sustaniing this educational system than
the rich, because he can only obtain through it tliose
advantages for his children which the money of the wealthy
can procure from other sources. lie will be content with
his daily toil, happy in the thought that, by the wise pro-
vision of his government, the avenues to fame, prefer

438

NORMAL SCHOOL.

Chap. XIX.

'Mm
i

ment, and wealth, are opened as freely to his children as
to those of the richest citizen in the land.

In order to secure a supply of properly qualified
teachers, the Board of Education has established a normal
school, which numbers about 400 pupils. Most of these
are assistant-teachers in the common schools, and attend
the normal school on Saturdays, to enable themselves to
obtain further attainments, and higher qualifications for
their profession.

Under this system of popular education, the average
cost per scholar for 5 years, including books, stationery,
fuel, and all other expenses, is 7 dollars 2 cents per
annum. This system of education is followed in nearly
all the States ; and while it reflects the highest credit on
America, it contrasts strangely with the niggard plan
pursued in England, where so important a thing as the
education of the people depends almost entirely on pre-
carious subscriptions and private benevolence.

With a gratuitous and comprehensive educational
system, it may excite some surprise that the citizens of
New York and other of the populous cities are compelled
to supplement the common schools with those for the
shoeless, the ragged, and the vicious, very much on the
plan of our Scotch and English ragged-schools. Already
the large cities of the New World are approximating to
the condition of those in the Old, in producing a sub-
sidence or deposit of the drunken, the dissolute, the
vicious, and the wretched. A\'ith parents of this class,
education for their offspring is considered of no import-
ance, and the benevolent founders of these schools are
compelled to offer material inducements to the children

Chap, XIX.
lildren as

qualified
a normal
i; of these
,nd attend
iiselves to
ations for

e average
tationery,
cents per
in nearly
credit on
^ard plan
ing as the
y on pre-

ucational
itizens of
ompolled

for the
ch on the

Already
[lating to
a sub-

ute, the
lis class,
iraport-
lools are

children

Chap. XIX.

ragged-Schools.

430

to attend, in the shape of food and clothing. At these
schools, in place of the cleanly, neat, and superior ap})ear-
ance of the children in the common schools, dirt, rags,
shoeless feet, and pallid, vicious, precocious countenances
are to be seen. Nothing dest'*oys so effectually the ex-
ternal distinguishing peculiarities of race as the habit of
evil. There is a uniformity of expression invariably pro-
duced, which is most painful. These children are early
taught to look upon virtue only as a cloak to be worn by
the rich. This dangerous and increasing class in New
York is composed almost entirely of foreign immigrants.
The instruction in these schools is given principally by
ladies of high station and education. It is a noble feature
in New York " high life," and in pro^^ess of time may
diminish the gulf which is widening between the different
classes, and may lessen the hideous contrasts which are
presented between princely fortunes on the one hand, and
vicious poverty on the other.

Taking the various schools throughout the Union, it is
estimated that between 4,000,000 and 5,000,000 indivi-
duals are at this time receiving education.

To turn from the social to the material features of the
United States : their system of internal connnunication
deserves a brief notice, for by it their resources have been
developed to a prodigious extent. The system of rail-
ways, telegraphs, and canal and river navigation presents
an indication of the wealth and advancement of the United
States, as wonderful as any other feature of her progress.
She contains more miles of railway than all the rest of the
world put together.

In a comparatively new country like Amen -« many of

440

RAILWAYS.

Chap. XIX,

the items of expense which attend the construction of rail-
ways in England are avoided ; the initiatory expenses are
very small. In most of the States, all that is necessary is,
for the company to j)rove that it is provided with means
to carry out its scheme, when it obtains a charter from tlie
Legislature at a very small cost. In several States, in-
cluding the populous ones of New York and Ohio, no
special charter is required, as a general railway law pre-
scribes the rules to be observed by joint-stock companies.
IMaterials, iron alone excepted, are cheap, and the right
of way is usually freely granted. In the older States
land would not cost more than 20/. an acre. Wood fre-
quently costs nothing more than the labour of cutting it,
and the very level surface of the country renders tunnels,
cuttings, and embankments generally unnecessary. The
average cost per mile is about 38,000 dollars, or 7600/.

In Slates where land has become exceedingly valuable,
land damages form a heavy item in the construction of
new lines, but in the South and West the case is reversed,
and the proprietors are willing to give as nuich land as
may be required, in return for having the resonrces of
their localities opened uj) by railway communication. It
is estimated that the cost of railways in the new States
will not exceed 4000/. per mile. The termini are plain,
and have been erected at a very small expense, and many
of the wayside stations are only wooden sheds. Few of
the lines have a double line of rails, and the bridges or
viaducts are compcsed of logs of wood, with little iron-
work and less paint, except in a few instances. Except
where the lines intersect cultivated districts, fences are
seldom seen, and the paucity of porters and other officials

Chap. XIX.

RAILWAYS.

441

}nses are

mator'uilly reduces the working expenses. The common
rate of speed is from 22 to 30 miles an liour, but there are
express trains which are warranted to jierform 00 in a
like period. The fuel is very cheap, being billets of
wood. The p.issenger and goods traffic on nearly all the
lines is enormous, and it is stated that most of them pay
a dividend of from 8 to 15 per cent.

The primary design has been to connect the sea-coast
with all parts of the interior, the ulterior is to unite the
Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. At the present time there
are about 25,000 miles of railway in operation and course
of construction, and the average rate of fare is seldom
more than Id. per mile. Already the chief cities of the
Atlantic have been connected with the vast valley of the
Mississippi, and before long the regions bordering on
Lake Huron and Lake Superior will be united with
Mobile and New Orleans. In addition to this enormous
system of railway communication, the canal and river
navigation extends over 10,0('0 miles, and rather more
than 3000 steamboats float on American waters alone.

Tiie fiicilities for telegraphic conmiunication in the
States are a further evidence of the enterprise of this
remarkable people. Tliey have now 22,000 miles of tele-
graph ill operation, and the cost of transmitting messages
is less than a halfpenny a word for any distance under
200 miles. The cost of construction, including eveiy
outlay, is about 30/. per miL\ The wires are carried
along the railways, through forcsLs, and across cities, rivers,
and prairies. Messages passing from one very distant
point to another have usually to be re-written at an
intermediate station ; though by an improved plan they

442

TELEGRAPHS— POVERTY.

Chap. XIX.

have been transmitted direct from New York to Mobile,
a dijjtance of 1800 miles. By the Cincinnati tel(!grapliic
route to New Orleans, a distance from New York of
2000 miles, the news brought by the British, steamer to
Sandy Hook at 8 in the morning has been telegraj)hed to
New Orleans, and before 11 o'clock the effects pro-
duced by it upon speculations there have been returned
to New York — the message accomplishing a distance of
4000 miles in three hours. The receipts are enormous,
for, in consequence of the very small sum charged for
transmitting messages, as many as 600 are occasionally
sent along the principal lines in one day. The seven
principal morning papers in New York paid in one year
50,000 dollars for despatches, and 14,000 for special
messages. Messages connected with markets, public;
news, the weather, and the rise and fall of stocks, are
incessantly passing between the great cities. Any change
in the weather likely to affect the cotton-crop is known
immediately in the northern cities. While in the Ex-
change at Boston, I witnessed the receipt of a telegraphic
despatch announcing that a heavy shower was falling at
New Orleans !

It must not be suj)posed that there is no poverty in
the New World. During one year 131,972 paupers
were in the receipt of relief, of whom /)9,000 were in the
State of New York ; but to show the evil influence of the
foreign, more especially the Irish, element in America,
it is stated that 75 per cent, of the criminals and paupers
are foreigners.

The larger portion of the crime committed is done
under the influence of spirits ; and to impose a check upon

lAP. XIX.

Mobile,

^graphic

York of

amor to

phed to

:;ts pro-

■oturnod

tance of

ormous,

'ged for

sionally

c seven

»ne year

special

public

'ks, are

change

known

le Ex-

grajjliic

ing at

erty in

lupers

in the

of the

nerica,

lupers

done
L upon

Chap. XIX.

MAINE LAW— LITERATURE.

443

tiieir sale, that celebrated enactment, known under the
name of the " Maine Law," has been placed upon the
statute-hooks of several of the States, including the im-
portant ones of New York, Maine, Massachusetts, Con-
necticut, and Nebraska. This law prohibits, under heavy
penalties, the manufacture or sale of alcoholic Honors.
It has been passed in obedience; to the will of the peoj)u',
as declared at the elections ; and though to us its provi-
sions seem somewhat arbitrary, its working has produced
very salutary effects.

When so much importance is attached to education, and
such a liberal provision is made for it, it is to be expected
that a taste for reading would be universally diffused.
And such is the case : America teems with books. Every
English work worth reading is reprinted in a cheap form
in the States as soon as the first copy crosses the Atlantic.
Our reviews and magazines appear regularly at half price,
and Dickens' ' Household Words ' and ' Chambers' Jour-
nal* enjoy an enormous circulation without any pecuniary
benefit being obtained by the authors. Every one reads
the newspapers and ' Harper's 3Iagazine,' and every one
buys bad novels, on worse paper, in the cars and steam-
boats. The States, although amply supplied with English
literature, have many popular authors of their own,
among whom may be named Prescott, Bancroft, Wash-
ington Irving, Stowe, Stephens, \Vetherall, Emerson,
Longfellow, Lowell, and Bryant. Books are very cheap
wherever the editions of English works are concerned, and
a library is considered an essential part of the fitting uj)
of a house. In many of the States there are public libra-
ries supported by a rate. In the State of New York, in

; 1-

!■■.

444

ADVANTAdKS Full KMTORANTS. Ciiai. XIX.

tlio year ending 1854, the ('onnnijisionors of Education
rcc'civod 1)0,571) dollars for llhrancti.

IVi'liaps the greatest advantage olfered to emigrants i.>
tlu' opportunity everywhere afforded of iuv(>sting jsuiall
sums of money advantageously. In I'ngland, in Inost
hrauches of trade, the lovv rate of wages renders it im-
possihle for the oj)erative to save any portion of his earn-
ings ; and even when he is ahle to do so, he can rareh
obtain a higlun* rati; of interest for his money tlian that
which the >avings-l)anks offer. I'^eonomisi^ as lu^ niay,
his hard-won savings seldom are suffieient to afford him a
provision in old ago. In America, on the contrary, tlu'
man who possesses 5/. or 10/. has ev(>ry hope of siM'uring
a competence. lie may i)uy land in newly-settled dis-
tricts, which sometimes can be obtained at 7.v. an acre,
and hold it till it becomes valuable, or he may (d)tain a
few shares in any thriving cor])orate concern. A hundred
ways ])resent themselves to the man of intelligence and
industry by which he uiay imjjrove and increase his little
fortinie. The necessaries of life are abundant and ci-cap,
and, aided by a free education, he has the satisfaction of
a well-grounded hope that his children will rise to posi-
tions of respectability and affluence, while his old age
will be far removed from the pressure of want. The
knowledge that each shilling saved may produce ten or
twenty by judicious investment is a constant stimulus to
his industry.

Yet, from all that I have seen and heard, I should
think that Canada West offers a more advantageous field
for emigrants. Equally free and unburdened by taxa-
tion, with the same social and educational advantages,

ir.\r. XIX.
iliK'atidii

grjint.s i.»
ig small

in tiiost
!'s it iiii-
liis oani-
11 rarelv
liaii tliat
lu; may,
rd liim a
rarv, tlu>
S(>curiiig
tied dis-
an aero,
obtain a
InindiTd
nice and

lis little
d ci-caj),
iction of

to posi-
L)ld ago
Tho
i ton or

uliis to

sliould
)us field
y taxa-
ntages,

Cii.vi'. XIX.

IHI'M'Icn/riKS OF KM K; HANTS.

445

with an increasing demand for labour of every kind, with
a rich soil, extraordinary faoilities of comniunieatioii, and
a iiealthy olimati', I'auperism is unknown ; fluetnations in
eomin(>reial afl'iirs are eoinparatively small, and, above
all, the emigrant is not oxjiosed to tho loss of everything
which he possesses as soon as lie lands.

An infamous class of swiinllers, called " emigrant-run-
ners," moot the jioor advi-nturor on hi- arrival at New
York. They sell Iiim soeond-class tickets ut tho price of
first-class, forged passes, and ti(^kots to take him 1 ()()()
miles, which are only available at the outside for 200 or
300. Tf he; holds out against their extortions, ho is
beaten, abused, loses his luggage for a, time, ur is trans-
ferred to the tender mercies of t!u! boarding-house keeper,
who speedily de])rivos him of his hard-earned savings.
These runners retard tlu; westward progress of the emi-
grant in every way ; they charg(; enormous rates for the
removal of his luggage from the wharf; they ]dun<lor
him in railway-cars, in steamboats, in lodging-houses ;
and if Providoiu'e saves him from sinking into drunken-
ness and despair, and he can ho no longer detained, they
sell him a lot in some non-existent locality, or send him
off to the west in search of some jiretendod employment.
Too frequently, after the emigrant has lost his money and
property, sickened by disappointment and deserted by
hope, he is content to remain at New York, where he con-
tributes to increase that " dangerous class" already so
much feared in the Em})ire City.

One point remains to be noticed, and that is, th(! feel-
ing which exists in America towards England. Much has
been done to inflame animosity on each side ; national

440

FEELING TOWARDS ENGLAND.

CiiAr. XIX.

■'■'f'.fi

rivalries have boon ciicourugtMl, uiid national joalousies
fonienti'd. In tmvellinjj throngli tlio United States I ox-
pected to find a very strong anti-English feeling. In this
I was disiajjpoiuted. It is true that I scarcely ever entered
a car, steamboat, or liotel, without hearing England nnide
a topic of discussion in connexion with the war; but, ex-
cept on a few occasions in the West, I never heard any
other than kindly feelings expressed towards our country
A few individuals would prognosticate failure and dis-
aster, and glory in the anticipation of a " busting-uj) ;"
but these were generally " Kurnels" of militia, or newly-
arrived Irish emigrants. These last certainly are very
noisy enemies, and are quite ready to subscribe to the
maxim, "That wherever England possesses an interest,
there an American wrong exists." Some of the papers
likewise write against England in no very measured terms ;
but it must be borne in mind tbat declamatory speaking
and writing are the safety-valves of a free community,
and the papers from which our opinion of American feel-
ing is generally taken do not represent even a respectable
minority in the nation. American commercial interests
are closely interwoven with ours, and "Brother Jonathan"
would not lightly go against his own interests by rushing
into war on slight pretences.

While I was dining at an hotel in one of the great
American cities a gentleman proposed to an English
friend of his to drink " Success to Old England." Nearly
two hundred students of a well-known college were pre-
sent, and one of them begged to join in drinking the toast
on behalf of liis fellow-students. " For," he added, " we,
in connnon with the educated youth of America, look

CiiA". XIX. FEELING TOWAUDS ENGLAND.

447

) great

we.

louk

upon England as upon a vonoratod niotlier." I liave fro-
(juently heard this sentiment expressed in pubhe jjhices,
and have often heard it remarked tliat kindly feeling
towards England is on the iiierease in society.

Tiio news of the victory of the Alma was received
with rejoicing ; the heroic t>elf-sacrifice of the cavalry at
Balaklava excited enthusiastic admiration ; and the glo-
rious stand at Inkermann taught the Americans that their
aged parent could still defend the cause of freedom with
the vigour of youth. The disasters of the winter, and
the gloomy months of inaction which succeeded it, had
the effect of damping their sympathies ; the prophets of
defeat were for a time triumphant, and our ftuling
prestige, and reputed incapacity, were made the suhjects
of ill-natured discussion by the press. But when the
news of the fall of Sebastopol arrived, the tone of the
papers changed, and, relying on the oblivious memories
of their readers, they declared that they had always
prophesied the demolition of Russia. The telegraphic;
report of the victory was received with rejoicing, and the
shij) which conveyed it to Boston was sainted with thirty-
one guns by the States artillery.

The glory of the republic is based upon its advanced
social principles and its successful prosecution of the arts
of peace. As the old military despotisms cannot compete
with it in wealth and enlightenment, so it attempts no
competition with them in standing armies and the arts of
Tor. National vanity is a failing of the Americans, and,
if their military prowess had never been proved before,
they might seek to display it on European soil ; but their
successful struggle with England in the War of Inde-

448

FEEI.TXf; TOWARDS EXOLAND.

CiiM'. XIX.

• '■■■ '\ . ■

1'0 -^-l

EK3.*-a

})en(U'n('o renders any .*^iifh disjilay uiiiiecosf-ary. The
institutions of tlio States do not date from tlie military
ages of tlie world, and tlie Federal (^)nstitution lin.s made
no provision for offensive war. The f eling of the edu-
cated classes, and of an immense majority in the; Free
States, is helieved to be essentially Furrlinh. Des])otism
and freedom can never unite ; and wiiatever may be tlr;
declamations of tlie denioeratie l);n-ty, the oj)inion of those
wlio are aecpiainted with the state of jioj)ular feeling is
that, if the ([UL'stion were seriously mooted, a war with
luigiand or a lUissian alliance would s<.>cure to the pro-
nu)ters of 'ither the indignation and contem])t which they
would des(>rve. It is earnestly to be hojied, and I trust
that it may be believed, that none of us will live to see
the day when two nations, so closely allicnl by blood,
reliji^eii, and the love of freedom, shall engage in a
b srnble and fratricidal war.

j^uch of the foregoing remarks as apply to the results
of '„he vitiation of the pure form of repul)lican govern-
uieut delivered to America by Washington, I have
hazanb'd with very great diffidence. In England we
know very little of the United States, and, however
candid the intentions of a tourist may be, it is difficult
in a fhort resideiice in the country so completely to throw
oft' certain prejudices and misapprehensions as to proceed
to tlie delineation of its social characteristics with any
degree of fairness and accuracy. The similarity of lan-
guage, and to a gi'cat extent of customs and manners,
renders on(i prone rather to enlcr into continual compari-
sons of America with England than to look at her from
the point from which she really ought to be viewed —

CnAi'. XIX. ERROR OF EX(JTJ.Sir TUAA'ELLERS.

44'J

iKuiU'ly, licvHcIf. There m<\ liowever, certain ssulieut
jjoints which present tlieni.selve<5 to the interested obstirver,
and 1 have endeavoured to appnjacii these in an candid
a spirit as possible, not exaggerating obvious faults,
where there is so much to connneud an'l admire.

Tlie following reniarlcs were lately iiwd^' tb wc by a
liberal and enlightened American on the minapjHTt'hen-
sions of British observers : — " The great I'ault i4' Kiiglish
travellers in this land very often is that they see all
things through spectachvs which have been g/idnated to
the age and narrow local dimensions of things ii Miigiand ;
and because things here are new, and all that -^ goo'!,
instead of being concentrated into a narrow space oo as
to be seen at one glance, is .videly diffused so as not
to be easily gauged — because, in other words,, it is ti\e
Sj)ring here ;'nd not the autuaui, and our aJvance has
the stej) of youth instead of the measured w.ilk of ,»gt; ;
and because our refinenumts have not the precise customs
to which they have been accu^tonu'd at home, they turn
away in mighty dissatisfaL'tion. There are excellences
in varieties, and things which dillor may both be good."

450

A GLOOMY DErAllTURE.

CiiAi'. XX.

CIIAPTEK XX.

i ' ij

«? '

,)'H

The Anuric'i — A gloomy departure — Au ugly night — Morning at
Halifax — Our new piwsenger.s — Babies — Captain Loitcli — A day
at sea — ClipjH-'rs and steamers — ^A .storm — An Atlantic moon-
light— Uuplcaaaut ejeusatioua — A gale — lukermaun — Concluaion.

On reaching Boston I found tliat my passage had been
taken in the Cunard steamer America, reputed to be the
slowest and wettest of the whole line. Some of my kind
American friends, anxious to induce mc to remain for the
winter with them, had exaggerated the dangers and dis-
comforts of a winter-passage ; the December storms, the
three days s})ent in crossing the Newfoundland Banks,
steaming at half-speed with fog-bells ringing and fog-
horns blowing, the impossibility of going on deck, and tlie
disagreeableness of being shut up in a close heated saloon.
It was wiih all these slanders against the ship fresh in
my recollection that I saw her in dock on the morning of
my leaving America, he large, sha])eless, wall-sided hull
looming darkly through a shoA^er of rain. The friends
who had Hrst welcomed me to the States accompanied me
to the vessel, ri;nder\ng my departure from them the
more reg'*etful, and scarcely had I taken leave of them
when a gun was fired, the lashings were cast off, and our
huge wheels began their ceaseless revolutions.

It was in S(jme res))ects a cheerless embarkation. The
Indian sunnner had j)aased awa}' ; the ground was bound

CiiAP. XX.

AN UGLY NIGHT.

451

The
jound

by frost ; driving showers of sluet were descending; and
a cold, howling, wintry wind was sweeping over the watei*s
of ^Massachusetts I3ay. We were considerably retarded
between Boston and IL.Iifax by contrary winds. I had
retired early to my berth to sleep away the fatigues of
several preceding months, and was awoke about midnight
by the most deafening accumulation of sounds which
ever stunned my ears. I felt that I was bruised, and
that the berth was unusually hard and cold ; and, after
groping about in the pitch- darkness, I found that I had
been thrown out of it upon the floor, a fact soon made
self-evident by my being rolled across the cabin, a pecu-
liarly disagreeable course of locomotion. It was impos-
sible to stand or walk, and in crawling across to my berth
I was assailed by my portmanteau, which was projected
violently against me. Further sleep for some hours was
impossible. Bang ! bang ! would come a heavy wave
against the ship's side, close to my cars, as if trying the
strength of her timbers. Crash ! crash ! as we occasion-
ally shipped heavy seas, would the waves burst over the
lefty bulwarks, and with a fall of seven feet at cnce come
thundering down (va the deck above. Then one sound
asserted its claim to be heard over all the others — a sound
as if our decks were being stove — a gun or some other
heavy body had broken loose, and could not be secured.
The incessant groaning, splitting, and heaving, and the
roar of the water through the scuppers, as it found a
tardy egress from the deluged deck, was th"! result of
merely a " head-wind" and "an ugly night."

Late on the second evening of our voyage, I walked on
deck. It was the "fag-end" of a gale, and the rain was

452

MOTIXIXG AT HALIFAX.

CiiAi'. XX.

: ■;,

^•^*;^

v.. li-

:;,.,

pouring dowh upon the slippeiy planks. Brightly a sky-
rocket whizzetl upwards from a distant ship, au'l burst in
a shower of flame, followed by two others, signalling our
old acquaintance the Canada, bound from Liverpool to
Boston. Wc sent up ?oi.ie fireworks in return, and soon
lost sight of the friendly light on her paddle-box. She
was the only ship that we saw till we reached the Irish
coast.

With some of the other passengers, I was on deck at
five in the morning, to see the lights on the heads of
Halifax harbour. It was dark and intensely cold and
wet. A shower of rain had frozen on deck during the
night, and as it began to melt the wator ran off in little
sooty rills. Slowly, shivering figures came on deck, men
in envelipes of fur, and oilskin capes and coats, with
teeth chattering with cold, witli wrinkled brows, and blue
cold noses. And slowly lightened the clear eastern sky,
and the crescent moon and stars disaj^peared one by one,
and gradually the low pine-clad hills of Nova Scotia stood
out in dark relief against the light, when, all of a sudden,
" like a glory, the broad sun " rose behind the purple
moorlands, and soon hill and town and lake-like bay were
bathed in the cold glow of a winter sunrise. It was now
half-past seven — the morning-gun had boomed from the
citadel, and, in honour of such an important event as the
arrival of the European steamer, it might have been suj)-
})osed that the inhabitants of the quiet town of Halifax
would have been astir. In this idea a Scotch friend and
I stepped ashore with the intention of visiting an Indian
curiosity-shop. !n dismal contrast to the early habits
which prevail ii the Araerican cities, where sleep is

Chai'. XX.

CAriAIX LEITCTI.

453

Talifax
I and
ndiaii

Ihabits
ep is?

yielded to as a necessity, instead of being indulged in as
a luxury, we found the shopj elo&ed, and, except the
people immediately connected with the steamer, none
were stirring in the streets but ragged negroes and
squalid-looking Indians. A few 'cute enterprising Yankees
would soon metamorphose the aspect of this city. As an
arrogant American once observed to me, " It would take
a ' Blue Nose ' (a Nova-Scotian) as long to put on his hat
as for one of our tree and enlightened citizens to go from
Costing to New Orlccns.'' The appearance of the town
was very repulsive. A fall of snow had thawed, and, mix-
ing with the dust, store-sweepings, cabbagj-stalks, oyster-
shells, and other rubbish, had formed a soft and peculiarly
penetrating mixture from three to seven inches deep.

Eighteen passengers joined the America at Halifax,
and among them I was delighted to welcome my cousins,
a party of seven, eii route from Prince Edward IshiL \ to
England. The two babies which accompanied them were
rather dreaded in prosjjcct, but I believe that their be-
haviour gained them general ap})robation. As dogs are
not allowed on the poop or in the saloon, a well-con-
ditioned baby is rather a favourite in a ship ; gentlemen
of amiable dispositions give it plenty of nursing and
tossing, and stewards regard it with benignant smiles,
and occasionally offer it " titbits " purloined from dinner.

Among the passengers who j(»ined us at Halifax were
Captain Leitch, and three of the wrecked officers of the
steamship Citi/ of F/u'ladeJphia, which was lost on Cape
Race three months before. Captain Leitch is a remark-
able-looking man, very like the portrait>' of the ('ount
of Monte Christo. His heroism and presence of mind

A'A

THE TASSEXGERS.

Chap. XX.

1^.:

on the occasion of that terrible disaster were the means
of saving the lives of six hundred people, many of
whom were women and children. When the ship struck,
tlie panic among this large number of persons was of
course awful ; but so perfect was the discipline of the
crew, and so great their attcichmcnt to their commander,
that not a cabin-boy left ihe ship in t'lat season of a])pre-
hension without his permission. Captain Leitch said that
he would be the lasit man to quit the ship, and he kept
his word ; but the excitement, anxiety, and subsequent
exposure to cold and fatigue, more especially in his
search after the survivors of the ill-fated Arctic, brought
on a malady from which he was severely suffering.

We had only sixty passengers on board, and the party
was a remarkably (juiet one. There was a gentleman
going to Paris as A ..lerican consul, a daily, animated,
and untiring advocate of slavery ; a Jesuit missionary, of
agreeable manners and cultivated mind, on his way to
Rome to receive an episcopal hat ; two Jesuit brethren ;
five lively French people ; and the usual number of com-
mercial travellers, agents, and storekeepers, princi])ally
from (.'anada. There were very few ladies, and onl}' three
besides our own party appeared in the saloon. For a
few days after leaving Halifax we had a calm sea and
fair winds, accompanied with rain ; and with the exception
of six unlia])py passengers who never came U])stairs
during the wliole voyage, all seemed well enough to
make the best of things.

A brief description of the daily routine on board
these ships may serve to amuse those who have never
crossed the Atlantic, and may recall agreeable or dis-

:'i^'

Cir.\p. XX.

ROUTIXE OF SEA-LTFE.

455

agreeable recollections, as the case may bo, to tbosc wlio
have.

During the first day or two tbosc who arc sca-sick
generally remain downstairs, and tbosc who arc well
look sentimentally at tbe receding land, and make ac-
quaintances with wbom tbey walk five or six in a row,
bearing down isolated individuals of anti-social babits.
After two or three days have elapsed, pcoj)lc generally
lose all interest in the novelty, and settle down to such
pursuits as suit them best. At eight in the morning the
dressing-bell rings, and a very few admirable people get
up, take a walk on deck, and ap})ear at breakfiist at half-
past eight. But to most this meal is rendered a super-
fluity by tbe supper of the night before— that condemned
meal, which everybody declaims against, and everybody
partakes of However, if only two or three people appear,
the long tables are adorned profusely with cold tongue,
ham, Irish stew, mutton-chops, broiled salmon, crimped
cod, eggs, tea, coffee, chocolate, toast, hot rolls, Sec. &c. !
These viands remain on the table till lialf-j)ast nine.
After breakfast some of the idle ones come up and take
a promenade on deck, watch the wind, suggest that it has
changed a little, look at the course, ask the captain for the
fiftieth time when he expects to be in i)ort, and watch the
heaving of the log, when the officer of the watch invariably
tells them that the ship is rur.ning a knot or two faster than
her real speed, giving a glance of intelligence at the same
time to some knowing person near. Mr.iy persons who are
in the habit of crossing twice a-yoar oegin cards directly
after breakfast, and, with only the interrui)tion of meals,
play till eleven at night. Others are equally devoted to

456

ROUTINE OF SEA-LIFE.

Chap. XX.

fn*';^

^4 i^

!m4 ''

chess ; and the commercial travollors produce small square
books with columns for dollars and cents, cast up their
accounts, and bite the ends of their pens. A hell at
twelve calls the passengers to lunch from their various
lurking-places, and, though dinner shortly succ(«eds this
meal, few disobey the summons. There is a large con-
sumption of pale ale, hotch-potch, cold beef, potatoes, and
pickles. These j)ickles are of a peculiarly brilliant green,
but, as the forks used .ire of electro-plate, the daily con-
sumption of coj)])er cannot Ixi ascertained.

At four all the tables arc s])r(?ad ; a bell rings — that
"tocsin of the soul," as Byron has sarcastically but
truthfully termetl the dinner-bell ; and all the passengers
rush in from every quarter of the ship, and seat them-
selves with an air of expectation till the covers are raised.
Grievous disappointments are often disclosed by the up-
lifted dish-covers, for it must be confessed that to many
people dirmer is the great event of the day, to be specu-
lated upon before, and criticised afterwards. Then? is a
tureen of soup at the head of each table, and, as soon as
the captain takes his seat, twelve waiters in blue jackets,
who have been previously standing in a row, dart upon
the covers, and after a few minutes of intense clatter the
serious business of eating begins. The stewards serve!
with civility and alacrity, and seem to divine your wlshesl
their good offices no doubt being slightly stimulated by tlii
vision of a douceur at the end of the voyage. T;ong ImIII
of fare are laid on the tables, and good water, })lentifulll
iced, is served with each meal. Wine, spirits, liqueur;
and ale are consumed in large quantities, as also soupj
fish, game, venison, meat, and poultry of all kinds, wij

Chap. XX.

IIOUTINE OF SEA-LIFE.

457

ce small sciuare
, cast up tlicir
ns. A bi'U at
ni their various
[V succoeds this
is a largo con-
ef, potatoes, and
y brilliant green,
tc, the daily cou-

1.
hell rings— that

sarcastically hut ^
xW the passengers ^
p, and seat them- ;
covers are raised,
.closed hy the up-
>=ged that to many
L> day, to he specu-
vards. Tliere is a
,le, and, as soon as
3rs in blue jackets,
1 a row, dart up(ni
\ntense clatter the
rhe stewards serve
, (lirine your wishes,
itlystunulatedhythe

voyage. I-ong hills
,d water, plentifully
inc, spirits, hqueurs,
iitities, as al^o soups,
try of all kinds, with

French side-dishes, a profusion of jellies, puddings, and
pastry, and a plentiful dessert of fresh and pr(>?erved
fruits. Many people complain of a want of appetite at
sea, and the number of bottles of " Porrin'a Sauco " used
in the Cunard steamers must almost make the fortune of
the maker. At seven o'clock the lea-bell rings, but the
tables are comparatively deserted, for from lialf-past nine
to half-past ten people can order whatever tlu'V please in
the way of supper.

In the America, as it was a winter-pas?.ige, few persons
chose to walk on deck after dinner, conseipuMitly tiie
saloon from eight till eleven ])resented the appearance of
a room at a fashionable hotel. Tliere were two regularly
organised whist-jiarties, which played rubbers ad infi-
nitum. Cards indeed were playtMl at most of the tables
— some j)layed backgammon — a few would doze over odd
volumes of old novels— while three chess-boards would be
employed at a time, for tlu're were ten persons perfectly
devoted to this noble game. The varied employments of
the occupants of the saloon ])roduce(l a strat^ge mixtun;
of conversations. One evening, while waiting the slow
movements of an oj)ponent at chess, the following remarks
in slightly raised tones were audible above ihe ivst : —
" Do you really tliink me pretty ? — 0\\ flattering man ! —
Deuce, ace — Treble, double, and vab— l^iat's a good
hand — Clieck — It's your play — You've gammoned n*e —
Ay, ay, sir — Parblew ! — Holloa! sti^ward, whisk^x -tixldy
for fcnir — I totally despise conventionalisms — ('h<\kmate
— Brandy-punch for six — You've thrown away all your
hearts " — and a hundiv<l others, mai\} of them demands
for something fi\)in the culinary dopartujcnt. Occa-
sionally a forlorn wight, who neither played chess nor

458

CLirPERS AND STEAMERS

Chap. XX.

cards, would venture on diM-k to kill time, mid return
into the saloon panting and shivering, in rough snrtout
and fur cap, hringing a chilly atniosj)here with him, voted
a bore for leaving the door open, and totally unable to
induce j)eo])le to synij)athise with him in his complaints of
rain, cold, or the " ugly night." By eleven the saloon
used to become almost unbearable, from the combined
odours of roast onions, ])ickles, and punch, and at half-
j)ast the lights were put out, and the comi)any dispersed,
most to their berths, but some to smoke cigars on deck.

Though the Cunard steamers are said by English
people to be as near perfi'ction as steamers can be, I
was sorry not to return in a clij)})er. There is something
so exhilaratina; in the motion of a sailing-vessel, alwavs
provided she is neither rolling about in a calm, lying to
in a gale, or bi>ating against a head-wind. She seems to
belong to the sea, with her tall tapering masts, her cloud
of moving canvas, and her buoyant motion over the rolling
waves. Her movements are all comprehensible, and
above-board she is invariably clean, and her crew are con-
nected in one's ■nind with nautical stories which charmed
one in the long-))ast days of youth. A steamer is very
mucli the reverse. "Sam Slick," with his usual force
and aptitude of illustration, says that " she goes through
the water like a subsoil-plough with an eight-horse team."
There is so much noise and groaning, and smoke and
dirt, so much mystery also, and the ship leaves so much
commotion in the water behind her. There do not seem
to be any regular sailors, and in their stead a collection
of individuals remarkably greasy in their appearance, who
may bo cooks or stokers, or possibly both. Then you
cannot go on the poop without being saluted by a whifF

Chap. XX.

A FAIR WIND.

•lu'J

of hot air i'vonx tlio grlui furnaces below; men are always
sliovelliug in coal, or throwing cinders overboard ; and tlie
rig does not i?eeni to lielong to any ship in ))arti<'idar.
The masts are h)w and small, and the canvas, which is
ahvays spreail in fair weather, looks a?* if it had been
trailed along Cheapsidc on a wet day. In the America
it was not such a very material assistance either ; for on
one occasion, when we were running before a spKiidid
breeze under a crowd of sail, the engines were stoj»|)i'<l
and the log heaved, which only gave our speed at three
miles an hour. One lady passenger had been fei'ding her
mind with i^tories of steand)oat explosions in the States,
and spent her time in a morbid state of terror by no
means lessened by the close proximity of her state-room
to the dreaded engine.

On the sixth day after leaving Halifax the wind, which
everybody had been hoping lor or fearing, came upon us
at last, and conlinued increasing lor three days, when, if
we had been beating against it, we should have called it a
hurricane. It was, however, almost directly aft, and we
ran before it \uider sail. The sky during the two days
which it lasted was perfectly cloudless, and the sea had
that peculiar deep, clear, greenish-blue tint only to be
met with far from land. There was a majesty, a sub-
limity about the prospect from the ])Oop exceeding every-
thing which I had ever seen. There was the mighty
ocean showing his power, and here were we poor insignifi-
cant creatures overcoming him by virtue of those heaven-
sent arts by which man

" Hiia made lire, flooil, and eartli,
The Viissals uf hi.s will."

I had often road of mountain waves, but believed the

X 2

'♦.

^>.

^^^.^.^

.0^. \t>^^.%

IMAGE EVALUATION
TEST TARGET (MT-3)

!<>,

1.0

I.I

l^|28

£ i:: 112.0

L25 nil 1.4

1.6

Photographic

Sdences
Corporation

•17

^■^-"^

•«^>^

23 WEST MAIN STREET

WEBSTER, N.Y. U^'iSO

(716) 872-4503

w^..

4G0

AN ATLANTIC ^lOONLIGIIT.

CiiAP. XX.

\ ,v:

i ! 'i

comparison to be a mere figure of speech till I saw them
here, all glorious in their beauty, under the clear blue of
a Deceuiber skv. Two or three long liif»;h hills of water
seemed to (ill uj) the whole horizon, themfelves an
aggregate of a countless number of leaping, foam-capped
waves, each apparently large enough to overwhelm a ship.
Huge green waves seemed to chase us, when, just as they
reached the stern, the ship would lift, and they would pass
under her. She showed especial capabilities for rolling.
She would roll down on one side, the billows seeming ready
to burst in foam over her, while the opposite bulwark was
fifteen or eighteen feet above the water, displaying her
bright green co})per. The nights were more glorious
than the days, when the broad full moon would shed her
light upon the water with a brilliancy unknown in our
foggy clime. It did not look like a wan flat surface,
placed flat ujjou a watery sky, but like a large radiant
sj)here hanging in space. The view from the wheel-iiouse
was magnificent. The towering waves which came up
behind us heaped together by mighty winds, looked like
hills of green glass, and the phosphorescent light like
fiery lamps within — the moonlight glittered upon our
broad foamy wake — our masts and spars and rigging stood
out m sharp relief against the sky, while for once our
canvas looked white. Far in tl.'c distance the sharp bow
would plunge dowu into the foam, and then our good
ship, rising, would shake her shiny sides, as if in joy at her
own buoyancy. The busy hum of men marred not the
solitary sacredness of midnight on the Atlantic. The
moon " walked in brightness," auroras flashed, and me-
teors flamed, and a sensible j)resence of Deity seemed to
pervade the transparent atmosphere in which we were

Chap. XX.

rXPLEASANT SENSATIONS.

4(31

I I saw tliom
clear Line of
ills of water
.>m?elves an
foam-capped
iieliii a ship,
just as they
J would pass
i for rolling.
L'uiing ready
)ulwark was
playing her
)re glorious
dd shed her
own in our
lat siu'face,
rge radiant
(vheel-liouse
h came up
looked like
light like
upon our
gging stood
r once our
\ sharp how
1 our good
n joy at her
•ed not the
titic. The
[1, and me-
seemed to
h we were

viewing " the works of the Lord, and his wonders in the
deep."

I could scarcely understand how this conjunction of
circumstances could produce any but agreeable sensations ;
but it is a melancholy fact that the saloon emptied and
the state-rooms filled, and the number of promenaders
daily diminished. People began to find the sea " an
unj)leasant fact." I heard no more Byronic quotations
about its " glad waters," or comments on the '* s})lendid
run " — tliese were changed into anxious questions as to
when we should reach Liverpool ? and, if we were in
danger ? People (juerulously complained of the ale,
hitherto their delight ; abused the meat ; thought the
mulligatawny "horrid stuff;" and wondered how they
could ever have thought plum-puddings fit for anything
but pigs. Mysterious disappearances were very common ;
diligent peripatetics were seen extended on sofas, or
feebly promenading under shelter of the bulwarks; while
persons who prided themselves on their dignity sustained
ignominious falls, or clung to railings in a state of totter-
ing decrepitude, in an attempted progress down the
saloon. Though we had four ledges on the tables,
cruets, bottles of claret, and pickles became locomotive,
and jumped upon people's laps ; almost everything
higher than a plate was upset — pickles, wine, ale, and
oil forming a most odoriferous mixture; but tliese occur-
rences became too common to be considered amusing.
Two days before reaching England the gale died away,
and we sighted Cape Clear at eight o'clock on the
evening of the eleventh day out. A cold chill came off
from the land, we were enveloped in a damp fog, and the

462

A GALE.

CiiAi-. XX.

" '■•■■■*!

'.■;j

\if

;^ t

m »

inclemency of the air reminded us of what we liad nearly
forgotten, namely, that we were close upon Christmas.

The greater part of Sunday we were steaming along
in calm water, within sight of the coast of Ireland, and
extensive preparations were heing made for going ashore
— some i)eo])!e of sanguine dispositions had even decided
^vhat they would order for dinner at the Adclphi. jNIorn-
ing service was very fully attended, and it was interesting
to hear the voices of people of so many different creeds
and countries joining in that divinely-taught prayer which
proclaims the universal hrotherhood of the human race,
knowing that in a few hours those who then met in
adoration would he separated, to meet no more till sum-
moned by the sound of the last trumpet.

Those who expected to spend Sunday night on shore
were disap])ointed. A gale came suddenly on us about
four o'clock, sails were hastily taken in, orders were
hurriedly given and executed, and the stewards were in
despair, w hen a heavy lurch of the ship threw most of the
things off the table before dinner, mingling cutlery,
])ickles, and broken glass and china, in one chaotic heap
on the floor. i\s darkness came on, the gale rose higher,
the moon was obscured, the rack in heavy masses was
driving across the stormy sky, and scuds of sleet and spray
made the few venturous persons on deck cower under the
nearest shelter to cogitate the lines —

" Nights like these,
AVheu the rough wiuds wake western seas,
Brook not of glee."

I might dwell upon the fury of that night— upon the
awful blasts which seemed about to sweep the seas of every

CiiAi'. XX.

Chap. XX.

JXKERMAXN.

403

! liacl nearly
iristnias.
iniiiG; aloiinj
relaiul, and
oing ashore
van decided
hi. JNIorn-

interesting
rent creeds
rayer which
uman race,
I en met in
:e till sum-
it on shore
n us about
•ders were
ds were in
nost of* the
g cutlery,
aotie heap
DSC higher,
lasses was
; and f«pray

under the

-upon the
s of every

human work — nj)on our unanswered signals— upon the
length of time while we were

" Drifting, (Iriftini^', drifting,
Oil the .shifting
Currents of the restless main " —

upon the difficulty of getting the pilot on i)()ard— and the
heavy seas through which our storm-tossed bark entered
the calmer waters of the Mersey : but I niust hasten on.

Night after night had the French and English })assengers
joined in drinking with enthusiasm the toast " La prise de
^c^^/as/o/^o/"— night after night had the national piide of
the representatives of the allied nati(ms increased, till we
almost thought in our ignorant arrogance that at the first
thunder of our guns the defences of Sebastopol would fall,
as did those of Jericho at the sound of the trumpets of
Joshua. Consequently, when the pilot came on board
with the newspaper, most of the gentlemen crowded to the
gangway, prepared to give three cheers for the fall of
Sebastopol !

The pilot brought the news of victory — but it was of
the barren victory of Inkermann. A gloom fell over the
souls of many, as they read of our serried ranks mown
down by the Russian fire, of heroic valour and heroic
death. The saloon was crowded with eager auditors as
the bloody tidings were made audible above the roar of
winds and waters. I could scarcely realise the gloomy
ftict that many of those whom 1 had seen sail forth in hope
and pride only ten months before were now sleej)ing under
the cold clay of the Crimea. Three cheers for the victors
of Inkermann, and three for our allies, were then heartily
given, though many doubted whether the heroic and sue-

:■••

4G4

THE RETURN HOME.

Chap. XX.

^im-}

■ f

M; 4

1-1 I

< ■■»

cessful resistance of our troo})3 deserved the name of
victory.

Soon after midnight we anchored in the Mersey, but
could not hind till morning, and were compelled fre-
quently to steam up to our anchors, in consequence of the
fury of the gale. I felt some regret at leaving the good old
steamship America, which had home us so safely across
the " vexed Atlantic," although she rolls terribly, and is,
in her admirable captain's own words, *' an old tub, but
slow and sure." She has since undergone extensive
repairs, and I hope that tiie numerous passengers who
made many voyages in lier in the shape of rats have been
permanently dislodged.

Those were sacred feelings with which I landed upon
the shores of England. Although there appeared little of
confidence in the presort, and much of apprehension for
the future, I loved her better when a shadow was upon
her than in the palmy days >f her peace and prosperity.
I had seen in other lands much to admire, and much to
imitate ; but it must not be forgotten that England is the
source from which those streams of liberty and enlighten-
ment have flowed which have fertilised the Western Con-
tinent. Other lands may have their charms, and the sunny
skies of other climes may be regretted, but it is with pride
and gladness that the wanderer sets foot again on British
soil, thanking God for the religion and the liberty which
have made this weather-beaten island in a northern sea to
be the light and glory of the world.

iondon: puinted bv w. clowes and sons, stamfokd stheet,
and cuarinq cross.

nVH'i'S

CiiAP. XX.
ic name of

^lersey, but
ipoUed fre-
lence of tho
ho good old
Eifely across
bly, and is,
Id cub, but
3 extensive
Migers who
s have been

mded upon
red little of
hension for
V was upon
prosperity,
id much to
land is the

enlighten-
js^ern Con-
l the sunny
i with pride

on British
•erty which
bern sea to

Albemari.b Stqhet, Losdox.
February, 1856.

MR MURRAY'S
GENERAL LIST OF WORKS.

ABBOTT'S (Rev. J.) Philip Musgrave ; or, Memoirs of a Church of
England Missionary in the North American Colonies. Post 8vo. 2s. ed.

ABERCROMBIE'S (John, M.D.) Enquiries concerning the Intel-
lectual Powers and the Investigation of Truth. Fourteenth Edition.
1 cap. Svo. 66-. &d.

Pliilosophy of the Moral Feelings, Tenth

Edition, Fcap. Svo. 4.y.

~ T^ 77 Pitthological and Practical Researches on the

Diseases of the Stomach, the Intestinal Canal, the Liver, and other
Viscera of the Abdomen. Third Edition. Fcap. Svo. g^ "'' "'"^ ""'""^

ACLAND'S (Rev. Charles) Popular Account of the Manners and
Custom8ofIndia,Illustratedwith Numerous Anecdotes. PostSvo 2s Qd

ADDISON'S WORKS. A New Edition, with a New : . and

Notes. P>y Rev. Whitwell Elwin. 4 Vols. Svo. In Preparation.

.^SCHYLUS. (The Agamemnon and Choephoroe.) A New
lr"»b« rii'" 7 «''>7"l' Notes, Critical, Explanator>-, and Philological,
2 Vols? Svo.' 9^ eacl"''- ^^ '''"• '''■ ^"'''=' ^•''' ^*^'"^ ''^''"'^^

JiSOP'S FABLES. A New Version, chiefly from the Original

bv^°oHv T^Kvv,T;'^"Sr^'//-'^'''' ^^■^• "'"sfated with lOO Woodcuts,
by JOUN rtNNiKL. ■■iUt Edition. Post Svo. 2s. 6rf.

AGRICULTURAL (The) Journal. Published (half-yearly) by the

Royal Agricultural Society of England. Svo. 10s.

AMBER-WITCH (The). The most interesting Trial for Witch-
craft ever known Edited by Dr. Meixhold. Translated from the
German by Lady Duff GoRDo.v. PostSvo. 2s. M.

ARABIAN NIGHTS. A New Translation. By T3. W. Lank.

With Explanatory Notes, and 600 Woodcuts. Medium Svo. 21s.

ARISTOPHANES. The Birds and the Clouds. Translated

from SuvERN by W. R. Hamilton, F.R.S. 2 Vols. PostSvo. 9s.
ARTHUR'S (Little) History of England. By Ladt Callcott.

Eighteenth Edition. Woodcuts. ISmo.

AUNT IDA'S Walks and Talks ; a Storv Book for Children. By

a Lady. Woodcuts. 16:no. 5s.

' STREET,

LIST OK WORKS

■ \'ii

>' '

1 1 '^*

V-'.^

.fj

ADMIRALTY PUBLICATIONS ; Issued by direction of the Lords
Commissioners of the Admiralty:—

1. A MANUAL OF SCIi:N'TIinC KNQUIUY, for tlio Use nf Ofticfrs in

II.M. Navy and 'i'ravclli'rs in General. l!y Varions Hands. Kdited
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2. AIRY'S ASTRONOMICAL onSF.KVATIONS madk at Obeenwich.

1836 to 184r. Koyal 4to. 50s. each.

3. APPENDIX TO THE ASTRONOMICAL OP.SERVATIONS.

1836, 1837, 1842, 8s. oacli ; and 1847, 14s. Royal 4to.

CONTENTS.

1836.— Ressel's Refr.iction Tables.

Tables for convertinf; Err'^rs of R.A. and N.P.D. into Errors
of Lon)?itude and Ecliptic P.D.
1837.— Logarithms of Sines and Cosines to every Ten Seconds
of Time.
Table for converting Sidereal into Mean Solar Time.
1842.— Catalogne of 1439 Stars,
1847.— Twelve Years' Catalogue of Stars.

4. MAGNETICAL AND METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVA-
TIONS. 1840 to 1847. Royal 4to. 50<. each.

5. ASTRONOMICAL, MAGNETICAL, AND METEOROLO-
GICAL OBSERVATIONS, 1848 to 1853. Royal 4to. 50s. each.

6. REDUCTION 01' THE OP.SERVATIONS OF PLANETS.

1760 to 1830 Royal 4to. 50s.
7. _ - LUNAR OBSERVATIONS. 1750

to 1830. 2 Vols. Royal 4to. 50s. each.
BERNOULLI'S SEXCENTENARY TABLE. Londnn, 1779. 4to. 5s.

9. BES

10.

;EL'S AUXILIARY TABLES FOR HIS METHOD OF CLEAR-
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— FUNDAMENTA ASTRONOMIyE: 7?<v7!onww<i», 1818. Folio. 60s.

IL BIRDS METHOD OF CONSTRUCTING MURAL QUADRANTS.
London, 1768. 4to. 2s. 6./.

12. METHOD OF DIVIDING ASTRONOMICAL INSTRU-
MENTS. London, 1767. 4to. 2s. 6J.

13. COOK, KING, AND BAYLY'S ASTRONOMICAL OBSERVATIONS.

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16, ENCKE'S BERLINER JAHRBUCH, for 1830. Berlin, 1828. 8vo. 9s.

16, GROOMBSIDGE'S CATALOGUE OF CIRCUMPOLAR STARS,

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17, HARRISON'S PRINCIPLES OF IIIS TIME-KEEPER. Plates.

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19, LAX'S TABLES FOR FINDING THE LATITUDE AND LONGI-

TUDE. 1821. 8vo. 10.«.

20, LUNAR OBSERVATIONS at GREENWICH, 1783 to 1819, Compared

with the Tables, 1821, 4to, 7s. 6d.

2L DISTANCES of tlie MOON'S CENTRE from the PLANETS.

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22. MASKELYNE'S ACCOUNT OF THE GOING OF HARRISON'S

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)n of the Lords

L'se of Ofticpi's in
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BSERVATIONS.

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lar Time.

\L OBSERVA-

METEOROLO-
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OP PLANETS.
'ATIONS. 1750

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ii, 1818. Folio, 60s.
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[A NEWTONI-

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' PUBLISHED CY MR. MrRRAY

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" up'tTIsIar^^r-s/Kr^Jo' 'IT'' ^"^ ADDITIONS
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29.

1781. Svo. 5s.

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82 ENGINE for DiviDi.vGSTnAioiiT Lives 4to 5*

33. SABINE'S PENDULUM EXPi-iaMP\T^ f. I.

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37. TABLES OF LOGARITHMS. 4to. 3?

38. TIARK'S ASTRONOMICAL OBSERVATTOVts f^. ♦! „ t ^

of Madeira. 1822. 4to g" ^ '""^ "'° ^^^^'''^'''^

''• ^"^SX.1S"4;i^ = 2?."^'^"^™-«^'--P-«» -^^th tl.e TABLES.

41. WALES^ AND ^n.^YLY'S ASTRONOMICAL OBSERVATIONS.

42. WALES' REDUCTION OF ASTRONOMICAL OBSERVATION^?

10s ed!'' ™^ SouTUERK Hemisphere. 1764-1771. 171^4^0

AUSTIN'S (Sarah) Fragments from German Prose Writers

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— Translatiou of Ranke's Political and Ecclesiastical

History ofthe Popes of Rome. Third Edition. 2 Vols. 8vo 'S

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from 1 to lOSOOO. Fourth Edition. Royal Svo. 6s.

Ninth Bridgewater Treatise. Second Edition. Svo.

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~ Reflections on the Decline of Science in England
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Voyages of Discovery and Research within the

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DEES AND FLOWERS. Two F.ssays, reprinted from the "Quar-
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BELL'S (Sir Charles) Anatomy and Philosophy of Expression as

connected witli tlio Fine Arts. Fourth Edition. I'lates. ImpLSvo. 21s.

Mechanism and Vital Endowments of the Hand as

evinciiiBlJesifjn. The IJridgewater Treatise. Sixth Edition. Wood-
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BENEDICT'S (Jules) Sketch of the Life and Works of Felix

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BERTHA'S Journal during a Visit to her Uncle in England.
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The Heiress in her ^Minority ; or, the Progress of

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BIRCH'S (Samuel) History of Ancient Pottery : Egyptian, Asiatic,

Greek, Roman, Ktriiscan, imd Celtic. Witli Illustrations. Svo. (Kearly
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BIRT'S (W. R.) Hurricane Guide. Being an Attempt to connect

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LIST OF WORKS

„ .i

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32 LIST OF WORKS PUBLISHED BY MU. MURRAV.

n^.-.

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^ /I ..I A f

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^I0f

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■% '^

m^-

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